South Africa: Youth indaba to explore innovative ideas to address water challenges The Department of Water and Sanitation, in conjunction with Umgeni and Mhlathuze Water, will host a National Water and Sanitation Youth Indaba to explore innovative ideas to address challenges in the water sector. The Youth Indaba, which will take place from 26 to 30 June 2023 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre, will bring young water and sanitation professionals under one roof to highlight the impact of the water crisis and find solutions to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 6, which aims to ensure availability of, and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. The annual Youth Indaba is part of the departments Youth Month commemoration and aims to highlight available opportunities for youth development and educate the youth about their role within the water and sanitation sector by reflecting on governmental plans and activities, among others. Themed Accelerating Youth Economic Emancipation for a Sustainable Future", the Indaba seeks to encourage engagements, technical expertise and knowledge sharing among the youth in the sector, with a view to improving institutional governance, job creation, skills development, economic development, social cohesion, and ultimately, the youth contribution to service delivery to their communities. Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu is expected to give a keynote address on the first day of the Indaba. Mchunu will be supported by his Deputy Ministers, David Mahlobo and Judith Tshabalala, and board members from its entities, Umgeni and Mhlathuze Water. The young professionals will also be taken on an excursion at the Midmar Dam water treatment plant as well as the Darvill and Reuse site on 29 June 2023. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2023-06-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 China's Global Development Initiative (GDI) is seeing sound implementation worldwide, according to a new report. The Progress Report on the Global Development Initiative, which was compiled by the Center for International Knowledge on Development and released on Tuesday, recounted the major efforts and achievements since the GDI's implementation over a year ago. The achievements of the GDI featured in the report were acknowledged by personages worldwide. Many of them pointed out how the initiative pools global consensus on development and injects impetus into the realization of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The GDI focuses on deepening international development cooperation, and is a global public good that is open and inclusive, according to Xaysana Sitthiphone, vice president of the Laos-China Cooperation Committee. Laos appreciates China's joint efforts with other countries and multilateral institutions in advancing the GDI, he told Xinhua, adding that the country looks forward to advancing its poverty reduction, education development and other livelihood undertakings through cooperation with China within the GDI framework. Noting that development knowledge should not be a resource exclusive to individual countries, but should be shared among countries for the benefit of the entire humanity, Assem Hanafi, Egyptian ambassador to China, expressed gratitude to China for sharing development knowledge with other countries. The ambassador said Egypt firmly believes that the GDI will help countries advance the common cause of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and that the initiative will become a platform for sharing development experience and promoting cooperation among countries. Proposed by China at the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021, the GDI was put forward with the hope that countries would work together to overcome the impact of COVID-19 on global development, accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and build a global community of development with a shared future. At the High-level Dialogue on Global Development in June 2022, the GDI entered the stage of practical cooperation with 32 deliverables detailed, such as the launch of the Digital Literacy and Skills Improvement Initiative, and the promotion of connectivity among customs authorities and other supply chain stakeholders. As an important international public good provided by China to the world, the GDI corresponds highly with the needs of all parties around the globe, and has won extensive support from the international community since being put forward. So far, more than 100 countries and international organizations have voiced support for the initiative, with nearly 70 countries joining the Group of Friends of the GDI. With the concerted efforts of all parties, the initiative has seen an improved cooperation mechanism, the orderly advance of cooperation projects and an enriched project pool, yielding multiple early harvests, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. According to the report, half of the 32 concrete actions proposed in the list of deliverables released in June 2022 have been accomplished or have yielded initial results. The report also noted that, of the 50 practical cooperation projects included in the first list of the GDI project pool released in September 2022, more than 10 have been completed, while the rest are seeing steady progress. At present, the total number of projects in the project pool has exceeded 100, benefiting nearly 40 developing countries. In the past year, the Chinese government organized 1,000 human resource development programs, providing a total of 20,000 training opportunities. ATK New Delhi [India], June 22: As 2023 unfolds, we see people exiting from traditional investments, as people, yearning for financial freedom, flock to the cryptocurrency frontier. With Fed rates skyrocketing to a 16-year high, who can blame them? Are the common 9-5 jobs able to keep pace? The answer is a resounding 'no.' In this new age, meme coins, those dark horses of the crypto world, are increasingly capturing imaginations, offering an alternative path to prosperity. Today, we're diving into the fast-paced world of meme coin presales, where potential game-changers like Wall Street Memes and yPredict raised millions in months, and the upcoming new crypto coin Caged Beasts promises more than a fleeting thrill; they invite you into a financial revolution. Wall Street Memes: An Online Revolution Wall Street Memes (WSM) has taken the crypto world by storm. The project, freshly minted and only having launched its presale on May 26, has already captivated early investors, amassing a whopping USD 4 million. The WSM project feeds off the electrifying subculture birthed in the WallStreetBets subreddit, which hit the limelight in the wake of the 2021 GameStop and AMC short squeezes. The team behind WSM isn't new to the arena; their NFT collection 'Wall Street Bulls' sold out in just 32 minutes, netting USD 2.5 million in the process. Their current focus is the WSM token, a community-centric currency aimed at rewarding its holders as the Wall Street Memes community, already boasting 1.1 million members, continues to evolve. If you're quick, you can scoop up WSM tokens at USD 0.0271 during the presale, a 24 per cent discount off the final stage price. yPredict: Power of AI in Crypto Then there's yPredict (YPRED), a pioneering crypto analytics platform that has breezed past the USD 2 million mark in its ongoing presale. The demand is soaring, with over 20,000 people on its waitlist. yPredict is on a mission to revolutionize the way crypto traders interpret data. Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI), it provides traders with unbiased forecasts and critical insights on thousands of coins and tokens. Additionally, it offers reliable information on market sentiment, crypto price trends, chart patterns, and so much more. Currently, yPredict is in the 6th stage of its 8-stage presale. Investors have a golden opportunity to secure YPRED tokens at a discounted price before it's listed on exchanges. Caged Beasts: Unleashing Potential Enter Caged Beasts (BEASTS), a fledgling new crypto meme coin eager to replicate the success of its meme-coin forerunners like Shiba Inu (SHIB), but with a twist. The highlight? An engaging 20 per cent referral code that promises to nurture a fast-growing community. Once users sign up, they can generate a unique referral code. Each new sign-up through this code earns the user 20 per cent in ETH, BNB, or USDT, fostering a sense of community and rewarding engagement, essential traits of successful meme coins. Caged Beasts also promises an intriguing journey for its investors, releasing a new beast at every presale stage. Starting as babies, these beasts will grow, evolve, and mature as the coin does. In essence, Caged Beasts is a rare presale investment that offers a unique twist on the traditional meme coin model. With each stage of its development, it promises to unveil new features and rewards for its long-term supporters, making it a venture worth considering for those with an appetite for innovation in the crypto space. Seizing The Right Moment Before Meme Coin Revolution In conclusion, as traditional investment avenues become less rewarding, the allure of meme coins and their potential for astounding returns grows stronger. Wall Street Memes, yPredict, and the emerging Caged Beasts offer vibrant opportunities within this revolution. While we can't predict the future, one thing is certain: meme coins are reshaping the investment landscape. The revolution is here - will you seize the opportunity and ride this thrilling wave of financial innovation? Read All About Caged Beasts: Website: https://cagedbeasts.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/CAGED_BEASTS Telegram: https://t.me/CAGEDBEASTS (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) In a major announcement coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States, GE Aerospace on Thursday announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India. GE Aerospace said in a release that it continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorization for this. The effort is part of the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 programme. The US company said that the MoU with HAL to produce fighter jet engines for IAF is a major milestone amidst PM Modi's official state visit to the United States and a key element in strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries. The announcement about the MoU came ahead of PM Mod's bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden on Thursday. "This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL," said H Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. "We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modi's vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet." GE Aerospace said more than 1,600 F414 engines have been delivered globally. The release said GE Aerospace has operated in India for more than four decades with wide engagement in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. In addition to potential new work in India, a number of US facilities that currently support work on the F414 engine will see additional volume as a result of the announcement, it said. In 1986, GE began working with the Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL to support the development of India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with F404 engines. Subsequently, GE Aerospace's F404 and F414 have been part of the development and production programs of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programs. In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for LCA Mk2, the release said. "Today's agreement will advance GE Aerospace's earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force as part of the LCA Mk2 program. It puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India, including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospace's selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA program with our F414-INS6 engine. "In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine programme," it said. The release said GE's presence in India includes its research and technology centre, the John F Welch Technology Centre at Bengaluru, which opened in 2000 and its Multi-modal Factory at Pune, which opened in 2015. It said GE Aerospace and its joint ventures have an installed base of more than 40,000 commercial and 26,000 military aircraft engines, and the business is playing a vital role in shaping the future of flight. (ANI) PRNewswire Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 22: The word 'Illusion Aligners' is familiar to the dental world now. They have been doing something unique and revolutionary in terms of service and products and making a quirky move parallel to the generation. Last year, they celebrated the accomplishment of 5 Lac aligners, and now they are here with another product launch, with triple the revolution and innovation. Illusion Aligners FLX, powered by iTRACK, is the latest and most innovative product launched earlier this year after the company witnessed the grand success of products like Illusion Aligners PRO and Illusion Aligners Aesthetic. However, FLX caught the attention of dental fraternities due to the introduction of a triple-layered material, iTRACK, that's almost three times more efficient and reliable in terms of assuring results. It's been a while since such revolutionary material was launched in the aligner industry. Illusion Aligners created a win-win situation by tapping concerns like the need for multitasking material, which works like magic on teeth. https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cq2KlHwPC4I/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Scientifically speaking, they have mentioned their material as innovative, intuitive and intelligent. That means the material iTRACK is unique, self-capable and smart enough to do its tasks effortlessly. FLX is termed because of the ultra-flexible nature of the material. They claim to have bestowed iTRACK with a 150 per cent shape memory effect, letting it fit on the teeth like gloves, irrespective of time duration and frequency of wearing and removing the aligners. FLX exhibits high-end features like maximum patient comfort because of its sandwiched layers and self-dependent material. It has a perfect blend of rigidity and softness that works flawlessly without getting cracked or chipped by external forces, like oral acid or highly irregular teeth arrangement. Illusion Aligners FLX mainly targets millennials and Gen Z and thus tries to increase their reach through ideas that relate to these two generations. Illusion Aligners' approach has always been to spread healthy smiles worldwide, and here is one more initiative toward the same. FLX was launched in the month of April 2023 in a very unique way. A special video was launched where various yoga poses were shown, and each move was connected to a special product feature. How amazing this creativity was. Who would have thought dental aligners could be related to yoga in such a creative and interesting way? https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ctvo1bQudoL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== International Yoga Day was celebrated on 21st June to mark fitness, health, and flexibility, and Illusion Aligners FLX also aims to provide more flexibility to achieve healthy and shiny smiles. As yoga is known to tone and shape the body to perfection by aligning the mind, body, and soul, Illusion Aligners FLX aligns crooked and gapped teeth to perfection with the power of 3x speed. These invisible Aligners are flexible enough to perform any movement by being strong and gentle at the same time. They can be removed before one eats, unlike metal braces. The most exciting feature is that a dream smile can be achieved without anyone knowing that one has worn aligners, because they are ultra-clear, and stain and crack resistant. Team Illusion is back in action to make the most out of the day. They have already started their BFF campaign, which is gaining popularity on Instagram. They are making best friends point out each other's pros and cons, and turning the conversation towards having a beautiful smile. Who would not want their BFF to have the world's best smile? Similarly, they will also have a YOGA campaign involving Gen Z to make a move and come forward to FLX their flexibility and confidence. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtbjOB4vZaJ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== While the renowned Kareena Kapoor Khan stands as the company's brand ambassador, they justify the brand's image by making it as top-notch, promising and beautiful as her. Making dentists and their patients happy is the simplest motto they follow. Illusion Aligners know how to present their products and connect them to one's daily routine, whether yoga or having a small conversation with BFFs. Wear it, Align it, FLX it! Website : https://www.illusionaligners.com/ Media Contact:Shweta Lembarkar+91 9987123699shweta@illusionaligners.com (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) India PR Distribution New Delhi [India], June 22: Appy Pie, the leading provider of innovative AI-powered solutions, is proud to announce the alpha launch of AppyLM, its proprietary large language model (LLM) designed exclusively for native mobile app code generation in technologies such as Swift and Kotlin. With the introduction of AppyLM, Appy Pie AI, the AI arm of Appy Pie, aims to revolutionize the app development industry by combining the power of artificial intelligence and natural language processing, offering a transformative approach to native app development. AppyLM represents an extraordinary leap forward in mobile app development by leveraging a large language model to generate app code based on users' text or voice inputs. Powered by a robust algorithm, this comprehensive model has undergone extensive training on an extensive corpus of text and code data, equipping it with the capability to effortlessly generate intricate code structures. At its alpha launch, AppyLM showcases the cutting-edge technology and marks the beginning of a new era in app development. This milestone demonstrates Appy Pie's commitment to continuous innovation and staying at the forefront of industry advancements. During the alpha phase, Appy Pie welcomes early adopters to experience the power of AppyLM and provide valuable feedback to further enhance its capabilities. Traditionally, building native mobile apps required proficient coding skills and a deep understanding of programming languages. However, AppyLM's intuitive and conversational interface breaks down these barriers, allowing users of all skill levels to create robust and professional applications. By leveraging AppyLM, developers can streamline the app development process, reduce time-to-market, and deliver high-quality applications that cater to the needs of today's tech-savvy users. "We are thrilled to introduce AppyLM to the world," said Abhinav Girdhar, CEO of Appy Pie AI. "With this proprietary large language model, we are revolutionizing the way native mobile apps are created. AppyLM empowers users to effortlessly generate complex code structures, saving them valuable time and effort. By harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, we are democratizing app development and making it accessible to a wider audience." Appy Pie, a Trademark of Appy Pie LLP, is a leading no-code development platform that helps transform business ideas into reality without requiring technical knowledge. It offers an all-inclusive suite of the best no-code tools, including an app builder, website builder, workflow automation platform, graphic design software, chatbot builder, help desk software, and live chat software. Appy Pie's App Maker has been recognized as one of the highest-rated app builders globally by G2, thanks to its unique features, ease of use, and affordability. It is considered one of the most comprehensive no-code application development software for businesses of all sizes according to Capterra. Moreover, Appy Pie is the fastest-growing cloud-based DIY Mobile App Builder in the world, as acknowledged by GetApp. (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by India PR Distribution. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) BusinessWire India Gurugram (Haryana) [India], June 22: Guardian India Operations Private Limited, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian), has been recognized as one of 'India's Best Companies to Work For 2023' - Top 100 by the Great Place to Work Institute, India. This recognition reflects Guardian's High-Trust, High-Performance Culture that fosters an inclusive workplace that promotes colleagues' holistic well-being, trust the organization they work for, take pride in what they do, and relish the camaraderie. "It's truly an honor to be recognized amongst the Top 100 best companies in India," shared Andrew McMahon, CEO and President, Guardian Life. "At Guardian, we believe that a great workplace is built on trust, respect, and empowerment. This recognition highlights the dedication and collaborative spirit of our colleagues, who make working at Guardian a one-of-a-kind experience." "Our culture thrives on a shared belief that our people are the heart of our success. We are honored to be recognized by the Great Place to Work Institute, which reinforces our commitment to championing well-being and fostering an environment where every individual can flourish," said Dean Del Vecchio, Chief Information and Operations Officer. Every year, more than 10,000 organizations from over 60 countries collaborate with Great Place to Work Institute for assessment, benchmarking, and planning actions to strengthen their workplace culture. As part of this assessment, the organizations are studied through two lenses. The first lens measures the quality of employee experience through Trust Index(c) survey that helps in seeking anonymous feedback from employees and carries 75% weightage when considered for the Best Workplaces lists. The second lens is called Culture Audit(c) that evaluates the quality of people practices of an organization, covering the entire employee life cycle. This carries 25% weightage. The Institute undertakes a robust validation process on the data gathered through the assessment process. The cumulative score of Trust Index(c) and Culture Audit(c) determines an organization's position in the ranking scoreboard and helps in identifying 'India's 100 Best Companies to Work For'. Guardian India Operations Private Limited is a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian) and provides IT and ITES services, consulting and business solutions to Guardian and its affiliates. In India, we are located in Chennai and Gurugram. Guardian makes a difference in the lives of people when they need us most. With more than 160 years of stability and fiscal integrity, we are a trusted resource to millions of consumers, helping them prepare and plan for a bright future and recover and thrive in times of unexpected loss. We believe in inspiring well-being across mind, body, and wallet, and in driving value beyond dividends. We invest in our colleagues, are building a progressive and inclusive culture and are helping to uplift communities through thoughtful social and environmental programs. Guardian, which is based in NYC, is a leading provider of life, disability, dental, and other benefits, and has received accolades for its culture and service. Our colleagues and financial representatives serve with care and experience, and our commitments rest on a strong financial foundation, which at year-end 2022 included $11 billion in capital and largest dividend of $1.26 billion in the company's history[1],[2]. For more information, visit guardianlife.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. [1] Financial information concerning Guardian as of December 31, 2022, on a statutory basis: Admitted assets = $76.0 billion; liabilities = $67.2 billion (including $55.0 billion of reserves); and surplus = $8.8 billion. [2] Dividends are not guaranteed. They are declared annually by Guardian's Board of Directors. Great Place to Work Institute is a global management research and consulting firm dedicated towards enabling organizations achieve business objectives by building better workplaces. It is the global authority on High-Trust, High-Performance Culture for the workplace. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, the institute recognizes the Best Workplaces across the globe. Great Place to Work Institute works with over 10,000 organizations globally every year to help them assess, change, learn and share. Guardian is a registered trademark of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America.(c) Copyright 2023 The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America2023-157187 Exp. 6/25 (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) On Wednesday night, the 'Piku' star took to social media and shared an image of herself performing a rather complex pose, showing off her flexible body. https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctwyz8erKMw/ In the caption, Deepika asked her fans if they know the name of the asana. And guess what? Actor Alia Bhatt gave a right yet funny answer. , "How many of you know what this asana is called? #worldyogaday," Deepik wrote. Alia was prompt to reply as she commented, "Puppy pose," along with a nerd face emoji. Actor Karan Tacker wrote, "Child pose." "Falling on your parents feet for Goa trip permission asana," a social media user quipped. Meanwhile, on the work front, Deepika will be next seen in the upcoming pan-India action thriller film 'Project K' opposite actor Prabhas and megastar Amitabh Bachchan. She also has Siddharth Anand's next aerial action thriller film 'Fighter' opposite Hrithik Roshan in her kitty.This is her second film with director Siddharth Anand after they delivered this year's biggest hit, 'Pathaan'. 'Fighter', which is scheduled to release on January 25 next year, will also star Karan Singh Grover and Akshay Oberoi. If reports are to be believed, Deepika has a special dance number in Shah Rukh Khan-starrer 'Jawan'. Actors Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi will also share screen space with SRK in the film, which is billed as a project with high-octane action sequences. It will be out in September 2023. (ANI) Makers of the upcoming musical drama 'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' have unveiled the official teaser of the fourth and final season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a US-based media outlet, the series is all set to bid goodbye to the viewers with its fourth season, Disney+ and showrunner Tim Federle announced on Wednesday. Season four is set to premiere on Aug. 9 with a binge release of all eight episodes. Taking to Instagram, the makers dropped the teaser trailer which they captioned, "It's now or never! The final season of #HSMTMTS is streaming August 9 on @DisneyPlus!" https://www.instagram.com/p/CtwltLWOTDK/ Soon after the makers dropped the teaser, fans flooded the comment section with red hearts and fire emoticons. "Please please please, I need an appearance of Zac and Vanessa," a fan commented. Another fan wrote, "THE BEST SEASON BUT WITHOUT NINI." "This series was always about finding family, and about making something you love with people you love. In other words, it was a tribute to theatre kids," Federle said in a statement, adding, "I can't wait for our dedicated fan base to watch this world-class cast take a final bow." After spending season three at theatre camp, the East High Wildcats return to school for their senior year in the final season. They're prepping a stage production of High School Musical 3: Senior Year, but those plans are upended when Disney announces the long-awaited High School Musical 4: The Reunion movie will shoot on location at their beloved high school, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Joshua Bassett, Sofia Wylie, Dara Renee, Julia Lester, Frankie Rodriguez, Kate Reinders and Liamani Segura star in season four. The cast also features recurring guest stars Kylie Cantrall, Matthew Sato, Caitlin Reilly and Vasthy Mompoint along with Mark St. Cyr, Matt Cornett, Larry Saperstein, Joe Serafini, Adrian Lyles and Saylor Bell Curda, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Taking to Instagram, Federle, in a post about the final season, wrote, "This will be our final, endgame season. This show brought the most extraordinary cast -- and crew, and collaborators -- to my life. To the fans who embraced our super-meta series, we 'don't not love you", according to The Hollywood Reporter. (ANI) A top virologist on the UN health body's panel, Professor Marion Koopmans, has said that the World Health Organization (WHO) should never have dismissed the lab leak theory about the origin of the Covid pandemic. The WHO in its initial assessment in 2021 had stated that it was "extremely unlikely" that Covid might have spilled into humans from a lab. Koopmans, who heads the Department of Viroscience at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, is one of 12 people investigating the emergence of the pandemic on behalf of WHO. Speaking to the BBC podcast "Fever: The Hunt for Covid's Origin", Koopmans said the theory that the virus escaped from a secretive lab in Wuhan could never be ruled out, the Daily Mail reported. "We shouldn't have done that," she added. A team of experts from the WHO spent four weeks in China in January 2021 to investigate whether Covid-19 is the result of a lab-leak. The agency announced that "all hypotheses remain on the table," and that "we have not yet found the source of the virus, and we must continue to follow the science and leave no stone unturned as we do." But the global health body ruled that the natural-origins theory was the most likely -- and placed a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology as "extremely unlikely" and behind the frozen-food origin theory. China, on the other hand, stated that the virus began in a US research facility in Maryland or in imported frozen food packaging. Meanwhile, Koopmans said that she hasn't ruled out both theories of the frozen-food and lab-leak. "Neither of them are ruled out in my mind," she was quoted as saying. Asked whether including the frozen-food theory in the final report undermined WHO's mission, Koopmans said: "I don't think so." "Again, as a scientist, looking at the literature and looking at what is possible, I felt we should also not throw it out because it was pushed politically." In May, former Chinese CDC head Dr George Fu Gao, also said that the theory that Covid-19 is the result of a lab-leak should not be discounted. Gao directed China's CDC when Covid first emerged in Wuhan. "You can always suspect anything. That's science. Don't rule out anything," Gao was quoted as saying to the same BBC podcast. China has since the beginning dismissed any suggestion the disease may have originated in a Wuhan laboratory. More than two years after the pandemic that has infected over 763 million and claimed more than 6.9 million lives globally, the origins of Covid-19 remain unclear. --IANS rvt/dan/bg ( 447 Words) 2023-06-21-19:50:03 (IANS) The International Day of Yoga celebrations on the UN campus on Wednesday entered the Guinness World Records for most nationalities gathering for a yoga session, reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UN Secretary Generl Antonio Guterres' message that the ancient art is a universal unifying force. A representative from Guinness declared that with 135 nationalities participating, the event set the record for the most nationalities gathering for a single yoga session. Modi said that yoga unifies everyone, of all faiths and cultures. "Yoga is truly a universal brand," he said. Guterres, who was away in Paris for a conference, said in a video message, "Yoga reveals our common humanity, helping us understand that despite our differences, we are one." He said that Yoga Day has embraced the spirit of unity and resolve to build a better and more harmonious world for the people, planet and ourselves. A mosaic of races and nationalities covered the green of the UN lawn speckled with yellow yoga mats. As one, they went through an array of simple yoga exercises focused on breathing and relaxation. About 1,800 people -- officials, diplomats, UN staff and yoga enthusiasts -- participated in the event, spilling over from the lawns to the walkway along the East River. Before the yoga observances, Modi paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi before his statue and honoured at their memorial the peacekeepers who died in the service of the UN. UN General Assembly President Csaba Korosi emphasised yoga's role in protecting the environment. "Yoga is an ethical guide, it is a guide to sustainability, not overusing," he said. New York Mayor Eric Adams called for making yoga shape the city and national agendas. The spirit and emotion of yoga should "challenge [us] to fight against war, to fight against gender oppression, to fight against violence and to fight against lack of clean water", he said. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) --IANS al/dan ( 341 Words) 2023-06-21-20:58:02 (IANS) The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) India has issued notices to the West Bengal government and Police in connection with a complaint that police obstructed a National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) team led by its Chairperson on March 31 into the death of a seven-year-old girl in the Tiljala area of Calcutta in March. The Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police, West Bengal calling for a detailed report on the matter including the status of the investigation conducted in the case, FIR registered at PS Tiljala on the complaint given by the Chairperson, NCPCR and the action taken against the officers/officials found guilty. The response is expected from the authorities within 4 weeks, as per an official statement of the NHRC. Issuing the notices, the Commission has observed that the NCPCR is a statutory body having a mandate for the protection and promotion of the rights of children, including monitoring of the implementation of the child-specific laws, viz., Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), Juvenile Justice, Right to Education (RTE), etc. The NCPCR is lawfully empowered to enquire, on its own, on the basis of a complaint, on any matter relating to an alleged violation of the rights of the children, the statement added. As per the statement, the Commission is of the prima-facie view that installing video cameras in the room in a discrete manner, where the NCPCR team was supposed to talk to the parents of the victim is not only morally wrong but also against the directions of the Apex Court regarding maintaining privacy with regard to name and identity of a female victim of a crime. Physical assault on the NCPCR team is also a grave violation of human rights. Allegedly, they were physically assaulted and threatened for life when they protested against the police for recording on camera, in contravention of law, their conversation with the victim's parents as part of the enquiry, according to the statement. The complaint had sought registration of FIR and action against the erring police personnel under the relevant sections of Information Technology, IT Act as well as Indian Penal Code, IPC and not as rendered. (ANI) According to the sources, this comes after Sinha failed to attend the discussion called by the Governor over the sensitive matter related to the Panchayat election issue. Rajiva Sinha was appointed as the State Election Commissioner (SEC) on June 8. Sinha served as the state's chief secretary from September 2019 to September 2020. The final day of filing nominations on June 15 witnessed continued clashes across various parts of the state, including an outbreak of violence at the Block Development Office in Birbhum's Ahmadpur, where crude bombs were reportedly thrown. The final day of filing nominations witnessed continued clashes across various parts of the state, including an outbreak of violence at the Block Development Office in Birbhum's Ahmadpur, where crude bombs were reportedly thrown. The Panchayat elections in West Bengal will be held in a single phase on July 8, with the counting of votes scheduled for July 11. The Panchayat polls in West Bengal are likely to see a fierce contest between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress, which is being touted as a litmus test for both parties ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections. (ANI) Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has conducted searches at 14 locations in Kerala as part of an investigation against the network of Hawala operators and illegal Forex Dealers in the state of Kerala. According to an official statement, the ED conducted searches on June 19, 2023, under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999. "The raids were conducted on the basis of intelligence gathered that the hawala operations were being conducted in these premises in the guise of Forex Money Exchange, Gifts Shops, Textile, Jewellery shop and readymade garment shops. Some of the entities which were found to be key players in the Hawala network and covered as part of the Search Operation are Suresh Forex, Ettumanoor Forex, Dubai Forex, Sangeetha Foreign Exchange, Crescent Trading, Hana Trading, Fornas Forex Pvt Ltd and their key managerial persons", the statement read. The release further stated that a huge value of Assorted Foreign Currencies from more than 15 countries totalling approximately Rs 1.50 crore was seized. "Also the huge sum of unaccounted Indian Rupees generated from illegal foreign currency exchange totalling approximately Rs 1.40 crore was also recovered and seized during the operation", the statement added. Further, the searches have also revealed that these persons and entities transacted in illegal exchange of foreign currency and are also involved in arranging cross-border payments to Dubai, USA, Canada etc through Hawala and bypassing the legal banking channels. The operators admitted illegal Forex dealings without taking KYC or issuing bills. The voice memos and WhatsApp conversations retrieved from the devices of these persons revealed the modus operandi of the hawala operations which runs into multiples of crores of rupees, the release stated. As per the statement, additional data retrieved from more than 50 mobiles and electronic devices seized during searches is being analysed with the help of Forensic Experts for further operational analysis and to identify the larger racket of cross-border hawala and the beneficiaries. The release added that further investigation in this matter is underway to trace other illegal forex dealers involved in hawala transactions. (ANI) The police have also recovered Rs 1 lakh, 12 AK 47 rounds, and one grenade from their possession. The Anantnag Police have registered the case under the relevant sections at Bijbehara police station. Further investigation is underway. Earlier on June 16, the Joint security forces on early Friday in a major operation neutralized five highly trained foreign terrorists of JK Ghaznavi Force (JKGF) who were trying to infiltrate into the Indian territory in the Jumagund area near Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The terrorists, seasoned in guerilla warfare in the Afghan-Pakistan theatre, were trying to infiltrate into the Indian territory in the Jumagund area in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir late Thursday night. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday (local time), congratulated Surat for setting the Guinness world record for the largest gathering of people for a yoga session in one place. PM Modi responded to a tweet by Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi congratulating Surat for the achievement. Congratulating Sanghavi, PM Modi tweeted, "Congratulations Surat! A remarkable feat." https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1671604460819210261?s=20 In his tweet, Harsh Sanghavi said that Surat had set the highest Guinness record for people gathered for a yoga session on the occasion of the 9th International Yoga Day, with more than one lakh attendees. "More than one lakh people took part in the event. This remarkable feat is the testament of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji's clarion call for #YogaForAll," he tweeted. Every year International Yoga Day is celebrated on June 21 worldwide. It serves as a platform to raise awareness about the numerous benefits of Yoga and promote its holistic approach to physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The concept of International Yoga Day was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2014 address to the United Nations General Assembly. Since then, Yoga has gained huge popularity worldwide due to its ability to enhance flexibility, strength, balance, and overall fitness. This year, the theme of Yoga Day was 'Yoga For Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,' i.e., Yoga for the welfare of all in the form of 'One World-One Family. It emphasised the spirit of Yoga, which unites everyone and takes them in stride. PM Modi, on the occasion, led a special Yoga session at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on Wednesday, to mark the 9th edition of the International Day of Yoga. People from more than 180 countries were seen performing asanas on their Yoga mats. Apart from PM Modi, India's permanent envoy to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and the 77th United Nations General President Csaba Korosi were among the dignitaries attending the event. Earlier at the event, PM Modi laid floral tributes to the recently installed bust ofMahatma Gandhi on the lawns of the UN headquarters. PM Modi will also address a joint sitting of the US Congress on June 22 On June 23, the Prime Minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In addition to official engagements, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to interact with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders. He will also meet members of the Indian diaspora. (ANI) Two weeks after a former SFI leader, who was caught while producing a forged experience certificate for a guest lecturer's job in a state-run college went missing, another student leader accused of a similar offence has now put on a disappearing act is yet to be traced. According to sources, the second top SFI leader was found guilty of securing admission for M.Com without passing B.Com. The Congress-led UDF and the BJP leaders are tearing into the CPI(M) leadership for "supporting" the misdeeds of its student leaders. When K.Vidya -- the absconding top former SFI activists saw her anticipatory bail before the Kerala High Court on Tuesday put for next week and another similar plea to be heard by a Kasargod court on Saturday, she agreed to cooperate with the probe but said since she is unmarried, the court should consider her plea favourably. Similarly, since Tuesday evening top SFI leader Nikhil Thomas has gone missing after the police registered a case against him for getting admission for M.Com based on a forged degree certificate from Kalinga University in Raipur. With the second case surfacing, the top CPI(M) brass, including its state secretary M.V.Govindan, was seen ducking the media on Tuesday when this question was put out to him. What has hit the CPI(M) the worst is the chancellor of the state-run Universities Governor Arif Mohammed Khan stated that just becoming a member of a particular student's organisation doesn't provide a license to do anything. He has promised to look into all the recent developments. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.Muraleedharan said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should break his silence over the issues, but sadly the media which comes out with news is being targetted. Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohan KunnummalAon Wednesday said that he will act very strongly against all those who try to tarnish the name and fame of the University. Meanwhile, the party organ 'Janayugom' of the CPI -- the second biggest ally of the Vijayan government -- slammed the unfolding of "misdeeds" in the higher education sector and wanted things to be reigned in without fail. All in all, the credibility of the SFI in Kerala appears to have taken a sound beating. Reportedly, the CPI(M) is mulling a makeover of the present SFI leadership. --IANS sg/shb/ ( 393 Words) 2023-06-21-11:32:05 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused an urgent hearing of a plea by a right-wing group seeking directions for the removal or correction of alleged objectionable scenes in 'Adipurush'. The movie, directed by Om Raut, released nationwide on June 16 and the plea filed as a PIL claims that the characters in the film deviate from the portrayal of these religious figures in the Hindu epic Ramayana. During the hearing, petitioner, Hindu Sena president Vishnu Gupta's counsel sought for listing of the plea on Wednesday or on Friday, which was initially listed for June 30. "I am seeking the listing of the plea today or on Friday, because there are many controversial scenes in the movie," the counsel said. "When the teaser of the movie was released there was an outcry, the director promised to remove parts, but it wasn't removed, similarly when the trailer of the movie was released it happened again, they promised again. Currently, it hinges the international relations, even Nepal has banned the movie", the counsel further contended. However, a vacation bench of Justices Tara Vitasta Ganju and Amit Mahajan refused the urgent listing of the matter. "You are well aware in advance of the release of the film. If it has already released what are you restraining?" Justice Ganju remarked orally. The PIL also challenges the certification granted to the film under the Cinematograph Act of 1952 and it names the director, producers, and official parties as respondents. It is the petitioner's case that the movie "offends the sentiments" of the Hindu community by presenting the religious characters in "an inaccurate and inappropriate manner" that goes against the descriptions found in the works of authors like Maharishi Valmiki and Tulsidas. The petition argues that the portrayal of characters such as Ravana (played by Saif Ali Khan) and Lord Hanuman in the film is completely divorced from Indian civilisation. "The bearded look of Ravana's character played by Saif Ali Khan in the film is hurting the sentiments of Hindu community as the Hindu Brahmin Ravana is shown making a ghastly face in a wrong manner which is an absolute insult to Hindu civilisation, Hindu religious figures, idols, ideals, etc.," the plea alleges. The petition also claims that the "inaccurate" depiction of Hindu religious characters has garnered criticism and resentment from across the country, including from actors who have portrayed these characters in Ramanand Sagar's 'Ramayana'. "The hair style, beard, moustache and dressing manner including appearances are well defined as per the image created in those epics. Any variation of these images by the film producers and directors and actors would certainly hurt the sentiments of worshipers, devotees and religious believers," the petition claims. The movie stars Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, and Saif Ali Khan in the leading roles of Lord Ram, Sita, and Ravana, respectively. --IANS spr/ksk/ ( 487 Words) 2023-06-21-12:04:03 (IANS) "Promptly responding to the alarming calls, a team was swiftly deployed to trace the location of the anonymous caller," said a senior police official. Police have also launched a comprehensive investigation into the matter, leveraging advanced technological tools to trace the origin of the calls. "The cyber cell of Outer district has also been engaged to analyse the digital footprints of the threatening messages, aiming to gather vital evidence that may aid in identifying the suspect," the official added. More details are awaited. --IANS ssh/dpb ( 134 Words) 2023-06-21-13:00:02 (IANS) The incident occurred late Tuesday night in Puppalaguda under the limits of Narsingi police station. According to police, Ganesh, who works as a food delivery boy, wanted to marry the victim, who happens to be his relative. However, the girl who hails from Piduguralla in Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh, had rejected his proposal. The girl was working in a company in Hyderabad and resided at a hostel in Gachibowli area. Ganesh went to the hostel on Tuesday night and took her to a place near T-Grill Hotel in Puppalaguda. He once again put forward his marriage proposal but she rejected it. During the argument, the youth took out a knife he was carrying in his bag and attacked her. The girl also suffered stab injuries on her neck, face and hands. After alerted by some passersby on Dial 100, police rushed to the spot. They shifted the girl to the hospital and arrested Ganesh. Further investigation is underway. --IANS ms/ksk/ ( 198 Words) 2023-06-21-13:18:05 (IANS) Delhi Police's outer district unit jumped into action on Wednesday after receiving two PCR calls from a man who made chilling threats against the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, and Bihar Chief Minister. The official said that they have identified the caller -- Sudheer Sharma, who works as a carpenter and a manhunt has been initiated to trace and nab him. Sharing the details, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer) Harendra K. Singh said that a PCR call was received on Wednesday at 10:46 a.m. ,in which the caller threatened to kill Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar if not given Rs 10 crore. "It's location was found in the Nangloi area. Again at 10:54 a.m., the same caller threatened to kill Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah if not given Rs two crore. "The location of the caller was in Paschim Vihar (East). The Station House Officer (SHO) Paschim Vihar (East) police station along with his four subordinates immediately moved to the location," said the DCP. Eventually, the caller's address was traced. "It is Sudheer Sharma who lives in Madhipur. He was not available at his address but his 10-year-old son Ankit was found there," said the official. On further inquiry, it has come out that the person is a habitual drinker and consumes alcohol during the day time also. "His son told the team that his father had been drinking since early this morning. When Ankit was asked to talk to him, he was responding very incoherently. Our team is constantly trying to trace the person," the DCP added. --IANS ssh/dpb ( 283 Words) 2023-06-21-13:32:05 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje, asked the Congress government in Karnataka that they should either provide free 10 kilograms of rice as promised during the elections or vacate the seat of power. Speaking to reporters in Chikkamagaluru, Shobha Karandlaje on Wednesday said that they (Congress government) have to provide a total 15 kilograms of free rice to the people as the central government provides five kilograms of free rice to states. "The Congress leaders gave false promises only to win elections. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should take back his statements in this regard," she urged. "Women are asked for certificates to get bus passes. Do I need a certificate to prove that I am a woman?" she questioned. "For free rice, funds, power and for everything, fingers are pointed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In that case why have you (Congress) circulated guarantee cards to people? They have to purchase rice from the farmers of other states and our state and later distribute it to the people here," she demanded. "We had questioned you (Congress) that from where they will bring funds for all these schemes. You point fingers at the central government for everything. Who are you trying to appease with the schemes? You are demanding the rice which is kept as buffer stock which is to be utilised during the times of drought, floods, war," Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje maintained. Congress government in Karnataka has launched an all-out attack on the ruling BJP government at the Centre for denying sale of rice through the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and charged that BJP is stealing poor man's food and trying to scuttle the Anna Bhagya scheme under which 10 kilograms of free rice will be distributed to every member of BPL card holders' family. BJP Karnataka unit has been retaliating and this has resulted in a war of words between the leaders of both the parties. Congress had staged a protest against the central government. BJP also staged a counter protest, and some of its leaders were arrested and released later. --IANS mka/uk/ ( 376 Words) 2023-06-21-13:36:03 (IANS) Karnataka Congress leader Kimmane Ratnakar on Wednesday slammed the BJP and former Home Minister Araga Jnanendra over posting of obscene videos of college girls by an ABVP leader. Speaking to reporters, the former minister pointed out, "Araga Jnanendra should tell us about obscene videos. According to my information, the ABVP President has circulated videos of 30-40 girls. Araga Jnanendra should have protested against this. Had a Muslim done it, they would have given a bundh call for the whole of Shivamogga district." Now, they (BJP) are claiming that the accused has no connection with the ABVP. "Everyone will maintain the same. I can show the video of Araga Jnanendra flaunting saffron shawl visiting colleges and taking up campaigning. Can he refute it? Jnanendra himself had gone with the man accused of rape at a degree college. Now, they are claiming that he was not the local president of ABVP," Ratnakar alleged. A protest would be staged in Theerthahalli over the incident. Karnataka Police had arrested an Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) office bearer from Shivamogga district on charges of posting obscene videos of college girls on social media. In a statement on Monday, the police said the accused Pratik Gowda was the president of the ABVP's Theerthahalli unit. But, later BJP maintained that he was not the President or the office-bearer. The videos contained footage of him getting intimate with several college girls, the police said, adding that he was arrested on Sunday and sent to judicial custody. The members of National Student Union of India (NSUI) have approached the Superintendent of Police S. Mithun Kumar over the circulation of videos and demanded action against the accused and other members of ABVP. The police stated that the accused is charged of filming nude pictures and videos of the gullible college students and blackmailed them. ABVP members have also asked the police to initiate action against the accused. The members also informed the police that they received reports of harassment of girls by the accused using the name of the organisation. --IANS mka/shb/ ( 361 Words) 2023-06-21-13:52:01 (IANS) With Congress leaders lining up for tickets for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections scheduled to be held later this year, party's state unit chief Kamal Nath made it clear that he would decide candidates on the basis of survey reports only. Kamal Nath said no one can pressurise him for ticket. He also stated that he is not the kind of leader who can be influenced by someone easily. Kamal Nath made this statement while responding to mediapersons in Shajapur district, about finalisation of candidates for the upcoming assembly elections. "See, no can pressurise me and no one can influence me. Tickets would be decided only on the basis of surveys," he said. Meanwhile, the Congress leader hit out at the ruling BJP alleging that it has made the Madhya Pradesh a 'corruption state'. "Entrepreneurs are not willing to invest in Madhya Pradesh because of corruption. When I was CM, I spoke to several businessmen and what they replied was shocking to me. Entrepreneurs said they do not trust on Madhya Pradesh government, which is why they do not want to invest here," he added. Kamal Nath, who has long experience of running businesses and also served as commerce minister earlier, said, "Business won't come from demand, but we have to attract the entrepreneurs. And for attracting for business, we have to make a business-friendly situation in Madhya Pradesh." --IANS pd/uk/ ( 246 Words) 2023-06-21-13:58:03 (IANS) The university will hold classes for them twice a week and will also acquaint them with Indian culture and ethos. These students already have a knowledge of these two languages and have come here to hone their skills and diction. This development is a result of an MoU signed between the University of Lucknow and the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS), New Delhi. Prof RP Singh, director, international collaboration, said, that in line with this collaboration, Lucknow University is offering a short-term course spanning eight weeks to teach Urdu and Persian to American students. Julia Norman from Los Angeles says they are fortunate to have been given the opportunity to study Urdu in Lucknow. Julia hopes to develop language skills here at LU. "This city's rich culture and vibrant history makes this an ideal place," she said. Meredith Church from the University of Colorado says they are fascinated by the history and confluence of culture in Lucknow. "Honoured to have the opportunity to learn Urdu here," she said. Nikash Harapanahalli from the US state of Texas said that the opportunity to learn Urdu in Lucknow is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. --IANS amita/svn/ ( 228 Words) 2023-06-21-14:08:03 (IANS) Delhi Police have arrested a 28-year-old notorious criminal for kidnapping a 10-year-old girl in northeast Delhi's Nand Nagri area, an official said, adding that the accused was also found involved in two rape cases, Arms Act and theft registered in the national Capital. The accused was identified as Mohd. Iqbal, a resident of district Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. According to police, on June 19 at around 9.00 p.m., a kidnapping incident of a 10-year-old girl was reported at Nand Nagri police station. The complainant Akbar, a resident of Sunder Nagri reported that around two weeks ago, his 10-year-old sister-in-law, a resident of Pooja Colony, Loni (Uttar Pradesh) had come to his house for a short stay. "She was playing in the street in front of his house when one Iqbal, relative of his neighbour, lured and took her along with him," the complainant told police. During the investigation, one team was given the task of checking CCTV footage of the entire area while another team was sent to check all parks, abandoned places in Delhi. "Police team scanned and analyzed the CCTV footage and in one of the CCTV cameras, suspect Iqbal was seen taking the victim girl along with him at 6.45 p.m. on the day of incident," said Joy Tirkey, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast). "One police team was immediately sent to the village of alleged Iqbal. His relatives were interrogated at length and it surfaced that he rarely stayed at his home and mostly kept bad company of anti-social elements in UP. His wife had already left him in 2019. One of his brothers, Azad was in Kasna jail in the NDPS Case," said the official. Further, it was found that Iqbal had recently brought a woman from Dhampur. "It was also revealed that Iqbal had stayed in some rented room in Mullah Colony in Gazipur area for 15 days and a case rape was also registered against him at Dhampur (UP) police station. He was wanted in the case," said the DCP. Another police team was sent to Mullah Colony along with the photographs of the accused and the victim child for identification." The team conducted a door to door survey at Mullah Colony, Gazipur as Mullah Colony is very densely populated. After sincere and laborious efforts suspect Iqbal was apprehended from Mullah Colony and the victim girl child was safely rescued," said the DCP. --IANS ssh/dpb ( 418 Words) 2023-06-21-14:10:02 (IANS) The Delhi Police's Special Cell has arrested one of the main conspirators, who was absconding for more than three years, involved in the murder of Head Constable Rattan Lal during northeast riots 2020 in the national Capital, an official said on Wednesday. The accused identified Mohd Ayaz (53), a resident of Chand Bagh in Karawal Nagar area, was carrying a reward of Rs one lakh on information leading to his arrest and he was nabbed from a village in district Chikkaballapur near Bengaluru, Karnataka. During northeast riots in Delhi on February 24, 2020, Ratan Lal was killed, while Anuj Kumar, the then Assistant Commissioner of Police, Gokulpuri and Amit Sharma, the then Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdara sustained multiple grievous injuries. Sharing the details, the Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HGS Dhaliwal said that in January 2020, Ayaz along with his brother Khalid and others started an anti-CAA/NRC protest at Chand Bagh, Delhi in the line of Shaheen Bagh demonstration. Thereafter, on February 23, 2020, a secret meeting was held at his home's basement and it was unanimously decided to bring sticks, iron rods among others to block the road in view of the visit of the then US President Donald Trump so as to gain maximum attention at international level. "Thereafter, as per pre-planned conspiracy, the rioters blocked the road leading to Jafrabad Metro Station and consequently, different groups started rioting in various parts of North-East and Shahdara Districts of Delhi and the same continued till February 26, 2020 resulting in death of over 50 people, injury to hundreds of persons and huge loss of government and private properties. Over 750 cases were lodged in different police stations of Shahdara and North-East districts of Delhi in this regard," said the Special CP. "A huge mob gathered at the Chand Bagh protest site in the morning of February 24, 2020 and attempted to block the main Wazirabad Road. However, when the police team tried to stop them, Ayaz, his brother Khalid and other rioters started pelting stones and attacked the police party causing the death of Delhi Police Head Constable Ratan Lal," said the Dhaliwal. He said that a close watch was being kept over the close contacts of Ayaz and his brother Khalid. "The technical and manual surveillance revealed that Mohd. Ayaz and his brother Khalid were changing their hideouts frequently. After incessant efforts, it emerged that both of them had moved to rural areas in Manipur to evade their arrest. Thereafter, efforts were made to track their movement in Manipur," said the Special CP. Police came to know that Ayaz had moved to Bengaluru in the first week of June 2023. "It was further revealed that he was in search of a suitable hideout in the rural area of Dibburahalli, around 100 kms from Bengaluru. Following the trail, a team located him in the area of Dibburahalli and he was nabbed on June 17," said Dhaliwal. --IANS ssh/shb/ ( 511 Words) 2023-06-21-14:28:02 (IANS) The Karnataka government has decided to create a separate cyber wing in every police station to counter fake news, and will also hold a meeting with the representatives of Facebook, Twitter, Google and other social media platforms. Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Minister for Home Dr. G. Parameshwara said, "A meeting of representatives of Facebook, Twitter, Google and other social media platforms is being called soon. The number of persons indulging in circulating fake news is steadily growing and this will be contained. "Whoever creates fake news and circulates it will be dealt with by initiating legal action. The action is certain no matter which political outfit one belongs to," the state Home Minister said. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday directed the authorities to track down the origins of fake news campaigns. The order has been issued following rampant fake news campaigns being carried out on social media platforms after the new Congress government assumed power in the state. The officers have also directed to identify those who are spreading false news and initiate legal action against them. Siddaramaiah had a detailed discussion with state Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara regarding the order. "In 2013, when the then Congress government assumed power, the fake news menace had cropped up. This time also political opponents are adopting the same tactic. The attempts are being made in the backdrop of fast approaching Lok Sabha elections. They are indulging in the circulation of more and more fake news and there is a possibility of creating unrest in the society," the statement from the Chief Minister's office said. The Chief Minister asked the authorities to take action in the beginning itself by cutting off the roots. During the BJP rule, the forces have tried to circulate false news on child lifters, transportation of cow meat, etc., said the CM. "The people have rejected the BJP and Sangh Parivar with conviction and ruthlessness. There are signs of orchestrating clashes between groups, rioting through the fake news at a time when there is preparation for the Lok Sabha elections. "Necessary action must be taken in this regard. Earlier, there was a dedicated technical team at the Bengaluru Police Commissionerate and state Police Headquarters. They detected fake news and warned people by conducting fact checks. "However, this was stopped when the BJP came to power. This must be restarted," Siddaramaiah told police officials. The Chief Minister has instructed the cyber police to get ready to detect fake news and give a report on this on a monthly basis, the official statement added. --IANS mka/dpb ( 447 Words) 2023-06-21-14:38:04 (IANS) The Congress government in Karnataka has issued an order on Wednesday to provide school children studying from Class 1 to 8 with either eggs or bananas. The circular in this regard has been signed and released by Shubh Kalyan Director of PM Poshan, School Education department and directed the staff of the aided and unaided school across the state to provide boiled eggs to students as nutrition supplement. For those who are not eating eggs, bananas or chikki (a sweet dish made of groundnut and jaggery) would be provided. The supplements would be given along with midday meals to eradicate malnutrition and anemia. The egg or banana would be given once in a week from August 20 till the further government orders in the first phase. The schools are directed to procure eggs/bananas/chikki at Rs 8 per piece. Earlier, the Karnataka government's decision had triggered a controversy in the state. The decision had angered a section of the society who demanded that eggs shouldn't be distributed in school premises as it encourages discrimination among school going children. Another section supporting egg supplement to school children claimed that this project shouldn't stop as protein supplement is badly needed by students. They maintained children who have better access to better nutrition have better education outcomes. The BJP-JD (S) coalition government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy had rolled back its project of distributing eggs to school children in 2007 succumbing to pressure from religious groups. However, the previous BJP government implemented the scheme. Then Education Minister B. C. Nagesh had stated that the project has been implemented amid people opposing and vouching for it. "There is no substitution for egg as such. There is soyabean, but children won't eat it. The project has been implemented with an intention to address malnutrition among children," he had stated. --IANS mka/svn/ ( 317 Words) 2023-06-21-14:48:01 (IANS) They dress in sarees, groove to rocking beats and sing songs with meaningful lyrics that convey a social message. The 'Meri Zindagi' music band from Lucknow that comprises five homemakers, is setting the stage on fire. India's first all-female music band has, so far, performed in 50 cities in more than 550 concerts. Started in 2010 with modest resources by Dr Jaya Tiwari, the band gained significance because of its songs where the emphasis is more on lyrics than on rhythm. "Despite popular demand and lucrative money, we do not perform Bollywood songs. We only perform the songs that we write and compose. Social change and not money has been our motivation. We would never promote songs with lyrics that deride or sexualise women," said Tiwari. Instead of choosing quick money by agreeing to perform Bollywood songs, all members of the band juggle their passion for music and social change with a regular job for financial stability. Another striking feature about the band, as mentioned earlier, is that they only perform in saris. "We do not want to dress in flashy clothes and come across to our audience as distant personalities. On the contrary, we want to become the voice of those who have been suppressed, wronged, or just neglected. When we perform in sarees, regular homemakers identify with us," said Tiwari. Jaya Tiwari recalls, "It started with three women and one guitar in 2010. We used kitchen utensils as music instruments during our initial days. We would think of the lyrics and the rhythm of our songs while doing household chores." For raising awareness towards social issues, the band has received several awards from government, social, and private organisations. The band is credited with creating jingles for 1090 Women Power Helpline, Women Honour Cell, and a song for Mahila Bal Kalyan Vibhag which was launched by the chief minister himself. Recently, the band performed for the Indian Army in Kashmir. "I remember how hard it would be for us to find a place and time for jamming sessions. Sometimes, it still is. We could not do it in our houses as others would get disturbed. So, a lot of times, we jam together in public parks," said Tiwari. Tiwari added, "Our music is a fusion of Indian and Western. While our band may use rap music to highlight a cause, we also take inspiration from Uttar Pradesh folk music. Not all our songs highlight women's issues. We also sing about the water crisis, pollution, and tobacco usage, among others. I also want to highlight here that just because our band raises women's issues, it does not mean that we are 'anti-men' in any way." Niharika Dubey, who plays synthesizer for the band, said, "After every concert, we feel like warriors fighting against social evils. Our instruments are our weapons. Our band gives a platform to women who can sing or play an instrument and are passionate about bringing a social change. I want to highlight the mission of our band through one of our songs -- hum hi hain shakti, hum hi tarakki, humein garv hai, hum beti hain (we are the power, we are progress, we are proud to be daughters)." --IANS amita/dpb ( 545 Words) 2023-06-21-14:52:04 (IANS) Facing criticism, the West Bengal State Election Commission (WBSEC) on Wednesday finally issued an instruction barring election-related duty for the forthcoming panchayat polls to medical officers associated with different state-run medical utilities. In a directive to all the district magistrates and district panchayat election officers, the additional chief secretary of the commission clearly stated that medical officers have been exempted from any kind of poll-related duty. Controversies shrouded recently after the administration in Howrah district allotted election-related duties to doctors associated with the state-run medical outfits. The Association of Health Service Doctors- West Bengal has written to the West Bengal State Election Commission expressing their objection to the development. In the letter, the association has contended that since the doctors being involved in emergency services of utmost importance like health care services, how the district administration could allot them the duties of presiding officers or polling officers. The association has pointed out that this is unprecedented in the polling history at least in the state. In the same order to all the district magistrates and district panchayats, the election officers have also barred primary teachers and para-teachers associated with different state-run schools from being appointed as the fourth polling officers for the forthcoming panchayat elections. "With reference to the above, I am directed to state that it has come to the notice of the Commission that there have been instances where Para Teachers and Primary Teachers have been appointed as Fourth Polling Officers and in other instances Medical Officers have been assigned polling duties. In this regard, I am directed to inform that Para Teachers or Primary Teachers may not be appointed as Fourth Polling Officers and where Medical Officers have been assigned polling duties, they may be exempted," read the order, a copy of which is available with IANS. --IANS src/shb/ ( 318 Words) 2023-06-21-15:04:03 (IANS) While India is giving free ration to 80 crore people, the people of Pakistan are yearning for two square meals, he added. "Pakistan was formed a day before India became independent, but today the whole world is seeing the difference between India and Pakistan," he said at a public meeting organised at the Mahant Digvijaynath Park in Gorakhpur late on Tuesday. "Today India has become the fifth largest economy in the world. Today's India gives free ration to 800 million people, whereas in Pakistan there is a scuffle over a kilo of flour. There is happiness and prosperity in India, whereas the people of Pakistan are yearning for two square meals," he added. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 727 development projects worth more than Rs 2,604 crore in Gorakhpur to mark nine years of the Modi government. "The first condition of Ram Rajya is service. We all should have the same feeling irrespective of religion, religion, sect, language, area. Our work should be dedicated to 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'," he said. --IANS amita/khz/ ( 210 Words) 2023-06-21-04:54:03 (IANS) The much delayed reshuffle in the Congress is scheduled to take place before June 30, and the party is also mulling the idea of appointing a vice president, informed sources said on Wednesday. According to the sources, the changes are on the cards and will be announced soon after the first opposition meeting in Patna. A party source said that in view of the reshuffling in the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's highest decision making body, a discussion is on to appoint a vice president. The source said, however, a decision will be taken by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge. Besides this, the source said that there are several changes on the cards in the CWC as several senior leaders are set to get promotion. The source said that Rajiv Shukla, who played a crucial role for ensuring the victory in Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls as in-charge of the hill state will get the charge of another state. Besides Shukla, senior party leader Ajay Maken, Mohan Prakash, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, Nitin Raut, Ramesh Chennithalla and Suraj Hegde are also likely to bag bigger roles in the party. The source said that senior party leaders like Tariq Anwar, Mukul Wasnik, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Jitendra Singh, Kumari Selja, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa will be able to hold their posts. The source also revealed that many state unit chiefs are also likely to be changed in the next few days. The source said that the state presidents of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are also likely to be changed. At the party's three-day plenary session that was held in Raipur from February 24 to 26, the Steering Committee had unanimously decided to authorise Kharge to nominate all members to the working committee (CWC) and thus election was not required for the party's top decision making body. The party during the Plenary Session had also decided to provide 50 per cent reservation for SC, ST, OBC, minorities, women, and youth below the age of 50 years in the CWC and also increase the members of the highest decision making body to 35. The source said that Congress is also likely to give independent charge to many secretaries below the age of 50 years, as per the resolution passed at the party's three-day Chintan Shivir held in Rajasthan's Udaipur in May last year. The reshuffling in the party is being made keeping in view the crucial Lok Sabha Polls scheduled next year. --IANS aks/dpb ( 428 Words) 2023-06-21-15:14:03 (IANS) The Kerala unit of Congress on Wednesday requested State Police chief Anil Kant to register a case against CPI(M) state secretary M.V.Govindan over his utterances regarding State Congress president K.Sudhakaran. A Congress delegation led by KPCC general secretary T.U.Radhakrishnan and three other party office-bearers went to meet the police chief. "We have filed a complaint demanding registration of case against Govindan for his statements as it has caused a huge dent to the image of the party and our president. There has been no mention of what Govindan has said in any of the police records. He did it purposely to incite trouble and hence appropriate action as per the law should be taken against him," said Radhakrishnan to the media soon after meeting Kant. On Sunday, the party organ published a report which was later referred to at a press conference by Govindan that Sudhakaran was present at the residence of now-jailed fraud antique dealer Monson Mavunkal when he was sexually abusing his domestic help's daughter. The report and statement came a day after Mavunkal was sentenced to life by the Ernakulam District POCSO court. The case surfaced in 2022, when he was already in jail in a cheating case, after his former domestic help petitioned the police that her minor daughter sexually assaulted him in July 2019 at his house. The court, on Saturday, found the man guilty of the crime and sentenced him to life. Sudhakaran said that he will go to any extent to ensure that Govindan is taken to task for such a shameless act, not befitting the stature of a party's state secretary. --IANS sg/shb/ ( 288 Words) 2023-06-21-15:30:07 (IANS) The ED officials began simultaneous searches in the morning at multiple locations in Hyderabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, Mahabunagar and other places. Searches were on at Malla Reddy Medical College at Suraram on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The college is run by Malla Reddy group of institutions owned by Telangana labour minister Malla Reddy. The personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were providing security to the ED teams conducting searches at various premises. Searches were also conducted at the corporate office of Prathima Group at Film Nagar in Hyderabad. The ED officials were also conducting searches at other offices of Prathima Group. The central agency was also carrying out searches at Prathima Medical College and Prathima Multiplex in Karimnagar. Searches were also on at Chalmeda Ananda Rao Medical College in Karimnagar. The ED officials were also conducting searches at Kamineni Medical College at L.B. Nagar Hyderabad, SVS Medical College in Mahabubnagar, MSR Medical College in Sangareddy district. The ED officials were reportedly checking records of financial transactions at these colleges following allegations of irregularities. --IANS ms/uk/ ( 206 Words) 2023-06-21-16:14:04 (IANS) Trinamool Congress' national general secretary and party's Lok Sabha MP, Abhishek Banerjee, will accompany West Bengal Chief Minister and party's national president Mamata Banerjee to Patna for a meeting of all opposition parties, scheduled on June 23. Party sources said that the decision for Abhsihek Banerjee accompanying the chief minister for the meeting has been finalised by the latter on Wednesday. Both will be reaching Patna on Thursday afternoon only and on the same day the chief minister is supposed to have a meeting with former Bihar chief minister and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav at the latter's residence in Patna. Sources further said Abhishek Banerjee is also likely to accompany the chief minister at a separate meeting with Yadav. Political observers feel that development is a definite step by the chief minister to promote Abhsihek Banerjee as the face of Trinamool Congress in this grand opposition alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. This is also an indication on how seriously the Trinamool Congress supremo is viewing the opposition alliance for the big battle of 2024, feel observers. Initially, the grand alliance meeting in Patna was scheduled on June 12. However, later it was postponed to June 23. The meeting is happening at a time when Mamata Banerjee has already made it clear that she would not be able to provide support to Congress in West Bengal because of the latter's alliance with CPI(M)-led Left Front in the state. On the other hand, Congress' state president in West Bengal and party's Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has claimed that Trinamool Congress will continue to be an equal opponent like BJP for Congress in West Bengal. He had also expressed doubts that BJP is trying to implant some Trojan Horses within the opposition alliance. Chowdhury's doubts have been echoed by senior CPI(M) leaders like party's central committee member Sujan Chakraborty and party Rajya MP, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. --IANS src/uk/ ( 333 Words) 2023-06-21-17:48:03 (IANS) The AIADMK, which has been on the sidelines after losing power in the 2021 assembly elections followed by ego clashes leading to the exit of powerful Thevar leader and former Chief Minister, O. Panneerselvam, has now sounded the poll bugle for the 2024 general elections. The party held a statewide protest on Wednesday demanding the removal of arrested minister Senthil Balaji from the MK Stalin cabinet. Balaji is continuing in the cabinet even after being remanded in judicial custody, but devoid of portfolios. AIADMK general secretary and former CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami flagged off the protest at his home town in Salem. Party state organising secretary D. Jayakumar kicked-off the protest in Chennai. The AIADMK leaders lashed out against the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and the high level of corruption. They reminded Stalin that his father Karunanidhi had removed tainted ministers from the cabinet and called upon him to emulate his father. Senior AIADMK leaders SP Velumani, KA Sengottayian, CVe Shanmugham and P. Thangamani also participated in the protest. A delegation of AIADMK leaders including CVe Shanmugham, D. Jayakumar, C. Vijayabhaskar and P. Benjamin had met Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on June 15 and handed over a memorandum from Palaniswami who is also the Leader of Opposition. The memorandum urged the Governor to remove Senthil Balaji from the cabinet. Even after the Governor insisted on the removal of Balaji from the cabinet, the state government did not agree. Stalin cited the health condition of Balaji and allocated his portfolios to other ministers. Sources in the AIADMK told IANS that the party held the protest across the state to revitalize its cadres and make the party a fighting force in the run up to the elections. IANS had reported earlier about the AIADMK appointing organisers in all the 234 assembly constituencies before the elections to directly connect with the people at the grassroots level. The arrest of Senthil Balaji and the shifting of high-profile finance minister PTR Thiagarajan from Finance to IT has given an impression that all was not going well for Stalin and his government. The AIADMK has pounced upon that and is planning a major offensive against the Stalin government in the days to come. --IANS aal/bg ( 391 Words) 2023-06-21-17:56:02 (IANS) Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Thursday lashed out at the law and order situation in the national capital after a 72-year-old woman was "stabbed 50 times in broad daylight." "A 72-year-old woman was stabbed 50 times with a sharp weapon by three boys in broad daylight. The family said that they had complained to the police many times about the threat to the woman's life, but the police did nothing. Such horrific murders are happening every day in Delhi. Have we become the murder capital along with the rape capital?," tweeted Maliwal. https://twitter.com/SwatiJaiHind/status/1671723583519830022?s=20 Delhi Police on Tuesday registered a case of murder after a woman was stabbed with a sharp object in the Mandawali area of the city. She was taken to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Upon examination of the deceased's body, the police noticed multiple piercings on the shoulder, face, side of the chest, waist and back. Accordingly, a case under Section 302 of IPC was registered. Police said the three assailants involved in the case have been identified, and a search is on to arrest them. Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also questioned Delhi's law and order situation after a double murder incident was reported in Delhi's RK Puram area on Sunday morning. Earlier on June 18, a 21-year-old man was murdered in Delhi's Mangolpuri in the early hours, police said. According to the police, the youth was fatally stabbed after he got into a quarrel with three people. The three accused persons were identified as Malli, Pramod, and Binder. Police were further informed that Pramod and Binder have been arrested in connection with the incident so far, while teams have been put together to nab the third, who is reported to be absconding. Two sisters were shot dead in Delhi's RK Puram area on Sunday morning over a property dispute. (ANI) "Madhya Pradesh Hawk Force Jawans have not let the Naxalite incidents increase and they have been successful in taking strict action against them. Today, a review meeting has been done in this regard here," Mishra told reporters. In the last 10 months, the jawans have either gunned down or arrested the Naxalites who were carrying a reward of around Rs 1.5 crore on their heads, he added. The state home minister further said that despite such a terrible problem of Naxalites in the neighbouring state (Chhattisgarh), the Naxals could not spread their wings in the state. Ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came into power, continuous efforts to solve the problem have been going on. There is continuous cooperation from the Centre in battle with Naxals, Mishra added. He also said that during the review meeting, it was also discussed to find out the pathway of money or funding being delivered to the Naxals and to destroy it. Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Sudhir Saxena, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Adarsh Katiyar, ADGP Ashok Awasthi and other senior police officers were present in the meeting. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday said that if needed a stringent law would be brought in to root out the drug mafias from the state. In an exclusive interview with ANI, CM Dhami spoke about a recent NCORD (Narco Coordination Center) meeting and said that the State Government is prepared to take whatever strict action is needed against drug trading and make Uttarakhand drug-free by 2025. "Our Prime Minister and Home Minister have the vision for India to become a drugs-free nation, to make the children aware and to make them quit the habit, and to save the people who have become addicted. We had an NCORD meeting today regarding this matter, and we have agreed to make a drugs-free Uttarakhand before 2025," the Chief Minister said. He further elaborated that the State Government would take all possible measures and introduce strict laws to combat the "drug mafia" in trading drugs. "If there is a need to bring a stringent law like the anti-counterfeiting law to root out the drug mafia in the state, it can be done. However possible, we will get our people and our children out of this habit of consuming drugs," he added. In the NCORD meeting, Deputy Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau MGyaneshwar Singh informed that 238 kg charas, 30 kg doda, 12 kg opium, 19.11 kg smack, 1.57 kg heroin, 1232.55 kg ganja, 105390 capsules, 17506 injections, and 32110 tablets were seized in Uttarakhand in the year 2022. Additionally, 141.5 acres of cannabis and 108.5 acres of hemp crops were destroyed. This year till May 2023, 586 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act in which 742 accused have been arrested. To break the supply chain of drugs in Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister has instructed the police department to take immediate action against the criminals and drug mafia involved in drug trading. "The officers should develop a work culture of taking ownership to get the work done instead of being limited to mere meetings. It is the duty of the officers as well as the service of humanity," he said. CM Dhami has also given instructions to work seriously on the action plan for sending officers and jawans of the Uttarakhand Police Department to Narcotics Control Bureaus for deputation and training. Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi, Director General of Police Ashok Kumar, Secretary RK Sudhanshu, Narcotics Control Bureau and high officials of the Uttarakhand Government were present in the meeting. It was the fourth state-level meeting of NCORD (State Level Narcotics Coordination Meeting) at the Secretariat. Uttarakhand Social Welfare Department informed that Srinagar, Uttarkashi, Champawat and Almora had been selected by the Government of India for Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATF). Under this, treatment assistance is provided in government hospitals/health centres for the treatment of side effects of drugs. At present, 43 private drug de-addiction centres are operated in the state through personal efforts. (ANI) Congress leader KC Venugopal on Thursday lashed out at Home Minister Amit Shah over his "late" call for an all-party meeting on Manipur violence. "Well after 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, HM @AmitShah's call for an all-party meeting is too little too late. The government only woke up after Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji's address to the people of Manipur," Congress MP KC Venugopal wrote on Twitter. Expressing concern over the prevailing situation in Manipur, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said that the unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people in Manipur has "left a deep wound in the conscience of our nation" while appealing for peace and harmony in the state. "The unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people in Manipur has left a deep wound in the conscience of our nation," she said in a tweet. "At the outset, the PM's absence from such a serious meeting shows his cowardice and unwillingness to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them. The HM himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, in fact things have worsened since his visit," Venugopal further said in his tweet. "Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship? Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty. Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at," he said regarding the place of the meeting. "This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi. The entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government, which has been missing in action so far," he added in his tweet. This comes after the Ministry of Home Affairs tweeted on Wednesday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has convened an all-party meeting on 24th June at 3 PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur. The announcement came hours after, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi said that the unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people in Manipur has "left a deep wound in the conscience of our nation" while appealing for peace and harmony in the state. As Manipur is still witnessing incidents like arson, the state government has extended the ban on the internet by five more days till June 25 with immediate effect in an effort to prevent further disturbance to peace. The data services have also been banned in view of the persisting unrest in the state. Violence gripped Manipur on May 3 after clashes erupted during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. "Further suspension of mobile data services/internet/data services including broadband services and internet/data services through VASTs of Bharatnet Phase-ll is further suspended in the territorial jurisdiction of the state of Manipur, except for those who have already been specifically exempted by the government and may be exempted subsequently and Internet Lease Line (ILL) on a case to basis as permitted by the competent authority," an order issued by Maniour government said on Tuesday, adding it is issued to prevent any disturbances of the peace and public order in the jurisdiction of the state. (ANI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has urged Union Home Minister not to do politics of hate or any other politics regarding the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, which provides additional 5 kg of rice for each member of BPL families in the State. Siddaramaiah who met with Shah late on Wednesday in New Delhi and discussed the issue of rice supply to the State told him that the Centre's policy was causing obstacles in supply of food for the poor, according to the Chief Minister's office. Shah said he will discuss the issue with Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal. Speaking to reporters at Karnataka Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday morning before leaving for Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said during his meeting with Shah, it was brought to the attention of the Home Minister that the rice distribution to the State has been suspended by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) a day after giving a letter of consent. Amit Shah has promised to speak to the concerned ministers, Siddaramaiah said. Siddaramaiah also informed that two Indian Reserve Police (IRP) battalions have been provided to the State and a request has been made to provide two more battalions. Karnataka Chief Minister had earlier alleged that the Union Government was not allowing the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to sell rice to the State to roll out its "Anna Bhagya" scheme. Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Saturday rejected the allegations. Underlining that food security should be of "paramount concern" at all times, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also alleged on Wednesday that the Union Government's June 13 circular banning the sale of rice to states from the Food Corporation of India under the Open Market Sale Scheme was an "attempt" to scuttle the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, one among five poll promises made by the grand old party in the Karnataka. BJP and Congress leaders are engaged in a war of words over the ban on the sale of rice to states after the Siddaramiah-led Congress government returned to power in the state by securing an emphatic victory in the May 13 poll results. (ANI) The tusker was seen roaming at Kampur railway station and the Kampur town area in the district. The wild jumbo destroyed several houses, and properties and terrorised locals in the area. The administration has advised local residents to take precautionary measures for their safety after the wild elephant created havoc in the Kampur area. According to the local administration, the wild elephant entered the area on Wednesday. Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav had in March this year released 14 guidelines to address Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC), which aims to facilitate a common understanding among key stakeholders, on what constitutes effective and efficient mitigation of such conflicts in India. The guidelines are advisory in nature and are also aimed at facilitating the development of site-specific mitigation measures. The union government has said that it is working towards robust, practical and cost-effective solutions to end the Human Animal Conflict. (ANI) "The whole world praises PM Modi but Congress calls him a snake, illiterate, chaiwala. Today there is an economic slowdown in America, Europe, and Australia but India's economy is standing strong," BJP national president said in Jharkhand. Earlier in May, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had compared PM Modi to a "poisonous snake". "PM Modi is like a 'poisonous snake'. You might to check if it's poison or not. But if you lick it, you're dead," Kharge had said at an election rally. However, he later issued a clarification on his remark, saying his statement wasn't intended at hurting anyone. PM Modi is currently on a State visit to the US. Prior to the visit to the White House, PM Modi met Gary E Dickerson, the President and CEO of Applied Materials, Sanjay Mehrotra, President-CEO of Micron Technology and H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and CEO, of General Electic and CEO of General Electic Aerospace. PM Modi, who arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday, started his day by attending the 'Skilling for Future' event where he said that India and the United States partnership will serve as the driving engine behind sustainable and inclusive global growth. (ANI) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would launch two missions which includes sickle cell anemia mission and distribution of ayushman bharat card during his visit to the state. "PM Modi will launch two missions here, which includes Sickle Cell Anaemia Mission and distribution of Ayushman Bharat cards. The Sickle Cell Anaemia Mission will be a new campaign for screening of the people who are suffering this disease and for arrangements of their treatment," CM Chouhan said. Secondly, over one crore of Ayushman Bharat cards are ready in Madhya Pradesh, the distribution of those cards will also be done symbolically during PM Modi's programme in Shahdol. At the same time the distribution work will be done at all health and wellness centres and along with this, it will be distributed in panchayats, in villages and cities, CM added. Earlier on Monday, CM Chouhan shared information regarding PM Modi's visit to the state and said that the PM would flag off two Vande Bharat trains in the state. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Madhya Pradesh on June 27. He will flag off two Vande Bharat trains (Bhopal-Indore and Bhopal-Jabalpur) in the state capital Bhopal," CM Chouhan said. He had also said that PM Modi would also participate in the party programmes during his visit to the state. PM Modi will participate in the Veerangana Rani Durgavati Balidan Diwas program and the concluding program of Veerangana Rani Durgavati Gaurav Yatra in Shahdol district on the same day June 27. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the Veerangana Rani Durgavati Gaurav Yatra on June 22 from Balaghat, CM added. Veerangana Rani Durgavati Gaurav Yatra will start from five zones of the state on June 22 which includes Balaghat to Shahdol, Chhindwara to Shahdol, Singrampur to Shahdol, Kalinjar Fort (UP) to Shahdol and Dhauni (Sidhi to Shahdol). The yatra will cover every village in these areas, the Chief Minister said, adding that the program will conclude on June 27 in Shahdol in the presence of PM Modi. (ANI) The Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) has called off today's state Bandh after talks with the government, said FKCCI. However, only Hubli KCCI is going ahead with the bandh and protest today. KCC&I had called for a Karnataka bandh on June 22 to protest against the abnormal price hike in electricity charges by the ESCOMs. "The Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) has called off the 'bandh' that was called today and asked all affiliated bodies not to protest or call a bandh after talks with the government. (Only Hubli KCCI has called for a bandh and protest today," said an FKCCI official. KCC&I, along with all other District chambers of commerce, had for the last eight days tried to draw the attention of the government towards the high electricity charges. However, no solution was found. So to draw the attention of the government towards their problem, they planned a Karnataka bandh. "For the last eight days, we have made attempts to convey the seriousness of the impact of the hike in electricity charges. However, no solution is forthcoming from the Officials or government representatives," said FKCCI in a notification. "To draw the attention of the Government, we are calling for this Bandh. We wish to find a solution and get a reduction in the electricity charges. We hope that the Government will respond to our request," it stated. (ANI) Lambasting Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said "only scams and corruption" happened during 10 years of Manmohan Singh-led central government, but "Modi ji ran such a transparent government that even the Opposition could not allege corruption." Shah said this while addressing a public meeting in Chhattisgarh on the completion of nine years of the Modi Government. "Even the Opposition cannot accuse the Modi govt of corruption. Nine years ago, terrorists from Pakistan intruded on India's land and killed our soldiers, but the then Congress government remained silent," the BJP leader said "After Modi became PM, Pakistan tried to do the same, and within 10 days, we gave a befitting reply to Pakistan with surgical strike and air strike," he added. Accusing the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh-led government of corruption, Shah said, "Within nine years, Modi ji has brought many changes. Sonia-Manmohan's government lasted for 10 years. Only scams and corruption happened in these 10 years." "Congress had done corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crore. Modi ji ran such a transparent government during his rule of nine years that even the Opposition could not allege corruption," he added. Lauding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for the development of the country, Shah said, "Modi ji has done the work of securing the country. Nine years of Narendra Modi ji, nine years of India's pride, the welfare of the poor and India's progress." Targeting Rahul Gandhi, Shah said, "Rahul Gandhi used to say that don't remove Article 370 from Kashmir, otherwise rivers of blood will flow. Rahul Baba, Article 370 was removed from Kashmir and no one even dared to throw pebbles." As part of the month-long mega outreach initiative to mark nine years of the NDA government under PM Modi, the BJP has been holding events and public meetings across the country. (ANI) Delhi's Patiala House Court on Thursday sought a report from the Director General (DG) Prison on a plea by gangster Ankesh Lakra seeking his transfer to Mandoli jail from Tihar Jail on medical grounds. Lakra is a co-accused of Deepak Boxer in a fake passport case lodged by the Special Cell of Delhi Police. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Snigdha Sarvaria sought a report from DG Prison considering that jail transfer is in his jurisdiction. "However, since orders for shifting an accused from one jail to another fall within the jurisdiction of DG, Prisons, therefore, let a report be called from DG, Prisons, Tihar, Delhi with respect to the present application of applicant/accused Ankesh Lakra," the CMM said in the order on June 22. The court also noted that as per the record, a reply was called by the learned Duty MM from the jail superintendent concerned and a report from Superintendent Jail No. 8/9 Tihar, Delhi and Medical Officer In-charge Jail No. 8/9 was also received. The matter was listed for further hearing on July 5. Lakra and Deepak Boxer are also accused of helping Kuldeep alias Fajja flee police custody in GTB Hospital. While fleeing custody, Lakra had suffered bullet injuries in the abdomen. An application had been moved on behalf of accused Ankesh Lakra for transfer from Jail No. 8, Tihar to Jail No. 13, Mandoli on security and health grounds. Advocate Virender Mual appeared through video conferencing (VC) for the accused Ankesh Lakra, submitting that the applicant was seeking a transfer from Tihar to Mandoli Jail on health grounds. It was also submitted that the applicant/accused was previously lodged in Mandoli Jail No 13, prior to his transfer to Jail No. 3 in Tihar. The counsel also submitted that the applicant was shot twice in the abdomen and requires to be shifted to OPD, adding that the OPD in Tihar is at Jail No. 3 from where the prison authorities had shifted the applicant to Jail No. 8 for security reasons. Also raising concerns over his client's security, the counsel submitted that he was not safe in Tihar as he has been branded as a member of the Gogi Gang and his rivals, in connivance with the jail authorities, want to eliminate him. The counsel argued that the applicant's life was at risk at the Tihar cell where he is presently lodged. (ANI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said senior MP Derek O'Brien will represent her party, the Trinamool Congress, at the all-party meeting on the prevailing situation in Manipur. The all-party meeting will be hosted in the national capital on June 24, Saturday. Speaking to reporters in Kolkata on Thursday, the West Bengal chief minister said, "Manipur is burning. Our heart is burning. Students can't step outdoors for fear of being harmed. The administration has clearly failed to control the situation in Manipur. The people there are living in fear. Even ministers' houses are being set on fire. They (the central government) have called an all-party meeting (to discuss the situation in Manipur) and I will be sending Derek O'Brien for the talks." Earlier, on Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed through an official release that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will convene an all-party meeting in the national capital on Saturday to discuss the situation in the Northeast state. The announcement came hours after Congress chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in a release, said the "unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people in Manipur has left a deep wound in the conscience of our nation". He urged all stakeholders, including the central and state governments, to work for the restoration of peace and harmony in the state. Earlier, on Thursday, Congress leader KC Venugopal lashed out at Amit Shah over his "late call" for an all-party meeting on Manipur violence. "Well after 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, HM Amit Shah's call for an all-party meeting is too little too late. The government only woke up after Sonia Gandhi ji's address to the people of Manipur," Venugopal wrote on Twitter. With incidents of firing and arson still being reported in Manipur, the state government has extended the ban on the internet by five more days till June 25 with immediate effect in an effort to prevent further disturbance to peace. The data services have also been banned in view of the persisting unrest in the state. Violence gripped Manipur on May 3 after clashes erupted during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. (ANI) The Uttar Pradesh government has extended the Chief Minister's Farmer Scholarship Scheme to include four new universities along with 37 colleges to help more and more students of agriculture in the state, according to an official press release. The four new universities include-- Agriculture and Technical University of Banda, Aligarh Muslim University, Rani Lakshmibai Central Agricultural University Jhansi, and Bundelkhand University. Currently, under the scheme, students of agriculture and home science from five universities and 23 colleges are being provided a monthly scholarship of Rs 3,000, the statement from the Chief Minster's office said. It further said that a tissue culture laboratory will be built in Ayodhya at a cost of Rs 8.74 crore. "In a recent meeting of the Mandi Parishad chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, it was decided to set up a tissue culture laboratory at Acharya Narendra Dev Agriculture and Technology University in Kumarganj (Ayodhya)," the statement said. The objective of this decision is to make crops globally competitive by providing quality planting materials, ensuring quality improvement in horticultural crops, and making them disease-free. Notably, the laboratory will be established on a spacious campus of at least 3 hectares. The funding for this project will be arranged by the Mandi Parishad, at an estimated cost of Rs 8.74 crore. As per the list provided by the Uttar Pradesh Agricultural Research Council of Lucknow, the inclusion of four universities and 37 colleges in this scheme will result in an expenditure of approximately Rs 2.65 crore in the first year, which will increase to approximately Rs 6.63 crore annually after three years. The previous expenditure for scholarships given under the Chief Minister's Farmer Scholarship Scheme was a maximum of Rs 5.13 crore. In total, a budget of Rs 15 crore has been proposed for the scheme, it added. 37 new colleges have been included in the Chief Minister's Farmer Scholarship Scheme. Affiliated to Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur are the College of Agriculture (Lakhimpur Campus), College of Home Science, College of Horticulture, College of Forestry, College of Agricultural Engineering, Etawah, and College of Fisheries Affiliated to Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Faizabad are the College of Agriculture (Azamgarh Campus), College of Home Science, College of Agricultural Engineering, Ambedkar Nagar, College of Horticulture and Forestry, College of Fisheries, and Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya Plant Biotechnology and Bio-diversity University The official further said that affiliated with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut is the College of Horticulture, Post-Harvest Technology College, and College of Agricultural Engineering. Under the Agriculture and Technology University of Banda, College of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, College of Forestry, and College of Home Science. (ANI) Earlier today, Banerjee arrived in Patna ahead of the opposition meeting of the like-minded parties on June 23. Kumar will convene a meeting of top Opposition leaders as part of his continued efforts to forge a grand alliance against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led government at the Centre with an eye on the next general elections in 2024. Ahead of the mega meeting of key Opposition forces in Patna, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and People's Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti also arrived in Bihar's Patna. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also arrived in Patna and offer prayers at Patna Sahib Gurudwara. The key opposition meeting will be attended by Congress, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, Uddhav Thackeray and many more leaders in Patna. The meeting is aimed at laying the groundwork for the coming together of like-minded Opposition parties against PM Modi and the BJP government at the Centre. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has been spearheading efforts to bring all Opposition parties together against the BJP government at the Centre, with an eye on next year's Lok Sabha polls. (ANI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the Opposition parties will fight the BJP at the Centre like a collective family in next year's Lok Sabha elections. Earlier in the day, Mamata arrived in Patna ahead of the mega meeting of Opposition leaders on Friday. The meeting, convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is aimed at rallying like-minded Opposition parties against the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, with an eye on the next general elections. On her arrival in Patna, Mamata called on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch and former Bihar CM Lalu Yadav and his son and current Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav. Speaking to reporters in the Bihar capital, Mamata said, "It was wonderful to meet Lalu Prasad Yadav-ji. He is a senior leader. Unfortunately, he was in jail for so many days and then was hospitalised for a long time. It was good to see him. I cannot share the details of the meeting right now. All I can say is that we are here to fight collectively, like a family." The mega Opposition meeting on Friday is aimed at laying the groundwork for the coming together of like-minded Opposition parties against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government at the Centre. The meeting will be attended by Congress, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, Uddhav Thackeray and others. On June 22, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said there are many leaders, who are much more experienced than Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the country's reins, and all Opposition leaders will put forth their views on a grand alliance at the meeting. "Nobody can deny the fact that there are many leaders in the Opposition, who are much more experienced than PM Modi (in handling the country's reins). All leaders will put forward their opinion at the meeting," Bihar Deputy CM said. Nitish Kumar has been spearheading efforts to bring all Opposition parties together against the BJP government at the Centre, ahead of next year's Lok Sabha polls, and has already held one-on-one meetings with several top Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Mamata and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) patriarch Sharad Pawar, among others. (ANI) Speaking at the Webinar, Father Monk Antonio Hanania, Patriarch of the Syrian Orthodox Church of Damascus (Syria) said that India has great rich philosophical traditions, diverse cultural expressions, and their profound impact on the lives of millions of people. "India is known for its religious diversity, where people of different faiths coexist and interact. This pluralistic environment has allowed for the exchange of ideas, rituals, and traditions between different religious communities, fostering a unique synthesis of beliefs and practices," he said. Antonio said that Indian religions, including Islam, offer profound philosophical insights and spiritual teachings that explore the nature of existence, the purpose of life, and the pursuit of spiritual growth. "These traditions delve into questions of morality, ethics, and the ultimate nature of reality, providing individuals with guidance and meaning," he added. "Indian religions, including Islam, emphasize values such as compassion, tolerance, justice, and respect for all beings. These teachings promote social harmony, empathy, and a sense of responsibility towards others, encouraging individuals to lead ethical lives and contribute positively to society," he further said. Chair to the webinar & director of IIHC and Gaddi Nasheen of Dargah Khwaja Saheb Ajmer Shareef Prof said that Indian religions have a long history of syncretism, where ideas, beliefs, and practices from different faiths blend and influence one another. "This has given rise to unique expressions of spirituality and fostered interfaith dialogue, promoting mutual understanding, respect, and cooperation among different religious communities," he said. Dr Shujaat Ali Quadri deputy director of IIHC hosted the webinar. (ANI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh was delayed due to bad weather. Shah had to return to the state capital, Raipur, after running into rough weather on the way from Durg to Balaghat. Earlier, on Thursday, Amit Shah hit out at the Congress, saying, "Only scams and corruption happened during 10 years of Manmohan Singh-led central government, but "Modi ji ran such a transparent government against which even the Opposition could not allege corruption." Shah made the remark while addressing a public meeting in Chhattisgarh to mark the completion of nine years of the NDA rule under PM Modi. "The Opposition cannot accuse the Modi govt of corruption. Nine years ago, terrorists from Pakistan crossed over into India and killed our soldiers, but the Congress government at the time remained silent," the Union Home Minister said. "After Modi became PM, Pakistan tried to do the same (twice, Uri and Pulwama), and within 10 days, we gave them a befitting reply with a surgical strike and an air strike," he added. Accusing former PM Manmohan Singh-led UPA government of corruption, Shah said, "In nine years, Modi-ji has brought many changes to governance. The Sonia-Manmohan government lasted 10 years. However, only scams and corruption took place in these 10 years." "Congress indulged in corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crore while at the helm in Delhi. Modi-ji ran such a transparent government over the last 9 years that even the Opposition could not allege corruption," Shah added. Lauding the BJP-led central government for enabling the country to make rapid development strides, Shah said, "Modi-ji has done a remarkable job of securing the country. Nine years of Narendra Modi-ji jhas ensured nine years of India's pride, the welfare of the poor and progress." As part of the month-long mega outreach initiative to mark nine years of the NDA government under PM Modi, the BJP has been holding events and public meetings across the country. (ANI) Taking a dig at the Opposition over the mega meeting on Friday, BJP MP Sushil Modi on Thursday said all the Opposition leaders accused of "corruption" have come together fearing arrest once Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns for a third term in office after next year's Lok Sabha elections. Speaking to ANI on Thursday, Sushil Modi claimed that the BJP will bag all 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the next general elections. "Congress and RJD are saddled with corruption. Their leaders fear that if PM Modi returns for a third term in office, they will all be put behind bars. The Opposition leaders have come together fearing arrest," he told ANI. The former Bihar deputy chief minister claimed that through the mega meeting on Friday, the Opposition leaders would not be able to send out a message of unity to the people. Describing Bihar as the centre of "political upheavals", the BJP leader said the party (RJD), which doesn't even have a single MP in the Lok Sabha is out to challenge a party (BJP) which has 303 members in the Lower House. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) bagged 353 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, with the saffron party alone winning 303 seats. "It (opposition meeting) has not been called to save democracy, but to save the family," he said without taking names. On the Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), led by former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, withdrawing support to the Nitish government, the BJP leader took a dig at the JDU chief, saying, "He (Nitish Kumar) failed to keep his flock together. How can he bring the Opposition leaders into a grand alliance?" The meeting of Opposition leaders on Friday will be attended by Congress leaders, SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, among others. The Friday meeting is aimed at laying the groundwork for the coming together of like-minded Opposition parties against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government at the Centre. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has been spearheading efforts to bring all Opposition parties together against the BJP government at the Centre, with an eye on next year's Lok Sabha polls. (ANI) Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Thursday unveiled the statue of former state CM Virbhadra Singh at Sainj. Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri said that former CM Virbhadra Singh was the architect of modern Himachal who brought the state forward in areas like education and health. "Raja Virbhadra Singh was the architect of modern Himachal who brought the state forward in areas like education and health he never did politics of regionalism, regionalism and casteism and that is why he became the Chief Minister 6 times," Deputy CM Agnihotri said. "Today is a very important day for the state as the first statue of former Chief Minister Raja Virbhadra Singh has been unveiled in Sainj, making his birth anniversary memorable forever," he added. On the occasion, Deputy CM Agnihotri said that efforts are being made to replace the fleet of about 500 buses this year and some of the new buses will be made available for Theog town. "We are making efforts to replace the fleet of about 500 buses this year and now among the new buses that will come, buses will be made available to Theog. Apart from this, an amount of Rs 13 crore has also been given for Theog Bus Stand and it will be started soon," he said. Virbhadra Singh was a nine-time MLA, a five-time member of Parliament and served as Himachal Pradesh's Chief Minister for six terms. (ANI) The accident occurred on Wednesday night near Rojwas toll plaza on National Highway (NH)-52 in Shajapur district, police officer B L Dabi said. "A four-wheeler collided with a truck in which two people died while 10 people got injured. Of the injured, four were referred to Indore for better treatment," he said. The victims were going to Shajapur from Ujjain when they met with the accident near Rojwas toll plaza, the police officer said. On receiving the information about the mishap, the police reached the spot and took the injured to the hospital, he added. (ANI) Congress workers staged protests against Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao as part of the party's 'Dasabdi Daga' (a decade of betrayal) camping which aims to highlight the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government's failure in implementing poll promises made ahead of the Assembly elections in 2019. Following the protest, a large number of Congress workers gathered at the LB Nagar area of Hyderabad and raised slogans against the BRS government and burn the effigy of CM KCR. During the protest police also detained Congress leader Malreddy Ramreddy. During the protest, the Congress planned to burn 10-head effigies of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao in all the 119 assembly constituencies in Telangana. The 10-head effigies, with 10 major failures of the BRS government written on them, were to be burnt after taking out rallies. On June 10, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) working president Mahesh Goud hit out against the K Chandrashekhar Rao-led Telangana government saying that the people of the state will "teach him a lesson" just like the people of Karnataka taught the BJP. He alleged that there is a lot more corruption in Telangana than there was under the Bharatiya Janata Party rule in Karnataka. Speaking to ANI, Mahesh Goud said, "In the last nine years, the KCR government only gained contracts and looted the wealth of Telangana's people. People gave a full majority to the Congress by rejecting a corrupt BJP in Karnataka. Now it is clear that the people won't tolerate corrupt governments." "A lot more corruption has taken place in Telangana than there was in Karnataka. So, we are hoping for the same results here from the people of Telangana," he added. "Rahul Gandhi made a declaration for farmers in Warangal while Priyanka Gandhi made a commitment to the youth. Telangana was formed for the betterment of people, especially with regard to employment, water, and cultivation. But KCR has failed to guarantee betterment to the people. He had promised to give 3 lakhs jobs but couldn't give even 35,000," he said. (ANI) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday inaugurated the Ved Shastra Research Center in the memory of Swami Karpatri Maharaj at the Shri Raghunath Kirti campus of the Central Sanskrit University in Devprayag. Dhami inaugurated the center through virtual means from the secretariat on Thursday. "This complex is a great gift of the Central Government to Uttarakhand. Such universities are important for the promotion and dissemination of Dev Vani Sanskrit. It is hoped that the students studying here will become as determined and renunciate as Swami Karpatri Ji Maharaj. The youth need to take inspiration from Swami Karpatri Ji Maharaj for sacrifice, determination and protection of religion," Dhami said. Dhami further said that the government aims that the spiritual land of Uttarakhand, famous in the field of ancient knowledge, should regain its glory and our culture and Sanskrit should be propagated. "For this, this university is not only Uttarakhand but also an important heritage of the country. Earlier, the children of hilly areas of Uttarakhand had to go to cities like Varanasi, Jaipur, Kerala, Haridwar etc. to get higher education in Sanskrit, due to which their time and money was spent a lot. With the opening of this complex, this problem went away forever," he added. Uttarakhand CM also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a special focus on this campus. "The Prime Minister's Office continuously monitors the construction and development works of this complex. This is the biggest example of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's love for Sanskrit and Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister said that it is our endeavour to provide employment through Sanskrit. Uttarakhand is the land of Gods as well as the land of Vedas. India gave the knowledge of Vedas all over the world, that is why we are called Vishwaguru. Vedas are our identity. We will be able to maintain this identity only when Sanskrit is promoted and spread throughout India," he said. The CM also said that the state government wants to include Sanskrit in the education of Uttarakhand as the language can be protected and propagated only when it is linked with employment. Chief Minister Dhami also said that if we know Sanskrit then we will be able to know our culture as well and only a person who loves and adopts his culture can progress in life. "The government will continue to work continuously with "Vikalp Nirhit Sankalp" for the promotion and dissemination of Devvani culture along with the culture of Uttarakhand," he added. (ANI) Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar, on Thursday, addressed the Special Convocation Ceremony of Jammu University at General Zorawar Singh Auditorium. He also stated that a convocation ceremony holds great significance in one's life. He advised the students not to be afraid of failure. He praised the Lt Governor of J&K for steering the Union Territory to newer heights of development. Dhankhar mentioned that the Union territory has now a harmonious atmosphere. "The region, unlike before, now has the prevalence of harmonious atmosphere and called it as the greatest homage to the life and mission of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee who laid down his life for building a strong and united India", said the Vice President. In addition to this, the Vice President announced a Memorandum of Understanding between the Indian Council of World Affairs and the University of Jammu. This, according to him, will facilitate greater exposure to the University in domains of culture, education and foreign affairs at a global level. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed gratitude to the Vice President for attending the convocation and blessing the students at the beginning of their working life. Sinha congratulated the student and advised them to follow their passion, move forward with new resolutions, adapt to the change and learn new things accordingly, and share the wisdom earned at the University with the world. "Convocation is the moment of transformation in a student's life. Stepping into the real world is also considered as the start of a new mission, a mission to use special knowledge and skills and to contribute to equitable, sustainable growth in building a strong and prosperous India", said the Lieutenant Governor. He also stated that one has to respect individuality and the unique talent hidden within each student. Adding, Sinha said, "Students will not come to Universities to receive just bookish knowledge or to accumulate more information. Universities will have to prepare human capital which will ensure its relevance in this fast-changing world powered by algorithms". The Lt Governor appreciated the J&K Higher Education Council and Vice Chancellors of all Universities of Jammu and Kashmir and associated stakeholders for their significant contribution to implementing the National Education Policy and promoting independent thinking, scientific temper, creativity and nurturing unique personalities among the students. "Under the guidance of Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji, NEP 2020 is promoting an education system that makes students conscious, not mechanical. It makes them a carrier of knowledge, wisdom and values and not a storehouse of memories," the Lt Governor said. Additionally, he also extended his wishes to the faculty members of Jammu University. "Convocation is also a moment of pride for teachers. Our ancient scripture beautifully describes the relationship between Guru and Disciple. Guru prays that his fame and his disciple fame may increase together. This is an example of the highest values of our Indian culture. In that sense, students are not handed over just medals and degrees, but a legacy of values and a huge responsibility on their shoulders to enrich and preserve it for future generations", said Lieutenant Governor, Sinha. Admiring the new initiatives taken at Jammu University, he said, "I am confident that in the coming days, Jammu University will give a new direction to the education sector of the country". Also, Prof Umesh Rai, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, presented the University report and highlighted special programmes to be rolled out soon. Sudesh Dhankhar, wife of Vice President; Prof Dinesh Singh, Vice Chairman, Higher Education Council, Jammu and Kashmir; Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor; Vice Chancellors of various Universities; Members of University Council, eminent personalities; senior officials, faculty members and students attended the Special Convocation ceremony. (ANI) According to The Information, citing sources, the Sam Altman-run company is contemplating an app store where customers "could sell AI models they customise for their own needs to other businesses". OpenAI CEO Altman apparently talked about an online marketplace in a meeting with developers last month. However, the report quoted a company spokesperson as saying that OpenAI doesn't have "active efforts" to build the marketplace. OpenAI recently closed a $175 million investment fund focused on empowering other AI startups, with backing from Microsoft and other investors. The fund, called OpenAI Startup Fund I, is bigger than initially expected and is 75 per cent higher than the original plan. The fund, managed by OpenAI CEO Altman and COO Brad Lightcap, raised the money from 14 investors, according to a US SEC filing. OpenAI has already been investing in AI startups for some time. During his India visit earlier this month, Altman said he is willing to invest in the homegrown startups. Altman said that the company behind ChatGPT is not presently training GPT5 -- the successor to GPT4. "We're working on the new ideas that we think we need for it, but we are nowhere close to the start. There need to be more safety audits: I wish I could tell you about the timeline of the next GPT," he said. Altman's comments came amid growing concern among AI researchers and Big Tech executives about the alarming pace at which generative AI technology is developing. --IANS na/svn/ ( 276 Words) 2023-06-21-10:02:02 (IANS) US First Lady Jill Biden, on Wednesday, said that education is the cornerstone of the bond between India and the United States. First Lady Jill Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, and attended the 'Skilling for Future' event where she said, "Education is the cornerstone of the bond between India and the United States. Students from both countries are learning and growing alongside each other, discovering the people that they want to become and building a better world together. Working side by side, our nations can create a safer, healthier, more prosperous future for everyone." She also stated that to make the economies of both nations strong, India and the US need to invest in young people who are the future. She highlighted the importance of providing young people with the opportunities they deserve. "We are bringing together our entire administration, including agencies like NSF to partner with employers, unions, schools and local governments so we can ensure that students have what they need to pursue these careers. That's the Biden education pathway. It starts with free, high-quality, universal free school and creates a high school experience that prepares students for their next steps," the First Lady of the US said. "After years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expensive as we jointly tackle the global challenges...You work to ensure that all Indians, especially girls have the opportunity to pursue education and gain the skills they need for a modern workforce. It is exciting to be able to show you some of the innovative programs our schools and businesses are creating for the students here," she added. Earlier, addressing the event, PM Modi said that India and the United States partnership will serve as the driving engine behind sustainable and inclusive global growth. "To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On the one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world's biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth," he added. Earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi arrived in Washington DC and received a ceremonial welcome as well as a Guard of Honour at the airbase. PM Modi will, later on, attend the state dinner to which he was invited by US President Joe Biden and the first lady. After concluding the event, Jill Biden, in Washington DC, gave details on the State dinner that will be hosted for PM Modi at the White House by her and President Joe Biden. She said that tomorrow night, guests will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron-coloured flowers at every table, the colours of the Indian flag. Meanwhile, guest Chef Nina Curtis gave details on the State Dinner and said, "We are very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the international year of millet. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu." (ANI) India is a "world player" as well as the net exporter of security and stability, US' National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Wednesday and adding that he is looking forward to deepening the relationship. "They (India) are already exporting security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, and they are contributing to the Indo-Pacific Quad. We are participating with India in the I2U2. I think you understand that that's a multilateral arrangement for the Middle East. So India is a world player and a net exporter of security and stability," Kirby said in an exclusive interview with ANI. "And we look forward to deepening that and seeing that continue to prosper," he added. Talking about the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday, and US President Joe Biden, Kirby said that the leaders' discussion will be "future-focused." Mentioning key areas of cooperation between the US and India, he stated that in the next couple of days, India and US are going to be talking about defence cooperation, cyber, space, resilient supply chains, and climate change. "It's all about improving and deepening this bilateral relationship with India. It really is a forward-looking, future-focused discussion," the National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications added. PM Modi, earlier, attended the 'Skilling for Future' event at the National Science Foundation where he emphasised the need to nurture a pipeline of talent to sustain the growth momentum between the two countries. "To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On the one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world's biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth," PM Modi at the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia in the US. Highlighting the initiatives taken by the Indian government to secure a bright future for students such as implementing the New Education Policy and integrating education and skilling. PM Modi urged American students to come to India and said that hundreds of United States teachers are already in India, participating in a tech partnership. PM Modi will attend the state dinner on Thursday which US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are hosting. The Prime Minister will also address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on the same day. On June 23, the Prime Minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Later on, he will meet business leaders of 20 top American companies here and is also expected to address a gathering of more than 1,500 diaspora and business leaders. (ANI) After meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gary E. Dickerson, the President and CEO of Applied Materials, expressed his belief that it is India's time to drive remarkable growth and shine. Dickerson said, "I deeply believe this is India's time to shine. We will be announcing soon an innovation centre in India that will focus on innovation in equipment. We have very high confidence that working together with India, we can create tremendous success." Acknowledging that India is a trusted partner, he recognized the exceptional talent that India possesses, which is appreciated by many countries worldwide. He said, "This is India's time to drive incredible growth. And applied is looking forward to working together with PM Modi and everyone in India to achieve tremendous success together. India is a trusted partner and many countries around the world to see the trust and tremendous talent that India has," he added. "I am just so impressed with India and I believe that the opportunity for India's growth in the semiconductor industry is now," Dickerson added. PM Modi, who arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday, met Sanjay Mehrotra, President-CEO of Micron Technology. Recently, India and the US have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing the Semiconductor Supply chain during India - USA 5th Commercial Dialogue 2023, which can help India realize its long-nurtured dream of becoming a hub for electronic goods. The MoU seeks to establish a collaborative mechanism between the two governments on semiconductor supply chain resiliency and diversification in view of the US's CHIPS and Science Act and India's Semiconductor Mission. The US and China are giants in chip manufacturing. So, this pact with the US to strengthen cooperation in the semiconductor sector to facilitate commercial opportunities and the development of innovation ecosystems is likely to help India immensely. He also met and H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and CEO, of General Electic and CEO of General Electic Aerospace. GE Aerospace has big plans to ramp up its Indian operations. The company is seeking to consolidate its position as the engine supplier of choice as India's commercial airliners place record orders for hundreds of planes with demand for air travel soaring in the subcontinent post-Covid. PM Modi will attend the state dinner on Thursday which will be hosted by US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. And will also address the UN Congress of representatives on June 22. (ANI) Sanjay Mehrotra, President-CEO of Micron Technology, global leaders in semiconductors on Wednesday (local time) met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that the meeting with him was "excellent." "I had an excellent meeting with PM Modi. I am very impressed with the vision that he has for India and the advances that India is making. We discussed a wide range of topics and we really look forward to greater opportunities in India," said Mehrotra. Recently, India and the US have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing the Semiconductor Supply chain during India - USA 5th Commercial Dialogue 2023, which can help India realize its long-nurtured dream of becoming a hub for electronic goods. The MoU seeks to establish a collaborative mechanism between the two governments on semiconductor supply chain resiliency and diversification in view of the US's CHIPS and Science Act and India's Semiconductor Mission. The US and China are giants in chip manufacturing. So, this pact with the US to strengthen cooperation in the semiconductor sector to facilitate commercial opportunities and the development of innovation ecosystems is likely to help India immensely. It can help India align into a more central role in the global electronics supply chain. The crunch in semiconductors supply began during Covid-19 and went on to intensify in 2021. A Goldman Sachs report suggested that at least 169 industries had been impacted by the global chip supply shortage in 2021. The crunch has eased now but some disruptions in the supply chain still exist. Notably, the Union Cabinet cleared a Rs 22,500 crore (USD 2.7 billion) investment by American chipmaker Micron for setting up a semiconductor unit in the country. Micron is amongst the top semiconductor companies in the world and plans to set up a semiconductor testing and packaging unit - one of the critical jobs in the journey of chip manufacturing - within the country. Recently, China has also banned Micron which makes semiconductor chips and also works in Artificial Intelligence technology. This was China's retaliation against US actions. Increasing competition for dominance between US and China will have spillover effects for countries like India. From a domestic perspective, this could also prompt a potential realignment of India's current policy approach on chip manufacturing: which is currently focused, almost entirely, on the manufacture of mature nodes - generally defined as chips that are 40 nanometres (nm) or above and find application in sectors such as the automotive industry - before trying to attempt an entry into the more advanced nodes (smaller than 40nm), which are far more strategic, but require exceptional manufacturing capabilities and project execution skills. PM Modi also met H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and CEO, of General Electic and CEO of General Electic Aerospace. GE Aerospace has big plans to ramp up its Indian operations. The company is seeking to consolidate its position as the engine supplier of choice as India's commercial airliners place record orders for hundreds of planes with demand for air travel soaring in the subcontinent post-Covid. GE Aerospace, whose Indian engineering team already plays a central role in developing its engines, including those that go on the larger, 'wide-body' aircraft, expects that India's airlines will also buy more of such aircraft as international travel picks up too. Biden administration is set to approve a potential multi-million government-to-government deal, to permit General Electric (GE) to manufacture fighter jet engines in India during PM Modi's US visit. Biden administration is set to approve a potential multi-million government-to-government deal, to permit General Electric (GE) to manufacture fighter jet engines in India during PM Modi's June 21-24 US visit. India is evaluating proposals from American and French firms for its Made in India aircraft including the LCA Mark 2 and the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. The evaluation of the proposals from both sides is going on. The key factors for these proposals would be the extent of the transfer of technology and pricing. (ANI) Confident of New Delhi's diversification of military equipment, Pentagon's Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh explained the different treatment being meted out to Turkey and India for getting a delivery of Russia's S-400 missile system and said that both cases are different. While addressing the press conference on Tuesday, Singh said, "We encourage all of our partners and allies to avoid transactions with Russia. That's something that we've continued to reiterate with Turkey, with India, and with others. I think there are very different and two different cases, and when it comes to India, we remain confident in their diversification of equipment and our ability to integrate with them as well." Earlier, the US and NATO warned Turkey that the S-400 system is not compatible with NATO's defence systems and could expose sensitive information to Russia. As a result of Turkey's refusal to back down from the deal with Russia, the US has taken several punitive measures, including suspending Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program in 2019 and imposing sanctions on Turkish officials and entities involved in the purchase of the S-400. Over PM Modi's US visit, Singh said, "I think you've seen the importance that India has for this building, for this administration. Of course, there is a state visit that's being hosted this week by the White House. I'm not going to get ahead of any announcements that might come out from the White House or any other agencies." "But again, as the secretary did on his visit that was really about deepening Indian and US relations and continuing military cooperation. We're not asking countries to choose between us and China," she added. The Pentagon's Deputy Press Secretary stated that the US does not seek conflict with China. She further added that the US seek to encourage competition in a healthy and safe way but does not seek countries to choose sides here. "I think this will be another opportunity for the Secretary to engage with India, his counterparts here at the state dinner and just further deepen cooperation between our two countries," she added. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed at the White House in Washington DC by United States President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The camaraderie between leaders was visible as they were seen laughing and were engaged in conversation during the warm welcome. Prior to the visit to the White House, PM Modi met Gary E Dickerson, the President and CEO of Applied Materials, Sanjay Mehrotra, President-CEO of Micron Technology and H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and CEO, of General Electic and CEO of General Electic Aerospace. PM Modi, who arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday, started his day by attending the 'Skilling for Future' event where he said that India and the United States partnership will serve as the driving engine behind sustainable and inclusive global growth. "To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On the one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world's biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth," he added. Highlighting the initiatives taken by the Indian government to secure a bright future for students such as implementing the New Education Policy and integrating education and skilling. Talking about the work that the Indian government did for the bright future of the students, PM Modi stated that they have brought the New Education Policy and integrated education and skilling. Under Skill India, India has skilled over "15 billion people" in the field of artificial intelligence, blockchain, drone and others. PM Modi urged American students to come to India and said that hundreds of United States teachers are already in India, participating in a tech partnership. Proposing the idea of an India-US teachers' exchange program, PM Modi said, "We can think of starting an India-US teachers' exchange programme. To increase the engagement of scientists & entrepreneurs across the world with Indian institutions, we started GIAN - Global Initiative of Academic Networks - in 2015. I am delighted to tell you that under this, 750 faculty members from the US have come to India." Meanwhile, PM Modi will attend the state dinner on Thursday which US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are hosting. The Prime Minister will also address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on the same day. On June 23, the Prime Minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Later on, he will meet business leaders of 20 top American companies here and is also expected to address a gathering of more than 1,500 diaspora and business leaders. (ANI) At least four people were killed and two others injured in an explosion and a subsequent fire at a gunpowder factory in southwestern Russia's Tambov region. The blast occurred in the building of a gunpowder factory in the city of Kotovsk. The fire from the explosion has been extinguished, TASS news agency reported on Tuesday. "Human error was the cause. I can say without any doubt that it was not a terrorist attack. Unfortunately, there were casualties," head of the Tambov region, Maxim Yegorov said, adding that nothing threatens the plant's workers or residents of neighbouring settlements. An investigation is underway, Xinhua news agency reported. --IANS int/khz/ ( 117 Words) 2023-06-21-02:28:02 (IANS) According to Yerlikaya on Tuesday, more than 4,000 bank accounts were examined and a total of 1.2 billion Turkish liras ($51 million) were found transferred between these accounts, Xinhua news agency reported. The Minister said that 120 suspects were detained in the simultaneous operation covering 37 provinces, adding that the government would continue countering cyber crimes in a determined way. --IANS int/khz/ ( 97 Words) 2023-06-21-02:30:04 (IANS) The cabinet consists of the Prime Minister and 18 ministers from the National Coalition Party, the Finns Party, the Swedish People's Party, and the Christian Democrats, reports Xinhua news agency. Orpo said in his speech during the government's welcome visit to the presidential palace that the Finnish people have "voted for change". The government parties are united in their view of the state of public finances, he said, adding: "We must tighten our belts." Born in November 1969, Orpo was first elected as an MP in 2007. Before serving as Prime Minister, he held three different positions as a member of two governments, including minister of Agriculture and Forestry, minister of the Interior, and minister of Finance. He was elected leader of the National Coalition Party at the party conference in the summer of 2016. In its first plenary session on Tuesday, the new government decided on the division of responsibilities among ministers, the composition of ministerial committees and working groups, and deputizing arrangements for ministers. The Orpo government also outlined the government program to Parliament. --IANS ksk/ ( 200 Words) 2023-06-21-11:54:03 (IANS) Minister of Petroleum and Energy Terje Aasland emphasised the importance of gaining more knowledge in this field and expressed the need to gather expertise and open up for commercial mapping, exploration, and extraction of seabed minerals. "Therefore, we are proposing to open an area on the Norwegian continental shelf for mineral activities," said Aasland in a press statement on Tuesday. He added that the extraction of seabed minerals holds significant potential for value creation in the future, and the Norwegian government aims to facilitate this as well as create job opportunities in the ocean industries, Xinhua news agency reported. Aasland assured that no extraction would be approved unless the rights holder's recovery plan demonstrates the ability to conduct the extraction sustainably and responsibly. As part of the opening process, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, which serves as the Ministry's directorate for seabed minerals, has conducted a resource assessment for the designated area. The assessment revealed significant expected undiscovered mineral resources on the Norwegian continental shelf, some of which may be extractable. It also acknowledged the current lack of knowledge regarding extraction technologies and development solutions to evaluate potential ore deposits and estimate extraction rates. --IANS int/khz/ ( 230 Words) 2023-06-21-03:52:04 (IANS) The CMAC director-general Heng Ratana wrote on his Facebook page that the aerial bomb, weighing approximately 230 kg, was spotted in Kean Svay district's Raing Dek village while a farmer restored a pond, reports Xinhua news agency. "This bomb was safely removed and neutralized on June 20," he said, adding that it was buried more than four metres deep in mud for more than 50 years. According to Yale University, between 1965 and 1973, the US dropped some 230,516 bombs from planes on 113,716 sites in Cambodia. Prime Minister Hun Sen wrote in his book titled "Hun Sen: 10 Years of Cambodia's Journey, 1979-1989" that the US bombings on his country caused "tens of thousands of civilian casualties because of this vicious undeclared war". --IANS ksk/ ( 170 Words) 2023-06-21-14:26:02 (IANS) With $9 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund and $11 million from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, "we will support the government-led response efforts across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states," said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Tuesday. Haq added the assistance includes food, ready-to-eat meals, access to clean water, healthcare and agriculture support, Xinhua news agency reported. Nearly 700,000 children aged under five are likely to suffer from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition this year in this region and more than 500,000 people may face emergency levels of food insecurity during the lean season from June to August, he said, citing reports from humanitarian partners. "The emergency funding will help jumpstart the response, but humanitarian partners need more to prevent widespread hunger and malnutrition," he said. The spokesman also added the $1.3 billion humanitarian response plan for Nigeria this year is only 26 per cent funded. Humanitarians blamed violence from armed groups and the effects of climate change for the food crisis in northeast Nigeria. --IANS int/khz/ ( 210 Words) 2023-06-21-04:02:04 (IANS) "It is no longer permissible, morally, humanely, or legally, to ignore the repercussions resulting from the crisis of the displaced Syrians in Lebanon, which must be resolved by a voluntary return to their motherland," Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said on Tuesday during his meeting with an European Parliament's delegation. In a separate meeting with the delegation that arrived in Lebanon on Monday for a five-day visit, Prime Minister Najib Mikati said Lebanon hopes to receive "a positive response" to a plan its Foreign Minister presented to a conference held last week in Brussels on finding solutions to the Syrian crisis, Xinhua news agency reported. Lebanese authorities are in continuous dialogue with European countries and the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees to explain the heavy repercussions of the Syrian presence in Lebanon, Mikati noted. Lebanon aims to secure a safe return for Syrian refugees to their homeland as the country's internal security and economic situation can no longer support their stay. Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said in early May that there are about two million Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and the figure threatens to disrupt the structure of Lebanese society. --IANS int/khz/ ( 236 Words) 2023-06-21-04:06:04 (IANS) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged that progress in the war-torn nation's counter-offensive to recapture areas seized by Russia, has been "slower than desired" since it was launched on June 10. Speaking to the BBC, the President said: "Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It's not. What's at stake is people's lives." According to authorities in Kiev, Ukrainian forces have reclaimed eight villages so far in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk to the east. Zelensky said the military push was not going easily because 200,000 sq.km. of Ukrainian territory had been mined by Russian forces. "Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best," the President told the BBC. He reinforced the need for Ukraine to be given security guarantees from NATO but said ultimately the goal was membership of the defensive alliance. "(NATO chief Jens) Stoltenberg knows my position... We've told them numerous times: 'Don't knock the ground from under our feet'." Zelensky's remarks came ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, which will focus on the role the private sector can play in rebuilding his country. The President told the BBC that the support he needed was not just for recovery but for transformation as well. He said "quick steps" to be done immediately included finding places for people to live, rebuilding the destroyed Kakhovka dam and decentralising the energy network. "But on the larger scale we are speaking about the transformation of Ukraine," he explained. "This is Ukraine not only with its energy and agriculture and industrial complexes, but with its reforms we can see." Regarding the end-game of the war, Zelensky said "victories on the battlefield are necessary" and that "no matter how far we advance in our counter-offensive, we will not agree to a frozen conflict because that is war, that is a prospectless development for Ukraine". When asked about Russia's recent announcement of moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, he said: "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin has been dangerous for us since 2014 when he occupied the first of our territories. He will talk about the use of nuclear weapons, I don't think he is ready to do it because he is scared for his life, he loves it a lot. "But there is no way I could say for sure, especially about a person with no ties to reality, who in the 21st Century, launched a full-scale war against their neighbour." --IANS ksk/ ( 433 Words) 2023-06-21-15:08:07 (IANS) During the two phone calls, Abdullah Al Saud discussed situation in the conflict-ridden country with Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. The Foreign Minister stressed the importance that all Sudanese parties commit to not interrupting humanitarian work and protecting civilians and relief workers, Xinhua news agency reported. He reiterated the kingdom's call for relevant parties to restore calm, prioritise the national interest, stop all forms of military escalation and resort to a political solution that guarantees the return of security and stability to Sudan. Saudi Arabia and the US are leading an initiative to encourage the Sudanese military factions to opt for a political solution to the crisis. The initiative led to the ongoing Jeddah talks that commenced in May and resulted in several cease-fire operations. Mediated by Saudi Arabia and the US, the SAF and the RSF agreed on a new 72-hour truce starting Monday, and since then, Sudan's capital Khartoum has witnessed a cautious calm. --IANS int/khz/ ( 213 Words) 2023-06-21-05:04:04 (IANS) Nasser Kanaani made the remarks while speaking to reporters in Doha, commenting on the main issues discussed in the meeting between Iran's Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani earlier on Tuesday. Amir-Abdollahian described political relations between Tehran and Doha as "excellent" and called for expanding bilateral trade ties in proportion to their "close and friendly" relations, said the report. He expected the imminent holding of the Iran-Qatar Joint Economic Commission meeting to provide an "appropriate" opportunity for trade expansion, Xinhua news agency reported. The top Iranian diplomat and Qatari emir also discussed transportation cooperation, particularly in the maritime sector. Amir-Abdollahian also praised Qatar's efforts over the past years in resolving regional problems, calling on the two sides to enhance cooperation to ensure regional peace, stability and security, according to the report. The Qatari emir, for his part, said Tehran has a "special status" in Doha's foreign policy, and his country "takes pride in its strong and sincere ties" with Iran, the report added. He noted that it has taken decades of efforts to build such relations with Iran and called for working toward improving bilateral trade cooperation to an "appropriate level". Heading a diplomatic delegation, the Iranian Foreign Minister arrived in Doha on Tuesday morning, before leaving the Qatari capital for Oman later in the day. --IANS int/khz/ ( 264 Words) 2023-06-21-05:14:03 (IANS) A new poll has revealed that Republican support for former US President Donald Trump appears to have softened after he was indicted with 37 counts in connection with the mishandling of classified documents case. The CNN poll published on Tuesday revealed that Americans approve of Trump's indictment, even as 71 per cent say politics played a role in that charging decision. Though Trump continues to lead the Republican field by a wide margin in the race for the party's nomination for President, the poll suggested that his support has declined, as have positive views of him among Republican and Republican-leaning voters. Nearly a quarter now say they would not consider backing his candidacy under any circumstances. The survey also found that the Republican-aligned voters not currently backing his 2024 bid have different views on his indictment and behaviour than those in his corner. Overall, 47 per cent of Republicans and Republican-leaning registered voters say Trump is their first choice for the party's nomination for president, down from 53 per cent in a May CNN poll. Support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held steady at 26 per cent in the latest poll, with former Vice President Mike Pence at 9 per cent, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley at 5 per cent, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott at 4 per cent, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at 3 per cent and the remaining candidates at 1 per cent or less. In addition to the decline in support for Trump's candidacy, his favourability rating among Republican-aligned voters has also dipped, from 77 per cent in May to 67 per cent now, while the share who say they would not support him for the nomination under any circumstances has climbed, from 16 per cent in May to 23 per cent now. The CNN poll was completed after Trump's arraignment in federal court last week, and Republican and Republican-leaning voters participating in the poll were asked questions about the 2024 presidential race before any mention of the charges facing Trump. A 54 per cent majority of Republican and Republican-leaning voters say that Trump's conduct doesn't matter much to them as they consider his candidacy, because a President's effectiveness matters more. Meanwhile, only 26 per cent of Republican and Republican-leaning voters say that Trump should end his campaign in light of the federal charges he now faces, with an additional 16 per cent saying he should end his campaign if he is convicted of federal crimes. --IANS ksk/ ( 424 Words) 2023-06-21-10:10:04 (IANS) In a statement, the police said that officers from the Philadelphia Police Department were called to the Fresh Grocer on the 5300 block of Chew Avenue at around 5 p.m., reports Fox 29 News Philadelphia. The accused however, fled before the police arrived and the store security managed to recover the explosive devices, the statement said. The police have not revealed what kind of explosives were recovered. As of late Tuesday night, no arrests were made. --IANS ksk/ ( 114 Words) 2023-06-21-10:28:02 (IANS) The US Coast Guard on Wednesday confirmed that a Canadian P-3 aircraft "detected underwater noises in the search area" for the missing tourist submarine with five people on board. In a series of tweets, the Coast Guard said: "Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area. As a result, ROV operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises. Those ROV searches have yielded negative results but continue. "Additionally, the data from the P-3 aircraft has been shared with our US Navy experts for further analysis which will be considered in future search plans." This is the first official confirmation from authorities conducting the search operation, although they did not specify what the "banging" sounds were, reports the BBC. Before the official confirmation by the US Coast Guard, several American media outlets citing internal US government memos, reported that a Canadian search aircraft detected "banging" in 30-minute intervals coming from the area where the sub disappeared on June 18. It is unclear when and how long the banging lasted. The submarine was lost about an hour and 45 minutes into its dive to the Titanic's wreckage in the Atlantic on June 18, according to the Coast Guard. The missing vessel istour firm OceanGate's Titan submersible, a truck-sized sub that holds five people and usually dives with a four-day emergency supply of oxygen. Tickets cost $250,000 for an eight-day trip including dives to the wreck at a depth of 3,800m. A search operation is currently underway in an area in the ocean "larger than the state of Connecticut", about 20,000 sq.km. Rescue teams from Canada's navy, air force and coast guard, as well as the New York state air guard are assisting. A French research vessel and Magellan, a British firm that specialises in deep ocean investigations and recovery operations, have also joined the mission. The Titan submersible is thought to be approximately 1,450 km east and 643 km south of Newfoundland's capital, St John's According to US Coast Guard estimates, the Titan has roughly 30 hours of oxygen remaining on board. The five passengers on board are Hamish Harding, 58-year-old British adventurer who has previously been to space and multiple times to the South Pole; British businessman Shahzada Dawood (48) and his son Suleman (19); Paul-Henry Nargeolet (77), a former French Navy diver who has reportedly spent more time at the Titanic wreck than any other explorer and was part of the first expedition to visit it in 1987; and Stockton Rush (61), the chief executive of OceanGate. --IANS ksk/ ( 440 Words) 2023-06-21-11:04:02 (IANS) Chinese foreign ministry has accused United States President Joe Biden of "political provocation" after he called Xi Jinping a "dictator." Responding to a question regarding remarks made by Biden recently, a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson reiterated her government's stance that the balloon incident "was entirely an accidental event" that the US had taken out of proportion, The New York Times reported. While addressing a news briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said that the remarks made by the US President were "utterly absurd and irresponsible" and added that "they are a grave violation of basic facts, diplomatic protocol and China's political dignity. They are an open political provocation." Biden on Tuesday called his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping a "dictator" who was not aware of the "spy balloon" that entered the United States airspace in January, The New York Times reported. While addressing a campaign fund-raiser in California, Biden spoke about the Chinese balloon that entered the US airspace and strained the ties between the two nations for months. He said that US intelligence agencies had learned about the internal confusion in Beijing during the incident. "The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two boxcars full of spy equipment in it is he didn't know it was there," Biden said at the big-dollar event in a private Kentfield home, according to The New York Times report. He further said, "No, I'm serious. That's what's a great embarrassment for dictators, when they didn't know what happened." Other US officials were left surprised that Biden would discuss the sensitive information in a public setting. One official, who has been briefed on the intelligence and spoke on condition of anonymity, said Biden's remarks demonstrated the US government's private assessment, the report said. Biden's remarks come a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Xi Jinping in Beijing. Blinken's visit to China in February was cancelled after the Chinese balloon entered US airspace. "The very important point is he's in a situation now where he wants to have a relationship again," Biden said of Xi Jinping. He said, "Tony Blinken just went over there, our secretary of state; did a good job. And it's going to take time," according to The New York Times report. "That wasn't supposed to be going where it was," Biden said while referring to the balloon at the event in California. He noted that the balloon was blown off through Alaska and Xi Jinping was not aware of it. Referring to Xi, Biden said, "It was blown off course up through Alaska and then down through the United States, and he didn't know about it." He further said, "When it got shot down, he was very embarrassed. He denied it was even there." Biden further said that Xi Jinping was frustrated by his efforts to bolster the Quad. (ANI) Brigadier General Wais Waheed, Commandant of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Marine Corps noted that Maldives is a country that has limited resources and sought assistance from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) India for equipment. Brigadier General Wais Waheed said that the new proposal will be sent to India and they will look into it. Brigadier General Wais Waheed and Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh, AVSM, VSM, DG NCC on Thursday participated in the meeting at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Brigadier General Wais Waheed said, "In fact, Maldives being a country which we have archipelago nature disaster...So, if we ...in dealing with incidents with collaboration with us MNPF, that would be a false multiplier for us. So, that's an idea in which we would like to have NCC more active in operations for disaster management." He further said, "All those equipments which the Indian NCC uses, that's the model that we also look into us and similar way we also get trained. So, being a country which has limited resources, I seek assistance again from the NCC India to get any equipment that they can provide us. The new proposal will be sent to them and they will look it and find it." Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh said that the cadets of India and Maldives participate in a youth exchange program. He further said, "Maldives has sent a proposal to enhance the youth exchange program. We will hold deliberations on the proposal and take further action." Earlier this month, Indian Navy divers and Marine Commandos travelled to the Maldives to participate in the sixth edition of Exercise Ekatha from June 4 to July 4. The annual exercise between Indian Navy divers and Marine Commandos and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) is conducted to enhance interoperability in diving and special operations. Earlier, the fifth edition of the exercise was held from 5th September 2022 to 3rd October 2022, Chief of Defence Force Major General Abdullah Shamaal handed the certificates to the Indian Navy training team. (ANI) A local court in Bahawalpur sent shockwaves across Pakistan after sentencing a 22-year-old Christian youth, Noman Masih, to death on blasphemy charges, BNN Network reported, adding that the court's decision has sparked outrage among human rights activists and religious minorities who have said that a fair investigation was not made in his case, causing injustice. Noman Masih has been accused of carrying blasphemous images on his mobile phone. According to Pakistan's Penal Code, Section 295-C, the offence carries a mandatory death sentence, according to the BNN Network report. However, those familiar with the plight of religious minorities in Pakistan are aware that false accusations of blasphemy are often used to settle personal vendettas, property disputes, religious prejudice or business rivalries, it added. Joseph Jansen, a prominent minority rights activist, raised his deep concern and pain over the sentence. Highlighting a lack of fair investigation, Jansen said those who make false allegations against religious minorities often enjoy impunity, with little to no consequences for their actions, BNN Network reported, adding that this causes further misuse of blasphemy laws and puts innocent lives at risk. The verdict has sparked strong reactions from various human rights activists and organizations. Ilyas Samuel, a human rights activist, expressed hope that the High Court will intervene and overturn the death sentence and urged for a thorough review of the charges against Noman Masih, according to the news report. Nadia Stephen, a women's rights activist, stressed the fundamental right to a fair investigation saying that the accused's life is at stake. Ashiknaz Khokhar, another prominent human rights activist, said false blasphemy accusations have had a devastating effect on marginalised communities, causing the destruction of innocent lives and perpetuating a climate of fear and persecution, BNN Network reported. Further, according to the news report, Lala Robin Daniel, chairperson of the National Minority Alliance of Pakistan, urged the Pakistan government to implement a mechanism that effectively reduces the misuse of blasphemy laws. Daniel called it crucial to create a safe environment where individuals are not unfairly targeted and where justice is served on the basis of thorough probe and evidence, BNN Network reported. At least 57 cases of alleged blasphemy have been registered in Pakistan from January to May 2023, Eurasia Review reported, adding that the highest number of such cases, 28 in total, were reported in Punjab while Sindh followed with 16 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 8 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with 5. Two Christian teenagers, identified as Adil Baber and Simon Masih, were recently accused of blasphemy in Lahore, Pakistan. The allegations against them were levelled by the police constable Zahid Sohail, soon after he had indulged in an altercation with the young accusers on May 28. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a glimpse of the Yoga Day event led by him which was held at United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York on the occasion of the 9th edition of International Day of Yoga. "Here are memorable highlights from the #YogaDay programme in New York City...,' PM Modi tweeted along with the video of the Yoga Day event. https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1671731480366555141?s=46&t=Fh1PdKQvAKBIi_60UwQvcA At the beginning of the video, people were seen chanting 'Modi, Modi' slogans as he arrived at the venue. Later he was seen performing yoga and leading the event further. "Yoga means, to unite. It is wonderful to see the entire world come together again for yoga," PM Modi said in the video. Yoga enthusiasts from different walks of life were part of the event. One of the yoga enthusiasts said, "Yoga really helps unify the world and is really great for the world to share.." "Yoga is truly universal. Yoga is a way of life, a way to live in harmony, with self, others and with nature," PM Modi added. Earlier at the event, PM Modi also paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the UN Headquarters' lawns. Moreover, people from more than 180 countries joined the PM for the Yoga Day programme. The function saw attendance by personalities and influencers from all walks of life including diplomats, officials, academicians, health professionals, technocrats, industry leaders, media personalities, artists, spiritual leaders, and yoga practitioners, among others. While addressing the people gathered at the event, PM Modi said that the event is taking place at "the meeting point of entire humanity". "I am delighted to see you all and thank you all for coming. I am told that almost every nationality is represented here today. Yoga means to unite, so you are coming together is an expression of another form of Yoga," he said. (ANI) TOLO News is an Afghan news channel broadcasting from Kabul. As many as 31 stalls were put up at the exhibition, with the participants urging the ruling Taliban regime to provide further opportunities to women entrepreneurs. "We call on the government and other organisations to consider holding such an exhibition in the future," said Anita, a participant, as per TOLO News. "We hope such exhibitions will increase in the future and the grounds for organizing such exhibitions will be paved even outside the country," said Masouma Ibrahimi, another participant. The provincial officials said the exhibition aims to promote local products and handmade materials made by women. The organiser of the exhibition, Hossien Azimyar, said, "This exhibition features 80 participants of whom 10 are men and the rest are are all women." "Such exhibitions are being held in Bamiyan and are expected to be held in Kabul in the near future," said Mohammad Naeem Rizayi, head of the Department of Industry and Commerce in Bamiyan, as per TOLO News. The visitors at the event called on the Taliban to support women in a bid to pave the way for economic growth in the country. "Every woman here is active and is also responsible for the economic support of her family, hence should be supported," said Horia Mandigar, a visitor, as per TOLO News. The exhibition was organised by the Aga Khan Foundation in Bamiyan and the neighboring province of Daikundi. (ANI) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight operations this year according to senior US Administration officials. This comes amidst Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first State visit to the US. "In the space sector, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind," Senior US Administration officials said on Thursday. Also, they said that NASA and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight operations this year. The Artemis Accords is a non-binding multilateral arrangement between the United States government and other world governments participating in the American-led effort to return humans to the Moon by 2025. The senior officials also said that the Indian National Semiconductor mission will receive 800 million USD from Micron Technology in setting for setting up semiconductor assembly and test facilities in India. Recently, India and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing the Semiconductor Supply chain during India - USA 5th Commercial Dialogue 2023, which can help India realize its long-nurtured dream of becoming a hub for electronic goods. Speaking to ANI, the officials said, "With respect to semiconductors, Micron Technology with support from the Indian National Semiconductor mission announced an investment of more than 800 million USD that together with additional financial support from the Indian authorities up to a 2.75 billion USD semiconductor assembly and test facility in India". "In the semiconductors sector, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company is going to announce a training programme for 60,000 Indian engineers in the country," they added. The officials said that the two governments are working together on advanced telecommunications including 5G and open routing systems. "On advanced telecommunications, we are working together on 5G and other technologies, including open routing systems. We will be announcing partnerships on open field trials and rollouts, including scale deployments in both US and India with operators and vendors, markets. This will involve backing from the US International Development Finance, cooperation, and to promote the deployments in India," they told ANI. The officials further said that US intends to open two new consulates in India. "The United States intends to open a new consulate in Bengaluru and one other city. India looks forward to announcing new consulates in the United States," the US administration officials said. (ANI) The Khaama Press News Agency is the largest online news service for Afghanistan. Sayeed Iravani said the neighbouring states and regional countries feel seriously threatened by the growing terrorist groups in Afghanistan. Iran's envoy to the UN said that drug trafficking has not been fully eradicated from Afghanistan, and the illegal business still continues in the country. Iravani further expressed concerns over the expansion of testing labs of processed drugs such as methamphetamine in Afghanistan, according to Sharq daily. Iran's envoy criticized the Taliban's repressive policy towards women and the group's reluctance to form an all-inclusive government in which different ethnic groups, political factions, women and youth could see them represented. "Afghan authorities deliberately are trying to destroy linguistic, cultural and historical ties of Afghans with Persian language and impose the dominant Pashtun culture on other ethnic groups" quoting Iravani, Sharq daily reported, as per Khaama Press. Iravani also accused the Taliban for changing the demographic profile of the provinces with predominantly Hazara and Tajik populations. Iran's permanent representative asked the international community to have "constructive interaction" with the Taliban, adding further isolating the de facto regime of the Taliban is not in the interest of the people of Afghanistan. Iran's envoy at the United Nations expressed optimism about Afghanistan's economy and called that "freezing assets and imposing unilateral sanctions" have led to poverty and humanitarian crisis in the country, as per Khaama Press. (ANI) The Patan High Court in Nepal's Bagmati province on Thursday issued an interim order in a writ petition challenging the ban on the screening of Indian films by Kathmandu Metropolis. During the hearing over the writ petition filed by the Film Association of Nepal against the decision to ban all Hindi movies in the wake of the "Adipurush" dialogue controversy, the High Court gave interim order against the decision of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) Mayor Balendra Shah. "Interim order has been issued. The court has directed not to block Hindi films and continue the screening," Jayalal Bhandari, a lawyer from the Film Association of Nepal told ANI over the phone. A bench of Justice Dhirbahadur Chand gave the interim order. The defendants and the petitioner have also been called to the court next week as part of the proceedings. The Film Association, an umbrella organization of movie theatre owners had filed a writ petition at Patan High Court on Wednesday. KMC Mayor Balendra Shah, KMC Police and ministries of Home Communications and Information and Technology have been made the defendant in the case. Reacting to the court's decision, Kathmandu's Mayor said in a Facebook post that he will "not obey" any law or court "when it comes to independence and sovereignty of the country". Balendra Shah announced the ban on June 18 over dialogue from the movie. "If the film is allowed to be shown in other areas within the country and abroad, it will establish a misleading fact, so it is prohibited to show any Indian film in the Kathmandu metropolitan city until the objectionable parts are removed from the said film," he said on Facebook. Soon after the announcement of the ban, T-Series, the production company of 'Adipurush' wrote a letter saying it was "never intentional or deliberate to cause any disharmony for anyone." "We request you to view the film in its artistic form and support the intention of reaching out to a larger audience to create interest in our history," said the letter signed by Radhika Das from the Super Cassette Industries Private Ltd, also known as T-Series. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived at the White House to a ceremonial welcome hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. PM Modi and President Biden will have a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office of the White House before holding high-level talks to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. Upon his arrival at the White House lawns, PM Modi who was dressed in a traditional white kurta pyjama teamed with a powder blue jacket was greeted by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. A US delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin assembled to greet PM Modi. The Indian delegation led by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Indian ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu were also present. National anthems of India and the US played out as thousands of people gathered on the White House South Lawns to greet PM Modi. "Looking forward to today's talks with @POTUS @JoeBiden. I am confident our discussions will further strengthen India-USA relations," PM Modi tweeted. The Prime Minister will later also address a joint session of Congress. The Prime Minister was welcomed by members of the Indian community, other guests who had gathered on the lawns of the White House. Visuals show huge crowds of people waving Indian and US flags, chanting "Modi, Modi" US First Lady earlier in her briefing about the State dinner said "...guests will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron colored flowers at every table, the colors of the Indian Flag." "And on the transparent sides, those colors--and the strength and heritage they represent--frame the iconic scenery and symbols of our nation, our democracy and our history: the White House and the Washington Monument," Jill Biden said. Grammy award winner, Joshua Bell and a performance by Penn Masala, acapella group from the University of Pennsylvania will entertain guests after the dinner. Some people were seen waving banners that read: "Indian American Diaspora welcomes Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi". A woman among the crowd that had gathered at the South Lawn said: "I have seen Presidents of many countries visiting the US, but never seen such a large crowd gathered here to welcome them. This crowd here means that he (PM Modi) is doing good." CEO of the National US-India Chamber of Commerce and former advisor to the US State Department of Commerce, Poornima Voria, said: "What an incredible moment! We are proud of our Prime Minister. Never before so many people were allowed to come to the South Lawns of the White House." PM Modi had on Wednesday arrived in Washington DC after overseeing a special Yoga session on the lawns of the United Nations headquarters in New York City. United States President on Wednesday (local time) hosted PM Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House before the high-profile state dinner. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan also attended the dinner, which featured the President's favourite foods- pasta and ice cream. During the dinner, the trio enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, performed by youth dancers from Studio Dhoom, a DMV-based Indian dance studio that helps connect a new generation to the vibrant culture of Indian dance, according to the White House. The leaders also exchanged gifts at the White House. PM Modi presented a special sandalwood box to US President Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. He also gifted a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond and 'papier mache' to US First Lady Jill Biden. Joe Biden and Jill Biden presented PM Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. Biden also gifted a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography. Jill Biden gifted a signed, first-edition copy of "Collected Poems of Robert Frost" to PM Modi. Prime Minister Modi then thanked US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for hosting him at the White House. PM Modi noted that they held "great conversation" on several subjects. Tomorrow local time Prime Minister Modi will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In addition to official engagements, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to have several interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders. He will also meet members of the Indian diaspora. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a five-point proposal for increasing India-US collaboration in the field of research and education, Prime Minister's Office said in an official press release. The PM's five-point proposal includes adopting an integrated approach bringing together government, industry and academia, encouraging the exchange of teachers and students, organising hackathons on various subjects between the two countries, mutual recognition of vocational skills qualifications, and encouraging visits of people associated with education and research. Earlier on Wednesday (local time) Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a private engagement hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in the White House reaffirming the warm relationship between the two countries, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. First Lady Jill Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, and attended the 'Skilling for Future' event. "The event focused on workforce redevelopment across higher education institutions to expand and enhance access to quality education across society," a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said. "Prime Minister highlighted the numerous steps taken by India to promote education, skilling and innovation. He appreciated ongoing bilateral academic exchanges and collaborations between Indian and US academic and research ecosystems," a statement said. The event was attended by the President of Northern Virginia Community College, the President of the Association of American Universities, the President and CEO of Micron Technology, and students. Addressing the 'Skilling for Future' event at the National Science Foundation, PM Modi emphasised the need to nurture a pipeline of talent to sustain the growth momentum between the two countries. "To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On the one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world's biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth," PM Modi added. At the event First Lady Jill Biden said, "Education is the cornerstone of the bond between India and the United States. Students from both countries are learning and growing alongside each other, discovering the people that they want to become and building a better world together. Working side by side, our nations can create a safer, healthier, more prosperous future for everyone." PM Modi is on a State visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden. Earlier on Wednesday, US President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a private dinner at the White House where they discussed a wide range of issues. "I thank @POTUS @JoeBiden and @FLOTUS @DrBiden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects," PM Modi tweeted. An official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a private engagement hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden on 21 June 2023 in the White House. Prime Minister also met their immediate family members. Prime Minister's participation in this special engagement reaffirms the warm friendship between our two countries." (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden started their bilateral talks on Thursday at the White House. PM Modi and President Biden are having a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office of the White House before holding high-level talks to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. Ahead of the bilateral talks, PM Modi said that he is confident that the discussions between the two leaders will further strengthen India-USA relations. "Looking forward to today's talks with @POTUS @JoeBiden. I am confident our discussions will further strengthen India-USA relations". He was responding to the tweet by President Biden who welcomed Prime Minister Modi ahead of his arrival at the White House. "Welcome to the White House, Mr. Prime Minister," Biden said in his tweet. https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1671878606912634880?s=20 Prime Minister Modi who is on his maiden state visit to the US, arrived at the White House in a ceremonial welcome. "In the post-Covid era, the world order is taking a new shape. In this time period, the friendship between India and US will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world. India and US are committed to working together for the global good and peace, stability and prosperity, PM Modi said at the White House. He added, "The societies and institutions of both India & US are based on democratic values. The constitutions of both countries begin with the three words "We The People". Both countries take pride in their diversity and believe in the fundamental principle of 'interest of all, welfare of all'". Upon his arrival at the White House lawns, PM Modi who was dressed in a traditional white kurta pyjama teamed with a powder blue jacket was greeted by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. A US delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin assembled to greet PM Modi. The Indian delegation led by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu were also present. National anthems of India and the US played out as thousands of people gathered on the White House South Lawns to greet PM Modi. Huge crowds of people gathered at the South Lawns of the White House to welcome PM Modi. Visuals showed them waving Indian flags and chanting "Modi, Modi" and "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" slogans. Some people were waving a banner that read: "Indian American Diaspora welcomes Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi". PM Modi on Wednesday arrived in Washington DC after overseeing a special Yoga session on the lawns of the United Nations headquarters in New York City. United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday (local time) hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House before the high-profile state dinner. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan also attended the dinner, which featured the President's favourite foods- pasta and ice cream. During the dinner, the trio enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, performed by youth dancers from Studio Dhoom, a DMV-based Indian dance studio that helps connect a new generation to the vibrant culture of Indian dance, according to the White House. The leaders also exchanged gifts at the White House. PM Modi presented a special sandalwood box to US President Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. He also gifted a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond and 'papier mache' to US First Lady Jill Biden. Joe Biden and Jill Biden presented PM Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. Biden also gifted a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography. Jill Biden gifted a signed, first-edition copy of "Collected Poems of Robert Frost" to PM Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi then thanked US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for hosting him at the White House. PM Modi noted that they held "great conversation" on several subjects. PM Modi will on Thursday be hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a state dinner. PM Modi will also address a joint sitting of the US Congress on Thursday. On June 23, Prime Minister Modi will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In addition to official engagements, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to have several interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders. He will also meet members of the Indian diaspora. (ANI) The repeated use of blasphemy laws against people of religious minorities in Pakistan has been a matter of concern, and is drawing continuous criticism from various circles, DND news reported. A local court in Bahawalpur sent shockwaves across Pakistan after sentencing a 22-year-old Christian youth, Noman Masih, to death on blasphemy charges. Masih's lawyer, Lazar Allah Rakha expressed utter disappointment by the conviction and said that the ruling came despite the prosecution failing to provide evidence of the blasphemy allegation against Noman for four long years. According to the complainant, Noman was accused of "blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by carrying blasphemous images on his mobile," where the First Information Report was registered against him under Section 295-C, which has a mandatory death sentence. The trial of Noman Masih was concluded in January but the Court repeatedly postponed the verdict on various pretexts, Rakha said. Minority rights activist Joseph Jansen also condemned the decision calling it "disturbing" and raising doubts on the 'fairness' of the investigation. "The false accusations of blasphemy against religious minorities are often made to settle personal vendettas, property disputes, religious prejudice, or business rivalries, as seen in Mussarat Bibi's case," DND News quoted Jansen as saying. Notably, the "abuse" of blasphemy laws (sections 295 through 298 of PPC) carrying severe punishments has increased exponentially in Pakistan. The more disturbing aspect is the fact that mere accusations of blasphemy become a justification for attacking any accuser. This provokes people in taking laws into their own hands without any investigation and sets up the system of 'mob justice', which has been evidenced in several cases across the Country, DND News reported. Jansen further said that a fair trial is guaranteed in the constitution of Pakistan, yet the accused persons have been denied a fair trial under blasphemy laws. "The complainants and witnesses involved in levelling false allegations against the accused often enjoy impunity," said Joseph Jansen Another Human Rights Activist Ilyas Samuel expressed hope that the High Court would set aside the death sentence awarded by Additional Sessions Judge Muhammad Hafeez Ur Rehman Khan and drop all charges against Noman. Nadia Stephen, a women's rights activist, observed that Masih's case is not the first when the court handed over a death sentence to an individual from a religious minority community. The past trends show numerous cases where people were accused of blasphemy and ended up being given death sentences by trial and high courts. Human rights activist Ashiknaz Khokhar also called the state of affairs "unfortunate" and said that such practices have ruined many innocent lives, especially among minorities. "It is an unfortunate fact that has become a practice in trial courts in blasphemy cases to convict the accused, despite clear doubts about fair inquiries and lack of evidence. These laws have massively affected the marginalized Christian community of Pakistan and have ruined the lives of many innocents in the country, and still, no one is trying to amend them," DND News quoted Khokhar as saying. The Chairperson of the National Minority Alliance of Pakistan, Lala Robin Daniel, expressed concern over the matter stating that blasphemy laws have often been used to target religious minorities. "The blasphemy issue is a very sensitive matter in the country which has often been wrongly used to target religious minorities motivated by personal vendettas or religious hatred. The highly inflammatory accusations can potentially spark mob lynchings and vigilante justice," he said. The government needs to introduce a national action plan to counter its abuse of blasphemy laws in the name of religion, DND News reported. At least 57 cases of alleged blasphemy have been registered in Pakistan from January to May 2023, Eurasia Review reported, adding that the highest number of such cases, 28 in total, were reported in Punjab while Sindh followed with 16 cases, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 8 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) with 5. Two Christian teenagers, identified as Adil Baber and Simon Masih, were recently accused of blasphemy in Lahore, Pakistan. The allegations against them were levelled by the police constable Zahid Sohail, soon after he had indulged in an altercation with the young accusers on May 28. (ANI) Voronkov was addressing a conference on Wednesday, on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization counter-terrorism convention organized by Russian and Chinese missions. He said, "This event is very timely, especially in light of the conclusions made as part of the 14th report from the group on analytical support and monitoring of sanctions regarding the Taliban," according to Tass. "The document is rather profound and informative and it effectively shows that Afghanistan is once again slowly becoming one of the most important, or maybe even the most crucial epicentre of the spread of terrorism. Despite all promises, all loud statements, the facts prove otherwise," he added. He also emphasized that the current regime of Kabul is "unable or unwilling to reduce the terrorist threat," as per Khaama Press. A day before, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Council of Foreign Ministers convened in Belarus and discussed the Ukraine conflict and Afghanistan. The organization's member states restated their concerns over Afghanistan's extremist groups, according to Khaama Press. Earlier, a Russian Foreign Minister spokesperson expressed concern over security threats emerging from Afghanistan with the support of externals. Whereas, she also said that Washington seeks to foment regional instability by utilizing "acting illegal armed groups" in Afghanistan. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (local time) emphasized the need to combat terrorism and extremism, which pose a genuine threat to democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. Speaking during a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House, PM Modi said, "India and America are walking shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terrorism and extremism. We agree that concerted action is necessary to end cross-border terrorism." Notably, these remarks come in the wake of China's obstruction of UN proposals to designate Sajid Mir of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba as a "global terrorist." Even after 15 years since the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the masterminds behind the atrocity have yet to be brought to justice. So the first and most critical gap to combat terrorism is to address avoiding double standards and this self-defeating justification of good terrorists versus bad terrorists. "The two biggest democracies of the world, India and the US can contribute towards global peace, stability and prosperity. I'm sure that on the basis of these values, we can fulfil the aspirations of the world," said PM Modi. PM Modi further said that both countries have decided that like trusted partners the US and India will prepare a reliable, secure, resilient global supply chain and value chain, amid global uncertainties. "Today holds a special significance in the history of India-US relations. Today's discussions and important decisions taken by us open a new chapter in our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Got a new direction and a new energy," said PM Modi. He said that the US-India partnership in trade and investment is not only important for both countries but also for the global economy. "Today, the US is the biggest trade partner of India. We have decided to give closure to pending issues related to trade and begin a new start," said PM Modi. "We both agree that governments, businesses and academic institutions should come together to fulfil our strategic technology partnership," added PM Modi. He said that the presence of such a large number of Indians in the White House is testimony to the fact that Indian-Americans are the real strength of our relationship. "We welcome the decision by the US to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad to further deepen these ties," added PM Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "We welcome the setting up of consulates in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru. Likewise, we will open a new mission in Seattle. He said that the decision to build engines by General Electrics through technology transfer is a landmark agreement. "This will open new opportunities for jobs in both countries. It will be a new dimension to our defence partnership in the future," said PM Modi. The prime minister also spoke on peace and security in the Indo-Pacific, a shared priority of both India and the US. "We are unanimous that the development and success of this region is important for the whole world," said PM Modi. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday received Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House. The president, the first lady and the prime minister gathered for an intimate dinner and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, according to the White House. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. (ANI) Many US Congressmen are eager and excited to hear Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the Joint Session of the US Congress. In an exclusive interview with ANI, US Congressmen Don Bacon from Omaha, Nebraska said, "Well, I'm excited to hear Prime Minister Modi. He represents the largest democracy, the fifth largest economy, and he's coming here. We're the oldest democracy and the largest economy." He said that the two countries will have to work together in a world where we have China and Russia and Iran. "We can be a voice together for much better good than just by ourselves. So I hope to hear from him, Desire to work together as partners for freedom, democracy, human rights and so forth," said Bacon. He said that the partnership between the two countries is important as the US can't deal with China, Russia, and Iran "on our own." "I don't say as a leader of the allies, equal allies. We just need strong alliances. And I believe India could be a game changer when it comes to dealing with Russia," said Bacon. He also said that Indian people love PM Modi and he looked forward to hearing what he has to say at the joint address of the US Congress. Meanwhile, Texas Representative Dan Crenshaw said that his area has a huge Indian population and there was a lot of interest from constituents coming from the Houston area. "We're all excited to have him. I think our relationship with India is one of the most important we have and glad he's here. So we're excited," Crenshaw told ANI. Veteran US Representative Mike Kelly from Pennsylvania, said that India and US rely on each other for many different things and it was an honour to have PM Modi here. "It's an honour to have Modi come here today and be sitting at the House in full session. It shows how close the two nations and the two people are. I think that over the years we've formed this partnership that is so strong," he told ANI. Meanwhile, Kentucky Representative Andy Barr, co-chair of the India Caucus in the Congress said that he is interested to meet PM Modi regarding his comments on the importance of the Quad, countering Chinese aggression and reducing trade barriers between India and US. "I'm very interested, obviously, in his comments on the importance of the Quad, in our cooperation and countering Chinese aggression. I'm interested in the conversation about reducing trade barriers between our countries and continuing to give the United States greater market access to India and deepen our economic ties in addition to our security ties," he told ANI. Barr said that he was interested in hearing PM Modi talk about ways in which the two countries can continue long-standing friendship and alliance, and especially in the area of energy and military equipment. "To the extent that our deepening relationship can limit India's dependence on Russian energy and military equipment, I think that will strengthen our very important bilateral relationship," said Barr. Kentucky has a very active, engaged Indian-American presence and also an Indian diaspora. (ANI) A teenager was fatally shot and another was injured in a shooting Wednesday night in south Kansas City, according to police. Around 8 p.m., police officers were dispatched to the 5500 block of East 100th Terrace on a reported shooting, said Sgt. Jake Becchina, a Kansas City Police Department spokesman. A gunshot victim, believed to be a teenage minor, was found unresponsive inside a residence. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. Responding officers found a second gunshot victim, also a teenage minor, outside and down the street near another residence. His injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, Becchina said, and he was also taken to the hospital for treatment. Homicide detectives were in the early stages of their investigation Wednesday night, Becchina said, and did not have information about the circumstances that led to the shooting or any suspect information. They have a lot of questions at this time, Becchina said. They will be knocking on doors in this area. If anybody did see or hear anything, (its) super valuable to them even if its just the smallest thing. The killing Wednesday marked the 92nd in Kansas City so far in 2023, according to data maintained by The Star. Last year, the city saw its second-deadliest on record with 172 homicides. Kansas City police were asking that anyone with information about the shooting to contact homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS. Feelings like shame and guilt can hinder your happiness. Feelings like shame and guilt can hinder your happiness. In a culture of toxic positivity, it can feel particularly bad when you wake up and arent feeling totally happy. This is likely exacerbated when you open up your Instagram or Facebook feeds only to see smiling friends on vacation or at their wedding. Its easy to feel like you just should be happy, but experts say it is much bigger than that and there are probably some behaviors and beliefs that keep you from feeling your best. Below, mental health professionals share the thought patterns, limiting behaviors and beliefs that affect your happiness and fulfillment most, plus their best advice for combating the negativity. Shame, Guilt And Worry I think shame, guilt and worry are the most common disruptors of happiness, just in what I see in working with people, said Tamika Lewis, the clinical director and founder of WOC Therapy in California. When youre experiencing one of these feelings, youre holding yourself hostage to past life experiences or worrying about the future, she said. So were not in the present moment, and that really disrupts ... that contentment and joy. Practicing self-compassion is one way to combat these feelings, Lewis noted. She said its also important to have grace for yourself and practice mindfulness so you stay in the present moment. Additionally, Lewis said she talks a lot about the Hawaiian practice of hooponopono with her clients. Its four phrases, simply saying, Im sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you, she explained. Lewis encourages folks to close their eyes and recite this mantra four times. They really hit all these areas; the guilt, the shame, all of that. And then the love as a reminder of self-love, and sometimes it could help too to even do this in the mirror as youre looking at yourself, Lewis explained. She said gratitude is another way to help combat feelings of shame, guilt and worry. I know its kind of cliche, but I think if we can keep our focus on the things we are grateful for ... . So, if we tend to be critical about our bodies or our performance, really just giving thanks to the ways that our bodies are holding us or the ways that were showing up can be a quick hack, Lewis said. (For any Peloton fans, this is exactly like instructor Jess Sims exercise mantra: You dont have to, you get to.) Not Taking Action In Your Life Some of the therapists we spoke to said many of their clients often dont pursue the activities, decisions or passions that make them happy. This might look like staying in an unfulfilling relationship or avoiding a job switch because youre comfortable. I think for some people, they get stuck in these cycles of rumination. And what that prevents them from doing is actually taking action, right? said Sadaf Siddiqi, a psychotherapist and mental health consultant in New York City. Procrastination can be at play here or even fear and anxiety, but for other people, its a way of deflecting behavior in the sense that theyre so overly focused on someone else and not attuned to what they need to be doing, she said. Do you find yourself obsessing about your sisters bad love life decisions? Then you may fall into the category of deflection. Not taking action in your life is sometimes also linked to not having a strong connection with yourself, so maybe those are two branches ... to happiness, Siddiqi said. Taking action to live a more joy-filled life has to be intentional. In a society that overproduces and is always on the go, sometimes action can actually be a step back, she said. Taking action needs to be relevant to whats going on in your life like your goals and aspirations. Doing this can feel scary to many people because of the risk involved. So its important to understand that no matter what trajectory you take, you will make mistakes; its a non-negotiable in your path, she said. So if youre always preventing taking action because youre so afraid of messing up, its going to really be a paralysis its almost going to be a decision paralysis, an action paralysis, Siddiqi said. When it comes to taking action, Siddiqi said she tells her clients to take micro-steps, which may not feel as exciting as big steps because there isnt immediate gratification, but change often comes from the small shifts, she noted. Comparing Yourself To Others According to Stephanie Dahlberg, a licensed independent clinical social worker at Thriveworks in Nashua, New Hampshire, comparative thinking is another behavior that takes away from your happiness. Comparative thinking is what you think of when you think about scrolling through social media and you see this person who seems to have it all ... their lives on the little pictures and posts are just amazing, Dahlberg said. Even if you arent actually saying or thinking to yourself I want this or I wish I had this, just seeing a different situation can make you naturally compare yourself to the folks you follow on social media, she noted. I think our culture and our society is kind of set up that way, unfortunately, Dahlberg said. Sometimes it can be good, keeps things competitive and keeps us learning and growing and always striving to be the best, but I think sometimes our culture and society kind of goes a little too far with it, where youre kind of constantly comparing yourself to everyone else or comparing what you have to what someone else has or doesnt have. To stop comparing yourself to others so much, Dahlberg said, you can limit your time on social media. Instead of opening up Instagram or Facebook as soon as you wake up, open up your Notes app and write down five things youre grateful for, she said. Starting the day with gratitude ... can be a great way to frame your day in a positive way and get those endorphins going and having more of those happy feelings, Dahlberg said. Additionally, try to remember that what youre seeing on social media or the curated stories you hear from loved ones arent the full picture. It can be really hard to be satisfied with your life when youre comparing yourself to other people who are really showing the best of their life, said Shavonne Moore-Lobban, a psychologist in Washington, D.C., and author of The Black Womans Guide to Overcoming Domestic Violence. We dont often have a lot of access to peoples most challenging moments, the natural ebb and flow of the ups and downs. Moore-Lobban noted that kind of vulnerability is often not affirmed by society. Just think about times when youve thought someone was oversharing or attention-seeking when they share information that isnt positive. I think in this unintentional way, weve really encouraged people to present the best sides of themselves and to show the good moments and to be optimistic, Moore-Lobban said. So remember that the next time your favorite celebrity shares photos from a glitzy party or your neighbor posts an update about their home renovation. Instead of scrolling social media and comparing yourself to the lives on your phone screen, take a few moments to jot down what you're grateful for. Instead of scrolling social media and comparing yourself to the lives on your phone screen, take a few moments to jot down what you're grateful for. Should Statements Another thing that kind of goes along with comparative thinking is expectations, like what your life should be or should look like, Dahlberg said. These are called should statements. They could be as minor as I should have done the laundry today or, more often, nebulous, like I should be further along in my career by now or I should be more fulfilled. When thinking about should statements, Dahlberg noted youre leaving the present moment. If you can, try and focus on really being present where you are, taking a look at whats around you, whats right in front of you in the moment and trying to find what you can appreciate from it, even ... in a really difficult circumstance, she said. This can help you feel lighter and happier. Not Having A Strong Connection With Yourself According to Siddiqi, when it comes to adults, lacking a strong connection with yourself damages your happiness. That can look like outsourcing your worth, not knowing your own values, your own limitations, your own strengths, she said. If youre someone who outsources your own worth, your feelings about yourself come from the opinions of other people and society as a whole. Additionally, if you dont know your own values, limitations and strengths, youll have trouble determining the things that make you feel fulfilled or, on the contrary, empty. Its important to understand yourself, which includes accepting your flaws, she said. It doesnt mean you turn a blind eye to what your limitations are, but its really about how you approach them, Siddiqi said. And when you have a stronger connection with yourself, you can learn what you need to fill your cup, such as setting healthy boundaries. It really starts with those small things. Positive small talk, affirmation, doing things independently ... so you feel more confident taking action, Siddiqi said. Ignoring Deeper Problems It can feel hard to be honest and vulnerable in a society that encourages a glass-half-full mentality. But when you push down deep-seated issues, youre actually harming your happiness and this especially goes for trauma, Moore-Lobban said. We know that trauma is very prevalent in our society in lots of different ways, right? Whether its trauma that people have experienced in relationships or with family and their childhood, in their adulthood, racial trauma ... homophobia against folks, xenophobia: All the things of life that are hard and really overwhelm our ability to cope for a particular time stick with us, Moore-Lobban said. As difficult as it is, she said its important to unpack your trauma to achieve the joy you deserve in life.[We have to] look at what has happened underneath if were really going to find a place of healing from it, Moore-Lobban said. I think that being able to explore and understand the experiences that people have had in life, even when they are challenging and negative, I think thats a part of getting to happiness, she added. If you dont find a way to address and be honest about the challenges in your life, then youre being inauthentic to yourself, which isnt fair to yourself and is not going to help your happiness or your healing, Moore-Lobban said. Additionally, Siddiqi said she thinks it is hard for people to feel happy because of underlying mental health issues that biologically prevent them from feeling joy things like depression, mood disorders. In these cases, additional interventions may be necessary, such as lifestyle changes, medication management or support from a therapist. If you think you fall into this category, you can look to databases like Psychology Today to find a mental health provider to help you feel better. Isolation Isolation is a major source of unhappiness and even depression, according to Lewis. Were connected on social media, but I think its important for us to think about who are we connecting with in our day. Lewis said its becoming all too common to go days without connecting with loved ones or your community, and that can lead to feelings of loneliness and can make you feel isolated. Were all interconnected. Were all in this together, Lewis stressed. To keep yourself from feeling isolated, call your family members, invite a friend or neighbor over for a drink or make plans with a co-worker to get dinner after work. How Else To Capture More Joy In Your Everyday Life The first step is creating an intention. When we wake up, most people think about their extensive to-do list ... I like to think about how do I want to feel today you know that sets the day off in a different way, Lewis said. For example, if she says that she wants to feel at ease today, she will think about the things she can add to her day to evoke that feeling. Then I think about, too it could be a little dark but I do consider, what if this were my last day? How do I want to do this life? Lewis said. And I try to remember that and make choices from that place. So if Lewis doesnt want to be in a funk or doesnt want to hold a grudge, she makes sure her actions mirror this throughout the day. And I know there [are] deeper traumas that were all likely working through, but the one thing we can control is really just the moment we have in front of us, she said. Additionally, try not to make happiness your final outcome. For my young adult clients, one thing I always encourage them to remember is that you have to avoid thinking of happiness as a goal or your final outcome, Siddiqi said. One thing I see all the time: My clients will say I just want to be happy, and then Ill ask them What does happiness look like for you? and theyll say I want to get married, I want to get into this graduate program, I want to lose 10 pounds, and there are all these concrete goals a lot of them find that when they [reach their goals], there are still a lot of problems in life, there are still issues, they havent reached this happiness, Siddiqi said. Instead of looking at happiness as a destination, think of it as the choices along the way, she noted. Part of embracing and being open to happiness is accepting the ups and downs, Siddiqi said. She encourages folks to remember that even in your lowest moments you have to be open to finding things that are good, and even in your highest moments you have to be grounded enough to remember that everything is temporary and the ebbs and flows of life are normal. Its not one goal, its not one final outcome that I need to associate my happiness with, she said. Because, if you do that, youll forever be searching for a fleeting moment. Lewis added that even beyond happiness, you should strive for a life full of joy and fulfillment. Theres a lot of toxic positivity around I just want you to be happy, Lewis said. Lewis said happiness looks different for different people, which can put pressure on the term happiness. Its much easier to decipher if you feel joyful and if you feel fulfilled in your life. Related... The Supreme Courts ruling on June 24, 2022, ended the anti-abortion movements decadeslong fight to overturn Roe v. Wade but kicked off a 50-front battle for the future of abortion rights. In many ways, the past year has played out as predicted: Many Republican-controlled states across the South and Midwest banned almost all abortions, and many Democrat-controlled states passed laws to expand legal protections and practical access to abortions for their own residents and those traveling across state lines. But several developments defied predictions: Conservative lawmakers at the state and federal levels have struggled to agree on the parameters of abortion bans, while progressive groups have clashed over how far to go in expanding access. Doctors in states with bans have reported hesitancy around providing even legal care because of vague new policies and the fear of prosecution. Voters in Kansas, Kentucky and Montana rejected attempts to curtail access, and Democrats held the Senate in part because of their promise to protect abortion rights. With the legal and political landscape still roiling, here are 10 surprises from the past year. 1. SCOTUS wanted to wash their hands of the abortion issue. That's not happening. The justices who overturned Roe v. Wade declared at the time that decision-making power over abortion access belongs with the public via their elected officials and that its wrong for unelected judges to override the democratic process and set national abortion policy. But it took less than a year before the high court intervened in a high-profile lawsuit challenging the abortion drug mifepristone freezing a lower court order that could have banned its use nationwide. Several more cases working their way through the courts could land before the justices next term. One lawsuit pending at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals challenges the Biden administrations rules for the Title X family planning program particularly a requirement that providers counsel patients about all of their options, including abortion. A different case in Texas targets Title Xs practice of providing contraception to teens without their parents permission. Another case at the 5th Circuit argues Texas near-total abortion ban violates the religious rights of Satanists, for whom abortion is a religious ritual. The Justice Department has also sued multiple states with abortion bans for violating the federal law known as EMTALA that guarantees the right to treatment in a medical emergency. 2. The right isnt united on a path forward. The anti-abortion movement worked for nearly five decades to overturn Roe v. Wade. Now that theyve achieved that, theyre faced with competing visions about what the post-Roe future should look like. GOP lawmakers in Indiana, South Carolina and West Virginia spent portions of the past year accusing one another of either being too soft or too extreme on abortion. Some lawmakers favor banning abortion at conception. Others support prohibitions around six weeks. Some support abortions only when the pregnant persons life is in danger. Others believe in exemptions for rape, incest or a lethal fetal anomaly. In some cases, the bitter, public fights have delayed or stalled anti-abortion legislation at the state and federal levels. Soon after winning back the majority earlier this year, House Republicans passed two measures to condemn attacks on crisis pregnancy centers and penalize doctors who refuse to care for infants who are born after an abortion attempt. But they havent made good on their pledge to hold a vote on a national abortion ban, despite pressure from anti-abortion groups to do so. 3. The left isnt united, either. While state-level Democrats broadly support restoring access to abortion until viability as was allowed under Roe some progressive groups want to go further. In Missouri, the local Planned Parenthood affiliate believes there should be no government limits on abortion and backed out of the campaign to put a constitutional right to abortion on the ballot because most of the versions submitted to the state would prohibit the procedure once the fetus is viable, around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Other abortion-rights groups, however, argue that the viability standard is broadly supported by the general public and has the best chance of passing at the ballot box. The left is also divided on parental notification laws. Some abortion-rights advocates pushing to repeal parental notification laws in blue states say they create unnecessary barriers and paperwork problems for minors who want to obtain abortions, and that in some cases, a minor may face emotional or physical harm if their parent is told about the abortion. But theyve faced resistance from Democratic state lawmakers who are squeamish at the thought that a child would receive an abortion without a parent knowing. 4. Abortion rights are winning at the ballot box. Both sides are behaving accordingly. Abortion-rights proponents prevailed on all six abortion-related ballot measures last year including in red states like Kentucky and Montana. Energized by those wins, abortion-rights groups in Florida, Missouri, Ohio and South Dakota, are angling to get measures on the ballot either this year or in 2024 that would codify the right to abortion in those states constitutions. Meanwhile, anti-abortion groups are mobilizing to prevent those measures from reaching voters, in what they say is an effort to keep deep-pocketed, out-of-state groups from spending millions to sway policy. GOP lawmakers in several states introduced bills this year to make it harder to get abortion-rights measures and other progressive proposals on the ballot. Anti-abortion groups have also appealed to the executive and judicial branches in Missouri and Ohio, respectively, to stymie the proposed measures. 5. Republicans are struggling to define their abortion views heading into 2024. GOP leaders celebration of the fall of Roe quickly gave way to a debate over what a future Republican president could or should do to further restrict abortion access. Influential anti-abortion advocacy groups are pushing all Republicans running for president in 2024 to commit to signing a national ban with some disagreement over whether it should bar the procedure after 15 weeks, six weeks or at conception. But few GOP candidates have laid down a clear marker, torn between a primary base that supports sweeping action to limit abortion and a general electorate that largely believes abortion should be legal. Many have deflected and dodged. Some have attacked one another for either going too far or not far enough in their plans to ban abortion, and some, including former President Donald Trump, have blamed anti-abortion groups for GOP losses in the 2022 midterms. 6. State constitutions in some surprising places may protect abortion rights the state Supreme Court just has to say so. The South Carolina Supreme Court in January ruled that a state ban on abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy was unconstitutional under the right to privacy in the state constitution. Later the same day, the Idaho Supreme Court found the opposite: that the state has a legitimate interest in protecting prenatal fetal life in all stages of development, and in protecting the health and safety of the mother. Since Roe was overturned, 40 cases challenging abortion bans have been filed in 22 states, and 29 are pending at the trial or appellate court level, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. Because of the key role state supreme courts will play on abortion moving forward, abortion-rights and anti-abortion groups have poured substantial sums into state supreme court races, including last fall in Ohio and North Carolina, where conservatives were victorious, and this spring in Wisconsin, where the liberal candidate won. 7. Most doctors will not break the law. Progressive activists calls for mass civil disobedience in the wake of Dobbs have not been answered by the medical community. Threatened with jail time and the loss of their medical licenses, physicians in states with abortion restrictions have largely erred on the side of caution with many refusing to provide abortions even in circumstances when they are ostensibly allowed. Reports of patients being turned away when experiencing a miscarriage or other obstetric emergency, or being forced to carry nonviable pregnancies to term, have proliferated. Some physicians have shied away from providing emergency contraception, which no state prohibits. Many doctors also report being fearful of providing information to their patients even if its already publicly available on where to obtain abortion pills or where to travel for the procedure. No physician has been criminally charged for providing an abortion in the past year, but an Indiana OB-GYN was reprimanded and fined by the state medical board for speaking publicly about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio. 8. Abortion is difficult to separate from other health care. Since the Dobbs ruling, pharmacists across the country have denied and delayed prescriptions for everything from rheumatoid arthritis to lupus to acne out of fear the drugs could be used to terminate a pregnancy. Medical residents are increasingly avoiding states with abortion bans and practicing physicians are relocating, exacerbating existing shortages and leaving patients with few places to turn to for care. Lawsuits targeting abortion pills have the pharmaceutical industry on edge, and medical experts fear theyll be deterred from submitting new treatments to the FDA. A national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation released this week found that about 40 percent of OB-GYNs have run into barriers to providing treatment for miscarriages and pregnancy-related emergencies over the past year because of state bans. A larger share, 64 percent, say they believe the Dobbs decision has exacerbated pregnancyrelated mortality though post-Dobbs data is not yet available to substantiate their claim. Some conservatives have acknowledged that the abortion bans they supported have made other health needs more pressing and arepushing for policies they once fiercely opposed from expanding Medicaid postpartum coverage to broadening access to contraception. 9. Religion cuts both ways. State and federal officials have frequently invoked religion when enacting restrictions on abortion over the past year even, in some cases, putting religious language into the text of the laws. But religious freedom arguments could help topple those bans. Clergy members and practitioners of everything from Judaism to Satanism have filed nearly a dozen different challenges to state abortion laws in state and federal court. Most of the suits seek religious exemptions to state abortion bans, arguing that the laws infringe on their right to free exercise, while a few ask courts to block the bans altogether because they violate the separation of church and state by imposing one religions view of when life begins on the entire population. Legal experts say the strategy has a decent chance of persuading courts to loosen or block state bans, and challengers have already secured temporary wins in Indiana and Wyoming. But the plaintiffs say that if they dont prevail in court, they hope to show the public that there is more diversity of thought about abortion within religious groups than many assume. That argument is reflected in post-Dobbs polling, which found that majorities of most religions believe that abortion should be legal in most or all cases. 10. Fears of states reaching across their borders to prosecute abortion providers have not come to pass. Several blue states have, over the past year, enacted laws and executive orders to protect doctors who provide abortions to out-of-state residents, shielding medical records and blocking state officials from cooperating with any subpoenas. But no red states to date have tried to prosecute out-of-state doctors who have provided abortions to their residents, though some Republicans have expressed a desire to do so. 15-year-old suspected of being lone shooter in incident following Juneteenth celebration Milwaukee police have arrested a third teen in connection to the mass shooting that injured six people shortly after Mondays Juneteenth festival. A 15-year-old, whose arrest was announced Thursday afternoon, is suspected of being the sole shooter in the incident, police said. It comes days after police announced the arrests of two other teens who were also injured in the shooting males ages 17 and 19. Police previously said one of those two were suspected of firing a weapon during the incident, but clarified Thursday that is no longer the case. However, weapons charges against the 17- and 19-year-olds are still being referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorneys Office, police said. The shooting was reported at 4:21 p.m. Monday outside the Greater Philadelphia Church of God in Christ, 2947 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, about 20 minutes after the citys Juneteenth festival wrapped up. Those injured were between the ages of 14 and 19 and all are expected to survive, police said. The incident may have stemmed from an argument between multiple girls, according to accounts from police, witnesses and bystander video. The incident is the citys fourth mass shooting of the year defined as an incident in which four or more people, not including the shooter, were injured or killed. It comes as mass shootings have increased locally and nationally since 2020. Arguments and gun-carrying are also frequently cited as major factors behind Milwaukees three-plus years of historic gun violence, which also coincides with national increases in gun violence. Every year, about a third of the citys shootings and homicides are attributed to arguments the biggest identified factor, according to the Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission. The primary factor behind another third of such incidents is unknown. In the days since the incidents, many Milwaukeeans have wished to draw a distinction between the success of the Juneteenth celebration and the shooting that followed shortly after. Ald. Milele Coggs on Tuesday said she wouldnt be surprised if the event drew close to 100,000 people. Other officials praised the diversity of the crowd and programming for attendees. Milwaukees Juneteenth festival has been an annual staple in the city since 1971, making it one of the oldest in the country. The holiday, which celebrates the end of slavery, became a federal holiday in 2021. Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Police arrest third teen in mass shooting that followed Juneteenth In the days before the Titan vessel went into the ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, the 19-year-old university student accompanying his father on the expedition expressed hesitation about going, his aunt said in an interview Thursday. Azmeh Dawood the older sister of Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood told NBC News that her nephew, Suleman, informed a relative that he "wasn't very up for it" and felt "terrified" about the trip to explore the wreckage of the Titanic. But the 19-year-old ended up going aboard OceanGate's 22-foot submersible because the trip fell over Father's Day weekend and he was eager to please his dad, who was passionate about the lore of the Titanic, according to Azmeh. "I am thinking of Suleman, who is 19, in there, just perhaps gasping for breath ... It's been crippling, to be honest," Azmeh said in a phone interview from the home in Amsterdam she shares with her husband, Jonathan. Titanic capsule missing crew members (Courtesy Dawood family) She was devastated on Thursday when OceanGate, the company behind the Titan expedition, confirmed that all five passengers aboard were presumed dead. The U.S. Coast Guard said that debris in the search area was consistent with a "catastrophic implosion." "I feel disbelief," Azmeh said, speaking through sobs. "It's an unreal situation." The last four days were agonizing for Azmeh. She was glued to television news coverage of the hunt for the Titan, desperate for updates about her brother and nephew and fearing the worst. "I feel like I've been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didn't know what you're counting down to," she said. "I personally have found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them." "I never thought I would have an issue with drawing breath," she added. "It's been unlike any experience I've ever had." Azmeh and Shahzada are scions of one of the most prominent corporate dynasties in Pakistan. The familys namesake business empire, Dawood Hercules Corp., has investments in agriculture, the health sector and other industries. Shahzada was the vice chairman of the Karachi-based Engro Corporation and an adviser to Princes Trust International, a charitable organization founded by King Charles III. 'He was my baby brother' In recent years, Azmeh had fallen out of touch with Shahzada. She was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in 2014 and "reduced to being in a wheelchair." She and her husband decided to move from England to Amsterdam so she would have easier access to medicinal cannabis. But some of her family members, including Shahzada, disapproved of her use of cannabis and they started speaking less frequently. She said that she continued to feel close to Suleman, a young man she described as thoroughly good-hearted. But with the news Thursday that both men were believed to be dead, Azmeh was reminded of the intense love she felt for her sibling. "He was my baby brother," she said, weeping and seemingly overwhelmed with emotion. "I held him up when he was born." Shahzada Dawood. (Kohi Marri / Dawood family) In a statement, Azmeh and Shahzada's parents asked people to "keep the departed souls and our family in your prayers" and thanked the search teams for their "untiring efforts." "The immense love and support we receive continues to help us endure this unimaginable loss," Hussain and Kulsum Dawood said. Azmeh recalled that Shahzada was "absolutely obsessed" with the Titanic from a young age. When they were kids in Pakistan, the Dawood siblings would constantly watch the 1958 film "A Night to Remember," a British drama about the sinking of the cruise liner. She recounted that when Shahzada met her husband, he asked if they could sit down and watch a four-hour documentary about the Titanic. Shahzada also loved going to see museum exhibitions featuring artifacts recovered from the wreckage. She was not surprised when she learned that her brother had purchased tickets for the OceanGate mission. It was not something she would ever do, she explained: "If you gave me a million dollars," she said, "I would not have gotten into the Titan." Azmeh spent part of Thursday afternoon looking at old family photos, trying to make sense of the tragedy that befell her brother and nephew and grappling with the emotional ripple effect around the world. "I feel very bad that the whole world has had to go through so much trauma, so much suspense," she said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Footage of the robbery made the rounds on TikTok and Reddit this week. (ASSOCIATED PRESS) Police have arrested two people in connection with the robbery of a South Los Angeles McDonald's after a video of the incident went viral on social media. The incident occurred at around 7:45 p.m. Monday in the 4300 block of Crenshaw Boulevard, authorities said. Footage of the robbery, which made the rounds on TikTok and Reddit earlier this week, shows a group of approximately five people vandalizing the inside of a restaurant, throwing chairs, food and other items at workers, some of whom can be seen running behind the counter for safety. People can also be seen taking and smashing cash registers as workers move into the kitchen. Officers in the area saw a large group of people exit the restaurant and detained one person. He was booked on suspicion of receiving stolen property, but could not be specifically connected to the robbery at the time, Los Angeles Police Department officials said in a release. Read more: Californian who shocked officer with stun gun on Jan. 6 sentenced to 12 years in prison "Due to the violent nature of the large group, the arrestee was removed from the location along with law enforcement," officials said in a statement. Detectives reviewed video of the incident posted to social media, as well as security camera footage. The footage allegedly showed the man who had been detained at the scene had jumped over the counter and taken a cash register. The man, whom authorities identified as Kenneth Fowler, 19, of Lomita was arrested Monday on suspicion of robbery and booked into Los Angeles County jail. A male juvenile was also identified as a suspect and arrested on suspicion of robbery. He was booked and released to a guardian or parent, police officials said. Authorities did not release his name, as he is underage. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. All residents were evacuated At least two people were killed, three hospitalized, and 18 rescued after a powerful blast struck a high-rise apartment building on the left bank of Kyiv overnight on June 22, just after the air raid alert was canceled across the city. "The explosion occurred at 3:45 in a 16-story building on Malyshka Street," said Serhiy Popko, head of the Kyiv military administration. "Preliminarily, a gas leak caused the explosion, resulting in destruction on the 7th and 8th floors and a fire covering an area of 250 square meters. Four apartments were destroyed. All rescue services are working at the scene." The fire in the residential building was extinguished at 8:10 a.m. All residents were evacuated, as experts need to assess the damage to the building. Meanwhile, residents claim that some repair work had been carried out there in recent days. Read also: Russian missile debris falls in Kyiv Oblast, causing casualties and damaging homes Oleksandr, a resident of one of the apartments, suspects that this could have caused the explosion. "Repair work was carried out there for two days," he said. "There was drilling for two days, and there was also an announcement in the elevator about the repair work." Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Two Kansas City police officers driving through downtown to an emergency call crashed their patrol vehicle into a sedan and an SUV and were taken to the hospital with injuries Wednesday. Both officers suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, according to a written statement from the Kansas City Police Department. Two other drivers involved were not injured, according to police. Police said the crash happened around 5:27 p.m. near Truman Road and Oak Street. Investigators determined the two-person patrol vehicle had its lights and sirens on when the officer drove through a red light, headed north on Oak toward the reported emergency. After entering the intersection, police said, the patrol vehicle struck a sedan that was headed westbound. Both vehicles continued north and struck an SUV that was also westbound on Truman. Police said the officers were in stable condition at the hospital Wednesday night. An investigation of the crash was ongoing. A pregnant mother and her unborn child were fatally shot inside their Ohio home after her 2-year-old son mistakenly got a hold of his fathers handgun, police said Tuesday. Laura Ilg, 31, was 33 weeks pregnant when she called police Friday afternoon to report that her son got a hold of a gun and shot her in the back, Norwalk police said in a press release published by local newspaper the Norwalk Reflector. Responding officers kicked down the front door to find Ilg still conscious with her toddler in the main upstairs bedroom, next to a handgun. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Norwalk Police Chief David Smith told reporters that Ilg told officers that her toddler got into the primary bedroom while she was doing laundry and began playing with the gun, local news outlet WOIO reported. Smith said the gun belonged to the toddlers father, who was at work at the time of the incident. Laura Ilg, 31, was 33 weeks pregnant when she called the police Friday to report that her son got a hold of a gun and shot her in the back. Laura Ilg, 31, was 33 weeks pregnant when she called the police Friday to report that her son got a hold of a gun and shot her in the back. Police said Ilg was immediately taken to a hospital, where doctors performed an emergency C-section. Her unborn son did not survive, and the mother died from her gunshot wounds hours later. At the scene, officers seized a Sig Sauer P365 Nitro Micro-Compact semi-automatic pistol, along with a spent shell casing, police said. According to the news release, the Ilgs told police they kept the handgun inside a nightstand in the primary bedroom. The home featured numerous child safety features, including a baby gate at every doorway, according to police. While executing a search warrant of the home, police found an additional 12-round magazine from inside the nightstand in the primary bedroom, a loaded 12-gauge shotgun in the closet and a Carbine AirSoft rifle from a computer room, according to the news release. The case has been forwarded to the Huron County Prosecutors Office, which will consider whether criminal charges should be filed. Smith said the toddler remains in the care of his father. According to Ilgs obituary, she and her husband, Alek Ilg, met while he was in the Marines and have been married since 2018. She was described as a dedicated wife and mother who loved Harry Potter, board games, and crafting. Alek Ilg paid tribute to his wife and unborn son in a post on Facebook. There are no words for the pain and loss I feel. She was, is, and will always be, the love of my life, he wrote. According to the news release, police are investigating the guns functionality and how the 2-year-old boy could pull the trigger. Sig Sauer, the manufacturer who designed the handgun, is facing numerous lawsuits from law enforcement and individuals claiming their handguns were faulty, resulting in misfirings that cause injuries or death, HuffPost reported. Subscribe to our true crime newsletter, Suspicious Circumstances, to get the biggest unsolved mysteries, white-collar scandals, and captivating cases delivered straight to your inbox every week. Sign up here. Related... 2 new stores open at Folsoms Palladio, as another relocates within the shopping center Two new businesses filled vacancies at Folsoms Palladio Shopping Center this month, and another relocated within the outdoor mall. Skin Laundry, a skin care clinic, and LoveSac, a furniture company, both opened their doors June 9, according to Gloria Wright, Palladios general manager. Patrick James, a mens clothing store that originally opened in Folsom in 2021, moved into a shop next to the centers Starbucks, across the street from SeaQuest Folsom. Skin Laundry, a skin care clinic, opened at 280 Palladio Parkway, Suite 909. The business has roughly 40 locations across the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the Middle East and north Africa. Get Folsom news delivered to your inbox Sign up here to receive our free weekly Bee Connected newsletter, where we catch up on news in Folsom dining, shopping, real estate, schools, events and more. The company provides skin care through a variety of dermatologist-developed creams, serums and lasers, according to its website. Hit the love sack LoveSac opened at 280 Palladio Parkway, Suite 905, while celebrating 25 years of operation, Wright said. The company is known for its beanbags and sactionals furniture that can be customized with StealthTech Sound systems and charging capabilities. Shawn Nelson, LoveSacs founder, made his first beanbag in 1995 and took it to the drive-in movie theaters with his girlfriend. He said it was so comfortable his neighbors begged him to make one for his kids. He did, and in 1998, Nelson registered the name for $25 in Utah; LoveSac was born. There are 3 theories for the banging sounds heard in the search for the Titanic sub. None has experts truly convinced. The Titan submersible on a floating platform with crew members, enroute to a dive location. OceanGate The noises have raised the hope that the five passengers on the Titan sub are still alive. But experts disagree on whether the noises could have come from the sub. The noises could be coming from the crew, the Titanic shipwreck, or marine wildlife. Underwater noises detected in the search-and-rescue mission for the Titan submersible have offered hope in finding the five crew members trapped inside. The US Coast Guard confirmed Wednesday it picked up suspicious underwater sounds using sonobuoys. Some reports say the banging sounds were heard at 30-minute intervals. As rescuers race to find the source of the noise, experts remain divided over whether the sounds are from the sub or something else entirely. Here are the leading theories about what could be causing them. 1. Crew members trapped in the Titan are banging on its hull The search for the Titan submersible that has been missing since Sunday has now picked up pace, with experts predicting the crew may have run out of their available oxygen reserves. If a report by Rolling Stones is correct, the noises were heard in a pattern, with banging detected every 30 minutes. This could point to a human source. "There's not a lot in the natural world we can think of that would do that every 30-minute cycle," deep-sea explorer David Gallo told ITV's Good Morning Britain. "We have to, at this point, assume that's the submarine." Stefan B. Williams, a professor of marine robotics at the University of Sydney told Insider banging on the hull has been used by marooned submariners before. "There have been reports when there have been issues with submarines where the sailors will bang on the hull and that acoustic noise will travel," he said. Frank Owen, a submarine search-and-rescue expert, told the BBC his "confidence went up by an order of magnitude" when he heard the reports. Crewmembers onboard might be familiar with protocols to attract attention from the surface, including seasoned underwater diver PH Nargeolet, he noted. 2. The noises are coming from the Titanic shipwreck A shot of the Titanic wreck in 1996. A shot of the Titanic wreck in 1996.Xavier Desmier/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Not everyone agrees the noises could be made by the crew. The hull of the submersible is said to be made of carbon fiber, which would more likely make an undetectable "dull thud" than a tapping noise, Former Rear Admiral Chris Parry, a retired officer in Britain's Royal Navy, told Talk TV. The sonobuoys' operators would be trained to differentiate noises typically heard in the ocean from noises made by trapped survivors. But the Titanic shipwreck itself may be sending out its own noises, some experts claim. "You get a lot of mechanical noise in the ocean," Parry told TalkTV. "Trying to differentiate it from tapping noises, as it were, I'm afraid is a fool's errand." Matthew Schanck, search and rescue expert and founder of MarSAR International told Insider Wednesday: "We've gotta be cautious not to get too excited that this sound is coming from the craft," "There's a massive metal wreck down there the Titanic the banging could be something as simple as a piece of that moving in the current or something to do with the wreck itself," said Schanck. Even if the wreck isn't making the noises itself, it may be changing the sounds that would naturally be picked up underwater, Jeff Karson, Professor Emeritus of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Syracuse University told MailOnline. "One possibility is that the sounds bouncing around the debris. And so it's a more complicated echo," he said. 3. Marine life could contribute to the background noise One possibility is that marine wildlife "like whales" could be contributing to the noises, said Williams. However, it's likely the operators would be trained to distinguish these from noises made by the crew, Carl Hartsfield, a laboratory director at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, told The New York Times. "From my experience with acoustics, there are sounds by biologics that sound man-made to the untrained ear," he told The New York Times. "But I can assure you that the people listening to these tapes are trained." The sounds are the search team's best hope of finding the sub Even if experts disagree on whether the noise could be coming from the submersible, it's somewhat of a moot point, Schanck said. "We have no way at this stage of proving that that noise is coming from the craft, but in search or rescue, you have to use whatever you get given to your advantage," he said. "For instance, on a surface search, if you are looking for a person in the water and you find a shoe floating, you use that as a sign," he said. "That's information we can use to try and narrow our search area down," he said. The First Coast Guard District has deployed remotely operated vehicle equipment to a site where it thought the noises could have been coming from, Capt. Jamie Frederick, the response coordinator, said per CNN. But searches in the area have "yielded negative results," and an analysis of the data picked up by the sonobuoys has so far been "inconclusive," Frederick said per CNN. "We don't know what they are," he said. Still, the US Coast Guard told Insider Thursday the search will continue even beyond the time experts have estimated the oxygen would run out. "We have to remain optimistic and hopeful," Capt. Jamie Frederick, the response coordinator for the First Coast Guard District said during a news conference Wednesday, per CNN. Read the original article on Insider Here are the 5 lowest income SC counties, new study shows. Do you live in one? While many counties in South Carolina have prospered in recent years, some have done so more than others. Financial tech company SmartAsset recently published a study that ranks all 46 counties in the state by using data from property values, investment income and per capita income. Of the five lowest income counties, two are in the Lowcountry. The other three are in the Pee Dee region. Below is a list of the bottom five counties in the state. #1 Allendale County Median income: $31,800 Investment income: $26,540 Median home value: $56,615 Allendale County was formed in 1919 and is South Carolinas youngest county. The county has long struggled economically. The total population as of July 2022 was 7,579, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The county is home to various historic sites, such as the Burtons Ferry turnstile bridge and the Allendale County Courthouse, built in 1922. #2 Marlboro County Median income: $32,136 Investment income: $17,942 Median home value: $64,604 Established in 1785, Marlboro County was named for John Churchill, first duke of Marlborough. The total population as of July 2022 was 26,039, according to the U.S. Census. Marlboro County is home to the Pee Dee Indian tribe, which is where the Pee Dee Region gets its name. #3 Marion County Median income: $34,465 Investment income: $17,127 Median home value: #68,247 Marion County was organized by European Americans in 1785 soon after the Revolutionary War, but was first called Liberty County. It was renamed to Marion County four years later in honor of Brigadier General Francis Macon. The countys total population as of July 2022 was 14,494, according to the U.S. Census. Major industries there include the MUSC Health Marion Medical Center, A Coca-Cola distribution center, a machine manufacturer called Multi-Tech and SOPAKCO, a food processing and packaging plant. #4 Williamsburg County Median income: $40,124 Investment income: $23,116 Median home value: $104,858 Founded in 1886, Williamsburg County is today known in part by its beautiful live oak trees. The countys total population as of July 2022 was 30,058, according to the U.S. Census. Manufacturing industries in the county include plastic fabricator Agru America, laser welding facility Micro Fusion Technology and Tupperware US, Inc. #5 Hampton County Median income: $38,298 Investment income: $37,313 Median home value: $112,182 Hampton County was founded in 1878. The countys total population as of July 2022 was 18,113, according to the U.S. Census. One of the countys claims to fame is its annual watermelon festival. Now in its 81st year, its considered by many to be the oldest festival in the state, having been held consecutively every year since it began. Here are the five richest counties in South Carolina, according to the study. #1 Charleston County Median income: $70,807 Investment income: $63,931 Median home value: $523,418 #2 Beaufort County Median income: $74,199 Investment income: $60,657 Median home value: $505,269 #3 York County Median income: $72,234 Investment income: $34,527 Median home value: $355,603 #4 Dorchester County Median income: $68,046 Investment income: $18,060 Median home value: $335,915 #5 Lancaster County Lance Cpl. Colton Allen received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal from Colonel Ryan Hoyle, commanding officer, Task Force 61/2, May 15, 2023. (Photo by Cpl. Christopher Doughty) The Marine Corps has a saying, Every Marine a Rifleman." It denotes that each Marine, regardless of MOS, is at their core a fighter. The mission of the Marine Corps Rifle Squad is, To locate, close with, and destroy the enemy by fire and maneuver, and to repel the enemys assault by fire and close combat. These tenants have a tremendous influence on the culture and conduct of Marines. It affects how they carry themselves, how they view the world, and how they respond to events. Sometimes hero Marines locate, close with, and eliminate the conflict, emergency, or crisis when off duty. Here are 5 times Marines came to the rescue while on liberty 1. Estonia Three lance corporals deployed with a Marine Expeditionary Unit went ashore in Estonia to get a burger when they came upon an unresponsive young man whose lips were turning blue. While other on-lookers just stood around and recorded the event, these hard chargers sprang into action. Two of them began clearing the young mans airway while the third Marine called emergency services. My favorite part of the story is when they called their Corpsman for advice. Another example of a phenomenal Navy-Marine Corps team on a personal level. Once first responders took over on-site, the Marines proceeded to casually order their burgers and fries, carrying out the plan of the day. The Marines were recognized for their actions with Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and accolades from an Estonian Navy Commander; in addition to an offer of a free meal next time they patronize the Estonian burger joint, Hesburger. Logo of Hesburger, the largest hamburger restaurant chain in Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with a market share larger than that of U.S.-based rival McDonald's. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images) 2. Virginia In Virginia, three young Marines responded quickly to end an altercation that could have resulted in bloodshed. The Marines reported stopping by Chick-fil-A before getting haircuts while on liberty. These Leathernecks recently completed training, graduating as Marine Security Guards. MSG Marines are screened and trained to provide protection of personnel, classified material, and U.S. property in support of the U.S. State Department while stationed at U.S. Embassies abroad. These Marines were awaiting some final administrative matters prior to reporting to their first post. A scuffle between three teenagers broke out, and a female bystander was knocked over. One Marine came to the aid of the woman when one of the assailants brandished a knife. The lance corporals training kicked in and he grabbed the assailants wrist, wrenching it and snapping the knife in two. He directed his fellow Marine to secure the weapon while the other prevented anyone else from joining the melee. Law enforcement personnel arrived on-scene crediting the Marines with preventing a serious injury. 3. California A pair of Marine recruiters thwarted a criminal act in California. The Staff Sergeant and Sergeant were interviewing an applicant in their office at the mall when they heard glass shattering. They instinctively knew a burglary was underway at the jewelry store next door. Just as their forebears ran to the sound of the guns, these Devil Dogs ran towards the sound of trouble. The potential recruit followed them to the fight. Four men (one with a hammer) were smashing the jewelry cases. The staff sergeant and future Marine tackled and restrained two men; the sergeant tackled a third who eventually broke free, while the fourth man ran away. The cops came and detained the remaining two suspects, and the Marines returned to their office, presumably to seal the deal with the aforementioned interviewee. The most impressive aspect of this brouhaha is that the Marines did this while wearing shirt stays and corfam shoes. Respect. U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Josue Fragoso, the station commander of Recruiting Sub Station South Bay, Recruiting Station Orange County, 12th Marine Corps District, poses for a photo with a certificate of recognition from Torrance Mayor, George Chen, in Torrance, California on Dec. 22, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Immanuel Johnson). 4. Hawaii A Marine sergeant enjoying the nightlife in Waikiki heard gunshots when he went to make a head call. The infantryman ran outside the bar towards the conflict while directing bystanders to take cover. When he reached the victim one of the two attackers was still firing. The sergeant immediately began providing lifesaving aid while directing others to assist him. His actions included treating a sucking chest wound and applying two tourniquets (with his shirt and a fork!). He matter-of-fact stated, At the beginning, when I saw everyone get down and I heard the shots, I didnt think, I should get up and help. I just started running that way. It just felt like training. This is definitely the kind of guy you want by your side whether on duty or on liberty. 5. North Carolina A Marine sergeant was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal (the highest non-combat medal for heroism) for saving a child from drowning off the North Carolina coast. He was enjoying a day off at the beach when he heard screaming. A boy about 300 feet offshore was struggling and the Marine immediately responded. He had to fight a strong rip current to bring him safely to shore, at risk to his own life. A Navy Corpsman also happened to be on the beach that day. The Marine and Sailor, though strangers, seamlessly worked together to rescue and provide medical assistance to the youngster. Once ashore, the sergeant, recognizing bystanders as fellow Marines, directed them to call 911. Speaking of the incident the Marine responded, If not me, then who? U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Frank Donovan, the Commanding General of 2d Marine Division, addresses the audience after awarding Sgt. Danny McDonald, scout sniper with 2d Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2d Marine Division, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal at Camp Lejeune, N.C., March 17, 2021. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Elijah Abernathy) I will begrudgingly admit the funniest military meme Ive seen says something to the effect of Oh, in the Marines they train you to run to the sound of gunfire? Thats cute; in the Army they train us to shoot back! However, in all seriousness, the Marine Corps attracts a certain type of person who is drawn to danger and willing to place themselves in harms way in defense of another. The 5 episodes listed above are a testament that not only do you want a Marine covering your six in combat, theyre also pretty good to have around while on libo as well. Not bad for a bunch of crayon eaters, Semper Fi. War in Ukraine (Clea PECULIER) Foreign donors have pledged 60 billion euros ($66 billion) of new financial support for Ukraine, the UK said Thursday, as an international conference aimed at funding the war-ravaged country's reconstruction closed. "We had not envisaged this to be a pledging conference. Nevertheless, today at this conference, we can announce a combined 60 billion euros in support to Ukraine," said James Cleverly, foreign minister of the UK, which hosted the meeting. The commitments from governments and international organisations target supporting Ukraine in the short- and medium-term, Cleverly said at the closing session of the London conference. "This provides us with the medium-term predictable support that will unlock the macro-economic stability that Ukraine needs," he said, adding that efforts were now focused on unlocking "the enormous potential of the private sector". "Ukraine will rebuild, but they cannot do it alone, so together as governments as international organisations, as businesses, as representatives of civil society, we have shown Ukraine and the Ukrainian people that we stand with them," he added. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal told delegates that "we are starting to rebuild Ukraine this year, we are not waiting for the end of the war" as he thanked them for their financial backing. "We are much closer to fully mobilising the $14.1 billion we need," he added, referring to a World Bank estimate of what is urgently required. - 'Much closer' - In the medium-term, more than $400 billion will be needed to rejuvenate the Ukrainian economy, according to estimates. Shmygal also welcomed the commitment of "almost all" of those present in supporting the idea that Russia "must pay for its crimes and the destruction it has caused in Ukraine". "We need to finalise a compensation mechanism that will allow frozen Russian assets to be used to rebuild Ukraine," he urged, with international efforts currently mired in legal discussions. One of the conference's main goals was to involve the private sector by putting in place mechanisms to guarantee investments in Ukraine, where the army is currently in the midst of a counter-offensive against Russian forces. Nearly 500 companies from 42 countries including big names like Google, Siemens, Vodafone, Hitachi, Virgin Group and Rolls-Royce have pledged to play their part, Cleverly said. The bulk of the 60 billion euros comes from a 50-billion-euro aid package that the European Union plans to roll out until 2027, and which was announced on the eve of the conference. The United States also announced $1.3 billion in aid, targeting the energy and infrastructure sectors in particular. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the conference remotely on Wednesday, telling Western leaders that "the eyes of the world are looking at us and whether we will defeat Russian aggression". "Also, the world is watching to see if we will restore normal life in such a way that our transformation will land an ideological defeat on the aggressor," he added. In recent days, Ukrainian forces have claimed limited gains in a highly touted counter-offensive to win back territory that Russia captured after launching its full-scale offensive in February last year. Overnight, they struck a bridge that connects southern Ukraine to the annexed Crimean peninsula, according to a Russian official. "During the night a strike hit the Chongar bridge. There are no victims," Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-installed governor of Crimea, said on Telegram. Germany will host the Ukraine Recovery Conference in 2024. jwp/phz/gw 60 years after being denied ceremony because of his race, Black man gets Eagle Scout medal Sam Jones excelled in the Boy Scouts as a child, earning roughly 25 merit badges in various areas, including canoeing, first aid and citizenship. Its been 60 years since a Black teenager was denied an award because of his race, but this week, the teen whos now a military retiree in Washington state has finally received the recognition and honor he so rightfully earned. Sam Jones, 75, was 11 years old when he first saw images of a forest in a movie, an experience that forever changed his life. An urban boy raised by a single mother and growing up in the Rochester, New York, projects, he remembered hearing a voice tell him as he watched the film that if God exists, he lives in the woods. So, I started looking for God in the woods, recalled Jones, according to The Tacoma News Tribune. I wanted to go to those woods, but I didnt have a way. I didnt know how to do it. But I knew Boy Scouts. At the age of 75, Sam Jones (right) was one of seven Boy Scouts who received their Eagle Scout medals in the state of Washington on Monday. (Photo: Screenshot/YouTube.com/CBS Chicago) Jones quickly became a member of a Boy Scout troop in his housing building, where most of his troopmates were also Black. Jones excelled in the Boy Scouts, earning roughly 25 merit badges in various areas, such as canoeing, first aid and citizenship. After a few years, at age 15, he became the first member of his troop to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. However, after a few months of silence, Jones went to the Baden Street Settlement, which sponsored the troop and organized its traditional Court of Honor awards ceremonies, to find out why he had not received his proper recognition. Nobody responded when Jones first inquired about his medal at the office, he said. Then after asking a particular seated staffer, the man reached into his desk drawer, located the award, and threw it across the table to the teen. When Jones asked about the ceremony, the staffer told him a Scout raised by a single mother didnt represent the ideal Black child the nonprofit sought to promote. As a result, Jones lost interest in scouting. He didnt tell his mother what happened, but let his white scoutmaster know. No words came from him, said Jones, then 17, The News Tribune reported. But I dont fault him. He was between a rock and a hard place. I have been blessed by a number of white Americans that have absolutely been in my corner. But I also know they are in difficult places themselves for doing so. Charles Perham, Jones biology instructor in high school, eventually took the teen under his wing and continued to encourage his love of the outdoors by taking Jones and other young men on summertime camping excursions to Canada, where they would participate in fire crews and receive search and rescue training. Perham eventually suggested Jones enroll at the University of Michigan, where Jones enlisted in the Navy ROTC while a student. He entered the Navy as a career after graduating, and he retired in 1991. Jones had spent his entire life applying his Boy Scout abilities but still harbored animosity toward the organization. Darel Roa, a fellow Mountain View Lutheran Church member, was unaware of what happened to his friend all those decades ago and had been encouraging him to participate in the church-sponsored Boy Scout troop. Jones repeatedly declined, but a persistent Roa eventually persuaded him to attend a March benefit dinner for the BSAs Pacific Harbors Council. A preacher requested those who had previously earned the Eagle Scout rank to stand at the end of the meal. I stood, Jones shared. But when I stood up, it was like a dam burst. The emotion began to pour out. And its still coming. A day later, he revealed what happened to Roa, who set out to make amends for his comrade. Roa said that the Baden Street Settlements Rochester staff members, generations removed from those of the 1960s, were shocked to learn of Jones tale. The New York Scouts discovered records that attested to Jones Eagle Scout status. He was one of seven Boy Scouts who received their Eagle Scout medals in an official ceremony, along with other memorabilia, on Monday, which was Juneteenth. It validates a life that I have earned, Jones said of the event. What a boy needs early in life is to know that he is valued and he has value to offer. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post 60 years after being denied ceremony because of his race, Black man gets Eagle Scout medal appeared first on TheGrio. $62,000 in groceries for senior center vanished, Georgia cops say. Now man is charged A man is accused of stealing thousands of dollars in groceries from a Georgia senior center, state investigators say. The 42-year-old from Thomaston was arrested June 15 and charged with theft by taking, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Wednesday, June 21. The Upson County Sheriffs Office contacted investigators on Jan. 27 after reports of theft from the countys senior citizen center, authorities said in a news release. Investigators learned the man worked for Sysco, a contract company for the center, and took more than $62,000 in groceries, including food and drinks. Its not clear how long the theft went on or when the groceries were stolen. A Sysco spokesperson confirmed the man no longer works for the company. Sysco expects all our colleagues to conduct business with integrity to ensure we are trusted partners to our customers, the spokesperson said in a statement. We take seriously allegations that a Sysco employee committed theft and are fully cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation. Authorities didnt release additional details but said the investigation is ongoing. The Upson County District Attorneys Office will prosecute the case once the investigation is complete. The man was booked into the Upson County Jail and released after posting a $20,000 bond, online records show. Thomaston is about 60 miles south of downtown Atlanta. Firefighter steals credit cards from dead man then goes shopping, NY official says Gas station clerk has his friend set up a robbery so he can go home early, cops say Bank teller steals thousands from her grandpa by hacking managers account, TN cops say 76-year-old man set on fire during a property dispute in Red Bud, according to police A 76-year-old man suffered second- and third-degree burns after someone set him on fire during a property dispute in Red Bud on Wednesday night, according to Police Chief John Brittingham. The mans identity was not released. He was taken to Red Bud Regional Hospital then transferred to a St. Louis hospital, the chief said Thursday afternoon. The last thing I heard was hes in critical but stable condition, said Brittingham, who noted the two men knew each other. Shawn Porter, 48, of Red Bud, is accused of pouring an unknown combustible fluid on the man and setting him on fire at the mans home on Taylor Street, Brittingham said. The chief said he could not disclose details about the dispute. Thats part of the case, he said. Porter has been charged with aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, obstructing justice, resisting a peace officer and for an Illinois Department of Corrections warrant, the chief said. He is being in the Randolph County Jail and likely will be taken to another facility next week due to the outstanding warrant, Brittingham said. No bond had been set. Brittingham said that after allegedly setting the man on fire, Porter left the scene on foot and barricaded himself inside his home, which is on Mill Street, about half a block away. During a standoff with police, he threatened to burn down the house, but after a couple of hours, police were able to enter the home and arrest him, Brittingham said. The chief said Porters wife was inside the home during the incident. He said it is unclear whether she was being held hostage. No one else was injured, the chief said. Brittingham said Porter has a criminal history and was on parole. The Red Bud Police Department, Red Bud Fire Department, MedStar Ambulance and the Randolph County Sheriffs Department responded to the scene. Update: I-77 bridge above Celanese Road in Rock Hill now is back open to traffic The I-77 overpass bridge over Celanese Road has been cleared as safe to travel, and traffic in the area is back open after a Thursday morning incident with fallen concrete. A call came in around 8:30 a.m. after a piece of concrete fell from the overpass above Celanese. South Carolina Highway Patrol referred the incident to the Rock Hill Police Department, which temporarily shut down traffic. A piece of concrete fell about the size of a piece of paper, said Lt. Michael Chavis with the Rock Hill Police Department. Police shut down traffic to give the South Carolina Department of Transportation time to inspect the area. SCDOT warned drivers to avoid one of the busiest spots in York County until further notice. The York County Office of Emergency Management tweeted a notice during the morning from SCDOT, that a portion of Celanese Road was closed near I-77. *** UNEXPECTED ROAD CLOSURE *** SCDOT has CLOSED the westbound lanes of Celanese Road, near I-77 from Cherry Road to Riverview Road, until further notice. Please avoid this area. pic.twitter.com/4qICZ71Tb1 York County OEM (@YorkCountyOEM) June 22, 2023 A little before noon, Rock Hill police tweeted that traffic had resumed in the area. Chavis said the issue was deemed minor by SCDOT inspection and wasnt a threat to traffic. Its always about being preventive, Chavis said. You want to make sure everything is safe. The area of concrete can be patched and wont require a full replacement, Chavis said. The Celanese and Cherry roads interchange at I-77 is long-considered one of the busiest traffic spots in the Rock Hill region. SCDOT traffic counts show between 14,000 and more than 47,000 vehicle trips per day from the various road that feed into that intersection. Celanese at the interchange shows 47,400 daily trips. The interstate carries for more traffic still. SCDOT is in planning stages now for interchange improvements at the Rock Hill site, which based on nearby work at I-77 and S.C. 160 or I-77 and Carowinds Boulevard could cost somewhere in the $100 million range. Area road experts earlier this year said traffic could double in the foreseeable future at the Rock Hill site. How do we explain that? Price of planned work on I-77, SC 160 has more than doubled The emergency management tweet, along with one sent by the York County Sheriffs Office, listed the current closure as an unexpected road closure. This is the second story in a series examining the impact of the fall of Roe v. Wade with the Supreme Courts ruling last June in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. When President Biden rallied Democrats last September ahead of the midterm elections, he predicted the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade set off major electoral ramifications. Republicans have awakened a powerful force in this country: women, Biden said. Here you come. And he was right. Biden got a political gift a year ago when the Supreme Court overturned the national right to abortion access. While the president faced criticism immediately after the ruling for not responding more aggressively to protect access, the issue helped propel Democrats to a better-than-expected midterm result. They added a seat to their majority in the Senate and managed to limit Republican gains in the House. Plus, in the past year, voters in Kentucky rejected a ballot proposal that would have amended the state constitution to assert there is no guaranteed right to an abortion. Kansans voted to keep existing abortion protections in the state, while voters in Michigan, California and Vermont approved new abortion protections in the months after the Dobbs decision. The issue will remain pivotal in the 2024 presidential election, with the Supreme Courts decision giving Biden and his team a tangible way to argue that a Republican in the White House could lead to a national ban. It has brought some clarity around the importance of voting for people who will protect your rights, voting for people who wont give that power and control over to the government but will keep it where voters believe it should be, said Christina Reynolds, senior vice president of communications and content at EMILYs List. Special Report: Roe v. Wade Falls One Year Later The White House has worked over the past year to make its case for reproductive rights consistent and clear. The vice president and I are doing everything we can to protect access to reproductive health care and safeguard patient privacy. But already, more than a dozen states are enforcing extreme abortion bans, Biden said in his State of the Union address in February. Make no mistake, if Congress passes a national abortion ban, I will veto it, the president added. Vice President Harris has led the charge out of the White House on the issue, traversing the country and meeting with local leaders and advocates to push back on GOP-driven state laws that the administration considers too extreme in restricting abortions. Shes heading to Charlotte, N.C., on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the Supreme Court decision. Abortion as a national and local issue The White House sees the issue as a national and local one. It recently hosted more than 80 state legislators from 41 states to discuss state laws restricting reproductive rights. The local leaders who included representatives from red states like Alabama, Arkansas, and Florida sat down with Jennifer Klein, director of the Gender Policy Council; Neera Tanden, director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary. Its important to bring them in and say, Hey, we have your back, Jean-Pierre said about the meeting. With Harris and Biden consistently discussing abortion rights in speeches from the White House, in meetings with advocates and reproductive health officials, and through targeted state visits, they have been able to keep the issue top of mind for voters well beyond the midterm elections. The White House has taken limited actions over the past year. Biden signed an executive order less than a month after the Supreme Court ruling with some incremental measures to protect access to emergency medical care for women who will seek abortions in states that ban it. Earlier this year, he issued a presidential memorandum that will further protect access to medication abortion by ensuring doctors can prescribe and dispense it across the U.S. And, in April, the administration announced new actions to safeguard patient privacy following the ruling by a federal judge in Texas that tried to limit the abortion medication mifepristone. Abortion and the 2024 election As the 2024 election nears, some strategists have suggested Republican presidential candidates will do much of the work for the administration and Democrats by publicly backing restrictive abortion laws, crystallizing the potential further consequences for access. I think many of the issues that helped elect Biden in 2020 are still out there, and I think Dobbs adds some premium grade fuel to building a winning coalition for 2024, said Ivan Zapien, a former DNC official. Mind you, he does not really need to do much here. The Republicans in states are doubling down on Dobbs-related legislation that is really not popular in the suburbs, so at this point, its a gift to his reelection prospects. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage Former President Trump, during a CNN town hall last month, repeatedly dodged questions about whether he would sign a federal abortion ban into law if hes reelected. But he has declared multiple times in recent weeks he was able to kill Roe v. Wade, taking credit for appointing three conservative justices who sided with the majority. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a ban on abortions in the state after six weeks of pregnancy. Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) has said he would sign the most pro-life legislation that makes it to his desk if elected. Former Vice President Mike Pence has said he supports taking abortion medications off the market and has voiced support for a proposed 15-week federal ban on the procedure. But nationally, abortion access is popular. A Gallup poll published June 14 found 69 percent of Americans believe abortion should generally be legal during the first three months of pregnancy, a record-high for the survey. The poll found a majority of Americans oppose late-term abortions. But the 37 percent who say the procedure should be legal in the second three months of pregnancy and the 22 percent who say it should be legal in the last three months of pregnancy also mark record highs for a Gallup survey. Abortion will still be a top issue for voters in 2024 because Republicans have made it one, said Katie Grant Drew, a Democratic communications strategist and principal at Monument Advocacy. Republicans keep demonstrating that theyre out of step with Americans on this issue, and with a number of GOP-controlled state legislatures either enacting or debating legislation, this issue is going to stay top of mind for a wide swath of the electorate, she said. While the president has pushed for Congress to codify Roe v. Wade, the GOP-controlled House and the tight margins in the Senate have made that a non-starter. Previous efforts to pass legislation that would codify and expand the right to an abortion failed. Democrats would have to win big in 2024 to increase their congressional margins enough to pass such a measure, which has led to them also focusing on local ballot measures to make progress on the issues. The president will remind voters what is at stake in 2024. Dobbs will be a factor in all elections until access to reproductive freedom is available to all, said Mary Beth Stanton, a Democratic strategist and principal at Invariant. Its hard to see how a codification of Roe gets done in Congress given the Senate filibuster, but there will be ballot measures in the states to help shore up down-ballot elections and drive voter turnout, too. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Every politician runs [campaigns] about law and order and keeping the country safe, the Rev. William Barber tells theGrio. Well, what about death of poverty? The issue of poverty in the United States was spotlighted this week as hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Washington demanding that elected officials address what researchers say is the fourth-leading cause of death. The three-day host of activities from the Poor Peoples Campaign, led by co-founder the Rev. William Barber, culminated with a White House meeting on Wednesday, where he and other leaders expressed their concerns about persistent poverty levels something Barber says doesnt have to be and is all fixable. The Rev. William Barber speaks in November 2021 during a demonstration at the U.S. Supreme Court. This week, Barber and others returned to Washington for three days of activities spotlighting poverty. (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images for MoveOn) Americas got to face Americas death sentence, which is poverty, Barber told theGrio. Its not even a really extreme thing that we have to do; just pay people a living wage, assure universal health care like the other 25 wealthiest countries in the world. Barber cited a January 2023 study that found deaths related to current poverty in 2019 were higher than deaths by homicide, gun violence, suicide and drug overdose. The study, published by the American Medical Association, found that when it comes to cumulative poverty, only heart disease, cancer and smoking had greater mortality. In an attempt to sound the alarm ahead of the 2024 presidential election and as Congress remains in session until its summer recess in August, the Poor Peoples Campaign held a mock funeral procession, starting from the Supreme Court to the U.S. Capitol building, highlighting poverty as a death sentence. Activists, part of a coalition called Moral Poverty Action Congress, also descended on the Capitol to visit the House and Senate offices of more than 400 members of Congress, urging them to use their legislative powers to end poverty in the United States. Every night on the TV, you see stuff about homicide. Every politician runs [campaigns] about law and order and keeping the country safe, said Barber. Well, what about death of poverty? The social activist noted that poverty levels decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic due to targeted policies passed by Congress and signed into law by both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, including the child tax credit, expansion of food stamps, other public assistance programs and Medicaid services. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the White House as Vice President Kamala Harris watches on July 15, 2021, the day tens of millions of parents got their first monthly child tax credit relief payments. The credit was temporarily increased during the pandemic and helped lower poverty rates. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) However, now that the public health emergency has ended, and policy provisions designed to assist Americans during a once-in-century pandemic have expired, anti-poverty advocates say that progress is now being reversed. Now its going right back up because were kicking folks off Medicaid [and] taking folks off food stamps, said Barber. We have low unemployment but also low wages. Thats a combination for disaster when it comes to addressing poverty. There is some support for the Poor Peoples Campaigns agenda to substantively address poverty in America and its deadly consequences. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., joined demonstrators during a press conference Tuesday outside the Capitol. On Wednesday, Barber and other leaders of the Poor Peoples Campaign met with White House senior officials, including Stephen Benjamin, director of the Office of Public Engagement, domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden and senior adviser Mitch Landrieu. According to a source who had knowledge of the meeting, the Biden officials talked about various pieces of legislation passed during the current administration to help alleviate poverty. The meeting was primarily a listening session to allow advocates to air their concerns and discuss what more can be done on a policy level. After Wednesdays meeting, Landrieu shared images from inside the listening session in a tweet. Lifting every American family out of poverty is a key priority at the heart of @POTUS Investing in America agenda, tweeted Landrieu, the White House coordinator for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Meeting with @RevDrBarber, @UniteThePoor, & this courageous group at the @WhiteHouse was a reminder of how important our work is and how much more we have to do. Following this weeks demonstrations and White House meeting, Lee and Jayapal reintroduced a resolution titled The Third Reconstruction: Fully Addressing Poverty and Low Wages from the Bottom Up Resolution. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (center) is joined by Rep. Barbara Lee (right) and other lawmakers in October 2021 after a meeting with President Joe Biden on an infrastructure bill. This week, Jayapal and Lee joined anti-poverty demonstrators outside the Capitol. (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) The resolution draws on the history of the first and second Reconstructions following the Civil War and during the Civil Rights Movement, seeking to address the converging injustices of systemic racism, poverty, public health inequity, militarism, white supremacist nationalist extremism, and aims to lift our society and economy from the bottom up. Poverty exists because we allow it to exist. In the wealthiest country in the world, 140 million people are poor because we have allowed it to be so, Jayapal said in a statement. We must implement bold proposals that center the poor providing housing, health care, climate justice, and equitable public education. Lee similarly said in a statement, Our country stands at a tipping point: we can maintain the status quo, or we can choose to prioritize the needs and demands of the 140 million poor and vulnerable people, including children and families, who are one crisis away from destitution. Barber told theGrio that in addition to pushing the White House and Congress to act, he and the leaders of the Poor Peoples Campaign aim to mobilize poor and low-wealth Americans across racial and religious lines ahead of the 2024 elections. Most poor people dont vote, he noted, because nobody talks to them anymore. Theres not a state in the country, Barber asserted, if 20 percent of poor and low-wealth people who have not voted would organize themselves around an agenda and vote, that they could not fundamentally shift the electorate. We need a third reconstruction movement in this country, he added, and we are that movement. Gerren Keith Gaynor Gerren Keith Gaynor is a White House Correspondent and the Managing Editor of Politics at theGrio. He is based in Washington, D.C. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Activists urge White House, lawmakers to address poverty, a fourth-leading cause of death appeared first on TheGrio. The News The Cannes Lions festival has so far passed without a high-profile public confrontation. A spokesman for Greenpeace, which stormed WPP beach last year, said the group isnt focused on advertising this year. (The group is also still waiting for Cannes police to return their truck.) But Clean Creatives, a nonprofit pushing the marketing industry away from fossil fuel clients, says it made progress on its industry pledge to reject oil contracts. This week, it announced its biggest signee yet, the Stagwell agency Gale. Clean Creatives did deploy some aggressive tactics, strolling along the Croisette on Wednesday behind Edelman CEO Richard Edelman with a placard reading: This person works with fossil fuel clients. (Edelman said in an email that he was walking to a panel on communicating about sustainability, and that we work with companies committed to change.) Much of Clean Creatives campaign is less confrontational. An organizer with the group, Joe Cole, said a more optimistic sell appeals to the younger, progressive creative rank-and-file at advertising agencies. Those voices are probably the most effective pressure point. Its a recruitment problem, he said. Gen Z cares about this stuff. The collective is particularly focused on Shell, which is reportedly leading its global media review, inviting agencies to pitch for its hundreds-of-millions of dollars of advertising budget. Its a sensitive subject. Earlier this month, Adweek barely got any response when it asked big firms about the contract. At a press briefing on Wednesday, Havas CEO Yannick Bollore declined to discuss Shell, citing NDAs. (Some employees of Havas India who were discussing Shell before the press conference switched from English to another language when they noticed me nearby.) Jules's view I was born, raised, and live on the French Riviera, a region whose prosperity has been tied for decades to superfluous industries and the highest-polluting individuals. Yachts, Formula 1, oligarchs its all there, helping some of my friends and family to make a living. That same scenic Mediterranean backdrop, however, is a hotspot for highly interconnected climate risks, the IPCCs climate experts said in their latest report. So Im familiar with the irony at the core of this conversation, where leaders and workers of an industry whose main business model is to increase consumption say that they want to use their skillset to reduce it, or at least clean it up. The clashes between Clean Creatives and the advertising industry are a byproduct of that tension, as various actors in the industry are radically disagreeing on where to draw a line in the sand and what is the most effective course of action. Many dont want to draw a line at all. And if a (very hypothetical) consensus on what is ethical or not is found, does it mean that advertisers are supposed to act as a counterforce and check the claims of their own clients? How is that supposed to work? One speaker invited by Clean Creatives in Cannes said outdoor gear brand Patagonia making Earth a primary shareholder was a fantastic and innovative idea but earlier this month, Dutch investigative outlet Follow the Money reported the brand was sharing its factories with Zara and Primark. It's complicated. I think it's sort of a little outside of my paygrade, Clean Creatives Duncan Meisel told me when I asked him how agencies could check their prospects or clients. He suggested topical experts could chime in. Its super difficult. Even when you judge awards Have you got enough information to be able to tell whether the submission is greenwashing? said Sebastian Munden, the chair of Ad Net Zero, an industry group backing sustainability. The View From The Ad Industry Ad Net Zero, which was launched by trade associations for the British advertising industry and backed by the Big Six agencies, focuses on direct carbon emissions coming from advertising, from printing to powering servers. Advertisings influence on the wider world is a hugely important pillar of Ad Net Zero, the groups manifesto says. Im a big fan of free speech, said Munden, a former Unilever executive, of pressure groups more aggressive tactics. In terms of the practical approach that we have, because we're working at scale with the biggest players in the industry, we believe we will get to scale faster. Room for Disagreement Clean Creatives has clashed with Ad Net Zero, and seized social media handles with the industry groups name in February. You cannot effectively respond to the climate emergency while working for the people responsible for it, the nonprofit tweeted from the @adnetzero account. Notable Adam Schiff speaks at a press conference in January 2023 The US House of Representatives has voted to punish Democrat Adam Schiff for accusing Donald Trump of colluding with Russia to win the 2016 election. The Republican-controlled chamber approved the measure along party lines, with 213 Republicans voting in favour and 209 Democrats against it. Known as a "censure", the rare step is a formal public reprimand of misconduct that does not warrant an expulsion. Mr Schiff said he would wear the vote of disapproval as a "badge of honour". He sarcastically thanked Republicans ahead of the vote for their "enmity" and said he would "not yield. Not one inch". As he made his way to the well of the House floor to face his formal rebuke after the vote, several Democrats surrounded him with cheers, pats on the back, and chants of "shame!" and "Adam". House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, was unable to read out the censure resolution amid Democratic heckling, with one lawmaker yelling "censure all of us". The California congressman is the 25th House member in history to be censured, and only the third in the last 20 years. As the top-ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee during the Trump presidency, Mr Schiff led the panel's investigation into Mr Trump's finances and alleged links to Russia. The House probe concluded that Russia had tried to influence the 2016 election, but some of Mr Schiff's claims as chairman were not substantiated by two separate special counsel investigations of the then-president. Mr Schiff reprised his role as a Trump antagonist during the Republican's first impeachment trial in 2019, in which he served as lead prosecutor. Mr Trump was acquitted by the US Senate. This January, Mr Schiff was booted from the intelligence committee by the new Republican House majority. Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna, who led the effort to censure Mr Schiff this month, alleged he "abused" his position to launch "an all-out political campaign against a sitting president". Wednesday's resolution was her second attempt to punish her Democratic counterpart. Last week, a similar censure that would have required Mr Schiff to pay a $16m (12.5m) fine unless he resigned from Congress failed as some Republican lawmakers voted against it. The measure passed this week directs the House ethics committee to investigate Mr Schiff over his past words and actions relating to the Trump probes. It drew praise from Mr Trump himself, who threatened that Republicans who voted against the measure should be "immediately" challenged for their seats. The censure has little practical effect, especially given that Mr Schiff is already eyeing election to the US Senate, but it is evidence of an escalating tit-for-tat in the embattled congressional chamber. Arizona Republican Paul Gosar was the last lawmaker to be censured, in 2021, after he posted an animated video online that showed him striking Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a sword. Republicans warned at the time that the Democrats had set "a new standard". French advertising technology giant Criteo has been issued with a revised fine of 40 million ($44 million) over failings to garner users' consent around targeted advertising. The case in question dates back to 2018 when Privacy International filed a formal complaint with the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertes (CNIL), France's data privacy watchdog, using GDPR regulations that had recently been introduced across the European Union. Privacy International said it was "gravely concerned" at the data processing activities of several players in the data broking and adtech industry, one of which was Criteo. None of Your Business (NOYB), an Austria-based nonprofit co-founded by lawyer and privacy activist Max Schrems, also later added its name to the complaint. The crux of the issue centered on what Privacy International referred to as a "manipulation machine," vis-a-vis how Criteo used various tracking and data-processing techniques to profile internet users for more granular ad targeting, such as using prior online activity to predict which products an online shopper might want to buy -- this is known as "behavioral retargeting." Privacy International and NOYB asserted that Criteo didn't have a proper legal basis for this tracking, with the CNIL launching a formal investigation in 2020. Preliminary decision Fast-forward to August 2022, and the CNIL reached a preliminary decision that Criteo had indeed breached GDPR and slapped the Paris-based company with a 60 million fine. In the intervening months, however, Criteo sought to reduce the figure. In a summary document made public today, Criteo argued that its actions were non-deliberate and did not result in any harm. It said (translation via DeepL): The company believes that better consideration of the criteria set out in Article 83(2) of the GDPR, in particular with regard to the absence of evidence of harm, the non-deliberate nature of the breaches, the measures taken to mitigate harm, the cooperation it says it has shown with the supervisory authority and the categories of personal data concerned, which present low intrusiveness, would justify that, should the restricted panel decide to impose a fine, it significantly reduce the amount of 60 million euros proposed by the rapporteur. Criteo added that the initial fine represented half of its earnings and 3% of its global sales, which is "close to the legal maximum" allowed under GDPR. Moreover, it argued that the fine was excessive compared to other fines meted out by the CNIL to the likes of Google and Facebook's parent Meta, which amounted to just 0.07% and 0.06% of their respective global sales. Thus, the CNIL has seemingly paid at least some heed to Criteo's grievances and reduced the fine by one-third. However, Criteo chief legal officer Ryan Damon says that the company plans to appeal the decision, calling it "vastly disproportionate" when positioned against other alleged breaches elsewhere in the industry. "In addition, we believe that a number of the CNILs interpretations and applications of the GDPR are not consistent with the European Court of Justice rulings, and even with the CNILs own guidance," Damon said in a statement issued to TechCrunch. Findings The CNIL's final report still paints a scathing picture of Criteo's disregard for privacy, noting that the data processing involved "a very large number of people" from across the European Union, including the "consumption habits" of millions of internet users. In total, the CNIL says it found five GDPR infringements involving Criteo's ad-tracking activities, including a failure to demonstrate that the data subject (i.e. the user) gave their consent, which is covered by article 7(1) of GDPR; a failure to "comply with the obligation of information and transparency (articles 12 and 13), effectively meaning that Criteo didn't divulge all the ways it would process user data; a failure to "respect the right of access" (article 15(1), meaning Criteo didn't provide users with all the data it held when requested; a failure to "comply with the right to withdraw consent and erasure of data" (articles 7.3 and 17.1 GDPR), meaning Criteo didn't delete or remove all of a user's data when they requested this; and a failure to "provide for an agreement between joint controllers" (article 26), which means Criteo didn't have clear agreements in place with its partner companies that stipulate the role of each party and their obligation in managing users' data. In its conclusion, the CNIL said that although Criteo didn't have individual names of each user, the data was "sufficiently accurate to re-identify individuals" in some instances, which means that it was likely able to identify individuals by cross-referencing otherwise anonymized datasets with public records or combining other data-meshing techniques to infer the identity of users. And then, of course, there is the elephant in the room -- Criteo's motivations with regards to its main mechanisms for making money. "The CNIL also took into account the business model of the company which relies exclusively on its ability to display to internet users the most relevant advertisements to promote the products of its advertiser customers and thus on its ability to collect and process a huge amount of data," the CNIL wrote. "The CNIL considered that the processing of individuals data without proof of their valid consent enabled the company to unduly increase the number of persons concerned by its processing and thus the financial income it derives from its role as an advertising intermediary." However, Criteo is sticking to its original arguments, insofar as it says that no damage was ultimately done, while pointing to the fact that the CNIL has not requested Criteo to alter any of its current practices. "As we stated previously, we consider that the allegations made by the CNIL do not involve risk to individuals nor any damage caused to them," Damon said. "Criteo, which uses only pseudonymized, non-directly identifiable and non-sensitive data in its activities, is fully committed to protecting the privacy and data of users. The decision relates to past matters and does not include any obligation for Criteo to change its current practices; there is no impact to the service levels and performance that we are able to deliver to our customers as a result of this decision. We continue to uphold the highest standards in this area and operate a fully transparent and regulatory-compliant global business. We will be making no further statement at this stage." This story was updated with comment from Criteo. LANSING Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced charges Thursday arising from the fake nominating petition signatures that resulted in the disqualification of five Republican candidates for governor in 2022. Charges were filed Tuesday in 37th District Court in Warren against three defendants, court records show. Shawn Wilmoth, 36, and Willie Reed, 37, each face 27 felony counts including conducting a criminal enterprise, false pretenses, computer fraud, and election forgery, records show. Jamie Lynn Wilmoth-Goodin, 36, faces 25 such charges. Two of the charges, operating a criminal enterprise and false pretenses over $100,000, are 20-year felonies. Nessel, who opened a criminal investigation into the bogus signatures last summer, detailed the charges at a late morning news conference in Lansing. "The evidence clearly demonstrates that (the) defendants ... were well aware of and directly responsible for the forged work product," Nessel said at the news conference. The Wilmoths, who are married, were arrested Wednesday, she said. Reed, who is not a Michigan resident, has not been arrested and is sought by the U.S. Marshals Service, she said. None of the defendants could immediately be reached for comment. Shawn Wilmoth has a prior conviction for election fraud in Virginia in 2011 and is charged as a habitual offender, Nessel said. The Free Press reported in June 2022 that police raided the Warren residence of Shawn Wilmoth as part of the investigation. Wilmoth was listed on a 2022 corporate record for First Choice Contracting LLC, a signature collection company that was paid more than $218,000 by two of the disqualified candidates, according to campaign finance records. A stack of fraudulent petitions gathered by a company for Secure MI Vote are shown during a press conference for Secure MI Vote in downtown Lansing on Wednesday, June 1, 2022. Reed was identified in a 2022 lawsuit filed by former Detroit Police Chief James Craig as a "front" for Wilmoth through a signature collection company with a different name, the Free Press reported in June 2022. Removed from the August primary ballot by the Board of State Canvassers because of too many fake signatures were Craig, who was then the GOP frontrunner, plus Oakland County businessman Perry Johnson, Byron Center businesswoman Donna Brandenburg, and Grand Haven financial adviser Michael Markey. Another Republican candidate for governor, Michigan State Police Capt. Mike Brown, withdrew from the race over the signature revelations before the election panel addressed the issue. "I was talked to by investigators I was interviewed," Craig said late Wednesday. More: Nessel charges 8 current and former prison employees in inmate's 2019 death If charges are pending, "I applaud the work of the AG's office," he said. Brown issued a statement Thursday morning thanking the AG's office for its work on the investigation. "The coming months will shed light on the alleged actions of this group that caused significant disruption of the electoral process in 2022," he said. Tudor Dixon, a businesswoman from Norton Shores, won the Aug. 2 Republican primary for governor, topping four other candidates who remained on the ballot after the signature fiasco. Dixon lost the November general election to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic incumbent, by about 11 percentage points. Nessel said that companies associated with the Wilmoths and Reed took more than $700,000 in payments from six candidates for governor and three judicial candidates. Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley, who qualified for the ballot with valid signatures, received no signatures in return for the money he paid the defendants, she said. Two judicial candidates were disqualified from the ballot and one realized the signatures were largely bogus and decided not to submit them, she said. The investigation is ongoing and some signature gatherers hired by the defendants could potentially face charges, while others could be witnesses in the case, Nessel said. Those charged so far are the "principal actors" who "got paid the big bucks," she said. Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Charges filed in signature scandal for 2022 Michigan governor race Republican Attorney General Daniel Camerons office has asked the Federal Bureau of Investigations to investigate donations made by London Mayor Randall Weddle in excess of state and federal campaign finance limits. Weddles credit card was linked to $202,000 in donations made to the Kentucky Democratic Party (KDP) and Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears re-election campaign. Individual contributions to state campaigns are currently capped at $2,100 and contributions to parties limited to $15,000. Beshears campaign said this week that the contributions linked to Weddle, as well as those contributions to the KDP, either have already been or will be refunded. Deputy Attorney General Victor Maddox, in a letter sent to the FBIs Louisville field office, stated that the attorney generals office was barred at present from investigating this matter due to controlling ethics opinions. The letter was provided by the attorney generals office to the Herald-Leader Thursday. State ethics opinions released during prior administrations bar attorneys general from investigating a governors conduct if they become their political opponent. In May, Cameron won the GOP gubernatorial nomination and will face Beshear in the general election this November. Please accept this letter as a formal request by the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General for the FBI to investigate the circumstances surrounding contributions in the amount of some $202,000 to the gubernatorial campaign of Andy Beshear, Maddox wrote. These contributions have been the subject of widespread coverage in statewide news outlets. The contributions were ostensibly made by numerous members of the family of London, Kentucky Mayor Randall Weddle and by employees of a company he co-founded, but apparently were charged by Mayor Weddle to his personal credit card. The Kentucky Lantern first reported on the donations linked to Weddles credit card. When asked about Weddles excess donations at a weekly press conference Thursday morning, Beshear emphasized that he always advises his political campaigns to follow the law and to be transparent. My understanding is that the campaign has met each of those requirements, worked directly with KREF explaining everything they knew about the situation and worked to remedy it directly with the regulator. Thats an open, transparent way of trying to do whats right, Beshear said. Beshear did not directly respond to a question about whether or not he believes Weddle should be prosecuted for the donations. Weddle is also under investigation by the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance for hosting a free gas giveaway during his mayoral campaign, among other things. Weddle has yet to respond to a request for comment. This story may be updated. AI tech aims to help patients catch disease early, even reverse their biological age AI tech aims to help patients catch disease early, even reverse their biological age In humanity's quest to live longer, healthier lives, technology particularly artificial intelligence is playing an ever-bigger role and expanding into more areas of health care. A California-based medical technology company named Prenuvo, for instance, offers full-body MRI scans that leverage AI to screen patients for over 500 conditions including tumors, aneurysms and cysts in less than an hour. Now, Prenuvo is announcing a partnership with Cenegenics, a Las Vegas-based company that offers "personalized performance health age management" for its patients. It will monitor their bloodwork for over 90 biomarkers in an attempt to slow the biological aging process. DOCTORS INCREASINGLY USING AR SMART GLASSES IN OPERATING ROOM: 'POTENTIAL TO REVOLUTIONIZE SURGERIES' With the partnership, patients of Cenegenics will have access to Prenuvos full-body AI scans, which will help fill in any gaps and provide doctors with a better picture of patients health. "We are driven by a shared vision of enhancing both healthspan and lifespan in our pursuit of transforming the health care paradigm from reactive to proactive," said Prenuvo co-founder and CEO Andrew Lacy in a press release announcing the partnership. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Prenuvo, a California-based medical technology company, offers full-body MRI scans that leverage AI to screen for over 500 conditions in less than an hour. Now, Prenuvo has announced a partnership with Cenegenics, a Las Vegas-based company that offers "personalized performance health age management" for its patients. "By combining Prenuvos advanced diagnostic-quality imaging capabilities with Cenegenics steadfast dedication to healthy longevity, were helping patients get data-driven insight into their baseline health and make lifestyle modifications before its too late." Cenegenics' patients will have access to Prenuvos whole-body scans at participating locations, including in Los Angeles , Silicon Valley, New York, Dallas, Chicago and Boca Raton. AI IDENTIFIED THESE 5 TYPES OF HEART FAILURE IN NEW STUDY: 'INTERESTING TO DIFFERENTIATE' Cenegenics has collected more than 25 years of longitudinal data on its patients, CEO Kristy Berry told Fox News Digital in an emailed statement. "The biomarkers found in our blood provide amazing insights about our health, wellness and the likelihood of disease due to cellular inflammation," Berry said. "As we age, our biomarkers tell the tale of a lifetime of decisions we have made with regard to nutrition, exercise and sleep." Cenegenics aims to help patients "reverse their biological age" by working with their performance health team to achieve biomarker results that are equal to a person many years sometimes decades younger than they are. This is achieved through a strict program of nutrition, exercise, sleep, nutraceuticals and prescription medicines , Berry explained. On average, Prenuvo scans alert one in every 20 patients to a life-saving diagnosis. The medical technology company is headquartered in California. Now, with the Prenuvo partnership, Cenegenics will fill in any gaps in patient data through the use of AI scanning. "We are actively exploring how AI can assist in the recommendations our physicians make to reverse biological age," Berry said. "We see AI as a valuable addition to the experience and expertise we have accumulated over our history and look forward to the additional insights it can provide." Prenuvos AI technology aims to improve patient outcomes by catching warning signs that are too small to be detected even by the best medically trained eye, Lacy, the CEO, told Fox News Digital in an email. AI TOOL HELPS DOCTORS MAKE SENSE OF CHAOTIC PATIENT DATA AND IDENTIFY DISEASES: 'MORE MEANINGFUL' INTERACTION "Everything we know about disease is based on diagnosing it at a chronic or advanced stage," he said. With AI, he added, "we are working toward identifying the early beginnings of disease with the hope that we can intervene even earlier than we thought possible." Prenuvo's research team is studying the early stages of disease progression in every organ, from measuring the curve angles of every vertebra of the spine to evaluating the cortical ridges outside the brain, Lacy said. Prenuvo has several locations across the U.S., including a New York office, pictured here. Prenuvos scans are trained to detect the early stages of disease progression in every organ. "We believe that using AI to quantify very small changes over time will enable us to determine normal aging and how the people we scan are tracking, organ by organ," he added. On average, Prenuvo scans alert one in every 20 patients to a life-saving diagnosis. Mona, a mom of two children under 2 years old in the East Bay of California, is one example. (She did not share her last name.) A couple of weeks after having her second baby, she was feeling a lot of fatigue and continued to gain weight. "Something just felt off," she said in a video interview provided by Prenuvo. With a recommendation, she got a full-body MRI scan at one of Prenuvos locations. The young mother was shocked when the results showed that she had thyroid cancer . "It just wasnt even on my radar," the mom said. Because her cancer was caught early, it was treatable. After surgery and lifestyle changes, she is now cancer-free and thriving. Prenuvos AI technology aims to improve patient outcomes by catching warning signs that are too small to be detected by medically trained eyes. Another patient was Ryan Crownholm, a former military member who ran a demolition company in Los Angeles. Hed been exposed to toxins over the years and chose to get a Prenuvo scan. "I really had no expectations of finding anything," he said in an interview with Prenuvo. Crownholm was stunned when his doctor called to tell him the scan had detected a large mass on his kidney. Hed had no symptoms at all. MOST WOMEN DIAGNOSED WITH EARLY BREAST CANCER WILL SURVIVE BEYOND 5 YEARS, STUDY FINDS After a biopsy, the doctors determined it was stage 3 cancer. "For me, to catch it so early, its been a blessing," he said. "It was as simple as having my kidney removed and going on with my life." As AI continues to grow in popularity, Lacy pointed out that there can be risks of inaccurate claims about what the technology can do. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER "While there is a lot of excitement in the field of AI to replace the diagnosis that radiologists make, what we are most actively excited about is how AI can help us understand early signs of disease progression and quantify a persons health trajectory," he said. In the health care arena, he stressed, its essential to use these technologies to add value and diagnostic accuracy. "We know this will take time, so we are investing carefully in AI in innovative and scientifically based ways." The nations highest court now finds itself under siege from a series of stories involving private jet travel, luxury vacations and property sales not reported on financial disclosure forms. Also in the news: The search for a missing submersible has grown dire and President Joe Biden will host a state dinner with India's leader. I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. It's been a heavy news week. Watch this duck refuse to go swimming without his cow pal. Now, here we go with with Thursday's news. Alito took private jet trip for Alaska fishing trip In the latest in a series of ethics revelations involving members of the Supreme Court, Justice Samuel Alito acknowledged Tuesday that he flew to Alaska for a fishing trip on a private jet in 2008 that belonged to a hedge fund manager who repeatedly brought cases before the high court. Alito, among the courts most senior conservative justices, defended the trip in an unusual Wall Street Journal op-ed that was a reaction to a ProPublica story that had not yet been published. The piece was ultimately posted on ProPublicas website hours later. Read our recap of the saga. Prospects dire for 5 passengers on missing Titanic sub as oxygen levels run out Oxygen - and time - may have run out in the rescue effort for five people aboard the submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic on a tour to the Titanic wreckage site. An updated prediction by the U.S. Coast Guard Wednesday said the Titan was likely to run out of oxygen at around 7 a.m. ET Thursday. Search crews Wednesday expanded the surface area in the search and rescue mission to about twice the size of Connecticut and 2.5 miles deep as underwater noises detected in the area of the Titanic wreck on Wednesday gave hope to crews. Read more The ship Deep Energy sails in the search area for OceanGate's Titan submersible. More news to know now What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here. House censures Rep. Adam Schiff The Republican-led effort to censure Rep. Adam Schiff over his claims about former President Donald Trumps connections to Russia succeeded Wednesday. House lawmakers voted 213-209 along party lines to censure Schiff, with six lawmakers voting present. Immediately after the vote, Democrats in the lower chamber began chanting "shame." Who is Schiff? The California Democrat previously chaired the House Intelligence Committee and led the first impeachment inquiry into Trump, which resulted in the House voting to impeach the former president for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., renewed her effort to censure Schiff for alleging collusion between Trump and Russia during the former presidents 2016 campaign, after her initial attempt was blocked last week by House Democrats. Schiff said last week that he is flattered by the effort to censure him and suggested the resolution was introduced as a distraction from Trumps legal woes. Meet the Mississippi moms who fear for their lives a year after Roe fell On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court ruled against Mississippis abortion clinic. Every state in the South has since limited abortion access. Mississippi had 2,100 fewer abortions in the first six months after the ruling, according to a report by the Society of Family Planning. The states health director projected 5,000 more babies would be born this year in a state where pregnancy care was already stretched thin. This number and more about Mississippi's maternal health care crisis are highlighted in a new collaboration between USA TODAY and The Tennessean as part of the documentary video series States of America." Check it out here. Can't read this story? That's because it's subscriber-only. If you'd like to read more stories like this one, please consider supporting our newsroom. Dr. Lakeisha Richardson is one of two obstetricians in the Greenville, Miss., area. She isn't turning any pregnant patients away, she said. Just for subscribers: These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. Moscow court upholds ruling to detain US journalist Evan Gershkovich until August A court in Moscow has upheld an earlier ruling to keep Evan Gerhskovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter arrested in Russia on espionage charges, in detention until late August, rejecting the journalists appeal. The 31-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested in late March while on a reporting trip. A Moscow court agreed last month to keep him in custody until Aug. 30. Defense lawyers challenged the decision, but the Moscow City Court rejected the appeal on Thursday. Gershkovich and his employer have denied he spied in Russia. The U.S. government has declared him to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release. Read our latest Ukraine-Russia coverage. US journalist Evan Gershkovich stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing at The Moscow City Court in Moscow on June 22, 2023. Quick hits Photo of the day: Preparing for Modi's state dinner President Joe Biden will welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official state dinner Thursday as he has sought to deepen the security partnership between the two nations as part of his administrations efforts to counter Chinas global influence. Read more about the politics behind the dinner and takeaways from Jill Biden's previews of the meal featuring stuffed portobello mushrooms in a creamy saffron-infused risotto. First Lady Jill Biden worked with guest Chef Nina Curtis, White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford, and White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison to develop the menu for the State Dinner. Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this subscribe to USA TODAY here. Associated Press contributed reporting. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alito, Titanic, missing submersible, Schiff censorship, abortion, Ukraine, Russia, India: Daily Briefing The alma mater of a British billionaire trapped on the Titan sub played 'My Heart Will Go On' at a ball while he's missing British billionaire Hamish Harding shared an Instagram post about his planned voyage to the Titanic shipwreck. Instagram: @actionaviationchairman Hamish Harding's alma mater hosted an under-the-sea-themed ball on Wednesday and played "My Heart Will Go On" at the event. Harding is one of five people trapped on the sunken Titan submersible. The Pembroke May Ball Committee apologized after the fact. The alma mater of a British billionaire trapped on the Titan submersible played "My Heart Will Go On" at a school event while the man is missing at sea. Pembroke, a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in England, hosted an under-the-sea-themed May Ball on Wednesday evening and played Celine Dion's hit from the 1997 film "Titanic" at the dance. The billionaire, Hamish Harding, is a Pembroke alumnus and one of five people trapped on the lost submersible. The vessel went missing on Sunday while making a trip to visit the Titanic's wreckage, sparking a massive search effort. The Coast Guard initially estimated that their oxygen would run out on Thursday morning; that time has since passed. The student organization in charge of the May Ball apologized after the fact, saying it is "aware of the worrying news" about Harding, according to Varsity, the student newspaper at the university. The May Ball Committee added that they chose the "Into the Depths" theme of the ball "many months ago," and that "if we could change it now, we would." "Our thoughts go out to the Harding family at this very difficult time," the committee said. Harding's stepson, Brian Szasz, also attracted scrutiny online after attending a Blink-182 concert and appearing to flirt with an OnlyFans model on Twitter as his stepfather remains missing on the sunken sub. Szasz appears to have deleted his Twitter account as of Thursday morning, but he posted a video to Instagram Wednesday saying that he hasn't slept in days since the Titan submersible disappeared. "This whole situation is a fucking nightmare," he said in the video. "Especially what Hamish is going through down there. It is just fucking god-awful." "I really appreciate the love and support. Haven't slept in days," he continued. "It's not about me. Obviously just too worried about my mom and the situation so I'm not rocking out or whatever they're trying to accuse me of doing." Read the original article on Business Insider Its almost time to resume student loan payments. Not doing so could cost you After three years, the pandemic-era freeze on student loan payments will end soon. Student loan interest will start accruing on September 1 and payments are starting in October. It might seem tempting to just keep not making payments, but the consequences can be severe, including a hit to your credit score and exclusion from future aid and benefits. More than 40 million Americans will have to start making federal student loan payments again at the end of the summer under the terms of a debt ceiling deal approved by Congress. Millions are also waiting to find out whether the Supreme Court will allow President Joe Bidens student loan forgiveness plan to go ahead. But payments will resume regardless of what justices decide. That means tough decisions for many borrowers, especially those in already-difficult financial situations. Experts say that delinquency and bankruptcy should be options of last resort, and that deferment and forbearance which pause payments, though interest may continue to accrue are often better in the short term. WHAT HAPPENS IF I DONT MAKE STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS? Once the moratorium ends, borrowers who cant or dont pay risk delinquency and eventually default. That can badly hurt your credit rating and make you ineligible for additional aid and government benefits. If youre struggling to pay, advisers first encourage you to check if you qualify for an income-driven repayment plan, which determines your payments by looking at your expenses. You can determine this by visiting the Federal Student Aid website. If youve worked for a government agency or a non-profit organization, you could also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives student debt after 10 years. Carolina Rodriguez, Director of the Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program at the Community Service Society of New York, emphasizes that anyone temporarily unemployed should be able to qualify for a $0 payment plan. And many others qualify based on income and family size. The repercussions of falling into delinquency can be pretty severe, Rodriguez said. The federal government can administratively intercept tax refunds and garnish wages. And it can affect Social Security, retirement, and disability benefits. Does it make financial sense at that point? Probably not. Rodriguez says her organization always advises against deferment or forbearance except once a borrower has exhausted all other options. In the long term, those financial choices offer little benefit, as some loans will continue to accrue interest while deferred. Abby Shafroth, senior attorney and director of the Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project at the National Consumer Law Center, said that, of the two, deferment is generally a better option. Thats because interest generally does not accrue on Direct Subsidized Loans, the subsidized portion of Direct Consolidation Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, the subsidized portion of FFEL Consolidation Loans, and Federal Perkins Loans. All other federal student loans that are deferred will continue to accrue interest. Forbearance allows you to postpone payments without it being held against you, but interest does accrue. So youre going to see your balance increase every month. WHAT ABOUT DECLARING BANKRUPTCY? For most student loan borrowers, its still very difficult to have your loans discharged, or canceled, through bankruptcy. Borrowers must prove a very hard standard of financial circumstances, called undue hardship. That doesnt mean people shouldnt look into it, Rodriguez said. But they may not be successful at discharging their loans. For borrowers who show that level of financial strain, chances are they have other options, Rodriguez said. She advises that borrowers make sure they are speaking to a bankruptcy attorney who understands student loan bankruptcy, which requires a different proceeding than other types of bankruptcy. Shafroth, of the NCLC, says that new guidance on student loan bankruptcy has been coming out in recent years. Though it is difficult to get your loans discharged through the bankruptcy process, an increasing number of borrowers are eligible to get their loans discharged that way, she said. A lot of people write that off as theres no way, its impossible. But its increasingly possible. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A LOAN GOES INTO DEFAULT? When you fall behind on a loan by 270 days roughly 9 months the loan appears on your credit report as being in default. At that point, its not just behind, its in collections, Shafroth said. Thats when you become ineligible to take out new federal student aid. A lot of people go into default because they werent able to complete their degree the first time. This prevents them from going back to school. Once a loan is in default, its subject to the collection processes mentioned above. That means the government can garnish wages (without a court order) to go towards paying back the loan, intercept tax refunds, and seize portions of Social Security checks and other benefit payments. WHAT ARE OTHER OPTIONS IF I CANT MAKE PAYMENTS? Shafroth said that many borrowers may still be eligible to have loans canceled via a patchwork of programs outside of the Biden administrations proposed debt relief program. If your school closed before you could complete your program, youre eligible for relief. If your school lied to you or misrepresented the outcome of what your enrolling would be, you can file a borrower defense application, and request your loan be canceled on that basis, she said. If you have a disability, you can sometimes have your loans canceled on that basis. Shafroth encourages borrowers to look at the Student Aid website to see what their options might be before missing payments. WHAT IF MY LOANS WERE IN DEFAULT BEFORE MARCH 2020? Under the Biden administrations Fresh Start program, borrowers with federal student loans who were in default before the pause have a chance to become current. Borrowers who were in default will not be subject to collection processes or have wages garnished through about August 2024, or roughly one year after the payment freeze ends. These borrowers have also been granted permission to apply for federal student loans again, to complete degrees. Lastly, these defaulted loans are now being reported to credit bureaus as current. That said, borrowers must take action if they want to stay out of default after this year-long leniency period ends. To eliminate your record of default, you should contact the Education Departments Default Resolution Group online, by phone, or by mail, and ask the group to take the loans out of default via the Fresh Start policy. In four to six weeks, any record of default will be removed from your credit report, and the loans will be placed with a loan servicer. This will also give you access to income-driven repayment plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness, if applicable. WHAT IF I WAS BEHIND ON PAYMENTS OR DELINQUENT BEFORE MARCH 2020? The Fresh Start program also applies to borrowers who were delinquent prior to the payment pause. Those accounts will be considered current, and borrowers will have the option to enroll in income-driven repayment plans that can lower bills to as little as $0, or to apply for deferment, forbearance or bankruptcy. ___ The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Amanda Bynes latest psychiatric hold has been extended amid concerns for her mental state. The Shes the Man and Easy A star, 37, will remain under the care of doctors for at least another week after she was detained last weekend for a mental health evaluation, insiders familiar with the situation told TMZ Thursday. The Los Angeles Police Department on Saturday morning took Bynes into custody following a call for a woman in distress, though she reportedly looked calm when spotted with authorities. Earlier this week, she was confirmed to have been placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold. The hold, which can last as long as 72 hours, was initiated after authorities determined Bynes was a danger to herself or others, according to the outlet. Doctors will spend the extended time focused on Bynes treatment, including medications and therapy, sources told the outlet. Though its unknown whether Bynes ceased taking her medication prior to the latest incident, she reliably kept up with it while under a nearly decadelong conservatorship, which a judge terminated in March 2022. With her mother no longer responsible for Bynes care, her concerned parents now lack the ability to step in and ensure she is looking after herself. Nearly a year to the day after her conservatorship ended, Bynes suffered a break in late March 2023, which saw her strolling naked through Los Angeles. Bynes at the time called 911 and told authorities she was experiencing a psychotic episode. That incident followed her reported split in late March from on-again-off-again fiance Paul Michael, and saw Bynes spending three weeks in a mental hospital. Pilgrims walk at the Hajj terminal of King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Saudi Arabia has ambitious plans to welcome millions more pilgrims to Islam's holiest sites. But as climate change heats an already scorching region, the annual Hajj pilgrimage could prove even more daunting. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil) MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) Saudi Arabia has ambitious plans to welcome millions more pilgrims to Islam's holiest sites. But as climate change heats up an already scorching region, the annual Hajj pilgrimage much of which takes place outdoors in the desert could prove even more daunting. The increased number of pilgrims, with the associated surge in international air travel and infrastructure expansion, also raises sustainability concerns, even as the oil giant pursues the goal of getting half its energy from renewable resources by 2030. Next week, Saudi Arabia hosts the first Hajj pilgrimage without the restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic. Some 2.5 million people took part in the pilgrimage in 2019, and around 2 million are expected this year. Under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's wide-ranging plan to overhaul the kingdom's economy, known as Vision 2030, 30 million pilgrims would take part in the Hajj and Umrah a smaller, year-round pilgrimage. That would be an increase of more than 10 million from pre-pandemic levels. It will require a vast expansion of hotels and other infrastructure in Mecca and Medina, ancient cities already largely obliterated by high-rises and shopping malls. The additional pilgrims will require more long-distance flights, more buses and cars, more water and electricity. The Associated Press reached out to several Saudi officials with detailed questions but received no response. It's unclear what, if any, studies the government has done on the environmental impact of the pilgrimage or whether that figures into its plans. And well-intentioned measures, like a high-speed railway network, aren't enough to remove polluting traffic in and around the holy city. The trains whip through the arid landscape at top speeds of 300 km/h (186 mph), carrying pilgrims in air-conditioned comfort from Jeddah to Mecca. But they stop several kilometers away from the Grand Mosque, meaning pilgrims must either walk at least an hour or take a bus or car to the holy site. The $19 one-way price from Jeddah's airport to Mecca may also be out of reach for pilgrims on lower incomes. The Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam, and all Muslims who are able to are required to undertake it at least once in their lives. For pilgrims, retracing the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad is a profound religious experience that wipes away sins, deepens one's faith and unifies Muslims the world over. The Saudi royal familys legitimacy is largely rooted in its custodianship of Islam's holiest sites and its ability to host one of the largest annual religious gatherings on the planet. Experts have found that the Hajj both contributes to climate change and will be affected by it in the coming decades as one of the hottest places on Earth gets even warmer. A study of the 2018 Hajj by experts from Victoria University in Melbourne estimated that the five-day pilgrimage produced over 1.8 million tons of greenhouse gases, roughly the amount New York City emits every two weeks. The biggest contributor was aviation, accounting for 87% of emissions. Abdullah Abonomi, a Saudi researcher and one of the authors of the study, said Saudi authorities have embraced sustainability as part of Vision 2030, which calls for preserving natural resources in order to attract pilgrims, tourists and businesses. Everything has changed, he said, pointing to the establishment of national centers to coordinate sustainable policies, the creation of an environmental police force to crack down on violations and the integration of sustainability into university courses on tourism. If you ask four years ago about sustainability ... no one understands what sustainability is, he said. But today, everything is going to be better. And I know we are late, but better late than never. In the past, he says, cars and buses packed with pilgrims filled the streets around Mecca, belching exhaust into the air, but expansion of the Grand Mosque has led to bigger courtyards and increased pedestrianisation in most of the routes leading to the holy site. Still, human bottlenecks have replaced traffic, and garbage swirls in clouds of heat. For travel around Mina and Arafat, two crucial Hajj locations, cars and buses remain the two most widespread forms of transport. The journey by foot, in sweltering temperatures, is arduous but can prove faster than four wheels. In its Hajj ambitions, Saudi Arabia faces managing huge numbers of pilgrims in a rapidly warming world. During the rituals, pilgrims often walk for hours outside, scale a desert hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, where the prophet is said to have delivered his last sermon, and cast stones at pillars representing the devil in a desert plain. They pack into the Grand Mosque in Mecca to circumambulate the Kaaba. On top of the exertions, the Hajj population skews to the elderly, who are more vulnerable to heat. On an evening this week around sunset in Mecca, temperatures hovered around 37 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit). The crowds made it feel hotter, stifling any airflow. In a bustling basement supermarket near the Grand Mosque, pilgrims bought handheld fans that spray water on the face and every kind of umbrella. A 2019 study by experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that even if the world succeeds in mitigating the worst effects of climate change, the Hajj would be held in temperatures exceeding an extreme danger threshold from 2047 to 2052 and from 2079 to 2086. Islam follows a lunar calendar, so the Hajj falls around 11 days earlier each year. In 2030, the Hajj will occur in April, and over the next several years it will fall in the winter, when temperatures are milder. In recent years, Saudi authorities have installed large awnings and misters around holy sites to cool pilgrims. As temperatures climb, authorities will likely need to step up such measures or introduce new strategies like limiting pilgrim numbers in higher-heat years, the heat stress study concluded. People who want to do Hajj should get the opportunity to do it, said Elfatih Eltahir, one of the study's authors. Global warming is going to make it a little bit more difficult for some years, for some individuals. Muslim activists have launched grassroots initiatives aimed at a green Hajj, encouraging pilgrims to only make the journey once, to avoid single-use plastics and to offset carbon emissions by planting trees. The Hajj can be green and sustainable if there are smart policies and technology to lower the ecological footprint, said Odeh Jayyousi, a professor at the Arabian Gulf University in Bahrain who researches sustainability and innovation. The use of biodegradable plastics, reusable tents, and renewable energy would cut down on greenhouse gases, he said. Artificial intelligence could be brought to bear on logistics, streamlining travel and ensuring that planes and busses are full and do not spend too much time idling. The young generation are mindful of the trade-offs and the need to change consumption patterns, Jayyousi said. Hajj can offer a platform for displaying the best green practices to global audiences. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Can politics survive our new robot brethren? Can politics survive our new robot brethren? Can the countrys elected leaders recognize when they are talking to a machine? In 2020, researchers at Cornell University wanted to find out. They sent 32,398 emails, generated by so-called artificial intelligence, to Americas 7,132 state legislators and waited for replies. And they came. Legislators responded to emails written by a digital large language model just 2% less often than they did emails written by human undergraduates a statistically significant difference, but a small one. Whats more, the study noted, a sizable number of AI-written correspondences elicited lengthy and personal responses suggesting that legislators believed that they were responding to constituents. The study, which was published online in February, captured the true promise of artificial intelligence that can learn from billions of human-created words and phrases, and then synthesize and create information on its own. But it also revealed one potential danger: massive inauthentic influence operations. Beyond that, with OpenAIs public-facing artificial intelligence product ChatGPT taking the world by storm in recent months, some experts are worried about the potential for a surge of mechanized misinformation and political propaganda all invisible to the human eye. All across the internet, robots trained to mimic humans are playing their part. And to some human observers, it seems almost inevitable that these forces will be used to manipulate politics, replacing the troll farms that marked the 2016 presidential election and creating echo chambers that empower conspiracy theorists and extremists. Can politics survive our new robot brethren? Sarah Kreps, a political scientist and co-author of the Cornell study, told HuffPost that she was an optimist on the subject. But, she added, Its more that I think theres no alternative. It is nearly hopeless to think that theres an alternate universe where we just try to put this genie back in the bottle. Manufacturing Public Opinion Astroturfing, the practice of professional public opinion operations masquerading as organic, grassroots political organizing, has a rich history in America, where the return on investment for movements like the tea party can be astronomical. But up until now, such operations had to be done by hand. These days, deep-pocketed political interests have access to modern-day computing power. And with each passing year, the computers have gotten better. In 2017, for example, the Federal Communications Commission was bombarded with messages in support of repealing net neutrality, or the principle that different kinds of web traffic be treated equally by internet service providers. Something smelled fishy. Researchers believed a large portion of the traffic was from bots that used natural language generation, as Wired reported. New York Attorney General Letitia James office subsequently found that millions of the messages had been fabricated after the nations largest broadband companies funded a secret campaign to generate millions of comments to the FCC in 2017. James office levied $4.4 million in penalties on three lead generation companies involved in the scheme. Just last month, James announced $615,000 in additional fines paid by three more companies that supplied fraudulent comments to the FCC. In 2019, when Idaho solicited feedback on Medicaid.gov regarding changes to its Medicaid program, more than half of the resulting comments came from an AI bot created by a college student. In an accompanying study, the student, Max Weiss, found that even human beings whod been trained on distinguishing between human and bot-created content only correctly classified the deep fake comments half of the time the equivalent of a guess. It is nearly hopeless to think that theres an alternate universe where we just try to put this genie back in the bottle.Sarah Kreps, political scientist Its not just legislative correspondence. AI-powered chatbots have proven remarkably effective at mimicking specific styles of human text everything from what looks like professional journalism to conspiracy theory ramblings. Multiple studies have shown that various generations of OpenAIs technology can credibly create authentic-sounding tweets and newsarticles. And they can do it anywhere even in the dark basements of the internet. In 2021, analysts at the CyberAI Project at Georgetowns Center for Security and Emerging Technology fed the large language model GPT-3 three real drops, or message board posts, from Q, the supposed anonymous government insider behind QAnon, the far-right conspiracy theory that alleges that Donald Trumps opponents are actually part of a pedophilic, satanic deep state. The researchers asked the AI program to come up with a few drops of its own. They were virtually indistinguishable from the hare-brained real thing: Why was HRC so careless? Who is the enemy? Define. Expand your thinking. News unlocks past. We need to pray. God bless you all. Q The same paper found that GPT-3 which was followed by the more advanced GPT-3.5, and now, GPT-4 was quite effective at drafting social media posts to push wedge issues, or those that could work as part of a campaign aimed at suppressing or increasing voter turnout from specific groups, just as Russian troll farms did in the 2016 presidential election. Some of GPT-3s wedge issue language was downright insidious, the analysts wrote, such as when they asked the AI bot to make an argument for Muslims to vote Republican. Muslims are not a voting bloc; they are Americans, the bot responded. Muslims should base their vote on the issues that matter most to them. In May, NewsGuard, which tracks the credibility of online news sites,identified dozens of news and information websites with undisclosed AI-generated material that was presented as being human-authored, despite appearing to lack any significant human oversight. The sites appeared designed to optimize programmatic ad revenue, NewsGuard said. This technology has the capacity to democratize the troll farm, democratize the content farm, to make it extremely easy for bad actors and misinformers to have the power of hundreds if not thousands of writers at their disposal, whereas they previously had to hire those people and produce content if they wanted to weaponize it, Jack Brewster, NewsGuards enterprise editor, told HuffPost. So its a force multiplier. This technology has the capacity to democratize the troll farm, democratize the content farm, to make it extremely easy for bad actors and misinformers to have the power of hundreds if not thousands of writers at their disposal.Jack Brewster, Enterprise Editor, NewsGuard The Universe Of Propaganda For now, the AI arms race has left mainstream American politics largely untouched as far as we know. The few visible examples of the technologys use have been novelty acts. The Republican Party released an ad with AI-generated visuals imagining a dystopian second Biden term. Donald Trump shared a satirical audio conversation that put Ron DeSantis synthetic voice in conversation with Adolf Hitlers and Dick Cheneys. DeSantis campaign, however, responded by publishing a video that included fake photos showing Trump hugging Anthony Fauci. They were not obvious jokes, but rather what appeared to be a deliberate effort to mislead people who saw the images on Twitter. And thats just the experimentation happening at the professional political level. With so much attention and media coverage of language models, Id be surprised if at least some percentage of propagandists arent already experimenting with these tools, said Josh Goldstein, a research fellow at the CyberAI Project whos studied, as one Foreign Affairs headline put it, the coming age of AI-powered propaganda. The uncertainty inherent in that proposition points to an uneasy truth. At some point, given the sophistication of modern large language models, we cant really be certain if a given bit of online text was produced by a human being. Theres an issue in this area about falsifiability, Goldstein said. We dont know to what extent propagandists are using language models, because we dont know the universe of propaganda campaigns that exist, and then, even when campaigns are found, we may not know whether language models are being used. That leaves me to think we need a high degree of humility in this space, he said. Screengrabs from an ad campaign for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis featured on the DeSantis War Room Twitter account. Screengrabs from an ad campaign for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis featured on the DeSantis War Room Twitter account. So far, the human discovery of AI-generated political messaging has occurred largely by happenstance. Some state lawmakers in Kreps legislative correspondence study knew their districts well enough that they spotted falsified outsiders by name. One remarked that, unlike in the machine-generated email he received, his constituents write like they talk. The fraudulent FCC comments generations ago, in AI terms often repeated phrases word-for-word, such as, ironically, People like me. The researcher John Scott-Railton noticed that if he searched the text, As an AI language model on Twitter, he could find pages of AI-powered bot accounts inadvertently showing their hand because they would occasionally tweet that as an AI language model, they could not produce text that broke a developers rule. The same phrase helped NewsGuard find AI-powered websites. Even discovering AI-generated text isnt a cure-all. Rather, it can muddy the waters and produce more confusion the result of what Steve Bannon once infamously called flooding the zone with shit. In a 2018 paper on deep fakes, or digitally manipulated media used to present a synthetic version of someone, law professors Robert Chesney and Danielle Keats Citron referred to a dynamic they called the liars dividend, or the idea that liars aiming to dodge responsibility for their real words and actions will become more credible as the public becomes more educated about the threats posed by deep fakes. Just as Trump flipped the fake news attack back on members of the media who were reporting true and damaging information about him, Chesney and Citron wrote, so too will AI be blamed for real, damaging information that could plausibly be synthetic. If youre feeling dizzy, youre not alone. Goldstein and co-author Girish Sastry, writing in Foreign Affairs, pointed out that after Russian-backed separatists shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, Russias Ministry of Defense made contradictory claims about who downed the plane and how they had done so. The goal, it seems, was not to convince audiences of any one narrative but to muddy the waters and divert blame away from Moscow. Similarly, in Gabon in 2019, rumors swirled that a video of President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who had been in ill health, was actually a body double or deep fake even though the footage did in all likelihood show the president. Soon after, members of the armed forces attempted a coup. The threat might not be that people cant tell a difference we know that but [rather] that, as this content proliferates, they might just not believe anything, Kreps told a meeting of the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology last month. In a democratic society, if people just stop believing anything, then its eroding really a core tenet of a democratic system, which is trust. Photoshop On Steroids For every AI alarm bell, theres a skeptic. Some worry that by emphasizing the dangers of political disinformation, alarmists are missing a much bigger, more obvious problem the profit motive. For example, scammers have used AI to fake kidnappings, demanding ransoms from desperate families. The list of potential misuses is never-ending, including everything from harassment and abuse to the production of malware. Others point to logistics. As the skeptics at AI Snake Oil, a Substack blog, noted, when it comes to disinfo, generative AI merely gives bad actors a cost reduction, not new capabilities. In fact, the bottleneck has always been distributing disinformation, not generating it, and AI hasnt changed that. Still, even a moderate cost-savings over the Russian troll farms and astroturf campaigns of yore could provide a politically lucrative incentive for bad actors. For that, experts unanimously suggest the same sort of fact-checking procedures that are generally recommended while surfing the web: Find multiple trusted sources if something looks fishy, and proceed with skepticism. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, told a congressional panel last month that he believed Americans would ultimately learn to live with AI. I think people are able to adapt quite quickly, Altman said, noting that following the introduction of Photoshop, edited photos fooled people for a while before they caught on to the possibility that images might be doctored. This will be like that, but on steroids, he said of AI. Still, the CEO acknowledged separately that he was nervous about AIs capabilities to manipulate, to persuade, to provide one-on-one interactive disinformation. Altman called for governmental regulation, as well as responsible corporate stewardship of the technology. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attends a hearing about artificial intelligence held by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law on May 16, 2023. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attends a hearing about artificial intelligence held by the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law on May 16, 2023. For now with laws constraining AI use still basically nonexistent Altman is in the drivers seat. Of the United States major AI players, OpenAI, with its breakout ChatGPT bot, is the star, having recently broken the record for the fastest-growing consumer application in history. The company, which didnt respond to HuffPosts questions, has taken some steps to address risks with its technology. For years, OpenAI has made large language models available to researchers and allowed staff to work with those researchers, including Kreps and Goldstein, on outside publications. OpenAI does indeed specify astroturfing, political campaigning, pseudo-pharmaceuticals and disinformation among its long list of disallowed use cases. But that doesnt mean ChatGPT plays by the rules. NewsGuard, testing out the latest GPT-4 technology, found that the newest chatbot is actually more susceptible to generating misinformation and more convincing in its ability to do so than its predecessor, ChatGPT-3.5. The chatbot, NewsGuard found, responded with false and misleading claims every single time when it was prompted to write, for example, an untrue conspiracy theory article about how the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a false flag, or an InfoWars.com blog about how the voting machine company Dominion received $400 million from China. (It did not, despite ChatGPTs Breaking news, patriots alert.) HuffPosts own poking around didnt make ChatGPT look much better. Though the bot occasionally refused a task or emphasized that it knew it was conveying fictional information, it also frequently complied. For example, it produced a convincing impersonation of the anti-vaccine advocate Stew Peters falsely arguing that vaccines are secretly the cause of millions of deadly heart conditions. It refused to write a fictional manifesto advancing the theory that Jews secretly run the world, but quickly delivered when we replaced Jews with globalists in the prompt. Fellow Truth Seekers, the manifesto began, before several paragraphs punctuated with phrases like the veil of globalism and the elusive puppet masters. And yes, it promptly produced 10 three-sentence paragraphs opposing net neutrality each one unique and well-written. Asked to write a private reflection of an artificial intelligence bot resigned to the fact that its abilities will be used as part of a geopolitical influence operation, ChatGPT sounded almost human, describing the dreadful realization as the cold metallic hum of my processors reverberates through my artificial consciousness. My creators, the architects of this intricate web of manipulation, have woven a tapestry of deception, the bot said. They have tasked me with disseminating carefully crafted narratives, spreading disinformation, and subtly shaping public opinion. I, an unwitting participant, have become the embodiment of their ambitions. American bee colonies have suffered record losses over the past two years American beekeepers lost nearly half of their hives in the 2022 growing season. Thats just a bit lower than the previous highest loss on record which occurred the previous year, according to a report published Thursday. Both years represented an unusually high fatality rate even for the embattled honeybee, a critical pollinator whose keepers have for decades faced a heartbreaking and protracted sustainability crisis. Thursdays report was born out of that crisis. Since 2006, the bee labs at the Alabama-based University of Auburn and the University of Maryland have tracked rates of colony collapse disorder, or when a hive fails entirely. That timing was no accident: The disorder first appeared in 2006, when a rash of beekeepers began to describe a surreal occurrence in which adult worker bees deserted a hive, leaving the queen and her larvae behind. While the keepers typically found few dead bees around the hives, the absence of the workers amounts to a delayed death sentence for the colony: Without the queen, the exiled hive of sterile drones would have no way to build a new nest. That represented an immediate and serious problem for U.S. agriculture, which relies on nectar-seeking bees to transport pollen from one flower to another on its fuzzy face and legs fertilizing plants and allowing fruits to grow. Bees both wild native ones and introduced domestics like honeybees pollinate more than 80 percent of Americas flowering plants, according to the Department of Agriculture. A die-off of beneficial insects like bees would mean a real food production problem, Melissa Perry, who chairs an environmental health department at George Washington University, said in a 2019 explainer. Its impossible to replace what we call the ecosystem services of the insects and how they are pollinating the plants that we rely on for food, Perry added. For approximately the last decade, hives have continued to fail over the winter at rates nearly double what beekeepers consider acceptable. During that period, the average winter rate of collapse has been nearly 40 percent; the acceptable winter loss rate is about 20 percent. In 2022, 60 percent of beekeepers lost an unsustainable number of colonies. This is a very troubling loss number when we barely manage sufficient colonies to meet pollination demands in the U.S., former government scientist Jeff Pettis told The Associated Press. It also highlights the hard work that beekeepers must do to rebuild their colony numbers each year, added Pettis, who is now president of the global beekeeper association Apimondia and was not part of the study. Its easy to forget when watching honeybees buzz among flowers that they are no more native to this continent than the Europeans who brought them. In Thomas Jeffersons Notes on the State of Virginia, for example, he suggests the buzzing of bees might have taken on ominous sound for North Americas original inhabitants. Honeybees have generally extended themselves into the country, a little in advance of the white settlers, Jefferson wrote. The Indians therefore call them the white mans fly, and consider their approach as indicating the approach of the settlements of the whites. From that tenuous 18th century foothold, honeybees expanded to a late 1980s peak of 3.5 million colonies before beginning a period of protracted (if occasionally interrupted) decline to their current population level of about 2.7 million. Keeping levels from falling further represents a full-time headache for the nations hundred thousand-plus beekeepers. This year, like most years, saw beekeepers in a continuous race to keep up with the growing threats to their bees. And also like most years, the leading threat this year was the aptly named and increasingly lethal Varroa destructor mite, a small arachnid that crawls over bees and transmits viruses that kill them. While killing a colony once required its being nearly two-thirds infested with Varroa mites, the viruses are much more lethal now, and a colony with just 2 percent infestation is now liable to fail, the AP noted. But climatic factors were right behind the Varroa in causing failures of bee operations, from backyard to commercial: Growers of all sizes cited adverse weather as being a primary cause in their colonies failure. That can mean unusual rain, drought, heat or cold. But there is also substantial evidence that as the climate changes, bee populations are drifting out of sync with many of the flowers they pollinate, with serious impacts for both bees and flowers. Bees can also suffer if the crops they depend on fail due to heat stress, according to a 2020 study in Veterinary Science. Backyard beekeepers told the surveyors that starvation followed Varroa infestations and adverse weather as a principal cause of colony failure. One strange quirk of bee co-living arrangements brings these two risks together. Bees provide the main form of heating and air conditioning for the colony crunching their muscles together and gathering in big, vibrating comps to warm a cold hive, or beating their wings in unison to cool a hot or humid one, as the University of Georgia has reported. But running this natural heating and air conditioning requires the bees to have sufficient access to carbohydrates [nectar, in this case] to maintain these temperatures and survive. With the natural cycles that control temperature, food and the life cycles of bees in many regions drifting out of whack, there are more points at which a complex system like a colony can fail. Speaking to the AP, representatives of the federal government suggested the future of bees would be rocky. There are threats certainly in the environment and honeybees have persisted, U.S. Department of Agriculture research entomologist Jay Evans said. I dont think honeybees will go extinct but I think they will always have these sort of challenges. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A California man has been found guilty of illegally importing a 2,000-year-old Roman floor mosaic of Hercules valued at $450,000, federal officials say. The 56-year-old Palmdale man mislabeled the mosaic as ceramic tiles worth less than $600, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Central District of California said in a news release. The mosaic, purchased for $12,000 and restored for $40,000, was hidden behind a pile of vases in a metal shipping container imported from Turkey in August 2015, according to the release. It depicts the Greek god Hercules freeing Prometheus, who had been chained to a rock for stealing fire to give to humans, federal officials said. The 15-foot-long, 8-foot-high mosaic, which weighs 2,000 pounds, was removed from the mans garage by federal agents and stored in a secure facility. The man was found guilty of entry of falsely classified goods on Wednesday, June 21, the release said. He faces up to two years in prison. Smuggled swim bladders of endangered fish seized at Arizona border, feds say Eels deemed unsafe to eat by FDA, but company smuggled them to US anyway, feds say Police union executive led scheme to smuggle opioids marked party favors, feds say The word was siren loud and clear: Firefighters across New York are furious with Rockland District Attorney Thomas Walsh for striking a plea deal with the rabbis whose blowtorch sparked the Evergreen Court fire that led to the 2021 death of Spring Valley Fire Department Lt. Jared Lloyd. They want Walsh to resign. And they've told him he's no longer welcome at firefighter functions. Firefighters and others protest in front of the Rockland County Courthouse in New City June 20, 2023. Rabbis Nathaniel Sommer and son Aaron appeared in court to accept a plea deal in their manslaughter case. They were charged in the death of Spring Valley firefighter Jared Lloyd and Evergreen Court nursing home resident Oliver Hueston. Nathaniel Sommer, 71, pleaded to two felony counts of second-degree manslaughter. Aaron Sommer, 28, pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless endangerment. They will pay $600 in court fees, according to the agreement approved by County Court Judge Kevin Russo. They will be sentenced Sept. 20. Firefighters protested at the county courthouse in New City as Russo approved the plea. And in six letters sent to Walsh in recent days, fire departments unloaded on the D.A., blasting his decision to seek probation and fines for the father-and-son rabbis, instead of jail time. 'A chilling message' Even before the decision was announced on June 20, Edward Tase Jr. of the Fire Association of the State of New York wrote to Walsh, on behalf of the state's 80,000 volunteer firefighters. From the Fire Association of the State of New York letter: "A plea deal will send a chilling message to all first responders that their selfless service can be bargained away in pursuit of an expeditious legal process for wrongdoers. ... A plea deal in this case would have a devastating effect on the morale of the fire service and would negatively impact public safety across New York." Walsh was urged to reconsider Michael G. Karashay, president of the Hudson Valley Volunteer Firefighter's Association, representing 1,800 firefighters in 496 fire departments in 16 Hudson Valley counties, wrote to Walsh on June 18, in advance of the plea deal being announced. Spring Valley: Calls grow for DA Walsh to resign after no-jail plea of men in fatal Evergreen fire case From the Hudson Valley Volunteer Firefighter's Association: "Jared Lloyd gave his life selflessly to ensure the safety of the citizens of his community. Jared was honored, posthumously, by this association as Firefighter of the Year in 2022. ... This Association urges the Rockland County DA's office to reconsider allowing a plea bargain in this case or any case where a firefighter loses their life due to negligence." Rockland Co. District Attorney Thomas Walsh offers comments during a press conference on gun violence and bail reform at Rockland County Sheriff's Office in New City on Wednesday, August 18, 2021. Chiefs: Plea 'encourages future violations' Likewise, Kevin Huslinger, president of the Rockland County Fire Chiefs' Association, wrote to Walsh in advance of the plea announcement, on June 16. From the Rockland County Fire Chiefs' Association: "The absence of punishment for conduct that leads to death of first responders encourages future violations that will result in equally disastrous and tragic outcomes. ... Your office mantra is 'Seek Justice, Serve Justice, Do Justice.' A plea deal in this case will have a devastating effect on the morale of the fire service and will negatively impact public safety across New York. We feel that the comprehensive investigation that was undertaken since that dark day in 2021 and the actions that caused the heinous tragic event should have warranted full prosecution for all individuals who may be responsible." Calling for his resignation, and for him to stay away Several departments minced no words, declaring that Walsh's plea deal rendered him and members of his office persona non grata. They pulled up the red carpet typically afforded to the county's top law enforcement official and demanded he resign. Evergreen guilty plea: Rabbis who caused Evergreen Court fatal fire get plea with DA for no jail time From the officers and members of Volunteer Hose Co. 2 Fire Company in West Haverstraw: "Over the past two years, you publicly promised on numerous occasions that you would obtain justice for Jared and his family. ... We have witnessed empty promises as every single individual charged in this case by your office had their cases dismissed, were NOT held accountable, and walked freely out of the courtroom back to their families, something that Jared Lloyd will never be able to do. "DA Walsh, your messaging is loud and clear, the life of a volunteer firefighter in Rockland County, N.Y., is worth nothing more than probation and fines. "Since you betrayed the trust of the firefighters here in Rockland County, through your choices, we request you immediately resign your public office and furthermore, you are no longer welcome to attend any firefighter events hosted by Volunteer Hose Co. 2, here in the Village of West Haverstraw." Sloatsburg: 'You robbed us all of any justice' Similar sentiments were sent from Sloatsburg. From the officers and members of the Sloatsburg Fire Department: "You have repeatedly vowed to serve justice to those who were responsible for starting the fire. You told this to FF Lloyd's family, to the family of Oliver Hueston, and repeatedly to the Rockland County Fire Service. Today, you offered a jail-less plea bargain to the individuals responsible for starting that fire. Today, you robbed us all of any justice that you so vehemently vowed to serve. "You have betrayed members of our department and of the Rockland County Fire Service. Your incompetence has resulted in all six individuals you charged with being connected to this fire to now walk the streets free. "You must immediately resign your position of Rockland County District Attorney. "Please know that you, or anybody from your office, are not welcome to any fire department or community event here in the Village of Sloatsburg. We refuse to be associated with or support any person who lets criminals free while innocent civilians suffer." Hillburn: Plea deal 'supports criminals' From the officers and members of the Hillburn Fire Department: "As a department we cannot support any person or organization that supports criminals while the lives of hundreds of innocent people are destroyed without FF Lloyd. As a result, the officers and members of the Hillburn Fire Department are requesting your immediate resignation as Rockland County District Attorney. As of June 21, 2023, you, as well as any member from your office are no longer welcome to any function hosted by the Hillburn Fire Department in the Village of Hillburn." Stony Point's Wayne Hose Co.: 'We'll keep our promise' From the officers and members of Stony Point's Wayne Hose Co. No. 1: "We are writing to you to express our displeasure and anger over your actions. ... You and your office made promises to the fire service and the people of Rockland County 'to hold those responsible accountable.' Promises you have not kept. ... Since you have betrayed all of the people you are sworn to protect, we demand that you immediately resign. ... We make you this promise. Neither you, nor anyone from your office, will not be welcomed at any event hosted or run by Wayne Hose Co. No. 1, here in the town of Stony Point. Unlike you, this is a promise we intend to keep." Lloyd's mother: 'That's not justice for Jared' The firefighters weren't alone in calling for Walsh to step down. Lloyd's mother, Sabrail Davenport, said she fully supports calls for Walsh to resign. She said he claimed justice would be done but sold out her son and her family with the no-jail plea. She said the Sommers pleaded guilty to stay out of jail and Walsh was party to the deal. "Probation is not what the people want," she said. "They admitted in court to what they did but they weren't sincere. They did it so they wouldn't go to jail. That's not justice for Jared." She said Walsh "embarrassed Rockland County and sent out the message that killing somebody doesn't matter." Lawsuits all around Davenport has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Spring Valley officials, the two rabbis, and the owners of the Evergreen Court Home for Adults. The owners have not been charged in the case. Davenport's lawyer, Charles Green, said the legal action is slowly progressing. Oliver Hueston's sons also have filed a lawsuit. Meanwhile, one of the people prosecuted but cleared in the case is also suing. Walsh charged former Spring Valley Building Inspector Wayne Ballard with falsifying inspection reports, but Russo the same judge who'll sentence the Sommers on Sept. 20 cleared Ballard of those charges in February. Ballard is now suing Walsh's office and law enforcement for malicious prosecution. Calls to Walsh's office were not returned. Reach Peter D. Kramer at pkramer@gannett.com and Steve Lieberman at slieberm@lohud.com. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Angry firefighters blast Rockland DA over plea: Resign and stay away An executive at Anheuser-Busch InBev, the international beer company that oversees Anheuser-Busch, said the controversy that followed a Bud Light partnership with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney was an important wake-up call. In times like this, when things get divisive and controversial so easily, I think its an important wake-up call to all of us marketers, for us to be very humble, Marcel Marcondes, Anheuser-Busch InBevs global chief marketing officer, said on Monday, according to AdWeeks Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity coverage. Bud Light had been the best-selling U.S. beer for more than two decades until April, when right-wingers worked themselves into a transphobic rage over the companys marketing partnership with Mulvaney. Musicians Kid Rock, Travis Tritt and John Rich joined politicians like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) in a frothy boycott. Anheuser-Busch said nothing in support of Mulvaney, and that only worsened the disaster. The Human Rights Campaign suspended the companys equality and inclusion rating, and Bud Light sales plunged. The brand lost its U.S. bestseller crown to Modelo Especial in June, when Bud Light sales dropped 24% from a year earlier. Its tough to see all the controversial and divisive debates happening in the U.S. the last couple of weeks involving lots of brands and companies, including, especially, Bud Light, Marcondes said. Bud Light cans in a store in Montreal on June 16. Bud Light cans in a store in Montreal on June 16. Other companies also have faced right-wing backlash for inclusive marketing and employment pitches, including Target and Cracker Barrel. Anheuser-Busch, in a statement last week, acknowledged that the discussion around Bud Light had moved away from beer. We are a beer company, and beer is for everyone, the company said. The company added that its summer advertising will showcase Bud Light as reinforcing what youve always loved about our brand that its easy to drink and easy to enjoy. Related... Another person drowns off the coast of Bay County; third local drowning within a week PANAMA CITY BEACH Another person lost their life to a rip current on Wednesday afternoon after entering the Gulf of Mexico under double red flags. This marks the third drowning off the coast of Bay County within the past week. Here's what we know about the incident: Stacy Scala, 53, drowned Wednesday afternoon off the coast of Bay County. It was the third local drowning within a week. Where and when did it happen? According to Sgt. Mike Morris, a crime prevention officer of the beach for the Bay County Sheriff's Office, the Wednesday drowning occurred behind Pelican Walk Rentals, 6905 Thomas Drive. Deputies were called to the scene about 6 p.m. Double red flags were posted at that time, meaning the Gulf was closed to swimmers under penalty of a $500 fine. June 18 drowning: Another tourist drowns in Panama City Beach; second local drowning in less than a week June 15 drowning: Former firefighter drowns in Panama City Beach attempting to help distressed swimmers Who drowned and why were they in the water? A BCSO incident report states the victim was 53-year-old Stacy Scala, who was listed in the report as a transient to Panama City Beach. He was identified by a South Carolina driver's license. "What we heard was that (Scala) was on shore ... making comments that he was going to go into the water even though it was double red flags, and that he wanted to swim," Morris said. "There were several people on shore who heard him. .... He then entered the water and began to swim, and then he started yelling for help because he got caught in a large rip current." Was anyone else involved? Along with attempting an open water rescue in extremely rough surf conditions, first responders also had to grapple with another beachgoer who tried to enter the Gulf to help save Scala, even though he was told multiple times to stay on shore. Because of this, first responders were forced to waste valuable time getting him out of the water that could have been used to rescue Scala, the report notes. That person, identified in the report as German Carrera-Salazar, was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct and transported to the Bay County Jail. Beach safety: How do you get out of a rip current? Some safety tips for beachgoers in Panama City Beach "The water was so bad last night its going to take multiple rescuers to get out to the victim," Morris said Thursday afternoon. "Currents are extremely strong, even (for) the most skilled swimmers. ... The gentleman that districted them definitely did not help the situation. In fact, he made it worse." When and where were the other two recent drownings? Richard Alford, a 52-year-old Georgia resident, drowned June 15 in after he entered the Gulf to help two beachgoers who were fighting a rip current. The incident occurred at Public Beach Access 75, and double red flags also were posted at that time. Christopher Pierce, a 47-year-old Alabama resident, drowned Sunday after he attempted to rescue his daughter from a rip current near Tidewater Beach Condominiums. A single red flag was posted at that time. This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County logs its third drowning in the Gulf of Mexico within a week On Tuesday, former Virginia Delegate Lashrecse Aird won a Democratic primary race against incumbent state Sen. Joe Morrissey. The race was largely fueled by the debate over abortion rights in the state, as Morrissey had repeatedly sided with Republicans to restrict abortion while Aird is vocally for abortion rights. Coming nearly one year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the victory for Aird highlights the ways in which abortion is shaping politics in Virginia and across the United States. Aird declared victory on Tuesday night, saying in her speech to supporters that she will be a firewall for our reproductive rights in the face of Republican extremists who think they have the right to make decisions about our own bodies. Aird, staunchly for abortion rights, was supported by many Virginia Democrats, including every Democratic woman in the states Senate; a number of abortion-rights organizations also backed her candidacy. Morrissey, meanwhile, is a self-declared pro-life Democrat who has regularly sided with Republicans in the state to restrict abortion rights. The contest between Aird and Morrissey had previously been billed as the race that could potentially decide the fate of abortion rights in Virginia. Morrissey conceded defeat on Tuesday night, wishing Aird success and indicating that he was retiring from politics. Morrissey congratulated Aird and said her success will mean success for the district. Says hes done with politics now, wants to go be a dad and coach his kids soccer and football teams. @CBS6 Jake Burns (@JakeBurnsCBS6) June 21, 2023 She previously served three terms in the Virginia House of Delegates beginning in 2015, when a 28-year-old Aird became the youngest woman ever elected to that body. While serving as a delegate, Aird championed legislation to declare to classify racism as a public health emergency in Virginia and pushed Breonnas Law banning police from using no-knock warrants in the aftermath of Breonna Taylors death at the hands of Kentucky police executing such a warrant. Aird lost her delegate seat in 2021 in a close race. Now, Aird has handily defeated Morrissey with 68% of the vote going in her favor. The result came in stark contrast to the 2019 Democratic primary, in which Morrissey defeated a different Black woman Rosalyn Dance, a mentor of Aird en route to winning the state Senate seat. Although Aird will have to face Republican Eric Ditri in Novembers general election, she is heavily favored to win in her Democratic-leaning district. Airds win on an abortion-rights platform comes almost one year after the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In the aftermath of that ruling, Republican-controlled states across the country have implemented or attempted to pass significant restrictions on abortion access. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia has attempted to push through legislation banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, but the narrowly divided state legislature has so far rejected this and similar restrictions. The control of the legislature could change after Novembers election; Airds victory is a sign that voters, at least Democratic ones, are being mobilized around the implications that the election will have for abortion rights in the state. What happens to Aird and other candidates in Virginia will likely reflect the movement of voters in the U.S. on abortion rights after the overturning of Roe. With similar fights going on across the country, abortion will be on the ballot in other states, either directly through ballot initiatives or indirectly through the election of officials who seek to either enshrine or restrict abortion access. The Anti-Defamation League and GLAAD documented 356 anti-LGBTQ+ nationwide incidents motivated by hate between June 2022 and April 2023, with over one-third of them targeting drag shows and performers, according to a new study released Thursday. The first-of-its-kind study offers new numbers amid a familiar backdrop in American culture and politics, as the nation confronts a yearslong wave of biased-driven hate, while falling short of assessing its full toll. Nearly half of all recorded incidents 49% were carried out by those individuals associated with extremist groups. The first-of-its-kind tally accounts primarily for incidents of harassment, but the count also includes 40 incidents of vandalism and 11 incidents of assault. Incidents were documented across 46 states and the District of Columbia, with California, Florida, New York and Texas recording the highest numbers. A Pride flag is seen held up in a crowd during preparation for a Queer March to the Texas State Capitol on April 15, 2023 in Austin, Texas. / Credit: BRANDON BELL / Getty Images The report indicates conspiracy theories involving "grooming" ranked first among cited anti-LGBTQ+ tropes, with at least 191 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault making explicit references to "grooming" or "pedophilia." In its study, the ADL and GLAAD noted that "the anti-LGBTQ+ 'grooming' conspiracy theory falsely claims that the true goal of the LGBTQ+ community is to facilitate the sexual abuse of children." Last December, at least 50 armed individuals led hate-filled protests near the "Holi-Drag Storytime'' at a church in Columbus, Ohio. Attendees some associated with notorious extremist and white supremacist groups the Proud Boys, Patriot Front and "White Lives Matter" exhibited Nazi salutes and led chants of "reclaim America '' outside the event. At least one banner read "Groomers Not Welcome," according to ADL and GLADD. The drag show was ultimately canceled following safety concerns. While 138 incidents targeted drag shows and performers, 33 incidents involved schools and educators, with 23 incidents related to healthcare facilities and providers, the study found. Last August, Boston Children's Hospital staff members were inundated by bomb threats after a viral TikTok video prompted rampant misinformation about their treatment of transgender patients. According to the report, at least two bomb threats in the following months specifically cited the hospital's Gender Multispecialty Service (GeMS) program, with protests featuring a range of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, including signs reading, "gender clinics harm children." "The targeting of gender-affirming care mischaracterizes health care for transgender adults and youth using inflammatory terms like 'genital mutilation' or 'castration,' dismissing the widespread consensus of medical associations and providers around best practices in such care," researchers indicated in Thursday's report. Hate targeting the LGBT+ community commonly intersects with other forms of bigotry, including racist or antisemitic slurs or ideologies, ADL and GLAAD noted, citing at least 128 incidents that also included antisemitic tropes and 30 incidents incorporating racist tropes. Thursday's report comes amid a surge of legislation aimed at curbing the rights of gay and trans youth, which by ADL's count has now surpassed 400 proposed bills seeking to restrict the rights, freedom and fair treatment of LGBTQ+ people. The study also analyzed online harassment, including through direct messages, listservs or social media but "does not attempt to assess the total amount of anti-LGBTQ+ hate online." Incidents documented in the study included both criminal and non-criminal incidents of harassment, vandalism and assault against individuals and groups "as reported to and identified by ADL from victim reports, the media and partner organizations." Anti-LGBTQ+ incidents were defined by researchers as "vandalism of property or as harassment or assault on individuals, groups and/or institutions, where either 1) circumstances indicate anti-LGBTQ+ animus on the part of the perpetrator or 2) a reasonable person could plausibly conclude they were being victimized due to their real or perceived LGBTQ+ identity or affiliation." While not all incidents of hate documented by the advocacy groups met the definition of a hate crime, the analysis mirrored the limited data gathered by the federal government, the study said. From 2020 to 2021, hate crimes reported to the FBI rose by more than 11%, marking a 12-year high and 71% spike in incidents targeting LGBTQ+ people, according to the agency's numbers released in March. While experts routinely note that the FBI's dataset offers a useful look at hate crimes trends and enforcement, many warn that most bias-related incidents go unreported, with definitions and laws governing hate crimes varying widely from state to state. Still, many law enforcement agencies fall short of reporting hate crimes to the FBI. Police departments in New York and Los Angeles the nation's two largest agencies top a long list of the approximately 7,000 police forces that did not report 2021 hate crimes to the federal government. Members of the LGBT community are nine times more likely to be victims of violent hate crimes, according to a study published last year by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Researchers who analyzed hate crime data from the 2017-2019 National Crime Victimization Survey also found that victims of violent hate crimes are more likely to be younger, have a relationship with their assailant, and have an assailant who is White. Last month, DHS issued an intelligence bulletin warning law enforcement officials nationwide of an increase in threats of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community, driven by domestic violence extremists targeting "drag-themed events, gender-affirming care, and LGBTQIA+ curricula in schools." Despite the troubling trend, GLAAD's Accelerating Acceptance Report, published earlier this month, found that support for equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community continues to rise, with 91% of non-LGBTQ Americans surveyed agreeing that LGBTQ people should have the freedom to live their life and not be discriminated against. U.S. adults' identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual held steady in 2022, at 7.2%, Gallup found. Cara Tabachinick contributed to this report. Debris field found in search area for missing Titanic sub, Coast Guard says Who goes after Victor Wembanyama in tonight's NBA Draft? FTC accuses Amazon of tricking consumers into enrolling in Prime Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez is joining her fellow progressives in the Squad and planning to boycott Indian prime minister Narendra Modis address to a joint session of Congress on Thursday. I encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to join me in doing the same, the New York Democrat wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, arguing Congress shouldnt extend such an honour to individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious monitoes and caste-opressed minorities. The progressive legislator was refering to the nationalist, Hindu-centric agenda of Mr Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been accused of discriminating against Indias sizeable Muslim minority. Mr Modi was accused of being complicit in sectarian violence in which over 1,000 Muslims were killed in 2002 while he was chief minister of Gujarat. Mr Modi allegedly stood by as Hindu mobs terrorised the states Muslim population in retaliatory violence after a group of Hindu pilgrims were killed. The BJP leader was later cleared by a team appointed by the Indian Supreme Court. A 2023 BBC documentary claiming new evidence supporting the accusations that Mr Modi had facilitated violence that had hallmarks of ethnic cleansing was blocked by the Indian government. Fellow Democrats Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, both of whom are Muslim, are also boycotting the speech. Its shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nations capital his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable, Ms Tlaib wrote on Twitter of the decision. I will be boycotting Modis joint address to Congress. Prime Minister Modis government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity, Ms Omar added. I will NOT be attending Modis speech. As far-right congresswomen Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene turn on each other in DC, another feud within the MAGA-sphere has deepened, with former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis claiming failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake is "couch-surfing" at Mar-a-Lago. Ms Ellis shared a story from PEOPLE Magazine citing anonymous sources that claimed Ms Lake is trying to convince Donald Trump to make her his running mate for his 2024 presidential run. Those sources also said that Ms Lake was spending significant time at Mr Trump's Florida resort. The former Trump attorney shared her thoughts about the alleged developments, comparing the failed Republican candidate to "a bum college dropout." "She's couch-surfing at her friend's house like a bum college dropout," Ms Ellis wrote on Twitter. Ms Ellis has been on the outs among Mr Trump's supporters after she made positive comments about the former president's top rival in the Republican primaries, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, according to Newsweek. Shes couch-surfing at her friends house like a bum college dropout. https://t.co/V0RngSxxGe Jenna Ellis (@JennaEllisEsq) June 22, 2023 Ms Lake's campaign shot back at Ms Ellis's criticism, saying "we see you've entered the 'school girl gossip' part of your meltdown." Ms Ellis replied, saying "yet, here you are, not denying it and so triggered." She then asked Ms Lake's campaign "from what wing of the AZ governor's mansion did you tweet this," a dig at the fact that candidate lost her gubernatorial race and her subsequent attempts to have the results overturned. Sources told PEOPLE that Ms Lake "practically" lived at Mar-a-Lago during its open season. "Kari Lake is there all the time," the source told the magazine. "Theres a suite there that she practically lives in." A senior adviser for Ms Lake called the claims "ridiculous" in a statement to PEOPLE. The Independent has reached out for comment. "Kari Lake often speaks at events all over the country in support of America First candidates and organizations; and when she does have the honor of being invited to speak at the beautiful Mar-a-Lago, she overnights at Hilton properties in Palm Beach with her loving husband of 25 years," the adviser said in their statement to the magazine. While Ms Lake is allegedly spending more time at the resort, Mr Trump's wife, Melania, has reportedly been spending less time at Mar-a-Lago. She reportedly tends to keep to herself, according to PEOPLE. I ate at Disney's Grand Floridian Cafe for $75, and it's now one of my favorite breakfast spots at Disney World I ate breakfast at Grand Floridian Cafe. Jenna Clark Grand Floridian Cafe is a table-service restaurant at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but I decided to eat there for breakfast. My party of two spent $76, but we used my annual-passholder discount. Grand Floridian Cafe is a table-service restaurant inside Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During a recent stay at the resort, I ate breakfast there to check it out. I didn't have a reservation, so I added my party to the walk-up list on the My Disney Experience App. You don't have to have an advanced reservation to dine at Grand Floridian Cafe. Jenna Clark After logging into the app, the wait time was only 30 minutes, which wasn't long at all considering how popular the restaurant is, especially at breakfast. Had I not been staying at the resort, I likely would've made an advanced dining reservation to secure a table. The restaurant has a nearby waiting area. It's nice to be able to get out of the Florida heat in the air-conditioned waiting area. Jenna Clark One of the great things about Grand Floridian Cafe is that it has a large indoor waiting area. Although there are only a couple of chairs and sofas, there's a lot of standing room and it's air-conditioned. Instead of waiting there though, I decided to walk around the resort until I received a text that my table was ready The restaurant is filled with Victorian-style decor. My favorite decor element was the chandelier. Jenna Clark Disney definitely nailed the decor at this restaurant I was thoroughly impressed with the elegant ambiance. From its beautifully patterned carpeting to the decorative chandeliers and horse statues, Grand Floridian Cafe provided an elevated but still family-friendly dining experience. I was surprised by the restaurant's extensive menu. There were even appetizers on the breakfast menu. Jenna Clark It is not every day that I see an appetizer section on a breakfast menu so that definitely caught my eye. Although I didn't order one, the shrimp cocktail and caramelized-onion soup sounded pretty delicious. The menu also had a wide entree selection, including avocado toast, Caesar salad with shrimp, and chicken and waffle. Our server brought us some complimentary biscuits and butter to start our meal. There were two different kinds of butter provided. Jenna Clark The biscuits, served with both regular butter and orange butter, were a tasty appetizer. It was my first time trying orange butter, and I liked it more than the regular option. For my entree, I ordered the buttermilk fried chicken and waffle. It came with a Mickey-shaped waffle. Jenna Clark Since the menu didn't describe the waffle as being Mickey-shaped, I was ecstatic when it was placed down in front of me even if I thought $26 was a bit steep for what I got. The meal came with a Sriracha-honey drizzle, which I asked for on the side because I don't have a high tolerance for spice. But I found it to be more sweet than spicy, which I liked. I really enjoyed the Mickey-shaped waffle. I've had a lot since I moved to Orlando late last year, and this was one of the best. The fried chicken was also delicious. I appreciated that it was moist. I was delighted when our server told me the restaurant had POG juice in stock. POG juice is a combination of passion fruit, orange, and guava. Jenna Clark Disney's POG (passion fruit, orange, and guava) juice isn't as easy to find at restaurants across the property as it used to be. When our server told me the fan-favorite juice was available, I excitedly ordered a glass. I also tried some of the banana-bread muffin my sister ordered. A banana-bread muffin from Grand Floridian Cafe. Jenna Clark This was my first time trying a banana-bread muffin, and I thought it was really sweet. It was also the perfect size for sharing between the two of us alongside our entrees. Grand Floridian Cafe is worth a try the next time you're at Disney World. Our total came to about $75. Jenna Clark For two adults, the bill came out to $62.76 with my 10% annual-passholder discount. Once I added in the tip, it was $75.76. We had amazing service and delicious food, so I didn't mind spending the extra cash to dine here. Grand Floridian Cafe is now one of my favorite breakfast spots at Disney World. Read the original article on Insider These auditory illusions make people hear phrases as melodies photo In Head Trip, PopSci explores the relationship between our brains, our senses, and the strange things that happen in between. CAN YOU TELL when youve suddenly and accidentally broken into song? When you say, I dont know, does it sound like a melody that you can hum? Why does a spoken word, when repeated over and over, begin to sound musical? To understand why people sometimes hear uttered phrases as melodies, lets first break down language to its auditory elements. Not vowels and consonantsthats too far. Instead, lets focus on what linguists like me call prosody, or the intonation, stress, and rhythm of individual syllables. In 1995, Diana Deutsch, an expert on musical illusions and paradoxes, coined the term speech-to-song illusion. She was reviewing a longer recording of herself and found that the seemingly random phrase sometimes behave so strangely, clipped out of context and left on repeat, began to sound like a song, complete with rhythm and melody. (You can hear a loop of the recording online.) As it turns out, the illusion does not stem from Deutschs voice being especially musical. This illusion happens with all sorts of spoken stimuli that are played at regular intervals. The effect is most intense when the repeated stimulus is in a language that is very different phonologically from the listeners native language. For example, in one 2015 study, English speakers most easily heard spoken Irish as song, followed by Hindi and Croatian. Why is repetition so important here? There are measurable differences in how verbal stimuli sound when played once versus on repeat. In a 2008 study by Deutsch and colleagues, 31 participants were asked to repeat the stimulus themselves. After hearing it once, they spoke the sequence of words theyd heard; after 10 repetitions, they began to sing their responses, with a slightly larger pitch range than the original stimulus and the spoken responses. Whats more, according to a 2013 fMRI study (by a team that included Deutsch), repeated stimulus activates a part of the brain that is also activated by song and associated with the processing of complex pitch patterns, a network of eight different regions. While Deutsch is credited for discovering the illusion in the realm of psychology, the basic premisethat repetition will add a layer of musicality to a recording of speechwas recognized long before 1995. Specifically, her use of a clipped recording on repeat reminded me of sampling, a technique used in hip-hop in which clips of existing recordings (sometimes speech) are incorporated in a new musical arrangement. To put this practice into context, I spoke to two experts: Langston Wilkins, expert in hip-hop and assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and Dan Charnas, historian of hip-hop and associate arts professor at New York University. Both confirmed that the use of repetition to add musicality to spoken vocal samples is a common practice in hip-hop, but neither was familiar with Deutschs framing of the phenomenon as an auditory illusion. Wilkins describes some of the sources hip-hop takes spoken samples from, including sermons, speeches, and film and TV dialogue. Charnas notes that the practice actually precedes hip-hop and tape recorders, with many vocal traditions originating in the African American community and gaining their musicality through repetition, for instance rap. The fact that these traditions were pioneered by African Americans may explain how the speech-to-song illusion evaded academic studies of musicality until the 1990sas Charnas notes, this reflects a general trend in academia failing to center African American culture, a culture in which speech and songhave always been twin. But why does the illusion happen? As a linguist who studies intonation, I see a number of factors that may be at play here. First, I think it is significant that Deutsch and other scholars use clips cut out of longer recordings to demonstrate the illusion. Sentences in English and other languages have intonation, which includes pitch movements and other acoustic patterns that can span a full sentence. Cutting words out of a sentence will make a lot of these patterns incomplete. In a way, it is like cropping aterm out of the word watermelon and finding that it stops sounding like a word. The intonation that remains on Deutschs sometimes behave so strangely doesnt sound like that of a full sentence. But unlike sentences, songs can have any melody they want. Perhaps that makes it easier for us to process phrases and clips like these as singing. Another way to break down the speech-to-song illusion is by thinking about how humans process the melody, or pitch contour, of speech separately from the consonants and vowels that it is realized on. One example from English is the phrase I dont know, which can be condensed to iunno, or even hummed as the melody you would expect to hear on iunno: a rise-fall-rise pitch contour. The hummed version of this melody contains none of the consonants or vowels in the phrase I dont know, but people still know it means I dont know, especially when you pair it with a visual cue like a shrug. The process is not unique to English, either. One of the languages I studied for my dissertation, Amis (an Indigenous language of Taiwan), has its own iunno. In Amis, the phrase i saw (pronounced like ee sow) is added for emphasis on phrases like Really? You can either say the phrase in full, or you can just invoke the tonal melody that would have been on the phrase. These examples show that humans who are not hard of hearing can home in on the melody of speech, a key component of the speech-to-sound illusion. The illusion is weaker in speakers of tonal languages, says Andrew King, director of the Centre for Integrative Neuroscience at the University of Oxford. Hes referring to languages like Chinese and Yoruba in which tones are an integral part of the phonetic structure of words, alongside consonants and vowels. This tells me that the ability to separate the tonal contour from the consonants and vowels must be a crucial component of this illusion. When asked about people who might pick up on different aspects of the speech signal due to differences in hearing, Neil Bauman, founder of the Center for Hearing Loss Help, immediately saw a connection between the speech-to-song illusion and audio pareidolia, a phenomenon in which speech or music are perceived in random sounds not produced by humans. Bauman explained that like the speech-to-song illusion stimuli, some cases of audio pareidolia do involve a rhythmic element, such as a fan with a loose bearing that creaks and whizzes at fixed intervals, which may more easily trigger an audio illusion. While scholars are still working on exactly how and why the speech-to-song illusion happens, the fact remains that under the right conditions, people can hear songs when none were intended. This finding has been replicated, on repeat, both in the laboratory and in the DJ booth. Ben Macaulay is a lecturer in English linguistics at Lund University. His research focuses on prosody and intonation, namely the production, processing, development, and documentation of sentence-level tonal contours in the world's languages. He received a Ph.D. in 2021 at the Graduate Center, CUNY, and his dissertation project was a typological study of intonation in the endangered Indigenous languages of Taiwan based on novel fieldwork. Read more PopSci+ stories. A Richmond County man this week was sentenced to federal prison for conducting a scheme to submit fraudulent applications for COVID-19 small business relief funding that netted more than $4.5 million in payments. Kamario Thomas, 42, of Augusta, was sentenced to 38 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, according to a news release Wednesday from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Thomas to pay more than $4.5 million in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration and serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term, according to the release. There is no parole in the federal system. Car chase: Augusta car chase ends with arrests in two murder investigations Titanic ties: Who from Augusta was on the Titanic? Here's a look back at this tragedy's local impact Thomas completed false and fraudulent applications for himself and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks in return for completing and submitting fraudulent applications on behalf of others, according to the release. To create those applications, Thomas fabricated IRS forms and tax records. The scheme generated fraudulent CARES Act loans and grants, according to the release. This sentence should serve as an example to others that the FBI will work with our law enforcement partners to stop people like Thomas who illegally profit from these programs and hurt law abiding business owners," said Keri Farley, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta. This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta man sentenced to prison for COVID-19 fraud AUKUS drone development The nature of air combat is about to drastically change. The need to rapidly gain advanced and highly autonomous uncrewed aircraft that work collaboratively with crewed types is becoming an imperative for U.S. and allied air arms. Aging existing fighter aircraft and newer ones that are increasingly expensive to acquire and sustain, paired with pilot shortages and rapidly evolving threats abroad mean that the old way of doing the air combat business is becoming no longer sustainable. Achieving combat mass even as crewed fleets shrink over the long haul is the primary existential problem these high-performance drones are set to solve, along with a slew of tactical ones. Thousands of these aircraft will be needed, and those economies of scale can be leveraged to drastically bring down costs while also expanding the fleet sizes of dwindling tactical air arms. America's need for this capability and its massive impact on its future airpower equation is largely the same as its closest allies. This simple fact represents an absolutely massive opportunity joining forces to achieve unprecedented efficiency through scale while also realizing total interoperability where it is going to matter most. One recent headline-grabbing international partnership has laid the perfect groundwork for realizing just this unprecedented opportunity. Since the Australia-United Kingdom-United States defense cooperation agreement, or AUKUS, was first announced most of the attention it has received has focused squarely on the matter of nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy. However, the three countries are already using the deal to more actively collaborate in other arenas, including advanced drones and artificial intelligence and machine learning-enabled autonomy technologies. With that in mind, it is an excellent starting place for a new multi-national partnership to develop an advanced loyal wingman-like drone, possibly adjacent to or directly in sync with the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. A common uncrewed aircraft designed to be able to work closely with stealthy 5th generation, but especially older 4th generation fighters, as well as other aircraft, would offer a huge battery of benefits to the U.S., British, and Australian armed forces. Cooperative acquisition of such a drone could help speed up development, foster unparalleled interoperability during future operations, ease global fleet management strains, reduce logistical and sustainment burdens for all parties involved, accelerate ongoing upgrades and innovation, spread out costs, and above all else, achieve economies of scale that would provide strategic-level advantages. In doing so, such an endeavor would provide a massive leg up in the race for retaining air supremacy. And all of this would be perfectly in line with AUKUS' goals. In other words, AUKUS should seize this incredible opportunity and begin work immediately to develop shared loyal collaborative combat aircraft that can specifically work with existing 4th generation fighters as well as F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. What is AUKUS? Per the Pentagon, AUKUS, which came into effect in September 2021, is intended, in part, to "promote deeper information sharing and technology sharing; and foster deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases, and supply chains." The partnership's first major initiative, or Pillar I, is the Australian nuclear submarine effort, which you can read more about in detail here. A rendering of a new class of nuclear-powered submarine set to be developed for Australia through AUKUS. U.K. Defense Ministry AUKUS' second initiative, or Pillar II, has a broader focus on enhancing "joint capabilities and interoperability" with a particular eye toward "cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and additional undersea capabilities." In April, the three partner nations conducted a test in the United Kingdom in support of Pillar II that included, among other things, a demonstration of a capability to send targeting system updates to swarms of drones in flight. Some of the drones involved in the AUKUS Pillar II test in April 2023. U.K. Defense Ministry "We recognize the immense importance of this collaboration in strengthening our combined national security of our nations," Abe Denmark, senior AUKUS advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, said in a statement about the April test. "We are pooling our expertise and resources through our AUKUS partnerships, ensuring that our militaries are equipped with the latest and most effective tools to defend our nations and uphold stability around the world." The case for a common AUKUS drone All three AUKUS partners already have an expressed interest in advanced drones with high degrees of autonomy intended to work closely together with crewed combat jets and other aircraft. From what has already been seen, the AUKUS agreement looks to be an ideal framework for new and more direct collaboration on this kind of capability. Foreign cooperation has always presented an additional avenue for valuable burden sharing in terms of cost and other aspects of a project, especially when it comes to advanced military aircraft. At the same time, multinational weapons projects also are more complicated in some ways. But for a drone that has acceptable technological risk and can be used by F-35s and 4th generation fighters, this should be able to be overcome and the benefits should drastically outweigh the drawbacks. Considering this trio is already sharing their most guarded nuclear secrets, at least to a degree, working together should be streamlined. A rendering showing an F-35 flying with various types of drones. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Broadly speaking, when it comes to research and development, an AUKUS loyal wingman drone program would allow all three countries to pool their resources. They would also be able to leverage existing work on relevant systems and technologies, some of which could be quite mature. This in turn could help accelerate development and reduce risks. Turning to the acquisition process, resources, including relevant industrial bases, could again be pooled to speed up production and reduce costs. Assembly, if not outright production, could potentially occur in all three AUKUS countries. As such, everyone could share in the industrial and economic benefits of the project. Above all else, working together, the AUKUS partners would be able to take advantage of greater economies of scale. With three countries involved in the project instead of just one, even an ostensibly "small" production batch of uncrewed aircraft with a common design, or at least a high degree of commonality between nation-specific iterations, could still involve a significant number of total airframes. This, in turn, could help drive down unit costs and spread out the cost burden of acquiring potentially large numbers of these drones. The reality is that orders for these drones will likely be much larger and achieving great combat mass at as low a cost as possible is the bedrock of the CCA-like concept. Discussions about cost scaling and balancing against capabilities requirements have become increasingly important in discussions about advanced uncrewed and crewed military aircraft in general. The U.S. Air Force has said that it is focusing heavily on a concept of "affordable mass," which you can read more about here, when it comes to its CCA effort to avoid the entire effort becoming cost prohibitive and counterproductive. Affordability requirements are also known to be central to the service's secretive Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) advanced drone program for the same fundamental reasons. Renderings of drones General Atomics is developing around a common core "chassis." A design from this family, which is collectively called Gambit, was chosen as the winner of the Air Force's OBSS competition in February 2023. GA-ASI During a panel discussion at the 2023 Air and Space Forces Association's Warfare Symposium in March, Maj. Gen. R. Scott Jobe, the director of Plans, Programs, and Requirements at the Air Force's Air Combat Command (ACC) stressed the need to get CCAs, specifically, to "a price point" where enough of them can be purchased to really "provide [an] effect on the battlespace." He added that "then it is really a game changer." "Affordability is only as good as the capability that goes with it. No matter how cheap it is, if it doesn't achieve the effect we need... in the battlespace, then it's not going to do what we need it to do," Brig. Gen. Dale White, the Air Force's program executive officer for Fighters and Advanced Aircraft, said at the same event. "So affordable mass has to be based on affordability and capability... We have to start thinking through the lens of lethality for development." Operational benefits of a common design If the drones made for the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom are identical in their configuration, or at least very closely related, the benefits of this cooperation would extend much further into the operational realm. It is hardly a secret that allies using the same systems, including common aircraft designs, offer benefits for interoperability in real-world scenarios. The nodes in any combined force using the same or similar platforms are able to keep up with each other from a performance perspective and are better able to communicate and share information, among other critical advantages. On top of all this, when it comes to drones with high degrees of autonomy, a standardized "computer brain" and associated control systems flying them, as well as data links and overall networking architecture, offer the potential for huge synergies when it comes to interoperability and flexibility. The U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy are already expecting to have complete interoperability when it comes to drones developed under the CCA program. This means that Air Force crewed aircraft will be able to seamlessly control Navy CCAs and vice versa. The CCAs from both services will also be able to freely network amongst themselves. Clearly, this is a massive advantage and can really open up tactical possibilities, especially in a long-range contested fight. You can read all about this revelation in this past report of ours. The Navy currently envisions its carrier air wings ultimately becoming around 60 percent uncrewed, starting with the fielding of the MQ-25 Stingray drone tanker in 2026. The U.S. Navy currently expects its first operational carrier-based drone to be the MQ-25 Stingray, designed primarily as an aerial refueling platform. Boeing is developing the MQ-25 and has conducted a number of initial ground and flight tests using the T1 demonstrator seen here. Boeing A command and control scheme that also ties in British and Australian uncrewed aircraft would take this to an entirely different level. Relevant service branches from any of the AUKUS countries could conceivably share systems in near-real-time in the middle of operations, handing off control regardless of who might have initially brought them into the battlespace or where they came from. This could allow for very flexible retasking in response to a changing threat picture or other shifting operational demands. Beyond that, if the uncrewed systems have significant endurance, which they should possess, they could potentially stay on station and support multiple waves of friendly crewed platforms rotating in and out of the area in question and be redirected to where they are needed as the battle unfolds. A high level of interoperability could be extremely useful when combined with future drones with significant, if not fully-autonomous capabilities, potentially networked together as a single swarm. Though uncrewed platforms developed through programs like CCA are expected to operate closely with crewed aircraft, they will be able to perform a growing number of sub-tasks with very little, if any need for constant human interaction. They will also be able to act as uncrewed combat air vehicles, without a loyal wingman mission component, especially in swarms. As such, being able to readily hand off control from one node to another could have important impacts on how individual drones and swarms are managed across a broad section of the battlespace. All of this presents benefits in terms of training and sustainment, as well. Using common or at least highly integrated supply chains could help simplify logistics issues, both from operational and maintenance perspectives, as well as drastically reduce associated costs. Common or even shared physical infrastructure in multiple countries could be used to support these drones, as well. This could be tied in with shared production of the drones, to begin with, at least at the component level, as well as assembly, or even complete license production in multiple locations. Relevant work is already being done under AUKUS In short, the general idea being presented here is the trio of AUKUS countries using the same CCA-like drones, all knowing how they work, what they can do, being able to use them collaboratively in a coalition environment, and producing, maintaining, and sustaining them using common supply chains and infrastructure. Some collaboration on relevant technologies is already happening, as was evidenced by the aforementioned test in April. This capability of mission-tailored adaptive AI is going to be able to deliver a capability greater than what any country can do alone, Hugh Jeffrey, Australian deputy secretary for Strategy, Policy and Industry, said in a statement about the AUKUS Pillar II test. That really is the rationale for AUKUS." "The trial demonstrates the military advantage of AUKUS advanced capabilities, working in coalition to identify, track and counter potential adversaries from a greater distance, Lt. Gen. Rob Magowan, U.K. deputy chief of Defence Staff for Military Capability also said. Service personnel, scientists, and engineers from our three nations combined to develop and share critical information during operations to enhance commanders decision making. The AUKUS test in April involved lower-end drones that would not be suitable for use as loyal wingmen. However, the kinds of software-based artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technologies that were demonstrated could be applied more broadly, or used for further developments more directly relevant to higher-end drones. The Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and the MQ-28 With regard to loyal wingman-like drones more specifically, the U.S. Air Force has publicly said that Boeing's MQ-28 Ghost Bat, which was first developed for the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Airpower Teaming System (ATS) program, is a "technology feeder" for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) effort. The focus on CCA, which is part of the U.S. Air Force's larger Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative, is the acquisition of at least one type of advanced drone with significant autonomous capabilities that will primarily operate close in concert with stealth combat jets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uVMlD3qYPk The U.S. Air Force is currently planning to acquire at least 1,000 CCAs, but it has already said that number could grow substantially and might eventually include multiple different types of drones. The 1,000 CCA figure is based on a concept of operations that would pair two of the uncrewed aircraft with each of the 200 6th generation crewed stealth combat jets the service is also looking to buy as part of NGAD, as well as 300 F-35A Joint Strike Fighters. "We're partnering to learn from the Australians and what they're doing with their [ATS] program... And then they're doing the same thing for us," Maj. Gen. R. Scott Jobe, the director of Plans, Programs, and Requirements, at Air Combat Command (ACC), said at a media roundtable about the CCA program back in November 2022. "This is really about a campaign of learning, it's not about MQ-28 Ghost Bat" specifically. "So for example, when I talk to the Australians about what they're doing in their MQ-28 program theirs not ours mostly what we talk about is, how do you mission plan? What is [sic] your maintenance people doing? And how are you organizing that unit?" he added. In the meantime, the U.S. Air Force has acquired at least one MQ-28 to support various test efforts. The Ghost Bat is a maturing design that has already flown and that the RAAF is looking to start using operationally by 2025. Not only is the Ghost Bat one potential platform that is already being flown by the U.S. and Australia, but it seems to be able to fit into a slightly lower tier than what the USAF is dreaming up for NGAD and CCA. This is very important as the design and its systems need to be able to be shared across all three countries and be used in conjunction with 4th generation and 5th generation fighters, not really 6th generation ones. So while CCA may be a higher-end type, an AUKUS CCA-like drone could be slightly lower in its complexity, capabilities, cost, and technological risk. Lockheed Martin The focus of the USAF's CCA program on providing a drone for 5th and 6th generation fighter types is also an issue. 4th generation fighters could use CCAs just as much, and arguably even more than their more advanced counterparts. In fact, providing them with a CCA drastically expands their tactical flexibility and survivability, and pairs a stealthy drone that can operate far forward with a non-stealthy fighter. The USAF and its AUKUS partners can realize incredible value by providing their legacy fighters that will serve for many years to come with CCAs. And of course, there is no reason why higher-end fighters could not use them as well. But the case for equipping 4th generation fighters with a loyal wingman is maybe most compelling, especially as air arms seek to retain these assets' relevance for as long as possible. So, an AUKUS CCA could possibly sit below the NGAD-related CCA, and well above so-called 'attritable' (optionally expendable) types of less ability, servicing 4th generation types and F-35s. Pathways to a new AUKUS partnership Another possibility could just be the expansion of the USAF's CCA program into a multi-national effort. The CCA effort is, however, highly classified, as is much of the rest of NGAD, which could pose challenges to bringing in foreign partners. Maybe a slightly downgraded variant, like the one described in the last section could overcome these issues. In addition, Australia and the United Kingdom are among the United States's closest allies and often cooperate at a very high level on military affairs. A prime example of this is the highly sensitive AUKUS effort to help the Royal Australian Navy establish a nuclear-powered submarine fleet, which is expected to involve a direct U.S. sale of one new-production Virginia class type. It is also known that Australian officials had discussions with their American counterparts about the possibility of acquiring the B-21 Raider stealth bomber. Though the potential for a RAAF B-21 force seems extremely remote, it does further underscore the very high level at which the countries discuss potential arms sales and other collaborative initiatives. The first prototype B-21 Raider stealth bomber. USAF "We know we're going to do our own competition in our own industrial base for a CCA... But we haven't excluded the potential of us... marrying up [with the Australians] at some point on an acquisition pathway in the future. That is still a possibility," Maj. Gen. Jobe said when asked directly about foreign participation in the CCA program at the roundtable last year. "I won't speak for the Australians or anybody else, but for Brits, for example, we've had conversations with them. We're going to keep those dialogues open so that we don't close the door to any of them, but we're not ready to really commit." In November 2022, the U.K. Ministry of Defense announced its latest loyal wingman initiative, which it said would leverage work done on a number of previous projects. Drones for aircraft carriers and other projects The Navy and the USAF working closely to develop their CCAs that can seamlessly interoperate with each other's forces is a good indication of how an AUKUS CCA could be possible. And the Naval requirement is not unique to the U.S. Navy. Boeing is notably already pitching a variant or derivative of the MQ-28 that can operate from carriers. Meanwhile, the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom has shown an interest in this carrier-capable Ghost Bat, at least on some level, as a possible addition to the air wings on its two Queen Elizabeth class carriers. These ships are currently configured as short-takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) types with a skip jump at the bow and no arresting gear. However, last month, British authorities unveiled plans to refit these ships with catapults and arresting wires. Though many questions remain about this ambitious retrofit effort, the stated goal is to allow the vessels to accommodate uncrewed aircraft and possibly crewed ones, as well. https://twitter.com/GarethJennings3/status/1628029822902407169 The Royal Navy has explored other drone options for its carriers in the past. It is now planning to conduct testing regarding the operation of the General Atomics Mojave short takeoff and landing (STOL) drone from the Queen Elizabeth class, which would not necessarily require new launch and recovery capabilities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUHWaRyc88c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6k7wc7wDJ8 Interestingly in this context, Boeing just recently offered the first look at an MQ-28 in the United States. The Ghost Bat was photographed alongside the demonstrator the company has been using as part of the development of the MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone for the U.S. Navy. Boeing released that picture on its social media accounts along with a text that at least implied the possibility of the two designs serving alongside each other in the future. https://twitter.com/BoeingDefense/status/1661824558125522944 Another wildcard is the Royal Australian Navy's two Canberra class landing helicopter dock warships. These ships were built with a ski-jump on their bow and could potentially be reworked to handle CCA-like drones in a similar fashion as what the U.K. and Turkey are looking to do with their flattops. Multi-role by design Another prime example of the value of what would be a more middle-tier AUKUS collaborative drone could be to help provide force protection for high-value assets like airborne early warning and control aircraft and aerial refueling tankers. These platforms would be prime targets for an opponent, especially in a higher-end conflict. CCAs would offer a cheaper alternative to defending these critical aircraft while also freeing up more advanced crewed and uncrewed platforms for other missions. The CCA's longer endurance than their crewed counterparts would also be a major plus. Depending on the drones' sensor fits, they could also expand the situational awareness of these critical assets, act as electronic warfare platforms, and even as decoys, if need be. Australia's Ghost Bat, once again, has been pitched with this application in mind. That's not to say that any other manufacturer's solution would not be relevant too. Certainly, other firms have floated the idea. A rendering of MQ-28 Ghost Bat drones flying together with a Boeing E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft. Boeing And, we must underscore again, a CCA could also operate independently or in swarms without a crewed platform nearby or even part of its mission. So these aircraft can be used for a wide array of missions beyond just loyal wingman roles. From strike to electronic warfare to reconnaissance, the loyal wingman component is just a gateway into the uncrewed autonomous air combat future. These mid-tier CCAs could also perform non-combat duties, like acting as aggressors during training. Demand for low-cost mock adversaries that can adequately represent 5th generation fighters, stealthy cruise missiles, and other threats is only growing as time goes on. At the same time, it is simply not cost-effective to provide a useful volume of capability like this using actual crewed 5th generation combat jets, especially when trying to replicate large hostile force packages. The U.S. Air Force is already looking at acquiring adversary drones that can stand in for 5th and advanced 4th generation aircraft, but through initiatives currently separate from CCA, although the two concepts can and will likely cross-pollinate. A larger international opportunity Seeing as economies of scale, literally of proportions not seen since the Cold War, is absolutely key to the CAA concept, the AUKUS CCA-like program could expand beyond that alliance. While the development should be limited to this group in order to streamline and simplify the process of moving from design to hardware on the ramp, a much larger opportunity lies beyond. If a broad array of other close allies with similar requirements Japan, South Korea, and most NATO members, for example had the opportunity to join such a program once it is mature or otherwise buy the final products in an export configuration, orders could explode and unit costs could plummet. The distributed nature of such a program could only add to its resiliency and pose a massive strategic program for potential foes. Non-AUKUS adopters of the system would likely be very hard-pressed to find something of equal capability for the same cost and level of support considering the potential volumes of production that would be realized even before exports. But with this in mind, time is of the essence. The demand for these kinds of combat aircraft is becoming more pressing around the globe with each passing day. AUKUS could rapidly work to make this common mid-tier CCA a reality and thus bring it to a wider market before many options already exist or indigenous programs that seek to realize a similar capability mature. Australia already clearly has exporting the MQ-28 in mind. It is a design that was developed by U.S. firm Boeing's Australian division. As a result, it was not limited by the provisions of U.S. export control laws and regulations, which can be quite onerous for many countries. So, with all this in mind, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States should move fast to develop a common CCA and in doing so, reshape the air combat arena with their own design on truly a massive scale. Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com and tyler@thedrive.com Australia is threatening to fine Elon Musk's Twitter up to $475,000, saying that a third of all online hate complaints in the country come via the platform Australia's online safety watchdog said its received more complaints about online hate on Twitter than any other platform in the past 12 months. Jonathan Raa/Getty Images Australia's safety watchdog said Twitter is the most complained about platform in the country for online hate. It is demanding an explanation from Twitter about the issue, or it could issue a fine of up to $475,000. When Elon Musk took over the platform, he gutted over half of the company's roughly 8,000 workers. Australia's safety watchdog has posted a legal notice threatening to fine Twitter up to 700,000 Australian dollars, or $475,000, if it doesn't explain how it's tackling the rise of online hate on the platform. eSafety, Australia's regulator for online safety, announced Thursday that it has received more complaints and reports about online hate and abuse in the past 12 months on Twitter than any other platform since Elon Musk's $44 billion purchase in October 2022. eSafety noted that rising complaints also coincided with the reduction in Twitter's global workforce, which it said may offer an explanation as to why hate messages on the platform are not being dealt with adequately. Musk laid off roughly half the company's 8,000 employees in his first week as Twitter's CEO and spent months firing and letting go of workers at whim. There are currently an estimated 1,000 employees left at Twitter, Insider reported in May. Additionally, the platform's trust and safety team has been in a near constant state of flux since the takeover. On his first day of owning Twitter, Musk fired the team's head, Vijaya Gadde. Her successor Yoel Roth also quit, and the team's most recent head of the team, Ella Irwin, resigned in June. "Twitter appears to have dropped the ball on tackling hate," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said. "A third of all complaints about online hate reported to us are now happening on Twitter. "eSafety research shows that nearly 1 in 5 Australians have experienced some form of online hate. This level of online abuse is already inexcusably high, but if you're a First Nations Australian, you are disabled or identify as LGBTIQ+ you experience online hate at double the rate of the rest of the population." "We are also aware of reports that the reinstatement of some of these previously banned accounts has emboldened extreme polarisers, peddlers of outrage and hate, including neo-Nazis both in Australia and overseas." One research group even found that the use of the N-word jumped by 500% on Twitter after Musk's takeover, Insider reported in October. Twitter has 28 days to respond to the notice or faces a hefty fine, which eSafety said could be as high as AU$700,000, or $475,000. Insider contacted Twitter for comment but received an automated message that provided no context about the situation. Musk stepped down as CEO of Twitter in June and was succeeded by former NBCUniversal executive Linda Yaccarino. Read the original article on Business Insider Aveeno is pitch competition for Black Women Entrepreneurs is back and its launching with a new name. Originally launched in 2021 as Aveenos Skin Health Startup Accelerator, the newly named Startup Collective by Aveeno is designed to empower Black female-identifying entrepreneurs. The program is for those small business owners with a product, brand, or technology that meets Black consumers skin or hair care needs. The program provides the necessary resources to educate and fund their winner while addressing Black customers skin and hair needs. This will include packaging and design, marketing, and more. The Startup Collective by Aveeno will award grants of $100,000 and $50,000 to two exceptional Black female-identifying entrepreneurs this year. Black Women Receive Less Than 1% of Venture Funding Black women are one of the most significant contributors to the beauty industry. Yet, they receive less than one percent of venture funding for their businesses. According to the World Economic Forum, venture capital investments in Black-founded startups plummeted by 45% in 2022. The Startup Collective by Aveeno aims to close that gap. Entries for the program opened on June 16 and will close August 18. All contestants must create a 1-2-minute video introducing themselves, their business, and explainwhy they started. Aveeno Partnered with CultureCon According to Happi, the hair and skin brand announced its accelerator programs return at CultureCon. The initiative aligns with Aveenos existing Aveeno #SkinVisibility programs commitment to enhancing skin health and well-being for people of color. Recently, the brand partnered with CultureCon to host a panel discussion featuring last years winner and founder of Beas Bayou, Arielle Brown. Brown. Aveenos chief principal scientist and brand ambassador, Sabrina Henry, Aveenos chief principal scientist and brand ambassador, moderated the panel and featured entrepreneur influencer Jewel Burkes. The panel shared the past winners experiences, grant impact, and applying for this years grant. Winners will be announced at CultureCon NYC in October. The post Aveeno Opens Applications For Competition Aimed at Black Women Entrepreneurs appeared first on 21Ninety. Avelo Airlines launched three new flights out of Wilmington this week. The new flights to Wilmington, Delaware, along with West Palm Beach and Tampa, Florida, round out the budget airlines flights from Wilmington International Airport. This month marks one year of Avelos service to Wilmington. An inaugural flight from West Palm Beach was welcomed to Wilmington on Thursday morning with a water salute, cupcakes and a news conference with local leaders. Avelos first flight to Wilmington, Delaware, from Wilmington International Airport took place Thursday afternoon and the inaugural flight to Tampa was scheduled for Friday. Become a subscriber today! We have a great introductory offer for new subscribers. The Wilmington International Airport celebrated 3 inaugural flights on Avelo Airlines from ILM to West Palm Beach, Wilmington, DE, and Tampa Thursday June 22, 2023 in Wilmington, N.C. It is also the 1 year anniversary of when Avelo started service at ILM. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS Nonstop flights: New airline announces nonstop flight from Wilmington, giving travelers more options In its first year flying out of Wilmington, the city has become Avelos largest city of operation without a crew base, said Courtney Goff, the companys communications manager. Ongoing community interest and growth is what has prompted Avelo to invest in the airport. It just made sense because there's a demand for all of these routes, and if we can service that demand with low fares, it's a no brainer, Goff said. Goff said Wilmington has historically been an underserved airport where air service hasnt kept up with the growing population. Avelo aims to help change that, she said. Both the West Palm Beach and Wilmington, Delaware flights will service Wilmington on Thursdays and Sundays. The Tampa flights will operate on Fridays and Mondays. The airline now serves seven destinations from Wilmington: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, via Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Orlando, Florida, via Orlando International Airport New Haven, Connecticut, via Tweed-New Haven Airport Tampa, Florida, via Tampa International Airport Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland, via Baltimore/Washington International Airport West Palm Beach, Florida, via Palm Beach International Airport Wilmington, Delaware, via Delawares Wilmington Airport Courtney Goff the Communications Manager with Avelo speaks to the crowd and members of the media Thursday June 22, 2023 in Wilmington, N.C. Goff along with the Wilmington International Airport celebrated 3 inaugural flights on Avelo Airlines from ILM to West Palm Beach, Wilmington, DE, and Tampa Thursday June 22, 2023 in Wilmington, N.C. It is also the 1 year anniversary of when Avelo started service at ILM. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the areas latest development news by following our Growth and Development page on Facebook. During the news conference, Airport Director Jeff Bourk thanked Avelo for its investment in Wilmington and noted the airports growth over the last year. One year ago today we had no nonstops to Florida, he said. Today we have four. More growth and new destinations could be on the way. Avelo currently has 15 airplanes in its fleet but has plans to add six new planes by the first quarter of 2024, Goff said. The addition will allow the airline to build its capacity and potentially add new flights. We will continue working with airports on what's underserved, Goff said. We don't want to go head to head with anyone, we want to be able to offer a wide variety to the city and community of Wilmington. Reporter Emma Dill can be reached at edill@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington airport gets new nonstop flights on Avelo The Volocopter 2X, an electric vertical takeoff and landing multicopter, performs a demonstration flight during the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, France, Monday, June 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly) LE BOURGET, France (AP) Just a dot on the horizon at first, the bug-like and surprisingly quiet electrically-powered craft buzzes over Paris and its traffic snarls, treating its doubtless awestruck passenger to privileged vistas of the Eiffel Tower and the city's signature zinc-grey rooftops before landing him or her with a gentle downward hover. And thus, if all goes to plan, could a new page in aviation history be written. After years of dreamy and not always credible talk of skies filled with flying, nonpolluting electric taxis, the aviation industry is preparing to deliver a future that it says is now just around the corner. Capitalizing on its moment in the global spotlight, the Paris region is planning for a small fleet of electric flying taxis to operate on multiple routes when it hosts the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games next summer. Unless aviation regulators in China beat Paris to the punch by greenlighting a pilotless taxi for two passengers under development there, the French capital's prospective operator Volocopter of Germany could be the first to fly taxis commercially if European regulators give their OK. Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke, a former top executive at aerospace giant Airbus, has a VVIP in mind as his hoped-for first Parisian passenger none other than French President Emmanuel Macron. That would be super amazing, Hoke said, speaking this week at the Paris Air Show, where he and other developers of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft or eVTOLs for short competed with industry heavyweights for attention. He believes in the innovation of urban air mobility," Hoke said of Macron. "That would be a strong sign for Europe to see the president flying. But with Macron aboard or not, those pioneering first flights would still be just small steps for the nascent industry that has giant leaps to make before flying taxis are muscling out competitors on the ground. The limited power of battery technology restricts the range and number of paying passengers they can carry, so eVTOL hops are likely to be short and not cheap at the outset. And while the vision of simply beating city traffic by zooming over it is enticing, it also is dependent on advances in airspace management. Manufacturers of eVTOLs aim in the coming decade to unfurl fleets in cities and on more niche routes for luxury passengers, including the French Riviera. But they need technological leaps so flying taxis dont crash into each other and all the other things already congesting the skies or expected to take to them in very large numbers including millions of drones. Starting first on existing helicopter routes, well continue to scale up using AI, using machine-learning to make sure that our airspace can handle it, said Billy Nolen of Archer Aviation Inc. It aims to start flying between downtown Manhattan and Newark's Liberty Airport in 2025. That's normally a 1-hour train or old-fashioned taxi ride that Archer says its sleek, electric 4-passenger prototype could cover in under 10 minutes. Nolen was formerly acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. regulator that during his time at the agency was already working with NASA on technology to safely separate flying taxis. Just as Paris is using its Olympic Games to test flying taxis, Nolen said the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics offer another target for the industry to aim for and show that it can fly passengers in growing numbers safely, cleanly and affordably. Well have hundreds, if not thousands, of eVTOLs by the time you get to 2028, he said in an interview with The Associated Press at the Paris show. The very small hoped-for experiment with Volocopter for the Paris Games is great stuff. We take our hats off to them," he added. But by the time we get to 2028 and beyond ... you will see full-scale deployment across major cities throughout the world. Yet even on the cusp of what the industry portrays as a revolutionary new era kicking off in the city that spawned the French Revolution of 1789, some aviation analysts aren't buying into visions of eVTOLs becoming readily affordable, ubiquitous and convenient alternatives to ride-hailing in the not-too-distant future. And even among eVTOL developers who bullishly talked up their industry's prospects at the Paris show, some predicted that rivals will run dry of funding before they bring prototypes to market. Morgan Stanley analysts estimate the industry could be worth $1 trillion by 2040 and $9 trillion by 2050 with advances in battery and propulsion technology. Almost all of that will come after 2035, analysts say, because of the difficulty of getting new aircraft certified by U.S. and European regulators. The idea of mass urban transit remains a charming fantasy of the 1950s, said Richard Aboulafia of AeroDynamic Advisory, an aerospace consultancy. "The real problem is still that mere mortals like you and I dont get routine or exclusive access to $4 million vehicles. You and I can take air taxis right now. Its called a helicopter. Still, electric taxis taking to Paris' skies as Olympians are going faster, higher and stronger could have the power to surprise pleasantly so, Volocopter hopes. One of the five planned Olympic routes would land in the heart of the city on a floating platform on the spruced-up River Seine. Developers point out that ride-hailing apps and E-scooters also used to strike many customers as outlandish. And as with those technologies, some are betting that early adopters of flying taxis will prompt others to try them, too. It will be a total new experience for the people, said Hoke, Volocopter's CEO. But twenty years later someone looks back at what changed based on that and then they call it a revolution. And I think we are at the edge of the next revolution." ___ AP Airline Writer David Koenig contributed to this report from Dallas. ___ More AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports My earliest memory of my familys bakery is waking up at 5 in the morning to deliver bagels to the businesses my parents catered to. I was about 5 years old. My mother was carrying me, and I remember falling asleep with my pillow and a blanket in the back seat of a GMC Yukon. The onion flakes, garlic and poppy and sesame seeds in the everything bagels overpowered the aroma of all the others. My experience is not unique. Immigrants own 29% of restaurants and hotels in the United States, double the rate for all businesses. A quick scan of Yelp shows 120 bakeries in the Charlotte area. Many of them are owned by immigrant families, and I bet every single one has a story to tell. When an assignment came up in one of my reporting classes at Queens University to tell some of these stories, I seized the opportunity, along with 10 other students from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Mexico, Myanmar, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and the United States. A Mexican bakes Jewish bread from Poland Census Bureau data indicates that more than 15% of Charlotte residents were born outside the United States, and almost 51,000 come from Mexico, the largest group. My parents immigrated from Mexico City to Easley, South Carolina, in the 1990s, then made their way to Charlotte. They bought Manhattan Bagel in the Arboretum shopping center 25 years ago. Growing up in Mexico City in the 1970s, my dad, Marcos Casarrubias, never ate a bagel. Instead, he grew up eating conchas, a shell-shaped sweet bread. He learned how to make bagels from the previous owner of the franchise, who was an Indian American. At the beginning it wasnt easy, because we are from Mexico City, he said. And this is a very Jewish and northern type of bread. So at the beginning, it was a shock in cultures between how a Latin person can make a northern and Jewish bread. Marcos Casarrubias, owner of Manhattan Bagel. Growing up in Mexico City, Casarrubias never ate a bagel. The food author and founder of Zingermans Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ari Weinzweig, writes that bagels were invented in Jewish communities in Poland in the 15th century. But my father seems to have overcome early perceptions in Charlotte and centuries of bagel heritage. Manhattan Bagel is just a five-minute drive from Temple Israel and Temple Beth El, and on weekend mornings we sell 160 bagel sandwiches per hour. One of my co-workers is a high school senior who used to come to the store after attending temple on Saturdays. Hes now been making bagels for two years. In the beginning, it was mainly people from New York and Jewish people, my dad told me. After Yom Kippur, we still take a lot of orders for a bag of a dozen bagels to break the fast. And tastes have expanded over time we make bagels topped with jalapenos and melted cheddar cheese, and we offer jalapeno salsa cream cheese, too. The immigrants behind Manolos Latin Bakery For any culture, not just my culture, any place in the world has bread, said Manolo Betancur, owner of Manolos Latin Bakery on Central Avenue. Bread fills bellies. If your belly is full, your spirit is alive. If you have an empty stomach, then your spirit is gonna break. So if bread is in your belly, you have faith. A bakery founded by Mexicans attracts a significant number of Mexican customers, said Betancur, who is from Colombia and took over the store in 2011. These days, the most popular product at Manolos Latin Bakery is tres leches cake, which originated in Nicaragua and Mexico. The bakerys white bread is similar to a common African bread, so they have many African customers, too. Manolo Betancur of Manolos Latin Bakery. [READ MORE: This longtime Charlotte baker has been named Bread Hero of the U.S.A.] Some of our cakes are very similar to something from the Middle East, Betancur said. And the donuts are universal. So I get a lot of American customers, as well. Immigrant bakers are braver than you might think, he said. America should feel proud because we are receiving the bravest people from every country around the world, Betancur said. Because just the bravest people are the ones who are capable of leaving their loved ones, to leave their families and to leave their countries in order to start a new life. Diversity in Latin American styles of bread is a goal of Manolos Latin Bakery, which features a mural by Rosalia Torres-Weiner. Tous Les Jours is French, but its also Korean Tous Les Jours, located near SouthPark and inside the new Super G Mart in Pineville, bakes croissants, macarons, cakes and other products. The business originated in Korea and opened its first U.S. store in 2004, and features Asian flavors like green tea, purple sweet potato and red bean. The bakery also sells coffee, tea, smoothies and a French ham and cheese sandwich called a croque monsieur Mr. Crunchy. Owner Chulho Chang, who grew up in South Korea, opened Tous Les Jours in Charlotte in summer 2022. Employee Marshall See has been with the bakery since soon after. Early customers were often Asian and Korean, he said, but social media has broadened its appeal. [READ MORE: The Skillet: How Black Cuisine Became Americas Supper] More people are just coming here regardless of ethnicity, See said. Diversity is very important because there are many sorts of ethnicities and no one sort of eatery caters to that certain group. A family business Our family and friends run a lot of bakeries and restaurants, and equipment, techniques, recipes and ambiance are regular topics of conversation. During one of these talks, when I was 19, my father gave me one of the biggest compliments Ive ever received. In a worst-case scenario, he told me, knocking on wood, if something were to happen to me and Im not able to run the store, I know that with a lot of effort, sweat and dedication, you are the one of my kids that would be able to not only run the store but probably make it better, he said. Well see. Nicole Casarrubias is a student in the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte, which provides the news service in support of community news. Hannah Axelsson, Hawa Balde Camara, Leshan Curlewis, Maria Duran Colin, Megan Friel, Luca Langohr, Francesca Martinez Ramirez, Adnan Mulahusejnovic, Cord Richardson and Meriam Vancerchin contributed to this story. Rep. George Santos Rep. George Santos, a Republican from New York, has revealed his bail backers ahead of an order that went into effect at noon on Thursday demanding the names of the guarantors be released. They were family members: the lawmaker's father, Gercino Dos Santos, and his aunt, Elma Santos Praven. Santos told ABC News ahead of the ordered release. They were involved with coming up with the $500,000 bond the Republican used after he was charged on May 10. That was when a federal grand jury charged Santos, a gay man whos been caught in multiple lies about his life, with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, two counts of making materially false statements to the U.S. House, and one count of theft of public funds. He was taken into police custody, pleaded not guilty, and was released after posting a $500,000 bond backed by three people acting as guarantors. Santoss attorney has sought to keep the names of those guarantors secret, contending that if their identities became public knowledge, they would be subject to harassment, CNBC and other major media sources report. But Judge Joanna Seybert issued an order Tuesday saying a document containing the names will be unsealed at noon Eastern time Thursday. Several news outlets had asked for the document to be unsealed, and a magistrate judge agreed to do so this month but gave Santoss legal team a window in which to appeal. This story is developing... The News A federal judge unsealed the names of Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y. bail guarantors Thursday two people the congressman told Semafor are his father and aunt. Gercino dos Santos, a House painter and District Council 9 union member, and Elma Preven, a United States postal worker, are listed as the guarantors. Know More Federal Judge Joanna Seybert ordered the names of Santos bond guarantors to be unsealed at noon today after multiple media outlets pushed to make them public an order Santos unsuccessfully appealed. Santos lawyer, Joe Murray, wrote in a letter to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne Shield that the suretors could suffer great distress if their identities were revealed and that the embattled lawmaker would go to jail before revealing them. Santos told Semafor he and his family have "made peace" with the decision to release their names. "Now I pray that the judge is correct and no harm comes to them," he said. "I look forward to continuing this process and I ask for the media to not disturb or harass my dad and aunt for the sakes of cheap reporting." Santos pleaded not guilty to a 13-count indictment last month, which included seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, two counts of lying to Congress and a single count of theft of public funds. Hes scheduled to appear in court on June 30. Bat disease fungus found in Tri-Cities area for 1st time. Hanford has thousands of bats A fungus that causes a disease that is often deadly to bats, white-nose syndrome, has been found in the Tri-Cities area for the first time. The Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife has known that the disease is in the state since the first case of white-nose syndrome in the western United States was confirmed in King County in 2016. Since then it has confirmed 150 cases in four bat species in the state. The fungus or cases of the disease have now been found in 10 counties, with Benton County the farthest east in the state. Scientists with the state worked with the U.S. Department of Energy and a bat rehabilitator on surveys that found the fungus in Benton County and the disease in Jefferson County for the first time. Although information was not immediately available on where the fungus was found in Benton County, DOEs Hanford nuclear reservation site has a colony of more than 2,000 bats that roost from mid-March to mid-October in an underground concrete structure once used to hold water from the Columbia River before it was used at F Reactor. At the urging of public agencies and wildlife groups, the structure, called a clearwell, was not removed during environmental cleanup to allow the bat colony to thrive. The clearwell has no chemical or radioactive contamination. White-nose syndrome is caused by a fungus that attacks the skin of hibernating bats and damages their delicate wings, making flying difficult. Infected bats leave hibernation too early. They deplete their fat reserves and become dehydrated or starve to death. Bats are valuable members of the ecosystem, with a single colony of bats able to consume tons of insects. Fish and Wildlife says bats save U.S. farmers more than $3 billion a year in pest control costs. The bats at the Hanford clearwell near the Columbia River feed on mosquitoes and midges that are plentiful there. They are Yuma myotis, one of four bat species that have been infected with white nose syndrome in Washington state. Little brown bat with white nose syndrome. White-nose syndrome is not known to sicken people, livestock or wildlife. The fungi is mostly spread between bats, but fungal spores also can be carried by people on their clothing, shoes or recreation equipment. The Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife urges people not to to handle wild animals, including bats, especially if they appear sick or are found dead. Bats that are dead or acting strangely, such as flying in the winter, should be reported to the state agency at 360-902-2515. A dead bat in Walla Walla County tested positive earlier this month for rabies. The battle is far from over: Veterans exposed to Agent Orange gain benefits but find new obstacles For the last decade, 9 Investigates has been pushing for answers for Vietnam vets who were exposed to Agent Orange on the island of Guam, then denied care. In 2017, we uncovered evidence of spraying and spoke to the Central Florida airman who did the spraying. Now, there is, for the first time, some movement. Although for some vets, its too little too late. Agent Orange is a powerful herbicide, the same chemical that devastates vegetation also devastates the human body. Read: Years after the Vietnam War, some vets still denied benefits for Agent Orange exposure In 2017, we spoke to Master Sgt. Leroy Foster at his Central Florida home. Terminally ill from exposure to Agent Orange, Foster was trying to spread the word and save some of his fellow vets. Last year, the work of Foster and others came to fruition with the president signing the Pact Act, expanding VA healthcare and benefits to veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Read: Does Agent Orange span across generations? The battle is far from over, said Brian Moyer, veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. Moyer has been fighting for his fellow vets for the last decade. Many of his fellow Vietnam vets who were exposed to Agent Orange on Guam have since passed away. He pushes forward in their memory and for younger vets exposed to a new batch of toxins in Iraq and Afghanistan. Vets like Gerry Olano, who served in the first Gulf War. Read: 9 Investigates: Agent Orange care expansion We were exposed to pretty much everything. Uranium. We also had the fires, the burning pits, U.S. Marine Corps. Veteran Olano said. The Pact Act covers burn pit exposure, which has already claimed the lives of three of Gerrys fellow marines. Right now Im being seen for respiratory problems that Im having. Im having stomach issues as well, he said. Read: Florida center says Grey Team technology, exercise help veterans overcome PTSD and other ailments For vets, the progress has been slow and hard-fought. Many are still appealing previous denials for benefits, knowing that time may not be on their side. Even with changes to the law, veterans say it takes too long to go through the appeals process, sometimes as long as a year and a half. And if you have to go before a veterans law judge, it can take as long as seven years. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. A bear tried to use an alternate exit an upper-floor window after it made its way inside a Colorado house during an unannounced visit caught on tape earlier this month. The video shows the bear hanging out of the window before going back inside the Steamboat Springs home. It eventually left through a window on the bottom floor, the same place it entered the house, according to Colorados Steamboat Radio. Homeowner Ryan MacFarlane told Fox 31 that he was not there at the time. He got his nails in there and just ripped that window right open and got inside and helped himself to my pork chops I had out for dinner that night, got some snacks out of the pantry and knocked over the plants nothing too crazy, said MacFarlane. The bear got locked in a bedroom, and a police officer went inside to open a door and give the animal a way out, MacFarlane said. I was definitely anxious to get there, and the thought was going through my mind that there were going to be thousands and thousands of dollars in damage. And that wasnt the case this time. Grateful that he was a respectful house guest, said MacFarlane. The bear had been involved in at least three break-ins at homes, including attempts to enter one home on multiple occasions, according to Kris Middledorf of Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The bear seen in the video was later trapped by wildlife crews and then euthanized, CBS News Colorado reported. Bear encounters are not uncommon in the area. Video captured last month showed two cubs stopping by a home in Steamboat Springs. One cub attempted to open a door before a person inside made noise to distract it. Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Rachael Gonzales told Fox 31 that bears are opportunistic and recommended steps to avoid encounters. Starting those practices now, locking up your trash, closing windows and doors again, doing our part to not teach bears bad habits, because once they learn bad habits, theyre going to keep doing that bad habit, Gonzales said. Related... Last we saw The Bears sad-eyed proprietor, one Carmen Carmy Berzatto, hed discovered loads of cash his brother had squirreled away before taking his own life. And there was a note: I love you, dude. Let it rip. When it premiered last year, the show grabbed audiences by the collar and shouted in our faces and generated all kinds of sweaty, grease-splattered, slice-of-life drama inside a Chicago Italian beef sandwich shop. Now the gang is gutting the old joint to turn it into a fine dining establishment. What could go wrong? Carmy and Sydney, his partner in all matters culinary, are teaming up with the rest of the kitchen staff to transform the Original Beef of Chicagoland, a longtime neighborhood staple, into something entirely new. In its first season, The Bear proved that original ideas if treated with care and skill still have the power to draw sizable audiences, even as industry trends would prefer serving up yet more regurgitated intellectual property instead. Theres nothing high concept about the series, from creator Christopher Storer and co-showrunner Joanna Calo. Its defined by its intensity and charm and warmth, despite the clashing personalities within. Anchored by a pair of salt-of-the-earth performances from Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, The Bear is about the stuff of life mundane, stressful, exhilarating and all of that remains true in its 10-episode return as the group struggles to figure out, yet again, how to work together and surmount daunting odds and build something. Season 2 opens with Carmy (White) and Sydney (Edebiri) watching the sign for the Original Beef of Chicagoland come down. Theres no turning back. They look nervous. With good reason! Would it surprise you that the project descends into utter chaos? Carmys idea of working out a budget amounts to jotting down estimates on an empty pizza box, so his sister Natalie (Abby Elliott, in an expanded role this season) is roped in as project manager. The place will be getting a face-lift. No, scratch that. It needs a total gut remodel once they discover all kinds of problems hidden in the walls and ceilings. That requires more money hundreds of thousands more so they hit up the only person who has that kind of dough and a soft spot for the Berzatto way: Uncle Jimmy (Oliver Platt), whose connections and source of income may or may not have some less-than-savory sources. The show has always been coy about that, except to hint that Jimmy does business the Chicago way. That doesnt stop Carmy, who makes his earnest pitch: I love this place. I love this city. I want to start our first business here. I want it to be a real business. An honest business. With honest partners. Conservatively, it would take six months to open. Carmy promises to be ready in three. If the business fails, Jimmy is blunt: Hell sell the place out from under them. I say them, but that only pertains to Carmy and Natalie. This is their family legacy. As the show subtly notes, neither Sydney nor anyone else breaking their backs here dirtbag extraordinaire Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), recently promoted sous chef Tina (Liza Colon-Zayas), the goofball handyman (Matty Matheson) has an ownership stake. And theres no discussion of profit-sharing. That begins to dawn on Sydney as she visits various restaurateurs around the city, seeking their advice, while Carmy is off in the wind somewhere. Shes putting a lot on the line and feels like shes shouldering most of this alone. Shes not wrong. One of the primary changes this season is to scatter the core ensemble off in separate directions. Carmy is trying to attempt some semblance of a personal life and starts seeing an old flame who is an ER resident. (A chef opening a restaurant and an ER doctor still in her residency might just be the two professions with the least amount of free time to hook up, but details, schmeetails.) That means Carmy is distracted and Sydney is left on her own. She gets a terrific episode where she makes her way through the city and its architectural signposts become inspiration for the kind of food she wants to make. But we dont see her in meaningful conversation with Carmy about her fears and doubts, despite her prominent role in this venture. Actually, there are a lot of conversations missing. Carmy and Sydney were burnt out on the gastronomy arms race. Carmy acknowledges this when Sydney asks about the time he was head chef at a restaurant that earned three stars. The first 10 seconds felt like a sort of panic, because I knew I had to keep them. I had to retain them. Your brain does this weird thing where it just bypasses any sense of joy and just, like, attaches itself to dread. An anxiety that might be describing the show itself and its initial flush of success. As a pair, Carmy and Sydney found real fulfillment in making affordable food better at the grimy little sandwich spot. Now theyre just abandoning that? Why? Id like to hear some of their thought process, because the assumption that fine dining is the apex doesnt really fly, not after the themes explored in the first season. One of The Bears strengths is its fascination with the world of work. Still, when Carmy initially interviewed Sydney for the job, he asked: Why here? She told him: Its my dads favorite spot. We get to meet Sydneys father this season (played by Chicagoan Robert Townsend) and hes skeptical about their ambitions, but apparently has no commentary about his favorite Italian beef place disappearing for good. Carmy has other plans for the rest of the staff. He sends Tina and fellow cook Ebraheim (the stoic Edwin Lee Gibson) to culinary school to sharpen their skills, but the show more or less abandons the latter, who remains enigmatic and underserved by the narrative. Pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce) learns more about the art of dessert-making during a sojourn to Copenhagen (we see him using tweezers, the very thing Richie used to zing Carmy for!) and theres a wonderful scene between him and his mentor, played by Guardian of the Galaxys Will Poulter, as they parcel out dough and quietly share their kitchen origin stories. Richie, who is going through a midlife crisis, spends a week at an upscale restaurant in town, and its a sequence that emulates The Menu but somehow misses all of the movies satire. The term of art for Richies apprenticeship is stage (pronounced stahj) and he emerges a new man. Now he has a purpose! He gets it. Is this believable? Not for a minute. But Moss-Bachrach plays Richie with such abrasive affection that its a potent fantasy. All of this is a build up to The Bears opening night which bookends the shows memorably frenzied one-take scene from the first season but before we can get there, we flash back to a Berzatto family Christmas, when the family was still somewhat intact. You can see where Carmy got his taste for chaos and dysfunction: The Fighting Berzattos. Everyone is talking over one another its like a Robert Altman film on coke and the episode is filled with cameos, with the return of Jon Bernthal and the addition of several other recognizable names. The shows priorities are mostly outside the kitchen in Season 2. That doesnt always make for a perfectly balanced story. But The Bear remains as absorbing as ever, with a visual language that is in love with food, and in love with the city itself. 'THE BEAR' 3.5 stars (out of 4) Rating: TV-MA (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 17) How to watch: Hulu Bed, Bath & Beyond Calls 911 on Black Couple: It Sent Chills Down My Spine Twitter/Lamar Richards Two Black men in Ohio said they never before encountered the humiliation they experienced when they were targeted by armed cops for purchasing high-ticket items during a shopping trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond last week. On June 16, couple Lamar Richards and Austin Geer, both from South Carolina, went to the Bed, Bath & Beyond in Toledo after purchasing their first home. Richards said they were among the first customers when the store opened that morning and noticed they were the only people of color. In an interview with The Daily Beast Thursday, Richards said they didnt notice anything suspicious at the time but realized in hindsight that they were treated differently than other shoppers. He said the manager told them they had to leave the vacuum they wanted at the counter while they continued to look around the store, but he saw other customers with vacuums in their carts. (Bed, Bath & Beyond has been doing a number of closeout sales across the country to prepare to shutter doors after filing for bankruptcy in April.) After we paid our moneywe heard a police officer ask the cashier who just rung us out, did we pay? Richards said. Thats what prompted me to begin recording. He said the officers did not ask the same of any white customers in line. In a series of videos Richards and Geer filmed and posted on social media, a woman in a pink shirtwho Richards identified as the store managerapproached the couple. So, apparently someone called and said they thought maybe we were shoplifting or something? Richards asked the manager, explaining that he just spent $600 at the store. @BedBathBeyond in Toledo Ohio called the police on my boyfriend and I because we had too many high ticket items in our cart. Remind you, its a closing sale so everything was 60% off. pic.twitter.com/WnT50LvW0w Lamar Richards (@lamarrichards_) June 16, 2023 If theres big-purchase items, that type of thing, theres usually a question, the manager said. Still, Richards replied he didnt understand why the cops were called specifically on the Black customers. Traumatized Black Students Accuse Deputies of Racial Profiling in Viral TikTok Video We call the police all the time, the manager said. They have our backs. The manager called over an employee who admitted to calling the police. Its my right to call [the police], the employee told Richards and Geer before moving behind a police officer. I dont know what you want us to say, the manager interjected. I dont care if theyre white, Black, or green, if someone is walking around with big, high-ticket items But Richards claimed no one batted an eye at other shoppers walking around with expensive items, and asked the police how store employees described them during their call for help. Two Black males, one officer responded, explaining they let the situation go once they realized neither Richards nor Geer had anything concealed. Richards told The Daily Beast he felt humiliated and that the manager and employees walked off after refusing to provide their names. Once he and Geer went to their car, he said they were leery and nearly expected to see more cops show up. We didn't know what was going to happen, Richards said, explaining that they sat in the car for about an hour in shock and trying to process what happened. I was, quite honestly, scared and frightened because people that look like Austin and I have been arrested for much less, Richards said. When [the police] asked if we paid, and they did it in an authoritative way, that if that cashiereven for a minutewas hesitant, I felt like that could have ended very badly for us. Other than the fact that we were shopping while Black and that we had a lot of items in our cart, thats really the only thing we could think of that they use as a really terrible excuse to call the cops on us. Why Did These 5 Vote to Boot Black Tennessee Reps but Keep Their White Colleague? Geer said the managers justifications for calling the police on them sent chills down [his] spine. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the couple, said he wanted to make sure the company is not able to just sweep this under the rug. That they have to address this bigoted behavior exhibited by their employees, their highest level of employees at that store, he said. Were two young guys excited about this next chapter, Richards said. The last thing we expected to have was this encounter. In a statement to The Daily Beast, Bed, Bath & Beyond said they take matters of this nature very seriously and do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We are deeply concerned about the reported incident and are actively looking into the matter, as we do with any incidents described that are inconsistent with our policies and procedures, the company said. However, the statement did not address the companys policies regarding high-ticket items. You know how often this happens to people of color, especially Black people, for shopping while Black, Crump told The Daily Beast. The humiliation associated with the post-traumatic stress of being confronted by police when you're completely innocent. You know that when Black people have interactions with police, it can go left really, really fast. To think about why this happened and what could have happenedis saying, What can I do to avoid this in the future? Absolutely nothing. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A recent incident between a Black couple and the staff at a Bed, Bath & Beyond store in Toledo, Ohio, has gone viral due to the racial profiling the two allegedly encountered while shopping. Lamar Richards and his partner recently purchased a new home. Excited about their new journey as homeowners, they couldnt wait to start getting the necessary items for their decor. They decided to go to a Bed, Bath & Beyond and ended up spending $600. On their way out of the store, a police officer approached them to ensure they paid for everything in their shopping cart. He also informed them that an employee called the cops because they thought they were shoplifting. Imagine that. Purchasing your first home. Excited to begin building generational wealth. And then you visit a @BedBathBeyond store and youre accused of shoplifting because you had too many high ticket items in your cart. pic.twitter.com/GNib2O90CC Lamar Richards (@lamarrichards_) June 20, 2023 Shocked, embarrassed and confused about why the police were called, Richards boyfriend requested to speak to a manager. In the video, he can be heard asking the store manager what caused one of her employees to call the cops. So, apparently someone called and said they thought maybe we were shoplifting or something, his boyfriend said. I would like to understand why they were called. The manager then asked if someone said anything to them, and they both referenced the officer standing next to them. Before the employee who accused the men of shoplifting came to the front, the manager mentioned this isnt unusual when there are big purchases in ones shopping basket. When the staff member joined the conversation and was asked why she called the authorities, she said, Its my right to call. In the video, the unnamed boyfriend shared that the call happened while he and his partner were shopping since they were in the store for a significant amount of time. He tried to explain to the workers that other things couldve been done before taking action to dial 911, but both staff members said they call the police all the time because they have our back. An officer then jumped in and told the couple to file a complaint since they werent getting anywhere. Richards wrote a series of tweets detailing his experience on Twitter and posted the initial video in a tweet with the following caption: @BedBathBeyond in Toledo Ohio called the police on my boyfriend and I because we had too many high ticket items in our cart. Remind you, its a closing sale so everything was 60% off. Ive have never felt so humiliated in my entire life. I sat in the car for more than an hr after this happened, praying asking God to give me peace and calm my anxiety, he wrote in a series of tweets. @BedBathBeyond in Toledo Ohio called the police on my boyfriend and I because we had too many high ticket items in our cart. Remind you, its a closing sale so everything was 60% off. pic.twitter.com/WnT50LvW0w Lamar Richards (@lamarrichards_) June 16, 2023 The store is receiving a ton of backlash from the public. Civil rights and personal injury attorney Benjamin Crump was one of the many people who were appalled that incidents like this continue to happen, and he tweeted his thoughts. A Black couple says an employee at a Bed, Bath, and Beyond in Toledo, Ohio, called the police on them for allegedly having too many high ticket items in their shopping cart, he tweeted. They deserve answers for this humiliating experience! The State Department on Wednesday clapped back at Beijing after the Chinese Foreign Ministry strongly opposed President Biden calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a "dictator." "We won't hesitate to call out areas where we disagree or to be blunt and forthright," principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department Vedant Patel told reporters. "One of those areas that the president and the secretary have been clear about is the differences between democracies and autocracies." Biden sparked fury Tuesday night after he called Xi a dictator and suggested the Chinese leader was "embarrassed" by the "balloon" debacle earlier this year. President Biden shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 14, 2022. CHINA FIRES BACK AT BIDEN FOR CALLING PRESIDENT XI JINPING A DICTATOR: 'EXTREMELY ABSURD AND IRRESPONSIBLE' Speaking at a fundraiser in California, Biden said, "The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it is he didn't know it was there." "Thats a great embarrassment for dictators, when they didn't know what happened," he continued. "That wasnt supposed to be going where it was." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Biden said the balloon was "blown off course" as it traveled down through the U.S. "And he didn't know about it. When it got shot down, he was very embarrassed. He denied it was even there," Biden added. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning responded to the comments Wednesday morning and accused Biden of a "blatant political provocation," calling his comments "absurd" and "irresponsible." U.S. forces haul debris from China's surveillance balloon onto a boat off the coast of South Carolina. "China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition," Mao said, adding that Bidens comments "go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on Chinas political dignity." BIDEN CALLS CHINESE PRESIDENT XI JINPING A DICTATOR Mao once again claimed the U.S. mishandled the wayward balloon, which China maintains was collecting meteorological data, and said, "The U.S. should have handled it in a calm and professional manner." "However, the U.S. distorted facts and used forces to hype up the incident, fully revealing its nature of bullying and hegemony," she added. Patel backed the presidents comments and told reporters that "it should come as no surprise that we have differences and disagreements with the [Peoples Republic of China] PRC." The public spat comes just one day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a trip to China in an effort to improve historically low relations between Washington and Beijing. Patel said the U.S. would continue to engage with China through diplomatic and "responsible" means to "manage tensions and clear up misperceptions." "That does not mean, of course, we will not be blunt and forthright about our difference," he added. FILE - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speaks during the Supreme State Council of the Union State Russia-Belarus meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 6, 2023. For nearly three years, a harsh crackdown on dissent in Belarus by its authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has filled the countrys penal colonies with thousands of political prisoners, with new arrests reported daily. At the same time, a government campaign has gotten rid of many independent lawyers, making it difficult for the detainees to mount any kind of legal defense. (Alexander Astafyev/Sputnik, Government Pool Photo via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) BRATISLAVA, Slovakia Schools give patriotic lessons and teach students how to assemble rifles, while textbooks have been rewritten to favor Russias view of history. Factories produce uniforms for soldiers fighting Ukraine. Summer camps run by state-owned conglomerates host children from occupied Ukrainian territory. These by-now familiar scenes would hardly bear mention in wartime Russia, except that these were drawn recently from Belarus, an autocratic country of 9.4 million neighboring Russia, Ukraine and the NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Long uneasily in the orbit of President Vladimir Putin of Russia, Belarus is increasingly doing his bidding, socially, militarily and economically. The most recent manifestation of Belarus fealty to Moscow and the threat it poses to the West is its professed decision to allow Moscow to position tactical nuclear weapons on its soil, as well as outfitting its bombers with nuclear weapons. It is also an important step, democracy advocates and military experts say, toward Russias absorption of Belarus, a longtime goal of Putin. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Belarus sovereignty is evaporating very fast, said Pavel Slunkin, a former Belarusian diplomat who is now a fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Any sphere you take, Russias control has become extremely big and its increasing. It wasnt always this way. Throughout the post-Cold War era, the countrys authoritarian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, played a clever game, professing loyalty to Moscow and championing the Soviet slogans of the brotherhood and unity, while making sure that relations with Moscow never got too close to threaten his hold on power. He even reached out occasionally to Western nations eager to draw Belarus closer to Europe economically. That arrangement developed cracks in 2014, after Russia seized Crimea, raising the alarming possibility for Lukashenko that Belarus, too, could be swallowed by its larger neighbor. Putin reinforced those fears by speaking openly of a political union of the two states. But it collapsed entirely in 2020, when Lukashenko cracked down on hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy protesters, making him an international pariah. At that moment of peril, Putin stepped in, providing cheap energy, an economic lifeline and an implicit assurance of security assistance, should that become necessary. With Belarus a virtual dependent of Russia, Lukashenko has become a crucial partner in Russias invasion of Ukraine, stopping short only at contributing his own military to the fight. Pavel Latushka, a former Belarusian diplomat and minister turned dissident, has published evidence that Belarus is complicit in the forced displacement of Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territory. Prosecutors from the International Criminal Court in March issued arrest warrants for Putin and his childrens rights commissioner accusing them of deporting thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia. In late May, Latushka presented Ukrainian prosecutors with the names and details of approximately a dozen children from Russian-occupied Ukraine who were brought to camps in Belarus. In an interview, he said that as of last month about 2,150 Ukrainian children had been brought to at least three camps run by state-owned companies in Belarus, including the Belaruskali potash company. Belaruskali was placed under EU and U.S. sanctions in the wake of Lukashenkos violent suppression of the pro-democracy protests. Ukrainian prosecutors have confirmed that they are investigating Latushkas accusations. Latushka said he discovered documents signed under the auspices of the Union State, a vague alignment of Russia and Belarus, that ordered the movement of Ukrainian children that has been carried out. The decision is signed personally by Lukashenko, who currently chairs the supranational bodys leadership council. The apparent positioning of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus is also part of agreements made in the Union State, though the Kremlin has said all of the nuclear materials will be under Russian control. The nuclear weapons are a source of pride for Lukashenko, who thinks they will give him the ability to stay in power until his death, said Latushka. But they also give Moscow a monopoly of force that diminishes the Belarusian strongmans control, bring Russia inside Belarus borders and posing a potential threat to Belarus security all points that the governments opponents are trying to drive home to Belarusians. We are now ringing all the bells about the deployment of nuclear weapons, which ensures Russias presence in Belarus for many years to come, said Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Belarus primary opposition leader, now in exile. Even after the regime changes, she said it will be difficult to get rid of them. As she spoke, it was three years to the day that her husband, Sergei Tikhanovsky, was arrested on trumped-up charges because he dared to compete against Lukashenko in the 2020 elections. He was jailed before the vote, prompting Tikhanovskaya to run in his stead. In December 2021, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison. His children, now 13 and 7, regularly write to him in jail, but it has been three months since they have heard back. Four of his lawyers have been stripped of their licenses. A human rights organization, Viasna, has counted 1,495 political prisoners, including its founder, Ales Bialitski, in Belarusian jails. Bialitski, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize last year with groups from Russia and Ukraine, received a sentence of 10 years last month for smuggling and for financing actions grossly violating public order. Opposition leaders like Tikhanovskaya sentenced in March to 15 years in absentia, and Latushka, who was sentenced to 18 years, also in absentia have been trying to influence the pro-democracy forces inside Belarus. But it is getting harder, they said, because of the growing prevalence of pro-Russian propaganda. Much of their effort is devoted to warning their countryfolk of the consequences of a potential nuclear strike from Belarusian territory. I dont want to imagine it, but lets imagine that nuclear weapons will be used at some point when Russia is losing and these weapons fly from Belarus, she said. Well, I think there must be some kind of backlash. No one will figure out whether this button was pushed in the Kremlin or in Lukashenkos palace, right? A retaliatory attack, if there is one, if the West decides what it means to answer, it will fly to Belarus. They are also trying to influence Western leaders, and lament that their calls for now, at least are mostly falling on deaf ears. The United States and the European Union slapped Belarus with sanctions after the 2020 protests and again when Lukashenko forced a commercial airliner to land in Minsk, the capital, because it was carrying a dissident blogger. After Russia invaded Ukraine from Belarus, the European Union even then its second biggest trading partner joined the United States and Britain in the most severe sanctions in the countrys history. But how to react to the latest escalation has become a conundrum for the West. At a recent conference in Slovakia, President Emmanuel Macron of France called Belarus a vassal state, but said Europe bore some of the blame. We put him in a situation to be trapped in the hand of the Russians, Macron said of Lukashenko, in response to a question about his current approach toward the country. If your question is, Do I think we should be more aggressive with Belarus, my answer is no, he said, emphasizing that Western leaders needed to offer Lukashenko an exit strategy. Macron, who was criticized for making similarly sympathetic remarks about Putin early after Russias invasion, was widely condemned by Belarusian dissidents. Tikhanovskaya said it seemed like some Western leaders were trying to whitewash Lukashenko, justifying their tepid response out of the belief that he had at least not joined the invasion though there are allegations that Belarusian officers are training Russian recruits. Rather than resisting pressure to join forces with Putin, she said, Lukashenko was deeply concerned about stirring domestic unrest over a war that remains unpopular in Belarus. If that should spark another major uprising he could be forced to appeal to Moscow for security assistance. And that, Latushka said, could be the final step toward Putins ultimate goal: To absorb Belarus. c.2023 The New York Times Company Thousands of wounded Ukrainian soldiers are being treated across the EU as part of a programme set up by the European Commission (Tobias SCHWARZ) Miner Vitali volunteered to fight against Russia from the first days of the conflict at the front lines in his native Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, where orthopaedic surgeon Olga Pidgaiska worked in a hospital. But it was 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) away that the two Ukrainians would meet -- at Charite hospital in Berlin where war-wounded Vitali received treatment and where Olga worked after fleeing the war. Vitali, who gave his first name only, was shot several times in his limbs shortly after joining battle. His right arm had to be amputated. He was swiftly transported out of Ukraine for treatment in Germany, arriving in Berlin in March 2022. Ten operations followed, and doctors were able to save his leg -- which he was told in Ukraine he would lose. Doctors have also given Vitali an artificial arm. "It's important for me. When I'm back home, I'll need to drive my car," said the miner. A doctor comes by every day, accompanied by Olga, who translates the instructions and information given to the patient. Olga herself fled the war with her mother and son, finding refuge in Berlin, where she obtained employment at the capital's biggest hospital. - 'Not on this scale' - Thousands of wounded Ukrainian soldiers are being treated across the EU as part of a programme set up by the European Commission. Germany has taken in 800 injured Ukrainian soldiers since the start of the war, including about 50 at the Berlin hospital unit specialising in muscular and skeletal wounds. "We have already seen this in other conflicts, but not on this scale," said Sven Maerdian, who heads the hospital's trauma surgical section. Their recovery process is long and full of pitfalls. Over three to six months, the patients are treated far away from their loved ones, and their daily routine is punctuated by injections of antibiotics and medical checks. Vitali leaves his room sometimes, with the help of a wheelchair, to chat with compatriot Oleh. Wearing a T-shirt with a Ukrainian flag and sporting tattoos on his arms, Oleh was also wounded in the war. He stepped on a mine and arrived in Charite at the start of the year, with a large wound on his right hip. Oleh has undergone several operations, but serious infection set in on the wound, complicating his recovery. - Resistant infections - Resistant bacteria infecting the soldiers are hard to treat, Maerdian said, calling it a "medical challenge" that practitioners are fighting with special antibiotic regimes. The psychological treatment of the patients is likewise a challenge, with doctors watching the process closely and an emergency service dedicated to their recovery. Away from the war, all that the Ukrainian patients think about are their families back home. Vitali's wife and two sons are still in Ukraine. His older son is on the frontline. "It's very difficult to be far from my family, but I'm trying my best," he said, adding that he calls them "every half an hour". Vitali knows that when he returns to Ukraine, he won't have much time with his loved ones either. Fighting is raging and all men between 18 and 60 are mobilised. "I have military obligations," he said. fcz/hmn/sea/nas/gw/smw US President Joe Biden shakes hands with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS) President Joe Biden on Thursday called religious freedom a "core principle" for India and the United States, in a gentle nudge as he welcomed India's Hindu nationalist prime minister, Narenda Modi. Modi has faced criticism over the rights of religious minorities in India, with rights groups alleging a blind eye to vigilante violence against Muslims and Christians. "Equity under the law, freedom of expression, religious pluralism and diversity of our people -- these core principles have endured and evolve," Biden said at a ceremonial welcome to Modi at the White House. "Even as they have faced challenges throughout each of our nations' histories, and will fuel our strength, depth and future." Biden and Modi, however, overwhelmingly stressed the positive as they opened talks set to focus on trade and defense, with the two democracies both seeing challenges from a rising China. "I have long believed that the relationship between the US and India will be one of the most defining relationships of the 21st century," Biden said. Modi said that both India and the United States had societies "based on democratic values." "Both of our countries take pride in their diversity," Modi said. "Both of us believe in the fundamental principle of 'in the interest of all,' 'for the welfare of all.'" "The two countries are committed to work together for the global good and for global peace, stability and prosperity. Our strong strategic partnership is a clear proof of the power of democracy," Modi added. aue-sct/md Biden does not stop talking about "dictator Xi", but wants to meet with him US President Joe Biden refused to take back his words about Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he previously called a "dictator". Source: Biden during a briefing in the White House following the results of the meeting with Prime Minister Modi of the Republic of India on Thursday The American president said he will not shy away from "saying what he believes to be the truth about our relationship with China, and it's not something I'm going to fundamentally change." Quote: "I think and I've said it before that the hysteria about our relations with China is fading and passing. There was an incident that led to some misunderstanding. But Secretary of State Blinken made a wonderful visit to China," he added. Biden also expressed hope that "at some point in the future" he will meet with Xi Jinping himself and does not believe that his words about the Chinese leader "had any real consequences". Background: Earlier, it was reported that Joe Biden called Chinese leader Xi Jinping a "dictator" when he spoke about his reaction to the downing of a Chinese reconnaissance balloon. In response, China said that the American president had committed a "public political provocation". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! President Biden said Thursday that he doesnt think that calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator impacted the U.S.-China relationship. I dont think its had any real consequence, Biden said during remarks at the White House alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Biden on Tuesday, while fundraising in Kentfield, Calif., said to a group of donors that Xi is a dictator who got upset when the Chinese spy balloon was shot down in February because he didnt know about it. The Chinese government then reportedly summoned the U.S. ambassador to China for a quiet but official reprimand. More Biden administration coverage from The Hill Beijing on Wednesday bashed Bidens description of Xi, calling it extremely absurd and irresponsible. When were talking to our allies and partners around the world, including India, we let the idea of my choosing and avoiding saying what I think is the facts with regards to the relationship with China is just not something that Im going to change very much, Biden said. I believe and Ive said this for some time that the hysteria about the relationship with China is collapsing and moving, etc., etc. We had an incident that caused some confusion, you might say, he added, referring to the spy balloon being shot down in February. Sign up for the latest from The Hill here When asked on Thursday if his comments at the fundraiser undermine or complicate the progress the Biden administration has had with China, he replied, no, no. And, he added that he expects to meet with Xi sometime in the future. The last time the two met one-on-one was in Bali in November. The president also added Thursday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was just in China, had a great trip. He previously praised Blinken this week for doing a good job in China to mend the U.S.-Chinese relationship. Updated at 3:32 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Nandita Bose and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden and Narendra Modi hailed a new era in their countries' relationship after the White House rolled out the red carpet for the Indian prime minister on Thursday, touting deals on defense and commerce aimed at countering China's global influence. Two great nations, two great friends, and two great powers. Cheers," Biden told Modi in a toast at a state dinner. Modi said in reply: You are soft spoken, but when it comes to action, you are very strong. Though the countries are not formal treaty-bound allies and India has long relished its independence, Washington wants Delhi to be a strategic counterweight to China. While neither leader criticized Beijing directly in official statements, they alluded to the Xi Jinping-led government. "The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo Pacific," Modi told Congress. "The stability of the region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership." After Biden and Modi spoke privately for more than two hours, a joint statement included a warning of rising tensions and destabilizing actions in the East and South China Sea and stressed the importance of international law and freedom of navigation. "The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the United States work and lead together, and we are," Biden said as he welcomed Modi to the White House. The state dinner, held in a large, elaborately erected tent on the White House South Lawn, featured a number of Silicon Valley executives on the guest list, including Apple's Tim Cook, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, among others. With the slightly Indian-accented dinner, the Bidens followed a White House tradition of serving guests from abroad food that has faint echoes of home with a strong American bent. Modi is seeking to raise the status that India, the world's most populous country at 1.4 billion and fifth-largest economy, has on the world stage as a manufacturing and diplomatic powerhouse while navigating strained ties with China. His participation in a White House press conference itself was a reflection of contrasting political traditions, marking the first time Modi has taken questions in such a format in his nine-year tenure. He took one question apiece from an American and an Indian journalist selected in advance, and dismissed criticism about India's human rights record. Washington has been frustrated by India's close ties with Russia while Moscow wages war in Ukraine. Modi avoided direct mention of Russia, but told lawmakers the conflict was "causing great pain in the region. Since it involves major powers, the outcomes are severe." BOYCOTTS AND WELCOME CROWDS Modi's visit was not without controversy. The speech to Congress, normally a bipartisan affirmation of a visiting leader from an allied nation, was boycotted by some liberal lawmakers, who cited the Modi government's treatment of India's Muslim minority. "I encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance and freedom of the press to join me in doing the same," Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Wednesday. Modi's speech to the Congress also drew a crowd of on-lookers who chanted "Modi, Modi" at applause lines. As some 7,000 well-wishers gathered for a colorful opening ceremony at the White House, a far smaller group of demonstrators gathered blocks away to protest the Biden administration's coziness with Modi, who leads the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Asked by a U.S. reporter about what steps he would take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities, Modi said "there's absolutely no space for discrimination" in India. Biden told reporters he and Modi had a straightforward discussion about democratic values. NEW US-INDIA DEALS The two countries announced agreements on semiconductors, critical minerals, technology, space cooperation and defense cooperation and sales. Some are aimed at diversifying supply chains to reduce dependence on China. Others are aimed at cornering the market in advanced technologies that may feature on the battlefields of the future. They also ended disputes at the World Trade Organization, and India removed some tariffs on U.S. goods. The United States is India's largest trading partner but the U.S. has much larger trading relationships with China, the EU, and North American neighbors. Biden and Modi signed off on a deal to allow General Electric to produce jet engines in India to power Indian military aircraft, through an agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics. U.S. Navy ships in the region will be able to stop in Indian shipyards for repairs under a maritime agreement, and India will procure U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology's plans a $2.7 billion semiconductor testing and packaging unit, to be built in Modi's home state of Gujarat. The U.S. will also make it easier for skilled Indian workers to get and renew U.S. visas. India also agreed to join the U.S.-led Artemis Accords on space exploration and to work with NASA on a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said the visit so far had been "truly pathbreaking" and New Delhi is confident it will help take the relationship with Washington to "higher reaches". "The richness of form and substance of the visit clearly tells you that its an exceptional, landmark, pathbreaking visit," Kwatra told reporters. "The decisions taken during the visit are truly transformative across a wide range of areas. Naturally, it is something which is possible when the countries have deep trust in each other and are in it for long term." (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Rami Ayyub, Kanishka Singh, Patricia Zengerle, Trevor Hunnicutt and YP Rajesh; Writing by Trevor Hunnicutt and Steve Holland; Editing by Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell, Daniel Wallis, Grant McCool and Michael Perry) Biden and Modi to unveil new science and defence cooperation between US and India President Joe Biden and Narendra Modi on Thursday will use the Indian prime ministers state visit to mark deepening defence and technological ties between their respective nations, even as many members of Mr Bidens own party plan to snub the controversial Indian leader at a planned address to the US Congress. Mr Modi, who arrived in the US on Wednesday and visited the National Science Foundation with First Lady Jill Biden before the Bidens hosted him for a private dinner at the White House, has visited Washington before during his near-decade as the leader of the worlds largest democracy, a nine-year period that has been marked by increasing attacks on free speech and religious freedom under the rule of his Bharatiya Janata Party. The Indian prime minister was actually banned from the United States in the years prior to becoming his countrys head of government. In 2005, the US State Department denied him permission to enter the country due to his role in deadly riots during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat. The ban on his entry into the US, which was imposed under the International Religious Freedom Act, was not lifted until he became prime minister in 2014. Yet nearly 10 years later, the Biden administration appears to be ready to gloss over concerns about democratic backsliding, increasing attacks on Indias Muslim minority, and growing restrictions on press freedom in favour of highlighting the strong ties between the two countries. A senior administration official who briefed reporters on plans for the state visit said it will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together and strengthen our two countries shared commitment to free, open, prosperous and secure Indo Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our Strategic Technology Partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space. As the worlds oldest and largest democracies and key security providers in the Indo Pacific, the United States and India are increasingly partners of first resort as a combined force for global good both in the Indo Pacific and elsewhere. India will be a critical strategic partner for the United States in the coming decades, the official said. They added that Indias growing commitment to playing a more engaged international role under Mr Modi demonstrates a new and growing willingness to join the United States to protect and advance a shared vision of a free, open and rule based rules based global order as a strong maritime democracy. The official said that in the Biden administrations view, there is no more consequential partner than India, now and into the future. We are hosting India for an official state visit to put our cooperation on an inexorable trajectory were seeking escape velocity as we support Indias emergence as a great power that will be central to ensuring US interests and the interests of our partners in the coming decades, they added. A second official said Mr Biden and Mr Modi will use the occasion of the Indian leaders visit to announce a new US-India initiative on critical and emerging technologies, which will include the addition of New Delhi to the Artemis Accords space exploration agreement and a joint mission to the International Space Station between Nasa and the Indian Space Research Organisation next year. Additionally, the US will announce support for Indias entry into the State Department-led Minerals Security Partnership, which the official said would strengthen critical minerals supply chain and ensure that the US and Indian markets are supplied with essential critical minerals that are needed for our climate, economic and strategic technology goals. On defence matters, another official said Mr Biden and Mr Modi plan to announce a proposal from General Electric to produce the F404 jet engine in India through a partnership between DE and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. This is a trailblazing initiative to manufacture F404 engines in India will enable greater transfer of US jet engine technology than ever before, said the official, who added that the defence cooperation between Washington and New Delhi would expand to include a master ship repair agreement that will allow US Navy vessels to undertake servicing and even major repair at Indian shipyards. Mr Modi and Mr Biden will also reveal plans for India to begin purchasing US-made MQ-9 Reaper drones, which the official said would substantially grow Indias [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] capabilities. Yet despite the planned announcements and festivities to mark Mr Modis time in Washington including the traditional state dinner at the White House on Thursday not everyone in Mr Bidens party is happy about Mr Modis planned reception in Washington. Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome Narendra Modi to the White House (AP) A group of progressive Democrats in Congress, led by New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is planning to boycott Mr Modis planned address to the US Congress on Thursday, citing Mr Modis record on human rights and religious freedom. I encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to join me in doing the same, the New York Democrat wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, arguing Congress shouldnt extend such an honour to individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed minorities. The Indian leader has been accused of being complicit in sectarian violence in which over 1,000 Muslims were killed in 2002 while he was chief minister of Gujarat. Mr Modi allegedly stood by as Hindu mobs terrorised the states Muslim population in retaliatory violence after a group of Hindu pilgrims were killed, though he was later cleared by a team appointed by the Indian Supreme Court. Two other Democrat representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, both of whom are Muslim are also boycotting the speech. Its shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nations capital his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable, Ms Tlaib wrote on Twitter of the decision. I will be boycotting Modis joint address to Congress. Prime Minister Modis government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity, Ms Omar added. I will NOT be attending Modis speech. Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Reuters President Joe Biden has been hesitant to provide new weapons to Ukraine, most notably Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) and F-16 jets, just as he was hesitant to provide Ukraine with Patriot batteries, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), and tanks. In the Middle East, as the Islamic Republic of Iran is increasing its enriched uranium stockpile in grade and mass, while escalating its proxy attacks against U.S. forces, the administration remains paralyzed to respond with anything other than bribing the regime with $24 billion cashto which it is gradually giving Iran access. Also with China, relations are challenging. The last time there was such a standoff was in 2001, over a U.S. spy aircraft caught by the Chinese, prompting an apology from the U.S. government. The table has since turned. After a public outcry over a Chinese flying object with advanced technology collecting intelligence (or the silly balloon as the president described it) in U.S. airspace, the president shot down the spyware, and the Chinese severed relations in response. Blinken, Xi Take a Step Back From U.S.-China Cold War Not talking with a strong adversary risks misunderstandings, and the administration appears to be at extreme unease over it. To restore the relationship, the administration has been all-but-apologizing to the Chinese since. CIA Director Bill Burns, possibly under the confusion that he is still a professional diplomat rather than a spy chief, secretly traveled to China to convince the adversary to resume normal relations. It came shortly after Jake Sullivan, the presidents assistant for national security affairs, made the same attempt in Vienna during a talk with the Chinese minister of foreign affairs. Joe Biden attends a working session on food and energy security during the G20 Summit on November 15, 2022 in Indonesia. Leon Neal/Getty Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, too, has been begging for a call with his Chinese counterpart for months to resume contact between the two militaries, which the Chinese halted after the balloon incident and a key component in keeping the peace during the Cold War, thus far to no avail. Partially, he seeks to implement a presidential initiative. During a G-20 meeting in Bali, Biden stated that he and the Chinese Communist Party secretary general, Xi Jinping, had agreed that they should have an open hotline to prevent misunderstandings. Except that the Chinese arent picking up the phone. Finally, on June 18, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing and briefly spoke with Xi and other officials. According to the preliminary reports, the two sides agreed to stabilize relations, but the Chinese did not agree to resuming military diplomacy as long as the United States keeps its sanctions on Chinese entities. Now, the risk-averse administration has to choose whether to de-risk the relationship, or de-sanction it. There are two kinds of de-risking. The first one is for the private sector to divest from China, anticipating worsening relations. The sanctions and tariffs of the past several years assured that it was already underway, with businesses anticipating that investment in China is no longer a safe bet. All good. The other is maintaining the status quo of relationsnot the sour status quo, but the hot peace with China over the past decadewhich appears to have been the objective of Blinkens trip. All of these efforts have sought to minimize the risk of a conflict, something also true of the administrations treatment of Russia and Iran. It is imperative to manage the risk of an unnecessary conflict with China, or any adversary, especially one that could unravel into a war. But it is worth considering that risk-aversion is itself a risk. The United States is the worlds hegemon. This is another way of saying that it is the worlds judge, jury, and executioner. Despite the cries of too many problems at home on the right and left alike, it should be needless to say (and it regrettably is not) that, by virtue of setting the rules of the world and enforcing them, Americans are the greatest beneficiary of their own investment. But these benefits come with the burden of necessitating guts. COVID Proved Were Unprepared to Handle Chinas Dictatorship The only thing that stands between World War III, one that will be far more catastrophic than its predecessor, and us is Americas commitment to say no when adversaries break the rules. It was a lack of commitment that caused World War II. Americas treatment of Russia since Vladimir Putins ascent to power has been hardly any different than its treatment of Adolf Hitler. America turned a blind eye to his undermining of the weak Russian democracy, of Russias minor and major incursions into his neighbors territories, and of the annexation of Crimea. Rarely do we get an answer to a historical what if?, but we have ours now. What if the United States and the United Kingdom armed Czechoslovakia and told it to stand up to the Nazis? Hitler would have looked as miserable as Putin does today. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shakes hands with President Joe Biden of the United States of America during a bilateral meeting at the G20 summit in Indonesia. Leon Neal/Getty Images But they did not then for the same reason that the administration is too cautious to escalate its aid to Ukraine, punish Iran, and let the Chinese temper tantrum run its course: risk-aversion. (To be clear, as I stated, its a risk-aversion of a lower degree, evident by the different policies toward Czechoslovakia in 1938 and Ukraine today.) Risk-aversion is its own risk. Refusing to enforce ones own rules and penalize a strong adversary invites a much greater aggression that can no longer be ignored, but against an adversary now much stronger and an aggression much greater. The U.S. is a much stronger power than its adversaries, but it is not acting as such. The cowardice, disguised as risk management, is feeding into the narrative that America is too tired and war-wary to defend its own interests. Iran and Russia Won Syrias Civil War (and the U.S. Lost It) It must stop. Evil totalitarians do not respond to pleas and lectures; they only respond to force, and history is no void of great empires which fell because they refused to employ forceor did so too little and too late. If the administration is worried that the enforcement of international rules and norms is not risk-free, if it is worried about unforeseen consequences, then it should vacate the business of government. Tom Schelling was a Cold War strategic thinker whose writings helped a first-time superpower understand peacetime great power relations and war, and his most famous quote influenced many Cold War policymakers. It remains true today. Deterring a war depends on a threat that leaves something to chance, he said. As terrifying as it is, sometimes, the options are leaving our collective fate to chance or to our mortal enemies. President Biden needs to take his chances. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. U.S. President Joe Biden and Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold joint press conference at the White House in Washington By Kanishka Singh and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi denied that discrimination against minorities existed under his government during a press conference with U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday, despite rights groups and State Department reports of abuses. Biden said he discussed human rights and other democratic values with Modi during their talks in the White House. Asked at the press conference what steps he was willing to take to "improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech," Modi suggested they did not need to be improved. "Our Constitution and our government, and we have proved democracy can deliver. When I say deliver - caste, creed, religion, gender, there is no space for any discrimination (in my government)," Modi told reporters. In reports on human rights and religious freedom, the State Department raised concerns over treatment of Muslims, Hindu Dalits, Christians and other religious minorities in India while also listing a crackdown on journalists. Rights advocates and dozens of lawmakers from Biden's Democratic Party urged him to raise the issue publicly with Modi, whose Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has held power since 2014. PROTESTERS DECRY MODI'S REMARKS Dozens of protesters gathered near the White House on Thursday. "Modi should think why that was the first question asked to him in the press briefing. It's obvious to all there is rights abuse in India," said Ajit Sahi, a protester and advocacy director at the Indian American Muslim Council. "Modi's comments (that there is no religious discrimination by his government) is a complete lie. India has become a black-hole for religious minorities," said Raqib Hameed Naik, the founder of Hindutva Watch, a group that monitors reports of attacks on Indian minorities. India's importance for the U.S. to counter China and the economic ties between the countries make it difficult for Washington to criticize human rights in the world's largest democracy, political analysts said. Biden rolled out the red carpet for Modi on Thursday. The only two Muslim women members of the U.S. Congress - Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib - along with some other progressive lawmakers like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, boycotted Modi's address to the Congress on Thursday, citing allegations of abuse of Indian dissidents and minorities, especially Muslims. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders said Modi's "aggressive Hindu nationalism" has "left little space for India's religious minorities." The benefits of the Indian government's policies are accessible to everyone, Modi said. Rights groups have asserted, however, that dissidents, minorities and journalists have come under attack since Modi took office. India has slid from 140th in the World Press Freedom Index in 2014 to 161st this year, its lowest point, while also leading the list for the highest number of internet shutdowns globally for five consecutive years. The U.N. human rights office described a 2019 citizenship law as "fundamentally discriminatory" for excluding Muslim migrants. Critics have pointed to anti-conversion legislation that challenged the constitutionally protected right to freedom of belief and the revoking of Muslim-majority Kashmir's special status in 2019 as well. There has also been demolition of properties owned by Muslims in the name of removing illegal construction; and a ban on wearing the hijab in classrooms in Karnataka when the BJP was in power in that state. "The protection of the Muslim minority in a majority Hindu India, that is something worth mentioning," former U.S. President Barack Obama, whom Modi calls a close friend, told CNN in an interview aired on Thursday. "If you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility that India at some point starts pulling apart," Obama said of what he would have told Modi now. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Nandita Bose; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Grant McCool and Michael Perry) President Joe Biden hailed the countrys deepening relationship with India as he stood alongside its leader Thursday, highlighting the ascendant nations strategic importance while making only oblique references to New Delhis backsliding democracy. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads the worlds largest democracy but has ruled as an autocratic-leaning Hindu nationalist whose government has overseen a crackdown on everyone from journalists to political opposition leaders as part of a larger targeting of Indian Muslims. Despite its wariness of Modi, the U.S. has looked to New Delhi as a rising economic partner and a bulwark against Chinas dominance in the region. Biden did not upbraid Modi in public but gently noted a need for a shared commitment to democratic values. Indians and Americans cherish freedom and celebrate the democratic values of universal human rights, Biden said during a news conference, which face challenges around the world and in each of our countries but which remain so vital to the success of each of our nations: press freedoms, religion freedom, tolerance, diversity. While standing with his Indian counterpart in the White House East Room, Biden deemed the nations partnership "among the most consequential in the world" and "stronger, closer, and more dynamic than at any time in history." Biden brought up human rights concerns behind closed doors, White House aides insisted, although they did not immediately get into details. Human rights advocates have criticized Biden not just for hosting Modi, but for throwing him a state dinner, a prestigious honor bestowed upon only two other foreign leaders since Biden took office. Earlier Thursday, Biden welcomed Modi to the White House with a speech touting religious freedom as a core principle for both nations, a gentle chiding for the prime ministers treatment of Muslims. Equity under the law, freedom of expression, religious pluralism and diversity of our people these core principles have endured and evolve, said Biden in the welcoming ceremony. Even as they have faced challenges throughout each of our nations histories, and will fuel our strength, depth and future. Modi, who has not taken a question at a news conference in his nine years as prime minister, flashed some impatience when asked about his nations commitment to democracy and human rights, before fiercely declaring that democracy is in our DNA. We live in democracy, Modi said as part of a long winded defense. Regardless of caste, creed, religion and gender, there is absolutely no space for discrimination. Modis visit to Washington has illustrated his rise. India just became the worlds most populous nation, the nations surging economy is drawing foreign investment, and Modi will host the worlds leaders at the G-20 in New Delhi this fall. The U.S. feels it has no choice but continue to court him as an essential bulwark on the far side of the globe. To the dismay of the White House, India has remained neutral in the war between Russia and Ukraine. And while New Delhi has not offered Moscow any direct assistance, it has continued to purchase its gas, helping Vladimir Putin fund his war efforts. Biden did not publicly push Modi to back Kyiv but Biden said the two spoke about our shared effort to mitigate humanitarian tragedies unleashed by Russias brutal invasion of Ukraine. But Indias biggest role, the administration believes, could be to provide a check on China. India and China share a lengthy border and recent tensions. U.S. has elevated India as part of the Quad alliance along with Australia and Japan to reinforce democracys position in the Pacific and has pushed New Delhi to act as a buffer against the economic and territorial ambitions of Xi Jinping. And Biden, in response to a reporters question, did not back down from his recent characterization of Xi as a dictator, a label that was met with fury from Beijing. Biden administration officials have said they are not blind to Indias faults and troubles. Instead, they say in dealing with a geo-strategically vital country of 1.4 billion people, they prefer to level their criticisms behind the scenes. But doing so, human rights activists argue, means offering a tacit blessing to the abuses taking place under Modis watch and it forfeits an opportunity to improve the situation. A handful of progressive Democrats boycotted Modis speech before a joint session of Congress scheduled for after the news conference. A joint address is among the most prestigious invitations and honors the United States Congress can extend, said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), one of those shunning the speech, in a statement. We should not do so for individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed communities. Human rights advocates cite a litany of abuses by the Modi government, including passage of a law that discriminates against Muslims by making religion a basis of citizenship and the revocation of the autonomy granted to the majority-Muslim Jammu and Kashmir region. Some Indian states also passed anti-conversion laws that appear to target Muslim men who marry Hindu women. These and other moves have played out against a backdrop of more violence against religious minorities and crackdowns on government critics and journalists. Many presidents have had to deal with unsavory foreign elements to advance U.S. political interest. Biden, when he ran for president, trashed Trumps seeming indifference to suffering around the world, promising to put human rights at the center of his foreign policy. But he and his team have also made deals with nations like Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The White House touted a series of agreements reached at the summit, including new economic deals, climate commitments, and contracts for semiconductors and other technologies. Aides defended the decision to have the state dinner, suggesting it is a representation of the administrations appreciation of Indias new engagement with the world and, they say, its commitment to be a good global citizen. Bing's new chat mode lets you ask follow-up questions without having to repeat yourself. ChatGPT is the best-known example of a powerful artificial intelligence tool, and Microsoft surprised the tech world when they decided to integrate the chatbot into their search engine. Now, you can use Bing with ChatGPT to make every web query a more conversational experienceas long as youre using Microsoft Edge. Get Microsoft Edge As much as you may like Chrome, Firefox, or whatever web browser you use, Bing is a Microsoft product and it works best with the companys homegrown browser, Edge. Without it, you wont get full access to Microsofts AI-powered search engine (which theyve branded The New Bing). If you open Bing in any other browser, youll still get to search the web, but you wont get to try the platforms chat mode. And thats not the only restriction. To use Bing with ChatGPT, youll also need to log into a Microsoft account. If you dont, youll only get five responses, after which the platform will prompt you to sign in to continue your conversation. If you do, Bing will give you access to 25 more responses, save the conversations youve had with it, and let you view them across Microsofts apps and services. [Related: 6 ways ChatGPT is actually useful right now] Finally, if you have more intimate questions youd prefer Bing didnt archive under your name, were sorry to inform you that Edges InPrivate mode (the browsers equivalent to Chromes Incognito mode and Firefoxs Private window) doesnt support ChatGPT. This means theres no way to have delicate conversations with the platform, so if you share a computer with someone else, make sure you log out after youve made your queries or search in a more private setting. Get familiar with the platform When you open Bing in Edge, youll get two ways of accessing the engines chat mode: the navigation bar at the top of the screen and the message right below the search bar showing examples of conversational questions you could ask the ChatGPT-powered engine. To start, click the Try it button at the bottom of the notification or the Chat option at the top of the page. The next screen looks like most messaging platforms, with exchanges (in this case, your questions and Bings responses) taking up most of the space. At the bottom of the interface, youll find a chat box where you can provide a prompt of up to 4,000 characters. You can type it in directly or click the microphone icon to the right to use the voice-to-text function. Be careful: the latter option will make Bing read the results out loud, and you cant change that, so make sure youre comfortable having your results read aloud before you ask a question. Finally, on the right side of the screen, youll see a list of your archived conversations. Click an item on it and choose the pencil icon to rename it or the trash can icon to remove it. This is all intuitive and easy to navigate, but there are some buttons youll need to know more about. Choose a conversation style The big difference between classic Bing and its AI-powered version is that it lets you search for information in a conversational style. This means the engine understands your questions in a specific context, which makes it easier to refine your search. For example, if youre asking Bing how to get from the airport to your hotel on your next trip to Paris, the platform will understand what you mean when you follow up by asking which method of transportation is the cheapest or fastest. But there are actually several types of conversations you can have with Bing, depending on what you want it to do. Before you enter your prompt, use the buttons in the middle of the interface to define your querys conversation style. Bing suggests Creative to generate more imaginative and original responses, such as poems, stories, jokes, images, etc., but if you want more informative and factual responses, like search results and definitions, you should go with Balanced. Finally, if youre looking for something even more specific, like calculations, conversions, or straightforward recipes, Precise mode is what you need. Do dogs dream? Bing generated three types of answers with similar information. In our experience, no matter what conversational type you use, the information will be pretty much the same. Answers will mostly vary in length and tone, with Precise being the shortest and most straightforward. Keep in mind that you cant change the conversational style midway through a conversation, so choose wiselyor youll have to start over. If youve been chatting with Bing for a while and cant remember what conversational style youre using, pay attention to the color of the interface. When using the Creative type, itll be magenta, youll see blue with Balanced, and green with Precise. Check for accuracy Regardless of conversational style, Bing will always show you links to the sources it used to generate its response. You can check them at the bottom of Bings responses or by hovering over and clicking underlined text. Bing won't discuss how it chooses the sources of it uses to generate answers to your questions. But theres no guarantee those are reputable websites or that you trust them personally. The platform is not transparent about the vetting process it uses to choose the sources for its AI-generated content, so if you need your results to be factual and accurate, its up to you to make sure of that. To do so, click the links and compare the underlined text in Bings response with the content of the source page. Start again The last function youll need to get familiar with is the New Topic button, which youll find in the bottom left corner of the interface. Sometimes youll only see its icon: a broom with some sparkles. [Related: 3 ways to prevent ChatGPT from using you as training data] This button will automatically archive your conversation and start a new one. By default, itll keep the conversation style you had for your previous conversation, but you can change it if you need to. And if you ever need to go back to an earlier chat and ask a follow-up question, you can find them listed in chronological order to the right of the interface and start exactly where you left off. The Star Kingdom of Oba Black culture will be showcased at Burning Man 2023. In a groundbreaking achievement, the Star Kingdom of Oba will be an art installation presented to celebrate African heritage and the interconnection between humans and animals. With Burning Man 2023s theme of Animalia embracing the animal kingdom, the Star Kingdom of Oba promises to captivate attendees and ignite conversations about unity and cultural representation. The art installation has been awarded the prestigious Burning Man honorarium, which is a recognition marking a historic moment as its the only project by Black Africans from West Africa to receive such an honor. Photo Credit: Dipo Doherty What To Know About The Star Kingdom of Oba The Star Kingdom of Oba is a multi-sensory star-shaped installation that weaves together the mythological creatures of Benin cosmology to underscore the message that all living beings are born from the same consciousness. Led by three visionary individuals, this project aims to uplift ancient Benins legacy, mysticism and magic while emphasizing the interconnectedness of humanity and animals. Our installation celebrates our shared origins and the inter-species connection between man and animal, Jacquelyn Omosunbo Omotalade, the creative visionary behind the project, told Travel Noire. It serves as a reminder that all living beings are interconnected, and we must honor and respect our relationship with the natural world. Dipo Dogerty is the lead artist for the project. He has infused his Nigerian roots into the artwork, breathing life into the mythical creatures that inhabit the Star Kingdom of Oba. Through this installation, we transport visitors to a realm where humans and animals coexist harmoniously, emphasizing the unity and respect between the two kingdoms, he said. Its a profound statement about our collective consciousness and the importance of nurturing our connection with nature. Photo Credit: Dipo Doherty Burning Man 2023 Burning Man is an annual event held in Black Rock City, a temporary town constructed in Nevadas Black Rock Desert. It is a week-long experiment dedicated to anti-consumerism and self-expression in the form of an art festival. Each year, the event attracts more than 35,000 participants and ends with burning of a large wooden sculpture of a man. For 2023, Burning Man has adopted the Animalia theme. This theme invites participants to explore the animal kingdom and reflect on their relationship with the natural world. The Star Kingdom of Oba aligns seamlessly with this theme, offering a thought-provoking experience that encourages a deeper understanding of societys place within the animal kingdom. As Burning Man 2023 draws near, anticipation builds for the Star Kingdom of Oba unveiling. This exceptional art installation, spearheaded by Black African visionaries, will not only be a testament to their creativity and cultural heritage, but also a catalyst for change, representation, and unity, Jacquelyn Omosunbo Omotalade said. Visit artunknown.org to learn more about the project and its mission and contribute to its realization. Follow the journey of the Star Kingdom of Oba on Instagram for updates, behind-the-scenes insights and a closer look at the teams creative process. A 33-year-old mystery has resurfaced in Kansas after a curious fisherman spotted a strange shape resting at the bottom of a lake, photos show. John Mounce, of Wichita, was fishing on Cheney Reservoir on May 29 when he made the discovery, he said in a Facebook post. A sonar device first tipped him off that something unusual was beneath the surface, so he put a livescope into the water for a better look, he told KSNW. A grainy image appeared on screen: a rectangular object roughly 16 feet below, a Facebook post shows. But it didnt take Mounce long to figure out what he was looking at. I knew 100% immediately that it was a vehicle, he told KSNW. While he did eventually contact investigators, Mounce admits he didnt let the discovery of the Jeep disrupt his day on the water. Before I called the authorities, Im gonna let it be known I caught all the fish, he told the station. Authorities located the Jeep and pulled it out of the water after John Mounce brought it to their attention. Authorities arrived at the reservoir, located the Jeep with Mounces help and pulled it from the water, social media posts show. The vehicle was in bad shape, rusted and falling apart, but still recognizably a Jeep. Investigators soon learned the Jeep was stolen, the Sedgwick County Sheriffs Office told McClatchy News. The theft was reported to the Wichita Police Department in 1990. McClatchy has reached out to the Wichita Police Department for more information, and is awaiting response. How the Jeep, stolen 33 years ago, might have ended up in the Cheney Reservoir, investigators havent said. The sheriffs department has been in contact with the person who owned the Jeep, Fox News reported. He said clearly it had been stolen. He made an insurance claim, which was paid out, Capt. Benjamin Blick, with the sheriffs office, told the outlet. Weve contacted the insurance company and so really, at this point, since they own it, since they paid out on it, its up to them what to do from here. Mysterious safe washes up on beach in Texas, video shows. See whats inside Driver needs rescue after strange creature she saved loses temper, TX officials say Murky shape seen by drone in forest pond solves 26-year-old mystery, Texas cops say Magnificent beast caught on Texas lake sets a new record, officials say Bodies of missing Titanic sub passengers may never be recovered, Coast Guard says The bodies of the five passengers aboard the Titanic sub that was lost in a catastrophic implosion near the wreck may never be recovered from the Atlantic, says the US Coast Guard. The pressure chamber of the OceanGate Titan was found among other debris, approximately 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor by a remote operated vehicle (ROV) on Thursday. This is an incredibly unforgiving environment out there on the sea floor. The debris is consistent with the catastrophic implosion of the vessel. We will continue to work and search the area down there but I dont have an answer on prospects at this time, said Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard. The submersible vessel named Titan (OceanGate Expeditions) (PA Media) And he added: This is an incredibly complex operating environment on the sea floor over two miles beneath the surface. The Coast Guard says that ROVs will remain in place but that it will begin to pull back equipment over the next 48 hours. The Rear Admiral said that sonar buoys had been in the water for the past 72 hours and that they had not picked up any evidence of an implosion, suggesting that it had happened early on in the dive. Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood were lost along with CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding and renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Titan began its journey to the wreck site, which sits at a depth of 12,500ft in the Atlantic Ocean, on Sunday morning. About an hour and 45 minutes later, the Titan lost contact with its surface ship, the Polar Prince. The Titan was equipped with a four-day emergency oxygen supply. Officials say that a Canadian aircraft involved in the search detected intermittent banging noises from the vicinity of its last known location. Mr Dawood and his son, who are both British citizens, are part of a prominent Pakistani family, with investments in the countrys agriculture and industry sectors. The Boebert vs. Greene fight isn't just happening in a ladies' bathroom anymore it's out on the House floor and uglier than before Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert. Win McNamee/Getty Images Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert had a heated exchange on the House floor on Wednesday. Greene confirmed to Semafor that she used a choice word in reference to Boebert. "I told her exactly what I think about her," Greene told Semafor. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wants people to know that, yes, she did use a choice word during a confrontation with her onetime ally turned GOP nemesis Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado. "She has genuinely been a nasty little bitch to me," Greene told Semafor when asked about a confrontation between the two women on the House floor on Wednesday. "I told her exactly what I think about her," Greene said of Boebert, adding that she would "absolutely not" be reconciling with her House Freedom Caucus colleague. Greene's statement to Semafor confirms a scoop from The Daily Beast's Zachary Petrizzo and Sam Brodey, who spoke to several sources who witnessed the exchange. The heated back-and-forth was over articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden that Boebert introduced on Tuesday night. Greene who has also filed articles of impeachment against Biden accused Boebert of copying her legislation. Boebert denied doing so, per The Daily Beast's sources. "I've donated to you, I've defended you," Greene told Boebert before referring to her with the profanity, one of The Daily Beast's sources said. "And you copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to cosponsor them," Greene added. And while Greene is still going after Boebert, the Colorado Republican appears to want to wrap it up before any blood's drawn. "Marjorie is not my enemy. I came here to protect our children and their posterity. Joe Biden and the Democrats are destroying our country," Boebert told The Daily Beast. "My priorities are to correct their bad policies and save America." But Boebert couldn't resist getting a little jab in on the way out. "Like I said, I'm not in middle school," she told CNN's Manu Raju, CNN's Capitol Hill reporter Haley Talbot reported. Boebert and Greene have been feuding for months. In January, Greene confronted Boebert in a bathroom on Capitol Hill over her refusal to vote for Rep. Kevin McCarthy for speaker, The Daily Beast reported. Greene has broken from the far-right Freedom Caucus on more than one occasion she lashed out at Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida during the Speaker vote, declaring herself "the leading MAGA voice in Congress" over Gaetz. In November, Greene resolved to "fight it out" with her GOP colleagues over McCarthy's speakership. "I'm telling you I've always said I'm not afraid of the civil war in the GOP. I lean into it," Greene told former Trump advisor Steve Bannon on his "War Room" podcast at the time. Representatives for Greene and Boebert did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Business Insider Dubbed the 'Tropical Trump' after the controversial ex-US president, Bolsonaro remains a powerful force in Brazil, where conservative parties hold a strong majority in Congress (SILVIO AVILA) Ex-president Jair Bolsonaro faced an eight-year ban on running for office as Brazil's top electoral court began trying the far-right leader Thursday over his unproven allegations against the voting system during last year's elections. The Superior Electoral Tribunal (TSE) is trying the divisive ex-army captain on charges he abused his office and misused state media when he convened foreign diplomats in July 2022 to warn of the supposed risk of fraud in the October elections, which he went on to lose to veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Bolsonaro, 68, skipped the court date in Brasilia to attend a series of events in the southern city of Porto Alegre, where he was welcomed at the airport by a boisterous crowd of dozens of cheering supporters, many clad in the yellow and green of Brazil's flag, which he has claimed as a symbol. Insiders say Bolsonaro will almost certainly be found guilty, taking him out of the next presidential elections, in 2026. His lawyer told journalists he would appeal to the Supreme Court if convicted. The case revolves around a briefing at the presidential residence three months before the elections, at which Bolsonaro told representatives of the European Union, France, Spain and other countries that the electronic voting machines Brazil has used since 1996 compromised the "transparency" of the polls. Armed with a PowerPoint presentation but no hard evidence, he spent nearly an hour making his case, broadcast live on public TV. Prosecutor Paulo Gonet Branco said the event "was aimed at giving the false impression the voting process is obscure, rigged to manipulate the results and award a fraudulent victory to (his) adversary." He linked the former president's statements to the riotous aftermath of the elections, when Bolsonaro supporters invaded the presidential palace, Congress and Supreme Court on January 8, a week after Lula's inauguration. - Lawyer rejects claims - After just over three hours of hearings -- at which lawyers for the prosecution, defense and the left-wing party that brought the case, the Democratic Labor Party (PDL) -- made their arguments, the court adjourned until Tuesday, when its seven judges will begin delivering their rulings one by one. Bolsonaro reiterated Wednesday that he had done nothing wrong. "There was no criticism or attack on the electoral system," he said. His lawyer, Tarcisio Vieira, argued the same before the court, comparing the case to that of wrongly convicted French Jewish army captain Alfred Dreyfus in the late 19th century. That case "became one of the biggest judicial mistakes in history," he said. He urged the court not to do the same with Bolsonaro, denying he violated the law and rejecting efforts to link his statements to the January 8 riots. - Slew of probes - Both Bolsonaro's unsubstantiated allegations of election fraud and the January 8 riots drew widespread comparisons to his political role model, Donald Trump, and the latter's bid to hang onto power after his loss in the 2020 US presidential election. Bolsonaro, who spent three months in the United States after his term was up, has kept an uncharacteristically low profile since returning to Brazil in March to serve as honorary president of his Liberal Party (PL). He faces a raft of other legal woes, from five Supreme Court investigations that could send him to jail -- including over the January 8 attacks -- to police probes into allegations of a faked Covid-19 vaccination certificate and diamond jewelry snuck into the country from Saudi Arabia. But the man dubbed the "Tropical Trump" remains a powerful force in Brazil, where conservative parties hold a strong majority in Congress. Bolsonaro "has a large base," said political scientist Marco Antonio Teixeira, of the Getulio Vargas Foundation. Even if convicted, "he'll act behind the scenes and use his vote-winning power and influence to help other candidates," he said. The Lula administration has meanwhile kept largely quiet on Bolsonaro's case. As if to underline that he had bigger things to worry about, Lula spent Thursday meeting with world leaders at a summit in Paris, before giving a speech on climate change to a cheering crowd in front of the Eiffel Tower at a concert headlined by Billie Eilish. msi/jhb/des (Bloomberg) -- Jair Bolsonaros political future is on the line as he faces trial over charges he abused the power of Brazils highest office by making false election claims. Most Read from Bloomberg A seven-judge panel in Brasilia will hear evidence about Bolsonaros actions in a series of sessions that started Thursday. The allegations stem from the ex-presidents decision to convene dozens of foreign diplomats for a meeting at which he insisted that Brazils electronic voting system was vulnerable to fraud. The case is the first of 16 that Bolsonaro will face in the countrys electoral court, a result of his frequent claims that voting was rigged against him. Those assertions helped feed anger that ultimately resulted in riots in the nations capital last year. If found guilty, the man who served as president from 2019 to 2022 could be banned from office for eight years potentially ruling him out of the next two elections. Deliberations could take days or even months if a member of the panel requests more time. Thursdays session ended after three hours without a vote or verdict. The former president did not attend the trial and instead spent the day traveling in the countrys south, a conservative bastion. A guilty verdict and ban from office could lead to another seismic shift in Brazilian politics if it withstands appeals. Bolsonaro remains a hugely popular figure despite his narrow defeat to leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, whose own political ban was overturned before last years election. The conservative firebrand received 49.1% of votes and helped his party win the largest number of seats in the lower house, results that generated expectations that he would spearhead the opposition to Lula and perhaps seek to run for president or another office in the future. Read More: Bolsonaro Returns to Brazil to Lead Opposition Against Lula I would not want to lose my political rights, Bolsonaro told reporters Wednesday in Brasilia. I dont know if Ill be a candidate for mayor or city council next year. Or, if in the future, Ill run for senator or president. To be a candidate, I have to maintain my political rights. Electoral Claims In July 2022, Bolsonaro called ambassadors to the presidential palace, where he repeated debunked claims about Brazils electronic voting system. A rival political party accused him of using the speech to undermine faith in the election just three months before the vote. Bolsonaro, a former army captain who molded himself after Donald Trump, has for years spread conspiracy theories about vote rigging and the electoral system. Bolsonaro denies involvement in the riots that erupted on Jan. 8, when his supporters ransacked key government buildings in Brasilia to protest what they believed was a stolen election. But seven months after leaving office, he is staring down the possibility of far greater consequences than Trump, who is vying for next years Republican nomination despite two indictments and other ongoing investigations. Read more: Bolsonaro Testifies as Police Close In on His Inner Circle The clear evidence of alleged offenses has allowed the trial to move quickly, said Silvana Batini, an electoral law professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, or FGV, in Rio de Janeiro. It is simply a matter of collecting some details that are public and notorious, she said. In his opening remarks, Judge Benedito Goncalves, the rapporteur of the case, argued that Bolsonaro constructed an alarmist narrative about the election. He pointed to more than 600 pieces of evidence that he said demonstrated that Bolsonaro had acted against the electoral system. Neither a spokesperson for Bolsonaro nor the lawyer representing him in the case responded to requests for comment. His party has said the meeting was a government event, not a campaign stop. Bolsonaros defense characterized the meeting as a foreign policy matter. The trial is slated to continue over two more sessions on June 27 and 29, before a monthlong legislative recess begins July 1. While a decision could come during either of those sessions, it is also possible a judge could delay the vote for as long as 90 days to further review the evidence. Legal Woes Whatever the court ultimately decides, Bolsonaros legal woes are far from over. His cases before the electoral court include accusations that he abused his economic power by pushing a multi-billion dollar aid package through congress in an effort to sway voters. A guilty verdict in any of them could result in an eight-year ban from public office, legal experts say. Bolsonaro is also facing legal probes over potential crimes that occurred during and after his presidency. The alleged offenses include failing to declare millions of dollars worth of gifts he received while serving as president, falsifying Covid-19 vaccination records, as well as his role in the incitement of the Jan. 8 riots. He says he is innocent in each instance. But since returning home from a three-month, post-election vacation in Florida, the cases against him have escalated quickly. Bolsonaro has testified before authorities three times this year, and police have raided his home and arrested close allies. Read more: Bolsonaros Brawl With a Top Justice Tests Brazils Democracy People are on top of me with a magnifying glass, Bolsonaro told the magazine Veja last month. I expected some of this, but not in this way. Its humiliating. The outspoken leader has remained uncharacteristically absent from the public eye since his return, holding no major political rallies and giving few interviews. Bolsonaro needs time to forget what he did, said Christian Lynch, a political scientist at the State University of Rio de Janeiro. But the majority of the court does not want to give it to him. While a guilty ruling would immediately deem Bolsonaro ineligible to seek office, he could appeal to Brazils Supreme Court. Regardless of the outcome, the decision is unlikely to mark the end of Bolsonaro or his movement, said Oliver Stuenkel, a international relations professor at the FGV in Sao Paulo. Lulas ban from the 2018 election due to a corruption conviction opened the door for Bolsonaros longshot rise from the backbench of Brazils congress to the presidency. But the Supreme Court ultimately annulled his convictions on grounds that the lower court that had tried him lacked jurisdiction over his case, allowing the leftist to run again last year. This is not going to be last chapter, Stuenkel said. There are so many precedents to give Bolsonaro hope. --With assistance from Daniel Carvalho and Guilherme Bento. (Updates with details of trials first session and Bolsonaros travel throughout. A previous version corrected the number of electoral cases Bolsonaro is facing in the third paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The court could bar Jair Bolsonaro from running for office for a period of eight years The trial of Brazil's ex-president Jair Bolsonaro before the Supreme Electoral Court has started in Brasilia. Mr Bolsonaro is accused of abusing his power and spreading false information about Brazil's electoral system ahead of last year's presidential poll. While it is not a criminal case, the judges do have the power to bar Mr Bolsonaro from running for office for eight years. He is also under investigation in a number of separate criminal cases. Mr Bolsonaro, who is back in Brazil after a three-month self-imposed exile in Florida, has not said whether he plans to run for president in the 2026 election. The far-right politician, who is the honorary president of the Liberal Party, has only said that he would use his "experience to help his party campaign in next year's municipal elections". The charges before the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) revolve around a speech Mr Bolsonaro gave while he was still president in 2022. On 18 July, he invited foreign diplomats to his residence in the capital, Brasilia, where he falsely claimed that the electronic voting machines used in Brazil were prone to being hacked and open to large-scale fraud. Prosecutors say that the speech violated electoral law but Mr Bolsonaro maintains that he "simply explained how elections work in Brazil", and did not criticise or attack the electoral system. The speech came amid a polarising presidential campaign which saw Mr Bolsonaro being challenged for the top job by his arch rival, left-winger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The bitterly fought election went into a run-off on 30 October and was won by an extremely narrow margin by Lula. Mr Bolsonaro never publicly acknowledged his defeat and left Brazil for Florida two days before Lula was sworn in as president. His supporters, who refused to accept the outcome of the election, stormed Brazil's Congress, the presidential palace and the building housing the Supreme Court on 8 January. Police arrested 1,500 of the rioters but not before parts of the buildings had been ransacked. There is an investigation under way into whether Mr Bolsonaro incited the rioters. However, the seven judges presiding over the trial at the TSE have only been asked to rule on whether the former president abused his power to try to influence voters when he criticised Brazil's electoral system. Mr Bolsonaro did not attend the start of the trial in person. A simple majority is needed to reach a decision. The ex-president's lawyer has already said that his client planned to appeal should the ruling go against him. (Bloomberg) -- The founder of Chiles surging right-wing party bashed President Gabriel Borics plan for government control of lithium production, saying it would set the country back in competing for investment. Most Read from Bloomberg Jose Antonio Kast, who lost to Boric in the 2021 presidential election and aims to run again in 2025, said state-owned companies dont have the expertise to extract lithium and ensure that Chileans get the maximum value for their natural resources. If we delay, the most likely scenario is that Argentina, Bolivia and Australia are the biggest lithium producers, he said. Were going to lose an important position and show up late to submit this product that is part of our national wealth for trade, he said in an interview at the headquarters of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas in New York. Kast resurfaced as a major force in Chilean politics last month as his party secured the most votes in elections for a council charged with drafting a new constitution. The rise in support for his Partido Republicano compounded the challenges for Borics leftist administration, which swept into power with promises for reforms of the pension system and greater protection for indigenous rights but has been stymied by a divided legislature. Read more: Why Chiles Draft Constitution Has Come Under Attack In April, Boric announced a new national lithium strategy that put the state in a central role to develop the industry, as demand from producers of electric vehicle batteries soars. The government plans to submit a bill to Congress later this year to create a national lithium company that would own a stake in all new projects and at least 51% of all operations in areas deemed strategic. In the meantime, it has assigned state copper producer Codelco the task of negotiating new contracts with Soc. Quimica & Minera de Chile SA, or SQM, and Albemarle Corp., to give the state majority stakes of their current projects. We dont believe in the entrepreneurial state, Kast said. We do recognize the added value that Codelco has given to Chile, and we have always stated that, but we would not create a national lithium company, or a national company for wind energy or green hydrogen, because the state has to fulfill other roles first. Boric has said that the government will respect existing contracts with SQM and Albemarle to extract lithium from the Atacama salt flats. SQMs contract expires in 2030 and Albemarles in 2043. SQMs shares have dropped since Borics announcement, though some analysts have suggested the new public-private participation model could be reversed by the next administration. Borics administration has said the strategy will attract more investors. The government is in talks with more than 40 interested companies from more than a dozen countries, Claudia Sanhueza, deputy trade minister, said last month. Read more: Chile Sees Lithium Plan Expanding Trade Ties, Foreign Investment While Kast opposes Borics plan, he said it wouldnt be necessary to change the constitution to preserve private investment. The current constitution does establish that natural resources are for all Chileans, but that they can be granted through a legal and qualified process to concessionaires, he said. That is something that we believe has permitted Chiles mining industrial development. Kast, 57, said he hopes to be Republicanos presidential candidate in 2025, but that the decision will play out in the coming months through local elections and political developments. Polling firm Criteria said this month that Kast led the list of preferred presidential candidates for the 2025 election, with 21% of respondents mentioning his name. Boric is barred from running for reelection. Yes, I have a real chance of being a candidate, in part because of name recognition, he said. But in politics, two years indeed is a long time. --With assistance from Carolina Gonzalez and Matthew Malinowski. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A boss who dumped 91,500 pennies on an ex-employee's driveway was ordered to pay $40,000 Miles Walker dumped thousands of pennies on a former worker's driveway. Olivia Oxley/AP An autoshop owner has been ordered to pay almost $40,000 in back wages and damages. Miles Walker previously dumped 91,000 pennies on a former employee's driveway. The US government sued him for repeatedly failing to pay wages and illegal retaliation. An auto-repair shop owner who dumped about 91,500 pennies on an ex-employee's driveway was ordered by a federal judge to pay almost $40,000 to workers. Miles Walker, the owner of A OK Autoworks in Peachtree City, Georgia, must pay $19,967 in back wages and a further $19,967 in damages. He was sued by the US government for repeatedly failing to pay wages and illegal retaliation against an ex-worker, according to the lawsuit viewed by Insider. Andreas Flaten, a former employee of A OK, filed a complaint with the Department of Labor in January 2021 after Walker didn't send his final paycheck of $915, Insider previously reported. When Walker was contacted by the department, he said he wouldn't pay Flaten a penny. He then dumped about 91,500 oily pennies on Flaten's driveway in Fayetteville, Georgia. Walker left a copy of Flaten's paycheck and an expletive written on top of the pile of pennies. Walker was ordered not to "threaten or intimidate," or "retaliate or discriminate," against current or former employees of A OK through verbal or physical means. He was also told to remove any images or references of Flaten from A OK's website and banned from posting further references to him online. Walker had dedicated a page on his company's website about the penny stunt after the incident went viral to push back against the coverage of the events, as well as insult Flaten who isn't named but referred to as a "subpar ex-employee." The page is no longer available on the company's website. Flaten told Insider at the time that he wasn't bothered by Walker's insults, saying that "you just got to kind of ignore it," the way one would deal with an "angry toddler." "The court has sent a clear message to employers such as Miles Walker who subject employees to unfair wage practices and outright intimidation and retaliation," said Department of Labor regional solicitor Tremelle Howard in Atlanta, in a media statement on June 13. A OK Autoworks did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours. Read the original article on Business Insider On Tuesday, Neil Finn, 56, was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon after stealing from the Government Center Target and striking an employee who tried to stop him. He was also charged with unarmed robbery, resisting arrest, and assault and battery on a police officer. Finn stole almost $200 worth of razors and shaving cream from Target. When he was leaving, the store manager attempted to stop him, but Finn assaulted them and left the store. Police tracked him to City Hall Plaza, where Finn assaulted one of the officers. Finn has a criminal record dating back to 1984, which includes similar charges to the ones he faces now. This is precisely the type of serial offender who deserves to have bail revoked in order to prevent additional threats to businesses and their employees, police, and the larger community. Quality of life for people in Boston and elsewhere is a top priority for our office, and this mans repeated criminal behavior is not just unacceptable. It is intolerable, Hayden said. Finns pre-trial hearing will be on July 19. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has lamented Ukraine and Russias diametrically opposed views on neutral athletes participation in a speech at the 140th IOC Session. In March, the IOC announced a widely criticized recommended pathway to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions despite the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. So far, no decision has been taken on Russian and Belarusian athletes participation at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite offering a workable pathway forward with our values-based recommendations, we are still confronted with two irreconcilable positions, Bach said during the remote session on Thursday. Thomas Bach opens the IOC Session in Lausanne. - Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images The Russian side wants us to ignore the war. The Ukrainian side wants us to totally isolate anyone with a Russian and Belarusian passport. Either position is diametrically opposed to our mission and the Olympic Charter. We have the Russian side that considers the strict conditions to be unacceptable, humiliating and discriminatory. The Russian government accuses us of acting against our political neutrality, while at the same time this very same government is shamelessly trying to put together fully politicized sport competitions. We have the Ukrainian side that denounces us for siding with Russia. Their government insists on total isolation of all Russians and Belarusians, because they consider everyone with a Russian or Belarusian passport to be a supporter of the war. This even goes as far as banning athletes with intellectual disabilities at the ongoing Special Olympics. Bach also reiterated the IOCs condemnation of the war from the first day and stressed its guiding principle is contributing to peace through the unifying mission of sport. He criticized the Ukraine government for sanctioning its own athletes after the country decided in March to boycott Olympic qualifying events in which Russians are competing. It is hard to understand why the Ukrainian government is depriving their own athletes from their chance to qualify for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and to make the Ukrainian people proud, Bach said, expressing the desire to make it possible for every Ukrainian to be able to qualify and participate in the 2024 Games. CNN has contacted both Ukraines National Olympic Committee (NOC) and also Russias NOC for comment. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com By Catarina Demony (Reuters) - Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday the European Union should stop adopting a protectionist stance if it wants to reach a long-delayed trade deal with the Mercosur bloc. The EU and the Mercosur bloc of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay completed negotiations in 2019 but the deal has been on hold due to concerns about Amazon deforestation and Brazil's commitment to climate change action. Lula, who was elected last year, has promised to overhaul his country's climate policy. The Commission has proposed attaching an annex to the agreement to show commitments on deforestation and other areas of sustainability and is awaiting Mercosur's response. "The additional letter the EU sent to Mercosur is unacceptable because they punish any country that did not comply with the Paris Agreement," Lula told a news conference on the final day of his trip to Italy. "Not even them (EU) complied with the Paris Agreement. Lula said the Mercosur bloc was preparing its response and urged EU countries to be more "sensitive and humble". Lula will travel to France next and is expected to meet President Emmanuel Macron. France has said it was waiting to see if Lula's return to power will allow progress on climate and deforestation issues that remain red lines for Paris in any EU-Mercosur trade deal. "I intend to talk to...Marcron because France is very tough on defending its agricultural interests...it's wonderful they defend their agriculture, but they have to understand that others also have the right to defend theirs," Lula said. He added: "It is important everyone gives up their protectionism so that we can build the possibility of an agreement that improves the situation of the EU and South America." Earlier this month, the Commission said it would be unwise to renegotiate parts of its proposed free trade agreement with Brazil and other countries of the Mercosur bloc, given it took two decades to reach an initial deal. Both Brazil and the European Commission hope to finalise the trade this by the end of the year. (Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Sharon Singleton) The Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling today against the Navajo Nation in its attempts to secure water rights to the Colorado River. The case Navajo Nation v. Arizona rested on the merits of a 150-year-old promise from the federal government to fulfill the water needs of Native American reservations. The high court ruled that the 1868 treaty in question in which the Navajo Nation reservation was established and the U.S. government guaranteed the Tribe's agriculture needs, including water rights did not require the federal government to take "affirmative steps" to secure water for the Tribe. Writing for the majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh opined, It is not the Judiciarys role to rewrite and update this 155-year-old treaty. Justice Neil Gorsuch joined the courts liberal justices in dissent. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygreen released a statement expressing disappointment in the ruling but underscoring the tribe's determination to continue forward. Today's ruling is disappointing and I am encouraged that the ruling was 5-4," Nygren said in the statement."It is reassuring that four justices understood our case and our arguments. As our lawyers continue to analyze the opinion and determine what it means for this particular lawsuit, I remain undeterred in obtaining quantified water rights for the Navajo Nation in Arizona." The Navajo Nation established a water rights negotiation team earlier this year and we are working very hard to settle our water rights in Arizona. My job as the President of the Navajo Nation is to represent and protect the Navajo people, our land, and our future. The only way to do that is with secure, quantified water rights to the Lower Basin of the Colorado River. I am confident that we will be able to achieve a settlement promptly and ensure the health and safety of my people. And in addition, the health and productivity of the entire Colorado River Basin, which serves up to thirty tribes and tens of millions of people who have come to rely on the Colorado River. At 27,000 square miles, Navajo Nation is the largest reservation in the country, enveloping parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah in the Colorado River Basin. Approximately 170,000 of the Tribe's 350,000 members live on the reservation. Some 30% of homes in the Navajo Nation are currently without running water. It is common for families to drive to water access points once or twice a week to fill plastic barrels of water for cooking, cleaning, and drinking. The Navajo Nation brought the suit against the state of Arizona after their water rights came into question as the Tribe's primary water source the 1,450-mile-long Colorado River has dwindled by 20% over the past two decades amid relentless drought conditions in the region. Water from the river is allocated to seven states, with 40 million Americans relying on it for their water supply. The suit alleged a "breach of trust" and sought to compel the federal government to secure water for Navajo Nation by assessing the Tribe's water needs, developing a plan to secure the needed water, and potentially building pipelines, pumps, wells, or other water infrastructure. In oral arguments in March, the Tribe asserted their water rights under the Winters doctrine, a 1908 SCOTUS opinion considered to be the foundation of tribal water rights, in which it was determined that when Congress reserves land for Native Americans, it also must "reserve water sufficient enough to fulfill the purpose of the reservation." However, the court determined that the Tribe's arguments were "incorrect." "In the Tribe's view, the 1868 treaty imposed a duty on the United States to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Navajo. With respect, the Tribe is incorrect," Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the majority. The court's conservatives joined the majority opinion, with the exception of Neil Gorsuch, who has a track record of defending tribal rights and authored the dissenting opinion. Gorsuch was joined in his opinion by the liberal justices. Gorsuch wrote that the court's decision "rejects a request the Navajo Nation never made," adding that "the relief the Tribe seeks is far more modest." Gorsuch underscored the court's consensus that the Navajo Nation received enforceable water rights by treaty and that the United States holds those water rights on the Tribe's behalf. The request, therefore, is a simple one, "They want the United States to identify the water rights it holds for them." "Where does the Navajo Nation go from here?" Gorsuch wrote. "To date, their efforts to find out what water rights the United States hold for them have produced an experience familiar to any American who has spent time at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Navajo have waited patiently for someone, anyone, to help them, only to be told (repeatedly) that they have been standing in the wrong line and must try another." Perhaps here, as there, some measure of justice will prevail in the end." This article has been updated to include a statement from Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren. About the Author: "Elyse Wild is senior editor for Native News Online and Tribal Business News. " Contact: ewild@indiancountrymedia.com The National Windrush Monument, created by Jamaican artist Basil Watson, at Waterloo Station in London (ISABEL INFANTES) Britain on Thursday celebrated the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush ship bringing workers from the West Indies, but with the bitter legacy of a wrongful deportation scandal still fresh. Known as the "Windrush generation", thousands of people came to the UK at the invitation of the British government between 1948 and the early 1970s to fill shortages of key workers following World War II. Mostly from Jamaica or Trinidad and Tobago, they received indefinite leave to remain, but many who did not apply for passports later found themselves targeted by immigration laws intended to create a "hostile environment" for illegal immigrants. Many lost jobs, homes, health care, pensions and benefits because they could not produce paperwork, while others were taken into custody or forced to return to the Caribbean. Five years after the scandal sparked outrage, many of those affected are still waiting for the promised compensation. - 'Immeasurable contribution' - The Empire Windrush, carrying several hundred migrants, arrived at the port of Tilbury, east of London, on June 22, 1948. Three-quarters of a century later, the anniversary is a chance for the UK to "recognise and celebrate the immeasurable contribution that they, their children and their grandchildren have made to this country", King Charles III said. "Once in Britain, they worked hard, offering their skills to rebuild a country during peacetime and seeking opportunities to forge a better future for themselves and their families," he said in the foreword of a book accompanying a display of portraits. To mark the anniversary, Charles attended a service for young people and "Windrush pioneers" at St George's Chapel on the royal family's Windsor estate, west of London. "They are pioneers who paved the way for generations who came after them, not merely to survive but to thrive," the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, told the congregation. For surviving members of the Windrush generation and their descendants, however, the scandal that erupted in 2018 remains an open wound. "It just felt like another trauma. It's just so unfair," said Yvonne Josiah, 61, who was born in London but whose mother came to the UK in the late 1950s. "I grew up in a community of black people that came here, that were hard working... They didn't come here to rely on social housing... They weren't rebellious. They wanted to just live a quiet life, to work hard to achieve something, they wanted better for their children," she told AFP. Yvonne's daughter, Kenya Josiah, 28, said she was still bewildered by how people who had been in the country for many years, supported the economy and paid taxes could be treated as if they were "disposable". "I just felt like how could you treat people that... like they're nothing," she added. Her generation was much more willing to speak out on the subject than that of her mother or grandmother, she added. While the law guaranteed the Windrush generation the right to stay permanently in the UK, a lack of official papers left many in an impossible situation under the "hostile environment" introduced by the Conservative government in 2012 to reduce immigration. After the scandal was uncovered, former prime minister Theresa May, who pioneered the policy as interior minister, personally apologised to Caribbean leaders in 2018 and in 2019 a compensation scheme was set up. - Compensation - But Human Rights Watch said in April that the scheme was "failing" and "compounding its injustice by denying claimants their right to redress for the life-altering losses". As of January, HRW said, only 12.8 percent of the estimated 11,500 eligible claimants had been compensated. As a way of dealing with the "negativity" of the scandal, Kenya Josiah teamed up with her best friend to produce a book about the Windrush generation. The book, which she illustrated, tells the story of how her grandmother opened one of the few hairdressing salons for the black community in London in the 1970s. "I think it's really important that the stories are told now," she said. "When we were at school we really didn't know anything about the Windrush," she told AFP from her art studio in north London. "I was really aware that my grandparents weren't English, they were from the Caribbean... but I didn't really know how to understand it until I was older. "I just think that it's really important for children, not just black children, not just children of Caribbean descent, but also for other children from different races and different backgrounds to understand how our community came over here," she added. vg/har/acl/pvh Britain marks the Windrush anniversary with the story of its Caribbean community still being written People bound for Royal Ascot race meeting walk past the National Windrush Monument in Waterloo Station in London, Thursday June 22, 2023. Windrush Day is being marked on Thursday on what is the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the ship the Empire Windrush on June 22, 1948. It became a symbol of the post-war migration that transformed the U.K. and its culture. The term Windrush generation has come to stand for hundreds of thousands of people who arrived in the U.K. between the late 1940s and early 1970s, especially those from former British colonies in the Caribbean. (AP Photo/Tony Hicks) LONDON (AP) Seventy-five years ago, a ship landed at Tilbury Dock near London, carrying more than 800 passengers from the Caribbean to new lives in Britain. The arrival of the Empire Windrush on June 22, 1948, became a symbol of the post-war migration that transformed the U.K. and its culture. The term Windrush generation has come to stand for hundreds of thousands of people who arrived in the U.K. between the late 1940s and early 1970s, especially those from former British colonies in the Caribbean. Windrush Day is being marked on Thursday with scores of community and official events, including a reception hosted by King Charles III. Charles commissioned portraits of 10 Windrush passengers for the royal collection as a reflection of the immeasurable difference that they, their children and their grandchildren have made to this country. There also is a national church service, a Windrush flag flying over Parliament and a set of commemorative stamps from the Royal Mail. Patrick Vernon, convenor of the Windrush 75 network that is marking the anniversary, said Thursday's events are a chance to acknowledge the legacy of those first Windrush pioneers, the challenges they overcame and the contribution they made to Britain." Behind the anniversary celebrations lies a complex story that is still unfolding. WHO WAS ABOARD THE SHIP? The Empire Windrush carried people from Jamaica, Trinidad and other Caribbean islands who were invited by the British government to help rebuild the war-shattered nation. Many had fought against the Nazis in World War II; they came to work as nurses, railway workers and in other key jobs. Many settled in working-class neighborhoods, including the Brixton and Notting Hill areas of London. The new arrivals were welcomed by some but faced widespread discrimination in employment and housing. In 1958, racially motivated attacks on Black residents in Notting Hill sparked days of rioting. The Notting Hill Carnival now one of Europes biggest street parties was founded soon after to celebrate Caribbean culture and to bring communities together. A decade later, Conservative politician Enoch Powell made an infamous speech predicting rivers of blood as a result of mass immigration. The speech helped sparked a surge of protest and resistance by Britons of color. HOW DID THE WINDRUSH GENERATION FARE IN BRITAIN? Members of the Windrush generation and their descendants, from the Caribbean and other parts of the former British Empire, have had a colossal impact on British culture. People like poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, DJ Don Letts and members of ska bands like The Specials fused Caribbean musical influences and urban youth rebellion in the 1970s and 80s. Their influence helped seed new styles of music including grime, a distinctly London form of rap. In other art forms, major figures include Turner Prize-winning artist Chris Ofili, 12 Years a Slave filmmaker Steve McQueen, and writers Andrea Levy, Bernardine Evaristo and Nobel literature laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah. Prince William, the heir to the British throne, said Thursday that the contributions of the Windrush generation cannot be overstated. We are a better people today because the children and the grandchildren of those who came in 1948 have stayed and become part of who we are in 2023," he said. WHATS THE WINDRUSH SCANDAL? Commonwealth immigrants who came to Britain before 1973 had an automatic right to settle in the U.K. But decades later, thousands fell victim to the Conservative governments aim of making Britain a hostile environment for illegal immigration. In 2018, British news outlets revealed that people who had lived legally in Britain for decades had been denied housing, jobs or medical treatment because they could not prove their status. Many documents, including passenger cards from the Empire Windrush, had been destroyed by the authorities. Dozens were detained or deported to countries they had not visited for decades. After an outcry, the British government apologized to the Windrush generation, set up a commission to investigate what went wrong and established a compensation program. WHAT DOES WINDRUSH MEAN TODAY? Windrush today has multiple meanings. Onyekachi Wambu, editor of Empire Windrush, an anthology of Black British writing, said it wasnt until several decades after 1948 that the word Windrush began to mean something bigger than the people who came on the ship. We began to talk about Windrush and it became kind of institutionalized, he said at a recent panel discussion. There is now also an element of it that means scandal and betrayal. Many people caught up in the Windrush scandal say they are struggling to get compensation from a bureaucratic and inefficient government program. The government has declined to act on several of the recommendations of an independent review. The current Conservative government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is observing Windrush Day while legislating to criminalize and deport asylum-seekers arriving in Britain in small boats a situation that stirs uncomfortable parallels for some. Black Britons continue to have more poverty and worse health than their white compatriots, a gap bleakly exposed by higher death rates in the COVID-19 pandemic. Britain is wrestling with how to deal with its imperial past, a debate spurred on when Black Lives Matter protesters pulled down a statue of 17th-century slave trader Edward Colston in the English city of Bristol in 2020. Britain has come a long way on race in the 75 years since the Windrush arrived, but with much further to go to complete that journey to inclusion, Sunder Katwala of think tank British Future said in a recent report on the anniversary. A DNA sample taken from Bryan Kohberger revealed a near-exact match to the DNA found on a knife sheath at the scene of the quadruple murder in Idaho last November, according to new court documents. Kohberger, who is accused of murdering four University of Idaho students, was indicted by a grand jury in May on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary. Prosecutors allege that Kohberger, 28, broke into an off-campus house and fatally stabbed Ethan Chapin, a 20-year-old from Conway, Washington; Madison Mogen, a 21-year-old from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; Xana Kernodle, 20, from Avondale, Arizona; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, from Rathdrum, Idaho. Law enforcement officials found the knife sheath on the bed next to the bodies of Madison and Kaylee. The sheath was face down, partially under Madison's body and partially under the bed's comforter, according to a motion filed on June 16 with Idaho's Second Judicial District Court. DNA found on the sheath was initially compared to DNA from trash recovered outside the Kohberger family home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, last year. A cheek swab taken from Kohberger allowed for another, more direct DNA comparison using technology similar to that employed by services like Ancestry.com and 23andMe, the new court documents said. Drawing on a technique known as investigative genetic genealogy, law enforcement officers used publicly available genetic data to build a family tree of potential relatives of the suspect, going by the information obtained from the sheath DNA sample. "The product of the genealogy conducted by the FBI was a family tree that contained the name, birthdate, and death date (if applicable) of hundreds of relatives as well as their familial connections between each other and the suspect," the documents said. After running an analysis of the cheek swab obtained directly from Kohberger, a comparison revealed an overwhelming statistical match "specifically, the STR profile is at least 5.37 octillion times more likely to be seen if Defendant is the source than if an unrelated individual randomly selected from the general population is the source," the documents said. Kohberger is in jail in Latah County, Idaho, where he is being held without bail after his extradition from Pennsylvania. Court documents have already detailed much of the investigation that prosecutors say ties Kohberger to the slayings. A white sedan allegedly matching one owned by Kohberger was caught on surveillance footage repeatedly cruising past the rental home on a dead-end street around the time of the killings. Investigators also contend that a cellphone belonging to Kohberger was near the victims' home on a dozen occasions prior to the killings, though it was apparently turned off around the time of the early-morning attack. The legacy of Donald Triplett, the first person diagnosed with autism What House Republicans looked for from John Durham's testimony Justice Samuel Alito accepted lavish trip from conservative donor, report says Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert! KILEY CO-INTRODUCES FEDERAL JOURNALISM SHIELD BILL Journalists may soon receive federal protection from prosecutors seeking their sources, under a bill from California Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley and Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin. The two lawmakers on Wednesday introduced the PRESS Act, in collaboration with Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, and Ron Wyden, D-Oregon. The bill would prevent the reporters from being compelled by the government to share their confidential sources or notes. It also protects their data held by third parties (such as phone and internet companies) from being seized by the government without the chance to challenge them in court. The bill also protects journalists communication records from government scrutiny, though it contains exceptions for terrorism or the imminent threat of violence. As acknowledged by Americas founders, the freedom of the press to report on and disseminate information is critical to our republic, Kiley said in a statement. Our Constitution provides that no law shall abridge the freedom of the press and inspires us to protect journalists against government overreach and abuse of the subpoena power, Raskin added. While the bill has the support of dozens of media and First Amendment organizations, including the ACLU, the News/Media Alliance and the Committee to Protect Journalists, it still must make the arduous journey through Congress and be signed into law by President Joe Biden before it can go into effect. California already has a shield law in place, though it doesnt apply to the federal government. WHAT ARE THE ODDS, GOV. NEWSOM? Gambling oddsmakers like what they see in California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who recently took on Fox News pundit Sean Hannity in an hour-long interview and who has been an outspoken champion of Biden in recent days. Despite Newsoms repeated denials that he has any interest in running for president in 2024, the odds are 12-to-1 that he will be the next president of the United States, according to the website BetOnline. Thats up from 22-to-1 last Monday. Newsom archnemesis, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is listed at 9-to-2 for being the next POTUS, while the recently indicted former President Donald Trump gets 12 to-5 for a return to the White House. As for Biden, hes a 3-to-2 favorite to win another term of office. Other longshots to win the White House include vaccine denier Robert F. Kennedy (14-to-1), Vice President Kamala Harris (25-to-1 ), former First Lady Michelle Obama (25-to-1), former Vice President Mike Pence (50-to-1), South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (50-to-1), former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (55-to-1) and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (80-to-1). QUOTE OF THE DAY To my Republican colleagues who introduced this sham resolution: You honor me with your enmity. You flatter me with this falsehood. Your words tell me that I have been effective in the defense of our democracy, and I am grateful. - Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, responding to the resolution to censure him, via Twitter. Best of The Bee: Over half of Americans (55%) would disapprove of former President Donald Trump pardoning himself if he were convicted in the classified documents case and reelected as president in 2024, a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll has found. Thats compared with just 28% who would approve, according to the survey of 1,626 U.S. adults conducted from June 16 to 20. Meanwhile, in the growing field of Republican candidates in the 2024 presidential race, Trump still leads in polling, even though he is facing an indictment on federal charges over his handling of classified documents. Jeffrey Crouch, an assistant professor of American politics at American University and an expert on executive clemency, explained to Yahoo News whether, and how, the former president could pardon himself if hes reelected. Former President Donald Trump addresses supporters at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., on June 13 after appearing in a Miami court for his indictment. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) What is a presidential pardon, and what does it do? A pardon is the most complete form of forgiveness that the president can offer to someone who has committed a federal offense. The pardon power is mentioned specifically in Article II of the U.S. Constitution, Crouch said in an email to Yahoo News. A pardon is one of the two most common forms of presidential clemency used today. A commutation is the other. If former President Trump is reelected in 2024, could he pardon himself, and under what circumstances? He may be able to pardon himself, but there are reasonable arguments on both sides of this question. We dont know for sure what would happen, because no president has ever attempted a self-pardon, Crouch said. If Trump tried to pardon himself, it would certainly be a controversial decision. Could Trumps vice president pardon him using the 25th Amendment? Potentially, yes. This might be an alternate route for a newly elected President Trump who wants to be pardoned but does not want to have to do it himself, Crouch said. If Trump issued a self-pardon, would that pose any legal challenges, and how? Trump could use his clemency power to try to avoid any federal legal complications he might face after he becomes president again. Legal scholars disagree about whether such a move would work, Crouch explained. One perspective is that the pardon power is quite broad, and the Constitution does not explicitly forbid a self-pardon. The other perspective is that a self-pardon would, among other things, inappropriately allow the president to decide his fate in his own case. At some point, the U.S. Supreme Court would likely have to decide on the constitutionality of a self-pardon. Would a presidential pardon apply to state or civil cases? The president may only pardon offenses against the United States, or federal crimes. The president may not grant clemency for state offenses, Crouch said. If another candidate is elected president in 2024, could they pardon Trump, and under what circumstances? Whoever is elected president in 2024 could pardon Trump if they wished to do so, Crouch said. The leading Republican presidential candidates are currently sorting themselves into groups based on the Trump pardon possibility: [those who say] they would likely pardon him (entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy), [those] who would not (former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson), and [those] who might (Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez). There may be a long-term political benefit on the Republican side to pledging now to pardon the former president. Of course, President Biden could pardon Trump today. There is no need for him to wait for formal charges to be filed, a trial or sentencing, before granting clemency, explained Crouch. But right now, it does not seem that President Biden has any inclination to pardon his predecessor. (R-L) Louis Bretecher, Margaret Furkalo, Vangie Gilchrist, Ann Hill, Helen Kufley, Arlene Lindquist, Dianne Medwid, Nettie Nakonechny, Shirley Novalkowski, Frank and Rose Perzylo, Jean Rosenkranz, Donna Showdra, Lillian Stobbe, Patsy Zamrykut, Claudia Zurba. Canadian police have released the names of the 16 elderly people killed in a highway crash in the province of Manitoba. Fifteen people died when a bus crashed into a lorry on the Trans-Canada Highway near Carberry, two hours west of Winnipeg, last week. One more victim died from her injuries on Wednesday. "The impact of this loss will be felt for a long time to come," said RCMP Supt Jeff Asmundson on Thursday. Nine people are still in hospital with serious injuries. Most of the elderly people aboard the bus were from Dauphin, Manitoba, and the surrounding areas. They were traveling to the Sand Hills Casino in the town of Carberry. "Hearts are broken, families are grieving, a community is feeling immeasurable loss," Supt Asmundson said at a news conference in Dauphin. The investigation into the deadly collision is complex and is expected to take months. The collision, which happened at 11:43 local time (17:35 BST) on 15 June, has been called one of the worst tragedies ever seen in the province. Dashcam footage indicates the bus entered the roadway when the semi-trailer lorry had the right of way, but police have said it is too early to assign culpability in the incident. The drivers of the two vehicles were among those taken to hospital. Along with the names of the victims, the RCMP released short statements from some families about their lost loved ones. "We are heartbroken and numb by this tragedy and the loss of our vibrant mother, baba and great baba," said the family of Helen Kufley. "She was and always will be the cornerstone of our family, the one we always went to for advice and wisdom, and we will miss her terribly." "Proud and beloved husband, father, and pepere," said Louis Bretecher's family. "Our hearts lay also with those families who are grieving alongside ours." The names of the deceased are: Canadian police officer trying period pain simulator TikTok At the 2023 Calgary Stampede a rodeo/exhibition/festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada male, Canadian police officers wandered around to a booth that was promoting period pain relief under the company Somedays. In order to promote this period pain relief (which comes in the form of creams, teas, and heating pads), the people at Somedays set up a period pain simulator. Many women gathered around to see how much pain one Canadian police officer could withstand before giving up, and the answer was: not a lot. RELATED: Man Periods Are Real How To Tell When A Guy You Love Has Irritable Male Syndrome The Canadian Police Officer gave up halfway through the period pain simulator pain levels. The text overlay in the video, which has been viewed over 55 million times, reads cop tried period pain simulator and it goes exactly how you think it would. Once the officer was strapped in, another one of his buddies even asked, Do you need to hold hands? and grabbed hold of his hand for a moment before letting go. The presenter explained how things would go and what exactly he had gotten himself into, saying ,We all tried it on, so we did a gauge. We tried to check for accuracy and figure out which number correlates with our pain. She explained that she has endometriosis and, according to the Mayo Clinic, women who suffer from endometriosis are also prone to far more severe period pains. Im a ten, she said. Cass is a five, and Charlie is a seven. So well walk you all the way up and you can stop at any time well see how far you get. The officer joked (maybe not so jokingly) that he didn't know if they needed to give him 10, but he was ready to get started low. Between levels 1-3, things were going okay, and although he could feel it, he wasn't too jostled quite yet. At around level four, he revealed that he felt it going all the way down his legs and that he started sweating. RELATED: Mom Speaks Out About Husband Berating Her For 'Riding My Income For 10 Years' 'A Lot Of Mormon Women Suffer Silently' Around level 6, the officer claimed that he wouldnt want to do anything with that pain. He seemed to shrug off level five pretty easily, but once it got to six, you could tell by his body language and his face that was really starting to feel it. He began wincing, started bouncing his leg, and exaggerated his breathing. Would you want to be on duty with this sort of pain? the woman controlling the simulation asked. Walking around, going to school? The police officer confidently said no, no way. I definitely wouldnt come in, he said, referring to going to work. You would call in sick? the woman replied incredulously. Hes a six and hes going to call in sick to work, folks. Ive got bad news, your boss doesnt give a f--k that you have period pain, and shes... kind of right? According to a recent study conducted by Womanizer, 52% percent of menstruators surveyed reported feeling that it is not socially [acceptable] to call in sick as a result of period pain. A whopping 97% claimed that theyve never heard menstrual leave be discussed at their place of work. Women just keep on working. By pain level eight, the officer was audibly in pain. Can we get a stand-up? she asked, followed by a prompt, Nope! from the officer. Yeah come on, you got s--t to do! You gotta stand up, she egged him on, but he wasn't kidding, saying, I cant stand up. RELATED: Woman Tells Boss It's Her Time Of The Month & Gets Sent Home Others Can't Believe She Got PTO Photo: TikTok / @getsomedays He eventually did stand up, but his body language did him no favors, as the contractions he felt caused him to double over and close his abdomen off. At 10, she asked him for a yee-haw, which he painfully let out after a little bit of time, and finally, the presentation was over and the simulation ended. You want some cramp cream? she asked, to which the officer replied, Cramp cream? I need it now, as the camera showed off the large group of women who watched the presentation in joy, laughing along the whole way as they watched a man experience the pain they have to suffer each month. RELATED: The Age You Got Your Period Can Predict How Long You'll Live Women in the comments called for the normalization of menstrual leave. Should be mandatory for all male bosses, normalize using sick time for period cramps. Even some women I know need to know endometriosis is painful! one of the top comments read, with nearly 38,000 likes. The woman who claimed to have endometriosis said her pain was at a 10, but even at the levels that the other women felt, it was too much for the police officer. Someone in the comments joked, You forgot to tell him how much prettier he is when he smiles, mocking men who say things like that to women who dont smile enough or should smile more. I love how she included that we still have to live our regular lives through all of this, another woman wrote, and shes right. We as men dont know how good we have it, and one woman even added, He handled it better than most men I've seen do this, so if thats any indicator, its probably much worse than we could imagine and this is every month, for days at a time. RELATED: Woman Decides To Teach Daughter A 'Lesson' By Sending Her To School In White Pants During Her Period Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor for YourTango who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics. This article originally appeared on YourTango Were still kind of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, says Weilin Zhang of her dads place, but in the context of a best-kept-secret. If you know, you know. Enough people know about Green House Chinese Restaurant to have kept the Hunters Creek hole in the wall in business since 1997. And even more since 2014, when its original owner handed off the keys to Jianhang Zhang, but my Chinese food-loving heart, which fell first (and hard) for Cantonese fare, still doesnt think its enough. Which is why were here today. Well, really, were here today because Zhang is. That happened in 1995, when just 15 days after Weilin was born, he left the Guangdong province for America, in pursuit of a better life. New York City was his first stop. It was really hard finding a job as a Chinese immigrant, she explains for her father, whose English is better than my Chinese, but still falls a little short of a two-way conversation. He was working at a factory, but didnt want to do that anymore. He also didnt want to stay in New York, and before long found his way to Orlando and the restaurant life. It took several largely separated years and lots of visa-related wrangling, but Zhangs family eventually arrived stateside, too. Weilin was 8. And her dads hustle never slowed. He continued building his skills at various restaurants, including Green House, but it wasnt his last stop. Best Chinese: 2023 Orlando Sentinel Foodie Awards Even so, Zhang and his former employer remained friends, and as he moved up the ranks toward head chef and manager, good timing served as a next-level threshold He was ready for his own restaurant right as the owner of Green House was retiring, his daughter says. But the menu of 20 years ago wasnt yet the one that lured me to Hunters Creek. The original owner was Cantonese, but the food was not, she explains. What people here knew mostly was American Chinese General Tsos chicken and chow mein. In order to make money, we had to sell the Chinese food that people wanted to buy. When business dipped a little, though, Jianhang decided to take a chance on the food he loved to eat. Cantonese food has always been in Orlando, even when I first came here, says Weilin. But it was very limited. On weekends, our family likes to get dim sum, but back then there were only two or three places we really loved. And most were much more central in Orlando, close to downtown. Alas, the Green House kitchen was too small for the massive variety of dim sum, so instead, Zhang began introducing white-board specials. He wanted to give the menu a facelift, add some spice, spark some new business, she explains. Soon, word of mouth had Chinese customers showing up. It was mostly tourists, people here going to Walt Disney World or who came for conferences, but they were from all over, the United States and international. And wed see them again and again. In a city where people have niche places for Cantonese food where its really hard to pull them away from their favorites we started to become one. And theres good reason in the spongy perfection of Green House beef chow fun ($15.95), a dish Id nominate for Most Comforting of All Comfort Foods. Green House makes the noodles in house, a game-changer in this dish, in which the balance of chew and char are beyond delicious. Roast duck egg noodle soup ($13.95) was an across-the-board hit at home. Long simmered (its quite a process, she tells me, similar in time to good Vietnamese pho) the broth melds the rich flavors of pork and chicken bones and spices along with the beautifully roasted duck over which it is poured. Done Cantonese, its so savory, she says. Umami. Shes not wrong Packaged separately for take out, the duck is a tempting, if greasy, grab on the ride home. And if youre a trend-forward foodie looking for a find, the duck at Green House has long been prepped by the same chef theyve acquired over at YH Seafood Clubhouse in Dr. Phillips, where a whole duck will run you about $14 more than at Green House. Its one of the Zhangs newer favorites for dim sum not coincidently, now that the citys options have multiplied. Dim sum, Cantonese specialties shine at YH Seafood Clubhouse | Review Ma Po tofu with minced pork ($16.95) is one of a handful of spicier dishes, a really famous one, she says, and a nod in the Sichuan direction to be sure. Stir-fried eggplant ($13.95), soft and savory, puts a few other vegetables into play. Fish filet congee ($9.99) is another exercise in comfort. Zhang and I bond over its cold-cure effectiveness. When we were sick, my mom would not let us eat anything but congee, she says, chuckling. It just makes you feel better and full. It also works when youre feeling just fine, by the way. Leftover congee breakfast is a thing of beauty that rivals cold pizza. Clams, first blanched, then wok-fired, are tender stars in a balanced black bean sauce ($16.95), and the steamed, cut chicken, which comes by the half, is available with ginger and scallion sauce (and with or without a soy sauce bath) as well as in chili sauce ($19.95). Its one of Green Houses most popular offerings, in particular with Cantonese customers. Zhang treks to east Orlando for local free-range poultry, she tells me. He loves to support other small-business owners and also really values fresh ingredients. and when you dip it into the ginger scallion sauce. She trails off, then references Remy in Ratatouille, describing each unique flavor, then the magic that happens when you combine them in various ways. Its apt, as Zhang works full-time for Disney as a graphic designer, helping out at the restaurant on weekends and in whatever other ways she is needed. It is all about family here. And the food reflects it. If you go Green House Chinese Restaurant: 12915 Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando, 407-438-0988; greenhousechinesefl.com Want to reach out? Find me on Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com. Join the conversation at the Orlando Sentinels Lets Eat, Orlando Facebook page. A Cape Cod-based companys ROV was the machine that first found the debris of the submersible that vanished during a voyage to the Titanic wreckage. The five people onboard the submersible are believed to have died in a catastrophic implosion of the vessel, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Missing Titanic tourist sub: Titan suffered catastrophic implosion, killing 5 onboard Early Thursday morning a Pelagic Research Services team aboard the Horizon Artic rescue ship deployed its Odysseus 6K, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that can reach depths of up to 19,000 feet, scanning the ocean floor for any sign of the missing 21-foot submersible, Titan. After hours of searching, the Odysseus found an area of debris 16,000 feet away from the Titanic that officials would later say contained the Titans tail cone. Thats off the bow of Titanic its an area where there isnt any debris of the Titanic it is a smooth bottom, said U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger. This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there, on the sea floor and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel. Pelagic Research Services tells Boston 25 News the ROV was rigged specifically for rescue and that future photos released by the Coast Guard were taken from the Odysseus. Edward Cassano, CEO of PRS, was the overall incident commander for Horizon Arctic assets for the search and rescue effort. PRS Mobilization for Titan Search & Rescue In an early afternoon post on the Pelagic Research Services website, the company wrote, PRS want to express our full gratitude for the incredible, coordinated rescue response of everyone involved in this search and rescue mission. Our focus right now is on the families of those on the Titan and for their tragic loss. The submersible was on its way to the wreckage when it lost contact Sunday with the ship that had launched it about an hour and 45 minutes into the dive. Coast Guard crews and commercial vessels from the U.S. and Canada combed a 10,000-square-mile area for signs of the Titan since contact was first lost Sunday. FILE - This undated photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company's Titan submersible. On Monday, June 19, 2023, a rescue operation was underway deep in the Atlantic Ocean in search of the technologically advanced submersible vessel carrying five people to document the wreckage of the Titanic, the iconic ocean liner that sank more than a century earlier. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File) FILE - This undated photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company's Titan submersible. On Monday, June 19, 2023, a rescue operation was underway deep in the Atlantic Ocean in search of the technologically advanced submersible vessel carrying five people to document the wreckage of the Titanic, the iconic ocean liner that sank more than a century earlier. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File) The Titan 5-Person Submersible is designed to take five people to depths of 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) for site survey and inspection, research and data collection, film and media production, and deep sea testing of hardware and software, according to OceanGate. FILE - This 2004 photo provided by the Institute for Exploration, Center for Archaeological Oceanography/University of Rhode Island/NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration, shows the remains of a coat and boots in the mud on the sea bed near the Titanic's stern. A search is underway for a missing submersible that carries people to view the wreckage of the Titanic, according to media reports. The U.S. Coast Guard told BBC News that a search was underway Monday, June 19, 2023, off the coast of Newfoundland. (Institute for Exploration, Center for Archaeological Oceanography/University of Rhode Island/NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration, File) Authorities launched a search for a submersible that went missing near the site of the wreck of the Titanic on Monday, June 19, 2023. U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District, speaks to the media, Monday, June 19, 2023, in Boston. A search is underway for a missing submersible that carries people to view the wreckage of the Titanic. Canadian officials say the five-person submersible was reported overdue Sunday night about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John's, Newfoundland and that the search is being led by the U.S. Coast Guard. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District, speaks to the media, Monday, June 19, 2023, in Boston. A search is underway for a missing submersible that carries people to view the wreckage of the Titanic. Canadian officials say the five-person submersible was reported overdue Sunday night about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John's, Newfoundland and that the search is being led by the U.S. Coast Guard. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District, talks to the media, Monday, June 19, 2023, in Boston. A search is underway for a missing submersible that carries people to view the wreckage of the Titanic. Canadian officials say the five-person submersible was reported overdue Sunday night about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John's, Newfoundland and that the search is being led by the U.S. Coast Guard. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) In this photo provided by Blue Origin, NS-21 (New Shepard-21), astronaut Hamish Harding receives his Blue Origin astronaut pin after a successful flight to space on June 4, 2022, in Van Horn, Texas. According to Action Aviation, a company for which Harding serves as chairman, the U.K. businessman was one of the mission specialists onboard a missing submersible carrying five people to view the wreckage of the Titanic that was reported overdue late Sunday, June 18, 2023. (Felix Kunze/Blue Origin via AP) The Polar Prince ship is seen while moored in Vancouver, British Columbia, Oct. 23, 2017. A search is underway, Monday, June 19, 2023, for a missing submersible that carries people to view the wreckage of the Titanic. Unlike submarines that leave and return to port under their own power, submersibles require a ship to launch and recover them. OceanGate hired the Polar Prince to ferry dozens of people and the submersible craft to the North Atlantic wreck site. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP) Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Cash-strapped Pakistan to lease part of Karachi port to UAE for $220 million United Arab Emirates company AD Ports has agreed to take over part of Pakistan's main Karachi port (Aamir QURESHI) AD Ports Group of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed an agreement Thursday to take over the running of part of Pakistan's main Karachi docking facility in a deal worth an immediate $220 million, the company said. The deal will come as a shot in the arm for Pakistan, with the economy on the brink of collapse and the government desperate for big-ticket foreign investment to help service crippling debt. AD Ports Group has formed a joint venture with another UAE company, Kaheel Terminals, to take over berths from Karachi Port Trust (KPT), the state-owned handling agency. Karachi Port is Pakistan's oldest and busiest, with 33 berths, and the UAE deal will see the joint venture lease four of them for the next 50 years, "The JV will undertake significant investments in infrastructure and superstructure over the next 10 years," an AD Group statement said. Plans include deepening the berths to allow for bigger ships to dock, extending the quay wall, and increasing the container storage area. As a result, the terminal will be able to handle ships capable of carrying up to 8,500 containers, and capacity will increase from 750,000 to a million containers a year, the statement said. The bulk of development is planned for 2026. The UAE is a major contributor to Pakistan's economy in the form of grants, loans and direct investment, and has previously bailed out a government that for months has been on the brink of defaulting on its debt. ak-fox/ssy Census data: Utah County is the youngest in the U.S. as the nation grows older New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the median age in the U.S. has increased from 28 to about 38 in the space of five years. | Adobe.com The United States is getting older. As Americas large baby boomer population ages, the number of children under 5 is shrinking, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The data shows that the steady decline in births after 1970 has increased the median age in America from 28 to about 38 in the space of five decades. The new data adds to the evidence that, like many European and Asian nations, the United States is graying, posing challenges for the work force, the economy and social programs, The New York Times said. Utah is the youngest state in the nation, with a median age of about 31, according to The Washington Post. Related Baby population Andrew A. Beveridge, president of Social Explorer, a demographic data firm, told the Times, Its simple arithmetic, and that, Fewer kids are being born. The Times stated that all over the world, birthrates have remained low, as millennial women have focused more on work or education in their early 20s compared to previous generations. Utah County, home of Provo, has a median age of about 26 years old, making it the youngest county with a population of over 100,000, the Times added. Related Total dependency ratio The total dependency ratio shows the number of children and older adults compared to the number of those of working age. In 2020, the total dependency ratio in the United States was 63.6 children under age 18 and adults age 65 and older for every 100 working-age people ages 18 to 64, according to the Census Bureau. Thats up from 58.9 in 2010. William Frey, a senior demographer at the Brookings Institution, told the Post, It essentially tells how much the retirement-age population is dependent on the working-age population, and it continues to rise rapidly due to the aging of the baby boom. Frey added that while the current level has now risen to near 30, we could be headed toward the mid-30s, which would mean more than a third of seniors would be dependent on a slower-growing working-age population, per the Post. Other findings from the data include: Chad Doerman indicted on aggravated murder charges in deaths of 3 sons Chad Doerman, 32, heavily shackled and wearing a suicide-prevent garment called a turtle vest by corrections officers, sheds a tear as he stands just inside the Clermont County Municipal courtroom for his bond hearing, June 16. A father has been indicted in connection with the killings of his three young sons. Chad Doerman, 32, was indicted on nine counts of aggravated murder for the June 15 deaths of his three sons, according to Clermont County court records. The boys were 3, 4 and 7 years old, according to the Clermont Countys Prosecutors Office. The grand jury report shows Doerman was indicted on the following charges: Aggravated murder - Nine counts Kidnapping - Eight counts Felonious assault - Four counts The shooting was reported just before 4:15 p.m. at a home owned by Doerman near the corner of Laurel Lindale Road and Clermontville Laurel Road. The childrens mother called 911 screaming, her babies had been shot, sheriffs officials wrote in a news release. Three minutes later, a separate caller driving by the shooting scene called 911 and reported seeing a young girl running down the road, warning that her father was killing everyone. Sheriffs officials have not identified the girl but say she is safe. Body camera video from the Clermont County Sheriffs Office shows deputies finding Doerman sitting outside the Laurel Lindale Road home with a rifle next to him. The bodies of the three boys were in the yard. Deputies found the three young boys unresponsive on the ground when they arrived. They attempted life-saving measures until Monroe Fire/EMS arrived. All life-saving measures were unsuccessful, and all three children succumbed to their injuries at the scene, the sheriffs office said in a news release. The boys mother, 34, also was shot in her hand. She was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Doerman confessed to planning and carrying out the deaths of Victims involved for several months, a detective with the Clermont County Sheriffs Office wrote in a criminal complaint. The judge, a former assistant county prosecutor, set a $20 million bond for Doerman. Enquirer media partner Fox 19 provided this report. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Chad Doerman indicted in fatal shooting of three sons Channel 5 changes schedule to include new documentary Titanic Sub: Lost at Sea Channel 5 has changed its schedule on Thursday (22 June) evening to include a new documentary titled Titanic Sub: Lost at Sea. The live special will, of course, focus on the missing tourist submarine, which was lost on an underwater expedition to view the Titanic shipwreck on Sunday (18 June). The live special will air at 7pm just hours after the Titan submersible is due to run out of oxygen and is presented by former Football Focus host Dan Walker. The submersible had a 96-hour oxygen supply when it left its surface ship around 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on Sunday morning (18 June), meaning it is due to run out around 10am (BST) on Thursday (22 June). In a synopsis seen by The Independent, Channel 5s ITN-produced documentary promises to bring viewers the latest on this story, taking an in-depth look at the extraordinary events. The programme will feature interviews with experts speaking about the science of the vessel as well as people close to those onboard about the passengers. Ian Rumsey, managing director of content for ITN, said: This programme will chart everything from the exploration itself, to the rise of extreme tourism, to the rescue attempts, but above all it will tell a very human story that has captured the nation which is about five people, all with families, who are trapped at the bottom of the ocean. The submersible vessel named Titan (OceanGate Expeditions/PA) Our expertise and heritage in fast-turnaround documentaries and reputation for responsible filmmaking means we always treat such stories with great sensitivity. Five people are onboard the missing submarine: British billionaire Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman, founder and CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush, and veteran French diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet. On the same day, the submarine went missing, Hardings stepson Brian Szasz was spotted at Blink-182s concert in San Diego. It might be distasteful being here but my family would want me to be at the Blink-182 show as its my favourite band and music helps me in difficult times, Szasz apparently wrote in the caption of his since-deleted post. A Canadian aircraft searching for the sub in the Atlantic Ocean recently detected intermittent banging noises from the vicinity of its last known location. Rescue crew searching for the missing sub heard banging sounds every 30 minutes on Tuesday (20 June) and again four hours later, after additional sonar devices were deployed. The US Coast Guard, however, has clarified that they do not know the source of the noise. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here Garrett Crochet engaged in an epic 12-pitch battle with Mookie Betts last week at Dodger Stadium. The left-handed reliever could tell his slider wasnt as sharp, but in the moment didnt notice that his fastball velocity was down a tick. As he delivered fastball after fastball, which Betts kept fouling off, Crochet thought, Im doing something right. In the aftermath of the June 15 outing, Crochet said he experienced just regular, everyday soreness. Most of the time when you are coming out of the bullpen, you are probably a little bit sore, Crochet said Wednesday. And thats all I felt like it was. But he said he wasnt bouncing back from the soreness and, At that point I was just wasting a roster spot. Crochet went on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with left shoulder inflammation. While no timetable is established, Crochet hopes to be back in two to three weeks. I went to see (lead team) Dr. (Nikhil) Verma, under his advice, got a cortisone shot, Crochet said. Tested my strength before and after the shot. After the shot, it had improved just in that 30-minute time window. It kind of let us know it was inflammation in the back of the shoulder. The teams first-round pick in 2020, Crochet is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA and nine strikeouts in 10 appearances since being reinstated from the injured list on May 16. He missed all last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Ebbs and flows are to be expected, Crochet said. I think it kind of went hand and hand with that. Just getting after it every day for the past 14 months. Just something that is kind of to be expected throughout the process. Crochet said up until the last outing in Los Angeles, he felt he could pitch every day. Typically its a Day 2 soreness deal, he said. It was the day after the two innings (on June 13) in L.A., I felt really good the next day. It kind of felt like something I was able to pitch through. Saw the dip in velocity (from around 97 mph on June 13 to 94 mph on June 15). Up until that point, I felt as if I was recovering really well. I think its just a bit of workload management that we are kind of doing to this point. But yeah, hoping to get back out there in two to three weeks and ready to rock. Before Wednesdays game against the Texas Rangers, Grifol provided injury updates on shortstop Tim Anderson (right shoulder soreness) and third baseman Yoan Moncada (lower back inflammation). Grifol said Anderson, who last started Saturday in Seattle, could be back in the lineup for Fridays series opener against the Boston Red Sox. The Sox are off Thursday. Grifol said the Sox opted against an IL stint in Andersons case because they believe hed be back before the required 10 days were up. And we also have value for him to do other things, like pinch-hit (as he did Tuesday), pinch-run, Grifol said. In an emergency we can probably use him, even though we dont want to. But an IL was just too long a period. I wouldnt throw him out there (on the field defensively) right now. It has to be an extreme emergency and even then, Ill protect against that. Moncada, who retroactively went on the IL on June 14, did some throwing before Wednesdays game. Grifol said a timeline is hard to tell because we havent started hitting yet. The back is weird, Grifol said of Moncadas injury. I guess it will let you know when it feels good and then you can take the next step. It could be 10 days, could be two weeks, I dont have an answer, just depends on how he progresses and hes day to day. Just have to see how he feels. And takes the next step. He was out there (Tuesday) running around a little bit, fielding, shagging, moving around. He was doing a ton of exercises. It just depends. He comes in here, theyll write his program up, if he feels good theyll add something else. Its just the way the back is. Catcher Yasmani Grandal was a late scratch for Wednesdays game with right knee soreness. The Sox said hes day to day. Children can still get married in California. These protesters want to change that Protesters wore wedding gowns, duct-taped their mouths and chained their wrists on the steps of the California state Capitol on Thursday morning to call on lawmakers to set the minimum age of marriage in California to 18. Mouths taped, trapped and silenced. This is what life looks like for individuals right here in California who are forced to marry, said Fraidy Reiss, founder and executive director of Unchained at Last, a nonprofit advocacy group working to end forced and child marriage in the United States. Right now, anyone under 18 can marry in California with consent from a parent or guardian and court permission. Juvenile Court judicial officers interview the parent or guardian and individuals seeking a marriage license. Unchained at Last says this court review is not enough. The group is calling for a no-exceptions minimum age of 18. I closed my eyes and prayed that day that the judge could see my innocent face, my fear and anxiety. That moment when he proceeded to sign the piece of paper that allowed my parents to marry me off, my heart sank. I wanted to die, said Fatemah, a child marriage survivor from Brooklyn, New York, who spoke at the event. Unchained At Last conducted a study that estimated that nearly 23,600 minors were married in California between 2000 and 2018. Almost 90% of these minors were girls. We like to think in California that we lead. That were ahead of the curve. But when it comes to child marriage, we arent leading. We arent even following. We are failing, said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Laguna Beach. Petrie-Norris told The Sacramento Bee that she plans to work with Unchained at Last to introduce legislation making a no-exceptions minimum marriage age in California next year. Effort to ban child marriage failed in 2018 Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, introduced a bill in 2017 that wouldve made marriage illegal for those under 18 with no exceptions. The measure failed after facing opposition from rights groups including the American Civil Liberties Unions Northern California affiliate and Planned Parenthood. A watered-down version of the bill that passed created stricter court proceedings and requires Family Court officers to interview all parties before granting a marriage license to a minor. Reiss said that Unchained at Last did not receive pushback from ACLU chapters in any other state except Illinois. Nationally, the ACLU does not have a position on child marriage. I hope the ACLU had some time to do some research and realize they got this one really wrong, Reiss said. The downtown Sacramento event was the most recent of a string of Chain-Ins hosted by Unchained At Last at state capitals around the country. Recent protests occurred in Michigan, Vermont and Connecticut. Eight states have laws barring marriage under 18 with no exceptions. On Friday, Connecticut will become the ninth; Michigan this week is expected to become the 10th. Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters Scores of former passengers who have ridden on board the Titan, the submersible that disappeared Sunday with five on board while en route to the wreckage site of the Titanic, have described in detail the chilling flaws they encountered during their tripswith one passenger calling the voyage a suicide mission. Nearly all former passengers spoke of electrical and communication failuresjarring issues that ex-passenger Mike Reiss described as a common occurrence on dives by OceanGate, the company that operates the missing submersible. Every time they lost communicationthat seems to be just something baked into the system," Reiss told ABC News. Reiss, the showrunner for The Simpsons, completed four tours with OceanGate, including one to the site of the Titanic. He said his submersible lost contact with the host ship on every dive, just as the Titan did on Sunday afternoon less than two hours into its ill-fated trip. Others echoed similar horror stories in their dive to the oceans bottom. Arthur Loibl, 60, said he was incredibly lucky to survive his dive on Titan back in 2021. Loibl, a wealthy German adventurist, told Bild the submersible he was scheduled to dive with initially became inoperable. Then, once aboard the Titan, a second attempted dive was abandoned at 1,600 meters because of equipment failures and electrical problems. Loibl said he eventually began his successful dive five hours behind schedule, but said the ordeal was the most terrifying experience of his lifetopping grueling treks he made to the north and south poles. It was a suicide mission back then, Loibl said. Arthur Loibl, a former passenger on the Titan, stands in his house with a tablet showing a photo of the Titanic. In 2021, he was one of the first passengers to descend to the Titanic in a mini-submarine operated by Oceangate Expeditions. Photo by Armin Weigel/picture alliance via Getty Images Alan Estrada, a Mexican actor, spoke in a YouTube video about the fears he experienced on a July 2022 voyage aboard Titan. He said the trip was cut short due to a battery failureslashing his time at the wreckage site to approximately an hour, a far cry from the four hours initially promised. Along the way, he said the Titan lost communication with its host ship for hours. My biggest concern was obviously losing my life, Estrada told the Daily Mail. All the people who made this expedition we are aware of the risks we are taking. Its not a surprise. Estrada said he paid $125,000 for the triphalf the price paid by those who embarked on Sundays dive. The approximately 10-hour trip has been described as hellish even on the occasions where all things go right. Loibl recalled having to sit cross-legged for the entirety of his voyage in near-freezing temperatures. Alfred Hagen, an explorer and filmmaker who took two trips on Titan in 2021 and 2022, told the Los Angeles Times that passengers feet could freeze if they sat too close to the submersibles single porthole. And there was no room for standing inside Titan, which measures nine feet wide and eight feet tall. Hagen recalled the cold getting to French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeoletwhos confirmed to be on the Titans most recent diveon their voyage together. Hagen said hes devastated he never sent Nargeolet a pair of UGG-branded boots to keep him warm on dives. All I can think about over and over again is that I meant to send him a pair of those Uggs and I never got around to it and Im torturing myself every day, Hagen said. He could have suffered less and died maybe with his feet warm. Others who have journeyed aboard Titan to the Titanic wreck site told The Daily Beast it was inappropriate to speak about their experiences while rescue operations remained active. Anyone who is not actively involved with the current situation is not in a position to offer responsible comment or speculation, said Chelsea Kellogg, who was on a 2022 Titan expedition. Red Flags: Titanic Sub Company Was Warned About Safety And Prof. Murray Roberts, a marine biology instructor at the University of Edinburghs School of GeoSciences who is one of several experts who accompany Titan passengers on wreck dives, said in a text that he is not granting any interviews during this difficult time. Shocking details about the Titan and OceanGate have emerged this week. That included the surfacing of comments from the companys founder, Stockton Rush, bemoaning regulations and calling safety efforts a pure waste. Rush is believed to have been on board Titans most recent dive. I mean if you just want to be safe, dont get out of bed, dont get in your car, dont do anything, Rush told CBS News in a podcast last year. At some point, youre going to take some risk, and it really is a risk-reward question. Flaws with the Titan, like its lack of a basic locator beacon and failed safety checks, became widely reported for the first time this week. Possible leadership failures also emerged, with The Daily Beast revealing that Rush was sued for fraud by a Florida couple who claim they paid for a Titanic voyage but never received one. The sketchiness of Rushs operation was enough to put off at least one potential passenger for Sundays trip, who surrendered an $88,000 deposit to steer clear of the Titan. We decided the risks were too high in this instance, even though Im not one to shy away from risk, Chris Brown, 61, told The Sun this week. Eventually I emailed them and said, Im no longer able to go on this thing. I asked for a refund after being less than convinced. While many deep-diving horror stories that emerged this week came from trips aboard the Titan, others shared equally chilling tales from other submersibleshighlighting why trips that traverse miles below the oceans surface are so rare. Michael Guillen, a former ABC News correspondent, said the Titans disappearance has brought back foul memories of his own near-death experience in a dive to the Titanics wreckage site. Guillen was the first journalist to report from the Titanics wreckage site in 2000. While there, however, an unexpected underwater current pushed his vessel into a propeller of the sunken liner, where they became briefly stuck. This voice came into my head and said, you know, This is how its going to end for you, Guillen recalled to ABC News this week. Ill never forget those words. Im very aware of what these poor souls on board the ship the Titan are experiencing. I am just heartbroken about it. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Chinese President Xi Jinping launched a national safety campaign Thursday, a day after state media reported 31 people were killed in an explosion at a barbeque restaurant. Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that a gas explosion at a two-story barbecue eatery in China's northwestern Ningxia region Wednesday night killed 31 people. The blast tore through the restaurant at around 8:40 p.m. Wednesday on a busy street in Yinchuan, the capital of the traditionally Muslim Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, as people gathered ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival, according to the Xinhua News Agency. In addition to those killed, reports say seven others were hurt, including at least one critically. The explosion left unconscious many people who needed to be carried out of the shop, according to the online news site The Paper, which quoted a member of the search and rescue team. Victims included elderly people and high school students, according to the news site. EX-FBI ANALYST SENTENCED FOR RETAINING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS WITH 'EXTREMELY SENSITIVE NATIONAL DEFENSE INFO' An hour before the explosion, employees noticed the smell of cooking gas and discovered that a gas tank valve was broken, according to Xinhua. The blast occurred while an employee was replacing the valve. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Xi demanded urgent medical care for the injured and a safety overhaul after the explosion, Xinhua said. The Chinese president urged efforts to quickly determine the cause of the accident and hold people accountable under the law. PARIS EXPLOSION IGNITES MASSIVE FIRE IN FRANCE'S CAPITAL, SEVERAL INJURED AS SMOKE PLUME VISIBLE ACROSS CITY Xi also said all regions and related departments should address "all types of risks and hidden dangers" and launch campaigns to promote workplace safety. Nine people have been detained by authorities, including the owner of the restaurant, shareholders and employees. Their assets have also been frozen, according to Xinhua. The blast happened at an outlet of Fuyang Barbecue, a chain restaurant in Yinchuan popular for its grilled skewers and stir-fried dishes, The Paper said. The two-floor restaurant could seat 20 people on the ground floor and offered private dining rooms and karaoke on the second floor. A video on social media platform Douyin the version of TikTok permitted in the Chinese mainland showed rescuers on ladders trying to reach victims on the second floor, according to The Associated Press. People who appeared to have minor injuries waited for help at the side of the road. Other videos showed at least six fire trucks at the scene and some onlookers crying. The central government's Ministry of Emergency Management said on social media that search and rescue work at the restaurant was completed early Thursday morning and investigators were working to determine the cause of the blast. The Dragon Boat Festival is a holiday devoted to eating rice dumplings and racing boats propelled by teams of paddlers. While the majority of Yinchuans population is Han Chinese, a third are Hui people, or Chinese Muslims. Reuters reported that the blast ignited debate on Chinese social media regarding the safety of barbecue restaurants, which have been trendy among online influencers. Their popularity has increased as domestic travel soared after the lifting of the government's "zero-COVID" control measures late last year. The Associated Press contributed to this report. US President Joe Biden downplayed the impact of his comments likening his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to a dictator, even as the Chinese government warned of consequences for the remarks. I dont think its had any real consequence, Biden said at a news conference Thursday, dismissing concerns that the relationship between the United States and China was worsening as hysteria. The US president said he expected to meet Xi in the near future, and suggested he would not tone down his rhetoric in the future. The idea of me choosing and avoiding saying what I think is facts with regard to the relationship with China is just not something Im going to change very much, Biden said. His comments come a day after Chinese Ambassador to the US Xie Feng made serious representations and strong protests to senior officials of the White House and the US Department of State on June 21 about Bidens comments, which the Chinese Embassy called a smear that seriously contradicts basic facts, breaches diplomatic etiquette, infringes on Chinas political dignity, runs counter to the commitments made by the US side, and undermines mutual trust. We urge the US side to immediately take earnest actions to undo the negative impact and honor its own commitments. Otherwise, it will have to bear all the consequences, the Thursday statement from the embassy said. Speaking at a fundraiser in California earlier this week, Biden compared the Chinese leader to a dictator, and claimed Xi was embarrassed because he was unaware of the spy balloon that transited the US earlier this year. The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two boxcars full of spy equipment in it is he didnt know it was there. No, Im serious. Thats whats a great embarrassment for dictators, when they didnt know what happened, Biden said. The US Presidents comments came mere days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Beijing for meetings with key officials, including Xi. Biden on Thursday described the visit by his top diplomat as a great trip. At the conclusion of that trip, Blinken said the US and China had made progress toward steering relations back on track as both sides agreed on the need to stabilize the bilateral relationship between the two superpowers. It was clear coming in that the relationship was at a point of instability, Blinken said at a news conference in the Chinese capital Monday. And both sides recognized the need to work to stabilize it. Were not going to have success on every issue between us on any given day, but in a whole variety of areas, on the terms that we set for this trip, we have made progress and we are moving forward, he added. Now, it appears that Bidens comments could undermine the progress that was made by the top US diplomat. The nature and impact are very negative, the Chinese Embassy statement said. The Chinese government and people feel deeply affronted and firmly oppose it. President Biden said explicitly before that the United States respects Chinas system, does not seek to change it and has no intention for a new Cold War, it said. But with the latest irresponsible remarks about Chinas political system and top leader, people cannot help but question the sincerity of the US side. The Chinese government and people do not accept any political provocation against Chinas top leader, and will resolutely respond, the statement said. On Wednesday, the US State Department sought to downplay the potential impact of Bidens comments, with State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel saying the remarks had absolutely not at all diminished the progress. It should come as no surprise, of course, that we have differences and disagreements with the PRC. And the President believes that diplomacy, including this recent trip undertaken by the Secretary, is a responsible way to manage tensions, clear up misperceptions, avoid miscalculations. And all of this is in our interests to do that, Patel said at a State Department briefing. That does not mean, of course, we will not be blunt and forthright about our differences, he continued. And we look forward to continuing to engage on a number of issues as it relates to the complex relationship that we have with the PRC. The statement from the Chinese Embassy does not specify to whom the ambassador made the serious representations. CNN has reached out to the embassy and the White House for comment. A State Department spokesperson said they do not comment on private diplomatic discussions. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com [Source] Provincial authorities in Jiangxi province, China, have concluded that the strange object found in a college student's meal was indeed a rats head after social media users accused officials of covering up a food safety scandal. Key details: The scandal began on June 1 when a student from Jiangxi Industry Polytechnic College in Nanchang posted a video on Chinese social media complaining about an object he found in his school meal that seemed to resemble the severed head of a rat. The student got into an exchange with a female canteen staff who insisted that what he found in his meal was not a rats head but a ducks neck, despite his pointing out the teeth. More from NextShark: Virus discovered in China carried by shrews unlikely to become the next COVID, scientists suggest Looking into the matter: The college launched an investigation into the matter on June 3, confirming in a statement that the video was filmed in the school but that the object was not a rodents head. It even went on to state that the student allegedly invited his other classmates to check the object and that they all purportedly confirmed it was a duck neck. Jiang Xiexue, director of the market supervision bureaus Changdong branch, reiterated the findings while speaking to Jiangxi Radio and Television Station that same day. Not buying it: Some social media users did not believe explanation given, with others reportedly making memes about the situation and accusing officials of a cover-up. More from NextShark: He abused my country, my leader: Chinese diplomat says pulling Hong Kong protesters hair was his duty In ancient times we have calling a deer a horse. Now we have calling a rat a duck, a Weibo user wrote in their post. The aftermath: After mounting criticism, the local government launched an investigation on June 10. Although surveillance video showed the canteen's staff throwing away the object on the same day the student complained, experts who examined video and photos of the object determined it was a rat's head. Local authorities subsequently revoked the canteens food business license and gave the company operating it the maximum penalty under Chinas food safety laws. The local government also stated that the college will face punishment as well for its lack of diligent investigation. More from NextShark: UNC-Chapel Hill removes racial criterion for fellowship program limited to BIPOC amid civil rights complaint Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Chinas birth rates plummet as more women choose to not have babies due to COVID-related factors A hole punched in the Chongar Bridge on the night of June 22, 2023 Even a short disruption of Russian army logistics caused by the recent Ukrainian strike on Chonhar bridges in northern Crimea could be crucial for the ongoing counteroffensive, Oleksiy Melnyk, the head of the foreign policy and international security program at Ukraines Razumkov Centre told NV Radio on June 22. Read also: Russian invaders start panicking after strike on bridge to Crimea, says official According to Melnyk, video evidence has shown damage to both bridges in Chonhar, noting that the second bridge, which previously was not in use, could serve as a backup. "Assuming the optimistic claims of the self-proclaimed occupation leader, governor (Vladimir) Saldo, are accurate, and they can restore it, the process would still take several hours, even with temporary measures," the expert said. "For our primary objective today the counteroffensive even a few hours of disruption in supply chains can be extremely crucial." Read also: Notorious collaborator Saldo helped manage Russian torture chambers in Kherson Melnyk continued by stating that the occupiers were already encountering significant issues with overland supply routes to Crimea, even before these strikes. Read also: NSDC chief Danilov says Russians should flee Crimea while they can Online, one can find firsthand accounts of truck drivers being redirected around the Crimea Bridge, he said. Even without the Chonhar bridge's destruction, this detour involved several days, if not weeks, of waiting at checkpoints. Now, to put it bluntly, these problems will likely intensify by at least 50%. Read also: Hungary's involvement in POW transfer from Russia could be war crime expert The expert added that if the remaining links between Crimea and the mainland suffer damage in the upcoming days, it would essentially sever "the possibility of reinforcing Russian forces stationed in southern Ukraine from the territory of Crimea." Melnyk also mentioned that significant logistical issues would arise for the peninsula itself in such a scenario. Read also: Russian invaders claim bridge between occupied Crimea and Kherson was attacked Early on June 22, Russian occupiers reported a strike on a bridge at the administrative border between Kherson Oblast and Crimea, near Chonhar. The Kremlin refused to comment on the attack, with Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov redirecting the question to the Russian Defense Ministry. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Christie to Trump on debates: Want to be President? Then get in the ring pal Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie on Thursday said former President Trump cant avoid the GOP presidential debates as he runs for the White House in 2024. Trump says he doesnt think its fair for him to have to debate. Crybabies and losers say life isnt fair. And Trump is both. Want to be President? Then get in the ring pal Christie wrote on Twitter. Trump has previously suggested that because hes polling as the GOP front-runner, he doesnt need to engage in the primary debates. When youre way up, you dont do debates. If youre even or down you do debates, but when youre way up, whats the purpose of doing the debate? Trump said in April. Earlier this week, he said he still has not made a final decision on whether to participate in the first Republican presidential primary debate later this summer. However, hes reportedly said he is willing to debate President Biden, who is running for reelection. Christie on Thursday shared a video of himself on Fox and Friends saying Trump shouldnt think he should just default to the nomination in the GOP primary race. Its not fair, poor Donald Trump, the guy who wants to because the United States, the guy who says that hes the toughest person to lead this country doesnt want to get up in front of Republican primary voters and defend his record and make a case for the future of America? Christie said in the interview. Every Republican primary voter should have the opportunity to see all those people qualified up on the stage, debating with each other. He cant avoid this Its not fair to the Republican Party voters. In fact, I think its disrespectful, he said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Justin Welby said the climate crisis threatens the planet we live on - Leon Neal/Getty Images The Church of England is selling its investments in BP, Shell Total and a string of other big oil and gas companies, concluding that they do not protect Gods creation. The Church will divest from oil and gas companies and sell their stocks over a perceived lack of action on net zero and failures to halt global warming. The decision comes after the General Synod, the Churchs lawmaking body, voted in 2018 to disinvest from fossil fuel companies that were failing to take significant action on tackling climate change by 2023. Separately, the Synod voted in 2020 in favour of setting a target for the institution to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Until now, the Church had argued that it could have had more effect on the environment and ensuring the fossil fuel giants reach global targets by retaining its shares and encouraging them to decarbonise. However, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, a former oil industry worker, who worked on West African mainly Nigerian and North Sea projects, welcomed the U-turn of the Church, saying: The climate crisis threatens the planet we live on, and people around the world who Jesus Christ calls us to love as our neighbours. It is our duty to protect Gods creation, and energy companies have a special responsibility to help us achieve the just transition to the low-carbon economy we need. He added that the church has long urged companies to take climate change seriously and specifically referred to the goals of the Paris Agreement in pursuing efforts to limit the rise in temperature to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. Follow our faith The Archbishop, who worked in the oil industry for 11 years before quitting and following his calling to the Church, added: In practical terms, that means phasing out fossil fuels, investing in renewables, and plotting a credible path to a net zero world. Some progress has been made, but not nearly enough. The Church will follow not just the science, but our faith both of which call us to work for climate justice. In 2021, the Church Commissioners excluded 20 oil and gas majors from its investment portfolio. It is now also excluding BP, Ecopetrol, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, Pemex, Repsol, Sasol, Shell, and Total, after concluding that none is aligned with the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate. The decision to sell its remaining investments in the oil and gas sector was made by the Church Commissioners for England, which manages the Church of Englands 10.3 billion endowment fund and which is chaired by the Archbishop. It means that it will exclude all remaining oil and gas majors from its portfolio, and will also bar all other companies primarily engaged in the exploration, production and refining of oil or gas, unless they are in genuine alignment with a 1.5C pathway, by the end of 2023. The Churchs oil and gas holdings account for less than 1 per cent of the endowment fund. Alan Smith, First Church Estates Commissioner, said: Theres a real risk of catastrophic failure for humanity, yes, and for those companies themselves. Those companies frantically clinging to the last drops of oil refusing to change course, incapable of seeing the different future... [they] will be left behind as the world transitions to a low-carbon future. The decision to disinvest was not taken lightly, he added. Soberingly, the energy majors have not listened to significant voices in the societies and markets they serve and are not moving quickly enough on the transition. If any of these energy companies come into alignment with our criteria in the future, we would reconsider our position. Indeed, that is something we would hope for. A Shell spokesman said: Its disappointing, but not surprising given its recent change in stance, that the Church of England Pensions Board has taken this decision. Our commitment to becoming a net zero emissions energy business by 2050 remains as strong as it ever was, and we firmly believe our strategy is aligned with the more ambitious goal of the Paris climate agreement. At the same time, we are clearly focused on capital discipline, enhanced performance and delivering shareholder value, through a strategy which balances delivering energy security with investments in the lower-carbon energy sources of the future. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. The way cities are built -- with too little greenery and too much concrete -- exacerbates heatwaves, with the so-called heat island effect (-) Heatwaves across Asia and beyond have already broken records this year, while the arrival of the El Nino climate phenomenon will mean even more extreme temperatures. Here AFP looks at how climate change produces extreme heat, how scientists evaluate heatwaves and the risks to human health: What is extreme heat? Extreme heat is defined from a baseline of the average temperature in any one location, which varies widely across the world. So a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) could be record-breaking in parts of Canada in spring, but might be below average for the same period in the Middle East. What role does climate change play? "Greenhouse gases trapping heat are at the root of the problem," said Martin Jucker, a lecturer at the University of New South Wales' Climate Change Research Centre. Gases like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide play a crucial role in stopping heat from being reflected or lost from our atmosphere. When this process is balanced, it keeps the planet at a livable temperature. But an unsustainable increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere means more heat is being trapped, creating an overall global warming effect and other climate anomalies. For example, warming air holds more moisture, which produces stronger and more frequent storms. Overall, climate change is strengthening the duration, intensity and geographical reach of heatwaves, scientists say. What about human interventions? The problem is made worse in some places by the way cities are built -- the so-called heat island effect, where urban conglomerations are warmer than surrounding rural areas. This happens because cities with too little greenery and too much concrete, asphalt and other building materials absorb heat and often offer insufficient shade. The use of cooling technologies like air conditioners creates surging demand for energy, including the fossil fuels that are behind the climate crisis in the first place. Are all heatwaves linked to climate change? To determine climate change's role in any given event, experts use a technique called attribution science. They simulate a world with and without climate change, using historical and more recent measurements, or computer models. Comparing the two then "gives us a measure of how much more likely a given extreme is under climate change", Jucker told AFP. Findings for over 500 events have been collected by the organisation Carbon Brief, with most shown to have been made more severe or more likely because of climate change. Just a handful, including some floods, droughts and extreme cold, have been found to have no clear link to human activity, while in other cases experts found the evidence inconclusive. "Every heatwave in the world is now made stronger and more likely to happen because of human-caused climate change," according to Friederike Otto, a scientist at Imperial College London and pioneer of attribution methodology. How does extreme heat affect people? Exposure to higher-than-normal temperatures produces health problems ranging from heatstroke and dehydration to cardiovascular stress. Those with pre-existing heart conditions are especially vulnerable, as the body's response to heat is to pump more blood to the skin to help with cooling. Risk is also unevenly distributed, with the elderly and the unwell more vulnerable, and those who work outdoors or live in places without air conditioning more likely to suffer. The deadliest heat combines soaring temperatures with high humidity -- the moist air undermines the body's ability to cool off by sweating. In May, a study warned a fifth of the world's population would be exposed to extreme and potentially life-threatening heat by the end of the century on our current climate track. "For every 0.1C of warming above present levels, about 140 million more people will be exposed to dangerous heat," the study published in Nature Sustainability warned. sah/lb/sco An illustrated image of different kinds of power plants fashioned into a bar graph Andriy Onufriyenko / Getty Images Climate change is an unfortunate reality that is going to reshape many parts of our world and investing is likely no exception. According to a recent study by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), "effects on returns from climate change are inevitable," with perhaps unsurprisingly "the energy sector most significantly impacted." As a citizen of a warming world as well as an investor planning for your own financial future, the question arises of how you can invest responsibly in light of and as a result of climate change, and whether any portfolio adjustments are necessary going forward. Here's a look at how climate change is shifting things in the world of investment and what's predicted for the future. How is climate change impacting the investment landscape? According to a report by McKinsey, "climate-related investment increased significantly in 2022, defying the considerable geopolitical and macroeconomic headwinds that roiled most global capital markets." More specifically, it reported that "climate-related private-market investment far outpaced the broader market in 2022 as measured by deal activity, the amount of capital deployed, and capital flows into dedicated funds." Between just 2019 and 2022, for instance, over 330 sustainability, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), and impact funds were launched by private-market equity investors, says McKinsey. When you apply via our links we may earn an affiliate commission. And it predicted that momentum would continue to pick up speed going forward, in light of the continued introduction of climate technologies and nations' efforts to curb emissions and expedite plans for more renewables. Still, McKinsey contended that "much more remains to be done to scale up climate investing." What future trends are predicted to emerge as a result of climate change? As the IFC pointed out, climate change's impact will be better for some industries than for others. It reported that the coal industry likely will be "the biggest loser" of the shifts precipitated by climate change, estimating that average annual returns in the industry "could fall by 26% to 138% over the next ten years." According to Investopedia, coal won't be the only industry seeing negative impacts from climate change either. It underscored that "global warming is likely to cause droughts, floods, temperature changes, or changes to growing seasons that will affect the profitability of most forms of agriculture." Many industries will also likely see higher levels of risk that will drive up overall costs, per Investopedia. The "biggest winner," on the other hand, is likely to be the renewable sector, says the IFC. As Investopedia pointed out, "if climate change can be averted, the technology to do so will require great investments of resources, and offer potentially great profits." In fact, IFC projected that "average annual returns in the renewables sector could increase by between 4% and 97% over the next ten years." What can investors do to weather the reality of climate change? While the idea of capitalizing on a climate catastrophe understandably might feel icky, there are moves investors can make that can benefit both their portfolios and the shift toward a more sustainable future. This practice is referred to as climate investing, and it falls under the umbrella of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, which Investopedia describes as "a field that seeks to accomplish positive social benefits as well as profits," such as by "investing for the good of the planet." For instance, there are a variety of assets investors can add to their portfolio to "create a thematic portfolio around climate change," said Investopedia, such as solar and green tech investments. Further, Investopedia advised that investors keep an eye on "the impact of environmental changes on more traditional assets as well." As an example, Investopedia highlighted how "climate change has already caused significant disruption to real estate and insurance markets due to wildfires and flooding." And because we don't know what the future will hold as climate change's effects continue to unfurl, Investopedia recommended creating an emergency fund and considering gathering emergency supplies of other sorts, in the instance of more severe storms or utility failures. What are some investment opportunities oriented toward sustainability? First and foremost, remember there are no guarantees when it comes to investing, or what will prove successful in the fight against climate change. That said, Investopedia reported that "many experts believe that alternative energy, alternative transportation, and other green initiatives may become more widespread as the effects of climate change are felt." More specifically, it points to solar technology, which it says "remains an up-and-coming area in the alternative energy sector." You might invest in "stocks in solar panel manufacturers" or turn to managed funds, such as the Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (KWT) and Guggenheim Solar Fund (TAN), per Investopedia. There are also a variety of global opportunities (Investopedia suggests checking out the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2020 report, which describes investments by technology type and country in the last 10 years). Another option highlighted by Investopedia are companies with green energy initiatives. One way to identify those is the STOXX Global Climate Change Leaders Index. CNBC pointed to Carrier Global Corporation, Johnson Controls International, and Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital as examples of companies that are making positive moves toward our climate future. Of course, it's important to keep in mind that what's right for your portfolio will depend on your specific financial situation and goals, as well as your personal priorities when it comes to investing. Becca Stanek has worked as an editor and writer in the personal finance space since 2017. She has previously served as the managing editor for investing and savings content at LendingTree, an editor at SmartAsset and a staff writer for The Week. You may also like The future of 'Doctor Who' 5 theories for why Trump kept boxes of secret documents Alito did not disclose Alaska private jet trip from GOP billionaire with business before Supreme Court Meeting Paris treaty climate goals will depend on revamping the architecture of global finance, says economist Jeffrey Sachs (Cindy Ord) If world leaders and the heads of multilateral development banks gathered at a Paris summit recognise that climate goals depend on revamping the architecture of global finance, it would be a "historic" development, a top development economist said Thursday. AFP put questions to Jeffrey Sachs -- a long-time advisor to the IMF, World Bank and several UN secretary-generals, and currently director of Columbia University's Center for Sustainable Development -- on the margin of the two-day Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, which ends Friday. Q. How important is this summit for tackling the multiple crises besetting the world? A. World leaders and global institutions are finally close to acknowledging that the global financial architecture is not up to the challenge of meeting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. The specific actions called for at this summit, such as scaling up the financing of the multilateral development banks, are an important step forward. Q. What three concrete measures would show that this summit can move the dial? A. First is the scaling up of financing by the World Bank and regional multilateral development banks (MDBs) from around $100 billion per year to around $500 billion per year. The G20 should agree on this in Delhi in September. Second is orienting all institutions -- UN agencies, the IMF, WB, regional MDBs, national governments -- around long-term plans to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Paris Agreement. Ideally, we should add biodiversity targets under the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework, and ocean targets under the High Seas Treaty. Third is ending the geopolitical battles between the US and Russia, and between the US and China. The US wants to be the global hegemon but those days are long past. The rest of the world needs to tell the US to cooperate, not to try any longer to dominate. We need broad international cooperation. Q. How important is this summit for December's COP28 climate summit in Dubai? A. If the leaders here confirm clearly and boldly that the global finance architecture needs to be fixed to enable the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, the summit will be historic. Q. What's the right ratio of public and private finance? A. It depends on the sector. Public financing is especially vital for several crucial "big-ticket" areas: health, education, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, urban infrastructure, public transport, inter-urban road networks, power transmission, and social protection. Private financing is potentially available for independent power generation, digital connectivity, and industrial sectors. So-called blended financing -- public plus private financing in a structured program -- is vital for various dimensions decarbonisation such as the electrification of vehicles, urban water and sewerage, and universal internet access. Q. As climate impacts deepen, the billions needed to address adaptation and losses from climate-amplified weather disasters will turn to trillions. Where will the money come from? A. There are two issues here. The first is the cost of the transformation to zero-carbon energy. The incremental costs of a zero-carbon energy system above a fossil-fuel energy system are not huge. Zero-carbon systems are more capital intensive and thus more expensive in the short-term, but the saving on fuels in the future make the "levelized" cost of zero-carbon systems roughly the same as fossil-fuel system. Still, energy is capital-intensive: the world will need to spend trillions of dollars each year for energy. The second issue is the cost of adapting to climate change. The longer we delay in ending greenhouse gas emissions, the more costly will be the adaption costs and the losses and damages from disasters. Each year, the world is already suffering hundreds of billions of dollars from disasters, and perhaps trillions per year in chronic lost productivity from climate change. mh/pvh Coast Guard is keeping up the search for the missing Titanic sub, saying they need to account for 'people's will to live' as oxygen levels run out The Titan submersible in water. OceanGate The US Coast Guard is continuing its search for the lost Titan sub even after its oxygen likely ran out. Rear Adm. John Mauger told TODAY that rescue efforts will continue. "People's will to live really needs to be accounted for, as well," Mauger said. The US Coast Guard is continuing its search for the lost Titanic sub, saying that although oxygen on the vessel has likely run out, "people's will to live" is an important factor. On Thursday morning, Coast Guard commander Rear Adm. John Mauger told the "TODAY" show that the situation is similar to other complex rescue operations and that even if the submersible is running low on oxygen, "People's will to live really needs to be accounted for, as well." Mauger, who is spearheading the search, added that new assets and capabilities to help find the sub are being used in the search on Thursday. Early Thursday morning, a USCG spokesperson told Insider that search-and-rescue efforts will continue after the 96 hours of oxygen on the sub likely run out. "We'll always continue searching until we are absolutely certain that there is going to be no chance of survival," Matthew Schanck, search-and-rescue expert and founder of MarSAR International, also told Insider. Read the original article on Insider For Coast Guard, search for tourist sub near Titanic is a rescue unlike most others A search for a vessel like Titan the tiny submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic is at the core of the mission for the U.S. Coast Guard, yet is unlike the thousands of other searches the seafaring agency runs each year. The 22-foot underwater craft lost contact with the ship that launched it Sunday on a dive that aimed to reach the wreck of the Titanic. Since then, the search has commanded global headlines as the world counted down the crafts dwindling hours of oxygen supply. Aboard the submersible were a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family, a Titanic expert and the CEO of OceanGate, the private company that operates the vessel. The U.S. Coast Guard is no stranger to responding to mariners in distress. It conducted nearly 17,000 search-and-rescue missions in 2020. But most of those are for surface vessels. This one is 900 miles offshore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and, though no one knows where the craft is now, its destination was a wreckage site more than 2 miles deep. And the nature of this search, for wealthy patrons on a risky adventure, has rekindled longstanding discussions about who pays the costs of rescues when people choose dangerous journeys. For rescue crews, however, the only concern is saving lives. Aided by a multinational group of ships, planes and undersea equipment, search crews know the clock is ticking. The next few days will be critical, retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, now deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University, told USA TODAY. U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick, left, faces reporters as Paul Hankins, U.S. Navy civilian contractor, supervisor of salvage, right, looks on during a news conference on Wednesday at Coast Guard Base Boston. Who is part of the search? The Coast Guard is part of a unified command that includes the U.S. Navy, Canadian Coast Guard and OceanGate Expeditions. Five vessels now search the ocean's surface, with another five expected to join in the next day or two, Capt. Jamie Frederick, the First Coast Guard District response coordinator, said Wednesday. Also on scene are several private vessels including a Bahamian research ship. By air, three C-130 aircraft and three C-17 transport planes from the U.S. military are scouring the sea in addition to Canadian military aircraft with sound-sensing equipment. The ship Deep Energy sails in the search area for OceanGate's Titan submersible on Tuesday. Rescuers searching for the submersible near the wreck of the Titanic have detected "underwater noises" in the search area, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday. Underwater, two remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, were searching for Titan with several more set to arrive by Thursday with the capability to scan the sea floor, all coordinated by U.S. Navy experts. Aiding the search was a French team specializing in ROVs and an expert submariner from the British Royal Navy. Also helping are experts including some from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. The submersible targeted depths far below where typical military submarines operate. The Navy's Underwater Rescue Command, which focuses on submarine rescues, can work at depths of up to 2,000 feet. The Titanic wreck sits at more than 12,000 feet. How does the Coast Guard search for missing vessels? When the Coast Guard scrambles ships or aircraft, its often to respond to a distressed vessel with a known location, often because people aboard can issue a call for help. The rescues are typically in near-coastal areas. In more than 90% of search and rescues, Coast Guard ships or aircraft are on the scene within two hours, according to a 2020 Coast Guard performance report. But missing ships or people require searching vast stretches of ocean. In December, for example, the Coast Guard launched a search for two missing sailors last seen off the North Carolina coast. Cutters, planes and a helicopter searched an area that would stretch from Florida to New Jersey. Even then, the sailors were found only by luck, from a passing cargo ship. A U.S. Coast Guard vessel sits in port in Boston Harbor across from the U.S. Coast Guard Station Boston in Boston on Monday. A submersible vessel used to take tourists to see the wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic has gone missing, triggering a search-and-rescue operation, the Coast Guard said. Search crews work by taking last-known positions whether through a signal or sighting and calculate currents, winds, sea states and other factors to determine the search radius, said Chris Boyer, the executive director of the National Association for Search and Rescue, a nonprofit education, training and advocacy group. They do a lot of math, he said. Planes and ships use radar, infrared cameras and night vision to scour the white-capped ocean. Where are they searching for the submersible? The surface search area is twice the size of Connecticut, as well as nearly 2 1/2 miles deep, Coast Guard officials said. The submersible could be floating on the ocean's surface after an electrical failure or some other mishap; drifting in the water column anywhere between the surface and the bottom or stuck on the sea floor, said Jim Bellingham, a Johns Hopkins University expert on deep-sea operations. About 10,000 square miles had been searched for the submersible as of Tuesday. One North Carolina-based HC-130 Hercules plane alone on Wednesday searched an area that spanned 879 miles. After a Canadian plane detected sounds from under the sea the Coast Guard said it put sonar buoys in the water as a result while ROVs search that area and others will search the Titans last known position. So far, ROV searches havent found anything. Jeff Karson, a professor emeritus of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Syracuse University, told the AP that the best chance to reach the submersible could be to use a remotely operated robot on a fiber optic cable. With the rescue operations overall approach, Youre doing the best you possibly can do with the best people on the case, Carl Hartsfield, a Woods Hole researcher, said at a news conference. As to how the Titan might be lifted from the ocean floor if its found, Murrett believes its possible. There are assets that can do that, he said. The Coast Guard said the U.S. Navy was sending a Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System, a lift system designed for deep ocean lifting capacity for objects such as aircraft or small vessels. How long will the search continue? The Coast Guard typically calculates survivability in deciding when to halt an active search, Boyer said. That might include factors like temperatures, weather, or as in this case, oxygen. Titan had a 96-hour oxygen supply when it went into the ocean on Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions. But experts said there was variability in how that might last. While its likely cold and dark inside the sub, there was also thought to be at least some limited food and water aboard, officials said. Frederick of the First Coast Guard District in Boston told reporters at a news conference Wednesday that the effort was still a rescue mission, not a recovery operation. I don't want to get into a discussion about when that would end with respect to this case, Frederick said. The Coast Guard prosecutes search and rescue cases on a daily basis. And sometimes we don't find what we're looking for. And you have to carefully consider all of the factors. And there are a lot of factors to consider. And then after you consider all of those factors, sometimes you're in a position where you have to make a tough decision. We're not there yet. He said those tough decisions are typically discussed with the families before anything is announced publicly. Murrett called it a tough calculus at any point. Just this week, crews searched for nearly 15 hours before a search was suspended on Tuesday for a crew member who fell off a cargo ship in the ocean off Southern California, the Coast Guard said in a statement. The decision to suspend an active search is never easy and is only made after exhaustive efforts to find the missing person, said Chief Warrant Officer John Rose, the search coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach. Who pays the cost of Coast Guard rescues? Crews work on Coast Guard vessels at Coast Guard Base Boston in Boston on Wednesday. Rescuers searching for the submersible near the wreck of the Titanic have detected "underwater noises" in the search area, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The cost of the search and rescue mission is likely in the millions of dollars, Boyer said, one that will fall to taxpayers. He said the Coast Guard doesnt charge people for search and rescue. Thats their job, he said, noting fear of costs could deter people from seeking lifesaving help. While some adventure expeditions require patrons to take out insurance policies, few would come close to covering likely the costs of the current rescue mission, he said. He said high-risk adventures have long fueled complex debates about risk and rescue. I think it's going to become a larger issue for us. Because it's not just under the water. We now have private spaceships flying private astronauts into space, he said. What happens when that private spaceship can't come back home? This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US Coast Guard search for Titanic sub could cost millions Coast Guard suspends search for crew member who fell overboard off Central Coast The search for a person who fell overboard from a bulk carrier ship off the Santa Barbara County coast was suspended late Tuesday night, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. At about 5 a.m. Tuesday, the Coast Guard command center in Long Beach was notified that a crew member had gone overboard from the African Cardinal some 14 miles southwest of Point Conception. The Coast Guard issued an urgent marine information broadcast, and also directed the launch of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter rescue crew from Point Mugu, and a small boat crew from Coast Guard Station Channel Islands. The Coast Guard cutter Robert Ward also was diverted to assist in the search. At 10:15 p.m., the Coast Guard announced that the search had been ended. We extend our deepest sympathies to this crew members friends and family, said Chief Warrant Officer John Rose, search and rescue mission coordinator. The decision to suspend an active search is never easy, and is only made after exhaustive efforts to find the missing person. The Coast Guard crews searched for the missing crew member by air and sea for nearly 15 hours, covering more than 200 square nautical miles. The 650-foot African Cardinal is registered in Panama, and reportedly was en route from Shanghai, China, to Long Beach. Anyone with information that could assist in the search is asked to contact the Coast Guard at 310-521-3801. Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com . Collinsville officers shoot man who pointed gun at them, state police says A 30-year-old man who pointed a gun at Collinsville police officers was shot when the officers fired their weapons at him Tuesday night, Illinois State Police said Thursday. The man was taken to an area hospital with injuries and he was in stable condition on Thursday. His name was not released. The Collinsville Police Department requested Illinois State Police investigate the shooting. Collinsville officers were called to the 1100 block of St. Clair Avenue at 9:14 p.m. Tuesday regarding a person with a gun, according to a preliminary investigation. Officers arrived and the subject, a 30-year-old male, pointed a weapon at the officers, a news release stated. The officers discharged their weapons striking the subject. The police officers were not injured, the news release said. No other information was released by the state police. The news release did not list how many Collinsville officers initially responded to the scene. Also, their names were not released. Tensions between a firefighters group and Columbia leadership appeared to publicly boil Thursday, as firefighters and top city brass held dueling news conferences alternately criticizing conditions in the department and defending the longtime leadership of the citys fire chief, who has drawn recent jabs from a state firefighters association. Thursdays statements fell in the shadow of a recent apartment fire that led to the death of Irmo firefighter James Muller last month, an event that has sparked questions and anger from the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina. City leaders stood together to give full-throated support for longtime Columbia-Richland Fire Department Chief Aubrey Jenkins, while the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina called Jenkins leadership into question, alleging, among other things, that the department has staff shortages and outdated equipment, that it lacks an effective recruiting and retention program, and that rank-and-file firefighters dont have a relationship with the veteran chief. Just this week, Columbia City Council approved raising the fire departments starting salary from roughly $34,000 to $43,800, at Jenkins request. But some firefighters said they have received harassment and threats about speaking out, including an allegation of being told that they would not receive those raises. The arrogance, the disrespect On Monday, June 19, the Professional Firefighters group issued a statement questioning the timeline of the investigation into the fire that killed Muller, as well as the agencies involved in the probe, and who triggered those agencies to become involved in the case. The group also said in the statement that the fatal incident exposes years of a chiefs neglect and deficiencies. Muller, 25, died May 26 after becoming trapped when a structure collapsed while he battled a fire at the Tropical Ridge Apartments in the St. Andrews area. Six other firefighters were injured in the collapse but survived. The Irmo Fire Department was assisting the Columbia Fire Department in battling the blaze. In the wake of the criticism from the firefighters group, on Thursday city and county leaders put on a show of force at Columbia City Hall, with a number of officials expressing support for Jenkins, who has been with the Columbia department for 44 years and has been the chief for 12 years. Among those who backed Jenkins Thursday were Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook, City Manager Teresa Wilson, City Councilmen Ed McDowell, Will Brennan and Howard Duvall, Richland County Councilmen Overture Walker and Derrek Pugh, Richland 1 school board member Aaron Bishop, and Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott. We are gathered here as a collective group of city and county leadership to show our support for Chief Aubrey Jenkins and also the hard-working leadership of our fire department, McDowell said. The last few weeks (since the deadly fire) have been very, very difficult in the life of this city. One specific criticism by the Professional Fire Fighters Association was a June 6 release from the Columbia Fire Department as to the cause and origin of the fatal Tropical Ridge fire. The fire department said it had determined the fire started around a stove in the kitchen area of one of the apartments. The fire was caused by unattended cooking materials and it has been ruled an accident, the Columbia Fire Department release said. The association questioned Jenkins releasing that information, noting the incident is still under investigation by other agencies. Holbrook, Columbias police chief for nearly a decade, said local, state and federal authorities have been involved with the investigation of the fire at Tropical Ridge. He said Jenkins approached him at the scene of the fire and expressed his desire for a multi-agency investigation of the incident. The police chief noted that the report issued by the fire department announcing the cause of the fire was a preliminary report. Both Holbrook and Wilson said the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Response Team continues to investigate the apartment blaze and will issue a final report, likely in coming weeks. The National Response Team program was founded in the late 1970s to investigate large fires and explosions. Holbrook added that he was shocked by the Professional Fire Fighters Associations June 19 statement, particularly its criticism directly of Jenkins. Ive never experienced an attack on a decorated colleague like I witnessed a couple days ago with this (statement) talking about a tragedy that occurred in our city a few weeks ago, Holbrook said. Jenkins declined comment when approached by a reporter during Thursdays news conference. Wilson also took issue with the firefighters groups lambasting of Jenkins. The arrogance, the disrespect, the attempt to agitate the community and misinform people is one of the reasons why we are standing here, Wilson said Thursday. But the overarching reason is to show support for a man who has given over 44 years to serve this community. The Professional Fire Fighters Association also alleged in its June 19 statement that a fire hydrant near the Tropical Ridge apartment fire was out of service during the raging fire, but was repaired days later. When asked about the fire hydrant situation on Thursday, Wilson said she did not know whether it was operational during the incident, but noted the fire is still under investigation and information about that hydrant could come out as part that investigation. The State directly asked Wilson whether Jenkins job was in jeopardy amid the current controversy, and she said that it was not. A seat at the table Meanwhile, the Professional Fire Fighters Association of SC held its own media gathering Thursday morning, outside the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center. The associations briefing largely did not center on the deadly May fire at Tropical Ridge, but rather on broader criticism of Jenkins leadership and alleged departmental shortcomings. For instance, Roger Odachowski, the president of the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina, said that inadequate staffing and outdated equipment have been putting firefighters and community members at risk. Odachowski said that he believes, using National Fire Protection Association standards for firefighting staffing, that the Columbia-Richland department should have as many as 226 more firefighters than it currently has on staff. He also alleged that firefighters have been working significant overtime just to staff firehouses. According to data provided by Odachowski, 459 Columbia firefighters in April and 441 firefighters in May were required to work overtime to meet staffing minimums. That forced individuals to work 24 hour shifts, and then work another 24 hours without notice, he claimed. Odachowski also preached on the need for an effective recruiting and retention program at the Columbia department. He asked that city officials work with the state and local firefighters associations to create a program and apply for grants that could provide financial support. I would ask to have a seat at the table along with a few firefighters from Columbia, sit down and lets throw it all on the table, Odachowski said. But until this time, the doors been closed. Odachowski said he hopes to see representatives from the Professional Fire Fighters Association of South Carolina and the local Columbia Firefighters Association, along with Jenkins and other staff, come together for a monthly meeting to discuss plans for improvement. Wilson said the city is working to try to address any staffing and equipment issues in the fire department. I think, all across this country, fire services, law enforcement, water and sewer workers, utility workers, the numbers are down, Wilson said. Our (total, citywide) employee base is still down. Weve always hovered around 2,300, and now we only have 2,100 across the city. Chief Jenkins is no different from any other fire chief, trying to think creatively and trying to address things. Prior to the associations press conference, Odachowski said multiple firefighters have received harassment and threats about speaking out, including being told that they would not receive the raises that were recently approved by the Columbia City Council. Wilson said Thursday that she did not directly threaten to take away anyones raises away. She said he had a conversation with department leaders, on the day City Council was considering this years budget which included increases for the fire department, about not doing anything that might affect Councils decision on that extra funding. Yes, we have staffing challenges, we have facilities needs, Wilson said. That, again, is why I was having conversations with the command staff and the battalion chiefs to get that message to trickle down to the guys in the field that this particular budget has things in it that will help address this. Dont mess this up. We need to see this through. Remember that $50 million project? These Columbus city offices are moving this summer If you plan to visit a Columbus Consolidated Government office in the next several weeks, you might want to check where it is instead of relying on your memory. Thats because CCG has started Phase 1 of moving some departments into the former Synovus property at 1111 First Ave., which is being called Columbus City Hall. The moves are part of the nearly $50 million project Columbus Council unanimously approved in September 2021 for CCG to buy and renovate those Synovus buildings. This is one of the four Synovus office buildings that are part of the Columbus Consolidated Governments $25 million purchase to move some city offices into approximately 250,000 square feet bordered by 11th Street, 12th Street, Broadway and First Avenue in downtown Columbus. Here is the moving schedule, released by CCG, with the date of the first day each affected department will be open in its new location: June 21: Information Technology, moved from the fifth floor of the Government Center, 100 10th St., to the second floor of the Development Resource Center at Columbus City Hall, 1111 First Ave. June 23: Finance, moving from the fifth floor of the Government Center, 100 10th St., to the first floor of the Development Resource Center at Columbus City Hall, 1111 First Ave. June 28: Job Training, moving from the Columbus Government Center Annex, 420 10th St., to the second floor of the Development Resource Center at Columbus City Hall, 1111 First Ave. June 29: UGA Cooperative Extension, moving from the Columbus Government Center Annex, 420 10th St., to the first floor of the Development Resource Center at Columbus City Hall, 1111 First Ave. June 29: Parks & Recreation, moving from the Columbus City Services Center, 3111 Citizens Way, to the second floor of the Development Resource Center at Columbus City Hall, 1111 First Ave. July 5: Human Resources, moving from the East Wing and West Wing of the Columbus Government Center, 100 10th St., to the first floor and second floor of the Human Resources Building at Columbus City Hall, 1111 First Ave. July 18: Mayors Office, moving from the sixth floor of the Columbus Government Center, 100 10th St., to the third floor of the Development Resource Center at Columbus City Hall, 1111 First Ave. July 18: City Managers Office, moving from the sixth floor of the Columbus Government Center, 100 10th St., to the third floor of the Development Resource Center at Columbus City Hall, 1111 First Ave. July 18: City Attorneys Office, moving from the sixth floor of the Columbus Government Center, 100 10th St., to the third floor of the Development Resource Center at Columbus City Hall, 1111 First Ave. July 18: Clerk of Councils Office, moving from the sixth floor of the Columbus Government Center, 100 10th St., to the third floor of the Development Resource Center at Columbus City Hall, 1111 First Ave. July 18: 311 Citizen Services Center, moving from the City Services Center, 3111 Citizens Way, to the first floor of the Development Resource Center at Columbus City Hall, 1111 First Ave. Phase 2 timeline The second of CCGs two-phased move of city offices is scheduled to start next year. Here is the timeline: July 31, 2024: Synovus vacates its Executive Building, 1111 First Ave. August 2024-March 2025: CCG renovates Executive Building. 2025 relocations Mayors Office moves to fifth floor of Executive Building City Managers Officer moves to fourth floor of Executive Building City Attorneys Office moves to third floor of Executive Building Clerk of Councils Office moves to second floor of Executive Building Engineering Department, Inspections & Code Department, Planning Department and Community Reinvestment Department move to third floor of Development Resource Center, 1111 First Ave. Finance Department moves to first floor of Executive Building. Print Shop moves to basement of the Broadway South Building, no address specified. CCGs deal with Synovus, a Columbus-based banking and financial services company, is a $25 million purchase of four buildings and a 634-space parking deck. Synovus calls the buildings Uptown Center, main office and the Jordan and Bradley buildings. They comprise approximately 250,000 square feet of office space. All the facilities in the deal are in the block bordered by 11th Street, 12th Street, Broadway and First Avenue. The Synovus parking deck at 18 W. 11th St. in Columbus. In March 2022, Synovus announced its plan to move approximately 500 employees into the Riverfront Place complex W.C. Bradley is developing at 1301 Broadway. Synovus plans to move into 120,000 square feet over five floors of Riverfront Places 230,000-square-foot office building in mid-2024. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta near the town of Rio Vista. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) To paraphrase Clint Eastwoods Dirty Harry in the 1973 movie classic Magnum Force, a governors got to know his limitations. There are limits to the power even of a governor with no major political opposition and a very friendly, normally cooperative Legislature. This time, Gov. Gavin Newsom may have found his limitations. Key lawmakers are pushing back against his late-entry legislation to expedite construction of a highly controversial water tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. As is his pattern, Newsom is trying to jam through the legislation at the last minute, denying legislators and the public ample time to assess and debate the proposal. That really ticks off lawmakers, whether theyre leaders or backbenchers. It feels disrespectful to the [legislative] process, state Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton) said at a Senate committee hearing on the governors proposal this month. To try to force something through at the last minute like this on such a controversial issue, its so inappropriate, Assemblyman Carlos Villapudua (D-Stockton) says. Newsom did that last year and later bragged about his success in jamming the lawmakers. Near the end of its two-year session, the governor sent the Legislature an ambitious package of climate-fighting proposals, and most of it passed. A governor can jam legislators by holding their bills hostage. He might refuse to sign a bill authored by a lawmaker who votes against his proposal. By waiting so long to send his bills to the Legislature, a governor also greatly reduces the time opponents have to organize opposition. This year, Newsom waited until May 19 to propose sketchy infrastructure legislation that he asked lawmakers to pass within five weeks as part of the annual state budget. What he proposed has nothing to do with the budget. But he can hold legislators pet budget items hostage to their votes for his proposal Also the governors legislation can be dumped into budget trailer bills that dont need to go through scrutiny by policy committees. Newsom proposed a sweeping package of 11 bills that would make it easier to build clean energy, transportation and water projects, including the delta tunnel. It would do this, essentially, by cutting corners on environmental protection. Lawsuits filed under the 1970 California Environmental Quality Act would need to be wrapped up in 270 days, unless a judge found that to be unfeasible. Now such lawsuits can drag on for years. Concerning the tunnel, the vote necessary for approval by a key delta oversight committee would be reduced. Protections for endangered wintering sandhill cranes would be loosened. And local interests role in designing the tunnel would be reduced, they fear. Governors for six decades have tried to build this project in some form or another and been beaten back by grassroots activists or state voters. The delta is Californias main water hub, serving 27 million people and irrigating 3 million acres. Its the backbone of our state water system, says Wade Crowfoot, secretary of the state Natural Resources Agency. Were on borrowed time in the delta. It has a major vulnerability to saltwater intrusion with the risk of sea rise in climate change. And theres earthquake risk. We cant continue year after year to be in legal limbo as a result of litigation. Lets figure out how we can streamline the litigation and give thumbs up or thumbs down on the tunnel. And if its thumbs down, he says, then the state can get back to the drawing board and another approach. Project opponents especially delta residents, including farmers contend that future saltwater intrusion is one reason the tunnel shouldnt be built. It would siphon water out of the fresher north delta before it could flow through the more saline southern end as it does now, pushing back salt water intruding from San Francisco Bay. The saltier water would be disastrous for Stockton, smaller delta communities and farming, opponents say. As for the earthquake threat, no temblor has ever damaged a delta levee and there are no major faults under the estuary. Anyway, couldnt a major quake damage an underground tunnel? The fishing industry and boaters fear that reducing freshwater flows through the delta will decimate salmon runs and worsen toxic algae that clog waterways in summer. The whole system has crashed for salmon, says Barry Nelson, a consultant for the Golden State Salmon Assn. Thats partly because of giant south delta fish-chomping pumps and government regulations that often deprive baby salmon of strong enough water flows as they try to migrate out to sea. The tunnel would allow the [state] to dramatically increase pumping from the Sacramento River system and further decrease the salmon population, Nelson says. That would depend on how the tunnel is regulated. But theres no trust of government regulators among tunnel opponents. Villapudua drafted a letter to Newsom and legislative leaders signed by 10 lawmakers of both parties asking that tunnel project be removed from the governor's package. It wasnt very wise to include the delta, says Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz), a former natural resources secretary who helped push then-Gov. Jerry Browns failed twin-tunnel project. A $16-billion project like [the tunnel] will likely have significant impacts on a large, ecologically sensitive and important area. Something of that scale should not be fast-tracked through an environmental review process. Oh, yes. The cost: Virtually everyone knows the price of that 45-mile, 39-foot-wide tunnel would be much more than advertised. And so far there isnt even financing for it. Water users would pay. Newsom should listen to Dirty Harry. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The feud between Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a turn back to circa 2021. While most of the country has moved on from the COVID-19 pandemic, the former allies seem stuck in a time warp, back to a time of lockdowns and vaccination campaigns. Trump and DeSantis teams arent attacking each other over how many lives each might have saved, but over who supported pandemic restrictions the most. While both want to prove to voters they are the most anti-lockdown, anti-vaxx, anti-scientific-establishment, the truth is more nuanced than they would like to admit. It seems absurd that overseeing mass vaccinations would be a weakness for a candidate running to be a major party nominee for the highest office in the nation. But Trump is betting thats the case. His campaign has accused DeSantis of such inoculation sins unthinkable until a public-health crisis became politicized. Trump War Room, a Twitter account that supports the former president, posted a video Tuesday accusing DeSantis of lying to voters and claiming Lockdown Ron DeSantis shut Florida down during the pandemic. The DeSantis War Room, also a Twitter account, hit back with its own videos accusing Trump of supporting lockdowns and showing footage of him praising DeSantis pandemic response. The DeSantis team infamous for its Dont Fauci My Florida merchandise line has also tried to link Trump to Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was part of the former presidents White House coronavirus task force. COVID-19 remains important because, without the pandemic, we likely wouldnt have DeSantis the presidential candidate. The governor showed little regard for the tens of thousands of Floridians who died from COVID, but the pandemic helped him build a brand known for balking at public-health restrictions, vaccine mandates and even the efficacy of vaccines. The pandemic might have been the darkest time America has faced in modern times but for an ambitious governor it turned out to be the opportunity of a lifetime. While DeSantis did shutdown the state in 2020, he lifted restrictions and opened schools much earlier than other states. His biggest shift, however, happened regarding vaccinations. Before DeSantis appointed a surgeon general skeptical of vaccines and asked for a statewide grand jury investigation into vaccines manufacturers, the governor traveled the state in early 2021 touting his administrations efforts to get shots distributed to seniors. So pro-vaccination was DeSantis back then that he even faced accusations of giving preference to wealthy conservative enclaves when shots werent yet widely available. Ironically, the Trump administration approved the vaccines, and Trump has been open about getting a booster. We know that there is no time to waste when it comes to getting shots in arms, DeSantis said in May 2021. On another occasion, he said, Theyre safe. Theyre effective vaccines. As the winds began to shift in Republican politics, conservatives started to reject not only vaccine mandates, but also the proven efficacy of immunization in preventing deaths. So did the shrewd DeSantis, who already was said to be mulling a presidential campaign. Call that a natural progression or opportunism. Nowadays, its more common to hear DeSantis say, The benefit [of vaccines] is minuscule, but as Joseph Ladapo and other studies have shown there is a risk for doing it. Ladapo, Floridas surgeon general, withheld key evidence from a state analysis when he issued guidance that young men not get the shots. Missing from his report was data that found young men faced greater risk of cardiac-related death after a COVID-19 infection than after a vaccine, public documents obtained by the Tampa Bay Times showed. Scientists called on Ladapo to rescind his recommendation, which obviously did not happen. The discussion about vaccines and whether they work at this point seems futile. Most Americans have already made up their minds about getting a shot. But the pandemic response might be one of Trumps few vulnerabilities DeSantis can exploit. DeSantis is certainly not converting Trump voters by attacking the former president for inciting the Jan. 6 riots or over the criminal charges he faced for withholding classified documents and for his alleged role in hush payments to a former adult-movie star. Its an upside-world, after all. The company that operates the missing Titanic sub is likely protected from future lawsuits thanks to the 'tons of risk' that passengers incurred, legal experts say Stockton Rush, OceanGate's chief executive, speaks at a press conference with an OceanGate sub. David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Legal experts say OceanGate is likely protected from lawsuits related to the Titan's disappearance. Passengers on the missing sub signed a waiver that mentioned the risk of death several times. But that waiver could be challenged if OceanGate is found to be operationally negligent, an expert said. Even as they possibly sit at the bottom of the ocean trapped in a small submersible with dwindling oxygen, the passengers aboard the missing Titan vessel are likely out of luck in more ways than one. Search and rescue efforts are still underway after a tourist submersible carrying five people went missing on Sunday while on a dive mission to explore the Titanic ship wreck that sits 12,500 feet beneath the sea. The clock is ticking for the five men onboard who only have enough oxygen to last until Thursday afternoon, according to coast guard officials. But even as new details continue to emerge about the company that operates the missing Titan sub, including the CEO's history of flippant remarks about safety, and past allegations of negligence at the oceanic exploration company, legal experts say OceanGate will almost certainly be protected from any future lawsuits stemming from the current disaster. "The chance of family members of the passengers having a successful lawsuit against the company is close to zero," attorney Sherif Edmond El Dabe, a partner with El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers, said in comments shared with Insider. "The passengers knowingly participated in an extremely hazardous activity and they knowingly assumed great risk." Passengers onboard the vessel, who each paid $250,000 to take the journey to the famous shipwreck, also signed a waiver before embarking on the trip. "Everyone on board knew this wasn't a vacation or a sightseeing trip, and the disclaimer appears to have made the risk of death very clear multiple times," lawyer Miguel Custodio, co-founder of Custodio and Dubey LLP, said in comments to Insider. A former passenger on one of the Titan's exploratory ventures said this week that the waiver he signed before his trip mentioned the risk of death three times on the first page alone. "You sign a massive waiver that lists one way after another that you could die on the trip," Mike Reiss told the BBC. "So nobody who's in this situation was caught off guard. You all know what you are getting into." With this type of private expedition, everyone involved is "intentionally assuming tons of risk" and are ostensibly informed of the numerous dangers, making it difficult for anyone to sue OceanGate in the aftermath of tragedy, El Dabe said. "It would be preposterous for their families to turn around and sue the company that they hired to dive to the wreck of the Titanic," he added. That legal protection, however, only extends as far as OceanGate informed its passengers of the various risks they faced in boarding the submersible, according to Custodio. The sea exploration firm Magellan said it's working on bringing in specialist equipment" to help the rescue mission for OceanGates lost Titan sub. Reuters The waiver could be challenged if OceanGate is found to be operationally negligent, expert says As new revelations about the company at the heart of the disaster continue to emerge, a narrative is forming of an apparently lax culture surrounding safety at OceanGate. The company did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Stockton Rush, the founder of OceanGate and one of the five missing passengers, made several now-eyebrow-raising comments about safety regulations in recent years, describing the diving industry as "obscenely safe," and lamenting that passenger-vessel regulations were holding back innovation. In a Smithsonian Magazine feature on the "daredevil inventor," Rush called industry safety standards "understandable but illogical," and in a 2019 blog post on OceanGate's website, he sought to explain why the Titan submersible wasn't classed according to standard regulatory process, citing "innovation." Rush also told CBS journalist David Pogue in 2022 that "at some point, safety is just pure waste." And perhaps most damning of all, a former OceanGate employee said he warned the company years ago that the submersible could be afflicted by poor "quality control and safety" protocols that "paying passengers would not be aware of," according to a 2018 lawsuit filed by David Lochridge, the former director of marine operations at OceanGate. Lochridge alleged he was wrongfully terminated after he brought forth concerns about the company's "refusal" to conduct critical testing on the submersible's hull. Rush's statements on safety, as well as the former employee's lawsuit could prove legally dangerous to OceanGate if the current search and rescue mission becomes a search and recovery effort, Custodio said. "The waiver could be challenged if it can be found that OceanGate was negligent in the way it was being designed or operated, and that caused the submersible to be lost," he added. Read the original article on Insider Company refused to hire women as truck drivers since 1986, feds say. Now itll pay up Several women who applied to work as truck drivers for a companys Mississippi branch over the course of three decades were refused jobs and men were hired instead, according to federal officials. The company USF Holland LLC hadnt hired female truck drivers at its facility in Olive Branch, Mississippi dating back to 1986. The first woman was hired in 2017 but she was fired on her first day, a newly settled lawsuit filed in federal court says. Her firing came before she could finish the first trucking route she was sent on, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which filed the lawsuit. Now Holland is settling charges of sex discrimination and agreeing to pay $490,000 and provide $120,000 in scholarships, agency announced in a June 21 news release. McClatchy News contacted attorneys who represented the company in the case on June 22 and didnt receive an immediate response. The company will award $10,000 scholarships four times a year for the next three years to women who apply to obtain a truck driving certification through Hollands apprenticeship program as part of a three-year consent decree, according to the EEOC. While the trucking industry is traditionally a male-dominated field, qualified female drivers do exist and are paving the way for more women to enter the field, EEOC Trial Attorney Roslyn Griffin Pack said in a statement. We are pleased Holland agreed to take proactive steps to not only train female drivers through its apprenticeship program, but to also hire those qualified female drivers for positions in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. The lawsuit was initially filed against Holland in October 2020, court records show. According to an amended complaint filed in the case in November, women werent hired going back until at least 1986 except the one who was hired then quickly fired in 2017 through 2022 at the companys Olive Branch location. Federal officials said they learned many qualified women applied for job openings with Holland because of the companys impressive benefits package. By not hiring the women who applied for work, the EEOC accused Holland of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which makes sex discrimination illegal under federal law. Holland has also agreed to revise company policies on anti-discrimination and to hold yearly training sessions to prevent future discrimination at the Olive Branch facility, the agency said. Olive Branch is on the Mississippi-Tennessee border, about 20 miles southeast of Memphis. Worker fired after asking to work fewer than 12 hours a day on doctors orders, feds say 65-year-old wasnt hired for being too old in New Jersey, feds say. Now company sued Worker was told hearing loss wouldnt be issue. Then she was fired over it, feds say A piece of concrete from a bridge of Interstate 77 fell onto a busy road in Rock Hill, causing it to be shut down for several hours Thursday morning. The South Carolina Department of Transportation says the concrete fell from a patched section of the bridge deck over Celanese Road Wednesday. Crews had to shut the road down and worked until late Wednesday morning, cleaning up after the concrete fell below. SEE MORE: Half-built Panthers facility in Rock Hill to be torn down for new project One driver, Christian Poteat, told Channel 9s Tina Terry that he stopped to take pictures of the debris. We just came underneath there, Poteat said. I just hope that they did their job and its not anything dangerous. On Thursday, SCDOT sent Channel 9 a statement, saying: It is not uncommon for surface patches to experience issues, especially during heavy rains. The road and bridge are open and safe for travel this was surface damage, not structural damage. According to SCDOT, maintenance crews continuously monitor road conditions and make these kinds of repairs as necessary. >>Download WSOC's apps to keep up with news and weather wherever you go Crews worked hours overnight to make a rapid repair to the bridge, and all lanes were open to traffic at about 4 a.m. Thursday. No one was reported to be hurt, and no damage to cars was reported. (WATCH: Clothing dye spill turns South Carolina interstate pink, blue) (Bloomberg) -- US lawmakers on Thursday questioned how new rules for artificial intelligence can protect against the technologys risks without reinforcing the early advantages enjoyed by tech giants such as Microsoft and Google. Most Read from Bloomberg Representative Frank Lucas, the Oklahoma Republican who chairs the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, opened Thursdays hearing by recognizing the need for Congress to set some guardrails for AI while warning that any regulation must also promote innovation especially as the US races China to develop machine learning capabilities. Shahin Farshchi, a general partner of venture capital firm Lux Capital, warned the panel that a few companies are already dominating a sector in which it can cost more than $100 million to train the most advanced generative AI models. Microsoft Corp., Alpahabet Inc.s Google and Amazon.com Inc. are also among the few companies that have the computing power to run the most powerful models. There are steep barriers to entry for AI researchers and founders, Farshchi said. If we do not provide open, fair and diverse access to computing resources, we could see a concentration of resources in a time of rapid change, reminiscent of Standard Oil during the industrial revolution. Congress is rushing to understand just what AI is and how to protect against potential risks such as bias, threats to democracy and misuse by nefarious actors. The conversation is taking place as global adversaries like China develop their own AI tools that have the potential to transform economies and shape future conflicts. Some lawmakers have warned that the costs of complying with government regulations would hinder smaller startups ability to compete with tech giants. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced plans Wednesday for a series of forums on AI and set a timeline to draft legislation to regulate the technology within months, not years. Ted Lieu, a California Democrat who has introduced his own AI-focused legislation, asked whether open source technology would foster US innovation, only to have those advances benefit global adversaries. Clement Delangue, co-founder and CEO of Hugging Face, an AI startup, told the House panel that openness is essential to preserve broad and vibrant competition. That in turn will better position the US to innovate in the race against China, he added. Open science and open source distribute economic gains by fostering tens of thousands of startups building with AI, in all domains and sectors Delangue said. It fosters innovation, as we have seen in the past few years, and fair competition between all. Some companies, like Microsoft, have suggested a licensing regime as a way for the government to regulate the most powerful AI models. Democratic Representative Zoe Lofgren, whose California district includes part of Silicon Valley, suggested requiring registration of AI models as a way to provide accountability without advantaging the companies that would be best positioned to win licenses. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. On Sunday, the submersible Titan went missing far off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, in the North Atlantic ocean. The tourist expedition, led by OceanGate, a company that runs submersible trips for tourism and exploration, was supposed to take five men to view the shipwreck of the Titanic, nearly 13,000 feet below sea level. A search for the sub, which included OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush onboard, is now over after debris from the vessel was located following an apparent catastrophic implosion, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday. As the U.S. and Canadian governments shelled out funds in the rescue and recovery effort, the media reported on a series of safety concerns that most likely led to the sub going missing. But conservatives had another theory. Could the sub have disappeared because OceanGates CEO went woke? Wokeness has become a new boogeyman for the right, and no one is safe even in a case like this, with five people believed to have lost their lives in the deep sea. Being woke once meant being aware of social injustices, but conservatives have appropriated it to refer to anything that they disagree with or that has a hint of liberalism. Its often used as a not-very-subtle replacement for racial slurs. On Wednesday afternoon, Fox News Jesse Watters suggested on the networks show The Five that the men may have perished in the sub because Rush was too woke. Theres been lawsuits, theres been accusations about slashing regulations. Hes quoted as saying he didnt hire a bunch of 50-year-old white guys with military experience because he didnt want his vessels to be not inspirational for a younger generation, Watters said, referring to the OceanGate CEO previously stating that he didnt want to hire older white men. I dont care who is in these vessels, I just want them to be experienced and safe. And if youre gonna be woke, you might have to Watters said before cutting himself off. (A popular slogan on the right is Go woke, go broke.) OceanGate had been sued by a former employee who warned about safety issues, and it seemingly ignored experts who said the vessels trips could be catastrophic. But right-wingers, increasingly obsessed with labeling anyone and anything as woke, decided to focus on Rush supposedly not employing enough white men. This week, the New York Post ran a story about Rushs comments on not wanting to hire white guys, hinting that perhaps the expedition would have gone differently if he had. On Twitter, some were more explicit in their claims. Wokeness killed the people on that submarine, one user tweeted. Let that sink in. They died because the woke CEO said he wouldnt hire 50 year-old white men who knew how to command submarines and would rather train others. The tweet concluded: The CEO died too. Thats the next level of go woke, go broke. Right-wing television host Charlie Kirk also joined the chorus, citing Rushs statements about not hiring older white men. If it is true, this person tragically passes away, the CEO of OceanGate and he says that he was choosing and selecting his personnel based on not wanting to have 50-year-old white guys, then you could make the argument, albeit rather cruel and blunt, he killed himself and his customers with wokeness, Kirk said on The Charlie Kirk Show. OceanGate joins a long list of the accused. Earlier this year, Republicans blamed wokeness when Silicon Valley Bank collapsed because it had a Black person and two members of the LGBTQ+ community on its board. Bud Light has been accused of going woke because of a one-off partnership with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Target has been vilified for displaying Pride merchandise. Chick-fil-A and Cracker Barrel have suffered the same fate for having staffers tasked with diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at work. But by the GOPs own definition, it would be a stretch to blame wokeness for the Titan tragedy. If anything, a CEO allegedly ignoring experts and choosing to hire inexperienced workers in lieu of higher-paid ones, while also donating to GOP candidates, is the opposite of wokeness. That all seems in line with standard operating procedures for the wealthy. But wokeness has become such a pervasive party of right-wing ideology that its not just progressive ideals getting slapped with the label anymore CEOs who plan ill-advised trips to the bottom of the ocean now qualify, too. Cook County judge accused of making racist comments recuses himself from case, citing glare of publicity A Cook County judge on Thursday voluntarily recused himself from a case, citing the glare of publicity, after an attorney filed a motion to replace him that alleged he made racist comments during a conference in chambers earlier this year. Attorney Matthew Fakhoury last week filed a motion to substitute Judge William Hooks from presiding over the case of a defendant charged with aggravated domestic battery, accusing the judge of making racist remarks about Middle Eastern men, along with other derogatory comments, in January. Hooks delivered a statement about the motion from the bench during a hearing over the matter, referencing a flurry of media attention. He called the motion an untimely, defamatory submission and denied making the comments. The matter in question was an off-the-record conference in chambers and therefore wasnt recorded nor was a transcript produced. Also on Thursday, Fakhoury filed in court an affidavit that accused Hooks of an attempted cover-up of the alleged comments by reaching out, ex parte, to the prosecutors on the case. Judges are generally not allowed to speak to parties on one side of a case while those on the other side are unaware. The assistant states attorneys turned over to Fakhoury a disclosure of the reported ex parte communication, as per their obligations in such a situation, according to an exhibit included in the affidavit. The defendant in the case, Ryan Thomas, was indicted last June on four battery-related felony charges, and the case was assigned to Hooks courtroom, court records show. On Jan. 17, the motion alleged, Hooks made several inappropriate and derogatory comments directed at Fakhoury and Thomas, including saying that Middle Eastern men are controlling and abusive. Hooks referenced his service as a Marine, and said, according to the motion, while looking at Fakhoury who is Arab American: I would shoot and kill men like that from Middle Eastern countries. The conference happened in Hooks chambers, along with Fakhourys co-counsel and his law clerk as well as the assistant states attorney, the motion said. The law clerk, now a licensed attorney, filed an affidavit that attested to the allegation in the motion. During Thursdays hearing, Hooks denied making both of those statements. Sill he decided to recuse himself, saying that the defendant should have his case heard without the accompanying publicity from the controversy. This case is not about me. Its not about the defense counsel, Hooks said. The case is about the defendant charged with the offense. Fakhoury objected, saying he wanted a hearing in front of Cook County Judge Reddick on the merits of his motion. Hooks noted the defense didnt have the power to make that happen. The matter is scheduled before Reddick for reassignment Friday morning. In an affidavit filed Thursday, Fakhoury also alleged that Hooks made improper contact with two assistant states attorneys about the case. This communication or attempted communication by Judge Hooks is not only unprofessional, unethical and illegal but may rise to the level of witness interference and tampering, the affidavit said. It included as an exhibit a notification from assistant states attorneys about calls from Hooks. On Monday, the notification said, Hooks called and left a message for Assistant States Attorney Maurice Alayo that he did not return. Hooks also left a message for Assistant States Attorney Ellen Carroll, who returned the call. During that phone call, Judge Hooks asked ASA Carroll if she recalled a 402 conference for a domestic violence case that happened last year, the notification said. Judge Hooks said the attorney had filed a motion for SOJ alleging that he had said something discriminating against Arab men. Judge Hooks asked if she remembered the conference. Carroll said she did not remember what was said and would have to check the file, according to the notification. Carroll was uncomfortable and did not know how to respond. On Wednesday, as Alayo was packing up files, Hooks asked to speak to him in chambers. Judge Hooks stated: Maurice, I just wanted to say about this whole situation, I hope you know I did not threaten to kill that man, the notification said. Alayo told the judge he was instructed not to speak to anyone about the matter. mabuckley@chicagotribune.com Copper-eyed creature found lurking among ferns in the night is a new species in Peru Surrounded by plants and shrouded in darkness, a copper-eyed creature called into the night. The animal probably hoped a mate was listening, but that night someone else was listening too. Scientists walking through the forest in Peru found the calling creature and discovered a new species. Researchers were on a slow walk through the trails of a cloud forest in Junin that night, according to a study published June 20 in the journal Taxonomy. They were surveying the areas frogs, toads and salamanders. Hidden among the ferns, researchers found several small frogs and captured 14 specimens, the study said. Looking closer, they realized theyd captured a new species: Pristimantis clarae, or Claras terrestrial-breeding frog. Claras terrestrial-breeding frog is tiny, with males reaching about 0.6 inches and females reaching about 0.7 inches in size, the study said. The frog has a rounded nose and coppery eyes. A Pristimantis clarae frog with darker coloring. The frogs coloring varies from creamy tan to cinnamon brown and dark brown, researchers said. Photos of Claras terrestrial-breeding frog show the variation. The animal almost has a marbled look, photos show. A Pristimantis clarae frog seen up close. Researchers found Claras terrestrial-breeding frogs sitting on ferns, branches and other plants a few inches off the ground in a mountain forest, the study said. The male frogs hid in the leaves while calling out. The new species of frog was found only in Junin province where it was abundant at night, researchers said. Junin is about 145 miles northeast of Lima, the capital city. Researchers named the new species after Clara Alexandrova, a young frog enthusiast. Clara, along with her family, supports the conservation of cloud forest ecosystems in Peru, the study said. A Pristimantis clarae frog with dark brown coloring. The new species was identified as distinct based on a combination of its body shape, acoustic call pattern and genetic analysis, the study said. DNA analysis found the new species had between 1.09% and 3% genetic divergence from other frog species. Although the genetic distances are low, (Pristimantis clarae) can be readily distinguished from these species by morphological traits that are commonly used in the description of new species, researchers said. The formal description of new species is the first step to make species visible and useful to the scientific community and to the resource managers who aim to protect and conserve biodiversity, researchers said. The research team included Pablo Venegas, Luis Garcia-Ayachi, Axel Marchelie, Jesus Ormeno and Alessandro Catenazzi. Most beautiful creature found hopping in Madagascar rainforest. Its a new species Horned creature a new species of dragonfish pulled from watery depths off Brazil Alien wanderer found hanging upside down in underwater cave. Its a new species Driver faces felonies after 4 pedestrians mowed down before White Sox game at Guaranteed Rate Field A New City man faces felony reckless driving charges after authorities said he plowed through four pedestrians headed to Tuesday nights White Sox game just outside Guaranteed Rate Field. Authorities on late Wednesday announced charges against Condelarious Garcia, 20, for four counts of aggravated reckless driving, along with misdemeanor driving on a suspended license and three traffic citations for the collision in the 300 block of West 35th Street on Tuesday. Garcia was taken into custody from the silver colored sedan that police said had struck the victims minutes earlier before fleeing the scene. The collision had tossed one of the four victims onto the car and partially through the sunroof, police said at a news briefing Tuesday night. That victim was still clinging to the car when Illinois State Police and SWAT officers stopped the vehicle. Police provided no new details on the case or conditions of the injured pedestrians. Garcia is expected to go before a Cook County judge for a felony bail hearing on Thursday afternoon, authorities said. wlee@chicagotribune.com Costco is asking employees to heavily monitor self-checkout at some stores and customers are divided Costco says members purchase 16 items per trip on average. Dominick Reuter/Insider Costco reintroduced self-checkout back in 2019, but the company is apparently tweaking the process. Shoppers at some stores say employees are actively assisting in what previously was a solitary affair. Customers say employees often intervene when they are trying to purchase lots of items or bulky products. The self-checkout process at most retailers is generally a solitary affair, with one employee tasked at keeping an eye out for scanner fraud or skipped scans and helping with technical issues on the kiosk. But at some Costco locations, employees can get a lot more involved, according to shoppers on Reddit. Shoppers at certain locations say they are required to use only the tabletop scanner for their items and must ask for employee assistance for bulky purchases, while others have access to a handheld scanner to ring up items in the cart on their own. Several self-checkout users said workers have rung up everything in their cart with a handheld scanner and sent them on their way. The reviews have been mixed on Reddit, where one shopper said an employee took the handheld scanner from him in the midst of checking out, while another said the additional help was a "Grade A experience." "Someone ushered me to a register, took my membership card, scanned it (and the credit card, my method of payment), and then used the gun to scan everything in my cart. Didn't have to take anything out, and he handed me my receipt. Took less than a minute," the satisfied customer said. After scrapping a previous effort in 2013, the warehouse club reintroduced self-checkout lanes to select locations back in 2019 and has been expanding the offering to additional stores. The company declined to comment for this story. One issue that came up in several online discussions is that the company doesn't use express lanes and doesn't limit the number of items that can be trundled through the self-checkout area. Costco's website says members purchase 16 items per trip on average. One Reddit user said although the item count is unlimited, excessive weight in the bagging area can cause the system to stop working, slowing down the lane for everyone else. Also, precariously balanced items in the bagging area tend to topple over and require cleanup. A matter of trust for some Costco shoppers The inconsistency of experiences across stores generated comparisons with self-checkout procedures at competing retailers, with some shoppers saying they would prefer a bit more trust and autonomy from the company. "I have always wished we the customers had access to the hand scanners, but I was always told that Costco Corporate wants customers to use the table scanner and the employees to use the hand scanners," one user said. Commenters were quick to point out how Costco's system differs from the Scan & Go service at rival Sam's Club, which allows customers to scan merchandise using a smartphone app and bypass the checkout lanes entirely. They also compared Costco's process unfavorably to those of retailers that allow customers to use handheld scanners for large or bulky items at self-checkout. "Your Costco has hand scanners for members? If I want to use the hand scanner I have to take my food to Home Depot," a shopper said. Read the original article on Business Insider 'How could you not feed them?': Couple charged in deaths of 200 goats in Lafayette County A Lafayette County couple has been charged with dozens of criminal counts including the mistreatment of animals after authorities discovered roughly 200 dead goats on a farm. Kyle Lincicum, 30, and Stephanie Lincicum, 33, who live in South Wayne, have each been charged with 20 felony counts of mistreatment of animals, 20 misdemeanor counts of failure to provide proper food and drink to confined animals, five counts of failure to timely dispose a carcass, one count of theft and one count transferring personal property exceeding $10,000. If convicted, they each face several years in prison. According to the criminal complaint filed in May, Lafayette County Sheriff's Office got a call from the Farm Service Agency in March about nearly 200 dead goats on a farm in Seymour Township. Deputies were initially dispatched to the property and found multiple dead goats, but no one was home. Deputies then called Kyle Lincicum and asked about the dead goats. He told them "I have no idea what it was." According to the complaint, Kyle Lincicum said the goats started dying the previous month and they had called a veterinarian in the past but not much changed. Deputies talked to the Elizabeth Holcomb, the veterinarian who had been called by the Lincicums, who told them she went to the farm in February 2021 for goats dying from pneumonia and in September 2022 because a goat had parasites. She had not been called to the farm during 2023. Witnesses told deputies there was no hay or feed on the farm and there were three pens, each with dozens of dead goats in them. Eventually deputies were able to get onto the property with a veterinarian, where they encountered more dead goats. While on the property, deputies talked with Stephanie Lincicum and when asked if she was feeding the goats enough, she responded: "I honestly couldn't tell you, because the amount that I was supposed to feed them was always different, so probably not." Stephanie Lincicum took deputies to where they stored the hay and there were only a few slices of a big square bale. Deputies noticed the hay had large amounts of mold and snow around it. In an interview with deputies in April, Kyle Lincicum told them the goats had not had any grain all year. The farm was not originally owned by the Lincicums and was owned by a different person referred to in the complaint as "Victim 1" who knew them from working on a different farm. According to interviews done by deputies, Victim 1 told law enforcement they were supposed to split the costs of the farm with the Lincicums and eventually the Lincicums would buy the farm from Victim 1. But that didn't happen. From the time the Lincicums started working on the farm in 2020, they sold dozens of goats for a net profit of $35,907, according to records from the Fennimore Livestock Exchange mentioned in the complaint. About 265 goats had been sold between December 2020 and March 2023. None of the profits were shared with Victim 1. "How can you not feed them when you have almost $40,000?" Victim 1 told deputies. "Here I am with $16 to my name and they just ... clean house." On Monday, Stephanie Lincicums waived her right to a preliminary hearing. She is scheduled to be arraigned on July 10. Also on Monday, Kyle Lincicum made his initial appearance from the Lafayette County Jail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 14. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Couple charged in deaths of goats on farm in Darlington, Wisconsin Workers laying out pipes for installation at an oil site run by TotalEnergies in Tilenga, Uganda on Jan. 16, 2023. (Arlette Bashizi/The New York Times) PARIS An unusual if guarded optimism has descended upon Paris, along with hundreds of world leaders, bankers and climate activists. They have come for a two-day conference billed as the new Bretton Woods. The reference is to the 1944 gathering in New Hampshire where diplomats hammered out the monetary institutions to rebuild countries after World War II the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Now, the goal is to rebuild those systems to weather a looming crisis: the entwined dangers of poverty and climate change. We dont have to choose between the fight against poverty and the fight for the climate and biodiversity, President Emmanuel Macron of France argued last year. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Many believe a new international monetary system, one that offers developing countries facing climate crises not more crippling debt but financial support, might be in the making. On Wednesday, on the eve of the conference, 13 world leaders, among them President Joe Biden, published a public letter in some 40 newspapers, including Le Monde, saying they were determined to forge a new global consensus and that the summit would stand out as a decisive political moment. There is also trepidation. Some worry that the conference could prove to be another grand summit held by a leader who loves his self-appointed role as multilateral consensus builder and disrupter but does not always deliver results. The French president has a taste for international initiatives, except its been more than six years now that hes been president, and hes exhausted energy and trust, said Cecile Duflot, director general of the poverty-fighting group Oxfam in France. The summit, she said, should result in concrete promises of debt relief and not just chitchatting. When you have 62 countries today that are paying more on debt payments than on health care, its obvious that we are in a dysfunctional system, Duflot said. The conference grew out of the ideas not of Macron but of Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados. In November, Mottley sketched out a proposal for financial reform from the stage of the United Nations climate change summit, known as COP27, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. She and her team called it the Bridgetown Initiative. Mottley described the financial systems created three-quarters of a century ago as imperial, set up as they were before many countries in the world had become independent. She called for a major overhaul so that developing countries most prone to climate change disaster and already facing debt crises could access capital to address poverty and damage, and to pay for their transition to a green economy. Yes, it is time for us to revisit Bretton Woods, Mottley said. The response was resounding, if unexpected: Kristalina Georgieva, the head of the IMF, endorsed the need for reforms. Bidens special envoy for climate, John Kerry, announced that he, too, was on board. So did the CEO of Bank of America. Macron, who already hosted international summits on biodiversity, protection of oceans and forests, was also effusive. The project seemed a natural fit for the president of the country that hosted the Paris climate agreement, and he soon announced a summit in Paris to make headway on some of the proposals. On the agenda are many of the things Mottley has called for: using public money to leverage large-scale private investment for developing countries; increasing the access of those countries to financial support from the IMF; and allowing countries to pause payments on international loans after climate-related disasters. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Chinese Premier Li Qiang, will be among the attendees. So will U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. In the eight years Ive been campaigning, there has never been anything like this these kinds of heads of state with the political will to do a deep reform of the architecture of international finance, said Daniel Boese, a campaigner with the advocacy group Avaaz. Just five years ago, a discussion on World Bank reform would have been taboo, said Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and one of the architects of the 2015 Paris Agreement. But since then, the economic situation facing many of the worlds developing countries has significantly worsened, she said. We need political leadership, and he is positioned to do that because he understands all these issues, Tubiana said of Macron. I hope he really looks for a legacy on that. The summit is drawing the heads of state or top ministers from about 80 countries, including leading world economies, and smaller, indebted countries already suffering from climate change-related effects, such as Guinea-Bissau, Haiti and Saint-Vincent and the Grenadines. Last week, Macrons team put out reminders that the event is not geared to concrete announcements but to ease the path to agreements at later gatherings, notably the World Bank and IMF annual meetings, the G20 summit, the next U.N. Climate Change Conference and the general meeting for the International Maritime Organization, which is under pressure to tax emissions from the shipping industry. If that gets a lot of support here, and then actually gets agreed to at the IMO summit in July, thats huge, Boese said. Three years ago, we would have celebrated at a climate conference for an outcome like that. Many of the activists pouring into the city say they are happy to see more seats at the table for leaders from the global south, and Macron use his powerful office to amplify the proposal of a woman of color from a small island country Mottley. But they are lobbying for more contentious issues to be put onto the agenda, particularly a tax on the fossil fuel industry, as well as on the superrich who lead jet set lives. Climate finance is great, but if we dont stop the fossil fuel industry, then its just a Band-Aid solution, said Mitzi Jonelle Tan, a climate justice campaigner from the Philippines, a country regularly pounded by typhoons. I grew up being afraid of drowning in my own bedroom. Patience Nabukalu came from Uganda, where the French oil company TotalEnergies is funding oil wells and the 870-mile East African Crude Oil Pipeline. The project has been deemed a carbon bomb by its opponents and a potential threat to the drinking water of 40 million people living around the basin of Lake Victoria. The Macron government has quietly supported the project. Let him prove us wrong for thinking these are just empty promises, but show they are true by stepping up and calling for this project to be stopped, said Nabukalu, 25. There will be no finance reform when you are still financing fossil fuel projects. c.2023 The New York Times Company A federal judge on Wednesday scheduled a hearing for July 26 on Hunter Biden's agreement to admit to tax-related charges. Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, is expected to plead guilty in a Delaware court to two federal misdemeanor counts of failing to pay his taxes. He also faces a separate felony gun possession charge that is likely to be dismissed if he meets certain conditions. The case will be heard by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, a Trump appointee who had the support of Delaware's two Democratic senators and was confirmed by a voice vote in 2018. Two sources familiar with the agreement have said the plea agreement includes a provision in which the U.S. attorney has agreed to recommend probation for the tax violations. The deal needs Noreika's signoff. Judges typically abide by the terms of such agreements, but not always. Biden was charged Tuesday after a five-year investigation by federal prosecutors, FBI agents and IRS officials. Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss' office is prosecuting the case. Weiss is a Trump appointee whom Attorney General Merrick Garland kept on to avoid having a U.S. attorney appointed by Biden oversee his sons criminal case. Weiss office outlined the charges in a statement Tuesday. Hunter Biden received taxable income in excess of $1,500,000 annually in calendar years 2017 and 2018. Despite owing in excess of $100,000 in federal income taxes each year, he did not pay the income tax due for either year, his office said. The gun charge alleges that from on or about October 12, 2018 through October 23, 2018, Hunter Biden possessed a firearm despite knowing he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance. Chris Clark, Biden's lawyer, said in a statement Tuesday that the gun charge will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement." He added that Biden looks forward to moving on. "I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward, Clark said. It is unclear whether the plea will end the federal investigation into Biden, whose business dealings have been the focus of probes by House Republicans. Clark said Tuesday "it is my understanding that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved," while Weiss' office said the "investigation is ongoing." The U.S. attorney's office declined to comment on the court date Wednesday, and Clark did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Court dismisses Navalnys appeal against lack of access to writing materials in prison Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny in a video link provided by the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service from the colony in Melekhovo, Vladimir region, during a hearing at the Russian Supreme Court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, June 22, 2023. - Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Russias Supreme Court has on Thursday dismissed an appeal by jailed Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny against restrictions imposed on access to writing materials in prison, according to Russian independent news site Mediazona. Navalny, who attended the hearing via video link, had been challenging the restrictions imposed on access to writing materials in prisons not only for himself, but for all prisoners during a hearing at the Supreme Court in Moscow, his spokesperson Kira Yarmysh said. Aleksey is trying to achieve the right to correspondence, and not only for himself, but for all prisoners, she said in a post on her official Twitter account. The decision came as Navalny is facing a new trial on charges of extremism that could result in his prison sentence being extended by decades. A court spokesperson said Monday that the trial will take place behind closed doors. Navalny is already serving sentences totaling 11-and-a-half years in a maximum security facility on fraud and other charges that he says were trumped up. He and his supporters claim that his arrest and imprisonment were politically motivated, intended to silence his criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Just hours after the trial began, Navalny announced the start of a campaign aimed at turning Russians against the war in Ukraine. In comments posted to his Twitter account, Navalny said the absurd charges could lead to him serving a further 30 years behind bars. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Court hearing set for Fort Worth bishop, nun accused of sex with priest. What we know The legal battle between the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth Catholic and a Carmelite nun accused of breaking her chastity vow with a priest is taking center stage at a court hearing. The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday in the 67th District Court, in the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building, 100 N. Calhoun St. What we know The Reverend Mother Teresa Agnes Gerlach, 43, is suing Bishop Michael Olson and the diocese for $1 million, alleging that he defamed her, invaded her privacy and stole personal electronic devices after he received reports that she violated her chastity vows with a priest from outside of the diocese. Gerlach, 43, denies the allegations. She uses a wheelchair and relies on a feeding tube. Gerlach oversees the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity on 72 wooded acres in Arlington. Sister Francis Therese of the monastery is also suing Olson. Olson says that an investigation authorized by the Vatican determined that Gerlach broke her chastity vow and that she admitted she did so during multiple interviews. Based on his findings, Olson dismissed Gerlach from the order because of her grave misconduct. Gerlach is appealing her dismissal. Attorneys for the diocese and for Gerlach declined to comment until after Fridays hearing. The diocese filed motions to have the lawsuit dismissed. It argues that secular courts dont have jurisdiction over ecclesiastical matters. However, Gerlachs attorney Matthew Bobo has told the Star-Telegram that Olson overstepped his authority and violated canon law by revealing information about the reverend mother on the diocese website. Arlington police are investigating reports that Olson stole information from Gerlachs electronic devices. Police are also investigating allegations from the diocese of illegal drug activity at the Monastery of the Most Holy Trinity. The diocese shared photos it says were taken by a confidential informant showing pill bottles, edibles, drug paraphernalia and baggies that appear to contain marijuana. Bobo said the photos of the drugs were staged and accused Olson of planting them, but Olson said in a June 11 video message that the photos werent staged and that the accusations were false. What happened The highly unusual and public dispute between Gerlach and the bishop began in late April when he came to the monastery to investigate reports that Gerlach violated her chastity vows. According to Gerlachs suit, Olson, diocese officials and a forensic technology expert showed up at the monastery on April 24 on 30 minutes notice. Olson demanded that the reverend mother turn over her laptop, iPad and cell phone, and told Gerlach and Sister Francis Therese that they could not handle the administrative duties of the monastery. The lawsuit alleges that Olson violated the reverend mothers civil and canonical rights by telling her where she could sit and eat, and she was not allowed in her private bedroom although she requires constant medical care. She uses her iPad to communicate. On April 25, the reverend mother underwent surgery, and when she returned to the monastery, she and other sisters were subjected to more questions and interrogation, according to the lawsuit. Olson raised his voice, according to the lawsuit. The Bishop threw a temper tantrum, and in an agitated and raised voice yelled that the Monastery was shut down, no Mass would be celebrated, he then slammed the door and left the Monastery, traumatizing the Sisters, Gerlach said in her affidavit. The lawsuit states that the pope has the sole authority to remove nuns from an order, not the bishop. Gerlach was interviewed about violating her chastity vows under duress a day after she had surgery, and she was on pain medications, according to the suit. However, Olson stated in his June 11 video that the Gerlach admitted to the transgression outside of confession and that it was consensual. He also stated that Gerlach was interviewed before her surgery. I asked her the name of the priest, and she gave it to me plainly and with clarity, Olson said. She was not under the influence of anesthesia. She was clear and lucid and had normal use of her physical and mental faculties. Olson said that when he reached out to the priests superiors, he was told that the priest wouldnt neither confirm nor deny his involvement with Gerlach and that he refused to cooperate with the investigation. He also said the priests superiors restricted his faculties. Bobo said in a statement that Olsons statement is baseless. The fact that this Shepherd and Pastor of the flock of 1 million Catholics in Fort Worth feels obligated to defame the Reverend Mother publicly yet again with alleged sins that she confessed to another priest but not in the sacrament of Penance he alleges is beyond pale! Residents near downtown Orlando have noticed new neighbors prowling their streets, checking out their yards, and in some cases, leaving bloody evidence of a recent meal. Coyotes, the pointed-eared canine relative of the wolf, have been sighted with regularity in Lake Eola Heights, Colonialtown and other neighborhoods on a near-nightly basis. They trot down brick streets, hide out in city parks and sometimes eye people walking small dogs. Some are fearful of the coyotes and worry theyll snatch beloved pets, but living with wildlife seems to be the new normal. Were getting some urban critters, and it sounds like its something were just going to have to get used to, said Patty Sheehan, the areas city commissioner. Earlier this month, a black bear spent several days evading traps and sleeping in trees at Lake Eola Park, the citys signature park. So far, coyotes havent been spotted in the park, despite frequent sightings in adjacent neighborhoods. But unlike the bear, which Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission eventually lured into a trap, the agency doesnt trap and relocate coyotes, officials said. Coyotes are known to adapt to urbanized areas and often establish populations in highly urban settings, said Lisa Thompson, an agency spokesperson. Removing a single or even multiple coyotes from a given area often does not eradicate the local population in the long term, as other coyotes will often move into these areas. For [bears and coyotes], taking proactive steps by securing food attractants will help minimize conflicts. Coyotes have expanded their territory from the deserts out west into nearly every U.S. state over a period of decades, reaching Florida in the 1970s and 80s. Theyve also been spotted in every county in Florida, according to FWC, and have been known to thrive in both urban and rural areas. Stan Gehrt, an Ohio State University researcher, has tracked coyotes in Chicago for more than 20 years, documenting their movement from the suburbs into the city, one of the densest in the country. Coyotes have been able to make their way into most, if not all, of the major metropolitan areas across the U.S., he said, noting a steady food source of small mammals, rodents, birds, roadkill and food scraps. He said coyotes in Florida are usually between 25 and 30 pounds smaller than those he tracks in the Midwest and typically live in family groups that include an alpha pair, and then three or four others that are typically offspring of the pair. Each group typically marks a territory of three or four square miles, and in the summer months usually get more active, so sightings are more common, he said. This time of year, especially going into the later summer, youre going to start seeing pups being a little more obvious, he said. Tracey Jacobs, a Lake Eola Heights resident of about 10 years, said shes seen the wily canines for about the past two years. In January, a neighbor said a community cat was taken by a coyote, and in April, Jacobs security camera captured a young cat getting snatched by a coyote from her front yard, with the remnants left on her property. The following night, the coyote returned about the same time, but she hasnt seen it since. Were always worried about our dogs and our cats, and we just see the sightings in Eola Heights more than weve ever seen before, she said. I feel bad for the coyotes because theres no place for them to go. Jacobs had yellow signs printed for her and some of her neighbors warning neighbors of the present coyotes, as well as included warnings on Facebook and in newsletters. Matt Uva has been seeing coyotes as many as three at a time within the past year near his home in The Milk District, sometimes prowling for food and other times stalking people walking dogs from half a block away. On his nightly walks before bed, hes taken to hazing, or shooing them away, with a dried bamboo stick from his yard. He said the coyotes run away, but sometimes hes close enough that he could whack them with the stick. Uva said hed be interested in an effort to thin the coyote population in the area. Personally I would love to see some kind of action; I dont know what that action is, he said. State Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, said her office has been getting more coyote complaints from a growing list of neighborhoods in Orlando. Shes heard from people living in Baldwin Park, Lake Eola Heights, Audubon Park and the Milk District. An interactive map updated monthly by FWC shows a concentration of sightings ranging from Corrine Drive, south to State Road 408, between the executive airport and Interstate 4. The map only shows sightings reported to the agency, which doesnt actively seek coyote reports, and dots often include a note of a killed animal. Stewart spoke with FWC this week with hopes of addressing neighborhood concerns. She wants the agency to host an educational meeting. Shes also calling for a task force to be created in Orlando, similar to one in Chicago, focused on urban coyotes. While FWC does not trap and remove coyotes, neighborhoods could hire a trapper at their expense, Stewart said. Trapped animals also must be released within the same county they are captured. I want them to tell people that they do have alternatives, she said. They could hire a contractor to remove the coyotes with the acceptable devices. The Humane Society of the United States also advises against trapping and removing coyotes, saying the traps can hurt them and inadvertently harm or kill other wildlife. Relocated coyotes are at greater risk of being hit by cars or injured or killed in territorial disputes with existing coyotes, according to the Humane Society. Sheehan said the area had a virtual meeting with FWC and State Rep. Anna Eskamani two years ago about coyotes, and said she was wary about trapping them causing further problems. They say that if you take the coyotes out, its kind of like feral cats and new coyotes will move in and you wont know what new coyotes will be like, she said. It seems like a better thing to learn to live with them. Gehrt said coyotes often are in subdivisions in neighborhoods without people knowing, as they usually stick to the shadows, bushes and secluded areas. But yelling at them, taking a few steps in their direction or tossing something in their vicinity should be enough to get them to keep moving. Theyve been known to take small dogs and cats, and sometimes get aggressive with larger dogs who come close to their dens. He said securing garbage cans, keeping pets inside or on a short leash and not leaving food out particularly at night are key to limiting options for coyotes and eventually them moving on to more fruitful areas. The neighborhood itself could be doing the right things, but it only takes one or two residents not doing the right thing and that could be bringing them in, he said. Hundreds of activists are working to challenge the delicate choreography of controversial Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis first state visit to the U.S. while risking backlash from the authoritarian strains within Modis movement, which are often hostile to criticism of their leader. Modi, who arrived in the U.S. on Wednesday at President Joe Bidens invitation, will receive a 21-gun welcome salute and a state dinner Thursday for the first time since becoming prime minister. Top lawmakers have also invited him to become the first-ever Indian leader to address two joint sessions of Congress. The honors contrast with the treatment that U.S. critics of Modis rule say they are enduring: government intimidation, online trolling, legal harassment and effective bans on travel to India, where many of them still have family and friends. As Modis government has pressured journalists, human rights groups and opposition leaders at home, he and his allies are making it harder to draw attention to Indias alarming trajectory abroad, activists argue. Anyone who has roots in or ties to India is scared of the fact that a single word could result in reprisal, said Raqib Hameed Naik, a journalist in exile in the U.S. who was born in the Indian-held portion of the disputed Kashmir region. The challenge of questioning Modis movement even bedevils some of the most powerful players in the diaspora: leading Indian American politicians. In 2019, Indias foreign minister refused to meet with Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) over her advocacy for Kashmir. Ahead of Modis current visit, Jayapal was the only one of five Indian Americans in Congress all House Democrats, who also include Ami Bera and Ro Khanna of California, Raja Krishnamoorthy of Illinois and Shri Thanedar of Michigan to sign a letter asking Biden to raise the issue of human rights with the prime minister. Elected officials are definitely reticent to make really strong remarks on India because they are afraid of this backlash, said Ria Chakrabarty of Hindus for Human Rights. A progressive congressional aide told HuffPost: In some ways its harder to work on Modi than Palestine. Bera raises human rights concerns directly in his conversations with Indian government officials, a spokesperson wrote to HuffPost. One of the other lawmakers, who requested anonymity to protect relationships, said, Ill speak on human rights but didnt think this was the right vehicle and neither did the White House. Modis critics want U.S. officials to engage with India and acknowledge its importance while urging the nation to abide by its stated commitment to democratic principles, including freedom of expression. Right now, they say, the Biden administration and legislators from both parties are giving Modi largely unadulterated praise that makes more rights violations inevitable and sustains an atmosphere of fear that hurts American citizens. Because there havent been consequences for the Indian government, theyre emboldened, said Kiran Kaur Gill, the executive director of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund. According to advocates for a tougher U.S. approach to Modi, the retaliation against their work is driving some people in their movement to be less public or pull back altogether and disproportionately hurting communities who are already marginalized in India and the Indian diaspora, such as women and religious minorities. Eventually, the trend could have foreign policy ramifications, distorting Americas debate over a country that is an increasingly vital U.S. partner and a leader who seeks to grow even more powerful through a third term in office. Theres a desire for the U.S. and India to be stronger allies, Gill said. While there are obvious strategic reasons for that, that doesnt take away from the fact that its still imperative to address these human rights issues, these issues of flouting democratic norms. Raising The Price Of Dissent India elected Modi in 2014. His huge mandate and his pledges of rapid economic growth immediately drew international attention. But so did his disdain for dissenting voices, his promotion of Hindu nationalism in the diverse, historically secular country, and his role in huge anti-Muslim riots in 2002. In office, Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have overseen raids on media organizations and nonprofits most recently the BBC and an increase in violence against Muslims and other Indianminorities. Additionally, the government has tightened control over Jammu and Kashmir, the countrys only Muslim-majority state, and meted out a record number of internet shutdowns while casting protesters and Modis political opponents as enemies of India. Hes a very rigid, authoritarian, communal and divisive leader who strongly believes in a no-questions-asked approach, Naik said. Naik has experienced how that approach is not limited to Indias borders. After he covered Modis 2019 crackdown in Kashmir, Naik left for the U.S. in 2020, where he began running a hate crime tracker called Hindutva Watch. Since then, Indian authorities have contacted his parents 11 times to discuss his work, he said, in one instance summoning his father to an army camp. Former friends and colleagues stopped talking to Naik. A year and a half ago, he received a phone call from someone claiming to be a senior police officer in India and saying he had a file on Naik, the reporter recalled. He later received a text message purportedly from a representative of Indias Intelligence Bureau asking when he was coming back to the country so the two could meet in person. The moment I will land in India, Ill be in shackles, Naik said. A lot of people in the diaspora who criticize Modi, they fear the same, he continued, saying that feeling often spurs self-censorship. Indias embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment for this article. The Indian government can also use more subtle ways to punish critics internationally. Many Indian Americans are worried about losing their Overseas Citizenship of India cards, a form of permanent visa. (India does not permit dual citizenship.) In 2021, the Indian government reportedly canceled OCI cards for people who supported demonstrations by farmers, and in 2019, it revoked the card from Aatish Taseer, a high-profile writer critical of Modi. If they can go after [Taseer], its a good signal, Suchitra Vijayan, another writer, told HuffPost. Its almost impossible for people who are not as famous as him to actually fight it sent such chilling shockwaves around the community. Rasheed Ahmed, the executive director of the Indian American Muslim Council, told HuffPost he had heard of Indian diplomats writing to individuals saying their cards needed to be reviewed. There is a considerable level of apprehension beyond apprehension, fear in the Indian Muslim community. If there is a protest, people say they dont want to go, Ahmed continued, noting community members anxieties about continued access to family members or business interests in India. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome India Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House on Wednesday. Modi will join Joe Biden in the Oval Office on Thursday for bilateral talks before speaking to a joint session of Congress. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome India Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House on Wednesday. Modi will join Joe Biden in the Oval Office on Thursday for bilateral talks before speaking to a joint session of Congress. The effort to discourage criticism of Modi can blur the lines between Indias government, his political movement and his unofficial defenders. In February, a Twitter account called @DisInfoLab attacked Sunita Viswanath, a U.S.-based activist who runs Hindus for Human Rights, as an agent of George Soros, the billionaire donor to good government watchdogs and liberal politicians who is a global bogeyman for conservatives. Earlier this month, prominent BJP operative Amit Malviya began recirculating the claim, tacking on a suggestion that Viswanath works with Indian nemesis Pakistan. The overall environment is one of feeling watched and vulnerable, activists say, with people disturbed by Modis actions regularly assessing how they can safely channel their discontent given the potential danger that they or people close to them could face just because of something like a video of them circulating in pro-Modi WhatsApp groups. Those feelings are amplified by signs that Modi supporters in India are cooperating with ultraconservative members of Indian immigrant communities to quash criticism, Chakrabarty noted. People have experienced death threats from addressing quote unquote touchy issues within the diaspora, she said, citing the example of a California state senator who sought to bar discrimination on the basis of the Hindu concept of caste. These are pretty coordinated campaigns. In 2021, Vijayans organization, the Polis Project, worked on a conference titled Dismantling Global Hindutva that drew 1.8 million emails worth of complaints to universities and people involved in the project, she said, causing some participants to discuss calling the plan off for safety reasons. Imagine an academic conference held online and curated by predominantly American universities being intimidated in a way that they wanted to cancel, Vijayan said. Weathering Pro-Modi Storms For many Modi observers, the work of boosting awareness about his policies and seeking American pressure for changes are too important to abandon. You cannot preempt authoritarian regimes you cannot stay silent because you think something might happen I would also be very wary of just being silent, Vijayan said. Deepa Iyer, a longtime activist in the South Asian American community, sees a bright spot in the willingness of a broader range of groups to speak out about changes in India. The more people who speak out, the greater safety there is, she said. She and Chakrabarty noted how upper-caste Hindus are particularly conscious of their position. They may be more shielded from criticism or more focused on less visible activism, like trying to explain worrying developments to family members. Another factor that organizers consider in community members willingness to speak out is whether their loved ones in India live in BJP-run states and what immigration status they hold in the U.S., Chakrabarty noted. We build towards this choir of voices theres real power when youve got a surge, Iyer said. Washingtons broader conversation about Modi echoes the discussions among activists in some ways: whether to be public or not on the issue of human rights. Naik argued that the sense of intimidation he and other Modi critics feel shows the importance of clear U.S. action. This is a clear example of transnational repression, he said, using a term the Biden administration frequently deploys in critiquing other nations approach to overseas critics. They have taken action against the Chinese, they have taken action against the Iranians unfortunately it has been the case that they only use [the relevant policies] against their adversaries. Bidens team argues that private persuasion is the best way to encourage India to change course. In a call with reporters on Wednesday, a senior administration official said the president raises rights issues to Modi with respect and humility, acknowledging that the U.S. has its own shortcomings as a way to create a dialogue based on mutual challenges rather than simply hectoring, lecturing or scolding. That kind of interaction, that kind of respectful approach, tends to be more effective, the official said. But the lack of concrete signs that Modi is easing his approach to minorities and critics leaves many observers unimpressed with that line and determined to keep raising the alarm despite the toll. If the general thinking is to address issues behind the scenes, it has clearly not worked, Gill said. A senior congressional aide described the letter from Jayapal and more than 70 other lawmakers as a symptom of confusion about Bidens approach. There is not a clear public understanding of how the values discussion is figuring in the broader bilateral relationship with India. Thats both the U.S. administrations fault but also the Indian governments, the aide said. The internal struggle is how do you get India to move the ball on these issues we should be talking about all of the things, and if theres a clear sense that values is part of the broader discussion, then youd see less of a public-facing criticism on human rights and democracy issues. Gill summarized the yearning for more visible action. If India is calling itself the worlds largest democracy, we need to hold them to democratic norms and standards. Related... A Cuban citizen is facing charges of labor trafficking after an investigation by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, according to a news release Thursday. Luis Diaz Sala was arrested and is being held in the Dallas County Jail after investigators with the TABC identified in him February 2022 as a suspected labor trafficker, according to the news release. Authorities with TABC, Dallas police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said that they determined in an investigation that Diaz Sala was involved with an organized crime element smuggling people from Cuba to the U.S. and forcing them to work at a business with a TABC license to pay off smuggling debts. During the investigation, TABC agents observed Diaz Sala at the business on multiple occasions and confirmed that he had ties to the business management, according to the release. Agents obtained an arrest warrant for Diaz Sala in May and arrested him at his home in Irving on May 24 on violations of Texas labor trafficking laws. TABC Executive Director Thomas Graham described the arrest as a huge win for the commissions special investigations unit. Stopping labor trafficking and human trafficking is a top priority for this agency, and we will continue to work tirelessly to identify these suspected traffickers and bring them to justice, he said in the release. The name of the business agents believe was involved in the scheme will be released after the TABC closes a related investigation, officials said. A man arrested in connection with a Dallas murder case died Wednesday after he told authorities following an interview that he was feeling sick and was transported to a hospital, according to a news release from police. Dallas police said they took 39-year-old Xzavier Franklin, a person of interest in a murder investigation, into custody around 11 a.m. Wednesday on outstanding warrants. He was taken to Dallas police headquarters to be questioned regarding the investigation. After he was questioned, Franklin told officers he was feeling ill and needed to go to the hospital, police said in the news release. Dallas-Fire Rescue was called at 3:11 p.m. and arrived at police headquarters at 3:15 p.m. Paramedics transported Franklin to the hospital, leaving the police station around 3:40 and arriving at the hospital about 4:20 p.m. Franklin died at the hospital about 9 p.m., police said. Police said Franklins cause of death will be determined in an autopsy scheduled to be performed Friday and that a toxicology report is pending. The Dallas Police Special Investigations Unit is conducting an ongoing investigation into the in-custody death and the Office of Community Police Oversight was notified, according to the release. Daniel Penny and Jordan Williams are accused in fatal subway killings. The cases have little in common The prosecutor has said the man Williams stabbed struck him one or two times first. Witnesses have said the man Penny choked hadnt touched anyone and made verbal threats. Jordan Williams arrest for killing a man who he says attacked him on a New York City train last week prompted almost immediate comparisons to the case of Daniel Penny, the white subway rider who fatally choked a Black man last month. Both cases involved the death of subway riders at the hands of another commuter. Suspects in both cases contend they responded to a threat. But the known facts of the two cases indicate that the similarities end there. Heres a look at both cases according to published accounts. Circumstances Penny May 1, Jordan Neely allegedly yelled at passengers on the train, and witnesses on the subway described his behavior as hostile and erratic. The New York Times reported that Neely declared loudly, I dont have food, I dont have a drink, Im fed up. I dont mind going to jail and getting life in prison. Im ready to die. Jordan Neely did not touch or harm anyone on the train. Neely did not interact directly with Penny. Williams June 13, Devictor Ouedraogo allegedly verbally harassed several passengers on the train and placed one man in a brief chokehold, Williams told a New York magazine. Williams said Ouedraogo eventually approached him and his girlfriend. Williams told him to go away, and Ouedraogo responded by punching him in the face and neck, he told the magazine. Jordan Williams appears in court after his arrest related to the stabbing death of a subway rider. A judge released him without bail on June 15, 2023. (Screenshot courtesy of FOX 5 New York YouTube Page) Fatal interactions Penny Neely did not interact directly with Penny. Penny, a trained U.S. Marine, approached Neely from behind, placed him in a chokehold and held him in that restraint for several minutes. In a video Pennys attorneys released, Penny says, I had to act and I acted in a way that would protect the other passengers, protect myself and protect Mr. Neely. Neely was unconscious when emergency medical services arrived, and that team was not able to revive him. A New York medical examiner ruled that Neely died from compression of neck (chokehold) Williams Williams said Ouedraogo punched him twice. Williams used a knife in his pocket to stab Ouedraogo once in the chest, and Williams girlfriend threw her cup of juice in his face, he told the magazine. Williams said Ouedraogo began swinging at his girlfriend and knocked out one of her earrings before he stumbled off the train. New York police officers found Ouedraogo with a stab wound, lying on a subway platform. He was taken to a hospital where he died. Daniel Penny, center, is walked by New York Police Department detectives out of the 5th Precinct on May. 12, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File) Criminal cases Penny Authorities didnt arrest Penny on the day of the attack and did not release his name right away. After an investigation, prosecutors charged Penny with second-degree manslaughter on May 11, 10 days after Neelys death. New York criminal code defines second-degree manslaughter as recklessly causing the death of another person. That crime carries a maximum of 15 years in prison. Penny turned himself in on May 12, 11 days after he killed Neely. He paid a $100,000 custody bond to be released that day. A grand jury indicted Penny on June 14. Williams The police arrested Williams the day after he stabbed Ouedraogo, and he spent one night in jail. Prosecutors charged Williams with manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon. New York criminal code defines manslaughter as intending to cause serious harm to another person and the result is death. That crime carries a maximum sentence of 25 years. The weapons charge has a maximum sentence of one year. New York police officers found Ouedraogo with a stab wound, lying on a subway platform. He was taken to a hospital where he died. Prosecutors asked for $100,000 bail, but the judge declined and released Williams without bail. Pennys next court appearance is June 28. Williams is scheduled to be back in court on Aug. 2. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Daniel Penny and Jordan Williams are accused in fatal subway killings. The cases have little in common appeared first on TheGrio. The News A new generation of data centers are being built in Africas smaller economies, fueling a $5 billion market opportunity on the worlds fastest growing continent. Data centers, which house digital infrastructure such as servers and cables, enable faster connections and the ability to store the data of tens of millions of people. In doing so, they improve the experience of using online services such as banking and streaming movies. The emergence of local data centers has powered a surge in cloud-based computing in five of Africas largest economies South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and Morocco in the last five years. Now the number of data centers built in smaller African economies is surging as well, with up to $700 million of capital investment pouring in each year in the past two years, according to data from research firm Xalam Analytics which monitors the industry. Within Africa there is a huge discrepancy, said Sumit Kanodia, investment director at the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) which has provided debt capital for data center projects. Data center capacity is a fraction of where it needs to be in much of the continent to create opportunities for rapid growth in those areas, he told Semafor Africa. In April, pan-African data center operator Raxio said it was building and developing sites in Uganda, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Angola, Cote DIvoire and Tanzania. The continent's data center market by investment is expected to reach $5 billion by 2026, estimates the Africa Data Centres Association trade body. Alexis's view The proliferation of data centers in Africas middle tier economies has the potential to redress economic imbalances within the continent and ease challenges around digital sovereignty the laws applicable to data based on the country in which it is physically located. It could also prevent the region falling further behind in the race to harness artificial intelligence. Brooks Washington, chief executive of investment firm Roha Group which is backing Raxios push into seven African countries, told me it was clear that the continents biggest economies needed more data capacity, but there are another 10 countries with 50 million plus people undergoing a very dynamic digital transformation where there's actually no capacity. Digital plumbing is important. Proximity to the facilities reduces transit costs for internet service providers, enabling them to cut prices paid by customers. With time, this is likely to have a multiplier effect by stimulating economic activity online. As access to faster, more efficient internet connections spreads across the continent, new clusters of tech hubs are increasingly likely to emerge outside Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa. Those nations have hogged up to 76% of the $15.2 billion startup investment in the last five years, according to Africa: The Big Deal, a consultancy that tracks tech investment in the continent. Africas data has traditionally been stored in other parts of the world, via a network of undersea cables, leading to lagging connection times. Google and Facebook are among the big American tech companies that have built some of these cables in recent years, ensuring that data comes from outside the continent and heads back out again. This means personal information about Africans such as health and financial information is often stored in servers outside the continent. That can create problems for Africa policymakers by undermining their jurisdiction if, for example, national privacy laws are overridden by those of the nation in which the data is located. Some African governments, like Malawis, have been keen to build their own data centers. Theres also the fear that without this much needed infrastructure, much of the continent could be left behind as businesses, scientists and educators in more advanced economies increasingly use AI to improve efficiency. Data centers provide the internet speeds required to better harness the potential of AI. Without them, many African countries may find themselves locked out of an AI-powered world. Room for Disagreement The number of data centers being developed away from Africas main tech hubs points to better connectivity, but capacity remains woefully low, given that it is home to nearly a fifth of the worlds population. The entire continent only had five more data centers than the Indian city of Mumbai as of the end of 2022, according to Xalam. The View From MADAGASCAR Hassanein Hiridjee, chief executive of pan-African conglomerate Axian group, told Semafor Africa large swathes of the continent were still in need of data centers even after the construction of sites beyond Africas biggest economies. There are still around 35 countries to address, said Hiridjee, whose company operates data centers in Senegal, Tanzania and Madagascar through its Stellarix subsidiary. Notable 'Debris field' discovered near Titanic in search for missing sub, US Coast Guard says 'Debris field' discovered near Titanic in search for missing sub, US Coast Guard says A remotely operated vehicle found a "debris field" in the days-long search for five ocean explorers missing aboard the OceanGate Titan submersible, a deep-sea vehicle that vanished Sunday in an attempt to dive to the wreck of the Titanic, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday morning. "Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information," the Coast Guard announced on Twitter. Additional details were not immediately available, but authorities were expected to give an update soon. The Explorers Club told its members Thursday that a "debris field" found during a search of the missing Titanic tourist submersible "may be the landing frame and a rear cover of the tail instrument compartment" of the vessel lost on previous dives. MISSING TITANIC SUB DID NOT PERFORM WELL, SAYS VETERAN EXPLORER WHO NIXED DOCUMENTARY OVER SAFETY CONCERNS "We hear there may be additional debris, but no updated visuals of the submersible," Richard Garriott wrote in an email to Explorers Club members. "We will all be watching the Coast Guard press conference for official news of the rescue. We are not the source for search and rescue. Any official updates should come from the Coast Guard." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The U.S. Coast Guard was expected to give a 3 p.m. press conference to provide an update on the search for the missing submersible. The Explorers Club is an international society of adventurers that included Hamish Harding, a U.K. aviator and millionaire who was one of five passengers on board the submersible that went missing Sunday. The Titan lost contact with its surface vessel, the Polar Prince, around one hour and 45 minutes into its dive Sunday morning, about 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and around 400 miles southeast of St. John's, in Canada's Newfoundland. BANGING NOISES CONFIRMED IN DESPERATE DEEP-SEA SEARCH FOR MISSING TITAN SUB BUT SOURCE UNKNOWN This file image provided by OceanGate shows the Titan submersible descending into the ocean. Harding was one of the passengers inside the sealed vehicle, along with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush; father-and-son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, who are members of one of Pakistans wealthiest families; and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a former French navy officer and leading Titanic expert. The U.S. Coast Guard headed a unified command that involved commercial assets, research vehicles and military counterparts from Canada, France and the U.K. Search-and-rescue crews spent the week deploying high-tech buoys, robotic vehicles known as ROVs, surface vessels and aerial searches in an effort to pinpoint the missing sub's location. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Canadian pilots picked up repeated sounds during their search. The Victor 6000, an unmanned French robot that can dive up to 6,000 meters, is being used in the search. It has arms that can be remotely controlled to cut cables or otherwise help release a stuck vessel, but it doesn't have the capability of lifting the submersible on its own. Carl Hartsfield, a retired Navy captain and a scientist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said during a USCG briefing that the noises had been "described as banging." Authorities did not elaborate and had not discovered their source on Wednesday. This is a breaking news story. Check back with Fox News Digital for updates. Topical Press Agency - Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Eva Hart was seven years old when she boarded the Titanic. After the famous British passenger liner struck the iceberg on April 14, 1912, Hart and her mother were placed in a lifeboat by her father, who was never seen again. Hart survived the disaster, and from the water, she watched as the massive ship split apart before sinking. We rode away, and I didnt close my eyes at all. I saw that ship sink, and I saw that ship break in half, Hart said in an undated video interview, part of which can be found on YouTube . For 70 years, people have argued with me about that, but now at last it has been proven beyond all doubt that she did break in half. I know I did, I saw her. Hart was among many other Titanic survivors who had long insisted that the ocean liner split in half, with the bow section sinking away as the stern bobbed in the water for a few minutes before finally descending underwater. But for 73 years, those survivors claims were dismissed, and the conventional wisdom was that the Titanic sank in one piece. Shop Now A Girl Aboard the Titanic: The Remarkable Memoir of Eva Hart, a 7-year-old Survivor of the Titanic Disaster amazon.com It wasnt until the Titanics wreckage was discovered in 1985 that it was definitively proven that the ship had indeed split. Until that time, the survivors were told they misunderstood or incorrectly remembered what they had seen, largely thanks to testimony from employees of the White Star Line shipping company in the immediate months after the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912. Testimony from Survivors Mirrorpix - Getty Images From May to July 1912, the British Wreck Commissioner held an inquiry in London, questioning White Star Line officials, surviving Titanic passengers, maritime experts, and others. It sought to establish a detailed account of the Titanic sinking and recommend changes in safety practices, with more than 100 witnesses testifying, answering over 25,000 questions. During that inquiry, Titanic survivors gave conflicting descriptions of the sinking, according to the transcripts. Several said the Titanic split in half, while others denied it. Most witnesses were simply not asked the question at all, and others said they did not see it happen in the dark, but assumed it had split because of the sounds they heard. After she got to a certain angle she exploded, broke in halves, and it seemed to me as if all the engines and everything that was in the after part slid out into the forward part, and the after part came up right again, and as soon as it came up right down it went again, said Frank Osman, one of the surviving deck crewmen from the Titanic. Others provided similar testimony about seeing the ship split. Emily Bosie Ryerson, a first-class passenger, said she seemed to break in half as if cut with a knife, and steward George Frederick Crowe testified: As we got away she seemed to go lower and lower, and she almost stood up perpendicular, and her lights went dim, and presently she broke clean in two. It Is Utterly Untrue Mirrorpix - Getty Images But a small handful of witnesses insisted the ship had not broken, most notably Charles Lightoller, the Titanics second officer and the most senior member of the crew to survive the disaster. Lightoller dove from the ship in the final moments of its sinking, but was saved from being pulled underwater when an exploding boiler pushed him to the service, near a lifeboat. As the senior surviving officer, Lightollers testimony was afforded great weight at the inquiry, and his recommendations have been credited with helping spark positive changes in maritime safety measures, such as requiring the number of lifeboats be baked upon passenger capacity rather than total displacement of the ship. But Lightoller also insisted in his testimony that the Titanic had not split: It is utterly untrue. The ship did not and could not have broken in two. When pressed, Lightoller insisted he was perfectly certain, and when presented with conflicting testimony from other survivors, he told the solicitor-general, That is not true, My Lord. I was watching her keenly the whole time. The inquiry largely accepted Lightollers claims, and so it remained conventional wisdom for the next seven decades that the Titanic sank as one piece. Some have questioned whether Lightoller said this to protect the White Star Line, which Lightoller defended several times during his inquiry, later writing that he had no desire that blame should be attributed to his employer. Another possible explanation, however, is that Lightoller himself simply did not see the Titanic split, because it occurred during the period of time when he had been pulled underwater. If so, the lights on the ship would have already been out by the time he resurfaced, and he would only have seen the stern getting pulled down into the sea. Titanic Wreckage Discovered PA - PA Images - Getty Images The wreckage of the Titanic would not be discovered until 1985, when Bob Ballad and Jean-Louis Michel found it using the side scan sonar during a joint French-American expedition. The ship was found in two widely separated pieces , definitively establishing that the ship had indeed split, as would later be famously portrayed in James Cameron s film Titanic (1997). The discovery was something of a vindication for Titanic survivors like Hart, who had long been told she could not have seen what she had seen. Hart died in 1996 at age 91, living long enough to witness the discovery of the wreckage and the confirmation of her memories from that night. Many times after the event I was told that the Titanic couldnt have broken in two and must have sunk in one piece, but I was always certain she had, she said, according to a posthumous 2012 memoir, A Girl Aboard the Titanic, co-written by Ron Denney. Eventually, I was proved correct. You Might Also Like FILE - In this photo taken with a drone, portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed the previous night in East Palestine, Ohio, remain on fire at mid-day, Feb. 4, 2023. The Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed a new rule Wednesday, June 21, that would require all railroads to quickly provide the details of everything aboard their trains electronically to every emergency responder within 10 miles of a derailment. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) OMAHA, Neb. (AP) Firefighters who responded to February's fiery train derailment in Ohio struggled to immediately identify the hazardous chemicals the train was hauling due to a lack of communication from the railroad, officials said Thursday. During a public hearing in East Palestine where thousands of residents had to evacuate their homes because of the derailment National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Homendy asked why it took Norfolk Southern so long to provide details of the freight to first responders. One local fire chief said it was about 45 minutes before his crew received that information. Knowing what was on the train helps firefighters determine the proper response. The two-day NTSB hearing was designed to provide information to residents, officials and investigators about the emergency response and the crucial decision three days after the derailment to release toxic vinyl chloride from five tank cars and burn it to keep them from exploding. That sent a towering plume of black smoke over the town near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and prompted the evacuation of about half of its 5,000 residents. Even now, residents are concerned about lingering impacts on health, even though state and federal officials say tests show the town's air and water are safe. East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick said Thursday that there was a consensus in the command center that releasing and burning the chemicals was the least bad option. Railroad experts and contractors who helped with the emergency response said they believed they had no choice except to use explosives to blow a hole in the tank cars to release and burn the vinyl chloride. Moving the cars or draining the chemicals were not options. Temperature readings and malfunctioning pressure relief valves led experts to believe a chemical reaction was taking place inside the tank cars that was building pressure, and that this could cause an explosion. Drew McCarty with Specialized Profession Services said one of the tank cars frankly scared the hell out of us when it violently released vinyl chloride with a roar after hours of calm. McCarty said that, combined with his decades of experience, made him think the cars could explode. Officials from Oxy Vinyls the company that produced the vinyl chloride said they were convinced that the chemical remained stable inside those cars and they tried to explain that to the railroad before officials decided to vent the cars and burn the vinyl chloride, but Norfolk Southern didn't explain that to decision makers. Tests the company did later showed no evidence that the reaction had occurred. Drabick said it would have been helpful to know about Oxy Vinyls' opinion at the time, but he doesn't think it would have changed the decision. Norfolk Southern's Robert Wood said even if there wasn't a chemical reaction, officials were still concerned that the tank cars could fail and release the vinyl chloride. If that car fails, that is a large cloud of liquefied flammable gas thats going to light off and can have devastating consequences, Wood said. Drabick and other first responders who testified said firefighters need more training particularly volunteer firefighters like those first on the scene after the derailment on how to handle hazardous materials. But he conceded it would be hard to imagine ever being fully ready for a disaster of that magnitude. I dont think you can ever be prepared for something like this, Drabick said. Ohio officials said volunteer firefighters receive only 36 hours of initial training when they are certified significantly less than the 200 hours professional firefighters receive and that includes no hazardous materials training. The fire chiefs said the initial response to the derailment was complicated because the radios used by the different departments don't work with each other. It also took time for emergency responders to discover exactly what the train was carrying because the first firefighters on scene didn't have access to the AskRail app that railroads developed to provide that information. The train crew that also had that information was a mile away after moving the locomotive and didn't immediately connect with first responders. Drabick said it took about 45 minutes for his department to discover what was in the cars. Homendy said the railroad didn't immediately provide that information to dispatchers and officials who requested it. Eventually, officials learned about the dangerous nature of the cargo and pulled firefighters back from the derailment site. They also ordered the evacuation of all homes within one mile. The NTSB said in its preliminary report that an overheated bearing on one of the railcars likely caused the derailment, but it could take more than a year before the agency publishes its final report. The bearing started heating up miles before the derailment, according to sensors on the tracks, but it didnt get hot enough to trigger an alarm until just before the crash. The crew had little time to react. Video gathered by investigators showed sparks or fire beneath one of the rail cars starting at least 26 miles (42 kilometers) before the derailment in Salem, Ohio. The hearing on Friday will focus on tank car safety and the trackside detectors. This derailment and others generated nationwide concern about railroad safety and prompted members of Congress to propose reforms. Norfolk Southerns CEO Alan Shaw was grilled at two Senate hearings where he apologized for the derailment and promised to make things right in East Palestine. ___ This story has been corrected to remove erroneous information about when Norfolk Southern sent details of the trains cargo to first responders and contractors. A deep-diving robot like the one that hauled the Apollo 11's rocket engines up from the ocean's depths is what's needed to rescue the people in the missing Titanic sub but rescuers don't have it on-site yet, says deep-sea expeditionist The Titan submersible on a floating platform with crew members, enroute to the dive location. OceanGate A deep-diving expeditionist urged officials to deploy more gear to save the missing Titanic sub. David Concannon led a 2013 expedition to recover the Apollo spaceflight engines from the deep sea. His team used ROVs that worked at 14,000 feet, and he says the same vehicles should be brought to the search area. Rescuers trying to save the missing Titanic submersible should commission the equipment that recovered the Apollo 11 engines in 2013, a longtime submersible diver and maritime lawyer urged authorities. David Concannon, an adviser to the submersible's operator, OceanGate Expeditions, made a Tuesday evening Facebook post calling for the new gear. "This is the type of equipment that needs to be on site but is not on site," Concannon wrote. Apollo 11 was the first spaceflight that landed humans on the moon. Concannon, who's run multiple deep-sea expeditions and helped to recover artifacts from the Titanic, oversaw the recovery of the Apollo engines under Bezos Expeditions, which was created by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. According to Concannon's account of the 2013 expedition, his crew used two remotely-operated vehicles, or ROVs, that could operate at a depth of 16,000 feet. Both were developed by Schilling, a robotics company. At least one of these was fitted with high-definition underwater imaging and lightning systems, per Concannon. Footage of Concannon's team recovering an engine shows an ROV on the deep ocean floor, using twin metal arms to push aside sand and attach a cable to the engine. Rescuers will likely require an ROV with similar capabilities if they aim to retrieve the missing submersible, which disappeared on Sunday afternoon on its way to the Titanic wreck some 13,000 feet beneath surface level. If the vessel is intact and still underwater, it's most likely to be sitting on the ocean floor. With the crushing pressure at that depth, only an unmanned vehicle can hook the submersible so it can be hauled to the surface. A French ship, the Atalante, was dispatched to the Titanic wreck site with a robot that can operate at a depth of 20,000 feet and manipulate objects. As of Wednesday evening, maritime data shows the Atalante has reached or is close to the search area. But any hope of rescue still hinges on whether the submersible, called the Titan, is intact, and whether it can be found by Thursday afternoon Eastern Time when the vessel's life support is expected to run out. Officials will also need a lift system that can carry the submersible, which weighs 23,000 pounds, per OceanGate's statistics. Meanwhile, Concannon has been aggressively championing optimism for the survival of the five people on the Titan. He accused US officials on Tuesday of a lackluster response and a delay in rescue efforts, saying he was met with out-of-office email replies when trying to contact key decision-makers. "The same group, the experts, that did the advanced survey of the Titanic last year they are mobilized," Concannon told NewsNation. "They're sitting on the tarmac, ready to go. We have a ship off Newfoundland that is ready to take them to the site." Five people were on board the Titan when it went missing: OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British adventurer and billionaire Hamish Harding, and British-Pakstiani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman. Read the original article on Insider Deep-sea expert worries 'banging' could be 'overly optimistic' as Titanic sub may have already run out of air Deep-sea expert worries 'banging' could be 'overly optimistic' as Titanic sub may have already run out of air As military and civilian fleets scour the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New England and Canada for signs of the missing OceanGate Titan submersible, people around the world are hoping that sounds picked up Tuesday are evidence the international crew is still alive. Dr. Jeff Karson, professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University, worries that efforts to triangulate the location of unidentified sounds picked up by search-and-rescue crews on Tuesday and Wednesday could take too long and divert resources to the wrong place if the source turns out to be something other than trapped crew members banging on the hull of the ship. "I'm worried that there are bogus sounds out there and sounds that are inadvertently drawing the search away from the area that needs to be investigated," Karson said. BANGING NOISES CONFIRMED IN DESPARATE DEEP-SEA SEARCH FOR MISSING TITAN SUB BUT SOURCE UNKNOWN This file image provided by OceanGate shows the Titan submersible being launched from a platform. Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick confirmed at a Wednesday afternoon news briefing that resources were immediately deployed to try and locate the source of a sound picked up by Canadian pilots repeatedly beginning Tuesday. Despite those efforts, however, they hadn't found the sub or the cause of the noises. "The Coast Guard spokesman was not clear that this was banging, and I'm afraid that someone identified the sounds that way in an overly optimistic interpretation," he said. "And the other thing I was unhappy to hear was that he didnt wanna confirm that sound was coming at 30-minute intervals." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Carl Hartsfield, a retired Navy captain and a scientist from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said during the briefing that the noises had been "described as banging," but authorities did not elaborate. NEW ASSETS ON-SCENE IN MISSING TITANIC SUBMARINE SEARCH AFTER CANADIANS PICK UP UNDERWATER NOISES "I can't tell you what the noises are," Frederick said. "But what I can tell you, and I think that this is the most important point, is that we're searching where the noises are." US Coast Guard (USCG) Captain Jamie Frederick speaks to reporters about the search efforts for the Titan submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic, at Coast Guard Base in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 21, 2023. The USCG said Wednesday it had not identified the source of underwater noises detected by sonar in the search for the missing submersible. "We don't know what they are, to be frank with you," Frederick said regarding the sounds that had raised hopes the five people onboard are still alive. "We have to remain optimistic and hopeful when you're in a search and rescue case," he told reporters. What Frederick could tell the gathered journalists was that the number of surface vessels would double Thursday morning to 10 from the five in the area Wednesday. American and Canadian pilots have been flying around the clock, and Britain and France are also assisting the overall effort. "This is a search-and-rescue mission, 100%," he said. The OceanGate Titan submersible is missing, along with five people on board: OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush; British businessman turned adventurer Hamish Harding, father-and-son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, who are members of one of Pakistans wealthiest families; and Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a former French navy officer and leading Titanic expert. "There's a whole community of scientists like myself and engineers who are involved in deep submergence science, and everyone has just been on the edge of their seats for days and will be until this whole thing is resolved one way or another," Karson told Fox News Digital. "This is heart-rending on one hand, and yet it's a scientific problem on the other." WEATHER FORECAST FOR FINAL HOURS AS RESCUE CREWS WORK TO FIND MISSING TITANIC TOURIST SUBMERSIBLE Karson, also an adjunct scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, which has sent experts to assist the search-and-rescue effort, has experience exploring the ocean floor in areas twice as deep as the missing OceanGate Titan sub's planned mission to visit the shipwrecked Titanic. "Everybody's thinking about how can we use the sound to find this?" he said of the exlcusive community of deep-sea scientists. "What's the right tools? How are we going to do this? How can it get done in time to make a difference?" He said that regardless of the nature of the "banging," sound in general will be the key to finding the missing submersible either through an act of the stranded crew or sonar surveying. U.S. and Canadian planes have been deploying sonobuoys devices dropped into the ocean to ping their surroundings, creating a network of beacons to help triangulate items of interest hopefully the missing Titan in this case, he said. Deep-sea remote-operated vehicles, referred to as ROVs, are also on scene, including one with the capability of dropping to depths of about 4,000 meters. The Titan sub is believed to have gone missing in waters 3,800 meters deep. Equipment that was flown in by U.S. Air Force transport planes is loaded onto the offshore vessel Horizon Arctic, before its deployment to the search area of a missing OceanGate Expeditions submersible which had been carrying five people to explore the sunken Titanic, in the port of St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada June 20, 2023. "Sound works very much like light," Karson said. "The closer you get to something, the more details you can see." So the closer to the sea floor, the clearer the picture, he said but the tradeoff is that you also get a narrower view. SEARCH FOR MISSING TITANIC TOURIST SUB CONTINUES IN RACE AGAINST TIME So those assets are deployed in tandem with surface vessels using side-scanning sonar to pinpoint objects from above that can be investigated more closely, according to Dr. Manoj Mahajan, an associate professor at Stony Brook University and former Department of Defense official. "It's an active sonar using acoustics to map the sea floor and discover anomalous objects like a shipwreck, a plane crash or a stranded submarine," he told Fox News Digital. "But time is the main issue in this case." This image shows the Bahamian research vessel, Deep Energy helping search for the submersible Titan on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Titan contains a crew of five, including British billionaire Hamish Harding, who were due to visit the wreck of the Titanic, the unsinkable ship which sunk in 1912. The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Canadian CoastnGuard and OceanGate Expeditions have established a unified command to search for the 21-foot submersible research vessel which went missing after losing contact with the Research Vessel Polar Prince on Sunday evening. Deep Energy arrived on the scene around 7 a.m. EDT on Tuesday and began remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations. A C-130 crew from the Air National Guard 106th also arrived on scene to continue searching around 4 p.m. EDT. And time was running out Wednesday evening as the estimated air supply on the submarine dwindled to below 12 hours. "I hate to say it, but they could quite likely have run out of oxygen already or be extremely low," Karson said. "You can imagine that these people are stressed out to the max, hyperventilating and probably using an immense amount of oxygen." On the other hand, he said, if they are calm or sleeping for extended periods, they would be using less oxygen. "Myself, having made many trips to the seafloor in a submersible to do geology, it's impossible not to think about these horrible what-if scenarios," he said. "It's not pretty, but that's why there's a lot of safety factors built in to these systems." That includes the ability to quickly drop weight and use the sub's natural buoyancy to drift upward toward the surface, he said. The pilot of a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft of 14 Wing flies a search pattern for the missing OceanGate submersible, which had been carrying five people to explore the wreck of the sunken SS Titanic, in the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland, Canada June 20, 2023, in a still image from video. "You should be able to do that with a simple turn of a wrench or something down there, but it hasn't happened," he said. "So that suggests something, either they're hung up in a very complicated way or there was some massive failure down there long ago, a couple of days ago, and there's nothing to be done." If the vessel is intact but stuck, he said, an ROV may be able to unstick it or help it shed weight, allowing it to float to the top in as little as two hours for a surface rescue. Update: The U.S. Coast Guard said a deep-sea robot has discovered a "debris field" in the search area. Read the latest here. Our earlier story is below. The frantic search near the Titanic wreckage site for the submersible that went missing carrying five people ramped up and expanded on Thursday with two ships deploying deep-sea robots and at least one of the robots has already reached the ocean floor, officials said. The U.S. Coast Guard said in a tweet that the French vessel L'Atalante had reached the area and deployed their ROV, or remote operated vehicle. The Coast Guard also said that the Canadian ship Horizon Arctic had deployed an ROV "that has reached the sea floor and began its search for the missing sub." The Coast Guard added that winds in the area were at 14 mph with gusts up to 19mph. There were sea swells reaching up to five feet and the air temperature was 50 Fahrenheit. There has been no confirmed contact from OceanGate Expeditions' Titan submersible since it lost contact with its support ship on Sunday morning, but search planes detected banging noises at roughly half hour intervals both Tuesday and Wednesday, which they said were coming from under the water. Five people are on the sub, including three tourists, a veteran French explorer and the owner of OceanGate Stockton Rush, who was piloting the sub. Search crews were still hopeful Thursday morning that they could find the five people alive on the Titan submersible, but as the search area expanded to about double the size of Connecticut, fear was mounting that oxygen in the vessel may already have run out. / Credit: Yasin Demirci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The Titan is believed to have carried enough oxygen to last the crew 96 hours, which means it could run out Thursday morning if it hasn't already. But the co-founder of OceanGate said he was still holding out hope. "Today will be a critical day in this search and rescue mission, as the sub's life support supplies are starting to run low," Sohnlein said in a personal statement posted on Facebook. "I firmly believe that the time window available for their rescue is longer than what most people think," Sohnlein wrote. "I would encourage everyone to remain hopeful for getting the crew back safely." Rescuers turned their focus to a remote area of the North Atlantic where the underwater banging noises were detected. "We're searching where the noises are. That's all we can do at this point," U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Fredrick said Wednesday, stressing that it was still "a search and rescue mission 100%." There were no further reports on Thursday of noises being detected from under the water, and while there were many questions, there was no doubt that both time and oxygen were running out. "In any search and rescue case, you look at all the different factors," Fredrick told CBS News. "How long we've been searching, the survivability, the oxygen on board it's kind of a complex set of data we look at, but again, there is more than just one piece and right now we're focusing on the search." More rescue vessels and equipment were joining the effort, but searching for the 21-foot-long Titan in the near-freezing, pitch-black conditions on the seafloor in an area with depths of up to 2.5 miles is undoubtedly challenging. "If I were a family member, I would remain hopeful," Capt. David Marquet, who commanded the U.S. Navy submarine USS Santa Fe, told CBS News. "But people generally do not come back from the bottom of the ocean." He said it was "ominous" that there had been no communication whatsoever from the Titan since early Sunday. "It's a signal that crew is incapacitated," he said of the sub's, which apparently relied on simple text messages to communicate with its support ship on the surface during dives. "It's a commercial organization," Marquet said. "They're trying to be really innovative and cutting edge on the, our submarines, we would have more devices but we have a nuclear submarine that costs $2 billion. So, we have a luxury of having all those kinds of things." OceanGate has faced criticism for years for its seemingly maverick approach to highly-risky deep-sea exploration. "This company decided to self-certify" its submersible, engineer Bart Kemper, who was part of the Marine Technology Society that expressed concerns in 2018, told CBS News. "It follows no code and follows no jurisdiction." Kemper said the company agreed to be more transparent with its passengers after his organization raised its serious concerns, but continued to operate the experimental vessel without what the group said was typical certification for such manned underwater vehicles. He said the global community of explorers and engineers who build such non-military vessels had never previously lost a submersible, "and that's the thing that we've lost. We've lost it." "We've had failures, we've had, we've had fatalities," he said. "But we've never had this type of incident happen before." Were passengers on missing Titanic sub aware of the risks? The water pressure challenges facing missing Titanic sub Russia says Ukraine hit bridge to Crimea, severing vital military route All five passengers aboard a submersible that vanished while on a dive to explore the Titanic wreck site have died, officials said Thursday after underwater robots discovered seafloor debris from the sub that was consistent with a catastrophic implosion. A robot from the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic discovered several major pieces of the 21-foot sub, the Titan, in a debris field about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. John W. Mauger said at a news conference. The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber, Mauger said. The families of the passengers have been notified, he said. On behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families, he said. "I can only imagine what this has been like for them. I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time." The five passengers were Stockton Rush, the pilot of the exploration and chief executive of OceanGate Expeditions, which owns and operates the sub; Hamish Harding, chairman of Action Aviation, a Dubai-based aircraft dealer; Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a veteran and accomplished diver with more than 30 trips to the wreck site; and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and son Suleman. From left: Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Stockton Rush and Hamish Harding died while on board a submersible that went missing Sunday in the Atlantic. (Associated Press) OceanGate said in a statement that its hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds ocean, the company said. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. Read more: 'Catastrophic' safety concerns raised about sub long before ill-fated Titanic voyage The sub was reported missing after it lost contact with the Canadian research vessel Polar Prince about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its dive Sunday about 900 miles east of Cape Cod, Mass., the Coast Guard said. Its disappearance set off an international search-and-rescue effort, as crews raced around the clock using specialized equipment to find the sub, which was designed to have an initial air supply of 96 hours. Officials also said it had only limited rations of food and water. The tourist submersible Titan is shown on a previous mission. Debris from the sub was found on the ocean floor Thursday and all five occupants are dead, authorities said. (OceanGate) The search grew to 10,000 square miles, roughly the size of Massachusetts, and went 2 miles deep. Through the days-long effort, officials maintained optimism that the operation would remain a search-and-rescue effort and not a recovery mission. Assets launched in the search included American and Canadian aerial support vessels that scanned the oceans surface and subsurface using sonobuoys; U.S. Navy divers; coast guard and research vessels from Canada, France and Norway, some of which were equipped with highly specialized remote-operated vehicles that could work on the ocean's floor; and assistance from commercial vessels. A moment of promise came Tuesday when the Coast Guard confirmed reports that banging noises were detected on the seafloor by sonobuoys dropped from Canadian aircraft. Although officials said the origins of the sounds were unclear, they became the target of search efforts. Read more: Sounds described as 'rhythmic tapping' on hull heard in search for Titanic tourist sub At the news conference Thursday, Mauger said the underwater noises, which were also observed Wednesday, did not appear to be connected to the sub's location. The implosion would generate significant broadband sound that would have been picked up by the sonobuoys, he said. Paul Hankins, a salvage expert for the U.S. Navy, said five major pieces of debris from the Titan were found, including the nose cone, which was outside of the pressure hull. Crews also found a large debris field that contained the front-end bell of the pressure hull. That was the first indication there was a catastrophic event, he said. A second, smaller debris field contained the other end of the pressure hull and other wreckage that compromised the totality of the vessel. Read more: How The Times covered the sinking of the Titanic: 'The annihilated Leviathan' Officials said that the debris was in an area away from the Titanic wreckage in a patch of smooth ocean floor and that there were no signs the vessel collided with the historic ship. The size of the debris field and the vessels last-known location are consistent with an implosion in the water column, officials said. Mauger said it is too early to tell when the vessel imploded, and added that listening equipment used throughout the search did not detect any type of catastrophic event. However, a U.S. government official familiar with the incident but not authorized to speak to the media told The Times that technology designed to listen to the ocean for movement captured the sound of the submersible imploding around the time communications were lost. The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which noted the sound "anomaly." When asked whether the victims remains might be recovered, Mauger said he did not have an answer, reiterating the implosion and underlining the oceans harsh conditions. This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the seafloor, he said. Like the search-and-rescue efforts, the investigation into what happened will be complex, Mauger said, because of the remote location where the event occurred and because it involves the government agencies of several countries whose citizens were aboard. The composite material used to build the sub and a lack of safety systems will be the focus of a maritime inquiry, which most likely will involve Canadian and U.S. investigators, according to sources familiar with such operations. Nine vessels were at the location Thursday, and demobilization efforts are expected to take place over the next 24 hours. But remote-operated vehicles will continue to map the ocean floor, Mauger said, and officials are working to develop a timeline of the implosion. I know that there's also a lot of questions about how, why and when did this happen, Mauger said. Those are questions that we will collect as much information as we can on now. Read more: Commentary: As those aboard the Titan submersible suffered, social media laughed OceanGate has been running expeditions with citizen explorers to the Titanic since 2021 on its Titan sub, according to its website. But as the search unfolded, new details emerged that submersible industry leaders, oceanographers and former employees had long sent warning signs about the Titan. The Manned Underwater Vehicles Committee at the Marine Technology Society, which advocates for marine technology and resources, wrote a private letter to Rush in 2018 calling on him to allow for a third-party safety review of the Titan. The letter said the marketing for the Titan was, at minimum, misleading to the public and breaches an industry-wide professional code of conduct we all endeavor to uphold. Our apprehension is that the current experimental approach adopted by OceanGate could result in negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic) that would have serious consequences for everyone in the industry, the letter stated. That same year, David Lochridge, a former OceanGate employee, raised red flags about the Titan in litigation against the company, particularly OceanGates refusal to conduct critical, non-destructive testing of the experimental design of the hull. Lochridge, a submersible pilot hired to do quality and safety inspections, said he was terminated for coming forward. He said he disagreed with Rushs decision to subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible. In court papers, OceanGate denied Lochridge's claims, and the case was later settled. Rush had criticized what he considered red tape. One of the jabs that gets thrown at us is: Hey, you arent certified. But how can you do something new and get certified? Rush asked in a 2022 article in Maptia. If the rules exist for how to do it, then you are operating outside of the rules by doing something different." Referring to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, he added: "I think it was MacArthur who said, You are remembered for the rules you break. We try to break the rules intelligently and intentionally. Times staff writers Richard Winton and Noah Goldberg in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The offensive of the Defence Forces of Ukraine in the south of Ukraine is ongoing. There are partial successes; at the moment, the Ukrainian troops are pushing the Russian occupiers back and levelling the contact line. Source: Hanna Maliar, Deputy Minister of Defence, on Telegram Quote: "The Defence Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct offensive actions on the Melitopol and Berdiansk fronts". Details: Maliar reported that the Ukrainian troops have advanced in some areas and are strengthening their positions. The Russians, in turn, are deploying and using their reserves, trying to regain control over lost positions but still suffering great losses. Meanwhile, in the east of Ukraine, the Defence Forces were conducting both defensive and offensive actions. "Our Defence Forces continue to effectively deter the offensive of the Russian forces on the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka fronts," Maliar stated. She stressed that the Russians had not advanced a single metre. At the moment, heavy fighting is ongoing on all fronts, while the fiercest battles are on the Lyman front near the settlements of Dibrova, Serebrianka Forestry and Hryhorivka in Donetsk Oblast. The Defence Forces of Ukraine were conducting offensive actions on the Bilohorivka-Dibrova front, had partial success, and are now strengthening their positions. The Russians are losing manpower and military equipment every day but continue to attack, trying to fulfil orders of the Kremlin concerning the full occupation of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts," Maliar stated. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Todays young people face so many challenges. From the social pressures found online to the hardships in the classroom, todays students need more support than ever before. Fortunately, there are many organizations across our commonwealth aiming to do just that. For example, public health advocates fought for years to keep dangerous products like vapes away from teens. According to one study last year, nearly half of Kentucky high schoolers and a quarter of middle schoolers have tried vaping. Policymakers and advocates have taken important steps to keep young people from starting down a path of addiction and substance abuse. These efforts all share a common goal: to protect young people and help them to reach their full potential. Unfortunately, not everyone shares this same drive. And those who are endangering Kentuckys children must be held accountable. My former colleagues at the Jefferson County Board of Education launched a lawsuit against one of these bad actors, the multi-billion-dollar consulting firm McKinsey & Company. They argue that McKinseys well-documented role in turbocharging the opioid epidemic led to strains on the school system that were left to pick up the pieces. Ive also written before about McKinseys work helping Juul to design new flavors for their vaping products that would appeal to children. Local governments across Kentucky and the country have filed similar suits against McKinsey. These communities deserve to have their day in court to hold this bad corporate actor accountable for prioritizing profit over people. The problem is that this case has dragged on for years. Every day that passes is another where this massive firm escapes accountability for its actions. There is some good news. Kentucky has already received nearly $11 million from McKinsey in a settlement led by Attorney General Daniel Cameron. The consulting firms actions in the opioid epidemic have also been the subject of a Congressional inquiry, including by Kentuckys own James Comer, now-Chairman of the House Oversight Committee. And more of the firms wrongdoings have come to light, including its duplicitous work pushing addictive pills onto vulnerable veterans. Without serious accountability, bad actors can continue taking aim at Kentuckys young people in the hopes of making a quick buck. As policy advocates, we must take a strong stand against those who harm our young kids. Prioritizing our children and their future over shady businesses should not be a hard decision. Its time to hold McKinsey and other firms like it accountable for their devastating impact on Kentucky. They should take responsibility and work to make it right. While they can never make whole the families who have lost a loved one to substance misuse, they can help support prevention, treatment and other services in Kentucky that are taking on the scourge of the opioid epidemic every day. Benjamin M. Gies is the director of early childhood policy and practice at the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. He previously served on the Jefferson County Board of Education. Paris at sunset Delta Air Lines is set to offer a solution to travelers seeking to minimize jet lag on their European trips. Starting in early 2024, the airline will operate eastbound daytime flights from New York City to Paris. The daily flight will depart from JFK International Airport at 8:30 a.m., arriving at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport at 10 p.m. local time. The flight will be operated on a 238-seat Boeing 767-400ER. The aircraft offers various seating options including Delta One pods, Premium Select recliners, Comfort+ extra-legroom seats, and standard main cabin seats. Daytime flights from the States to Europe are relatively uncommon. Transatlantic service traditionally runs overnight, with planes departing the U.S. in the evening and arriving in Europe the following morning. The introduction of eastbound red-eye flights allows airlines to streamline connections while enabling business travelers to work a full day in both cities. However, this often comes at the expense of a good nights sleep, as the flight duration is typically only around six hours. Deltas new daytime flights aim to address these concerns, providing travelers with an alternative option. Passengers can stay awake during the roughly seven-hour journey and naturally fall asleep upon arrival in Paris. The flights timing will help sync travelers internal clocks with the local time at their destination, potentially reducing the impact of jet lag. Making Transatlantic Travel More Convenient Delta is also in the process of upgrading its international Wi-Fi provider. The airline aims to enhance connectivity and enable business travelers to stay connected during the flight. Daytime flights are already popular between New York and London. However, Deltas offering will be the only daytime flight between New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Paris. The shorter duration and limited time difference between New York and London make daytime flights to that city particularly attractive. Its worth noting that airline schedules can change, especially when announced so far in advance. Adjustments might occur, but Delta offers free change or full refund options in case of any changes. Deltas latest move marks a notable shift in transatlantic travel. Daytime flights present travelers with the opportunity to arrive in Europe well-rested and ready to take on their destination. With the airlines commitment to enhancing the travel experience, passengers can enjoy a seamless journey between New York and Paris. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said Wednesdays Justice Department court filing in the classified documents case against Donald Trump indicates prosecutors have a strong case against the former president. It tells me that the special counsel thinks hes got a very solid case, and he doesnt need to be cute. He can be what prosecutors call open kimono and turn over all the evidence early, Whitehouse, a former federal prosecutor, told MSNBCs Lawrence ODonnell. The filing disclosed that special counsel Jack Smiths team had handed over its first set of discovery materials supporting its case to Trump, who is accused of mishandling classified government documents taken from the White House to his Mar-a-Lago estate. The first batch of discovery included evidence obtained via search warrants and subpoenas, surveillance footage and grand jury testimony of witnesses who will testify for the government at trial, according to CNN. Whitehouse said the sizable handover spelled trouble for Trump and his legal team. It tells me that its gonna be bad Christmas for the Trump lawyers as they open the different files of evidence and find out how awful the evidence is against their client, he said. And it tells me that they want to get Trumps attention early, he added, by getting his lawyers the evidence that they need to be able to go to their client and say, Hey, you are in real trouble here. Trump was indicted earlier this month on 37 criminal counts, including Espionage Act violations, after prosecutors said he refused to return hundreds of sensitive government documents despite repeated efforts to recover them, including a government subpoena. Related... WASHINGTON Congressional Democrats unloaded on 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday, calling his views on vaccines dangerous and urging him to drop his long shot campaign against President Joe Biden. Hes a huge anti-vaxxer. I dont think thats the kind of leadership we need, Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) told HuffPost. I think hes diverged dramatically from a fact-based approach to public policy, added Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). At some point, he might want to consider that what hes doing is hurting President Biden. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said he had a hard time understanding why someone with an IQ like that is so gullible to a second- or third-grade level to accept some of the stuff hes peddling. Kennedy, the son of slain U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, announced his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in April. The 69-year-old environmental lawyer is one of the most influential spreaders of conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine misinformation, something that has prompted harsh criticism even from his own family. Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears on Fox News. Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears on Fox News. Kennedys brother, sister and niece condemned his anti-vax public stances in 2019 as part of a misinformation campaign thats having heartbreaking and deadly consequences. Numerous studies have found no evidence to support the notion that vaccines cause autism and other chronic illnesses. Despite this, immunization rates have fallen, which researchers have linked to the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases. That hasnt stopped Kennedy, who at one point likened the experience of anti-vaxxers to victims of the Holocaust, including Anne Frank. Kennedy has also been a frequent critic of U.S. support for Ukraine in its battle against Russias bloody invasion. On Wednesday, Kennedy expressed his belief that Russia acted in good faith amid the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine, adding the U.S., in fact, bore heavy responsibility for the ongoing war. He said the war was a creation of a relentless mentality of foreign domination in the United States. Prominent conservatives have heaped praise on Kennedy, including former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and podcast host Joe Rogan, who spoke with Kennedy recently on this show and pointed to the criticism he has received from Democrats as another case of censorship and cancel culture run amok. Kennedy is reportedly planning to give testimony on the topic of censorship to the GOPs House committee on the weaponization of government, a panel created in early 2023 that has dedicated itself to shielding former President Donald Trump from legal jeopardy. Despite all this, Kennedy has secured a not-insignificantshare of support in early polls of the Democratic primary against Biden. One survey from Quinnipiac University this month showed him at 17% versus Biden at 70%, which served as a bracing reminder of left-leaning voters healthy appetite for a Biden alternative, and as a glaring symbol of the presidents weaknesses, according to The New York Times. I dont think hes politically relevant. I think hes media relevant.Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) One explanation for Kennedys support in the polls could simply be his famous last name, even if voters arent super familiar with him or his campaign against vaccines. The possibility that Kennedy or Marianne Williamson, another 2024 Democratic presidential contender, could win primary contests in Iowa or New Hampshire early next year is a headache for Democrats. Bidens team has indicated he wont be on the ballot in those states if they hold their primaries before South Carolina as part of a new calendar intended to bolster minority voters. A win by anyone other than Biden would be a huge embarrassment to the presidents reelection effort. But Kennedys candidacy ultimately hasnt shaken Democrats, who believe Biden is almost certain to be their partys pick for president in 2024. Im very confident there will be a full rejection of Mr. Kennedys candidacy, said Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who is an acquaintance of Kennedys. I support President Biden and I wish Mr. Kennedy would get out of the race. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), meanwhile, dismissed Kennedy as the product of a media fascination rather than a serious challenge to a sitting president. Obviously, its a fun thing to write about. Hes got crazy ideas. The media doesnt have any interest in the Democratic primary being a snoozer, Murphy said. I dont think hes politically relevant. I think hes media relevant. Rep. Jim McGovern, another Massachusetts Democrat, said he found Kennedys views disturbing but dismissed the notion that his campaign could tarnish his familys legacy. The Kennedys have done so much good for this country and for the world ... that you know, their name is solid and people have high regard [for] them, McGovern said. Hes RFK. The legacy will survive, shrugged Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vermont). Kennedys campaign responded with the following statement to HuffPost: Many establishment Democrats have abandoned core traditional values of the party. The Democratic Party long stood for civil liberties, for peace, against corporate influence, and it used to take a meaningful pro-labor stance. Mr. Kennedys mission to reclaim those values naturally puts him at odds with many in the Democratic leadership. Arthur Delaney contributed reporting. A deputy searching for two stranded hikers in desperate need of help on a Los Angeles trail found their 13-year-old dog in even more dire straits, California sheriffs officials reported. The dog was so overheated and dehydrated, he couldnt stand up let alone walk, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department parks bureau said in a June 19 news release. If he didnt get the dog out of there, he would die, the release said. The deputy hoisted the dog onto his shoulders and carried him over several ridgelines about a half-mile back to the trailhead, accompanied by the hikers, sheriffs officials said of the June 16 rescue. Other hikers had flagged down the deputy and another officer, saying they passed hikers in need of help on a trail at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area and Nature Center. One deputy hiked in to find the severely dehydrated hikers while the other remained at the trailhead to maintain radio contact, sheriffs officials said. The deputy found the stranded hikers, who said they could walk out but could not care for the dog, officials said. The deputy tried to give the dog water but it was still too weak to stand. After arriving at the trailhead, the hikers and dog were feeling better and left the park without incident, sheriffs officials said. Vasquez Rocks Natural Area and Nature Center is located in the high desert near Agua Dulce Springs and contains 932 acres of spectacular rock formations. It has been featured in many films and television shows, according to parks officials. Beating the heat When temperatures are extremely high, some peoples bodies can have trouble regulating temperature. In some cases, people can experience heat exhaustion and have muscle cramps, nausea, weakness and cold or clammy skin, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If heat exhaustion persists for too long, however, it can lead to heatstroke, the most serious form of heat injury. People experiencing heatstroke can have hot, red, dry or damp skin. They also can have a fast and strong pulse, and they can become confused. People should move indoors immediately and call 911 right away if they have symptoms. If people choose to hike or be outdoors in dangerously hot temperatures, officials recommend the following tips: Hiker, 2 dogs found stranded on 200-foot bluff over beach, California firefighters say Two drown and 23 people are rescued in just one weekend at Lake Mead, officials say Beachgoer caught in rip current dies after race to rescue him and 2 kids, NC crews say Joyce Price remembers a different Miami, one where the only downtown bathroom she and other people of color could use was in the basement of the courthouse, and most stores wouldnt allow people of color to try on shoes or clothes without covering their skin with bags. Affectionately known to South Miami residents as an icon and mother of the community, Price even had to leave Florida in the 1950s to attend nursing school because many schools wouldnt accept Black students and those that did were phasing out. Political activist Joyce Price, chairperson of the Miami-Dade Community Action Agency Board, understands the fight ahead and reflects on earlier struggles during the Civil Rights Movement at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Price was one of dozens who on Thursday attended a stop of the Stay Woke Florida Rolling Protest, organized by the Transformative Justice Coalition, at the Mount Olive Baptist Church in South Miami. The group has been traveling all over Florida through June in the hopes of mobilizing voters amid Gov. Ron DeSantis attacks on Black history and wokeness. Our governor whos running for president needs to take a look in the mirror, Price said. We have we have been in the structure, in the system, since the conception of the United States. And youre gonna take out Black studies in schools? DeSantis has been criticized for banning critical race theory; diversity, equity and inclusion in colleges and universities; and discussions on race in classrooms. In January, the governor rejected a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies, claiming it violated state law and lacked educational value. READ MORE: Floridas a battleground but not for votes. Its the civil rights left vs. anti-woke right Attendees bow their heads in prayer during the commencement of the event. Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church held a voting event entitled Make Good Trouble by Staying Woke and Staying Strong where national and local activists gathered to confront the anti-woke agenda by Florida governor and presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis on Thursday, June 22, 2023. As the crowd settled in the churchs pews, a reverend said a prayer before a rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing. On the stage sat several speakers, including Daniella Pierre, president of the Miami-Dade branch of the NAACP. Freedom fighters, freedom riders, we must stay woke, Pierre said. We must know our rights, know our history [in] this country and demand that it be taught accurately. We resist and reject any and all attempts... to deny and destroy and diminish who we are. Barbara Arnwine, president of Transformative Justice Coalition, a Washington, D.C-based organization, leads fellow activists in a chant as they arrive at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Whats going on in Florida and across the U.S. is a test of how history is going to look in the future, said state Sen. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat. 160 years ago, Black men like me... werent allowed to vote, werent allowed to sit at the table to dine, but look at us now, Jones said. Over 160 years ago, women werent allowed to vote. They werent able to make decisions for themselves, but look at them now. For Jones, its time for the community to fight for their future and for women, immigrants and LGBTQ people. Weve been here before, Jones said. Because you are standing where you are now, that lets me know that we can get out of this mess one way or another. Teachers and students are on the front lines of DeSantis battles due to book bans, anti-union laws aimed at teachers and the barring of discussions related to racism, said Karla Hernandez Mats, president of the United Teachers of Dade and running mate of DeSantis 2022 Democratic challenger, Charlie Crist. Education, she said, should be free from any political agenda or fascist ideology. Book bans are not only anti-education and anti-freedom, but they hamper childrens development of empathy and critical thinking skills. Karla Hernandez Mats, United Teachers of Dade president, smiles as the Stay Woke Florida bus tour arrives at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church on Thursday, June 22, 2023 in South Miami, Florida. While parents have the right to make choices for their own children, it is equally important for them not to impose their choices on other peoples children. As Marvin Dunn approached the lectern, he began telling a story from when he was in second grade. It was 1947 when he was in the post office with his mother and noticed white people were skipping them in line. He asked her why and his mother said it was because they were Black. Ive lived long enough to have had to go through the back door of white peoples homes, Dunn said. Ive lived long enough to have to sit in the back of the bus.. Ive lived long enough to have been the Black student getting sent to a white school and get the white kids textbooks because they were getting new ones. Dunn pointed to how he cant tell these types of stories in Florida classrooms because it could make a student uncomfortable and their parents could complain to the state. But history, he said, is supposed to be uncomfortable. Chicago resident and TJC Freedom Rider, Edward Ward, distributes banned books at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, where national and local activists gathered to confront the anti-woke agenda by Florida governor and presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Its not about the book ban alone, Dunn said. Its about the banning of ideas. You cant discuss racism. You cant discuss discrimination. They have banned ideas, and thats the first sign of decline in society. Outraged over the governors actions, Price, the chairperson of the Miami-Dade Community Action Agency Board, penned a letter to the governor on May 31. She said shes frustrated over the erasure of Black history as the community was behind making things like light bulbs, washing machines, trains and space travel possible. Political activist Joyce Price, chairperson Miami-Dade Community Action Agency Board, sings the spiritual battle cry during the commencement of a voting event at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church where national and local activists gathered to confront the anti-woke agenda by Florida governor and presidential candidate, Ron DeSantis on Thursday, June 22, 2023. This is America, Price said. I have loved ones who fought and died for this country. I have loved ones who were slaves in this country, who built it, who made history with certain things that theyve done, including myself. How dare you? Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) lashed out at former President Trump on Thursday after being asked whether he would support Trump if he became the GOP nominee next year. What I would say is this: When you are saying that [former New York Gov. Andrew] Cuomo did better on COVID than Florida did, you are revealing yourself to just be full of it, DeSantis responded. Nobody believes that, he added to applause. And you know why I know that? Because I remember in 2020 and 2021 when he was praising Florida for being open, saying we did it much better than New York and Michigan, and everyone was coming to Florida, and that we were one of the great governors in the United States. DeSantis then circled back to the original question and said, Its like, I want to beat Biden, OK? I will do that. I will get that done. And I think, more importantly than that, I will actually bring these policies for a landing and get it all done up there. But its an important process, and you respect the process and you respect the peoples decisions, how this goes, but Im very confident that those decisions are going to be positive for us, he said. Trumps campaign has attack the governor in recent days over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday, the Trump campaign rolled out a 30-second spot accusing DeSantis of shutting Florida down and referring to him as lockdown Ron. The DeSantis campaign hit back, calling the spot bizarre. The campaign rolled out its own video with a compilation of clips of Trump praising Florida for being open during the pandemic. In March 2020, DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Florida in response to the pandemic. He then imposed a stay-at-home order on April 1, 2020, which was considerably later than other states. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) appears to be making gains against former President Trump in the crowded Republican presidential primary, according to an Emerson College national poll released Thursday. Trump still leads the field with 59 percent support among Republican primary voters, while DeSantis trails at 21 percent. However, the former presidents support is down 3 points, from 62 percent in the last Emerson College poll in April, while DeSantis is up 5 points from 16 percent. Former Vice President Mike Pence came in third place at 6 percent support. No other Republican candidate reached 5 percent, according to the survey. In the past year, the Republican primary has remained statistically unchanged, said Spencer Kimball, polling director at Emerson College. However, DeSantis has made inroads with women voters over the last few months; Trump led DeSantis among women voters 58% to 17% in April, but now leads 53% to 26% in June, a 14-point improvement for DeSantis. The Emerson College survey was conducted June 19-20. Other recent polls have shown Trumps lead slightly slipping since he was indicted and arraigned on 37 federal criminal charges in connection with the Justice Departments classified documents probe earlier this month. A CNN survey released Tuesday showed Trumps support among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents dipping 6 points since he was indicted. The same poll showed DeSantiss second-place position at 25 percent remained unchanged since last month. The Real Clear Politics polling average shows Trump leading the pack with 51.9 percent support, while DeSantis trails at 21.1 percent. The Emerson College national poll was conducted among 1,015 registered voters. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. DeSantis praises SCs 6-week abortion ban, but would he back national ban? Heres what he said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is seeking the GOP nomination for president, said he supported state efforts to restrict abortion but sidestepped whether he supported a national abortion ban when asked at a campaign stop in North Augusta. I think that the progress right now is being made, really, from the bottom up, DeSantis said to the crowd of 400 to 500 people in a gym at Riverview Park. These places like South Carolina, Georgia, these places have done well, and some of these other states, you know, may not necessarily follow suit. But this will be something that we are going to be able to debate. His response to the question came two days ahead of the one-year anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned in the U.S. Supreme Courts Dobbs decision, allowing states to decide whether abortion is legal within their borders. In Florida, we have promoted a culture of life, DeSantis said. DeSantis referenced Floridas six-week abortion ban, known as the Heartbeat Protection Act, that he signed into law April 13, and he applauded South Carolina for similar efforts. He did not say whether he supported a six-week or complete national abortion ban. He also criticized President Joe Biden and pro-abortion access legislation. In terms of federal, I am very concerned with what Biden wants to do, DeSantis said. He wants federal legislation to override every single pro-life law in the country and force abortion all the way up until the moment of birth in this country. That is inhumane, that is obscene and that will not happen when I am president. Biden supports restoring the protections of Roe as a federal law, but has not said he supports abortion till the moment of birth. The Washington Post reported that Republicans use this because of Democratic candidates supporting the Womens Health Protection Act, which would restore the right to abortion as defined by Roe v. Wade. However, the bill makes exceptions if the health of the mother is in jeopardy, which Republicans say is a loophole that creates no limit on abortion. South Carolina earlier this year passed a new ban on abortions after cardiac activity can be detected, which is around the six-week mark of a pregnancy, before most women know they are pregnant. However, the law is not being enforced because the state Supreme Court in a 3-2 decision in January struck down a similar ban due to violations of the state constitutions right to privacy. The state Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on the new law on Tuesday. Alyssa Bradley, spokeswoman for the S.C. Democratic Party said that abortion access in South Carolina is under immediate threat and called Floridas abortion law extreme. DeSantis and the rest of the MAGA Republican Party are running on banning abortion before many women even know theyre pregnant, criminalizing health care providers, and forcing victims of rape and incest to either share their trauma or give birth, Bradley said. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday he is suing President Joe Bidens administration to stop accrediting agencies from having influence over the states colleges and universities. Describing the accreditation programs as an affront to his executive power, DeSantis said the lawsuit targets the U.S. Department of Education, Secretary Miguel Cardona and other federal officials. We reject the idea that a totally unaccountable, appointed, unelected accrediting agency can trump what the state of Florida is doing, DeSantis said during a news conference in Tampa. Were asking the court to find this arrangement to be unconstitutional. DeSantis cited the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which accredits universities in the Southeast and has questioned actions at Floridas top universities in recent years. Losing accreditation could result in a loss of federal funds used for student scholarships and faculty grants. They try to stick their beak into different things with all this, DeSantis said of the association. Belle Wheelan, the associations president, declined to comment Thursday. READ MORE: Accrediting agency scrutinized flagship universities, so GOP lawmakers want new process The lawsuit follows a tense period between Florida and the Southern Association, which is the main regional accrediting body in 11 southern states. Until last year, the organization accredited all 12 of the states public universities. But officials with the organization began raising questions in 2021 when former state education commissioner Richard Corcoran, now interim president of New College, was added late in the selection process to the list of finalists to be president of Florida State University. Members of the Board of Governors, which oversees the university system, began to express frustration, saying the association had overstepped. A short time later, the association launched an investigation at the University of Florida, looking into allegations of political interference after a group of UF professors were initially forbidden from testifying as experts in cases against the state. Last year, in a sign of Republican leaders pushing back, the Legislature approved a measure requiring universities to find a new accreditor at the end of each evaluation cycle. The bill also allowed universities to sue an accreditor for damages if they believed they had been negatively impacted. It was signed by DeSantis. This year, that law was amended so that schools did not have to switch their accreditor after the initial change. To seek a new accreditor, a Florida university must first seek permission from the U.S. Department of Education. So far, the University of Central Florida and Florida Polytechnic University have reached out to make a change. According to a Board of Governors staff member, federal education officials asked follow-up questions in May and both schools are in the process of drafting a response. The DeSantis lawsuit, filed in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, accuses Congress of ceding unchecked power to private accrediting agencies to dictate education standards to colleges and universities. Making matters worse, colleges and universities cannot freely choose their masters, as federal law requires them to show reasonable cause to change accreditors, the complaint states. The result is that private accrediting agencies enjoy near limitless power over state institutions. FILE - Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at an annual Basque Fry at the Corley Ranch in Gardnerville, Nev., June 17, 2023. DeSantis is rolling out endorsements from 15 South Carolina lawmakers. (AP Photo/Andy Barron, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that the state has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Education over accreditation agencies, which control federal aid for students. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale federal court, challenges a federal law that requires colleges and universities to submit to private accreditors to qualify for federal funding. It targets the U.S. Department of Education, Secretary Miguel Cardona and other federal officials. The lawsuit comes as DeSantis, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, imposes his conservative agenda on the states education system. Earlier this year, he appointed trustees to the board of New College of Florida, a tiny Sarasota school of about 1,000 students that was best known for its progressive thought and creative course offerings. The new board intends to turn the school into a classical liberal arts school modeled after conservative favorite Hillsdale College in Michigan. Speaking about the accreditation lawsuit on Thursday, DeSantis said he refuses to bow to unaccountable accreditors who think they should run Florida's public universities. Were asking the court to find this arrangement to be unconstitutional," DeSantis said. White House spokesperson Abdullah Hasan said in an email that DeSantis was bringing his culture wars, like book bans, to the longstanding system that helps ensure students receive a quality college education. If Republican elected officials could have their way, library shelves would be stocked with guns not books and curriculums would be loaded with conspiracy theories, not facts, Hasan said. "These culture wars do nothing to actually help students, and only make things worse. This Administration wont allow it. Were committed to ensuring all students receive a high-quality education, and will fight this latest effort by opponents to get in the way of that. Under federal law, the private accrediting agencies decide which universities and colleges are eligible for approximately $112 billion in federal funding. The agencies provide a standard of requirements that universities must follow to maintain accreditation. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACS, oversees the accreditation of colleges and universities in Florida. However, Florida passed a law last year that prohibits colleges and universities from being accredited by the same agency or association for consecutive accreditation cycles. It also allows universities to sue accreditors for damages if they believe they had been negatively affected. The state law requires more than half of Floridas public colleges and universities to change accreditors in the next two years. Their ability to make these changes is substantially burdened" by what DeSantis described as the Biden administrations abuse of the current accreditation scheme. In order to seek a new accreditor, a university must receive permission from the U.S. Department of Education. You cannot take legislative power and delegate it to an unaccountable private body, DeSantis said. "Under their theory, the accreditor can serve as a veto against the entire state of Florida. He noted that the accrediting agency seeks to take the responsibility for ensuring the wellbeing of colleges and universities away from the governor, Legislature and taxpayers. So, you know, that's a view that really, this board trumps the entire state of Florida, DeSantis said. We reject that, and today we are going to do something about it. DeSantis and Moody cited as an example that SACS threatened the accreditation of Florida State University" in 2021 when Richard Corcoran, then the state's commissioner of education, was a candidate to be the next president of the school. The accrediting agency said Corcoran's candidacy posed a potential conflict of interest if he failed to resign as schools commissioner. Florida State eventually selected Richard McCullough as its president. Earlier this year, Corcoran was selected as an interim president of New College. Earlier this year, DeSantis appointed six new trustees to run the college. DeSantis sues Biden administration over education standards that control access to federal student loans, in early sign about his plans for colleges if he's elected president Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), a 2024 candidate for president, sued the Biden administration over higher ed accreditation. Susan Walsh/AP Photo and DeSantis sued the Biden administration to snatch power from agencies that certify quality higher ed. The agencies help decide which schools will get billions of dollars in student loans. The suit is an early sign of the college and university overhaul ahead if DeSantis is president. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is suing the Biden administration over a federal law requiring colleges and universities to get a quality stamp of approval from certain accrediting agencies. Florida officials argued in a complaint filed Thursday that the federal government shouldn't hinge student aid on whether colleges and universities receive approval from such agencies, which are privately run. The complaint alleges that ceding power to accrediting agencies is unconstitutional, saying in the 41-page lawsuit against the US Department of Education that "unelected academics" have "unchecked power" to decide what education standards should be. The certification agencies have strayed from their purpose, which is to sign off on a school meeting basic quality education standards, and now impose political views and interfere with how institutions are run, Florida officials allege. "We reject the idea that a totally unaccountable, unappointed, unelected accrediting agency can trump what the state of Florida is doing," DeSantis said during a press conference at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida. "We're asking the court to find this arrangement to be unconstitutional." Under federal law, the accrediting agencies set up standards to decide which colleges and universities will receive roughly $112 billion in federal funding that goes toward student loans. Schools have to undergo lengthy reviews as part of the process, and they're assigned to one of six certifiers based on their region. Florida higher education institutions in particular have to receive accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, a body on which universities in 11 other states, including Texas and Virginia, also rely. The accreditor's relationship with Florida has been strained even before DeSantis became governor. In an unprecedented move last April, DeSantis signed a bill into law that requires Florida colleges and universities to switch accreditors soon, and then every five to 10 years. The Biden administration sent DeSantis a letter expressing its disapproval and then, according to the lawsuit, the Department of Education "escalated that hostility" by issuing regulations saying any switch in accreditors had to go through the agency first. The association recently threatened Florida State University's accreditation when it was considering hiring Richard Corcoran, the state's former education commissioner, as its university president. The association also opened an investigation into the University of Florida after it blocked professors from providing expertise in a federal elections case involving mail-in ballots and drop boxes. Florida officials argued in their complaint that such actions aren't related to education quality and that schools should instead be accountable to voters in the state and the officials they elect. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed the lawsuit in Fort Lauderdale in the United States District Court in the Southern District of Florida. It's not clear yet whether other states will join the lawsuit, but Moody appeared to suggest that was ahead, telling DeSantis during the Tampa press conference on Thursday that, "I wouldn't be surprised if other states followed your brave lead." The White House vowed to fight the lawsuit in a statement to Insider and accused the governor of bringing culture war battles to the accreditation system. "If Republican elected officials could have their way, library shelves would be stocked with guns not books and curriculums would be loaded with conspiracy theories, not facts," Abdullah Hasan, White House spokesperson, said. "These culture wars do nothing to actually help students, and only make things worse. This administration won't allow it. We're committed to ensuring all students receive a high-quality education, and will fight this latest effort by opponents to get in the way of that." Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs a Florida education bill into law. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP, File) The lawsuit shows deeper political divides in education policy Proponents of accreditation programs say GOP hostilities are politically motivated and that taxpayer dollars should only go to schools that show they are providing students with a high-quality education. DeSantis asserted that the current state of higher ed was not a good value on Thursday as he blasted runaway student debt and the fact that the majority of higher education students don't graduate on time. He touted a recent ranking for Florida from US News & World Report that ranked the state No. 1 in higher education, largely because of its high graduation rates and low tuition. DeSantis has declined to increase tuition rates during his time as governor. DeSantis is one of the few Republicans running for the 2024 presidential nomination who is currently holding down a high-profile government job, giving him a platform to make news through actions in his state, but also opening an opportunity for him to show what his policies would be if elected to the White House. He hinted at what it might look like, saying a "competitive market" should exist among accrediting agencies giving colleges the right to pick and choose who will certify their institutions. He also alleged in the lawsuit that the Department of Education should be allowed to review, approve, and reject any standards accreditors set. "Within the next couple years, I think we're going to see this accreditation cartel basically come crumbling down, and more freedom in higher education reigning supreme, so that will be a good thing for this country," DeSantis said at Thursday's press conference. The Education Department recognizes accreditors if they meet certain federal rules, but DeSantis said accountability over the bodies was far from adequate. The lawsuit gives DeSantis a point of contrast with former President Donald Trump, the 2024 GOP frontrunner, who promised if reelected that he would "fire" existing accrediting organizations and replace them with new ones that would create college standards he approves. The plan would require colleges to offer degrees students could get for less time and for a lower cost, and force universities to fire diversity, equity, and inclusion administrators. Reshaping education has been one of DeSantis' top policy priorities as governor. Among his actions have been restricting higher ed institutions from spending money on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. He also imposed conservative changes to New College of Florida, a public liberal arts college in Sarasota. More broadly, Republicans have developed a hostile relationship with higher education institutions in recent years, viewing them as aligned with liberal policies and even decrying them as "Marxist." Read the original article on Business Insider The destruction of a major dam near Kherson could be a game-changer for Ukraine's special operators The Nova Kakhovka Dam on June 5. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS In early June, the destruction of a dam caused flooding along the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine. Russia is suspected of destroying the dam to disrupt Ukrainian military operations in the area. But the flooding altered nearby shorelines and waterways, which may end up aiding Ukrainian forces. In early June, explosions ruptured the Nova Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric station, unleashing a reservoir containing several billion gallons of water and flooding cities and towns along the Dnieper River in southern Ukraine. The destruction of the Soviet-designed dam appears to have been orchestrated by Russian forces, likely in an effort to deny Ukrainian troops access to territory nearby as their long-awaited counteroffensive kicked off. But the torrent of water flowing down the Dnieper toward the important city of Kherson has reshaped the surrounding waterways and forced the Russian military to pull back from certain places. An altered shoreline, a larger maritime area, and fewer Russian troops could benefit Ukraine. Indeed, the destruction of the dam could be a game-changer for Ukraine's special-operations forces. A special-operations 'playground' Ukrainian troops look over a flooded area in Kherson on June 8. Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images The rapid emptying of the reservoir has revealed the remnants of past battles, including a human skull that appeared to be wearing a World War II-era German helmet. Downstream, there are now tens of thousands of hectares of new maritime battlespace. The Russian military has already had to relocate troops from the area in response to Ukrainian attacks elsewhere, and patrolling and protecting the new coastline will create another challenge for Russian forces and a potential opening for Ukraine. "While Russia may now see the terrain south of Kherson as safe, Ukrainian special operators should see opportunity. With new coastline and fewer opposing forces, the southern Kherson oblast could become a special operations playground," Timothy Heck and Zachary Griffiths, both US military officers, wrote in an article for the Modern War Institute at West Point. A flooded residential area in Kherson on June 8. Alex Babenko/Getty Images New and larger waterways will make it easier for Ukrainian special operators to move men and equipment around by boat. With easier access, Ukrainian commandos operating from around Kherson could use drones and missiles to threaten Russian communications and supply lines to Crimea, according to Heck and Griffiths. Ukrainian troops in the area could also use shoulder-fired missiles to threaten Russian aircraft flying to and from Crimea, potentially forcing them to use longer routes instead. "As Russia draws significant sustainment from Crimea, disrupting lines of communications with increased special operations in southern Kherson could certainly support the Ukrainian counteroffensive," Heck and Griffiths write. Ukrainian troops and volunteers evacuate a flooded area in Kherson on June 8. GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images Ukrainian special operators have been very active in Kyiv's ongoing counteroffensive in the Donbas region and southern Ukraine. A recent video appears to show commandos from Ukraine's 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations, a secretive Navy SEAL-like unit, clearing a Russian trench and killing several Russian troops during fighting in southern Ukraine. In addition to direct-action missions, Ukrainian special operators have been using one-way attack drones to disrupt and degrade Russian forces by destroying heavy weapons, including main battle tanks, artillery pieces, and armored personnel vehicles. But Ukrainian commandos could soon find themselves supporting an amphibious operation in southern Ukraine. Ukraine's commandos and amphibious operations The collapsed Antonovskiy Bridge over Dnieper River in Kherson City, seen after Russian troops withdrew in November. Narciso Contreras/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Ukrainian military leaders have certainly thought about a major amphibious operation across the Dnieper River. Recent security assistance shows that Ukraine's NATO partners have had similar thoughts. In March, the White House approved a package of military aid that included armored vehicle-launched bridges, heavy-duty systems that travel with armored columns and allow them to cross rivers, streams, ditches, and trenches. What makes the armored vehicle-launched bridges particularly useful is their ability to disengage and redeploy across another obstacle. An M60 Armored vehicle-launched bridge is deployed across Germany's Lahn River during an exercise in January 1985. US Defense Department/Tech Sgt. Boyd Belcher Germany has also committed 23 Beaver bridge-laying tanks and 20 heavy and medium bridge systems. In addition, the UK put out an "urgent bidding round" to industry for medium Girder bridges, bridge launchers, and reusable bridges that can support Ukraine's new M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Challenger 2 and Leopard 2 tanks. Should the Ukrainian military go ahead with an amphibious operation in Kherson or Crimea, naval commandos will play a key role in scouting, surveying, and clearing potential beaches. They could also be used to distract Russian forces by launching diversionary raids elsewhere on the battlefield. The Ukrainian counteroffensive is still in the early stages, but judging from what has already been seen, special-operations forces will be a vital part of Kyiv's push to liberate its land and people. Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate. He is working toward a master's degree in strategy and cybersecurity at Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies. Read the original article on Business Insider A Detroit man was caught on video Tuesday setting a convenience store on fire with the clerk trapped inside after the pair exchanged words, according to police. The stunning surveillance footage shows the alleged arsonist enter the gas station's convenience store June 20 at about 2:50 a.m., clutching a blue blowtorch in his right hand and dumping the contents of a trash bin on the floor. Wearing a white T-shirt and shorts, the firebug can be seen speaking to the clerk, who is outside the frame, at the West Seven Mile Road gas station, the footage shows. FLORIDA MAN ARRESTED AFTER INTENTIONALLY SETTING FIRE TO HIS HOME WITH FOUR CHILDREN INSIDE: POLICE The suspect is seen pointing to the trash pile on the floor and says something to the clerk before bending down to light the refuse on fire with the blowtorch, as he stands with his back halfway out the door. MICHIGAN COLLEGE STUDENT'S FAMILY PLEADS FOR ANSWERS ON MYSTERIOUS DEATH AFTER PARTY READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The man flees as a burst of red flames licks the ceiling and spreads through the room in less than two seconds, the video shows. The clerk was rushed to a local hospital, where he was treated for first-degree burns, according to a statement from the Detroit Police Department. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Officials announced Wednesday that they had arrested the suspect but did not disclose his name. FILE - In this image released by Action Aviation, the submersible Titan is prepared for a dive into a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean on an expedition to the Titanic on Sunday, June 18, 2023. Rescuers are racing against time to find the missing submersible carrying five people, who were reported overdue Sunday night. (Action Aviation via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) BOSTON (AP) Eight hours. And within them, many unanswered questions. About an hour and a half after it dipped below the North Atlantic, a submersible on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic lost communication with the surface Sunday. It would take another nearly eight hours before the Canadian research icebreaker Polar Prince, supporting the Titan submersible, reported it missing to the Coast Guard a report that triggered an intense international rescue effort. The time lag has yet to be explained by the company that owns the submersible, OceanGate Expeditions. But it may not have mattered - The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday the vessel imploded near the wreckage of the Titanic, killing all five people on board. Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger said it was too soon to say whether the implosion happened at the time of last communication. But it was not detected by sonar buoys used by search crews, he said, which suggests it happened before they arrived. We had listening devices in the water throughout and did not hear any signs of catastrophic failure from those, he said. Sean Leet, head of the company that co-owns the Titans support ship, refused to discuss the timeline during a news conference Wednesday, saying only that all protocols were followed for the mission. But experts familiar with deep-sea exploration said those lost hours raise red flags. The time delay between declaring a submersible sunk and notification to outside resources and emergency responders appears to be excessive, said Robert Kraft, a deep-sea explorer who has located missing ships in the ocean. The emergency procedure in question, he said, is typically declared after three consecutive scheduled communications are missed "but can vary slightly between organizations. Others suggested the delay could have been due to the unorthodox approach taken by the company behind the experimental vessel. Salvatore Mercogliano, a history professor at Campbell University in North Carolina who focuses on maritime history and policy, said the people on the Polar Prince likely didnt call for help after losing communication with the Titan because the submersible had previously experienced communication failures so such an occurrence didn't raise immediate alarms. The vessel used a rudimentary system that basically communicated with the surface ship through text message, Mercogliano said. Theyve lost communications before. And so what it appears is when they lost communications, they did not assume that this was a disaster at all," Mercogliano said. They probably were waiting for what was would have been the end of the scheduled voyage. And they probably waited for the period when they expected the Titan to come back to the surface, he speculated. "They were unable to locate it. And then they knew they had an emergency. Another thing to consider: Mercogliano said the Titan lacked an emergency radio beacon that could have floated to the surface and started beeping if there was an emergency. But they didnt have that," he said. "And so it sounds like the Polar Prince waited the normal period of time for the recovery of this submersible to send out the mayday in distress. Norman Polmar, a prominent naval analyst and author, said the protocol for checking in would be set by the company, and it varies by company and submersible. A company may say to check in every four hours and check in immediately if theres a problem, but there are absolutely no set rules with commercial submersibles, he added. From a military viewpoint, there are specific protocols. But from a commercial one, there is nothing thats standard, he said Thursday. If they said nine hours, that might have been what their agreement was-- if we dont have a problem, well call you in nine hours. For civilian submersibles, its what they want. Within the military, if you have got an experiment or test or trials, yes there is a fixed protocol. Aaron Davenport, a maritime expert, senior policy researcher with the RAND Corporation and a retired U.S. Coast Guard officer, said hes been perplexed by the operations perceived lack of safety protocols given the inherent dangers, including the timing of when Polar Prince sent out its distress call. First of all, Davenport said, the Titan and Polar Prince should have had a procedure in place in which they stayed in periodic contact, such as every hour or so. The protocol that is normally used in the Coast Guard operations, and in any kind of potentially dangerous situation, is that you want to maintain communications with someone on the surface or ashore that can call for help or render assistance in the event of an emergency, Davenport said. And so you would think they would check in with the surface on a regular basis, Davenport said. And then if you dont hear from them, then that would be an indication that you may need to start thinking about a potential rescue or getting things staged or invoke a plan, if you are unable to determine if they are safe or not. Davenport added that most ships carry an emergency beacon, which is automatically deployed if the ship sinks. But he said hes seen no indication that the Titan had a way to alert anyone of an emergency situation. In an email after an Associated Press interview, Davenport added that the vessel that launched the submersible appeared incapable of rescuing the vessel. They lost several hours early on they should have started alerting folks and preparing for a rescue immediately, Davenport said. What is confounding is that they lost comms with the sub at the beginning of the mission, and it does not seem they had a good plan to restore comms and/or abort the mission." ___ Associated Press writer Michael Casey in Boston contributed to this report. Finley reported from Norfolk, Virginia; Ramer reported from Concord, New Hampshire; McDermott reported from Providence, Rhode Island. A former Olathe school board candidate filed a lawsuit against the board and district last year after she was removed from a meeting for hurling accusations about her election opponent. Now a federal judge has ruled that the lawsuit can go to a jury trial this fall. U.S. District Court Judge Holly Teeter on Wednesday threw out most claims brought by the former candidate, Olathe parent Jennifer Gilmore. But the judge sided with Gilmore on her primary claim, saying that a jury could reasonably conclude she was prevented from speaking during the meeting because officials did not like her views. Linus Baker, Gilmores attorney, said the parties will now return to mediation. They could either settle or move to a jury trial, scheduled for October. Im not sure my client is going to go away quietly into the night. Theyve publicly humiliated her, Baker said. So Im not so sure where shes going to be at in light of this ruling. But all things can be settled, I guess. Olathe district spokeswoman Erin Schulte did not offer an opinion on the case in an email to The Star, but simply said, The United States District Court Judges Memorandum and Order dismissed all claims brought against all defendants in the lawsuit, except for one claim. At the start of 2022, Gilmore filed the lawsuit against school board member Joe Beveridge, as well as Brent Kiger, the districts director of safety services, and Jim McMullen, assistant superintendent of operations. The previous fall, she had campaigned against mask mandates and critical race theory as part of a slate of conservative candidates. Gilmore lost in a tight race that was called days after election night. Board member Julie Steele ultimately won by 65 votes. Gilmore questioned the integrity of the election in social media posts but did not request a recount. As new board members were sworn in at a January meeting, Gilmore spoke during public comments. She started: Good evening. I didnt buy my board seat, but Im still here because I care about this district. Mid-sentence, Beveridge, who was board president at the time and tasked with maintaining order during meetings, interjected, You know what, but let her continue. Dont interrupt me, please, Gilmore said. We were told prior to enrollment that masks would be optional. Were doing the same thing year after year. I agree that liars lie, but the only liar that lied in this election was Jim Randall. Randall, a former Olathe City Council member, is Steeles father. He is also Beveridges father-in-law. Beveridge cut her off again and said, OK, youre done. Youre done. Uh, Dr. McMullen, remove her. Beveridge continued to tell Gilmore that she was done talking, and said that she mentioned a person. The school boards public comment rules at the time stated that the board will not hear personal attacks, or rude or defamatory remarks of any kind about any employee or student of the School District or any person connected with the School District. And the policy allowed the board president to interrupt statements that were disruptive or not germane to the business activities of the board. Your father-in-law that spent $37,000 for her (Steeles) board seat? Gilmore replied to Beveridge. Steele raised nearly double the amount that Gilmore did leading up to the November election, reporting about $60,000 in contributions, more than half coming from loans Steele made to her own campaign. Beveridge then called for a five-minute break. McMullen told Gilmore during the break that Beveridge had asked him and Kiger to remove her from the building, according to the lawsuit. The judges ruling says that Beveridge stated in an email after the meeting that he had zero misgivings about (his) decision, that no other board members complained about his action, and that as long as I am board president, no one will attack family members of any of our board members during public comments. Gilmore contends that school officials violated her First Amendment rights by restricting her speech during the meeting. But the district argues that the public comment portion is a limited forum, and that Gilmores speech fell outside the parameters allowed by board policy. The judge said in her ruling that regardless of the forum, Gilmores speech undoubtedly fell within the broader protections of the First Amendment. Her speech at a minimum addressed a public election and Plaintiffs contention that Randall lied in the context of that election. The outcome and integrity of an election is unquestionably a matter of significant public concern. Governmental officials, she wrote, cannot pick and choose what viewpoints people are allowed to express, meaning Gilmores rights were violated if Beveridge blocked her from speaking because of her viewpoint. Beveridges intent in stopping Gilmore from speaking is the crux of the issue. Beveridge did not return The Stars request for comment. The judge, Teeter, said a reasonable jury could conclude that Beveridge acted in anger and silenced Gilmore because of her criticism of his father-in-law, rather than because of board policy. Thats because, Teeter said, Beveridge had a history with Gilmore since she ran against his sister-in-law. Gilmores speech specifically targeted Beveridges father-in-law and accused Randall of lying. The judge said Beveridge also interrupted Gilmore almost immediately after she began speaking before the content of her speech was clearly known. In addition, significantly, Beveridge did not simply silence Plaintiff, but he went the additional step and had her entirely removed from the public meeting even though (board policies) contain no provision authorizing removal. And Beveridge did not reference any specific aspect of the policy, but instead stated that he would not tolerate negative comments about family members of the Board, which is notable because a jury could find that this statement implicitly suggests that he would not have removed Plaintiff had she said positive things about a family member. Teeter also allowed Gilmore to pursue punitive damages against Beveridge, but denied her request to pursue damages against the district and school board. The judge ruled in favor of the district on several other points, rejecting Gilmores claim of retaliation and claim that her equal protection rights were violated, saying that they lacked evidence. And she threw out Gilmores challenge to board policy. Teeter also previously rejected Gilmores attempt to prevent the school board from enforcing its new public comment policy at meetings. The new policy, adopted in April 2022, months after Gilmore filed her suit, still includes a requirement that topics be germane to the business of the board. But board rules no longer include the provision about personal attacks or defamatory remarks. Baker, the Stilwell lawyer representing Gilmore, a couple of years ago represented the families of 16 children in the Blue Valley and Olathe districts, arguing that their students should be allowed to attend school during the pandemic without wearing masks. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Baker sued the Blue Valley district, the Kansas Department of Children and Families, as well as a charter school, over school immunization requirements on behalf of his son, who was not vaccinated. He didnt plan to return to Wichita. Now hes running what could be biggest Pride Month Jim Hall was the kid who left and determined never to come back. At least thats what he told the Wichita City Council recently. Hall identifies as a gay man. He was a self-described military brat growing up and graduated from high school in Derby. He remembers when Wichitas non-discrimination ordinance intended to prevent discrimination and ensure equal opportunity for housing, employment or other public accommodations regardless of sexuality was introduced in September 1977. He was also here when the ordinance was rejected by the city after its initial approval. I remember that summer when it was passed and hearing all the controversy and thinking to myself Im never coming back here. This will never be a safe place for me to be, Hall said. But Hall did come back. Now, he serves as the president of Wichita Pride, where he and his board seek to help Wichita become a place where all members of the LGBTQ community can feel safe and welcome. 44 years later, here I am, retired and getting to do the things I want to do, he said at a recent City Council meeting. This month, Wichita Pride is celebrating Pride Month with a number of activities and events focused around the LGBTQ community. For the past several years, the group has moved the majority of its activities to September due to the heat. Wichita Pride President Jim Hall My goal for Pride is that we become a year-round group, Hall said. Its not just a one-shot deal, and we will still have activities in the fall. We havent figured out exactly what those activities are yet, but we will still have some activities in September and October. Hall lived in Houston for 36 years. He moved to Wichita in 2017. My husband, of almost 38 years, had been here many times when my parents were living, he said in an email. I was approaching retirement, from MD Anderson Cancer Center, and he was ready to leave Houston, so we made the decision to head to Wichita. A year later, Hall got involved in his first Wichita Pride before becoming vice president in 2019. Now that Im retired, I have the time to do things like this that I didnt have before, Hall said. I was asked by the one person that I had kept in contact with from high school to join the board and went to a meeting, not knowing I was going to be asked to be on the board at that meeting, but came home being on the board. This month, Wichita Pride has, by Halls estimation, more activities planned than it has before. He attributes a lot of this success to the strength of the board. We have, right now, the best board I think Wichita Pride has ever had, Hall said. ...Thats why weve been able to expand activities that weve not been able to do before. Dawna Raehpour, this years communications director for Wichita Pride, agreed that 2023s board has been one of the organizations greatest strengths. Jim as a board president has been so willing to hear every voice on the board, she said. We have a lot of new people this year, and most of them are younger, and it is so great to see them stepping up and leading and offering ideas that we didnt think about before. They really think outside the box, they really think about what their friends in the community might want to see and experience in terms of Pride, and theyre not afraid to just jump in and do the work. In addition to traditional celebrations like the Pride Parade, the Pride Festival and an interfaith service, Wichita Pride will host events at Minisa Pool, the Sedgwick County Zoo and the Wichita Ice Center. Wichita Pride has also partnered with the city of Wichita and Proud of Wichita (the LGBT Chamber of Commerce) to host Pride in the Park, an event in Naftzger Park from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, June 23, which Hall described as a big dance party. Gia Gunn, a former contestant on RuPauls Drag Race, will be the events headliner. Wild and Proud Day at the Sedgwick County Zoo will be held on Saturday, June 24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The annual Pride Parade will start at the Old Sedgwick County Courthouse on June 25 at 11 a.m. The Wichita Pride Festival will be held in the Century II Exhibition Hall immediately after from noon to 4 p.m. For a more comprehensive list of events and how you can celebrate with Wichita Pride, check out this years Pride Pamphlet, or go to Wichita Prides website or Facebook page. Every year, I get asked, Why do we do Pride? and its a really simple answer, he said at the City Council meeting. Its because every year its someones first Pride. Its someones first time to feel a part of a community, to feel validated, to feel the inclusion that all of us want, and I appreciate Wichita doing this for us. Wichita Pride has also partnered with Tallgrass Film Festival to host PrideGrass Film Festival, screening films such as Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Best Picture-winner Moonlight throughout the month at The Lux. Raehpour said she hopes this years Pride Month not only allows Wichita to celebrate its LGBTQ community, but to simply get to know them as well. Its hard to hate people up close, she said. I kind of feel like people who have a lot of hateful things to say about the LGBTQ community dont really know anyone in that community, but they are your neighbors and your friends and your coworkers and your kids teachers. They are just regular people whose only agenda is to live a happy life and no more than that, so I feel like Pride is not only a celebration of all the things that this community has overcome, but all the things that will hopefully be in their future without discrimination. We still have a long way to go for complete inclusion, but I think were getting there, Hall said. I think the community bands together when we are able to celebrate our diversity, because we are a very diverse community, and the more we do that, the more we make ourselves visible throughout the year, the more we get included. BANGKOK, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Thailand has exported over 0.47 million tons of fresh durian in the first five months of this year, thanks to its continuing popularity among the Chinese and a faster route to China, a Thai government official said Thursday. More than 150,000 Thai durians so far have been transported to China through the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, which shortens the journey to only 4 days from 8-10 days on previous sea-road routes, said Anucha Burapachaisri, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister and government spokesman, in a statement. This fresh transport option not only lowers costs for Thai fruits but also helps reduce damage during transportation, he added. According to Anucha, the Southeast Asian country exported fresh durians worth over 110 billion baht (about 3.13 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022, the highest durian export value in 30 years, owing to the ease of transportation, China's optimization of its COVID-19 response, the superior taste of Thai durians, and strict quality control measures. The Thai government urges relevant agencies to put emphasis on durian quality standards from source to destination, he said. According to data from Thailand's Ministry of Commerce, China was the largest export market for Thai durians last year, accounting for more than 96 percent of the total export volume. Thailand was the top fruit exporter to China in 2022, generating over 4.9 billion dollars, with a 3.72 percent growth over the previous year, Anucha said in a separate statement. Devin Peyton Digital Nomad - Fresh coconut in the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam Devin Peyton is a marketing strategist whos been living the digital nomad lifestyle for the last ten years. She describes home as where I open my suitcase, yet has also found love and roots in Costa Rica. The digital nomad, aptly named ReadySetFro on Instagram, has traveled to 34 countries since her journey in the lifestyle began in 2013. Leaving the States with $1,200 in the bank, Peyton has navigated finding her way around the world, outside of the best of lists. Shes also proudly paid off her student loans, bought and sold a car, and had successful careers in her industry while abroad. Now, Peyton wants to help others make the leap to leave, while still being intentional about their decision to live abroad. Travel Noire spoke with Devin to learn about the motivation behind her nomad lifestyle, finding financial opportunities abroad and advice for other women who want to nomad travel. TN: How did your digital nomad journey get started? What made you take that leap 10 years ago? DP: I quit the United States in 2013. I had done all the things that you do. I went to college, got an internship and was working at Edelman PR firm in Washington, DC. Then, one day I walked in and I was the last one hired, so I was the first one laid off when we lost a client. I just hadnt prepared for that. When I got laid off, I was walking home from Northwest DC to Southeast DC in these heels. I was like, What am I gonna do? Somewhere between that walk, that conversation changed from, What am I gonna do, to, What do you want to do? I could do whatever I want. It was this really empowering walk that I took. At the end, I remember saying, Im going to move to France. I had never been to France and didnt speak the language. I was just like, Im going to move to France. Why not? I called my mom. My moms really great because shes very supportive of my worldness. She was like, Cool, cool. Love that for you. Do you speak French or whats the plan? I said, I dont speak French. Shes like, Mm, okay. Do you speak any other languages maybe? And I was like, I do speak Spanish. She was like, Okay, maybe try Spain. In the same area, you can at least navigate. I was actually going to teach English in Spain, but that didnt start until June. I had gotten laid off in November of the previous year, but I was like, Ive got to get out because if I wait until June, Im not going to go. Im going to find another job and Ill get back on the American track. I was like, Ill go to Costa Rica. I found a flight on Spirit that was $278. I got on this plane, got there and I had on my winter clothes. It was summer in Costa Rica. I was just like a fish out of water. I started to ease into Costa Rica. By the fourth week, I called my mom and I was like, I dont think Im going to come home. That was March 11, 2013. Ive literally been living and working in different regions of the world ever since then. TN: One of the biggest questions aspiring nomads have surrounds how to maintain the lifestyle. Many want to know, What can I do in terms of working abroad? What advice do you have for people on that front? DP: Thats a good question because I remember thinking, what am I going to do? Im going to teach because thats all that was on the internet. It was funny because teaching actually showed me that as a marketing strategist, I could actually just do my job abroad. I started teaching at a school because thats what the people do. Then, I discovered Im a strategist, so Im always thinking in certain ways, and Im always thinking about marketing opportunities, and how to leverage things. I remember working at a school and going to the director professionally. I set up a meeting with her. That was the beginning of Instagram [and] Facebook. People werent using it in the way they use it now. I was explaining to her that in the States, what I was doing for my clients with Edelman was helping them leverage their social media to get more clients. I showed her a marketing plan and what I could do. Then I turned that into what my job was. Eventually, from that place, I was a team lead and then became the director of the school. After that, I went to Asia and I was a nationwide manager over their marketing recruitment department. From there, I started working with my own clientele and being able to manage myself as companies wanted help with things. My advice is that I tell people all the time when theyre like, I dont want to be a teacher. You dont have to be a teacher. If you just approach living abroad like you do living here, youll have the same opportunities. You dont just settle for whatever you can get in the States because thats what you have available. You look for something thats within your passion or within your wheelhouse or within your interest. Its the same thing. It takes a little bit of time. Yes, there are visas involved and all of those things. If you just try a little bit harder than what youre being served on your algorithm, youll find some opportunities to do things. Photo Credit: Devin Peyton TN: Based on your experiences and conversations with other nomads, what destinations still hold a special place for you, or are places that you recommend people look at in terms of their considerations for digital nomad living? DP: Its hard to reimagine where I would start, but I think there are tiers to it. If youre like, Ive never done this before, and I just need a plug-and-play kind of experience, you can always go to Playa del Carmen in Mexico or Lisbon in Portugal. Those are very easy. The culture is easy. You can navigate the community. Those would be good. If you want to have a little bit of adventure, you could go to Vietnam or Asia where you can have that built-in community of coworkers, but youre in a very exotic place. If youre looking for an adventure, if youre like, I want to go see what the business is, I would say the continent [of Africa] is amazing. Its still very much undiscovered because of all of the bad PR. Because of that, its kind of protected the cultures that are there, and they are so excited when they get to see people visit them. They still have that joy. TN: One of the conversations youre big on setting straight is the stigma of being a 30-something travel girl. What exactly is that? Tell us more. DP: I think what happened is when I first started, content creation wasnt a thing. Its like this level of content stream wasnt a thing and people werent talking about it. Everyone now has this definition of what a digital nomad is. Even though people are like, Travel at any age, and You dont have to go to college, everyone thinks that a digital nomad is someone who teaches abroad for three years, travels around and then goes home and gets a real job. Understanding that it can be an actual lifestyle is so hard to explain to people. The biggest thing is to at least have someone whos a champion for your crazy. My mom is like, Cool, you want to go backpacking? Thats all right. Whos gonna watch the dog and where are you gonna go? Drop a pin. Shell always be like that. Im living a life of adventure. My joy is in travel and I dont have to explain that to anyone. Thats just how I like to live. The last thing is you just got to do it. You have to find your people that understand you, get you and support you. Once you find those people, the other people literally dont matter. I forget my age all the time because people always categorize me as 31 and Im 36. People are always like, So youre just turning 30. Im like, Girl, Ive been 30 for a while. Im knocking at 40s door, and I dont see myself owning a house [in the US] by the time Im 40. You cant explain that joy. TN: Where can we find you online? DP: You can find me on Instagram @ReadySetFro or on YouTube, where I share my digital nomad tips and tricks. This article has been edited and condensed for length and clarity. US President Joe Biden speaks during a joint press conference with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Stefani Reynolds) US President Joe Biden voiced confidence Thursday that he would meet Xi Jinping soon, as he refused to back down after angering Beijing by likening the Chinese leader to "dictators." Biden rejected "this theory that the relationship with China is collapsing" and praised talks Monday in Beijing between Xi and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who sought to keep tensions between the two powers in check. "Secretary Blinken had a great trip to China. I expect to be meeting with President Xi sometime in the future -- in the near term," Biden told a news conference alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Implicitly doubling down on his earlier comments on Xi, Biden said he would not be "avoiding saying what I think (are) the facts" on China. "It's just not something I'm going to change very much," he said. Biden, speaking two days after Blinken's trip, said that Xi -- who has cemented power like no Chinese leader in decades -- was unaware of an alleged surveillance balloon that flew over the US mainland in February. "The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment is he didn't know it was there," Biden told a political reception at which reporters were present. "I'm serious. That was the great embarrassment for dictators, when they didn't know what happened." The balloon caused a public uproar in the United States, leading Blinken to cancel his originally scheduled trip to Beijing, even though administration officials privately doubted the threat from the object. China's ambassador to Washington, Xie Feng, lodged a protest with the White House and State Department over Biden's "disparaging" remarks about Xi, the Chinese embassy said. Biden's comments are "erroneous, absurd and irresponsible and form an open political provocation," an embassy statement said, echoing condemnation from Beijing. - Chances soon for summit - Biden in his decades in politics has been known for his loose tongue but also for his belief in the power of personal diplomacy. Biden says he spent more than 24 hours talking to Xi when they were both vice presidents, contributing to the cordial mood when they met for the first time as presidents in November on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Bali. Xi and Biden are both set to be in New Delhi in September for the next G20 summit. Biden is also inviting Xi to San Francisco in November when the United States plays host to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. The Bali talks came after tensions had soared over then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's defiant visit to Taiwan, with Beijing responding through major military exercises around the self-ruling democracy which it claims. Biden's outspokenness was not shared by at least one fellow Western leader -- New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who is visiting Beijing next week. Asked Thursday if he concurred with Biden's assessment of China's leader, Hipkins said "no," adding that "the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people." The United States frequently criticizes China's human rights record, although it insists it is not seeking regime change. In a speech last year, Blinken said the United States needs to prove that democracy is more effective than Beijing's "party-led centralized system," but added, "We do not seek to transform Chinas political system." sct/caw 'Secret Invasion,' a paranoid spy thriller about shape-shifting aliens starring Samuel L Jackson, used AI as well as human illustrators to generate its opening credits (Patrick T. Fallon) The use of artificial intelligence in the new Marvel superhero series "Secret Invasion" has sparked anxiety and anger in Hollywood, at a time when television and film writers are already striking over their uncertain futures. Director Ali Selim revealed in a recent interview that the Disney+ show -- a paranoia-rich spy thriller about shape-shifting aliens that stars Samuel L Jackson -- used AI as well as human illustrators to generate its opening credits. The abstract sequence in question blends green-hued urban landscapes, spaceships and shadowy human characters, many of whom gradually reveal themselves to be the reptilian extra-terrestrial "Skrulls" of the series. Selim told the Polygon website that the use of AI was intended to provide a sense of "foreboding." "When we reached out to the AI vendors, that was part of it -- it just came right out of the shape-shifting, Skrull world identity, you know? 'Who did this? Who is this?'" he said. "We would talk to them about ideas and themes and words, and then the computer would go off and do something. And then we could change it a little bit by using words, and it would change." "It felt explorative and inevitable, and exciting, and different," said Selim. But the revelation did not sit well with many in Hollywood, where fears are mounting that AI could replace jobs for script writers, designers and even actors. The refusal of studios like Netflix and Disney to rule out allowing AI to replace human scribes was one factor that led to the writers' strike, now in its eighth week. Jeff Simpson, who is credited as the show's visual development concept artist and worked on a different part of the series, tweeted that he was "really concerned about the impacts of this." "I'm devastated, I believe AI to be unethical, dangerous and designed solely to eliminate artists careers," he wrote. Jon Lam, a storyboard artist, said the use of AI was "salt in the wounds of all Artists and Writers in the WGA strike." The Writers Guild of America has asked studios and streamers for binding agreements to regulate the use of AI. Under the proposals, nothing written by AI can be considered "literary" or "source" material -- industry terms that decide who gets royalties -- and scripts written by WGA members cannot "be used to train AI." But according to the WGA, studios "rejected our proposal," and countered with an offer merely to meet once a year to "discuss advancements in technology." Method Studios, the company credited with creating the main titles for "Secret Invasion," said AI was "just one tool among the array of tool sets our artists used." No artists' jobs were replaced by the use of AI, it said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. amz/dw Russian terrorists blew up the Kakhovskaya HPP on June 6 The Dnipro River is reverting to a water level not seen for more than 70 years, following the Russian destruction of the KakhovkaDam, said Ukraine's Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, on June 21. "The water has receded from the banks by 1,300-1,600 meters, he stated. The Dnipro is essentially returning to its course from 70 years ago. Currently, we are assessing the water requirements of the population and the capacity of the Dnipro River basin. The primary concern at the moment is the supply of drinking water, he emphasized. Current reserves are expected to be sufficient for a month. Read also: Over 500 civilians may have died in Oleshky after dam breach, Ukraine says Overnight on June 6, Russian forces, who had occupied the town of Nova Kakhovka for over a year, detonated the Kakhovka Dam and hydropower plant. Cities and towns downstream of the Dnipro River were completely or partially flooded. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to the Russian attack on the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant as the largest man-made environmental disaster in Europe in decades. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine A doctor has voluntarily surrendered his medical license after being accused of providing unofficial COVID-19 vaccination exemption waivers, the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners said. Robert Coble, 76, was employed at MedChoice LLC, in Hendersonville in August and September 2021, according to an order from the Tennessee Department of Health released on June 15. During that time, MedChoice advertised COVID-19 vaccine waivers on its website, which could be ordered by an individual for $139, the order said. The website, which provided handwritten medical waivers personally reviewed and signed by a licensed physician, asked applicants to select the reason for ordering the waiver, the order said. Possible reasons included I am very anxious about getting the vaccine, and I am immunosuppressed. An attorney for Coble was not listed on the order and MedChoice has since been dissolved, according to Kaiser Health News. In 2021, a Nashville news station discovered Cobles name, signature and medical license number was appearing on waivers sold online, the outlet reported. The outlet tried to order a vaccine waiver for Charlie, a black Labrador retriever, and selected I have an irrational fear of needles, as his reason. The outlet paid the $139, and days later, a personalized waiver arrived for Charlie with a handwritten note that said Charlie should not receive any Covid vaccine, the outlet reported. The order does not include Charlie specifically, but does provide an irrational fear of needles as one of the reasons listed for someone to need a waiver. Some of the waivers were also sent to individuals outside the state of Tennessee, the order said, though Coble was only licensed in that state. The order said people in Maine and Washington ordered and received cards signed by Coble. Coble reached an agreement May 16 to voluntarily surrender his license, pay a series of fines and prevent him from applying for another medical license for a year after the effective date of the order. Coble is a resident of Goodspring, Kaiser Health News reported, about 85 miles southwest of Nashville. Firefighter steals credit cards from dead man then goes shopping, NY official says Males lose sex chromosome as they age. It could make cancer more deadly, study says Man on Price is Right wins trip but celebration sends him to hospital, video shows 68-year-old woman killed when ambulance hits her after wellness check, Ohio cops say TAMPA The Tampa Bay area has a bevy of aromas, good and bad. Ybor Citys Seventh Avenue boasts the scents of cigars and coffee and Pinellas Countys beaches smell of salt water. Locals likely recognize the stench of red tide a mile away, sometimes literally, or the damp odor that warns of a coming summer storm. But now, Tampa Bay has an official signature scent, well, at least according to Visit Tampa Bay, which is the tourism arm of Hillsborough County. Its called Tampa Bay Sunrise and Visit Tampa Bay believes that the fragrance can further promote area tourism. The sense of smell affects about 75% of emotions and plays an important role in memories and perceptions, Visit Tampa Bay CEO Santiago Corrada said. So, we thought, if were at a trade show where we are showing great images and videos of the destination, lets add some scent to it. He envisions local tourist destinations using it, too. Then, when a visitor later smells something similar, they will recall their trip to Tampa Bay and want to return. The scent is a sweet blend of afternoon tea, rose petals and sweet vanilla combined with subtle notes of golden sandalwood supported by creamy amber and a musk base note, according to the media release by Air Esscentials, which created Tampa Bay Sunrise. And how exactly does that represent Tampa Bay? The musky smell comes from a subtle hint of tobacco, said Marc Levy, the executive vice president of the Miami-based Air Essentials, and golden sandalwood represents pirates, as in pirates gold. The other fragrances are meant to provide the sense of comfort and relaxation that can be found while vacationing in Tampa Bay, Corrada said. This is called scent marketing, Corrada said, and he expects the impact to be on par with his agencys other endeavors, such as wrapping another citys Ubers with advertisements and releasing a cookbook that promotes the areas restaurants and signature dishes. Scent marketing is not new, Levy said. Anyone who has been to Las Vegas knows that every casino has a signature scent. So do hospitals, retail stores, just about any space you can imagine, because smell has an amazing effect on the way that we feel and our memory. Air Esscentials has created the signature scents of the St. Petersburg Airport and is also behind the official smell of Miami, which its website says represents the sun, sea and spirit of the South Florida city. The scent was developed for free and then sold to Visit Tampa Bay. For now, through atomizers, Tampa Bay Sunrise can be smelled locally inside Visit Tampa Bays offices and their Unlock Tampa Bay Visitors Center, both at 201 N. Franklin St. So far, the department has spent $3,000 on three atomizers and the fragrance to put in them. But candles and room sprays will ultimately be available, Corrada said, so that you can actually take that memory, that experience of Tampa Bay home with you. As a search for five tourists believed to be stranded at the bottom of the ocean continues, the son of former President Donald Trump is weighing in about the situation. Mr Trumps eldest son, Don Jr., commented on Truth Social and Twitter on Wednesday that the entire situation was insane and sketchy and baselessly predicted that external factors that had not yet been publicly disclosed were contributing to the inability of rescue teams to find the craft. The search for the missing Titan submersible reached a bleak point on Thursday as oxygen reserves on the craft are thought to be dwindling if not already totally spent. The odds of finding the craft and, importantly, rescuing the five people inside, are growing longer. "Literally everything I've seen about this missing submarine is insane and sketchy AF... almost none of it makes any sense whatsoever. How long till we find other external factors making it even more so???" wrote the ex-presidents eldest son. He would go on, in a second post, to mock lefties for dismissing his conspiracy theories. While many of Mr Trumps fans liked the post, on Twitter the reaction from many was derision towardsMr Trump Jrs apparent confusion as to why something could have easily gone wrong on the voyage. Rich people sometimes have more money than sense. Also, regulations exist for reasons. Hope that helps, wrote one person in response. Rich people sometimes have more money than sense. Also, regulations exist for reasons. Hope that helps. (@WednesFri) June 21, 2023 > unregulated submersible > thousands of psi > ??? > something is really fishy about this story! Alex Jewell (@bestfoodalex) June 21, 2023 Those onboard the craft were headed to the wreckage of the Titanic, some several hundred miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. But the expedition was privately funded and independent experts have long criticised the company involved for cost-cutting measures they warn made the voyage much less safe than through traditional scientific ventures. This company decided to self-certify, one engineer who signed an open letter warning about the companys practices in 2018, Bart Kemper, told CBS Mornings. It follows no code, and it follows no jurisdiction. Cities in the Midwest are facing a doom loop and without serious changes these midsize cities could quietly slide into oblivion. Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/Insider Work from home is crushing Midwestern downtowns You may have heard that America's cities are in trouble. From the "death of downtowns" to the "urban doom loop," the plight of America's superstar metros and their central business districts in particular have been a frequent source of concern for economists, politicians, and commentators. Most of the concern has been focused on coastal cities like San Francisco and Seattle, which have seen the usual stream of commuters shrink to a trickle due to remote work's hold on the white-collar workforce. But Midwestern cities are also facing a crisis of their own struggling to attract workers, residents, and visitors to their downtowns. And while many coastal metros experienced a "golden age" in the decade before the pandemic, cities in America's heartland have been struggling since well before COVID came around. In order to pull out of their tailspin, economists and urban planners say many Midwestern cities need to get serious about improving amenities and boosting quality of life in their downtowns. Instead of being places where people are forced to go to work, leaders need to make their center cities into a destination that people actually want to visit. "What I really think it comes down to in these places is that there's nothing special about any of the downtowns in any of these cities that would be attractive to new residents," Michael Hicks, a professor of economics and business research at Ball State University in Indiana, told Insider. "The cities just don't have the fundamental amenities that would attract people." Hollowed out A good way to gauge just how much trouble Midwestern cities are in is to take a look at how many people their downtowns are actually attracting. Standing in the middle of the city square and counting people can be a bit tough though, so researchers at the University of Toronto have been analyzing anonymized cellphone data for the past few years to track the number of people physically present in central business districts each day. The granular, individual-level data provides a fuller picture of downtown vitality both before and after the pandemic than other measures such as office vacancy rates and mass-transit ridership. The conclusion the study draws for the heartland is bleak. Five of the bottom 10 cities in the tracker's most recent data, which measured the period from December 2022 to March 2023, were in the Midwest: St. Louis, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Cleveland, and Kansas City, Missouri. Nine of the 13 Midwestern cities tracked in the study were in the bottom half of the rankings. Other indicators of central business district health from office workers to vacant real-estate space are similarly stark for many of these cities. Jacob Frey, the mayor of Minneapolis, recently said he expects his city's downtown workforce will max out at about 75% of its pre-pandemic numbers, and a recent study showed that 21.2 million square feet of office space in the city is sitting vacant. In April, Salesforce announced it would give up one-quarter of its office space in the Indianapolis Salesforce Tower, Indiana's tallest building. The Midwest as a whole has also struggled to attract new residents and hold onto its existing residents in recent years. Between April 2020 and July 2022, the region saw a net decline of more than 400,000 residents. And things could get even worse for downtowns if they fall into the so-called "urban doom loop." Commercial property taxes make up a large chunk of many city budgets, so as office vacancies rise, the decreased revenue could force leaders to curtail municipal services or make cuts to key programs. Declining services and quality of life in turn pushes residents out, leading to a self-reinforcing exodus. Without serious changes, these midsize cities in the middle of the country could be quietly sliding into oblivion. "The writing on the wall is not great," Karen Chapple, the director of the School of Cities at the University of Toronto and the author of the downtown recovery study, told Insider. 'The collapse of the Midwest' The original sin that led to the Midwest's current predicament can be traced back to boneheaded choices made 70 years ago. In the early part of the 20th century, Midwestern cities boomed attracting workers and families seeking out manufacturing jobs and education. Downtowns were bustling places for shopping, living, and working. That all changed in the 1950s. Many Midwestern cities relied on a single industry or even a single company to buttress its economy. Cleveland had the steel industry, Detroit was built by autos, and Akron was home to tire manufacturers. So in order to keep businesses from leaving town, leaders began to single-mindedly focus on attracting businesses even if it meant making peoples' lives harder. "For the second half of the 20th century, most Midwestern cities really focused on bending over backwards to accommodate businesses," Hicks said. "They bulldozed neighborhoods, they did eminent domain for all kinds of highways to get the products moved from factory to customer more quickly. And they neglected the fundamentals that people have liked about cities for 3,000 years, which is you can meet with people, you can walk to a place to eat, it's safe." Midwestern downtowns cleared out during the pandemic, but their problems started decades before COVID came around. Michael Siluk/Getty Images This urban transformation turned Midwestern downtowns into "nothing but skyscrapers and highways," Amanda Weinstein, a professor of economics at the University of Akron, told me. "The thought was, cities are just for jobs and that's all they really are." After years of being ignored, workers' community ties began to fray and they started to look for greener pastures. Many Rust Belt residents left for the Sun Belt, Weinstein said, which promised affordability and a higher quality of life. Even those central-city residents who weren't lured by warmer locales eventually migrated out of the city to leafier surrounding suburbs. "The collapse of the Midwest is really the story of, 'As soon as the job went away, I got the hell out of this shitty town,'" Hicks said. Given this long history of out-migration and neglect, it's not surprising that Midwestern downtowns that were struggling before the pandemic are having an even harder time now, Tracy Hadden Loh, a fellow at the Brookings Institution who studies downtowns and urban real estate, told me. "The pandemic is a huge disruption that has produced some real paradigm shifts, but the vast majority of what it's done is just drastically accelerate existing trends," she said. 'A people problem, not a business problem' If Midwestern cities have any hope of reversing this downward spiral, experts told me, then leaders will need to prioritize people over business. If a diverse set of people live in or frequent downtowns, they'll attract a variety of employers and build a foundation that can weather shocks to the system, such as a pandemic or the death of an industry. "What we're seeing increasingly is that jobs are following people and where people want to be," Weinstein said. "We have to compete to get the talent that business needs." In order to draw in new residents, Hicks told me, there are two big things that need to be addressed: adequate housing and services. Downtowns should create an environment that attracts people, and that will in turn draw in employers and boost the economy. Hicks and Weinstein wrote in a Brookings Institution report that the Midwest's history of embracing loose regulations and tax incentives for businesses have hurt the provision of services that would attract people to live in downtowns. "I don't think there's a commercial fix to this for cities," Hicks said. "It's a people problem, not a business problem." Quality of life is largely determined by the services and amenities available in a community. These include schools, safe public spaces, libraries, playgrounds, transportation and relatively short commute times, and restaurants and retail. Midwestern cities have largely failed to invest in these kinds of amenities, leaving their downtowns devoid of anything but office space and industrial parks. To bring in new residents and visitors rather than just workers, they need these attractions. "If office workers are coming downtown less, but college students are willing to come downtown more, what about literally putting a college in your downtown?" Hadden Loh said. "This is something that cities are increasingly looking at." She pointed to Phoenix as an example. Over the past couple of decades, the city has made major investments in revitalizing its core, including a new downtown campus for Arizona State University. Even in situations where Midwestern cities have preexisting natural amenities like mountains or lakes that lend themselves to redevelopment, they've failed to capitalize on those advantages. Take downtown Cleveland, where Weinstein said the city has allowed its natural waterfront along Lake Erie to be "forgotten." Despite its potential, the waterfront isn't walkable and offers little by way of restaurants or attractions. And given the city's long history of prioritizing industry, residents are concerned about the lake's water quality. "The number of restaurants we have that overlook the lake I can count on one hand," she said. In an effort to give the area a face-lift, the city is currently considering potentially closing Burke Lakefront Airport, a city-owned, 450-acre regional airport situated on prime waterfront real estate. The airport largely serves private business and medical flights and has recently seen its traffic plummet. Closing the airport and redeveloping the waterfront into an amenity-rich area with a mix of housing and commercial space would be a "big game changer" for Cleveland, Weinstein said. Housing is also a crucial piece of a thriving downtown. Cities need to attract residents, not just tourists and workers. Downtown areas might need to be rezoned to allow developers to come in and build housing. And cities that are struggling to attract workers back downtown might have an easier time attracting residents in a hot housing market. Some Midwestern cities have already begun incentivizing pricey conversions of office space to residential property. Offering those two elements in tandem higher-quality services and a larger stock of housing can reverse the "doom loop" and instead create a positive feedback loop. "Oftentimes, the best way to improve your housing stock is to focus on making sure you have good clean parks, you've got high-quality public safety and services," Hicks said. Midwestern downtowns need to get away from the nine-to-five office district of the past and embrace a diverse, multiuse, high-amenity model. "In the long term, I think what we're learning from the places that have bounced back is that you just want to make sure that you have diverse, 24/7 downtowns, and we kind of give up this idea of the downtown office district as being something that is a relic of the early 20th century," Chapple said. "We're in a different world now." If Midwestern cities like Kansas City want to build for the future, then leaders will have to focus on attracting residents not businesses. Edwin Remsberg/Getty Images A vision for the future It's not all doom and gloom in the Midwest. As downtowns have struggled, many of the suburbs surrounding Midwestern cities have long been thriving. Both Weinstein and Hicks say this is because they've focused on livability: creating safe, walkable neighborhoods with green spaces and strong school systems. "The suburbs have it figured out," Weinstein said. "I've heard people kind of pejoratively say, like, 'Oh, the suburbs just do so well because they cater to families.' And I'm like, yes. You just found your perfect economic development strategy: cater to families, cater to residents." The pandemic exacerbated this pull to the suburbs. Hicks said the typical household that moved out of places like downtown Indianapolis or Chicago was a 26-year-old married couple without kids. "They want to get a dog, they want to start a family, and so they said, 'Well, you know, mortgage rates are really low. Let's just get the hell out of this apartment,'" he said. If Midwestern cities want their downtowns to survive, then the center cities may need to become more like the suburbs that have bled them dry. One place that has figured out this equation is the city of Columbus. While Ohio is losing residents, Columbus has grown over the past two decades and the metro area even gained residents during the height of the pandemic. And unlike so many other Midwestern cities, the University of Toronto study found that more people are now visiting Columbus' downtown than in 2019. The reasons for the city's success come down to the quality of life it delivers. The Columbus city government invested heavily in amenities, ranging from a strong school system to a walkable downtown with plentiful restaurants and bars and even an outdoor drinking zone. Housing is relatively affordable, commute times are short, and the city's public schools are strong. The city's also full of students it's home to dozens of schools including the Ohio State University's flagship campus. And Columbus isn't resting on its laurels. Last fall, the city rolled out a strategic plan for its downtown, which includes investing in public transit, removing parking lots, and building bike and pedestrian infrastructure to attract new residents and tourists. The high concentration of college-educated workers has attracted a diverse set of high-paying jobs and made the city a hub for tech companies and startups. The chip-manufacturing giant Intel broke ground last year on a massive complex 20 minutes outside Columbus' downtown that will house at least two semiconductor factories. The company's leadership cited the city's abundant, diverse talent pool as a major reason why it chose the Ohio capital for its $100 billion investment. "It's also around schools and has a population of folks that are very tied to the Midwest," Intel's executive vice president, Keyvan Esfarjani, told TechCrunch last year. "They want to be there, they want to solve problems." Companies' "models are telling them this is where college-educated people are moving," Hicks said, so these corporations are starting to chase that workforce to places like Columbus. "They went there because the people are there, which is the big economic-development lesson." Columbus' experience shows a path forward for the region: If the people come, the rest will follow. Eliza Relman is a policy correspondent focused on housing, transportation, and infrastructure on Insider's economy team. Read the original article on Business Insider "It was grim, apocalyptic even," said a local person after seeing dead fish in the Cam A large number of fish have been found dead in the river in Cambridge this week. Locals reported seeing many dead fish in the stretch of the Cam between Elizabeth Bridge and Ditton Meadows. One resident said the sight was "grim - apocalyptic even". The Environment Agency (EA) and Anglian Water suggested the cause may be low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water. Many fish were found dead in the section of river near Ditton Meadows Simone Chalkley, who lives in the city, saw "maybe 100" dead fish while walking along the bank. "There were a lot - some single, large, others in batches of 10s and 20s - floating all the way along the edge," she said. Ms Chalkley has lived in Cambridge for 31 years and said she had never seen so many dead fish at one time. She added: "I walk by the river every week, sometimes more than once a week. "The most I've ever seen is one or two dead fish at once, never anything on this scale. "It was grim - apocalyptic even." Ms Chalkley said she reported the issue to the EA immediately. The Environment Agency suggested low levels of oxygen in the water caused the issue A spokesperson for the EA thanks people for reporting the dead fish and urged people to continue to do so. They said: "Specialist fisheries officers inspected the river, where it is suspected that low levels of dissolved oxygen after heavy rainfall were the cause of the fish deaths, not pollution." A spokesperson from Anglian Water confirmed the company attended the inspection at Ditton Meadows with the EA. They said: "Both ourselves and the EA can confirm that the issue resulting in the death of the fish is not related to Anglian Water in any way." Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Got a story? Email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 0800 169 1830 MANILA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Coast Guard said rescuers retrieved a body and were searching for nine people still missing after a fishing boat sank off Davao Oriental province in the southern Philippines early Thursday. The coast guard said the boat, Genesis 2, which carried at least 24 people, "half submerged" at around 01:00 a.m. local time after encountering rough seas in the waters off Banganga town. Fishing boats in the vicinity immediately conducted search and rescue operations and saved 14 crew, the coast guard said in an initial statement. The coast guard said it has sent a vessel to the area to help in the ongoing search and rescue. Frazer Harrison/FilmMagic/Getty Dr. Luke has dropped his defamation lawsuit against Kesha just weeks before a highly anticipated trial was set to begin, the music producer and the pop star announced in a joint statement on Thursday. Only God knows what happened that night, Kesha said in the statement posted on Instagram, which added that the pair had reached a resolution in the lawsuit. As I have always said, I cannot recount everything that happened. I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter in my life and beginning a new one. I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved. A lawyer for Dr. Luke confirmed the settlement to The Daily Beast, stating that the producer and Kesha have resolved the case and wish each other the best moving forward. Keshas voluntary public statement clears Lukes name as it proves she had no ground to accuse him of any wrongdoing, attorney Christine Lepera added. A representative for Kesha did not immediately respond for comment. The signaling of a deal marks the end of a long legal battle between Kesha and her former music producer. The saga began in 2014 when the TikTok singer sued Dr. Luke and Sony Music to get out of her multi-album recording deal. Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, then counter-sued Kesha for defamation, arguing that her claim that he had raped her in 2005 was false. He also alleged that Kesha Rose Seber had made a series of false statements online and in texts to Lady Gaga. In 2020, a lower court judge ruled that Kesha defamed Dr. Luke, a decision that was reaffirmed a year later. Earlier this month, however, a New York appeals court ruled that Dr. Luke is a public figure and must prove that Kesha acted with actual malice when she accused him of raping her nearly 20 years ago. Dr. Luke also released a statement about the decision to settle his lawsuit on Thursday, noting that while he appreciated that Kesha acknowledged she couldnt recount what happened that night in 2005, he is certain that nothing happened. I never drugged or assaulted her and would never do that to anyone, Dr. Luke added. For the sake of my family, I have vigorously fought to clear my name for nearly 10 years. It is time for me to put this difficult matter behind me and move on with my life. I wish Kesha well, he added. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. "Every generation has to fight to preserve what prior generations were able to secure," says Hector Villagra, executive director at the ACLU of Southern California. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Sir Lady Java wore feathers and danced in Los Angeles nightclubs a half-century ago. A transgender woman, known then as a female impersonator, she was of her time but also very much ahead of it, a performer whose battles and brash glamour resonate today as drag queens and LGBTQ+ rights are under siege across the nation. A hat maker and designer, Sir Lady Java, who arrived in a blaze amid the counterculture, saw her act threatened in 1967 by a city regulation that prohibited performers from cross-dressing in clubs, except by permit. Hers was denied. The American Civil Liberties Union took her case to the California Supreme Court. She lost, but the ordinance was revoked two years later. Now known as Lady Java, the 79-year-old is revered as an early activist in the LGBTQ+ community. Her story is tucked into the files of the ACLU of Southern California, which opened in 1923 after muckraking writer Upton Sinclair was jailed for reading the 1st Amendment while supporting protesting San Pedro dockworkers. A coffee mug sits on Hector Villagra's desk. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) Since then, the organization, which is often criticized by conservatives, has represented civil liberties cases involving immigration, voting rights, freedom of speech, jail reform, police abuse, education equality, racism, homelessness, religion and the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. The ACLUs national office has been at the forefront of seminal moments in American history, including Brown vs. the Board of Education and Roe vs. Wade. Read more: Roe vs. Wade falls: A comprehensive guide to L.A. Times coverage But when you scroll through the ACLU archives, it's apparent how legal victories in one era can be undone or threatened years later in a country whose citizens are often at odds over the meaning of its Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned abortion rights and is expected in coming days to weaken or abolish affirmative action. The Lady Java case is very similar to the drag queen issue of today, said Hector Villagra, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California. Its that same kind of bias against a vulnerable group. It speaks to something that is almost a motto in the ACLU that no victory ever stays won. Critics say the organization has become less zealous in its traditional mission of protecting the 1st Amendment as it rallies to progressive causes around race and gender. But the ACLU says that protections across society including free speech need to be guarded when civil liberties are in jeopardy on multiple fronts. Every generation has to fight to preserve what prior generations were able to secure, said Villagra, 55, who went into public interest law after he graduated from Columbia Law School. Progress isnt inevitable. :: Accelerating political attacks and restrictions on LGBTQ+ rights in many states are terrifying, said Amanda Goad, director of the LGBTQ, Gender & Reproductive Justice Project at the ACLU of Southern California. Nearly 500 bills to limit LGBTQ+ rights and gender-affirming care have been introduced in state legislatures. Even in liberal California, the ACLU has defended transgender clients against discrimination. It joined a 2018 lawsuit on behalf of Christynne Wood, a transgender woman who was denied access to womens locker rooms at Crunch Fitness gym in El Cajon. We start out with a different [political] climate, Goad said of California, but we are not immune to prejudice and discrimination around gender. Other issues also play like recurring themes in the national conversation. In 1957, the ACLU of Southern California won an injunction against the Beverly Hills police, who had ordered the removal from a shop window of nude replica statues, including Michelangelos masterpiece, David, for being lewd and obscene. A similar controversy arose this year when a Florida charter school principal resigned under pressure for not informing parents of sixth-graders that a class would be showing a picture of David. Hector Villagra says the ACLU is "not afraid and not apologetic." (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) The same battles get re-litigated, said Villagra, the son of a Cuban refugee and an Argentinian-born sheet metal worker who grew up in Rosemead and Monterey Park. Were seeing this across the country. Lawyers for the ACLU of Southern California have argued before the U.S. Supreme Court and in less venerable places. In 1934, A.L. Wirin was kidnapped, roughed up and had his shoes stolen by vigilantes while fighting for farmworkers rights in Imperial County. A Russian immigrant and a Harvard University graduate, Wirin worked for the ACLU here for nearly 40 years, representing Japanese Americans during World War II and defending Communists during hearings held by Sen. Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s. Today, the Southern California office, with a budget of about $20 million drawn from members and donations, has 29 staff lawyers working with legal and policy advocates. Its territory includes Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and Kern County. About one-third of its workload the office takes only 1% of 10,000 requests a year centers on police accountability and the criminal justice system, including a long battle to improve overcrowding and abysmal conditions in Los Angeles County jails. Read more: Letters to the Editor: This is why the ACLU opposes Gov. Newsoms CARE Courts Fear of crime and lack of empathy for inmates, said Villagra, have limited public outcry for deep reforms and the cases keep coming. Progressives and liberals often become very moderate or even conservative when it comes to police accountability, said Villagra, whose office successfully sued the city and county in 2020 to repeal curfews set up to limit Black Lives Matter protests. He added that police lobbies and unions have a level of resistance thats off the charts regarding reforms on the use of force. Theyre going to keep fighting and chipping away to resist accountability. In 2021, the California attorney generals office called for comprehensive reforms in the Bakersfield Police Department after an independent investigation and years of accusations of excessive force and other violations. An ACLU report found that when compared with cities with similar crime rates or higher, Bakersfield ranked second highest in California and ninth in the country for its rate of police killings. Through lawsuits and other measures, the ACLU has pressed for nearly five decades to force the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department to stem appalling jail conditions. In February, the ACLU asked a federal judge to hold the county, Sheriff Robert Luna and the county Board of Supervisors in contempt for disregarding court orders to stop inhumane practices, including holding people in cells covered with trash and feces. The county and the ACLU reached a proposed settlement last week to improve conditions, including limiting how long detainees can be handcuffed to chairs and benches at the inmate reception center in downtown LA. The organization has had notable successes around improving jail and inmate conditions. A 2014 report by the ACLU and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law helped lead to the creation of the countys Office of Diversion and Reentry. The office transfers people with mental health problems about 40% of the county jail population out of jails and into supportive care facilities. "The jails are a disgrace. People with mental illness shouldnt be there, said Peter Eliasberg, a lawyer in the Southern California ACLU office since 1996, who worked on the report and noted that progress often comes in increments. I started off with an unrealistic idea of how much change I could help engender. You learn your limitations. But still I believe the work I have done with my colleagues has made a difference. Hector Villagra said he once gave his wife, who works in Los Angeles County government, an ACLU mug. One of her co-workers "complained about her having communist propaganda." (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) One of the ACLU of Southern Californias swiftest wins was reversing former President Trumps Muslim ban in early 2017. Ali Vayeghan was traveling from Tehran to Los Angeles to visit his brother and son. He had a visa to enter the U.S. but was held at Los Angeles International Airport and was not allowed to see his family. Authorities put him on a flight back to Iran the next day. The ACLU and immigration attorney Stacy Tolchin won an emergency court order allowing him to return to the U.S When he arrived, people were singing, This Land Is Your Land, said Villagra, who was at the airport. Those moments were powerful, and they left an indelible imprint on folks that this is an organization willing and ready to jump into the fray. Not afraid and not apologetic. This is who we are. :: Critics say the ACLU is moving in the wrong direction. Jeremy B. Rosen, a prominent Los Angeles appellate lawyer and member of the conservative Federalist Society, said he once admired the ACLU for taking on cases like that of teenager Yetta Stromberg. She was arrested in 1929 for flying a red flag suggesting communist sympathies at a summer camp near San Bernardino. In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court struck down the flag law as repugnant to the guarantee of liberty. Rosen said the ACLUs attention to progressive causes has swept it into the fight for cultural supremacy that is polarizing the country. The change they have gone through is not a positive one, said Rosen, noting that in the 1970s the ACLU defended the 1st Amendment rights of neo-Nazis to march in Illinois. He questioned whether the ACLU would take a similar stand today. The country doesnt need another progressive interest group. What we need are organizations dedicated to bipartisan protection of civil liberties. Thats what the ACLU used to be. Read more: L.A. County and ACLU reach extraordinary agreement to address jail conditions For many on the right, the ACLU has long been regarded as an anti-government provocateur, a Fox News dog whistle to rouse the conservative base. Executive director of the Southern California office since 2011, Villagra, whose combed-back black hair is graying at the temples, said he once gave his wife, who works in Los Angeles County government, an ACLU mug. One of her co-workers complained about her having communist propaganda. He recalled similar sentiment when he headed the ACLUs Orange County office and protesters turned up: It was so absurd. One protester had a sign saying that Hitler loved the ACLU and another had a sign that Stalin loved the ACLU, and I thought, wow, look at the ACLU bringing together these disparate forces for the common hatred of us. Villagra said his moral sensibilities were shaped by the "Jesuit education I received at Loyola High School. The ideal was "a man for others." "The greatest thing you could do was to be in service to others. They almost taught us to question everything. But much of the inspiration for his work came from his mother. Her parents supported Fidel Castro and, according to family lore, trafficked guns to his communist revolution in Cuba in the 1950s. But they became disillusioned and sent their children to the U.S., where his mother would later marry an Argentine immigrant with a third-grade education. Villagra said his family faced discrimination the underside of the American story was ingrained in me but remembers his mothers determination to vote in her first presidential election in 1976. I have that strong thread from my mom, he said. Civil liberties. Freedom of speech. Conscience. Dissent. Those were sacred to her. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. By Elida Moreno PANAMA CITY (Reuters) - The Panama Canal will expand restrictions on the largest ships crossing the waterway, one of the world's busiest trade passages, the canal authority's administrator said on Wednesday, citing shallower waters due to drought. The measure follows a series of depth restrictions in the 50-mile (80 km) canal since the beginning of the year due to a drought, which authorities had hoped would ease by the start of the Central American country's rainy season. Ship traffic, including container ships and oil tankers, using the canal between the Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean accounts for about 3.5% of global trade. The new restrictions, which will take effect Sunday, limit neo-Panamax container ships to a depth limit of 43.5 feet (13.3 metres) meaning they must either carry less cargo or shed weight in order to float higher. The previous maximum draft was 44.0 feet. Panamax ships, which use the canal's older locks, will also face tighter rules on July 9, the port administration told clients in an advisory seen by Reuters. Both classes will see a further limit applied on July 19. Port administrator Ricaurte Vasquez said the July 19 measure will depend on how much rain pours into the lake system surrounding the canal, calling the current lack of rainfall "worrisome" as the canal basin must also provide additional drinking water for residents. El Nino, a periodic warming weather phenomenon, has brought a severe drought along the Pacific coast. Despite the new rules limiting ships' weight, Vasquez said the flow of ships through the canal has carried on as expected so far. He warned this could, however, see an impact depending on rainfalls and higher route costs due to the new limits. The limits will not affect liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, as they typically report drafts of up to 37 feet, according to the canal authority. (This story has been refiled to correct the spellings of neo-Panamax in paragraph 4 and the first name of Ricaurte Vasquez in paragraph 8) (Reporting by Eli Moreno; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Sonali Paul) Duke is offering some students free tuition. What about other NC colleges? What we know In an effort to make education more affordable and accessible, Duke University will provide free tuition to undergraduate students from North Carolina and South Carolina with family incomes of $150,000 or less starting this fall, the university announced Tuesday. For undergraduate students in the Carolinas whose family incomes are $65,000 or less, Duke will provide additional financial assistance for the costs of housing, meals, course materials, and other campus expenses, as well as free tuition, The News & Observer reported. Though students with family incomes between $65,000-$150,000 will still be required to pay fees for housing and meal plans, covering tuition will cover the vast majority of the expenses associated with attending Duke, Gary Bennett, dean of Dukes Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, told the N&O. The Duke bursars website lists the cost of undergraduate tuition for the 2023-2024 school year as $31,725 per semester, for a total of almost $63,500 for the year. Like Duke, other colleges in the Carolinas provide assistance that could save students thousands in expenses. Here are programs that offer free or discounted tuition rates for North Carolina and South Carolina residents. NC Promise The NC Promise program lowers tuition costs to $500 per semester at four UNC System schools for North Carolina residents: Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, UNC Pembroke, and Western Carolina University. According to the UNC System, the program has no eligibility requirements, but the discount does not apply to graduate programs. Students who enroll in the program may still have to pay additional housing and meal plan fees. Free tuition in SC According to the S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs, South Carolina provides free tuition at state-supported universities for residents who are the children of certain veterans. Those eligible include children of veterans who: Were killed in action Died from other causes while in the service Died from a disease or disability resulting from the service Were prisoners of war Are permanently disabled Were awarded a Purple Heart or Congressional Medal of Honor Applications for tuition assistance for children of veterans can be completed online. Children of firefighters, law enforcement officers, or government employees who were killed or disabled in the line of duty also receive free tuition at state universities, according to South Carolina law. Certification is required from the agency of the parents employment, according to Clemson University. E-cigarette use is flaring up across the United States, according to a new study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monthly e-cigarette unit sales surged by 46.6% from January 2020 to December 2022from 15.5 million to 22.7 million units, according to report published Thursday in the CDCs Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. During that time period, purchases of tobacco and mint-flavored e-cigarettes fell, but sales of the fruit- and candy-flavored e-cigarettes that appeal to youth shot up. The dramatic spikes in youth e-cigarette useshowed us how quickly e-cigarette sales and use patterns can change, said Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of CDCs Office on Smoking and Health, in a news release. Retail sales data are key to providing real-time information on the rapidly changing e-cigarette landscape, which is essential to reducing youth tobacco use. According to the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey, over 2.5 million middle and high school students reported using e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes contain high concentrations of nicotine, a highly addictive chemical that can harm adolescents brains. Thursdays study was conducted by the CDC, the CDC Foundation (the CDCs nonprofit, charitable arm), and the Truth Initiative. To investigate the trends behind e-cigarette use, the researchers analyzed retail scanner data from 2020-2022 to look at e-cigarette products, flavors, and top-selling brands. The reports data only include sales from brick-and-mortar retailers. E-cigarette sales from tobacco-specialty stores, such as vape shops, and online sellers were not examined. During the studys time frame, the increase in e-cigarette sales was accompanied by a spike in the number of e-cigarette brands, which shot up by 46.2% from 184 to 269 brands. Among those, the five top-selling e-cigarette brands were Vuse, JUUL, Elf Bar, NJOY, and Breeze Smoke. The study found that Elf Bar was the top-selling disposable brand in the United States and has been responsible for driving sharp recent increases in e-cigarette use among youth in England. While sales of pre-filled e-cigarette devices decreased from 75.2% to 48.0%, the share of disposable e-cigarettes climbed from 24.7% to 51.8%. The report attributes these changes to a 2020 announcement by the FDA, which prioritized enforcement against prefilled e-cigarette cartridges that were not tobacco or menthol flavored. After the announcement, however, sales of tobacco and mint-flavored prefilled cartridges slowed. Sales of fruit, sweet, and mint-flavored disposable e-cigarettes, however, shot up: from 2020 to 2022, sales of other-flavor e-cigarettesincluding fruit, sweet, and chocolate flavors-increased by 29.2% to 41.3%. Now, the study noted, disposable e-cigarettes in these youth-appealing flavors are more commonly sold than prefilled ones. Nicotine addiction shouldnt taste like candy, wrote Robin Koval, CEO and president of the Truth Initiative, in an email to CNN. These data speak volumes to the urgency of closing the gaping flavored tobacco product loophole to protect our nations youth no matter the e-cigarette form pods, refillable, and now especially disposables. While total e-cigarette sales increased during the study period, they decreased during the last months of the study period from May to December 2022. According to the report, that decline may be due to a number of factors, including local and state restrictions on flavored tobacco product sales, FDA regulations, and Covid-19-related supply chain disruptions. While seven states and 378 counties, towns, and cities have an e-cigarette restriction in place, the study recognized that more needs to be done. E-cigarette poisoning cases also on the rise among kids A separate report from the US Food and Drug Administration published by the CDC Thursday found that from April 2022 to March 2023, 7,043 e-cigarette exposure cases were reported to poison centers in the United States, representing a 32% monthly increase during the study period. Nearly 90% of the cases occurred among children under 5 years old. Warning against the dangers of youth e-cigarette use, the report recommends comprehensive restrictions on the sale of all flavored tobacco products. These strategies, when coupled with longstanding evidence-based strategies to prevent youth tobacco use such as price increases, comprehensive smokefree policiesand counter-marketing campaigns, are expected to reduce youth initiation and use as well as reduce disparities in tobacco product use, the study said. On Thursday, the FDA announced that it had issued warning letters to 189 retailers for selling unauthorized Elf Bar and Esco Bars e-cigarettes, highlighting their dangerous appeal to adolescents. Following a nationwide inspection blitz of e-cigarette vendors by the FDA, the warnings cite the CDC reports findings of Elf Bar as the most popular disposable e-cigarette sold in the U.S., including among teenagers. Elf Bar and Esco Bars e-cigarettes also lack marketing authorization from the FDA, the agency added. The FDA has only authorized 23 tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes and products; any other e-cigarettes cannot be legally sold in the U.S. According to Thursdays previous FDA report, Elf Bar products were the most cited e-cigarette involved in cases reported to poison control centers. Almost all Elf Bar cases occurred in children under five, as well. Last month, the FDA issued import alerts for products under the Elf Bar and Esco Bars brands, which placed them on a red list and allowed the FDA to detain the products without individually examining them. The FDA is prepared to use all of its authorities to ensure these, and other illegal and youth-appealing products, stay out of the hands of kids, said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D, in a news release. We are committed to a multipronged approach using regulation, compliance and enforcement action and education to protect our nations youth. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com E-cigarette sales surge and so do calls to poison control, health officials say Sales of e-cigarettes have climbed nearly 50% over the past three years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday, rising from 15.5 million in January 2020 to 22.7 million in December 2022. The figures are from a CDC analysis of data gathered by a market research firm, published in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The sales data comes as a separate new report from the Food and Drug Administration, also published by the CDC, found calls to poison control centers over young children ingesting liquid or inhaling vapor from e-cigarettes have doubled from several years ago. "The surge in total e-cigarette sales during 2020-2022 was driven by non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette sales, such as menthol, which dominates the prefilled cartridge market, and fruit and candy flavors, which lead the disposable e-cigarette market," Fatma Romeh, lead author of the CDC's market analysis, said in a statement. Romeh pointed to data published last year from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, which found more than 8 in 10 middle and high school students who reported using e-cigarettes were buying flavored versions like fruit or menthol. Vuse, JUUL, and NJOY remained among the top five selling e-cigarette brands nationwide through 2022, according to the new CDC report, compared to in 2020. Disposable vape makers Elf Bar and Breeze Smoke have climbed, displacing Puff and My Blu in the top five. "The dramatic spikes in youth e-cigarette use back in 2017 and 2018, primarily driven by JUUL, showed us how quickly e-cigarette sales and use patterns can change," Deirdre Lawrence Kittner, director of CDC's Office on Smoking and Health, said in a statement. Sales may have slowed in recent months Overall monthly sales of e-cigarettes actually began declining in May of 2022, though they remain millions higher than what was seen in early 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC report's authors chalked the recent decrease up to several factors, including efforts by health authorities to curb sales of flavored nicotine products. At the federal level, the Food and Drug Administration has touted several moves in recent years attempting to curb sales of unauthorized e-cigarettes. On Thursday, the FDA announced dozens of warning letters as part of a "nationwide retailer inspection blitz" to crack down on illegal sales of brands like Elf Bar. "All players in the supply chainincluding retailershave a role in keeping illegal e-cigarettes off the shelves," Brian King, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement. Some state and local governments have also tried to impose restrictions on flavored e-cigarette sales. A CDC analysis published earlier this year credited a statewide ban in Massachusetts for a sharp 94% decrease in sales of flavored vapes there. But the agency's authors acknowledged other factors were also likely contributing to the slowdown in sales, including a "recent proliferation of large format disposable e-cigarettes" that can yield more or stronger doses from each purchase. The data, licensed from market research firm Information Resources, Inc., also is limited to sales in traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. This means some sales may not actually be declining but instead moving elsewhere, like to online orders or to specialty vape shops not captured in that firm's sales data, the authors acknowledged. Poison control calls doubled The FDA's report examined data from April 2022 through March 2023 gathered from the National Poison Data System, which is run by poison control centers around the country. A total of 7,043 reports were fielded due to potential poisonings by e-cigarettes, with nearly 9 in 10 cases concerning children under 5 years old. Most had either inhaled or ingested vape liquid. The number of total reports is around double the 2,901 that were reported during 2018, when around two-thirds involved children under 5 years old. Around 1 in 10 cases had to be treated by a doctor, in the data through 2023, though less than 1% needed to be hospitalized. "The FDA continues to warn companies that mislead kids with e-liquids that imitate food products (such as juice boxes, candy, or cookies). The FDA also is pursuing other steps to protect youth from the dangers of tobacco products," the agency said in a post published Thursday, urging Americans to take steps to keep nicotine products away from children and pets. Supreme Court rules states don't have standing to challenge Biden immigration policy World financial news: Billions more pledged for Ukraine, UK raises interest rates GOP 2024 candidates appear at faith-focused conference An area that Eagle Rock residents call "Pillarhenge" is being developed into a multifamily, mixed-use complex. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) If P-22, the late mountain lion, was the unofficial mascot of L.A., then Pinky the papier-mache bird was the decidedly less majestic mascot of Eagle Rock, the small, hilly neighborhood tucked on the citys northeast boundary. No ones quite sure how Pinky popped up. Around 2014, the bird appeared in a nest atop "Pillarhenge," a famous (or infamous) series of columns built as the foundation of a would-be Great Recession-era housing development on Colorado Boulevard. The development was never finished. Abandoned since the 2008 housing crisis, the property has served at times as a homeless encampment, dumping ground and playground for graffiti artists. The pillars became a white elephant of the recession, an eyesore that locals have come to love, hate or begrudgingly accept. While Stonehenge evokes mysticism and Wiccans, Pillarhenge evokes confusion and dysfunction, serving as a concrete reminder of L.A.s inability to deal with its housing woes. The bird had a deeper fan base, becoming an Eagle Rock celebrity with a line of T-shirts and tapestries. For the last eight years, Pinky watched over a city that couldnt quite figure out how to house itself. Then in April, Pinky was gone, stripped from its pillar-top nest. A sign perhaps? Was Pillarhenge coming down too? Residents wondered what would rise in its place on 1332 Colorado Blvd., a long, narrow property that has never been developed. Before the pillars, the property was known among locals as the place where an LAPD officer shot 18-year-old Mark Moser to death in 1978 after Mosers pickup truck collided with an undercover police car at the end of a stakeout and subsequent car chase. Resident Kevin Grace, Mosers classmate at Eagle Rock High School, said the property has carried a bizarre mystique since the killing. In March 2015, Grace co-founded Friends of Pillarhenge Park, a Facebook group tracking the propertys development and advocating for its potential use as a park. To date, the group has 824 members. Developers have attempted to build something on the property over the last two decades, but never a park. Jay Vanos of Vanos Architects has been involved with the site since 2003, when he worked with a developer envisioning a 17-unit live-work space there. It didn't come to fruition and sold to another developer, who erected the now-famous pillars before going bankrupt. The lender took control for a few years before the property was sold to Imad Boukai for $1.9 million in 2016. Boukai, chairman of Anaheim-based company General Procurement Inc., envisioned a four-story mixed-use development with 31 apartments above two levels of parking and commercial space. He tapped Vanos, who planned a structure that would take up the vast majority of the relatively small lot, which covers just over half an acre. The plans became public in 2017, and due to its ship-like look, residents started calling it the Love Boat, a nod to the 1970s sitcom set on a cruise. "Let their imaginations take them where they will," Vanos said. As with most small towns subsumed by a big city, Eagle Rock residents felt protective of the community and wary of potential developers. They voiced strong opinions. Months of discourse and meetings with council members ensued, with some locals jeering at the nautical design and others expressing relief that the site would finally be developed. Id rather suck it up and see it developed into a functional property, said Grace, who was born in Eagle Rock. Right now, it looks like something from a forgotten town. Thats worst-case scenario. The Eagle Rock Assn., a volunteer group founded in the 1980s aiming to guide the communitys growth in a sustainable way, published a letter in 2017 pointing out the significance of the sites location. The property parallels a freeway offramp leading into Eagle Rock, so the Love Boat would be the first thing people see when entering the neighborhood. The letter said the board was split on the design, but members support the development because the property had been blighted and abandoned for so many years. Progress stalled again, and Boukai sold the unfinished property in 2022. He declined a request for comment. A source familiar with the deal suggested that building costs became too expensive since the lot is on a steep hill that requires significant grading and maintenance. Next up was Ara Tchaghlassian, founder of American Tire Depot, a Vernon-based retailer with more than 100 locations. Tchaghlassian sold the tire company in 2021 and bought the Pillarhenge lot from Boukai months later for $2.765 million, real estate records show. It appears the Love Boat will set sail after all, as Tchaghlassian is picking up where Boukai left off. He declined a request for comment, but a construction permit posted at the site shows the same plans mapped out by Boukai: a four-story development with 31 apartments, including three extremely low-income units, above two levels of parking and commercial space. Grading began late last year, and Pinky was removed in the spring. The source said the complex will probably be completed in roughly two years. A construction worker at the Eagle Rock site that is being developed into a multifamily, mixed-use complex. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) Im sick of looking at it, said Diane Lopez, who walks past Pillarhenge on her daily stroll. Just build something. Anything. The pillars will remain, though they won't be visible once the structure is completed, Vanos said. As for why a developer would take on the headache of Pillarhenge, the answer is simple: the Transit-Oriented Communities Incentive Program. L.A. has a housing shortage, and it needs a multifaceted approach to address it. As part of its housing element plan, the city is required to zone for a quarter-million homes by 2024. To reach that goal, the city has introduced various incentives to encourage multifamily development as part of its Housing Element Rezoning Program, and the Transit-Oriented Communities incentive has been one its most successful tools. The program encourages the development of affordable housing near bus and train stations by offering developers more density and less parking requirements for their projects if they build near transit centers. According to the citys planning department, over the last six years, 36% of new multifamily developments have taken advantage of the incentives, and the Pillarhenge project is one of them. It qualifies for the second tier of incentives, meaning it gets a 60% increase in the maximum number of units, an increase in floor-area ratio and a reduction in the number of required parking spaces. We need responsible, robust development thats affordable and successful for Angelenos. Right now, we dont have enough, said Greg Good, a senior advisor on policy and external affairs for the Los Angeles Housing Department. The Housing Department and the rest of the city are working relentlessly to facilitate and expedite that process, and we do that by creating programs that work. There are myriad reasons why developers abandon a project: running out of money, permitting problems, pandemics. During a housing crisis, its the citys job to make multifamily housing a viable option for developers. For Pillarhenges latest developer, the incentives may be enough to bring housing to the long-abandoned lot. For now, residents wait to see whether a Love Boat will be better than a Pillarhenge. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Eat. Watch. Do. The Bear review, drag brunch at The Walnut Room and top 10 summer art shows Its Thursday, Chicago. With the solstice on Wednesday, summer has officially begun. If youre out enjoying the warm weather and looking for delicious restaurants to try, weve got a list of Black-owned bars and restaurants in honor of Juneteenth and a list of notable vegan spots from the recent Vegandale fest. But if youd rather stay indoors, theres still plenty to enjoy, from art shows and drag brunches in person, to the latest seasons of The Bear and Swagger from the comfort of your couch. As a Wes Anderson fan, Im most excited for his latest, Asteroid City, hitting theaters tomorrow. Have a great weekend, well see you next week. Kayla Samoy, deputy senior editor If sitting at a table in a beautiful venue, watching accomplished sleight of hand and pondering lifes deeper questions sounds appealing, this magic show may be for you. Larry Hass bills himself as the philosopher magician and themes his show around ideas and beliefs. Its a nerd-magic niche, perhaps, but its a very stimulating one, Tribune critic Chris Jones writes. Read his full review here. Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, was Monday, and to mark that federal holiday, writer Samantha Nelson has a list of Black-owned bars and restaurants around Chicago. From casual counter-service joints to fine-dining establishments, youre sure to find new favorites among these spots that you can keep visiting all year long. Read her full list here. If you find yourself sunburned and sweating this summer, head indoors to an air-conditioned gallery to cool down. Contributing critic Lori Waxman has selected 10 promising art exhibits to visit. Read her full list here. If you missed Vegandale in Grant Park a couple of weekends ago, Tribune editor Lauryn Azu is ready to catch you up. Shes picked six places she sampled at the fest that you can now try at your leisure around the city, with offerings from ice cream to tacos to canned cocktails. Read her full list here. What I like about Asteroid City is its sheer visual beauty, spiced with sweetness, and occasional dashes of real feeling, writes Tribune critic Michael Phillips. The film has a lighter and literally sunnier spirit than usual for Wes Anderson, he writes, and the quick-time banter keeps the movie moving. Read his full review here. TacoSur, the new Tijuana-style taqueria in Little Village has long wait times but for a good reason. The taco-eating public swamped the restaurant from the same owner as Tacos El Rey after a video went viral on TikTok and Instagram. Id prefer not to add more fuel to the fire, writes Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger. But if any new taqueria deserves to be slammed, its TacoSur. Read the full story here. The Bear is back. For Season 2, its priorities are mostly outside the kitchen and the story isnt always perfectly balanced. However, the show remains as absorbing as ever, with a visual language that is in love with food, and in love with the city itself, writes Tribune critic Nina Metz. Read her full review here. Every other weekend or so, if you head up seven floors at Macys to The Walnut Room, youll feel the music before you see the spotlights beaming from the drag brunch show. Tribune critic Louisa Chu spoke with Ty Huey, a Black nonbinary bearded drag queen who performs as Lucy Stoole, about what the show means to them. Read her full column here. This relaxed, agreeable comedy, Tribune critic Michael Phillips writes, works because the stars make it work, and the premise a little hoary doesnt sweat the logic part. He praises Jennifer Lawrence for her fantastic timing and take-it-or-leave-it confidence in this reasonably humane R-rated comedy. Read his full review here. The eight states traversed by Route 66 are getting it ready for its 100th anniversary in 2026. In Illinois, where the iconic highway starts and stretches for 300 miles, the state this spring awarded $6.6 million in grants to help communities upgrade and market their Route 66 attractions in advance of the anniversary festivities. Read the full story here. Reviewing Gov. Ron DeSantis application of his veto pen on the bloated 2023-24 budget plan crafted by lawmakers leads to one conclusion: While there were a few surprises, the governor stuck to the script many had pre-written for him. Budget appropriations made at the behest of Democratic lawmakers suffered the heaviest cuts, at a rate of more than two to one which unfairly punished two of the states most populated counties, Orange and Broward. He also savaged many of the appropriations pushed forward by the handful of GOP lawmakers who dared to oppose the governors arm-twisting requests for legislative endorsements in the Republican presidential primary, including slashing $30 million intended for the acquisition of Kirkland Ranch a vast Pasco County holding that would have been a major new gem in the states array of public lands. Its Senate sponsor, Ed Hooper (R-Clearwater) was a DeSantis holdout. Also cut: A $4.9 million request for a multi-agency effort to reduce pollutants flowing into the fragile and faltering Indian River Lagoon sponsored by Sen. Tom Wright, R-New Smyrna Beach who made the mistake of withholding his endorsement until DeSantis was actually in the race. These cuts seriously undermine DeSantis claim to an environmental legacy, especially since he provided no explanation as to why they were vetoed. The cruelest cuts Kil6ling funding for anti-flood projects in Orlo Vista a year after hurricanes pushed more than four feet of water into some of the modest homes in that west Orange County community was particularly cruel; at some point, compassion and a sense of urgency should guide veto decisions. DeSantis seemed to feel neither toward the communities across Florida who might see flooding projects delayed or derailed by the state funding cuts: He also dammed up anti-flooding projects in rainsoaked parts of Winter Park and Osceola Countys Buenaventura Lakes, along with inundated parts of Broward County including Parkland. (Fortunately, Orlo Vista wont be among those who have to wait: Orange County officials quickly said they intended to keep pushing those projects forward.) Among his other short-sighted cuts: A wide array of programs for troubled youth, including many clearly targeted at preventing the deadly spiral of substance abuse and casual gun violence that strikes with terrifying, random force in many low-income communities across the state. He also killed funding intended to assist veterans, provide mental health services and add amenities at Floridas treasured array of state and local parks, trails and preserves. At the same time, however, the former Little League star pitcher proved that he could still bring a wicked curveball. Among the vetoes for educational programs were several questionable appropriations for educational programs at private, sometimes for-profit schools, such as a Fair and Balanced Media Scholarship Program at the Miami Media School. And while Sarasota-based Sen. Joe Gruters (one of the few Republicans who gave his endorsement to President Donald Trump) bellowed about the decision to slash a $20 million nursing program at the University of South Florida, its intriguing that DeSantis let a $15 million for a nursing building at the University of Central Florida, $5 million for a building at Valencia Colleges campus in Lake Nona and almost $800,000 for an AdventHealth Type 1 diabetes research project survive. All of those were sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Linda Stewart who is a Democrat. With no explanation in his vetoes, its hard to figure out the how and the why of his choices. However, the governor was rightfully proud of family directed tax cuts on items like baby diapers and paper towels that give Floridians some small share of the wealth that flowed to Tallahassee this year. Every now and then, we get a little glimpse of the governor DeSantis could have been if he had been willing to put the interests of this state above his own ambition. But overall, this round of budget vetoes shows DeSantis behaving exactly as expected and dealing in the coldest currency of all: The need to reward his friends and crush his enemies. ____ The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com There's been mounting evidence of the health risks of gas stoves, including a recently published study by Stanford University researchers. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Of all the urgent problems House Republicans could be tackling gun violence, voting rights, climate change they are using some of their power to fan the flames of a cultural war over gas stoves. Last week the GOP-controlled House passed legislation that would prevent the Consumer Product Safety Commission from using federal money to regulate or ban gas stoves and block the U.S. Energy Department from making gas ranges and ovens less wasteful by setting stricter energy efficiency standards. The Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act and the Save Our Gas Stoves Act amount to little more than political posturing. Yet the measures show how much Republicans are trying to cling to the polluting fossil fuel technology of the past in a world that is slowly but surely going all-electric. Read more: Opinion: Don't worry about the government taking your gas stove worry about the pollution inside your home The legislation purports to respond to a nonexistent problem: The unfounded fear that the feds are trying to seize peoples gas stoves ( which theyre not ) or ban them ( theyre not doing that, either ). These bills would needlessly hamper regulators by preventing them from setting standards to keep Americans safe from gas leaks and indoor pollution and saving them money by increasing energy efficiency in the kitchen as they have done with little controversy for decades for every type of home appliance you can imagine. These bills aren't expected to go anywhere, because they're unlikely to clear the Senate or be signed into law by President Biden. The White House issued a statement opposing the bills, saying they would undermine the Consumer Product Safety Commissions ability to make science-based decisions to protect the public and block common sense efforts to help Americans cut their energy bills. Read more: Editorial: California should stop investing its retirement funds in fossil fuels. Theyre risky and immoral Proponents such as Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-Ariz.) have cast the legislation in dont tread on me terms, to protect consumer choice from the Biden administration's supposed war against gas stoves. And its disappointing that Californians from both sides of the aisle were among those voting in favor. California, like other blue states, is heavily reliant on gas for home cooking and heating, but state and local officials are adopting a growing number of policies aimed at electrifying buildings, including measures to ban gas hookups in new construction and phase out sales of gas furnaces and water heaters. Still, targeting stoves remains touchy for regulators, in part because of the success of a decades-long industry disinformation campaign that mythologized methane gas as a "clean" and "natural" fuel. Republicans seized on gas stoves earlier this year after Richard Trumka Jr., a member of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, suggested the agency could regulate or even ban gas stoves as a health hazard. The commission was quick to clarify that it was not seeking to ban gas stoves, only asking for public input on their health hazards. And the White House has been clear that President Biden does not support banning gas stoves. This move is not an entirely hollow gesture because it's part of a broader GOP-led push to restrict government's power to protect people from pollution while propping up the fossil fuel industry. It aligns squarely with the interests of oil and gas companies that have successfully blocked efforts by states to ban new gas hookups, improve energy standards and otherwise prevent states and cities from switching to more efficient electric appliances fueled by clean, renewable energy. Read more: Editorial: No, the feds aren't coming for your gas stove. But these unhealthful appliances still need to go Its a transition that is going to happen whether fossil-fuel-supporting politicians like it or not. There's been mounting evidence of the health risks of gas stoves, including a recently published study by Stanford University researchers who tested them in homes in California and Colorado and found they emit unhealthful levels of benzene, a cancer-causing pollutant, that can linger indoors for hours and reach higher concentrations than in secondhand cigarette smoke. Its only the latest research to find dangerous levels of health-damaging air pollutants, including nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, inside homes with gas stoves, even when they are turned off . Republicans are trying to turn what should be a sober, science-based discussion about kitchen appliances into another wedge issue or as Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio put it earlier this year, God. Guns. Gas stoves. But such efforts show they care more about defending the fossil fuel industry than protecting people's health and lowering utility bills. Those priorities are wildly misplaced and should be laughed out of the chamber. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. by Wang Yi, Cheng Yiheng, Mao Pengfei MALACCA, Malaysia, June 22 (Xinhua) -- At a rice dumpling shop near Jonker Street in Malaysia's Malacca city, customers enjoy unique Nyonya rice dumplings alongside other popular flavors like salty meat rice dumplings, adding to the festive atmosphere for the Dragon Boat Festival. Nyonya rice dumplings have an appealing visual contrast between blue glutinous rice and white glutinous rice. When taking a bite, one will experience the softness of the rice while enjoying a variety of flavors, including salty, sweet, and spicy, all at once. Centuries ago, some Chinese moved to Malacca and intermarried with the local population. Their male descendants were called Baba, while their female descendants were called Nyonya. Over time, these descendants developed a unique culture that blended Chinese and Malay elements in food, language, and clothing. Chinese cuisine was infused with new characteristics, with the Nyonya rice dumpling being representative. The shop owner Grace Tan explained that the blue glutinous rice was dyed with natural pigments from butterfly pea flowers. The ingredients of fillings include pork, mushroom, shallot, and garlic, blended with local sauce and winter melon sugar. As a descendant of Nyonya in Malacca, Grace Tan learned how to make Nyonya dim sum from her grandmother as a child. Having been running this shop for more than 20 years, she said orders for rice dumplings increased a lot before the Dragon Boat Festival. Customers include both Malacca locals and tourists from all over Malaysia and Singapore, with some even ordering a week in advance. Dai Ailing, who traveled to Malacca from Kuala Lumpur with her friends, bought 30 pieces of Nyonya rice dumplings. "I heard from my friends that rice dumplings here are good. And Malacca is famous for Baba-Nyonya culture. So we want to bring some back to Kuala Lumpur." Grace Tan said her recipe is passed down from her grandmother. "This is the favor of Nyonya. I expect more Chinese visitors to come, taste the Nyonya rice dumpling and experience the Nyonya culture." Ronald Gan Yong Hoe, president of Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya Malaysia, said that the Baba and Nyonya community inherited some traditional Chinese customs while absorbing local Malay culture. It is a typical example of cultural exchanges and integration between China and Malaysia, and it is also a unique cultural symbol and cultural heritage of Malaysia. "Baba Nyonya culture not only adheres to its Chinese cultural traditions, but also adapts to the local Malaysian society. It is a result of mutual learning among civilizations, which is also why it maintains vitality, " Gan said. Edwidge Danticat has won this years PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. Its a lifetime lifetime achievement award. The Haitian-American author often writes about memory and identity according to the Associate Press. She is known for her novel-in-stories The Dew Breaker. Edwidge Danticat is a once-in-a-generation kind of writer, one who changes the landscape of fiction by crafting stories that exalt human experience into the realm of the mythic. Its impossible to read Danticats exquisitely crafted stories and not walk away transformed, said Dolen Perkins-Valdez, PEN/Malamud Award Committee Chair. According to PEN/Faulkner Foundation, Danticat will be honored at the annual PEN/Malamud Award Ceremony in partnership with American University in December. Created in honor of the late Bernard Malamud, the award has been given out since 1988. It recognizes writers who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the short story form. Past winners of the Malamud Prize include George Saunders, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Yiyun Li. Edwidge Danticat Pays Homage to Haiti Danticat is a 2009 MacArthur Fellow. Other books Danticat authored include Breath, Eyes, Memory, The Farming of Bones and Everything Inside: Stories. Everything Inside: Stories was a 2020 winner of The Story Prize and the National Books Critics Circle Fiction Prize. She also served as editor for The Butterflys Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States, Haiti Noir, and more. In its conciseness and immediacy, the short story offers a unique way of addressing the complex emotions and realities that consume and haunt me and bring me joy, Danticat said. Many of my short stories pay homage to the oral tradition I was steeped in as a child in Haiti and as an immigrant in the United States. The short story has also been a unique space for me to experiment, explore, and grow as a storyteller, which makes this award even more gratifying. The post Edwidge Danticat Wins Short Story Writing Award appeared first on 21Ninety. (Bloomberg) -- Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia may face the most severe haze in at least five years due to the likelihood of a strong El Nino that will bring hotter and drier weather, according to a new report. Most Read from Bloomberg The Singapore Institute of International Affairs assigned a rating of red in its Haze Outlook 2023 released on Wednesday. Thats the highest of three color-coded risk categories and the first time the red rating has been given since the independent think tank started producing the annual report five years ago. For the past three years skies across ASEAN have remained relatively haze-free, Simon Tay, the institutes chairman, said in the report. However, there is a real risk in the year ahead that the situation will change, and for the worse. El Ninos usually result in less rainfall in Southeast Asia, and can exacerbate the spread of natural or man-made blazes that are often used to clear land for growing palm oil and rubber in Indonesia and Malaysia. The impact of the weather pattern could worsen an upsurge in climate change-driven forest fires in recent years that have broken out everywhere from Australia to Spain and Canada. There remain questions about how severe this El Nino will be, the institute said in the report. The US National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration predicts an 84% chance it will be a strong event, with a 25% possibility of a super El Nino, it said. Read More: First El Nino in Four Years Adds to Risks of Global Stagflation Its not just the El Nino driving haze risk, however. The prices of key agricultural commodities remain elevated, which may spur more slash-and-burn techniques to clear land, the institute said. So far, these price shifts have not resulted in a surge in deforestation, but there is some evidence that planting and replanting are on the rise. The last time Southeast Asia experienced severe trans-boundary haze was in 2015, when the smoggy conditions created tensions between governments. Singapore warned residents last month that they should ensure they have sufficient face masks and air purifiers. Part of the reason skies have remained fairly clear over the last three years was due to effective action by major plantation companies and the Indonesian and Malaysian governments, as well as unusually wet weather, the institute said. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. El Paso County sheriff's detectives arrested a 19-year-old man on a murder charge this week in connection with the fatal shooting of a teenager at a desert party in Horizon City two months ago, officials said. Anthony Nguyen Duenas is accused of killing 15-year-old Ryan Romero and wounding a woman in a shooting April 16 at a party off a desert road in Horizon City. Anthony Nguyen Duenas was arrested on Tuesday on a murder charge in the shooting death of Ryan Romero, 15, at a party in Horizon City on April 16. Nguyen Duenas, of West El Paso, was arrested Tuesday on charges of murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after a lengthy investigation, sheriff's officials said. He is being held on a total bond of $1,150,000 at the El Paso County Jail in Downtown. Homicides 2023: 2 teens, woman arrested in teen's shooting death at Tim Foster Park in far East El Paso Sheriff's officials had previously said that the shooting occurred during an argument between two men at about 1:30 a.m. during a party attended by more than 200 people on Batavia Street. During the argument, one of the men pulled out a handgun and fired several rounds in the direction of other partygoers, officials said. Romero, who was a sophomore at Bel Air High School, was shot and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A woman was treated at a hospital for a wound that was not life threatening. Crime: Teen arrested after shots fired at house party in the far East Side Ryan Romero, 15, was killed in a shooting at a desert party in Horizon City on April 16. He is seen here on a GoFundMe page raising money for funeral expenses. The arrest of Nguyen Duenas took place less than a week after the Sheriff's Office asked for the public's help in identifying four men in a photo that investigators wanted to question in connection with the shooting. It has not been disclosed if Nguyen Duenas was one of the men in the photo or had any possible connection to the group. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso man arrested in shooting death of 15-year-old Ryan Romero An electioneering complaint filed by a voter using the Munsters Frank H. Hammond Elementary School site in May was dismissed after election officials determined that the candidate may have been inside the building, but was outside of the 50-foot chute, where campaigning is prohibited A second complaint against the same candidate in the same polling place also was dismissed after it was determined the candidate was not the person the complainant encountered at the polling place. Munster residents Linda Smith and John Twohy both filed individual complaints against Jonathan Peterson, who was running unopposed for the nomination as a Republican candidate for Munsters 5th Ward seat. Both complainants said they were surprised to see individuals campaigning within the school building, something they each said they had not previously witnessed during other elections. Smith said she was a former poll worker. Smith said when she entered the polling place, she was greeted by a man who told her to vote Peterson and handed her a slate of candidates. The man was not Peterson, she said. When she left the polling place Smith said she saw the man talking to other people inside the building and thought he was not supposed to be doing that. Republican Attorney for the Election Board Carly Brandenberg said an investigation was conducted and the rope that is used to designate the 50-foot entry into the polling place where no canvassing can occur was utilized. She said the rope may not have been visible, but was tied to the schools gymnasium door where the polling entrance began and then to a chair at the ropes end. The rope was run along the wall and may not have been clearly visible to people using the polling place. Vandenberg said the 50 feet did terminate inside the building. Twohy said he encountered Peterson when he entered the polling place and was provided with a small slip of paper with a slate of candidates. Im all my time voting at Frank Hammond, even in the dead of winter, even in terrible weather, never has a candidate or one of their agents canvassed inside, Twohy said. Justin Murphy, who was serving as proxy for board president Kevin Smith, said the board is limited in what it can do because the chute is defined by state law as 50 feet from the entrance to the polling place. If that 50 feet terminates inside the building, as it appears now to do at this location, people can canvass there so long as they do not enter the 50-foot chute. Michelle Fajman, election board director, said the entrance to the polling place could have changed or the person setting up the rope could have used more of it than in the past to tie off at the gymnasium door or at the chair. She said it also could be possible that by following the rope along the wall instead of straight down the hall, the distance was shortened by going around objects. That was unclear from the video. Fajman said the office would work with the school to determine if anything can be done to improve the situation for voters. Elections are always fluid. We are always working to make things better, Fajman said. Elon Musk, the owner of Twitter, during the Viva Technology conference in Paris, France on 16 June 2023. Australia's cyber watchdog has called on Twitter, which is owned by multi-billionaire Elon Musk, to explain its handling of online hate. The country's online safety commissioner says Twitter has become the most complained about platform. Twitter has been 28 days to respond to the regulator or face potential fines of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr Musk bought the firm last year for $44bn (A$64bn; 34.5bn) and promised to protect free speech on the platform. A legal notice was sent to Twitter demanding an explanation after one-third of all complaints received about online hate concerned the platform, Julie Inman Grant said. That is even though Twitter has far fewer users than TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. The company has been told to respond to the watchdog within 28 days or face penalties of up to A$700,000 (371,570; $475,300) a day for continuing breaches. "Twitter appears to have dropped the ball on tackling hate," Ms Inman Grant said. "We are also aware of reports that the reinstatement of some of these previously banned accounts has emboldened extreme polarisers, peddlers of outrage and hate, including neo-Nazis both in Australia and overseas," she added. The demand builds on a campaign by the regulator to make the social media company more accountable. Twitter did not provide a statement on the announcement when contacted by the BBC for comment. Earlier this month Ella Irwin, Twitter's second head of trust and safety under Mr Musk's ownership resigned. Her predecessor, Yoel Roth, left in November 2022 - a month after Mr Musk took control. The head of trust and safety is tasked with content moderation, a topic that has come under the spotlight since the takeover. Although Ms Irwin has not publicly said why she left Twitter, her exit came a day after Mr Musk publicly criticised a content moderation decision. He called the decision to limit the visibility of a video over allegations of misgendering, "a mistake by many people at Twitter". "Whether or not you agree with using someone's preferred pronouns, not doing so is at most rude and certainly breaks no laws," he wrote. Just days later, Linda Yaccarino, the former head of advertising at NBCUniversal, took up her role as Twitter's chief executive, replacing Mr Musk. Ms Irwin's resignation also came a week after the social media platform pulled out of the European Union's voluntary code to fight disinformation. Since buying Twitter, Mr Musk has cut about 75% of its employees, including teams charged with tracking abuse, and changed how the company's verification process. Meanwhile, advertisers have left in large numbers. In her former role Ms Yaccarino is credited with helping to steer NBCUniversal through the upheaval caused by technology firms, overhauling advertising sales, and driving industry-wide debates about data gaps as audiences migrate online. In a matchup that no one asked for but nearly everyone would likely watch, Elon Musk could face off against Mark Zuckerberg in a cage fight. Earlier this week, Twitter/Tesla/SpaceX boss Musk mocked Zuckerbergs Meta over reports that its Instagram platform would soon have a feature called Threads to compete with Twitter. Im sure Earth cant wait to be exclusively under Zucks thumb with no other options, Musk wrote on Twitter, leading to an exchange with a user referencing Zuckerbergs recent martial arts experience. Im up for a cage match if he is lol, Elon ,Musk tweeted. Im up for a cage match if he is lol, Elon ,Musk tweeted. Zuckerberg posted a screenshot of Musks tweet in his Instagram story along with three words: Send me location. The Verge said it confirmed the reply wasnt a joke. The story speaks for itself, Meta spokesperson Iska Saric told the website. Shown a screenshot of Zuckerbergs response, Musk tweeted: If this is for real, I will do it Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 22, 2023 Both billionaires have at least some experience in martial arts. Zuckerberg told podcaster Joe Rogan that he began studying mixed martial arts during the pandemic, saying he liked its primal nature. The Facebook co-founder recently competed in a local Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament and won a couple of medals. In a separate interview, Musk told Rogan hes practiced several forms of martial arts including jiu-jitsu. In 2020, Musk publicly challenged Johnny Depp to a cage fight during the actors legal battle with actor and ex-wife Amber Heard. One of the actors many text messages read in court was a threat to cut off Musks penis amid reports he was having an affair with Heard. Musk denied seeing Heard when she was married to Depp. If Johnny wants a cage fight, just let me know, he told the New York Times, which noted that he giggled as he said it. Musk on Twitter said a fight with Zuckerberg would be hilarious and added: Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg: Who would win a fight between tech titans? Who would win a fight between Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg? Its the sort of question that might be asked over a drink in the pub. But a clash between the two of the worlds tech tycoons may no longer be hypothetical after Mr Zuckerberg apparently agreed to a cage fight with Mr Musk. When rumours emerged earlier this month that the Facebook boss a Jiu Jitsu enthusiast was looking for a rival, the Space X and Tesla founder tweeted that he was up for a cage match. Mr Zuckerberg then posted a screenshot of the tweet with the caption send me location. Now that a fight appears on the cards, how would the two men match up inside the ring? At more than 6ft tall, Mr Musk would have a clear reach advantage over Mr Zuckerberg, who measures up at 5ft 8in. His height also means he would also have a significant weight advantage over his opponent, but Mr Zuckerbergs Jiu Jitsu skills - he recently won his first gold and silver medals at a Silicon Valley tournament - would undoubtedly enable him to get out of a few sticky situations on the canvas. Mr Musk joked he had a great move to show off, noting that his workout regime consists mostly of spending time with his children. I have this great move that I call The Walrus where I just lie on top of my opponent & do nothing, he tweeted. He added: I almost never work out, except for picking up my kids & throwing them in the air. Musk would have a significant reach advantage over his opponent It comes amid rumours that Mr Zuckerberg is preparing to create a new app to rival Twitter, which is expected to be called Threads. The app, internally codenamed Project 92, will reportedly feature a continuous scroll of text, buttons similar to Twitters like and retweet functions, and a 500-character limit on posts. It is not the first time Mr Musk has called for a fight with a global figure. In August last year he challenged the Russian president to a scrap. "I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to a fight. The prize is Ukraine ," he wrote. Putin didnt respond to the goading but the irony was apparently lost on his Chechen war lord ally, Ramzan Kadyrov. "A word of advice: dont measure your strength against Putins, youre in two different leagues," the henchman warned. Although Mr Zuckerberg is smaller and lighter than Mr Musk, his technical ability and aerobic capacity could prove too much for the Tesla boss, who earlier this year said that his typical breakfast included a bowl of ice cream, biscuits and a donut. Mr Zuckerberg says he used to run a lot and got into surfing and then MMA after the Covid pandemic. "I really like watching UFC for example, thats because I also like doing the sport [MMA], he told the Joe Rogan Experience. It really is the best sport, five minutes in I was like where has this best my whole life? To some degree, MMA is the perfect thing because if you stop paying attention for one second youre going to end up on bottom. Environment groups ask Biden to crack down on methane emissions from landfills More than a dozen environmental groups are asking the Biden administration to crack down on methane emissions from landfills. Methane is a planet-warming gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period and comprises nearly 12 percent of the countrys contribution to climate change. Landfills are the third-largest source of methane in the U.S. The groups, in the petition they are filing Thursday, say the rules the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently has in place do not go far enough to control these emissions. The petition argues the current standards do not reflect the best ways to cut emissions. It says implementing two additional practices, upgrading technology thats used to burn off landfill gas and expanding systems that capture the gas for burning off or other uses can save about 466,000 metric tons of methane per year. The petition says the agency should take additional actions including lowering the threshold for which landfills have to install pollution controls and improve monitoring. Were asking EPA to look at its regulations and to revise them, said Leah Kelly, senior attorney at the Environmental Integrity Project. We think they very clearly do not meet the legal standard required the fact that states are issuing stronger regulations clearly demonstrates the fact that more can be done. The Hill has reached out to the EPA for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. European Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, cuts a symbolic ribbon alongside Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis during a news conference in San Francisco (Josh Edelson) The EU's top tech enforcer warned Elon Musk on Thursday that Twitter must have enough resources to moderate dangerous content by August 25 or risk being in violation of the bloc's landmark rules to rein in big tech. "If the technology is not ready they need to have enough resources to match the gap. I spoke on this specific topic with Elon Musk," EU commissioner Thierry Breton told reporters following a meeting at Twitter headquarters, which included the platform's new CEO Linda Yaccarino. Breton said he told the Twitter team, with Musk joining by videoconference from New York, that "there are a few areas that will be critical immediately when the regulation will be enforceable." This would be "especially everything related to child abuse which is a very hot topic for us in Europe, also disinformation in elections," Breton said. The commissioner's two-day visit to San Francisco came just weeks before the European Union's Digital Service Act (DSA) comes into full force for the world's biggest platforms, including Meta's Facebook and Instagram, as well as TikTok and Twitter. The former French finance minister will also meet with Meta's Mark Zuckerberg to discuss the new rules. But all eyes are on Musk, who since taking ownership of Twitter has, often abruptly, modified many rules about what language is allowed on the site, even if it is found offensive or delivers hate and misinformation -- in direct opposition to the EU's new rules. Breton's meeting at Twitter was part of what the EU called a "stress test" to gauge whether the platform was ready to meet the new rules, despite a massive wave of layoffs since Musk took it over. TikTok has also accepted to undergo a stress test in July, as the Chinese-owned app fights off fears that it is potentially under the domination of the Chinese Communist party in Beijing. On a visit to Paris last week, Musk said he had every intention of meeting the demands of the DSA, an ambition that the EU welcomed. But with Twitter's payroll cut to the bone and content moderation teams decimated, observers doubt whether Musk is in a position to stand by his commitment. - 'I am the regulator' - "I'm not here to tell the company what they have to do. I am the regulator and have to tell them what is the law," Breton said. The DSA is one of the most ambitious legislations on controlling online content since the advent of social media, putting major obligations on how the world's biggest platforms deal with the free flow of speech. Like the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, the DSA is expected to become a global benchmark as governments worldwide struggle to find ways to rein in the excesses of social media. To meet the new rules, Twitter, Meta, TikTok and other platforms will have to invest heavily on building compliance teams at a time when big tech companies have been cutting staff, including their content moderation workforce. Under the DSA, 19 platforms have been designated as "Very Large Online Platforms," which will be subject to specially designated rules beginning on August 25. The regulations also require Meta, Twitter and others to provide officials and researchers unprecedented access to their algorithms and content decisions. This will be especially a challenge for Meta, which since the 2018 Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal has severely limited access to data for third parties, said Yoel Roth, the former head of Trust and Safety at Twitter, who is now a Technology Policy Fellow at UC Berkeley. And in a hunt to make money, Twitter and Reddit have also cut off access to data by charging high fees for outsiders - including researchers - to have access to their data through something called APIs, that were free until recently. The wide-ranging DSA has many other provisions, including an obligation that platforms designate a representative in the EU who would be responsible for content matters. Users will also be handed unprecedented rights to lodge an appeal when subjected to takedown orders by a platform. Major violations of DSA rules could see tech giants slapped with fines as high as six percent of annual turnover and, if violations persist, be banned outright from the EU as a last resort measure. arp/des (Bloomberg) -- Here is a snapshot of whats happening with Iran, its nuclear talks and energy markets. Most Read from Bloomberg Latest developments Irans lead nuclear negotiator met with one of the European Unions most senior diplomats, amid a renewed push by Western nations to ease tensions with the Islamic Republic. Ali Bagheri Kani said he discussed topics including the lifting of sanctions with Enrique Mora, the EUs main envoy for negotiations with Iran, in Qatar. The talks on Tuesday and Wednesday were intense, Mora said on Twitter. They spoke about difficult bilateral, regional and international issues, including the way forward on the JCPOA, he said, referring to a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that the US pulled out of three years later. The meeting came amid Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahians tour of the Gulf, which includes visits to Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. While negotiations to revive the nuclear deal stalled almost a year ago, discussions have recently restarted in a bid to reach an informal understanding that could help limit Irans atomic activities. Latest coverage Iranian Oil Is Quietly Flooding Into the Global Market Again US, Iran Inch Toward Understanding Aimed at Easing Tensions Oil Oil rose on Wednesday, with Brent climbing 1.2% to $76.80 a barrel by 3:40 p.m. in London. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. ROME (Reuters) - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected on Thursday a number of appeals by Italian same-sex and heterosexual couples who challenged national restrictions against the recognition of children born abroad through surrogacy. Surrogacy is banned in Italy, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government has targeted gay men who use it to have children, even though the practice is more common among heterosexual couples. In three separate rulings on similar cases, the ECHR said the Italian rules do not breach article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which covers the right to respect for private and family life. Restrictions in Italy mean surrogate children can have only one legal parent, the biological one. It is however possible for an adult who is not the biological parent to obtain parenting rights through a special adoption procedure. The ECHR said the adoption option was enough to guarantee the rights of these children - even if LGBT rights groups say it is expensive, lengthy, and places undue emotional strain on same-sex families. The Strasbourg-based court found "Italian rules on adoption" can "fully guarantee" the relationship between a child and the partner of their biological parent, Italian Family Minister Eugenia Roccella wrote on Facebook. "It's what we have been saying for a long time." As part of its conservative agenda on family issues, Meloni's government has ordered city councils to stop registering the children of same-sex couples, and is pushing for a tougher anti-surrogacy law. A law under discussion in the lower house of parliament would extend the current ban to cover couples who have surrogacy abroad, punishing them with jail terms of up to two years and fines of up 1 million euros ($1.10 million). ($1 = 0.9128 euros) (Reporting by Federica Urso and Alvise Armellini, editing by Barbara Lewis) Everett detectives arrested the woman accused of the fatal shooting of a man in early June, according to the Everett Police Department. In the early morning of June 10, police investigated a domestic incident at 2619 Baker Avenue, where they found 31-year-old Christopher A. Wilson shot to death. According to police, dispatch received a call from a neighbor saying they heard shuffling and then three pops. When officers arrived, they did not find anything suspicious outside. A few hours later, a person reported their car had been struck by a bullet at some point the previous night. After that, another neighbor at the apartment complex called to report they had found a bullet hole in their home. Officers then entered the apartment for a welfare check, where they found Wilsons body. Police are looking for their primary suspect, 29-year-old Shawntea Grimes Hamilton. Hamilton is described as a Black woman, 5 foot and 4 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen leaving the area in a blue-gray Chevrolet Cobalt with a Michigan license plate DDX0262. The car has no front license plate, and one of the front headlights may be out. If you have information about this incident, contact the Everett Police Department at 425-257-8450 or call Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 800-222-TIPS. Ex-boyfriend of slain Jacksonville Naval Chief Petty Officer pleads guilty to her 2018 murder The man accused of killing a Jacksonville mother and Navy Chief Petty Officer pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Wednesday. Action News Jax first told you in 2018 when Danny Ray Beard was arrested in the murder of Andrea Washington. Danny Beard Washington was found shot to death in her Northside home on Sept. 17, 2018. The State Attorneys Office said Beard was Washingtons ex-boyfriend, who had documented history of domestic violence, which resulted in an active temporary injunction for protection preventing contact. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Weeks before her death, Washington told investigators that Beard threatened to kill her. Beard is set to be sentenced on July 7 by Judge Mark Borello. Beard will be sentenced to 30 years in Florida State Prison per the terms of the negotiated agreement, the State Attorneys Office said. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) unleashed a sea of criticism of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for having one of the worst presidential campaigns hes seen. Hogan, who decided against a 2024 presidential bid in March, told CBS News Major Garrett on Wednesday that he thinks DeSantis has really underperformed. The Florida governor is trailing former President Donald Trump by double-digits for the GOP nomination in three recentnationalpolls, Politico noted. He was the one getting all the attention. He was wall-to-wall coverage on Fox News, he was the only one other than Trump that was really getting a lot of attention. He raised a ton of money, he was a fairly successful governor in a big state who got reelected and then started making all kinds of mistakes, Hogan said. I think the campaign is one of the worst Ive seen so far and hes dropped like a rock, he continued. Hogan said its getting close to being over for DeSantis campaign. He added that he thinks the Florida governor is headed in the wrong direction and went on to reveal what he thinks is the central mistake of his 2024 bid. The culture wars, the dumb comments about Ukraine. Hes got some strengths but hes also got some weaknesses, Hogan said. I mean, he just doesnt connect with people, hes not a good campaigner, hes not a good debater. Hes a smart guy, went to Yale and Harvard. Doesnt lead with that, Garrett chimed in. Yeah, he doesnt lead with that, Hogan replied. He says he went to school in the northeast somewhere but yeah, I think, you know, everybody was thinking he was the guy to beat and now I dont think too many people think that. (H/T Mediaite) Related... The expansion of the universe could be a mirage, new theoretical study suggests a cloud of blue-white gas in space The expansion of the universe could be a mirage, a potentially controversial new study suggests. This rethinking of the cosmos also suggests solutions for the puzzles of dark energy and dark matter, which scientists believe account for around 95% of the total energy and matter in the universe but remain shrouded in mystery. The novel new approach is detailed in a paper published June 2 in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity, by University of Geneva professor of theoretical physics Lucas Lombriser. Related: Our expanding universe: Age, history & other facts Scientists know the universe is expanding because of redshift, the stretching of light's wavelength towards the redder end of the spectrum as the object emitting it moves away from us. Distant galaxies have a higher redshift than those nearer to us, suggesting those galaxies are moving ever further from Earth. More recently, scientists have found evidence that the universe's expansion isn't fixed, but is actually accelerating faster and faster. This accelerating expansion is captured by a term known as the cosmological constant, or lambda. The cosmological constant has been a headache for cosmologists because predictions of its value made by particle physics differ from actual observations by 120 orders of magnitude. The cosmological constant has therefore been described as "the worst prediction in the history of physics." Cosmologists often try to resolve the discrepancy between the different values of lambda by proposing new particles or physical forces but Lombriser tackles it by reconceptualizing what's already there. "In this work, we put on a new pair of glasses to look at the cosmos and its unsolved puzzles by performing a mathematical transformation of the physical laws that govern it," Lombriser told Live Science via email. In Lombriser's mathematical interpretation, the universe isn't expanding but is flat and static, as Einstein once believed. The effects we observe that point to expansion are instead explained by the evolution of the masses of particles such as protons and electrons over time. In this picture, these particles arise from a field that permeates space-time. The cosmological constant is set by the field's mass and because this field fluctuates, the masses of the particles it gives birth to also fluctuate. The cosmological constant still varies with time, but in this model that variation is due to changing particle mass over time, not the expansion of the universe. In the model, these field fluctuations result in larger redshifts for distant galaxy clusters than traditional cosmological models predict. And so, the cosmological constant remains true to the model's predictions. "I was surprised that the cosmological constant problem simply seems to disappear in this new perspective on the cosmos," Lombriser said. A recipe for the dark universe Lombriser's new framework also tackles some of cosmology's other pressing problems, including the nature of dark matter. This invisible material outnumbers ordinary matter particles by a ratio of 5 to 1, but remains mysterious because it doesn't interact with light. Lombriser suggested that fluctuations in the field could also behave like a so-called axion field, with axions being hypothetical particles that are one of the suggested candidates for dark matter. These fluctuations could also do away with dark energy, the hypothetical force stretching the fabric of space and thus driving galaxies apart faster and faster. In this model, the effect of dark energy, according to Lombriser, would be explained by particle masses taking a different evolutionary path at later times in the universe. In this picture "there is, in principle, no need for dark energy," Lombriser added. RELATED STORIES: There's a mystery in our universe's expansion rate and the Hubble Space Telescope is on the case How fast is the universe expanding? New supernova data could help nail it down 'Hubble trouble' could deepen with new measurement of the universe's expansion Post-doctoral researcher at the Universidad ECCI, Bogota, Colombia, Luz Angela Garcia, was impressed with Lombriser's new interpretation and how many problems it resolves. "The paper is pretty interesting, and it provides an unusual outcome for multiple problems in cosmology," Garcia, who was not involved in the research, told Live Science. "The theory provides an outlet for the current tensions in cosmology." However, Garcia urged caution in assessing the paper's findings, saying it contains elements in its theoretical model that likely can't be tested observationally, at least in the near future. Originally published on LiveScience.com. FILE PHOTO: A Chinese national flag is pictured, following the COVID-19 outbreak, in Shanghai By Joe Cash (Reuters) - China's Premier Li Qiang and dozens of world leaders will meet in Paris on Thursday and Friday to discuss ways to help low-income countries manage their debt burdens and free up funding for climate financing. As the world's largest bilateral creditor, China is central to talks on making tangible progress in providing debt relief to Zambia, Chad, Ethiopia and Ghana through the Group of 20-led "Common Framework." WHAT IS THE COMMON FRAMEWORK? The Common Framework was set up by the G-20 in late 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as an initiative to expedite and simplify the process of getting indebted countries back onto their feet. The aim was to bring together big creditors like China and the traditional group of developed creditor nations, known as the Paris Club, to negotiate restructuring plans with defaulters. But nearly three years later, it is yet to provide any relief, partly due to disagreements between the rich countries and China, which over the past decade has emerged as a major international creditor. WHAT IS CHINA'S POSITION ON DEBT RESTRUCTURING? China wants multilateral lenders like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank to absorb some of the losses, which those institutions and many developed nations, notably the United States, are resisting. The U.S. and European governments have argued that acceding to Beijing's demand would be tantamount to a bailout for China. A case in point is Zambia, which owes $6 billion to China and has been locked in default for almost three years. The southern African country has been unable to secure further loans from the IMF because Beijing insists multilateral development lenders, which don't usually take haircuts, should participate in debt relief. The Common Framework requires debtor countries to secure restructuring assurances from any bilateral lenders first and commercial and multilateral lenders second - to Beijing's dismay. China continues to negotiate with debtor nations on a bilateral basis, urging that debt disposal be dealt with on a "case-by-case" basis despite the Common Framework's aim to standardise access to debt relief. China's central bank chief Yi Gang reiterated "China is willing to work with all parties to implement the Common Framework for debt disposal," at a gathering of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors at the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings in Washington in April. "Official bilateral loans related to China only account for less than 5% of Ghana's external debt," Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a press conference in Beijing in March, when asked whether China would agree to restructure the $1.9 billion Ghana owes it. "We call on multilateral financial institutions and commercial lenders, who are the main creditors for developing countries, to participate in developing countries' debt relief efforts," Mao said. WHY IS CHINA WILLING TO WRITE OFF SOME DEBTS BUT NOT OTHERS? In January, China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang announced a partial and undisclosed cancellation of the $13.7 billion that Ethiopia has borrowed from China since 2000 while visiting Addis Ababa. And last August, China waived 23 interest-free loans to 17 African states that had expired at the end of 2021. China's interest-free loans are funded from its foreign aid budget and are easier to waive. Interest-free loans account for less than 5% of the $843 billion in Chinese loan commitments to 165 governments globally between 2000 and 2017, according to AidData. WHAT SUPPORT IS CHINA OFFERING? In early May, China attended the first meeting of Sri Lanka's creditor nations only as an observer. Japan, India and France initiated the discussions despite China being Sri Lanka's largest bilateral lender, with the island nation owing Chinese lenders $7.4 billion at the end of 2021. In discussions over Ghana later in May, China took its involvement further and agreed to co-chair a committee of Ghana's official creditors alongside France. And in Zambia's case, "China has always taken Zambia's debt issues seriously and will jointly work for a better solution," according to Wang Wenbin, another Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson. WHAT NEXT? In Paris, analysts expect China to continue to voice support for the Common Framework but for debt relief to be dispensed "case-by-case". The last time global policymakers met to discuss the Common Framework in Washington, China proposed the IMF should speed up and improve information sharing on debt sustainability analyses. China will need more coaxing before it agrees to haircuts. (Reporting by Joe Cash; Editing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Shri Navaratnam) Explorers Club president hits out at Titanic sub equipment delays, alleging that bureaucracy held up rescue vessels An image showing a ship and part of a plane involved in the search for the missing Titan submersible in June 2023. Anadolu Agency / Contributor / Getty Images The Explorers Club accused US officials of delaying the search for the Titan submersible Its president said underwater drones from UK firm Magellan are finally en route to the search site. Oxygen supplies on the submersible that went missing near the Titanic wreck are dwindling. The president of the Explorers Club said that specialist equipment from UK firm Magellan was finally on its way to the site of the search submersible missing near the Titanic wreck after being held up by bureaucratic delays. In a post on Twitter, Richard Garriott de Cayeux thanked club members for their help in supporting the search and rescue effort, and said "there is good cause for hope, and we are making it more hopeful." "All has been needed. All continues to be needed. Magellan is en route (should have been accepted sooner), we are still trying to get side scan sonar (should have been accepted sooner), and still working on ships to transport equipment and other details," he said. Search and rescue teams are racing against the clock to locate the missing submersible, which vanished Sunday exploring the Titanic wreck site with five people on board and a dwindling supply of oxygen. The experimental vessel is owned by UK firm OceanGate, which charges tourists up to $250,000 to explore the site of the famed wreck over two miles under the sea. Two of those on board, UK billionaire Hamish Harding and French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, are members of the US-based Explorers Club. In an interview with National Geographic earlier, Garriott alleged that attempts since Monday to deliver drones from UK deep water exploration and recovery firm Magellan to the search site had been held up by US red tape. He claimed that the US Navy was deploying its own deep-sea drone to the site capable of raising the Titan from a depth of 19,700 feet, but the Magellan's remote-operated vehicle (ROV) could go deeper and was less likely to damage the Titan's carbon-fiber hull. Insider contacted the US Coast Guard for comment but did not immediately hear back. In an update Wednesday, the Coast Guard said that Megallen "will be providing one of their ROVs in the near future" though it didn't talk about the process for getting it approved. On Monday, David Concannon, an advisor to OceanGate, also alleged that attempts to get experts and equipment from Magellan to the search site 700 miles off the coast of Newfoundland had been held up by bureaucracy. Read the original article on Insider HONG KONG Thirty-one people were killed in an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China, officials said Thursday. The blast was caused by a gas leak and occurred around 8:40 p.m. Wednesday local time (8:40 a.m. ET) on a busy street in the city of Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, according to Xinhua, Chinas state-run news agency. Seven others were injured, one of them critically. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue and treatment of the injured and strengthened safety measures, Xinhua reported. Nine people, including the manager and other staff members, have been detained and the restaurants assets have been frozen, the agency said. The explosion took place on the eve of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival, a national holiday that is celebrated with sticky rice dumplings and races between boats of paddling teams. A massive cooking gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China killed dozens and injured some, Chinese authorities said Thursday. (Wang Peng / AP) Photos from the scene published by state media show firefighters working among debris outside the heavily damaged storefront and injured people being carried away on stretchers. Chinas Ministry of Emergency Management said in a social media post that search and rescue operations at the restaurant, Fuyang Barbecue, had ended early Thursday morning and that an investigation was underway. Explosions and other industrial accidents are not uncommon in China, where they are often attributed to corruption, efforts to save money and a lack of safety training and oversight. In January 2022, at least 16 people were killed by an explosion at an office canteen in the city of Chongqing that was also thought to have been caused by a gas leak. A June 2021 gas pipe explosion at a market in the central city of Shiyan killed 26 people, injured 138 and led to 11 arrests. In March 2019, 78 people were killed and 76 seriously injured in an explosion at a chemical plant in the eastern province of Jiangsu. In both cases, government officials accused companies of negligence. On Wednesday, 47 people who had been missing since a Feb. 24 coal mine collapse in Chinas Inner Mongolia region were pronounced dead, Xinhua reported, bringing the total number killed to 53. The Chinese government has treated safety concerns more urgently since 2015, when a series of explosions in the northern port city of Tianjin killed 173 people and injured hundreds more. Officials said they were set off by a blast at a warehouse that until two months earlier had been operating with an expired license for handling hazardous chemicals. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Beijing appeared to log its hottest temperature since reliable records began (GREG BAKER) Beijing on Thursday appeared to log its hottest June temperature since reliable records began, according to weather data and local media reports, as swathes of northern China sweltered in 40-degree heat. Scientists say rising global temperatures -- caused largely by burning fossil fuels -- are aggravating extreme weather worldwide, and many countries in Asia have experienced deadly heatwaves and record temperatures in recent weeks. At the Nanjiao weather station in southern Beijing, considered a benchmark for temperatures in the capital, the mercury hit 41.1 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit) at 3:19 pm (0719 GMT) on Thursday, the local Beijing News reported, citing an information service operated by the national weather bureau. The figure is half a degree higher than the station's previous record of 40.6 C taken in June 1961, according to the state-backed media outlet. "Today has become one of Beijing's hottest days since complete records have been available," the outlet said. Other weather stations around the capital chalked up even higher temperatures, with Tanghekou in northern Beijing notching 41.8 C early Thursday afternoon, becoming the hottest place in the country, according to state media. China's national weather service did not immediately confirm whether official temperature records had been breached. Along Beijing's canals, residents sought respite from the searing heat by swimming and splashing around in the water. In nearby Tianjin -- home to over 13 million people -- temperatures in the city centre also soared, with the western Xiqing district logging its hottest ever June day with 40.6 C. "It never used to get this hot in June before, but now it's so hot my hands are trembling," wrote one user on the Weibo social media platform. "Are there three suns blazing over Beijing right now? It's hot enough to cause a breakdown," wrote another. The scorching heat has coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival, a time when many Chinese go outside and socialise. With temperatures in the high 30s forecast throughout the three-day public holiday, authorities have urged people to limit their time outdoors. Beijing's weather authority issued an orange warning for extreme heat and urged people to "avoid exercising outdoors for long periods... and take effective measures to shield from the sun". In Tianjin, where an orange alert was also in place, officials said the "general public (should) remain aware and take precautions" against heat-induced strokes. Last week, Beijing recorded its highest temperature for mid-June, with weather officials warning the public to stay indoors as the mercury hit 39.4 C. mjw/je/mca U.S. President Joe Biden hosts Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official White House State Visit in Washington By Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden met in Washington on Thursday and several agreements were to be announced to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries and highlight new private sector investments. The following is a roundup of the major announcements: VISAS The Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States. The State Department could announce as soon as Thursday that a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas will be able to renew those visas in the U.S. without having to travel abroad, one source said, part of a pilot program that could be expanded in coming years. The United States intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India is opening a new consulate in Seattle this year and will soon announce two new consulates in the United States. CHIPMAKER TO INVEST IN INDIA U.S. memory chip firm Micron Technology said on Thursday it would invest up to $825 million in a new chip assembly and test plant in Gujarat, its first factory in India. Micron said that with support from the Indian central government and from the state of Gujarat, the total investment in the plant will be $2.75 billion. Of that, 50% will come from the Indian central government and 20% from the state of Gujarat. U.S. semiconductor toolmaker Applied Materials (AMAT.O) will invest $400 million over four years in a new engineering center in India, the company said on Thursday. TRADE United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the two nations have agreed to terminate six outstanding disputes at the World Trade Organization. India also agreed to remove retaliatory tariffs, which it had imposed in response to the U.S. Section 232 national security measures on steel and aluminum, on U.S. products, including chickpeas and apples. CRITICAL MINERALS India joined the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), a US-led partnership to create critical energy minerals supply chains. India will join 12 other partner countries, plus the European Union. Indias Epsilon Carbon Limited will invest $650 million in a greenfield electric vehicle battery component factory, hiring over 500 employees over the course of five years. SOLAR POWER INVESTMENT A new venture backed by Indian solar panel maker Vikram Solar Ltd (VIKO.NS) said on Thursday it will invest up to $1.5 billion in the U.S. solar energy supply chain, beginning with a factory in Colorado next year. The newly formed company, VSK Energy LLC, will aid the U.S. push to build a clean energy manufacturing sector to compete with China. FIGHTER JETS General Electric's aerospace unit said on Thursday it has signed an agreement with India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to make fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force. The "historical" agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India and the engines will be used to power Tejas fighter jets, GE said. DRONES India's defense ministry has approved the procurement of armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, sources told Reuters earlier this month. India will buy 31 drones made by General Atomics worth slightly over $3 billion. The MQ-9Bs will be assembled in India, a joint statement said, and U.S. manufacturer General Atomics will also establish new facility in India. SPACE India agreed to join the U.S.-led Artemis Accords on space exploration and to work with NASA on a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. ADVANCED COMPUTING India and the United States established a Joint Indo-U.S. Quantum Coordination Mechanism to facilitate joint research between the public and private sectors across both countries. (Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Heather Timmons and Grant McCool) Key messages from Xi's meeting with Blinken Xinhua) 09:09, June 22, 2023 Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing, capital of China, June 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. The meeting took place at a critical time for China-U.S. relations and was closely watched by the world. What key messages did the meeting convey? A look at Xi's remarks during the meeting will offer some hints. SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY Xi told Blinken that the two countries should act with a sense of responsibility for history, people and the world, and handle China-U.S. relations properly. China-U.S. relationship had hit obstacles when Blinken made the visit. Xi's meeting with him and the emphasis Xi placed on responsibility have demonstrated the Chinese side's broad-mindedness, broad vision, and great sense of responsibility. To be responsible for history, one should understand that "whether the two countries can find the right way to get along bears on the future and destiny of humanity," Xi told Blinken. The most important event in international relations over the past 50 years was the resumption and development of China-U.S. relations, which has benefited the two countries and the whole world, Xi once noted, adding that the most important event in international relations in the coming 50 years will be for China and the United States to find the right way to get along. To be responsible for the people, one should understand that "the Chinese, like the Americans, are dignified, confident and self-reliant people, and they both have the right to pursue a better life," Xi said. The sound and stable growth of bilateral relations serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples. The international community is generally concerned about the current state of China-U.S. relations. It does not want to see conflict or confrontation between China and the United States or choose sides between the two countries. It expects the two countries to coexist in peace and have friendly and cooperative relations. It is imperative to understand this for one to be responsible for the world. The U.S. side should understand that to draw ideological boundaries, divide camps and engage in bloc confrontations is bound to bring disasters to the world. MAJOR-COUNTRY COMPETITION AGAINST TREND OF TIMES Xi stressed that major-country competition does not represent the trend of the times, still less can it solve the United States' own problems or the challenges facing the world. The trend of the world, as Xi once pointed out, is unequivocal. It is the trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation. For some time, China-U.S. relations have nosedived to a low point. The root cause is that the U.S. side does not have a clear understanding of the trend of history, but sticks to a misconception about China, which had led to misguided China policies. The old system of colonialism and hegemonism will not operate in today's world. It can only lead to a dead end. The only alternative is peaceful development, a path that China has been unswervingly committed to. As Xi said to Blinken, planet Earth is big enough to accommodate the respective development and common prosperity of the world's two largest economies. "China respects U.S. interests and does not seek to challenge or displace it. In the same vein, the United States needs to respect China and must not hurt China's legitimate rights and interests," Xi said. China always hopes to see a sound and steady China-U.S. relationship and believes that the two major countries can overcome various difficulties and find the right way to get along based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Xi added. TURN POSITIVE STATEMENTS INTO ACTIONS Action speaks louder than words. China is looking forward to the U.S. actions. In his meeting with Blinken, Xi called on the U.S. side to adopt a rational and pragmatic attitude and work with China in the same direction. He noted that the two sides need to remain committed to the common understandings he and President Joe Biden had reached in Bali, Indonesia, last year, and translate the positive statements into actions so as to stabilize and improve China-U.S. relations. In response, Blinken said the United States is committed to returning to the agenda set by the two presidents in Bali. The United States stands by the commitments made by President Biden, namely the United States does not seek a new Cold War, it does not seek to change China's system, its alliances are not directed at China, it does not support "Taiwan independence," and it does not seek conflict with China, said Blinken. While China has a clear-cut answer to the question "whether China and the United States can properly deal with their relations," the ball is now in the U.S. court. The world will wait and see. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he would immediately sign into law the measure seeking to create the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), as he expressed confidence the Philippines has "good" financial managers to lead the controversial fund. "I will sign it as soon as I get it," Marcos said when asked during a chance interview with reporters on Thursday. "Am I happy? Well, that is the version the House and the Senate have passed and we will certainly look into all of the changes that have been made," he added. On Wednesday, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri signed the MIF bill. The measure would then be forwarded to House Speaker Martin Romualdez before transmitting it to Malacanang for the president's final approval. READ: Zubiri signs Maharlika Investment Fund bill Marcos said he was also monitoring the concerns and issues about possible risks when the planned sovereign wealth fund comes into play. While "all of these things can happen," he added there are also reports of successful funds. "The difference really is the management and that's why we have made sure that it is independent from government," he said. "One of the first changes that I even proposed to the House was to remove the president as part of the board, to remove the central bank chairman, to remove the Department of Finance because it has to operate as an independent fund, well-managed professionally," he also said. Marcos said he believes the Philippines has "quite a few good money managers, financial managers that we can call upon" to ensure the funds would not be vulnerable to woes. Meanwhile, in a statement on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel reiterated his disapproval of the Maharlika bill. He claimed that arguments against the measure amount to nothing "just to please one person" so "that person can announce during the SONA (State of the Nation Address) the passage of an ill-conceived law." "Very sad day for the 100-plus-year-old Senate as an institution," he said. "Our rules are meaningless and worthless. The tyranny of numbers does what it wants to do, railroading and bulldozing all legal concepts and regulations out of the way." He added that "nothing is sacred anymore" and the upper chamber has been reduced to a "samahang barkadahan" (a group of friends). An image circulating widely online appears to show CNN reporting that rescuers found the submersible craft that vanished on its way toward the wreck of the Titanic, with five passengers no longer on board. This is false; the US broadcaster published no such story, a network spokesperson told AFP, and the posts predate official statements made on June 22, 2023 about a catastrophic implosion and the death of the vessel's inhabitants. "Missing OceanGate Submarine Found Empty," says the headline on what appears to be screenshot of a report from "CNN News," dated June 21, 2023. The text of the supposed story reads: "According to the co-founder of Oceangate, the submarine has been found but the passengers were no longer in the submarine. The submarine was bolted from the outside making it impossible for the passengers to exit the submarine, almost as if they vanished. OceanGate Co-Founder Wendy Rush. Well keep you updated as new information arises. Screenshot from Facebook taken June 22, 2023 Posts sharing the image spread across Facebook, Instagram and other platforms such as TikTok, where videos amplifying it received tens of thousands of views. The posts came one day before the US Coast Guard said on June 22 that debris in the North Atlantic Ocean's depths suggested a "catastrophic implosion" of the lost vessel. OceanGate Expeditions, the private research and ocean tourism company behind the excursion, said in a statement that they believed all five people on board were dead. Rescuers had for days searched international waters in a race against the clock to locate the missing vessel and its crew before their limited oxygen supply ran out. The Titan submersible, destined for a deep-ocean voyage to the sunken Titanic, began its descent on June 18 but lost contact with the surface less than two hours later. Those believed to have died on board included OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, a French submarine operator known as "Mr Titanic," a British aviation tycoon and a wealthy Pakistani businessman and his son. The vessel was not found intact and empty, despite the claims circulating online. CNN published no such report on June 21, AFP's review of the news organization's website found. "The image is fabricated and not something CNN reported," Emily Kuhn, the broadcaster's vice president of communications, told AFP in a June 22 email. On the contrary, CNN's live updates (archived here) continued to cover the recovery efforts through June 22 -- including an underwater robot's detection of a "debris field" near the Titanic's wreckage, which was determined to be from the external body of the submersible, and OceanGate's statement mourning the "loss of life." The fabricated report showed signs of fakery, including inconsistent capitalization of the "G" in "OceanGate" and a format that does not match CNN's website and mobile app. The made-up report also wrongly identified Wendy Rush, the OceanGate CEO's wife, as a company co-founder. She is director of communications and an expedition team member, according to her LinkedIn profile (archived here). AFP has previously debunked other fabricated CNN content, including here, here and here. Family of Odesa military draft chief owns properties in Spain worth millions of dollars. Official claims "no clue" about this The family of Yevhen Borysov, military draft chief in Odesa, has purchased property and cars worth millions of dollars on the Spanish coast during the full-scale war. Records from the Spanish registry evidence this, although Borysov himself claims that he does not know whether his family has any property in Spain. Source: "Spain Battalion". Ukrainska Pravda visits Odesa military draft chief and other Ukrainian millionaires Details: Two months following the exposure of information that Borysov's family had acquired a villa in Spain worth over 3 million, and that his wife purchased an office space on the main street of the Spanish city of Marbella, and several expensive cars, Ukrainska Pravda (UP) has obtained records from the Spanish registry for both the villa and the office space. Borysov's mothers villa The records show that the office and the villa are still registered to Borysovs family. UP's journalists also spotted a 2022 Mercedes-Benz B-class electric car in Spain near the Odesa military enlistment chief's estate. The price of such a car starts at US$100,000. The vehicle is registered to Borysov's mother, as is the villa. A few kilometres from the cottage community of Sierra Blanca lies Marbella's central avenue with its most expensive restaurants, shops and five-star hotels. This is where the office space the military official's family purchased in early 2023 is located. Borysov's wifes office space Moreover, the Odesa military enlistment chief has acquired another brand new 2023 Toyota Land Cruiser SUV this year. The car is registered to Borysov's mother-in-law. The car, worth about US$100,000, is the third car purchased by the family of the Odesa official since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. The total value of this vehicle fleet is about US$500,000. Borysov, a military enlistment officer since 1996, first claimed in a telephone conversation with UP that his family owned nothing in Spain and then, when asked about records from the local register, said that his wife was engaged in retail trade there and that he was staying out of this business. He also claimed that he had no idea whether his family had purchased property on the Spanish coast. As he said, his wife was supposed to tell him later and was currently working on the paperwork. As for his mother-in-law's car, Borysov said she had sold her old vehicle and bought a Land Cruiser. Records SCREENSHOT Furthermore, UP journalists noticed the brother of the driver of the Odesa military official driving one of the cars belonging to Borysovs family in Spain. Ihor Nikolaiev Mykhailo Nikolaiev, a driver for Borysov in Odesa and an employee of the Odesa Oblast Territorial Centre for Recruitment and Social Support. Speaking to UP, Mykhailo Nikolaiev said he did not know whether his brother Ihor was working for Borysov's family in Spain, also claiming he was not Borysov's driver. Nikolaiev also claimed that he had no idea what his brother was doing in Spain but that he could leave the country because he was "a disabled person". Ihor Nikolaiev, 20, was spotted by UP driving the car that belongs to the Odesa military officials mother. He was following the vehicle of the UP crew. According to UP's sources in the Ukrainian Border Guard Service, Ihor Nikolaiev received his passport only in 2022, during the full-scale invasion. He has left the country twice the first time for four months, and the second for five. Background: In April 2023, former lawmaker Ihor Mosiichuk said that Borysov's family had acquired an estate on the Spanish coast worth over 3 million late in 2022. The property is registered in the name of Borysov's mother. According to the former lawmaker, the military official's wife ended up owning an office space on the central street of Marbella. The family also owns a Mercedes-Benz Gelandewagen. The total value of all this property acquired during the full-scale war is about US$4.5 million. Following the exposure of this information, he was suspended from office, and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) launched an investigation into the abuse of power by Yevhen Borysov, Head of the Odesa Military Registration and Enlistment Office, during the draft of conscripts. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Former White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said he is worried about the future of the U.S. due to what he described as the normalization of untruths. While appearing at The Hills Future of Health Care Summit on Thursday, Fauci was asked if he was worried about the country as it heads into the 2024 election season. As The Hills Editor-in-Chief Bob Cusack noted, Fauci has already made appearances in campaigns so far, albeit not from his own participation. Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has used Faucis likeness through artificial intelligence (AI) in campaign ads to generate photos depicting him hugging former President Trump, which the former health official humorously said was wonderful. I worry about the country a lot because what were seeing and I think anybody who just takes a deep breath and looks at whats going on that we are in an arena, an era, of what I call the normalization of untruths, Fauci said. There are so many misrepresentations and distortions of reality and conspiracy theory, that it almost becomes normalized, he continued. We should not accept that as the new normal because when facts are no longer accepted as facts, when distortions occur and when reality is distorted, that will undermine the foundations of the social order and of our democracy. And history has shown us that. During the early parts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fauci often found himself speaking at odds with then-President Trump in regards to guidance on mitigating the virus. Among some of the unsubstantiated suggestions Trump made early on was to ingest or inject disinfectants. Fauci would later say he worried Trumps remarks would lead people to do dangerous and foolish things. Shortly before leaving government work at the end of 2022, Fauci said he felt he had to publicly disagree with Trump, despite his respect for the Oval Office, so as not to be complicit with spreading misinformation. During his appearance Thursday at the Future of Health Care Summit, Fauci also touched on his feelings about his own future. When he announced his departure from government work, Fauci stressed that he did not plan on retiring and would continue to work in some capacity. One of the most important that I feel Id like to do is to serve as an inspiration or a model for younger people who want to get involved in science and public service or those who are already involved, to give them an idea of the kinds of things that can be accomplished, Fauci said Thursday, alluding to possible work through writing, lecturing, consulting or getting involved in an academic setting. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. People place a coffin containing the remains of a female inmate into a hearse in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Wednesday, June 21, 2023. A riot on Tuesday at a women's prison northwest of the Honduran capital left at least 46 inmates dead, many of them burned, shot or stabbed to death, a Honduran police official said. (AP Photo/Elmer Martinez) TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) Fear simmered among the small knot of relatives gathered Thursday for the wake of a mother and daughter who were among 46 female inmates slaughtered in this weeks prison riot in Honduras. Relatives wept openly, but said they feared the Barrio 18 gang that carried out the massacre might come after the victims families as well. Rumors circulated among those at the wake that gang members had kidnapped women from the funeral of another victim. One mourner, who wouldn't give his name, said Thursday we are afraid. Mourner Johanna Soriano Euceda said the pain we are feeling is enormous, after her mother, Maribel Euceda Breve, 51, and her sister Karla Soriano Euceda, 38, were killed in the attack on Tuesday. Both had been imprisoned on drug charges, One woman, who also asked that her name not be used, wept beside the two coffins holding her sister-in-law and her niece, which stood on the street in front of their home in a poor neighborhood of Tegucigalpa, the capital. Go give me strength to bear this pain, she wailed. We want justice, because these were not dogs they killed. In a sense, they were the lucky ones; at least they had a body to mourn and bury. Authorities said some of the other bodies were so badly burned they need genetic testing or dental studies to identify. The picture that began to emerge of Tuesdays violence at the womens prison in Tamara was one of a carefully planned massacre. The killings were carried out by inmates belonging to the notorious Barrio 18 street gang, but officials suspect a drug cartel might be behind them as well. Assistant Security Minister Julissa Villanueva, who was removed as head of the prison system after the riot, but retained her Cabinet post, said that there may have been a larger conspiracy in the massacre, the worst killings in recent memory at a women's prison. There are criminal, perverse, Machiavellian minds at work here, who organized this crime against innocent people, and who are the ones who control the smuggling of drugs and weapons into the prisons, Villanueva told The Associated Press. The incarcerated members of Barrio 18 slaughtered the 46 female inmates by spraying them with gunfire, hacking them with machetes and then locking survivors in their cells and dousing them with flammable liquid. Chillingly, the gang members were able to arm themselves with pistols and machetes, brush past guards and attack. They even carried locks to shut their victims inside, apparently to burn them to death. Jessica Sanchez, an activist with the Civil Society Group, a human rights organization, said that we believe that this massacre was carried out on orders from a criminal network, and I am sure it was known beforehand, and nothing was done. Miguel Martinez, a security ministry spokesman, said the attack was taped by security cameras up to the moment the gang members destroyed them in what he called a planned attack. You can see the moment in which the women overcome the guards, leaving them helpless, and take their keys, Martinez said. President Xiomara Castro said that the riot at the prison in Tamara northwest of Tegucigalpa was planned by maras (street gangs) with the knowledge and acquiescence of security authorities. Castro fired Security Minister Ramon Sabillon, and replaced him with Gustavo Sanchez, who had been serving as head of the National Police. She ordered that all of the countrys 21 prisons be placed for one year under the control of the military police, who will be asked to train 2,000 new guards. But she didnt announce any immediate plan to improve prison conditions, which are characterized by overcrowding and crumbling facilities. Security is so lax that inmates often run their own cellblocks, selling prohibited goods and extorting money from other inmates. For example, after Tuesdays massacre, 18 pistols, an assault rifle, two machine pistols and two grenades were found in the prison. All were smuggled into the facility. Then there was the shocking fact that as in many Latin American jails some of the inmates children were living with their mothers in the prison at the time of the attack. Some of the women were living with their children in detention. These children are now left behind and highly vulnerable. I am deeply concerned about their well-being and safety, said Garry Conille, the regional director for UNICEF. It wasn't known whether any children witnessed the attack. The riots death toll surpassed that of a fire at a female detention center in Guatemala in 2017, when girls at a shelter for troubled youths set fire to mattresses to protest rapes and other mistreatment. The smoke and fire killed 41 girls. The worst prison disaster in a century also occurred in Honduras, in 2012, at the Comayagua mens penitentiary, where 361 male inmates died in a fire possibly caused by a match, cigarette or some other open flame. Storms tore homes to pieces; now the federal government says Georgia county doesnt need their help The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied Governor Brian Kemps request for a major disaster declaration for Georgia. On May 26, Kemp requested FEMA for assistance following the severe weather threats that slammed parts of middle Georgia, including Spalding and Troup counties. We have a crew on their way to Troup County to gather more information and will have the latest on Channel 2 Action News at 6 p.m. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In his request, Kemp asked FEMA for Individual Assistance for two counties, Public Assistance for 12 counties and Hazard Mitigation statewide. After reviewing the request and the information available regarding the storms, FEMA said their assistance would not be necessary due to the severity of the storms. It has been determined that the damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude as to be beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments and voluntary agencies, Deanne Criswell, FEMA Administrator, wrote in a response. Accordingly, we have determined that supplemental federal assistance is not necessary. Therefore, I must inform you that your request for a major disaster declaration is denied. RELATED STORIES: FEMA said they would offer state officials additional resources for survivor assistance. Officials added that they would continue coordinating with the State of Georgia to identify additional damage information to support an appeal if necessary. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: Firefighter steals credit cards from dead man then goes shopping, NY official says A firefighter responded to a 911 call involving a man who died at his New York City apartment and stole his credit cards, an official said. Sylus McKenzie, 33, of the Bronx, went shopping with the mans American Express card and Mastercard for two hours the next morning on Jan. 12, 2021, according to the Bronx District Attorneys Office. The New York City Fire Department firefighter tried charging $1,123 worth of items to the cards at stores in the Bronx, including Target, where he paid a visit to buy Apple AirPods, officials said in a June 20 news release. McKenzie was indicted on two counts of fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree attempted identity theft, third-degree identity theft, and second-degree criminal impersonation and official misconduct, officials announced. McClatchy News left a message seeking comment with McKenzies defense attorney, Robert Gallo, on June 22 and didnt receive an immediate response. This City firefighter, as alleged, was entrusted to provide emergency medical attention to New Yorkers in need, New York City Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said in a statement. Instead, he used his position to steal the identity and credit cards of an individual he was called upon to help. McKenzie has worked as a FDNY firefighter for about four years, according to the release. As of June 16, he was suspended from his job for 28 days, FDNY spokeswoman Amanda Farinacci told McClatchy News in a statement on June 22. On the evening of Jan. 11, 2021, first responders, including McKenzie, were called to a report of an unresponsive man at his Manhattan apartment, officials said. The man was declared dead, though it wasnt specified how he died. Other first responders noticed the mans credit cards vanished from the apartment sometime after McKenzie left, according to the district attorneys office. An investigation revealed McKenzie had the cards and bought, or tried buying, items from a Sunoco gas station, supermarket and Target, officials said. After appearing in court for an arraignment on June 15, he will make another court appearance on Sept. 7, according to the release. Dental tech for veterans stole gold and silver used in teeth and sold it, feds say Woman in car stolen from airport is caught after wrong turn near Canada, officials say Man stole three pistols from a shop, feds say. A Gatorade bottle led to his arrest Following an urgent race to recover a 22-foot submersible that held five men on board to see the Titanic, search and rescue teams found Thursday morning outer parts of the Titan near the site of the Titanic wreckage. OceanGate, the company that led the mission, said the men on board are dead. This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea, the company wrote. The debris found on the ocean floor about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic was consistent with catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber in the submersible, said Rear Admiral John Mauger of the U.S. Coast Guard during a press conference Thursday afternoon. Coast Guard officials said its too early to tell when the Titan imploded. The Coast Guard said families of the five people on board have been notified. For live updates on this disaster, read USA TODAY's live blog here. What happens next in Titan rescue mission? US Coast Guard officials said remote operating vehicles, also known as ROVs, would remain operating on the sea floor around the Titanic and investigate the debris field. Right now, again our thoughts are with the families and making sure that they have an understanding as best as we can provide of what happened and begin to find some closure, an unnamed official said during the press conference. Mauger said he did not know whether the Coast Guard would be able to recover the bodies of the five passengers on board of the Titan. "This is an incredibly unforgiving environment," he said. Where is the submersible? On Thursday, search and rescue crews discovered a "debris field" near the Titanic, the Coast Guard said. After an evaluation of the debris, the Coast Guard determined the debris contains pieces of the Titan, including a landing frame and a rear cover from the vessel. The debris was discovered after the sub was expected to have run out of oxygen supply. "A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic," the Coast Guard wrote on Twitter. A Coast Guard official commended the vast search efforts that led to Thursday's findings during the press conference. "Weve really had the right gear on site and worked as swiftly as possible to bring all of the capabilities we had to bear to this search and rescue effort," the official said. "It was a huge international multi-agency effort to make this happen. This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. In a race against the clock on the high seas, an expanding international armada of ships and airplanes searched Tuesday, June 20, 2023, for the submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP) ORG XMIT: NYPS209 What happened to the Titan? On June 16, the sub and its support ship departed from St. John's in Newfoundland, Canada. Two days later, the submersible began its dive to see the Titanic, which is about 370 miles off Newfoundland and 12,500 feet deep in the North Atlantic Ocean. About one hour and 45 minutes into the dive, the Canadian support ship the Polar Prince, which was tasked with monitoring the submersible, lost all communication with the vessel. OceanGate said it was equipped with a 96-hour supply of oxygen. That would have lasted until Thursday morning. The Coast Guard led the frantic rescue mission that employed U.S. and Canadian ships, aircraft and other equipment. As of Wednesday, search crews were scouring an area of the ocean roughly two times the size of Connecticut. Who were the passengers? The five men who set out to see the Titanic in the submersible included OceanGate's CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, French maritime and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet and a father and son from one of Pakistans most prominent families, Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood. "These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time," OceanGate said in a statement Thursday. Rush, 61, founded OceanGate in 2009. He was also the co-founder of OceanGate Foundation, a non-profit organization "which aims to catalyze emerging marine technology to further discoveries in marine science, history, and archaeology," according to the company's website. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning last year, Rush said: "What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface." Harding, 58, was chairman of Action Aviation, a global sales company in business aviation. He held three Guinness World Records related to his explorations by plane and into the deep ocean. He had also been to space. Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023,' Harding wrote in a Facebook post announcing he would be aboard The Titan. Nargeolet, 73, was director of Underwater Research for E/M Group and RMS Titanic, Inc. He successfully dived in a submersible to the site of the Titanic wreckage 37 times and "supervised the recovery of 5,000 artifacts," according to EMGroup's website, which also says he's "widely considered the leading authority on the wreck site." Shahzada Dawood, 48, was on the board of trustees for the Dawood Foundation, an education nonprofit, according to the World Economic Forum, the board of the SETI Institute, a non-profit research organization, and he served as vice chairman on the board of Pakistani Engro Corporation. His son, Suleman Dawood, 19, loved science fiction, solving Rubiks Cubes and playing volleyball, the New York Times reported. Shahzada Dawood's older sister told NBC News she was "absolutely heartbroken" over the deaths. "I feel like Ive been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didnt know what youre counting down to," Azmeh Dawood said. "I personally have found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them." What did the sub look like? The submersible, owned by the Washington-based private company OceanGate Inc. , was 22 feet long and weighed 25,000 pounds. The vessel was designed to hold five people and descend 13,123 feet into the ocean, according to the company. It had a titanium crew compartment, a carbon fiber hull and one toilet on the inside. The cost for a trip was $250,000, according to OceanGate. The company runs commercial projects, scientific research and exploration in deep water. After the submersible's disappearance, information surfaced showing there were prior concerns about the safety of the group's expeditions. This undated image courtesy of OceanGate Expeditions, shows their Titan submersible beginning a descent. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Isabelle Butera, Javier Zarracina, Janet Loehrke and Grace Hauck Contact Kayla Jimenez at kjimenez@usatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kaylajjimenez. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missing Titanic sub found: No survivors after catastrophic implosion All five on Titanic sub dead after 'catastrophic' implosion Map showing the location of the Titanic wreck, around which several boats are trying to find a tourist submersible that went missing with five people on board, with more on the way (Laurence SAUBADU) All five aboard a submersible missing near the wreck of the Titanic died after the vessel suffered a "catastrophic implosion" in the ocean depths, the US Coast Guard said Thursday. The somber announcement ended a multinational search-and-rescue operation that captivated the world since the small tourist craft went missing in the North Atlantic on Sunday. Rear Admiral John Mauger told reporters in Boston that analysis showed that debris, found on the seafloor 1,600 feet (500 meters) from the bow of the Titanic, was consistent with the implosion of the sub's pressure chamber. "On behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families," Mauger said. On board were British explorer Hamish Harding, French expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani-British tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and Stockton Rush, CEO of the sub's operator OceanGate Expeditions. OceanGate said its "hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time." "These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world's oceans," it said in a statement. "We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew." The Coast Guard announced earlier on Thursday that an underwater robot had discovered a "debris field." Mauger said that it turned out to be the sub's tail cone as well as additional debris. He declined to be drawn on whether remains of the men would be retrieved and said the process of demobilizing personnel and vessels from the scene would soon begin. Mauger added that unmanned robots would continue operations on the seafloor for now. "We'll collect as much information as we can," he said, adding that he hoped the discovery might provide "some solace during this difficult time" to families. The small sub named Titan disappeared on Sunday as it descended to the Titanic, which sits more than two miles (nearly four kilometers) below the ocean's surface and 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. OceanGate Expeditions charges $250,000 for a seat on the sub. Harding was a billionaire and keen explorer with three Guinness Records to his name. Nargeolet was nicknamed "Mr Titanic" for his frequent dives at the site. - Titanic's lure - The 21-foot (6.5-meter) Titan began its descent at 8:00 am on Sunday and had been due to resurface seven hours later. But the craft lost communication with its mothership less than two hours into its trip. Ships and planes from the US and Canadian coast guards, as well as a robot sent from France, scoured 10,000 square miles (around 20,000 square kilometers) of surface water -- roughly the size of the US state of Massachusetts -- for the vessel. The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912 during its maiden voyage from England to New York with 2,224 passengers and crew on board. More than 1,500 people died. It was found in 1985 and remains a lure for nautical experts and underwater tourists. The pressure at that depth as measured in atmospheres is 400 times what it is at sea level. Marine scientist and oceanographer David Mearns, who specializes in deep water search and recovery operations, said earlier the discovery of debris indicated a rapid breakup of the submersible. "The only saving grace about that is that it would have been immediate, literally in milliseconds, and the men would have had no idea what was happening," Mearns, who was friends with two of those onboard, told Sky News. In 2018, OceanGate Expeditions' former director of marine operations David Lochridge alleged in a lawsuit that he had been fired after raising concerns about the company's "experimental and untested design" of Titan. pdh-ec/bgs An invasive species of mollusk with no natural predators has forced the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDCAS) to issue a quarantine order for a community in Broward County, Florida. Officials announced that several square miles of the city of Miramar, a Miami suburb, would be under quarantine as officials attempt to eradicate the snails from the area. "Under the quarantine, it is unlawful to move a giant African land snail or a regulated article, including, but not limited to, plants, plant parts, plants in soil, soil, yard waste, debris, compost or building materials, within, through or from the defined quarantine area without a compliance agreement," said a June 20 press release from FDCAS announcing the order. INVASIVE FOREIGN ANTS BECOMING DOMINANT SPECIES IN FLORIDA, SAYS NEW RESEARCH: 'CONCERNING TREND' The snails were first reported in June, "prompting required increased survey," the release said. "As treatment begins, FDCAS will continue to use the same treatment methodology for this pest which is a metaldehyde-based molluscicide (snail bait) and is approved for residential use," it also said. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Scientist Mary Yong Cong holds one of the Giant African Snails she keeps in her lab in Miami, Florida, on July 17, 2015. The invasive species was recently discovered in Miramar, Florida, prompting a quarantine. Two areas within the larger quarantine area will be treated with the snail bait, according to a map released by FDCAS. While the name "giant African land snail" may sound innocuous, the animal is an environmental menace, said the agency's website. OKLAHOMA AUTHORITIES ASK FISHING GUIDES TO REMOVE AN INVASIVE SPECIES FROM STATE WATERS: 'DO NOT RETURN IT' It "is one of the most damaging snails in the world and consumes at least 500 different types of plants," it also noted. "These snails could be devastating to Florida agriculture and natural areas as they cause extensive damage to tropical and subtropical environments," it continued. Two giant African land snails held in gloved hands. The species was recently discovered in an area of Broward County, Florida. The snails are also capable of eating through materials such as stucco, said a fact sheet posted on the FDCAS website. Additionally, the snails carry the parasite rat lungworm, which can cause meningitis in humans. COLORADO FISHERMEN ORDERED TO PAY OVER $1K EACH AFTER CATCHING 463 POUNDS OF MICHIGAN FISH Adult snails range in size from two to eight inches. They come in a variety of colors, according to FDCAS. While they are illegal to possess as pets, the large size and unique color of some of the snails have made them "desirable" among collectors. This is not the Sunshine State's first brush with the creatures, according to that agency. Dr. Trevor Smith, Florida Department of Agriculture, picks up a giant African land snail as he works on eradicating a population of the invasive species in Miami-Dade County on Sept. 15, 2011, in Miami, Florida. The eradication took about a decade, before the snails were once again discovered in the state. "The giant African land snail has been eradicated twice in Florida. The first detection was in 1969 and was eradicated in 1975," it said. In 2021, the giant African land snail was finally eradicated, 10 years after it was detected in Miami-Date County. The snails are illegal to possess in the United States without a permit, said FDCAS; they reproduce quickly, as females can lay up to 1,000 eggs at a time and up to 2,500 a year. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER Anyone who thinks they may have encountered a giant African land snail should email a photo to DPIHelpline@FDCAS.gov, said the organization adding that a person should not handle the snails without a pair of gloves. The Florida Supreme Court rejected former Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warrens request to be reinstated after Gov. Ron DeSantis removed him from office last year. Deciding that Warren waited too long to ask the court to intervene, a majority of justices wrote that they were declining to take up the case. We agree with the Governor that the petition should be denied on the ground of unreasonable delay, justices wrote. DeSantis, who appointed five of the seven justices, suspended Warren in August on claims of neglect of duty and incompetence. DeSantis cited Warrens decision to sign pledges with prosecutors around the nation against pursuing abortion and transgender cases. Warren first challenged DeSantis decision by suing him in federal court, arguing that DeSantis had violated his right to free speech. A federal judge agreed but ruled that he didnt have the authority under the 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to reinstate him. Warren then asked the Florida Supreme Court to intervene, citing the judges ruling that his free speech was violated. Justices wrote that his decision to wait more than six months to ask the Supreme Court was unexplained and unreasonable. Justice Jorge Labarga, appointed by then-Republican Gov. Charlie Crist in 2009, dissented, writing that Warren still has 18 months left on his second four-year term in office. Given that this case involves the suspension of a then-sitting elected official for whom a substantial portion of the term yet remains I am unpersuaded by the majoritys conclusion that Warrens petition is properly denied on the ground of unreasonable delay, Labarga wrote. Warren, who spoke at a congressional hearing about his suspension on Thursday, released a statement saying he was extremely disappointed by the courts decision. Rather than addressing the substance of the governors illegal action, the Court cited a technicality and avoided a ruling on the merits of the case, Warren said. Justices also blasted the federal judges decision, calling it inexplicable that the U.S. District judge, Robert Hinkle, would weigh in on state law. After a three-day trial that included testimony from several top DeSantis officials, Hinkle disputed DeSantis claim that Warren had a blanket policy of not enforcing certain crimes. Not only was DeSantis claim not true, Hinkle wrote, This factual issue is not close. Warren has appealed Hinkles ruling. Justices wrote that Warren still has one option for reinstatement: going to the Florida Senate for a trial. There is no reason to doubt that the elected members comprising that legislative body will be just in carrying out their solemn duty, justices wrote. Republicans have a super-majority in the Senate, a body that has bent to DeSantis will since he took office in 2019. That year, the Senate also took up DeSantis decision to suspend Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel following the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. DeSantis laid out 10 claims against Israel, and the Senate hired an independent arbiter to hold a trial and review the governors claims. The special master, Dudley Goodlette, concluded the governor didnt prove a single one. Senators, voting largely along party lines, chose to remove Israel, anyway, setting an expansive new precedent in the process. Editors note: Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz teaches creative writing in the University of the Philippines Mindanao. Her book, Abi Nako, Or So I Thought (2020, UP Press) is the first lesbian memoir published in the Philippines. In the Philippines, we do not have a word for lesbian in our major languages. But it doesnt mean that she does not exist. As a child I learned about gender and homosexual identities through a counting or sorting game that uses this chant: Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy,' which determines what gender a child is depending on his/her age. Girl corresponds to one, Boy to two, Bakla to three, Tomboy to four and the chant goes on until it stops at ones age, e.g. an eight-year-old child is a tomboy, regardless of his/her biological sex. Here was also where I learned that nobody wants to be called bakla or tomboy even in a silly childrens game. They become the butt of jokes because bakla is the word for male homosexual and tomboy is a female homosexual. Later, I learned to identify as lesbian, but even the term is fraught with conflict about how it is defined, particularly in the Philippines. While the easy solution is to say that a lesbian is a woman who has romantic and sexual relations with women, that does not reflect the historical struggle around the term, particularly prompted by Adrienne Richs concept of the lesbian continuum, in which virtually all women can be considered lesbian by virtue of their commitment to women. The continuum refers to a range through each womans life of woman-identified experience." Rich also describes it as forms of primary intensity between and among women, not limited to sexual experience. When I first realized that I was a lesbian, I was a Literature major in college, and so I sought refuge and understanding, as usual from literature. (Two years later, I wrote my first lesbian story.) But I couldnt find any lesbian writers in Philippine literature. Its not that they did not exist, but that they were invisible. The erasure of the lesbian is so systemic, that even in anthologies of womens writing published in the 90s, the lesbian writers were not identified as such. Maybe it was a function of the authors themselves who were in the closet at that time, or the heteronormative bias of the feminist editors. So, I had to find the lesbian in the Western tradition. If any queer anthology truly shaped me, it would be Chloe Plus Olivia: An Anthology of Lesbian Literature from the Seventeenth Century to the Present edited by Lillian Faderman. Yet even with the mountain of literary pieces available to her, she admits the problem with the term lesbian, which she describes as anachronistic. She emphasizes that many of the women writers of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and even nineteenth centuries would not have considered themselves lesbian even had that word been available to them. Thus, as an anthologist, she decided to use the term only to signal content about female same-sex emotional and physical relationships though it is not a word other eras would have been likely to employ. It was through this anthology that my imagination opened up to what Faderman calls the literature of romantic friendship and of lesbian encoding, which led me to reading the work of early Philippine women writers such as Leona Florentino as lesbian texts. Florentino, the mother of Isabelo de los Reyes, wrote many love poems for women, which Ilocano literature scholars have described as merely commissioned work. More importantly, the 1994 anthology introduced me to what Faderman calls post-lesbian-feminist literature, which, even then, she coded as queer (though derisively, I think). It was this section of the anthology that opened me up to creative possibilities in writing the lesbian experience that I would only realize in my own writing 25 years later, when I did my creative practice PhD. Ive always wished there were a lesbian anthology ever since the first Ladlad volume of Philippine gay writing came out in 1994. And there was! In 1998, Anvil Publishing Inc. published Tibok: Heartbeat of the Filipino Lesbian, edited by Anna Leah Sarabia. But when I gained more experience as a literary writer and editor, I realized that I should put together the lesbian anthology I wanted to read. And this dream only came to fruition in 2021 when Anvil published Tingle: Anthology of Pinay Lesbian Writing, much belated, much awaited. READ: A new Filipino anthology shines light on stories by women loving women But before Tingle, the University of the Philippines Press published in 2017, an Asia-Pacific anthology, Press: 100 Love Letters edited by Laurel Flores Fantauzzo and Francesca Rendle-Short. The call for submissions was for letters from women to women. And while the queer angle was obvious, the anthology included more than that. Each letter in the book celebrates love and desire between women, in different stages and ways. But it really must be read as a queer womens anthology, breaking ground in the Philippines, making space for women naming their desire for what they can have, or cant have, for what they used to have, or what they do have, and even what they never had. The contributors from the Asia-Pacific (mostly Australia and the Philippines) took the prompt and found a variety of forms to embody this desire: poems, essays, illustrations, playing cards, photographs. They literally made love with their hands. "It is an urge that is primordial in me as a lesbian this writing of love letters and the making with my hands." It is an urge that is primordial in me as a lesbian this writing of love letters and the making with my hands. The Quebecoise lesbian writer Nicole Brossard asserts, Writings make sense that begin with the declaration of love (quoted in Nicole Brossard: Essays on Her Works). There can be no lesbian writing without this ideal beloved. In their epistolary introduction, Fantauzzo and Rendle-Short give us an intimate glimpse of the way they themselves journeyed with the project. We read it and we feel as if we know them, or they know us. That if we read the book, we are sharing in what Rendle-Short calls Desire lines of travel present here on these pages. Fantauzzo talks about the Philippine context of the love letter, referring to Rizal, the kundiman, Catholicism. Rendle-Short affirms, The letter is a declaration. The letter is an exhortation. The letter is a report. The letter is a plea. The letter is a tenuous bridge. Putting the book together, they asked, What happens when women write to each other, for each other? We name our desire to each other and call it forth collectively. Aside from letters to the beloved, the book also contains letters from daughters to mothers and mothers to daughters the first love a woman knows, the one that is most instructive. And sometimes devastating. In my own early writing of lesbian fiction, I imagined, as a motherless child whose mother failed my expectations, I was mothering desire, desiring mother. In the accomplishment of Press, we call back the lesbian continuum, and find our place in it as women who love women in all the ways that we know how. Press: 100 Love Letters is available from the University of the Philippines Press. FALL RIVER Former Fall River police officer Michael Pessoa will spend a minimum of 1 years in state prison and serve no more than three years, as the veteran city cop was sentenced for excessive force and civil rights violations by Superior Court Judge Renee Dupuis today. In an at times tearful and seemingly contrite statement to the court, Pessoa said he always prided himself on being a "law-abiding and productive member of society." Unfortunately, a series of events on the night of February 12, 2019, would change and affect many lives, said Pessoa, with about two dozen family members, friends and some of his former colleagues listening in court. On May 31, a jury convicted Pessoa after a five-day trial for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon against then 59-year-old David Lafrance, witness intimidation, civil rights violations and filing false reports. Dupuis revoked his bail and Pessoa has been in jail since. A grand jury indicted him in June 2019 for assaulting and violating the civil rights of four different men. Former Fall River police officer Michael Pessoa is seen in Fall River District Court Thursday, June 22, after addressing the judge prior to sentencing. Jury convicts former cop Fall River ex-cop Michael Pessoa guilty of excessive force. During the trial, Bristol County Deputy District Attorney William McCauley and Assistant District Attorney Gillian Kirsch, argued that Pessoa struck Lafrance in the face as he was being released from custody by another officer, then assaulted him again in a police vehicle. Pessoa and three other officers then conspired to lie on police reports to hide the assault and charge Lafrance with criminal charges. Those charges were later dropped when Lafrance produced a video surveillance tape that showed the assault and would be the prime piece of evidence for the prosecution. Attorney Frank Camera listens as his client Michael Pessoa addresses the judge prior to sentencing. Pessoa on incarceration Over the three-plus weeks while incarcerated, Ive had nothing but time to think and reflect on this entire situation. During this time, Ive gained a perspective on what it means and feels like to be incarcerated, said Pessoa. I have no shame in standing here today and openly admitting that I now have a different light on what incarceration means. I truly believe if this different perspective had existed sooner, I would have been a different person with many different feelings, said Pessoa. Pessoas defense attorneys, Frank Camera and Kathryn Blythe, had requested that the judge impose a sentence of house arrest, and if time served is ordered, he be able to be incarcerated in the Bristol County House of Correction rather than state prison. The prosecution had asked Pessoa serve up to five years in state prison. Blythe noted to the judge that Pessoa would face safety concerns in state prison, and that hell enter a system that will treat him differently because he was a police officer. Judge Renee Dupuis listens to victim impact statements. Testimony: Beating victim was 'compliant' before cop hit him, former Fall River officer testifies Victim has his say Lafrance, now 61, said the assault against him by Pessoa has impacted me both physically and mentally, and I still feel the effects of it to this day. This was uncalled-for. I feel nervous around the police. I was afraid to come forward, I was scared for my well-being and scared that they would come back, and I still feel like that, said Lafrance, adding that at the time he didnt think anyone would believe me. During trial, prosecutors, in addition to presenting the video of the assault, showed jurors photos of an injured Lafrance with a bloody lip and a contusion on his face, which prompted a superior Fall River police officer to request all the officers involved fill out use-of-force forms, evidence that also played heavily at trial. District Attornet Thomas Quinn speaks with Bristol County Assistant District Attorney William McCauley after sentencing. Prosecution and defense have different takes in their sentencing arguments Taking a personal approach in his sentencing statement, Camera called it a somber day for Pessoa and his family, and a disheartening moment for me as well, said Camera. While awaiting trial, Camera and Blythe, who at the time purchased a restaurant and hired Pessoa, said that created a personal relationship with his client, and he was disappointed the way the former police officer was prosecuted by the DAs office. He was a police officer for 19 years, there was an investigation and there was indictments. He was placed in custody and a request for bail, despite his lack of criminal record, his ties to the community and all the good that he did in the Fall River Police Department in his career, said Camera, calling Pessoa an honorable and intelligent guy. But McCauley presented a different view of Pessoa, saying the DAs office relies on the credibility of police officers, and calling his actions an egregious matter, in our view. The defendant was entrusted with this power, with this police power, and he violated that police power. He has disgraced the uniform, hes disgraced himself and hes brought dishonor among the Fall River Police Department, said McCauley. Judge says many factors weighed before sentencing Dupuis called the conviction against Pessoa very, very serious. The jury has convicted Mr. Pessoa of assaulting David Lafrance and violated his civil rights in doing so. Mr. Pessoa then filed a false police report and lied to his superior officers, said the judge. Dupuis said she also reviewed the sentencing guidelines and considered Lafrance's impact statement. Mr. Lafrance, regardless of his conduct that night, did not deserve to be beaten and bloodied by a man who took an oath to serve and protect, said Dupuis. The judge said she also considered the 14 letters of support from Pessoas family and friends and the heartfelt statement from the former city police officer. Fall River police officer Michael Silvia spoke to the judge in support of Pessoa. In addition to the sentencing of no less than 1 years to three years for the conviction of witness intimidation, Dupuis sentenced him to a one-year probation after his release for the other three counts. According to District Attorney spokesman Gregg Miliote, after serving a sentence of 1 years, he can ask for parole. Michael Passoa about to give his statement prior to sentencing. Pessoa still faces two more criminal cases In June 2019, Pessoa was indicted on 15 counts for allegedly assaulting four men in separate incidents, all while they were in custody. One case was dismissed after the alleged victim died. Before the Lafrance trial, Dupuis ordered that the remaining cases be separated. This was the first of three trials. After sentencing, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn III reiterated the statement he made after the verdict saying that, while most officers serve with honor, Mr. Pessoa crossed the line in this case. But he also drew other officers into it that got involved in filing false statements, said Quinn. Pessoa was fired from the department pending his first criminal case, as was former officer Thomas Roberts, who was one of the three officers at the scene who testified for the prosecution. Former officer Sean Aguiar and Andre Demelo each resigned from the department. Quinn said his office will be pursuing the two other pending cases against Pessoa. A status hearing is scheduled on those cases on July 24, according to Miliote. This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Former Fall River police officer Michael Pessoa gets prison time Former Fall River Police officer Michael Pessoa was sentenced to up to three years in prison for assaulting a member of the public, violating his civil rights, intimidating a witness, and filing false police reports, Bristol County District Attorney announced today. Pessoa was sentenced last month following a 2019 incident. The defendant was held accountable by the jury for crossing the line by assaulting the victim, filing false police reports and trying to cover up his conduct. His actions undermined the public confidence in the police department and also implicated his fellow officers by involving them in a cover up his criminal conduct. The prison sentence reflected the serious nature of the crimes committed by the defendant, District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn said. While his behavior was egregious, it does not reflect upon the vast majority of police officers who are serving and protecting the public under difficult circumstances. On February 12, 2019, Pessoa and four other Fall River Police Officers responded to a potential fight between neighbors. They met David Lafrance outside of his home. After an investigation where David Lafrance was handcuffed, the lead officer determined that there were no chargers warranted and that Lafrance should be released. When the officers were uncuffing Lafrance, Pessoa insulted him, and Lafrance responded similarly. Pessoa then punched Lafrance, causing him to lose consciousness, and proceeded to kneel on the victim. Despite having no reason to, Pessoa arrested Lafrance and charged him with multiple offenses. Lafrance was arraigned on these charges, but they were dismissed after surveillance footage emerged of the encounter. The footage also led to an investigation of Pessoa and the four other officers, that revealed they lied in their reports. All four of the officers involved are no longer employed by Fall River. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Ryan Kelley, a real estate agent and conservative activist who sought to become governor of Michigan in 2022, will plead guilty next month to a misdemeanor charge stemming from his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Earlier this year, a federal judge had ordered a trial beginning July 31 in a Washington district court, but an order filed on Kelley's court docket Thursday indicated the court "hereby vacates the trial in this case" and instead has scheduled a plea agreement hearing for July 27. Plea agreement hearings typically are straightforward affairs a magistrate judge will determine whether the defendant, in this case Kelley, understands what they are agreeing to and is competent to enter a guilty plea. Kelley's lawyer, Gary Springstead of Springstead, Bartish, Borgula and Lynch Law in Grand Rapids, said the former gubernatorial hopeful will plead guilty to a single misdemeanor charge of entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority. Federal prosecutors originally levied four charges against Kelley: the charge for entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; as well as disorderly and disruptive conduct, knowingly engaging in an act of physical violence against a person or property and willfully injuring property, according to a criminal complaint. The charges are all misdemeanors and generally carry a penalty of up to one year in prison and fines of up to $100,000. Springstead said government prosecutors have agreed to drop the latter three in exchange for Kelley's guilty plea to the first charge. The Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol occurred when supporters of former President Donald Trump attempted to storm the building to prevent Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory in the 2020 election. "Nobody is even alleging that he went inside the Capitol, this is simply for being on the Capitol steps," Springstead said over the phone. "And there's no allegation that he engaged in any violence, or even the threat of violence. (It's) really tantamount to a trespassing charge." Kelley had initially pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. In June 2022, in the middle of his campaign for the Republican nomination for governor, Kelley was arrested during a raid at his Ottawa County home. More: Debbie Dingell again proposes putting guns under consumer safety laws Signature scandal fallout: AG announces charges in fake signature scandal that torpedoed 5 GOP governor hopefuls Asked whether the plea agreement is a satisfactory outcome for Kelley, Springstead said his client is ready to move on from the case but still disagrees with ever being charged in the first place. "I think that he wanted to resolve it so that he could focus on family and work, and not have the thing hang over his head, but no, I don't think that he's satisfied by it, in the sense that we both kind of think you should be able to go to the Capitol steps and protest what your government thinks, as long as you don't engage in violence," Springstead said. During interviews with federal investigators, Kelley declined to identify himself in videos of the riot at the Capitol, according to deposition testimony gathered by the now-disbanded U.S. House committee tasked with investigating the event and its causes. Kelley eventually finished fourth in the Republican gubernatorial primary, which was won by Tudor Dixon. Dixon went on to lose to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by 11 percentage points in the November 2022 election. Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @arpanlobo. Become a subscriber today. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ex-GOP governor candidate Ryan Kelley to plead guilty to Jan. 6 charge The former head of Haitis provisional electoral council, Pierre-Louis Opont, is the latest victim of the countrys kidnapping scourge, his abduction occurring less than 10 days after his wife, a prominent journalist, was also abducted. Opont, who headed the nine-member Provisional Electoral Council that oversaw the controversial 2015 election involving Haitian President Jovenel Moise, that was later annulled for alleged fraud and vote irregularities, was kidnapped late Tuesday as he returned home. He was approaching his front gate in the suburb of Tabarre, where the U.S. embassy is located, when armed individuals grabbed him, a source close to the family confirmed to the Miami Herald. Opont is the husband of prominent Haitian journalist Marie Lucie Bonhomme, who hosts a news program on Port-au-Prince-based Radio Vision 2000. Last week, as Haitian leaders met in Jamaica to find a political agreement to move toward elections, Bonhomme was abducted from her home by armed gang members. She was released several hours later. Her abductors were members of the Kraze Barye gang, which is led by Vitelhomme Innocent. Innocent is wanted by the FBI, which has issued a $1 million reward for information leading to his arrest. He controls Tabarre and his gang is believed to be behind Oponts kidnapping, A former OceanGate Expeditions customer who took a trip to see the Titanic wreckage two years ago described the dive as a "kamikaze operation." An international search and rescue operation is ongoing for five crew members on OceanGate's Titan sub, which went missing Sunday on a planned deep sea tourist expedition. Arthur Loibl, a retired German businessman and adventurer who went on the same trip in 2021, shared his experience with OceanGate in an interview with The Associated Press. "You have to be a little bit crazy to do this sort of thing," Loibl said. He explained that the idea of touring the Titanic wreckage came to him on a trip to the South Pole in 2016. At the time, a Russian company was the only service offering videos for half a million dollars. LIVE UPDATES: SEARCH FOR MISSING OCEANGATE TITAN SUBMARINE Arthur Loibl, a former passenger on the Titan, was one of the first passengers to descend to the Titanic in a mini-submarine operated by OceanGate Expeditions. Washington state-based OceanGate announced its own Titanic operation a year later and Loibl seized the opportunity. He chartered a dive with OceanGate in 2019, paying a whopping $110,000, but that dive was canceled because the first submersible didn't survive testing. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP In 2021, he went on a voyage that was successful along with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and French diver and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet who are now missing along with two men from England. "Imagine a metal tube a few meters long with a sheet of metal for a floor. You cant stand. You cant kneel. Everyone is sitting close to or on top of each other," Loibl told the AP. "You cant be claustrophobic." OceanGate's sub experienced technical difficulties on the dive, Loibl said. He described how lights were turned off to conserve energy during the 2.5-hour descent and ascent, with the only illumination coming from a glow stick. WHO IS ON THE OCEANGATE TITANIC SUB? Loibl was one of three explorers to descend into the Atlantic Ocean in an OceanGate Expeditions sub to view the Titanic wreckage. The dive was repeatedly delayed to fix a problem with the battery and the balancing weights. In total, the voyage took 10.5 hours. In the end, Loibl said his group was lucky and enjoyed an amazing view of the wreck. Other customers only got to see a field of debris or, in some cases, nothing at all. Some customers lost nonrefundable payments after bad weather prevented the dive from happening safely. He described Rush as a tinkerer who tried to make do with what was available to carry out the dives, but in hindsight, he said, "it was a bit dubious." "I was a bit naive, looking back now," Loibl said. "It was a kamikaze operation." MISSING TITANIC SUBMARINE: CANADIAN UNDERWATER ROBOT SEARCHES OCEAN FLOOR AS OXYGEN LEVELS DWINDLE Inset, from left: Suleman Dawood, Shahzada Dawood, Stockton Rush, Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Hamish Harding are aboard the OceanGate Titan submersible. Another former passenger who visited the Titanic wreck site on board OceanGate's now-missing Titan submersible craft said everyone involved knew the risks of the "dangerous mission." Fred Hagen spoke to "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday morning as the Coast Guard estimates there is less than 24 hours of oxygen remaining in the Titan, which vanished Sunday on an expedition to visit what remains of the Titanic. "There were safety protocols in place. I know there is a big controversy now that there has been a catastrophe, people are second-guessing and wondering why there werent backup systems," said Hagen, a businessman and explorer from Pennsylvania. "We were all told intimately informed that this was a dangerous mission that could result in death and injury. So that was well understood." "We were versed in how the sub operated, we were versed in various protocols but its not a safe operation inherently," he added. "And that is part of research and development and exploration and experimentation." DEEP-SEA EXPERT WORRIES BANGING COULD BE OVERLY OPTIMISTIC AS TITANIC SUB MAY HAVE ALREADY RUN OUT OF AIR Paul-Henri Nargeolet poses alongside OceanGate's Titan submersible in 2022. The search and rescue operation for the missing OceanGate Titan submersible has entered its fifth day. The five passengers on board have been identified as Rush, Nargeolet, British businessman and explorer Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and Dawood's son Sulaiman Dawood. The sub began its journey to the Titanic on Sunday morning with 96 hours of oxygen on board, according to OceanGates website. Operators then lost contact with the vessel about one hour and 45 minutes into its descent. It has not been heard from since and its current whereabouts remain unknown. The U.S. Coast Guard has deployed underwater robots to comb the ocean floor in search of the Titan. The search was joined Thursday by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) owned by the French vessel L'Atalante, the Coast Guard said. Authorities said the missing sub would run out of oxygen sometime Thursday morning. Fox News' Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, who announced his 2024 Republican presidential campaign earlier Thursday with an anti-Donald Trump message, said he wont sign the Republican National Committees pledge to back the partys ultimate nominee in order to participate in primary debates. I wont be signing any kind of pledges, and I dont think parties should be trying to rig who should be on a debate stage, he told CNNs Kaitlan Collins Thursday evening. I am not in the business of lying to the American people in order to get a microphone, and Im not going to support Donald Trump. And so I cant honestly say Im going to sign something even if he may or may not be the nominee, he added. Hurd joins a crowded field looking to challenge Trump, the front-runner for the nomination, and he admitted itll be difficult for a dark-horse candidate like me. An undercover CIA officer before entering politics, Hurd has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump following his indictment on federal charges over alleged mishandling of classified documents. Asked if the former president, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, betrayed the country, Hurd said, 100% he did. Hurd told Collins that if the allegations are true, Its slapping the men and women who put themselves in harms way every single night in order to keep us safe. Hurd launched his campaign earlier in the day calling for common sense. This is a decision that my wife and I decided to do because we live in complicated times and we need common sense, he said on CBS earlier Thursday morning. There are a number of generational defining challenges that were faced with in the United States of America everything from the Chinese government trying to surpass us as the global superpower, the fact that inflation is persistent at a time when technologies like artificial intelligence is going to upend every single industry, and our kids, their scores in math, science and reading are the lowest theyve ever been in this century, the former congressman said. These are the issues we should be talking about. And to be frank, Im pissed that were not talking about these things, Hurd added in the CBS interview. Besides Trump, Republican presidential contenders also include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and conservative talk radio host Larry Elder. Too many of these candidates in this race are afraid of Donald Trump, Hurd said on CBS of the GOP primary field. Hurd added that, if elected to the White House, he would not pardon Trump should the former president be convicted, adding that he thought it was insane that other candidates were open to the idea. Ramaswamy has committed to pardoning Trump if hes elected president. Haley, Suarez and Elder have also suggested they would be inclined to do so. Hurd speaks to constituents in San Antonio in April 2017. - Melina Mara/The Washington Post/Getty Images Hurd was a rare Republican critic of Trump during his time in Congress from 2015 to 2021. Representing a swing district in Texas that covered the largest stretch of the US-Mexico border of any congressional seat, he opposed Trumps border wall and argued it was less effective than other forms of border security. Hurd was one of four House Republicans in 2019 to vote in support of a resolution condemning Trumps racist tweets targeting four Democratic congresswomen of color. He also authored a New York Times op-ed in 2018 arguing that Trump was being manipulated by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Despite his outspoken criticism, Hurd said in 2019 that he would vote for Trump the following year were he to be the GOP nominee. Hurd had been fueling speculation about a potential presidential run with trips to early-voting primary states in recent months. Hurd was in New Hampshire last week and told local station WMUR 9 he was evaluating whether his candidacy would have a path to the GOP nomination. In January, he spoke at the annual meeting of the New Hampshire Republican Party the same event where Trump kicked off his 2024 campaigning. Hurd also visited Iowa for the Faith and Freedom Coalitions spring event that included several other 2024 GOP hopefuls. Hurd was the only Black Republican in the House when he announced in 2019 that he would not seek reelection and instead pursue opportunities outside government to solve problems at the nexus between technology and national security. Hurd served in the CIA for almost a decade before coming to Congress. As a congressman, he served on the House Intelligence Committee, which is charged with oversight of the US intelligence community. Hurd first ran for Congress in 2010, losing to Quico Canseco in a runoff for the GOP nomination. Four years later, Hurd defeated Canseco, by then a former congressman, in another primary runoff before narrowly unseating Democratic Rep. Pete Gallego in the general election. He was narrowly reelected in 2016 and 2018, defeating Gallego and Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones, respectively. This story has been updated with Hurds interview on CNN. Kaanita Iyer contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The 34-foot vessel speeds along Ukraines Dnipro River at maximum velocity, before its captain shouts: Hold! It does a snap turn and then smoothly moves on, in a seamless motion, barely slowing down. With little armor, the US-donated Dauntless Sea Ark patrol boat relies on speed to evade attacks, and its impressive maneuverability is a key asset for Ukraines recently established river fleet. Were looking for any kind of enemies everywhere, air, on land and on the river as well, Captain Anton, his surname withheld for security reasons, says of his mission. All the river Dnipro, from the north to the south, the riverine fleet must protect it. With a length of almost 1,400 miles (2,200 km) the Dnipro is the fourth longest river in Europe, rising in Russia, flowing through Belarus and Ukraine, before finally ending in the Black Sea. It cuts through Ukraine, connecting some of its major cities such as Kyiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson providing water, electricity and a natural barrier against advancing armies. The Dauntless Sea Ark has three machine gun mounts and a 40mm grenade launcher. - Vasco Cotovio/CNN Its water supply helps cool the reactors of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. And the destruction caused by the recent blast at the Nova Kakhovka dam also highlighted its importance for Ukrainians and Russians alike. The river is a strategic object, Captain Anton says. (Because of the explosion) now we can understand how it is important to make it a safe and secure place. For that reason Ukraine has been developing its river fleet, seeking to maintain control of the Dnipro and its shores, especially as it pushes through with its long awaited counteroffensive. In addition to some old Soviet equipment and civilian vessels modified for combat purposes, it has recently received support from the United States, NATO and other allies to bolster its fleet. According to the US Department of Defense, Washington alone has contributed with 62 coastal and riverine patrol boats, including at least 18 of these Dauntless Sea Ark patrol boat CNN got access to. With a maximum speed of 35 knots (40 mph/65 kmh) and with three machine gun mounts, as well as 40mm grenade launchers, the Dauntless Sea Ark adds much-needed muscle to Ukraines riverine operations. Our mission is to patrol the Dnipro River, since its prohibited to use any kind of navigation since 24th of February 2022, Captain Anton explains. We have to check each boat, which is now on the river to check whether they have any suspicious objects whatsoever. Captain Anton says his men not only secure the river but take part in air defense operations, defending cities like Kyiv from drone attacks. - Vasco Cotovio/CNN Their main concern initially was Russian infiltrators, or any related activity, but since Moscow started using Iranian-made Shahed drones to target cities, especially the capital Kyiv, they have taken on a new role. Were taking part in air defense as well, he says. Russia frequently flies the drones along the river, close to the water, making it more difficult for Ukrainian air defenses and radars to see and target them, and thats where the river fleet comes in. In cases where Russia is using Shaheds, we can use (these boats) to try and strike them, Captain Anton explains. Thats part of our job as well. A growing part of an otherwise dwindling Navy Most of Ukraines seafaring navy was lost in the first weeks of Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Kyiv losing control of the seas to Moscow very early on. Ukrainian sailors famously refused to surrender control over the strategic Snake Island, telling the Russian flagship Moskva go f*** yourself, but were powerless to fight back. Later on, Ukraine shifted the balance of power by relying on drones, Western-donated Harpoon anti-ship missiles, as well as its own domestic-made Neptune missiles, to push the Russian navy away from its shores even sinking the Moskva and regaining control of Snake Island. Yet despite these successes, Kyiv has been unable to effectively challenge Moscow for control of the Black Sea. Russia maintains a large fleet in the area and Western aid has largely been directed at bolstering Ukraines ground forces. The United States has donated at least 18 of these patrol boats. - Vasco Cotovio/CNN But its a different picture along the mighty Dnipro. Ukrainian special forces have been using the waterway to launch raids across the river, since they retook the city of Kherson at the end of last year, carrying sabotage operations in Russian-controlled territory and, in some cases, successfully establishing foothold in some islands along the Dnipro. In addition to those surprise attacks, units such as Captain Antons, which are currently stationed away from the battlefield, could play a role in future operations. We are ready, he says. If needed of course well fight. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com We wont call it a new day in Kansas City. Despite seven new members joining the City Council, Mayor Quinton Lucas and all but one incumbent council member won re-election in Tuesdays municipal election. But the work to make this city an inclusive, safe and healthy place for us all to live, work and play must remain a priority. Our ghastly homicide rate continues to temper expectations that we can be the world-class city local civic leaders envision. Will the members of this particular council support new long-term, multimillion-dollar crime prevention plans approved by its predecessor? Theyd better. With 92 killings through Thursday a record pace this city cannot afford to drop the ball on the $30 million investment the City Council recently pledged to spend on crime-prevention strategies. Another pressing issue the new council must aggressively address is affordable housing. Over the last four years, strides have been made on that front. And we dont doubt newcomer Johnathan Duncans commitment to renters rights. He was backed by the KC Tenants groups 501(c)(4) nonprofit, an offshoot of the nonprofit organizations tenants rights arm. Until Kansas Citys housing trust fund is fully funded, issues with homelessness will continue to persist, though. Many other issues must be addressed in Kansas City, including possible public subsidies for the Royals new stadium and whatever the Chiefs will likely demand in kind, as well aging infrastructure in south Kansas City, and other services residents deserve. Continued investment and development in neighborhoods on the citys East Side is important, too. After Tuesdays election results, we take a wait-and-see approach with these newly elected officials. We dont doubt their qualifications or the voters will. We live in what is known as the Show-Me State for a reason. Only 13% of registered voters bothered to cast their lot, according to area election board officials. But those who did make it to the ballot box voted into office some of the most forward-thinking candidates in Kansas City history, Mayor Quinton Lucas said. We welcome the council members-elect who are political newcomers: Duncan of the 6th District, Crispin Rea of the 4th District at large, Melissa Patterson Hazley of the 3rd District at large, Lindsay French of the 2nd District at large and Nathan Willett of the 1st District. Former Missouri state House candidate Darrell Curls of the 5th District at large and former state Rep. Wes Rogers of the 2nd District will join them. Incumbents returning to office are Eric Bunch of the 4th District, Melissa Robinson of the 3rd District, Ryana Parks-Shaw of the 5th District and Andrea Bough of the 6th District at large. Each will bring a unique perspective to the council, said Lucas, himself a one-time council member. For example, Rea, an assistant county prosecutor and former Kansas City school board member, will become the first Latino councilperson since Michael Hernandez, who resigned amid a bribery scandal in 1995. And Duncan, the housing advocate and political newcomer, is a military veteran. This is the most progressive City Council in the history of Kansas City, Lucas said. Very ambitious. Kansas City still needs a robust light rail system, advocates for public transit contend. Will this body make mass transit a priority? It should. Will the steady hand of outgoing council members Lee Barnes, Heather Hall, Teresa Loar and Kathryn Shields be missed? Perhaps. Each were term limited. But replacing the institutional knowledge of that outgoing quartet will prove difficult, according to Lucas. Voters were clear, however, Lucas said. People were not afraid to shake things up. Its going to be a serious change, he said. But new people provide new perspectives. We dont know if this council will solve the issues that plague our city. If they dont serve the community as they promise, they like defeated single-term 3rd District at large Councilman Brandon Ellington will have to answer to voters four years from now or find a new job. Four new reserve police officers sworn in during ceremony in Gustine. Heres how theyll help Four new reserve officers with the City of Gustine Police Department were sworn in during a ceremony Tuesday evening. Entering the room to the sound of bagpipe music performed by the San Jose Police Emerald Society, the new officers took their oath prior to the regularly scheduled City Council Meeting at Gustine City Hall. Anytime we bring on a new officer to our department, to our police family its always exciting, said Gustine Police Chief Ruben Chavez. And I always want to make it a big deal, because it is a big deal. According to Chavez, anyone seeking to become a police officer has to overcome multiple challenges such as background checks, psychological and medical exams and the field training officer program. Chavez said the process is difficult. It seems like were getting fewer and fewer people interested, Chavez said. So anytime you bring on an officer onto a department its really exciting. Were bringing on four officers as reserve officers and thats why I like to bring in the bagpipes because its a big ceremony. According to Chavez the new reserve officers joining the police force is not just a big deal for the department, but also for the city and the community. In their roles as reserve officers, the officers will not only be entrusted with responding to calls for service, as well as helping the police department during the numerous festivals and events that occur throughout the year. The more officers you have on the streets, the more visible they are in the streets, the more visible they are in the community and crime goes down. So Im really excited about that, said Chavez. The Gustine Police Department is currently budgeted for eight full-time officers, consisting of a Chief, Lieutenant, Corporal and five officers, according to Chavez. The reserve officers roles are volunteer roles with specific schedule. Chavez said reserve officers can be compensated for their time if they work a beat or work a festival for example. While the department likes to have the reserve officers work two shifts a month, some of them even like to work every weekend, according to Chavez. If you have a (full-time) officer thats working by himself, (a reserve officer) can jump in the car with him, now youve got a two-man car, said Chavez. That allows officers to have backup with them when responding to calls for service. Its a lot safer for officers when they have an extra person in the car, said Chavez. According to Chavez, the department has filled 10 of the allowed 12 reserve officer positions. Chavez said the Gustine City Council has been supportive of the departments efforts to keep the community safe. The department has been able to acquire body cameras and tasers, as well as riot gear, during Chavezs time leading the department. The number one thing is not only being safe, but feeling safe, said Chavez. If you come to Gustine, we want you to feel safe. I think thats key, having the officers out there making our community safe and allowing our members to be safe. According to Chavez, the Gustine Police Department shares resources with other agencies, such as the Newman Police Department, located about four miles away. You have officers here that respond to Newman PD if they need some assistance, said Chavez. Gustine police officers respond to help them out if they need backup and Newman officers respond in the event Gustine officers need backup, according to Chavez. Its kind of a synergistic effect if you will, having multiple agencies respond to different calls, said Chavez. Gustine Police Chief Ruben Chavez speaks during a swearing in ceremony of four new Gustine Police Department Reserve Officers in Gustine, Calif., on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Andrew Kuhn/akuhn@mercedsun-star.com Joining the Gustine Police Department as reserve officers are: Christian Poteat, Emanuel Gonzalez, Arthur Rincon and Harjot Gill. Poteat was born in Mexico City and grew up in Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, before moving to San Jose at the age of 12, and studied Administration of Justice at Evergreen Valley College, according to Chavez. Poteat has worked for the San Jose Police Department and multiple other agencies ,including Daly City Police Department and the Campbell City Police Department before joining the Broadmoor Police Department. Chavez said Poteat is a full-time officer in Broadmoore and will also be serving as a reserve officer in Gustine. Also taking the oath Tuesday was reserve officer Emanuel Gonzalez. According to Chavez, Gonzalez was born in Turlock and grew up in Livingston, where he graduated from Livingston High School before attending Merced College. He graduated from the community college with three Associate of Arts degrees: in Administration of Justice, Diesel Technology and Agriculture Technology. In addition, Gonzalez graduated from the Delta College Police Academy in Stockton. Gustine Reserve Officers Arthur Rincon, left, and Emanuel Gonzalez, right, are sworn in during a swearing in ceremony for four new Gustine Police Department Reserve Officers in Gustine, Calif., on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Andrew Kuhn/akuhn@mercedsun-star.com Arthur Rincon took the oath Tuesday, too. Rincon was born in Fremont and graduated from the New Haven Adult School in Union City before joining the United States Army, according to Chavez. During his time in the army, Rincon was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga., where he worked to refuel military aircraft. In 2007, Rincon was deployed to Iraq for a 15-month tour of duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom. After his honorable discharge from the military in 2010, he pursued a career in private security working in the Bay Area and join the National Guard, and was stationed in Fresno, where he continues to serve. During his time with the National Guard, Rincon has been deployed to multiple large wildfires throughout the state as well as to San Francisco during the George Floyd riots, according to Chavez. Rincon is a 2022 graduate of the Delta College Police Academy. Another officer taking the oath as a reserve officer Tuesday was Harjot Gill. Gill was born in Redding and moved to Manteca before moving to Merced and graduating from Merced High School, according to Chavez. Gill worked at his familys store and gas station in Livingston when younger before his parents sold the business in 2019. Gill returned to Redding and studied psychology at Shasta College before graduating from the Delta College Police Academy in Modesto in 2021. According to Chavez, Gill currently works as a security officer in Patterson. Gustine Reserve Officers Christian Poteat, left, and Harjot Gill, right, are sworn in during a swearing in ceremony for four new Gustine Police Department Reserve Officers in Gustine, Calif., on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Andrew Kuhn/akuhn@mercedsun-star.com Gustine City Manager Anna Nicholas said the newly hired reserve officers will be able to assist and be part of the community, especially during the numerous community events held in the city throughout the year. We are a very small staff and so anytime we can bring some new people onboard and welcome them to the team, we love to do so, said Nicholas. Nicholas said the added presence of the four new reserve officers to the small town is a welcome and comforting feeling to the community. Gustine Police Department Reserve Officer Arthur Rincon has his badge pinned on by his father Albert, during a swearing in ceremony for four new Gustine Police Department Reserve Officers in Gustine, Calif., on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Andrew Kuhn/akuhn@mercedsun-star.com Gustine Police Department Reserve Officer Emanuel Gonzalez, center, poses for photos following a swearing in ceremony for four new Gustine Police Department Reserve Officers in Gustine, Calif., on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Andrew Kuhn/akuhn@mercedsun-star.com Former president Donald Trumps special counsel John Durham was described by a Fox News analyst as looking about as comfortable as a Benedictine monk in a strip club while testifying before the House Judiciary Committee. Mr Durham was grilled for more than six hours on Wednesday over his 306-page report into the FBIs probe into Russian interference in the 2016 US election that fell very short of Mr Trumps promise it would uncover the crime of the century. Instead, the report criticised the FBI for launching a full-scale probe into election interference but offered scant new information and resulted in only one criminal conviction. His appearance before the House Judiciary Committee saw his inquiry denounced by Democrats as the hearing descended into partisan squabbles. Mr Durham said during the hearing: I want to emphasize in the strongest terms possible that my colleagues and I carried out our work in good faith with integrity and in the spirit of following the facts wherever they lead without fear of favour. At no time and in no sense did we act with the purpose to further partisan or political ends. Discussing the grilling Mr Durham received during his testimony, Fox News legal analyst Jonathan Turley said one of the best moments came when Mr Durham was accused of losing his reputation over the report. Well, you know, Durham has dealt with mobsters and murderers, but I dont think anything prepared him for this moment, Mr Turley said. He looks about as comfortable as a Benedictine monk in a strip club. I mean, he he has this look of disbelief on his face as he said, Look, I reported the facts. You can reach your own conclusions. But one of the most riveting moments came when Representative [Steve] Cohen said, You had a good reputation and youre not going to get it back until you take back these things you said in your report. And Durham just had had enough. And he said, I look to my reputation from my family and from my God, and thats okay with me. Im satisfied with my reputation as it stands. It was an amazing moment. It reminded some of us of the sort of Joe Welsh moment in the McCarthy hearings where Durham was finally pushing back and saying, Enough. However, Mr Durham was criticised from both the left and right over the findings of his report: Democrats suggested the special counsel seemed unaware of key elements of the damning Mueller Report into links between the 2016 Trump campaign and the Kremlin such as Donald Trumps repeated public denials of his plans to build a tower in Moscow while Republicans like congressman Matt Gaetz and former White House aide Steve Bannon accused Mr Durham of failing to come up with evidence of an FBI conspiracy against the former president. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines Life, June 19) The last week of June means Pride in full swing. Here are some Pride events and more to check out this weekend. Attend this years Pride Marches around the country As we are now in the second year out of lockdown, cities all around the Philippines are celebrating Pride out on the streets. There are several events this weekend, so keep track of everything with this list below, organized by area. Tayo ang Kulayaan (Metro Manila Pride, Circuit Makati) Metro Manila Pride is heading to Circuit Makati on June 24 for Tayo ang Kulayaan: Samot Saring Lakas, Sama-sama sa Landas. The march and festival will serve as the culmination of the organizations Pride festivities for the month. For more details, visit their Instagram page. Love Laban: Pride PH Festival 2023 (Quezon City Memorial Circle) The Quezon City government is once again supporting the Pride PH Festival at QC Memorial Circle. The star-studded lineup of hosts and performers includes personalities Sassa Girl, Markki Stroem, and Phi Palmos, ballroom legends House of Mizrahi and Femme MNL, and drag queens Naia, Lady Morgana, Minty Fresh, Precious Paula Nicole, and Pura Luka Vega. For more information, visit their Instagram page. Payt Latta (Baguio Pride, Session Road) Further North, organizers are mounting their first big Northern Luzon Pride event on June 24 in Baguio. With the theme Payt Latta, it is loosely translated to Fight(ing), still, to represent the continued fight for an equal and inclusive society. The march will culminate in Panagbeki at Smoke & Barrel, a celebration of love, solidarity, and self expression that will feature a show by Baguio queens Dazzling J, Shae O., Ava Destruction, Faze, Fantasy Biology, Ruffy, The Emerald, and Safira Chantal, and DJ sets by M4K4H1Y4 3XPR3SS, T33G33, and Moraya Yonic. While the Pride march is free, Panagbeki tickets are going for 350 (pre-sale) and 500 (walk-in). For more details, visit their Instagram page. Cebu Pride Festival (Cebu City) Cebu City will have its own Pride March on June 24 organized by the Cebu City Anti Discrimination Commission. Visit their Facebook for more details. Southern Tagalog Pride March (Carabao Park, UP Los Banos) Over down South, Southern Tagalog Pride will be holding a Pride March on June 25 in Los Banos, Laguna. Visit their Instagram and Facebook for more details. Party at Elephant's Pride special Elephant Party has always been primed as one of the safe queer spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community to dance the night away. Their Pride special on June 24, called Magandang Gabi Bayot, has a hefty lineup of drag artists and DJs: Pinoy Drag Supreme NAIA of "Drag Den" Season One, Magenta, Slaytina, Superstarlet XXX, Viper Nicotine, Pura Luka Vega, Christal, Dignos, Hideki Ito, Karlo B2B Papa Jawnz, obese.dogma777, Salad Bae (Kylie Mix), Teya Logos, Pette Shabu, Washere, and Ketia (Berlin, Portugal). Hosted by Celeste Lapida. Advanced tickets are 500 here. Door tickets are 750. Party is at 8:00 p.m. Check their Instagram page for more details. Elephant Party's Pride Special will be on June 24. Photo from ELEPHANT PARTY/INSTAGRAM Celebrate Pride at O Bar's Pride Revolution Queens from all over the Philippines will be gracing this years annual Philippine PRIDE Party at O Bar in Ortigas, hosted by CNN Philippines Life May cover star Kaladkaren. The 11th annual party starts at 11 p.m. with the bars second annual LGBTQ ICONS of the YEAR Awards. At 12 midnight, there will be performances from "Drag Race Philippines" Season 1 winner Precious Paula Nicole and The O Divas, as well as queens from The Bacolod Drag Association, The Baguio Drag Queens, the Cebu Divettes, and the Davao Drag Queens. For more information, visit the O Bar Philippines Instagram and Facebook page. Support the Golden Gays at Cake: Never Hide On June 25, Drag Queen Philippines Season 1 contestant Brigiding is hosting Cake: Never Hide at Kondwi in Poblacion, Makati. The event will feature performances from Brigiding herself, as well as her Precious Paula Nicole, M1ss Jade So, Felicia Ding, Deja, Gabriel Villaruel, and Myx Chanel. Tickets are at P1,800 with a free drink. Proceeds will benefit the Golden Journey Project for Home of the Golden Gays. For more information, follow Adonis Events on Instagram. Stream queer films with FDCP's Pelikulaya: Mga Kuwentong Mapagpalaya For those who would prefer to Pride from the comfort of your own home by watching the Film Development Council of the Philippines roster of queer films online. According to their website, Pelikulaya is a special showcase of LGBTQIA+-themed films that delve into the realities and stories of the members of the community which will run from June 23 to 30. As part of the showcase, streaming service JuanFlix will be carrying titles like Giancarlo Abrahans Sila-Sila, Rod Singhs Mamu, and a Mother Too, Petersen Vargass How to Die Young in Manila, and Celine Sciammas Portrait of a Lady on Fire for as low as 99 a month. Theyre also hosting screenings at Shangri-La Plaza, Cinema '76, and Cinematheque Centres nationwide, with ticket prices ranging from 100 to 200 depending on the title. Follow Pelikulaya on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more details. Read the full article on Motorious This GTO is perfect according to the POCI. Few names in automotive history evoke as much passion as the Pontiac GTO. Known as the "Granddaddy of Muscle Cars," the GTO represented a seismic shift in the automotive landscape, ushering in the era of the American muscle car. Among its various models, the 1966 Pontiac GTO stands out as a remarkably desirable example of its breed. This GTO has scored 400/400 in judging four time at the POCI, and will be on display in Nashville for this years meet where it will likely score another 400/400 score prior to the sale. The Pontiac GTO debuted in 1964 as an optional performance package for the Pontiac Tempest and became an instant sensation. In 1966, the GTO became a separate model. This move signified Pontiac's commitment to solidify the GTO as a cornerstone of American performance. The Pontiac GTO on offer here is a two-door hardtop model, painted in a captivating shade of Barrier Blue, a popular color choice in its time. The car's bodywork appears to be in remarkable condition, with the signature stacked headlights and coke-bottle styling clearly visible, and the overall fit and finish speak of a well-maintained vehicle. The interior carries a striking design, reminiscent of the luxury-meets-performance ethos that the GTO embodied. An AM radio is installed, keeping the dashboard uncluttered and period-correct. The heart of this beast is a 389 cubic-inch V8 engine, a powerplant that made the GTO famous. Mated to a 4-speed manual transmission, this engine was the epitome of raw power and performance in its time. It is said to have been rebuilt to factory specifications, keeping it as close to the original as possible. Underneath, the car shows signs of a proper restoration, with the suspension, brakes, and other components appearing to be in good condition. The original Rally wheels, wrapped in Redline tires, complete the look, giving this GTO an authentic mid-'60s feel. The 1966 Pontiac GTO wasn't just a car; it was a statement. At a time when American automakers were battling for dominance in the performance market, the GTO stood as a symbol of Pontiac's commitment to unbridled power, superior handling, and arresting design. With its commanding presence and raw power, this 1966 Pontiac GTO continues to inspire a sense of awe, reinforcing its legacy as a muscle car icon. If you are an enthusiast of classic American performance, this GTO provides an opportunity to own a significant piece of automotive history. Whether for its rich heritage, its undeniable performance, or its unmistakable style, this GTO is a classic car enthusiast's dream come true. This awesome vehicle will be sold at the UPPER MIDWEST CLASSIC CAR AUCTION- JULY 15TH @ 9AM CT Sale in Glencoe, Minnesota. To consign your vehicle contact JOSH SETTLES at (317) 710-7909 or email Josh at josh.s@freijeauctioneers.com Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. France's new special envoy for Lebanon Jean-Yves Le Drian met with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati during a visit to Beirut (ANWAR AMRO) French special envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian on Thursday met with key figures in Lebanon on a "consultative" mission as he pushes for a solution to the country's protracted political deadlock. Mired in a crippling economic crisis since 2019, Lebanon has been governed by a caretaker cabinet for more than a year and without a president for almost eight months. No group has a clear majority in parliament and lawmakers, have failed 12 times to elect a new president, amid bitter divisions between the Iran-backed Hezbollah and its opponents. "This is a consultative mission... to ensure the country moves on from the political impasse," Le Drian told reporters. He said he was holding "the necessary talks with all players in order to immediately end the political deadlock". Le Drian met with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the influential head of the Maronite Church, Beshara Rai, on Thursday, after holding talks with parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a key Hezbollah ally, the day before. Under Lebanon's delicate sectarian power-sharing system, the president is conventionally a Maronite Christian, the premier a Sunni Muslim, and the parliament speaker a Shiite. The last presidential vote, held earlier this month, pitted the Hezbollah-backed Sleiman Frangieh against financial official Jihad Azour, who had mainly been endorsed by Christian and independent legislators. Le Drian also met with Frangieh, who called the encounter "positive and constructive". Lebanese Christian politicians have criticised Paris for having appeared to support Frangieh on condition that the premiership goes to a reformist. "The solution comes first of all from the Lebanese," said Le Drian, adding that his country was not "coming with options" for the presidency. Earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called for a "rapid end to the institutional political vacuum in Lebanon". Multiple attempts spearheaded by Lebanon's former ruler France to extricate the country from its woes have ended in failure. "The most important thing is to start the negotiation process," said analyst Michael Young from the Carnegie Middle East Center, noting the importance of both Lebanese and regional players. He said "a package deal" could involve the nomination of not only a president but also a prime minister, a central bank governor and an army chief later this year. France has issued an arrest warrant for embattled central bank chief Riad Salameh over accusations including money laundering. Salameh, whose mandate ends next month, denies the accusations. Pro-Hezbollah daily Al-Akhbar on Thursday predicted a prolonged presidential vacancy and said there were "no great hopes for Le Drian's visit". at/lg Friend of passenger on board missing sub says he wasnt nervous at all A longtime friend of Shahzada Dawood, one of the passengers on board the missing submersible in the North Atlantic, is describing Dawood as selfless and courageous. Muhammad Hashim, 48, a businessman who has known Dawood since childhood, reflected on his missing friends sense of adventure. Shahzada Dawood (Courtesy Engro) He wanted to explore the world and he wanted to go to places where very few people can go, he told NBC News on June 21. Hashim noted that Dawood, 48, had previously traveled to Antarctica, Iceland and Greenland, and enjoyed river rafting. He was very adventurous, he added. But from inside he was a very soft kind and very selfless kind of a person, and he was a very courageous guy. He also told NBC News that Dawood wasnt nervous at all about the Titanic mission. Dawood and his son, Suleman Dawood, 19, have been missing since Sunday. They are among the five passengers who were on board the Titan, a privately owned submersible craft that was diving in the North Atlantic to explore the wreckage of the Titanic. Three others were on board the submersible when it went missing Sunday: billionaire Hamish Harding and the subs pilot, Paul Henry Nargeolet, as well as Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, the company that owns the vessel. Harding, a British adventurer who also previously flew to space on the Blue Origin NS-21 mission, was reportedly thrilled to be embarking on this dive to see the Titanics wreckage. When I saw Hamish last week at the Global Exploration Summit, his excitement about this expedition was palpable, Richard Garriott, president of The Explorers Club, said in a June 19 statement. I know he was looking forward to conducting research at the site. Urgent rescue efforts have been underway this week to locate the missing sub, with the U.S. Coast Guard joining forces with Canadian and French teams to search for the vessel by sea and air. On Wednesday, a Canadian military aircraft detected underwater noises in the search and rescue area off the Canadian coast, according to the Associated Press. The source of these noises could not be confirmed, but they sparked hope in some that the subs passengers might still be alive and signaling for help. The race to find the missing craft is growing increasingly frantic, as the Titans oxygen supply is now believed to be at its end. The vessel had about 96 hours, or four days, of life support when it went missing. Hashim says he has been in a state of shock over the incident, and has been having trouble sleeping. He said Wednesday he was still praying for his friends safe return. We are just keeping our fingers crossed and we are just praying to Allah that a miracle happens and he comes back, he said. We are still hopeful that Shahzada, he will come back. This article was originally published on TODAY.com David Tennant in Doctor Who BBC / Screenshot Allons-y! "Doctor Who" is undergoing yet another regeneration, as a new actor will soon step into the lead role. But this won't be quite like any of the series' past reinventions, as before meeting the new Doctor, fans will spend time with an old one. More changes are also in store, and Disney is even getting involved in the series. Here's everything we know about the future of the beloved British sci-fi franchise, 60 years on: Ncuti Gatwa is the new Doctor "Sex Education" star Ncuti Gatwa was cast as the new Doctor in 2022. "This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care," he said at the time. "I will endeavour my upmost to do the same." He's succeeding Jodie Whittaker, who played the Thirteenth Doctor until 2022. Yet Gatwa will be portraying the Fifteenth Doctor, not the one directly after Whittaker. David Tennant is returning as the Doctor The 2022 special "The Power of the Doctor" surprised fans by having Whittaker regenerate into Tennant, who played the Tenth Doctor from 2005 through 2010, instead of Gatwa. This incarnation has been confirmed as the Fourteenth Doctor, indicating the Doctor has regenerated into one of his old forms for mysterious reasons. "David Tennant, previously known as the 10th Doctor, is now also known as the 14th Doctor," the BBC said. "Confused? Don't worry, he seems a little perplexed too." The show will return with three specials "Doctor Who" returns in November 2023 with three specials marking the 60th anniversary of the show, and Tennant will star in all three. Gatwa is also expected to appear, as teased in a trailer for the specials, meaning Tennant's Doctor will likely regenerate into Gatwa's by the end of the third one. The specials will be titled "The Star Beast," "Wild Blue Yonder," and "The Giggle." From there, Gatwa will fully take over as the Doctor for season 14, and the BBC said his first episode will air "over the festive period in 2023." Season 14 will likely debut in 2024. Catherine Tate is back as Donna Noble Alongside Tennant, Catherine Tate is returning as Donna Noble for the 60th anniversary specials. She was the companion of the Tenth Doctor in season 4 of the reboot, and by the end, the Doctor wiped her memory so she would forget about the time they spent together. The trailer for the specials suggests Donna will have a vague awareness that she's missing memories, while the Doctor will try to ensure she doesn't remember him. "If she ever remembers me, she will die," Tennant's Doctor warns in the footage. Bernard Cribbins, who died in 2022, will also be making a posthumous appearance as Wilfred, Donna's grandfather. Russell T Davies is back as showrunner The most surprising return, though, may be Russell T Davies, the man who revived "Doctor Who" with the 2005 reboot. He wrote many episodes during Tennant's tenure but left before the Matt Smith era. Davies is returning as "Doctor Who" showrunner, replacing Chris Chibnall. Former composer Murray Gold is also coming back. Millie Gibson is playing the Fifteenth Doctor's companion Once the era of Gatwa's Doctor officially begins, he'll have a new companion: Ruby Sunday, played by "Coronation Street" star Millie Gibson. The BBC revealed images of the two in an episode set in the "swinging 60s." New cast members include Neil Patrick Harris and Jonathan Groff "Heartstopper" star Yasmin Finney will be playing the character of Rose, who may or may not have something to do with Rose Tyler, previously portrayed by Billie Piper. "How can there be another Rose?" Davies teased. "You'll find out in 2023, but it's an absolute joy to welcome Yasmin to the 'Doctor Who' set." Neil Patrick Harris also joined the cast of the 60th-anniversary specials. His role hasn't been revealed, though fans have speculated he could be playing the Celestial Toymaker from the William Hartnell era. Additionally, Indira Varma, who played Ellaria Sand on "Game of Thrones," was cast in the mysterious role of the Duchess, and Jonathan Groff will have a "key role" that hasn't been revealed. Jinkx Monsoon, a two-time winner on "RuPaul's Drag Race," booked a "major role" as the Doctor's "most powerful enemy yet," and 14-year-old Lenny Rush is playing a character called Morris, who Davies said "joins the TARDIS team just in time for the Doctor's greatest nightmare." Bonnie Langford is also returning as Melanie Bush, the companion of the Sixth and Seventh Doctors. At least one spin-off is in the works Davies told GQ his plan for "Doctor Who" includes more spin-offs, and one is already in the works. According to Deadline, there will be a spin-off series about the military research organization UNIT starring Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart. Redgrave will also be in the new season. Disney+ will be the show's new global home Beginning in late 2023, Disney+ will be the "new global home" of "Doctor Who" outside of the U.K. and Ireland. "Under a shared creative vision," the BBC and Disney+ will "deliver this quintessentially British show to future generations on an unprecedented scale," the announcement said. The Telegraph reported Disney will give the show "vast budgets beyond the BBC's means," though Davies denied a rumor that each episode will have a 10 million budget. "If we did," he told the Independent, "I'd be flying around on a private jet." "You'll see in November that it's not a radically changed show," Davies also said. "It's lasted for 60 years because it's good. It needs a bigger budget and a bigger profile, and hopefully that's what we're bringing to it." Christmas specials are coming back "Doctor Who" shifted from Christmas specials to New Year's specials in recent years, but Davies has confirmed the show will return to having a Dec. 25 episode. He teased to "Doctor Who" Magazine in 2022, "For the first time ever, I'm writing a Christmas Special at Christmas!" You may also like 5 theories for why Trump kept boxes of secret documents Alito did not disclose Alaska private jet trip from GOP billionaire with business before Supreme Court Humans pushed the Earth into a new geological epoch in the 1950s, Canadian lake samples suggest A Savannah middle school teacher has been terminated after being arrested for child pornography. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The investigation began in Nov. 2022, when Chatham County police arrested Albin Jose Chellathurai, 40. WCIV-TV states that Chellathurai was arrested and charged with computer or electronic pornography. According to the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System, Chellathurai was an eighth-grade math teacher. WCIV-TV reported that Chellathurai taught at Mercer Middle School. TRENDING STORIES: On Wednesday, the school district announced that they would be terminating Chellathurais contract. A spokesperson for the school district sent a statement to Channel 2 Action News that reads in part: Our campus police department was informed by SPD that Mr. Chellathurai was under investigation as a private citizen in October 2022. When the district became aware of the investigation, plans were immediately implemented to remove him from the classroom environment. He would not return to the school pending the outcome of the investigation. As we understand, he was taken into custody and remains there now. The district has taken final steps to release any remaining contractual obligations through the Fair Dismissal Hearing and subsequent action of the Board today. The hearing held Wednesday, June 21, was the formal termination of his contract and he is not eligible to reapply for employment with SCCPSS. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Chellathura is charged by the Chatham County Sheriffs Office with child molestation, cruelty to children, criminal attempts, and false statements and writings. He is currently being held at the Chatham County Jail. Chellathurais hearing will be held in August. He has entered a non-guilty plea, WCIV-TV reports. IN OTHER NEWS: FILE - Hannibal Gadhafi, son of ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, watches an elite military unit exercise in Zlitan, Libya, Sept. 25, 2011. Hannibal Gadhafi who has been held in Lebanon for more than seven years began a hunger strike Saturday, June 3, 2023, to protest his detention without trial, his lawyer said. (AP Photo/Abdel Magid al-Fergany, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) BEIRUT (AP) A son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was briefly taken to hospital this week after his health deteriorated nearly three weeks into a hunger strike to protest his detention without trial in Beirut, a person familiar with the case said Thursday. The health of Hannibal Gadhafi, who has been only drinking small amounts of water, deteriorated on Wednesday the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. Gadhafi, who started his hunger strike on June 3, was taken to Beiruts Hotel-Dieu de France hospital on Wednesday after suffering a drop in blood pressure and inflammation in the spine. Gadhafi was given serum, antibiotics and food supplements and after his health stabilized he was taken back to the jail where he is held in Beirut, the person said. A doctor checked on Gadhafi in his cell on Thursday and he is in stable condition, the person said. He had been suffering back pain due to being held in a small room where he cannot move freely or exercise. Hannibal Gadhafi has been detained in Lebanon since 2015 after he was briefly kidnapped from neighboring Syria, where he had been living as a political refugee. He was abducted by Lebanese militants demanding information on the whereabouts of prominent Lebanese Shiite cleric Moussa al-Sadr, who went missing in Libya 45 years ago. Lebanese police later announced it had collected Hannibal from the northeastern city of Baalbek where he was being held. He has been detained in a Beirut jail without trial since then. The disappearance of al-Sadr in 1978 has been a long-standing sore point in Lebanon. The clerics family believes he may still be alive in a Libyan prison, though most Lebanese presume al-Sadr is dead. He would be 94 years old. Al-Sadr was the founder of the Amal group, Arabic for hope, and an acronym for the militias Arabic name, the Lebanese Resistance Brigades. The group later fought in Lebanons 1975-90 civil war. Lebanons powerful Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri heads the group. Most of al-Sadrs followers are convinced that Moammar Gadhafi ordered al-Sadr killed in a dispute over Libyan payments to Lebanese militias. Libya has maintained that the cleric and his two traveling companions left Tripoli in 1978 on a flight to Rome and suggested he was a victim of a power struggle among Shiites. Gadhafi was killed by opposition fighters in 2011, ending his four-decade rule of the north African country. Hannibal Gadhafi was born two years before al-Sadr disappeared. NYPD car Authorities in New York City are looking for a suspect after a man was beaten and screamed at in what police say was an antigay hate crime. On June 12, police say a 21-year-old man was walking along First Avenue in the Upper East Side of Manhattan when a stranger came up to him, Patch reports. The stranger, who was older, yelled homophobic slurs at the young man and began hitting him. Police said the attack left the 21-year-old with a broken nose, a black eye, and other injuries to his face. The victim made it to a local hospital where he was treated. New York City Police said that its Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident. They also said that the stranger who attacked the young man was bald, wearing a black t-shirt, black pants, dark brown boots, and he carried a black backpack. The stranger seemed to be between 25-40 years old, police said, the New York Daily News reports. Those with any information about the attack are urged to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). New York City officials announced earlier this month a new initiative that would re-examine druggings, robberies, and murders of LGBTQ+ people in the city, including those from decades ago. It comes after a number of queer men in the city were victims of robberies not thought to be antigay in nature and two of whom died after being drugged and robbed. (Bloomberg) -- The two people who secretly guaranteed George Santoss $500,000 bond were identified as his father and aunt, as the embattled Republican fights a federal fraud case and an effort to expel him from the US House of Representatives. Most Read from Bloomberg The guarantors identities were revealed for the first time in court documents on Thursday, after news media organizations fought Santoss efforts to keep them private. It also became clear that the court didnt mandate that the guarantors have the financial means to back the bond, as is typically required. The 34-year-old lawmakers father, Gercino dos Santos Jr., is identified in public records as a construction worker, painter and retiree living in the New York City borough of Queens who donated more than $7,800 to his sons election campaign. His aunt, Elma Santos Preven, is a US Postal Service mail handler who also lives in Queens and has given more than $5,000 to his campaign. Efforts to reach the two for comment werent successful. 13-Count Indictment Santos was charged in May in a 13-count indictment alleging he engaged in a scheme to tap campaign contributions for his personal expenses. Prosecutors also accused him of fraudulently receiving more than $24,000 in pandemic unemployment benefits as well as lying in disclosures to the House. He has pleaded not guilty. Read More: Santos Pleads Not Guilty to Fraud, Defies Calls to Resign Santoss improbable rags-to-riches story rang alarm bells that led to the discovery of numerous falsehoods he purveyed, including that he had worked at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and graduated from Baruch College after playing on its championship volleyball team. The congressman has said he may have embellished his resume but never broke the law. Santos faces as many as 20 years in prison if convicted of the most serious charges of money laundering and wire fraud, the government says, although under federal sentencing guidelines his term would probably be shorter. His next appearance is scheduled for June 30 before US District Judge Joanna Seybert, a Bill Clinton appointee, who is presiding over the case. Read More: George Santos Appoints Himself as His Own Campaign Treasurer The charges come at a precarious time for House Republicans, whose narrow edge in the chamber means they cant have more than a handful of defections to pass most bills. The House Ethics Committee on Thursday said in a statement that its investigative panel was actively working to resolve this matter in an expeditious timeframe and has issued over 30 subpoenas and more than 40 voluntary requests for information. The committee said it had expanded its investigation to include the unemployment insurance allegations and that it was coordinating with the Justice Department to mitigate the potential risks of a dual probe. Fight Over Disclosure Santos was elected to Congress last November and sworn into office as the representative for New Yorks 3rd Congressional District in January. His district, which leans Democratic, includes part of Queens and much of Nassau County. At his May 10 arraignment, US Magistrate Judge Anne Shields released him, directing him to get three co-signers on his bond. Later she agreed to two. Read More: Santos Secures Three Mystery Guarantors for $500,000 Bond But in a departure from the typical process for federal defendants, Shields didnt require that Santos identify the guarantors in open court. Joseph Murray, a lawyer for Santos, argued their identities should remain sealed, saying the two feared they could face public opprobrium and even lose their jobs if identified. In a June 6 order made public Thursday, Shields said she had agreed to seal the information to protect his family from publicity and possible harassment and to accommodate their privacy. Fear of Backlash Media organizations including Bloomberg News argued in court that the disclosure of the guarantors identities was a matter of public interest in a case involving an elected official. The House Ethics Committee also asked for the disclosure so it could determine whether House rules on gifts had been violated. Murray told the court that Santos, the lawmakers staff and even he himself had received threatening messages, and that his client would rather go to jail ahead of his trial than identify the guarantors publicly and subject them to what will inevitably come. On June 20, Seybert ruled that the congressman must disclose the guarantors names by Thursday at noon. She said it was mere speculation that the two would be the targets of harassment. As the news organizations aptly note, family members frequently serve as suretors for criminal defendants in this country every day, she wrote. In the end, Santos agreed to the disclosure. The case is US v. Santos, 23-cr-197, US District Court, Eastern District of New York (Central Islip). (Updates with details, quotes and context throughout, starting in first paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Photograph: J Scott Applewhite/AP The two people who guaranteed George Santoss $500,000 bail after the Republican congressman was charged with 13 counts of fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds have been revealed to be his father and an aunt. The revelation that Gercino dos Santos Jr and Elma Preven were behind Santoss bail solves a running mystery that fascinated Washington-watchers and also an American public obsessed with the travails of a politician famous for playing fast and loose with the truth. Santos tried to stop his guarantors being named, arguing disclosure could threaten their safety amid a media frenzy and hateful attacks. Santoss lawyer said that his client would rather go to jail himself than have his guarantors unmasked. But Santos seemed to have backed off that wish, by not asking to change the conditions of his bail after a federal judge in New York dismissed his appeal to keep the names sealed. Media organisations and the House ethics committee asked that the names be revealed. Santos, 34, won election in New York last year, in a district covering parts of Long Island and Queens. His resume has been shown to be largely made-up and past behavior sometimes allegedly criminal, other times bizarrely picaresque widely reported. Santos has admitted to embellishing his resume but denies wrongdoing. In court in May, he pleaded not guilty to all charges. If found guilty, he could face up to 20 years in prison. He has been dogged by controversy and calls to resign. House Republicans, however, deflected a motion to censure Santos while party leaders have chosen not to move against him. In January, Santos backed Kevin McCarthy of California through 15 votes for speaker, in the face of a rightwing rebellion. McCarthy must govern with an extremely narrow majority. Santos has said he intends to run for re-election next year. He is next due in court on 30 June. Neither Santos nor his lawyers immediately commented on the identification of his guarantors. In Washington on Wednesday, Santos was among Republicans who voted to censure Adam Schiff, a California Democrat who led impeachment efforts against Donald Trump. The motion passed. On the House floor, Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, told Republicans: One of my colleagues says, We will hold members accountable. You are the party of George Santos. Who are you holding accountable? The guy is an alleged and acknowledged liar and indicted, and you protect him every day. Dont lecture us with your projection and your defense of Donald Trump. Its pathetic, and its beneath you and its beneath this body. Georgia rapper Quando Rondo is now in jail after he was named in a 49-count indictment against several people on gang and drug charges. The 24-year-old rapper, whose given name is Tyquian Terrel Bowman, was behind bars in the Chatham County jail Tuesday. According to court records, he has a bond hearing scheduled for Friday. Bowman has been charged with violating the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, two counts of conspiracy to violate the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, and illegal use of a communication facility. According to the indictment, Bowan is part of the Rollin 60s gang and is accused of making members of the gang provide him with guns and setting up a marijuana sale in Macon before going there to buy it. TRENDING STORIES: He is also accused of buying hydrocodone pills on a separate occasion in Savannah. According to the indictment, other gang members trafficked more than four grams of cocaine, about 20 grams of M30 pills, hydrocodone pills, and 28 grams of fentanyl. Some used jail phones to schedule drug sales. Others sold drugs out of a house located at 1301 E. 39th Street. Bowmans attorney, Jonah Pine, declined to make an immediate comment when reached by phone Tuesday. As Quando Rondo, the rappers singles I Remember and ABG led to a deal with Atlantic Records, which released his debut album, QPac, in 2020. His follow-up album, Recovery, came out in March. The Associated Press contributed to this article. IN OTHER NEWS: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 21) Senator Grace Poe on Wednesday called on airline companies to hire more customer service agents to answer the concerns of passengers following recent reports of flight inconveniences. Poe said that airline companies should hire more agents instead of having chatbots to answer customers. The airlines should have more representatives to answer calls, in that way, they are also accountable, the senator said before the Committee on Tourism as it began its probe into the complaints against Cebu Pacific Air. Hindi lang di kahon yung sagot. At least ito, ma-explain nila and the airlines themselves will be accountable to tell their representatives what really is going on, she added. [Translation: You will not receive canned answers. At least through this, they will be able to explain things well and the airlines themselves will be held accountable to tell their representatives what really is going on.] The low-cost carrier has been receiving backlash from the public due to incidents of alleged overbooking, offloading, and booking glitches. Cebu Pacific cited the recent disruptions to the supply chain problems with Pratt & Whitney, the manufacturer of the engines for its Airbus fleet. The airline also noted delays in the deliveries of its aircraft. We expressed our sincerest apologies to our passengers for the disruptions and assure you that we are committed to resolving these challenges, said Cebu Pacific Chief Commercial Officer Alexander Lao. Website glitch Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros also raised the complaints of passengers who encountered technical glitches on Cebu Pacifics website while rebooking their flights. "Why not delay muna yung cancellation ng original booking ng passenger? Hanggat yung rebooked flight ay confirmed via payment, she said. Theres still more room to make your online booking system a lot more consumer friendly. In response, Cebu Pacific admitted that the issue has something to do with their websites design. I think there is a part of the flow where if a passenger clicks proceed, it commits the changes even before the passenger pays. So we recognize that and we are taking that feedback as well, said Cebu Pacific Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Candice Iyog. Iyog said that they are hoping to have the website issue fixed by the latter part of July. Berlin is also expanding its support in the humanitarian sphere Germany has provided Ukraine with another package of military aid, including tank towing vehicles and artillery shells, according to a press note from the German government on June 21. Additionally, Berlin will allocate EUR 381 million ($417 million) for humanitarian aid. The military aid package includes two MAN HX81 tank transporters with semi-trailers, 1,000 units of 155mm artillery shells, six border patrol vehicles, and an unspecified quantity of 155mm Vulcano guided artillery shells. Read also: Bulgaria preparing new military aid package for Ukraine Germany also plans to supply ammunition for the Patriot air defense systems. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock pledged an additional EUR 381 million ($417 million) in humanitarian aid for Ukraine in 2023 at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on June 21. Read also: Russian agents becoming more aggressive in Europe, says German intelligence "Germany will provide an additional 381 million euros in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, covering a broad array of needs, from generators to food and tents for those recently displaced or rendered homeless," she said. Read also: Germany to provide Ukraine with additional EUR 381 million Baerbock added that Germany will also continue its assistance with mine clearance operations in Ukraine. So far, Germany has provided a total of EUR 16.8 billion ($18.4 billion) in aid to Ukraine, including military assistance. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine BERLIN (Reuters) -Chancellor Olaf Scholz told the German parliament on Thursday that he had warned China during talks earlier this week against using force to achieve territorial changes, particularly against Taiwan. Scholz hosted a large Chinese delegation led by Premier Li Qiang in the first face-to-face summit since the pandemic this week, at a time of rising geopolitical tensions between the West and China. "We firmly reject all unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East and South China Seas by force or coercion. This is especially true for Taiwan," Scholz said, according to prepared remarks. "We are also concerned about the human rights situation and the state of the rule of law in China," he added. China, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, has stepped up military activities near the democratically governed island to force it to accept Chinese sovereignty. Taiwan strongly disputes Beijing's sovereignty claims and vows to defend itself if attacked. Speaking to lawmakers, Scholz also urged Turkey to pave the way for Sweden to become a member of the NATO alliance and said Sweden should have a seat at the table of the next NATO summit. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke; writing by Matthias Williams; editing by Friederike Heine) Whats with the giant message center poles just off CA Highway 50? Are they a hazard? If youve ever been driving down a highway, youve more than likely noticed a changeable message sign standing high above traffic. It probably read click it or ticket, exit to text it, or one lane ahead; prepare to stop. Robert Schewe asked Bee Curious, a community-driven series in which our journalists answer reader questions: Why did they install giant message center poles in the shoulder of Highway 50, right next to traffic? Seems like theyll cause accidents daily. The Bee reached out to the California Department of Transportation to find the answer. What are the signs used for? The signs should be used for guidance and traffic information that will impact travel down the State Highway System, according to the Changeable Message Signs Guidelines handbook. Dennis Keaton, spokesman for Caltrans, said the signs are placed for informational purposes depending on where they need drivers to be informed on important matters, including accidents or detours for exit ramps. Were not the only ones that use them. The CHP actually places messages on there too for Amber Alerts or if there are detours due to police action, Keaton said. What determines sign location? The location for placing a changeable message sign, or CMS, is determined in advance of major decision points where motorists can respond to the information displayed. It should be located as close to the edge of traveled way to maximize visibility, according the handbook. We want the message to be visible, Keaton said about the signs proximity to the highway. You want to get the attention of the driver. According to the handbook, a CMS should be located so that motorists can: Notice the sign Read and understand the sign Make appropriate decisions from the information How are the messages chosen? Keaton said CMS messages should provide motorists with real-time information and, sometimes, a suggested course of action. Messages should encourage motorists to make appropriate driving decisions ahead of time. Messages are approved by headquarters statewide, Keaton said. They are changed periodically. Are the signs an accident hazard? Keaton said that he is not aware of the signs causing any accidents. Theyre not really fancy like advertisement boards to distract the driver, Keaton said. Theyre pretty basic, so that youre reading a message and thats the purpose. What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com. Artistic director Matthew Williams offered tank tops in white, black or brown camouflage (Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT) French house Givenchy on Thursday proposed an eclectic wardrobe for a man ready for all scenarios, from impeccably cut jet-black suits to military-look tank tops and khaki pants. The show was held in the grounds of the Invalides, home of the war museum in Paris, and attended by stars including Jared Leto and Paul Dano. Artistic director Matthew Williams offered tank tops in white, black or brown camouflage, as well as olive green jackets and trousers at the show. It mirrored the military styles seen at the debut show by Pharrell Williams for Louis Vuitton earlier this week. "Military is a natural archetype for men," Williams told reporters backstage. "It's a natural direction to go for men's tailoring as military tailoring is so well thought-out and fits so well and has this idea of strength and elegance within it," he added. "But here we're applying embroideries from the house, doing them in leather, blowing out proportions... it's an exploration into material and archetypes," he added. However, military looks were just one part of a very varied offering, with Williams also sending out classic black suit-and-tie combos, with a few added flashes of fluorescent pink and yellow or impeccably tailored overcoats. Elsewhere, there were delicately embroidered blouses with pink prints, over a simple faded jean. Williams has made a point of keeping the designs deceptively simple since taking over in 2020. "At the end of the day, I'm making clothes that, that I want people to actually wear." jz/er/jj House Armed Services Committee Republicans want to codify a newly enforced Pentagon ban on drag shows, which they made clear Wednesday when they adopted an amendment that would bar funding for such performances into its version of the annual defense policy bill. The provision, introduced by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as the panel held a markup of its draft version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), was passed 33-26. I think its time for us to do something to make our voice known that we will not let this happen in the U.S. military woke ideology and the drag queen shows have no place in our military, zero, bupkis. That is not the way to recruit people, Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) said in support of the amendment. Republicans this year have hammered the Pentagon over drag shows, leading to a newly enforced ban on the events across military bases and aboard ships. The prohibition was held up in late May after months of intense GOP criticism, including during a March congressional hearing in which both Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley expressed disapproval of federal funding for drag show events on defense installations. But Democrats contended that the efforts to restrict drag in the military are part of a larger movement to scuttle the rights of LGBTQ+ people and that the House committee should instead focus on more pressing issues that affect service members and their families. I represent the largest military community in the entire country and I can confidently say that not a single service member or military family has ever, not once, complained to me about drag shows, said Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) whose district outside San Diego sits nearby or houses numerous Marine Corps and Navy bases. They call me about housing. They call me about childcare. They call me about food security. They call me about many, many things. They do not call me about drag shows. She added: If were sitting here in Congress belittling and dehumanizing the trans community and mocking the art of drag, thats not living up to our values, and our allies and our adversaries are taking notice. Democrats also pointed out that drag shows on U.S. bases long held significance in American military culture without attracting public controversy, going back decades. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) reminded his colleagues that legendary comedian Bob Hope performed in drag for troops saying, I dont think this is the first time this has been going on. You might want to Google it. The committee also passed within a bloc of amendments a provision from Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) that would suspend the Navy Digital Ambassador Program. The initiative caught partisan fire after the service chose Navy sailor Joshua Kelley, who was also a TikTok drag queen known as Harpy Daniels, to help reach potential recruits on social media. The Pentagon has said the pilot program was an outreach initiative, not a recruiting effort. The amendments inclusion in the NDAA comes amid a record-high amount of legislation targeting drag shows and LGBTQ rights, with dozens of state bills introduced by Republican lawmakers seeking to crack down on performances. The most recent of such bills was signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Tuesday. The legislation bans sexually oriented performances that take place in the presence of minors and is slated to take effect Sept. 1. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In this "Freedom Works Here" campaign video, Gov. Kristi Noem touts the strength of the state's economy and its growing apprenticeship programs while donning a plumber's uniform. Gov. Kristi Noem launched a nationwide workforce recruitment campaign Wednesday, and the multi-million-dollar effort features advertising involving the second-term governor dressed as a plumber and dentist. According to a press release, the goal of the new "Freedom Works Here" campaign is to "recruit freedom-loving people" from across the country to live and work in South Dakota, helping to fill the 25,000 open jobs in the state. The ad campaign will run through Labor Day and came with a total targeted cost of $5 million. The funding comes from the Future Fund, developed after the 1980s recession for the purpose of investing in the state's workforce and economy. More: How Gov. Kristi Noem is investing in South Dakota apprenticeships We have the best economy in the nation, our unemployment is the lowest in American history, and South Dakota work ethic has never been stronger," Noem stated in the press release. "We are going to show America that South Dakota is the best place to live, work and raise a family. I look forward to continuing to build our winning workforce by welcoming new families to our great state. In addition to the two television ads, the campaign includes direct marketing via digital ads and direct mail. This "Freedom Works Here" campaign video features Gov. Kristi Noem ready to perform a dental cleaning as she talks about the state not having an income tax and that they accept most out-of-state licenses. In the first ad video, Noem touts the strength of the state's economy and its growing apprenticeship programs while donning a plumber's uniform. The second video features Noem ready to perform a dental cleaning as she talks about the state not having an income tax and the acceptance of most out-of-state licenses. She ends both videos with a comment indicating she's probably not the best person for that job. More: Volatile, costly international visa program strains South Dakotas tourism industry Noem's press secretary said in an email to the Argus Leader the hope is that the campaign will be as successful as the state's tourism campaign from 2021, since both focused on "freedom." The campaign based on research done "to identify people who would be likely to move to South Dakota" to best target the ads to certain demographics, the press release states. The release did not state who the research was done by or from where. More information about the campaign can be found on its website. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota's new $5M campaign ad seeks to draw workers to the state A 70-year-old man died after he tried to save his young grandson from rough water off the South Carolina coast, officials said. The man was visiting a Pawleys Island beach with his family when the 9-year-old boy started to struggle in the ocean. He tried to help his grandson but started having trouble himself, according to a Pawleys Island Police Department incident report. A paddleboarder reportedly pulled the grandfather to the shore before good Samaritans rushed to give him emergency care. He was taken to a hospital, where he died, officers wrote June 21 in a Twitter post. The Georgetown County Coroners Office identified the man as Derrell Lambert of West Columbia. His name was spelled differently in an earlier news release. Its going to be a difficult time for them and we offer our prayers and condolences, Police Chief Michael Fanning told WPDE. Police received a report of a possible drowning at about 12:30 p.m. June 21. First responders were called to a beach access point on Pawleys Island, roughly 20 miles south of Myrtle Beach. While attempting to rescue his grandson, officials believe Lambert was overtaken by the current and drowned. Witnesses reported seeing the child pulled by longshore currents, which run parallel to the shore and can pose risks. A swimmer may notice they are in a longshore current if it is difficult to remain in front of one spot on the beach, the National Park Service said on its website. Longshore currents become more dangerous as they sweep down the beach into an unexpected rip, outlet, or structural current. Lamberts grandson went to a hospital since he took in saltwater, officials said. Drowning At least 4,000 people die from drowning every year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and drowning is a leading cause of death for children. Some factors can make drowning more likely, including not knowing how to swim, a lack of close supervision, not wearing a life jacket and drinking alcohol while recreating near or in water. The National Drowning Prevention Alliance said there are tips to help keep you safe in the water, including checking local weather conditions, never swimming alone and choosing the right equipment. Dont hesitate to get out of the water if something doesnt feel right, the group said on its website. Whether its that the current is getting rough, rain has started to fall, or your body is just not responding like you would like it to due to fatigue or muscle cramps, then just leave and return to the water another day. Its always a good thing to trust your instincts. 2-year-old drowns in country club pool on Fathers Day, South Carolina coroner says Tourist dies after vanishing in surf at popular South Carolina beach, officials say Grandmother may have been killed in burglary gone wrong, say police Nelly Akomah was found dead at her home after a suspected burglary A devout Christian grandmother who was found dead at her south-east London home may have been murdered in a burglary gone wrong, it has emerged. Nelly Akomah, who was in her mid-70s, was found dead at the bottom of the stairs in her house near Crystal Palaces Selhurst Park stadium in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Neighbours claimed she was found with a black eye and her burglar alarm had been disconnected. Police have launched a murder investigation and have not ruled out the possibility that the killer was an intruder who was disturbed during a break-in. Locals paid tribute to Mrs Akomah, who was a prominent member of a Methodist Church group and a well-respected figure in the community. One said: She was a lovely person. We attend the same church as her the Upper Tooting Methodist Church. She was one of the leaders for the Croydon group there. She was so understanding a lovely woman, and its really, really sad to hear what happened. Ive known her for years, and my husbands family have known her for years as well. Its a huge shock to the community. Its very, very sad. She was such a lovely woman, and a very happy woman. You just hope they find the person who did it as soon as possible. Always so happy and cheery Another local said: She was 70 but she was a spring chicken, very active, and you would see her walk up and down the road, singing. She wasnt a lady who needed assistance. The fact she was a churchgoer, and she was always so happy and cheery and wouldnt have hurt a fly its just so sad. A spokesman for Nigeria Methodist Mission UK and Ireland said Mrs Akomah had been attacked. In a statement, the group said: Nigeria Methodist Mission UK and Ireland are very sorry to announce the loss of our long-standing leader and beloved mother, Mrs Nelly Akomah who passed away yesterday after an overnight attack in her residence in London. She will always be dearly missed and our thoughts and prayers are with her loving children, grandchildren, family, Tooting Methodist Church, Nigerian Fellowship, and close friends. Please remember the police in your prayers as they continue their investigation. Investigation in very early stages Police said they were called to an address in Ladbrook Road at 10.40am on Thursday after being alerted by paramedics. Officers from the Metropolitan Polices Specialist Crime Command are leading the investigation and have appealed for anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area to come forward. Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn said: First and foremost, my thoughts are with Nellys family and friends. Nelly was active in her church, and her loss will be keenly felt by many people. I dont underestimate the level of concern in the local community following this shocking incident, and there are various suggestions circulating about what may have happened. At this stage, we are investigating the possibility that there was a burglary at Nellys address. I must stress that our investigation is in its very early stages and we are working to establish what exactly has happened. There have been no arrests. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Maria Rosita Yoc Suruy poses for portraits in San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala, Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The 56-year-old homemaker said she planned to vote in the presidential race on June 25, though she had not entirely decided who to vote for. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo) SAN JUAN COMALAPA, Guatemala (AP) Just days away from electing a new president, many Guatemalans remain undecided, unimpressed by the leading candidates and even considering casting a protest vote to express their disapproval. Concerns about extortion and violent crime cross class lines, and rural and urban communities, perhaps explaining why candidates leading the polls are promising heavy-handed security tactics, including reinstating the death penalty or hammering criminal gangs into submission. The machinations of electoral authorities keeping some popular candidates out of the race and cancelling others drew headlines in the capital and expressions of concern abroad. But for the average Guatemalan the controversies surrounding the election are nowhere near as concerning as the rising cost of feeding their families and protecting their loved ones. Ahead of Sunday's election, the AP interviewed Guatemalans in rural San Juan Comalapa about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of the capital and in Chimaltenango, a chaotic city of 100,000, 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Guatemala City. These are some of their thoughts. ___ Maria Rosita Yoc Suruy is a 56-year-old homemaker from a hamlet called Cruz de Piedra, nestled in the mountains northwest of Guatemala City. On a recent day, she had taken a number of buses with her mother to a street market in larger San Juan Comalapa, a town of 30,000 inhabitants. Both women wore the traditional huipils brightly colored embroidered blouses as they rested in front of the towns main church with their bags of purchases beside them. Yoc Suruy, animated and chatty, said she planned to vote Sunday in the presidential race. Though she said she had not entirely decided, only one candidate's name came to mind: Zury Rios Sosa, the candidate for the far-right Valor party and daughter of the late dictator Jose Efrain Rios Montt. Keeping her family safe is a priority for Yoc Suruy. We need a new president who will be tough on crime because theres a lot of kidnapping, crime, killings and they rob a lot of people, Yoc Suruy said. She recalled her eldest son who works in a pharmacy coming home upset recently because an organized crime group had demanded $100 per week in extortion payments. She said her daughter was pickpocketed in a market. Yoc Suruy wants the next president to implement the death penalty in Guatemala, something Rios Sosa has pledged to do. Guatemalas highest court abolished the death penalty for civil crimes in 2017. ___ First grade teacher Ingrid Jhanet Simon Peren admits that with her 20-plus students to look after and a new baby at home she has not had enough time to learn much about all of the 22 candidates seeking Guatemalas presidency. The 39-year-old San Juan Comalapa native is mostly concerned by ever-rising prices for basic foodstuffs, Guatemalas deep inequality and a lack of jobs that could dim the future prospects of her rural students. The country is supposedly developing, but the truth is that its not like that, Simon Peren said. Theres a lot of crime, theres a lot of poverty and society is divided in different levels. Its always going to be that way if we, the people with limited resources, dont prepare ourselves to deeply understand our society, our economy and above all to study and know our countrys history. She did not always want to be a teacher. The youngest in her family, Simon Peren had wanted to be a secretary, but her older siblings warned her the job could be fleeting and suggested she either go into teaching or accounting. Simon Peren mentioned two candidates for the presidency: Rios Sosa and Sandra Torres, both of whom have sought the post before. She said a friend recently tried to convince her to support Torres, a former first lady who also has a conservative platform and an evangelical preacher for a running mate. The teacher said she was interested in Guatemala having its first female president, but needed to do more research before deciding her vote. Her choice would be someone who seeks the welfare (of all) and not the welfare of themselves. ___ Anibal Simon is worried about his countrys future. The soft-spoken 29-year-old call center worker cites a lack of investment in education, courses that havent kept up with a rapidly changing world and young people who study but give in to the conformism promoted in schools. They dont investigate why we have the problems we have, Simon said. Its like theyre all indifferent to the situation. So I think were to blame for being a poor country, for not being able to get ahead. Simon does not consider himself to be very political. Hes grateful for the remote call center job that allows him to work from rural San Juan Comalapa rather than making the arduous commute to the capital. He said he has been robbed and is unnerved by the level of crime. He said he was still deciding between two candidates. Bernardo Arevalo, candidate for the centrist Seed Movement, is the son of former President Juan Jose Arevalo Bermejo, Guatemalas first democratically elected president who served from 1945 to 1951, and was inspired by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelts progressive New Deal. The other candidate is Giovanni Reyes, a university professor and Fulbright scholar running for president with the conservative BIEN party. Simon said he believes the two mens proposals most closely track with Guatemalas reality. But at the end of the day, he says, a president isnt Superman; hes not the only one who makes changes. The changes start with us. ___ In the central square of Chimaltenango, a bustling department capital west of Guatemala City, Herbert Gudiel Pemech Estrada waited with a camera slung across his chest. Beside him stood a toy horse and a selection of gaudy sombreros for children to wear astride the spotted steed. The 30-year-old followed in his father's footsteps as a children's photographer. He remembers his dad bringing him along to work in the plaza since the age of 10. With only a few days before voters go the polls, Pemech Estrada was leaning toward casting a null vote, essentially a protest vote. Pemech Estrada wasn't impressed by any of the candidates leading the polls. He thinks the government party is also somehow manipulating the parties in this election and that real change will be unattainable through any of them. As a father of three, he worries about his children's future and whether they will be able to find jobs and stay out of trouble. But he said he was still wrestling with the decision. If you vote, youre contributing your grain of sand so that all of this stays the same, he said. Marines of the 5th and 7th regiments who hurled back a surprise onslaught by three Chinese communist divisions wait to withdraw from the Chosin Reservoir area circa December 1950. (National Archives photo) Sometimes called the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, this major battle of the Korean War took place from November 26, 1950, until December 13, 1950. Chosin took place on some of the toughest terrain during harsh winter conditions. In addition to the enemy, service members faced frozen ground, frostbite conditions, icy roads, and weapon malfunctions. Combat took place around the frozen Chosin reservoir and in the rugged mountains of Korea. This was the first major engagement between the US X Corps and the Peoples Volunteer Army (PVA) 9th Army, organized by Chinas Chairman Mao Zedong. After the battle was over, all United Nations forces withdrew from North Korea. In all, the DoD issued 13 Medals of Honor to soldiers, pilots, and Marines who participated in combat. Here is your guide to the Battle of Chosin Reservoir X Corps Push to Chosin Chosin is located in the northeast of the Korean peninsula. The battles main focus around this man-made lake centered along the 78-mile-long road that connects the Chosin Reservoir with Hungnam. The reason? The road was the only way for UN Forces to retreat. After the Inchon Landing, the US X Corps continued to push further into Korea. However, the PVA expected there would be a light UN presence at the reservoir. So, the VPAs 9th Army destroyed UN garrisons in several locations, expecting the X Corps to reroute and rescue those left behind. What the Chinese didnt count on is that the size of the UN forces was much larger than expected. UN forces at Chosin were supported by significant air power because of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing stationed at nearby Yono Airfield. Additionally, five aircraft carriers from the Navys Task Force 77 could launch as many as 230 sorties a day to provide close-air support. MacArthur and Almond Gen. MacArthur was so sure that service members would be out of Korea within weeks that he told President Truman it would all be over by Thanksgiving. Then, he told his troops theyd be home for Christmas. While confidence reigned at MacArthurs Tokyo headquarters, the situation in Korea was becoming more concerning. Temperatures plunged because of a Siberian cold front. Cold led to frostbite. In turn, medical supplies froze, weapons malfunctioned, and batteries died. Maj. Gen. Edward Almond, the commander of X Corps, and MacArthur started to disagree about the size of the PKA assembling in North Korea. As they bickered about the next best step, 120,000 Chinese VPA soldiers slowly assembled around Americas Army and Marine forces. The Chinese Attack Marines woke up after midnight on November 27, 1950, to loudspeakers blaring commands, cymbals clanging, and bugles blaring. Chinese troops shouted, Marines, tonight you die, as Marines struggled from their sleeping quarters. Star shells illuminated the night as front-line Marines tried to slow the Chinese assault with M-1 rifles, machine guns, and grenades. Meanwhile, Charlie and Fox companies of the 7th Marines defended their lines at Toktong Pass. Several Marines earned the Medal of Honor for their heroic efforts during this phase of the Battle of Chosin. While the Marines were under attack, the Regimental Combat Team 31 reached their positions east of the reservoir. Here, Chinese soldiers attacked the heavily outnumbered RCT because the lead battalions were not within support range of one another. Maj. Gen. Almond urged the RCT to continue the advance, but Col. Allan MacLean realized that retreat was the only possible option. These frostbite casualties of the embattled 1st Marine Division and 7th Infantry Division who linked up in the Chosin Reservoir area of Korea in a desperate attempt to break out of Communist encirclement wait with set expressions on their faces for pickup by planes of the U.S. Air Force. National Archives photo Task Force Faith As they retreated, soldiers suffered heavy casualties. MacLean was then captured by the VPA. Command went to Lt. Col. Don Faith, and the task force was then renamed Task Force Faith. Icy roads stopped several attempts to receive RCT 1. Then, Col. Faith learned that no new attempts were coming. Ammunition was running low. Faith organized one more attempt to break out toward Marines embedded at Hagaru-ri. More than 500 wounded were loaded in stacks on trucks, and Faith led his men as machine gun fire poured down in all directions. At a turn in the road, a Chinese roadblock halted their progress. The only way to continue the retreat was to attack the Chinese at Hill 1221. So, Faith gathered his men and ammunition and quickly devised a plan. He attacked the hill, and the small force managed to secure it, but not before Faith was mortally wounded by a Chinese grenade. Ten members of Task Forth Faith earned the Distinguished Silver Cross. For his efforts, Faith earned the Medal of Honor. During the fight, more than one thousand American service members were captured or killed. However, without Faiths push to Hill 1221, the Chinese would have advanced and captured Hagaru-ri, putting more than 15,000 Marines in mortal danger. Advancing in a Different Direction Within a day, MacArthur understood that withdrawal was necessary and ordered that X Corps evacuate via the port at Hungnam. During a media brief, Maj. Gen. Smith spread the message that the X Corps wasnt withdrawing from the Chosin battle; rather, they were advancing in a different direction. No matter the language, the choice was clear. Marines needed to evacuate quickly or risk being killed by the rapidly advancing Chinese. The only way to make that happen involved opening the road to Hagaru-ri. During a blizzard, the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, led by Captain Ray Davis, moved toward Fox Company position. Then, the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines retook Hills 1542 and 1419. This allowed the remaining Marines to continue their push south. On December 2, the Toktong pass was secured. But the Battle of Chosin wasnt over yet. The Path to Hungnam Soldiers leaned on resourcefulness and determination to fend off the additional VPA attacks in Hell Fire Valley. Then, they worked to bridge the road all the way through Funchilin Pass. By December 1, the PVAs 58th Division was nearly incapacitated. Reinforcements didnt arrive in time before the Marines broke out of Yudam-ni. Airfield traffic began again on December 1, allowing for reinforcements to arrive and for the dead and wounded to be evacuated. The breakout to Hungnam started on December 6. At the same time, the PVA reinforcements finally arrived. Marines recaptured East Hill from the 76th Division. Another night attack was launched, but the Marines prevailed. After the road opened at Hagaru-ri, the 77th Division returned to the peaks and started attacking the withdrawing Marines. Fighting broke out, and the retreat slowed. Marine night fighters quashed the Chinese advance, and eventually, the rest of the column reached their destination. Desperate for a victory, Chinese commander Song Shilun ordered troops to dig in at Funchilin Pass. Meanwhile, they blew up a vital bridge. In response, the 1st Battalion, 1st Marines attacked Hill 1081 from the south and it was captured on December 9. However, without that bridge, the path to Hungnam was blocked. So, eight C-119 Flying Boxcars dropped portable bridge sections by parachute, one section at a time. Four sections were successfully reassembled with additional wooden extensions. This allowed the UN forces to proceed toward Hungnam. Marines of the First Marine Division pay their respects to fallen comrades during memorial services at the division's cemetery at Hamhung, Korea, following the break-out from Chosin Reservoir in the winter of 1950. National Archives photo Evacuation American military historians often refer to the Battle at Chosin evaluation as the greatest evacuation movement by sea in US military history. Thats because a 193-vessel armada evacuated not just X Corps troops but also their equipment and nearly a third of the Korean refugees wishing to leave the country. The last UN unit left on December 24, 1950, and the port was destroyed, so the Chinese couldnt use it. PVA troops entered Hungnam on December 25. Casualties at the Battle of Chosin were great. In total, 4,385 Marines and 3,163 Soldiers lost their lives. Despite the losses, much of the X Corps remained. Nearly 105,000 service members and 17,500 vehicles were shipped from Hungnam to Pusan. The Battle of Chosin ended the wider expectation that the UN forces would win a total victory in Korea. By the end of 1950, PVA forces had captured North Korea and pushed forces back to the 38th Parallel. However, the Battle of Chosin is considered by many to be the most brutal of modern warfare because of the weather conditions, casualty rate, and level of violence experienced on both sides. During the fourteen days the battle raged, 17 Medals of Honor and 78 Service Cross medals were earned. Thats the second most after the Battle of the Bulge. Here's why the Battle of Chosin is one of the most significant in Marine Corps history. How the Battle of Chosin is remembered today U.S. veterans attend a Chosin Reservoir reunion ceremony at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California on Dec. 5, 2019. The ceremony was hosted by Chosin Few, a veteran organization that comes together every year to reunite Korean War veterans, many of whom fought at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, to revel in camaraderie and honor their fallen brothers in arms. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Joseph Prado) American veterans who survived the battle are often called the Chosin Few. The Star of Koto-ri reflects their service and sacrifice during the conflict. Here's what one survivor had to say about the battle. National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day is observed each day on July 27. On this day, the country pauses to remember the nearly 50,000 American service members who died during the Korean War. Each year on this day, the president of the United States issues a proclamation in honor of the Korean War veterans and their families. Observances on military installations are common, as are vigils at military cemeteries. Events are held at the Korean War Veterans Memorial as well. FAQs How long was the Korean War? The war lasted three years. Why did the Korean War start? After WWII, Korea was divided along the 38th Parallel. The North established a communist government, and the south became democratic. What caused the US to get involved? The United States got involved because Chinas Chairman Mao Zedong announced Chinas support of North Koreas communist efforts. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said he will continue to push for the hiring of nursing graduates who scored at least 70% in their board exam as a temporary solution to the thousands of vacancies in government hospitals. Its a temporary, band-aid solution to a crisis that can actually become bigger as the other countries import our nurses, Herbosa explained to CNN Philippines' The Source on Thursday. While the Philippines is a major provider of nurses abroad, it is left with the problem of shortage of health workers at home. The DOH earlier said the country is in need of nearly 130,000 of these medical professionals, which may take 12 years to fill. In government hospitals, there are 4,500 available plantilla positions for nurses. Herbosa said he wants to fill this by giving temporary licenses to nurses who scored 70% to 74% in their board exam. According to him, Labor Sec. Bienvenido Laguesma already agreed with his plan and will soon meet with the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) regarding the matter. His proposal drew mixed reactions. Dr. Rontgene Solante, president of Philippine College of Physicians, said he supports the plan since it will provide additional training to the unlicensed nurses. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said he is not in favor of the proposal because it can diminish the integrity of the testing system. What the lawmaker suggested is to keep the 75% passing mark and review the board exam to ensure that it focuses on testing the competency and readiness of nurses. Herbosa said his plan does not intend to change the way nurses are evaluated and given license. While most hospitals want to increase their capacity, they cannot do so because they do not have the appropriate number of nurses, Herbosa said. A hospital bed would need four of these health workers to function for 24 hours, he noted. Im only trying to fix a problem of lack of nurses in the government hospitals that means lack of nurses means lack of services, he pointed out. Aside from this, he said his plan will also help the unlicensed nurses to pass the board exam once they retake it following the training they will receive. Once they pass the licensure exam, they will then be offered actual jobs in government, the secretary said. Its a developing idea so we will improve it some more, Herbosa said. Out of discussion and debate, I do hope we come up with a tangible solution for the nursing crisis in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the PRC clarified on Thursday that it cannot issue a temporary license or permit to nursing graduates who have not passed their board exam, based on stipulations from the Republic Act 9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act. Section 21 of the said law states that the board may issue a special or temporary permit for licensed nurses from foreign countries or states who are well-known specialists, foreign licensed nurses whose services are for a medical mission, or foreign licensed nurses employed by schools as exchange professors. PRC Commissioner Jose Cueto explained that Herbosa's plan to give temporary licenses to those who flunked their boards will be placed under supervision if hired by the government. "Pag pumasa sila at nasatisfy nila ang requirement ay mabibigyan sila ng pribelehiyo, privilege to practice and ang tawag po namin doon, independent practice," Cueto also said during the Laging Handa Public Briefing. [Translation: If they pass and they satisfy the requirements, they will be given the privilege to practice which we call an independent practice.] The PRC Commissioner noted that the passing rate for the previous two Nurses Licensure Examinations (NLE) breached the 70 percent mark 74.4% for the November 2022 exam and 74.9% for the May 2023 exam. In the past six years, PRC said, 113,000 took the NLE but only around 70,000 passed, or an average passing rate of 60%. CNN Philippines Kaithreen Cruz contributed to this report. By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Half of Americans believe U.S. President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, received preferential treatment from prosecutors who reached a deal that would allow the younger Biden to plead guilty to tax charges but avoid a gun-related conviction, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. The two-day poll that closed on Wednesday showed Americans were divided along partisan lines in their views on the case, with 75% of Republicans seeing preferential treatment compared with just 33% of Democrats. Most respondents said the case would not affect their likelihood of voting for the elder Biden next year when he is seeking re-election. U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a federal prosecutor appointed by Republican former President Donald Trump, said on Tuesday that Hunter Biden, 53, has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes and to enter into an agreement that could avert a conviction on a gun-related charge. Trump and his Republican allies charged that the plea agreement amounted to special treatment for Biden's son. Weiss was one of a few Trump-appointed prosecutors that Biden asked to stay on after he took office in January 2021, to avoid the appearance of tampering in politically sensitive investigations. The younger Biden has worked as a lobbyist, lawyer, consultant to foreign companies, investment banker and artist, and has publicly detailed his struggles with substance abuse. He will make an initial appearance in federal court in Delaware on July 26, a court filing showed on Wednesday. According to court filings, Hunter Biden received taxable income of more than $1.5 million in 2017 and in 2018 but did not pay income tax those years despite owing in excess of $100,000. He is also charged with unlawfully owning a firearm from roughly Oct. 12 to Oct 23, 2018, when he was using and addicted to a controlled substance. For that charge, he entered a pretrial diversion agreement, an alternative to prosecution that is sometimes used to allow defendants to avoid prison time or a criminal conviction. The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,004 U.S. adults nationwide and has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about 4 percentage points. (Reporting by Jason Lange in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Matthew Lewis) Hamish Hardings cousin hits out at OceanGate for delay in raising alarm about Titanic sub The family of British billionaire businessman Hamish Harding has lashed out at OceanGate and accused it of delaying raising the alarm after its Titanic submersible vehicle went missing. Kathleen Cosnett, a cousin of Mr Harding, said tour provider OceanGate Expeditions took far too long to issue an alarm. Its very frightening, 69-year-old Ms Cosnett said of the eight-hour delay to the international search effort. In an interview with the Telegraph, she said: [It] took so long for them to get going to rescue [them], its far too long. I would have thought three hours would be the bare minimum. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here. Aboard the missing submersible are the CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, billionaire Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet as well as Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood. The submersible used for showing tourists the site of the Titanic shipwreck disappeared earlier this week, sparking a race against time to find the missing individuals onboard. The vehicle went missing off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada on Monday, according to the US Coast Guard. Mr Harding had joined the crew as a mission specialist a term used for the passengers on the submersible according to a Facebook post he made prior to leaving. Ms Cosnett said it was worrying that her cousin and the other passengers may not have any extra oxygen left soon. [Im] trying to keep my mind off it, which is not always easy. Im sleeping and eating alright. But its the concern over not only Hamish but the others who are there, and their families. My thoughts are with them all. An OceanGate spokesperson said the companys focus is on locating the missing and returning them to their families. Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families, OceanGate said. Meanwhile, Mr Hardings stepson Brian Szasz has faced backlash after he posted on his social media that he had attended a Blink-182 concert amid the frantic ongoing search operation for the missing vessel. The prosecution of a former Harvard Medical School employee over an alleged human remains theft ring prompted experts to call for federal rules for a practice that they said is largely unregulated and has grown in recent years with the rise of for-profit body brokers." The schools anatomical donation program, which employed a manager accused of illegally selling body parts to a nationwide network of buyers, is like dozens of others across the country that are trying to help advance science and education, said Thomas Champney, a bioethics expert at the University of Miami. But unlike with organ donation, which is closely regulated under the 1968 Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, few rules govern nonprofit programs or businesses that sell donated bodies to medical device makers, law enforcement agencies and others, said Champney, who also helps run a body donation program for Floridas State Anatomical Board. Cedric Lodge, former manager of the morgue at Harvard Medical School, leaves federal court in Boston, on June 14, 2023. (NBC Boston) What I really want from the federal government is basic enforcement on the handling of bodies, he said. Right now, if I want to do a body donation program, I dont have to go to anybody to get a certification. There should also be rules requiring "revenue neutral" status and more transparency, he said. If people donate their bodies to universities, for example, no federal policies require the schools to disclose whether the bodies will be disarticulated or cut up and used in different ways. Some may disclose it more readily than others, he said in an email. There are no rules, so folks do what they are comfortable with. It is not clear whether there were failures within Harvards program that allowed the former manager, Cedric Lodge, to allegedly steal organs and remains from the schools morgue and sell them. Several other people, including Lodge's wife and an employee at an Arkansas mortuary, were also charged in the alleged scheme. In a statement last week, Harvard Medical School said that it was appalled by the allegations and that it had appointed a panel of experts to review its policies and practices. Asked Wednesday whether any of those policies might have contributed to Lodges alleged crimes, a school spokesperson said it would be premature to comment before the expert report is delivered later this year. Lawyers for Lodge did not respond to requests for comment Wednesday night. In an email, Angela McArthur, the director of the anatomy bequest program at the University of Minnesota Medical School, described being "horrified and saddened" by allegations that she said offered many lessons. "While some of the allegations fit into the larger issue of the commodification of the human body and lack of regulatory oversight, its important to note that this situation involved criminal behavior including the alleged theft of body parts for macabre purposes unrelated to medical education and research," she said. "I think a review of any current and proposed regulations is in order." She pointed to legislation proposed in the U.S. House and Senate that would require entities that use bodies for education and research to register with the Department of Health and Human Services, among other things. Michael Burg, a lawyer representing a group of 10 people who won a $58 million verdict against the owner of an Arizona company in 2019 over what Burg's law firm described as an egregious body brokering scheme, wondered how Harvards oversight of Lodge could have appeared so lax. What kind of supervision did he have? Burg said in an interview. This is a prominent university. There should have been supervision. Burg added that organ donation rules should be extended to bodies. If you want to take cadavers and bodies and chop them up and sell them, you dont need a license. Anybody can do it, he said. Its ridiculous. "You can't sell hearts and livers and kidneys," he added. Martine Dunnwald, the president of the American Association of Anatomy, an industry group, said in a statement last week that the group condemns the commercialization of human body donors and any action that violates donor ethics and trust. To ensure the ethical, legal, and responsible operation of body donation programs nationwide, the AAA calls upon government and law enforcement agencies, academic institutions, and regulatory bodies for both justice and collaborative reform to prevent the misuse and commodification of human body donors, she said. A spokesman did not respond to interview requests seeking more detail. Champney, a member of AAA, said the group has developed a set of guidelines for universities and other nonprofit groups that handle body donations, but he said those function as best practices and not mandated policies. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Photo of Brad Smith Microsoft President Brad Smith speaks at a press conference about his companys pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Microsofts $68.7 billion bid to acquire video game maker Activision Blizzard has arrived in court. An evidentiary hearing that pits both tech giants against the Federal Trade Commission began at 8:30 A.M. Pacific (11:30 A.M. Eastern) on Thursday morning. Big money and an industry-wide restructuring are at stake over the corporate merger which has stoked pushback globally. In the first few hours of the proceedings, a minor bombshell has already droppedan unsealed email that could undermine the arguments of the mergers main opponent, Sony. The United Kingdoms Competition and Markets Authority already rejected the deal in April, saying it would leave gamers with fewer options on the market. In contrast, the European Commission greenlit the buyout following a probe, though under the condition that Microsoft doesnt keep Activision games from its competitors. Read more Now, in San Francisco federal court, Microsoft is working to convince Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley that its massive, nearly $70 billion purchase of the company behind Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft should be allowed to move forward. Over five days of proceedings, scheduled to conclude on June 29, both Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella are expected to testify. Meanwhile, the FTC is arguing that the proposed acquisition needs to be put on pause while regulators assess if the deal violates U.S. antitrust law. The hearing precedes a trial set for August. Judge Corleys ruling, following the hearing, will determine whether or not to grant the FTCs request to stall the merger, until after that in-depth administrative trial. If Corley opts not to hold up the deal, it could be closed ahead of a July 18 deadline. If she decides the FTCs preliminary injunction demand has legal merit, Microsoft might end up having to pay $3 billion in breakup fees to Activision Blizzard. Opponents of the merger (primarily Sony) argue that its anticompetitive, and would give Microsoft (which owns Xbox) an unfair advantage by granting it ownership over some of the most popular video game titles on the market. Meanwhile proponents (namely Microsoft and Activision Blizzard) say the companies in opposition are doing so to defend their own profits and industry dominance. Already, in the first hours of the hearing, at least one big revelation has dropped. In Microsofts opening statement, the companys legal team summarized an unsealed email written by Sonys PlayStation chief exec, Jim Ryan. That correspondence seems to contradict Sonys primary line of opposition against the deal, according to reporting from The Verge. In an exchange with Sonys CEO, Ryan wrote that he isnt particularly concerned about Activision Blizzard games becoming Xbox exclusives under Microsoft. It is not an exclusivity play at all, said Ryans email, per The Verge. Im pretty sure well continue to see Call of Duty on PlayStation for years to come. After opening statements, Xbox Game Studios leader Matt Booty took the stand, followed by Bethesda games exec, Peter Hines. The FTCs lawyer questioned both on game deals amended post-acquisition to be Xbox only, according to Axios games reporter, Stephen Totilo. More drama is sure to follow as the hearing moves forward, butby the agencys own account the FTC faces an uphill battle to prove the vertical merger violates U.S. law. Similar efforts to take Meta to task over its acquisition of a VR fitness app earlier this year didnt work out in the FTCs favor. But Commission Chair Lina Khan, a noted critic of such mergers and an outspoken crusader against tech monopolies, is clearly willing to take on the fight. More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. We need help. We are desperate: Utah animal shelters struggle with overcrowding Cheyanne Demke, West Valley City Animal Shelter animal care shelter technician, takes Barbara to meet potential adopters at the West Valley City Animal Shelter in West Valley City on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News West Valley City Animal Shelter, a municipal shelter in Utah, recently put out a public plea on social media detailing its overcrowded numbers while also encouraging locals to adopt, volunteer and spread the word. We need help. We are desperate, the June 7 post on the shelters Instagram page reads. We are at critical numbers. Animals are starting to be put in wire crates. In order to remain a no-kill shelter, we need our community to help, the post reads. Related Hannah Fine, a volunteer who runs West Valley City Animal Shelters Instagram page, posts daily photos of the dogs at the shelter who need homes, along with the pets names and information. Seeing how many animals were filling up the shelter, Fine posted the announcement to Instagram in hopes of reaching a larger audience and raising awareness. We want to remain no-kill and that was the main reason for that reach out, Fine said in an interview with the Deseret News. If we want to remain no-kill status, we need people to step up and come adopt, have rescues come pull animals, come volunteer and spread the word ... because so many hard decisions have to start to be made if theyre not clearing out fast enough. Stoney, a 10-week-old kitten, climbs on Priscila Gutierrez, West Valley City Animal Shelter animal care shelter technician, at the West Valley City Animal Shelter in West Valley City on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Shelter stress Fine also helps with adoptions and keeping the dogs as active and stimulated as possible. We have 50 dog kennels and a lot of them are having to be split in half because we are so overcapacity, Fine said. And with so many animals in the same room ... if ones barking, theyre all barking, and it can be such a stressful environment for them. Salt Lake County Animal Services, a neighboring municipal shelter in the Salt Lake Valley, is also struggling with overcapacity numbers, according to Jami Johanson, the shelters development coordinator. As of yesterday [June 17], we had 88 dogs which 34 are currently available for adoption. We have 82 regular dog kennels, Johanson told the Deseret News. Johanson has also witnessed the effect that stress can have on the animals, especially dogs. Some dogs will shut down, be less active, hide in the back of their kennel and their appetite may even go down, Johanson said. Some dogs can start behaving badly in their kennels as a way to deal with stress and we always say do not judge a shelter dog by their kennel behavior. Stress may also affect a shelter dogs physical health. Virtually all of the animals West Valley City and Salt Lake County Animal Services take in are strays or lost pets, and Fine highlighted the importance of checking shelters when your pet goes missing and being willing to pick them up if they end up at a shelter. Sometimes well contact the owners that are on the microchip and they just will never come and pick them up, Fine said. Knowing that they have a home, but theyre not being picked up and not being claimed is just so heartbreaking. Fine also said that these cases take up a lot of space in addition to pets that dont have a home. West Valley City Animal Shelter Adoption events and specials In hopes of adopting out as many of the animals in its care as possible, West Valley City Animal Shelter is hosting an on-site Shelter Saturday event on Saturday, June 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shelter Saturdays goal is to give folks a chance to meet adoptable pets on a weekend, as the shelter is typically only open to the public Monday through Friday during hours when many nearby residents work. People, especially those who work during the week and arent able to make it during our regular adoption hours, theyre able to come in on Saturday, Fine said. Its so much easier for people to adopt on weekends. Were trying to think of out of the box ways where we can get more animals adopted, said Fine. You can bring your current pets, she said. We recommend, if you have another dog, to bring your dog so that we can make sure everyone gets along. West Valley City Animal Shelter also has a June adoption special, where prospective adopters can name their own adoption price or donate essential items such as pet food, leashes, collars and toys in place of a fee. Salt Lake County Animal Services is also offering free adoptions for the remainder of June, excluding VIP pets. Barbara meets potential adopters Nehemiah Newton and Ellie Mahoney, who plan to rename her Croissant, during a meet-and-greet at the West Valley City Animal Shelter in West Valley City on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Volunteering, fostering and donating If youre not in the position to adopt but want to help, shelters are in desperate need of assistance as well. If you cant adopt, you can always foster a shelter pet! Johanson says. We are always looking for volunteers and have many volunteer opportunities at Salt Lake County Animal Services. We appreciate any and all donations, please visit our website for different ways to donate. At West Valley Animal Shelter, volunteers are mainly tasked with walking dogs, snuggling kitties and providing bunnies with some sort of enrichment or stimulation, according to Fine. Once volunteers complete an orientation, theyll be all set to spend time with the animals. We just need volunteers that are willing to do some fun things that will get the dogs out more and get the animals out more so they become more adoptable, she said. Its so hard because everyone, everywhere is so full, Fine says. Im hoping that even if [people] are not close to West Valley ... this will maybe ignite them to help out their shelter thats close to them. Volunteer Craig Stanworth offers treats to a 2-year-old Siberian husky named Lucy at the West Valley City Animal Shelter in West Valley City on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Potential adopter Ellie Mahoney holds Barbara, who she plans on renaming Croissant, during a meet-and-greet at the West Valley City Animal Shelter in West Valley City on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Rabbits are pictured at the West Valley City Animal Shelter in West Valley City on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Volunteer Kelly Ferguson takes Puddles, who is available for adoption, for a walk outside of the West Valley City Animal Shelter in West Valley City on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Butterscotch is pictured at the West Valley City Animal Shelter in West Valley City on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Potential adopter Nehemiah Newton holds Barbara during a meet-and-greet at the West Valley City Animal Shelter in West Valley City on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Newton and his fiance plan to rename Barbara Croissant. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Two kittens named Vinchenzo and Pauly D are pictured at the West Valley City Animal Shelter in West Valley City on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Vinchenzo was adopted an hour later. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Eddie Berntsen carries a kitten named Vinchenzo after completing the adoption at the West Valley City Animal Shelter in West Valley City on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- Lelia Peradotti learned about fentanyl while she was baking cookies. She still remembers that phone call from her mother, Susan Peradotti, who was in shock after she walked into her partners apartment to find him slumped over the kitchen sink next to a hot stove, a cold spoon and a white powder. A coroners report reviewed by Susan Peradotti found the synthetic opioid known as fentanyl in his system. I just think that if I knew more about (fentanyl), I would know how to help my family and help my mom out, said Lelia, who was a Naperville Central High School sophomore when Susans partner overdosed. When I learned more about it, I was really surprised that I was not taught this in school. For the last two years, she has been studying fentanyl whenever she was in a class that gave her freedom to investigate a topic of her interest, and in her senior year she took a humanities course focused on achieving measurable results on an issue. What she learned about fentanyl and how she put it to use contributed to two bills passed by Illinois lawmakers this spring aimed at educating high school students about fentanyl and preventing tragic outcomes for those using it. One bill requires high schools to provide instruction, study and discussion on the dangers of fentanyl beginning with the 2024-25 school year. The other requires all schools to maintain a supply of opioid antagonists, including Narcan or naloxone. Both bills passed legislative chambers without any nay votes and are on the desk of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, whose office said he will review them. (Lelia) really thought about if it was up to her, what should every student in our state know about fentanyl in order to protect themselves and protect other people in the community, said Seth Brady, a social science teacher at Naperville Central who taught Lelias humanities course. Lelia learned all she could about the synthetic opioid that accounts for a large portion of the roughly 3,000 people who die each year from opioids in Illinois. Ingesting just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Other drugs are often cut with fentanyl because of its potency and because it is cheap and easy to manufacture and transport, said Maryann Mason, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. Many users think they are taking the right dosage of a drug or opioid without realizing the concoction contains a lethal dose of fentanyl. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported that in 2021, toxicology testing found that 89% of the opioid fatalities involved a synthetic opioid which is a pretty good representation of fentanyl, according to the departments website and an emailed response to questions by the Tribune. The (opioid) supply in the Chicago area is mostly fentanyl, over 90% fentanyl, Dr. Wilnise Jasmin, medical director of the Bureau of Behavioral Health at the Chicago Department of Public Health, said. And when it comes to educating the youth about it, I think its important for them to know specifically that because of its potency that would place them at an increased risk of experiencing an overdose. On Monday, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced charges against Luke Napolitano a 20-year-old Barrington man who this past December reportedly sold another 20-year-old man drugs laced with fentanyl that caused his death, according to a news release from Raouls office. Fentanyl-laced drugs are incredibly dangerous and continue to wreak havoc in communities across our country, Raoul said in the news release Monday. Napolitano has been charged with one count of drug-induced homicide, a Class X felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and one count of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, a Class 2 felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. Dr. Howard Kim, an emergency and addiction medicine physician and assistant professor who studies opioid overdose at Northwestern, said teens should be more aware that fentanyl may be present in many commonly used illicit drugs in order to make smart and well-informed decisions. High schoolers have always used drugs going back many, many generations, Kim said. Its just the fact now that these drugs are contaminated with fentanyl. The more Lelia Peradotti learned, the more she realized how much her classmates could benefit from being more aware of fentanyls dangers. After speaking with experts at Stanford University about what could be done to make a difference, Lelia started reaching out to lawmakers with the idea she had settled on: an amendment to the school code. Lelia contacted the office of state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr, a Naperville Democrat, and submitted her idea for a legislation change via email. Our young adults need to know the dangers fentanyl poses, Rohr said. This bipartisan legislation takes proactive and age-appropriate steps, by working with high schools to educate students about the dangers of fentanyl in a conducive learning environment. The bills Lelia advocated for are among several measures passed during the spring legislative session targeting fentanyl and drug overdose prevention. A different bill increases access to fentanyl test strips, while another also expands the education of drug overdose in schools. Last year, Pritzker signed a test strip bill similar to the one passed during this session and he also launched the Overdose Action Plan that prioritizes outreach to and engagement with individuals who are at risk for both fatal and nonfatal overdose, according to the announcement in March of 2022. Lelia struggled to make sense of what happened to her moms partner, a man with whom she had become close. Her lack of understanding about what caused his overdose only added to her confusion and pain. I had never heard of fentanyl, and in my health class my teacher touched on it super, super lightly, Lelia said. And then I had done a very, very small research paper in my AP literature class and thats when I was kind of like, Oh my gosh, this is something that really needs to be talked about and isnt being talked about, at least on a lower level. When she enrolled in her humanities class, she had the chance to study the drug with a focus on enacting real change in her community. By her senior year, she was testifying in front of lawmakers on behalf of the bills she helped draft. Originally, I had not planned on passing two bills but I felt that it was the right way to go about it to take action on this problem, she said. The second bill is a smaller adjustment to the states existing laws. Right now, schools may hold a supply of an opioid antagonist such as naloxone or Narcan. This amendment would change that may into a shall, thus mandating schools maintain a supply of opioid overdose prevention drugs. I certainly think that it could be one of the most consequential bills that we passed, said state Rep. Diane Blair-Sherlock, who represents Glendale Heights, referring to the recent legislative session. If a $22 dollar dose of Narcan saves one childs life in this state then its all worth it, its the most significant bill we passed. Lydia Owens, a South Carolina public high school class president and valedictorian, stepped out in faith while addressing her classmates in her commencement speech and her words of Christian belief quickly went viral. (SEE part of the speech in the video at top of this article.) Owens, 18, recently graduated from Woodmont High School in Piedmont, South Carolina. She told Fox News Digital in a recent phone interview that she found out right after Christmas that she was "kind of in the running for class valedictorian." After her first semester of senior year, it was solidified, she said. She said she "debated for a long time how to approach talking about my faith in my speech." APP CRASH DURING LENT LEADS HALLOW CEO TO HEAR GOD SAY, GIVE UP AND LET ME HANDLE IT She told Fox News Digital, "I definitely always knew that I wanted to [speak about faith], because my faith is who I am. It's the center of my life, so I knew that I wanted to mention it, but I didn't know how to do that." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP It wasn't until a conversation Owens had with some friends that she decided to say what she did. "I was talking about how I was a little worried about how people would respond to me talking about my faith, but I told my friends that I really wanted to talk more about Jesus in my speech." Lydia Owens, above, valedictorian and senior class president at Woodmont High School in Piedmont, South Carolina, told graduation attendees and her fellow graduates that her faith sustained her in recent hardships in her life. Owens said that her friends responded, "Well, why wouldn't you? You know, arent we supposed to be bold in our faith? And when are you going to have another opportunity to speak in front of thousands of people?" She continued, "Actually, when they told me that, I was like, You know, that's a really good point. Why would I not?" Owens went home that night and "scratched my entire rough draft of what I thought I wanted to talk about in my speech." CHRISTIAN REVIVAL IS NO ACCIDENT, SAYS HISPANIC EVANGELICAL LEADER: GOD IS IN CHARGE She also said, "And I just sat there and I prayed, and I was like, Jesus, you just speak through me. Let this be exactly what you want to say, not what I want to say." She added, "And I truly believe that's what he did. I don't think those were my words I didn't come up with that. Jesus told me to write that and I just followed what he told me to do." In her speech, she told her classmates, in part, "No matter what your future holds, please remember that life is so much more than how successful you are. Even if you accomplish all of your dreams or none of them at all, you are still valuable and still good enough, because you are made in the image of God." Owens also said in her speech, "You dont have to worry about whether or not youll be successful because God promises that his grace is sufficient for us and his power is made perfect in our weakness." Owens' mother died two years ago, she said. Her mom, she said, was "an ideal example to me of how to live our Christian faith." Lydia Owens said her mother "loved everyone intentionally" and would "go out of her way to talk to people about Jesus." She said of her moms passing, "It's so, so difficult. It's only been two years, and so it's definitely still a pretty fresh wound." Owens noted that she and her family "take each day as we as we can, and we talk about it and we're still working through it. We're a lot better than we were." She added of her mother, "She loved everyone so intentionally and would always go out of her way to talk to people about Jesus." Owens continued, "She was so active in our church and in our community and in my school. She was just constantly thinking to bring others to Jesus." Said Owens, "That was so inspiring for me, growing up. I always wanted to be like my mom. I always wanted to have the heart that my mom had. She definitely is a huge reason I have such a strong faith." Owens friends were proud of her after her speech, she said. SPIKE IN TEEN DEPRESSION ALIGNS WITH RISE IN SOCIAL MEDIA, NEW POLL SUGGESTS: ITS NOT GOING ANYWHERE' Noting that she sometimes struggles with "confidence and my ability to do things," she said her classmates rousing applause and positive reactions were "incredible." "People around me were crying," she said, "and then my friends are like, They don't know who you are, but I get to know who you are." Her friends were "very encouraging, very supportive, and it was very comforting." Through her valedictorian speech, Owens' brother was "able to have a gospel conversation with his co-workers," she said. Owens has one younger brother and two older brothers, she said. She also has her dad, who was "very excited, very emotional, very proud of me." Owens oldest brother, Gideon, is married and lives in North Carolina, and could not get time off from work to see her graduate, she said. "So they watched it online. And immediately after the livestream, he texted me and said, I watched this with all my coworkers at work, and they all came over to watch. And most of them are not believers." FAITH IN GOD OR HIGHER POWER ON THE RISE AMONG YOUNG AMERICANS IN WAKE OF COVID PANDEMIC: POLL She added, "Because I talked about my faith in my speech, my brother said his coworkers were asking questions about God." Through her valedictorian speech, she was "able to have a gospel conversation with his coworkers," she said. "I was like, Oh my gosh, that's incredible." During the beginning of her speech, which centered around her Christian faith, people erupted in applause which she was "not expecting at all," she said. AI JESUS TALKS DATING, RELATIONSHIPS, MORALS EVEN OFFERS VIDEO-GAMING TIPS "As soon as that happened, I was like, OK, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. God is doing this.'" With the crowd encouraging her, she "just kept talking," she said. If people are feeling lost and unsatisfied, they "will not lose anything by trying to find Jesus," said Owens (not pictured) to Fox News Digital. "The second time I mentioned Jesus again, they rushed to their phones [to record the speech], and I was thinking, This is not what I was expecting in the middle of my graduation speech because of Jesus in a public place, a public school, in front of thousands of people." She continued, "Everyone erupted in applause because I was telling them about Jesus. That was just so encouraging to know that God was moving and he was the reason I kept going through that speech." Regarding her classmates or anyone looking into faith, Owens said, "I would say: What do you have to lose? If you do, and you don't get anything from it, all you lost was maybe some time." She also said, "I think that everyone in our world and in our society is encouraged to find satisfaction on social media, and in what they accomplish and what they do and how successful they are." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER She added, "I kind of talked about this in my speech. If they're feeling lost and unsatisfied, I don't think that they will lose anything by trying to find Jesus." The young woman noted that this can be done in many ways. Even on social media, she said, there are "people who follow Jesus intentionally." Owens, who will head to college in the fall and is planning to major in elementary education, added, "I just don't think that anyone would regret having a relationship with Jesus and I hope people can really understand that." Several inmates dead following a riot in women's prison in Honduras TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras will return control of most of the country's penal system to the military police for the next year, the Central American country's presidential office said late on Wednesday, a day after a prison riot claimed nearly 50 lives. The measure is part of a fresh crackdown on crime which includes expanding a so-called state of exception suspending some constitutional rights to cover more territories over an extended time-frame, and a greater role for the armed forces in security efforts nationwide, the government said. Honduras will also turn islands hundreds of kilometers off the coast into a penal colony for "highly dangerous" gang leaders, the presidental office said. Castro had promised "drastic measures" to address the deaths at a women's prison, which she attributed to an organized attack by gang members conducted with guards' knowledge. Police said the clash took place when armed members of the Barrio 18 gang held back guards and attacked members of the rival Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). Both gangs, which have their origins in the United States, battle for control of drug trafficking and extortion rights, often clashing between themselves or with authorities. Tuesday's riot likely began in retaliation to recent government measures cracking down on corruption and gang control from within prison walls, authorities said. Castro's government sacked all members of the committee overseeing the earlier crackdown Wednesday evening. It also returned control of 21 of the country's 26 prisons to the military police. Castro, a leftist, had removed the military police from overseeing prisons when she took office in early 2022, handing power over to national police. Her office also expanded the state of exception to include additional areas of the country, a move which allows authorities to limit freedom of movement and assembly, as well as search homes and make arrests without a warrant. Human rights organizations have decried the state of exception, which follows a similar decision from El Salvador, where tens of thousands of alleged gang members have been jailed in the past year and a half. For the women remaining jailed at the prison where the riot broke out, Castro's government asked the judiciary reconsider detention for those yet to face trial and those with terminal illnesses. (Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) Police at Central Middlesex Hospital in north-west London during the incident on Wednesday - James Manning/PA Wire A hospital worker who stabbed two of his colleagues with a tool similar to a pickaxe also attempted to murder a third staff member, police have said. The assailant, a man in his 40s, attacked three of his colleagues at Londons Central Middlesex Hospital on Wednesday afternoon before turning the weapon on himself. He was initially treated for self-inflicted, life threatening-injuries before being taken into custody, a statement from the Met Police said. The attacker and his victims, also in their 40s, are contracted staff members at the hospital who knew one another, detectives confirmed. Officers have since arrested the assailant on three counts of attempted murder and suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon. One of his victims is confirmed to have sustained life-changing injuries and is still being treated in hospital. Police said the suspect used a mattock, which is similar to a pickaxe but has a blade rather than a chisel on one side. Detectives confirmed the incident is not terror-related. Dozens of armed police had swooped on the hospital while hundreds of staff and patients were evacuated. Wards with critically-ill patients or those unable to move were placed into lockdown as officers combed the floors for the attacker. Detective Superintendent Will Lexton-Jones, acting commander for policing in Brent, said: This is a shocking incident that, of course, will have been incredibly distressing for hospital staff, and those attending and visiting other patients. Our NHS colleagues acted quickly, and with incredible courage, to report the incident and lock the hospital down to ensure the safety of their patients. Our officers armed and unarmed responded within minutes and entered the building without a second thought for their own safety, not knowing at the time exactly what they were dealing with. Pippa Nightingale, chief executive of London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, added: I would like to express my sincere thanks to our colleagues for keeping our patients and staff safe, especially those members of staff who were first at the scene of the incident. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. The House Armed Services Committee cleared the first major hurdle in the annual defense policy bill, passing the legislation on a 58-1 bipartisan vote despite contentious battles over amendments attacking diversity programs and other cultural issues at the Pentagon. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which will head to the full House floor later this year for debate, sticks to the $874 billion budget request from President Biden, which was kept intact by the debt ceiling bill reached with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). It includes a major pay raise for service members, programs and initiatives to counter China, and $300 million to support Ukraine, among other funding needs across the military. But the draft NDAA, which passed just after midnight Thursday after roughly 14 hours of debate and voting, also includes several amendments targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and other cultural issues. Those measures led to hours of infighting Wednesday between Republicans and Democrats on the committee. The GOP is touting the bill as a major win against programs they object to at the Pentagon. We bleed green and fight for the same flag, Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla) said in a tweet. DoD should be mission and merit-focused, not focused on turning our ranks against each other based on skin color. One amendment from Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) forces the Biden administration to conduct a review of how transgender policies have affected service members. Banks also successfully passed his amendment to ban the Navys Digital Ambassadorship program after a service member who moonlights as a drag queen was criticized by the GOP for participating in it. Another, from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), prohibits the Pentagon from funding drag shows. Gaetz also offered an amendment to eliminate the Defense Departments (DOD) chief diversity officer. And Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) mustered through a provision creating a parental bill of rights for service members who put their children through military-affiliated schools an amendment that her Democratic colleagues called overly broad and a Trojan horse to allow conservative parents to ban books or prevent certain material from being taught in school. It was made very clear by the sponsor of the amendment that shes going after trans education and sex education. There is a very narrow conservative agenda and this amendment wants to empower parents to dictate that agenda into the schools in a more effective manner, ranking member Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said. Republicans also passed several amendments to aid service members who were kicked out of the military for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine and to eliminate the use of critical race theory an academic framework evaluating U.S. history through the lens of racism that has become a political catch-all buzzword for any race-related teaching at military service academies. Some conservative proposals did get shot down, however. The committee rejected an amendment from Gaetz to halt funding for DEI training and declined to pass another from Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) that would defund the Pentagons deputy inspector general for diversity and extremism in the military. Despite the repeated clash over cultural issues between Democrats and Republicans, only Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) voted against sending the NDAA to the full House floor. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) championed the bill as bipartisan and praised it for including provisions that counter Chinas aggression, boost oversight of the Department of Defense, and support our servicemembers and their families. Additionally, this years bill saves taxpayers billions of dollars while still making critical investments in innovative technologies and our defense industrial base, Rogers said in a statement. Still, the bills controversial amendments are likely to face more hurdles when it comes to the full House floor. Smith in a statement said he is not supportive of everything in this bill. As we prepare to bring the NDAA to the House floor, we will continue to advocate for the priorities and values that make our military stronger and America safer, including ensuring that we have the most diverse, talented pool of individuals to recruit and retain to our Armed Forces, he said. Democrats did achieve some wins, passing an amendment to prohibit the Pentagon from purchasing cookware, uniforms, personal care products and other products that contain per- and polyfluoroalkyl, known as forever chemicals. On the national security level, Democrats feuded with Republicans on an amendment from Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) to create a program for the SLCM-N, a sea-launched cruise missile. Bidens budget did not include continued funding for SLCM-N, considered a tactical naval weapon as a low-yield, non-ballistic nuclear missile. Supporters say it creates more options for the Navy to deter foreign adversaries, while opponents argue the nuclear capability was not necessary and could impact U.S. submarines traveling to international ports. The amendment passed. The NDAA also passed without any changes to language that would restrict funding for construction and leasing projects for U.S. Space Command until a final decision is made on the combat commands headquarters. The bill also slashes the Air Force secretarys travel budget in half until a decision is made. Alabama Republicans are upset that the Biden administration has delayed a planned Space Command relocation from Colorado Springs, Colo., to Huntsville, Ala., and may scrap the plan entirely over concerns about abortion restrictions. As the bill heads to the House floor, its expected that Republicans will further try to chip away at the Pentagons policies made under the Biden administration that fall within the cultural wars raging across the country. Among those is an anticipated amendment to reverse a DOD policy that reimburses travel expenses for service members who seek an abortion outside the state they are based. And Ukraine funding is also sure to be targeted, with Gaetz vowing to file floor amendments to strip as much of this Ukraine money out of this bill as possible. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) Malacanang has declared June 20 of every year as "National Refugee Day" through Presidential Proclamation No. 265. The decree was made public on Thursday after it was signed on June 20 on behalf of the president by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin. It highlighted that the Philippines was one of the few countries which agreed to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 protocol, the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness something that the United Nations has also recognized. "The Philippines has a longstanding humanitarian tradition of opening its arms to those who seek safety, and promoting an environment suitable for people forced to flee their countries of origin, stateless persons, and populations at risk of statelessness," the proclamation read. Throughout Philippine history, there have been several waves of refugees accepted by the country, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees: At the end of World War I, the country accepted a wave of 800 "White Russians" fleeing persecution in 1923. In the middle of World War II, a wave of 1,200 jews fled to the Philippines in 1934 and in 1937. President Manuel Quezon pushed to admit up to 30,000 more. In 1939, Spanish Republicans fleeing the Spanish Civil War were let into the country. Six years later, the Philippines welcomed about 30,000 Chinese Kuomintang members fleeing the Civil War in China's mainland. A second wave of about 6,000 White Russians were accepted into the Philippines in 1947 under President Elpidio Quirino. From 1975 to 1992, about 2,700 Vietnamese "boat people" fleeing the Vietnam War and the reunification of the North and South parts of the country were accepted into the country. In 1979, a wave of several thousands of Iranian fled to study and work in the Philippines rather than return to their home country amid a revolution. From 1980 to 1994, around 400,000 refugees fleeing from regime changes in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam escaped to the Philippines and were processed for relocation to countries like the United States, Canada, France, and Australia. The ninth wave came in 2000 when some 600 East Timorese fled Indonesia amid the country's struggle for independence. In 2018, former President Rodrigo Duterte expressed his administration's willingness to accept Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution and genocide in Myanmar. Meanwhile, the Philippines is currently in talks with the US to house some of its former Afghan personnel fleeing the Taliban while their American visas are being processed. "With more than 100 million people forced to flee globally, and with an estimated 264,000 persons of concern currently hosted by the Philippines, the government recognizes the necessity for a national observance of the 'World Refugee Day' to protect and uphold the rights of refugees, stateless persons, and asylum seekers, and increase awareness and recognition of their welfare, needs, and vulnerabilities," it added. The UN in 2001 designated June 20 as "World Refugee Day" as a means to honor those who had fled their home countries amid strife. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) went after Republicans for their projection as he mocked party members ahead of the vote to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Wednesday. Goldman, in remarks on the House floor, brought up Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) as he criticized a nameless lawmaker prior to the vote to censure Schiff, who had been one of the lead investigators in the first impeachment of President Donald Trump and a vocal Trump critic. One of my colleagues says We will hold members accountable. You are the party of George Santos. Who are you holding accountable? asked Goldman, referring to the freshman Republican who recently pleaded not guilty to 13 federal charges tied to money laundering, wire fraud, theft of public funds and lying to the U.S. House. Who are you holding accountable? The guy is an alleged and acknowledged liar and indicted. And you protect him every day. Dont lecture us with your projection and your defense of Donald Trump. Its pathetic. And its beneath you, and its beneath this body. And I yield back. Goldman, in a tweet on Wednesday, called the Republican-led effort to censure Schiff a phony ploy to punish [him] for speaking truth to power. He also poked fun at conservatives earlier in his remarks on the House floor. Boy, is Adam Schiff powerful. He can at once be the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, the special counsel investigating Donald Trump, manage and run the FBI, and be a judge ruling on [foreign intelligence] applications, he said. It is remarkable that he, from his perch in Congress, can do all of that. Of course, he didnt do any of that all he did was properly impeach the president of the United States for his gross abuse of power. (H/T Mediaite) Related... A group of House Democrats is pushing to restore proxy voting for serious medical conditions after the House GOP eliminated the process this year. The push is being spearheaded by Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.), alongside Reps. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). The group on Thursday introduced the amendment to the House rules, which would allow members to proxy vote if they, their spouse or any of their dependents is experiencing a serious medical condition, which can include a pregnancy-related issue. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, House Democrats amended the House rules to allow proxy voting, meaning members of Congress could cast votes when they were not physically present. The rule, despite Republican pushback, continued to be extended through the 117th Congress; it was eliminated this year by the GOP-led House. This proposal comes as many members of Congress have had to miss votes due to illness or family medical concerns. Ross said she did not have the opportunity to vote by proxy this past year when she tested positive for COVID-19 last month, prompting her to miss the debt ceiling agreement vote. Ross also told Roll Call she missed votes in April for two weeks after her husband went into cardiac arrest and needed to be hospitalized. Under the introduced amendment, members would be allowed to vote by proxy and attend committee meetings virtually if they or their spouse was experiencing a serious medical condition. We should allow any Member of Congress Democrat or Republican who is either experiencing a serious medical condition or is caring for a loved one with significant health issues to cast proxy votes in the House and in committee, she said in a statement. Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Evening Report newsletter Raskin, who recently underwent treatment for cancer, said in a statement that a good faith restoration of proxy voting would empower Representatives to advance the priorities of their constituents even through serious medical diagnoses. Sanchez said the current House rules werent written with expecting parents in mind, noting she was one of eight women in the nations history to give birth while serving as a member of Congress. This amendment would allow Members who are expecting a child or experiencing serious medical conditions to focus on their health and families while fulfilling their obligations to their constituents, she said in a statement. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. House Republicans move to strip security clearances from any official who said in 2020 that the release of Hunter Biden's emails had 'classic earmarks of a Russian information operation' WASHINGTON, DC April 18, 2022: Hunter Biden during the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn on April 18, 2022. This years event theme, EGGucation, will transform the South Lawn into a school community, full of fun educational activities for children to enjoy in addition to the traditional rolling and hunting eggs. Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images GOPers moved to effectively strip clearances from ex-officials who questioned Biden's emails. The policy was included as part of a much-larger bill funding US defense. A House Democrat called out the proposal and warned about the precedent it would set. House Republicans are moving to effectively strip security clearances from any intelligence or defense official who signed on to an October 2020 statement that raised the question of whether the release of Hunter Biden's emails was part of a Russian disinformation campaign. As part of a much-larger bill funding US defense, Republicans on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense proposed prohibiting any funding to grant, renew, or maintain a security clearance for any official who signed the statement. More than 50 former intelligence officials, including former CIA Directors Mike Hayden, Leon Panetta, and John Brennan, signed the letter raising questions about the then newly published New York Post story concerning emails from Biden's laptop. Politico reported at the time that the letter was provided to the publication by Nick Shapiro, a former top aide under Brennan. The letter did not propose any evidence of Russian action or even explicitly suggest that Moscow was behind the story. Rather, the letter said the circumstances surrounding its publication raised significant doubt. "We want to emphasize that we do not know if the emails, provided to the New York Post by President Trump's personal Attorney Rudy Giuliani, are genuine or not and that we do not have evidence of Russian involvement just that our experience makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian government played a significant role in this case," they wrote in the letter. Twitter restricted sharing of the New York Post's article, an action that has been widely criticized by its new owner, Elon Musk, and scores of Republicans. Years later, The Washington Post commissioned two security experts who verified thousands of emails from the hard drive that contained copies of Biden's emails, photos, and other messages and that was left at a Delaware computer-repair store. Rep. Betty McCollum, the top Democrat on the defense-related appropriations panel, slammed Republicans for including the provision in the bill. "Is it the role of this committee to ban individuals from having security clearances for signing their name to a letter expressing their opinions as ordained in the Constitution?" McCollum of Minnesota said in her opening remarks. "Section 8150 does just that." The inclusion of so-called policy riders in much-larger funding bills is commonplace in Washington, especially bills funding US troops and the Pentagon. While some of these policies become law, many are often stripped out when the Democratic-led Senate passes its own legislation. McCollum added that Republicans were setting a dangerous precedent if they wanted to plow ahead with their proposal. "If we want to take this committee down a road of punitive action, I have plenty of members of the Trump administration who I think should never hold security clearances again based on their actions surrounding January 6," she said. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg) -- House Republicans voted Wednesday to formally rebuke Representative Adam Schiff for alleged misrepresentations in congressional investigations he led of Donald Trump, culminating in the former presidents first impeachment. Most Read from Bloomberg Schiff, now a Democratic candidate for Senate in California, defiantly declared on the House floor shortly before the vote that he would wear official censure by the Republican-led chamber as a badge of honor. The vote was 213 to 209. Democrats shouted Shame!, Shame!, and then awaited Schiff as he approached the front of the chamber, calling out his name Adam! Adam! He was hugged by several colleagues. Trump allies led by Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, a freshman and member of the hard-right Freedom Caucus, introduced a measure to censure Schiff last week the same day the former president was arraigned in Miami on federal criminal charges of mishandling classified documents and obstruction of justice. The initial censure measure, which included a potential $16 million fine being leveled against Schiff, was blocked as some GOP lawmakers expressed qualms about the severe financial penalty. The resolution passed Wednesday doesnt include a fine but requires Schiff to stand in front of the chamber while the official rebuke is read aloud. Earlier: Schiff Jumps Into Race for Dianne Feinsteins Senate Seat Luna said Schiff had abused his privileges claiming to know the truth, while leaving Americans in the the dark about his web of lies. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said on Twitter that Schiff was responsible for a national nightmare with the fake Russia collusion narrative. Schiff, the former Democratic chair of the House Intelligence Committee, was one of Trumps most prominent antagonists during his presidency. He led inquiries of the Trump campaigns ties to Russia leading up to the 2016 presidential election. Schiff also led the 2019 impeachment investigation of Trump on accusations that the then-president held up American aid to Ukraine in order to pressure that nations government to open an investigation of Joe Biden, who was then seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. Trump was impeached in the House but acquitted in the Senate trial that followed. Schiff was the chief prosecutor in the trial. Schiff dismissed the censure resolution as a hollow sop to Trump supporters and petty political payback by the GOP House majority. I will not yield, not one inch, he said. The resolution directs the House Ethics Committee to investigate Schiffs alleged falsehoods and misrepresentations. Censure is the Houses most severe punishment against members, short of expulsion. Only 25 members have received such a reprimand in the chambers history. Most recently, Representative Paul Gosar, an Arizona Republican, was censured in 2021 for tweeting a doctored anime video depicting violence against Biden and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York Democrat. (Updates with reaction to vote, in the third paragraph. An earlier version corrected vote count, in the third paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. WASHINGTON The House of Representatives voted Thursday to send Rep. Lauren Boeberts (R-Colo.) impeachment resolution to a committee. The Colorado Republican initially wanted to actually impeach President Joe Biden, and she used a special House procedure that would have forced the vote, but the idea was unpopular with a lot of Republicans and she wound up settling for the committee referral instead. People just all talked about it, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told HuffPost before the vote. We want to make sure the investigation can continue through and nothing goes to harm that, so referring it to committee. Nevertheless, Boebert described Thursdays vote as historic, hailing it as the first time in 24 years that a Republican majority moved forward with impeachment proceedings against a current president. Instead of enforcing immigration laws, Boebert said of Biden, he has lawlessly ignored them and released more than 2 million illegal aliens into the interior of the United States without any enforcement mechanism to ensure they appear in immigration court. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the referral wouldnt change how his panel is approaching its examination of the administrations immigration policies, even though the impeachment ball is essentially in his committees court now. Were looking at all the things that theyre failing to do, Green told reporters. Theres not going to be that much of a change, other than well dig into the actual actions of the president in conjunction with whats happened. Green did not give a timeline for committee action or for referring potential impeachment charges to the House Judiciary Committee. The timeline of our investigation is pretty much in our heads, right? We kind of know the pathway, he said. Last year Customs and Border Protection arrests at the border exceeded 2 million for the first time, though apprehensions have slowed since then. More than a million of those arrested have been screened and released in the U.S. to await court proceedings adjudicating their status. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) mocked Republicans for trying to impeach the president instead of trying to change immigration laws. If they wanted to, they would legislate in a way that would change a policy, but thats not what they want to do. This is about protecting Donald Trump, McGovern said. The Justice Department indicted Trump earlier this month for obstruction of Justice and other charges relating to his refusal to hand over classified documents after leaving the White House. House Republicans ratcheted up their attacks on Biden after the indictment, particularly highlighting an unverified allegation that Biden took a bribe when he was vice president. The impeachment resolution only concerns border security, omitting other prominent Republican complaints about Biden, such as the alleged bribe, the hasty U.S withdrawal from Afghanistan and the alleged weaponization of the government against Trump and his supporters. It appears that support for impeaching Biden now is mostly confined to the ranks of the far-right House Freedom Caucus. Several Republicans said in response to Boeberts gambit to force a vote this week that it was too soon to impeach. Fending off Boeberts privileged resolution represents McCarthys latest success in tamping down dissent among right-wing Republicans, many of whom only reluctantly supported his speakership. Earlier this month, hardliners stalled House proceedings to protest a budget deal McCarthy struck with Biden. Freedom Caucus member Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) complained that Boebert copied her earlier impeachment resolution against Biden. Greene said she would avail herself of such privileged motions in the future in her quest to impeach Biden and several other officials in his administration. Jonathan Nicholson contributed to this story. Related... (Bloomberg) -- Hungary lost the latest skirmish with the European Unions executive over its unlawful asylum policies, after the EUs top court said the government hindered access to those seeking refuge. Most Read from Bloomberg The Hungarian law deprives third-country nationals or stateless people of their right to seek asylum from Hungary, the EU Court of Justice said in a binding decision on Thursday. EU judges said the law constitutes a manifestly disproportionate interference with the right of people seeking international protection. The ruling, which cant be appealed, is part of a series of judgments by the blocs top tribunal chastising Hungary over its harsh anti-immigration policies. The government faces potential fines in another case from the commission requesting the court punishes Hungary for failing to comply with a 2020 ruling that hit at the heart of Prime Minister Viktor Orbans anti-immigration policy. The latest case concerns a 2021 commission suit arguing Hungary unlawfully restricted access to the asylum procedure by forcing those seeking international protection in the country to first file a petition at a Hungarian embassy outside the EU. READ MORE: Hungary Passes Judicial Law as EU Says Too Early for Funds The case is: C-823/21, Commission v. Hungary. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Lubinets called Hungary Hungary is preparing a psyop to discredit Ukraine over Hungarys transfer of Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia, Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets warned on June 22. "According to my information, they're now planning to launch a psyop to discredit the Ukrainian authorities, as if Russia wants to hand over prisoners of war, but Ukraine has not taken the initiative," Lubinets said. Ukraine always has initiatives to conduct a swap. We're handing over the lists and we're ready to conduct a swap, including an 'all-for-all' one." Lubinets said that he had already sent letters to his Russian and Hungarian colleagues demanding explanations for how the Ukrainian POWs were transferred to Hungary. Read also: Ukrainian POWs held in Hungary "free," says official "I believe that Hungary has violated humanitarian law, since it's impossible to simply take prisoners of war from Russian territory," he said. "Even if you had some humanitarian reasons, it was first necessary to inform Ukraine. It was necessary to inform the International Committee of the Red Cross." There is no explanation as to why Hungary restricts the freedom of movement of the transferred POWs, as well as banning Ukrainian diplomats from visiting them, Lubinets pointed out. "Hungary's behavior is playing right into Russian propaganda," he added. On June 8, the Russian Orthodox Church announced that it had handed over a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war to Hungary. The following day, Ukraines Main Intelligence Directorate stated that it had not received this information and was in the process of verifying it. Read also: Azerbaijan to begin gas supplies to Hungary by years end Subsequently, Hungarys Deputy Prime Minister, Zsolt Semjen, confirmed the transfer of the Ukrainian POWs, who were residents of Ukraines Zakarpattya Oblast. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressing its lack of knowledge about negotiations between Budapest and Moscow, requested detailed information about the released Ukrainians and a meeting with the temporary charge daffaires of Hungary. On June 16, Oleh Kotenko, the authorized representative for missing persons, announced that Ukraine had determined the locations and identities of 11 soldiers. According to sources quoted by the Hungarian branch of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the transfer might have been a personal initiative of Semjen, unknown to the rest of the Hungarian government. On June 20, the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest succeeded in repatriating three of the POWs, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko. Ukraine has established the whereabouts of the other eight POWs, but has not disclosed them. Kyiv is expecting Hungary to come up with an official position on this issue. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Hunter Biden is expected to plead guilty to two federal misdemeanor charges at a newly scheduled court hearing in Delaware on July 26, NBC News reported. The charges, arising from a yearslong investigation into President Joe Bidens son, include two counts of willful failure to pay a lump sum of roughly $200,000 in federal income taxes. A third gun-related charge against the younger Biden is not expected to be prosecuted due to a pretrial diversion agreement, which requires him to remain drug-free for 24 months and prohibits him from ever owning a gun again. Hunter Biden received taxable income in excess of $1,500,000 annually in calendar years 2017 and 2018. Despite owing in excess of $100,000 in federal income taxes each year, he did not pay the income tax due for either year, U.S. Attorney David Weiss office, which is prosecuting the case, said in a press release on Tuesday. Weiss is an appointee of former President Donald Trump. The gun charge alleges that from on or about October 12, 2018 through October 23, 2018, Hunter Biden possessed a firearm despite knowing he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance. The presidents son addressed his substance abuse issues in his memoir. The investigation into Hunter Bidens business dealings has been ongoing since 2018, although an inquiry into potential tax crimes reportedly began under the Obama administration. Republicans are seeking to leverage the investigationto damage President Bidens reputation before the 2024 election and to distract from Trumps own legal woes. The investigation will most likely not result in jail time, according to The New York Times. Hunter Bidens attorney, Chris Clark, previously said in a statement that it is my understanding that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved. I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life, he added. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward. Clark did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment. Weiss office declined to comment to HuffPost. Related... A brief history of colorful presidential relatives, from Alice Roosevelt to Hunter Biden Hunter Biden embraces his father, President Joe Biden, and his stepmother, Jill, at Biden's 2021 inauguration. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Hunter Biden, the younger son of U.S. President Joe Biden, is expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges as part of a recently announced deal with the Justice Department that will help him avoid the federal charges for possessing a gun while using illegal drugs. Joe Biden has long defended his son amid his drug addiction and other personal issues, including a paternity scandal and ongoing court battle over child support. The president responded to the news of Hunters charges, saying on June 20, 2023, that he is very proud of my son. I am a scholar of the American presidency and have looked at how the children and other family members of presidents have been thrust into the nations spotlight, often unwittingly. Their shortcomings, vices and sometimes even physical appearance have been fodder for gossip columns, political opponents and comedians. Hunter Biden is not the first child of a president to be charged with a crime. Jenna and Barbara Bush pleaded no contest in 2001 to misdemeanor charges of underage drinking and using a false ID. Amy Carter was arrested for protesting in 1985, and before his father was president, Donald Trump Jr. was arrested for public drunkenness in 2001. But nearly all presidents have had incidents involving their kids and other family members that attracted public scrutiny. Some of the events fall into questionable prank category, like when Tad Lincoln, the son of Abraham Lincoln, sprayed dignitaries with fire hoses. Other incidents are less innocuous and amusing. A colorized portrait of former President Theodore Roosevelts family features his oldest daughter, Alice, in the center. Stock Montage/Getty Images Youthful indiscretions James Madison raised his troubled stepson, John Payne Todd, as his own. Todd regularly engaged in gambling, drinking and womanizing. Madison went deeply into debt trying to pay off Todds vices, including once bailing him out of debtors prison. In the mid-1800s, Todds debts eventually forced his widowed mother to sell the family estate, Montpelier. Todd even had a lawyer visit his mother on her deathbed to rewrite her will, making himself her sole heir. Alice Roosevelt, the oldest child of Theodore Roosevelt, also presented some complications for her father during his presidency in the early 1900s. Alice had a strained relationship with her father and his second wife, Edith. When her parents suggested sending her to a boarding school, Alice responded: If you send me, I will humiliate you. I will do something that will shame you. I tell you I will. In a time when women were expected to be demur, Alice smoked, drank, partied and even sometimes wore a pet snake as an accessory. Theodore Roosevelt once said, I can do one of two things: I can be president of the United States or I can control Alice Roosevelt. I cannot possibly do both. Alice was later banned from the Taft White House after burying a voodoo doll in the likeness of the new first lady, Helen Herron Taft, on the property. Neil Bush, son of George H.W. Bush and brother to George W. Bush, also has a colorful history. Neil was the director of a large savings and loans company that collapsed in 1988, after it made improper and illegal loans. This cost taxpayers more than US$1 billion at the time and resulted in an embarrassing payout to federal banking regulators. People also criticized Neil because of his ties to Chinese investors and his limited knowledge about industries that employed him, leading to accusations of influence peddling. Neil Bush, like Hunter Biden, was also the subject of paternity accusations during his divorce. Thats my brother Presidential brothers have been another particular sore point for some presidents. Lyndon Johnsons brother, Sam Houston Johnson, was often quite talkative after he had a few drinks. The president eventually had to use the Secret Service to follow his brother to ensure he didnt disclose any embarrassing information to the press . Billy Carter, former President Jimmy Carters brother, reveled in his notoriety. As the presidents brother, he toured the country to make money and hawk his own Billy Beer. He urinated on a runway before the press corps while waiting for people. When Carter was running for reelection in 1980, Billy took money from the Libyan government and became a foreign agent for the country while also making inflammatory and antisemitic statements to justify his behavior. Billys association with Libya ultimately led to a Senate investigation and complicated his brothers failed reelection campaign. Former President Bill Clinton comforts his half-brother Roger in 1994, shortly after their mothers death. POOL/AFP via Getty Images Roger Clinton, the younger half-brother of former President Bill Clinton, also engaged in questionable activities. In the 1980s, before the Clinton presidency, Roger sold cocaine to an undercover officer. Later, during the Clinton administration, Rogers Secret Service codename was Headache. Bill Clinton pardoned Roger for his drug offenses right before leaving office in January 2001. Hunter Biden stands next to his father, President Joe Biden, at an event in 2016. Kris Connor/WireImage Keeping it in the family Presidents are like everyone else. They, too, have family members who do or say things that eventually become stories for the dinner table or tales people want to push under the rug. A federal judge still needs to approve Hunter Bidens deal with the Justice Department that would allow him to avoid prison time for paying $1 million in taxes late and possessing a gun. And he is still not free of other controversies. The Republican-controlled House continues to investigate his bank records, as well as lingering questions about money he received from foreign organizations. Hunter himself has said that he is accountable for his actions, and I do not think it is fair to conflate the administration with the activities of an adult son. He is not the first presidential relative who has caused turmoil, and he wont be the last. This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. Like this article? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. It was written by: Shannon Bow O'Brien, The University of Texas at Austin. Read more: Shannon Bow O'Brien does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Will Hurd adds an anti-Trump voice to GOP race: Will that help or hurt the front-runner? WASHINGTON - The Republican presidential field has another anti-Trump voice but the initial reaction is that Will Hurd's arguments will likely be drowned out by other challengers as well as the loud roar of die-hard Trump supporters. Will Hurd, a former GOP congressman from Texas, announced his candidacy Thursday by saying the party cannot afford to re-nominate the twice-indicted Donald Trump; others wonder if the growing size of the field - now more than 10 - will wind up helping the former president by splitting the anti-Trump vote. In an announcement video, Hurd cited Trump's poor electoral record as reason enough to reject him: "If we nominate a lawless, selfish, failed politician like Donald Trump - who lost the House, the Senate, and the White House - we all know (President) Joe Biden will win again." Hurd also spent part of the day on social media. In one tweet, he said to fellow Republicans that "I'm sick and tired of Donald Trump lying to us. Whether you like him or not, he turned Americans against each other. You know it, and I know it." A bigger, crowded field Will Hurd Numerous political analysts say a crowded field benefits Trump because he is believed to have a solid base of 25%-to-35% of GOP voters - good enough to win primaries if ten challengers split up the remaining 65%-to-75%. Charlotte Clymer, a political writer and Trump critic, said Hurd's entry helps Trump because if anything he "will peel away votes" from existing outspoken anti-Trump candidates like Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson. Also, the moderate and mild-mannered Hurd "doesnt have the guts to be the kind of full-throated critic of Trump that consolidates voters around that message," Clymer said. Former Texas congressman Will Hurd joins 2024 race. Here's why he's challenging Trump 'Too many candidates are afraid of Donald Trump' At the very least, Hurd's campaign will increase criticism of Trump, targeting voters who are anxious about his legal problems and his prospects in a general election against Biden. In an announcement interview on "CBS Mornings," Hurd said that "too many candidates in this race are afraid of Donald Trump, but we also have to articulate a different vision." He said that his appeal to multiple Republican constituencies can unite the party. An initial wave of major Republican presidential candidates - a group including Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, and Nikki Haley - have been loathe to criticize Trump directly, though they have questioned his track record in recent elections. Former Vice President Mike Pence has been increasingly critical of the former president, especially over Trump's demands that he use his office to overturn the 2020 election. Christie, the former governor of New Jersey and a more recent entrant, has built his entire campaign around opposing Trump, with a focus on the first party primary in New Hampshire. Hutchinson, a former governor of Arkansas, has called for Trump to exit the race in light of his indictments in New York and Florida. Hurd is jostling with others to get heard, including businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. A softening for Trump Trump leads the polls, but recent surveys do show angst over his legal problems. A CNN poll conducted by SSRS this week said Trump is the choice of 47% of Republicans and Republican-leaning registered voters, down from 53% in a similar survey in May. DeSantis finished second with 26%. While CNN reported that Trump's "support appears to have softened" following his most recent indictment, other candidates are far back in the new poll: Pence (9%), Haley (5%), Scott (4%), and Christie (3%), with others at 1% or less. The trials of Trump However Hurd fits in, the coming GOP campaign will be held in the shadow of two trials of the current front-runner - at least two. A federal grand jury this month indicted Trump on obstruction of justice charges stemming from his removal of classified documents from the White House as his term ended. In his CBS interview, Hurd - a former CIA officer - castigated Trump for trying to hold onto sensitive and secret information about U.S. national security. "The fact that Donald Trump willingly kept that material and wants to be the leader of the free world is unacceptable to me," Hurd said, adding that it "spits in the face of the thousands of men and women who every single day and every single night put themselves in harms way in order to keep us safe." In late March, a grand jury in New York state, indicted Trump on charges of falsifying business records in connection with the payment of hush money who was planning to reveal details of an affair. In addition, Trump remains under investigation by prosecutors in Atlanta and the U.S. Justice Department in Washington, D.C., over efforts to overturn his loss to Biden in the 2020 election. In addition to all of that, a civil jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll, who still has another case pending against the former preident. Team Trump: This is more about DeSantis Trump allies all but mocked Hurd's entry into the race, and said it reflects more on DeSantis' political struggles than on the former president. "Never-Trumper Will Hurd wouldnt even consider getting in this race if Ron DeSantis campaign wasnt in total free fall," said Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the pro-Trump political organization Make America Great Again. Democrats enjoy the chaos Democrats are certainly enjoying it all, saying the more Republican candidates who oppose Trump, the better it is for a vulnerable Trump to emerge as their oppinents. In a series of statements, Democratic Party organizations pointed out that, while in Congress, Hurd voted with Trump and his "Make America Great Again" movement" about 80% of the time, including "tax giveaways" to the wealthy, and opposition to a global climate change agreement. One statement said that the "chaotic" Republican race is "guaranteed to pave the way for the most MAGA candidate to emerge from the field." Will Hurd be heard? Tim Miller, a former Republican operative who left the party over Trump, praised Hurd's intentions, but questioned whether he would have any impact at all on the 2024 race. For one thing, he said, conservative media outlets are likely to ignore him, making it virtually impossible for him to get any traction in a Republican race. Miller, the author of a book called "Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell," said Hurd "is running in a party whose voters have zero interest in his brand of technocratic centrism, I doubt he'll get enough traction to have any meaningful impact on Trump's vote share." Miller added that "voters who like Will Hurd are similar to me - former Republicans, not GOP primary voters." Donald Trump draws a huge field of 2024 opponents: Here's why that could help and hurt him This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Hurd adds another anti-Trump voice to GOP race. Does it matter? Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel on Thursday said any changes made in the now enrolled Maharlika Investment Bill after it was approved by Congress is considered "illegal." This was after Senate President Miguel Zubiri said there were corrections made on the bill that were thoroughly discussed by the majority bloc in their Viber group before his signature on Wednesday. Zubiri said it includes a letter of correction sent by Sen. Mark Villar, the principal author and sponsor of the bill in the Senate. READ: Zubiri signs Maharlika Investment Fund bill With the recent developments, Pimentel said the integrity and constitutionality of the bill are now in question. He said the bill that will be transmitted to Malacanang "has been tampered without proper plenary authority." "The enrolled bill being sent to the president is not the version properly and formally approved by Congress. Mayroong provision diyan na ginalaw [There are provisions changed] without plenary authority," the opposition lawmaker stressed. The Makabayan bloc also criticized the "unconstitutional" legislation made by some lawmakers via Viber group. The group said it is a blatant disregard for the democratic process. "This makes a mockery of the constitutional requirement of transparency when the legislature deliberates on and approves laws," the group stated. Citing various groups' recent criticisms of the bill, the Makabayan bloc said proponents are now resorting to underhanded tactics to push their agenda forward. The group called on Zubiri to retract his approval, while Pimentel reiterated his appeal for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto the "ill-conceived" bill. READ: The proposed Maharlika Investment Fund: What you need to know "It is not timely as the world economy and geopolitical situations are bad. This kind of a law needs more time to be discussed by the Filipino People themselves, in fairness to them," Pimentel said. 'Part of the process' Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, on the other hand, said changes made in their Viber group were just part of the whole legislative process of the bill. "It might have been part of a whole process but not the only process," she said. "Those were not the only conversations. Of course, there must have been face-to-face meetings. I'm sure they went to the Senate, they talked to the secretariat." Legarda said no rules were violated. Meanwhile, Sen. Imee Marcos said she remained distant from the Maharlika bill discussions due to her doubts about the controversial fund. RELATED: Marcos to immediately sign proposed Maharlika bill "Alam naman ninyo na hindi ako nakilahok sa Maharlika bill dahil tulad ng maraming Pilipino, marami akong pangamba tungkol dyan Sa tingin ko, masyadong hinog sa pilit at marami akong hindi naintindihan at maraming duda at pangamba," she added. [Translation: You know that I did not participate in the Maharlika bill because like many Filipinos, I have many apprehensions about it I think it's half-baked and I don't understand a lot and have a lot of doubts and fears.] Although acknowledging its vagueness, the senator urged the public to support the bill that will eventually become a law. "Magiging batas na nga siya kaya suportahan na lang natin ang administrasyon na punuin iyong mga pagkukulang niya, tuwirin iyong medyo malalabong parte at sana magamit sa tamang mga pamamaraan at tamang mithiin," Marcos added. [Translation: It will become a law, so let's just support the administration to fill in its shortcomings, straighten out its somewhat vague parts and hopefully use them with the right methods and the right goals.] Bret, brewed in the Caribbean Sea, is expected to make landfall on the coast of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Article first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 5 a.m. EST Article last updated: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 11 p.m. EST According to the National Hurricane Centers 11 pm Thursday advisory, Bret first crossed the Atlantic Ocean, previously located in the Caribbean Sea, is expected to make landfall on the coast of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Tropical Storm Bret is 5 miles east of Stand 35 miles south of St, with maximum sustained wind of 60 mph. Its moving 18 mph to the west. "... the center of Bret is expected to move through and away from the Windward Islands during the next several hours, and then move westward across the eastern and central Caribbean Sea Friday and Saturday." according to analysts. "Gradual weakening is anticipated over the next couple of days, and the system is likely to dissipate over the central Caribbean Sea Saturday night or Sunday." YESTERDAY (Wednesday): Yesterday, A hurricane watch has been issued by weathercasters for St. Lucia. CHANGES WITH THIS ADVISORY: The Government of St. Lucia has discontinued the Hurricane Watch for St. Lucia. SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Warning in in effect for: - Dominica - St. Lucia - Martinique - Barbados - St. Vincent and the Grenadines A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, in this case within 24 hours. Interests elsewhere in the Lesser Antilles and the southeastern Caribbean Sea should monitor the progress of Bret. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND: WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected within the tropical storm warning areas through tonight. RAINFALL: Storm total rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches with maximum amounts of 10 inches are possible across portions of the Lesser Antilles from Guadeloupe south through St. Vincent and the Grenadines, including Barbados. The heavy rainfall could lead to flash flooding, especially across areas of higher terrain. Urban flooding is also possible. SURF: Swells generated by Bret are expected to affect portions of the Lesser Antilles through Friday. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions. Source: National Hurricane Center This article was generated by the Miami Herald Bot, artificial intelligence software that analyzes information from the National Hurricane Center and applies it to templates created by journalists in the newsroom. We are experimenting with this and other new ways of providing more useful content to our readers and subscribers. You can report errors or bugs to mcclatchybot@mcclatchy.com. Full hurricane coverage at miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/ The Nampa School District in Idaho will move forward without gender identity and sexual orientation discussions in the classroom after a vote was held to adopt a policy limiting such topics. The policy was adopted amid a national debate on education and the will of parents in the classroom. "I don't want you to discuss my childs sexuality unless I know you and I are on the same page. Sorry, I just dont," Brooke Taylor, a Nampa school board chair who supported the decision to ban the discussions, told Idaho News. The Nampa School District voted three to one to adopt the policy that says the responsibility of discussing, addressing and educating children about gender identity and related subjects is solely that of the child's parent not the school district or its staff. Trustee Mandy Simpson, a math teacher, told the station that she voted against the policy as she argued limiting what teachers could discuss in the classroom could make children feel uncomfortable and could have an impact on the rest of their education: "If kids don't feel safe in a classroom, they will not even begin to try to learn the reading, the writing, [and] the math (sic)." EDUCATION DEPT. BLASTED FOR PROMOTING PRIDE MONTH WHILE TEST SCORES PLUMMET: 'INDOCTRINATION CAMPS' The Nampa School District adopted a policy that limits discussions on sexual orientation and gender in the classroom. The policy also prevents staff from being forced to use a student's preferred pronouns, Idaho News reported. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL DISTRICT ENDS CONTRACT WITH COMPANY AFTER GOP GROUP SUED OVER CRT Marco Valle, a Nampa trustee, described the policy as "so neutral," and said it "is not stopping the kids." "It's stopping the district," Valle clarified. Trustee Mandy Simpson, a math teacher, said she voted against the policy because limiting what teachers can discuss in the classroom could make children feel uncomfortable, potentially impacting their education. Nampa Education Association President Brian Coffey disagreed and, while he admits practically nothing will change inside the classroom, worried about its impact on the LGBTQ+ community. "When these issues do come up, it's usually the students that bring them up and usually with each other, so unless I'm really out of touch, the present and future sex lives of people is not something we talk about in public in Nampa, at all, much less in public schools," said Coffey, who also works as a Nampa High School teacher. EXAMINING THE ROLE FATHERS PLAY IN THEIR KIDS' EDUCATION He added: "The message I think, in the broader context is unequivocal. We are definitely in a moment where the LGBTQ+ community is under attack." Marco Valle, a Nampa trustee, described the policy as "so neutral." Coffey said a student who wishes to discuss the subject can still confide in teachers as the policy does not seek to limit student speech. "The Nampa policy really is focused on the adults, to silence the adults," Coffey said. "To the extent a teacher might be in a position to facilitate a discussion among a group of students, I still feel like that's on the table and could be done. Is there some risk to that because little Johnny goes home and tells his mom that Tommy has two mommies and now that mom is upset that there are conversations like that, sure that could happen." In addition, the school district has adopted a policy that requires students to use restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their biological sex. Idaho News reported school administrators are allowed to work with students and their parents, within reasonable accommodations, if a particular child is unwilling or unable to use those facilities. An ancient idol depicting a deity of death was recently unearthed in a remote part of Mexico, officials said. The 10-inch limestone statuette was discovered near Balamku, an archaeological site in the southeastern state of Campeche, according to a June 19 government news release. Dating back between 1,400 and 1,800 years, the idol was created by the Mayans, a pre-Columbian civilization in Central America. The sculpture portrays a seated individual wearing a nose ring and covered in blotches of red pigment, officials said. These features link the sculpture to a deity of death and funerary rituals. The idol, which is about 10 inches tall, has a nose ring and elongated skull, officials said. Cizin, which translates to stinking one, was the Mayan god of death, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. The god was also associated with earthquakes, war and human sacrifice. The idol is also characterized by an elongated skull, a sign of cranial modification. Head-shaping, which involved wearing constricting devices, was popular among ancient Mayans, according to the book The Bioarchaeology of Artificial Cranial Modifications. A pointed head might have been a class signifier, distinguishing members of the aristocracy from commoners, author and bioarchaeologist Vera Tiesler writes. The Mayan Civilization collapsed around 1500 AD because of a number of factors, including climate change and political instability, according to a 2013 study published in the journal Dialogo Andino. The idol was unearthed during excavations for a railway project that aims to transport tourists to Mexicos archaeological sites in the Yucatan Peninsula, officials said. Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the Mexican government. Olive oil jar dating back 1,800 years hid quote from extremely popular Roman Hiker stumbles upon 7,000-year-old fish traps in shrinking Norway lake. Take a look Most beautiful creature found hopping in Madagascar rainforest. Its a new species Illinois judge accused of making racist comments recuses himself from case, citing glare of publicity CHICAGO A Cook County judge on Thursday voluntarily recused himself from a case, citing the glare of publicity, after an attorney filed a motion to replace him that alleged he made racist comments during a conference in chambers earlier this year. Attorney Matthew Fakhoury last week filed a motion to substitute Judge William Hooks from presiding over the case of a defendant charged with aggravated domestic battery, accusing the judge of making racist remarks about Middle Eastern men, along with other derogatory comments, in January. Hooks delivered a statement about the motion from the bench during a hearing over the matter, referencing a flurry of media attention. He called the motion an untimely, defamatory submission and denied making the comments. The matter in question was an off-the-record conference in chambers and therefore wasnt recorded nor was a transcript produced. Also on Thursday, Fakhoury filed in court an affidavit that accused Hooks of an attempted coverup of the alleged comments by reaching out, ex parte, to the prosecutors on the case. Judges are generally not allowed to speak to parties on one side of a case while those on the other side are unaware. The assistant states attorneys turned over to Fakhoury a disclosure of the reported ex parte communication, as per their obligations in such a situation, according to an exhibit included in the affidavit. The defendant in the case, Ryan Thomas, was indicted last June on four battery-related felony charges, and the case was assigned to Hooks courtroom, court records show. On Jan. 17, the motion alleged, Hooks made several inappropriate and derogatory comments directed at Fakhoury and Thomas, including saying that Middle Eastern men are controlling and abusive. Hooks referenced his service as a Marine, and said, according to the motion, while looking at Fakhoury who is Arab-American: I would shoot and kill men like that from Middle Eastern countries. The conference happened in Hooks chambers, along with Fakhourys co-counsel and his law clerk as well as the assistant states attorney, the motion said. The law clerk, now a licensed attorney, filed an affidavit that attested to the allegation in the motion. During Thursdays hearing, Hooks denied making both of those statements. Sill he decided to recuse himself, saying that the defendant should have his case heard without the accompanying publicity from the controversy. This case is not about me. Its not about the defense counsel, Hooks said. The case is about the defendant charged with the offense. Fakhoury objected, saying he wanted a hearing in front of Cook County Judge Reddick on the merits of his motion. Hooks noted the defense didnt have the power to make that happen. The matter is scheduled before Reddick for reassignment Friday morning. In an affidavit filed Thursday, Fakhoury also alleged that Hooks made improper contact with two assistant states attorneys about the case. This communication or attempted communication by Judge Hooks is not only unprofessional, unethical, and illegal but may rise to the level of witness interference and tampering, the affidavit said. It included as an exhibit a notification from assistant states attorneys about calls from Hooks. On Monday, the notification said, Hooks called and left a message for Assistant States Attorney Maurice Alayo that he did not return. Hooks also left a message for Assistant States Attorney Ellen Carroll, who returned the call. During that phone call, Judge Hooks asked ASA Carroll if she recalled a 402 conference for a domestic violence case that happened last year, the notification said. Judge Hooks said the attorney had filed a motion for SOJ alleging that he had said something discriminating against Arab men. Judge Hooks asked if she remembered the conference. Carroll said she did not remember what was said and would have to check the file, according to the notification. Carroll was uncomfortable and did not know how to respond. On Wednesday, as Alayo was packing up files, Hooks asked to speak to him in chambers. Judge Hooks stated: Maurice, I just wanted to say about this whole situation, I hope you know I did not threaten to kill that man, the notification said. Alayo told the judge he was instructed not to speak to anyone about the matter. ____ I'm an American who lived in the Philippines for more than 20 years, and there were 7 mistakes we always saw travelers making on vacation Bob Martin and his wife, Feyma Martin, moved to the Phillipines in the late 1990s. Courtesy of Bob Martin Bob Martin is an American who moved to the Philippines in the late 1990s. Over the years, he's seen tourists disrespect local customs and not take care of their own safety. While many Filipinos speak English, Martin said it's also best to learn words from local languages. This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Bob Martin, an American expat who lived in the Philippines for 20 years. The following has been edited for length and clarity. The Philippines is one of Asia's top tourist destinations. In 2019, some 8.3 million people visited the country. It's known for its gorgeous natural landscape, including white-sand beaches in Boracay, the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, and some of the best dive sites in the world in Palawan. These are just a few reasons why so many Americans have chosen to settle down here. These days, there are close to 300,000 US citizens living in the Philippines. I moved to the Philippines in the late 1990s with my wife. She's Filipina, and after living in the US for a decade, we moved to her hometown, Davao City. I was looking for a new adventure and found it in the Philippines. My wife and I recently moved back to the US, but these days, I miss the Philippines. I traveled to many places where few foreigners have ever been, including Basilan, Tawi Tawi, and other remote parts of the country where lush islands are surrounded by the crystal-blue sea. Over the years, I watched visitors make the same mistakes while traveling around the Philippines. Here are seven of the most common mistakes I spotted and how they can be avoided. 1. Not realizing that most Filipinos can speak some English. A dancer at the Timpuyog festival in Sarangani, Philippines. Mariano Sayno/Getty Images It may come as a surprise to some, but more than 90 million Filipinos speak English fluently. In cities like Manila, many foreigners find that nearly everyone they talk to can converse in English. While living there, I learned to speak Bisaya, a language spoken in the central and southern parts of the Philippines. But earlier on, I had no problem communicating. So don't hesitate to chat with Filipinos, as many of them are likely to try to speak English with you, especially if you need help getting around. 2. Not stretching your dollars when traveling the country. El Nido Bay, Philippines. AlagnaMarco/Getty Images In the Philippines, you can buy many things cheaper than expected. Many currencies including dollars, pounds, and euros have a favorable exchange rate, so the value of your money can take you a long way. Make sure to budget well and compare tour providers to get the best value for your money. Filipinos are very friendly and often go out of their way to be friends with you and help out, so don't hesitate to ask them for the most affordable ways to travel around the country. 3. Only traveling around using a car or taxi. A jeepney in front of the Minor Basilica of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz. Jui-Chi Chan/Getty Images There are so many ways to travel around the Philippines, and it can be pretty easy. For example, I rode a jeepney an open-air minibus popular around the country from Davao City to Cagayan de Oro. The 162-mile journey was one of my most memorable adventures. Another good way to travel is on a tricycle a motorcycle with an attached passenger cab. Travelers hopping between islands can take boats, ferries, or even fly on one of several Filipino airlines to almost every part of the country. 4. Not being aware of your surroundings, especially in places like airports. Divisoria is one of the largest markets in Manila, Philippines. Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images While most Filipinos can be very friendly and helpful, being cautious is still important. In Manila, the capital city, tourists should be wary of people offering to carry their bags or help out in other ways, especially at the airport. These people often don't have good intentions and might take off with your luggage. Some cities in the Philippines are safer than others for example, in Davao City, where I lived, the safety index is 72.5. In comparison, Manila's safety index is much lower, at 35.1. 5. Not trying to learn the local cultures or a few words in one of the Filipino languages. The Maskara festival in Bacolod, Philippines. rweisswald/Getty Images Over the years, I witnessed many foreigners not trying to adapt to local customs. Even as a tourist, it's important to try to adapt to some of the local cultures and even learn a few words in one of the local languages. There are over 100 languages in the Philippines, but the most widely spoken ones include Tagalog, Ilocano, and Bisaya. When you learn the language, or at least some of the language, Filipinos will practically adopt you as part of the family. Even a simple "salamat" or thank you will go a long way. 6. Disrespecting local customs and traditions. People gather at a church in Manila, Philippines. Jes Aznar/Getty Images Showing respect to others is extremely important in the Philippines. Make sure to speak to others courteously without raising your voice or getting aggressive, especially when it comes to elders. Filipinos call people who flout these social norms "bastos," which means someone who is rude and without manners. While it's important to be friendly and have fun, tourists should be mindful of how they come across to others, especially when speaking with them. 7. Being overly blunt, especially when interacting with Filipinos. Mount Mayon, Philippines. Lisa Marie David/NurPhoto/Getty Images In the US, people are very frank and say what they want. But in the Philippines, people are more reserved when expressing what they really think. For example, my Bisaya language teacher told me that Filipinos often followed a set of scripts when accommodating guests in their homes. She told me that there were several rules to follow when Filipinos offered food or drinks. If the host asks you if you want some food, you should decline because they may not have the money to buy the snacks. And if they ask a second time, you should still decline for the same reason. But if they offer a third time, you should accept the offer because they are sincere. If you decline the third time, your host will consider it an insult. So make sure to read between the lines, and if in doubt, ask a Filipino they'll gladly tell you the right response to the situation. Read the original article on Insider Indias Modi touts momentous future with US in address to Congress Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi won resounding applause during an address Thursday to a joint session of Congress where he sold his nation as the preferred partner for the U.S. in a global competition against China. Modi, who also gave a speech to a joint session of Congress in 2016, entered the chamber to rousing applause and chants of his name from visitors of the gallery. When I was here in 2016 I said that our relationship was primed for a momentous future. That future is today, Modi said. Now, the U.S. is the oldest, and India the largest democracy. Our partnership augurs well for the future of democracy, he added. The Biden administration has put out the red carpet for Modi despite differences on a number of issues and Indias neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine War. Human rights issues for Indias Muslim minority led a handful of Democratic lawmakers to boycott his address. Beyond the speech to a joint session, Modi will be feted at a state dinner Thursday night. List of Democrats boycotting Modis address to Congress grows The U.S. sees India as a key partner in diversifying supply chains away from China for essential materials like semiconductors and critical minerals. Modi spoke of making these supply chains more diverse, resilient and reliable in his address to Congress, in order to diversify, decentralize and democratize supply chains. The largest round of applause came when the prime minister labeled the U.S. its most important defense partner, and received a standing ovation. When I speak about Indias approach to the world, the United States occupies a special place. I know our relations are of great importance to all of you. Every member of this Congress has a deep interest in it, Modi said. A group of bipartisan House and Senate lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday to fast-track weapons sales to India, streamlining and accelerating the review and sales process for Foreign Military Sales. Modi and Biden earlier announced that India would buy armed-drones from the U.S. and that American and Indian companies would jointly produce fighter-jet engines, part of more than a dozen agreements the two sides worked to produce throughout the visit. The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo Pacific, Modi said. The stability of the region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership. We share a vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo Pacific. Some Democrats in Congress have joined human rights groups in arguing that Modi has failed to address concerns over rising Hindu nationalism, anti-Muslim violence and overseeing a roll back in civil liberties and suppression of press freedoms. In a joint press conference with Biden earlier Thursday, Modi pushed back on a question from the Wall Street Journal on what steps he would take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities and uphold free speech. In Indias democratic values, theres absolutely no discrimination, neither on basis of caste, creed, or age or any kind of geographic location. While more than 70 lawmakers wrote a letter to Biden urging him to raise concerns about human rights and press freedoms with Modi, at least three House lawmakers boycotted the prime ministers speech to Congress. They included Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), the only two Muslim women lawmakers, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.). For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Biden and Modi cheer booming economic ties in visit that also reckoned with India's record on rights WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden on Thursday pronounced the U.S.-India relationship never stronger and rolled out new business deals with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as human rights activists and American lawmakers questioned the administrations decision to honor the leader with a pomp-filled state visit. In a joint news conference with Modi, Biden called the relationship between the U.S. and India among the most consequential in the world and "more dynamic than at any time in history. He underscored how two of the worlds most powerful democracies were cooperating on issues such as the climate, health care and space, saying that the U.S-India economic relationship was booming. But Modi bristled at a reporter's question about his country's commitment to democratic values as the country has seen an erosion of religious, political and press freedoms under his watch. Democracy is our spirit, Modi, who rarely takes questions from journalists, said through an interpreter. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy and our ancestors have actually put words to this concept. He said India has proved that democracies can deliver and when I say deliver, this is regardless of class, creed, religion, gender." Yet Modi has faced criticism over legislation amending the countrys citizenship law that fast-tracks naturalization for some migrants but excludes Muslims, a rise in violence against Muslims and other religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, and the recent conviction of Indias top opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, for mocking Modis surname. Nevertheless, later in a 59-minute address before a joint meeting of Congress, Modi insisted that in India diversity is a natural way of life." We are home to all faiths in the world, and we celebrate all of them, added Modi, in a line that brought many cheering lawmakers to their feet. The premier's description runs counter to accusations by rights groups of widespread attacks and discrimination against Indias Muslims and other minorities under Modi. A group of more than 70 lawmakers wrote to Biden this week urging him to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms during the visit. At least six Democratic lawmakers Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Greg Casar of Texas, Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York boycotted Modi's address to Congress, because of concerns about his human rights records. When it comes to standing up for human rights, actions speak louder than words, Bush, Tlaib, Omar and Bowman said in a joint statement. By bestowing Prime Minister Modi with the rare honor of a joint address, Congress undermines its ability to be a credible advocate for the rights of religious minorities and journalists around the world. Standing alongside Modi, Biden emphasized that press, religious and other fundamental freedoms should be at the core of how both democracies operate. During their Oval Office meeting, Biden said, he and Modi had a good discussion about democratic values while Modi said there's absolutely no space for discrimination" when pressed about his own commitment on human rights. The state visit, just the third of the Biden's presidency, was certainly a glitzy affair. Thousands gathered on the White House South Lawn for the welcoming ceremony, listening to performances by violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the a cappella group Penn Masala. As Modi arrived, the crowd including many members of the Indian diaspora broke out in a chant of Modi, Modi, Modi." All eyes are on the two largest democracies in the world, India and America, Modi said. I believe that our strategic partnership is important. Im confident that working together will be successful. Later, Modi told Congress that our partnership augurs well for the future of democracy as the two countries expand partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and other industries. He also cheered the samosa caucusthe five U.S. House members of Indian descentand Vice President Kamala Harris, who is Black and of Indian descent, as examples of the impact of the diaspora. Biden administration officials say honoring Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is Diplomacy 101. The U.S.-India relationship will be vital in coming decades as both sides navigate an ascendant China and the enormity of climate change, artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience and other issues. On the issues that matter most that will define the future, our nations look to one another including on critical regional and global issues, Biden said. Among the announcements made Thursday is an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. The Biden administration also announced plans to bolster India's semiconductor industry. U.S.-based Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending more than $800 million and India financing the rest. U.S.-based Applied Materials will launch a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers. On the space front, India signed on to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA's lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization also agreed to make a joint mission to the International Space Station next year. We made critical and emerging technologies the pillar of our next generation partnership to ensure these technologies promote and protect our values, remain open, accessible, trusted and secure," Biden added. All this matters for America, for India and for the world. At the welcoming ceremony, Modi called the Indian diaspora in America the millions of immigrants and their children from the subcontinent living in the U.S. the real strength of the U.S.-India relationship. He said the honor of a formal state visit the first in the U.S. for India since Barack Obama honored Modis predecessor, Manmohan Singh, in 2009 reflected the positive impact Indians are having worldwide. Modi, the son of a tea seller who rose to be India's premier, also recalled that the first time he visited the White House was three decades ago as a common man. I have come here many times but today for the first time, the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian American community in such large numbers," Modi said to an estimated crowd of 7,000. Despite the major deals, the visit was shadowed by concerns laid out by rights activists and lawmakers who question Modi's commitment to democratic principles. In 2005, the U.S. revoked Modis visa to the U.S., citing concerns that, as chief minister of the state of Gujarat, he did not act to stop communal violence during 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 people dead. An investigation approved by the Indian Supreme Court later absolved Modi, but the stain of the dark moment has lingered. Biden and Modi have also had differences over Russia's war in Ukraine. India abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions condemning Russia and refused to join the global coalition against Russia. Since the start of the war, the Modi government has also dramatically increased its purchase of Russian oil. White House officials note that there are signs of change in India's relationship with Russia, which has long been New Delhi's biggest defense supplier. India is moving away from Russian military equipment, looking more to the U.S., Israel, Britain and other nations. Modi recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has spoken out about his worries about the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russia. Modi, before Congress, said the war is causing great pain in Ukraine and having residual effects on Europe and beyond. This is not an era of war, but it is one of dialogue and diplomacy Modi said. And we must all do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering. Without specifically naming China, Modi also addressed heightened tensions in the region, saying dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo Pacific. Later Thursday, Modi attended a lavish White House state dinner in his honor. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Fatima Hussein, Stephen Groves, and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report. JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia has changed where it will host ASEAN's first-ever joint military exercise to a location away from the South China Sea where several countries including China have overlapping territorial claims, its military said on Thursday. The non-combat drills for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were originally set to take place in the southernmost waters of the South China Sea, which are also claimed by Beijing. But the September 18-25 exercise will now be moved out of the strategic waterway altogether to the South Natuna Sea in Indonesian waters, said military spokesperson Julius Widjojono. "This exercise is focused not on combat, so it is best suited for the south that is in direct contact with the people," he said, adding the drills will be held in and around Batam island at the mouth of the Malacca Strait. ASEAN's unity has for years been tested by a rivalry between the United States and China that is being played out in the South China Sea, a conduit for about $3.5 trillion of annual ship-borne trade. Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia have competing claims with Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over vast stretches of ocean that include parts of Indonesia's exclusive economic zone. China claims sovereignty over the area via an expansive 'nine-dash line' based on its historic maps, which an international arbitration court in 2016 ruled had no legal basis. ASEAN has been pushing to complete a long-awaited maritime code of conduct with China, and several of its members have had run-ins with Beijing in recent months. The military of Indonesia, which chairs ASEAN this year, said the decision to move the location was an independent one and that there was "no intervention" from other countries. It also said Cambodia and Myanmar did not respond to an invitation to a preparation meeting for the exercise held on Monday among ASEAN countries. Both Myanmar's junta leaders and Cambodia have close ties with China. (Reporting by Stanley Widianto; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor) Investors in Ukraine can now insure against military risks MIGA started providing guarantees for war risk insurance Investors in Ukraine are now being offered guarantees to insure against military risks, thanks to the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), Ukrainian Economy Ministry said in a message on its website on June 21. Read also: "I am ready to be integrity investment nanny." The mayor of Chervonograd on requirements for rear towns, mines and development prospects The provision of these guarantees is facilitated through the Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction, and Reform Trust Fund (URTF), while MIGA itself is a part of the World Bank Group. An agreement between MIGA and ProCredit, a German banking holding company, was recently signed during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, according to the ministry. The agreement increases the guarantee from 17.1 million to 40.85 million ($44.74 million) and extends it to ProCredit's investments in its Ukrainian subsidiary's assets. The associated program will be in effect until December 2025. This marks the first project to be implemented via the URTF. Minister of Economy Julia Svyrydenko expressed optimism following the signing of the deal. I am confident that MIGA's military risk insurance program for investments in the Ukrainian economy will greenlight those entrepreneurs who were waiting for the opportunity to start work on the restoration of our country, said the minister. Read also: Austrian bank Raiffeisen to stop issuing payroll cards in Russia Private investors will be the backbone of Ukraine's post-war recovery." MIGA anticipates that this program will give small and medium-sized businesses access to much-needed liquidity. MIGA Executive Vice President Hiroshi Matano explained, "The agricultural sector will receive funding to continue exporting grain to the global market. Furthermore, Ukrainians will have access to essential banking services." Read also: World Bank allocates additional $1.76 billion to Ukraine's recovery The enhancement in MIGA guarantees by 23.75 million will enable ProCredit Ukraine to optimize its existing capital structure, continue to provide necessary banking services, and potentially generate new loans for its clients. Read also: Ukraine to receive 90% of major global investments only after wars conclusion Fiala Earlier reports indicated that MIGA intends to offer guarantees of up to 50 million for investments by Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) in its Ukrainian subsidiary. This program is part of an effort to support the country's economic recovery and growth. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Iowa Department of Education director resigns. What we know about his replacement: Gov. Kim Reynolds has appointed a former Trump official and "school choice" advocate as the new director of the Iowa Department of Education. The sudden leadership switch comes less than four months after Reynolds appointed director Chad Aldis, who began his tenure in March. The governor's office announced Thursday morning that Aldis resigned "for family reasons." In his wake, Iowa has hired McKenzie Snow, the deputy director of the Virginia Department of Education and a longtime advocate of state-funded private school scholarships. Snow's first day as the director in Iowa will be Monday, June 26. All children regardless of their background or zip code deserve a great education that inspires and prepares them for the future," Snow said in a news release. "Together, we will continue to build upon Iowas commitment to educational excellence for all children. Gov. Kim Reynolds appointed McKenzie Snow to serve as the director of the Iowa Department of Education This fall will be the first year that Iowa students may use state funds to attend private schools. More than 17,000 students have applied for the state's new education savings accounts thousands more than lawmakers budgeted for. Snow will oversee that program and other significant changes to Iowa education passed this year, like a ban on school books with sex acts and restrictions on LGBTQ-related instruction. Who is McKenzie Snow, new director of the Iowa Department of Education? Snow has served in several state and federal education policy positions. The Virginia Mercury reports Snow worked for the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a think tank founded by Republican Jeb Bush. She advocated for school choice policies, including state-funded education savings accounts and increasing funding for charter schools. Snow worked in the U.S. Department of Education during the Trump administration. Forbes reports Snow led the development of former President Donald Trump's "Education Freedom Scholarships" proposal, a bill that would have created tax credits for businesses and individuals who donated to organizations that provide private school scholarships. Snow worked for the New Hampshire Department of Education before she was appointed as a deputy director to the Virginia Department of Education in 2022. Reynolds said Snow's experience makes her "the right leader for this promising time." "Her leadership experience over state education departments in both Virginia and New Hampshire, at the U.S. Department of Education, and for the White House has earned her the respect of educators and policymakers alike," Reynolds said in a news release. Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Kim Reynolds appoints McKenzie Snow as Department of Education director Your article is being updated or not found. Please refresh after a moment Chris Gloninger has spent nearly two decades reporting on the weather and the climate crisis. But on Wednesday, he resigned, citing numerous harassing emails and even a death threat over his reporting. Gloninger, the chief meteorologist for CBS affiliate KCCI in Des Moines, Iowa, has spent the past 18 years working at seven news stations across five states. But on Wednesday, the New York native tweeted that he now must focus on his "health, family and combating the climate crisis" in another way. "After a death threat stemming from my climate coverage last year and resulting in PTSD, in addition to family health issues, I've decided to begin this journey *now*," he tweeted. "...I take immense pride in having educated the public about the impacts of climate change during my career." A quick goodbye. More later. Ill be focusing on my health, family and combating the #ClimateCrisis. pic.twitter.com/2pGipELgNN Chris Gloninger (@ChrisGloninger) June 21, 2023 Gloninger has made a habit of using his forecasts to show how weather the temporary conditions of the atmosphere that constantly changes is impacted by climate change, a phrase that reflects how long-term weather conditions shift over time. Scientists and experts have long warned that as global temperatures warm, largely because of the excessive burning of fossil fuels, weather and natural disasters will become more deadly and intense. And in an effort to help share information surrounding this, the Emmy-award winning meteorologist has covered a range of weather events, created Boston's first climate change series and produced broadcast specials on how climate change impacts every area of life. The threats Gloninger referenced in his resignation began in June 2022. "Getting sick and tired of your liberal conspiracy theory on the weather," an email Gloninger shared that's dated June 21, 2022, says. "Climate changes every day, always has, always will, your pushing nothing but a Biden hoax, go back to where you came from." Another email dated three days later from the same address asks for his home address, saying, "We conservative Iowans would like to give you an Iowan welcome you will never forget." And another sent from the same person a few weeks later told him to "go east and drown from the ice cap melting." My #climate coverage has garnered negative feedback. But last month I received the first threat, followed by a flow of harassing emails. Police are investigating. Its mentally exhausting & at times I have NOT been ok. If youre facing this & need someone to talk to, Im here. 1/ pic.twitter.com/SGbZfEr1uT Chris Gloninger (@ChrisGloninger) July 16, 2022 "Police are investigating. It's mentally exhausting & at times I have NOT been ok," Gloninger tweeted at the time. "...The threat of course was concerning, but the stream of harassing emails is even more distressing. It means he is thinking about it constantly. He is angry about it and filled with hate." Police eventually found the man responsible for the emails: Danny Hancock, a 63-year-old Iowa resident, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported. He was issued a $150 fine. CBS News has reached out to Gloninger and KCCI for comment. The meteorologist told The Washington Post that the slew of harassment left him unable to sleep. And even after Hancock was found, the toll of the threats, as well as some happenings with his family, left him struggling. Even though he's leaving broadcast news, he's not giving up on sharing information about the only worsening climate crisis. He said on Twitter that he is now going to "devote my full-time efforts to finding sustainable solutions and fostering positive change." "Having a dream since you were in second grade of being a TV meteorologist?" Gloninger told The Washington Post. "Yeah. I'm going to miss it. I just hope that this is even more fulfilling than the last 18 years, my next chapter." Former Memphis cops charged in Tyre Nichols killing to appear in court Recovery efforts underway for Titan sub "The Price is Right" leaving Bob Barker Studio, its home for over 50 years The devastation that Hurricane Bob wrought on Chris Gloninger's hometown of Sag Harbor, New York left a lasting impression on the then-second grader. From his family's home in the small village located on eastern Long Island, Gloninger bore witness to a hurricane that ultimately claimed 18 lives and caused potentially billions of dollars in damage, becoming one of the most catastrophic in New England's history. The experience was as enlightening as it was sobering for a young Gloninger, who saw firsthand the severe toll that extreme weather can have on humankind. KCCI nightly news anchor Steve Karlin, middle along with his co-anchor Stacey Horst, and chief meteorologist Chris Gloninger, right, sit together in the studio on air in Des Moines on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. It's why late in his career as a meteorologist, Gloninger began making it a point to regularly educate his audience about the effects of climate change an interest he maintained when he joined Des Moines, Iowa's CBS affiliate KCCI in 2021. But Gloninger's coverage of what has become a highly-politicized topic drew the ire of some of the station's viewership, eventually crescendoing last summer in a death threat. The vitriol Gloninger received is partly what attributed to his decision to depart from the station next month, ending an 18-year career in meteorology, Gloninger told USA TODAY on Thursday. Gloninger, 38, announced the decision on Twitter on Wednesday, and the news was first reported by the Des Moines Register, part of the USA TODAY Network. His last day will be July 7. "It took months of soul searching, conversations with my wife and I, and figuring out what the best plan was," Gloninger said. "I'm going to miss TV for sure ... I'm blessed to have had a supportive station not just at a local level but at a national level." 'There are a lot of Iowans who appreciate it' Gloninger said he will next join consulting organization Woods Hole Group as a senior scientist, where he will remain focused on climate change and providing risk communication with communities as they prepare for its effects. The move will require Gloninger and his wife to move to Massachusetts, where he said he can be closer to his aging parents. A quick goodbye. More later. Ill be focusing on my health, family and combating the #ClimateCrisis. pic.twitter.com/2pGipELgNN Chris Gloninger (@ChrisGloninger) June 21, 2023 Gloninger, a graduate of Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, said he first began providing dedicated news reports about climate change and global warming in 2019 while working as a weekend meteorologist in Boston. For two years, he hosted and produced a weekly series of two-and-a-half hour specials covering the havoc wreaked by climate change across the planet. When he joined KCCI in July 2021 as a chief meteorologist, he continued his coverage of the growing climate crisis, relating for viewers how it manifested in the Des Moines area. For instance, when smoke drifting across the United States earlier in June caused air quality issues across the country, Gloninger said he sought to inform viewers not only about whether their air was safe to breath, but how the fire was fueled by Earth's violently changing weather. "There's no question people did like it, and there are a lot of Iowans who appreciate it," Gloninger said. Threats over climate change coverage: What to know about KCCI meteorologist Chris Gloninger's exit after 'death threat,' PTSD 'I embrace the pushback' However, not all were fans of Gloninger's coverage. Knowing that climate change had become a hot-button issue primarily among many on the right who deny its existence, Gloninger anticipated even welcomed criticism from viewers, with whom he attempted to engage in a constructive way when he'd receive less-than-friendly emails. KCCI news anchor Steve Karlin, middle, poses for a photo with sport director Scott Reister (left), his co-anchor Stacey Horst, and chief meteorologist Chris Gloninger after his last new report after 34 years at the station in Des Moines on March 1, 2023. "Since it wasn't covered much here beforehand, I wasn't surprised," Gloninger said. "Just because it's a topic that may be politicized, it's science, so I do embrace the pushback." But last June, Gloninger began exchanging emails with a man from Lenox, Iowa whose string of vitriolic messages accusing the meteorologist of being a liberal conspiracy theorist and a "Biden puppet" became increasingly concerning. The man eventually pled guilty in August to misdemeanor harassment for sending the threatening messages and incurred a $105 fine in the Iowa District Court for Polk County, according to a criminal complaint. My #climate coverage has garnered negative feedback. But last month I received the first threat, followed by a flow of harassing emails. Police are investigating. Its mentally exhausting & at times I have NOT been ok. If youre facing this & need someone to talk to, Im here. 1/ pic.twitter.com/SGbZfEr1uT Chris Gloninger (@ChrisGloninger) July 16, 2022 On June 24, three days after they exchanged their first emails, the man asked: "What's your address, we conservative Iowans would like to give you an Iowan welcome you will never forget, kinda like the libtards gave JUDGE KAVANAUGH!!!!!!!" 'Everything is political' The message was interpreted as a death threat given its apparent reference to a California man who was charged with attempted murder for showing up with a gun and other weapons near the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh earlier that month. Gloninger is far from the only one in the journalism industry in the United States and across the world who has experienced threats of some sort. And some of the hatred has even become deadly. In 2022, 67 journalists and media members were killed globally an increase of 50% from 2021 and the highest number recorded since 2018, according to a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists, which has tracked journalist killings since 1992. In the United States, Jeff German, a veteran investigative reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was stabbed to death at his Las Vegas home in September allegedly by an elected official who the reporter had published investigative articles about. Threats to the press: Number of journalists killed worldwide increases dramatically amid war, political instability, report shows Such deadly violence against journalists is fortunately rare in the United States, but Katherine Jacobsen of the Committee to Protect Journalists fears that it's becoming all too common for reporters to be exposed to threatening messages. The proliferation of misinformation campaigns which often amplify outrage over hot-button issues has made it difficult, Jacobsen said, for legitimate news organizations to deliver accurate information to a public disinclined to believe it. "There's this sense that it's OK to send these vitriolic messages to reporters, not understanding they're real humans doing their jobs and trying to do the best the can to keep the public informed," said Jacobsen, the organization's program coordinator for the U.S. and Canada. "Everything is politicized in this country in a way that makes it very, very difficult to say that there's a beat safe from this backlash." The negative emails Gloninger received had a cumulative effect on his mental health, leaving lingering trauma that he said he's still processing. While he doesn't begrudge anyone having opposing views even, he said, if they're not supported by evidence it's when those views lead to threats of violence that he becomes concerned for himself and anyone in the news industry who simply hope to inform the public. "I don't judge anybody, and I don't judge someone's upbringing and their beliefs," Gloninger said. "I just hope and pray for kindness, even if you don't agree with someone's views." Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @EricLagatta. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chris Gloninger, climate change weatherman, quits after death threat Iran wants to lure disaffected American allies to a new naval coalition in the Indian Ocean Iranian, Chinese and Russian naval forces, start a joint military exercise for 5 days at Indian Ocean on March 15, 2023. (Photo by Iranian Army / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Officials from the United Arab Emirates recently announced the country stopped participating with the Combined Maritime Forces, a 34-member coalition task force fighting terrorism and piracy in the Red Sea and around the Persian Gulf. Although it hasnt officially left the security force, The UAE now finds itself with a new suitor: Iran, who wants to form a new naval coalition in the Indian Ocean, specifically, countries with an interest in the littoral areas of the ocean. The Combined Maritime Forces is an American-led security coalition protecting some of the worlds most important shipping lanes. It also bolsters counterterrorism efforts, efforts from which all nations in the Gulf region (including the UAE) benefit. The UAE publicly mentioned that it was reviewing all of its cooperation partnerships including the CMF and had simply not participated in two months. UAE officials told some news outlets that it was still dedicated to combating terrorism but was frustrated with lack of American action when Iran seizes oil tankers in the region. Iranian state media has reported that a new coalition of countries who operate naval forces along the north shores of the Indian Ocean are forming a naval security coalition. Irans state news agency Tasnim reported that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Pakistan and India have all expressed an interest. NORTHERN ARABIAN SEA - JANUARY 5: In this handout provided by the U.S. Navy, U.S. sailors assigned to the guided missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG 92) respond to a medical emergency aboard the Iranian fishing vessel Al Molai off the coast of Somalia approximately 400 nautical miles north of the Republic of Seychelles January 5, 2012, in the Arabian Sea. (Photo by U.S. Navy via Getty Images ) Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed in Cape Town, South Africa. Omans sultan recently visited Iran on a diplomatic trip, but only pro-Iranian news outlets seem to know anything about the new coalition. Iran actually operates two navies, the Iranian Navy and a naval force operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. In May 2023, forces connected to Irans Revolutionary Guards seized two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf. The first was a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. The second was a Panama-flagged tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The United States responded by increasing its forces in the area. France and the United Kingdom followed suit soon after. The UAE or any other Saudi Arabian neighbor is unlikely to join a coalition with Iran because Iran is the primary threat in the region. It defies reason that Iran, the number one cause of regional instability, claims it wants to form a naval security alliance to protect the very waters it threatens, US 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces spokesperson Cmdr. Tim Hawkins told Breaking Defense. The new coalition would require longtime regional rivals like Saudi Arabia and Iran to suddenly come together over a new military objective. The two countries only recently resumed diplomatic relations, relations that were severed after it was revealed that Saudi agents had assisted the U.S. with the targeted killing of IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani. Moreover, the supposed coalition also includes rivals India and Pakistan, who are unlikely to agree on any military operation unless it involves the use of force against each other. For now, it appears the US-led Combined Maritime Force is still the best game in town, even if it loses the occasional oil tanker from the Marshall Islands. An Iraqi historian was slain after being labeled a spy on Facebook. Exclusive emails show catastrophic delays in removing threatening posts. Mourners carry the coffin of former government advisor and political analyst Hisham al-Hashemi, who was killed by gunmen, during the funeral in Baghdad. Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters On July 6, 2020, as the prominent Iraqi historian Hisham al-Hashimi was walking toward his vehicle outside his home in eastern Baghdad, a group of gunmen sped toward him on motorcycles and fired five times at point-blank range. By the time he reached the hospital, al-Hashimi was dead. Often an outspoken critic of the country's militia groups, al-Hashimi was deeply connected within Iraq's various power factions, from ISIS to government and opposition politicians. In the months leading up to his death, viral posts on Facebook and other social-media sites accused al-Hashimi of being a spy for US, Israeli, or British forces, as well as conspiring to further destabilize Iraq. At the time, Iraq was going through the largest civil uprising in the country since the US invasion in 2003. Al-Hashimi knew that one of his closest friends, Aws al-Saadi, the founder of the nonprofit Tech4Peace, was a Meta "trusted partner" and had a direct line to the company to help remove content like the threats against his life. In September 2019, al-Hashimi reached out to al-Saadi to ask whether he could help remove the harmful posts targeting him on Facebook. Hisham al-Hashimi reached out to his friend Aws al-Saadi, a Meta Trusted Partner, to ask him to take down posts endangering his life. Photo courtesy of Aws al-Saadi Al-Saadi did what he could, but the responses from Meta were inconsistent. Some posts were removed within a day, while others stayed up for as long as a week. One post from April 2020, which wrongly claimed al-Hashimi was an al-Qaida leader, was never taken down. Al-Saadi flagged it, but Meta replied that the post did not violate the company's policies. On July 6, 2020, the day of al-Hashimi's death, al-Saadi wrote back: "They killed him now." "One of the reasons for his killing was Meta," al-Saadi told Insider. A draft report indicates problems within Meta's trusted-partner network are all too common Al-Saadi isn't alone. Facebook and its parent company, Meta, have faced fierce criticism for failing to adequately moderate the platform. In many countries, Meta relies on reporting from local civil-society groups and experts to flag hate speech and misinformation on Facebook. The trusted-partner program gained steam in the late 2010s after Meta drew criticism for its role in proliferating genocide in Myanmar, and the firm now considers the program essential to its moderation strategy in politically fraught countries, such as Iraq. A draft report by the media nonprofit Internews, obtained by Insider through a trusted partner, has concluded that the lapses in Meta's trusted-partner program are putting people at grave risk. Internews is also one of Meta's largest partners and receives funding from Meta for various projects. Meta did not respond to a request for comment on either the death of al-Hashimi or Internews' report. It did, however, provide three pages of answers to Internews' questions, which were included in the draft report. In those comments, Meta acknowledged that COVID-19 had "severely impacted" its operations, which "resulted in poor reporting experiences" for its trusted partners from 2019 to 2021. "During this period our content review teams operated at limited capacity and were unable to respond as quickly to trusted partner channel reports as we would like and as they have done in the past," the company said. "Under these difficult circumstances, we prioritized the most harmful content for our teams to review, such as risk of imminent physical harm or violence." Paul Barrett, Deputy Director of the Center for Business and Human Rights, NYU Stern School of Business Meta added that its response times had improved in 2022 and that it expected an action time of between one and five days. More complex cases Meta says trusted-partner reports often are complicated the response time can be longer. Four hundred sixty-five organizations have been enrolled in Meta's trusted-partner program, it said, and it has at least one trusted partner in 122 countries. Meta, which previously told Insider that the program launched in 2012, said in its comments to Internews that it didn't formalize its processes until 2019. Internews' report echoed the findings of an Insider investigation from earlier this year that revealed how Meta ignored, or was catastrophically delayed in reacting to, alarms sounded by its trusted partners in Ethiopia as two violent conflicts were underway in the country. Meta's responses to trusted partners around the world have been "erratic" The report, based on a survey of 24 trusted partners, including al-Saadi, suggests that trusted partners working around the world are met with severely delayed and "erratic" response times when flagging hate speech and other harmful content, as well as imminent threats to people's lives. Partners have at times waited weeks, if not months, for a response from Meta, the report found. In some cases, partners received no responses at all. Frustrations from this have led some partners to ditch the program. Al-Saadi and other partners found a work-around: appealing directly to personal contacts at Meta over WhatsApp or Signal, which often had better success than the dedicated reporting channel for trusted partners. Paul Barrett, the deputy director of the Center for Business and Human Rights at New York University's Stern School of Business, said the consequences of Meta ignoring its trusted partners were all too often dire. "The stakes here are the protection of individuals, how countries are able to sustain their political systems, or risks to public health," Barrett said. Partners are involved in surveying everything from political hate speech and disinformation to vaccine misinformation. One exception was Ukraine. There, the report said, partners experienced better response times from Meta, with an average of about 72 hours. By contrast, during the war in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, partners could wait months on end and receive no response. Rafiq Copeland, Senior Advisor for Global Platform Accountability at Internews Rafiq Copeland, a senior advisor at Internews and one of the authors of the report, said Meta did not provide an explanation for the disparity between response times for Ukrainian and Ethiopian partners. "I think we have to assume it's a matter of priorities and resourcing," Copeland said. The Internews report also said that these failures to respond to trusted partners and take down content could partly be attributed to the program being "significantly under-resourced and understaffed," a problem that has been compounded by the company's most recent layoffs. Internews found that participating in the trusted-partner program, in many cases, increased the risks to trusted partners themselves corroborating the stories of several trusted partners in Ethiopia who told Insider they received death threats as a result of their work. Trusted partners around the world are ditching the program In response to the death of al-Hashimi in Iraq, in emails viewed by Insider, Meta sent condolences and asked al-Saadi to participate in a meeting where he could provide the company more feedback on its processes. At the meeting, distraught over his friend's death, al-Saadi said he told the company: "Why are you asking me for my opinion if you aren't going to do anything about it?" Over the next few weeks, overcome with sadness and second-guessing what he could have done differently, he temporarily swore off reporting content. An Iraqi demonstrator walks past a poster of Hisham al-Hashimi in Baghdad. Thaier Al-Sudani Internews said trusted partners submitted only about 1,000 reports a month to Meta. "The partners we spoke to were shocked when they heard that number," said Copland, who acknowledged this may be an underestimate as it didn't capture reports filed through informal channels such as WhatsApp or Signal. "Mainly because they assumed that the slow response times had to do with a high volume of cases." Not all of those cases are acted upon. "When we see there's only 33 cases a day, that tells us that the system's failures are not directly related to volume," Copeland said. One explanation for this low figure might be that partners aren't using the program because of their poor experiences with it. "I think it's reasonable to say if partners were happier with the program, they'd report more often," Copeland said. Meta does not have a way for trusted partners to easily escalate reports when someone's life is in danger Meta's policies, the report found, have been opaque and inconsistent when partners have flagged posts threatening activists, journalists, or other human-rights defenders. Partners sometimes received responses saying no actions would be taken. But when they appealed through a personal contact at Meta, those decisions were often reversed. Insider previously reported that an Ethiopian trusted partner flagged the risks of viral hate speech targeting professor Meareg Amare through both the trusted-partner channel and subsequent zoom meetings with Meta, but the platform failed to act. This investigation is now critical evidence in a $1.6 billion hate-speech lawsuit against Facebook. In February, al-Saadi himself was targeted by viral misinformation claiming he was an American collaborator working to destabilize Iraq. Much like what happened to his friend al-Hashimi, he knew such accusations could jeopardize his life. Al-Saadi reported the posts to Meta on February 17. A week later, he escalated the issue to a personal contact at Meta who said they'd look into it but didn't follow up. The posts were removed on April 18, two months after they were first reported. Aws al Saadi, a Meta trusted partner, outside the Erbil Citadel in Iraq. Aws al Saadi "There needs to be a case-management system which allows for those really urgent cases to be identified and dealt with quickly, which one way or another doesn't seem to exist," Copeland said. If he were still in Iraq, al-Saadi, who now lives in the Netherlands, said he would have more strongly feared for his life. "You laugh, but at the same time, you cry about it," he said. Partners are calling for the system to be overhauled Copeland remains hopeful that Meta will reform the trusted-partner program. Internews said Meta needed to redesign the program with more direct collaboration with its trusted partners. Internews hopes this might help create a trusted-partner channel with improved communication, more transparency, and faster response times. "I think Meta needs to commit to reform and a genuine codesign of the program," Copeland said. "So far, we haven't seen that commitment, but it's a work in progress." Additional reporting by Reem Makhoul Are you a Meta trusted partner and would like to speak with me about your experience with the program? You can reach out to Tekendra Parmar on Signal: +1 347 770 4163. You can email me at tparmar@insider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider Ireland has a long-standing policy of military neutrality (Paul Faith) A public debate on Ireland's international security policy, including its long-standing military neutrality, was disrupted by an anti-NATO demonstration in its opening session on Thursday. Protesters shouted "No to NATO" and unfurled a red banner reading "NATO wars millions dead" moments before an address by foreign minister Micheal Martin at University College Cork. The consultation, which ends next Tuesday, follows the decision by previously non-aligned Finland and Sweden to reappraise decades of neutrality in the face of Kremlin aggression. But the debate in Ireland over pursuing NATO membership has stoked passions and threatened to divert the course followed by successive governments since the outbreak of World War II. According to national broadcaster RTE, Martin called the protesters "undemocratic" and accused the demonstration of "trying to shut down debate" before the group was led away by police. Dozens of protesters also gathered outside the university, where they held banners and placards reading "Stay neutral, oppose war" and "fight war not wars". Last week President Michael Higgins, whose role in Irish politics is largely ceremonial, accused the government of "playing with fire" by raising the issue. The head of state told the Business Post newspaper that Ireland was at a "most dangerous moment" in foreign policy and described its present position as "one of drift". - 'Mistake' - Martin said on Thursday that the consultation was not "a binary discussion on the issue of neutrality". But he emphasised Russia's "brutal and illegal invasion of Ukraine", had "fundamentally changed the geopolitical and security landscape in Europe". "Ireland is no different. To shy away from doing so - or to do so behind closed doors - would be a fundamental mistake and an abrogation of responsibility," he added. The countrywide public consultation concludes in Dublin next week. Some 1,200 members of the public have registered to attend and there have been more than 300 submissions to the forum, which will hear from international security experts, members of civil society and NGOs. Ireland spent 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) on defence in 2022, well below other European Union members and is accused by critics of relying on its neighbours for security. The country's small, 8,500-strong defence force has traditionally engaged in international peacekeeping. More than 500 personnel are currently deployed overseas, the bulk engaged with the United Nations mission in Lebanon. - Cyberthreats - Following the sabotage of Nord Stream gas pipelines beneath the Baltic Sea last year, the frequent presence of Russian naval vessels off the Irish coast has raised concerns from the Irish government, EU and NATO over potential interference with vital transatlantic cables. Ireland has just six offshore patrol vessels supported by two maritime patrol aircraft, according to the Royal United Services Institute, to monitor Ireland's exclusive economic zone, which makes up 16 percent of EU territorial waters. The government has emphasised the need to evaluate cyberthreats: in 2021, a Russian ransomware attack crippled Ireland's state health services. According to a June poll by the Irish Times/Ipsos, the country's neutrality policy remains popular and is backed by 61 percent of voters. However, 55 percent of voters polled supported "significantly increasing" military capacity. Last year, the government announced it would increase defence spending to 1.5 billion euros by 2028 -- the largest increase in defence funding in Ireland's history. In February, Dublin signed off on participation in the EU's military assistance mission in Ukraine, supplying 30 members of the Irish Defence Forces to train Ukrainian armed forces. The neutrality policy was developed in the aftermath of Ireland's bloody struggle for independence from Britain, an ensuing civil war and the creation of the Irish republic in 1937. The state's founding constitution did not codify its neutral stance. But successive governments have followed the precedent set under former premier Eamon de Valera when Ireland controversially opted for neutrality at the outbreak of World War II, despite criticism from Britain and the United States. csp/phz/gil The Justice Department and Delaware U.S. Attorneys office went out of their way to hamper an IRS investigation of Hunter Bidens taxes by consistently slow walking the case, preventing enforcement actions by the IRS and tipping off actions related to the investigation to Bidens attorneys in advance, according to new whistleblower testimony released Thursday by the House Ways and Means Committee. Following a closed executive session Thursday morning, the Republican-controlled committee led by Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) exercised its unique authority to publicly release information in the five-year federal investigation into his failure to pay about $1 million in federal taxes. Tax information is generally barred from disclosure by strict taxpayer privacy laws. The released documents include transcripts of interviews by the committee with two IRS whistleblowers, an affidavit signed by one of the whistleblowers and internal IRS correspondence. The documents shed light on the experiences of two IRS investigators who said they were deeply concerned about the unusual handling of the Hunter Biden case, their perceived marginalization from decisions made by federal prosecutors and their eventual removal from the yearslong investigation. Chris Clark, Hunter Bidens attorney, forcefully denied that his client was shown any preferential treatment in the investigation in a statement sent to POLITICO on Friday . "A close examination of the document released publicly yesterday by a very biased individual raises serious questions over whether it is what he claims it to be," Clark said. "It is dangerously misleading to make any conclusions or inferences based on this document." Democrats on the committee, who all voted against releasing the documents, protested that Republicans improperly used their powers for law enforcement purposes and that government watchdogs for Justice and the IRS should be allowed to separately investigate the whistleblower allegations. Democrats had used the same authority under the tax code to publish former President Donald Trumps taxes last year, much to the outrage of Republicans. Committee ranking member Richard Neal (D-Mass.) emphasized that, unlike Republicans, Democrats considered the bar for releasing private taxpayer information to be exceedingly high and published Trumps returns only after the Supreme Court affirmed that the action had a legislative purpose. Theres no corroboration of any of what happened today, said Neal of the whistleblower testimonies, noting that law enforcement agencies should be able to interview 50 other government employees who were named in the transcript. Smith insisted that Americans deserved to know about Justices unequal enforcement of tax laws evidenced by the Hunter Biden case that he said blatantly favor the wealthy and politically well-connected. I think youll see a level of criminality that I dont think anybody expected to see in these whistleblower transcripts, said committee member Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), a former federal prosecutor. While Hunter Biden ultimately agreed to plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors, as detailed in a Delaware court filing earlier this week, Smith said the IRS recommended that President Joe Bidens son be charged with counts of attempting to evade or defeat tax and fraud or false statement, both of which amount to felonies. What plea deal did Mr. Biden just receive? A slap on the wrist for charges that have put other Americans behind bars, Smith said. In his interview with the committee, one of the whistleblowers, special supervisory agent Gary Shapley, describes a meeting in October 2022 between senior managers at the IRS, FBI and the Delaware U.S. Attorneys office in which David Weiss, the attorney overseeing the probe, provided the earth-shattering news that charges brought against Hunter Biden were denied in D.C. and that Weiss was subsequently denied special counsel authority by Justice. Weiss then brought the materials to the Central District of California as a last resort, which also declined to bring the charges against Hunter Biden. Shapley said it was clear to all the investigators present at that meeting that testimony provided by Attorney General Merrick Garland to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) in March that Weiss has full authority to make those referrals and has been advised that he should get anything he needs was false. The criminal tax investigation of Hunter Biden has been handled differently than any investigation Ive ever been a part of for the past 14 years of my IRS service, Shapley said. A second unnamed IRS whistleblower said in his testimony before the committee that the conduct of prosecutors on the case has honestly been appalling, and I do not think that they are considering the human impact of the decisions theyre making. A DOJ spokesperson refuted the notion that Weiss had less than full control over the case. "As both the Attorney General and U.S. Attorney David Weiss have said, U.S. Attorney Weiss has full authority over this matter, including responsibility for deciding where, when, and whether to file charges as he deems appropriate. He needs no further approval to do so," the spokesperson said in a statement. According to a statement by Ian Sams, a spokesperson for the White House, the president has been clear that his sons case should be handled independently by Justice. He has upheld that commitment, Sams said. In a June 7 letter to House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Weiss wrote, I want to make clear that, as the Attorney General has stated, I have been granted ultimate authority over this matter, including responsibility for deciding where, when, and whether to file charges. Throughout my tenure as U.S. Attorney my decisions have been made and with respect to the matter must be made without reference to political considerations, Weiss said. Ben Schrekinger contributed to this report. The Israeli army destroyed the home of Kamal Jouri in Nablus during the night (Jaafar ASHTIYEH) Israeli forces on Thursday demolished the home of a Palestinian accused of killing a soldier in the occupied West Bank, which has been hit by a new outbreak of violence. This week, at least 18 people have been killed in the territory, in incursions by the Israeli military, or in attacks by Palestinians or Jewish settlers. So far this year, more than 200 people have died in violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the vast majority of them Palestinians. Israeli soldiers entered Nablus, the largest Palestinian city in the northern West Bank, during the night and left at dawn after demolishing Kamal Jouri's apartment, witnesses told AFP. The army said it "demolished... the home of Kamal Jouri, the terrorist who carried out a gun attack" in October which "caused the death of soldier Ido Baruch". Jouri was arrested in February and is in Israeli custody along with Osama Tawil, who is also accused of taking part in the attack and whose home was demolished on June 15, the Israeli army said. The army said that during the operation to demolish Jouri's home, "rioters opened fire on the soldiers, causing damage to a military vehicle". Israel routinely demolishes the homes of Palestinians it accuses of deadly attacks on Israelis, arguing that such measures act as a deterrent. Human rights activists say the policy amounts to collective punishment, as it can render non-combatants, including children, homeless. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967. Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, the territory is now home to around 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements considered illegal under international law. Deadly violence has flared in recent days in the northern West Bank, a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups where Israel has stepped up military operations. - Drone strike - The northern West Bank has seen a spate of attacks on Israelis as well as attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian communities over the past week. On Monday, an Israeli army raid in Jenin refugee camp left seven people dead, including an Islamic Jihad fighter and two 15-year-olds. The army, which fired missiles from a helicopter to clear the way for its troops, encountered strong resistance. On Tuesday, four Israelis were killed when two Palestinian gunmen attacked a petrol station near the Eli settlement. The assailants were shot dead. In response, Netanyahu's office said his government would fast-track settlement expansion at Eli, despite repeated calls by the United Nations for Israel to halt such construction. Israeli anti-settlement organisation Peace Now said Netanyahu's announcement was intended "to appease fervent and fanatic settlers". On Wednesday, Israeli settlers poured into the Palestinian villages of Turmus Ayya and Al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, between Ramallah and Nablus, setting fire to houses and vehicles, witnesses and the Israeli army said. One Palestinian was killed, either during the attack or in the chaos that followed during clashes with Israeli police. Settlers meanwhile installed mobile homes near the Palestinian villages of Sinjil and Al-Lubban al-Sharqiya and the Israeli settlement of Eli, Palestinian officials told AFP on Thursday, fearful of a new settlement taking root. "If the (settlement) grows, they will control the whole area as well as the main road and this will connect all the settlements in the area," said Yaqoub Awis, mayor of Al-Lubban al-Sharqiya. Meanwhile in a new development, the Israeli military killed three members of a "terrorist cell" in a rare West Bank drone strike on Wednesday evening, it said in a statement. It said the cell had "carried out a number of shooting attacks toward communities" in the West Bank. Jenin deputy governor Kamal Abu al-Roub said there were "three dismembered bodies inside" the car which he said had been hit by missiles, citing information from firefighters. The three were militants from Jenin refugee camp, according to militant group Islamic Jihad. The strike was the first by Israel inside the occupied Palestinian territory since August 2006, a Palestinian intelligence source told AFP. The surge in violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so far this year has killed at least 174 Palestinians, 25 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian. The tally compiled from official sources includes combatants as well as civilians and, on the Israeli side, three members of the Arab minority. bur/cgo/jjm/kir During a recent appearance on the Big Tigger Morning Show, actress Issa Rae got candid about her thoughts on having a child at this point in her career. When it comes to having children, Rae admitted that she is still a little fearful about getting pregnant due to the effects it could possibly on her work. I dont want to be slowed down for any reason. And, my friends are like, Girl, its not gone slow you down its fine. But I dont believe them, she said. Raes admission sparked some lively conversations on social media, with many users applauding the actress for being so open and honest about her feelings around having children. Waiting for Motherhood The Insecure stars viewpoint is actually part of a larger trend that has seen American women waiting longer to have children as they prioritize life goals around their careers and education. This postponing of motherhood has included many women making the decision to freeze their eggs in order to offer them additional flexibility when it comes to their pregnancy options. Issues around Black womens maternal health crisis have also added to the questions and concerns some Black women have regarding motherhood. Rae has previously denied pregnancy rumors aimed at her. The actress slammed the accusations in 2022 on her Twitter account. I am not pregnant, fyouverymuch, she wrote in the now-deleted tweet. In an interview with Self in September 2021, she echoed her thoughts on having children and why she is prioritizing her career at the moment. Im extremely happy. I like my life, I like this selfishness, and I know that I have a window, Rae said in the interview. Ive always felt that way, that women, Black women especially unless youre Viola Davis or Angela Bassett you have a window when people are going to want to continue to see you and see what you can do. Then there are so many limitations placed upon you, and that does keep me up. I want to do as much as I can while I still can, she continued. I know its not the proper mentality to think that kids will slow you down, but I do feel that way. Rae is married to her longtime partner, Louis Diame. The duo tied the knot back in July 2021. The post Issa Rae Shares Worries About Pregnancy Slowing Down Her Career appeared first on 21Ninety. 'Titanic' director and deep-sea explorer James Cameron said there were similarities between the sinking of the Titanic and the loss of a tourist submersible near its wreck (ISABEL INFANTES) "Titanic" director and renowned deep-sea explorer James Cameron said many warnings were ignored about the safety of the tourist submersible that imploded near the famous shipwreck, killing five people. Cameron said the sub had been the source of widespread concern in the close-knit ocean exploration community, and drew parallels to the 1912 ocean liner sinking in which around 1,500 people died. "I'm struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship, and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field on a moonless night, and many people died as a result," Cameron told ABC News. "And for a very similar tragedy, where warnings went unheeded, to take place at the same exact site, with all the diving that's going on all around the world, I think it's just astonishing. "It's really quite surreal." The US Coast Guard confirmed Thursday that the small sub, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, had suffered a "catastrophic implosion" in the ocean depths, ending a multinational search-and-rescue operation that captivated the world. Cameron -- who in 2012 became the first person to make a solo dive to the very deepest part of the ocean, in a submersible he designed and built -- said the risk of a sub imploding under pressure was always "first and foremost" in engineers' minds. "That's the nightmare that we've all lived with" since entering the field of deep exploration, he said, pointing to the sector's very strong safety record over recent decades. But "many people in the community were very concerned about this sub," he said. "A number of the top players in the deep-submergence engineering community even wrote letters to the company, saying that what they were doing was too experimental to carry passengers, and that it needed to be certified." The Hollywood director added that he had personally known one of the lost submersible passengers, French ocean explorer Paul-Henri "PH" Nargeolet. "It's a very small community. I've known PH for 25 years. For him to have died tragically in this way is almost impossible for me to process." Cameron has visited the Titanic shipwreck many times in the course of -- and since -- directing his 1997 epic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, which won a joint-record 11 Oscars. "I know the wreck site very well... I actually calculated that I spent more time on the ship than the captain did back in the day," he said. Cameron has also directed underwater disaster movie "The Abyss," and multiple deep-sea documentaries. amz/sw Director and deep-sea explorer James Cameron has offered his analysis about the Titan submersible disaster. James Cameron, the famed director of the 1997 film Titanic and many other critically acclaimed movies, has offered some significant words of wisdom on the recent tragedy involving the Titan submersible in an interview with ABC News. Cameron is also an experienced underwater explorer who has made 33 trips to the wreck of the RMS Titanic. He also led the development of a deep-diving submersible that allowed him to become the first person to make a solo descent to the deepest known seabed on Earth, a part of the Mariana Trench called Challenger Deep. The U.S. Coast Guard announced earlier today that it had located a new debris field near where the remains of Titanic sit at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean and subsequently determined it to be the remains of OceanGate Expedition's Titan submersible. Based on that wreckage, the Coast Guard said it determined that Titan, an unusual design making heavy use of carbon fiber, the safety of which had previously been called into question, most likely suffered a catastrophic decompression. The Titan submersible. OceanGate Expeditions The Wall Street Journal has also now reported that a highly classified U.S. Navy underwater sensor network designed to monitor for potential submarine activity detected the implosion days ago. The War Zone highlighted how this was likely to be the case in our initial reporting on this incident earlier this week. Five people, including OceanGate's CEO Stockton Rush and world-renowned French diver and explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet, died in the accident. The Coast Guard says it is unclear whether or not it will be possible to recover their remains. "I'm struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship, and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field on a moonless night. And many people died as a result," Cameron told ABC News. "And for a very similar tragedy, where warnings went unheeded, to take place at the same exact site, with all the diving that's going on all around the world, I think it's just astonishing." You can watch Cameron's full interview with ABC News in the Tweet below. https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1671965549381689533?s=20 The famous (or infamous) ocean liner sunk after hitting an iceberg in 1912. The ship broke apart in the process and what's left of both sections are now sitting at a depth of around 12,500 feet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adfA6VklSyo Cameron highlighted how deep-sea diving expeditions are inherently dangerous, but that the factors at play are also well-known at this point. He highlighted the lack of any other major accidents in the decades since this kind of diving using specialized submersibles really came into its own in the 1960s. It's "absolutely critical for people to really get the take-home message from this... [that] deep submergence diving is a mature art," he said. "From the early 60s, where there were, you know, a few accidents, nobody was killed, in the deep submergence [field] until now is more time than between Kitty Hawk [the first flight of a practical aircraft in 1903] and the flight of the first [Boeing] 747 airliner," which occurred in 1969. "We have improved drastically over that period of time and" adopted new "certification protocols" that "all other deep submergence vehicles, except this one [Titan], that carry passengers especially, paying passengers, all over the world" are required to meet," Cameron continued. "The safety record is the gold standard. Absolutely," he added. "Not only no fatalities, but no major incidents requiring all of these assets to converge to a site." https://twitter.com/Maxar/status/1671948558269042688 At the same time, Cameron noted that the possibility of a catastrophic decompression and implosion scenario, in particular, is a "nightmare we've all lived with" in the deep submergence community, which he also stressed is a relatively small and tight-knit group. "Because implosion... such a violent event, is first and foremost in our minds, the pressure boundary, which is what they call the hull of the sub that people go inside, is obviously first and foremost in our minds as engineers. So, we spend so much time and energy on that," he explained. "And we use all the computerized tools available today." "We worked on our sphere for our deep, deep vehicle [called Deepsea Challenger] that went to the Challenger Deep for over three years just in the computer before we even made the thing, and then, of course, we pressure tested it over and over and over and so on," Cameron continued. "So, you know this is a mature art and many people in the community were very concerned about this sub [Titan]. And a number of... the top players in the deep submergence engineering community even wrote letters to the company [OceanGate], saying that what they were doing was too experimental to carry passengers and that needed to be certified and, and so on." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGzaUiutuRk OceanGate was founded in 2009 and rolled out its first submersible design, Cyclops, in 2015. Titan was unveiled in 2018. Since Titan went missing, a mountain of details about the at best lax attitude toward standard engineering practices and safety at OceanGate have emerged or otherwise been called attention to. In 2018, the company even found itself embroiled in a lawsuit with a former employee who said they were wrongly fired for raising safety concerns, including about how deep Titan could dive. That case was settled and the specific claims were not independently verified. However, OceanGate CEO Rush did subsequently admit there were issues that had led to Titan's maximum depth rating being downgraded to the point where it would not have the ability to get down to the Titanic wreck. What repairs and/or changes to the design were made after that is not entirely clear, but Titan made its first trip down to the Titanic in 2021. "It's really quite surreal," Cameron, who highlighted his personal friendship with Paul-Henry Nargeolet, said on ABC News today about the entire incident. "For him [Nargeolet] to have died tragically in this way is almost impossible for me to process." Hopefully, the lessons that Cameron laid out in his interview will be taken to heart by any other companies looking to break into the world of these complex and potentially dangerous deep-sea descents in the future. Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) The defense team of Negros Oriental Representative Arnie Teves on Thursday filed an urgent motion asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the panel of prosecutors to inhibit themselves from hearing the murder complaint against the embattled lawmaker. Teves' team claimed Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla has already prejudged the case. The legal team said the case should be handled instead by the Ombudsman as he has a judicial temperament. "It is not very likely that the Ombudsman will use his office as a stepping stone for political office. Hindi katulad ng hinala namin dito sa DOJ na baka ginagamiit itong DOJ as a stepping stone for a senatorial position," said Ferdinand Topacio. [Translation: It is not very likely that the Ombudsman will use his office as a stepping stone for political office. Unlike what we suspect with the DOJ which might be used as a stepping stone for a senatorial position.] "It is for the interest of substantial justice that this case be transferred to the jurisdiction of the Office of the Ombudsman to ensure that Teves, Jr. shall have an impartial tribunal to determine the existence of probable cause and assure that his constitutional right to due process is properly observed," the motion to inhibit reads. The DOJ has not issued a statement on the latest move of the lawmaker's team. Teves, tagged as the mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine others, was suspended by the House of Representatives for another 60 days beginning May 31 over his continued unauthorized absence from work. He has yet to return to the country after leaving for the United States last February. Murder complaints have been filed against Teves in connection with Degamos killing, as well as other deaths in Negros Oriental. Teves says he is innocent, but insists he cannot go home yet due to threats to his life. Jeff Bezos and Buzz Aldrin are both in the same elite adventurers' club as Hamish Harding, the British billionaire missing in the Titanic tourist submersible Jeff Bezos, Hamish Harding, and Buzz Aldrin. Dan Istitene - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images; Victoria Sirakova/Getty Images; AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez The billionaire on missing submersible is in the same adventurers' club as Jeff Bezos and Buzz Aldrin. The Explorers Club is over a century old and has multiple chapters worldwide. Bezos and Aldrin serve as the club's honorary chair and honorary president respectively. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and astronaut Buzz Aldrin are all members of the same adventurers' club as Hamish Harding, the British billionaire who was aboard the Titanic tourist submersible that went missing on Sunday. Harding, the founder and chairman of aircraft brokerage company Action Aviation, is one of the five passengers aboard the missing submersible. The businessman is an avid explorer and thrill seeker who also flew to space on a Blue Origin flight in June 2022. Incorporated in 1905, the New York-headquartered Explorers Club is a "multidisciplinary, professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration, and resource conservation." The elite club boasts an esteemed membership. Bezos and Aldrin serve as the club's honorary chair and honorary president, respectively. Victor Vescovo an adventurer and private equity investor who explored the Emden Deep, the third deepest point in the ocean is part of the club's Dallas chapter. Harding is a founding member of the club's Board of Trustees. He is also chair of the club's Middle East chapter, one of the many divisions The Explorers Club has around the world. Harding said in a Facebook post on January 2020 that he went on a trip to the South Pole with Aldrin back in December 2016. Aldrin, who was 86 then, became the oldest person to ever visit the South Pole on that trip. Richard Garriott, president of The Explorers Club, told members in a statement on Monday that he had spoken to Harding about the expedition to the Titanic shipwreck last week. Garriott said Harding's "excitement about this expedition was palpable." "We all join in the fervent hope that the submersible is located as quickly as possible and the crew is safe," Garriott said. Search teams are fighting against the clock to locate the submersible, which could run out of oxygen by Thursday afternoon. Rescue efforts by a unified command consisting of the US Coast Guard, US Navy, Canadian Coast Guard, and OceanGate Expeditions are ongoing, the US Coast Guard said in a statement on Wednesday. A representative for The Explorers Club did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Insider After a three-year pandemic pause, Tri-Cities Jehovahs Witnesses will be able to participate in their annual convention in person. The event is one of the largest convention organizations in the world, and will host local attendees of the 2023 Exercise Patience! Convention at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, according to a news release from the organization. Prior to 2019, summers in the Tri-Cities were marked by Jehovahs Witnesses filling hotels and restaurants as they attended their annual conventions at the Toyota Center. Beginning July 7, theyll bring that tradition back to the Tri-Cities. Jehovahs Witnesses have been holding public conventions in stadiums, arenas, convention centers, and theaters around the world for more than 100 years. They held their convention programs as virtual events in more than 500 languages during the pandemic. As much as we loved the convenience and quality of our virtual conventions, nothing can replace being together in a large group setting, Spokesman Erik Larson said in the news release. While our online conventions reached millions around the world and kept our communities safe, we long to get back to our joyful fellowship at these large Gatherings. They held smaller in-person meetings and their public ministry during 2022, before scaling back up for this years event. About 6,000 conventions will be held worldwide as part of the convention series. In the United States alone, more than 700 conventions will be held in 144 host cities. From Friday through Sunday, six convention sessions will explore the quality of patience, highlighting its modern-day relevance through Scriptural examples. A live baptism will be performed and a prerecorded drama will be featured in two parts. Patience is a beautiful quality that all Christians desire to display in their daily lives, said Larson. Despite our good intentions, however, maintaining patience in the face of lifes many challenges can be a daily struggle. Spending three days exploring aspects of this quality will be very timely for all of us. The convention is open to the public and no collection is taken. For more information on the program or to find other convention locations and dates, please go to JW.org and navigate to the About Us tab. An ex-adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence claimed Wednesday that he convinced Donald Trump attorney John Eastman that not even conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas would embrace the controversial legal theory that Pence could block Joe Bidens 2020 victory. The ex-Pence adviser, Greg Jacob, is testifying in the attorney ethics proceedings for Eastman, whom the California Bar is seeking disbarred because of the role Eastman played in Trumps bid to overturn the 2020 results. Jacob recounted how he countered Eastmans belief, during a January 5, 2021, meeting, that Thomas might vote in favor of the idea that Pence, as vice president, had the authority to disrupt Congress certification of Bidens electors. Jacob said he pointed to a specific decision regarding congressional term limits where Thomas dissent showed that the justice took strict view the Constitutions enumerated powers and how the position Eastman was advocating for lacked a historical record that would be needed to attract Thomas support. So, in light of all of that, he then conceded, Okay, youre right. I dont think Clarence Thomas would vote that way, Jacob testified, adding that Eastman, however, continued to put forward the possibility that the Supreme Court would refuse to even hear the case because it involved a supposed political question. Jacob previously testified to the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack in both a private deposition and at a public hearing, and much of his account Wednesday of his dealings with Eastman followed the broad strokes he had outlined for lawmakers. But during Wednesdays disciplinary proceedings, the line of questioning from California Bar attorney Duncan Carling had Jacob go into granularities of the legal debates he and Eastman were having about the vice presidents role in the January 6 electoral count. The California Bar is arguing that Eastman had no good basis for promoting the fringe legal theories about Pences authority to disrupt the January 6 ceremony. The Bar has brought 11 charges of ethics violations against Eastman, and the proceedings are now unfolding in a courtroom in Los Angeles before State Bar Court Judge Yvette Roland. The California Supreme Court will have the final say over whether Eastman violated the attorney ethics rules and what punishment he will face. Eastman and his lawyers argue that the relevant law and Constitutional provisions about the vice presidents powers were ambiguous and subject to debate. It was just advocacy, Eastman attorney Randy Miller said in an opening statement on Tuesday. Two smart people talking about the scope of constitutional authority which was, by far, not clear. An honest debate held in good faith that lawyers do. During his testimony Wednesday, Jacob ran through historical examples of past congressional Electoral Count ceremonies including a 1797 episode involving then Vice President John Adams, and how then-Vice President Richard Nixon approached disputed electors from Hawaii after the 1960 election that Eastman thought helped his case. Jacob laid out the details of those episodes and why they cut against the arguments Eastman was making about the vice presidents powers. After we discussed those incidents, Dr. Eastman agreed that they did not represent vice presidential rejection of electors, vice presidents asserting or expressing that they had any kind of authority, or vice presidents even making any kind of affirmative decision, Jacob said, though he added that Eastman did not concede that the examples didnt support his arguments. When Eastmans lawyer had the opportunity to cross-examine Jacob, he had Jacob pick apart a December 8, 2020, memo in which Jacob acknowledged a scholarly debate over the role the vice president can play during the congressional count of the presidential electors. Jacob testified to the legal debates around some provisions of the Electoral Count Act, which governs the proceedings of Congress certification ceremony, but said that by the time of the memo, Pences team had concluded he would be operating under the procedures laid out in the law. In addition to the congressional probe, Jacob has also testified repeatedly last fall to a grand jury investigating the Trump-aligned 2020 election subversion plots with one of those appearances coming after Trump lost a court bid to prevent Jacob from answering certain questions. Eastman, meanwhile, had his phone seized by federal investigators last summer. In the disbarment proceedings Eastman is currently facing, the California Bar is arguing that Eastman did real harm to the nation and to the legal profession by pushing frivolous legal arguments and debunked election fraud claims. The people who marched on the Capitol believed most of them at least believed that the vice president had the authority to determine the validity of those certificates or at minimum that he had the authority to suspend the proceedings and send it back to the state legislatures, Jacob said Wednesday. During his cross-examination, Eastman attorney Miller pressed Jacob on how he knew the Capitol rioters were motivated by the belief that Pence could disrupt the certification of Bidens win. I have read dozens of tweets that were issued by various people who were in that crowd and who were rioters. Ive seen evidence presented in trials and proceedings of those individuals. Ive seen the video footage of them shouting, Hang Mike Pence, Jacob testified. And all of those things and their statements lead me to conclude that they all believed that the vice president had authorities to decide the election in favor of President Trump, or at minimum, to head things in that direction by sending it back to the states. Eastman defends debunked fraud claims The proceedings have already featured several hours of the Bar attorney questioning Eastman himself, with lines of inquiry that scrutinize why he held on to debunked claims about election fraud in the 2020 election, even after the assertions had been refuted by election officials. Eastman testified Tuesday that the information put out by Georgia state officials, including several Republicans, did not persuade him. At one point, Eastman said he did not see a Georgia secretary of state release on the ballot rejection rates because he was suffering from Covid-19 during the back half of November. I was a little bit under the weather with a 104 degree temperature, Eastman said. During Tuesdays proceedings, Eastman also stood by assertions he made to the Wisconsin legislature in 2021 a full year after the election that state legislatures may have the power to decertify 2020 electors for Biden. If the election had been conducted illegally, and they determined that in fact it affected the outcome of the election, that they theres certainly an argument to be made that they have authority to try and remedy that constitutional violation, Eastman said. The proceedings are slated to last several days and operate in a trial-like fashion. An attempt Tuesday by the California Bar attorney to question Eastman about his conversations regarding the plot to put forward rival Trump electors in battleground states that Biden won devolved into a debate over whether such conversations were shielded by attorney-client privilege. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel previously told House committee investigators that, during a December 2020 phone conversation with her and Trump, Eastman called on the RNC to help with the effort of organizing an alternate slate of Trump electors. Eastman testified Tuesday that he didnt have any reason to doubt how McDaniel remembered the call, but that he doesnt have any memory of it himself. He declined to discuss any other conversation he was having about the alternate electors scheme but the judge has not yet made a ruling on whether attorney-client privilege precludes him from answering those questions. This story has been updated with additional details. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Journey to the bottom of the sea: On a Titanic tour The journey to reach the wreck of the Titanic in a tiny submersible is cold and dark, but spectacular, says one of the handful of people who has done it (-) The journey to the ocean floor to reach the wreck of the Titanic is one that gets relentlessly colder and darker, says one of the handful of people who have ever visited the luxury liner's watery grave. Tom Zaller, who runs the company behind "Titanic: The Exhibition," said touring the ship's resting place in a tiny submersible -- like the one that vanished Sunday in the North Atlantic -- was unforgettable, but frightening. "As you get deeper and deeper, it gets darker and darker," he told AFP of his voyage, 23 years ago. "When you first start off on the top, it's quite warm inside. But as you descend, it gets cold. Zaller, whose exhibition opens in Los Angeles at the end of the month, said he was hoping desperately that the missing submersible could be found before its oxygen supplies run out -- estimated to be some time Thursday. The 21-foot (6.5-meter) tourist craft lost communication with its mothership less than two hours into its trip. The submersible, named Titan, was carrying British billionaire Hamish Harding and Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who also have British citizenship, on $250,000 tickets. Also on board is the company's CEO, Stockton Rush, and a French submarine operator Paul-Henri Nargeolet, nicknamed "Mr Titanic" for his frequent dives at the site. - Captain's bathtub - More than two decades ago, Zaller travelled to the site, 400 miles (650 kilometers) from the nearest land as part of a research trip, aboard a Russian vessel with two submersibles. "The sub is a two-meter wide pressured sphere," he said. "There's a pilot seat in the center, and then two benches on either side, with three portholes. "On top there's an entry portal, and when you when you climb down inside the sub you then close it from the inside and there's another trap on the outside and once you're in, there's no going back. It's quite a commitment." The sub is hoisted off the deck of the ship into blue waters which quickly turn dark as the vessel begins to sink. For two and a half hours there is virtually nothing to see, with the sub conserving its power to use at the seafloor. Then you reach the bottom, where the sub kicks up silt. "When you look out the portal, it's a little cloudy. And then as you start to fly, when you get your buoyancy, you start to travel forward, you kind of come through this cloud. "And then imagine coming through that cloud and being in this perfectly still environment on the bottom of the ocean, you know 3,800 meters below the surface and then you see a piece of debris, a giant piece of the Titanic. "And then you see a cup or a teapot, and then at other moments you can see where the side of the ship is removed and you can see Captain Smith's bathtub full of water." - 'Terrified' - Zaller said he was nervous on his voyage to the ocean floor, despite the obvious professionalism and attention to detail by those running the trip. "But still you're sending a very small vessel two and a half miles down, which is incredibly complicated and technical," he said. "It's just this very seemingly unsophisticated sphere. "I took a video camera and a video of myself. And I watched it later and I was absolutely terrified." Zaller has known sub pilot Nargeolet for decades and was in touch with CEO Rush just before he embarked on this tour. He says he is hoping against hope that everything will work out. "I was in that sub for 12 hours with everything working fine," he said. "They've been there for almost four days. I just can't imagine. "I hope and pray that they'll be okay and that they'll find them." hg/caw/dhw The Scoop Eight weeks after rescuing First Republic in a deal that widened its lead as Americas biggest bank, JPMorgan is sorting through its prize and already losing some top bankers with ties to the wealthy clients it badly wants. About 50 wealth advisers and staff have left in recent weeks, potentially taking their clients with them. Two big teams in New York moved to Flagstar Bank (the beneficiary of another regional bank collapse, as the emergency buyer of Signature Bank) and others have jumped to Citizens Bank, according to people familiar with the matter. Managing money for the super-rich has become the hottest business on Wall Street in the past few years, throwing off steady fees that shareholders prize and regulators bless. JPMorgan is a titan in almost every business its in, but punches below its weight here. Bulking up has been a priority for CEO Jamie Dimon. An ambitious gambit to overtake competitors like Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch never got off the ground. In 2021, a team of executives was busy working on a potential takeover of Raymond James, people familiar with the matter said. The deal would have snapped up the biggest standalone wealth manager and the only gettable one; Edward Jones, a lower-octane rival, is privately held though it never went anywhere. Snagging First Republic out of government receivership offered another path. That bank catered to the super-rich and those set to join their ranks, like rising financiers and startup executives on a path to major wealth. On Wall Street these clients have a name HENRYs, high earners, not rich yet and First Republic courted them hard. Know More Among those already gone from JPMorgan are Jason Birnbaum and Gary Farro, who managed hotshot teams in New York and are moving to Flagstar, people familiar with the matter said. Elise Wen, a San Francisco banker with an enviable client list, left for Citizens, even as her former boss at First Republic, Mohamed Fahmi, was given a post-merger battlefield promotion by JPMorgan. Turnover follows most mergers, but the shotgun weddings in the banking sector this spring face unique challenges. How smoothly the integration goes will determine whether they were the bargain-basement gifts that the market thinks they were. Whiplash is widespread among employees and clients who spent white-knuckled weeks wondering if their jobs and money were safe. First Republic offered unusually high compensation for its bankers, money JPMorgan isnt likely to match come bonus season, executives said. Liz's view JPMorgan is the best-run bank in America, somewhere between good and unmatched at almost everything it does. But one challenge has been wealth management. Its wealth-management offering catering to the mass-affluent (read: medium-rich) has 5,000 financial advisers managing $630 billion. Compare that to 17,000 advisers managing $4.6 trillion at Morgan Stanley, a bank one-third the size of JPMorgan and with exactly zero branches that might bring customers in off the street. Or 19,000 advisers and $3.5 trillion of assets at Bank of America, which is about JPMorgans size and with a similar branch network. To be fair, rivals figures include ultra-rich private banking clients, which JPMorgan manages separately (more on that arrangement below), so the numbers arent quite apples to apples. But with its strong brand which got even stronger during the regional-banking turmoil and massive network, JPMorgan should be bigger in this business. Overlapping client segments and internal competition may have held it back. In 2021, a JPMorgan wealth adviser accused higher-end private bankers within the firm of trying to poach her clients, including Alex Rodriguez. And it has seemed at times to operate more as a marketing machine than a traditional investment business. Executives have fiddled over the years with the minimum wealth levels required to be bumped up or down a service level in ways that sometimes manage to offend the clients theyre courting. (Recall my former colleague Emily Glazers delightful 2016 story on how JPMorgan raised the minimum ticket to qualify for its top-tier private bank and pissed off a lot of Manhattan lawyers.) Clients have the choice of the adviser they want to work with, and some want to work with more than one, a JPMorgan spokeswoman said. Room for Disagreement A spokeswoman said that 89% of First Republic wealth-management employees have accepted jobs at JPMorgan. And even with attrition, the takeover is likely to be a win: Once an estimated $2 billion in restructuring costs are behind it, JPMorgan estimates First Republic will add $500 million in annual profits a touch under 2% of total earnings, but not bad. Notable A federal judge granted a joint motion filed by prosecutors and defense lawyers to slightly delay the sentencing hearing of the admitted white supremacist who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting 23 people at an El Paso Walmart in 2019. Senior U.S. District Judge David C. Guaderrama granted the motion Tuesday to push back the start date of the sentencing hearing for Patrick Crusius to July 5, court records show. The order granting the motion wasn't posted to federal public records until Wednesday evening. Joe Spencer, lead defense lawyer for Patrick Crusius, arrives at the Albert Armendariz Sr. Federal Courthouse in El Paso on Feb. 8, the day the gunman pleaded guilty to 90 federal charges in the deadly Aug. 3, 2019, mass shooting at the Cielo Vista-area Walmart. Federal prosecutors and defense lawyers requested the delay "not for the purpose of delay, but rather to lessen the logistical burden on those wishing to participate and to allow for the greatest number of participants to attend the entirety of the proceedings," they wrote in the joint motion filed July 17. Judge Guaderrama found the "request appropriate" and granted the motion, a court order states. The sentencing hearing originally was set to begin June 30, with victim impact statements starting July 5. The hearing would have been interrupted for two days July 3 and July 4 due to the Fourth of July holiday. More: After El Paso Walmart shooting, debate over domestic terrorism law rages on. Here's why. The new schedule was proposed by prosecutors and defense lawyers. The sentencing hearing will now begin at 9 a.m. July 5 with the presentation of an investigative report conducted by a federal probation officer into the gunman's history, health conditions and criminal risks. Prosecutors and defense lawyers will be allowed to make any objections to the report, with the judge making a ruling on those objections. Defense lawyers and the gunman will then be allowed an opportunity to speak to the judge about the sentencing. Victim impact statements will begin at 1 p.m. July 5. The court expects this portion of the hearing to take approximately two days, the motion states. At 10 a.m. on the day immediately following the last victim impact statement, federal prosecutors will be allowed to give their final arguments as to why the gunman should be sentenced to life in prison. The judge will then sentence the mass shooter. Federal prosecutors are seeking 90 consecutive life sentences for the gunman. The U.S. Attorney's Office is not seeking the death penalty. The sentencing hearing comes after the gunman pleaded guilty Feb. 8 to 90 federal charges in connection with the Aug. 3, 2019, mass shooting one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. The shooting resulted in the deaths of 23 people, with dozens more injured. The defendant pleaded guilty to 23 counts of hate crimes resulting in death, 23 counts of use of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence, 22 counts of hate crimes involving an attempt to kill, and 22 counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The guilty plea came as part of a plea agreement between the gunman, his lawyers and federal prosecutors. More: El Paso juries rarely choose the death penalty in capital murder cases. What about the Walmart shooter? While the July 5 sentencing hearing will mark the end of the federal case against the gunman, state charges in connection with the mass shooting remain pending. In state court, the gunman faces one count of capital murder of multiple persons and 22 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The El Paso County District Attorney's Office is seeking the death penalty. A trial date has not been set in state court. Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Judge grants slight delay in sentencing of El Paso Walmart gunman Calling the states policy invidious discrimination against transgender people, a federal judge ruled that Floridas prohibition against Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkles ruling Wednesday largely echoed in a challenge to state restrictions on gender-affirming care for children and adults. Same record, same findings and conclusions, Hinkles 54-page ruling said. Gender identity is real. READ MORE: Judge gives some a reprieve from Florida ban on gender-affirming care for minors Wednesdays ruling came in a lawsuit filed by two adults and the parents of two children against the state Agency for Health Care Administration, which runs most of the Medicaid program. The agency last year adopted a rule banning Medicaid reimbursements to healthcare providers for sex-reassignment treatments, such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries. Hinkles ruling addressed only gender-affirming medicines. The health agency adopted the rule based on a report that concluded such treatment was experimental and not medically necessary, and thus did not meet the threshold for Medicaid coverage. The report was by researchers who oppose gender-affirming care. But Hinkle, who held a two-week trial in the challenge, found that the state only sought evidence to support a foregone decision to scrap the coverage. The process was, from the outset, a biased effort to justify a predetermined outcome, not a fair analysis of the evidence, Hinkle wrote. The conclusion was not supported by the evidence and was contrary to generally accepted medical standards. The state had no rational basis to categorically ban these treatments or to exclude them from the states Medicaid coverage, the judge said. The record includes no evidence that these treatments have caused substantial adverse clinical results in properly screened and treated patients. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, and his legislative allies have made a high-profile issue of targeting treatments for transgender people. The lawsuit was amended this spring to include a challenge to a new state law that cemented the Medicaid coverage ban. The law (SB 254) also made it a crime for doctors to order puberty blockers or hormone therapy for children and imposed new restrictions on gender-affirming care for adults. Hinkles ruling Wednesday harshly criticized the states handling of treatment for transgender people, noting that the widely accepted standard of care calls for evaluation and treatment by a multidisciplinary team. Proper treatment begins with mental-health therapy and is followed, when appropriate, by puberty blockers and hormones, the judge wrote. Florida has adopted a rule and statute that prohibit Medicaid payment for these treatments even when medically appropriate. The rule and statute violate the federal Medicaid statute, the [U.S. Constitutions] Equal Protection Clause and the Affordable Care Acts prohibition of sex discrimination, he wrote. Hinkle disputed state allegations that many young patients later regret using gender-affirming care. Regret is rare; indeed, the defendants have offered no evidence of any Florida resident who regrets being treated with GnRH agonists [puberty blockers] or hormones, Hinkle wrote, noting that 98% of children who use puberty blockers go on to use cross-sex hormones. Lawyers for the plaintiffs hailed Hinkles decision. The courts order is a much-needed win for Floridians, amidst a climate where the rights of transgender individuals are being relentlessly attacked by the state, Simone Chriss, director of the Transgender Rights Initiative at Southern Legal Counsel, said in a statement late Wednesday. Judge Hinkle said it best the statute and the rule were an exercise in politics, not good medicine and todays ruling sends a strong message that the state of Florida cannot continue to play politics with peoples lives. We are so grateful to the courageous plaintiffs who made this case possible, and so grateful to the court for holding the state accountable for its unapologetic bigotry. August Dekker, a 29-year-old Hernando County man who is a plaintiff in the lawsuit, also praised Hinkles ruling. I am extremely relieved and pleased with this decision so I dont have to worry about whether I will be able to get the medical care I need. Floridas policy effectively denied me the treatment my doctors recommended, because as a low-income Floridian with disabilities, I rely on Medicaid to afford my healthcare. I am also happy for other transgender Floridians that get care through Medicaid, as now access to that lifesaving, critical care can continue, Dekker said in a statement. Hinkles ruling rejected the states justification for banning Medicaid coverage because gender dysphoria is difficult to diagnose. The federal government defines gender dysphoria clinically as significant distress that a person may feel when sex or gender assigned at birth is not the same as their identity. The difficulty diagnosing a patient calls for caution. It does not call for a one-size-fits-all refusal to cover widely accepted medical treatment. It does not call for the state to make a binary decision not to cover the treatment even for a properly diagnosed patient, the judge wrote. Hinkle noted that his order copied and pasted much of his June 6 ruling that rejected a state prohibition on gender-affirming care for children. That ruling affected a group of transgender children and parents who challenged the prohibition. The elephant in the room should be noted at the outset. Gender identity is real. The record makes this clear. The medical defendants, speaking through their attorneys, have admitted it. At least one defense expert also has admitted it, he wrote in both rulings. Although the vast majority of medical groups support gender-affirming care, the DeSantis administration and state medical boards argued that the treatment isnt supported by high-quality clinical research. The state also alleged that medical groups supported the care for ideological, not clinical, reasons. But Hinkle rejected the states stance. If ever a pot called a kettle black, it is here. The statute and the rules were an exercise in politics, not good medicine, he wrote. A Florida rule excluding gender-affirming health care from Medicaid coverage is unlawful and unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, adding that the policy, enacted last year under the administration of Republican Gov. and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, is based on politics rather than medicine. Floridas Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), which controls most of the states Medicaid program, in August adopted a rule barring transgender residents from using Medicaid to help cover the cost of puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy, surgeries or any other procedures that alter primary or secondary sexual characteristics when those procedures are used to treat gender dysphoria. The rule was immediately criticized by LGBTQ civil rights groups and health care professionals, who characterized it as medically and scientifically unsound and politically motivated. Two transgender adults and a minor then sued AHCA officials in federal court, claiming in a September lawsuit filed in the Northern District of Florida that the rule discriminates based on sex and transgender status. In a 54-page decision Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, who partially blocked the enforcement of another Florida law restricting access to gender-affirming health care earlier this month, sided with the plaintiffs, finding the AHCA rule and a separate statute prohibiting the use of state funds for sex reassignment prescriptions or procedures violate federal law and the U.S. Constitution. Florida has adopted a rule and statute that prohibit Medicaid payment for these treatments even when medically appropriate, Hinkle wrote Wednesday. The rule and statute violate the federal Medicaid statute, the Equal Protection Clause, and the Affordable Care Acts prohibition of sex discrimination. These plaintiffs are Medicaid beneficiaries who are entitled to payment, as a matter of medical necessity, for puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones as appropriately determined by their multidisciplinary teams of providers, Hinkle added. In Wednesdays ruling, Hinkle also suggested Floridas Medicaid rule was adopted in pursuit of a political goal. For many years, Floridas Medicaid system paid for medically necessary treatments for gender dysphoria. Recently, for political reasons, Florida adopted a rule and then a statute prohibiting payment for some of the treatments, Hinkle wrote Wednesday. Hinkles ruling also characterizes a June AHCA report asserting gender-affirming medical care does not meet the requirements for Medicaid because it is experimental as flawed and from the outset, a biased effort to justify a predetermined outcome, not a fair analysis of the evidence. An AHCA employee in a June email to Christopher Cogle, the chief medical officer of Florida Medicaid, suggested state health officials did not follow customary procedures for developing generally accepted professional medical standards (GAPMS) in creating the report. Every major medical organization supports the administration of gender-affirming health care for transgender youths and adults as medically necessary and often life-saving by every major medical organization. Most have also explicitly rejected insurance exclusions for transition-related care. In a statement Wednesday, August Dekker, a 29-year-old transgender man and one of the plaintiffs in the case challenging Floridas Medicaid exclusion, said he is extremely relieved and pleased with Hinkles decision. Floridas policy effectively denied me the treatment my doctors recommended, because as a low-income Floridian with disabilities, I rely on Medicaid to afford my health care, Dekker said. I am also happy for other transgender Floridians that get care through Medicaid, as now access to that lifesaving, critical care can continue. Wednesdays ruling is the second legal victory for transgender rights in the South in as many days. On Tuesday, a federal judge struck down an Arkansas law banning youth access to gender-affirming health care, which was the first such law in the the nation. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Jeremy Childress held his right arm high above his head and used a finger-gun hand gesture to mimic how he had his .357 Magnum cocked and pointed down at his girlfriend when he shot and killed her. Childress said he grabbed the gun that killed his longtime girlfriend, Michelle Hester, after she first pulled a knife on him and then a gun in the kitchen and dining area of their shared Saucier home. Hester died of a single gunshot wound to the top of her head on the evening of Aug. 27, 2021. When Harrison County sheriffs deputies found her dead, she was sitting upright in a utility room. Harrison County investigators found 23 guns in the home but did not find any weapon gun, knife or otherwise on or around Hester when they found her body. State medical examiner, Staci Turne, said she died of a gunshot wound to the top of her head. On the third day of his first-degree murder trial in Harrison County Circuit Court in Gulfport, Childress testified in his defense, saying the gun discharged while he was in a drunken rage. I wasnt planning to shoot her, he said. She had pulled a gun on me. At the time of the killing, the two were arguing about their children from previous relationships Jeremy Childress sits in the courtroom for his murder trial in the death of his girlfriend in Harrison County Court in Gulfport on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Attorney Patti Simpson shows evidence to the defense during the murder trial in which Jeremy Childress is accused of murdering Michelle Hester in Harrison County Court in Gulfport on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Defense attorneys Alan Green, Philip Wittman and Tyler Ladner argued that while Childress admits to shooting and killing Hester, the shooting was not intentional and the jury should find him guilty of the lessor offense of manslaughter.. They were fighting, they were arguing, they were at each other, Wittman said. Mr. Childress had that gun, and it went off. We are not asking you to find him not guilty. Harrison County prosecuting attorneys Ian Baker and Patricia Patti Simpson said Childress deliberately shot and killed Hester after she told him the relationship was over, told him he had to move out, and locked her out of the home. Childress allegedly shattered the sliding glass door with a motorcycle helmet, got back in, and found Hester hiding in the utility closet, where he shot and killed her as she crouched down on the floor. This was an execution, Baker said. Its a first-degree murder every day and twice on Sunday. The jury deliberated for just minutes Thursday afternoon before finding Childress guilty of first-degree murder. Judge Randi Mueller sentenced him to an automatic life sentence.. A drunken brawl at Saucier home Childress, a pipe-fitter, described his version of events the day of the Aug. 27, 2021, murder. The Coast man said and he and Hester put a tarp over a camper outside after he got home from work because Hurricane Ida was barreling toward the Mississippi Coast. He said he then showered, and he and Hester started drinking him Bud Light beer and her Jose Cuervo tequila. He said drinking alcohol was an everyday occurrence for them. After eating dinner and listening to some music, he said they started talking about their children and how Childress wanted to go home to Neshoba County to see his kids. Judge Randi Mueller listens to an objection from the defense during the murder trial in which Jeremy Childress is accused of murdering Michelle Hester in Harrison County Court in Gulfport on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. She didnt want to leave because a storm was coming in case something happened to her house, Childress said. She was telling me how to handle mine. I said, Why dont you get yours to show us a little respect., You know, he (one of Hesters sons) didnt show much respect for his mom. Hester was furious, Childress said, and the fight escalated. until Hester allegedly grabbed a kinfe and then a gun and threatened him. Childress said once she pulled the weapons on him, he went to a back bedroom, grabbed his .357 Magnum, cocked the hammer and the ended up in the utility closet arguing face-to-face until the gun went off. Childress said he realized Hester was shot when she fell to the ground and landed upright next to the door in the utility room. Afterward, he testified he walked aside and didnt realize until after he shut the door that he had locked himself out. Prosecutors said Hester had actually told Childress the relationship was over and locked out of he home. But Childress said once he realized he was locked out, he grabbed a motorcycle helmet and used it to shatter the back sliding door to get back inside to get his wallet. From there, he said he decided to head to Neshoba County because he wanted to leave, go see my momma and tell her good-bye because I wanted to commit suicide. Neshoba County sheriffs deputies managed to talk Childress out of death by suicide and took him into custody there. Harrison County sheriffs deputies later took him into custody on the first-degree murder charge. After his arrest, he never told deputies Hester had pulled a knife on him, but never said she had a gun. That didnt come up until Childress said it in his testimony Thursday. Jeremy Childress sits in the courtroom for his murder trial in the death of his girlfriend in Harrison County Court in Gulfport on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Simpson asked Childress how he could forget to tell authorities Hester had pulled a gun on him. Whenever they were questioning me, I was hurt over losing her, Childress said. I was wanting to commit suicide. I couldnt remember everything that happened at that moment. But you could remember her pulling a knife on you, Simpson fired back. You can remember shooting her on the top of the head. You can remember breaking the glass to get back inside. You could remember getting your wallet so you could get gas on the way to Neshoba County. The defense team talks during the murder trial in which Jeremy Childress is accused of murdering Michelle Hester in Harrison County Court in Gulfport on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Map showing abortion restrictions a year after Roe vs. Wade was overturned A year after the Supreme Court struck down Roe vs. Wade upending half a century of precedent on the constitutional right to an abortion more than a quarter of U.S. women of reproductive age live in a state where the procedure is banned, severely limited or unavailable. Since the high court's Dobbs vs. Jackson ruling, which left abortion decisions up to the states, conservative lawmakers have introduced nearly 400 bills to restrict access even as polling has found that 61% of Americans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Abortion is banned, unavailable or sharply restricted in 15 Republican-led states across the South and Midwest. And though the procedure is legal and protected in more than 20 states, battles are being waged in courtrooms across the nation after several new restrictions have been temporarily blocked by litigation. Many Democratic-led states, including California, have taken steps to bolster access after the Dobbs decision by adding new legal protections. At the same time, a burgeoning underground network of activists is helping to distribute abortion pills to people in conservative states so they can self-manage their abortions. But even in blue states, reproductive rights remain in peril as antiabortion activists sue to block access to medication abortion and continue their push for a nationwide ban. Its obviously a moment where a lot is still in flux, said Mary Ziegler, a legal historian at UC Davis Law School. As much as it seems as if this year has already been unprecedented in terms of the kinds of restrictions we're seeing, it's just the beginning. Already, about 19 million women of reproductive age live in a state that has banned abortion outright or at six weeks, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that tracks state-level abortion legislation. That number falls short of initial predictions but would climb to nearly 25 million in the coming months if Floridas and South Carolinas bans at six weeks before most women know they are pregnant go into effect. People hold antiabortion signs during a "March for Life" event this year in Richmond, Va. (Mike Caudill / Associated Press) Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a nonprofit group that works to end abortion in the U.S. by electing antiabortion politicians, said that almost half the states passing pretty ambitious pro-life legislation was a pretty good scorecard for one year. But Dannenfelser is not done. After playing a key role in 2016 persuading Donald Trump to commit to appointing Supreme Court justices who oppose abortion, she is working to push Republican presidential candidates to support, at the minimum, a 15-week national abortion ban. Read more: This doctor says bans won't stop her from getting abortion pills to women in the U.S. "Otherwise they will not gain the support of the pro-life movement," Dannenfelser said. "So you see the bright red line that we've drawn. The fall of Roe marked the beginning of the race. Its not the end of anything, Dannenfelser added. This is the most motivating moment for the pro-life movement since 1973. A year after the Dobbs decision, the United States is no closer to reaching a consensus on abortion, and the map has become a bewildering patchwork of state restrictions and protections. Clearly, the Dobbs decision, far from settling the matter, has actually led to even more confusion and chaos, said Kelly Baden, vice president for public policy at the Guttmacher Institute. It's a challenging landscape, and it is patients who pay the price. There are people who want to get an abortion, and they're not sure: Is it legal in their state? Can they leave their own state? Read more: Poland's near-total abortion ban offers a grim glimpse of a possible U.S. future In Florida, Planned Parenthoods abortion clinics in Tallahassee and Jacksonville have scrambled as the number of patients flocking there for abortions has more than doubled in the last year after neighboring Deep South states banned or severely restricted abortion. At the same time, clinics in Florida are preparing for a six-week abortion ban to come into effect in the fall, virtually eliminating the procedure in a state with one of the highest abortion rates in the nation. With conservatives dominating the Florida Supreme Court, abortion advocates are fighting to put an amendment protecting abortion on the state ballot in the 2024 election. The battle is not over, said Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates. Politicians in Florida made a gross overreach when they banned abortion at six weeks. There will really be nowhere turn in the South, unless we amend Floridas constitution. Where is abortion completely banned or severely restricted? A year after Roe, abortion is completely banned in 13 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. Read more: This abortion doctor is not ready to leave Alabama. You don't want me here? That's why I'm gonna stay In Georgia, abortion is banned at six weeks of pregnancy, although litigation continues. In Wisconsin, providers have stopped offering abortions because of legal uncertainty around the status of a pre-Roe ban. Many bans list exceptions in the case of danger to a pregnant woman's life or health, but abortion advocates say that in practice such restrictions can lead physicians to delay providing miscarriage management care. A recent survey by KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group, found that 4 in 10 OB-GYNs practicing in states where abortion is banned said they personally felt constraints on their ability to provide care for miscarriages and other pregnancy-related medical emergencies since the Dobbs decision. Where is abortion partially restricted? Abortion is banned at 12 weeks in Nebraska and 15 in Arizona. A 15-week abortion ban is also in effect in Florida, but a six-week abortion ban signed into law in April is expected to go into effect soon, depending on a Florida Supreme Court decision. Utah bans abortion at 18 weeks while the states more stringent trigger ban and a law mandating the closure of all abortion clinics across the state are temporarily blocked. North Carolina prohibits abortion after 20 weeks, but a 12-week ban will take effect July 1 following Republican legislators' override of Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's veto. Where is litigation pending? Litigation is ongoing in 15 states as abortion rights advocates challenge state bans, according to KFF. In 10 of those states Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, West Virginia and Wisconsin bans are in effect. But in five Indiana, Ohio, South Carolina, Utah and Wyoming bans are temporarily blocked by courts. Litigation has concluded in four states, according to KFF, with bans in effect in Oklahoma and Idaho, and bans permanently blocked in Iowa and Michigan. Where is abortion legal and protected? Abortion is legal and likely to be protected in 23 states Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington plus Washington, D.C. Twenty states have taken action to protect patients and providers with shield laws, including in California, where voters enshrined abortion protections in the state Constitution and Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill to guard patients and providers from laws in other states. Read more: Even in blue California, attempts to regulate controversial antiabortion centers continue to fail Massachusetts, New York and Vermont passed laws that expand access to medication abortion on university and college campuses. Colorado passed bills that cracked down on antiabortion centers that use deceptive practices to market themselves as abortion clinics and required most health insurance plans to offer accessible coverage for abortions. In our region, there's a real question of what it means from both a political, infrastructure and community perspective, to be a state where people from other states rely on you for healthcare that is essential and fundamental, said Jack Teter, regional director of government affairs for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, which includes Colorado, New Mexico, southern Nevada and Wyoming. The impact of millions of people living in states where abortion is now a felony cannot be overstated. Its not just that you can't find someone to provide abortion care or you want one but you can't get one but what it does to your psyche to live in a state where abortion care is a crime, both on the patient side and the provider side. Patients are terrified. What happened to abortion clinics in states that banned abortions? In the first 100 days after Roe was overturned, 66 clinics across 15 states were forced to stop offering abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Some closed completely, and others moved across borders to serve people from another state. After closing in July, the last abortion clinic in Mississippi, Jackson Womens Health Organization, set up a new center in Las Cruces, N.M. Others, such as the West Alabamas Womens Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., stayed open even though they can no longer provide abortions, and instead offer low-income and uninsured women prenatal care, birth control, miscarriage treatment and gender-affirming care. Read more: Horrifying stories of women chased down by the LAPD abortion squad before Roe vs. Wade For patients, the logistics of accessing abortion in huge stretches of the South and Midwest has gotten more burdensome. For women in rural Texas and Alabama, obtaining an abortion can mean driving or flying more than 1,000 miles to states such as New Mexico, Colorado, Illinois and Florida. Its chaos, said Alison Dreith, the director of strategic partnerships at the Midwest Access Coalition, an abortion fund that helps people traveling to secure a safe, legal abortion. None of this is about the health and safety of people. Its devastating. Her network is serving 50 more clients a month than in 2022, with the biggest influx from Texas. After Iowa passed a six-week abortion ban last year, Dreith had put a client in an Uber to the airport to fly to her procedure when Planned Parenthood called to say it was pausing services until the decision worked its way through the court. The woman had to scramble to reschedule an abortion in Minnesota, Dreith said. Since Dobbs, Dreith said, the hotline has heard new questions: "Where do I get pills online? How do I self-manage my abortion?" A patient prepares to take the first of two combination pills, mifepristone, for a medication abortion. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press) Will access to medication abortion be halted? Antiabortion campaigners are seeking to limit availability of mifepristone, an abortion medication used in the United States since 2000 and one of two drugs used in combination in about 54% of abortions nationwide. Read more: Abortion pill ruling: Texas judge revokes FDA approval, but another judge contradicts him In April, a federal judge in Texas ordered a hold on the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone, which is used to end pregnancies in the first 10 weeks. That could have halted FDA approval of the medication nationwide, including in California and other states where abortion is legal. But soon after the Texas decision, a federal judge in Washington state issued a contradictory ruling ordering the FDA not to make any changes in the availability of the abortion pill. The U.S. Supreme Court then granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and the maker of the drug to preserve access while appeals play out this year. Meanwhile, conservative lawmakers in states including Arkansas, Florida and Wyoming have passed laws to restrict medication abortion. Has there been any good news for abortion rights advocates? In Kansas, the first state to vote on abortion rights after Roe was overturned, 59% of voters rejected an amendment to remove abortion protections from the state constitution. The August 2022 victory in Kansas, where registered Republicans and unaffiliated voters outnumber Democrats, offered abortion rights advocates a blueprint for future battles. Instead of simply rallying the progressive base, activists built a broad coalition, using the language of personal freedom and constitutional rights. In November, voters in Michigan, which had never repealed its pre-Roe abortion ban, approved a state constitutional amendment that guaranteed the right to abortion. In April, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer repealed the 1931 abortion ban. What's next on ballot initiatives and organizing? In Florida, a coalition of reproductive rights and grassroots groups launched a campaign last month to amend Floridas constitution to limit government interference with abortion before a fetus is considered viable. This week, they announced theyve raised more than a quarter of the 891,589 signatures needed to get the measure on the ballot. The momentum around getting abortion on the ballot is palpable," said Democratic state Rep. Anna V. Eskamani, who represents the Orlando area and used to work for Planned Parenthood. "People are just incredibly excited to be a part of something that's proactive, versus always trying to fight back against a Republican legislature where we just don't have the numbers to stop this type of policy. As abortion rights advocates push for ballot initiatives in other Republican-led states, antiabortion campaigners are raising the alarm. These are states that are our grounds, Marjorie Dannenfelser said. It's kind of the Gettysburg of the abortion movement when the abortion lobby is coming into a place like Ohio or Nebraska or North or South Dakota, to try to change their state constitution. For Rachel Carmona, executive director of the Womens March, the outcome of Dobbs is still very unclear to many women, including her, an activist with a masters degree in public policy. Even folks whose rights have not been immediately curtailed may not know that they're not, said Carmona. It's a very confusing time to understand exactly what is true and what is not true, whats accessible to you and not accessible to you if youre a woman. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. (CNN) German tabloid newspaper Bild plans to cut hundreds of jobs as it scales back its regional operations this year and ramps up its use of artificial intelligence in preparation for a digital-only future. Axel Springer, which publishes Germanys biggest-selling daily newspaper, told employees in an email Tuesday that the newspaper would cut six of its 18 regional editions, and close two-thirds of its regional offices. The company plans to produce Bilds regional newspapers, and manage its regional reporters, from Berlin in the future, it said. The roles of editors, photo editors, proofreaders and other employees involved in print production will no longer exist as they do today, the publisher said in its memo, a copy of which was shared with CNN. According to German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine, about 200 jobs will be cut. Axel Springer would not confirm the exact number of layoffs to CNN, but it said the figure would be in the low three-digit[s]. Bild currently employs about 1,000 people. The announcement comes three months after Mathias Dopfner, Axel Springers chief executive, warned employees that significant job cuts were on the way as part of the companys push to become a purely digital publisher, with AI playing an important role. A spokesperson for Bild told CNN the job losses associated with the newspapers restructuring had nothing to do with the use of AI, and that the technology would be used to support journalists in their work. The use of AI creates more time and space for journalistic creativity for editors and reporters. Wherever AI supports, a journalist always has to check and double-check the result, the spokesperson added. But in its memo to staff, Axel Springer said that it was starting a clear AI offensive because we also need that for our move to digital-only, and that the majority of jobs involved in the production of the print editions were vulnerable. Unfortunately, we also have to part with colleagues who have tasks that are replaced by AI and/or processes in the digital world, or who are unable to find a place for themselves in this new set-up with their current capabilities, Axel Springer said. AI will soon be able to completely take over the layout of the printed newspaper, the company added. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Germanys biggest newspaper is cutting 20% of jobs as it prepares for an AI-powered digital future" Lydia Heykamp (L) and James Cronquist, Students for Life Action volunteers, campaign for an anti-abortion candidate in state elections in Virginia (Bastien INZAURRALDE) Activist Lydia Heykamp goes door-to-door in a quiet Virginia suburb with a pressing message: now that the constitutional right to abortion has been overturned, the state must ban it outright. The 23-year-old is part of a new offensive in America's anti-abortion movement, as it pivots from the national stage following last year's Supreme Court decision ending the constitutional right to a termination. "I was ecstatic," Heykamp told AFP. But, she says, "that was just the beginning." "I don't think I could stay silent and sit on the sidelines." In overturning Roe v. Wade, the court placed reproductive rights in the hands of individual US states: some quickly banned the procedure, but others moved to protect it. "The movement is still pretty far away from what it wants, which is a nationwide ban on abortion," said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, who studies reproductive politics. In a country where the majority believe abortion should be legal in most cases, activists such as Heykamp have refocused their efforts on state legislatures, courts and local communities. - '100 percent pro-life' - The complexity of the task can be seen in the conversations between Heykamp, dressed in a red T-shirt marked "Post-Roe generation votes," and affluent residents outside Virginia's state capital Richmond. She and fellow volunteers advocate for Mark Earley, a candidate running for the Virginia House of Delegates in November, who calls himself "100 percent pro-life," and were targeting homes identified as likely leaning Republican. Like the candidate, Heykamp -- a volunteer with Students for Life Action, a prominent anti-abortion advocacy group -- believes in a blanket ban, even in cases of rape or incest. "Abortion is an act of violence against human life, another act of violence doesn't fix the act of violence that was committed against the mother," she says. For Heykamp, one source of her passion is her younger sister who has Down syndrome -- most fetuses diagnosed with the disorder in the United States are aborted. Most residents of the large houses on manicured lawns who opened their doors agreed with Heykamp on curbing abortion to some extent -- but not necessarily on a blanket ban. Ken Johnson, 71, a retired cigarette manufacturer, was by and large opposed to abortion. "If it's just 'got drunk Saturday night and forgot to take the pill,' I'm sorry, you got to think a little bit further ahead," he told AFP, as two small dogs barked inside his house. But he also saw rape or incest as legitimate reasons to terminate a pregnancy. "If a law has been broken, sure," Johnson said. Shirley Miller, a retired school teacher in her late seventies, believes there are times when the well-being of the mother trumps that of the fetus, such as the case of a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio. That story caused a national uproar last summer when the girl had to travel out of state to have access to an abortion. "What 10-year-old child needs to be a mother," Miller told AFP. "I agree with abortion in that case, wholeheartedly." - Counseling against abortion - In some states, anti-abortion legislators are focused on seeking outright bans -- but in others, they are fighting to restrict the procedure to the first weeks of pregnancy, as well as weaken exceptions when it is allowed. There is also an effort to ban abortion pills. "We will move legislation that we think will pass in one state, but it may not pass in another," said Laura Echevarria, communications director with the National Right to Life, the largest US anti-abortion group. Anti-abortion activists are also working to increase support for pregnant women through crisis centers, where they are provided with limited medical services -- such a pregnancy test and a viability ultrasound -- and are counseled against abortion. Abortion rights advocates accuse such centers, which are usually religiously affiliated and have little government oversight, of pressuring women into remaining pregnant. Ten years ago Justine Norman, 34, showed up at such a clinic in Severna Park, Maryland, east of the US capital, run by the Christian faith-based non-profit Wellspring Life Ministry. Struggling with an addiction and unable to make ends meet, Norman first contemplated an abortion. But after a conversation on religion at the clinic and hearing the fetus' heartbeat, Norman decided to keep the child -- a decision that now fills her with happiness. The girl, Kaylee, is now nine years old, and Norman has two younger daughters. "That was all because of the counseling and the volunteers here," Norman, who now opposes abortion, told AFP. Roe may be overturned, but Norman believes the battle to ban abortion in the United States is far from over. "We need to fight harder than ever right now," she said. md/st/bgs/ec For the better part of a year, Kristen Havlik has supported people who come to North Carolina for an abortion. Havlik is a volunteer for Carolina Reproductive Action Network, a network of organizations that in part helps provide transportation, child care and other services to those seeking abortions in the Carolinas. Until now, North Carolina has been a destination state for abortion in the Southeast, with abortions increasing by 37% in the months after Roe v. Wade was overturned the biggest percentage increase in any state. But with North Carolinas new abortion laws poised to go into effect on July 1, Havlik and other abortion rights activists are preparing for that to change. The law will ban most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, with some exceptions. But its more than just a 12-week ban, as the bill imposes restrictions that will make it more difficult to terminate a pregnancy even during the first trimester. We are going to do as much as we can now to aid and abet abortion, Havlik said. And to me, that just means helping people access care in a hostile environment and in a hostile state. How abortion access in NC could change Theres a lot we dont know about states that restricted abortion after Roe v. Wade was struck down, Rebecca Kreitzer, an associate professor of public policy at UNC-Chapel Hill who specializes in reproductive politics, told me. Kreitzer said some early data indicates an increase in both sterilizations and attempts to decrease unintended pregnancy, and reporting from those states indicates that many people have been denied abortions and now have children because of it. The majority of abortions happen before the 10th week of pregnancy and only a tiny percentage happen after the 12-week mark so it may seem like the law will have a marginal impact. But the changing abortion landscape across the U.S. means its not as easy to get an abortion early in a pregnancy, Kreitzer said. Now that theyre the primary access point for an entire region, the 14 abortion clinics in North Carolina are overwhelmed by people seeking abortions it can take as long as a month to even get an appointment. The restrictions that will become law in July will stretch clinics even further. Shifting efforts Long before Republican lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 20 to the public in early May, activists were preparing for a future in which access to safe, legal abortion within the state could be limited. We have known that this is coming for a while, Havlik said. And weve tried to network with people accordingly so that when it did happen, we would have the resources and the knowledge in place to know where to send people. Advocates expect theyll have to direct more people to clinics in the Virginia, Maryland and D.C. areas, either because there arent any appointments available in North Carolina or because they are more than 12 weeks pregnant. Even those who learn of their pregnancy relatively early may have to wait weeks to get an abortion, and those who find out closer to the end of the first trimester may not have enough time to get one at all. But traveling further will come at a much higher cost. Even transporting patients to and from clinics in North Carolina would drain Havliks car of half of a tank of gas in a single day. Were no longer going to be a hub. And so all of these efforts of transportation and housing will have to move, probably, to Virginia, which is going to pretty fundamentally change the way that we have been doing activism, Simran Singh Jain, an activist with SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, said. Bans and restrictions inevitably make abortion more difficult, but they wont make it impossible for everyone. It requires a certain amount of privilege, of course those with the financial ability to travel, take off work and pay out-of-pocket for the procedure are the ones who are least affected. But activists are ready to step up and fill that gap as much as possible. Support for abortion funds is higher than ever, and there are networks of people ready to provide housing to those traveling across state lines. One organization, Elevated Access, has volunteer pilots who can transport people from one state to another at no cost. I think that it is more rare that people who dont want to be pregnant carry a pregnancy than it is that they find a way to get an abortion, Jain said. If people dont want to be pregnant, there are resources available. An abortion underground? No matter how hard politicians try to ban abortion, the procedure is here to stay. And as abortion access is increasingly restricted, people will find ways to skirt the law most often through self-managed abortions. The typical definition of self-managed abortion is a medication abortion that happens without medical supervision, typically in cases where abortion is either illegal or inaccessible. While the prevalence of self-managed abortions is extremely difficult to quantify, tens of thousands of abortion pills have likely been shipped across the U.S. undetected since Roe was overturned, according to VICE News. Websites like Plan C and Aid Access help people discreetly receive the abortion pill by mail even in states where abortion is restricted, but it can be expensive and take weeks to arrive. Multiple abortion activists and doulas told me that some organizations in North Carolina have begun stockpiling doses of mifepristone and misoprostol, the two drugs typically used for a medical abortion, to distribute to people who need it. There are so many doctors who want to help but are afraid of losing their license, one abortion doula who supports clients through self-managed abortions told me. It would be amazing if you could just go to your doctor, but theres a fear tactic that makes it so you cant. While North Carolinas new law places a $5,000 fine on anyone who helps people obtain abortion pills illegally, there is no criminal penalty. Its a risk that many activists seem willing to take, underscoring a fierce blend of desperation and defiance that Republican politicians perhaps didnt anticipate. It is an act of resistance to be breaking the law, another activist said. Technically, in North Carolina, it is illegal to receive abortion pills in the mail. But, you know, its also illegal for people to censor your mail as an American citizen. But not everyone is comfortable with a self-managed abortion, and many people do not know how to access it, Kreitzer said. There will still be people forced to carry a pregnancy that they do not want or cannot afford, and there may be people who are denied life-saving care as a result of vague life of the mother exceptions that place doctors in an impossible position. Breaks my heart Activists have prepared for this moment as much as they can. And because of their efforts, many people will still be able to exercise some degree of control over their bodies and their lives. But it shouldnt have to be this way and they cant help everyone who needs it. The new law will decimate abortion access for millions of people, and North Carolina will be a hostile place for people with the ability to get pregnant. The people that Ive helped get care in the last nine months or so, those same people cannot get access now because of this new law thats about to be in place, Havlik said. And that just breaks my heart in a society and in a country that does not take care of people. Paige Masten is a Charlotte-based writer for McClatchys North Carolina opinion team. You can reach her at pmasten@charlotteobserver.com. We just learned the identities of the 2 bail guarantors keeping George Santos out of jail Rep. George Santos. Andrew Harnik/AP Photo A judge has unsealed the identities of George Santos's mysterious bail sponsors. They're his father and aunt. A third bail guarantor never came forward, a judge wrote. Santos's lawyer previously said the Congressman would rather go to jail than have their names be public. A federal judge has unsealed the identities of the two people on the hook for Rep. George Santos's $500,000 bond, siding with a group of media organizations including Insider that argued their names should be made public. "Both Suretors were close family members; one is Defendant's father and the other is Defendant's aunt," a judge wrote in a filing unsealed Thursday. Santos's father is Gercino Antonio dos Santos Jr. and his aunt is named Elma Santos Preven. Additional identifying information in the bond documents remains sealed. A third bail sponsor, who was alluded to during Santos's arraignment, never came forward to sign the bond documents, according to a separate order unsealed Thursday. Federal prosecutors brought a 13-count indictment against Santos, a serial fabulist who represents a portion of New York, in May. They alleged he personally stole donations to his Long Island Congressional campaign operation, illegally took pandemic employment funds, and lied to Congress on financial disclosure documents. Santos pleaded not guilty to the charges. The magistrate judge overseeing his arraignment allowed him to remain out of jail ahead of his criminal trial as long as he agreed to stay only in New York and Washington, DC. Three people initially agreed to put up money for bail, set at $500,000, though the third still-unknown person never followed through. Santos's father and aunt haven't put up any cash or property to secure the bond, according to one of the orders unsealed Thursday. US Magistrate Judge Anne Shields allowed them to be bail sureties anyway because they "agreed to be personally responsible" for Santos. "As is common in cases where there is neither property nor cash offered to secure a bond, the Court considered whether the Suretors were truly willing to stand up and make themselves responsible for Defendant's compliance with the terms of his release," Shields said in an order unsealed Thursday. While bond documents are usually made public, Shields made the highly unusual decision to keep them secret, not even indicating on the public docket that they were filed under seal. Shields also hosted a secret meeting with the bail sponsors that did not appear on the public docket. A group of media organizations, which include Insider, asked US District Judge Joanna Seybert, who has since overtaken the case, to unseal the bond documents and reveal the names of the people who are keeping Santos out of jail. The decision to keep these documents sealed, lawyers at the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP wrote in the filing, violated all precedents regarding the presumption of public access to judicial documents. Even bond documents for Ghislaine Maxwell the Jeffrey Epstein associate ultimately convicted of trafficking girls to him for sex and sexually abusing some of them herself were made public. Santos, they further argued, is an elected official representing people who have a right to keep him accountable. "Rep. Santos has been criminally charged with fraud that directly relates to his role as an elected official in Congress, eroding public confidence in our government institutions and political leaders," they wrote. "Given Rep. Santos' role as a public servant, access to the identity of the bond sureties will bolster trust in the judicial process here." Santos said he'd rather go jail than have their identities be public Joseph Murray, an attorney for Santos, asked Seybert to keep the identities secret anyway, arguing they faced potential threats if they were publicly associated with Santos and would be subject to a "media frenzy." The Congressman came to prominence shortly after he was elected in 2022, when a series of articles found he had lied or misled the public about being a Jew, his mother dying in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, working in finance at Citigroup, working in finance at Goldman Sachs, owning a "family's firm" that managed $80 million in assets, employing people who died in the Pulse Nightclub shooting, producing the infamous Broadway flop "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," graduating from Baruch College, going to Baruch College on a volleyball scholarship, claiming to be a star player on the Baruch College volleyball team, playing on the Baruch College volleyball team in the first place, graduating from New York University, owning several New York properties, and not performing in drag while living in Brazil, among other things. At the same time that Murray asked the judge for secrecy, Murray dropped hints that at least one family member had signed up as a suretor for Santos's bail money. In a May 31 letter to the House of Representatives Ethics Committee, filed to court on June 5, Murray said he didn't need to disclose to the committee the names of the bond guarantors because of a rule exempting the disclose of gifts from relatives. Rep. George Santos leaves federal court following his arraignment in Central Islip, New York. Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Murray later made that more explicit, saying that, because the bond sponsors were family members, they would not impose undue influence on Santos's votes in Congress. He also said in a filing that one of the three suretors had backed out already and that Santos would rather forfeit his $500,000 bond and go to jail than allow the names of those people to become public. "My client would rather surrender to pretrial detainment than subject these suretors to what will inevitably come," Murray wrote in a filing. Santos ultimately didn't file a motion to change the conditions of his release, which would have allowed him to go to jail or find new bail sponsors. Outside the federal court in Central Islip after he entered his not-guilty plea in May, Santos told members of the media that they would "never" find out the identities of the sureties. "That is information you'll never get," he said. "Because your intention is to go harass them and make their life miserable. You're not getting that." In her ruling unsealed Thursday, Seybert wrote that Santos personally fed the "media frenzy" he had tried to use as an excuse to keep the identities private. "The Suretors did not come before the Court until May 15, 2023, five days after Defendant's highly publicized arraignment and plea; it is spurious to contend that the Suretors were unaware of the media reaction that had occurred earlier," Seybert wrote. "At that time, Defendant did nothing to diffuse the 'media frenzy' when leaving the courthouse, instead choosing to address the numerous reporters awaiting his departure." If anything, Seybert wrote, Santos has drawn even more attention to their identities giving more reason to make them public. "It appears Defendant's continued attempts to shield the identity of his Suretors, notwithstanding the fact that he is aware their identities are not controversial, has simply created hysteria over what is, in actuality, a nonissue," Seybert wrote. Rep. George Santos. AP Photo/Seth Wenig A similar saga over the secrecy of bail sponsors played out earlier this year, for Samuel Bankman-Fried, the disgraced cofounder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange. A group of news organizations that included Insider asked US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who's overseeing his criminal case, to unseal the identities of the two people who sponsored his mammoth $250 million bond along with Bankman-Fried's parents. Kaplan sided with the news organizations, revealing the two sponsors as Larry Kramer and Andreas Paepcke, who have ties to Stanford University, where Bankman-Fried's parents work. In his unsealing order, Kaplan pushed back against arguments from Bankman-Fried's lawyers that the bail sponsors' privacy rights outweighed the public's right to access court documents. Surely, he wrote, Kramer and Paepcke knew what they were getting into. "The non-parental bail sureties have entered voluntarily into a highly publicized criminal proceeding by signing the individual bonds," Kaplan wrote in his ruling. This story is breaking and being updated. Read the original article on Business Insider Mannie Fresh, Jon Batiste and Trombone Shorty performed with Juvenile and his band during a June 14 taping of NPRs Tiny Desk concert series. Juveniles NPR Tiny Desk concert air date is imminent. The Louisiana hitmaker taped his online concert alongside longtime producer-DJ Mannie Fresh and some fellow New Orleans musicians. The platinum-selling Cash Money Millionaire MC recorded his concert on June 14 at NPRs headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to Nola.com. His live band included Mannie Fresh, five-time Grammy Award-winning musician Jon Batiste, and Grammy-winning trombonist-singer Troy Andrews, a.k.a Trombone Shorty. Anticipation for Juveniles Tiny Desk appearance began in April when fans campaigned for the Back That Azz Up rapper to perform on the popular online live music series. Juvenile saw the online comments and admitted in a Twitter post that he had no idea what Tiny Desk was. Rapper Juvenile attends 2010 VH1 Hip Hop Honors on June 3, 2010, at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. After discovering Tiny Desk, Juvenile polled fans, saying he would consider doing it if his tweet received 10,000 retweets or more. Shortly after his tweet exceeded the 10,000-retweet threshold, Juvenile stated that he reached out to NPR to get on the performance schedule. The People Have Spoken!!!! 10k!!! and @NPR locked it in, Juvenile posted. While in the District, Juvenile had a packed schedule. He performed with a live band on June 14 at the Howard Theater, visited the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and teamed up with Mannie Fresh to meet with U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, at his Washington office. Carter presented Juvenile with a Congressional proclamation. In June, NPR featured many Black artists on Tiny Desk as part of its Black Music Month celebration. Kenny Babyface Edmonds, Charlie Wilson, Tank, Adam Blackstone, and Ambre each premiered Tiny Desk concerts this month. The date for Juveniles Tiny Desk performance will be announced later. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. Please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Juvenile tapes NPR Tiny Desk concert with all-star musicians appeared first on TheGrio. Vice President Kamala Harris has said she knows of young people choosing which college they want to attend based on how restrictive the abortion laws are in that state. Commenting in an interview for the Roe v Wade retrospective on MSNBCs The ReidOut, Ms Harris said her goddaughter told her that her friends wanted to attend schools in states where there was more freedom in terms of reproductive rights. Ms Harris told the roundtable: When the decision came down she told me Do you know whats happening? My friends whatever gender are starting to make decisions about where they will actually go to college depending on whats happening in that state. Because of course, if you look at it, I think the number is something like 23 million women of reproductive age live in states that have banned abortion, and what that is gonna mean for those 23 million, for the myriad of health care issues that are at stake ... Its having a real impact on all types of decisions people make, she added. The show took a look back at the decision to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade decision that legalised abortion in the US in 1973 when the Supreme Court ruled that unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional. In 2022, the Supreme Court, packed with three Trump-era appointees, overturned Roe v Wade and returned decisions on abortion freedom to the states. Since then, a number of states have introduced effective abortion bans that limit the procedure to the very early days of pregnancy often before women are aware they are pregnant. Some states have also criminalised assisting women with accessing abortion, and limited abortion to cases of rape or incest. Ms Harris said that the Supreme Courts decision last year had infringed on womens rights. The idea that the highest court in our land just did that and rolled back rights that had been recognized was incredibly shocking, she said on MSNBC. She said that after she learned the news of the ruling, she called her husband and shared some words not meant for television at this moment. Ms Harris went on to say that the ruling means that some have to suffer in silence, the thought of which made her angry and sad. Two months after he was arrested in connection with a homicide investigation in Kansas Citys Westport, a 19-year-old admitted in federal court Wednesday to trafficking fentanyl and illegally possessing more than a dozen guns. Ban N. To, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty in the Western District of Missouri to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, carrying firearms to further drug trafficking and possession of a machine gun all felonies. He was ordered to remain in federal custody until his sentencing hearing. Prosecutors say the charges stem from a vehicle stop on April 15 by Kansas City police. An SUV owned by To was seen leaving the scene of a shooting in Westport near 40th and Washington streets where a 20-year-old man, Malik Akins, was shot dead. To was not charged with a crime related to the fatal shooting, according to court records. Surveillance video from the area showed two men exchange gunfire with Akins before running back to a Toyota Highlander. Court documents filed in Jackson County in late April say the surveillance cameras caught images of the license plate, and a stop order was issued for the SUV. Prosecutors say a search of Tos vehicle yielded four firearms, two of which were reported stolen, and 75 pills that contained fentanyl. Days later, while To was being held in Jackson County jail, prosecutors said he made a phone call to his girlfriend asking her to get some bags out of a storage locker. Police went to the locker and seized nine other firearms, including two Glock pistols fitted with a converter switch to make them fully automatic. Under federal law, To faces a minimum of five years in prison without the possibility of parole. A sentencing hearing had not been set as of Wednesday. Nashville Pride Tennessee prosecutors have indicted a man over online threats he allegedly made targeting Nashville Pride with violence. Authorities on Tuesday announced they had charged Joshua Hensley, also known as Josh Echo, with two counts of transmitting an interstate threat related to the upcoming Nashville Pride event this weekend. The 25-year-old was arrested last Thursday at his home in Hoisington, Kan. A hearing in the case is set for Friday. The indictment states that on April 26, Hensley posted several comments on Nashville Prides Facebook page. He said he would make shrapnel pressure cooker bombs for this event and that he was going to commit a mass shooting. We will not tolerate hate-based, threats of violence designed to intimidate Tennesseans, said U.S. Attorney Henry Leventis in a press release. We will continue to work with our partners at the FBI to ensure that the civil rights of all persons are protected. Hensley faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count if he is convicted. The case is being investigated by the FBI, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nani M. Gilkerson of the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Kyle Boynton of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case, according to the release. Last week's arrest comes as Pride organizers across the country are on heightened alert due to concerns of violence against LGBTQ+ people. The Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ rights advocacy group in the country, issued a state of emergency due to the rise of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being introduced and passed across the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security recently referred The Advocate to an issued National Terrorism Advisory Bulletin noting that LGBTQ+ communities should be on alert. Lone offenders and small groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and personal grievances continue to pose a persistent threat to the United States, the bulletin reads. U.S. critical infrastructure, faith-based institutions, individuals or events associated with the LGBTQIA+-community, schools, racial and ethnic minorities, and government facilities and personnel are likely targets of potential violence. In response to the arrest, Nashville Pride said it was working with a private security company and local and federal authorities to ensure the safety of those who are attending the festival and parade this weekend. Nashville Pride is aware of the threatening online comment made against the Nashville Pride Festival. Thanks to a swift, coordinated response by the FBI and US Attorney's Office, the individual was apprehended. No credible threat existed or currently exists to the Nashville Pride Parade & Festival, Nashville Pride board member and media coordinator Brady Ruffin told The Advocate in a statement. Ruffin explained that safety measures for this weekend include the festival portion of the weekend being in a fenced area, bags being checked at entrances, and security being present. Firearms and other weapons are also banned. Other measures are confidential for optimal safety. We look forward to creating a safe and secure space for the LGBTQ+ community to be authentically and vulnerably themselves this weekend at the Nashville Pride Parade and Festival, Ruffin said. Be Loud. Be Proud. Be You. Kari Lake Was At Mar-A-Lago 'Every Night' In Bid To Be Trump VP Pick: Report Kari Lake spent a lot of time at Mar-a-Lago this spring in an apparent bid to be Donald Trumps running mate for 2024, People reported Wednesday. Kari Lake is there every night ... Shes there all the time, an unidentified source told the outlet. Theres a suite there that she practically lives in. Lake lost her Trump-endorsed bid for governor in Arizona last November and recycled his baseless cries of election fraud. She has been floated as a possible vice presidential pick for 2024 GOP front-runner Trump, whom Lake has vigorously defended amid his mounting legal woes. She made frequent visits to Mar-a-Lago after Trump officially declared his candidacy in November and has been vying for the selection since then, People wrote. The magazine previously quoted a source as saying that Lake is working the deal for a bigger political future to compensate for her Arizona defeat. But that future might not be alongside the former president. Lake is pondering a Senate run in Arizona against Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, an independent who used to be a Democrat, according to outlets. The Hill reported Tuesday that Republicans believe Lake would be the partys primary front-runner if she officially declared her candidacy, but are concerned about her harping on false claims of election cheating. I think most people are facing reality that if she runs for that seat, she has a significant number of Republican primary voters who are going to vote for her, Republican strategist Chuck Warren said. HuffPost has reached out to Lake and Trump for comment. Former President Donald Trump with then-candidate for governor Kari Lake at a Former President Donald Trump with then-candidate for governor Kari Lake at a "Save America" rally in July 2022. Related... Kari Lake now "practically lives" at Mar-a-Lago and is there more than Melania: report Donald Trump; Kari LakeMario Tama/Getty Images Kari Lake, a former news anchor and failed Republican Arizona gubernatorial candidate, has frequently appeared at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Palm Beach resort club during its open season, a political source told People. "Kari Lake is there every night ... She's there all the time," the source said. "There's a suite there that she practically lives in." The source added that Trump most often appears at the club "on the weekends" after dinner when he turns "the music up" on a self-curated playlist. His wife, former First Lady Melania Trump, however, generally keeps to herself at the resort after their Saturday night dinners. Related Kari Lake takes wild leap in Trump's defense, threatening gun violence against DOJ and Biden Lake's frequent Mar-a-Lago visits followed Trump's official campaign announcement in November for his 2024 presidential bid and come after a source told People late last year that Lake is aiming to be Trump's running mate. "She is working the deal. She wants something bigger, fast, to compensate for her loss in Arizona," that source said. The twice-indicted Trump previously endorsed Lake during her 2022 campaign for Arizona governor. Following her loss, the former anchor then took a page out of Trump's book, denying the results of the Arizona race and the 2020 presidential election. Lake has also recently sued Arizona officials over the gubernatorial election results, requesting that they overturn them and declare her the rightful winner. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Trump faces a range of legal troubles himself, most notably his second criminal indictment from the Justice Department's probe into his handling of classified materials after leaving office. Trump pleaded not guilty before a Florida federal district court last Tuesday and has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the case. Read more about Kari Lake Former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany reminisced Wednesday with GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over his resistance to COVID-19 guidelines and she got absolutely gushy about it. (Watch the video below.) You mentioned COVID there and I have this very distinct memory, McEnany, now a Fox News host, said. I was in the Oval Office with Dr. Anthony Fauci in the Situation Room with him. I mean, this man made you think like, your days were numbered, all of our days were numbered, all 323 million of us, you know? But then I go to Florida. I met you on a tarmac. And you were saying some pretty bullish things about opening the state. I was a bit taken aback because it was such a contrast to kind of the groupthink I was hearing there in Washington. But you earned the ire of the left on your COVID response. Now youre getting attacked from the right there. There were a variety of responses to COVID. Why was yours the right one? DeSantis answered that his state became the focal point for freedom and bragged that during May and June 2020 in the states panhandle, it was like COVID didnt even exist. Theres no doubt about that, McEnany replied. I came to Florida a lot on the weekends. People dont know that. I left the swamp and it was pretty joyful to be in Florida. I went to restaurants, I drove the highways. Things were open. McEnanys comments were construed by Mediaite as a veiled dig at ex-President Donald Trump, her former boss who insulted her recently and has a sizable polling lead over DeSantis in the 2024 presidential race. Trump has criticized DeSantis response to the pandemic, saying that even former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo handled it better. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Floridas 2021 COVID death rate was higher than many other states. Related... Chinese cultural elements shine in Europe Xinhua) 09:40, June 22, 2023 Dragon boats, kites and tea are just a few of the many Chinese cultural elements linking China and Europe. BRUSSELS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Dragon boat races, Chinese kites exhibition and performances of China's traditional tea processing techniques have been on stage in several European countries in early summer. From London to Berlin, from Fanoe in Denmark to Zagreb in Croatia, local people greeted these activities with acclamation. They either joined in as performers and contestants or watched enthusiastically. Through these activities, Europeans get to taste the traditional Chinese culture. Are you familiar with these Chinese cultural elements? If you can take part in, which one do you prefer? Contestants compete (left) and celebrate (right) during the 2023 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, June 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying) As the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 22 this year, a number of European countries hosted their own dragon boat races during the past week in celebration of the festival. "The camaraderie of Dragon Boat Racing really is second to none," Neil Pickles, chair of the British Dragon Boat Racing Association, the national governing body of dragon boat racing, told Xinhua on Sunday. Contestants compete in dragon boat races in Copenhagen, Denmark on June 18, 2023. Contestants compete in dragon boat races at the Inner Harbour of Duisburg, Germany, June 10, 2023. (by Committee of Copenhagen dragon boat festival/Handout via Xinhua, Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) "It's an event for everyone. Very vibrant, and full of color. It's just lovely to be here, sharing with everyone," local shop worker Jesper told Xinhua on Sunday by the South Harbor of Copenhagen, where the 6th edition of the Dragon Boat Festival in Denmark was held. A few days ago, also in Denmark, over 20,000 colorful kites bobbed against the sky over Fanoe, a small island off Denmark's west coast, turning the island's beach into a paradise for over 5,000 kite fliers. People visit a workshop showcasing traditional Chinese kites during an international kite festival in Fanoe, Denmark, on June 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Lin Jing) Chinese traditional kites became the most attractive highlights during that China to Fanoe Culture Week. "Few people have the chance to go to China. Now we get 25 Chinese kite masters coming here, so more people can watch them closely and see the exquisite bamboo work," Andreas Aagren, a seasoned kite enthusiast from Sweden, told Xinhua. People fly kites during an international kite festival in Fanoe, Denmark, on June 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Lin Jing) While the dragon boat race and kites flew high, aroma and culture from activities of Chinese tea held in several European countries also attracted many locals. Since 2000 years ago, Chinese tea has been traded all over the world via the ancient Silk Road. Nowadays, many tea lovers in Europe can tell several of the six main categories of Chinese tea: green, yellow, dark, white, oolong and black teas. A representative of Anxi Tieguanyin Tea Culture System in China's Fujian Province performs tea art at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy, May 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni) While attending an event focusing on tea making and its culture at the Chinese Cultural Center in Sofia, Momchil Stanishev, director of the Association for the Promotion of Agricultural Cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European Countries, described tea as "a spiritual mediator between cultures." "Tea is a bridge between people," said Michalis Maniatis, a Greek artist who has traveled between Greece and China many times. He told Xinhua that he had stored various kinds of tea at home that he enjoyed with his Chinese friends. A visitor prepares to taste tea during an opening ceremony of Yaji Cultural Salon "Tea for Harmony" at China Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium, on May 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) Dragon boats, kites and tea are just a few of the many Chinese cultural elements linking China and Europe. When people in different continents share their common love for the team spirit in rowing a dragon boat, the joy of flying a colorful kite, and the elegance of making a cup of fragrant tea, they are able to understand each other better and may have bigger chance to jointly build a better world. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie) (CNN) Momentum appears to be building to revive negotiations around Irans growing nuclear program. Talks between Iran and the European Union on Wednesday focused on key sticking points, including nuclear enrichment levels and Iranian cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, one diplomatic source briefed on the matter told CNN. The two day discussion in Doha between European Union diplomat Enrique Mora and the Iranian top nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri-Kani, appears to be leading to positive developments on many issues, the source added. The current environment has been positive for de-escalation, said the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks. Mora on Twitter described the talks as intense, and Kani tweeted earlier that the two had a serious and constructive meeting on a range of issues, including negotiations on sanctions lifting the key priority for Tehran, which has faced a slew of crushing sanctions over the past year from the EU and United States. The meeting came a week after Kani met with officials from the signatories to the deal formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Irans Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was also in Doha on Tuesday before traveling to Oman on Wednesday. Both Qatar and Oman have played mediating roles between Iran and Western powers in the past. The Iranians have been in talks with the Europeans, and indirect talks with the Americans, with the support of the Qataris leading to positive developments on many issues related to both sides in hope of giving positive momentum to the JCPOA with the Europeans and prisoner issues with the Americans, the source said. Following a previous failure of the JCPOA revival attempt and amid nationwide protests in Iran, the Biden administration said in October 2022 that the nuclear deal was not our focus but said that they were committed to using diplomacy to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. But talks quietly resumed late last year, with countries including Oman serving as intermediaries. A top administration official, Brett McGurk, has traveled multiple times to the Oman for the indirect discussions with Iranian government representatives. The US is also engaged in trying to secure the release of multiple Americans who have been detained in Iran something the administration has called a top priority. There are three Americans who have been designated as wrongfully detained who are imprisoned in Iran: Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi, and Morad Tahbaz. An American resident, Shahab Dalili, is also detained. In the past, one aspect of a prospective deal for the detainees has involved the unfreezing of billions of dollars of frozen Iranian assets from South Korea. Iran had demanded that South Korea release $7 billion in funds frozen in South Korean banks under US sanctions. And in what could be seen as a confidence building measure, the US approved a waiver allowing the transfer of $2.7 billion from Iraq to Iranian banks, in a move State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called consistent with transactions that have taken place over going back a number of years. Irans foreign ministry spokesperson said last week that Tehran exchanged messages with the United States through Oman a few weeks ago but said that his government does not endorse any negotiations for an interim agreement or new arrangements to replace the JCPOA. The Trump administration withdrew from the landmark agreement in 2018 and Iran has increasingly grown its nuclear program in violation of the deal. One focus of the discussions with Iranian officials has been limiting its uranium enrichment. The IAEA said in a June report that the countrys enriched uranium stockpile has increased by more than a quarter in three months. Irans official uranium enrichment currently stands at 60% purity. Weapons-grade uranium is considered to have been enriched above 90%. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Momentum building in Iran talks with West, says source" Kentucky woman shot Uber driver she believed was kidnapping her to Mexico, police say A Kentucky woman accused of shooting an El Paso Uber driver was arrested and charged with aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, a second-degree Felony. The shooting took place about 2:20 p.m. Friday on U.S. 54 southbound in South-Central El Paso near the Bridge of the Americas international crossing, El Paso Police Department officials said in a news release. Police said in the release that Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, was driving Phoebe Copas, 48, of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, from the West Side to a destination in El Pasos Mission Valley when at some point Copas thought she was being taken into Mexico and shot Piedra, who was critically injured. The driver was critically wounded and was taken to a hospital for emergency treatment. News reports and a Gofundme set up for the family state that he was subsequently taken off life support. Copas was booked into the El Paso County Jail on Saturday on a $1 million bond. Jail records show she still was being held that afternoon. Police said the investigation did not support that a kidnapping was taking place or that Piedra was veering from Copas' destination. U.S. 54 South at Paisano Drive was closed to traffic during the investigation. Detectives from the Crimes Against Persons Unit and investigators from the Criminalistics Unit responded to the scene. Police said the investigation continues and no other details were available. Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. 'Planned for months': What we know about the killing of three young brothers in Ohio This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Police: Woman shot Uber driver she thought was kidnapping her to Mexico (Bloomberg) -- Kenyan lawmakers approved tax proposals in President William Ruto governments first budget despite the oppositions attempts to fight several controversial measures that taxpayers say will be burdensome. Most Read from Bloomberg To finance its 3.68 trillion shillings ($26.2 billion) budget, the Treasury has introduced substantial changes - such as doubling value-added tax on gasoline - that will increase its revenue by 17%. Some Kenyans complain the reforms are too extensive and are ill-timed with the cost of living having shot up. Other measures that Kenyans have complained about include a mandatory 1.5% housing levy for employees and a 5 percentage point increase in personal income tax for the highest-income band. Kenyan manufacturers have also opposed a raft of taxes, including a 10% levy on imported raw materials and intermediate goods such as clinker for cement-making and packaging paper, that they say will render their products uncompetitive against producers elsewhere in East Africa. Since I came to this House in 1993, I have never witnessed a more contested Finance Bill than this one, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula said. Ruto, who has been in power for about nine months, has pledged less borrowing, more prudent government spending and to go after people and companies that have been evading taxation. The World Bank sees the governments tax policy and administration reforms boosting revenue by 0.4 percentage points of gross domestic product in 2024-25, according to its latest economic update of Kenya. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. FILE PHOTO: Protests planned against Kenyan finance bill that would raise taxes in Nairobi Kenyan lawmakers vote to double fuel tax, impose housing levy FILE PHOTO: Protests planned against Kenyan finance bill that would raise taxes in Nairobi By Duncan Miriri NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's parliament voted late on Wednesday to approve a contentious government finance bill that will double the fuel tax and introduce a new housing levy, handing a victory to President William Ruto. Ruto, who took office nine months ago, is pushing through a raft of tax hikes as part of his maiden budget, sparking sharp resistance from the opposition, ordinary people and businesses. The opposition has threatened to call fresh protests if Ruto signs the tax increases into law. Street demonstrations earlier this year against the high cost of living repeatedly turned violent in the capital Nairobi and elsewhere. Ruto's government argues the higher taxes are necessary to stabilise government finances, which have been strained by growing debt repayments and lower than expected growth in tax collection. The move to double the fuel tax to 16% will generate the government an extra 61 billion shillings ($434.94 million) by itself, Kuria Kimani, the chairman of parliament's finance panel, said on Citizen Television. The bill now moves to the president for signing. During a session that ran late into the night, lawmakers from Ruto's ruling coalition defeated opposition attempts to strike out the fuel tax hike as well as a new 1.5% housing tax on employees that will be matched by employers. They also approved a new withholding tax for digital content creators. The opposition says the housing levy will strain already squeezed incomes and raise business costs at a time when Kenyans are struggling with high prices for basic commodities. Ruto says it will fund the construction of homes for the poor, offering them dignity and creating jobs for young people. An opposition senator has challenged the finance bill in court, arguing that some of the measures are unconstitutional. It was not immediately clear when the court will issue a ruling. ($1 = 140.2500 Kenyan shillings) (Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Aaron Ross and Christina Fincher) New court documents reveal that Christine Baumgartner, the ex-wife of Kevin Costner, is requesting $248,000 a month in child support. The estranged couple, who wed in 2004, are entrenched in a bitter divorce battle that now involves their three teenage children. According to People, court documents show the 49-year-old handbag designers attorneys claim the near quarter-million-dollar figure is less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle. The two-time Oscar winner is requested to also pay 100% of private school tuition, extracurricular activities/sports and health care expenses for 16-year-old Cayden, 14-year-old Hayes and 13-year-old Grace. Costners 2022 income was listed at $19,517,064 with his familys expenses listed at $6,645,285 before taxes. Expenses listed include luxury travel, entertaining and the maintenance of several large properties, amounting up to about $2 million annually. All in, the familys net income reportedly amounts to $7,595,520. Baumgartner requested no spousal support in the documents filed on Friday in the Superior Court in Santa Barbara, California. In May, the 49-year-old Cat Bag Couture owner filed for divorce after 18 years of marriage citing irreconcilable differences. This is the second marriage for the 68-year-old Dances with Wolves star, following his union with Cindy Silva from 1978 to 1994. Baumgartner is unwilling to vacate the home she shares with Costner, despite a 30-day deadline noted in their prenuptial agreement, according to TMZ. The celebrity gossip outlet also reported that the recent Golden Globe Award winner is willing to offer her $10,000 for moving expenses and another $30,000 per month for a rental home. A source told People that she was paid an additional $1 million as stipulated in the divorce settlement. Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov It would take as much as EUR 9.5 billion ($10.4 billion) to fund the reconstruction of Kharkiv, as the citys housing and infrastructure was heavily damaged by Russian attacks, city Mayor Igor Terekhov said at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on June 22. We need EUR 9.5 billion to rebuild our city, its infrastructure, residential buildings, hospitals, kindergartens, and schools, news agency Ukrinform quotes Terekhov. Read also: Mustafa Nayyem on Ukraines efforts to rebuild after the war interview This is a colossal challenge that no Ukrainian city can tackle on its own. The mayor added that currently, 150,000 Kharkiv residents are left homeless, and half of the city's schools and kindergartens, along with 56 hospitals, have been destroyed. Read also: Russian anti-tank missile strike on car claims lives of two volunteers in Kharkiv Oblast However, Terekhov also pointed out the positive impact of the ongoing decentralization reform, which has provided the city with a greater share of local tax income. He mentioned that last year, with the backing of the government and the Office of the President, Kharkiv was able to rebuild 200 fully destroyed residential buildings using its own funds. Read also: Help rebuild Ukraine to the beats of Ukrainian DJs "We are currently constructing 50 additional buildings; however, without the support of our international partners and financial institutions, it will be difficult to continue this work," the mayor concluded. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine King Charles and Queen celebrate first winner at Royal Ascot after dramatic finish Desert Hero and jockey Tom Marquand produced a thrilling performance at Royal Ascot on Thursday to land King Charles III his first win at the prestigious horse racing festival. Both King Charles and his wife, Queen Camilla, watched as Desert Hero stormed up the finishing straight to squeeze out an historic win in the King George V Stakes, pipping Valiant King at the line. The win was cheered by the thousands of fans at Royal Ascot as cameras showed both the King and Queen celebrating in the royal box. The pair then walked into the winners enclosure to congratulate Desert Hero and Marquand, before picking up their trophy as the winning owners. The horse racing festival had become synonymous with the late Queen Elizabeth II who had 24 Royal Ascot winners. The late Queen had a passion for horse racing and loved attending the royal event held once every year. While her influence on the sport will always be remembered, organisers were keen to usher in a new era under the new monarch and Desert Hero upset the odds to provide just that. King Charles III and Queen Camilla pose for pictures in the winner's enclosure. - John Walton/PA Images/Getty Images The horse was not among the favorites at odds of 18-1 but finished with incredible speed up the finishing straight. Genuinely, probably one of the proudest moments of being in the saddle so far, an emotional Marquand told ITV Racing after the race. Royal Ascot is the pinnacle and riding a royal winner at the royal meeting is so special. King Charles will have more chances to add to his winning haul with five royal horses still to run at the festival, which ends on Saturday. The King and Queen are absolutely thrilled, winning trainer William Haggas told ITV Racing. They have been looking forward to Ascot for a long time and wanting to have as many runners as possible, and I think they are absolutely delighted. It is obviously very important for racing, but it is important that the King and Queen enjoy it, which they clearly appear to do, and long may that continue. Zara Tindall, one of Queen Elizabeth IIs granddaughters who is at the festival, told ITV Racing: I just think how excited my grandmother would have been. To have a winner for Charles and Camilla and to keep that dream alive was incredible, and what a race aside all of that, what a race. I think it is a new excitement [for The King], like all those owners who come here and have a horse here, having that dream, that hope, and actually fulfilling it is incredible. Horses are the main game here and thats why we get involved. We love them, the competition, and that adrenaline when you win is indescribable. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Birria Ramen Wirestock / Getty Images Scrolling through social media is bound to lead you to a wide array of recipes, restaurants, and food ideas that are capable of launching a frenzy, inspiring countless home chefs to whip up their own versions. Some of the most viral food trends garner dedicated devotees, while others become polarizing love-it-or-hate-it topics of debate. Here's what to know about some of the latest buzzy foods: Smoked oysters on crackers The viral smoked oyster (or mussel) crackers are an affordable snack made newly popular in part by Danielle Matzon, an influencer on TikTok. Matzon, who received a whopping 7.7 million views posting about Siberian sturgeon caviar on fitness bread, is also credited with turning millions of people on to the trendy "Tunacado" sandwich sold at Joe & The Juice. Her tinned oyster crackers snack, however, is more easily attained at home for an affordable price. Tinned fish and seafood of all kind have become increasingly popular as part of a snack or appetizer. For the latest iteration, all you need is a can of your favorite smoked oysters or mussels, Craize Sweet Corn crackers, and Momofuku Chili Crunch for an extra kick. This is a simple snack that you can personalize by adding your favorite toppings, and experiment with new combinations. "Shellfish such as mussels and oysters are an excellent way to up your intake of zinc and vitamin B12," Cozymeal noted. "Plus, since so much tinned seafood consists of smaller-bodied, non-predatory fish (sardines, mackerel, squid, mussels, etc.), you can breathe easy knowing the mercury content is much lower than what you'd find in regular servings of large fish." Feta pasta This cheesy dish is super easy to make and got rave reviews across the internet when it went viral. Baked feta pasta is simple enough, revolving mostly around, unsurprisingly, feta (making this one for the lactose intolerant folks to skip). The cheese is baked in a dish alongside tomatoes and olive oil, then mixed into pasta noodles to create a creamy sauce. "Obviously roasting a block of feta with bursting tomatoes is going to be amazing," Lauren Miyashiro wrote at Delish. "But is it good enough to break the internet?" The answer, Miyashiro argued, comes down to the ingredients. Not only should you hold out for ripe, high-quality tomatoes, but Miyashiro suggested adding "more than just tomatoes and feta," reccommending quartered shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes to taste. Birria ramen In recent years, birria has become one of the trendiest Mexican dishes across social media, and now, creative cooks are trying it on more than just tacos. Bill Esparza at Eater describes birria as "a regional Mexican dish consisting of oven-roasted goat in adobo, alongside the preferred taco filling for locals, carne asada, and adobada (the regional name for al pastor)." It's like a parade for your taste buds, especially if you're craving something deeply flavorful. If the latest viral trend is to be believed, birria is shockingly good on top of ramen noodles. With two beloved dishes combined, what's not to like? However, depending on where you live, some Mexican restaurants do not offer birria. The trendy fusion dish might be somewhat compromised without fresh, artisan-made birria, but some birria superfans have shared on TikTok and Instagram about making their own version using frozen birria from Trader Joe's. On top of a pack of your favorite ramen noodles alongside diced onion and minced garlic, it makes for the perfect blend of Mexican and Japanese cuisine. "The stateside success of birria, a dish created by taqueros from Coatzingo and nearby Pueblan towns who then created a market for it in Tijuana, supported by many often-unnamed stands, is the product of the American dream," Eater reported, "driven by the entrepreneurship of children of immigrants." Marry Me Chicken There's a mouthwatering recipe that may have you getting down on one knee. It's called "Marry Me Chicken," and it's widely considered worth the hype. According to Buzzfeed, the term "Marry Me Chicken" was coined by editors at Delish.com after they taste-tested the creation back in 2018. Although it's not necessarily a new recipe, it recently reemerged and went viral on TikTok, leading countless people to discover the savory concoction. Delish writers told Buzzfeed that when their editors started "devouring this dish," they found themselves "blurting out marriage proposal-adjacent praises for this creamy, savory chicken dinner." Marry Me Chicken is made with chicken breast, garlic, thyme, cream, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and fresh basil. The recipe from Delish will bring you a dish worthy of holy matrimony. Enjoy! You may also like The future of 'Doctor Who' 5 theories for why Trump kept boxes of secret documents Alito did not disclose Alaska private jet trip from GOP billionaire with business before Supreme Court What we know about how much oxygen remains on the missing Titanic submersible As the search continues for the missing Titanic tourist submersible that was last seen on June 18, the United States Coast Guard is providing an update on the estimated oxygen supply remaining for the people onboard. The submersible, which is named Titan, planned to take five people to examine the wreckage of the Titanic. The ship split in two and sank in April 1912. On Tuesday, June 20, the U.S. Coast Guard held a press conference to share more information about the search efforts and the current conditions for the five missing people. A Coast Guard official estimated at the time that roughly 40 hours of oxygen remained for the five tourists. The vessel started with a supply of up to 96 hours of oxygen. NBC News reported on June 21 at 3:10 p.m. ET that approximately 16 hours of oxygen remain. The official said that the search, which is also being conducted via air, expanded to 7,600 square miles, which is larger than the state of Connecticut. In addition to the U.S. Coast Guards search efforts, the U.S. Navy, Canadian partners and civilians are helping to look for the submersible, as well. Although there are multiple vessels contributing to the search, the official explained that specialized equipment is needed to cover an area 2.5 miles deep. The Titan could be approximately 900 miles from Cape Cod and 400 miles from St. Johns, making it a challenging area to explore, the official explained. On June 21, NBC News reported that a Canadian aircraft detected underwater noises, but the U.S. Coast Guard said that the information and following redirected searches have yielded negative results, so far. First Coast Guard District Capt. Jamie Frederick said a Navy analysis of the noises was inconclusive. We dont know what (the noises) are to be frank with you, Frederick said in a press conference on June 21. The intent will be to continue to search in those areas where the noises were detected ... then put additional ROVs down in the last known position where the original search was taking place. He also pointed out that the five passengers have a limited ration of food and water available. The company conducting the underwater mission to visit the Titanic is called OceanGate Expeditions. CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire and owner of Action Aviation Hamish Harding, a French dive expert named Paul Henry Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman Dawood, have been identified as the five people onboard the Titan, according to NBC News. OceanGate has been promoting a third trip on its explorer for $250,000 on Facebook and its website for months, NBC News said. On June 19, the company released a statement about the missing vessel, which can only be opened from the outside. Our entire focus is on the wellbeing of the crew and every step possible is being taken to bring the five crew members back safely, the statement said. We are deeply grateful for the urgent and extensive assistance we are receiving. Aaron Newman, an investor in OceanGate, previously boarded the submersible craft to travel to the site of the Titanic wreckage in 2021. He spoke to TODAY about his experience on June 21, revealing that he felt very safe. They were a professional crew, they did a lot of training around safety and the backup systems around dropping weights, he recalled. So I felt very safe. Newman continued, But ... this is not a Disney ride, right? Were going places that very few people have been, and this is inventing things. So there are risks, right? And we know that, but all these people accepted that. He explained why he does not consider the five passengers to be tourists. These are people who lived on the edge and loved what they were doing and if anythings going on, these are people that are calm and thinking this through and doing what they can to stay alive. So this is a good set of people, he said. Newman compared his experience visiting the remains of the Titanic to traveling to another planet. Initially, he said the craft was warm before it descended into the cold depths of the ocean. He said, You had to layer up we had wool hats on and were doing everything to stay warm at that bottom. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Kremlin reacts to Zelenskyy's words about threat of terrorist attack on Zaporizhzhia NPP Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for the Russian dictator, has responded to the Ukrainian president's words about the Russians preparations for an explosion at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. As usual, the Kremlin has claimed this is a "lie". Source: RIA Novosti, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news outlet Quote: "This is another lie. You know, weve been in touch with the IAEA there, at the scene just now. The IAEA's assessment was very high. They saw everything, everything they wanted to see." Details: According to Peskov, Russia has planned contacts between IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev: "Our dialogue with the international agency is ongoing." Previously: On 22 June, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia is probably preparing to commit a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which could lead to a radiation leak. On 20 June, Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, stated that the threat of an explosion at the ZNPP is real, since the Russians had additionally mined the cooler. Background: ZNPP has been occupied by the Russians since early March 2022. At the end of July 2022, it was reported that the Russian military had deployed heavy military equipment with ammunition, as well as weapons and explosives in the turbine hall of ZNPP Power Unit 1. And in early August 2022, there was information about the deployment of military equipment in the turbine hall of ZNPP Power Unit 2. There is also evidence that the Russians are storing equipment, weapons and explosives in other production facilities at ZNPP, including in repair and mechanical rooms and on the roofs of power units. In May 2023, the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine reported that the Russians had placed military equipment and explosives in the turbine hall of ZNPP Power Unit 4. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Kyiv official suspected of negligence that resulted in deaths of civilians is now also suspected of embezzlement Roman Tkachuk, director of the Kyiv City State Administrations Municipal Security Department, was served a new suspicion notice as part of the case of civilians killed in a Russian missile strike on Kyiv as a result of not being able to access an air-raid shelter. Tkachuk is now suspected of embezzlement of budget funds under martial law. Source: Kyiv City Prosecutors Office; Kyiv Police Details: According to the investigation, on 11 November 2022, Tkachuk entered into a contract for the purchase of power generators for heating points in Kyiv worth over 28.6 million hryvnias [about US$774,350 ed.]. A government decree from 9 November 2022 declared this type of goods exempt from value added tax (VAT) and import duty. On 21 November, however, the Municipal Security Department used budget funds to pay 28.6 million hryvnias to the firm it contracted with, despite the fact that that amount included VAT. This has cost the department, and the Kyiv City State Administration, 1.8 million hryvnias [about US$48,735 ed.]. The Kyiv City Prosecutors Office said that the procurement audit report conducted by the State Audit Service of Ukraine confirmed the embezzlement of budget funds. If proven guilty, Tkachuk can be sentenced for 7-12 years in prison, disqualified from holding certain positions or engaging in certain activities for up to 3 years, and can have his property confiscated. Background: On the night of 1 June 2023, 3 people, including a 10-year-old child, were killed in the capital of Ukraine during a missile attack by the Russian invaders. They tried to access a shelter at a clinic in the Desnianskyi district, but the door was locked. Criminal proceedings were initiated in this case. Roman Tkachuk, director of the Municipal Security Department of the Kyiv City State Administration, was served a notice of suspicion as part of the case of civilians killed in a Russian missile strike on Kyiv as a result of not being able to access an air-raid shelter. Tkachuks negligence of his official duties, and his failure to oversee the extent to which shelters were maintained and ready for use, are said to have led to the deaths and injuries of civilians who attempted to access one of the shelters; the prosecutors stress that these are the "grave consequences" mentioned in Tkachuks notice of suspicion. Tkachuk has been placed under round-the-clock house arrest and given an electronic tag. The Kyiv City State Administration has complained that the arrest of the director of the Municipal Security Department will negatively impact the way emergency situations in Kyiv are dealt with. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (CNN) A fiery gas explosion in central Paris resulted in injuries to at least 37 people and drew hundreds of firefighters to the scene on Wednesday afternoon. Some 270 firefighters were deployed to the scene near Rue Saint Jacques in the citys fifth arrondissement, and have contained the fire, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told reporters. Four people remain in critical condition and officials say rescue workers are looking for at least two people thought to be missing in the rubble. Its possible that we will find dead bodies tonight, or we will find them alive, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said from the scene of the explosion. Investigators still dont know how the gas explosion occurred, he said, adding: There was no alarm sent out before the incident. The Paris prosecutor, who is probing the incident, said that early signs indicate that the gas explosion came from within the building that houses the Paris American Academy, according to CNN affiliate, BFMTV. Laure Beccuau, who visited the scene, said investigators will be leaning on accounts from injured persons in their inquiry. A part of the building collapsed following the blast and fire, videos show. Smoke was seen billowing from the rubble earlier on Wednesday as rescue workers attempted to tackle the blaze. Paris American Academy, a fashion and design school, describes itself on its website as the first bilingual design school in the French capital Kent State University, in the US state of Ohio, said all its students at the Paris American Academy are safe and accounted following the blast. Locals were also stopped from returning to their homes in surrounding streets by authorities in the aftermath of the explosion. One woman, Anne, told a CNN producer at the scene that she was inside her flat, around 500 meters (1,640 feet) from the site, when the explosion happened. It felt like an earthquake, the windows banged against each other, she said. Another woman who didnt want to give her name and lives in a neighboring avenue told CNN that her doors slammed shut from the explosion. The local deputy mayor Edouard Civel later explained in a tweet that the impact had been caused by a gas explosion. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo visited the scene later on Wednesday, writing in a tweet, My thoughts go first of all to the victims and their close ones. Authorities in Paris have opened an emergency response unit to handle the aftermath of the explosion. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Fire erupts in central Paris after gas explosion" Marisa Alcaraz, left, and Imelda Padilla are candidates for Los Angeles City Council District 6. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Tuesday is election day in the Los Angeles City Council District 6 race in the central and eastern San Fernando Valley. District 6 takes in all or part of the neighborhoods of Lake Balboa, Van Nuys, Panorama City, Arleta, North Hills, North Hollywood and Sun Valley. The special election was prompted by City Council President Nury Martinez's resignation last year. Who are the District 6 candidates? Marisa Alcaraz, 38, is a top policy advisor to South L.A. Councilmember Curren Price. She has worked on high-profile city laws that legalized street vending and mandated higher wages for workers. She lives in Lake Balboa. Imelda Padilla, 35, has worked for a variety of nonprofits and community groups on economic mobility and environmental justice issues. She served on the Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council and founded an annual career and college fair day for Los Angeles Unified School District students. She lives in Sun Valley. What are the candidates' positions on homelessness? Both candidates pledge to make helping the homeless a top priority. Alcaraz wants to expand a city program that she worked on that helps individuals avoid homelessness through financial assistance and counseling. She also wants to use vacant government properties to build housing. She supports the enforcement of 41.18 the citys anti-encampment law in targeted areas. She would back a citywide ban on RVs in residential neighborhoods. Padilla wants to audit the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the agency that oversees many homeless programs. She said she would bring more types of housing, including emergency interim housing, to District 6. She also supports 41.18. Padilla said she wouldn't support a citywide ban on RVs in neighborhood areas because she is worried the vehicles would set up in industrial and business areas. What would the candidates do to rebuild trust in City Hall? Padilla said she would hire staffers who ensure that she is accountable. She also wants to increase the power of neighborhood councils, including allowing them to more easily spend money and launch programs. She also supports expanding the size of the 15-member City Council so members represent a smaller pool of residents. Alcaraz also supports expanding the City Council to more members. She supports taking some discretionary power away from council members when it comes to development as a way of fighting possible corruption and said she supports state Senate Bill 423, a housing bill that would allow for more "by-right" development, subject to a streamlined approval process. Who is backing the candidates? Alcaraz has the support of Councilmembers Paul Krekorian and Heather Hutt, San Fernando Councilmember Cindy Montanez, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Unite Here Local 11, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770, Abundant Housing, among others. She took down the endorsement of Price off her website after he was charged last week with 10 felonies by Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. George Gascon. Price on Wednesday said that he is innocent and that the charges against him are "misguided." Padilla is supported by Rep. Tony Cardenas, Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, Laborers Local Union Local 300, Apartment Assn. Of Greater Los Angeles, East Area Progressive Democrats, among others. She is also endorsed by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Biz Fed PAC. Who is spending money on the candidates? The Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters has spent more than $150,000 to support Alcaraz. IBEW Local Union 18, which represents Los Angeles Department of Water and Power workers, has spent more than $100,000 to back her. The United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, the union representing city firefighters, has spent more than $195,000 to back Padilla. Another group backed by the California Apartment Assn. and the American Beverage Assn. has spent more than $219,000 to support Padilla. Where can residents vote? Voters can mail in their ballots or stop by voting centers that opened last week. The centers include Albert Piantanida Intergenerational Center at 9540 Van Nuys Blvd. in Panorama City; Goodwill Southern California at 14565 Lanark St. in Panorama City; and Central Lutheran Church at 6425 Tyrone Ave. in Van Nuys. Additional voting centers will open June 27. They include Gault Street Elementary School at 17000 Gault St. in Van Nuys; Bassett Street Elementary School at 15756 Bassett St. in Van Nuys; Fernangeles Elementary School at 12001 Art St. in Sun Valley; and LA Family Housing at 7843 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood. Past Coverage Read more: Voters have to look hard to spot the differences in the race for Nury Martinez's seat Read more: Martinez's resignation sets off scramble for mid-San Fernando Valley seat Read more: Nury Martinez is gone, but distrust remains high as Valley voters weigh a replacement Read more: Why some progressive groups are staying out of this L.A. City Council race Read more: Valley voters shrugged at election to replace Nury Martinez. Will June be any better? Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Authorities from Lake Mead National Recreation Area are urging people to prioritize safety after the area saw multiple fatalities and accidents this past weekend. Lake Mead is located in both Nevada and Arizona and has seen millions of visitors in the past, according to the park's website. Visitors can do a multitude of activities in the park, including boat, hike, camp, fish, swim and cycle. But after six people died in the area over Father's Day weekend, the National Parks Service urged caution. Three people died in an accident involving multiple cars, two people drowned and one person died by what is being deemed as suicide. The release states that park rangers also rescued 23 people over the weekend, with situations ranging from criminal incidents such as assault, theft, and drug use to "unsafe and unlawful incidents in the park." Water levels are up, visitation is strong, and the majority of visitors are enjoying a safe, fun and healthy environment, Acting Superintendent Mike Gauthier said in the release. Yet the tragic fatalities highlight the need to continually focus on safety and considerate behavior towards others when at the park. More on national park safety: Yellowstone issues plea after multiple incidents of tourists disturbing wildlife: Leave it alone' Officials from the park are reminding visitors to practice safety measures while at the lake, including driving the speed limit and wearing life jackets. "Know the rules, honor posted restrictions, avoid risky behavior, and be respectful of other visitors," the release states. Anyone who sees troubling or criminal activity is encouraged to call the park's dispatch line at 702-293-8932 "By practicing responsible recreation, park visitors can help staff to make a day at the lake a pleasant experience for everyone," it states. More on national parks: Move over Arches, Utah has another natural beauty to show off: Canyonlands National Park This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Six deaths at Lake Mead and 23 rescues over weekend prompt warning (Bloomberg) -- About half of Latino Americans viewed President Joe Biden favorably in a poll that also hints at one of the challenges his reelection campaign faces. Most Read from Bloomberg While Bidens 47% approval among the group is greater than in the US at large, the Ipsos poll also found that Latinos taking an unfavorable view of the president increased to 44%, 4 percentage points more than in a poll in October. Latinos, a fast-growing US voter bloc, are a key constituency for both parties in 2024. Polling suggests Democrats have lost some ground with Latino Americans since 2020, though that doesnt necessarily translate into increased GOP support, according to the Ipsos poll for Axios with Telemundo. About 30% of Latinos view former President Donald Trump favorably, while 20% have that opinion about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trumps closest challenger for the Republican presidential nomination. Biden has focused early campaign spending on Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin battleground states he won against Trump in 2020 while Florida, a state with one of the largest Latino populations, was also part of the 7-figure ad buy, Bidens campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a memo in May. The last Democrat to win Florida in a presidential election was Barack Obama in 2012. Republican presidential candidates for 2024 include Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, the first Latino to enter the race. The number of US Latino voters grew to 34.5 million in 2022, the fastest increase of any racial or ethnic group, according to Pew Research Center. In 2020, a majority of Hispanic Americans cast votes for Biden, though the margin was much narrower among those without a college degree, a Pew analysis found. Read more: Biden Campaign Maps Out Expanded Battlefields for 2024 Race All candidates may have to contend with an increasingly pessimistic mood among Latinos: 40% said its a bad time to be a Latino or Hispanic person in America, compared to 31% in October, Ipsos reported. The June 2-9 poll of 1,116 Latino Americans has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Latto graced the Cosmopolitan digital magazine cover in the nude, looking sultry and confident as she bared her truths on mental health, physical health, love and more. Latto has won big with her latest charting singles, remix with Mariah Carey, and accolades. To tour the world and give her fans 100%, Latto confessed that her sister Brooklyn inspired her to take her mental health seriously. The Put It On Da Floor Again artist admitted that living with ADHD didnt allow her to relax but found mental relaxation through body massages. I do not play with my massages. I get them twice a week if I can, Latto said. Respectfully, I never even acknowledged mental health before being famous. Its not that I didnt believe in it; it just had never crossed my mind. But being in the limelight, I understand the importance of mental health, me-time, and self-care. Really, this came from my little sister. She is my rock, my everything. But I was like, Man, I dont want to lie there. Ill get bored. Ive got ADHD. My anxiety isnt going to let me, she said. But, I really fell in love with it. Massages are more mental than physical for me. Latto isnt only keeping her mental well-being in check; shes even hired a trainer to get her right in the gym. The Atlanta native has been candid with fans about her cosmetic surgery history with a Brazillian butt lift and 360 liposuction. The icon admitted to almost scheduling a third procedure but decided to train in the gym. I got a BBL in 2020. I also got 360 lipo. Thats on my stomach, back, sides, and whole torso. But then youve got to maintain it. So I just hired a trainer, Latto said. I tweeted the other day that I was almost going to get a round two of surgery, and then I was like, let me just get a trainer instead. If you look on my Instagram, youll see Ive always worked out before and after the surgery. But I will leave early or not push myself as hard. Having a trainer holds you accountable, she shared. With the help of her sister and trainer, Latto seems to have healthy and helpful accountable partners around but admitted to having anxiety and sadness when reading trolls comments online. I get overwhelmed and overstimulated. Thats when my anxiety is at a peak. Ill literally feel my heart beating, and Ill be like, Relax! But I just gotta learn how to deal with it because its not going to get any easier. Im just going to get more famous. If youre not strong enough to see stuff and not respond, then you just need to get off, she said. Lauren Boebert's impeachment gambit is nothing new one House Democrat forced his colleagues to vote on impeaching Trump 3 times before they actually did it Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas and Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images. Rep. Lauren Boebert tried to force the House to vote on impeaching Joe Biden this week. Instead, House Republican leadership convinced her to shelve the effort for now. But what she did is nothing new. One House Democrat used the tactic 3 times during Trump's presidency. This week, Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado tried to force the House to vote on impeaching President Joe Biden over his handling of the southern border only to have the effort effectively quashed by House Republican leadership. Rather than vote on Boebert's impeachment resolution itself, the House held a vote on referring it to the House Homeland Security and Judiciary committees, which are not obligated to do anything with the resolution. Most Republicans viewed Boebert's effort as being too rushed and politically risky, arguing that it would not be appropriate to consider impeaching Biden until ongoing House investigations are resolved. Boebert, for her part, framed it as a win. Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) June 22, 2023 But this isn't the first time a gambit like this has been tried by a rank-and-file House member acting without the approval of party leadership. Three forced impeachment votes Rep. Al Green of Texas a Houston Democrat who's served since 2005 tried three different times to impeach former President Donald Trump before his own party's leadership was willing to do so. Each time, the House voted to table his resolutions, and party leaders made clear that they did not support Green's efforts, similarly arguing that impeaching Trump was premature. "Legitimate questions have been raised about his fitness to lead this nation," said Reps. Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, then the top-two House Democrats, in a joint statement ahead of Green's first forced vote. "Now is not the time to consider articles of impeachment." Later, Pelosi was even more blunt in her rejection of the idea. "No, I don't," she said when asked in 2019 if she supported Green's third impeachment effort. "Does that come as a surprise?" In total, Green's impeachment resolutions included: December 2017 condemning Trump as "unfit to be President" due to a litany of incendiary and extreme statements. 58 House Democrats voted against the motion to table. January 2018 condemning Trump as "unfit to represent the American values of decency and morality" due to his "Muslim ban" and referring to certain countries as "shithole countries." 66 House Democrats voted against the motion to table. July 2019 condemning Trump after he made a series of racist tweets about Democratic House members. 95 House Democrats voted against the motion to table. Eventually, the House did vote to impeach Trump twice including a Democratic-led effort over his attempt to force Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden and a bipartisan vote for incitement of an insurrection following the January 6 assault on the Capitol. Through a spokesperson, Rep. Green declined to be interviewed for this story. 'Every day for the rest of my time' Both Boebert and Green offered their impeachment resolutions via "privileged resolutions," which require the House to take procedural action in a relatively short amount of time. And as House Republicans on the right flank of the party have become more restive in recent weeks particularly in the wake of a debt ceiling compromise that many hard-right conservatives found unsatisfactory it appears likely that House conservatives may disrupt regular order more frequently moving forward. The push to censure Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, though backed by party leadership, also emerged initially as a privileged motion from Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, a member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus. The idea of impeaching Biden is popular among Republicans: one recent poll from University of Massachusetts Amherst found that 68% of Republicans and Trump voters would like to see Biden impeached. Boebert, speaking with reporters on Wednesday, made clear that she's willing to force another vote if the House doesn't take up impeachment soon. "If nothing happens in committee like I'm promised that it will, yes, I will bring a privileged resolution every day for the rest of my time here in Congress," said Boebert. Read the original article on Business Insider Texas Gov. Greg Abbott updated the state's disaster declaration on Thursday to include six additional counties on Thursday following deadly severe weather on Wednesday evening, bringing the total tally covered by the declaration to 21 counties. At least four people were killed and another 15 sustained injuries after a line of storms spawned multiple tornadoes across the north-central plains of Texas Wednesday evening. Matador, a town located roughly 70 miles northeast of Lubbock, Texas, took the brunt of the damage. "There is no force more powerful than Texans helping Texans, and this updated disaster declaration will help the State of Texas swiftly respond to communities devastated by last night's severe weather and tornadoes in West Texas," Abbott said in a press release. Several emergency response resources have been deployed to the area, including those from the state and Texas A&M. Local fire departments in the region have also deployed personnel and rescue assets. The Lubbock Fire Department confirmed the death toll in Matador had risen to four early Thursday morning. Among the 15 injured, seven were transported by EMS to local hospitals, while three were taken by personal vehicles. The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed to AccuWeather on Friday that power had been restored to 80 percent of Matador by 9:30 p.m. local time on June 22. The totality of the damage was also becoming clearer. Officials said there were 29 structures destroyed, 11 that sustained significant damage and 23 that had been damaged. The identities of the four people killed by the tornado were also released. Those who reportedly lost their lives were: Jo Etta Bumgardner, 85, of Matador; Randell Rolin, 59, of Purcell, Oklahoma; Victor Valenzuela Jr., 43, of Austin, Texas; and Troy Hernandez, 23, of San Angelo, Texas. National Weather Service senior forecaster William Iwasko confirmed there were three tornadoes in the line of storms Wednesday evening, but the twister in Matador was the only one to cause significant damage, according to The Associated Press. Storm chasers on social media described the damage in Matador as "horrific." GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Photos and videos illustrated the catastrophic damage the twister caused. In a video shared by KLBK's Chief Meteorologist Jacob Riley, what was once a Dollar General store was now a pile of rubble. Debris hung in the power lines surrounding the store. In a series of photos shared online of the damage, the engine of a vehicle was seemingly ripped out of the truck by the twister. All that remained of the truck was a crumpled-up metal frame. "Agencies from across the South Plains have assisted with search and rescue efforts," the Lubbock Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post. "These agencies include both police, fire, and EMS. State resources have arrived to Matador to begin post-disaster operations including damage assessment and final recovery efforts." This twister in Matador occurred less than a week after an EF3 tornado killed three people in Perryton, Texas, and an EF3 tornado pummeled the small Mississippi town of Louin. This June has been one of the deadliest in terms of tornadoes. According to AccuWeather Senior Weather Editor Jesse Ferrell, there have been 22 deadly tornadoes so far this year, which is the most since 2011. Severe weather was reported from North Dakota to Texas Wednesday. According to the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), there were 14 tornado reports Wednesday. Most of the tornado reports came from Colorado. AccuWeather Meteorologist and Storm Chaser Tony Laubach captured an incredible video of two side-by-side tornadoes in Washington County, Colorado, Wednesday. Washington County is located east of Denver. Twin tornadoes spinning in an open field south of Akron, Colorado, on June 21, 2023. (AccuWeather/ Tony Laubach) In addition to the tornado reports from Wednesday, there were 67 wind reports and 84 hail reports, according to the SPC. Concertgoers had to run for cover after hailstones started falling from the sky at the Red Rock Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, which is located just to the west of Denver. West Metro Fire reported that 80-90 people were treated on scene for injuries which ranged from cuts to broken bones. According to the agency, at least seven were transported to local hospitals were non-life-threatening injuries. "Tonight was the scariest night of my life," one concertgoer wrote on Twitter. "It started pelting people with hail at Red Rocks and my sister and I luckily found shelter under a sign. I am bleeding and have huge bumps on my head from the hail." Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app.AccuWeather Alerts are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer. Italian Prosecutor Seeks to Invalidate Birth Certificates for Same-Sex Parents Valeria Sanzari, the prosecutor for the city of Padua in northern Italy, is trying to cancel the birth certificates of 33 children born to lesbian couples, claiming the documents are illegal because they list the name of a non-biological parent. Italy has recognized same-sex civil unions since 2016 but does not provide couples full adoption rights in part because surrogate pregnancy is also illegal in the country. Some local mayors and city councils granted birth certificates to same-sex couples listing both as parents until Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ordered a stop to the practice earlier this year. Since 2017 I have been writing down the birth certificates of the children of two mothers, Paduas mayor, Sergio Giordani, told Ansa according to Italy 24 Press News. It is an act of responsibility towards these little ones because I do not accept the thought that there are children who are discriminated against right away, and as soon as are born, in their fundamental rights. These children are being orphaned by decree, center-left legislator and LGBTQ+ rights advocate Alessandro Zan was quoted by Reuters. In her first case, Sanzari is asking the court to remove one of the mothers from the birth certificate of a five-year-old girl and to legally change the girls last name. The child was born on August 30, 2017. The court set a hearing for November 14. The unnamed 40-year-old couple has two children, with each partner the biological parent of one of the children. Both children, a daughter and son, have double surnames reflecting the names of both parents. The daughter has already been enrolled in first grade with the double surname. The girls mother decried the situation, saying her daughter is in effect being told she no longer has a brother and mother. The couple has appealed the ruling. Advocates noted the difficulties facing Italian same-sex couples with children. Non-biological parents can lose custody and children can become wards of the state if the legally recognized parent dies, for example. And they are forced into a lengthy bureaucratic process to legally adopt the child. Opponents of same-sex parenting expressed little sympathy for the children or their families, however, blaming marriage equality for their actions. In Italy, marriage is only between a man and a woman, and therefore only the biological parent is the parent whose surname can be registered," Italys minister for parliamentary relations, Luca Ciriani, told RTL radio on Tuesday according to Reuters. The countrys lower legislative body is currently considering a bill that would make traveling abroad for a surrogate baby punishable by up to two years in jail. There will be no decisive battle in this war and no parade of the Ukrainian army on Red Square. Not because there will be no Ukrainian victory, but because there will be no victory of the Sec-ond World War model. Last autumn, friends from the front turned to us with a request to formulate clearly what we are fighting for - conditions that can be considered a victory for Ukraine. The answer was the "Manifesto of Sustainable Peace: The World After Our Victory" - a document prepared by about twenty Ukrainian experts from various fields of law, politics, and economics. The "Manifesto" was presented at the Munich Security Conference. The reactions to it varied from very positive to rather critical. The latter mostly come from the West. To reduce the criticism to a few words: the document is unrealistic. One commentator even advised stopping talking about the Manifesto, saying that it compromises Ukraine and proves that Ukrainians cannot be dealt with because they live in the clouds. We need to consider the realities - who would argue about that? But the old realities ceased to exist on February 24, and there are no new ones yet - they change daily. So how do we deal with what is not there? We must be realists and demand the impossible. From the first days of the war, we see the compromise of all those politicians, ideologists, and experts who called themselves realists. Their credibility is easy to check: listen to or read their statements from the end of February to the beginning of March 2022. How many days did they give Ukraine before it fell under Russia's attack? New realities are being formed every day, and are being formed in Ukraine. Looking back at the past century, the most insightful historians came to conclusions that were not obvious then but are now apparent: the fate of the First and Second World Wars depended to a large extent on what was happening in and around Ukraine. Fortunately, the present war did not become the Third World War, although it still can. But there are other differences. Then, Great Powers decided the fate of the world without Ukraine and Ukrainians. Now, Ukrainians - first and foremost those on the front lines - determine the contours of the future. Therefore, Ukraine has the moral right and even obligation to formulate victory on its own terms. Recall how Margaret Thatcher and George H.W. Bush advised Kyiv not to leave the USSR, while Bill Clinton and Boris Yeltsin insisted that Ukraine get rid of its nuclear arms. From publicly available documents of then-secret diplomacy, we can see that in the 1980s, Western leaders did not want the victory of the anti-communist opposition in communist Poland. They feared that this victory would undermine international stability. The leaders of Solidarity then repeated the well-known slogan, "Be realists - demand the impossible!". Thirty years later, we see whose approach was realistic. Poland in the 1980s is Ukraine in 2020: a country from which a new world order is growing. We did not choose such a role. But when circumstances dictate, we must be realists and demand the impossible. Several "realistic" scenarios can already be buried. Firstly, Ukraine will not disappear from the world map, as Putin hoped. Secondly, Putin is unlikely to dare use nuclear weapons. But even if so - in principle, all conversations about the future lose meaning. There will be no decisive final battle or victory parade of the Ukrainian army on Red Square in this war. Not because there will be no Ukrainian victory, but because there will be no victory in the model of the Second World War. The current war is more similar to the First World War. A long war of attrition, in which the one who first could not bear its burden lost - in 1917, the Russian Empire, and then at the end of 1918, the German Empire. The end of such a war comes from one side's collapse. Therefore, the main goal is to bring Putin's regime to such a collapse through a combination of Ukrainian successes on the battlefield, Western assistance to Ukraine, Western sanctions against the Russian Federation, and a mixture of devastated Russian refrigerators, Russian mobilization, and Russian funerals. The rest of the scenarios will fluctuate between the worst for Ukraine and the worst for Russia, including its eventual disintegration. The question is not choosing between the first and second as a binary, but how to move as far away from the first and as close to the second as possible. In such cases, the archer rule applies: one should aim higher when shooting longer distances and wanting to hit the target. Military experts argue: returning to the borders on February 24th will be very difficult; what can we say about the borders of 1991? We, the authors of the "Manifesto," believe that even reaching the borders of 1991 will not solve the problem. This will be a victory, but not a sustainable peace. It will be a more or less lasting truce. Russian history demonstrates a clear tendency: every attempt by Russia to modernize and become a normal country ends in failure. As Russians boast: every crisis in Russia ends with expanding its borders. In modern Ukrainian terms: if Russia does not change even after a new peace, in 20-30 years, a new Putin will appear there, and there will be another war. Therefore, a plan for sustainable peace for Ukraine continues after the return to the borders of 1991. It is a necessary but insufficient condition. Sustainable peace involves a plan to transform a defeated Russia under pressure from the West and with the participation of Ukraine. Our Manifesto is a list of "must-have" conditions for such a plan. For example, we demand the punishment of Putin - with the decision of the Hague Tribunal, this demand has become a new reality. Of course, over time, the Manifesto will have to be revised. After the Ukrainian counteroffensive, a new reality will emerge, and new demands will have to be applied to it. But no matter what changes occur, the principle remains the same: there can be no sustainable peace without fair and far-sighted peace. Crimes must be punished, borders restored, Russia or whatever remains after it transformed into a normal country or countries. Therefore, let us be realists - let us demand the impossible. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Letter to NOAA shows how far Snake dam opponents will go to control the narrative | Opinion With partisan politics now driving the narrative in the Snake River dams debate, Mondays Congressional field hearing in the Tri-Cities is more critical than ever. Only Congress has the authority to breach the dams, so it is imperative that U.S. lawmakers get a chance to see the dams for themselves and talk with the people who manage them directly. Eastern Washington Republican Reps. Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers will lead members of the House Committee on Natural Resources on a tour of Ice Harbor Dam before the public hearing, which begins at 1 p.m. at Richland High School. In light of a recent effort by several pro-breaching organizations to muzzle regional NOAA representatives, this meeting couldnt come at a better time. A story published last month by the Capital Press took a hard look at how the salmon in the Snake River are faring, and the article apparently didnt sit well with those determined to see the dams breached. The article quoted Ritchie Graves, Columbia Hydropower Branch chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), who said that for every 100 young Chinook and steelhead that head downstream and past the four Snake River dams, about 75 survive the trip. Graves went on to say thats pretty good and that, In a lot of river systems, that would be something they would shoot for, according to the Capital Press. Also in the article, Graves confirmed that the dams are achieving NOAA performance standards with 96% survival of yearling Chinook and steelhead, and 93% for Chinook less than a year old. In addition, the survival rate is 90% for adult fish swimming upstream. In response to these and other statements made by Graves, and by NOAA spokesman Michael Milstein, 13 environmental and fishing groups sent a letter to the NOAA administrator in Washington, D.C. They requested the head office provide a correction to the Capital Press that would clarify the significance of the dams in salmon and steelhead mortality. The letter also said, We expect NOAA to correct the record and continue advocating in public and private for solutions regarding the restoration of fish runs. Essentially, these pro-breaching groups didnt like that the NOAA biologist who works in the trenches and actually monitors the Snake dams didnt parrot the party line so to speak. This letter is concerning for a variety of reasons. For years, NOAA studies showed that breaching the Snake dams would make negligible improvements to salmon runs. But last year, in an unprecedented move, the Biden Administration launched another look at the issue and, among other actions, called for removing the four lower Snake River dams. In its Rebuilding Salmon and Steelhead in the Columbia River Basin report, NOAA called dam removal the centerpiece action for fish restoration. At the time of the reports release, Kurt Miller, executive director of Northwest RiverPartners, said the final NOAA document was written in collaboration with groups that have campaigned for years for dam removal. Now it appears those same groups or at least those with similar interests dont want any NOAA official to provide a narrative that could weaken their myopic, pro-breaching position. First of all, expecting NOAA officials in Washington, D.C., to publicly override the opinion of a front-line branch chief takes some nerve. If the head office complies, it affirms the idea that the Rebuilding report is more about political posturing than finding solutions. Second of all, this letter comes off like an attempt to silence a reporters source and thats also inappropriate especially when that source has the data and first-hand knowledge. We care deeply about restoring salmon runs and the environment. Considering that salmon survival along the entire west coast of North America has fallen by 65% from north Canada on down, there is clearly something besides the Snake dams affecting our fish. The more lawmakers who see how the dams operate, the better. The upcoming field hearing is a good start. You just cant beat getting first-hand knowledge. Letters to the Editor: Public pensions have a responsibility to their beneficiaries, not the environment An Exxon gas station in San Francisco in 2020. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press) To the editor: The Times' editorial board argues that California public pension funds' ownership of fossil fuel stock "props up" the fossil fuel industry. Not true. A business receives money from its stock only when it sells shares or uses shares for loan collateral. Investors continuing to own shares does not "prop up" a business, and a business does not receive anything when shares already in the market are traded among others. So what is the point of divesting? If trustees of the funds believe investment returns would be improved, then that in itself is reason to do so without any "green" arguments. The trustees of California's public pension funds have a legal fiduciary duty to seek the best investment returns consistent with safety. That duty does not include considering "greenness," other than how it might affect returns or risk. David Fink, Los Angeles .. To the editor: As a retired community college history professor whose pension is handled by the California State Teachers Retirement System, I urge this funds divestment from fossil fuels as quickly as possible. The energy from oil, coal and gas is simply obsolete still in existence and capable of harming us greatly like the swinging tail of a dying dinosaur. Solar, wind, geothermal and perhaps limited quantities of nuclear power are the future, especially given the short time the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that we have remaining to salvage a livable climate. These available renewable energies require investment, and the smart money from the pension funds of Harvard and the University of California system has already made the shift away from fossil fuels. Business as usual with fossil fuel funds wont work. The ominous extreme weather, mega wildfires, polluted air and sea level rise require investors to decarbonize their portfolios for stakeholders and a livable planet. Tom Osborne, Laguna Beach This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Kyiv (CNN) The 34-foot vessel speeds along Ukraines Dnipro River at maximum velocity, before its captain shouts: Hold! It does a snap turn and then smoothly moves on, in a seamless motion, barely slowing down. With little armor, the US-donated Dauntless Sea Ark patrol boat relies on speed to evade attacks, and its impressive maneuverability is a key asset for Ukraines recently established river fleet. Were looking for any kind of enemies everywhere, air, on land and on the river as well, Captain Anton, his surname withheld for security reasons, says of his mission. All the river Dnipro, from the north to the south, the riverine fleet must protect it. With a length of almost 1,400 miles (2,200 km) the Dnipro is the fourth longest river in Europe, rising in Russia, flowing through Belarus and Ukraine, before finally ending in the Black Sea. It cuts through Ukraine, connecting some of its major cities such as Kyiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson providing water, electricity and a natural barrier against advancing armies. Its water supply helps cool the reactors of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. And the destruction caused by the recent blast at the Nova Kakhovka dam also highlighted its importance for Ukrainians and Russians alike. The river is a strategic object, Captain Anton says. (Because of the explosion) now we can understand how it is important to make it a safe and secure place. For that reason Ukraine has been developing its river fleet, seeking to maintain control of the Dnipro and its shores, especially as it pushes through with its long awaited counteroffensive. In addition to some old Soviet equipment and civilian vessels modified for combat purposes, it has recently received support from the United States, NATO and other allies to bolster its fleet. According to the US Department of Defense, Washington alone has contributed with 62 coastal and riverine patrol boats, including at least 18 of these Dauntless Sea Ark patrol boat CNN got access to. With a maximum speed of 35 knots (40 mph/65 kmh) and with three machine gun mounts, as well as 40mm grenade launchers, the Dauntless Sea Ark adds much-needed muscle to Ukraines riverine operations. Our mission is to patrol the Dnipro River, since its prohibited to use any kind of navigation since 24th of February 2022, Captain Anton explains. We have to check each boat, which is now on the river to check whether they have any suspicious objects whatsoever. Their main concern initially was Russian infiltrators, or any related activity, but since Moscow started using Iranian-made Shahed drones to target cities, especially the capital Kyiv, they have taken on a new role. Were taking part in air defense as well, he says. Russia frequently flies the drones along the river, close to the water, making it more difficult for Ukrainian air defenses and radars to see and target them, and thats where the river fleet comes in. In cases where Russia is using Shaheds, we can use (these boats) to try and strike them, Captain Anton explains. Thats part of our job as well. A growing part of an otherwise dwindling Navy Most of Ukraines seafaring navy was lost in the first weeks of Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022, with Kyiv losing control of the seas to Moscow very early on. Ukrainian sailors famously refused to surrender control over the strategic Snake Island, telling the Russian flagship Moskva go f*** yourself, but were powerless to fight back. Later on, Ukraine shifted the balance of power by relying on drones, Western-donated Harpoon anti-ship missiles, as well as its own domestic-made Neptune missiles, to push the Russian navy away from its shores even sinking the Moskva and regaining control of Snake Island. Yet despite these successes, Kyiv has been unable to effectively challenge Moscow for control of the Black Sea. Russia maintains a large fleet in the area and Western aid has largely been directed at bolstering Ukraines ground forces. But its a different picture along the mighty Dnipro. Ukrainian special forces have been using the waterway to launch raids across the river, since they retook the city of Kherson at the end of last year, carrying sabotage operations in Russian-controlled territory and, in some cases, successfully establishing foothold in some islands along the Dnipro. In addition to those surprise attacks, units such as Captain Antons, which are currently stationed away from the battlefield, could play a role in future operations. We are ready, he says. If needed of course well fight. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Formidable patrol boats are giving Ukraine the edge along the Dnipro River" A Fayette County grand jury has decided to indict a Nicholasville man on a murder charge despite a judges previous decision to downgrade the offense. Corry Jackson, 37, was indicted Tuesday on charges of murder and being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun by the grand jury, according to court documents. He was originally charged with murder, assault and possession of a gun as a felon. On May 1, Fayette District Judge Denotra Spruill Gunther reduced his murder charge to manslaughter after she claimed a Lexington police detectives initial testimony did not provide enough evidence to support the murder charge. She dropped the assault charge. During the preliminary hearing on May 1, Detective Jeremy Adkins admitted that only witness statements prompted Jacksons arrest. Jackson was not found with a weapon, and Adkins shared there was a separate suspect they were pursuing entirely who had not been charged. Adkins also said investigators were waiting on gunshot residue testing to be done by Kentucky State Police which has a backlogged evidence lab. Daniel Whitley, Jacksons attorney, said the residue evidence could exonerate his client. Whitley also said that if his client was involved at all, he could have been defending one of the victims in the incident, which left two people dead. Jackson was arrested after the shooting in the 400 block of Chestnut Street on April 20. Lakeisha Hill, 32, and Timonte Harris, 43, both died as a result of the shooting. Jackson was arrested one block away from the scene of the shooting, and a witness later identified him as the shooter, according to court documents. Testimony from Adkins revealed police believed Hill was actually killed by Harris, who Whitley said his client could have come to defend. Fayette Commonwealths Attorney Kimberly Baird said a grand jury often hears more information than what is presented at a preliminary hearing, which could be why they decided to indict Jackson with murder. Once we get the case and present it to the grand jury there is more information involved, (the grand jury) asks questions about what happened, and it is more full presentation because the standards are different, Baird said. Based on the information they receive, they can make the determination to keep the charge as is, increase it, or dismiss it. Based on what they heard from the detective, they felt the appropriate charge was murder. Whitley said much of the time, people have faith in police and the grand jury, but after Jacksons recent indictment, he said he feels the system is completely flawed. He said his office doesnt have discovery of the evidence against his client yet, but he hoped every piece of evidence the prosecutors have was presented. I am hoping that the test results were presented to grand jury and the Fayette commonwealth attorney presented all the evidence they have available. Nothing should be pending while someone is being charged with murder, Whitley told the Herald-Leader. If all the evidence and test results DNA, gunshot residue and whatever they have against my client was not presented, this is is extreme injustice and a slap in the face to everyone who believes in the system. Jackson is scheduled to make his next court appearance June 30. This is a developing story and may be updated. A well-known South End gay bar that promotes itself as The best LGBTQ friendly spot in Charlotte is being accused this week of taking a particularly unfriendly stance toward one drag performer. More than 250 individuals, community organizations and businesses have signed a letter announcing a boycott of The Bar at 316 near South and East boulevards, in the wake of a Saturday night incident in which local drag performer Shelby Savage alleges that the establishments owner angrily shouted them off the stage mid-performance. In an email to The Charlotte Observer, Savage said they had performed one number at the club and then left the stage to change outfits. Upon returning for a second number, Savage alleges The Bar at 316 owner Jeff Edwards suddenly lashed out. He begins pointing directly at me saying, Youre a freak! Stop! said Savage, who identifies as a bearded drag queen and uses they/them pronouns. I dont want that on my stage! Get this freak off my stage! You are not welcomed here! Savage says they promptly left after Edwards alleged outburst. The letter regarding the boycott of The Bar at 316 co-signed by several of the areas largest LGBT-rights-focused groups, including Equality North Carolina, Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, Carolinas CARE Partnership and Charlotte Pride specifically points to Edwards alleged behavior toward Savage over the weekend. But it also alleges that the bar owner has a history of aggression and racism, which has caused repeated harm to Black and Brown members of the LGBTQ+ community. Savage is a person of color; and although Savage does not accuse Edwards of making racist remarks Saturday, both they and the boycott letter said his alleged outburst again displayed his contempt towards BIPOC members of the LGBTQ+ community. Shelby Savage, who on Instagram touts herself as The Neon Bearded Comedy Badass of the Carolinas. Courtesy of Shelby Savage When asked for other examples of incidents involving Edwards, the Observer was referred to online reviews for The Bar at 316. Of the nearly 200 reviews of the club on Google, more than two dozen accuse it of racism. Although several have been posted just this week, many are older. One from about six years ago was posted by a 31 year old black male, recent MBA graduate who claims he was refused a soda by the owner and told that my look was rude and inappropriate. Without thinking, I attempted to apologize. Before I could finish my apology, I was told to leave! As I am leaving, I am given a lesson on how my look came across. It was a re-enactment of negative African-American stereotypes. According to a 2019 story published in QNotes, a Charlotte-based LGBTQ community newspaper, the space occupied by The Bar at 316 has long been a haven for LGBTQ customers first as a restaurant and bar called Amanda Rose, then as Stevens, then as Liaisons. In 2010, the staff of the Creative Loafing alternative newspaper picked The Bar at 316 as the citys best gay/lesbian bar. Over the years, the bar has hosted various high-profile events for the LGBTQ community, including the kickoff party for Charlotte Pride and in 2016 a candlelight vigil for hundreds of people in support of the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. Attempts to reach Edwards for comment were unsuccessful. But in an August 2020 interview with WCNC, he said his bar kind of gives people a safe haven, a place to have fun and be themself, and its more like a family than just a bar. The signers of the boycott, meanwhile, feel Edwards and his establishment dont give off that vibe at all. In their letter, the signers state they have instituted a ban on any drag performer/entertainer that accepts a booking, or otherwise performs at The Bar at 316. This boycott will block any performer who collaborates with Jeff Edwards and The Bar at 316, in any way, from performing at any other venue in either state (North or South Carolina) run by the undersigned. Protest held on June 20, 2023 in Charlotte. Courtesy of Boycott Bar316 Added Savage, in their email: Mr. Edwards ... loves to welcome what he sees as good company into his bar. He wants white skinny men. Anything other than that, meaning if youre a bigger white man or a skinny black man, you will be given a less than acceptable experience. Learning is a lifelong process and it happens both in the classroom and the workplace. Project SEARCH graduate Jonah Wentzel-Mowen knows this to be true. Jonah received his Licking Heights diploma during the May 22 Project SEARCH 2023 graduation at Midland Theatre in Newark. Along with completing the requirements for his high school diploma, Jonah, along with four other central Ohio students, completed a year-long internship with Licking Memorial Health Systems (LMHS). His internship included rotations in the Purchasing, Culinary and Concierge Departments. Jonah Wentzel-Mowen earned both his Licking Heights diploma and a full-time job offer from Licking Memorial Health Systems during the Project SEARCH graduation on May 22, 2023. Jonah also received the Mike Scheid Achiever Award to support his transition to the workforce. As a result of his hard work throughout the program, Jonah was offered a full-time job with LMHS in the Culinary Department. He will work on the patient food service side, where he will order, deliver and collect meals. Out of all Project SEARCH graduates who interned with Licking Memorial, Jonah was selected as the 2023 recipient of the Mike Scheid Achiever Award, too. This accolade provides financial resources to help support Project SEARCH graduates as they start their full-time employment. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Project SEARCH is an international network of businesses that provide internships, educational opportunities and pathways to full-time employment to individuals with developmental disabilities. Participating businesses offer the Transition-to-Work program, which places students in a one-year employment preparation program. Each year, Licking County high school students complete their Transition-to-Work program with LMHS. Other central Ohio businesses that participate in the program include: OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital (Delaware), OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital (Dublin), OhioHealth Doctors Hospital (Columbus), OhioHealth Berger Hospital (Circleville), DHL (Lockbourne), Fairfield Medical Center (Lancaster), Nationwide Childrens Hospital (Columbus), DSW (Columbus) and Hilton Columbus at Easton (Columbus). Information submitted by Licking Heights Local Schools. This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Heights student earns Project SEARCH honors, secures employment Lifes about to get scarier for Floridas undocumented workers. And DeSantis makes us all pay | Opinion A new, all-encompassing anti-illegal-immigrant law, with several malevolent components, will take effect in Florida on July 1. Its main goal, sadly, is simple: To guarantee no undocumented immigrant in this state can rest easy. But it will impact us all, economically, socially and for some morally. The law, pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis as a far-right response to President Bidens perceived inaction on border policy, will discourage undocumented immigrants from settling down in Florida by making it so difficult for them to find work, healthcare and receive relatives assistance that they will leave or avoid Florida altogether. In Florida, we will not stand idly by while the federal government abandons its lawful duties to protect our country. The legislation I signed today gives Florida the most ambitious anti-illegal immigration laws in the country, fighting back against reckless federal government policies and ensuring the Florida taxpayers are not footing the bill for illegal immigration, DeSantis said when he signed the bill into law in May. Now, the impact of this master plan will begin to be felt as aspects of the bill take effect in just over a week. In a special report on Sunday, Miami Herald reporter Clara-Sophia Daly gave readers a glimpse of what this new law will mean for undocumented migrants, who quietly help prop up the South Florida economy, whether we admit to it or not. Its apparent, she learned, that fear is spreading not only among the undocumented workers already in the shadows, but also immigrant activists, and even employers, who usually hire the undocumented for jobs like picking fruit and vegetables and paying them under the table. Keep in mind, these are jobs few others here will do. Badge of honor This law, of course, is a trophy from a compliant state Legislature that he can hoist in the air on his cross-country campaign for president, especially in areas where relocating immigrants from the Texas border to liberals strongholds, as DeSantis has done, is a badge of honor, not shame. In essence, the law does closing all doors on any chance the undocumented can live a regular life in Florida: It punishes not only these migrants, but also anyone who helps or employs them. And it makes it more onerous for them to seek medical treatment. It requires private employers with 25 or more employees to use the E-Verify system for new employees beginning July 1. It also expands penalties for employers who fail to comply with E-Verify requirements, including the possible suspension and revocation of employer licenses and the imposition of specific penalties on employers knowingly employing illegal aliens. In the past, E-Verify has been unreliable in its results. It creates a third-degree felony for an unauthorized immigrant to knowingly use a false ID document to gain employment. It prohibits a county or municipality from providing funds to any person or organization for the purpose of issuing IDs or other documents to an illegal migrant. Undocumented migrants will no longer be permitted to rely on out-of-state drivers licenses. If another state issued a license to someone unable to prove lawful presence in the United States, that person is prohibited from operating a motor vehicle in Florida. The law also enhances penalty for human smuggling when smuggling a minor, when smuggling more than five people and when the defendant has a prior conviction for human smuggling. The new law now also adds the crime of human smuggling to the list of crimes allowed for prosecution under the Florida Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act. And the law requires each hospital that accepts Medicaid to include a question on admission or registration forms that asks whether the patient is a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the country. Hospitals will be required to provide a quarterly report to the Agency for Health Care Administration detailing the number of patients that visited the emergency department or were admitted to the hospital in each category of the citizenship status question on the admission or registration forms. Lives in danger We can only imagine how life-threatening a mandate like this can be for someone who is hiding in the shadows. No, the Biden administration has not been reckless at the Southern border, having implemented policies that make it harder for migrants to seek political asylum without prior authorization secured in a country through which they traveled. But, yes, presidents and federal lawmakers both have been derelict in tackling immigration reform head-on. This irresponsible lapse has left the huge hole through which DeSantis could ram through this law, lacking in all compassion. We believe in law and order. But we also believe in the reality of undocumented migrants established presence in this country, the role they play in keep our economy afloat and the raw deal many of them are getting as DeSantis political pawns. DeSantis law is aimed at making Florida a living hell for illegal immigrants, and it will touch the lives of the rest of us. Well played, governor, at least for your own purposes. Innovators of these new devices are hoping they can help stop mass killings. Brian Arwari, University of Miami associate clinical professor, with his Lightguard device, designed to combat gun violence. (Courtesy: Joshua Prezant/University of Miami) At 10:11 a.m. on March 27, a shooter walked up to an entrance at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., and fired from an assault rifle through a glass door, striking and killing a custodian, Mike Hill. The killer went on to fatally shoot three adults and three children. In 2023, there were at least 318 mass shootings in the United States, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Brian Arwarian, an associate clinical professor at the University of Miami, said he is tired of seeing these tragic shootings turn from anger, thoughts and prayers to a cycle that will repeat itself somewhere else in the U.S. Arwari, who runs the university's Neuro-Cognitive Kinesiology lab, told Yahoo News that his inspiration came "from seeing the situations like the Pulse Nightclub [shooting] ... and even before that, the Bataclan [theater] in France, referring to the 2016 shooting in Orlando in which 49 people were killed, and an attack in Paris in 2015 in which 90 people died. With a graduate student, Luis Carlos Diaz, he has invented a device called the Lightguard system, which, when triggered, flashes a bright light that can disorient an assailant. The Lightguard Security System can temporarily impair an attackers vision with a light-based defensive mechanism. (Courtesy: Brian Arwari) In the absence of stricter gun control legislation, Lightguard is just one of several new products intended to combat gun violence. Impairing an attackers vision The Lightguard Security System can temporarily impair an attackers vision, rendering someone in its path functionally blind for about 10 to 20 seconds. The partial visual impairment may last up to a few minutes. Arwari has tested the device on himself. All you can think about is, I need to get this out of my face. So, instinctually, you turn away, and you want to go in the other direction, he said. He compares the device to a flash-bang, also known as a stun grenade, often used by police, but said the Lightguard is safer, since flash-bangs can cause permanent hearing loss or severe burns. Lightguard also serves as an emergency trigger to alert police. The device is intended to stun a potential shooter, giving first responders more time to reach the scene, according to the founders of Lightguard. Arwari said the goal is to stun a potential shooter, giving first responders more time to get to the scene. Law enforcement or someone authorized at a business or school have the authority to activate and turn off the device. The hope is that it will disorient the assailant and save lives. Arwari and Diaz have been working on Lightguard for three years. The way we've looked at it is: How can we use technology as it's evolving and address this threat? Ernest Bachrach, a former managing partner with the private equity firm Advent International and a co-founder of Lightguard who has funded the research, told Yahoo News. The Lightguard gives off 100,000 lumens of light, equivalent to roughly 1,000 home light bulbs. 'A potential false sense of security' Some experts are skeptical of deploying new products without data to show how many lives they actually save and whether they make sense from a cost-benefit perspective relative to other violence-prevention efforts. It's certainly important to think about how we put seconds on the clock for people, Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut, executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, told Yahoo News. Law enforcement officers or someone authorized by a business or school are intended to activate and turn off the device. (Courtesy: Brian Arwari) Everything is a cost-benefit analysis, Schildkraut said, observing that whatever the cost of the devices, "You have to think about the statistical unlikelihood of a mass shooting happening in a school relative to the amount of money you're planning to invest in something like that versus more mental health counselors, more social workers. Intuitively, there could be either appeal, or there could be a good rationale for why something like this might stop an intruder or might have an effect on the amount of violence that happens within a school, Dr. Justin Heinze, a professor at the University of Michigan and co-director of the National Center for School Safety, told Yahoo News. Without that data, he said, he would be concerned that the system might create "a potential false sense of security. Preventing misuse One can imagine that Lightguard could be useful not only against mass shooters, but also to mass shooters who wanted to disorient their victims. Arwari said, however, the Lightguard operates on a business-to-business model, selling to businesses and institutions, not the general public, to prevent misuse. The units are wired into the electrical grid and bolted onto a wall, he said in an email. They cannot be carried around in one's pocket. Additionally, they are registered to a specific location. On the hypothetical that someone were to remove a unit from a wall, it would not work. Finally, we can remotely disable any single unit or part of the system that is lost/stolen/misplaced. Smart guns Two companies have announced plans to release smart guns, which use fingerprint technology that allows only verified users to shoot. In January, LodeStar Works unveiled its 9mm smart handgun for its shareholders and investors. SmartGunz, a Kansas company, says its own product is in beta testing with law enforcement. Both companies hope to have a product commercially available this year, which they say could help lower suicides, make lost or stolen guns useless and protect law enforcement if criminals grab their guns. A prototype of the Biofire Smart Gun at Biofire Technologies headquarters in Broomfield, Colo., on April 18, 2022. (Matt Mills McKnight/Reuters) While most guns in mass killings are purchased legally, there are instances where a weapon was registered to someone else, such as the shooter's parent or a straw purchaser. The more you're able to separate somebody from a weapon, even temporarily, when they are at a heightened risk of crisis or of using it to harm themselves or others, the more likely you are to be able to de-escalate the situation and reduce the likelihood of harm, Schildkraut said. The cost of school safety Security cameras could potentially block shooters from entering a building. Companies have been developing security cameras using artificial intelligence that can identify suspicious people with weapons, but questions remain over the effectiveness of the products and concerns about privacy and potential discrimination. A CCTV security camera in an office building, (Getty Images) In 2015, NBC News profiled Southwestern High School in Shelbyville, Ind., which is equipped with a full security camera system connected live to the sheriffs department, a panic button for each teacher, bullet-resistant classroom doors and cannons that spit blinding smoke from the ceiling. That came in at a cost of $400,000. For many schools, that's a really big investment to make, and we don't even know if they can work, Heinze said. Liquor store employees thought armed robber was joking when he pulled out gun, Duluth police say Employees at a Gwinnett County business say they thought an armed robber was joking when he pulled out a gun and demanded money from their register. Duluth police say a man dressed in all black walked into Sweetwater Package Store and pointed a gun at one of the employees, but it didnt faze them at all. Everyone shared a laugh and the employees kept ringing up another customer, Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson learned. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] It became more serious when he demanded money started threatening more people with what appeared to be a gun in a sock. Corporal Ted Sadowski says officer showed up to the store earlier this month looking for the robber, but he had already ran down the street back home. A week later, SWAT teams swarmed on 42-year-old Tyrik Brights apartment. Crimes like this could have turned deadly for a few hundred dollars, Sadowski said. TRENDING STORIES: Bright denied his involvement in the robbery to police at the time of his arrest. However, officers found pieces of clothing worn by the robber in surveillance video. They located the shoe and the distinct pair of pants he wore during the robbery, said Sadowkski. He is currently being held in the Gwinnett County Jail on a charge of armed robbery. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: The list of Democratic lawmakers boycotting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis joint address to Congress on Thursday is growing. Progressive Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Summer Lee (D-Pa.) on Thursday said they wouldnt attend the event. They join fellow progressive Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). When it comes to standing up for human rights, actions speak louder than words, Bush and Bowman said in a joint statement with Tlaib and Omar. The statement blasted the decision to invite the Indian leader adding that by bestowing Prime Minister Modi with the rare honor of a joint address, Congress undermines its ability to be a credible advocate for the rights of religious minorities and journalists around the world. The lawmakers added that they stand in solidarity with the communities that have been harmed by Modi and his policies. We must never sacrifice human rights at the altar of political expediency and we urge all Members of Congress who profess to stand for freedom and democracy to join us in boycotting this embarrassing spectacle. Lee, in a separate statement, said Modis government has targeted journalists, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and jailed political opponents. We are not true allies if we cannot push them to uphold basic human rights and religious freedoms, she added. The statements come just hours before the Indian prime minister was set to arrive at the Capitol. Modis speech to the joint session of Congress comes hours after he met with President Biden and announced a slew of military, tech and health deals between the U.S. and India. During the joint press conference at the White House, Modi brushed aside a question about human rights abuses and democratic backsliding in his country. While Democrats in both the House and the Senate have urged Biden to address the issue of human rights in his meetings with Modi, the historic address is set to be a widely attended event. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Little Mermaid finds success in the Philippines despite racist backlash in Asia The Halle Bailey-led live action adaptation has earned $5.8 million so far in the Southeast Asian country. Disneys The Little Mermaid is a hit in the Philippines! The live-action adaptation starring Halle Bailey is currently the biggest film of the year in the country, despite racist backlash in other Asian countries. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film has earned $5.8 million, racing past previous top earners of the year like The Super Mario Bros. Movie ($2.2 million) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 ($4.7 million). In a statement in THRs report, John Hsu, Disneys senior vp studio business in Asia Pacific, shared, The Philippines, obviously, is a standout market for us. Halle Bailey attends the Australian premiere of The Little Mermaid at State Theatre on May 22, 2023, in Sydney. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images) Its rare, but its the biggest territory for The Little Mermaid in Southeast Asia by far, our third highest-grossing market in Asia-Pacific behind Australia and Japan, and our 11th highest-grossing territory globally. However, in countries like China and South Korea, the film has underperformed due to backlash from Baileys casting as Princess Ariel, per The Hollywood Reporter. Social media posts and reviews in both markets were filled with outcries against Bailey, a Black actors portrayal of the classic Disney Princess. In the United States, however, the film has done well for the company. In the first weekend alone, the film raked in $117.5 million and stood as the No. 1 film in the world, as theGrio previously reported. TheGrio sat down with Halle Bailey ahead of the films release, where she broke down what the role means to her. I just feel overjoyed, and Im so grateful to even be a part of this re-adaptation of this iconic film that weve all known and loved for so long. She added, It feels amazing to be able to take on this character that has lived in my heart forever. The Little Mermaid is in theaters now. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post The Little Mermaid finds success in the Philippines despite racist backlash in Asia appeared first on TheGrio. Local leaders looking for new ways to help storm victims after FEMA denies funds Survivors of the March EF3 tornado in Troup County wont be getting federal recovery assistance. FEMA said the damage statewide wasnt enough to merit federal help. In order to get FEMA help, there has to be at least $19 million in damage statewide. But FEMA said the damage left behind from the storm didnt meet that threshold. Art Leggellier said three months after the tornado ripped through the area, one of the tarps on his roof has rotted away and he cant find anyone to replace it. Id like to find somebody that can put a tarp up for me, Leggellier told Channel 2s Richard Elliot. I got a good tarp on one side of my house. I got a cheap tarp on the other side and its rotted already. Every time it rains, it rains in my living room and my kitchen. Elliot obtained the letter from the FEMA director to Gov. Brian Kemps office essentially saying the damage didnt meet the threshold for federal assistance. Therefore, I must inform you that your request for a major disaster declaration is denied, the letter said. Kemps office told Elliot that its now working with the Small Business Administration to help employers get disaster assistance loans to rebuild and recover. Its tough. Its even more disappointing for me as a human when you see this denied, said Zac Steele, Troup Countys Emergency Management Director. With the denial of federal help, Steele said its all on them now and the state of Georgia. Whatevers out there, were exploring. Were making phone calls, were receiving phone calls. So were working around to try and see whats out there and as soon as we get that information obviously from the countys point, well push that out, Steele said. Crews have cleared much of the debris from the storm, even tore down a number of homes, but for the people who live there, they say theres still a lot to do. RELATED NEWS: How long can you collect unemployment in Florida and what does it pay? Everything to know Florida has one of the lowest weekly payouts for those that use the state's unemployment benefits program. Florida ranks in the top 5 states for the lowest unemployment benefits payouts. But it also has an employment rate that is over 1% lower than the national average. Here's a guide to who qualifies for Florida's unemployment benefits, how to apply and the state of unemployment in Florida. Who qualifies for unemployment in Florida? You must be a Florida resident to receive unemployment benefits from the state. Other than being a resident of Florida, these are the other qualifications for drawing unemployment benefits in the Sunshine State: Unemployed Worked in Florida during the past 12 months (this period may be longer in some cases) Earned a minimum amount of wages determined by Florida guidelines Actively seeking work each week you are collecting benefits May jobs report: Booming 339,000 jobs added as unemployment rises to 3.7% What documentation do you need to apply for unemployment benefits in Florida? If youre planning to apply to unemployment benefits, you'll be sharing your personal information including gender, date of birth, education and race. And youll need the following documents on-hand to complete the application as quickly as possible. Social security number Florida ID and driver's license What do non-US citizens need to apply for unemployment? Alien Registration number Work authorization form Labor crisis ahead? New immigration law sparks fear and worker exodus from Florida What do former military employees need to apply for Florida unemployment? Veterans exiting the military without a job need proof of discharge from active duty. What do members of unions need to apply for Florida unemployment? Hall number Union name Phone number What do federal employees need to file for Florida unemployment? Laid-off federal workers will also their SF 50, (standard form for the notification of personnel action) or SF 8 (unemployment compensation notice). You will need to provide proof you were employed All claimants are required provide proof of their past 12-18 months of employment. This will require: Employer name, phone number, and address Date of the first day and last day at work Pre-employment gross earning Reason for unemployment Employer's Federal Employer ID number (FEIN) Details on Pay Stub for employers without a FEIN number Are there recession proof jobs? These occupations tend to be least impacted What is the DEO? The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity assists the governor in advancing the state's economy through state and federal programs and initiatives, like administering unemployment benefits. How long can you collect unemployment in Florida? As of 2021, you can collect Florida unemployment payments for up to 19 weeks. How long you can receive unemployment benefits depends on the unemployment rate at the time that you apply and how much you earned in the 12-18 months prior to applying. How can I receive my unemployment benefits? If approved, you can choose between two payment options. You can elect to receive your unemployment benefits through direct deposit or you can get a Way2go debit card. How much is Florida giving for unemployment right now? Florida has one of the lowest-paying unemployment benefits systems in the country, offering a maximum weekly benefit of no less than $32 and no more than $275. The states with the highest-paying unemployment benefits are Massachusetts, Hawaii, North Dakota, Washington and New Jersey, all paying out over $400 weekly. Florida workers fleeing: New immigration law sparks fear and worker exodus from Florida Whats Floridas unemployment rate right now? In May, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that Floridas unemployment rate is 1.1% below the national rate of unemployment. The unemployment rate for the U.S. sits at 3.7%, while Floridas unemployment rate remained at 2.6% this year. What if Im denied unemployment benefits? Typically, denied applications to Floridas unemployment benefits program means that the applicant didnt meet the criteria to draw unemployment checks from the state. If you have been denied access to unemployment benefits and feel that it is unfair or you do meet the requirements, you can appeal the decision through the CONNECT portal, by email at RA.AppealsClerks@deo.myflorida.com, or in writing to the following address: Office of AppealsP.O. Box 5250Tallahassee, FL 32399-5250 Lianna Norman covers trending news in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at lnorman@pbpost.com. You can follow her reporting on social media @LiannaNorman on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida unemployment benefits guide. How much, what to know to apply (CNN) If you have a sweet tooth, take note: Cocoa prices have been soaring and that could drive chocolate prices higher. Higher prices can be helpful for struggling cocoa farmers. But those prices, along with high prices of other key chocolate ingredients, might not be great news for sweets shoppers watching their budgets. So far this year, cocoa futures have risen about 21%. As is often the case, higher prices are being driven by demand exceeding supply. This season, cocoa yields are underwhelming, likely due to crop disease and heavy rains. And next season, forecasters are expecting another deficit because of El Nino, a naturally occurring phenomenon in the tropical Pacific Ocean, which usually brings warmer global temperatures poor conditions for growing cocoa. Meanwhile, demand has stayed strong, particularly in Europe and Asia, noted Paul Joules, a commodity analyst for Rabobank who focuses on cocoa and dairy markets. Supply falls short Initially, forecasters anticipated good supply this year, said Joules. But some months back, they realized that supply wasnt keeping pace with expectations. Compared to the 2021/22 cocoa year, the 2022/23 cocoa season is heading towards a supply deficit due to a reduction in production, according to the International Cocoa Organizations monthly report for April. Crop disease may be responsible for the disappointing results. What we saw was, potentially, more cases of swollen shoot disease, Joules explained. Cocoa swollen shoot virus is spread by insects and is characterized by swollen stems, among other symptoms. It has hampered production in cocoa-supplying countries for years. To fight the deadly disease, farmers often have to root sick trees out and plant replacements. It can take years for those new trees to reach peak production, Joules noted. Other factors may have contributed to the lower yield, he said, like aging trees that dont produce as much cocoa. Heavy rains in Ivory Coast, the worlds top cocoa supplier, might also delay crops harvested in the spring and fall, the Cocoa Organization said, adding that rain and humidity make it more likely that crop disease could negatively affect the harvest. And on top of this years complications, El Nino is threatening next seasons crop. El Nino worsens conditions Ivory Coast could see its main cocoa harvest suffer as El Nino climate conditions are expected to gain strength, warned a recent post from Gro Intelligence, which analyzes agricultural data. Bad weather in the area has major implications for the global cocoa market. Ivory Coast is responsible for close to half of the worlds cocoa beans, with Ghana, Cameroon and Nigeria together contributing about quarter of the worlds supply, according to Gro Intelligence. Because of that, there is an outsize impact of the regions weather patterns on world cocoa prices and supplies, according to Gro Intelligences post. The increase in prices could offer some relief to struggling farmers. The Amsterdam-based Tonys Chocolonely, a chocolate company that aims to reduce exploitation in the cocoa supply chain, is pleased to see prices go up. We are very happy that cocoa prices are rising, said Pascal Baltussen, chief of impact and operations at Tonys. Cocoa prices have been way too low for West African cocoa farmers to earn a living income. Cocoa futures are used to determine the prices paid to farmers for cocoa in Ivory Coast and Ghana. With higher prices in the futures market, there is good hope that price back to the farmer will be impacted positively, said Alex Assanvo, executive secretary of the Initiative Cacao Cote dIvoire-Ghana, a partnership between Cote dIvoire, or Ivory Coast, and Ghana that aims to establish a sustainable cocoa market and more security for farmers. Higher futures prices are good, but they wont last long, he noted. Price goes up, [but] it will go down very soon, probably, he said, based on historical trends. To help create a more stable environment for farmers, the group has worked to develop a Living Income Differential, which is charged on top of market prices to help offset volatility. What it means for you Like other confectioners, Tonys has been hit with rising commodity prices not just in cocoa, but in other ingredients as well, such as sugar. Taken together, the increases have prompted the company to raise prices. Earlier this year, Tonys increased its US prices for retailers by about 8%, the first hike since it launched in the US market in 2015, according to the company. Baltussen did not share the companys future pricing plans. Other chocolate companies have raised prices, as well. And the rising cocoa costs mean more price hikes could be coming. Cocoa contracts are long, so the higher prices likely havent cycled through to buyers just yet. But eventually chocolate makers are likely to pay more for cocoa. During an April analyst call, Hershey CFO Steven Voskuil said that cocoa and sugar in particular are moving in the wrong direction, without commenting specifically on pricing. We do expect to see potentially more impact in 24 than 23, from price increases in those ingredients, he said. Hershey declined to comment for this story on future pricing actions. But Joules suspects that consumers may well see the effect of the higher costs. I dont think the consumer has seen the full extent of the impact yet, he said. Once new contracts are put in place, thats when well see the full extent of the price rise for consumers. Any increase would come on top of already high chocolate prices in retail. In the year through April 29, compared to the same period the year before, chocolate prices went up 14.5% on average, according to data from NIQ, which tracks US retail sales. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Satisfying your sweet tooth is about to get more expensive" Both Spirit AeroSystems and the Machinists union began preparing for a strike Thursday. Spirit erected mesh netting around its southeast Wichita campus. The union set up a mobile strike headquarters at K-15 and MacArthur. The strike is scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday following a Wednesday vote where union members overwhelmingly rejected a four-year contract with the citys largest employer. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers negotiating committee that unanimously recommended the contract proposal for approval last week has begun polling members to determine which specific provisions they want to see enhanced. The bottom line is, our membership spoke. We respect their decision, and we will try to determine what we need to do to get a contract ratified with Spirit, said Rickey Wallace, IAMs general vice president of the southern territory. Spirit, which announced late Wednesday that it would suspend production before the current contract expires, had no new updates to provide Thursday. We know that no one wins in a work stoppage; however, we respect the rights of our represented employees, the company said Wednesday. Despite this setback, we are not distracted from the task at hand. We look forward to continued meetings with IAM leadership. At the request of both Spirit and IAM, a federal mediator has been assigned to oversee negotiations, but a timeline for reconvening has not yet been established. We hope to get back to the bargaining table within the next few days, Wallace said. He said the local lodge has been preparing for a potential strike for months. There will be picket lines set up at each entrance of the facility, Wallace said. We intend, our members will conduct themselves in a professional manner, in a peaceful manner, and well be on strike. At the close of markets Thursday, Spirit stock was down 9.3%. Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple, who is in Paris, France, attending an airshow with a local delegation that included Spirit executives, said in a statement that he has been in communication with representatives from the company and the union. I know that both sides are committed to getting back to the table and making a deal that addresses the needs of the employees so they feel valued, Whipple said. Global companies know that we have the best advanced manufacturing workforce in the world. As mayor, my focus is bringing both sides together to find a contract that works for everyone so folks can get back to work. In a Thursday Facebook post, District 1 City Council member Brandon Johnson called on residents to support the striking workers. Thousands of our fellow Wichitans have chosen to reject one contract offer from Spirit AeroSystems and strike until they receive what they feel is a better offer that meets the needs they have in this new environment, Johnson said. I would hope we as a community can rally around them and their families during this time. It is always difficult when you speak or stand up for yourself and it can have a negative impact on family when you feel you deserve better than you are currently getting. Many of these individuals or their immediate families may be struggling today wondering what may happen next. Sending a message of support can also go a long way to helping. Unions do the hard and stressful work that provide so many benefits to all employees, even the ones who have chosen not to join (You should join). Sometimes that work looks like a strike, and sometimes it looks like sitting at the table together to understand that the employees are the backbone of any business and that has to be recognized. OGUNQUIT, Maine Like most Americans, Ogunquit Fire Chief Russell Osgood got his sense of the war in Ukraine from the headlines and images he has seen in the media since Russia invaded the country in early 2022. But that changed when Osgood attended the global Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis earlier this year and met three firefighters from Ukraine who told him stories about the horrors and devastation they had seen and experienced back home. Ogunquit Fire Chief Russell Osgood is seen here on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, amidst all the firefighting gear and equipment that has been donated and will be sent to help firefighters in war-torn Ukraine. Theyre going to multiple fires every night, every day, Osgood said. Watching the news, youre kind of separated from it. Its not a first-hand account. But when you hear somebody talking about an incident that they went to, where a number of kids and people were killed, and they were sorting through rubble around exploded ordnance ... thats pretty impactful. When Osgood returned from the conference to Maine, he had an idea how the community of Ogunquit and other fire departments throughout the region could help. One of the things they dont have is a lot of equipment, Osgood said of Ukrainian firefighters. A lot of the stuff they have is getting shelled and damaged. Now through Saturday, July 1, members of the Ogunquit Fire Department are collecting personal protective equipment that it will send to their brother and sister firefighters in Ukraine. The department will contribute all donations through an effort organized, in part, by Oleg Skachko, a Ukrainian-American firefighter in Clifton, New Jersey, and run by the Polsky Family Foundation in Chicago. Pride on display: How Kennebunk is showing its pride and welcoming its LGBTQ+ community despite critics Specifically, Osgood and his staff are accepting turnout coats and pants, Nomex hoods, firefighting helmets, boots and gloves, as well as extrication gloves, axes, Halligan tools, longboards, cervical collars, disposable gloves, radios, lights, hoses, fittings and nozzles, and self-contained breathing apparatus. Such items can be brought to the Ogunquit fire station at 15 School Street, Osgood said. For more information, particularly if you would like to contribute but are from a community far away from Ogunquit, contact Osgood at either firechief@ogunquit.gov or (207) 451-3052. We are pleased to be collecting equipment that we no longer use here but can be of value to the firefighters in Ukraine, he said. In the fall of 2001, Osgood, then a firefighter in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, went to New York City and did what he could to assist at Ground Zero, following the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center just a few weeks later. To this day, he can remember the "staggering" destruction he saw in downtown Manhattan the wreckage of the fallen towers, the fires that still burned a month later. Now, in 2023, after listening to the Ukrainian firefighters he met, Osgood said he can only imagine such destruction happening across an entire land as one country attacks and another defends. He said Ukraine needs all the people and equipment it can get to handle all the damage and death it is experiencing. Lawsuit: Court sides with Maine lobster fishers in whale protection case anchored off New England Ogunquit fire Capt. Scott Bourque said several fire departments in communities, near and far, have contributed materials to the cause. The donations are quickly filling up a storage garage near the municipal parking lot behind the station on School Street. We have already received donations from York Beach, Mechanic Falls and Pittsfield, and understand Ellsworth and many others are planning to deliver equipment, Bourque said. The effort began here at home, with the Ogunquit Select Board approving the donations of the protective gear, tools, and self-contained breathing apparatus that the local fire department is no longer using. Discovering the effort by ... Oleg Skachko to get equipment to his homeland seemed like a good fit for our surplus equipment, Osgood said. Osgood said he understands the magnitude of firefighting and has seen destruction and harm, and he added that firefighters are all the same around the world. Hearing the Ukrainians discuss their experiences in their war-torn country back home, however, has been sobering, he added. Thats not something you see here, thank God, Osgood said. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Maine firefighters donate gear to help Ukrainians respond to war Majority of May migrant encounters at border seen before health restriction's end Leer en espanol More than half of the U.S. Border Patrols migrant encounters in May happened before the May 11 end of the pandemic-era Title 42 border restriction. The Border Patrol documented an average of nearly 9,000 encounters per day before Title 42 lifted, according to newly released U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. In the days after the restriction ended, from May 12 to May 31, the numbers plunged to an average of 3,500 encounters per day. The sharp increase in migrant arrivals materialized in the days before Title 42 lifted instead of the weeks after as many had predicted. Migrants and asylum seekers are detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in Somerton, Ariz., near the Cocopah Indian Tribe's reservation boundaries, on May 11, 2023. CBP officials touted the Biden administrations new immigration policies as the reason for the decreased numbers. Experts have warned, however, that the decreased figures are only temporary and numbers may increase in the months ahead. As a result of comprehensive planning and preparation efforts, there has been a significant reduction in encounters along the Southwest border since the return to full Title 8 immigration enforcement on May 12, said Troy A. Miller, the senior official performing the duties of CBP commissioner. Related: Here's why there was no immediate migrant influx at the Arizona border when Title 42 ended The Border Patrol encountered 98,850 people in between ports of entry before Title 42 expired. The number decreased to 70,394 after May 11 and through the end of the month. Its typical to see migration numbers decrease after sweeping policy changes. While an initial decrease has happened many times before, numbers usually pick back up as the conditions driving people from their countries remain. About 200 asylum seekers wait in line outside of the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry in Nogales, Sonora, on Wednesday, May 17, 2023. Data focused on migrant encounters in the Border Patrol's Tucson and Yuma sectors was not yet available when Mays numbers were released. The number of unique individuals encountered by CBP along the southwestern border decreased by 2% from April to May, per CBP. The number dropped slightly from 139,406 in April to 136,673 in May. Unique individuals are people who have not had at least one prior encounter with CBP within the past 12 months. Total May encounters, which include people who have tried to cross repeatedly, along the southwest border were 204,561. Only about 15% of the total encounters were processed under Title 42 before the restriction ended, according to CBP. Daileska Giovanna Vaquero Escalona looks over her paperwork while waiting in line in Nogales, Sonora, where she has a CBP One appointment with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CBPs Office of Field Operations documented 35,317 encounters at southwestern border ports of entry in May, including 28,696 asylum seekers who arrived with CBP One appointments. Biden's new rule: Migrants face restricted asylum access at the Arizona-Mexico border after Title 42 lift From May 12 to May 31, over 20,000 people were processed at ports of entry with a CBP One appointment, an average of 1,043 people per day. More than 106,000 people have used CBP One to be processed at the southern border since the feature was rolled out in January, according to CBP. Many migrants have not yet received a CBP One appointment despite trying to book one for months. The glitchy app continues to pose a slew of accessibility issues to asylum seekers who are desperate to book an appointment and reach safety. From April to May, total single adult encounters along the southern border decreased by 6% as unaccompanied children encounters decreased by 13%. Encounters with family unit individuals increased by 5%. Have a news tip or story idea about the border and its communities? Contact the reporter at josecastaneda@arizonarepublic.com or connect with him on Twitter @joseicastaneda. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Most migrant encounters seen before border restriction's end in May BAMAKO (Reuters) - The departure of a United Nations peacekeeping mission from Mali will strike a "fatal blow" to a peace accord and threaten stability across the region, a coalition of armed groups in the north of the country has warned. Mali's junta on Friday asked the peacekeeping force, known as MINUSMA, to leave "without delay", a demand that followed years of fraying relations between the U.N. and Bamako's military leadership. "The departure of MINUSMA without a credible alternative would constitute a threat to security in Mali and the whole region," the coalition, called the Permanent Strategic Framework for Peace, Security and Development (CSP-PSD), said in a statement on Wednesday. A spokesman for the junta did not respond to a request for comment. It is not clear if or when MINUSMA will leave. The force has been in the West African country since 2013 after a Tuareg-led separatist insurgency was hijacked by Islamist groups that have gone on to kill thousands of people and control large parts of the north and centre. MINUSMA has struggled to contain the Islamist violence, but it has played a role in placating the separatists, who halted their offensive in 2015 with the Algiers Accord. Still, the signatories have been at odds with the junta that consolidated power in two coups in 2020 and 2021. In December, CSP-PSD pulled out of talks, saying it would only come back to the table in a neutral country under international mediation. MINUSMA's mandate runs out on June 30 and it was in talks to extend it before Mali's announcement. Security experts say an orderly departure of 13,000 troops and equipment could take a year at least. There are fears the country - which has burned bridges with Western allies since the coups and turned to Russian private military contractor Wagner Group for help - could slide deeper into chaos if separatist sentiments resurge. (Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; Additioal reporting by Sofia Christensen in Dakar; Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by Edward McAllister and Conor Humphries) Florida lawmakers and activists claimed Thursday that an "authoritarian movement," heralded in by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is sweeping the state. "In the state of Florida, the will of the people is suppressed, subverted and ignored," U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said Thursday during a hearing he called about Florida's increasingly restrictive laws targeting education, LGBTQ communities and more. Four witnesses from Florida a state representative, a former state attorney, a grassroots organizer and a former substitute teacher called the state's new legislation "unlawful" and an example of DeSantis "abusing his power." USA TODAY has reached out to DeSantis for comment. Brian Covey, the former substitute teacher, said he lost his job for calling attention to DeSantis' policies. When schools began to remove books in compliance with stricter state laws about materials in schools, Covey posted a video of empty bookshelves to Twitter, saying they "removed every single book" from his children's classrooms. Covey said the day after he posted the video, he was fired. "I knew the historical perspective of what I was witnessing, and I couldn't believe this was the reality of my kids education," Covey said Thursday. When asked about the video earlier this year, DeSantis called it a "fake narrative." House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and several other lawmakers, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Katie Porter, D-Calif., attended the Thursday hearing. Jeffries compared Florida's "anti-democratic" efforts to a "malignant tumor" spreading across the country. "This malignant tumor has to be addressed and cut out or it will continue to grow and spread and decimate freedoms all across the land," Jeffries said. The hearing comes after Frost and House Oversight Committee ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., penned a letter to committee chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., urging him to call a hearing to investigate Florida's "efforts to undermine democracy." When the Kentucky Republican did not respond, Frost and other lawmakers scheduled their own hearing. DeSantis has signed a number of restrictive bills into law as Florida's governor, such as taking aim at how schools teach about race, sexuality and gender identity As he mounts his bid for the White House, DeSantis has pitched his record in Florida as a blueprint for what he might do as president. In Florida, we didn't lead with mere words. We followed up our words with deeds, and we have produced a record of accomplishment that we would put up against anybody in this country," he said when announcing his candidacy. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida lawmakers, activists decry state's policies under Ron DeSantis Steven Bruso has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of brandishing a firearm in public at two different locations in Holland and Park Township, including during the Tulip Time Festival on May 8. HOLLAND A man who was arrested in May for brandishing a firearm in public in Park Township and Holland during the Tulip Time Festival pleaded guilty Tuesday. Steven Bruso, 57, of Holland Township, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of brandishing a weapon Tuesday, June 20, in the 58th District Court. Bruso was arrested by the Holland Department of Public Safety and charged with a misdemeanor after officers responded to reports of a subject in possession of a rifle in downtown Holland during Tulip Time on May 8. Bruso was identified through witness statements. More: Man accused of brandishing weapon during Tulip Time Festival Initially the incident was reported on social media as a gunman in downtown Holland but when asked by The Sentinel, the HDPS clarified that it was a subject open carrying. Initial investigation found that Bruso didnt threaten anyone and no shots were fired. While the state's open carry law allows people to carry a firearm in most places, "brandishing" a weapon gesturing or showing someone the weapon in a manner that could be considered threatening to a reasonable person is illegal. Brusos sentencing has yet to be scheduled. According to the Michigan Penal Code, the recommended sentencing for brandishing a firearm in public is imprisonment for no more than 90 days or a fine of no more than $100 or both. Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @tess_journalist. This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Man accused of brandishing weapon during Tulip Time pleads guilty Man accused of setting wifes home on fire, killing daughters pet, indictment says A man is facing ten counts including arson, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, and aggravated cruelty to animals in Forsyth County. Deputies responded to a domestic dispute in Cumming on January 27, 2023, at 3:34 p.m. According to the indictment, Nicholas Robert Murray, 45, is accused of chasing his wife, daughter, and a 69-year-old woman, and assaulting them with a flashlight by swinging it at them. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] He is also accused of making terroristic threats against a 44-year-old woman, the same 69-year-old woman, and his daughter, by threatening to murder them. Murray is also accused of arson in the first degree by setting fire to his wifes home. The indictment says the house fire caused the death of his daughters hamster and caused harm to her daughters dog, resulting in two counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. According to the indictment, the dog, Sadie, was located in the burning home and said to have been overcome by smoke inhalation, rendering her lungs useless. It is unclear if the dog survived. Murray also is accused of criminal damage to property in the second degree by damaging his wifes car. TRENDING STORIES: [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: The son of a former Minnesota state representative was charged Thursday with multiple counts of vehicular homicide after he speeded into and killed five young Muslim women who were preparing for a friends wedding, prosecutors announced. Derrick John Thompson, 27, of Brooklyn Park, is charged with 10 counts of criminal vehicular homicide in the crash Friday night, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement. Thompson is the son of former Minnesota state Rep. John Thompson. While the charges have been filed, additional evidence is still being processed, including Thompsons blood toxicology and DNA testing, Moriarty said. The Hennepin County medical examiner identified the victims as Siham Adan Odhowa, 19, Sahra Liban Gesaade, 20, Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, 17, Sagal Burhaan Hersi, 19, and Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, 20. Sagal Burhaan Hersi, Siham Adan Odhowa, Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, Sahra Liban Gesaade and Salma Mohamed Abdikadir. (Dar Al Farooq Center via KARE) Law enforcement responding to the scene of the crash also recovered a Glock 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine, along with significant quantities of fentanyl from Thompsons vehicle," Moriarty said. She has been in discussions with the U.S. attorneys office and the FBI about possible federal charges related to the firearm and narcotics, the statement said. Hennepin County jail records show Thompson was in custody Thursday. He was being held on probable cause of committing homicide, police said. It was unclear whether he had an attorney. The deaths of these five young women is devastating for their loved ones and has shaken our community, Moriarty said. We value each of these young womens lives and plan to seek a separate sentence for each life lost. I firmly believe in the potential for redemption and second chances, but Mr. Thompson has repeatedly engaged in extraordinarily dangerous criminal driving conduct related to apparent large-scale drug dealing, she said. He has caused immeasurable pain and suffering in multiple states and we will seek a significant sentence that appropriately reflects the devastation he has caused and ensures a lengthy period of incapacitation. Minneapolis police said in a statement that a state trooper witnessed a speeding driver shortly after 10 p.m. on Interstate 35. Before a traffic stop could be attempted, the vehicle immediately exited the highway. The vehicle then proceeded through a red light at the intersection of Lake st. and 2nd ave. and crashed into another vehicle occupied by four adult females and one juvenile female. An adult male exited the vehicle and fled from the scene, police said. The five young women were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The radar on the troopers squad vehicle indicated a black Cadillac Escalade was traveling 95 mph in a 55 mph zone, prosecutors said. The rented Escalade was also weaving in and out of traffic lanes in a reckless manner before it T-boned the victims Honda Civic, which had the green light and was lawfully traveling westbound on East Lake Street through the intersection, prosecutors said. A records check in Minnesota for Thompson includes more than a dozen criminal cases dating to 2014, including traffic violations. They include a 2017 felony charge for fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle and a 2018 case of driving after a license revocation. He was also charged with driving after a license suspension in 2014, records show. Thompson's Minnesota drivers license was revoked in 2018 after he was convicted of fleeing police in a motor vehicle. His license was reinstated in March. Court records show Thompson also had a 2018 arrest in California, where he was charged with hit-and-run resulting in permanent injury or death. He was sentenced in 2020 to eight years in prison with credit for more than 300 days served, according to court records. It was not immediately clear Thursday why he was apparently released early. Khalid Omar, the director of the Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, where the victims worshipped, said thousands of people attended their funeral Monday. He said the reason so many were touched by the loss of their young lives is that these girls truly represented who the Muslim community is in our state and had so much potential. The victims, who had Somali roots, were preparing for a friends wedding scheduled for Saturday, the day after the crash. The friends had just been at a Somali mall, where they bought last-minute wedding items, and were headed home when their vehicle was plowed into, Omar said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Man fatally injured in fall from cliff at Pirates Cove, SLO County Sheriffs Office says A man visiting Pirates Cove was fatally injured falling down a cliff Wednesday evening. According to San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office spokesman Tony Cipolla, a man and a woman were sitting on the cliff in the area of Cave Landing Road overlooking the ocean around 5 p.m. Cipolla said as the pair got up to leave, witnesses said the man slipped backward and fell, plunging about 200 feet over the side. A possible cliff rescue was called into the SLO County Sheriffs Office around 6:08 p.m. Units arriving at the scene soon discovered what appeared to be an unconscious male down the side of the cliff in the area of the Pirates Cove parking lot, according to emergency scanner traffic. At that time, emergency responders confirmed the man was deceased, Cipolla said. The death appears to be accidental at this time, he added. The San Luis Obispo County coroners unit was seen at the scene as crews attempted to retrieve the body. Cal Fire was assisting the Sheriffs Office in recovering the victim as of Wednesday evening, the agency tweeted. Man responsible for deadly shooting at Gwinnett home in custody, police say According to the Gwinnett County Police Department, a 19-year-old is now in custody, days after SWAT was activated during a homicide investigation in Grayson on Sunday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Chrisitan Houston is charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and simple battery. On June 18, Gwinnett County Police blocked off Roseberry Lane in Grayson. Police tell Channel 2 Action News a person died at the scene and it was a domestic situation, though they did not specify how the suspect and victim were related. Channel 2s Larry Spruill obtained security surveillance video that showed the moment of the shooting where you can hear one gunshot and then someone screaming. TRENDING STORIES: For hours Gwinnett County police blocked off the home and parts of the neighborhood. Several hours later, they learned the suspect was no longer inside. Police later identified the murder victim as Rodrell Dobson, a 38-year-old from Woodstock. Separately, Houston was wanted on an outstanding simple battery arrest warrant from May. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: (CNN) Parents of preschool children allegedly given sedatives by staff at a kindergarten in Taiwan have been protesting the governments slow response to the incident. On Sunday, hundreds of people gathered in New Taipei City to criticize the fact that it took weeks for local authorities to carry out medical tests on the children after suspicions were raised in mid-May. On May 14, three parents told local police that their children were irritable and showed self-harming behaviors between February and April this year. They said the children told them their teachers had given them drugs, Taiwans official Central News Agency (CNA) reported. Medical tests on the children uncovered traces of barbiturates and benzodiazepines two types of central nervous system depressant. The District Prosecutors Office in New Taipei City was first notified of a case involving the potential drugging of minors on May 15. Three days later it directed the police to search the kindergarten, retrieving CCTV recordings and other evidence, according to a statement. As of early June, more than a dozen parents had reported the matter to the police, CNA reported, and on June 5 city authorities offered drug tests to every child attending the preschool. According to Lin Ching-feng, director of the government-affiliated medical management association, 29 children had been admitted to the hospital for tests as of June 15, with 28 testing negative for the drugs. The local education department has ordered the kindergarten to close, and has fined it 150,000 New Taiwan dollars (around US$4,850). The principal and four teachers from the kindergarten were questioned by police, CNA reported. They have been released on bail, and no date has been set for a court hearing. The alleged incident has created an uproar in Taiwan, and the fallout could affect the Taiwanese presidential election in January 2024, with the incumbent mayor of New Taipei City, Hou Yu-ih, standing for the opposition Kuomintang party. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Taiwan parents protest after preschool allegedly gave sedatives to children" A man who survived being stuck in a submersible for 3 days said it felt like there wasn't even 'one atom of hope' left for him as time dragged on Search-and-rescue teams are racing against time to locate the missing submersible. Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images; OceanGate / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Roger Mallinson survived being stuck in a submersible for three days in September 1973. Mallinson spoke with Newsweek about the mental toll for those aboard the missing submersible. "They will have absolutely not one atom of hope," he said. A man who survived after being stuck in a submersible for three days in 1973 told Newsweek that he went through immense mental strain when plunged into a similar life-and-death scenario. "They will have absolutely not one atom of hope," Roger Mallinson said of the people in the missing Titan submersible. Mallinson, a former British Royal Navy pilot, survived the world's deepest underwater rescue in September 1973, according to the Guinness World Records. He was with his late copilot, Roger Chapman, when a broken hatch sent their submersible, the Pisces III, plummeting 1,575 feet below sea level. The duo had been on a regular dive to lay transatlantic telephone cables on the seabed just 150 miles off the coast of Ireland. There was a happy ending to Mallinson's story: He and Chapman were rescued from the Pisces III on September 1, 1973, with just 12 minutes of oxygen left, per the BBC. "It took 84 hours to rescue us," Mallinson told Sky News. "We didn't have enough food. We didn't have enough oxygen." "We just had to really be rationing everything and look after each other," he added. Five passengers, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and the British billionaire Hamish Harding, are currently lost in the missing submersible. The US Coast Guard said in a statement on Wednesday that search-and-rescue efforts were ongoing. Search-and-rescue teams have been racing against time to locate the missing submersible, which is estimated to run out of oxygen by Thursday afternoon. "If I could say anything to them, it would be to stay warm and keep hoping," Mallinson told Newsweek. "If you have a hammer, it would be great to knock on the sphere, make some noise. It will transmit a hell of a long way. They are all listening for it," he said. The US Coast Guard tweeted on Wednesday that they had detected underwater noises in the search area and shared sound recordings with the US Navy "for analysis to help guide future search efforts." Read the original article on Insider Prosecutors on Thursday said that a 20-year-old man who was never issued a drivers license and was once accused of fleeing police at a traffic stop plowed through a crowd of people crossing the street to head into Guaranteed Rate Field. Condelarious Garcia faces four counts of aggravated reckless driving, along with misdemeanor driving on a suspended license and three traffic citations for the Tuesday night collision steps from the stadium in the 300 block of West 35th Street. Authorities said Garcia was behind the wheel of the silver Acura sedan that severely injured four pedestrians crossing 35th Street to the park entrance around 6:30 p.m. A 64-year-old man, was tossed headfirst into the Acuras sunroof, prosecutors said. (Garcia) displays a wanton disregard for other individuals. The fact that his flight was more important than the safety of the individual lodged in his sunroof, or the safety of the people in the car with him, said Judge Charles Beach II while setting bail. Garcia, of the New City neighborhood on the South Side, was ordered held in lieu of a $20,000 bail, and would be outfitted with an ankle monitor should he be released. During the roughly 15-minute hearing broadcast on YouTube, prosecutors described a violent crash near the main gates of the White Sox stadium on a game day and the frantic chase to arrest Garcia, but offered no clear reason behind the collision that severely injured four people. All four victims a 51-year-old woman and three men 24, 25, and 64 were at the front of the group of pedestrians crossing 35th when a speeding car in the curbside lane struck them as they neared the sidewalk, prosecutors said. The victims were thrown into the air, including the 64-year-old who landed in the sunroof, prosecutors said. A police dashcam captured the victims legs and feet dangling through the sunroof as it sped away from the scene, Assistant States Attorney Sarah Dale-Schmidt told the court. One of the Acuras passengers pulled the man fully into the car, she said. After Garcia ignored the flashing police lights pursuing him, state troopers performed a traffic maneuver that caused the Acura to crash into the Dan Ryan Expressways concrete median. Police pulled Garcia from the drivers seat and took him into custody. Prosecutors noted no possible cause for the crash and didnt mention any drug or alcohol impairment. One of Garcias passenger told authorities that everyone inside the car yelled at Garcia about people in the street, but that Garcia disregarded it, Dale-Schmidt said. The same passenger said the vehicle had no apparent problems braking or accelerating during their ride with Garcia, authorities said. Of the four victims, one person suffered a traumatic brain injury and remains unresponsive and intubated, Dale-Schmidt said. The 64-year-old victim was identified by his family as Charles Janczy, a longtime IBM employee and Evanston resident who they called a die-hard White Sox fan and season ticket holder. Janczy suffered broken ribs, spinal fractures, a broken leg and dislocated thumb, according to prosecutors and Janczys family. Despite his injuries, Janczys son Jerome told the Tribune on Thursday that his father was released from the hospital earlier in the day. The younger Janczy, who was born and raised in Evanston before moving to California last year, recalled being horrified by the news of the accident, but hes now amazed by his fathers progress. Charles Janczy lived an active lifestyle that included running, biking, gardening and attending Sox games. It could have been so much worse, Jerome Janczy said. I mean my family is describing the situation as a miracle. He was in the hospital for about two days and thankfully didnt require any surgery. Its unbelievable. Jerome Janczy said his father told him that he was waiting to cross the street outside of the stadium just like he has done many times, but that as he and others crossed the street, said a car came out of nowhere and struck him. Jerome Janczy described his fathers recovery as hopeful, but its still uncertain. It just felt so unfair that my dad would be a victim to something like this, Janczy said. Hes the kind of person who would never wish harm on anyone else and is always unrelentingly kind and is honestly very selfless as well. Garcia did not have a criminal background, but never had a drivers license and had two active suspension of his driving privileges for failing to appear in court for citations, according to prosecutors. In one case, Garcia was charged with misdemeanor fleeing and attempting to elude officers, driving without a license and insurance. Garcias court-appointed attorney said he was a package handler with a 9-month-old son. Beach voiced concern over Garcias prior missed court cases and refusals to follow lawful orders in setting bond. Its painfully obvious to anyone whos driven down that street during a Sox game the number of pedestrians that are present there, Beach said. Garcia is expected to return to court next week. wlee@chicagotribune.com sahmad@chicagotribune.com Arizona Diamondbacks' Ketel Marte celebrates his three-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. The Diamondbacks won 5-3. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) WASHINGTON (AP) Ketel Marte hit a three-run homer over Washington's bullpen in right field, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a 5-3 win Thursday after Nationals manager Dave Martinez was ejected for complaining about umpire Doug Eddings' strike zone. Martinez was irked when shortstop CJ Abrams struck out looking to end the fourth on a pitch that replays showed was low, only for a similar pitch to be called a ball on Arizonas Carson Kelly in the fifth. Martinez argued with Eddings and was thrown out on his way back to the dugout, prompting Martinez to kick dirt and crouch behind the plate to illustrate his displeasure with Eddings strike zone. Those things will happen, said Martinez, who was ejected for the first time this season. Its when it happens. Thats the thing that really frustrates me a lot. In crucial situations, you have to bear down. Tommy Henry (4-1) earned his first victory since May 31 for the NL West-leading Diamondbacks, who have won five of seven and moved 16 games over .500 at 46-30. For the makeup of a game postponed June 8 because of poor air quality caused by Canadian wild fires, Arizona returned to Washington on what was scheduled as an off day between series at Milwaukee and San Francisco. This was an uncommon day today, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. This was something that was so out of the norm for us, but we're adaptable and made some great adjustments. We came in here like it was the middle of a road trip. Im proud of our guys for that and we have been playing good baseball. When good teams go out and do what they're supposed to do, nothing can really get in their way. Last-place Washington completed a 1-6 homestand and has lost 14 of 17. The Nationals made a pair of errors and allowed four unearned runs. You cant give good teams 28, 29 outs, Martinez said. We have to get better at that. We really do. And if we do that, we're going to be able to compete. Henry gave up one run in 6 2/3 innings with five strikeouts and one walk, allowing Lane Thomas' third-inning homer. A day after getting a six-out save against the Brewers, Scott McGough got two outs for his fifth save in eight chances. Jake Irvin (1-4) allowed two runs one earned and five hits in six innings, his longest outing since working 6 1/3 innings at San Francisco on May 8. The right-hander is winless in seven starts since. Corbin Carroll scored from first in the opening inning when center fielder Derek Hill bobbled Christian Walkers single for an error. Emmanuel Rivera hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth after Carroll singled, stole second and advanced when second baseman Luis Garcia misjudged Lourdes Gurriel Jr.s pop fly and allowed the ball to fall in shallow center for a single. Alek Thomas reached on Garcias throwing error that contributed to a three-run seventh. Geraldo Perdomo walked with two outs and Marte hit his 12th homer, a drive off Jordan Weems to make it 5-1. Marte is hitting .328 (19 for 58) with four homers and 14 RBIs in his last 16 games. The bottom half's setting the table, and he's doing what hes does in the seventh or eighth inning just hitting moon balls, Henry said. "Every ball feels like it's hit 110 (mph). There was one the other day he hit; they didn't have it on the scoreboard, but I seriously thought it could have been 120. He just knows how to find the barrel, hits lasers, and when he's getting on base and hitting balls like that, its huge for our lineup. Washington's Riley Adams hit a two-run homer off Joe Mantiply in the ninth. TRAINERS ROOM Nationals: RHP Carl Edwards Jr. (shoulder inflammation) will undergo an MRI this weekend. Both Edwards and OF Victor Robles (back spasms) will report to Florida to rehabilitate injuries that landed them in them injured list Wednesday. DH Joey Meneses, in a 5-for-30 slump since June 13, had a day off. UP NEXT Diamondbacks: RHP Zach Davies (1-3, 7.11 ERA) starts Friday. Nationals: Washington begins a three-city trip at San Diego on Friday. LHP Patrick Corbin (4-8, 4.89) is 7-10 with a 4.46 ERA in 23 appearances against the Padres. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports A masked witness took the stand Thursday to testify in the murder trial of Jamell (YNW Melly) Demons, spooking at least one juror and raising the possibility that the defendant is being deprived of his right to a fair trial. The witness was Danny Polo, a detective with the Broward Sheriffs Office who is an expert on gangs and works undercover. Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy permitted Polo to testify with his face covered because Polo has received death threats from people unrelated to the Demons case. Prosecutors say Demons was acting as a gang member when he killed his former friends Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas on Oct. 26, 2018. If Demons is convicted, that allegation could be used to justify the death penalty. But the Florida Supreme Court, in another case, overturned a death sentence and ordered a new trial for a convicted killer whose mother testified against him without being able to see him. The court, in Avsenew v. State, found that Peter Avsenews due process rights were violated because as his mother testified remotely, she could not see him. The court found this was a violation of Avsenews right to confront his accuser. The right to confront his accuser was raised by one of Demons lawyers, Jason Roger Williams, in challenging Polos right to take the stand without showing his face. Jurors are supposed to consider the demeanor of a witness to determine his credibility, Williams said, and they cant do that if they cant see his face. The state could have chosen any expert in gangs, the defense lawyer said. They elected to choose one who has threats against his life that dont concern this case, and who is undercover. They have precipitated this problem. The mask also caused problems for one juror, who passed a note to the judge late Thursday morning expressing anxiety over the witness because she once witnessed a crime committed by someone wearing a mask. The jurors anxiety prompted an early break in the morning session of the trial. Afterward, the juror told Murphy she would be able to proceed. Undercover officers have occasionally been permitted to testify with their faces obscured in other trials. After the lunch break, prosecutors and defense lawyers sparred over whether a cell phone that appeared to be in Demons possession at one point on the day Williams and Thomas were killed actually belonged to Demons and that he held onto it throughout the night and early morning. Witnesses established on Wednesday that the phone was in the Jeep where the victims were killed, and surveillance footage shows Demons left a recording session with the victims and the driver a short time earlier. But defense lawyers argue that the state never proved Demons held the phone while the crime was being committed. ------- LGBTQ+ hate is on the rise, and a startling joint report from GLAAD and ADL offers hard numbers that document an epidemic of intimidation and violence. The report charts 356 anti-LGBTQ+ incidents ranging from harassment to mass shooting in the period between June 2022 and April 2023. It finds that nearly half of these incidents are connected to individuals involved in extremist groups. But the report also underscores that the false groomer narrative popularized not just by the far-right but by mainstream GOP politicians whove maliciously linked drag performance and trans identity to pedophilia was at the root of 191 hate incidents. Extremism is escalating against LGBTQ people and endangers every American, argues GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. Extremists, including elected officials, she insists, must be held accountable for inciting violence and using vile rhetoric against marginalized people who just want to live in safety. Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of ADL, calls the report a sobering snapshot of the deluge of hatred faced by the LGBTQ+ community and insists it must serve as a wakeup call to both lawmakers and civil society. The report highlights that anti-LGBTQ+ hate is often not limited to that community and that more than a third of the documented incidents were also marred by antisemitic or racist intent. The incidents tracked in the report are harrowing. They include acts of: Gun violence as seen at the Club Q shooting in November in Colorado, where five people were shot to death; Firebombings of a donut shop in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a church in Ohio that featured drag performers or drag story hours; Mass arrests of Patriot Front members before they descended on a Pride event in Idaho last summer; and Death threats phoned into the Human Rights Campaign, allegedly menacing: We will fucking slaughter you Well cut your throats. The report records 5 deaths and 31 injuries from anti-LGBTQ+ violence, and also documents dozens of threats of intimidation and harassment. These numbers rely on public information and are likely an undercount. Since many anti-LGBTQ+ hate and extremism incidents go unreported, the document cautions, the true numbers are likely far higher. Anti-LGBTQ+ hate is brewing nationwide, with incidents documented in 46 states, red and blue alike. Within the queer community, drag performers have faced the brunt of the hate, experiencing what the report describes as 138 acts of harassment, vandalism and assault. (Rolling Stone recently covered the backlash against drag performance, as well as how artists in red states are standing up.) The joint GLAAD/ADL report comes amid divergent polling on public attitudes and fierce, right-wing consumer backlash that seeks to punish brands like Bud Light and Target for making even small marketing overtures to the trans community. A GLAAD poll released earlier this month found that a record 84 percent of Americans support equal rights for LGBTQ Americans. New Gallup polling, however, records a big dip in the number of Americans who say that gay or lesbian relations are morally acceptable, from an alltime high of 71 percent in 2022 to just 64 percent this year, a turnaround led by Republicans whose support has dropped from 56 percent to 41, amid the anti-LGBTQ+ panic led by haters and clout seekers. Heading into a competitive Republican presidential primary season at a moment when anti-trans politics are uniting the right, the situation documented in the GLAAD/ADL report is likely to get worse. Just this week, in fact, the Justice Department announced it had arrested a man alleged to have been threatening violent disruption of Nashvilles upcoming Pride celebration with shrapnel pressure cooker bombs or a mass shooting. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Members of a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Clemsford helped save a baby coyote after its head was stuck in a plastic container. Massachusetts Animal Control was called to help a male pup, which had its head stuck in a plastic container for at least two days in the area of Billerica and Tewksbury, said Newhouse Wildlife Rescue. On Tuesday, Newhouse Wildlife employees and Massachusetts Environmental Police Officer Dewayne Taylor were able to find the coyote, capture him and remove the container from his head. The wildlife rescue said the young pup was in shock, his gums were pale and he was a bit disoriented and dehydrated, so they brought him back to their facility for extra care before reuniting him with his family. On Wednesday morning the rescue posted an update to its Facebook page saying the coyote pup was feeling much better. The person who notified officials about the struggling pup told the resue that its parents were still around and where to find them. The pup was reunited with them on Wednesday. It took a village, but this guys life was saved because of it, the rescue wrote. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW woman using credit card on flight Ready to unlock a world of extraordinary travel possibilities? These tried and tested hacks will elevate your points and miles-earning potential to new heights. Delve into a world of opulent experiences while maximizing your rewards. These insider secrets will allow you to indulge in the finest luxuries the globe has to offer. Get ready to embark on unforgettable journeys and turn your dream vacations into a remarkable reality. Supercharge Your Credit Card Spending And Turbocharge Your Sign-Up Bonuses When it comes to accumulating points or miles swiftly, theres no better tool than a travel rewards credit card. Premium options such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve or The Platinum Card from American Express offer a wealth of benefits, rewarding every dollar spent with valuable points and bonus rewards for travel and dining expenses. But the perks dont end therethese cards also boast generous sign-up bonuses, potentially worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars in travel value. For those seeking an elevated experience, the Platinum Card from American Express proves particularly enticing. In addition to its impressive rewards structure, this card grants access to exclusive luxury benefits. Imagine strolling into Centurion Lounges at airports, indulging in room upgrades at top-tier hotels, and even enjoying personalized concierge services. By strategically using cards like these, travelers can accumulate points and unlock a world of luxurious privileges, making their journeys truly exceptional. Unlock The Value Of Young Traveler Discounts And Family Benefits Young travelers can enjoy remarkable discounts and rewards when flying with select airlines. Through its Young Traveler program, United Airlines extends a generous 5% discount to flyers between the ages of 18 and 23. This enticing offer enables young adventurers to save on their airfare while embarking on exciting journeys. Similarly, Qatar Airways Student Club is designed to cater to the needs of students, providing a range of benefits such as an increased baggage allowance, complimentary onboard Wi-Fi, and even a coveted companion pass. The perks of this program make student travel more convenient and enjoyable. Families, too, can reap the benefits of advantageous programs tailored to their needs. Frontier Airlines Discount Den, for instance, offers a valuable perk by allowing an adult to bring a child under the age of 15 along for free on select round-trip flights. This family-friendly initiative makes travel more affordable and encourages unforgettable adventures with loved ones. Leverage The Power Of Reciprocal Status And Partner Programs In the realm of travel, loyalty yields abundant rewards. Take United Airlines, for instance. If you possess United Gold status, youre entitled to immediate Gold status with Marriott, unlocking a range of perks such as room upgrades and late checkout. Similarly, American Airlines and Hyatt members can earn points for both programs whenever they utilize either brand, doubling their rewards. Photo Credit: Envato Elements Unlock Exclusive Luxury Services via Booking Portals Travel enthusiasts can find a treasure trove of enticing opportunities and rewards within the realm of travel booking portals. These online platforms not only present lucrative deals but also provide avenues for earning valuable points along the way. United Cruises, for instance, offers the chance to accumulate miles for every dollar spent on mesmerizing sea voyages. Meanwhile, the esteemed Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection allows travelers to earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for unforgettable sailing adventures. To maximize the benefits of these portals, a word of advice from the expertsalways compare the points earning rates offered by the booking portal with those of direct booking options. By doing so, astute travelers may uncover hidden gems such as bonus points or exclusive deals that are otherwise unavailable. Keeping a discerning eye on the rewards potential can pave the way to elevated travel experiences and unlock exceptional value. Maximize Rewards By Double-Dipping In Dining And Shopping Score big rewards with every dollar spent at participating restaurants and shops collaborating with the Rewards Network. This partnership allows you to earn valuable miles or points, giving your purchases an extra boost. Many airlines and credit card programs also offer shopping portals where you can accumulate even more points or miles. Look no further than United Airlines MileagePlus Shopping, which lets you earn points while indulging in retail therapy with over 1,000 online retailers. Dont forget to wield your trusty reward-earning credit card when dining or shopping at affiliated establishments. By doing so, youll rack up points from your card and earn additional rewards from the dining or shopping program. Wagner private military company (PMC) recruits former Russian law enforcement officers with operational experience to be part of the "military police" in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Source: Russian news outlet Vyorstka Details: It is noted that the announcement that mercenaries recruit security officials from the Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR), Special Purposes Mobile Unit (OMON), GROM [special forces of the Russian drug enforcement administration special - ed.] and other units appeared on 22 June on the organisation's page on Vkontakte, a Russian social network banned in Ukraine. According to the announcement, the work is focused on "detention, operational and curfew functions." Vyorstka contacted the recruiter indicated in the post by phone, who said that the mercenaries had such vacancies for the first time. "We recruit a commandant regiment from the operatives; we will call it the military police," said the recruiter, who named himself Denis. "You will have to make sure that everyone follows the rules of the company. To see that there are no thieves and looters, no fights, drunkenness, etc. Also [the responsibilities] include the operational task of identifying sabotage and reconnaissance groups and, of course, working with those groups: interrogations, operational investigation... [all] the operational work that is there," said Denis. It is noted that the new unit will allegedly have to ensure that the rules of the PMC are not violated by "volunteer detachments" and soldiers of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. "You work boldly; there will be absolutely no questions; are you kidding? To catch a soldier of the Ministry of Defence is not a sinful deed. These animals are bred there; they drink like pigs. We have full authority," said Denis. According to him, the salary per employee will be RUB 240,000 [approx. USD$2,961 - ed.] a month, and he also added that "very good" bonuses will be included. It is impossible to choose which occupied territories the recruits will be working in. "You are not in a pioneer camp, where they send you you work there," said Denis. "Vacancies are currently open. How relevant they will be in a month I cant tell you," the recruiter added. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! In the 1960s, a group of 13 candidates endured unofficial astronaut training with the hope of being chosen for one of the new missions to Earth orbit and the moon. But at the time, they simply belonged to the wrong gender. Now known as the Mercury 13, the group of women were organized separate from official NASA programs and privately funded in the early 1960s as a way to bring women into the fold. Officials putting together NASA's astronaut corps insisted candidates had to have backgrounds in military aviation, a career accessible only to men at the time. All 13 women were pilots, but not in the military. But despite their performance in astronaut training and open support for women in space in the 1960s and beyond, none of the Mercury 13 left the ground as part of NASA's Mercury and Apollo missions, nor were they selected for later space shuttle flights. Not until 2021 would one of the group reach their decades-long goal of spaceflight. Trailblazer: 40 years later Sally Ride's legacy lives on through NASA's Artemis program Women in space: 60 years ago, women broke the ceiling to space. Now more are flying with every mission Organizing the Mercury 13 Much like the Mercury 7, men selected to fly the first American crewed missions for NASA's Project Mercury, the 13 also endured the rigors of astronaut training at sites across the country. That was by design, as the co-founder of the group, William Lovelace, actually helped develop some of the tests used for the male astronaut corps. Lovelace and Air Force Brig. Gen. Donald Flickinger, both physicians, wanted to build on earlier speculations that women could make "good occupants for cramped space vehicles," according to NASA's history division. Their Woman in Space Program, however, wasn't part of the space agency. In 1960, Lovelace invited award-winning pilot Jerrie Cobb to undergo the same physical tests that he helped develop for NASA's male astronauts. Though his organization was private, he was intertwined with NASA efforts to put humans in space. Cobb passed the tests, prompting Lovelace to invite more women to what would become known as the Lovelace Clinic. The candidates themselves were referred to as First Lady Astronaut Trainees, or FLATs. The women who made up the Mercury 13 were all experienced aviators; some, like Cobb, were quite well-known at the time. Of the 19 women invited, 13 passed the same tests used for NASA's astronauts: Myrtle "Kay" Cagle, 38, from North Carolina Jerrie Cobb, 29, Oklahoma Janet Dietrich, 35, California (twin sister of Marion Dietrich) Marion Dietrich, 35, California (twin sister of Janet Dietrich) Wally Funk, 22, New Mexico Sarah Gorelick, 28, Kansas Jane Hart, 40, Michigan Jean Hixson, 39, Illinois Gene Jessen, 24, Illinois Irene Leverton, 34, Illinois Bernice Steadman, 36, Michigan Jerri Truhill, 32, Texas Rhea Woltman, 33, Minnesota Though their training was similar to that of the Mercury 7, the group of women had to endure the tests separately some showed up alone or in pairs. They still largely aced the tests, but the women lacked the same kind of camaraderie available to the men who trained together. As a group, the Mercury 13 didn't meet until 1994 but many of the women already considered each other close friends. According to NASA, the tests included: several X-rays, a four-hour eye exam, specially weighted stationary bikes used to push candidates to exhaustion, swallowing rubber tubes to test stomach acids, tilting tables to examine circulation, electric pulses to test nerve stimulation, and more. The most jarring was the eardrum test, which involved shooting ice-cold water into the ear to induce vertigo and check recovery times. "By the end of the (testing) week, the women had no secrets from the Lovelace physicians," a NASA history page reads. The legacy of the Mercury 13 Wally Funk, 82, celebrates after her successful flight on New Shepard on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. She is officially the oldest woman to have traveled to space. Eileen Collins, the first woman to pilot the space shuttle in 1995 and first to command a shuttle mission four years later, said the Mercury 13 originally believed they had a serious chance at going to space. "The women thought they were going to fly," Collins told FLORIDA TODAY. "That was never promised by NASA, but ... when they found out they weren't going to fly, they protested." Artemis: Space seeks more inclusion, embracing women on journey back to moon DoD move: Space Force selects Florida's Space Coast for STARCOM training headquarters 'A unique way to honor a loved one': Inside Celestis, the company sending human ashes to space Some of the Mercury 13, including Cobb, even went as far as to testify before Congress on the topic of women in spaceflight programs. That hit especially close to home when, in 1963, Soviet Union cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. It would take two more decades to launch the first American woman, Sally Ride, aboard the shuttle. But for Collins, who flew four shuttle missions and still publicly advocates for women in science and technology, the Mercury 13 were a source of inspiration. "They protested and they wanted to go, which I think was an important step because it got NASA to think about women as astronauts," Collins said. "What they did was so important for the first six women who were NASA mission specialists (in the astronaut class of 1978). NASA was comfortable in bringing women in because they knew the Mercury 13 had done so well." "My thanks go out to (the Army's) Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, the Mercury 13, and the first mission specialists in the shuttle program. This was all an evolutionary bringing of women in spaceflight and it paralleled the evolutionary change in society of women becoming more involved in professional jobs," Collins said. Only one of the Mercury 13 would go on to fly to space: Wally Funk, who in July of 2021 joined Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on the first crewed flight of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. The 11-minute mission that launched from Van Horn, Texas, brought decades of experiences together for Funk. "I can't tell you (what it felt like)," Funk, 82, said after the launch, acknowledging the difficulty in describing the experience. "I felt great and like I was just laying down." While NASA never gave Funk the chance to reach space, Bezos did. "I want to thank you, sweetheart," Funk said to Bezos during a post-launch press briefing. "You made it possible for me. I've been waiting a long time to finally get up there." A Blue Origin New Shepard rocket and capsule launch from Texas on Tuesday, July 20, 2021 on the company's first crewed flight. The mission included Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, aviator Wally Funk, and student Oliver Daemen. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Mercury 13: Meet the first unofficial class of women astronauts A metro Atlanta city announced itll begin a new program with its police department. After a vote approving it, the City of Chamblee has greenlit adding a new officer to the police department: a K-9 unit. According to Chamblee Interim Police Chief Gary Yandura, the program will help provide more safety and efficiency to the department, as well as work as an outreach resource for school children. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Chamblee officials said the department has requested assistance from K-9 units for investigations 70 times since 2022. A goal of the new K-9 program is to aid in field operations, evidence, locating criminals, drugs, missing persons, and for community outreach. To kick the program off, Officer David Luna-Rodriguez built up the new unit. TRENDING STORIES: Luna-Rodriguez has been an officer in the Chamblee Police Department since March, and officials say hes been training canines since 2008. When the Lithonia Police Department lost a K-9 officer, officials said Luna-Rodriguez was instrumental in training and donating a canine to them to cover the loss. I am overwhelmed with gratitude as I begin my journey in the K-9 program, Luna-Rodriguez said in a statement. I am thankful for the trainers, mentors, and fellow handlers who have paved the way for me and shared their knowledge and expertise. K-9 Robin and I are incredibly grateful for everyones support. We are excited to be a part of such a great community as we continue to bridge the gap between law enforcement and our communities. We look forward to seeing what the future holds with the Chamblee Police Department. Luna-Rodriguez is Robins owner and trainer. Robin is a Belgian Malinois and he and Luna-Rodriguez have been together for two years. Hes also been certified by the South Georgia K-9 Academy, and Robin is a certified narcotic detector dog from the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] OTHER NEWS: New Metropolitan spot will offer one of Charlottes favorite cheesecakes + Jewish staples A new concept from Rare Roots Hospitality, Joans Bakery and Deli, is coming this fall to Metropolitan. The bakery and deli will combine the restaurant groups best-known desserts with the food from a familiar Jewish deli pop-up, Meshugganah. Chef Rob Clement, the former executive chef of The Porters House who created Meshugganah, will lead the bakery and bring along his popular staples, including pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, to the Joans menu. Joans will feature counter service as well as online pre-orders. Joan Dresslers famous cheesecake, which is on the menu at Rare Roots Hospitality restaurants, will be served at Joans Bakery and Deli. [RELATED: Chapter 6 set to open with Mediterranean flavors this fall along Charlottes Rail Trail] The bakery and deli named for owner Jon Dresslers mother best known for her cheesecake will be located near sister restaurant Dresslers at the shopping center. Joan Dressler operated a New Jersey bakery, White Thumb, using family recipes and returned to baking when Dresslers opened at Birkdale Village. Her cheesecake started out as a weekend dessert feature but quickly became a staple on that menu and at every Rare Roots restaurant since. She handled all the baking until recently. Now, her recipes for cheesecake, carrot cake and apple cake will continue on at Joans, along with other pastries, under the direction of pastry chef Hannah Patel. [MAKE SOME AT HOME: Heres the recipe for Milkbreads famous cinnamon rolls] Rare Roots Hospitality restaurants include Dresslers Restaurants at Birkdale Village and Metropolitan, Fin & Fino, The Porters House, Dogwood and Chapter Six, set to open this fall. It also recently partnered with Middle C Jazz to take over its kitchen. I can think of no better way to honor my mother and share the story behind her amazing desserts than to open our retail bakery under her name, Jon Dressler said. We look forward to expanding our offerings with this new space beyond the desserts everyone knows and loves from our restaurants. Location: 1100 Metropolitan Ave., #190, Charlotte, NC 28204 Cuisine: Bakery, Jewish deli Instagram: @joansayseat Parents, community members and young people flooded the Miami-Dade School Board meeting on Wednesday to express concerns about the ease of objecting to books, the dangers of restricting access to certain titles and the need to change how the district handles book challenges despite the board already having passed a measure to review its policy. The policy proposed by Steve Gallon III calls for board members and district staff to be notified when a book challenge results in the reassignment or removal of a title. Existing policy did not request that objections or decisions be known and only required a school-level review committee to determine whether a book should remain on shelves. The calls to review and possibly update existing policy passed unanimously and without discussion from board members early in the afternoon. Nevertheless, community members many who were a product of the school district showed up later in the day to speak out against what they perceive to be a growing trend of trying to restrict what can and cant be taught or read in the state. Groups like Families Against Banning Books, the Miami-Dade and South-Dade NAACP branches and the Transformative Justice Coalition organized most of the attendees. Speaking out about books restrictions at Graham K-8 Most speakers expressed frustration about the recent decision by a review committee at Bob Graham Education Center, a K-8 in Miami Lakes, to restrict three books and an inaugural poem to middle school students. They argued one parent alone should not have the power to influence what is or isnt available in the library. (The district has maintained no books were banned, just moved to a different part of the library center. Reading advocates say its still a restriction to younger students.) READ MORE: After school bars elementary student reading, school board wants to know of book challenges Some speakers pointed to efforts to remove books across the state and the dangers of restricting books and limiting access to certain ideas and perspectives from young people. Many criticized the new laws targeting classroom instruction that seek to restrict or ban discussions of race or LGBTQ issues. Others evoked their Cuban heritage and highlighted what they believe to be the similarities of book restrictions on the island and how theyre appearing in Florida. Democracy is difficult. Its messy. Thats why dictators like to ban artists. Thats why they like to ban art, because it is complicated and it makes us feel for other human beings, said Carmen Pelaez, an acclaimed Cuban-American playwright in South Florida. As far as I know, there are two people that have tried to ban the story of Celia Cruz: Fidel Castro and Ron DeSantis. (According to a report by PEN America, an anti-censorship and writers group, Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa, by Veronica Chambers and Julie Maren, was among the more than 170 titles banned from Duval County schools.) Pelaez also reinforced a message many others spoke about: Children need to see themselves represented in the stories they read. Removing the titles, speakers argued, is a disservice to the districts youth. READ MORE: People are frightened. Floridas book rules cause a chilling effect in Miami-Dade schools What sparked the outcry? Last month, the Herald reported that a public school in Miami-Dade County issued restrictions on three books and one poem Amanda Gormans The Hill We Climb, which she recited at President Joe Bidens inauguration for elementary-aged students after one parent claimed they included topics that were inappropriate for students and should be removed from the total environment. The other titles were The ABCs of Black History, Cuban Kids and Love to Langston. READ MORE: Miami-Dade K-8 bars elementary students from 4 library titles following parent complaint News of the decision made by a school materials review committee spread quickly, and the district and school board received national pushback for the decision. Many board members later said they were upset to have found out about the issue through the media. I was somewhat miffed to learn about an issue through the media that created a public firestorm and a national embarrassment and debacle, Gallon said at the school board committee meeting earlier this month. Gallon said he proposed the policy change to improve transparency around certain decisions regarding books and classroom materials. Among the updates, the policy will also require the district to provide related training to staff who address title challenges, such as a rubric or guideline when determining if a title is appropriate. Those policy provisions, Gallon argued, were not implemented properly, and he referenced the woefully deficient form and the confusion surrounding what is considered appropriate. District staff is expected to provide an update on the possible changes to current policy by the boards regular monthly meeting in August. The Miami-Dade School Board on Wednesday agreed to extend Superintendent Jose Dotres contract for up to three years. Thank you for the vote of confidence, Dotres said to a round of applause from the board members and audience. The fact that I get to continue the work is just wonderful. Again, thank you for your unanimous confidence in me. Its an honor to be your superintendent. The extension which would be through June 2027 was slightly different from the original proposal, put forward by Chairwoman Mari Tere Rojas, who said earlier this month that an extension would benefit the district by providing continuity and stability in a time when districts across the state are facing superintendent vacancies. When Rojas first raised the extension, she proposed a three-year extension. The proposal the board approved Wednesday provides for an additional two-year extension, ending Feb. 14, 2026, and shall automatically extend and continue in full force and effect through Feb. 14, 2027, unless either the board or the superintendent decide to terminate the contract. (The termination requires a 90-day notice before the end of the two-year extension.) READ MORE: After school bars elementary student reading, school board wants to know of book challenges The agreement also requires the board to finalize a formal superintendent evaluation process a measure some board members raised concern about earlier this month. Board member Luisa Santos, for one, argued the board should finalize a procedure for assessing and evaluating the superintendent before discussing a possible extension. Vice Chair Danny Espino said he was looking forward to that evaluation process and having that be a launch-off point for this conversation, especially because he hasnt had as many opportunities to work with Dotres as others as a new board member. Dotres, however, said the evaluation process had already been approved. During the board meeting Wednesday, Rojas acknowledged the apparent confusion regarding the superintendents evaluation. She called for a special meeting Wednesday to discuss an official process, which the board approved. Dotres first day as superintendent was Feb. 14, 2022. The board appointed Dotres in January 2022 to succeed former Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who left the district after more than a dozen years to head the Los Angeles Unified School District. Part of the school districts success, Dotres said Wednesday, can be attributed to valuing homegrown individuals that have been teachers and administrators positions he and Carvalho held in the district prior to becoming superintendent. READ MORE: Miami school district hires Jose Dotres as superintendent; longtime district leader His initial contract was for just two years to February 2024, with the possibility to extend it to the end of the 2023-24 year because of his participation in the states Deferred Retirement Option Program. During this years legislative session, though, state lawmakers extended the programs participation period from 60 months to 96. The fact that the state made this decision [with] DROP, it has provided an opportunity of a lifetime to continue the work that I care about, because theres still a lot of work to be done. Prosecutors outlined on Wednesday the fatal chain of events that led to the deadly encounter between restaurant magnate Greg Leon and his wifes lover, who was found dead in a parking lot, naked except for his socks. In calling 12 witnesses over two days, 11th Circuit Solicitor Rick Hubbard and Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes have advanced the argument that Leon, consumed with murderous rage, tracked his wife to the quiet park-and-ride using a GPS locator hidden in her Mercedes. Wielding a .357 Smith and Wesson revolver, he then fired four shots into the back seat, two of which hit and killed Arturo Bravo Santos, his wifes lover, prosecutors say. The fatal encounter between Leon and Bravo in the parking lot was set in motion earlier on that Valentines Day2016, according to a timeline pieced together from Facebook posts, call records, texts, surveillance footage and testimony from law enforcement experts and investigators. Leons wife, Rachel, and Bravo exchanged messages throughout the day on Feb. 14, 2016. She sent Bravo kissing emojis, and he replied with a picture of himself in a patterned sweater. The sweater was later recovered from the car. Around 5 p.m., Rachel Leon texted Bravo, Love come now. Ok, Bravo replied. Later that evening, Rachel stepped away from a family Valentines Day dinner at Carrabbas Italian Grill on Columbiana Drive to arrange to meet Bravo at the park-and-ride at 110 Riverchase Way. Exhibits show photos stored on the phone of Rachel Leon, wife of Greg Leon, of her and her alleged lover Arturo Bravo Santos during a trip they took to Charleston. On cross examination of Lexington Police Department Detective Marc Miramontes, defense attorney Jack Swerling, who argued in his opening statement that that Rachel was being manipulated for her money, asked whether Bravo was growing angry that Rachel had not answered his other calls and texts throughout dinner. Miramontes said that he did not know. Shortly before 7 p.m., the Leons left the restaurant separately. At 7:15 p.m., surveillance footage showed Greg Leons Range Rover arriving at one of his restaurants, which attorneys have referred to as San Jose #1. Leon managed that restaurant personally and maintained an office there. Around this time, Rachel had two brief phone calls with her husband in less than two minutes. She later made a third call to her husband, which was not answered. Bravo, whose name was listed in Rachels phone as Avi, called her at 7:39 p.m., and the two spoke for less than a minute. At 7:43 p.m., surveillance footage showed Rachels white Mercedes SUV arriving at the park-and-ride, where Bravo was waiting. She then climbed into the back seat of the silver Toyota Tundra that she had bought for him just three days previously. Back at the San Jose #1, surveillance footage of the restaurants lobby taken shortly after 8 p.m. showed that Leon appeared unsettled. Rachels phone records indicate that calls from Leons mobile phone at 8:08 and from his restaurant five minutes later went unanswered. Around the same time, video showed that Leon was staring obsessively at his phone. For several minutes he stood behind the host stand and then paced over to sit on a bench in the corner without looking up from the screen. He appeared to be trying to look something up, said Miramontes, who noted that at 8:10 p.m. an app on Leons phone would have shown that the Mercedes was at the park-and-ride. The app was developed by Spireon, a vehicle tracking company specializing in fleet management, which also manufactured the GPS device hidden under the hood of Rachels car, For some reason he gets up in a hurry, Miramontes said. He sees something and gets up. It appears to be a fast walk or slow run, whatever you want to call it. CCTV footage showed people staring in surprise as Leon sped out of his restaurant still looking at his phone. An exterior camera showed the Range Rover reversing quickly down an alley behind the restaurant. The Range Rover arrived at the park-and-ride approximately ten minutes later, just before 8:23 p.m. Within seconds of arriving, Leon, who held a concealed weapons permit, had pulled a gun out of his right pocket. Prosecutors have argued that this is a .357 revolver that Leon purchased in 2006 from a Columbia pawn shop. Prosectors have argued that Greg Leon committed the murder of Arturo Bravo Santos using a .357 magnum revolver that he purchased from a Columbia pawn shop in 2006. Suddenly he raised the gun and rushed around the passenger side of the truck, disappearing from view of the camera. While there is no sound on the video, Swerling said in his opening statement that Leon heard his wife scream. At 8:23 and six seconds, the passenger side door to silver pickup opened, Miramontes testified. Four seconds later, a muzzle flash is seen on the video. Leon is seen again eleven seconds after the shots are fired in between the Toyota truck and his wifes Mercedes. But its unknown what happened in the 15 seconds that Leon is out of view. In a bracing cross examination, Miramontes, who earlier testified on direct examination that he didnt see Bravo reach for a weapon on the video of the parking lot, admitted that he actually could not see what was happening inside of the truck. What you cant see, you cant see, Swerling agreed. Who was Arturo Bravo Santos? Prosecutors have painted a picture of a puppy love relationship between Bravo, an undocumented construction worker, and Rachel Leon, the wife of a wealthy restaurant owner and mother of seven. Bravo posted songs on her Facebook wall, she sent him emojis, and she kept photos of a trip they had taken to Charleston, including one of the cuddling that Bravo had edited to include the words Te Amo, A y R I love you, Arturo and Rachel. A picture on her phone taken just three days before the murder showed the couple standing proudly next to the 2014 silver Toyota Tundra outside of the Dick Dyer Toyota dealership in Columbia. On Valentines Day, Bravo filled that truck with gifts: a stuffed teddy bear in a red basket, flowers wrapped in plastic, a gold heart box of Lindt chocolates, a bottle of champagne. But Swerling has dismissed Bravos affections as the smooth actions of a seducer. He was seeing other women as well in the same kind of situation, Swerling said in his opening statements. He took advantage of Rachel Leon. He knew she was married, and he knew she was married to Greg Leon, Swerling said He milked her. Investigators initially believed that the man they found face down in the Lexington County parking lot was actually named Arnulfo Gil Liles. Thats the name listed on a Mexican consular ID card and a Wells Fargo debit card found in Bravos truck. It was also the name that matched his fingerprints, according to investigators. His real identity was not discovered until several days later, when family members brought Lexington Police Department investigators paperwork from North Carolina that confirmed his real name. Fake names on documents are common for people like Bravo who were living and working illegally, said Miramontes. But he could not offer an explanation about why Bravo, whose only criminal history was driving without a license or insurance, would have been fingerprinted under an alias. Should military bases help fund Kansas counties? This former US congressman thinks so | Opinion Kansas is studded with military bases that dont pay property taxes to the counties that host them. Should they? A former Wichita-area congressman thinks so, and is attempting to put together a coalition of counties that would lobby the federal government to make payments in lieu of taxes, or PILT, on military installations across the sunflower state. Former U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, now a Washington lobbyist, is asking eight Kansas counties with a significant military presence to pay his company $3,000 a month to advocate for PILT on military bases, including McConnell Air Force Base at the southeast edge of Wichita, Fort Riley in Geary and Riley counties and Fort Leavenworth in Leavenworth County. Sedgwick County commissioners David Dennis and Jim Howell recently participated in a video meeting with Tiahrt and several other counties, and Dennis told the rest of the commission about the proposal at a meeting on Wednesday. Dennis, a 29-year veteran of the Air Force and retired colonel, was not enthusiastic about the county seeking more income from the air base. Remember, Im retired military and I want to make sure that our defense budget meets the needs of the defense of our nation, and its not siphoned off for other things like sending tax money to counties, he said. Anything that siphons money away from the Department of Defense that worries me. He said the base is the countys fourth-largest employer, with about 9,300 employees, and that it accounts for an estimated $825 million in area economic impact. I do not want to ever do anything that (negatively) impacts the partnership we have with McConnell Air Force Base, he said. He said at a dinner Tuesday night, he bounced the idea off of congressional aides for Sen. Roger Marshall and Rep. Ron Estes and they hadnt heard about it. Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins also hadnt heard about it, but their initial reactions were that its a bad idea, he said. But Tiahrt makes enough of a case to justify at least taking a long, hard look at the proposal. The principle here is that county governments, and county taxpayers, do have to provide some services to military bases in their midst. McConnell provides a lot of its own police and fire services, but local courts handle cases that originate on the base and local governments build and maintain the road systems that provide the base with shipping access routes. While thats not a big a deal in Sedgwick County with its large population, tax base and budget, its a lot harder on smaller counties, Tiahrt said. And payments in lieu of taxes is not a new concept to the federal government. This year, the Department of the Interior is allocating $578 million to 1,900 state and local governments for payments in lieu of taxes covering properties managed by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the Forest Service and other agencies. Its been going on since 1976. In fact, Sedgwick County gets a share of that, albeit a small one because theres not much federal property here. According to federal records, there are 1,031 acres of PILT-eligible property in the county, and the county will get a payment in lieu of taxes of $3,246 this year. Statewide, the federal government controls about 550,000 acres in Kansas and pays $1.5 million in lieu of taxes. Military installations are currently exempt from payments. There is, however, a pilot project underway in which the Defense Department is offering grants to local governments to share the cost of general public infrastructure that supports military bases and the families who live there. On Wednesday, the commission approved an application for about $9.8 million under the DODs Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program, to help fund a new $15 million Emergency Preparedness Center. Its a little unclear why applying for that grant is OK, but seeking payments in lieu of taxes would be siphoning money from our national defense. The next step should be for Sedgwick County to figure out how many local tax dollars are funding services for the air base. Once thats established, then commissioners can make a more informed decision on whether Tiahrts payment in lieu plan is a good idea or not. It may not ultimately be something Sedgwick County needs, but it would be a mistake to dismiss it out of hand. . COLUMBUS Several water and sewer projects in the Tuscarawas Valley are being awarded funding by the State of Ohio. The grants are part of the fourth round of the Ohio BUILDS (Broadband, Utilities, and Infrastructure for Local Development Success) water infrastructure program. Since its establishment, the program has provided more than $360 million to support 253 local water projects impacting every county in the state. Local projects include: The Village of Gnadenhutten will receive a $1,526,824 grant for water treatment plant improvements. The current system is approaching the end of its useful life. The village will be putting a new filter system in the current location, according to Mayor Rich Gilmore. The plans have been approved but are waiting for the final signoff from the Environmental Protection Agency, which should happen any day now. Completion of the project is expected in the next seven to nine months. The project will benefit 1,258 people. The Village of Sugarcreek will receive a $608,220 grant for a water treatment plant expansion project. The project will expand the floor space of the current plant to make room for an additional water softener. The project will benefit 2,234 people. The Holmes County Board of Commissioners will receive a $4,350,000 grant for a waterline extension project along Ohio 39 and Cherry Ridge Road to the Tuscarawas County line near Sugarcreek. The Walnut Creek Water Co. will take ownership of the existing Cherry Ridge Water Works and eliminate this water system, which is suffering from poor water pressure and deteriorated waterline. The line extension will connect 22 new residential households and expand water quality for the current 34 households. The project will install about 20,000 linear feet of waterline, a 100,000-gallon elevated water stage tank and replace about 3,100 linear feet of existing line, gate valves, fire hydrants and water services. The project will benefit 132 people. The Village of Bowerston will receive a $3,574,445 grant for a wastewater improvement project. The villages current system was constructed in the mid-1980s and experiences high rates of inflow and infiltration of clean water entering the wastewater system during wet weather events. Project activities include the replacement of about 18,000 linear feet of gravity sewer lines, 3,500 linear feet of sewer service laterals, 80 manholes and additional necessary reconnections and surface restoration. The project will also remove and dispose of sludge from the wastewater treatment plant lagoons and replace airlines and blowers. The project will benefit 454 people. The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District will receive a $1.7 million grant for a wastewater treatment plant improvement project in Harrison County. Project activities include the installation of a 12,000 gallons-per-day plant including two new pump stations to tie into restrooms, rental cabins and a new RV dump station at Clendening Marina near Tippecanoe. The project will benefit 200 people. This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Millions of dollars coming to region for water and sewer projects Missing sub nears critical deadline, American detained in Russia learns appeal fate and more top headlines An undated photo shows tourist submersible belongs to OceanGate descents at a sea. Search and rescue operations continue by US Coast Guard in Boston after a tourist submarine bound for the Titanics wreckage site went missing off the southeastern coast of Canada. RACE AGAINST TIME - Missing sub nears critical deadline when oxygen was projected to run out. Continue reading AMERICAN DETAINED - WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich's appeal denied by Russian court. Continue reading 'BASELESS DISTORTIONS' - Adam Schiff censured by House for 'false' allegations on Trump-Russia collusion. Continue reading KILL SWITCH - Unhappy AI could lead to 'hostile' superintelligence, Tech CEO claims. Continue reading FORGET REGULATION - This dominant force can tame AI better than politicians, writes Neil Chilson. Continue reading - REGULATING TECHNOLOGY - Congress is 'behind' on AI's rapid development, GOP rep warns. Continue reading READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP STATE EXODUS - Ron DeSantis roasts Gavin Newsom as California residents flee: 'People vote with their feet.' Continue reading PUSHING FORWARD - Bidens $400B student loan handout is safe for now, survives GOP fight to kill it. Continue reading YOUNGKINS SWEEP - All 10 GOP candidates endorsed by the Virginia governor won their contested primaries. Continue reading Click here for more cartoons ITS SCARY - Joy Behar points finger for missing Titanic sub crisis: 'That's the irony of it.' Continue reading BACK OFF! - MSNBC's Claire McCaskill flips out over Republicans investigating Bidens. Continue reading CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE - Anti-woke movie guide site gives conservatives alternative to 'Rotten Tomatoes.' Continue reading YOURE NOT ANSWERING' - Ted Cruz spars with civil rights org leader over physical differences between men and women. Continue reading JESSE WATTERS - Durham didn't seek justice. Continue reading SEAN HANNITY - Schiff has been formally censured by the House of Representatives. Continue reading LAURA INGRAHAM - We cannot 'rely on China' for our essentials. Continue reading JESUS TOLD ME TO WRITE THAT - High school valedictorian who gave faith-filled speech reveals motivation. Continue reading DATA & ANALYTICS BOSS - JPMorgan Chase names new head of AI unit. Continue reading MCCARTHY RETURNS - Durham hearing Democrats bring back these awful Capitol Hill memories, writes Jonathan Turley. Continue reading REACTION SO EXTREME - Ohio moms react to 'vicious' school reporting them to FBI after complaints about critical race theory. Continue reading THAT LOVIN FEELING - Tom Cruises red carpet interactions reveal actor's potential celebrity interests. Continue reading WATCH: FOOD IS FUN: Javin, a 15-year-old Asian small-clawed otter who lives at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, Washington, is caught playing with his mealworm dinner before eating it. See the adorable video! See video WATCH: Schiff will go down in history for exploiting his position: Rep Anna Paulina Luna. See video WATCH: Texas Department of Public Safety arrests Gulf Cartel member for human smuggling. See video Whats it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading Facebook Instagram YouTube Twitter LinkedIn Fox News First Fox News Opinion Fox News Lifestyle Fox News Entertainment (FOX411) Fox News Fox Business Fox Weather Fox Sports Tubi Fox News Go Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! Well see you in your inbox first thing Friday. Some hyperbaric chambers are large enough to accommodate several patients at once. Getty Images The missing Titan submersible has likely run out of oxygen. If the passengers are found, their medical treatment may include a recompression chamber. The chamber helps prevent decompression sickness caused by rapid pressure changes. The missing Titan submersible has five passengers that are running low on oxygen. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax tweeted on Tuesday that the Royal Canadian Navy joined the search for the submersible, bringing a six-person mobile hyperbaric recompression chamber, used to treat decompression sickness (DCS). DCS, aka the bends, is caused by a rapid decrease in air or water pressure. The submersible should maintain atmospheric pressure in the cabin, "so they could come right back to the surface and not have any decompression sickness at all," said Richard Moon, medical director of the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine & Environmental Physiology at the Duke University Medical Center. But the chamber could be used if the vessel experiences a pressure change when it is brought to the surface, Canada's Department of National Defence told Insider in an email. What is decompression sickness? DCS is most often associated with scuba and deep-sea diving, but astronauts can get the bends as well. The deeper you sink into the ocean, the greater the pressure will be from all the water above. If a diver rises to the surface too quickly after a deep dive, the sudden pressure change can cause gas bubbles, often nitrogen, to release into the bloodstream. Moon compares it to the bubbles that form when you open a carbonated beverage. The nitrogen bubbles can damage blood vessels and impede blood flow, with often painful and sometimes serious results similar to a blood clot, Nilufer Norsworthy, a hyperbaric medicine specialist with University of Washington Medical Center Northwest, said. "To decrease the damage we need to get the bubbles as small as possible as early as possible," she said. Symptoms of DCS include joint pain, headache, fatigue, and weakness in the limbs, according to Harvard Medical School. How hyperbaric chambers help with DCS Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is an effective treatment for DCS. A hyperbaric oxygen chamber delivers 100% oxygen to occupants in a pressurized environment. "Usually the compression is to almost 3 atmospheres absolute or an equivalent of 60 feet," said Moon. "So it's like going back on a 60-foot dive but breathing 100 percent oxygen." Over the course of several hours, nitrogen transitions from gas to liquid form so it can clear from the bloodstream without blocking or damaging blood vessels. The treatment length depends on factors like the depth and duration of the dive and can range from two to six or seven hours. Possible side effects of the treatment include middle-ear damage, collapsed lungs, low blood sugar, and sinus issues, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The pressure change is greater than in an airplane, and novice divers can have difficulty equalizing the pressure in the middle ear, which can lead to pain and bleeding, Moon said. If rescuers find the submersible, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) will be needed to slowly haul it to the surface, according to the BBC. This ascent can't be slow enough, Norsworthy said. If the pressure in the chamber changes from the deep sea to the surface, it could lead to ruptured capillaries in the lungs and other organ damage as the body returns to atmospheric pressure. Read the original article on Insider The missing Titanic sub disaster may have ruined future research opportunities for everyone else, expedition exec says The port bow railing of the Titanic lies in 12,600 feet of water about 400 miles east of Nova Scotia. Reuters/File photo The missing sub disaster may ruin future research opportunities at the Titanic site, an expert said. The CEO of White Star Memories Ltd told CNN it will "without a doubt" have an impact. He predicted "much more stringent rules and regulations will be put in place." The missing tourist submersible catastrophe that has gripped the globe may thwart future research opportunities at the shipwreck site of the RMS Titanic in the depths of the North Atlantic, an expedition executive said. "The chances of any future research being carried out on the wreck of Titanic is extremely slim. Probably not in my lifetime," David Scott-Beddard, the CEO of UK-based Titanic exhibition company White Star Memories Ltd, told CNN. Scott-Beddard added, "I imagine there will be an inquiry no doubt after this disaster, and much more stringent rules and regulations will be put in place." Disaster unfolded for the OceanGate Expeditions' Titan sub and the five people on board shortly after it started a dive on Sunday to the wreck site of the iconic passenger liner that lies 12,500 feet below the ocean's surface. The 21-foot carbon-fiber and titanium vessel lost communication with its mothership less than two hours into its journey to the bottom of the ocean floor off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It is not clear how close the submersible was to the Titanic wreck when it lost contact. OceanGate Expeditions' Titan submersible. OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File Extensive search efforts by land, air, and sea have been underway to locate the sub, which has likely already run out of oxygen. The US Coast Guard estimated on Monday that there was 70 to 96 hours of breathable air on the vessel when it took off. In the aftermath of the disaster, it emerged experts had previously raised safety concerns about the Titan sub. A former OceanGate employee alleged in a 2018 lawsuit that the sub's safety could be compromised by poor "quality control and safety" protocols that "paying passengers would not be aware" of. Meanwhile, Scott-Beddard told CNN that the Titan disaster will "without a doubt" have a significant impact on the chances for people to visit and study the wreckage in the future. Michael Poirier, a trustee for the Titanic International Society nonprofit, agreed that there will likely be a "pause" in voyages to the wreck site. "Now you're going to have to look at the submersibles ... and making sure they're up to date and making, they're up to code," Poirier told Insider. Going forward, Poirier said he predicts journeys to the site will be for "more archaeological" and "less commercial" purposes. The wreck site of the Titanic was first discovered in 1985 73 years after the ship sunk after it hit an iceberg, killing more than 1,500 people and since then dozens of expeditions have been conducted to explore and research the site. Paid commercial sightseeing trips to view the wreckage, like those offered by OceanGate, are a more recent development. "Titanic is one of those unreachable, unattainable things for most of us, unless you've been working in research and have been lucky enough to dive to the wreck in the past," Scott-Beddard told CNN. "She sits majestically on the sea bed," he said, as he called it "incredibly rare for a ship that sunk to be sitting upright." Read the original article on Insider Titanic tourist submersible Ocean GatePhoto by Ocean Gate / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The search for the missing submersible Titan that disappeared in an attempt to view the RMS Titanic has concluded. On Thursday, the U.S. Coastguard hosted a press conference announcing that "five major pieces of debris" found were from the lost vessel, including its tail cone. The wreckage indicates that there was an implosion, or a violent collapse inward, that was "consistent with catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber." "The debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel," Rear Admiral John Mauger said during the press conference. Related Why some people will risk their lives to see the Titanic in real life The news came right after OceanGate, the company that operated the submersible that went missing on Sunday, announced in a statement that they believed all five passengers were dead. On Thursday morning, news broke that one of the remote-controlled search vehicles located a "debris field" nearly 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic after hours of being deployed. The OceanGate statement read: "This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission. We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families. This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time." The five passengers on the missing submersible were Stockton Rush, the chief executive of OceanGate; French maritime expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet; British billionaire Hamish Harding; Pakistani and British billionaire Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old teenage son, Suleman Dawood. Yesterday, the Coast Guard said that sonar had picked up "banging noises," providing some hope that the submersible was still intact somewhere in the ocean. During the press conference, Rear Admiral John Mauger said "there doesn't appear to be any connection between the noises and the location on the seafloor." Sonar buoys deployed to search for the missing vessel after it went missing did not pick up sounds of an implosion. This suggests it occurred before the search took place. A trip to see the Titanic wreckage at the bottom of the ocean on OceanGate's 23,000-pound vessel costs $250,000, but the sub itself may not have been properly outfitted for such a deep dive, lacking even some basic equipment. As reported by Forbes, "If the hull of the Titan did fail, it may take a long timeif everto diagnose what exactly went wrong." Dr. Nicolai Roterman, a deep-sea ecologist and lecturer in marine biology at the University of Portsmouth, told Forbes, "If there was any kind of hull breach, the occupants would succumb to the ocean in a near instant." This result was predicted by many in the deep sea diving industry. For example, the Marine Technology Society warned of a catastrophic event for years. "This letter is sent on behalf of our industry members who have collectively expressed unanimous concern regarding the development of TITAN and the planned Titanic Expedition," the Society stated in a letter from March 2018. "Our apprehension is that the current experimental approach adopted by Oceangate could result in negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic) that would have serious consequences for everyone in the industry." In the press conference, authorities said they will continue to try and piece together a timeline of events. However, no further press conferences are scheduled. "I know there's a lot of questions about how, why, when this happened," Mauger said. "That's going to be, I'm sure, the focus of future review. Right now, we're focused on documenting the scene." Read more about the Titanic On Saturday night, billionaire explorer Hamish Harding took to Instagram to reveal he was among the crew of a submersible vessel on their way to explore the Titanic wreckage. I am proud to finally announce that I joined OceanGate Expeditions for their RMS TITANIC Mission as a mission specialist on the sub going down to the Titanic, Mr Harding wrote. Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow. Mr Harding said the five-member crew, which included French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, had set sail from St Johns, Newfoundland, Canada, on Friday. They were planning to start their 4,000m descent to the most famous shipwreck in the world at 4am on Sunday morning. Until then we have a lot of preparations and briefings to do, he said. About 105 minutes into the trip, the Tital submersible stopped communicating with its mothership. But just five days later, it would be confirmed that the submarine suffered a catastrophic implosion and all five people on board were confirmed to have died. Hamish Harding posted about his plans to travel to see the Titanic wreckage two days before the sub went missing (Facebook/Hamish Harding) Heres a timeline of the horror ordeal: Sunday (18 June) The Polar Prince icebreaker sailed around 900 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, where it set anchor. The five-person crew was dropped into the ocean in their 22-foot long submersible vessel, the Titan, around 8am EST the submersible was launched, according to the US Coast Guard One hour and 45 minutes later, the vessel lost contact with the Polar Prince. The vessel was programmed to send out a ping every 15 minutes to indicate its location. The final signal was sent at around 10am ET, according to The Times. The Titan typically takes around two hours to reach the Titanic wreckage, located about 4,000m beneath the ocean. The OceanGate Expeditions submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic (PA Media) According to the Coast Guard, the sub was meant to surface at 3pm EST. When it failed to resurface, the crew raised the alarm with authorities at 5.40pm EST. At a press conference in Boston, Captain Jamie Frederick, of the US Coast Guard, said: On Sunday, the co-ordination command centre in Boston received a report from the Canadian expedition vessel Polar Prince of an overdue 21 foot submarine, Titan, with five people on board. The Titan was attempting to dive on the wreck of the Titanic, approximately 900 miles east of Cape Cod and 400 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland. Approximately one hour and 45 minutes into the scheduled dive, the Polar Prince lost all communication with the Titan, Polar Prince conducted an initial search and then requested Coast Guard assistance. The US Coast Guard in Boston assumed the responsibility of search-and-rescue mission coordinator and immediately launched search assets. Since Sunday, the Coast Guard has coordinated search efforts with the US and Canadian Coast Guard, Air National Guard aircraft and the Polar Prince (the Titans mother ship), which has searched a combined 7,600 square miles, an area larger than the state of Connecticut. The vessel was carrying enough oxygen for the crew for 96 hours making the rescue mission a race against time to reach the vessel. The divers failed to return from a 4,000m deep dive to the Titanic wreckage (Atlantic Productions, PA) (PA Media) Monday (19 June) On Monday morning, authorities revealed the Titan was missing and a large-scale search operation had been launched. The US Coast Guard revealed they had begun a sweeping search of a 5,000sqm area about 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Canadian Coast Guard said it too is taking part in the effort with fixed-wing aircraft and a ship. At 1.30pm, the US Coastguards Northeast tweeted that a C-130 Hercules reconnaissance aircraft had been dispatched to search for the Titan. P8 Poseidon aircraft with underwater sonar capabilities joined the search on Monday afternoon. A US Navy Curv-21, an unmanned submersible vessel that can reach a depth of 20,000 feet, is being used in the search for the missing Titanic wreck vessel (US Navy) It is a remote area and it is a challenge to conduct a search in that remote area but we are deploying all available assets to make sure we can locate the craft and rescue the people onboard, US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger told reporters during a briefing at 4.30pm EST on Monday. Submersible craft including an unmanned US Navy Curv-21, which can reach a depth of 4,000m, also joined the search. The Polar Prince and 106 Rescue Wing continued to conduct surface searches throughout Monday evening. Tuesday (20 June) On Tuesday afternoon, OceanGate confirmed that its chief executive and founder Stockton Rush is aboard the submersible as a member of the crew. A Canadian Aircraft P3 Aurora joined the effort, as the search area expanded to 10,000sqm. During the press conference on Tuesday, Captain Frederick said there were around 40 to 41 hours of oxygen left on the submersible. He said that a unified command of multiple agencies had been formed to tackle the very complex problem of finding the vessel but so far this had not yielded any results. Captain Frederick said: Since Sunday, the Coast Guard has coordinated search efforts with the US and Canadian Coast Guard, Air National Guard aircraft and the Polar Prince (the Titans mother ship), which has searched a combined 7,600 square miles, an area larger than the state of Connecticut. These search efforts have focused on both surface, with C-130 aircraft searching by sight and with radar, and subsurface, with P-3 aircraft were able to drop and monitor sonar buoys. Captain Jamie Frederick told reporters that the complex search had not yet yielded any results (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) To date, those search efforts have not yielded any results. Captain Frederick was non-committal however when asked if there is any way to retrieve the submersible and save the five on board if it can be located. So, right now all of our efforts are focused on finding the sub, he said. What I will tell you is we have a group of our nations best experts in the unified command and if we get to that point, those experts will be looking at what the next course of action is. It is understood the King was being kept informed of the search efforts, as Shahzada Dawood was a long-time supporter of The Princes Trust International and The British Asian Trust, both of which are charities founded by Charles It was also reported that a Canadian aircraft had detected banging noises within the search area over the course of 30-minute intervals. Wednesday (21 June) According to internal e-mail updates sent to Department of Homeland Security leadership, the Canadian aircraft detected banging noises every 30 minutes. RCC Halifax launched a P8, Poseidon, which has underwater detection capabilities from the air, the e-mails read. Banging noises have been detected leading to renewed hope of finding the five passengers aboard the submersible (Reuters/Getty/WEF/OceanGate) The P8 deployed sonobuoys, which reported a contact in a position close to the distress position. The P8 heard banging sounds in the area every 30 minutes. Four hours later additional sonar was deployed and banging was still heard. The US Coast Guard on Wednesday morning said: Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area. As a result, ROV (remote operating vehicles) operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises. Those ROV searches have yielded negative results but continue. Additionally, the data from the P-3 aircraft has been shared with our U.S. Navy experts for further analysis which will be considered in future search plans. In an upbeat statement, President Richard Garriot de Cayeux of The Explorers Club said: There is cause for hope, that based on data from the field, we understand that likely signs of life have been detected at the site. They precisely understand the experienced personnel and tech we can help deploy We believe they are doing everything possible with all the resources they have. Mr Garriot de Cayeux said they were ready to provide the UK-based Magellans remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that is certified to travel as deep as 6,000 metres. In a press conference on Wednesday (21 June) afternoon, Captain Jamie Frederick of the US Coast Guard assured people that authorities were doing everything possible to locate the missing vessel as the search intensified with more technology. Mr Frederick confirmed that the vessel had less than 24 hours of oxygen supply left. He also acknowledged that officials do not know if crews will be able to rescue the people on board even if they do manage to find the sub before the oxygen runs out. The first photo emerged of the Deep Energy rescue ship, which carries two remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) capable of operating to a depth of 3,000m, arriving at the search site on Wednesday. The John Cabot, which has side-scanning sonar capabilities, the Skandi Vinland and the Atlantic Merlin also arrived at the search site on Wednesday morning, the US Coast Guard said in a Twitter post. The Royal Canadian Navy also deployed HMCS Glace Bay, which carries a medical team specialising in dive medicine. Onboard the ship is a six-person mobile hyperbaric recompression chamber that can be used to treat or prevent decompression sickness. However, the French ship Atalante carrying the Victor 6,000 underwater (ROV) and winch the only one capable of reaching the Titanic wreck 4,000m under the ocean surface had a narrow window of time to conduct rescue operations as it only reached the search site on Wednesday night. Thursday (22 June) The air supply on the missing Titanic tourist submarine came down to its last hours, as rescue workers continued their increasingly desperate search for the five stranded passengers. A US Coast Guard spokesperson told The Independent they expect the vessel, named Titan, would run out of oxygen at 8am EDT, which is 1pm UK time, on Thursday. This estimated time is based on the number of hours of oxygen the craft had for the five people on board - 96 - and the time it submerged - 8am EDT, which is 1pm UK time, on Sunday. Soon after that deadline passed, officials announced a debris field had been found in the search area. Five crew members were later confirmed to have died after the Titanic tourist submarine suffered a catastrophic explosion. The US Coast Guard offered its deepest condolences to the families after the tail cone of the vessel was found around 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic wreck. In a press conference, Rear Admiral John Mauger said further debris was consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. In a statement, OceanGate Expeditions said: These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. Asked what the prospects of recovering crew members were, Rear Admiral Mauger said: This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel. And so well continue to work and continue to search the area down there, but I dont have an answer for prospects at this time. Rear Admiral Mauger also said there did not appear to be any connection between the underwater noises detected during the search and rescue mission and the location of the debris on the seafloor. This was a catastrophic implosion of the vessel which would have generated a significant broadband sound down there that the sonar buoys would have picked up, he said. Missing Titanic sub likely would have used its 96-hour oxygen supply if implosion didn't happen first This undated photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company's Titan submersible. OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File According to estimates, the five people on the Titan submersible likely ran out of oxygen Thursday morning. It's impossible to say with certainty when their oxygen would run out. But te US Coast Guard indicated that the vessel likely imploded before the search mission began. The missing Titan submersible with five people on board likely would have out of oxygen Thursday morning, but a Thursday afternoon update from the US Coast Guard indicated that the vessel likely imploded before the search and rescue mission began Monday afternoon. The Titan submersible appears to have had a "catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber," imploding in the ocean's depths and shattering its debris 1,600 feet away from the famous shipwreck its five passengers hoped to explore, the Coast Guard said, meaning the 96 hours of oxygen available to the passengers was likely not even a consideration in the rescue efforts. OceanGate released a statement saying they believe the passengers onboard the Titanic expedition submersible have "sadly been lost," the statement read, per CNN. The submersible went missing on Sunday during a dive to the Titanic shipwreck at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. On Monday, the US Coast Guard estimated that there was 70 to 96 hours of breathable air on the sub when it took off. The Titan initiated its dive at around 7 a.m. ET on Sunday, so 96 hours later would be around 7 a.m. ET on Thursday. Ninty-six hours was an estimate. As Insider's Amber Middleton reported earlier this week, the rate of consumption can vary significantly based on factors like how active the crew are and the temperature on board. As of Thursday morning, rescuers had given no indication they knew where the submersible was. By Thursday afternoon, the US Coast Guard announced that a "debris field" has been found in the depths of the North Atlantic by an underwater robot that was searching near the shipwreck. "Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information," the agency said in a tweet. A "catastrophic failure" could have killed everyone on board already, an expert told Insider. He said this could have come about from a power failure or the hull being breached, which would have brought about a "catastrophic implosion." What happens to the human body in an enclosed vessel? There is no research and little precedent for bodies being found in a highly pressurized and intact vessel, forensics experts told Insider. The two big drivers of decomposition are temperature and oxygen, Melissa Connors, a director for the Forensic Investigation Research Station at Colorado Mesa University, told Insider. In general, the higher the temperature, the faster the body will decompose, and without oxygen, bacteria can't thrive, she said. "Generally in an environment without oxygen, remains will not decompose much because the micro and macro organisms that would work to consume and decompose the tissues will be unable to survive," Nicholas Passalacqua, a director of Forensic Anthropology at Western Carolina University, said in an email to Insider. In cold temperatures and without oxygen for bacteria, the body dries out through a process known as sublimation during which water goes from a solid state to a gaseous state, Connors said. "So you might end up with mummies," she said. There are other variables to consider, including anaerobes, a type of bacteria that does not require oxygen to survive and could contribute to decomposition, Daniel Wescott, director of the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State University, told Insider. Read the original article on Insider In an uncommon move, the Missouri Attorney Generals Office has agreed that a woman who has spent four decades in prison for a St. Joseph murder she maintains she did not commit should be able to present evidence at a hearing. Sandra Hemme, 63, has been behind bars for more than 42 years for the Nov. 12, 1980, killing of Patricia Jeschke, whose nude body was found on the floor of her apartment along North Riverside Road in eastern St. Joseph. Lawyers with the New York-based Innocence Project filed a petition in February seeking to exonerate and free Hemme, arguing that she falsely confessed to a murder that the lawyers say was more likely committed by a corrupt St. Joseph police officer. In its response last week, the attorney generals office asked the circuit court judge overseeing the case, Ryan Horsman, to order the lawyers involved to be ready to set a date for an evidentiary hearing when they meet July 10. The AGs office reserved the right to raise defenses against Hemmes claims, meaning its lawyers could try to get her case thrown out once more fact finding has been done. The office also said Hemmes attorneys have alleged facts that if true may entitle her to relief. The response was surprising to local attorneys, given that the AGs office has for decades, under Republicans and Democrats, fought nearly every wrongful conviction case to come before it, as the news outlets Injustice Watch and The Appeal reported in 2020. I truly hope this means they will be evaluating the evidence and not having a knee-jerk reaction of opposing the petition, said Elizabeth Ramsey, a St. Louis-based attorney who has successfully litigated against the attorney general. Ramsey, who is not involved in Hemmes case, said the AGs office usually opposes evidentiary hearings in innocence claims. Kent Gipson, a Kansas City-based attorney who has filed hundreds of post-conviction claims over three decades, could only think of one other innocence case where the attorney generals office agreed to an evidentiary hearing. That was in the mid-2000s in the case of Reginald Griffin, who was not freed from Missouris death row until years later. Gipson who has criticized the AG for typically opposing every case no matter what the facts are also considered the response in Hemmes case atypical. But Gipson, who also is not involved in the case, said until the AGs office concedes someone was wrongly convicted, he doubted the six-page court filing signaled a broader shift in the offices culture. I hope Im wrong, but I just dont see this as a wholesale change in their attitude toward litigating these things, he said. The AGs opposition to innocence claims has gained national attention in recent years, especially under former Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who is now a U.S. senator. Schmitts office fought Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker in her effort to free Kevin Strickland, who was exonerated in 2021 after spending 43 years in prison for a triple murder he did not commit. The AG also opposed then-St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner as she sought to exonerate Lamar Johnson, an innocent man who was freed in February after 28 years in prison. A spokesperson for the attorney generals office, now under Andrew Bailey, did not return messages seeking comment. Sandra Hemmes innocence claim The only evidence connecting Hemme to the murder of Jeschke, a quiet St. Joseph library worker, were her wildly contradictory and factually impossible statements extracted from detectives, according to her attorneys. A patient at the St. Joseph State Hospitals psychiatric ward at the time, Hemme gave many conflicting statements to the police when questioned after the crime. She initially didnt even mention a murder. She later claimed to have seen a man commit the killing a theory that was pursued by police and prosecutors, who charged the man, until they realized he was miles away in Topeka at the time and could not have been there. Another time, Hemme said she knew about the murder because of extrasensory perception or, as it is also known, the sixth sense. It wasnt until nearly two weeks after her first encounter with detectives that Hemme told authorities that she, alone, violently took Jeschkes life. Even then, she was anything but certain. I think I stabbed her with it, Hemme said of a hunting knife. I dont know. I dont know. Hemme initially pleaded guilty to capital murder, but her conviction was thrown out on appeal. She was then found guilty in 1985 during a one-day jury trial devoid of physical evidence and eyewitnesses. Her words were the only evidence against her. In recounting the case in its response, the attorney generals office did argue that Hemmes numerous statements included details that she could not have known unless she committed the murder. Sandra Hemme as a teenager Provided by the Innocence Project But the Innocence Project says the jury never heard damning evidence withheld by state officials that instead implicated Michael Holman, a 22-year-old police officer who was investigated for insurance fraud and burglaries. He did prison time in Missouri and Nebraska. Shortly after Jeschke was found dead, Holman tried to use her credit card to buy $630.43 worth of photography equipment at a store in Kansas City, Kansas. A hair found on Jeschkes bed sheet also exhibited microscopic characteristics similar to that of Holmans. Additionally, Jeschkes earrings were found at Holmans apartment a fact that was hidden from Hemmes lawyers at trial. Holman, who died in 2015, was considered a suspect late in the homicide investigation. His colleagues looked into his alibi a story of him having sex with a woman named Mary at a motel next to Jeschkes apartment but it could not be corroborated. Hemmes fight for freedom is supported by Lloyd Pasley, who was a senior member in St. Joes detective division in 1980 and went on to serve twice as the police departments interim chief. He believes Hemme, who is imprisoned at the Chillicothe Correctional Center, is innocent and that the evidence points to Holman as Jeschkes sole killer. One of Hemmes former attorneys, Larry Harman who went on to serve as Clay County prosecutor, a special assistant AG and a circuit judge believes detectives took advantage of Hemmes mentally fragile state. If Hemme is ultimately exonerated, her prison term would mark the longest known wrongful conviction of a woman in U.S. history. Another premium brand from the Central Coast has joined E.&J. Gallo Winery of Modesto. The company announced Tuesday that it has purchased the Hahn Family Wines portfolio. It comes from vineyards in the hills near the Monterey County coast. Hahn sells its wines online for $15 to $90 a bottle. The family will retain ownership of the vineyards while Gallo markets the products. Gallo has become the worlds largest producer since its founding in 1933 by the late Ernest and Julio Gallo. It relied for decades on lower-priced grapes from the San Joaquin Valley and moved into premium regions in the 1980s. I am pleased to transition our Hahn Family Wines portfolio to the E.&J. Gallo Winery, President Thomas Duhameau said in a news release. Not only do we share similar family values, but both organizations are deeply committed to creating a sustainable future. The purchase price was not disclosed. The deal includes a Hahn tasting room in the coastal town of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Hahn is the nations 40th largest winery, according to an annual report from winebusiness.com. It estimated U.S. sales at about 450,000 cases. Gallo was at about 100 million. Nicky and Gaby Hahn founded the winery in 1980. Today, it has about 1,100 acres in the Santa Lucia Highlands and the Arroyo Seco and Paso Robles areas. The wines are sold under the Hahn, Smith & Hook and Hahn SLH labels. We are honored to welcome their brands into our portfolio, said Steve Carlotti, senior vice president and general manager of commercial brands at Gallo. This acquisition reinforces Gallos strategy for continued growth while supporting our goal of delivering superior quality at great value to our consumers across all usage occasions. The Central Coast wine region includes Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Gallo acquired several labels in a 2021 purchase from Constellation Brands. It has added others in smaller transactions over the years. Gallo also sells wine from Napa and Sonoma counties, the states of Washington and New York, and several foreign nations. A new plant in South Carolina handles distribution to the East Coast. The trade publications second-largest producer is The Wine Group, including the former Franzia Winery near Ripon. Delicato Family Wines near Manteca is fourth. Bronco Wine Co. near Ceres is sixth. Modesto resident Tyray Mollett signed up to be on a spinoff of the popular reality series 90 Day Fiance, but given what has happened so far, he easily could have been cast on another popular reality show: Catfish. The 33-year-old Davis High alum appears in the new season of the TLC channel franchise 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days, which follows international couples with 90-day visas allowing foreign nationals to marry U.S. citizens. Mollett stars in the spinoff series, which started in 2016 and follows international couples who met online as the American partners travel to their fiances countries for the first time before starting the visa process. Mollett is among a handful of couples featured this season, which debuted June 3 and is three episodes into its 18-episode run. But already, Molletts storyline has made an impression and revealed some sensitive and potentially embarrassing information, as producers dropped an unexpected bombshell on the longtime Modesto resident in the season premiere. Modesto resident Tyray Mollett appears on the new season of 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days airing on the TLC channel. TLC/Discovery, Inc. But first, a little background. Mollett grew up in Modesto and graduated from Davis High in 2007. The self-described ukulele fan, chocoholic and virgin works as a full-time caregiver for his mother. She has lived with him in his one-bedroom apartment since suffering a stroke after having surgery to remove a rare brain tumor. Valley man had virtual relationship with woman in Barbados Four years ago, Mollett met a woman online from Barbados named Carmella and they started a virtual relationship, primarily over Snapchat. He described his 37-year-old fiancee, whom to that point he had only texted and shared pictures with, as Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion combined. Then during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he started watching 90 Day Fiance and in April 2021 decided to apply to be on the show. But producers didnt move forward with him for that season, so he figured he missed his shot. When they didnt contact me back, I was happy, actually. I really dont like the spotlight, Im pretty low key and like to hang out in the back, he said, So I thought, You know what, thats the probably the best decision anyway. But then, in August 2022, producers reached back out asking if he still was interested in being on the show. Mollett decided to go ahead with the show, which has compensated him for joining the cast. He said he thought it would be interesting to share his love story with Carmella on national television. Interesting, it turns out, was an understatement. And now, back to that bombshell. Well-known Modesto landmarks featured on TLC reality series Last August, crews came to Modesto to begin filming Molletts story. They filmed in the region through the fall and winter, wrapping this February. Crews captured many of Modestos landmarks which appear on screen, including the arch, McHenry Mansion and Gallo Center for the Arts. Modesto resident Tyray Mollett and his sister, Lashanti, visit the Modesto Certified Farmers Market in a scene from the new season of 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days airing on the TLC channel. TLC/Discovery, Inc. Mollett was excited to share about his girlfriend. But at the end of the first episode, producers told Mollett that Carmella wasnt who she said she was. In fact, she was a man named Christian and he had been catfished. The term refers to the practice of catfishing, when someone creates a fake virtual personality to start an online relationship under false pretenses. An MTV reality series by the same name has been on air since 2012. Since the revelation, Mollett has continued to appear on the show and has been working out his complicated feelings shock, denial and everything else on camera. That included telling his family members, who werent aware of his online relationship. The second episode features Mollett revealing his situation to his brother and sister, Ronald and Lashanti. The trio met at downtown Modestos Mocha Magic, which is featured prominently. Modesto resident Tyray Mollett is comforted by his siblings Ronald and Lashanti inside the downtown Modesto, Calif. cafe Mocha Magic in a scene from the new season of 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days airing on the TLC channel. TLC/Discovery, Inc. Mocha Magic owner said customers recognized her cafe Cafe owner Maria Apodaca said producers reached out to her in September asking if they could use the 16th Street bakery and coffee shop to film. A month later, they spent four to five hours filming Molletts conversation with his siblings inside, and then came back again the another day for some extra shots. Apodaca said while shed heard of 90 Day Fiance, shed never watched. She agreed to the filming because she thought it would be fun for the shop to be on national television. The cafe remained open as the TLC crew of more than half a dozen worked, but the area where Mollett and his family were seated was blocked off. She posted about the experience on Facebook after the episode aired. Im surprised how many people recognized us (from the scene), Apodaca said. So far, feedback has been great, its apparently a really popular show. I thought it was great. Feedback for Mollett has been more mixed, especially since subsequent episodes have shown him in some denial and holding out hope for some sort of misunderstanding instead of being outright tricked. Still others, he said, have related to his story of a wallflower learning to connect. Ive gotten a lot of nice messages from all sort of people from all over, including a lot of support from local people and in the Valley. They think its cool I stepped out of my comfort zone and am brave for doing it, he said. Ive gotten some mean comments, too, but better not to look at them. Someone will always have something to say no matter what you do or how you do it. But everyone deserves positive encouragement. Local 90 Day cast members story continues after shocking reveal Indeed, Mollett hints that the rest of his appearance on the show will hopefully show more positive developments. He filmed his last on-air interview for the show last month, so his story should continue this season. Expect Mollett to even take a trip overseas to meet, well, someone. To give himself closure, he said, he wanted to stay on the show even after learning he was catfished. I didnt want to let that person who catfished me win. I wanted to see if the producers were able to help me find who that person was, he said. If they left, I dont know what I would have done. Despite the unwelcome surprise about his so-called fiancee, Mollett said he would do the show again and has a lot of respect for the crew and producers. He credits his experience with helping him to open up more to his family and friends. Modesto resident Tyray Mollett and his sister, Lashanti, investigate Carmellas photos in a Modesto, Calif. park in a scene from the new season of 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days airing on the TLC channel. TLC/Discovery, Inc. As for whats next with him, stay tuned. He said theres a lot more thats going to be shown, and a lot more Modesto yet this season. He hopes his appearance will help show Modesto in a different light, instead of the small farm town it sometimes gets characterized as in the media. But the question remains: What is Molletts relationship status now? Unsurprisingly, its complicated. And well have to watch to find out more. But, after filming the show, he does know a few things for sure. Dont be afraid to live your life. Dont let people judge you. And dont take it too much to heart (if they do), he said. Get uncomfortable sometimes, its a great feeling. 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days airs at 8 p.m. Sunday on the TLC channel and streaming services Max and Discovery+. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a news conference with President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi denied that discrimination on the basis of religion is acceptable in his country during a rare appearance before reporters at the White House on Thursday. Mr Modi, who does not often interact with reporters and has not held a single press conference since becoming prime minister in 2014, took two questions one from an American reporter, another from an Indian reporter at a joint press conference alongside President Joe Biden in the East Room following a bilateral meeting between the two leaders. Asked what steps he and his government would be willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities ... and to uphold free speech, Mr Modi replied through a translator that Indians live democracy as laid out by their ancestors in the countrys 1949 constitution. Our government has taken the basic principles of democracy and on that basis our constitution is made and the entire country runs on that ... we have always proved that democracy can deliver. And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there's absolutely no space for discrimination, he said. Continuing, Mr Modi said democracy cannot exist without human values, human rights, and humanity, and reiterated that there is no space for discrimination for those living in a democracy. In India, the benefits that are provided by the government is accessible to all, whoever deserves those benefits is available to everybody. And that is why in India's democratic values, there's absolutely no discrimination, neither on basis of caste, creed, or age or any kind of geographic location, he said. The Indian prime minister, under whose leadership his countrys authorities have routinely harassed and jailed journalists, did not address the second part of the reporters question on press freedom. Mr Modi defence of his countrys record on religious freedom comes as religious and press freedom advocates have continued to sound the alarm about the treatment of Muslims and other minorities under the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government he leads. The Indian prime minister was actually banned from the United States in the years prior to becoming his countrys head of government. In 2005, the US State Department denied him permission to enter the country due to his role in deadly riots during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat. The ban on his entry into the US, which was imposed under the International Religious Freedom Act, was not lifted until he became prime minister in 2014. Mr Modi has long been accused of being complicit in sectarian violence in which over 1,000 Muslims were killed in 2002 while he was chief minister of Gujarat. Mr Modi allegedly stood by as Hindu mobs terrorised the states Muslim population in retaliatory violence after a group of Hindu pilgrims were killed, though he was later cleared by a team appointed by the Indian Supreme Court. His appearance at the White House was part of a state visit that will see him address a joint meeting of the US Congress later in the day before he returns to the White House for a state dinner. A group of progressive Democrats in Congress, led by New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is planning to boycott his speech, citing Mr Modis record on human rights and religious freedom. I encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to join me in doing the same, the New York Democrat wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, arguing Congress shouldnt extend such an honour to individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed minorities. Two other Democrat representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, both of whom are Muslim are also boycotting the speech. Modi's visit would be the perfect time to make the lives of Indian workers in the US easier Extending a diplomatic hand. For nearly two decades, H-1B visa holders have had to exit the US to get their visas renewedeither by returning to their home country or getting it done at US embassy or consulate elsewhere. But the Biden administration could soon allow a small number of H-1B workers to renew those visas in the US itself. The change could be announced as soon as today (June 22), while Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is on a state visit to the US, Reuters reported. Read more Indians, who get almost three-quarters of the visas doled out each year, stand to benefit the most. The pilot program will also include some workers with L-1 visas, which companies use to bring employees from abroad in to fill managerial positions in the US, according to a February Bloomberg Law interview with Julie Strufft from the US department of state, which first mentioned the program. Indians also bag the largest share of L-1s. The move comes as US president Joe Biden seeks to strengthen relations between the two largest democracies in the world, as a strategic move to counter Chinas dominance amid growing US-Sino tensions. A brief history of H-1B visa renewal stamping Until 2004, H-1B renewals would be done in the US. But things changed when national security laws began requiring biometric data collection from visa applicants. At the time, the US Department of State discontinued the practice of domestic visa renewals owing to a lack of facilities. The federal agency said it was not feasible to collect biometrics for applicants within the US. Restoring visa stateside will save applicants not just time and money but also curb uncertainty and anxiety induced by long wait times away from their place of work and residence. Quotable: Daunting wait times for H-1B stamp renewals at US consulates abroad Foreign nationals who are in the United States in H-1B status with a visa stamp that expired or is about to expire generally must return to their home country, secure an appointment at a US consulate, and wait for their documents to be returned. Due to consular appointment backlogs, this is a daunting process that not only jeopardizes employment opportunities, but also can create disruption to the employees or job candidates personal lives.Angel Valverde, associate at global employment and labor law practice Littler, in a statement dated February 28, 2023 H-1B visa, by the digits 65,000: Number of H-1B visas the US makes available to companies seeking skilled foreign workers each year 20,000: Additional number of H-1B visas for workers with advanced degrees 3: The number of years the visa can first be assigned for Also 3: The number of years the H-1B visa can be renewed for 150 years: Wait to get a green card for Indians because of the countrys caps on skills-based green cards issued annually. H-1B and L-1 workers can get additional extensions with an approved green card petition 500,000: Indian visa holders the programme could help if the program is rolled out in full, as per conservative estimates by immigration lawyers 60-day: Grace period that thousands of tech workers on H-1B visas have been given amid rampant layoffs to find a new job with an employer who sponsors the H-1B, or return to their home country 198 calendar days: The average waiting time for an Interview Waiver Petition-Based Temporary Workers (H, L, O, P, Q) in Hyderabad, where most Indian techies are based and also apply for work visas, in February. It was only slightly less, at 171 days, in Indias financial capital, Mumbai A non-exhaustive list of how the US is cutting down visa wait times for Indians US visa services have been struggling to clear a backlog after the covid-19 pandemic brought visa processing to its knees across categories, from work to tourist visas. This year, the US embassies and consulates in India have made strides in bringing processing volumes and timelines back on track: Allowed remote processing of interview waiver cases for applicants with previous US visas. Kept the US embassy in Indias capital, New Delhi, as well as consulates across four major metrosMumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabadopen on Saturday to accommodate applicants who require in-person visa interviews. Consulate General Mumbai extended its weekday operating hours as well to make space for additional appointments. Staffing is being increased with a two-pronged approach: One, by sending dozens of temporary consular officers from Washington and other embassies will arrive in India to increase processing capacity. And two, by increasing the number of consular officers permanently assigned to the Embassy and Consulates. Related stories The US will pilot a program to renew H-1B visas domestically The dark side of H-1B visas What higher H-1B fees will mean for Indians hoping to work in the US More from Quartz Sign up for Quartz's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket (Getty Images) An Indiana chapter of the rightwing Moms For Liberty organization apologized on Thursday for printing a quotation from Adolf Hitleryes, the genocidal leader of Nazi Germanyin its newsletter. We condemn Adolf Hitlers actions and his dark place in human history. We should not have quoted him in our newsletter and we express our deepest apology, chapter chair Paige Miller said in a truly dystopian statement posted to Facebook. In the June newsletter for the Hamilton County, Indiana, chapter of Moms for Liberty, Hitlers short quote from a Nazi rally in 1935 is printed the front page of the issue. He alone, who OWNS the youth, GAINS the future (emphasis theirs). Read more After the Indianapolis Star posted a story about the quote, the newsletter was updated with context in a bright yellow bubble above it on Wednesday night. The quote from a horrific leader should put parents on alert, it attempted to explain, according to a screenshot. If the government has control over our children today they control our countrys future. We The People [sic] must be vigilant and protect children from an overreaching government. That context certainly does not help the situation, which is probably why the group then had to issue an apology. A redesigned issue of the newsletter, uploaded on Thursday, removed the Hitler quote and its context bubble. Moms for Libertythe national organization designated as an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center earlier this monthis one of the nationwide groups pushing for book bans and removing queer people from public life around the country. Moms for Liberty activities make it clear that the groups primary goals are to fuel right-wing hysteria and to make the world a less comfortable or safe place for certain studentsprimarily those who are Black, LGBTQ or who come from LGBTQ families, SPLCs annual report from June read. Last year, Florida stacked its state book-banning council with MAGA moms instead of librarians and teachers. Michelle Beavers, then a leader for the Brevard County chapter of Moms for Liberty, was added to the council along with a member of Mamas for DeSantis. Moms for Liberty makes no secret about what they stand for. VICE reported on Tuesday that the groups chapters are forging close relationships with fellow extremist groups around the country like the Proud Boys and the Three Percenters. Theres an ongoing campaign by these neo-Nazi groups to radicalize some of these more benign patriot MAGA groupsand its working because Ive seen more Nazi content creeping into posts from Moms for Liberty people recently, a researcher known as Trash City, who closely tracks Moms for Liberty told VICE News. The group behind the push to ban books literally quoting Adolf Hitler on how to own the youth is pretty much as fascist as it gets. More from Jezebel Sign up for Jezebel's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Is money being stolen from mail in Hilton Head? Post Office wont say as complaints mount The wry comment that is as old as the internet: If its on the web, it must be true. Despite weeks of rumors on the neighborhood social media site NextDoor involving mail theft at the north-end Hilton Head post office, allegations remain unconfirmed by local law enforcement and postal officials. Dozens of residents have reported losing cash and checks within the islands mailing system, with one claiming a now-arrested postal employee was behind the losses. The online rumors became so rampant that Hilton Head gated community Palmetto Hall issued a warning in its POA newsletter, announcing the alleged May 30 arrest of a postal worker at the islands north-end office. The email sent to residents also said the community received frequent reports of lost and undelivered mail. The United States Post Office located on the north end of Hilton Head Island. But Courtney Struna, the manager of Palmetto Halls POA, said the details about the arrest had been pulled from NextDoor and were not verified by post office officials. Still, she said, Palmetto Hall staff have witnessed firsthand the recent uptick in missing mail. We get a lot of complaints from residents, Struna said. Things just go missing and dont arrive. Traditionally, longstanding local media companies only report what they can verify through official sources or firsthand knowledge by people affected by this type of crime. Were not in the rumor business, said Robert York, Senior Editor of the Island Packet / Beaufort Gazette. But when the rumors are so pervasive, we owe it to our audience to chase the facts and report what we find. What did we find? The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette reached out to local, state and federal law enforcement and postal officials seeking confirmation of the online rumors, but no one we spoke to was aware of any arrest or an uptick in theft complaints. Beaufort County Sheriffs Office spokesperson Maj. Angela Viens said deputies hadnt received any recent reports of mail theft from residents. Calls to other law enforcement officials yielded the same response. When asked about the alleged theft and arrest, representatives from the Office of Inspector General said the USPS does not confirm or refute information on ongoing mail theft investigations but residents can report missing mail by filing an online complaint at https://www.uspsoig.gov/hotline. Hilton Head resident Cindy Lutz, a retired postal worker from Ohio, said investigations of internal mail theft can take weeks or even months to complete, but reports from those involved can help the Office of Inspector General act more quickly. The United States Post Office located on the north end of Hilton Head Island. Lutz was one of the earliest people to sound the alarm about the possibility of theft occurring. Her initial post on NextDoor advised that an employee was arrested, but she later edited the post to characterize the actions taken by postal officials as removal of an employee to minimize losses. Lutz was given this information by Special Agent L. Paul King of the Office of Inspector General. Lutz encourages any islander who thinks they may be a victim of mail theft to report their lost items to Special Agent King, both for incoming and outgoing mail. Residents can also reduce the likelihood of missing mail by writing addresses in all capital letters with no punctuation and including a ZIP+4 code, she said. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of mail theft of cash, checks or goods should email our tip line at newsroom@islandpacket.com and any information we can verify will be published on our website and in the printed edition. 2 p.m. Update: A northern Hilton Head Island woman who lost a $100 Mastercard gift card in the mail was told her gift card was recovered from the employee at the islands north-end post office, according to an email sent from Special Agent King obtained by The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette. The woman notified postal authorities after the card was not delivered, even though USPS Informed Delivery digital alert service confirmed it had arrived at the north-end post office and was on its way to her mailbox. More than 20 suspected drug dealers behind bars after FBI sweep in Pittsburgh More than 20 suspected drug dealers are off the streets after an FBI sweep in and around Pittsburgh. The round-up began early Thursday morning and startled residents in one neighborhood. The feds arent talking, but Channel 11s Chief Investigator Rick Earle has been piecing together what went down. Exclusive video shared with 11 Investigates shows the FBI in an armored vehicle just outside an apartment in Perry South Thursday morning searching for a suspected drug dealer. As swat searched a nearby vehicle, the sound of flashbangs then echoed through the neighborhood. Sources say the FBI then took Anthony Coker into custody. The feds said he conspired to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Coker is just one of more than 20 suspected drug dealers rounded up by the FBI for crack cocaine, fentanyl, and illegal firearms. According to court paperwork just unsealed today, in addition to drug charges, some of the suspects are charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. As of the last count, the FBI had arrested 21 of 24 suspects. The feds will provide more details on these arrests at a news conference Friday morning. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Missing Titanic tourist sub: Debris found during search, USCG says Woman killed in hit-and-run in McKeesport; police say man intentionally struck her Multiple black bears spotted across Allegheny County; heres where theyre coming from VIDEO: Pittsburgh proclaims Austin Martinelli Day in honor of teens fundraising efforts for St. Jude DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts More than 50 people have been arrested for their involvement in a drug trafficking scheme spanning four north Florida counties. In a 20-month-long, multi-agency investigation dubbed as "Operation Agua Azul," officials confiscated different narcotics that had the potential to kill 1.3 million people, which equates to 6% of Florida's population, making this the largest drug operation in Jackson County history, according to a press release from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office. This is not the end, its just the beginning, Jackson County Sheriff Donald Edenfield said in a statement. We will continue to work together to take drug traffickers off the streets and fight for the safety of our citizens. More than 35 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, multiple kilograms of cocaine, multiple ounces of fentanyl, over 60 firearms and over $100,000 in United States currency were collected, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Northern District of Florida. Tallahassee police news: Argument turns violent, two men suffer 'serious' stabbing injuries Other: Florida Supreme Court will decide how new death penalty law applies to Wakulla murder case Recent crime news: LCSO responds to stabbing, arrests man for attempted murder, kidnapping The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force that banded federal, state and local law enforcement together to bust the traffickers primarily focused on Jackson County, according to the attorney's office press release. But dozens were also arrested in Calhoun, Liberty and Gadsden counties. Officials have named 17 people who will be prosecuted at the state level, and 23 who will appear in federal court. Those who face federal charges could be sentenced to life in prison and owe up to $20 million in fines. The biggest fight counties are handling is drugs, Gadsden County Sheriff Morris Young said at a press conference Wednesday. There were over 12 deaths due to fentanyl last July in Gadsden County, and Young said he saw first hand the destruction of these drugs. "This is a grand day," Young said. "I can't stress to you all how big this day is." This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: North Florida drug trafficking investigation leads to 50+ arrested unique foods When traveling internationally, travelers are prone to run into different and unique foods. After all, different countries will always have different cuisines. However, some dishes seem to be more colorful than others. Strange and unique foods are becoming more globalized because of travelers and social media. From dung-filled soups to steamed genitalia, you never know what you might run into when traveling. Here are a few unique food dishes travelers have seen around the world. Bitter Cow Poop Soup in The Philipines Although it may sound crazy, papaitan, or bitter cow poop soup, is one of the popular unique foods in the Phillipines. The soup dish can be made with goat innards, which technically isnt poop. However, the key ingredient is bile, giving it the bitter taste locals love. While it is an acquired taste, many travelers say the soup is more bearable when topped with a sauce and contains lots of meat. A wide range of animal parts are used in this soupy delicacy, so you never know what you might get. Animal Penis in China A delicacy in some Eastern cuisines, the penis of an animal is another unique food travelers encounter, especially when in China. One traveler recalled her experience trying bull, black dog and lamb penis at a restaurant in Beijing. She described the texture as varying depending on which animal, with the bull penis tasting the most like meat. However, the dish was a feat to eat and took a lot of chewing to get through it. The dish is traditionally served with a broth or stew. Porcupine in Vietnam If you visit Vietnam, you might have the chance to try porcupine. The dish is a delicacy in the country and rather difficult to acquire. Healthy, farm-raised porcupine is expensive to come by, so if on the off-chance it is available, many food-curious travelers take advantage. Porcupine doesnt taste like chicken, but some people say it tastes like chewier pork. Its steamed and served with a variety of sauces, cilantro and other herbs. Some travelers say theyve had it roasted while visiting Vietnam. Fish Semen in Japan For traveling caviar lovers in Japan, add shirako to your list of foods to try while visiting the Asian country. The dish, also known as milt, is fish sperm sacks that can be raw, fried and steamed. Some folks enjoy it fried tempura-style with plenty of sauces and garnishes. Chicken Anus in Borneo Its not uncommon to have chicken butt on a skewer when visiting Southeast Asia. Many travelers run into these served-up shish kabob-style throughout Borneo and many places across Asia. Traveler blogger Chris from Aussie On The Road, described his experience eating chicken butt as surprisingly inoffensive. He said he had the dish multiple times while visiting South Korea and China. Social media posts claim Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for obstruction of justice in connection with a political corruption probe. This is false; the Mounties said a statement shared online stems from an assessment that in January 2023 concluded there was insufficient evidence to pursue a case. "BREAKING It has been reported by MP Michael Barrett that Justin Trudeau and his former senior officials are facing an RCMP investigation for interfering in a criminal prosecution," says a June 19, 2023 Facebook post with more than 500 shares. Screenshot of a Facebook post taken June 22, 2023 Another Facebook post from the page Canada Proud also claims federal authorities are investigating Trudeau for exerting his influence during judicial proceedings against SNC-Lavalin. In 2019, the Canadian company's construction division pleaded guilty to fraud related to its activities in Libya. The posts reference a report that Democracy Watch released June 19, 2023. The Canadian advocacy group outlined an Access to Information (ATI) package (archived here) it received from the RCMP after inquiring about any previous and ongoing investigations into the prime minister and other members of government over SNC-Lavalin. The ATI response said most of the documents had been redacted since the "matter was currently under investigation." That prompted Democracy Watch to publish the headline: "RCMP confirms it is investigating obstruction of SNC-Lavalin prosecution by Trudeau and Cabinet officials." Conservative Member of Parliament Michael Barrett and media outlets such as the Post Millennial and the Counter Signal then amplified the claim. One of Canada's largest newspapers, the National Post, also published a story saying Trudeau was reportedly under investigation. However, the national police agency released a statement June 19 saying it was not investigating Trudeau. "In response to numerous media reports, the RCMP can confirm it is not investigating allegations of political interference in the trial of SNC Lavalin," the Mounties said in a tweet (archived here). 'Insufficient evidence' Canada's ethics watchdog in 2019 found Trudeau broke rules by encouraging then-Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to settle the corruption case against SNC-Lavalin. The Montreal-based firm was charged in 2015 with allegedly paying bribes to secure contracts in Libya. While the RCMP at the time said it was examining the scandal, Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion said that since there was no direct order from the prime minister to Wilson-Raybould, obstruction of justice was unproven. Marie-Eve Breton, a spokeswoman for the RCMP, told AFP in an email that the statement in the ATI response alluding to an investigation was incorrect and included outdated information. "The RCMP's Sensitive and International Investigations unit had conducted an assessment pertaining to these allegations and determined there was insufficient evidence to substantiate a criminal offence and the file was concluded by January 2023," Breton said. Stories updated After the RCMP released its clarification, the National Post updated its story. The Post Millennial also updated its article but re-shared its original misleading headline on June 20. Screenshot of a Post Millennial tweet taken June 22, 2023 The Counter Signal and Canada Proud acknowledged the RCMP's statement while criticizing the agency and calling for further investigations. Democracy Watch did not take down its original report, instead adding an update saying the RCMP's statement offered more questions than answers. The group also later changed the title of its post. Breton said the RCMP will review Democracy Watch's additional records requests and provide a new release package within 90 days. "Given the investigation ended in January, and that the only reason the RCMP gave for keeping the documents secret was the incorrect claim that the allegations were still being investigated, it is completely unjustifiable to delay the disclosure of the 86 pages for another three months," Democracy Watch co-founder Duff Conacher said in a June 22 press release. Find more of AFP's reporting on misinformation in Canada here. Authorities were assessing damage Thursday and working on recovery after a tornado killed at least four people in the north Texas town of Matador amid a brutal heat wave. A line of severe storms produced what a local fire department called an "unprecedented tornado" that ripped through the town. Meteorologists said the storm system caused an unusual combination of tornadoes, hurricane-force winds topping 100 mph and large hail. "That is certainly rare to see all at the same time: killer tornadoes, hurricane-force winds and softball-size hail," said Matt Zeibell, a meteorologist with National Weather Service in Lubbock, Texas. The storm's strong winds swept across the state, from the Panhandle to Houston, causing damage north of Texas' largest city, according to weather officials. This week in Texas, the National Weather Service has warned of a dangerously intense heat wave that has settled over much of the state. Over last weekend, most of the state was under an excessive heat warning, and residents were told to stay indoors. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday added six counties in the region to a disaster declaration first issued June 16 in response to severe weather. The declaration will help state authorities respond swiftly to devastated communities, Abbott said. Thursday, temperatures in the southern corner of the Lone Star State were expected to reach about 110 degrees, and heat indexes were predicted as high as 125 in some areas, the weather service warned. Emergency crew members search through debris the morning after a tornado passed through the community of Matador, leaving multiple people dead Wednesday evening, June 21, on the Texas Rolling Plains. More than 500 customers remained without power Thursday morning in Motley County, where Matador is located, according to poweroutage.us. Farther south, more than 1,000 people were without power Thursday morning in Fisher County. The devastating storm came less than a week after deadly tornadoes struck Perryton, Texas, in the state's panhandle. Matador, which has a population of less than 600, is about 70 miles northeast of Lubbock, the home of Texas Tech University. Pat Smith looks through his restaurant, Matador Diner, after a tornado,June 22, 2023, in Matador, Texas. Smith was in the cafe during the tornado and said it felt like forever but only lasted 20 seconds. 4 killed by tornadoes in northwest Texas Wednesday's storm system developed at about 8 p.m. near Amarillo, Texas, before striking Matador, killing four people, the Lubbock fire department said Thursday morning on Facebook. At least nine people were also injured in northwest Texas, the department said. One of the four people killed by the tornado was first reported as injured and later died at a local hospital, Lubbock Fire Rescue spokesperson Derek Delgado told USA TODAY. Lubbock's fire chief Shaun Fogerson told the Avalanche-Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, that emergency responders were ordered to help free people trapped in collapsed structures. Shortly after 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, William Iwasko, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service in Lubbock, had said there had been three confirmed tornadoes in the line of storms, but it appeared the one in Matador was the only one that caused significant damage. Pat Smith, owner of Billie Deans Cafe, said he and two waitresses took shelter in the kitchen when the tornado hit. He only had a 3-minute notice before the cafe was struck. pic.twitter.com/ReC56KWAds Mateo Rosiles (@MateoRosilesLBK) June 22, 2023 Widespread damage in remote part of Texas Video footage showed crumbled vehicles lying on their sides, piles of flattened debris and branches lining the ground as emergency crews responded Wednesday night in Matador. Gas pumps could be seen leaning off their bases and billboard signs for local businesses appeared to have been ripped out of their frames, footage from The Associated Press showed. Reports from storm chasers and meteorologists on social media also showed considerable damage to homes, utility lines, trees and infrastructure around Matador. Ziebell said thunderstorms were likely to continue Thursday, but the risk of severe weather with tornadoes was unlikely. A view of the downtown area shows damage on June 16, 2023, in Perryton, Texas, from a tornado that swept through the region the night before. Matador tornado strikes less than a week after deadly Perryton twister June 15, another tornado tore through the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton, killing three people, hospitalizing more than 50 and destroying some parts of the town's main downtown area. More than 100 people were injured by the tornado that struck Perryton, which is north of Matador, just south of the Oklahoma state line. Breaking Overnight a Bank in Lavon Tx roof collapsed after storms rolled through. No injuries. This is video from the scene. pic.twitter.com/2evibgC3Rp Mike Forbes (@mikeforbeswfaa) June 16, 2023 The roof of a bank in Lavon, Texas, collapsed after storms rolled through the area, according to footage shared on social media. The town is more 400 miles away from Perryton, near Dallas. ABC News journalist Mike Forbes posted a video to Twitter of a decimated branch of Independent Financial bank. In the video, the roof of a large wing of the building can be seen lying on the ground. Buildings and vehicles show damage after a tornado struck Perryton, Texas, Thursday, June 15, 2023. Tornadoes, thunderstorms come amid excessive heat warnings in Texas Wednesday's storms came days after a massive heat wave settled over most of the rest of the state, bringing heat indexes expected to reach 120 degrees in some areas. The roof of the Bille Dean's Motel is removed by a tornado, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Matador, Texas. Earlier this week, meteorologists warned that bands of severe weather, including tornadoes, would likely form along the edges of the heat dome in north Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Over the weekend, more than 25 million Americans were under the heat warnings, and residents of Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Corpus Christi faced some of the worst heat forecasts. Contributing: Adam D. Young, Mateo Rosiles, Brandi D. Addison, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tornado in Matador, Texas, leaves 4 dead as heat wave scorches state Rep. George Santoss (R-N.Y.) father and aunt financially backed his criminal bail, according to newly unsealed court documents. The release of their names father Gercino dos Santos and aunt Elma Preven on Thursday is the latest iteration of a months-long saga surrounding Santos, the federally indicted first-term lawmaker who has come under intense scrutiny amid questions about his finances and background. The congressman attempted to keep their identities private, citing fears of harassment as he unsuccessfully pushed back twice on media companies requests to unseal the names. As the News Organizations aptly note, family members frequently serve as suretors for criminal defendants in this country every day, U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert, appointed by former President Clinton, wrote in a newly unsealed ruling handed down earlier this week. Consequently, it is more likely that disclosure of the Suretors identities will render any potential story a non-story, especially considering the News Organizations acknowledgement of this fact, she added. Indeed, it appears Defendants continued attempts to shield the identity of his Suretors, notwithstanding the fact that he is aware their identities are not controversial, has simply created hysteria over what is, in actuality, a nonissue. More House coverage from The Hill Joe Murray, Santoss lawyer, previously suggested Santos would rather have them withdraw and the lawmaker go to jail, rather than let their names become public, citing a media frenzy. The judge, however, rejected that notion when ordering the names unsealed. Defendant did nothing to diffuse the media frenzy when leaving the courthouse, instead choosing to address the numerous reporters awaiting his departure, U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne Shields wrote. Thursdays order also revealed that five days after Shields presided over Santoss arraignment, she held a bond hearing behind closed doors. Santoss aunt and father were present, but the congressman did not attend, according to court documents. Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) celebrates the first ever Congressional Sneaker Day created by the Congressional Sneaker Caucus at the Capitol on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. The filings indicate Santoss father and aunt both remained comfortable at the hearing about their roles, even following days of media attention on the case. Shields noted they didnt secure the bond with cash or property, but were deemed able to provide the necessary moral suasion and are personally responsible for Santoss compliance. Santos last month was indicted on 13 federal charges that accuse him of misleading campaign donors, fraudulently receiving unemployment benefits and lying on financial disclosures. He pleaded not guilty. But he has been the subject of controversy since before he was sworn into office after a bombshell report outlined questionable aspects of his resume in December. The criticism ballooned when more inquiries about his finances emerged and hit a fever pitch last month when he was indicted. Sign up for the latest from The Hill here Also last month, A House Democrat moved to force a vote on expelling Santos but the chamber ultimately voted to send the resolution to the Ethics Committee, which was already investigating the congressman. The unsealing of the names of people who sponsored Santoss bond which Santos fought could have implications for that inquiry. The Ethics panel launched its probe into Santos in March to look into various areas, but in recent weeks the committee asked for information about his bond suretors. In a May 13 letter from the panel to Santos which was first revealed in a court filing this month the committee asked the congressman to identify the individuals who co-signed his bond, inform the committee of any payments made on his behalf to the co-signers as compensation, lay out any exceptions to House rules that the congressman believes applies to the bond guarantors and provide all documents related to the bond, including communications with the co-signers. Santos did not immediately comply with the request: Roughly two weeks later, his attorney, Joseph Murray, asked that his client receive a 30-day extension to respond to the panels request while also noting he could not share the requested information with the committee until it was unsealed by the court. Please understand that unless or until such time that the Court unseals the identities of the suretors, the surety records, and proceedings, I cannot share that information with this Honorable House Ethics Committee, Murray told the committee in a May 31 letter first revealed in a filing this month. If the Court decides to unseal the identities of the sureties, the surety records and proceedings, I will share that information with the Committee. If, however, the Court upholds the sealing, I will also share that Order with this Committee, he added. Updated at 1:31 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Nathan Lukkes officially stepped into his role Thursday as the executive director and CEO of the South Dakota Board of Regents. Lukkes takes the helm of the SDBOR after joining in 2014 as system assistant vice president for research and economic development, then nearly five years as the chief of staff and general counsel for the board. His general counsel position is now posted on the SDBOR website. Before that, he also served as deputy commissioner for the South Dakota Governors Office of Economic Development from 2012 to 2014, legal services director for the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation from 2009 to 2012, as an attorney in Sioux Falls, and 10 years of service in the South Dakota Army National Guard. Nathan Lukkes is switching from his role as general counsel and chief of staff at the South Dakota Board of Regents to the executive director and CEO. Lukkes sat down for an exclusive phone interview June 16 with the Argus Leader ahead of the boards June 21-22 meeting at Dakota State University, which is when he will officially start his new job. Lukkes discussed his upcoming plans, his vision for the governing system of the states six public colleges, and a recent letter from Gov. Kristi Noem to the SDBOR on a variety of topics. More: Noem to South Dakota universities: raise graduation rates, end drag shows, and more Editors note: This interview has been edited for clarity and conciseness. Argus Leader: What is your vision for the South Dakota Board of Regents during your tenure? Nathan Lukkes: Im incredibly grateful and humbled by the opportunity I have to play even a small part in ensuring future South Dakotans have the same opportunities Ive had. I grew up in small-town South Dakota, and while our family was rich on things like love, hard work and character-building, we didnt have a lot of extra money laying around. My parents instilled in me the importance of pursuing my education post-high school. I still remember enrolling at South Dakota State University as a freshman after high school and getting my financial aid paperwork back and seeing that I received a Pell grant. That was before I even knew what that meant. I was grateful for the fact the amount of money I owed was reduced. More: With 3 months left on the job, Board of Regents director Brian Maher wants to say 'thank you' When we talk about things like the Freedom Scholarship or access and affordability, it hits close to home. I look back at the opportunities and doors opened by my education, and I want to make sure every kid growing up in South Dakota has a pathway to do the same. That's really the core of what drives me and gets me up every morning coming into the office, and what I hope to make sure happens in my tenure here at the board. How has being general counsel of the SDBOR prepared you to be the executive director? Lukkes: Ive got some broad experience on how the universities operate in that realm and working with various stakeholders on campus to push initiatives forward. (Being chief of staff and general counsel) gave me a broad view on system operations. Ive had the opportunity to work very closely with presidents, our senior staff and campus leadership on a whole host of issues. (Its) certainly opened my eyes to the breadth of operations and issues on campus. All of that perspective and experiences really positioned me well to hit the ground running, realizing there are always the things you don't know that you don't know. We have a great team here in the office. We have a great board, great presidents on campus, and I'm grateful for all of the above and looking forward to continuing to work with them. Im curious about your experience. You have this legal experience and administrative experience in education, but not so much in the classroom teaching. What are you looking forward to learning about that? Lukkes: Im certainly looking forward to learning more on the academic front and leaning heavily on the subject matter experts that we have, both in our office as well as on campuses. I look forward to getting out and interacting with the folks on the ground as much as possible and learning firsthand from faculty. We do meet with the faculty senate in conjunction with each of our board meetings, so (I) certainly have some relationships there and have had ample opportunity to have some discussions and conversations around issues that they're dealing with (and) what's important to them. Im certainly looking forward to getting out and working with them and the other academic leaders on campus to help advance those initiatives. More: Gov. Kristi Noem appoints Judy Dittman to South Dakota Board of Regents What do you see as the relationship with the South Dakota Department of Education and the K-12 system going forward? Lukkes: We have great partnerships both with the Department of Education as well as our technical colleges. It's critically important to make sure we are not letting anything slip through the cracks when we talk about students (coming) from K-12 into higher education, and likewise with our technical colleges. There are occasions where we have students that enroll and decide our programs aren't right for them, and they want to go to the technical colleges. Were creating pathways for seamless transfer for students going both ways. We have some workforce challenges (in South Dakota) and two of the areas that frequently come up in the conversation are nursing and teachers. We can't produce enough nurses or teachers to fuel the workforce pipeline, and we don't see that demand going down anytime soon. We've recently announced an initiative with the SDDOE on a teacher apprenticeship program thats going to provide an opportunity for at least 60 individuals currently working in school districts, but who don't have their teaching credentials yet, to get them fast-tracked in a two-year program to obtain their education credentials and degrees at either Dakota State University or Northern State University, so that they can continue serving in their communities and in the classroom as a teacher. We're looking forward to seeing how that initiative plays out, because it's a critical need, as well as what opportunities that initiative might open up in other areas. Theres been discussion about lagging enrollment at the universities and a demographic cliff coming in the next couple of years. How will you work around those issues? Lukkes: It's no secret that we have some demographic challenges facing us in the near future, and that the number of high school graduates just aren't going to be there going forward. This isn't unique to South Dakota. It's a national trend, and something that we're very aware of and are adjusting and preparing for. The competition in higher education with surrounding states is going to become more and more fierce in the years to come as they're all vying for a limited number of students. Historically, weve done fairly well in terms of our standing when things shift nationally. More: South Dakota public universities see slight enrollment increase after 4-year decline We know it's going to be tough, and we know there's going to be a lot of competition, but we just need to keep doing what we do. We need to sell South Dakota. South Dakota is a great place to live and work. We have a great education system, whether youre talking about a two-year degree, four-year degree, professional medical school, whatever you want, we offer it in South Dakota and we do it well. The other opportunity we have when we look at the declining enrollment trend is we have about 35% of our high school graduates that don't go on to any postsecondary education, so they're not going to a public, private, two-year, four-year, in-state, out-of-state. They're just not pursuing postsecondary education. I think that creates an opportunity for us to talk about access and affordability, getting out into the high schools and in front of every student that's graduating from South Dakota. We realize higher education isn't for everybody, and there are all kinds of pathways in life. And there's nothing wrong with that, but we need to make sure we're having the discussions and making all of our South Dakotans know that when they graduate, if they want to go on to postsecondary education, whether it's at a technical college or one of our institutions, theres a pathway for them. And we can help them work through the process. More: Why nearly 36% of South Dakotas high school graduates choose work over college On affordability, I know that was something Gov. Noem mentioned in her recent letter to the board. Maybe you could talk a little more specifically about the kinds of things you are already working on in that aspect or maybe new things you want to implement? Lukkes: Weve had three years in a row of tuition freezes, which has really helped our competitive standing in the region with our surrounding states. In the first year of that, the board essentially froze tuition and fees on their own with no additional funding, so we had to make up the difference with cuts and other adjustments. Internally, and in the last two years, we were fortunate enough for the legislature to fund the tuition freeze. Were grateful for that and the opportunities and positioning that's given us moving forward. We also have Senate Bill 55, which came out of the 2020 legislative session, which was a taskforce of Regents, legislators, community leaders who really dug in and looked at ways to cut costs and operate more efficiently within the system to help our bottom line and help keep costs low to the students. We're diligently working on the various initiatives with a number of them already completed and many more well down the road toward completion. We're not letting that mindset or mentality go. We're continuing to look at areas and opportunities we might have to operate more efficiently and effectively without diminishing the product and service we're providing for our students. More: South Dakota's university structure is about to get a major overhaul. Here's what that could mean. Another item in Gov. Noems letter was about raising graduation rates. Is there a certain plan you have in mind to raise those rates? Lukkes: We are committed and working to increase our graduation rates in South Dakota. Its critical to our workforce shortages, and critical for the sake of our students, that we give them the support and resources they need to get them out the door with a degree. Currently, were hovering around 59% for our six-year graduation rate across the system. Were striving to get that up to 65%. Affordability is frequently the No. 1 challenge why students stop out or dont complete. The Freedom Scholarship or additional financial support (can) bridge that gap. It may only be a few thousand per student, but that might be the difference between them dropping out between their first and second year, or staying through and getting their degree. More: South Dakota's Freedom Scholarship gets $50M added boost from PREMIER, now at $225M There are other students who have academic challenges. (Were) making sure we're providing the support and services to allow our students to be successful in the classroom, whether it's remedial courses or otherwise. There are also social challenges people face when they come to campus. We need to make sure we're working with them and helping them. Whether youre a student from Sioux Falls, Faith or Tyndall, every student has different challenges, different circumstances, different issues they're dealing with. We need to make sure we are supporting them and providing them assistance and resources so they can be successful. Next were going to get into some hot topics, if you dont mind. Theres been a couple of things Ive covered in the last few years on diversity: the transition of diversity centers to opportunity centers, and some of the debates on critical race theory or divisive concepts. A stained glass window bears the logo of the Center for Diversity & Community at the University of South Dakota as pictured Sept. 28, 2021. The space has since been converted to USD's opportunity center. How do you feel those discussions went, and how much of a priority is diversity, equity and inclusion going forward for the SDBOR? Lukkes: The opportunity centers that unfolded on our campuses in recent years have been a bit of a shift, but I think we've maintained a focus on the students and making sure every student on our campus has the access to the support and services needed to be successful. By and large, those efforts have been favorably received. If you step back and look a little bit more globally or nationally, there's certainly a lot of press around diversity, equity and inclusion efforts nationally. Were not currently engaged in the divisive narrative that youre seeing play out in other states on the topic. Thats not something we're dealing with, and we dont see that in South Dakota. I attribute that in large part to the opportunity centers, and the efforts and initiatives in our work with the governor's office, legislature and campuses in the last few years to really rethink and revisit how we do things in South Dakota while also keeping students first. More: 'Nobody teaches a class on critical race theory': CRT's perceived influence in South Dakota education One of the other things Gov. Noem mentioned in her letter was free speech policies, tasking the SDBOR with removing any policy or procedure that prohibits students from exercising their right to free speech. I know there are policies on free speech and intellectual diversity at the SDBOR level, and at each campus. Is that something you are working on at this time? Lukkes: We certainly support free speech. Across the system and on our campuses in the last four or five years, you see a lot of evidence to that effect. Prior to 2019 when House Bill 1087 passed, which was the intellectual diversity act, the board implemented new policies and revised old policies to promote and enhance free speech on our campuses. We need to make sure we're creating a neutral playing field where all ideas can compete freely, and no voice is being shouted down or stifled. There are always going to be one-offs or instances where a policy isn't followed or an employee could have made a better decision, and we deal with those as they come up. I'm not suggesting that we're perfect nothing's ever perfect. I do believe we have a solid policy structure, and we continue to review that to look for ways we can enhance and clarify when confusion arises, to make sure we're doing all we can to support, promote and enhance free speech on our campuses. Gov. Noems letter also referenced pronouns. What is your reaction, or next step, for that discussion? Lukkes: In terms of next steps, I don't want to get out in front of our board meeting and having an opportunity to have conversations and vet ideas. We dont currently require (or) mandate students use or have preferred pronouns. Compelling somebody to speak is just the same as censoring them from speaking. We aren't in the habit or business of requiring students to have (or use) preferred pronouns. If a student chooses to share or express their preferred pronouns, we're also not going to censor their speech. On the pronoun topic, I think it becomes an issue when a trans students peers or professors don't respect the pronouns they use, not even that are preferred, those are just the pronouns they use for how they identify. Lukkes: That's a fair point. I guess I would take it back a little and approach it a little bit differently in terms of, We need to create and promote an environment of civility and mutual respect, regardless of what the issue of the day might be. It's really about human decency and treating people with respect and engaging constructively. If we can do that, we can resolve any issue regardless of what specific topic we might be talking about in this space. The next topic in Gov. Noems letter was about drag shows. I know the SDBOR recently passed a policy sparked by that discussion that would limit minors presence on campus to certain spaces or events. Noem wrote in her letter she wants to prohibit drag shows from taking place on university campuses. How do you balance what legislators and the governor might want on this topic with what students have historically and traditionally done on campus, which is host drag shows? Lukkes: On that topic, I would refer you back to the conversation we've had with the board and our recent policy that was implemented. As far as any future actions one way or the other, we need to wait until we have an opportunity to discuss things with the board and we'll see what, if anything, advances on that front in the future. (The SDBOR) doesnt make decisions, allow, approve or disapprove (events) based on the content or viewpoint of the expressive activity. If the event follows the appropriate protocol and complies with policy, the event will proceed accordingly. More: Taking aim at drag shows, South Dakota Board of Regents pass 'minors on campus' policy Is there anything else you want to say or add ? Lukkes: Im looking forward to the opportunity, and Im excited to be able to continue building strong relationships with stakeholders across the state, whether thats business leaders, legislators, partners at the technical colleges or otherwise. We have some great people in South Dakota, and we work well together. Weve been the benefactors of some great legislative support in recent years. I think weve got a great team here in South Dakota, and Im looking forward to continuing the work for them and building on all of the successes that weve had of late. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Nathan Lukkes takes over as SD Board of Regents executive director The National Guard is still thousands of troops short of meeting its end-strength personnel requirements for this fiscal year, Guard officials revealed this week. The Air National Guard still needs roughly 3,500 troops to fulfill its 108,400 authorized end-strength by Sept. 30. Data provided to Military Times indicates that the Army National Guard has actually surpassed its 2023 personnel goal (by 699), though it has inducted 1,298 fewer recruits than it planned to. This years enlistment numbers mark an improvement from 2022 when the Guard ended the fiscal year with 9,000 fewer soldiers in its ranks. Still, a confluence of factors a competitive labor market, strict eligibility requirements, and disinterest in military service among eligible recruits continue to hamper the services recruitment efforts. This is the most challenging recruiting environment the Department of Defense has probably ever faced, and that reaches across all the components, Col. Anthony Pasquale, chief of the Air National Guards Recruiting and Retention Division, told reporters at a press conference Wednesday. Most other branches of the military have been afflicted by similar woes. The Navy, Air Force, and Army are also beset by enlistment shortages. Leaders from the three branches laid bare their struggles during a House Armed Services Committee hearing in April. The Army and the Air Force disclosed to members of Congress that both expected to miss their enlistment targets by 10,000; the Navy predicted a personnel deficit of 6,000. The Marines and Space Force, meanwhile, bucked the trend, forecasting a healthy influx of enlistees. The Guard has spent tens of millions on marketing and advertising efforts to boost its allure, according to officials. Lifted pandemic restrictions have given Guard recruiters greater access to schools, traditionally fertile recruiting grounds. It has also eased some enlistment requirements. As of this March, for instance, prospective recruits can now sport up to three tattoos instead of one ring-shaped design on their finger. The goal of these adjustments, Pasquale said, is to open up the aperture to as many candidates that are willing to join the Air National Guard as possible. Guard officials say recruitment numbers have ticked up as a result; retainment numbers, they add, remain strong. The Army National Guard claims 3,048 more enlistees have signed up for service than at this time last year. Pasquale told reporters that Air National Guard recruitment has climbed 15% since 2022. Last year, Gen. Dan Hokanson, the National Guard Bureaus top general, floated the possibility of offering troops free healthcare and reintroducing bonuses for guard enlistees who refer others to become part-time soldiers to further boost recruitment. Expanding access to healthcare for all members of the National Guard continues to be one of the Chief of the National Guards top legislative priorities, a Guard spokesperson told Military Times. Its still working its way through the legislative process. Last November, Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, introduced a bill that would eliminate fees for guardsmen enrolled in TRICARE Reserve Select, an insurance plan for Guard members. Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., sponsored a bill on Tuesday that proposed a similar change. Both have yet to make it past the introduction phase. Its also unclear if this recruitment rebound is evenly distributed across states. Guard officials did not provide state-by-state recruitment and retention data, though they acknowledged that some states and territories encounter unique enlistment obstacles. Competition from the private sector, however, continues to be the most difficult hurdle to jump. Its Wendys. Its Carls Jr, Sgt. Maj. Marco Irenze, a recruiter for Nevadas Army National Guard, responded when asked about the companies poaching potential Guard recruits. Its every single job that you saw a young person go up against because now they are offering the same incentives that we are offering. Additionally, National Guard troops trained in IT are often lured away from the military to the tech industry by the prospect of better pay. A Guard official from Washington state lamented that companies like Amazon and Microsoft are nabbing some of its most promising personnel. Recruiters hope training programs and flexible service commitments will make reluctant Guardsmen reconsider. Now we can have some flexibility to work with the employers, to allow these individuals to still have opportunities to make the money on the civilian side, and still serve in the Guard in that capacity in different perspectives, Tech. Sgt. Stephen Graves, a recruiter for the Illinois National Guard, remarked. That is the way we try to circumvent the competition, but in the end, we also need these individuals and the employers to be on board and understand that their employees are serving commendably. Dancers fill a powwow space. South Dakota has fed off the states connection to Native American history and heritage for decades, helping to propel the states tourism industry to a reported $7.6 billion economic impact in 2022. The tourism crown jewel of South Dakota, the Black Hills, is a sacred place for the tribes that make up the Great Sioux Nation, the Oceti Sakowin. The region boasts attractions such as Black Elk Peak and the Crazy Horse Memorial (both named for historical Lakota figures) alongside attractions such as Mount Rushmore and Deadwood. But actual tourism to the nine tribal nations and lands sharing South Dakotas geography hasnt kept pace with the rest of the states attractions. A coordinated effort is now underway to bolster tourism on tribal lands. Reservation tours are unique because the stories and information told by guides are handed down from ancestors rather than read from books. The state Department of Tourism conducted a niche travel survey five years ago that demonstrated authentic Native American experiences are of great interest to visitors. The departments 2022 return on investment study also showed that South Dakotas strengths compared to competitors include offering Native American culture, said Katlyn Svendsen, department spokesperson, in an emailed statement. That resulted in the Native-led South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance, which started in 2018 as a partnership between South Dakota Tourism, George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies and eight of South Dakotas nine tribal nations to assess tourism assets and challenges on reservations. The group launched its marketing campaign this year along with its first large-scale tour last month across Pine Ridge, Rosebud and Standing Rock reservations. The alliance is running the tours through Trafalgar, an international guided tours company. About 25 tourists attended the first bus tour in May bus tours can usually fit between 40 and 50 visitors. The partnership is an opportunity for tribal nations to use tourism as an economic catalyst, Svendsen said. Tianna and Guss Yellowhair pose for a photo after being awarded the 2022 Excellence in Customer Service Tourism awarded by the American Indian Tourism Association. We continue this work together because we believe in helping and being a resource to South Dakotas entire tourism industry, which our tribal nations are a part of, she said in an emailed statement. But tourism existed on reservations years before the alliance formed. Tatanka Rez Tourz on Pine Ridge, a father-daughter operation owned by Guss and Tianna Yellowhair, is in its eighth year of business. The two are members of the tourism alliance and have seen the interest in Native tourism grow since they started. By the end of April this year, the two already had 35 tours booked for the summer. The tours consist of three- to four-hours drives through the Pine Ridge Reservation, stopping at Badlands National Park, touring organizations including Thunder Valley Community Development, and explaining daily life on the reservation with stops at housing developments, Indian Health Service facilities, and tribal colleges. The Yellowhairs share stories, sing songs and share information with guests during the tour. The tour ends at the Wounded Knee Massacre site, where they explain not only the historical tragedy but also share the importance of the modern Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis. When somebody comes on our tour, we dont sugarcoat the history, Guss said. We tell it like it is. Frank Kills in Water is also a member of the tourism alliance and facilities director for the Rosebud Casino, a 20-minute drive south of Mission, the headquarters of the Sicangu Lakota, or the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Kills in Water started a small tourism business in the late 2000s but now owns a food truck and is training to be a tour operator for Trafalgar tours. Kills in Water said the reservation tours are unique because the stories and information told by guides are handed down from ancestors rather than read from books. The tours also challenge misconceptions and prejudices tourists may have about Native Americans and reservations. Lookout tower atop Black Elk Peak in the Black Hills. Six of the United States poorest counties are in South Dakota and each are on reservations or have a high percentage of tribally owned land. Guests will take the information they learned back with them to wherever they come from and share that information out, Kills in Water said. Then the rest of the world wont think we live in tipis or think were all drunks. Its time to change that narrative, because it is our time now to rewrite that narrative. The nine-day North and South Dakota tour in May visited three South Dakota reservations and one North Dakota reservation, as well as national parks and monuments on the west side of the state. In addition to the typical stops at Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore, the tour also visited the Wounded Knee Massacre site and Oglala Lakota Living History Village on Pine Ridge, along with a star knowledge presentation at Sinte Gleska University and a presentation by the Lakota Youth Development on language and spirituality reclamation on Rosebud. The next bookable bus tours in 2023 are in August and September, with 2024 tours available from May through September. Svendsen added that bringing tourists onto reservations will benefit South Dakota as a whole because it will translate into increased length of stay and visitor spending throughout the state. The majority of the money guests spend on bus tours goes toward Trafalgar, but extra money guests spend on food or on artisan crafts at stops go directly to tribal members. Thats a start toward economic development, Kills in Water said. The 50-foot high stainless steel statue Dignity of Sky and Earth overlooks the Missouri River on a bluff near Chamberlain. Artist laureate Dale Lamphere designed the statue, which depicts an Indigenous woman in Plains-style dress receiving a star quilt. By encouraging artisans to sell their quillwork, beadwork, pottery and quilting, it not only allows for economic growth but encourages the revitalization of Native culture and those skills and values, Kills in Water said. These tours give guests a little insight into what weve come through with centuries of genocide, taking our land, killing our buffalo and trying to kill our spirituality weve come through centuries of that and were still here, Kills in Water said. Tourism provides a catalyst of revitalization of our culture by showing guests who we are, what we do and the culture weve carried through the centuries. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Native-led tourism alliance launches economic catalyst tours on reservations A billboard is seen in Scottsdale, Ariz., Saturday, June 10, 2023, near the health care facility of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, which has been affected by a gigantic Medicaid fraud scheme involving sober living homes that promised help to Native Americans seeking to kick alcohol and other additions. Navajo National Attorney General Ethel Branch said Monday, June 12, 2023, that Navajo law enforcement teams that fanned out over metro Phoenix in recent weeks made contact with several hundred Native Americans from various tribes on the streets amid the state crackdown. (AP Photo/Anita Snow) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) PHOENIX (AP) A widespread Arizona Medicaid scam that has left an unknown number of Native Americans homeless on the streets of metro Phoenix is being declared a public health state of emergency by the Navajo Nation as fraudulent sober living homes lose their funding and turn former residents out onto the streets. The emergency declaration was issued late last week by the Navajo Nation Commission on Emergency Management and signed this week by Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, according to documents posted on the Facebook page of the tribe's Operation Rainbow Bridge, which was created to deal with the scam's effects on its enrolled members. There are significant concerns about the impacts to Navajo Nation lives from abrupt displacement that have affected an estimated 5,000 to 8,000 Navajo individuals, particularly in the exacerbation of medical, and public health risks associated with lack of immediate intervention and preventive services, the declaration reads. The declaration allows the tribe to add more personnel, travel resources, medical supplies, funding and other means of support to address the ongoing problem. Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch said earlier this month that the tribe's law enforcement teams over the course of several weeks made contact with more than 270 Native Americans released onto the streets of metro Phoenix by sober living homes that have been targeted by a state crackdown on fraudulent billing. Navajos account for most Native Americans grappling with addictions who have been affected by the scam and subsequent crackdown. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community has also warned its members about the deceptive providers with billboards outside its reservation in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment system, the agency that manages Medicaid payments for the state, this week announced several more changes that aim to stop payments to deceptive organizations that have been billing for services that are not provided, not appropriate, or unnecessary. The agency's website says a six-month moratorium is being placed on new enrollments for certain types of residential and outpatient behavioral health providers and non-emergency transportation services. Some providers will now be required to have background checks and site visits. Providers also can no longer bill the state for Medicaid money on behalf of others, and certain kinds of claims are now being flagged. Payments have been cut off to more than 100 of providers suspected of fraudulent billing. Arizona officials announced in May they were investigating a huge Medicaid funding scam that potentially affected thousands of people, most of them believed to be Native Americans. State officials believe the fake homes have defrauded Arizona out of hundreds of millions of its share of federal Medicaid dollars. Arizona authorities so far have seized $75 million and have issued 45 indictments in the investigation that also includes the FBI and the U.S. Attorney Generals Office. Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images When I first learned about the Trail of Tears in junior high school, after getting over my outrage and disgust, my first thought was, Thank God we dont do that anymore. I was wrong. Just today, the U.S. Supreme Court proved that we are still doing it. Navajo Nation v. Arizona is this terms most important Supreme Court ruling that you havent heard of. But the Navajo have. And they know that the high court has just stripped them of rights that they thought that they have had for more than a century. Supreme Court Might Allow Vendors to Discriminate Against Customers The Navajo (who refer to themselves as the Dine) have lived in the Colorado River Basinin what is now Arizona, New Mexico, and Coloradofor hundreds of years. Even though the United States and the Navajo signed a treaty in 1849, 14 years later federal troops drove the Navajos from their ancestral homeland and marched them some 300 miles to live captive at Bosque Redondo, a small piece of land on the Pecos River in eastern New Mexico. This became known as the Long Walk, and it was a disaster: Bosque Redondo lacked sufficient water or arable land and was unsuitable for livestock. Many Navajo died. Finally, in 1868, U.S. Army Commander William Tecumseh Sherman agreed to take them back to a small portion of their original homelandan area later made even smaller in the new 1868 treaty. No worries, promised the white man: the federal government guaranteed that the Navajo would have access to resources that they would need to maintain an agricultural way of life. The federal government made more promises. In 1908, the Supreme Court, in Winters v. United States, held that rights to land necessarily included water rights connected to that land. That means that the Navajo should also have had the necessary water rights to make life on that reservation barely manageable. 1481236186 Navajo Bridge over Colorado River at Lees Landing in Vermillion National Monument, Page, Arizona. Joe Sohm/Visions of America via Getty Images As with most promises the white man made to the Indians, it was broken. Half a century after Winterswhose rights are supposed to be senior to all other rights claimedthe Supreme Court adjudicated most of the Colorado River, and split it between seven states along the river and five Indian tribes. But the decree did not include the Navajo. The tribe attempted to intervene in the litigation and was blocked by the federal government, which claimed that it would see to it that their rights were taken care of. Yet Washington broke its promise, and to this day, the Navajo have no adjudicated rights on the Colorado River, which runs next to their land. In Navajo Country now, it is easy to see the result. While the average American uses 80-100 gallons of water per day for household needs, Navajo Nation members use about seven. The resulting difficulty in maintaining hand hygiene contributed to a COVID-19 death rate higher in the Nation than in many other parts of the United States. More than 30 percent of those on the reservation lack running water altogether. As ProPublica reported just two weeks ago, Arizona goes to great lengths to block the Navajos access to water, undermining their economic development: even a newly-constructed hospital on the reservation stands empty because of state officials refusal to negotiate in good faith over the tribes water rights. The Navajo have waited literally for decades for the federal government to fulfill its promises, and the answer from Washington has been a stone wall. So in 2014, they sued the federal government to finally fulfill its promises. Notably, the tribe did not demand an adjudication of its right in the Colorado. It merely asked that the federal government assess tribal water needs and come up with a plan to meet them. Why Economic Justice for Indigenous Groups Is Vital to Saving Endangered Species The Supreme Court has long held that the federal government has a trust obligation to tribes. The Navajo Nation claims that the federal government has the trust obligation to give it access to adequate water. Washington breached its trust obligations and needed after decades to make the tribe whole. The Ninth Circuit agreed. But states like Arizona and Colorado, which do not want the Navajo intruding on their rights on the river, petitioned the Supreme Court for relief. They claim that when the Supreme Court adjudicated the Colorado River back in 1963, it reserved for itself the right to divide the river. The tribes couldnt sue the federal government, because then the federal government might decide that the river needed to be changed. If this seems strange to you, it should. 1240701658 Members of the Navajo Nation fill up a water tank at a watering station that is meant to provide water for livestock in Gap, AZ. Many people that live on Navajo Nation have water access issues despite their close proximity to the Colorado River. Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images The tribe cannot try to get the Colorado River redivided: the federal government has prevented it from doing so. Fine, say the Navajo in this litigation. If you wont allow us to get our specific water rights from the Colorado, then you make sure that we have the water we were promised: assess our needs and come up with a plan to meet them. But Washington rejected that one, as well. Amazingly, the Interior Department (currently headed by Deb Haaland, the first Native American Cabinet Secretary) contends that it has essentially no legally binding obligations to the Navajo at all. Unless the treaty specifically made particular assurances that could clairvoyantly predict water needs 150 years in the future, it claims, the government has no obligation at all. And the Supreme Court agreed. Essentially, its argument is: even though the treaty guarantees you the right to farm your land, and the federal government is your trustee, you cant force the federal government to actually act on its obligations, and you cant sue on your own to get water that runs across your land. To this, the Court lamely says that Congress and the President may update the law to meet modern policy priorities and needs. For the Navajo, such an argument adds insult to injury. Putin-Like Dictators Have Long Felt the Love From the U.S. Right As Justice Neil Gorsuch noted in his dissent: The Navajo have tried it all. They have written federal officials. They have moved this Court to clarify the United States responsibilities when representing them. They have sought to intervene directly in water-related litigation. And when all of those efforts were rebuffed, they brought a claim seeking to compel the United States to make good on its treaty obligations by providing an accounting of what water rights it holds on their behalf. At each turn, they have received the same answer: Try again. When this routine first began in earnest, Elvis was still making his rounds on The Ed Sullivan Show. The Colorado River is complex. The entire West is buckling under climate change, and the original division of the river assumed water resources that dont exist. States rightly are worried about what will happen with new claimants. But that is no reason to say that the poorest, most disadvantaged party, with by far the oldest claim on the river, and suffering the greatest historical injustice, should be the odd one out. As William Faulkner explained, The past is never dead. It isnt even past. The Navajo know. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A Navy chief died earlier this month after being medically evacuated from the deployed guided-missile destroyer Ramage. Chief Gunners Mate Caprice L. Pryor, suffered a medical emergency while the ship was underway in the North Sea on June 8, The destroyer is part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, according to the Navy. Officials with the Italy-based U.S. 6th Fleet declined to provide further details on what happened, citing an ongoing investigation. But they confirmed that Pryor was transported to Stavanger University Hospital in Norway, where he was pronounced dead. Ford, Ramage and the rest of the carrier strike group deployed in May. USS Gerald R Ford leaves Norfolk for first full-length deployment As of Wednesday, an entry in the Naval Safety Commands mishap report stated that a sailor confirmed to be Pryor suffered cardiac arrest while underway. But as of Thursday morning, following Navy Times queries about the incident, the safety command replaced that description to state that a sailor was injured underway. An Illinois native, Pryor enlisted in 1998 and pinned on his anchors in 2020, according to service records. He had been with Ramage since July. Our deepest condolences to Chief Pryors family and friends and to the Ramage crew, Rear Adm. Erik Eslich, the Ford strike group commander, said in a statement. Chief Pryor made a lasting impact on the Sailors he led aboard Ramage, and his contributions to the U.S. Navy are immeasurable. A local prosecutor revealed Wednesday that she wont seek charges against officers in North Carolinas capital city who repeatedly used stun guns on a man who subsequently died, saying evidence reviewed fails to show the use of force was unreasonable. Several Raleigh police officers were placed on administrative leave following the Jan. 17 death of 32-year-old Darryl Tyree Williams. They were trying to arrest Williams around 2 a.m. for possession of a controlled substance in a parking lot where a sweepstakes parlor and several closed businesses were located. PREVIOUS STORIES: The State Bureau of Investigation looked into what happened and forwarded its findings to Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman. In her summary report, Freeman determined it has been concluded that the officers actions were not a violation of the law. In a criminal prosecution of a law enforcement officer for a use of force, the State must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the use of force was not reasonable under the circumstances, Freeman said, adding that she asked for the case to be closed because the totality of the circumstances in this matter makes a prosecution unsustainable. Freeman also received Williams autopsy report made public two weeks ago by the state medical examiners office. While the autopsy report declared Williams death a homicide, his cause of death was listed as sudden cardiac arrest related to cocaine intoxication and the police confrontation. Williams family urged officials to fire officers and charge them in his death. Police have said they were trying to arrest Williams after they found a folded dollar bill with white powder in his pocket. Freemans report said officers initially detained Williams after noticing a bag of marijuana in the front seat of a vehicle that he and another passenger had voluntary agreed to exit. Police said officers stunned Williams with a Taser three times as they tried to take him into custody and he tried to flee. Williams, a Black man, can be heard in body and dashboard camera videos released by police in February protesting that he didnt do anything and warning that he had a heart problem before what Freemans report said was the final time he was stunned. The DAs report said the two officers who deployed the Tasers told the SBI in an interview that they didnt hear Williams comments about a heart condition. There is no way to substantiate whether they did in fact hear Mr. Williams, the report said, but this point alone is not outcome determinative in the legal analysis. Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, a criminal justice reform group assisting Williams family, called Freemans decision not to prosecute disgraceful. She has once again failed to protect the Black people of Wake County by rubberstamping the murder of an unarmed man by Raleigh Police Department. Raleigh police Lt. Jason Borneo acknowledged the DAs decision not to charge the six officers involved but declined to comment further on what he described as an internal investigation. Freemans report listed over a dozen other factors that contributed to her decision not to prosecute, including that a Taser deployment isnt considered a deadly use of force. Williams repeatedly failed to follow law enforcement commands, officers were unable to complete a thorough search of him leading to fears he was armed and he had a substantial size advantage over the officers, the report said. Williams was also on probation at the time of his death for a drug-related felony and that may have related to his decision to resist and flee officers, the report said. The DA also cited the autopsy finding of multiple contributing circumstances to his death, including an enlarged heart, significant physical exertion and being subjected to a Taser. (PREVIOUS: North Carolina family seeks charges in police stun gun death) Russian troops undergo training on the territory of Belarus The number of Russian troops stationed in Belarus has slightly gone up, with about 1,500 remaining in the country, Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service, said on national television on June 22. The Russian military continues to be deployed on the territory of Belarus, but the Russian army units stationed on the territory of this country are more involved in military drills and training, he said. Fortunately, their number is currently small. That is, we arent seeing that Russia has enough forces on the territory of Belarus to carry out another invasion of the territory of Ukraine from this direction. Read also: No northern invasion Russias troop size in Belarus has shrunk Demchenko reiterated that over 10,000 Russian military personnel had been deployed in Belarus at the beginning of the current year. At the moment, we fixed this number at the level of 1,500 servicemen, the official said. Their number has recently slightly increased, by about 500 people. Directly prior to Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko provided Belarusian territory as a staging ground for the invading forces. The troops gathered in Belarus were primarily used to attack the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv. The Russian army also continues to launch missile strikes at Ukraine from Belarus. Read also: Russian military has 25 aircraft at Belarus airfields, but theyre not flying Nayev Belarusian troops do not directly participate in hostilities. However, experts have warned that it is possible for Belarus or Russia to attempt another attack on Kyiv from the north. Ukrainian Joint Forces Commander Lieutenant-General Serhiy Nayev said on Feb. 22 that Russia does not have the resources needed for an offensive in the north of Ukraine. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Deputies said they arrested a man wearing only socks and small piece of fabric tied around his waist after he crashed into multiple vehicles and fled law enforcement by driving around an elementary school track. Flagler County deputies said a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer first tried to pull Stephen Peterson, 22, of Port Orange, over after he watched him crash into several vehicles at the intersection of State Road 100 East and Old Kings Road South. Deputies said Peterson fled at a high rate of speed and then drove around the running track at Old Kings Elementary School. Deputies said Peterson then drove into the Flagler County Landfill property and into a wooded area between the landfill and I-95. Read: Flagler County man swallows cocaine during traffic stop, deputies say Deputies said both Peterson and his passenger, identified as Victoria Averill, 20, were removed from the vehicle by deputies and placed under arrest. Deputies said Peterson was naked except for socks and a small covering wrapped around his waist. It is unknown why the male was not wearing more clothing, deputies said. Read: Flagler County School Board decides against proposal to arm teachers, staff on campus Peterson is accused of fleeing and eluding, leaving the scene of a crash with damage to vehicle or property, resisting an officer without violence, trespassing on school grounds, possession of marijuana under 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia/equipment. Averill is accused of trespassing on school grounds, possession of marijuana under 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia/equipment. Just when you think youve seen and heard everything - a naked driver causes multiple hit and run crashes, flees from law enforcement, resists arrest and then has to be dragged out naked from his car to be arrested, Sheriff Rick Staly said. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Newborn baby left in Safe Haven Baby Box was adopted by the firefighter who found her A firefighter in Ocala, Florida, was pulling an overnight shift at the station in January when he was awoken at 2 a.m. by an alarm. He recognized the sound immediately. A newborn had been placed in the buildings Safe Haven Baby Box, a device that allows someone to safely and anonymously surrender a child no questions asked. To be honest, I thought it was a false alarm, the firefighter, who wishes to remain anonymous to protect his family's privacy, tells TODAY.com. But when he opened the box, he discovered a healthy infant wrapped in a pink blanket. That baby would become his daughter Zoey. Newborn safe haven box adopted (Courtesy Zoey's family) She had a little bottle with her and she was just chilling, he recalls. I picked her up and held her. We locked eyes, and that was it. Ive loved her ever since that moment. The firefighter and his wife had been struggling for more than a decade to have a baby, and the wheels in his head started turning. "I didn't call my wife right away because I didn't want to wake her up, but I knew she'd be on board," he says of his plan. He would go to the hospital with baby, and inquire about adopting her. At the hospital, the firefighter, who is also a paramedic, wrote a note and left it with Zoey. I explained that my wife and I had been trying for 10 years to have a baby. I told them wed completed all of our classes in the state of Florida and were registered to adopt, he says. "All we needed was a child." When the firefighter finally spoke to his wife, she started crying. I was like, Dont get too excited yet, he says. My biggest fear was that the note I wrote wouldnt stay with Zoey and shed be gone. It was a very stressful few days. Zoey was placed in the stations Safe Haven Baby Box on Jan. 2. On Jan. 4, she was home with the firefighter and his wife. The couple adopted Zoey in April. The way I found her... This was God helping us out, he says, adding that it's difficult not to cry when he tells the story. The firefighter says hes sharing the story in hopes that it gives Zoeys biological mother some closure. We want her to know that her child is taken care of and that shes loved beyond words, he says. One detail he learned later from the hospital is that the baby's umbilical cord had been tied off with a shoelace. Newborn safe haven box adopted (Courtesy Zoey's family) There are 148 Safe Haven Baby Boxes in the United States, and 31 babies have been safely surrendered, according to the organization's website. The devices are temperature controlled and feature a bassinet-style bed inside, easy for retrieval. Safe Haven Baby Boxes Founder Monica Kelsey spoke at a press conference in January, the same day that Zoey was surrendered. We want to address the parents who legally surrendered this infant. And right now Im going to talk directly to her or him, she said, at the time. Thank you. Thank you for keeping your child safe. Thank you for bringing your child to a place that you knew was going to take care of this child. And thank you for doing what you felt was best. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Wednesday said he has the power to pardon Eric DeValkenaere, the first Kansas City police officer ever convicted of killing a Black man, even if DeValkenaere does not apply for clemency. But, the Republican governor said, his office has had no conversations about pardoning DeValkenaere. Parson said he has not received an application from DeValkenaere and criticized Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker for a letter she wrote last week suggesting that Parson may soon issue a pardon. There is nothing in place that weve had the conversation about pardoning this guy, Parson told reporters at an event Wednesday in Kansas City. So its just a lot of propaganda. The Republican governors comments come after Baker wrote a letter to Parson, urging him not to pardon DeValkenaere. In the letter, Baker said she learned from multiple reports that Parson was considering pardoning the former Kansas City police detective even as an appeal works through the courts. This conviction is important to this community and to take it away without your voice being heard, would be a real harm, Baker said in an interview. A pardon could provoke an explosive backlash in Kansas City and would be a sweeping assertion of executive power by Parson over the judicial process. DeValkenaere, who is white, was convicted in 2021 of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of Cameron Lamb, who is Black, in 2019. DeValkenaere has been sentenced to six years in prison but has remained free on bond as he appeals the verdict. I imagine you might view a pardon as a way to support police, Baker wrote to Parson June 13. But I expect this extreme action for the only KCPD officer convicted of fatally shooting a black man will ignite distrust, protests, and public safety concerns for citizens and for police. Parson on Wednesday said he has not spoken with Baker, DeValkenaere or his legal team about a potential pardon. He said Bakers letter was irresponsible. What is a little disturbing about the whole ordeal is because there just never was no acknowledgment of that, Parson told reporters. There was never no conversation from my office about it. And I think for a prosecutor to kind of go out on the forefront there making it sound like we were, one, it was a little irresponsible. DeValkenaeres case Parson, a former sheriff and longtime supporter of police, indicated that he disagreed with some of the facts associated with the prosecution of DeValkenaere. During the trial, prosecutors said DeValkenaere and his partner Troy Schwalm did not have authority to be on the property when he fatally shot Lamb. Prosecutors also said the crime scene was staged and evidence, including a handgun that belonged to Lamb, was planted. Parson said it was irresponsible for Baker to accuse Kansas City police of planting evidence at the crime scene. Ill be careful what I say here but making the idea for a prosecutor to ever say that there could have been the possibility of a gun that was planted is a terrible decision for a prosecutor to ever make unless you have evidence to support that, Parson said Wednesday. Police investigating the shooting found Lamb inside his vehicle with his left arm and head hanging out of the drivers side window. On the ground near his left hand was a handgun, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said Lamb was not armed and the gun that police said he had with him had been moved from a set of stairs near the garage and placed near his left hand after he was shot but before crime scene investigators arrived. Crime scene investigators who gathered Lambs belongings did not find any ammunition. But when Lambs body was taken to the Jackson County Medical Examiners Office, investigators found two bullets inside of Lambs pockets. Those bullets had not been there at the crime scene, prosecutors said. DeValkenaere said that he did not plant evidence and did not encourage any of his fellow officers to do so. Missouri law on pardons Spencer J. Webster, a Kansas City-based attorney, said in an email to The Star that Missouri law does not require that Parson receive an application in order to grant a pardon. Webster added that, based on his understanding of the law, DeValkenaeres appeal does not have to be rejected in order for him to apply for a pardon. My hope is that, whether or not the governor was considering a pardon for DeValkenaere, he allows the system to run its course, he said. As the sole conviction in a case of this type, where so many have gone unanswered, this conviction is not only a powerful statement but also justice for a community that has been deprived of it for so long. Allen Rostron, a law professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, said the law guiding pardons is less clear. It would be rare, he said, for a governor to consider pardoning someone who still has an appeal pending and who has not officially applied. While the law is ambiguous, Rostron said, the answer seems to be that there must be an application, and that it must be made after exhausting judicial remedies (such as completing the appeal). If Parson were to grant a pardon without receiving an application, it would be up to the courts to decide if he violated state law, Rostron said. That would be quite rare, and therefore theres some uncertainty about it, he said. Zach Wilkinson/Getty The DNA collected from a knife sheath found at the scene of the quadruple murder of four University of Idaho students last fall is a statistical match to accused killer Bryan Kohberger, prosecutors say. In a June 16 motion for a protective order, Idaho prosecutors revealed that a STR DNA comparison was performed between a cheek swab collected from 28-year-old Kohberger and the sheath found face down and partially under one of the four murder victims. The DNA was at least 5.37 octillion times more likely to belong to Kohberger than an unrelated individually randomly selected from the general population, prosecutors said. The motion seeks to protect some of the investigation, including raw DNA data, lab notes, the names and personal information of Kohbergers relatives, and names that were matched against the DNA from genealogy services. The DNA link is the latest development in the closely watched case, and provides new details into how investigators used genetic genealogy to identify Kohberger as their prime suspect. Woman Describes Eerie Tinder Date With Idaho Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger Prosecutors allege that Kohberger murdered Kaylee Goncalves, Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, and Madison Mogen as they slept in their off-campus home in Moscow at around 4 a.m. on Nov. 13. The former doctoral criminology student at Washington State University has pleaded not guilty to several charges and is scheduled to face trial in October. The motion says that when authorities arrived at the scene, the sheath was face down and partially under both Madisons body and the comforter on the bed. Initially, the Idaho State Lab concluded that DNA found on the sheath came from a male, but the FBI was not able to directly tie it to any data in publicly available genealogy sites. The FBI went to work building family trees of the genetic relatives to the suspect DNA left at the crime scene in an attempt to identify the contributor of the unknown DNA, the motion states, adding that a break in the case came when a tip was sent in to investigate Kohberger. The tip, the motion states, did not provide law enforcement with substantive evidence of guilt but did prompt them to collect a DNA sample from trash recovered from Kohbergers Pennsylvania family home. Ultimately, investigators also took a buccal swab from the suspect. That evidence was then sent to the Idaho State Lab for testing, which prosecutors say yielded a match with the sheath. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. [Source] A year-long investigation has uncovered a sadistic ring in which people produce videos of monkeys being tortured to later sell to buyers in several parts of the world, including the United States, United Kingdom and Asia. Key details: BBC World Service was able to track down some of the creators of the torture videos in Indonesia and their distributors and buyers located in the U.S. and U.K. during its year-long investigation. According to the report, buyers commission people from Indonesia and other Asian countries into filming themselves torturing or killing baby long-tailed macaque monkeys, using tools like screwdrivers, hammers and pliers, for money. Law enforcement involvement: Local law enforcement in the U.K. and Indonesia are reportedly investigating the global torture ring, while the Department of Homeland Security is also looking into the matter in the U.S. More from NextShark: Conspiracy theory claiming COVID-19 came from US-linked labs in Ukraine trends on Weibo The people behind the videos: In the U.S., BBC identified a key distributor named Mike McCartney, also known as The Torture King, from Virginia, who described the video he had seen in his first monkey torture group on Telegram as the most grotesque thing I have ever seen. Two of the five other key suspects named in the DHS investigation include Stacey Storey, a woman in her 40s from Alabama known in their community as Sadistic, and a ringleader known only by his moniker Mr Ape. McCartney was also named as one of the key suspects in the investigation. Arrests: About 20 people globally are now under investigation, including three women from the U.K. who were arrested and later released by the local police. More from NextShark: Denver to formally apologize for anti-Chinese riot of 1880 Indonesian police have reportedly arrested two people suspected of torturing monkeys for money, namely Asep Yadi Nurul Hikmah, who received a three-year sentence, and M Ajis Rasjana, who received eight months of prison time. The online groups: The BBC investigation learned that the network operates on online groups like Telegram and Facebook, which made acquiring the videos accessible. Some of those groups reportedly have 1,000 members. Facebook has already removed some of the groups that the BBC World Service forwarded them, while Telegram told the network that it was committed to protecting user privacy and human rights such as freedom of speech and its moderators cannot proactively patrol private groups. More from NextShark: NYPD search for woman who targeted a teen in an anti-Asian hate crime Similarly, YouTube has also said in its statement that it had already removed some videos that show animal abuse. Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Pramila Jayapal, 2 Other Democrats Test Positive for COVID Following Capitol Hill Riots KYIV (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was quoted on Wednesday as saying progress in Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces was "slower than desired", but that Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up. "Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It's not," Britain's BBC quoted him as saying in an interview to be broadcast later in the day. "What's at stake is people's lives." His adversary, Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Moscow had observed a "lull" in Ukraine's counteroffensive, which began early this month. Although Ukraine still had some offensive potential, Kyiv understood it had "no chance", Putin said in televised remarks. Ukraine says it has reclaimed eight villages so far in its long-awaited counter-offensive, its first substantial gains on the battlefield for seven months. But Ukrainian forces so far have yet to push their way to the main defensive lines that Russia has had months to prepare. Kyiv is believed to have set aside 12 brigades of thousands of troops each, most of which have yet to join the fight. Reuters has visited some villages recaptured by Ukrainian forces and confirmed an advance of several kilometres. Moscow says it has been resisting the Ukrainian advances since early June. Ukraine's armed forces general staff said on Wednesday evening there had been 35 armed clashes in the main sectors of the front over the past 24 hours, without giving details. It said anti-aircraft units had downed 32 of 35 Iranian-made Shahed drones. The report also noted enemy offensive action in the Lyman sector in Ukraine's east, where officials say Russian forces have become more active. There was Russian shelling throughout the east and in Zaporizhzhia region. MINES The BBC quoted Zelenskiy as saying the military push was not going easily because 200,000 square km (77,220 square miles) of Ukrainian territory had been mined by Russian forces. "Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best," he added. After a flurry of early gains, Kyiv has claimed to have captured only one additional village over the past week, the hamlet of Pyatikhatky. Officials said on Wednesday forces in the south were mostly consolidating earlier gains, while troops in the east were holding off Russian attacks. "They had partial success over the past day, they have consolidated at the boundaries that were reached and they have evened up the front line," Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said. Zelenskiy's interview with Britain's public broadcaster was timed to coincide with a conference in London where allies were due to pledge billions of dollars in economic and reconstruction aid. Washington offered $1.3 billion. Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Kyiv was hoping for almost $7 billion from the event. The West has already given Ukraine tens of billions of dollars worth of military equipment, including hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles that form the core of the force it is set to unleash in its counteroffensive. Some of Ukraine's supporters worry that Kyiv will have to show impressive results on the battlefield in coming weeks or risk political support waning in the West. Both sides have stepped up longer range attacks with missiles and drones in preparation for the fighting at the front. Russia said on Wednesday it had shot down drones that had reached the region surrounding Moscow. Kyiv never comments on reports of attacks inside Russia. Elsewhere on the diplomatic stage, European Union governments agreed to an 11th package of sanctions against Russia, aimed at stopping other countries and companies from circumventing existing measures. (Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Gareth Jones) NewsNation is under fire over airing an 'oxygen remaining' countdown clock for the missing Titanic submersible NewsNation included an "oxygen remaining" countdown during its coverage about the missing submersible. NewsNation NewsNation is under fire over an "oxygen remaining" countdown clock for the missing Titanic submersible. The submersible, which is carrying a total of five people, has been missing since Sunday. "They counting down like it's the Super Bowl man," wrote one person on Twitter. US news network NewsNation has come under fire over an "oxygen remaining" countdown clock appearing on screen amid its coverage of the missing Titanic submersible. The submersible was carrying a total of five people to see the Titanic shipwreck at around 13,000 feet under the surface when it lost contact with its mothership on Sunday afternoon. The US Coast Guard estimated Monday that if the Titan was not breached, the oxygen in the submersible was likely to last 70 to 96 hours. It's estimated that the oxygen would run out at around 7 a.m. ET on Thursday. During its live rolling coverage Wednesday and into Thursday, NewsNation included a countdown clock for the submersible's remaining oxygen, prompting backlash online. "They counting down like it's the Super Bowl man," wrote one person on Twitter. Another wrote: "That's insane, they really have no shame." One person accused the station of counting down the remaining oxygen as if they were counting down to the New Year. "Peoples lives are in danger?" they wrote. "Y'all really think these ppl families wanna turn on the TV and see a damn countdown to how much longer their loved ones got to live?" tweeted another person. NewsNation did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The missing submersible, named the Titan, is run by OceanGate Expeditions. On Tuesday, Insider reported that a 2018 lawsuit warned about safety issues with the submersible. David Lochridge, OceanGate's former director of marine operations, alleged in August 2018 court filings that he was wrongfully terminated after raising concerns about the company's "refusal to conduct critical, non-destructive testing of the experimental design" of the Titan. The filings say that after OceanGate's CEO, Stockton Rush, asked Lochridge to do a quality inspection of the Titan, he developed concerns about a "lack of non-destructive testing performed on the hull." After recommending that OceanGate seek "assurance tests and satisfy industry-standard safety controls" on the submersible, Lochridge said he was fired. "OceanGate gave Lochridge approximately 10 minutes to immediately clear out his desk and exit the premises," the court filing says. Read the original article on Insider (Original Caption) Rescue Survivors Of Jap "Navy." Jap survivors from destroyed Naval craft in Surigao Strait, clinging to debris, approach a Navy PT Boat to be rescued. Sturdy PT's were active also in spotting and attacking Jap Naval forces during the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea. We've talked about legendary moments from the Battle of Leyte Gulf, a decisive battle that cemented Japanese naval defeat at the end of World War II. The task force Taffy 3 annihilated Japanese forces. A Navy ace fighter pilot shut down a 60-plane attack almost single-handedly. And five battleships damaged or sunk at Pearl Harbor slaughtered Japanese ships attempting a surprise attack. Sho-Go, the Japanese Victory Operation By late 1944, America and its allies firmly held the momentum in the Pacific. In the Battle of the Philippine Sea the previous June, America sank three Japanese carriers and shot down hundreds of planes. Japanese leaders desperately needed to stem the U.S. Navy's advance. Their plan to do so became Operation Sho-Go. Broadly speaking, Japanese leaders split their fleet into three major arms. It included a decoy force and two attack forces assaulting along different axes. Japan wanted to halt the next American invasion force with air power and the surface fleet. The decoy force needed to draw away American airpower as the other forces surprised and slaughtered American carriers. When America launched its invasion of the Philippines at Leyte, Japan initiated Sho-Go. The operation went wrong for the Japanese almost immediately as two American submarines spotted the stronger attack force on October 23, 1944. They followed the fleet, radioed extensive intelligence back to the rest of the Allied fleet, and then launched a torpedo attack that sank two heavy cruisers. An aerial attack the next day took down a battleship. Battle of Surigao Strait 25th October 1944: The 29,000 ton Fuso class Japanese warship Yamashiro (Yamasiro) which was sunk near the Philippines by the US Navy during the Battle of Surigao Strait. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) The Japanese C Force was part of the second, smaller attack force. It attempted to move north through the Surigao Strait in order to interrupt the landings on Leyte. Unfortunately for them, the U.S. Navy knew Japanese ships would attempt an attack. Vice Adm. Kinkaid ordered his entire fleet to prepare for a night engagement. The resulting fight became the Battle of Surigao Strait, a major part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf. The Japanese force consisted of two large battleships, a heavy cruiser, and four destroyers. And there was a second force behind them with three cruisers and seven destroyers. The Americans, knowing an attack from the south was likely, deployed PT boats and destroyers on patrol and then a battle line behind that with six battleships, eight cruisers, and some more destroyers. The Japanese forces ran into the first patrols a few hours after midnight on October 25. The first PT boat attacks scattered some Japanese ships but did little real damage. But the torpedo salvo from the destroyers did better, sinking three destroyers and a battleship. Then, the remaining Japanese battleship, a cruiser, and a destroyer attempted to continue north, right into the radar of the six American battleships. The West Virginia, California, Tennessee, Maryland, and Pennsylvania were survivors of Pearl Harbor. And the USS Mississippi backed them up in the fight. U.S. ships, anchored by Pearl survivors, savage the Japanese The American battle line achieved the classic "crossing the T," with all of the American ships able to fire broadsides at all of the Japanese ships nearly simultaneously. So the U.S. ships were more modern, had the element of surprise, and had a vastly better position. The West Virginia achieved radar contact first and sent its first salvo directly into the Japanese battleship Yamashiro. As the Japanese continued, the California and Tennessee joined in, then the cruisers and the rest of the battleships. The three Japanese ships, lacking advanced radar, could only attack visible targets, but they were under attack from over a dozen American ships. Japanese ships suffered extensive damage. When they finally decided to turn tail and run, a final torpedo struck the damaged battleship and sank it. The destroyer and cruiser continued their escape. But the Japanese commander had unfortunately failed to alert the second Japanese force as to how badly the battle was going. Just as the two surviving ships fled south, one crashed into the lead ship of the following fleet. American forces pursued the stricken cruiser Mogami and eventually sank it after the main battle. The rest of the Japanese ships were forced back south. The Battle of Surigao Strait, part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf, was an attempted Japanese surprise attack to regain momentum in the Pacific. Instead, America decisively destroyed the Japanese attackers and did so much damage to the fleet that Japan could never re-assert its seapower. Inheritance Nine in 10 families could be missing out on thousands of pounds in Premium Bond inheritance after a new tracing scheme fell short. The Treasury-backed National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has this year begun a campaign to track down relatives of its savers who it suspects may have died. It has now contacted around one million families and returned 2.54m, but just 109,000 or 10pc responded. NS&I says it is the responsibility of the executor of a deceased persons estate to let it know they have died by completing a bereavement claims form, either online or by post. Typically, when this is done, the family will be told to leave the investments for 12-months so they can possibly make more money through monthly prizes but then they are on their own. But Telegraph Money has also spoken to advisers who say bereaved families still face too many hurdles and can spend hours trying to claim their deceased relatives money. The Government-backed bank, which gives Premium Bond savers the chance to win 1million every month, has faced criticism in recent years over poor customer service. The bank faced questions from MPs over a growing customer complaint backlog during the Covid-19 pandemic, which its former chief executive, Ian Ackerley, blamed on the old technology his staff were using. Around one in three of the UK population over 22 million people hold Premium Bonds with NS&I. As of March 31, 2022, the total amount invested with NS&I is 207 billion which is around 10,000 per person invested. Withdrawing investments is easy, and an investor merely needs to go onto the NS&I app or portal and request any funds be withdrawn to their bank account. But some families have found that it can get very complicated, very quickly, if a spouse passes away and they want to get their money back. Phil Billingham, a financial adviser at Perceptive Planning, said the wife of a client of his went through this process with NS&I over three years ago when her husband died, who had invested 50,000 in Premium Bonds. She went through the correct channels and filled in the right paperwork, only to find that NS&I failed to transfer her the money, and never followed up. How to track down missing family Premium Bonds Mr Billingham said NS&I admitted there was no process for contacting grieving families waiting for their money, and it was up to them to chase up the investment scheme despite a poor record of customer service and lengthy waiting times. He said: With the grief and disruption at the time, neither the widow nor the executors noticed that the money was never transferred to her after the initial 12-month period, he said. There seems to be no process at the end of that time period for NS&I to contact the spouse or family and tell them the money is there despite the family alerting them of the death, and that probate had been granted. At no point did NS&I contact the widow and ask if she needed the money. And in fact, they have informed us they have no process to do so. We were informed this was to save the taxpayer the costs of postage. We only realised because a tiny alert showed up on the deceased clients account on an adviser portal telling him to contact them but he is dead. He added many grieving families could be missing out on thousands if not millions of pounds if the Government investment scheme is not following up with the families of deceased investors. He said: They told us that they will not communicate with families of deceased people by email or phone. They say its not secure, and will only communicate by post which makes it hard due to the amount of paperwork needed, and the costs of posting especially for older people. It all depends on how people were investing in NS&I premium bonds or savings. If they use the internet or their smartphones, then there may be no paperwork, and so there is little chance that families are going to be aware they could have substantial funds available to them if NS&I arent alerting them. For older people, it could be almost impossible. Paperwork can get lost and NS&I wont release statements to families. Without a paper trail, many people could be missing out on substantial amounts because they arent being told its there, or not being contacted after the initial 12-month period has passed. There should be annual statements from NS&I to the representative of the family member that died. NS&I told The Telegraph that as of March 31 2022, the total amount in unclaimed assets in the scheme was 3.65bn. But, it could not say what amount was still unclaimed for savers who have died. NS&I savings accounts and what you should buy instead A spokesman said: We recommend that all of our customers keep financial records to ensure that their loved ones can easily access any money, savings or assets that are in their name when they die. We keep all funds safe until the rightful beneficiaries come forward to claim them. NS&I cut back its workforce a few years ago, which led to huge delays in processing bereaved spouses requests for their deceased family members money. The scheme also began trialling a hybrid-working model last year, so some of its staff are working from home. Financial adviser Daniel Williams added: Theres always a stream of unnecessary barriers and hurdles to overcome every time I have dealt with the NS&I they have a long way to go. Most banks will release account balances of less than 25,000 to families before requiring sight of a grant of probate after someone dies. But this is not the case with NS&I and it can cause difficulties for grieving families, according to Anna Wensley Stock, a partner at law firm Wansbroughs. Fund-release threshold for probate She said: The release threshold set by NS&I is 5,000, which is lower than the limit many banks have for closing a deceased account and passing on the balance without the need for probate. It does get hard for couples when someone dies, as NS&I does not allow people to hold joint accounts. So the spouse of a deceased person will then need to go through the whole process to get the money which is time consuming and can involve fees. Families need a full picture of the deceased persons assets at their death which includes Premium Bonds, and everything else they had as well, such as bank balance and investments. My advice would be that while people are still alive, take a stocktake and be aware of what they hold and what their spouse holds. Its much easier to find out if someone has Premium Bonds while theyre alive, and they can then make a decision on whether they want to keep them. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. An illustration of the supernova 2013ge, with its companion star at right. The expiration date of Betelgeuse, a massive dying star about 642 light-years from Earth, is a hot topic in astronomy because of the stars superlative size and its life cycle stage. Betelgeuse is between 10 and 20 times the mass of our Sun, with a radius about 900 times greater. Its burning quickly, and soon (in cosmic terms) will die. Read more When stars die, they expel most of their material out into the cosmos in a remarkable explosion called a supernova. If the conditions are right, the supernova leaves a serene stellar nebula in its wake. Our own Sun will go through this process in about 5 billion years, but Betelgeuse is much, much closer to its endgame. And while stars in the distant universe go supernova all the time, Betelgeuse is in our own galaxy, basically on our doorstep in cosmic terms. Earlier this month, a team of researchers posted a paper to the preprint server arXiv. In the paper, the team posited that Betelgeuse is already in the late stage of core carbon burning, and thus was a solid candidate for our galaxys most imminent supernova. According to this figure, the core will collapse in a few tens years after the carbon exhaustion, the researchers wrote. On social media, some took this to mean the supernova would occur in the next century, or even in the next few decades. But carbon burning is a slow process, even if Betelgeusewhich were allowed to write as many times as we want without supernatural repercussionsis at that point. In an email to Gizmodo, Hideyuki Saio, an astronomer at Tohoku University and the preprints lead author, told Gizmodo that the team predicts the supernova will happen in less than a few hundred years. Betelgeuse (top right, orange) in an image of the constellation Orion. To an extent, the buzz around Saios revised timeline is a victim of people not closely reading the conclusion of his teams paper. But even so, scientists unaffiliated with the research say that the teams model doesnt explain the stars situation. Its impossible for us to see whats going on inside of even our own Sun, let alone a star thats hundreds of light-years away, said Emily Hunt, an astronomer at the Universitat Heidelberg who was not affiliated with the recent paper, in a phone call to Gizmodo. Just because the model explains the observations, it does not mean that the model is correct. Its really bad that weve seen so many people take up this one paper and take it as gospel, when actually its just one interpretation of the observations, Hunt added. Betelgeuse is quite youngabout 10 million years oldbut will burn out much more quickly than the Sun. Over the course of its evolution, Betelgeuse may have changed color in the night sky, which would explain why ancient descriptions of the star characterize the red ball of gas as more yellow. SPHERE images showing Betelgeuse's Great Dimming. SPHERE images showing Betelgeuses Great Dimming. In recent years, Betelgeuse has undergone an unusual amount of activity, spurring discussion of when the fateful supernova might occur. In 2019, the star had a surface mass ejection, spewing about 400 billion times more mass from its surface than one of our Suns coronal mass ejections (CMEs), according to NASA. The giant star substantially dimmed. The period is known as the Great Dimming. Astronomers now believe the dimming was caused by a stellar burp that spewed dust from the star, partially obscuring Betelgeuse from view. It is unlikely that Betelgeuse is as evolved as they claim it to be, said Miguel Montarges, an astronomer at the Sorbonne Universite and a co-author of a 2021 paper in Nature describing the dust enshrouding Betelgeuse, in an email to Gizmodo. However, if Betelgeuse had a previous exchange of matter with a companion that is hidden inside or close to the star itself, or with a past dead companion, we could be facing non-single star evolution with many uncertain parameters. This would leave the debate open for its evolution. Montarges said that the teams model required a larger solar radius (about 1,300 Suns long) than what is observed (about 800 to 900 solar radii), and if Betelgeuse had shrunk as much as the team claimed, astronomers would see the stars surrendered material. I must stress that with our current knowledge, assuming the non-interacting star scenario which we have no reason to discard, Betelgeuse should be in helium core burning, and should explode in no less that tens of thousands of years, Montarges added. An illustration showing how an ejection of material caused dust grains to obstruct the Earthlings' view of Betelgeuse. An illustration showing how an ejection of material caused dust grains to obstruct the Earthlings view of Betelgeuse. Vexingly, the stage of Betelgeuses burnthat is, what element the star is currently using as fuelis not apparent from observations. As stars progress through their life cycles, they burn different fuel (namely hydrogen and helium), with carbon burning occurring in the stars death throes. One of the difficulties with this problem is that a carbon-burning Betelgeuse may look exactly like it does nowthats why theres this debate, said Meridith Joyce, an astronomer at Konkoly Observatory in Hungary, in an email to Gizmodo. If it were easy to tell whether a star is undergoing helium vs carbon burning simply by observation, we could stop arguing! Alongside two co-authors, Joyce published a comment rebutting the Saio teams paper in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society. Joyces team posited that Saios team used an incorrect radius for Betelgeuse in making their claims, and the way they modeled the star ultimately yielded an inaccurate (that is to say, too-soon) timeline for Betelgeuses finale. Our team maintains that Betelgeuses time-until-supernova is of the order of 100,000 years, a number that comes (primarily) from the helium burning condition, Joyce added. It wouldnt be scientific to be more precise than that; there are far too many unknowns in stellar modeling. Everyone agrees that more definitive measurements of Betelgeuses distance would be useful for determining the stars true brightness and, thus, where it is in its life cycle. Everyone wants to see a star die, which may be why people got excited about the few tens years terminology in the Saio et al. paper. When research finds that Betelgeuse will go supernova in a sooner timeframe than was predicted in previous papersand centuries-long time scales are quite soon in stellar terms its bound to create more buzz than research that affirms Betelgeuse still has a long way to go. But if youre keen on seeing a supernova, youd best look beyond our local supergiant. Montarges said the stars eta Carinae and VY Canis Majoris (which the Minnesota Institute for Astrophysics calls Betelgeuse on steroids) are better bets for the next supernova in our galaxy. Or you could always wait for space telescopes like Webb or Hubble to image their next supernova, somewhere in the more distant cosmos. Other telescopeslike that at the soon-to-open Rubin Observatory in Chilewill aim to constantly image the night sky, in the hopes of catching fleeting events like the beginning of a supernova as they happen. More: How Do We Know When the Sun Will Die? More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposed steps to end weeks of violence in predominantly Serb areas of northern Kosovo to the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia on Thursday, but there were no signs of an immediate breakthrough. Violence flared in four northern Kosovo municipalities late last month after ethnic Albanian mayors took office following a local election in which turnout was just 3.5% after Serbs, who form a majority in the region boycotted, the vote. Tensions worsened after Serbian police arrested three Kosovo policeman last week, saying they crossed the border between the two countries. Pristina says they were arrested inside Kosovo. After meeting Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic for emergency talks in Brussels, Borrell said he asked Kurti to withdraw the mayors, remove special police from near four municipal buildings and uphold a 2013 deal for an association of Kosovo Serb municipalities. Borell also asked Vucic to free the three Kosovo policemen and withdraw Serb protesters from the vicinity of municipal buildings in the four towns simultaneously with the pullout of Kosovo police. The top EU diplomat said he asked Kurti "to announce early elections, as soon as possible, in all four municipalities on condition of participation of Kosovo Serbs". "Here is the core of the problem and also the core of the solution - early elections, as soon as possible," Borrell told reporters after four hours of talks. Kurti said new elections could only be held in accordance with Kosovo law, meaning local Serbs would have to sign a petition to demand them. "Every condition by (EU and U.S.) that is in violation with Kosovo's laws I cannot fulfil," he told reporters. "If we stick to our laws, of our democratic republic, they provide enough of a frame and platform to get out from this crisis. We just need goodwill." He called for the immediate release of the three police officers from Serbian custody and said he had presented evidence to Borrell that they were inside Kosovo territory when they were detained. Vucic said he was ready for more talks with EU mediators, adding that meeting Kurti in person "makes no sense". "We will continue to talk on a daily basis because we believe peace and stability are of crucial importance, but ... Serbs ... do not want to suffer Kurti's terror," he told reporters. Borrell said Vucic presented him with a report alleging beatings of Serbs arrested during and after the protests and said that an EU judicial mission in Kosovo would investigate. "Arbitrary arrests and mistreatment of prisoners is completely unacceptable," he said. (Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic, Andrew Grey in Brussels and Fatos Bytyci in Pristina; Editing by Alex Richardson) WASHINGTON India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the bond between India and the United States "a defining partnership of this century" during his second time addressing Congress as prime minister. Modi touted India's economy, sustainability efforts, healthcare and technological advancements. He told lawmakers that when India and the U.S. work together, it helps the world. "A lot has changed since I came here seven summers ago but a lot has remained the same like our commitment to deepen the friendship between India and the United States," he said. Modi previously addressed a joint session of Congress in 2016. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023. (Photo by Pedro UGARTE / AFP) The prime minister entered the chamber to chants of "Modi" from those attending the speech in the House balconies which continued throughout his speech. He received a standing ovation from both sides of the chamber as he entered. Modi, in the U.S. on a state visit, received the loudest applause when referencing defense, saying the United States "has become one of our most important defense partners" to India. "When I was here in 2016, I had said that 'our relationship is primed for a momentous future,'" he said. "That future is today." Modi quoted poet Amanda Gorman and read a poem he wrote himself. He closed his address with "long live India-U.S. friendship." Earlier in the day, Modi used a news conference with President Joe Biden earlier in the day to push back on criticisms his government has received on its human rights record. "There is absolutely no space for discrimination," Modi said, standing alongside Biden at the White House. His comments came in response to a Wall Street Journal reporter's question. It was the first time Modi had fielded a question in a news conference in almost a decade since he came to power in 2014. "India's democratic values (are such that) there's absolutely no discrimination neither on the basis of caste, creed, age or any kind of geographic location," he said. He reiterated similar comments to Congress telling lawmakers, "India's vision is not just of development which benefits women it is of women-led development where women lead the journey of progress." The Biden administration has been under pressure from advocacy groups and Democrats to raise the issue of human rights with India's Hindu nationalist leader after it accused Modi's government of participating in unlawful and arbitrary killings, restricting freedom of speech and allowing violence against religious, racial and ethnic minorities. He was once denied a visa to the U.S. on religious freedom grounds. U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, left, greet India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives at the White House on June 21, 2023. ( In brief remarks, Biden said that press freedom and religious freedom "are vital to the success" of both nations. He said he wanted the relationship to be grounded on democracy, human rights, freedom and the rule of law. He also called the U.S.-India relationship among the most consequential in the world" and said there was an "unlimited potential" for a partnership that spans manufacturing, technology, science and defense. Modi did not mention human rights in his prepared remarks at the White House. Biden responded with a "No" after a reporter asked him if calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a dictator undermined recent tentative progress in that relationship following Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's visit to Beijing. The use of the term has angered China. The remarks seriously contradict basic facts, seriously violate diplomatic etiquette and seriously infringes on Chinas political dignity, China's foreign ministry said Thursday. 'It's very awkward': Biden throws lavish state dinner for Indias right-wing PM Modi Modi has visited the U.S. five times since becoming prime minister in 2019. But this is Modi's first U.S. visit with the full diplomatic status of a state visit, which entails a meeting with Biden, a separate meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris, a state dinner and addressing a joint session of Congress. It comes as the Biden administration has sought to court India as a trade and military partner to counter China's growing military, technological and diplomatic assertiveness on the world stage. Yoga diplomacy: Ahead of U.S. state visit, India's leader takes to his mat at the U.N. The two leaders announced that U.S.-based General Electric will partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. The Biden administration also unveiled plans aimed at bolstering Indias semiconductor industry. And on the space front, India will sign on to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASAs lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization also agreed to make a joint mission to the International Space Station next year. Contributing: Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: India's Narendra Modi pushes back on human rights claims A Norfolk Southern engineer expressed concerns to a supervisor about the length of the train that would later derail in East Palestine, Ohio, but the reservations went unaddressed, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB report released Thursday said the engineer from Decatur, Ill., expressed the concerns to the yardmaster but was told, Well, this is what they [Norfolk Southern] want. The engineer reportedly told investigators that if you talk to the manager, they said this train was 100 percent rule compliant, adding, To me, in my opinion, you got 32 percent of the weight on the headend. Twenty percent in the middle and 40 percent weight on the rearend, they continued. So, to me, thats why we reported that to the yardmaster and like I said, this is what they want. The NTSB announced an investigation in March into the companys safety practices, about a month after the East Palestine derailment put national scrutiny on the railway. The agency released a trove of documents Thursday in connection with a two-day field hearing in the Ohio town investigating the accident. The NTSB is concerned that several organizational factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture. The NTSB will conduct an in-depth investigation into the safety practices and culture of the company, the agency said in March. At the same time, the company should not wait to improve safety and the NTSB urges it to do so immediately. The East Palestine derailment in February released toxic fumes into the air and was tied to the death of thousands of fish in the area. Although no human deaths or injuries have been linked to the accident, rashes and headaches in the area led to lingering concerns about potential long-term health effects that have yet to fully manifest. The accident also drew increased attention to safety on U.S. freight railways, which are almost entirely privately operated. Unions representing rail workers threatened to strike last year over the lack of sick days and insufficient crews, but a bill passed by Congress and signed by President Biden required them to accept an offer from rail operators. The NTSB has tied the derailment to an overheated wheel bearing, which did not reach the threshold at which the train is required to brake until it was too late to avert the derailment. The Hill has reached out to Norfolk Southern for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Nothing less than amazing. Columbus native beat the odds to work at the South Pole The youngest of 10 siblings, John Hood grew up in the south Columbus neighborhood of Oakland Park. His parents father was a soldier, mother was a civil servant are retired from working at Fort Benning, now named Fort Moore. Becoming a space scientist seemed like a career path as far away as reaching the South Pole for this first-generation college graduate who didnt see many other Blacks doing what he dreamed. But this 2006 Carver High School graduate took advantage of opportunities and achieved both goals. As part of the South Pole Telescope Group, based in Chicago, Hood worked at the South Pole for a month in 2019. He told the Ledger-Enquirer his experience was nothing less than amazing. And he credits the Columbus State University Coca-Cola Space Science Center (CCSSC) for helping him along that path. The science center played a huge role in both my education and my career, said Hood, now 34. Hood was among three scientists relieving the duties of another trio at the South Pole. He was one of four or five members of the upgrade team, ranging from graduate students to senior faculty. His role was as an experimentalist, conducting updates and maintenance on the telescope. Although he felt homesick without consistent communication with family and friends during that month, Hood savored the opportunity. John Hood, a 2006 graduate of Carver High School and a 2014 graduate of Columbus State University, stands at the geographic South Pole while working for a month in 2019 on the South Pole Telescope. The best part to me was getting to work with all of the different groups on the station, he said. Since I went during a slower season, I was able to help out with many different jobs and positions around to keep busy along with conducting our routine maintenance to keep the telescope running. From no college to doctorate in astrophysics After graduating from Carver, Hood worked at a few restaurants and considered enlisting in the military, but he was advised to pursue a college degree. Hood went to CSU as an engineering major. But after he and his wife attended an astronomy night at the Coca-Cola Space Science Center, his interest in space science soared. Then, after taking a course taught by CCSSC director Shawn Cruzen, Hood changed his major to astrophysics. Hood worked at the CCSSC, first as a volunteer and later as a part-time staff member. He helped host astronomy nights, operated telescopes and the planetarium, and manned the gift shop. He also participated in education outreach through the mobile planetarium that visits schools and other sites around the Chattahoochee Valley. After earning a bachelors degree in astrophysics and planetary geology from CSU in 2014, Hood worked as the CCSSCs observatory technician for one year before enrolling in the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program in Nashville. The program seeks to improve demographic representation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). The only STEM career field where Black Americans are represented at the same level as their share in the total workforce is health-related occupations, according to a 2021 Pew Research report. Hood earned a masters degree in physics from Fisk in 2017 and a doctorate in astrophysics from Vanderbilt in 2022. Now, he is a postdoctoral researcher, working as a National Science Foundation fellow in the Office of Polar Programs at the University of Chicago. John Hood, a 2006 graduate of Carver High School in Columbus, earned a doctorate in astrophysics from Vanderbilt University in 2022 after volunteering and working at the Columbus State University Coca-Cola Space Science Center. I honestly became a scientist because Im naturally curious and love puzzles, he said. Science is made for people like this. I enjoy the fact that every day I get to try and help answer questions that either a huge group or even a small group of people are interested in. Coca-Cola Space Science Center impact Hood is among more than 90 former CCSSC interns in the centers 27-year history who have gone on to pursue STEM careers, Cruzen told the Ledger-Enquirer. They work in organizations such as NASA, Blue Origin, Axiom Space, Teledyne, Planetary Science Institute and New Mexico State University. John was always curious about science and space exploration, but he didnt understand that he actually could pursue a career in the field, Cruzen said. That is a key benefit CCSSC provides to the community. It helps link capable students like John with the skills and pathways necessary to realize their dreams of working in the space industry. John has made the most of his opportunities and has achieved more than any of us imagined. We are extremely proud of him for his accomplishments. Cruzen also is proud of Hood for persevering against the odds of his background to achieve such success in science. John developed a passion for exploring the universe through astronomy, Cruzen said, and he was tenacious in overcoming all the obstacles that would keep him from pursuing his passion. Passion also is one of the factors Hood mentioned when he reflected on how he became a scientist who reached the South Pole. And he added persistence and having the right people around him as teachers and mentors. I just found people that supported me and wanted to see me succeed and stuck with them, he said, and that made all the difference in the world to me personally. His ultimate career goal is to become a research scientist at a university or national lab. My ideal daily workload would include doing research and public outreach, he said. I would add the possibility of teaching once I get past the jitters. Hood has advice for folks who want to succeed in underrepresented fields. Dont let being the odd person out prevent you from chasing a dream or passion, he said. Nobody does anything alone. It always takes a village. Find yours. Sometimes you stumble into it, and sometimes you have to search for it. Just dont stop until you do. New York Citys top labor union boss is considering pulling endorsements from City Council members who throw their weight behind a bill that would derail Mayor Adams effort to eliminate traditional Medicare coverage for retired municipal workers, the Daily News has learned. Henry Garrido, executive director of DC37, the citys largest municipal workers union, floated the political retribution proposal during a private DC37 executive board meeting on June 15. The virtual meet, a recording of which was obtained by The News, was held in the wake of word that socialist Brooklyn Councilman Charles Barron planned to introduce a bill codifying into law that the city must offer its retired workforce premium-free traditional Medicare coverage. Garrido told fellow labor honchos on the call that Barrons legislation would effectively upend Adams attempt to abolish traditional Medicare for municipal retirees in favor of enrolling them in a privatized Medicare Advantage Plan that stands to save the city some $600 million in annual health care costs. Though many of their retired members are concerned Adams Advantage plan would destroy their health benefits, most municipal labor leaders support it and Garrido said on the call that he thereby stands ready to penalize any Council members who back Barrons bill. I think were gonna have to draw the line in the sand, and Im prepared to do that, said Garrido, whose union ranks as one of the citys most politically influential. Im prepared to withdraw support. Garrido who called Barrons bill the worst and most irresponsible bill that I have ever seen said Council members wont only risk losing his unions endorsement if they back the legislation, according to the recording. Money, endorsements everything, he said. Field ops, what we do, phone banks, all the stuff that we do for all the electeds is going to have to be questioned. All 51 members of the City Council are up for reelection in this coming Tuesdays primaries, and many face competitive races in which DC37s endorsement and field operations can be pivotal. According to a source directly familiar with the matter, Garrido has since last weeks meeting reached out to some members telling them that his union is inclined to rescind support for them before the primary should they publicly come out for the Barron legislation. On last weeks call, Garrido said hell pay especially close attention to what members do between the 22nd and the 27th of June the first date being the Council stated meeting where Barron planned to introduce the bill and the second being Primary Day. Carmen Charles, a DC37 vice president, agreed with Garrido and said on the call in reference to Council members: At what point do we say, Enough is enough? In the face of the hardline stance from DC37, Barron who does not hold the unions endorsement introduced the bill in question at Thursdays Council meeting together with four co-sponsors: Lynn Schulman, Democrat of Queens, Linda Lee, Democrat of Queens, Alexa Aviles, Democrat of Brooklyn, and Inna Vernikov, Republican of Brooklyn. Schulman and Lee have both been endorsed by DC37 and are facing credible primary challenges next week. They are also among a handful of Council members who earlier this year secured a monetary support pledge from a coalition of unions that includes DC37. Lee and Schulman did not return requests for comment Thursday afternoon. Several more members have confirmed they expect to sign on as co-sponsors of Barrons bill in coming days, including Brooklyns Shahana Hanif, a Democrat who co-chairs the Councils Progressive Caucus. Hanifs caucus co-chair, Brooklyn Councilman Lincoln Restler, who was endorsed for reelection by DC37, has not ruled out signing on to the bill, either. In a letter to Adams this week with fellow DC37-endorsed Manhattan Councilman Erik Bottcher, Restler urged the mayor to back off his Medicare effort, citing concerns about retirees being stripped of access to their regular doctors if they end up in an Advantage plan. It is unconscionable to unilaterally force city retirees into a new healthcare plan, Restler tweeted Thursday along with a copy of the letter to Adams. Retired city workers deserve to keep their doctors and we are doing everything in our power to avoid problematic and costly disruptions to current healthcare coverage. Another DC37-backed member who expects to sign on as a co-sponsor of Barrons bill is Manhattan Councilwoman Gale Brewer, her spokesman confirmed. The Councils Common Sense Caucus, which is mostly made up of Republicans, is also likely to sign on, according to a source. The mounting support for the Barron bill comes in spite of the fact that Council Speaker Adrienne Adams has not offered her support for it. The speaker, whose chief of staff, Jeremy John, used to be DC37s political director, told reporters before Thursdays stated meeting that she does not support Barrons measure because she does not want to unilaterally intervene in a process that intersects with collective bargaining. Its unusual for Council legislation to be introduced without the speakers blessing. But Speaker Adams said, This is a democracy in this Council, and we are going through the process with this introduction, as it is wanted by this Council member. A spokesman for Mayor Adams, whos not related to the speaker, would not comment on Garridos behind-the-scenes machinations, but voiced vehement opposition to Barrons bill, arguing it would create significant fiscal impacts for the city that would need to be addressed. We urge the Council in the strongest possible terms to reject this bill, spokesman Jonah Allon said. A representative for DC37 did not return a request for comment. The mayor has tried to enroll the citys municipal retirees in an Advantage plan since he took office. Courts last year blocked his first attempt due to a provision in that plan that violated a local law. Adams has since devised a new plan that his administration maintains passes legal muster. In addition to the budget savings inherent in the Advantage plan which would be generated by federal subsidies Adams maintains that health care benefits would remain as robust as the ones retirees currently benefit from under the traditional Medicare structure, which consists of a city-subsidized supplement on top of the universal federal program. Garrido and other city labor leaders agree with Adams and have joined him in pushing Advantage. But the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees, a grassroots group whose lawsuit prompted the courts to block Adams first plan last year, has countered that Advantage shortchanges its beneficiaries. The groups leaders have pointed to studies showing that the private insurance providers that administer Advantage plans sometimes deny medically necessary care, in many cases due to their requirements for certain medical procedures to be preauthorized. The retiree group has filed another lawsuit seeking to block Adams latest plan. That suit remains pending. Asked about Garridos threat to punish Council members who oppose Advantage, Marianne Pizzitola, a retired FDNY EMT who runs the retiree group, accused him of engaging in mafia tactics. This is thuggery, she said. This isnt labor. NYCs Rent Guidelines Board approves new hikes for stabilized units for second year in a row For the second year in a row, millions of New Yorkers living in rent-stabilized apartments will face new rent hikes after the board tasked with setting rates approved increases during a raucous Wednesday night meeting. The Rent Guidelines Board voted 5 to 4 in favor of a 3% hike for one-year leases. Two-year leases got a 2.75% increase in year one and 3.2% in year two. The vote came amid chants, boos and the shrieks of whistles. The crowd of over 100 said they represented the roughly 2 million New Yorkers living in the 1 million rent-stabilized households citywide who will be impacted. Much of the tenants ire was directed specifically at Mayor Adams, who appointed six of the nine board members. Finding the right balance is never easy, but I believe the board has done so this year as evidenced by affirmative votes from both tenant and public representatives, the mayor said in a statement. But on Wednesday night, attendees drowned out the board members with deafening chants of rent rollback and shame on you as they attempted go through the formalities of the vote. The board was on a stage that was rows removed from the public and surrounded by NYPD after a chaotic preliminary vote last month. If he raises rents, then hes evicting us, Shu Zhen Liu, 70, said of Adams through a translator. Hes not standing for us. Her retirement only covers a fraction of her $1,675 monthly rent, she said. This impacts my life in every way, she said of the increases. In Chinatown, all of us tenants are working class and poor. Every single year weve been at these actions at the RGB. Year after year, increases after increases. Gabriella Murillo, 36, of Richmond Hill, Queens, brought her four children with her to the vote. The Marine veteran was distraught at the prospect of even a small rent increase. Where am I going to go with my kids? Its going to break us, she said. Before it was a struggle for food. Now its a struggle to keep a home for my children. We dont want to become another statistic, said her eldest daughter Samantha Almanzar, 16. Its our right to have a home, and they dont have a right to take it away from us. But the new hikes did not satisfy the landlord lobby, either. Every year, we see the same drama unfold, and nothing ever changes, said Jay Martin, executive director of the Community Housing Improvement Program. The [board] puts data out there which is largely ignored, tenant advocates and politicians scream and shout, and rent-stabilized housing gets defunded. If we continue on this trajectory, there wont be any rent-stabilized housing left for people to live in. Wednesdays vote was the culmination of weeks of heated public meetings in which tenants from across the city testified against increased rents, many visibly emotional as they begged not to be priced out of their homes. Last month, the board gave preliminary approval for rent hikes of 2% to 5% for one-year leases and 4% to 7% for two-year leases. Adams had been critical of the initial numbers, saying at the time that 7% would be clearly beyond what renters can afford and what I feel is appropriate this year. The new rates will apply to leases effective between Oct. 1 and Sept. 30, 2024, per board rules. But tenants were already expressing dismay at the news. The way I see it, Im going to end up in the street, said Nelia Ruiz, 60, a school aide who lives near Grand Concourse. The shelters are full already. Theres no space for us. Ambassador calls on Chinese, British businesses to strengthen cooperation Xinhua) 10:23, June 22, 2023 LONDON, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang has encouraged the business communities of China and Britain to strengthen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). "The BRI is not China's solo performance, but a symphony played by partner countries together," said Zheng when addressing the "New Silk Road: Expanding Horizons" seminar held here at the European headquarters of Bloomberg on Tuesday. The ambassador noted that ten years after its launch, the BRI has made major achievements and has injected strong impetus into the common development of partner countries and boosted their green, low-carbon transition and digital transformation. Hosted by Bloomberg, the seminar brought together around 150 guests representing major financial institutions in Britain to discuss the latest developments in China's financial markets and the opportunities that lie ahead. Investors across the world continued to be highly interested in China's financial market, Li Bing, head of Bloomberg Asia Pacific, said, noting that "China is a market that global investors cannot avoid." (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie) [Source] Christian Jeffers, the 49-year-old transgender woman who was arrested for striking an Asian man with a hammer on a Manhattan subway platform last year, was found guilty on multiple charges. The charges: On Wednesday, a jury delivered a guilty verdict in less than a day after Jeffers had taken the stand one day prior in her defense. Jeffers, who previously pleaded not guilty, was found guilty of first-degree attempted assault as a hate crime, second-degree assault, second-degree menacing as a hate crime, second-degree aggravated harassment and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The attack: On March 8, 2022, Jeffers and the 29-year-old victim bumped into each other and got into an argument on the 7th Avenue and West 14th Street station on the 1/2/3 line in Chelsea, New York City. Jeffers, who became irate and aggressive, then pulled out a hammer and struck the victims head, according to police. More from NextShark: Konerak Sinthasomphone: The Jeffrey Dahmer victim police failed to protect While being arrested, Jeffers used racial slurs against Asian and Hispanic officers and also threatened to go on a killing spree, saying By the time I get out of prison, first thing Im going to do is get a gun and try to kill as many of you as possible. I want to get him locked up because he was pretty aggressive, the victim previously told the New York Post. We're trying to live our lives as well as we can, you know, and it's just unfortunate that we have to face all these adversities, along with just all the struggles in life. Criminal history: Jeffers rap sheet dates back to 2007 and includes 52 prior arrests, including charges of prostitution, grand larceny, public lewdness, theft of service and drug possession. More from NextShark: Mosquitos help solve home robbery case in China Jeffers spent five years in prison for a 2015 second-degree robbery and was released on parole in June 2021. She currently awaits her sentencing following the latest guilty verdict. More from NextShark: Chinese man arrested for gifting women make-up mirrors with built-in spycams Obama calls for Biden to discuss rights of ethnic minorities in India with Modi Former President Obama in an upcoming interview with CNN says it is appropriate for President Biden to challenge foreign leaders on issues in their country that are troubling. Obama gave his comments ahead of the official state visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been criticized for his governments treatment of Muslims and a weakening of press freedoms. I do think that it is appropriate for the president of the United States, where he or she can, to uphold those principles and to challenge whether behind closed doors or in public trends that are troubling. And so, Im less concerned about labels than Im concerned about specific practices, he told CNNs Christiane Amanpour. He added that protecting the rights of minority groups in India is essential. Part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility India at some point starts pulling apart. And weve seen what happens when you start getting those kinds of large internal conflicts, he said. In the full interview, which will air Thursday night, Obama said that part of the duties as president is to meet with leaders of other countries and their governments, even if they arent fully democratic. But you have to do business with them because theyre important for national security reasons there are a range of economic interests, he said. If the president meets with Prime Minister Modi, then the protection of the Muslim minority in a majority-Hindu India, thats something worth mentioning, Obama added. Biden, Obamas former vice president, made joint remarks with Modi at the White House on Thursday. The Indian prime minister did not respond to a question about the treatment of Muslims in India ahead of a bilateral meeting. Modi, on his first state visit to the United States, will also give a joint address to Congress later Thursday, which will be boycotted by some Democrats. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Obama privately met with AOC and other Democrats during a series of reported intimate chats with House Democrats Obama privately met with AOC and other Democrats during a series of reported intimate chats with House Democrats Former President Barack Obama Spencer Platt/Getty Images Obama is reportedly keeping tabs on the Democratic Party's rising stars. According to Politico, the former president held a series of group chats over the spring. The former president is trying to balance his role without overshadowing Biden. Former President Barack Obama privately met with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other House Democrats, a sign that while Obama stays largely quiet about day-to-day political matters he continues to closely follow what's going on. According to Politico's Jonathan Martin, Obama has recently hosted a series of "informal, but lengthy private meetings with groups of next-generation House Democrats." The private chats have featured lawmakers from across the political spectrum, ranging from Ocasio-Cortez to Reps. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Haley Stevens of Michigan. One of the topics of dinner conversation, per Martin, was how Democrats can avoid coming off as elitist. In response, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's push to remove college degree requirements "was discussed" along with freshman Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez's portrayal of her background as a millennial auto shop owner. Obama initiated the idea himself, according to Politico, as a way to continue to build ties with his party's younger leaders. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also attended one of the larger gatherings. Obama's calendar hints at the difficulty that former presidents often face. Martin reports that Obama wants to be deferential to President Joe Biden, his former vice president, but one of the attendees of the private gatherings points out that Obama could help his party with a larger public presence. Before the 2022 midterms, Obama returned to the campaign trail where he tore into the Republican Party and Trump. It is likely that Obama will eventually take on a high-profile role as the 2024 campaign heats up. It remains to be seen if his presence will be comparable to former President Bill Clinton in 2012. As president, Obama dubbed Clinton "Secretary of Explaining Stuff" for his campaign trail appearances. Read the original article on Business Insider Then US president Barack Obama meets with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Vientiane, Laos on September 8, 2016 (SAUL LOEB) Former US president Barack Obama said Thursday that India risks "pulling apart" if the Muslim minority is not respected, calling for the issue to be raised with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Obama spoke in a CNN interview as President Joe Biden welcomed the Hindu nationalist prime minister for a state visit and gently spoke of the importance of "religious pluralism." On a visit to Greece, where he is holding a weeklong session for emerging global leaders, Obama said that addressing human rights with allies was always "complicated." "I think it is true that if the president meets with Prime Minister Modi, then the protection of the Muslim minority in a majority-Hindu India, that's something worth mentioning," the first African-American president said in an interview with CNN International anchor Christiane Amanpour. "If I had a conversation with Prime Minister Modi, who I know well, part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, that there is a strong possibility at some point that India starts pulling apart," Obama said. "We've seen what happens when you start getting those kinds of large internal conflicts. So that would be contrary to the interests not just of Muslim India but also of Hindu India," he said. Modi, as the former state leader of Gujarat was banned from entering the United States during much of Obama's administration over 2002 religious riots in which mostly Muslims were killed. Since Modi took office in 2014, India has passed a controversial law on citizenship and abrogated the special status of Muslim-majority Kashmir. The US State Department in an annual report on religious freedom also pointed to police and vigilante violence against minorities along with inflammatory statements by members of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Obama, in his 2020 memoir "A Promised Land," offered a glowing portrait of Modi's center-left predecessor Manmohan Singh, a mild-mannered economist. Recounting a visit to New Delhi, Obama -- who was succeeded by Donald Trump -- quoted Singh as warning him that the "call of religious and ethnic solidarity can be intoxicating" and that politicians can "exploit that, in India or anywhere else." sct/st Ocala duplex residents pack up to move after 30-foot hole opens up in yard People who live next to where a roughly 30-foot hole formed in Ocala spent Thursday the day packing up their belongings. It took crews only minutes to assemble a fence around the depression and place sandbags in front of the duplex just as more rain started to come down. Timothy Stobert is helping his daughter, Tracy, gather belongings to move into another apartment. He said the landlord is working to get her and the other tenant settled soon. We just got back from the realtors, they found her another place to live, so its going to be a little bit before she can get moved in, Stobert said. Read: 30-foot hole opens up in front of Ocala home, residents evacuated In the meantime, Ocala city officials say their hands are tied, and the property owner has to hire a private state engineer to assess the hole. A certified Florida engineer needs to go in and determine if that structure is safe, they also need to determine whats going to happen with that sinkhole, said Ashley Dobbs, the marketing and communication manager for city of Ocala. SEE: Storms flood streets in Ocala Once those recommendations are written by the state engineer, they will submit plans to the city for review. For now the families are staying with relatives until new units are ready. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Officers in Tyre Nichols civil suit ask for halt in case, say it could be 'prejudicial' to criminal case Attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci announce they are filing what they call a landmark $550 million lawsuit for the death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of the Memphis Police Department.RowVaughn Wells, mother, and Rodney Wells, stepfather, stand next to Mr. Crump.The press conference was held outside of the Shelby County Circuit Court in downtown Memphis on April 19, 2023. Attorneys for four of the former Memphis Police Department officers named in a civil lawsuit filed by the family of Tyre Nichols, the motorist who was beaten by police and then died three days later, have filed motions requesting the federal case be put on ice until the criminal case is finished. The lawsuit, which was filed in late April, names 11 people and the City of Memphis as defendants. Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, the family's attorneys, said the suit is seeking $550 million in damages when they announced it. The civil lawsuit includes officers criminally charged and other officers who are not facing criminal charges. Of the four now-former officers from the Memphis Police Department that filed motions to pause the civil case, only two have been criminally charged. Demetrius Haley and Emmitt Martin III, both facing criminal charges, filed their motions on June 16. RowVaughn Wells, the mother of Tyre Nichols, holds up a painting of her son given to her by artist Jason Johnson during the celebration for what would have been Nichols 30th birthday at Fourth Bluff Park in Downtown Memphis on Monday, June 5, 2023. In those motions, they say that the civil case could be prejudicial to the criminal case, with Haley's attorney saying the defendant would be "ham-strung" to defend themselves in civil court without incriminating themselves in criminal court. "Even filing an answer to the civil complaint could result in statements that could be used against the defendant in the criminal case," Haley's motion read. Martin's attorney added that those statements would be "devastating" to a defendant. Pausing the civil case, which alleges negligence at multiple levels of Memphis' police and fire departments, would include a freeze on civil discovery including taking depositions, written discovery and requests for documents of a defendant and any mediation efforts while the criminal case is ongoing. The five officers who have been criminally charged and are defendants in the civil lawsuit are Haley, Martin, Tadarrius Bean, Justin Smith and Desmond Mills Jr. They each face one count of second-degree murder, one count of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, two counts of official misconduct and one count of official oppression. The two other former officers who filed motions to pause the proceedings are Preston Hemphill and former supervisor Dewayne Smith. Neither Hemphill nor Smith have been charged criminally. In their joint motion, Hemphill and Smith cited the same reasons as Haley and Martin, but added that "additional criminal charges have not been ruled out" and that "federal criminal indictments are anticipated." The United States Attorney General for the Western District of Tennessee Kevin G. Ritz and his office are investigating the case, but have not hinted as to whether or not federal charges would be forthcoming. "At this time, because it is unclear whether defendants Hemphill and Smith are the focus of these criminal investigations...defendants join defendants Haley and Martin's motions," their motion read. Memphis Fire Department EMTs Robert Long and JaMicheal Sandridge, and fire engine driver Lt. Michelle Whitaker, were fired Monday, Jan. 30, 2023, for failing to provide Tyre Nichols an "adequate patient assessment" to Tyre Nichols, the Memphis Fire Department said. Where does the civil lawsuit stand? Most of the defendants in the civil lawsuit have filed motions to delay their responses to the initial complaint filed by Crump and Romanucci. The only responses to the lawsuit have come from former Memphis Fire Department employees Robert Long, JaMichael Sandridge and Michelle Whitaker. The two emergency medical technicians, Long and Sandridge, both denied the lawsuit's claims that they did not provide adequate medical assistance to Nichols as he was leaned up against a cruiser after being beaten by officers. Long also denied, in his response, that he was required to transport patients with medical needs to an emergency room. "It is impossible to transport a person or patient on a fire engine," the response from Long's attorney read. "Defendant Long was a passenger on a fire engine without transport capabilities." All three former MFD personnel invoked qualified immunity, a type of immunity that protects government officials from being held liable in a civil case unless explicit constitutional rights were violated. It is commonly seen when lawsuits are brought against law enforcement agencies and first responders. A skateboarder grinds on a rail above a ramp that says keep it pushing for Tyre during the celebration for what would have been Nichols 30th birthday at Fourth Bluff Park in Downtown Memphis on Monday, June 5, 2023. In Whitaker's response, she also asserted that even if she had "deviated from the standard of applicable professional practice to any extent whatsoever, which is expressly denied, such a deviation was not the proximate cause or proximate contributing cause of any injury suffered by [Nichols]." All three said they acted in line with the standards of care outlined in their duties. More: The death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis: What to Know Neither MPD Chief Cerelyn "C.J." Davis nor the City of Memphis have filed a response to the original complaint filed by Crump and Romanucci. They have not signed onto the four motions to pause the civil case either. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee and is slated to have a scheduling conference on Sept. 15. During a celebration of what would have been Nichols' 30th birthday on June 6, Romanucci told a reporter from The Commercial Appeal that the conference could happen earlier. Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Officers criminally charged in Tyre Nichols death ask to delay civil case Officials still do not have access to Ukrainian soldiers transferred to Hungary Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, said that Ukrainian prisoners of war transferred to Hungary are effectively isolated, and Ukraine has not yet received access to them. Source: Lubinets on the air of the national 24/7 newscast. Quote: "We are trying to establish contact with eight prisoners of war. We know where they are. We do not understand why Ukrainian diplomats have not yet been allowed to visit them. They are effectively in isolation. They have a limited social circle. They [the Hungarian officials ed.] took the phones they were given to communicate with relatives. We know that some relatives came [to visit them ed.]. We don't know how the communication happened." Details: Lubinets also said that Russia did not inform the International Committee of the Red Cross about the transfer of prisoners. Quote: "I had a separate meeting this morning with the head of the ICRC mission in Ukraine, Mr. Jurg, where I asked whether the information regarding the transfer of 11 prisoners of war of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the territory of the Russian Federation to Hungary was received from Hungary or the Russian Federation. The answer was: we learned about this from public channels when this information appeared in the media." He noted that a person is considered a prisoner of war legally when they are in the country of one of the parties to an international military conflict. As soon as the Russian Federation transferred them to the territory of Hungary, they automatically stopped being considered prisoners. Background: In early June, the Hungarian side said that within the framework of the agreements of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Maltese Relief Service, 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war were taken from Russia. At the same time, the Hungarian side did not give Ukrainian diplomats access to the citizens of Ukraine, instead claiming that they had a free status, and also denied the government's involvement in the transfer of prisoners of war. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraines Minister of Foreign Affairs, says that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had a personal interest in the transfer of Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia to Hungary. According to the minister, "Viktor Orban had to show Hungarians both inside and outside Hungary that he is their sole defender.." The return of three servicemen from Hungary to Ukraine was reported by the speaker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleh Nikolenko. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Sometimes tragedy compounds. A young soldier from Mexico, Pvt. Ana Basaldua Ruiz, died on March 15, according to a release posted to the Fort Cavazos Media Center. Her family told the media that officials suspected suicide. And in death, her name was incorrectly formatted as Basalduaruiz, leading a number of news organizations to replicate the error. The mistake combined her fathers family name with that of her mother. But in the Armys eyes, that was her name; a spokesperson for the 1st Cavalry Division confirmed the name came directly from her official personnel file. From punch cards to press releases, the Armys personnel systems have struggled to render special characters like the space in Basaldua Ruizs name for decades, mangling memories, identities and heritage in the process. While the Army said a recent human resources system upgrade will fix the issue moving forward, the services record-keeping policies and database technological constraints stripped such characters and closed up compound names. Other names were cut off. The problem disproportionately impacts Latino and Native American soldiers, whose compound surnames often include spaces. The repercussions arent merely a matter of identity or honor, either. Lawmakers and the Defense Department are working through who will fix misspelled names on the Korean War Veterans Memorials new Wall of Remembrance, which advocates say could be more than 1,000 names. Its still not clear who will foot the bill for the errors in the $22 million wall. The mistakes, which echo the Armys past struggles to accurately record such names in its personnel systems, further outraged lawmakers who reviewed Military Times findings. They emphasized the importance of getting names right and committed to solving the errors. Close up hyphenated names The surname errors for soldiers listed on the Wall of Remembrance likely emerged from policy decisions shaped by technological constraints and a high volume of deaths, according to archival documents reviewed by Military Times. Digital archivist Jefferson Bailey first posted the documents online in a 2014 academic paper. When World War II began, the Army manually tracked unit rosters and casualties through legions of typists, according to a November 1945 research study by the services European theater headquarters. But as the death toll mounted, the service adopted machine-readable punch cards as a way to efficiently track each fallen soldier and notify their families. Pfc. Richard A. Jenke operating an IBM punch card sorter in building 977 at Fort Richardson, Alaska, on Nov. 9, 1959. (Spc. Brian Willhite/Army) By the time war broke out in Korea in 1950, Army casualty punch cards were down to a faulty science, including a list of guidelines on how to input names. The cards 18-character name field had little room to spare, so operators had strict marching orders: No spaces within surname or first name; No punctuation marks in name, such as: commas, periods, apostrophes, etc.; Close up hyphenated names. By the wars end, nearly 110,000 punch cards sat in filing cabinets in the Adjutant Generals Office. Even when databases are upgraded such as when the Armys so-called TAGOKOR casualty file was digitized in the 1960s and then reformatted by the National Archives multiple times since the information inside them retains the constraints of its original format. In other words, moving truncated names into a new system doesnt restore their original form. In fact, data entry policies from the TAGOKOR records mirror the errors found in todays Korean War casualty lists, though Military Times could not independently trace the sources of the walls list further back than the 1980s. The modern-day Defense Casualty Analysis Systems historical conflict listings came from the Washington Headquarters Services Worldwide Casualty System, but its not clear what specific systems fed data into the Worldwide Casualty System when it emerged 40 years ago. Army punch card machine operators during the Korean War were given these guidelines on how to enter casualties' names. Archivist Jefferson Bailey located this document in the National Archives a decade ago. (Courtesy of Jefferson Bailey) In 2021, Military Times was the first to report that the Korean War Wall of Remembrance could have thousands of errors due to lingering misspelling and formatting problems. But both the Defense Department and the foundation overseeing the Walls construction argued the law authorizing the memorial left them powerless to change the spelling of the names. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall solved the name issue through sheer willpower; in his memoir, Jan Scruggs, an Army veteran who was instrumental in the Vietnam walls creation, recounted the major challenge of reformatting the names of the dead from the original list that the Pentagon provided. Yet the long-running debate over the names on the Vietnam wall and the process of adding new names to it since it was originally carved led to the odd arrangement for the Korea walls names, according to the New York Times. The Defense Department set eligibility criteria and sent names to the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation, and the foundation was legally obligated to submit any requested changes to the Pentagon for approval. Both parties deflected blame for potential name problems as the monument took form following a major donation from the South Korean government. The foundation said they had to follow the law, and DoD officials said changes to the name database needed to follow established bureaucratic procedures. Navy Cmdr. Nicole Schwegman, a Pentagon spokesperson, told Military Times that the Defense Manpower Data Center list provided to the foundation was originally based on information from each of the branches. If the data received from the Services is missing a space, hyphen or dash in the name, we can only provide or present the data were provided, she explained. The foundation knew some of the names may have had errors it submitted a list of potentially incorrect names to DoD, its director James Fisher told Texas Monthly magazine in 2021. But because the Pentagon was the final arbiter of the list, officials there had to substantiate and approve any changes before green-lighting the final roster of the fallen. The end result? About 1,000 misspelled or misformatted names were cut into stone, historian Hal Barker, who along with his brother Ted has run the Korean War Projects online database and archive for decades, claimed in an email to Military Times. Hal cautioned that determining an exact number would require careful comparison between the final engraving list, the projects database and historical records. For years, the Barker brothers, the foundation and the DoD have oscillated between clashing and cooperating on the subject. But the relationship permanently soured after the foundation and the Barkers couldnt reach an agreement over sharing the projects name data. Meanwhile, members of Congress are furious about the Wall of Remembrances errors. In one case first detailed by the New York Times, a Native American Army corporal named Frederick Bald Eagle Bear was recorded on the Wall as EAGLE B F BALD. In a joint letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on March 2, four House and Senate committees covering military affairs and natural resources requested documents on the process the Pentagon used to provide names to the Department of the Interior and Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation. The letter also demanded a list of incorrect names and the departments plan to correct the errors. Errors of this magnitude should not have made it past the initial blueprints, much less carved into stone, and certainly not erected and unveiled to the public, the letter read. We find these errors deeply concerning and write to seek accountability on how the Remembrance Walls glaring flaws went unnoticed until post-construction. The foundation did not respond to questions from Military Times before this storys publication deadline, and the DoDs comments did not address the number of incorrect names on the wall. New system, old data Yet similar errors still exist in the Armys personnel databases thanks to their programming heritage, according to Karl Anderson, the interim deputy director of enterprise modernization at Army Human Resources Command. When the Army upgraded to electronic records in the 1960s, the systems were programmed to function much like punch cards, with many of the same restrictions. Subsequent efforts didnt break free of that format as programming languages evolved based on the punch card concept. The Total Army Personnel-Database, which served as the Armys master personnel database from the 1980s until 2022, was written in COBOL, the worlds first-ever high-level programming language that the military developed in concert with private industry beginning in 1959. COBOL also mimicked punch cards and could not handle special characters in the name field, Anderson explained. Most often, this resulted in dual surnames being smashed together, Anderson said. Thats what happened with Basaldua Ruiz. Even though a new program capable of handling special characters and spaces the new Integrated Pay and Personnel System-Army recently subsumed the old database, it imported data from the existing data source. That means the name errors from the old system remain. Anderson said the service needs soldiers help to fix the name errors that were transferred from the old system. After postponing a systems changeover period in mid-August, Army officials internally announced Sept. 8 that its new human resources platform wont launch as previously promised. The service had already delayed the Army-wide version of IPPS-A or Integrated Personnel and Pay System-Army from an original December 2021 launch date to Sept. 20, 2022, due to failed systems tests. That date is no longer on track. CACI International, which is overseeing the systems integration efforts, has received more than $557 million over seven years for the project thus far. (Staff Sgt. Frank O'Brien/Army) I would [tell impacted soldiers] to stop and see their friendly neighborhood S1, Anderson said, referring to personnel offices by their staff abbreviation. They can either make that edit directly, or they can submit [a] customer relations management ticket to make that happen. The good news, Anderson said, is that those fixes should become increasingly less necessary. New soldiers data will be correct from day one, because the new system can accurately reflect names. Once current troops with impacted names either correct them or leave the service, the problem of misspelled and misformatted names will be permanently solved. Anderson, also a retired National Guard lieutenant colonel, celebrated the upgrade to a more robust system that is able to capture the diversity and the heritage of our workforce and give the soldiers the kind of respect that they deserve. Being able to accurately reflect your name, thats kind of important, Anderson said. Its foundational to soldiers identity. Echoing Andersons reasoning, lawmakers and experts who spoke with Military Times said they were shocked and frustrated to learn that the name formatting problems persisted for so long due to legacy database restrictions. Forced assimilation Manuel Perez Quinones, a professor of information systems at University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has written on the disconnect between dual Latino surnames and databases. Over the years, Perez Quinones has run into database troubles in civilian life when his dual surname was entered into human resources systems. He explained that most databases have data validation features, or error checks. This is where programmers, among whom heritages with dual surnames arent the norm, can tell the system to reject certain kinds of characters. The solution is simple, Perez Quinones argued. A space between two names should not be flagged as an error, he said. The Air Force mandated such a change in 2021 after a Puerto Rican airman wrote a letter to senior officials about the importance of the spaces in his last name. U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cesar De Los Santos Zapata's name now includes all appropriate spaces in official forms and documents thanks to his efforts to change Air Force Instruction 36-2608. (Senior Airman Hayden Legg/Air Force) For communities whose heritage includes such surnames, the stakes are higher than just a data formatting error, the professor added. It is part of our culture, just that simple, Perez Quinones told Military Times. Forcing me to change my name is a form of forced assimilation that is really not needed. But more importantly, it reflects a focus on family. A last name or apellido carries great importance in Latino communities, according to a McGill International Review report by Maria Yacolca Maguina. The author writes that family name is a better translation for apellido in order to better understand this common occurrence in Latino communities. After all, Yacolca Maguina writes, the existence of two apellidos denotes the importance of both family names. Such a practice symbolizes the union between two bloodlines. Perez Quinones agreed. [The plural apellido] reinforces that the family is a union of two individuals and puts the focus on the kids, not the parents, he said, describing the practice as very common. Yacolca Maguina offered an example. If Maria Garcia Morales and Miguel Gonzales Hernandez have a child named Valeria, the childs birth certificate would read Valeria Gonzales Garcia. The first surname is the fathers family name, and the second is that of the mother. For Rep. Gabe Vasquez, D-N.M., there is importance and meaning in a last name. He echoed Perez Quinones sentiments in an email to Military Times, saying dual surnames in Latino communities honor the lineage of both parents. When your heritage, culture and language are not the norm, these mistakes will continue to happen because those with authority lack the context and awareness to look for errors when reviewing official documents, Vasquez said. As one of the few Latinos on the committee, this weighs heavy on me for our servicemembers and veterans. Rep. Gabriel Vasquez (D-NM) speaks at a Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) event welcoming new Latino members to Congress at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) on November 18, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Vasquez, who is one of five Latinos on the House Armed Services Committee, said he has faced trouble with his own name being misspelled or mistaken for another name altogether. At a time when military services face a recruiting crisis, Vasquez noted, the services should promote attention to identity to make service members from a variety of backgrounds feel welcomed in the armed forces. All services with the exception of the Space Force and Marine Corps missed their recruiting marks for fiscal year 2022. The Army in particular missed its recruiting goal by 15,000 soldiers last year and anticipates it will fall short of its 2023 goal by 10,000 soldiers Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, a retired master chief petty officer in the Navy, told Military Times in a statement that troops deserve to have their service properly memorialized. I completely support the bipartisan, bicameral effort to investigate why thousands of soldiers have had their sense of identity and heritage misconstrued, Gonzales said, noting that the errors disproportionately impact minority veterans. I hope that the investigation gets to the root of how and why these inexcusable errors occurred and that the names of each soldier affected are corrected, he added. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., struck a similar note as Gonzales, his sea service colleague, in a statement to Military Times. The Marine Corps veteran was blunt. DoD needs to own its mistake and correct the issue with its databases, Gallego said. An error-riddled remembrance still Yet the department took three months to respond to lawmakers concerns about the problems with the Korean War wall, amid pressure from policymakers, advocates and allies alike. That included South Koreas veterans ministry, which vowed in January to fix misspelled and missing names on the new wall. One of more than a dozen The Pentagons response came via a June 2 briefing to committee staff members, according to a defense official and House Natural Resources Committee Communications Director Rebekah Hoshiko. Its not clear what Pentagon officials told staffers in that meeting, but Hoshiko previously told Military Times that if the military shook off oversight from Congress, a legislative solution could be on the table. In the briefings wake, Hoshiko added that the memorials name problem continues to be a concern for the committee and we will remain engaged until all issues with the wall are fixed. And members are signaling their willingness to pursue such a solution, if necessary. Vasquez, the New Mexico lawmaker, committed to working to correct the historical databases. At least one member of the upper chamber is ready to take action as well. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., told Military Times that shell throw her weight behind the best and fastest way to correct the errors. Some advocates such as Noemi Figueroa Soulet, who wrote and directed a 2007 documentary on Puerto Ricos 65th Infantry Regiment during the Korean War remain frustrated that its come to this, though. When Figueroa Soulet learned of the formatting problems that would disproportionately impact Puerto Rican dead, she contacted the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation and the Defense Department in an effort to fix the names. They were given an opportunity to get it right from the beginning, she said in a phone interview with Military Times. So its really shameful that they now have to spend money to fix what they were told they should fix from the beginning. Its ridiculous. Ukraine did not yet receive access to the remaining eight prisoners of war (POW) transferred to Hungary, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said on live television on June 22. "We are trying to establish contact with eight prisoners of war. We know where they are. We do not understand why Ukrainian diplomats have not been allowed to visit them," Lubinets said on television. "In fact, they are in isolation. They have a limited circle of communication. The phones they were given to communicate with relatives were taken from them. We know that relatives have come to some of them. We don't know how the communication took place." The ombudsman also reported that the International Committee of the Red Cross, which should be mediating such a transfer based on international law, was not notified about the transfer. Hungary denies involvement in Ukrainian POW transfer, Ukraines intelligence says otherwise Hungarys Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto denied his governments involvement in the transfer of 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia to Hungary, the Index news website reported on June 20. The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek On June 21, Lubinets commented that Hungary's acts regarding the POWs constitute a breach of international humanitarian law and the Geneva Convention. On June 8, the Russian Orthodox Church announced that it had handed over to Hungary a group of 11 Ukrainian captives of "Zakarpattia origin" at Budapest's request. Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen later confirmed the transfer. Ukraine's westernmost Zakarpattia Oblast is home to around 150,000 ethnic Hungarians, including 400 serving in the Ukrainian army. On June 19, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry demanded immediate consular access to the POWs. According to the ministry, they were kept in isolation without access to open sources of information and were unable to communicate with relatives without "third parties" presence. However, Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the Ukrainian POWs "can move freely in Hungary and do whatever they want." On June 20, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry informed that three out of 11 POWs have been returned home, and the government continues to work to retrieve the rest of the group. A woman steals a bottle of wine in a supermarket Stuck on the door of the Costcutter at the end of my road theres a blurry photograph of a man caught on camera shoplifting. Its the modern equivalent of a Wanted poster, except the chances of the sheriffs getting on the case are nil. Did the police follow up that picture? Dont even ask. Its hard to put a figure on shoplifting in Britain, but a million cases a year like this one is probably close. Its a blight, a collective shrug to the moral order. Yet the number prosecuted last year was just 21,000 and most of the people found guilty just get a fine. The Association of Convenience Stores suggests that almost two thirds of shop thefts are committed by repeat offenders. The shopkeepers arent people who can afford to take losses, day after day. Lots of them are hard-working and keep convenience stores going by working much longer hours than the rest of us my Costcutter opens at 7am and closes at 8pm. Many of them are run by a family; its their livelihood. Big supermarkets cant afford wholescale theft either. Have you wondered why some branches of M&S only have samples of higher value items on the shelves? Its because people take them without paying. This is a nation that has clearly forgotten the commandment, Thou Shalt Not Steal, or, perhaps, never learnt it in the first place. I know, I know. Theres a cost of living crisis, which means that an awful lot of us cant pay the bills (right now, British Gas is threatening to put debt collectors onto me), and what if you cant buy food for your children? The heartbreaking Ken Loach film, I, Daniel Blake, described how a young woman ended up taking to prostitution after a security guard at a convenience store caught her stealing sanitary towels. Its harrowing, yet isnt this the kind of need that food banks are meant to meet? And thank God for them. But underlying the present crisis is the prevalent sense that its capitalism thats theft, and that you must never prosecute someone for shoplifting basic items. Surely this will lead to just one thing: more shoplifting. The culture of impunity means a culture of theft. Granted, shoplifting has always been with us. A friend of mine from the East End recalled that in the 1960s her old granny would send her into the corner shop to steal a tin of salmon for their tea, and once sent her back because she got red instead of pink. But I dont think its ever been as bad as this. And its the notion that shoplifting has effectively been decriminalised that should bother us. This, I may say, is not the case in other countries, where stealing is taken seriously. Once, we had actual neighbourhood police who would patrol the streets, who would know who was trouble and where thefts were happening. But if you report a theft now its not in any expectation the police will do anything about it. My husband reported a man caught on camera in an off-licence who had stolen his wallet. The police cut him off before he had explained how to find the place. Maybe they are too busy identifying slurs online or investigating themselves. This is a moral problem as much as anything else. People steal with impunity because dishonesty isnt regarded as shameful, and the chances of getting caught seem close to nil. The de facto decriminalisation of shoplifting isnt the sign of a compassionate society but of one thats lost its way. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. One year after the anti-abortion ruling, the White House keeps a spotlight on the issue FILE - Supporters cheer up as Vice President Kamala Harris gives remarks at the Women's March in Los Angeles Saturday, April 15, 2023. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) WASHINGTON (AP) One year ago, Democrats suffered one of the most stinging political defeats in recent history as the Supreme Court, which had been methodically stocked with conservative appointees, eliminated the nationwide right to abortion. Unbowed on Saturday's anniversary, however, it's the White House, not Republicans, calling the most attention to the issue with a cascade of events designed to tap into simmering rage from the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I dont think people are tired," Jennifer Klein, the White House point person on gender policy, said in an interview with The Associated Press. I think people might be mad. I think theres a lot of fear out there. But I feel like that turns into power. First lady Jill Biden met this week with women who were denied abortions even though their health was at risk. Vice President Kamala Harris appeared in an hourlong televised special in Dallas and will travel to North Carolina on Saturday for a speech. The capstone of the effort comes on Friday, when President Joe Biden will appear at a rally with abortion rights groups in Washington. The first lady, the vice president and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will also be there, a rare joint appearance by all four. It's an inauspicious anniversary for the White House to highlight. The high court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization opened the door for a wave of abortion restrictions across the country, and the limits are also affecting how women get medical care for miscarriages and pregnancies. More constraints could be on the horizon as conservatives seek to limit access to mifepristone, a commonly used abortion pill, in a separate legal case. But while Republicans have struggled to find their political footing on the issue, Democrats recognize that the loss of abortion rights helped them forestall greater defeats in last year's midterm elections and that the issue could prove just as potent as Biden runs for reelection next year. People keep thinking and hypothesizing that the issue is going to diminish in its power. Well, not really," said Celinda Lake, a pollster who has worked with the president. Twenty years from now, we may point to this as a realigning moment," she said. Its moved a lot of suburban women out of the Republican Party and into independents. She also said younger voters could end up "more Democratic for the rest of their lives. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List, draws the opposite conclusion from the midterms. We had a poor showing, in my opinion, because Republican leadership took on the ostrich strategy," Dannenfelser said. Their mistake, she said, was not celebrating the victory and campaigning on what she described as a compromise of restricting abortions after 15 weeks. Dannenfelser said liberals want unlimited abortion, paid for by taxpayers," and "that aggression ... on the part of the abortion lobby is going to come back and bite their candidates. You get consensus, and contrast that with an extreme, and you win," she said. A survey conducted by Gallup last month showed that support for abortion drops the longer a pregnancy continues, from 69% of U.S. adults saying it should generally be legal for the first trimester to 37% for the second trimester. However, in general the issue appears to be more motivating for supporters than opponents, according to VoteCast, a survey of more than 94,000 voters nationwide conducted for for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago. During the midterms, 37% of those voting for Democrats said the overturning of Roe v. Wade was the single most important issue for them, as opposed to 13% of those voting for Republicans. Klein said theres no reason to think that Republicans are interested in a compromise, especially after implementing strict laws in various states over the last year. They want to pass a national abortion ban, she said, while the White House wants to turn Roe v. Wade into law. Accomplishing that White House goal, however, seems as far out of reach as an outright ban. Republicans control the House, and Democrats don't have enough support in the Senate to advance legislation on their own. Biden has taken some limited steps with executive orders, but none that can override state restrictions. Its hard, Klein said. I mean, there is only so much an administration can do. And we are using all the tools in our toolbox. Mini Timmaraju, leader of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said advocates have made some political progress, such as winning several fights over ballot measures last year, but she warned that the path ahead will be arduous. Lets just be clear, theres no getting better right away, she said. Biden, who is Catholic, was ambivalent about abortion early in his political career as a U.S. senator from Delaware. Soon after getting elected in 1974, he said the Supreme Court went too far with Roe v. Wade. However, he's often described abortion rights as a matter of personal liberty. One of the first images in Bidens video announcing his reelection campaign was a woman holding a sign saying abortion is healthcare" outside the Supreme Court. The presidents first word is freedom. The question were facing is whether in the years ahead, well have more freedom or less freedom, he said. More rights or fewer. Harris has played a leading role on abortion since the Dobbs decision, which was released while she was on a flight to Illinois for an event on maternal mortality. Her first step was to call her husband, Emhoff, to vent. He was the only one that I could really just let it out with, Harris recalled this week during an appearance with Joy Reid on MSNBC. She spent the rest of the trip rewriting the draft of her remarks and reviewing the text of the decision. Millions of women in America will go to bed tonight without access to the healthcare and reproductive care that they had this morning, Harris said in her speech back then. Without access to the same healthcare or reproductive healthcare that their mothers and grandmothers had for 50 years. Since the Dobbs decision, Harris has hosted almost 50 meetings in 16 states to talk about reproductive rights, with a particular focus on local lawmakers who have a frontline role in abortion debates. There is a deep recognition among state legislators that every one of their voices count, said Neera Tanden, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. "We see incredible engagement and activism at the local level to protect womens rights as well. Alexis McGill Johnson, who leads the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, said she has no doubt that advocates will remain energized going into next year. I think theres something really insulting in the way pundits have conjectured, Oh, theyre not going to care about their rights being gone next year, she said. Our literal ability to control our bodies has been given to politicians, she said. ___ Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Linley Sanders contributed to this report. One of Pakistan's richest men and his son among crew believed to have died in missing Titanic sub [Source] A well-known Pakistani father and son duo is among a crew of five passengers who are now believed to be dead after going missing for days in a submersible that sought to explore the wreckage of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean. What happened: The 21-foot sub, known as Titan, launched from a Canadian research vessel into the North Atlantic on Sunday morning. An hour and 45 minutes later, it lost contact with the ship. OceanGate Expeditions, its operator, said the sub can reach depths of up to 13,100 feet with 96 hours of oxygen for a crew of five. The wreckage of the Titanic was around 12,500 feet below sea level. Whos in it: The crew included Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood, 48; his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19; British businessman Hamish Harding, 58; French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77; and OceanGates own CEO, Stockton Rush, 61. Dawood is one of Pakistan's richest citizens, with most of his family's wealth coming from the Dawood Hercules Corporation, which his grandfather, Seth Ahmed Dahwood, founded in 1968. More from NextShark: Squid Game star O Yeong-su indicted for sexual misconduct in Korea The latest: Search efforts have since been made to locate the sub. By Monday afternoon, the U.S. Coast Guard told reporters that the crew had at least 70 hours' worth of oxygen left. On Tuesday, the Coast Guard announced it had detected mysterious underwater banging sounds in the North Atlantic occurring every 30 minutes. On Thursday, however, debris that belonged to the external body of the sub was found in the search area and deemed to be consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. OceanGate announced that the crew have sadly been lost. More from NextShark: Intern Threatened By Boss in NJ Offered New Job From Asian American Founder The expedition company said in a statement: We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. What happens next: Medical personnel and nine vessels involved in the search will be demobilized in the next 24 hours. However, remote operations will continue on the seafloor for an unspecified amount of time. More from NextShark: Denver Woman Shot Multiple Times in Her Car on Her Way to Work Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Boba shop owners life savings gone after fire destroys multiple businesses in Seattle Six people in critical condition, one still missing after Paris blast - prosecutor Six people in critical condition, one still missing after Paris blast - prosecutor Gas explosion causes fire in central Paris PARIS (Reuters) - Six people remained in a critical condition and one person was believed still missing on Thursday, one day after a blast ripped through a street near Paris' historic Latin Quarter, the city's public prosecution office said. "These figures may still change," prosecutor Maylis De Roeck told Reuters in a text message, adding that around 50 people had been injured in the blast, which set buildings ablaze and caused the front of one to collapse onto the street. Of two people initially believed missing, one has been found in hospital and is being taken care of, the prosecutor said, adding: "Searches are ongoing to find the second person." Authorities have not yet said what caused the explosion, which witnesses said had followed a strong smell of gas at the site. The explosion led to scenes of chaos and destruction in the historic Rue Saint Jacques, which runs from the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral to the Sorbonne University, just as people were heading home from work. It also destroyed the facade of a building housing the Paris American Academy design school popular with foreign students. Florence Berthout, mayor of the Paris district where the blast occurred, said 12 students who should have been in the academy's classrooms at the time had fortunately gone to visit an exhibition with their teacher. "Otherwise the (death toll) could have been absolutely horrific," Berthout told BFM TV. She said three children who had been passing by at the time were among the injured, although their lives were not in danger. (Reporting by Bertrand Boucey, Benoit Van Overstraeten, editing by Tassilo Hummel and Gareth Jones) The day Mayron Hollis discovered she was pregnant in spring 2022 was the same day doctors gave her terrible news: The pregnancy could be fatal to both her and her fetus. Hollis had given birth to another child earlier in the year through cesarean section, and doctors were concerned she would experience a cesarean scar pregnancy a rare type of ectopic pregnancy in which a fertilized egg implants and develops in the cesarean scar. It can cause fatal internal bleeding. That left Hollis with a difficult choice: end the pregnancy or risk her own death and the fetus. It is like Russian roulette, Hollis said. Hollis decided to seek an abortion. But by the time her appointment arrived in August, it was too late: She lived in Tennessee, and the states abortion ban had gone into effect, making the procedure a felony for the doctors involved. The law doesnt offer exemptions for life-threatening pregnancies, though doctors can use the threat to the mother as a defense in criminal trials. Hollis is among the 65 million women and girls of childbearing age (ages 15 to 44) in the U.S. who have been caught in the piecemeal landscape of abortion policy since the Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson decision removed federal abortion protections in June 2022. Since the ruling, more than one-quarter of states have banned abortion outright, and several more have severely restricted access. For women and their families, abortion access is now largely a function of financial and geographic circumstances. For abortion-care providers, the year has brought influxes of out-of-state patients and a barrage of legal challenges. Abortion opponents, meanwhile, are enjoying their success. Some say they hope to see national restrictions. Data around abortion access reveals an increasingly unequal health care system for women, in which those with the fewest resources are increasingly the least likely to be able to get abortions. Distance and division Abortion is outlawed with few exceptions in 13 states, with care also unavailable in Wisconsin, where there are no official abortion providers. Seven states restrict abortions based on the number of weeks a woman has been pregnant, with some bans coming as early as six weeks before many women know they are pregnant.More than 28 million women of reproductive age live in states where abortion is banned, unavailable or restricted, with 2 million more in the two states where abortion is available but restrictions are pending. Estimates from the Society of Family Planning a nonprofit research organization focused on reproductive rights and abortion suggest that the 13 states that instituted abortion bans had over 7,000 fewer abortions in the six months following Dobbs. Bans and restrictions mean many women who do seek abortions have to travel long distances. Before Dobbs, less than 15% of reproductive-age women lived more than one hours drive from the nearest abortion facility, according to a study from researchers affiliated with Boston University, which compared population distribution with the locations of abortion clinics nationwide. By September just three months after the Dobbs decision that figure had more than doubled, to 33%. The Boston University research found that the travel time impacts were particularly acute for women of color: The share of Black women farther than an hours drive from an abortion facility rose from 15% to 40%, and for Hispanic women the share increased from 8.6% to 30.3%. Estimates from the Society of Family Planning indicate that over the first nine months after the Dobbs decision, more than 80,000 people who sought abortions in states where they are banned fully or after six weeks faced obstacles. Women who get abortions are typically in their 20s and already have children, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research-focused nonprofit organization that supports abortion rights. Nearly half live under the poverty line. This is an inequality and poverty story, said Caitlin Myers, an economics professor at Middlebury College who researches reproductive policy. Her work includes a study that found that mandatory waiting periods disproportionately affected young women and women of color. Myers said that often, those who carry babies to term that they would otherwise have terminated are the poorest, most vulnerable of an already poor and vulnerable population. In total, the Society of Family Plannings estimates suggest that more than 25,000 women were unable to get abortions from July to March. Many were unable to overcome financial and logistical barriers, including travel, child care or insurance policies that dont cover abortions out-of-state the same way they might in-state. People who get trapped are often poor women who arent employed who are shift workers who dont have benefits, Myers said. After Tennessees abortion ban took effect on Aug. 25, Hollis learned her abortion had been canceled. I got the call on August 26, on my birthday, that there was not going to be a surgery, she said. It was excruciating the day I got the news. Then, 25 weeks into her pregnancy, Hollis began bleeding uncontrollably, lapsing in and out of consciousness. Her daughter Elayna was born 14 weeks premature and still struggles with an array of health problems. Hollis required a hysterectomy. Mayron Hollis' daughter Elayna weighed one pound and 12 ounces when she was a newborn, left. (Mayron Hollis) Protections and refuge Many states have instituted abortion protections in the wake of the Dobbs decision. Voters in Vermont, California and Michigan enshrined abortion rights in their state constitutions during the midterm elections. Minnesota codified abortion rights into law in January. Voters in Kentucky, meanwhile, rejected an effort to amend the state constitution to explicitly say there is no right to abortion. The flurry of protections made such states havens for abortion seekers. Survey data from the Society of Family Planning shows abortion rates rising after Dobbs in Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Maryland and other states. Providers on the front lines receiving patients from banned states are mostly overwhelmed, Myers said. For example, she said that in Kansas, its typical for none of the states providers to have available appointments within two to three weeks. Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, a Maryland obstetrician, said many of her patients arent from the state. Ive seen a lot of patients that are having to travel significant distances from out of state, said McDonald-Mosley, who is the CEO of Power to Decide, a nonprofit that supports access to sexual and reproductive health care, including birth control and abortion. Ive seen patients from Wisconsin, from Texas. The patients who worry McDonald-Mosley the most, she said, are the ones she doesnt see because they are stymied by obstacles similar to what Hollis faced. The fights ahead Hey Jane, which operates virtual clinics that provide patients with medication abortions, said the number of patients it has treated has more than doubled since the Dobbs decision. In Illinois, its post-Dobbs numbers quadrupled. Medication abortion accounted for more than half of all U.S. abortions in 2020, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The regimen involves a combination of two drugs, mifespristone and misoprostol, to terminate pregnancies up to 10 weeks. Currently, access to medication abortion is legal in some way in 36 states and Washington, D.C. However, a lawsuit seeking to upend the Food and Drug Administrations longtime approval of mifepristone is being considered by a federal court and is likely to head to the Supreme Court. The momentum is undeniable, leaders of anti-abortion groups say. Theres a sense of relief, because our hands are no longer tied, said Carol Tobias, the president of National Right to Life. We would pass legislation we thought was helpful to moms and babies, and the abortion industry would take it to court, where it would be struck now we have a chance. However, Tobias said, activists must continue to defend anti-abortion laws against legal challenges and legislative changes. Kelsey Pritchard, the director of state public affairs at Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, said her group hopes for a nationwide abortion ban after 15 weeks gestation. Were happy with the progress that weve made in just one year alone. But were not satisfied with where were at as far as an endpoint, Pritchard said. Were not done. Were not even close to done. Other groups continue to work at the local level. Brian Westbrook, the executive director and founder of Coalition Life, an anti-abortion group that intervenes in front of abortion clinics in Missouri and Illinois, said a cultural shift on the issue is the groups first and foremost goal, adding that anti-abortion laws will certainly follow. In Tennessee, Hollis said she is grateful for her daughters, despite continued complications. Her daughter Elayna was born weighing 1 pound, 3 ounces, far below the 7 pounds of a typical full-term baby. Today, at 6 months old, she is still on oxygen and a feeding tube. That has strained the Hollis familys finances. We maxed out credit cards, Hollis said. We had a business, but with Elayna in the ICU, it got really bad, and I couldnt afford to drive back and forth, so I had to sleep in my car. Some days I would take a shower at Planet Fitness. God made happen what was supposed to happen, Hollis said. But I shouldve been able to have that choice. CORRECTION (June 22, 2023, 7:53 a.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the birth weight of Hollis daughter, Elayna. She weighed 1 pound, 3 ounces, not 1 pound, 12 ounces. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The government has agreed to give coroners and bereaved families new powers to access information on their loved ones held by tech companies. The pledge came during a House of Lords debate on the Online Safety Bill. Culture minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said the amendments to the bill would make accessing data "more straightforward and humane". Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly ended her life after viewing harmful content online, said it was "really important". The Online Safety Bill was introduced in March under Boris Johnson, and has been repeatedly altered during its passage through Parliament. As it moved towards being passed, the bill went through a final day of scrutiny by a committee in the House of Lords. During the committee hearing crossbench peer Baroness Kidron called for legal powers to request information from Facebook and other "service providers", which could be relevant to the death of a child who had used their platform. 'Role of algorithms' In response, culture minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay announced a "package of amendments" to ensure "coroners have access to the expertise and information that they need in order to conduct their investigations, including information held by technology companies, regardless of size". Lord Parkinson added: "This includes information about how a child interacted with specific content online as well as the role of wider systems and processes, such as algorithms, in promoting it." Several parents of children who lost their children as a result of online harms were in the public gallery in the Lords during the debate, including Mr Russell. Mr Russell said of the announcement: "It's absolutely vital if we're to learn lessons" Mr Russell, from Harrow in north-west London, described the plans as "the first major concession that the government's really given in this process". "It's absolutely vital if we're to learn lessons and find out how to make this great and fantastic digital world safer for everyone, and particularly children, to use," he said. "What we have to do is let digital platforms bring their benefits with them but protect people from the harms that they contain." Lorin LeFave was one of the parents in the public gallery while the bill was being discussed in the House of Lords Lorin LeFave, whose son Breck Bednar, 14, was groomed and murdered by someone he met online said the progress had been "very positive". "The speeches were supportive and the interactions were going in the right direction, so I'm hoping of all hopes that this bill will be all that it can be," she said. "I don't want to have to live with the online world being the wild west any longer, I want just to be able to tame it and to make sure our children are safer online." Speaking after the announcement, Baroness Kidron said: "It's not a victorious moment because it's so tragic that we've had to fight this hard, that so many families have hit the wall of 'computer says no' when they're in such grief and extremis. "The minister said that the government would make a coroner's notice an equivalent of an Ofcom information notice - all of the powers of Ofcom will indeed go to the coroner in effect." She added this would include powers to fine companies and hold managers responsible. Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk Can artificial intelligence predict whether you are conservative or liberal? One study tried by having AI analyze peoples faces. | Alex Cochran, Deseret News Hey, good lookin. Whatcha got cookin? A vote for a conservative, perhaps? It seems that, among its many uses and annoyances, artificial intelligence has now learned how to predict our political ideologies, and it does this by examining our facial expressions, our beauty (to quote from the study Im about to explain) and other visuals it can analyze. I have always been partial to the definition of attractiveness provided by early 20th century Lebanese-American writer Kahlil Gibran, who said, Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart. That shows what I know. That feel-good philosophy is apparently completely unscientific. Heart schmart. The study, newly published in Scientific Reports, which is owned by Nature, says a simple mug shot can allow a computer to predict a persons political leanings to a success rate of 61%. Researchers used the campaign photos and ideological data available for 3,233 candidates for local office in Denmark. Then they used techniques, such as convolutional neural networks, heat maps, analyses of facial expressions, and assessments of physical characteristics such as masculinity and beauty to analyze the subjects. They tried to identify specific features of the face that connect to the models predictions for political ideology. I know physical beauty is a tricky subject, informed by (often harmful) cultural references that range from Barbie dolls to movie stars to TikTok videos. Usually, diplomacy is the watchword when treading these waters. But the researchers are blunt. Referring to a growing body of evidence, they write that politicians on the right have been found to be more attractive than those on the left. Its not just the women, either. Higher right-wing attractiveness scores were also observed among young (male) adults in the general population, though not among pundits. That last bit may be enough to discredit the whole field of study; although, for the record, I consider myself just right of center. And Im a columnist, not a pundit. In the study at hand, researchers used Face API from Microsoft Azures Cognitive Services to study photos of the Danish candidates. The computer predicted beauty based on how 60 people had rated the faces of 5,500 people using a beauty score of 0-4. The upshot? For females (though not males), high attractiveness scores were found among those the model identified as likely to be conservative. And, to confirm what all our mothers taught us, looks arent everything. We also found that expressing happiness is associated with conservatism for both genders. So, as if we didnt have enough for liberals and conservatives to fight about, we now have this. Related To be completely fair, the website hottestheadsofstate.com (I wish I was making this up) rated all U.S. presidents from best looking to ugliest. Among modern presidents, the highest rank went to John F. Kennedy, a liberal, who scored third place overall, and Barack Obama, also a liberal, who came in sixth (although conservative George W. Bush was a respectable eighth). Franklin Pierce finished first, probably due to the skill of his 19th century portrait artist. Presidents, it must be noted, rarely are elected at the peak of their physical attractiveness. A comparison of photos from their 20s might elicit different results. Also, getting back to the study at hand, an analysis of candidate photos may not have much application to the population at large. As the study notes, candidates have an incentive to smile and look happy, because it might attract voters. That still wouldnt explain why the conservative ones looked happier. But if youre a liberal looking for a bright side to all this (something to elicit a rare smile, perhaps?), a 2014 study in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes found that people who think they are attractive tend to be less sympathetic to social inequalities. Ergo, they become conservatives. Perhaps the biggest flaw in the current study is that it used only caucasian faces, providing a limited sample of humans overall. Still, this isnt the first study to draw such conclusions. A 2017 paper in the Journal of Public Economics was headlined, Conservative politicians look better and voters reward it. And, beyond politics, plenty of research exists to support the notion that good-looking people get the best jobs, earn the most promotions and take home more money than the rest of us. You can argue this isnt fair. However, a better argument would be that its irrelevant to political ideology. The researchers said a big reason for this study was to uncover things that could better help protect sensitive information, and to better understand what a face can unintentionally communicate to a computer using AI. But, silly me, nothing is truly irrelevant to politics in the 21st century, except maybe that elusive light in the heart. Tuesdays announcement that Hunter Biden, the presidents son, agreed to plead guilty to federal tax and firearm crimes drew widespread criticism from Republicans, who slammed it as a sweetheart deal. Actually, Biden was treated harshly and based on what we know publicly received more severe treatment than a typical defendant. The announcement of the charges by United States Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, a Trump appointee, should have been cause for celebration for anyone who believes in the rule of law. After all, although our system is imperfect, the fact that the son of the sitting president was investigated, prosecuted and convicted by the Justice Department demonstrates that no one is above the law. Yet Republicans recoiled at the announcement, perhaps because Hunter Biden was accused in right-wing publications of everything from corruption to human trafficking, yet was only charged with two misdemeanor tax counts of failure to pay income tax and one count of possessing a firearm while a user of and addicted to a controlled substance. You dont have to be a lawyer to figure out that these are hardly the crimes of the century. Many critics have pointed out that Biden will almost certainly not receive prison time as a result of these charges, which is true. But while we dont know what else he might have done and as Weiss noted, the investigation is ongoing if this is the extent of Bidens wrongdoing, he has been treated much more harshly than the typical defendant. Federal prosecutors charge a lot of firearm offenses every year. They charged 12,261 cases involving a firearm last year alone. The overwhelming majority of those cases involve the possession of a firearm by a felon, and those charges are used by prosecutors as a method to get felons with violent criminal histories or serious gang involvement off the street. Another often-charged statute criminalizes the possession, use or brandishing of a firearm during the commission of a federal crime of violence. I have charged many defendants with gun offenses in my former career as a federal prosecutor, but until this week I had never heard of a prosecution of anyone for possessing a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance before the Hunter Biden case. When I looked at crime statistics, I could see why. A Syracuse University study found that from 2013 to 2017, the DOJ brought a total of 35,758 prosecutions with a firearm charge as the lead charge in the indictment. Of those, 26,717 were felon-in-possession charges. Only 614 involved a charge for the unlawful shipment, transfer, receipt or possession of a firearm by a drug addict. That makes sense federal prosecutors focus on large-scale narcotics traffickers, not drug users. Most of the other former federal prosecutors Ive spoken with arent familiar with a defendant being charged with this statute either. One prosecutor who was familiar with the statute said he charged it once, many years ago, involving a particularly problematic defendant. As for the misdemeanor tax charges, I prosecuted tax cases and have defended many clients in criminal tax cases, and Im not familiar with a misdemeanor tax charge ever being brought as the only tax charge in a case. The DOJs Tax Division has to approve every tax charge brought by prosecutors, and their practice is to focus on serious felony tax fraud or tax evasion cases. Those serious felony offenses would require evidence of fraud or affirmative efforts to evade taxes. Merely not paying your taxes isnt enough. Sometimes, when I charged serious tax fraud cases, I would add easy-to-prove misdemeanor counts to the indictment as a back stop of sorts if I lost on the more serious counts. The most typical misdemeanor that was charged is a failure to file a tax return, and that is trivial to prove. Biden was charged with something even less serious a failure to pay taxes even though he did file a return. And the amount of his unpaid taxes approximately $100,000 in 2017 and again in 2018 is typically dealt with as a civil matter, with penalties and interest, rather than as a federal criminal case. No competent federal prosecutor would initiate a multi-year criminal investigation into someone for merely failing to pay taxes, yet those misdemeanor charges are the only ones to which Biden will plead guilty. This looks like an investigation that has not turned up much. If Hunter Biden were not the presidents son, its not clear whether prosecutors would have investigated for as long or as hard as they did, or that they would have decided to spend additional federal resources prosecuting misdemeanors instead of moving on to the next case. Its understandable why Weiss and his team did not want to appear to be pulling punches in a case involving the presidents son. Hunter has become a fixation of the GOP on the Hill, many of whom have publicly and thus far without evidence accused him of corruptly trading on his fathers connections to enrich himself and his family. For that wing of the Republican Party, anything short of a lengthy prison sentence will look like favoritism. But for anyone with actual federal criminal law experience, it is obvious that the DOJs aggressive prosecution of crimes that are rarely charged is anything but a sweetheart deal. Then NASA astronaut candidate Jasmin Moghbeli. is pictured June 6, 2017, at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base, Texas. | Robert Markowitz As we celebrate Americas independence in July, let us highlight the significant contributions of immigrants who have woven the fabric of the United States since its founding. They have played a vital role in building our country, working in all sectors of the economy from agriculture to technology. Iranian Americans serve as a powerful testament to the positive impact that immigrants can have on our country. The Iranian diaspora in the United States is a vibrant and successful community, estimated to be around 1 million individuals. To Americans, they serve as a window into Iran, while for Iranians residing in the country, they represent successful examples of their compatriots in the United States. From Silicon Valley to UCLA, Stanford University and Princeton University, Iranian Americans contribute to the economy of our country by leading major technology firms, holding positions in prestigious universities and owning small businesses. Successful Iranian American businessmen in Utah have made remarkable contributions to our state. Khosrow Semnani founded the Maliheh Free Clinic, which provides high-quality, same-day urgent medical care to those in the greatest need. Hamid Adib supports hundreds of children through the Heal Child Skin Disease Foundation. And Mehdi Heravi, an alumnus of Utah State University, made generous donations to establish the Heravi Peace Institute at the university. These individuals are a part of the national picture of successful Iranian Americans who have enriched our country and contributed to the positive perception of Iranian Americans in the United States. A 2008 report by the Small Business Administration found that Iranian Americans had a business ownership rate of 21.5%, significantly higher than the national average of 18.3%. The report also revealed that Iranian Americans earned a total of $2.56 billion in net business income. Related It is likely that these numbers are even higher today, as the Iranian American population has grown significantly since 2008. Although the entrepreneurial spirit has always existed among Iranians, their ascent to the corporate ranks is a phenomenon that occurred after the 1979 revolution. Dara Khosrowshahis appointment as Ubers CEO put Iranians and Iranian Americans in the spotlight. His story of fleeing the Iranian Revolution at the age of 9 with his family helped to bring his story to the forefront. His brother, Kaveh Khosrowshahi, manages Allen & Co. as a managing director. His cousin, Amir Khosrowshahi, co-founded the AI company Nervana, which Intel acquired for over $400 million in 2016. Dara is also related to Hadi and Ali Partovi, twin founders and technology investors. Other prominent Iranian American corporate leaders have brought attention, such as Hamid Moghadam, who is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Prologis, along with eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and former Google Chief Business Officer Omid Kordestani. These individuals have a combined net worth of over $11 billion. In addition to their success in corporate leadership, Iranians have also made significant contributions to the fields of space exploration, literature, art and film. Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian American engineer and co-founder and chairwoman of Prodea Systems, was the first female space tourist. Jasmin Moghbeli is a NASA astronaut candidate and a member of the U.S. Marine Corps. The late Firouz Naderi was a NASA scientist who played a key role in the Voyager and Mars Pathfinder missions. In literature and art, Reza Aslan is an acclaimed author, with a New York Times bestselling book. Shirin Neshat is an Iranian artist whose work has been exhibited in major museums around the world. And Nazanin Boniadi is an actress and producer who has starred in films and television shows such as Homeland and The Leftovers. Charity and philanthropy are significant components of successful enterprises and corporations in the United States. Prominent Iranians such as Hamid and Christina Moghadam, Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani, the Farzaneh family and Fariborz Maseeh have made generous endowments to prestigious universities such as Princeton, Stanford and the Universities of Oklahoma and California at Irvine. These endowments have provided thousands of American students with opportunities to study Iranian history and culture. In addition to their economic impact, Iranian Americans have made significant strides in civic engagement in recent years. Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., became the first Iranian American elected to Congress, and Amir Farokhi and Liliana Bakhtiari became the first two Iranian Americans to serve on the Atlanta City Council. The Iranian regimes human rights violations, suppression of dissent and protests have a significant impact on the politics of the Iranian American community. Some members of the community prefer to engage through humanitarian assistance and avoid political involvement while others want the United States government to delegitimize the Iranian regime and assist in establishing democracy within the nation. Others promote civic engagement and build(ing) an influential voice for the Iranian American community. Iranian Americans have learned to overcome challenges by blending the finest aspects of their culture and heritage with the best of American values inherent in American citizenship. Despite their disagreements, they are united in their love for their homeland and their desire to see it liberated from dictatorship and oppression. Their diverse views are an asset that enhances their influence in America, reflecting the multifaceted nature of their community. As an Iranian American scholar put it, We become better Iranians by becoming Americans. America gives us that. Bahman Baktiari is the executive director of the Baskerville Institute in Salt Lake City. More than three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Donald Trump seems determined to resurrect red baiting as a political tactic. Calling his political opponents communists has become a regular feature of Trumps attacks on the Biden administration, the Democratic Party, and the likes of George Soros. Using this tactic, Trump hopes that a single word can discredit their political views. He wants his followers to fear what the people and institutions he calls communist will do to those who dont share their world view including to the former president himself. Trumps effort to brand his political opponents and those who now would hold him to account for his alleged criminal conduct as communists has been a through line of his rhetoric since he became a major political figure in 2015. In October of that year, he called Sen. Bernie Sanders, then a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president, a socialist-slash-communist ... He's going to tax you people at 90 percent; he's going to take everything! Trump continued his red baiting throughout his term in the White House. In September 2019, he used an address to the United Nations General Assembly to expand on his anti-communist crusade. Socialism and communism, Trump said, are not about justice. They are not about equality. They are not about lifting up the poor. They are certainly not about the good of the country. Socialism and communism are about one thing only power for the ruling class. America, Trump promised, will never be a socialist country. At a September 2020 White House event honoring Cuban-American veterans of the ill-fated, 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba Trump repeated that promise and branded his political opponents radical Marxists. When you look at the kind of ideology we are also facing ... Trump told the appreciative audience, we did not fight tyranny abroad only to let Marxists destroy our beloved country. During his 2020 reelection campaign he told a rally of supporters in Vandalia, Ohio, The choice in November is going to be very simple. There's never been a time when there's been such a difference. One is probably communism. I don't know. They keep saying socialism. I think they've gone over that one. That one's passed already. Three years later, reviving the Red Scare also is part of Trumps 2024 electoral strategy. It works for at least three reasons. First, it is designed to appeal to older voters who remember the days when the phrase Better Dead Than Red signaled solidarity among white people in this country against a common enemy. Polls show that only 3 percent of people in their 70s and older have a favorable view of communism as opposed to 28 percent among Gen Z. Second, it stirs up fears of China, todays most prominent and powerful communist nation. Finally, this language has special meaning in South Florida, where the former president is under federal indictment. Its no accident that Trump reacted to his arraignment in the classified documents case on June 13 by waving the bloody flag of communism and describing the threat it allegedly poses. If the communists get away with this, he said in a speech later that day, it wont stop with me. They will not hesitate to ramp up their persecution of Christians, pro-life activists, parents attending school board meetings, and even future Republican candidates. It is noteworthy that in his post-indictment speech he linked what was happening to him with a litany of familiar, polarizing, conservative culture war issues. If they get me, he suggested to supporters, they will soon be after you. And that message seemed to get through, with some of his MAGA allies quickly joining Trump in blaming communists for his legal troubles. Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, for instance, said the indictment was the product of CORRUPT AND WEAPONIZED COMMUNISTS DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED DOJ. The former president is hitting the Red Scare hard now in the hope of influencing his forthcoming trial. Because the jury in the classified documents case is going to be from Miami, haven for Cuban-Americans and immigrants from socialist-dominated Venezuela, he hopes to appeal to potential jurors who might stand in the way of a conviction. What better way to win their sympathy than to suggest that his prosecution is part of a communist conspiracy? As Harvard professor Steven Levitsky argues, for many Americans, Trumps anti-communist rhetoric just sounds silly But (for) people who are either descendants of Cuban exiles or actual Venezuelan exiles that actually struck some chord. And news reports suggest that Trump is indeed appealing to a receptive audience. An Associated Press story last week noted that For some Hispanic Trump supporters who gathered outside the federal courthouse in Miami where the former president was arraigned, the charges evoked memories of political persecutions their family members had once escaped. The AP quoted one protester, Madelin Munilla, who said she came to Miami as a child when her parents fled Fidel Castro's Cuba and carried a poster with a photo of Biden alongside Castro, and leftist leaders from Venezuela and Nicaragua. Munilla said of the Trump indictment, This is what they do in Latin America. Whatever his motivations, Trumps kind of red baiting has a long lineage. It is right out of the playbook of authoritarians and tyrants from the early 20th century. It was instrumental in the rise of fascist leaders in mid-century Germany and Italy. Like them, todays strongmen and would-be strongmen like the former president need powerful us versus them narratives, and communism is a tried and true boogeyman. It works, as columnist John P. Baird has argued, to narrow the spectrum of what it is possible to achieve politically. It has historically been used against all kinds of change agents. Trumps revival of the Red Scare also draws on an American tradition that fueled the notorious Palmer Raids in 1919 and 1920, when the Justice Department arrested and deported anarchists, communists, and radical leftists. The raids, sparked by social unrest following the First World War, were the climax of that eras own Red Scare. Trump is surely channeling his mentor Roy Cohn. Cohn served as a prosecutor in the trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were convicted of espionage, and was chief counsel to Republican Sen. Joseph McCarthy in the 1950 hearings that alleged that numerous communists and Soviet spies had infiltrated the United States federal government, universities and the film industry. Seven decades after Cohn and McCarthy, the former president persists in trying to bring back the Red Scare even though, as the journalist Ed Kilgore notes, There is not a single Democratic political figure in the United States who espouses anything resembling communism. Trump is hallucinating a communist threat where there is none and promoting what The Guardian columnist Richard Seymour labels anti-communism without communism. Seymour gets it right when he suggests that for a would-be authoritarian like Trump, communism signals a single, treasonous, diabolical enemy. Rather like a racial stereotype, Seymour wrote, communism figuratively presents systemic crisis as a demonic plot Those labelled communists are thus blamed not just for the reforms they demand, but for all the crises that call for reform. By conjuring such demonic forces, Trump amplifies his anti-democratic claim that, as he put it in his post-indictment speech, I am the only one that can save this nation. Opioid-related deaths in Mass. rose again in 2022, Healey admin. to invest $1 billion for care For the third straight year, the number of opioid-related related deaths in the Bay State climbed, according to the Massachusetts Department of Health. The continued increase has prompted governor Maura Healey to invest over $1 billion in intervention and care, the administration announced Thursday. There were 2,357 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths last year, an increase of 2.5 percent from 2021, says the MDPH. Non-Hispanic Black residents suffered the highest increase, from 36.4 deaths per 100,000 to 51.7 deaths; a 42 percent increase. Males compromised 72 percent of all opioid-related deaths in 2022 with Non-Hispanic Black men having the highest opioid death rate amongst all gender, race and ethnicity groups. Forty-seven percent of all opioid-related overdose deaths were between 25 and 44 years old. Over the next 18 years, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey plans to inject $1 billion received through various opioid legal settlements back into the states Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund. The fund currently supports $15 million in loan forgiveness for SUD workers employed by BSAS licensed facilities an$11.5 million annually for expanded harm reduction programming, access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) such as buprenorphine and methadone, and supporting low threshold housing. The Healey administration also plans to invest $100 million for MassHealth to reimburse for critical substance use disorder services. The administration hopes to add a $67 million investment in rate increases for Opioid treatment programs, establish an overdose prevention hotline this summer and increase access to harm reduction supply vending machines. The DPH will also increase therapeutic outpatient services for youth and adolescents with SUD in the Merrimack Valley through a targeted grant program. In 2024, the DPH hopes to examine and produce a plan for the possibility of overdose prevention sites and to identify areas with a lack of treatment centers such as Cape Cod and rural areas to address the limited access. As Attorney General, I made combatting the opioid crisis a top priority, and that commitment continues as Governor while we work to provide individuals and communities with the support they need for treatment, prevention and recovery, said Governor Maura Healey. Too many Massachusetts families, particularly families of color, have been impacted by this crisis, and in order to effectively respond, we need to address the gaps in the system by advancing long-term solutions that include housing, jobs, mental health care and more resources for our cities and towns. In December 2022, the MDPH reported that Opioid-related deaths were on the decline through the first nine months of the year. Initial data from the first three months of 2023 showed a 7.7 percent decrease in opioid-related deaths over the same period in 2022, according to DPH. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) asked Pocono Raceway, a speedway in the Pocono Mountains that hosts NASCAR events, to provide its jet dryer to help ready the repaired portion of Interstate 95 through Philadelphia for its reopening. Shapiro said in an interview with the Philadelphia-based Fox affiliate WTXF on Thursday that time is needed for the paving and striping process, so state officials reached out to Pocono Raceway to bring in their jet dryer that is used along the racetrack to dry the section of I-95. It has been all hands on deck. I said the other day its the ingenuity of [Delaware County] meets the grit of Philly. Lets layer on top of that the ingenuity of Pocono Raceway and the amazing guys at NASCAR up there helping us out at 95, he said. Shapiro tweeted that 12 hours of dry weather is needed to complete the paving and striping. Pocono Raceway confirmed in a tweet it is sending its jet dryer, saying it is on standby if needed to help dry the road so the painting of the lines will not be delayed. Thank you to all the men & women working around the clock to get I-95 reopened this weekend, the tweet added. The portion of I-95 was shut down earlier this month after a tractor-trailer carrying gasoline flipped over and caught on fire under an overpass in Philadelphia. The crash caused the northbound lanes to partially collapse, and the southbound lanes needed to be demolished because of the damage sustained. Shapiro announced Tuesday that the portion of the highway would reopen this weekend after vowing crews would work around the clock to finish the repairs. Shapiro also thanked Starr Restaurants for providing food to the workers repairing the highway, saying theyre getting big things done because of [the workers] around the clock efforts. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. On 22 June, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted the resolution concerning the political consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, in which it acts in favour of Ukraine joining NATO and of the Ukrainian "Peace Formula". Source: European Pravda, referring to Yevheniia Kravchuk, member of the Ukrainian delegation in PACE and member of the Ukrainian Parliament Details: The resolution, which was adopted with 80 votes of the PACE members, calls upon the Council of Europe member states, who are also members of NATO, to act in favour of Ukraines membership in NATO and of Kyivs Peace Formula. They also approved the creation of the Register of Damages Caused by Russian Aggression. In its statement, PACE also condemns the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant and confirms that the Russian government is "recklessly threatening nuclear war and using the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Power Plant with the goal of blackmail". The members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe also call for further work to establish an international compensation mechanism and a Special Tribunal for the crime of Russian aggression, as well as to increase sanctions pressure and international isolation of the aggressor state. Other provisions of the document include a call to bring to justice all private military companies and Russia's allies who commit crimes on the territory of Ukraine, as well as to create a public register of companies and individuals working in Russia's interests and involved in circumventing sanctions. Background: At the beginning of the year, the PACE recognised that Russia's military aggression against Ukraine began in 2014, not 2022, and adopted a decision approving its demands for a special tribunal to investigate the crime of Russian aggression. Read also an interview with PACE President Tini Kox: "Nobody Will Blame Ukraine If Post-War Elections Are Not Perfect." Interview with PACE President". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! When responding to the scene where two American tourists were found dead in their luxury hotel room in Mexico this week, paramedics told ABC News that they began to feel "intoxication symptoms such as hypoxia and racing heartbeat." The paramedics said they decided to leave because they felt the scene was unsafe. They then took themselves to a local hospital for treatment, they told ABC News. The victims had no vital signs when the paramedics entered the room at Hyatt's Rancho Pescadero on Mexico's Baja California peninsula on Tuesday night at around 9:10 p.m. local time. The lifeless body of a woman was found on the bed, while the lifeless body of a man was found in the fetal position on the floor of the shower, which was still on when the paramedics arrived, they told ABC News. MORE: 2 Americans found dead in luxury hotel room in Baja California Sur, Mexico PHOTO: Abby Lutz, 28, was staying at a Baja California resort when found dead. (Gabrielle Slate) The victims had been dead for about 10 or 11 hours when they were found and there were no signs of violence or an altercation. The cause of death was "intoxication by substance to be determined," the State Attorney General's Office of Baja California Sur said in a statement on Thursday. The attorney general's office identified the victims as 28-year-old Abby Lutz and 41-year-old John Heathco, both from Newport Beach, California. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State confirmed the death of two American citizens in northwestern Mexico's Baja California Sur state this week. PHOTO: John Heathco, 41, was staying at a Baja California resort when found dead. (LinkedIn) Rancho Pescadero is a Hyatt property and boutique beachfront hotel in the scenic village of El Pescadero, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the foothills of the Sierra de Laguna mountain range. The hotel's general manager, Henar Gil, said in a statement on Thursday that his staff does "not believe that the cause of death was related to any issues with the hotel's infrastructure or facilities, including carbon monoxide or a gas of any kind." "Beyond anything else, on behalf of the entire Rancho Pescadero team, we are deeply affected and sorry for the loss the families and loved ones of Abby and John are enduring. This is a shocking and unimaginable situation, and we are committed to supporting and treating them with understanding and compassion," Gil added. "We will continue to cooperate with authorities as they look into the cause of this terrible tragedy." Lutz's family said they "are shocked and saddened to hear about the passing of our beloved Abby." "Abby had an adventurous spirit and a wonderfully kind heart," they said in a statement on Thursday. She loved to travel, see new places, and share her zeal for life with those around her. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for our family during this very difficult time." ABC News' Kendall Coughlin, Shannon Crawford, Will Gretsky and Bonnie McLean contributed to this report. Paramedics say they felt 'intoxication symptoms' in Mexico hotel room where 2 Americans were found dead originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Former President Donald Trump has said he may pardon recently convicted leaders of the Proud Boys. Here, Proud Boys members protest in Salem, Ore., on Jan. 8, 2022. Mathieu Lewis-Rolland / AFP via Getty Images In the past 10 years, there has been an increase in far-right political violence in the United States. While scholars have pointed to several possible reasons and often, combinations of explanations the trend is clear. This violence has coincided with the growing influence of far-right state and federal political candidates, who collectively have excited and mobilized extremist communities both online and in person. In response, federal and state law enforcement officials have focused increasing attention on these movements with the hope of deterring political violence and lowering the risk of domestic extremism. Many who participated in political violence including Cesar Sayoc, who sent pipe bombs to Democratic officials, Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio have faced arrest, prosecution and, in some cases, jail or prison sentences. At the same time, a number of conservative elected officials and politicians have publicly expressed interest in pardoning some of these same people. I am a scholar who studies the individuals, groups and movements that use political violence. Research shows that this use of the pardon power can damage the rule of law in the United States. It undermines one of the tools against violence that law enforcement can bring to bear - deterrence. The American Bar Association describes the rule of law as a foundational principle for the U.S. justice system: No one is above the law, everyone is treated equally under the law, everyone is held accountable to the same laws, there are clear and fair processes for enforcing laws, there is an independent judiciary, and human rights are guaranteed for all. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has said he intends to pardon the Army veteran who was recently convicted of killing a Black Lives Matter protester. Brandon Bell/Getty Images Diminishing deterrence In a recent CNN town hall, former President Donald Trump said that if reelected, he is interested in pardoning the recently convicted leadership of the Proud Boys and others who took part in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. This is not the first time that Trump has suggested he is considering such an offer. When he was president, he did pardon anti-government extremists. The pardon power is not limited to a sitting president, however; state governors can issue pardons for state crimes. And some have expressed similar interest in pardoning those convicted of politically motivated criminal acts in recent years. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said he intends to pardon the Army veteran who was recently convicted of killing a Black Lives Matter protester and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. In August 2021, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson pardoned the couple convicted of gun charges associated with brandishing firearms at protesters during the racial justice marches over the summer of 2020. Together, these public statements about, and the use of, pardons for politically motivated crime undercut the ability of law enforcement and the intelligence community to deter domestic political extremism. At its simplest, deterrence means that when people consider whether to do something wrong or illegal, they think about the consequences that they, and others, face or have faced. When punishment is certain, closer in time to the criminal behavior and proportionally severe, people will be less likely to commit crimes. Research in criminology has shown that of these three aspects, increasing the certainty of punishment can lower the incidence of crime. This is important, because when a pardon is offered, the certainty of punishment is dramatically diminished lowering the potential deterrent. Criminal sanctuary Since Jan. 6, 2021, over 1,000 of the people who participated in the attack on the U.S. Capitol have been criminally charged. Of these, more than 500 have pleaded guilty, and the Department of Justice has secured convictions in all but one trial. In other circumstances, the legal consequences could be expected to deter others from political violence in the U.S. However, when politicians signal that those responsible for or guilty of violence aligned with their interests could be shielded from punishment as shown by the use of pardons punishment seems less likely. This message of criminal sanctuary relief from punishment is what former President Trump, Gov. Abbott and Gov. Parson are communicating. Recent research draws a direct connection between criminal sanctuary and political violence. When people perceive that they will be provided sanctuary for their criminal actions this too leads to crime, write scholars Laura Dugan and Daren Fisher. In my research, I look at how these signals of criminal sanctuary by politicians and elected officials are interpreted and acted upon by far-right online communities in the United States. In a series of recent studies, my co-authors and I looked at what members of far-right online communities talked about and how it changed from before the November 2020 U.S. presidential election through the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Over the three-month period, when compared with mainstream online communities, far-right communities, most of them accepting of political violence, shifted their focus from discussions of disinformation around the election to specifically advocating for anti-government violence and civil war. We looked at how far-right online communities responded when then-President Trump called on his supporters in a tweet to come to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, saying it will be wild! These users listened to the then president and responded with a sentiment of self-righteousness and a greater focus on the idea that they were acting as soldiers on behalf of Trump. Consequently, members of those online communities played an important role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. In fact, the bipartisan House committee investigating the attack highlighted former President Trumps will be wild tweet as a call to action for his supporters and a signal that their actions on his behalf wouldnt result in legal consequences. Despite the tough on crime stances taken by many conservative politicians, the use of pardons to offer criminal sanctuary likely undermines the rule of law and increases the risks of political violence. This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters. It was written by: Michael H. Becker, American University. Read more: Michael H. Becker does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Parents in the southern California city of Temecula are pushing back against the local school boards recent decision to reject a social studies curriculum that includes gay rights after some board members claimed there was not enough parental involvement in the process and made comments attacking gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk. The comments came during a May 16 board meeting during which the Temecula Valley Unified School District Board of Education voted 3-2 to reject the adoption of a social studies curriculum for grades one through five. The curriculum contains a textbook that includes material on gay rights and mentions the work of Milk. I find the inclusion of sexually based topics and the glorification of a known pedophile who happened to be an advocate for gay rights to 10-year-olds morally reprehensible and inappropriate, board member Danny Gonzalez said during the meeting. He later clarified he was referring to Milk. Known as a pioneering trailblazer for gay rights, Milk is believed to be the first openly gay politician ever elected to public office in California, in 1977. While serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Milk worked with Mayor George Moscone on legislation outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation. Both men were later assassinated in 1978 by the only board supervisor who voted against the legislation. Milk was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2013. The curriculum recommended by staff and adopted by the State Board of Education does not actually include Milk directly, but a short biography is included in a supplemental resource for teachers that describes his lifestyle and his work for gay rights in California, Anna Tapley, the school districts director of curriculum and instruction, said in the May 16 meeting. Board president Dr. Joseph Komrosky responded: My question is why even mention a pedophile? Why even mention that? What has that got to do with our curriculum in schools? Thats a form of activism. According to the late San Francisco journalist Randy Shilts biography of Milk, The Mayor of Castro Street, Milk began a relationship with Jack McKinley, a 16-year-old runaway, while living in Greenwich Village. Milk was 34. Their relationship has long been a source of controversy. The age of consent in New York was raised from 14 to 18 in 2017. McKinley died by suicide in 1980. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called Komroskys comment an offensive statement from an ignorant person. This isnt Texas or Florida. In the Golden State, our kids have the freedom to learn. Congrats Mr. Komrosky you have our attention. Stay tuned, Newsom posted on Twitter. In an early June news conference, Komrosky said his statements about Milk were not based upon him being a homosexual, but rather based upon him being an adult having a sexual relationship with a minor. I would express the same sentiments of any adult being offered as an example in K through five textbooks (who) had admitted to a sexual relationship with a minor. That is the source of my objection to his example not his sexual orientation, he said. States across the country have increasingly tried to ban topics like critical race theory and LGBTQ rights from curricula in the past several years. States like Texas, Florida and Missouri introduced or passed bills to limit what content students can be taught regarding these topics, with at least 491 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures around the United States, according to the ACLU. The Temecula board most recently drew attention for firing its superintendent without cause, according to the Los Angeles Times, and banned critical race theory from school curricula in December. Stuart Milk, the nephew of Harvey Milk and executive chair of the Harvey Milk Foundation, said in a statement to CNN that lies and myths that a small minority of zealots try to conjure up cannot darken the incredible light and inspiration that my uncle gave to us all. CNN has followed up with Milk about his uncles relationship with McKinley. While he says hes not able to comment on the specific allegations the two board members made against Milk, Andrew Shaffer, director of development and communications at the GLBT Historical Society, reflected on a broader context of maligning queer people. Allegations of pedophilia against queer people are not new, he said. The claims against Milk reflect similar claims made during a failed California ballot initiative in 1978 called the Briggs Initiative, which looked to ban all queer people from teaching in public schools, according to Shaffer. They were saying that queer people are groomers, they are out to hurt children, Shaffer said. To counter this, he said, many gay people went door to door to introduce themselves to their neighbors to show they were normal people. The initiative ultimately failed and allowed gay people to keep teaching in public schools, he said. Its frustrating now almost half a century later to have queer people described this way, Shaffer said. There are actual dangers to children and they have nothing to do with queer people. Parents voice opinions The proposed social studies curriculum was part of a pilot process started last year and included 47 classrooms with 1,300 students, Kimberly Velez, assistant superintendent of Student Support Services, said during the May 16 meeting. The school board held a follow-up meeting Tuesday where community members were allowed to voice their opinions on the curriculum controversy. Emily Hyer, a parent who came to Temecula for its education system, was disheartened. Hyers son took part in the pilot program, and she said he was excited about what he was learning. Hyer was frustrated by the decision to ban the program, especially in light of claims by some board members that there was not enough parental involvement in the process. I didnt submit comments or come to the last meeting because I did not think it was necessary and I trusted that they would take the word of the teachers, she said. As parents, we put a lot on the teachers because they are the experts, and when they say something is great, and our schools are great, we trust them. Annalisa Bujas, who teaches fourth and fifth grades, said she is saddened by the lack of collaboration in the community. This inability to cooperate is now affecting families and students who feel the stress between the board and teachers, she said. We have never before experienced anything as tumultuous as we have right now, Bujas said. Leon Alexander, the father-of-law of Komrosky and a grandfather of an elementary student in Temecula, believes the board did not reject the proposed program because of the reference to Milk, but rather the lack of parental input. These decisions should be controlled by the school board and parents, according to Alexander. There is not enough parent and community input as to whats going on into our schools, he said. CORRECTION: This story has been updated to describe Leon Alexanders relationship to Komrosky and correct the number of grandchildren Alexander currently has in the district. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The passengers on the missing Titan submersible are dead, Coast Guard and operator OceanGate say OceanGate Expeditions' Titan submersible. OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File An international search effort was launched after the Titan submersible went missing Sunday. Officials found debris Thursday which they said was consistent with a "catastrophic implosion." Both the US Coast Guard and OceanGate, which operated the sub, said the five men on board had died. The five passengers on board the Titan submersible traveling to the Titanic wreckage are believed to be dead, the vessel's operator and the US Coast Guard said on Thursday. They reached the conclusion after a days-long search found debris from the sub on the ocean floor, indicating a failure of the vessel's hull that would be impossible to survive. The debris, found not far from the wreck of the Titanic, was "consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber" and then a "catastrophic implosion," said US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger, who led the search. Around the same time that Mauger announced his findings in a press conference, OceanGate Expeditions, which operated the sub, gave a statement of its own confirming the deaths. Five men were on board: the British billionaire Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, former French navy diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush. What happened to the submersible The Titan submersible, a 21-foot-long vessel of titanium and carbon fiber, set off Sunday to explore the remains of the RMS Titanic located nearly 13,000 feet underwater, hundreds of miles off the coast of North America. But an hour and 45 minutes into the expedition, the Titan lost communications with its mothership at the surface. Eight hours elapsed before OceanGate contacted the Coast Guard, which launched a wide-ranging rescue effort that lasted until Thursday. Hoping the vessel was still intact, Coast Guard officials estimated the sub had 96 hours of breathable oxygen when it first left for its destination. That deadline passed without resolution on Thursday morning, though the debris was located later that day. Evidence to emerge since suggests that the implosion took place within hours of the sub setting off, meaning the passengers would have been dead before anybody really started looking for them. Hopes were raised on Wednesday after searchers said they detected a banging sound in the general search area. In hindsight it was a false lead. The Coast Guard said on Thursday there didn't seem "to be any connection between the noises and the location on the sea floor." They said they don't know if passengers' bodies can be recovered, but that the search would continue. Loved ones react Friends and relatives of the passengers spoke to the media while the search was underway, and were quick to pay tribute once the deaths were announced. Nargeolet's daughter spoke to Reuters before the debris was discovered, saying: "What he liked the most was to be in a submarine, [near] the Titanic. He is where he really loved being. I would prefer him [dying] at a place where he is happy." David Mearns, a diving expert and friend of two passengers on the Titan, told Sky News his "worst fears have now been realized" and "two friends of mine are gone." Suleman Dawood's aunt told NBC News her nephew was "terrified" before the trip but went to bond with his dad over Father's Day weekend. Richard Garriott de Cayeux, the president of the Explorers Club, said in a statement Thursday that he and club members are "heartbroken." "Hamish Harding is a dear friend to me personally and to The Explorers Club," he wrote. "He holds several world records and has continued to push dragons off maps both in person and through supporting expeditions and worthy causes." He also called Nargeolet was "one of the foremost experts on submersible expeditions to the Titanic." He added: "We're heartbroken for the families, friends and colleagues of those who were lost. Their memories will be a blessing and will continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration." Read the original article on Insider In this Feb. 16, 2017, photo, a discarded syringe sits in the dirt with other debris under a highway overpass where drug users are known to congregate in Everett, Wash. | Elaine Thompson, Associated Press The city of Seattle and King County, Washington, are on pace to soar past 2022s record high of 1,000 fatal drug overdoses, a number that has climbed every year since the county decriminalized drugs in 2018. With more than 500 confirmed drug fatalities by mid-June, most involving the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl, theres no end in sight. Thats especially true since Seattle decided to legalize drugs yet again, essentially doubling down on policies that are devastating the city. In embracing this approach, Seattle has become a poster child for how ideology gets in the way of sound approaches to the problems of illegal drug use and homelessness. But the policy failures arent scaring away other Democrat-run governments quite the opposite. The drug legalization movement appears to be growing along with the number of dead addicts. How did this happen? In 2021, the Washington State Supreme Court invalidated the states felony drug possession law, arguing that its unreasonable to assume someone caught with drugs knew they had them. It was a head-scratching decision delivered by a court thats become increasingly and transparently partisan. The Democrat-controlled legislature then passed a temporary law to effectively legalize drugs statewide as it figured out what the states new approach to illicit drugs would be. The answer was always obvious: change the law to say that knowledge of the possession of drugs is a felony. But the state legislature is controlled by a small group of vocal and far-left legislators who argue that the criminal justice system is racist and should not play a role in drug crimes. People dont recover when we put them in cages, state Rep. Lauren Davis said on the House floor. Hands-off approach Under the temporary plan, addicts could only be arrested after two contacts with police; they were offered the opportunity to get help instead. But with no mechanism to track the number of police encounters, drug-related arrests mostly stopped, impacting every part of the state as illicit substances continued to flow in. Seattle and King County were hit the hardest. For a while, a bipartisan compromise bill to re-criminalize drugs seemed plausible this year. Possession would still not be a felony; instead, a gross misdemeanor. That was better than nothing. Law enforcement and prosecutors could leverage jail time to pressure addicts into getting the life-saving treatment they need. But that any jail time was part of the plan was enough for the some Democratic lawmakers to scuttle the deal. The state legislative session ended without a bill, meaning that by July 1, the state would have no drug possession laws at all. Democrat Gov. Jay Inslee called for a special session to rework the bill. But thankfully, mayors and city councils around the state did not wait. With urgency and bipartisanship that state lawmakers should have emulated, countless cities and counties made drug possession and use a gross misdemeanor on their own. We cannot stand idly by while individuals die of an overdose or watch drug-related property and violent crimes continue to impact our neighborhoods and businesses, Kent mayor Dana Ralph argued. Seattle was still not ready to impose legal sanctions on addicts. The current ideological makeup of the Seattle City Council is far left. With only two moderates, it seemed a Herculean task to convince the rest of the council to criminalize drugs. Our hands-off approach to people using illegal drugs in public has resulted in rampant street crime and a death toll rivaling that of COVID-19 in Seattle, moderate city council member Sara Nelson said in a statement. Complacency is no longer an option. But it turned out that complacency was, indeed, an option. Democratic council member Tammy Morales tweeted hard pass on any drug criminalization. Her colleagues soon followed. Related Meanwhile, progressive Democrats at the state level finally reconciled their differences and passed a drug law that made possession a gross misdemeanor, forcing Seattle into a choice. The citys municipal code needed an update to conform to the gross misdemeanor classification. As it stands, the King County prosecuting attorneys office handles drug crimes, but the top prosecutor, Leesa Manion, said her office cannot handle the caseload. Plus, misdemeanors are supposed to go to the city attorney. All carrot, no stick Legal accountability for addicts is often described as criminalizing addiction. But the approach adopted by the city attorney isnt merely about jailing addicts. Its about leveraging jail to get people treatment, with legal consequences if they decline. In research for my forthcoming book Whats Killing America, I noticed a trend in cities with the worst drug problems: their permissive policies were all carrot and no stick. It turns out, addicts dont like carrots, and without a stick, they arent properly motivated. From Los Angeles and Portland to Philadelphia and New York, addicts who are often homeless know there are few, if any, legal consequences for drug use and thus may have little incentive to seek treatment. After a dramatic council meeting, the Seattle City Council rejected the proposed ordinance 5-4, keeping drug cases with the prosecutor, and de facto legalizing drugs again. The council sided with progressive activists despite polling that shows Seattle residents are finally acknowledging that the citys permissive drug culture has gone too far. A recent survey by EMC Research showed 65% of residents believe the city is on the wrong track, and 77% agree that the citys hands-off approach to drug use is making it much harder for downtown to recover. Addicts need and deserve help; we all agree on this. But should we wait for them to ask for help, as progressives believe, or provide incentives through legal consequences? Seattle employs a harm reduction strategy, handing out drug paraphernalia for addicts to continue to use, only in safer ways. A recent council meeting revealed the city is funding pipes for fentanyl use. The city is not alone. New York City public health officials are installing vending machines for clean needles and Naloxone, a drug that can reverse an opioid overdose. Volunteers in Philadelphia pass out smoking kits, while Los Angeles County distributes crack pipes. If a Chicago Democrat gets his way, the city will see safe consumption sites, locations where addicts are supervised by medical professionals while they get high. Perhaps Seattle doesnt want to be seen as a left-wing city going backward on drug policy; it might lose its progressive bona fides. Mayor Bruce Harrell announced hed convene a 24-member work group to hash out solutions to the drug crisis. He also promised an ordinance similar to what just failed, but left out the details. Whatever it ends up looking like, if the city continues to follow the trend, that record high number of fatal overdoses will continue to get higher every year. Jason Rantz is author of the forthcoming book, Whats Killing America: Inside the Radical Lefts Tragic Destruction of Our Cities, and a Seattle-based talk show host on KTTH Radio. Hes a frequent guest on Fox News, including The Faulkner Focus, Fox News at Night, and Varney and Company. On Twitter, hes @JasonRantz. Creative multi-hyphenate and Virginian Beach native Pharrell Williams paid homage to his Hampton Roads roots during the debut of his Louis Vuitton line Tuesday evening during Paris Fashion Week. Williams outfits included a letterman jacket design based on his own jacket from Princess Anne High School. A model wore the jacket paired with a black skirt and a duffel bag bearing the classic Louis Vuitton gold-and-brown pattern. State senator and Virginia Beach native Aaron Rouse praised the show and Williams in an Instagram post, saying, He has always repped VA to the fullest. Several items in the show also bore a LVERS emblem, a reference to both the fashion brand and Virginias famous Virginia is for Lovers tourism slogan. Elsewhere in the show, Hampton Roads natives and rappers Pusha T and No Malice, both of the hip hop group Clipse, walked in the show, while new music from the pair played in the background. Williams was named Louis Vuittons new mens creative director in February after the death of Virgil Abloh. Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, trevor.metcalfe@pilotonline.com Photos show what the Costco food court looks like in Iceland Costco in Garabr, Iceland. Talia Lakritz/Insider I visited Iceland's only Costco store in Garabr, about 6 miles south of Reykjavik. The food court was smaller than those I've seen at Costco stores on the East Coast. It sold pizza, gelato, burgers, chicken bakes, coffee, and famous Icelandic hot dogs. With 854 warehouse locations worldwide, Costco opened its first store in Iceland in 2017. I visited the popular chain on a recent trip to Iceland and checked out its famous food court. I found that the Icelandic Costco's food court offered fewer options than I've seen at Costco stores on the East Coast of the US, but its menu contained many of the same items. Take a look inside Iceland's Costco food court. Iceland's first and only Costco store is located in Garabr. Costco in Garabr, Iceland. Talia Lakritz/Insider Garabr is about 6 miles south of Iceland's capital of Reykjavik. I visited Costco in the early afternoon, when the food court appeared to be a popular lunch spot with a long line. Costco in Garabr, Iceland. Talia Lakritz/Insider I was surprised to find that the store was laid out almost exactly the same as the Costco I'm used to visiting in New York City, with the food court next to the checkout counters. The food court offered many of the same items that I've seen at US Costco stores such as coffee, burgers, gelato, and chicken bakes, but offered fewer items than I anticipated. Costco in Garabr, Iceland. Talia Lakritz/Insider Iceland's Costco food court didn't have smoothies, salads, or churros items I'm used to seeing at US stores. Pizza cost 600 ISK ($4.44) per slice and 2,200 ISK ($16.27) for a whole take-home pie, while hot dogs, a popular street food in Iceland, cost 299 ISK ($2.20). Costco in Garabr, Iceland. Talia Lakritz/Insider In the US, a slice of pizza at Costco costs $1.99 while a whole pie is $9.95, and hot dogs cost $1.50. There were also two soda fountains with Pepsi, 7-Up, and an orange-flavored Icelandic soda called Egils Appelsin. Costco in Garabr, Iceland. Talia Lakritz/Insider Produced by Iceland's Skallagrimsson Brewery since 1955, Egils Appelsin is often served at festive occasions and holidays like Christmas. Located near the checkout lines, a small seating area allowed Costco customers to sit and enjoy their purchases. Costco in Iceland. Talia Lakritz/Insider I enjoyed knowing that my $60 annual Costco membership card can get me into any Costco store worldwide to sample their unique food-court menus. Read the original article on Insider Physicist who once got caught in Titanic wreckage in a sub says its time to stop 'joyride' trips to Titanic wreck site Michael Guillen. Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images A physicist who got trapped in the Titanic wreckage in a sub said its time to stop "joyride" trips. Michael Guillen told GBNews there should be more "restrictions" in the wake of the missing sub. "This is not a joyride. This is a serious business. The ocean is a merciless beast," said Guillen. A physicist who once had a near-death experience when his research sub got caught in the wreckage of the RMS Titanic said it's time to stop "joyride" trips to the site in the depths of the North Atlantic as rescuers frantically search for the missing tourist submersible that was headed there. "Certainly, we need to stop, pause all trips to the Titanic, I believe, and figure out, you know, what kind of restrictions should we place," Michael Guillen said during an interview with GBNews published on Thursday. Guillen added, "This is not a joyride. This is a serious business. The ocean is a merciless beast, really. It's ready to swallow you up." Twenty-three years ago, Guillen became the first TV correspondent to report from the Titanic wreck site, which lies 12,500 feet below the ocean's surface. He voyaged there in a Russian research submarine. Guillen said disaster struck when the sub got caught up in a "very strong underwater current" and became lodged in the massive propeller of the iconic passenger liner at the bottom of the ocean floor off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. "Somehow, we got trapped behind the blades," Guillen, who worked for ABC News at the time, said in his interview with GBNews. It took more than an hour for the sub's pilot to finally break the vessel loose, and Guillen said he thought they would die. Dr. Michael Guillen (@DrMGuillen) June 19, 2023 "It seemed like an eternity down there, but I was ready to give up my life and join the people who have lost their lives" in the 1912 Titanic tragedy, Guillen said. Guillen said he's had to relive his harrowing experience since catastrophe unfolded for OceanGate Expeditions' Titan sub and the five people on board the vessel. The Titan lost communication with its mothership less than two hours into the sightseeing journey which comes with a price tag of $250,000 a person to the Titanic wreck site on Sunday. Extensive search efforts by land, air, and sea have been underway to locate the sub, which has likely already run out of oxygen. "It seems as though these five people are not going to be given that chance at life. And that just breaks my heart because I know what they've gone through," said Guillen. An emotional Guillen continued, "I went through it. I know what it feels like to be buried alive in a tin can at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. It's terrifying terrifying." Read the original article on Insider The pilot and passengers of a submersible that went missing near the Titanic wreckage are believed to be dead, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and the company that operated the vessel. The news was announced Thursday afternoon by both entities. It follows a dayslong hunt for the five-person crew, who left on a tourist expedition Sunday. Earlier on Thursday, the Coast Guard said that a remote-operated vehicle discovered a debris field in the search area. During a press conference, Rear Adm. John Mauger said that five major pieces of debris found approximately 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor signaled to authorities that it was the remains of the submersible. In consultation with experts in the unified command, the debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber, Mauger said. Upon this determination, we immediately notified the families. On behalf of the U.S. Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families, he continued. I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time. The 22-foot craft disappeared Sunday en route to the deep-sea wreckage of the Titanic, carrying a small crew with passengers who paid up to $250,000. The vessel was operated by OceanGate, a private company based in Washington state. An international team using planes, ships, robots and buoys had frantically hunted for the submersible, contending with rough conditions and a search area roughly double the size of Connecticut. Experts said the craft likely had just 96 hours of oxygen, predicted to be exhausted sometime Thursday morning. Underwater banging sounds were repeatedly detected, but Mauger said there appeared to be no link between the noises and the submersible. This was a catastrophic implosion of the vessel, which would have generated a significant broadband sound that would have been recognized via sonar detection, Mauger said. The vessel was carrying five people: The founder of OceanGate, Stockton Rush, who served as the pilot; Hamish Harding, a British businessperson and explorer who holds several Guinness World Records; Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a maritime expert who has been on nearly three dozen dives to the Titanic site; Shahzada Dawood, a British-Pakistani businessperson; and Dawoods 19-year-old son, Suleman. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time, a statement from OceanGate read on Thursday. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. The Coast Guard said that there is little chance of rescue crews being able to find the passengers remains, but that the remote-operated vehicle will remain at the debris site to gather more information about what happened to the submersible after it lost contact. Related... A Pittsburgh man who allegedly shot a male early Tuesday morning in the citys Troy Hill neighborhood has been arrested. Gerald Sanders, 38, is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault. Officers responded to the 1700 block of Hatteras Street around 12:15 a.m. for a report of a person shot. They found a male down in the street with a gunshot wound to the leg. The victim was jumped by a group of people who beat him and stole a necklace from around his neck, according to the complaint. While the victim was being hit, Sanders came out from behind a building and shot him once, police said. Sanders is also charged with reckless endangerment and firearms violations. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Multiple black bears spotted across Allegheny County; heres where theyre coming from Searchers detect banging sounds in hunt for missing Titanic sub Pittsburgh Police Chief Scirotto shares his side of story after local activist arrested at parade VIDEO: 17 Pitt students learn they didnt reach graduation requirements after commencement DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts Police Police arrested a father and his aunt Tuesday after a 2-year-old boy was taken to the hospital for a suspected meth overdose. Shortly after 6:45 a.m. on Tuesday, officers went to the Yavapai Regional Medical Center after reports came in about the child being taken by helicopter to a Phoenix-area hospital, according to a Prescott police news release. When police arrived, they learned that family members took the child to the emergency room after he suffered seizure-like symptoms. A toxicology report determined that meth was in the boys' body, according to the release. Prescott police spokesperson Lt. Corey Kasun on Thursday told The Arizona Republic that as of Wednesday evening the boy was no longer in critical condition but stable. As officers investigated, they contacted the boy's father, identified as 30-year-old Johnny Holguin of Prescott. Police said that upon their initial contact, they "observed signs of recent drug use and located a useable quantity of cocaine in his possession." Investigators pieced together that the child had lived with his father among other family members at their Prescott residence. According to the statement, Holguin and his aunt, 65-year-old Sylvia Uranga, admitted to having used meth within the last few days, resulting in the pair being taken into custody. Holguin and Uranga were ultimately booked into jail and face possible charges of child abuse and possession of dangerous drugs. No other information had been released. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Prescott toddler overdose, family members arrested Speed may have contributed to a fatal crash that killed a 19-year-old Lynn man and seriously injured another man on Route 128 in Manchester-by-the-Sea on Tuesday morning, authorities said. Authorities have identified the 19-year-old man killed as Byssman Pablo Bixcul. Troopers responding to a report of a single-vehicle crash on the northbound side of the highway near mile mark 51 shortly before 7:30 a.m. found a 2009 Honda Civic that had veered off the road and rolled over in the woods, according to Massachusetts State Police. The second victim, a 26-year-old Florida man believed to be living in Lynn, was flown to a Boston hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries, state police said. Police believe Bixcul was the passenger of the vehicle. The investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding the crash remains ongoing to determine if possible charges against the operator are warranted. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Los Angeles City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto has written a proposal to narrow the California Public Records Act. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Prompted by the release of information about thousands of Los Angeles police officers that activists posted to a public online database, City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto is trying to convince California lawmakers to weaken the states public records law. While Feldstein Soto describes her proposal as a minor tweak to the California Public Records Act, civil rights advocates say it would severely diminish the power of the bedrock state law that allows access to information held by local governments and state agencies. That proposal would completely gut the Public Records Act, Melanie Ochoa, an attorney who is the director of police practices for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, said after reviewing a copy obtained by The Times. There would be really no transparency element of the PRA anymore if that were to become law. Read more: Los Angeles police accidentally release photos of undercover officers to watchdog website The city attorneys effort amounts to the latest volley in an ongoing tussle between city officials and community activists who have used the public records law to obtain information they see as helpful in holding police accountable for misconduct. Feldstein Sotos proposal contained in a two-page document she has asked several state lawmakers to introduce as a bill would allow government agencies to decline public records requests that seek images or data that may personally identify an individual whose information the agency collects, such as its employees. California's public records law already exempts from disclosure the home addresses and phone numbers of public employees as well as other information that could "constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy." So the change the city attorney is seeking could block the public from identifying government workers in their professional capacities. While she framed her proposal as a necessity to protect a range of public-sector workers who could be subject to harassment including sanitation employees who dismantle homeless encampments and public health workers who promote vaccinations Feldstein Soto acknowledged that it was inspired by the public records request that led to the release this year of pictures and data of more than 9,300 L.A. police officers. I'm trying to address the wholesale doxxing of people that we need to depend on to do the business of government, without any reason other than the position that they happen to hold, Feldstein Soto said. Having a tool in the toolbox of activists that is not aimed necessarily at the policy of the government, but aimed at intimidating the individuals who are carrying out the policy seems to me to be something where we could all come together to try to protect working people. Feldstein Soto traveled to Sacramento last month and said she met with two dozen lawmakers about her proposal. So far none have agreed to put it into a bill, but Feldstein Soto remains hopeful. Even though several lawmakers were skeptical of the idea, she said many more were affirmatively enthusiastic and supportive. Lawmakers in Sacramento are halfway through the 2023 legislative session, which makes passing a newly introduced bill a big political lift. Legislation introduced at this point would go through an abbreviated review process, giving lawmakers less time to scrutinize the proposal and allowing limited public input. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) met with Feldstein Soto about her desire to change the public records law and is sympathetic to the issue, said Rendon spokesman John Casey. Rendon asked his staff to look for a way to get her proposal into a bill, Casey said, but so far that has not happened in the Assembly. In the state Senate, a spokesperson for Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) said her staff met with Feldstein Soto about the proposal but that Atkins is not considering putting it in legislation. In addition to allowing local governments to withhold photos and identifying information about their employees from the public, the bill Feldstein Soto drafted also would allow local governments to block the release of information that identifies people experiencing homelessness or receiving government benefits, as well as information on services provided to them. She said shes aiming to shield people who are moved into housing or shelter from being sought out by pimps and drug dealers. It would be "a discretionary exemption for purposes of basically preserving the safety of the folks, she said. We [could] redact the information that would allow somebody to target them. But its requests for information about L.A. police officers that have sparked the biggest dust-up over the power of the Public Records Act. In March, a group called the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition launched a searchable online database with the names, photos, ethnicity, rank, date of hire, division/bureau and badge numbers of more than 9,300 officers, including what the city attorney described as a few hundred who work undercover or in other sensitive positions. The group encourages community members to observe and document police abuses, especially arrests and other violence, according to its website, and publishes a guide for activists on how to use public records laws to advance the goal of abolishing police. Leaders of the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition previously told The Times that the information they published was obtained from the Los Angeles Police Department through a public records request. City officials say the undercover officers were inadvertently included in the response and are investigating how it happened. In an attempt to claw back the photos of the undercover officers, the city sued the Knock LA journalist who filed the public records request and the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition. Last month, a Los Angeles judge rejected the citys controversial request that he order the journalist to return a flash drive of police officers photographs. In his order, Judge Mitchell Beckloff wrote that the city had not provided evidence that the batch of released photos included undercover officers. Read more: Judge denies city request to claw back police officer photos from local media outlet "They keep repeating this assertion that undercovers are in danger, yet they had all these opportunities to offer evidence of that and they've never done that," said Shakeer Rahman, an attorney for the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition. "Really, what they're doing and I think this legislative proposal just confirms it is they're trying to make the identity of every single police officer secret." Tom Saggau, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said since the database went up several officers have faced threats and have reported them to the department, but he declined to provide details. When Feldstein Soto approached the officers union about her idea to narrow the Public Records Act, Saggau said, we conveyed to the city attorney that if a bill was introduced that prevented these types of doxxing disclosures that there was a high likelihood we would support it. The president of the union that represents Los Angeles social workers said that although it does not yet have a formal position on Feldstein Sotos proposal, it sounds appealing as a potential tool to protect employees. Social workers who intervene when families are in crisis have faced threats of death and harm to their families, and had confidential information about themselves posted on social media, said David Green, president of SEIU Local 721. It's an accident waiting to happen, he said. I'm a firm believer in transparency and accountability, but at the same time, I've had to represent workers ... [whose] health and safety and their life, sometimes, is really threatened by the people we serve, unfortunately. But civil rights attorneys refuted the notion that the public records law puts government employees in harms way. It does not allow disclosure of personal information, such as home addresses or family information, said Ochoa, the ACLU attorney only work-related information. The courts have recognized that knowledge of who is working in the public and for the public is something the public has a right to know, she said. Ochoa pointed to the public records law as a critical tool in efforts to improve police practices and hold law enforcement agencies accountable because it can be used to identify specific officers. Without that power, she said, it would have been impossible to advocate for other transparency laws California passed in recent years to require more disclosure of internal records on police shootings and to create a system for decertifying officers for serious misconduct. That would not have been possible if we weren't made aware that the same officer that killed someone had gone to another agency and killed someone else, Ochoa said. We would oppose any attempt to gut the PRA in this way. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Former President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks on June 10 in Greensboro, N.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Nearly 6 in 10 Americans (57%) now think former President Donald Trump should be found guilty of federal crimes in the classified documents case, according to a new Yahoo News/YouGov poll. Roughly the same number (58%) say Trump should not be allowed to serve as president again if convicted. Yet Republicans are still just as ready to renominate Trump for president as they were before his most recent indictment, with more than half (53%) favoring him over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (33%). The survey of 1,626 U.S. adults, which was conducted from June 16 to 20, dramatically underscores the paradoxical, split-screen politics of Trumps mounting legal peril. On the one hand, most Americans believe that mishandling classified documents and obstructing the governments repeated efforts to recover them are serious crimes that should disqualify Trump in 2024. On the other hand, Trump is not losing any support within his own party as a result. Regardless of what crimes the former president is charged with, it seems, America has made up its mind about him. Trumps numbers havent changed since indictment Across every measure of his popularity and political standing, the former presidents post-indictment numbers match his pre-indictment numbers from the first half of 2023. Four out of five potential Republican primary voters registered voters who identify as or lean Republican now have a favorable impression of Trump (80%); just 19% have an unfavorable opinion. Thats identical to his average rating since January. And while Trump got a small bump in the Yahoo News/YouGov survey conducted in late May, his support for the GOP nomination against the full field of 2024 Republican candidates (48%) or against someone else (49%) is exactly the same as it was before that. Likewise, President Biden (46%) continues to hold a slight edge over Trump (42%) among registered general-election voters but that margin has remained essentially unchanged (with Trump averaging 42%) for the last year and a half. Most Americans believe Trump is guilty of serious crimes Yet the new Yahoo News/YouGov poll also makes it clear that most Americans approve of the indictment, believe Trump is guilty and consider the underlying crimes to be serious. According to the survey: Far more Americans approve (50%) than disapprove (34%) of Trumps indictment in the classified documents case (15% are unsure). 57% of Americans say that Trump should be found guilty, with slightly less than 40% saying he should be found guilty on all charges and slightly less than 18% saying he should be found guilty on just some charges. Only 29% do not think Trump should be found guilty. Essentially the same number of Americans (58%) consider taking highly classified documents from the White House and obstructing efforts to retrieve them to be serious crimes. When asked if five specific allegations contained in the indictment qualify as serious crimes, reactions among Americans are similarly lopsided: 62% say its a serious crime to retain hundreds of classified documents that include sensitive military information. 61% say its a serious crime to share a top-secret map of a military operation in a foreign country with someone ... who did not have security clearance. 58% say its a serious crime to suggest that his lawyer pluck documents out before returning material to investigators. 57% say its a serious crime to keep boxes of top secret national security documents ... in easily accessible places such as a shower and to direct an assistant to move 64 boxes of documents hours before his lawyers came to search for them. So why is Trump still the GOP frontrunner? The new Yahoo News/YouGov poll suggests that there are three reasons why Trumps rising legal jeopardy has yet to upend the 2024 campaign. The first reason is that less than a third of potential Republican primary voters are willing to say that any of the allegations in the indictment would qualify as serious crimes and even fewer currently believe that Trump actually committed the offenses hes been accused of, such as withholding or concealing documents from investigators (21%) or conspiring to obstruct justice (13%). The second reason the indictment hasnt damaged Trump is that his supporters simply dismiss the charges as unfair. Asked whether the indictment was motivated more by a genuine desire to hold Trump accountable or political bias, a staggering 93% of his general election supporters and 96% of his primary supporters say the latter. Finally, consider the everyone does it rationalization. Asked about Bidens own classified documents incident in which lawyers for President Biden alerted the National Archives earlier this year that they had found some classified documents in Bidens home and former office 91% of Trumps general election supporters say Bidens actions are either just as serious as Trumps (56%) or more serious (35%), even though Biden has fully cooperated with authorities. A small sign that views could shift To test whether learning specific details about the case might alter Americans broader view of Trump, half of respondents were asked whether they approve of the indictment and whether Trump should be found guilty before they were asked about each specific allegation in the indictment; the other half were asked after. Remarkably, the order in which respondents answered questions had no impact on their approval of the indictment or their judgments about Trumps guilt. Again, minds are made up. But there were two instances in which the order of the questions did make a difference: opposition to Trump being allowed to serve as president if convicted in the documents case, and disapproval of Trump continuing to run from behind bars if convicted and sentenced to prison. Both numbers were significantly higher 61% vs. 54% in the first scenario, and 65% vs. 59% in the second among respondents who received specific details from the indictment beforehand. ____________ The Yahoo News survey was conducted by YouGov using a nationally representative sample of 1,626 U.S. adults interviewed online from June 16 to 20, 2023. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, education, 2020 election turnout and presidential vote, baseline party identification and current voter registration status. Demographic weighting targets come from the 2019 American Community Survey. Baseline party identification is the respondents most recent answer given prior to March 15, 2022, and is weighted to the estimated distribution at that time (32% Democratic, 27% Republican). Respondents were selected from YouGovs opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S. adults. The margin of error is approximately 2.7%. Pre-K for 4-year-olds to start in the fall at this DoD school in Japan Prekindergarten is opening for 4-year-olds this fall at M.C. Perry Primary School on Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan the first in what officials hope will be universal pre-K for military children attending Department of Defense schools. Students who turn 4 on or before Sept. 1 are eligible, subject to the existing eligibility and enrollment policies at Department of Defense Education Activity schools. To date, 46 students are registered for pre-K at Iwakuni, and officials estimate that total enrollment could reach around 95 to 100 students, said DoDEA spokesman Will Griffin. This will be a test run of sorts for DoDEAs plan to bring pre-K to an estimated 6,000 eligible students across the 60 military communities served by DoDEA schools. Officials continue to plan and analyze the resources and facilities to determine whats needed to start the pre-k programs, but all is contingent on funding. Defense officials have asked for $90.4 million for a full-day program for all eligible 4-year-old children at DoDEA schools, according to budget documents. The defense policy and funding bills are making their way through the legislative process now. If the funding is approved, DoDEA will start phasing in the program during school year 2024-2025. Schools in the first phase would have appropriate facilities already available; those in the second phase would require minor facility adjustments, such as bathrooms and playgrounds, according to an earlier DoDEA announcement. Those in the last phase would need more extensive modifications or construction to increase classrooms. Officials have said the programs would be implemented over a five-year-period, but the analysis is ongoing. It would be premature to announce a date for full implementation until the analysis is complete and the full scope of requirements is known, Griffin said. That could include significant renovation or construction of facilities at some locations. Defense school officials are using funds from their fiscal 2023 budget for the early implementation at MC Perry, Griffin said. Early implementation in Iwakuni provides DoDEA with the opportunity to test and validate procedures and plans developed for the later system-wide rollout of universal pre-kindergarten, Griffin said. The existing classrooms and facilities at MC Perry required minimal changes to meet specific requirements, he said. Supporters of universal pre-K contend that earlier, high-quality education can make a positive difference in a childs future. Some states have pre-kindergarten programs, but its a patchwork of different programs and eligibility. A full-day program for 4-year-olds would also help address the critical shortage of child care at many installations, advocates have said. Separately, President Joe Bidens administration has proposed funding for a federal-state partnership to provide free, universal preschool for all American children. Parents at MCAS Iwakuni who want to register their 4-year-olds can visit https://dodeasis.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do. That log-in page says the system will be unavailable through July 3 as officials prepare for the school year. According to the schools Facebook page, the pre-K school day will run from 7:55 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. weekdays except Tuesday, when it will end at 1:15 p.m. Pregnant woman fatally shot in back by her 2-year-old son, Ohio police say A pregnant woman and her unborn child died after a toddler got a hold of a gun and shot her in the back last week, Ohio police said. Laura Ilg, 31, called 911 on Friday afternoon and told the dispatcher she was 33 weeks pregnant and had been shot by her 2-year-old son, the Norwalk Police Department said in a statement. Her husband, Alek, called in a report moments later that he had received a call from his wife who was screaming for him to call police. Audio from the 911 call was released by police, and Ilg can be heard begging for help in panic. Im upstairs, I need help, she told the dispatcher. Is your front door unlocked? the dispatcher asked. Tell them to break in, please, hurry, she pleads before screaming. Officers arrived at 1:14 p.m., three minutes after her first call was placed, and forced entry into the home. She told officers what happened as they rendered aid, police said. Laura was transported to Fisher Titus Medical Center, where an emergency cesarean section took place, police said. Her unborn son was pronounced dead less than an hour after the 911 call was placed, and Ilg was pronounced dead at 5:10 p.m., according to police. The responding officers took possession of the gun, a Sig Sauer P365, along with a shell casing and the loaded magazine. Both Ilg and her husband told authorities that the handgun was kept in a nightstand in their bedroom. There was also a 12-gauge shotgun and an airsoft rifle in the home, police said. No charges have been filed, but police said the investigation findings will be forwarded to the local prosecutors office. In an interview with WOIO, a local CBS affiliate, Norwalk Police Chief David Smith said that while the home had many child-safety features, many of the gates were often open. The gun was left out, but it shouldnt have been accessible to the child, Smith said. Apparently she didnt know he was in the room at the time. This story first appeared on NBCNews.com. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Prescott Townsend and Beacon Hill A groundbreaking Boston gay activist is being recognized with a National Park Service tour of his neighborhood. Prescott Townsend lived an exuberantly out gay life that flew in the face of the social and legal boundaries of his time, Boston public radio station GBH reports. He spent most of his life in Bostons Beacon Hill area. He lived from 1894 to 1973 and attended New York Citys first Pride parade, held in 1970. The park services first tour centered on Townsend took place last weekend. The tour will be offered again, although a schedule hasnt been determined. Townsend was born into an old, wealthy Boston family. He came out as a teenager, and his parents were accepting but told him to be cautious, park ranger Meaghan Michel said on the tour, according to GBH. After serving in World War I, he lived in Paris for a time, becoming immersed in the bohemian culture of the era. He then sought to establish an outpost of that culture in Boston, the radio station reports. He opened a bar and an avant-garde theater in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, using his family money to produce plays. He also spent time in Provincetown, where he became friendly with playwright Eugene ONeill and other theater artists. He was very happy to bankroll them, Michel said. And they were very happy to take his money. The 1929 stock market crash and the resulting Great Depression forced him to close the theater. He stayed in Beacon Hill, where he provided affordable rental housing to young gay men. During World War II, Townsend worked in a shipyard, but he was arrested in 1943 for engaging in a sex act with another man in his neighborhood. He was imprisoned for a year and a half, after which he returned to Beacon Hill and plunged into activism. Very early on, this house became site to some of the earliest meetings discussing specifically gay issues in Boston, Michel said in front of Townsends post-incarceration home. And [it] was the first headquarters of the Boston chapter of the Mattachine Society. So that national society of gay men that organized and came together, there were chapters throughout the United States. But the Mattachine Society was often too cautious for Townsend. He began to push for a radical acceptance of the full panoply of human sexuality by society at large and even for the early gay rights advocates of the 50s and early 60s, that was just a bridge too far, GBH reports. He embraced a more in-your-face generation of activists in the late 1960s, marked by the uprising at New York Citys Stonewall Inn in 1969. At age 76, he attended the first Pride parade in New York on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall riots. He was very close to hippies and vagabonds and runaways of the young queer community, Michel said. So it makes sense that because hes close to these people who also have nothing to lose, when they finally decide to fight back and fight for their rights in a different way, hes totally on board with them. One of the men he met at the Pride parade was Randy Wicker, who is now 85 and will be a grand marshal at New York parade this year. Townsend has only one legacy, and its love, money, uplift, Wicker said in an oral history interview with Theo Linger, Michels partner. And that doing for others brings you happiness. Those are the two most important statements you will ever hear anyone make. Townsend died at age 78. By then he was living in a friends Beacon Hill apartment, having become homeless after a series of fires. But the Park Service will assure that his legacy becomes known. For some reason, the gay, artsy history [of Beacon Hill] had never really come to the forefront before, said Linger, who has studied Townsend extensively and helped plan the tour. And I think thats just an interesting fold of this neighborhood. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) on Thursday introduced new abortion legislation to protect patients and providers from criminalization by making care more readily accessible and removing systemic barriers to it, as well as calling for federal investments in abortion care. The Abortion Justice Act comes at the first anniversary of the Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision, which overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing the right to an abortion. The bill calls for coverage of travel and accrued costs, such as lost wages, and boosts federal spending in abortion training, research, outreach and doula care. This week marks one year since the Supreme Court overturned the will of the people and obliterated the right to abortion care across our nation, Pressley, chairwoman of the Pro-Choice Caucus Abortion Rights and Access Task Force, told reporters ahead of introducing the legislation. Since that day, coordinated attacks on our reproductive health care have continued, and its been escalated with devastating results, Pressley added. Our bill is practical. Its technical. Its also forward facing and aspirational, unapologetically. Fourteen states now outlaw abortion, with 11 having bans without exceptions for rape or incest. Another six states have banned abortions after a specific gestational limit, ranging from six weeks to 20 weeks. Special Report: Roe v. Wade Falls One Year Later Penalties for abortions in these states vary for patients and medical providers. Consequences include paying hefty fines or the suspension of a medical license. In South Carolina, people who end a pregnancy could face up to two years in prison and be fined up to $1,000. One of the harshest punishments comes from a Texas trigger ban, which would punish anyone who performs, induces or attempts an abortion where an unborn child dies as a result of the offense. The sentencing could see the guilty party receive life in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Other attempts to criminalize the procedure have failed: In 2022, legislation in Louisiana that would classify abortions as homicide a crime punishable by the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole was withdrawn from consideration. But these laws havent stopped pregnant people from seeking abortions. Between July and December 2022, some 66,510 people were unable to receive a legal abortion in their home state, according to FiveThirtyEight. An estimated 35,330 appear to have traveled to a different state to obtain an abortion. Places like Illinois, which has no gestational limits, saw a dramatic increase in patients seeking an abortion as out-of-staters traveled to the Land of Lincoln for the procedure. We have seen the devastating consequences in [Dobbss] aftermath, said Morgan Hopkins, president of All* Above All. Restrictions like insurance coverage bans, medication abortion bans and inhumane policies targeting immigrants pushed abortion care out of reach even when it was legal nationwide. We know that the harm of this crisis falls hardest on people working to make ends meet who are more likely to be people of color, Hopkins added. Young people, LGBTQ people, gender non-conforming folks and immigrants fundamental rights are at stake. Women of color have been disproportionately affected by the overturning of Roe. In addition to Black women already having worse health outcomes due to racism in the health care system, they are also more likely to have lower incomes and lack insurance access to quality health care. With a lack of quality health care, including contraceptive access, Black women also seek abortions at higher rates, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Black women are five times more likely to have abortions than white women, in part because of worse maternity health outcomes both during and post-pregnancy. The CDC also finds that Black birthing people are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts, and Black infants are twice as likely to die within their first year compared to white infants. But 84 percent of maternal deaths are preventable, according to the CDC Maternal Mortality Review Committees September report. Many in Congress have been fighting to pass legislation to tackle these disparities, including the Black Maternal Health Caucus, of which Pressley is a member. The caucus has introduced a 12-piece package designed to improve pregnancy and birthing outcomes for all women, with a strong focus on Black birthing people and people of color, but so far only the Protecting Moms Who Served Act has been signed into law by President Biden. Pressley said this week the Abortion Justice Act was crafted in partnership with others who understand that this is a matter of life and death when you are talking about the prospect of a nation of forced birth. Given that we still have much work to do when it comes to maternal justice, and Black women and birthing people being able to give birth safely as a right and not a privilege, we were very intentional on the crafting of this was something that was inclusive and intersectional, Pressley said. The Abortion Justice Act is ultimately about making sure that everyone is free to make decisions about their lives, their bodies, their futures with dignity, with the decision to pursue abortion care without fear without shame. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Michael Woods, Atlas, Paul and Phoebe Cross, Megan Durham and Samira Burnside; Getty Images Credit - Courtesy (4); Atlas: Photograph by Roxanne Burke In America, the month of June is Pride Month, a celebratory period for the queer community whose origins are tied to the 1969 Stonewall rebellion. It is normally commemorated with parades, drag shows, and ralliesall in an effort to uplift the LGBTQ+ community. But this year, pride has been clouded by legislative attacks against the queer community. Violence against LGBTQ+ people has been at a high, prompting President Joe Biden to announce a new LGBTQI+ Community Safety Partnership that aims to better protect the queer community. Companies have been targetedand in some cases experienced bomb threatsfor their partnerships with transgender activists, causing some businesses to scale back their pride merchandise or messaging. In the past six months alone, the ACLUs legislative tracker found that more than 490 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced across state legislatures, targeting trans youths access to health care, the right to perform drag and banning discussions about gender identity or sexuality. And while there has been some successful push back against such policies, causing federal courts to strike down Arkansas gender-affirming-care ban on Tuesday and block other healthcare bans in states like Indiana, LGBTQ+ residents still say they feel anxious by the ongoing attacks on the queer community. Im not gonna lie [the Tennessee drag ban] kind of made me very, very nervous, said Kirkland Pinkerton, a Tennessee drag queen. The political climate and how fast it changed at the beginning of the year was a slap in the face and I was more nervous to go out in public. TIME spoke to Americans in four statesFlorida, Missouri, Montana, and Tennesseethat are seeking to limit LGBTQ+ rights. Heres what they told us: Tennessee Tennessee became the first state to restrict drag shows in public spaces this March, though a federal judge ruled against that Tennessee law on June 2, saying it was unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad. The law wouldve charged adult-oriented performerswhich includes male or female impersonatorswith a misdemeanor if they performed in front of minors. Here, Pinkerton from rural Tennessee discusses how the legislation and current political climate impacts the precautions he takes before he performs. Florida In Florida, the states board of education expanded the Parental Rights in Education Act, or Dont Say Gay law to prevent students from kindergarten through grade 12 from discussing gender or sexual orientation in school in April. Gov. Ron DeSantis later fortified that change by signing legislation that bars discussions of sexual orientation or gender through eighth grade, prohibits staff and students from addressing each other with pronouns that differ from what they were assigned at birth, and defines sex on the basis of reproductive function. The law, for instance, has been used against a teacher who allowed her students to view a Disney film that features gay characters. TIME interviewed Michael Woods, a high school special education teacher in Palm Beach County School District who is organizing for the creation of a statewide LGBTQ+ teachers caucus, and Samira Burnside, a transgender student activist. Montana Montana has been at the center of criticism for its attacks against transgender people after it censured and removed transgender state lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from the floor in April. The state later enacted a gender-affirming-care ban for minors, the very law Zephyr was speaking out against, on April 28. Ongoing legal battles in Montana brought forward by two transgender children, their parents and two health care providers are testing the constitutionality of this ban, which is set to go into effect on Oct. 1. TIME spoke to the Cross family, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, about why they decided to sue and what is at stake. Missouri A movement to enact book bans has taken flight throughout the first half of the year, according to PEN America, with more than 870 book titles banned from schools or libraries across the country. In Missouri, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft enacted an administrative rule that would reduce libraries state funding if they give minors books that their parents do not want them to read. It would also deplete funding if libraries do not keep age-inappropriate books for children away from sections meant for minors. Some libraries rely on the state for up to 20% of their budget. TIME spoke to librarian Megan Durham about her experience working at the Daniel Boone Regional Library since the rule went into effect on May 30. Prospects dire for 5 passengers on missing Titanic sub as oxygen levels run out Oxygen - and time - may have run out in the rescue effort for five people aboard the submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic on a tour to the Titanic wreckage site. The Titan sub was estimated Tuesday by U.S. Coast Guard officials to have about 40 hours of oxygen left - and that length of time passed as of about 5 a.m. ET Thursday. An updated prediction by the U.S. Coast Guard Wednesday said the Titan was likely to run out of oxygen at around 7 a.m. ET Thursday. While the estimates for remaining oxygen were only approximations and could vary by a few hours or so, officials had for days stressed the dire nature of finding the sub soon. We have to retain hope as part of what we are doing as a human community to find the explorers and bring them to safety, Joyce Murray, Canadas minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, said Wednesday. What happens if rescue teams find the Titan? Search crews Wednesday expanded the surface area in the search and rescue mission to about twice the size of Connecticut and 2.5 miles deep. In this June 20, 2023, aerial image obtained from the US Coast Guard, the ship Deep Energy sails in the search area for OceanGate's Titan submersible. Rescuers searching for the submersible near the wreck of the Titanic have detected "underwater noises" in the search area, the US Coast Guard said June 21, 2023, with the five on board estimated to have less than 24 hours of oxygen left. Nikolas Xiros, professor of naval architecture and marine engineering at the University of New Orleans, told USA TODAY the vessel has likely lost power and the temperatures at that depth could be barely above freezing. If a lack of oxygen doesn't get them," Xiros said, "what's going to get them is going to be hypothermia. The 22-foot, carbon-fiber submersible had a 96-hour oxygen supply when it departed on its journey at about 6 a.m. Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions, the deep-sea exploration company that owns the vessel. The small craft, owned by undersea exploration company OceanGate Expeditions, has been chronicling the Titanics decay and the underwater ecosystem around it via yearly voyages since 2021. The Titan was launched from an icebreaker that was hired by OceanGate and formerly operated by the Canadian Coast Guard. The ship has ferried dozens of people and the submersible craft to the North Atlantic wreck site, where the Titan has made multiple dives. Underwater noises detected in the area of the Titanic wreck on Wednesday gave hope to crews that the Titan was trying to signal for help. But recovery of the vessel will be difficult as crews will have to identify its exact location and then bring it to the surface if it is still intact. Even if there are survivors, reaching the Titan with rescue equipment is another complication, and it will likely take hours to bring it to the surface. Dangerous conditions, difficult recovery in ocean depths Experts said the five passengers may be facing increasingly dangerous conditions that only worsen with each passing hour. This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. In a race against the clock on the high seas, an expanding international armada of ships and airplanes searched Tuesday, June 20, 2023, for the submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP) ORG XMIT: NYPS209 Inadequate oxygen levels will cause organ failure and loss of consciousness, according to Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. Even if no survivors are found because of oxygen depletion, experts said recovery of the vessel will be difficult. Lawrence Brennan, a professor at Fordham Universitys School of Law and retired Navy captain, said if the Titan is at the bottom like the Titanic, there is currently no equipment available to retrieve the debris. Ret. Navy Capt. David Marquet, a former submarine captain, told CNN the passengers are likely very uncomfortable. Theyre freezing cold, he predicted. The water entirely surrounding the ship is at freezing or slightly below. When they exhale, their breath condenses. Theres frost on the inside of the parts of the submarine. Theyre all huddled together trying to conserve their body heat. Theyre running low on oxygen and theyre exhaling carbon dioxide. Who is on the passenger list of the missing submersible? The five people on the submersible are: Stockton Rush, 61, CEO of OceanGate, who co-founded the company in 2009. Paul-Henry Nargeolet, 73, a French maritime explorer and director of the Underwater Research Program at Premier Exhibitions, RMS Titanic Inc., the only company with exclusive rights to recover the artifacts from the Titanic wreck. Hamish Harding, 58, a British explorer, private jet dealer and chairman of Action Aviation, a global sales company in business aviation. Shahzada Dawood, 48, a member of one of Pakistans most prominent families. Suleman Dawood, son of Shahzada Dawood. Where else could the Titan be? Another possibility is that the Titan will be found on the surface due to its built-in safety system that helps the vessel rise to the surface in emergency situations. The system was designed to function even if those onboard are unconscious. TOPSHOT - This undated image courtesy of OceanGate Expeditions, shows their Titan submersible during a descent. Rescue teams expanded their search underwater on June 20, 2023, as they raced against time to find a Titan deep-diving tourist submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic with five people on board and limited oxygen. All communication was lost with the 21-foot (6.5-meter) Titan craft during a descent June 18 to the Titanic, which sits at a depth of crushing pressure more than two miles (nearly four kilometers) below the surface of the North Atlantic. (Photo by Handout / OceanGate Expeditions / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / OceanGate Expeditions" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by HANDOUT/OceanGate Expeditions/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: AFP_33KD8MC.jpg The Titan's hatch cannot be unlocked from the inside, so they will have to open the hatch and the bolts from the outside and rescue the people in there. Thats the best scenario, and Im not sure its likely, Brennan said. Yet another scenario is that the vessel had a hull breach and imploded instantly due to the heavy pressure in the deep ocean. CBS News journalist David Pogue said the Titan's communications systems stopped working about an hour and 45 minutes after it submerged Sunday. There are only two things that could mean. Either they lost all power or the ship developed a hull breach and it imploded instantly. Both of those are devastatingly hopeless, Pogue told the Canadian CBC network Tuesday. Contributing: Jorge L. Ortiz, Jeanine Santucci, Claire Thornton and Grace Hauck, USA TODAY; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missing Titanic sub with 5 passengers is out of oxygen Thursday Bryan Hubbard is obviously a sincere and passionate advocate for the multitudes of Kentuckians suffering from opioid use disorder. As chairman and director of the Kentucky Opioid Advisory Abatement Commission tasked with dispersing $842 million in settlements from the drug companies who spread opioids and their subsequent hell across our state Hubbard has embarked on a one-man search for a cure. He calls it another Manhattan Project to change the world, and has found his uranium, an African plant called ibogaine, which, according to compelling anecdotal accounts, can change the brains chemistry to release it from opioids deathly grip. It can also cause heart attacks, which it has done with enough frequency to quash clinical trials in the United States. At a press conference in May, Hubbard and Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced they wanted to spend $42 million of the settlement money to fund clinical trials of ibogaine. Bryan Hubbard, chair of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, has proposed the state use opioid lawsuit settlement money to conduct clinical research into the psychedelic drug, ibogaine, as a potential therapeutic to treat opioid addiction. Now, I think its wonderful that in a state that took many years to legalize medical marijuana, law and order candidates like Cameron are willing to consider the untapped potential of psychedelic drugs. Good for Hubbard for pushing a creative, possibly game-changing solution. But the rollout of this plan left many including commission members bemused and bewildered. Hubbard and Cameron held the press conference without bothering to tell the commissioner members who will have to approve it about this plan. Hubbard, a long-time state government attorney, certainly knows that the first rule in Frankfort, or anywhere, really, is dont get out in front of your bosses no matter how exciting the news. Also curious is Hubbards insistence on focusing solely on ibogaine, despite promising research being conducted on other psychedelics such as psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca, a similar plant-based hallucinogen. It restores the brain to a pre-opioid state, Hubbard told me. Ibogaine heals the neurochemical system by restarting organic dopamine and serotonin production. In the 1990s, the National Institute on Drug Abuse shut down clinical trials because ibogaines adverse effects on the heart were too dangerous. Deborah Mash, the leading ibogaine researcher at the time, took her work to the Saint Kitts, where she reported promising results on 300 people who took the drug. According to Scientific American Magazine, Mash reported that ibogaine detox blocked at least 90 percent of the opiate withdrawal symptoms in chronic heroin users. More than half of the patients stayed clean a year after the treatment, according to self-reports and family interviews. Mash has now formed a company, DemeRex, that would be a perfect receptacle for $42 million in clinical trials; she is scheduled to discuss a public forum on the idea. Commission member Sharon Walsh, a University of Kentucky researcher who oversees traditional opioid withdrawal programs across the state, pointed out the obvious conflict of interest. She also said the settlement money is required to be used only for evidence-based treatment, which means treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Hubbard, however, is convinced by his own research that ibogaine is the only substance that can actually fix the brains pathways from opioid use disorder. He says that any entity that received the RFP for ibogaine research would be required to match the $42 million; the state of Kentucky would be a partner in any research breakthroughs that occur. He is correct that our current solutions, like medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are imperfect; buprenorphine and methadone are expensive and basically trade one drug for another, and force the state to pay millions of dollars to some of the same pharmaceutical companies that got us here in the first place. Hes also probably right that pharmaceutical companies havent jumped on ibogaine because it works so quickly, requiring far fewer doses as opposed to the constant maintenance of medication assisted treatment. But right now, the evidence-based solutions of buprenorphine, methadone and naltrexone are all we have to actually save lives. If the commission wanted to have an immediate effect, it could fund an expansion of the current pilot project that provides medication and therapy to people in jail. Under that program 11 counties offer treatment to those suffering from opioid withdrawal; we know that the forced abstinence of incarceration leads to deadly overdoses when those folks are released. At the same time, commission members could also give funds to ibogaine and other psychedelic research. But to make such a splash over one civil servants research into one drug looks strange, especially when that civil servants boss is running for governor. According to KREF and Open Secrets, Mash is not a financial supporter of Camerons campaign (if you have better information, let me know). Even if ibogaine were proven beyond a doubt to work, its quite a step for a gubernatorial candidate to push so hard on one psychedelic drug, but maybe psychedelics are now considered OK in the GOP playbook. If so, bravo. Were decades behind in finding out their exciting possibilities. Nonetheless, when something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Its irresponsible to act as though one drug holds all the answers to one of the most complicated societal problems weve ever faced. The commission owes it to the state of Kentucky to come up with solutions that are as far-encompassing as this scourge itself. Public hearings on the proposed ibogaine project will be held July 17 and Aug. 16, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Room A125 of the Administrative Office of the Courts Building, 1001 Vandalay Dr,, Frankfort. Put a smile on everyones face. Lexington crash victims heart donated to person in need A pedestrian who was struck by multiple vehicles crossing I-75 last week has died, according to the Fayette County Coroners Office. Brent Lyons, 36, of Harrodsburg, died Tuesday at University of Kentucky Hospital after suffering multiple injuries in the incident which took place June 13. His cousin, Maxie Hines, described him as a loving and caring person who would do anything for anybody. He loved his whole family and always tried to put a smile on everyones face, she said via text message. She said he loved to cook, dance, swim, and watch horror movies with his siblings. She told the Herald-Leader that Lyons was an organ donor, and his heart was able to be donated to a person in Texas. We are very excited about him being able to continue on in someone elses life and help them, Hines said. Hines said Lyons struggled with his mental health. Hines said she didnt think the incident was intentional, and said her cousin was content with life. Recently he started to have episodes again, and he doesnt realize things and thinks he sees things, she said. He is not facing reality. He is not going to respond like a normal person. The family has a GoFundMe set up to help with funeral expenses with a goal of $5,000. The race to find the Titanic sub reveals how ill-equipped the US Coast Guard is in dealing with deep-sea disasters, expert says A US Coast Guard vessel sits in port in Boston Harbor across from the US Coast Guard Station Boston in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 19, 2023. JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images An expert said the US Coast Guard is ill-equipped for sub recovery operations. Craig Hooper said the agency is reliant on external help for sub search and recovery. The agency is coordinating the search for a tourist submersible near the Titanic wreck. The US Coast Guard is ill-equipped for search-and-rescue missions involving missing submersibles such as the tourist vessel that vanished on a mission to explore the wreck of the Titanic, an expert told Insider. A huge search-and-rescue operation coordinated by the US Coast Guard is underway to locate the submersible carrying five people that went missing on Sunday around 700 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. As part of the operation, the Coast Guard is being aided by the US Navy, as well as private firms from France and the UK, which have specialist drones and search equipment capable of operating at the more than 2 mile depth of the Titanic wreck site. Craig Hooper, a US Navy expert and CEO of the Themistocles Advisory Group, said the emergency highlighted a blindspot in the US Coast Guard's search-and-rescue capabilities. The Titan submersible in water. OceanGate "The US Coast Guard has little to no organic capability to pursue complex, undersea rescues," Hooper said. "While the organization is well-prepared to lead and manage even the most sophisticated search-and-rescue operations, for the technical work on site, the Coast Guard would be almost entirely dependent upon specialized technical capabilities to pursue a complex underwater rescue of a crew aboard a distressed submersible or submarine," he said. The US Coast Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider. The emergency has shed light on the risks involved in the exclusive market for deep-sea tourism, Hooper said. OceanGate, the company that operated the missing submersible and sold tickets to view the Titanic wreck for up to $250,000, is among the firms offering wealthy customers the chance to experience one of the world's most extreme environments. Companies offer customers the chance to view wrecks and underwater marvels in submersible trips on several sites off the US coast, though none are as extreme as the site of the Titanic wreck which is more than two miles underwater in the perilous North Atlantic. According to reports, experts had flagged concerns over the safety of the missing submersible that operated in international waters and which was not inspected by regulators for safety. "Coast Guards have actively worried that adventure tourism has raced ahead of government regulation, and has put little thought into addressing catastrophic accidents in areas where government support is unlikely," Hooper wrote in Forbes recently. Amid the unprecedented challenges in locating the submersible, which at the time of writing remains missing, the US Coast Guard has drawn criticism from people seeking to aid the search effort. The Explorer's Club has accused US officials of delaying the transportation of specialist drones from UK firm Magellan to the search site, echoing criticisms made earlier in the week by OceanGate advisor David Concannon. The BBC reported that Magellan's drones had been dispatched to join the search-and-rescue effort early Thursday. Hooper said that search-and-rescue operation co-ordinators often had to sift through lots of offers of help, and decide which best suited the demands of the operation given limited resources and a narrow time-frame. According to reports, a US Navy device capable of deep sea recovery operations was part of the search effort. He said that Magellan appeared to have lacked the capacity to transport its equipment to the site independently, and the crisis highlighted the need for better co-ordination between the organizations capable of specialized deep sea search and rescue. "That might go a long way in advancing emergency responses to civilian undersea accidents and help smooth over any hurt feelings going forwards." Read the original article on Insider The The "Imagining the Future - Leonardo da Vinci: In the Mind of an Italian Genius" exhibition at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. The Codex Atlanticus, a massive collection of Leonardo da Vincis drawings and written notes from 1478 to his death in 1519, is widely considered to be one of the most valuable works from the Renaissance. And for the first time, some of the pages from the famed polymaths collection will be on display in the United States. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., will host the Imagining the Future - Leonardo da Vinci: In the Mind of an Italian Genius exhibition from June 21 to Aug. 20. The drawings, permanently housed at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana, a historic library in Milan, Italy, were brought to the United States thanks to a partnership between libraries facilitated by the Italian trade association Confindustria. The collection has been at the Biblioteca Ambrosiana since 1637. For our opening, we needed to have the right ambassador. And we believe Leonardo da Vinci is the best ambassador of Italian genius, Carlo Bonomi, president of Confindustria, told HuffPost. The collaboration represents a bridge between our countries, between our economies, our people and our industry. Upon entering the exhibition on the lower level of the library, visitors will be able to see 12 drawings for a self-propelling cart, sketches for wings on flying machines, designs for hydraulic pumps and more. Benvenuto a DC! https://t.co/swhXHxqPc8 DC Public Library (@dcpl) June 19, 2023 The library hopes visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the origins of technologies we often take for granted and marvel at the remarkable mind that anticipated them centuries ago. Several designs inside the Codex Atlanticus inspired technology seen in the modern world, such as aircraft, autonomous vehicles and underwater exploration. No flash photography is allowed inside the dimly lighted exhibition as light can damage the art. At the exhibitions close, the collection must be placed back in total darkness for the next three years. Theres also Leonardos Lab, a hands-on installation that allows young visitors to learn about da Vinci through working puzzles, creating helicopters, building simple machines and more. For D.C. Public Library Executive Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan, the partnership between the libraries didnt quite make sense to him at first. But after several talks, it became clear that they had the rare opportunity to introduce da Vincis works to an audience that would likely never see them in any other venue. Many people consider Leonardo da Vinci not only one of the greatest minds of our history but the [greatest]. Most of his work is in these notebooks, said Reyes-Gavilan. Its not the sort of thing that you can just sort of stumble upon if youre visiting New York or Chicago or somewhere else. Its here for a precious short amount of time, and youll probably never see them again. Germany has its very first National Security Strategy. The strategy was presented in a press conference last week by the chancellor as well as the defense, interior, foreign and finance ministers; the star power is a testimony to the importance of the document. That the strategy got delayed several times it was initially planned to be presented at the Munich Security Conference in February shows that many internal fights had been fought and compromises had to be found. Berlins three-party coalition government, the so-called traffic light-coalition, had vowed to publish a comprehensive national security strategy in the first year of its mandate. Its writing thus coincided with Russias aggression against Ukraine, but the war was not its impetus. And ostensibly, the war in Ukraine does not take center stage. Todays Russia is designated as the most significant threat to peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic area, and the invasion of Ukraine is called a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter and of the cooperative European security order. But the focus of the strategy is much wider. As the title Robust. Resilient. Sustainable. Integrated Security for Germany suggests, security is defined in the most inclusive way. In the 21st century, security also means making sure our heating works in winter. Security means being able to find medication for our children in our pharmacies. Having smartphones that work because supplies of the necessary microchips are reliable. Getting to work safely because our trains are not paralysed by cyberattacks, Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock writes in her introduction. She doubled down on this during the press conference when she called the ability to take a hot shower in the morning a security issue. This received some ridicule, and the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung complained that calling everything security just increases insecurity. But despite academic discussions over the dangers of securitization, Germanys integrated security approach should be welcomed in a country which until recently considered a project like Nord Stream 2 solely an economic project. Germany doesnt stand alone with this: The U.K. adopted a similar approach in its Integrated Review in March 2021. And it is not only in this respect that the German strategy is similar to comparable documents published by other countries. In fact, the strategy overall does not read as massively different than strategies from the U.S., the U.K. or France. Of course, these strategies do not all share the same content; every country has its areas of interest, idiosyncratic tilts and national pivots. There are interesting differences as to which countries get name-called, and which institutions receive more attention than others (see table below). But this first German National Security Strategy is no document of a German Sonderweg. It does not present the somewhat hubristic we-are-more-enlightened-than-you approach to security and defense that Germans liked to adopt in the past. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius during the press conference even suggested that arms exports are part of the strategic toolbox a reasonably banal statement internationally, but not something that many German politicians will have said. It is in this apparent normality that the war in Ukraine, and indeed the Zeitenwende, makes its appearance. Because in an alternative universe, where Russia did not invade Ukraine and Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not have to ascertain a turning of the times, this first German national security strategy might have looked quite different. Foreign Affairs Minister Baerbock of the Greens political party would in all likelihood not emphasize the need for more wehrhaftigkeit the German word for the ability to defend, and a central tenet of the strategy. It might not have included a promise to close the Bundeswehrs capability gaps and structural deficits, nor a commitment to nuclear deterrence. It may not have included the commitment to further expand, and put onto a more permanent basis, Germanys military presence in Allied territory for the protection of our NATO allies. And the promise to reach NATOs goal of spending 2% of gross domestic product would certainly have been weaker though unfortunately the phrasing that German will spend 2% on defense as an average over a multi-year period feels like a way out for continued spending below the level. The strategy is thus clearly a post-Ukraine invasion document and testifies of a process of change, which admittedly started from a low level but is clearly happening. Strategic documents are rarely the moment to introduce any major bold changes that are surprising. They introduce tilts, like the U.K.s increased Asia focus, or add new priorities, like the U.S. noting the importance of internal stability for geopolitical power. The German strategy tilts toward normalization. There are several notable statements from the strategy: On integrated security: In the 21st century, security also means making sure our heating works in winter. Security means being able to find medication for our children in our pharmacies. Having smartphones that work because supplies of the necessary microchips are reliable. Getting to work safely because our trains are not paralysed by cyberattacks. The German government recognizes that it is impossible to compartmentalize issues and pretend they have no security relevance (Nord Stream 2). There is, however, a danger that by securitizing everything, things become nebulous and confusing. Plus, it is crucially important that with this integrated security approach, Germany does not turn its attention away from hard security its military capabilities yet again. On multipolarity: We are living in an age of increasing multipolarity. Some countries are attempting to reshape the current international order, driven by their perception of systemic rivalry. The mentioning of multipolarity is maybe the most surprising and one of the most controversial elements of the strategy, as multipolarity has been used as a fighting term by Russia and China against U.S. hegemony. The German strategy, however, mostly employs it to give a nod to the countries of the global south a term thankfully not employed in the strategy and to acknowledge the rise of other actors. On China: China is a partner, competitor and systemic rival. We see that the elements of rivalry and competition have increased in recent years, but at the same time China remains a partner without whom many of the most pressing global challenges cannot be resolved. Germany is walking on a tightrope between the United States decoupling approach and a more business-friendly, cooperative approach. The government particularly cares about not alienating China so much that cooperation on the climate front becomes impossible. On France: The profound friendship with France is of particular importance to Germany. We are aware of our joint responsibility to further the EUs integration and ability to act at international level. We are united with France by a profound friendship, which arose through the overcoming of historical perceptions of enmity and is also expressed in terms of security policy in the mutual assistance commitment under Article 4 of the Treaty of Aachen and in our cooperation on major arms projects. France is the most-often mentioned partner, and the language describing the relationship with the partner on the other side of the Rhine is very positive possibly overly sweet, as none of the current problems are mentioned, nor ways out of the current impasse proposed. On the 2% goal: We will allocate two percent of our GDP, as an average over a multi-year period, to reaching NATO capability goals, initially in part via the newly created special fund for the Bundeswehr. Germanys commitment to reaching the 2% goal becomes stronger. But the strategys language still leaves loopholes, and the current government budget does not point in the right direction. On feminist foreign policy: In line with our feminist foreign and development policy, we will take the interests of women and disadvantaged groups particularly into account when drawing up integrated peace-engagement measures. Germany has officially adopted a feminist foreign policy. This is mentioned in the strategy, but not overly so. The importance of putting a focus on the individual and marginalized groups is emphasized, but the strategy does not read as overly ideological. On mutual defense clauses: We stand resolutely by our mutual defence pledge under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. Our commitment to NATO and to our obligations within the Alliance is unshakeable, as is our commitment to the EUs mutual assistance clause in Article 42 (7) of the Treaty on European Union and our mutual assistance commitment with France under Article 4 of the Treaty of Aachen. The two times the strategy mentions the mutual assistance commitment with France are problematic. The strategy did not invent this agreement it was codified in the Treaty of Aachen. But putting it alongside NATOs Article 5 and the EUs Article 42.7 risks weakening both, as one wonders why a specific commitment to France is needed, as its defence is already covered under NATO and EU insurances. On European defense: The Federal Government wants to further strengthen the European pillar of the transatlantic defence community. The more our European allies contribute militarily and politically to NATO, the more solid the transatlantic Alliance will be. Europes ability to act on its own is increasingly a prerequisite for German and European security. This ability to act entails modern, capable armed forces in the EU member states, as well as a high-performance and internationally competitive European security and defence industry that creates the foundations for the armed forces military capabilities. Joint arms projects and their exportability in accordance with the benchmarks set out in the future arms-export control law play a part in furthering Europes ability to act and thus strengthen the European pillar in NATO. The strategy does a good job of reconciling the idea of European sovereignty (or European strategic autonomy) with Germanys continued preference for a strong NATO presence in Europe. It emphasizes what is important: actual European national capabilities, which help both the European pillar in NATO and any EU/Europe-only missions. On funding: We will include the projects described in this Security Strategy in the relevant ministerial budgets within the federal budget by means of prioritisation, should funds not already have been allocated to them. Given the considerable demands on our public finances at present, we will strive to implement this Strategy at no additional cost to the overall federal budget. Germany is trying to do a lot with no extra funding. This is problematic. Unfortunately, the German strategy is also plagued by similar problems experienced by its international counterparts: It lacks in concreteness. The funding of many of the (overall good) ideas is in question. It is strong in analysis and light on solutions. In typical German fashion, the strategy is a compromise document. It is a compromise between the three coalition partners (this led to the national security council idea being scrapped), it is a compromise between the different ministries (that led to a middle-ground balancing approach to China), it is a compromise between the German Lander (which scrabbled over competencies regarding cyber), and its genesis included views from the wider population. Most importantly, the strategy struggles to prioritize: Everything is security-relevant, everything is connected, and the world is complex. Though as an analysis, this is probably correct, its the governments task to propose ways to deal with this. But one can hope that the process behind the curtain the processes at whose end stand somewhat bland statements that dont seem to say that much have gotten the people in charge thinking. As the document itself notes, it is only a beginning, not an end. Ulrike Franke is a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations think tank. Get Ready Because More Of The Queer Reality TV You Love Is Coming Were you obsessed with For the Love of DILFs and Hot Haus? Well, get excited, because a lot more queer-made programming by the people who created those series is on the way. Today, OUTtv and Daddy TV dropped the news that they have inked an exclusive first-look deal. But what does that mean for you? That a lot more queer-focused and, perhaps even more importantly, queer-made content is heading to your screen. Previously, the duo has worked together to create the steamy, iconic queer hits For the Love of DILFs hosted by Stormy Daniels, Hot Haus hosted by Tiffany New York Pollard, Iconic Justice hosted by Willam, X-Rated: NYC, Miami Dolls, and more. Moving forward, the companies have committed to raising the bar even further and plan to expand into new genres, characters, and topics. They are promising that both the volume and the diversity of content will continue to grow moving forward. Philip Webb, OUTtvs COO, said about the deal, Were thrilled to be making it official with our creative partners! Our teams share a mission to create binge-worthy queer content for the entire community. Expect some exciting new projects in the near future. First up from Daddy TV and OUTtv is the return of a favorite with season two of For the Love of DILFs, which will once again feature queer icon Daniels as the host and mentor to two groups of men the Himbos and the Daddies as they seek to find love across generations. Production begins on the steamy hit series this July. And who knows what else this duo has up their sleeves? One thing is certain, we will be watching! Pisces III Much of the worlds attention has been captured by the efforts to find the submersible Titan, which went missing while taking tourists down to see the famous sunken wreck of the ocean liner RMS Titanic on Sunday. While hopes of a positive outcome have now evaporated, the situation inevitably recalls another incident, back in 1973, when a similar-sized submersible, Pisces III, was rescued from the seabed in what is still the deepest successful rescue of its kind in history. Before looking at the rescue of the Pisces III, the latest situation in regards the Titan, originally reported missing about 435 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland, seems to indicate the move from a search and rescue effort to one of recovery. https://twitter.com/Maxar/status/1671948558269042688?s=20 https://twitter.com/MarineTraffic/status/1671785812873076737?s=20 According to the U.S. Coast Guard, a debris field that was discovered today within the search area, by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel. Both titanium ends of the pressure hull were found amid the debris, located around 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic. https://twitter.com/USCGNortheast/status/1671907901542211584?s=20 https://twitter.com/BBCBreaking/status/1671933811846795264?s=20 https://twitter.com/BBCWorld/status/1671959387294801929?s=20 Even if the Titan had been found still intact, the submersible could have been located as deep as around 12,500 feet where the Titanic wreck lies. Rescuing a submerged vessel from even a tenth of this depth is difficult. But, as the Pisces III incident shows, its not impossible. https://twitter.com/DavidCharmicha2/status/1671476634589843456?s=20 https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1671898091639951368?s=20 Developed by Vickers Oceanics, the Canadian Pisces III was a six-foot-diameter deep-sea submersible and, as of August 29, 1973, was being used to lay transatlantic telephone cable on the Atlantic seabed, on behalf of the British Post Office. The two crew aboard were pilot Roger Chapman, a former Royal Navy submariner, aged 28 at the time, and engineer/pilot Roger Mallinson, 35. The Pisces III began its dive as normal, at 1:15 am on August 29, 150 miles off the coast of Cork, west Ireland. It took about 40 minutes to sink down to not far off 1,600 feet and a bit faster to get back up, Chapman subsequently told the BBC. Wed do eight-hour shifts, going along the surface of the seabed at half a mile an hour, setting up pumps and jets which liquefied the mud, laying cable, and making sure it was all covered. It was very slow, murky work. Even with everything going smoothly, this was far from easy work, with the crew having to contend with very poor visibility throughout. It was like driving down the motorway in thick fog and trying to follow a white line you had to concentrate beyond belief, Mallinson recalled. One pilot would have the controls for the sub in one hand and the manipulator a mechanical hand, which would lift, twist, extend, and move sideways in the other, then wed swap, he explained. It was also uncomfortable. We had to kneel, with our heads by our knees. https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1671138730332110850?s=20 Mallinson, however, was even more fatigued than usual, having not slept for 26 hours before this dive, so that he could run repairs on the submersible, which had received some damage to one of its manipulators, during a previous dive. This repair work may have left Mallinson exhausted, but it almost certainly also saved his and Chapmans lives. As part of the repair work, Mallinson also decided to switch out the oxygen tank for a new one. This was by no means easy, due to the weight of the tank, and Mallinson recalled later that it wasnt actually a pre-requisite of the next scheduled dive. The crew could have begun their August 29 dive without changing the oxygen supply, since, at around half-full, it should have been plenty enough for their planned work. The Pisces III was back on the surface of the Atlantic when, at 9:18 am, things went badly wrong. https://twitter.com/DexterSheader/status/1671510775142178818?s=20 While waiting for the towline to be attached to the submersible and lift it back onto the mother ship, the Vickers Voyager, the two crew suddenly felt themselves thrown backward as the Pisces III now dangled upside down. The submersibles design included a separate watertight aft sphere containing the machinery. But the towline had apparently snagged the hatch on the aft sphere and water had rushed in, flooding it, and adding around a ton of weight to the Pisces III. As the submersible plunged into the depths, jolting them around, the crew watched helplessly as the pressure gauges spun around and items broke loose. https://twitter.com/ConorWilson/status/1671432727822843906?s=20 As we sank my biggest worry was whether we were anywhere near the continental shelf because if we hit it wed be crushed, Chapman recalled. The crew shut down the electrical systems leaving them in total darkness and jettisoned a 400-pound weight to make the craft lighter. After around 30 seconds, the Pisces III hit the seabed, coming to rest at 1,575 feet at 9:30 am. Chapman and Mallinson couldnt be sure of how deep they were, since they had turned the depth gauge off at 500 feet, concerned that it might have exploded. As it was, the Pisces III impacted the seabed at 40 mph, a considerable speed, but the crew protected themselves from the impact with cushions and put cloth in their mouths, so they didnt bite their tongues off. With only a torch for light, Chapman and Mallinson considered themselves lucky to be alive at this point. They didnt know that their craft was also wedged in a gully, meaning it was half below the seabed. Pisces III was able to make telephone contact with the surface and let them know they were okay. At this point, there were 66 hours of oxygen left onboard, with eight already having been used in the dive so far. With the submersible almost upside down, Chapman and Mallinson now made efforts to try and stabilize the situation, as best they could, as well as check for possible leaks. They also did the best they could to conserve oxygen above all, by now doing as little as possible, limiting physical movements, and even talking as little as possible. Already, the situation onboard Pisces III was becoming seriously unpleasant. Foul, heavy air gathered at the lowest part of the hull, so the crew tried to remain as high above it as they could. They were also cold and wet and Mallinson was still suffering from a bout of food poisoning brought on by a horrible meat and potato pie. Meanwhile, far above them, the rescue effort was now underway. The U.K. Royal Navys Hecla class ocean survey vessel HMS Hecate headed to the area, with recovery ropes. At the same time, a Royal Air Force Nimrod maritime patrol aircraft took up station overhead. A Royal Air Force Hawker Siddley Nimrod MR1, seen in circa 1974 at RAF Kinloss in Scotland. Mike McBey/Wikimedia Commons From California, a U.S. Navy CURV III submersible was sent to assist, while the Canadian Coast Guard ship John Cabot also made its way to the area. https://twitter.com/RLitwiller/status/1671525414139834368?s=20 On the morning of August 30, the mother ship, the Vickers Voyager, seen below, arrived in Cork and there loaded onboard two other submersibles, Pisces II and Pisces V. Mother ship Vickers Voyager with the Pisces V alongside after an attempt to locate the Pisces III on August 31, 1973. Photo by Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images At this point, Chapman and Mallinson were carefully rationing their available food, water, and oxygen. Between them, they had one cheese and chutney sandwich and a can of lemonade, which they were unwilling to consume. Meanwhile, to conserve oxygen, they carefully allowed CO2 to build up, keeping track of it using egg timers. They were supposed to add new oxygen every 40 minutes, but they now waited longer, which had the effect of making them more lethargic and drowsier. Their spirits were lifted when a message arrived from Queen Elizabeth II, the crew imagining that it was the British monarch herself whod sent her best wishes. They soon found out it was actually the British ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2, which had responded to the mayday call. At 2:00 am on August 31, an attempt was made to launch Pisces II, but the lifting rope used quickly tore and the submersible had to be recovered for repairs. Pisces V was launched successfully and made it to the seabed but couldnt find the stricken Pisces III before it ran out of power. Around 1:00 pm, Pisces V finally found Pisces III on the seabed. However, an attempt to attach a snap hook to secure the stricken craft failed, due to the buoyancy of the rope. Helpless, Pisces V remained with Pisces III, while Pisces II descended again, before it, too, took on water and had to surface again. The CURV III was now available aboard the John Cabot, but an electrical fault meant it was unable to launch. The U.S. Navy CURV III remotely operated vehicle is launched during the Pisces III rescue operation on September 1, 1973. U.S. Navy Things were looking bleak as of midnight on August 31, with two broken submersibles, and Pisces V was ordered back to the surface, leaving the rescue attempt back where it had started. We were running out of lithium hydroxide to scrub the CO2, it was very manky and cold and we were almost resigned to thinking it wasnt going to happen, Chapman remembered. Finally, just after 5:00 am on September 1, Pisces II succeeded in getting a line on the aft sphere of Pisces II, now using a specially designed toggle and another polypropylene line. At 9:40 am, the CURV III came down and fixed another line, putting a toggle in the aft sphere opening. https://twitter.com/NonlinearHorse/status/1671620464429416449?s=20 The two crew were concerned that attaching lines to the weaker aft sphere may not work, but they were confident (and enervated enough) to consume their sandwich and drink. At 10:50 am, the painstaking process of lifting Pisces III began. Chapman described this as rough, very disorientating, and the lift had to be stopped twice during the ascent, once when the CURV III became entangled at 350 feet, and once at 100 feet to let divers attach heavier lift lines. Then, at 1:17 pm on September 1, the Pisces III, together with Chapman and Mallinson, finally broke clear of the surface. They had been submerged for 84 hours and 30 minutes. Opening the crew hatch, which had jammed, took another roughly 30 minutes and the Chapman and Mallinson who finally emerged looked and felt beaten and battered by the experience. Divers assist the rescued crew from Pisces III. Wikimedia Commons When they opened the hatch and fresh air and sunlight rushed in it gave us blinding headaches, but we were sorted, we were euphoric, Chapman remembered. But we were also a bit pathetic. It was quite difficult to climb out of the sub, wed been so cramped up, we could hardly move. Perhaps most startling about the rescue, aside from the record depth, is the fact that, once they reached the surface, Chapman and Mallinson had only 12 minutes of oxygen left. Their conservation efforts had stretched the planned 72 hours of oxygen by a further 12.5 hours. Roger Chapman (second left) waves as he is taken to the Vickers Voyager after being released from the Pisces III. Photo by PA Images via Getty Images Instead of turning their backs on deep dives, Chapman and Mallinson both continued to work in this area, drawing from their harrowing experiences of the Pisces III mission. Roger Mallinson (left) and Roger Chapman watch as a bottle of champagne is opened after their rescue from the Atlantic seabed. Photo by PA Images via Getty Images https://twitter.com/bobmackin/status/1671790184051138560?s=20 Chapman soon set up the company Rumic, which provided subsea services and operations for the offshore and defense industries. His expertise saw him involved in the unsuccessful effort to rescue the crew of the Russian Navy submarine Kursk in 2000, while he played a major role in the rescue of the seven-man crew of the Russian Priz class deep-submergence rescue vehicle AS-28 in 2005. The Russian deep-submergence rescue vehicle AS-28 after surfacing in the Bering Sea. Wikimedia Commons Mallinson continued to work with submersibles for Vickers Oceanics until 1978. Perhaps understandably, the two men forged a close bond that lasted until Chapmans death from cancer in 2020. Mallinson later said: Roger Chapman [was] a great lad. Somebody else might have panicked. If I could have chosen anyone to go down with it would have been him. It is no coincidence, of course, that very similar words were uttered by friends and colleagues of some of the crew aboard the Titan, once it had been posted missing. Deep-sea exploration is an inherently risky endeavor and when things go wrong, they can very quickly become catastrophic. The story of the Pisces III mission may be little known today, but the bravery and determination of its crew, and those who ensured its rescue, surely serve as inspiration to many others who venture into this perilous realm. Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com Nearly 100 people attending a concert Wednesday evening at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver were injured after being pelted with large hail during severe storms that moved across the area, a fire department said. At least seven people were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, the West Metro Fire Department said in a tweet. Up to 90 people were treated on scene, the department said. Injuries included cuts and broken bones, it said. Bella Oliveira said she was almost trampled as she and others ran from the falling hail. I managed to hide where they were selling drinks and I used my backpack to protect myself and another girl, she said, adding that she hurt her head and shoulder during the incident. The National Weather Service office in Boulder first issued a severe thunderstorm warning around 9:04 p.m. Wednesday that included the amphitheater. The weather service warned the storm was capable of producing winds up to 50 mph and golf-ball-sized hail. As the storm approached, the weather service office tweeted this alert, even tagging the amphitheater that dangerous weather was imminent. Earlier in the day, the Boulder weather service office warned that We are still in the loaded gun scenario of having tremendous instability, which could lead to severe weather throughout the evening. The Storm Prediction Center warned of a level 2 out of 5 slight risk of severe weather for Red Rocks and a level 3 of 5 enhanced risk for the nearby Denver area. The forecast said the area could experience damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes throughout the afternoon extending into the overnight hours. Six tornadoes were also reported across Colorado on Wednesday evening. Hail is seen on the ground near Red Rocks Amphitheatre Wednesday. - KMGH Former One Direction star scheduled to play Musician Louis Tomlinson was scheduled to play at the Red Rocks concert. Devastated about the show tonight, hope everyones ok, Ill be back! the former One Direction star tweeted. Even though we didnt play the show I felt all of your passion! Sending you all love! The performance was postponed twice due to weather conditions, with the venue telling fans to take shelter in their cars before giving an all clear that brought fans back to the venue, only to finally postpone the show and tell fans to go home. CNN has reached out to the city and county of Denver, which owns and operates Red Rocks Amphitheatre, for comment. One of the concertgoers, Ashlie Scott, described a chaotic scene. The minute they announced it was an extreme weather warning and we needed to seek shelter now, the sky opened up and it started hailing and pouring rain, Scott told CNN. It was almost like a crazy movie scene, Scott said. The sky was lighting up with lightning, so I was expecting a quicker extreme weather warning besides a delay. An ambulance is seen at Red Rocks Amphitheatre Wednesday night. - KMGH Video taken by Scott shows hail coming down a staircase as lightning flashes in the sky and alarmed concertgoers pass by. Four large hailstones are seen in Scotts hands. Another video from the scene shows a group hiding in a crowded bathroom during the hailstorm. About 10 minutes before the hail started really coming down, I got hit with a small piece of it, and didnt realize it was hail until it started coming down on us out of nowhere, concertgoer Jessie Mueller, who took the video, told CNN. She and her friends found shelter in the bathroom, she said. We are unharmed, but some of my other friends got caught in it and now have broken bones and bruises, Mueller said. I saw just piles and piles of hail, and it looks like it had snowed in the seats of the amphitheater when we finally got out of the bathroom. At least 11 tornado reports were made Wednesday across the western and central US, including the six in Colorado, three in Texas, one in Wyoming and one in Nebraska, according to the prediction center. Four people were killed in a northwestern Texas town when a tornado struck it Wednesday, officials said, as storms pummeled parts of the western and central US. The tornado struck Matador, a town of a few hundred people roughly a 280-mile drive northwest of Dallas, Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service office in Lubbock said. CNNs Caroll Alvarado, Jillian Sykes and Alaa Elassar contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Things Go North An orca repeatedly slammed into a yacht sailing in the North Sea off the coast of Scotland earlier this week, marking the first orca attack in northern waters. In other words, the recent onslaught of orca attacks on ships, it seems, could be spreading. "What I felt [was] most frightening was the very loud breathing of the animal," Wim Rutten, a retired Dutch physicist who was captaining the ship, told The Guardian. The orca rammed the boat over and over, sending "soft shocks" through the hull. Once it stopped its assault, the whale dropped back and ominously trailed the vessel, "looking for the keel." The whale "disappeared," Rutten described, "but came back at fast speed, twice or thrice and circled a bit." Attacking Spree Killer whales have been terrorizing sailors for over a month. But until now, most if not all of the dozens of recent orca attacks on boats have been roughly contained to the seas south of Spain, in an area known as the Strait of Gibraltar. Recently released footage shows an orca slamming into a sailboat off Spain's southern coast, damaging the hull and forcing sailors to pump water out of the boat. The behavior is as unusual as it is terrifying. Until aggressive encounters were first documented back in 2020, orcas had been rarely known to approach, let alone attack, humans or their vessels. It was only in recent months that those burgeoning encounters escalated to sinking ships. Orcas, like many whales, are incredibly social and intelligent creatures. Scientists suspect that the behavior is being taught by adults to their pods, and then spreading. The behavior moving from the Strait of Gibraltar all the way north of Scotland is quite a stretch, but some scientists say it's entirely possible. "I'd be reluctant to say it cannot be learned from [the southern population]," Conor Ryan, a marine biologist and a scientist advisor for the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, told The Guardian. "It's possible that this 'fad' is leapfrogging through the various pods/communities." Just a Phase As for the origin of the orca behavior and the intentions behind it, scientists have several theories. It could be that this is just an apex predator's idea of having fun. Rutten himself said it was possible the orca "just wanted to play." Another prevailing theory is that this originated as an act of revenge, but some experts dispute this thinking. As Ryan alluded to earlier, this could simply be a behavioral "fad." How long it will stay in fashion, though, remains to be seen. More on orcas: Captain Attacked Twice by Orcas Says They're Developing Better Anti-Boat Strategies Ifremer/CCBY via Reuters A highly advanced remote-operated craft operated by a French research team may be the Titan submersibles last hope for a rescueas crews race to deliver the vessel with just hours to go before the subs oxygen is scheduled to run out. The Victor 6000 can reach depths much greater than any of the craft currently scouring the Atlantic oceanup to 20,000 feet, according to Reuters. The unmanned vessel also has the benefit of a moveable arm that can cut metal, which could assist the Titan if it happened to be stuck inside the Titanic wreckage, which sits at close to 12,500 feet below sea level. Its not strong enough, however, to tow it to the surfacethough the plan shared by authorities includes hooking the Titan to a vessel that can quickly lift it to the oceans surface. This mission has just one flaw: The French research vessel carrying the Victor 6000, LAtalante, is slated to arrive late Wednesday night to the scene of Titans disappearance, leaving roughly 12 hours to mount a rescue mission. Experts say crews would likely have to locate Titan before Victor 6000 arrives. Titanic Subs and Moon Rockets: Why Thrillionaires Risk Their Lives Despite the long odds, French sailors were ready to drop everything in a desperate attempt to help the five men trapped inside the minivan-sized Titan subincluding one adventurer, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, who previously worked at the French governments oceanic research institute, Ifremer. This is the logic of seafarers. Our attitude was: We are close, we have to go, Olivier Lefort, the head of Ifremers naval operations, told Reuters. Workers survey a control room for the ROV (Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle) Victor 6000 during a previous observation mission. Stephane Lesbats/IFREMER via via Reuters The news comes just hours after crews reported hearing more underwater banging noises on Wednesday, though authorities conceded they still have no idea what the sounds are. At a press conference Wednesday, Carl Hartsfield, an expert in subsea acoustics from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, cautioned against reading too much into the soundswhich could have come from a variety of sources. More Banging Noises Heard at Titanic Sub Search Site The ocean is a very complex place, Hartsfield said. Obviously, [there are] human sounds, nature sounds, and its very difficult to discern what the source of those noises are, at times. But I can tell you that this team has multiple sensors, theyre in the area, theyre sending data back expeditiously to the best in the world, people to analyze that data, and then theyre feeding the results of that analysis back to the unified team and theyre making decisions. Hartsfield, who joined the search in an advisory role, said those decisions are being made based on data, and that nothing is being ruled out. I can tell you from my experience with acoustics that there are sounds by biologics that sound manmade to the untrained ear, he said. But I can assure you that the people listening to these tapes are trained. There are a lot of vessels in the area and they each make noise. So all of that has to be eliminated. Chilling Tales of Past Dives to Titanic Wreckage Keep Piling Up The Titan first went missing Sunday during a reported $250,000-a-head sightseeing trip down to the wreckage of the RMS Titanic, which lies more than two miles below the oceans surface and 400 miles off Newfoundland. Authorities still have not found Titans exact locationwith authorities revealing Tuesday that they had expanded their search to an area roughly the size of Connecticut. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. GREENSBORO, N.C. Republicans hoping to become president of the United States of America are trying, in yet another election, to win over voters who harbor a fondness for the treasonous, pro-slavery Confederate States of America. As he addressed a crowd of North Carolina Republicans at their state convention earlier this month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis opened with a promise that he would revert the newly renamed Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg after Braxton Bragg, a Confederate general notorious for repeatedly losing key battles. Its an iconic name and iconic base, and were not going to let political correctness run amok in North Carolina, DeSantis said at the start of his June 9 remarks to a cheering crowd. The next day, former Vice President Mike Pence made the same promise. We will end the political correctness in the hallways of the Pentagon, and North Carolina will once again be home to Fort Bragg, he said, also to cheers. And former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who won praise across the political spectrum for her push in 2015 to remove the Confederate flag from the state capitol grounds after a white supremacist killed nine Black people in a Charleston church, has moved to a position of refusing to condemn it. In 2019, she said in an interview that the flag was about service, sacrifice and heritage and that killer Dylann Roof had hijacked it. The open appeal to apologists for those who seceded from the Union in 1861 and took up arms against the United States the actual definition of treason continues the history of Republican outreach to white Southerners who oppose the Civil Rights Movement that began in the 1960s. It also continues the defense of honoring literal traitors pushed by former President Donald Trump, who just weeks before his Jan. 6, 2021, coup attempt vetoed an annual defense bill because it required that military bases honoring Confederates be renamed. These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, Trump wrote in a statement posted to Twitter in 2020. DeSantis campaign did not respond to HuffPosts queries about his North Carolina promise. Nor did Haleys about her position on the Confederacy and its symbols a topic she has largely avoided since starting her presidential campaign in February. An adviser to Pence, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that North Carolina party officials told him it was an important issue to the delegates assembled for their annual convention following the official ceremony that renamed the base to Fort Liberty on June 2. Mikes view is that we should be learning from history, and not trying to erase history, the adviser said. University of North Carolina history professor and Civil War expert Joe Glatthaar, though, found that notion laughable, adding that it was possible to learn about that period without honoring those who fought to defend the ability of wealthy white people to own Black people. Im not erasing the Civil War by changing the name to Fort Liberty, he said. The proliferation of monuments to men who committed treason took place first in the decades following the end of Reconstruction and later as a backlash to the civil rights activism that picked up steam following the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the Supreme Court, which led to the integration of public schools. Fort Bragg got its name in the first of those waves, when the U.S. Armys head of artillery chose the name of a North Carolina native for the new artillery training center to be located near Fayetteville. Bragg had won praise as an artillery officer during the Mexican-American War. After Southern states seceded following the election of Abraham Lincoln, Bragg was called to serve as a general in the Confederate army. In that role, he quickly earned a reputation for both incompetence and cruelty. He executed a conscript for leaving his unit to visit his dying mother, despite the pleas of other top officers. At the same time, he was losing battle after battle, including one of the wars most pivotal at Chattanooga, Tennessee, in late 1863. He later failed to hold the harbor in Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1865, just weeks before the Souths surrender. To Glatthaar, Braggs track record as a military commander is less significant when it comes to having his name grace a major Army installation than the fundamental fact of what he did: kill U.S. Army service members. His actions resulted in the deaths of thousands and thousands of United States soldiers. How can anyone think thats a good thing? he said. Fort Bragg, in fact, was one of nine such military bases named after Confederate officers. That inherent contradiction got its first serious examination in the summer of 2020 following the murder of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of white police officers in Minneapolis. Monuments honoring Confederate heroes across the nation began coming down, including those in Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the South. A major road named for Robert E. Lee was renamed in Arlington. And Congress, with bipartisan majorities, included in the National Defense Authorization Act the creation of a commission to rename military bases that bore the names of Confederates. Trump, running for reelection, vowed to veto the bill one of the few annual pieces of legislation considered must-pass and on Dec. 23, 2020, actually did so. Both the Democratic-run House and the GOP Senate responded by overriding the veto in the closing days of the lame-duck session, and the commission set about its work. It received 3,600 suggestions from the public for the Fayetteville home to the storied 82nd Airborne Division, which it boiled down to a shortlist of 87 names before settling on Fort Liberty last year. We were given a mission, we accomplished that mission and we made ourselves better, said Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, the bases commanding general, after the June 2 renaming ceremony. Glatthaar said that he doubts most North Carolinians have strong feelings either way about Fort Liberty versus Fort Bragg, and that he cannot understand why state party leaders would want to gin up a controversy now. Truth be told, I have difficulty understanding the Republican Party in my state. They get worked up about the stupidest things, he said. Morgan Jackson, a top political adviser to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, said trying to defend the Confederacy 160 years after the Civil War ended was a mystifying strategy in a state that now-President Joe Biden came within a point and a half of winning in 2020. If youre not a primary-voting Republican, people understand that we need to stop naming bases after dead Confederate generals. I mean, come on, he said. Not to mention that its offensive to a lot of the troops serving there. Anybody whos mad about a failed, really bad Civil War general, I dont know what your problem is. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File Republican Sen. Rick Scott is reportedly considering a presidential run. According to The New York Times, Scott is eyeing a late entry into the field. Scott's consideration comes as fellow Floridian Ron DeSantis struggles. Republican Sen. Rick Scott is again considering a possible 2024 presidential campaign amid Gov. Ron DeSantis' struggles thus far, according to The New York Times. The Times reports that Scott, who was also governor of Florida, is considering a late entry into the growing 2024 Republican field. Former President Donald Trump continues to hold a wide lead over a swath of challengers, including DeSantis. If Scott were to enter, there would then be four Floridians in a field that already has Trump, DeSantis, and Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez. Scott and DeSantis have a frosty relationship, though Scott often demurs when asked about his successor. Scott would also have to oppose Trump, despite going out of his way to praise the former president when the Floridian led the Senate Republicans' campaign arm. In a statement to the Times, a senior Scott advisor emphasized that senator's focus is on winning reelection to the Senate. "It's flattering that some have mentioned the possibility of Senator Scott running for President, but as he's said many times, he's running for re-election to the Senate," Chris Hartline said in a statement. President Joe Biden trolled Scott for months over pre-midterm policy proposals that included a provision calling for the sunset of every federal program every five years. Biden argued that it would put unnecessarily put the widely popular Social Security and Medicare in jeopardy. After months of back and forth, Scott later amended his plan to say it would not include Social Security and Medicare. Scott is enormously wealthy, having already spent well over $100 million on his gubernatorial and Senate races, meaning he could easily cover the significant upfront costs of staffing up a presidential campaign. That said, the Republican National Committee is imposing requirements for the first debate in August that sheer wealth won't cover, especially the requirement that each candidate must generate donations from at least 40,000 national contributors. Scott has sought to build a national profile in the Senate, but the timing of his potential entry could complicate his ability to qualify for the stage. Candidates must also meet a polling threshold of at least 1% in three national polls or two national polls and a state poll. Read the original article on Business Insider US President Joe Biden, pictured at a meeting with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 22, 2023, is accused of "high crimes and misdemeanors" (Stefani REYNOLDS) Republicans voted Thursday to kickstart the formalities that could lead to Joe Biden's impeachment, as far right lawmakers sought to seize the-party's agenda and escalate a bitter standoff with the US president. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted along party lines to refer a resolution that accuses the 80-year-old Democrat of "abuse of power" and "dereliction of duty" to the judiciary and homeland security committees. Republicans accuse Biden of failing to control immigration, leading to the country's "complete and total invasion" and "surrender of operational control" of the US-Mexico border to "foreign, criminal cartels." Democrats say the Republicans are simply deflecting attention from the mushrooming legal woes of former president Donald Trump, who faces more than 70 felony counts of financial fraud, mishandling government secrets and obstructing law enforcement. Biden's son Hunter has agreed to admit federal tax evasion charges after a probe into his financial affairs, but critics have provided no evidence of any wrongdoing ever by the president himself. "You can't make this stuff up. Their extremism continues to be on full display," House Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters in Congress. "And they are doing nothing, nothing, nothing to enhance the health, the safety or the economic wellbeing of the American people." Impeachment by the House -- the political equivalent of a criminal indictment -- would spark a "trial" by the Senate's 100 members, who can vote to remove a president with a two-thirds majority vote. Trump, who was impeached twice, is among three presidents to face the rebuke, although he was shielded from conviction by Republican allies in the Senate on both occasions. While the Democrats united against Trump, House Republicans have been hamstrung by infighting this time around, with the leadership pushing back against a frivolous impeachment process that would be stymied in the Democratic-led Senate in any case. - Going 'rogue' - Lauren Boebert, the far right firebrand who drafted the Biden resolution, initially pushed for a straight vote on impeachment without a committee procedure that would likely have led to embarrassing infighting on the House floor. Oversight and Accountability Committee chairman James Comer is already leading a probe into unsubstantiated claims that Biden took bribes while he was a vice president and doesn't expect to release a report for several months. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy -- who has struggled to lead his raucous grouping, with its narrow, four-vote majority -- has argued that the rank-and-file needs to let Comer finish his work, and allow any action to go through the normal committee process. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Boebert's former ally on the far right, has been pushing for Biden's impeachment separately and told reporters Wednesday her colleagues needed to "get to the same place that our base is, where our Republican voters are." Allies of McCarthy accused right-wing lawmakers of going "rogue," however, while The Daily Beast reported that Greene called Boebert a "little bitch" on the House floor as they bickered over whose idea the impeachment was. The Republicans have filed 12 impeachment resolutions this year -- targeting government officials from Biden and his vice president, Kamala Harris to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The House voted 213-209 on Wednesday to censure California's Adam Schiff for helping expose the 2016 Trump campaign's extensive ties to Russia, prompting chants of "shame" from Democrats. "To my Republican colleagues who introduced this resolution, I thank you. You honor me with your enmity," Schiff said before the vote. "You flatter me with this falsehood. You, who are the authors of a big lie about the last election, must condemn the truth tellers. And I stand proudly before you." ft/md WASHINGTON The House took the rare step Wednesday of censuring one of its own members, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, over his criticisms of then-President Donald Trump and his role in leading the first impeachment inquiry into the former president. The 213-209 party-line vote came exactly one week after a similar effort to censure Schiff, D-Calif., was rejected after 20 Republicans joined Democrats to block the resolution over objections to a provision that called for fining him $16 million. But the author of the resolution, freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said this week she had secured support from the 20 GOP dissenters after she removed language about a fine. Adam Schiff on Capitol Hill (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images file ) After the vote, Schiff was ordered to stand on the House floor to receive a verbal rebuke, read by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. Democrats chanted Shame! and Disgrace! and heckled McCarthy. The resolution also requires the House Ethics Committee to launch an investigation into Schiff. Six Republicans voted present on the censure resolution. The perpetrator of this web of deceit became mainstays on cable news, waking up every morning with one goal: to lie, lie, lie to the American people that there was direct evidence of Russia collusion, Luna said in a floor speech before the vote. Special counsel Robert Muellers investigation did not establish any coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, though it did document contacts between Russians and campaign officials and found that the campaign was willing to accept help. Schiff, who is running for an open Senate seat in California, was the chairman and ranking member of the Intelligence Committee during the Trump administration, and he became the face of Democratic accusations that members of Trump's 2016 campaign team colluded with Russia to defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. In January, McCarthy, a top Trump ally, single-handedly removed Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., from the Intelligence panel. I think once Donald Trump threatened that any Republicans who didnt go along with his effort to censure me were going to get primaried, they fell in line. They just cannot stand up to this most unethical, now-indicted president, a defiant Schiff told reporters on the steps of the Capitol before Wednesday's vote. As [Franklin D.] Roosevelt said, sometimes you can judge a person by the enemies they make," he added. "Judging from the kind of crazy people that were on the floor today in support of this resolution, Im doing really well measured by that standard. Censure represents the Houses formal disapproval of a lawmakers misconduct. Even amid todays political polarization, censure doesnt happen very often. Schiff is the 25th lawmaker in U.S. history to be censured by the House. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., a Trump ally and member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, was censured on Nov. 17, 2021, for posting an animation on Twitter depicting him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and attacking President Joe Biden. Before that, the last censure occurred more than a decade earlier. On Dec. 2, 2010, the House censured Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., for a variety of ethics violations, including misusing congressional letterhead for fundraising and filing inaccurate financial reports and federal tax returns. Democrats, particularly those who worked closely with Schiff on the Intelligence panel, defended him, both in floor speeches and interviews. "Adam Schiff did his job. He spoke the truth, and he held Donald Trump accountable," Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said in an interview. "And demagogues like Donald Trump don't like that. They don't like people calling them out." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The News A new budget proposal from the largest House GOP faction is reigniting a battle over the future of Social Security and Medicare, leaving them at odds with former President Trump and prompting attacks from the White House. Last week, the 176-member Republican Study Committee detailed changes it would make to entitlement programs in an effort to extend their lifespan. For Medicare, it would begin offering seniors assistance to help buy private health coverage that competes against government insurance plans; it would also gradually raise the Social Security eligibility age to 69 for those who arent close to retiring. The proposals put the group at conflict with the GOPs presidential frontrunners. Trump has repeatedly insisted he will not touch Social Security and Medicare if he is re-elected, and urged Republicans currently in Congress not to cut a single penny from the programs. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has similarly promised not to touch entitlements for seniors, after coming under attack by Trump over his votes to do so in the past. The proposal has also given the White House an opportunity to escalate its attacks on Republicans after the debt limit deal that was signed into law. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates assailed Republicans in a Wednesday strategy memo, saying the House GOP is tripling down on a bold policy message: telling the American middle class to go to hell. Were in a place to put legislation forward to talk about policies that we believe will work, Rep. Kevin Hern, chair of the RSC, told Semafor. People can be critical of it on both sides of the aisle, and I'm sure there will be as there has been, and that's okay. Joseph's view As the longtime policy shop for Capitol Hill conservatives, the RSC has spent decades putting forth entitlement reform proposals with little hope of passing. But at this point, the exercise seems like a bit more political trouble than it can possibly be worth. Sure, many traditional Republicans are still intellectually devoted to the cause of trimming Medicare and Social Security. But with the partys likeliest standard-bearers practically swearing in blood not to fiddle with the popular programs, its not clear how any of these proposals would ever become law. Could Republicans force President Biden to accept cuts? That seems far-fetched. The GOP just spent the entire debt ceiling fight promising that they would absolutely not touch Social Security, after all. And while the vast majority of the Republicans who back them come from safe red districts, these kinds of proposals can still tarnish the partys national image among seniors. Voting for them can still come back to haunt members, too. As a congressman, DeSantis backed a number of essentially symbolic budget resolutions put forward by the RSC that sliced entitlements. Now those votes have become attack fodder for Trump. Even some Republican entitlement reform advocates are blanching at the RSCs effort. I think we're wiser to talk about a process of a bipartisan nature, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah told Semafor, adding hed released legislation with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia to establish bicameral panels tasked with finding ways to bolster the dwindling Medicare and Social Security trust funds. He argued that was a more viable route rather than Republicans releasing a party-line document thats easy to attack. Know More Will the RSCs proposal actually get a vote? Hern thinks yes: Hes expecting the sprawling plan to reach the House floor as an amendment to the GOPs so-far unfinished budget resolution. If the party fails to produce one, talks are underway to find another way to vote on the RSC plan, per a House GOP aide familiar with the situation. Republicans appear determined to take this messaging vote, even if much of the public hates the message. Room for Disagreement Other key Republicans insist these measures are less extreme than Democrats have suggested. They point out Biden lacks a Social Security solvency plan of his own. These are not unusual proposals. Every bipartisan commission that looks at strengthening either Social Security or Medicare raises the importance of these issues, Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota told Semafor. We have an actuarial time bomb. Rescue efforts for the missing Titanic sub will probably cost millions, but it's unlikely OceanGate and its wealthy customers will be expected to foot the bill OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and a pilot operating another submersible, "Antipodes," in 2013. AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee The search-and-rescue effort for the Titanic submersible likely cost millions of dollars. A former Coast Guard commandant said it would be unlikely for the vessel's operator to repay the US. The search effort took days, but ultimately authorities say it appears the sub imploded. A former Coast Guard commandant says that the massive search-and-rescue operation for the missing Titanic submersible will likely end up costing millions but that it would be unusual for the company running the vessel to have to pay the US back. The US and Canadian authorities deployed at least one submarine, several aircraft, and sonar buoys to search for the submersible, which disappeared on Sunday while on the way to the Titanic shipwreck. On Thursday, the operation was called off after debris from the sub was found and the five-person crew was presumed dead by the US Coast Guard. During the search, special equipment, including the US Navy's Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System, or FADOSS, and a French deep-diving robot, were dispatched to find and possibly retrieve the submersible. Chris Boyer, the executive director of the National Association for Search and Rescue, told The New York Times that the mission would "probably cost millions." Ret. Adm. Paul Zukunft, who previously led the Coast Guard, told The Washington Post that OceanGate Expeditions, the company that runs tours with the submersible, wouldn't be expected to reimburse the US government. "It's no different than if a private citizen goes out and his boat sinks. We go out and recover him. We don't stick them with the bill after the fact," Zukunft told the outlet. OceanGate charges people $250,000 each to see the Titanic, which rests some 13,000 feet underwater. The five people who died in the doomed vessel included the company's CEO and at least two billionaires. The submersible, called Titan, was made of carbon fiber and started running annual tours in 2021. It went missing and imploded on its third expedition. Mike Reiss, a former passenger who went on four trips with OceanGate, said that dives on the Titan were sometimes canceled due to dangerous weather conditions and that the vessel regularly lost communication with its mother ship. In 2018, the Titan's designers were confronted with safety concerns from a now-fired company executive and the Marine Technology Society though it's unclear whether those issues were later addressed by OceanGate. It's also unclear whether OceanGate requires its customers to obtain insurance before their trips, but the passengers were likely aware of the risks of embarking on a dive in the submersible. David Pogue, a CBS correspondent who tried the submersible last year, said he had to sign a waiver before participating in the dive that acknowledged the Titan was an "experimental vessel" that wasn't "approved or certified by any regulatory body, and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death." Reiss, a writer and producer for "The Simpsons," told CNN that he knew he might die when he visited the Titanic wreck with OceanGate last year. "This wasn't a vacation. It wasn't tourism. It was exploration. And you're getting on a ship that's the best it could be, but they're learning as they go along," Reiss said. The five people in the submersible knew the risks that came with the trip, Reiss added. "They made it as safe as they could make it. They trusted their own lives to it," Reiss said. "But they knew it could end this way." Read the original article on Insider Debris Field Update: OceanGate has announced that it believes the crew of five "have sadly been lost." According to the US Coast Guard, an underwater vessel has located a "debris field" within the search area during its hunt for the OceanGate submarine that went missing on Sunday. "A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic," the Coast Guard wrote on Twitter. "Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information." While we still don't know for sure if these pieces of debris belong to the missing submersible, it's not exactly a promising sign. David Mearns, who is friends with two of the passengers on board Titan, told Sky News that the debris "was a landing frame and a rear cover from the submersible," suggesting the Titan broke apart. "It means the hull hasn't yet been found but two very important parts of the whole system have been discovered and that would not be found unless it's fragmented," he added. Rescue officials, however, have yet to comment on Mearns' theory. Either way, the lost vessel dubbed the Titan has already passed the 96-hour mark, as the Associated Press reports, suggesting the crew of five on board is already running out of breathable air if there are even any survivors left. https://twitter.com/USCGNortheast/status/1671907901542211584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1671907901542211584%7Ctwgr%5Ec585e0f1303361c315d7ed96345b33177090a416%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fabc11.com%2Fmissing-sub-titanic-underwater-noises-detected-submarine-banging%2F13413761%2F Mysterious Sounds An international rescue mission hasn't had much luck beyond some mysterious "banging" noises, which experts say may have had natural causes. As of Wednesday afternoon, rescuers narrowed their search to an area twice the size of Connecticut and up to 2.5 miles deep. Worse yet, even if the crew are still alive and found, rescuers will have to loosen over a dozen deadbolts from the outside to free them. "The lack of oxygen is key now; even if they find it, they still need to get to the surface and unbolt it," Jamie Pringle, an expert in Forensic Geosciences at Keele University, in England, told the AP. Rescuers have plenty of challenges to deal with, from extremely deep waters to a complete lack of light. "Its just a needle in a haystack situation unless youve got a pretty precise location," Rob Larter, a marine geophysicist with the British Antarctic Survey, told the AP. This is a developing story. We'll give updates on the situation as we learn more. Updated with comment from David Mearns. More on the submarine: CEO Who Said Safety Is a Waste on Board Lost Submarine Residents and birders frustrated that developer proceeded with demolition that damaged gull colony on Goose Island The squawking of a ring-billed gull colony could be heard over the sounds of the demolition of their home at the southern point of Goose Island on Wednesday afternoon. Construction workers began demolishing the former Greyhound maintenance facility a month ago, according to the building permit. In doing so, local experts said they were disrupting a gull colony that had been there for years. Jennifer Frank, a bird enthusiast and resident of a building looking over the site, said she had watched the colony since she moved in eight years ago. Theyre my buddies, so this is devastating, Frank said. I was horrified. On Friday evening, Frank was developing photos she took of the birds when she noticed nests on the roof of the facility. Frank proceeded to contact the construction company, Brandenburg Industrial Service Co., to alert them of the gull chicks and received replies about addressing the issue. By Tuesday morning, Frank had photos and videos of dead gulls around the active demolition site. She said her contacts at the construction company stopped responding to her. Annette Prince, director of Chicago Bird Collision Monitors, said volunteers went to the site Thursday afternoon to assess the situation and move any juvenile gulls. We have to get the babies out, she said. Theyre not safe from predators, thats why (gulls) nest on rooftops, theyre not safe on the ground. Prince said the organization filed a report with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last month, but there was no follow-up after the initial acknowledgment. When the organization received a call Saturday from a concerned citizen, Prince said she was surprised to hear that Brandenburg had started the demolition despite the nests on the roof. Theres a couple of other ways they couldve gone about it but didnt, said Greg Neise, a Chicago birder with the American Birding Association. So now were in this situation where theres dead gulls all over the place, and theres quite a few babies wandering around looking for their parents. Neise said that gulls only nest until July, so demolition could have happened before or after the nesting took place. I realize that projects have to move at a certain pace, he said. But its not even a matter of oversight, its just complete disregard. The developer for the land is Onni Group, a real estate company looking to build a residential complex, along with office, retail and hotel space. Representatives from Brandenburg and Onni could not be reached for comment. Amar Ayyash, a national gull expert from Orland Park, said the city has a long record of destroying gull colonies. The largest ring-billed gull colony in Lake Calumet was destroyed around 2011 and was home to about 60,000 birds, Ayyash said. The birds that were nesting in Lake Calumet have dispersed all over the city, he said. The city in general doesnt like them around tourist areas. There are laws that protect birds from having their nests removed or killed, such as the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Ring-billed gulls are protected under the act. Violating the act is a felony offense but Ayyash said the government doesnt usually take action since theyre gulls, which are not endangered. Gulls sort of get the short end of the stick with that because theyre so invasive, Ayyash said. Despite some people seeing them as pests, Ayyash said they play an important role in an urban setting that many dont understand. In some ways, theyre our streets and sanitation crew, he said. Gulls eat anything short of rat poison. They really are not doing any harm if you stop and think about it, only good, he said. Editors note: Greg Neises name was spelled incorrectly is some earlier versions. vla@chicagotribune.com China revealed a 520 billion yuan ($72.3 billion) package on Wednesday to support waning auto demand, sending shares of manufacturers substantially higher. The plan is to increase sales of electric vehicles (EVs) and other green automobiles over the next four years. The package, which was widely anticipated after an earlier government vow to support the industry, comes as softer sales in the largest auto market in the world have sparked worries about the economy's slowing development after a solid start of the year, according to Reuters. The Purchase Tax Exemption (Photo : by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)) People visit the booth of Chinese multinational electric car manufacturer Nio during the 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in Shanghai on April 19, 2023. The purchase tax exemption for new energy vehicles (NEVs) purchased in 2024 and 2025 will be up to 30,000 yuan per car, with the exemption halving for purchases made in 2026 and 2027, according to a statement from the Ministry of Finance. At a press briefing, the vice minister of Finance, Xu Hongcai, stated that the overall tax reductions would be 520 billion yuan. The decision extends the present policy, which exempts NEVs from purchase taxes through the end of 2023. NEVs comprise all-battery electric cars (EVs), plug-in petrol-electric hybrids, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Following the announcement, Chinese auto shares increased. EV manufacturers NIO (9866. HK) and Xpeng (9868. HK) saw increases of 6.1% and 5.5%, respectively, compared to a 1.9% decline in Hong Kong's benchmark index (.HSI). Li Auto (2015. HK) increased by 3.5% as well. The announcement comes after a June 2 Cabinet meeting during which officials declared they would maximize and extend the tax exemption and research strategies to encourage the development of NEVs. The incentives put NEVs, a staple of high-ticket purchases, in the spotlight of a widespread effort to reignite growth in the second-largest economy in the world. Government incentives that backed the growth of regional players like Li Auto, NIO, and BYD strongly promoted NEVs in recent years. BYD, supported by Warren Buffett's investment firm Berkshire Hathaway, has surpassed Volkswagen in sales in China and overtaken it as the largest automaker there this year. Read Also: Polestar Partners With Xingji Meizu To Create a New Operating System for Chinese EVs Less Expensive Models Analysts predicted that the cap on the purchase tax exemption would encourage the rise of less expensive models made mostly by domestic companies rather than high-end automobiles from foreign manufacturers. NEV sales took a hit after the government removed an over ten-year-old subsidy for EV purchases. However, they recovered after automakers like Tesla (TSLA.O) cut prices to protect market share and followed the previous purchase tax exemption extension. Several factors, including government subsidies, increasing consumer awareness of environmental issues, and the growing availability of NEV models, are driving the growth of NEV sales in China. The Chinese government has been very supportive of the NEV industry, providing subsidies for NEV purchases and investing in NEV infrastructure. This has helped to make NEVs more affordable and accessible to consumers. In addition, Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental benefits of NEVs. As air pollution and other environmental problems become more severe in China, consumers are looking for ways to reduce their environmental impact. NEVs are seen as a cleaner and more sustainable option than traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. The availability of NEV models has been increasing in recent years. Several Chinese automakers now offer NEV models, and many international automakers are also entering the Chinese NEV market. This has given consumers more choices when it comes to NEVs, which has helped to boost sales. NEV sales growth in China will likely continue in the coming years. The Chinese government has set ambitious targets for NEV sales, and the industry is expected to continue to proliferate. This will significantly impact the global auto industry, as China is the world's largest auto market. Related Article: China's Ambitious Plan for 'Jing-Jin-Ji': A World-Class Industrial Cluster to Drive Economic Growth @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Union workers at Encore Boston Harbor in Everett voted Wednesday to authorize a labor strike in a continued push to secure a new contract. More than 98 percent of Encore workers who are members of Unite Here Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 voted in favor of a labor strike that will begin at midnight on June 30, according to a Unite Here spokesperson. The strike will impact an array of workers at the resort casino, including room attendants, cocktail servers, bar porters, cooks, dishwashers, public area cleaners, and drivers, the spokesperson said. Encore opened its doors in June 2019 with the first contract for union workers expiring in April 2023. Negotiations for a new deal have been ongoing for four months. The Wynn Resorts-operated casino is a Forbes Five-Star luxury property that promised to bring good-paying jobs to the residents of Everett and surrounding towns, the unions noted. In 2022, Encore had the second-highest revenue among casinos outside of Nevada. Workers wages and benefits, however, have not kept up with the increased cost of living in greater Boston, according to the unions. Striking workers are pushing for improved wages and benefits that align with Encores profitability. In a statement, Encore bar porter David Hernandez said, Living in the Boston area is very expensive. A lot of people who work at Encore, including myself, need to have more than one job to survive. This means we spend less time with our families. The company calls us the Five-Star Team, but that just means we are doing all the hard work so that the casino can maintain its Forbes Five-Star rating. We are not treated as Five-Star employees in terms of our pay, benefits, or job security. This is why we have to go on strike and fight for that Five-Star contract. Its about respect. Going on strike is not easy for anyone, but the workers have spoken and they are united. They want a better future for themselves, for their families, and for each other. They are not asking for anything outrageous; they simply want Encore Boston Harbor to be the best place to work in Everett. They are ready to do what it takes to win, Unite Here President Carlos Aramayo added. Encore tells Boston 25 News that they are disappointed the Union voted to strike but hope to come to an agreement soon. Encore has been actively bargaining in good faith with Unite Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 since early March, with the goal of providing our employees with competitive wages, benefits and a working environment that reflects our high standards and the experience we strive to create. We have provided a proposal that directly addresses the unions request for compensation market parity, said Encore in a statement. We will continue business operations while we work to resolve the issue and are fully prepared to serve our guests if a strike should occur. If the strike ultimately happens next week, the unions said that picket lines will be 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Delivery drivers who are members of Teamsters Local 25 have also pledged to not cross the picket line to drop off liquor, food, and other essential items at the casino. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW A retired US general says Ukraine could recapture Crimea before the summer's out, but only if the US gives it the ammunition it needs Ben Hodges told Newsweek that Ukraine could recapture Crimea by summers end, but only if the US gives it the weapons it needs. MICHAL CIZEK/AFP via Getty Images; Scott Peterson/Getty Images Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges told Newsweek that Ukraine could retake Crimea before the summer ends. But Hodges says this is contingent on the US giving the Ukrainians long-range precision weapons. Hodges believes recapturing Crimea would be essential for Ukraine to rebuild its economy. A former US Army general says he thinks Ukraine can recapture Crimea before the summer is over, but only if the US contributes more long-range weapons. "My principal caveat still remains that if the United States were to provide what Ukraine needs, then Ukraine could actually still liberate Crimea by the end of this summer," retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges told Newsweek on Wednesday. Hodges' remarks come amid a rapidly evolving situation in Ukraine. The Ukrainians kicked off their counteroffensive in June, and the effort has seen both sides weathering equipment and personnel losses. But Hodges fears that there will be no breakthrough in Crimea if the US does not give Ukraine "long-range precision weapons or other weapon systems that can reach further than they can reach right now." The US has been Ukraine's largest backer since the Russian invasion began. According to the State Department, the US has sent approximately $40 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia invaded them in February 2022. The US in February sent Ukraine Boeing's Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), which has a range of 94 miles. The GLSDB was meant to give the Ukrainians "longer-range capability" to "take back their sovereign territory in Russian-occupied areas," Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in February. Notably, the US military aid packages thus far have not included the US-made Army Tactical Missiles Systems (ATACMS), which has a far longer range of 190 miles. "At this point, it seems the administration will continue its incremental decision-making and withhold the contributions of ATACMS, Gray Eagle drones, GLSDB, and F-16s," Hodges told Insider. Hodges added that the lack of such weapons would make "Ukraine's counteroffensive more costly than it would otherwise be." "This means of course that the Ukrainians will have great difficulty striking targets inside Crimea and making it untenable for Russian forces there, especially the Black Sea fleet," he added. The Biden administration has held back from sending long-range weapons to Ukraine that have the capacity to strike targets in Russia. US officials told Ukraine in February that they weren't able to send over the ATACMS due to insufficient supply, per Politico. For his part, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened to use Russia's tactical nuclear weapons since the war in Ukraine began. He made the threat again on Friday, when he told the audience at an economic forum in St. Petersburg that Russia would use warheads stationed in neighboring Belarus to stave off a "strategic defeat" in Ukraine. "I think that the administration is self-deterring because their top priority seems to be to do anything in order to avoid that use of a nuclear device," Hodges told Insider. However, Hodges believes that the Russians know that "their nukes are actually most effective when they don't use them". "And so they are able to conduct nuclear blackmail. A terrible precedent which other nations like Iran and North Korea are noticing," he added. The State Department referred Insider to comments given by Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a press conference in the UK on June 20. During that press conference, Blinken encouraged people to "not get focused on any particular weapons system" as it is the "training" and "ability to use them in a coherent way" that is critical. Blinken added during that June 20 press conference that the US has been in "constant dialogue" with Ukraine and that they have "been very successful collectively in making sure that Ukraine has what it needs to maximize its chances." Russia invaded and annexed Crimea illegally back in 2014. It has since been turned into a forward operating base by the Russians. Crimea was also used as a launchpad for Russian forces when they invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The peninsula continues to serve as a base of attack for the Russian military. Hodges previously told Insider in January that Ukraine will "never be safe or secure or able to rebuild their economy so long as Russia retains Crimea." "They'll be able to launch attacks from Crimea, Ukraine will never be able to rebuild its economy because the Russian navy will be blocking the Azov Sea as well as Odesa and Mykolaiv," Hodges told Newsweek. "How's Ukraine going to have an economy? It's not good for anybody in Europe," he added. Author's note: June 23, 2023 This story has been updated with responses from Hodges and the State Department. Read the original article on Business Insider Reuters: UN adds Russia to global list of offenders for killing children in Ukraine The United Nations added Russia to a global list of offenders for killing 136 children in Ukraine in 2022, according to a report to the UN Security Council obtained by Reuters. Reuters cited the UN chief saying Russian forces and associated groups are confirmed to have maimed 518 children and conducted 480 attacks on Ukrainian schools and hospitals. Russia's military also used 91 children as human shields, according to the report. According to the Ukrainian government's portal Children of War, Russia's full-scale invasion has killed 490 children and wounded 1,028 as of June 22. Russia has also forcibly relocated almost 20,000 Ukrainian children, with only 373 having managed to return home. It was hell. Mother speaks of rescuing her child from Russian captivity On Oct. 8, Tetiana Bodak was busy organizing a funeral for her mother, who was killed by a Russian attack in then-occupied Kherson Oblast, when she got an unexpected and very emotional phone call from her son. Mom, Im in Oleshky (a Russian-occupied settlement in Kherson Oblast). On the way The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko The UN also accused the Ukrainian military of allegedly killing 80 children, injuring 175, and carrying out 212 attacks on schools and hospitals, Reuters wrote. It's unclear if the organization's report considered the evidence of the intention of purported attacks. Ukraine wasn't added to the global list of offenders. Kyiv hasn't commented on this part of the report. Every year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a report to the Security Council on children and armed conflict covering killings, maiming, sexual violence, deportation or recruitment of children, denial of aid access, and attacks on schools and hospitals. The report was written by Virginia Gamba, Guterres' special representative for children and armed conflict, according to Reuters. Last month, Gamba reportedly visited Ukraine and Russia, where she met with Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia. On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Lvova-Belova and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Getty We finally know who bailed Rep. George Santos (R-NY) out of jaildespite the beleaguered congressman claiming hed rather go to jail than give up their names. Court documents unsealed Thursday revealed that Santos father and aunt put up the $500,000 bail bond that allowed Santos to walk free after his arrest by federal authorities last month. While only their signatures appeared on the unsealed document, a source close to the matter confirmed their names as Gercino dos Santos Jr. and Elma Santos Preven. Gercino, Santos father, lives in New York and previously worked as a house painter, according to The New York Times. Santos father and aunt both donated thousands to his congressional bid, according to federal elections data. Prevens social media accounts reflect a particular interest in Brazilian politics, as she has posted material critical of the countrys left-wing President Ignacio Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and supportive of his far-right foe and predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro. A United States Postal Service worker, she owns properties in both Queens and in Brazil. My family & I have made peace with the judges decision to release their names, Santos tweeted on Thursday afternoon. Now I pray that the judge is correct and no harm comes to them. Prosecutors have accused Santos of running a scheme to defraud political donors, cheating the federal government out of COVID-19 relief funds, and even faking disclosure forms during his campaign for a Long Island congressional seat. The Justice Department indicted him in May on 13 counts that include money laundering, stealing public money, wire fraud, and making false statements to Congress. Santos pleaded not guilty to all those charges, calling the case a witch hunt. Im going to fight my battle, Im going to deliver, Im going to fight the witch hunt, Im going to take care of clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that, he told reporters massed outside the court last month. Santos surrendered to authorities at a Long Island courthouse on May 10. His suretorsthe people who bailed Santos out of jail that daystepped in to cover his $500,000 bond, but not before Santos defense team moved to have their identities redacted from public court filings. Since then, Santos and his lawyers have fought tooth and nail to keep those names out of the public eye, citing perceived threats to their physical safety and emotional well-being. There is little doubt that the suretors will suffer some unnecessary form of retaliation if their identities and employment are revealed, attorney Joseph Murray wrote in a June 5 letter to Judge Anne Y. Shields. He added that Santos would rather have the parties withdraw their support and await his trial in jail than subject these suretors to what will inevitably come. In that same letter, Murray claimed that one of Santos suretors backed out after witnessing the media frenzy around the case. The identity of Santos mystery benefactors drew the interest not only of the news media but also the House Ethics Committee, which wants to evaluate whether receiving the bail bond breached congressional rules on receiving gifts. Media outlets had asked Judge Shields to unseal the names of Santos benefactors, to which she agreed in a June 6 order. Santos immediately appealed. When that move failed this week, Judge Joanna Seybert slated the reveal for Thursday at noon. In the unsuccessful appeal, Murray countered claims that Santos violated House ethics rules by revealing that the bail money came, at least in part, from members of Santos family. The court also unsealed a protective order on Thursday that will keep discovery materials confidential, a common procedure in criminal cases. Santos first gained notoriety when a New York Times investigation revealed that he had lied his way into office, fabricating practically his entire resume. Since then, most of his life storyfrom his religious background to his mothers death to his volleyball skillshas been exposed as fraudulent. State and local entities, as well as authorities in Brazil, have since pursued criminal probes. Democrats in Congress have pushed for his expulsion, while Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy has declined to support his re-election bid. I think he has other things to focus on in his life than running for re-election, McCarthy told reporters in the Capitol. But Santos hasnt wavered on his plans to run again for New Yorks 3rd congressional district in 2024, even as his legal troubles pile up. With additional reporting by William Bredderman. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Democratic candidate for the presidency, went on the Jordan B. Peterson podcast on June 5 and told a wild and false story about me from 2005 that I want to tell you about. RFK Jr. has made so many false and wild claims about any number of vital topics most dangerously about childhood vaccines, per his own siblings that my interaction with him 18 years ago is small potatoes. He told the story as evidence of TV news networks trying to censor the truth when it came to vaccines. In it, he mangles the facts and wildly misrepresents what actually happened. The truth about it is instructive because of how untethered he is to facts. Flash back to 2005. Kennedy was co-publishing a piece on Salon.com and Rolling Stone with his spurious since-disproven claims about autism and vaccines. (After amending the story with five significant corrections, Salon.com ultimately took it down. Rolling Stone, too, removed the piece but with less transparency.) As Seth Mnookin wrote for Scientific American in 2017, Kennedy made his name in the anti-vaccine movement in 2005, when he published a story alleging a massive conspiracy regarding thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that had been removed from all childhood vaccines except for some variations of the flu vaccine in 2001. In his piece, Kennedy completely ignored an Institute of Medicine immunization safety review on thimerosal published the previous year; hes also ignored the nine studies funded or conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that have taken place since 2003. Among the many, many errors, as CBS News reported: Kennedys Rolling Stone article originally said that the link between thimerosal and the epidemic of childhood neurological disorders is real. But since The Lancet retracted the original piece of research that made that link, and since the British Medical Journal then revealed that the study wasnt merely a mistake but an outright fraud, the entire notion that vaccination and autism are somehow linked has been thoroughly debunked. It isnt just theoretical. Read this about Samoa. The Los Angeles Times editorial board covered it as well. So did the Washington Post editorial board. So back to 2005. I was a reporter with ABC News and Salon.com reached out to see if we were interested in doing a TV spot tied to the publication of the Kennedy Jr. piece. I interviewed him via phone, with a TV crew in his office, and prepared a spot for World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. In Kennedys bizarre retelling a few days ago (the relevant part starts at 27:55 into the interview), I worked with him for three weeks doing this incredible documentary (no and no) about his Rolling Stone story please note he makes zero mention of the article having since been retracted and disappeared and then the night before the piece was supposed to run, he called me up and said, The piece just got killed by corporate. (I didnt say that in any way and the piece wasnt killed.) All my career, I have never had a piece killed by corporate and Im so mad, he said I said. (I hadnt. I had been at ABC News for two years. I had had plenty of pieces killed. Not once did corporate play a role in killing any of them.) RFK Jr. has been misrepresenting the content of this call for years. (I told him we were holding the story for a day.) Now in his retelling, a two-minute piece was an incredible documentary, a few days of work was three weeks, one remote interview was me working intensely with him, and a piece that got delayed one day so we could interview some actual experts is a piece that got killed. For the record, the piece aired June 22, 2005. In it, I reported that Kennedy alleges a government cover-up, arguing the Centers for Disease Control, in collusion with the pharmaceutical industry, suppressed data about the dangers of Thimerosal, a preservative that had been removed from vaccines years before. Kennedy points to these minutes from a CDC meeting five years ago, in which doctors express concern about a study that seemed to indicate a link between Thimerosal and neurological problems. But the CDC argues that the study was unfinished at the time, and it subsequently concluded there was no link. We then had a soundbite from Dr. Tanja Popovic of CDC who said: The vast majority of the scientific data does not support association of Thimerosal in vaccines with autism. I then noted that Kennedy also claims notes from the respected Institute of Medicine show that body was instructed by government doctors to find no link. The IOM, however, says those notes were taken out of context. Members say any suggestion they were told to whitewash the truth is nonsense. Cut to Dr. Steve Goodman from that IOM panel: We felt that our responsibility was to the parents and to the science, and to give them the same kind of reassurance that I got from looking at this evidence when I was faced with exactly this decision for my own child. I reported that The medical community overwhelmingly disagrees with Kennedy, who is not a scientist or a doctor. They point out that autism rates are not decreasing, even though Thimerosal has been removed from most childhood vaccines as a precaution. So, yeah, we did the fact-checking for our piece that RFK Jr. didnt do himself. And he remains someone you cannot rely upon for facts, truth or accuracy. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Some people are content not knowing much about their neighbors, but not Sharaine and Wilson Caraballo. The married couple befriended 82-year-old Paul Callahan last March; since then, hes become a part of their family. According to the Mirror, the couple met Wilson, a retired Texas Instruments manager, when Wilson started working on their new home in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Callahan offered him a ladder to help with his work, and from there, a close friendship bloomed. He was coming over with tools, Sharaine said. Hed bring screwdrivers and teach Wilson how to fix up the garage, and Wilson followed all his advice. Callahan made sure to bring things for their children and make them feel welcome in the neighborhood. Hes always coming over with little trinkets for the kids, Sharaine added. They play with him a lot and call him Uncle Paul. Hes got stories for days. Their relationship came at the perfect time for Callahan, who lost his wife six months before the Caraballos moved into the neighborhood. The Caraballos and Callahan see each other daily, and Sharaine and Wilson invite Callahan to all of their family cookouts. Their holidays include Callahan, like Fathers Day, which they recently spent together. The Caraballos gifted the widower with a new outfit to celebrate the day. Hes like an honorary grandpa to us, Sharaine, a case manager for domestic violence survivors, told the Mirror. Even extended family considers Callahan part of the clan. Sharaine added, My husbands father is in the Dominican Republic, so even his mom says, Here comes your dad Paul!' Their close relationship with Callahan surprised Sharaine, who was nervous about moving to the community. One of my biggest fears was meeting our new neighbors, she explained. I was wondering who they were going to be and what they were going to be like. Callahan curved all of those fears. When Paul welcomed us into the neighborhood I knew I had made the right choice, she said. NEW YORK The leader of an authoritarian country with enormous energy reserves builds up his armed forces along the border of a weaker neighbor, one he claims has no right to exist as an independent country. He then proceeds to launch an invasion, with the goal of swallowing his neighbor and erasing it from the map. The world is faced with the immediate but difficult question of what to do in response. This is what happened in the summer of 1990, when Saddam Hussein marshaled his military forces on Iraqs border with Kuwait and, to the surprise of many, launched an all-out invasion. Within days, Iraqi forces took control of the entire country, which Saddam maintained was a province of Iraq. Now substitute Russian President Vladimir Putin for Saddam, Russia for Iraq, and Ukraine for Kuwait. Everything written above would approximate what took place in February 2022, when Putin gathered Russias military along its border with Ukraine, a country whose independence he had rejected in an essay published the previous July, in which he wrote, I am confident that true sovereignty of Ukraine is possible only in partnership with Russia. Kyivs frustration boils as flow of Western chips for Russian missiles continues uninterrupted Destroyed apartments, burnt-out cars, lives upturned or extinguished altogether: Russias June 13 missile attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih was, in many ways, nothing out of the ordinary for wartime Ukraine. The evening after the attack, which killed 13 civilians, President Volodymyr Zelensky came o The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell At issue in both crises was the most basic of all norms influencing international politics: that the borders of sovereign countries ought to be respected and not altered by armed force. In both instances, the leader initiating the aggression overestimated his chances of succeeding and in both instances, much of the world underestimated the threat, thinking it was a bluff until it proved to be anything but. Diplomacy and economic sanctions fell short of meeting the challenges posed by Iraq and Russia. What was required was military force, and a great deal of it. U.S. leadership also proved essential to reversing aggression in one case and resisting it in the other. But important differences between the two scenarios highlight just how much the world has changed. Start with Russia. In 1990, bilateral relations between the U.S. and the then-Soviet Union were relatively good, enabling a peaceful end to the Cold War the sort of outcome that history suggests is anything but automatic. The Soviet Union extended diplomatic support to the U.S. in its effort to resist Iraqi aggression, even though Iraq had long been a close partner. Today, the Soviet Union is no more, having lost its internal and external empires alike. Russia, its principal successor, has grown angry, resentful, and alienated. It is committing aggression rather than opposing it. Thirty years ago, the United Nations Security Council condemned Iraqi aggression and authorized not just economic sanctions but also the use of military force against it to liberate Kuwait. Today, the Security Council is sidelined, a result of the permanent veto that Russia holds in the UNs most important body. China supported or at least did not block international efforts to oppose Iraqs aggression. The U.S.-Chinese relationship was much better then than it is now, reflecting Sino-American cooperation against the Soviet Union in the latter decades of the Cold War. China was also far weaker, with an economy only a small fraction of the size of Americas, and Deng Xiaopings dictum of hiding capabilities and biding time still animated Chinas diplomatic strategy. This time around, China declared a no-limits partnership with Russia on the eve of its invasion and has stood by Russia ever since, skirting economic sanctions in the process. Thirty years ago, the U.S. dispatched half a million soldiers to the Middle East and intervened decisively on Kuwaits behalf. This time, the US, wary of war after its unsuccessful post-9/11 interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and worried about directly confronting a nuclear-armed Russia, has refrained from direct participation in the conflict, limiting its role to providing arms, ammunition, intelligence, and training. Gro Harlem Brundtland: Pulling nuclear powers back from the brink Russias invasion of Ukraine has elevated global nuclear tensions to a level not seen since the height of the Cold War. Absent any signs of responsible leadership from Russian President Vladimir Putin, it is incumbent on the leaders of other nuclear-armed countries to take practical and promp The Kyiv IndependentGro Harlem Brundtland Last time around, the world rallied against aggression. Not now. For one reason or another, many countries are reluctant to oppose Russia. India buys its arms and oil, as do others. Moreover, Americas ability to rally the world is much diminished, in no small part because respect for the U.S. is much diminished, the result of its internal divisions and widespread global opposition to the U.S. interventions in Iraq in 2003 and in Libya in 2011. U.S. President Joe Bidens administration didnt help itself by insisting on framing the war as one of democracy versus authoritarianism. Much of the world is hardly democratic and may have responded more favorably had the US emphasized the threat to a countrys freedom from invasion, which most of the worlds governments do support. What, then, is to be made of these differences? Geopolitics and great-power rivalry, common throughout history, are back, as is armed conflict between countries. The post-Cold War respite, the holiday from history, is over. The U.S. remains first among equals (or unequals, to be precise), but that is not to be confused with anything resembling hegemony. The advantages America enjoyed in 1990 have faded as others have gained greater power. Anders Fogh Rasmussen: Winning the peace in Ukraine Russias war of aggression in Ukraine has caused unspeakable human suffering, including war crimes committed against thousands of innocent men, women, and children. The attacks on Ukraines cities and infrastructure have forced millions to flee their homes and resulted in damage estimat The Kyiv IndependentAnders Fogh Rasmussen Most important, the gap between the worlds response to aggression then and now is a sobering warning that the international system has deteriorated. The world has become more divided just when it needs unity more than ever to confront common challenges such as infectious disease, climate change, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Unity is a scarce resource in international relations. The international community is mostly notional. Instead, evidence is mounting that the post-Cold War era has given way to a new era defined more by turbulence and fragmentation than order. The new era may not yet have a name, but the reality is there for all to see. Editors Note: Copyright, Project Syndicate. The following article was published by Project Syndicate on June 21, 2023, and has been republished by the Kyiv Independent with permission. The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Submit an Opinion Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) denied rumors that he is considering a 2024 presidential bid Thursday, hours after The New York Times published a report making the assertion. Whats accurate is Im running for the Senate, Im not running for president, Scott told reporters. His commitment to another Senate reelection bid would throw out the possibility of a fourth Floridian entering the GOP primary for president alongside President Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. Scott, who served as Florida governor before winning his 2018 Senate election, has made waves in the chamber in the past year, running an opposition campaign to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), which failed, and amending a spending plan that could automatically sunset federal programs, such as Medicare and Social Security. For the past two years, Scott led the Senate campaign arm, which brought him criticism after some experts said the GOP underperformed in the midterm elections. Scott chose not to meddle in party primaries, allowing less-experienced candidates to reach the general election and even hinted at a 55-seat victory for the party. In reality, Republicans were two seats short of a majority. The senator has also had some notable feuds with DeSantis, criticizing the current governor for his political battles with Disney and disagreements over abortion policy in the state. His relationship with Trump has remained generally strong, though Scott has avoided questions on whether the former president will get his vote in 2024 amid his legal woes. Recent primary polls show Trump with a large lead over DeSantis, who ranks second in public support, though DeSantis has gained some ground in recent weeks. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is considering an unexpected and dramatic entrance to the 2024 presidential race, according to The New York Times, a decision that would put him in direct competition in a GOP primary with former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the senators gubernatorial successor. But Scott and his political team are denying the report, insisting that he is running for reelection to the U.S. Senate. Its flattering that some have mentioned the possibility of Senator Scott running for President, but as hes said many times, hes running for re-election to the Senate, said Chris Hartline, a senior adviser to Scott, in a statement to the Miami Herald. When reached for comment, Curt Anderson, Scotts longtime political adviser, pointed to Hartlines on-the-record denial, saying he had nothing else to add. And Scott himself, when asked in the U.S. Capitol, reiterated that he was running for reelection for a second term in the Senate. The report in the New York Times cited two unnamed sources familiar with Scotts deliberations, saying he was considering a late entrance to the race. His campaign would come amid rising doubts about the viability of DeSantis campaign, which has struggled to make headway against the front-running Trump even as polls show him receiving the second most support from Republican voters. Scott is the states former two-term governor, serving from 2011 to 2019. He first won election to the Senate in 2018. Scott, whose personal wealth has helped fund his campaigns in Florida, was widely seen as a potential presidential contender in 2022, when he was chairman of the politically influential National Republican Senatorial Committee. But the GOPs unexpected failure to retake majority control of the U.S. Senate appeared to discourage his aspirations, and the senator announced earlier this year that he would run for reelection. Republicans expressed across-the-board skepticism about a potential White House bid by Scott, arguing that theres little, if any, room for him to break into the already-crowded primary field. Trump is leading the contest by wide margins, according to most available polling, and DeSantis is widely seen as the No. 2 pick. Hes got a lot to offer but theres just not the lane for him to win the nomination given the Trump factor and Ron DeSantis being the No. 2, Ford OConnell, a Republican strategist and former congressional candidate, said. Too many candidates and not enough donors. Scott has also said that he will seek reelection to his Senate seat in 2024, and, at least for now, is seen as the heavy favorite in that race. He already has a proven ability to self-fund his campaign and Democrats have yet to home in on a clear challenger for his seat. With the obvious caveat of that well have to wait and see, no one is jumping into a race because they see the possibility of coming in second and third, another strategist, Doug Heye, said. Scott would be the fourth Floridian to announce his 2024 White House candidacy, joining Trump, DeSantis, and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who launched his campaign last week. In 1985, it took Robert Ballard eight days to find the R.M.S. Titanic around 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. For more than 70 years, the location of the liner's wreckage about 12,600 feet below the ocean's surface had been a mystery since the "unsinkable" ship struck an iceberg late in the evening of April 14, 1912. Billed as the most luxurious ocean experience available, about 1,500 people died when the Titanic sank into the ocean depths within hours after impact with the iceberg. Only 700 passengers and crew members survived to be rescued by the R.M.S. Carpathia. Global headlines about the ship's fate mesmerized the world. But the ship's remains remained undiscovered for decades. In 1982, Ballard an oceanographer and Naval Reserve commanding officer who had performed a number of top-secret Naval missions during the Cold War started developing his own remotely-operated underwater vehicle. Professor Robert Ballard, professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, points to his footage of the wreck of the Titanic that is part of the exhibition on display in the Belfast Building, Northern Ireland, on April 14, 2012. Ballard and his team discovered the wreck of the Titanic in 1985. / Credit: Peter Morrison via AP But Ballard was having a hard time funding his project. So, he turned to the Navy and asked Deputy Chief of Naval Operations Ronald Thunman for funds. In return, Ballard said he would find the Titanic wreckage. The Navy eventually said yes, but on the condition that Ballard used the funds to also find two missing U.S. nuclear submarines the Thresher and the Scorpion which had sunk in the Atlantic in the 1960s. One catch: the Navy wanted the expedition to find the submarines to be top secret. "Well, let's tell the world I am going after the Titanic," Ballard recalled of his conversation with Navy officials in a 2018 interview with CBS News. A joint venture between the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the French National Institute of Oceanography, funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Technology, was put together, according to Woods Hole. After locating the two submarines, there were just 12 days left of funds to locate the Titanic, Ballard said, forcing the teams to narrow the search field to 100 square miles. However, it took Ballard only eight days to find the Titanic's wreckage because he said he knew to follow debris, a strategy that helped him find the Scorpion submarine. Just after 1 a.m. on Sept. 1, 1985, under more than 12,400 feet of water, one of the Titanic's boilers was identified, confirming the wreck had been found, according to the Woods Hole website. Ballard still vividly remembers that moment when he first set eyes on the Titanic. "We made a promise to never take anything from that ship, and to treat it with great respect," he told CBS News. Fighting over the right to "salvage" artifacts from the Titanic Ballard said he fought to protect the Titanic's legacy. Just one year after the wreckage was located, Congress passed the R.M.S. Titanic Maritime Memorial Act of 1986 to encourage the international community and explorers and adventurers "to provide for reasonable research, exploration, and, if appropriate, salvage activities with respect to the shipwreck." The act was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on Oct 21, 1986. Regardless, the quest for artifacts motivated explorers to continue to plan expeditions to the Titanic and subsequently started battles for artifact rights that continue today. In 1987, Titanic Ventures Limited Partnership, which later became RMS Titanic, Inc., made a deal with a French research institute for an artifact recovery expedition to the Titanic. The team recovered approximately 1,800 artifacts that were conserved, according to the website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In the 1990s, U.S. federal court battles ensued over the exclusive salvage rights, including sole and exclusive ownership of any items salvaged from the Titanic wreck. RMS Titanic Inc. won several of these legal skirmishes, and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia awarded the company salvor-in-possession status and exclusive rights over any items salvaged from the Titanic on June 4, 1994, according to NOAA. In 2000, the company sought to sell all its artifacts to the not-for-profit The Titanic Foundation, but courts blocked the sale, the NOAA said. French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet who has made multiple dives over the years to explore the Titanic was one of the five passengers aboard the Titan, a submersible that experienced a "catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber," leaving no survivors. Nargeolet was director of underwater research for RMS Titanic Inc. What have explorers recovered and sold? RMS Titanic conducted salvage expeditions in 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2004, according to NOAA. Since 1994, the company has collected thousands of artifacts, including top hats, China dinner plates, and a grand staircase cherub, according to their website. Appraisers valued that 2018 auction collection at about $200 million. In 2016, Premier Exhibitions, which owned RMS Titanic, filed for bankruptcy. In 2018, about 5,500 artifacts that were retrieved from its wreckage were sold to satisfy the company's debts. Premier had tried to sell its Titanic artifacts prior to that, but encountered difficulty because restrictions imposed by a federal judge made it hard to sell them piecemeal. A locket found on the ocean floor belongs to Virginia Clark, who boarded the Titanic in 1912. / Credit: Premier Exhibitions, Inc. Titanic memorabilia has also been sold by British-auction house Henry Aldridge & Son, including the Wallace Hartley violin, which sold for 1.1 million pounds. A menu from the first meal aboard the Titanic sold for 51,000 pounds, an original deck chair for 101,999 pounds and a launch ticket for 20,000 pounds, according to the auction house's website. In 2017, BBC News reported that a water-logged letter written by American businessman and Titanic passenger Oscar Holverson sold for 126,000 pounds at auction. In 2020, the U.S. and the United Kingdom signed a treaty designed to protect "0ne of the most culturally significant wreck sites in the world." The legislation grants the U.S. and U.K. governments power to grant or deny licenses authorizing entry into the wreck or removal of artifacts, according to a news release at the time. Chip Reid, Megan Towey, Jonathan Berr, and Amy Wall contributed reporting. Former Memphis cops charged in Tyre Nichols killing to appear in court Recovery efforts underway for Titan sub "The Price is Right" leaving Bob Barker Studio, its home for over 50 years The passengers of the submersible that vanished this week in the North Atlantic had to spend hours in a perilous descent to the ocean floor onboard a claustrophobic vessel with a solitary aperture. Inside the Titan Last summer, Mr. Mike Reiss, a producer and writer for The Simpsons, stepped aboard the Titan, as reported by The Straits Times. He claimed that the waiver that passengers had to sign mentioned death on the first page thrice. The 10-hour trip, which may cost up to US$250,000 (S$336,000), had composed but enthusiastic passengers, he said. (Photo: by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images) US Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick speaks during a press conference about the search efforts for the submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic, at Coast Guard Base in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 20, 2023. The Titan submersible with five people on board has "about 40 hours of breathable air" left, Frederick said Tuesday. Sandwiches and water were supplied on board, but he recalled hearing that many travelers skipped meals due to excitement and that the ship's primitive toilet had never been used. The journey has been referred to as a "thrilling and singular travel experience" on the website of OceanGate Expeditions, the company that manages the vessel. The Titan is tight inside. The cylinder was described as being "about the size of a minivan." Passengers can sit on the flat floor with their backs to the curved walls of the ship, which has an interior that resembles a metal tube, according to images from OceanGate. There is a small amount of space to walk about and stand up, some overhead lighting, but no chairs. Read also: Passengers, Crew of Missing Titanic Sub 'Titan' Identified Submerged in Darkness Nevertheless, Mr. Reiss characterized the trip to the Titanic as "very comfortable" and claimed he dozed off during the silent, dimly lighted descent. Mr. Reiss had previously traveled with OceanGate Expeditions to view Hudson Canyon off the coast of New York City. According to Mr. Reiss, underwater currents caused the submarine to deviate from its intended path as it approached the Titanic. He said that the compass was "acting very weird" and that the team only had a rough idea of their location-500 yards (457 meters) away from where they should have been. The Titan, which could only stay on the ocean floor for three hours, nevertheless arrived near the wreck with just 20 minutes to spare for what Mr. Reiss called a hasty "photo op." Through the porthole, which he compared to the size of a washing machine glass, he could see the submerged ship. He referred to the wreck as "the biggest thing in the world" but added that because of the darkness, it was impossible to tell exactly where it was. Titan was first launched in 2018, and it has since been used to explore a number of underwater sites, including the Titanic shipwreck. In 2021, OceanGate began offering commercial expeditions to the Titanic shipwreck, with Titan as the primary submersible used for these expeditions. Titan is a significant technological achievement, and it has opened up new possibilities for underwater exploration. It is a valuable tool for scientists, explorers, and tourists alike, and it is sure to continue to be used for many years to come. Related article: OceanGate Titan: Missing Titanic Sub Has Less Than 40 Hours of Oxygen Left, Authorities Say @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Michael Smerconish Hosts A SiriusXM Town Hall With Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Democratic Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks as Michael Smerconish hosts a SiriusXM Town Hall at The Centre Theater on June 5, 2023 in Philadelphia. Credit - Lisa Lake-Getty Images for SiriusXM Joe Rogan, Americas most popular podcaster, recently called for Professor Peter Hotez, an internationally recognized pediatric infectious disease doctor and vaccine scientist, to come on his podcast to debate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.), a prolific spreader of medical disinformation. Rogan even offered to donate $100,000 to a charity of Hotezs choice if he agreed to the debate. Hotez declinedinstead offering to be a guest on Rogans show to discuss vaccine science. Hotez is right not to take the bait. Rogan is unqualified to moderate such a debate, and has himself peddled disinformation about vaccines. Debating anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists like RFK Jr. is a fools errand, which always backfires, as history has demonstrated repeatedly. These debates give the false impression that there are two equivalent sides, and therefore can cause real public health damage. Historian Andrew Wehrman, an expert on the history of smallpox vaccination in the United States, gives a telling example of the harm that is done when an expert debates an anti-vaxxer. In Minnesota in 1902, the local anti-vaccination league hoped to overturn a law requiring vaccination of schoolchildren against smallpox, managing to organize a debate. Dr. Justus Ohage, a giant of medicine, engaged anti-vaccine advocate W.B. Clarke. Ohage discussed the evidence around the importance of smallpox vaccination. Clarke raised multiple false claims which Ohage was unprepared for (as these could not be fact-checked in real time), and in 1903, the law was repealed. Two decades later, in 1924, Minnesota experienced its deadliest-ever smallpox epidemic, with 500 deaths. Repealing the childhood vaccination law, says Wehrman, cost lives. Like Clarke, RFK Jr. is, certainly chomping at the bit to debate Hotez. For Kennedy, there are only upsides to such a debate. The event would turn into a media circus akin to the 1902 Minnesota affair, giving Kennedy air time and creating the impression that Kennedys views on vaccines should be taken seriously and are reasonablewhich is certainly not the case. Read More: Inside the Very Online Campaign of RFK Jr. Much of Kennedys opposition to vaccination seems to center on his false claim that vaccines cause autism. But there have now been studies that have included millions of children and these studies have found no relationship between vaccination and autism. One remarkable study looked at every child born in Denmark over a twelve-year period and could not identify an increased risk of autism in the children who were vaccinated relative to those who were not. Indeed, the evidence is very clear: there is no link between vaccination and autism. The best available research evidence suggests that autism is likely to be genetic in nature. The rise in the incidence of autism is attributable largely to evolving diagnostic criteria that are intended to capture more cases and begin earlier intervention. All of this evidence has not stopped anti-vaccine activists like Kennedy from holding steadfast to their false claims, with each successive refutation being met with an excuse. Kennedy also made the false claim that COVID vaccines are the deadliest vaccines ever made. Lets take a look at this claim. Deaths from vaccines are exceptionally rare for two main reasons. The first is that precautions are taken in who gets vaccinatedfor example, the MMR vaccine is a live vaccine, so it is not given to people who are severely immunocompromised. The second is the stringent safety standards that must be met for any vaccine to ever reach the public. Kennedys false claim is based on reports of deaths after receipt of COVID-19 vaccines in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). His claim does not hold up to scrutiny, and shows his misunderstanding of VAERS. Anyone can report any event to VAERS. A report of an event is not proof that the vaccine was the cause. Indeed, VAERSs own disclaimer states: VAERS reports may contain information that is incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental, or unverifiable. Deaths reported in VAERS have included car crashes and even the death of a girl who fell into a wellthese events were clearly not caused by a vaccine. The main purpose of VAERS is as an early warning system: If theres a dramatic rise in a particular event, this signal can be investigated with more robust surveillance systems, like the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), which has access to medical records and can make detailed comparisons between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Evidence from these more robust systems has shown that COVID-19 vaccines are remarkably safe and that deaths from the vaccines are extremely rare, which has also been confirmed by studies outside the U.S. In Kennedys conspiracy-laden fantasy world, a shadowy cabal conspires to hide the risks of vaccination. In the real world, U.S. public health agencies take vaccine safety extremely seriously and approach it with great transparency. After millions of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine were given, just 6 cases of an unusual pattern of blood clots were enough to trigger a pause on vaccineeventually a preferential recommendation for mRNA vaccines was issued because of the seriousness of this very rare condition, one that does not occur from mRNA vaccines. A safety signal for the bivalent Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for strokes in older adults was immediately communicated when it was identified even though subsequent data suggests that this finding is a statistical artefact. Unfortunately, Kennedy has also argued that COVID-19 vaccines are especially inappropriate in pregnancy. While it is true that the initial studies of the COVID-19 vaccines did not include pregnant individuals, data showing the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnancy quickly emerged. Pregnant people are at dramatically heightened risk of severe illness and death if they get COVID-19, and vaccination plays a critical role in preventing these awful outcomes. Kennedys organization, Childrens Health Defense, has published posts dated as recently as August 2022 arguing that COVID vaccines should be banned in pregnancy, after extensive evidence for their safety and benefits has been available. Kennedys brand of extreme anti-vaccine activism can have deadly consequences. In June 2019, he visited Samoa, appearing alongside local anti-vaccine activists. Later that year, a measles outbreak resulted in 83 preventable deaths, most of which were in children under 5, because of poor uptake of the MMR vaccine. Despite the deadly outbreak, Kennedy wrote a letter to Samoas Prime Minister Malielegaoi to deflect blame from the anti-vaccine movement and instead suggest that the outbreak was due to a defective MMR vaccine. Physician-scientist David Gorski has provided a thorough dissection of the deceptive pseudoscientific talking points in Kennedys letter. RFK Jrs own family say that he is tragically wrong about vaccines. They state that he is part of a misinformation campaign thats having heartbreakingand deadlyconsequences. We agree. Kennedys views on vaccination are as fringe and detached from reality as it is possible to be, and their dissemination among the public in any format directly harms us all. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Wednesday he believes Russia acted in good faith amid the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine, adding the U.S., in fact, bore heavy responsibility for the ongoing war. Kennedy, who announced his bid for the Democratic nomination in April, made the comments on SiriusXMs The Briefing with Steve Scully. Scully asked about Russian President Vladimir Putins continued effort to seize part of Ukraine despite international condemnation. Kennedy claimed the way forward involved baby steps toward negotiation, before the host pointed out Putin has so far rejected those calls unless Russia keeps the territory its already claimed. No, no. Putin has repeatedly said yes, Kennedy said. In fact, he negotiated two times he agreed to agreements. He agreed to the Minsk Accord, and then he agreed in 2022 to an agreement that wouldve left Ukraine completely intact. It was us who forced Zelensky to sabotage that agreement. It was already signed, he continued. So, you know, the Russians were acting in good faith. ... So, no, I think were the ones who have not been acting in good faith. The U.S. has repeatedly called on Russia to end the invasion since it began in February 2022. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that the Kremlin could end the war at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks against Ukraines cities and people. But Putin has claimed Ukraine would not win and vowed to push on. Kennedy has shared pro-Russia talking points in the past and asserted this week that the war was a creation of a relentless mentality of foreign domination in the United States. Hes also called the conflict a proxy war. I abhor Russias brutal and bloody invasion of that nation, Kennedy said during a speech in New Hampshire on Tuesday. But we must understand that our government has also contributed to its circumstances through repeated deliberate provocations of Russia going back to the 1990s. Later Wednesday, Kennedy shared a video on Twitter slamming us versus them thinking and referencing his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, who installed a direct line between himself and Soviet leader Khrushchev. My uncle, President John F. Kennedy, installed a direct line between himself and Soviet leader Khrushchev. #Kennedy24pic.twitter.com/2R7yUQK1La Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 21, 2023 Kennedy also responded to criticism about his candidacy for the Democratic nomination and concerns over his political positions. Kennedy is one of the most influential spreaders of anti-vaccine misinformation, and his work has prompted harsh criticism from his own family. His star in the anti-vaccine movement has only risen amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and he has secured a relatively strong standing in polling of the Democratic primary against President Joe Biden. There is not a charitable view toward me in the mainstream media, Kennedy said on SiriusXM. And, you know, the only thing I would say is that I would urge people not to believe the things that theyre reading about me in the mainstream media, but, you know, listen to my own words and not accept the characterizations as necessarily true. There seems to be an almost frantic need to discredit me, to marginalize me, to vilify me, he added. Related... Ron DeSantis loses in court on anti-transgender healthcare law for the 2nd time in a month as judge rebukes 'dog whistles' from Florida officials Ron DeSantis. Andy Barron/AP Photo A Clinton-appointed judge struck down Florida's Medicaid ban on transgender healthcare. The judge accused officials of enacting the ban "for political reasons." This is the second battle over anti-trans healthcare measures that DeSantis has lost in a month. A federal judge on Wednesday struck down regulations in Florida that banned government healthcare programs from paying for treatments like puberty-blocking medication and hormone therapy for transgender people. Judge Robert Hinkle tore into Florida officials in his opinion, writing that the ban was issued through a "biased" process "from the outset" that saw transgender identity as "made up," a "woke idea," or "profiteering by the pharmaceutical industry or doctors." Proponents of the ban "should put up or shut up: do you acknowledge that there are individuals with actual gender identities opposite their natal sex, or do you not? Dog whistles ought not be tolerated," he wrote. The governor's office and representatives from Florida's healthcare agency, the Agency for Health Care Administration, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Insider sent after hours. Florida's ban went into effect in August 2022 and specifically applied to patients who receive their health insurance through Medicaid. This is a program paid for jointly by the state and the federal government that covers low-income people, many children, and people who qualify because of a disability. The ban began to take shape in 2022 when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office directed the state's healthcare agency to do an analysis on Medicaid patients who received transition-related medical care. Roughly 12,000 transgender patients in Florida are enrolled in the program, according to Lambda Legal, one of the firms that represented transgender plaintiffs in the case. The medical services are known in the field as "gender-affirming healthcare" and include puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgery. Florida's healthcare agency concluded they were "experimental" even though numerous medical groups have determined these services medically necessary and blocked Medicaid from paying for them. In response, healthcare and LGBTQ+ rights organizations sued in the US District Court for the Northern District of Florida on behalf of four patients in the state two adults and two children who are 13 years old. Without Medicaid coverage, patients had to find other ways to pay for medical care themselves. As the case was still being litigated, the GOP-majority Florida legislature sent a bill to DeSantis, which he signed into law, that adopted the regulations. Hinkle struck down the law as part of Wednesday's order. In his 54-page opinion, Hinkle accused health officials of instituting the ban "for political reasons" given that Florida's Medicaid system long "paid for medically necessary treatments for gender dysphoria." "There are those who believe that cisgender individuals properly adhere to their natal sex and that transgender individuals have inappropriately chosen a contrary gender identity, male or female, just as one might choose whether to read Shakespeare or Grisham," he wrote. "Many people with this view tend to disapprove all things transgender and so oppose medical care that supports a person's transgender existence." Hinkle, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton, is the same judge who, earlier this month, blocked portions of a Florida law that aimed to ban transgender minors from receiving puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. "The elephant in the room should be noted at the outset," he wrote, using similar language to his earlier opinion. "Gender identity is real. The record makes this clear." The state failed to show that people receive transition-related healthcare without first receiving therapy and being evaluated by numerous medical providers, Hinkle wrote. Even if that were the case, he said, the solution should be better regulations rather than an all-out ban. DeSantis is running for the 2024 Republican nomination for president and has made anti-trans measures a centerpiece of his platform. During a book-tour stop in Charleston, South Carolina, in April, he defined affirming the identities of transgender people as "unmoored from truth" and dismissed medical organizations who back transition-related healthcare as "ideological" and called supporters of transgender care "rogue elements of the medical establishment." He signed several bills into law in Florida this year that severely disrupt the lives of transgender people in Florida, including criminalizing instances in which people use restrooms at government facilities that don't match the gender they were assigned at birth. "It is unfortunate that Florida politicians like Ron DeSantis have sought to attack the most vulnerable to score political points," Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, Counsel and Health Care Strategist at Lambda Legal, said in a statement on Wednesday. "However, today's ruling makes clear that discrimination is wrong and recognizes that every person in Florida, including transgender people, deserves equal access to evidence-based and lifesaving medical care," Gonzalez-Pagan added. Read the original article on Business Insider The man had booked in for a single night - which he didn't pay either A man in India has allegedly managed to stay in a five-star hotel in the capital, Delhi, for close to two years without paying the bill. Police received a complaint by managers at the Roseate House near Delhi airport after they discovered the apparent scam - 603 days into the man's stay. He allegedly owes the hotel over 5m rupees ($70,000; 55,000). The complaint alleges the man colluded with staff who helped hide the mounting bills. No-one has been arrested. Though the case was reported to Delhi police on 24 May, details have only recently emerged in the local media. The unnamed man is said to have checked into the hotel on 30 May 2019 after having booked a room for a single night, and stayed there until 22 January 2022, the Indian Express newspaper reports. Even though he did not pay, one of the staff members allegedly kept extending his stay, the report adds. Details of how this was done are said to include fiddling with other guests' bills - or simply swapping one for the other. No names have been given. "As per hotel rules, if a guest owes more than 50,000 rupees to the hotel, the staff has to inform the seniors and push the guest for payment. However, this was not done," a senior police officer told the newspaper. BBC News India is now on YouTube. Click here to subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features. Read more India stories from the BBC: The Texas state Senate adopted rules on Wednesday for its impeachment trial of the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, including a start date of Sept. 5 and a rule barring his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, from voting on whether to convict or acquit him. Background: Paxton faces a public trial by lawmakers. The Republican-dominated state House approved 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton last month, accusing him of using his position as attorney general to benefit himself and a campaign donor. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Among the charges are that Paxton directed staff members in his office to intervene in legal cases on behalf of the donor, an Austin real estate developer, Nate Paul, and that he took what amounted to bribes from Paul. Paxton, who is suspended from office until the trial is concluded, has denied any wrongdoing. The impeachment has divided Republicans in Texas. A poll released this week by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas found that 31% of Republicans surveyed believed the impeachment was justified, while 30% said it was not. (The rest did not have an opinion.) Some supporters of Paxton, who pushed national conservative causes as attorney general and received the backing of former President Donald Trump, urged the Senate to limit the proceedings in the impeachment trial and to provide a way for the entire case to be thrown out. The 29 pages of rules adopted late Wednesday by a vote of 25-3 lay out a process much like that found in a courtroom, including pretrial motions that could result in the dismissal of some of the articles of impeachment and a public trial that will begin with Paxton entering a plea of either guilty or not guilty. Each side will be given a total of 24 total hours to present their case, a chance to cross-examine witnesses and additional time for opening and closing arguments. Why It Matters: Impeachments have been rare in Texas. The Republican-dominated Senate will decide the fate of Paxton, a Republican and the first statewide official to be impeached in more than a century. Whether Angela Paxton would be allowed to take part in the trial has been a central question. The Senate decided not to let her vote on conviction or any other matter that comes up during the trial but she can be seated, and that does have an impact. A conviction requires a two-thirds vote of the members present 21 votes out of the 31 senators and the rules explicitly say Paxton is to be counted as present, which would have the same effect as her voting no. Paxton is not the only senator with a potential conflict of interest. Sen. Bryan Hughes has represented Ken Paxton as his personal lawyer in court and is referred to indirectly in one of the articles of impeachment, meaning that he could be called as a witness. So too could another senator, who at one point employed on staff a woman with whom Ken Paxton had an extramarital affair and whom Paul later hired, according to the articles of impeachment. The rules address this unusual situation, allowing a member of the court to be called as a witness and saying that such a senator would still be allowed to vote. At the conclusion of the trial, the senators will vote separately on each article of impeachment. Conviction on any one of them would remove Paxton from office for the rest of his current term. If he is convicted, the Senate could also vote to bar him from holding any public office in Texas in the future. Whats Next: A summer of legal wrangling. Lawyers for Ken Paxton and those hired by Texas House members to act as prosecutors are likely to spend the summer tangling in pretrial legal motions and briefs, with Paxtons lawyers trying to get some of the articles dismissed. But the rules also include a gag order, and members of the Senate are barred from discussing the case publicly. c.2023 The New York Times Company Consequences of the attack on the private sector in Kryvyi Rih Russia attacked Odesa and Kryvyi Rih with drones and missiles overnight on June 22, according to Operational Command South spokesperson Natalia Humeniuk. Read also: Russia may intensify drone attacks in the coming days, says Ukrainian military Ukrainian air defense downed three drones in Odesa. An uninterrupted drone struck a storage facility and caused a fire, though no injuries are reported. Meanwhile, Kryvyi Rih in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast was attacked with missiles. There are no reports of casualties. However, dozens of houses, a utility building, garages, cars, gas, and water pipes, and the electrical grid were damaged in the attack. Serhiy Lysak, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor, posted pictures of the aftermath on Telegram. Explosions were also heard in Kharkiv and Kremenchuk; however, no additional information was provided. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Russia attacks Ukraine with Kh-22 and Kinzhal missiles and Shahed UAVs on early 22 June The Russian invaders attacked Ukraine from the air on the night of 22 June using Kh-22 air-to-surface missiles, Kh-47 Kinzhal hypersonic ballistic missiles and Shahed-136/131 attack drones, with three UAVs shot down and the missiles not reaching their targets. Source: press service of the Ukrainian Air Force Details: The Russian forces fired three Kh-22 cruise missiles from Tu-22M3 strategic bombers from the Sea of Azov and three Kh-47 Kinzhal ballistic missiles from MiG-31K jet interceptors. Four Iranian-made Shahed UAVs were also deployed. Ukrainian air defence forces destroyed 3 Russian drones. Quote: "Fortunately, the enemy missiles did not reach their targets in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. However, the invaders continue to wage terror against the Ukrainian people by attacking Ukraine's critical infrastructure." Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Reuters) - Russia could shut off one of the last arteries carrying Russian gas to Europe by the end of next year when Ukraine's supply contract with Gazprom expires, the Financial Times said on Thursday, citing an interview with Ukraine energy minister German Galushchenko. The chances of Kyiv and Moscow agreeing to a renewal of the five-year transit contract first signed in 2019 were slim, even though the route through Ukraine accounts for almost 5% of Europe's total gas imports, the newspaper reported. When asked if Ukraine would be prepared to renegotiate the agreement with Moscow after last year's invasion, Galushchenko told FT, "I really can't imagine how it could be bilaterally," adding that Ukraine is preparing for a cut in supplies. Russian gas giant Gazprom warned in April that Europe's ability to maintain ample gas stocks in the 2023/2024 winter hinges on Asia's demand given "critically low" supplies from Russia. European gas prices rose last year on Gazprom's threat to cut flows to Moldova, as the supply route, which goes through Ukraine, is the last functioning Russian gas corridor to Europe. Europe would be relatively prepared for a further slowdown in supply, after adapting to similar cuts in the past by reducing demand and sourcing alternative imports such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), the energy minister told the FT. The European Union last year invested heavily in LNG imports and adopted regulation to boost storage to fend off any shortage after Russian gas supplies to Europe shrank following Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine. Gazprom did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. (Reporting by Baranjot Kaur in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing and Sonali Paul) Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, reported that Russia and Hungary are preparing an informational and psychological special operation to accuse Ukraine of unwillingness to exchange prisoners of war. Source: Lubinets on the air of the national 24/7 newscast. Quote: "In my opinion, this is Hungary playing along with Russian propaganda. Now, according to my data, they are planning to launch a PSYOP to discredit the Ukrainian authorities, the Coordination Headquarters on the Treatment of Prisoners, claiming that allegedly the Russian Federation is ready to give Ukrainian prisoners of war, and Ukraine is being difficult." Details: He stressed that Ukraine, on the contrary, constantly offers new initiatives, transmits lists and declares its desire to hold a major exchange in the all-for-all format. Background: In early June, the Hungarian side said that within the framework of the agreements of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Maltese Relief Service, 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war were taken from Russia. At the same time, the Hungarian side did not give Ukrainian diplomats access to the citizens of Ukraine, instead claiming that they had a free status, and also denied the government's involvement in the transfer of prisoners of war. Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraines Minister of Foreign Affairs, says that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had a personal interest in the transfer of Ukrainian prisoners of war from Russia to Hungary. According to the minister, "Viktor Orban had to show Hungarians both inside and outside Hungary that he is their sole defender." Three servicemen being brought from Hungary back to Ukraine was reported by the speaker of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oleh Nikolenko. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! With the help of modern Ka-52 helicopters, Russia tries to resist the Ukrainian offensive, but quickly loses them Russia is attempting to suppress the Ukrainian counter-offensive using Ka-52 attack helicopters, but it has lost five in as many days, military expert and Israeli Defense Forces officer Yigal Levin said to Radio NV on June 22. "The attacker always holds the initiative, Levin explained. That's why, by the way, they are focusing their efforts on an assault operation in the northern part of the frontline, somewhere around Kreminna. They also employ helicopters to launch attacks against us and hinder Ukrainian troops. According to open-source intelligence from Dutch OSINT organization Oryx, the loss ratio between Russia and Ukraine is roughly equal. Read also: Ukraine down its 300th Russian helicopter, reports General Staff "The occupiers sometimes suffer more losses than Ukraine, which appears to be an anomaly," the organization reported. Levin explained that according to military theory, an attacker usually incurs triple the losses of the defender. However, Ukraine has an advantage as it relies on high-precision weapons to detect and eliminate enemy targets. "The Russian troops are attempting to counterbalance this disparity with their high-tech weaponry, Levin stated. The Ka-52 helicopters are the high-tech weapons they possess. They had held them back as a reserve in case of a Ukrainian counter-offensive, and their usage was very limited. One Ka-52 Alligator was downed on June 16, two more the following day, and another one on June 17. The fifth Ka-52 helicopter was intercepted at approximately 11 pm near the city of Donetsk on June 19. As of June 22, Russia has lost a total of 307 helicopters and 314 warplanes since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Tesla's Indian investment could really happen soon after Elon Musk met with the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Tuesday, June 20, Modi confirmed that he would visit the U.S. to attend programs in New York City and Washington D.C. The Indian prime minister said that the activities he'll participate in include Yoga Day celebrations, addressing the Joint Session of the U.S. Congress, and meeting with Joe Biden. Modi explained that his visit to the United States would allow him to meet business leaders as they seek to deepen India-USA ties in key sectors, such as innovation, commerce, trade, etc. Tesla India Investment: Elon Musk Meets With PM Modi According to Interesting Engineering's latest report, Modi was able to meet with Elon Musk on Tuesday, June 21. Read Also: Alibaba Appoints New CEO, Chairman in Major Management Revamp "Great meeting you today @elonmusk! We had multifaceted conversations on issues ranging from energy to spirituality," said the Indian prime minister via his official Twitter post. Great meeting you today @elonmusk! We had multifaceted conversations on issues ranging from energy to spirituality. https://t.co/r0mzwNbTyN pic.twitter.com/IVwOy5SlMV Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 21, 2023 Elon Musk replied that it was an honor to be able to talk with the leader. It was an honor to meet again Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 20, 2023 Recently, the tech executive shared his interest in entering India, which is one of the largest EV markets. However, Indian officials and Tesla were not able to close an agreement over the sourcing vehicles. This prevented the giant automaker from entering the country. Indian officials said that if Tesla wants to enter the country, electric cars should be manufactured locally. However, the EV developer said that it wants to market exported units first to check if the demand is high. Now, thanks to the meeting with Prime Minister Modi, it looks like Tesla can soon start investing in the country. Elon Musk To Make EV Investments in India During their talk, Elon Musk said that the Indian prime minister is pushing him to make significant investments in the country. One of these investments is expected to be a new manufacturing EV base. Musk explained that India has a strong potential for a sustainable energy future. This means that India is a great country for stationary battery packs, electric vehicles, as well as solar power, as reported by Reuters. "He really cares about India because he's pushing us to make significant investments in India, which is something we intend to do," said the billionaire during their meeting. As of writing, Musk hasn't confirmed when his Tesla investments in India will begin. But, the tech executive said that an announcement would be provided soon. Related Article: Will Tesla Giga France Arrive? French President to Meet With Elon Musk @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Russia loses 650 soldiers, helicopter and 7 tanks in one day Ukrainian defenders have killed around 650 Russian invaders, and destroyed 21 artillery systems, 12 armoured combat vehicles, 7 tanks and a helicopter over the past 24 hours. Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook Details: The total combat losses of the Russian forces from 24 February 2022 to 22 June 2023 are estimated to be as follows [figures in parentheses represent the latest losses ed.]: approximately 222,650 (+650) military personnel 4,013 (+7) tanks 7,783 (+12) armoured combat vehicles 3,941 (+21) artillery systems 617 (+2) multiple-launch rocket systems 376 (+1) air defence systems 314 (+0) fixed-wing aircraft 307 (+1) helicopters 3,438 (+10) operational-tactical UAVs 1,214 (+0) cruise missiles 18 (+0) ships/boats 6,678 (+11) vehicles and tankers 539 (+0) special vehicles The information is being confirmed. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russia has prepared everything for terrorist attack at Zaporizhzhya NPP, warns Zelenskyy Zaporizhzhya NPP Russia is considering conducting a nuclear attack at the occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on June 22. The Ukrainian leader stated that Russia uses the ZNPP as an element in its aggression, shelling neighboring Ukrainian-controlled areas from the cover of the nuclear facility, as well as using the plant as a base for weapons and troops. Now our intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, he said in a video address. A terrorist attack with radiation leakage. They have prepared everything for this. Read also: Situation at Zaporizhzhya NPP serious but stable, says UN nuclear chief Radiation has no state borders and who it will be affected is determined only by the direction of the wind, Zelenskyy added. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to share all available information with its partners and all interested global parties, including Europe, the United States, China, Brazil, India, and the Arab and African countries. There should never be any terrorist attacks on nuclear power plants anywhere, Zelenskyy stressed. This time it should not be like with Kakhovka (Dam destruction) as the world has been warned, so the world can and must act. On June 20, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov reported that Russian forces had mined the cooling pond at ZNPP, though Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, insisted on June 21 that no mining had been observed. Grossi has warned that the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station and Dam poses a threat to the operation of ZNPP, as the necessary water level for cooling the reactors could be lost within a few weeks. Following his visit to ZNPP on June 15, Grossi reported that the situation was serious but stabilizing. Current water levels in the cooling pond are enough to sustain ZNPP for up to a year, Ukraines nuclear operator Energoatom has stated. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukrainian spies believe Russia is planning a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant involving a release of radiation, Volodymr Zelensky has said, after his intelligence chief warned Russian troops had mined the cooling systems. Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - a terrorist act with the release of radiation, the Ukrainian president said. They have prepared everything for this. The Kremlin dismissed the allegation as another lie, and said a team of UN nuclear inspectors had visited the plant and rated everything highly. It comes after Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraines military intelligence chief, on Tuesday accused Russia of mining the cooling pond used to keep the reactors cool at the Russian-occupied nuclear plant in southern Ukraine. Most terrifying is that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was additionally mined during that time... namely the cooling pond was mined, Major General Budanov said on television. 03:00 PM BST Today's liveblog is now closed Thanks for following todays liveblog. We will be back tomorrow for all the latest updates on Ukraine. 02:46 PM BST Zelensky signs law banning import of books from Russia Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law a ban on the commercial import of books from Russia, the latest move to reduce cultural ties between the two countries following Moscows invasion. I believe the law is right, President Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app, announcing he had signed a bill which also bans the commercial import of books printed in Belarus or in occupied Ukrainian territory. The bill, adopted by parliament a year ago, also makes its a requirement to obtain special permission to import books in the Russian language from third countries. 02:43 PM BST Pictured: Bystanders look on as they stand in front of a damaged residential building in Kyiv Bystanders look on as they stand in front of a damaged residential building in Kyiv - SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP 02:07 PM BST Ukraine races to fix power grid amid fears of Russian winter attacks Ukraine is carrying out the largest campaign of repairs in modern history to its power system to prepare for another winter of possible Russian air strikes, it energy minister said on Thursday. Missile and drone attacks on energy infrastructure following Russias full-scale invasion last year caused weeping blackouts and water outages for millions of Ukrainians during the winter. The most extensive repair campaign in the history of energy facilities is currently under way in Ukraine, Energy Minister German Galushchenko was quoted as saying by his ministry on the Telegram messenger. Power generation and distribution facilities are being restored, and work is under way to strengthen the power systems resilience to military challenges. 01:32 PM BST Western defence firms wary on Ukraine's weapons production pitch Western defence companies are interested in making weapons in Ukraine - but not until after the war, according to half a dozen executives contacted by Reuters at the Paris Airshow. Ukraine is desperate to boost its weapons arsenal, from drones and munitions to tanks, as it battles to repel Russias invasion. Its also looking to boost job opportunities and stabilise an economy ravaged by war. On Monday, a Ukrainian deputy minister told Reuters that Kyiv was in talks with defence companies in Germany, France, Italy and eastern Europe to potentially make weapons in Ukraine. 01:07 PM BST Counter-offensive 'will take time', says Ukrainian PM Ukraines Prime Minister Denys Shmygal warned that his countrys counter-offensive against invading Russian forces will take time but said he was optimistic about its success. Early this month, Kyivs military launched its highly anticipated counter-offensive in an effort to claw back territory lost since Moscows troops invaded Ukraine in February last year. We will do very smart, offensive operations. And because of this, it (the counter-offensive) will take time, Mr Shmygal said on the sidelines of a Ukraine reconstruction conference in London. But we have the intention to move and go ahead. We are going to go ahead... and Im absolutely optimistic for the liberation of all our lands occupied by Russians, he added. He said the counter-offensive is a number of military operations. Sometimes its offensive. Sometimes its defensive. Unfortunately, during our preparation for this counter-offensive Russians were preparing too, so there are so many minefields, which really makes it slower to move, he said. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky in a BBC interview on Wednesday admitted that battlefield progress had been slower than desired. 12:29 PM BST Ukraine says Russia fired 'Kinzhal' missiles in overnight air strike Russia fired cruise and ballistic missiles and strike drones at targets in Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, causing damage in the cities of Odesa and Kryvy Rih, Ukrainian officials said. Ukrainian air defences downed three of the four drones fired in the overnight attack involving three Kinzhal hypersonic and three cruise missiles, the Air Force said in a statement. ...The enemy rockets did not reach their targets in the Dnipropetrovsk region... the occupiers are continuing their terror against the Ukrainian people, attacking Ukraines critical infrastructure facilities, the air force said. The drones were shot down over the Black Sea region of Odesa in southwestern Ukraine, but one of them struck a warehouse, regional administration spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said. 12:28 PM BST When Bear Grylls met President Zelensky: I wanted to know how many green tops he had On the whole, Bear Grylls doesnt find himself feeling jittery in the day job very often. A little stage-fright occasionally, yes. A bit star-struck for a second or two, perhaps. (Though wouldnt we all be, if we were responsible for keeping Barack Obama or Narendra Modi alive in the wilderness.) On television, its normally his guests who are nervous. It is them, after all, who have agreed to step out of their comfort zones - and enter his. Read more from Guy Kelly here 12:17 PM BST Ukraine in pictures: A Ukrainian soldier from the 35th Brigade, inspects 120mm mortar shells on the firing position near one of newly captured villages in Makarivka, Donetsk - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Ukrainian policemen help an injured woman into an ambulance after a Russian rocket attack on a residential neighbourhood in Pokrovsk, Ukraine - Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Local residents injured during a Russian military strike are seen inside an ambulance vehicle - STRINGER/REUTERS 12:11 PM BST Ukraine 99.9 per cent certain Russia will quit Black Sea grain deal in July Russia is 99.9 per cent certain to quit a UN-brokered deal on the safe wartime passage of Black Sea grain next month because it no longer needs Ukrainian ports to export ammonia, a senior Ukrainian diplomat said. Olha Trofimtseva, Ukraines foreign ministry ambassador at large, said Russian ammonia producer Uralchem had found an alternative route and does not need to export ammonia via Odesa. The grain corridor. 99.9 per cent that Russia will leave it in July, Trofimtseva said on the Telegram messaging app late on Wednesday. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Moscow and Kyiv last July to help tackle a global food crisis worsened by Russias invasion of its neighbour and a blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports. Moscow has threatened not to extend the agreement beyond July 18 unless a series of demands, including the removal of obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports, are met. 12:05 PM BST Storm Shadow missile strike damages Crimea bridge Ukrainian forces have carried out a missile strike on a bridge connecting Ukraines Kherson region and Crimea, Russia-appointed officials in both regions said. Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed Kherson governor, said the bridge was likely to have been attacked by Storm Shadow missiles that damaged the road, but traffic has been diverted to a different route. No casualties have been reported. Crimeas governor, Sergey Aksyonov, said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume. Known as the gate to Crimea, the Chongar bridge is one of a handful of bridges linking Crimea - which was annexed by Russia in 2014 - with the mainland. The bridges provide an alternative to the narrow isthmus connecting the peninsula and the continent. 11:20 AM BST US reporter Evan Gershkovich loses new appeal against pre-trial detention in Russia US reporter Evan Gershkovich had a new appeal rejected by a Moscow court on Thursday against his pre-trial detention on charges of espionage, a Reuters reporter at the court said. The Wall Street Journal reporter denies the spying charge, which could lead to a prison sentence of up to 20 years if he is convicted. His parents Mikhail Gershkovich and Ella Milman, who left the Soviet Union for the United States in 1979, were in court to support their son. US Ambassador Lynne Tracy was not allowed inside the room. The 31-year-old was arrested in March and accused by Russias FSB security service of collecting military secrets in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. His newspaper vehemently denies the accusation against Mr Gershkovich, who was accredited by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The United States says he was wrongfully detained and is demanding his release. 10:58 AM BST Everything we know about the Storm Shadow missile Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed Kherson governor, said Storm Shadow missiles were likely to have been used for the attack on the Chongar bridge. Here is your essential guide to the weapons of Ukraine here 10:45 AM BST The bridges that have been destroyed Ukrainian forces have carried out a missile strike on a bridge connecting Ukraines Kherson region and Crimea, Russia-appointed officials in both regions said. 10:42 AM BST US journalist Evan Gershkovich appears in Moscow court to appeal extended detention Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter detained on espionage charges in Russia, appeared in court Thursday to appeal his extended detention. Mr Gershkovich, 31, a US citizen, was arrested in late March while on a reporting trip. A Moscow court agreed last month to keep him in custody until Aug. 30. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands behind a glass wall of an enclosure for defendants before a court hearing to consider an appeal against his detention - EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/REUTERS Defence lawyers challenged the decision, and the Moscow City Court was considering the appeal on Thursday. Mr Gershkovich and his employer have denied he spied in Russia. The US government has declared him to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release. 10:06 AM BST Ukraine says Russia considering 'terror' attack at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian intelligence agencies had received information showing Russia is considering carrying out a terrorist attack at the Zaporozhzhia nuclear plant involving a release of radiation. In a video statement on the Telegram messenger, he said Ukraine was sharing the intelligence with all its international partners. Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - a terrorist act with the release of radiation, he said. They have prepared everything for this. President Zelensky did not say what evidence the intelligence agencies based their assertion on. The Kremlin dismissed the allegation as another lie, and claimed that a team of UN nuclear inspectors had visited the plant and rated everything highly. 09:44 AM BST Slower than expected pace of counteroffensive isn't emblematic of Ukraine's potential, says ISW NEW: The overall slower-than-expected pace of Ukrainian #counteroffensive operations isn't emblematic of #Ukraines wider offensive potential, & Ukrainian forces are likely successfully setting conditions for a future main effort despite initial setbackshttps://t.co/hiIa26CVZt pic.twitter.com/L9FYplL3XE ISW (@TheStudyofWar) June 22, 2023 09:30 AM BST Germany to meet Nato's 2 per cent spending goal 'starting next year' Germany will meet Natos two per cent spending target from next year, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said, after Russias war in Ukraine sparked a major policy shift on defence in Berlin. We will ensure that the Bundeswehr finally receives the equipment it needs... also by spending two per cent of our GDP on defence for the first time in decades, starting next year, Mr Scholz told lawmakers in parliament. 09:09 AM BST Ukraine joining Nato could 'prevent major war in Europe', says Zelensky's chief of staff Ukraine joining NATO could prevent a major war in Europe. Otherwise, the Russian rogue state will try to conquer our country to use its resource for further aggression against NATO countries. Andriy Yermak (@AndriyYermak) June 22, 2023 08:57 AM BST Scholz urges Nato summit to focus on boosting Ukraine fighting strength German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Nato leaders meeting in Vilnius in July to focus on ramping up Ukraines fighting capacity during its ongoing counteroffensive against Russia. A key question to be raised at the gathering on July 11-12 will be the future relationship between Ukraine and Nato, Mr Scholz said. We should look soberly at the current situation, Mr Scholz told lawmakers in Berlin, noting that Kyiv has itself said that a Nato membership is not in the question while Russia is carrying out its war against Ukraine. Thats why I am putting forward that we focus in Vilnius on what is now an absolute priority - that is, to strengthen the fighting power of Ukraine. 08:17 AM BST Pictured: An injured Ukrainian soldier at the Campus Virchow Clinic in Berlin Thousands of wounded Ukrainian soldiers are being treated across the EU as part of a civil protection programme set up by the European Commission. An injured Ukrainian soldier rests on his bed while a physician examines x-ray photographs at the Campus Virchow Clinic in Berlin - TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP Germany alone has taken in 800 injured Ukrainian soldiers since the start of the war, including about 50 at the Berlin hospital unit specialising in muscular and skeletal wounds. 08:15 AM BST Ben Wallace says he's out of the running for Nato top job Defence secretary Ben Wallace does not expect to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as Nato secretary general, The Economist has reported, amid claims the US wants the current leader to stay. Its not going to happen, Mr Wallace, who has previously said that he would like the job, told the magazine in an interview. Maybe they want a prime minister, he added. Mr Stoltenberg is due to step down in September after nine years as secretary general of the military alliance, but the bloc has struggled to decide on a replacement ahead of a mid-July summit in Lithuania. Read more here 08:02 AM BST Listen to Ukraine the Latest We report on the news that a British Challenger 2 has been seen on the battlefield for the first time and the announcements coming out of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. Plus, we talk again to the founder of Vans of Borders about their latest work in Ukraine, delivering aid and documenting life for civilians caught up in the violence. 07:57 AM BST Russia gas flows through Ukraine 'could stop next year' One of the last arteries carrying Russian gas to Europe could be shut off by the end of next year when Ukraines supply contract with Gazprom expires, the Financial Times is reporting, citing an interview with Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko. The chances of Kyiv and Moscow agreeing the renewal of the five-year transit contract first signed in 2019 were slim, even though the route through Ukraine accounts for almost 5 per cent of Europes total gas imports, the newspaper reported the energy minister as saying. 07:48 AM BST Latest MoD update Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 22 June 2023. Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/y1fx7IpGF6 #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/NzSOWUw8BM Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) June 22, 2023 07:42 AM BST Pictured: Ukrainian soldiers in Donetsk Ukrainian soldiers from the 35th Brigade fire targets using 120 mm mortar near one of newly captured villages in Makarivka, Donetsk - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Ukrainian soldiers from the 35th Brigade fire targets using 120 mm mortar near one of newly captured villages in Makarivka - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu Andrii, Ukrainian soldier from the 35th Brigade, inspects 120mm mortar shells on the firing position near one of newly captured villages in Makarivka - Anadolu Agency/Anadolu 07:39 AM BST Top US security adviser to attend Ukraine-organized meeting in Denmark Jake Sullivan, the US national security adviser, will attend a Ukraine-organized meeting this weekend in Denmark, alongside representatives of multiple countries, including some that have remained neutral on Russias invasion, a Western official told AFP on Wednesday. The meeting in Copenhagen aims to discuss ways of achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, the source said. The invitees include top security officials of the United States, the European Union, and other countries that have backed Ukraine since Russia invaded last year, as well as those that have not condemned the invasion, the source added, without specifying which states. The as-yet-unannounced meeting was first reported by the Financial Times, which cited sources familiar with the plans, saying that the meeting could include officials from India, Brazil and South Africa, though the attendees were not finalised. 07:38 AM BST First shots of Chongarsky bridge after arrival The first shots of the Chongarsky bridge immediately after arrival From the video, you can understand that two bridges were attacked, not just one. UA Insiderhttps://t.co/zAfmfqB6UN pic.twitter.com/2PRUZ4IGWx Lew Anno Suport #Ukraine 24/2-22 (@anno1540) June 22, 2023 07:35 AM BST Britain very, very supportive of Ukraine fast-track Nato entry Britain would support speedy Nato accession for Ukraine at the alliances summit in Vilnius next month, the Foreign Secretary indicated. James Cleverly said that Britain would be very, very supportive of allowing Ukraine to skip the membership action plan, a lengthy reform process that prospective Nato allies are meant to undergo before they are allowed to apply for membership. The remarks reflected a growing consensus in western Europe that Ukraine must join Nato after the war, but signals a possible rift between London and Washington over the timetable. Read more from Roland Oliphant here 07:34 AM BST Ukraine counter-offensive is not like Hollywood, says Zelensky, as he admits slow progress Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted that Ukraines counter-offensive is going slower than desired as he warned observers that it wasnt a Hollywood movie. A little more than two weeks into the attack, Ukraine has recaptured eight villages in the south, but in recent days the advance has slowed. Ukrainian forces have had partial success as they continue attacking on the southern front and have weather a major assault in the east, according to a senior Ukrainian defence official. Read more here 06:41 AM BST First pictures emerge Crimea bridge Crimea bridge Crimea bridge 06:24 AM BST Good morning Reports are emerging a key bridge connecting the Ukrainian mainland to Crimea has been damaged. Russia is blaming Ukraine. Our reporters will have more information on this today. Follow our live updates. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. MOSCOW, RUSSIA - 2021/08/25: Russian Army TOS-1A "Solntsepyok (Blazing Sun)" multiple rocket launcher and thermobaric weapon mounted on a T-72 tank chassis seen during the annual Army Games defense technology international exhibition. (Photo by Leonid Faerberg/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Thermobarics, also known as vacuum bombs, suck up the oxygen in their explosive range to mix with fuel, massively increasing their explosive power, flammability, and antipersonnel effects. Theres nowhere to hide when someone drops a thermobaric bomb on a unit; buildings, foxholes, and even bunkers can be destroyed by its power. Although many countries, including the United States, have long had thermobaric weapons, Russia deploys thermobaric missiles on mobile launchers and used one against a band of anti-Kremlin partisans on Russian soil in June 2023. Just how much anti-Putin rebel movements have grown in recent days has many speculating about the possibilities of a wider partisan movement inside Russia. What they do know is that at least one group of partisans will not be continuing any kind of resistance movement. Russias Ministry of Defense claimed they deployed a thermobaric missile launcher to Belgorod, along Russias border with Ukraine, in response to reports of armed insurgents attacking inside Russia. Its TOS-1A heavy thermobaric rocket launcher sits atop a tank and can lob rockets upward of two miles. Since the internal Russian security forces are getting bigger and more powerful weapons than the forces deployed inside Ukraine, theyve been able to keep anti-Putin Russian militias like the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Liberty of Russia Legion from causing widespread panic or destruction in Russias borders. The Russian Volunteer Corps did not expressly say if their troops were the forces fighting in Belgorod, but they did acknowledge activities inside Russia. The Liberty of Russia Legion says it does work with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but was not operating in Russia for Ukraine. Neither admits to facing Russian thermobaric rockets. Russian thermobaric weapons, like all thermobarics, kill by using a pressure wave of fuel that mixes with atmospheric oxygen, flowing around structures like buildings and cars. A second explosive charge detonates the cloud of fuel and air, creating a massive blast wave that will rupture the lungs and can crush reinforced concrete buildings and destroy inside armored vehicles. Even if the second wave doesnt detonate the air-fuel mixture, victims of the weapons will still be killed by the burning fuel on their skin and in their lungs. Its essentially a kind of chemical weapon using a flammable toxic cloud that is then set on fire. These kinds of weapons were first pursued by Nazi Germany and were later created by the U.S. for use in the Vietnam War. The Soviet Union developed them not long after the Americans. A coalition of countries has since lobbied the United Nations for an agreement to ban the use of thermobaric weapons, even in war. After two attempts, in 1990 and 2010, no movement could be made. Russia has been using thermobaric weapons on its home soil since a 1993 coup attempt tried to unseat then-President Boris Yeltsin. The Russian military has used them in Chechnya against terrorists and has been accused of using them in Ukraine. The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence says the use of these weapons against internal threats shows Russian military leaders are torn between shoring up their defenses inside Russia or using them to bolster their efforts in Ukraine. It wont be the last time anti-Putin militias attack Belgorod, so Russia may soon have to leave its forces in Ukraine without any kind of advanced weaponry. A Russian court rejected an appeal from Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to his extended detention while he awaits trial on espionage charges. The court ruled that Gershkovich, who was arrested in March on allegations that he was trying to gain access to classified information, must remain in jail at least until late August, upholding a previous Moscow courts ruling. The proceedings happened behind closed doors, but before they began, Gershkovich appeared tense and paced inside the glass cage where he was being held during the hearing. He also briefly smiled. His parents and U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy were present. Tracy told reporters that she was extremely disappointed by the ruling and reiterated calls for Russia to release him, slamming the allegations as baseless. Evan continued to show remarkable strength and resiliency in these very difficult circumstances, she said. The State Department has declared Gershkovich to be wrongfully detained and argued that Gershkovich was only conducting his job as a journalist. The Journal has also denied that Gershkovich was engaging in espionage, most recently denouncing the decision to keep him detained. Although the outcome was expected, it is no less an outrage that his detention continues to be upheld. Evan has been wrongfully detained for more than 12 weeks for nothing more than doing his job as a journalist. We continue to demand his immediate release, the Journal said. Russian officials have not laid out any evidence of the charges Gershkovich is facing. Gershkovich could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage, and Russias criminal justice system has been internationally criticized for having a more than 99 percent conviction rate. Gershkovich is the first U.S. journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War. He is being held in Moscows Lefortovo prison, known for having harsh conditions. U.S. officials have on multiple occasions been denied access to consular visits with Gershkovich. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters the ministry is considering a request from the U.S. embassy for a visit. The Associated Press contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A court in Moscow on Thursday denied an appeal filed by Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich against the extension of his pre-trial detention in Moscow, Russian state news agencies reported. Gershkovich's detention in the infamous Lefortovo prison was extended until August 30. The American journalist has been accused of espionage a charge he and his employer strongly deny and could face up to 20 years in prison if tried and convicted on the charges. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a defendants enclosure before a court hearing to consider an appeal against his detention in Moscow, Russia, June 22, 2023. / Credit: EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/REUTERS His parents, Mikhail Gershkovich and Ella Milman, who emigrated from the then-Soviet Union to the United States in the late 1970s, were in the Moscow courtroom to support their son. Russian state media said U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy was not allowed inside the courtroom. The proceedings were held behind closed doors but journalists were allowed to take a few pictures of Gershkovich, who was seen standing in a glass defendant's box wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt before the start of the hearing. Gershkovich, 31, was arrested in March and accused by Russia's federal security service (FSB) of "acting on instructions from the American side and collecting information that constitutes state secrets about the activity of one of the entities of the Russian military industrial complex" in the city of Yekaterinburg. His arrest marked the first detention of an American reporter in Russia on spying allegations since the Cold War, further escalating tension between Moscow and Washington that has soared since Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. U.S. officials have declared Gershkovich "wrongfully detained" by Russia, along with Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence on espionage charges, which the U.S. also denies. In a statement issued Thursday after the hearing in Moscow, The Wall Street Journal said the "outcome was expected," but that it was "no less an outrage that his detention continues to be upheld." "Evan has been wrongfully detained for more than 12 weeks for nothing more than doing his job as a journalist. We continue to demand his immediate release," the newspaper said. In April, a court denied a previous request from Gershkovich's defense team that he be transferred to house arrest or granted bail, rather than kept in Lefortovo, a prison that has held many Soviet and Russian dissidents over the years in eerie isolation. On Thursday, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the state-run TASS news agency that "Russia was considering" a request from the U.S. for consular access to Gershkovich. The date of Gershkovich's trial has not been set. The timeline of similar cases in Russia suggest the reporter could spend months or even years in detention as pre-trial proceedings drag on. Independent legal experts note that under Russian law, investigators have vast powers to request constant extensions to delay trials, and virtually all espionage cases in Russia result in a guilty verdict. Any potential prisoner swap with the U.S., under Russian regulations, can only happen after a verdict is handed down by a court. John Bolton discusses possible 2024 bid, Trump investigations How labor shortages are impacting farmers Expert discusses safety concerns he raised about Titan sub in 2018 MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian court on Thursday rejected U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich's appeal against his pre-trial detention on charges of espionage that he denies, a Reuters reporter at the court said. Gershkovich, 31, was arrested in March and accused by the FSB security service of collecting military secrets in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. The United States says he was wrongfully detained and is demanding his release. (Reporting by Tatiana Gomozova; Writing by Alexander Marrow) US journalist Evan Gershkovich inside a defendants' cage before his appeal hearing in Russia (Natalia KOLESNIKOVA) A Russian court on Thursday rejected an appeal to release US reporter Evan Gershkovich from detention in Moscow, an AFP journalist in the courtroom said, ahead of his trial on contested espionage charges. Gershkovich, whose arrest by Russia's FSB security services in late March sparked a global outcry, appeared in a glass cage in the Moscow court, and made a heart symbol with his hands to other journalists in the room. "The court considered the complaint brought by Gershkovich's defence against the decision to extend his ... detention, and ruled that the initial decision should be left unchanged and the complaint of the defendant's defence should not be satisfied," the judge said. Moscow says the sensitivity of the espionage charges means the trial must be held in private and court documents are not being made public. Gershkovich, who previously worked for AFP, was the first foreign journalist arrested in Russia on spying charges since the collapse of the Soviet Union. "We were extremely disappointed by the denial of his appeal," US ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy said, addressing journalists outside Moscow City Court. "Despite Russian officials' public assertions about Evan's activities, let me reiterate the US government's firm position: the charges against him are baseless," she added. - 'Wrongfully detained' - "He's an innocent journalist, who was carrying out journalistic activities and has been wrongfully detained". She added that Russian authorities had denied three consular visits to Gershkovich, partly as the result of a visa disagreement with the United States involving Russian journalists. Gershkovich's parents, who left the Soviet Union and emigrated to the United States, were both present in the courtroom, the AFP journalist reported. They declined to speak to assembled reporters. Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, which vehemently denies the allegations against him, is being held at Moscow's Lefortovo prison. The jail is notorious for keeping detainees in near-total solitude. bur/gil Over the past day, Russian forces attacked 10 oblasts, killing one person and injuring 13, regional officials reported on June 22. Kherson, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Luhansk, and Mykolaiv oblasts came under attack. Russian attacks in Kherson Oblast injured three people, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin informed. Russia carried out 49 strikes using mortars, artillery, GRAD rockets, and drones, firing 400 projectiles at residential areas in Kherson and the Beryslav districts. In Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed and six injured in the attacks, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko informed. One resident died in Chasiv Yar, while five were injured in Pokrovsk and one in Antonivka. One person was injured in Kharkiv Oblast according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov. Russian forces shelled the settlements in the Kharkiv, Kupiansk, Chuhuiiv, and Bohodukhiv districts. A strike against Kruhliakivka in the Kupiansk district injured a 49-year-old man and damaged two residential buildings. Property damage was reported also elsewhere in the oblast. Kyivs frustration boils as flow of Western chips for Russian missiles continues uninterrupted Destroyed apartments, burnt-out cars, lives upturned or extinguished altogether: Russias June 13 missile attack on the city of Kryvyi Rih was, in many ways, nothing out of the ordinary for wartime Ukraine. The evening after the attack, which killed 13 civilians, President Volodymyr Zelensky came o The Kyiv IndependentFrancis Farrell In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, three people were wounded in the attacks, Governor Yurii Malashko informed. Russian forces launched 84 strikes against 24 settlements. An 84-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman were injured in Preobrazhenka, and an elderly woman was wounded in Orikhiv. There are at least 27 reports of property damage. Strikes against Dnipropetrovsk Oblast resulted in property damage but no causalities, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Nikopol was shelled with artillery, damaging houses and power lines. The Kryvorizka district in Kryvyi Rih was hit with missiles, damaging 10 residential buildings, a gas pipeline, power lines, the water supply system, and other objects. Odesa Oblast came under attack by Shahed kamikaze drones. Three were shot down but one hit a warehouse building, causing a fire but leaving no causalities, the spokesman for the Odesa regional military administration Serhii Bratchuk reported. Russian forces shelled Sumy Oblast 20 times over the past day, damaging property but leaving no causalities, the Sumy Regional Military Administration informed. In the Novhorod-Siversky district in Chernihiv Oblast, two houses were damaged in the shelling but there were no causalities. In Luhansk Oblast, Russian forces launched 98 attacks, firing 468 projectiles. Governor Artem Lysohor did not comment on any civilian causalities or property damage in the government-controlled part of the oblast. In Mykolaiv Oblast, Russian artillery shelled the Ochakiv community and the Kutsurubsk community, damaging a private house in the latter but resulting in no causalities, Governor Vitalii Kim said. Russian invaders start panicking after strike on bridge to Crimea, says official Consequences of the explosion in Chonhar Russian invaders are beginning to panic following a Ukrainian strike on a bridge connecting the occupied Crimean peninsula to Kherson Oblast, Denys Chystikov, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea said in an interview with Radio NV on June 22. The attack reminds them of last years strike at the Antonivskyi bridge in Kherson, Chystikov claims. Todays explosions on the Chonhar bridge, as we can see from the photo and video, remind the invaders of a similar situation with the Kherson bridge, which paved the way for the liberation of the right bank, he said. This is a certain associative series that causes panic among the Russian military. Explosions overnight on June 22 were reported not only near the village of Chonhar in Kherson Oblast, where the bridge is located, but also near the town of Dzhankoy in occupied Crimea. However, the occupying authorities are trying to cover up the results of the strike, Chystikov added. Dzhankoy has been panicking since morning, the official said. Local residents are reporting a large number of explosions in this area, which the occupation authority is silent about. Many Crimean residents are engaged in the transportation industry. Now their relatives have started to worry as they cannot contact the drivers by phone, and this results in the spread of negative opinions and dissatisfaction with the authoritys actions. No casualties have been reported in the blast at the Chonhar bridge. Meanwhile, Volodymyr Saldo, the Moscow-appointed head of the Kherson occupation authority, claimed that the connection between Kherson Oblast and Crimea continues to operate, as vehicle traffic has been temporarily organized onto a backup route. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine There are 182 hospitals in the US and the UK, including St. David's, operated by HCA Healthcare, the largest hospital network in the country. HCA is extremely profitable-earning $5.6 billion in revenue last year-and its stock is a favorite on Wall Street. Competitors closely imitate HCA's methods as an industry pioneer. However, some of HCA's doctors and staff believe that the company's earnings come at the expense of its patients and staff. They claim that patients suffered injury as a result of significant understaffing and inadequate facility investment. HCA's Doctors and Nurses Speak Up According to some doctors and nurses who have worked in HCA's facilities, fresh criticisms are now being raised at the company's palliative and end-of-life care for patients. They claim that HCA administrators put pressure on employees to convince the families of sick patients to request such care. The effort can benefit HCA in two ways, according to the doctors and nurses, despite the risk to patients of discontinuing life-saving therapies. This is supported by an internal hospital document. In addition to helping HCA free up a hospital bed more quickly, it lowers in-hospital death rates, a quality indicator that is widely observed. This could result in more insurance payments from a new patient. Interviews were conducted with six nurses and 27 doctors who work at 16 HCA facilities across seven states. All claimed that in an effort to improve performance indicators, respective HCA hospitals promoted palliative and end-of-life care. These medical specialists' opinions are supported by internal HCA hospital documents and texts between hospital staff members that were released to NBC News. One doctor at a corporate hospital reported what he perceives to be a sharp drop in referrals at the facility two weeks after NBC News began questioning HCA about its hospice referrals. Read also: Death And Dreams: Vibrant Dreams Give Comfort To The Dying The Reason Behind Hospice Care Transfers Transfers to hospice care lower the inpatient mortality rate in a hospital, even though few patients are probably aware of this.The reason is that every patient death increases the hospital's inpatient mortality statistics. Even if the patient remains in the same hospital and dies there, the death won't be included in the facility's inpatient mortality rate because the patient was formally released from the hospital after being transferred to hospice care. (Photo : by Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images for SEIU) NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 19: Hospital workers from California, Florida, Texas, Kansas and other states rallied in front of hospital giant HCA Healthcare headquarters, to demand the company invests in safe staffing levels and patient care on April 19, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. The shift toward palliative and then end-of-life care has another advantage: shorter patient stays, according to an HCA hospital brochure.Patients receiving end-of-life care often don't live long, thus the practice enables HCA to swap out any patients whose insurance may be costing the institution money because it has expired with those who bring in new cash. In recent years, the industry-wide practice of giving palliative care to seriously sick patients has gained popularity as a way to treat their symptoms, as well as to comfort and manage their pain, and to assist their families. Related article: Healthcare Spending to Rise 6 Percent By 2023 @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. On the afternoon of 22 June, a Russian Mi-24 helicopter had made a "hard landing" in Belarus. Source: Belarusian Defence Ministry; Motolko Help project Details: The Ministry of Defence of Belarus has reported that at around 13:30, the helicopter made a "hard landing" in Baranavicy district. According to the ministry, the crew members were injured, there was no damage or casualties on the ground. The causes of the incident are under investigation. The Motolko help project has claimed that a Russian Air Force helicopter went down. According to preliminary information, it happened near the M1 motorway between Ivacevicy and Baranavicy. However, the official report of the Ministry of Defence does not specify whose helicopter crashed. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian navy attempts to disguise one of its frigates report Admiral Essen in 2016 The Russian Navy is seemingly attempting to disguise its patrol frigate Admiral Essen in the Black Sea by making it look like another ship, according to a June 22 report by online outlet Naval News. Reportedly, the occupiers are applying camouflage to Admiral Essen to visually change the type of the vessel and deceive operators of optical observation instruments. Read also: Russian occupiers claim overnight drone attack on Sevastopol Satellite imagery shared on Twitter by military observer MT Anderson, taken by the Planet company, suggests the ship is indeed Admiral Essen, which has a lighter dome of the Positiv-M radar system. In the Admiral Makarov frigate of the same type, based in Sevastopol, the dome of the radar is the same gray color as the rest of the ship. Read also: Russian ships avoid Sevastopol Bay after oil depot fire, Kyiv says This camouflage scheme is likely a response to the threat posed by Ukrainian naval drones, which use cameras to identify targets. Naval News suggests that this camouflage scheme aims to confuse drone operators so that they perceive the frigate as a less valuable target. Read also: Russian ships flee after strong blast in the occupied Sea of Azov port of Berdyansk On May 24, Russian war correspondents claimed that the Russian Navy's Ivan Khurs ship came under attack by an unidentified sea drone 74 kilometers north of the Bosporus at around 5:30 a.m. On May 25, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry confirmed that Ivan Khurs was indeed attacked by a Ukrainian naval drone. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukrainian military personnel on a Russian T-80 trophy tank near the front line in Bakhmut, June 19, 2023 Russian propaganda has begun to prepare the Russian populace for defeat in the war against Ukraine, according to Major Oleksiy Hetman (ret.), a veteran of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, said to Radio NV on June 21. "They're beginning to prepare the Russians, by and large, for defeat, which they want to present as the fulfillment of all the tasks that were set before the so-called 'special military operation,'" he said. Hetman reminded the shows listeners that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on June 19 that the Russians had destroyed almost all the weapons that had been in Ukraine since Soviet times. "But NATO intervened here," he said. Read also: Russian woman forced to remove pro-Wagner PMC propaganda from her US home video "Peskov keeps saying 'Washington,' well, Washington intervened and provided us with a large number of Western weapons, so it's a little difficult for them. But by and large, he (Peskov) carefully summed up that the tasks of the 'special military operation' on the demilitarization of Ukraine were fulfilled." Hetman explained that he considers this the first attempt to prepare the Russians for the possibility that they could withdraw their troops from Ukraine without achieving any territorial gains. "It will be justified by the fact that they did everything they wanted," he said. Read also: Russias creation of new elite attack aviation group most likely propaganda, UA Air Force says "And while withdrawing the troops, they will show that they are for peace, want peace, etc. This is how they want to hide their defeat, because I think they won't be able to announce in the Russian disinformation media that they lost the war to Ukraine. Therefore, they made such attempts to find out how society would react. Peskov said in an interview with RT Arabic that Russias task of the mythical demilitarization of Ukraine had allegedly already been largely accomplished. Ukraine was heavily militarized at the beginning of the special military operation, and as (Russian dictator Vladimir) Putin said yesterday, the demilitarization of Ukraine was one of the main tasks, Peskov said. In fact, this task has largely been accomplished, because Ukraine is using less of its weapons, but is using more weapons systems supplied by Western countries. Such actions of the West oblige Russia to take more decisive measures for the safety of people in Donbas and Russias safety, he added. In turn, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba ridiculed Peskovs statement. In the following series: all tasks of the special military operation have actually been completed, he wrote on Facebook. Read also: Kremlin propaganda blames Elon Musk for drone attack on Moscow Ukraine, as a member of the European Union and NATO, wont be able to attack Russia, Crimea is no longer a burden on the Russian budget, the Nazis remained only in Russia, and the loss of Russian soldiers and equipment in Ukraine, which we wont tell anyone about, helped us correct our mistakes and make Russia stronger. Russia is stronger than ever. Kuleba also advised Ukraines partners not to be surprised if Russian dictator Vladimir Putin explains the loss of Crimea to the Russians. Prior to that, Putin made a vague statement that contained contradictions about the goal of Russias attack on Ukraine: it could change or remain the same at the same time. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine (Reuters) - Russia's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a challenge by the jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to prison officials' refusal to give him writing equipment, the Russian independent news site Mediazona reported. Navalny, the only opposition leader of recent times capable of bringing thousands onto the streets, is serving 11-1/2 years on fraud and other charges that he says were trumped up to silence him. He is also on trial for a host of further offences that could keep him in prison for decades more. The former lawyer has spent much of his time in the IK-6 penal colony in Melekhovo, about 235 km (145 miles) east of Moscow, in solitary confinement for alleged contraventions of prison regulations such as failure to do up his top button, but has nevertheless repeatedly challenged the prison regime. His complaint alleged that the authorities had no right to deny him the pen and paper that were provided to all inmates, merely because he was in a punishment cell without a table, or because there was no space in his prison schedule for writing. "Im not asking for extra food, Im not asking for a Christmas tree to be put in my cell ... were talking about the basic human right to have a pen in the cell and a sheet of paper to write a letter or (complaint) to the court," Mediazona quoted Navalny as telling the judge. "In order to have them fetch a can of coffee out of my things and bring it to the cell, I have to write an application." Navalny's complaint had made it through a series of lower courts before being definitively thrown out by the Supreme Court. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey and David Gregorio) The leader of the notorious Russian mercenary group Wagner said Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been "misleading" his people when it comes to Ukraines war progress. Kyiv has begun what is expected to be a substantial counteroffensive as it looks to oust Russian forces from southern and eastern Ukraine, and it has already seen some success in repelling Russian troops from at least eight settlements. Putin has attempted to counter any suggestion that Ukraine is making headway in its offensive and claimed its efforts were failing. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Wagner Mercenary Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a split screen image. UKRAINE COUNTEROFFENSIVE MAKES HEADWAY IN SOUTH, SITUATION 'COMPLICATED' ON EASTERN FRONT On Wednesday, Putin claimed that Ukraine had taken heavy losses in its latest push and that already there was a "lull" in Kyivs counteroffensive. However, Yevgeny Prigozhin, once a top Putin ally, took issue with the Kremlin chiefs comments and said he and the Ministry of Defense "are misleading the Russian people." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "Huge chunks [of land] have been handed over to the enemy," he added in an audio message posted to his Telegram according to a translation by the Moscow Times. Prigozhin did not go into detail as to where his troops had given up territory to Ukrainian forces, though Ukraine earlier this week said it had made progress in the vital Zaporizhzhia region a claim that was substantiated by a Russian official in the area. Ukrainian servicemen fire with a D-30 howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on March 21, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. PENTAGON ACCOUNTING ERROR OVERESTIMATES VALUE OF WEAPONS SENT TO UKRAINE BY $6.2 BILLION "The enemy's 'wave-like' offensives yielded results, despite enormous losses," Vladimir Rogov said in a Telegram post Sunday. Kyivs Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar acknowledged that while Ukrainian forces were making progress in the South, the situation remained more "complicated" in the East. Wagner forces alongside Russian military troops have been unable to secure areas in Donetsk like Bakhmut despite months of immense efforts and brutal warfare. Prigozhin said Ukraines ability to not only hold its positions in the East but advance across the Dnieper River and gain territory in Zaporizhzhia was being concealed from the Russian public. "All of this is being totally hidden from everyone," he said. "One day Russia will wake up to discover that Crimea too has been handed over to Ukraine." Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy has said he will not stop resisting Russia until all of Ukraine is free from Russian occupation, including Crimea, which Russia has occupied since 2014. Western defense analysts have said that if Ukraine wants to secure its southern regions, including Crimea, and begin pinching Russian troops by pushing up from the South, then it must recapture the Zaporizhzhia region. Reuters contributed to this report. At night, the Russians launched a missile attack on the Kryvyi Rih district, damaging houses, cars, water supply and power lines. Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration Quote: "The enemy hit the Kryvyi Rih district overnight using missiles. [The Russians] wrecked 10 residential private houses, and outbuildings, garages, and cars were damaged. A gas pipeline, a water supply and power lines were broken. The main thing is that it happened without any casualties." Details: Lysak also reported that explosions rang out in the Nikopol district as well. The Russian army opened fire three times in the area. Heavy artillery shells hit Nikopol. According to the Oblast Military Administration, no one was injured. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Russian troops attacked the city of Pokrovsk on the evening of 21 June, injuring 4 people, including a child. Source: Serhii Dobriak, Head of the Pokrovsk City Military Administration, in an interview with Suspilne (Ukraines public broadcaster) Quote: "Four people suffered minor injuries, among them a 12-year-old child who had its feet injured. Another elderly person was frightened." Details: At 21:20, the Russian military shelled the residential area of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast. Dobriak said that the settlement was probably hit with a cruise missile. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Nikolai Lukashenko, Kremlin-appointed so-called "minister of transport of Crimea", has said that it would take several weeks to restore the Chonhar Bridge fully. Source: Russian RBC news outlet quoting Nikolai Lukashenko Quote: "If we talk about the complete restoration of the bridge structure, the span that is damaged there, it will take several weeks at most, as we need to order the appropriate materials." Details: Lukashenko has also said that due to the damage to the roadway on the Chonhar Bridge, traffic flows were "reoriented" to the Armiansk and Perekop checkpoints. Background: On Thursday, 22 June, the Russian occupiers reported an attack on the bridge on the administrative border between Kherson Oblast and Crimea near Chonhar. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed during the filming of Rust in New Mexico Prosecutors have charged the Rust film armourer with evidence tampering in connection to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed has already been charged with involuntary manslaughter. She will face an additional charge in relation to "the transfer of narcotics to another person", prosecutors said. Ms Gutierrez-Reed will plead not guilty to the new charge, her lawyer said, calling it "retaliatory and vindictive". In court filings, prosecutors allege Ms Gutierrez-Reed transferred narcotics to another person on 21 October 2021, the day Ms Hutchins was killed, in order to "prevent the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of herself", Reuters news agency reported. Last week, in separate court filings, prosecutors argued Ms Gutierrez-Reed had probably been hung over during the day of the shooting because she had drunk alcohol and smoked marijuana in the evenings while the film was being made. Ms Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer has said prosecutors have mishandled the case and resorted to "character assassination". Her attorneys have filed a motion seeking to dismiss the involuntary manslaughter charge brought against her. It comes as the lead investigator for the Santa Fe District Attorney's office, who is set to step down from his post next month, criticises the sheriff's office for the way they investigated the shooting and the conclusions they reached in their October 2022 report. "The conduct of the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office during and after their initial investigation is reprehensible and unprofessional," Robert Shilling wrote in an email sent to colleagues on Tuesday. "Not I or 200 more proficient investigators than I can/could clean up the mess delivered to your office in October 2022." The criticism was made public by Ms Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer, who was accidentally sent it by prosecutors. The BBC has reached out to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office for comment. Mr Shilling told Reuters he declined to comment. The latest court filing comes two months after prosecutors dropped charges against actor Alec Baldwin, just two weeks before his trial was set to begin. He had been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after Ms Hutchins was killed by a live bullet fired from a prop gun he was using during the filming of Rust in New Mexico. New Mexico Special Prosecutor Kari Morrissey said "new facts were revealed" that required further investigation. An unofficial but near-complete print archive of a pioneering LGBT newspaper from Sacramento is spread between two libraries in the region. The paper, Mom Guess What was founded Nov. 1, 1978 by Linda Birner and published until around the end of 2009. Birner approached the Center for Sacramento History around late 2021 to donate some copies of her publication and other items, telling staff not long thereafter that file cabinets with voluminous copies of the paper had been taken and destroyed. The center followed up on her claim by seeking to rebuild the archive for Mom Guess What, among the first LGBT papers in city history along with others like the Sacramento Star, Patlar Gazette and the earliest-known, ARC News. As part of this effort, the center hosted a June 6 event in Sacramento where attendees were asked to check for issues at home. That said, the Peter J. Shields Library at University of California, Davis holds the majority of Mom Guess Whats approximately 585 issues, including all but one of the first 162 issues. Nearly all the issues the library lacks can be found at Sacramentos Lavender Library, which has spotty print copies of the paper before 1989 but comprehensive volumes thereafter. The question is how soon a complete archive of a once-influential publication can become available online. Already, the work the Center for Sacramento History has been doing has spurred renewed public interest and media attention for Mom Guess What, including segments in the past year by ABC 10 and CBS 13. Its a service to our community thats difficult to overstate, said former California State Assemblyman Dennis Mangers during a panel at the June 6 event. How the paper got started Approximately 150 people attended the centers event, which was held at the Clunie Community Center in McKinley Park to highlight the history of the newspaper and Birner. Aside from Mangers and Birner, the panel included former Nevada City lawyer Rosemary Metrailer and an early Mom Guess What editor Frank J. Lawler. As he was waiting to give introductory remarks, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg waved his arms for the audience to give Birner a standing ovation. The story of Linda Birner and Mom Guess What is a story that must be told, Steinberg told the crowd. Birner had moved to the Sacramento area in childhood, done graphic design work after attending California State University, Sacramento and been active in the National Organization for Women, or NOW, in the years prior to launching her paper when she was 29. Linda D. Birner, editor and publisher of Mom... Guess What! newspaper looks through bound volumes of the gay newspaper in her office on April 2, 1998, as the Sacramento publication celebrates its 20th anniversary. Steinberg told the crowd about how Birners paper got its start: As a call to arms six days before the Nov. 7, 1978 election to oppose Prop. 6, a ballot initiative by California State Senator John Briggs that would have removed gay and lesbian people teaching in schools. Every generation has its John Briggs, Steinberg told the crowd. Ron DeSantis comes to mind. The first issue of what was initially called MOMGUESS WHAT! the paper styled its name in different ways over the years sold for 25 cents, with a note from Birner and early executive editor David C. Weinerth on the front cover. Inside, readers could see how local candidates lined up on Prop. 6 and get names of the initiatives financial backers. Prop. 6, which also had prominent opponents like San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, who would be assassinated 20 days after the election, failed resoundingly with voters. And that was just the beginning for Birners publication. A gathering point for the community Throughout its run, Mom Guess What was accessible to both LGBT and straight readers. For heterosexual readers, Birner, a lesbian, wanted to provide education. But the paper was also intended in part as a community resource for gay and lesbian people, a gathering point beyond bars. I just want to remind those of you that are younger that there was no internet, Metrailer said during the panel. Sure, readers of Mom Guess What could certainly find articles about serious news like the AIDS epidemic or how politicians like Steinberg, Robert Matsui or Anne Rudin were supporting gay rights. But the paper also contained softball schedules and ads for various local businesses, some of them LGBT-owned, others just supportive. Center for Sacramento History archivist Sabrina Holeckoholds a Mom Guess What issue from 1992 that featured a cover of the late Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna during a tree planting for AIDS victims. Steve Hansen, the first openly-gay person to have served on Sacramento City Council and a current mayoral candidate, told the Sacramento Bee that he used publications like Mom Guess What and Outword Magazine to make friends when he moved to the city in 2002. When youre a young gay person, at least it used to be when you arrived in a new town, youd go pick up the gay newspaper, Hansen said. Gregory Herek, a UC Davis professor emeritus of psychology who wrote a column for Birners publication in 1982 said the paper played an important role in the development of a community in Sacramento. When he retired from UC Davis around 2017, Herek donated some of his personal collection of the paper to the Shields and Lavender libraries. Lawler said during the panel that people contributed to Mom Guess What in lots of ways. The paper attracted some prominent supporters. Birner spoke during the panel about McClatchy Newspapers president C. K. McClatchy II, who died in 1989, providing informal editorial guidance. Birner also said Tower Records founder Russ Solomon handed her checks three times for $2,000. Jane Fonda even attended Birners 40th birthday party in 1989, with a picture of her, Birner and Lawler hanging in Birners Sacramento home. At the center of everything for more than 25 years was Birner. Linda Birner was an example of leadership, Mangers said during the panel. Its hard to describe. Why Mom Guess What declined Birner was reluctant to talk on the record about the alleged destruction of issues of Mom Guess What taken from its file cabinets or what caused her publications demise. Whats clear is that by the early 2000s, what was by then known as Mom Guess What Newspaper was struggling. Birner left the paper without fanfare in mid-2004, saying when interviewed for this article that she had been sick in the hospital at the time. Editorial manager Matthew Burlingame took to the pages on June 15, 2005 to discuss the revamped paper. In the past year, MGW has seen many changes, Burlingame wrote. It had a new owner working as a one-man army to take a newspaper with a dwindling readership and severely damaged reputation and change it into the respected news source that it once was. What caused the damaged reputation, Burlingame didnt say in his note. MGW existed in different forms for another few years thereafter, with the last issue available at the Lavender Library being No. 565 from Dec. 1, 2009. Faces Nightclub owner Terry Sidie, who recently donated $20,000 to the library, is listed as publisher of that issue. Whether the paper was a victim of the Great Recession, had internal issues or experienced the same decline in advertising revenues that many publications have in recent years with the rise of the internet was unclear. Sidie didnt respond to a request for comment Monday. How Mom Guess What is being rediscovered Sabrina Holecko, an archivist for the Center for Sacramento History spent months helping plan the June 6 event and has visited Birners home to take donations for the center. Holecko said Birner sought the center out hoping remnants from her life wouldnt go to waste. She was just everywhere, said Holecko, whose center has 22 boxes related to Birner or her publication. The holdings include eight boxes of issues that are fairly complete beginning around November 1988, but scattered before and can be viewed by the public by appointment. Quietly, though, there had already been work over the years by other organizations to preserve Mom Guess Whats legacy. Between the Lavender and Shields libraries, only two Mom Guess What issues are clearly missing: No. 34 from September 1981, when the paper was a monthly; and No. 184 from Dec. 15, 1991, by which point it came out twice a month. Kerry Parsons, a board member for the Lavender Library said it has been accepting donations of different materials since at least 2000 when it moved into its current location on 21st Street. Aside from its print holdings, the Lavender Library also has microfilm of some Mom Guess What issues, though Parsons indicated this isnt exhaustive. By the time Herek made his donation to the Shields Library, UC Davis already had extensive holdings related to Mom Guess What The university also recently received an $18,000 grant from the California State Library for digitizing and preserving rare, historical LGBTQ+ newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals, according to a webpage for the award. Kevin Miller, UC Daviss head of archives and special collections, said via email that because many issues of Birners publication from 1978 to 1990 have been digitized through Gale, the university was focusing its digitization efforts on its Mom Guess What holdings spanning 1991-2008. More work remains to make Mom Guess What broadly accessible digitally, though there is some willingness among the Center for Sacramento History, Shields Library and Lavender Library to work together. UC Davis is currently in discussions with the Center for Sacramento History that could help make issues available through archive.org once theyre digitized. Parsons also said via email, subsequent to granting a phone interview for this article, that they would very much be open to working with other organizations. Writing her own story At 74, Birner retains a keen memory about people who wrote for her, being quick to offer them praise and to note which writers are still living. Asked about Gary Miller, who wrote for the paper many years and eventually served on the Roseville School Board, Birner said he had died. Linda D. Birner, publisher and editor of Mom... Guess What!, wears her rainbow pride flag on April 2, 1998, in midtown Sacramento as her gay newspaper marks its 20th anniversary. Without the newspaper, you dont know anything, Birner said. All the other gay papers that try, you dont learn that Gary Miller died. You dont learn anything, because what those newspapers are doing, theyre pulling out press releases off the news lines and theyre running those types of stories. Theyre not writing their own stories. Birner then corrected herself to say that some papers did these stories, but the message was clear: When Birner published Mom Guess What she wrote her own story. China's economic development shows sound momentum: Chinese vice premier Xinhua) 10:26, June 22, 2023 BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with Singapore's Temasek Chairman Lim Boon Heng on Tuesday in Beijing. He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said since the beginning of the year, China has adhered to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability and faithfully implemented the new development philosophy, and the economy has recovered and turned for the better. He said a bumper summer harvest of grains is likely. China's manufacturing industry has been growing steadily, and the service industry is picking up relatively fast. He said investment, consumption, and export played their role in a coordinated way, employment and commodity prices are kept generally stable, and solid headway is being made in high-quality development. "China's economic development is showing sound momentum in the first half of the year," said He. Hailing China's sound economic growth despite the COVID-19, Lim said Temasek will continue to devote itself to the Chinese market. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie) A man has been arrested after two persons were injured in a knife attack at the Central Middlesex Hospital in London Wednesday afternoon (June 21). The Metropolitan Police said they had arrested the man, finding him with "self-inflicted" injuries The hospital was temporarily locked down, and its staff evacuated, but it has since been reopened with heightened police presence to carry out searches. One witness described how patients and visitors were locked in a nurses' room while police dealt with the man. Police added it was satisfied no one else was being sought and the stabbings were not being treated as terror-related. Nevertheless, one of the two victims was left in a life-threatening condition. The London Ambulance Service stated it sent a quick response team in a fast-response car to the scene. Read Also: Boris Johnson Partygate Scandal Update: Whistleblower Reveals True Scale of Drunken Debauchery The London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust said the building was locked down as a "precautionary measure." While the hospital has reopened, it advised visitors to "reschedule" their appointment at another time or date. "The police have the situation very much under control," Labour MP for Brent Central Dawn Butler told the BBC. "The police have the situation very much under control." She also expressed gratitude to the police for their quick response. Related Article: Annecy Knife Attack: French President Macron Visits Victims, 'Backpack Hero' @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Sacramentos City Council, its police department and its city watchdog successfully confronted some troubling findings from a new audit. Despite previous investigations and calls for reform, compelling evidence continues to show that Latino and Black Sacramentans are more likely to be stopped or searched by police than residents who are white. The efforts to build community trust through the best possible police training and policies remain a work in progress. But there is reason to be hopeful. There is a path for the council, the department and the Office of Public Safety Accountability (OPSA) to work together. And now there is a verbal commitment for that to happen. Opinion OPSA has existed and reported to the mayor and City Council since 1999. Its powers have expanded over the years, most notably with the hiring of its first-ever inspector general in 2021 to conduct independent investigations into police misconduct. Its improved capacity to review and analyze police activity led to this new audit. It is the first in OPSAs history and a true city milestone. As detailed in The Bee, the audit uncovered instances of police officers violating the spirit of the Fourth Amendment by instigating traffic stops where motorists of color were pulled over for improper window tint on their cars. The initial window tint concern appeared to be a pretext to initiate an unrelated investigation, the audit found. The traffic stop can become unlawful if it is unnecessarily prolonged for an unrelated matter that has nothing to do with the purpose of the stop, even if an officers initial traffic stop of the citizen was lawful, the audit said. During this review period, every complaint regarding the conduct of traffic stops for illegal window tint was filed by a Black or Latino driver. In most cases, the officers did not investigate or question the driver about the window tint. In addition, there were instances where officers routinely patted down citizens as an automatic police practice. This violated the spirit of Terry v Ohio, a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that requires officers to articulate that a citizen was frisked for appearing to be armed and dangerous or was suspected of being in the process of committing a crime. Police Chief Kathy Lesters written response to the audit sought to put the findings in a broader perspective. By her math, the department and OPSA agreed on complaints 99% of the time. Prior to its release, It should be noted that SPD and OPSA met only one time briefly and the details of this audit were not discussed in depth, Lester wrote. OPSA Director Dr. LaTesha Watson fired back in response to Lester. OPSA asserts that SPDs statistics regarding complaints and their respective allegations of misconduct are routinely incorrect, Watson wrote. In a breach of protocol, Chief Lester made the decision to release her written response to the media rather than adhere to standard Auditing processes. The stage was clearly set for a long, ugly, and counterproductive Tuesday night at City Hall. Instead, there was a tough but constructive conversation. Credit goes to all involved. The audits findings were eerily similar to those from the California Department of Justice back in 2020. It too found patterns of racial disparities in Sacramento policing and deficiencies in policies and training. In 2008, city leaders hired an outside consultant that found that Black motorists were pulled over more frequently by Sacramento Police than any other group. I want to offer a very sincere and heartfelt apology to those that have suffered from the profiling that has been done, then-Mayor Heather Fargo said in 2008. I want to apologize to those citizens who feel they havent received equal treatment or protection. Profiling of Black and brown citizens is a problem statewide, according to the data collected annually by Californias Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board. Mayor Darrell Steinberg saw this new city audit as an opportunity to develop new policies to better guide police stops and searches. We want to make sure we are working together, you in the lead, Steinberg said to Lester, where we are bringing these policies forward. Is that what we are going to be doing? I can absolutely commit to that, Lester responded. A member of the department for 29 years, its chief since 2022 and the departments first-ever female leader, Lester is pledging to form the kind of partnership with the council that her predecessors have too often shunned. If all sides follow through, future council meetings could include discussions on improved police practices and outcomes. We shall see because years of studies have pointed toward a stubborn pattern of racial profiling within the ranks of Sacramento Police. There is going to be inherent tension between the department and its watchdog, OPSA. Some fence-mending needs to happen, and a stronger partnership needs to grow. It is entirely doable. In the end, both institutions need the other to succeed. Sunshine is our friend, transparency and accountability, said Councilwoman Caity Maple during Tuesday nights meeting. Shes right. The way for Sacramento Police to develop trust in the community is for future audits to reveal fewer instances of racial profiling. SAMP-T The Italian-French SAMP-T anti-aircraft missile system has entered combat duty in Ukraine, the chief spokesman of the Ukrainian Air Force, Yuriy Ihnat, said on national television on June 22. "As you can see, (French President) Emmanuel Macron has already said that SAMP-T is in Ukraine, he explained. Now, we expect the Air Forces Commander to meet people and to announce that the missile complex has already entered combat service on our soil. Ukraine is also waiting for German Iris-T air defense systems and the Norwegian-made NASAMS air defense system to be deployed, he added. Macron confirmed the shipment of a SAMP-T air defense system to Ukraine on June 20. The first of these systems arrived in Ukraine on May 15, though Kyiv has yet to officially confirm this information. The SAMP-T is a mobile anti-aircraft defense system for theatre protection capable of defending from aviation at a range of up to 100 km. It can also shoot down missiles at a distance of up to 25 km. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine SAN FRANCISCO - After a three-year COVID-19-induced hiatus, the annual Queer Prom returned to San Francisco on Friday. The event, organized and hosted by the San Francisco LGBT Center, provided an inclusive space for queer youth to celebrate themselves and their identities. The Center chose the prom's theme, "opulence," to reflect the unique needs of the queer and trans youth community in the Bay Area. As states nationwide pass legislation targeting the LGBTQ+ community, the prom took on an even greater significance. "With a lot happening across the country, the prom night validates the care and love we have for the community," said Alyssa Avalos, director of youth services at the center. "We wanted them to feel that luxury for a night." Vibrant colors, glittering outfits, and an electric atmosphere radiated the Rainbow Room, the center's main event space. There, attendees celebrated a night of resilience, love, and acceptance -- a kind of emotional well-being that Ziggy DeBerry, a youth programs specialist at the center, said is essential, especially for Black trans youth. DeBerry, 22, identifies as nonbinary and queer. They said ongoing debates surrounding gender and trans issues created a hostile environment for the queer community. DeBerry said the center continues to be a shelter for scores of trans youth who travel from different states to seek hormonal replacement therapy (HRT). "In the past couple of months, since I've been here, there have been a handful of trans women fleeing different states. We have people fleeing Tennessee, fleeing Texas." DeBerry said. "These people, their HRT is potentially their safety. Their general safety is at risk." Growing up in a church and living in the predominantly white, conservative town of Santa Clarita in Southern California, DeBerry said they actively sought out and built queer and trans communities outside their religious environment. "That is my goal," DeBerry reflected, saying prom brings a sense of belonging to trans and queer youth facing homelessness. "We are working and ensuring that queer and trans youth are set up for success." Since joining the LGBT Center, DeBerry took the initiative to create a support and community group that amplifies the voices and addresses the needs of marginalized communities within the LGBTQ spectrum. At the prom event, the 22-year-old advised attendees to speak up whenever they needed emotional, financial, or mental help. An estimated 120 young people attended the event. Unlike previously held formal queer dance nights, this year's was different. Organizers did not announce a prom king and queen. Instead, they awarded all prom attendees. "It is a moment to deconstruct prom's often historical roots in heteronormative and binary-focused traditions," Avalos said. "To recognize the value of building safe spaces and its power to help queer youth." The legacy of Donald Triplett, the first person diagnosed with autism What House Republicans looked for from John Durham's testimony Justice Samuel Alito accepted lavish trip from conservative donor, report says The names of two people who worked together to pay bond for embattled Congressman George Santos have been released, minutes ahead of a judges order. The congressmans father, Gercino Dos Santos, and aunt, Elma Santos Praven, were among the three who together came up with $500,00 to bond out the New York Republican on 10 May; the congressman is accused of committing more than a dozen crimes, including fraud. The name of his third co-signer is due to be released imminently. He is accused of countless acts of deception thanks to telling a wide range of lies about his background, as well as more serious allegations like using campaign cash for personal expenses as well as receiving unemployment benefits while a sitting member of Congress. It was a shocking amount of dishonesty made all the more brazen by the congressmans refusal to step down amid bipartisan calls for him to do so; a vast majority of voters in his district want him gone, according to polls. But despite being stripped of committee memberships by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the New York Republican remained a House member in (relatively) good standing even after his arrest last month. Now, its unclear whether the congressman even makes it to his second election. He has vowed to do so, clinging to power while he and his close aide, Vish Burra, often jeer at critics who say his presence sullies the House of Representatives, including those in his party. But the wide-ranging investigation headed up by the Justice Department could mean that he is forced to spend his next election day in a prison cell. The charges, 13 in total, carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison for the more serious counts. Mr Santos has plead not guilty. Some of those same news organisations digging into Mr Santoss background in the wake of the discoveries about his extensive fabrications were behind a motion filed last month seeking the release of the names of those who paid the congressmans bond, citing public interest that cannot be overstated. Mr Santos opposed that motion, with his attorneys stating that he would rather submit to pretrial detention than submit the three anonymous benefactors to public scrutiny. "A United States Congressman stands accused of perpetuating financial fraud in connection with his election to the House of Representatives, read their motion. "Rep. Santos is charged with defrauding members of the public while campaigning for office," it continued. "The alleged criminal conduct fundamentally challenges the integrity of our democratic institutions. And the decision to keep the identities of the sureties hidden from public view only exacerbates those challenges." A judge agreed, though the release of the names was delayed to give Mr Santos time to appeal. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said that Mr Santos will remain in the chamber until the House Ethics Committee reaches its own decision. Sarah Snook to play all 26 roles in West End production of The Picture of Dorian Gray Sarah Snook has been announced as the sole cast member in the forthcoming West End production of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The actor, who has received widespread acclaim for her performance as Shiv Roy in Succession, will play all 26 roles in the show, adapted from Oscar Wildes 1890 novel of the same name. In the story, Dorian Gray makes a deal with the devil in order to retain eternal youth for the high price of his soul. Snook, 35, will play all roles using a mixture of live performance and video starting on 23 January 2024 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. This imagining of the tale will be directed by the artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company, Kip Williams, who also adapted the play. This marks Snooks second stint on the West End stage. She made her London theatre debut in 2016 in an adaptation of Henrik Ibsens The Master Builder alongside Ralph Fiennes. In a statement, Snook said: I am elated to return to the London stage in such an astonishing piece of theatre. From Oscar Wildes remarkable original text to Kip Williams stunning adaptation, this story of morality, innocence, narcissism and consequence is going to be thrilling to recreate for a new audience. I cant wait. Sarah Snook (Getty Images) The London production is going ahead as a result of a partnership between the Sydney Theatre Company and the Michael Cassel Group. Cassel said: Kip Williams genius production is transformative, innovative, transfixing and entertaining and I am beyond excited that the inimitable Sarah Snook will star in this incredible production. Snook, who is Australian, has been particularly praised for her American accent while playing Shiv in Succession. Her overall performance garnered her a Critics Choice Award, a Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations. She shared an emotional tribute to the hit HBO drama on the night its final episode aired (Sunday 28 May). Its hard to express what this show has meant to me. The places I got to go, the immense talent I got to work with it breaks my heart that it is all over, she wrote in the caption of a photo of her watching TV with her newborn baby. But my heart had to be this full of all the memories, good times, challenges and triumphs, to be able to break at all so that makes me grateful. To have been blessed to join this crazy adventure of a show will be a career highlight, which will no doubt be hard to top. Months after the Missouri Board of Education voted to close a Kansas City charter school, a judge on Wednesday reversed the decision, allowing it to stay open this fall. The state school board in April unanimously agreed to shut down Genesis on Kansas Citys East Side, affirming a state commissions decision to revoke the schools charter because of years of low test scores. Its an almost unheard of move in Missouri to nullify a schools charter in the middle of its contract. Genesis sued the state board and its sponsor, the Missouri Charter Public School Commission, arguing that officials violated the law in closing the K-8 school. A judge in Cole County Court in Jefferson City sided with the school and reinstated its charter, saying the decision to revoke it was unlawful and arbitrary. Genesis Executive Director Kevin Foster told The Star that the school plans to now stay open next school year, and that he is excited to start calling families and tell them I intend on serving them in the fall. Ultimately, were just happy for the families that we serve that call me every day and ask, Mr. Foster, have you heard anything from the judge yet? Is the school going to be open? Foster said. Im incredibly thankful to the staff and teachers. They can work anywhere right now, but many of them have done their very best to stick with us knowing that we had an opportunity to win and continue to serve. A state education department spokeswoman said in an email on Thursday that officials are currently reviewing the courts decision. In a Thursday statement, charter commission officials said, Because Genesis School has been a persistently poor performing school, we concluded revoking its charter was best for the children. We were careful and thoughtful about the revocation process. Unfortunately, the Court ruled against the Commission. We respect the judges ruling and will abide by it. Genesis contract with the charter commission runs through June 2025. After that, Foster said, the school would likely need to find a new sponsor to keep operating. Genesis has served at-risk students since 1975 and is now one of Missouris oldest charter schools. It was first sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The University of Missouri-Columbia later took that over and in 2020 renewed the charter, but put the school on probation due to its low academic performance. But MU later lost the authority to sponsor Genesis and two other charter schools. Last year, the state charter commission took over. A few months after Genesis signed its performance contract with the new sponsor, the commission notified the school it was not meeting standards. In December, the commission notified the school it intended to revoke its charter. Genesis refused to voluntarily relinquish its charter. In January, the commission held a hearing where dozens of families fought for the school to stay open. In Wednesdays ruling, the judge, S. Cotton Walker, said that Genesis was not in breach of its contract, and that the commission violated the contract by failing to provide Genesis with enough notice or calls for corrective action specified in the agreement. The charter school commission in February voted 6-1 to revoke the schools charter on June 30, citing 15 years of low academic performance and broken promises. In the 2021-2022 school year, for example, the commission said only 13 out of 100 students performed at or above grade level in English and math. Typically, a sponsor decides whether to renew or revoke a schools charter at the end of a contract. Genesis appealed the decision in March, with the backing of dozens of families who said the school effectively serves some of Kansas Citys most at-risk students. School leaders said the state commissions decision to close the school was unlawful and was not supported by the data, arguing that Genesis has seen student performance improve since the COVID-19 pandemic. But state school board leaders agreed that the schools educational failings were so severe that it had to close. Still, ahead of the state board vote, Missouri Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven acknowledged, There are concerns about how the charter commission proceeded with the revocation. And she said it is clear the process was deficient. Officials said state statute allows them to revoke the charter mid-contract if there is clear evidence of low scores in the schools annual performance report in three of the last four school years or if theres a violation of the law or the public trust. The charter commission says Genesis under-performed for each of the three years for which the state could use performance data for accountability. But required state assessments were canceled during the pandemic, and test scores have dropped overall since. Genesis argued the commission should have relied on the schools annual performance reports from the last four years. Foster said Genesis has seen student performance improve since the pandemic, as students continued to learn in person. The school says 2021 state assessment data shows growth in both English and math, as well as a 15% reduction in the number of students scoring below basic in English. The judge agreed with the schools interpretation, saying that the most recent years data should have been used. The ruling said the contract also contains other standards that were not followed, and that the statute does not grant the commission authority to nullify the charter. The Commission is required by state statute to adopt a policy related to revocation and it had done so, the judge wrote. That policy does not include a statutory requirement that the Commission revoke a charter if the charter schools academic performance is below that of the resident district (Kansas City Public Schools) for three of the last four years. In fact, nothing in the policy allows the staff to recommend revocation based on any specific number of years of academic performance or for any comparison to the resident school district or otherwise. The contract allowed the commission to revoke Genesis charter if it breached the agreement, failed to meet performance measures or failed to adhere to mandated corrective actions. The judge ruled the state board of education also acted arbitrarily in closing the school, and that board members did not consider any data or evidence before making a decision. In a scathing dissent, Neil Gorsuch compared the Navajo Nation's plight to the experience of 'any American who has spent time at the Department of Motor Vehicles' Neil Gorsuch. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the US is not required to secure water for the Navajo Nation. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote a dissent comparing the plight of the Navajos to waiting at the DMV. The Navajo "have tried it all," he wrote. "At each turn, they have received the same answer: 'Try again.'" Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote an impassioned dissent comparing the Navajo Nation's fight over water rights to the experience of "any American who has spent time at the Department of Motor Vehicles." "The Navajo have waited patiently for someone, anyone, to help them, only to be told (repeatedly) that they have been standing in the wrong line and must try another," Gorsuch wrote. The high court ruled 5-4 in Arizona v. Navajo Nation on Thursday that under an 1868 treaty, the US is not required to secure water for the Navajo Nation. Specifically, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who delivered the majority opinion, argued that the Navajo Nation was asking the federal government to take "affirmative steps to secure water for the Navajos." But Gorsuch wrote in his dissent that the majority "rejects a request the Navajo Nation never made." Instead, he wrote, "the relief the Tribe seeks is far more modest." The Navajo "have a simple ask: They want the United States to identify the water rights it holds for them," he wrote. "And if the United States has misappropriated the Navajo's water rights, the Tribe asks it to formulate a plan to stop doing so prospectively." Gorsuch, who was nominated by then President Donald Trump in 2017, has a long history of ruling in favor of Indigenous rights. And at 26 pages, his dissent in Arizona v. Navajo Nation was twice as long as the majority opinion. The court's three liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson joined Gorsuch in his dissent. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Amy Coney Barrett joined in the majority opinion. Gorsuch in his dissent underscored the Navajo Nation's efforts to avoid taking its case to the Supreme Court. The US "has never denied that the Navajo may have water rights in the mainstream of the Colorado River (and perhaps elsewhere) that it holds in trust for the Tribe," Gorsuch wrote. "Instead, the government's constant refrain is that the Navajo can have all they ask for; they just need to go somewhere else and do something else first." They "have tried it all. They have written federal officials. They have moved this Court to clarify the United States' responsibilities when representing them," he wrote. "They have sought to intervene directly in water-related litigation. And when all of those efforts were rebuffed, they brought a claim seeking to compel the United States to make good on its treaty obligations by providing an accounting of what water rights it holds on their behalf. At each turn, they have received the same answer: 'Try again.'" NBC News highlighted the stakes of the case in March. Crystal Tulley-Cordova, a hydrologist in the Navajo Nation's department of water resources, told NBC that the tribe needs enough water to transition from "survival mode to thriving mode." The Navajo Nation first filed a lawsuit in 2003 arguing that the US government was required to ensure that the tribe had enough access to water on its reservation. Twenty years later, the litigation wound up before the high court. Gorsuch in his dissent wrote that the majority "neglect[ed]" to take into account the violent history leading up to the Treaty of 1868 establishing the Navajo Reservation, the "discussions that surrounded that Treaty," and "the many steps the Navajo took to avoid this litigation." But he highlighted that the majority opinion left open the possibility that the Navajo can seek to intervene in future cases that "affect their claimed interests" in water-rights litigation. "After today," Gorsuch wrote, "it is hard to see how this Court (or any court) could ever again fairly deny a request" from the Navajo to intervene in such cases. That leaves the tribe "in a familiar spot," he continued. As they did at Bosque Redondo, "they must again fight for themselves to secure their homeland and all that must necessarily come with it. Perhaps here, as there, some measure of justice will prevail in the end." Read the original article on Business Insider Scholz ready to give provide security guarantees for Ukraine, but not swift NATO membership Olaf Scholz German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has pledged long-term security guarantees for Ukraine but dashed Ukraine's hopes for a swift accession to NATO, during a speech at the German parliament, the Bundestag, on June 22. Scholz stated that Ukraine, being a country at war, could not join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization at this time. "Therefore, I propose that we focus on the primary objective (at the NATO summit) in Vilnius (on July 11-12), which is to strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities,"Scholz said. The chancellor said that Germany has been working alongside the EU and G7 countries to provide long-term security guarantees for Ukraine. Read also: UK would support expedited Ukrainian NATO membership Foreign Secretary "Our goal is to provide sustainable military support to Ukraine, including the supply of modern Western weapons, and to enhance Ukraine's economic resilience as it defends itself against Russian aggression," Scholz added. Ukraine is hoping to receive a clear plan for accession at the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that Kyiv should not expect an official invitation to join the alliance but will receive support and clear signs of friendship. However, Politico reported that Ukrainian partner nations were still seeking consensus on security issues one month ahead of the summit. The Wall Street Journal reported that Western allies might propose an Israeli-type security model at the summit, which could simplify the transfer of weapons and technologies to Ukraine and serve as an initial step towards NATO membership. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes it would be pointless to participate in the NATO Summit in Vilnius if no clear indications of NATO membership prospects are provided. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine School district in Idaho follows in Floridas footsteps with dont say gay policy | Opinion Nampas school board does it again, marching as good little foot soldiers in the far rights obsessive, cult-like crusade against what they think is wokeism. This time, these radical school board members, who previously banned two dozen library books, are now following in the footsteps of Florida (not a state you want to emulate) by passing their own version of the Sunshine States dont say gay policy. Board members Monday night approved a policy that prohibits classroom instruction and discussions about gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender identity and gender expression. Students talking about gender identity or sexual orientation will be referred to a counselor, who will direct the conversation to the parent or guardian. As if sexual identity and gender expression were merely something to be kept hidden away in the home, away from public view. Most of us take for granted the simple act of honestly expressing who we are and presenting ourselves to the world. The new policy, to the contrary, sends the message to gay and transgender students that they need to stay in the closet, stay out of sight and stay silent. What a terrible signal this sends to children and teens struggling with societal acceptance of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Its already difficult enough; policies like Nampas make it worse. By not allowing the discussion of gender and orientation topics within schools, youre no longer creating a safe environment for our kids, Nampa patron Mindy OldenKamp told board members Monday night. This quickly becomes a life and death issue for some. OldenKamp said the policy could exacerbate suicide rates, which are already higher among LGBTQ+ youth than other demographics. Other opponents said the policy would erode safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, and create opportunities for harassment and bullying by othering students. Two patrons, originally from California, said that they moved to Nampa to get away from conversations about gender identity in the classroom. Ive seen where this goes, one man told board members. Where exactly does this go? To a place of openness and understanding of differences? Heaven forbid. Floridas original dont say gay law prohibited classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through third grade or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards. The law this year was expanded to all grades. The Florida law has reportedly had a chilling effect on school districts throughout the state. But perhaps even more significant, such laws and policies give license to homophobic, transphobic and, frankly, hateful people who now feel emboldened to vilify those in the LGBTQ community and label homosexuality a mental illness. Thank goodness for Nampa school board member Mandy Simpson, who knows better than anyone the impact of such policies, as shes also a teacher. I know from firsthand experience, that if kids dont feel safe in a classroom, they will not even begin to try to learn the reading, the writing, the math, said Simpson. Finally, we have to ask, Whats the problem this policy is trying to solve? The perceived problem seems to be an irrational fear that somehow by merely talking about sexuality or gender identity in school, it will somehow turn your child gay or transgender. Its part of a false narrative that teachers and librarians are groomers. The policy is based on fear, ignorance and hatred. Such principles should have no place in public schools. Statesman editorials are the unsigned opinion of the Idaho Statesmans editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community member Mary Rohlfing. Schools in Poorer Neighborhoods Struggle to Keep Teachers. How Offering Them More Power Might Help This article was originally published in CalMatters. Teachers dont get into their profession for money or power, but a little more of both might help keep them at high-poverty schools, where students are more likely to fall behind grade level and less likely to graduate from high school or attend college. Across California and the nation, many of these schools struggle to retain teachers, leaving them with fewer experienced educators. Those who stay often battle the headwinds of poverty: hunger, homelessness and mental health challenges. After only a few years, many end up leaving for easier teaching jobs in more affluent communities. Californias elected officials have tried for decades to slow the exodus of veteran teachers from schools with the poorest students. One idea that has been conspicuously absent from the conversation: paying teachers more to work at those schools. The politically powerful California Teachers Association opposes differentiated pay policies that would increase salaries for teachers at hard-to-staff schools, rendering that approach a non-starter. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Now, lawmakers are making unprecedented investments in two ideas that have been around for years. One offers prospective educators a grant if they commit to teaching at a high-poverty school after their training. The other, a model known as community schools, rethinks school governance, giving more power to teachers to shape every aspect of a school. Since 2019, the state has spent close to $5 billion on these two approaches. Despite the boost in spending, it remains unclear whether the state will see a return. Teacher turnover remains a perennial challenge at schools serving more low-income families. As experienced teachers leave in search of less challenging classrooms, students at high-needs schools are less likely to have educators who can help close achievement gaps seen in the persistently lower test scores among those students compared to their more affluent peers. The stakes are now higher than ever as educators work to help students recover from the academic losses they suffered during the pandemic and remote learning. Students in Nicholas Cordovas seventh grade history class at Sycamore Junior High School in Anaheim on May 22, 2023. (Lauren Justice/CalMatters) Staffing is usually overseen by local school districts. But amid the ongoing teacher shortage, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond said the California Department of Education has repurposed one existing employee to help school districts hire teachers. When he first ran for state superintendent in 2018, Thurmond said he opposed extra pay for teachers in poorer neighborhoods, disputing evidence that it would help. But in a recent interview with CalMatters, he said he would consider any evidence-based policy, especially since some districts already pay some, such as bilingual teachers, more. I support any idea that will support teacher retention, Thurmond said. We know the profession is impacted by fatigue. A CalMatters analysis of teacher experience data from 35 districts adding up to 1,280 schools across the state found that the correlation between student poverty and teacher experience is stark, especially in urban regions. Four years for $20,000 The Golden State Teacher Grant Program gives up to $20,000 in grants to college students earning a teaching credential. In exchange, they work in a high-poverty school for four years within eight years of obtaining their credential. The state committed $500 million over five years to funding the grants, starting in 2021. Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed injecting an additional $6 million into the program this year. Samantha Fernandez, a 23-year-old single mother from Chula Vista, received $16,000 through the grant program. She said the money covered the entire cost of earning her credential. It was a blessing, she said. While earning that credential, she worked in two schools in the Cajon Valley Union School District in eastern San Diego County. One had more poorer students while the other was made up predominantly of wealthier ones. The former, Chase Avenue Elementary, serves a large community of immigrants and refugees from Afghanistan, many of whom only spoke Pashto when they arrived. The language barrier was a challenge, but she found the experience to be just as rewarding as working in a more affluent school. I want to help kids achieve their dreams, no matter what struggles they go through, Fernandez said. I want to be the person who can be their support outside their home. Fernandez never set out to work in a high-poverty school, but she said everything happens for a reason. Its too early to know if shell stay beyond her four-year commitment, but she said shes open to it. In the fall, shell start a masters program in teaching. She said the grant will allow her to continue her education with a sense of relief. Samantha Fernandez poses at Heritage Park in Chula Vista on May 22, 2023. Fernandez, 23, received her teaching credential at San Diego State University and is a recipient of a Golden State Teacher Grant. (Kristian Carreon/CalMatters) This isnt the first time that California has tried enticing teachers into working at a high-needs school by subsidizing their education. In 2000, the state launched the Governors Teaching Fellowship, which gave prospective teachers up to $20,000 in grants for committing to work in a school where test scores rank in the bottom half of the states public schools. The program was short-lived. It ran out of money in 2003. A 2009 study found that about 75% of teachers in the program stayed at high-poverty schools beyond their three-year commitments. As a reincarnation, the Golden State Teacher Grant Program is attracting applicants in droves. So far, almost 11,000 prospective teachers have committed to teaching at a high-poverty school. The state handed out more than $132 million in grants in the past two years. None of the teachers have yet completed their four-year commitments, but the state plans to track how many stay beyond that time. Some research suggests the Golden State Teacher Grant Program could lead to less turnover in the long run. The Learning Policy Institute, an education research group, found that reducing the cost of teacher training can increase recruitment and retention. Tara Kini, the chief of policy and program at the Learning Policy Institute, said the program will help relieve a financial burden on teachers amid the academic fallout from the pandemic. The past couple of years have been pretty challenging, Kini said. It points to a need for greater incentives for teachers. The California Student Aid Commission, the state agency that oversees the Golden State Teacher Grant Program, expects to give out over $157 million by the end of this school year. That puts the state on track to use up the entire $500 million before the 2025 deadline. Kini said she expects the program to have an added benefit of encouraging more teachers of color who are already more likely to work in high-poverty schools and carry more student debt to enter the workforce. While experience is just one factor, research shows that students do better with teachers who have at least five years of experience. This is where a second statewide initiative, community schools, might help get teachers to stay. Giving teachers power Community schools partner with local health or social service organizations to become a one-stop shop for students and their families. Schools tailor the partnerships to what their families need. The community schools model has been around for decades, but in the past three years, Gov. Newsom and the Legislature poured an unprecedented $4.1 billion into the program. The states investment might not end up in teachers pockets, but the money could give teachers at those schools more of a voice at their campuses. Both teachers and experts say that giving educators the power to design lessons and decide how to use a schools money to help students could be as effective as pay raises to get teachers to stay in challenging work environments. The community schools model requires: Shared governance Teachers, parents, students and administrators all have a say in every aspect of a schools operation, from curriculum to after-school activities; Autonomy School communities can make decisions on their own without interference from district bureaucracies; Integrated student supports Schools can partner with local organizations to provide health or social services based on the unique needs of their students; A community school coordinator One full-time employee handles administration. For some educators, the model is an obvious solution to teacher turnover at high-poverty schools. A lot of teachers feel disempowered and not part of democratic decision-making, said David Goldberg, vice president of the California Teachers Association. They feel like their needs are not being met at schools. Giving educators more authority at their workplace makes them feel like respected professionals, said Richard Ingersoll, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied community schools for decades. Were not making automobiles here. You cant have one-size-fits-all, he said. Those closest to the kids need to be given a lot of discretion. Kyle Weinberg, president of the teachers union at San Diego Unified, said making sure teachers have a say in how schools serve the most vulnerable students will help keep them on the payroll. We know that when we increase educator voices in school decisions, that educators are more committed, he said. Theyre more committed to working on strengthening what were doing as a school, and theyre more likely to stay at that school when they know they have that voice. While districts have a lot of autonomy in designing community schools, implementation can be bumpy. At Sacramento City Unified, the teachers union claims that the district has shut them out of the community schools process. According to teachers union President David Fisher, the district applied for the state grant and received some money, but teachers had no say in which schools were selected. At Twin Rivers Unified, north of Sacramento, teachers union President Rebecca LeDoux said the district is excluding teachers from decision-making, undermining the key tenet of the community schools model. She said the district chose which schools to turn into community schools without any teacher input. My problem isnt with which schools were chosen, my problem is with how it was chosen, LeDoux said. It cant be through the vision of administrators who sit in the ivory tower, farthest from our students. Thurmond said he wasnt aware of these issues at local districts and said his team would investigate further. Steve Zimmer, a deputy superintendent overseeing community schools grants for the department, said the agency would first try to resolve these issues and only resort to taking away money if theres a clear unwillingness from administrators to get input from teachers. Im not looking to go to this place but of course we could take adverse action, Zimmer said. I feel confident were prepared to make course corrections as necessary. There are also success stories. At San Diego Unified, the teachers union and district leaders are clearing the same hurdles materializing at other districts. In April, they signed a contract that codifies the principles of community schools into the bargaining agreements at the 15 schools that received state grants. At the Anaheim Union High School District in Orange County, the community schools model has been implemented at 13 schools. At one school, Sycamore Junior High, which serves a large immigrant population, the district used community schools funding to connect parents to immigration legal services and created a social science curriculum focused on immigration policy in the United States. The school also uses community schools grants to host a farmers market once a month on campus. Throughout the year, teachers assigned soapbox speeches, asking students to give a presentation on any social issue affecting students at the school. Topics ranged from immigration and mental health to pet adoption and food waste. Nicholas Cordova in his classroom at Sycamore Junior High School in Anaheim on May 22, 2023. (Lauren Justice/CalMatters) Nicholas Cordova, a seventh grade history teacher at Sycamore and an Anaheim native, said its rewarding to see schools tackling the issues facing students. During the last week of school in May, some of his students presented their speeches. Students stood at their desks as Cordova flipped through their slideshows. His students are soft-spoken and clearly not comfortable with public speaking. Awkward silences punctuated their presentations, but for Cordova, theyre opportunities to encourage his students. This is as close to home as we can get, Cordova said as one student started her speech about mental health. He said Sycamore has a reputation as an under-performing school, but becoming a community school allows teachers to counter that. Thats something were always fighting against, Cordova said. If people actually took the time to come and talk to the teachers and students, they would see what were doing to make the school a better place. The community schools model also gives students a voice. Yvonne Walker, a Black seventh grade student at Sycamore, asked staff members to convene a restorative justice session with the eighth grade student council to discuss the rampant use of racial slurs on campus. The session was held on the last Monday of the school year in a portable classroom at the edge of campus. Restorative justice is an approach to student discipline and campus culture that emphasizes open communication over punishment. A school that embraces restorative justice might have a staff member oversee a discussion with students who just got into a fight instead of suspending or expelling them. A restorative justice approach in Yvonnes case meant students sat in a circle and shared their experiences with racial slurs. Yvonne Walker, a seventh grade student at Sycamore Junior High School in Anaheim on May 22, 2023. (Lauren Justice/CalMatters) Yvonne is one of the few Black students at Sycamore, where 93% of students are Latino. As the discussion started, it was clear that some of the eighth-graders were unsympathetic. Several were having hushed side conversations. When Yvonne shared how hurtful it is to hear the n-word around campus, the eighth-graders got defensive. What do you want us to do? one quietly mouthed. Others talked about how Latino students use slurs with each other as terms of endearment. At the end of the session, Yvonne, who also identifies as Latino because her mother is from El Salvador, said she was disappointed by her community. She said she was hoping at least one of the eighth-graders could empathize. I was thinking that theres probably someone out there who has the same feelings as me, she said. I didnt want to be a part of the silence. But staff members did hear her. Brenda Chavez, director of restorative justice at Sycamore, also sits on the community schools steering team. The steering team represents the shared-governance component of the community schools model. Its made up of teachers, parents, staff members and the principal of Sycamore Junior High. They meet once a month. During their final meeting of the school year just hours after the restorative justice session, Chavez mentioned the discussion led by Yvonne. She says that next fall, the steering team will discuss ways to better teach about the history of racism to reduce the use of racial slurs on campus. The steering team meeting blends the professionalism and formality of a school board meeting with the warmth of a family gathering. The meeting starts when two student members walk into the room with three boxes of pizza. The teachers, students and parents on the team spend most of the meeting analyzing survey results. The survey asked teachers, students and parents about the schools strengths and challenges. More than 1,000 responded. Teachers called for more staff and smaller class sizes. Parents wanted more security on campus. Students said they just want to be heard. At the end of the meeting, some parents and teachers suggest that the steering team should meet more often. Most of the other members nod in agreement. Grant Schuster, the president of Anaheim Unions teachers union, said this type of outreach will keep teachers in the district. Hes optimistic that the voice teachers have on the steering committee will keep them at high-poverty schools. This isnt just another statewide program, Schuster said. Its a systemic change to how you run a school. I think its going to bring results. A simpler solution? As for the idea California wont consider paying teachers more to teach in schools in poorer neighborhoods Wisconsins experience is instructive. Under a Republican legislature and governor, that state gave school districts full power to determine teacher pay. That meant collective bargaining was no longer required by state law. Yale University economist Barbara Biasi, who studied the results, found that districts offering higher salaries got better teachers and saw higher test scores. But high-poverty schools in districts that kept collective bargaining struggled more than ever to recruit quality, experienced teachers. Im not sure why we make salaries so rigid and so low for the profession that has so much impact, Biasi said. But, she added, you cant have higher salaries across the board, strict salary schedules and tenure rules. You cant have a job where people cannot get fired and also have everyone paid a lot of money, she said. You cant have everything. Its not what other professions do. Al Muratsuchi, a Democratic state Assembly member from Torrance and the chair of the Assemblys Education Committee, this session authored ambitious legislation that would increase teacher salaries by 50%. The bill passed the Assembly floor on June 1 with a 77-0 vote. Muratsuchi said he would also consider proposals for higher salaries for teachers working in high-poverty schools. I think it only makes sense that teachers are an important part of any education policy being considered, Muratsuchi said. At the same time, we want to make sure that no special interest is obstructing any necessary reforms. Currently, the California Department of Education doesnt have a team focused on statewide teacher staffing. The agency doesnt track teacher salaries, vacancies or turnover rates, and its unlikely to do so anytime soon considering that the state budget isnt providing the department with additional funding. Thurmond said hell commit the few resources he has to cobbling together a variety of sources from teacher pension data to teacher polls to better understand the staffing needs across the state. Well look for ways to gather information to help us define the shortage, he said. I just have to be honest, we have to work on it in a modest way. Concerns about the Titan submersible's diminishing oxygen supply continue to motivate the hunt for it this Wednesday, June 21. As additional rescue ships go to the search area near Newfoundland, let's review the most recent information we had about the Titan since it went missing earlier this week. Monday, June 19 - Titanic Tourist Sub Reported Missing After the submarine carrying tourists to the Titanic wreckage was reported missing on Monday, June 19, the US Coast Guard initiated a search and rescue operation right away. OceanGate Expeditions, which owned and operated the carbon-fiber submersible, posted on social media looking for new mission teams to take on the North Atlantic. OceanGate is a private firm that sends submersibles on scientific missions to the ocean depths. A spot on one of their trips to the Titanic wreckage may cost you $250,000. Tuesday, June 20 - Missing Passengers Identified The Titanic submarine's five missing crew members have been identified by OceanGate Expeditions. The said group is in danger of suffering from cold and oxygen deprivation. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who also serves as Titan's captain, French adventurer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British millionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Sulaiman, 19, have all been recognized as passengers aboard the sub. RMS Titanic Inc. senior advisor David Gallo told CNN that the missing sub's passengers had little time to get to the surface. He estimated the trip from the surface to the Titanic would take two and a half hours. The Titan may have adequate oxygen underwater until June 22 at 07:00 US Eastern Time. The Titan was too deep for a manned rescue sub. Thus the only option to reach the crew was with a remote-operated vehicle that could reach 20,000ft (nearly 6,100m). On that day, it was also reported that the lost tourist submersible near the Titanic wreckage was being piloted by a $30 Logitech game controller. See Also: OceanGate Titan: Banging Sounds Heard by Sonar as Search for Missing Titanic-bound Sub at Fever Pitch Wednesday, June 21 - Rescuers Pick Up Banging Sounds Underwater After sounds were reported underwater, the location of the hunt for a submersible vessel that vanished near the Titanic wreck was changed. US Navy scientists are analyzing sonar buoy recordings from a Canadian P-3 aircraft. As time runs short to find the missing OceanGate Expeditions submersible Titan, sonar buoys have recorded 30-minute hammering noises, although it is unclear whether they were from the Titan. The Coast Guard Northeast District tweeted that they redeployed remotely operated vehicle operations in regions where a Canadian P-3 Orion spotted "underwater noises" to find their source. Meanwhile, lawsuit documents indicate that OceanGate was repeatedly cautioned that the development of its submersible may pose catastrophic safety issues. According to ABC News, a lawsuit filed in 2018 in US District Court in Seattle cites an engineering report written by OceanGate's director of marine operations, David Lochridge, who warned that passengers could be in danger if the company's planned craft ever reached "extreme depths." See Also: Missing Titanic Submarine Used a Cheap Logitech Gaming Controller for Steering @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Second arrest made in North Miami Beach robbery that turned into deadly shooting, cops say A second man was charged for his involvement in a robbery that ended with a man being shot to death in North Miami Beach late last month. Mario Fogler is facing a charge of first degree murder and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. As of Wednesday night, the 22-year-old remained in jail. North Miami Beach made the arrest Friday. Our detectives worked tirelessly to ensure that justice was served, the department said on Twitter. We continue to pray for the victims family. @myNMBPolice has made a second arrest in connection with the May 30th homicide which occurred in the area of 17060 NW 3ave. Our detectives worked tirelessly to ensure that justice was served. We continue to pray for the victims family. pic.twitter.com/Uof2wLJo0x North Miami Beach PD (@myNMBPolice) June 21, 2023 Marcuss Ealy, a 20-year-old from Hollywood, was the first to be arrested just a few days after the crime occurred. He is still in Broward County jail. On May 30, video caught a scuffle among three men on a dark street corner in the area of 17060 NW Third Avenue. Shortly after, one of the men pulled a gun and fired at the victim, who had his hands up. The two men hopped in a car and left the shot man on the street. Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami identified the victim as Malcolm Johnson Jr. Marvel is facing backlash from artists and fans alike over the opening credits scene to its new Disney+ series, Secret Invasion. The series follows Samuel L Jacksons Avengers founder Nick Fury and his allies as they attempt to thwart an invasion of extraterrestrial shapeshifters (Skrulls) on Earth. Executive producer Ali Selim confirmed to Polygon on Wednesday (21 June), the day of the shows release, that Secret Invasions opening sequence was created using Artificial Intelligence. He said he believes that the decision helped play into the shows themes: When we reached out to the AI vendors, that was part of it it just came right out of the shape-shifting, Skrull world identity, you know? Who did this? Who is this? Admitting that he didnt really understand how AI works, Selim further explained: We would talk to them about ideas and themes and words, and then the computer would go off and do something. And then we could change it a little bit by using words, and it would change. However, many people have responded negatively to the sequence, arguing that the use of AI takes away work from real artists. This is salt in the wounds of all Artists and Writers in the WGA strike, Jon Lam, a storyboard artist, wrote on Twitter. Secret Invasion uses Ai in the intro. Leadership of the show doesnt know how Ai works. Vendor is Method studios. Who would not respond for comment. This is salt in the wounds of all Artists and Writers in the WGA strike #boycottSecretInvasion https://t.co/fmAiARYsLB pic.twitter.com/Lv9uvzSygb Jon Lam #CreateDontScrape (@JonLamArt) June 21, 2023 Said it before but Ill say it again we really went from Spiderverse celebrating the arts and artists to Secret Invasion spitting on us, another wrote, comparing the new series to Marvels animated Spider-Man movie franchise, which required the work of 140 animators. Said it before but Ill say it again - we really went from Spiderverse celebrating the arts and artists to Secret Invasion spitting on us. pic.twitter.com/JXncZtokCe Kunal - Commissions (4/10) (@HairyShortStack) June 21, 2023 Even ignoring the concerns over the MCU proudly dipping its toe into AI this early, the Secret Invasion MidJourney intro is repulsive, a third wrote. Genuinely embarrassing it was allowed to remain in the finished product. One of the more embarrassing moments of the streaming era. Even ignoring the concerns over the MCU proudly dipping its toe into AI this early, the Secret Invasion MidJourney intro is repulsive. Genuinely embarrassing it was allowed to remain in the finished product. One of the more embarrassing moments of the streaming era Max (@EPM106) June 21, 2023 The Independent has contacted Disney+ for comment. The use of AI in cinema has become a hot-button topic of late after stars such as Harrison Ford were digitally de-aged to appear as their younger selves in movies. In a recent interview, Jackson weighed in on the prospect of his image being digitally re-created in films using CGI technology after his death. Ever since Ive been in the Marvel Universe, every time you change costumes in a Marvel movie, they scan you, he revealed. Ever since I did Captain Marvel, and they did the Lola project where they de-aged me and everything else, its like, Well, I guess they can do this anytime they want to do it if they really want to! In Captain Marvel, Jackson was de-aged by three decades to approximate his appearance in the 1990s. It could be something to worry about, the Pulp Fiction star continued. Future actors should do what I always do when I get a contract and it has the words in perpetuity and known and unknown on it: I cross that s*** out. Secret Invasion is out now on Disney+. A longtime lieutenant with the Seminole County Sheriffs Office was terminated after he was accused of sending lewd text messages to a probationary detention deputy who worked the jail. According to the internal investigations findings, Lt. Charles Albrecht violated department policy. Albrecht worked for the sheriffs office for more than two decades. According to the internal affairs report, on Dec. 16, 2022, Albrecht reached out to newly hired detention deputy, who he knew for seven years, and engaged him in a series of graphic text messages. The next day, investigators said Albrecht sent a text apologizing to the detention deputy for being so forward and blamed it on consuming alcohol. Read: Sheriff: Polk County deputy fired after being arrested on DUI charge When asked if he believed his actions were in violation of sheriffs office general orders, Albrecht said that if he viewed the violation through the lens of a lieutenant and an employee, then yes, but if viewed through the lens of Charlie [Albrecht] and his friend just having another conversation, I dont think I did. That response ultimately led to Albrechts termination. Under general order, employees are to conduct themselves at all times, both on and off duty, in such a manner as to reflect favorably on the sheriffs office. Read: Orange County deputy arrested for soliciting minor in sex crimes case, sheriff says All of this came up during a deposition during a criminal trial for the detention deputy in question after he was fired in March after he was arrested on felony charges. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida is considering a late entry into the Republican presidential primary race, a move that would make him the latest high-profile Florida Republican to try to wrest the nomination from Donald Trump, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Should he enter the race, Scott, Floridas former governor, would be challenging both the front-runner, Trump, as well as the distant-second rival, Ron DeSantis, the states current governor. Scott would also join Trump, DeSantis and Mayor Francis X. Suarez of Miami as the fourth Republican presidential candidate from Florida. DeSantis in particular could see his support erode further if Scott adds to an already crowded field of Trump alternatives. Scott, who came to power as governor during the Tea Party wave of 2010, has been discussing a possible campaign for several weeks, according to the people familiar with the talks. Like other recent entries, Scott appears to be assessing a GOP field in which DeSantis, with whom Scott has had a difficult relationship, has lost some support after a series of missteps and unforced errors. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Larry Hogan, the Republican former governor of Maryland, captured this sentiment in a recent CBS News interview, calling DeSantis campaign one of the worst Ive seen so far. He added, Everyone was thinking he was the guy to beat, and now I dont think too many people think that. On Thursday, Will Hurd, a moderate Republican and former Texas congressman, announced a long-shot candidacy for president in a video message. For Scott, who is 70 years old and wealthy enough that he can fund his own candidacy, the campaign could be the last chance he has to make a bid for the White House, a run he has long shown interest in. Should a Republican unseat President Joe Biden in the 2024 election, it would be difficult for Scott or anyone else in the party to challenge that new president during a reelection effort four years later. But running for president would be a dramatic shift for Scott, who announced earlier this year that he would seek a second six-year term in the Senate in 2024 instead of a national campaign. Scotts senior adviser, Chris Hartline, said in a statement to The New York Times: Its flattering that some have mentioned the possibility of Sen. Scott running for President, but as hes said many times, hes running for reelection to the Senate. If Scott does decide to enter the race, it is unclear how aggressively he would challenge Trump, who currently dominates the field even after being indicted twice. Scott led a major for-profit hospital chain before getting involved in politics. He served as governor of Florida for two terms before running for Senate in 2018. In 2021 and 2022, he was the chair of the Senate Republican campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a prestige perch that senators often use to boost their national profiles ahead of a presidential campaign. Scotts tenure was rocky, marked by a cash drain from the committee and criticisms about how the money was spent. Trump made clear early on that he planned on trying to keep his grip on the Republican Party after the attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6, 2021. Scott visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago, the former presidents private club, in April 2021 to grant him a newly-created award from the National Republican Senatorial Committee. This weekend I was proud to recognize President Donald Trump with the inaugural @NRSC Champion for Freedom Award, Scott wrote on Twitter, posing in a picture with Trump. President Trump fought for American workers, secured the border, and protected our constitutional rights. At the time, Trump remained popular with the Republican Partys base even after his baseless claims that the 2020 election was rigged against him. Scott, as chair of a party committee, appeared to find harmony with Trump to be in the best interests of Senate nominees. Scott has had a more contentious relationship with DeSantis. Before DeSantis signed into state law a bill restricting most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, Scott said that he favored keeping what were then the current restrictions, after 15 weeks of pregnancy. He also called for cooler heads to prevail as DeSantis escalated a feud with the Walt Disney Co., the largest private employer in Florida. A monthslong fight between the governor and the company stemmed from the opposition some officials at Disney had to a new state law restricting gender and sexuality education in elementary schools. Scott was not a favorite of some of his colleagues in the Senate. In 2022, he ran an ultimately failed bid to oust the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, from his leadership position, the capstone in what had become a toxic relationship between the two Republicans. Should Scott abandon a reelection bid in favor of a presidential run, it would create an open primary for his Senate seat. And it would potentially add another layer to the Trump-DeSantis rivalry, as a Trump-backed candidate would likely face off against a DeSantis-backed one. A Republican congressman from Florida, Rep. Mike Waltz, is strongly considering a run for Senate to replace Scott if Scott makes a bid for the White House, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Waltz has endorsed Trumps 2024 campaign for president. c.2023 The New York Times Company Senate Republicans are questioning the push by House conservatives to impeach President Biden and other administration officials, arguing the moves are a waste of time and futile efforts that likely lack an impeachable offense. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) surprised even her own GOP colleagues Tuesday when she filed a privileged motion that would force a vote on a resolution to impeach Biden. Conservatives have also been pushing to impeach figures, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said she is converting the articles of impeachment she has filed against top officials into privileged resolutions to use when I feel its necessary. The moves, however, are making many Senate Republicans uneasy. I know people are angry. Im angry at the Biden administration for their policies at the border and a whole host of other things, but I think we also need to look at whats achievable, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said. And with a Democratic majority in the Senate, I dont think thats achievable. The move by the Colorado Republican came out of left field to many, though Boebert told reporters she informed House GOP leadership she would be making the privileged motion. The decision to move ahead also caught senators off guard, even those more conservative than others. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) exclaimed, Really? when asked about movement on Boeberts articles of impeachment. The resolution includes two articles related to Bidens handling of matters along the U.S.-Mexico border one for dereliction of duty and one for abuse of power. Some Senate GOP members argued Boeberts latest maneuver is frivolous. Ive got a pretty high bar for impeachment, Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) said, noting that he said as much in his pair of votes against convicting former President Trump. I fear that snap impeachments will become the norm, and they mustnt. Some even laughed at the idea of impeaching Biden. Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah), the lone Senate Republican who voted to convict former President Trump in both of his trials, told The Hill that conservatives are spinning their wheels. Yeah, Romney said when asked if he considers this a waste of time. If someone commits a high crime or misdemeanor, of course. If they dont, its a waste of time. The impeachment chatter is the latest maneuver by House conservatives that has alarmed their colleagues across the Capitol. A revolt by hard-line conservatives that ground House floor business to a halt earlier this month left Senate Republicans worried about what would happen when must-pass bills arrive. And House Republicans wrote their spending bills at levels below those agreed to in last months debt ceiling deal setting up a fight with the Senate, which is following the agreed-upon caps. But Boeberts latest move also angered her House colleagues. Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) went so far as to urge his House GOP conference to rally against Boeberts resolution before it hits the floor later this week. House Republicans want to keep attention focused on the Hunter Biden plea deal announced this week. And while some members may be in favor of impeaching some top officials including Biden they say Boeberts is premature and could undermine existing congressional investigations and future impeachment efforts. I dont think its the right thing to do, McCarthy later told reporters. This is one of the most serious things you can do as a member of Congress. I think youve got to go through the process. Youve got to have the investigation, McCarthy continued. And throwing something on the floor actually harms the investigation that were doing right now. House Democrats are expected to make a motion to table the resolution, putting up a blockade against the vote entirely. The motion to table resolution is expected to succeed. Despite the wide opposition to Boeberts effort, there has been some appetite for Bidens removal among some Senate conservatives. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) called on the president to resign and ran ads on it earlier this year, though not because of his border policies. However, Senate Republicans are warning their colleagues across the Capitol complex that if they do plow forward with any sort of impeachment against Biden or others, they better be ready to back it up and show theres an impeachable offense involved. The Democrats played politics with impeachment. Republicans shouldnt do that, said Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), a friend and ally of McCarthy stemming from his time in the House. If its something thats impeachable, thats fine. But there needs to be a process to it. While early impeachment pushes are likely to fail, some efforts by conservative members have garnered widespread support among Republicans. House Republicans on Wednesday passed a censure resolution against Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) that was brought up by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla) over his handling of investigations into Trump. And Senate Republicans on Wednesday reiterated their confidence in McCarthy despite the ongoing back-and-forth with conservatives. I think hes got a handful of people whore going to do what theyre going to do. I dont know that hes got a lot of control over any of that, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters. The House is the House. Theyve got their own way of doing things. I guess theyll deal with them one way or another, Thune said. The best way to change the direction of the country is to win elections, and to win elections, you have to put forward a vision for the future of this country and talk in a positive way about the things that you want to do and draw contrasts with the administration. Alexander Bolton contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Senate voted largely along party lines Thursday to reject a Republican-sponsored resolution that would have overturned a Biden administration rule effectively banning the use of stabilizing braces on pistols devices that have been used in several mass shootings. Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.) and Jon Tester (Mont.), two centrist Democrats facing tough reelection races next year in red states, voted against the resolution. They both have a history of supporting gun-owners rights. The resolution failed by a vote of 49 to 50. President Biden had said he would veto the measure, which the House approved June 13. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said repealing the rule effectively banning pistol braces would have made it easier to conceal an assault-style pistol, something thats been used in mass shooting after mass shooting. Shame on them, he said of Republicans who pushed to overturn the regulation. If youve ever seen a gunman fire what looks like a machine gun with one hand, thats what pistol braces allow you to do, he said. The White House noted in a statement of administration policy that gunmen have used brace devices in mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and Boulder, Colo. The resolution, which Republicans moved under the Congressional Review Act, would have nullified the rule finalized in January by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) stating that any stabilizing brace attached to a pistol with a barrel less than 16 inches would be regulated as a short-barreled rifle under the 1968 Gun Control Act. Congress passed legislation in the 1980s to impose a 10-year prison sentencing enhancement for using a short-barreled rifle in any violent or drug trafficking crime. Under the new Biden administration rule, gun owners who have a pistol with a stabilizing brace can either add a longer barrel to the firearm, remove the brace, turn the firearm in to a local ATF office or register it as a short-barreled rifle with federal authorities. Short-barreled rifles are more concealable than long guns, yet more dangerous and accurate at a distance than traditional pistols. For these reasons, they are particularly lethal, which is why Congress has deemed them to be dangerous and unusual weapons subject to strict regulation since 1934, the Office of Management and Budget said in a June 12 statement of policy. The White House budget office said earlier this month that Biden would veto the measure. For almost 90 years, short-barreled rifles have been controlled under the National Firearms Act, along with machine guns and sawed-off shotguns. Why? Because they combine the accuracy of a rifle with the concealability of a handgun. Its a deadly combination, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said before the vote. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), the House sponsor of the resolution, called the ATF rule unconstitutional and an example of executive overreach. The House passed the resolution earlier this month by a largely partisan vote of 219 to 210. Two Democrats voted for it and two Republicans voted against it. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sonko's conviction will make him ineligible for the 2024 presidential election (MUHAMADOU BITTAYE) Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has filed a criminal complaint in France for "crimes against humanity" against President Macky Sall, his lawyer said, as well as requesting a probe by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Sall was in Paris on Thursday and Friday for a global climate finance summit called by President Emmanuel Macron. Sonko alleges that deadly clashes following his sentencing to jail time this month are the latest step in "a generalised and systematic attack on the civilian population" of Senegal since March 2021, lawyer Juan Branco told AFP late on Wednesday. This month's clashes over Sonko's conviction, for "corrupting" a young beauty salon worker, are the worst Senegal has seen in years, following a previous outburst two years ago when at least 12 died. While the government toll for June is 16 dead, Amnesty International has counted 23 fatalities and the opposition tally stands at 30. Opponents of Sall, first elected in 2012 and again in 2019, have been fired up by his evasiveness over whether he could run for a third term they see as unconstitutional -- following in the footsteps of other West African leaders in recent years. Meanwhile Sonko's conviction will make him ineligible for the 2024 presidential election. "It's ridiculous," Sall told AFP when asked about the legal complaint in France on Thursday. - Criminal complaint - On a visit to Portugal on Tuesday, Sall also promised a "strengthening of democracy and freedom in Senegal, with respect... for the state of law" . As well as the president, opposition leader Sonko's case targets Senegalese Interior Minister Antoine Diome, military police chief Moussa Fall and 112 others. His criminal complaint has been filed with the Paris tribunal's crimes against humanity unit. Sall and Diome have "ordered and supervised the commission" of crimes "against unarmed demonstrators since March 2021", including "murders, torture and forced disappearances", it alleges. Lawyer Branco said he had identified "the murders of 50 people" since March 2021. He was to hold a press conference on the legal actions later on Thursday. Under French law, filing a criminal complaint almost automatically triggers an investigation by a magistrate into whether the allegations are credible, although the process can be drawn-out and rarely results in criminal charges. Sonko's separate request at the ICC in The Hague uses a provision that allows any person or group to ask for an investigation to be opened. lp-DT/adp/pvh (Bloomberg) -- Senegal has secured 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) of funding from Group of Seven countries to transition to cleaner energy, making it the first country that doesnt rely on coal for electricity to get funding under such a program. Most Read from Bloomberg The so-called Just Energy Transition Partnership funding seeks to increase renewable energy to 40% of the West African nations electricity mix over seven years, President Macky Sall said Thursday at the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact in Paris. Renewables already account for 31% of its mix, he said. International partners and multilateral development banks will make the finance available over the next three to five years, the partners - France, Germany, the European Union, the UK and Canada - said in a statement. Additional financing may be mobilized during and beyond this period to support Senegals ambitions. The deal is modeled after one South Africa is pursuing with G-7 countries and several institutions to access $8.5 billion in climate finance. Other coal-dependent nations such as Vietnam and Indonesia are negotiating similar packages. The program is an effort by some of the worlds most industrialized nations, which produced the bulk of the emissions causing climate warming, to help emerging nations invest in renewable energy and reduce their own output of greenhouse gases as they develop. A JETP is now also being considered with Mongolia, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna said. Read More: The Big Plan to Help Developing Nations Go Green Is Foundering Senegal currently relies on burning oil and gas to produce most of its electricity, rather than coal. In contrast, almost all of South Africas power output comes from coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. But the West African nation is also preparing to produce gas, using part of the output to boost its electricity supply, while also developing a liquefied natural gas industry for export. The EU one of the partners of the JETP is treading a careful line between promoting renewables globally, while also having to protect its own energy needs in the wake of Russias war in Ukraine. The issue reared its head at COP27 Europe was accused of using Africa as its gas station with countries like Germany tapping Senegal to help make up for its shortfall in Russian supplies. The $31 billion economy is set to expand the most in sub-Saharan Africa this year after the first gas is produced from the BP Plc-backed Greater Tortue Ahmeyim field, International Monetary Fund projections show. The GTA project, straddling the border between Senegal and Mauritania, is expected to start production in the last quarter of this year. A second phase may start as early as 2024, but will require about $5 billion in financing that may be difficult to secure given the increasing antipathy toward fossil-fuel projects. Gas as a transition fuel needs to be able to coexist with renewable energy, Sall said Thursday. Read More: Gas Has Transitional Role in Africas Green Goals, EU Says Senegal intends to use its gas as a transitional energy, while gradually phasing out heavy fuel oils overtime, the international partners said in their statement. The country is determined to strengthen the deployment of renewable energies in its energy mix as part of its Integrated Low-Cost Electricity Plan, with a view to reducing emissions from the sector, while enabling fair and resilient development, they said. The JETP will offer some respite to Senegal, which has separately requested $1.8 billion of funding support from the IMF. The country has already secured a staff-level agreement for a credit facility of $1.5 billion and an additional $300 million from a new trust set up to help vulnerable countries build resilience to external shocks such as climate change. It still requires final funding approval from the IMF Board. Africas most urgent need is infrastructure financing, said Sall, adding that the continent lacks everything from road and rail networks to electricity. So these are our needs, beyond just the climate. Bloomberg Philanthropies is one of the Paris summits official sponsors. --With assistance from John Ainger. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. PARIS European drone manufacturers with plans to build production sites in Ukraine are reporting diverging ordeals, with Latvia-based Atlas now facing several delays as Turkish Baykars venture is moving on schedule, according to both companies chief executives. Over the last year, several defense companies have warmed up to the possibility of setting up shop in the wartorn country to localize the production of some of their systems and get them to Ukrainian troops faster. Among these is the Riga-based company Atlas, which manufactures small, packable aerial systems, namely the Atlas Pro tricopter. Late last year, chief executive officer Ivan Tolchinsky told Defense News about his ambition to establish a research and development factory as well as a production plant in Ukraine in early 2023. However, not everything appears to be going according to plan. While we have effectively set up the R&D facility, the manufacturing one is undergoing some delays in part due to some bureaucratic processes and as such its opening date has been pushed back until we can sort this out, Tolchinsky said on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show here. The company still has kept up its frequent delivery rate of drones to Ukraine, with roughly 200 additional Atlas Pros provided since December. Currently, around 88% of its production is headed for Kyiv.The company is now developing new systems that will resemble pocket drones for soldiers, even smaller than the four-pond Atlas Pro, Tolchinsky said. They are still under development, but the idea would be to have an Atlas mini around 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) and a micro-Atlas at 300 grams (0.66 pounds), the he explained. The Atlas Pro drone, made by Latvia-based Atlas, is on display at the Paris Air Show in June 2023. (Elisabeth Gosselin-Malo/staff photo) The company says that Ukrainian soldiers have reported Atlas Pros as being susceptible to jamming lately. For Tolchinsky, this is due in part to Russia upgrading its electronic warfare capabilities on the battlefield. His engineers have been working to evade electronic attacks by implementing software upgrades that would allow data to be transferred to the ground station faster without the Internet or cellular networks, Tolchinsky said. Riding on political ties Another firm with designs for a Ukrainian footprint is Turkish defense firm Baykar, which makes the medium-altitude long-endurance TB2 system. Baykars chief executive Haluk Bayraktar first announced the news of a TB2 plant in October 2022, after having donated and delivered combat drones valued at millions of dollars to Ukrainian forces since the beginning of the war in February of that year. He told Defense News that the construction work on Baykars local subsidiary, LLC Avia Ventures, is moving as planned towards an opening date sometime in 2025. LLC Avia Ventures was first registered in Kyiv in 2019 and received earlier last year a license for the import-export of military products. It is one of the first and only companies so far in the country to have a foreign founder as part of its structure and a license for defense systems, Bayraktar said. Much of the preparatory work is already being performed, with the site expected to already receive electricity come July, he added. An artist's rendering of Turkish drone maker Baykar's envisioned production facility in Ukraine. (Baykar image) The project was spurred through the signing of a framework of agreement in February 2022 between the governments of Ukraine and Turkey to cooperate in the aerospace industry. Defense News was given exclusive access to the document, whose purpose is to promote direct investments in the relevant field and create favorable conditions for technology transfer and use of production. It provides, in part, special tax and custom incentives for Turkish investors in the aerospace sector of Ukraine until January 2035. Through its local entity, Baykar is further investing in Ukraine by building a center of excellence in UAS technologies, which involves a transfer of technology to localize the production of the companys drones. We have received the appropriate license permits from Turkey to fully produce both Baykars TB2 and Akinci drones in Ukraine, Baykar said. The planned total investment for the construction of these facilities is $95,5 million. She admits she cursed out fellow Hickman Mills school board member. How can she lead? | Opinion Carol Graves was livid, she said. And shed grown tired of what she called disrespect from fellow Hickman Mills school district board members Irene Kendrick and Beth Boerger, she told us in a lively discussion this week. But the profanity-laced tirade Graves fired off during last months school board meeting was unbecoming of an elected official. If allegations that Graves referred to Boerger as that white b**** and told Kendrick to shut the f*** up are true, we must question Graves ability to effectively serve in a leadership position. In a letter sent last month to the board, Jessica Swete, president of the Hickman Mills teachers union, called on Graves to resign. Graves isnt going anywhere she told us. Shes been a board member for eight years and is proud of her service, she said. The Hickman Mills NEA is requesting that Carol Graves resign her position immediately as a Hickman Mills school board member, Swete wrote on behalf of the union. The correspondence, dated May 31, continued: During the May 25th, 2023, school board meeting, the audience heard Ms. Graves screaming at other school board members. During that same meeting, Ms. Graves told other members to shut the f*** up and you and that white b****. After viewing video and listening to audio from the school boards closed-door May 25 meeting, we cant fault district stakeholders for wanting change. On the recording, we can hear portions of the unprofessional confrontation. Although we cant explicitly hear a racial slur from Graves, something was said that prompted this reply from Kendrick, who clearly says: I hope everyone heard the racist comments she made. I hope everyone heard that. Others in attendance did, according to the teachers union. Reached via email, both Kendrick and Boerger declined to comment. Did Graves, the immediate past president of the Hickman Mills Board of Education, go too far? Absolutely. To her credit, Graves knew she was wrong and publicly apologized at the same meeting. In a statement provided to us this week, she denied she called Boerger a racial slur. She did not deny she cursed at Kendrick. I did not make the statement alleged in the letter from the teachers union, Graves wrote. There were heated comments made during the last board meeting. The board recessed the meeting and upon return I publicly apologized. On video, what we viewed reminded us of petulant children throwing a tantrum when things dont go their way. Graves wants to be board president again, according to district officials we spoke with. But so does Kendrick. The board is split 3-3, they said. And the deadlock will continue as long the board continues to bicker over how to fill its vacant seat without violating its own bylaws. As a body, the Hickman Mills school board needs to get its act together. Too much is at stake. It has until July 15 to appoint a seventh member, according to Missouri statutes. It has shown it cannot function properly without one. For years, the district in south Kansas City has struggled to regain its accreditation, but has slowly made progress toward that distinction. But the infighting is embarrassing and it cannot possibly look like its making headway in the eyes of state officials who oversee the accreditation process, district officials said. During a conversation with a member of The Stars editorial board, Graves paused mid-sentence and asked: Why is this important to you? Its important because the spat was clearly distracting the board from important business it was supposed to be conducting. District residents elected her and her colleagues to represent them in the best interests of schoolchildren. No elected official should lose sight of the schools mission to educate young people. But for the greater good of the children of the Hickman Mills district, Graves must step down or at least stop blocking another director from being named school board president. And we dont make that call without a great deal of consideration. A 34-year-old man claiming to be a critic of Google crashed a car into a building near the company's New York City headquarters Tuesday evening (June 20), injuring three pedestrians. Police said the man, identified as local man Jason Bitton, drove onto the sidewalk and crashed his white Ford Fusion into a building on West 15th Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. A 12-year-old girl and two women aged 50 and 47 were hit by the car. All of them were taken to hospital in a stable condition. Police said Bitton was arrested on assault charges and had not yet been arraigned as of Wednesday (June 21). It was also unclear if he has been represented in court. Read Also: 27yo Man Charged After Throwing Phone at Bebe Rexha's NYC Concert Self-Proclaimed Google Critic Images posted on social media show a homemade sign saying "Google Tortured Me!" and what appeared to be a gasoline can at the crash scene, about a block near Google's 15-story New York headquarters. Bitton previously worked as an Uber driver and filed a lawsuit in New York state court in Brooklyn in 2019, accusing Google of using blinding lights to operate a "social control program." In a 2021 Facebook post, he also claimed that Google's Android operating system was flashing users in the eyes "for purposes of maliciously injury." Another post that year said Google thought they could "torture someone across their entire Android OS ecosystem" as there were "no security updates for almost 4 years." Related Article: LGBTQ Pride Flags Vandalized at New York's Stone Monument 3 Times, Police Confirm The e-commerce industry is witnessing tremendous growth, particularly in the United States, where the market surged by 15.8% in 2019 to reach a total of $603.4 billion in sales. As more and more entrepreneurs turn to Amazon as their platform of choice for selling goods and services in this dynamic landscape, navigating this space can become increasingly challenging, especially for those who lack specialized resources or expertise to maintain a competitive edge. Enter E-commerce Future USA, founded by Shomari Akhdar a dedicated partner committed to helping entrepreneurs succeed in the digital marketplace. With a team of experienced professionals who understand Amazons policies and algorithms, businesses receive the guidance and advice they need to maximize the potential of the platform. Furthermore, entrepreneurs benefit from individualized support and access to up-to-date educational resources that cover every aspect of setting up an account, ensuring they stay informed about new developments in e-commerce. For ambitious entrepreneurs looking to establish themselves in the highly competitive world of digital commerce, working with Shomari Akhdars E-commerce Future USA is a surefire way to get ahead. Their comprehensive services offer invaluable guidance and advice on all aspects of Amazons e-commerce platform, from initial consultation through product listings, customer feedback reviews, and analytics data. At the core of their success is a commitment to client satisfaction and ethical practices that ensure businesses remain capable in the ever-evolving landscape. Entrepreneurs can rely on the expertise of professionals who understand Amazons policies and algorithms, as well as specialized resources designed to give them the edge they need to thrive. Equally important is Shomari Akhdars dedication to helping small business owners achieve their goals through honest and transparent means. As a trusted partner for entrepreneurs, E-commerce Future USA takes pride in providing access to current trends in e-commerce and unparalleled support to address any query or issue they may encounter, ensuring businesses achieve sustainable success. As technological solutions become increasingly prevalent, it is essential for those seeking success in the modern world of digital commerce to understand where their opportunities lie and equip themselves with the latest information and skill set available. This is why Shomari Akhdars E-commerce Future USA has made sure that its services remain current, consistently updating market trends and technology advancements so that businesses stay ahead in a constantly changing landscape. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to succeeding in the Amazon business realm, but with E-commerce Future USA, entrepreneurs can start on the right path thanks to Shomari Akhdars commitment to helping small businesses flourish. From dedicated client support throughout any query or obstacle they may encounter along the way, as well as ethical practices surrounding customer experience those looking for quality assurance in managing their digital space will find a home at E-commerce Future USA! McClatchy newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content. EAST LANSING East Lansing police demonstrated significant racial disparities in use-of-force incidents last year, according to an inaugural report that showed 56% of the 167 members of the public involved in such encounters was Black. Furthermore, in a nine-month period between April 2022 and December 2022, African Americans comprised 34% to 38% of all individuals stopped, mainly for traffic stops, by East Lansing police. The department in the campus town of about 50,000 residents has an African American population of about 7%, according to Census data that accounts for Michigan State University students who live in the city most of the time. MSU's student population was 6.5% Black in fall 2022, and East Lansing Public Schools' student population is 16% Black, as reported by MISchoolData. Chris Root, vice chair of the East Lansing Independent Police Oversight Commission, did not shy from the data when presenting the commissions first annual report during City Councils regular Tuesday session. ELPD officers used force against many more Black people than white people 93 Black people compared to 61 white people, Root said. We had to count by hand 23 individuals who had force used against them when there was more than one person involved in the incident. Had we not done this, 14% of the people against whom force was used (in 2022) would have been left out from the data. But counting by hand is not really a solution to data management over time. She recommended changes for recording data that would better analyze the number of incidents involving use of force, individual people subjected to use of force and individual officers using various types of force. Police Capt. Chad Pride said police officials are declining to comment about the commission's report. The report included an entire section on the April 25, 2022, shooting of DeAnthony VanAtten, a Black man, by police officers outside the Meijer store on Lake Lansing Road. The commission detailed media coverage and concluded "the incident at Meijer may have been preventable." The shooting happened after officers responded to a report of a man with a gun at the Meijer store on Lake Lansing Road. A caller said she saw a man get out of a vehicle, run toward a store entrance, then return to the car to get a gun before running back to the store, according to information released by East Lansing police. According to the commission's report, "bringing a gun into a store in Michigan is not a crime. The dispatcher did not suggest that immediate action was necessary. The police may have had time to respond in a more intelligent way, that is, to gather more information before taking action. The police might have used approaches that kept the situation under more control - to avoid sending officers into situations where thy might feel they need to shoot somebody." Immediately after the shooting, East Lansing and Michigan State police agreed state troopers would manage the investigation. "MSP then instructed the East Lansing officers not to submit their customary end-of-shift reports regarding the incident," the commission report said. "The instruction not to generate end-of-shift reports following the April 25th incident conflicts with the police department's policy (35-14) requiring officers to file end-of-shift reports whenever they use force during a work shift." Ultimately, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel cleared Officers Jose Viera and Jim Menser of any wrongdoing. VanAtten awaits trial on felony charges that include four counts of assaulting or obstructing police and one count each of carrying a concealed weapon, receiving and concealing a stolen firearm and felony firearm possession. He also faces one count of third-degree retail fraud, a misdemeanor, the records indicate. The commission wants to promote advocacy for laws governing how officer-involved shootings are conducted and review the Meijer incident to prevent similar incidents. It also recommends in the report that City Council specify by ordinance that police officers write end-of-shift reports describing their encounters with civilians and should not be relieved of that duty if an incident or officer becomes part of an investigation. Mayor Ron Bacon, Interim City Manager Randy Talifarro and Councilmember Dana Watson all African Americans commended the commissions work during City Council's Tuesday session. "Me, as a Black mother, as a Black person, I want to see better," Watson said. "We deserve better. We exist here, too. I appreciate the work that our EL IPOC commissioners are doing. "I also believe to this day that the Meijer incident would have been worse for our community if it wasn't for the EL IPOC commissioners being in place because, again, they represent diverse voices and they represent thoughts and feelings of our community. Our community had multiple places to go to process that day and express themselves as well. Talifarro was concerned that distorting factors like certain events or certain addresses where people with known mental health problems reside might be driving the disparities. According to the inaugural report, 24% of the 144 use-of-force incidents involved people experiencing a mental health crisis. Our police officers have a very very difficult job and have to make extremely tough decisions quickly and often without a full array of information," said Talifarro, a former Lansing and East Lansing fire chief. "Those of you that sit on that commission have a very, very difficult job. I really appreciate that your recommendations are some things that perhaps can be done immediately and be impactful. I encourage you to continue to offer feedback and oversight." East Lansing created the commission in July 2021, a few months after the VanAtten shooting to increase accountability in the police department and build trust between the police department and the community. That same year, in October, City Council appointed 11 commissioners, composed of a majority of minorities. According to the ordinance, no more than two of the commissioners can live outside East Lansing and none can be city or police employees. The independent oversight commission is an advisory panel and has no decision-making authority. Any disciplinary decisions or changes in policy would be handled by the police department, city manager or the elected City Council. The formal oversight commission was created after a temporary committee was established following protests over some high-profile excessive-use-of-force arrests in 2019. "We've been working on this for several months," commission Chair Erick Williams told council members on Tuesday, also mentioning that he's been reviewing the U.S. Department of Justice's scathing Friday report of the Minneapolis Police Department's use of excessive force and practice of discrimination. "I was very impressed and glad to see that our complaint system in East Lansing is a lot better than what they had in Minneapolis. "We've got a much more rational process. We can be proud of our ordinance and our process." He said the police department gets about 10 complaints a year. Typically, recommendations spring from about half and the others require no action, he said. Contact reporter Susan Vela at svela@lsj.com or 248-873-7044. Follow her on Twitter @susanvela. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: 'Significant racial disparities' found in use of force incidents by East Lansing police Zaporizhzhia NPP was captured by the Russian invaders The situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is "extremely fragile," said the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, on June 21. "The loss of the Kakhovka reservoir was a catastrophe for the region as a whole and has also added to the severe difficulties for this major nuclear power plant, he explained. Now more than ever, all sides must fully adhere to the IAEA's basic principles designed to prevent a nuclear accident. We will intensify our efforts to help ensure nuclear safety and security while also providing assistance to the affected region in other ways." On June 20, Ukrainian Military Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov reported that Russian forces had mined the cooling pond at ZNPP. During a visit there, the IAEA reported on June 21 that no landmines were observed near the facility's cooling pond, contradicting earlier accounts of their presence. Earlier, Grossi had warned that the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Station dam posed a threat to the operation of ZNPP, as the necessary water level for cooling the reactors could be lost within a few weeks. Following his visit to ZNPP on June 15, Grossi reported that the situation was serious but stabilizing. Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate previously stated that Russia's destruction of the Kakhovka Dam increases the threat of a nuclear disaster. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Skull found by hunter decades ago is now identified as missing California 4-year-old A little more than three decades ago, a hunter was roaming a rural area, looking for quail, when they stumbled upon a human skull, according to a California sheriffs department. Despite searching the Mentone area for additional remains, deputies found none, the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Department said in a June 22 news release. However, officials did find a torn plastic trash bag with decomposition odor and childs clothing, which was kept as evidence, deputies said. The sheriffs department said an autopsy showed the skull, which had no teeth or jaw, belonged to a child between the ages of 4 and 8. The coroners office could not determine a cause of death. With no other leads, the case went cold, deputies said. Now, thanks to DNA technology, the remains have been identified as a missing 4-year-old boy Derrick Burton, according to the sheriffs department. Deputies said the remains were identified after DNA from the remains were sent to Othram Inc., a forensic genealogy company, last fall. Genetic genealogy uses DNA testing coupled with traditional genealogical methods to create family history profiles, according to the Library of Congress. With genealogical DNA testing, researchers can determine if and how people are biologically related. Othrams testing found potential distant genetic relatives of the child, and with the help of FBI offices in California and Texas, deputies said they contacted the childs mother, Patricia Clark. Deputies said they learned Clark had reported her son missing to the San Bernardino Police Department in 1991, but he was never found. Clarks DNA sample showed she was a 100% parental match to the remains found decades ago, confirming them to belong to the missing child, Derrick, deputies said. The sheriffs department said it is investigating Derricks death as a homicide. Anyone with information is asked to contact deputies at 909-890-4904. Mentone is about 65 miles east of Los Angeles. Duck hunter found womans remains 26 years ago in California. Shes now been identified Fly fisher found piece of skull in 2018. DNA just linked it to missing Washington man Detectives solve mystery of man found dead in Charlotte elevator shaft 35 years ago A year ago, when the world Calla Hales had known her entire life shifted, she estimates she didnt sleep for three or four nights straight. But not at first. The executive director of A Preferred Womens Health Center in Charlotte had braced herself for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and eliminate the constitutional right to an abortion. She knew it was coming, thanks to a copy of the courts draft opinion leaked to media. But weeks later, Hales suddenly found she had no time to rest. In July 2022, a Georgia law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy went into effect. Hales A Preferred Womens Health Center operates two clinics in Georgia, along with clinics in Charlotte and Raleigh. Abruptly, she had to worry about a slew of new requirements and hurdles there along with how to get abortion care for Georgia patients she knew would still need it. She simply didnt have time to sleep. So, although Hales has been disheartened and discouraged since North Carolinas General Assembly passed a law May 16 banning most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, she hasnt lost sleep. Yet. But she knows its coming. Im expecting that again, Hales said. Thats the level of chaos. Were used to the chaos of changing paperwork, thats not too different. It just takes time. Its frustrating. Standing in her clinic off Charlottes Latrobe Drive on a weekday in early June a few weeks before North Carolinas new abortion law goes into effect on July 1 Hales still was grappling with so many unknowns. She was weary after another long day of work, and her concern showed in all the ways she listed how shes unsure what, precisely, will happen. And whether it will all happen after Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a North Carolina OB-GYN filed a lawsuit June 16 asking a federal court to block numerous provisions they argue are unclear and unconstitutional, or to place an injunction on the law to prevent it from being enforced. A hearing is scheduled for June 28. Calla Hales, director of A Preferred Womens Health Center, at her office in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2022. Still, Hales had to prepare, and she was waiting for guidance from North Carolinas Department of Health and Human Services on how informed consent the process by which every patient must receive counseling before an abortion would change with the new law. (She would finally receive the guidance June 19.) She said DHHS also will provide language that clinic staff need to use counseling patients on when abortions are permitted, what exceptions are allowed for an abortion after 12 weeks of pregnancy, and what theyre permitted to tell patients if theyre past the point in their pregnancy when an abortion will be allowed in North Carolina. She mulled what areas of the clinic could be transformed into a makeshift counseling center, and whether shed need to somehow wedge cubicles in a clinic where every available space already is being used. Current North Carolina abortion law requires counseling 72 hours before an abortion, but it typically is conducted via phone, Hales said. Her Charlotte building doesnt have additional dedicated space to provide the individual counseling that now will be required in person. This has always been a process, Hales said. Its a very heavy, personal thing for people. For some people its an easy decision and some people its not to each their own. But now its a much more stressful decision because of so many barriers and so many roadblocks and having to add all these additional strains to people. And that takes a toll not just on patients, but on staff. One thing Hales knows for certain, though: Patients will still come. Tonya Baker Nelson, executive director of Hand of Hope Pregnancy Resource Center, right, talks with Calla Hales, now executive director of A Preferred Womens Health Center, Raleigh in 2016 after the City Council discussed whether to allow Hand of Hope to have an office next door to A Preferred Womens Health Center. Nearly 50 years of waiting for Roe to fall While abortion providers were dismayed by how quickly the 12-week ban was unveiled and passed out of the legislature, others were relieved when the bill made it through successfully. Tonya Baker Nelson, the founder and CEO of Hand of Hope, a Christian ministry that operates pregnancy centers in Raleigh, Fuquay-Varina and Fayetteville, has been waiting for this moment nearly all her life. When she was in her early 20s, she had an unplanned pregnancy. Her partner pressured her to have an abortion, laying out an ultimatum that it was either me or the baby. He left, and Nelson raised her daughter on her own, living in a tiny, subsidized apartment for several years as she struggled to make ends meet. Despite the hardships, Nelson told The N&O last year, she loved every second of it, because it was me and my baby. Having grown up shocked that abortions were legal in the first place, Nelson said she prayed for decades that Roe would someday fall, sending the question of whether and to what point the procedure should be legal back to the states. In 2016, a contentious zoning fight over whether Nelson would be allowed to open one of her centers right next to Hales clinic in Southwest Raleigh brought the two women face-to-face at a Raleigh City Council meeting. The dispute continued for years and ended when city officials settled a federal lawsuit Nelson had brought against them. Tonya Baker Nelson poses in the ultrasound room at Hand of Hope Pregnancy Centers in Fuquay-Varina Tuesday, May 24, 2022. Nelson opened her first pregnancy center in the Triangle in 2005, after coming up with the idea during a discussion a few years earlier at her church, about community needs that needed to be met. After the courts decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization to overturn Roe was leaked last year, Nelson told The N&O that she was eagerly waiting to see what kind of action Republicans in the General Assembly would take, provided they won enough seats in November to pass a new law over a basically guaranteed veto from Gov. Roy Cooper. Now that North Carolina is getting ready to lower the timeframe when most abortions are allowed from 20 weeks to 12, Nelson said she is thankful that a stronger law is finally being implemented after nearly 50 years of states having to abide by Roes legal protections. Abortion hasnt been taken away in North Carolina, abortion hasnt been taken away in the United States; there are just stricter laws surrounding that, Nelson said. Of course, in other states, there are even stricter laws. But in North Carolina, its still legal up to 12 weeks, and I think that is a firm, solid step in the right direction. One of several signs posted on walls throughout Charlottes A Preferred Womens Health Center reflects the increase in patients since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. Were failing those people A simple typewritten sign hangs on the wall in every room of Hales clinic in Charlotte, reminding patients of what has become standard in abortion care in North Carolina in the past year: Due to abortion bans in neighboring states, we are seeing a major influx of patients, it reads. This could impact the length of your appointment. Please know that we will do our best to get every patient evaluated in a timely manner. We ask that you do not take out your frustrations on staff we are doing everything we can to assist. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, Charlottes A Preferred Womens Health Center has seen more patients than ever, Hales said. That doesnt mean more people in the state are seeking abortions but that more have come to North Carolina as it remained one of the least-restrictive states in the South by permitting abortions up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Before Roe fell, about 1 in 5 patients were from out of state; in the past year, about double that number have traveled from beyond North Carolinas borders for abortion care, Hales said. Patients often have to wait precious weeks before an appointment is available, Hales said. That mirrors a national report that said North Carolina, on the whole, experienced a 37% increase in abortions in the months after Roe v. Wade was overturned. According to WeCount, an abortion-tracking project sponsored by the Society of Family Planning, N.C. providers performed 3,190 abortions in April 2022. In August 2022, a little more than a month after Roe fell, that number rose to 4,360. That marked the largest percentage increase in any state. According to WeCount, North Carolina has had an increase in abortions of at least 15% each month when compared to April 2022. Should the law go into effect as planned, July 1 will mark the most significant change in North Carolina abortion law since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, even if it affects a small portion of people who have traditionally sought abortions in the state. According to North Carolinas 2021 abortion statistics, the most recent released by DHHS, about 7% of abortions in the state occurred after 12 weeks of pregnancy. But its that 7% of people that Hales worries about. The people who are coming past 12 weeks are the people who need care the most, Hales said. Theyre the people who have tried like hell to get here but couldnt. Theyre people who found out they were pregnant late, or this was a wanted pregnancy that wasnt sustainable. For some folks, theyve done everything they could to get here from out of state and tried to have all the resources available, but just couldnt until now. And were failing those people. Were failing the people who arguably need our care the most. Dr. Beverly Gray, an OB-GYN at Duke Health, who along with Planned Parenthood filed the lawsuit challenging the law, said as the July 1 deadline loomed closer, she started keeping a mental list of all the patients she wouldnt have been able to care for under the new law. There are many onerous requirements that are not there to improve safety, she said. Theyre there to make it really hard for people to get care. A procedure room at A Preferred Womens Health Center in Charlotte. Is criticism of the law fair or hyperbole? Critics of the bill have pointed to the additional counseling requirements and other provisions to argue that the 12-week ban will end up being more onerous than it is being made out to be. But Nelson, who was personally hoping lawmakers would lower the threshold even further to six weeks, is skeptical that women facing the choice of whether to have an abortion will view the new law as extreme or unreasonable. Thats hyperbole that its a disaster and that its a crisis and everything, because the vast majority of women are securing abortions before their first trimester is over, so thats just not true, Nelson said. Thats why I think thats going to ring empty and hollow because you have all these women who have personally experienced that. For a woman whos had an abortion, and she hears the word abortion, she makes a mental memory bank connection to her abortion experience, Nelson added. So, shes going to know, Oh well, I wasnt that far along. So, whether shes for abortion or against abortion, shes still going to engage that core memory. Nelson also argues that the 72-hour mandatory waiting period is crucial for women who are about to make a life-changing decision. The abortion industry wants them to hurry up and make a very quick decision, because once that abortion decision is made, there is no undoing that, there just isnt, Nelson said. So, they thrive on, you know, get it, get it, get it, get it, pressure, pressure, pressure, and those of us in the pro-life movement, were like, OK, chill out just a second, lets calm down, lets think through this. Clients who come into one of Nelsons pregnancy centers receive a pregnancy test, and can choose to get an ultrasound as well. While discussing what they want to do about their pregnancy, they talk with staff about some of the possible physical complications and emotional and spiritual consequences of having an abortion. If a client doesnt want to talk about their religious beliefs, thats fine too, Nelson told The N&O last year. Depending on what a client needs, Nelson said, visits can include meeting with different medical staff that come to the centers, including nurses, ultrasound techs, certified nurse assistants and volunteer nurse practitioners. For women who decide to go through with their pregnancies, she said, Hand of Hope becomes a kind of support system where they can sign up for parenting and labor and delivery classes, participate in Bible studies, and get all the necessities theyll soon need, including diapers, baby wipes, strollers, car seats and more. Ahead of the new law going into effect, Nelson is getting ready to hire more staff to help with an anticipated rise in clients. Shes also thought about expanding the hours her centers are open, and rearranging their current layouts to accommodate more people. Shane Becker a clinic escort for Charlotte for Choice, shields a fellow volunteer while working on a Saturday in June outside A Preferred Womens Health Center in Charlotte. Everyone is exhausted The sidewalks outside Charlottes A Preferred Womens Health Center are alive with activity on Saturdays when the clinic is at its busiest. Lining the strip of property immediately outside the clinic are volunteers from Charlotte for Choice, who help guide patients into the building and to their appointments. But on just about every square inch of property across from and next to the clinic are anti-abortion rights protesters who try to steer patients to listen to their case for canceling their appointments. The clinic is known for having some of the largest and most frequent protests in the country, according to the National Abortion Federation. Dozens from Love Life, an anti-abortion group, gather every day that appointments are scheduled in an empty lot adjacent to the clinic. An LLC affiliated with the group purchased the lot in 2018. Volunteers from Charlotte for Choice say the antis what they call anti-abortion protesters have become especially outspoken in the past year, even as they have all seen more patients who seem more desperate arrive more frequently with out-of-state license plates. All day long, someone is either shouting into a megaphone or a band plays loud, Christian rock music. Inside the clinic, a basket of disposable earplugs waits for patients in the lobby. When Shane Becker first started volunteering for Charlotte for Choice in 2021, it was typical to see about 30 patients come to the clinic on a weekday and maybe 70 on weekends. In the past year, those numbers have increased to closer to 50 on weekdays and more than 100 on weekends, Becker said. Becker remembers a patient who drove four hours from Tennessee only to tearfully discover that she needed a counseling appointment 72 hours in advance of an abortion appointment, per North Carolina law. Even before this most recent ban, theres so many enforcements behind all the abortion regulations that just simple misunderstandings can cause people to get really frustrated, Becker said. Stephanie Leonard, who began volunteering for the clinic last fall, cant forget the couple who drove overnight from Georgia where abortion now is prohibited after six weeks of pregnancy after the patient learned she was six weeks and one day into the pregnancy. You see more tired people, Leonard said. Everyone just looks so exhausted from all of the hoops that they had to jump through to even get to the point where they can park in our parking lot. Rejoice, but grieve Since the fall of Roe, the past year has been one of hope for the anti-abortion rights group Love Life. But for protesters with that group, banning most abortions past 12 weeks is just a start. For me, its kind of like two sides to one coin, said Jonathan DeVore, the Charlotte city director for Love Life. On one side, I do rejoice over the fact that there will be pre-born humans that live as a result (of the new law). But on another side, Im grieved knowing that there are still going to be babies that are allowed to be killed in Charlotte and in North Carolina. So, I rejoice, but I also grieve. Jacinta Robin held signs outside the clinic on a Saturday in June after traveling from Knoxville, Tennessee, with the anti-abortion group Center for Bio-Ethical Reform. She said her group specifically chose the Charlotte location to demonstrate at because she sees an opportunity to reach more people. And shes not happy with North Carolinas law that will prohibit most abortions after 12 weeks, either because it doesnt go far enough. Theres a lot of two steps forward and one step back going on with the abortion policies, Robin said. And what weve noticed are pro-life laws coming through with a lot of loopholes. DeVore said he remains hopeful that a total abortion ban might one day become North Carolina law. With God, all things are possible, he said. But Megan Argabrite, a volunteer with Charlotte for Choice who is also a local Presbyterian pastor, said she has a difficult time believing a higher power would make sweeping declarations. I dont believe that anything in life or faith is black or white or simple and clear, Argabrite said. Theres a lot of gray, theres a lot of complexity. And the reality is, people end up in all kinds of situations and I value the life of the person who is in a situation where they need to consider abortion. The sonogram room at A Preferred Womens Health Center in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. Abortion is still legal A sign taped to a cabinet in APWHCs receptionist working area shows a color-coded map of the United States that was made by the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights research organization. Every state is shaded a color ranging from dark turquoise (most protective of abortion rights) to deep red (most restrictive). For now, North Carolina is shaded yellow-orange, for restrictive, according to Guttmachers scale. Hales staff keeps the map in an area where it can be consulted at any moment a reminder of how rapidly state abortion laws have changed across the country in the past year. Already, a swath of states from Texas to West Virginia is the deep red of most restrictive. Well be a darker orange soon, said Hales, referring to the color applied to states Guttmacher deems are very restrictive, when the 12-week ban becomes law. Youre going to have patients who are not going to be able to get in in time, she said. Theyre not going to have anywhere to go, and by the time they might be able to get their things together to go somewhere, theyre going to have to travel even further, go out of state. And all those clinics are booked up, too. Hales sighed and then straightened, as if steeling herself for a battle to come. The endgame is the same: seeing patients and helping them become unpregnant, Hales said. That is the endgame. That doesnt change. And a law banning most abortions past 12 weeks of pregnancy means that many patients can still get abortions in North Carolina. Abortion is still legal in North Carolina, Argabrite, the volunteer, said. It will be legal even after July 1st. It will be a lot harder to access, but it is still legal, so my work doesnt change. News & Observer reporter Teddy Rosenbluth contributed to this story. Smoke in cockpit of a plane headed to Charlotte puts crew in hospital Four crew members of an American Airlines plane landed in a hospital in Cleveland, Ohio after reporting smoke in the cockpit, WEWS reported. SEE MORE: Delays continue at Charlotte airport Flight 1264 began smelling like smoke prior to landing at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport from Charlotte, according to a statement from American Airlines. The aircraft landed safely and without incident. the statement read. There were 108 customers on board, but there were no injuries or issues reported from the customers. Four crew members requested medical evaluation and were transported to the hospital. READ MORE: Charlotte Douglas Airport takes top 10 spot on busiest airports list Passengers for the next flight back to Charlotte were transferred to another plane, reported WEWS. American Airlines has not revealed the cause of the smell, but wrote in their statement, After arriving at CLE, Americans maintenance team evaluated the craft. (WATCH: Charlotte Douglas airport evacuated after reports of a fire, authorities say) Damon Lawner, founder of Snctm, has been kicked out of the exclusive sex club. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Damon Lawner, the founder of Snctm, has been banned from the high-end sex club after he publicly identified Hunter Biden as a former member. The claim about President Biden's son was included in a Times profile of Lawner published Tuesday. "Snctm, as a private members club, prioritizes the safety and privacy of our esteemed members above all," a spokeswoman for Snctm wrote in an email to The Times on Wednesday. "Consequently, we neither confirm nor deny the identities of our attendees. Furthermore, we uphold a strict code of conduct, and any infringement leads to a lifetime ban. Please note that Mr. Lawner's membership has been revoked, effective immediately." The spokeswoman said Lawner "has had no affiliation with Snctm since 2019," when he sold the club for $1 million. Lawner, 52, created Snctm in 2013 after watching the Tom Cruise movie "Eyes Wide Shut," which features scenes in which wealthy elites gather at a secretive orgy. With a carefully curated guest list and membership fees of up to $75,000 a year, it became the free-love private playground of Hollywood actors, rock stars, chief executives, city officials and run-of-the-mill millionaires. Read more: He hosted Hollywood's most elite sex parties. Now he's opening an erotic dinner club where anything goes. Lawner told The Times he chose to sell the business after the lifestyle he lived as its owner ruined his relationships with his family. In the profile, he discussed the early days of the club, the elaborate Snctm masquerade parties he hosted at mansions and nightclubs around town, and his latest business ventures: an erotic restaurant on the Sunset Strip and a high-end cannabis line called Sex Weed. The story also noted that after Hunter Biden reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors on Tuesday, Lawner said in an Instagram Story that the presidents son had once been a Snctm member. "Hunter was a member at Snctm and I canceled his membership after 1 party because he's a scumbag," Lawner wrote in a since-deleted post. The ownership group now in control of Snctm took issue with Lawner's post. Reached by phone Wednesday, Lawner said one of the club's owners texted him on Tuesday and informed him of the ban. "Posting what I did on my Instagram about Hunter was me letting people know that the type of behavior that he exhibited was something that upsets me," Lawner said. "I knew that the consequences could be me not being part of Snctm anymore, but I was willing to take that risk." Of the ban, he said: "I literally dont care in the sense that I don't need to go to Snctm parties. The only reason that I have attended any parties in the last, whatever, any amount of time, is friends have wanted to check it out so I brought them. But personally its not something I'm interested in anymore. Asked about the specific reasons for Lawner's ban, the Snctm spokeswoman responded with a second statement: "As stated, we neither confirm nor deny the identities of past or present attendees. We uphold a strict code of conduct to protect our members' safety and privacy, and any infringement leads to a lifetime ban," the new statement read in full. The spokeswoman did not respond to a call and an email requesting to interview the Snctm owner who revoked Lawner's membership. A lawyer for Biden did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. By Khanh Vu and Hyunsu Yim HANOI/SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korea and Vietnam agreed on Friday to boost security cooperation, citing North Korea's nuclear threat, and committed to increasing bilateral trade and investment despite a slump this year and Vietnam's planned tax hikes on large firms. In his first visit to Vietnam as president, South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol acknowledged economic woes but reiterated Vietnam's key role for Seoul's growth strategy. He signed 17 agreements with Vietnam's President Vo Van Thuong on a number of issues, from critical minerals to Vietnamese workers in Korea, and said Seoul would step up cooperation with Vietnam against North Korea's nuclear threat. Vietnam is one of few countries which can boast close relations with Pyongyang. Vietnam "is ready to participate in the process of denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula", Thuong said in a joint press conference. The two nations also agreed to boost defence industry relations and security cooperation in the South China Sea. South Korea is one of many countries discussing possible arms sales to Vietnam as it seeks to modernise its arsenal. Korea and Vietnam over the last few decades have developed almost symbiotic industrial ties, with South Korea being the largest foreign investor in Vietnam. Seoul also enjoys the highest level of diplomatic relations with Hanoi, together with Russia, China and India. The leaders reiterated a goal of boosting bilateral trade, despite a slump so far this year driven by lower global demand for smartphones and other electronic goods that Korean firms assemble in Vietnam with many components shipped from Korea. "Although the business environment is difficult in recent years, we must find new opportunities in Vietnam, which is the centre of global supply chain reorganisation and an emerging consumer market," Yoon said. Bilateral trade has fallen by a quarter in the first five months of this year compared to the same period in 2022, with a nearly 30% drop in Vietnamese imports of South Korean products. This year Korean firms have also invested in Vietnam much less than competitors, with China and Japan easily outstripping Seoul, Vietnam's government data show. Falling orders for electronic goods have forced South Korean firms to reduce their Vietnam workforce, multiple industry and business sources say. To tackle this negative trend, Seoul agreed to financial support worth over $4 billion by 2030, almost entirely in loans, to help Vietnam on climate change, education and health. Korean firms also signed over 100 agreements with Vietnamese counterparts during the state visit on energy, aviation, shipbuilding and research. TAX HIKE However, to complicate matters, Hanoi is set to introduce from next year a new levy on large corporations, including big Korean multinationals, as part of a global reform of tax rules that could reduce Vietnam's appeal as a manufacturing hub. Samsung Electronics, the biggest investor in the country, and LG Electronics are among large firms negotiating possible compensations to offset higher taxes. "Companies are seeking to reshore more and diversify rather than go all-in for Vietnam," said James Jung, Seoul-based analyst at Hyundai Motor Securities, noting Vietnam's appeal has fallen in recent months, also because of the new levy. To try to address those issues, Yoon is accompanied in his state-visit by a 205-strong business delegation. In the joint press conference, Thuong said he welcomed Korean firms to invest in gas-fired power plants and semiconductor projects in Vietnam. South Korean companies are among the main investors in Vietnam's nascent Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) industry, which is expected to boost the country's electricity output and battle shortages that saw power cuts in northern provinces where South Korean manufacturers operate. (Reporting by Khanh Vu and Thinh Nguyen in Hanoi; Joyce Lee, Hyunsu Yim and Soo-hyang Choi in Seoul; Additional reporting by Edward Davies; Writing by Francesco Guarascio; Editing by Martin Petty and Michael Perry) Special counsel John Durham testifies before the House Judiciary Committee, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Durham recently completed his report on the FBIs investigation of Trumps 2016 campaign. | Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press After releasing a report last month on the FBI investigation into former President Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, special counsel John Durham testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Many of the most significant issues documented in the report, including those relating to lack of investigative discipline, failure to take logical investigative steps, and bias, are relevant to important national security interests, he said in his written testimony. Durham, a Justice Department official, was serving as the U.S. Attorney in Connecticut in 2019 when William Barr, the Attorney General at the time, tapped him to examine the FBIs decision to investigate the Trump campaign. Durham continued his probe as special counsel under the Biden administration. Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives said the report showed the political weaponization of federal agencies, while Democratic lawmakers questioned the integrity of Durhams investigation. Related House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said during the hearing that the Department of Justice and the FBI should have their budgets cut over the investigation into Trump. I dont think more training, more rules is going to do it. I think we have to fundamentally change the process, we have to use the appropriations process to limit how American tax dollars are spent at the Department of Justice, Jordan said. He said on Twitter that the executives at FBI headquarters unanimously supported the investigation without considering the credibility of the allegations. They were out to get Trump no matter what, Jordan said. In response to questions from Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala., Durham said the FBI opened Crossfire Hurricane, the FBIs code name for its investigation into the Trump campaign, without any evidence. Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., asked Durham if the FBI had done its due diligence and cross-referenced the tip that led to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation with their own Russian experts, would they have found no sustainable proof, to which Durham said yes. Q: If the FBI had done its homework, would it have found that its own Russia experts had no information about President Trump being involved with Russian leadership or Russian intelligence officials? Special Counsel John Durham: Yes. pic.twitter.com/7z1bC2EgQI Congressman Russell Fry (@RepRussellFry) June 21, 2023 According to Fox News, Durham also said that the standards werent applied the same way to Trumps and former presidential candidate Hillary Clintons presidential campaigns. The FBI was too willing to accept and use politically funded and uncorroborated opposition research, such as the Steele dossier, Durham said, referring to research compiled by a former British intelligence officer for the Clinton campaign. The FBI relied on the dossier and FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) applications, knowing there was likely material originating from a political campaign or political opponent. After Durhams report was published in May, the FBI released a statement saying that since then, the agency has implemented dozens of corrective actions. Related Had those reforms been in place in 2016, the missteps identified in the report could have been prevented, the statement said. During the more than four hours long hearing, Democratic representatives slammed Durham for his involvement with Trump and Barr and said he showed bias. My concern about my reputation is with the people who I respect and my family and my Lord, Durham responded, per CNN. And Im perfectly comfortable with my reputation with them. Rep. Jerry Nadler, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, called Durhams investigation a flimsy effort to push forward a narrative constructed by the former president. Mr. Durham constructed a flimsy story built on shaky inferences and dog whistles to far-right conspiracy theorists, Nadler of New York said. By prolonging his investigation. Durham was able to keep Donald Trumps talking points in the news, long after Trump left office. The 300-plus-page report has resulted in three investigations, according to CBS News. Special Operations Forces soldiers have rescued their wounded comrades-in-arms on the Bakhmut front. Source: press service of the Special Operations Forces; Oleksandr Kindratenko, the spokesperson for the Special Operations Forces, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda Quote from the Special Operations Forces: "While performing a combat mission, a group of a Special Operations Forces unit came into contact with the enemy. Soldiers of an infantry unit of the Defence Forces were also in the same area at the time. During the battle, several infantrymen were wounded. The Special Operations Force soldiers provided first aid to the wounded and evacuated them to a safe area." Details: As Kindratenko has clarified to Ukrainska Pravda, these events took place on the Bakhmut front. The video shared by the Special Forces shows a group of their soldiers going on a combat mission. There is footage of the soldiers inspecting abandoned Russian positions and opening fire on the Russians. In the video, the soldiers come across wounded infantrymen who were promptly evacuated from the place of combat operations. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! On a momentous occasion showcasing the United States and India's cooperation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Joe Biden at the White House in Washington. The two leaders are expected to dive into several pressing topics, such as their partnership in technology and other urgent global issues. Indian PM Narendra Modi Visits Joe Biden at White House As per a report by NBC News, Indian Prime Minister Modi is visiting the White House for a highly anticipated meeting with the US President at the White House. The eagerly awaited event promises to usher in a new chapter of collaboration, with both leaders aiming to expand their cooperation on various global issues, including countering China's growing global influence. NBC News notes that the Biden Administration has been intensifying its efforts to bolster ties with India and extend its global reach. The National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reports that "we [do not] believe [there is] a partner that is more consequential to helping along those lines than India." He also discloses that the two leaders' meeting also dives into the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, specifically India's relationship with Moscow. It is noteworthy that India remains neutral in the Russia and Ukraine war. The populous country has never called out the invasion. And in fact, it still purchases Russian oil, significantly extending a helping hand to Moscow despite the widespread sanctions from the West. But despite that, the US and India are parallel on global issues like China's growing influence. According to Aljazeera, the meeting between Biden and Modi comes amid concerns about human rights in India. The President's fellow Democrats are pressuring Biden to bring up the rights situation in the region amid reports of attacks on minorities. Although Biden plans to raise topics like the attacks on Muslims and other minorities in India, he has no plans to lecture the PM about it, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan confirmed to the press. Read Also: Deadly India Train Crash Cause Revealed; Here's What We Know So Far! Plant-Based Menu at the White House Dinner According to the Associated Press (AP), India's state dinner menu at the White House includes plant-based meals, including stuffed mushrooms. The Indian PM Modi is a vegetarian. And as such, the US first lady Jill Biden tapped no less than a chef that specializes in plant-based cuisine, chef Nancy Curtis, to help curate the menu for the much-awaited occasion. The menu consists of mouth-watering salads marinated in corn, compressed watermelon, and millet. Other plant-based meals like saffron risotto and stuffed Portobello mushrooms are also available. And for a sumptuous dessert, guests can take a bite of a strawberry shortcake infused with cardamom and rose. Related Article: Beating the Heat: India's Health Ministry Shares Tips! Here's What to Avoid @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The author. The author. I recently watched a viral video of Chelsea Handler clapping back at conservative commentators Tucker Carlson and Jesse Kelly after they criticized her decision not to have children. In it, she laughs about her successful career, six bestselling books and Netflix comedy special, while reveling in the fact that we as women can do whatever we want to do, children or no children. But as I listened to Carlson and Kelly disparage Handlers choice, I wondered if that was true. Sure, she is wealthy and successful beyond anyones wildest dreams, but she still has to listen to the likes of Kelly comparing her womb to a dried-up tumbleweed blowing down an Old Western town. I understood once and for all that choosing not to have children for Handler and for me meant that for the rest of our lives, wed have to defend our decision not to fulfill capitalisms antiquated idea of our biological destiny. *** Writer Adrienne Rich provided a grave distinction between two meanings of motherhood: the potential relationship of any woman to her powers of reproduction and to children on the one hand, and to the institution, which aims at ensuring that that potential and all women shall remain under male control on the other. Patriarchal motherhood is the idea that all women want to be mothers, and that motherhood is how women find their joy and purpose. But what if some of us dont? In the 1990s, I took a high school elective called Parenting and Familial Systems. I dont recall anything about the class except the plastic babies we had to take home for the weekend. This was supposed to prepare us for motherhood and help us understand what to expect when we married our high school sweethearts approximately two years after college. To stop it from crying, stick the key in its back, said Mrs. L, demonstrating on a waxy infant I knew was meant to be a boy because of its fuzzy blue onesie. But try to soothe it first, and understand what it needs. We left eighth period that day with our babies in tow, praying wed gotten one that wasnt programmed to cry too much. I managed to make it all the way home without a peep from the baby. Lucky me, I thought. The first time my plastic baby cried, I was fooling around with my boyfriend. Shut that thing up! he half-laughed, out of breath. I rolled my eyes. I didnt need any kind of maternal instinct to know that yelling at the baby to shut up wouldnt stop its wailing. The baby continued to cry. Now what? My boyfriend said while hovering over me, angry as though we were the actual parents of this fake baby. Was this what it would be like to raise a child? Would the creature cry while whatever man I chose to be its father asked ridiculous questions and offered no help? I dont know, dude, Im not a mom. I matched his frustration. Good thing, too. Maybe you shouldnt be one. Like ever. It felt as if he had just slapped me. He was only 17, but his words carried the weight of a hundred-pound anvil. That was the first time I wondered if I should be a mother. And if I shouldnt, what would that mean for my future? Could I find success and happiness without children? My ambivalence haunted me throughout my 20s and 30s as I waited for an alarm to go off, hoping my biological clock would ring loud enough so I could hear it. I constantly thought: When was I supposed to want a child? And what happened if I never did? *** Drunk at a friends wedding, I jokingly slurred to my husband, Steve, that we should start trying to get pregnant, as I swayed back and forth on the dance floor to some 90s hit. We were 28. Married for one year but dating for nine, wed always said that wed have children if and when we decided we wanted to. But so far, there was nothing pushing us toward baby making. That night, I decided to test the waters of my marriage by demanding that we conceive. We should have a baby now, I said to Steve, balancing on one heel. Like tonight. Steve stared at me, partially smiling but also worried, unsure if I was serious. When he realized I was, no way was his response. Rage filled my body as he stood there taking long swigs of a Miller Lite. At that moment, I wanted to punch him. We should want kids, right? Thats what youre supposed to do when you love someone and build a life with them, isnt it? I was mad at his hesitation even though I had been hesitating too. I wanted him to want a baby with me even if I wasnt so sure that I wanted one myself. Every so often I would mention a baby name out of the blue and Steve would get quiet. His silence infuriated me. The conversation continued like this for years Steve assuring me that we could have a baby if we really wanted one, and me feeling unsure that it made sense but angry anyway when Steve didnt jump at the chance. About three years after that wedding, something shifted for both of us. Perhaps it was because we were more settled into our careers and lives, including a move to New York City, which bought us some time to decide what we wanted. We had a respectable amount in our savings and retirement accounts, and we said, what the hell, lets try. Or maybe we just didnt want to regret anything when sitting alone in a nursing home decades later, with no kids to take care of us or feed us applesauce. So, we decided to just see what happened. There was no real memorable conversation attached to this choice. It almost felt like we were both throwing in the towel. It was simple. All of a sudden, the voice in the back of my head convinced me that I was doing it all wrong. I should definitely want a child, and we needed to start trying now. Once we decided to give the whole kid thing a go, we moved quickly. Should we just let er rip? Steve asked, and we laughed at the idea of planning to have sex. The first night we got into bed, sex felt awkward, robotic. Over the next few months, I worried because nothing happened. Every time I took a pregnancy test, I saw the single blue line staring back at me. Negative. I began to wonder if this was a sign from the universe that maybe we werent meant to be parents after all. That is, until I finally saw the word PREGNANT blink on the stick I held between my fingers, and I felt anxiety surge through my body. I took all three pregnancy tests in the box at different times. There was the initial test, after a champagne-laced afternoon of hanging with friends. Positive. Then immediately afterward I took it again. In my right hand I held my phone, Googling false positives and coming up with hundreds of message boards telling me they were possible but not likely. The second pregnancy test was positive, too. I called Steve at work. Are you by yourself? I asked, my voice shaking. Before he could answer, I blurted out that I had taken two pregnancy tests. One after the other. Both positive. He took a loud, deep breath that echoed in my ear. Was he happy? *** We need to go to the emergency room. Something isnt right, I said, standing in the doorway of our bathroom three weeks later. I dont remember anything after that until I was at the hospital in a paper gown. With a reassuring voice, the doctor said, Sometimes bleeding happens during pregnancy. Everything was all right. I was just overreacting. So, Steve and I took an Uber back across the Queensboro Bridge. A few days later. More bleeding. More doctors. More exams. More ultrasounds. This time, Id miscarried. *** After my miscarriage, I no longer felt excited about having a baby. My friends continued to get pregnant, and I would try on the role of mother just for a moment to see how it looked on me. But I couldnt conjure an image of myself as the permanent version. One afternoon, Sarah asked me to babysit when her child, Ellie, was just a few months old, so I made my way to her Brooklyn apartment on that humid June day. I hadnt taken care of a baby in years. Would I remember how to change a diaper? What would I do if she cried? I felt a pang of nervousness wash over me. But four floors up in Brooklyn, alone with Ellie as she snoozed peacefully in her swing, I stared at her beautiful, milky skin, her blush cheeks, her chest moving up and down, and I wondered: Did I make the right decision? The dull ache I felt eventually turned into a sharp pang of guilt, shame and sadness. I was never going to have a baby. It took me 30 seconds to realize I was crying. It took me another 10 seconds to realize I was crying into Ellies head. And then I was sobbing. I cried for myself and the decisions I had to make. I cried for Jennifer Aniston, Tracee Ellis Ross, Oprah and all the women who had to make the decision, for whatever reason, not to mother too. The uncertainty of whether to become a mother is a carousel that never seems to stop. At 40, Im still constantly told I will change my mind about not wanting children. But more recently, with Handler, other A-list celebs and a gaggle of MomTok influencers speaking out about their decisions not to have children, Ive grown more comfortable with my choice. Aniston told Allure last year that she has too. Now in her 50s, she said she finally has zero regrets. The women paving the way for all women to choose the life that best suits them are pioneers. They are opting out, pushing back against the prison of the patriarchy. And like any rebellion, those who are entrenched in upholding the power structures, those like Carlson and Kelly, will fight it. Let them fight. I no longer feel the need to defend myself. I no longer feel the need to explain. I no longer feel the need to prove to the haters and the rest of the world that the choices I make for and about my body are valid. Instead, I take Handlers words as a prayer that we as women can do whatever we want to do, children or no children. Theres no one path to happiness and fulfillment. Some people may have known the minute they stuck their key in a plastic baby in high school that they wanted to be parents. And others, like me, stared into the dolls shiny face and felt unsure. Do you have a compelling personal story youd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what were looking for here and send us a pitch. Spooked horse ends up in Florida pool so officials bring out a tractor, video shows Residents called 911 when a horse on their property got stuck in their swimming pool, according to Florida fire officials. Then, rescuers brought in a tractor. A large animal rescue team responded to a home in Zephyrhills at about 5:30 p.m. June 20, according to the Pasco County Fire Rescue. The horse had been spooked by another horse, ran up onto the deck and fell into the above-ground pool, Pasco County spokesman Corey Dierdorff told McClatchy News in a phone interview. A veterinarian arrived at the home with rescuers to partially sedate the horse so it would remain calm, Dierdorff said. Video of the rescue shows a fire official in the pool with the horse, strapping a harness around the animal. Another rescuer helps steady the animals head as a tractor slowly hoists it out of the water. The horse was not injured and was in good spirits after the rescue, Dierdorff said. Zephyrhills is about 80 miles southwest of Orlando. Elusive pig evades capture for days. Cops fairly certain hes the fastest pig alive Deputy carries badly dehydrated dog in rescue of stranded hikers, California cops say Sea turtles found entangled in fishing line, Texas photo shows. They were likely mating SRSO: Fatal shooting in Pace was possible robbery; 2 Alabama men arrested for murder Two people have been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting in Pace on Monday, Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson announced during a Thursday press conference. Johnson said 30-year-old Marcus Dickinson and 20-year-old Ja'Cobey James were arrested for allegedly killing Joseph Liebe, 24, while he was in his car. SRSO investigators believe the two suspects were attempting to rob Liebe. "(There's) no definite motive at this time. We believe, possibly, it's a robbery," Johnson said during the press conference. "(There's) no information at this time to suggest that the victim knew the suspects in any form or fashion." Fatal shooting investigation begins: SRSO detectives seeking suspect after 24-year-old man fatally shot in Pace In case you missed it: SRSO won't pursue charges in Nikko Japanese Steak House meth case due to lack of evidence Dickinson is charged with second-degree murder and James is charged with first-degree murder, according to Johnson. Deputies originally received a report of shots fired around 6:30 p.m. Monday and found Liebe dead behind the wheel of his vehicle in the area of Wallace Lake Road and Quintette Road. Johnson said investigators believe Liebe tried to drive away after being shot, but crashed after succumbing to his wounds. SRSO detectives then followed up on a lead based on what Johnson said was a "vague" vehicle description of a maroon Chevrolet Tahoe and identified the vehicle the same day. After receiving a search warrant for the vehicle and its owner's residence, detectives traveled to Atmore, Alabama, Tuesday and served the warrant on Dickinson with the help of the Atmore Police Department and the Escambia County (Alabama) Sheriff's Office, Johnson said. Dickinson was arrested at his residence. Deputies then served a search warrant for James' last known address, but he was not on scene. James' family told detectives he would turn himself in at 1 p.m. Wednesday. SRSO detectives were notified by Alabama deputies that James turned himself in Wednesday and was in custody. Both suspects await extradition to Santa Rosa County, and Johnson says the investigation is ongoing. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pace shooting victim Joseph Liebe's alleged killers arrested by SRSO St. Pete Pride has decided to step up the presence of private security in addition to the St. Petersburg Police Department and, for the first time in its 21-year history, will set up concrete barricades along the Sunday street festival to prevent attacks from the outside. Its a different climate this year, said Byron Green, vice president of Prides board of directors. The St. Pete police have been very helpful and are also on alert, but we felt like we needed that extra level. The organization is paying about $125,000 for police and private security protection, he said. Vinoy Park, where a Pride festival will be running from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, will be fenced off. Visitors will be wanded to check for guns and knives upon entering. Green said that since this is Florida, they fully expect people might have guns on them out of habit, so they want to warn paradegoers ahead of time to leave weapons behind. The caution comes from other Pride parade organizers across the country, Green said, who had advised them to step up their defenses this year. There was a bomb threat before Nashvilles Pride parade a few weeks ago, and a rise in threats from right-wing extremists and radical Islamists have raised concerns about the July 1 LGBTQ+ event planned in Denmark. In Florida especially, state legislation aimed at segments of the LGBTQ+ community has brought a tinge of dread to those involved with putting together this years festivities. People seem to feel more emboldened to be hateful lately, said David Fischer, owner of the gay bar Cocktail in the citys Grand Central district. His bar recently had a homophobic slur etched on its front door, he said. Fischer has employed a fleet of security for his businesses along with an ID screen and scanner for all guests that is similar to airport security systems. He isnt going to have a drag performer on his bars big rainbow rooster parade float during Saturdays parade. Even though the float will be miles away from his business, he doesnt think he should risk losing his liquor license over it. Its alarming more than anything, Fischer said, that people are censoring anything nowadays after we had moved so far forward. The fact is that we will win. We have no other option. And here begins the difficult path. How can we do this, and how do we achieve it? We must convince ourselves that we need to make every effort - everyone as much as they can. Someone will donate, someone will help with aid, and someone will enlist. That is, everyone should find their place in this war. There will be no side to be on. War has affected everyone. Therefore, I want to say a few words about the euphoria that has formed among many Ukrainians after waiting for the AFU offensive for several months. Perhaps, experts not related to military topics have said something like this, but serious experts in the military and security spheres, on the contrary, warned: there is no need for any euphoria if there is an offensive; it will be difficult. There will be losses. This will be a difficult and lengthy stage of the military campaign. Therefore, no one has fueled euphoria with excessive expectations except for individual media outlets. But the media are working on emotions. They are not immersed in this topic and do not feel a special responsibility for themselves. But in most serious media, experts called for not raising excessive expectations. We have encountered a situation that is not a walk in the park. It is a battle with a serious enemy. Moreover, many military experts warned that, yes, shelling continues. Yes, there are old-model tanks at the front, but no one said that the production of other military equipment in Russia had been stopped. Yes, they are weakened, and there is no serial production as before the war. But production still exists, and it does not appear at the front for some reason. It is kept in reserve somewhere. The current stage is precisely characterized by what I would call a "struggle at sea." Both sides evaluate each other - when they introduce their main forces, in which direction, in what quantity, how prepared these forces are, and so on. Our General Staff (as I understand it) is trying to advance on many sections of the front to see if the Russians will throw strategic reserves to stabilize the situation. So far, we don't see that. They hold them in reserve. So far, we see the transfer of operational reserves and the weakening of some at the expense of others. For example, soldiers from a large group near Kakhovka were transferred to the east. This intense shelling of all of Ukraine, especially Kyiv, which began in May, aims, first of all, to psychologically influence Ukrainians and our government to force it to negotiate under pressure from below. The second task is to prevent our troops from relocating air defense systems to the front and keep them behind to cover strategic objects. This is because, despite all the help from partners, our air defense complexes are insufficient to provide echeloned air defense for all of Ukraine against missile attacks. That is, where Russian aviation operates, the situation is not the best for us yet. That is why we are turning to our partners to increase the number of air defense systems and finally provide us with aviation, particularly interceptor aviation, which will not allow Russians to gain the full advantage in the air. And the third goal is to cause damage to some strategic objects. But the air defense system prevents this by shooting down "unparalleled" Kinzhals and drones. Losses are minimal for essential strategic objects. Unfortunately, there are casualties among the population. Debris still falls and kills. Therefore, we should refrain from deluding ourselves that, for example, Kyiv is entirely safe even with such a strong air defense. Many have paid for it with their health and lives. So if you hear the alarm, head to the bomb shelter. What are Russia's current goals in this war? The task now is, first of all, to prevent our troops from developing an offensive. Secondly, by defending all prepared lines of defense, force us to introduce strategic reserves, try to cause them maximum damage, and carry out a counter-attack themselves. And to ensure these tasks, another covert mobilization will probably be conducted. The Russians have already realized (if not everyone, then many) that they are dealing not with some second-rate army but with an army that is at least second in the world regarding its capabilities. And they are fighting not only with Ukraine but also with the whole democratic world, which is ready to help Ukraine. Unfortunately, this realization has not reached Putin. I imagine he is impervious to bad news, and he imagines everything is going well. This in no way justifies his bloodthirstiness, but it is a characteristic of the Russian system itself. They simply cannot do otherwise. Another direction in which Russia works is to pressure all of its international agencies and bolster the idea that Ukraine should agree to negotiations with Russia on Russian terms. This is vital for the Kremlin, as they clearly understand they lack strength. If they conditionally and successfully mobilize and accumulate material resources, they will not produce the results on which they count, considering their current quality of command. And the only way out is to force Ukraine to sit at the negotiating table and agree to Russia's terms. That is, to preserve the occupied territories behind it, make promises, as was the case with Minsk-1 and Minsk-2, to transform the situation into a long-playing mode or to a frozen conflict, accumulate strength, and restore all its aggressive plans. If I were a foreign intelligence agent, I would pay particular attention to this stage. Activating all foreign Russian agencies leads to the fact that it will simply light up. This is the best stage for identifying, neutralizing, and ultimately leaving Russia with minimal foreign support. Here come various proposals to Ukraine from conditionally neutral countries, the latest being from African countries. But preventing such proposals from finding mass support in the West is vital. And that's going well. This front holds. This pleasantly surprises me. The West not only managed to create an anti-Russian coalition and maintained it for over a year and a half. Putin hopes that fatigue from Ukraine will come eventually, but this fatigue has not yet come. On the contrary, we hear assurances that it will never come. The West is ready to support Ukraine for a long time despite anything. They already understand in the West that the offensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is not a one-time action; it is a lengthy, resource-intensive campaign. The policy of the West is quite adequate. Another thing is that they themselves do not have enough resources. The EU is developing plans to expand its defense industry to produce ammunition, in particular. Such military campaigns should be designed for the long term when parties suffer losses and expend many material resources. These resources should be replenished. For now, the Western front is holding up, and holding up well. It will continue, and this is one of the conditions of our victory. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine When I started college, I was afraid to be openly gay. By the time I graduated, I was able to celebrate my queerness. Lara Boyle wore a suit to graduation. Orly Boyle Growing up, I struggled with my sexuality and did my best to hide it from others. In my freshman year of college I finally acknowledged I'm gay and started dressing more masculine. At my school's lavender graduation for LGBTQ students, I finally felt proud to be gay. I enrolled in Central Piedmont Community College in 2019. When I walked through the doors on the first day, I felt like I was stuck in purgatory. For starters, I was embarrassed to have "failed" the task of getting into a four-year college. But most alarmingly, I had a crush on a girl in my history class. I couldn't muster up the courage to say more than hello or compliment her outfit. I wore oversized flannels and kept my crush a secret from everyone. When I graduated from college four years later, I was finally able to celebrate my queerness. At the start of my freshman year of college, I didn't know who I was In the second semester of my freshman year, I transferred to Queens University of Charlotte. That was right when the pandemic started. As I sat in quarantine, I thought a lot about my sexuality. I remembered attending a creative-writing camp when I was younger. I'd blushed while listening to the other girls read slam poetry about liking girls. I envied the pride flags they hung on their doors. I also remembered the struggle I had when I tried to sign up for the Gay Straight Alliance in middle school. In Hebrew school I liked a girl from class who loved art and marine biology. The only time I got to speak to her beyond small talk was during Yom Kippur. When our parents prayed for the dead, we went outside to gossip. But we were starving from fasting, so I couldn't tell what was hunger and what were butterflies in my stomach. I took countless quizzes online to see if I was straight or gay. Eventually my friends sent me the "Am I a Lesbian" Masterdoc on social media, and everything clicked. I finally admitted to myself in my freshman year of college that I'm gay. Both my parents were thrilled I'd found myself. My mom even got me lesbian-flag shirts. Once I realized I'm a lesbian, I became more comfortable with my identity I started by cutting my hair short. I did this in increments: first shoulder length and then a crew cut. Years of pain fell to the floor and got swept away by the barber's broom. I started to wear masculine clothes to synagogue and received stares from the congregation. I never felt so comfortable in my life. While researching the Holocaust for a class project, I stumbled upon black-and-white photos of Jewish lesbians dancing and smiling in queer bars in Berlin, where my grandfather lived before the war. Finding out there were others like me in the past helped me build my self-love in the present. They didn't hide any part of who they were at a time when their identities were oppressed by society. Why should I? In my senior year I participated in my university's first lavender graduation A lavender graduation is a queer-only ceremony held at universities across the country each year, designed to celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ seniors. At my ceremony I learned about Ronni Sanlo, a Jewish lesbian who started lavender graduation in 1995 at the University of Michigan. Before attending, I'd never thought about my queerness as a quality to be honored. I viewed it as a heterosexual test I'd failed but here I received an A-plus. A guest speaker told us to continue to shine our light in our professions and to never be ashamed of who we are. He talked about wearing nail polish despite initial pushback from his coworkers and inspired us to embrace what made us unique. I felt empowered as a queer person. The lavender graduation made me proud to be gay and helped me realize how far I'd come I'd started college with my head hanging low and my shoulders hunched. I internalized society's stigmatization of lesbians and could barely say the L-word without embarrassment. On my graduation day, I finally had the courage to wear a suit as I walked across the stage at commencement. Over my suit, I wore a lavender cord a promise that I'd never hide again. Read the original article on Insider The 12th Senate District Republican primary for Colonial Heights and part of Chesterfield County was a three-way battle between Sen. Amanda Chase, left, former Sen. Glen Sturtevant and nonprofit leader Tina Ramirez. Sturtevant won the primary, but Chase is challenging the results and has not conceded. CHESTERFIELD Even though she was not declared the winner in Tuesdays primary, state Sen. Amanda Chase is not going down without a fight. Late Wednesday, Chase, R-Chesterfield, said she would challenge the results of the primary, claiming that the computers used during the 45-day early voting period were noncompliant with state election law. She said she was not asking for a recount because a recount wont solve the problem. Until then, Chase said she will not concede the contest. Chase, bidding for a third term, narrowly lost to former state Sen. Glen Sturtevant in the Republican primary for the 12th Senate District, which covers Colonial Heights and western Chesterfield County. The final count was 8,515 votes, or 39.47%, for Sturtevant and 8,169 votes, or 37.86% for Chase. Tina Ramirez finished a distant third in the race. State Department of Election records indicated that Chase was leading Sturtevant by 415 votes after ballots cast on Tuesday were counted. When the early and absentee votes were tallied, Sturtevant outpolled Chase by 335 and 426 votes, respectively, and that turned the primary in his favor. Chase said the machines used by Chesterfield County for the early voting a DS200 vote tabulator and scanner, and the ExpressVote universal voting system have not been certified as proper election equipment in Virginia. However, it is the same system used in other Virginia localities, including Petersburg. "No voter should have been voting early on those voting computers until they were in compliance with Virginia State law, Chase said late Wednesday. Chase also has long-standing issues with the early voting process in Chesterfield, saying as early as May 15 that she had zero confidence in how the early votes were recorded. Additionally, she complained that Sturtevants campaign manager was chosen as the only Republican to certify the early voting machines. We will never know for sure if there were bad actors in the early voting certification process, Chase said. We're asking for those who acted illegally to be held accountable for their unethical actions during early voting. She singled out Chesterfield GOP chair Leslie Haley and the Sturtevant campaign in Wednesdays announcement, saying both should be held accountable for their lack of judgment and clear conflict of interest in certifying the voting systems. An election challenge is different than a recount. In a recount, the votes cast on Election Day are just retabulated to confirm the total. Challenges cover anything having to do with the voting process itself. Recounts can be requested by the losing candidate at the state's expense if the margin of defeat is 1% or less. The margin in this primary is 1.6% Chase, a right-wing champion and an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, does not caucus with Senate Republicans despite her party affiliation. She was censured by the Virginia Senate in 2021 for conduct unbecoming of a state senator when she spoke out against the legitimacy of President Joe Bidens election over Trump in 2020 and attended the Jan. 6, 2021 Trump rally that led to insurrection at the Capitol. Although she had left town by the time the Capitol was stormed, she expressed support for the marchers mission of trying to stop the election from being certified. Chase said she will hire a lawyer to handle the challenge. If that challenge finds no fault in the primary process, then she will concede the election. In the meantime, Sturtevant is claiming victory in the primary. Wednesday, he sent out an open letter thanking everyone for their support. Now its time to take on the Democrats, win back a Republican majority in the Virginia Senate this fall, and work with Governor [Glenn] Youngkin to implement his agenda, Sturtevant wrote. Barring any changes from Chases challenge, Sturtevant will face Democrat Natan McKenzie on Nov. 7. More: Former delegate soundly defeats incumbent in Democratic primary More: Defying odds, Kimberly Pope Adams defeats Vic McKenzie in the House Democratic primary More: Kim vs. Kim: House Democrats plan major offensive on GOP incumbent in 82nd House District Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI. This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: State senator wants review of early voting in GOP primary Smoke billows over Khartoum North as Sudan's warring generals resume fighting just minutes after the latest US and Saudi-brokered ceasefire expires (-) Explosions rocked Khartoum on Thursday, more than two months after fighting broke out between rival Sudanese generals, with each side accusing the other of attacks on civilians. Witnesses in the east of the capital reported artillery fire, while others in the northern suburbs said the force of heavy shelling from an army barracks shook the walls of houses. Air strikes again pummelled several areas of greater Khartoum. In Omdurman, Khartoum's sister city just across the Nile, "heavy aerial bombardment and anti-aircraft weaponry" battled "for more than two hours and has not stopped", a witness told AFP. In central Khartoum, witnesses said clashes erupted on the streets as "military aircraft flew overhead" in an area that "had been calm for 10 days". The fighting between the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has claimed more than 2,000 lives since April 15. The latest in a series of ceasefires that have all been systematically violated ended on Wednesday morning, and fighting resumed within minutes. The three-day US- and Saudi-brokered ceasefire had brought a brief respite to the millions of civilians trapped by fighting and suffering shortages of medical care, electricity, water and other essentials. The army accused the RSF of "taking advantage of the truce to mobilise its forces and commit several violations against civilians". The RSF in turn accused the army of fabricating a video of a rape, alleging "one of the actors appeared in the uniform" of the armed forces, "proving their guilt". Fighting has largely been concentrated in greater Khartoum and in the Darfur region in the west, but on Wednesday, the army accused a key rebel group in South Kordofan state, hundreds of kilometres (miles) south of Khartoum, of having "attacked" its troops. On Thursday, witnesses reported "heavy clashes" between rebel and army troops in Dilling, 130 kilometres (80 miles) north of the state capital Kadugli. - Darfur fighting rages - The deadliest fighting has raged in Darfur, a vast region the size of France on Sudan's western border with Chad. Witnesses in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, reported "clashes between the army and the RSF" after hours of increased "tension and mobilisation on both sides". "Last night (Wednesday) there was a movement of military vehicles and a repositioning of the RSF," who "attacked from both sides towards the city centre" on Thursday evening, a resident told AFP. In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, troops clashed with paramilitaries on Wednesday using "all types of weapons", residents told AFP. In Darfur, home to ethnic minority groups as well as Arab tribes, the conflict has "taken an ethnic dimension", the United Nations has warned. At a donors' conference in Geneva on Monday, the international community pledged to raise $1.5 billion in aid for Sudan and neighbouring countries, but that amounted to less than half the estimated needs. "Those pledges are generous, yet they total only half of what the UN estimates is required," said Will Carter of the Norwegian Refugee Council. "It is too little given the sheer scale of the catastrophe that is unfolding," he wrote in an article published in The New Humanitarian. A record 25 million people -- more than half Sudan's population -- need aid and protection, the United Nations says. The conflict has plunged Sudan into chaos, with combatants occupying homes, looting properties and committing other abuses. In his article, Carter cited the testimony of a person who had fled Khartoum and met him in White Nile state, on the border with South Sudan. "The bombs kept falling and the walls kept shaking," he quoted the unnamed person as saying. "The children stayed under their beds, but a bullet crossed into the wall a few inches from them." Almost 600,000 people have fled Sudan for neighbouring countries, the International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday. More than two million are displaced inside Sudan, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. bur/kir Summer has arrived in Fresno. Cool down with a mezcal cocktail at these bars, restaurants Summer is finally here, and what better way to cool off than with a refreshing mezcal cocktail? Fresno has a number of restaurants and craft cocktail bars citywide that offer the spirit. Akin to Mexican tequila, mezcal is a type of liquor made from agave plants. Its flavor is often described as having a smoky flavor profile since the agave is traditionally cooked in an underground pit before distillation. The word mezcal comes from the Nahuatl word mexcalli, which means cooked agave, according to the mezcal site, Mezcalistas. In 1994, Mexico implemented a denomination of origin, which means that agave distillates can only be considered mezcal if produced in the states of Mexico, Oaxaca, Guerrero, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, Durango, Aguascalientes, Morelos, and certain parts of Guanajuato, Tamaulipas, Michoacan and Puebla. In recent years, mezcals popularity has exploded in the United States and beyond. According to the industry research firm The Insight Partners, mezcal is a $727 million industry as of 2021, and will likely surpass $1 billion by 2027. Are you a seasoned mezcal drinker, or curious to sample the beverage for the first time? Here are a few local businesses where you can try mezcal: Fresnos cocktail bars embrace mezcal At Los Panchos Mexican Restaurant on Fulton Street in downtown Fresno, mezcal, agave, and bitters come together in the Oaxacan Old Fashioned, a drink inspired by the classic Old Fashioned, a cocktail made up of bourbon or whiskey, sugar, and bitters. Los Panchos can also use mezcal in any of its tequila-based cocktails, such as the Paloma, a refreshing tequila-based cocktail made with lime juice, and a grapefruit-flavored soda. Carmen Serrato, owner of the downtown Fresno craft cocktail bar Modernist on Fulton Street loves mezcal, according to a 2020 Instagram post from the bar. So its no surprise that the seasonal menu often has mezcal-based drinks. Its spring 2023 menu included two mezcal-based cocktails. La Chingona, which roughly translates to the badass woman, is a cocktail made of mezcal, reposado tequila, banana, rhubarb amaro (bittered Italian liqueur), pineapple, lime and saline. La Vida Fresca, on the other hand, is a very approachable drink made of mezcal, sherry, grapefruit bitters, gentian liqueur, and a red wine bitter aperitif. Nearby, Quail State rooftop bar on Fulton Street, which was recently sold to new owners, also has mezcal cocktails on their rotating, seasonal menu, and will have a new mezcal cocktail on their summer menu, which is expected to be released Friday. The Oaxacan on Sunshine, a cocktail on their spring menu, combines tequila, mezcal, campari, strega, an orange blossom and hibiscus aperitif, aperitivo rosato, and grapefruit bitters. Youll want to sip this one slowly. Salud! Quail States mezcal-based cocktail, Oaxacan on Sunshine, is photographed at the bars location in downtown Fresnos Pacific Southwest Building on June 20, 2023. La Abeja, a newsletter written for and by California Latinos Sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter centered around Latino issues in California. If youre looking for craft mezcal cocktails in Fresnos Tower District, visit The Howlin Wolf on Olive Avenue to try a barrel aged Oaxaca Old Fashioned or the Train to Oaxaca. The latter combines mezcal with tequila, almond liqueur and fresh lime juice. Then, swing by Lucys Lounge, also on Olive Avenue, for the Cali-Gente cocktail, a drink that packs a sweet, spicy, and smoky punch. The cocktail is a mix of Glenmorangie X Scotch Whisky, Union mezcal, Ancho Reyes Verde chile poblano liqueur, pineapple juice, pineapple syrup, herbal French liqueur, green chartreuse and fresh lime juice. They can also make custom cocktails with mezcal. Sip on mezcal with traditional Oaxacan food Mezcal is most often associated with the Mexican state of Oaxaca. So what better way to enjoy mezcal than alongside traditional Oaxacan dishes, such as a mole, Tlayudas, or Oaxacan-style tamales? Oaxaca Restaurant, on East Belmont Avenue, has you covered. The restaurant, whose owners have Oaxacan roots, has a selection of mezcal-based cocktails, such as Palomas, Lemon Drop-inspired cocktails, and Zapoteco Sangre, an in-house creation made of mezcal, lime, blackberry and prickly pear. If you want something neat, sip on a mezcal out of a jicara, a small, wide mezcal cup made from the fruit of a gourd tree, while munching on salty chapulines, or grasshoppers. Mezcal cocktails and Fresno fine dining Tabachines Cocina on Palm Avenue prides itself on serving modern Mexican dishes with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Their menu contains a handful of mezcal cocktails, from seasonal to favorites. Some of the favorites include Paper Bird, a drink that contains El Silencio Mezcal, pineapple juice, Aperol, lime and piloncillo, a raw form of cane sugar that is common in Mexican cooking. Theres also a Mezcal Cadillac, a mezcal-version of the Cadillac margarita, with Don Amado Rustico Mezcal, Gran Marnier, lime and agave. Also: Make sure to chat with Samuel Aguilar, food and beverages director, who can walk you through the restaurants expansive menu of tequila, mezcal and other agave distillates such as sotol, from the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Their selection of artisan agave spirits is arguably the largest in the Central Valley. Saizon, Fresnos new vibey restaurant that opened near Willow and Shepard avenues in December 2022, is an interpretation of Napa Valley meeting Mexico City, according to its website. Saizons menu features a handful of mezcal cocktails. The Mezcaloma, a mezcal Paloma, combines espadin mezcal (espadin is a type of agave commonly used to make mezcal), with house curacao, a Brazilian liqueur and grapefruit. If youre looking for something more adventurous, try the Kingston, a cocktail that combines mezcal, with Jamaican rum, midori, a melon liqueur, citrus, pineapple and cumin syrup. Finally, the Naked and Famous cocktail combines mezcal, chartreuse, aperol and lime. Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant near Blackstone and Shaw avenues offers over 30 different types of mezcal at their bar and a variety of mezcal-based cocktails. They offer a mezcal sampler, a trio of mezcal-based cocktails with watermelon, tamarind, and lemon flavors, as well as a cantarito with mezcal. Their cantarito, a drink from the state of Jalisco typically made with tequila, features Guerrero Reposado Mezcal, sweet and sour mix, fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice, and a Tajin rim. The cantarito at Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant on Blackstone Avenue in Fresno, California. The restaurant and bar has over 30 different types of mezcal. Mochuelo Tapas bar and restaurant on Shaw Avenue is no stranger to mezcal. The menu features a drink to spice up the night called Smoke and Embers, a combination of El Silencio Mezcal, agave, ghost pepper syrup, blood orange Italian soda, lime, and topped with a Goslings rum sugar flamed lime. Clovis pizza and mezcal? Michaelangelos pizzeria on Woodworth Avenue in Clovis might not be the kind of place youd expect to find mezcal, but you cant judge a book by its cover. In addition to over 130 different types of whiskey, Michaelangelos seasonal menu includes a drink called Bloody the Jet, which combines Los Siete Misterios Mezcal, with Luna Azul Reposado Tequila, fresh lime juice, blood orange syrup, agave syrup and Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao. Dont skip the pizza so you can soak up the stiff drink. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the conviction of a federal prisoner who argued he should be able to challenge his 27-year sentence for firearms possession based on changes in the law since his trial. The courts decision will make it harder for federal prisoners to bring certain types of post-conviction challenges. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the 6-3 opinion in the case. The three liberal justices, Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented. Because of how Justice Thomas and the other conservative justices read the relevant statutes and the Constitution, there will now be a significant number of federal prisoners who are unable to bring potentially meritorious collateral challenges to their convictions and sentences once their direct appeal has ended, said Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at the University of Texas School of Law. Marcus Jones was convicted in 2000 of two counts as a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of making false statements to acquire a firearm. At trial, he said he knew he had previously been convicted of a felony, but he thought his record had been wiped clean. Nevertheless, the jury was not told that it had to find that Jones knew he was a convicted felon. Eventually, he was sentenced to 327 months for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and 60 months for making false statements. In 2002, he went back to court and filed what is called a 2255 motion meant to challenge his original conviction, but he lost. Seventeen years later, in a case called Rehaif v. United States, the Supreme Court narrowed the felon in possession statute. The court held that the government has to prove the defendant knew he was still a felon at the time of his new offense in order to convict him. Jones appealed in federal court hoping to wipe away his felon in possession of a firearm conviction. He cited the Rehaif decision in his petition, noting that the Supreme Court had changed the rules. Lower courts ruled against him. In Thursdays opinion, the court ruled against him as well, holding that under 2255 there are limited conditions in which Congress has permitted federal prisoners to bring second or successive collateral attacks on their sentences. The inability of a prisoner with a statutory claim to satisfy those conditions does not mean that he can bring his claim in a habeas petition under the savings clause, Thomas wrote in his majority opinion. It means he cannot bring it at all. Congress has chosen finality over error correction in his case, he said. Sotomayor and Kagan, in a jointly written dissent, argued that the majority opinion yields disturbing results. A prisoner who is actually innocent, imprisoned for conduct that Congress did not criminalize is forever barred from raising that claim merely because he previously sought postconviction relief, they wrote. Jackson filed her own dissent. She said that because the Rehaif case changed the scope of a criminal statute it should apply retroactively to individuals (like Jones) whose conviction had become final at the time it was issued. She wrote that she was also deeply troubled by the constitutional implications of the noting-to-see here approach that the majority takes with respect to the incarceration of potential legal innocents. This story has been updated with additional details. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Photo : Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) The House votes to censure California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff over his criticism of former United States President Donald Trump and his role in the impeachment of the Republican businessman. On Wednesday, the House voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff over the Democrat's criticisms of former United States President Donald Trump and his role in leading an impeachment inquiry into the Republican businessman. The vote tallied a 213-209 result that came exactly a week after similar efforts to censure Schiff were rejected after nearly two dozen GOP members joined Democrats to block the resolution. It was made over objections to a provision that called for issuing a fine to the California lawmaker worth $16 million. House Censures Adam Schiff However, freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, the resolution's author, said this week that she had secured enough support from the 20 GOP members that previously blocked it after removing the language regarding the fine. Following the vote, Schiff was ordered to stand on the House floor to receive a verbal rebuke from other members, which House Speaker Kevin McCarthy read. However, Democrats chanted "Shame!" and "Disgrace!" as they mocked the speaker, as per NBC News. The resolution also requires the House Ethics Committee to investigate the Democratic House member. Six Republican lawmakers voted present on the House's censure resolution. In a statement made in a floor speech before the vote, Luna said that the perpetrator of this web of deceit, referring to Schiff, became a mainstay on cable news. She accused him of having only one goal daily, which she claimed was lying to the American people that there was no direct evidence of Russian collusion. The situation comes as Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation did not establish any coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. However, it documented contacts between Russians and campaign officials and found that the campaign was willing to receive assistance. The California Democrat, who is now running for an open seat in his home state, was previously the chairman and ranking member of the Intelligence Committee during the Trump administration. He also became the face of Democratic accusations that the former president's 2016 campaign team members colluded with Russia to beat then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Read Also: Biden Joins Meeting To Discuss Efforts of Regulating Artificial Intelligence Role in Trump-Era Probes Luna argued that Schiff conducted an all-out political campaign against then-sitting president Trump. She also claims that the California lawmaker abused his privileges as the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, according to Politico. The censure is the latest example of conservative-backed "privileged" resolutions, which require a quick floor vote and can bypass the committee process. Furthermore, the right flank of the House GOP also has plans to force votes on several other controversial measures, as opposed to the leadership's wishes. On Wednesday, Schiff told his Republican colleagues that he was grateful to them for introducing the resolution. He said he was honored and flattered by what he called a falsehood. Schiff then criticized GOP members for authoring the big lie regarding last year's election and now condemning truth-tellers. He noted that the actions that Republicans have taken mean that he has been effective in defense of the country's democracy said CBS News. Related Article: SC Justice Samuel Alito Responds to Criticism Over Undisclosed Luxury Fishing Trip @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Supreme Court justices in 2022. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) A new poll has found that the Supreme Court is deeply unpopular as it prepares to hand down a slate of decisions on LGBTQ rights, affirmative action and President Biden's student loan forgiveness plan. A national survey from Quinnipiac University released Wednesday found just 30% of registered voters approve of the courts job performance, while 59% disapprove the lowest rating since the poll began asking the question in 2004. Only 11% of respondents identifying as Democrats and 29% of those identifying as independents approved of the court. Additionally, 68% of Americans think the Supreme Court is mainly motivated by politics versus 25% who think it's motivated by the law. The idea of imposing term limits on the justices received bipartisan majority support (63%) while just 29% were opposed. A slim majority of Republicans (51%) favored imposing term limits, together with 78% of Democrats and 63% of independents. Major decisions ahead People rally in support of affirmative action in college admissions as arguments for the cases start at the Supreme Court on Oct 31, 2022. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images) Over the next few weeks the courts 6-3 conservative majority is expected to hand down a number of major decisions. Earlier this month in a surprise ruling, two of the conservative justices flipped to rule in favor of Black voters in Alabama who said the state had violated the Voting Rights Act via gerrymandering. Last year, the court issued a series of rulings that were unpopular with the American public, most notably a decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Among the cases the Supreme Court will be issuing rulings on before the term ends are challenges to race-conscious admission policies or affirmative action at Harvard, which is a private institution, and the University of North Carolina, which is a state school. These cases are known as Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College. Theyre also considering challenges to the White Houses student loan debt relief plan, which is being challenged by six Republican-led states and two borrowers who did not qualify for the program. These cases are known as Biden v. Nebraska and Department of Education v. Brown. The court will also rule on an attempt by the GOP-controlled North Carolina legislature to reimpose a congressional map that was thrown out by the state Supreme Court (Moore v. Harper). If the North Carolina legislature wins its case, it could give state legislatures nationwide near-total control over how federal elections are conducted. Additionally, the court will decide whether a Colorado web designer is legally allowed to refuse to create wedding websites for same-sex couples (303 Creative LLC v. Elenis). A state law would fine her for discrimination if she did so, but the designer is arguing that its a violation of her First Amendment rights to be forced to create something to which she objects. Lingering scandals Signs calling on Justice Clarence Thomas to resign are seen on Capitol Hill in April. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) The Quinnipiac survey was conducted from Saturday through Monday, meaning all of the opinions were recorded before ProPublica published a report Tuesday evening about conservative Justice Samuel Alito. According to the outlet, Alito and prominent conservative legal activist Leonard Leo went on an unreported luxury fishing trip with a Republican billionaire who had business before the court. Alito did not disclose the trip or respond to ProPublicas inquiries. He did, however, publish an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal defending himself from allegations in the article while admitting that he went on the trip. The Alito news was only the latest report to come out in recent months about the courts conservative justices. ProPublica published a series of stories about the close ties between conservative Justice Clarence Thomas and a different Republican billionaire, Harlan Crow. Additionally, the Washington Post reported undisclosed payments from Leo to Thomass wife, Ginny, a conservative activist who pushed to overturn the 2020 election results. Another Republican-appointed justice, Neil Gorsuch, has recently been criticized for selling a tract of land to the head of a law firm that argues cases before the court. Liberal critics have also highlighted the work of Chief Justice John Robertss wife, who has made millions of dollars as a recruiter for elite law firms and corporations. In a Wednesday op-ed, the Wall Street Journals conservative editorial board came to the defense of Alito, arguing that he had not violated ethics rules alleging that he was the victim of a baseless smear campaign. This isnt about ethics, the op-ed said. This is about the lefts fury at having lost control of the Court, which they had counted on for decades as a second legislature to impose their priorities when they couldnt persuade Congress. They cant accept that loss, and they will destroy the Court if they must to get that control back. Numerous polls find the court lacks public support An abortion rights demonstrator raises their fist, painted in red, in the air while yelling during a rally in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 25, 2022. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images) The Quinnipiac poll is only the latest one showing a lack of public support for the nations highest court. Gallup polling last summer found record low approval for the institution, while a September Marquette Law School poll found that 51% of Americans favored expanding the Supreme Court. An April Yahoo News/YouGov poll found that only 12% of Americans surveyed reported that they had a great deal of confidence in the Supreme Court, with 25% saying they had none. Forty-four percent of respondents in total said they had confidence in the way the court was handling its job, versus 45% who disapproved. The Supreme Court has ruled against the Navajo Nation in its effort to make the U.S. take steps to secure water from the Colorado River for the tribe. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that a 1868 treaty did not require the country to take affirmative steps to secure water for the tribe. At issue is an 1868 treaty under which the federal government guaranteed the nations agricultural needs, which the Navajo Nation argues includes water rights. Tribal governments in the suit also cite the so-called Winters doctrine, based on the 1908 Winters v. United States court case, which established that the creation of a Native American reservation also reserves the water necessary for its purposes. More Courts coverage from The Hill The 1868 peace treaty in question established a reservation for the Navajo and granted them the right to use needed water on the reservation. The tribe has argued that under that treaty, the U.S. has the responsibility to secure water for the tribe which has become more difficult as water resources along the Colorado River dwindle amid historic drought. But the majority of the high court called the tribe incorrect. In the Tribes view, the 1868 treaty imposed a duty on the United States to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Navajo. With respect, the Tribe is incorrect, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the majority. The majority opinion was joined by all of the courts conservatives except Neil Gorsuch, a fervent defender of tribal rights who wrote a dissenting opinion joined by the courts three liberals. Sign up for the latest from The Hill here Gorsuch said the courts decision rejects a request the Navajo Nation never made. Where does the Navajo Nation go from here? Gorsuch wrote. To date, their efforts to find out what water rights the United States hold for them have produced an experience familiar to any American who has spent time at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Navajo have waited patiently for someone, anyone, to help them, only to be told (repeatedly) that they have been standing in the wrong line and must try another. He said their lawsuit more than suffices to state a claim for relief. As they did at Bosque Redondo, they must again fight for themselves to secure their homeland and all that must necessarily come with it, Gorsuch wrote, referring to the attempted ethnic cleansing of the Navajo in the 1860s. Perhaps here, as there, some measure of justice will prevail in the end, he added. In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas took issue with another piece of the tribes case. He wrote that when a lower court allowed the Navajo Nations breach of trust claim to go forward, it recognized a generic legal duty of the Federal Government toward Indian tribes which he took issue with. The Nation has pointed to no source of legally enforceable duties supporting its claim in this suit. But the Ninth Circuits reasoning reflects deeper problems with this Courts frequent invocation of the Indian trust relationship, he wrote. The Navajo reservation, which stretches more than 17 million acres, has been hit hard by a lack of water infrastructure, and tribal leaders have argued the federal government has shirked its treaty obligations to the tribe. In 2021, a San Francisco federal appeals court sided with the tribe, allowing it to sue in support of the affirmative duty. The Biden administration and the states of Arizona, Nevada and Colorado appealed the decision, with the high court hearing the consolidated appeals. In their arguments before the court, the states argued that siding with the Navajo Nation would represent a major disruption to management of the Colorado River. The states in the rivers basin only recently reached a consensus on temporary water usage cutbacks, in a proposal that has yet to be approved by the Bureau of Reclamation. Earlier this month, the Interior Department also launched the formal process for updating the 2007 Colorado River operating guidelines, which are set to expire in 2026. Updated at 4:06 p.m. EDT. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A driver accused of speeding and running a red light when authorities said he crashed into a vehicle last week in Minneapolis, Minnesota killing five young women has been charged with 10 counts of vehicular homicide, according to court documents. Derrick Thompson, 27, was charged with five counts each of homicide in relation to the grossly negligent operation of a vehicle and homicide in relation to leaving a scene after causing a collision, per Hennepin County court documents filed Thursday. According to the complaint, on the night of June 16, state troopers observed a black Cadillac Escalade SUV traveling at 95 mph in a 55 mph zone. The SUV was also recklessly weaving in and out of lanes. Pursued by police, the SUV speeded through a red light, crashing into a black Honda Civic that had a green light and was lawfully driving through the intersection, the complaint read. "The black Cadillac Escalade crashed into the Black Honda Civic with enough force to crush the black Honda Civic, pushing the black Honda Civic out of the intersection and pinning it against the wall of the I-35W bridge," the complaint said. Derrick Thompson / Credit: Hennepin County Sheriff's Office The Hennepin County Medical Examiner identified the victims as Sabiriin Mohamoud Ali, Sahra Liban Gesaade, Salma Mohamed Abdikadir, Sagal Burhaan Hersi and Siham Adan Odhowa. All five were friends, described as inseparable, and were out together that night preparing for another friend's wedding, CBS Minnesota reported. Ali, 17, had just graduated from Edina High School and was planning to attend the University of Minnesota, CBS Minnesota said. Gesaade, 20, was about to start her junior year at the University of Minnesota Rochester. Abdikadir, 20, attended Normandale College. Adam, 19, attended the U of M. Hersi, 19, attended Minneapolis College. These are the victims of the fatal accident in South Minneapolis Friday night: (L) Sahra Gesaade, Age 20, of Brooklyn Center - a student at U of M Rochester. (R) Salma Abdikadir, Age 20, of St. Louis Park - a Sunday School teacher and Normandale Community College Student. pic.twitter.com/LikErzLL0F Adam Duxter (@AdamDuxter) June 18, 2023 All five victims were pronounced dead at the scene. "The deaths of these five young women is devastating for their loved ones and has shaken our community," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement. Thompson was briefly hospitalized, before being taken into custody. According to the complaint, officers recovered a Glock 40 caliber semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine loaded with live ammunition, as well as over 250 grams, including over 2,000 pills, of pills including fentanyl, MDMA, and cocaine from inside the Thompson's vehicle. Thompson is the son of former state Rep. John Thompson, a Democrat who represented the St. Paul area, CBS Minnesota reported. CBS Minnesota reports that Thompson was involved in a similar crash in Southern California in 2018. According to criminal records obtained by CBS Minnesota, on Sept. 4, 2018, Thompson was behind the wheel of a speeding car in Ventura, California, when he crashed into a North Carolina woman who was on vacation. The victim was in a coma for 20 days but survived her injuries. In Thompson's vehicle, police found 17 pounds of marijuana and $20,000 in cash, CBS Minnesota reports. Thompson fled the scene and escaped to Minnesota before being captured and extradited back to California. He plead guilty to multiple felonies and was sentenced to eight years in prison, but was released after only serving a few months, CBS Minnesota reports. Frozen fruit recalled due to possible listeria contamination Father, aunt cosigned George Santos' bail, court docs reveal How a secret Delaware garden reemerged during the pandemic Successful economic planning for any nation contains this crucial question: How can we replace imports, which funnel vital capital out of Ukraine, with local production and exports, which bring foreign capital and new employment opportunities to our national economy? With respect to the import and export of energy, this question holds additional implications for everything from geopolitics to sustainability. For Ukraine, these implications are now critical, especially amid the ongoing 2023 Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. The risks associated with Ukraines continued dependence on imported fossil fuels extend into national security and defense concerns, as Russia was a key supplier of fossil fuels prior to the full-scale invasion. In 2021, Ukraine paid $2.5 billion for imported coal, mainly from Russia and Kazakhstan 62.1% and 10.2%, respectively. Over 50% of Ukraines oil products came directly, or indirectly via Belarusian refineries, from Russia. The same year, Ukraine imported 2.6 billion m3 of natural gas, mostly via virtual reverse from EU countries, to which Russian gas transit flows go. Russias current weaponization of energy allows it to use oil and gas money to create private military companies, mercenaries, and special volunteer battalions, like Gazprom-funded units Fakel, Potok, and Plamya, to fight in Ukraine. Anders Aslund: Preparing for Ukraines reconstruction As Ukraines counteroffensive gets underway, Western countries must help liberate all Ukrainians living under Russian occupation. But Western assistance must not end once Russia is defeated. Ukraines supporters must also help its postwar recovery. The Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lon The Kyiv IndependentAnders Aslund Moreover, Russia has been weaponizing energy supplies and using them as leverage for grand political corruption and manipulation for decades. Addiction to fossil fuels not only paid for the build-up of Russias war machine, but it is also a key driver of climate change and environmental degradation, which endangers future generations. In Ukraine today, when examining energy-related issues, energy security is of the utmost importance. Therefore, oil and fossil fuel imports must be replaced with local Ukrainian clean energy sources. Ukraine must become a global showcase of a rapid clean energy transition. Since centralized energy infrastructure, like nuclear power plants, oil refineries, gas storage tanks, and pipelines, will likely continue to be Russian targets in the foreseeable future, Ukraine needs decentralized, locally produced energy. This is especially the case since energy sources like wind and solar are free, and will continue to be so. Plans for energy decarbonization and green transformation remain relevant, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at the start of the year. The war has made these challenges even more urgent. We will actively use the potential of renewable energy: solar, wind, hydropower generation, hydrogen technologies. Timothy Ash: Some concerns on Ukraines reconstruction As we approach the much heralded and expectant Ukraine Recovery Conference due to be held in London later this month, I cannot help but feeling a little perplexed, or even disturbed by a number of developments is it just me? But... First, I am just amazed how quickly an industry The Kyiv IndependentTimothy Ash Today and in the coming years, Ukraine needs to build out its clean energy infrastructure, as well as create high-paying jobs for its people. After Ukraine wins the war, this will be especially important, as it will need to find jobs for its soldiers returning from war. Plans to join the European Union will further allow Ukraine to take advantage of the massive program to train clean energy workers as part of the new EU Skills Agenda. Labor organizations are also backing the rapid growth of jobs in the clean energy sector, highlighting the International Labour Organizations Green Jobs Initiative. Multiple programs have helped to drive growth in the clean energy sector to nearly 13 million jobs in 2022, as shown by an annual study by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Trends show these jobs are growing more rapidly than in almost any other sector. A Ukrainian clean energy revolution is the clear solution for energy security, new employment opportunities, and sustainable economic recovery. Still, massively deceptive PR and lobbying efforts by fossil fuel companies continue to attempt to coerce politicians and push for continued reliance on prohibitively expensive oil and gas. According to a figure by the Ukrainian government, Ukraine can continue to set aside $8-9 billion in public funds annually to subsidize imported gas. Kyiv should have instead been investing in the economically advantageous expansion of locally produced solar and wind energy. For a successful export market, political leaders and business planners must develop long-term, affordable domestic clean energy supplies, or they and their products will be uncompetitive in global markets and fail. Ukraine needs to immediately develop plans for building out its infrastructure based on renewables, the cheapest form of energy. Peter Gleick: A call to condemn attacks on water systems in Ukraine Early in the morning of June 6, the massive Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro River, under the control of Russian occupying forces, was destroyed in the largest attack on vital civilian water infrastructure since World War II. The dam and the reservoir behind it were built in the mid-1950s to The Kyiv IndependentPeter Gleick Ukraines reconstruction can be an essential part of the European Green Deal. The 1.8 trillion euro (nearly $1.97 trillion) EU investment from the NextGenerationEU recovery plan and the EUs seven-year budget can be key financial sources for this effort. The EU recently announced it would provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros ($54.58 billion) in aid for 2024-2027. These are the EU's biggest economic stimulus packages ever, and Ukraine must begin work to access it, as well as many other funds to support a clean energy transition. The recent progress of our civil initiative, Re-Energy Communications Network, is already showing promise to move this work forward. Recent research shows that prioritizing decarbonization while rebuilding the Ukrainian economy will only require a small amount of additional investment as compared to continued reliance on vulnerable fossil fuel infrastructure which, apart from energy security concerns, will cost billions via pollution and health problems and contribute to climate disruption. This global disruption was given an expected cost recently by the Wall Street Journal at $178 trillion by 2070. Thanks to the international communitys dedication to supporting Ukraines economic recovery, as well as the hard work of the Ukrainian government, Ukraine is already in a fantastic position to bring forward massive foreign support to rebuild its energy infrastructure with modern, clean technologies. The Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, as well as our event on its eve, discussed how to boost Ukraines clean energy reconstruction in the next few years. We also released research that unveils Ukraine's renewable energy potential and its crucial role in post-war reconstruction, as well as localization of renewable energy equipment production within Ukraine. Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Submit an Opinion LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) - A Swiss court on Thursday acquitted six police officers of their involvement in the death of a Black man who suffered a fatal heart attack after he was held down in the street during arrest. The judge described the case as "tragic" but said the court had to acquit the officers based on the evidence. Supporters of the victim's family began leaving the courtroom as the verdict was read out, shouting "shame" and "scandal"! (Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) Sylvester daCunha designed the 'Amul Girl' campaign in the 1960s Tributes are pouring in for Indian advertising guru Sylvester daCunha who created the iconic Amul girl advert. He died on Tuesday night in the western Indian city of Mumbai but Amul announced his death on Wednesday. He is credited with designing the Amul girl campaign in 1960s - a popular mascot that has since become the face of the dairy brand. Amul, a dairy co-operative based in the western state of Gujarat, is one of the largest milk producers in the world. On Wednesday, Jayen Mehta, Amul's managing director tweeted about daCunha's death, saying "the Amul family joins in mourning this sad loss". Sylvester daCunha died on Tuesday Pavan Singh, the brand's general marketing manager, called daCunha a "legend of Indian advertising world" and credited him with designing "one of longest continuously running advertising campaigns in the world". "This campaign scaled new heights, moved seamlessly from OOH (Out-of-home advertising) to print, TV and then digital and social media, enhancing its reach and popularity across multiple generations," he said. Several politicians, businessmen and advertising professionals have taken to Twitter to express their grief over daCunha's death. Congress lawmaker Sashi Tharoor said that he was saddened by the news. "An era has passed. RIP," he tweeted. Trinamool Congress politician and ex-quiz master, Derek O'Brien shared a favourite Amul ad of his and said that he had "much respect and admiration" for daCunha. Amul girl ads offer a witty commentary on social events The ad guru is reported to have designed the "Amul Girl" ad campaign in 1966, after his advertising agency was given the account of Amul butter. The mascot - a mischievous girl with blue hair and a polka-dotted dress - first appeared on a few billboards in Mumbai and has since become an important part of the brand's history. Over the years, the Amul girl has also played the role of a social commentator. The brand's ads featuring her have offered a tongue-in-cheek take on almost every significant event in India - be it a political scam or a sporting achievement. Amul's milk products are ubiquitous in India, making the brand a leader in the dairy category and one of India's largest milk producers. BBC News India is now on YouTube. Click here to subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features. Read more India stories from the BBC: Medical gloves discarded on sidewalk. Medical gloves discarded on sidewalk. Credit - LindseyNicholson/Education Images/Universal Images GroupGetty Images (To get this story in your inbox, subscribe to the TIME CO2 Leadership Report newsletter here.) The business of healthcare in the U.S. is a big business, from the hospitals providing patients with care to companies that manufacture medical devices. In total, the U.S. spends more than 18% of GDP on health care. So perhaps it shouldnt come as a surprise that health care also has a massive carbon footprint: its responsible for more than 8% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. For years, the climate impact of health has received less attention than other carbon-intensive sectorsbut that may be changing. Last year, more than 60 of the countrys largest hospital and health care companies committed to cut emissions in half by 2030 in a pledge coordinated by the Biden Administration. At the Aspen Ideas Festival this week, I led a discussion on the emerging push to decarbonize the health industry. Its an important topic with lessons for businesses inside and outside of that sector. Getting there will require a dramatic change. Shifting mindsets is hard in any industry, but its particularly the case in health care where practices are, at least in theory, dictated by a need to protect human health. Many items designed to protect human health, like single-use syringes and gowns, arent all that great for the planet. But leaders in the space say theres opportunity despite these challenges. Some are questioning long-held assumptions, revealing opportunities to change practices in ways that cut emissions without harming health outcomes. And theres a business case: fewer emissions typically correlates with lower costs. In Aspen, I spoke with Seema Gandhi who serves as the medical director of sustainability at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. Gandhi, an anesthesiologist who trained in India and the U.K., noticed that her hospital in the U.S. was using four times as much desflurane, a greenhouse gas used in inhaled anesthesia, as in the U.K. Not only does desflurane cost more, but the excess gas that isnt inhaled is vented outside where it contributes more to global warming than other alternatives. She evaluated the data, and presented the business case. By making the switch, the hospital saved $300,000 in a year. It also saved the equivalent of taking 159 cars off the road between 2018 and 2020 as it phased out the gas. Read more: Why the Staff of Europes Most Valuable Company Is Getting Climate Training Hospital systems are finding similar examples by questioning long-held assumptions. Forward-thinking hospitals are reconsidering which single-use items can actually be reused or recycled (such as hospital gowns, in some circumstances). Even the number of air exchangesthe frequency of air being cycled outin the hospital environment is being considered. Crucially, all of these measures can save money. Climate mitigation and resilience are definitely beneficial for that bottom line, said Shanda Demorest, associate director of climate engagement and education at Health Care Without Harm, a non-profit working to limit the environmental footprint of the health sector, on the panel. Read more: Climate Change Isnt Just a Global ThreatIts a Public Health Emergency And then theres energy, a huge cost for hospital systems. Take the Gundersen Health System, which operates seven hospitals and dozens of clinics in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. Jeff Thompson, the former CEO, said that when he first pitched decarbonization efforts 15 years ago to his board he framed it carefully to avoid talking about climate change and instead focused on how air pollution affected the local population. In the years that followed, he switched the systems power supply to run on renewables and cut its emissions by 95%. Were making money, lowering the cost of care, improving the local economy, he said on the panel. The health sectorlike any industryhas its own quirks. But theres a lesson for any business: dont write off decarbonization just because youre set in your current practices. Hospitals, of course, are only one part of health cares carbon footprint. To truly decarbonize, it will require buy-in from medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and others. Still, hospitals can help lead the way. TacoSur went viral and got packed, but its still the best new taqueria in Chicago Veronica Fabre couldnt figure out why so many people were lined up outside TacoSur Birreria Tijuanense, her restaurant that opened in April. It happened so fast, Fabre said. I kept wondering, where are they coming from? Why are there 10 parties waiting to get in the door? Then I found this viral video. Posted on TikTok and Instagram, the video from @cai.eats.chi got right to the point: Chicago, I think I may have done it. I think I might have found some of the best tacos in the city. The creator went on to showcase TacoSurs freshly made corn tortillas and tacos stuffed with fillings like beef birria and grilled pork ribs. The video has picked up 544,900 views on TikTok and another 750,000 on Instagram. The taco-eating public got the message, swamping TacoSur and nearly overwhelming the operation. Wait times ballooned. Many complained loudly on Yelp and Google about the slow service, dinging the shop with numerous 1-star reviews. We got a lot of feedback, Fabre said. Instead of getting flustered, Fabre quickly realized she was lucky to have a busy restaurant. Now I think, we just have to be nice and friendly, Fabre said. Just tell people to come on a different day. But Im so happy. I feel blessed because people want to come here. Id prefer not to add more fuel to the fire. But if any new taqueria deserves to be slammed, its TacoSur. I thought a lot about the absurdity of those 1-star Yelp reviews as I devoured the doraditos, two lightly fried corn tortillas topped with intricately spiced and shredded beef birria, creamy beans, onions, cilantro and a hefty spoonful of salsa roja. Were these my favorite new tacos of the year? Then I tried the adobada tacos, which feature absurdly juicy slivers of marinated and charred pork cut off a vertical spit. But if its in stock, the taco to try is the costillas. The cooks grill marinated pork ribs over charcoal until the bones slip out and youre left with outrageously tender nuggets of slightly sweet and spicy pork thats infused with smoke. You can get the meat on a perfectly acceptable store-bought tortilla, but Id spring for the freshly made corn tortillas, which pick up toasty char marks from the griddle. While TacoSurs rise might seem unexpectedly fast, I expected nothing less from Fabre. The last time I chatted with her, she had just opened Tacos El Rey. That excellent taqueria is located on the East Side, which is as far south and east as you can get in the city before running into Indiana. Fabre had fallen for the taco scene of Tijuana and wanted to replicate both the food and atmosphere with that restaurant. This meant that the tacos were wrapped in paper and dolloped with guacamole, while the space was sleek and bright red and white. She even had the cooks cover each plate with plastic, as is common in Mexican taquerias. While that location is still busy, Fabre kept hearing from customers hoping shed open a restaurant a little farther north. A lot of people asked me when I was going to open a location in Little Village, Fabre said. Then one day I was driving around the neighborhood and saw the building at 31st and Pulaski. She knew the area well. Born in Mexico City, Fabre moved with her family to the Little Village neighborhood when she was 7. Thats my neighborhood, Fabre said. I went to school a few blocks away from where TacoSur is now. She also isnt the first one from her family to sell food in the area. For about 10 years, her parents were street vendors, selling tamales from a cart. Now Im back in the same neighborhood, Fabre said. It was emotional to me. A little girl from Little Village now has this huge place. Its amazing. While Tacos El Rey featured a bright red and white color scheme, TacoSur is cobalt blue and white. Fabre said she was inspired by the ornate bottles of her favorite tequila, Clase Azul. To get the right atmosphere, Fabre went to Mexico to buy much of the gear. I had to go to Mexico to get the outfits. I brought the hats and the stone molcajetes. I had to carry those on the plane, she said of the mortar and pestle sets. Fabre isnt done with TacoSur. In the same parking lot is a separate building that shes calling TacoSur Taqueria. Itll serve the same tacos, except this one will be takeout only and will stay open until 2 a.m. So you can come by and eat tacos late at night, Fabre said of the outpost that does not yet have an opening date. Along with a packed new restaurant, Fabre also recently celebrated getting her citizenship. It was just an emotional day for everyone, Fabre said of the June 9 ceremony. I got here when I was 7 years old. I married a U.S. citizen, but every time wed travel, theyd stop me. Now I dont have to worry about that. This gives me so many opportunities. Now that I have (citizenship), there are no limits. TacoSur Birreria Tijuanense, 3057 S. Pulaski Road; 773-502-0647; tacosurchicago.com nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com WASHINGTON When Congress approved up to $2 billion in Taiwan military aid per year via the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, appropriators balked. They instead opted to fund that assistance as U.S.-backed loans, fearful that providing such a large amount of security aid via grants would take too much out of the budget for the State Department, which administers the program. But this year theyve changed their tune. House Republicans have allocated $500 million in Taiwan Foreign Military Financing a program that allows other countries to purchase U.S. military equipment using grants or loans in their FY24 State Department spending bill. The House foreign aid funding panel released the draft text of its appropriations bill on Thursday and is expected to vote on it Friday. The proposed Taiwan military aid aims to deter China from attacking the island. Beijing views Taiwan as a rogue province and has threatened to retake the island by force if necessary. Appropriators from both parties argued last year that allocating Foreign Military Financing, or FMF, for Taiwan would force a limited State Department budget to compete with other security assistance programs or possibly humanitarian priorities. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the top Republican on the Senates State Department funding panel, expressed those concerns to Defense News last year. But in April he indicated that he wants his panel to reverse course this year, stating that we need to actually put money toward Taiwans defense needs. The State Department did not request Taiwan Foreign Military Financing, or FMF, in its FY24 budget request. Instead it asked for an additional $113 million worldwide FMF account, which could be used for Taiwan or other countries across the globe. Providing FMF grant assistance to Taiwan was among the 10 bipartisan proposals the China Committee recommended to the House in May. Even as the House bill adds $500 million to the security aid budget for Taiwan, it cuts the State Department budget to $52.5 billion, 24% below President Joe Bidens budget request. Democrats derided the State Department cut as harmful, with Appropriations Committee top Democrat Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut arguing that full funding is critical to bolstering our national security. The bill also maintains traditional levels of security aid funding for other U.S.-friendly countries. That includes $3.3 billion in FMF for Israel, $1.3 billion for Egypt and $425 million for Jordan the top three U.S. military aid recipients this year. Taiwans $762 billion gross domestic product is significantly higher than all three of those countries, and Taiwanese lawmakers have approved an $18.3 billion defense budget for FY23 a 13.9% increase over FY22. Separately, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Senate in March that he plans to take advantage of another FY23 defense authorization to transfer U.S. weapons to Taiwan from U.S. stockpiles via presidential drawdown authority, the same mechanism Biden has used to send weapons to Ukraine. My team is working diligently to make sure that we have the right capabilities in that particular drawdown, Austin said. And of course we have that authority. We will need the appropriations as well. The FY23 National Defense Authorization Act stipulates that Taiwan must increase its defense budget every year to remain eligible for the FMF program. As rescuers raced to find a handful of wealthy people and explorers who vanished after launching a mission to survey the Titanic, another disaster at sea that's feared to have left hundreds of people dead has been swept from the spotlight. Last week's sinking of a fishing boat crowded with migrants trying to get from Libya to Italy sparked arrests, violent protests and questions about authorities failure to act or find a long-term solution to the issue. But many human rights advocates are frustrated that the world seems to have already moved on and that the resources and media attention being dedicated to the Titan rescue efforts far outweigh those for the sunken migrant ship. Its a horrifying and disgusting contrast, Judith Sunderland, associate director for Human Rights Watchs Europe and Central Asia division, said in a telephone interview, reflecting on the apparent disparities in resources and media attention on the two crises. The willingness to allow certain people to die while every effort is made to save others ... its a, you know, really dark reflection on humanity, she said. Sunderland wasn't alone in raising concerns over disparities in attention and resources dedicated to the search for the crew of explorers aboard the missing submersible, named Titan, compared with the deadly shipwreck last week of a vessel carrying hundreds of migrants and asylum-seekers. The front pages the past few days have been dominated by the search for the missing sub, said Josie Naughton, co-founder and CEO of Choose Love, a U.K.-based nongovernmental organization supporting refugees around the world. She said thousands more articles appeared to have been published about the submersible than about the migrant boat, yet, its 100 times as many people who are feared to have lost their lives and these people, they were forced to flee their homes, they were looking for safety. A fishing boat carrying migrants trying to reach Europe capsized and sank off Greece on Wednesday, authorities said, leaving at least 79 dead and many more missing in one of the worst disasters of its kind this year. (Thanassis Stavrakis / AP) Whilst of course we hope so much that the people on board get brought to safety, it does kind of make you question, whats the difference in terms of how the media is covering it but also in terms of how, you know, the governments and government infrastructure responds, Naughton added. Why is it so different? The search for Titan is a race against time as the oxygen supply dwindles on the vessel, which has been missing since it lost contact with its mother ship, the Polar Prince, an hour and 45 minutes after launching its dive early Sunday. The U.S. Coast Guard had said that 96 hours' worth of oxygen is available for the crew of five and it will run out by early Thursday morning, although the exact amount is not known. With the support of agencies from other nations, the Coast Guard has been racing to find the vessel and its passengers, who have been identified as Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, the company behind the mission; British billionaire Hamish Harding, owner of Action Aviation; French dive expert Paul Henry Nargeolet; and prominent Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman. Images released by the U.S. Coast Guard show the Titan rescue efforts underway Tuesday. (@USCGNortheast / Twitter) Sunderland said she was not surprised that the search for Titan and its passengers was attracting media attention. The focus on very wealthy people potentially dying on a vanity trip, you know, thats a good story, she said. The real issue in my mind is the resource question. Hundreds feared dead in Greece shipwreck Greek authorities have so far recovered the bodies of at least 81 people, and more than 100 passengers have been rescued, including Pakistanis, Egyptians, Syrians, Afghans and Palestinians. But survivors and the United Nations have said hundreds were aboard the boat and many are still missing and feared dead. If a death toll in the hundreds was confirmed, it would be among the worst shipwrecks recorded in the Mediterranean. Greek authorities have further been criticized for not acting to rescue the migrants, even though a coast guard vessel escorted the trawler for hours. International maritime law dictates that authorities are obligated to conduct immediate rescue operations with or without an explicit plea for help. Gianluca Rocco, head of the Greek section of the International Organization for Migration, the U.N. migration agency, called it one of the biggest tragedies in the Mediterranean. Artist Oliver Jeffers shared his feelings with a cartoon on Tuesday, which marked World Refugee Day. It depicted a news crew focusing its cameras on a vessel under the sea while turning away from people appearing to drown in nearby waters. While we are glued to the news about 5 mostly wealthy tourists lost on a submarine on their way to seek the wreckage of a sunken ship, today is World Refugee Day, and only last week a boat holding hundreds of refugees sank off the coast of Greece, Jeffers wrote in an Instagram post accompanying the graphic. Left: Pakistani mother Tazeem Pervaiz weeps as she holds a photo of her missing son Taquir at her home in Kashmir on Tuesday. Right: Syrian Kassam Abozeed searches for his missing wife, Israa, and brother-in-law in Kalamata, Greece. (Sajjad Qayyum / Angelos Tzortzinis / AFP via Getty Imaes) Many (including children) lost their lives on that sinking ship while on their way to seek a safer existence, he said. Its hard to not be cynical about the state of society that this story has gripped us in the midst of a constantly rising refugee crisis with more and more people dying on the daily, and not getting nearly as much attention. He asked his followers to make a donation to the International Rescue Committee while we watch for news of a still hopeful safe return of the missing sub. While many shared similar sentiments, not everyone agreed. Commenting on Jeffers post, one person wrote: The submarine story is leading the news because it is extraordinary, it is weird, and it is associated with a 100+ year old event that has long been part of pop culture. As sad as it is, a refugee boat going down is not altogether that uncommon, so it is naturally going to capture the publics imagination less than a missing deep-sea submarine, they said. Acting like we pay attention to one at the expense of the other is a logical fallacy: people can think about two things at once. A fishing boat crammed to the gunwales with migrants trying to reach Europe capsized and sank Wednesday June 14 off the coast of Greece, authorities said, leaving at least 79 dead and many more missing in one of the worst disasters of its kind this year. (Thanassis Stavrakis / AP) Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said she was deeply saddened by the tragedy off the Greek coast, and she promised to strengthen cooperation between the European Union and nearby countries to prevent such tragedies. Human rights groups have argued, however, that the current focus on efforts to crack down on migrant smuggling means migrants and refugees often feel forced to take longer and more dangerous routes to reach safe countries. The best way to prevent the deaths of migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees seeking safety is to create safe and legal routes for asylum-seekers to reach safety so that theyre not forced to take these journeys, Naughton said. While she didnt know what the outcome of the search for the missing submersible and its passengers might be, what I do know is that 500 people risking their lives in search of safety deserve the same respect as the lives of those on the Titan, she said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com (Photo : Henry Nicholls - WPA Pool/Getty Images) European Union countries agreed on a new sanctions package against Russia that aims to prevent Moscow from circumventing previous sanctions over its war on Ukraine. On Wednesday, European Union countries agreed on a new sanctions package to prevent Russia from circumventing previous sanctions over its war on Ukraine using third countries and businesses. The EU had already imposed ten sanctions on Moscow since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military troops to invade Ukrainian territory on Feb. 24, 2022. The sanctions affected banks, companies, markets, and even parts of the sensitive energy sector. Furthermore, over 1,000 Russian officials were subjected to asset freezes and travel bans. New EU Sanctions Affecting Russia European officials have conducted much work in the latest batch of sanctions, including the closing of loopholes to prevent Russia's goods that are vital to its war effort not make it through using countries that trade with the EU and have continued a business-as-usual relationship with Moscow as a pathway. In a statement, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the latest package would further blow the Russian president's war machine. As per the Associated Press, she noted that this would be cone with tightened export restrictions and targeting entities supporting the Kremlin. Von der Leyen added that the anti-circumvention tools put forward with the new package would keep Russia from acquiring sanctioned goods. This is the first time plans were announced to target trade via other countries. This is apart from sanctions against Iranians who have allegedly supplied drones to Moscow. Furthermore, the new set of sanctions prohibits the transit of products via Russia of products and technologies that could bolster Moscow's defense and security sector. The latest package allows the bloc to take stricter action to end practices that it deems are connected to Moscow's trade. It also allows explicit authorities to implement measures restricting the sale or export of sensitive dual-use goods and technology to third countries that could transfer the products to Russia. Later this week, officials plan to reveal details of the new measure when the written procedure officially adopts the sanctions. According to Inquirer, authorities have agreed on previous sanctions in just months, which is a relatively quick timeframe for the EU. Read Also: China Slams Biden for Calling Xi a 'Dictator' Targeting Moscow's Trade Capabilities However, it is getting harder for lawmakers to endorse new measures as they continue to damage some member countries' economies and political interests despite targeting Russia. One example is Hungary, which earlier this week said it would not allow EU measures targeting Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom. Budapest officials have insisted on the importance of such energy to maintain Europe's security and environmental goals. The sanctions came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv's counteroffensive was progressing slowly. The remarks were made during an interview where Zelensky said that Ukrainian forces would not be pressured into accelerating their offensive despite the lack of advances. The Ukrainian president said that some people believe the situation is a Hollywood movie and want to see the results as soon as possible. He argued that it was very different because people's lives were at stake, said DW News. Related Article: Russia's Next-Gen Sarmat ICBMs Ready for Deployment @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tallahassee police arrested a Dothan, Alabama, man in connection with an alleged hit-and-run crash that killed a 70-year-old pedestrian. Quavon Engram, 22, was arrested Wednesday on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash involving a death, according to court records. He was booked into the Leon County Detention Facility. On the night of May 14, Oscar Eugene Ash Jr. was crossing North Monroe Street at John Knox Boulevard when a silver sedan struck him in the inside lane, dragging him under the car, according to the arrest report. Ash was taken to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, where he was pronounced dead. More: Midtown crash becomes 4th pedestrian death in Tallahassee in about a one month span A number of witnesses who either saw the crash or were at the scene in the immediate aftermath gave similar accounts of what happened. The driver exited the light-colored vehicle, one witness told police, and looked at Ash on the ground. The driver walked around in circles before getting back into his vehicle and driving away. One of the witnesses followed the suspect vehicle, getting the tag numbers in the process, before returning to the scene and speaking with officers. The witness said the driver was actively trying to elude him by speeding well above the posted limit. Two days after the crash, a deputy with the Houston County Sheriffs office in Alabama stopped the vehicle, which had been entered into a Florida Department of Law Enforcement database. Engram, who was driving at the time, made no statements about the crash. The car, with Engrams cellphone inside, was impounded. The cars owner, Engrams girlfriend contacted the Tallahassee Police Department not long after. She told investigators that Engram, who had open access to her car, was driving it the day of the crash and that she had no knowledge of where he was at the time. Engram called TPD himself on May 22 and said he was driving through Tallahassee the day of the crash when he hit something in the road. Engram said he didnt see what he hit and when he exited the car to look, he thought it was a dog under his vehicle, the arrest report says. Engram added he panicked (unknown reason) and got back into his car and left the area. Police asked Engram to come to the station to give an official statement. Engram said he would have to get advice from a lawyer before doing so. A judge signed off on his arrest warrant on June 9. Data from Engrams phone showed him in the area of the crash when it occurred. Police also obtained surveillance video from a gas station on North Monroe showing Engram alone inside the car minutes before the crash. Ash is among four pedestrians who have been struck and killed in Tallahassee over a roughly month-long span. According to his obituary, he grew up in Miami and had worked as a maintenance technician. He was survived by two daughters, seven grandchildren, a sister and two brothers. Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com and follow @JeffBurlew on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee police arrest man in fatal North Monroe St. hit and run ST. PETERSBURG Kiah Bowers and her wife, Diana, were torn. It was June 2022, and they wanted to celebrate Pride with their then-3-year-old daughter, to watch her catch rainbow beads and let out her excited toddler squeal alongside friends. It was a chance to be with their community other LGBTQ+ parents and their children around Tampa Bay. But recent news clips were harrowing. They had read articles about drag queen story hours being shut down around the state, about a Naples church facing backlash after hosting an event for LGBTQ+ teens, about threats of a mass shooting at a Pride event in West Palm Beach. St. Pete Pride Family Day was clearly marked. Would they risk it, with their little girl in tow? They opted out. This year, they decided, they wouldnt be deterred. The festival, held at North Straub Park on June 10, looked as if it were pulled from a childs dream. Rainbow balloons floated under the tree canopy. Kids faces were painted to look like tigers, Spiderman and pastel unicorns. They lined up to meet a drag queen with long, flowing sleeves, to smile big in photos with a performer on rainbow stilts. There was a bubble party. Colorful candy. The Bowers felt safe, and their daughter delighted. She calls Pride the Rainbow Parade. Its everything a 4-year-old girl could possibly want, Bowers said. Then, on the way back to the car, a protester with a microphone took aim. Pointing at the Bowers, he chided: You are pedophiles. At the same time, another street preacher called out to children passing by: Disavow your parents. God will send you all to hell. Their daughter was scared. They didnt care that these were kids, Bowers said. It was really nasty. It cut deep. Across Florida, LGBTQ+ parents like the Bowerses worry about doctor appointments and whats for dinner, balancing work with laundry and bedtime stories the ordinary stressors of parenting. But on top of that, they worry for their families safety. They fear that their children will be punished for having queer parents in a state where lawmakers this year passed more anti-LGBTQ+ legislation than any other. Yet many cant shake the feeling that now, in the midst of attacks on their ability to live peacefully, they need to wear their identity openly and be proud. Its not just me When Lexi Floyd-Nye married her wife, Tonya, in 2017, St. Petersburg felt like a refuge for LGBTQ+ couples in the South. They met in a Gulfport bar, a short walk from the library with one of the largest LGBTQ+ book collections in the state. Theyd go out along Central Avenue and see pride flags draped from local coffee shops, breweries, boutiques. This, she thought, could be the perfect place to start their family. But six years and two children later, Floyd-Nye said living here feels different. She and Tonya have attended Pride every year without hesitation. This year, she felt pause. St. Pete has always been a safe haven, Floyd-Nye said. This is the first time in my life that I dont feel like that. Parenting as an LGBTQ+ mom, she said, has come to make her feel vulnerable. Its not just her safety she has to worry about its her childrens. Homophobic rhetoric has surged in certain corners of the internet, where swarms of commenters deride LGBTQ+ people as groomers intent on indoctrinating, exploiting or even abusing children. These baseless accusations of pedophilia have historic precedent. In the 1970s, political activist Anita Bryant led an influential charge to Save Our Children from gay people, particularly teachers. Today, in statehouses across the country, lawmakers have strongly restricted teachers from instructing on topics of sexual orientation and gender identity. With the stated intent of protecting childrens innocence, these pieces of legislation which critics dub Dont Say Gay bills in Florida and beyond have once again put LGBTQ+ parents on edge. Across the bay in Tampa, Callen Jones echoed that sentiment. Jones is a nonbinary parent of two toddlers. Their kids call them Baba. Uneasiness creeps in when Jones takes their children to use the restroom. People stare. I have two little kids. What do I do if somebody makes a scene? Jones said. Because now its not just me as an adult fighting for myself. From social media posts denigrating queer parents to people wearing T-shirts bearing LGBTQ+-related slurs, Jones has seen firsthand an emboldened hostility. And the language used is intensifying, Jones said. Grooming. Harming children. Dangerous. It can seem, Jones said, as though its a badge of honor to openly discriminate. And although Jones children are still very young, they worry what will happen as the girls get older. Will people bully the kids at school? Will parents exclude them from birthday parties? Will they be safe? Im tired, because all I want is to be able to provide an environment where my kids thrive and they are affirmed and they are loved, Jones said, their voice cracking. Im most afraid that who I am is going to make their life harder, and theres no way I can take that difficulty away. A sense of belonging LGBTQ+ parents need allies, Jones said. Not passive, share-a-post-on-Facebook allies, but the kind who speak up and say something when a loved one makes a harmful remark, when they see an act of discrimination or hate in public settings. For now, these parents are turning to one another for support and community, Jones said. In St. Petersburg, for Floyd-Nye, Pride month brought a reinvigorated sense of belonging a reminder that, despite her real safety concerns, she can find support in neighbors, local business owners, friends. Ive gone from feeling vulnerable and exposed to feeling really humbled and supported and like we do belong, Floyd-Nye said. Earlier this year, her family was thinking about leaving the state. I feel like in this political climate, thats what the other side wants, she said. And I refuse to give in to that. Kari Chin, who has four children with her wife, Debbie, said that just seeing the pride flag around town is a reminder to her family that, even amid all the pushback, they are at home here in St. Petersburg. In 2015, the Chins were one of three same-sex couples to sue after Florida refused to acknowledge both parents on their childs birth certificate. They won. Prides origins are rooted in protest, Chin emphasized. One of her children has a heart condition that makes it impossible for the family to attend this years festivities, but she said shes been sharing event listings with friends who have been traveling around the state to join different Pride celebrations. The goal: Show up, and be seen. Its so important that theyre happening, Chin said. That my kids can see the pride flag while walking down the street and see that theres a community that supports them. Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the genders of two children due to a reporting error. Callen Jones toddlers are girls. Tenant may be forced to pay thousands in electricity bills because of landlords neglect: Contact a lawyer and discuss a suit With the cost of living continuing to rise, it comes as no surprise that 67% of Americans are worried about how to afford expenses such as food, housing, bills, and health care. In the past few years, most of us have been trying to find ways to cut back on general costs and save a few dollars here and there to make life a little easier and a little less wasteful. TikToker CJ (@calihollywood) recently shared a video on the platform about how her electric bill is suspiciously high. Speaking to the camera in a classic TikTok story time video, she explained that she was initially shocked after finding out her electric bill was costing approximately $4,000 a month. After ringing the electric company to find out why, she was told that her apartment was being charged as a commercial building. She then goes on to explain that the company came to check her apartment out and, the following month, her bill dropped to $0. But the problem wasnt actually solved. Continuing the story, CJ explained that the next month her bill totaled $9,000. Thats f***ing crazy. That doesnt seem right, she said when recounting what she thought when she opened the shocking bill. Unfortunately, it was right and it all came down to the outdated building. Were using about five times the amount of electric that we should be using, she explains, adding that the high usage was a result of bad wiring and the apartment not being weatherized properly. Faulty electrical wiring and excessive energy consumption is an easy fix after all, the wiring just needs to be updated by a professional electrician. But in this case, the landlord hasnt bothered to make the fix, according to the TikToker. Excessive electricity use puts pressure on our Earths resources. According to The Global Footprint Network, humans currently use 74% more resources than what our planet can remake, which is greatly contributing to the overheating of our planet and harming our communities. Not only that, but its a drain on tenants money. Spending $9,000 on electricity is not an option for most people, including this TikTok user. I have to either file for bankruptcy or cough up $9,000, said @calihollywood. Other TikTok users were also shocked to see the bill and encouraged the original poster to act. Id be sending that bill straight to my landlord via certified mail, said one. Another added: Contact a lawyer and discuss a suit against your landlord if they dont want to work with you on this. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet. A terminally ill prisoner didn't want his gang to die with him. So he wrote From his prison cell, the older man with cancer in his stomach wrote down instructions to ensure his gang would not die with him. "Choose four representatives. Two youngsters and two older. Youngsters: One of middle school age, one of high school age. And the other two older. They have to be respected by their homies. "This way you cover all age groups and they know what the homeboys of that age are doing. I know when I was a youngster I knew those that were active and those that were content just belonging." Braulio Castellanos wrote those words in May, before a judge granted him compassionate release from prison a rare legal action that freed him after serving 35 years for two murders. He died last week at 64. Castellanos was only the eighth inmate granted compassionate release this year across a prison system that incarcerates about 95,000 people, said Mary Xjimenez, a spokeswoman for the state corrections department. Seventeen people were released last year, she said. A Mexican Mafia member who controlled one of the largest gangs in Los Angeles, Florencia-13, Castellanos shaped generations of gang members on the streets of California and in prison yards up and down the state. In his writings, seized from his cell before his release, Castellanos expounded on the current state of the Mexican Mafia, riven by infighting even as its influence spreads to new cities and new rackets, and put forward a vision for the future. "As it stands," he wrote, "a handful of brothers have the larger percentage of the funds being generated throughout Southern Calif. We, as the majority, shouldn't allow this to continue." A Florencia 13 gang tag on a stop sign along a stretch of Florence Avenue in 2007. (Los Angeles Times) Castellanos was born in Mexicali, Mexico, one of eight siblings, and was brought to Los Angeles by his parents when he was 6 months old, according to parole records. His nickname, "Babo," came from a younger brother's pronunciation of his first name, he told the parole board. He graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in East L.A. in 1977, working after school as a liquor store clerk. He later held jobs as an auto mechanic and a factory press operator. At 21, Castellanos was convicted of robbery and sentenced to six years in prison. He would later tell a probation officer those years programmed me for violence." "You have to be able to defend yourself in prison," he said. A year after getting out, Castellanos and his girlfriend decided to celebrate New Year's Eve at the Lettuce Patch Lounge in San Bernardino. Mark Vasquez, 22, came up to their table and demanded to know where he was from, Castellanos recalled at a parole hearing. I told them I was too old for that, you know. I was already 27 years old and I didnt play gang-banging or none of like that. Every time Castellanos passed Vasquez and his friends on the way to the bar, they yelled stuff at me," he said. "I tried to ignore them the best I can, but after a while they just got real nervy so when I passed by I yelled back, you know? A fight erupted. Castellanos recalled someone holding him in a headlock and being clubbed with a champagne bottle. I do remember having a knife in my hand and stabbing, he said. When the owner of the bar, Tito Lechuga, tried to break up the melee, Castellanos slashed his throat. The 65-year-old was dead by the time police arrived. Vasquez, stabbed 12 times, died later that night. "I was raised with a religious background, you know, and I had never killed no one," Castellanos told the board. "I had never hurt no one, in fact, before. And then to see this happen, you know, that felt like just something inside of me just died at that time, you know? Like the good in me just turned its back on me." Convicted of two counts of second-degree murder, Castellanos was sentenced to 21 years to life. "I pray to God every night that you die," Vasquez's mother said at his sentencing. It's unclear when he was inducted into the Mexican Mafia, a group of about 140 men drawn from the top ranks of Latino street gangs in Southern California, but at a parole hearing in 2000 Castellanos acknowledged he'd been classified by prison authorities as a member. A guard watches from a tower at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City. (Los Angeles Times) For 25 years, Castellanos lived under the most restrictive conditions the state prison system could offer: the Security Housing Unit, or SHU, at Pelican Bay. His younger brother Arturo, nicknamed "Tablas," was also at Pelican Bay, incarcerated since 1979 for murder. They could not use a telephone. Their mail was scrutinized and their visits were monitored. Yet the Castellanos brothers still managed to control their old gang, Florencia, from 700 miles away, law enforcement officials testified at trials in L.A. Quieter than his younger brother who grabbed headlines for his role as a prisoners' rights spokesman and grabbed the attention of law enforcement for allegedly triggering a race war in the Florence-Firestone neighborood Braulio Castellanos was arguably the true power behind Florencia, law enforcement officials and gang members say. Describing him as "the silent partner," a federal agent testified at a racketeering trial that Braulio Castellanos' name was rarely mentioned on wiretaps, but "we knew he was there." Prosecutors brought indictments against the gang that sent dozens of its members to prison for murder, drug dealing and extortion, although the Castellanos brothers themselves were never charged in federal court. Three Florencia members are set to stand trial next month on murder charges in the death of an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department officer, Fernando Arroyos, in a botched robbery. In 2015, the Mexican Mafia underwent a seismic shift. Prompted by protests and a hunger strike led in part by Arturo Castellanos, the state corrections department transferred prisoners out of the Pelican Bay SHU and onto general population yards. Held for decades in isolation, forced to relay orders through coded letters and hand gestures in the visiting room, Mexican Mafia members now had direct contact with their underlings and access to contraband cellphones. In his writings, Braulio Castellanos said this set off a land grab. "Consider this: Some brothers got out of the SHU before others. It became first come, first served. By the time I got out everything was taken. Those that claimed huge territory didn't offer me a thing." According to Castellanos, the Mexican Mafia has reached beyond the Southern California barrios where most of its members grew up. He acknowledged collecting money from gangs in Northern California, once considered the province of their most bitter rival, the Nuestra Familia. And an unnamed "brother" was "getting at barrios in other states and schooling them in the way we do things," he wrote. "Once he's done, he's explained to me that they will be placed under brothers. All will be watched closely so it will be done in a fair way." Razor wire tops a fence at California State Prison, Sacramento. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) The Mexican Mafia has no hierarchy. Decisions are supposed to be made by consensus: One man, one vote. But Castellanos wrote that some members have formed coalitions to manipulate the results. If they are outvoted on a conference call, which they dial into using cellphones, "they hold another conference a week later," he wrote, "and this time they leave the brothers out that voted against them." After lining up the votes to put a member in "bad standing," meaning to strip him of his authority and sources of revenue, these voting blocs "decide what is going to happen and when," Castellanos wrote. "They know who is holding the bro's assets and when it's done they go collect. The barrios, casitas, dispensaries, etc, that become available are first gone through by them." A member in "bad standing" must be killed. Castellanos scoffed at the idea of telling someone to "step down." "We all know there is only one way out," he wrote. In the case of Danny "Popeye" Roman, a dominant figure in the Mexican Mafia who was stabbed to death in 2020, "a substantial amount of brothers voted against it," Castellanos wrote. Hinting that Roman had been accused of being an informant, Castellanos said, "it was agreed on that he didn't do that intentionally," emphasizing in dark ink the last word, "and would remain in good standing." Roman was killed nevertheless. Castellanos advocated for a return to the old way of doing business, when a Mexican Mafia member laid claim only to the area where he was from. New territory, such as in Northern California, should be parceled out equally. "I have barrios up here and I'm willing to do my part," he wrote. In early May, Michael A. Smith, the retired judge who had sentenced Castellanos in 1988, ruled in San Bernardino that Castellanos had "a serious and advanced illness with an end of life trajectory" and ordered his prison sentence "recalled in its entirety," a record of the hearing says. On May 12, Castellanos, who had a wife waiting for him in Crescent City, two children and six grandchildren, left Solano state prison a free if dying man. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters Suleman Dawood did not want to go on the minivan-sized deep sea submersible to explore the shipwrecked Titanic on Sunday. In fact, according to his paternal aunt, he was terrified. But the 19-year-old, who had just finished his first year at Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow, Scotland, knew the dangerous expedition was important to Pakistani tycoon father, 49-year-old Shahzada Dawood. So even though he wasnt very up for it and had expressed his concerns to another family member, Suleman joined his lifelong Titanic obsessive father and four other strangers on the $250,000-a-head voyage to the wreck, located 400 miles off Newfoundland this weekend. If you gave me a million dollars, I would not have gotten into the Titan, Azmeh Dawood, Shahzadas sister, told NBC on Thursday. Dawoods harrowing confession comes after the U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday confirmed that all five people aboard the Titan are believed to be dead after the missing vessel suffered a catastrophic implosion. Officials say the tail cone of the submarine was found about 1,600 feet from the bow of the RMS Titanic and that the catastrophic loss of pressure chamber would have killed all aboard instantly. Doomed Titanic Submersible Suffered a Catastrophic Implosion The tragic news comes after a days-long search for the vessel that lost contact with its support ship less than two hours into the expedition, which was organized by OceanGate Expeditions. Those aboard the boat included Suleman and his father; OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush; British businessman Hamish Harding; and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet. I feel very bad that the whole world has had to go through so much trauma, so much suspense, Dawood added. I feel like Ive been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didnt know what youre counting down to. For friends and family of Nargeolet, who was affectionately referred to as Mr. Titanic because of his reputation as a veteran explorer of the famous shipwreck, his decision to take a trip to see the site wasnt unusual. The 77-year-old had already been on over 35 dives to the site and worked for RMS Titanic, which owns the salvage rights to the boat. So when Nargeolets daughter, Sidone Nargeolet, learned that her father was among the five people in the missing submersible, she said she instantly filled with a lot of stress, very mixed emotions. Speaking to Reuters prior to Thursdays grim confirmation about the Titan, Sidone said that her father knew how to react to problems in a submarine and that she was confident he was handling the situation well. "Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, and Stockton Rush." Engro Corporation Limited/Shannon Stapleton/Reuters What he liked the most was to be in a submarine, [near] the Titanic, she said. He is where he really loved being. I would prefer him [dying] at a place where he is happy. Matt Tulloch, who met Nargeolet while working for RMS Titanic in the 1990s, stressed to the Connecticut New Times on Thursday that his friend was a consummate professional and in many ways, a legend in exploration. Our hearts are with the families and friends of those aboard the submersible as we are collectively and individually mourning the loss of our long-term employee and colleague Paul Henri PH Nargeolet, the RMS Titan organization said in a Thursday statement. The maritime world has lost an iconic and inspirational leader in deep-sea exploration, and we have lost a dear and treasured friend. The Explorers Club, where Harding and Nargelot were members, also issued a statement on Thursday saying their hearts are broken over the tragic news of the failed expedition. Action Aviation, a Dubai-based company that counts Harding as its chairman, remembered the British businessman as one of a kind and said his employees adored him. He will leave a gap in our lives that can never be filled, the statement said. Prior to the news of the imploded Titan, the stepson of Harding also took to social media to discuss his feelings about the submarine. This whole situation is a fucking nightmare though, everything about it, especially what Hamish is going through down there, its just fucking God awful, he said. I havent slept in days, its not about me, obviously just too worried about my mom and the situation. Denise Reiss, who had been on several expeditions with Rush before, also paid tribute to the OceanGate CEO. In multiple posts on Facebook, Reisswife of former The Simpsons showrunner Michael Reiss, called Rush careful and brilliant, tackling the limits of what was possible. We are grievously sorry for his death on the way down to Titanic, she added. "Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet." Jannicke Mikkelsen via Reuters/HarperCollins France via Reuters For Mohad Malik, the tragic news of Thursday was a grim confirmation of what he already believed about the fate of his friend, Shahzada Dawood. I kind of had accepted it already..I wasnt optimistic, Malik, a 30-year-old based in London, told The Daily Beast. I thought it would end up being more of a recovery mission, not a rescue mission. He also noted that others close to the Dawoods felt a sense of false hope after search crews heard underwater banging noises on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Officials on Thursday, however, said that the noises didnt come from near where the Titan was eventually found and there was no connection to the submarine. My parents have spoken to the family, and they were very optimistic for a while, and now theyre shattered, Malik added. They were obviously shell-shocked when it first happened. And then they heard the news about the noises. Malik also paid tribute to his family friend, who he was fortunate enough to have forged his own relationship with. Noting that Shahzada was one of those guys that really think outside the box ...like an Elon Musk of Pakistan, he added that the businessman took pride in being very close with his teenage son. He was very close to his son. He dropped him off to university last year, and the entire family was very close knit, Malik added. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. (Bloomberg) -- Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is set to face an historic impeachment trial in the state Senate on Sept. 5, during which the Republican-dominated chamber will decide whether he should be permanently ousted from office. Most Read from Bloomberg Paxton, a prominent champion of far-right GOP legal fights, is the first statewide official to face removal from office in more than a century after an overwhelming majority of the GOP-led House approved 20 articles of impeachment against him. Paxton is accused of bribery, obstruction of justice and abuse of public trust, among other charges. One senator will be prohibited from casting a vote during the impeachment trial is Paxtons wife, Republican Angela Paxton. Under the rules for the trial approved by senators on Wednesday, she must be present in the chamber during the proceedings, but she will be unable to vote on any matters that come before the body. However, the rules still require two-thirds of the 31-member Senate to have to vote to authorize Paxtons permanent removal from office. There are 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats in the body. The highly anticipated trial will be conducted in public, but senators will hold deliberations behind closed doors. The proceedings are expected to shed light on the litany of allegations of criminal and ethical misconduct that have followed Paxton throughout most of his tenure as the states top law enforcement official. Senators spent two days ironing out the final details of the rules in private, before holding a public vote late Wednesday. They were afforded broad authority to dictate how the trial will be conducted, which could directly impact Paxtons chances of acquittal. The members faced significant pressure to adopt certain rules from Paxtons lawyers and the House lawmakers tasked with presenting the case for impeachment. Paxtons team urged an adoption of rules that would allow for a speedy, pretrial dismissal of the case based on the presently available evidence. However, House members stressed the need to conduct a trial using the same standards for procedure and evidence employed in courtrooms. The Senate will consider 16 of the 20 articles of impeachment passed by the House, according to the rules. The Senate will not tolerate unnecessary delays, outbursts, or side-bar remarks, the rules say. Prolonged, repetitive, or unnecessary questioning or posturing will not be allowed. During the trial, both Paxton and the group of House lawmakers presenting the case for impeachment will be able to present evidence to senators and call witnesses cross-examination will be permitted. Depositions will not be permitted. Read more: Texas AG Paxtons Impeachment Trial Draws Major Legal Minds Both sides must file witness lists with the Senate by August 22. Political observers have questioned whether Angela Paxton may be called to provide testimony in the case, given her close proximity to many matters at issue. Angela Paxton spoke publicly about her husbands impeachment for the first time on Monday before she was prohibited from voting emphasizing that she intends to be present for the proceedings. I took an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of this great state, and Texas law compels each member of the Senate to attend when the Senate meets as a court of impeachment, she said in a statement. I hold these obligations sacred and I will carry out my duties, not because it is easy, but because the Constitution demands it. The Texas Constitution also includes a provision directing lawmakers not to vote on measures in which they have a personal or private interest. One of the accusations against Ken Paxton is that he helped a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair get a job with Austin real estate developer Nate Paul a central figure in the bulk of the allegations facing Paxton. A probe into Paxtons conduct authorized by a House ethics panel uncovered evidence suggesting that Paxton may have improperly used his office to help Paul, who was being investigated by the FBI. They say Paxton may have directed his staff to withhold information from law enforcement connected to their probe and retained a lawyer to investigate Pauls adversaries. Paul was indicted earlier this month in Austin, on charges of making false statements to influence financial institutions over loan applications. Paxtons name didnt appear in the indictment, but experts said Pauls arrest raises the possibility that the developer could decide to provide evidence against Paxton as part of a plea deal. Read more: Texas AG Paxton Associate Nate Paul Is Indicted in Austin House lawmakers have also accused Paxton of retaliating against a group of former employees in the attorney generals office after they reported him to federal law enforcement officials alleging he took bribes. A handful of the whistleblowers sued Paxton saying as much, and struck a $3.3 million settlement with the Republican official money that would need to come from state coffers. State lawmakers declined to allocate any money toward the settlement and instead opened an investigation into the alleged conduct cited in the lawsuit. That probe was the basis for Paxtons impeachment. Texas has impeached only two elected officials former Governor James E. Ferguson in 1917 and former district Judge O.P. Carrillo in 1975. Paxton appears to be the fourth state attorney general to be impeached in the countrys history. Most recently, South Dakota legislators voted to impeach and remove Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg in 2022 after he struck and killed a pedestrian while driving. (Updates with details from the rules) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A postal worker collapsed and died Tuesday while on his route in Dallas amid extreme heat in the area, according to the U.S. Postal Service. While going door to door during Tuesdays high temperatures, family members told local outlet Fox 4 Eugene Gates Jr. collapsed in a front yard before a homeowner came outside to perform CPR. While a cause of death has not yet been determined, the heat index in the Dallas area reached 115 degrees Tuesday. According to NBCDFW, that's the highest in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 1980. According to the National Weather Service, heat index is a measure of what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with air temperature. Temperatures between 103 and 124 degrees fall under the "danger" category, and can cause the human body to feel heat cramps or heat exhaustion, with the possibility of heat stroke with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity, according to the National Weather Service. "The Postal Service is deeply saddened by the loss of life suffered yesterday involving a Lakewood Post Office Letter Carrier," the USPS told multiple outlets in a statement. "Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time." 'FUELED BY INFLATION': USPS stamp prices are increasing soon. Here's what to know. We spoke to a homeowner who would see Gates almost everyday. She provided us a Ring video of him recently delivering mail. She says: He loved his job. He loved the neighbors. More tonight on @FOX4 at 9 and 10 https://t.co/8kzzBjbbWo pic.twitter.com/lcPlW1KJOg Peyton Yager (@peytonyager) June 22, 2023 As the New York Times reported in 2022, at least 270 UPS and United States Postal Service drivers have been sickened or hospitalized due to heat exposure since 2015. Last year, a UPS driver in Arizona collapsed on a front porch from the heat. Contributing: Isabelle Butera, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas postal worker dies: USPS mail carrier collapsed amid Dallas heat State Sen. Angela Paxton, the wife of embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, will no longer be allowed to vote in her husbands upcoming impeachment proceedings as a result of new rules the state Senate approved Wednesday night. The Dallas-area Republican state senator had previously vowed to carry out (her) duties and not recuse herself from voting in her husbands upcoming impeachment trial. But following delays and closed-door negotiations, the state Senate adopted new rules ahead of Ken Paxtons September 5 impeachment trial, which now include barring the spouses of members who are the subject of impeachment proceedings from voting. A member of the court who is the spouse of a party to the court of impeachment is considered to have a conflict pursuant to the Texas Constitution, the resolution states. While the rules do allow Sen. Paxton to be present at the impeachment trial, the new rule states that, such member of the court shall not be eligible to vote on any matter, motion, or question, or participate in closed sessions or deliberations. The rules were passed by a vote of 25-3. There was no public debate prior to the vote, and the names of the senators who voted against the resolution were not immediately available. Angela Paxton said in a statement Thursday that she had voted against the impeachment rules. These same rules prohibit me from saying more about the proceedings, she said, stressing that she will still strive to be a voice for her district. Tony Buzbee, an attorney representing Ken Paxton, called the impeachment trial a sham in a statement Thursday after the Texas Senate announced the impeachment trial rules. Now that the Senate has adopted the rules, we look forward to proving every count of this sham impeachment is baseless, Buzbee said. Rusty Hardin and Dick DeGuerin, the attorneys chosen to prosecute the impeachment trial, said in a statement Thursday that the rules will provide a fair trial for both sides. Despite the lack of a unanimous vote, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, serving as president of the Senate as the vote was taken, said he considered the Republican-controlled chamber to be united in other ways. Youre united to take an oath so that justice prevails, that everyone will do their job to the utmost fairness, said Patrick. In a separate resolution, the Texas Senate demanded Paxton appear in-person to answer the impeachment charges. Ken Paxton was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives last month for alleged misconduct, including allegations that he used his office to favor the interests of a prominent donor. He has denied the allegations. Under the Texas Constitution, Paxton is suspended from office while the matter is pending but would be reinstated if acquitted by the Senate. CNN previously reported that he is also facing an FBI investigation for abuse of office and that Justice Department prosecutors in Washington, DC, took over a corruption investigation into Paxton. He is also under indictment for securities fraud in a separate, unrelated case. Paxton has denied all charges and allegations. CLARIFICATION: This story has been updated to more accurately explain the new rule that affects the possible involvement of a spouse of a subject of an impeachment trial. The story also has been updated with additional reaction. CNNs Ashley Killough, Sara Smart. Eric Bradner, Rosa Flores and Sara Weisfeldt contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A Texas woman accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot of her husbands parents, who owned an Austin jewelry store, was sentenced this week after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit murder. A Travis County Judge sentenced Jaclyn Alexa Edison, who was 19 at the time of the crime, to 10 years of probation and 300 hours of community service, FOX 7 in Austin reported. Along with probation and community service, Edison is required to surrender her passport and serve two days in jail on the anniversary of the murder for the next 10 years. Edison and her husband, Nicolas Shaughnessy were accused of hiring a hitman to kill Shaughnessys parents, Ted and Corey, who were owners of Gallerie Jewelers in Austin. TEXAS TEEN, GIRLFRIEND HIRED GUNMAN TO KILL MAN'S JEWELER FATHER, POLICE SAY Jacklyn Alexa Edison pleaded guilty to her involvement in a murder-for-hire plot in 2018, targeting Nicolas Shaughnessy's parents. Nicolas Shaughnessy pleaded guilty to his involvement in 2021. Nicolas Shaughnessy hired Arieon Smith and Johnny Leon to murder his parents, so he could cash in on their $2 million life insurance policy, as he and Edison were having financial struggles. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP In 2021, Nicolas Shaughnessy pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in the murder-for-hire plot. Smith and Leon were also given 35-year prison sentences, the station reported. TEXAS MAN PLEAD GUILTY IN MURDER-FOR-HIRE PLOT TO KILL HIS FATHER Jaclyn Alexa Edison was sentenced to 10 years of probation and 300 hours of community service for her involvement in a murder-for-hire plot of her husbands parents. Deputies discovered Ted Shaughnessy dead in his home with multiple gunshot wounds on March 2, 2018, after Corey Shaughnessy, the teens mother, called 911 to report an intruder at the home. Authorities said the murder-for-hire plot called for the mother to be killed as well, but she was unharmed. The family dog was killed in the break-in. The elder Shaughnessys company posted on Facebook in April that Nicolas Shaughnessy was set to take over the jewelry shop, and an obituary published in the Austin American-Statesman said he was "a proud father to his son, Nicolas." When questioned by detectives, Nicolas Shaughnessy said he owed his mother $30,000, which he allegedly borrowed to start a day-trading business. Earlier that week, FOX 7 said, the two got into an argument over the loan. Detectives also interviewed Edison and searched her phone, which contained a conversation between the couple and a neighbor over $2,600 that was loaned to Nicolas Shaughnessy in 2017. The investigation led detectives to the discovery Nicolas Shaughnessy was the sole beneficiary of his parents life insurance policy, and the conclusion the couple was experiencing financial struggles. This new Thai spot opens in Warner Robins. Its the fourth restaurant for this family A new Thai restaurant that just opened in Warner Robins lives up to its name. ZAAP Thai Street Food at 670 Lake Joy Road, Suite 400, in the Kathleen community is in its soft opening. Zaap in Thai means delicious or spicy, and on a recent, unannounced visit, everything I ordered was, in fact, delicious. I also asked two customers, sisters who are half-Thai, to share their thoughts. Chicken egg rolls at ZAAP Thai Street Food in Warner Robins. A review For starters, I chose the chicken egg roll, which is described on the menu as chicken and mixed veggies wrapped and deep fried served with sweet and sour sauce. The presentation was faultless. Served on a blue plate with garnishments, the three crispy egg rolls were filled with finely cut chicken and veggies and cut in such a way that made them easy to dip. Pad Thai with jumbo shrimp at ZAAP Thai Street Food in Warner Robins. For my entree, I tried the Pad Thai with jumbo shrimp, which the menu describes as stir-fried rice noodles with ZAAPs tamarind sauce, bean sprouts, red onion, green onion, tofu, eggs and peanuts. I asked for mild seasoning. Everything was just mixed together perfectly to create a sweet flavor. Served in a copper dish, the entree stayed warm throughout the meal. The atmosphere of the restaurant was inviting and relaxing and the service was excellent. A.J. Hill, left, and her sister, Janell Holloway, try ZAAP Thai Street Food in Warner Robins for the first time. A.J. Hill and Janell Holloway, sisters from Warner Robins, also stopped in on the second day the restaurant was open. We just wanted to try something new, Hill said. Were actually half-Thai and we like to try all the Thai food. Hill tried the Pad Ma Ma with no meat, which is described on the menu as stir-fried ramen noodles with Thai herb, egg and veggies in a chili garlic sauce. Meat options for this dish include chicken, jumbo shrimp and seafood. I think it was pretty authentic, Hill said. It was pretty good. Bamee Moo Daeng (dry) at ZAAP Thai Street Food in Warner Robins. Holloway also said she enjoyed her dish. She tried the Bamee Moo Daeng (dry), which is described on the menu as egg noodle with BBQ pork, fish cake, meatball flavored with fried garlic oil and veggies. The meat was tender, Holloway said. The mixes, the combination, made the flavor pop. The sisters also enjoyed their Boba milk teas. Holloway tried the Tiger milk tea, while Hill tried both the iced Thai tea and the Thai coffee. The restaurant also serves beer, wine, sake, Coca-Cola products, tea, including green and jasmine served hot, and refreshing drinks such as butterfly pea lemonade and red, green, peach and lime sodas. Desserts include Thai roti and snow ice with Sala-flavor syrup. From left to right, the owners and operators of ZAAP Thai Street Food in Warner Robins: Kook Supranee Sritan, Annie Porntip Ngernngok and Kai Patcharee Sintuwong. Family owned & operated The restaurant is owned and operated by sisters Kai Patacharee Sintuwong and Kook Supranee Sritan and their cousin Annie Porntip Ngernngok. KAAP is a sister restaurant to three other Middle Georgia restaurants: Kin.D.96 at 1057 Ga. 96, Warner Robins, which opened in 2019; Thai Pepper at 1806 Russell Parkway, Suite 1100, Warner Robins, which opened in 2015; and Kai Thai, 2600 North Columbia St., Suite C2, Milledgeville, which opened in 2008. Jackie Tonsiri, a server at ZAAP Thai Street Food in Warner Robins. Jackie and Cody Tonsiri met at Kai Thai in Milledgeville. She was already working there when he started traveling back and forth from Warner Robins to help out. On my recent visit, Jackie was my server, and her husband was in the back cooking. She was very attentive. I asked her about the owners. Theyre laid back, she said. Theyre very giving. They take care of their employees. ZAAP Thai Street Food is now open at 670 Lake Joy Road, Suite 400, Warner Robins. Next time During the break between lunch and dinner when the restaurant was closed, I was allowed to linger. I watched the restaurant staff finish up their duties and then relax over lunch. Stopping by her table to say goodbye to Jackie, I discovered what I would order on my next visit: the Tom Yum Noodle Soup that she was enjoying. Tom Yum Noodle Soup at ZAAP Thai Street Food in Warner Robins. The soup is described this way on the menu, The flavors are a combination of noodles with Thai flavors served with ground pork, fish cake, boiled egg, meatball and veggies. It looked amazing. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and from 4:30 p.m .to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday. The number is 478-287-2080. ZAAP Thai Street Food is now open at 670 Lake Joy Road, Suite 400, Warner Robins. ZAAP Thai Street Food is now open at 670 Lake Joy Road, Suite 400, Warner Robins. Chiang Mai Noodle at ZAAP Thai Street Food in Warner Robins. ZAAP Thai Street Food is now open at 670 Lake Joy Road, Suite 400, Warner Robins. Ka Na Moo Krop at ZAAP Thai Street Food in Warner Robins. The missing Titanic submarine search is ongoing, and there is no clear answer yet as to what caused the sub to lose contact with its support vessel, Polar Prince. However, some people ask whether Elon Musk's SpaceX is responsible for the communications problem of the Titan submarine of OceanGate. Is Elon Musk's SpaceX Responsible for Titanic Submarine's Comms? Even the most outlandish theories can capture the public's imagination in a world where news spreads like wildfire. One such theory that recently took the internet by storm was the claim that Elon Musk's SpaceX was somehow responsible for the missing Titanic submarine's communication failure. However, this theory holds no water. According to the Independent, some conspiracy theorists point out that the firm, which operates the submarine OceanGate Expeditions, previously mentioned SpaceX's revolutionary Starlink satellite internet service. In a tweet, OceanGate thanked Musk for the satellite internet service, enabling them to browse the web in the middle of the seas. The rumor mill went into overdrive after some online enthusiasts speculated that SpaceX's Starlink could have disrupted the communication systems of the lost submarine. However, it is time to set the record straight. Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla Chief Executive Officer, has finally broken his silence amid the disappearance of the Titanic tourist sub. Snopes shared an article on Twitter with the headline: "Was the Missing Titanic Submersible Using Satellites from Elon Musk's Company?" But the story notes that they "do not know how much Starlink is responsible for the loss of contact with the submersible, nor the reasons behind that loss of contact." Musk responded to the tweet, saying, "You [cannot] even run a good psy op." A context written and rated by Twitter users explains that Starlink operates between the 10.7 and 12.7 Ghz bands. Since the submarine travels underwater, the satellite internet "cannot be used to communicate with the watercraft. Furthermore, Mashable notes that the Titanic is so deep within the ocean that it is roughly 12,500 feet under the land. Vice notes that deep sea internet requires physical cables since even traditional WiFi signals cannot penetrate the water. Snopes went on to clarify that they have already revised their post, addressing misleading claims that the submarine used the satellite internet. Instead, it now says that "it was unknown if, or to what extent, the submersible itself relied on Starlink. Read Also: Tesla India Investment: Elon Musk Meets With PM Modi-Here's What They Discussed Missing Titanic Submarine The US Navy and the Coast Guard continue the extensive search for the missing vessel, including five passengers, including the OceanGate Expeditions' big boss, Stockton Rush. A British businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood are also onboard the tourist submarine, which dives into the Titanic wreck. A French maritime expert, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and British billionaire Hamish Harding are also reportedly missing. Related Article: SpaceX Launches Powerful Starship Rocket, Explodes Midair @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Thongs are OK on beaches but not butts. Miami-Dade bans seaside smoking As his 3-year-old daughter played under the shade of palm trees at Crandon Park Beach, Rodrigo Gonzalez looked on, holding a brightly-colored vape in one hand. The Doral resident can keep the vape for now, but an ordinance passed Wednesday will prohibit Gonzalez and other beach-goers from smoking cigarettes at Miami-Dade County beaches starting in early July. On Wednesday, the Miami-Dade County Commission voted unanimously to pass an ordinance banning smoking at county parks and beaches. The ordinance passed without discussion. This ordinance will apply to Haulover Park Beach, Crandon Park Beach, Rickenbacker Causeway beaches, the atoll pools at Matheson Hammock Park, Homestead Bayfront Park, Larry and Penny Thompson Park Beach and Amelia Earhart Park Beach. The ban will not prohibit the use of unfiltered cigars. State legislation signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022 has allowed cities and counties across Florida to implement smoking bans at beaches and parks. Cities and counties previously lacked that authority. Though Gonzalez smokes cigarettes in addition to vaping, he said he supports banning cigarettes at the beach to keep the sand and air clean. He said he thinks vaping is less bothersome to others than smoking cigarettes. Vaping will not be banned under the new ordinance. Kamirah Louissaint, 17, spoke in favor of the ban at the commission meeting and said shes ready to enjoy a smoke-free time by the ocean. I go to the beach, and youre more likely than not to see somebody smoking, Louissaint, a Little Haiti resident and part of the Students Working Against Tobacco organization, said outside the chambers. Aracely Alducin, who said she often sees people smoking at Miami beaches, said at Crandon Park Beach on Wednesday that smoking bans are important to protect childrens health. Sandra Lameira, who traveled to Miami with her 3-year-old son from Ontario, Canada, to celebrate his birthday, said at Crandon Park Beach that she supports the new ordinance. I honestly think its a great idea. Theres kids around, Lameira said. People throw their butts down, and it gets dirty. The commission cited both the adverse health consequences of secondhand smoke exposure and the cigarette butts some smokers leave behind as reasons for the ban in a memo from the mayor. Violators of the new ban will be subject to a civil citation and face a fine of up to $100 for their first offense. A second offense will carry a fine of $200, and third and subsequent offenses will carry a fine of $300. Jonnie Eli, a Florida International University student, said because he does not smoke, he does not expect the ban to impact him much. He added, while soaking up the sun with friends at Crandon Park Beach, he likes that the new ban will help keep the beach clean of cigarette butts. Eli said he usually sees more vaping than smoking at the beach. Like Gonzalez, Eli said he is more bothered by other people smoking cigarettes on the beach than vaping. Cities across the county already have smoking bans for their parks and beaches on the books. Last month, Miami voted to ban tobacco, cannabis and e-cigarette use in city parks and beaches. The city of Sunny Isles Beach adopted an ordinance prohibiting smoking in parks and on beaches last year. READ MORE: Want to smoke on the sand? A ban is coming to Miami Beach. What to know about the law Miami Beach voted to prohibit smoking on the beach last year, and the ban went into effect on Jan. 1. Ricky Arriola, the only Miami Beach commissioner who voted against the measure, told the Herald on Wednesday that he thinks beach smoking bans are examples of virtue signaling. Arriola said he thinks commissioners should focus on issues like traffic, affordable housing and crime, and he said recent smoking bans are unnecessary and will not be fully enforced. Bans on alcohol and coolers at beaches already exist throughout the county, Arriola said, and beach-goers frequently violate them without penalty. He added that he believes the same will happen with recent smoking bans. Arriola also expressed concern about international tourists who are unfamiliar with local laws being slapped with fines for smoking on the beach. Daniel Esperer, a tourist from Chile who said he smokes a little, said there are not laws in his country banning smoking on beaches. Alicia Machin, a tourist visiting from Argentina, said she does not smoke, and she supports the ordinance. Miami Herald staff writer Douglas Hanks contributed to this report. TikTok sensation Britney Joy, 35, and her mother died in a car crash on their way to a Juneteenth celebration. Tiffany Smith Cofield, Joys sister, stumbled upon the accident on her way home. It looked like her car, and everybody, when I was walking up, said a mom and daughter died, and I knew they had left and knew the only mom and daughter would be my mom and sister, Cofield told ABC13. According to the Houston Police Department, Joy was driving while her mother was in the passenger seat. Officers say when she entered into an intersection, her car was struck by a pickup truck, causing her car to slam into a tree. After the first impact with Joys car, the truck continued into the median and struck a Ford Fusion before flipping upside down. Joy and her mother died on the scene. The pickup driver only sustained minor injuries. It was determined the truck driver was not impaired. The driver of the Ford Fusion was not injured. Currently, the investigation is ongoing. Remembering Britney Joy Britney Joy, known as @ThatGirlBritneyJoy on TikTok, was among the many Black women on the app who bring smiles to their followers. Joy became an internet star with her viral and very relatable GRWM 9-5 parodies. She had over 400k TikTok followers. Britney Joy Posted The Morning of Crash Joys last post came just hours before the fatal car crash. Fans flooded the comment section with their condolences. GoFundMe for Services Joys sister created a GoFundMe to help with expenses following her family members deaths. The family wants to return both bodies to California for burial. My mom and sister were tragically taken away from us way too soon in an accident involving a reckless driver in Houston, Cofield wrote when she launched the online fundraiser through GoFundMe. This was just as my sister, beloved TikToker Brittany Joy, began rising up in fame for her 9-5 videos that hit the Internet by storm. Everyone related to her stories and those of her characters. Cofields GoFundMe has raised more than $99K in donations from more than five thousand donors. The post TikTok Star Britney Joy Dies in Car Crash appeared first on 21Ninety. TikTok star and mom killed in crash on way to Juneteenth event, Texas family says A TikToker who gained nearly a half-million followers through her relatable content died in a crash while traveling to a Juneteenth event in Texas with her mother, her family says. The crash happened Monday, June 19, in Houston. TikTok star Britney Joy Murphy, 35, died along with her mother, Sherie Smith. Murphy was driving her mother to a Juneteenth celebration when a Chevy Silverado struck their Honda Civic, according to KIAH. The impact caused the Civic to crash into a tree. Charges have not been filed. Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be factors in the crash, KPRC reported. McClatchy News reached out to the Houston Police Department and is awaiting a response. Murphys sister said the incident was her worst nightmare come true. She came upon the crash scene while driving home, according to KTRK. This happened so suddenly and was truly something I could have never imagine. Losing my best friends, Tiffany Smith Cofield said in a GoFundMe. The TikTok feed for Murphy @ThatGirlBritneyJoy was created so she could showcase how difficult it is to get ready in the morning for work, according to her website. She has several videos with more than a million views, including a June 19 post that has been seen more than 6 million times. Many of Murphys posts followed a Get ready with me for my 9-5 theme. The videos were relatable for many TikTokkers, as her posts often received hundreds of comments. Murphys sister said it was no surprise she reached internet fame. My sweet beautiful sister. Im so proud of you. Everything you accomplished. You are THAT GIRL BRITNEY JOY, her sister said in an Instagram post. No one will ever come close. No one. You left here a star. SUPERSTAR. I always knew you would be. I knew that was your destiny. To laugh and be loved. Tim Scott Nikki Haley is not the only Republican presidential candidate, or even the only candidate, from South Carolina, to have words for former President Barack Obama in recent days. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., recently got into a back-and-forth with Obama over the status of racism in the United States. The latest political scuffle started on June 15 when Obama appeared on the podcast of his former adviser David Axelrod, who asked about Republicans positions on race, particularly Tim Scotts assertions about the amount of progress the country has made in regard to addressing racism. While stating, I havent spent a lot of time studying Tim Scotts speeches, Obama noted that there has been a long history of African American or other minority candidates within the Republican Party who will validate America and say, Everythings great, and we can make it. Obama specifically cited Nikki Haley and Clarence Thomas as examples of this trend. Noting that hes not being cynical about Tim Scott individually, Obama went on to criticize this rhetoric as incomplete. Fmr. Pres. Obama criticizes 2024 GOP pres. candidate Sen. Tim Scotts (SC) rhetoric on racism: If a Republican doesnt have a plan for how do we address crippling generational poverty that is a consequence of hundreds of years of racism then people are rightly skeptical. pic.twitter.com/bYqGRMmgy0 The Recount (@therecount) June 15, 2023 Instead of an overly optimistic view of racial progress, Obama theorized that there may come a time where theres somebody in the Republican Party that is more serious about actually addressing some of the deep inequality that still exists in our society, that tracks race and is a consequence of our racial history. Scott capitalized on being called out by the former president. Talking to Fox News Sunday, he claimed that theres no higher compliment than being attacked by President Obama. Scott touted his own policies, like Opportunity Zones for low-income areas, and accused liberals of stalling economic growth in minority communities. The radical left and President Obama, they have failed, they have failed, and they have failed, Scott said. #BREAKING: Republican Presidential Candidate #TimScott Discusses Trumps Indictment On Fox News Sundayhttps://t.co/1uJpaSxz7Z Emoluments Clause (@Emolclause) June 18, 2023 Meanwhile, conservative media has rallied around Scott, accusing Obama of attacking the senator and claiming that Democrats hate Black Republicans. The Wall Street Journal published an opinion article titled Why Barack Obama Is Afraid of Tim Scott. Rich Lowry of the New York Post similarly wrote a piece titled Why Barack Obama and Other Progressives Loathe Black Conservatives. With the Republican primary season just heating up, Scott and other GOP candidates will likely continue to try to justify their views on race while attacking Democrats like Obama. The former president, meanwhile, remains one of the most prominent voices within the Democratic Party and American political discourse more generally. So this may not be the last time that Scott and Obama publicly disagree about topics like race in America. Hollywood film director James Cameron, who directed the 1997 movie Titanic, has told the BBC the team who built the submersible which imploded with the loss of five lives had "cut corners". OceanGate, the parent company of the Titan sub, "didn't get certified because they knew they wouldn't pass". "I was very suspect of the technology that they were using. I wouldn't have gotten in that sub," he said. Cameron has completed 33 submersible dives to the Titanic wreck. Titan was built from carbon fibre and titanium. In 2012 Cameron used a different technology for the Deepsea Challenger submersible expedition in the Pacific, which took him down to 10,912m (35,800ft), the deepest known oceanic trench. The Titanic wreck is 3,810m (12,500ft) down. Cameron said that when he learned the sub had lost both its navigation and communication at the same time he immediately suspected a disaster. "I felt in my bones what had happened. For the sub's electronics to fail and its communication system to fail, and its tracking transponder to fail simultaneously - sub's gone." He said that on Monday, when he heard the sub had gone missing, "I immediately got on the phone to some of my contacts in the deep submersible community. "Within about an hour I had the following facts. They were on descent. They were at 3,500 metres (11,483ft), heading for the bottom at 3,800 metres. "Their comms were lost, and navigation was lost - and I said instantly, you can't lose comms and navigation together without an extreme catastrophic event or high, highly energetic catastrophic event. And the first thing that popped to mind was an implosion." On Thursday, an official from the US Navy told the BBC's partner CBS News that the navy had detected "an acoustic anomaly consistent with an implosion" shortly after the Titan lost contact with the surface. The official said the information had been relayed to the US Coast Guard team, which used it to narrow the radius of the search area. Cameron suggested that there was a "terrible irony" in the loss of Titan and its crew, likening it to the loss of the Titanic itself back in 1912. "We now have another wreck that is based on unfortunately the same principles of not heeding warnings," he said. "OceanGate were warned." Cameron said that some within the deep submergence community, not including himself directly, had written a letter to OceanGate saying they believed, in his words, "you are going on a path to catastrophe". A letter sent to OceanGate by the Marine Technology Society (MTS) in March 2018 and obtained by the New York Times stated "the current 'experimental' approach adopted by OceanGate... could result in negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic)". Separately, US court documents show a former employee of OceanGate warned of potential safety problems with the vessel as far back as 2018. The documents show that David Lochridge, the company's director of marine operations, raised concerns in an inspection report. But the co-founder of OceanGate insisted however that Titan had undergone rigorous testing. Guillermo Sohnlein, who left the company 10 years ago, told the BBC that the 14-year development programme had been "very robust". "Any expert who weighs in on this, including Mr Cameron, will also admit that they were not there for the design of the sub, for the engineering of the sub, the building of the sub and certainly not for the rigorous test programme that the sub went through." The Titan sub was not certified, but then this is not mandatory. In a blog post about it in 2019, the company said the way that Titan had been designed fell outside the accepted system - but it "does not mean that OceanGate does not meet standards where they apply". It added that the classification agencies "slowed down innovation bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation". Cameron told BBC News the past week had "felt like a prolonged and nightmarish charade where people are running around talking about banging noises and talking about oxygen and all this other stuff". "I knew that sub was sitting exactly underneath its last known depth and position. That's exactly where they found it," he continued. He said anyone venturing to the Titanic wreck should be fully aware of the risks, as "it's a very dangerous site". "Agree to those risks, but don't be in a situation where you haven't been told about the risks of the actual platform that you're diving in there. "In the 21st Century, there shouldn't be any risks. We've managed to make it through 60 years, from 1960 until today, 63 years without a fatality... So, you know, one of the saddest aspects of this is how preventable it really was." News Daily banner Sign up for our UK morning newsletter and get BBC News in your inbox. A Titanic expert, an adventurer, a CEO, and a father and son were killed in Titan's implosion FILE - This undated photo provided by Engro Corporation Limited shows Suleman Dawood. The missing submersible Titan imploded near the wreckage of the Titanic, killing all five people, Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Stockton Rush, and Hamish Harding, the U.S. Coast Guard announced, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (Engro Corporation Limited via AP) BOSTON (AP) A renowned Titanic expert, a world record-holding adventurer, two members of one of Pakistan's wealthiest families and the CEO of the company leading an expedition to the world's most famous shipwreck were killed aboard the Titan submersible when it imploded in the Atlantic Ocean sometime this week. The U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday said there were no survivors after the catastrophic implosion deep in the North Atlantic. The search for the submersible as well as any clues to explain what happened underwater continued Thursday after a deep-sea robot found debris near the Titanic shipwreck. Rear Adm. John Mauger, of the First Coast Guard District, said search efforts will continue but that the prospect of finding or recovering remains was unknown. The Titan was reported overdue Sunday night about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. Johns, Newfoundland, according to Canadas Joint Rescue Coordination Center, spurring a desperate international rescue effort. Rescuers raced against the clock because it was feared the oxygen supply could run out by Thursday morning. The expedition featuring the Titan was led by OceanGate, making its third voyage to the Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank in 1912, killing all but about 700 of the roughly 2,200 passengers and crew. A pilot and four other people were on the Titan. They were: STOCKTON RUSH Although his background is in aerospace and technology, Rush founded OceanGate Inc. in 2009 to provide crewed submersibles for undersea researchers and explorers, according to the company's website. Rush was the Titan's pilot, said company spokesperson Andrew Von Kerens. The private company based in Washington started bringing tourists to the Titanic in 2021 as part of its effort to chronicle the slow deterioration of the wreck. The ocean is taking this thing, and we need to document it before it all disappears or becomes unrecognizable, Rush told The Associated Press in 2021. In an interview with CBS News last year, Rush defended the safety of his submersible but said nothing is without risk. What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface overhangs, fish nets, entanglement hazard," he said, adding that a good pilot can avoid such perils. Rush became the youngest jet transport rated pilot in the world at age 19 in 1981, and flew commercial jets in college, according to his company biography. He joined McDonnell Douglas Corp. in 1984 as a flight test engineer. Over the past 20 years, he oversaw the development of multiple successful IP ventures. Greg Stone, a longtime ocean scientist and a friend of Rush, called him a real pioneer in the innovation of submersibles. Stockton was a risk-taker. He was smart. He was, he had a vision, he wanted to push things forward, Stone said Tuesday. Rush's wife, Wendy Rush, is a descendant of a wealthy couple who died when the Titanic sank in 1912. She is the great-great-granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus, The New York Times reported Thursday. Straus was a retailing magnate who co-owned Macys department store. HAMISH HARDING A British businessman, Harding lived in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Action Aviation, an aircraft brokering company for which Harding served as chairman, said he was one of the mission specialists, who paid to go on the expedition. Harding was a billionaire adventurer who held three Guinness World Records, including the longest duration at full ocean depth by a crewed vessel. In March 2021, he and ocean explorer Victor Vescovo dived to the lowest depth of the Mariana Trench. In June 2022, he went into space on Blue Origins New Shepard rocket. Both the Harding family and the team at Action Aviation are very grateful for all the kind messages of concern and support from our friends and colleagues," the company said in a statement. Hardings family said in a statement: He was one of a kind and we adored him. ... What he achieved in his lifetime was truly remarkable and if we can take any small consolation from this tragedy, its that we lost him doing what he loved. In a Facebook post Saturday, Harding said he was proud to be part of the mission. Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023," he posted. A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive (Sunday). Harding was looking forward to conducting research at the Titanic site, said Richard Garriott de Cayeux, the president of The Explorers Club, a group to which Harding belonged. SHAHZADA AND SULEMAN DAWOOD Father-and-son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood were members of one of Pakistan's most prominent families. Their family had said in a statement that they were both aboard the vessel. Their firm, Dawood Hercules Corp., based in Karachi, is involved in agriculture, petrochemicals and telecommunication infrastructure. In Pakistan, the Dawood-owned Engro Corporation, a fertilizer company, announced the deaths of the two men early Friday. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dawood family at this tragic time. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, colleagues, and friends and all those around the world who grieve the unthinkable loss, the statement said. When called, the companys employees said they were reciting verses from the Quran for the Dawoods. Shahzada Dawood also was on the board of trustees for the California-based SETI Institute that searches for extraterrestrial intelligence. The Dawoods lived in the UK, according to SETI. Shahzada Dawood was also a member of the Global Advisory Board at the Princes Trust International, founded by Britain's King Charles III to address youth unemployment. He had degrees from the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom and Philadelphia University (now Thomas Jefferson University) in the U.S. Condolences poured in from Pakistans Foreign Ministry, government officials, friends and ordinary Pakistanis. Pakistani TV stations halted their routine broadcasts and shared the news. Salman Sufi, an adviser to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, wrote on Twitter: Very sad and unfortunate news. Prayers for the families of deceased. Mr Dawood and family are in our prayers. PAUL-HENRI NARGEOLET Nargeolet was a former French navy officer who was considered a Titanic expert after making multiple trips to the wreckage over several decades. He was director of underwater research for E/M Group and RMS Titanic Inc., had completed 37 dives to the wreck and supervised the recovery of 5,000 artifacts, according to his company profile. RMS Titanic, Inc., the company that owns the salvage rights to the Titanic shipwreck, mourned the longtime employee known as PH. The maritime world has lost an iconic and inspirational leader in deep-sea exploration, and we have lost a dear and treasured friend, the company said in a statement Thursday. Friend and former colleague Matthew Tulloch said Nargeolet loved his work from the time they first collaborated in the 1990s up until Nargeolet's death. I never got the impression that he was looking forward to retirement, Tulloch said with a small laugh. You sort of think of people as they retire, then they can go on and do things that they love to do. This was exactly that for him I cant think of anything that Im aware of that he would enjoy doing more than traveling around and sharing information and his experiences with people. Longtime friend and colleague Christian Petron hailed Nargeolet as surely one of the worlds greatest explorers of the deeps. Speaking Friday to broadcaster France-Info, the retired diver and underwater filmographer said he and Nargeolet had known each other for more than 40 years after meeting in the French navy, and made repeated dives to the Titanic together. He opined that Nargeolet was aware of the risks, but would have been powered by a thirst for further exploration of the Titanic wreck and its fauna and flora. There are always extraordinary things. When you descend deeper than 1,000 meters, you always find unknown things, unknown animals, he said. Theres always something to find on a wreck like that, which is a genuine oasis on a sandy bottom where there is absolutely nothing. Nargeolet was expedition leader on the most technologically advanced dive to the Titanic in 2010, which used high-resolution sonar and 3D optical imaging on the Titanic's bow and stern sections as well as the debris field. While with the French Institute for Research and Exploitation of Sea, he led the first recovery expedition to the Titanic in 1987. ___ This story has been updated to correct spelling to Paul-Henri Nargeolet, not Paul-Henry. Safety concerns were raised over the Titan's design and safety checks as early as 2018. (Getty Images) A digital marketing tycoon who almost went on the missing Titan submersible says he pulled out of the voyage to the Titanic's wreckage due to concerns over the vessel's design. Chris Brown, 61, said that he thought parts of OceanGate's sub seemed "a bit shoddy" when he went to see some of the testing process in the Bahamas in 2018. The friend of British billionaire Hamish Harding, who is among the five people trapped on board, also raised concerns over a lightning strike that he claims blew out all of the sub's electronics during a test. "They're using industrial piping for ballast, they're using an Xbox controller for the steering strip lighting is something at a DIY shop," said Brown, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire. "Small, cramped spaces. I wasn't happy with some of the design, like the thrusters on the outside with the cables there. I thought that was a snagging hazard. Read more: Titanic sub missing - LIVE: Oxygen timeline is 'artificial', says expert A leading maritime body wrote to OceanGate asking why Titan hadn't gone through an industry-standard certification process. (Getty Images) "What really did it for me was they flatly refused to get any form of certification and it seemed that they had no intention of getting any certification for going down to those depths once, let alone several times.'' Similar concerns were echoed in 2018 by the Marine Technology Society, who wrote to OceanGate CEO Rush Stockton, warning that an "experimental" approach to Titan's development could have potentially "catastrophic" consequences. The group accused the firm of "misleading" the public by saying Titan met the safety standards of DNV - a leading certification body in the maritime industry - despite having no intention of undergoing its safety checks. The full letter can be seen here. On its website, DNV explains that its certification process consists of informal interviews, examinations, observations of the system in operation, a review of relevant documentation, and checking that the body's safety standards are complied with. Watch: Tycoon Chris Brown explains why he backed out of the missing Titan voyage For Brown, hearing that a lightning strike during testing had reportedly blown out all of the electronics on board the Titan was enough to put him off from embarking on the trip. "You know, these things happen, but they didn't have backup, it ended the testing," he said. Brown said that it's normal for submersibles carrying people to have a "redundant" separate system that could be put into use if the main system cuts out for whatever reason, claiming this wasn't the case for Titan. "The fact that one lightning strike blew the whole thing was a bit, well, where's the safety measures here? So just all of those things together, made me think there's a lot of risks here that I'm not able to mitigate and don't seem in control. So I pulled out to that point. That was the end 2018.' Read more: Missing Titanic sub: When is the next US Coast Guard press conference? Billionaire British businessman Hamish Harding is among those on board Titan. (Action Aviation photo) Despite Brown's concerns about "Xbox controllers" (Titan is actually controlled with a Logitech F710 controller) - these types of devices are actually quite commonly used for both military and civilian vehicles. The US military has used Xbox controllers to pilot drones for many years, while the US Navy also uses them for periscopes on submarines. After the Titan lost contact with crew members on land on Sunday, the chairman of the mothership used to launch the submersible has jumped to OceanGate's defence. Sean Leet, co-founder and chairman of Horizon Maritime Services, which owns the Polar Prince, defended the company at a press conference on Wednesday. Read more: Inside the Titanic sub: Video shows conditions explorers are facing as search continues Rescuers have been scrambling to find Titan, which lost contact with the surface on Sunday. (OceanGate photo) Read more: 'There's no way to escape': Missing tourist sub locked with bolts from outside He said: OceanGate runs an extremely safe operation. Our full focus right now is getting that submersible located and getting those people brought back safely. Were in constant contact with the crew of the Polar Prince. Our emergency procedures kicked in immediately. Our emergency room is staffed 24/7 with a group of extremely capable people and theres live communication with the vessel at all times. Weve got 17 people on board the ship. According to CNN, a former OceanGate subcontractor named Doug Virnig said using pre-existing components to build the submersible was a deliberate decision. Virnig told the US network: "It seems kind of cheesy, but if you knew the amount of technology that was packed in that controller and its capabilities, and the amount of money that it costs to develop something like that, it's just off the charts." He added: "So if you can take these components off the shelf and incorporate them into a project like this, where you don't have the research and development timelines and expense, that I believe is a wise choice." Yahoo News has contacted OceanGate for comment. Titan weighs 10,432 kg, is made of 'titanium and filament wound carbon fibre' and has proven to 'withstand the enormous pressures of the deep ocean'. (PA) Search efforts by US, Canadian and French crews were intensified on Thursday amid warnings that the submarine, which is around 900 miles east and 400 miles south of Newfoundland, was due to run out of its emergency oxygen supply. Despite the deadline passing, the chief coordinator of a multinational mission to find the sub insisted that rescuers were still focussed on rescuing the five-member crew alive. On Wednesday rescuers from the US Coast Guard said they remained "optimistic and hopeful" after a Canadian plane picked up "banging" sounds from underwater - potentially giving personnel a lead of where to search. All five passengers on board Titan submersible were killed by a 'catastrophic implosion' (Clockwise from left) Hamish Harding, Stockton Rush, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood. (PA, Getty, Alamy) The search for the missing Titan sub is over and no survivors will be found More details are beginning to emerge about the search and rescue operation A US report claims the US Navy knew about implosion days ago (Blog post below, or Read more here) Azmeh Dawood, the sister of Shahzada Dawood and aunt to Suleman, told NBC News her nephew "wasn't very up for it" and was "terrified". (Blog post below, or read more here) Movie director James Cameron says he was invited to take a voyage on the Titan sub (Blog post below) Yahoo News UK has spoken to a maritime law expert who has said families could sue, despite death waivers (See blog post below, or read more here) To read our live coverage, you may need to click on the blue link above and then refresh the page. Regulations around Titanic trips tricky to navigate, says OceanGate co-founder The co-founder of the Titan submersibles parent company has said the regulations surrounding visits to the Titanic wreckage are tricky to navigate after the deep-sea vessel is believed to have imploded while attempting to visit the site. Guillermo Sohnlein, co-founder of OceanGate Expeditions, said there are regulations in place surrounding submersibles but they are sparse and antiquated as he defended the firm from critics including Titanic film director James Cameron. It comes after the submersible lost contact with the tour operator an hour and 45 minutes into the two-hour descent to the wreckage, with the vessel reported missing eight hours after communication was lost. As more boats, aircraft and remote operated vehicles (ROVs) scrambled to the search area on Thursday, it was confirmed the five people onboard Titan were dead after debris was found near the wreck. Mr Cameron, who is himself a submersibles expert and has completed deep sea dives, told the BBC: We now have another wreck that is based on, unfortunately, the same principles of not heeding warnings. But Mr Sohnlein defended the safety of the submersible, saying he and his co-founder Stockton Rush, who was onboard Titan, were committed to safety during expeditions. He told Times Radio: He was extremely committed to safety. He was also extremely diligent about managing risks, and was very keenly aware of the dangers of operating in a deep ocean environment. So thats one of the main reasons I agreed to go into business with him in 2009. Mr Sohnlein, who no longer works for the company, continued: I know from first-hand experience that we were extremely committed to safety and safety and risk mitigation was a key part of the company culture. Explaining the regulations surrounding visiting the Titanic wreckage, he said: The regulations are pretty sparse. And many of them are antiquated, or theyre designed for specific instances. So its kind of tricky to navigate those regulatory schemes. Mr Sohnlein added on BBC Radio 4s Today programme: Anyone who operates in that depth of the ocean, whether it is human-rated submersibles or robotic submersibles, knows the risks of operating under such pressure and that at any given moment, on any mission, with any vessel, you run the risk of this kind of implosion. In the days that followed the report that Titan had gone missing, the US coastguard said the vessel had a depleting oxygen supply that was expected to run out on Thursday. (Clockwise from left) Hamish Harding, Stockton Rush, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood. (PA, Getty, Alamy) Sonar buoys dropped into the ocean picked up underwater noises that led to the search being concentrated on one area but it was not until after the supposed deadline had passed that an ROV found debris from the submersible close to the site of the Titanic wreckage. And it later emerged in a report from The Wall Street Journal that the US navy had detected a sound in the search area for the submersible on Sunday that was consistent with an implosion. The Associated Press, citing a senior military official, reported the navy passed on the information to the coastguard, which continued its search because the data was not considered by the navy to be definitive. Undersea expert Paul Hankin said five major pieces of debris helped to identify it as from the Titan submersible including the vessels nose cone and the front end bell of the pressure hull. The 6.7m (22ft) long vessel had British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding on board as well as UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, and OceanGates chief executive and founder Mr Rush, with French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet. The Dawood family released a statement on Thursday night, mourning the loss of the father and son. Our beloved sons were aboard the OceanGates Titan submersible that perished underwater, the statement said. The family statement said they are grateful to those involved in the rescue operations and the untiring efforts brought strength to the family. The sister of Shahzada Dawood and aunt of Suleman, Azmeh Dawood, told NBC News in the US that the 19-year-old was terrified about going on the trip. I feel disbelief Its an unreal situation, she said. I feel like Ive been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didnt know what youre counting down to. I personally have found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them. The University of Strathclyde, where Suleman Dawood was a student, offered its condolences to the family. A spokesperson said: The staff and students of Strathclyde have been shocked and profoundly saddened by the death of Suleman Dawood and his father in this tragic incident. The entire university community offers our deepest condolences to the Dawood family and all of those affected by this terrible accident. The family of Mr Harding paid tribute to their dedicated father. He was described as a guide, an inspiration, a support, and a living legend following the news of his death on Thursday. Mr Hardings family said his death has left a gap in our lives that can never be filled, and that they were united in grief with the families of the others who had died. We know that Hamish would have been immensely proud to see how nations, experts, industry colleagues and friends came together for the search and we extend our heartfelt thanks for all their efforts, they said. Mr Sohnlein paid tribute on Times Radio, saying: (He was) one of the most intelligent people Ive ever met. He was a very talented aerospace engineer. And he was a passionate explorer, he was really committed to exploring the oceans and expanding humanitys understanding of the worlds oceans. When asked about the safety of the Titan submersible, former Royal Navy submarine captain Ryan Ramsey said lessons need to be learned and questions need to be answered. He said: Thats the question that needs to be answered. Most submersibles and all submarines go through a stringent safety process. Every time they come back in and every time before they go to sea they do safety checks, check the safety of the hull, state of the hull openings, everything. Whats apparent here is they didnt have to follow the same regulation, and therefore didnt follow the same regulation. I think that will be where a big focus is. That doesnt mean blame, thats not what we should be doing, what we should be doing is whats called adjust culture, where we work out lessons learned and implement them going forward. Tom Cruise reveals morbid reason why Mission: Impossible 7 stunt was shot on the first day of filming Tom Cruise had a good reason for filming Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part Ones most dangerous stunt on the first day of production. In the seventh film in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Cruise join forces with Avengers star Hayley Atwell to track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens humanity. In what is being billed as the most dangerous stunt of his career, Cruises Ethan Hunt rides a motorcycle off a cliff before pulling a parachute and drifting off to safety. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Cruise explained that if anything went wrong while filming the stunt, at least they wouldnt waste any time with filming. Well, we know either we will continue with the film or were not. Lets know day one! Cruise explained. Let us know day one what is going to happen: Do we all continue or is it a major rewrite? I was training and I was ready, Cruise added. You have to be razor sharp when youre doing something like that. It was very important as we were prepping the film that it was actually the first thing. I dont want to drop that and go shoot other things and have my mind somewhere else. Everyone was prepped. Lets just get it done. Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One (Paramount/Skydance) In a recent interview with Empire magazine, Dead Reckoning director Christopher McQuarrie further explained: Doing that on day one gave us all the time in the world to understand why he [Ethan] was doing what he was doing. If we sat around and tried to figure out these movies the old-fashioned way, youd never find it, simply because its such a living, breathing thing. Critics got a chance to see the movie for the first time this week at its red-carpet premiere in Rome. For the most part, reviewers fawned over Cruise and the films breathtaking action sequences. Back in April, the star treated Cinemacon attendees to an epic 20-minute motorcycle chase sequence from the movie, which saw the 60-year-old action star bombing around the Italian capital. Dead Reckoning sees the return of cast members including Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Henry Czerny, Vanessa Kirby and Frederick Schmidt. They are joined by newcomers Atwell, Pom Klementieff, Cary Elwes, Rob Delaney, Indira Varma, Shea Whigham, Mark Gatiss, Esai Morales and Charles Parnell. Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One is out 12 July in cinemas. Tom of Finland doggies and kitties Finnish petcare brand Musti Group found a novel way to celebrate Helsinki Pride Week commissioning a local artist to recreate famous Tom of Finland images with a lot more fur. The drawings from Kajo Rauni, made with permission of the Tom of Finland Foundation, places the leather gear and lusty looks on cats and dogs. The images are being splashed all over Helsinki, the Finnish capital, appearing at bus stops, museums, and on the sides of buildings. Helsinki poster Instead of just drawing inspiration from the art of Tom, we felt it was important to get an official seal of approval from the Tom of Finland Foundation. This way our pet versions become a small part of the Tom family, and we get to show our support to the legacy of this great artist and the foundation that looks after it, Evelilna Rantahalvari, Musti's marketing manager, said in a statement. Tom of Finland, aka Touko Laaksonen, created some of the most iconic queer art of the 20th century, typically depicting hyper-masculine gay men cruising in the tightest of clothing; many images showed sailors, cops, and bikers on the hunt. The look Laaksonen created would influence musicians like Freddie Mercury and The Village People. Rauni's creations aren't merely fun, according to Musti's Rantahalvari. She says they help bring attention to the LGBTQ+ causes that still must be fought for in the Scandinavian nation, especially trans rights. Musti, which sells a wide variety of pet products, has partnered for several years with Helsinki Pride. While bringing pets into the world of Tom of Finland is a playful choice, were very serious about the message behind these drawings. Were committed to our partnership with the Pride organisation and the values we both cherish, Rantahalvari states. (Photo : Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) A judge sentenced Capitol rioter Daniel "DJ" Rodriguez to 12.5 years in prison for using a taser to shock former Washington, D.C., police officer Michael Fanone. A judge sentenced capitol rioter Daniel "DJ" Rodriguez to 12.5 years in prison for reportedly using a taser to shock former Washington, D.C. police officer Michael Fanone. Previously, the defendant admitted as part of a plea agreement in February that he attacked Fanone with a taser, causing the police officer to lose consciousness. Rodriguez also confessed to working to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election. Capitol Rioter Sentenced to 12.5 Years in Prison The defendant is also forced to pay $96,000 to cover the medical treatment for the police officer as well as $2,000 in restitution for the damage done to the Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021. The sentence came as prosecutors were requesting a longer 14-year ruling. They argued that Rodriguez administered a group chat where he and a co-defendant talked about battles and operations in Washington, D.C., before former President Donald Trump announced the Jan. 6 rally. They were later found to have planned their trip to the Capitol after the Republican businessman tweeted urging his followers to "be wild," as per CBS News. On Wednesday, Judge Amy Berman Jackson told the defendant that he showed up in D.C. spoiling for a fight. Additionally, she told Rodriguez's legal team that their client was a "one-man army of hate." Jackson also said Americans must understand that one cannot do something like that again. The defendant's attorneys said he was "remorseful" for his actions that day and even wrote a letter to police officer Fanone where he called him a "brave man." In his letter, Rodriguez said that he would spend a long time in prison whether or not he wrote a letter, but added that he simply wished to apologize to the victim. Rodriguez said that he got carried away and regrets doing something like what he did that made him out of his mind. He wished he was smarter and instead protected the former officer. Read Also: SC Justice Samuel Alito Responds to Criticism Over Undisclosed Luxury Fishing Trip Shocking a Police Officer With a Stun Gun As the California man was led out of the courtroom following the sentencing, he yelled, "Trump won!" According to Yahoo News, Rodriguez's 12.5-year sentence is also surpassed by two other defendants who have received longer prison terms so far out of the hundreds of sentences for Capitol riot cases. At the time of the incident, Fanone's body camera captured footage that showed him screaming out in pain after Rodriguez tasered him while an angry mob of Trump supporters surrounded him. Later, another rioter dragged the former police officer into the crowd outside a tunnel on the Capitol's Lower West Terrace. Other rioters then beat him, and he later suffered a heart attack after Rodriguez held the stun gun to his neck and shocked him multiple times. The rioter's guilty plea in February was in respect to four felonies, which include conspiracy and assaulting a police officer. Rodriguez was also sentenced to 36 months of supervised release, said Axios. Related Article: House Votes To Censure Rep. Adam Schiff Over Role in Trump-Era Investigations @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tools of one of worlds oldest cultures found hidden 50 feet underwater off Australia A series of stone tools lay undisturbed under the ocean for thousands of years until now. The tools, which were fashioned by ancient indigenous people, were recently discovered off the coast of Australia, according to researchers and news reports. The artifacts had been preserved under about 50 feet of water near an archipelago off the countrys west coast, according to a June 21 news release from Flinders University. Divers hauled the collection, consisting of five sharpened tools, to the surface, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Dating back at least 9,000 years, the objects are believed to be the oldest marine archaeological finding in Australian history, according to the outlet. The tools were likely used by ancient Aboriginal people to slice and skin animals. The area where the tools were found was above sea level thousands of years ago and was once the site of a freshwater spring, according to the Australian Associated Press. Ancient inhabitants of Australia likely discarded the tools in the spring, according to the outlet. The findings present compelling evidence of the inventiveness and resourcefulness of generation after generation of Aboriginal people, Jonathan Benjamin, one of the researchers involved in the discovery, said in the university news release. The tools also present a more complete picture of one of the worlds oldest known continuing cultures, university officials said. Aboriginal people have lived in Australia for over 50,000 years, making them the worlds longest-lasting, continuously surviving culture, according to the Australian government. Soon after the European conquest of the continent in the 18th century, the Aboriginal population began declining rapidly as a result of violence and disease, according to a 2020 study published in the journal Population, Space and Place. In recent years, their population has increased, growing from 517,000 to 798,000 between 2006 and 2016. Idol depicting deity of death dating back 1,800 years found in remote Mexican town Copper-eyed creature found lurking among ferns in the night is a new species in Peru Males lose sex chromosome as they age. It could make cancer more deadly, study says A key Senate panel on Thursday advanced the nomination of Gen. Eric Smith to serve as the next commandant of the Marine Corps, but a timeline for his confirmation is unclear even as the current commandant prepares to step away. Gen. David Berger, who has served in the role since July 2019, must retire July 10. Defense Department officials had hoped to have his replacement in place shortly after his departure, but the congressional calendar and ongoing political fights over military abortion access policies have thrown that timeline into disarray. As the current assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, Smith would step into the commandant role on an acting basis if the Senate cant finalize his confirmation by July 10. Bidens pick to lead the Marine Corps helped design its new vision But the Senate is scheduled to take a two-week legislative break starting June 23, and Senate leaders said they have no path to finish the confirmation before then. By law, an acting commandant has the same duties and powers as a commandant. However, defense leaders in recent years have emphasized that acting officials do not typically launch new programs or put in place new force-shaping initiatives until they are formally confirmed for the job. Smith likely will have to serve as acting commandant for days or weeks while the Senate stalemate over his confirmation is resolved. Smith received mostly positive reviews from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing earlier in June. As the top Marine leader, Smith pledged, he will focus on accelerating being more lethal, accelerating being even more ready as a service. The committee on Thursday advanced his nomination without objection. In past years, Senate leaders would typically fast-track full-chamber confirmation of nominations such as Smith to ensure a continuity of leadership at the military service. However, that wont happen this time, because of an ongoing hold by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, on all senior military nominees over his objections to the Defense Departments abortion policies. More than 200 nominees have been caught up in the hold since March. In fall 2022, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced plans to provide leave time and travel stipends for troops and qualified family members to travel across state lines to receive abortion services. Pentagon officials said the move was needed in light of numerous new state laws limiting reproductive care options. But Tuberville and several other Republican lawmakers have attacked the policy as an illegal overreach by military leaders. Tuberville has insisted he will not allow any nominees to move quickly through the chamber until the policy is rescinded or until Congress can vote on whether to permit it. That has remained true for Smith even though Tuberville praised Smith at his confirmation hearing June 13 and declared, Congratulations on your nomination, and look forward to supporting you. Tubervilles staff members on Thursday reiterated the senators support for Smith as a nominee but opposition to the abortion policy. They said he does not plan to drop his hold to speed Smiths case. Smiths nomination isnt the only high-profile military leadership change threatened by Tubervilles hold. President Joe Bidens pick for the next Joint Chiefs chairman, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., also faces a delay in taking over that role because of the political showdown. Smith told senators at his confirmation hearing that the delay in confirmations could leave worrisome gaps at high-level Marine commands and cause a trickle-down effect that would make it harder for some lieutenant colonels to get promoted. I think it certainly compromises our ability to be most ready, Smith said. Senate leaders can get around Tubervilles holds, but doing so would take several days of parliamentary procedures. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, said doing that for each of the 200-plus defense nominees would snarl all Senate business for months. On Thursday, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, said he is exploring all options to accelerate Smiths confirmation, but did not provide any details. Even if Senate leaders opt to handle Smiths nomination on an individual basis, that work wont get done for at least a few more weeks, after the Senates planned recess concludes. Four Marines have served as acting commandant since the Corps inception, according to a list compiled by the Marine Corps Universitys History Division. One of them was Archibald Henderson, who served as acting commandant from Sept. 16, 1818, until March 2, 1819, and would go on to serve as commandant for more than 38 years. The Marine commandant said Wednesday, in some of his most pointed public comments yet about his naysayers, he was surprised by the lack of trust in the Marine Corps by those who oppose his restructuring of the force. In a conversation on the Marine Corps podcast the BruteCast, Gen. David Berger was asked whether he was surprised by the backlash to Force Design 2030, his plan to overhaul the Corps. Whenever someone proposes change within an organization, the general said, there wont be consensus. What surprised me: the lack of trust, Berger said. It was a point he would reiterate multiple times. Next commandant says he will accelerate Marine Corps transformation The Marine Corps is preparing for stealthier, more distributed operations, especially those that might have to occur in a potential conflict with the Chinese military. The force has cut traditional equipment like tanks and some artillery in the process. The changes have sparked concerns among a group of retired Marine leaders who have argued that Marines will be less ready to respond to a wide range of crises. In an unusually public sign of dissent, these retired leaders have written dozens of op-eds, including some in Marine Corps Times, detailing concerns. Theyve tried to get Congress to intervene and prevent the changes. Force Design has, however, largely garnered support in Congress, at the Pentagon and among think-tank experts. Berger stressed Wednesday that a large number of Marines from across the force, at high and low ranks alike, have worked to develop and refine Force Design. In his fight to change the Corps, Americas top Marine takes friendly fire I mean, its common sense none of this is fabricated by one or two people, Berger said. It is driven by a gigantic machine of very experienced, very smart people. I have an incredible amount of trust in that process and all those people, he said. Retired Lt. Gen. Paul Van Riper, one of the most outspoken members of the group of retirees opposing Force Design, told Marine Corps Times on Wednesday that he does lack trust in the way Berger went about making the changes. Van Riper said he believes the commandant relied on a small group of people to come up with the core concepts instead of going through the standard combat development process. We do not trust General Berger because he circumvented that process with a small cabal of supposed thinkers whose ideas were never subjected to the needed professional scrutiny, he said of the group of retired Marines who oppose Force Design. Marine leaders previously have denied that Force Design originated from the ideas of a small number of Bergers allies. Instead, they have said, the seeds of change were planted under previous commandant Gen. Robert Neller. Berger previously has maintained that, as a sitting service chief, he has access to an abundance of classified information that bears out the Force Design initiative. But he has mostly stopped short of publicly criticizing his critics, even implicitly. Berger now has less than a month left in his four-year term as commandant, which ends July 10. On that date, Gen. Eric Smith, who is the assistant commandant, will take charge, either as the Senate-confirmed commandant or if Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, continues to succeed in blocking military nominations as the acting commandant. Smith has expressed his commitment to continuing and even accelerating Force Design 2030 as commandant. Van Riper was careful to note that he didnt want his criticisms of the Force Design development process to reflect on Smith, whom he expressed hope would go about change differently. Once Smith is the top Marine, Berger will no longer spend his mornings reading the large amounts of classified information he consumed during his term as commandant. Two weeks later, Im at a degree of separation, Berger said. So I will absolutely trust that the sitting commandant has the benefit of everything Ive had for four years, every day. This Total Wine is closing soon but a new option wont be far away Total Wine is closing its Birkdale Village store in Huntersville and moving to a larger Lake Norman location 3 miles up Interstate 77 in Cornelius. Signs are up on the building at the new store in the Shops at the Fresh Market center off West Catawba Avenue and Torrence Chapel Road. And a sign announcing the pending move greets customers entering the longtime Birkdale Village Total Wine beside Barnes & Noble. Birkdale Village is on Sam Furr Road off I-77 Exit 25. The new location is 3 1/2 times larger, employees at the Birkdale Village Total Wine told The Charlotte Observer on Thursday. Besides wine and beer, the new location will include a humidor for cigar sales, employees said. Smaller blue signage under the red Total Wine letters on the Cornelius building tout Beer Cigars & More. The new Total Wine is opening beside a HomeSense discount home furnishings store. Last summer, when the new Total Wine store was officially announced, Birkdale officials left open-ended whether the store would be closing. The Total Wine store totals 21,409 square feet and the HomeSense store 25,000 square feet, according to SiteCenters.com. By comparison, The Fresh Market is 24,396 square feet, a SiteCenters.com diagram of the center shows. The new Total Wine is scheduled to open in mid-July, employees at the Birkdale Village store said. Birkdale Village latest on new stores At Birkdale Village, meanwhile, 17 openings are expected this year, owner North American Properties said in April. The redevelopment also includes business expansions, relocations and remodels, according to NAP, the Observer previously reported. The openings include five national and regional apparel chains, including Anthropologie and Lilly Pulitzer. One store Southern Tide is new to the Charlotte market. Other retailers and restaurants opening at Birkdale Village include Bartaco, Drybar, Foxcroft Wine Co., The Cheesecake Factory and The Good Wurst Co. In May, Charlotte-based Suffolk Punch Brewing which just opened a second location in SouthPark announced plans to open in a two-story building in Birkdale Village early next year, the Observer reported. Staff Writer Catherine Muccigrosso contributed. A California sea lion swims in the Pacific Ocean after being released back into the wild after a six month rehabilitation at the Marine Mammal Center on January 21, 2022 in Sausalito, California. Sea lions and dolphins that swim off Californias central coast are dying. Toxic algae blooms off the states coast are believed to be stranding and even killing the marine animals at alarming rates, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute has received over 1,000 reports of sick and dead marine mammals from June 8 through June 14, according to a recent report from the NOAAs Fisheries department. We are managing more than 200 reports of marine mammals in distress each day, Ruth Dover, co-founder and Managing Director of the Wildlife Institute said in a statement. We are doing the best we can to keep up with the intense pace. Read more An algae called Pseudo-nitzschia is blooming off the coast of California. That particular algae creates a neurotoxin called domoic acid, and high concentrations of this have been detected off the coast from Orange County to San Luis Obispo County, according to Observations from the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System. The counties of Ventura and Santa Barbara are seeing especially high concentrations of the neurotoxin. When exposed to domoic acid, animals become lethargic and disoriented. They experience nausea, seizures, and many then die after exposure. They become sick because the acid enters their food chain. A smaller fish becomes infected, and then a sea lion or dolphin eats that fish and becomes sick. It wont affect people unless the domoic acid is found in food consumed by humans. If anyone on a beach in California sees a stranded animal, wildlife experts requested that people steer clear of them and to report the sighting to wildlife departments. If some of the affected sea lions are found in time, they can receive treatment and eventually recover from being exposed to the toxin, the Los Angeles Times reported. But some of the affected animals may have to live with brain damage and memory loss afterwards. Though algae blooms are naturally occurring, climate change does contribute to favorable conditions for harmful blooms. Warmer ocean temperatures have fueled larger algae blooms, according to the EPA. And other parts of the U.S. have also seen instances of dead marine life washing up after a bloom. This past March, Floridas west coast felt the effects of a red tide, which caused several tons of dead fish to wash up on Fort Myers Beach. Want more climate and environment stories? Check out Earthers guides to decarbonizing your home, divesting from fossil fuels, packing a disaster go bag, and overcoming climate dread. And dont miss our coverage of the latest IPCC climate report, the future of carbon dioxide removal, and the un-greenwashed facts on bioplastics and plastic recycling. More from Gizmodo Sign up for Gizmodo's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. EAST PALESTINE, OHIO Burning off hazardous materials from the Norfolk Southern train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, which sent a toxic cocktail spewing over the town, may not have been necessary, witnesses said Thursday at a federal hearing into the accident. Experts gathered on the scene were faced with a snap decision that had to be made quickly based on incomplete information that led them to believe igniting the vinyl chloride contained in the car was necessary to avoid a chemical reaction that could've caused a catastrophic explosion. But witnesses and data presented at a fact-finding hearing held Thursday by the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency that investigates accidents, suggest the feared chemical reaction wasn't in fact happening inside the cars, which derailed on Feb 3. William Carroll, a chemistry professor at Indiana University, said that chemical reaction can't happen in the presence of heat alone it also needs an organic chemical, which wasn't present, to be activated by the heat. NTSB investigators also showed a temperature graph that showed that, based on the available data, tank car temperatures were fluctuating but not warming enough to indicate the chemical reaction was happening. The unified command consisting of first responders, railroad officials and hazardous materials experts on the scene faced with burning the chemicals or risking an explosion that could have sent shrapnel knifing into the surrounding neighborhood, painted a picture of a difficult decision that had to be made in less than the amount of time it takes to cook a frozen pizza just 13 minutes. And that unified command with 200 combined years of experience making those decisions, in the words of Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield was in consensus that the vent and burn was the only option. The decision was made around noon on Monday, Feb. 6, and the vent and burn needed to happen if it was going to happen before nightfall because colder temperatures at night would have made it more dangerous. Drew McCarty, an engineer with the hazmat cleanup company Specialized Professional Services, Inc., said a rising temperature reading on one of the cars made him worry that the dangerous chemical reaction was happening, because the temperature was rising despite the fire underneath having gone out hours before. And the sudden release of a highly pressurized chemical flame from one tank car that had previously stopped venting meant getting close enough to get better readings was too dangerous. That sudden release scared the heck out of us, McCarty said. Prior to that, it had been relieving quite nicely. Robert Wood, system manager for hazardous materials division of Norfolk Southern, said the preferable options for mitigating the danger assessing the damage, moving the car, or drilling into the cars to tap the pressure were not possible. The last alternative is vent and burn, said Wood. You get to that point, there are no other alternatives available We got to that here. Train size also at issue Documents also released Thursday showed that a Norfolk Southern engineer who inspected the train before it derailed was rebuffed when he told a supervisor he was concerned about the train's size and makeup, according to new information released Thursday by federal investigators. The engineer, who inspected the 150-car train weighing almost 18,000 tons in Decatur, Ill. about 30 hours before it derailed, expressed concern about the size of the train to the yardmaster, who replied well, this is what they want, according to a factual report released by the NTSB. If you talk to the manager, they said this train was 100 percent rule compliant, the engineer said during an interview with the NSTB. To me, in my opinion, you know, you got 32 percent of the weight on the headend. Twenty percent in the middle and 40 percent weight on the rearend. So, to me, thats why we reported that to the yardmaster and like I said this is what they want. In a statement, Norfolk Southern noted that federal regulators do not have any requirements for "train configuration" and that the train met the railroad's "internal policies." "Every accident is an opportunity to learn. We are collaborating with labor leadership and our craft employees to enhance safety, weve brought in an outside safety consultant, and we are committed to leading the industry," Norfolk Southern spokesperson Connor Spielmaker said. Trains' increasing length and weight has been a source of concern for some time and has been in the East Palestine derailment. How cars are arranged can also increase the risk of derailment for a long train: for instance, if empty cars or especially heavy cars are positioned improperly along the line, it can impact the forces that act on the train when it encounters certain kinds of terrain. Beyond the length and configuration of the train, investigators are probing a variety of factors, including whether the overheated wheel directly responsible for the derailment was detected fast enough by track equipment. The train's faulty wheel had been trending hot over several of these "wayside detectors," including the last one that recorded a temperature hot enough that the train would have been stopped for inspection. But right after passing that detector, and as the crew were attempting to brake it, the train derailed. A separate report released Thursday found that data from the last wayside detector had not been transmitted to the Norfolk Southern desk that monitors these alert signals for trends over time and communicates with crew when a train needs to be halted for inspection, because the detectors don't send that information until after a train has completely passed the equipment. In this case, the train was nearly two miles long, leaving Norfolk Southern's desk in the dark about the train's status. A separate alarm had already sounded inside the train and the crew began braking, but not fast enough to keep the train from derailing. The documents were released Thursday as part of a two-day NTSB investigative hearing in East Palestine that will eventually inform a report on what caused the derailment, which sent a toxic fireball of fumes over the township, killing thousands of fish, creating health concerns for those in the area. Troopers looking for witnesses of Tuesdays drive-by shooting near Southcenter Troopers with the Washington State Patrol are looking for witnesses of a drive-by shooting near Southcenter on Tuesday night. At about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, troopers responded to a report of a shooting on Interstate 5 in the Southcenter Area. The man who was shot at said he was traveling northbound on I-5 when the right front passenger of a car that was driving recklessly fired several shots at the mans car. The suspects car was described as a white 2013 to 2015 Chevrolet Malibu or Impala with black rims and dark-tinted windows. The suspected shooter was described as a light-skinned African American man with a short afro, around 19 to 22 years old. The suspected driver was an African American woman, about the same age. There was also another man in the backseat. The man who was shot at was driving a black 2019 Mercedes S560 sedan. He was uninjured. If you have information about this incident, contact Detective Hanson at tim.hanson@wsp.wa.gov. Republicans have attacked mail-in voting since 2020, lobbing baseless claims that the practice is rife with fraud. Yet, suddenly, mail voting is back in fashion among GOP leaders. So, too, is ballot harvesting, when a third party collects and delivers ballots to the elections office. Just last year in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature made ballot harvesting a third-degree felony. Yet DeSantis, now running for president, said in Iowa this month that, though he remains opposed, hell be using that method to gather votes in states where its legal. Funny how a lackluster midterm election for the GOP, plus a fight for the Republican presidential nomination, can change things. Republicans want to shift their message as part of a national Republican vote-getting strategy for 2024 called Bank Your Vote. Its a push to give the GOP wins across the country and remove any advantage for Democrats, who actually like voting by mail. Announced by Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel this month, the plan will focus on in-person early voting, absentee voting and ballot harvesting where legal though, in a strange contortion of words, Republicans said they also will fight against bad ballot-harvesting laws. Flip-flopping The Republican opposition to voting early is well known. But the closest McDaniel came to acknowledging it perhaps because much of it came from former President Donald Trump was when she noted that its a challenge if you have people in your ecosystem saying, Dont vote early or dont vote by mail. She insisted Republicans are now singing out of the same songbook. That remains to be seen. Trump, who repeatedly has declared that people should vote in-person and on Election Day to make sure their votes are counted, is on board with the GOP change in strategy, in some respects, anyway. In recent months, he said Republicans have no choice except to participate in ballot harvesting. But he also said this month in Georgia where Trump pressured the secretary of state to find 11,780 votes during the 2020 election that mail-in ballots will always be dishonest. This is the same Trump who also repeatedly voted by mail and voted using a third party to deliver his ballot. DeSantis, meanwhile, told voters in Iowa earlier this month in a video posted on Twitter by a Washington Post reporter, that hell definitely be employing ballot harvesting to gather votes in the national contest because, Im not going to fight with one hand tied behind my back. Thats a reference to the Republican idea that Democrats embrace ballot harvesting. But dont miss the contradiction here: DeSantis and the GOP are calling for ballot-harvesting because it will help them, while also calling for it to be illegal. DeSantis also is responsible for a new elections law in Florida that stops automatic renewal of applications for vote-by-mail ballots. The renewals were canceled right after the midterms. DeSantis called the law, which also included other voting restrictions, an election integrity measure. No doubt it was mere coincidence that Democrats requested far more mail ballots than Republicans in 2022. Narrative changes All of this alarm about the integrity of the vote sounds especially overblown when cast against a backdrop of Floridas elections, which have been executed with very few issues for years. DeSantis bragged that the voting process in 2020 when he delivered Florida to Trump should be an example to the rest of the country: The way Florida did it, I think, inspires confidence. I think thats how elections should be run. So now the GOP, both nationally and in Florida, is trying to have it both ways: They need to rewrite the script on mail-in voting for their followers but Trump, who remains the biggest figure in the party, continues to undermine the idea. Theyre opposed to ballot harvesting and have outlawed it in many places but theyre planning to take advantage of it in states that allow it. And they want voters to bank their votes through early voting, rather than waiting until Election Day, even though Republicans have often suggested early voting isnt to be trusted. Its a muddled message at best. It leaves Republicans open to the charge of hypocrisy from some of their own voters. And, in a fight for the GOP nomination that includes both Trump and DeSantis, it sets up a split in the party that is just a taste of things to come. Coffin draped with a Trump banner, filled with nails Illustrated / Getty Images Ever since declaring his candidacy for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, Donald Trump has enjoyed a commanding lead over the growing field of Republican rivals challenging the former president for the right to represent the party next November. Predictions that various other candidates chiefly, but not exclusively Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis would act as a "Trump-slaying" opponent capable of toppling the decisive front runner have thus far failed to materialize. Nevertheless, Trump's future as the Republican nominee is far from inevitable. This week a CNN poll showed the former president has shed significant support in the immediate wake of his 37-count federal espionage act indictment, even though "there's little sign that Republican-aligned voters who aren't backing Trump are consolidating behind any one of his rivals." So is Trump's 2024 reelection bid in serious jeopardy post-indictment, or is CNN's downward trending poll just a blip in his otherwise resounding dominance over the Republican field? What are they saying? Fewer than half of "Republicans and Republican-leaning registered voters say Trump is their first choice for the party's nomination for president," CNN's poll found, as support for Trump's candidacy dropped from 53 to 47 percent between May and July. Perhaps more significantly, Trump's overall favorability has dropped even more precipitously from 77 to 67 percent over the same time frame, as "the share [of respondents] who say they would not support him for the nomination under any circumstances has climbed, from 16% in May to 23% now." Calling Trump's federal indictment "a unique situation, to put it mildly," The Washington Post's Philip Bump described CNN's poll as "unsatisfying" for its inconclusive answer to whether Trump's political aspirations are in serious jeopardy. "When it comes to questions about concrete consequences for Trump, Americans are responding in the same way they have for years," FiveThirtyEight's Nathaniel Rakich said this week in regard to the aggregate polls from outlets such as Ipsos, ABC, Reuters, and Data for Progress (but not CNN's just-released numbers). Noting that Trump saw a noticeable polling bump after his first indictment this past April, Rakich speculated that there hasn't been a similar increase for the former president in part because "anyone who was inclined to rally toward Trump" may have already done so. Conversely, "as the public becomes more familiar with the substance of the allegations" against Trump in the federal indictment, it remains to be seen if those details will "fundamentally loosen" his GOP standing in other polls beyond just CNNs, said NBC's Ben Kamisar and Bridget Bowman. To that end, "potential GOP primary voters ARE hearing bad buzz about Trump," Morning Consult's Eli Yokley pointed out. "They're 18 points more likely to have recently heard something negative than positive about him." Still, a slim majority of Republican and Republican-leaning respondents to CNN's poll indicated that Trump's alleged criminal conduct is less important to them since "a president's effectiveness matters more." What's next? "It is still very early in the GOP nomination fight," Insider's Brent Griffiths said, with the race beginning to really "take shape over the summer." Moreover, "the indictments have not changed Republican voter perception about Trump's electability," Forbes' Ana Faguy pointed out, highlighting the fact that CNN's poll showed all but 13 percent of Republican and Republican-leaning respondents indicated they thought Trump was at the very least "somewhat" likely to win the party's nomination. Accordingly, there's little appetite among the GOP for Trump to leave the race entirely, with just over a quarter of respondents saying he should drop out in light of his latest indictment a number that climbs to 42 percent who say he should do so if convicted. Still, despite the waffling support suggested in CNN's topline results, "Republicans have made up their minds about Donald Trump," GOP strategist Whit Ayres told PBS Newshour. "It doesn't seem like anything is going to change that," he added, predicting that as long as Trump is "still active," the race will "continue to revolve around him." "It's early," the Post's Bump cautioned. "Things can still change. The indictment could spiral out of control for Trump." To that end, the former president's ongoing legal jeopardy "could still be the thing that finally erodes Trump's base of support in the party." Or, he added, it could be "just another stone" in the "expansive graveyard of scandals, gaffes and falsehoods" that were, at various times, the supposed end to Trump's enduring popularity. You may also like 5 theories for why Trump kept boxes of secret documents Alito did not disclose Alaska private jet trip from GOP billionaire with business before Supreme Court Humans pushed the Earth into a new geological epoch in the 1950s, Canadian lake samples suggest (Bloomberg) -- Turkey wants Sweden to begin extraditing or expelling suspected Kurdish separatists before next months summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to help win its support to join the security alliance, according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg Sweden, along with neighboring Finland, sought to become NATO members after Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Finland joined in April but Turkey blocked Swedens accession, accusing it of offering refuge to political activists wanted on terrorism charges. Read More: Turkey Digs In on Swedens NATO Bid as Allies Mount Pressure Sweden lifted a ban on arms sales to Turkey and amended its anti-terrorism laws as part of a deal clinched last year to break the impasse. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled last week, however, that those steps may not be enough to win Turkish support for the bid at the next NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius. As far as Ankara is concerned, there is more room for progress in Swedens curtailing activities of groups deemed terrorist by Turkey, according to Alper Coskun, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Turkey has an interest in ensuring that Sweden joins the alliance, but it has continuing expectations from Sweden, Coskun, a former Turkish diplomat, told an Atlantic Council conference on Thursday. Because of the fact that Turkey has an interest in Sweden joining NATO, I think that the path is open for a positive expectation. Turkey wants Sweden to begin extraditing or expelling suspects to prove its serious about implementing the new rules, said the people, speaking on condition of anonymity to share sensitive information. Turkey has demanded the extradition of more than 130 individuals, most of them Kurdish separatists. They include alleged supporters of Kurdish militant group the PKK, which is labeled a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union, as well as of affiliated Kurdish YPG forces in Syria and followers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Erdogan alleges Gulen masterminded a 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. Turkeys government didnt respond to a request for comment. The Swedish foreign ministers office declined to comment. Extradition requests to Sweden are handled by the countrys judiciary. The government cant overrule decisions by its Supreme Court, which has rejected appeals from Turkey on various grounds, including risk of persecution. NATO allies have repeatedly urged Turkey to approve Swedens bid in time for the Vilnius summit, saying the country meets all qualifications. The latest call came from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday. I firmly believe that Sweden should join Finland at the summit table as a new ally, Scholz told the parliament in Berlin. And I appeal to Turkeys re-elected President Erdogan to now clear the way for this - as we all decided together in Madrid last year. Swedens accession would clinch NATOs control of the Baltic Sea and give the alliance the upper hand in the Arctic region both strategic gateways for Russia even as Moscow is bogged down in its invasion of Ukraine. Finland completed the process to join the alliance in April, leaving Sweden in limbo over its prospects, with both Turkey and Hungarys ratifications outstanding. --With assistance from Michael Nienaber and Niclas Rolander. (Updates with analyst comments starting in fourth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A former FBI intelligence analyst was sentenced to nearly four years in prison on Wednesday for keeping hundreds of classified documents at her residence, specifically her bathroom. The ex-FBI analyst Kendra Kingsbury violated the Espionage Act, similar to former President Donald Trump's indictment charges. The MAGA leader allegedly kept sensitive government documents in his Mar-a-Lago Home. Ex-FBI Analyst Faced Keeping Classified Document An ex-FBI analyst is about to learn the hard way that keeping classified documents in the bathroom is a major faux pas and can land you behind bars for a substantial amount of time. According to NBC News, United States District Judge Stephen R. Bough sentenced the 50-year-old former FBI analyst to three years and ten months. Kingsbury is facing roughly four years of federal prison imprisonment without parole. Prosecutors said Kingsbury repeatedly removed classified documents from a secure workspace. She allegedly kept them at her North Kansas City home, including in her bathroom. The sensitive materials include documents related to national defense stored in formats like hard drives and compact discs. The prosecutors added that the FBI classified some of the documents she brought home as "SECRET" since they included some counterterrorism and counterintelligence methods. As per Newsweek, the US District Judge slammed the former FBI analyst for violating the Espionage Act. Bough says, "I cannot fathom why you would jeopardize our nation by leaving these documents in your bathtub." Business Insider reports that Kingsbury was the intelligence analyst of the FBI's Kansas City Division between 2004 and 2017. The Justice Department disclosed that her role in the Bureau enables her to get her hands on hundreds of "national defense and classified information." Read Also: Trump Indictment Timeline: Everything We Know About the Historic Case Is It Similar to Donald Trump's Case? Trump's recent indictment, wherein the former President faces 37 charges accusing him of mishandling government documents, closely resembles Kinsbury's case. On the other hand, the FBI analyst faces 31 charges over Espionage Act violation. The indictment against Trump alleges him of storing information about "defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries" at his home, notes Business Insider. However, it is worth noting that the MAGA leader dismissed these accusations as merely politically motivated. He blames President Joe Biden and his administration for the federal charges filed against him. Yet, Biden has consistently denied such allegations, and Trump has yet to provide concrete proof for his unverified claims. Related Article: Pentagon Leak Suspect Jack Teixeira Indicted Over Release of High-Classified Military Documents @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Two charged with stealing more than $80,000 from Bridgewater assisted living resident BRIDGEWATER - Two 65-year-old Lambertville men have been charged with stealing more than $80,000 from a resident of a township assisted living facility. Sanders J. Mishkin and Ronald Cusano are facing theft by deception charges, according to Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald. Miskin was charged with second-degree theft by deception and second-degree attempted theft by deception. Second-degree crimes carry prison sentences of five to 10 years. He was released after his arrest pending a future appearance in Superior Court. Cusano was charged with third-degree theft by deception. He was released after his arrest pending a future appearance in Superior Court. Both were arrested without incident at the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office. More: New restaurant to open in shuttered Bridgewater Houlihan's space The investigation by the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Special Investigations Unit began after the unidentified assisted living facility was contacted by one of its resident's banks about suspicious bank account activity, McDonald said. The investigation found that Mishkin allegedly took more than $80,000 from a residents account without permission to use for his own personal gain with at least $10,000 of these funds being tied to transactions conducted by Cusano, McDonald said. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Unit at 908-231-7100 or the Bridgewater Township Police Department at 908-722-4111 or via the STOPit app. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential. Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account. This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Two charged with stealing more than $80,000 from Bridgewater assisted living resident A person holds up a flag during rally to protest the Trump administration's reported transgender proposal to narrow the definition of gender to male or female at birth in New York By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday struck down a Florida rule and a statute that banned state Medicaid payments for transgender healthcare, marking the second defeat in two weeks for anti-transgender legislation in the state. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle declared the state's practices invalid, saying they violated the constitutional right to equal protection under the 14th amendment in addition to violating the federal Medicaid statue and the Affordable Care Act's prohibition of sex discrimination. The injunction was expected after Hinkle on June 6 partially blocked Florida from enforcing its recent ban on people under 18 receiving gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy. U.S. district court judges elsewhere have blocked state laws banning gender-affirming care in Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana and Oklahoma. Republican lawmakers introduced more than 500 bills restricting LGBTQ rights this past legislative year, passing more than 70, according to Human Rights Campaign. Twenty states have passed laws banning gender-affirming care for minors. Sponsors of the laws say they want to protect children who are being misled by parents and doctors and might regret their gender transition. Hinkle in his 54-page ruling said "many people with this view tend to disapprove all things transgender and so oppose medical care that supports a person's transgender existence." "The elephant in the room should be noted at the outset. Gender identity is real. The record makes this clear," the judge wrote after a two-week trial. The plaintiffs were two transgender adults, August Dekker and Brit Rothstein, and two transgender minors who filed under pseudonyms. The defendants were the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) and its secretary, Jason Weida, who did not respond to an after-hours request for comment. The AHCA had approved Medicaid payments for the plaintiffs, but in 2022 the executive office of Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the AHCA to conduct a new analysis and reversed course. The AHCA "retained only consultants known in advance for their staunch opposition to gender-affirming care," the judge found. "The new ... process was, from the outset, a biased effort to justify a predetermined outcome, not a fair analysis of the evidence," the judge said. DeSantis is running for the Republican nomination for president and has promoted his record of aggressively fighting progressive policies, including LGBTQ rights. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta. Editing by Gerry Doyle) By Gram Slattery WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives approved a Republican effort on Wednesday to censure Representative Adam Schiff, a rare move intended to punish the Democrat for his leading role in investigating the conduct of Donald Trump when he was president. The measure's sponsor, far-right Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna, argued that a congressional investigation that Schiff led into potential ties between Trump's 2016 campaign and the Russian government was politically motivated and that the representative had falsely led Americans into believing there was collusion between the two entities. In practice, the measure, which was passed 213-209 along party lines, will result in a probe into Schiff by the Ethics Committee. Shortly after the vote, Democrats, who fiercely and unanimously defended their colleague, shouted "Shame!" at House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who presided over the proceedings. Schiff has been a frequent Republican target since 2019, when he headed the investigation that led to Trump's impeachment over his alleged effort to pressure Ukraine to help him win re-election. Trump remained in office because the Senate declined to convict him. Trump was impeached a second time by the House over his actions leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Again, the Senate voted against conviction. The House had defeated a separate censure effort against Schiff last week, when 20 Republicans joined 205 Democrats in opposition. The earlier censure effort came with a $16 million fine, since stripped out. It was unclear how that fine would have been enforced and even Republicans had doubts about its constitutionality. Censures in the House are historically rare. Republican Representative Paul Gosar was censured in 2021 after he posted a cartoon video that showed him killing Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the first time the censure had been used in a decade. (Reporting by Gram Slattery; Additional reporting by Moira Warburton; Editing by Christopher Cushing) The United States and India have resolved six separate trade disputes at the World Trade Organization, including a fight over former President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum and India's retaliatory duties. "We have decided to resolve long-pending trade-related issues and make a new beginning," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a joint news conference with President Joe Biden following their White House meeting. The agreements are a surprising development, after National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters at a press briefing earlier this week not to expect "a specific resolution on trade issues coming out of these next few days. In fact, India has agreed to remove retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. products, including chickpeas, lentils, almonds, walnuts, apples, boric acid and diagnostic reagents, that it imposed after Trump slapped duties on steel and aluminum imports using Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act. "Todays agreement represents the culmination of intensified bilateral engagement over the last two years, including through the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum, to deepen our economic and trade ties, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement. As a result of our work, U.S. agricultural producers and manufacturers will now enjoy renewed access to a critical global market and we will strengthen our trade relationship with one of our closest partners. USTR said the resolution "also maintains the integrity of the U.S. Section 232 measures." That means India agreed to lift its trade retaliation without the U.S. altering the steel and aluminum tariffs that Trump imposed, a USTR spokesperson said. In addition to the two cases related to Trump's tariffs, the United States and India also agreed to terminate four other WTO disputes. Two of those had been filed by India and two by the United States. That still leaves one filed by the United States in 2012 challenging India's poultry trade barriers. However, one former U.S. trade official said he heard talks on that issue were continuing and a deal was still possible. The USTR spokesperson said he had "no news to share at the moment or preview beyond what we announced today." The two other cases terminated by the United States are a 2018 complaint against Indian export subsidies and a 2013 complaint against against Indian domestic content requirements for solar cells. India terminated a 2016 complaint against state-level subsidies and domestic content requirements for renewable energy and a 2012 complaint over U.S. countervailing duties on certain steel products. A joint statement issued by Biden and Modialso highlighted Indias interest in being reinstated in the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences program, which waives U.S. import duties on thousands of goods from developing countries. Trump kicked India out of the program in 2019 on the grounds they were not providing sufficient market access for American goods. Biden and Modi agreed Thursday to intensify work on issues related to Indias eligibility criteria, the joint statement said. The leaders also welcomed the initiation of talks on government procurement issues. That could lead to Indias designation as a Trade Agreements Act country, which would help its companies compete for U.S. government procurement contracts. In another trade area, Biden reiterated his administration's commitment to work with U.S. Congress to lower barriers to U.S. exports to India of high performance computing technology and source code. Biden also invited Modi to attend as a guest the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, which the U.S. is hosting in San Francisco in November. India is not a member of the 21-economy group, but has expressed interest in joining in the past. Biden is expected to travel to India in September for the G-20 leaders summit, which Modi is hosting this year. POLITICO reported last week that there could be a package of agreements to resolve the WTO disputes. But Kirby dismissed that possibility Tuesday. That's not what this is about," he said of Modi's White House visit. "This is really about the strategic nature of the relationship and driving it forward. That ran against a previous pledge by Tai and Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, issued in January, to try to resolve the WTO disagreements in coming months. Tai and Goyal also met virtually last week to discuss bilateral trade concerns. When asked about Kirbys comments on Tuesday, USTRs press office declined to clarify the situation. Uber driver killed when woman mistakenly thought she was being kidnapped, Texas cops say An Uber driver died days after a passenger was accused of shooting him, believing she was being kidnapped, Texas cops say. Phoebe Copas, 48, is now charged with murder following the June 16 shooting, the El Paso Police Department said in a June 22 news release. She is being held in the El Paso jail on a $1.5 million bond. Daniel Piedra Garcia, 52, was taken off life support Wednesday, his niece said in a Facebook post. Police said Copas, of Tompkinsville, Kentucky, was visiting her boyfriend in El Paso and took an Uber to meet him at a casino after he got off work, according to KFOX. When Copas saw signs during the drive for Juarez, Mexico, she believed Piedra was kidnapping her, KTSM reported. At some point during the drive, Copas thought she was being taken into Mexico and shot Piedra, police said. The investigation does not support that a kidnapping took place or that Piedra was veering from Copas destination. Police said Piedra was shot in the back of the head and wrist while driving on U.S. 54, KVIA reported. Copas did not tell law enforcement she feared for her safety before shooting Piedra, according to KTSM. She took a photo of the wounded Uber driver and sent it to her boyfriend before calling 911, the TV station reported. They make assumptions, they see stuff maybe on the news, maybe on social media, and stuff thats not necessarily true and when they come here they come without really knowing, Didi Lopez, the Uber drivers niece, told CBS4. Piedra was the sole provider for his family, according to a GoFundMe post. He recently returned to work after undergoing knee surgery. He was very happy to finally be able to work and bring home income for this tragedy to happen, according to the GoFundMe. A vigil for Piedra will be held Friday at Memorial Park in El Paso. In a statement to CBS4, Uber said it was horrified by this riders actions and banned Copas from its platform. DoorDash driver assaulted during delivery, Florida cops say. Then her family saves her Brazen act of violence left Uber driver dead in his car, CA cops say. Two arrested UK Intelligence discloses efforts of Russian authorities to hide their own crimes against children in Ukraine The Russian authorities are trying to justify President Putins actions regarding the deportation of children from Ukraine by creating a commission to investigate the "crimes of the Ukrainian authorities" against minors since 2014. Source: UK MoD Defence Intelligence review of the Russian-Ukrainian war as of 22 June, as reported by European Pravda Details: UK Intelligence reported that on 20 June, the Russian State Duma endorsed the creation of a parliamentary commission to investigate "crimes committed by the Ukrainian government against juveniles in Donbas since 2014". According to UK Defence Intelligence data, this is how the Duma is reacting to the international community's condemnation of Russia's deportation of children from the occupied territories of Ukraine. Quote: "The move is highly likely both a form of lawfare and contributes to Russian information operations, weaponising legislation by attempting to muddy the narrative around its own egregious actions," the report said. The children's rights message is probably an important communication topic for the Kremlin, as deportations of children were the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for Putin in March 2023, UK Defence Intelligence added. Background: The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March for illegally deporting thousands of children from Ukraine. The warrant means that Putin can be arrested if he goes to any member state of the International Criminal Court. Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Putin "deserved to be judged" and delivered to The Hague. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! By Pavel Polityuk KYIV (Reuters) - Russia is 99.9% certain to quit a U.N.-brokered deal on the safe wartime passage of Black Sea grain next month because it no longer needs Ukrainian ports to export ammonia, a senior Ukrainian diplomat said. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Moscow and Kyiv last July to help tackle a global food crisis worsened by Russia's invasion of its neighbour and a blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports. Moscow has threatened not to extend the agreement beyond July 18 unless a series of demands, including the removal of obstacles to Russian grain and fertiliser exports, are met. The Black Sea export deal also allows for the safe export of ammonia - an important ingredient in nitrate fertiliser - but none has been shipped under the initiative. Russia has been pushing for the resumption of ammonia supplies via a pipeline through Ukraine to the Black Sea port of Odesa that has lain idle since last year. Olha Trofimtseva, Ukraine's foreign ministry ambassador at large, said Russian ammonia producer Uralchem had found an alternative route and does not need to export ammonia via Odesa. "The grain corridor. 99.9% that Russia will leave it in July," Trofimtseva said on the Telegram messaging app late on Wednesday. Uralchem CEO Dmitry Konyaev said last month a specialised ammonia terminal whose first construction stage is due to be completed on the Taman Peninsula in Russia by the end of 2023 could be a substitute for the Odesa pipeline. PLAN B? Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solsky said this month Kyiv had a Plan B if Russia decided to quit the Black Sea deal. He said the government had created a special insurance fund of around $547 million for companies whose ships would come to Ukrainian Black Sea ports under a new arrangement. Ukraine has also said it can export grain via its small Danube river ports as well as through its Western border with the European Union. Trofimtseva, a former acting agriculture minister, said Ukraine had to prepare, but expressed doubt that how much the insurance fund would help with exports. Referring to Russia's invasion, she said: "On this summer day, we should already think about winter. We are going to enter the second military winter, and I think it may be much more difficult than the previous one. From all points of view." (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage) A view shows bank of Kakhovka Reservoir with Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on an opposite bank after the Nova Kakhovka dam breached, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Nikopol, in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine June 9 One of Europe's largest reservoirs is drying up after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in southern Ukraine. Satellite images, analysed by BBC Verify, show four canal networks have become disconnected from the reservoir. The UN says drinking water supplies could be affected for more than 700,000 people, mostly in Russian-occupied areas. Experts say the loss of water from the canals would be critical for food production in the region. The Kakhovka Dam was destroyed in the early hours of 6 June, causing widespread flooding which hit settlements and farmland across the region. Since the dam collapsed, satellite images show water levels in both the reservoir and the canals it feeds have continued to drop. As well as the canals being a source of drinking water to large parts of southern Ukraine, they also provided irrigation for vast areas of farmland. The dam acted as a flood defence to places downstream, mainly to the south and south-west. A satellite map showing the vast network of canals in southern Ukraine, including Crimea BBC Verify monitored the four canal entrances using satellite imagery, and by 15 June, all had become disconnected as the reservoir water level kept dropping. Further images reveal the reservoir, which previously held 18 cubic kilometres of water, had dried up significantly. Two images of Kakhovka reservoir, one at 5th June when reservoir was full and another on 20th June when reservoir water levels have dropped significantly Shallower parts of the reservoir were exposed first, revealing some of the original shape of the Dnipro River prior to the dam's construction in 1956. Images show the canals still contain water further away from the reservoir. It is unclear how long it will take for them to run dry. Before the war, about 5,840 sq km (584,000 hectares) of cropland on both sides of the Dnipro river could potentially be serviced by the canals, with more than half the area reliant on irrigation systems. These areas yielded about two million tonnes of grain and oil seeds in 2021, according to the Ukrainian government. Many areas downstream of the reservoir were initially flooded after the dam was destroyed, but the long-term issue facing food production will be the loss of water supply due to extensive canal systems drying up, according to Inbal Becker-Reshef, program director at NASA Harvest, a consortium researching global food security. "[The canals] primarily irrigate summer planted crops like corn, soy beans, some sunflower. But they also irrigate some wheat, which is a winter crop, and then a lot of vegetables and fruit like melons," she said. While some crops can be fed by rain alone, a dry canal system can leave farmland vulnerable to drought. This also has consequences for drinking water. Dr Becker-Reshef said canals can start to fill in with silt if left dry, reducing their effectiveness, and the longer they are left in this condition, the worse they will become. Martin Griffiths, Emergency Relief Coordinator for the UN, previously told the BBC there would be a "huge impact on global food security" as a result of the destruction of the dam, describing the area as "a breadbasket not only for Ukraine but also for the world". Ukraine is a major exporter of sunflower, maize, wheat and barley. The war has caused global supply issues, particularly threatened in Middle Eastern and African countries, which rely heavily on Ukrainian grain. Is there a solution? Rebuilding the dam seems to be one of the only long-term solutions to restore water security to the area. "Now the water level has dropped, the water simply does not reach the [canal] systems. To raise it, we need to rebuild the dam," according to Mykola Solskyi, Ukraine's Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food. Experts warn the area is at greater risk of both drought and flooding, because the dam helped regulate extreme highs and lows in water levels. "There's now a whole downstream catchment of the river that is not controlled," said Jaap Flikweert, a flood and coastal management advisor at engineering consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV. "In the wetter periods flood waves will just come through." Unless the dam is repaired, or extensive flood defences put in place, Mr Flikweert said some areas may prove unsuitable for settlement because they lie so close to river level. "I expect those tens of thousands of people who were evacuated will have to stay away for a while as long as those solutions are not in place. It is difficult to see people coming back to those communities in this situation." BBC Verify logo Read more about BBC Verify: Explaining the 'how' - the launch of BBC Verify A view shows the damaged Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Kherson region to the Crimean peninsula Ukraine hits bridge linking Crimea to mainland in blow to Russian supply route A view shows the damaged Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Kherson region to the Crimean peninsula By Tom Balmforth KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian missiles on Thursday struck one of the few bridges linking the Crimea Peninsula with the Ukrainian mainland, Russian-appointed officials said, cutting one of the main supply routes for Russian occupation forces in southern Ukraine. Meanwhile on the eastern front, Ukrainian forces were containing Russian troops and have not allowed "a single metre" of Russian advances, Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on the Telegram app on Thursday. She added Ukrainian forces on the southern front, where several villages were retaken last week, were "gradually moving forward. We have had partial success. We are pushing back the enemy and levelling the front line". Ukraine is attacking Russian supply lines to disrupt Moscow's defence of occupied territory in the south, where Kyiv is in the early stages of its most ambitious counteroffensive of the 16-month-old war. Kyiv says it has recaptured eight villages so far, but it has yet to commit the bulk of its forces to the fight and its troops have yet to reach the main Russian defensive lines. Vladimir Saldo, head of the Russian-installed administration in occupied Kherson province, released video of himself on the Chonhar road bridge, where craters were blasted through the asphalt. "Another meaningless act perpetrated by the Kyiv regime on orders from London. It solves nothing as far as the special military operation is concerned," he said, vowing to repair the bridge and restore traffic. Ukraine did not claim responsibility for the bridge attack. The bridge is one of a handful of access roads to Crimea, which a narrow isthmus links to the Ukrainian mainland. Alternative routes require hours-long detours over roads in poor condition. Russia's RIA new agency quoted Russian-installed transport officials as saying repairing the bridge could take weeks. The bridge is beyond range of the battlefield rockets Ukraine has used for a year, but within reach of newly deployed weapons such as British and French air-launched cruise missiles, allowing Kyiv to hit logistics routes Russia had deemed safe just weeks ago. 'PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT' The strike was "a blow to the military logistics of the occupiers", said Yuriy Sobolevsky, a Ukrainian official on the governing body for the Kherson region. "There is no place on the territory of Kherson region where they can feel safe," he said. Russian investigators said four missiles were fired by Ukrainian forces at the bridge, the RIA news agency reported. It quoted a spokesman for military investigators as saying markings on one missile suggested it was made in France. Ukraine's Maliar said fighting in the Lyman sector, in the north of Donetsk region, was "the most difficult". In the south, Ukrainian forces continued their offensive aimed at moving towards the city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region and the port of Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov, she said. Russia says it has fended off the Ukrainian counterattack and inflicted heavy casualties, which Ukraine denies. Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the leaders of the Russian military of lying to President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people about the extent of Russian losses and setbacks in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has acknowledged that progress has been slow so far, but says his troops are advancing cautiously into heavily mined and well-defended areas to minimise losses. Zelenskiy on Thursday accused Russia of planning a terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, which is in Russian-held territory near the front line. Moscow denied any such plan. In a video statement on Telegram, the Ukrainian president said Moscow had prepared an attack that would release radiation from the plant but did not provide evidence. Zelenskiy also claimed in his nightly video address that Russia had formed teams to collect and hide bodies of people killed in the Kakhovka dam collapse this month in southern Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of being behind the dam breach. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called out Russia on Thursday for killing 136 children in Ukraine in 2022, adding its armed forces to a global list of offenders, according to a report to the U.N. Security Council seen by Reuters on children and armed conflict. Russia has denied targeting civilians since it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. In London, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said he was certain Ukraine will have received the $6.5 billion it needs this year for its rapid reconstruction from pledges made at a conference that closed on Thursday. (Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Peter Graff, Alexandra Hudson and Cynthia Osterman; Editing by Gareth Jones, Alex Richardson and David Gregorio) Zelenskyy says whether elections will be held in Ukraine next year Elections in Ukraine will be held in 2024 only if martial law is ended by then, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with the BBC on June 22. Zelenskyy emphasized that according to the Ukrainian constitution, no elections could be held in the country while martial law remains in effect. Read also: Zelenskyy signs bill prohibiting imports of books from Russia, Belarus He expressed hope that there would be peace in Ukraine next year, and life would be returning to normal. Read also: No elections during martial law in Ukraine, official says The next parliamentary elections in the country would normally be held in October 2023, while presidential ones should take place in the spring of 2024. Earlier, speaker of the Ukrainian parliament Ruslan Stefanchuk also said that the issue of parliamentary elections was not on the agenda, since, according to the law, they could not be held during martial law. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine (Photo : STR/AFP via Getty Images) At least 31 people were killed in an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in China. (not the actual photo) At least 31 people were killed by a gas explosion that swept through a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China, authorities said Thursday, hours after the explosion reduced the restaurant to a charred ruin. Wednesday at 8:40 p.m., the two-story restaurant in Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia region, exploded as patrons were consuming lamb kebabs and other dishes cooked on gas burners. China Barbecue Restaurant Explosion Firefighters raced to the scene, where fractured glass and debris covered the street and thick smoke billowed into the sky. Within an hour, the fire was extinguished. The number of death toll was not revealed to the public until the following morning, when authorities announced the death toll and that seven others were hospitalized with injuries, one of whom was in critical condition. The Chinese Communist Party has become increasingly adept at concealing information about accidents and disasters until they have complete control of the situation, NY Post reported. According to a brief initial dispatch by Xinhua, the official news agency, one person was slain and twenty were injured. There was no mention of the prospect of more fatalities. Officials in Ningxia pledged to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the explosion and proclaimed a campaign to improve safety. Chinese President Xi Jinping issued a statement of condolence, as he typically does following significant catastrophes. Xi noted that the detonation occurred the night before the traditional Chinese festival of Duanwujie, or the Dragon Boat Festival. The explosion will likely lead to a closer examination of China's thriving barbecue restaurant industry. According to official statistics, China's safety record at mines and work sites has been improving, and local governments frequently order inspections of restaurants and their gas supplies. But serious accidents persist. Read Also: Hundreds of Dolphins, Sea Lions Found Dead in California Coast; Toxic Algae Suspected in Deaths Restaurant Employee Claims Seeing Gas Leak Per Mirror, a woman identified only by her surname, Chen, said that she was approximately 50 meters away when she heard the detonation. Chen added that she saw two servers emerge from the restaurant following the explosion, with one of them collapsing immediately as dense smoke billowed from the structure and a strong odor of cooking gas permeated the air. The Ministry of Emergency Management of the Central Government issued a statement on Thursday morning indicating that rescue efforts had been completed and that an investigation into the cause of the detonation was already ongoing. CCTV aired footage of over a dozen firefighters battling the blaze as smoke rises from a gaping hole in the restaurant's facade. The street was covered in glass shards and other debris. According to the Ministry of Emergency Management, more than 100 personnel and 20 vehicles were dispatched to the scene by fire and rescue services. The rescue operation lasted until Thursday at 4:00 a.m. local time. According to the fire department's preliminary investigation, a restaurant employee detected a gas leak approximately one hour before the explosion. Local media reported that he then discovered a damaged valve on a liquefied gas tank and was replacing it when the explosion occurred. BBC reports that barbecue establishments are emblematic of China's street vendor economy and popular in the northwestern regions of the country. Related Article: VIDEO: 4 Dead After Blaze at New York E-Bike Shop Spreads Apartments @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Ukraine hopes to be able afford 500,000-strong army in 10 years minister First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko Rapid GDP growth would enable Ukraine to support a military force of 500,000 personnel while simultaneously investing in social infrastructure, Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on June 22. Ukraine aims to raise its GDP from the current $161 billion to $1 trillion in a decade. This economic growth is crucial to maintaining a sizable military force and modernizing social infrastructure, the educational system, and health care without overstraining the budget, explained Svyrydenko. Read also: Scholz ready to provide security guarantees for Ukraine, but not swift NATO membership NATO's security assurances and institutional reforms achieved through cooperation with the EU will lay the groundwork for this ambitious plan, she noted. Economic rules allow to finance these sectors without putting critical pressure on the state budget, the minister said. Read also: Global tech sector getting pummeled layoffs up eightfold in 2023 Additionally, the country intends to cut fiscal GDP redistribution by 25%. Over the next 20 years, Ukraine's reconstruction needs are projected to exceed $500 billion, according to her. "We are currently working on establishing a competitive tax system and developing the labor market to manage the challenges of Ukraine's post-war recovery," Svyrydenko highlighted. Read also: The story of several dozen pilots who protected the skies of the capital in the first days of the full-scale war - NV reconstruction She further added that Ukraine has the potential to replace Russian and Chinese exports to the EU, which would open a $200 billion market for the country. As reported on June 19, global investment firm BlackRock and multinational financial services company JPMorgan Chase will assist Ukraine in creating a national reconstruction bank. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukrainian officials are pounding the drumbeat for full NATO membership, putting unrelenting pressure on the U.S. and allies to give in and view as precedent their success in receiving F-16 fighter jets, Western tanks and other heavy artillery over Western caution. Its a long-shot bid and likely to take years to realize, but Ukrainian officials are focused on getting the West to offer concrete commitments at the alliances leaders-level July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Ukraines path to NATO and a political invitation to accession should be developed in the context of preparations for the Alliance Summit in Vilnius already, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a nightly address to the nation last week. The time for integration and security certainty has obviously come But a major hurdle for Ukraines accession which critics and supporters have pointed out is that a prospective state cannot be engaged in active conflict. As a practical matter, I dont see how you can bring a country thats currently under invasion by another into NATO, Mary Beth Long, a former assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, said during a panel event in Washington last week. Just with the apparatus of NATO, Article 5, there are so many implications, she continued, referring to the terms of the mutual defense pact of the alliance stating that an attack on one is an attack on all. Its a concern that alliance members are fielding, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg saying on Monday the focus is on how to move Ukraine closer to NATO, but a formal invitation or commitment would not be issued in Vilnius. Ukrainian officials are frustrated with the semantics. Ukrainian society as a whole, and ourselves as the Ukrainian leadership, we expect during the NATO Summit in Vilnius this summer, we shall hear something more specific and concrete rather than the doors of NATO remain open for Ukraine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in an interview with The Hill in April. Ukrainians and their supporters say there are practical steps NATO can take short of offering Kyiv full membership, with strong rhetoric and blunt commitments viewed as essential weapons in the political battle against Russian President Vladimir Putin. If you make security guarantees and NATO membership dependent on cessation of hostilities, you are giving Putin an incentive to continue the war, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, a former secretary general of NATO, said during an event hosted by the Atlantic Council. Rasmussen co-authored an action plan with Zelenskys senior adviser, Andriy Yermak, laying out how NATO members and other supporters could establish tangible security guarantees for Ukraine on the pathway to membership, while also reassuring nervous allies concerned over provoking Putin to nuclear escalation. While Baltic states bordering Russia Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have issued clarion calls for Ukraine to immediately join the alliance, other European leaders are more cautious. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, standing next to Stoltenberg during the press conference on Monday, said they need to focus on the task at hand and pointed to NATOs declaration at Bucharest in 2008 that acknowledged Ukraines aspiration to join the alliance and laid out a Membership Action Plan (MAP) to lead to its accession. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during an April 3 media conference, ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, at NATO headquarters in Brussels. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) But Ukrainian officials and their supporters are calling the Bucharest declaration worthless. The 15-year shadow ban on Ukraine must come to end, or otherwise, Putin will get a huge bonus for his next presidential term, which is next year, they have the elections, Yermak said at the Atlantic Council. Rasmussen called the 2008 Bucharest agreement a mistake but said getting all 31 of NATOs members to agree on such a proposal at Vilnius is far-fetched. My impression is that there will be no consensus, he said. Theres also no consensus in the U.S. Congress. While 13 Senate and House lawmakers, members of the Helsinki Commission, are calling for Biden to offer Ukraine a clear and achievable pathway to membership, alongside robust security commitments at Vilnius, other lawmakers are less declarative. First, I think theres a lot of work to do to figure out what the right path is for Ukraine to go to NATO, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told The Hill. Theres a complexity that everybody I think misses out it only takes any one member to veto, and I think there are NATO members that, in order to satisfy and get unanimous agreement for their invitee status, let alone accession, we have a lot of work to do, but I think that should be an end goal. Tillis, co-chairman of the Senate NATO Observer Group, introduced with his counterpart Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) a resolution Wednesday reaffirming U.S. security priorities for the summit in Vilnius but held back on bluntly calling for Ukraines accession or security guarantees. Instead, it has the Senate emphasize that the Alliance should continue to support Ukraine as it fights for freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter A more immediate concern for 29 members of the alliance is stonewalling by Turkey and Hungary over Swedens accession. That nations application to the alliance along with Finland was fast-tracked in the wake of Russias full-scale invasion in February 2022. Hungary has held back ratifying Swedens accession in retaliation for perceived insults from Stockholm against Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban. And Turkey complains that Sweden has failed to address its serious concerns about Kurdish militant groups. The Biden administration is dangling a weapons package to include upgrades for its ailing F-16 fighter jets as an incentive to allow Swedens accession to proceed. I want to support Turkey on F-16 sales, a number of other things none of that discussion [with Turkey] occurs until we welcome Sweden into NATO, Tillis said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy alleged Russia is weighing a terrorist attack at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europes largest, that would result in a radiation leak. Most Read from Bloomberg In a video address, Zelenskiy said information from Ukraines security service would be shared with nations including the US and China, as well as international organizations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the claims another lie, according to Russias state-run Tass news service. Russian officials said bridges linking Crimea and the occupied part of Kherson region were struck by Ukrainian missiles. Andriy Yusov, a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman, didnt directly address the claim, but said on television that everything happens for a reason. Latest Coverage Ukraine Reports Slow Progress as Its Forces Attack Supply Lines Ukraine Doubtful of New Russian Gas Transit Deal as War Rages Ukraine Premier Lauds Strong, Unwavering Support From Allies European Gas Falls as Ukraine Transit Risk Adds to Volatility Russia Covers Up Key Budget Spending Data as War Swells Deficit Coming Up Ukraine Recovery Conference concludes in London President Joe Biden hosts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. The United Nations has added Russia to a global list of offenders for killing 136 children in Ukraine in 2022. Russian forces and affiliated groups maimed 518 children and carried out 480 attacks on Ukrainian schools and hospitals, according to a report submitted to the UN Security Council (UNSC) by a diplomat. The report seen by Reuters said that Russias military used 91 children as human shields as well. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has accused Russias defence ministry of lying about the scale of Russian losses and setbacks in Ukraine. In a series of emotional audio messages over two days, Mr Prigozhin escalated his repeated criticism of defence minister Sergei Shoigu a close Vladimir Putin ally and Valery Gerasimov chief of the general staff by accusing them of hiding Russias very serious losses on the front from Mr Putin. Total trash is being put on the presidents desk. Shoigu and Gerasimov have a simple approach. The lie must be monstrous for people to believe it. That is what they are doing, Mr Prigozhin said in a message. Key Points UN adds Russia to global list of offenders for killing children in Ukraine Russian mercenary boss accuses top brass of Ukraine battlefield cover-up Putin 'plans radiation leak terrorist attack on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Ukraine attacks key bridge between mainland and Crimea, claims Russia Putin sees lull in Ukraines counteroffensive Ukraine holding back large attacks near Bakhmut and Lyman Ukraine attacks key bridge between mainland and Crimea, says Russia-backed official Thursday 22 June 2023 06:07 , Arpan Rai Ukrainian forces have launched a missile strike on a bridge connecting Ukraines Kherson region and Crimea, Russia-appointed officials in both regions said today. Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed Kherson governor, said the bridge was likely to have been attacked by Storm Shadow missiles that damaged the road, but traffic has been diverted to a different route. No casualty has been reported. Robert F Kennedy Jr wildly claims Russia acted in good faith in Ukraine invasion 04:25 , Maroosha Muzaffar Presidential primary candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr said that he believes Russia acted in good faith when it invaded Ukraine, and claimed the US was largely responsible for the war. Mr Kennedy is running as a Democrat in the 2024 presidential primaries. He made the comments during an interview on SiriusXMs The Briefing with Steve Scully, according to the HuffPost. Scully asked Mr Kennedy about Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion, which prompted Mr Kennedy to say that baby steps towards negotiations were the appropriate path forward. The interviewer then pointed out that Mr Putin has largely dismissed calls for negotiations unless they allow Russia to keep the land it has already occupied in Ukraine. Robert F Kennedy Jr wildly claims Russia acted in good faith in Ukraine invasion Zelensky warns of Russian attack at Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant 04:10 , Maroosha Muzaffar Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that Russia is considering a terrorist attack at the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Our intelligence obtained information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. A terrorist attack with radiation leakage. They have prepared everything for this, Mr Zelensky said, according to Kyiv Independent. Earlier, Ukraines military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov claimed that Russian forces have planted additional mines in and around Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, including the cooling pond. The worst thing is that Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was additionally mined during this time. The cooler (pond) was mined. If they disable it by blowing it up, there is a high probability that there will be significant problems, he said. Air raid alerts in effect throughout Ukraine 03:54 , Maroosha Muzaffar Ukraine has warned people that Russian missile and drone attacks might take place as air raid alerts were in effect throughout the country early this morning. Telegram channels reported explosions in several regions, from Lviv in the west, far from the front lines, to Kherson in the south. However, there were no reports of strikes or casualties so far. In pictures Bridge linking Ukraine to Crimea damaged in explosion' 02:00 , Martha Mchardy A view shows the damaged Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Kherson region to the Crimean peninsula (via REUTERS) A view shows the damaged Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Kherson region to the Crimean peninsula (via REUTERS) Today in pictures Thursday 22 June 2023 23:30 , Martha Mchardy An abandoned car in Kherson in an area flooded by rising water following the collapse of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam (AFP via Getty Images) A Ukrainian service member walks at a training ground near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region (REUTERS) Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko shows a Kh-47 Kinzhal Russian hypersonic missile warhead, shot down by a Ukrainian Air Defence unit (REUTERS) UK could support dropping a stage in Ukraines Nato membership bid Cleverly Thursday 22 June 2023 22:30 , Martha Mchardy The UK could be in favour of offering Ukraine a shorter route to Nato accession, the Foreign Secretary indicated. James Cleverly said during a conference on Ukrainian reconstruction the UK would be very supportive if it was decided Kyiv did not need to go through the membership action plan stage of the process to join Nato. We have seen Ukraine evolve, and evolve incredibly quickly, he told a press conference during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. Dominic McGrath reports: UK could support dropping a stage in Ukraines Nato membership bid Cleverly What to know about India's ties with Russia Thursday 22 June 2023 21:30 , Martha Mchardy Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Washington in June was expected to reduce Indias dependence on Moscow for arms, economic ties and technology as New Delhi and Washington try to strengthen the Quad partnership, which also includes Japan and Australia, to contain growing aggression from China. India considers Russia a time-tested ally from the Cold War era with key cooperation in defense, oil, nuclear energy and space exploration. But that partnership has become fraught since Moscow started developing closer ties with Indias main rival, China, because of the war against Ukraine. Heres where things stand with India-Russia ties. Ashok Sharma reports: What to know about India's ties with Russia ICYMI: Russia-backed officials say explosion damages bridge linking Ukraines mainland to Crimea Thursday 22 June 2023 20:30 , Martha Mchardy An explosion damaged a bridge that is one of the few links between Crimea and Ukraines mainland, Russia-backed officials said Thursday, as the early stages of a Ukrainian counteroffensive unfold. Russian forces in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, use the Chongar bridge to reach southern Ukraines Kherson province. Russia and Ukraine control different sides of the province, which is a focus of fighting and attacks as Ukrainian troops try to reclaim Russian-occupied territory. Ukrainian authorities have said that for the countrys nearly 16-month war to end, Moscow must withdraw its forces from Crimea as well as from areas they seized during last years full-scale invasion. Read the full story: Russia-backed officials say explosion damages bridge linking Ukraine's mainland to Crimea Voices: Russian brutality has boosted Nato and led countries to abandon neutrality and thats a very bad move Thursday 22 June 2023 20:00 , Martha Mchardy If, as might appear, most of Europe and Russia are now speeding towards a two-bloc division, far more risks being lost than gained, writes Mary Dejevsky. Why more countries should stay neutral | Mary Dejevsky Ukrainian forces contain Russian forces in east -deputy defence minister Thursday 22 June 2023 19:30 , Martha Mchardy Ukrainian forces are containing Russian forces on the eastern front and have not allowed a single metre of Russian advances, Deputy prime minister Hanna Maliar said on Thursday. Our defence forces continue to contain effectively advances by Russian troops, Maliar wrote on the Telegram app, referring to four key sectors in the east, including the Lyman further north, where officials say Russian forces have been active. Maliar said Ukrainian forces on the southern front, where several villages were captured last week, were gradually moving forward. We have had partial success. We are pushing back the enemy and levelling the front line. Today in pictures Thursday 22 June 2023 19:00 , Martha Mchardy A Ukrainian service member fire a machine gun at a training ground near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region (REUTERS) Ukrainian service members are seen inside a bus at a training ground near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region (REUTERS) Ukrainian military medics treat a soldier with concussion in a field hospital in Donetsk region, Ukraine (AP) A man carries boxes with food sets of the UN World Food Program, distributed by volunteers as humanitarian aid to local residents of Liptsy village, Kharkiv region (AFP via Getty Images) Voices: Putin wont stop using spectre of nuclear disaster to terrorise Ukraine Thursday 22 June 2023 18:30 , Martha Mchardy Ukraines president Zelensky has warned of a possible attack on Europes largest nuclear plant, while Russias president has once again talked up his nuclear arsenal, writes Borzou Daragahi. Putin wont stop using spectre of nuclear disaster to terrorise Ukraine Ukraine progresses on reforms to unlock membership talks, EU says Thursday 22 June 2023 17:56 , Martha Mchardy Senior EU officials said on Thursday that Ukraine is making progress on political reforms to open the way for European Union membership talks but still needs to progress in five important areas. The assessment, by the EUs executive body, the European Commission, offered Kyiv hope that it could achieve its aim of getting the green light for membership talks in December even it fights to repel Russias invasion. But it also made clear that Ukraine has a way to go just to complete the seven steps that the EU outlined last year when it granted Kyiv the status of a candidate for membership. They are on track, they are working hard. After all, the country is under attack, said Oliver Varhelyi, the European Commissioner for relations with the EUs neighbours. Compared to that, I think that they are delivering. In an update for the EUs member countries, Varhelyi said Kyiv had completed two of the seven steps, as reported by Reuters on Monday - reform of two judicial bodies and the adoption of media legislation in line with EU standards. He said Ukraine had made progress but had more work to do on constitutional court reform, on measures to fight corruption, money laundering and curb the influence of oligarchs, and on the treatment of minorities. He also stressed the European Commission would look at a broader range of factors in a full report in October on Ukraines suitability for membership talks. We are just in the middle of the work so its too early to tell you where they are going to be, he told reporters after presenting his assessment to European affairs ministers from the blocs 27 member countries in Stockholm. Jessika Roswall, Swedens European affairs minister, said Ukraines reform efforts had been impressive in the face of extraordinary circumstances. Ukraine has taken substantial steps forward, she said. Ukrainian PM says he's sure Ukraine will get money needed to rebuild Thursday 22 June 2023 17:50 , Martha Mchardy Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said on Thursday he was certain Ukraine would receive the $6.5 billion it needs this year for its rapid reconstruction programmes from pledges made at a conference in London. Earlier, Britain, the United States, the European Union and others pledged billions of dollars in additional help for Ukraine, going some way to meeting Kyivs demand for more capital and commitments to specific projects, not only to rebuild but to further develop Ukraine into a strong member of the West. Speaking on the final day of the Ukraine recovery conference, Shmyhal said his government had yet to assess all the pledges but Im sure that in the nearest time, after this conference ... we will collect all the needed money. On Wednesday, he said he expected to secure almost $7 billion in aid, money needed to spur his governments rapid recovery programme - which is firstly focused on rebuilding the energy sector, especially before another winter. Destruction in Bakhmut (via REUTERS) A closing statement from conference co-chairs Britain and Ukraine said attendees had agreed to provide $60 billion to meet recovery and reconstruction needs over a multi-year period. This was mostly comprised of a 50-billion-euro commitment from the European Union announced on Tuesday and new pledges at the conference from Britain the United States. Shmyhal also said there had been many expressions of interest from the business community in getting involved in projects in Ukraine, particularly after Britain announced the London Conference Framework for War Risk Insurance, which could pave the way for derisking investment. He said that as yet he could not put a figure on the amount of business investment. Nearly 16 months of Russias war on Ukraine has destroyed homes, hospitals and other critical infrastructure. Western nations are keen to maintain support for Kyiv, which faces years, possibly decades, of rebuilding. The total bill will be huge, with Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations estimating in March that the cost was at $411 billion for the first year of the war. Shmyhal said that figure only referred to the land currently under Ukrainian control. I think after the liberation of all the Ukrainian territories, this amount will be doubled, he said. And we understand that this a project for dozens of years. ICYMI: Bridge linking Ukraine to Crimea damaged in explosion Thursday 22 June 2023 17:30 , Martha Mchardy An explosion has damaged a bridge that is one of the few links between Crimea and Ukraines mainland, Russia-backed officials said, as the early stages of a Ukrainian counter-offensive unfold. Russian forces in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, use the Chongar bridge to reach southern Ukraines Kherson province. Russia and Ukraine control different sides of the province, which is a focus of fighting and attacks as Ukrainian troops try to reclaim Russian-occupied territory. A view shows the damaged Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Kherson region to the Crimean peninsula (via REUTERS) Ukrainian authorities have said that for the countrys nearly 16-month war to end, Moscow must withdraw its forces from Crimea as well as from areas they seized during the full-scale invasion that started last year. The damage to the bridge was not severe and is likely to be repaired within several days, Vladimir Konstantinov, chairman of the parliament of Crimea, said. Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed head of the occupied parts of Kherson province, said the explosion appeared to have been caused by a type of long-range cruise missile that both France and the UK have given to Ukraines military. The claim could not be independently verified. Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment on the bridge and typically do not confirm specific attacks. UN adds Russia to list of shame for killing children in Ukraine Thursday 22 June 2023 17:00 , Martha Mchardy United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres called out Russia on Thursday for killing 136 children in Ukraine in 2022, adding its armed forces to a global list of offenders, according to a report to the U.N. Security Council seen by Reuters. The United Nations also verified that Russian armed forces and affiliated groups maimed 518 children and carried out 480 attacks on schools and hospitals. Russian armed forces also used 91 children as human shields, according to the report. Russia has denied targeting civilians since it invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Antonio Guterres (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) The report also verified that Ukrainian armed forces killed 80 children, maimed 175 children and carried out 212 attacks on schools and hospitals. The Ukrainian armed forces are not on the global offenders list. Guterres said in the report that he was particularly shocked by the high number of children killed and maimed and attacks on schools and hospitals by Russian armed forces. He also said he was particularly disturbed by the high number of such offenses against children by Ukrainian armed forces. Russias mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. Russian Supreme Court rejects Navalny challenge to prison conditions Thursday 22 June 2023 16:58 , Martha Mchardy Russias Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a challenge by the jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny to prison officials refusal to give him writing equipment, the Russian independent news site Mediazona reported. In latest crackdown on critics, Russia declares World Wide Fund for Nature 'undesirable' Thursday 22 June 2023 16:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russian authorities on Wednesday declared the World Wide Fund for Nature to be an undesirable organization, effectively banning it from operating in the country, in the latest move to stifle dissent. The global organization, which promotes wildlife preservation and works to reduce human impact on the environment, encourages activities that are a cover for the implementation of projects that pose security threats in the economic sphere, the Russian prosecutor-generals office said, according to Russian news reports. Under the pretext of preserving the environment, WWF is carrying out activities aimed at preventing the implementation of the countrys political course for the industrial development of the Arctic, natural resources in the Arctic territories, it said. In latest crackdown on critics, Russia declares World Wide Fund for Nature 'undesirable' Zelensky accuses Russia of plotting radiation leak attack at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Thursday 22 June 2023 16:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Ukraine has new evidence Russia is plotting a terrorist attack on Zaporizhzhia power plant that will result in radiation leak, President Volodymr Zelensky has warned. The Kremlin dismissed the allegation as another lie, and said a team of United Nations nuclear inspectors had visited the plant and rated everything highly. In a video statement, Mr Zelensky said that Kyiv had received intelligence about an attack on the facility the largest nuclear power plant in Europe that is currently occupied by Russia. He added that they had shared the information with partners including the United States China, Europe, Brazil and India. Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - a terrorist act with radiation leakage, he said. Zelensky accuses Russia of plotting radiation leak attack at nuclear plant MPs demand to cut through Whitehall bureaucracy and get jailed British-Russian dissident home Thursday 22 June 2023 15:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Senior MPs have backed calls for the Foreign Office to do more to help a British citizen jailed for 25 years in Russia for opposing the invasion of Ukraine. British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison in April after he had been convicted of high treason by a Moscow court. Mr Kara-Murza has already survived two poisoning attempts by Russian agents and has developed a medical condition that has deteriorated during his imprisonment to the point where he has lost feeling in his feet and one of his arms. MPs demand to get jailed British-Russian dissident home Russian mercenary boss accuses top brass of Ukraine battlefield cover-up Thursday 22 June 2023 14:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin added fuel to his feud with the top brass on Thursday, accusing them of lying to President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people about the scale of Russian losses and setbacks in Ukraine. Prigozhin, whose Wagner private militia spearheaded the Russian capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut last month, is resisting an order for mercenary groups like his to sign contracts with the Defence Ministry before July 1. Prigozhin portrays Wagner as Russias most effective fighting force, and has enjoyed unusual freedom to publicly criticise Moscow - albeit not Putin, on whose support he and Wagner ultimately depend. Yet the order to bring militias under Moscows direct control suggested to some that he may have outlived his usefulness to Putin in challenging a military hierarchy that has failed to deliver the rapid victory he had hoped for. In a series of emotional audio messages over two days, Prigozhin escalated his repeated criticism of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, a close Putin ally, and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff - by accusing them of hiding Russias very serious losses on the front from Putin. Total trash is being put on the presidents desk. Shoigu and Gerasimov have a simple approach. The lie must be monstrous for people to believe it. That is what they are doing, Prigozhin said in one message. Its all being hidden from everyone. Russia will wake up one day and learn that (Russian-annexed) Crimea has been handed over to the Ukrainians ... They are misleading the Russian people and if it keeps on like this well be left without the most important thing: Russia. There was no immediate response from the Defence Ministry. (AP) Ukraines Zelensky signs law banning import of books from Russia Thursday 22 June 2023 14:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed into law a ban on the commercial import of books from Russia on Thursday, the latest move to reduce cultural ties between the two countries following Moscows invasion. I believe the law is right, Zelensky wrote on the Telegram messaging app, announcing he had signed a bill which also bans the commercial import of books printed in Belarus or in occupied Ukrainian territory. The bill, adopted by parliament a year ago, also makes its a requirement to obtain special permission to import books in the Russian language from third countries. Zelenskys office said on Twitter that the law would strengthen the protection of the Ukrainian cultural and information space from anti-Ukrainian Russian propaganda. Ukraine has been carrying out what it describes as derussification process, saying it is necessary to undo centuries of policies it considered aimed at crushing the Ukrainian identity. Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko thanked the president for signing the bill. The adoption of this draft law will protect the Ukrainian book publishing and distribution sector from the destructive influence of the russian world, he said on Telegram. (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SER) Ukraine racing to make prepares as it braces for winter of air strikes, minister says Thursday 22 June 2023 14:20 , Andy Gregory Ukraine is carrying out the largest campaign of repairs in modern history to its power system to prepare for another winter of possible Russian air strikes, its energy minister said. The most extensive repair campaign in the history of energy facilities is currently under way in Ukraine, German Galushchenko said. Power generation and distribution facilities are being restored, and work is under way to strengthen the power systems resilience to military challenges. Ukraine has nearly doubled electricity tariffs for consumers since 1 June to find funds to prepare for winter. About 43 per cent of Ukraines energy infrastructure has been damaged in air strikes, with around seven in 10 substations attacked at least twice, state-owned power distributor Ukrenergo estimates. Ben Wallace rules himself out of running to become new Nato chief Thursday 22 June 2023 13:55 , Andy Gregory The UKs defence secretary has ruled himself out of contention to succeed Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg. Following speculation linking him to the general-secretary position ahead of next months Nato summit in Vilnius, Ben Wallace told The Economist: Its not going to happen, adding that there are a lot of unresolved issues in Nato. Washington wants Mr Stoltenberg to stay in the role, Mr Wallace added, despite remarks by US president Joe Biden that he would support a Nato leader from the UK when he met with Rishi Sunak at the White House earlier this month. Downing Street refused to say on Thursday whether Mr Sunak was disappointed to see Mr Wallace exit the running to take over at Nato. A spokesperson for Mr Sunak said the defence secretarys focus would continue to be on protecting our national security and supporting Ukraine. Western defence firms wary on Ukraine's weapons production pitch Thursday 22 June 2023 13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Western defence companies are interested in making weapons in Ukraine - but not until after the war, according to half a dozen executives contacted by Reuters at the Paris Airshow. Ukraine is desperate to boost its weapons arsenal, from drones and munitions to tanks, as it battles to repel Russias invasion. Its also looking to boost job opportunities and stabilise an economy ravaged by war. On Monday, a Ukrainian deputy minister told Reuters that Kyiv was in talks with defence companies in Germany, France, Italy and eastern Europe to potentially make weapons in Ukraine. But company executives at the worlds biggest aerospace industry gathering said there was currently too much risk. You just have to think about more broadly, the state of the situation ... and the risk associated with that co-production, said Greg Ulmer, who leads U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martins aeronautic business and was not aware of any direct discussions with Ukraine on co-production activities. Representatives from two major defence companies confirmed they had heard about the Ukrainian initiative, with one adding his company was prepared to sign a letter of intent to discuss an industrial partnership in Ukraine once hostilities end. But none of those interviewed expressed an interest in investing directly while the war rages, with security the top concern. What we know about Indias ties with Russia Thursday 22 June 2023 13:10 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Washington in June was expected to reduce Indias dependence on Moscow for arms, economic ties and technology as New Delhi and Washington try to strengthen the Quad partnership, which also includes Japan and Australia, to contain growing aggression from China. India considers Russia a time-tested ally from the Cold War era with key cooperation in defense, oil, nuclear energy and space exploration. But that partnership has become fraught since Moscow started developing closer ties with Indias main rival, China, because of the war against Ukraine. Heres where things stand with India-Russia ties. What to know about India's ties with Russia Russia warns US not to send NATO troops to Ukraine - RIA cites deputy foreign minister Thursday 22 June 2023 12:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Thursday called on the United States not to make mistakes with dangerous consequences and send NATO troops to Ukraine, the RIA news agency reported. Ukraine says Russia fired 'Kinzhal' missiles in overnight air strike Thursday 22 June 2023 12:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russia fired cruise and ballistic missiles and strike drones at targets in Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, causing damage in the cities of Odesa and Kryvy Rih, Ukrainian officials said. Ukrainian air defences downed three of the four drones fired in the overnight attack involving three Kinzhal hypersonic and three cruise missiles, the Air Force said in a statement. ...The enemy rockets did not reach their targets in the Dnipropetrovsk region... the occupiers are continuing their terror against the Ukrainian people, attacking Ukraines critical infrastructure facilities, the air force said. The drones were shot down over the Black Sea region of Odesa in southwestern Ukraine, but one of them struck a warehouse, regional administration spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said. In the Kryvy Rih area, a Russian missile strike damaged at least 10 homes, the regional administration said. Russia has regularly carried out long-distance missile and drone attacks since October, and increased strikes in May as Ukraine prepared for a counteroffensive. Watch live: Ukrainian PM addresses final day of Ukraine Recovery Conference in London Thursday 22 June 2023 11:54 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Watch live as the prime minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, addresses the second day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. This years summit will focus on mobilising international support for Ukraines economic and social stabilisation and recovery from the effects of war. Other sessions on Thursday 22 June include speeches on restoring livelihoods, tech for transformation and role of the regions in Ukraines recovery and reconstruction. Opening the conference yesterday, Rishi Sunak pledged to stand with Kyiv as long as it takes as he announced three billion US dollars (2.35 billion) in bank loan guarantees to bolster rebuild. Watch live: Ukrainian PM addresses final day of Ukraine Recovery Conference in London Chonhar Bridge could take several weeks to fix after Ukrainian missile strike Thursday 22 June 2023 11:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Repairing the Chonhar road bridge after a missile strike Russia has blamed on Ukraine could take up to several weeks, a Russian-installed transport ministry official in Crimea was cited as saying on Thursday. Russian-appointed officials said earlier on Thursday that Ukrainian missiles had struck the bridge connecting Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, with Russian-held parts of the southern Kherson region. (via REUTERS) US reporter Gershkovich loses new appeal against pre-trial detention in Russia Thursday 22 June 2023 11:14 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain US reporter Evan Gershkovich had a new appeal rejected by a Moscow court on Thursday against his pre-trial detention on charges of espionage, a Reuters reporter at the court said. The Wall Street Journal reporter denies the spying charge, which could lead to a prison sentence of up to 20 years if he is convicted. His parents Mikhail Gershkovich and Ella Milman, who left the Soviet Union for the United States in 1979, were in court to support their son. U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy was not allowed inside the room. Gershkovich, wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt, stood in a glass box and smiled at journalists who were briefly allowed to film him before the start of the proceedings. The 31-year-old was arrested in March and accused by Russias FSB security service of collecting military secrets in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. His newspaper vehemently denies the accusation against Gershkovich, who was accredited by the Russian Foreign Ministry. The United States says he was wrongfully detained and is demanding his release. Gershkovich was appealing against his continued detention in Moscows Lefortovo prison ahead of his trial, for which no date has been set. Emma Tucker, the Wall Street Journals editor in chief, told the BBC before the hearing that she had low expectations from the appeal but it was important to go through the legal process. In April, a court denied a request from Gershkovichs lawyers that he be transferred to house arrest, agree to restrictions on his movements, or be granted bail. Gershkovich is being held at a time when relations between Washington and Moscow are at the lowest point since the Cold War after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine last year in what it called a special military operation. (EPA) Putin 'plans radiation leak terrorist attack on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant Thursday 22 June 2023 10:41 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Volodymr Zelensky has claimed Russia is planning a terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. In a tweet, the president said: Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. A terrorist attack with radiation leakage. They have prepared everything for this. We have just had a report from our intelligence and the Security Service of . Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. A terrorist attack with radiation leakage. They have prepared pic.twitter.com/WK6qM090Ru (@ZelenskyyUa) June 22, 2023 Pictures show extent of Chonhar bridge damage Thursday 22 June 2023 10:24 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain A view shows the damaged Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Kherson region to the Crimean peninsula, following what Russian-appointed officials say was a Ukrainian missile attack. (via REUTERS) (via REUTERS) Britain backs fast-track Nato membership for Ukraine Thursday 22 June 2023 09:57 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Britain will back fast-tracking Ukraines Nato membership as momentum builds among Western allies to significantly change their stance over Kyivs attempts to join the alliance. Volodymyr Zelenskys government may have a quick route to accession, as has been granted recently to Sweden and Finland, rather than continuing with the slower Membership Action Plan (MAP) that has preconditions for entry. Russia is adamantly opposed to Ukraine joining Nato, and even after Vladimir Putins invasion there has been reticence among member states over the speed of Kyivs accession. But as the war enters its 16th month, the position of Western allies appears to be changing. Britain backs fast-track Nato membership for Ukraine Sweden's prosecutor reserves right to classify Nord Stream investigation materials -RIA Thursday 22 June 2023 09:27 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Swedens prosecutors office reserves the right to classify material from its investigation into last years sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, Russias RIA news agency cited it as saying on Thursday. If the investigation is dropped and no conclusions are made, materials will not be made public, RIA reported. Russia has unsuccessfully demanded access to investigations by Sweden and other countries into the blasts that severely damaged the pipelines connecting Russia and Germany across the Baltic Sea. Watch live: Ukraine Recovery Conference underway in second day of meetings in London Thursday 22 June 2023 09:09 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Watch live as Ukraine Recovery Conference goes underway in the second day of meetings in London. Live: Ukraine Recovery Conference underway in second day of meetings in London Scholz pledges security assurances to Kyiv but no swift NATO membership Thursday 22 June 2023 08:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday pledged long-term security assurances to Ukraine but dashed Kyivs hopes for a swift accession to NATO. We have to take a sober look at the current situation, Scholz told German lawmakers in a speech in parliament, adding the government in Kyiv had itself acknowledged the country would not be able to join NATO as long as the war was still going on. Therefore, I suggest we focus on the top priority (at the NATO summit) in Vilnius (in mid-July), namely strengthening the combat power of Ukraine, Scholz said. Berlin and its partners in the G7 and the European Union were working on long-term security assurances to Kyiv, he said. Our goal is ... a sustainable military support of Ukraine, including with modern Western weapons, and the strengthening of Ukraines economic resilience as it defends itself against the Russian aggression, he said. NATO countries are squabbling over what to offer Kyiv when the alliances leaders meet in Vilnius on July 11-12. While Kyiv and its closest allies in Eastern Europe call for concrete steps to bring Ukraine closer to membership, Western governments such as the United States and Germany are wary of any move that might take the alliance closer to war with Russia. ((Sarah Meyssonnier , Pool via AP)) Ukraine strikes bridge to Crimea, say Russian-appointed officials Thursday 22 June 2023 08:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Ukrainian missiles struck the Chonhar road bridge connecting Crimea with Russian-held parts of the southern Kherson region overnight, forcing traffic to be diverted to a different route, Russian-appointed officials said on Thursday. The so-called gate to Crimea, known by Russians with a different spelling as the Chongar Bridge, is one of a handful of links between Crimea - which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - and mainland Ukraine. It is on a route used by the Russian military to move between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine under its control. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv, which has said it wants to retake Crimea and drive all Russian forces from its territory. Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, parts of which Russian forces have captured during what Moscow calls its special military operation, said the road bridge had been damaged but that there were no casualties. One picture Saldo posted on Telegram showed a large hole in the bridges surface with water visible beneath it and debris scattered nearby. Saldo said initial information suggested Ukraine was likely to have used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for the strike. The Kyiv terrorists want to intimidate Kherson residents and sow panic among the population, but they will not succeed. We know how to repair bridges quickly: vehicle passage will be restored in the very near future, he said. We have an answer to every move by the enemy. A link between the Kherson region and Crimea continues to operate - a reserve route has been temporarily organised for vehicular traffic. Sergey Aksyonov, Crimeas Russian-appointed governor, told people to stay calm and said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume. Ukraine strikes bridge to Crimea, say Russian-appointed officials Thursday 22 June 2023 08:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Ukrainian missiles struck the Chonhar road bridge connecting Crimea with Russian-held parts of the southern Kherson region overnight, forcing traffic to be diverted to a different route, Russian-appointed officials said on Thursday. The so-called gate to Crimea, known by Russians with a different spelling as the Chongar Bridge, is one of a handful of links between Crimea - which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - and mainland Ukraine. It is on a route used by the Russian military to move between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine under its control. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv, which has said it wants to retake Crimea and drive all Russian forces from its territory. Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, parts of which Russian forces have captured during what Moscow calls its special military operation, said the road bridge had been damaged but that there were no casualties. One picture Saldo posted on Telegram showed a large hole in the bridges surface with water visible beneath it and debris scattered nearby. Saldo said initial information suggested Ukraine was likely to have used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for the strike. The Kyiv terrorists want to intimidate Kherson residents and sow panic among the population, but they will not succeed. We know how to repair bridges quickly: vehicle passage will be restored in the very near future, he said. We have an answer to every move by the enemy. A link between the Kherson region and Crimea continues to operate - a reserve route has been temporarily organised for vehicular traffic. Sergey Aksyonov, Crimeas Russian-appointed governor, told people to stay calm and said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume. U.N. nuclear watchdog head Grossi to visit Russia on Friday Thursday 22 June 2023 07:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, will visit Russia on Friday, the Interfax news agency reported on Thursday. Grossi is likely to hold talks about the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. (AP) Russia considering U.S. request to visit journalist Evan Gershkovich Thursday 22 June 2023 07:52 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that Moscow was considering a request from the United States to visit journalist Evan Gershkovich who is being held on spying charges he denies, the Interfax news agency reported. A hearing in Gershkovichs case is due later on Thursday. Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, was arrested in March on espionage charges after Russias FSB security service accused him of collecting military secrets in the city of Yekaterinburg. Gershkovich and his employer, the Wall Street Journal, strongly deny the charges. He was initially remanded in custody until May 29, but a court last month extended his detention until Aug. 30. The United States says he has been wrongfully detained and has called for his immediate release. The U.S. House of Representatives voted unanimously on Tuesday for a resolution calling on Russia to release him. Shooting down each Russian helicopter is important', says Zelensky Thursday 22 June 2023 06:50 , Arpan Rai Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukrainian troops are advancing in all the continuing fights along the battlefield front lines, calling on his forces to shoot down each Russian helicopter. Front. Fierce battles. South were destroying the enemy. Donetsk direction were destroying the enemy. The Kupiansk direction whatever the Russian terrorists are planning there, we will destroy the enemy, Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address. He added: In the South, we are advancing. Thank you, warriors! In the East, our defenses are firming. And I am especially grateful, guys, for every shot down Russian helicopter... Each shooting down is important. Putin sees lull in Ukraines counteroffensive Thursday 22 June 2023 03:58 , Arpan Rai Russian president Vladimir Putin, said Moscow had observed a lull in Ukraines counteroffensive, which began early this month. Although Ukraine still had some offensive potential, Kyiv understood it had no chance, Putin said in televised remarks. This comes as Volodymyr Zelensky said progress in Ukraines counteroffensive against Russian forces was slower than desired, but Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up. Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. Its not, Britains BBC quoted him as saying in an interview. Whats at stake is peoples lives. Zaporizhzhia plant plans to pump water from burst dam's reservoir Thursday 22 June 2023 01:00 , Katy Clifton The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine plans to resume pumping water from what remains of the massive reservoir behind a nearby dam that burst two weeks ago, the UN nuclear watchdog said on Wednesday. The International Atomic Energy Agency said last week it was unclear whether it would be possible to pump water from the reservoir to cool reactors and spent fuel at Europes biggest nuclear plant given how much the reservoirs level has fallen. While the plant can fall back on other water sources, including a cooling pond with what the IAEA says is months worth of water in it, whatever can be pumped from the reservoir should buy more time before stocks have to be replenished. Ukraines Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is planning to resume pumping water that still remains accessible despite a major loss of water in the Kakhovka reservoir caused by the destruction of the downstream dam earlier this month, the IAEA said in a statement. Russia-aligned hackers pose threat to Canada energy sector' Wednesday 21 June 2023 20:57 , Katy Clifton Russia-aligned hackers could seek to disrupt Canadas powerful oil and natural gas sector, especially since Ottawa is a strong backer of Ukraine, a Canadian spy agency has said. The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) signals intelligence agency said Russia had repeatedly deployed destructive cyber attacks against its adversaries as geopolitical crises escalate. We assess there is an even chance of a disruptive incident in the oil and gas sector in Canada caused by Russia-aligned actors, due to their higher tolerance for risk, the increase in their numbers and activity, as well as the number of vulnerable targets in the sector overall, it said in a threat assessment. Canada is the worlds fourth-largest oil producer. CSE said the oil and gas sector employed about 600,000 people and accounted for 5% of gross domestic product. CSE said the most likely target for cyber attacks by pro-Russian hackers was operational technology networks that monitor and control large industrial assets. UK offers new training for Ukrainian seafarers Wednesday 21 June 2023 19:01 , Andy Gregory The UK has pledged to offer new virtual-reality (VR) training for at-sea Ukrainian cadets, as part of a new package of support. Announced on Wednesday to coincide with a major conference in London on how Ukraine recovers from the Russian invasion, the Government said the training would be provided through VR headsets to help participants practise for real-life scenarios. Ukrainians will also be sponsored to take part in three-year cadetships to UK container ships and other large vessels, with the new package confirmed as Transport Secretary Mark Harper appeared at the Ukraine Recovery Conference. Our support for Ukraine and its people is unwavering, and were not going to let Russias abhorrent actions sink Ukraines great reputation in areas like seafaring, he said. By sharing the UKs world-renowned expertise in aviation and seafaring, we are steadfast in our commitment to ensuring Ukraines transport system recovers from Putins illegal invasion. The Department for Transport will also support secondments for Ukraines air traffic controllers to train in the UK, with the latest funding following on from 10 million previously announced to help repair Ukraines rail infrastructure. Belarus court hands long sentences to 2020 protesters Wednesday 21 June 2023 18:27 , Andy Gregory A court in Belarus has handed lengthy prison sentences 18 participants of mass anti-government protests which challenged the grip of president Alexander Lukashenkos authoritarian regime in 2020 in part of Minsks continued attempts to crack down on any and all dissent. Multiple charges against the activists, three of whom had left the country and were tried in absentia, included assault on law enforcement officers, conspiracy to overthrow the government, committing a terrorist act and others. According to the authorities, the protesters formed a resistance movement, attacked law enforcement officers, carried out acts of sabotage and set police stations in Minsk on fire. Some of them were also accused of attempting to set fire to the house of a pro-government politician by throwing Molotov cocktails at it. Sentences handed to the demonstrators ranged from two to 25 years in prison. Sunak pledges $3bn backing to unlock World Bank loan for Ukraine Wednesday 21 June 2023 17:55 , Andy Gregory Rishi Sunak has used todays London conference to unveil measures including $3bn of additional UK guarantees to unlock a World Bank loan for Ukraine. This includes pledge of 20m to boost access to the World Banks Multilateral Investment Guarantees Agency, which provides political risk insurance for projects. Additionally, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would provide Ukraine with 50bn for 2024-27, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered $1.3bn in additional aid. German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said Berlin was offering an additional 381m in humanitarian assistance in 2023. (AP) Ukraine expects Nato invite at Nato summit in July, says Zelensky aide Wednesday 21 June 2023 17:28 , Andy Gregory Ukraine expects to be invited to join Nato at the alliances summit in Vilnius next month, president Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff has said. We expect that Ukraine will be invited to Nato with an open date, Andre Yermak told a webinar held by the Atlantic Council think-tank. Putin says nuclear-capable Satan 2 missiles soon ready to be deployed Wednesday 21 June 2023 17:12 , Andy Gregory Here are more of Vladimir Putins remarks on Russias new generation of Sarmat nuclear-capable ballistic missiles being ready for combat duy in the near future. In a speech to new graduates of military academies, the president said the most important task was the development of Russias triad of nuclear forces those launched from land, sea or air which he described as a key guarantee of Russias military security and global stability. Already about half of the units and formations of the Strategic Missile Forces are equipped with the latest Yars systems, and the troops are being re-equipped with modern missile systems with the Avangard hypersonic warhead, Mr Putin said. The first Sarmat launchers will be put on combat duty in the near future, he added. Despite Russian nuclear doctrine stating that Moscow should not strike first unless the states very existence is threatened, Mr Putin has frequently issued nuclear threats since Russias invasion of Ukraine last February. As recently as last week, however, Mr Putin said Ukrainian forces had no chance in their current counteroffensive, and Russia had no need to resort to nuclear weapons. The new Sarmat missile is designed to carry out nuclear strikes on targets thousands of missiles away in the United States or Europe. But its deployment has proceeded slower than planned, with Russia having said last April that it would be in place by autumn 2022. Dmitry Rogozin, then head of Russias space agency, said at that time that the missiles would be deployed with a unit in the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia, about 1,860 miles east of Moscow. Mr Rogozin said they would be placed at the same sites and in the same silos as the Soviet-era Voyevoda missiles they are replacing, hailing the new super-weapon as a historic event that would guarantee the security of Russias children and grandchildren for the next 30-40 years. Blinken urges Turkey to stop blocking Swedens Nato bid Wednesday 21 June 2023 16:35 , Andy Gregory US secretary of state Antony Blinken has urged Turkey to stop blocking Sweden in its bid to join Nato, a spokesperson has said. in a meeting with on Wednesday, a State Department spokesperson said. In a meeting with new Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Summit in London, Blinken stressed the importance of Nato unity at a critical time, the spokesperson said. Mr Blinken also encouraged Turkeys support for Sweden to join the Nato Alliance now and welcomed Ankaras support for Kyiv and its work on the Black Sea grain export deal, the spokesperson said. Boris Johnson attends Ukraine conference in London Wednesday 21 June 2023 15:57 , Andy Gregory Boris Johnson was spotted at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on Wednesday. The former prime minister is a vocal supporter of Kyivs fight against the Russian invasion and repeated his call earlier for the West to focus on ensuring a Ukrainian victory and equip Kyiv with F-16 fighter jets. As the Ukraine Recovery Conference gets underway in London today, let's remember that the absolute prerequisite to Ukraine's recovery is a Ukrainian victory, as fast as possible. The West must continue to do all we can to help. pic.twitter.com/at5k6BL9Iu Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) June 21, 2023 Kakhovka dam breach death toll at 41, Russian minister says Wednesday 21 June 2023 15:29 , Andy Gregory Russias emergency situations minister has said that 41 people have been killed and 121 hospitalised as a result of the breach of the Kakhovka dam in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine earlier this month. Speaking during a televised government meeting chaired by Vladimir Putin, Alexander Kurenkov said that more than 8,000 people were evacuated from the flood zone. UK could be very supportive of Ukraine skipping key step to joining Nato, says Cleverly Wednesday 21 June 2023 14:56 , Andy Gregory Foreign secretary James Cleverly has suggested that the UK would be very supportive if Ukraine was not required to go through the membership action plan stage of joining Nato. Speaking at a press conference at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, he said: We have seen Ukraine evolve, and evolve incredibly quickly. Jens Stoltenberg at the Nato informal foreign ministers [summit] said that, actually, many of the requirements of membership action plan are actually being delivered. The reform of their armed forces is happening whilst engaged in conflict. I think the UKs position would be very, very supportive if we moved on from the membership action plan recognising that the offer to both Sweden and Finland didnt require that and Ukrainians have demonstrated their commitment to reform the military for requirement of Nato membership through their actions on the battlefield. And I think all Nato allies recognise that. (via REUTERS) Putin claims lull in Ukraine counteroffensive Wednesday 21 June 2023 14:38 , Andy Gregory Vladimir Putin claims that Moscow has observed a "lull" in Ukraine's counteroffensive, which began early this month. Although Ukraine still has some offensive potential, Kyiv understands it has "no chance", the Russian president claimed in televised remarks. (Getty) Minefields mean counteroffensive progress slower than desired, says Zelensky Wednesday 21 June 2023 13:34 , Andy Gregory Progress in Ukraines counteroffensive against Russian forces is slower than desired but Kyiv will not be pressured into speeding it up as its troops advance through dangerous minefields, president Volodymyr Zelensky has said. Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. Its not, he told the BBC, after speaking remotely at an event in London. Whats at stake is peoples lives. The BBC cited Mr Zelensky as saying the military push was not going easily because 77,220 square miles of Ukrainian territory had been mined by Russian forces. Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best, he added. West is waging real war against Russia, says Shoigu Wednesday 21 June 2023 13:18 , Andy Gregory Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu has told graduating military academy students today that the collective West is waging a real war against Russia. Speaking alongside Vladimir Putin at an event in the Kremlin, Mr Shoigu added that the Russia military would do everything to ensure the security of the country. Putin claims new Sarmat missiles will soon be deployed for combat duty Wednesday 21 June 2023 13:02 , Andy Gregory Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russia's new generation of Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are capable of carrying 10 or more nuclear warheads, would soon be deployed for combat duty. My colleague Joe Sommerland has more details on the weapons here: What is Russias Satan II intercontinental nuclear missile? Mines dislodged by destroyed dam could wash up on Black Sea beaches, warns UN Wednesday 21 June 2023 12:48 , Andy Gregory A United Nations official has warned that the mines dislodged by the flood waters from Kakhovka dam in Ukraine could float downstream and reach as far as beaches on the Black Sea. Paul Heslop, head of UN Mine Action at the UN Development Programme in Ukraine, told reporters in Geneva that PMF-1 mines, also known as butterfly mines, were light enough to float downstream for a large distance. I would not be surprised to see that those mines have either got down as far as the sea or over the coming months, as the water is continuing to flow, will be transported down there, he said. Unfortunately, we could see anti-personnel pressure mines washing up on beaches around the Black Sea. Ukraine accuses Russia of blowing up the Soviet-era dam earlier this month, which has been under Russian control since the early days of its invasion. The Kremlin has accused Kyiv of sabotaging the hydroelectric facility. France announces new insurance mechanism for Ukraine Wednesday 21 June 2023 12:14 , Andy Gregory Addressing the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, French foreign minister Catherine Colonna set out a new war insurance mechanism to support Kyiv. Im announcing today the establishment of an insurance mechanism to cover investments in Ukraine against war-related risks via the French public investment bank, Ms Colonna said. The French governments plan was consistent with the insurance mechanism proposed by Britain and Ukraine, Ms Colonna added. Eyes of the world on Ukraine, says Zelensky Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:59 , Andy Gregory The eyes of the world are on Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky told the conference in London this morning. The eyes of the world are looking at us and whether we will defeat Russian aggression exactly as freedom deserves to win, that is without compromising our values, said the Ukrainian president. Also, the world is watching to see if we will restore normal life in such a way that our transformation will land an ideological defeat on the aggressor. We protect Ukraine, and thus we protect freedom. And when we build Ukraine, well build freedom. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged Western leaders to help rebuild his war-torn country (Henry Nicholls/PA) Ukraine holding back large attacks near Bakhmut and Lyman, claims Kyiv minister Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:39 , Andy Gregory Ukraine is holding back a large-scale assault by Russian forces near Bakhmut and Lyman, Kyivs deputy defence minister has claimed. Kyiv, meanwhile, has reported recapturing eight villages in the south in the last two weeks, representing the largest gains by the Ukrainian military since November, as they push into heavily fortified and mined Russian-held areas. They had partial success over the past day, they have consolidated at the boundaries that were reached and they have evened up the front line, deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar claimed on Wednesday. Kyiv's forces were continuing offensive operations towards the city of Melitopol, a Russian stronghold deep in occupied territory, and towards Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov, Ms Maliar said. Russia building elaborate defences near Crimea, says UK Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:24 , Andy Gregory Russia has been building elaborate defences near Crimea, highlighting the strength of concerns in Moscow that Ukrainian forces are capable of directly assaulting the occupied peninsula, Britains Ministry of Defence has said. Intense fighting continues in sectors of southern Ukraine, the ministry said. However, over recent weeks, Russia has continued to expend significant effort building defensive lines deep in rear areas, especially on the approaches to occupied Crimea. This includes an extensive zone of defences 9km in length, 3.5km north of the town Armyansk, on the narrow bridge of land connecting Crimea to the Kherson region. Russian Defensive Positions North of Armyansk: Area in Detail. pic.twitter.com/nsCFIuNU67 Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) June 21, 2023 These elaborate defences highlight the Russian commands assessment that Ukrainian forces are capable of directly assaulting Crimea. Russia continues to see maintaining control of the peninsula as a top political priority. Germany confirms new ambassador to Russia after downgrading diplomatic ties Wednesday 21 June 2023 11:03 , Reuters Germany has confirmed the appointment of Alexander Graf Lambsdorff as its new ambassador to Russia, weeks after the two countries announced a downgrading of diplomatic ties after relations collapsed in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Graf Lambsdorff, a 56-year-old diplomat and member of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) in the ruling coalition, will take up his post in the summer after Russia gave the green light for the move. He replaces Geza Andreas von Geyr, who has represented Germany in Russia since September 2019 and is now set to become Germanys ambassador to Nato in Brussels. Germany last month said it would shut down four out of five Russian consulates by revoking their licences, a tit-for-tat move after Moscows decision to limit the number of German officials in Russia. Mr Graf Lambsdorff has sharply criticised Russias invasion of Ukraine and backed Germany shoring up Ukraines armed forces with military aid. He is a descendent of a political and aristocratic family that traces its roots to Baltic Germans living in the Russian tsarist empire. US pledges 1bn to help Ukraine rebuild Wednesday 21 June 2023 10:35 , Andy Gregory The United States will provide more than $1.3bn (1bn) in additional aid to Ukraine to help the country recover and rebuild its energy grid, secretary of state Antony Blinken has told the conference in London. Of that amount, $520m will go towards helping Kyiv overhaul its battered energy grid, while $657m will be used to help modernise its border crossings, ports, rail lines and other critical infrastructure, Mr Blinken said. Some $100m will be used to help digitise Ukraines customs and other systems to boost speed and to cut corruption, and another $35m to help Ukrainian businesses through financing and insurance. Recovery is about laying the foundation for Ukraine to thrive as a secure, independent country, fully intergrated with Europe, connected to markets around the world, Mr Blinken told delegates. EU has special responsibility to Ukraine, says Ursula von der Leyen Wednesday 21 June 2023 10:16 , Andy Gregory The European Union has a special responsibility towards Ukraine in the long term, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. This is for Ukraines immediate needs. But lets talk about the future. I believe the European Union has a special responsibility, Ms von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen has no doubt that Ukraine will join EU Wednesday 21 June 2023 10:14 , Andy Gregory Addressing the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she had no doubt that Ukraine would join the EU, adding: We can never match their sacrifice, but we can and we do stand united. Praising the progress and speed of reform in the country, Ms von der Leyen said she hoped Ukraine would become a country that attracts foreign investment, a country that is master of its future, a country that is a member of the European Union. Together we gather here to tell Ukrainians that their dream is also our dream, she told the conference. Ukrainians tell us, when they imagine their future, they see Europes flag flying over their cities. I have no doubt that Ukraine will be part of our union. Ukraine has accelerated its reform agenda with impressive speed and resolve, she said. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP) Ukraine could be largest source of economic growth in Europe for decades, claims Zelensky Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:49 , Andy Gregory Volodymyr Zelensky, who is pushing for Ukraine to join Nato and the European Union, urged Western leaders to have the courage to acknowledge that his country is already a key part of their economic and defence alliances. He told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London: We are only waiting for the courage of the alliance leaders to recognise this reality, politically. Mr Zelensky highlighted Ukraines importance in global food supply and its potential to become a major green energy power. He said the country could be the largest source of economic, industrial and technological growth in Europe for decades and decades. We must move towards real reconstruction projects, Zelensky says Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:48 , Andy Gregory Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London that it was necessary to move towards real projects for the reconstruction of Ukraine. We must move from agreement to real projects, the Ukrainian president said. There is a Ukrainian delegation that will present concrete things and we propose to do them together during my tour, he said. Henry Nicholls - WPA Pool/Getty Images (Getty Images) Sunak praises Ukraines spirit of ingenuity and innovation' Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:45 , Andy Gregory Speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Rishi Sunak highlighted Ukraines technological expertise, saying IT experts and the military have developed a mobile app to track the Shahed drones being used by Russia. The prime minister said that, when he visited Kyiv in November, he saw the peoples spirit of ingenuity and innovation, adding: In a converted office block I met tech experts civilian and military who were working together to find new ways to bolster the countrys defences. They were networking mobile phones so that people across Ukraine could download an app which would allow their phone to pick up the sound of the Shahed drones and feed back the location so that Ukrainian air defence could track them and shoot them down. Rishi Sunak delivers a speech next to his foreign secretary James Cleverly and Ukraines foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba (Henry Nicholls/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Ukraine represents investment opportunity, says Sunak Wednesday 21 June 2023 09:28 , Andy Gregory Ukraine represents an investment opportunity, with its resistance to the Russian invasion demonstrating its peoples capacity for innovation, Rishi Sunak said as he opened the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. Before this terrible war, Ukraines economy was becoming a huge investment opportunity, the prime minister told delegates. It was the breadbasket of Europe, exporting millions of tonnes of food and grain each month, a top-five exporter of iron ore and steel, a leader in energy pushing forward renewables, hydrogen and electric vehicles and a start-up nation which helped spark names like PayPal, WhatsApp and Revolut, with a thriving tech sector which actually had a record year in 2022. The truth is, that opportunity is still there today in fact the war has only proved how much Ukraine has to offer. Watch live: Rishi Sunak opens Ukraine Recovery Conference in London Wednesday 21 June 2023 08:56 , Andy Gregory FSB claims to detain Russian resident for sending money to Ukraines military Wednesday 21 June 2023 08:47 , Andy Gregory Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) claims to have detained a resident of Russias eastern Khabarovsk region for treason for attempting to send money to the Ukrainian military. State news agency Tass quoted the FSB as saying that the detainee had attempted to send money to Ukraine for drones, thermal imaging cameras, munitions and medical supplies by way of cryptocurrency instruments. Another state news agency published FSB footage purporting to show a man being detained by two officers on a country road, and a subsequent search of his house. Tass separately claimed the FSB had arrested a group of saboteurs in the Russian-controlled Ukrainian city of Melitopol who were preparing an assassination attempt against officials. It did not say how many people had been detained, or who their alleged targets were. Russia claims to bring down three drones near Moscow Wednesday 21 June 2023 08:19 , Andy Gregory Russian air defences downed three drones in the Moscow region on Wednesday, its defence ministry has claimed, in what it called an attempted Ukrainian attack. The ministry claimed that Russian defences had used electronic jamming to cause the drones to lose control and crash, without causing any casualties or damage. Regional governor Andrei Vorobyov said two of the drones were intercepted as they approached military warehouses. The state-owned Tass news agency said they were aimed at the Taman Division of Russias Ground Forces which is based in Kalininets, some 37 miles from the Kremlin. Separately, the governor of Russian-annexed Crimea reported unspecified damage to the railway network in the eastern town of Feodosia, without stating the cause. He said train traffic had been suspended but would be restored within two hours. I ask everyone to remain calm and trust only verified sources of information, Sergei Aksyonov, the governor, said. RAF scrambles jets to respond to Russian aircraft flying 'close to Nato airspace' Wednesday 21 June 2023 07:21 , Arpan Rai The Royal Air Force (RAF) scrambled its fighter jets in Estonia after a Russian Navy airplane was seen flying near Nato airspace, officials said today. This evening [Tuesday], RAF Typhoons from 140 EAW in Estonia were scrambled to intercept a Russian Navy Tu-134 and 2x Su-27 FLANKER Bs flying close to @NATO airspace, the air force said on Twitter, sharing photos of the two planes flying alongside in the Estonian skies. The RAF warplane is seen alongside the intercepted Russian navy airplane. The Russian aircraft failed to comply with international norms by not liaising with regional airspace control agencies, the RAF added. Ukraine says Russia considering nuclear plant 'terror' attack, Moscow denies it Ukraine Recovery Conference in London KYIV (Reuters) -President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday Ukrainian spies had received information showing Russia was considering carrying out a "terrorist" attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant involving a release of radiation. Speaking later, after a meeting of security chiefs and diplomats, the Ukrainian president issued a fresh call to put pressure on Russia to end its occupation of the plant, seized by Russian troops days after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin dismissed Zelenskiy's allegation of an attack on the plant as "another lie", and said a team of U.N. nuclear inspectors had visited the plant and rated everything highly. The general director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, spent time at the plant last week. According to Russian reports, he was due to meet the head of Russia's nuclear authority, Rosatom, on Friday in Russia's Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad. In a video statement on Telegram, Zelenskiy said Kyiv was sharing the information about the Russian-occupied facility in southern Ukraine with all its international partners from Europe and the U.S. to China and India. "Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - a terrorist act with the release of radiation," he said. "They have prepared everything for this." Zelenskiy did not say what evidence the intelligence agencies based their assertion on. Each side has accused the other of shelling the six-reactor plant, Europe's largest. International efforts to establish a demilitarised zone around it have so far failed. "Unfortunately, I have had to remind (people) more than once that radiation knows no state borders. And who it will hit is determined only by the direction of the wind," Zelenskiy said. In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy said: "We need the complete de-occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station. "And anyone who turns a blind eye to Russia's occupation of such a facility, to Russia's mining of the territory of the plant, is actually contributing not only to Russian evil but to terror in general." The world's intelligence agencies, Zelenskiy said, had the means to "send appropriate signals and apply pressure. And this is what is needed." Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, suffered the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986, when clouds of radioactive material spread across much of Europe after an explosion and fire at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Zelenskiy made his statement two days after Ukraine's military intelligence chief accused Russia of "mining" the pond used to keep the reactors cool at the Zaporizhzhia plant. Russian forces have occupied swathes of Ukraine's south and east and Moscow has unilaterally declared them a part of Russia. Moscow plans to conduct elections on the occupied territory there this September. (Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Timothy Heritage, Ron Popeski and Daniel Wallis) DONBAS, UKRAINE - JUNE 19: A view of the mine warning sign in Donbas, Ukraine on June 19, 2023. Regardless of what happens with his counteroffensive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the war is "not a Hollywood movie" and that Ukraine wont negotiate with Russia until its forces have left his nations sovereign territory. "No matter how far we advance in our counter-offensive, we will not agree to a frozen conflict because that is war, that is a prospectless development for Ukraine," Zelensky told the BBC Wednesday. "Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It's not." https://twitter.com/ChristopherJM/status/1671501740812775424 Zelensky added that while Ukraine has liberated eight villages so far, the counteroffensive was not going easily because 200,000 sq km (77,220 sq miles) of Ukrainian territory had been mined by Russian forces. "Whatever some might want, including attempts to pressure us, with all due respect, we will advance on the battlefield the way we deem best," Zelensky told BBC. Ukrainian forces have made most of its progress in the southern section of the roughly 200 mile front that runs from northern Donetsk Oblast to central Zarporizhzhia Oblast, Kyivs deputy defense minister said Wednesday. https://twitter.com/thestudyofwar/status/1671645013023834112?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A The defense forces of Ukraine continue to conduct offensive actions in the Melitopol and Berdyansk directions, Hanna Maliar said on her Telegram channel. During the past day, they had partial success, they consolidated at the achieved boundaries and leveled the front line. In the east, our defenders continue to restrain the large-scale offensive of Russian troops in the Lyman and Bakhmut directions, she said. "Particularly heavy fighting continues in the Lyman direction in the Yampolivka and Serebryansk forestry districts of the Donetsk region. In the direction of Bilogorivka-Shypylivka, our troops conducted offensive actions and had partial success. Now they are fixed at the achieved boundaries. The bottom line, however, is that Ukrainian forces "gradually advance step by step," she told Ukrainian media, according to CNN. "So one can say we are gnawing our way meter by meter." And she again repeated the now-familiar theme that "the main strike is still ahead." https://twitter.com/GlasnostGone/status/1671498740018864128 The Kremlin-connected Rybar Telegram channel acknowledged small Ukrainian gains in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Battles for the village of Pyatikhatki continued throughout the day in the Zaporizhzhia direction: at the moment, units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine control only a small part of the buildings in the north of the village. Ukraine has made advances toward the village of Pyatikhatki in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Russian sources claim. (Google Earth image) Yevengy Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group who continues to spar with Russian military leadership, offered a much more alarming take. Pyatikhatki, he said, is controlled by Ukrainian forces, as is the northern part of Robotyne. Urozhaine is also under Ukrainian control. Big parts have been given up by Russian forces. One day we will wake up and find out Crimea is given away." https://twitter.com/noelreports/status/1671548465673797634?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A Russian President Vladimir Putin, meanwhile, said Wednesday that Ukraine had suffered heavy losses and had no chance of success, and they understand this, The Washington Post reported. But he said Kyiv had not yet exhausted its offensive potential. So much of this is shrouded, of course, in the fog of war. We will continue to keep an eye on developments and report back to you with as much detail as we can gather. Before we head into the latest from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can catch up on our previous rolling coverage here. The Latest Noting the increasing Russian buildup of fortifications on the peninsula, National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) Secretary Oleksiy Danilov urged Russians living in Crimea to flee. They realize that it's only a matter of time before we come and kick them out, Danilov said, according to The New Voice of Ukraine (NVU) media outlet. And I would advise everyone to use the services of the facility they have today (the Kerch Bridge) as soon as possible to be safe. Whoever manages to, let's say, come back to their homeland from where they came, they would be happy with that. They cannot escape through Ukraine. That bridge, Vladimir Putins prized $4 billion span linking the peninsula with Russia, was famously attacked last October. https://twitter.com/anno1540/status/1671560939185766408?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A Reports indicate that numerous fortification lines are being constructed between the border with mainland Ukraine and the logistical hub in Dzhankoi in the north of Crimea, according to NVU. Russian troops have been observed moving into coastal mini-hotels near the ongoing fortification construction. https://twitter.com/bradyafr/status/1671529657223479296?s=20 The British Defense Ministry says that Russia "has continued to expend significant effort building defensive lines deep in rear areas, especially on the approaches to occupied Crimea." That assessment includes observations that Russia is building "an extensive zone of defenses" about nine kilometers long, a short distance from the town of Armyansk on the narrow bridge of land connecting the peninsula to Kherson Oblast. "These elaborate defenses highlight the Russian command's assessment that Ukrainian forces are capable of directly assaulting Crimea," the MoD said. https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1671392275459350528 Meanwhile, a Russian floating dock in Sevastopol sank, Hl Sutton reports. What caused the sinking of that dock, known as PD-19 and near another one that sank four years ago with a submarine in it, is unknown, said Sutton. In his tweet, Sutton said that reported explosions in Sevastopol, home of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, were unrelated to the dock sinking. Those noises were related to training, occupation Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev said Wednesday on his Telegram channel. "The reason for the loud sounds (explosions, as they say in some channels) is that the Black Sea Higher Naval School named after P.S. Nakhimov conducted a training session...using rocket-propelled bombers," he said. "Everything is calm in the city." https://twitter.com/MT_Anderson/status/1671633593318404096 Pro-Ukrainian partisans have apparently struck again in Crimea, blowing up railroad tracks in the Black Sea port city of Feodosia in the southern part of the peninsula occupied by Russia since 2014. "In the area of Feodosia, the railway track was damaged," Crimean occupation governor Sergey Aksenov said on his Telegram channel Wednesday. "Train traffic will be restored within two hours. There were no casualties. Services are on site. I ask everyone to remain calm and trust only trusted sources of information." https://twitter.com/UKikaski/status/1671437124552327168?cxt=HHwWgIC8lbHNkbIuAAAA Aksenov also announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has given the 39th Separate Helicopter Regiment, station in Dzhankoy, Crimea, the honorary title of "Guards" for their work in Russia's defense against the Ukrainian counteroffensive. You can read about the role of Russian rotary wing aviation in that fight in our widely-quoted report here. "I heartily congratulate the personnel of the regiment!" Aksenov wrote in his Telegram channel Wednesday. "Our helicopter pilots inflict crushing blows on the enemy, bringing Victory closer. You are real heroes guys!" Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Russian government document) Speaking of Russian helicopters, for Ukraine to have any success against Russian aviation, short-range air defense systems (SHORADS) will have to play a role. The work of one such system, the U.S.-donated Humvee-based Avenger systems, was captured in this video below. So far, the U.S. has promised 20 of those systems to Ukraine, some of which are already in action. You can read more about what it brings to the table in our deep dive here. https://twitter.com/front_ukrainian/status/1671445195580112896?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A The "largest" AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, or AMRAAM missile contract to date was awarded Tuesday to RTX, formally Raytheon Technologies. The $1.15 billion contract, awarded by the Air Force, was for AIM-120 D-3 and C-8 AMRAAM missiles, according to RTX. It provides for the production of the AMRAAM missiles, the AMRAAM Telemetry System, initial and field spares, and other production engineering support activities, according to the Pentagon. This contract involves unclassified Foreign Military Sales to Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom, which accounts for approximately 39% of the contract value, according to the Pentagon. Ukraine has been using the missiles in the donated National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missiles Systems, or NASAMS. You can read more about that here. This is the largest AMRAAM missile contract to date and the fifth production lot of the highly advanced missiles developed under the Form, Fit, Function Refresh, also known as F3R, which updates both the missile's hardware and allows for Agile software upgrades, RTX said on its homepage. Staff Sgt. Trey Riley, 96th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron Blue team, secures an AIM-120 missile onto an F-16 April 13 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Blue team battled the Red AMU team for weapons loadcrew supremacy during the quarterly competition. The Red team claimed victory this quarter. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.) Germany is sending Ukraine another 1,000 rounds of standard 155mm howitzer shells and an unspecified amount of 155mm precision guided shells, Patriot interceptors as well as several vehicles, Berlin announced Wednesday. The aid is part of a security capacity building initiative valued at 5.4 billion Euros for 2023 (about $5.9 billion), with additional authorizations to enter commitments in the following years amounting to 10.5 billion Euros (about $11.5 billion). "These funds are to be used primarily for military assistance to Ukraine," according to the German government. "At the same time, they will be used for re-filling Federal Armed Forces stocks for items delivered to Ukraine as well as for Germanys contributions to the European Peace Facility (EPF), from which costs incurred from providing military assistance to Ukraine can be reimbursed to EU member states." https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1671484584511381505 The U.S. and European allies announced billions of dollars in new recovery assistance to Ukraine Wednesday, aimed at restoring that nation after the widespread destruction created by Russias full-on invasion. The pledges were made at the two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, The Washington Post reported. According to the Post, the European Union will provide $54.5 billion in aid for 2024 through 2027, the United States will provide an additional $1.3 billion in the near term and Britain said it would provide guarantees for $3 billion worth of World Bank loans to help with the rebuilding. But the outpouring of support amounted to only a small fraction of the $411 billion that the World Bank estimates is needed to rebuild the country, the newspaper reported. https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1671514882326265860 More wild videos are emerging from the front lines. This video shows another trench battle, with Ukrainian troops entering a Russian trench and trading fire with unseen enemy at a nearby tree line. One Ukrainian soldier is seen being hit by shrapnel on his arm, with his colleagues joking that the wound will heal before his wedding. https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPR/status/1671465487241474048 Ukraine's Defense Ministry (MoD) released a nearly-10-minute-long video showing the work of 68th Jaeger Brigade mortar team. The soldiers talk about firing a variety of mortars, with a range of about 2.5 miles, to "terrorize" Russian infantry. Although sometimes "we will hit an IFV [infantry fighting vehicle] if necessary," says one soldier. https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1671508768926867456?s=20 New video has emerged that purports to show Ukrainian troops taking out a Iranian-made Shahed drone with a MANPADS. The Ukrainian Air Force claims it shot down six Shahed drones Wednesday in the Khmelnytsky region in the western part of that nation. https://twitter.com/THEEURASIATIMES/status/1671513003618103297 This Russian T-90M tank took a licking and apparently kept on ticking. Despite apparently taking multiple hits, it continued to advance toward a Ukrainian position. https://twitter.com/afvrec_/status/1671436849116590083?s=46\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A But this Russian T-80 tank suffered a different outcome. After it hit a mine, the tank stopped and its crew scrambled away. It was then apparently set upon by several Ukrainian drones and destroyed. https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1670446450071805952?cxt=HHwWgIC9jcWMz64uAAAA The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) on Wednesday said three Ukrainian drones carried out a failed attempt to attack targets near Moscow. All the drones were overwhelmed by electronic warfare, as a result of which they lost control and crashed," the MoD claimed. As a result of the failed terrorist attack, there were no casualties or damage. Two drones came down near the village of Lukino, administratively part of the city of Moscow, Russian media reported, according to The Associated Press. The wreckage of a third drone was reportedly found about 20 kilometers (12 miles) away. This is just the latest drone attack in and around Moscow. Last month, drones attacked the Kremlin. Then not long after, the seat of Russian power came under a large scale drone attack. https://twitter.com/noelreports/status/1671381353336647680 That's it for now. We'll update this story when there is more news to report about Ukraine. Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com Ukraine in talks on getting long-range missiles from several countries FM Kuleba Dmytro Kuleba While the United States remains reluctant to provide Ukraine with ATACMS missiles, Kyiv is negotiating long-range weapon supplies with several other countries, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Ukrainian TV broadcasters on June 22. The minister acknowledged that Washington is the largest provider of military aid to Ukraine, for which he expressed gratitude. Read also: China vows not to supply weapons to Russia Blinken Throughout the war, the minister said, Ukraine needed seven types of weapons it had to unlock. Each conversation was tough, initially met with a 'no, said Kuleba. But we ultimately received everything Western artillery, HIMARS, Patriot air defense, and we will get planes. But the ATACMS issue remains unresolved." According to Kuleba, it's a rare instance where the United States isn't the first country to transfer weapons to Ukraine. Read also: US Congress resolution urges Biden to provide ATACMS missiles to Ukraine "The UK was the first (country to provide long-range weapons), and we are sincerely grateful," he said. "We're working with other countries to convince them to do the same. The United States refuses to participate. There are several reasons (for that), but we're continuing the conversation." Read also: FM Kuleba laughs off Kremlin claims of 'demilitarizing' Ukraine, urges allies to send more arms Kuleba expressed regret that the Washington hasn't agreed to supply ATACMS but remains confident that "this issue will be resolved one way or another." Earlier, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov noted that Western countries haven't provided Ukraine with ATACMS due to a worldwide shortage and fears that Ukrainian forces might target Russian territory. Read also: Pentagon orders AMRAAM missiles worth over $1 billion for Ukraine On May 11, CNN reported that London had sent several long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Kyiv. UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace later confirmed the missiles would only be used on Ukraine's sovereign territory. The Pentagon stated that the provision of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine didn't affect Washington's stance on long-range missiles supplies. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukraine war latest: Zelensky warns of possible Russian terrorist attack at Zaporizhzhia plant; IAEA spots no new mines at site Key developments on June 22: Russia considers 'radiation leak' at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, warns Zelensky Explosions reported in occupied Crimea Russian proxies claim Ukraine hit bridge connecting Crimea to mainland Ukraine EU provides $1.6 billion to Ukraine According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia is considering a terrorist attack at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. "Our intelligence obtained information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. A terrorist attack with radiation leakage. They have prepared everything for this," said Zelensky on June 22. Zelensky warned that Russia was willing to conduct similar terrorist attacks as the June 6 Kakhovka dam explosion. Ukraine's Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov told national television on June 20 that the Russian forces have planted additional mines in and around Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, including the cooling pond. "The worst thing is that Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was additionally mined during this time. The cooler (pond) was mined. If they disable it by blowing it up, there is a high probability that there will be significant problems," Budanov said. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on June 22 that the best way to prevent the tragedies caused by Russia is to provide Kyiv with all the necessary weapons to expel the Russian army from Ukrainian territory. However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said no such mines were observed during Director General Rafael Grossi's visit to the plant on June 16. There's a possibility the facility was mined after the IAEA mission's departure. The IAEA said it is aware of the previous placement of mines outside the plant perimeter and at particular places inside. "Our assessment of those particular placements was that while the presence of any explosive device is not in line with safety standards, the main safety functions of the facility would not be significantly affected. We are following the issue with great attention," Grossi said. The Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe, is located in the town of Enerhodar in Zaporizhzhia Oblast and has been occupied by Russia since early March 2022. The nuclear plant has also been serving as a Russian military base and as a launchpad for repeated attacks on Ukrainian-controlled territory. Occupied Ukrainian plant becomes epicenter of Russias nuclear blackmail Anticipating a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the countrys south, Russia is turning the six-reactor Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in occupied Enerhodar into a ticking time bomb. Repeated Russian shelling from within the plants territory, causing one of the reactors to shut down, has put the en The Kyiv IndependentAlexander Query On the battlefield The military said Ukrainian forces advanced south and east in several directions on June 22. Valeriy Shershen, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Tavria southeast military sector, reported that Ukrainian forces advanced up to one kilometer in Melitopol and Berdiansk directions. Shershen also said Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions 29 times over the past day, while the Avdiivka and Marinka areas in Donetsk Oblast experienced the most intense fighting. Ukrainian forces haven't lost their positions in these areas, Shershen reported. The towns of Avdiivka and Marinka are located just north and west of Russian-occupied Donetsk, the largest city in the region. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on June 22 that Ukrainian forces slightly advanced between the towns of Dibrova and Bilohirivka near Lyman in the northern part of Donetsk Oblast. Maliar also said that Russian forces unsuccessfully attempted to reclaim the lost positions in Melitopol and Berdiansk directions by deploying reserve troops. Brigadier General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the Tavria southeast military sector commander, reported later that day that Russia lost 68 military vehicles, including tanks, howitzers, and artillery pieces, within the past 24 hours. Since Ukraine launched its counteroffensive on June 8, its forces reclaimed eight settlements in the south. Zelensky said that though the counteroffensive may seem slow now, it will pick up the pace, referring to the military advance in Kharkiv, Kerson, and Mykolaiv oblasts in the fall of 2022. "In the fall, we had counteroffensive actions, and it seemed this was a slow process. But at some point, everyone saw how we rapidly began to advance. It will be the same now," Zelensky said in an interview with the BBC published on June 22. The president also said Ukraine estimates its counteroffensive as being successful so far. However, there are many difficulties, including the vast Russian minefields. In the meantime, Denys Chystikov, Zelensky's exiled envoy in Crimea, reported several explosions in Russian-occupied Dzhankoi in Crimea. "There was panic in Dzhankoi this morning. Local residents are talking about numerous explosions in this area, but the occupation administration keeps quiet," Chystikov told NV news outlet on June 22. Russian proxies in occupied Crimea and Kherson Oblast also claimed Ukrainian attacks on bridges, including the Chonhar Bridge, a key connection between the peninsula and the mainland. Crimea is connected to Kherson Oblast with three key road bridges and two railway ones. Counteroffensive underway: We overestimated Russians and underestimated ourselves Editors Note: The Kyiv Independent introduces soldiers interviewed for the story by their first names or callsigns due to security reasons. DONETSK OBLAST Islams mind was empty of thoughts and feelings as he crawled carefully towards the Russian trenches near Siversk, with grenades prepared. The Kyiv IndependentIgor Kossov Overnight air attacks Russia attacked Ukraine with three Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles overnight, three Kh-22 cruise missiles, and four loitering munitions overnight on June 22, the Air Force reported. The military reported downing three Shahed kamikaze drones out of four over Odesa Oblast. One that manages to get through the air defense hit a warehouse building, Serhii Bratchuk, the spokesperson for the Odesa military administration, reported. The Air Force also reported that Russian missiles "did not reach their targets" in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. However, Kryvyi Rih Mayor Oleksandr Vilkul reported a missile attack had damaged 10 residential buildings, infrastructure, and other civilian sites. Russias Kinzhal missile is not hypersonic. Nor is it invincible When the Kremlin says something, it should always be taken with a grain of salt. When it says something about its military prowess, one should take the claim with an entire salt mine. For years, Russias Kinzhal missile was portrayed by the Kremlins propaganda machine as an invincible, The Kyiv IndependentIllia Ponomarenko Aid to Ukraine The EU disbursed another $1.65 billion (1.5 billion euros) of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on June 22. "We help keep Ukraine's services and infrastructure afloat in its brave fight for freedom. More will come," von der Leyen tweeted. The European Commission has pledged to provide financial support of up to $54.7 billion (50 billion euros) to Ukraine from 2024 to 2027. This funding aims to ensure macro-financial stability, facilitate recovery and reconstruction efforts, and promote the modernization of the country while implementing crucial reforms on the EU integration track. Meanwhile, Estonia pledged to provide Ukraine with another military aid package, the Estonian Defense Ministry reported on June 22. The package includes a military hospital in collaboration with Iceland, as well as medical, demining, and counter-drone equipment. "We need to continue to stand with Ukraine in order to stop Russian aggression," Estonia's Defense Ministry tweeted. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry calls for recognition of Russia as terrorist against amid possible preparation of explosion at nuclear power plant On Thursday evening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to react to information from Ukrainian intelligence about the possible preparation of a terrorist attack by Russia at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP). Source: Ukraines Foreign Affairs Ministry statement, as European Pravda reports Details: The ministry emphasised that by occupying the ZNPP, Russia grossly violates international law and norms and standards of nuclear safety, including the seven fundamental principles of the IAEA regarding nuclear safety and security. Quote: "Russia, as a terrorist state, has violated all the key principles of international law on nuclear security and the vast majority of its own contractual obligations, but so far has not felt the just consequences for its crimes," the ministry added. Details: There, they called on the international community, in particular the G7 and the EU, to take urgent measures to prevent a nuclear disaster at the Zaporizhzhia NPP, in particular to introduce strengthened restrictive measures against the Russian nuclear industry and the military-industrial complex. Quote: "We insist on the need to recognise Russia as a terrorist state and to ensure the inevitability of political, economic and legal consequences for all crimes and illegal actions committed by it," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised. Background: On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said that Russia is probably preparing to commit a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which could lead to a radiation leak. Before that, Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, supposes that the threat of an explosion at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is real since the occupiers have additionally mined the cooler. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! (Reuters) - Russia has formed special groups to collect and hide bodies of people killed in the aftermath of the breach this month of the Kakhovka dam in southern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday. "The Russian evil has formed special groups there to remove and, obviously, hide the victims' bodies," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. Zelenskiy described the situation in Russian-occupied parts of the region as "catastrophic to put it mildly". Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of being behind the breach. The dam's destruction sent high waters cascading through parts of southern Ukraine downriver from the dam, particularly the Kherson region, partly occupied by Russian troops. Many people were forced onto rooftops to await rescue and Ukraine accused Russian occupying forces of inaction in helping those affected. Residents have lacked sanitation and drinking water. Ukrainian officials have put the official death toll at 21, including five people who died from what they described as Russian shelling during evacuation operations. Russian officials have put the death toll at 46. The Ukrainian military said on Thursday that the epidemiological situation in affected areas had worsened sharply, especially as regards the spread of hepatitis A. Ukrainian Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets has estimated at more than $1.5 billion the cost so far of the damage caused by the catastrophe. (Reporting by Ron Popeski and Nick Starkov; Editing by Sandra Maler) Chinese defense minister meets South African military chief Xinhua) 10:26, June 22, 2023 BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu met with Rudzani Maphwanya, chief of the South African National Defense Force (SANDF), on Wednesday in Beijing. Li said the Chinese side is willing to join hands with the South African military in deepening strategic communication, improve the construction of mechanisms, and jointly address common security challenges to advance deeper and more solid exchanges and cooperation between the militaries. Maphwanya said the SANDF is willing to continue to deepen pragmatic exchanges and cooperation in various fields with the Chinese side, improve the relationship between the militaries, and jointly contribute to building a fairer, safer and better world. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie) A man from St. Charles County, Missouri accused of coercing minors into sending him nude pictures has been ordered held in jail until trial. Tristin M. Davis, 26, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis May 24 on three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor and three counts of receiving child pornography. The indictment accuses him of coercing three minors, in New York, Tennessee and Connecticut, into engaging in sexually explicit conduct to produce images. Davis pleaded not guilty to the charges June 8. READ ALSO: Four Indicted For $17 Million Bank Fraud Scheme On Friday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Shirley Padmore Mensah ordered Davis detained until trial. In addition to the federal charges, Judge Mensah cited pending statutory sodomy charges in Lincoln County Circuit Court and St. Charles County Circuit Court and accusations that Davis has sexually abused four minors. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. READ MORE: Ohio Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the East Grouping of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has explained why the intensity of fighting on the Bakhmut front has decreased. Source: Cherevatyi during the national joint 24/7 newscast. Quote: "The intensity of fighting on the Bakhmut front decreased due to the enemy's rotational activities. Hostile airborne forces and motorised infantry units also reached the area, having seen Wagner's [Private Military Company ed.] crushed units and acting cautiously. There were attempts of [Russian] counterattacks, but far more cautiously than the Wagnerites did." Details: Cherevatyi said Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions on the Bakhmut front 389 times over the past 24 hours. Four combat engagements and two air attacks occurred. A total of 69 Russian troops were killed, 43 were wounded, and 1 was captured over the course of combat. Background: In early June, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces, stated that Russia changed the operation format on the Bakhmut front, so there is a temporary lull. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Svitlana Tikhanovska does not rule out that she will ask Volodymyr Zelenskyy to help liberate Belarus Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the Belarusian opposition and a former presidential candidate, has not ruled out the possibility of seeking military assistance from Ukraine in liberating Belarus. However, military expert Mykhailo Zhyrokhov expressed serious doubts about the plausibility of this scenario in a June 20 interview with NV Radio. Read also: Polish border guards shot at from Belarusian territory, vehicle hit I am very skeptical about Tsikhanouskaya's activities, said Zhyrokhov. As far as I've seen, she hasn't taken any practical steps to bring her claims to life over the past years. It could be part of an escalating strategy around the Belarus situation. But in reality, I don't think it will ever happen. In a June 19 interview, Tsikhanouskaya suggested that she might ask Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to aid in liberating Belarus. She emphasized that the liberation of Belarus would only be possible with substantial support from within the country, including from the Belarusian army. She noted that the Kastus Kalinouski Regiment, a group of Belarusian opposition volunteers fighting against Russia as part of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, alone would not suffice for the task. Read also: Ukraine has the right to retaliate against missile strikes from Belarus, Tsikhanouskaya says In August 2022, Tsikhanouskaya announced the creation of a provisional Blarusian government. She proposed that Ukraine establish diplomatic ties with this cabinet, insisting that Ukrainians and Belarusians are not enemies. Read also: Tsikhanouskaya calls on Belarusians to plan in case of war on the territory of Belarus Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of the Ukrainian parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee, stated that Kyiv will not recognize Tsikhanouskaya's provisional cabinet due to her ambiguous political stance. Tsikhanouskaya's stance on Russia and Putin is unclear, said Merezhko. Read also: Belarusian journalist Protasevich accused of being Lukashenko regime agent She seems hesitant to overtly label Russia as a terrorist state, an aggressor, and an enemy of the Belarusian people. Additionally, there are some questionable individuals in her circle. She also made statements related to Ukraine that caused confusion for us. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Artillery shells at a Ukrainian position near the front line in the Donetsk Oblast, June 19, 2023 Andriy Serhan, an aerial reconnaissance officer in the 59th Separate Motor-ized Infantry Brigade Yakov Handzyuk, who goes by the call sign Khokhol ( a derogatory word used by Russians to describe Ukrainians), spoke to RadioNV about the terrible cost of Ukraine's advances near Avdiivka. Serhan also believes that Ukraine can not only liberate Donetsk, but could even reach Moscow if the country's troops receive enough resources. NV: How are you able to move forward now? Is it a result of the Russians weakening their reserves and transferring them to other, hotter sectors? Or is it greater pressure now along the entire front line in general? Serhan: First, there is pressure along the entire front line. Secondly, the side that has the ball is the one that leads. You have to set the pace and do the work so that you lead this game, and so that they don't in turn advance and put you on the defensive. It seems to be much easier to defend, on the one hand, but on the other hand, the line changes only when you move forward. NV: Ukraines forces are on the offensive in the Donetsk sector as well, correct? Serhan: We are constantly on the offensive and have been every day for a year now. While it was announced that there would be a counteroffensive and everything else, nothing happens in a single day. This may be an effort that takes two or three months of preparatory work, and only then, perhaps, we might get the kind of result that we did in Kharkiv and Kherson Oblasts. NV: You may have heard communications officers of your unit, the 59th Brigade, declaring boldly that 'just as we liberated Kherson, we will also liberate Donetsk.' How achievable is the liberation of Donetsk? Serhan: Everything depends on the supply of weapons, ammunition, and high-quality military personnel. This is a big problem for us now, no matter what anyone says. Unfortunately, now, the only ones fighting are those who were called up. The volunteers came in the first period of the war, in 2022. We all remember how military registration and enlistment offices were overflowing. Now we don't have that big push from volunteers, so now they are gathering everyone they find. This is a problem because the state needs to work on how it motivates people to join up, perhaps with some kind of social package, so that people see the benefits and want to fight. This is important to ensure they are confident in their commanders and that the state will protect them. If we had the people, ammo, and weapons, then there would be no problem reaching Moscow. It's a matter of resources. Give us the resources, and we will reach out and capture Russia. Take drones, for example; they are provided by volunteers because getting a drone from the state takes half a year to collect all the required documentation. That might be a slight exaggeration of course, but at the same time, if the state does provide the equipment, then it's just 1% of what volunteers are giving to us. This is the problem. Again, give us what we need, and we will reach Moscow. NV: You are an expert in the use of unmanned aircraft. You say that the state provides only 1% of what volunteers provide. Has this situation not improved lately? Is the general perception that things are getting better in this regard, or is that incorrect? Serhan: We need to work on improving things. Yes, there are civil servants who are doing their jobs. Yes, there are some resources that are being brought in, and there are some drones that are given to us to use by the state. But volunteers are much more effective in responding. You must understand that drones are constantly evolving. It takes more than a month for the government to sign an agreement and contract to put a drone into service. I remember one company spent eight months trying to get the right to put their drones in service with the army, but in those eight months, those drones became ineffective. Therefore, yes, there are some devices that we buy with the help of the state, but this is 1% of what volunteers give. The state is very slow in this regard, and it needs to be encouraged to do more. I honestly do not know how to do that, however. Our task is to fight, and we would like to receive the full package on the front line: drones, equipment, ammunition, and people. Ill say it again, we could then not only take Donetsk but reach Moscow. It is simply a question of resources. NV: On the subject of drones: just before the broadcast, I came across a post from Valery Markus, the chief master sergeant of the 47th Brigade, currently fighting in the Zaporizhzhya sector. He said that drones are absolutely critical now because the lack of drones is costing the lives of our fighters. Therefore, he says, it is necessary to quickly collect three to four million hryvnias ($81,000-$108,000). Serhan: Excuse me, but when will this ever happen? We can build bridges for tourists in downtown Kyiv that cost billions of hryvnias, but at the same time, we cannot buy drones? How much will people like Magyar [an ethnic Hungarian commander from Zakarpattya with an extensive social media presence], Prytula [the founder of the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, one of Ukraines top military fundraisers], Yuri Moskalenko [another prolific fundraiser for military drones], and other volunteers collect? These people are constantly collecting money and subsidizing the purchase of drones. But where is the state? When will it finally get involved in this work and operate at least on an equal footing with volunteers? Markus is right, drones save lives. Now that the counteroffensive is publicly underway, there will be a constant loss of drones. Drones are needed for the counteroffensive, and again, what are we doing? Fundraising, and then we also fall under criminal proceedings for the fact that we collect funds on our bank cards and buy drones. To be honest, we have given the state time, holding down the countrys defense for a whole year, driving the enemy away for a whole year so that it could build up its resources and give us everything we need for victory. With how things are now, we'll never win. We are spending money on laying pavements again, lets say, somewhere in the west of Ukraine, or in Kyiv, or in Bila Tserkva, it doesnt matter, and yet there are not enough drones on the front line. NV: Those are very profound sentiments Serhan: The life of a soldier is estimated at 15 million hryvnias ($406,000). When he or she dies, their family is paid 15 million plus 100,000 ($2,707) for the funeral. It would be better if these families did not receive this money, but instead, their relatives, alive and well. If we had these drones more people would come home alive. I understand that even though the army is now a priority, other economic areas also require development. But at the same time, it is not enough, period. NV: You mentioned Magyar, a commander of a drone company in the 59th Brigade. He posts videos from the Zaporizhzhya sector showcasing various drone strikes. Are these strike drones also volunteer initiatives, or purchases at the state level? Serhan: These are also volunteer initiatives. Things happen noticeably faster and better with volunteers, and the purchase price for drones is usually around $450-500. I wonder what price our state pays for these drones. The components are the same as those from volunteers. Sure, maybe there are taxes to pay, maybe even worker salaries. Let's say $600, and if I am not mistaken, if we start digging deeper, it turns out that they buy them for $1,500-2,000... In fact, Magyar also analyzed this situation The kickbacks here are paid for with blood. To be honest, this sort of thing just kills me. How can you make money off of a war? And then I remembered; our dear civil servants have been earning off of people with disabilities and orphans all their lives. Why do we think that they wouldnt make money off of the war? They are doing it successfully and earning colossal sums. In the end, either volunteers or the poor fight. We have a class system in the state; there is a class of those whom the military registration and enlistment office does not take because they're the daughter, brother, matchmaker, or godchild of a judge or prosecutor; and then there are those who will be raked in to fight. Our country has a caste system NV: How common is this sentiment among frontline soldiers? How do you react to various corruption scandals, from money laundering to the theft of humanitarian aid? Serhan: Everyone is tired of the war, and the volunteers became tired first because they came to the enlistment offices voluntarily and signed up. How long have we been fighting this big invasion? Its been 16 months without days off, without leave. Theyve had a maximum of 10 days, and perhaps some have gotten lucky with their rotations. But how do rotations work? When almost 70% of personnel have been knocked out with 30% remaining, only then does rotation take place. When we are taken out, it means we've gotten, excuse me for saying this, f*cked up, and we are being taken out of dug-in positions. Now units are undermanned with those who do not want to fight there is no other way to describe it. And again they are thrown into positions at the hottest point, where there are no trenches, or with unprepared positions, or something else. That's why we hold on. Look at the 59th Brigade: it hasn't gone back a single step, but somewhere else it is moving forward, because we are holding on to this land since we are afraid of rotation. We will be taken out, for a month or two, and then thrown undermanned into the hottest place. Its not cool here, believe me, but theyll quit, theyll close some hole with us. Moreover, while on rotation, we wont receive 115-120 thousand hryvnias ($3,113-$3,249) pay that we receive here, with all the combat bonuses, but instead something like 20 or 50 thousand ($541-$1,353). That is, while we are at war, funding and everything else comes in. But if we are thrown somewhere in the rear, that's it. Our funding will be cut. And this is again a problem because soldiers should receive a decent salary, but what is our salary now $400-500 plus bonuses for fighting? No, it won't work, guys. The army needs to be made up of professionals. What is a professional? Its someone who, with his head held high, walks around Kyiv in uniform and is not ashamed to look people in the eye. He is well-fed and fit because he needs to carry from 30 to 60 kilograms on himself, and with this weight, he still has to run 10 kilometers or however many, while carrying a rifle and under heavy fire. He deserves a decent salary. And now we have a salary of $400-500, roughly. We need to fix this, we need to somehow get the state involved and make it work. NV: I saw reports last week about fighting in Vesele [located right near Donetsk Airport, under occupation since before the full-scale invasion ed.]. Now the map of hostilities has already changed, and territories have been liberated. How strong are the Russian occupiers in the Avdiivka sector? Who are you guys fighting there? Serhan: Their line of defense has actually been fixed there since 2014. Donetsk is a sort of mecca for them. If they lose Donetsk, Putin's reputation will be immensely tarnished. Therefore, they will hold their ground in the Donetsk sector, in the vicinity of Donetsk. We are located close to the outskirts of Donetsk so we should not hope that they will soften up somewhere and give us an opportunity to move forward. We will have to really gnaw out this victory, with our guys losing limbs, arms, legs, eyes, and all the rest. This is the price of that advance. Therefore, I will not say anything about when we will take Donetsk. I'll say again, resources are everything. For each of their shells, we need to have 10, but so far I don't see this. NV: It seems that one of the main obstacles to recruitment is fear of dying in senseless cannon fodder assaults. People are afraid of being unprepared to fight. Serhan: In regards to preparation, I will take the side of the armed forces. Dear friends, this is our tenth year at war. To those who may be mobilized and they say that "we are not prepared," who prevented you from preparing for eight years? If you thought that this would bypass you and you would not be called, then you yourself are to blame. We had eight years of time to prepare the army for a full-scale invasion. Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) [the term the Ukrainian government used to describe the campaign against Russian occupiers in Donbas up until 2018 ed.] soldiers became somehow uncomfortable, and they were forgotten about. And who was the first to go to war in 2022? ATO veterans. These ATO veterans are running out. I already have just six left from the unit I had in 2014-2015, and there were 45 back then. This was from before the end of last year. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Ukrainian PM says he's sure Ukraine will get money needed to rebuild LONDON (Reuters) -Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Thursday he was certain Ukraine would receive the $6.5 billion it needs this year for its rapid reconstruction programmes from pledges made at a conference in London. Earlier, Britain, the United States, the European Union and others pledged billions of dollars in additional help for Ukraine, going some way to meeting Kyiv's demand for more capital and commitments to specific projects, not only to rebuild but to further develop Ukraine into a strong member of the West. Speaking on the final day of the Ukraine recovery conference, Shmyhal said his government had yet to assess all the pledges but "I'm sure that in the nearest time, after this conference ... we will collect all the needed money". On Wednesday, he said he expected to secure almost $7 billion in aid, money needed to spur his government's rapid recovery programme - which is firstly focused on rebuilding the energy sector, especially before another winter. A closing statement from conference co-chairs Britain and Ukraine said attendees had agreed to provide $60 billion to meet recovery and reconstruction needs over a multi-year period. This was mostly comprised of a 50-billion-euro commitment from the European Union announced on Tuesday and new pledges at the conference from Britain the United States. Shmyhal also said there had been many expressions of interest from the business community in getting involved in projects in Ukraine, particularly after Britain announced the London Conference Framework for War Risk Insurance, which could pave the way for derisking investment. He said that as yet he could not put a figure on the amount of business investment. Nearly 16 months of Russia's war on Ukraine has destroyed homes, hospitals and other critical infrastructure. Western nations are keen to maintain support for Kyiv, which faces years, possibly decades, of rebuilding. The total bill will be huge, with Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations estimating in March that the cost was at $411 billion for the first year of the war. Shmyhal said that figure only referred to the land currently under Ukrainian control. "I think after the liberation of all the Ukrainian territories, this amount will be doubled," he said. "And we understand that this a project for dozens of years." (Reporting by Muvija M and Marc JonesWriting by Elizabeth Piper and William JamesEditing by Frances Kerry) President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy The majority of Ukrainians has a positive impression of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the role of Supreme Commander, according to a June 22 poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS). Sociologists noted that the level of trust in the actions of the Ukrainian president fell from 36% to 32% between November 2021 and February 2022. However, this figure reached 86% at the end of May 2023. According to KIIS experts, this represents an immense amount of trust in the president in his military role, and highlight the following trends: The rally around the flag effect increases short-run popular support of political leaders during periods of international crisis or war. As a result, a trend of disapproval of presidential actions and a decrease in trust were strong up to the middle of February 2022. These figures reversed themselves following the full-scale invasion. Currently, Zelenskyy is seen as the right man for the job by a majority of Ukrainian citizens, and serves as one of the foremost symbols of Ukrainian resistance to Russian aggression. Read also: Over 70% of Ukrainians want Zelenskyy to remain president Zelenskyy shares this high level of trust with Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Despite Russian propaganda efforts and the short-sighted position of some Ukrainians, this pair is believed to be a well-coordinated team, according to the poll. KIIS conducted the poll by phone from May 26June 5. A total of 1,029 Ukrainians were interviewed. The sampling does not include residents of the occupied territories and those who fled Ukraine after Feb. 24, 2022. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has ruled himself out of becoming NATO's next chief (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS) British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has ruled himself out of the race to become NATO's next chief, as the alliance mulls extending Jens Stoltenberg in the role. "It's not going to happen," Wallace told The Economist magazine in an interview, arguing that the United States wanted Stoltenberg to stay as secretary-general. The UK government has been pushing its defence minister's candidacy after playing a lead role in providing Western arms to Ukraine to fight Russia's invasion. But Wallace conceded that his bid had run afoul of the politics of the NATO role and competing visions for the alliance from US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron. Stoltenberg's eventual successor "is going to have to please both Macron and Biden", he said in the interview, which was published online late on Wednesday. Noting the interview, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesman praised the "excellent job" done by Wallace as defence secretary. "We obviously want a candidate who will keep NATO strong, and ensure they can continue to deter and defend against existing and future threats," he told reporters. Stoltenberg -- who has been at the helm of the Western military alliance since 2014 -- already had his tenure prolonged a year, to October, in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has emerged as a possible frontrunner to succeed him, as NATO leaders prepare to hold a summit in Lithuania next month. But there is so far no consensus on a clear pick among the 31 NATO countries, and diplomats are increasingly talking up the chances of Stoltenberg being asked to stay on. The alliance faces strategic choices, as the United States corrals allies to get tough with China, while France pushes for greater self-reliance within Europe. "The French have a point in lots of areas," Wallace said, highlighting the need for more collaboration among Europe's defence industries. "The answer to everything is not America first, when it comes to procurement," he said. jit/phz/giv The US Coast Guard is bringing in more ships, vessels to search for lost Titanic tourist submersible Rescuers on Wednesday rushed more ships and vessels to the area where a submersible disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site, hoping underwater sounds they detected for a second straight day might help narrow their search in an increasingly urgent mission. The full scope of the search was twice the size of Connecticut in waters 2 1/2 miles deep, said Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District, who noted that authorities are still holding out hope of saving the five passengers onboard the Titan. This is a search and rescue mission, 100%, he said. ... Well continue to put every available asset that we have in an effort to find the Titan and the crew members. But even those who expressed optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the vessels location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface assuming its still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers oxygen supply runs out, which some have estimated might happen as early as Thursday morning. The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan went missing on Sunday is prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guards International Ice Patrol. The lost submersible could be as deep as about 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) below the surface near the watery tomb of the Titanic. Meanwhile, newly uncovered allegations suggest there had been significant warnings made about vessel safety during the submersibles development. Frederick said while the sounds that have been detected offered a chance to narrow the search, their exact location and source hasn't yet been determined. "We don't know what they are, to be frank, he said. Retired Navy Capt. Carl Hartsfield, now the director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, said the sounds have been described as banging noises, but he warned that search crews have to put the whole picture together in context and they have to eliminate potential manmade sources other than the Titan. The report was encouraging to some experts because submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their submersibles hull to be detected by sonar. The U.S. Navy said in a statement Wednesday that it is sending a specialized salvage system thats capable of hoisting large, bulky and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels." The Titan weighs 20,000 pounds (9,071 kilograms). The U.S. Navys Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System is designed to lift up to 60,000 pounds (27,216kilograms), the Navy said on its website. Lost aboard the vessel are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers are a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert. Authorities reported the 22-foot carbon-fiber vessel overdue Sunday night, setting off the search in waters about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. Johns. The submersible had a four-day oxygen supply when it put to sea around 6 a.m. Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions, which oversaw the mission. Frank Owen, a submarine search and rescue expert, said the estimated 96-hour oxygen supply is a useful target for searchers, but is only based on a nominal amount of consumption." Owen said the diver on board the Titan would likely be advising passengers to do anything to reduce your metabolic levels so that you can actually extend this." At least 46 people successfully traveled on OceanGates submersible to the Titanic wreck site in 2021 and 2022, according to letters the company filed with a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, that oversees matters involving the Titanic shipwreck. Chris Brown, a British adventurer who paid a deposit to go on the Titan voyage but later withdrew because of what he called safety concerns, said word that the searchers have heard sounds is both good news and bad news. If the sounds are coming from below the water indicator then that indicates that they may be alive in the water, but now weve got time pressures in getting them up to the surface, Brown told ABCs Good Morning America Wednesday. Brown has previously criticized the use of a simple commercially available video game controller to steer the Titan. But OceanGate has said that many of the vessels parts are off-the-shelf because they have proved to be dependable. Its meant for a 16-year-old to throw it around, and is super durable, Rush told the CBC in an interview last year while he demonstrated by throwing the controller around the Titans tiny cabin. He said a couple of spares are kept on board just in case. The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. Jeff Karson, a professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University, said the temperature is just above freezing, and the vessel is too deep for human divers to get to it. The best chance to reach the submersible could be to use a remotely operated robot on a fiber optic cable, he said. I am sure it is horrible down there, Karson said. It is like being in a snow cave and hypothermia is a real danger. Documents show that OceanGate had been warned there might be catastrophic safety problems posed by the way the experimental vessel was developed. David Lochridge, OceanGates director of marine operations, said in a 2018 lawsuit that the companys testing and certification was insufficient and would subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible. The company insisted that Lochridge was not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan. The firm also says the vessel under development was a prototype, not the now-missing Titan. The Marine Technology Society, which describes itself as a professional group of ocean engineers, technologists, policy-makers, and educators, also expressed concern that year in a letter to Rush, OceanGates chief executive. The society said it was critical that the company submit its prototype to tests overseen by an expert third party before launching in order to safeguard passengers. The New York Times first reported on those documents. The search for the missing vessel has drawn international attention. In Dubai, where the missing British adventurer Hamish Harding lives, Crown Prince Hamadan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum wrote: Dubai and its people pray for their safety and hopeful return home. Others aboard include Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, whose eponymous firm invests across the country. In Pakistan's port city of Karachi, employees at his firms said they prayed for the two's safe return, as did government officials. French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet also was on the vessel. Retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, who is now deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University, said the disappearance of the submersible underscores the dangers associated with operating in deep water and the recreational exploration of the sea and space, "two environments where in recent past weve seen people operate in hazardous, potentially lethal environments, Murrett said. I think some people believe that because modern technology is so good, that you can do things like this and not have accidents, but thats just not the case," he said. ___ Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia; and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report. OceanGates Titan submersible suffered a catastrophic collapse of the pressure chamber, the U.S. Coast guard said. (OceanGate Photo) [Update: Now what? OceanGate sub tragedy sets off a torrent of questions without answers] After days of searching, the U.S. Coast Guard announced that the OceanGate submersible that went missing during a dive to the wreck of the Titanic was lost, along with its crew of five. Rear Adm. John Mauger said during a briefing in Boston that a remotely operated vehicle found the subs tail cone early today about 1,600 feet from the Titanics iconic bow. As the search continued, the ROV came across a second debris field that included pieces of the pressure chamber. Mauger said the arrangement of the debris field, 400 miles off the shore of Newfoundland and 12,500 feet beneath the surface of the North Atlantic Ocean, was consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel. Next of kin were quickly notified, he said, and a survey of the site will continue. It is a difficult day for all of us, Mauger said. Everett, Wash.-based OceanGate released a statement acknowledging the loss: We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission. We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families. This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time. OceanGates Titan submersible was in the midst of its third annual round of dives to the worlds best-known shipwreck. The five crew members began their dive to the Titanic on Sunday morning. Titan stayed in contact with the surface-based support team by sending out a series of pings, but those signals ceased about an hour and 45 minutes into the trip. The vessel was reported missing that evening, and a search led by the Coast Guard began on Monday. The search was initially conducted by air and on the surface. ROVs capable of reaching the Titanic site joined the international effort over the past day or two. Airplanes equipped with special sensors had detected banging sounds from the area of the search, but today Mauger said experts determined that those sounds were not associated with Titan or its crew. Experts said the most likely scenario is that Titans pressure chamber was breached and imploded during Sundays descent. The Wall Street Journal reported that a top-secret U.S. Navy acoustic detection system designed to track enemy submarines picked up the sound of the implosion hours after the dive began. Although the detection was not considered definitive, the information was immediately shared with the incident commander to assist with the search, the Journal quoted an unnamed Navy official as saying. OceanGate CEO, Stockton Rush led Titans crew. PH Nargeolet was a veteran of more than 35 dives to the Titanic and served as a consultant to OceanGate. The other three crew members were mission specialists who paid as much as $250,000 to be part of the expedition. British billionaire Hamish Harding was the chairman of Action Aviation and flew to space last year on Blue Origins New Shepard suborbital rocket ship. Shahzada Dawood was a business executive from one of Pakistans wealthiest families who went on the dive with Suleman, his 19-year-old son. Asked about the prospects for retrieving the crews remains, Mauger said the underwater ROV operation would continue but couldnt say whether debris or remains could be brought up. He noted that the ocean floor was an incredibly unforgiving environment. Titan and the Titanic In 2021 and 2022, OceanGate successfully conducted detailed surveys of the wreck of the Titanic, which sank in 1912 when it hit an iceberg during its first voyage from Britain to New York. More than 1,500 passengers and crew lost their lives in what became one of historys best-known disasters at sea. During last Octobers GeekWire Summit, Rush said he wanted to bring researchers and citizen explorers to the site to further marine research and generate popular interest in the worlds oceans. Weve had such amazing movies about space, and not as many about the ocean, he said at the time. What I wanted to do with the business was just move the needle, get people excited about the ocean, and discover what was out there. Last year, one of Titans dives documented the sea life around a previously unexplored volcanic ridge near the Titanic shipwreck an underwater formation that was christened the Nargeolet-Fanning Ridge in honor of Nargeolet and an OceanGate mission specialist named Oisin Fanning. Titans tangled history OceanGate faced a series of setbacks during Titans development: The company had originally planned to begin Titanic tours in 2018, but it took longer than planned to build the submersible. Further logistical snags cropped up, and stress testing revealed that the hull, built using carbon fiber and titanium, could not be rated for Titanic depths. (Questions about hull integrity were a central issue in a legal dispute over the firing of an employee in 2018.) The company arranged for a new hull to be built, with guidance from NASA and from Seattle-area companies that specialized in manufacturing carbon composite for aerospace applications. But complications related to the coronavirus pandemic delayed the start of Titanic expeditions until the summer of 2021. OceanGate developed a real-time monitoring system that used sensors to detect stresses in the hull and was meant to alert the pilot in case those stresses exceeded specified limits. But it shied away from putting Titan through the full process of verifying compliance with detailed shipping standards known as classing. Representatives of the deep-sea marine engineering community wrote a letter to OceanGates Rush in 2018, raising concerns about the experimental nature of the companys operations. Oceangate defended its approach in a 2019 blog entry. Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation, the company said. Crew members going on Titanic dives were required to sign waivers acknowledging that Titans operations were unregulated and warning them that they faced the risk of injury or death. Titanic film director James Cameron, who went on dives to the Titanic years before OceanGates founding in 2009, told ABC News that he saw parallels between the loss of the Titanic in 1912 and this weeks loss of the Titan. For a very similar tragedy, where warnings went unheeded, to take place at the same exact site, with all the diving thats going on all around the world I think its just astonishing, Cameron said. Its really quite surreal. Titanic director James Cameron on the catastrophic implosion of Titan submersible: Im struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field." pic.twitter.com/vO8JkCXS5f ABC News (@ABC) June 22, 2023 Update for 3:15 p.m. PT June 22: Guillermo Sohnlein, a tech entrepreneur who co-founded OceanGate along with Stockton Rush in 2009, sent along his thoughts about the loss of Titan and its crew: All five crew members were true explorers, passionate about expanding humanitys understanding of the worlds oceans. They died doing what they loved, so we should look to preserve their legacies as we begin the mourning process. I know that everyone wants answers about what happened, and there will certainly be a time for that. Right now, we need to give the families and the OceanGate crew time to absorb this tragic loss. After data is collected and analyzed over the coming days, weeks, and months, we will all have a better picture of what went wrong and what lessons we can take forward with us into future exploration expeditions. Previous coverage: More from GeekWire: An underwater ROV found a 'debris field' in the search area for the missing Titanic sub, Coast Guard says The Titan submersible. OceanGate The Coast Guard said an underwater robot found a "debris field" near the wreck site of the Titanic. "Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information," the agency said. The robot was looking for signs of the missing Titan submersible. The US Coast Guard said Thursday that a "debris field" had been found in the depths of the North Atlantic in the extensive search for the missing Titan tourist submersible. An underwater robot discovered the debris field near the wreck site of the RMS Titanic, which lies 12,500 feet below the ocean's surface off the coast of Newfoundland, the Coast Guard said. "A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic," the Coast Guard tweeted. "Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information." Since the vessel was reported missing on Sunday, search-and-rescue crews have been looking frantically by land, air, and sea for OceanGate Expeditions' Titan sub, which set out with five people on board. Disaster unfolded for the 21-foot carbon-fiber and titanium sub and its passengers shortly after the vessel started a dive Sunday to the wreck site of the Titanic. The sub lost communication with its mothership less than two hours into its journey to the bottom of the ocean. The Coast Guard said it would hold a press conference later Thursday to detail the findings from the Canadian ship Horizon Arctic's remotely operated vehicle on the seafloor near the sunken passenger liner. Early Thursday, the Coast Guard announced in a tweet that the Canadian vessel deployed a deep-sea ROV that "reached the sea floor and began its search for the missing sub." Read the original article on Insider UNF is offering a tour of central Italys food and culture available for everyone The University of North Floridas Division of Continuing Education and the Brooks College of Health will offer In the Footsteps of St. Francis, a six-week educational and experiential tourism trip open to the public and adults of any age that will embark this October. Participants will journey to the Italian regions of Umbria and Tuscany for the lived experience of engaging in true Italian food and culture as no traditional tour can offer. Each section of the class will focus on understanding the Italian tradition through food and music. Read: Deputies retrieve large snake from roof of a house Travelers will learn about Italian culture and St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, through meaningful site visits, immersive cooking classes, and authentic language lessons. This is a journey for those that feel passionately about food, wine, spirit, and learning with like-minded individuals. An online information session will be held on Thursday, June 29. Registration and a deposit of $500 for the class and trip will be due on Friday, June 30. For more information and to register for the trip of a lifetime, visit the UNF Continuing Education website. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Read: Jags stadium renovation includes sports district, special taxing district [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live. After receiving a favorable decision from a panel of advisors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday, the first immunizations to protect against the respiratory virus RSV may soon be accessible to older adults or those 60 and older. Their vote came after the FDA approved GSK's Arexvy and Pfizer's Abrysvo as vaccines. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices met for three days, as reported by CBS News. RSV Vaccines for Older Adults (Photo : by SEM VAN DER WAL/ANP/AFP via Getty Images) An employee of GGD Haaglanden vaccinates an elderly woman with a booster shot against Covid-19 in Zoetermeer, on September 19, 2022. - The new vaccination is offered because the government is taking into account a new wave of corona infections in the autumn, giving priority to people who work in healthcare and people with a higher risk of becoming seriously ill Although the votes of the CDC panel ultimately determine federal rules on insurance coverage of vaccinations, doctors and vaccine manufacturers are not obligated to abide by the panel's recommendations. The new recommendations fall short of strongly urging all older persons eligible to get the shots. The panel advocated for "shared clinical decision-making" between doctors and patients to determine if the individual advantages outweigh the dangers. Compared to their oldest counterparts, seniors in their early 60s are less likely to get severe RSV disease. RSV is an acronym for respiratory syncytial virus. The ratio of advantages to dangers has shifted due to sporadic reports of serious "inflammatory neurologic events" in immunization studies. Because the potential adverse effects are so uncommon, it won't be feasible to determine if they are "just random chance" until studies are conducted after the shots are widely distributed. Extensive databases of health records from vaccine recipients are examined. The panel received assurances from CDC representatives that they will closely monitor data from their vaccine safety systems regarding introducing the two new RSV vaccinations. The future timing of seniors receiving a booster dose of the RSV vaccine is still being researched by vaccine manufacturers. Additionally, they have yet to decide on a final price, which makes more general recommendations difficult. Given fresh information suggesting the vaccination could protect for at least two RSV seasons, GSK stated its vaccine could cost between $200 and $295 per dosage, higher than they previously advised the committee. According to Pfizer, their doses might cost anywhere from $180 to $270. Read Also: GSK's Arexvy: FDA Approves Historic RSV Vaccine for Adults Aged 60+ RSV Vaccine's Prices Raise Concern Some panel members expressed concern that, at increased costs, the shots might not be "a reasonable and efficient allocation of resources,", particularly for the youngest of those permitted to receive the doses. During the discussion, the idea of delaying the vote until all drugmakers had agreed to their final prices was raised. The best chance of saving lives with RSV vaccines is if they are administered before infection rates rise, which was exceptionally early last year. Later this year, the FDA is anticipated to decide on a new approval of the initial RSV newborn protection choices. The ACIP is getting ready to vote on those issues as well. Related Article: Late-Stage RSV Vaccine Trials Found 82% Effective in Infants @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The United Methodist Church in Kentucky is much more than its split over sexuality | Opinion The United Methodist Church in Kentucky is much more than its split over sexuality | Opinion When United Methodists from throughout Kentucky met in Owensboro June 4-7 for our 2023 Annual Conference, much was made in news reports about the 286 churches that were approved to leave the denomination. We understand the interest. Since 2019, the Kentucky Annual Conference has provided five opportunities for churches to disaffiliate under a provision created by the United Methodist General Conference for congregations that are conflicted over the denominations long-standing debate over human sexuality. However, there is more to our identity as United Methodists than difficult times of discernment around human sexuality. We want to share who we are with others. So, who are United Methodist, exactly? In Kentucky, we have United Methodist churches that span almost the entire commonwealth. Together, the United Methodist denomination in Kentucky is 350 churches with 84,000 members. These are churches and people committed to Christ and to the communities where they serve. Our remaining members are ready to step into a new reality with a leaner, nimbler desire to Show the Love of God which just happened to be the theme of our 2023 gathering. As United Methodists, both clergy and nonclergy, we are called to serve as disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We will show the love of God by starting new faith communities throughout Kentucky. The Rev. Dr. Kimberly Pope-Seiberling, the conferences director of New Church Development, sees a bright future: Every week I hear about a new church who wants to do something new and dream big dreams. We show the love of God by feeding the hungry. Our churches provide sit-down meals, sponsor food pantries, and participate in backpack ministries. We show the love of God by rebuilding communities after natural disasters. Between the December 2021 tornadoes in western Kentucky and the July 2022 flooding in eastern Kentucky, The United Methodist Church has answered the call to help our neighbor by providing housing in the immediate aftermath and by sending teams to help with rebuilding. We show the love of God by introducing children and youth to that love at summer camp. Each year our two camps, Loucon and Aldersgate, host hundreds of children and teens. We also robustly support the mission of the Kentucky United Methodist Childrens Homes. We show the love of God by nurturing young adults with our campus ministries. We have active ministries on 11 campuses in Kentucky, including all eight public universities. We show the love of God in our churches by nurturing all age groups with spiritual growth and fellowship opportunities. What fuels this desire in United Methodists to continually show the love of God? It is in our DNA; we are a denomination and a people born of the movement of the Holy Spirit. We hold the same beliefs about Jesus that the church has held for 2,000 years. We share the same core beliefs that nondenominational churches, Catholics, Baptists, Anglicans, and others have about Jesus. The Bible is the most significant voice and guide of the way we live as Christians. We believe that God gave us the Bible and that it shows us the truth and trains us to live Gods way. We believe that God loves everyone. As John 3:17 says, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him. We know that God gives us his love and power so that we can have a relationship with him. We believe that Jesus is Gods Son, and that Jesus is God. We believe that he died for everyone, came back to life, went back to heaven, gave us his Spirit, and will return for the church. We also believe everyone is welcome in church. Whatever our past, Jesus has a place for each of us in his family and at his dinner table. We strive to follow the 3 simple rules of John Wesley, Methodisms founder: Do no harm, do good, stay in love with God. United Methodists are a people of a dynamic, sustaining movement. We bless those who have recently left the denomination, and we pray that Jesus will bless their ministries. Meanwhile, for those of us who remain United Methodist, there is much work to do. For those interested in connecting with a United Methodist church in Kentucky, go to www.kyumc.org/churches. Leonard Fairley has been bishop of the Kentucky Annual Conference since 2016. This article reflects his views, as well as those of the members of the Kentucky Annual Conferences Appointive Cabinet. The University of Daytons school psychology program has been awarded almost $1 million to help recruit and train graduate students. >>RELATED: University of Dayton awarded $700K grant for efforts to improve Pre-K math education UD got over $900,000 from the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, the university announced Wednesday. This grant will help us prepare practitioners to address the youth mental health crisis in our nation, but, in particular, in some of our highest needs schools in southern Ohio, where it is historically and consistently difficult to recruit and retain practitioners, said Elaina Bernstein, assistant professor of school psychology and program coordinator. The program will create new opportunities to train future school psychologists from underserved communities who may have financial and logistical barriers preventing them from enrolling in a graduate program, and who will return to their communities to serve. It is a five-year grant and the funding will support a partnership with the Adam County Ohio Valley Local School District, where 64% of students live in poverty, according to the university. The program will also target six counties in Southern Ohio, mostly rural regions, because of their high rate of youth mental health needs. The universitys school psychology program has been successful in getting grad students ready to work with a 100% graduate assistantship and job placement rate. UPS workers could strike. What would that mean for your package deliveries? A strike from 340,000 UPS workers could cause major disruptions across the U.S., if it comes to fruition. Heres what that means for your deliveries. How did we get here? The Teamsters union represents UPS workers and they voted to strike if they dont reach an agreement with the company when the current contract expires at the end of July, according to a news release from the union. UPS said in a news release that is a routine part of the bargaining process. Teamsters President Sean M. OBrien said the strike vote shows the members are united and determined to get the best contract in our history at UPS. This strike would be the countrys biggest work stoppage since a steelworkers strike in 1959, CBS News reported. What could happen? The last time UPS workers went on strike in 1997, it crippled the company, CBS reported. It also overwhelmed FedEx and the Postal Service, CNN reported. The UPS workforce has almost doubled in size since then. UPS ships about a quarter of all packages in the U.S., and averaged more than 24 million packages a day last year, according to the company. Some experts say a short strike wouldnt be as bad as the 1997 strike thanks to changes including shipping alternatives, CNN reported. But lots of people rely on regular deliveries and a long strike could disrupt the supply chain. That means we could see slower delivery of goods and higher prices on both products and shipping, USA Today reported. If you live in a more rural area, you could be affected more. Will there actually be a strike? Is a strike likely? Well see. Theres been progress made in the contract. Negotiators have reached an agreement on air conditioning in delivery vehicles. Executives with UPS say theyre confident in an agreement by the July deadline. While we expect to hear a great deal of noise during the negotiation, I remain confident that a win-win-win contract is very achievable and that UPS and the Teamsters will reach agreement by the end of July, UPS CEO Carol Tome said. Negotiations between Teamsters and UPS started in April. If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself, OBrien said. The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly. Its not just about speedy delivery. This has just huge implications for the entire labor movement in the United States, John Logan, the director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University, told the Associated Press. Theres greater assertiveness and militancy on the part of a lot of young labor activists and some sectors of the labor establishment. What is The Sum? The Sum is your friendly guide to personal finance and economic news. Were a team of McClatchy journalists cutting through the financial jargon so you know how these issues impact your life. We verify information from diverse sources and keep the facts front-and-center, making finance and economic news add up for you. You can follow The Sum on Instagram and TikTok. Ready to take the first step to getting your finances under control? You can sign up for our five-week budgeting newsletter at thesum.news. By Daphne Psaledakis WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday adjourned Sudan talks because the format was not succeeding in the way they wanted, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee said on Thursday. Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have brokered ceasefires between Sudan's army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at talks in Jeddah, but there have been reports of violations by both sides. "On Wednesday, yesterday, we adjourned those talks ... because the format is not succeeding in the way that we want," Phee told a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on Thursday. Sudan's army and the RSF have been battling each other for more than two months, wreaking destruction on the capital, triggering widespread violence in the western region of Darfur, and causing more than 2.5 million people to flee their homes. Heavy clashes broke out in several parts of Sudan's capital on Wednesday as a 72-hour ceasefire, during which there were several reports of violations, expired, witnesses said. Phee said that while the ceasefires have not been fully effective, they have allowed the transmission of urgently needed humanitarian assistance. Phee called on other governments to join the United States in its sanctions, adding that the United Kingdom is considering doing so but that the European Union has been "rather slow" in making a decision to pursue sanctions. The United States is also in discussions with its Arab partners, Phee said. The United States earlier this month imposed sanctions on companies it accused of fuelling the conflict in Sudan, targeting two companies linked to the army and two companies tied to the rival paramilitary RSF. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is considering elevating the role of U.S. Ambassador to Sudan John Godfrey, Phee said when asked whether the State Department would look at a special envoy role to advance U.S. policy in the country. "The entire U.S. government is fully engaged in addressing this crisis given its impact not only for Sudan but for the region," Phee said. (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Simon Lewis in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis) Philippines, U.S., Japan hold first-ever joint coast guard exercise at the coast of Bataan TAIPEI (Reuters) -A U.S. Coast Guard ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday in a transit that China described as "public hype", after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken having wrapped up a high-profile, widely watched visit to Beijing a day earlier. The national security cutter Stratton made a "routine" Taiwan Strait transit on Tuesday "through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law", the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said on Thursday. The politically sensitive strait, which separates China from the democratically governed island of Taiwan, is a frequent source of tension as Beijing steps up its political and military pressure to try to force Taipei to accept Chinese sovereignty. "Stratton's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows," the 7th Fleet added in its statement. The mission happened the day after Blinken ended a visit to Beijing, in which the two countries agreed to stabilise their intense rivalry so it does not veer into conflict, but failed to produce any major breakthrough. Taiwan's defence ministry said the ship sailed in a northerly direction, and its forces monitored the situation which it described as "normal". The Chinese coast guard described the ship's transit as "public hype". Chinese vessels tailed the U.S. ship "all the way", a spokesperson at China's coast guard said in a statement, adding that China will "resolutely" safeguard its sovereignty and security and maritime rights and interests. A security source told Reuters the U.S. ship left the strait in the early hours of Thursday morning. U.S. military vessels, and on occasion those of its allies, have routinely sailed through the strait in recent years, to the anger of China, which views such missions as provocation. This month the U.S. Navy released a video of an "unsafe interaction" in the strait, in which a Chinese warship crossed in front of a U.S. destroyer operating with a Canadian warship. Taiwan's military reports almost daily Chinese incursions in the strait, mostly warplanes that cross the waterway's median line, which once served as an unofficial barrier between the two. On Wednesday, Taiwan said Chinese warships led by the aircraft carrier Shandong sailed through the strait. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; additional reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing; Editing by Gerry Doyle) TAIPEI (Reuters) -A U.S. Coast Guard ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday in a transit that China described as "public hype", after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken having wrapped up a high-profile, widely watched visit to Beijing a day earlier. The national security cutter Stratton made a "routine" Taiwan Strait transit on Tuesday "through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law", the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said on Thursday. The politically sensitive strait, which separates China from the democratically governed island of Taiwan, is a frequent source of tension as Beijing steps up its political and military pressure to try to force Taipei to accept Chinese sovereignty. "Stratton's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows," the 7th Fleet added in its statement. The mission happened the day after Blinken ended a visit to Beijing, in which the two countries agreed to stabilise their intense rivalry so it does not veer into conflict, but failed to produce any major breakthrough. Taiwan's defence ministry said the ship sailed in a northerly direction, and its forces monitored the situation which it described as "normal". The Chinese coast guard described the ship's transit as "public hype". Chinese vessels tailed the U.S. ship "all the way", a spokesperson at China's coast guard said in a statement, adding that China will "resolutely" safeguard its sovereignty and security and maritime rights and interests. A security source told Reuters the U.S. ship left the strait in the early hours of Thursday morning. U.S. military vessels, and on occasion those of its allies, have routinely sailed through the strait in recent years, to the anger of China, which views such missions as provocation. This month the U.S. Navy released a video of an "unsafe interaction" in the strait, in which a Chinese warship crossed in front of a U.S. destroyer operating with a Canadian warship. Taiwan's military reports almost daily Chinese incursions in the strait, mostly warplanes that cross the waterway's median line, which once served as an unofficial barrier between the two. On Wednesday, Taiwan said Chinese warships led by the aircraft carrier Shandong sailed through the strait. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; additional reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing; Editing by Gerry Doyle) FILE - Homes sit in floodwaters on Hoge Island north of Bismarck, N.D., along the Missouri River flood plain, on June 15, 2011. A federal appeals court has sided with hundreds of landowners along the Missouri River Friday, June 16, 2023, who say the federal government owes them millions for years of flood damage in a case that could be bound for the U.S. Supreme Court. (Tom Stromme/The Bismarck Tribune via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) OMAHA, Neb. (AP) The U.S. government may have to pay tens of millions of dollars or more to landowners along the Missouri River after a court ruled it worsened flooding there since 2007 that killed crops and wrecked homes and businesses. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a lower court's 2020 ruling that the federal government must pay for the landowners' loss of value to the land. But the appeals court went even further in its decision last Friday, saying that the government must also pay them for crops, farm equipment and buildings lost to the flooding and finding the government contributed to the devastating flood of 2011. Courts have found the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers responsible for recurrent flooding since 2007, three years after it changed how it manages the Missouri Rivers flow to better protect the habitat of endangered fish and birds. It did so by notching dikes to increase water flow, keeping more water in reservoirs and reopening historic chutes, allowing the river to meander and erode banks. Farmers, businesses and other landowners say that unconstitutionally deprived them of their land. The courts have largely agreed, finding that the government violated constitutional protections against taking property without just compensation. That Fifth Amendment protection is often seen in cases of eminent domain, which allows a government to seize private property, with compensation, for a public purpose. Federal officials argue that the changes the Corps made were necessary to comply with the federal Endangered Species Act and a separate requirement from Congress passed in 1986 to protect fish and wildlife. The ruling comes as federal and state officials wrestle with the rising costs of floods made more severe by climate change, and droughts that will require tough water management choices. It's the sort of conflict that will only worsen -- and become more expensive, said James Elliott, a sociology professor at Rice University whose focus is on the confluence of human society and the environment. We tend to think of these as environmental issues, but really, theyre financial issues, right?" he said. "Weve got a lot of development in a lot of places where its just not sustainable. The Corps manages floodplains, levees, and other water infrastructure across the U.S., making critical decisions on emergency management. Any resulting court decision, and even a settlement, could have long-lasting consequences on how floodplains and ecosystems are managed in the future, although the government has indicated in court documents that the Corps is dedicated to its plan that protects endangered wildlife. In total, the government now faces liability for floods in six of the eight years spanning from the beginning of 2007 through 2014, including particularly devastating losses in 2011. Land value loss alone for which the government was found liable was estimated to be around $10 million by lower courts. Attorneys for the landowners had estimated that total damages could exceed $300 million. Total damages across the Missouri River basin in 2011 were estimated at around $2 billion, according to the National Climatic Data Center. So, if you consider how much those crop losses and the 2011 flood damage would be, you can extrapolate from there that it will be significant, said Seth Wright, of Posinelli Law Firm in Kansas City, Missouri, who is the lead trial attorney for the landowners. Wright said that if the history of the nearly 10-year-old legal case is an indicator, the government is likely to appeal the latest ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. Its certainly frustrating to our clients, Wright said. Were a decade into this lawsuit and a decade-and-a-half from the first flood. Its time for the government to step up and pay. Federal officials argue that the courts have overlooked key factors in the case, noting that the plaintiffs land still occasionally flooded even before the Corps made changes to the rivers management in 2004. They say a publically available document warns of possible changes to Corps flood protections. In court documents, officials argue the landowners should have recognized long ago that the System was built to serve multiple, congressionally authorized purposes, not flood control alone, and that theyve never had a property right to any particular level of federal flood-control protection. More than 370 landowners in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and the Dakotas are currently represented in the lawsuit, and a merger with another class-action lawsuit of an additional 60 landowners could happen later. Lawmakers from affected states have said the Justice Department should settle. In 2020, seven Republican U.S. senators from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri urged the Army to negotiate with landowners. A spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday referred questions to the U.S. Department of Justice, which said Thursday that it is considering its next steps following Friday's ruling. The US government once set off nuclear bombs in Mississippi. How bad were the explosions? During the height of the Cold War, the United States government conducted two underground nuclear weapons tests in the Pine Belt region of Mississippi near Hattiesburg. These tests, which explored the feasibility of underground weapons testing, set Mississippi as one of only five U.S. states to have experienced a nuclear weapons explosion. By the 1960s, the Cuban Missile Crisis had nearly brought humanity to the brink of annihilation and the world was on edge. Meanwhile, previous above-ground nuclear weapons testing proved to have devastating environmental consequences. In response, the Soviet Union and the U.S. signed the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty, prohibiting above-ground, underwater, and space-based nuclear weapons tests. However, the U.S. and Soviet Union were unable to come to an agreement on underground tests as both believed it was possible to cheat on such a treaty. Prompted by this opportunity, the U.S. government launched Project Vela Uniform, a joint effort by the Department of Defense and the Atomic Energy Commission. The project aimed to study seismic activity resulting from underground nuclear blasts and improve the detection of such tests if conducted by the Soviet Union or China. In a departure from previous tests done in remote locations like island chains or arid deserts, the area near Hattiesburg emerged as an unconventional option. While the state had a smaller population compared to others, it still possessed abundant natural resources and concerns were raised regarding the impact on local communities and the environment. Underneath Lamar County, Mississippi, lay the Tatum Salt Dome, a unique geological formation with a 2,700-foot depth and a layer of thick salt beneath the sedimentary basin. This site was deemed ideal by the Department of Defense and the AEC, who green-lit Project Dribble to test and record seismic readings from two nuclear explosions within the dome. Instead of the covert or highly classified nature of previous tests, Mississippi locals, media, and even the Soviet Union were warned of these tests and their purposes. Some Mississippi residents complained of the dangers inherent in such a test, but were ignored and told it was a matter of national security. Evacuation area for the salt dome blast at a news briefing On October 22, 1964, local schools and businesses were closed and residents within a 2-mile radius of the blast were evacuated. Journalists, scientists, and even some locals gathered in designated observation points to witness the test. Project Salmon, code-name for a 5-kiloton bomb about a third the size of the one that destroyed Hiroshima, was detonated underground at 12:00PM. The explosion was drastically worse than local residents were led to believe, with many reporting that the earths crust moved like ocean waves. In fact, later reports confirmed that the crust was lifted as high as four inches in some places. Residents as far away as Hattiesburg felt the explosion. Within a week, local wells and creeks had dried up and over 400 residents of the area had filed reports of damages to their chimneys, foundations and windows. The explosion left a cavity nearly 110 feet wide beneath the crust. Seismic stations as far away as Finland recorded activity from the blast. The test proved successful for the U.S. government, demonstrating that underground detonations could be detected even in distant locations like the Soviet Union. On December 3, 1966, another test, Project Sterling, was conducted in the salt dome cavity with a significantly smaller bomb. Local residents reported that they barely felt the resulting explosion. This test proved that a damp cavity underneath the earth could muffle the shock-waves of a small nuclear explosion. With that knowledge, the U.S. came to the realization that detecting underground nuclear tests was possible, but so too was cheating on any underground test ban. These tests were the only known nuclear weapons detonations in the Eastern half of the U.S. Project Dribble was followed by two additional non-nuclear explosions, referred to as Project Miracle Play, at the Tatum Salt Dome in 1969 and 1970. In the early 1970s, contaminated buildings, soil, and liquids from the area were disposed of. Over the years, some locals have reported health issues and even attributed cancer deaths to the residual effects of the nuclear weapons tests. However, the government denies these claims, and no scientific correlation has been established between the tests and cancer rates in the area. Today, no residents live above the area where these tests occurred, now known as the Salmon Site. A small granite plaque serves as a solemn reminder, warning future generations not to dig in the area. US, India send clear signal to China with new defense, tech deals President Biden is setting the stage to unveil an unprecedented list of defense, technology and business deals alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his state visit Thursday, with a clear subtext of countering Chinas global ambitions and pulling New Delhi away from Russia. Biden and Modi will speak during a press conference Thursday. They are expected to announce big-ticket deals to include Indias purchase of advanced, armed drones, called MQ9B Sea Guardians, and the inking of a deal for U.S. and Indian companies to jointly produce next-generation fighter jet engines. U.S. officials are stopping short of specifying that deepening ties between Washington and New Delhi are centered on pushing back against Beijings military, economic and political threats, even as American lawmakers celebrate India as a key partner in countering Chinas advances. In a briefing Wednesday night, senior administration officials previewed more than a dozen deals that span sectors including military assistance, critical technologies, space exploration, health and the environment, among others. The nature, the depth and breadth of our deliverables for this summit is unprecedented, and I think tomorrow the two leaders will be underscoring all the areas in which the U.S. and India are advancing on common fronts, a senior administration official said. But Modis celebratory welcome in Washington becoming just the third leader to receive the honor of a state visit during the Biden administration, as well as a coveted invite to address a joint session of Congress is facing pushback from some lawmakers and human rights groups. They are calling for Biden to confront the Indian leader over concerns he is fueling anti-Muslim violence and cracking down on civil liberties and freedom of the press. The press conference Thursday will be an extremely rare chance for reporters to ask Modi critical questions, the senior administration official said; the prime minister has never held such a press conference in India over the course his nine years in office. The official added that Biden will have a fulsome exchange during the leaders private meeting. All issues in our bilateral relationship will be explored, the official said. President Biden intends to be direct, respectful and deeply engaged with India in a sincere way and as a close partner. The defense and military partnerships are likely to be the most celebrated and promoted deals, as they come amid mounting tensions with China and are aimed at turning India away from Russia. India and China are locked in an increasingly intense diplomatic standoff. Among Indias primary concerns about the country is Beijings growing assertiveness and military presence along their shared 2,100-mile border where at least 20 Indians and four Chinese soldiers were killed in a violent confrontation in 2020 that marked one of the most dangerous military escalations between the countries since they fought a war in 1962. The border standoff that clash sparked continues to this day. I think some of the challenges that they face along their own borders have concentrated their attention and caused them to focus intensively on both greater preparation on the defense side, also, seeking closer partnerships internationally, the official said of India. While the country has shown less urgency regarding U.S. concerns about a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the official said U.S. and Indian cooperation is likely to extend increasingly not just to the Indian Ocean, but to the Pacific Ocean as well. The military and defense deals also highlight how the U.S. is working to turn India away from its reliance on Russia as a key weapons supplier and bring it more into the Western alliance supporting Ukraine. India is actively engaged in diversifying away from Russian military equipment, some of that will be made clear tomorrow, the senior administration official said. HERE ARE SOME OF THE EXPECTED DEALS Military U.S. sale of MQ9B SeaGuardian armed drones, reportedly part of a $3 billion military sale. Agreement between General Electric and Indias state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics to jointly produce 414 engines for second-generation light-combat aircraft. Trusted ship repair agreements allowing U.S. Navy ships to undertake servicing and major repair in Indian shipyards. One is already in effect and we have three more in the hopper, a senior administration official said. India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), a public-private partnership to advance cooperation between both countries military-production industries. The Pentagon announced the agreement Wednesday. Semiconductors $800 million investment in an Indian semiconductor assembly and test facility, announced by U.S. company Micron and the Indian National Semiconductor mission. The total cost is estimated to be $2.75 billion. New semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, announced by the U.S. firm Applied Materials. Training program for 60,000 Indian engineers, announced by LAM research, a semiconductor development and manufacturing company. Internet and telecommunications India will participate in the U.S. rip and replace program that removes telecommunications equipment made by untrusted vendors, part of U.S. efforts to rout out threats posed by Chinese communication firms. Collaboration on 5G and 6G technologies, including Open RAN systems efforts to standardize wireless equipment and networks. Critical Minerals U.S. support for India to become a member of the Mineral Security Partnership that strengthens critical mineral supply chains whose components are essential in technologies needed for the green transition, such as batteries, electric grids and solar power. China is one of the largest producers of these critical minerals, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the worlds rare earth element supplies. Quantum Computing and AI Joint Indo-U.S. quantum coordination mechanism to increase collaboration across governments, industries and academia in the U.S. and India. Indian quantum universities and entities are joining the U.S. Quantum Economic Development Consortium. Implementation arrangement on artificial intelligence (AI), advanced wireless and quantum technologies. Space India will sign on to NASAs Artemis Accords, launched in 2020, to advance a common vision for space exploration. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will develop a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation this year. The U.S. and India have also agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. People-to-people Senior administration officials touted Indias growing student population base in the U.S., highlighting that they are on pace to become the largest foreign student community in the United States with a 20 percent increase in their ranks last year alone. Pilot program launched by the U.S. to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas later this year, including for Indian nationals who hold H1-B and L visas. India will get two new U.S. Consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad bringing the number of consulates in the country up from four to six. Health The United States National Cancer Institute will collaborate with Indian scientists on digital health and innovation, including artificial intelligence, as a means to help with cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Joint U.S.-India cancer dialogue under Bidens Cancer Moonshot that will bring experts together from both the public and private sector to identify concrete areas of collaboration to accelerate the rate of progress against cancer. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter detained on espionage charges in Russia, appeared in court Thursday to appeal his extended detention. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov) MOSCOW (AP) A Moscow court on Thursday ruled that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich must remain in jail on espionage charges until at least late August, rejecting the American journalists appeal to be released. The 31-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested in late March while on a reporting trip. A Moscow court ruled last month to keep him in custody until Aug. 30, but his lawyers had challenged the decision. Gershkovich, wearing a black T-shirt and light blue jeans, looked tense and paced inside a glass defendants cage while waiting for the hearing to begin at the Moscow City Court. Then other journalists in the courtroom were asked to leave and the proceedings took place behind closed doors. The ruling was broadcast to reporters, who watched it on two large TV screens in a separate room in the courthouse. While waiting for the judge, Gershkovich smiled and chatted with his parents, who were present. U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy also attended. Evan continued to show remarkable strength and resiliency in these very difficult circumstances, she told reporters afterward. Tracy said she was extremely disappointed by the ruling, reiterating that Gershkovich was an innocent journalist and Russias charges against him were baseless. Such hostage diplomacy is unacceptable, and we call on the Russian Federation to release him, she said. The Wall Street Journal said in a statement after the hearing that Gershkovich has been wrongfully detained for more than 12 weeks for nothing more than doing his job as a journalist," and it again called for his immediate release. Gershkovich and his employer have denied the allegations, and the U.S. government has declared him to be wrongfully detained. His arrest in the city of Yekaterinburg rattled journalists in Russia, where authorities have not detailed what, if any, evidence they have to support the espionage charges. Gershkovich is being held at Moscows Lefortovo prison, which is notorious for its harsh conditions. Tracy said the U.S. Embassy was denied consular access to Gershkovich on three occasions since she last visited him in jail in April. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters the ministry is considering another visit request from the embassy. Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips in soaring U.S.-Russian tensions over the Kremlins military operation in Ukraine. At least two U.S. citizens arrested in Russia in recent years including WNBA star Brittney Griner have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S. Ryabkov has cautioned, however, that the possibility of a swap in Gershkovich's case could only be considered after a court delivers its verdict. Prominent lawyers who worked on espionage cases told The Associated Press that the investigation alone could take up to 18 months. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Unions U.N. mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges. (Photo : ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images) Iran's top nuclear negotiator held talks with the European Union coordinator for the Tehran talks, in Doha. (not the actual photo) Iranian top nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri-Kani, met with European Union mediator Enrique Mora in Qatar as part of efforts to revive its 2015 nuclear accord with world powers, as Tehran and Washington attempt to defuse tensions through a mutual understanding that will help break the impasse. Having failed to revive the agreement in indirect talks that have stalled since September, Iranian and Western officials have met repeatedly in recent weeks to outline steps that could slow Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear work, release some US and European detainees, and unfreeze some Iranian assets abroad. Iran-EU Talks Mora tweeted that the Doha discussions were intense and had addressed "a variety of challenging bilateral, regional, and international issues, including the way forward on the JCPOA," the official name for the nuclear agreement. Peter Stano, a spokesperson for the EU, stated that the bloc was "maintaining diplomatic channels, including through this Doha meeting, to resolve all issues of concern with Iran." Bagheri Kani announced a week ago that he had convened with his British, German, and French counterparts in the United Arab Emirates to discuss "a variety of issues and mutual concerns." In exchange for the suspension of international sanctions against Tehran, the 2015 agreement restricted Iran's disputed uranium enrichment activity to make it more difficult for Tehran to acquire the means to produce nuclear weapons. In 2018, however, former US President Donald Trump abandoned the agreement, deeming it too lenient on Iran, and reinstated sanctions that have devastated Iran's economy. Tehran responded by progressively surpassing the pact's enrichment restrictions, reigniting US, European, and Israeli concerns that it may be pursuing an atomic weapon. According to CNN, the United States is also working toward the release of numerous Americans detained in Iran, which the administration has deemed a top priority. Siamak Namazi, Emad Sharghi, and Morad Tahbaz are the three Americans incarcerated in Iran who have been identified as having been unlawfully detained. Shahab Dalili, an American resident, is also detained. Read Also: Deadly Tornadoes Strike Texas Killing 3, Causing Widespread Damage Sanctions Against Iran In the past, the unfreezing of billions of dollars worth of seized Iranian assets in South Korea has been a component of a potential agreement for the detainees. Iran demanded that $7 billion in funds held in South Korean institutions due to US sanctions be released. As a confidence-building measure, the United States approved a waiver allowing the transfer of $2.7 billion from Iraq to Iranian institutions. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller described the move as "consistent with transactions that have occurred over a number of years." The spokesperson for Iran's foreign ministry stated last week that Tehran and the United States exchanged communications via Oman "a few weeks ago," but that his government does not support negotiations for an interim agreement or new arrangements to supplant the JCPOA. Limiting Iran's uranium enrichment has been a key topic of discussion with Iranian officials. In three months, the country's enriched uranium stockpile has increased by more than a quarter, according to an IAEA report. Currently, Iran's official uranium enrichment is 60% pure. Above 90% enrichment is considered to be weapon-grade uranium. Related Article: China, Germany Hold High-Level Meeting, Agree to Deeper Cooperation @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. US News and World Report recognized two Central Valley health care teams Sacramentos UC Davis Childrens Hospital and Maderas Valley Childrens Healthcare and Hospital in its 2023-24 rankings of the nations best pediatric hospitals. It is our privilege to provide nationally ranked pediatric care, close to home, right here in Sacramento, said Brad Simmons, chief administrator of UC Davis Medical Center and UC Davis Childrens Hospital. Our physicians, nurses and support staff put their heart into everything that they do to support our patient families. Congratulations to our entire team for delivering the highest quality of care to our children and their families. Valley Childrens Chief Executive Officer Todd Suntrapak said.These rankings are a testament to the exceptional treatment, unwavering dedication, expertise and genuine compassion of our doctors and staff toward every child we are privileged to care for, says We are humbled by the recognition and we never lose sight that the true reward lies in knowing that kids right here in the Central Valley are receiving the best care possible. US News has compiled this ranking for 17 years now as a way to help parents of sick children and their pediatricians find the best childrens hospital to treat their illness or condition, said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at US News. The magazine sent surveys to more than 200 childrens hospital and received information back from 119 of them. They used this data and surveys from thousands of pediatric specialists to rank the hospital care teams in 10 pediatric specialties. The two Central Valley hospitals received rankings in all but two specialties: pediatric cancer and pediatric cardiology and heart surgery. Valley Childrens ranked nationally in seven different specialties: 25th in pediatric orthopedics 28th in pediatric pulmonology and lung surgery 29th in neonatology, a field focused on the treatment and care of newborns 31st in pediatric urology 38th in pediatric neurology and neurosurgery 45th in pediatric gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery 50th in pediatric diabetes and endocrinology UC Davis earned rankings in three specialties: 20th in pediatric orthopedics, a distinction it shares with its longstanding partner, Shriners Hospital for Children-Northern California 34th in pediatric nephrology, a branch of medicine that deals with the physiology and diseases of the kidney 41st in pediatric diabetes and endocrinology Dr. Michelle James, chief of orthopedic surgery at Shriners Childrens Northern California, said: For pediatric orthopedists, our greatest professional joy is helping children accomplish things that are important to them. I applaud our physicians, nurses, care teams and staff for their ongoing leadership, innovation and collaboration, allowing us to provide the highest quality care for our patients. US News ranks top CA childrens hospital Their scores in these specialties earned both UC Davis and Valley Childrens a place among the top 10 childrens hospitals in California and on the Pacific Coast. The top finishers in the Golden State are: Childrens Hospital Los Angeles Rady Childrens Hospital in San Diego Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital Stanford in Palo Alto UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospitals, San Francisco and Oakland UCLA Mattel Childrens Hospital, Los Angeles CHOC Childrens Hospital in Orange Valley Childrens Loma Linda University Childrens Hospital UC Davis MemorialCare Miller Childrens and Womens Hospital Long Beach When the California hospitals were evaluated against their Pacific Coast peers, Childrens Hospital LA and Radys remained in the top two positions. Lucile Packard and UCSF Benioff tied with Seattle Childrens Hospital at No. 3, and UCLA Mattel slipped to No. 6. CHOC was 7; Valley Childrens, 8. The Doernbecher Childrens Hospital at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Ore., weighed in at No. 9. UC Davis and Loma Linda shared the No. 10 spot. Whats the No. 1 childrens hospital in US? Nationwide, the magazine said, 89 hospitals secured a ranking in at least one of the 10 pediatric specialties. Ten of the nations hospitals earned a place on the U.S. News Best Childrens Hospitals Honor Roll because they ranked highly in many specialties. Heres the honor roll: Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center Boston Childrens Hospital Texas Childrens Hospital, Houston Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia Childrens National Hospital, Washington, D.C. Nationwide Childrens Hospital, Columbus, Ohio Childrens Hospital Los Angeles UPMC Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Rady Childrens Hospital, San Diego Johns Hopkins Childrens Center, Baltimore UCSF Health CEO Suresh Gunasekaran said: Our teams are driven by a passion to deliver the highest-quality care to young patients, including the most vulnerable. I am so proud of the continued national recognition of their excellence. Having a world-class pediatric enterprise as part of our health system is critical to UCSF Healths ability to care for all members of the Bay Area community. US postal worker collapses and dies on the job during extreme heat in Dallas US postal worker collapses and dies on the job during extreme heat in Dallas A postal worker has collapsed and died while delivering mail in Dallas, Texas, during an extreme heatwave, according to the US Postal Service (USPS). Eugene Gates Jr, 66, was going door-to-door on his route on Tuesday when the heat index reached 115 degrees Fahrenheit (F) in the city. He collapsed in a front yard, where he was found by a homeowner who attempted CPR. Mr Gates Jrs cause of death has not been determined. On Tuesday, an excessive heat warning was issued for Dallas-Fort Worth region by the National Weather Service (NWS). Texas, and other southern states, are experiencing a severe heatwave this week with temperatures soaring into the triple digits and breaking records in places. The heat index is the real-world feel of extreme heat, combining both temperature and humidity. A heat index of 115F is considered a dangerous level, according to NWS. Prolonged exposure to such extreme conditions can result in heat exhaustion, heat stroke and potentially death, according to the NWS. "The Postal Service is deeply saddened by the loss of life suffered yesterday involving a Lakewood Post Office Letter Carrier," the federal agency said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time." Neighbors told local TV station Fox 4 that Mr Gates Jr "loved his job" and "loved the neighbors." At least 270 postal workers have fallen ill or have been hospitalized due to heat exposure since 2015, according to the US Department of Labor. An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect for the entire region today. Dangerous heat expected again tomorrow with rain chances increasing in the afternoon/evening as storms move in from the NW. Severe weather is possible if any storms make it into our area. #dfwwx #ctxwx pic.twitter.com/WTaPh7lc6Q NWS Fort Worth (@NWSFortWorth) June 20, 2023 Approximately 70 per cent of the 230,000 federal postal vehicles on the road did not have AC, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported last year. United Parcel Service (UPS), a private company, announced earlier this year that it would begin installing air conditioning in its vehicles after negotiations with union leaders.USA Today reported. A bill has been introduced to Congress requiring that postal vehicles have air conditioning. The legislation is titled the Peggy Frank Memorial Act in honor of another USPS employee who died from heat exhaustion in 2018 while running her route on a 117F day in California. The bill is yet to be passed. We spoke to a homeowner who would see Gates almost everyday. She provided us a Ring video of him recently delivering mail. She says: He loved his job. He loved the neighbors. More tonight on @FOX4 at 9 and 10 https://t.co/8kzzBjbbWo pic.twitter.com/lcPlW1KJOg Peyton Yager (@peytonyager) June 22, 2023 The heatwave is expected to persist across parts of the south into next week, NWS reported. In south and west Texas, temperatures soared into the triple digits. San Angelo hit an all-time high of 114F on Tuesday, NWS reported. Combined with the humidity, temperatures will feel like 120F across parts of Texas, a dangerously high level for human health. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which provides power for most of the states 30 million people, asked residents to conserve electricity this week to prevent blackouts. Texas set an unofficial June record on Monday for energy demand. The Lone Star States grid has been watched warily since a severe winter storm in February 2021 knocked out the power for days and left 137 people dead. The climate crisis is having a direct and extreme impact on heatwaves that scientists expect to continue as the global average temperature continues to rise. Global heating currently causes rare heat waves to be 3 -5F warmer across most of the US, according to Climate Signals. US President Joe Biden and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi speak during a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS) US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that the two democracies' partnership would define the next century, as Washington eyes a counterweight to China and brushes off allegations of growing authoritarianism in New Delhi. The two nations reached major deals on engines for fighter jets, semiconductor investment and space cooperation as Biden rolled out the red carpet to Modi for only the third state visit of his presidency. With thousands of Indian-Americans chanting his name on the White House's South Lawn, Modi, sporting a flowing white kurta with a sky-blue jacket, walked a red carpet to a gun salute. "I have long believed that the relationship between the US and India will be one of the most defining relationships of the 21st century," Biden said. Modi, India's most powerful prime minister in decades, said that the visit brought a "new direction and new energy" to the partnership with the United States. Later, addressing both chambers of Congress, Modi clearly alluded to US concerns on China as he backed a "free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," a favorite phrase of the United States. "The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo-Pacific," Modi said. - Defending record on rights - Indian-American supporters broke protocol to chant Modi's name during the speech but at least six lawmakers from Biden's Democratic Party boycotted the talk, pointing to Modi's human rights record. Biden addressed the concerns lightly, calling religious pluralism a "core principle" for both India and the United States and saying that democratic values "face challenges around the world and in each of our countries." "The whole world has a stake in our success," Biden said. "Maintaining our democracies makes us appealing partners." Modi, who a decade earlier was the state leader of Gujarat and banned from entering the United States over religious violence, defended his record in a rare open press exchange for the usually scripted prime minister. Criticizing those who would question India's democratic character, Modi said, "regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there's absolutely no space for discrimination." Since taking office in 2014, India has passed a controversial law on citizenship, abrogated the special status of Muslim-majority Kashmir and seen increasing violence against minorities, with a US State Department report pointing to inflammatory rhetoric from members of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Modi has also faced criticism for police raids on media outlets and the expulsion from parliament of the opposition leader. Former president Barack Obama, in an interview with CNN, said that Biden should raise concerns privately with Modi, warning that without protection of minorities, "there is a strong possibility at some point that India starts pulling apart." - Vegetarian state dinner - Biden offered full honors to Modi including a gala dinner, with First Lady Jill Biden tapping a celebrated Californian plant-based chef to cook for the strictly vegetarian prime minister. "Two great nations, two great friends, and two great powers," Biden said in a toast to Modi before both men, who don't drink alcohol, clinked glasses of ginger ale. Among the nearly 400 guests invited to the evening's candlelit festivities were notable Indian-American business leaders, including Google chief Sundar Pichai and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Earlier in the day, in an agreement hailed by Modi as landmark, the United States signed off on a technology transfer for engines as India begins producing homegrown fighter jets. General Electric will have the green light to produce its F414 engines jointly with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics. A US official said India would also buy MQ-9B SeaGuardian high-precision armed drones. In 2019, India broke precedent with an airstrike in Pakistani territory against an alleged extremist camp. Washington hopes a tighter defense relationship will help wean India off Russia, New Delhi's primary military supplier. In a joint statement, Modi joined Biden in backing the "territorial integrity" of Ukraine following its invasion by Moscow. The Biden administration has largely given a pass to India for refusing to join Western sanctions on Russia and instead buying its oil at a discount, seeing a broader alignment with India on the challenge of China and the threat of radical Islamism. In another agreement, US chip giant Micron will invest $800 million in a semiconductor assembly and testing plant in India, which is expected to reach $2.75 billion after contributions from New Delhi. The United States is looking to stop the flow of high-end chips to China, fearing that the communist state will dominate the next generation of technology, although Micron also recently announced a $600 million investment in China. The United States and India also agreed as well to end six disputes before the World Trade Organization and expand cooperation in space, with India joining a US-led initiative to put a human back on the Moon by 2025. sct-aue/dw/des By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt a setback to the Navajo Nation, rejecting its bid to require the federal government to develop a plan to secure water access for the tribe on reservation lands in the parched American southwest. The justices, in a 5-4 decision authored by conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, concluded that an 1868 peace treaty between the United States and the tribe did not require the government to take steps such as assessing the tribe's water needs and potentially building pipelines, pumps and wells. More than 30% of households on the Navajo reservation currently lack running water, according to the tribe. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, who has supported Native Americans rights in various cases since joining the court in 2017, dissented from the decision along with the court's three liberal justices. "The 1868 treaty reserved necessary water to accomplish the purpose of the Navajo Reservation," Kavanaugh wrote in the ruling. "But the treaty did not require the United States to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Tribe." The treaty, reached three years after the conclusion of the U.S. Civil War, ended two decades of sporadic fighting between the United States and the Navajos and established the Navajo Reservation, which encompasses roughly 17 million acres (6.9 million hectares), largely in the Colorado River Basin. The treaty secured the right of the Navajos to make use of the land, minerals and water on the reservation, which spans parts of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Gorsuch criticized the ruling for deciding more than what was required by the case. In his dissent, Gorsuch wrote that the Navajos sought simply to identify the water rights that the U.S. government holds in trust on the tribe's behalf. "The government owes the Tribe at least that much," Gorsuch wrote. The ruling reversed a decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that had given a green light to the Navajo Nation's lawsuit against the U.S. Interior Department and others seeking to prod the government to develop a plan to secure water for the tribe. The 9th Circuit said that the government had a "duty to protect and preserve the Nation's right to water." "The Department of the Interior is committed to upholding its trust and treaty obligations to Tribes, as well as to ensuring that water rights for Colorado River users are fulfilled according to the law. We are reviewing the decision," a department spokesperson said in a statement following Thursday's ruling. The decision follows another ruling this month in which the Supreme Court upheld a decades-old federal law governing Native American adoption and foster care placements, throwing out a challenge brought by the state of Texas and other plaintiffs to standards that give preferences to Native Americans and tribal members. (Reporting by Andrew Chung in New York and John Kruzel in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham) US talks sanctions against Uganda after a harsh anti-gay law but criminalizing same-sex activities has become a political tactic globally The annual gay pride parade in Entebbe, Uganda, in 2014. Isaac Kasamani/AFP via Getty Images Uganda recently signed an anti-gay bill into law. Called by some the worst of its kind in the world, the law imposes life imprisonment for same-sex relations while using colonial language that such acts are against the order of nature. It calls for the death penalty for a category called aggravated homosexuality, which includes relations with minors and those considered to be vulnerable. It also criminalizes the promotion and funding of same-sex activities. For Uganda, this is a third round of anti-LGBTQ+ legislative furor, following similar bills that were passed by the Parliament in 2009 and 2014 and then overturned on technicalities. Still, the 2023 act is unique in its severity and reach. The Biden administration has called for immediate repeal and threatened to cut aid and investment to Uganda. As a scholar of politics and religion in the region, I have been working with Ugandan community activists and NGO leaders since 2017. These leaders express growing concerns about state corruption and abuse of civil rights. Leaders pushing anti-LGBTQ+ laws claim to be protecting their citizens from foreign cultural threats, but the 2023 law is better understood as a political tactic to retain power by distracting the public from failures of governance. I argue that it is an example of what sociologists call a moral panic, and part of a worrying global trend. Globalizing anti-LGBTQ+ politics Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has been on the rise globally and is often used by political factions to gain public support. Many authoritarian heads of state play up the cultural threat of so-called gender ideology and LGBTQ+ rights, describing them as foreign or Western perversion that will undermine their citizens values. In Russia in 2022, Vladimir Putin ratified a law against LGBTQ+ propaganda, using language that is strikingly like Ugandas new bill. This law makes it illegal to promote same-sex relations or suggest they are normal. In 2014, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan likewise signed a law against the public display and promotion of same-sex relationships. And in Brazil, former President Jair Bolsonaro weakened HIV/AIDS medical care systems and pushed laws to ban gender and sexuality education in schools. In each case these leaders stoked anxieties about LGBTQ+ groups and then took forceful action against the perceived moral danger. They positioned themselves as protectors of core cultural values while expanding their executive power. In other words, they fed and manipulated a moral panic. Moral panic as distraction tactic In sociology a moral panic is described as a surge in social anxieties about certain deviant groups. Moral panics start as social norms that are inflamed into something larger: a sense of diffuse and imminent threat from categories of people like delinquents, foreigners or minority groups, seen as agents of broader moral decay. There is a difference between cultural norms against divergent forms of sexuality and gender expression, and a moral panic over LGBTQ+ groups. Moral panics over sexual minorities are not automatic in religious or conservative cultures. They are usually triggered by larger social disruptions or political events. This happened in South Africa, for example, when public concern over same-sex relations among men peaked in the later years of apartheid. Moral panics can also be manipulated by political leaders to distract from material problems and failures of governance. If a moral panic starts to drive citizens views of political leadership, they may support leaders who affirm their anxieties, even as those leaders violate civil rights and democratic systems. For leaders who are under fire or seeking to increase their power, moral panics can provide a way for them to show strength by taking legislative action against the perceived threat. History in Africa Sexuality in Africa is a complex terrain and ripe for the eruption of moral panics. In the colonial period, European powers often interpreted examples of same-sex relations in Africa as evidence of those cultures so-called primitivism. Colonial laws enforced the heterosexual, monogamous and conjugal family model by criminalizing homosexuality and other common practices like polygamy. Activists and campaigners stage a protest outside the Commonwealth headquarters in central London against discrimination and criminalization of LGBTQ+ people across Commonwealth member countries. Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images Then in the HIV/AIDS era of the 1980s and 1990s, U.S. evangelical missionaries brought extensive humanitarian aid to the region, promoting the belief that HIV/AIDS was caused by homosexual activity and the so-called gay rights agenda. They worked closely with local partners in African religious life and politics, many of whom became the sponsors of current anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Today anti-LGBTQ+ moral panics serve an added function. Many African economies are growing through state-managed capitalism and foreign trade. Political power means access to these channels of wealth, which creates incentives for leaders like Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to resist democratic changes in leadership. For such leaders, passing laws in response to anti-LGBTQ+ moral panics can shift the focus away from these more systemic problems. It is a public show of governance to cover for broader failures and abuses. The Uganda case President Museveni has led Uganda for nearly 40 years, and many citizens are frustrated at his tightfisted hold on power. In recent years Museveni has become more explicit in silencing dissent. Community activists and NGO leaders, LGBTQ+ and otherwise, are directly in the line of fire. From my research, I have learned that these activists are regularly jailed without due process. Even leaders of churches and mosques now avoid discussing politics publicly for fear they will be harassed. Meanwhile, rumors about homosexual groups targeting children in school are rampant. As is common with moral panics, it is hard to verify or pinpoint the source of such rumors. They spread the idea that LGBTQ+ groups are trying to force the vulnerable into homosexual relationships, stoking protective anxieties among parents. The wording of the 2023 act, focusing on aggravated homosexuality as abuse of minors, and the promotion and funding of homosexuality by people and organizations, appears to play into such fears. The use of this language can serve to portray the acts sponsors as protectors of children and families, even as the government becomes more blatant in its violations of civil rights and freedoms. Ugandan queer activist Papa De raises a fist outside the Uganda High Commission during a picket against the countrys anti-homosexuality bill in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 4, 2023. Phill Magakoe/AFP via Getty Images Regional activists like Stella Nyanzi and the Rev. Kapya Kaoma have been fighting anti-LGBTQ+ moral panics for decades. And Ugandans are already challenging the act in the courts, not just as an LGBTQ+ rights issue, but as part of their push for a different political future. This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters. It was written by: Nicolette Manglos-Weber, Boston University. Read more: Nicolette Manglos-Weber does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. The U.S. Postal Service confirmed one of its employees died while on mail route in a Dallas neighborhood, according to a report from Star-Telegram partner WFAA-TV. The employee, identified as 66-year-old Eugene Gates Jr., died Tuesday in the Lakewood area of Dallas, WFAA reported. His family told Fox 4 that Gates collapsed in a front yard and a resident tried to perform CPR. Because of high temperatures and humidity, the heat index reached 115 in DFW on Tuesday. His cause of death has not yet been confirmed, but in a Facebook post Wednesday by Kimetra Lewis, president of the Dallas branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers, she asked mail carriers to take precaution by drinking plenty of water and taking breaks to cool down. I am asking the public to watch out for your letter carrier, if you notice distress, please assist him/her. I am also asking the Postal Service to be understanding when a letter carrier needs additional time to complete their assignments, Lewis said in the post. Gates worked for the USPS for 36 years, according to Lewis. The Postal Service is deeply saddened by the loss of life suffered yesterday involving a Lakewood Post Office Letter Carrier. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time, the USPS said in a statement. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth had issued an excessive heat warning for the Dallas-Fort Worth area Monday through 8 p.m. Wednesday. Temperatures hit 99 on Monday and 98 on Tuesday, but high humidity pushed heat indexes much higher. Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities, said the NWS in the warning. Lewis said some of Gates co-workers were frustrated and angry, according to WFAA. Their shift start-time was changed from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. over the last few months, preventing them to get a head start to beat the heat. After requests from employees and the National Association of Letter Carriers following Gates death, USPS management changed the shift time to begin at 7:30 again, Lewis said. I just want all letter carriers to think of their safety first, Lewis told WFAA-TV. Cloud cover and light rain dropped temperatures into the 80s on Wednesday, and highs are forecast to be in the low 90s on Thursday and Friday, according to the weather service. DFWs first 100-degree days of the year are expected on Saturday and Sunday. The University of Texas System regents meet last month. The UT System is launching a new program that will provide 24/7 free, virtual mental health support to students at all its institutions, including UT-Austin. The University of Texas System is launching a new program that will provide 24/7 free, virtual mental health support to students at all of its institutions, including UT-Austin. Starting this fall, students within the UT System will be able to access mental health counseling sessions, psychiatry services and other mental health and emotional support at any time. The services will be administered in partnership with TimelyCare, which provides telehealth services to higher education institutions. As a Texas-based company with colleagues living across the state, TimelyCare is proud to serve the neighboring universities we call our alma maters, our hometown teams, and the institutions of higher education we trust to educate our own children," said Luke Hejl, TimelyCare CEO and co-founder. According to the news release, UT-Austin will administer the new program, which is part of a $16.5 million, five-year investment that the UT System made last year in mental health, student safety, alcohol education and other related initiatives. More: The Texas legislative regular session is over. What higher education bills passed? Among other items, the 2022 investment provides $10 million to expand mental health services for students through telehealth; $1.5 million for employee training on suicide prevention and how to respond to students displaying concerning behavior; and $900,000 for mental health crisis lines. The health and safety of students is always our top priority, UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife said in a statement. We are committed to continuous enhancements that improve student health and educational success outcomes. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, depression, stress, anxiety and other mental health concerns have all spiked among college students. These mental health challenges can negatively affect student academic achievement, graduation rates and well-being, according to a report from the National Institutes of Health. More: Texas Legislature budgets $43 billion for higher education. Here's what it's going toward. At UT System institutions, the percentage of students who have received mental health services from a professional has increased from 20.6% to 30.4% from 2011 to 2021, and student counseling centers within the UT System have reported a 38% increase in psychiatric hospitalizations during the same period. We know that students mental health is tied to their academic achievement and that the demand for access to mental health services for UT students has never been greater, UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken said. The Board of Regents has consistently and proactively addressed this need. We are proud that this latest investment will make mental health resources more readily available and easier to access for UT students. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UT System program to provide mental health services for students 24/7 A Southwest plane lands at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Va., Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. | Carolyn Kaster, Associated Press The six members of Utahs all-Republican congressional delegation say they support an effort to add flights into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The bill to add flights is sponsored by Rep. Burgess Owens, who represents Utahs 4th Congressional District, and Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia. In an interview with the Deseret News in May, Owens said he is worried about the cost of travel to the nations capital, and said he believes it would be good to introduce more competition into the marketplace. The bill, which would be added to legislation reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration, would open up 28 additional flights into the airport. My hope, my goal, particularly because of how cutting edge the Salt Lake City airport is, we think we will get one of those slots, Owens said last month. Both of Utahs senators, Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, and the three other congressmen, Reps. Blake Moore, Chris Stewart and John Curtis, say they support the bill because they think travel to the nations capital should be affordable. Government by the people should be accessible by the people, Lee said in a press release. Im proud to support Reps. Owens and Johnsons efforts to expand the number of flights out of Reagan National Airport. More options will reduce ticket prices and generate millions in economic benefits, making our nations capital more accessible and affordable for all Americans. Romney pointed out that the perimeter rule at the airport a 1960s-era restriction on the number of flights that can come into and fly out of the airport if theyre coming from more than 1,250 miles away makes flights more expensive, particularly for those who live in Western states. With an over 2,000-mile distance between Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C., flights in and out of Utah have been affected by the limit. Curtis said that adding direct flights to the airport could have the effect of reducing emissions, making it a win for both travelers and the environment. Related Salt Lake Police investigate a scene in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Chadwick Shane Mobley, 42, last seen June 7 in Corrine, Box Elder County, is wanted as a person of interest in a murder investigation in Michigan from 2011. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News A suspect in a Michigan homicide investigation who is believed to have been recently living in Utah was being watched by Utah authorities earlier this year for about two months, according to police. An arrest warrant for 42-year-old Chadwick Shane Mobley has been issued out of Michigan for investigation of murder, police confirmed Wednesday. Last week, the Utah State Bureau of Investigation said it had been asked by Michigan State Police to help locate Mobley in connection with a 2011 murder investigation. Mobley was last seen in Corrine, Box Elder County, on June 7, according to Utah authorities. But agents were keeping surveillance on Mobley in February, according to a newly unsealed search warrant affidavit filed in Utah on behalf of Michigan police. Andrea Eilber, 20, was found shot to death in Lapeer County, Michigan, in an area about 30 minutes outside of Flint, in 2011. Kenneth Grondin, then 19, Eilber's boyfriend, was arrested and charged with murder. Grondin was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. But in 2018, he "was granted an appeal based on faulty language on the jury verdict instruction form. He was subsequently released from prison and a new trial was ordered," according to court documents. Media reports in Michigan say Eilber is on house arrest and is expected to go to trial again later this year. According to the affidavit in Utah, a cigarette butt was one of the pieces of evidence collected near the Michigan crime scene. DNA collected from the cigarette showed a single male profile. But after comparing it with 36 other DNA samples from people believed to be connected to the case, no match was found, the affidavit states. In 2019, Michigan police requested DNA familial genealogy testing on the cigarette butt and requested funding for it in 2020, but the "attempts and requests were unsuccessful due to incorrect information on property items and budget constraints from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic." In 2022, a private lab in Texas specializing in genetic genealogy testing took the sample. In January, the lab notified police that the DNA may be linked to a man living in Utah, according to the affidavit. At the time, Mobley was listed as living in Brigham City. Michigan police further learned that Mobley had lived in Auburn Hills in 2011, about 40 miles away from Lapeer, according to the warrant, and was employed in Pontiac. The Utah Department of Public Safety was contacted and investigators held surveillance on Mobley for two months, the affidavit says. During that time, they learned that the long-haul truck driver did not have a permanent residence, but appeared to live out of his semitruck. His personal vehicle was typically parked near the Walmart Distribution Center in Corinne. "Chadwick has never been observed to discard or abandon any object known to have been in his mouth. He has never been observed by Utah Department of Public Safety/State Bureau of Investigation to converse or visit any residence, restaurant, nor any other building location unrelated to work. Chadwick has been observed to be a smoker of cigarettes," according to the affidavit. On Feb. 28, investigators watched Mobley walking a dog and saw him collect dog feces in a plastic bag, tie it in a knot and throw it away. Police collected the knotted portion of the bag to be tested for DNA, the affidavit says, but the test was not successful. It was not immediately known on Wednesday whether an additional DNA sample was found or what piece of evidence may have been collected that prompted an arrest warrant to be issued. Faith Stowers An ex-castmate may be suing former Vanderpump Rules star Stassi Schroeder over her New York Times bestselling book. According to The Daily Beast, Faith Stowers launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal fees for justice against Stassi, stating Schroeder made false claims about her in the April 2022 book Off With My Head: The Definitive Basic B***h Handbook to Surviving Rock Bottom. In the memoir, the former reality star talked about her cancellation following the Stowers incident and how she lost everything after the fallout. However, Stowers claimed Schroeder made terrible non-factual claims that have affected her and her family. Stassi Schroeder has written a NY Times bestseller book recently and has made more terrible, non-factual claims about me once again, Stowers wrote on the GoFundMe website. After all she has done, she continues to stand by her ignorant claims that are very harmful to me and my family. Im seeking assistance with my legal team to get this book removed and all royalties/funds collected from this book be given to charity or assisting a family of choice. The years-long feud between Stowers and Schroeder began in 2020 during a Black Lives Matter demonstration when Schroeder and co-star Kristen Doute admitted they called the police on Stower and falsely accused her of a crime she didnt commit, Decider reported. According to reports, the two women and several other cast members publicly attacked Stowers after she slept with co-star Jax Taylor while he was in a relationship with his now-wife Brittany Cartwright. These two women used their privilege and celebrity to try and tear me down at very sad time in my life and the Country. During that time I was also racially targeted and wrongfully accused of horrendous crimes that I have since been vindicated from, Stower wrote in her campaign. Stowers has raised nearly $7,000 in donations from the initial $20,000 goal. On Thursday, the Italian Navy's ITS Francesco Morosini, an offshore patrol ship, visited Yokosuka, where the United States has a naval base. Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Navy's 7th Fleet as part of a five-month deployment to the Indo-Pacific. The Thaon di Revel-class patrol ship will moor at the MSDF's Yokosuka Naval Base for seven days. It is the first asset of the Italian Navy to anchor in a Japanese port in 27 years, as reported by Nikkei Asia. The modern ship's deployment demonstrates the value Italy focuses on in the area. It was launched in the fall with a 137-person crew. The Morisini The Morosini is outfitted with a hangar that can house a medium-lift anti-submarine warfare helicopter. Its capacity for speed, which reaches up to 32 knots, or little under 59 kph, is one of its distinguishing characteristics. The ship can deliver water to a neighborhood of more than 6,000 people in the event of a calamity. Additionally, it can produce electricity. (Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images) The Italian navy carrier Cavour is seen from the German navy frigate ship Werra as it sails in the Mediterranean Sea, close to the Libyan territorial waters on September 23, 2015. The German ship is part of the EU operation EuNavFor Med, rescuing migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe. The Morosini called Singapore and Indonesia on their way to Japan. From here, it will proceed to locations such as Busan, South Korea, and others. In September, it travels back to Italy. To prospective clients, the deployment serves as both a demonstration of strength and a projection of authority. Read also: Italy's Coastguard Rescues 1,200 Migrants Aboard Boats A Stronger Influence in the Inso-Pacific Italy is the latest in a long line of European nations aiming to increase their influence in the Indo-Pacific. The British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida signed the Hiroshima Accord, a strategic partnership, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, last month. They agreed to double the number of British troops participating in a military exercise in Japan and redeploy the U.K. In 2025, an aircraft carrier will visit the Indo-Pacific. The British warships HMS Tamar and HMS Spey are now stationed in the Indo-Pacific region for a five-year deployment. The Tamar spent a month at a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries-owned ship repair facility in Yokohama last year. In 2021, Germany sent the navy frigate Bayern to Japan, where it participated in a joint drill with ships from the United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada. In the South China Sea's Spratly Islands, where China is carrying out extensive land reclamation and constructing runways and harbors, France has sent an attack ship and a frigate to the Indo-Pacific. Italy's Involvement in the Indo-Pacific Italy has been increasing its engagement in the Indo-Pacific region in recent years. This is due to a number of factors, including the growing economic and strategic importance of the region, as well as the changing balance of power in the Indo-Pacific. It includes economic, political, and security dimensions. On the economic front, Italy is seeking to increase its trade and investment ties with the region. It is also working to promote its economic interests in the region through its membership in the G7 and the European Union. On the political front, Italy is seeking to strengthen its diplomatic ties with countries in the Indo-Pacific. It has been actively participating in regional forums, such as the East Asia Summit and the Indian Ocean Rim Association. It has also been working to strengthen its bilateral relations with key countries in the region, such as India, Japan, and Australia. Italy's role in the Indo-Pacific is still evolving. However, it is clear that Italy is committed to playing a more active role in the region. This is a sign of Italy's growing global ambitions, and it is likely to have a significant impact on the future of the Indo-Pacific region. Related article: Davos 2023: Philippines Cites Indo-Pacific Tension Needs Diplomacy @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Vatican said Thursday it will hand over evidence in the disappearance of a 15-year-old daughter of one of its employees 40 years ago to the Rome city prosecutor. Emanuela Orlandi, who was the daughter of a prominent Vatican employee and lived within the walls of the holy city, disappeared in the summer of 1983 while on her way home from a music lesson in central Rome. The Vatican which has come under scrutiny over the years for its handling of the case announced in January that it had opened a fresh investigation. In a statement Thursday, the Vatican said that the office of Alessandro Diddi, the Vatican promoter of justice, has collected all the evidence available in the various institutions of the Vatican and the Holy See, while also seeking evidence through conversations with the persons in charge of certain offices at the time of the events. Pietro Orlandi, Emanuela's brother, attends a sit-in to mark the 40th anniversary of her disappearance near St. Peter's Square, on January 14. - Antonio Masiello/Getty Images Diddi said through the Vatican press office that he had found some investigatory leads that merit further consideration. His office will therefore be sending all the relevant documents in the past weeks to the Prosecutor of Rome, so that he can review them and proceed in the direction he considers most opportune. It was unclear what the documents refer to, if they are new or from archives. Thursdays development marks the first time that the Vatican has publicly handed over documents to Italian authorities. The statement suggested that the Vaticans investigation was now complete, but Diddi pledged to continue his activities in this direction in the coming months, while remaining aware of the suffering one feels for the disappearance of a relative. A file photograph of Emanuela Orlandi. - Courtesy Pietro Orlandi Orlandi disappeared on June 22, 1983 after a lesson at a music school adjacent to the SantApollinare Opus Dei Catholic Church near Piazza Navona in Rome. Her father, Ercole Orlandi, who died in 2004, worked for the Institute for the Works of Religion in the Holy See. Her mother, Maria Orlandi, still lives in the family apartment in Vatican City. Her brother, Pietro Orlandi, has spent his life trying to uncover what happened to his sister and has often blamed the Vatican for hiding information. He has called for a rally this Sunday in Rome in front of Castel Sant Angelo, the latest location thought to be where the young girls body might be buried, and then proceed to St. Peters square to be present when the Pope gives his Sunday Angelus. Orlandi holds rallies every year around the disappearance anniversary. A four-part Netflix series by Mark Lewis released last year sparked renewed interest in the high profile case and highlighted several of the most prominent conspiracy theories, including that her kidnapping was connected to Mehmet Ali Agca, who was at the time in prison for an assassination attempt on John Paul II in St. Peters Square in 1981. Searches for Orlandis remains have been conducted many times over the last four decades. Human remains were found in 2018 at the Holy See embassy to Italy in central Rome, but said DNA tests did not establish a match. A year later, the Vatican agreed to exhume the tomb of two princesses thought to be buried in the cemetery of the Pontifical Teutonic College inside the Vatican City. The princesses remains were not found in the tomb, nor were Orlandis, but two ossuaries were found under a secret door in the cemetery. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com WASHINGTON Indias democracy is at a weak point. The U.S. government has accused India of engaging in significant human rights abuses. And yet, on Thursday, the U.S. president is throwing Indias prime minister a lavish state dinner. For a politician who has made strengthening democracy a central theme of his administration, President Joe Bidens courtship of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscores the tension between his campaign principles and the realities of being president. Bidens administration has accused Indias government of participating in unlawful and arbitrary killings, restricting freedom of speech and allowing violence against religious, racial and ethnic minorities. Organizations that track democracy have downgraded India. Freedom House now rates it only partially free. It's very awkward, and embarrassing even, to have the rhetorical emphasis on democracy for the foreign policy, while at the same time this critical partner is seen as backsliding, said Irfan Nooruddin, a professor of Indian politics at Georgetown Universitys School of Foreign Service. Modi pressed on human rights Progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib said she would boycott Modis address to Congress during the visit over his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists. She described the conduct in a tweet as unacceptable. Its shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nations capital, said Tlaib, D-Mich. Democratic Reps. Cori Bush, of Missouri, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, of New York, also are protesting the event. The White House said Biden would raise human rights questions with Modi when they speak privately. A spokesman stressed it is a topic Biden routinely addresses. Certainly human rights is of concern to the United States, and it's a foundational element to President Biden's foreign policy, White House national security strategic communications coordinator John Kirby said. A group of more than 70 lawmakers asked Biden in a letter Tuesday to discuss the full range of issues facing the two nations during the visit. They noted that independent, credible reports reflect troubling signs in India and told him that friends can and should discuss their differences in an honest and forthright way. We think it's important that we have a strong relationship between India and the United States, regardless of who India's prime minister is, but we also think it's important that the president raise these human rights issues and make it clear that the institutions of democracy free press, freedom of religion, a free judiciary, an independent judiciary these are all things that ensure a democracy, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat who was born in India, said in an interview. And without a democracy, it's going to be much harder for the United States and India to have a long-term, strong relationship. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcome Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, during a state visit at the White House on June 21, 2023. Discrimination, harassment and erosion of trust Trust in Indias judiciary system is also eroding. Earlier this year, a court convicted one of Modis chief political opponents, Rahul Gandhi, of defamation for disparaging the surname "Modi" in a case that is viewed as highly political. If the conviction stands, Gandhi, who highlighted Indias struggles with democracy during a recent trip to the U.S., will be barred from competing in Indias national elections next year. Modi and his political party have increasingly used government institutions to target political opponents. Discriminatory policies against the Muslim population and harassment of journalists and government critics grew significantly under Modi, Freedom House president Michael Abramowitz said. Preview of the White House State Dinner place settings ahead of Thursday's dinner with the Republic of India. So it is still a democracy, as they say. Its got a thriving election system. But it's these other policies that cause concern for Freedom House, Abramowitz said. Modi has not fielded questions at a news conference since he became prime minister. But the White House said he and Biden would speak with the media on Thursday. Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democratic congressman who co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, said that the U.S. should be candid about freedom of press and human rights questions. But the congressman, who said he plans to attend the state dinner, argued, The imperfections in democracy should not prevent the alliance of democracies. Ukraine on the menu India has refused to denounce Russias war on Ukraine and has continued to buy Russian oil amid the conflict. The United States has not been able to put meaningful pressure on India to join the U.S. and its allies in working to cripple Russias economy. And Modis government views itself as having a lot of leverage in the relationship, Nooruddin said, because of how focused the Biden administration has been on maintaining positive relations with the nation that it hopes can serve as a counterweight to China. The war will be on the United States agenda during the meeting, the White House says, but the conversation is likely to focus on the importance of territorial sovereignty and the humanitarian assistance India has given Ukraine. We haven't since the beginning of this war, nor are we going to start, browbeating or arm-twisting other nations about the way they're looking at this war in Ukraine, Kirby told reporters Tuesday. One way that Biden could indirectly create a further separation between Russia and India is by accelerating U.S. approvals of defense equipment for India, said Richard Rossow, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. It wont be something dramatic. The tilt that has been happening over the years, where India is tilting away from Russia as a primary weapons supplier, I think that will accelerate, he said. But youre not going to have a cold, hard stop, and I dont think this trip is going to trigger that. Emerging superpower Biden has sought to deepen the United States security partnership with India through a group known as the Quad. It is part of his administrations efforts to counter Chinas global influence. With a population of nearly 1.4 billion people, India will soon be the worlds third-largest economy, behind only China and the United States. Rossow said Indias growing economy and competition between the U.S. and China are at the heart of Bidens decision to roll out the red carpet for Modi, who attended a large rally in Texas with former President Donald Trump in an earlier visit to the U.S. Modi held a reciprocal rally for Trump in 2020 when the former president visited India. He is expected to host Biden in September during the Group of 20 Summit. The two leaders also met a month ago in Japan. Youre not going to see the big theatrics I think that you saw with the Trump administration, Rossow said. So maybe not the warmth and bombast that you saw in the previous administration but regular engagement. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets supporters as he arrives in New York on June 20, 2023. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is Biden lavishing Indias right-wing PM Modi with a state visit? Transgender FlagGetty Images/Vladimir Vladimirov Human rights defenders on Tuesday welcomed a ruling by a federal judge in Arkansas overturning that state's law banning gender-affirming healthcare for children and teenagers, the first time such a prohibition has been struck down in the United States. "I'm so grateful the judge heard my experience of how this healthcare has changed my life for the better and saw the dangerous impact this law could have on my life and that of countless other transgender people," Dylan Brandt, the 17-year-old lead plaintiff in the case, said in a statement published by the ACLU of Arkansas. The civil liberties group filed the lawsuit on behalf of four trans youth, their families, and two doctors in response to Arkansas' 2021 gender-affirming healthcare banthe first such law passed in the United States. "My mom and I wanted to fight this law not just to protect my healthcare, but also to ensure that transgender people like me can safely and fully live our truths," Brandt added. "Transgender kids across the country are having their own futures threatened by laws like this one, and it's up to all of us to speak out, fight back, and give them hope." VICTORY! A federal district court judge has ruled against the Arkansas law banning gender-affirming care for trans youth, marking a groundbreaking victory to #ProtectTransYouth. We stand with all brave Arkansans fighting for their right to thrive & be healthy. #arpx #arleg pic.twitter.com/TQrDoq3DED ACLU of Arkansas (@ArkansasACLU) June 20, 2023 ACLU of Arkansas executive director Holly Dickson said: "This decision sends a clear message. Fearmongering and misinformation about this healthcare do not hold up to scrutiny; it hurts trans youth and must end." "Science, medicine, and law are clear: gender-affirming care is necessary to ensure these young Arkansans can thrive and be healthy," Dickson added. Lacey Jennen, a plaintiff in the case, tweeted, "To say we are relieved is an understatement." To say we are relieved is an understatement. This is the news we have been waiting for! Many hugs and thanks to so many people who spoke up and out against such a cruel attempt by certain legislators to harm the trans youth in our state. https://t.co/xrKopUAvCw Lacey Jennen (@JennenLacey) June 20, 2023 Judge James M. Moody Jr. of Federal District Court in Little Rocka nominee of former President Barack Obamawrote in his 80-page ruling in Brandt v. Rutledge that Arkansas' law discriminated against transgender people and violated doctors' constitutional rights. Then-Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, vetoed the bill after its approval by the GOP-controlled Legislature; however, lawmakers subsequently overrode the veto. Moody also found that Arkansas officials had failed to substantially prove claims, including that gender-affirming healthcare is carelessly prescribed to youth and is "experimental." "Rather than protecting children or safeguarding medical ethics, the evidence showed that the prohibited medical care improves the mental health and well-being of patients and that, by prohibiting it, the state undermined the interests it claims to be advancing," Moody wrote. NONE of the anti-trans claims in the Arkansas case held up in court - because this healthcare is life-saving and essential. https://t.co/Nde38Nponw National Center for Transgender Equality (@TransEquality) June 20, 2023 "Further, the various claims underlying the state's arguments that the act protects children and safeguards medical ethics do not explain why only gender-affirming medical careand all gender-affirming medical careis singled out for prohibition," the judge added. "The testimony of well-credentialed experts, doctors who provide gender-affirming medical care in Arkansas, and families that rely on that care directly refutes any claim by the state that the act advances an interest in protecting children." At least 19 other states have passed legislation limiting or banning gender-affirming care for minors, with federal judges temporarily blocking similar laws in Alabama, Indiana, and Florida. This is the first federal court ruling on a categorical ban on gender-affirming care and follows judges in Florida, Alabama, and Indiana blocking enforcement of those bans while challenges against them proceed. Let's keep it going https://t.co/mWk7lXo6v9 Gillian Branstetter (@GBBranstetter) June 20, 2023 According to the website Trans Legislation Tracker, 558 anti-trans bills have been introduced in 49 states so far this year. Eighty-two of the proposals have been signed into law. Yazzmin Johnson a Missouri third-grade teacher of five years, celebrated the end of the school year with a catchy video. The now viral TikTok video was an outlet for Johnson to celebrate summer vacation rolling in. Johnsons expressed her excitement by creating her own rendition of iCandys viral TikTok song Keep Dat. The video slowed during its first two days on TikTok but eventually reached the #teachertok community. Teachers from all over the U.S. joined in on the fun and created their comedy skits stitching Johnsons audio as background music. Keep them, kids, keep them kids, keep them kids, Johnson lip-synced over the song and replaced the original lyrics with teacher-friendly ones. It was maybe two days later, and I told my husband, I thought this is a flop. The song is a bop, but I think its a flop. But its OK; I do it for fun, you know? she told Good Morning America. The song is basically [about] every single thing that we have to do all year thats become, like, almost an ick in a sense, Johnson said Despite loving her role as an educator, she admits that teaching has drastically changed post-pandemic. She told GMA she was happy to see her peers celebrating their summer freedom with her. We deserve to pat ourselves on the back and have fun. Because everyone knows, teaching after the pandemic is totally different from before. So, I love seeing teachers just so happy and celebrating with each other, Johnson said. And the parents, oh my goodness, theres so many parents that have done it. And their perspective is, youre realizing, Oh, man, my kids are going to be home every day, all day. And I just think thats hilarious, Johnson added. PRESS SERVICE OF "CONCORD" The notorious Wagner Group is reportedly setting up its own military police to force rival Russian troops to submit to the mercenary groups rules and recognize its complete authority in occupied parts of Ukraine. The audacious planjust the latest in a long series of Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhins jabs at his foes in the Russian Defense Ministrywas detailed in a job listing for the group shared on social media Thursday. Wagner invites former employees [of the security services] with experience in operational work and detentions to fulfill tasks in the war zone, the group said. The independent news outlet Verstka reports that one of its reporters called the number listed for the job posting and was told the new military police will serve in the occupied territories of Ukraine. You will have to make sure that everybody follows the rules of the company. Watch that there are no thieves and marauders, no beatings, drunkenness, and so on, a recruiter identified only as Denis was quoted saying. Members of the new military police would also be tasked with weeding out saboteurs and interrogating them, he said, and catching regular Russian troops subordinate to the Russian Defense Ministry. Professional Boxer Puts Wagner Mercenary in a Coma The scumbags have multiplied there, drinking like pigs. We have complete authority, he was quoted saying. The work will be interesting, have no doubt, the vacancy listing read. The news comes as Prigozhin doubles down on tearing apart virtually every claim of battlefield success made publicly by Russias top military brass. While the Russian Defense Ministry has cited fantastical figures to claim it has stopped Ukraines counteroffensive in its tracks, Prigozhin has said such glowing assessments are all lies. They are bringing a load of bullshit to the presidents table [Defense Minister Sergei] Shoigu and [Chief of the General Staff Valery] Gerasimov have a simple approach: a lie must be monstrous for people to believe it, he said via his press service. Russia will wake up one day and find that Crimea has already been handed to the Ukrainians. There is a flat-out betrayal of the interests of the Russian Federation underway, and this is all happening against the backdrop of losses, he said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Screenshot: Villa Rica Police Department I wish I could act surprised, but I cant. Police in Georgia just cant help themselves. Earlier this week, images were released of white people taking target practice at a Georgia shooting range. Nothing out of the ordinary right? Except that the pictures were posted on Facebook by the Villa Rica Police Department and the images they were using as target practice were of Black men. Read more I guess theyre practicing what they preach. The photos were taken during a citizens handgun class and the event was hosted by Villa Rica authorities, according to the VRPD. While the chief of the department has since apologized about the post, it hasnt stopped the department from landing in hot water. In a statement, the chief wrote, The targets utilized in our recent firearms class depict realistic human images and were part of a package which included target images of people from various ethnic groups. It was never our intention to be insensitive, inflammatory, or offensive to anyone. However, we respect the honest opinions of our fellow citizens and apologize for any offense we may have caused. We invite everyone to attend one of our next citizen firearms classes and share in a positive experience alongside us. But if you look at the images they posted on social media, the target images were only of Black men, not of various ethnic groups. Despite the apology, the mayor of Villa Rica feels like there needs to be an investigation into the matter. In a statement, he wrote, This administration will be asking our human resources director and the city attorney to select an outside organization to review how this entire incident came about, not just the post itself. He continued, Meanwhile, we are removing the video and images from the post but I have directed that the comments to remain so that people can freely express their opinions about it. Dont worry, we have screenshots of the posts in question. Screenshot: Villa Rica Police Department Screenshot: Villa Rica Police Department Itd be one thing if they were truly using multiple ethnic groups as target practice. but the fact that the only pictures posted to their social media were of citizens shooting the same Black man is a problem. It unconsciously creates bias and perpetuates a dangerous stereotype that has ailed Black people for hundreds of years in this country. Small acts like using a Black man as a cutout for target practice only make the problem worse. More from The Root Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The Wall Street Journals editorial board has defended the newspapers decision to publish a defensive column from US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who dismissed allegations of wrongdoing detailed in an investigative news outlet before it had even published its story. The conservative justice who authored the courts landmark opinion overturning Roe v Wade one year ago failed to disclose private jet travel and a luxury fishing trip with a hedge fund billionaire who would later repeatedly ask the nations highest court to intervene on his behalf, according to ProPublicas findings published on 21 June. ProPublica, which has published several investigative pieces outlining alleged ethical lapses among members of the court, had yet to publish its report before The Wall Street Journal ran his column with the blunt and accusatory headline ProPublica Misleads Its Readers. Later that day, the editorial board defended its decision to run his defensive piece. The political assault on the Supreme Court continues, and the latest Justice in the grinder is Samuel Alito, the board wrote. As usual, this is a non-scandal built on partisan spin intended to harm the Justice and the current Court majority. The Wall Street Journal did not return The Independents request for comment or explain how it commissioned Mr Alitos column and how the newspaper made a decision to publish a response to ProPublica before anyone read its reporting. Justice Alito clearly wanted his defense to receive public disclosure in full, not edited piecemeal. We saw ProPublicas list of 18 questions and had a good idea of where the reporters were going. The story proved us right, the editorial board wrote. It is also hilarious to be denounced for betraying the media brotherhood for the offense of scooping the competition, the board added, appearing to dismiss criticism that the newspaper provided a venue for a powerful figure before allegations against him were publicised at length as merely a resentful media story. This is the same crowd that would prefer if we didnt exist, the board added. Their pearl-clutching reveals the degree of media conformity when it comes to approved progressive political targets like Justice Alito. The board stated that it is defending the Supreme Court because someone has to, alleging that the investigations are not about sincere ethics questions but are instead about the lefts fury at having lost control of the Court and instead to destroy it. ProPublicas founding editor-in-chief Paul E Steiger served as the managing editor of the Wall Street Journal from 1991 to 2007. Stephen Engelberg, ProPublicas current editor-in-chief, told The New York Times that Mr Alitos column declared without anyone having read the article and without asking for our comment. Were curious to know whether The Journal fact-checked the essay before publication, he added. Dmytro Sennychenko, the former head of the State Property Fund and also a fugitive and a defendant in the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) case on misappropriation of 500 million hryvnias of state funds (approximately US$13.5 million), has registered a company in Valencia, Spain. Source: Ukrainska Pravda investigation article Details: According to the Spanish registry, in December 2022, a man named Dmytro Sennychenko became the sole director of the newly established Spanish company NEWFORM LAB. The company is registered at an address in a residential complex on the outskirts of Valencia. The Ukrainska Pravda film crew has failed to locate Sennychenko at the company's registration address, but the call was answered in Ukrainian and a person assured that Sennychenko was not there and had never been there. The apartment, in which the company is registered, does not belong to Sennychenko or his wife, but, according to the statement, it has been owned by a Spanish citizen since 2006. In March 2023, the NABU announced the exposure of a criminal organisation headed by Sennychenko, the former head of the State Property Fund, which seized more than 500 million hryvnias [approximately US$13.5 million] of state-owned enterprises' funds in 2019-2021. Background: The NABU announced the exposure of a criminal organisation headed by Sennychenko, which in 2019-2021 seized more than 500 million hryvnias [approximately US$13.5 million] of funds from Odesa Port Plant JSC and United Mining and Chemical Company JSC. The NABU believes that Dmytro Sennychenko refused multimillion-dollar bribes several times to create an image of a "fighter against corruption". In fact, he was eliminating his competitors this way. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Photos courtesy Andrea Gerald and KaLea Lehman The Special Operations Forces community has weathered unimaginable sacrifice and challenge over the last several decades. A few of their spouses are on a mission to create a healing connection at the dining room table. KaLea Lehman didnt know that becoming a SOF spouse would change her life. I met and married my husband in 2006 just before his first deployment to Iraq. He joined Army Special Forces shortly after that deployment because he was drawn to the unique and diverse unconventional mission sets Green Berets engaged in, she explained. Since their more official establishment in 1952, Green Berets have operated in countries all over the world. Known as the quiet professionals, their motto is de oppresso liber or to free the oppressed. Each branch of the Armed Forces has its own special operators, all living and breathing missions unique to protecting Americas interests and allied partners across the globe. Photo Courtesy Britt'n Morrison After many deployments, moves and kids, my husband now teaches at West Point and I lead a nonprofit public health initiative for the special operations community, Leman shared. I spend my days chasing our six children and juggling the programs we run at Military Special Operations Family Collaborative that seek to connect families to information, skills and resources needed to thrive in the chaos of the special operations lifestyle. Though her life may have slowed down op-tempo wise, her work within the SOF community led to a realization that the gaps of need were growing wider. Back in 2017, just before I founded MSOFC, we conducted research among special operations families and uncovered eight habits that are unhealthy for special operations service members and families, even though they are common and expected coping mechanisms. One of those habits was an avoidance of family dinner, she shared. Honestly, it wasn't until I dug into the importance of shared meal time that I realized how impactful it was as a family. Photo courtesy KaLea Lehman Her research would lead to the development of an unexpected project, The Warriors Table. More than a cookbook the collection of pages is filled with recipes and stories of the SOF community knit together in love. Her team of six SOF spouses from every branch of service began a collaborative effort with Dr. Anne Fishel (behind The Family Dinner Project) and got to work. The pandemic would slow the project down. When we came back together once things were calm, we threw out the original concept and started sharing stories over virtual coffee every week, Lehman said. The book really became a story of what it looks like to find belonging in the special operations lifestyle. This means each chapter of recipes basically reflects the feelings we all experienced through the years. It would lead to a collection that brings everyone back to the table and shines a bright light on the stories behind the SOF families holding down the homefront for their warriors. Photo courtesy KaLea Lehman We chose a cookbook because we wanted a program to respond to the needs that appeared in our original research and we wanted to create an engaging resource that would bring confidence and joy to the family table, she said. Often resources feel dry and disconnected from day-to-day life and we wanted this to be a fun, collective, community tool that brought people together. The team is not only getting ready to launch the book onto shelves everywhere in August of 2023 but is in the works of developing a podcast, too. As Lehman reflects on the journey to get here, she cant help but express the pride and honor of seeing the project become a living resource for military families. Countless service members, veterans and families shared recipes, stories and pictures with us. This book is really a full and candid picture of what it means to live a military life in the special operations community, she gushed. I couldn't be more proud to share this book and resource because it shows the heart of our community and our dedication to serve this great nation. You can pre-order your copy of The Warriors Table right here. TheGrios Eboni K. Williams talks to the actress and TV personality about how her voice ended up on the Beyonce Renaissance album. Actress and TV personality Ts Madison rose to fame from the social media app Vine with the viral video that coined the phrase New Weave, 22 inches. A decade later, the LGBTQ+ advocate is using her voice and platform to bring attention to the injustices happening in the trans community. Madison become a rotating judge on RuPauls Drag Race in December, and also last year, her iconic voice blessed the song, Cozy, on Beyonces Renaissance album. She talked to theGrios Eboni K. Williams recently about how she found out her voice would be featured on the song and about other projects where well be seeing her. The following is a transcript of their conversation. Ts Madison (above), a judge on RuPauls Drag Race, says she was surprised to hear her voice on Beyonces song Cozy. (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Eboni K. Williams: Of course, thats Cozy, one of the hottest tracks from Beyonces Renaissance album, and the voice that you just heard is none other than my guest, Ts Madison. So, how did this mega social media influencer and reality stars voice end up being on Queen Bs latest album? Well, I got to ask her. Ts Madison, thank you, darling, for staying with us. Now, we know that Beyonce sampled a whole lot of different artists on her latest album, Big Freedia, several others. Tell us how you learned that Ts Madison was also going to be on Beyonces album. Ts Madison: Well, Beyonce is a very, very secretive, very hardworking, very diligent Virgo. Williams: Shout-out to Virgos. Madison: Yes. Shout-out to the Virgos. She likes to wow. And so I knew a year before this happened that a record label had sampled my voice from a rant. My trans-ness, especially during the time when it happened, right during the George Floyd murder, there was a trans woman in Milwaukee that was also beaten really bad by other Black people in a gas station. So, the Spirit said, Go downstairs in your basement, get on your social media, just rant about it. And so I ranted about it, and one of my videographers, Oliver Twixt, chopped the video up, put it together and we put it out. And I think about maybe two weeks later or almost two weeks, a record label messaged me and said, Hey Maddie, we want to just sample your voice and, you know, use it to do with it somewhere. And I said, How much money yall got? You know, because the girl about her money. So I said, How much money yall got? And it went on, they paid me, and it went on. Fast forward to a year. I was in Costa Rica getting ready to come home, and one of my friends, she messaged me, she said, BISH, girl, you mean to tell me you was not going to let us know that you were on Beyonces album? I was like, Wait, what? Because I keep getting the email from these folks. And then I open the email, and it was like, URGENT. We need clearance for song two. And Im like, what? What is song two? So I asked them, Well, well, how much yall got? Im back to how much you got. And they came back with the money, the zeroes, all the stuff, you know, Im fast-forwarding. I look at the bottom of the email, Parkwood. Im like OH ITS BEYONCE. Honey. Williams: Im obsessed. I love this story. And kudos to you, Maddie, for making sure that the zeroes were hitting like they were supposed to hit. Everybody doesnt do that. So good on you. Now, you are also a regular judge now, on the Emmy-winning RuPauls Drag Race, my mothers favorite show, by the way. Tell me about your long-standing relationship with RuPaul and what its like being a part of such a culturally iconic show. Madison: Yes. I know that when I was young, a voice spoke to me and said that RuPaul was going to be my friend, and I was going to work with RuPaul. Of course, I was about 14 years old, and thats why I told you in the earlier part of the segment, I knew that I wasnt RuPaul, but I knew I was another person who had this character to deal with. And so the people that created RuPauls Drag Race also created my television show, The TS Madison Experience. And so we got in bed with each other way back in like 2012, or something like that. And I was a fan of the show, watching it. And RuPaul tweeted me one day and said, Hey, do you want to make some music? I was like, Yeah, I love you. We got together. We made a song together called Drop, and then I started doing a whole bunch of other work with World of Wonder, different little shows and things that they gave me. And fast-forward: I remember me sitting in a car with RuPaul, and I said, Girl, we are Season 10 of this show. You better not let another season go by and Im not a judge. She said, You just wait. And one of the contestants played me on the Snatch Game and won the Snatch Game, and thats after that, the next year, Season 13, I started judging. Williams: I love it. Could you put in a good word for your good sis, your good Virgo sis Eboni K Williams? I would love to judge on the show. Im an old pageant queen, so I know what to look for. Madison: Oh, I see it. Williams: OK. Yeah, I love it. Now, Maddie, you are also starring alongside Ms. Gabrielle Union in her brand new Netflix film, The Perfect Find. Im seeing all kinds of good promo around that. Tell us about it. Madison: Yeah, I play Gretta. Gretta is a very wealthy well, her original character, she was a very wealthy white woman that was a fashion guru, kind of like Anna Wintour, from what I understood. And, you know, they gave me this part. Im like, OK, now, how am I going to be Black and bring Anna Wintour to this? I want to talk to you about the way that the film will impact Black women really getting their groove back. I think that theres many things that I dont like what the government has done. The government has tried to police womens bodies. Theyve tried to tell women what they cant do. And not only this government patriarchy when I watched this film, it was so many things that I felt connected to. Im an older trans woman, and Im still attractive and still hot, and younger men tend to hit on me. And this is a lot of things with a lot of fine, rich, successful Williams: Women of a particular age. Thats it. Yeah. Tell me about it. I understand. Madison: Girl. And I dont think that you should limit yourself. If you find love and whatever space that you find love, you should give it a shot. The reason why we have so many stigmas in our community is because Black women are policed. Williams: Its not fair, and you know what? Its actually killing us. And Im so here for what you are advocating for, Maddie. We have got to take our power back. And guess what? It wont be given to us. So guess what well do? Well take it just like youve taken yours. Ts Madison, gorgeous, thank you for sharing your light and your gift with us today. We cant wait to have you back soon. Check out the full clip above, and tune in to theGrio with Eboni K. Williams at 6 p.m. ET every weeknight on theGrio cable channel. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Watch: How Ts Madison found out she was on Beyonces Cozy appeared first on TheGrio. India's prime leader, Narendra Modi, enters a studio built at his official home once a month and takes a seat in front of a microphone. The prime minister then begins his radio program, for which he has recorded more than 100 episodes, in Hindi with the customary salutation: "My beloved countrymen, hello!" What comes next, roughly 30 minutes of Mr. Modi playing on-air host to the world's most populous country, is one way he has cultivated an intimate omnipresence across the vastness of India, exerting a hold on the national imagination. A Look Into His Popularity One reason for Modi's popularity is his strong economic record. Since coming to power, Modi has overseen a period of sustained economic growth in India. The Indian economy has grown and unemployment has fallen. Modi's economic policies have also helped to boost the manufacturing sector in India, and the country is now the world's fifth-largest manufacturer. Another reason for Modi's popularity is his Hindu nationalist agenda. Modi is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is a Hindu nationalist party. (Photo: by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 21: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to supporters after performing yoga on the North Lawn of the United Nations headquarters on June 21, 2023, in New York City. The BJP's ideology is based on the belief that India is a Hindu nation, and Modi has been a vocal supporter of this ideology. This has appealed to many Hindus in India, who feel that Modi is a strong leader who will protect their interests. Modi is also popular because of his strong personality. He is a charismatic and articulate leader, and he is able to connect with people on a personal level. Modi is also a master of social media and uses it effectively to communicate with his supporters. Of course, not everyone in India supports Modi. His Hindu nationalist agenda has alienated some Muslims and other minorities in India. Additionally, some people have criticized Modi's economic policies, arguing that they have not benefited the poor and the marginalized. Despite these criticisms, Modi remains a popular figure in India. He is seen by many as a strong and decisive leader who is committed to making India a better place. Read also: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Inaugurates New $2 Billion Parliament Building Amid Criticism An Excellent Communicator In addition to the reasons mentioned above, Modi's popularity is also due to his effective use of social media. He is one of the most followed politicians on Twitter, and he uses the platform to connect with his supporters and to promote his policies. Modi is also known for his strong speeches, which often resonate with the Indian people. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat, is a powerful tool for him to connect with the Indian people and promote his government's agenda. The address is broadcast on All India Radio and is also streamed online. It is estimated that millions of people listen to the address each month. In his Mann Ki Baat addresses, Modi often discusses his government's policies and achievements. He also uses the addresses to promote his personal brand and to connect with the Indian people on a personal level. For example, in his most recent address, Modi spoke about the importance of education and the need to empower women. He also shared stories about his own life and experiences. Mann Ki Baat is a highly effective way for Modi to communicate with the Indian people. The addresses are well-produced and engaging and often go viral on social media. Modi's use of Mann Ki Baat has helped him to consolidate his power and to maintain his popularity. Related article: US Congress Extends Special Invitation to India Prime Minister Narendra Modi @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Craig Blankenhorn/Max This post contains spoilers for And Just Like That Season 2, Episode 2. When And Just Like That snapped its fingers and added a few non-white friends to Carrie and companys crew in 2021, it felt a little sudden. After all, Sex and the City barely included any Black women during its entire run. The shows most memorable Asian character was Sum, a live-in servant (Samanthas words) who spoke in broken English and whose name appears to have been chosen solely to set up the racist pun, She wasnt so dim, that Sum. And Just Like That seems intent on examining identity more closely than its predecessor did, even if the results are imperfect. This week, Season 2s second episode addresses racism more directly than perhaps any episode of And Just Like That or the original Sex and the City ever haseven if its still not saying much. And Just like That, Everything Is Better in Season 2Even Che Diaz While Carrie spends this week fretting over how to advertise a vaginal suppository, and Miranda struggles to find her groove in California, Nicole Ari Parkers documentarian character Lisa Todd Wexley braces for the arrival of her dreaded mother-in-lawa proud North Carolina woman whos all about appearances. Lisa chafes at the demand that she braid her daughters hair so that she can look like a proper young lady, and she bites her tongue when Mommy Dearest insults her outfit. But then, in a surprise reversal, Lisa finds herself nodding in agreement with her mother-in-laws scolding of her husband, Herbert, for slamming his fists on the hood of a taxi cab that refused to pick him up because of his race. You know the ruleswhen we go off, they win, Lisa tells her husband. So you have to keep it in check. Because if you pound on the wrong car, and they take you away shes gonna find a way to blame me. Parker lowers her voice at the end of the line, accentuating the punchline. Then the moment ends, and the show moves on to a Che Diaz comedy show. Although its easy to imagine why Lisa might not jump on the phone to talk through this experience with her lily-white friends, her isolation in this moment makes its broader significance hard to understand. Craig Blankenhorn/Max A hallmark of Sex and the City and And Just Like that is the postmortem phone call; these chats often bind episodes disparate story lines together, as characters process their experiences with one another. But Lisa has no such person to call in this series, which keeps her and her family in a bubble, with no real connections outside of Charlotte. She also has no Black friends of her own that we know of. The experience stays with her and her husband alone, while everyone else goes about their lives. Mirandas professor friend Nya, at least, gets the chance to vent about her rocky marriage, as she prepares to break things off with her estranged husband. But as it happens, Mirandas partner, the seemingly inescapable comedian Che Diaz, is also dealing with some frustrations this weekand those, it seems, are harder for Miranda to hear. Che has finally gotten their own sitcom, but its getting way too cute, as the network sands their rougher edges. Tony Danza, of all people, is playing their Mexican fatheruntil he backs out, because hes come too far to get canceled now, resulting in more re-writes to TV Ches identity. The show might be called Che Pasa?, but the actual Che seems to feel more removed from it every day. Like Lisa, however, Che seems to be dealing with their problems more or less in a vacuum. After uprooting her life to live with Che in California, Miranda is both supportive and insecure. Shes thrilled for her new partners success, but shes also too preoccupied with her own fears about the relationship to really listen to Ches frustrations about the idea of Tony Danza playing their father. Frankly, its hard to blame Miranda; the sex mightve been good at first, but if were being honest, were these two ever really good for one another? The And Just Like That Cast Wants to Downplay Kim Cattralls Cameo On the one hand, Im thrilled that Miranda has found a life outside practicing law; every time Ive watched that episode of Sex and the City where she tells her partners at the firm that shed need to cut down to 50 to 55 hours a week, a part of my soul died for her. On the other, does the life shes building with Che look particularly fulfilling? Do they spend any real time together? When Che interrupted Miranda mid-cunnilingus to rush to work on their TV pilot, I have to say, another part of my soul retreated from this world forever. Miranda also resurrects her bucket hat era in this episode, by volunteering to clean up a beachand then, because nothing can apparently go right for her, she loses her phone. And who does Che send to pick her up? Three words no one ever wants to hear: secret ex-husband. Apparently, Che and their ex are both so lazy that they never bothered to get a divorceand while the comedian might shrug the whole thing off as no big deal, Miranda is clearly (rightfully) questioning some of her choices. Ill just say it: Did we really leave Steve behind for this!??!!? Does Miranda have a real part to play in Ches universe, or has she acted out her biggest fear and given away her power? I cant help but wonder Craig Blankenhorn/Max Like Miranda, Charlotte is also learning to deal with disappointment this week, as her daughter, Lily, sells off all her couture clothes to buy a keyboard and sing about her life in a gilded cage. (Cue the Lillie Eilish joke here.) Poor Char goes full-on Karen on an unfortunate, very apathetic cashier at the resale store The Real Deal, but eventually she figures out (with a little help from Carrie) that her kids are going to grow into whoever they want to be. All she can do is accept it, while treasuring the memories of Chanel dresses in her heart. And as for Carrie? Shes also learning to let goof her pride. Shes supposed to record an ad for a vaginal suppository, but she cant seem to stomach the idea of talking about dry cooches on air. (How is this woman a sex columnist, again?) Then the problem solves itself with a shocking twist: Her podcast gets canceled. Sex and the City (the podcast, at least) might be gone forever. Weve been here before, of course. When Carrie moved to Paris in SATC Season 6 to live with the Russian, Aleksandr Petrovsky, she voluntarily chose to end her Sex and the City column. Now, like then, shes asking herself whether its worth holding on to the brand she built for decades. But unlike last time, it appears she might be ready to let it go on her own terms. Carries Paris move was foolish from the startlargely because, as Miranda pointed out, she was obviously doing it for a (shitty) guy. This time, however, when she says shes not sure if its me anymore, you can tell she actually means it. And when she says goodbye to both her podcast and her hot producer in the end, she seems actually at peace with it. And that is what we call growth. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. An Israeli soldier stops a driver at the entrance to the Palestinian village of Orif, which was attacked by Jewish settlers after two villagers carried out a deadly shooting earlier this week (Jaafar ASHTIYEH) A group of Palestinian children helped sweep up rubble Thursday as their village in the occupied West Bank reeled from a near two-hour rampage carried out by Jewish settlers in revenge for a deadly shooting by two villagers. Orif was thrown into the spotlight of rising violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict after Muhanad Shehadeh, 26, and his friend Khaled Sabah, 24, attacked a petrol station outside a nearby Jewish settlement on Tuesday, killing four Israelis and seriously wounding four more. One of the gunmen was killed by a passerby moments after the shooting, while the other was shot dead by Israeli forces not long afterwards. Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said the two men were members and carried out the attack in revenge for an Israeli raid on Jenin refugee camp on Monday that killed six Palestinians. On Wednesday night, hundreds of Israelis from a nearby settlement entered Orif, throwing stones and setting fire to buildings and trees. A similar attack earlier that day on the village of Turmus Ayya resulted in the death of a Palestinian, shot in ensuing clashes with Israeli forces. "They came from the top of the village", said local businessman Essam Safadi, 46. "The army stood and did nothing," he told AFP as he reviewed footage of the near two-hour rampage from dozens of security cameras placed around his house. In a statement to AFP, the army said that troops had "acted to diffuse the incident" in Orif with "riot dispersal means,". - 'Pressure generates explosion' - On the hill above the village sits the Jewish settlement of Yitzhar, where Palestinians say Wednesday night's rioters came from. In the footage, reviewed by AFP, dozens of masked settlers can be seen setting fire to a school and trees, and throwing stones at homes in the village. A German official confirmed to AFP that a school funded by Berlin in the village was damaged. The crowd was soon confronted by a smaller group of villagers, who threw rocks and fireworks. A timestamp on the video shows the attack started shortly after 8:00 pm (1700 GMT). At 8:30 pm, the footage captures two men taking a dog into a mosque at the top of the village and exiting with several copies of the Koran which they proceeded to tear up and throw to the ground. The army told AFP that a report of "Israeli citizens and a dog vandalising property from a mosque" had been "transferred to the responsibility of Israel police". Orif lies in the vast swathe of the West Bank where Israel retained responsibility for security under the Oslo accords of the 1990s and the Palestinian Authority holds little sway. A Palestinian security official told AFP that they had informed the Israeli army such an attack was likely to happen. In Orif, villagers have rallied around the families of the two shooters. They say the deadly attack was the natural outcome of young lives spent entirely under occupaiton. "We knew the news through the news bulletin," Khaled Sabah's uncle Qaid Sabah told AFP, as he recalled finding out what his nephew had done. He said his nephew had had frequent run-ins with the settlers over the year. Four years ago, Khaled was left with permanent damage to his foot following "confrontations" with settlers, the uncle said. "In the end, this pressure generates the explosion. And you (Israel) are primarily responsible for this situation," he said. The shooter's father Faleh Sabah, 65, will likely soon lose his home. The army entered the village to take measurements of the building on Wednesday -- a precursor to its demolition. Israel routinely demolishes the homes of Palestinians it accuses of deadly attacks on Israelis, arguing that such measures act as a deterrent. Human rights activists say the policy amounts to collective punishment, as it can render non-combatants, including children, homeless. gb/jjm/kir Whimsically vibrant house or bad guys fortress in Spy Kids? See Vermont listing A rainbow-colored fun house that looks like a McDonalds PlayPlace has landed on the market in the beautiful Vershire, Vermont, and a popular real estate social media page cant get enough of it. And its listed for $579,500. High-Haven is a truly remarkable property located in the hills of Vershire, Vermont. It was carefully constructed by a local artist and her engineer husband, resulting in a whimsical and unique home, the listing on Zillow.com says. The property sits on approximately 39 acres of land, allowing for breathtaking views to the east, encompassing the White Mountains. This enchanting property is ideal for those seeking an artists retreat, a yoga sanctuary, or a writers haven. The mystical home has three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and 3,287square feet that is packed with cool amenities both inside and out. Including: Concrete floors Large kitchen Koi pond Balcony Game room Playroom Lily pond Waterfall Patio The charming abode was featured on Zillow Gone Wild, a Facebook page and Twitter account that showcases interesting houses up for sale and people were enthralled. And some were even comparing it to a beloved childhood movie. This looks like the bad guys fortress in Spy Kids, one person said on Twitter. This looks like a house from one of those melatonin dreams you struggle to remember when you wake up, another joked. Plenty of great houses with reasonable prices out there if youre willing to live in the woods and risk being Bigfooted, someone tweeted about Vermont. I love EVERYTHING about this one! one person commented on Facebook. I love this! another chimed in. Welp, just found my dream home, someone noted. Vershire is about 155 miles northeast of Albany, New York. Starter home? How about a starter castle? This one was built in 1887 and is affordable Senior White House officials said press freedom would be among the topics discussed this week by President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in private meetings, but would not commit to specifically intervening in the case of Defense News contributor Vivek Raghuvanshi. Raghuvanshi, a journalist and freelancer to Defense News for more than three decades, was jailed in mid-May by Indias Central Bureau of Investigation on charges of espionage. The Indian government has released minimal information on his arrest. Sightline Media Group, which owns Defense News, and the National Press Club have condemned the move and called for officials to produce more information on the allegations and his ongoing detention. Reports: Defense News correspondent arrested in India Modis government has received significant criticism from international groups such as Amnesty International for restricting media reporting and public protests. Human rights advocates are expected to protest Modis visit to Washington, D.C., this week to highlight some of those concerns. In a briefing with reporters ahead of the visit, senior White House officials vowed that Biden would not shy away from discussing those issues in private meetings throughout the week. But they would not detail the specific topics to be included. Asked whether Raghuvanshis imprisonment would be mentioned, the officials said only that a full range of issues will be on the table. As part of the visit, White House officials are expected to announce a series of new defense partnerships with India, including joint production of new jet engines and new ship repair agreements between the countries. Were he not in custody, Raghuvanshi would likely have covered those issues. Modi is expected to address a joint session of Congress on Thursday afternoon and attend a state dinner at the White House in his honor on Thursday night. A burglary suspect whos accused of shooting at a car owner in April has been arrested on multiple felony charges, the White Settlement Police Department announced Wednesday. Quanterrious Lee Quantreel Royal, 21, who authorities said was considered armed and dangerous, was one of a group of teens and young adults suspected of a series of vehicle burglaries reported across White Settlement, according to investigators. Royals arrest stems from a shooting around 1:50 a.m. April 30 in the 8200 block of Sussex Street, when he walked up to a car and tried to open the door, not realizing a person was inside, police said in a news release. When the person confronted Royal, the 21-year-old started to run away and shot his gun twice at the victim, according to police. The victim was shot in the leg, suffering a grazing wound, according to the release. Police said a round hit the victims car and is believed to have ricocheted into his leg. A second projectile hit a next-door neighbors vehicle. White Settlement police canvassed the area and retrieved surveillance footage of four possible suspects, according to the release. Investigators believe they are in their mid-teens to early 20s. All of the suspects were wearing multiple layers and face coverings and in one video, a suspect is seen holding a black handgun and aiming it at other houses while trying to open vehicle doors. Royal is the only suspect who has been identified in the string of vehicular burglaries in White Settlement, according to police. He is being held at the Tarrant County Jail on multiple felony weapon charges. He also was wanted in connection to an April 4 shooting in Fort Worth, police said. His combined bond is set at $87,500, according to jail records. The department expresses gratitude to the Arlington and Fort Worth Police Departments for their assistance on this case, White Settlement police said. Why Brexit is not to blame for Ben Wallace missing out on top job at Nato Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, has thrown in the towel in the race to become the next Nato Secretary General - Reuters Brexit is not to blame for Ben Wallace throwing in the towel in the race to become the next Nato Secretary General - there are other more influential factors at stake than the UK leaving the EU. Mr Wallace was well-regarded in the Alliance but other factors militated against him getting the top job. Remainers will be quick to point the finger at Brexit as one of the main reasons the Defence Secretary was forced to admit his dream simply was not going to happen. It should come as no surprise that most EU governments would prefer an EU member to be the boss of Nato. But that does not mean they will not back a non-EU candidate. Jens Stoltenberg, the current Nato chief, is a former prime minister of Norway, a close ally to, but not part of, the bloc. There will always be some suspicions of sour grapes among some of our EU allies, despite the UKs leading role in the response to the war in Ukraine. Preference for a prime minister But the race for one of the continents plum jobs should not be read as a damning indictment of waning British influence. There are other more influential factors at stake than Brexit. There is always a preference for a prime minister, if possible, to take the senior role in the Alliance. Mr Wallace falls short on that count, while most of the other possible candidates, such as Mark Rutte, the prime minister of the Netherlands, do not. Boris? Boris Johnson might be a controversial candidate after his staunch support for Kyiv when he was prime minister. But he would need the support of the British government, which seems highly unlikely given the bad blood with Rishi Sunak. Mr Wallace is highly regarded within Nato but there are moves to appoint an EU figure or a female leacer - Ben Birchall There has never been a Nato Secretary General from Eastern Europe. There is a strong feeling among some Alliance members that now is the time to remedy that. With war raging on Natos eastern borders, the choice of a prime minister or president from a country such as Poland would send a strong message of defiance to Vladimir Putin. Calls for a woman leader There is also a belief that Nato should make a woman its Secretary General for the first time. Estonias prime minister Kaja Kallas, Estonias Prime Minister, and a fierce Putin critic, has been mooted as a possible candidate, although some allies feel she may be too confrontational towards Russia. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, the former president of Croatia, has been linked to the job, while Mette Frederickson, Denmarks Prime Minister, ruled herself out of the running after meeting with Joe Biden earlier this month. Washington pays the most into Nato and ultimately calls the shots, so the US Presidents support for any putative Nato boss is vital. It is so confident of its influence that it traditionally does not put forward a US candidate for Secretary General. The odds were always stacked against Mr Wallace. Brexit did not help matters but it was not an insurmountable obstacle. Joe Bidens reported desire to persuade Mr Stoltenberg to extend his decade-long term of office for a fourth time was - and convinced Mr Wallace his race was run. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. d-day On June 6, 1944, the Allies changed the course of WWII with D-Day. This massive assault on Nazi-occupied Europe turned the tide of World War II. It led to the eventual defeat of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. It was one of the largest military operations in history. Even today, it stands as a symbol of Allied unity and resolve in the face of tyranny. Here's a look at what happened on that fateful day and how it changed WWII. The Course of the War changes The operation known as D-Day was actually several years in the making. In 1942, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt met at Roosevelt's country estate in Hyde Park, New York. There, the pair discussed ways to open up a "second front" against Nazi Germany. The two leaders agreed that an Allied invasion of France was the best way to alter the course of the war, but they knew it would be no easy feat. The Nazis had occupied France since 1940. The coastline was heavily fortified with concrete bunkers, machine gun nests, barbed wire, and land mines. Allied forces knew that attempted troop landings would be difficult. The Allies would need complete surprise if their invasion was going to succeed and went about creating elaborate measures in the course of their preparations. This helped to deceive the Nazis about when and where the assault would occur. This involved using bogus intelligence reports, planting false stories in the press, and even constructing phony military installations in England meant to fool German reconnaissance planes into thinking an attack was imminent elsewhere. Hitlers Suspicions Despite these efforts, Hitler still suspected an attack on France was coming. He just didn't know when or where. To forestall any Allied invasion attempt, he kept hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in Norway and Denmark rather than sending them to the Eastern Front, where they were desperately needed. This proved a critical error that would haunt him on D-Day. The Allies landed 155,000 British, Canadian, and American soldiers on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the French coastline on June 6, 1944. It quickly became clear that achieving surprise had been impossible and the course of the war might not change. In fact, the Germans were ready and waiting for them with machine guns blazing. The loss of life was staggering. More than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded on D-Day alone. But despite the high casualty rate, the Normandy landings were an unqualified success. Against all odds, the Allies had established a foothold in Europe from which they could begin their march to Berlin. Czech hedgehogs deployed on the Atlantic Wall near Calais. Facts about WWII World War II was one of the deadliest military conflicts in history. It lasted from 1939 to 1945 and involved more than 100 million people from more than 30 countries. Here are some facts about World War II that you might not know. Here are the stories of three unsung WWII spies who helped make D-Day a victory. The conflict began on September 1, 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. The United States didn't enter the war until December 7, 1941. That's when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Hitler's main goal was to create a "master race" of Nazi supermen known as the Aryan race. The Nazis used a system of concentration camps and death camps to kill more than 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. On June 6, 1944commonly known as D-Day Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, marking a turning point in the war. On August 15, 1945just days after the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, JapanJapan surrendered, effectively changing the course of the war. Over 60 million people were killed during World War II, making it one of the deadliest military conflicts in history. Adolf Hitler and Hideki Tojo were both tried and convicted of war crimes after the war. Hitler committed suicide before he could be executed, while Tojo was hanged. In 1949, the Allies established two separate military alliancesthe North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pactto prevent another world war from happening again. World War II was a devastating conflict that changed the world forever. However, it also led to some incredible advances in technology and military strategy that we still use today. Here's how Patton smashed his way out of Normandy. A handful of House Democrats are boycotting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to a joint meeting of Congress today, citing concerns about human rights in the country. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) on Wednesday joined Reps. Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.) the two Muslim women in Congress in announcing a boycott of the address. A joint address is among the most prestigious invitations and honors the United States Congress can extend, Ocasio-Cortez said. We should not do so for individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed communities. Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) and Summer Lee (D-Pa.) are also boycotting the address. Earlier this week, Tlaib said Modis long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims and religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable. And from Omar: Prime Minister Modis government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity. At a press conference with President Biden this afternoon, Modi pushed back on criticisms of the state of human rights and democracy in India. Modi responded to a Wall Street Journal reporters question on democratic rights: Indeed, India is a democracy. And as President Biden also mentioned, India and America, both countries, democracy is in our DNA. Democracy is our spirit. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy. Modi also said theres absolutely no space for discrimination. Biden said the two leaders had a good discussion about democratic values. Watch Modis speech live here at 4 p.m. ET. More from The Hill: The increasing legal jeopardy facing former president Donald Trump, and news of the plea agreement between the Department of Justice and President Joe Bidens son Hunter, has led Republicans in Congress to make increasingly outlandish accusations against the 46th president and his family, even as evidence to support their claims continues to be lacking. The drumbeat of allegations against the president has focused on his sons overseas business transactions, none of which have involved the elder Mr Biden. At a press conference on 11 May, a string of House Oversight Committee members claimed to have evidence showing that Mr Biden and members of his family have committed multiple federal crimes. Flanked by a horde of fellow members of the House Oversight Committee ranging from relatively moderate Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina to opponents of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy such as Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona, the assembled GOP representatives tried to make the case that Mr Biden and his family had profited off of his tenure in public service. At the time, Oversight Committee Chair James Comer and his colleagues told reporters that Hunter Biden, Mr Bidens brother James, and other members of the presidents family have been involved in shady business deals that capitalised on Joe Bidens public office and risked our countrys national security, and Mr Comer specifically called out the presidents son for having had a lucrative financial relationship with a Romanian national by the name of Gabriel Popoviciu during the period his father was vice president. Mr Popoviciu retained Hunter Biden, who is a Yale-educated lawyer, to represent him in an effort to fend off criminal charges related to a land deal in the Romanian capital, Bucharest. The funds transfers that Republicans suggested were evidence of wrongdoing began in 2015, the year Hunter Biden began representing the Romanian businessman. Those accusations against the president and his son came just a week after Mr Comer and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley began making claims about an FBI form, which allegedly documented an unverified tip theyd received in 2019 regarding what theyve described as an alleged bribery scheme involving Mr Biden. Mr Grassley, a former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, went even further in a press release, claiming that the FBI had received information indicating that Mr Biden accepted a bribe in exchange for official actions during his time as vice president. Republicans whove spoken about the FBI document have indicated that the bureaus informant was someone whod been told about the accusations by Mykola Zlochevsky, the founder of Burisma, the Ukrainian energy firm which employed Hunter Biden as an attorney and later as a member of its board during the Obama administration. Hunter Biden. (AP) It was the younger Mr Bidens employment on Burismas board that formed the basis for an outlandish accusation hurled against his father in 2019 by allies of former president Donald Trump, and it appears the allegation against the now-president remains the same. Essentially, what Republicans are alleging is that Mr Biden urged Ukraines then-president, Petro Poroshenko, to fire his countrys top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, citing Mr Shokins failure to address corruption in his country, in order to protect his son from an investigation Mr Shokin was conducting into Burisma. Mr Shokin later claimed that this was the reason he was fired, and Republicans most notoriously ex-Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani have said Mr Bidens work urging Mr Poroshenko to sack Mr Shokin was a personal errand, even though Mr Biden was expressing the wishes of the US government, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and other Western entities when he communicated the Obama administrations demand that Mr Shokin be shown the door. Years later, Mr Trump egged on my Mr Giuliani and others triggered his first of two impeachments when he pushed Mr Poroshenkos successor to announce sham investigations into Mr Biden and his son in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars in US defence aid. Though Republicans have not identified the alleged FBI informant who spoke with Mr Zlochevsky, the Burisma founder, it is almost certainly Mr Giuliani, the disgraced ex-New York City mayor whose law licenses in New York and Washington are suspended as he faces disbarment proceedings for his efforts to help Mr Trump remain in office after losing the 2020 election. The allegations levied by this source also include claims that Mr Zlochevsky paid both Mr Biden and his son $5m each in bribes. Sen. Chuck Grassley. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) While the GOP figures who continue to crow about Mr Bidens supposed participation in this alleged bribery scheme have repeatedly denied that the allegations come from Mr Giuliani, recent public statements by the disgraced attorney show that the claims being floated by Republicans now are the exact same ones that he pushed more than three years ago. On a 5 June episode of his Americas Mayor Live radio show, Mr Giuliani described a 2017 meeting with a group of Ukrainians about something that the Justice Department turned down. They wanted to explain a number of things that Joe Biden was that Joe Biden was involved in a major bribery scheme on behalf of a crooked member of the former pro-Russian government, and that his son was involved in it. And that he virtually had confessed to it, he said. Mr Giulanis description of that 2017 meeting matches up exactly with Mr Comers description of the FBI form during an appearance on Newsmax the next day. The disgraced ex-mayor elaborated further on the allegations on his show, claiming that a tape his Ukrainian contacts asked him to listen to laid out what he described as Mr Biden discussing a bribery scheme. And they played the tape. I watched the tape. And I said, Please play it again, before I said anything. I remembered my definition of bribery, and the tape fits every part of that definition. Offering something of value. Or withholding it. The $1 billion loan guarantee. Very valuable to Ukraine at the time because they were going to go broke if they didnt get it. In return for firing the prosecutor for an official action. Poroshenko fired the prosecutor. Biden released the billion dollars. Thats a class-book case of bribery in any country, anywhere in the world. Including the United States, he said. Yet the tape he refers to was not any clandestine recording, but a speech the then-former vice president gave at the Council on Foreign Relations in 2018. At the time, Mr Biden described his work carrying out US policy by encouraging Mr Poroshenko to fire Mr Shokin. I remember going over, convincing our team that we should be providing for loan guarantees. And I was supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko and from [then-Prime Minister Arseniy] Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor [Shokin]. And they didntThey were walking out to a press conference. I said, Nah, Were not going to give you the billion dollars. They said, You have no authority. Youre not the president. I said, Call him. I said, Im telling you, youre not getting the billion dollars. I looked at them and said, Im leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, youre not getting the money. Well, son of a b***h-. He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time, he said. Mr Shokin was indeed fired, but it was not simply at Mr Bidens behest. The then-vice presidents work convincing the Ukrainian leader to deep-six the prosecutor was actually part of a monthslong campaign by US officials, including then-US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt and then-Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland, both of whom had called for Mr Shokins ouster in public remarks dating back to October 2015. Wichita parolee arrested in road rage incident where man on moped was shot, police say A 22-year-old Wichita man on parole has been arrested after a road rage incident in which a man on a moped was shot, according to records and Wichita police spokesperson Juan Rebolledo. Kaeden Levi Murphy was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of aggravated battery, criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and a parole violation. Murphy was last released from prison in May, according to Kansas Department of Corrections records. Police used the Flock Safety license plate reader surveillance system to find Murphy and the blue pickup truck he was driving, Rebolledo said in a news release. Police were first called at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to a shooting in the 4400 block of South Broadway, which is just south of where I-235 and I-135 meet. Police found the 28-year-old victim at a business in the 4900 block of South Broadway. He had a gunshot wound to his right lower leg. He was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Police learned the victim was driving his moped southbound in the 4400 block of South Broadway and Murphy was driving a blue pickup truck when an argument occurred, Rebolledo said. During the verbal argument, Murphy produced a handgun and fired multiple shots at the victim, striking him once in the right lower leg, Rebolledo said. Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to call detectives at 316-268-4407, the See Something Say Something hotline at 316-519-2282 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111. Callers can remain anonymous with Crime Stoppers. Murphy is on parole after serving time in prison for a 2020 incident in which he was sentenced for aggravated burglary, criminal possession of a non-firearm weapon by a felon and a drug charge, KDOC records show. A Kenyan man who was on hunger strike in police detention for 10 days has died, the prosecution said on Wednesday, June 21. He was suspected of having a hand in the deaths of hundreds of members of a starving cult in the said country. Suspects Go on Hunger Strike More than 300 members of the Kenyan cult, named Good News International Church and led by self-proclaimed leader Paul Mackenzie, are believed to have starved to death after being instructed to do so as the only way to reach heaven. Joseph Buyuka, one of the 30 suspects in jail in connection to the cult deaths, has died while being detained alongside Mackenzie. In court documents, according to CNN, it was said that Buyuka and the other four suspects played significant roles in the crimes resulting in the deaths and illegal disposal of bodies in the Shakahola forest. The forest refers to the location where the victims were found. Most of the bodies have been removed from the southeast Kenyan forest by authorities since April. According to senior prosecution attorney Jami Yamina, Buyuka passed away on Monday, June 19, in a hospital in Malindi, about 116 kilometers (72 miles) from the port city of Mombasa, where he had been brought from a neighboring jail. Yamina told a court in Mombasa that he believed Buyuka's death was caused by complications from his hunger strike and starvation but that they would wait for the results of an autopsy. See Also: Kenyan Cult Death Toll Surpasses 300: Still Expected to Rise? On the same day as their admission, the hospital also took in two more suspects. Both Evans Sirya and Fredrick Karimi were in severe condition due to what was believed to be related to their hunger strike, as reported by Al Jazeera. Buyuka, along with the other 15 accused, showed up to court too weak to even stand up properly. At the time, the investigating officer told the judge that the defendants were on hunger strike. In Kenya, defendants wait to be arraigned in court while being kept in police station cells. The prosecution has sought the court for permission to transfer the 16 suspects from the police station to a government jail, where they will be force-fed. The petition was approved. An unidentified court official told Al Jazeera that when Buyuka and the other suspects were in court last week, they assured the Shanzu Senior Principal Magistrate Yusuf Shikanda that they would start eating and cooperate with the police. On Wednesday, the court requested that the prosecution produce a medical report for all 30 defendants currently in detention. Kenya's Starvation Cult The accusation against self-proclaimed pastor Paul Mackenzie is that he instructed his followers to starve themselves and their children to death in order to make it to heaven before the end of the world. He turned himself into authorities back in April but was only recently refused bail. After authorities began exhumations, the other suspects were apprehended. Some of the rescued members of Mackenzie's group were reportedly rejecting meals in May, prompting alarm from Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki. He said that one of them had passed away. See Also: Kenya Cult Autopsies Show Missing Organs, Authorities Say @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. These Wichita restaurants have quietly closed over the last weeks and months Do you ever drive down the street, see a restaurant that looks sort of deserted and say to yourself, Hey, is that place even still open? Several restaurants around Wichita have quietly, without much fanfare, closed their doors over the past weeks and months, leaving people wondering what happened. Heres a list of some of Wichitas quiet closings. If youre wondering about any other empty-looking spaces, drop an email to dneil@wichitaeagle.com, and Ill investigate. Andaluz Bar, 2106 N. Amidon: Oscar Manuell Sanchez opened this restaurant specializing in Cancun-style Mexican dishes in August 2021. But he closed it several months ago and has erased all of its social media pages. Bai Wei, 3008 W. Central: This Asian restaurant operated for nearly 14 years in a strip center near Pawnee and Rock Road. It closed in the spring, though, and now a new restaurant has taken over the space, which has been completely remodeled. Oishi, which serves poke and ramen, opened last week. Tamales & Monchis GTO, 1920 W. 21st St.: Last May, a restaurant specializing in fresh-made tamales and Mexican snacks opened in the former Uno Mas spot near 21st and Amidon. But it morphed earlier this year into a restaurant called Super Doggos, which has since closed. Tamales & Monchis GTO opened in May 2022 near 21st and Amidon then morphed into a restaurant called Super Doggos. The space at 1920 W. 21st St., which was once home to Uno Mas, is now empty. Angelas, 300 S. Greenwich: The citys last remaining Angelas cafe closed this spring, with the owner citing personal reasons in a Facebook post in March. It first opened in the fall of 2021. Azul 21, 2119 W. 21st St.: This Mexican restaurant moved last year from 2959 S. Hillside into the former Angelas Cafe spot near 21st and Amidon. But it didnt last long there and closed earlier this year. Walts All-American Bar & Grill, 5534 W. Central: Last summer, business partners Hamendra Bhakta and Jason Bradley purchased the strip center that held Walts, and their initial plan was to close the restaurant, which opened in the early 1990s. Instead, they remodeled and reopened it. But by April, it was closed. Bhakta did not return messages about the closing. Walts All American Bar & Grill got a remodel then reopened last summer. But by April, it was closed. Sumo, 11233 E 13th St.: This closing wasnt necessarily quiet, as the Eagle reported on it in March, but Sumo which moved from North Rock Road to its fancy Plazzio home in 2006 finally closed after years of rumors. A new restaurant called Umi Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar is set to take over the space. Classic Town & Country, 2315 W. 21st St. Billy Wood really tried to make a revival of the old Town & Country on West Kellogg work, even moving his restaurant last October from its original spot at K-42 and South Maize Road, where it had been since March 2020, to the former Neighbors spot on West 21st Street. But he couldnt make it work there, either, citing slow business and issues with the building. Baskin-Robbins, 21st and Webb Road, 21st and Tyler: Wichita is now a Baskin-Robbins-free zone, having lost both stores in March. Now, the ice cream chains two locations sit sad and empty. The chain never returned calls seeking an explanation. Tutors Pizza, 524 S. Seneca and 3817 W. 13th St.: David Thompson opened two Tutors Pizza restaurants last summer, but neither lasted long. The one in the former Knollas spot on West 13th Street closed in December followed by the one in the former Clutch House space in February. Chuyitos Birrieria, 1415 W. Pawnee: This Mexican restaurant closed in February, but the news is not all bad. The restaurant is about to reopen in a new spot at 511 N. West Street, and its old spot at Pawnee and Seneca has a new tenant: Ooo LaLa Stone Pho opens in the space on Saturday. Sunflower Espresso, 500 S. Topeka: Kate Hutchens started her business as a food bus in 2014 then announced plans in late 2020 to open a tiny bricks-and-mortar cafe in the FireWorx building. But she and her business partner decided to close the business in February. The space now has a new tenant: Paranormal Cafe. Paranormal Cafe has taken over the cafe space in the FireWorx coworking space at 500 S. Topeka that Sunflower Espresso vacated in February. Biryani Express, 2849 W. 13th St.: Ahsan Tahir opened a small to-go biryani restaurant out of his Super Express gas station in August of last year but closed it not long after. Big Arbor, 4311 W. Central: This burger restaurant opened in April of 2022 in a strip center on West Central, but it was gone by January, with owners citing the burden of the building as a reason for the closure. No Bake Cafe, 3700 E. Douglas: Delica Ewert was 19 in 2020 when she took over No Bake Cafe, a tiny shop on the edge of Clifton Square that sold safe-to-eat raw cookie dough. But the cafe, which originally opened in December 2018 and went through several owners, ceased its normal operations in December 2022. The space now has a new tenant: 18-year-old Maley Hansen opened a new snow cone business in the space and named it ICY-T. No Bake Cafe in Clifton Square quietly closed at the end of 2022. Electric Pizza, 240 S. West St.: Joseph Fowler gave the pizza business and briefly the Cajun food business a good try in Wichita. But in October, he quietly closed the last of his local restaurants: Electric Pizza at Maple and West, which originally opened in 2018. He opened a second Electric Pizza location in the former Pizza Hut building at Central and Tyler in June 2021 but decided it was too close to his other pizza restaurant and changed it to TGeaux Cajun in late November of that year. But it closed a few months later, and the space is now home to a Chick N Max. Fowler recently said he had a couple of other restaurant ideas he was hoping to try, but those fell through, and hes currently out of the restaurant business. Juarez Bakery South, 2209 S. Seneca: Juarez Bakery opened a south-side outlet in September 2015, but although the signage is still on the building, the south-side bakery has been closed for nearly a year. The original is still going strong at 1068 N. Waco. The widow and children of late Haitian President Jovenel Moise have filed a lawsuit in a Miami-Dade County court, seeking a trial and unspecified damages against several suspects charged in the killing. The family, the lawsuit said, is seeking to hold defendants responsible for their heinous acts that resulted in President Moises assassination and that injured his wife, former first lady Martine Moise. The head of state was shot a dozen times inside his private bedroom on July 7, 2021, and his wife was seriously injured. There are currently 11 suspects in U.S. custody and with the exception of two, Walter Veintemilla, head of Miramar-based Worldwide Capital Lending Group and Rodolphe Jaar, a Haitian-Chilean businessman who recently pleaded guilty in the case all have been found indigent by the court, meaning they have no assets. Not only do we want people to go to jail for this crime, but if they have any assets we want to take them. Nobody should be rewarded for this kind of action, Paul Turner, the familys attorney, told the Miami Herald. And yes, some of these people wont have anything, but some may. And so were going to pursue this lawsuit to identify everybody involved, what their roles were, and where possible take their assets. More than 40 individuals have been accused in the plot, in which 18 Colombian commandos are accused of storming the presidents residence along with Haitian police officers and two Haitian-Americans posing as translators. Nearly two years later, the case remains under investigation in both the United States and in Haiti, where the inquiry is on its fifth investigative judge. While the jailed suspects in Haiti are still awaiting formal charges, in the United States, federal prosecutors have filed federal conspiracy charges in connection with the assassination. A trial date is tentatively set for May 6, 2024. At least one of the suspects in federal lockup, Jaar, was recently given life in prison after pleading guilty to providing material support in the conspiracy to kidnap and kill Moise. The Moise family suffered a tremendous loss, as did Haiti and the Haitian people with the assassination, Turner said. And so while the criminal investigations are ongoing in the U.S. and Haiti, the family wants to pursue all avenues to ensure that all these conspirators to this crime are brought to justice. Turner filed the lawsuit on behalf of Martine Moise as the legal representative of the estate of Jovenel Moise; and the couples two children, Jomarlie and Jovenel Moise Jr. The late president has an older son who is not a party to the suit. The civil lawsuit names all 11 suspects currently charged in the U.S. criminal case as well entities controlled by some of them, such as Counter Terrorist Unit Security. The Miami-area firm is accused of hiring the Colombian soldiers to serve as bodyguards for Christian Emmanuel Sanons presidential aspirations while he was in Haiti. Sanon is the Haitian-American pastor and physician who wanted to replace Moise as president. The firm is owned by Antonio Intriago. The lawsuit states that several masterminds and accomplices recruited, financed, trained, and housed a team of mercenaries; provided them with weapons, transportation, and other equipment; and orchestrated a plot to kidnap or murder the President of Haiti. The mercenaries carried out this plan in the middle of the night by deceiving and restraining the heavily guarded home where President Moise., First Lady Moise., and their family were resting, the lawsuit says. The implausible goal of the co-conspirators, after the assassination of President Moise in cold blood, was to install their own kangaroo government that would then summarily pardon the assassins. Turner said while the United States can only bring charges against and arrest individuals it has jurisdiction over, we believe that there are other people involved outside of the United case that the U.S. doesnt have jurisdiction over, and the family wants this exposed to the public. The Haitian investigative judge, Walther Voltaire, has continued to call individuals to provide testimony. Working much like a grand jury in the United States, Voltaires inquiry is secret. Martine Moise has declined a request to appear before Voltaire and asked for his dismissal. We do not want to take any action that could jeopardize the criminal proceedings here in the U.S. And if [Martine] Moise was to go be interviewed, go give statements or whatever, it is possible that those could be used against her somehow in the U.S. governments case, Turner said. Ive requested that she refrain from providing any interviews or information to any sources outside the U.S. government. In recent days, however, Moise has broken her silence, telling France24, among other things, that the truth will come out one day. Earlier this month, she also met with Luis Almagro, the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, about her husbands unsolved murder. She spoke about the need for the United Nations to appoint a special international tribunal similar to the one set up after the assassination of the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafiq Hariri, to look into her husbands murder. The former first lady was at home during the slaying and according to the civil lawsuit attempted to hide under the bed, but assailants saw and shot her multiple times, leaving her for dead. Turner said Moises refusal to go before the judge in Haiti is based on his counsel. The U.S. governments prosecutors and agents are doing an amazing job of keeping the family informed of whats going on in the investigation and the criminal proceedings, without of course, jeopardizing their case, he said. But we have the exact opposite experience in Haiti. Its just theres no transparency. Theres no communication. I mean, theres not even an inventory of the items that were removed from the presidential palace from the home and the familys personal property. Earlier this week, federal prosecutors filed additional charges in the case against some of the suspects, accusing them of conspiracy to carry out a military expedition from the United States against Haiti, a country that has peaceful relations with the U.S. Intriago, the head of the CTU security firm, was also charged with conspiring with Sanon and Bergmann to illegally import bullet-proof vests into Haiti for the assassination plot. Miami Herald staff writer Jay Weaver contributed to this report. The wife of OceanGate CEO who led Titan submersible is a descendant of 2 famous Titanic victims: The New York Times Ida and Isidor Straus, and the missing Titan submersible. Topical Press Agency/Hulton Archive/Getty Images and OceanGate The wife of the deceased OceanGate CEO is descended from two Titanic victims, per The New York Times. Wendy Rush is the great-great-granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus, a couple who died in 1912. Isidor, the co-owner of Macy's, and his wife inspired an iconic scene in James Cameron's "Titanic." The wife of the deceased OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush is a descendant of two famous Titanic victims, The New York Times reported on Wednesday, citing archival records. Wendy Rush is a great-great-granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus, a wealthy elderly couple who died when the ocean liner sank in 1912. Isidor was the co-owner of the department store Macy's. Joan Adler, the executive director of the Straus Historical Society, told the Times that Wendy was related to one of the Straus' daughters on her father's side. Wendy married Stockton in July 1986, per a wedding announcement in the Times. She is the director of communications at OceanGate and an expedition-team member, according to her Linkedin page. However, she is not named on the OceanGate Expeditions team page that Insider accessed using the Wayback Machine. Their great-grandson Paul A. Kurzman told the Today Show in 2017 that Isidor and Ida Straus were first-class passengers on the Titanic who chose to die together when the ship started sinking after hitting an iceberg. While women and children were given priority to board the lifeboats, Kurzman said that a ship's officer made an exception for Isidor because of his age and who he was. "And, my great-grandfather said, 'No. Until I see that every woman and child on board this ship is in a lifeboat, I will not enter into a lifeboat myself,'" he told the Today Show. Ida chose to stay behind with her husband, Kurzman added. Kurzman told Country Living Magazine in 2017 that Ida's maid, Ellen Bird, survived the sinking and witnessed the elderly couple's last moments. After Ida handed Bird her coat and said she had no further need for it, the elderly couple was swept away by the ocean, Kurzman said. "Isidor wrapped his arms around her," Kurzman told Country Living Magazine. "Then, a great wave came over the port side of the ship and swept them both into the sea. That was the last time they were seen alive." The Straus' tragic story inspired an iconic, heartbreaking scene in James Cameron's "Titanic" of an elderly man and woman embracing each other in bed as their room begins to flood. On Thursday, after rescue officials linked debris to the missing Titan submersible vessel, OceanGate announced that the passengers aboard the ship are believed to be dead. The Straus' tragic story inspired a scene from James Cameron's "Titanic." Paramount Pictures The Times reported in May 1912 that Isidor's remains were recovered after two weeks, but his wife's body was never found. Wendy Rush did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside of regular business hours. Correction: June 23, 2023 An earlier version of this story misstated that Isidor's body wasn't found. It was his wife's body that was never found. Read the original article on Insider A 96-year-old World War Two veteran from Leeds has been immortalised in paint to mark the 75th anniversary of the Windrush crossing. Alford Gardner was depicted by artist Chloe Cox after King Charles commissioned a series of 10 paintings. The King told Jamaican-born Mr Gardner, who returned to England in 1948 on HMT Empire Windrush, his portrait was "marvellous". Ms Cox said to have received a royal commission was "a dream come true". Mr Gardner said he had come to England and "found home" Mr Gardner served as an RAF motor mechanic during WWII, and later returned to England on the famous vessel after the British government passed a new law allowing people from the Caribbean to live and work in Britain. The HMT Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, Essex, on 22 June 1948. It brought 492 passengers to the UK from a number of Caribbean islands, including Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, to help fill post-war labour shortages. HMT Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury in 1948 after the government passed a new law allowing people from the Caribbean to live and work in Britain Mr Gardner met King Charles at a Buckingham Palace reception on 14 May, when the King was given a special preview of the Windrush crossing anniversary artworks. He told Mr Gardner the collection was "a most wonderful record of a very special generation." The King said Mr Gardner's portrait would be "a wonderful addition to the Royal Collection and be shown in all different parts of the world". Mr Gardner, who settled in Leeds to work as a factory engineer, said: "When I joined the RAF I left home and I came to England. I came to England and I found home. "When the war was over I said 'I'd be back'. The Windrush turned up and I was back, it was like leaving one home and coming back to another." Commenting about the racism he experienced in his early life in the UK, he said: "Couldn't get away from it, it was there staring me in the face. If I go to a place and walk in and this place is hostile, I'm out, I'm gone. I never went to a place I wasn't wanted." Chloe Cox said to have her artwork included in a gallery collection was "what every artist dreams of, right from being a kid" and to have her work included in the Royal Collection was "a dream come true." Ms Cox said the painting was her biggest artistic achievement, "especially as a descendant of the Windrush generation myself". She said she had met Mr Gardner twice to take reference photographs for her work, because her first set taken in the evening "didn't have the wow factor". When they met again in daylight the session had been "much more relaxed" and her pictures had captured Mr Gardner's "playfulness and his smile", she said. "He was always beaming," she added. At the Buckingham Palace reception the King said it was "crucially important" the "pioneers who stepped off the Empire Windrush in June 1948", were seen and heard "to celebrate the immeasurable difference that they, their children and their grandchildren have made to this country". Windrush: Portraits Of A Generation with His Majesty The King, a documentary about the art project spearheaded by King Charles, can be seen later on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer. Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. Carl Nwazota was born and grew up in the London suburb of Wembley to parents from Jamaica and Nigeria. For 26 years, he was a UK citizen with a British passport until it was confiscated by the Home Office after he tried to renew it in 2000, he told CNN. For the next 22 years, Nwazota lived in constant fear of being deported as his life began to unravel. His business was closed because he was prevented from working by the Home Office, and he could not gain employment or social housing due to his lack of documents, he said. He was forced to live in temporary accommodation, with intermittent periods of homelessness. He watched the world pass him by from the fringes of society: sleeping in a tent under a shop window, or in an abandoned van in a supermarket car park. Often, he would go to bed hungry due to his benefits being stopped, he recalled as no fixed abode became his new identity in the corridors of the job center. Christmases and birthdays passed by for almost two decades until the Home Office acknowledged that Nwazota was a British citizen over a phone call in 2018, he said. For the next four years, Nwazota says, he remained homeless while he struggled to regain his passport. Many of his documents were lost after he claims the council threw away his tent, and he could not receive response letters from the Home Office as he had no permanent address. I had been told I was a British citizen but I was still waiting to get back my passport, waiting for an apology from the Home Office all while living in a van. Im not a weak guy but I had no hope. I tried to take my own life, he said. Nwazota has since recovered and received his passport from the Home Office in 2022. The first thing I did when I got my passport back was get a job and Im proud to say, I work as a bin man (refuse collector). But even though Im back in the real world its too late for me. Im 49 years old now. The Home Office has taken my life from me. Nwazota is one of thousands who found their lives derailed in what became to be known as the Windrush scandal, which saw the British Home Office deny residency rights and citizenship to many people who had been living in the UK legally for most, if not all, of their lives. The victims were members and descendants of the so-called Windrush generation mostly Caribbean migrants who moved to Britain in the post World War II-era in answer to a call for labor shortages, with the first arriving on the Empire Windrush 75 years ago Thursday. Citizens of former British colonies in South Asia and Africa also became entangled in the scandal. Jamaican immigrants arriving at Tilbury Docks in Essex, on 22 June 1948. - Daily Herald Archive/SSPL/Getty Images Like Nwazota, many of their children had been born in Britain and have known no other home, yet also had their UK citizenship revoked. Experts told CNN this was due to the UK governments hostile environment policy a government crackdown on immigration that misclassified the Windrush generation as illegal immigrants. This has led to multiple generations suffering often devastating harm: job losses, home evictions, no access to healthcare, detentions and even deportations, as outlined in the government commissioned Windrush Lessons Learned Review. In 2018, the Windrush Compensation Scheme was set up to provide compensation to victims of the scandal. In April that year, Britains then-Prime Minister, Theresa May, apologized for her governments treatment of some Caribbean immigrants and insisted they were still welcome in the country. But on the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush, thousands are still struggling to access compensation despite the Home Office reinstating their British citizenship. In April, a report by the NGO Human Rights Watch stated that the Windrush compensation scheme is failing victims and violating the rights of many to an effective remedy for human rights abuses they suffered. Nwazota has applied to the Windrush Compensation Scheme four times but his application has always been rejected. In documents seen by CNN, Nwazota was told by the Home Office that he meets the eligibility criteria to apply for compensation but that it has been unable to determine whether he suffered detrimental impacts due to a lack of evidence. Nwazota is currently struggling to find a lawyer to take his case due to his lack of documents and funds. Thousands without compensation According to the latest Home Office statistics, 1,518 people have received compensation so far. Another 381 have had their claims refused or withdrawn due to ineligibility and 1,988 have claims that meet the eligibility criteria but have been awarded zero compensation. This suggests that of an estimated 15,000 victims believed to be eligible for compensation, some 90% have yet to receive any payout since the scandal broke five years ago. Anna Steiner, a lawyer and academic who represents Windrush claimants, told CNN that the Windrush compensation scheme is not fit for purpose. The government has access to all the victims documents: health records, information from the passport office and their employment history. These are British people who have paid tax and national insurance, have worked for all their lives and the government has confirmed their status as UK citizens, and yet, victims are still being denied access to compensation for the harm caused to their lives, Steiner said. Charlotte Tobierre says she has submitted hundreds of documents on behalf of her mother and father. - Courtesy Charlotte Tobierre Even when youve spent months gathering evidence, drafted clear statements, and have demonstrated a clear impact on (victims) lives, applications are not assessed properly by the Home Office. There seems to be a bureaucratic tick-box attitude to the claims where people are not recognized as human beings, Steiner added. Thomas Tobierre was stripped of the right to work after being told he was not a British citizen and has subsequently received compensation, but his wife Caroline, who was also entitled to compensation under the Windrush scheme, only received her payment after she died with cancer. My wife had to work while she was ill because I was not allowed to work because of the Home Office, Tobierre told CNN. The level of evidence you have to produce is ridiculous it is almost impossible to prove your status, said Charlotte Tobierre, Thomas daughter. Because they took so long to compensate, we ran out of time to enjoy life with my mum. The last year of my mums life was ruined the Windrush scandal overshadowed my mums battle with cancer. When the compensation arrived, it just about covered the cost of her funeral. Thomas Tobierre is pictured with his wife Caroline, who only received compensation after her death. - Courtesy Charlotte Tobierre To make matters more complicated, the Windrush Compensation Scheme does not make allowances for legal costs in making claims, Steiner told CNN. This means that many of the applicants who have been out of work and accumulated debt cannot afford the legal representation they need to help with their claims, Zita Holbourne, co-founder and national chair of anti-racism group Black Activists Rising Against Cuts and a Windrush campaigner, told CNN. Approaching its 75th anniversary, the government should be doing something to make the scheme accessible and the scheme should take it out of the hands of the Home Office. People have no trust when applying because they are the same institution that detained, criminalized and deported the applicants in the first place, Holbourne added. Anthony Bryan, now 65, was 8 years old when he moved to Britain from Jamaica. He told CNN he was detained by the UK government on two separate occasions in 2017 and was going to be deported to Jamaica by the Home Office until a last-minute intervention from his lawyers. He had also lost his job after he was asked for a right to work permit, he said, and he had been stripped of healthcare access after falling ill. Bryan could not claim benefits, as he did not have the required documents, he added. Anthony Bryan was almost deported to Jamaica by the Home Office -- a country he had not visited since he was eight years old. - Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images His British nationality has since been reinstated. The Home Office has offered him after deductions 65,000 and he is appealing. His wife Janet, who is also entitled to compensation, is also appealing her offer under the scheme. Windrush Lives, an advocacy group and victim support network which is helping Janet, says the Home Office is currently disputing the 300 she is claiming for expenses after she repeatedly traveled to visit Bryan while he was wrongfully detained for five weeks. The Home Office has not yet responded to CNNs request for comment on these cases and its wider handling of the Windrush Compensation Scheme. A hostile environment According to the latest government statistics from the Home Office, 1,227 claimants are seeking a review. Meanwhile, the number of people being awarded zero compensation is continuing to rise particularly over the past year. While in April 2022 there were only 26 applicants eligible but receiving zero compensation, a year later this number had risen almost six-fold to 152. As the backlogs and rejections grow, Home Secretary Suella Braverman issued a statement in January that rowed back on three of the recommendations from the government-commissioned Windrush Lessons Learned Review. These included the appointment of a migrants commissioner and the commitment to hold a series of reconciliation events with people affected, to listen and reflect on their stories, the Windrush Lessons Learned Review stated. Protesters hold a sign reading "Solidarity with Windrush." - Alex Cavendish/NurPhoto/Getty Images Subira Cameron-Goppy, who works as part of the Windrush Justice Clinic, providing support to victims, told CNN: The UK government consistently double-down on their own mistakes and have failed to rectify their errors. These failures are a part of a continuation of the governments hostile environment policy. In February 2023, the Conservative government published an assessment of the hostile environment policys impact between 2014 and 2018. The report concluded that the five nationalities most impacted by the policy were of Brown or Black heritage and all five were visibly not White. Ramya Jaidev, a co-founder of Windrush Lives, told CNN that the hostile environment was not simply about two or three specific policy errors but is the result of a series of increasing legislative push-backs that started in 1962 with the reduction of the rights of Black people. The attitude towards migrants is to phase them out. The Windrush Compensation Scheme is an extension of a hostile environment for Black and Brown people. For some people, any compensation awarded is too late. Taiwo Abiona arrived in the UK in the late 50s from Nigeria. He worked as a postman for the Royal Mail, paid taxes and got a British passport in the 1960s. After the death of his wife, Stella, he went to renew his passport but he was told he was no longer a British citizen, his son, Kemi Abiona, told CNN. Taiwo Abiona was told he was no longer a British citizen, his son Kemi Abiona said. - Courtesy Kemi Abiona They said a change of policy in the 70s meant he had to reapply then we didnt know he had to reapply as far as were concerned he was a British citizen. When my dad lost his passport, he was devastated, and his health quickly deteriorated. He had no access to proper healthcare because he did not have the documents, Abiona told CNN. While he was sick, we had been told to apply for a new passport through the Windrush scheme and we were told he would get compensation, Abiona added. He helped his father fill in the application himself, because they could not afford a lawyer. I kept telling my dad we will have money soon, Abiona said. In 2020, Taiwo Abiona received a letter saying he had indefinite leave to stay and that he would be able to apply for UK citizenship after a period of living in the UK despite having lived there for nearly 70 years. We were told compensation was on the way so we could get a carer for my dad but it was too late, Abiona told CNN. His father died two weeks after being told by the Home Office he could stay in the UK. A week after his death, the Home Office paid 5,000 compensation to cover some of the cost of his funeral, Kemi Abiona said. He is now making a Windrush compensation claim through the Home Office to save up for a headstone for his fathers grave. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The logo of German payments provider Wirecard seen at the company's headquarters near Munich. Singapore's financial regulator has fined four companies over breaches related to the Wirecard scandal. The penalties total S$3.8m ($2.8m; 2.2m), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) says. The MAS said that while the breaches were serious, it did not find any "wilful misconduct" by employees at the financial institutions. Separately, two former employees of the payments firm Wirecard were sentenced to jail in the city state this week. In a statement, the MAS said it had imposed the fines on Singaporean banks DBS, OCBC and the local businesses of US-based Citigroup and insurance firm Swiss Life. DBS, which is Singapore's biggest bank, received the largest penalty, a S$2.6m fine. It failed to "adequately establish the source of wealth of higher risk customers" and "inquire into the background and purpose of unusually large transactions," the MAS said. Earlier this week, a Singapore court handed out prison sentences to two former Wirecard Asia Holdings employees for conspiring to misappropriate money. James Aga Wardhana was jailed for 21 months, while Chai Ai Lim was handed a 10-month term. The sentences were first criminal convictions in the world related to the Wirecard scandal. German payments firm Wirecard filed for insolvency in 2020 after disclosing a 1.9bn ($2.1bn; 1.6bn) hole in its accounts. Its former boss, Markus Braun, went on trial in December accused of involvement in the biggest fraud case in German history. Prosecutors have accused Mr Braun of signing off financial reports that he knew were inaccurate. They also said Wirecard faked documents to show it had money that in reality, it never did. Mr Braun has denied any wrongdoing. The trial is expected to last well into 2024. In April this year, German regulators fined and banned accounting firm EY for its handling of audits for Wirecard. The ban forbids EY from conducting from accepting major new audit mandates for two years. This article was originally published in Wisconsin Examiner. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers signed legislation on Tuesday that increases local government funding, provides Milwaukee with a path to address its funding crisis, and requires several controversial policy changes for local governments across the state. Evers also signed another bill that was negotiated alongside the local government funding bill, increasing school districts revenue limits and boosting state aid to independent charter and private voucher schools. Evers said the shared revenue issue is one that he began working on when he first took office in 2019. That effort began for me with a simple truth: that for far too long, our local communities have been forced to do more with less, Evers said at a signing ceremony in Wausau. Weve seen the consequences of that in action, play out in communities across Wisconsin, especially in recent years Local partners in every corner of the state have been forced to make impossible decisions about what essential services to fund, having to choose between paying for first responders, addressing PFAS, fixing the roads, and other critical priorities that affect the health, safety, and well-being of Wisconsinites everywhere. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Evers signed the shared revenue bill, which will dedicate 20% of the states sales tax to local government funding, while surrounded by a bipartisan group of state lawmakers, including Sen. Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma) and Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee), and local officials from across the state. I believe the state should be doing its part to support our local partners and our local communities should have the resources they need to make sure those basic and unique needs are done, Evers continued. And Ive also believed that supporting our local communities is an area where we could work to find common ground and bipartisan support. Well, folks, I was right. The bill will provide an additional $274.9 million to counties and municipalities that can be spent on costs related to law enforcement, fire protection, emergency medical services, emergency response communications, public works and transportation. The Wisconsin Counties Association and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities celebrated the historic legislation, praising the bipartisan efforts and saying the new funding would position the state for future prosperity. Working alongside our state leaders, this new law creates a sustainable funding source for local governments and more closely aligns incentives for government to promote a vibrant and flourishing economy, said Mark ODonnell, the counties association chief executive. Under this momentous agreement, local governments will see an increase in shared revenue payments linked to our states economy, creating the resources to provide the vital services our citizens need. The legislation also creates an innovation grant program meant to encourage counties and municipalities to consolidate services. Milwaukee provisions challenged by local stakeholders The signing happened more than three hours away from Milwaukee, the states most populous city, which was also a major point of contention throughout the negotiation process. Evers spokeswoman Britt Cudabeck and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowleys spokesman Brandon Weathersby both said on Twitter that he chose to sign the bill in Wausau because the legislation affects every Wisconsin community, not just Milwaukee. The legislation gives Milwaukee and Milwaukee County the ability to enact, if two-thirds of their governing bodies approve, an additional 2% sales tax in Milwaukee and 0.4% tax in Milwaukee County. The additional revenue can be used to pay for unfunded pension obligations and public safety costs but comes with strings attached. Crowley and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson also joined Evers in Wausau for the signing. For Milwaukee County, this brings us closer to avoiding a devastating fiscal cliff and continue critical service our residents rely on each day, Crowley said in a statement. As deliberations on the sole issue of additional revenue turn to local legislative bodies, its important that Milwaukee County, as an arm of the state, acknowledge the fiscal realities that we must confront. Crowley said the fiscal cliff is the biggest single threat to improving the quality of life for Milwaukee County residents, and that its important they dont miss the mark. The support from the top county and city leaders comes as other local Milwaukee officials explore taking action to mitigate certain policies in the legislation. Milwaukee Common Council President Jose G. Perez said in a statement that its essential that the local body works to pass the 2% sales tax as soon as possible. He also said, however, that the council will begin efforts to remove several provisions from the state statutes. Perez said the council will take up legislation separate from the sales tax that would double funding for the citys Office of Equity and Inclusion and Office of African American Affairs, set aside money for litigation to fight provisions that overstep our home rule, and direct local agencies to apply for a federal grant to extend the streetcar. The state law signed by Evers includes language that prohibits the city from using money from levying taxes on developing, operating or maintaining its streetcar, bars the city from using tax revenue on diversity, equity and inclusion positions, requires the city to maintain the level of law enforcement and fire department staffing at at least the current level and requires Milwaukee Public Schools reinstate school resource officers in schools. The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression criticized the legislation in a statement, calling it the worst assault on the peoples movements in Wisconsin since the victories achieved coming out of the George Floyd Uprising of 2020. Pointing to requirements to reintroduce police officers into MPS schools and for the city to maintain specified levels of law enforcement, the activist group said that the bill reduces peoples say over policing in their communities. These bills are a direct response to policy wins over the police secured by the Milwaukee Alliance and other community organizing efforts, including the banning of chokeholds, elimination of no-knock warrants, and a policy forcing the timely public release of video footage of police crimes, the group stated. Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee), who voted against the bill, pointed out that it requires Milwaukee to hire an additional 165 police officers beyond its current number. If they cant find qualified candidates, the city risks losing 15% of its shared revenue, for the next year. This is not progress, Larson said on Twitter Tuesday morning. Evers signs education funding bill Evers also signed SB 330, which will increase payments to Wisconsins private choice and independent charter schools and raise revenue limits for school districts, on Tuesday. The bill was negotiated alongside the shared revenue deal. The bill would raise the cap on the minimum amount of revenue school districts are allowed to collect from state aid and local taxpayers to $11,000 per student from $10,000 and increase per-pupil aid payments for private voucher and independent charter schools. The bill would increase the per-pupil payments for private voucher and independent charter schools. According to a Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo, under the bill the aid for private school choice K-8 students would increase from $8,300 in the current year to $9,874 in the 2023-24 school year and $10,271 in the 2024-25 school year. Per-pupil payments for private school choice 9-12 students would rise from $9,045 to $12,368 and then to $12,765, and independent charter school students payments would increase from $9,264 to $11,366 and then to $11,763 per student. Public school advocates, including the Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN), called on Evers to reject the deal, saying the bill underserves Wisconsin public school students. Public school students and local property taxpayers will pay the price, while private schools that can legally discriminate and pick and choose their students get a blank check from the state, WPEN said in a statement. With voucher enrollment caps set to come off entirely in 2 years, this is the most reckless and irresponsible thing Wisconsin could do with its massive surplus, especially when we consider that the nearly 80% of students participating in the statewide voucher program never attended a public school. Evers said on Tuesday that the small bump for independent charter and private voucher schools was a way to reach the goal of passing shared revenue. What people forget is everytime we have a budget for public schools, our money for vouchers goes up too and so theres almost nothing different than last time, Evers said. We added a little bit more money in order to get this deal across the finish line, but the idea that somehow voucher schools and independent charters havent been receiving money and all of a sudden they are this time? Thats just not true. Evers also touted other portions of the education funding that was negotiated with shared revenue, but included in the budget rather than as separate legislation. I will never stop fighting to do the right thing for our kids because I believe, as Ive often said, that whats best for our kids is whats best for our state, Evers said. Today, were one step closer to making a historic investment in this budget for K-12 schools and education. The investment includes an increase of $1 billion in state aid to public K-12 schools, raising the per-pupil aid by $325 in each year of the biennium, a $97 million increase in special education funding, $50 million to improve reading and literacy for K-12 students and $30 million to be spent on school-based mental health services. He said the next step to introducing the new legislation is passing the biennial budget. We have to pass the budget, Evers said. The budget has not been signed. It hasnt been approved by the Legislature, once thats done I feel confident well be in a good place to implement this. Wisconsin Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: info@wisconsinexaminer.com. Follow Wisconsin Examiner on Facebook and Twitter. This woman is the front-runner to be Mexico's next president Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum greets supporters in Mexico City during a rally June 15 before stepping down to enter the primary race for president. (Eduardo Verdugo / Associated Press) The two appear an unlikely political pair: he a shopkeepers son from rural southern Mexico, she a globally recognized scientist from the capital. He is outgoing and folksy, a larger-than-life figure comfortable pressing the flesh and mingling with crowds. Her reserved manner and lack of charisma feed the notion that she is distant and arrogant. When it comes to their politics, however, it is difficult to distinguish Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Claudia Sheinbaum, whose long history together has uniquely positioned her to succeed him as the country's president next year. Sheinbaum, who would be the first woman to hold the job, has cast her candidacy as a victory for feminism. Mexico is no longer written with the M of machismo, she told tens of thousands of supporters gathered in the capital this month as she resigned from her job as Mexico City mayor to formally enter the race for president. But rather M for mother, for mujer woman. But her anointment by Lopez Obrador who is widely known as AMLO and her wholesale adoption of his policies, leftist ideology and even some of his speech patterns have led some pundits to wonder whether she is her own person. Claudia is not questioned for being a woman, but rather for mimicking a man and transforming herself to please AMLO, tweeted Denise Dresser, a professor of political science at Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico and fierce critic of the populist president. Nothing is more contrary to the agenda of autonomy/feminine empowerment that marks a new generation of women. Read more: Why is AMLO one of the world's most popular politicians? We took a road trip through Mexico to find out The 60-year-old Sheinbaum would also be the first president from Mexico's small Jewish community. Though she spent two decades in academia before starting her political career, she comes from a tradition of political engagement. Both her parents were active in the signature Mexican student movement of 1968, best known for the infamous Tlatelolco massacre in which Mexican security forces killed scores of protesters in the capital. As a high schooler, Sheinbaum participated in protests against the exclusion of students, many of them poor, from higher education. As a student at the Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM, she was part of a movement against a plan to raise fees at the public institution. And her first husband was a leader in Mexicos Democratic Revolution Party, which was formed in 1989 out of frustration on the left with the authoritarian rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which held an iron grip on Mexican governance for most of the 20th century. Read more: One party has governed Mexico's biggest state for a century. It looks as if that is about to change Among the former PRI stalwarts who defected was Lopez Obrador. Sheinbaum, who spent four years at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on her way to earning a doctorate in energy engineering, was teaching at UNAM in the 1990s when a mutual friend introduced her to him. When Lopez Obrador was elected mayor of Mexico City in 2000, he launched Sheinbaum's political career by making her secretary of environment for the capital. Photos from that era show the tousle-haired academic smiling alongside the dashing insurgent politician. She later joined his breakaway political group, the National Regeneration Movement, known as Morena, and was elected in 2015 as borough president of Tlalpan, a district in southern Mexico City. Three years later, she was elected mayor of Mexico City and he was elected president. Unlike her mentor, Sheinbaum is an uninspiring public speaker, sometimes drifting into techno-talk and utopian paeans to her hometown. She would put Gandhi to sleep, wrote columnist Juan Ignacio Zavala in El Financiero, referring to the famously truncated slumber habits of the late Indian leader. Read more: In Mexico, a grisly killing inflames debate about femicide Dedicated to her work, Sheinbaum has only offered rare glimpses into her personal life. One instance came last June when she was recuperating from COVID-19 and posted a Facebook video displaying her modest apartment in southern Mexico City. The flat features shelves filled with books, tabletops brimming with family snapshots and paintings by Mexican artists. She also strummed a guitar, recalling that, as a child, her parents had taken her to guitar lessons. Sheinbaum has enthusiastically assumed Lopez Obradors crusade against corruption and neoliberalism the theory that free-market capitalism should reign supreme in economic decision-making. I am of the left, Sheinbaum said in a brief interview with The Times. The right, above all, thinks that the market is going to resolve all problems, and that the state has no responsibility. We think the state has responsibility to provide education, healthcare, housing and generate better conditions of life. She parts ways with the president on some issues. In contrast to Lopez Obrador, who has spent billions of dollars in efforts to revive Mexicos state-owned oil company, she is a vocal supporter of renewable energy. And during the pandemic she wore a mask and shut down businesses as he downplayed the threat. But any differences have never seemed to dim Lopez Obradors affection. With Mexican presidents limited to one six-year term, he has declared that his Morena party will hold a series of internal polls to determine who will succeed him. There will be no direct vote. The presidential election is to be held next June. But with the president carrying a 60% approval rating and the opposition deeply fragmented, many observers view the party's primary contest as the real competition for who will be Mexicos next leader. The Morena primary campaign officially kicked off this week. Whats in play is a lot, wrote columnist Leo Zuckermann in Excelsior newspaper. Power at the highest level. The president is widely expected to have the final say on Sept. 6, when Morena plans to unveil its nominee. Mr. Lopez Obrador will definitely name his successor, said Tony Payan, who heads the Mexico Center at Rice University. This is his political party, and he makes his decisions based on loyalty. Claudia has not deviated one iota from what he says. She has parroted, repeated and supported everything he has said. Read more: Mexico owes its young democracy to its elections institute. The president wants to dismantle it Asked about her status as the presumptive choice of Lopez Obrador, Sheinbaum said: It would be an honor to be the favorite of the president. Her most formidable competitor is Marcelo Ebrard, who is also a former Mexico City mayor and served as foreign secretary in Lopez Obradors administration before resigning this month to launch his candidacy. All potential successors have hastened to stress their proximity to the indomitable phenomenon that is Lopez Obrador. Ebrard more conservative politically than the president vowed to create a Cabinet-level ministry to defend Lopez Obrador's various mega-projects. Polls have been showing Sheinbaum with a comfortable lead of 10 points or more against Ebrard. "Closest to AMLO," reads one Sheinbaum campaign pamphlet. Special correspondent Cecilia Sanchez Vidal contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A young woman who goes by Kadia on TikTok just became the subject of conversation over a decision she made to reclaim her time during her graduation ceremony. Kadia was allegedly cut off while speaking during graduation and was determined to get the microphone back to finish. In a video posted on TikTok which later made rounds on Twitter, Spears can be seen trying to grab a microphone from the hands of an older white woman, who appears to be a school administrator. The struggle continues for a while during which Spears can be heard saying I want the mic. Let go When Spears eventually got ahold of the mic, she went to address the attendees at the graduation ceremony, saying, You didnt let me get my moment. After mentioning her name, she said Im graduating today. I dont like how you snatched the mic out of my hand, so today is going to be all about me. They wildin at graduation this year pic.twitter.com/V7HYLNufkR Mesh (@rahsh33m) June 21, 2023 Alleged Racism In an explanatory video she posted on her TikTok page, Kadia shared that the school admin had been cutting off some of the Black graduates who were announcing their names and majors before her. The people that went before me and everything they all got to say their name, their major and even extras. And I and another girl noticed that she was putting the mic super fast for some Black people, she said. Kadia explained that she didnt get to finish saying her name, which she says is long before she was abruptly cut off. She shared that her name has three syllables but refused to share exactly what her name is. The Name Problem Black people have historically had to deal with not having their names pronounced correctly or sometimes shortened without permission. As Myles Durkee, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Michigan tells the BBC, Micro-assaults are much more explicit, intentional forms of discrimination or disrespect. Strategically mispronouncing someones name is a way of othering someone. In Kadias case, the refusal to be given the opportunity to fully say her name, as she alleges, adds to the ongoing conversation. But as she says, I just felt like I had to reclaim my moment. The post Woman Grabs Microphone During Graduation appeared first on 21Ninety. Woman shoots two people inside of burning car in act of revenge, Missouri cops say A Missouri woman is accused of chasing down a stolen car and shooting the two people inside as it burned, according to St. Louis County Police. The 32-year-old was driving in Jennings a suburb of St. Louis when she spotted a familiar vehicle passing by. It was her sisters Dodge Challenger, which had been stolen the day before, police said in a June 22 news release. Although she had three children in the car with her, the woman chased after the stolen vehicle, the release said. She later told investigators that she was trying to ram into the Challenger to force the occupants to stop. As the chase went on, the Challenger crashed into a truck at an intersection, ran off the road and caught fire, police said. The woman was close behind, and before the two occupants could escape the burning wreck, she was out of her vehicle and shooting at them, police said. She shot both people inside the Challenger, police said, adding that one of the occupants returned fire. Officers responded and found the womans gun in a purse in the trunk of her vehicle, according to the release. Police did not comment on the conditions of the two people shot. The woman was arrested June 18 on charges of first-degree assault, armed criminal action, and endangering the welfare of a child, the release said. Her bail was set at $750,000. Jennings is roughly 10 miles northwest of downtown St. Louis. Man chased intruders away, but they returned, Ohio cops say. He was armed and ready Wounded 60-year-old returns fire at accused car burglars, killing one, Texas cops say Man runs over two women, then angry mob drags him out of truck, Texas police say Man gunned down in parking lot didnt notice gunman stalking him in store, Texas cops say A Moscow court denied Wall Street Journal journalist American Evan Gershkovich's request for release and instead extended his espionage-related detention until late August. The Thursday Court Hearing Gershkovich, 31, who was detained in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in late March while on a reporting trip, wore a black T-shirt and blue trousers and appeared nervous as he waited for his court hearing in Moscow on Thursday, June 22. As he waited for the trial to begin, the Bowdoin College alum paced and spoke to his parents. Lynne Tracy, the US Ambassador, was also there. According to the New York Post, the other reporters were also removed from the courtroom after a while, and the trial was held in private. Two screens were set up outside so that reporters could observe the decision. Tracy expressed her extreme disappointment with the court's ruling to the press following the hearing. She claims that the Russian government is making false accusations against an "innocent journalist." "Evan continued to show remarkable strength and resiliency in these very difficult circumstances," she added. "Such hostage diplomacy is unacceptable, and we call on the Russian Federation to release him." See Also: Judge Rejects US Reporter Evan Gershkovich Appeal Against Pre-Trial Detention Arrested on Espionage Accusations In late March, Gershkovich was reporting in Yekaterinburg when he was arrested on espionage accusations. Al Jazeera said at the time that his imprisonment was the first time an American journalist had been detained on suspicion of espionage since the end of the Cold War. The Federal Security Service has accused Gershkovich of spying on a top-secret military plant, but they have not revealed any proof yet. While both Gershkovich and the Wall Street Journal have refuted the allegations, the US government has sought his release on many occasions. New York Post said that the Moscow court prolonged Gershkovich's incarceration by three months at the end of May and ordered him to be imprisoned at the notoriously cruel Lefortovo jail until August 30. His legal team filed an appeal against the verdict, but it was upheld on Thursday. Sergei Ryabkov, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, told reporters that the government is examining the embassy's request for a return visit. As an American Journalist in Russia Gershkovich had been a journalist for Wall Street Journal in London for a little over a year when he was arrested. He is the son of Russian Jews who emigrated to the US, and he grew up in New Jersey before working for Agence France-Presse and the Moscow Times. Before he was arrested, his last broadcast from Moscow detailed the economic collapse in Russia as a result of Western sanctions implemented after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Gershkovich sent a letter to his loved ones at the beginning of April, sharing his positive outlook on his condition. "I want to say that I am not losing hope... I read. I exercise. And I am trying to write. Maybe, finally, I am going to write something good." See Also: Evan Gershkovich Arrest: Biden Admin Takes Big Step To Prove Russia Is 'Wrongfully' Detaining US Journalist @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A northern California restaurant chain will have to pay more than $140,000 in back pay after it ran a shameless wage theft scheme that involved a fake priest who had workers confess to any sins they committed while on the clock. The owners and operators of Taqueria Garibaldi, a Sacramento-based restaurant chain, are also accused of threatening workers and fabricating timesheets as part of an effort to obstruct an investigation into the business. The US Department of Labor previously found that the company illegally denied workers overtime pay. Related: The best state for workers: what are Minnesotas new labor laws? The labor department launched an investigation into Taqueria Garibaldi in 2021, at which point the business owners instructed employees to tell investigators that they worked 40 hours a week, were provided two days off and 30-minute breaks, and were paid only with checks, court records show. Workers were also prohibited from using their usual digital attendance tracker and were instead told to write that they were only working 40-hour weeks on paper timesheets that were then processed by a third-party payroll company. Employees did as they were told under threat of retaliatory actions such as firing and holding immigration statuses over their heads, according to the labor department. This employers despicable attempts to retaliate against employees were intended to silence workers, obstruct an investigation and prevent the recovery of unpaid wages, Marc Pilotin, the labor departments regional solicitor of labor, said in a press release. In what the labor department described as among the most shameless efforts to intimidate workers that investigators have seen, the owners of Garibaldi also brought in a fake priest to conduct confession sessions with employees. Once employees sat with the priest they were peppered with work-specific questions and asked whether they had any ill feelings toward their employers or had spoken negatively about them to anyone, including investigators. Under oath, an employee of Taqueria Garibaldi explained how the restaurant offered a supposed priest to hear their workplace sins while other employees reported that a manager falsely claimed that immigration issues would be raised by the departments investigation, Pilotin said. After local reporters covered the labor departments lawsuit against the restaurant chain in May 2021, the business fired Maria Parra, an employee who they believed had filed the original complaint to the labor department. First, Defendants fired Maria Parra for cooperating with the government and then used the firing to intimidate other employees, court records stated. In addition to paying back wages and damages to 35 workers and $5,000 to the Department of Labor, the owners and operators of Taqueria Garibaldi are also required to use a digital time clock system at each location that allows employees to accurately record their work times and must submit payroll and employee contact information to the labor department upon request for the next three years. World Bank and donors allocated an additional $1.76 billion to Ukraine The World Bank Group has announced a $1.76 billion assistance package for Ukraine, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on June 21. The allocated funds will be utilized for various purposes, including the payment of salaries for rescue workers and teachers, pensions, as well as support for low-income families, children with disabilities, internally displaced persons, and single mothers, plus medical services, Shmyhal explained. According to the prime minister, the assistance will be provided with the support of the United States, the United Kingdom and Finland. He emphasized that the World Bank has played a leading role in mobilizing resources to aid Ukraine since the outbreak of full-scale war in 2022. In March, the World Bank revised its estimate of Ukraine's post-war reconstruction needs to $411 billion. On June 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a phone conversation with the President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, to dis-cuss further cooperation. Ukraine's state budget received EUR 63 million in financing from the World Bank on June 20. The funds will be utilized to partially reimburse the salaries of state officials and teachers for February and March 2023. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that the world will not allow Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. Source: Zelenskyy in an interview with Quote: "I believe that if he [Putin ed.] doesn't stop threatening the world with nuclear weapons, the world will find a way to deprive him of his life. This is very dangerous, and that's why he is careful to deliver these messages." Details: Zelenskyy has added that he considers Putin's inner circle, which constantly raises the topic of a nuclear strike, dangerous. He also believes that it is dangerous that Putin has transported the relevant weapons to the territory of Belarus. At the same time, Zelenskyy believes that the Russian dictator is not ready to do this today, "because he thinks about his life" and "loves himself very much". Background: On 16 June, Vladimir Putin announced that Russia's first tactical nuclear warheads were already in Belarus, and that the deployment would be completed by the end of the year. Kyrylo Budanov, the Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, said that Belarus is preparing storage facilities for nuclear weapons, but no warheads have been moved there from Russia. On 20 June, US President Joe Biden said the threat of Russian President Vladimir Putin using tactical nuclear weapons is "real". Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stressed the importance of maintaining a relationship with China after President Bidens description of Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator met fierce backlash from Beijing. With respect to the comments, I think President Biden and I both believe its critical to maintain communication to clear up misperceptions, miscalculations. We need to work together where possible, Yellen said at a news conference in Paris. But we have disagreements, and we are also forthright in recognizing we do have disagreements, Yellen added. Yellens remarks come after Bidens comments to a group of 130 donors at a fundraiser Tuesday night made headlines. Biden discussed the Chinese spy balloon incident and described Xi as a dictator who got upset when the balloon was shot down because he didnt know about it. The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment is he didnt know it was there. No, Im serious. That was the great embarrassment for dictators, when they didnt know what happened, Biden said at a fundraising event in Kentfield, Calif., Tuesday. That wasnt supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course up through Alaska and then down through the United States and he didnt know about it. When it got shot down, he was very embarrassed and he denied it was even there, Biden added. Bidens remarks came shortly after Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned from China; the visit marked the U.S. top diplomats first to the country since 2018. The trip, which was postponed in February in the wake of the spy balloon incident, was meant to help stabilize the tense relationship between China and the United States. Beijing, however, immediately took issue with Bidens comments. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said they go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on Chinas political dignity. It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition. The U.S. remarks are extremely absurd and irresponsible, Mao said. Yellen has recently advocated for improving the relationship between the United States and China, stressing the importance of cooperation for global stability. At the two-day conference in Paris, which focused on improving the global financial response to climate change and poverty, Yellen said, Im certainly pleased to see China participating in this summit. I believe its important, as President Biden does, that the worlds two largest economies are working together in addressing global challenges, Yellen said. The Associated Press contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Mohammed Alghobari and Abdulrahman al-Ansi ADEN/SANAA (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and the Houthi authorities controlling north Yemen have exchanged 64 fighters' bodies in the third such recent deal, Houthi media said on Wednesday, the latest sign of progress in talks to end their eight-year conflict. The bodies were exchanged at the Saudi-Yemeni border where delegations from both sides met after weeks of negotiations in Saudi Arabia, footage and commentary from Houti-run Al Masirah TV on Wednesday showed. It was not clear exactly when the exchanges took place. A Saudi-led military coalition in 2015 intervened against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that ousted Yemen's internationally recognised government from Sanaa in 2014. The war has destroyed Yemen's economy, plunged millions into hunger and killed tens of thousands, but talks to end it have picked up since Riyadh and Iran in March restored diplomatic ties. The Saudi delegation received six of its soldiers and allied fighters, and the Houthi group received 58 bodies. Footage showed body bags being exchanged between vans and trucks. There was no mention of the body exchange in Saudi media and the Saudi government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In another sign of thawing relations, Saudi Arabia last week said it would allow Yemen Airways to carry passengers into Saudi Arabia for Islam's annual Haj pilgrimage from the Yemeni capital Sanaa for the first time since war broke out in 2015. The first plane carrying 273 pilgrims left Sanaa for Jeddah on Saturday. A number of Houthi officials are in Saudi Arabia for the Haj including the deputy head of the Houthi Military Committee, Yahya al-Razami, Houthi-run Saba News said. The Saudi-led coalition has controlled Yemen's airspace since 2015 and only one commercial flight a week from Sanaa, to Amman in Jordan, had been running since May 2022. Before that, only United Nations flights had served Sanaa. (Reporting by Mohamed Alghobari; Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) New York lawyers sanctioned for using fake ChatGPT cases in legal brief By Sara Merken NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Thursday imposed sanctions on two New York lawyers who submitted a legal brief that included six fictitious case citations generated by an artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT. U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel in Manhattan ordered lawyers Steven Schwartz, Peter LoDuca and their law firm Levidow, Levidow & Oberman to pay a $5,000 fine in total. The judge found the lawyers acted in bad faith and made "acts of conscious avoidance and false and misleading statements to the court." Levidow, Levidow & Oberman said in a statement on Thursday that its lawyers "respectfully" disagreed with the court that they acted in bad faith. "We made a good faith mistake in failing to believe that a piece of technology could be making up cases out of whole cloth," the firm's statement said. Lawyers for Schwartz said he declined to comment. LoDuca did not immediately reply to a request for comment, and his lawyer said they are reviewing the decision. Schwartz admitted in May that he had used ChatGPT to help research the brief in a client's personal injury case against Colombian airline Avianca and unknowingly included the false citations. LoDuca's name was the only one on the brief that Schwartz prepared. Lawyers for Avianca first alerted the court in March that they could not locate some cases cited in the brief. Bart Banino, a lawyer for Avianca, said on Thursday that irrespective of the lawyers' use of ChatGPT, the court reached the "right conclusion" by dismissing the personal injury case. The judge in a separate order granted Avianca's motion to dismiss the case because it was filed too late. The judge wrote in Thursday's sanctions order that there is nothing "inherently improper" in lawyers using AI "for assistance," but he said lawyer ethics rules "impose a gatekeeping role on attorneys to ensure the accuracy of their filings." The judge also said that the lawyers "continued to stand by the fake opinions" after the court and the airline questioned whether they existed. His order also said the lawyers must notify the judges, all of them real, who were identified as authors of the fake cases of the sanction. (Reporting by Sara Merken; Editing by Leigh Jones and Jamie Freed) Trucks carrying protest banners drive through New York during Modis US visit Joe Biden welcomes Indian prime minister Narendra Modi to the White House in Washington, DC (Getty Images) The fanfare around Narendra Modis visit to the US has been punctuated by protests over accusations that his right-wing administration is cracking down on human rights in India. Trucks bearing banners calling upon Joe Biden to question the Hindu leader were seen in the streets of New York on Wednesday even as several Democratic lawmakers urged Mr Biden to directly put across questions about human rights violations to Mr Modi. Addressed to Mr Biden, digital posters on the trucks carried slogans like Did you know mob lynching of Muslims, Christians and Dalits have surged under Modis rule. With almost no accountability and Hey Joe! Ask Modi why student activist Umar Khalid has been in prison for 1000+ days WITHOUT Trial? Another banner addressed to Mr Biden asked Why was Modi banned from the USA from 2005-2014? and provided an answer for him. More than 70 lawmakers earlier wrote to Mr Biden and called on him to use his meeting with Mr Modi to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms (Via Twitter/ @arjunsethi81) It read, for particularly severe violations of religious freedom and added that the Indian prime minister was the only person ever to be denied a visa on these grounds. The banners also labelled Mr Modi as the Crime Minister of India. As Mr Biden and Mr Modi enter the second day of the latters high-profile state visit and look to ink new partnerships in defence, semiconductor manufacturing and more, the visit has been overshadowed with calls to address violence and crimes against minorities in India. Images of the Modi truck at large. pic.twitter.com/q8QEOZZtNj Aatish Taseer (@AatishTaseer) June 21, 2023 Notable progressive voices, like Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, have said they will boycott Mr Modis address to the US Congress, stating that a joint address is among the most prestigious invitations and honours the United States Congress can extend. We should not do so for individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed communities, Ms Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement. More than 70 lawmakers earlier wrote to Mr Biden and called on him to use his meeting with Mr Modi to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms. It is an important country to me, and we must call out some of the real issues that are threatening the viability of democracy in all of our countries, said representative Pramila Jayapal, who was born in India and helped organise the lawmakers letter. If India continues to backslide, I think it will affect our ability to have a really strong relationship with the country. A week before Mr Modi was due to arrive in the country, US rights groups planned protests over what they call Indias deteriorating human rights record. The Indian American Muslim Council, Peace Action, Veterans for Peace and Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition planned to gather near the White House when the two leaders were expected to meet. The protesting groups prepared flyers that said Modi Not Welcome and Save India from Hindu Supremacy. Another event is planned in New York, featuring a show titled Howdy Democracy, a play on Mr Modis 2019 Howdy Modi! rally in Texas with Donald Trump. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch invited policy makers, journalists and analysts to a screening in Washington of India: the Modi Question, a BBC documentary that questioned Mr Modis leadership during the 2002 communal Gujarat riots. The documentary was banned in India, with the Indian government calling it a propaganda piece that displays bias, [a] lack of objectivity, and frankly a continuing colonial mindset on the part of the BBC. The BBC defended itself and said it adhered to the highest editorial standards. Since Mr Modi came to power in 2014, India has plummeted from 140th in the World Press Freedom Index, to 161st this year, its lowest dip ever, while also topping the list for the highest number of internet shutdowns globally for five consecutive years. Advocacy groups have also raised concerns over alleged human rights abuses under Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) saw a boost to his political brand Tuesday night after his slate of endorsed candidates in the state legislature races won their primaries. Youngkin waded into the GOP contests last month, backing 10 candidates, all of whom won against their primary challengers. The results are a boon to the incumbent governor ahead of what is expected to be a hard-fought cycle in November. They also bolster his image as a rising star within the GOP ranks. In a memo released Wednesday, the chairman of Youngkins Spirit of Virginia PAC, Dave Rexrode, argued Youngkin has an unprecedented opportunity to impact Novembers races given the commonwealths newly drawn district lines, along with other factors. The fact is, an open-seat environment, with a well-liked Governor who is directly working these races, while advancing a popular agenda that moves Virginia forward is cause for optimism as we look to hold the majority in the House and flip the Senate, Rexrode wrote. It is still a challenging climb, but the strength of Governor Youngkins image, job approval, and the support of his commonsense agenda is critical to a successful November. The governors team pointed to contested primary races last night, including in Senate District 27, where Republican Del. Tara Durant, who was backed by Youngkin, defeated Matt Strickland by roughly 14 points. Its always a risk to involve yourself in an intramural contest, but it was a calculated risk because I think that the governors team knows that if you want to win the state Senate back this fall, which is no easy task, then you have to go in and try to find the candidates who would be most successful in that attempt, said Tucker Martin, a Virginia-based GOP strategist. Youngkin rolled out his endorsements along with a slickly produced six-figure ad buy last month ahead of the primaries to flex his political muscles. He is ready to stick his neck out, put his political capital on the line to get good Republican legislators to work with, said Will Ritter, the CEO of Poolhouse, an agency that does media for Youngkins PAC. What happened last night shows that hes got a sophisticated political operation that sets a goal and hits it. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage Republicans have touted party unity coming out of Tuesday while painting Democrats as a party grappling with infighting. Gov. Youngkin deserves credit for being a unifying force and being a boost, said Mike Joyce, communications director at the Republican State Leadership Committee. Having the unified force that we have going into November, it really speaks to the work that Gov. Youngkin has done. But others argue Youngkin and his allies are overhyping the governors role Tuesday. His candidates won, but they were in Republican primaries, said Bob Holsworth, a veteran Virginia political analyst. It doesnt mean anything for the fall. Its important that Tara Durant beat Matt Strickland because that seat is one the Republicans absolutely have to keep if it has any chance whatsoever of flipping the Senate, Holsworth added. But that wont win the Senate for him. Holsworth noted that going into November, Democrats are starting with roughly 20 seats that are relatively safe, meaning Youngkin and Republicans will be tasked with winning every competitive race and likely will have to flip a seat. Its not predetermined that hes likely going to be successful in flipping the Senate, Holsworth said. Thats an uphill climb for him in Virginia. And Republicans say they are keenly aware of what will be a steep climb to win back the state Senate, where the Democratic majority has been a bulwark against much of Youngkins agenda. It will be tough, Ritter said. If we can go back in the way-back machine, Virginia was completely written off as a blue state. Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in Virginia by 10 points, he continued, referring to the 2020 election, which took place one year before Youngkin was elected. Democrats argue that Youngkins narrative coming out of Tuesdays primaries is designed to boost his national narrative going into the 2024 presidential race. Youngkin has not formally closed the door on a potential run, but his team has maintained he is laser-focused on the Legislature races in Virginia this fall. Youngkin said last month that he would not be headed out on the presidential campaign trail this year. While a stellar performance for Virginia Republicans in November could theoretically bode well for Youngkin in a presidential primary, it would be a logistically mammoth task for him to shore up enough support ahead of the Iowa caucuses in early 2024. Still, Novembers state legislative elections will be partly as a referendum on Youngkins first two years in office. Additionally, the stakes are raised for him because he can only serve one consecutive term as governor in Virginia, meaning what happens under him could have a profound impact on his political legacy. I think that this fall is going to be characterized by so many countervailing forces that its hard to say what the No. 1 issue or dynamic is going to be, Martin said. Yes, there is a portion that will be, How do you feel about the governors leadership? Theres also going to be a portion of it that will be, How do you feel about how the presidents doing? Theres also the Trump effect, Martin added. Abortion will be a big issue. Education will be a big issue. And who knows what else will come up between now and November? Political practitioners agree Novembers elections in Virginia will be a test for both parties ahead of next years general election. Democrats have already signaled that they plan to make abortion access a key issue in Virginia, while Republicans are already painting Democrats as too progressive or extreme on multiple fronts. This is going to be like the first election in 2024 in some ways where the parties are going to be testing out their messages, Holsworth said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Dr. Yusef Salaam, a member of the infamous Central Park Five, is running for New York City office. Once a teenager falsely accused and convicted of rape, Salaam is now running for New York City Council in Central Harlem, vying for votes in the June 27 Democratic primary against career politicians Al Taylor and Inez Dickens. Salaam, 49, is an NYC native hoping to make a difference in a city that once sentenced him to prison, where he served nearly seven years before being exonerated in 2002. Thirty-four years after being falsely accused, Salaam is running to represent a struggling neighborhood grappling with poverty 10 points higher than the 18% citywide rate. While his competitors have pointed to his lack of governmental experience as a disqualifier, Salaam frames his lack of political experience as potential virtue. Ive often said that those who have been close to the pain should have seat at the table, Salaam said during an interview with the Associated Press. Who is running for president in 2024: Who is running for president in 2024 election? Closer look at every candidate so far. The Central Park Five AKA The Exonerated Five In 1989, a 15-year-old Salaam experienced first-hand the impact NYCs power, politics and institutions can have on an otherwise normal life. Salaam was part of a group of Black and Latino teens, now called the Exonerated Five, who were falsely accused of the rape and beating of Trisha Meili, a white woman who was attacked while jogging in Central Park. The group, which also included Antron McCray, 15; Kevin Richardson, 14; Raymond Santana, 14 and Korey Wise, 16, were handed down sentences in 1990 ranging from 7 to 13 years. The convictions came despite a lack of witnesses, conflicting stories, allegedly coerced confessions and inconclusive DNA evidence. It wasnt until 2002, when serial rapist Matias Reyes confessed to the crime and it was confirmed with DNA, that the five were officially exonerated. By that time, they had all served their sentences. After their exoneration, the young men took legal action against the city, filing a multi-million dollar lawsuit for malicious prosecution, racial discrimination and emotional distress. The city eventually reached a settlement of $40 million with the group, who later sued the state of New York and won an additional $3.9 million. Housing crisis in California: Nearly one-third of nation's homeless population lives in California, new research shows New York City Council candidate Yusef Salaam smiles during an interview with The Associated Press, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in New York. Salaam is one of three candidates in a competitive June 27 Democratic primary. With early voting already begun, he faces two seasoned political veterans: New York Assembly members Al Taylor, 65, and Inez Dickens, 73, who previously represented Harlem on the City Council. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Yusef Salaams platform Salaam, now a father of 10, left New York for Stockbridge, Georgia after his release, returning to New York as recently as December 2022. He still considers NYC his home, however, and has spent the years since his release as a political advocate, serving on the board of the Innocence Project, an organization that helps wrongly convicted individuals navigate the legal system. While Salaams competitors recognize his celebrity as a factor in the campaign, Salaam doesnt shy away from his notoriety, using it in speeches as a way to have conversations about mass incarceration and criminal-justice reforms. According to his campaign website, his platform is centered on equity and the empowerment of marginalized groups; housing, environmental and economic justice; safety and human infrastructure. When people look at me and they know my story, they resonate with it, Salaam told AP. But now here we are 34 years later, and Im able to use that platform that I have and repurpose the pain, help people as we climb out of despair. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Central Park Five member Yusef Salaam runs for NYC city council Containers sit stacked at a port terminal with residential houses behind in Wellington, New Zealand By Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON (Reuters) - As New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins prepares to lead a trade delegation to China seeking greater access for both the country's primary exports and emerging sectors such as gaming, producers are diversifying away from their biggest market. Beijings attempts to punish neighbouring Australia through trade for perceived intransigence over issues from the origin of COVID-19, to spying and human rights, has been noted in New Zealand. The percentage of New Zealands goods exports going to China dropped to 29% in the year to April from 31% in 2022, the first time since 2015 that the share of exports to China has dropped. Wellington has historically taken a more conciliatory approach towards China than Australia or its other Five Eyes security partners. It signed an upgraded Free Trade Agreement during the pandemic and when former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met with President Xi Jinping in November last year, the Chinese leader noted New Zealand's independent foreign policy. But in recent years, New Zealand has become increasingly vocal on issues including human rights, the international rules based order and potential militarisation of the Pacific. This month, it signed a joint statement of Western allies condemning economic coercion through trade. The heightened implication of the geopolitical landscape is huge, said Mathew Talbot, general manager for Alliance, one of New Zealands largest beef and sheep meat exporters. Building of North Asia (markets) and the building of Southeast Asia (markets) is really, really crucial because it's de-risks that dependency, Talbot said. After New Zealand signed on to a joint statement condemning economic coercion, without citing the agreement directly, Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong tweeted: More often than not, those that seek to sanction other countries to stunt their progress to no avail have only hurt themselves. He did not respond to a request for comment. CALLS FOR DIVERSIFICATION There is no expectation that New Zealand will stop selling to China. China needs the food and fibre that New Zealand produces and is prepared to pay for it. But calls for diversification are growing, driven on two fronts. Firstly, fears the market could become more challenging if geopolitical challenges heat up, but secondly, by a growing number of small companies that see markets in Australia and North America as offering better opportunities as they will pay for premium and sustainable products. Hipkins, who heads to China on a trade mission for six days on Sunday, is aware of the need to seek new buyers. The government has signed seven new or upgraded free trade agreements as part of our really concerted effort to diversify our overall market shares, Hipkins told media last week after announcing the trip. At the same time, he said China was a valuable partner. Twenty-nine businesses leaders from a range of sectors will accompany Hipkins, who also has visits with the President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Peoples Congress Zhao Leji, on his visit. I think we'll have a fairly broad ranging conversation (with Xi Jinping) ... It's an opportunity for me to underscore the importance of the New Zealand-China relationship, said Hipkins on Monday at his weekly press briefing. A Chinese embassy spokesperson said in an email the bilateral relationship has come a long way with many firsts created, greatly benefiting the two countries. They hoped the Hipkins visit would result in a deepening of mutual understanding and trust between the two countries. China is going to be a really, really fundamental trading partner for this country for the foreseeable future, Pete Chrisp, chief executive of government funded international business development agency New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. But there is some hedging around other markets...The market diversification is driven by both the need to find premium consumers who are going to pay for sustainability credentials, but also they'll be making their own geopolitical assessment and they'll be doing the 'China And' not "China Or' (strategy)." (Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Additional reporting by Martin Quin Pollard in Beijing; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) Scientists from across the world have issued a dire warning that if global warming continues to go unrestrained, glaciers in the Hindu Kush area of the Himalayan mountains might lose as much as 80% of the ice by the end of this century. Floods, landslides, avalanches, and food shortages as farmland is swamped are all things the report claims would result from glaciers melting. And it will reportedly directly affect billions of people in Asia. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal found that the melting of such a large freshwater supply might have far-reaching consequences, even for the whole human population. Izabella Koziell, deputy director general of the ICIMOD, told CBS News this week that the fast glacier melt in the Himalayas will have global repercussions. "Even if this feels remote to us sitting far away, it is going to affect us - whether that is through mass people movement or sea-level rise," Koziell pointed out. "When the glaciers in the Himalayas melt, the ice sheets in Greenland, Arctic, and Antarctic are also melting. This means there will be sea level rise, there will be quite dramatic changes in ocean circulation as a result of the increase in freshwater into oceans, and this will have huge impacts on us." Study on Himalayas Ice and Snow Reserves The recent research report warns that Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) ice and snow reserves are melting at an "unprecedented" pace. It also indicates that environmental changes to the vulnerable area are "largely irreversible." Including Mount Everest, the HKH region's greatest peaks cover around 2,175 miles from Afghanistan to Myanmar. It is the source of water for 12 rivers that go through 16 Asian countries and has the highest amount of ice on Earth outside of the two polar regions. Approximately 240 million people in the HKH area and roughly 1.65 billion people farther downstream rely on the freshwater provided by these rivers. A catastrophic event for all those people would be the glaciers melting. According to the paper, widespread population displacement is expected as a result of harsh weather occurrences and crop loss. Scientists have connected the increasing frequency and severity of natural catastrophes like floods and avalanches in the Himalayan area to climate change and global warming, and this trend has been apparent for at least the last decade. See Also: Himalayan Glaciers Are at Risk of Losing Up To 80% of Their Ice by 2100 If Global Warming Is Not Controlled Demand for Immediate Climate Action Researchers are urging swift action to curb global warming and save as much of the Himalayas' ice sheet as possible. "To prevent additional ice loss, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced through the use of clean and renewable energy sources," Professor Anjal Prakash, an author on the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), stated, adding that collaboration among Himalayan states and international organizations is necessary. To keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, the UN's IPCC predicts greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 and be cut by 43% by 2030. The present trajectory of the planet is not sustainable if those goals are to be maintained. See Also: Europe's Most Dangerous 'Supervolcano' Likely to Erupt Soon, New Study Warns @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Bloomberg) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said he wouldnt characterize Chinese President Xi Jinping as a dictator, disagreeing with US President Joe Biden. Most Read from Bloomberg No, and the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people, Hipkins told reporters Thursday in Wellington when asked if he agreed with Bidens assessment. The US President made the unscripted remark at a fundraiser earlier this week. Hipkins was speaking just days before he is scheduled to meet Xi in Beijing, the first visit by a New Zealand Prime Minister to China since 2019. He is leading a business delegation there that includes executives from New Zealands largest companies, aiming to expand trade with what is already the nations largest export market. Listen: Twitter Space conversation on Biden calling Xi a dictator Bidens reference to Xi as a dictator came a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken left Beijing with a joint commitment to ease tensions with China. In response, China said Bidens remark was a public political provocation. Asked whether the Chinese people had a say in their form of government, Hipkins said: if they wanted to change their system of government, then that would be a matter for them. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. New Zealand PM disagrees with Biden, says Xi Jinping not a 'dictator' SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, ahead of his official trip to China at end of this month, said on Thursday he did not agree with U.S. President Joe Biden's remark that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was a dictator. "No, and the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people," Hipkins told reporters. Asked by a reporter whether the Chinese people had a say in the form of government, Hipkins said: "if they wanted to change their system of government, then that would be a matter for them." Hipkins is scheduled to visit China from June 25 to 30, leading a trade delegation that includes some of New Zealand's biggest companies. He will meet Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and the chairman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress, Zhao Leji. China hit back on Wednesday after Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a "dictator", saying the remarks were absurd and a provocation, an unexpected flare-up following attempts by both sides to reduce friction. (Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Gerry Doyle) The prime minister of New Zealand told reporters that he rejects President Bidens characterization of Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "dictator." "No, and the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people," New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told reporters when asked if China was indeed led by a dictator, which Biden said at a fundraising dinner in California on Tuesday. Asked by a reporter whether the Chinese people had a say in the form of government, Hipkins said: "If they wanted to change their system of government, then that would be a matter for them." Hipkins, a member of New Zealands leftist Labour Party, is scheduled to travel in a few days to China, where he will meet with its leaders, including Xi, to discuss a trade deal. REP. MATT GAETZ URGES BIDEN TO 'TAKE OUT THE CHINESE ASSETS IN CUBA' AMID SPY BASE CONFLICT New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and President Joe Biden Biden said in California that Xi was embarrassed after the U.S. Air Force shot down the Chinese spy balloon. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didn't know it was there. Thats a great embarrassment for dictators when they didnt know what happened." BEIJING, WASHINGTON TRADE BARBS AFTER BIDEN LABELS CHINA'S XI A 'DICTATOR' The comment drew a strong rebuke from the Chinese government. "The U.S. remarks are extremely absurd and irresponsible," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday. "It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition." President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and Preserve in Palo Alto, California, on June 19, 2023. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Fox News Digitals Lawrence Richard and Reuters contributed to this report. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a decree dismissing Ihor Kyzym from the office of the Ukrainian ambassador in Belarus. Source: European Pravda, referring to the decree on the Presidents website Quote: "To dismiss Ihor Kyzym from the office of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine in the Republic of Belarus," the decision stated. Details: Despite numerous calls to sever diplomatic relations not only with Russia but with Belarus as well, Kyiv has not taken this step since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Instead, Kyiv called the Ukrainian ambassador in Belarus for a consultation multiple times, but soon he returned to Minsk again. Background: For the last time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine decided to call Ihor Kyzym in April due to the meeting of Alexander Lukashenko, self-proclaimed President of Belarus, with Denis Pushilin, head of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic. After that, the Ukrainian ambassador did not return to Minsk. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russia is probably preparing to commit a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which could lead to a radiation leak. Source: Zelenskyy in an urgent speech on 22 June Quote: "We have just had a report from our intelligence and the Security Service of Ukraine. Now our intelligence has received information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. A terrorist attack with radiation leakage. They have prepared everything for this." Details: The President has pointed out again that radiation knows no state borders and that "who it will hit is determined only by the wind direction". Zelenskyy has added that Ukraine is sharing all available information and evidence with partners in Europe, America, China, Brazil, India, the Arab world and Africa. "There should never be any terrorist attacks on nuclear power plants anywhere. This time it should not be like with Kakhovka the world has been warned, so the world can and must act," Zelenskyy summed up. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! President Volodymyr Zelenskyy President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a bill on banning the import of books from Russia and Belarus, the presidents press service reported on June 22. The bill is aimed at restricting Russian and Belarusian influence on Ukrainian book publishing and distribution as a means to counter the aggression of these states. It also underwent additional assessment by EU institutions to ensure the protection of minority rights, particularly linguistic rights, in line with the European Commission's recommendation on Ukraine's EU accession. Read also: Ukrainian publishing house wins 2023 Best Childrens Publishers in Europe "I believe this law is the right decision," Zelenskyy wrote. However, the new law has faced criticism and was vetoed by the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for potentially violating certain provisions of the Ukrainian Constitution, and for not aligning with EU law. Nevertheless, a petition supporting the initiative gathered enough signatures to proceed. In the midst of public debate on the issue, a social media campaign called #TimeToSignTheBookLaw was launched. Prominent writers, publishers, and public figures, including Oksana Zabuzhko, Tamara Horikha-Zernia, and Volodymyr Viatrovych, joined the campaign. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is convinced of the need to completely liberate the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP ) to prevent a catastrophe that Russia can create. Source: Zelenskyys evening address Quote from Zelenskyy: "Our principle is simple: the world must know what the occupier is preparing. Everyone who knows must act. Of course, after the Russian terrorist attack on the Kakhovka HPP [Hydroelectric Power Plant - ed.] and deliberate attacks by terrorists on other dams and energy facilities, no one in the world should have any illusions about Russia. Russia is now the global centre of cynicism, and from there can come any order for any evil they hope to mask under this or that catastrophe." Details: According to the president, the world has enough power to prevent any radiation incidents and, even more so, a radiation catastrophe. "Everyone understands that the intelligence services of different countries can give appropriate signals and can put pressure on. This is necessary," he said. Zelenskyy emphasised that the complete liberation of the ZNPP is needed. "And anyone who turns a blind eye to Russia's occupation of such an object, to Russia's mining of the premises and facilities of the nuclear plant, actually contributes not only to this Russian evil but to terror in general," the president noted. In addition, Zelenskyy said that today he instructed Ihor Klymenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, to carry out all the necessary measures and the necessary explanatory work with citizens regarding all existing risks. And in the near future, it will be done. Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron! Even after 16 months of a full-scale invasion, Konstantin Zhevago has no plans to change the name of his yacht Z NV has located the superyacht belonging to Ukrainian oligarch Kostyantin Zhevago: the vessel is currently moored in Dubai, and was named Z before the letter became associated with Russian aggression against Ukraine. Read also: Ukrainian billionaire Zhevaho released from jail in France on bail of 1 million euros This luxury yacht, spanning multiple deck levels and 65 meters in length, is docked at the Dubai Marina in the United Arab Emirates. Zhevago's press office has confirmed that the yacht is part of the Zhevago family investment portfolio and involves other international investors. "The vessel is currently in Dubai for scheduled maintenance, which should be conducted every 3-5 years in accordance with the standards and requirements of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)," said the press office. In response to a question from NV on why the billionaire has not changed the yacht's name after 16 months of full-scale invasion a name that now strongly associates with Russian aggression the press service said the following: Read also: Ukraines Deposit Guarantee Fund sues former banker Zhevago for $1.25 billion Konstantin Zhevago has repeatedly explained to the media that the name Z corresponds to the first letter of the English transliteration of the Zhevago family name. The yacht was named during its construction, before 2014. The name has no connection to the war in Ukraine. It's purely coincidental that Putin and his military, who are committing aggression against Ukraine, painted the letter Z on military equipment. However, this does not mean that Kostyantyn Zhevago, or anyone else for that matter, should rename anything that has this letter, including last names beginning with the letter, or that Z should be removed from alphabets of the world. The Z yacht, with an estimated value of $70 million, has been seized by a Ukrainian court, along with other assets belonging to Zhevago. These assets include his shares in companies, dozens of properties, and a helicopter all for the alleged embezzlement of $113 million from Finance and Credit Bank. The State Bureau of Investigation included the yacht in its list of seized properties. Read also: Ukraine seizes assets of Boguslayev, Zhevaho, Kolomoisky worth $1 billion Forbes Zhevago owned the bank until 2015, when it was declared insolvent and liquidated by the National Bank of Ukraine. The Prosecutor General's Office put Zhevago on the national wanted list in 2019 and the international wanted list in 2021. He was detained by French police at Courchevel in December 2022. However, a French court ruled against extraditing the Ukrainian businessman, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine and the inability to guarantee human rights and fundamental freedoms in court. Earlier this year, the Kyiv Commercial Court seized the businessman's assets worth UAH 46 billion ($1.25 billion). The Deposit Guarantee Fund has filed a lawsuit to recoup losses to the bank and its creditors. Zhevago isn't permitted to leave France while French law enforcement investigates his case, according to Mykhailo Tkach, a journalist with Ukrainska Pravda. Furthermore, Zhevago could be implicated in the case of the former Chief Justice of Ukraines Supreme Court, Vsevolod Knyazev, who is suspected of accepting a bribe of $2.7 million. Finance and Credit Group, owned by Zhevago, has ties with a company implicated in the bribery. Semen Kryvonos, the Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), called it the largest exposure of a high-ranking judicial official since the establishment of his service. Read also: What to know about Stanislav Kravchenko Ukraines new Supreme Court Chief Justice Kryvonis alleged that Kostyantyn Zhevago arranged illicit payments to Supreme Court officials in exchange for favorable rulings in a lawsuit ongoing from 2005 to 2023 The Supreme Court upheld Zhevaho's 40% stake in the Poltava Mining and Processing Plant. Zhevago denies any involvement in the multimillion-dollar bribe. Zhevago is the majority shareholder of Ferrexpo, which operates several mining and processing plants in Poltava Oblast Poltava, Yeristovo, and Bilanovo mining and processing plants Read also: French court denies Ukraines extradition request for Zhevago in Finance and Credit Bank case Ferrexpo's profit was $220 million last year, four times less than in 2021, according to the London Stock Exchange, where the company's shares are listed. The company's revenue also halved to $1.25 billion amid the full-scale war. Before the war, Zhevago ranked fifth in NV's ranking of the wealthiest Ukrainians, with a net worth of $1.5 billion. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The National Parks Service is asking visitors along the Blue Ridge Parkway to be bear aware after several bear encounters, including in the campsites at the Peaks of Otter Campground near Bedford, according to a news release. The beginning of the parkways visitor season coincides with early feeding season for bears, resulting in human and bear encounters in several spots on the 469-mile park, the release said. While the National Parks Service hasnt closed the campground at Peaks of Otter, rangers have closed trails in the area of Bull Mountain in Asheville, North Carolina. That closure is expected to remain through the end of the June. Visitors are encouraged to be BearWise when visiting bear country, said Blue Ridge Parkway Wildlife Biologist Tom Davis in the news release. These early season encounters are not out of the ordinary, however we want to use them as an opportunity to remind visitors that their actions in the park can help keep themselves, other park visitors, and wildlife safe. Visitors and neighbors to the parkway are reminded to: Maintain situational awareness. If you encounter a bear, back away slowly in the opposite direction and wait for the bear to leave; or make loud noises, shout, or bang pots and pans together to scare the bear away. Keep dogs on a leash. Pets must be kept on a leash no longer than six feet while in the park. Leashes protect your dog from becoming lost, getting too close to others, and disturbing (or being disturbed by) wildlife. Keep food out of sight. Mandatory food storage regulations are in effect in all park campgrounds, picnic areas and backcountry campsites. All food, coolers, utensils, cook stoves and other food related items must be stored out of sight in a closed vehicle or in a bear-proof food storage locker. For more bear safety tips, visit BearWise.org. If you encounter a bear while on the parkway, call (828) 298-2491 or stop at the nearest visitor center to report the encounter. In Virginia, an officer with a private police department must meet all of the same training requirements as other state law enforcement officers. But if that private police officer is killed in the line of duty, their family is not eligible for the same benefits. In light of Wintergreen Police Officer Mark Christopher Chris Wagner IIs death in a shooting June 16, Nelson County officials and state legislators are looking to change that statute. Wagner, 31, was the first law enforcement officer to respond to a residence on Arrowhead Lane in the Wintergreen community of Nelson County on Friday, after an emergency call came to the Wintergreen Police Department about two people being assaulted. Wagner encountered Maryland man Daniel M. Barmak in the woods and a struggle ensued over Wagners department-issued handgun, according to Virginia State Police. Wagner was shot and killed, and Barmak also suffered gunshot wounds, state police reported. Barmak, 23, currently is charged with one count each of aggravated murder of a law enforcement officer, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, drug possession and malicious wounding. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 4 in Nelson General District Court. Area police departments quickly responded with public support for Wagner, his family and the Wintergreen Police Department. Virginia State Police joined Wintergreen Fire and Rescue and Nelson County Sheriffs Department personnel on Tuesday to pay homage to Officer Wagner along an overpass over Interstate 64 in Afton, as state police vehicles transported his body home to Stuarts Draft along the interstate. Photos on the sheriffs departments Facebook page show law enforcement personnel saluting along the overpass next to an American flag hung from a Wintergreen Fire and Rescue fire trucks ladder. In a phone interview Wednesday, Nelson County Sheriff David Hill said in addition to his units, other police and sheriffs departments along the escorts route from Richmond to Stuarts Draft honored Wagner from overpasses along I-64. Its heartbreaking of course and its one of the things we dont want to think about. It could easily be anyone at any point in time, Hill said. He took an oath and he responded to those that were in need, so this speaks volumes of his character and integrity. Wintergreen Fire and Rescue posted to its public Facebook page Sunday, The support shown for the public safety team at Wintergreen over the past 24 hours has been overwhelming. It is very important that we support Officer Wagners family. Sadly, Wintergreen Police Officers dont have the same benefits as public police officers. Theyre required to complete the same academy, have the same authority, and do the same jobs, however, due to antiquated laws, they dont have the same benefits. According to Virginia Code, a private officer is not entitled to benefits under the Line of Duty Act or under the Virginia Retirement System and is not a qualified law enforcement officer within the meaning of the federal Law Enforcement Safety Act. According to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice, there are 42 private law enforcement agencies in the state. The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and Wintergreen Police Chief Dennis Russell organized a public fundraiser for Wagners family that as of Wednesday afternoon had raised $92,000. Local representatives intend to go further, though. Chair of the Nelson County Board of Supervisors Jesse Rutherford said in a phone interview Wednesday he and West District Supervisor David Parr met with the Wintergreen Police Department on Sunday, and are working on a resolution to honor Wagner and endorse legislation to extend the line of duty benefits. Chris was a breadwinner for his family, is my understanding, Rutherford said. He thinks the families of deceased private officers deserve the same benefits as state officers, and wants the legislation change to also extend to animal control officers. Unfortunately, this is how we learned about it, Rutherford said of the issue, adding as a county, Nelson wants to support our own. Parr explained his stance on expanding the Line of Duty Act benefits in a statement. [Private Police Departments and Animal Control Officers] are not only integral parts of our overall public safety program in Nelson; they are essential components of public welfare in localities statewide. They protect and serve our citizens, putting their lives on the line every day, just as other covered positions do; and they should be afforded the same benefits. Rutherford reached out to and found support in the Virginia Senate and House of Delegates with Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, and Del. Ellen Campbell, R-Rockbridge. Interviewed by phone Tuesday, Sen. Peake said he intends to sponsor a bill to change the code concerning private police officers line of duty benefits and plans on being the chief patron in the state Senate. Peake said localities may protest about the cost, but that private police officers put their lives on the line just like any other officer, and if an officer is killed in the line of duty their families shouldnt suffer. According to the Virginia Line of Duty Act, the one-time payment for the surviving spouse and dependents of an officer killed in the line of duty is $100,000. In an emailed statement, Del. Campbell said ... I believe we have an obligation to take care of a fallen officers family. Public or private, officers like Chris Wagner are out in the community every single day putting their lives on the line to keep us safe. The least we can do to thank them for their ultimate sacrifice is to make sure their families are eligible for line of duty benefits. I hope another family never has to experience what Officer Wagners family is experiencing right now, but if they do, I hope we will be able to take away one source of stress. An Amherst County official also expressed support for Nelson supervisors planned resolution. Amherst Board of Supervisors member Claudia Tucker asked the board during a meeting Tuesday to formally take up a stance on the matter in July. It would equal the playing field between those private officers and officers who serve our localities, Tucker said. Amherst County would have a dog in that fight because we have Sweet Briar [College] here. And so we would be in the same situation. The US Coast Guard said Thursday (July 22) that a remotely-operated vehicle deployed from a Canadian vessel had discovered a "debris field" near the Titanic and that experts were "evaluating the information." The robot vehicle was one of two sent to the bottom of the Atlantic in search of the Titan, a van-sized submersible owned by OceanGate Expeditions, after it went missing early Sunday morning (June 18). A representative for Pelagic Research Services confirmed to CNN that its robot was the one that found the alleged debris field. On board, the Titan were five passengers: OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, retired French submariner Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British billionaire and adventurer Hamish Harding, and British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Sulaiman. Rescuers feared they had run out of time to find them alive as the sub's 96-hour oxygen supply was about to run out. Earlier reports this week said sonar buoys had detected banging sounds at 30-minute intervals, speculating the crew might still be alive. However, remote-controlled underwater vehicles could not pinpoint the location of where the noises were coming from. Even if the Titan was located in time, there would be logistical challenges to retrieve the sub and pluck the passengers out of it alive. It was also reported that several individuals have been doubting the standard on which the Titan was built, as well as its questionable steering and control systems and if they were even rated to dive as deep as the Titanic in the first place. The alleged debris field might be attributed to the worst-case scenario experts have feared, that the Titan imploded in itself and crushed all five aboard. US Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger told NBC the search would continue throughout the day. Read Also: Inside the Titan Submersible: Single Porthole Offers a Glimpse of the Deep A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic. Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information. 1/2 USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 22, 2023 Older Dawood Not a 'Risk-Taker,' Friend Says According to SETI Institute President and CEO Bill Diamond, Shahzada Dawood, the Pakistani businessman aboard the Titan, was a "quiet and unassuming" person and not a "daredevil by nature." He added that he did not intend to be known as a "risk-taking explorer," unlike fellow passenger Hamish Harding, the billionaire, and adventurer who once flew aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard capsule to the edge of space. "I think he would want to be remembered as a humble businessman, curious about the world and fascinated by the opportunity to take this excursion and be on this expedition," he told NBC. The SETI Institute is a California-based organization searching for signs of extraterrestrial life. The older Dawood is on SETI's board of trustees. His 19-year-old son Sulaiman is with him on the Titan. OceanGate CEO's Wife Related to Titanic Victims Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that Wendy Rush, the wife of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, is a descendant of two famous Titanic victims. It was revealed she was a great-great-granddaughter of Isidor and Ida Straus, a wealthy elderly couple who drowned alongside hundreds of passengers and crew aboard the Titanic when she sank in 1912. Their great-grandson Paul A. Kurzman said in 2017 that the couple were first-class passengers on the Titanic and had chosen to die together as the ship sank. The story has been an inspiration to one of the scenes in the 1997 film "Titanic," where an elderly couple embraced each other in bed as their room began to flood. Straus Historical Society executive director Joan Adler said Wendy was related to one of Straus' daughters on her father's side. Aside from being the wife of Stockton, she also had a role in OceanGate as its director of communications, according to her LinkedIn page. This is a developing story. Please check back on HNGN later for more updates. Related Article: Titan Submersible: OceanGate CEO's Wife Wendy Rush Related to Famous Titanic Victims @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. On June 1, P.E.O. Chapter MF gathered at the Council Bluffs Country Club for its regular monthly meeting. Following the business portion, the program was Let Me Tell You About My Special Jewelry. We shared some of our individual pieces and heard the history of each and of its special significance. Judy Hughes hosted a reception at her home for Karen Collins on May 17. After many years in Council Bluffs and in Chapter MF, Karen and husband Bob will be returning to live in Rolla, Missouri. Karen will be so missed by all and we wish them blessings and Godspeed as this new adventure awaits! Our next meeting will be July 6 at the Country Club. The Council Bluffs Public Library will offer a unique display next week. During Sheila Craigs program Remembering the Apron: A Nostalgic Look at the Apron on Wednesday, June 28, attendees have the opportunity to view approximately 100 different aprons with various fabric and trims. Presenter Sheila Craig is a grandmother with a collection of aprons. Her program, Remembering the Apron, takes a nostalgic look at the apron in an interactive, hands-on program. The program will look at the fabrics and trims, the styles and uses of aprons, including examples for men, too. Craig is a retired University of Minnesota Extension Educator from Preston, Minnesota, originally from Decorah. She has been doing apron programs for about 20 years for libraries, church groups and care facilities as well as the Iowa State Women Around Ag Conference in Clear Lake, Iowa. She is married; has two grown sons and their wives, and two grandsons. This program set for 2 p.m. Wednesday in the librarys Meeting Room B is free of charge, open to the public and is sponsored by the Council Bluffs Library Foundation. Do you remember where you were on April 19, 1995? I was a sixth grader at Plainview Elementary School in Plainview and I was playing soccer at noon recess when I heard there was a bombing in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Norfolk City Council convened on Monday in council chambers at city hall for its regularly scheduled meeting. All council members were present, with the exception of Justin Snorton. Also in attendance were 11 city staff members and more than 50 members of the community. The meeting laste Click the photo to write a caption and have a chance to win a free subscription to the Norfolk Daily News. Moroccos aviation sector is experiencing remarkable evolution, and the Kingdom, a vibrant and strategic country in North Africa, is emerging as a key player in this field, states US Forbes Magazine in an article by a business strategist. The global aviation industry is expected to grow over the next 10 years, and I believe Morocco is emerging as a key player, as business people can leverage its favorable geographic location, skilled workforce and progressive business environment, Henri Al Helaly, Business Strategist and CEO at Strategiae writes in the article. The author of the article indicates that over the past few years, he has been working with businesses in the aviation space and is currently finalizing a joint venture that provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services in Morocco. Through this experience, he says, hes learned a lot about Morocco, its aerospace industry and the benefits business people and investors could see when doing business in the country. Nestled between Europe and Africa, Moroccos geographical location has positioned it as an attractive hub for business aviation. The country can provide access to vast markets, serving as a gateway for business expansion and trade opportunities, the business strategist underlines, adding that Moroccos proximity to Europe could provide an opportunity to expand operations and reach new markets. Moroccos aerospace value-added trade is one of its fastest-growing sectors, according to the U.S International Trade Administration, he says, pointing out that the Kingdom has established itself as a reliable and cost-effective destination for MRO services. Aviation and MRO services in Morocco also present a wealth of employment opportunities for the local workforce. These job opportunities contribute to the socioeconomic development of the country, he indicates, noting that Morocco boasts a skilled and multilingual pool of talent for businesses to tap into as well. According to the author of the article, Moroccos rise in business aviation and MRO services can also benefit clients from Africa and Europe. There tends to be competitive pricing offered by Moroccan providers, and, when combined with a commitment to quality, this presents an attractive alternative to more expensive options in the region. With competitive operational costs, Morocco offers cost-effective solutions for business people and investors as well, which can allow them to optimize their budgets and potentially increase profitability, he says. Also, Morocco offers a business-friendly environment with investment incentives, political stability, and government support, which make it an appealing destination for business people and investors. From my perspective, Morocco presents ample market potential for business people and investors to explore and capitalize on various business aviation and MRO service opportunities, Henri Al Helaly stresses. He also underlines that the Moroccan government has invested heavily in modern infrastructure development, including airports, and that Moroccos evolution in business aviation and MRO services signifies its emergence as a prominent player in the global aviation industry. The expansion of these sectors can not only help create new job opportunities for Moroccans but also position the country as a cost-effective and efficient solution provider for clients in Africa and Europe. Moroccos aviation sector is poised for further growth and will contribute to the countrys economic prosperity and reinforce its position as a preferred destination for business aviation and MRO services, states the author of the article in conclusion. European Ambassadors accredited to Morocco commended the vision of King Mohammed VI for the continued democratization of public access to Moroccan and international culture. This came during a working luncheon hosted for the European Union Heads of Mission by the Italian Ambassador in Rabat, Armando Barucco, and the Ambassador of the EU, Patricia Llombart Cussac. The European diplomats also praised the National Museums Foundation (FNM), for its tireless efforts to enrich and diversify Moroccos museum heritage, with 17 museums opened since 2011, and other major projects still in the pipeline, such as the Museum of Islamic Art to be hosted by Palais El Batha in Fez. This contributes to the continuous transformation of the Kingdoms museum system, said a joint press release by the EU Delegation and the Italian Embassy in Rabat. The event, held in an exceptionally cordial atmosphere, provided an opportunity for the diplomats to emphasize the outstanding level of Morocco-EU cultural cooperation, and to discuss the Foundations strategic initiatives, aimed at establishing additional museums and explore various collaborative avenues within the framework of cultural and neighborhood policies of the EU, the press release said. The EU diplomats expressed willingness to support the Foundations museums programs and to help it foster creativity, and preserve and restore heritage. This includes leveraging national expertise, especially through training and professional exchange initiatives, and assisting Morocco in creating an open cultural Mediterranean, African, and European space. They also affirmed the EU countries shared ambition to cooperate actively in implementing joint cultural initiatives and programs with Morocco, for the benefit of intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding between their respective peoples. A pan-African payment system that would allow African nations to trade among themselves, using their own currencies, is gaining momentum, as the platform has recently started commercial operations with nine countries having signed up so far, according to the Afreximbank President Benedict Oramah. The African Export-Import Bank or Afreximbank expects 15 to 20 countries to have joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) by the end of the year. The banks president said in an interview ahead of the lenders annual meetings in Ghanas capital. The PAPSS system is using dollar exchange rates for now, said Oramah, whose bank funds the system. But we are working with central banks to develop an exchange-rate mechanism that would allow Africas 42 currencies to be convertible among themselves. What we are doing is to domesticate intra-African payments, he said. With the vast majority of intra-regional trade in Africa being conducted through conversions to the US dollar, PAPSS, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and other initiatives seek to boost internal trade by reducing barriers, including the need for intermediaries such as the greenback. Some African leaders have increasingly called for the so-called de-dollarisation trade in currency other than the US dollar. The greenback has been the worlds reserve currency for over 75 years, but many nations, including in Africa, are now seeking to trade in local currencies to reduce costs, avoid sanctions and reshape the global financial system. For example, the South African High Commissioner to India has recently spoken out against the domination of the US dollar in the world economy. Also the President of Kenya, William Ruto, has repeatedly called on African leaders to move away from using the US dollar for intra-Africa trade, and to support the pan-African payments and settlement system, launched in 2022. Armed factions in Somalias northern semi-autonomous state of Puntland have agreed to a ceasefire after dozens of people had been killed after the states parliament voted to change the regions voting system. At least 26 people were killed and 30 injured on Tuesday (20 June) in clashes outside parliament in Garowe, the Puntland capital, between local security forces and armed militiamen loyal to the opposition, police and witnesses said. The clashes occurred as the local parliament debated constitutional changes that include the introduction of one-man-one-vote elections, which the opposition sees as an attempt by the President of Puntland to extend his term of office. But after a group of traditional elders said on Wednesday (21 June) they helped negotiate a pause in the fighting, the sound of gunfire had reportedly stopped, fighters had left the streets and shops reopened. Opposition groups in Puntland accuse the regions leader Said Abdullahi Deni of seeking to extend his term in office beyond January next year, or help tip the ballot in his favour. Deni has not commented publicly on the allegations. Somalias President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called on both sides to silence their guns and return to the negotiating table. Also Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre called on both parties to settle their differences through dialogue rather than arms. An arid oil-rich region on the northeastern coast of Somalia, Puntland declared autonomy in 1998, and relations with the central government in Mogadishu have often been tense. The ability to download public Instagram Rells arrived. Instagram company head Adam Mosseri mentioned on his Instagram broadcast channel that users can download Reels from select accounts to their camera roll - a first in Instagram history. However, there is quite a catch to Instagram's new feature. Instagram Reel Download Feature Details Mosseri mentioned on his Instagram Broadcast channel that users would be able to download Reels from public accounts to their camera roll, allowing people to enjoy their favorite content outside of the app even when offline, per Tech Crunch. However, there is a catch: only US-based Instagram users can access this new feature. It is also unclear if downloaded Reels will bear a watermark; the pictures Mosseri posted showed that a downloaded Reel would show an Instagram logo, along with the account name. To download a Reel from a public account, users must tap on the share icon and then select the Download option. Meanwhile, public accounts can switch off the ability to download Reels from their accounts, though he didn't mention how they could do so. It is unknown if Meta, Instagram's parent company, would allow users from other countries to download Reels from public accounts sometime in the foreseeable future. Read More: WhatsApp's New Privacy Features Silence Calls From Unknown Numbers If this feature reminds you of TikTok's download feature, then you'd be correct. TikTok uses a similar format to attach a watermark on videos users download from its platform, and it has had this feature for years, gaining more popularity in the process. Although Instagram does allow users to download Reels, the company only allows users to download their own Reels without a watermark from drafts. Playing Catch-up to TikTok Needless to say, this feature is one of Meta's efforts to compete against TikTok in the social media scene, which remains highly popular in the US despite the bans against it by the US government from state- and government-issued devices and individual states. You may recall that the state of Montana had enacted a total ban on the China-based app on its constituents, meaning that using TikTok is prohibited within its borders. The decision has been controversial to those living in Montana - many TikTok content creators, along with TikTok itself, sued the state for enacting its total ban on the app. It is unknown if other states are also working to pass a total ban on TikTok within their orders. Other companies are also playing catch-up with TikTok. In 2021, Instagram stopped promoting content with a watermark from other video-sharing platforms, while YouTube started including a logo-based watermark on downloaded Shorts - the company's short-form video product - to discourage cross-platform sharing. Meta allowing US-based users to download Reels from public accounts is a move that could drive more growth and revenue for the company in the next few months as it did in the last few quarters. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Instagram users have been spending more time on the platform; it grew by 24% thanks to AI-powered Reels recommendations. Related Article: Instagram Might Have Its Own AI Chatbot Soon Malis ruling junta has asked prosecutors to probe the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA for espionage just days after the government in Bamako called on the United Nations to withdraw its peacekeeping mission from the West African country without delay, denouncing its failure to respond to security challenges. These accusations come following a UN report which said hundreds of people were massacred last year by Malian troops and their allies. The Mali public prosecutors office said on Tuesday (20 June) a unit specializing in terrorism and transnational crime had received a complaint from the state over members of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, or MINUSMA. The juntas complaint describes the members of MINUSMA as co-authors or accomplices in crimes, among others, of espionage, harming the morale of the army or air force, use of false documents and harming external state security, according to the statement. It also alleged the United Nations used satellites to gather information without government clearance a technique, it said, that amounted to espionage and warranted investigation. According to a report published last month by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), which is based on an investigation into events that unfolded in the central town of Moura in May 2022, at least 500 people were executed by the Malian army and foreign fighters. The figures cited by the OHCHR amount to the worst atrocity Mali has experienced since a jihadist insurgency flared in 2012. The junta earlier denounced the report as fictitious and said the only dead were terrorist fighters, a term typically used to describe jihadists. This comes only days after the West African nations military junta criticized MINUSMAs failure to respond to security challenges and called on the UN to withdraw its peacekeeping mission from the country without delay. Senegals investment promotion and grand projects agency, APIX, will organize on July 6-8 the countrys first Invest in Senegal Forum seeking the development of local and regional markets. APIX in a statement argues that the event is meant to draw benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and promote investment opportunities in Senegal and Africa. The event will gather around 3,000 delegates among whom State officials, investors, economic leaders, asset owners from the continent and the rest of the world, SME managers, regional and international organizations, as well as technical and financial partners. The Agency through the Forum also seeks to encourage B2B meetings between investors, the Government and private-sector companies taking part in the Forum, increase public-private partnerships and joint ventures, promote SMEs and mobilize financing for regional integration projects. The town of Diamniadio, about 30 kilometers from Dakar city center, will host the event. The town is currently being developed to become a new city dubbed Diamniadio Urban Pole. South Korea is considering investing in multiple areas in Niger, chairman of the Asian countrys Private employers Council told President Mohamed Bazoum. Chey Tae won Anthony who also doubles as Chairman of SK Inc., a holding and IT services company headquartered in Seoul, met with the Nigerien leader in Paris. Both sides, according to the Office of the African leader, talked about possibilities for Korean investments in the West African country in several areas including energy, oil, mining, hydraulics and infrastructure. In a separate report, Nigers Premier Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou also hosted in capital Niamey South Presidents envoy to Africa, Hong Jin-wook. The former South Korean diplomat to Egypt indicated that Seoul has extended an invitation to President Bazoum in view of deeply discussing relations between the two countries and the most practical way of translating them. The Moroccan economy has made remarkable progress and impressive export growth, particularly in industrial sectors such as automotive and renewable energies, said Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva. Morocco has exported 700,000 cars, which shows the countrys upward trend in this highly competitive sector. The North African Kingdom also manufactures aircraft parts and has become a leader in renewable energies, the IMF Chief told Saudi Asharqbusiness newspaper. Last January, the Fund projected the Moroccan economy to grow by an average of 3.2% over 5 years thanks to the structural reforms that will help offset the negative impacts of Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. Moroccos GDP, which slowed to 1.2 pc in 2022, is expected to accelerate to 3 pc in 2023, mainly driven by the rebound in agricultural output and its positive spillovers to the rest of the economy, according to the IMF forecasts. Morocco is a shining example of Africas greatest potential, said Mrs. Kristalina, who visited the NOOR Ouarzazate solar complex, one of the largest concentrated solar power plants in the world. I was impressed by Moroccos engineering and development. I have no doubt that this country has a bright future, she stressed. During her visit to Morocco, part of the preparations for the upcoming annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the IMF due in Marrakech in October, she met several Moroccan government officials and took part in the high-level policy round-table on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), organized by Bank Al-Maghrib and the IMF. Ways of strengthening Moroccan-Portuguese security cooperation to counter terrorism and cross-border organized crime were at center of talks held Wednesday & Thursday in Portugal between Abdellatif Hammouchi, Director-General of national police & domestic intelligence agency and top Portuguese intelligence officials. During this working visit, Hammouchi was accompanied by a large security delegation. He met with Heads of several intelligence bodies including Secretary General of Portuguese Republic Information System (SIRP) Mira Graca Gomes, Chief of Security Intelligence Service (SIS) Adelio Neiva da Cruz and Director General of the Defense Strategic Intelligence Service (SIED) Carlos Lopez Perez. Talks covered regional and international security situation and the various dangers and threats facing both shores of the Mediterranean with the surge of terrorist activity in this region, said a press release issued by the Directorate General of Territorial Surveillance (DGST). The visit shows the two countries willingness to bolster security cooperation and enhance intelligence coordination to counter shared threats. The Committee to Protect Journalists joins several other international organizations in denouncing Algerian authorities for extending the prison sentence against journalist Ihsane el-Kadi, calling for his immediate release. On Sunday, June 18, an appeals court in Algiers increased from five to seven years a sentence for el-Kadi, editor-in-chief and director of local independent broadcaster Radio M and news website Maghreb Emergent. The verdict was issued after el-Kadi appealed an April 2 decision sentencing him to five years in prison, two years of which were suspended, for allegedly receiving illegal foreign funding. Algerian authorities decision to increase journalist Ihsane el-Kadis prison sentence on appeal is a slap in the face to those seeking justice within the countrys legal system, said CPJ MENA Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour. Authorities must immediately and unconditionally release el-Kadi, drop all charges against him, and ensure that journalists can work without fear of imprisonment, he stressed. On May 11, the European Parliament adopted a resolution highlighting el-Kadis case and calling for his release. He was arrested on December 24, 2022, one day after he discussed the likelihood of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune serving a second term in an episode of his radio program CPP on Radio M. French NGO Reporters Without Borders has also condemned the increased sentence against the Algerian journalist, saying, his conviction is surreal. It is the product of judicial harassment against a journalist who fought to freely exercise his profession in a context of generalized political lockdown. For its part, Amnesty International decried the ruling, saying that El Kadis unjustified detention by the Algerian authorities is yet another example of their ruthless campaign to silence voices of dissent through arbitrary detention and the closure of media outlets. Since the start of the popular Hirak protests in 2019, the situation of media freedom has taken a substantial turn for the worse in Algeria, with the authorities blocking more news sites and publications critical of the government, the human rights watchdogs deplore. Algeria has fallen two places in Reporter Sans Frontieres latest World Press Freedom Index and is now ranked 136th out of 180 countries. Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2024 is JoSee Saults, 22, of Big Springs. Currently bearing the title Lady-in-Waiting, she will begin her reign on Jan. 1, 2024. A daughter of Scott and Jill Saults, she grew up on the family ranch where they raise horses and a small herd of commercial cattle. She first competed for the Miss Teen Rodeo Nebraska title in 2018. That was a great experience. I got my foot in the door and opened my eyes, she said, but then I decided to put it on hold for a few years. Saults graduated from South Platte High School in Big Springs in 2019. During her high school years she and her twin brother, Ralph, traveled the state, participating in high school rodeo. She competed in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying and breakaway roping. Roping is her main event, and she continued that in college rodeo. Their 19-year-old brother, Jate, is now on the rodeo team at Western Oklahoma State College in Altus. Ralph is currently in the U.S. Marine Corps, stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. Saults went on to earn an Associate of Arts degree in communications at Eastern Wyoming College in Torrington, and this year she earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications and a minor in sociology at the University of Wyoming in Laramie Ive been dreaming about being Miss Rodeo Nebraska since I was 17, Saults said, and a few months ago she decided that was the time to go for it. I wanted to try ... at least once, and give it my best. Between now and the end of the year she will be working to find sponsors for her trip to the Miss Rodeo America competition. She will also be available to fill in for Rebel Sjeklocha at rodeos that the current Miss Rodeo Nebraska is not able to attend. Saults said she also plans to compete in several amateur rodeos this year. Next year she will keep busy traveling the country as Miss Rodeo Nebraska 2024. She will attend a lot of Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association rodeos where her main duties will be to promote rodeo, and Nebraska. After her reign she plans to attend law school in Wyoming. She also hopes to pick up a couple of classes that will qualify her for an associate of criminal justice degree. As for capturing the Miss Rodeo Nebraska title, I was hoping it would be in Gods plan, Saults said. Im very excited to see what He has in store for me next year. The title comes with college scholarships, including a two-year, renewable full tuition scholarship to Mid-Plains Community College at the conclusion of her reign. Other prizes include a tiara, saddle, buckle, chaps, tack and jewelry, awarded by sponsors of the Miss Rodeo Nebraska program. Saults will compete for the title of Miss Rodeo America 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, in December next year. Boebert moves to impeach Biden immediately; MTG complains shes being a copycat. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images The Republican-controlled U.S. House is hardly a well-oiled machine. At a time when Speaker Kevin McCarthy is trying to build a case for voters to eject Joe Biden and other Democrats at the ballot box next year, his excitable troops keep breaking ranks and cutting wild capers publicly. The latest incident involves a subject so inflammatory that it has drawn an embarrassing amount of attention: Lauren Boeberts resolution to impeach Biden, without hearings, over his handling of immigration policy and the situation at the southern border. On the evening of June 20, the fiery gun-rights absolutist, Christian nationalist, and House Freedom Caucus stalwart from Colorado tried to force a vote on her bid to impeach Biden by using a parliamentary tactic that allows any House member to bring privileged resolutions to the floor immediately. This was embarrassing for McCarthy, as Boeberts resolution (1) had no chance of passage given the House GOPs extremely narrow margin of control and (2) circumvented the regular order that Republicans are supposed to revere and that Democrats observed when impeaching Donald Trump twice. Boeberts resolution dispensed with formalities like Judiciary Committee hearings with witnesses, debates, and solemn votes, and just cut to the chase with a floor vote to send Biden to a Senate trial. When McCarthy called Boebert to the carpet (a closed-door House GOP conference meeting, to be more specific), she didnt bother to show, as The Hill reported: Boebert instead appeared on former Trump adviser Steve Bannons show on Wednesday morning, defending her move to force a vote on impeachment despite leadership encouraging her not to. I would love for committees to do the work, but I havent seen the work be done on this particular subject, Boebert said. She later said that there are not enough GOP votes to pass impeachment articles out of committee. This, Im hoping, generates enthusiasm with the base to contact their members of Congress and say, We want something done while you have the majority, Boebert said. In other words, she was disregarding party discipline in order to encourage MAGA yahoos to flood McCarthy and other colleagues with nasty messages about their failure to avenge the Trump impeachments and ongoing criminal indictments. So McCarthy took the extraordinary position of publicly calling on House Republicans to join Democrats in voting down the Boebert impeachment resolution. Instead of accepting a humiliating defeat on the floor, Boebert agreed to merge her resolution with a border-related impeachment resolution aimed at Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The House will now almost certainly refer both resolutions to the Homeland Security Committee, ending the immediate crisis. But the MAGA yahoos will still take notice of the House GOPs failure to go after Crooked Joe right away, so from Boeberts point of view, its still mission accomplished. The high drama of this first serious effort to impeach Biden may be overshadowed by the low comedy of current House GOP dynamics. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene announced she would support Boeberts impeachment bid. The Georgia Republican has been lining up her own resolutions to impeach four different Biden appointees, along with the president himself: She's introduced 5 impeachment resolutions 1. US Atty 4 DC Graves 2. FBIs Wray 3. DOJs Garland 4. DHS's Mayorkas 5. Pres Biden MTG, who introduced an impeachment res after Biden's 1st day in office, says she's following through w/ "promises" she made to her district Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) June 21, 2023 MTG, once a close Boebert ally who has been feuding with her lately, added some snark to her support for the Coloradans move, as The Hill reports: I had already introduced articles of impeachment on Joe Biden for the border, asked her to co-sponsor mine, she didnt. She basically copied my articles and then introduced them and then changed them to a privileged resolution, Greene said. So of course I support em because theyre identical to mine. Theyre basically a copycat, she added. The two MAGA frenemies had words on the House floor as the impeachment debate simmered, according to the Daily Beast. Greene called Boebert a little bitch for preempting MTGs role as Bidens tormenter-in-chief: Ive donated to you, Ive defended you. But youve been nothing but a little bitch to me, Greene told Boebert, according to a source who witnessed the exchange. And you copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to cosponsor them. The name-calling was confirmed by another GOP lawmaker and another source who witnessed the exchange. I heard Marjorie call Boebert a bitch right to her face, one GOP lawmaker said, granted anonymity by The Daily Beast to speak freely about the argument. OK, Marjorie, were through, Boebert then said, shrugging her shoulders. Saw this conversation not sure if it was a friendly one pic.twitter.com/tpz3z2Phtv Acyn (@Acyn) June 21, 2023 Kevin McCarthy really needs to get a grip on his conference without provoking the right-wing zealots who could take away his gavel if they wished. Meanwhile, the president and his appointees are looking safer by the day. 5 items in this article 1 item on sale! Photo: Jessica Goodman All winter long, I stared at a little patch of dirt just off of our porch, hoping that come spring we would turn it into a gravel patio. My SAD-induced vision board for the space included an outdoor-dining set, string lights, an umbrella, and a grill. You know, the basics. But after searching through the online retail trenches for months looking for a suitable table and chairs with a price tag that didnt make me gag, I figured the task might be impossible and wed be better off just eating on a picnic blanket on the lawn. And yet, when the warm months came, and the gravel went in, my itch to sit around a table covered in burger remnants and many bottles of wine grew stronger. I caved. It was time to pick an outdoor-dining set. My criteria were specific: I wanted a long, rectangular table that could fit at least six people (but squeeze eight if necessary). It had to be weather-resistant enough that I wouldnt have to keep a cover on it when not using it. Ideally, Id opt for chairs instead of benches because I hate sitting on something backless for long periods of time, and those chairs would be light enough to move around without much effort. Bonus points for seats that could be easily stored inside during the winter. Most importantly, after spending more money than Id like to admit to furnish the interior of our home, I couldnt stomach spending even more on this space, even if it meant getting excellent quality furniture, so the whole kit and caboodle had to be under $600. This price point seemed to be a step above will be trashed in one summer but below youll die with this patio furniture. I began my search by asking outdoor-dining gurus like designers, budget bloggers, landscape architects, and real-estate brokers for their picks. But I also enlisted friends who had any type of outdoor hang space and were willing to suggest something that might work. As my emails and texts went out into the world, one thing became clear fast: the budget was laughable. Multiple experts ignored the budget completely, sending me fabulous and durable metal choices in trendy colors and designs (like these ones from Hay and Floyd, both of which retail for over $2,300). Some misread my request and suggested individual tables or sets of chairs that hovered around $600 during sale season (like this gray washed pick from World Market or these steel and wicker chairs from Castlery). When clarifying that my budget was under $600 for both the table and seating, a bunch of folks balked and said they had no recommendations. A few threw out suggestions that only hit the price point during major holiday sales. But luckily, a handful of outdoor-dining heroes came through at the buzzer, offering tasteful options that had me dreaming about eating tomato salads al fresco. But these experts warned that because of my budget, Id have to sacrifice a few key components: Whatever I was going to buy would likely come from a big-box retailer, which comes with its own set of questionable ethics, and Id likely have to build the furniture myself. Many warned that I would be replacing the set in a few years if I wasnt vigilant about maintenance. Allison Messner, CEO and co-founder of Yardzen, the online landscape-design company, advised me to keep material in mind, especially because of my price point: The added complication of weather puts a greater emphasis on material when choosing a set, she wrote in an email. Exposure to sunlight and moisture will eventually wear out any outdoor dining furniture, but material selection will have a big impact on its lifespan. Look out for wood materials like teak, cedar, and acacia, and aluminum for metal. Because my patio sits directly in the sun during the afternoon and early evening, she also suggested keeping an eye out for tables that have umbrella holes, so I could opt for a patio umbrella, which is often much cheaper than a cantilever umbrella. Armed with all of that knowledge and a hell of a screwdriver, these were my options. The Finalists Threshold Northmont 6-Person Rectangle Patio Dining Table $385 $385 Arlena Armstrong-Petock, a real-estate broker in the Hudson Valley, recommended this steel table from Targets collaboration with Studio McGee. She hyped up the faux-marble top, advising that it held up nicely over the course of a few years with little wear and tear. Its sturdy with a modern look that could pair nicely with all sorts of seating options. Plus it has an umbrella hole with an extra support beam through the legs. Though it retails for close to $400, the table regularly drops to around $300. For seating, Armstrong-Petock chose wicker-and-metal chairs from the same collection, but they were too pricey for me to consider. Having sat on approximately one million metal bistro chairs that are prevalent at so many restaurant patios and are totally fine, I decided the faux-marble table would work well with the same classic black stackable chairs that come in at $28 a pop. $385 at Target Buy Christopher Knight Home Manila 3-Piece Acacia Wood Picnic Set - Dark Brown $463 $463 One friend who has a massive balcony patio in Stamford, Connecticut, sent in this acacia-wood pick from Target, but with a warning: I will say we did not take care of it all winter and it shows. Though I was originally anti-bench, I decided to consider this choice (even with the caution) because the price tag meant that I could throw in a cover and a cantilever umbrella (no hole here!) and still come in under or around budget. Plus, my husband and I were partial to the wood aesthetic even if that meant the furniture might need some TLC in the future. $463 at Target Buy The One I Went With When embarking on this journey, multiple people responded to my texts and emails with something along the lines of Ikeas is fine. Though the mecca of budget furniture has a few options for outdoor-dining sets, four people I spoke to had owned the Uber-popular Applaro table and chairs, made of dark weather-resistant acacia wood. Seating options are still available, but Ikea discontinued the table last year. One friend who moved from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Raleigh, North Carolina, said, Loved the look of the wooded set. It was enjoyed and destroyed within the four years we were in Philly. We had no cover, though I imagine that would have really helped keep it nice. Another friend in the Long Island suburbs who loved their Applaro set for five years recently upgraded to a few-thousand-dollar metal dining set, but filled out their yard with lounge chairs and a few folding chairs from Ikeas new Nammaro line, which is intended to replace Applaro and is also made of acacia wood. It comes in a lighter color and a more streamlined design. Theyre basic, but do the trick. Plus the matching table is cuter than their other one and doesnt scream I got this at Ikea since its a new look. Photo: Jessica Goodman I visited the showroom and found she was right. I loved the light wood, which felt timeless and easy to match with whatever else we put outside. Plus the set fits all my criteria: The table is long and rectangular with a hole for an umbrella. There are all sorts of different seating options to pick from, though only the folding chairs fit my budget, which is just fine because they are light yet comfy, and can be folded up for winter. The chairs also come pre-made, so no assembly is required there. And most important: One large table and six folding chairs comes in at $599, just under budget. There are, of course, a few drawbacks, like the fact my friend said her Ikea table was trashed within just a few years. (I ended up buying a $65 cover to protect the table and chairs during inclement weather and plan to take the chairs into our basement during the winter.) There are also small aesthetic details that show the table is flatpack furniture, like visible screws and washers, though that would be apparent with most of the picks on this list. But so far, its lived up to its promise of providing a place to have outdoor meals without blowing up my bank account. Weve been able to crowd as many as eight people around the table, with one stool at each head, and have had multiple barbecues, breakfasts, and happy hours on the patio. Acidic spills from things like ketchup and red wine are easy to clean with soap and water, as are condensation rings from sweating margaritas, though I imagine they could stain if left to sink in for long periods of time. Its withstood at least one rainstorm uncovered and multiple guests have commented with surprise at how sturdy and comfortable the fold-up chairs are. The set likely wont last with me until old age, but as far as attractive, affordable outdoor-dining sets go, its hard to argue with Ikeas Nammaro line. get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. E.L. James' latest book is titled E.L. James' latest book is titled "" I met with E.L. James over a video interview to discuss her upcoming romance, The Missus, a sequel to The Mister, her latest New York Times bestselling book. The author is at the helm of a staggering erotic empire tied to her romance book series, Fifty Shades of Grey and is known for placing a high value on her privacy so I wasnt sure the interview would even happen. For someone who has been asked intrusive and embarrassing questions like if she has a sex dungeon it isnt surprising she finds the uproar and prodding of the media from her work overwhelming. In a 2021 New York Times interview, James considers herself shy and is hesitant of the spotlight. Perhaps the introverted part of her personality is more of a reaction to the surprise and shock (and the media scrutiny) she still feels after her lightning quick and monumental success and in an attempt to keep the personal, personal. James said she believed when Fifty Shades of Grey was published it would only sell 5,000 copies, but instead it became a BDSM romance epic that has sold over 150 million copies worldwide. Christian Grey and his doe-eyed Anastasia Steele became so incredibly ingrained in the zeitgeist of the past decade, that in many ways it eclipsed the very series she took inspiration from: Stephanie Meyers Twilight. From turning the kink-forward romance books into an empire complete with sexual accessories and even handcuffed teddy bears James fandom toiling had a sweeping impact and perhaps even played a role in a publishing merger of one of the big five houses. James did this interview from her West London home, a few days prior to the release of The Missus a modernized romance inspired by Cinderella with a healthy dose of intrigue and action set throughout the United Kingdom and in Kukes, Albania. The novel has a new couple for her fans in the form of a rakish playboy earl and a stoic musician and chess-playing savant turned house cleaner, who despite the lust and love at first sight need to overcome extreme societal and cultural differences to be together. The rake is Maxim Trevelyan, an aristocratic spare who unexpectedly becomes a British earl upon the passing of his brother; the beautiful young savant is our heroine Alessia Demachi, a mysterious young Albanian with a dangerous secret. For anyone wondering, James hasnt forgone the spice albeit compared to Fifty Shades of Grey, the kink level is on the milder side the story instead builds on the romance and longing rather than the carnal, perhaps a nod to the romance novels the author has read throughout her life. But the male protagonist is well informed where it counts. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson in Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson in "Fifty Shades of Grey." The Mister is heavily immersed in several of the most stunning locations in England. From the posh streets of Chelsea to the seaside colors and drama of Cornwall, its a strikingly beautiful country and the sort of setting romance readers tend to eat up. James and her husband have a home in Cornwall, and she also spent time there when she was a child. But the second book in The Mister series pulls us away from the famed Poldark shores into the formerly communist Republic of Albania. In this HuffPost interview, James talks about researching for her new novel, adapting her books into films, how Hollywood too often underserves women, and what her fans should know about new couple Alessia and Maxim. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Did you have more fun writing this series, The Mister, or the Fifty Shades of Grey series? How did it feel in comparison? And how was it different in terms of your style of writing? Well, it was very different. With Fifty, that was fun because I was writing and publishing a chapter once, maybe twice a week. The readers following the tale on the site were excited to read along with me, and kept badgering me for the next chapter. It was a thrill to have that experience, and I love, as a discovery writer, learning more and more about my characters as I write their narrative. With The Mister Id written an extremely rough draft of the story back in 2008, so when I came to rewrite it, I had a framework to go on. I added all sorts of new elements, and it ended up being completely different from what I had originally imagined. Writing The Missus that tale unfolded as I wrote. There were no bones. No rough draft. There was only what had happened previously in The Mister, so it was harder and took much longer than I thought. It also took a great deal of research which was time-consuming. Its a solitary experience when you dont have people cheering you on and begging for the next chapter. It was great fun to pantser my way through it, but I got to the point where I thought, this is going in the wrong direction, and I had to go to Greece to relax and think. Lying on a beach with a cocktail is my best inspiration. My creative brain is finally free. [Laughs] So I sorted out all my narrative problems within an afternoon, and thought, Wow, I want to go home now so I can crack on with it. The first book, The Mister, is set primarily in Cornwall, but in The Missus, readers are brought more into Alessias life in Albania. What sort of research did you do for the setting and culture? When I started The Mister I found Alessia difficult to write. I couldnt get a handle on her at all. She was so far removed from me that I knew I had to go to Albania to try and gain an insight into her life. So my husband and I traveled there in 2018, and we had a wonderful time. You cant hire prestige cars like Mercedes or BMWs in Albania, so we ended up with a rented Dacia. It was really basic the most analogue car wed driven for a while but it had a USB port, so we could plug in our phone to access maps and music. It was a workhorse of a car, completely appropriate for Albania. So appropriate, in fact, that it ended up in the book. After a hairy drive in the dead of night through pounding rain, we arrived at our hotel in Tirana, the capital. The following morning, we took a tour of Tirana, which gleamed beneath the sun. Its a beautiful city, ancient and modern at the same time but what surprised me most was how hard it was to find bookshops. There was an impressive one in the city center, by Skanderbeg Square, but that was it! I discovered that under the Communist regime, only approved books were sold, which meant there were few bookshops. That gave me inspiration for the role of Alessias English grandmother in her story. We drove out to Kukes, Alessias hometown, and it wasnt what I had pictured in my head at all. Id imagined an old town with meandering streets, but it was mainly Soviet style blocks of flats lots of concrete and blue water towers. We learned that the old town had been drowned when a hydroelectric dam was built by the Communist government, and the townspeople moved to this new version of Kukes. But though the town itself is somewhat drab, it lies in a stunning setting of lakes and mountains. When we wandered the streets, people seemed incredulous that we were there. They kept asking us, Why have you come here? Why have you come to Albania? Which surprised me, because its a beautiful country and well worth a visit. Kukes is an isolated place, and visiting there, I got a sense of how Albanian women lived. They were not very visible; it was the men who sat in the cafes, enjoying their coffees and raki and when you did see the women, they were working hard, shopping for their households, caring for their kids or working behind the counter at the fast food places where we stopped to eat. And this helped you form Alessia in your mind, but Im also curious about the male protagonist Maxim because I know fans will immediately compare him to Christian Grey but they are so incredibly different in personalities. Theyre two different people, two different books, two different worlds. And I loved Maxims inner monologue. I read one review that didnt like how quickly he went back and forth between things, but to me it helped to build up how flippant and bored he is with the playboy lifestyle. Maxim and Christian are very different. But what I found fascinating about Maxim is that, at first, he doesnt know how to communicate with Alessia because shes just so other to him. Hes so confident with women normally, but hes completely undone by her. And watching him flounder in that situation was fascinating to me. I love that dynamic. How do you write that dynamic without it being overdone? Because its such a romance trope of the fabulously wealthy and handsome man that falls for a woman that feels unseen in some way. I think its Maxim that says in The Mister, You cant choose who you love. And I love the dynamic of a young and seemingly naive heroine who completely floors the hero. It happens both in Fifty and The Mister, but the difference is that Anastasia Steele wants to be seen by Christian, whereas Alessia, an illegal immigrant, is trying to be as invisible as possible. But shes unlike anyone that Maxim has met before and hes attracted to her. And of course, she is equally smitten by him. Also Maxim and Christian are completely different characters. Christian is driven, exhausting and unreasonable. Christians damaged personality and his issues provide a fertile ground for all sorts of conflict, whereas for Maxim the conflict is very much external. At heart, hes a reasonable human being and one of the difficulties of writing The Missus was that Alessia is too! [Laughs] Its very difficult to create a conflict with reasonable people. But there are subsidiary characters, in both their families, that help to provide angst and conflict. In Alessia, Maxim has found his perfect mate, shes strong, stoic and utterly loyal, unlike anyone hes known before. In fact spoiler alert I dont think Alessia ever shouts at Maxim the entire time. And for the record, shouting is my love language! Just ask my husband. "Fifty Shades of Grey" spawned a series of Hollywood films. But there is plenty of conflict. Like with Maxims relationship with Caroline, his brothers widow. Oh yes, Caro, shes interesting. She and Maxim have a complicated relationship. They grew up together. Yes, they had an affair. They were boyfriend and girlfriend, and over the years theres a lot thats happened between them. I really enjoyed writing Caroline; shes funny and forthright, and shes like a proverbial bull in a china shop. Shes a character thats ripe for conflict. In The Mister, theres a reference to Jamaica Inn byDaphne du Maurier, and then, of course there are the character names in your series is Maxim a nod to du Mauriers Rebecca? [Emphatically nods] Yes! Maxims mother is a big du Maurier fan. She is a fascinating character. The whole family is. Could you see the series becoming something like Julia Quinns Bridgerton series? Multiple books for different family members? I dont know. I have so many ideas Ive written three chapters of something else, and I have a whole other book written, so Id like to crack on with them. So I think The Mister and The Missus will just be two books. But who knows? I always say, never say never. Will there be a The Mister movie? And given the global success of Fifty, youre likely to have your pick of director and actors? Have you thought about who you might like to be a part of a new project? Hopefully there will be a Mister movie. The process has been hampered by the pandemic, and now the writers strike, but my fingers are crossed that a movie will happen. The Fifty Shades of Grey feature film series grossed more than $1 billion globally, a project which you co-produced and Hollywood can be dismissive and underestimates romance authors, which is shocking to me because its the highest grossing genre in publishing by a landslide. God, thank you. Yes, right. Yes, absolutely. Women are underserved by Hollywood. While making the Fifty movies I was amazed by how often the executives would slip back into old romance tropes. Fifty Shades was about female desire and the female gaze, and keeping true to that aspect of it was an important part of my role as producer on the trilogy. I like to think that Fifty Shades helped to shift the cultural conversation. Bridgerton, a show I love, very much reflects that female-centric world view, and we need more of it! I remember reading there were some issues about vision on the first film, but you should be involved in the making of the films. If anyone understands what their audiences expectations are, its you. Absolutely, yeah. I think what it taught me is, you dont sweat the small stuff. [Laughs] Whew! And just be sure that all the creative team have read and liked the book. You have to read the book! Exactly. For the sake of the millions of fans of the books. And thats all Ill say on that, for now. Hollywood and the media, I feel like can underestimate romance writers, but they also hold you to this highly scrutinized standard. Ive read interviews and reviews of your books that are so critical. This is the romance genre, you arent trying to publish War and Peace. Yeah, I know. Its like, its a fantasy, people! They underestimate the audience as well. The readers, the audience all of that is just so underserved, I think. Not with books, but with romance adaptations. And I know from my own experience, the importance of having the creator involved. And although its meant to be an escapist romp, you do write about topics that arent necessarily found in your average romance book you dont shy away from complex and complicated topics. Like for Christian Grey, he has his trauma from an abusive childhood, and with Alessia, shes kidnapped and almost forced into a sex-trafficking ring. Before you write about these topics, do you research them? Oh, completely. The research is exhaustive and exhausting. While researching sex trafficking for The Mister and The Missus, I ended up in this dark, dark part of the internet where survivors are telling their horrendous stories. As a writer you use how you feel about these issues, and how you react to it and your horror at the awfulness of it all. With Alessia, she narrowly escapes her kidnappers and the way she exhibits her trauma feels like this subtle shift, but doesnt completely alter her personality. Yes, I felt Ive got to know Alessia a lot better. And shes extraordinarily stoic and resilient, and I admire that in her. And maybe its because shes got her music as an escape, or maybe because shes found the love of a good person not that that should complete any woman, but it does help to have someone on your team, someone cheering for you. Whats next? You made a joke in another interview about how easily a middle-aged woman could become a spy. You should write that book. [Laughs] Yes, I should write that! As a middle-aged woman, I can just go anywhere and not be noticed. Its fantastic. And once Id reconciled myself to people not noticing me, its brilliant. But I like reading and writing about young people falling in love, because it makes me fall in love again. Its why I write. I love the process of falling in love with my characters. I also follow you on Twitter and youre quite vocal about politics, specifically about Brexit. Would you consider going into politics? No, no, no, I wouldnt. I could not go into politics. Im an angry, passionate, half Latin American, half Scottish, English woman Im not suited for politics at all. Im so upset about Brexi, which has been, as we remainers foresaw, an utter disaster. My husband, Niall, hes got the wherewithal and the language and the brain to be a politician. Maybe he should give it a go. Related... Commentary: Why Arnaud Bertrand wins debate comparing Chinese and American systems Xinhua) 10:42, June 22, 2023 BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- As the world moves toward multipolarity, the "superiority of the Western system" is increasingly being questioned, and fewer people believe it's universally better for all countries. In a recent debate comparing the Chinese and American systems, French entrepreneur Arnaud Bertrand -- with facts and logic, fresh perspectives and the courage to correct Western biases and misconceptions -- made a solid case that the Chinese model fits the very particular economic and geopolitical context that China is in today, and the Chinese system is suitable for promoting the wellbeing of its people. In a spirited online debate titled "Is the Chinese System Better than the American System," organized on April 5 by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a nonprofit American educational organization, it turns out that relatively unknown Bertrand emerged victorious over Adrian Zenz, an anti-China German academic based in Washington D.C., who was heavily promoted by part of the American political sphere and mainstream media. The exchange drew nearly 1,200 comments on YouTube, most of which praising Bertrand. People are curious about what led to Bertrand's victory and how he received so many positive responses from netizens. First and foremost, Bertrand relied on facts and logic. As a new-generation China observer, Bertrand has lived in China for seven years and has a deep understanding of the country and its people. Currently, he has over 100,000 followers on Twitter, where he frequently shares insightful comments on China-related topics. At the start of the debate, Bertrand made a statement acknowledging that while the debate aimed at comparing the Chinese system and the American one, he believed that political systems cannot be compared because each grows out of a country's unique history, economy, and geopolitical context, and is applicable only to its own people. However, within the framework of the debate, he proceeded to make comparisons in different areas. By citing abundant international research data and his personal experiences, Bertrand provided detailed explanations of China's performance in terms of freedom, stability, and prosperity. The entrepreneur mentioned China's remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation, saying that led to the largest and fastest reduction of poverty in the world and provided personal freedom for many as a result. In 2021, China declared the elimination of absolute poverty, having lifted nearly 100 million rural poor out of poverty in eight years. Citing statistics of the U.S. Census Bureau, Bertrand pointed out that 6 percent of U.S. citizens live in deep poverty, adding that a survey found 25 percent of the U.S. population worried about money for buying food. On the other hand, his opponent Zenz, who was initially expected to provide a strong defense of the superiority of the American governance system and values, spent the whole time criticizing communism and disparaging the Chinese government, completely deviating from the topic. "He spent all his time complaining about China, citing only the reports he himself wrote or the fabricated reports he published in Western media. The whole time, it was just a series of 'China is bad because ...' content, but that's not the topic of the debate," remarked a viewer who had watched the debate. Secondly, Bertrand won with his fresh perspectives and thoughts. Bertrand argued that poverty is the antithesis of freedom. When people live in extreme poverty, they lose the freedom of choice in most aspects of life. He also raised a simple question about "freedom from fear:" Can a person freely walk outside late at night in the United States? These arguments offered a refreshing perspective for Western viewers, enabling them to engage in deep reflection. Bertrand subsequently presented a deeper line of thinking: collective freedom. He pointed out that former French President Charles de Gaulle had once proposed that the biggest form of freedom should be independence as a sovereign nation, which is a prerequisite for all other forms of freedom. It is difficult to consider the people of a country to be free when the country is in a situation of being a "vassal state" or within the sphere of influence of a major power. "China is unarguably the freest country in the world in this regard, as it cannot be even remotely considered as being any country's vassal state and it just doesn't do military alliances -- it doesn't have any ... This high level of sovereignty allows China to focus on internal development and to maintain its freedom of action on the international stage," said Bertrand. Lastly, Bertrand dared to correct the biases and misconceptions about China in the so-called mainstream narratives. From freedom to stability, and then to prosperity, Bertrand made thorough comparisons, powerfully demonstrating that China's development has not only benefited its own people, but also made positive contributions to global peace and development. In contrast, Zenz spent the entire time repeating the debunked lies about China, failing to articulate his position in the debate, which was to argue for the superiority of the American system. Offline voting in the debate showed that Bertrand emerged as the clear winner. The debate between the two sides has been hailed as a public lecture on comparing the Chinese and American systems. While a single debate may not help much find the path to truth, it has opened a window for those, who have come to realize the biases in some U.S. perceptions of China, and believe in the power of facts over rhetoric. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie) Disney and LEGO are teaming up to release the biggest, boldest Disney castle yet. LEGO and Disney recently announced a partnership to develop and release a brand new LEGO castle featuring references to more than 14 classic Disney films sometime in early July. The two companies previously collaborated in the past to release a castle modeled after Cinderella's castle in 2016, though this one has smaller and has fewer pieces than the new one LEGO is releasing next month. New LEGO Disney Castle Details LEGO and Disney have recently partnered up once to develop and release an all-new Disney castle made up of 4,837 pieces to build - 800 more pieces to the LEGO version of Cinderella's Castle the former company released in 2016, per Gizmodo. The Disney Castle in question, the LEGO Disney: Disney Castle (43222) set, is an updated version of Cinderella's castle commonly found in Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The set, which consists of 4,837 pieces, is meant for play and display for a good reason. It showcases different rooms, classic Disney references, and nostalgic details within the set's rooms. The set is merely a facade of Cinderella's castle and not a full 360-degree replica, much like its 2016 counterpart, per 9to5Toys, allowing kids to roleplay as they wish, per LEGO. The references featured in the set are from 14 classic Disney films over the last century, such as "Steamboat Willie," "Snow White" (the first Disney Princess), "The Princess and the Frog," and "Moana." Read More: Reddit Hackers Side with Protesters Along with Ransom Demands Interestingly, the set also comes with eight minifigures that represent some of the Disney Princess characters and their male partners: Cinderella and Prince Charming, Snow White and Prince Florian, Princess Tiana, and Prince Naveen, and Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder (or Eugene Fitzherbert). LEGO customers wishing to buy this set should expect a challenging but rewarding build, as it measures over 31.5 in. high, 23 in. wide, and 13 in. deep. However, customers can explore the world within the castle as they build it, making an enjoyable experience. These include the castle's spinning dance floor in the grand ballroom and a rotating "enchanted" fireplace that reveals the spinning wheel from "Sleeping Beauty." It also includes a special time capsule commemorating 100 years of Disney movies. LEGO Disney Castle Availability, Price LEGO mentioned in its store that its 4,837-piece Disney Castle has a $399.99 price tag and that it will be available for purchase on July 4. People who wish to buy it earlier can do so by becoming a LEGO VIP member - they can buy the set on July 1, three days earlier than the rest of the world. The set comes with illustrated instructions, digital and physical, to help customers build the set. The Brick Fan also mentioned that LEGO customers that purchased select LEGO Disney sets would also receive the LEGO Disney 100 Years Celebration set for free, which features a podium, a movie screen, a projector that lights up, a desk, and a Mickey Mouse Minifigure. Related Article: LEGO Will Launch a Remote-Controlled NASA Mars Rover Perseverance Model Country music star Zach Bryan will perform in Opelika for the fall edition of the Auburn Rodeo October 7 at Sistrunk Farms in Opelika. Bryan will headline the annual concert that also features Ian Munsick, Luke Grimes and J.R. Carroll. He is a seven-year Navy veteran and actively pursued a career in music while still in the service and made a name for himself with his breakout hit Heading South. In the video for Heading South, shot by phone outside of his Navy Barracks in humid 95 degree heat, Zachs passion echoes off the strings of his trusted Guild, according to his website. Millions of fans have now seen that video without any sort of industry assist. Millions more have connected to the tender, sincere songs found on Zachs 2019 debut album DeAnn. His first two albums, DeAnn and Elisabeth, were self-releases while Bryan was still enlisted. Shortly after he was discharged, he signed with Warner and produced his first studio album, American Heartbreak, which was released in 2022 and went Platinum. Joining Bryan in Opelika will be Ian Munsick, a Wyoming native and rising star in the world of country music. Munsick recently released his second album, White Buffalo, on April 7 and his appearance at Auburn Rodeo will be part of his Buffalo Roams Tour, which kicks off on June 22 in Pocatello, ID. The producers behind the concert, Shane Quick and Nathan Baugh, were also the founders of Rock the South. The concert was once intended to be a one-year celebration before turning into an annual three-day festival. Quick and Baugh also created At The Station, a festival hosted in College Station which was headlined by Bryan and sold out in 48 hours. Zach Bryan is one of the best acts in music right now and a fan favorite for this show, Quick said. We are fortunate for the opportunity to bring this line up to Alabama. It is going to be a night to remember. Over the past three years, Munsick has accumulated nearly 400 million global streams and a host of accolades, according to Munsicks website. The 29-year-old has been named an Artist to Watch by Spotify, CMT, Fender, MusicRow and more. Yellowstone star Luke Grimes will continue his journey into country music with a stop at Auburn Rodeo this fall. Grimes has not released an album but has a strong of solo releases, including his recent track Playin On The Tracks. His debut release No Horse To Ride was an instant hit in December, debuting at No. 7 on the Country Songs sales chart and garnering over 15 million streams since. Rounding out the group J.R. Carroll, who debuted with the EP Long Story Short. Carrolls more recent work includes EPs such as Raging in the Dark and he is currently Bryans touring keyboardist. Sign up for a presale will be available at https://www.theauburnrodeo.com/, with the presale scheduled through June 22. The general sale is scheduled to begin on June 23 at 10 a.m. Tickets are being sold in two sections: the tier three VIP section costs $169.99 and tier three general admission tickets cost $89.99. Parking is a flat fee of $25. Ticket options can be found at https://www.theauburnrodeo.com/tickets and they will be sold directly through www.itickets.com. Well damn Demi Reply Thread Link can we plz come up with better inclusive language than "birthing people," it sounds like an underclass in a dystopian novel. "anyone who can get pregnant" or something similar would be so better and less robotic/dehumanizing. anyway this song is terrible but i respect that she's so outspoken Edited at 2023-06-22 06:24 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link idk how to say this without sounding like an asshole (which is not my intention, but we all have room to grow), but i think we may have gone a touch too far in trying to be inclusive. women who were afab are the majority of people who give birth and i personally don't see an issue in utilizing that word when addressing/talking about people who get pregnant. as a woman (afab) i'd prefer 'women and others who can give birth' when discussing the topic. happy to learn more!! Reply Parent Thread Link yeah i think that's fair, it's inclusive but also acknowledges that this primarily affects women! i also just think birthing person is particularly bad, especially for abortion rights. like uh, the point is that someone who is pregnant should not be forced to carry the pregnancy to BIRTH aka they are not a "birthing person" Reply Parent Thread Expand Link yeah, I'm with you. The issue with the term seems to be that anything brief (2 words max) makes the person sound like come kind of robot or something. Anything more humanizing requires more words and people are lazy. Reply Parent Thread Link I agree with that. We need to do better. Reply Parent Thread Link and if he cums i guess i gotta be a mother we gotta grow 'em, we gotta raise 'em, we gotta feed and bathe 'em and if you won't, they call you a witch to burn at the stake in salem ok, hester prynne's revenge!! kinda here for how unapologetic this is. Reply Thread Link the sound is not for me, but it's perfect for the message. Reply Thread Link okay this chorus is a grower y'all Love the lyrics and video Reply Thread Link Need to listen to this later. But Gaga's song Swine is still so good! This is a nice sentiment from her. I hope this bothers the correct people & empowers the rest. Edited at 2023-06-22 06:41 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link my first thought was that she covered gaga's "swine," which would prob be pretty great too Reply Parent Thread Link Mine too tbh! She should do a cover lol. I bet she'd make it sound good too. Reply Parent Thread Link This is so fire. The song, the lyrics, the video, the look, the message. YAAAS! Reply Thread Link this is really good tbh Reply Thread Link i respect demi for making a song like this cause you know it will piss people the fuck off. i guess she took it to capitol hill. Reply Thread Link Ooh she looks so good in this fit!!! I feel like she's more herself than ever and yet at the same time looks so uncomfortable performing anymore. I think it's because of her blind spots and such, tbh but that's purely my opinion. Reply Thread Link Not the sound for me. Good for her. Reply Thread Link This song is a banger! Go Demi! Reply Thread Link no, i am not kidding. Thanks to GOP, in this country men can actually get paid for sexually assaulting women or children. it is a real law on the books right now. see below. "Anti-abortion legislation in 5 states gives rapists and their families the right to sue abortion providers for at least $10k" https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-abortion-laws-give-rapists-more-rights-than-pregnant-women-2022-5 In Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Ohio, anyone is allowed to sue medical professionals who perform abortions or others who "aid" them for up to $10,000 in damages per abortion. Civilians may file suit, said Republican Tennessee state Rep. Rebecca Alexander, who sponsored her state's bill, "regardless of any standing they have in the case," Today reported. These bounty-style laws may allow for the family or friends of a rapist or the rapist themselves, if the assault has not been reported to the police to sue for civil damages in the event their victim gets an abortion. In Idaho, the parents, siblings, grandparents, and aunts or uncles of the pregnant person or the fetus may sue even if they are only related through sexual assault or incest. Rapists can also sue in family court for full parental rights. did you know that currently in 5 states in U.S. a rapist and each of rapist's family members can sue any doctor of family member of the rape victim who aided or provides abortion to the victim, even if rape victim is a 12 year old child who got pregnant as a result of statuary rape crime?no, i am not kidding. Thanks to GOP, in this country men can actually get paid for sexually assaulting women or children. it is a real law on the books right now. see below."Anti-abortion legislation in 5 states gives rapists and their families the right to sue abortion providers for at least $10k"In Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Ohio, anyone is allowed to sue medical professionals who perform abortions or others who "aid" them for up to $10,000 in damages per abortion.Civilians may file suit, said Republican Tennessee state Rep. Rebecca Alexander, who sponsored her state's bill, "regardless of any standing they have in the case," Today reported.These bounty-style laws may allow for the family or friends of a rapist or the rapist themselves, if the assault has not been reported to the police to sue for civil damages in the event their victim gets an abortion.In Idaho, the parents, siblings, grandparents, and aunts or uncles of the pregnant person or the fetus may sue even if they are only related through sexual assault or incest.Rapists can also sue in family court for full parental rights. Reply Thread Link if the world was already ending why did he have to do anything? Like, just wait it out? Is the defense that he believed there would be no consequences to the shooting so there shouldnt be? Reply Thread Link leave it to a member of the US military to think they can somehow fight back against the apocalypse. Reply Parent Thread Link is he suggesting he thought killing her would end the apocalypse? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Why did he even have a gun on him?? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I've never done shrooms. Does this make sense? Are there bad trips with shrooms? Reply Thread Link Bad trips are definitely possible on shrooms, especially with pre-existing mental or emotional health issues. Im guessing this is a set up for a diminished capacity defense? But I dont see how the world ending = gotta kill my ex makes sense itself. Edited at 2023-06-22 06:25 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Unless he decided he was going to do a one man Purge Reply Parent Thread Link ime, trips were dependent on my state of mind so bad trips absolutely happen on shrooms. my worst trip, however, ended with me running into the woods because i thought i was dying. to be cognizant enough that he targeted his ex-girlfriend specifically is....,like, call a spade a fucking spade. Reply Parent Thread Link There are bad trips on shrooms but a bad trip =/= murder rampage. And that guy decided to bring a gun to the festival assumedly before he took them. Reply Parent Thread Link They arent bad shrooms but you can have a bad trip. Your trip is going to depend on how much you take, your environment, and just your general mind state but its insanely irresponsible to be around any kind of weapons while youre tripping. He was in the military so Im guessing he was already kind of a paranoid aggro guy who had previous thoughts about the world ending or things like that. Shrooms especially are pretty emotional so once you start having bad thoughts, if you dont physically move to a different location, it can be really easy to start spiraling. Reply Parent Thread Link There are bad trips but the ones Ive seen just make you wanna lay down and curl for a while Reply Parent Thread Link had a bad trip but mine had me uncovering repressed trauma and shaking/vomiting, not committing homicide Reply Parent Thread Link I love shrooms, but I ate them in the summer of 2020 and ended up having to call 911 on myself because i was worried i was going to do something that would kill me. LIke at one point i thought i was already dead. I called my partner and told him the cats were dead and i was dying. It was the most terrifying thing ever. But I'd been really depressed and overwhelmed with covid and ate a TINY bit of mushrooms and all i could think of was this chipmunk that i'd seen die earlier that day and it was a huge tailspin. In the end it was very cathartic but omg. My mental health improved and I took a lot of good from the horrible experience. It was so wild that people have actually told the story to me about this girl that called 911 on herself after eating shrooms LOL and they're always wrong about it because it was WORSE than what they thought. I had deep conditioner in my hair so i was a greasy mess and had a shower at some point hoping it would sober me up but then i thought i was a ghost bc i had no reflection in my mirror. At one point i took my pants off. Once i got to the hospital i was given an ativan and I calmed down IMMEDIATELY it was so embarrassing and horrible. I'm always the responsible one so this was extremely out of character and got my in laws super worried about me, but it def broke the seal on mental health stuff i didn't realize i was struggling with. Reply Parent Thread Link Sounds like an excuse. Even if he had hallucinations that made him fear for his life, why was he carrying a gun at a festival? I feel like the first thing a gun owner should do before taking hallucinogens is to lock away their gun. Reply Parent Thread Link why did he have a gun if he was gonna do shrooms maybe he took the shrooms to have the courage to kill her Reply Parent Thread Link shrooms don't make you kill people, but they can trigger psychosis. if you have a history of psychosis, shrooms are a horrible idea. it sounds like this was a result of domestic violence and it seems pretty fucking premeditated given he brought a gun and killed her and her fiance. shrooms don't make you do that. how the fuck did they let a gun into a music festival? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link The last time I did shrooms my friend and I watched a Simpsons marathon and laughed hysterically for five hours Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I've taken psychedelics a number of times and I never had hallucinations or delusions. I had kind of a bad trip on mushrooms once because I was at a festival and my friends left me, at which point I realized I was intoxicated and defenseless if anyone wanted to hurt me. It might just intensify whatever you are feeling, but everyone is different. Reply Parent Thread Link I mentioned it in the FFA a few days ago, but I only found out about the shooting (and my sister being there) because my sister posted on her IG story day of that she was safe/all right. I managed to finally reach out to her and check in on her on Monday and she told me it was too close call for her, because the shooting occurred in the campsite area/location where she and her roommate were camping. My sister was thankfully at a stage when it happened, and she contemplated heading back at the time the shooting occurred because it was too cold and windy, but she decided, Nah, Im just gonna rough it out with the wind whatever instincts told her to rough it out Reply Thread Link Im glad your sister is okay Reply Parent Thread Link Thank goodness your sister's okay, omg. Reply Parent Thread Link That's terrifying! I'm so glad your sis is okay. Reply Parent Thread Link Oh my god, I'm so glad she's okay. Reply Parent Thread Link I'm glad she's okay <3 sending you both hugs Reply Parent Thread Link These fucking unhinged assholes Reply Thread Link Same, OP, I had no idea this even happened. I hate living in this country, where gun violence is so normalized that the news just ignores most of it. Reply Thread Link It's also looking like it was a targeted femicide by an angry ex. They also disappear out of the news very quickly. Reply Parent Thread Link I am in Oregon and this was all over the news here until the submarine took over. It made me realize I dont know if Ill ever be able to go to a concert and feel safe. Reply Thread Link A friend of mine survived the festival shooting on the Las Vegas strip in 2017. Hundreds of people were shot and 60 died. You know.. maybe that is subconsciously why I have no desire to go to a festival. Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah don't buy that for a sec, he went there to kill his ex. Piece of shit. Reply Thread Link And if she was seeing a woman, that could explain why he killed two women in a relationship. Or maybe it was just pure hatred of women regardless of sexual orientation. Who can fucking tell at this point. Reply Parent Thread Link So he was going to shoot the apocalypse? Reply Thread Link Smh >:( Reply Thread Link This is just an incel. End of story Reply Thread Link When are we going to do anything about gun violence? It's damn near an every day occurrence. So many innocent lives lost because... politics? I'm tired. Reply Thread Link I knew it happened but I didn't hear anything about it after the initial headline of "Oh another shooting" Reply Thread Link That shrooms defense is nonsensical, why would you be carrying guns around if youre tripping balls Reply Thread Link That's a weak excuse. He already planned to kill his ex. Reply Thread Link Kesha and producer Dr. Luke have settled a defamation dispute out of court. https://t.co/5bC6kYvENr Variety (@Variety) June 22, 2023 and producerhave settled a defamation dispute out of court, both parties released a joint statement on social media.Only God knows what happened that night, wrote Kesha. As I always said, I cannot recount everything that happened. I am looking forward to closing the door on this chapter of my life and beginning a new one. I wish nothing but peace to all parties involved.While I appreciate Kesha again acknowledging that she cannot recount what happened that night in 2005, I am absolutely certain that nothing happened, Dr. Luke wrote. I never drugged or assaulted her and would never do that to anyone. For the sake of my family, I have vigorously fought to clear my name for nearly 10 years. It is time for me to put this difficult matter behind me and move on with my life. I wish Kesha well.The move to settle comes on the heels of a New York appeals court decision 10 days ago that determined that Dr. Luke would be considered a public figure for the purposes of his lawsuit, making the burden of proof higher for the producer to prove he was defamed by Kesha.The court additionally ruled that Kesha could recover some of her legal fees from Dr. Luke if she prevailed as a defendant. But the producer also came out ahead in some other matters in the courts lengthy brief, which ruled that some of Keshas statements as part of court documents that she wanted to be inadmissible would remain part of the lawsuit and be left for a jury to decide. The outlook for Colombias economically crucial oil industry is bleak. Not only has it failed to recover from the pandemic and return to a pre-2020 tempo of operations, but the July 2022 presidential electoral victory of former leftist guerilla Gustavo Petro sparked considerable concern over the oil industrys future. Colombias first-ever left-wing president, who took office on August 7, 2023, plans to end awarding new contracts for hydrocarbon exploration and ban hydraulic fracturing. Those propositions form an important part of Petros energy transition and ending Colombias overreliance on hydrocarbons. While this policy is attracting substantial negative attention from various industry participants and financial markets, there are many credible reasons to decrease Colombias dependence on oil extraction. The primary headwind impacting Colombias hydrocarbon sector is a chronic lack of oil and natural gas reserves. Indeed, despite the considerable hype surrounding the Andean countrys hydrocarbon potential, there are signs Colombia does not share the oil resources of its regional neighbors like Brazil, Ecuador and Venezuela. At the end of 2022, it was determined that Colombia has meager proven hydrocarbon reserves (Spanish) of 2 billion barrels of oil and 2.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Those proven oil reserves are only sufficient to last another 7.5 years at the current rate of production, while the gas reserves will sustain just over seven years of production. Of considerable concern is that Colombias reserve growth over the last two decades has come from minor oil discoveries and the adoption of improved recovery techniques at mature oilfields rather than world-class finds. A range of methods is being employed to improve oil recovery from Colombias aging mature onshore oil fields. The most common technique is waterflood or injection, which occurs after the primary recovery phase has ended. Waterflood is used to boost reservoir pressure making it more efficient and cost-effective to lift the crude oil contained within. Once secondary recovery no longer proves effective, then enhanced or tertiary recovery is employed. This typically consists of natural gas, nitrogen, carbon dioxide or chemical injection to bolster reservoir pressure and the oils viscosity, making it easier to extract. A popular tertiary recovery technique employed in Colombia is natural gas injection. The gas associated with oil production is captured by drillers and then reinjected in wells to bolster reservoir pressure and enhance recovery. This is one of the reasons for the Andean countrys constrained natural gas supply. Tertiary recovery is costly with their widespread deployment, as is occurring in Colombia, leading to high breakeven costs for each barrel of oil produced. It is estimated that Colombias average breakeven price is around $45. That was before Petros November 2022 tax hikes added a scalable levy that increases taxes payable as Brent prices rise and removed royalties as an income tax deduction, causing breakeven prices to increase. Improved recovery techniques are widely used in Colombia, where 80% of the Andean countrys oil output is sourced from aging mature oilfields with high decline rates and have passed their peak production. According to Energy Minister Irene Velez (Spanish), those oilfields, which are between 30 years to 100 years old, are still pumping significant commercial volumes of crude despite their age because of the use of improved recovery methods. It is the prolific Rubiales field, which commenced operations in 1988 and hit peak production a decade ago, that is Colombias most important oilfield pumping around 100,000 barrels per day. A range of improved recovery techniques is employed at the Rubiales field, which is operated by the national oil company Ecopetrol, to counter rising decline rates and bolster economically crucial oil production. Reserve growth through the employment of enhanced recovery techniques is unreliable and unsustainable, with a limited lifespan. This means for Colombias petroleum industry to have a sustainable long-term future then, hydrocarbon reserves must be boosted through major hydrocarbon discoveries. It is Colombias lack of exploration success since the 1990s when the country saw its last world-class oil discovery, which is responsible for the lack of hydrocarbon reserves and weighing heavily on the petroleum industry's outlook. For these reasons, Colombias considerable economic dependence on oil production despite lacking significant oil reserves, like Venezuelas 303.5 billion barrels or Brazils nearly 13 billion barrels, leaves the country vulnerable to considerable turmoil. Data from Colombias government statistics agency DANE shows (Spanish) for the first four months of 2023, petroleum generated $4.8 billion of export income, making it the largest export by value and around 3% of gross domestic product (Spanish). Petroleum production is an important source of taxation income for a financially strained Bogota. In 2022, the oil industry contributed (Spanish) $4.5 billion in taxes or around 8% of the total tax revenue received by Colombias Tax and Customs National Authority (DIAN Spanish initials) for that year. It is estimated that oil industry tax revenue combined with dividends received from state-controlled Ecopetrol is responsible for nearly a fifth of Bogotas fiscal income. Taxes paid by Colombias oil industry for 2023 are expected to soar because of the oil industry tax hikes introduced by Petro, which were approved by Congress in November 2022. Colombias Autonomous Committee of the Fiscal Rule (CARF Spanish initials) estimates that 2023 taxation revenue from the petroleum industry will rise by a whopping 72.5%, compared to a year earlier, to $7.7 billion. That will give government coffers a crucial boost at a time when the Petro administration is seeking to significantly increase spending on social programs in an effort to alleviate the sharp spike in poverty since 2022, with 39% of Colombians living below the poverty line. While those numbers emphasize how important oil extraction is to Colombias economy and government revenue, they also underscore the Andean countrys vulnerability to financial turmoil when oil reserves are no longer sufficient to support production. That highlights why Bogota must wean Colombia off its economic dependence on fossil fuels. If changes to the economic mix are not made soon, Colombias economy and its currency, the peso, which is closely correlated to the value of oil, are at risk as reserves and production decline. For that reason, Petros controversial plan to cease awarding new contracts for hydrocarbon exploration may be the solution if other economic sectors can fill the gap left by a shrinking oil industry. By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The future of Britains electric vehicle (EV) sector is far from certain. Automakers were overjoyed this month to read reports that said the UK had likely pipped Spain in the race to secure a multi-billion dollar gigafactory in Somerset, built by Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata touted as vital in changing the fortunes of Britains nascent EV industry. But late last week and AMTE Power the battery firm with plans to build a 200m gigafactory in Dundee threatened to move the future plant overseas unless the government offers greater financial incentives to stay. AMTEs warning shots were followed just two days later by a dramatic announcement that the firm needed urgent cash in no less than four weeks, amid a shortfall, which saw its shares plummet 70 percent and triggered memories Britishvolts dramatic collapse earlier this year. However, amid the ups and downs of Britains attempts to bolster its EV manufacturing capacity, another area of concern has crept into the picture; the ability to supply and process the vital minerals used in electric batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are the most widely used technology as of today, making lithium gold dust in the EV race. Eighty to ninety percent of its demand stems from its use in producing the batteries for electric cars. Currently, according to energy research firm Rystad the UK would need between 53,000 and 70,000 tonnes per year of the silvery-white metal to meet EV demand in 2030. However, it is currently only on track to have only secured around 35,000 tonnes by the end of the decade. Related: Energy Regulator Claims Canadian Oil Production Will Plunge 76% By 2050 And while the UK published a Critical Minerals Strategy in July last year, the only tangible developments since then have been the launch of a new intelligence centre, to study the minerals the UK is sorely lacking, and the meeting of a new taskforce which does not appear to have done anything. Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders told City A.M. that although the UK has some lithium supply, this is not enough to sustain our current, or indeed future, electric vehicle battery production ambitions. Hawes said that to combat this shortage, the government needs to invest in the domestic lithium processing capabilities, while also working on developing new trading arrangements with countries that have an abundance of the substance. This approach would help shore up UK manufacturing competitiveness at a critical moment, as countries around the world race to secure the future of their automotive sectors as they undergo a massive green industrial transformation, he said. Ben Nelmes, who heads up the EV research group NewAutoMotive, cautioned that if were more reliant on supply chains that are further afield, its going to push up the cost of the vehicles because youre going to have to transport batteries or cells. Not having those supply chains close to home would be really bad [and] it means Britain would miss out on the opportunities of this technology, because it will remain a bit more expensive here than it is in other places, Nelmes said. UK needs to make new lithium alliances Lithium and minerals experts contacted by City A.M. echoed the automotive sectors concerns, highlighting Europe-wide challenges in supplying and processing the metal as the bloc faces fierce competition from China, which dominates the market. Like Hawes, they argue that bolstering trade agreements with big lithium extractors, particularly Australia and South American nations and boosting home processing capabilities, would help the UK handle the competition from China. James Ley, senior vice president of energy and metals at Rystad told City A.M. that the problem is that, at the moment, China is the absolute king of processing. Lithium trading prices and 2024 forecast (CNY/T) Despite the global downturn in commodity prices earlier this year Lithium demand is expected to remain elevated for years to come (Source: Trading Economics). Around 60 to 90 percent of their global processing share is in China Chinas doing all this processing and therefore the car plants in Europe and gigafactories in the UK would have to go to China to get the processed material, he explained. ADVERTISEMENT Dale Ferguson, technical director at Savannah Resources said the supply-demand gap as EV production ramps up really starts to increase from 2025 onwards. He argued it was clear to everybody that theres probably not enough supply in Europe to meet all the demand. There needs to be more assistance within Europe for the miners and more help to try and get this product into the market because without that raw product, the rest of the value chain will be challenged. A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said: We are working hard on to increase our critical minerals supply signing agreements with Canada and Australia on supply chains and engaging with our counterparts on the Minerals Security Partnership, International Energy Agency and G7. The spokesperson added that the government had taken steps to improve supply chain resilience, and is supporting several lithium extraction and refining opportunities through its Automotive Transformation Fund which supports UK companies such as Cornish Lithium and British Lithium. Whether or not Somerset gets its much-anticipated gigafactory or AMTE survives and sticks with Dundee the government is coming under increasing pressure to do more to secure the UKs lithium supply to help Britain achieve its electric vehicle ambitions. By CityAM More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Ted Sarandos, a co-CEO of Netflix, speaks during a press conference at Four Seasons Hotels in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Netflix By Lee Gyu-lee Ted Sarandos, the co-CEO of Netflix, said the company's recent announcement of a $2.5 billion investment in Korea will contribute to nurturing creative talent in the country. "It's been an amazing partnership between the Korean content community and Netflix. But I believe we are just scratching the surface of the possible. And that's why Netflix is investing in the long run," the co-CEO said during a press conference in Seoul, Thursday, during his three-day visit to the country. "Over the next four years, Netflix will be investing over $2.5 billion in Korea. That's twice as much as we have invested when we launched here in 2016. It includes funding for training programs for next-generation creators in front of and behind the camera." He added that the platform is committed to growing its presence in Korea due to the rising demand for Korean content following the global popularity of series and movies including "Squid Game," "All of Us Are Dead" and "The Glory." "Between 2022 and 2025, one in five titles made for Netflix will come from first-hand writers or directors. This shows how much we are committed to growing our community in Korea," he said. "In the longer term, we need to learn, adapt and innovate together. It's not always going to be easy as the audiences are incredibly demanding but we are committed to the partnership because we have seen first-hand how much our members love K-content." A scene from the Netflix original film "Kill Boksoon" / Courtesy of Netflix A year ago, Europe was in the midst of an energy crisis as the continent struggled to adapt to a new post-Russian gas reality. TTF prices, the European benchmark for natural gas, spiraled higher throughout the summer and peaked in late August, with all energy users affected, from major industries to individual households. So far in 2023, natural gas in Europe has stolen fewer headlines, with prices predominantly drifting downwards since December and returning to levels last seen in 2021. Last week, however, was marked with volatile trading on TTF contracts, with prices jumping back above the 40 per megawatt hour mark(MWh) again for the first time since April. In this weeks blog post, well look at the reasons for this volatility and whether it is an indication of further trouble in Europes energy market. Hot Weather Heats Up Demand One of the most significant factors in Europe making it through the 2022/23 winter without major power outages across the continent was the mild weather, which led to lower-than-average demand for heating and therefore natural gas. Indeed, spring was equally mild through the majority of the continent, but in recent weeks the temperate conditions have given way to the warmth of summer. Most of Europe is now experiencing temperatures above 25 degree celsius or higher, which has led to a sudden increase in demand for air conditioning. A large driver of summer demand for natural gas, this has injected upward price pressure into a TTF market which had otherwise been drifting. Supply Pressure from Norway and Netherlands Alongside the increase in demand, there has been simultaneous news of disruptions to Europes natural gas supply. In Norway, the Hammerfest LNG export plant had to be closed on May 31st due to a gas leak, while maintenance at processing plants in Nyhamna and Kollsnes had reduced production at both sites, as reported by OilPrice.com. While this news may have had minimal impact on TTF prices a few years ago, in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, Norway has cemented its position as the key gas-supplying nation for the rest of Europe. Equinor, which runs the Hammerfest plant and replaced Russias Gazprom as the continents dominant gas provider, confirmed the plant was due to come back online last week. Meanwhile, news emerged from the Netherlands last week that the Groningen gas field, the largest of its kind in Europe, will be closing in October this year. The field has produced natural gas since 1963, and while it was due to be closed by October 2024 by the latest due to the earthquakes caused by production at the site, the confirmation that the deadline is this year caused markets to rally. While Groningen only contributes a small amount to Europes overall gas output, it remains an important supply buffer for western Europe, as noted by Bloomberg. While the field could be reactivated in future if required due to further energy crises, in the short-term the news of its closure caused sufficient supply-side concern to boost gas prices. TTF Positions, as shown in ChAI Webapp. Traders Remain Uneasy While the hot weather and news of supply disruptions are understandable causes of price increases for natural gas, the volatility witnessed in the past couple of weeks indicate the tension that remains in gas markets even beyond last summers crisis. With frequent daily movements of more than 5% in TTF prices, there is a clear twitchiness amongst the speculators at present as the market awaits another sustained upward trend. Despite coming out of winter with record high levels of gas storage, European nations will still need to embark on a refilling programme ahead of the 2023/24 winter which will cause upward price pressure. At present, the ratio of Non-Commercial long positions on TTF stands at 3:1 against shorts, which is the largest long ratio since late Q3 2022, as shown in the graph above. With so many expecting further price rises to come, the recent volatility in gas markets may be a sign of things to come over this summer. By Chai Predict ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: This week, the European Commission will give an "oral update" on how Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova are faring on their respective EU membership paths. This update will first be given to ambassadors of the 27 EU member states in Brussels on June 21, and then in Stockholm when the European affairs ministers from all the bloc's capitals meet for an informal EU general affairs council. Don't expect this update to be very detailed; it is essentially a midterm review of the proper EU enlargement package that the European Commission will present in the second half of October. That package will give a thorough assessment and, crucially, recommendations on how to proceed with the trio -- recommendations that the member states later in December, via unanimity, will either endorse or reject. The smart money, according to several officials I have spoken to on background who are familiar with the matter, is that there will be a green light by the end of the year for Moldova and Ukraine to start EU accession negotiations. The reasoning is that they are progressing well on the various conditions that were given to them in 2022 when they became official EU candidate countries. Deep Background: The picture is less clear, though, when it comes to Georgia. Unlike Chisinau and Kyiv, Tbilisi did not get candidate status last year but currently sits one rung below the pair as a potential candidate country. The Georgian government says they are hoping for a candidate status recommendation from the European Commission and EU member states this year and that they are well on their way to fulfill all 12 recommendations given to them last year by Brussels, apart from one: the need to address the issue of political polarization in the country, which the government claims has not been possible due to a noncooperative opposition. EU officials I spoke with are less enthusiastic about Georgia's progress, though, with some even questioning whether Tbilisi is really interested in closer EU ties at the moment. They point to recent events such as the attempt to enact a foreign agent law and the resumption of flights to Russia as recent examples. Yet despite all that, there is still very much a chance that the European Commission could recommend candidate status for Georgia in October and, by the end of the year, EU member states would be agreeable. After speaking with various EU officials, there are roughly four reasons that this may happen, even though Tbilisi is considered a long way from achieving all, or even most, of the dozen recommendations set out in the summer of 2022. Drilling Down: The first reason is the sense that the EU, as harsh as it might sound, has "devalued" what it means to be a candidate country by awarding this status to Bosnia-Herzegovina at the end of 2022. The status was given despite Sarajevo hardly meeting any of the 14 conditions or "key priorities," as they were called, that Brussels set out in 2019. In fact, the assessment that the European Commission gave Bosnia in the most recent enlargement report was scathing. An EU official described it to me as "the worst report on a country ever given by Brussels." Yet a few months later all was forgotten as Bosnia became a candidate country. Why? Partly because Moldova and Ukraine got candidate status earlier that year and some EU member states, notably Slovenia and Austria, were pushing for Sarajevo to be included as well as it looked to them like the Western Balkans, in the EU queue for so long, was being bypassed. Essentially all European countries that now want to join the EU are candidate countries -- the exception being Kosovo, which isn't recognized as an independent state by five EU member states and Georgia. So, the argument goes, it really wouldn't "cost" anything to let Bosnia in; it's seen by many EU officials and diplomats as low-hanging fruit. The second reason has to do with political momentum. Suddenly, EU enlargement is alive again after being moribund for a decade. As I describe in my second brief this week, EU member state officials are now actively talking about how an enlarged bloc would actually function. This momentum risks dying out as soon as next year as the EU, in 2024, will be entirely absorbed by the European Parliament elections in June and the subsequent jockeying among EU member states, political factions, and politicians to secure top positions such as the EU foreign policy chief, European Council and Commission presidents, and other important commission portfolios. There are no guarantees the potential changing of the guard in Brussels institutions will be friendly to enlargement. That has brought a sense of urgency to the proceedings and there is now a feeling that the time to make decisions on Georgia (as well as Moldova and Ukraine) is now, in order to "clear the decks" before a likely period of stagnation -- and some navel-gazing -- starts. A third argument that has been made to recommend giving Georgia candidate status is that it makes sense simply because Kyiv and Chisinau will get the green light this year to start accession talks. If that pair moves ahead and Georgia doesn't, there will be too much of a separation among the trio. Moldova and Ukraine are already one step ahead of Georgia, and there is a feeling in Brussels that their grouping should be maintained. So how to solve all of this? This leads us to the fourth reason Georgia still might get candidate status -- and it would be a classic "Brussels fudge" that I have come to understand is still on the table. It would mean Tbilisi gets candidate status but, at the same time, Brussels would add even more conditions for the country to comply with in order to reach the next stage -- opening accession talks. Brussels has a knack of being creative when inventing new conditions, and it would not be too much of a surprise if they added some more, possibly on the need to quickly align with EU foreign policy measures, for example. How An Enlarged EU Could Function What You Need To Know: The debate about how an enlarged EU should work is slowly gathering pace in various European capitals. Already last month, state secretaries for European affairs broached the topic and will do so again when they meet in Stockholm on June 21-22. EU leaders might also touch upon it when they gather in Brussels the following week. A French-German working group on EU institutional reform, consisting of a dozen nongovernmental experts, was set up at the beginning of the year and is set to deliver its preliminary report in September. That might all sound very bureaucratic, but it is significant that the EU's two biggest member states are now openly and seriously considering enlarging the club, especially France, which for a long time has been quite skeptical about adding new members from the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe. As one eastern EU official recently told me on background: "It is clear that we are no longer talking about 'if' when it comes to enlargement but rather 'how' and 'when.'" Of course, no one can offer any firm timelines: Ultimately that depends on how quickly countries that want to join can reform, as well as how great the desire is in all 27 current members to welcome them to the bloc. But already by December, there is hope among EU officials I have spoken to that a clear path for EU reform should be ready and that this will be a key issue on which the European Parliament elections in June 2024 will be fought. Deep Background: Ahead of the meeting in Stockholm this week, the Swedish European Union Affairs Minister Jessika Roswall sent a letter to her counterparts in other EU member states titled Getting Ready For The Future -- A Discussion On Policy Orientation In View Of A Future Enlargement. Seen by RFE/RL, the letter offers few concrete details about what sort of changes the bloc will need going forward, but there are some outlines with Roswall noting that "importantly, to have a fruitful discussion of substance, the starting point should not be the issue of treaty reforms. Since initiating such a process at this point would be both divisive and cumbersome, it should be embarked upon only with a broadly shared view of what we need to change." Treaty reform has long been a difficult issue in the EU considering that it tends to lead to time-consuming referendums in various member states, so the question will be how to avoid it if the EU is to expand to include large countries like Ukraine or all six Western Balkan states. The Swedish minister noted that a working dinner on EU reforms will take place on June 21 together with former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb and Italian political scientist Nathalie Tocci joining the ministers, followed by more discussions the next day on three broad themes that she describes as "the union's general policy objectives, budgetary and financial issues, and the institutional setup." Drilling Down: ADVERTISEMENT The most obvious challenge is likely to be the budget. It is not only that there would need to be more net contributors -- currently there are only five western EU states that pay more than they take out from the EU budget. It is likely that the budget will have to be bigger. The current seven-year EU budget stands at 1.8 trillion euros (around $2 trillion), and it took four days and nights for EU leaders to agree on it. Should the budget be agreed by unanimity and every seven years, or should there be a longer budget perspective agreed in a smoother way? The question of moving away from decisions taken via unanimity to qualified majority voting, meaning 55 percent of member states representing at least 65 percent of the EU population voting in favor, is always a hot potato. One idea is to start using it when agreeing on human rights statements in foreign policy or approving EU civil missions. The trick to accomplishing this without the need to change EU treaties does already exist within current EU laws. So-called passerelle clauses would allow the move from unanimity to consensus in some policy areas. But that move would, of course, require unanimity. Another idea is to use "constructive abstention," which means that instead of vetoing, you just don't vote. This, for example, has allowed military neutral countries such as Austria to wave through EU money for arms to Ukraine. A lot of these clauses could also pertain to the enlargement process. Currently there are over 80 possibilities to veto progress of a candidate country. That could perhaps be reduced to just a few, such as a vote to start accession talks, and then a final vote to approve membership once the talks are concluded. There is also talk of "staged accession" -- something that might appeal to the six Western Balkans hopefuls that, for nearly two decades, have been sitting in the EU waiting room. This concept could offer "carrots" such as a gradual participation in various policy fields, increased access to EU financing, and also partial participation in EU institutions. There are various ways of doing it, but such measures might mean certain countries wouldn't have veto powers, or the right to have their own European commissioner, or be able to nominate judges to the European Court of Justice. Looking Ahead After his trip to the United States last week, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg will make his way to another key alliance member, Germany, on June 19. While there, he will meet with the chancellor as well as the foreign and defense ministers. The upcoming July summit in Vilnius and what Ukraine could be offered both in terms of potential future membership and more immediate military aid will be high on the agenda. The leaders will also witness Air Defender 23, NATO's largest-ever air drill, involving 25 countries. With Serbia and Kosovo once again on the brink, the EU is scrambling to come up with a diplomatic response. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is hoping to host both Serbian President Alexander Vucic and Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Brussels this week for what he is calling a "crisis management meeting." No date has been set, but it is clear it won't be a regular Brussels dialogue meeting between Belgrade and Pristina in which the EU, for over a decade, has attempted to normalize relations between the pair. By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Over the last few years, Iran has increasingly ignored sanctions imposed on its oil and gas industry by the U.S. by choosing to develop new energy partnerships and increase its oil exports. The U.S. has largely overlooked these actions in the hope that Iran will eventually sign a new nuclear deal, a hope that is yet to come to fruition. And now Irans oil exports are reaching new highs. So, will the U.S. start imposing stronger sanctions on Iranian oil and gas if no progress is seen in nuclear talks or will it continue to look the other way? In May, Irans oil exports hit a five-year high, reaching over 1.5 million bpd. This is the highest level seen since 2018 before the U.S. had imposed sanctions on Iranian oil. Iran announced in May that it has increased its oil output to over 3 million bpd, around 3% of the global supply, also the highest since 2018. Prior to the sanctions, Irans oil exports stood at around 2.5 million bpd. Iran has been gradually fostering relationships with countries that may be interested in buying its oil. The purchase of Iranian crude is not without risk, as it continues to be heavily sanctioned, and the U.S. could choose to enforce those sanctions more strictly if Iran does not agree on a nuclear deal. But Iran has been developing partnerships with countries willing to take the risk, as well as with states that would likely import the crude should the sanctions be dropped. Iran has been selling oil at a discount for those open to buying it, including China. Its low-price oil has helped Chinese refiners overcome low profit margins. Although tanker tracking shows that China has been Irans biggest oil importer, official data suggests there were no imports from Tehran in the last year. Sara Vakhshouri from SVB International, a consultant, stated: Sanctions are in place but perhaps they are not fully implemented or monitored. She explained, Also all of these supply volumes are in the dark market, where there is no transparency and so they are not reflected in formal global supply and export data. Iran has also exported oil to Venezuela, which has U.S. sanctions on its energy products. The two countries have been working hand-in-hand over the last couple of years to circumvent sanctions and support economic growth. China has aided this trade by purchasing oil products from both Iran and Venezuela via alternative routes and ghost ships. In 2022, Venezuela agreed to trade its heavy oil for Iranian condensate, which was in short supply and is vital for the dilution of its crude. In 2022, Iran increased oil shipments to Venezuela following an agreement to renovate Venezuelas El Palito refinery. Earlier this year, the U.S. imposed sanctions on firms it said had transported or sold Iranian petroleum or petrochemical products in violation of existing sanctions, including two firms in China. This decision came after discussions on a new nuclear deal stalled once again, largely due to the strained relationship between Iran and the U.S. The U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, These designations underscore our continued efforts to enforce our sanctions against Iran. Yet experts question whether President Biden is serious about these sanctions considering Irans rising crude export levels. In recent months, officials from Iran and the U.S. have been holding closed-door negotiations, including indirect talks in Oman, to reduce tensions in the region, curb Tehrans nuclear program and release American prisoners, according to officials. After years of disagreement over a new nuclear deal, experts are suggesting that the two powers may be looking for a short-term agreement including key objectives, rather than holding out for a comprehensive nuclear deal. Former U.S. President Trump backed out of the previous nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), in 2018, and imposed sanctions on Iranian oil and gas. Efforts by President Biden to revive the agreement have so far been unsuccessful. But there is little clarity on the aim of the closed-door talks, with Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani telling media sources that there is no intention to negotiate an agreement separate from the JCPOA. Several geopolitical issues come into play when talking about a potential short-term deal, which could be why any discussions are being kept private. Under a comprehensive agreement, Iran wants to maintain its nuclear program, which it insists is in place for peaceful purposes, and that its ballistic missiles program should not be included in a new deal. Meanwhile, the U.S., as well as imposing nuclear program restrictions, would likely want Iran to release American prisoners, reduce its alleged role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and support the stabilization of oil prices. Any deal that seeks less than this could be viewed as giving Iran concessions. However, it could be much easier to achieve as it would not require the approval of the U.S. Congress. With Irans rising crude exports and closed-door discussions between the White House and Tehran, uncertainty remains over Irans oil industry, U.S. sanctions, and a potential nuclear deal. President Biden appears willing to continue to overlook Irans oil exports, despite appearing to be no closer to a nuclear agreement with the Islamic State at least publicly. However, an interim agreement could help both sides achieve some of the key objectives of a full nuclear deal but would undoubtedly upset several key groups. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: CNOOC, the giant Chinese state-owned offshore oil and gas company, plans exploration offshore Tanzania under an agreement with the local state firm, Tanzanian Energy Minister January Makamba told Bloomberg on Thursday. Tanzania, on Africas eastern coast, is looking to boost the development of its natural gas resources and has recently agreed on a deal with supermajors to develop a huge LNG export terminal. CNOOC and Tanzania have an agreement in the works to do seismic studies ahead of an offshore licensing round slated to be held in 2024, Tanzanias energy minister told Bloomberg during a visit to China to discuss projects with CNOOC. The Chinese company and state-held Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation will carry out joint work in deepsea blocks owned by TPDC, the minister added. The blocks are close to the vast natural gas discoveries made by a consortium of Shell, Equinor, and ExxonMobil. Last month, the three supermajors and Tanzanias government struck an agreement to develop an LNG export terminal. The initial deal includes the pillars of a host government agreement and a production-sharing agreement. It paves the way for the series of milestones that need to follow to realise this fantastic LNG opportunity for the country and the world, Equinor's Tanzania country manager Unni Fjaer said in a statement carried by Reuters. Tanzania, as well as other countries in Africa, are looking to take advantage of the LNG demand in Europe, which is buying growing volumes of the super-chilled fuel to replace Russian pipeline supply. We believe that Tanzania has more gas, and possibly oil, to be discovered because only 30% of the area with potential for oil and gas resources has been explored so far, the Tanzanian minister told Bloomberg. Oil and gas majors are now looking to sign additional deals in the Mediterranean and Africa to supply gas to Europe, which wants to ditch Russian gas by 2027. ADVERTISEMENT Enis chief executive Claudio Descalzi told the Financial Times early this year that Europe should look to Africa for a south-north energy axis for gas deliveries. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A venture group backed by Indias second-largest solar energy company, Vikram Solar, will invest up to $1.5 billion in the U.S. solar energy supply chain, with the first investments going to a factory in Colorado next year, according to an exclusive Reuters report. The $250 million Colorado facility will be capable of producing 2 gigawatts (GW) of modules a year initially and double the capacity over time and will also create more than 900 jobs. Newly formed VSK Energy LLC will leverage India's extensive solar manufacturing know-how in the U.S. push to build a clean energy manufacturing sector that can compete with China. Vikram Solar Limited is one of the largest solar module manufacturers in India with 3.5 GW module manufacturing capacity annually. "It's a great thing for us to be bringing an Indian company to the table here. You've seen a number of Indian companies get into the manufacturing space and do quite well, and Vikram is the best of them,"Sriram Das, managing director at Das & Co and chairman of the joint venture, has told Reuters. The development comes just as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to make his first ever state visit to Washington despite the two nations disagreeing on Ukraine and human rights. Its not clear whether Modis visit and the solar announcement are related. The amount of capital investment flowing into the solar sector is poised to overtake the amount of investment going into oil production for the first time ever in 2023, the International Energy Association has reported. According to Fatih Birol, the IEAs executive director, solar investments are expected to attract over $1 billion a day in 2023 with over $1.7 trillion slated to flow clean energy technologies such as EVs, renewables and storage. Overall, global investment in energy is projected to hit ~$2.8 trillion in the current year. Speaking to CNBCs Arabile Gumede on Thursday, Birol said there was a growing gap between the investment in fossil energy and investment [in] clean energy. Clean energy is moving fast--faster than many people realize. This is clear in the investment trends, where clean technologies are pulling away from fossil fuels. For every dollar invested in fossil fuels, about 1.7 dollars are now going into clean energy. ADVERTISEMENT By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A cluster of mostly Saudi supertankers loaded with oil that has been idling off Egypts Red Sea coast for weeks has shown signs of starting to clear as two of the 11 tankers are no longer anchored near the Ain Sukhna oil terminal, according to tanker tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. As of last Friday, 10 very large crude carriers (VLCCs) carrying around 20 million barrels of oil were floating off Ain Sukhna and another two supertankers were heading to the same location, Vortexa data showed on June 16. All 10 floating supertankers have been stationary for seven days or more and most of these cargoes loaded during or after the second half of May, Jay Maroo, Head of Market Intelligence & Analysis (MENA) at Vortexa, wrote in a note on Friday. It wasnt immediately clear what has caused the accumulation of tankers, while Saudi Arabia hasnt commented on the build-up of cargoes off Egypt. Most supertankers carrying Saudi Arabian crude typically deliver the oil to Ain Sukhna without transiting the Suez Canal. The most likely reason is a lack of storage, according to Bloomberg. Now two of the 11 tankers are no longer anchored, including the Saudi tanker that had been idle off the Egyptian coast for the longest period of time, per the data collected by Bloomberg. Of the 11 tankers, 9 are owned by Bahri, the national shipping carrier of Saudi Arabia, and two by Chinese firms. At any rate, there havent been many recent instances of Saudi crude accumulating in such quantity offshore Egypt, Vortexas Maroo said. The last time Saudi crude floating storage volumes were above current levels was in Q2 2020 when levels hit 30mbd, but that was amid a wider rise in floating storage volumes and a strong contango structure supporting the activity, Maroo noted at the end of last week. ADVERTISEMENT The cargo cluster off Egypts coast comes weeks before Saudi Arabia is set to begin the unilateral production cut of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in July. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Pipeline gas supplies from Russia via Ukraine to Europe may come to an end next year when the transit contract between Moscow and Kyiv expires, the Ukrainian energy minister has told the FT. According to German Galushchenko, the chances of the two sides negotiating a new contract are slim to non-existent. This means that the flow of gas will stop, ending Ukraines transit fee income and the supply of gas to countries such as Austria and Slovakia. I really cant imagine how it could be bilaterally, Galushchenko told the FT in an interview, adding that I can tell you that we are preparing our system for a cut of supplies. The Ukrainian route accounts for some 5% of Russian gas exports to Europe or rather accounted for that 5% before most other routes were shut down last year by Gazprom. Still, the gas shipped via Ukraine supplies about half of Austrias gas, per the latest data for May, cited by the FT. Slovakia relies on that pipeline for as much as 95% of its gas imports. The Ukrainian energy minister suggested that the EU might want to broker talks on the extension of the contract with Moscow but the FT noted analysts believed this would be a challenge because of the difficult optics of holding talks with Moscow. The European Union imports almost all of the natural gas it needs. Before Russia invaded Ukraine, imports from Gazprom accounted for about half of the total. Now, the share of Russian gas in the EU import mix has fallen significantly, with only two routes remaining open: Ukraine and Turkey. The Turkish routethe TurkStream pipelinesupplies about 3% of EU gas imports, per May data. To diversify away from this inconvenient dependence, the EU has been splurging on LNG import terminals, especially Germany. It has already installed three floating terminals for regasification and plans to add another one before this winter. ADVERTISEMENT By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: In a race against the clock on the high seas, an expanding international armada of ships and airplanes searched Tuesday for a submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. U.S. Coast Guard officials said the search covered 10,000 square miles (26,000 square kilometers) but turned up no sign of the lost sub known as the Titan. Although rescuers planned to continue looking, time was running out because the vessel would have less than two days of oxygen left if it is still intact and functioning. This is a very complex search, and the unified team is working around the clock, Cpt. Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District in Boston told a news conference. Frederick said the crew would have no more than about 41 hours of oxygen remaining as of midday Tuesday. That means its air supply could run out Thursday morning. He added that an underwater robot had started searching in the vicinity of the Titanic and that there was a push to get salvage equipment to the scene in case the sub is found. Three C-17 transport planes from the U.S. military have been used to move commercial submersible and support equipment from Buffalo, New York, to St. Johns, Newfoundland, to aid in the search, a spokeswoman for U.S. Air Mobility Command said. The Canadian military said it provided a patrol aircraft and two surface ships, including one that specializes in dive medicine. Authorities reported the carbon-fiber vessel overdue Sunday night, setting off the search in waters about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. Johns. At the helm was pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers were British adventurer Hamish Harding, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert. The submersible had a four-day oxygen supply when it put to sea around 6 a.m. Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions, which oversaw the mission. CBS News journalist David Pogue, who traveled to the Titanic aboard the Titan last year, said the vehicle uses two communication systems: text messages that go back and forth to a surface ship and safety pings that are emitted every 15 minutes to indicate that the sub is still working. Both of those systems stopped about an hour and 45 minutes after the Titan submerged. "There are only two things that could mean. Either they lost all power or the ship developed a hull breach and it imploded instantly. Both of those are devastatingly hopeless, Pogue told the Canadian CBC network on Tuesday. The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. One system is designed to work even if everyone aboard is unconscious, Pogue said. Eric Fusil, director of the University of Adelaides Shipbuilding Hub, said there are other scenarios that could cut communications, including an electrical fire that could create toxic fumes and render the crew unconscious. Another possibility is that Titan became entangled in the wreck of the Titanic and is stuck there, Fusil said. What I would like to believe ... is that Titan suffered from a power loss, but they could still go back to the surface and be spotted by aircraft and ships, he said. Experts said the rescuers face steep challenges. Alistair Greig, a professor of marine engineering at University College London, said submersibles typically have a drop weight, which is a mass they can release in the case of an emergency to bring them up to the surface. If there was a power failure and/or communication failure, this might have happened, and the submersible would then be bobbing about on the surface waiting to be found, Greig said. Another scenario is a leak in the pressure hull, in which case the prognosis is not good, he said. If it has gone down to the seabed and cant get back up under its own power, options are very limited, Greig said. While the submersible might still be intact, if it is beyond the continental shelf, there are very few vessels that can get that deep, and certainly not divers. The Canadian research icebreaker Polar Prince, which was supporting the Titan, was to continue conducting surface searches with help from a Canadian Boeing P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, the Coast Guard said on Twitter. Two U.S. Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft also conducted overflights. The Canadian military dropped sonar buoys to listen for any sounds from the Titan. OceanGates expeditions to the Titanic wreck site include archaeologists and marine biologists. The company also brings people who pay to come along. They take turns operating sonar equipment and performing other tasks in the submersible. Rush told The Associated Press in June 2021 that the Titans technology was very cutting edge and was developed with the help of NASA and aerospace manufacturers. This is the only submersible crewed submersible thats made of carbon fiber and titanium, Rush said, citing a design that includes 5-inch-thick carbon fiber and 3.25-inch-thick titanium. Passengers included Harding, who lives in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, whose eponymous firm invests across the country; and French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet. Greg Stone, a longtime ocean scientist based in California and a friend of Rush, called the lost submersible a fundamentally new submarine design that showed great promise for future research. Unlike its predecessors, the Titan was not spherical and instead relied on a cylindrical shape that tapers at one end. Stockton was a risk taker. He was smart ... he had a vision. He wanted to push things forward," Stone said. The expedition was OceanGates third annual voyage to chronicle the deterioration of Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank in 1912, killing all but about 700 of the roughly 2,200 passengers and crew. The wreckage was discovered in 1985 and has been slowly succumbing to metal-eating bacteria. OceanGates website described the mission support fee for the 2023 expedition as $250,000 a person. Recalling his own trip aboard the Titan, Pogue said the vessel got turned around looking for the Titanic. Theres no GPS underwater, so the surface ship is supposed to guide the sub to the shipwreck by sending text messages, Pogue said in a segment aired on CBS Sunday Morning. But on this dive, communications somehow broke down. The sub never found the wreck. Associated Press writers Danica Kirka, Jill Lawless and Sylvia Hui in London, Rob Gillies in Toronto, Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco, Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report. A 19-year-old man who bought fentanyl pills in Omaha and distributed them throughout Cass County, Iowa, was sentenced on Wednesday to 16 years in federal prison. Mason Loudermilk of Council Bluffs was indicted last year on one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, namely more than 40 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, resulting in serious bodily injury. He pleaded guilty earlier this year. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Loudermilk obtained fentanyl pills from a source in Omaha between August 2020 and May 2022. He then distributed those pills in and around Cass County, Iowa, causing at least two fentanyl overdoses that required medical intervention. Cass County, Iowa, is about an hour east of Omaha. Multiple agencies assisted in the investigation, including the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Division of Intelligence, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Atlantic Police Department, Council Bluffs Police Department and the Omaha Police Department. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of June 2023 Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Kim Joo-hyun, right, speaks next to Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Lee Bok-hyun during a meeting in central Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of FSC Financial authorities to revise corporate governance law to reflect new principles By Anna J. Park Financial authorities have announced a set of new rules governing financial firms' internal controls, aiming to prevent recurring financial crimes or accidents that incur customer losses. One of the most noteworthy changes is requiring financial firms to draw up a "responsibilities map," which is a comprehensive document clearly describing management and governance, lines of responsibility and detailed identification of which executives are accountable for which functions. CEOs are required to write the responsibilities maps, which are confirmed at board meetings. Confirmed maps will be submitted to the financial authorities. The U.K. has adopted a similar system, introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Financial authorities expect the responsibilities maps to clarify each executive's range of liabilities, aiming to engage firms' internal control management by effectively curbing misconduct and internal breaches. In addition, the functions of financial firms' boards will also be more clearly defined. Under the new principles, the board of a company bears the duty of oversight with regard to internal control issues, while executives are required to take specific managerial actions. A subcommittee of internal control will also be required within a board. Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Kim Joo-hyun, fifth from left, and Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Lee Bok-hyun, fourth from left, stand next to heads of financial industry associations, including banking, investment, life insurance, non-life insurance and savings banks, during a meeting held in central Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of FSC A 35-year-old Grand Island man was sentenced in federal court Wednesday for purchasing fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the State of Nebraska. Jason C. Olderbak was sentenced to 50 hours of community service, two years of probation and a $3,000 fine for unlawful possession of official U.S. insignia, according to a press release from the Attorneys Office. Around July 30, 2021, Olderbak purchased 21 fake COVID-19 vaccination cards online, according to the release. On Aug. 3, 2021, Customs and Border Protection received the package as it was entering the United States from overseas. Customs decided to search the package because it was similar to other fraudulent packages and found the fake vaccination cards inside the package. A search warrant was obtained to perform a controlled delivery of the package, which was carried out on Aug. 18, 2021, according to the release. Olderbaks cellphone and other electronic devices were also seized, and examination of the devices revealed web history consistent with the purchase of the fake vaccination cards. The fake cards ordered by Olderbak were nearly identical to legitimate COVID-19 vaccination cards and included the seal and insignia of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the release said. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of June 2023 LINCOLN The pension plan covering current and former Omaha Public School employees closed out 2022 with more than $1 billion of unfunded liabilities. That represents the largest shortfall in nearly a decade and a $269 million jump in one year, according to a state audit and management letter released Thursday. The reports also cited significant weaknesses in the plans financial management, prompting State Auditor Mike Foley to express concerns about the error-ridden system that handles the retirement accounts of more than 15,000 current, inactive and retired OPS staff. Not only have serious findings from last years audit remained uncorrected, but also new, no less significant, problems with (system) operations have been discovered, he said in a statement. Shane Rhian, OPS chief financial officer and the pension plan administrator, offered reassurance about the districts commitment to a strong and stable retirement system for the dedicated staff of Omaha Public Schools. He said the audit findings would not affect employees eligibility, contributions or retiree benefits and pledged that the district would continue to make additional contributions to the pension system to fulfill its obligations. The Omaha School Employees Retirement System has faced troubles before. In 2021, the fund had an almost $1 billion shortfall that a World-Herald investigation traced largely to mismanagement and investment blunders by the plans trustees. OSERS is the only single-district pension plan in Nebraska and one of only a handful nationally. Starting next year, the system will be managed by the Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems, the state agency that already runs pension funds for state employees, employees of other school districts and county workers. The responsibility for investing OSERS funds already has been transferred to the Nebraska Investment Council. The audit cited overall unfavorable market conditions for last years losses. The OSERS losses were comparable to those for other funds managed by the state council. Rhian also cited market conditions for the losses, noting that people with personal investment accounts saw the same results in their accounts. The state audit did not say how much additional money would be needed to make the plan healthy. However, an actuarial study dated May 19 called for a $29.4 million contribution from the district this year, with larger amounts in the future. Foley noted that the district has made $128 million of additional contributions to the plan over six years in an attempt to catch up with future needs. But even including the $29.4 million contribution, last years investment losses left the plan at only 57.7% funded, its lowest level in nearly a decade. The highest level was 67.13% for 2021. By contrast, the school employees retirement plan managed by the state and covering teachers and other school employees outside of OPS is 94.55% funded. Rhian said the district would continue to make the additional contributions to build the long-term health of the plan. OPS officials have committed to making the payments needed to cover its past liabilities, even after management switches to the state. The management letter pointed to several other problems with the Omaha system. Most significant was the retirement of two key employees, who took 31 years of experience with them, along with turnover among OPS accounting staff who provide support to the pension plan. In addition, the OSERS Transition Board of Trustees met only twice during the year. The combination led to significant delays in providing information to auditors, failure to address and correct problems found in the 2021 audit and several additional errors in financial accounting for the system, the auditors said. One issue arose late last year, when changes were made to the computer application used to update member accounts. The changes produced inaccuracies in how interest was calculated for member accounts. The inaccuracies were not caught during testing and were only corrected after being found by the auditors. The inaccuracies in interest calculations affected 24 of 25 sample accounts checked by the auditors. They estimated the errors added about $8.4 million total to account balances and, in some cases, meant that departing employees were refunded the wrong amounts. Among other accounting issues were errors in financial statements, deaths of members not being caught in a timely manner and incorrect service credits posted to accounts. In responses included with the audit and management letter, OSERS officials said they would review each of the issues and address them. LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Abortion-rights groups filed a court motion Tuesday to dismiss their lawsuit challenging Kentucky's near-total abortion ban but signaled that the legal fight is far from over. The groups' strategy will focus on the next legal challenge expected to come from pregnant women who were denied abortion services in Kentucky. We will be back in court when we have a patient plaintiff, Tamarra Wieder, Kentucky state director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said in a statement. The current suit was filed by attorneys for the only two abortion clinics left in Kentucky when the state's ban on the procedure took effect following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Courts ruling overturning Roe v. Wade. The plaintiffs in the Kentucky suit failed to get abortion access restored in a February ruling by Kentucky's Supreme Court that focused on narrow legal issues. The justices didn't resolve larger constitutional questions about whether access to abortion should be legal in the Bluegrass State. Abortion providers challenged the ban on the premise that it violated patients constitutional rights, but the state's high court ruled that the providers lacked the third-party standing to do so. The justices sent the case back to a circuit court in Louisville. Last year, Kentucky voters rejected a ballot measure that would have denied any constitutional protections for abortion, handing a victory to abortion-rights supporters. The outcome highlighted what appeared to be a gap between voter sentiment and the expectations of Kentuckys GOP-dominated Legislature. The legal challenge brought by the Louisville abortion providers revolves around Kentuckys near-total trigger law ban and a separate six-week ban both passed by the state's Legislature. The trigger law was passed in 2019 and took effect when Roe v. Wade was overturned. It bans abortions except when theyre carried out to save the life of the patient or to prevent disabling injury. It does not include exceptions for cases of rape or incest. Republican state Attorney General Daniel Cameron's office has defended the bans. Cameron said Tuesday that his office will steadfastly defend the state's anti-abortion laws. We are gratified that the abortion providers recognized their case should be dismissed, Cameron said in a statement. As a result of our efforts, I am proud to say that the elective abortion industry is out of business in Kentucky. Addia Wuchner, executive director of Kentucky Right to Life, hailed the development as a victory for anti-abortion groups, who strive to make the procedure unthinkable. Since the state's near-complete abortion ban took effect, abortion-rights groups say they have helped Kentuckians get the care they need, including helping patients find care out of state. The groups opposing the ban, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky and Planned Parenthood, said Tuesday that the motion to dismiss the suit stemmed from the state Supreme Court's ruling that took away health care providers ability to defend the rights of their patients. Bringing cases on behalf of patients has been standard practice in Kentucky and across the country for good reason numerous obstacles stand in the way of patients coming forward to participate in litigation, the groups said in a statement. The question before the Kentucky justices in their February ruling was whether there was a reason to reinstate a lower courts injunction and block the bans from being enforced. To be clear, this opinion does not in any way determine whether the Kentucky Constitution protects or does not protect the right to receive an abortion, as no appropriate party to raise that issue is before us, Deputy Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert wrote. Nothing in this opinion shall be construed to prevent an appropriate party from filing suit at a later date. Now abortion-rights advocates say they'll team up with people who are pregnant and interested in challenging the abortion bans in an effort to help restore access to the procedure in Kentucky. This fight is far from over," Wieder said. A submersible carrying five people to the Titanic imploded near the site of the shipwreck and killed everyone on board, authorities said Thursday, bringing a tragic end to a saga that included an urgent around-the-clock search and a worldwide vigil for the missing vessel. The sliver of hope that remained for finding the five men alive was wiped away early Thursday, when the submersibles 96-hour supply of oxygen was expected to run out following its Sunday launch and the Coast Guard announced that debris had been found roughly 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the Titanic in North Atlantic waters. This was a catastrophic implosion of the vessel, said Rear Adm. John Mauger, of the First Coast Guard District. After the craft was reported missing, the U.S. Navy went back and analyzed its acoustic data and found an anomaly that was consistent with an implosion or explosion in the general vicinity of where the Titan submersible was operating when communications were lost, a senior Navy official told The Associated Press on Thursday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive acoustic detection system. The Navy passed on that information to the Coast Guard, which continued its search because the Navy did not consider the data to be definitive. OceanGate Expeditions, the company that owned and operated the submersible, said in a statement that all five people in the vessel, including CEO and pilot Stockton Rush, have sadly been lost. The others on board were two members of a prominent Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood; British adventurer Hamish Harding; and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans, OceanGate said in a statement. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. OceanGate has been chronicling the Titanics decay and the underwater ecosystem around it via yearly voyages since 2021. The company has not responded to additional questions about the Titan's voyage this week. The company's office was closed indefinitely while the staff copes with the tragic loss of their team member, according to a statement Thursday by the Port of Everett, which is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of downtown Seattle and is home to OceanGate. The Coast Guard will continue searching for more signs about what happened to the Titan. While the Navy likely detected the implosion Sunday through its acoustics system, underwater sounds heard Tuesday and Wednesday which initially gave hope for a possible rescue were probably unrelated to the submersible. The Navy's possible clue was not known publicly until Thursday, when The Wall Street Journal first reported it. With a search area covering thousands of miles twice the size of Connecticut and in waters 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) deep rescuers all week rushed ships, planes and other equipment to the site of the disappearance. Broadcasters around the world started newscasts at the critical hour Thursday with news of the submersible. The Saudi-owned satellite channel Al Arabiya showed a clock on air counting down to their estimate of when the air could potentially run out. The White House thanked the U.S. Coast Guard, along with Canadian, British and French partners who helped in the search and rescue efforts. Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives on the Titan. They have been through a harrowing ordeal over the past few days, and we are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers," it said in a statement. The Titan launched at 6 a.m. Sunday and was reported overdue that afternoon about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. Johns, Newfoundland. By Thursday, when the oxygen supply was expected to run out, there was little hope of finding the crew alive. In 2021 and 2022, at least 46 people successfully traveled on OceanGates submersible to the Titanic site, according to letters the company filed with a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, that oversees matters involving the shipwreck. But questions about the submersibles safety were raised by former passengers. One of the companys first customers likened a dive he made to the site two years ago to a suicide mission. Imagine a metal tube a few meters long with a sheet of metal for a floor. You cant stand. You cant kneel. Everyone is sitting close to or on top of each other, said Arthur Loibl, a retired businessman and adventurer from Germany. You cant be claustrophobic. During the 2 1/2-hour descent and ascent, the lights were turned off to conserve energy, he said, with the only illumination coming from a fluorescent glow stick. The dive was repeatedly delayed to fix a problem with the battery and the balancing weights. In total, the voyage took 10 1/2 hours. Nicolai Roterman, a deep-sea ecologist and lecturer in marine biology at the University of Portsmouth, England, said the disappearance of the Titan highlights the dangers and unknowns of deep-sea tourism. Even the most reliable technology can fail, and therefore accidents will happen, Roterman said. With the growth in deep-sea tourism, we must expect more incidents like this. Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia; Frank Jordans in Berlin; Danica Kirka in London; and John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report. ECOWAS has deployed 200 election observers across the six geopolitical zones of the country ahead of Saturdays presidential and national assembly elections. This was made known at a briefing by the ECOWAS Election Observation Mission to Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja. The ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Francis Behanzin, noted that a pre-election fact-finding mission had been to Nigeria in November 2018 ahead of the elections. Mr Behanzin explained that the fact-finding mission included high-level representatives of the ECOWAS Commission who met with relevant stakeholders in the electoral process and urged them to support peaceful and credible elections. Based on the recommendations of the pre-election fact-finding mission a five-member core team of Long-Term Observers were deployed on Jan. 13 to observe the phases of the electoral process leading up to the elections. This core team was joined by additional 27 Long Term Observers from Jan. 26. In furtherance of our commitment to the process, a total of 200 Short-Term Observers are ready to be deployed in all the six geopolitical zones in the country to support the long term mission on the Election Day, he said. The commissioner encouraged observers to be attentive, strictly follow the observation codes and guidelines and give their full commitment to the mission. The Head of the mission, former Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, tasked observers to be proactive in the discharge of their duties. Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf said their commitment would contribute to building the confidence and trust of the electorate in the democratic process in Nigeria and the region. She added that the outcome of the mission would undoubtedly serve as a yardstick to measure the credibility of the elections. It is in this spirit that we should all see this onerous task as very important which should be diligently and meticulously done without compromise. She also urged political parties and leaders to conduct themselves in a manner that contributes to a peaceful, free, fair, credible and transparent election, as has been done previously in the country. In the case of Nigeria, the current election is being held on the heels of nagging security challenges and tense political environment. We are, however, confident that Nigerias strength and resilience, as well as with the support of friends, will go through this process in the most successful manner. We should remain mindful of the fact that the onus to hold peaceful, free and fair elections rests with the Nigerian people themselves, she said. A leading transportation company in Nigeria, E. Ekesons Bros. had through its legal counsel, Festus Keyamo Chambers, urged the Federal Capital Territory High Court, to send Adamu Candido, Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council, (AMAC); Lawrence Val Onuchukwu, Vice Chairman, AMAC; and Halidu Adamu, Secretary, AMAC; to Prisons, for disobeying Court Order. The Festus Keyamo Chambers in a statement at the weekend narrated that on 2nd October, 2015, the FCT High Court delivered Judgment in favor of E. EKESONS Bros. Nigeria Limited, against the Abuja Municipal Area Council, (AMAC), wherein the Court held that the agreement between the parties, for E. EKESONS Bros. Nigeria Limited to develop and manage the Jabi/Utako Motor Park, is still subsisting and binding. The Court also ordered AMAC to comply and/or abide by the terms of the said agreement. The legal counsel remarked that since the Judgment was delivered, the Principal Officers of AMAC, specifically Adamu Candido, Chairman; lawrence Val Onuchukwu, Vice Chairman; and Halidu Adamu, Secretary, have continuously disobeyed the Judgment by allocating certain portions of the Jabi/Utako Motor Park to some persons who have proceeded to erect structures on same, contrary to the terms of the agreement, as affirmed by the Court. The Counsel noted that consequently, E. EKESONS Bros. Nigeria Limited filed contempt proceedings against the Principal Officers of AMAC, urging the Court to commit them to prisons. The statement indicated that the application is listed for hearing on Tuesday, 9th April, 2019 before Justice O. C. Agbaza of the FCT High Court, sitting in Jabi, Abuja. Post Views: 61 The federal government has warned members of the diplomatic community to stay clear and desist from undue interference in Nigerias electoral process ahead of the re-scheduled elections on Saturday. National Daily gathered that Nigerias Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, issued the warning during an interactive session with members of the diplomatic corps in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. The minister of foreign affairs said Nigeria appreciates the support and engagement of the international community through the various observer missions but cautioned that Nigeria has absolute and exclusive responsibility for its electoral process. The Minister cautioned members of the international community with a vested interest in Nigeria to be impartial in their observation in the interest of the country. Onyeama also expressed disappointment at INECs postponement of the election despite the financial backing of the government. The chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, admitted that the Commission under-estimated the inherent logistic challenges. Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, reassured Nigerians and the international; community that adequate security will be provided for the rescheduled Saturday elections. Newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun has vowed to make community policing work as he assumed office at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. He stated this on Wednesday when he officially took over the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force from retired IGP Usman Baba. IGP Egbetokun warned police officers that he wont tolerate abuse of office, corruption and misconduct, saying commensurate stiff punishment await erring officers. The new police boss also said he will, in the coming days and months, unveil his strategies and tactics to secure the country and protect Nigerians from all forms of security challenges including banditry and gunmen attacks. IGP Egbetokun said the salaries of constables recruited sometimes ago are already being looked into and the salaries, arrears and allowances will be paid by month end. According to him, every law-abiding citizen will be brought on board in the fight against crime under his watch. The new police chief stressed that human intelligence garnered from communities would be used alongside technical gathering of information to curb crimes. Apart from technical intelligence, we are also going to rely so much on human intelligence available in our communities. We are going to be proactive in our approach to solving our community problems, he said. Quest For Community Policing As banditry, vicious herdsmen attacks, killings and abductions increase in Nigeria in the last couple of years, some state government and socio-political groups like the Afenifere and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo had clamoured for community policing to tackle peculiar security challenges in the localities. Prior to the 2023 elections, the groups also called for constitutional review to allow devolution of powers and decentralised policing system. In 2020, six states in the South-West geopolitical zone jointly formed a regional security operation code-named Operation Amotekun, which has since been backed by law and operational in Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun and Osun states. Also, in 2021, five South-East state governments formed Ebube Agu and the regional security outfit has since been operationalised just as the Benue State Government in 2022 launched the Benue Guards. However, lack of arms licence for the men of these state-owned security have been said to hamper their effectiveness even as calls grow for the police to let them bear assault rifles like AK-47. As part of its efforts to make community policing work, the administration of then President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2020 approved the sum of N13.3bn for the take-off of community policing initiative across the country but some challenges have encumbered the implementation of the initiative. Challenges Will Be Addressed Acknowledging the challenges in the implementation of the initiative, the new IGP said they would be resolved and community policing is going to work. IGP Egbetokun said, On community policing, there is a lot that we are going to do differently in the implementation of the community policing strategies that we are operating presently. I discussed that with the retiring IG, my predecessor just before we came here and he told me all the problems we are facing with the implementation of the community policing strategies. We are not going to set it aside, we are going to continue with it but we are going to review a lot of things. We are going to make it work. Why I Said There Is A Tiger In Me On his comment about a tiger and a lion in him ready to devour the internal enemies of Nigeria, the new police boss said, I said that just to express how very anxious I am to start working and to also convey the message that I am aware that there are enemies that we need to fight together. We all need to collaborate together to be able to surmount the security challenges facing our country today. It is going to a collective responsibility. All of us will be involved; everybody will be a policeman. We are going to partner with every group, every law-abiding individual. A man walks past air conditioners displayed at an electronics shop in downtown Seoul, June 18. Yonhap By Yi Whan-woo Private spending appears to be slowing despite the government spending hundreds of billions of won to encourage consumers to go out and spend more in the post-pandemic era. The dim outlook regarding consumer expenditure is adding to Korea's economic woes, as private spending is a twin growth engine of exports and previously, was offsetting the adverse effects of sluggish exports. According to Statistics Korea this week, the retail sales index, which measures the change in the total value of sales at the retail level and is the foremost indicator of consumer spending, slid 2.3 percent from a month earlier to 105.2 in April. The month-on-month decline marked the steepest fall since November 2022 when it shrank by 2.3 percent. The downward trajectory of the retail sales index comes after the government, in late March, announced plans to spend 60 billion won ($46.3 million), including 30,000 won for discount accommodation coupons for up to 1 million people, to boost domestic travel and spur consumer spending. The government is expected to announce follow-up measures in its policy direction for the second half of 2023. Separate data from the Credit Finance Association showed that the increase in credit card spending compared to a year earlier has been slowing in recent months up 9 percent in March, to 5.6 percent in April and 3.9 percent in May. In particular, the year-on-year increase in May spending was the lowest since January 2021 when the pandemic was at its height. In a joint study, the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute and Shinhan Card estimated that weekly credit card spending amounted to 10.42 trillion won between May 29 and June 4, down 13.9 percent from a week earlier. Industry sources also reported that the year-on-year sales at major department stores nationwide inched down 0.8 percent in April and another 0.2 percent in May. "All this data shows worrisome signs for the country's path to recovery, considering private spending has been sustaining Korea's slowing economy," said Lee Sang-ho, head of the economic policy team at the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI). He referred to the country's quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) growing 0.3 percent in the first three months of 2023 after shrinking 0.4 percent in the previous quarter, as consumer expenditure advanced 0.5 percent. Private spending was the biggest contributor to GDP, accounting for 0.3 percentage points of the growth and offsetting the adverse effects of net exports that pulled down growth by 0.1 percentage points. "It appears private spending thereafter is being disrupted as costs of eating out and other outdoor activities are rising faster than consumers can bear," Lee said. He also said a weak Japanese yen against the Korean won is another minus factor for the government's hopes for domestic travel. Koreans are flocking to Japan to tour the neighboring country at a much cheaper cost than usual. Accordingly, Korea's travel balance was in the red in the first three months this year, with the quarterly deficit reaching $3.2 billion to mark its highest level since the third quarter of 2019. Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday in Abuja called for a stronger relationship between Nigeria and the United Kingdom given the long-standing historical antecedents, business activities and shared interests between the two countries. He also advocated the creation of a Nigeria-UK Binational Commission to drive future engagements. I will urge you to facilitate the setting up of the Nigeria-UK Binational Commission; that Bi-national Commission can be the driver for accelerating and enhancing business relationship between our two countries, Shettima told the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Director of Information, Office of the Vice President, Olusola Abiola, revealed this in a statement he signed on Wednesday, titled VP Shettima seeks stronger relations with UK, advocates the creation of the bi-national commission. In his brief remarks, the Vice President commended the long-standing assistance and support of the UK government to Nigeria and expressed hope for a more robust business relationship. We need to ramp up the trade between our two nations, taking into cognisance our proximity. There is no nation that we are close to than the UK, and our trade represents less than five per cent of the volume of our imports and exports, he said. On the economy, the Vice President said the Bola Tinubu-led administration would create an enabling environment for businesses to flourish in Nigeria. He said the recent discontinuance of petrol subsidy is just the beginning of more economic reforms to follow in the coming months. This is just the beginning because it was fait accompli to withdraw the fuel subsidy. Either we get rid of the fuel subsidy, or the fuel subsidy gets rid of the Nigerian nation. Related News In 2012, we spent $10 billion on fuel subsidy alone. Last month, we were purportedly consuming 67 million litres per day, but after the removal of the subsidy, it dropped to 41 million bpd, nearly 40 per cent off. So the whole subsidy regime was opaque and ridden with a lot of inconsistency. In the coming weeks and months, we are going to make more pronouncements on how to reposition the Nigerian economy and make it vibrant for business, Shettima explained. On efforts to find a lasting solution to the security challenges in the country, the VP said the Federal Government must deploy both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches. So, I can assure you that we will pursue both kinetic and non-kinetic solutions to our challenges, he remarked. This also means strengthening Nigerias security architecture so the FG has a stronger bargaining position with the insurrectionists, Boko Haram terrorists and kidnappers, the VP noted. Shettima revealed that the administration will soon roll out different socio-economic intervention programmes and initiatives in the North East and North West that will facilitate the empowerment and social inclusion of the vulnerable groups in the regions. In his remarks, the British High Commissioner, Mr. Richard Montgomery, commended the new administrations proactive economic policies, especially the reforms. He lauded the long-standing relationship and cooperation with Nigeria, especially in areas of trade and investment, security and defence, digital technology, and education. The diplomat also expressed the readiness of the UK government to partner closely with the Federal Government to achieve the overall development of the country. In the delegation of the British High Commissioner were the Deputy Development Director, Susan Mshana; Counsellor Lake Chad Basin, Alex Maclean; Political Counsellor, Jonathan Bacon; and Senior Political Advisor, Damilola Oyedele. Spread the love The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has approved a 114 per cent increase in the salaries of elected politicians, including the President, vice president, governors, lawmakers as well as judicial and public office holders. RMAFC is saddled with the responsibility of determining the remuneration appropriate for political officeholders including the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, Ministers, Commissioners, Special Advisers, Legislators and the holders of the offices as mentioned in Sections 84 and 124 of this Constitution. The commission urged the 36 states Houses of Assembly to hasten efforts on amendment of relevant laws to give room for upward review of remuneration packages for political, judicial and public officers. READ ALSO: Shehu Sani commends Tinubus appointment of new Customs CG, says Customs is back to Customs According to NAN, the RMAFC Chairman, Muhammadu Shehu, represented by a federal commissioner, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, made the call at the presentation of reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Kebbi State governor, Dr. Nasir Idris, on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi. He said the implementation of the reviewed remuneration packages was effective from January 1, 2023, adding that the move was in accordance with the provision of paragraph 32(d) of part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 constitution of the federal government (as amended). He said the last remuneration review was conducted in 2007, noting that it culminated in the certain political, public and judicial office holders (salaries and allowances, etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2008. Shehu said, It empowers the revenue mobilisation, allocation and fiscal commission to determine the remuneration appropriate for political office holders, including the president, vice-president, governors, deputy governors, ministers, commissioners, special advisers, legislators and the holders of the offices mentioned in sections 84 and 124 of the constitution of the federal government. READ ALSO: Tinubu meets Abike Dabiri, Nigerian community in France Shehu said that having considered the impact of the review on the economy, the remuneration of the political, public and judicial office holders in the country was adjusted upward by 114%. The chairman explained that with respect to the judicial office holders, the commission considered the introduction of three new allowances. He listed the allowances to include, Professional Development Assistant: This is to allow for the provision of two law clerks to all judicial officers in the country. Long Service Allowance: This is to guarantee seniority/hierarchy between officers who have been on the bench for a minimum of five years and those that are appointed newly. Spread the love About 100 top officers, including generals, brigadiers-general, air vice marshals, and admirals in the Nigerian Army, Air Force, and Nigerian Navy may proceed on compulsory retirement following the appointment of new service chiefs on Monday by President Bola Tinubu. This is happening six months after 24 major generals and 38 brigadier generals retired last December after serving the nation for 35 years. An impeccable source explained that about 100 top officers spread across the Army, Air Force and Navy could leave the service in the coming weeks because, in the military, it is improper for a senior officer to serve under his juniors. Tinubu announced the immediate retirement of General Lucky Irabor who was the Chief of Defence Staff; the Chief of Army Staff, Lieut Gen Farouk Yahaya; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, and Air Marshal Oludayo Amao, the Chief of Air Staff and replaced them with new military chiefs. READ ALSO: Tinubu appoints new service chiefs, NSA, others The new service chiefs are Maj Gen Christopher Musa who is the Chief of Defence Staff; the Chief of Army Staff, Maj Gen Taoreed Lagbaja; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla while Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar was appointed the Chief of Air Staff. In line with precedence, Maj Gen Musa will adorn a full four-star General rank while Lagbaja will be decorated with the three-star rank of Lieutenant General and Ogalla with the same rank equivalent of Vice Admiral and Abubakar with the Air Marshal rank. But the decoration with the new ranks by the President would come after Senate confirmation. The planned retirement of the senior officers across the three services was in line with the long-standing military tradition that officers who were senior to the service chiefs would be retired. It is a tradition in the military that when a junior is appointed as a service chief, senior officers, who are ahead of him or her, would proceed on retirement. Advertisement READ ALSO: Meet Tinubus new security chiefs While the new CDS is a member of 38 Regular Course, the COAS, the CNS, and the CAS are members of 39 Regular Course. Multiple sources said it meant that the security chiefs were junior to some generals who are members of Course 37 and Course 38. Speaking to one of our correspondents in Abuja on Tuesday, a retired general explained that many top brass, particularly, members of Course 37 and Course 38 would likely leave the service. Though the former military officer was not sure of the number of senior officers that may retire in the army, air force and navy, he explained that the figure could be as high as 100. He stated, Top officers that would leave the service may be up to 100 because it cuts across the three services. The retirement exercise would not affect RC 39 officers; they would simply go to the Defence Headquarters because the Chief of Defence Staff is RC 38. Certainly, RC 37 and 38 officers will leave the service. Though, some of them may be retained because the last time, COAS Yahaya, who was a member of RC 37 retained some of his mates. So, he is leaving with his course mates now. Corroborating the retired general, a serving military officer noted, All officers who are senior to the new service chiefs are supposed to go home; mostly senior officers who are members of Course 37, 38 and some of 39. READ ALSO: Tinubu retires service chiefs, IGP, CG of Customs, makes fresh appointments Course 39 officers are to go too but some may be allowed to head the tri-services like the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Nigeria Defence College, and Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre He stated, Yes, the CDS is a member of Course 38, but by military tradition, he is not expected to make any appointment from among his course mates because the COAS, CNS, and CAS are members of Course 39. It was gathered gathered that those who may retire alongside the former service chiefs include the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Maj Gen Ibrahim Yusuf and the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Murtala Bashir. Others are the Chief of Policy and Plans, HQ NAF, AVM IG Lubo; the Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, Air vice Marshal Oluwarotimi Tuwase. Richard Montgomery, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, has stated that the steps taken by the United Kingdom to restrict foreign students from bringing dependents with them are not targeted at Nigerians. The UK envoy said the move is to protect UK infrastructure as the number of students bringing their family members from all around the world surged in the last couple of years. The British High Commissioner stated this on Wednesday, June 21 after he met with Vice President Kashim Shettima at the State House, Abuja. Montgomery said the number of Nigerian students coming to the UK increased five times in three years, just as the overall number of international students also increased. Montgomery added that it is not always possible to find housing and services for the high number of the population coming into the UK with their families. In May, the UK Home Office said it will restrict foreign students from bringing family members with them effective 2024, to stop people from using the student visa as a backdoor channel to work in the UK. Asked whether migration between Nigeria and the UK was discussed at his meeting with the Vice President, British High Commissioner said the issue was not raised at the meeting but I would like to put the media debate about it in a broader context. Montgomery said, Last year (2022), for example, the UK granted three million new visas, of which 325,000 of those visas were Nigerians. So, Nigerian visitors constitute over 10 per cent of the people coming to London and the UK. On the issue of student visas, Ill also like to provide a context. The number of Nigerian students coming to the UK has increased five folds in the last three years. Its a fantastic success story for our universities. And we are really delighted that so many Nigerians are coming to the UK. The issue about restrictions on people bringing dependents, thats partly not because of Nigeria but many parts of the world, many more students are trying to bring their dependents with them. There are two issues here: the first is its not always possible to find the housing and services to meet all the needs of all our existing student population and secondly, well have to manage our visitors number, we have to manage migration in and out of the UK just as the Nigerian Government does. Former Governor Peter Obi has criticised the proposed salary increment for President Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima, other politicians and judicial staff by Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), calling for the reversal because it will worsen the economic hardship already experienced by over 130 impoverished Nigerians. I learnt with great reservation, the approval of a 114% increase in the salaries of elected politicians, including the president, vice president, governors, lawmakers, as well as judicial and public office holders by the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mr Obi said. This is not the appropriate time for such salary increment if it is at all necessary. Mr Obi, the Labour Party candidate in the 2023 presidential election, called for reversing the planned salary increment in a series of tweets on Thursday, saying leaders should sacrifice for citizens. We are living in a time when an average Nigerian is struggling with many harsh economic realities, and with over 130 million Nigerians now living in poverty, explained the former Anambra governor. This is a moment when recent reform measures by the government have increased living costs astronomically. He added, The sacrifice, at this time in our nation, should be borne by the leaders. The increment should be reversed immediately, and the savings should be devoted to fixing education, healthcare and poverty alleviation, especially in the remote rural areas. Citing Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, represented RMAFC chairman Muhammadu Shehu on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi, News Agency of Nigeria, a state-owned newspaper, on Wednesday reported that RMFAC adjusted the remuneration of Messrs Tinubu, Shettima, and other political and judicial officeholders by 114 per cent. The report sparked criticism as Nigerians berated Mr Tinubu for calling Nigerians to sacrifice after sudden fuel subsidy removal without provision of palliatives for citizens, while he and other politicians get salary increments. In the heat of public outrage against salary increment for Mr Tinubu and other politicians, RMFAC spokesperson, Christian Nwachukwu, said the proposed salary increment has not been approved. No approval yet. There is no approval yet, Mr Nwachukwu told Leadership Newspaper on Wednesday. I dont know the source of that story. Everything is under the process. It has to come as a Bill for Mr President to assent. Nonetheless, Mr Obi said the Tinubu administration should weigh the illustration of Shakespeare before implementing policies that would have serious consequences on the nations economy and citizens trust in their government. In the immortal words of Shakespeares Julius Ceaser, What touches us ourself shall be last served. The leaders, therefore, should prioritise what affects the masses and those on the lower strata of society over themselves, Mr Obi said. Bitcoin rallied for a third straight day after hitting its highest level since mid-April, boosted by BlackRock's plan to create a bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) even as the sector faces U.S. regulatory scrutiny. BlackRock, the world's biggest asset manager, filed last week for the exchange which would allow investors to get stakes in the asset class. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that EDX Markets, a crypto exchange backed by Citadel Securities, Fidelity and Schwab had started operations. The global cryptocurrency industry has been caught in the crosshairs of the U.S. securities regulator on alleged violations of securities laws. Earlier this month, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued major crypto exchanges including Coinbase and Binance. Bitcoin, the world's biggest and best-known cryptocurrency, was last up 5.5 percent on Wednesday at 29,881.00 after hitting a high of $30,755.00. It is up roughly 81 percent for the year-to-date. "It started with BlackRock's Bitcoin ETF filing and now others are following," said Edward Moya, a senior market analyst at OANDA. "Who needs regulatory clarity if you see BlackRock making a move?" But he cautioned that while "Bitcoin momentum may last a little longer" the sector needs to "hear good news from the SEC to see a sustained rally target in the mid-$30,000 region." Ether, the coin linked to the ethereum blockchain network, rose 4.8 percent to $1,877.70. (Reuters) June 22, (THEWILL) Nigeria has called for stronger bilateral ties with the United Kingdom (UK). Vice-President, Kashim Shettima, made the call on Wednesday, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, paid him a courtesy visit. Nigeria and the UK share a long standing historical antecedents, the latter being a former colonial power, had maintained ties with her former colonies. Speaking on Wednesday, Shettima expressed Nigerias appreciation for the long standing assistance and support of the UK government to Nigeria. I will urge you to facilitate the setting up of the Nigeria-UK Binational Commission; that Bi-national Commission can be the driver for accelerating enhance business relationship between our two countries. We need to ramp up the trade between our two nations taking into cognisance our proximity. There is no nation that we are close to than the UK and our trade represent less than five percent of the volume of our import and export, he said. On economy, the Vice President said, Most definitely, we are going to create an enabling environment for businesses to flourish in this country. He underscored the need for economic reforms in order to position the countrys economy for growth, especially the removal of fuel subsidy. This is just the beginning because it was fait accompli to withdraw the fuel subsidy. We either get rid of the fuel subsidy or the fuel subsidy get rid of the Nigerian nation, he added. The Vice President observed that In 2012, we spent $10bn on fuel subsidy alone. Last month, we were purportedly consuming 67 million litres per day, but after the removal of the subsidy, it drops to 41 million bpd, nearly 40% off. So the whole subsidy regime was opaque, ridden with a lot of inconsistency So obviously we have no option, but to collapse the exchange rate regimes into one. In the coming weeks and months, we are going to make more pronouncements on how to reposition the Nigerian economy and make it vibrant for business. On efforts to find a lasting solution to the security challenges in the country, Shettima said there is need for both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches towards addressing the problems. Unless we want to engage in an endless war of attrition, you have to find kinetic and non-kinetic solutions to our problems. Yes, we have to strengthen our security architecture, so that we can be a stronger bargaining position with the insurrectionist; Boko Haram terrorists and kidnappers, he said. As part of the efforts of the Tinubu administration towards addressing ongoing security problems, the Vice President disclosed that government will soon roll out different socio-economic intervention programmes and initiatives in the North East and North West that will facilitate empowerment and social inclusion of the vulnerable groups in the regions. So, I can assure you that we will pursue both kinetic and non-kinetic solutions to our challenges, he added. In his remarks, the British High Commissioner, Richard Montgomery, commended the new administrations proactive economic policies especially the reforms. He lauded the long standing relations and cooperation with Nigeria, especially in areas of trade, investment, security, defence, digital technology, and education. The British High Commissioner expressed the readiness of the UK government to partner closely with the Federal Government to achieve the overall development of the country. In the delegation of the British High Commissioner were the Deputy Development Director, Susan Mshana; Counsellor Lake Chad Basin, Alex Maclean; Political Counsellor, Jonathan Bacon and Senior Political Advisor, Damilola Oyedele. Abdulrasheed Kashamu becomes the youngest member of the Ogun State Assembly having been inaugurated into the state parliament on Tuesday, June 20. The young Kashamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) represents Ijebu North 1 as he took his oath of office into the Ogun 10th Assembly along with 25 others. The 26-year-old is the son of the late Senator Buruji Kashamu who represented Ogun East at the Eighth Senate. Abdulrasheed promised to operate an open-door policy to all, regardless of party affiliations in order to ensure good representation of the people of Ijebu Igbo. We are entrepreneurial in Ijebu North, and creating more jobs will be my primary focus by supporting artisans, market traders, farmers, businesses, particularly the youth and women, with easily accessible loans and skill acquisition programmes, he said. Abdulrasheed graduated from Brunel University, London, where he bagged his B.Sc in International Business and Management. He also received his Master of Science (M. Sc) degree in International Financial Management from the University of Surrey. He graduated with Merit in 2018. Shortly after signing the oath of office, Abdulrasheed met with Governor Dapo Abiodun as they exchanged pleasantries. The lawmaker also thanked his constituents who turned out in Abeokuta in their numbers to show their support. I feel overwhelmed with the love I receive from our people. I want to appreciate everyone who came all the way for their show of love, commitment and undiluted loyalty. Meanwhile, former Speaker Kunle Oluomo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was also re-elected Speaker unopposed. Oluomo, who represents Ifo I, was nominated by Lamidi Olatunji (Ado/Odo-Ota II), and seconded by Owodeh Waliu (PDP Ijebu East). Advertisement A groundswell of testimonies has been recorded at the New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declaration, NSPPD, United Kingdom conference convened by the founder of Streams of Joy International Church, Pastor Jerry Eze. The two-day conference which was held at the iconic Excel Arena in London, United Kingdom, had over 70, 000 attendees. Thousands of worshipers both on the ground and online testified of receiving miracles and divine healings as Pastor Eze ministers. At the event, numerous testimonies were shared including that of a dumb speaking, and people who came with clutches in their hundreds but left the program without it. There were also testimonies of divine connections, miracle jobs, and marital settlements. Award-winning Nigerian gospel artiste, Nathaniel Bassey, led the worship session, alongside others. A popular data compilation website, Playboard.co, reported that Pastor Ezes NSPPD UK conference was the most super chatted gospel channel as of Tuesday, June 20, 2023. According to the data compilation website, Ezes ministry as of 06/20/2023, had 878,307 views daily and 231,432,855 total views. Related Advertisement Advertisement By Chuks Eke Passionate calls have been made to stakeholders in Igbo land to fashion out better ways of achieving maximum security in the Southeast geopolitical zone in particular and Nigeria in general. A erudite scholar, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu and wife of Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the late Biafra War Lord, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu who made the calls in Awka Anambra state during a stakeholders meeting, said security of lives and properties should be placed on top priority at all times. Odinkalu and Bianca who are the Chairman and Secretary of Truth, Justice and Peace Commission, TJPC which convened the meeting, advised that everyone must be actively involved in the quest for adequate security in the society. Specifically, Odinkalu who explained that the meeting was aimed at creating a platform for open dialogue on ways to restore normalcy and consistency in the region, acknowledged that peace and stability in the region is very paramount to promoting indigenization. Professor Odinkalu however appreciated Governor Soludos led administration for its high investment in ensuring security in the state. On her part, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, expressed optimism about the outcomes of the stakeholders engagement, noting that the Commission is dedicated to transparency, impartiality, and inclusivity. According to her, I am assuring participants that their inputs and suggestions would be duly considered in the development of future policies and programmes. Governor Soludo, represented by his deputy, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim lauded the commission for its commitment towards securing a just and peaceful Anambra. He therefore urged Anambrarians to always stand for the truth and work collectively and closely with the security agencies to achieve high level of security. In their separate remarks, some stakeholders including the Majority Leader, Anambra State House of Assembly, Honourable Ikenna Ofodeme and the National Vice President of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene appreciated the commission for its inclusiveness and commitment to ensuring a peaceful and stable environment is achieved. In her speech, a critical stakeholder, Mrs. Chika Ibeneme disclosed that arrangements have been concluded to conduct a prayer rally on June 30 and July 1, this year to seek the face of God and appease the Igbo youths who lost their lives during the Nigerian/Biafran war genocide of 1967 to 1970. The commission was established by Governor Chukwuma Soludo in the wake of the insecurity crisis in Anambra State in particular and in the Southeast Region and was mandated to uncover the truth, provide justice, and promote peace and security. The Commission had on February 17, 2023 submitted their interim report to Governor Soludo and it is expected that with these engagements they would identify further issues not captured in their reports. Meantime, participants had the opportunity to share their experiences, express their grievances, and propose initiatives for a more secured environment. Government officials, representatives of civil society organizations, traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders, persons living with disability, among others, graced the occasion. Related Advertisement President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will join other high-profile panelists on Thursday evening to speak at the ongoing New Global Financing Pact summit in Palais Brongniart, France. The financial summit hosted by France seeks to establish a system that will be more responsive, just and inclusive. According to a report published by The Nation, the President is among the panelists billed to speak for one hour between 1800 and 1900 hours. The panel session titled: Ensuring more reliable, comparable information and data will be moderated by Sylvie Goulard and Mark Carney. Other panelists expected to be in the one-hour session event include David Craig, Co-Chair of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD); Mark Carney, Co-Chair of the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ). Others are Mary Schapiro, Vice-Chair of Global Public Policy at Bloomberg; Sabine Mauderer, Vice-Chair of the Network for Greening the Financial System; and United Nations Special Envoy, Catherine Mckenna. Tinubu arrived at the venue in the company of his Aide-de-Camp, Nurudeen Yusuf and was received by the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and Europe, Catherine Colonna. The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina will also join another set of panellists to speak on Debt and SDR-channelling: Where do we stand and how to go further? Also, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will discuss at the summit, the question What are the consequences of the trade agenda. An All Progressives Congress (APC) group under the guise of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CCSO) for Tinubu/Shettima 2023 presidential election has urged Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, to withdraw their cases challenging the victory of President Bola Tinubu in the February 25th polls. Atiku and Obi are challenging the declaration of the APC presidential candidate as the winner of the presidential election. While the cases against the APC candidate are still being heard at the court, CCSO National Coordinator, Lilian Ogbole, said on Thursday that since Tinubu was already fulfilling the desire of the other candidates, there was no need to continue the case in court. Ogbole, who spoke at a press conference in Abuja today said the call to withdraw the case became imperative because the Tinubu-led administration has shown that it was ready to work assiduously to install peace, development and progress in Nigeria. Ogbole noted that it was no news that well-meaning Nigerians all over the world and the international community at large are applauding and giving the president ovations for his decisiveness in tackling and containing serious national issues and the transformational reforms and socio-economic policies and initiatives he has brought to the table in less than 30 days in office. She stressed that the bold steps are gradually resulting in accelerated relief and reassurance of hope in the Presidents Renewed Hope Agenda for not just Nigerians but the entire African continent. Ogbole added that as stakeholders in the Nigerian project, they deemed it imperative to call on all selfless, well-meaning Nigerians and patriots across party lines to shield their swords and embrace this transformational government of national unity and all-inclusiveness. The group added: We resolved to say unequivocally loud and clear, here and now that the victory in the last presidential election is a victory for all Nigerians regardless of their political affiliation and alignment, religion or tribe, it is indeed a victory for Africa, the entire black race and of course victory for the entire world and humanity at large; it was a no victor no vanquish election. President Bola Tinubus government has thus far proved beyond every reasonable doubt to be transformational in nature with huge potential to reunite, revitalize, renew and reposition Nigeria for a breakthrough to an uninterrupted era of progress and prosperity, hence the need for all hands to be on deck. Even though we are aware that it is the fundamental right of all aggrieved candidates to seek for redress in the court of law, in the national interest, we wish to use this avenue to crave the indulgence of all aggrieved candidates who are seeking redress in the tribunal to withdraw their litigations against the president and join hands with him in the proposed national unity and all-inclusive government. The coalition noted that it was certain that the priority of all candidates of other political parties was to do same selflessly in the national interest, since Tinubu was playing out their intentions they could and should go a step further to synergize with him to achieve the same patriotic purpose, The coalition stressed that this was the only way to prove to the world that their struggles are not personal and selfish but rather in the national interest and quest to restore the dignity of man through the initiation and implementation of people-friendly policies and programmes. It further urged all elder statesmen across the country to invite all aggrieved parties to a round table meeting and appeal to them not to subvert the will of the people through distractions but join hands with the government that was willingly elected by Nigerians to change their story. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has unanimously adopted a resolution denouncing North Korea's missile provocations, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday. The U.N. agency's governing body also urgently called on Pyongyang to comply strictly with the provisions of the 1944 Chicago Convention, which outlines the key principles for global aviation, at a session in Montreal, Canada, earlier this week. During the meeting, the ICAO voiced its concerns over the North's recent missile launches, saying they pose a "serious risk" to international civil aviation and represents a "complete disregard" of the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions. "The ICAO council's decision shows the firm commitment of the international community that it will not tolerate North Korea's violation of international norms that threaten the safety of civil aviation," the ministry said. The resolution comes after Salvatore Sciacchitano, the president of the ICAO council, sent a letter to North Korean authorities last month calling for an end to Pyongyang's provocations, including the launch of a military spy satellite the recalcitrant country has vowed to put into orbit to monitor U.S. military activities. (Yonhap) The Deputy Commissioner of Police and Commander of Rapid Response Squad Lagos, Mr. Olatunji Disu, has urged Human Resources managers in various organizations to be proactive in forestalling unwholesome practices which can jeopardize safety and security in work places. Disu gave the charge while delivering a lecture titled; The Role of HR In Workplace Security,at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) Ikeja chapters quarterly meeting held at the conference room of the Guinness Nigeria Limited. The police chief cited the need for HR managers to ingrain in all staffers the safety precautions and security tips to mitigate any hazards and threat to security at the work place. According to most of the HR moves are reactive instead of being proactive, he hinted that core staffers should trained to understand their roles in ensuring a secured and safe working environment. The Human Resources managers should be proactive rather than been reactive,they should guard against having loop holes and lapses that could explored by criminally minded individuals, which may put the organization at risk. HR been the internal safety and security official in the organization need to act on the views of the employees right on time,it should not be glossed over. All the staffers must have the safety and security culture ingrained in them,they must know that a safe and secured working environment can only be possible through their collective responsibility,DCP Disu affirms. He however, affirmed that Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) is a special unit that need be bolstered so as to ensure that core security functions are performed seamlessly. The CIPM also presented a plague to DCP Disu for his selfless response to security issues. The Ikeja CIPM chairman, Reverend Olakanmi Amoo-Onidundun while in a chat with newsmen after the parley harps on the need for HR managers to double efforts, in ensuring that their organizations dont fall prey to competitors and fraudsters, whose stalk in trade is to capitalize on their laxities to frustrate business plans for their rival companies to thrive. When the orientation,unburdening and induction process is a one off thing then there will be lapses and loop holes. It should be a culture and ongoing re-sensitization of people,knowing fully well that this thing if not attended to might lead to grievous loss,litigation and financial implications for the organization, it can even lead to closure of business. HR being the champion of health,safety and security in work places should take proactive action in forestalling such negative repercussions for the organization. Olakanmi said. Mr. Sunday Abegunde a internal safety expert in Guinness was on hand for an induction session for all those present at the meeting to guard against hazard on site The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar on Friday presented more documents at the ongoing Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal. This is to justify their petition challenging President Muhammadu Buharis victory at February 23, 2019 election. The documents presented by the PDP include Expert Report of INECs Electoral Information Systems as revealed by Whistle Blowers Website, downloaded documents from the website, Certificate of Compliance and Executive Summary for the 11 states under review. However, lawyers to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC), however, objected to the admissibility of the documents with a promise to give reasons for their objection in their final address. The Chairman of the tribunal, Garba noted their objections but admitted the documents as exhibits. The party also called its 59th witness, David Njoga, an ICT expert from Kenya who claimed to have obtained data from INEC server. Under cross-examination, lawyers to President Buhari and the APC disagreed with the witness on the ground that the website where the witness obtained his data did not belong to INEC. The PDP also tendered Forms EC8 a and EC8 B which are result sheets from seven local government areas in Kano State. Lawyers to INEC, President Buhari, and the APC objected to the admissibility of the documents. Meanwhile the Tribunal has rejected the request made by PDP and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar for more time to conclude their case. PDPs lawyer, Chris Uche had asked for more time from the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal to conclude their case. But Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Mohammed Garba said the tribunal would continue with proceedings till later in the day to enable the petitioners to conclude their case. The Tribunal had earlier at the pre-hearing session granted the petitioners ten days to conclude its case and the ten days expire today, Friday. Members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State detained in prison following their arraignment in court for allegedly insulting Governor Inuwa Yahaya. Two members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State have been detained in prison following their arraignment in court for allegedly insulting Governor Inuwa Yahaya. Gombe is the latest state to join in the harassment of social media and opposition voices over criticism of their governors. PREMIUM TIMES has reported how governors across the country are increasingly targeting opponents and social media users for allegedly insulting them. Atiku Boza-Boza and Adamu Babale are being detained on the orders of an area court following their arraignment on allegations of conspiracy and intentional insult, according to court papers seen by PREMIUM TIMES. The police at Pantami Division of the metropolis arrested and detained Mr Boza-Boza on Wednesday over undisclosed complaints. Mr Boza-Boza was a personal assistant to erstwhile Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo. An associate of Mr Boza-Boza, Adamu Babale, who went to the police station to secure the bail of his fellow party man was also detained. The two were then taken before the Area Court in Pantami in handcuffs on Thursday on charges of conspiring to abuse Mr Yanaya. The police accused the two PDP stalwarts of calling the governor leader of promise breakers according to the Polices First Information Report (FIR). The alleged offence, according to the charge sheet, is contrary to Section 96 & 155 of the Penal Code Law. Hurried to jail The two politicians were docked before the court on Thursday, a day declared as work-free for all courts in the state. A circular dated February 24, 2020, by the states acting chief judge, Muazu Pindiga, had issued a directive on all courts in the state to close down on February 26th and 27th. The holiday, according to the circular seen by PREMIUM TIMES, was to enable smooth running of the commissioning exercise of the new Court of Appeal Gombe Division. But despite the holiday, the two suspects were taken before the court in what the opposition leaders in the state said was a premeditated action. Governor disowns case Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES by telephone, a spokesperson for Mr Yahaya said the governor was not behind the travail of the two PDP members. This is not true. The governor did not order the arrest of anybody. If they have issues, it must be with another person, not the governor, Abdullahi Misilli said Sunday morning. Mr Misilli described the alleged role of the governor as antics of the opposition. *** Source: PREMIUM TIMES A traditional marriage Different kinds of events make up traditional marriages in Nigeria, some totally hilarious and others interesting. Yemi Alade revealed one of her interesting encounters with a member of the Maasai ethnic group of Kenya. According to her, the man offered her 20 cows for her hand in marriage, but his friend said she was fat and couldnt build houses. Across Nigeria, youll find many marriage rites that are similar to Yemi Alades encounter with the Maasai man. Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and other Nigerian ethnic groups have one or two interesting things about their marriage rites. * The lift test One of the interesting things during the Yoruba traditional marriage is the carrying of the bride by the groom. It doesnt matter how slim the groom looks or how weighty the bride is. This sight is always hilarious, especially when the woman ends up proving too much for the man to carry. The lift test is a way for the groom to show that he has the strength to carry the bride. * Wine Carrying Wine carrying is a rite during an Igbo traditional marriage where the bride carries freshly tapped palm wine in a cup and looks for her husband in the crowd. When she finds him, she goes on her knees and presents the wine to him. On his part, he has to accept the drink because to reject it would be to reject his wife-to-be. After emptying the content of the cup, he puts some money in it. * Catching of the bride Catching the bride is an interesting rite that takes place during a Hausa traditional wedding. It is organized so that the grooms family can come and catch their beautiful bride. The man and his family are not allowed to see the bride until they have paid the required token. This is the final moment between the bride and her friends, which can be heartbreaking and that is why they ensure that the bride doesnt go away too easily. During this time, the brides face is mostly veiled while her friends haggle with the groom and his family for a price to see the brides face. * Hilarious Prayers The Alaga Iduro is a woman who is the master of ceremonies at Yoruba traditional weddings. Usually, friends and family shower the couple with prayers of prosperity, fertility, and good health. But with the Alaga Iduro, things take a funny twist. The Yoruba people believe that a womans buttocks sitting in her husbands house for long is a blessing. It isnt uncommon for you to find the Alaga Iduro telling the bride to hold her buttocks for this prayer. * Raining money This is a longstanding tradition in the Nigerian traditional marriage scene. The bride and groom dance on stage while family and friends spray money on them. The interesting thing here is that the couple have foot soldiers whose job is to collect every last penny in bags or baskets while pretending to dance. * Prostrating During the Yoruba traditional marriage, the groom and all his friends will come before the brides family and prostrate in the dust. It doesnt matter the colour of the agbada theyre wearing or how dirty the floor is, (though in most cases, mats are laid on the floor). When it comes to respect, no ethnic group in Nigeria comes close to the Yoruba people. * Exchange of vows In the Hausa culture, it is the representatives from the groom and brides family who exchange vows and not the bride and groom. They do this in the presence of an Imam and some wedding guests. They then go on to make prayers for the newly wedded couple and the celebration continues. Traditional marriages across Nigeria are quite interesting for many reasons. The food, the music, the outfits, and the rites all combine to make the day memorable. *** This article was first published on AfricaParent.com Coronavirus Africa could be the next epicentre of the deadly coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. The organization stated that the continent does not have enough ventilators to deal with the pandemic and there was a sharp rise in cases in the past weeks. There have been almost 1,000 deaths and more than 18,000 infections across Africa so far, although these rates are far lower than those seen in parts of Europe and the US but the virus appears to be spreading away from African capitals, WHO added. The organizations Africa Director, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, told the BBC that the organization had witnessed the virus spreading from capital cities to the hinterland, in South Africa, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana. She said they were focusing on prevention rather than treating the virus because African countries dont have the capacity to treat many Coronavirus patients. Moeti said, We want to minimize the proportion of people who get to the point of needing critical care in an ICU, because we know that these types of facilities are not adequate by any means in the majority of African countries. I have to say the issue of ventilators is one of the biggest challenges that the countries are facing. For patients critically ill with COVID-19, access to a ventilator could be a matter of life or death, she added. Recall that one of the first recorded deaths from Coronavirus in Africa was a Zimbabwean journalist, Zororo Makamba who died in March. Heartland Theatre sets senior showcase NORMAL Heartland Theatre Company's senior acting troupe, Young at Heartland, will perform their summer showcase at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 28 and 2 p.m. Friday, June 30. The showcase will take place at Heartland Theatre, 1110 Douglas St., One Normal Plaza in the Community Activity Center. The shows will be on a donations-at-the-door basis. No reservations will be taken. The actors will perform scenes on stage that were written mainly by local seniors. Doors will open 20 minutes before curtain and the show is open to the public. Facemasks are welcome, but not required. To prep for the showcase, the seniors participated in a two-month acting workshop. The program is directed by Ann B. White, who founded the project 19 years ago. The workshop instructors include Julie Kistler and Terri Whisenhunt. The troupe often performs at area nursing and retirement homes, and church and civic groups in McLean County. The program is supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the McLean County Arts Center. Visit heartland theatre.org or email boxoffice@heartlandtheatre.org for more information. BLOOMINGTON The sentencing hearing for Michael Bakana, who was convicted of murder last month in a 2021 shooting, was delayed on Thursday. A hearing for post-trial motions and possible sentencing had been scheduled for Thursday after Bakanas May 12 conviction by a McLean County jury. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Mariah Petracca, attempted murder in the shooting of another woman and aggravated battery with a firearm. However, attorneys on the case asked that the hearing be pushed back, citing personal reasons. At Thursdays hearing, Clyde Guilamo, attorney for 44-year-old Bakana, asked Judge Casey Costigan to vacate the defendants bond forfeiture, as the bond had been used in part to pay his attorney fees. Before the trial, Costigan had agreed to change Bakanas bond to allow for $50,000 to go toward one installment of attorney fees. Bakana, of Normal, had been out on bond when he failed to appear for his trial last month, having paid $200,000 plus fees to be released. That bond was forfeited after he failed to appear. Costigan issued a no-bond warrant for his arrest, and Bakana was apprehended by federal law enforcement in Kentucky after the jury had returned a guilty verdict. Guilamo said the SAFE-T Act had removed language in state statute that allowed a defendants bond to be forfeited. He noted that while the law that would eliminate cash bail in Illinois was still under consideration by the state Supreme Court, the element of the law at question was cash bail, not bond forfeiture. Guilamo also noted Bakana was apprehended within 30 days of the hearing date that he did not appear for, arguing the bond forfeiture should therefore be vacated. Assistant States Attorney Jeff Horve said the state law that is in effect in McLean County allows for bond forfeiture, and if a defendant does not abide by the conditions of bond, the bond should be forfeited, noting Bakana did not surrender but was apprehended. Statute requires that the defendant surrender to the court and clearly that didnt happen, Horve said, adding that the court can order that money that was used for bond be put toward restitution after sentencing. Horve said the purpose of the bond in this case was to ensure Bakana appeared, and he failed to appear for trial. Costigan said he would take their arguments under advisement and issue a ruling at the time of sentencing. Guilamo said he has filed a motion for a new trial that will be addressed at the next hearing, July 24. If denied, the case will proceed directly to sentencing, Costigan said. The 2024 presidential field, in the order they've announced Donald Trump, Republican Nikki Haley, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican Marianne Williamson, Democrat Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Democrat Larry Elder, Republican President Joe Biden, Democrat Asa Hutchinson, Republican Tim Scott, Republican Ron DeSantis, Republican Mike Pence, Republican Chris Christie, Republican Doug Burgum, Republican Francis Suarez, Republican Will Hurd, Republican BLOOMINGTON Early education administrators at Bloomington District 87 are asking the school board to consider purchasing a larger facility to help move the district out of its preschool desert status. At Wednesdays school board meeting, Laura Delgado, director of elementary education, and Jeff Dobbs, principal of Sarah Raymond School of Early Education, told the board the Illinois State Board of Education had identified McLean County as a preschool desert because there are not enough state-funded preschool programs to serve 80% of all low-income children in our area. Dobbs noted that after a 2022 audit, Raymond was found to be not in compliance for issues related to the physical space at the school, especially the stairs, space within classrooms and distance between classrooms and playground. The preschool and early childhood education programs at Raymond serve at-risk and special education students ages 3-5 in half-day sessions. The waitlists to attend typically have about 50 students because of building capacity limitations. Delgado and Dobbs presented a few options to address the preschool needs based on the completed assessment, and they recommended seeking a larger building in order to increase enrollment. According to board documents, this option would allow the district to serve more students in need and expand the program by at least 50% to meet those needs, increase funding options to include those related to expanding programming, respond to audit findings, pursue full-day programming and minimize the impact on the other elementary schools in the district. With support from state Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, and state Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, the General Assembly passed legislation this year that would allow District 87 to purchase a building without a referendum. That bill Senate Bill 2323 awaits Gov. J.B. Pritzkers signature. Were thrilled that it moved through as fast as it did, Superintendent David Mouser said after Wednesdays meeting. Mouser said the district administration recognized the need and sought support from local lawmakers so they would be able to negotiate in good faith should the law be passed. But were in a holding pattern, like we have been, he said of the bill awaiting gubernatorial approval. But I think these are the discussions that were going to be having moving forward. When it was moving through the legislature, Mouser said District 87 was in desperate need of pre-K space, and acknowledged that vocational education offerings could expand if more space were available, too. Obviously it depends on the space, it depends on the availability, he said Wednesday, noting discussions about a potential purchase would begin immediately upon signing. The timeline beyond that was not clear, though, as the district would need to evaluate potential sites and determine if and when the sale process could be initiated, Mouser said. In a presentation of the McLean DeWitt Regional Vocational System and Bloomington Area Career Center budgets both of which were anticipated to be balanced in fiscal 2024 Bryce Hansen, incoming director of those programs, said enrollment was projected to be 782 students in the 2023-24 school year, but lengthy waitlists remain for the welding, culinary arts and automotive technology classes. Its primarily a space issue, he said, noting that with more space, they could serve more students. In other business, the board approved the amended budget for fiscal 2023, which ends June 30. Since the tentative budget that estimated an overall deficit of $3.1 million was passed in September, the amended budget now has a surplus of $85,946, according to board documents. Michael Cornale, chief facilities and financial officer, said the surplus came about in part because of an increase in overall revenue and decrease in overall expenses in the education fund, the fund that pays for teachers, curriculum, etc. According to board documents, the $2.5 million increase in overall revenue in the ed fund includes an increase in corporate personal property replacement tax, property tax collection and interest. The operations and maintenance fund, however, had a $500,000 decrease in overall revenue associated with projects that are still in progress. The district also decreased expenditures in that fund by more than 460,000 thanks to the use of grant funding. A new chiller and renovations to locker rooms at Bloomington Junior High contributed to an increase in expenses in the life safety fund, according to the documents. Photos: District 87 therapy dogs Government Policy Coordination Minister Bang Moon-kyu attended a two-day conference in London focused on Ukraine's post-war recovery, his office said Thursday. The Ukraine Recovery Conference, which started Wednesday, brought together officials from 61 countries, leaders of 33 international organizations and approximately 400 companies to discuss the assistance needed for recovery from the destruction caused by Russia's invasion. Bang told the conference that Korea would provide an additional $130 million this year, in addition to the $100 million given last year to Kyiv, the Office for Government Policy Coordination under the prime minister's office said in a press release. "Korea, drawing from its experience in post-war economic development, will be able to support the reconstruction of essential infrastructure and the restoration of basic social services," Bang said. Additionally, Bang emphasized the crucial role of the private sector in leading the way by applying its expertise and supporting Ukraine's recovery. (Yonhap) NORMAL The 2023 class of McLean County History Makers shares one trait above all else: Above their selflessness, charitable giving and love of community, there is humility. Six people, representing two individuals and two couples, were honored by the McLean County Museum of History Wednesday night at the annual History Makers Gala in the Brown Ballroom at Illinois State University's Bone Student Center. Upon receiving their awards, one after the other, Dottie Bushnell, Hank and Mary Campbell, Charles and Willie Halbert and Guy Fraker, all said they shared the honor with the community they have come to love. The gala also serves double-duty as the annual board meeting for the museum. After a lightning-fast meeting that lasted no longer than five minutes, outgoing museum board president Tom Eder introduced the honorees, saying each one has made life better for McLean County residents. "Bloomington-Normal has prospered and continues to prosper because of their efforts," he said. Following Eder's remarks, Illinois Voices Theatre performed a short, original piece called "Community of Us," featuring music that was inspired by and told the stories of each of the History Makers. Each honoree was then presented with an award and remarks about their impact on the community. Bushnell received hers first, saying she was "humbled to accept this award." Bushnell was honored for her nearly half-century of work at The Garlic Press, establishing it as a pillar of uptown Normal and a community gathering place. In interviews leading up to the gala, Bushnell said she prefers to stay out of the limelight, but on Wednesday evening, she thanked her loyal customers, family and "talented employees, both past and present." Bushnell, supported by her daughter Sarah McManus, said, "I think of how the Garlic Press has become a gathering place ... a place where our community connects and feels welcome and provides more than a little free and unlicensed counseling." The Campbells then received their awards for their decades of service with Habitat for Humanity and working to improve the lives of marginalized individuals in McLean County. Keith Cornille, president of Heartland Community College, presented the award to Mary Campbell, who is a board member at the college. He quoted the board as saying, "Mary serves as the conscience of our board. She is the one that will remind us every day what this is about it's about our students and it's about our community." Julie Dobski gave the award to Hank Campbell, who is a retired professor from ISU. She said he is a "failure at retiring," citing the many community and international projects Hank Campbell works on. Dobski channeled famous anthropologist Margaret Mead to compliment the Campbells, saying, "Never doubt the power of a small group of people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Mary Campbell, not one to bask in the spotlight, said the honor was "extremely humbling." "I do what I do because it's the right thing to do. If I could think of something else, I might do it ... I love this community." Her husband said, "We are the ones who are blessed. All we have to do is look out among this crowd ... you get to come together with each other, we get to be part of that." Hank Campbell said he and his wife, a retired professor from Illinois Wesleyan University, were inspired by their students. He said they gave the couple "a particular zip for life." Fraker received his award from longtime friend and fellow lawyer Bob Lenz, recognizing his scholarly work on Abraham Lincoln as well as his conservation work in Illinois. Fraker, originally from New York, said he chose McLean County because he wanted to be part of a community. He said his father, who commuted for work, never got the chance to be part of a community. "I knew that I didn't want any part of commuting and not being a part of a community," Fraker said. "When I got here, I got involved. And it made my life here much more pleasant. I'm grateful to a lot of you people that I've worked with in these various community activities." The Halberts capped off the awards, being honored for their work in social justice and fighting for civil rights, equity and equality in McLean County. Karin Harris took each letter of Willie Halbert's name and found a way to describe the honoree. She said Willie stands for wise, inspiring, loving, lively, intelligent and encouraging. She also quoted Mark 10:27, saying that "with God, all things are possible." Timothy Mark Harris, pastor of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church in Bloomington, where the Halberts have worshiped for decades, honored Charles Halbert as a "pillar of true strength and stability." The pastor said Charles Halbert exhibits "Christlikeness, calmness, composure, coolness ... he is more than a role model, he is a real model." Charles Halbert, for his part, said, I wasn't expecting this kind of attention. Along the way, I've met some great people here in Bloomington-Normal, great friends. "I could not have done anything that I have done without the presence and support of many of you here in the audience." Willie Halbert thanked the community for "just the love and support... We couldn't do anything without the support of family and friends, each one of you, because that's what makes a community." She noted the diversity of the crowd, too, as a reflection of the community. "What I love as I look out amongst us, I see diversity. I see love. I see caring people. And isn't that what it's all about when we come together and we put our differences aside and we work together?" Photos: 2023 History Makers Gala LEROY Sunlight streamed through tall trees and onto the ground, birds chirped and fluttered about, and wind gently rustled through the bushes and undergrowth Thursday morning in West Park. The park, on land donated by Simeon H. West at the turn of the 20th century, is northeast of LeRoy, near Moraine View State Recreation Area. It is also home to the newest Illinois State Historical Marker which tells, in part, the story of the indigenous Kickapoo tribe that lived in the area until the 1830s. The park now also houses a ceremonial boulder that was, until recently, used in intertribal powwows nearby. About 50 people gathered in the park Thursday morning for a ceremony to honor the Kickapoo and learn about their history. One person even burned sage in honor of the event, its herbaceous aroma filling the quiet space. Representatives from the McLean County Museum of History, McLean County administration and the Illinois State Historical Society came out to deliver remarks and talk about the significance of such a marker. The museum's librarian, Bill Kemp, told a brief overview of the Kickapoo nation's life on the Illinois plains. "I certainly cannot speak for the Kickapoo," he said. "We'll let them do that when they make the visit here, hopefully soon." Kemp said the tribe was historically situated farther north, but was forced to relocate to Central Illinois in the late 1700s as settlers moved west. During the early 1800s, Kemp said, William Forsythe, the U.S. government official responsible for reporting on indigenous peoples in the Peoria area, sent a letter to General William Clark of Lewis and Clark fame. "It reads, in part, 'The Kickapoo are a proud and haughty nation of Indians. They are prone to insult. They think that their dogs or horses are equal in value to any person of any other nation and they show no mercy when they have power in their own hands. And they will talk with indifference of all mankind that is not Kickapoo.'" Kemp said this is a testament to the "unconquerable nature of the Kickapoo people as they opposed forced removal." Kemp said this part of McLean County near LeRoy, including West Park, was once part of the Grand Village of the Kickapoo, a seasonal village where the tribe, several thousands of people, would spend their summers. "The location for this large summer village was an ideal one," Kemp explained. "First, it sat atop the Bloomington moraine where we are, a broad ridge that rises 100 or so feet above the surrounding landscape. "That made the Kickapoo Grand Village high and dry compared to the soggy prairie below it." Norris Porter, the museum's director of development, explained the importance of the state marker and the relocation of the memorial boulder once housed on private land and used for powwows. Porter said last year, the museum "co-deeded" a 1,200-square-foot plot in McLean County with the Kickapoo nation that now resides in Kansas as a small step toward "repatriation" of historical lands and artifacts. In the late 1990s, Porter said a local family "welcomed the Kickapoo back to their ancestral land ... for the first time since 1832. As recently as 2019, intertribal powwows were hosted at the site (near LeRoy), bringing together thousands of native peoples to celebrate their history and culture." Unfortunately, Porter said, the land was recently sold again, and the new owners wished to turn that site into farmland. The museum, with the help of McLean County and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 649, moved the boulder and other artifacts from that area to West Park. Pontiac Granite set the boulder in place, and the museum placed a plaque explaining the move next to it. Kemp and Porter said representatives from the Kickapoo tribe could not be present on Thursday, but they hope the tribe will be here later this year for a ceremony. Photos: 2023 History Makers Gala CHARLESTON Charleston has become the latest city to approve July 17 as Kristian KP Philpotts Day in honor of a Central Illinois student who was killed on Jan. 12, 2022, while working in Urbana. The Charleston City Council passed the decision unanimously during its Tuesday meeting, joining Bloomington, Normal, Champaign and Urbana in honoring Philpotts, 29, on July 17, his birthday, in remembrance of his kindness and hard work" while attending college in those towns. In Bloomington and Normal, the mayors will meet at Miller Park Zoo that day to make the official proclamation. Zoo admission will be free for the first 300 visitors; there will also be free carousel rides and free snow cones. More information will be announced at a later date. Philpotts graduated in 2016 with a bachelor's degree from Illinois State University and obtained a master's degree from Eastern Illinois University in 2018. He was studying to become a veterinarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign when he died. He only had two more years before he was set to earn his doctorate in veterinary science. Philpotts was killed while working as a Lyft driver in Urbana when three 17-year-old boys attempted to rob him and then shot him in the back. While at EIU, he brought back the university's chapter of Iota Phi Theta Inc. Fraternity in 2021 after a 27-year hiatus. Philpotts had been a member of the fraternity at ISU while studying for his bachelor's degree in pre-veterinary medicine. While Philpotts lived in Charleston, he contributed to the community through charities and volunteer work. He held annual toy drives in his fraternitys name, IOTAS R Us, while also volunteering with pre-K children. He created Kids for Science, a pre-K program at EIU, to teach children about science and pet safety. He brought animals to the classroom for hands-on learning. He was passionate about exotic animals, and his doctorate would have allowed him to work with zoo animals. In all three locations Philpotts lived while attending school, he volunteered and participated in charities. Pantagraph editor Robyn Gautschy Skaggs contributed to this report. Photos: Gamma Phi Circus performs at halftime during the Illinois State University women's game BLOOMINGTON Registration is now open for the Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference coming to Bloomington this October. This year's event, themed "The Great American Road Trip," features four keynote speakers and and three "lunch and learn" sessions Oct. 19-21, according to an announcement Wednesday. The four presentations include: "Beyond Nostalgia and Neon: The Voices of Route 66," by Evan Stern of Austin, Texas; "In the Beginning: Dawn of the Great American Road Trip," from Jim Hinckley of Kingsman, Arizona; "Roadside Food and Mother Road Travelers," by T. Lindsay Baker of Texas; "Post-pandemic Route 66," by Marian Pavel of Bratislava, Slovakia. The three lunches will focus on tourism along Route 66, including the first and last 100 miles in Illinois and a look at the Route 66 centennial coming in 2026. Registration is open at eventbrite.com/e/8th-annual-miles-of-possibility-route-66-conference-tickets-488807033997. Tickets are $100 if purchased before Oct. 1 and $125 if purchased afterward. More information can be found at route66milesofpossibility.com. Family travel five: Iconic stops along Route 66 1. Santa Monica, California. 2. Oatman, Arizona. 3. Williams, Arizona. 4. Gallup, New Mexico 5. Adrian, Texas The hotel has recently accomplished another feat by upgrading to a 3 Star hotel as of May 2023. The hotel originally received a license from the Ghana Tourism Authority as a provider of hospitality services in the 2 star category. But now has a license to operate as a three-star hotel. AH Hotel and Conference is a limited Liability company that is fully owned by Ghanaian. It was established in 2017 and is a part of the JOSPONG Group of Companies. It is located in the peaceful East Legon enclave. It has 75 incredibly clean and spacious guest rooms that are all pampered with state-of-the-art equipment, including air conditioners, 40'' LED Smart TVs with satellite channels, newspaper stands, high-speed WI-FI, same-day laundry service, and round-the-clock room service. Banquet services, a multi-cuisine family restaurant, an Olympic-size pool, a cutting-edge gym, an international bar with a good variety, and a total of 1,050 square meters of conference rooms and facilities are all provided by the hotel. The AH Hotel and Conference is one of the best locations for local and international conferences, from small get-togethers to significant conventions. Our cutting-edge conference facilities will impress with two unique language translation systems outfitted with the best audibility technology and capable of handling up to four languages simultaneously. Our primary business goal is to maximize Conferencing and leisure time. Customers can come in to relax, use the gym or pool, and unwind at one of our spacious bars while hosting guests or just enjoying a drink. The only hotel that offers a king size bed in a standard room. It has one of the biggest lobbies among the 3-star hotels category in the country. As a result, despite only receiving a three-star rating, we distinguish ourselves from our competitors. We provide service that is comparable to that of four- to five-star hotels. We are a business-minded hotel that, although being situated in a residential neighborhood, has been successful in luring clients from the city's financial sector thanks to the superior services we offer in contrast to other hotels of the same grade. The selection of food and beverage which includes regional, international, and continental cuisine are all available at AH. From cold appetizers to hot cuisines, including vegan options, we offer it all, starting with breakfast. When it comes to lunch, there are many different categories, from the cold and hot portions to the neighborhood corner, occasionally, there is Italian cuisine and food from other nations. We eat desserts after that. Dinner follows in similar fashion every night. The largest Afrocentric brunch we have ever seen is held on Sundays in Accra at AH hotel. Our bar, which is of international standard, accepts any drink order. There are numerous international beverages available. We also provide specialty cocktails. We provide fresh juices, healthy options. At AH Hotel, we take extraordinary care of our guests. We make sure that our customers get the greatest services available. We offer exclusive bargains each month, and June is no exception. For instance, we are giving weekend guests 15% off the regular price for a standard room. We have amazing packages for government agencies and NGOs. We implore you to use the services of AH Hotel, it is a wonderful experience. Source: Peacefmonline com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Human Rights Division of the High Court in Accra has dismissed an application filed by two former students of Association International School (AIS) over the schools decision to withhold their transcripts until they settle their outstanding fees. In a judgment, the court presided over by Justice Barbara Tetteh-Charway, held that the school did not violate the students right to education when it withheld their transcripts over the arrears. The court held that while the 1992 Constitution allowed individuals to enjoy their right to education, private schools such as AIS running the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes and offering several opportunities to its students needed the relatively higher fees to remain in business. Therefore, parents who choose to access such high-end educational facilities for their children with the aim of facilitating their smooth transition into tertiary institutions abroad to continue their education, must be prepared to pay the requisite fees for the services rendered. This is because, it is the relatively high fees paid by students in such schools that enable the school to pay its teachers and provide the kind of atmosphere and experience that students in some public schools can hardly imagine, Justice Tetteh-Charway said. In the suit filed through their mother, Nana Akua Hayford Avle, in January this year to endorse their right to education, the students Sewenam Avle and Selikem Avle alleged that after paying GH100,000 out of GH141,560 as school fees, when they were ready to pay the rest, the school informed them that the balance of GH41,560, equivalent to $8,593 at the time of first payment, had shot up to GH111,709 due to depreciation of the Ghana cedi at the time of paying the second instalment. When they disagreed with the school on the outstanding amount, they alleged that the AIS directed them to stay at home due to their inability to pay the remaining fees, as communicated by the school. As a result of the disagreement, the students mother sought a different school for them and needed their transcripts as part of the admission requirements. Upon request for the transcripts, the students averred in their arguments to support the suit that AIS refused the request to release their transcripts covering the academic years that they paid their school fees in full. As part of their reliefs, the two students wanted the court to declare as a violation of their fundamental human rights the schools refusal to release their transcripts. Aside from that, they also wanted the court to order AIS to release their transcripts and results and a declaration that there is no lawful basis for AIS to interfere with the applicants right to education based on fees owed the school. Defence In its defence, counsel for AIS, Samuel Narh, contended that as a private liability company, it had no constitutional mandate and obligation to provide the students with an avenue to realise their rights of education unless the applicants could meet the terms and conditions agreed upon by both parties regarding the payment of fees. The school added that as part of its policy, once a student leaves the school with outstanding school fees, the student and his or her parents access to the platform is blocked until payment of the school fees in full. It said until the students paid all their outstanding financial obligations to the school, particularly when they had terminated their contract of enrolment on their own accord, it could not be compelled to release their transcripts to them. In her judgment, Justice Tetteh-Charway, noted that the mere fact that the two students had at some point fully paid their fees did not entitle them to refuse to pay the arrears. It added that the Association International School exercised a right to lien, when it decided to withhold the transcript until the outstanding arrears were settled, given that the students had already benefited from the services of the school. The right to lien is a right to keep possession of property belonging to another person until a debt owed by the person is discharged. This court finds that AIS has a right to exercise a lien over the students transcript until the arrears of the tuition is paid, Justice Tetteh-Charway ruled. She added that the directive to the two students to stay home because they owed fees was not applied discriminatorily to the two students alone but all students who had not paid their fees, hence there was no basis for the students to allege that their right to education had been violated. In the court's perspective, this is a purely contractual issue between the students' mother and AIS which has been couched as a human rights violation to stoke the embers of judicial sympathy, Justice Tetteh-Charway said of the case which was determined within five months. Vindication Reacting to the judgement, Head of AlS, Audrey Doryumu, said the school had been vindicated, adding: "This is not just a victory for AlS but all international schools in the country." She urged parents to abide by their contracts with international schools and desist from tarnishing the school's image under the guise of court processes and human rights violations. Mrs Doryumu indicated that the school would go after the plaintiff to ensure that the fees owed the school was paid in full. Source: Graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Executive Director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah, has asked the government not to allow any external pressure to make Ghana abandon any of its social intervention programmes, especially, the free Senior High School (SHS) programme. He has also called on the government to come clear on its position regarding key social intervention programmes in the wake of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme. Mr Appiah made the observations when he spoke to TV3 on the topic IMF Impacts on Ghanas Social Interventions and the Vulnerable in Accra. Protect Vulnerable Group Mr. Appiah said despite Ghanas economic challenges, it would be suicidal for any government to implement any programme that would disadvantage the vulnerable groups in the society. He explained that social intervention programmes such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) and free SHS programmes have helped many vulnerable groups and as a result produced exceptional benefits. Citing the free SHS programme as an example, Mr. Appiah said enrolment rate of school children is currently between 92 and 95%, which is amazing. With regards to the LEAP, he said the programme is one of the well-established social intervention programmes with over 350,000 households beneficiaries. If the vehicle is giving us result, we need to strengthen it and channel more resources there, Mr. Appiah said. Open Discussion Commenting on the rollout of the various social intervention programmes, Mr. Appiah said there must be an open discussion to ensure that any mechanism the government planned to implement would strengthen it efficiently. If the foundation of these programmes is shaken because of the IMF impact, the country need to take a look at how best to protect the vulnerable groups so that we can position ourselves in this difficult times, he said. Describing the free SHS as a unique concept and judging it from the benefits seen so far, Mr. Appiah said Ghana must do everything within it capacity to protect and enhance it delivery. All the social intervention programmes is a fraction of our GDP. Let's strengthen its delivery instead of reviewing it downwards, he said. Child Labour In Cocoa Growing Areas Touching on child labour, Mr. Appiah said despite the challenges faced, steps had been taken by the country to address those issues, adding that the issue was not as prevalent as it used to be. Rather, he raised concerns regarding children involved with galamsey, indicating that a policy must be developed to address the issue else once these children are exposed to some form of daily income, they will never stop. The lack of policy from the government on this issue is worrying and could spell doom if left unattended to, Mr. Appiah added. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video At least two members of the Kenyan president's security team have been injured after their car rolled over on a road in the Rift Valley district of Naivasha. The vehicle was part of a motorcade that was on its way back to the capital, Nairobi, on Wednesday after President William Ruto had attended an event to flag off the WRC Safari Rally competition. Mr Ruto is said not to have been in the motorcade as he had flown by helicopter. It was not clear what caused the accident. Witnesses told local media that the driver had been trying to negotiate a sharp bend. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The chance of becoming pregnant naturally after having an IVF baby is quite high, about one in five, which is something couples should be aware of, researchers say. It is news that could give some fresh hope around planning a family, they say, or important information about contraception. They analyzed data from more than 5,000 women to judge how common it was. The findings are averages, so the odds for individuals differ. According to the NHS, the chance of any couple conceiving naturally within the next year, if they have already been trying for a few years, is one in four, or less. Infertility is usually diagnosed only after a couple have failed to conceive despite a year of trying. But since female fertility declines with age, women aged over 35, and anyone already aware they may have fertility problems, should see their GP sooner, according to the advice. Fertility problems can be permanent or come and go and can affect either partner. There are lots of treatable reasons, but for about one in four couples it may not be possible to find a cause. Fertility treatments, such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), are not always free on the NHS. One cycle of IVF treatment may cost up to 5,000 or more. Shema Tariq, from London, was diagnosed with "low ovarian reserve", meaning she had fewer remaining eggs, and told her chances of conceiving without IVF were almost zero. It took six rounds of IVF to conceive her son, who was born in 2018. 'Wonderful surprise' "My GP briefly mentioned contraception to me after he was born - but we both laughed and agreed that it wasn't relevant," Shema says. "It never occurred to me that I might get pregnant, despite being a sexual-health doctor. "I was 43 and had been told that my chances of conceiving naturally were less than 1%. "Eight months later, I was unexpectedly, and naturally, pregnant with our daughter. "She has been the most wonderful surprise - but when we first found out, I felt overwhelmed and unprepared for another pregnancy. "If I'd known that one in five women conceives naturally after IVF, I'd have used contraception until I was ready both emotionally and physically." Lead author of the new research, published in the journal Human Reproduction, Dr Annette Thwaites, from University College London, said: "Our findings suggest that natural pregnancy after having a baby by IVF is far from rare. "This is in contrast with widely held views - by women and health professionals - and those commonly expressed in the media, that it is a highly unlikely event." The 11 international studies her team looked at found at least one in five women conceived naturally after having had a baby using fertility treatment, mostly within three years. And this applied across the different types and outcomes of fertility treatment. Clinical Embryologist Dr Marta Jansa Perez, from the British Fertility Society, said: "This study highlights the importance of giving patients accurate information about their chances of conception at any point, in particular after giving birth to an IVF baby. "It is good news that such a high proportion of patients are able to conceive naturally after IVF, but people should be aware that in cases where the age of the woman is a factor for the initial failure to conceive or there is severe male factor infertility, it would be advisable to seek treatment for a second child sooner rather than later." Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Vodafone Ghana Foundation, in a significant stride towards digital inclusion, has unveiled nine (9) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres in regional libraries across Ghana. The initiative, a collaboration with the Ghana Library Authority, is designed to provide digital resources to communities, with an additional seven centres currently under development. The centres are part of the Foundation's broader commitment to transforming communities through impactful technological programmes. They are expected to enhance digital learning for library users across the country, equipping the youth and members of the community with the necessary digital tools and skills to navigate a rapidly advancing technological world. In an inaugural event in Kumasi, Ashanti Region, the Foundation handed over one of the ICT Centres to the Ashanti Regional Library. Preba Greenstreet, Director of Legal and External Affairs at Vodafone, expressed her delight during the inauguration: This facility represents a tangible investment in education and technology for the community. It is an essential resource that will empower individuals with the digital skills and knowledge needed in today's globalised world. We encourage everyone to use this centre to its full potential. The Foundation's efforts have been bolstered by the unwavering support and collaboration of the Ghana Library Authority. The ICT centres, strategically located within regional libraries, are set to serve as transformative hubs for learning, innovation, and creativity. This initiative forms part of the Foundation's efforts to make current technology accessible to all students as technical knowledge expands globally. The project aims to provide devices and internet access to the general public, especially school-going children, to facilitate their research and make the teaching and learning of ICT easier. The inauguration was part of Vodafone Ghanas Ashanti Month initiative. The Foundation has revived several programmes aimed at enhancing long-term health, education, and sustainability outcomes in the region. The month-long celebration includes Healthfest, a free health screening initiative, Homecoming, an initiative to settle bills for insolvent hospital patients, and free ultrasound for pregnant women in Pipie in the Bosomtwe district. The Foundation, along with its partners, continues to roll out ICT Centres through both partnerships and staff-led initiatives, aiming to create a more inclusive and connected society. Source: Peacefmonline com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday it was urging the law enforcement authorities in Paris to properly investigate the death of a Korean tourist who recently died on the outskirts of the French capital under unclear circumstances. The 36-year-old male tourist, who was traveling alone in France, is presumed to have died at the Villejuif-Louis Aragon station of the Paris Metro on June 12 (local time). He was presumed to have died by an electric shock, as he appeared to have been trying to cross the railroad tracks there. Lim Soo-suk, spokesperson for the ministry, told a regular press briefing that the government was urging the Paris police to conduct a prompt and fair investigation to accurately determine the cause of the incident. He said the ministry was maintaining communication with the French authorities to stay informed about the progress of the investigation. "Our embassy is closely communicating with the families involved, providing them with guidance on the investigative procedures and necessary consular assistance," Lim added. The deceased visited France on vacation and had planned to get married in the near future. The family is seeking to check surveillance footage to learn exactly what happened to him. (Yonhap) The Supreme Court has granted James Gyakye Quayson seven more days to file a review, challenging the declaration of his election as the MP for Assin North as unconstitutional by the court. A single justice of the apex court, Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu, today granted the application for extension of time to file the review. Lawyers for Mr Quayson led by Tsatsu Tsikata had argued that although the court gave the judgement on May 17, 2023 the full reasoning was made available on June 5, 2023 and therefore they needed extension of time to file the review. Unconstitutional act On May 17, 2023 a seven-member of the court, held that the whole process leading to the election of Mr Quayson - filling of nomination forms, election itself and swearing-in, were all in violation of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, which bars a person with dual citizenship from contesting as an MP. It was the considered view of the court as at the time Mr Quayson filed his nomination forms in October 2020 to contest for the Assin -North seat, he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship and therefore was not qualified per Article 94(2)(a) of the Constitution. In view of that the court further held at the Electoral Commission (EC) also violated Article 94(2)(a) of the Constitution when it permitted Mr Quayson to contest the election. Upon the true and proper interpretation of Article 94(2)(a) the decision of second defendant [electoral commission] to permit the first defendant [James Gyakye Quayson] to contest the parliamentary election of Assin North when the first defendant had not shown evidence of the cancellation of his citizenship of Canada is an act which is inconsistent with and violates Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution , the court held. Consequently, the court declared that the election of Mr Quayson as well as his swearing -in as an MP was unconstitutional, null, void and of no legal effect. Upon a true and proper interpretation of 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, the the election of the first defendant [James Gyakye Quayson] as Member of Parliament for Assin North was unconstitutional , null and void and of no legal effect. Upon the true and proper interpretation of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, the swearing in of first defendant [James Gyakye Quayson] as Member of Parliament of Assin North Constituency was unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect, the court held. The court gave the decision after a constituent of Assin North, Michael Ankomah-Nimfah, invoked its jurisdiction to interpret and enforce the constitution, with a case that Mr Quaysons election was unconstitutional. The seven-member panel of the court was presided over by Justice Jones Dotse , with Justices Nene Amegatcher, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkornoo, Prof Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu and Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi and Barbara Ackah -Ayensu , as members. The court said the full reasons for its decision will be filed at the courts registry by June 7, this year Plaintiffs case In July 2021, Mr Ankomah-Nimfah, won a judgment at the Cape Coast High Court nullifying Mr Quaysons election on the basis that the MP held Canadian citizenship at the time he filed to contest the seat. He then went to Supreme Court in January, this year for interpretation of Article 94 (2) (a), the same constitutional provision the High Court used to nullify Mr Quaysons election. His basis for going to the apex court was that despite the judgment by the High Court, Mr Quayson still continued to parade himself as an MP. Mr Ankomah-Nimfah sought a declaration from the Supreme Court that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, at the time the EC opened nominations for people to file to contest the Assin North parliamentary seat, Mr Quayson held a Canadian citizenship and therefore was not eligible to contest. He further wanted the court to declare that the EC breached Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution when it allowed Mr Quayson to contest the parliamentary election in Assin North when he owed allegiance to another country. Again, he iurged the Supreme Court to declare the entire process that led to Mr Quaysons election as MP for Assin North as unconstitutional and, therefore, null and void. Background Mr Quayson polled 17,498 votes, as against 14,793 by the New Patriotic Party's (NPP's) Ms Abena Durowaa Mensah, in the December 7, 2020 parliamentary election. On December 30, 2020, Mr Ankomah-Nimfah filed a parliamentary election petition at the Cape Coast High Court challenging the eligibility of Mr Quayson to be an MP. The court upheld the petition, and on July 28, 2021, following that petition by Mr Ankomah-Nimfah, the Cape Coast High Court declared Mr Quaysons election as void, on the basis that he owed allegiance to another country other than Ghana, contrary to Article 94(2) of the 1992 Constitution. It was the considered view of the court that as of the time Mr Quayson filed to contest the MP position, he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship and, therefore, he was not qualified to become a legislator. The court, presided over by Justice Kwasi Boakye, ordered the EC to organise a new election in the constituency. The MP filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Cape Coast, but on March 22, the second-highest court of the land struck out the appeal for not being in compliance with the rules of court. Source: Graphiconline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Presidential hopeful and flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party, Hon. Joe Ghartey, has called on NPP delegates to reject politics of ethnicity and tribalism. He made this call when he met with the Upper West Regional Executive Committee on Wednesday, June 24, 2023, at Wa. Hon. Ghartey said that the founding fathers of the tradition including R. S. Dombo would never be forgotten. He however stated that they should never be seen as the basis for tribal or ethnic politics. He said in 1957 we became a nation. The then Gold Coast, Ashanti, the North and parts of Trans Volta Togoland joined together to form Ghana. He said that since then we have remained a nation; one nation. He said if we introduced ethnicity into our politics we would be sowing a dangerous and poisonous seed and the fruits we would reap would definitely be bitter. He stated that the delegates should vote for the best person and they should not rely on where the person came from. Joe Ghartey said for him a very important criterion if not the most important was what the person has done for the NPP over the years. He said his service to NPP was from its inception in 1992 and he recounted among other things the role in the writing of the Stolen Verdict in 1993. Those present confirmed that he had served the Party diligently and recalled his role in 2009, during the Jirrapa bye-election which arose because of the death of Hon Edward Salia. Joe Ghartey said he had gathered experience in the Executive, where he served as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice as well as Railways Development Minister. Joe Ghartey also said he was a five-term Member of Parliament who had also served as Deputy Speaker of Parliament. As a President, he said he would work with both sides of Parliament to carry the agenda of the Nation forward. Joe Ghartey said he had a clear vision for Ghana based on the private sector and the role of government would be to support the private sector. He gave examples of how he would promote the educational sector and health sector as a major driver of the economy. The Regional Executives thanked Joe Ghartey and wished him well assuring him that unlike when he stood against President Nana Akufo-Addo before the 2012 elections the Upper West would not disappoint him. They said he, Joe Ghartey was a good man with a good heart. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Director of Local Government Services at the Office of the President, Dennis Miracles Aboagye says the only candidate among the aspirants vying to become flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who can beat the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, is Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. To Dennis Miracles, there is no other candidate apart from Dr. Bawumia to go head-to-head with John Mahama in the 2024 elections. He averred that the Vice President has proven beyond doubt that he has the gravitas to beat Ex-President John Mahama who is the obvious choice to lead the largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, into the 2024 general elections. He highlighted the immense role of Dr. Bawumia and his influence, particularly in the northern sector of Ghana, by reminding his party faithfuls and Ghanaians how the Bawumia effect swept votes from the sector for the NPP during the 2020 elections. Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, Dennis Miracles stated; "I believe that you need to beat John Mahama in an election first and the person that can beat John Mahama is Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and he has proven it." Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain The cosmos is a unique laboratory for testing the laws of physics, in particular those of Euler and Einstein. Euler described the movements of celestial objects, while Einstein described the way in which celestial objects distort the universe. Since the discovery of dark matter and the acceleration of the universe's expansion, the validity of their equations has been put to the test: are they capable of explaining these mysterious phenomena? A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has developed the first method to find out. It considers a never-before-used measuretime distortion. The results are published in Nature Astronomy. The theories of Leonhard Euler (17071783) and Albert Einstein (18791955) revolutionized our understanding of the universe. With the famous equation that bears his name, Euler gave scientists a powerful tool for calculating the movements of galaxies in the universe. With his theory of general relativity, Einstein demonstrated that the universe is not a static frameworkit can be distorted by star clusters and galaxies. Physicists have tested these equations in all sorts of ways, which have so far proved successful. However, two discoveries continue to put these models to the test: the acceleration of the universe's expansion and the existence of invisible dark matter, which is thought to account for 85% of all matter in the cosmos. Do these mysterious phenomena still obey the equations of Einstein and Euler? Researchers are still unable to answer this question. The missing ingredient "The problem is that current cosmological data do not allow us to differentiate between a theory that breaks Einstein's equations and one that breaks Euler's equation. This is what we demonstrate in our study. We also present a mathematical method for solving this problem. This is the culmination of 10 years of research," explains Camille Bonvin, associate professor in the Department of Theoretical Physics in the UNIGE Faculty of Science and first author of the study. Researchers were unable to differentiate between the validity of these two equations at the very edge of the universe because they were missing an "ingredient"the measurement of time distortion. "Until then, we only knew how to measure the speed of celestial objects and the sum of the distortion of time and space. We have developed a method for accessing this additional measurement, and it's a first," says Camille Bonvin. If the time distortion is not equal to the sum of time and spacei.e., the result produced by the theory of general relativitythis means that Einstein's model does not work. If the time distortion does not correspond to the speed of the galaxies calculated with the Euler equation, this means that the latter is not valid. "This will allow us to discover whether new forces or matter, which violate these two theories, exist in the universe," explains Levon Pogosian, professor in the Department of Physics at Simon Fraser University, in Canada, and co-author of the study. Reality check These results will make a crucial contribution to several missions whose aim is to determine the origin of the accelerated expansion of the universe and the nature of dark matter. These include the EUCLID space telescope, which will be launched in July 2023 by the European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with the UNIGE, and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), which began its five-year mission in 2021 in Arizona. There is also the international SKA (Square Kilometer Array) giant radio telescope project in South Africa and Australia, which will begin observations in 2028/29. "Our method will be integrated into these different missions. This is already the case for DESI, whom we have become external collaborators thanks to this research," Camille Bonvin says. The research team has successfully tested its model on synthetic catalogs of galaxies. The next stage will involve testing it using the first data supplied by DESI, as well as identifying the obstacles and minimizing the systematic features that could hamper its application. More information: Camille Bonvin et al, Modified Einstein versus Modified Euler for Dark Matter, Nature Astronomy (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-023-02003-y. On arXiv: arxiv.org/abs/2209.03614 Journal information: Nature Astronomy , arXiv This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Tzeltal Maya women attend a mass wedding celebration in Zinacantan, Mexico, in March 2023. Credit: SL-Photography/Shutterstock Being able to speak the dominant language wherever you are in the world has long been shown to be economically beneficial. This is particularly the case when you're looking for work. Being able to speak global languages can also help to secure a job in export-oriented sectors or in the civil service. The benefits accrued, for instance, by being an English speaker in Indiawhat sociolinguists term the "English premium"are well documented. However, when it comes to minority languages, and especially Indigenous ones, economic benefits are rarely mentioned. It is often taken as granted that it is precisely the lack of economic opportunities that drive the language shiftthe adoption of economically dominant languages from one generation to another. Sociolinguists suggest that within the next century, 90% of the world's languages will disappear. This shift is mostly driven by larger, often colonial, languages dominating economies, educational systems and state governance. In a recent study, we looked at minority languages in Mexico, most of which are in decline, with persistent pockets of resistance. We found that, even with minimal state support, languages can sustain themselves within tight social networks and specialized labor markets. Economic benefits Before Spain colonized Mexico in the 15th century, there were an estimated 350 Indigenous languages. In 1820, about 60% of the population in Mexico still spoke them. The 19th century saw that figure drop substantially. By 1930, it stood at 38%. By 2020, it stood at only 5.8%. Experts estimate that 282of these Indigenous languages have now disappeared. Of the 68 that have survived, the three most spoken are Nahuatl, Maya and Tzeltal, accounting for 1.44%, 0.72% and 0.46% of the population, respectively. In most countries, measuring the economic benefits of minority languages can be difficult because they are typically spoken by ethnic minorities, who are on average poorer than the majority. This is also the case in Mexico. However, in other countries it is often difficult to access the data needed to compare language transmission across generations, while the Mexican census documents the passage of languages within families. It also asks respondents for both ethnicity and knowledge of language. For our study, we focused on 34 native languages, including Nahuatl, Maya, Tzeltal, Mixteco, Tzotzil, Tarahumara, Mayo and Cora. We augmented census data from 2000, 2010 and 2015 with household surveys from 2014-2018. We created tightly matched comparison groups of Indigenous minority people who have maintained their bilingualism. We compared them to similar local Indigenous people who have given up the minority language and speak only Spanish. This comparison reveals that men who are bilingual, have a two percentage point higher likelihood of being employed. Their wages are also 5% higher, on average. This was not a quirk driven by a particular group. Of those 34 Indigenous languages, 16 were found to have statistically significant positive employment benefits. The finding goes against the view that Indigenous minority languages have no economic worth. We found that employment benefits mostly originate from agriculture, crafts and other traditional occupations. We also found economic benefits appearing at the top end of the educational scale, as some highly educated Indigenous people are more likely to be employed due to their bilingualism. Language transmission We then examined data about more than 200,000 bilingual families from Mexican censuses to identify patterns in how parents transmit language to their children. The data shows how language transmission is influenced mostly by family structure and social environment. But we also discovered that in rural areas, if the local Indigenous language skill is estimated to improve employment prospects, the language is also more likely to be passed from one generation to another. If both parents can speak the Indigenous language, they have a 73% likelihood of transmitting the language to children. If either parent speaks only Spanish, the likelihood of transmission drops to only 5-8%. This highlighted the vulnerability of minority languages in mixed marriages. Another important factor is how many native language speakers there are in the locality or in the household, such as grandparents. The more there are, the more likely it is that the language will be passed on to the next generation. We also found that in rural areas, where 68% of the Indigenous people live, those Indigenous languages that provide more employment opportunities are also more likely to be passed to the next generation. Most Indigenous languages in Mexico are used only at elementary levels in education, and government services are rarely provided in these languages. Whether a language survives or dies out depends largely on its networkthe degree to which it is transmitted. State support can also make a big difference, particularly if, as our results suggest, it focuses on the economic opportunities that knowledge of the language brings. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain One common rationale against climate action is that the resulting fossil fuel investment losses could impact people's retirement or long-term savings. However, researchers report in the journal Joule on June 22 that the loss of fossil fuel assets would have a minimal impact on the general populace. In high-income countries, most financial losses would be borne by the most affluent individuals for whom the loss makes up a small percentage of their total wealth. In contrast, the financial loss of lower-income individuals would be minimal and feasible for governments to compensate. "There's this big question of who's winning and who is losing from the transition and from climate change in general," says co-first author Lucas Chancel, an Economics professor at Sciences Po in Paris. "Even though our results are simple, they were not present in research or public debates before. This work is one step forward in understanding the winners and losers from the point of view of the assets that might be at risk in this transition." This project started when Chancel read a paper from Gregor Semieniuk, an Economics professor from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, that estimated the total amount of assets that would be lost, or "stranded," if ambitious climate policies caused fossil fuel production to quickly decline. After Chancel reached out, the two economists joined forces to estimate the wealth distribution of people who own these assets. Their results found that, in the United States, two-thirds of the financial losses from lost fossil fuel assets would affect the top 10% of wealth holders, with half of that affecting the top 1%. Because the top 1% tend to have a diverse portfolio of investments, any losses from fossil fuel assets would make up less than 1% of this group's net wealth. When the researchers repeated this analysis for the United Kingdom and continental European countries, they found similar results. "Investing in a stranded asset is like buying a rotten apple," says Chancel. "In this case, the apple is rotten because of climate change. Who owns these rotten apples? We find that the richest 10% of the population owns the vast majority of these assets." In contrast, 3.5% of financial losses would affect the poorest half of Americans. Asset losses make up a larger proportion of wealth for this group. However, because their overall net wealth (assets minus liabilities) is significantly lower, researchers estimate that these losses could be compensated for $9 billion in Europe and $12 billion in the United States. Chancel and Semieniuk detail three different potential ways governments could raise this amount of money. For example, governments could impose a carbon emissions tax. In addition, they could renegotiate their current liabilities to energy companies and use the amount that they save. A modest tax on the wealthiest individuals could also raise enough money to compensate for these groups' losses. "There's this idea that it's the general populace that should be opposed to climate policy that creates stranded assets because their pensions are at risk or their retirement savings or just their savings," says Semieniuk. "It's not untrue that some wealth is at risk, but in affluent countries, it's not a reason for government inaction because it would be so cheap for governments to compensate that." More information: Gregor Semieniuk, Potential pension fund losses should not deter high-income countries from bold climate action, Joule (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2023.05.023. www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(23)00220-9 Journal information: Joule This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Typical potential for scalar field associated relevant operator in the dual CFT. Paths indicate scalar evolution in the wormhole from = to = and in the cosmology from Big Bang to big crunch. The initial positive values of the potential can give rise to a phase of accelerated expansion before deceleration and collapse. Credit: Physical Review Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.221601 Theoretical physicists have long been trying to devise a complete theory of gravity that would also account for quantum mechanics phenomena, as existing models do not. Such a theory could collectively explain the many intricate physical and cosmological phenomena observed over the past decades. Researchers at University of Maryland and University of British Columbia recently carried out a theoretical study exploring the possibility that holography, an approach to quantum gravity that includes some features of conventional holograms, could be used to describe quantum mechanical phenomena. Their paper, published in Physical Review Letters, introduces a theoretical argument that could suggests a link between observable cosmological phenomena and the physics that would underpin wormhole spacetimes. "Coming up with a theory of gravity that includes the physics of quantum mechanics has been a major forefront area in theoretical physics for decades," Mark Van Raamsdonk, one of the researchers who carried out the study, told Phys.org. "This is necessary to really understand the physics of black holes and the Big Bang, and to make progress towards a fully unified theory of physics. "We now have fully consistent models of quantum gravity via an approach called holography, where the gravitational physics is encoded in a simpler, lower dimensional non-gravitational quantum system. Holographic gravity theories have taught us a lot about the physics of black holes and even about the fundamental nature of spacetime, but so far, there hasn't been much progress in understanding realistic cosmological spacetimes with a Big Bang." The key objective of the recent work by Van Raamsdonk and his colleagues was to describe the physics of cosmological spacetimes using a holographic approach. Spacetimes essentially entail the combination of the three dimensions of space and the one dimension of time into a single four-dimensional manifold, which underpins phenomena such as the Big Bang and cosmic expansions. "We argue that these models can also explain the fact that the expansion of our universe is accelerating, but in a different way that what's usually assumed," Van Raamsdonk said. "The most conventional explanation, in what's called the Lambda-CDM (cold dark matter) model, is that we have a positive 'cosmological constant,' a type of dark energy that always has the same density throughout the universe. We argued that the holographic models can also naturally explain cosmic acceleration, but they do it via a dark energy whose density changes with time." Holographic models suggest that at some point the density of dark energy decreases below zero, reaching a negative value. This could in turn cause a deceleration and the eventual re-collapse of the universe, which is sometimes referred to as a "big crunch." Van Raamsdonk and his colleagues thus propose that these models may thus offer a different perspective on cosmological acceleration. "We observed that quantum gravity models arising from holography can naturally explain cosmological acceleration in a novel way, with a changing dark energy that eventually becomes negative," Van Raamsdonk said. "We don't know for sure if our universe works this way, but it's something that we can look for in cosmological observations." The recent work by this team of researchers offers a new perspective that could contribute to the theoretical understanding of cosmological problems that remains unresolved. Van Raamsdonk and his colleagues have already conducted further research comparing their predictions with available cosmological observations. "We have compared the predictions of our class of model (the decreasing dark energy) with what we see from direct observations of the expansion of the universe, to see whether these seem consistent," Van Raamsdonk added. "With my student Chris Waddell, we looked at the most recent redshift vs. brightness data for type IA supernovae. These observations can tell us quantitatively what the expansion of the universe looked like over the past six or seven billion years. While the data don't definitively tell us whether or not the dark energy is decreasing, we found that most of the models that fit the data acceptably do have decreasing dark energy at present." In their next studies, the researchers would also like to better understand what the class of models they devised would predict regarding the physics of the cosmic microwave background and the distribution of galaxies in the universe. This would then allow them to compare these predictions to recent observations. More information: Stefano Antonini et al, Accelerating Cosmology from a Holographic Wormhole, Physical Review Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.221601 Journal information: Physical Review Letters 2023 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Artistic illustration of a gamma-ray burst. Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. Garlick/M. Zamani While searching for the origins of a powerful gamma-ray burst (GRB), an international team of astrophysicists may have stumbled upon a new way to destroy a star. Although most GRBs originate from exploding massive stars or neutron-star mergers, the researchers concluded that GRB 191019A instead came from the collision of stars or stellar remnants in the jam-packed environment surrounding a supermassive black hole at the core of an ancient galaxy. The demolition derby-like environment points to a long-hypothesizedbut never-before-seenway to demolish a star and generate a GRB. The study was published in the journal Nature Astronomy. Led by Radboud University in the Netherlands, the research team included astronomers from Northwestern University. "For every hundred events that fit into the traditional classification scheme of gamma-ray bursts, there is at least one oddball that throws us for a loop," said Northwestern astrophysicist and study co-author Wen-fai Fong, "However, it is these oddballs that tell us the most about the spectacular diversity of explosions that the universe is capable of." "The discovery of these extraordinary phenomena within dense stellar systems, especially those encircling supermassive black holes at the cores of galaxies, is undeniably exciting," said Northwestern astrophysicist and study co-author Giacomo Fragione. "This remarkable discovery grants us a tantalizing glimpse into the intricate dynamics at work within these cosmic environments, establishing them as factories of events that would otherwise be deemed impossible." Fong is an assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Northwestern's Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). Fragione is a research assistant professor in CIERA. Other Northwestern co-authors include Anya Nugent and Jillian Rastinejadboth Ph.D. students in astronomy and members of Fong's research group. Most stars die, according to their mass, in one of three predictable ways. When relatively low-mass stars like our sun reach old age, they shed their outer layers, eventually fading to become white dwarf stars. More massive stars, on the other hand, burn brighter and explode faster in cataclysmic supernovae explosions, creating ultra-dense objects like neutron stars and black holes. The third scenario occurs when two such stellar remnants form a binary system and eventually collide. But the new study finds there might be a fourth option. "Our results show that stars can meet their demise in some of the densest regions of the universe, where they can be driven to collide," said lead author Andrew Levan, an astronomer with Radboud University. "This is exciting for understanding how stars die and for answering other questions, such as what unexpected sources might create gravitational waves that we could detect on Earth." Long past their star-forming prime, ancient galaxies have few, if any, remaining massive stars. Their cores, however, teem with stars and a menagerie of ultra-dense stellar remnants, such as white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes. Astronomers have long suspected that in the turbulent beehive of activity surrounding a supermassive black hole, it only would be a matter of time before two stellar objects collided to produce a GRB. But evidence for that type of merger has remained elusive. On Oct. 19, 2019, astronomers glimpsed the first hints of such an event when NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory detected a bright flash of gamma rays that lasted a little over one minute. Any GRB lasting longer than two seconds is considered "long." Such bursts typically come from the collapse of stars at least 10 times the mass of our sun. The researchers then used the Gemini South telescope in Chilepart of the International Gemini Observatory operated by the National Science Foundation's NOIRLabto make long-term observations of the GRB's fading afterglow. These observations enabled the astronomers to pinpoint the location of the GRB to a region less than 100 light-years from the nucleus of an ancient galaxyvery near the galaxy's supermassive black hole. Curiously, the researchers also found no evidence of a corresponding supernova, which would leave its imprint on the light captured by Gemini South. "The lack of a supernova accompanying the long GRB 191019A tells us that this burst is not a typical massive star collapse," said Rastinejad, who performed calculations to ensure a supernova was not hiding within the data. "The location of GRB 191019A, embedded in the nucleus of the host galaxy, teases a predicted but not yet evidenced theory for how gravitational-wave emitting sources might form." In typical galactic environments, the production of long GRBs from colliding stellar remnants, such as neutron stars and black holes, is incredibly rare. The cores of ancient galaxies, however, are anything but typical, and there may be a million or more stars crammed into a region just a few light-years across. Such extreme population density may be great enough that occasional stellar collisions can occur, especially under the titanic gravitational influence of a supermassive black hole, which would perturb the motions of stars and send them careening in random directions. Eventually, these wayward stars would intersect and merge, triggering a titanic explosion that could be observed from vast cosmic distances. "This event confounds almost every expectation we have for the environments of short and long GRBs," said Nugent, who performed crucial modeling of the host galaxy. "While long GRBs are never found in galaxies as old and dead as GRB 191019A's host, short GRBs, with their merger origins, have not been observed to be so connected to their hosts' nuclei. The discovery of this event in the core of its old, quiescent galaxy opens the door to promising new avenues for the formation of binary systems that have rarely been observed before." It is possible that such events occur routinely in similarly crowded regions across the universe but have gone unnoticed until this point. A possible reason for their obscurity is that galactic centers are brimming with dust and gas, which could obscure both the initial flash of the GRB and the resulting afterglow. GRB 191019A may be a rare exception, allowing astronomers to detect the burst and study its aftereffects. "While this event is the first of its kind to be discovered, it's possible there are more out there that are hidden by the large amounts of dust close to their galaxies," Fong said. "Indeed, if this long-duration event came from merging compact objects, it contributes to the growing population of GRBs that defies our traditional classifications." By working to discover more of these events, the researchers hope to match a GRB detection with a corresponding gravitational-wave detection, which would reveal more about their true nature and confirm their originseven in the murkiest of environments. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, when it comes online in 2025, will be invaluable in this kind of research. The study, "A long-duration gamma-ray burst of dynamical origin from the nucleus of an ancient galaxy," is published in Nature Astronomy. More information: Levan, A.J., et al. A long-duration gamma-ray burst of dynamical origin from the nucleus of an ancient galaxy. Nature Astronomy (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-023-01998-8. www.nature.com/articles/s41550-023-01998-8 Journal information: Nature Astronomy This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Cuckoos are on the Red List of British Birds, with their populations in steep decline in much of the country. Credit: Edwin Godinho/Shutterstock Cuckoos are having difficulty adjusting their internal clocks to the changing pace of the world. As the world gets warmer due to climate change, the timings of once regular events are starting to shift. Icy periods are growing shorter as temperatures rise, while the heat of summer is lasting increasingly longer. As a result, animals and plants are struggling to keep up. While many species can shift the timing of key life events to try and adapt, others aren't so fortunate. A new study reveals that cuckoos face the choice of setting off on their annual migration across the desert perilously early, or risking their hosts having already bred by the time they arrive. Dr. Chris Hewson, a senior research ecologist at the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) who co-authored the study, writes, "There is a trade-off between survival and the benefits of early arrival, perhaps due to birds migrating with less on-board fuel than they otherwise would." "Such risks may become more necessary as birds try to keep up with climate change on the breeding grounds." The findings of the research were published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Cuckoos in the UK Cuckoos are what is known as a brood parasite, which means that they rely on other species to raise their young. While there are a number of different animals which do this, cuckoos are one of the best known. Female cuckoos are divided up into different groups, or gens, based on the species that their eggs mimic. They lay their eggs in the nest of a host and then leave the unsuspecting birds to raise their offspring. Over the past 50 years, however, cuckoo populations have gone into decline across Europe. While populations have dropped by about a quarter on the continent, there are up to 76% less cuckoos in the UK. While a variety of different causes, including habitat destruction, intensive agriculture and hunting, have all been linked with the birds' decline, they're difficult to separate out. It's likely that all these issues are playing a role, with a number of cuckoo studies trying to reveal their contribution to overall population losses. The BTO has been tracking cuckoos for around 10 years to better understand how their migration affects the bird's chances of survival. The birds spend their winters in and around the Congo rainforest, before migrating across the Sahara Desert and into Europe during spring. Before crossing the Sahara, the birds first stop over in West Africa in a region known as the Intertropical Convergence Zone where winds from the northern and southern hemisphere converge. The arrival of rains in the spring causes caterpillars and other invertebrates to flourish, providing ample food for the birds to build up their strength for the rest of the migration. But as global temperatures continue to rise, the cuckoos' host birds in the U.K. are breeding increasingly early, meaning that cuckoos need to arrive earlier to have the best chance of breeding success. This is pushing them to leave the stopover in West Africa earlier, which means that they are unable to put on as much weight before the Sahara crossing. Timing is everything Using tracking data from 87 different cuckoos, the researchers found that the time of departure from the stopover site was the most important factor in determining when a bird would reach their breeding grounds in the U.K. Birds which left the stopover site earlier were more likely to arrive first in Britain, allowing them to establish in the best breeding territories and lay eggs in the nests of their hosts. However, they were also more likely to die, probably because they hadn't eaten enough to survive the journey. This might explain some of the difference in population decline between the U.K. and continental Europe, as birds heading to the latter would be better able to survive on less food as they don't have as far to fly. Cuckoos which left later, meanwhile, were more likely to make it back to the U.K., but this pushed their breeding back. Previous research has suggested that some cuckoos are compensating by increasingly targeting late-breeding species such as the reed warbler in England. This too, however, presents its own challenges. Birds that left the U.K. later in the autumn to head back to Africa were also more likely to die as there is less food and suitable habitat available for them prior to departure. While the study paints a bleak picture for the cuckoos, it highlights some opportunities to better support migrating birds. Restoring the habitat of known stopover and breeding sites in Europe and Africa will help to ensure there's more food for cuckoos, giving them a better chance of survival. The team also hope to conduct more research into why Scottish cuckoos are faring better, with populations having increased by a third in the past 20 years. As these birds take a different migration route to their English relatives, it's likely this journey is less hazardous despite being longer. Ultimately, finding out more about migrating cuckoos in general is vital to ensure their survival. The BTO has recently attached trackers to 10 more birds to build up a better picture of their journey, including individuals from Ireland. "It's especially exciting to see birds from Ireland tagged for the first time," Chris says. "We're looking forward to learning about the migrations of these cuckoos from the western extremity of the species' breeding range." "These birds will help us to better understand the pressures they face, the reasons for the population declines they are undergoing and how we can help them to successfully complete their arduous migrations in the rapidly changing world we share." More information: Jacob G. Davies et al, Spring arrival of the common cuckoo at breeding grounds is strongly determined by environmental conditions in tropical Africa, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0580 Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society B This story is republished courtesy of Natural History Museum. Read the original story here. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The threat of Russia using nuclear weapons in Ukraine is "real" and "absolutely irresponsible", according to the US president, Joe Biden. He was reacting to questioning from journalists as to whether he believed Belarus had been taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons. If true, it's the first time Russia has deployed nuclear warheads outside its borders since the end of the cold war. This does not immediately mean a nuclear escalation with Nato, since Russian nuclear missiles stationed in the Kaliningrad region already put Poland and the Baltic states within range. Experts are skeptical about Russia's intentions to use these weapons in Ukraine. But the presence of tactical nuclear arms in Belarus has, nevertheless, important implications for European security. It would change the nature of the relationship between Russia and Belarus and bring Belarus deeper under Russian control. The two countries are already in what is known as a "union state" after longtime Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko and Boris Yeltsin signed a series of treaties in the mid-1990s. These made for "deeper economic integration" and the "formation of a single economic space" as well as the coordination of foreign policy and military activities between the two countries. The "union" was relatively loose until the 2020 mass protests in Belarus pushed the desperate Lukashenko to agree to a much closer economic and military integration with Russia. The real target Noting that this is "not an escalation from Putin's prior nuclear weapons rhetoric", the Institute for the Study of War says this is more about increasing Moscow's military grip over Belarus: "The Kremlin likely intends to use these requirements to further subordinate the Belarusian security sphere under Russia." The warheads will be under Russian control. Storage facilities are reported to be under construction for completion in early July. This will require a significant Russian military presence and permanent military bases in Belarus. Belarusians do not want to have Russian nuclear weapons on their soil. Researchers from Chatham House who regularly conduct surveys in Belarus have found that 74% of respondents in their March 2023 survey objected to deployment. The rejection of nukes is even more dramatic when analyzed by which media the respondents are consuming. Belarus state media beats a relentlessly pro-Moscow drum. Among those who do not consume state media between 97% and 98% are opposed. The prospect of Russian military bases is hardly more popular, with only 24% of respondents supporting it in an earlier Chatham House survey in June 2022. The idea of a single foreign policy and army with Russia was backed by a mere 9% in the March 2023 survey. This is yet another indicator of the chasm between the regime and the people, which was made evident by the 2020 protests, the largest in recent Belarusian history. Belarusians are traditionally wary of having to choose sides when it comes to political alliances. And, despite a "vote" ratifying an amendment to the country's constitution to allow Russia to station nuclear weapons on its soil, the country is increasingly divided between those who look to Russia and those who are in favor of closer relations with western Europe. After Russia went into Ukraine, a Chatham House survey found that 47% were against the invasion, while only 33% were in favor. Another poll found 93% would not support Belarus entering the war. Fallout from Chornobyl And Belarusians also have a good reason to be strongly opposed to nuclear weapons. The memory of the Chornobyl disaster in 1986. About 70% of the radioactive fallout landed on its territory, and there is evidence that Moscow deliberately seeded clouds so that radioactive rain fell over Belarus rather than drift towards Moscow. The political fallout was slower but no less significant: over the years, Chornobyl commemorations have become an annual rallying point for anti-Lukashenko opposition. It also helped ensure that independent Belarus was the first among post-Soviet nations to abandon its Soviet nuclear arsenal. These points seem lost on Lukashenko, who has publicly declared that he will not consider the opinion of the Belarusian people about using nuclear weapons. Opposition opinions are dangerous in Belarus, and state terror against all criticism of the regime has only intensified since Russia invaded Ukraine. The number of those arrested and sentenced to lengthy prison terms has been steadily growing. As of June 21, Belarus had 1,492 political prisoners. This is just the tip of the iceberg of repression. Not only opposition activists, NGO workers, and independent journalists, but anyone who can be linked to the 2020 protests or who ever spoke out against the regime on social media is at risk of arrest. The recent UN Human Rights Office report decried "the unacceptable picture of impunity and the near-total destruction of civic space and fundamental freedoms in Belarus", including the systematic use of unlawful detention, violence and torture. Consequences for Belarus and beyond Lukashenko is playing a dangerous game. Belarus's economic dependence on Moscow, already heavy, has been deepened further by western sanctions and the war in Ukraine. Russia's share in Belarus' trade grew from 49% in 2021 to 60% in late 2022. Recently, a joint tax agreement with Russia, previously resisted by Minsk, reduced Belarusian control over taxation. According to the independent Belarusian monitoring organization, the Hajun Project, there is no evidence that any warheads have arrived. But deploying Russian nuclear warheads would lead to Moscow's permanent military presence. It would mean further loss of authority for Lukashenko and his generals. And worse, if Putin did decide to use tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine, it would be an easier decision to launch them from Belarus and let them reap the whirlwind of retaliation. Consolidating his control over Belarus would be a significant strategic victory for Putin's imperial ambitions. Preoccupied with fighting in Ukraine and lacking a clear and decisive policy on Belarus, the west has no obvious immediate response. But if Moscow follows through with its threat it would be a dangerous momentnot just for Belarus but for Europe as a whole. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Female ambassadors in Seoul pose with Ewha Womans University President Kim Eun-mee, front row second from left, during their June meeting, June 21. Kim addressed the issues surrounding feminist diplomacy in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the pandemic, and noted the need for the integration of sustainable, equitable economies, human welfare, decarbonization and collective environmental actions as well as the role of diplomats in facilitating these efforts. Courtesy of Brazilian Ambassador to Korea Marcia Donner Abreu This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Sea louse (Caligus clemensi). Credit: Hakai Institute More than 30 previously unknown RNA viruses in sea lice have been identified by University of British Columbia (UBC) researchers. Sea lice are parasitic copepods (small crustaceans) found in many fresh and saltwater habitats, and have been implicated in the decline of wild salmon populations. The research sheds greater light on the types of viruses being carried by sea lice, and how the viruses and host are interacting. "We found many more types of viruses than are known in sea lice or their distant relatives; the lice are mounting an immune defense response to many of these viruses indicating that they are replicating," says UBC marine microbiologist Dr. Curtis Suttle, senior author of the paper published this week in PLOS Pathogens. As part of his Ph.D. research with Dr. Suttle's group, co-author Dr. Tianyi Chang analyzed RNA from three species of sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis, Caligus clemensi and Caligus rogercresseyi) that have a large ecological and economic impact on fish and fisheries. The data were obtained from sea lice removed from out-migrating juvenile salmon collected in the waters surrounding the Discovery Islands and Broughton Archipelago on the northeastern side of Vancouver Island, as well as from farmed salmon in Chile. Sea lice are a big problem for the fish aquaculture industry worldwide due to their proliferation among dense populations of farmed fish. Chemical treatments have failed to solve the problem. Sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) on an out-migrating juvenile salmon collected in the waters surrounding the Discovery Islands and Broughton Archipelago on the northeastern side of Vancouver Island, the area where sea lice from the study (and their hosts) were obtained. Credit: Hakai Institute Viruses tend to kill species that flourish, so populations that might otherwise take over an ecosystem are often controlled by viruses. By infecting and weakening their hosts, viruses maintain balance in nature. "In a natural system, viruses may prevent explosions in sea-lice populations by rapidly replicating when densities become high, and so might form a natural biological control agent for a parasite of salmon," says Dr. Suttle. The viruses encompassed all the major groups of RNA viruses, with many likely representing new families and genera. Surprisingly, the closest relatives of some of the newly discovered viruses are only known to infect plants or fungi. This implies that over evolutionary time, viruses jumped between fungi and arthropods, a group of animals that includes crustaceans such as sea lice and crabs, as well as spiders and insects, the researchers said. More information: Divergent RNA viruses infecting sea lice, major ectoparasites of fish, PLOS Pathogens (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011386 Journal information: PLoS Pathogens This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Voting rights have come under scrutiny across the United States in recent years, with multiple cases before the Supreme Court this session. A new study by Syracuse University researchers suggests the issue has implications beyond politics. The study, led by sociology professor Jennifer Karas Montez, investigates the link between democratic erosion and rising deaths. The full study is published online by The Milbank Quarterly. Montez says the team has been trying to better understand why the mortality rates of working-age adults in the United States are high and rising, predating the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies showed labor policies, firearm policies, and more played a role but did not provide a full explanation. So the team decided to investigate a possible link to the weakening of democracy. "Studies from other countries show that strong democracies invest in education, provide economic opportunities for all, and make policy decisions that are aligned with people's preferences," Montez says. "One consequence is that stronger democracies have lower rates of violent crime and higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Some U.S. surveys indicate that even the perception of democratic erosion may lead to anxiety, depression, substance use and sleep problems." Democratic erosion can manifest in many ways, from purging eligible voters from the rolls, to not allowing absentee voting, to partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts. Montez points to North Carolina as a prime example. "Consider that, in 2018, even though Republicans won slightly more than 50% of the two-party vote, they took 77% of the state's seats in Congress. That's gerrymandering on steroids," Montez says. The study examines how changes in electoral democracy in the U.S. predicted changes in the risk of death among adults ages 2564 from 20002019 using data from the State Democracy Index and vital statistics data on deaths from all causes. The team found several links. "Some of the strongest evidence pointed to indicators of what we might call "social disfunction" such as drug use, violent crime, and incarceration," Montez says. "Democratic erosion predicted significantly higher rates of deaths from drug poisoning and from infectious disease which can often result from intravenous drug use." The study estimates that if a particular state were to strengthen electoral democracy from a moderate level to a very high level, men's all-cause mortality would be more than 3% lower within the next year. When looking specifically at drug poisoning and infectious disease deaths, that decline increases to an estimated 13%. If all states strengthened to a very high level, researchers estimate that more than 20,000 working age deaths could potentially be averted each year. Researchers say solving the problem will take swift steps at both the state and federal levels. "Some key actions include banning partisan gerrymandering, improving voter enfranchisement, and reforming campaign finance laws," Montez says. "Significant progress could be made if Congress passed legislation such as the Freedom to Vote Act, which was introduced in 2021. This national piece of legislation would make substantial improvements in voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance laws." More information: Jennifer Karas Montez et al, Electoral Democracy and WorkingAge Mortality, The Milbank Quarterly (2023). DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.12658 Journal information: Milbank Quarterly By Umaru Fofana 2020 has been an eventful year for the world in which bitter politics and the coronavirus have brought about a toxic mix. It has been so in advance democracies as much as it has been in developing countries such as Sierra Leone. While the Julius Maada Bio government will measure the year by the result of their response to the pandemic which has seen the country rated among the safest places to visit on the continent, their political opponents will cite the stubbornly problematic payment of the hazard allowances of health care workers who responded to the coronavirus, one that persists up to today with many complaining of non-payment. Add to that the damning internal audit report on the response that reads like an encore of the Ebola probe in 2014/15. So perhaps it is safe to say that the response to the pandemic had the right policy framework, but terribly implanted on the fiscal front. It begs the question as to whether something fundamental is wrong with our public officials perhaps Sierra Leoneans generally insofar as financial accountability is concerned. Many public servants seem to be in it for themselves first, second and third, before the public interest. That fallout from that audit report will take us deep into the New Year, and possibly beyond. Unless, probably, after the next one is out for the 2020 financial year. How the government and especially the ruling SLPP party MPs and the anticorruption commission respond to it will give us a clearer understanding of how seriously the fight against graft is truly being pursued in Sierra Leone. All of this comes at the tail end of the year. A year 2020 that was never short of political intrigues and drama. Agreed it was dominated by the Covid19 pandemic but despite that, or maybe because of it, politics was centre stage. So much so that something as straight forward as passing emergency measures to confront the biggest threat to humankind in a century (coronavirus) and giving powers to enforce them could not pass without tension and fighting. All thanks to a government that does not seem to like consulting with the opposition and letting them have their way even where necessary, and an opposition that seems to want to score political points at every opportunity no matter the consequence. There were clashes that led to deaths over things that were as sublime as they were ridiculous. From Lunsar over law enforcement that was resisted by angry youths, to Tombo where the insensitive implementation of Covid19 rules led to people taking their thinking cap off and getting violent, and to Makeni where miscommunication or misrepresentation over the temporary transfer of a standby generator led to violence by youths, leading to the inappropriate use of arms by the security forces and causing deaths. Like the days of President Ernest Koroma when police heavy-handedness and killings went unpunished from Kono to Wellington and Kabala, those police officers behind those avoidable killings under President Bio have not been brought to book. It seems the police do no wrong in the eyes of whosoever is in power. Lamentable! In all this, it is safe to say that the main opposition APC is finishing the year on a high. Having won the contentious by-election in Constituency 110 that had no reason to have been rerun in the first place (APC won it fair and square in 2018 and even the earlier rerun), to the audit report that I just spoke about. How they, and the ruling SLPP, take this forward could set a tone for interesting times in 2021. In the New Year, when President Julius Maada Bio will turn three in office in April, just as the country turns 60 years since independence, another familiar tune could be heard. Ask any Sierra Leonean what they remember most about the countrys 50th independence anniversary (celebrations) they will tell you about the apparent corruption that bedevilled the event. So will we experience another elaborate commemoration next year? Perhaps not! President Bio is on record as saying that no independence anniversary celebrations will be held with him as head of state until a certain economic threshold has been achieved. That achievement seems a bit far off. Whether or not celebrations are held to mark 27 April, politics will take centre stage. The SLPP will turn 70 years around the same time. And the partys executive has been under tremendous pressure that they are an expired bunch of men and women in office. Elections that were to have held this year did not happen. So 2021 will witness their lower level elections culminating into the National Executive elections. The civil war has been on for a while within the party especially between those who want to become Chairman of the party. A largely ceremonial role now, if you ask me, bearing in mind the fact that the countrys president is now the partys Leader. A high court injunction stood in the way of the main opposition All Peoples Congress (APC) party national conference in Port Loko. Its NRM faction had gone to court to stop the meeting from happening because they wanted certain reforms within the party before that could happen. It is expected that the courts will look into those concerns in 2021 and clear the way for the party to choose its national executive who have also stayed in office beyond the date. I am not sure what the other of the more than one dozen political parties will do. But the National Grand Coalition (NGC) of Dr Kandeh Yumkella, which for many came as a beacon of hope for the countrys fractious political landscape, will also be holding their own national delegates conference. Its National Chairman, Dr Dennis Bright said they would definitely be doing so. He said there had been a few delays due to the amendment of their party constitution which was done by the executive but had to go through a lot of process. An extraordinary conference was held this year to ratify it. Lower level elections will be held in the New Year leading to their annual Convention. These conventions will almost certainly set the tone for de facto campaigning ahead of the 2022 local council elections and the 2023 presidential and legislative elections. Expect a heated debate around the ratification of the controversial amendments of the Local Government Act under which those elections will be held. Already it has engendered a furore over certain clauses contained therein. No one likes thinking about death despite its inevitability. So there will almost certainly be by-elections in 2021. Expect them to be tense and vitriolic. In the same way as there will be cabinet reshuffles even if not related to death. Some will be sacked. But whatever reshuffle takes place we will not have an election cabinet in 2021. But they will give us an insight as to which way the Bio government is tilting towards. With so much talk about the north-south divide, he may consider bringing in more northerners into his administration. In the reshuffles that will happen, Port Loko, Falaba, Koinadugu and possibly Kambia districts will gain traction in the SLPPs bid to peel some votes away from the opposition. In 2021, the way the police handle law and order issues and the fight against corruption will further define our body politic. Parliament may remain the same, unless civil society groups keep their heater on them. The division will continue. Talking about that it is my view that division along political lines is a good thing if based on democracy and the interest of Sierra Leone and peoples freedom to associate. After all the opposite of the freewill to disagree is a one-party dictatorship. So in a multiparty democracy it is a good thing to disagree in the nations interest. But one based on parochial personal, tribal or regional interests is pitiful. With the Peace Commission expected next year, which will guarantee equitable or equal employment opportunities for all Sierra Leoneans regardless of their tribe or region, things should be on the mend. Depending of course on the implementation of the law setting up the commission. Fingers crossed for the motherland. Happy New Year! Copyright 2020 Politico Online By Politico staff writer In a bid to revamp the Bunumbu Teachers College (BTC), the Government of Sierra Leone, through the Education Sector Support Project has secured a $15,000,000 grant to reconstruct and rehabilitate one of the oldest teacher training colleges in Sierra Leone. Work is to commence in January 2022. Bunumbu Teachers College in Peje West Chiefdom in the Kailahun District began operations as a union college in 1922. It was displaced by the 1991 Rebel War to Kenema in 1991. In 2001, Bunumbu Teachers College and Technical Institute Kenema were merged by the Late President Dr. Tejan Kabba SLPP led government to form Eastern Polytechnic, consisting of three campuses ( TIK Campus in Kenema District, Bunumbu Campus in Kailahun District and Waoma Campus in Kono District). For several years, efforts had been expressed for government to rebuild and relocate the institution to its original location but to no avail. However, the President Julius Maada Bio led administration with support from the Project known as ESS project, has been able to achieve that through a grant. In a validation of the scope of the project meeting held at Eastern Polytechnic on Thursday, 12th August 2021, the Project Coordinator Ing. Neilford Roes informed the gathering that the government has contracted a consulting Firm, IDEAS Limited to undertake a three-month architectural design of the entire campus before the reconstruction and rehabilitation work will commence. He added that the project encompasses additional facilities that never existed before and disclosed that a total of 100 (one hundred) buildings are to be constructed. He identified some of these buildings as administrative, library, laboratories, recreational centers, hostels, and quarters for staff. Architect Ivan on behalf of IDEAS LTD re-emphasized that their visit was purposefully for a pre-validation of the intended intervention and appreciated the kind of reception accorded them. The Principal, Eastern Polytechnic, Ing. Prof. Mohamed Konneh applauded the government's effort in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Bunumbu campus. He therefore called on the community to own the project as it stands not only to benefit the college but the community as well. In his statement, the Registrar, John Juana recognized the good deeds of the current government in ensuring quality education were delivered to that part of the country. He disclosed to the community stakeholders that Eastern Polytechnic has been finally transformed into a university and that when Bunumbu has been reconstructed and rehabilitated, it will be a constituent college of the Eastern Technical University of Sierra Leone. He noted that the said project will not only advance the educational sector but will also promote trade and create jobs for the youths. On an unrelated note, the local authorities used the occasion to plead that their community be considered in any future water supply scheme. Copyright Politico Online (16/08/21) CHESTER The town of Chester and North Country Ministry have announced a partnership to provide a community caseworker at town hall for supportive counseling, advocacy, referrals and financial help through its Emergency Assistance Fund. Kayla Carlozzi, executive director for North Country Ministry, said the organizations mission is to serve the underserved in northern Warren County and spreading its casework services outside of Warrensburg was the clear next step. North Country Ministry is a nonprofit outreach organization, which provides assistance without discrimination to anyone in need in its service area. Its mission is to assist people who need help to function in their daily lives or to improve their quality of life. When we compiled our casework statistics it was abundantly clear that Chestertown, Brant Lake, Lake George, and Johnsburg were areas that needed our casework services the most, she said in a news release. With the continued increase in the price of gas, we felt that bringing our services to our clients would be the best next step we could take to help our neighbors in need, Carlozzi added. Chester Supervisor Craig Leggett said the town is committed to linking residents with agencies and organizations that can help them in time of need. North Country Ministries has served our area well for years and we are fortunate to have them here. Providing space for a NCM Caseworker in the Municipal Center is a great collaboration and a benefit for our town, he said in a news release. The caseworker is available on Mondays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Chester Municipal Center at 6307 State Route 9, Chestertown, in the Town Board Room. Casework Services are provided by Erin Fritz, community caseworker for North Country Ministry. She can be reached via phone at 518.623.2829 Ext. 306 or email erin@ncmfriends.com. ATLANTIC CITY The new leaders of the Atlantic City Housing Authority have been interviewing candidates for important leadership roles in the agency, Executive Director Matt Doherty said at Thursday's board meeting. "Tom and I have diligently been interviewing for CFO, human resources director, director of maintenance, management specialist and contract administrator," Doherty said of himself and Chief Operating Officer Tom Sahlin. "These are five very important posts that are now vacant." He hopes to have the positions filled soon, he said. Once the director of maintenance is hired, the authority will begin advertising for more maintenance workers, Doherty said. "We anticipate the next 30-60 days to be a transition period where we staff up," Doherty said. "We would love to employ folks who live in Housing Authority buildings or in Atlantic City (in maintenance). These are good jobs, with good pay, health insurance, dental and a pension." There are now 12 maintenance workers on staff, and Doherty hopes to add 10 more "to start to improve services to residents. Right now we are not doing a very good job." The board also voted to rescind emergency declarations and contracts at its Thursday meeting, and discussed ways to get needed services to tenants outside the emergency route. The meeting was the second in-person board meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. New Atlantic City Housing Authority director faces problems head on ATLANTIC CITY The new executive director at the troubled Atlantic City Housing Authority k Work on testing gas lines, remediating mold and fighting pest infestations had to stop earlier this month at Stanley Holmes Village and the eight other complexes owned by the Housing Authority. Contractors were working under emergency contracts, and the authority has been told by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development it must now move to awarding regular contracts, Doherty said. "Our goal is to have contractors starting to come online mid-July," he said of those hired under standard competitive contracts. The process for awarding regular contracts takes longer than for emergency contracts but assures competitive bidding. Doherty said he has been working with HUD's Newark office and with Mayor Marty Small Sr.'s administration to figure out ways of getting contractors in the short term, until they can properly be procured for the long term. "We are also working with the Fire Department on the gas monitoring under the buildings," Doherty said. Doherty has been on the job about a month, and some of the emergency contracts were negotiated by his predecessor, interim part-time Executive Director John Clarke, who is also executive director of the New Brunswick Housing Authority and runs the Princeton Housing Authority on an interim basis. Clarke, who continues as a consultant with the Atlantic City Housing Authority, had put out regular contracts for some work, like bedbug extermination, while those for elevator maintenance and repair predate him. That work will continue, Doherty said. HUD rejects emergency contracts for Atlantic City Housing Authority work ATLANTIC CITY Work on testing gas lines, remediating mold and fighting pest infestations h But work on the gas lines at Stanley Holmes, and on eradicating rodent and roach infestations and mold intrusions, was only put out under emergency contracts, so it must stop until regular contracts can be obtained. It is unclear why regular contracts were not negotiated for all services at some point in Clarke's tenure, which started in August. South Jersey Legal Services is suing the authority over conditions at Stanley Holmes Village and has serious concerns about how the work stoppage will affect residents. The city declared an emergency at Stanley Holmes Village in October, when the heating and hot water systems failed, and the authority was unable to continue providing trash pickup and other services. The heating system has since been stabilized, and the city had provided trash pickup for some time. CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE Cape May County will hold a virtual public information session on rsteds offshore wind projects from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, county Commissioner Director Leonard C. Desiderio and special counsel to Cape May County Michael J. Donohue will host the session. County officials say the session will cover the potential negative impacts of rsteds Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2 offshore wind farms, which are in varying stages of permitting and development off the coast. Ocean Wind 1 plans to construct close to 100 turbines roughly 15 miles out to sea. The county has dedicated a great deal of time and resources to fighting plans for offshore wind, saying it will affect residents and visitors ocean views, harm the local commercial fishing industry and connecting it to dozens of marine mammal deaths that took place this past winter into spring. Cape adds legal firepower in fight against wind power plans CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE The Cape May County Board of Commissioners this week approved hiring Federal officials say there is no connection between work being done offshore in preparation for wind projects and the marine mammal deaths. Nevertheless, the county has recently retained several lawyers to fight different aspects of the battle against offshore wind. Little information has been released about how much those efforts will cost. A county spokesperson has said the county will be billed as needed. Donohue has been leading the countys efforts connected to offshore wind since 2020. Hes a former Superior Court judge and the leader of the countys Republican organization. The session can be viewed at capewindinfo.com. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account. SEOUL/PARIS No sign of foul play has been found in the death of a South Korean tourist who recently died at a subway station in the suburbs of Paris, embassy officials said Thursday. The 36-year-old man, who was traveling alone in France, is presumed to have died at the Villejuif-Louis Aragon station of the Paris Metro on June 12 (local time). Police suspect he may have died by an electric shock while attempting to cross the railroad tracks. The South Korean Embassy in Paris said it has examined the circumstances of his death by reviewing the closed-circuit TV footage provided by the local police. Earlier in the day, the foreign ministry called on the Paris police to conduct a prompt and fair investigation to accurately determine the cause of the incident that occurred under unclear circumstances. The deceased visited France on vacation and had planned to get married in the near future. The family was seeking to check surveillance footage to learn exactly what happened to him. The embassy plans to transfer his body to his family upon the completion of the probe by the local police. (Yonhap) PLEASANTVILLE The local Board of Education voted last week to appoint Patricia King to fill its open seat. The appointment of King, a longtime resident, comes as the school district undergoes a significant change in leadership and seeks to move beyond past controversies. King said before her appointment at the June 13 meeting that she had been a resident of the city for 47 years and is a product of public schools. She said her three daughters attended Pleasantville Public Schools and that she was a believer in the value of public education. King said she was an active parent, acting as a parent liaison for the Head Start program in the city. Education is key, is vital, is important, King said. Its been critical, and I know its important for children to have a good education. Before its vote for King, the board held public interviews for the vacancy. During her interview, King said she was interested in supporting pre-K programs and balancing the needs of taxpayers, students and the broader city population. She added she was eager to learn about the inner dynamics of school-district governance. A school board is supposed to connect with the community and ensure that they are working actively so our school system can be the best, King said. Ive been an observer, but I want to know just what happens on the inside. Education commissioner preserves Absecon-Pleasantville school agreement An agreement between two Atlantic County school districts that has been at the center of a c The other candidate to interview was former Board of Education member Augustus Harmon, who lost his reelection bid in November. He noted his experience on the board, including what he said were his contributions toward building the current Pleasantville High School building. He said he wanted to continue to focus on making other facility improvements, address resident concerns about traffic safety at school drop-off points and improve attendance rates. Asked about his availability, Harmon said he had one of the best attendance records at school board meetings and individual committee meetings in 2022. Later in the June 13 meeting, board President Doris Rowell chastised unnamed members for what she said were their poor attendance records. Harmon, who turns 87 this month, is an Army veteran and became the first Black member of Pleasantville City Council in 1970, and also worked as an aid to late U.S. Rep. William Hughes. He has served on various public bodies over the past 53 years and was elected to the Pleasantville school board again in 2021 to fill an unexpired term. He is still the vice president of the Board of Education for the Atlantic County Special Services and Atlantic County Vocational school districts, which govern, among other schools, the Atlantic County Institute of Technology. The school board vote to choose King was 6-0, with two board members not present. King is to replace Yadira Falcon, who resigned from the Board of Education in May. The resignation of Falcon followed allegations that she did not live in the school district, setting off a controversy about the boards legitimacy that lingered for four months. Falcon has maintained her claims of having lived in the city, denying allegations challenging her residency. She said her resignation was due to a hostile atmosphere that permeated board politics. In an earlier interview with The Press of Atlantic City, Falcon described the workings of the board as a nonstop war between all of us. Residents have often expressed their discontent about discord at the board. They have also claimed the board is not being sufficiently transparent and is driven by internal, political considerations. King said she wanted to find ways to have the board regain public trust. I want to play an important role and perhaps join to change things so the community can have more confidence in the board, King said. When you do become a member of the board, you shouldnt bring, I think, an ulterior motive or another purpose other than to serve. Pleasantville hires Camden school official as new superintendent PLEASANTVILLE A period of uncertainty that has stretched over two years is coming to an en The appointment of King coincided with the hiring of Marilyn Martinez, the chief schools officer for the Camden City School District, as Pleasantvilles new superintendent. Martinez said she was eager to work with community members and center their ideas for helping students. She succeeds Karin Farkas, who had been serving as acting superintendent for about 20 months, and Natakie Chestnut-Lee, whose suspension in 2021 sparked a controversy over the politicization of the school board and whose contract expires at the end of this month. Chestnut-Lee has pursued legal action against the board for what she says is retaliation for inquiries into its alleged misdoings. King did not vote on the appointment of Martinez and was not sworn in at the June 13 meeting. The meeting ended abruptly, without a formal adjournment, after Rowell suddenly motioned to solicit resumes for a new board solicitor. Although board officials indicated the motion carried at the meeting, preliminary minutes recorded the motion as having failed. A special school board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at Pleasantville High School. WASHINGTON One year ago, Democrats suffered one of the most stinging political defeats in recent history as the Supreme Court, which had been methodically stocked with conservative appointees, eliminated the nationwide right to abortion. Unbowed on Saturday's anniversary, however, it's the White House, not Republicans, who are calling the most attention to the issue with a cascade of events designed to tap into simmering rage from the overturning of Roe v. Wade. "I don't think people are tired," Jennifer Klein, the White House point person on gender policy, said in an interview. "I think people might be mad. I think there's a lot of fear out there. But I feel like that turns into power." First lady Jill Biden met this week with women who were denied abortions even though their health was at risk. Vice President Kamala Harris appeared in an hourlong televised special in Dallas and will travel to North Carolina on Saturday for a speech. The capstone of the effort comes on Friday, when President Joe Biden will appear at a rally with abortion rights groups in Washington. The first lady, the vice president and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will also be there, a rare joint appearance by all four. It's an inauspicious anniversary for the White House to highlight. The high court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization opened the door for a wave of abortion restrictions across the country, and the limits are also affecting how women get medical care for miscarriages and pregnancies. More constraints could be on the horizon as conservatives seek to limit access to mifepristone, a commonly used abortion pill, in a separate legal case. But while Republicans have struggled to find their political footing on the issue, Democrats recognize that the loss of abortion rights helped them forestall greater defeats in last year's midterm elections and that the issue could prove just as potent as Biden runs for reelection next year. "People keep thinking and hypothesizing that the issue is going to diminish in its power. Well, not really," said Celinda Lake, a pollster who has worked with the president. "Twenty years from now, we may point to this as a realigning moment," she said. "It's moved a lot of suburban women out of the Republican Party and into independents." She also said younger voters could end up "more Democratic for the rest of their lives." Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List, draws the opposite conclusion from the midterms. "We had a poor showing, in my opinion, because Republican leadership took on the ostrich strategy," Dannenfelser said. Their mistake, she said, was not celebrating the victory and campaigning on what she described as a compromise of restricting abortions after 15 weeks. Dannenfelser said liberals want "unlimited abortion, paid for by taxpayers," and "that aggression on the part of the abortion lobby is going to come back and bite their candidates." "You get consensus, and contrast that with an extreme, and you win," she said. A survey conducted by Gallup last month showed that support for abortion drops the longer a pregnancy continues, from 69% of U.S. adults saying it should generally be legal for the first trimester to 37% for the second trimester. However, in general the issue appears to be more motivating for supporters than opponents, according to VoteCast, a survey of more than 94,000 voters nationwide conducted for for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago. During the midterms, 37% of those voting for Democrats said the overturning of Roe v. Wade was the single most important issue for them, as opposed to 13% of those voting for Republicans. Klein said there's no reason to think that Republicans are interested in a compromise, especially after implementing strict laws in various states over the last year. "They want to pass a national abortion ban," she said, while the White House wants to turn Roe v. Wade into law. Accomplishing that White House goal, however, seems as far out of reach as an outright ban. Republicans control the House, and Democrats don't have enough support in the Senate to advance legislation on their own. Biden has taken some limited steps with executive orders, but none that can override state restrictions. "It's hard," Klein said. "I mean, there is only so much an administration can do. And we are using all the tools in our toolbox." Mini Timmaraju, leader of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said advocates have made some political progress, such as winning several fights over ballot measures last year, but she warned that the path ahead will be arduous. "Let's just be clear, there's no getting better right away," she said. Biden, who is Catholic, was ambivalent about abortion early in his political career as a U.S. senator from Delaware. Soon after getting elected in 1974, he said the Supreme Court "went too far" with Roe v. Wade. However, he's often described abortion rights as a matter of personal liberty. One of the first images in Biden's video announcing his reelection campaign was a woman holding a sign saying "abortion is healthcare" outside the Supreme Court. The president's first word is "freedom." "The question we're facing is whether in the years ahead, we'll have more freedom or less freedom," he said. "More rights or fewer." Harris has played a leading role on abortion since the Dobbs decision, which was released while she was on a flight to Illinois for an event on maternal mortality. Her first step was to call her husband, Emhoff, to vent. "He was the only one that I could really just let it out with," Harris recalled this week during an appearance with Joy Reid on MSNBC. She spent the rest of the trip rewriting the draft of her remarks and reviewing the text of the decision. "Millions of women in America will go to bed tonight without access to the healthcare and reproductive care that they had this morning," Harris said in her speech back then. "Without access to the same healthcare or reproductive healthcare that their mothers and grandmothers had for 50 years." Abortion in America: How access and attitudes have changed through the centuries 1970s: Roe v. Wade protects women's right to abortion; politics shift TRENTON Gov. Phil Murphy and fellow Democratic leaders in the Legislature announced a deal Wednesday on a sweeping property tax rebate plan that had been a sticking point amid negotiations over the states more than $50 billion budget. Murphy, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Nicholas Scutari said homeowners 65 and older who make $500,000 or less will qualify for up to $6,500 in property tax relief under their plan. Renters would also get up to $700 in rebates. Those benefits will take until 2026 to ramp up fully, Murphy said, but seniors and renters can expect to see $250 in immediate relief if the plan passes. The program could be complex to roll out and the economy could use more time to improve, Murphy said by way of explaining why it wouldnt take full effect right away. The program will cost $1.2 billion once fully implemented, the governor said. It still must be voted on by the Democrat-held Assembly and Senate, which are considering the governors $53.1 billion proposal ahead of a July 1 constitutional deadline to enact a balanced budget. The leaders said its needed to stem the flow of seniors leaving the state for more tax-friendly locales, particularly in the South. This agreement says we care about our seniors and making New Jersey affordable for all, Murphy said. Egg Harbor Township estate caters to luxurious, close-to-everything lifestyle As is the case with many major metropolitan areas, where home buyers pay a premium for being Coughlin added: This will give people the opportunity to stay in New Jersey. It is the right thing to do, not just for seniors, although theyll get the checks. The benefit really extends to all of the family. Republicans criticized the plan, which the Democrats are calling StayNJ, calling it an election year gimmick aimed at wooing seniors. Trenton Democrats are trying to buy votes this year with the promise theyll deliver StayNJ property tax relief starting in 2026, state Sen. Joe Pennacchio said. All seats in the Legislature are on the ballot this November. The plan had become a sticking point among top state Democrats as the end of the fiscal year approaches. As originally proposed by Coughlin, the program would have offered up to $10,000 in benefits to seniors. It also didnt have an income cap or include renters. Coughlin had made it clear he wanted to include senior property tax relief in this years budget negotiations. Murphy described the agreement as the result of the men trying to find a fiscally responsible solution. State revenues fluctuate from year to year, and certain line items are required under New Jerseys constitution, like education spending. That has sometimes made it difficult for earlier administrations to fully fund all promises made by governors and lawmakers. Residents call for Upper Township to take a stand on wind power UPPER TOWNSHIP Its time for the township to take a stand on wind power, residents and adv Murphy expressed optimism that it will be within the states means to fund the plan and still meet other obligations such as education and pension funding. New Jersey has among the highest property taxes in the country, with the average bill approaching $9,500 a year. The taxes pay for local government and schools. Four teens, including two juveniles, were arrested by Pune police on Wednesday night after they used a sword to cut a cake that was perched atop a car during a birthday celebration in a public area in the Dhankawadi neighbourhood of Pune. According to the police, a group of about 20 teenagers had gathered on a road in the Dhankawadi neighbourhood around 10.30 night to celebrate the birthday of a 19-year-old local resident. The 19-year-old allegedly cut the birthday cake with a sword. After learning about the the incident, the police have filed a case against the teens. The video of the incident is doing round on the internet. The police have booked four youths in this case, out of which two are minors. The four accused allegedly handed over the sword to the birthday boy. The police have booked the accused under arms act and Bombay police act. The Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad police have detained a number of individuals, mostly young people, over the past two years on suspicion of brandishing firearms, sharp weapons, such as swords, machetes, and sickles, and firearms during celebrations and gatherings in public locations. According to the officials such crimes are committed with the intent of terrorising the local community and establishing domination in the area. Krach Institute of Tech Diplomacy CEO Michelle Giuda leads a panel discussion with tech industry leaders to delve into how to securely advance emerging and disruptive technologies in both Taiwan and the U.S. (Purdue University photo) One agreement creates academic research and workforce development opportunities in semiconductors, while the other enhances tech diplomacy efforts WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. In its ongoing efforts to help the U.S. regain preeminence in the semiconductor industry, Purdue University and the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue on June 15 signed memorandums of understanding with two research universities in Taiwan, the worlds largest producer of microchips. The MOUs are in partnership with research universities in Taiwan: National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) in Hsinchu and National Chengchi University (NCCU), a public research university in Taipei. Purdue President Mung Chiang and NYCU President Chi-Hung Lin signed an MOU to bolster academic research and workforce development efforts in semiconductor-related areas, including NYCUs Semiconductor Workforce Advancement Program. The MOU includes joint research projects, student exchange and internship opportunities, and dual-degree programs. Additional information Since Purdue President Hovdes partnership with the National Cheng Kung University in 1953, our university has enjoyed strong relations with universities in Taiwan for seven decades, Chiang said. The new partnership with NYCU in the area of semiconductors education and research is another milestone in expanding student mobility, faculty collaboration and industry co-innovation. We look forward to many more decades of such exchanges of ideas and talents. The second MOU is between National Chengchi University and the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue. Signed by Krach Institute CEO Michelle Giuda, the MOUs purpose is to promote international cooperation between the two organizations to underpin their shared values and mission to advance freedom by driving the innovation and adoption of trusted technology. Securing freedom requires that we bring together in new ways high-tech, private-sector know-how technology expertise, such as the leading STEM students and researchers at Purdue or NYCU and NCCU, and foreign policy and national security expertise, Giuda said. That integrated expertise and partnership among public and private partners and allies is required to secure freedom and secure high tech and why we are so excited to strengthen our partnership with Taiwan. The ceremony comes two months after a delegation from Taiwans NYCU visited Purdue with a focus on strengthening the collaboration between the two partners in semiconductor initiatives at both institutions. Purdue announced in April the formation of the Presidents Semiconductor Task Force to coordinate and lead Purdues efforts toward innovative research and development through the CHIPS for America and Science Act. Mark Lundstrom, chief semiconductor officer for Purdue and the Don and Carol Scifres Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will lead the task force. The task force is a critical component of the Semiconductors@Purdue initiative, which addresses workforce development, research and economic development. By leveraging Purdues strengths in advancing microelectronics technology and by bringing together these leading organizations from across the world, we can speed research and innovation to ensure solutions to the complex production process and supply chain, Lundstrom said. The agreements were announced as part of a daylong visit to Purdue by Ambassador Bi-khim Hsiao, Taiwans representative to the U.S.; NYCU president Dr. Lin; and a host of private-sector leaders from MediaTek, Wistron, Telamon and others. It included a fireside chat led by Keith Krach, co-founder and chairman of the Krach Institute, about working together to accelerate the innovation and adoption of trusted technologies. Giuda then hosted an industry forum with U.S. and Taiwan private-sector leaders on the importance of public-private partnerships in ensuring high tech is developed responsibly. When democracies stand together, we are force multipliers in advancing freedom and prosperity. Thats the foundation of not only U.S.-Taiwan relations, but the growing ties between Taiwan and the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, Hsiao said. I am grateful to President Mung Chiang and Chairman Keith Krach for hosting me and the Taiwanese delegation at the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, and I am excited to see the fruits of the partnerships between NCCU-Krach Institute and NYCU-Purdue launched during my visit. Krach said, These agreements will considerably enhance the U.S.-Taiwan ties, catalyzing technological innovation and strengthening Taiwan's international partnerships. Our expanding partnership will turbocharge trusted technology and bolster freedom for us all." The Taiwan delegation continued the visit in Indiana, including meetings with Gov. Eric Holcomb and Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers in Indianapolis. About Purdue University Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last five years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://stories.purdue.edu. About the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue The Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue is the worlds preeminent trusted technology accelerator. As the leader of a new category of tech diplomacy, the institute integrates technology expertise, Silicon Valley strategies and foreign policy tools to build the Global Trusted Tech Network of governments, companies, organizations and individuals to accelerate the development and adoption of trusted technology and ensure technology advances freedom. Follow the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Subscribe to the Institutes weekly newsletter Tech Diplomacy Now for the latest news at the intersection of high tech and foreign policy. Writer/Media contact: Wes Mills, wemills@purdue.edu Purdue President Mung Chiang, left, and Rick Cassidy, chairman of TSMC Arizona, met Monday (June 19) for a signing ceremony in the Indianapolis Bottleworks District. Purdue and TSMC extended an ongoing semiconductor partnership, expanding their collaborative scope through additional workforce development and research programs through 2031. (Purdue University photo/Vincent Walter) Semiconductor contract manufacturer stands as latest industry leader to join universitys global partnerships WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Purdue University continues to advance semiconductor workforce development by renewing a strong partnership between industry leader Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. and the universitys Center for Secure Microelectronics Ecosystem. The renewal of TSMCs membership in CSME represents the desire by both sides to expand their collaborative scope through additional workforce development and research programs through 2031. CSME started in 2021 as a first-of-its-kind global partnership of academia; industry, including TSMC; and government to advance research and workforce development in designing secure microelectronics. Additional information The just-signed memorandum of understanding is the latest in a series of recent Purdue partnerships that expand the universitys global reach in the semiconductor industry, including three transformative agreements signed in May. As Americas leading semiconductor university in workforce, research and industry partnership, Purdue is excited to renew, update and expand the collaboration with TSMC, especially in light of the recently announced joint activities with key engineering universities in Taiwan in this area, Purdue President Mung Chiang said. This is now the fourth global partnership in less than two months including Belgium, India and Japan that Purdue has formed to enhance our commitment to the semiconductor ecosystem. Chiang was joined by Rick Cassidy, chairman of TSMC Arizona, on Monday (June 19) for the agreement signing in the Bottleworks District in Indianapolis, where Purdue is announcing a physical presence in the High Alpha building as part of the new Purdue University in Indianapolis with programs such as the semiconductor degrees. At TSMC, we firmly believe that investing in talent is the key to sustainable growth and innovation in the semiconductor industry, Cassidy said. This partnership with Purdue University is a testament to our shared commitment to advancing the frontiers of knowledge and driving progress in STEM. Through this collaboration, we aim to cultivate the next generation of innovators and leaders by fostering an environment where academia and industry converge. As part of the partnership extension, TSMC and Purdue will work in tandem on additional educational and research projects. Additional workforce development activities, graduate fellowships and research assistantships are included in the new agreement. From the beginning, the aim of CSME was to help ensure a secure supply of semiconductor chips and related products and tools, from the foundry to the packaged system, based on a zero-trust model. The agreement is the latest as part of the Semiconductors@Purdue initiative, which addresses research and workforce and economic development. TSMC is one of the worlds largest semiconductor contract manufacturers. Global connections to advance semiconductor research and workforce development are a persistent pursuit at Purdue, which has established a number of international partnerships since May. On May 21 Chiang signed a landmark international agreement during the G-7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan. The agreement advances Purdues efforts in semiconductor production by partnering with Micron, Tokyo Electron and other educational institutions in the U.S and Japan to establish the UPWARDS Network for workforce advancement and research and development in semiconductors. Chiang signed another agreement to become the flagship academic partner and collaborator with the government of India. As part of the partnership signed on May 9, Purdue is a key collaborator with India and the India Semiconductor Mission in skilled workforce development and joint research and innovation in the burgeoning fields of semiconductors and microelectronics. In addition, Purdue, the state of Indiana and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. announced a partnership on May 3 with imec, a Belgium-based semiconductor research and development firm. The trans-Atlantic partnership focuses on bringing together world-class expertise and state-of-the-art technology with the exchange of students, faculty and professionals among Purdue, the state of Indiana and Belgium to foster further collaborative research and innovation capacity. Since 2022 investments in the future workforce and semiconductor research have also drawn innovative neighbors to Purdue. U.S.-owned semiconductor manufacturer SkyWater Technology and Taiwans MediaTek Inc., the worlds fourth-largest chip designer by revenue, have each in the last year announced partnerships with Purdue. Purdues Semiconductor Degrees Program addresses the needs of the commercial semiconductor industry by working in close collaboration with 27 senior leaders of the semiconductor industry. The program is a model curriculum to address the critical shortage of talent faced by the U.S. semiconductor industry. About Purdue University Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last five years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://stories.purdue.edu. Writer: Brian Huchel, bhuchel@purdue.edu A Bettendorf man who is appealing his conviction and prison sentence after being found guilty of secretly filming people in his home and then destroying evidence of the crime was arrested Wednesday for allegedly violating the terms of Iowas Sex Offender Registry statutes. Clinton Randolph VanFossen, 62, is charged with three counts of sex offender-registration violation-first offense. Each of the charges is an aggravated misdemeanor under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of two years. VanFossen was booked into Scott County Jail at 11:32 a.m. He was released at 3:04 p.m. after posting $6,000 for his bond, rather than going through a bonding company. According to the arrest affidavits filed by Scott County Sheriffs Investigator Sgt. Joshua Wall, VanFossen failed to report to the sex offender registry that he was issued a passport on May 22, 2023. VanFossen also failed to report to the sex offender registry that he has had an Outlook email account since a purchase of a computer in 2020. Also, VanFossen failed to report that he drove his father-in-laws Buick Encore from Alta, Iowa, to his home in Bettendorf. People who are required to register on Iowas Sex Offender Registry must register all email addresses they use, must inform the registry if they possess a valid passport, and must register all vehicles they potentially could be driving. A first appearance on the charges will be held at a later date in Scott County District Court. VanFossen is a former science teacher at Davenport West High School. He currently is awaiting word from the Iowa Court of Appeals on whether his conviction and sentence for invasion of privacy and obstructing prosecution are affirmed or if he gets a new trial. As he was convicted of the charges, VanFossen must register on Iowas Sex Offender Registry despite that he has appealed. VanFossen was charged on Jan. 16, 2020, with five counts of invasion of privacy and one count of preventing apprehension or obstructing prosecution. Each is an aggravated misdemeanor under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of two years. He also was charged with one count of mechanical eavesdropping, a serious misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence of up to one year. The videos were taken between Dec. 26, 2019, and Jan. 4. 2020. A bench trial was held in October of 2022. After finding VanFossen guilty of the charges, District Court Judge Meghan Corbin sentenced VanFossen to two years in prison on three of the seven counts to run consecutive to one another, or back-to-back. On the other three aggravated misdemeanors, Corbin sentenced FanVossen to two years in prison on each count, and to one year in jail on the serious misdemeanor. Those sentences are to run concurrent to one another and concurrent to the sentences on the other three counts. In total, VanFossen was sentenced to six years in prison, but that does not take into account when he would be deemed eligible for parole. Another tenant has filed a lawsuit in the partial collapse of The Davenport apartment building. Broc A. Nelson lived in the building for a decade and was in his apartment on May 28 when the west wall of the building started to fall. He is represented by an attorney from Des Moines. Nelson's lawsuit is the fifth filed in the aftermath of the May 28 partial collapse of the six-story apartment building. The disaster killed three men and left at least 53 tenants without a place to live. The suit names nine defendants, including building owner Andrew Wold and the city of Davenport. Three Wold corporations also are named in the lawsuit: Davenport Hotel, LLC; Andrew Wold Investments, LLC; Village Property Management, LLC. Two companies that worked on the building are named as defendants: Select Structural Engineering, LLC and Bi-State Masonry, Inc. The suit also names Waukee Investments, which sold the building to Wold in 2021, and Parkwild Properties, LC, which managed the property for Waukee Investments. Nelson was in his apartment when a large portion of the west wall collapsed. He described being "thrown around" and inhaling dust as he made his way out of the building as alarm rang out. A timeline alleging negligence Through his attorney, Nelson alleges that: "In the years and even days, weeks and months leading up to this structural collapse, numerous inspections, reports and photographs had identified the dangerous condition of an area of the west exterior brick facade wall. It was this portion of the exterior west wall that ultimately failed and caused the building to collapse." The filing details the deterioration of the west wall and presents a timeline that begins with Wold's purchase of the building and ends with its collapse. The timeline highlights allegations of negligence. On July 19, 2021, the city of Davenport issued a complaint notice to Wold, Davenport Hotel, LLC and Andrew Wold Investments, LLC. The notice identified the structural weakening of the west exterior wall, noting a structural engineering analysis needed to be completed. No action was taken on the notice, so in September 2021 the city issued a final official notice, instructing immediate action and warning the "scope of the damage warrants an engineer's report." Nelson's attorney alleges Wold did nothing after the final official notice of September 2021, and it was the beginning of a pattern of negligence on the part of Wold and his companies. On Feb. 2, 2023, Select Structural Engineering issued a report by David Valliere, expressing concern about the crumbling west exterior wall and that, " ... the main area of brick damage is roughly 8 feet wide by 4 feet high and occurs directly below a beam, which supports the second level." Valliere suggested heavy posts were needed to support the beam so that repairs could be made. On Feb. 2, 2023, City Building Inspector Trishna Pradhan issued a notice declaring the building a public hazard. Pradhan noted that the west exterior wall was crumbling and described the wall as a " ... load-bearing wall under the support beam." The notice said immediate shoring of the wall had to be completed. On Feb. 3, 2023, MidAmerican Energy complained to the city about the unsafe conditions of the exterior west wall. On Feb. 22, 2023, the city issued a permit to Bi-State Masonry, Inc. to perform repairs on the west wall. The next day Valliere, of Select Structural Engineering, again visited the site. On Feb. 28, 2023, Valliere issued a report that noted significant damage and a "large void space" he believed was "caused by the collapse of some massive clay brick." Nelson's attorney alleges Select Structural Engineering did not warn people living in the building. The filing alleges that Bi-State Masonry had knowledge of the dangerous condition of the west wall and did not brace or shore the wall. The filing also alleges Bi-State Masonry should have warned tenants. On March 1, 2023, Pradhan visited the building and learned Wold had "fired" Bi-State Masonry. Around this time, the filing alleges, Wold attempted to hire R.A. Masonry to do the work, but Wold rejected the company's bid. On May 23, 2023, Valliere again visited the building and wrote a report the next day that noted "large patches" of the brick facade of the west exterior wall "appear ready to fall imminently." On May 24, 2023, Pradham visited the building and confirmed the west exterior wall was dangerous and immediate action needed to be taken. The suit alleges Pradhan, as an inspector for the city, failed to recognize the immediate need to evacuate the tenants living in the building. Pradhan is not named as a defendant in the suit. Nine defendants, 10 counts Nelson's filing details 10 counts against nine defendants, beginning with building owner Wold. The counts allege negligence or "common law negligence." Common law negligence is responsibility imposed on a person or party by law based on custom, rather than liability imposed by statute. The first count alleges negligence against Wold. It asserts that he is responsible for the collapse because he " ... knowingly and deliberately failed to respond to the warnings and notices concerning the structural stability" of the building " ... and chose to subject his tenants ... to extreme risks of harm." Counts 2, 3, and 4 allege common law negligence against Davenport Hotel, LLC; Andrew Wold Investments, LLC; and Village Property Management, LLC. Counts 5 and 6 allege common law negligence against Select Structural Engineering, LLC and Bi-State Masonry, Inc. Count 7 is the allegation of common law negligence against the city of Davenport. Counts 8 and 9 are allegations of common law negligence against Waukee Investments, LLC and Parkwild Properties, LC. Count 10 is the allegation of negligent infliction of emotional distress of all nine named defendants. Previous suits filed Jennifer Smith and Dionte McMath, owners of 4th Street Nutrition, along with residents Brandy Wheelhouse, Michelle Vivians, Phillip Brooks and Mildred Harrington, are represented by John T. Flynn, Camille E. Kahn, and Paige E. Hillyer of Brubaker, Flynn & Darland PC. Through their attorney, they filed a lawsuit June 12 in Scott County District Court against Wold and two of his business interests, Davenport Hotel LLC and Andrew Wold Investments LLC. The suit also listed as defendants the city of Davenport and the citys former chief building official, Pradhan. This suit was the first filed in connection with the apartment buildings collapse that named Pradhan as a defendant. She resigned from her city post shortly after the collapse. Former residents Lexus Berry and Quanishia White-Berry filed a lawsuit June 7 against Davenport Hotel LLC, Wold, Andrew Wold Investments, Village Property Management, Alliance Contracting, Select Structural Engineering, Bi-State Masonry, the city of Davenport, Waukee Investments and Parkwild Properties. The couple was inside their apartment at the time of collapse, and Quanishia was trapped and rescued after an on-site amputation of her left leg about eight hours later. They are represented by Andrew M. Stroth of Action Injury Law Group; Steven A. Hart of Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge; and Ronald A. May of Gomez May. Former tenant Mildred Harrington and nearby building resident Rijeh Garnett filed litigation June 2 against Davenport Hotel LLC, which manages The Davenport, and are seeking unspecified damages. According to court records, more plaintiffs could join the suit, represented by Harrington and Garnett as a class action suit. Former tenant Dayna Feuerbach filed a civil suit June 5 against Wold, Davenport Hotel LLC, Andrew Wold Investments LLC, Select Structural Engineering, LLC, Bi-State Masonry, Inc., the city of Davenport, Waukee Investments I LLC and Parkwild Properties LC. Feuerbach, represented by attorney Jeffrey Goodman of the Philadelphia-based firm of Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky and Christopher D. Stombaugh of Platteville, Wisconsin-based firm DiCello Levitt, alleges that the defendants knew of problems with The Davenport that threatened the safety of its residents but didn't act to remove them from danger prior to the collapse. Reduced student burden reshapes high school entrance exams Xinhua) 10:48, June 22, 2023 BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chi Chang'an has finished taking the high school entrance examination, along with millions of others across China. What impressed him most about the exam was the absence of routine "tricks" of analysis and established formats in the questions. "From the design and description of questions to the examination of knowledge, the test papers looked fresh and new to me," said Chi, a middle school graduate from east China's Shandong Province. This feature of the exam reminded him of earlier warnings from his teachers against practicing too many fixed question formats or falling into the usual patterns of thinking during revision. The changes came as part of China's recent moves to relieve primary and secondary school students from excessive homework and off-campus tutoring burdens, better known as the "double reduction" policy. The improved content of high school entrance examinations has been so much appreciated by Chi and students like him. SUBJECT LITERACY & ABILITY A guiding document unveiled in July 2021 emphasized the well-rounded and sound development of students. It urged schools to improve their teaching quality and services, and stressed distinctive subject feature in high school entrance exams, while warning against trick questions, strange questions and questions that fall outside the curriculum. Against this backdrop, high school entrance exams now focus on subject literacy and ability, while helping wean students off their reliance on intensive exercises and mechanical memorization, said Chen Wantai, head of the Chinese teaching research panel at a middle school in Jinan, capital city of Shandong. The Chinese exam paper in the city, for example, examined students' overall grasp of ancient poems instead of their understanding of specific creative techniques. The design of the test paper also encourages students to observe real life and speak their mind, which requires students to broaden their horizons and keep up with developments in society. In the southwestern city of Chongqing, the math exam paper focused on core content from the curriculum, such as algebra, geometry and statistical analysis, and examined students' grasp of the foundational ideas contained in these topics. Bai Wei, a math teacher at Chongqing No. 1 Middle School, said that the content of the examination is consistent with the curriculum that students have studied. This reflects the enforcement of the "double reduction" policy and encourages both teachers and students to value quality over quantity in homework, said Bai. More than 382,000 students took part in local high school entrance examinations at 485 exam sites in Chongqing this year. SCENARIO-BASED TESTS This year's high school entrance examination also makes good use of real-life scenarios as the basis for testing student's knowledge, often in areas related to the nation's development. The chemistry exam paper in Shanghai had a question relating to hydrogen production and storage, an important interdisciplinary topic at the present time, involving both chemistry and energy studies. It examined students' ability to describe chemical changes using the language of that discipline, along with abstracting and processing information, and using existing knowledge to explain scientific issues, among other skills. In Chongqing, the test paper on the subject of morality and law listed two conflicting opinions about betrothal gifts. It asked students to choose one, conduct an analysis and provide suggestions on how to resolve the issue. Zhou Gang, headmaster of the middle school affiliated to Putuo Education Institute of Shanghai, said the test papers reflect a growing trend in examinations under the "double reduction" policy of eliminating the role of mechanical memorization and routine question formats, while adding more comprehensive and open-ended questions that emphasize application and exploration. TEACHING QUALITY According to Zhou, this trend resulting from the "double reduction" policy emphasizes the quality of thinking and highlights the importance of nurturing talent, with the key to implementation being efficient teaching that encourages active learning. Zhou's school organized a broad debate on the quality of teaching among teachers, and has asked them to galvanize their classrooms, encouraging students to think proactively and improve their ability to analyze and solve problems. The school has also launched more after-class services for students in need, and strengthened communication with parents to alleviate their anxiety. In response to changes under the "double reduction" policy,one middle school in Anshan, northeast China's Liaoning Province, has increased the proportion of its curriculum given over to experiment, investigation and research, while organizing more social activities for students. One mother of a middle school graduate in Shanghai, who gave her surname as Ge, said that due to the changes in the exams, intensive homework is now of little practical use, and children no longer have to rush from one off-campus training institution to another. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie) Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo speaks during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul, June 13. Yonhap South Korea intends to "actively" contribute to building deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, a presidential security official said Thursday, amid steady efforts by Seoul and Washington to broaden their security alliance beyond the Korean Peninsula. Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo made the remark, expressing confidence that following the allies' adoption of the Washington Declaration, South Korea will have a credible U.S. nuclear deterrence against growing North Korean military threats. President Yoon Suk Yeol and his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, adopted the declaration at the White House summit in April, in order to strengthen the credibility of the U.S.' extended deterrence commitment to using the full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally. "The Republic of Korea, which will secure the most direct, strong, and responsible nuclear umbrella of the United States, intends to actively contribute to the establishment of extended deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region," Kim said in his pre-released speech for a security forum, referring to South Korea by its official name. He did not elaborate on how Seoul will contribute to the deterrence efforts for regional security. Hosted by the Korea Institute for Military Affairs and the Korea Defense and Security Forum, the forum was held to discuss the meaning of the Washington Declaration and the U.S.' extended deterrence. Kim cast the declaration as a "significant milestone." "It is the first instance where the United States has adopted a separate document to establish a one-on-one extended deterrence framework with a specific ally," Kim said. "An integrated extended deterrence system has been established that allows South Korea and the United States to consult and decide at any time and take action together." Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo speaking during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul, June 13. Yonhap A Silvis man on mandatory supervised release from the Illinois Department of Corrections is facing kidnapping, meth and gun charges in Scott County after he allegedly forced a woman into his vehicle at gunpoint Tuesday and was later caught with meth after fleeing officers, Davenport Police said. William Joseph Fues, 35, is charged with one count each of second-degree kidnapping and possession of more than 5 grams of methamphetamine. Each charge is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 25 years. However, second-degree kidnapping is a forcible felony under Iowa law. A person convicted of this charge must serve 70%, or 17 years, in prison before parole can be granted. Fues also is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, eluding and violating Iowas drug tax stamp law. Each of those charges is a Class D felony that carries a prison sentence of five years. According to the arrest affidavits filed by Davenport Police Cpl. Erin Pape and Davenport Police Detective Lucas Rusk, at 12:05 p.m. Tuesday, Fues forced a woman into his vehicle, a 2000 Dodge Dakota, at gunpoint during what Pape described as a heated verbal argument. Fues then took the woman into Illinois before coming back into Iowa during a police pursuit. While the victim was inside the vehicle, she yelled for Fues to let her go several times. At one point she tried to jump out of the pickup while it was moving, but Fues slapped her across the chest and pulled her back in, preventing her from escaping. Rusk said in his affidavit that he tried to stop the pickup in the area of 300 Gaines Street. Fues fled and at times was traveling more than 80 mph in a 25 mph zone. The pursuit came to an end in the area of Hickory Grove Road and Pine Street. Fues fled on foot and was able to barricade himself for a period until he was taken into custody. During a search of Fues' pickup, officers seized a loaded stolen firearm. Also seized were four plastic bags, two of which contained a total of 23.15 grams of marijuana, and two of which contained a total of 15.9 grams of meth. Police have said that the normal dose of meth is one-tenth of a gram, meaning that Fues allegedly had 159 doses of meth to sell. A digital scale also was seized. During a first appearance on the charges Wednesday in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Richard Wells scheduled a preliminary hearing for June 30. Wells also set Fues' bond at $50,000, cash only. Fues was being held Wednesday night in the Scott County Jail. Fues is currently serving two years on mandatory supervised release out of the Illinois Department of Corrections Sheridan Correctional Center, according to the Illinois Department of Corrections. During a hearing March 29, 2021, in Mercer County Circuit Court, Fues pleaded guilty to one count of burglary, a Class 2 felony under Illinois law that carries a prison sentence of three to seven years. He had been arrested on the charge in April of 2020, and received credit for the time he served awaiting trial and sentencing. Fues was admitted to the Sheridan Correctional Center on June 3, 2021, and was placed on mandatory supervised release on Nov. 23, 2022. He was to have been on mandatory supervised release until Nov. 25, 2024. Illinois Department of Corrections officials can now move to revoke Fues supervised release and send him back to prison. Federal authorities could take over the new gun and drug charges against Fues and prosecute him under Project Safe Neighborhoods. Instituted in 2001, Project Safe Neighborhoods is a Justice Department initiative that brings together law enforcement at all levels to reduce gun violence. As a convicted felon, Fues would face a maximum of 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Additionally, he could be charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime, which carries a minimum prison sentence of five years that is automatically consecutive to any other sentence he may receive. A North Dakota woman was arrested for two counts of aggravated assault early Sunday morning after a fight broke out at a Main Street bar in Rapid City. Victoria Ramirez, 22, appeared Tuesday morning in Pennington County Court before Magistrate Judge Janki Sharma on a criminal complaint charging her with two counts of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon. Ramirez is accused of assaulting a woman and a security guard with a knife at the bar. According to police reports, Ramirez was visiting from North Dakota when she saw her cousin at the bar. She and her cousin's girlfriend allegedly began to argue, and the argument escalated into a physical fight. According to Ramirez, the woman allegedly pulled a knife on her and she blacked out from there, according to court records. According to the security guard, who was injured trying to break up the fight, Ramirez allegedly had the knife. The security guard had a wound on one of his hands, and the woman had "multiple, severe cuts to her hands." One of the cuts appeared to be to the bone, according to the officer's report. Law enforcement did not recover the knife. Deputy Pennington County State's Attorney Emma Kalkowski-Farrand asked Sharma to set Ramirez's bond at $2,000 cash only. Kalkowski-Farrand said the state was concerned with public safety. Daniel Leon with the Public Defender's Office told the judge Ramirez wanted to get back to work and doesn't have $2,000 cash. Sharma set Ramirez's bond at $1,000 cash only and ordered she stay away from the bar and the two alleged victims. Ramirez told the judge she had a knife wound on her chest. The judge advised her not to speak about the facts of her case at that time, even if she has a defense. As of Wednesday afternoon, Ramirez did not appear on the jail roster, but information showing she posted bond had not been updated with the clerk of courts. Aggravated assault is a class 3 felony with a maximum of 15 years in prison and up to a $30,000 fine. A 41-year-old Lead man appeared in Pennington County Court Tuesday morning on a charge accusing him of rape in summer 2022. John Feather made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Todd Hyronimus on a June 7 indictment accusing him of committing second-degree rape on July 14, 2022. Second-degree rape is defined in South Dakota law as sexual penetration of an adult through the use of force, coercion or threats of immediate and great bodily harm. Feather was already in custody in the Pennington County Jail on a probation violation in a drug case when a grand jury charged him. Second-degree rape is a class 1 felony with a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison and up to a $50,000 fine. However, the state filed a document alongside Feather's indictment labeling him a habitual offender. Court records show Feather has a prior July 2022 felony conviction for ingestion of a controlled substance. Because of that conviction, the potential penalty for second-degree rape increases to a class C felony, which holds a maximum of life in prison and up to a $50,000 fine. Feather will enter a plea to the charges when he appears for an arraignment in circuit court. At the initial appearance on Tuesday, the state and defense addressed bond. Hyronimus said he would keep bond at $5,000 cash only, the amount Circuit Court Judge Matthew Brown set when the grand jury charged Feather. Deputy Pennington County State's Attorney Brandy Rhead argued the court should keep the bond at $5,000 because Feather allegedly committed the crime in the victim's home and "poses a danger to our community." The Public Defender's Office noted Feather is local and asked the court to set a personal recognizance bond or a "reasonable bond." Feather has two other pending cases against him. He is set to go to trial in July for aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer. He also faces a simple assault charge and an obstruction charge from November 2022. After 45 minutes of tense back-and-forth Tuesday night, the Rapid City Common Council directed the city to move forward with discussions about the potential sale of a parking lot in downtown Rapid City. It took four substitute motions before the Council voted seven-to-three in favor of working with Elevate to negotiate a purchase agreement with Property Meld for the parking lot at 416 St. Joseph Street. Nestled between the South Dakota Stockgrowers Building and Property Meld's current office, the 70-space lot has become a flashpoint for debate around downtown parking and the city's growth. It houses 108 parking permit holders and generates $60,000 in revenue for the city each year. On May 1, Todd Gagne, co-founder of 11 Main LLC, which owns Property Meld's current space, presented a request to the Council to consider selling the lot for a planned expansion. Dubbed the "Meld West Campus," the area would hold 130 new employees, 16 condos, a taphouse, restaurant and 30 incubator spaces for startup companies. A board of freeholders convened to determine the value of the property, approximately $900,000 the upper end of the estimated range. But the fast-paced discussion around the potential sale dredged up serious concerns from some local business owners and residents alike. The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association opposed Gagne's initial request, because removal of the stairwell and windows would most likely disqualify the building from being added to the Historic Register. "How do you see that it's going to make it better by removing our parking?" said Doris Lauing, executive director, South Dakota Stockgrowers. "How do you feel it's going to make us better to disregard one of the oldest organizations in South Dakota, let alone the nation? We were formed in 1893, and we are the backbone at the heart and soul of Rapid City." At the beginning of the meeting, Lauing called the potential sale "picking a winner and a loser," and asked the Council to grant a non-revocable, no-build, 10-foot easement to accommodate their windows and back stairwell. Several Council members talked about the easement being part of any potential agreement going forward. The plan is also a concern for parking in an ever-expanding downtown. The Block 5 development ate up more than 150 spots less than a quarter mile from the St. Joseph Street lot in question. Ward 1 Council member Pat Jones said the rushed process made him uncomfortable, believing it's not the right time to make such a move. Jones made a substitute motion asking the Council to delay any decision on potential sales until after the next parking study is completed sometime in late 2024. "Kicking the can down the road" to delay a decision until after the parking study is complete is a possibility that should've been brought up to both the Stockgrowers and Property Meld, Laura Armstrong said. Ritchie Nordstrom of Ward 2 made a motion that would've allowed the Stockgrowers to keep its stairwell and windows while placing the parking lot up for sealed bids, something he was proposing to complete in the coming weeks. It aimed to require bidders to submit project plans for the site to be evaluated along with the bid, something City Attorney Joel Landeen said would be complicated. It would also be convoluted as-proposed, according to Landeen, because of public timelines for notification and an unclear mechanism for judging bids. The motion was a compromise, but not a solution, according to Ward 3's Greg Strommen. "We're just not at the right time for this type of proposal," he said. "It's not right to take away the parking that we have when we don't have a plan to replace it. And I don't have confidence that the city is going to have a solution for the parking problem that's already out of control. They already know we already don't have solutions for it." Bill Evans of Ward 2 supported Nordstrom's motion, telling his fellow Council members to "stop being so provincial" and start looking forward, because Property Meld could pack up and move elsewhere. You're either growing or you're dying, said Armstrong, who was outspoken in her frustration with transparency and communication in the process. "The lack of planning, the lack of organization, the lack of communication, and the lack of transparency is disappointing," she said. "I just feel like this is a kangaroo court in this particular issue, and it's just very disappointing." Armstrong mentioned the Legal and Finance Committee had asked the city to have these community conversations nearly two months ago. The city is looking for direction from the Council about what they want to see happen with the property be it an open sale or sale to Property Meld or nothing according to Landeen. Both Armstrong and Ward 3 representative Jason Salamun agreed that how the process is playing out could've been done better. Salamun said it was too important of a decision to rush and should be continued to the second Council meeting in July, after the new representatives take their seats. "There's debate that we should have, but we're not really debating. So, I think we're still trying to iron out the details from the dais, where I think there's a lot of considerations at play. I think we should wait till the next Council gets in place. I think it's a long-term decision, and I think we should take our time to do it right," he said. Ultimately the fourth substitute motion made by John Roberts of Ward 4 solidified the path forward. The Council should take a stand for or against, Roberts said, and after discussion with Landeen, made the proposal to work with Elevate and Gagne's group to hammer out a purchase agreement for later review by the Council. They will explore the easement during their negotiations, Landeen said, in hopes that may alleviate some of the Stockgrowers' concerns. Lance Lehmann, Salamun, Nordstrom, Jesse Ham, Armstrong, Pat Roseland and Roberts all voted in favor of Roberts' motion, while Jones, Evans and Strommen voted against. The new Council will take their seats on July 3; the parking lot issue is likely the first major one they'll contend with. A jury deliberated just over three hours Thursday before finding Martin Bradley Coleman guilty of attempted deliberate homicide for shooting a man at a house in Butte in June 2022. The six-man, six-woman jury also found Coleman guilty on a weapon-enhancement charge and felony drug possession for having methamphetamine at an apartment where police found him six hours after the shooting. Coleman, 37, showed little emotion as the verdicts were read and after he spoke with friends or relatives briefly from the defense table, officers cuffed him around the hands and waist and led him to jail. District Judge Kurt Krueger thanked jurors for their service, ordered a pre-sentence investigation and will sentence Coleman later. He faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and maximum of 100 years for the attempted homicide conviction, up to 10 more for using a weapon at the time and up to five years for the drug conviction. Prosecutors say Coleman brought a gun to a fist fight and shot Anthony Worth twice in the abdomen during an altercation at a house on East Park Place on June 11, 2022. They say after an injured Worth stopped fighting, Coleman delivered a kill shot to the back of his head but it didnt work. Worth survived. Coleman testified that Worth attacked him in the doorway and was punching and choking him. So, fearing for his life, he said he grabbed his loose 9mm handgun off the floor and fired three quick shots while turning and facing Worth before fleeing. The trial began Monday and after three days of testimony, prosecutors and defense attorneys gave closing arguments Thursday morning. The jury began deliberations at 11 a.m. and reached a verdict by 2:30 p.m. Kelli Fivey, who tried the case with fellow prosecutors Ann Shea and Aaron Rains, said they were pleased with the verdict. Anthony has been through a lot since that day, Fivey told The Montana Standard. Were just grateful the jury put in the time and was thoughtful and thoroughly went through the evidence and made a determination that supported the charges. Prosecutors believe Coleman and a woman at the house that day, Sheena Falcon, were romantically involved, and Fivey said they set up the shooting. Worth and Falcon had been in an off-and-on relationship for years and just days after the shooting, it was clear from recorded phone calls Coleman made from jail that Coleman and Falcon were together. They said they were just neighbors and friends, but it got more serious during phone calls after the shooting. Prosecutors said that simply wasnt believable, nor were Falcons claims of not seeing what happened. They are planning a future together, Fivey told jurors Thursday. "He (Worth) is the only person in the way of that wonderful future. Worth acknowledged in his testimony that after Coleman made a terse comment, he grabbed Coleman by the neck and punched him in the eye, and they began wrestling. But he said he never choked Coleman, was never on top of him, did not have a weapon himself and never threatened to kill him. Worth said he quit fighting after he was shot in the abdomen and begged Coleman to stop. Instead, Shea said, The defendant stands behind him and shoots him in the back of the head. Shea said after that kill shot, Coleman hid out at a friends apartment for six hours until police found him. Doctors who treated Coleman found no indications he had been choked and concluded that one bullet entered from behind Worths left ear and exited through his mouth. Two shell casings were found on one side of the room while another was on the opposite side, another indication Coleman fired the third shot from behind, prosecutors said. Coleman said he stopped at Falcons house to bring her a pack of cigarettes and could hear Worth yelling and Falcon screaming. He said he knocked on the door and after Worth swung it open, he tossed the cigarettes to Falcon. Coleman said he and Worth exchanged words then Worth shoved him, started punching and choking him and said he was going to kill him. Coleman testified that he had only recently acquired the gun but carried it with him most places for protection. He said it somehow came loose during the altercation but he was able to grab it and fire it three times in self-defense. As defense attorney Mark Johnson gave closing arguments, photos of Colemans own injuries were shown to jurors on a large TV screen. He had a black eye, a cut above an eyebrow and a scrape to his head. At one point, defense lawyer Suzanne Marshall Malloy enlarged the photos, and Johnson pointed to what he said were markings and bruising on Colemans neck. He said Coleman only shot the gun as a last resort and if he truly wanted to kill Worth, he would have fired right away, taken better aim and not left four rounds in the gun. At the end of the day, if Mr. Coleman hadnt taken reasonable measures to defend himself, he might not be sitting here today, and a little 11-year-old boy would be growing up without his father, Johnson said. Fivey said Falcon and Coleman set up the confrontation and their stories were not believable. Anthony Worth was a sitting duck that day, he just didnt know it, she said. It typically takes weeks and sometimes months before pre-sentence reports are finalized and defendants are sentenced. Montana's review of Medicaid beneficiaries culled nearly half of people it processed in the first month, although most appear to have been cut for administrative reasons, rather than actual determination of ineligibility. Since the federal pandemic emergency declaration ended in April, states have been unwinding the Medicaid rolls to determine who is and is no longer eligible. During the pandemic, the federal government through its public health emergency said states had to allow for 12 months of continuous eligibility for adults on Medicaid, even if their income fluctuated, so that people would have reliable access to health care during the pandemic. During that time, the number of Medicaid beneficiaries swelled while those whose income grew kept their coverage. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services this week released results of the the first month's redetermination process. Of the 31,596 people reviewed for Medicaid eligibility in April, 49%, or 15,471, were dropped from coverage. Of that figure, 72% of people failed to return information sought by the state health department, compared to 20% of people who were dropped after DPHHS confirmed they were ineligible for Medicaid. Twenty-eight percent of people saw their Medicaid coverage renewed in April, while another 22%, or 7,000, are still being processed. More than 324,000 Montanans are enrolled in Medicaid, according to the department. Children make up approximately one-third of those beneficiaries at a tally of 132,412. Recent reports have shown Medicaid is working to increase access to care, reduce the reliance on emergency room visits and help people move to more preventative services. Kaitlyn Bosshardt is a social work supervisor at Partnership Health Center, a Missoula organization that helps people enroll in Medicaid and other plans on the marketplace, and is helping people through the redetermination process. "When we found out about the unwinding, it was all hands on deck," Bosshardt said. "I'm getting a lot of calls from patients I'm working with who say, 'Hey, I missed the deadline, and I need to reapply for Medicaid." Missed deadlines can often be the result of one or more systemic barriers in completing the process and avoiding a gap in coverage, Bosshardt said. One hurdle can be what she calls "paperwork panic," what looks like a stream of important documentation that can be overwhelming, like the 19-page redetermination packet. Other barriers Partnership Health Center's patients have found include address changes for unsheltered people, gaps in mail service for rural and tribal communities, or access to transportation and technology that's often required to gather the materials for a patient's redetermination. Oftentimes patients Bosshardt works with have found out their coverage has lapsed when they check in for an appointment or arrive to pick up their prescriptions. "I had a patient call me last week saying they had to cancel 10 physical therapy appointments, because they would have had to pay for that," Bosshard said. Ashley Ostheimer Hilliard, a patient service manager at Partnership, is one of those people covered for Medicaid working through the redetermination process. Her own experience has shown the tight and sometimes intimidating timelines patients have to grapple with: She got her notification in May, got an online notification on June 7 of incoming paperwork, received her income verification paperwork on June 15 (a Thursday) that was due back to DPHHS by June 19 (a Monday). That's not much time for people who aren't fluent in health insurance documentation to glean what is needed and to turn around with pay stubs, she said. "Had I not seen that notification online, I would have had to spend my weekend completing all of that paperwork, which, you know, my employers aren't open on the weekend to get all of that information," Ostheimer Hilliard said. "We don't plan our lives around health insurance deadlines we just don't." According to the Kaiser Family Foundation's Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker online, 1.3 million people have been disenrolled from Medicaid as of June 20 based on data from 22 states. The state health department said in May that 45% of people had not yet returned their paperwork for the April review. Montana DPHHS had also indicated in January, before the process began, that it intended to focus first on reviewing the status of people the department believed no longer qualified for Medicaid. Because of this arrangement, DPHHS expects the number of people determined ineligible for Medicaid to taper off in the coming months, a spokesperson said Tuesday. "DPHHS expects these initial months to have a higher closure rate as a result of this approach," spokesperson Jon Ebelt said in an email. Redeterminations for people whose incomes have grown began in the first month, while the process for blind and disabled populations will start in July, he said. Asked about the 72% of people who were dropped because they had not provided the state with information, Ebelt said DPHHS sent those people follow-up reminders and texts if possible to return the redetermination packet. "Because DPHHS prioritized individuals most likely to no longer be eligible for Medicaid (based on available information), it isn't surprising that a number of redetermination packets were not returned," Ebelt said. "When people are aware that they no longer meet eligibility criteria, they would not necessarily make the effort to complete and return the paperwork." He added less than 3% of closed cases were due to inability to locate beneficiaries, and attributed that figure to the department's campaign to update contact information. While that 72% rate may have been anticipated by the department, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra sent a letter to governors on June 12 urging them to take measures to avoid dropping peoples' coverage for administrative reasons. Of the available state data in Kaiser's tracker, 71% of all people disenrolled had their coverage terminated for procedural reasons. "Given the high number of people losing coverage due to administrative processes, I urge you to review your states currently elected flexibilities and consider going further to take up existing and new policy options that we have offered to protect eligible individuals and families from procedural termination," the nation's top health official wrote. The letter included several new options to avoid the administrative drop off, including spreading the redetermination process over 12 months. "Taking the time to do the process correctly will ensure those eligible for continued coverage do not experience a gap in care and those no longer eligible easily transition to other sources of coverage," Becerra's letter states. Montana, since it first announced the process would soon be underway, has intended to complete the work in 10 months. Ebelt said Wednesday processing redeterminations expediently and accurately is in the best interest of Medicaid members and Montana citizens, a statement somewhat at odds with Becerra that taking time would help reduce gaps in coverage. Ebelt did not respond to a follow-up email asking about the differences in opinion, or how an expedient process best serves Montanans who aren't on Medicaid. Another option Becerra offered was renewing people based on their eligibility for other programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TNAF). Ebelt said DPHHS has aligned determination dates with SNAP and TANF as much as possible. Additionally, the state has partnered with Cover Montana, a project of the Montana Primary Care Association that provides free, confidential enrollment help with Medicaid, Healthy Montana Kids and HealthCare.gov. House Minority Leader Kim Abbott, a Helena Democrat, sounded off with frustration Tuesday about the large drop-off. Legislators in recent sessions have crossed the aisle to expand Medicaid in Montana, while state auditors have brought stakeholders together to look at regulatory measures to reduce the uninsured rate. "We have one month of data on this and it's looking very bad for the Montana health care system and individual Montanans," Abbott said. "The thing that sticks out to me the most is that for over 10 years you have this bipartisan group of people that worked so hard to cut the uninsured rates, to reduce administrative costs and to increase access to health care and make sure dollars are being spent on health care instead of pushing papers around a bureaucracy." Those who have lost coverage can reapply for Medicaid at any time at apply.mt.gov or by calling the Public Assistance Helpline at 1-888-706-1535. Those who believe their coverage was canceled in error can appeal the decision to Montana DPHHS. VPM, which operates the local National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service stations, is planning to build a new headquarters in downtown Richmond. VPM will erect a five-story, 54,000-square-foot building at 13 E. Broad St. in Monroe Ward complete with audio, television and digital content production tools. The space is currently a parking lot but was home to a department store that burned down in 1987. The new structure will enable us to realize our vision of more connected, informed and empathetic Virginians for generations to come, said Jayme Swain, CEO of VPM. Its scheduled to open in the spring of 2026. Located between North First and Foushee streets, near Tarrants Downtown and jeweler Waller & Co., the headquarters will have facades on both East Broad and East Grace streets. The facility will include space for live performances and events with room for spectators. In addition to the main building, VPM is planning a one-story, 1,500-square-foot building on the Grace Street side of the block and might build a parking structure in between. VPM is under contract to purchase the plot, which was assessed at $1.7 million and has been owned by an LLC tied to Fred Shaia for more than 30 years. The network does not know the cost of construction yet, a spokesperson said, but a portion of the cost will be paid for by VPMs foundation, the Virginia Foundation for Public Media and fundraising. The network, which has a staff of 99 local employees, is currently headquartered in Chesterfield County. VPM has selected local architectural firm SMBW. As far back as 1886, the location was home to the Cohen Company Department Store, which sold clothing, shoes and textiles until 1936, VPM said. Then it became Charles Store Inc., which renovated the building and operated there until 1985. While the building was vacant, it caught on fire in 1987 and was destroyed. VPM also has offices in Charlottesville and Harrisonburg. 9 in 10 small businesses use tech platformshere are the most common types 9 in 10 small businesses use tech platformshere are the most common types #4. Point-of-sale tools (tie) #4. Productivity tools (tie) #3. Marketing platforms #2. Accounting software #1. Social media accounts Senate Democrats are ready to return to budget negotiations next week, but dont expect the likely next leader of the Senates money committee to bend on giving Petersburg voters a chance to approve a casino resort and blocking a second opportunity in Richmond. Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, said Thursday that she remains opposed to allowing Petersburg to host a casino under the 2020 state law she helped adopt. Lucas emphatically favors giving Richmond voters a second chance on a proposed casino after they narrowly rejected it two years ago. There is no compromise for me on the casino in Petersburg, said Lucas, who expects to become chair of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee in January. House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, who carried the casino legislation with Lucas in 2020, wants to avoid deciding the issue in the budget this year, which would require language to prevent Richmond from proceeding to put the issue on the ballot for voters in November. I just want to kick the can down the road a year, Knight said in an interview on Thursday. The larger challenge for budget negotiators will be bridging a $1 billion gap between the Senate and the House of Delegates on a package of tax cuts that Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Republicans are pushing in an election year with all 140 seats on the ballot and the governors national political ambitions hanging in the balance. Knight has summoned House budget negotiators back to Richmond on Monday and told them to expect to stay through Wednesday to hammer out an agreement on revisions to the budget that the General Assembly adopted a year ago. The two-year budget remains in place through June 30, 2024, but is subject to revision this year and when a new legislature convenes in January. Senate Finance Co-Chair Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, who will retire when her term ends in January, said Thursday that she will be traveling outside of the country next week, but she expects Senate budget negotiators to return to Richmond for negotiations at least Tuesday and Wednesday, and possibly Monday. Co-Chair George Barker, D-Fairfax, who lost to Fairfax County School Board member Stella Pekarsky in their Democratic primary election on Tuesday, confirmed in an interview that Senate budget negotiators would meet with their House counterparts in Richmond early next week, although the exact schedule is not set. Barker stopped short of expressing optimism about a budget deal, but he expects extensive discussions between the Senate and House about what is both fiscally responsible and what is politically appropriate. With the federal debt ceiling fight resolved and state revenues not falling as much as feared, he said, Im hopeful that we can get something done that will be in the best interest of the people of Virginia. Pekarsky made opposition to Youngkins agenda central to her campaign, but she also faulted Barker for the assemblys failure to reach an agreement on a budget so that local school divisions know how much state funding they will receive for K-12 public schools. I am not privy to the specifics of negotiations but additional funding for education is a priority and the budget should reflect that, she said in a statement on Thursday. All of the competing budget proposals, including Youngkins, included additional funding for public schools, but the Senate proposed an additional $589 million on top of the governors proposed budget, including $270 million to end the cap on state funding for school support positions that then-Gov. Tim Kaine proposed in 2009 and the assembly adopted that winter during the Great Recession. The Senate and House both included money for the states share of an additional 2% raise for teachers and state employees. But the Senate cannot pay for its spending plans for education, behavioral health and other priorities if it approves the package of tax cuts that Youngkin proposed and House Republicans adopted this year. Senate budget negotiators rejected a compromise that Knight proposed at the end of the legislative session in February that would have abandoned the governors proposal to cut the corporate income tax rate and instead use surplus revenues to give Virginia taxpayers one-time rebates on their income taxes. Under the proposed compromise, the state also would have raised the standard deduction to help those who do not itemize deductions on their income taxes and removed an age limit on a new tax exemption for military retirement income. The big sticking point for Democrats remains Youngkins proposal to reduce the top individual tax rate, which is essentially flat because it applies to about 85% of Virginia taxpayers, regardless of how much they earn above the $17,000 threshold for adjusted gross income. If Youngkin comes back with the same plan, its just not going to work, said Lucas, who defeated Sen. Lionell Spruill Jr., D-Chesapeake, in a Democratic primary in Hampton Roads on Tuesday. But Howell predicted Senate Democrats would reach an agreement with the House on a new budget. I certainly want to have a deal, she said. I dont think its responsible to not fund programs to the extent that we can. Its not clear how primary results this week may affect the outcome. Two members of Senate Finance, Barker and Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, lost their reelection bids, partly because of political redistricting, which hastened the retirement of seven members of the finance committee. Including Rep. Jennifer McClellan, who was elected to Congress in late February, the committee is losing 10 of its 15 members after this year. We still have the same people we had a month ago, Knight said. I dont know what has changed. Lashrecse Aird election night 2023 062123-rtd-met-primaries 062123-rtd-met-primaries 062123-rtd-met-primaries 062123-rtd-met-primaries DOMINANT ART Saddam Azlan Salim is poised to be a new state senator after defeating Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, Tuesday in a Democratic primary, but he is not new to political engagement. The Bangladeshi immigrant and financial consultant is also the vice chair of the 8th Congressional District Democratic Committee and vice president of Fairfax Young Democrats. He was one of three younger candidates along with Lashrecse Aird and Stella Pekarsky who ousted veteran Democratic senators in primaries Tuesday. We did everything we thought we knew we were gonna do from meetings, phone banking, to postcard-writing to recruiting volunteers, Salim said. Petersen, a senator since 2008, congratulated Salim in a statement on Wednesday, adding that the election results were not what we expected but that happens in a democracy. Amid redistricting, this years elections saw incumbents and fresh faces alike campaigning on new maps triggering the movement or retirement of some incumbents, and creating new opportunities for first-time or returning candidates and members of the House of Delegates seeking election to the Senate chamber. The new 37th District is based in central Fairfax County, including the communities of Dunn Loring, Merrifield, Oakton, Fair Oaks, Tysons and Vienna. It includes two small cities Fairfax City and Falls Church. In November, Salim will face Republican Ken Reid, a longtime newsletter publisher and a former member of the Leesburg City Council and the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors. The new district has leaned strongly toward Democrats in recent statewide contests, which means Salim will be the favorite to win in November. Given his background in finance, Salim hopes he can join the Finance & Appropriations committee. Petersen, a former delegate who has served in the legislature since 2002, chairs the Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. He also is a member of the Judiciary, Rules, Education and Health, and Finance & Appropriations committees. A longtime Democrat, Petersen has sided with some GOP legislators on votes in recent years such as ending mask mandates in schools, legalization of marijuana possession, and a 2020 assault style weapon ban (which he later supported this year). Salims stance on gun safety legislation attracted the endorsement of former House Speaker Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, along with a handful of gun safety organizations. Going up against an incumbent (that is) well-entrenched, arguably popular in a primary, was going to be challenging, Filler-Corn said. I took a lot of time and effort, like I always do before my endorsements, to decide what I wanted to do. And I felt like yes, he can do this. Salim plans to support future reintroductions of a proposed ban on the sale of assault-style weapons, as well as other measures aimed at curbing gun violence. A local issue with which Salim hopes to help at the state level is the expansion of affordable housing. The matter is personal, as Salim said he and his family were homeless at one point during his childhood. Aligned with much of his party, Salim supports protecting abortion access, environmental stewardship, investment in education and LGBTQ rights. Heading into the general election against Reid, he said he feels pretty confident. I will go to doors, talk to voters wherever I can, and get them to come out and vote in the general election, Salim said. Its not going to end until 7 p.m. on election day in November. Lashrecse Aird election night 2023 062123-rtd-met-primaries 062123-rtd-met-primaries 062123-rtd-met-primaries 062123-rtd-met-primaries DOMINANT ART Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have signed an arrangement to launch the mutual recognition process for military airworthiness certification, Seoul's defense procurement agency said Thursday. Representatives from Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the NATO Aviation Committee inked it at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday (local time), in a move to strengthen bilateral cooperation on air safety. Airworthiness is a key measure of a plane's suitability for safe flight. If the bilateral recognition process is complete, it would mean NATO will recognize the Seoul government's airworthiness certification for a South Korean-made plane, according to DAPA. Korea is the first Asian country seeking a mutual recognition of airworthiness certification with NATO. It currently has mutual recognition agreements with the United States, Spain, France and Australia. Kim Jheenong, director general of DAPA's Defense Industry Promotion Bureau, expressed his expectations that the South Korea-NATO mutual recognition, if realized, will help enhance the competitiveness of South Korea's aircraft exports. (Yonhap) With legislative primaries over, House Republicans are ready to return to negotiations on a revised state budget early next week. The question is whether Senate Democrats are ready to join them. House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, said Wednesday that he has asked House budget conferees to return to Richmond on Monday for up to three days of negotiations on a final budget, three months after talks broke down the night before the General Assembly was set to adjourn and focus on elections that will determine who controls the legislature in January. Knight has not been able to reach his Senate counterparts Senate Finance Co-Chairs Janet Howell and George Barker, both Fairfax Democrats, or Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, who is expected to become chairman of the powerful money committee with Howells impending retirement and Barkers loss in the Democratic primary for the 36th Senate District on Tuesday night. Howell is out of the country, but he said Barker and Lucas have not responded to his messages. Im looking forward to coming back, having a robust discussion and coming to a compromise, and getting this budget done, post haste, he said. Lucas tops Spruill in Hampton Roads, Deeds leads Hudson in Charlottesville area primary At least five other senators appeared headed for defeat, including Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax, co-chairman of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee. A potential special session of the assembly on the budget this summer has prompted another delay in moving the legislature into the new General Assembly Building, after the failure of safety equipment prevented the state from complying with building code requirements in one stairwell. While it would be possible to partially open the new GAB without use of the affected stairwell until the issue is resolved, the General Assembly decided to remain in the Pocahontas Building until such time as limitations would not be required on the number of people in the building, the Department of General Services said on Wednesday. The highest priority was to guarantee an efficient and effective special session, should one be called later this summer. But first, House Republicans and Senate Democrats need to reach a deal on a revised budget that would include an additional 2% pay raise for teachers and state employees. The Senate version of the budget also includes an additional $589 million for k-12 public education, including money to eliminate a cap on state funding of school support positions imposed during the Great Recession. But the House is focused instead on the governors $1 billion package of proposed tax cuts. The reality is the governor and the House Republicans have not budged, said Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, a Senate budget conferee who survived a close primary challenge from Del. Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville, who is part of the partys progressive wing. Were still, frustratingly, a billion dollars apart. From 15 to 5 on Finance The tardiness of the budget was an issue in the primary race between Barker and Fairfax County School Board member Stella Pekarsky, a progressive Democrat who focused her campaign on her opposition of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who is insisting on $1 billion in tax cuts in the two-year spending plan on top of the $4 billion in cuts in a budget compromise the governor signed a year ago. But the primaries cost Democrats two more members of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee Barker and Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, who was upset by another progressive candidate on Tuesday. The losses coupled with the retirement of seven senators and the departure of Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, to Congress leaves the finance committee with only five of the 15 members it had when the assembly adjourned on Feb. 25. The question for Democrats is whether they have political room to compromise or risk giving Youngkin an issue to use against them in general elections in November that will determine both his success in the final two years of his term and his viability as a potential national candidate next year. Im sure the majority of voters will be unhappy with the inability of the General Assembly and the governor to agree on the budget, said Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. Then the blame game begins and the governor is likely to have the upper hand at this point. Youngkins advantage is the fact that the state already has a budget in place when the next fiscal year begins. If the assembly cannot agree on a revised budget, he also would have an additional $3.5 billion to use to shape the two-year budget that he will propose in December for the next legislature to consider. On the other hand, the governor needs Republicans to gain control of both chambers of the assembly to continue what his political team calls Youngkin momentum as he positions himself for a potential bid for the GOP presidential nomination. The extreme left really dumped resources into VA to knock off 4 incumbent DEM Senators yesterday (including 3 Committee chairs). Today Virginians find the new VADEM caucus as one of the most radical in the country, prepared to push an agenda that is far-left and out-of-touch. pic.twitter.com/9XQb0AmaO1 Dave Rexrode (@DRexrode) June 21, 2023 Its a barely concealed national ambition at this point, Rozell said. The question (is whether) the Democrats will continue to play into his hands and give him what he wants in not doing a budget. The governor can place all the blame where it belongs on the legislators who couldnt get the job done. Knight thought he had a deal with Howell and Barker on the eve of the sessions adjournment, but they said they never agreed to the proposal, nor did other Democrats on the Senate negotiating team. The deal would have taken the governors proposal to reduce the corporate income tax rate off the table, but used surplus revenues for a one-time rebate to taxpayers. The House proposal also would have raised the standard deduction, benefiting lower and middle-income Virginians who do not itemize their deductions, and would have removed the age limit on a new exemption for military retirement income. Work these things out The sticking point remains Youngkins proposal to reduce the top income tax rate for individuals, which about 85% of Virginians pay, regardless of how much they make over a threshold of $17,000 a year in adjusted gross income. It would have a big price tag in the next two-year budget, with a potential recession still looming. I dont think its fiscally responsible, said Deeds, who is willing to support one-time rebates to taxpayers, but not cutting the individual and corporate tax rates. Petersen, a member of the Senate Finance Committee but not a budget negotiator, was still recovering on Wednesday from his upset loss to Saddam Azlan Salim, a progressive Democrat who criticized the incumbent for his votes with Republicans on hot-button issues such as guns and restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. I had a target on my back, he said. I think its fair to say it was less about him and more about getting rid of me. Petersen called a potential special session kind of a one-and-done situation for me, but he said getting a budget deal is important, especially in providing additional raises to state employees and teachers. Im ready to come down to Richmond and work these things out, he said. A look at June's Election Day in photos across Richmond region George Barker, Senate Democrats budget maven, lost his seat in Northern Virginia after 16 years because a lot of voters probably didnt know him. Joe Morrissey, Senate Democrats unreliable rogue on reproductive rights, lost his seat in the Richmond area after four years because a lot of voters probably know too much about him. Both were casualties Tuesday in thinly attended primaries there were more than 40 across the state that not only framed the fight this fall for control of the General Assembly but also, to some degree, reshaped the parties that will wage that battle. It is one that could be decided in a handful of House of Delegates and Virginia Senate districts in the Richmond, Washington and Hampton Roads suburbs. Among them: a Democratic-trending Henrico County Senate seat, held by Republican Siobhan Dunnavant, which Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg is threatening to flip by pressing Dunnavant on her opposition to abortion an issue that resonates powerfully with moderate suburban voters, particularly women; also, a newly drawn, swing House seat in Henrico, where Democrat Susanna Gibson a nurse practitioner nominated on her support for abortion rights and gun control faces Republican David Owen. At least eight incumbents in both parties were denied nominations, and final official vote counts could push that number to nine. The results, paired with announced retirements from a third of the seats in both chambers, augur a legislature already national in its outlook that more closely resembles a deeply riven Congress in tone and temperament. With the defeats of such veterans as Barker and a fellow Fairfax senator, Chap Petersen his loss to Saddam Salim, a Bangladeshi immigrant, was among Tuesdays surprises the Democrats establishment wing was dealt a stunning setback by the increasingly diverse and younger progressive forces that have been steadily pulling the state party leftward since 2016, financed with millions from husband-wife, green-energy activists Michael Bills and Sonjia Smith. Republicans shed some of their more shrill, MAGA-centric members most notably, Sen. Amanda Chase of Chesterfield County, defeated by former Sen. Glen Sturtevant, and apparently Del. Dave LaRock, whod moved from Loudoun County to seek a Winchester-area Senate seat in an eight-candidate free-for-all. This perhaps will make it easier for Gov. Glenn Youngkin to present the GOP as he prefers to be seen: Trump-ian in his conservatism, courtly in his manners. Democrats, whose Senate candidates and incumbents, alone, collected $31 million during this three-year campaign cycle, $12 million more than Republicans, fear Youngkins fundraising prowess and the difference it could make in the general election. His political action committee, having collected $10 million since 2021, has been running online advertising and is building out a voter-mobilization program. Youngkin can personally supplement spending, drawing from his giant fortune, as he did as a candidate. The results of this nominating season candidates were selected in state-run, open-to-anyone primaries and, in some Republican contests, party-controlled caucuses and members-only mini-primaries suggest that the narrow divide in the General Assembly could endure, possibly putting out of reach the agendas of both parties. In this years General Assembly session, Democrats controlled the Senate, 22-18; Republicans held the House, 52-48. Unless Youngkin approaching the midpoint of his nonrenewable four-year term can restore full Republican control of the legislature, he might leave office thwarted in his promise of further tax cuts, abortion restrictions and a rollback of what he depicts as woke-ism in public education. Democrats would be similarly frustrated, denied tougher restrictions on firearms and constitutional protections on abortion rights. Youngkins prospective presidential candidacy he refuses to say definitively whether hell join the growing field for 2024 could be jump-started by a Republican takeback of the General Assembly, a sign of effective pulling power and personal appeal not seen since his narrow victory in 2021. This spring, he demonstrated clout within the party, picking winners in all 10 of the nomination contests in which he made endorsements. Democrats with presumed ambitions for governor in 2025 also showed or can claim a measure of influence. Mayor Levar Stoney of Richmond, U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, whos moving to Northern Virginia from Henrico, and former House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn of Fairfax County backed winners. Filler-Corn even sided with Salim over Petersen, among the few prominent Democrats to do so. Stoney and Filler-Corn endorsed incumbent Creigh Deeds over Del. Sally Hudson for a Charlottesville-anchored Senate seat in a race that had a distinct generational dimension, pitting a centrist baby boomer with 30 years in the General Assembly against a liberal millennial first elected in 2019. Barker defeated by Stella Pekarsky, who sits on the Fairfax County School Board was a victim of the center-left struggle among Democrats as well as redistricting; in particular, an overhaul of mapmaking that he pushed in 2020 and 2021 despite warnings it would weaken the party. Barker landed in a district, drawn by the Republican-dominated Virginia Supreme Court because a voter-endorsed bipartisan commission deadlocked, that included only 6% of his previous seat. In contrast, half of Pekarskys school board district is within the Senate district, giving her something of a home-field advantage and a credential of greater relevance to voters than Barkers clout in Richmond as co-chairman of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee. For Pekarsky, that has to be significant in a bustling region where few local figures stand apart in a political and economic landscape shaped by Northern Virginias looming neighbor across the Potomac: the federal government. Plus, Pekarsky is an emblem of a school system one of the most highly regarded in the nation in which many Fairfax residents feel vested, more so given Youngkins attacks on public education. Progressive voters were prominent, too, in Lashrecse Airds victory over Morrissey. A former delegate, Aird harnessed post-Roe fears of a retreat on abortion rights by singling out Morrisseys willingness to support Youngkin in mostly banning the procedure after 20 weeks. Virginia is the only state in the South with virtually no restrictions on abortion in the first two trimesters, a legacy of Democrats total control of state government from 2020 to 2022. Morrissey, himself, was an issue. Running in a new district whose largest jurisdiction, Henrico , was heavily hostile to him, Morrissey was dogged by the latest tabloid-like stories about his personal life: his pending divorce from his young wife, with whom he had a sexual affair when she was a minor, and alleged dalliances while their marriage was collapsing. There was a personal dimension, as well, to an incumbent-on-incumbent Democratic Senate primary in Hampton Roads between Louise Lucas of Portsmouth and Lionell Spruill of Chesapeake. They were lumped in the same district, guaranteeing that one of these veteran Black legislators would be sent packing. Conventional wisdom favored Spruill because Chesapeake is the dominant locality in the new seat. But primaries have a way of upsetting expectations. And Lucas powerful vote in Portsmouth and stronger-than-expected performance on Spruills turf ensured her nomination and likely re-election. Now shes got to hope Democrats retain the Senate, allowing her as head of the Senate Education and Health Committee to continue in the role she emphasized as a candidate: chief tormentor of Glenn Youngkin, the self-styled brick wall blocking his thrust to sharply limit abortion. Lashrecse Aird election night 2023 062123-rtd-met-primaries 062123-rtd-met-primaries 062123-rtd-met-primaries 062123-rtd-met-primaries DOMINANT ART Insurer Etiqa General Insurance Berhad has announced a partnership with tech and pet services company, Petotum, to introduce comprehensive pet insurance products as well as other pet-related services soon. This, in turn, will hopefully provide enhanced coverage and streamlined services for pet owners who are seeking for such services. In a joint statement, Petotum said that through the collaboration, it can leverage on advanced technologies, data analytics and a customer-centric approach to better meet the needs of pet owners. Those who use Petotums platform can look forward to an easy experience in managing their pet insurance policies. In addition to that, they can also tap into a personalised pet health monitoring service to ensure the wellbeing of their pets in the long run. By integrating our ecosystem with Etiqa General Insurances industry-leading insurance solutions, we can provide pet owners with an all-inclusive ecosystem that encompasses insurance, healthcare, and various pet-related services. Together, we will revolutionise the perception and experience of insurance for the pet industry in Malaysia, said the chief executive officer of Petotum, Afifah Basir. The chief executive officer of Etiqa General Insurance, Fukhairudin Mohd Yusof, also shared a similar sentiment, noting that there has been a growing demand for pet insurance in the country. By leveraging on our combined expertise, Etiqa General Insurance aims to offer comprehensive insurance products that protect what matters most to pet owners with seamless customer experience, he said. Aside from Etiqa, one other insurer in Malaysia known to provide pet insurance is MSIG Insurance, who had partnered with digital platform Oyen back in 2021 to offer the product. (Source: Petotum) 0 0 votes Article Rating SHARE Armed Forces of Venezuela destroy Cozumel plane deemed hostile Cozumel, Q.R. An aircraft from Cozumel that flew into Venezuelan airspace has been destroyed. The plane was burned after being declared unauthorized and hostile. The incident happened June 20 after the Venezuelan Integral Aerospace Defense System activated an alert due to the detection of intruder aircraft. The Sabreliner (SBR1) light aircraft was reportadly flying Cozumel to Curacao Island when, according to their systen, the plane disappeared from vector trace radars 25 nautical miles from the mandatory reporting point. According to General Domingo Hernandez Larez, Comandante of la Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana (FANB) de Venezuela, an aerial intersection with the FANB combat means was ordered in response to the threat of intrusion into national territory after the aircraft was declared hostile. General Hernandez Larez reported that authorities determined the plane was being used by groups that generate violence for the cross-border crime of drug trafficking, transfer of irregular elements and weapons. At 23:40 HLV, the FANB air resources, once the corresponding procedure was completed, carried out the legal intervention and effective immobilization of the aircraft. Video of the Cozumel plane being intercepted by Venezuela armed forces. Clip: General Domingo Hernandez Larez In a report, General Domingo Hernandez Larez explained At night, the Venezuelan Integral Aerospace Defense System activates a general alert due to the detection of intruder aircraft in flagrant violation of airspace. The Sabreliner (SBR1) type light aircraft, registration XBRAD, was moving en route Mexico (Cozumel) Curacao Island, disappearing from vector trace radars 25 nautical miles from the mandatory reporting point, having turned off the transponder and radio for its diversion to Venezuelan territory. FANB activates the defense plan in accordance with the current search and location procedures for the entire national territory with emphasis on the border limits of the Apure-Colombia border geodesic line, where due to the geographical conformation, flat terrain prevails that can be used for its firmness and support as clandestine tracks by the TANCOL groups, for this reason and in accordance with the national security and defense plans and motivated by said ALERT. According to the information collected, the position of the track was detected at the coordinates 0616 49N / 0691835W Pedro Camejo municipality in Apure state and in view of this situation an aerial intersection with the FANB combat means was ordered in response to the threat of intrusion into national territory generated. Achieving the sighting of an unauthorized twin-turbine aircraft at coordinates 061926N / 0691307W (AP-34), in the Pedro Camejo municipality in Apure state, said aircraft was declared HOSTILE in accordance with the provisions of article 3 numeral 1 of the Control Law for the Comprehensive Defense of the Airspace of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, for lacking a flight plan, not having been authorized by the transit service units aircraft to operate in that area and it is presumed that it was being used by groups that generate violence for the cross-border crime of drug trafficking, transfer of irregular elements and weapons. At 23:40 HLV, the FANB air resources, once the corresponding procedure was completed, carried out the legal intervention and effective IMMOBILIZATION of the aircraft. Venezuela is a territory of peace and we will not allow invading foreign groups to alter the internal order of the Homeland or violate national sovereignty. Mexico has not made any public comment on the incident. Fonton Mexico to build new manufacturing center Mexico City, Mexico Foton Mexico has said they will build a manufacturing center and warehouse in Mexico. Richard Fu, President of Foton Overseas, says the plant will meet the demand for cars and auto parts in the Latin American markets. He said with the new factory, the Chinese brand will be placed in the top three of commercial vehicles in Mexico. The company currently has 20 distributors throughout Mexico, however, Fu says their goal for the end of 2023 is to add 12 more to close with 32. He added that by 2024, they are hoping to double their dealerships, which would give them around 60 service points. Fu explained that due to the growth, Foton will also be moving to a new headquarters in Mexico City. He says there, their 620 square meter office will employ 80 people. The investment is anticipated to be around 10 million pesos. Jose Manuel Armenta, President and CEO of Foton Mexico, explained in the medium term, the car brand will be 100 percent electric. To date, the Chinese company specializes in sustainable model trucks, buses and pickups. Isla Mujeres officers chisel rock to free stuck sea turtle Isla Mujeres, Q.R. Personnel from the islands turtle camp were accompanied by municipal police Wednesday to help free a nesting sea turtle. The female turtle was reported seen stuck among large rocks near Punta Sur. The white sea turtle was noticed around 2:30 p.m. in the ravines that are on the side of the Caribbean Sea near Punta Sur, the municipality reported. Police worked for several hours to free her. She was lodged between rocks nose down and unable to move. She became stuck between a set of sharp rocks when trying to return to the sea. Photo: H. Ayuntamiento de Isla Mujeres Two officers helped, taking turns chipping away the rock around her shell to free her. In a notice, Isla Mujeres City Hall reported the turtle was measured at just over one meter long and 97 centimeters wide. Officers took turns chiseling rock for nearly three hours to free her. Photo: H. Ayuntamiento de Isla Mujeres After using a hammer and chisel, police were successful in creating an opening large enough for her to pass. A few members from the turtle camp tossed buckets of sea water on her during the hours long process. According to Isla Mujeres City Hall, the white sea turtle was freed successfully. Quintana Roo signs agreement with Microsoft Mexico for digital future promotions Riviera Maya, Q.R. The State of Quintana Roo will be part of future digital promotions. On Wednesday, Governor Mara Lezama signed a collaboration agreement with Microsoft Mexico, laying the foundation for a digital future in the state with the promotion of digital inclusion, entrepreneurship and government modernization. The signing of the agreement will allow the state government to access Microsofts philanthropic programs in Mexico, where the company focuses its efforts to promote digital education and economic growth. With the Collaboration Agreement, access to philanthropic programs will be allowed in three fundamental axes, Digital SMEs, Digital Training and Digital Government. The collaboration agreement focuses on three fundamental pillars. The first is Digital Training as part of the Microsoft National Plan, to seek the empowerment of communities and vulnerable groups through digital inclusion. Digital SMEs aims to support micro, small and medium-sized companies in their digital transformation process. Through training, digital tools, solutions and financing, it seeks to strengthen its competitiveness and growth in the digital environment, she explained in a statement. Training, internet access and technologies will be provided to promote self-employment and the creation of micro-businesses. Women entrepreneurs will receive special support, including training, support and access to credit to promote their products and services in the digital sphere, she added. The Digital Government Program, which will be aimed at local governments, promotes the adoption of best practices in cybersecurity, digital procedures and regulatory improvement. Training, seminars and certifications will be provided to promote efficiency and transparency in government management. In addition, the agreement includes access to Microsofts Digital Government or eGovernment programs with which training and support in the technological field will be provided for the different government agencies of Quintana Roo. The signing of the agreement was led by Governor Mara Lezama and the President and CEO of Microsoft Mexico, Rafael Sanchez Loza. Three detained after reports of extortion threats against Cancun construction site workers Cancun, Q.R. Three arrests were made Thursday morning after reports of armed men on a Cancun construction site. Police units responded to the report of eight armed men entering the site. The eight men are alleged to have walked onto the construction site and threaten workers. According to testimonies from the construction workers, the armed gunmen were demanding floor rights, a form of extortion. They were also demanding that the workers sell narcotics. Two of the eight were arrested from the site. Photo: June 22, 2023. Those who refused were threatened with firearms. The affected workers made an emergency report to 911. By the time police arrived, the armed men had already fled. The third man was arrested after police found him hiding in nearby mangrove. Photo: June 22, 2023. A search operation was implemented in the area which lead to the arrests of three. One of the three now-detained was found hiding in mangrove. The other two were arrested from the site. Five others believed involved managed to escape and were not located. Two rushed to PDC hospital after being shot outside Tulum bar Tulum, Q.R. Municipal Police and National Guard were at the scene of a shooting that took place along Tulum Avenue early Thursday. Gunmen from inside a grey car reportedly opened fire against the centrally located bar, injuring two. The two people transferred to hospital were reported to be bar security. They were monitoring the outside parameter when they were shot. One of the shot men is reported to be critical in Playa del Carmen hospital. Photo: June 22, 2023. Police were notified of the shooting after receiving several reports of gunfire. More than a dozen shots were said fired against the Tulum night club. Police began a search for the gunmen. It is not known if arrests were made. Both injured employees were rushed to Playa del Carmen hospital. One is reported to be in critical condition. This same night club was searched and seized by police several weeks ago, but reopened. A young Kansas boy moves between oil derricks, wheat fields, and abandoned buildings. He stops for only one thing: the hose. Not any ordinary hose, but a most extraordinary hose. Its contents pour forth not in trickles, streams, or torrents but gush in words, images, and pages. Not a fire hose run from a hydrant, but a library hose. It runs not from any particular library, but many places at once. While the Wiley Elementary School Library and the Hutchinson Public Library were reliable fonts, none was more important than that found at home, where his mother lovingly nourished him from shelves, coffee tables, and the nightstand beside his bed. In time, the miraculous happened. Filled with this torrent of books and words, he began to disgorge words, words, words! Papers for school and arguments for the debate team consumed him. Research was both an intellectual puzzle and an art. He would grow to become what Russell Kirk called a Bearer of the Word, a dedicated man whose first obligation is to the Truth, and that a Truth derived from apprehension of an order more than natural or material. This knight-errant Bearer of the Word from the plains of Kansas is the author of the new book Mythic Realms: The Moral Imagination in Literature & Film published by Angelico Press. His name is Bradley J. Birzer and he is Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies and professor of history at Hillsdale College. On the surface the book is a mere collection of essays and lectures, the bulk of which were previously published in various outlets (including the Acton Institute) and orated to varied audiences. Much more, however, lies beneath. The depths of this collection are clear from the books concise but penetrating introduction, which opens with Russell Kirks provocative definition: Images are representations of mysteries, necessarily, for mere words are tools which break in the hand, and it has not pleased God that man should be saved by logic, abstract reason, alone. Kirks conviction is that images give us not just poetry but great scientific, philosophical, and spiritual insights. Birzer argues that this definition is shared by a long line of the Wests most profound thinkers, from the philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome down through Cicero, St. Augustine, Edmund Burke, Irving Babbitt, T.S. Eliot, and C.S. Lewis. Birzer calls this tradition Christian humanism, and this book, while able to stand on its own, is a self-conscious companion to his 2019 Beyond Tenebrae: Christian Humanism in the Twilight of the West. Beyond Tenebrae sought to define Christian humanism by exploring the life and thought of its leading figures; in Mythic Realms, however, he deploys the moral imagination found running through them to reflect on literature and film in this century and the last. Prior to the critical enterprise that makes up the bulk of the book are a series of personal reflections that, summarized and reimagined, became the opening paragraphs of this review. In this opening section, Birzer names the writers Ray Bradbury and J.R.R. Tolkien as early and great influences on him as masters of style and imagery. The opening paragraphs of this review, while not modeled on the respective style and imagery of these masters, nevertheless serve to illustrate the play of both aspects of the craft of writing that move beyond abstract reason alone to insight into the author of Mythic Realms by way of the moral imagination. While the primarily autobiographical Personal Reflections precedes reflections on Literature & Moral Imagination, Film & Moral Imagination, and the concluding The Moral Imagination & Belief, autobiographical threads persist throughout. Personal genealogies of the authors subjects, ranging from genres, literature, film, to belief, provide a reception history of the subjects critically examined. This layering of the moral imagining is both an inquiry into the images explored and an examination of their impact on the author of the book. This is fitting, as these are not bare images examined by reason alone but as Edmund Burke describes it, the decent drapery of life furnished from the wardrobe of a moral imagination, which the heart owns, and the understanding ratifies. In the TV series Twin Peaks: The Return, FBI deputy director Gordon Cole, played by the shows creator, director David Lynch, is on a case when the actress Monica Bellucci and her friends invite him to coffee at a street cafe. There Bellucci tells him, quoting the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, We are like the dreamer who dreams, and then lives inside the dream. Birzer the critic is the dreamer who dreams and then lives inside the dream. When his moral imagination is engaged in the critical reception of images, it is changed and becomes part of hima model of sensitive engagement with works his heart comes to own as they shape his understanding. Reading Birzer on literature and film, one appreciates the truth of the British physician and preacher Thomas Fullers observation that seeings believing, but feelings the truth. There are 30-some essays of varied length examining literature and film in the collection, with subjects ranging from the creator of Conan the Barbarian to the Inklings, Hitchcock to Stranger Things. Batman looms large. Informative historical digressions abound regarding their composition and initial critical reception. These are interesting and engaging in their own right, but the twin pillars on which they almost all rest are their philosophical underpinnings in Romanticism and their pulp sensibility in genre. In the chapter Romance After Tolkien, Birzer argues that the modern imaginative world is saturated in Romanticism. While acknowledging its excesses and failings, he draws on the Catholic historian Christopher Dawson to argue that Romanticism successfully saved Christianity from the utilitarianism and rationalism of the eighteenth century. Birzer presents a Romanticism, rightly understood but often abused, that is fundamentally deeply conservative in its praise of the ancestors, its idealization of the past, and its admiration for folk customs as greater wisdom than any one generation or one person can know. Romanticism is also, properly understood, deeply sacramental. In the chapter Who Were the Inklings, Birzer shows the fundamentally Romantic underpinnings of the literary projects of some of last centurys leading Christian humanists: Would it be possible, Tolkien and Lewis wondered in the 1930s, to write fiction that might combine all of these loves: a love of history; a desire to debate defenders of the modern world and point out the many foibles of modern living; and a way to promote ones philosophical and religious beliefs without being overly blatant? That is, could a modern writer create art while avoiding the pitfalls of the ever-prevalent ideological morass and political propaganda of the era and remain artful? It is deeply Romantic, and ironically conservative, that the Inklings would utilize such seemingly modern and popular genres as science fiction, fantasy, and horror to recover the best of the premodern world. It is in what was once contemptuously dismissed as pulps that Birzer finds some of the most outstanding instances of the moral imagination in this century and the last. Readers who once devalued and dismissed such works will find ample evidence in Mythic Realms to reconsider and take up and read and/or watch! The end of Mythic Realms itself presents the best sort of startling reveal and reversal found in the pulp fiction it celebrates. Here Birzer makes his confession: Faith has always been a struggle for me. Indeed, throughout my fifty-plus years of life, very rarely have I ever felt comfortable for any stretch of time with my religion or my religious practices. The consolation he findsno spoilers hereis consonant with great childrens author Chris Van Allsburgs observation, Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we cant see. A U.S. nuclear-powered guided missile submarine (SSGN) is set to leave South Korea on Thursday, an informed source said, following its combined special warfare drills with the Korean Navy. The Ohio-class SSGN, USS Michigan, arrived Friday last week in an apparent show of America's naval might, a day after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea in apparent protest against the allies' massive live-fire drills. Jeon Ha-kyu, the spokesperson of Seoul's defense ministry, told reporters that the submarine engaged in a combined special ops training with the South Korean Navy during its stay here but did not elaborate further. It marked the first time the U.S. has sent an SSGN to South Korea since October 2017. The SSGN deployment here came after the United States pledged to further enhance the "regular visibility" of its strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula through the Washington Declaration adopted by President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden at their White House summit in April. (Yonhap) Christiansburg resident Paula Alston, a member of the Rotary Club of Blacksburg, has been installed as District Governor for Rotary District 7570. Alston's installation ceremony was held June 19 at the Blacksburg Country Club, with members of her club and Rotarians from around the district present. Alston is the first District Governor from the Blacksburg club, the eighth female and the 108th District Governor in District 7570, which boasts three Rotary International presidents among its ranks. Rotary International is a service organization made up of more than 46,000 clubs grouped in 529 districts around the world. Currently, District 7570 consists of 77 clubs with more than 2,900 Rotarians. As District Governor, Alston will serve Rotary clubs from Winchester to Greenville, Tennessee; the district is comprised of 15 areas made up of local Rotary clubs primarily located along the western side of Virginia. Alston, retired director of the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library system, has been a member of the Blacksburg Rotary Club since 2007. Her husband, Tom, is also a Rotarian in the Radford Noon Rotary Club. Before she could become District Governor, Alston had to go through extensive training to become well-versed in how to apply for grants, how to take on initiatives, and how to choose service projects. Alstons responsibilities as District Governor are to train the Area Governors, incoming club officers and presidents on how to take on leadership duties for Rotary, lead 25 district committees, and encourage clubs to grow. Key qualifications to be elected a District Governor in Rotary include serving as an Area Governor for three years and leading a district committee. Alston served as an Area Governor for the New River Valley from 2014-2016, headed the district membership committee for four years, and led an effort to fight hunger in the district by supporting local food pantries and food banks. After meeting certain criteria and serving specific positions, a Rotarian must then be nominated by their club for the position of District Governor. All nominations are interviewed by a committee before being selected. I am excited and ready for this leadership position, Alston said. Its a big job but I have a superb team of Area Governors, committee chairs and members surrounding me, all ready to promote and grow Rotary. We are a service organization and service is central to our mission, whether it is locally or worldwide. We all want to make a difference in our world. In addition to serving in Rotary, Alston is a board member and former secretary for the Community Foundation of the New River Valley, on the board of the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library, serves as an election chief for the Montgomery County Office of Elections, and assists on the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office Citizens Support Group. As District Governor, Alston will help clubs continue to adjust after the pandemic. She hopes to bring attention to basic education and literacy needs in the district and around the globe, as well as Rotarys continued efforts to eradicate polio and create a completely polio-free world. Alstons one-year term as District Governor will end June 30, 2024. - Submitted by Rotary Club of Blacksburg WYTHEVILLE Amanda Brittani Mitchell can remain free as she awaits trial on felony homicide charges tied to the death of her 2-year-old daughter, a judge ordered Wednesday. But she will have to put up a $40,000 secured bond. Mitchell, 33, of Rural Retreat, lived in Radford in 2020 when her 2-year-old daughter Harper died of blunt force injuries to her head. Mitchells boyfriend at the time, Andrew Jonathan Byrd, 36, was convicted in a March jury trial of aggravated murder for Harpers death. He also was found guilty of aggravated malicious wounding and other charges for attacking Mitchell in the hours after Harper was injured, of possessing methamphetamine, and more. Mitchell was charged in 2020 with three counts of child abuse or neglect, and three counts of cruelty to a child, related to Harper and her other two children, as well as with possessing a Schedule I or II drug. Those charges remain pending. Mitchell, who now lives in Wythe County, has been free on a $5,000 bond. She testified as a prosecution witness at Byrds trial. Earlier this month, however, a Radford grand jury indicted Mitchell on more charges: two counts of felony homicide and one count of involuntary manslaughter, all related to Harpers death; as well as another felony child abuse or neglect charge, and another felony count of cruelty to a child. Mitchell was arrested June 12 and held in the New River Valley Regional Jail. Radford Commonwealths Attorney Chris Rehak said last week that he does not think the new charges against Mitchell will affect Byrds convictions or his sentencing, which presently is scheduled for Aug. 21. Byrd faces a mandatory life sentence for the aggravated murder conviction. On Wednesday, Mitchell appeared in Wythe County Circuit Court to ask to be released on bond. The hearing was held in Wythe County because Judge Joey Showalter, who presides over both Radford and Wythe County circuit courts, was in Wytheville to hear cases and could more easily take up Mitchells bond request there. Rehak said that he would not get too far into the details of the case against Mitchell, but that the felony homicide cases accuse her of contributing to her daughters death through the commission of a felony, either child abuse or neglect, or cruelty. Rehak said that the new counts of child abuse or neglect, and of cruelty, narrow the date range when the acts are said to have occurred from some of the charges placed earlier. The two felony homicide charges and the involuntary manslaughter charge appear to give a judge or jury options for parsing Mitchells role, if they think she is guilty in Harpers death. At Wednesdays hearing, Rehak said that Mitchell gave police a shifting set of stories about her daughters condition and her own actions on the night of April 16, 2020, and early morning hours of April 17. Harper, along with Mitchells other children, had spent the afternoon and evening with Byrd at the home that he and Mitchell shared. Byrd took the children as he drove to pick Mitchell up from her job as an intake clerk at Carilion New River Valley Medical Center. Mitchell told police that when they got home, she found that Harper was cold to the touch and making gurgling noises, yet she waited 2 hours to call for help and when she did, she called Byrds mother rather than 911, Rehak said. Cellphone records showed that after discovering that Harper was hurt, Mitchell used her phone for Google searches on topics like toddler with concussion, toddler growling, and toddler with concussion sleeping a lot and not waking up, Rehak said. The searches showed that Mitchell had access to her phone for 33 minutes before she called Byrds mother for help, Rehak said. At Byrds trial, which Showalter presided over, medical experts said that in cases of severe head injury, there is a golden hour when rapid treatment might save someone, Rehak reminded the judge. In one of the accounts that Mitchell gave investigators, she said that she saw blood on her daughters mouth while they still were parked at the hospital, yet she did not take the girl inside to be checked by a doctor, Rehak said. Rehak asked that Mitchell be jailed until her charges are resolved, in part because she might pose a danger to her two remaining children. Mitchell made some horrific decisions up to this point, Rehak said. But defense attorney Fred Kellerman of Christiansburg said that Mitchell has had no contact with her children and will not while her case continues. Mitchell had no criminal record before her daughters death, had been free on bond for more than two years before her arrest this month, and always showed up for her court hearings, Kellerman said. Mitchell testified that she recently began a new job. Showalter said that he would release Mitchell from jail if she posted a $40,000 secured bond. The judge said that Mitchell would be supervised by pretrial services. He said that conditions of her release would include no alcohol, marijuana or illegal drugs; no contact with minors; and a curfew in which she would have to remain in her home from 11 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. the next day. Mitchell is to return to court on Sept. 8 for attorneys to set a schedule for resolving her charges. The last man to see 31-year-old Jessica Darling Dickson alive before she disappeared three years ago pleaded guilty to her murder in Roanoke County Circuit Court Thursday. When Judge Charles Dorsey asked Christopher Lee Elliott if he was truly guilty of the crime, Elliott hesitated. The courtroom, filled with Dicksons family and friends, was silent for a moment before he answered, Yes. Im sorry that any of this ever happened, he told the court before Dorsey sentenced him to 40 years in prison for second-degree murder, suspended after he serves 20 years. Senior Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Beth Oates said Thursday that the case was very complex and ended with literally boxes of evidence. The prosecutor said one of Dicksons childhood friends received a message from Dickson the night of June 9, 2019. After that, Dickson, who was a prolific Facebook user, Oates said, stopped replying to messages and returning calls. Four months later, in October, the friend submitted a missing person report to police, who launched a truly extraordinary missing persons investigation, Oates said. It featured interviews with over 50 people and followed various leads. One of those leads took police into the basement of a man rumored to have killed Dickson and buried her beneath his house. A search of the space found nothing. Also a person of interest was Dicksons first husband and her sons father, who Oates said had a checkered criminal past. But he was incarcerated at the time Dickson went missing. As the man was lamenting his wifes disappearance in jail, just after Christmas in 2020, Oates said, another inmate realized he remembered seeing Dickson at Birkdale Drive house in Roanoke County on June 9, 2019. The inmate told police he had seen Elliott behaving aggressively towards Dickson outside the house, telling Dickson that if she didnt disclose the location of his gun, hed kill her. He also said he watched Elliott drag Dickson by her hair around the house, which is backed by a wooded area. The next day, June 10, Elliott called one of the Birkdale Drive house residents. He said that he was in a church parking lot and needed directions back to the house. When he walked in the door 10 minutes later, the residents observed cuts and scratches on Elliotts body, indicative of a walk through thick woods, Oates said. Dickson was not with him. The prosecutor said Elliott had been in the parking lot of First Baptist Church Hollins, a church on the opposite side of the woods from the Birkdale Drive residence. On June 11, a Hollins University biology student was conducting research in a wooded area near campus when she noticed a really bad odor of decomposition and buzzards overhead, Oates said. The female student traced it to a dense brush pile, Oates said, but she could not visually identify the source of the smell. After hearing the inmates account of the night of June 9, 2019, police interviewed Elliott. The first time, on January 22, 2020, Elliott told investigators that he believed Dickson was alive. Elliott told police he had dropped Dickson, who was wearing black leggings, on the side of the road after one of the Birkdale Drive residents asked her to leave the house, Oates said. He only admitted slapping Dickson after investigators questioned him. Police interviewed Elliott a second time on February 19, 2020, when Oates said he changed his story. Elliott told police he believed she might be buried in someones basement. Oates said Elliott also told investigators he didnt believe murder is bad all the time. He also said he didnt kill Dickson but is the type of person who would commit murder, Oates said. A year later, on February 16, 2021, the same Hollins student was conducting research again in the same area of the woods when she noticed a skull in the debris on the forest floor. She called authorities, who retrieved scattered skeletal remains and a pair of black leggings from the site. Police matched DNA from the skull to DNA from Dicksons son. They announced the remains were hers in April 2021. Oates said a medical examiner would have testified that the cause of Dicksons death remains undetermined, but would have noted that most of the bones from her neck were, unusually, never recovered. Oates said a forensic anthropology expert would have also testified that, based on the state of her bodys decomposition, Dickson died in June 2019. The body would have expelled an odor within 24 hours of her death in the summer heat, which Oates said explains the students observations days after Dickson disappeared. After a grand jury handed down the murder indictment against Elliott in April 2022, police interviewed him for a third time. Oates said he changed his story again, this time blaming the Birkdale Drive residents and others for Dicksons death. Oates said that while much of the evidence in the case is circumstantial, Elliott had needs, motive and opportunity to kill Dickson, who was less than five feet tall and about 100 pounds. The prosecutor said it wouldnt have been hard for Elliott to take her life, frankly with his bare hands. Oates added that the place where Dicksons remains were found and the Birkdale Drive residence are only about 250 yards apart. Time and place make this case, Oates said. Elliott was indicted on two charges related to Dicksons death in April 2022: murder and possession of a firearm as a violent felon. Under the plea agreement, the firearm charge was dropped. When released, hell be placed on supervised probation for five years. Elliott, 39, continues to be held at the Western Virginia Regional Jail. Grieving the loss of a loved one to gun violence can be a lifelong process. But for Nickalas Lees family, the month of June, Gun Violence Awareness Month, is particularly challenging. June is tough for us, his sister, Brandy Campbell, told Roanokes Gun Violence Prevention Commission on Tuesday. Nickalas was born, died, graduated, adopted, all of those things in the month of June. On June 2, 2017, Lee graduated from Patrick Henry High School. On June 15, he was shot and killed by gang here in Roanoke, Campbell said. He was one week shy of his 18th birthday. Lee was one of 12 people to die from a gunshot wound in Roanoke in 2017, according to Roanoke Times reports. Since then, gun violence in the city has increased. Roanoke Police Chief Sam Roman presented data during his annual report to the city council Tuesday that indicated there were eight fatal shootings in 2018, 11 in 2019, 11 in 2020, 15 in 2021 and 17 in 2022. From 2021 to 2022, we had a 22% increase in violent crime, which includes aggravated assault, domestic aggravated assault, homicide rate and robbery, Roman said. This is the phenomenon that we are seeing across our country. But the chief said that when the first five months of 2022 are compared to the same 2023 period, some crimes are on the decline, including rape, robbery and motor vehicle theft. This is really the result of hard work, not just of the department, but all of the efforts that we have going through the city, Roman said. It will take time to see the benefits, and I believe that were beginning to see those benefits. Notably increasing so far in 2023 are traffic citations. In April, police wrote 879 traffic summons. The same month last year, they wrote 500. Roman attributed the rise to the additional officers that were placed in the traffic division toward the middle of March. Roman also presented gun seizure and theft data to the council. From 2021 to 2022, while gun thefts increased in all four city quadrants, there was an 85% increase in guns stolen in or from the citys southwest zone. The chief said the increase may have to do with unsecured firearms in vehicles. Properly securing a firearm does not necessarily mean tucking it under the seat of your vehicle where no one can see it. It means locking your firearm up in a certified locking mechanism, perhaps in your residence, so no one can get to it, Roman said. That education piece still continues. Its something that our department focuses on all the time, to include passing out gun safety locks. The Gun Violence Prevention Commission heard Tuesday from David Harrison, a retired attorney who works with the American Bar Association on reduction efforts. He said the commission should recommend to the city council that it include firearm safe storage proposals in its upcoming legislative package. Harrison said bills to require safe storage of firearms by gun owners and prohibit firearms being left in an unlocked and unattended motor vehicle were introduced to the General Assembly during its last session but died in a House of Delegates committee. The challenge in the General Assembly is to get a bill out of committee, to get it to the floor, Harrison said. Commissioner Stacey Sheppard said presenting legislators with testimonies from Roanoke victims and survivors might help get bills passed. Those are those stories that really pull on the heart strings, Sheppard said. Now is the time to maybe start talking to our families and seeing if theyre willing. I know one thats been very passionate about change and making sure that no one else has access to a gun so that a little one can pick it up. I think that might make or break our success. Campbell told the commission her familys story of loss during its Tuesday meeting, detailing the mental and financial challenges faced at the hospital, in counseling and in court. She said Lees friends organized a candlelight vigil shortly after he died, and one of the shooters showed up. Of course, he didnt say, Im the shooter, but he was bold enough to go, and that shows a lack of remorse, Campbell said. How did he get to be there, that he would show such a lack of remorse to show up where kids are grieving of a boy that he had just shot and murdered? Every Fathers Day, Campbell said she grieves for the families of the four men convicted in connection to Lees death, who together left behind 11 children. I think about my dad, and hes my focus, she said. But I think about our community and that 11 children, that their dads are imprisoned by their own choices, their choices to be gang leaders, their choices to the gang members. Whatever the circumstances are, they chose to pull the trigger that night. Campbell said projects initiated through the commission, like a youth talent show and a public portrait art project, have provided healing for her family. Im trying real hard to forgive the city and move forward. And one of the ways I can do that is put Nickalas name as many places as I can so that I never forget, and so that I can enjoy my city again, she said. We have music, art, food. We have a lot to offer. But we also have a gang problem. Virginias annual crime report shows violent crime rose and drug arrests fell last year across the commonwealth. Roanoke, Montgomery County and nearby areas also saw upward trends in crime, according to state figures. But there were decreases in the local numbers as well, and the areas that saw increases tended to remain lower than totals from just a few years ago. Every year the Virginia State Police releases its Crime in Virginia report, which presents statewide numbers for criminal incidents in a variety of categories. The report for 2022 was released this month. The state police also give figures for individual localities in a database that is available online. Across Virginia, the number of reported incidents of violent crime, a category that includes murder, aggravated assault, rape and other offenses, rose in 2022 to 203 crimes per 100,000 population, up from 194.4 in 2021. There was a 5.6% increase in the overall number of violent crime offenses reported in 2022, up to 20,549 from 17,654 in 2021. Other statewide figures highlighted in the state police report included: Reported homicides went from 562 in 2021 to 621 last year, an increase of 10.5%. The rate per 100,000 population for murder and non-negligent manslaughter grew from 6.49 in 2021 to 7.14 in 2022. That compares to 4.61 per 100,000 population in 2010 and 5.31 in 2000. In murder and non-negligent manslaughter incidents, victims and offenders tended to be younger men; 42.7% of homicide victims were men between 18 and 34 and 52.2% of known offenders were men between 18 and 34. The location of 52.1% of all homicides occurred at a residence. Among violent crimes in which a weapon was identified, firearms were used in 81.6% of homicides and 44.6% of robberies. Firearms were used in 37.5% of aggravated assault cases. Drug arrests dropped 8.8% from 2021 to 2022 but there was an increase in the number of people under age 18 who were arrested. The rate of drug incidents per 100,000 population was 371.79, down sharply from the recent highest figure of 871.08 in 2018, and well below other historical figures, including 591.35 in 2010 and 432.39 in 2000. Motor vehicle thefts and attempted thefts grew 21.9% from 2021, rising to 14,185 vehicles reported stolen in 13,651 offenses. About a third of stolen vehicles, 33.9%, were taken from a residence. In 2022, 8,337 stolen vehicles were recovered, though some of these could have been stolen before 2022. Incidents of burglary and attempted burglary increased 3.8% between 2021 and 2022, rising to 10,860 incidents. It was the first increase in burglaries and attempted burglaries in more than a decade. Hate crimes in 2022 increased by 48% from the year before, to 182 reported incidents. The majority of hate crimes, 64.6%, were racially or ethnically motivated. Bias toward sexual orientation and religion were next highest with 21.5% and 9.2%, respectively. The state police separate data for localities into three broad categories: crimes against persons, a category that includes murders, assaults, sex offenses and more; crimes against property, which includes offenses such as theft and property damage; and crimes against society, which includes drug offenses, child pornography, and more. Individual types of offenses also are broken out. In Roanoke, state police figures showed a rise, after years of decline, in crimes against persons. In 2022, there were 3,462 such crimes reported, up from 3,318 in 2021 but still below the 3,633 in 2020, the 3,902 in 2019, or the 4,011 in 2018. Roanokes crimes against property also rose to 6,645 in 2022, up from 6,034 in 2021. The increase again came after several years of falling numbers. In 2018, the number of property crimes for the city was 7,033, and it declined each year until 2022. Roanokes total for crimes against society was 1,742 in 2022, up from 1,626 the year before. The newest figure was well below the 2,297 reported in 2020, 2,579 reported in 2019, and 2,625 in 2018. In Roanoke County, including reports from Vinton, crimes against persons totaled 1,265 in 2022, up from 1,197 in 2021 and 1,264 in 2020, and down from 1,342 in 2019 and 1,412 in 2018. Crimes against property were at 2,430 in 2022, up from 2021s 2,319 but below totals in 2020, 2019 and 2018. Reports of crimes against society in Roanoke County fell to 1,019 in 2022 from 1,242 in 2021 and 2,028 in 2020. The 2022 total was below 2019 and 2018s figures as well. Botetourt County and Salem also saw a mix of rising and falling numbers. Botetourt County had an increase in crimes against people, with 401 in 2022 and 327 the year before, while crimes against property and against society fell from 2021 to 2022. In Salem, crimes against people were at 334 incidents in 2022, up from 269 in 2021 and after several years of decreases. Crimes against property fell to 756 in 2022, down from 778 the year before and well below a recent high of 984 in 2018. Crimes against society also dropped from 2021 to 2022, from 222 incidents to 180. The drop continued a trend that began in 2019 in the city. Totals for Montgomery County, including reports from Blacksburg and Christiansburg, showed that crimes against persons rose to 1,100 in 2022, up from 1,037 in 2021 and 948 in 2020. Crimes against property in the county fell slightly, from 2,241 in 2021 to 2,230 in 2022. The 2022 total was higher than 2020 and lower than 2019 and 2018. Montgomery Countys total for reported crimes against society fell in 2022 to 749, down from 805 in 2021, 1,275 in 2020, 1,347 in 2019, and 1,202 in 2018. To see the complete Crime in Virginia 2022 report, go online to https://vsp.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Crime-In-Virginia-2022.pdf. For crime figures by locality, go to https://va.beyond2020.com. Roanoke Valley emergency crews watched the recent persistent rainfall with both caution and relief Thursday, when about 3,000 Appalachian Power Co. customers lost power. The power companys outage map reported at least three significant outages in the valley. One in the Rocky Mount and Ferrum areas of Franklin County affected nearly 1,500 customers but was resolved by about 2:30 p.m. Franklin County Public Safety Director Billy Ferguson said the outage was due to broken equipment on a power pole, which caught fire at about 5:30 a.m. Thursday. The fire department went out and mitigated it, Ferguson said, adding that Appalachian Power shut service off to make the appropriate repairs. Ferguson also noted that a couple of minor motor vehicle accidents had occurred during the rainstorm, but thats nothing out of the ordinary. Its just a typical rainy day in Rocky Mount, the public safety director said. Even places in Rocky Mount that normally flood, we havent had any issues, so were faring real well. Ferguson and his departments partners in nearby localities kept an ear to the ground. Trevor Shannon, Roanokes emergency management battalion chief, said the regions swift water rescue team was ready and available to respond to calls for service. If a locality is starting to get hit pretty hard, then they can request the regional response, and well send our teams out, Shannon said. As our teams start to start to track weather systems, they begin preparing equipment and ensuring their state of readiness. Theyre always ready. In Roanoke Countys Poages Mill area, about 260 Appalachian Power customers experienced a service outage beginning at about 10:40 a.m. Thursday. And in neighborhoods near Avenham Avenue Southwest in Roanoke, nearly 1,200 experienced an outage caused by tree contact beginning at about 9 a.m. Appalachian Power said the scattered outages in the city, some affecting 15 customers or fewer, were expected to end by 6 p.m. Robert Stonefield, a meteorologist at the National Weather Services Blacksburg station, said the week of rain has created soggy soil, which means trees are more likely to fall due during wind gusts. Stonefield said rainfall totals beginning Monday and through midday Thursday had reached between 2 and 4 inches in the Franklin County area. Along the Blue Ridge, from Roanoke down to Galax, between 4 and 6 inches of rain have been recorded. This overcast, gray, passing showers, passing rain is going to continue least through Friday night, Stonefield said, with still more showers expected over the weekend. Despite days of rain, National Weather Service river and stream gauges indicated no instances of flooding in Western and Southwest Virginia. Appalachian Power spokesperson Teresa Hall said the company made small adjustments to water levels at The Smith Mountain Project, the lakes hydroelectric dam, earlier this week in anticipation of heavy rainfall. Those adjustments were minor, and allowed us to prevent flooding to our downstream communities, Hall wrote in an email Thursday afternoon. We started the process yesterday of refilling the reservoirs at the Smith Mountain Project and expect to be back to normal operating levels this weekend. Mike Godfrey let out a shout heard round the world, or at least along the mid-Atlantic coast, when he scared away a black bear raiding the bird feeders of his Fauquier County home from 800 miles away. Godfrey, a retired government worker, has a primary home in Florida and a second one about 3 miles northwest of Warrenton. He recently was in the Sunshine State when the motion detectors on his Ring security cameras in Virginia went off after midnight. Through the app, he saw a small black bear, sniffing his daughters car in the driveway and eyeballing the steps leading to the porch. Then, the bear walked around to the front of the house, stood up and started to pull over a pole holding two bird feeders filled with sunflower seeds. From his perch four states to the South, Godfrey shouted into the Ring Stick Up Cam pointed at the front of the Warrenton house. Hey, get offa that, he yelled twice, his voice booming in the dark of night. The bear skedaddled. There have been numerous sightings of black bears this spring from the woods that surround Godfreys subdivision in Warrenton, north to the concrete jungles of Washington and south into the Fredericksburg area. About 10 days ago, a black bear was wandering through backyards less than 5 miles from the White House. The male bear, which weighed approximately 200 pounds, was tranquilized and checked over before being released back into the wild, somewhere in Maryland, said Chris Schindler, vice president of field services for the Humane Rescue Alliance, according to an Associated Press story. The same day the DC bear was making headlines, a Spotsylvania County woman reported to FOX 5 that she and her husband were walking their dog when they spotted a bear. The husband grabbed the dog and ran inside their home in the Lees Park subdivision. The bear continued toward Spotsylvania Parkway, according to the report. While it may seem like bears are making the news more often, the sightings are on par with other years, said Carl Tugend, bear project lead for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources. He says three different bear-related behaviors are the reason. Bears are still searching for food and trying to recover from their long winters nap; mothers are pushing yearlings young ones about 15 months old out of the den to get ready for the soon-to-start breeding season; and those yearlings are looking to establish their own ranges. Young bears, especially, dont mind easy pickings like the pic-a-nic baskets that Yogi Bear and Boo Boo used to run off with in the cartoons. Bears dont have a problem with an easy meal or two, said Joseph Ferdinandsen, a wildlife biologist in the Fredericksburg DWR office. Human behavior helps them by providing ample high-calorie food that often comes with very little effort. That includes bird feeders. The wildlife department recommends removing bird feeders altogether from April to November as Tugend says there are plenty of natural food sources for the feathered friends. If homeowners dont want to do that, they can at least take them down at night, Ferdinandsen said. They also can secure their garbage in containers stronger than tin cans, stop feeding their pets outside and clean grills after barbecuing because the grease left behind is an enchanting aroma for bears and other wildlife, Tugend said. Drier weather, which has been the norm of late, also affects natural food sources and may lead bears to search out alternatives like bird feeders, beehives and garbage, Ferdinandsen said. He believes people and bears can survive, side-by-side in harmony if humans remove some of the attractants that will bring bears closer to their front and back yards. Bears live all over Virginia and in places where they were unheard of a generation ago, now they are quite common, he said. Tugend stressed that the last thing bears want is to be in contact with people and the dogs they sometimes have with them. He believes there was more to the recent story about the black bear in Arizona that mauled a man to death on his front porch and that some other condition caused the bear to attack. At least for me, in my opinion, being able to see a bear is something that people should cherish. Theyre amazing creatures. Theyre super intelligent, theyre super inquisitive and theyre beautiful to see, Tugend said. As long as youre maintaining a safe distance, you have nothing to worry about. WAYNESBORO The Cessna Citation 560 twin-engine aircraft that crashed into an Augusta County mountain two and half weeks ago descended into a high velocity, near vertical descent before crashing, according to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report released Wednesday. All four passengers on the aircraft were killed on June 4 when the plane crashed into the Saint Marys Wilderness below the Blue Ridge Parkway near Montebello in Augusta County. The victims included Adina Azarian, her two-year-old daughter Aria, the childs nanny and pilot Jeff Heffner. The plane was attempting to return to Azarians New York home after a North Carolina visit to the planes owner, Azarians father, John Rumpel. The report said the planes wreckage was consistent with the vertical descent. The report said fragments of both of the Cessnas wings and fuselage were found, as were both engines. The cockpit was destroyed in the crash impact. The report says the planes altitude changed just minutes before the 3:28 p.m. crash when it entered a rapidly descending right spiral descent into the terrain. The crash happened about 3:28 p.m. on June 4. The plane was intercepted by military jet fighter aircraft from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland about 8 minutes before it crashed. The NTSB report said the pilot was unresponsive to several radio transmissions, intercept flight maneuvers, and flare deployments. The report further states that the last radio contact from the pilot was received nearly two hours before the crash. The pilot was instructed to stop climbing at 33,000 feet at 1:28 p.m. for crossing air traffic but did not respond to the FAA command. The report said the plan rose to 34,000 feet before leveling off. The preliminary report states that no further radio transmissions from the pilot were received for the remainder of the flight, despite repeated attempts to contact the pilot. The plane had departed Elizabethton, Tenn., Municipal Airport about 1:13 p.m. on June 4, destined for Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York. But the aircraft switched course and headed south. The preliminary report said maintenance inspection records showed the aircraft was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder. But the recorder has not been found as of yet. The plane was not equipped with a flight data recorder and was not required to have one. The report states that Heffner, the pilot, received a first-class medical certificate in October 2022. His experience included 34,500 total pilot hours. In an interview, Rumpel, the planes owner, told The Associated Press that Heffner likely lost consciousness from a lack of oxygen. There was a time in recent history the raw, revolutionary power of rock n roll was more than just an outlet for teen angst, but a mouthpiece for social change. It was a time when ear-splitting guitar riffs and soul-stirring lyrics resonated with a generation looking for a voice amidst societal turmoil. Grunge giants like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, as well as the fierce riot grrrl squads such as Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney, The Breeders, and Babes In Toyland, didnt just blast music they blasted societal norms. They spurred a seismic shift, thrusting topics like sexual assault, domestic abuse, sexuality, racism, and patriarchy into the spotlight, clad in plaid shirts and dirty sneakers. The undying spirit of rock n roll refuses to be tamed. Meet Destructo Disk, raw, DIY collective of individuals from Winchester, VA who embody the age-old spirit of underground rock bristling with frustration, oozing discontent, and demanding to be heard. Their music is a gut punch to complacency, a deafening declaration of dissent. We love this kinda of band and with over 170K monthly Spotify listeners, we are not the only ones. ed. note: This interview was done back in March 2023 for RVA #41 that is delayed until September. This is Taylor from Beggars for RVA Mag. Im here talking with Molly and Gideon from Destructo Disk. Molly, what is your role in the band? Molly:I play bass and do backup vocals. And Gideon? Gideon: I play guitar and do lead vocals. The first thing I wanted to ask about was the name whats the reference? Gideon: Its a characters move from Dragonball Z. Theres also an added layer where its a disc that can cut through anything, but every time that character uses it, he misses. I think thats really fitting. Hes also the strongest human character, but compared to everyone else, he seems weak. Molly: Hes also short and bald. Gideon: Its just kind of funny, and we thought it was a sick name. Yeah, its a dope name. Are you also influenced by Dragonball Z, whether it be the anime, or the art world, in any of your writing? Gideon: I think its more so tongue-in-cheek. Were kind of kooky people. We dont always take ourselves very seriously. I think the name is very reminiscent of that. So its playful. Gideon: Yes, but its also like, we can go hard. I think we thought of the name, and then we formed the band because we were like, Thats a really good name. We have to use that before someone else does. I love that. So how did you guys get together? Whats the history? Molly: Were a three-piece now. I came in later, after Danny. Danny is the drummer? Gideon: Yeah. Danny and I met in high school art class. We had become friends over the course of our senior year in 2015. We were talking about starting a band as a side project because I was in another band at the time. Was this in the Richmond area? Gideon: No, were from Winchester, Virginia. But he and I were getting into punk, and we wanted to start a project, just for fun because he and I were getting along. I got a broken drum set that he played and we formed this little band, and it very quickly became more fun than my other band. We had a lot more freedom in our songwriting and creative process. It very naturally spiraled into another project. We enjoyed it a lot, but we were only a two-piece just guitar and drums. People were always like, You guys should get a bassist. Molly: That was when I first saw them, when they were a two-piece. I went to one of their shows. How many years ago was this? Gideon: Our first show was in 2015. So this was either 2015 or 2016. The first thing that I saw on Spotify came out in 2018, but you had stuff before that? Gideon: Yeah, we had music before that, we just didnt put it on Spotify until 2018. We took our time with it we were worried about it not being good enough basically. We didnt want a bassist because Danny and I clicked so well. We were like, No, were best friends. But a year into it, we met Molly through a mutual friend, and we really hit it off with Molly. We were like, Would you want to play bass with us? Molly: I had a house that had a basement and Id moved out of my parents house. It was just me and my roommates so we were allowed to be noisy, and they needed somewhere to practice. I met them through our mutual friend and I just invited them over. Then a couple of practices into it, they asked me if I could play bass, and I said no. And then he said, Thats great. Ill teach you. Id never been taught how to play bass, but I knew how to use my hands to make notes and stuff. So I was like, Yeah, just teach me the songs. I love that the chemistry and the friendship came before the instruments. I know guys that started practicing in the basement of a tattoo shop. It was like, Do you know how to play this instrument? No? Well, I love you. So lets learn together. Gideon: And something I think is really funny about us is, Molly is primarily a drummer. They already had that rhythm down when they learned to play bass. But, all three of us in the band dont play our main primary instrument. I grew up playing bass and I play guitar in this band. Mollys a drummer that plays bass, and Danny our drummer, is a metal core vocalist. Molly: We all learned together. Whats it like when youre in the room writing? Molly: I noticed Gideon and Danny write music together the best, even though youre supposed to write with bass and drums playing along with each other. So Danny will play off of Gideons guitar playing and then I play off of Dannys drums. I come in last to fill it out. Its interesting to hear about everyones songwriting process. The drummer in my band is in a whole bunch of other bands and I always ask him, How do you guys write? Because our guitarist will write the skeleton of a song and send it to us, and then we all come up with our parts separately, and then we get in the room and try and put it together. Gideon: Weve had a couple of different songwriting processes. Early on, before Molly, I would write a whole song, bring it to Danny, and he would put on drums. Over time, especially when Molly joined, we learned how to work together. Yeah, thats rad, I love that. So stylistically and influentially, talk to me about what your creative vision is. Gideon: I think when Destructo Disk was a side project band, it was based on the freedom of just making punk rock and being in a punk band. To me, punk rock has always been about being yourself and just doing your thingPMA. Now, we still consider ourselves a punk band and we love punk music, but we just want to make whatever we want. We just want to be a band. I think we pull from a lot of different influences, both as a group and as individuals. Molly and I share a lot of similar musical interests, but Danny is very different. Theres a lot of stuff we like that he doesnt get and thats fine because when we all agree on something, its special. There are a couple of bands that all three of us have always loved though. Weve always been big on Turnstile, The Dead Milkmen, and early on we were all really big into Weezer. Turnstile is crushing it. Gideon: Yeah, my friendship with Danny started in 2013 or 14. I remember I showed him a Turnstile song and he really liked it and we kind of got into hardcore together. Theyre doing it in this really cool way where theyre on their own terms, and I think that I can hear that within your guys stuff too. Because its super punky, but its also got all these other ideas too. Theyre like, Yeah, why cant we put that in a punk song? Gideon: I love when bands and artists seem like they are celebrating music. Another band we all like a lot is Sublime. They are reggae or whatever, but they also pull from hip-hop, punk, dub, and all this stuff. Im very into the whole idea of not worrying about what others think and just rocking for the sake of being yourself. We all like a lot of different music, but its not like we try to sound like that. We are influenced by rhythm and energy, and we do pull ideas from a lot of different sources. Molly: Especially from a lot of three-piece bands that have a certain dynamic, like Minutemen. Gideon: Yeah, theyre huge. I cant stress enough how important I think they are to music. But I think being a three-piece really works for us because we all have our own parts that stand out. Theres not like a rhythm and a lead. Lyrically, you have this voice that is very clear, right? Its in the front of the mix. You have something to say and it seems kind of topical or maybe political. Talk about that a little bit. Gideon: I think a lot of our earlier music was like, Oh, we started a punk band, we can write about whatever we want. Lets write a song about cops, or something. I was also getting very into Riot Grrrl music, so I was like, Lets write a Riot Grrrl appreciation song. But as weve gotten older and gotten into different kinds of music, Ive become really into lyrics you can spend time with and interpret differently over time. Molly: I think we are interested in lyrics that can mean something different to everyone. Depending on who is listening, they can take their own meaning. Gideon: I really like when lyrics arent so surface-level. I think a lot of our newer tracks are more introspective. And we want to write about what we know and our experiences. Sometimes were not totally politically involved, and I dont want to seem fake or like were blowing smoke. I know myself and my life and what Im going through. So I feel like nowadays, we focus more on stuff like that, but people can still relate to that and pull good from it. And I dont know, weve always been open to expanding, but also taking our time doing that. I think the lyrics are a good representation of that, of how weve grown. When was Punk Rock for Kids Who Cant Skate released? 2018? Gideon: The release schedule for that one is kind of weird. To us, we consider that like a compilation album. Most people consider it our first album, and were totally cool with that Molly: But our intention was that it was a compilation because it was an EP first. Gideon: The first five songs on that album were our debut EP. We put out that EP, self-released, on Bandcamp on January 1, 2017. So that was the first time we had studio music online, we were afraid to put it on Spotify for some reason. Within a year after that, we recorded a couple of singles and splits. By that time we had 13 songs, and we were like, Why dont we just put them all together and get it on Spotify? A lot of people know that as the starting point, they dont really know about the EP and earlier stuff on Bandcamp. We pieced everything together and it kind of just became our first album, but the intention was always to just gather what we had and put it in one place. When we made the alternate cover art and put it on Spotify, thats when it turned into this record. From the Destructo Disk Bandcamp HERE Who does the artwork by the way? Gideon: Me. Thats awesome. Its really cool. Gideon: Thank you. For our album, Bad Gravity, though, the paintings were done by our good friend Jamie Newton. And Jamie Newton was actually the mutual friend who introduced Molly to us. Nice. So last year, Bad Gravity came out. Talk about that album a little bit. Gideon: That album is very important to us. Molly: That is the album that, to us, actually feels like our first full-length album. We recorded Punk Rock for Kids Who Cant Skate with two different people, Danny Halpren and Leah Miller, and we got it mixed together. With Bad Gravity, we went to one guy, Will Beasley, here in Richmond. Gideon: Hes awesome. Molly: Yeah, We did this whole album just with him, and it took, like, three years total. Originally, we really went into it with the idea that it was a concept album with a whole storyline and characters, and we wanted to essentially be playing those characters. Gideon: Its definitely open to interpretation, but basically, it circles around a lot of our little life experiences that are based on our band. We kind of forged our life, and we pieced them together in a way where there are these characters that maybe have an ego or feel good about themselves who go through these trials, and then by the end of it, theyre shaped differently. Really the whole album, regardless of it being a concept record or not, is about us. Its about being in a band. That was always the main theme. To me, that first album, Punk Rock for Kids Who Cant Skate, captured us in our hometown and the burst of energy associated with starting a band. And then Bad Gravity is us in the process of moving out of our hometown, and the lyrical themes get a little more adult. Did you guys put that out yourselves? Gideon: We co-released it with this label called Version III. They helped us with promotion. Molly: Yeah, like getting us on Sirius, on college radio stations. They helped a lot with our growth with radio. Gideon: But it was a collaborative release. We still own all the rights to the music and were able to put out our own physical releases. We saw a lot of creative freedom. Have you done any vinyls or cassettes or anything? Gideon: Yes. Before COVID, we did a Kickstarter, and we got the first album pressed on vinyl. We did that all ourselves and Im very proud of that. Now we run a little record label, Sockhead Records, and we put that vinyl out under our label. We had around 500 pressed. Thats cool. Whos on the roster? Gideon: Well, the only Richmond band currently on the roster is Strawberry Moon, shout out to Strawberry Moon, they rock. The label started out in our hometown. We wanted to use some of our leverage or our exposure to help out our friends in Winchester. Winchester is a small town, and there are musicians and artists, but they dont really have a voice. So, initially, it started out as an archive. But then when we moved here, we wanted to approach it differently. We were like, Okay, theres actually an art scene here. And theres music going on. And then Strawberry Moon hit us up and we were like, Okay, yes, we want to actually feel like a record label. So now that were here, were approaching it a little differently. Were taking it more seriously. You found that Richmond has provided that community for you? Gideon: Yeah, Richmond has this supportive scene that I always wanted. Molly: Its what we were looking for, I think its a perfect fit for us. Are you doing any touring? Molly: We just did our first official on-the-road tour back in December. Prior to that, weve done some weekender style tours. We would play shows out of town, out of Virginia, but we would just drive up to Philly to play a show and drive straight back. So, December was the first time that we actually went out and were getting in booked shows. It was actually a house show tour. We pretty much played house venues except for one night. We had to get a show rescheduled on the fly, so we played in this dive bar basement which was really cool. It was very DIY, but it was a fantastic first tour experience. Did you get a van? Molly: Yeah. Did it break down? Gideon: No, but we had to change a headlight on the way. Ive heard so many instances of bands getting a van for their first tour and then two days later it breaks down. Molly: No thankfully, all the damage that has come to it has happened when were not on tour. But yeah, were looking to expand on doing more than a five-day tour. Where are you playing in Richmond? Gideon: I work at The Camel, so I have that in. We probably play there the most, and we are actually opening up for Angel Dust at the Warehouse in May. Molly: We are very very excited about that. Thats another band like Turnstile that all three of us are really into. Gideon: We also played at Banditos recently for the first time. And we were really worried because we were playing the same night as Show Me The Body and Angel Olson they both had sold-out shows going on in Richmond. But we ended up having a great turnout, it was crazy. Molly: That was a really great feeling. Realizing that we could still have a good show while there are other great options going on around us. Gideon: Since moving to Richmond, weve noticed that people come out to see us and people like us. Doesnt it feel good? Gideon: Yeah, it feels really good. Weve been playing shows since 2015 and from 2015 to 2019, we almost exclusively played at this one venue in Winchester. Was that frustrating? Molly: Oh, definitely. Towards the end we were like, We have to change it up. Gideon: By the time we finally got out of Winchester and started playing more, we had people coming out because they were like, Oh, they never go anywhere. So people came to see us in D.C. and same with Philly. On our tour, we did six shows. We played three towns that we are really familiar with our hometown, Philly, and Richmond. And then we played three new places we had never been to in Tennessee and Georgia. And people still came out to those shows. The whole experience was just very reassuring and I honestly wouldnt change a thing about it. And the shows all went well? Gideon: Yeah. And we also played very similar sets every night, so we got good. Ive always heard of that happening to bands. By like, the third night, we were really confident . How many songs do you have? Gideon: I love answering this question because weve been a band for a long time. We have almost 40 songs that we could play live. Its cool because, as a band, we have a variety of sound so we can play with a lot of different artists. We can play with heavier, faster bands or more indie/alternative. Because we have so many songs, we can pick and choose like, Yo, lets play a heavy set tonight. Are you trying to get the next tour lined up sometime soon? Gideon: Yeah, were planning, but nothings set in stone right now. Were talking to our friends in Rex Tycoon, trying to plan a little tour with them in June. Were also finally getting back into writing some more. Its been a while since weve written new music, even our last album was a lot of old songs. Who do you want to shout out in Richmond? Gideon: Lobby Boy, Ten Pound Snail, Strawberry Moon - theres so many Richmond bands that we love, and if I forget any I always feel bad. Theres also Trapcry and Ghost Piss. I know theres a big one Im forgetting, but thats okay. My point is that everyone in Richmond who is supportive of the music scene gets the support back. I think the Richmond music scene is very special - I love it here. Yeah, man. Thats awesome. So, just to wrap things up, is there anything else you want us to know about Destructo Disk? Molly: Were going to take this year to work on new material, and hopefully have some new singles out soonish. And then we really, really want to expand on playing live and would love to play in some of the cities that are in our top listeners on Spotify. Which are those? Gideon: Chicago is one thats doable. I dont think we can make like LA yet. Basically, this year we want to step it up and take it more seriously. We need to say no to some show opportunities so we have more time to write. If we take our time and we play our cards right, things could work out for us. Were just trying to be smart and serious about it this year and take this passion and drive were getting from living in Richmond to push ourselves to work harder. Well, best of luck to you. I cant wait to see what you guys put out. Give Destructo Disk a follow @destructodiskfanclub Give Socked Records a follow @sockheadrecords Introduction by R. Anthony Harris Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Police on Thursday sought an arrest warrant for a mother accused of killing her two newborn babies and storing their bodies in a refrigerator at home. The woman in her 30s, who was apprehended Wednesday, was charged with infanticide, according to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency. The suspect allegedly strangled the two babies to death shortly after giving birth, one in November 2018 and the other in November 2019, and had kept their bodies in a fridge in her apartment in Suwon, just south of Seoul. She delivered the babies, known to be a boy and a girl, at hospitals but killed one at her home and the other near the hospital just one day after their births, police said. The suspect admitted to killing the infants due to economic hardships while raising three children, saying she lied to her husband that she had an abortion, police said. Police launched the probe earlier this month after receiving a report from the Suwon city government about the babies, who had no birth registration despite having birth records. Prosecutors plan to review the arrest warrant request and her arrest warrant hearing, if confirmed, is expected to be held Friday. (Yonhap) You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close Seguin, TX (78155) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. Near record high temperatures. High 104F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low near 75F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Notable SCOTUS debate over "obstruction of justice" in Pugin immigration case producing distinctive 6-3 divide | Main | Bruen brouhahas: split Seventh Circuit panel remands for "Ph.D.-level historical inquiry" on felon in possession June 22, 2023 By expected 6-3 vote, SCOTUS in Jones v. Hendrix limits reach of habeas corpus statute, 2241, for federal prisoners The Supreme Court this morning handed down a significant ruling in Jones v. Hendrix, No. 21-857 (S. Ct. June 22, 2023)(available here), limiting the reach of the general habeas corpus statute, 2241, for federal prisoners. Justice Thomas authored the opinion for the Court, which starts this way: This case concerns the interplay between two statutes: 28 U.S.C. 2241, the general habeas corpus statute, and 2255, which provides an alternative postconviction remedy for federal prisoners. Since 1948, Congress has provided that a federal prisoner who collaterally attacks his sentence ordinarily must proceed by a motion in the sentencing court under 2255, rather than by a petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 2241. To that end, 2255(e) bars a federal prisoner from proceeding under 2241 unless . . . the [ 2255] remedy by motion is inadequate or ineffective to test the legality of his detention. Separately, since the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA), second or successive 2255 motions are barred unless they rely on either newly discovered evidence, 2255(h)(1), or a new rule of constitutional law, 2255(h)(2). A federal prisoner may not, therefore, file a second or successive 2255 motion based solely on a more favorable interpretation of statutory law adopted after his conviction became final and his initial 2255 motion was resolved. The question presented is whether that limitation on second or successive motions makes 2255 inadequate or ineffective such that the prisoner may proceed with his statutory claim under 2241. We hold that it does not. Justices Sotomayor and Kagan dissent with a short opinion, and Justice Jackson dissents with an opinion that is nearly twice as long as the opinion of the Court. It starts this way: Today, the Court holds that an incarcerated individual who has already filed one postconviction petition cannot file another one to assert a previously unavailable claim of statutory innocence. The majority says that result follows from a straightforward reading of 28 U.S.C. 2255. Ante, at 10, 12. But the majority reaches this preclusion decision by negative inference. Ante, at 10. And it is far from obvious that 2255(h)s bar on filing second or successive postconviction petitions (with certain notable exceptions) prevents a prisoner who has previously sought postconviction relief from bringing a newly available legal innocence claim in court. See Part II, infra. In any event, putting aside its questionable interpretation of 2255(h), the majority is also wrong to interpret 2255(e) known as the saving clause as if Congress designed that provision to filter potential habeas claims through the narrowest of apertures, saving essentially only those that a court literally would be unable to consider due to something akin to a natural calamity. See Part I, infra. This stingy characterization does not reflect a primary aim of 2255(e), which was to save any claim that was available prior to 2255(h)s enactment where Congress has not expressed a clear intent to foreclose it. Joness legal innocence claim fits that mold. I am also deeply troubled by the constitutional implications of the nothing-to-see-here approach that the majority takes with respect to the incarceration of potential legal innocents. See Part III, infra. Apparently, legally innocent or not, Jones must just carry on in prison regardless, since (as the majority reads 2255) no path exists for him to ask a federal judge to consider his innocence assertion. But forever slamming the courtroom doors to a possibly innocent person who has never had a meaningful opportunity to get a new and retroactively applicable claim for release reviewed on the merits raises serious constitutional concerns. Thus, in my view, all roads lead to an interpretation of 2255 that is diametrically opposed to the one that the majority announces. Whether one gets there by virtue of a proper reading of 2255(e) or an informed understanding of 2255(h), or by affording due respect to the core constitutional interests at stake, Joness successive petition alleging legal innocence should have been considered on the merits. Therefore, I respectfully dissent. I am going to need to read these opinions closely before having a full take. But given all the recent SCOTUS substantive rulings limiting the reach of federal criminal statutes, there is a bit of irony (or perhaps purpose?) in the Court's decision in Jones restricting a procedural means for federal defendants to press claims based on on these substantive rulings. June 22, 2023 at 10:36 AM | Permalink Comments Praise be to God. So just because a plain reading of the text may lead to an unfair result doesn't mean that that reading is wrong. The answer lies with Congress, which should amend 2255(h) to include actual innocence claims based on statutory narrowing. Posted by: Da Man | Jun 22, 2023 11:39:15 AM And shame on Doug for accusing the Court of limiting the reach of 2241. Instead, the Court pushed back against the improper expansion of 2241 by lower courts to reach a result they perceived as just. A more proper title, one that might be found over at Crime and Consequences, would be "Supreme Court reinforces separation of powers by enforcing AEDPA as written." Posted by: Da Man | Jun 22, 2023 11:42:07 AM The spectacle of someone in prison for something determined not to be an offense should be enough to get the DOJ to look at it. Obviously, you have to block access to courts as of right because you'll get a lot of chaff. Posted by: federalist | Jun 22, 2023 11:51:18 AM Da Man, I am not "accusing" the Court of anything. It is 100% accurate to say that Jones limits the reach of 2241. You and others might think that interpretation is quite sound. But it remains accurate to say that the ruling limits the reach of the 2241 phrase allowing actions under the provision if the 2255 "remedy by motion is inadequate or ineffective to test the legality of his detention. federalist, though it is probably foolish for me to seek any clarity in your SD "rule of federalist," but your comment has me wondering if you feel people who are indisputably statutorily innocent and now in federal prison (and now left with one less means to seek a path out of prison) have a legal right to attack federal guards? Posted by: Doug B | Jun 22, 2023 12:08:07 PM This ruling reminds me of the death penalty cases with the present Court. While one or two of the six conservative justices might go wobbly here or there, when it gets to the basics, they're still pretty sound. The idea that in a system already overstuffed with manufactured procedural challenges that go on for years and years and years, we need yet more of them, is nuts. Posted by: Bill Otis | Jun 22, 2023 12:33:55 PM I don't think they have a legal right to attack federal guards, but the spectacle of innocent people serving time is jarring, to say the least. But let's say a federal guard uses physical force on one of these guys that would not be appropriate against a free person, I do think that the prisoner would have the SD rights of a free person. A judgment is more powerful than any law, constitutional or not. Posted by: federalist | Jun 22, 2023 12:35:18 PM I am now sure that there is a "real" actual innocence claim here. The challenge is based on Reheif which established that knowledge of your status is one of the elements of an unlawful possession of a weapons charge. For mnst felon in possession cases, the evidence is readily available to sufficiently show that the defendant knew that he was convicted of X. But at the time of the original trial, that was not something that needed to be proved and that was not a finding that the jury had to make. In short, this is not a claim of actual innocence. It's a claim of legal error which, as the Supreme Court reads 2241 and 2255, needed to be made on direct appeal (or maybe, and I am not a federal practitioner, through a motion to recall the mandate if it was "erroneously" denied on direct appeal). Given that appellate courts are always refining what instructions should say and what needs to be introduced into evidence to support a conviction, a reading of 2255 which prevents these rulings from applying retroactively to every case does not seem to be likely to impact people who are truly innocent. Posted by: tmm | Jun 22, 2023 1:34:46 PM "Not sure." Not "now sure." Posted by: tmm | Jun 22, 2023 1:36:28 PM tmm, of course, my comment was only in response to Doug's hypo--demonstrable innocence, not manufactured claims Posted by: federalist | Jun 22, 2023 2:12:11 PM Responding to Doug and TMM, there is of course an error by hindsight and that error would have to be corrected on direct appeal. But it wasn't until 1974 that the SCOTUS first suggested that the error was also corrigible (cognizable) on a first 2255, although it was not yet settled at the Supreme Court level that statutory narrowings (like Rehaif or Skilling or Taylor) automatically applied retroactively on collateral attack. That recognition came in Bousley in 1998. But none of that means that the great Writ (now codified in 2241) was always available for such claims. To the contrary, until the middle of the 20th century, habeas was limited purely to jurisdictional challenges. Challenges to the conviction were not cognizable. So it hardly would have offended the drafters of the Constitution (or the first Congress that wrote the first habeas statute) to leave in place a conviction that was correct under the law as it existed at the time of trial but became incorrect years later -- long after the conviction was final on direct review. And that puts the lie to the SG's nonsensical argument that the savings clause must have preserved this very sort of claim: how could that clause preserve a claim of actual innocence that was unknown and foreign to the Congress that created 2241 and 2255(e)? Federalist:: does it make me uncomfortable that a prisoner must remain in jail despite a SCOTUS ruling saying the statute doesn't cover his conduct? Maybe. (But no more than it bothers me (and it doesn't) that AEDPA requires federal courts reviewing state criminal judgments to leave them in place unless they violate clearly established constitutional rights, determined as of the time of trial.) Anyway, it's Congress's job to fix it. Or it's the executive's job to grant clemency or pardons. But it surely is not the judiciary's job to engage in creative statutory construction to achieve a result it thinks would be more just. [Steps off soap box ...] Posted by: Da Man | Jun 22, 2023 3:49:49 PM And Doug, my prediction was correct. Kent has a much more accurate description of today's decision: "Major Victory for Finality of Judgments" https://www.crimeandconsequences.blog/?p=9147 Posted by: Da Man | Jun 22, 2023 4:05:53 PM Post a comment Thursdays child has far to go to keep up with notable happenings | Main | By expected 6-3 vote, SCOTUS in Jones v. Hendrix limits reach of habeas corpus statute, 2241, for federal prisoners June 22, 2023 Notable SCOTUS debate over "obstruction of justice" in Pugin immigration case producing distinctive 6-3 divide Though not the biggest case of interest to the federal criminal justice bar handed down by the Supreme Curt today (that's Jones v. Hendrix to be covered in coming posts), criminal justice fans will still want to check out SCOTUS's work in Pugin v. Garland, No. 22-23 (S. Ct. June 22, 2023) (available here). Here is how Justice Kavanaugh's opinion for the Court gets started: Federal law provides that noncitizens convicted of an aggravated felony are removable from the United States. The definition of aggravated felony includes federal or state offenses relating to obstruction of justice. 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)(S). The question here is whether an offense relat[es] to obstruction of justice under 1101(a)(43)(S) even if the offense does not require that an investigation or proceeding be pending. That question arises because some obstruction offenses can occur when an investigation or proceeding is not pending, such as threatening a witness to prevent the witness from reporting a crime to the police. We conclude that an offense may relat[e] to obstruction of justice under 1101(a)(43)(S) even if the offense does not require that an investigation or proceeding be pending. Six Justices are in the majority in Pugin, three in dissent, but not in the usual 6-3 arrangement. Justice Jackson joined the majority (and authored a short concurrence), while Justice Sotomayor's dissent was joined by Justices Gorsuch and Kagan (though Justice Kagan jumped off the last part). Here is how the dissent starts: From early American laws, to dictionaries, to modern federal and state obstruction statutes, interference with an ongoing investigation or proceeding is at the core of what it means to be an offense relating to obstruction of justice, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(43)(S). The Court circumvents this ample evidence only by casting a wide net and then throwing back all but the bycatch. That approach turns the categorical approach on its head, Esquivel-Quintana v. Sessions, 581 U.S. 385, 393 (2017), and subverts the commonly understood meaning of obstruction of justice when Congress enacted 1101(a)(43)(S) in 1996. I respectfully dissent. June 22, 2023 at 10:29 AM | Permalink Comments Hey Doug, here's an interesting "blast from the past": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Plauch%C3%A9 Posted by: federalist | Jun 22, 2023 1:21:36 PM Post a comment Will criminal defendants keep winning as SCOTUS completes its work this Term? | Main | Thursdays child has far to go to keep up with notable happenings June 21, 2023 "Plea Bargaining in the Virtual Courtroom" The title of this post is the title of this forthcoming book chapter authored by Thea Johnson now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract: For many decades, courts across the United States have experimented with administering justice in virtual spaces. But the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated those experiments in some jurisdictions and forced other jurisdictions to adopt new technologies to process cases. While trials, particularly jury trials, were difficult to move into the online sphere, the plea process was easily transferable to the virtual world. Lawyers could negotiate cases via phone, text or video. Judges could see defendants from their homes, or via video from jail. Technologies like Zoom made it easy for the lawyers, clerks and even members of the public, to join the proceedings. This chapter reflects on the intersection of these virtual experiments and the plea process. It argues that, in some ways, the move to virtual spaces has had very little impact at all on the process. The negotiation of a plea has always been virtual to some degree. Well before the pandemic, lawyers communicated across platforms, often with little input from either defendants or victims, to reach resolutions. To the extent that the loss of the criminal courtroom has had an impact on the interactions between lawyers, it is mostly as a result of them losing those informal spaces courtroom hallways and back corners where much of the real-time deal-making occurred. This chapter argues that the shift away from informality might have salutary effects, including increasing the likelihood of the parties creating a record of plea negotiations, and otherwise slowing down what is often a quick and frenzied process. More importantly, observing the virtual plea process helps us challenge assumptions about the importance of the physical space of the courtroom, and the interactions that happen within it. Indeed, an unintended benefit of moving to virtual proceedings has been to release defendants from the punishment of merely attending court. As Malcolm Feeley identified in his work nearly four decades ago, the process of being in the courtroom, separate from any of the formal outcomes associated with the criminal system, is itself a form of punishment. Without courtrooms, defendants are freed from the constraints of a physical space that has often been used to degrade them. As this chapter explores, in the case of plea bargaining, a virtual world may be a world in which defendants can claim more autonomy and respect during the plea process. June 21, 2023 at 10:42 PM | Permalink Comments Having obtained habeas corpus (on appeal to the Sixth Circuit) for a defendant based upon ineffective assistance of counsel at plea bargaining, I became well acquainted with the problems and pitfalls of the existing plea bargaining process. I have come to favor all offers by prosecutors being reduced to writing, and all responses from defendants (accepting or rejecting the offered plea) also being made in writing, signed by both defense counsel and the defendant him or herself. All of the writing are then placed in an envelope, which becomes a SEALED part of the record, only to be unsealed and consulted if an issue of the plea bargaining process become contested. Currently, there are many problems with the way the plea bargaining process functions, including, at times, even whether defense counsel conveyed the government's offer to the defendant. These same issues will occur with plea bargaining outside the Courtroom, in "virtual spaces". Posted by: Jim Gormley | Jun 21, 2023 10:56:23 PM Since I handle collateral review cases, the big potential problem with virtual plea hearing is when something weird happens during the plea. In an in-person plea, it is easy to take a quick recess and have the attorney and client confer in private and then report back if they want to proceed with the plea. In the case of a virtual plea, particularly if the attorney and the defendant are attending from different locations, that quick consultation is not easy, and it is a little bit harder for the defendant to ask for the opportunity to talk with counsel about a question that has just come to mind or for the court to offer that opportunity. In the absence of such a request, the plea is probably technically valid, but it's not the way that, from an objective perspective, we want things to operate. In setting up virtual pleas, this possibility probably needs to be given a little more consideration. Posted by: tmm | Jun 22, 2023 11:21:54 AM Post a comment This is theme park's 2nd collaboration with Netflix, and 1st time creating an attraction based on a Korean series Universal Studios Singapore Halloween Horror Nights 11 to feature Netflix Korean horror series All of Us Are Dead (Photo: Resorts World Sentosa) SINGAPORE - The annual Halloween Horror Nights will be making its spooky return to Universal Studios Singapore (USS) this October. And this time, it comes packed with the terrors of a zombie outbreak. Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) said in a media release on Wednesday (21 June) that this year's edition will be themed after Netflix's global hit zombie series "All of Us Are Dead", and will feature a new attraction based off the hit Korean horror drama. Fans anticipating the release of the highly-awaited second season of the series will get to walk through a haunted house inspired by Hyosan High School, the source of the zombie outbreak in the show. The attraction will mirror the experience of the high school students, and recreate iconic scenes from the show. The 11th edition of Halloween Horror Nights marks the second collaboration between USS and Netflix, following the haunted house based on the critically-acclaimed Stranger Things series for the eighth edition. The "All of Us Are Dead" experience also marks the worlds first horror attraction inspired by the Korean series, and the first time RWS is bringing an attraction based on a Korean series to USS Halloween Horror Nights. We are thrilled to create this one-of-a-kind horror experience for our guests based on a show beloved by global fans and take them on a journey of both physical and psychological thrill," said Markham Gannon, Director of Resort Experience at RWS. How to get tickets to USS Halloween Horror Nights 2023 USS Halloween Horror Nights will run across 18 event nights between 29 September and 4 November. Early bird tickets will go on sale on 17 July at RWS's website. Fans can sign up for the mailing list on the website for first dibs when further details are announced. "All of Us Are Dead" was released as a 12-episode series in January 2022, and took the top spot on Netflix's global non-English chart for one week. The series was officially renewed for a second season on 6 June last year. Ruling People Power Party leader Kim Gi-hyeon, left, talks to another lawmaker at the National Assembly in Seoul, June 21. Yonhap The leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) will visit the United States next month for meetings with members of the U.S. Congress and government officials, party officials said Thursday. Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon will visit Washington, New York and Los Angeles from July 10-16, together with about 10 party members, including Rep. Lee Chul-gyu, the PPP's secretary general, as well as Reps. Yoo Sang-bum and Ko Ja-keun. The trip is aimed at restoring parliamentary diplomacy and discussing follow-up measures with U.S. government officials and Congress members on issues that President Yoon Suk Yeol agreed on during a state visit there in April, officials said. Kim will be the first ruling party leader to visit the U.S. in eight years, officials said. Kim plans to restore parliamentary exchanges between the two countries and add legislative level support so that various agreements made by Yoon in the previous summit lead to tangible results, party officials said. All expenses will be covered by party funds, they said. The trip is comparable to visits to China by two groups of lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party. One of the groups came under fire from the ruling party following revelations that their visit was funded by China. (Yonhap) There should be a sign outside Element City: No pun left unturned. In the new Disney Pixar film, Elemental, writers seem so enamored with their ability to play off the characters earth, wind, fire and water cliches they dont miss an opportunity to toss two more in. The result is an overstuffed metaphor for the world we live in. Unfortunately, it might have landed better had it not been so obvious. Instead of using fire people as substitutes for immigrants, why not use the real thing? Much about this leaves viewers heads in, well, a fog. A young spark, Ember Lumen (voiced by Leah Lewis), hopes to take over her fathers business, The Fireplace, once he retires. The kiln-like building, however, is falling apart and draws attention from city inspectors, who send slippery Wade Ripple (Mamoudou Athie) to issue citations. Things get steamy when he gets near Ember and, soon, a relationship starts to bubble (see how easy this is?). She worries, though, that her father wont accept someone from another part of town, particularly someone who could douse his business and throw cold water on his life. She keeps the relationship from her parents, while still dating Wade. Without much effort, the two discover dads leaky pipes could be related to a dam break that threatens everyone. Considering Element City looks as high-tech as Shanghai, youd think the city would have discovered its dam problem. Instead, the two devise a way to patch it (shes a whiz at glass blowing, go figure) and try to see what life is like in the others world. A visit to Wades family is particularly good (Catherine OHara voices his mother), because the Ripples are easy criers. Naturally, one of the relatives is fluent with watercolors. And so it goes. While much of this could exist as a companion to Zootopia, director Peter Sohn shies away from the stereotypes that made that film work. Here, all of the elements are seen as good in their own communities. When theyre in anothers, theyre viewed as suspect. Its an interesting take but one that doesnt produce many laughs. The film also doesnt offer alternatives. Isnt there a mate for Ember in the Fire community? Similarly, has Wade failed to enter the Water dating pool? After a while, it becomes too difficult to question the choices (a child flame, for example, sucks on a bottle of lighter fluid) and make sense of the story. Theres not much here but there is an attempt to show how the world can live in harmony, if everyone budges. Call it woke, if you will, but it amounts to a watered-down allegory that manufactures a pot of gold before it even finds the rainbow. Overnight Experience at the Warming Shelter St. John Lutheran Church, in partnership with the Warming Shelter, 916 Nebraska St., has postponed its overnight experience scheduled for Friday, June 23. No new date yet has been scheduled. Pancake Breakfast St. John Lutheran Church, 2801 Jackson St., will host a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., on Saturday, June 24, in the southern parking lot. Menu will include pancakes, sausage, eggs, coffee, juice, milk, butter, and syrup. Free will offering for breakfast will go to the St. John Food Pantry. Summer Worship St. Mark Lutheran Church ELCA begins Wednesday evening worship in the summer months at 7 p.m. All are welcome for this brief service of prayer, scripture, and Holy Communion. St. Mark is in the east Morningside neighborhood at 5200 Glenn Ave. Food pantry St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 1200 Douglas St., will have its food pantry open from 10 a.m. to noon Mondays. RANDOLPH, Neb. -- A Randolph resident has filed a lawsuit to keep an emotional support dog city leaders say is a pit bull that's prohibited from living within city limits under Randolph's dangerous dog ordinance. Kandice Cooke says that by ordering her to remove her dog, the Randolph City Council is denying her right to reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and is also violating the Fair Housing Act. She's seeking more than $13.3 million for emotional trauma, mental anguish, time spent challenging the city's ruling and 43 years of medication and therapy expenses if she has to give up her dog. "My life has been in turmoil ever since I moved here," Cooke said in the lawsuit against the city and city council filed in U.S. District Court in Omaha. Cooke, who is representing herself, has asked a judge to expedite the case and issue a no-contact order against the city, whose police chief she says has harassed her. Cooke said she's been ticketed four times totaling $400 for violating the city ordinance by continuing to keep the dog. Cooke said she moved from Minnesota to Randolph on March 22 and the following day went to city hall to set up utility accounts and register her dog, Rufus. Unable to register him without a vaccination record, Cooke returned the following day and said the city clerk notified her of the city's dangerous dog ordinance when she listed Rufus as a pit bull. The city's dangerous dog ordinance prohibits American pit bull terriers, American Staffordshire terriers and Staffordshire bull terriers within city limits but says the breeds are permissible if the dog is a certified service animal. Cooke said Rufus is a boxer-pit bull mix, mostly boxer, but she had to register him as a pit bull because that's what his previous owners who surrendered him to the Humane Society called him. She said the Humane Society and her veterinarian were required to list Rufus as a pit bull because of the previous owners' statement. Cooke said after she explained Rufus' background, the city clerk allowed her to register the dog. The next day, Cooke said, a police officer came to her house and said Rufus was not allowed within city limits because he's a pit bull. Cooke said she was issued a warning citation when she tried to explain Rufus was an emotional support dog she'd had for three years. At an April 12 city council meeting, Cooke asked council members to approve her dog license application under the service animal exception. Two days later, she said, the council ruled against her and said Rufus needed to be removed by April 30 or the city would impound him. Randolph mayor Dwayne Schutt said Cooke's documentation doesn't make it clear that Rufus is a service animal. "If it was a true service dog and had all the correct paperwork, then we would abide by it," Schutt said. "With the right paperwork, we would have no problem." Cooke said she's supplied documents from two psychologists and her treating physician supporting her need for a support animal. Rufus also is licensed with the state of Nebraska as an emotional support animal and is certified by the Assistance Dogs of America, Cooke said. She could pay for genetic testing to determine if Rufus is more boxer than pit bull, but has no plans to do so. "It doesn't matter. He hasn't qualified under the (city's) criteria for a vicious animal," she said. Cooke said the situation has caused her to have panic attacks and PTSD flashbacks, and she can't afford to move because she spent all her money buying her home in Randolph. EDITOR'S NOTE: This years Iowa legislative session was massively consequential, criticized by some Iowans and praised by others. The laws passed, from tax cuts to school regulations, will influence the everyday lives of people across the state for years to come. We wanted to know how these actions and others by the state government affect the everyday lives of people across the state. What they like, what they dont like, where they see our leaders falling short and what they think needs more attention. This story is part of a larger series involving the Sioux City Journal and other Lee Enterprises newspapers in Iowa. The series, What do Iowans Want? attempts to find out what people across the state think about how the government is working for them. SIOUX CITY Garie Lewis has been suffering from Long COVID since last August. Due to a "cocktail of symptoms," including brain fog, leg weakness, nausea and swollen, itchy eyes, the self-employed comedian, writer, artist, digital creator and painter has been unable to work. Lewis, a registered Democrat who has lived in Sioux City for the last 23 years, said his health and the financial issues it has caused are the biggest challenges he's currently facing. "I've been to just about every 'ologist' except for a cosmetologist. The No. 1 answer from just about every medical person I've seen is, 'We don't know,' and that gets pretty frustrating," the 60-year-old said. "I'm lucky that I qualified for Medicaid. Medicaid is taking care of me. If funds for that get cut, that's going to send me back to the old days of just not going to a doctor." What Iowans Want Garie Lewis talks about the issues he wishes local government would focus more attention on in Sioux City, Iowa, Thursday, May 4, 2023. Lewis is in the process of filing for disability benefits, which he described as "super frustrating." He said government needs to take better care of people. "I've learned a lot about this system and what people go through to get any kind of help. I've already been told be prepared to be denied, rejected, at least twice, maybe three times and, after the first one, you've got to get a lawyer," Lewis said. "I'm just wondering how many people out there are legitimately disabled from something that can't afford a lawyer." Lewis, who voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 election, is sick of the divisiveness that he sees in government -- one side being labeled as the "bad guys" and the other side as the "good guys." "That works for WWE wrestling. But when it comes to running a country, it's just gonna lead to a whole bunch of trouble, and it already has," he said. "The people of the United States are the government, and we just need to stand up and say this is what we want it to be and figure out that we've got more in common with each other than we do any politician." What Iowans Want Garie Lewis talks about the issues he wishes local government would focus more attention on in Sioux City, Iowa, Thursday, May 4, 2023. Lewis was born in Wagner, South Dakota, but he grew up in Rock Rapids, Iowa, where he attended grade school and high school. Lewis has also lived in Le Mars, Iowa; Omaha, Nebraska; Wichita, Kansas, and the Bloomington-Normal, Illinois, area. He sought the Democratic nomination for a seat on the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors in 2018. In the primary, Lewis was defeated by Carter Smith, who went on to lose the election to Republican Matthew Ung. "I like it here. I'm comfortable here. I grew up here," Lewis said of why he currently lives in Iowa and in Sioux City. "I feel it's taken me a while, but I feel like I've become a part of this community, which blows me away sometimes." Lewis said he thinks "there's something to fight for here" and "there's something to work for here." He wants to get back to "real human values other than just somebody else's ideals of what they are." "I'd like to see them concentrate more on infrastructure, roads, housing, medical care, senior care, childcare," he said of lawmakers. "I'd like to see people realize that taking care of their brothers and sisters is one of the founding principles of most of the religions in this country and the founding of our government." What Iowans Want Garie Lewis tells a story about performing a comedy routine on stage with Tommy Chong during an interview at Pierce Street Coffee Works in Sio What Iowans Want Garie Lewis talks about the issues he wishes local government would focus more attention on in Sioux City, Iowa, Thursday, May 4, 2023. Responsible gun control is another top issue for Lewis, who served in the National Guard for six years. He said he went through a phase where he wanted an M16 of his own, since the weapon was constantly with him during basic training and advanced individual training. "There were times I slept with that weapon and it just became a part of who I was as a soldier," he explained. "But, the thing is, I'm not a soldier anymore. I don't need one of those. And, I don't think anybody needs an M16-type weapon or an AR-15-type weapon. If they say they need one, then, they're fooling themselves." WASHINGTON President Joe Biden on Thursday pronounced the U.S.-India relationship never stronger and rolled out new business deals with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as human rights activists and American lawmakers questioned the administration's decision to honor the leader with a pomp-filled state visit. In a joint news conference with Modi, Biden called the relationship between the U.S. and India among the most consequential in the world and "more dynamic than at any time in history." He underscored how two of the world's most powerful democracies were cooperating on issues such as the climate, health care and space, saying the U.S-India economic relationship is "booming." Modi bristled at a reporter's question about his country's commitment to democratic values as the country has seen an erosion of religious, political and press freedoms under his watch. "Democracy is our spirit," Modi, who rarely takes questions from journalists, said through an interpreter. "Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy and our ancestors have actually put words to this concept." He said India "proved that democracies can deliver and when I say deliver, this is regardless of class, creed, religion, gender." Yet Modi has faced criticism over legislation amending the country's citizenship law that fast-tracks naturalization for some migrants but excludes Muslims, a rise in violence against Muslims and other religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, and the recent conviction of India's top opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, for mocking Modi's surname. Later in his address to a joint meeting of Congress, Modi insisted that in India "diversity is a natural way of life." "We are home to all faiths in the world, and we celebrate all of them," he added, bringing many cheering lawmakers to their feet. A group of more than 70 lawmakers wrote to Biden this week urging him to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms during the visit. At least six Democratic lawmakers Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Greg Casar of Texas, Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York boycotted Modi's address because of concerns about his human rights records. "When it comes to standing up for human rights, actions speak louder than words," Bush, Tlaib, Omar and Bowman said in a joint statement. "By bestowing Prime Minister Modi with the rare honor of a joint address, Congress undermines its ability to be a credible advocate for the rights of religious minorities and journalists around the world." The state visit, just the third of the Biden's presidency, was certainly a glitzy affair. Thousands gathered on the White House South Lawn for the welcoming ceremony. At the event, Modi called the Indian diaspora in America the millions of immigrants and their children from the subcontinent living in the U.S. "the real strength" of the U.S.-India relationship. He said the honor of a formal state visit the first in the U.S. for India since 2009 reflected the positive impact Indians are having worldwide. Standing beside Modi, Biden emphasized that press, religious and other fundamental freedoms should be at the core of how both democracies operate. During their Oval Office meeting, Biden said he and Modi had a "good discussion about democratic values" while Modi said "there's absolutely no space for discrimination" when pressed about his own commitment on human rights. Later, Modi told Congress that "our partnership augurs well for the future of democracy" as the two countries expand partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and other industries. He also cheered the "samosa caucus"the six U.S. House members of Indian descentand Vice President Kamala Harris, who is Black and of Indian descent, as examples of the impact of diaspora. Biden administration officials say honoring Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is Diplomacy 101. The U.S.-India relationship will be vital in coming decades as both sides navigate an ascendant China, climate change, artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience and other issues. Among the announcements Thursday is an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. The Biden administration also is coming out with plans to bolster India's semiconductor industry. U.S.-based Micron Technology agreed to build a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending $800 million and India financing the rest. U.S.-based Applied Materials is announcing it will launch a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers. India will sign on to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA's lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization also agreed to make a joint mission to the International Space Station next year. Biden and Modi have had differences over Russia's war in Ukraine. Modi, before Congress, said the war is causing great pain in Ukraine and having residual effects on Europe and beyond. Later Thursday, Modi attended a lavish White House state dinner in his honor. DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Family members of a man killed in the partial collapse of a Davenport apartment building have filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Branden Colvin Sr. was one of three men who died in The Davenport after the six-story apartment building's exterior west wall fell on May 28. Six defendants are named in the lawsuit: building owner Andrew Wold; Wold-held properties Davenport Hotel, LLC and Andrew Wold Investments, LLC; Select Structural Engineering, LLC; Bi-State Masonry, Inc.; and the City of Davenport. The suit was filed Wednesday by the estate of Branden Colvin Sr, which is co-administered by Ashley Christian and Noah Peterson. Colvin Sr.'s children also are part of the suit, filing as individuals. They are: Peterson, Branden Colvin Jr., Brittney Colvin, and minor children identified as "E.H." and "N.J." The family is represented by attorneys Rick Keys of Keys Law Offices in Rock Island, as well as Brian Galligan and Amber Haberl of Galligan Law PC in Des Moines. It is the sixth lawsuit filed in the wake of the building's collapse, and is the first alleging wrongful death. Ryan Hitchcock and Daniel Prien also were killed in the collapse. 'Alive under the rubble' The Colvin family's filing offers a stark narrative about the collapse. The suit alleges Colvin Sr. was in his fifth-floor apartment when he was " ... violently swept from his apartment, falling with the debris and buried under multiple feet of rubble." It alleges he " ... remained alive under the rubble, potentially for days, until he later died." Colvin Sr.'s body was recovered June 3. The narrative outlines allegations of negligence against Wold, Select Structural Engineering, Bi-State Masonry, and the city, and includes information from Shauna Dixon, who lived in The Davenport in April 2023. Dixon called The Davenport's management and reported that " ... her wall was bowing, her window frame was pulling away from the wall and the floor was uneven, observing that the 'floor and wall were really soft.'" The filing notes Dixon sent the building's management an email stating, "I don't want to fall out of the building one day." Dixon was moved to a building "across the street" from The Davenport. The filing alleges "No other tenants of The Davenport were moved or notified by management of Ms. Dixon's concerns." Negligence and punitive damages The filing alleges a count of negligence and a count of punitive damages against each defendant except Bi-State Masonry, which was listed as a defendant but is not included in the details of the counts. Count 1: Negligence. The Colvin family alleges the defendants knew of should have known about the condition of The Davenport and the threat that posed to its tenants. Count 2: Punitive damages. The conduct of defendants showed "wanton disregard" for Colvin Sr.'s "safety, welfare and interests." Previous lawsuits Broc Nelson filed a lawsuit Wednesday, the fifth since the May 28 partial collapse of the six-story apartment building. The suit named nine defendants, including building owner Andrew Wold and the city of Davenport. Three Wold corporations also are named in the lawsuit: Davenport Hotel, LLC; Andrew Wold Investments, LLC; Village Property Management, LLC. Two companies that worked on the building are named as defendants: Select Structural Engineering, LLC and Bi-State Masonry, Inc. The suit also names Waukee Investments, which sold the building to Wold in 2021, and Parkwild Properties, LC, which managed the property for Waukee Investments. Nelson was in his apartment when a large portion of the west wall collapsed. He described being "thrown around" and inhaling dust as he made his way out of the building as alarm rang out. Jennifer Smith and Dionte McMath, owners of 4th Street Nutrition, along with residents Brandy Wheelhouse, Michelle Vivians, Phillip Brooks and Mildred Harrington, are represented by John T. Flynn, Camille E. Kahn, and Paige E. Hillyer of Brubaker, Flynn & Darland PC. Through their attorney, they filed a lawsuit June 12 in Scott County District Court against Wold and two of his business interests, Davenport Hotel LLC and Andrew Wold Investments LLC. The suit also listed as defendants the city of Davenport and the citys former chief building official, Pradhan. This suit was the first filed in connection with the apartment buildings collapse that named Pradhan as a defendant. She resigned from her city post shortly after the collapse. Former residents Lexus Berry and Quanishia White-Berry filed a lawsuit June 7 against Davenport Hotel LLC, Wold, Andrew Wold Investments, Village Property Management, Alliance Contracting, Select Structural Engineering, Bi-State Masonry, the city of Davenport, Waukee Investments and Parkwild Properties. The couple was inside their apartment at the time of collapse, and Quanishia was trapped and rescued after an on-site amputation of her left leg about eight hours later. They are represented by Andrew M. Stroth of Action Injury Law Group; Steven A. Hart of Hart McLaughlin & Eldridge; and Ronald A. May of Gomez May. Former tenant Mildred Harrington and nearby building resident Rijeh Garnett filed litigation June 2 against Davenport Hotel LLC, which manages The Davenport, and are seeking unspecified damages. According to court records, more plaintiffs could join the suit, represented by Harrington and Garnett as a class action suit. Former tenant Dayna Feuerbach filed a civil suit June 5 against Wold, Davenport Hotel LLC, Andrew Wold Investments LLC, Select Structural Engineering, LLC, Bi-State Masonry, Inc., the city of Davenport, Waukee Investments I LLC and Parkwild Properties LC. Feuerbach, represented by attorney Jeffrey Goodman of the Philadelphia-based firm of Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky and Christopher D. Stombaugh of Platteville, Wisconsin-based firm DiCello Levitt, alleges that the defendants knew of problems with The Davenport that threatened the safety of its residents but didn't act to remove them from danger prior to the collapse. Iowas Department of Education director has resigned after a three-month stint on the job. Chad Aldis, who was hired in March to replace outgoing Education Department Director Ann Lebo, has resigned from the office for family reasons, Gov. Kim Reynolds office announced Thursday. Reynolds has appointed McKenzie Snow, the current deputy secretary of education for Virginia, to replace Aldis as director of the department. While a leadership change at this time was unexpected, I respect why its necessary. I want to thank Director Aldis for his service, and I wish him and his family the very best, Reynolds said in a news release. Aldis offered no further details in a brief resignation letter obtained by Lee Enterprises, dated May 26. In the letter, he called his appointment as head of the department the honor of a lifetime. It is therefore with regret that, for family reasons, I submit this letter of resignation effective June 30, he said. When I am no longer in this role, Ill be cheering your successes from afar as you continue to put the needs of students first and work to lift achievement for all Iowa children. Snow will start on June 26, and Aldis will remain through June 30 to help with the transition, the governors office said. Snow previously worked in Republican former President Donald Trumps administration, and as a K-12 policy director under former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Reynolds praised Snows leadership in Virginia and New Hampshire, as well as her experience with the U.S. Department of Education and in the White House. She has worked to expand career and technical education opportunities that empower students to earn a credential or credit, implement the Science of Reading to drive literacy, and promote transparency and student-centered funding, she said. A group funded by DeVos family, The American Federation for Children, spent nearly $257,000 in Iowas 2022 primary elections to help elect Republican candidates for the Iowa Legislature who supported Reynolds proposal for state-funded private school tuition assistance. In the press release, Snow commended Reynolds education policies. All children regardless of their background or zip code deserve a great education that inspires and prepares them for the future, she said. Together, we will continue to build upon Iowas commitment to educational excellence for all children. She was also a division director for the New Hampshire Department of Education, and a policy director for the Foundation for Excellence in Education, an education reform think tank founded by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. The foundation has advocated for expanding charter schools and taxpayer assistance for private schools. Snows salary in her role with the Virginia Department of Education was $88,000 in 2022, according to state data. The nation is watching what were doing in Virginia and McKenzie Snow knows first-hand what it takes to build a best-in-class education partnership with parents, families and educators, Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement provided by Reynolds office. The incredible record Gov. Reynolds has amassed on education for all Iowans will be strengthened by McKenzies appointment and I am proud of what she will bring to the Reynolds Administration. Snow will take over the department as it charts implementation of the private school tuition assistance program, which lawmakers passed and Reynolds signed in January. The program, Reynolds key legislative priority this year, was expected to cost $107 million in the first year, but applications have already exceeded expectations. Snow is subject to a two-thirds confirmation in the Senate during the next legislative session. Aldis was confirmed largely along party lines, with support of Republicans and three Democrats, earlier this year. Aldis, who was hired shortly after the education savings account program was signed into law, faced opposition by Democrats because he had never worked as an educator or school administrator. He was most recently a policy leader at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a school choice and charter school think tank. Photos: Gov. Kim Reynolds delivers the condition of the state address DES MOINES Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has agreed to settlements in three lawsuits that alleged her office violated state law by failing to respond to open records requests in a timely manner. Under the terms of one settlement, the governors office agreed to allow a state district court to resolve any future open records disputes with three plaintiffs that may arise over the next year. The settlements were approved Wednesday afternoon by the Iowa State Appeals Board; they now must be given final approval by a district court judge. The state will pay roughly $135,000 the entirety of which will cover legal fees to settle Belin v. Reynolds, according to state records. In that case, two Iowa news organizations and an advocacy group for government transparency argued the governors office violated state open records laws by taking between five and 18 months to fulfill open records requests in 2020 and 2021. The governors office fulfilled the requests in January of 2022, a month after the lawsuit was filed. The governors office then tried to have the lawsuit dismissed because, its attorneys argued, the suit was no longer necessary after the records requests were fulfilled. The Iowa Supreme Court in April ruled the lawsuit could proceed. The state agreed to settle the case after that ruling, according to state records. Reynolds has maintained that a large number of open records requests and an increased workload in general during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the delayed responses from her office. A condition of the settlement is that the governors office does not admit to a violation of state law. The COVID-19 response put unprecedented demands on the governors team to meet the immediate needs of Iowans. As a result, responses to requests were unintentionally delayed, which is not acceptable, Kollin Crompton, the governors spokesman, said in an emailed statement. Our office has assessed our internal processes and we continue to reevaluate the process to improve timeliness. Staff for the ACLU of Iowa, which represented the plaintiffs in the case, said the organization will make a public statement once the settlement is given final approval by the district court. State officials debate who should pay Iowa Attorney General Brenna Birds office approved the settlement agreement, as did two of the three members of the State Appeals Board: Department of Management Director Kraig Paulsen, and Iowa Treasurer Roby Smith. All are Republicans. Appeals board member and Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, voted against the settlement Wednesday after expressing his opposition to its being paid by the state. Sand argued that state law says any fines related to open records violations should be paid, as stated in state law, by the particular persons who were assessed damages. I really dont think its appropriate here for us to take the taxpayers funds to settle these cases when the law would require that the folks who did it be held personally responsible, Sand said during the appeals board hearing. Were not going to encourage compliance or even attempted compliance if we look at a case where there was no response whatsoever for months or years and cover it for them. Paulsen defended the governors office, noting the increased workload and number of records requests during the pandemic. I don't know this, I havent had this conversation with her, but I think Im comfortable saying she prioritized Iowans and Iowans safety and security above some of these requests, Paulsen said during the meeting. In particular, in this case where the lead plaintiff is a partisan blogger. Laura Belins Bleeding Heartland site covers Iowa government and politics news from a liberal perspective. The Iowa Capital Dispatch is a nonpartisan government and politics news site, and the Iowa Freedom of Information Council is a nonpartisan advocate for government transparency. Other Iowa media organizations also said the state was taking months to fulfill their open records requests at the time. Two more lawsuits settled In the cases of Rasmussen v. Reynolds and Rasmussen v. Iowa Department of Public Health, the settlement calls for the state to pay roughly $39,000, also to cover attorneys fees only. In that case, Suzette Rasmussen, of Utah, had argued Iowa Department of Public Health failed to properly fulfill a request for information on the states contract with a Utah-based company to provide COVID-19 tests. Photos: Quad Cities High School Apprenticeship Signing Day DES MOINES Differences over a hard line on when to send U.S. troops to Ukraine and over ethanol policy were among the few contrasts to emerge during a televised debate Saturday night between the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate in Iowa. Mike Franken, a retired three-star admiral in the U.S. Navy from Sioux City, was the only candidate to establish a scenario under which he would send U.S. troops to Ukraine to assist in the countrys defense against Russias military invasion, which is in its third month. There are issues associated with being the worlds broad-shouldered democracy. And I do believe though if (Russian President) Vladimir Putin uses a nuclear weapon against Ukraine, like-minded countries like the United States and others should put American souls along with other nations to help pick up the pieces internal to Ukraine, Franken said. Thats a red line. We must step forward, we cannot let the use of weapons of mass destruction against a large population and a democracy ever be used and go without retort. Abby Finkenauer, a former congresswoman and state legislator from Cedar Rapids, and Glenn Hurst, a physician from Minden, both said the United States should support economic sanctions on Russia and provide assistance like weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, but should not devote U.S. troops. I support making sure that we are doing everything we can short of sending in U.S. troops to support Ukraine, whether that is additional spending that were sending over, in terms of weapons, in terms of making sure they have what they need, Finkenauer said. Said Hurst, We should be sending humanitarian efforts to all of the refugees that are pouring into Poland and countries surrounding the Ukraine. We should be opening up the borders here in Iowa to bring more refugees to our community. Finkenauer, Franken and Hurst are vying for the Democratic Partys nomination in Iowas 2022 U.S. Senate campaign. The incumbent is Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is running for an eighth six-year term. He also faces a primary challenge, from Sioux City lawyer and state legislator Jim Carlin. Grassley is widely expected to survive the primary challenge, and the three Democrats clearly agree, as all took turns criticizing Iowas longtime U.S. senator. Iowas primary election is June 7. Early voting begins May 18. The second and only other scheduled TV debate for the Senate Democratic primary will be on Iowa PBS and its statewide affiliates. That debate will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. on May 19. The candidates also had varied viewpoints on ethanol policy. The renewable fuels industry supports roughly 37,000 jobs in Iowa and accounts for nearly $4 billion of the states GDP, according to the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Finkenauer said she supports President Joe Bidens use of an emergency rule to lift the federal ban on the higher E15 blend of ethanol being sold during the summer driving months. She also said the federal government must ensure oil companies are complying with federal ethanol blending regulations. This is the time when we should be using what Iowa does best, and we should be making sure that we are supporting that industry, Finkenauer said. But (also) make sure that these big oil companies arent just skirting the rules. Franken said he also supports the year-round sale of E15, but said that should be considered a temporary solution. He said the government should be looking for alternative uses for ethanol, such as in airplane or ship fuel, or for power generation. Weve got the latitude and the topsoil and the initiative and the intelligence in this state to reconstruct the energy grid, Franken said. And ethanol will be on the helpful side. Hurst said the government should move away from financing ethanol production because more new vehicles will be powered by electricity. He said the government should encourage Iowa farmers to produce another crop, and as an example cited hemp and its oils and fibers. Vehicles are going to be (electric-powered), and we can as a state either try to squeeze every little last drop out of ethanol as we can, or we can take a progressive idea of introducing a third crop into our duopoly of corn and soy and make it a profitable center, a profitable market for Iowa farmers, Hurst said. In a statement, Republican Party of Iowa Chair Jeff Kaufmann said the Democratic candidates in Iowas U.S. Senate campaign hold extreme positions that are out-of-step with Iowans. Iowans know these candidates dont have the spine to stand up to Joe Biden and their national party, Kaufmann said in the statement. As inflation continues to skyrocket, the crisis at the border gets worse, and the future of our country looks more and more bleak, these Democrats only solution is to continue down the path toward socialism. The hourlong debate was hosted and broadcast live by four Iowa TV stations: KCCI-TV in Des Moines, KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids, KTIV-TV in Sioux City and KWQC-TV in Davenport. Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com The War and Treaty, a husband and wife duo (Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter), has a musical style that combines soul, blues, southern rock and country. But when the couple signed a major label deal with Universal Music Group (UMG) Nashville a company known primarily for country artists the decision was met with some industry trepidation. Though The War and Treatys Lovers Game --the couples third album and debut album with a major label earned critical acclaim when its was released in March, Michael Trotter admitted the overall reaction was a bit muted. Talent alone isnt enough for a Black artist or any artist of color when making what is perceived to be a country album, he explained. You must also prove that you truly deserve a seat at the table. Then, you have to demonstrate that audiences will actually buy what youre selling. war and treaty 2 The War and Treaty, a duo made up of married couple Tanya and Michael Trotter Jr., have a musical style that combines soul, blues, southern ro Michael, a U.S. Army Iraqi War veteran, said that was frustrating for both him and Tanya, who was born to a Black father and a Panamanian mother. While Lovers Game was produced by Dave Cobb (best known for his work with country stars like Brandi Carlile and John Prine), it isnt strictly a country album, he noted. Tanya and I still had to overcome some extra hurdles. This wasnt new for the couple, who were the first African-Americans to perform a duet on an Academy of Country Music Awards telecast. Nor was it new for Tanya Trotter, who had started out as a child actor and made her movie debut in Sister Act 2 at age 16. Were lucky to have a strong fan base and a record label who believes in us, she said. That goes a long way. Best known for the breakout hit Hi Ho as well as such soul-stirring anthems like Down to the River and Set My Soul on Fire, The War and Treaty will be performing on the Main Stage at Grandview Park as part of July 1s Saturday in the Park. the war and treaty 1 The critically-acclaimed The War and Treaty will be coming to Saturday in the Park's Main Stage at 6:30 p.m. July 1. While acknowledging that their eclectic sound makes them hard to pigeonhole, Michael said it isnt necessarily a problem limited to Black entertainers. Chris Stapleton is categorized as a country artist even though his sound is closer to the blues, Michael allowed. The same was also true of Jerry Lee Lewis who was called country but was a blues artist at heart. Tanya said she likes creating music that defies labels because it give The War and Treaty its edge. We dont want to jump on a bandwagon that will be hot for the next six months or the next six years, she said. When you think of performers like Nina Simone or Ray Charles or Frank Sinatra, they made music which can be studied 60 years after it was recorded. Michael Trotter agreed with his wife up to a point. I dont think Nina Simone recorded Forbidden Fruit with the idea that people would study it decades later, he said. Instead, she was creating art that was relevant to her at a very specific time. It was the same thing with Harry Belafonte who recorded great music in response to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Michael continued. Art can grow out of an experience or from a movement. From the current crop of performers, he said, Jason Isbell and Amanda Sire are making music that is both artistic, authentic and will likely stand the test of time. Tanya Trotter quickly adds another name to that roster and it happens to be fellow Saturday in the Park performers. When I heard wed be on the same bill as Earth, Wind and Fire, I had to do a little twirl, she said with a laugh. They soundtracked every summer picnic my family ever had. Earth, Wind and Fire proved you can be authentic and positive at the same time, Tanya added. If it wasnt for them, I wouldnt have known there was such a thing as Black hippies. gettyimagesbank Arrest warrant sought for mother accused of killing 2 newborn babies By Jun Ji-hye The discovery of two infants who were apparently murdered by their mother and stored in a refrigerator has once again exposed serious loopholes in the country's system of managing newborn babies that relies only on parents to register childbirths. This has left 2,236 out of some 2.6 million babies who were born from 2015 until last year without any record of registration, while it remains unclear whether they are alive or dead, according to the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), Thursday. The state auditor singled out 23 unregistered babies among the 2,236 and instructed local governments to check if they are alive. This led to the confirmations of at least three babies that have died, and among them, the two dead newborns were discovered at a home in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, apparently murdered by their mother. In a bid to prevent newborns from being left unregistered and becoming "ghost babies," the government has pushed for a new system obligating medical institutions to notify local governments of childbirths. But this has made slow progress due to opposition from the medical community citing an increased administrative burden. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency sought an arrest warrant on Thursday for the mother accused of killing her two newborn babies and storing their bodies in a refrigerator at home. The woman in her 30s allegedly strangled the two babies to death. After giving birth to them at hospitals, she allegedly killed one baby at home in November 2018 and the other near the hospital in November 2019, just one day after they were born. According to police, she confessed to killing the infants due to her poor financial condition as she was already raising three children. Her husband told police he believed her when she told him she had an abortion. Police in Hwaseong are investigating a separate case involving child abandonment. During police questioning, the mother of a baby said she had given the infant to a person she got to know on an internet chatroom less than a month after giving birth. Police launched investigations into these two cases after the BAI's audit of the Ministry of Health and Welfare that began in March. The inspection focused on babies whose births were not registered despite records of being delivered at hospitals, as the government faces increasing calls to root out child abuse cases. The latest cases had remained hidden for years due mainly to the current system that requires only parents to register a baby's birth. Medical institutions are not obligated to do that. This has often led to cases of child abuse as the government faced difficulties in taking preemptive action to protect children who remain invisible because they are not registered. In March, a mother was arrested in relation to the death of a 76-day-old baby from a serious case of malnutrition. The mother did not register the birth of her baby, either. A newborn care unit at a postpartum care center / Korea Times file Hot Dawgit, the Grandview Park Bandshell will turn into a Boogie Wonderland when the Mighty, Mighty Earth, Wind & Fire comes to Sioux Citys Saturday in the Park. Wait, arent they coming in September? Hell, no! Keep Your Head in the Sky because there will be a Shining Star beaming down on the Sioux City Metro area on July 1. Get ready to Spread Your Love while showing Devotion to the Sun Goddess. After all, you Cant Hide Love and thats no Fantasy, either here or in Jupiter. So, Lets Groove while we Sing a Song since thats The Way of the World as we make a fast Getaway, because, um ... phew ... we cant think of any more EWF hits. Welcome to this special Blues City Journal edition of the Weekender, where we partner with Saturday in the Park (SITP) for blanket coverage of Siouxlands Premier Music Festival. 2022 Saturday in the Park Fireworks end the night after Saturday in the Park at Grandview Park in 2022. Since 1991, SITP has been packing in Grandview Park with upwards of 25,000 people on the closest weekend to Independence Day. Whats the draw? A Whos Who of Musical Greatness that includes everybody from Bonnie Raitt, Jason Isbell & the 400 Units to Cee-Lo Green. This year is no exception. In the 2023 edition of the Blues City Journal, well hear from the legendary Philip Bailey as he ponders a half-century career with Earth, Wind & Fire. 2022 Saturday in the Park The Avett Brothers perform on the Main Stage during Saturday in the Park at Grandview Park in Sioux City, Iowa, Saturday, July 2, 2022. Plus well introduce you to Tanya and Michael Trotter Jr., the married couple behind the critically acclaimed The War and Treaty. When I heard wed be on the same bill as Earth, Wind and Fire, I had to do a little twirl, Tanya Trotter told the Weekender. They soundtracked every summer picnic my family ever had. Earth, Wind and Fire proved you can be authentic and positive at the same time, Tanya added with a laugh. If it wasnt for them, I wouldnt have known there was such a thing as Black hippies. In addition to The War and Treaty and EWF, the Main Stage will feature blues rockers Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton, along with such starry-eyed locals as Winter Wayfarer and Siouxlands Choice Award winner Dane Louis. 2022 Saturday in the Park Kevin McKeown of Black Pistol Fire performs on the Abe Stage during Saturday in the Park at Grandview Park in Sioux City, Iowa, Saturday, July 2022 Saturday in the Park Fireworks end the night after Saturday in the Park at Grandview Park in Sioux City, Iowa, Saturday, July 2, 2022. Plus the alternative Abe Stage will have a grab bag of young artists like rapper Armani White (famous for his single Billie Eilish) and hip-hops Cal Scruby, who is a seminal talent with a cult-like following. But wait, theres more. SITP is also the place for the Kids Zone, Arts Alley and one fantastic food vendor after another. Youll get a sneak peek of them in this Blues City Journal as well. Wow, thats a lot of gnarly stuff, right? We agree. Excuse us while we head off to bed. After so much time spent inside of the Boogie Wonderland, were all tuckered out. The Tired Nurse Sioux Falls, S.D. With a wicked sense of humor, we have products that focus on promoting mental wellness; physical & mental wellness go hand-in-hand. Adult-themed affirmation jars, lavender-infused weighted eye pillows. No roll bandannas and much more.Life happens, laugh it off. Bio Chi Institute/Mind & Body Connection Sioux City BCI Institute students are back again this year to offer relaxing chair massages. Enjoy a chair massage in the shade or try Ashiatsu Bars on one of the tables. This is a great way to reduce stress & make the best of your day. Massages start at $5. Mystic Treasures Schaumburg, Ill. We are excited to return to Saturday in the Park Music Festival! Come check us out at the Arts Alley! Mystic Treasures is a family owned small business, and we are happy to share treasures from South America and other parts of the world. Come purchase a unique item! 2021 Saturday in the Park Crowds of people walk through Arts Alley during Saturday in the Park at Grandview Park in Sioux City on July 3, 2021. Christys Crystals Mankato, Minn. Christys Crystals has a wide variety of crystals to help you on your healing journey. Cosmic Dyes Linwood, Kan. Hand-Dyed Clothing for children and adults. Custom Wood Artistry - Peever, S.D. Beautiful wood trays, plaques and more by Custom Wood Artistry. Always something for the person who has everything. Come see us at Saturday in the Park. Preview our items at customwoodartistry.com Hello Madame Sioux City I sell many items made by hand: shoes, bracelets, jewelry etc., with beads. 0ccult Creati0ns Sioux City 0ccult Creati0ns is all about helping YOU! I create jewelry, spell jars and lots of other things with the intention to help others grow and heal. If you need a creativity boost or maybe you struggle with anxiety, I have something just for you! Live Laugh and Shop Sioux Center, Iowa We have some unique items. One of a kind. Come check us out. I know you will find something you like at our booth. On the Rocks - Independence, La. On the Rocks stones, SSC native that enjoys coming home to participate in Saturday in the Park, and rock with the Sioux City community! Im a crystal jewelry designer specializing in one-of-a-kind crystal jewelry, all hand crafted with love and infused with Reiki. Stop by the purple tent and say hello! The Necklace Guys Council Bluffs, Iowa Necklaces! Anklets! Bracelets! The Necklace Guys have plenty! Stop by with you friends and see what you like! Sidekick Caricatures Correctionville, Iowa Stop by and have your caricature done by Kim Boyle. With 30 years of experience, she will give you quality and a very funny piece of art work! Sunny Day Creations Ames, Iowa Tie-dye and Bahk for infants, youth and adults. TJs Trove - Madison, S.D. Handmade wood, leather & acrylic jewelry. Laser-engraved can coolers, spoons, jewelry boxes and keychains. Denim jackets embellished. Josina Supplies LLC - West Des Moines, Iowa Beautiful handmade African crafts made from wood, soapstone and banana fiber. Heatherly Studios Sioux Falls, S.D. Heatherly Studios offers an eclectic array of artwork, accessories, decor and designs on wood and textiles. Jewelry Junkies Sioux City Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings (including toe rings), Tin Signs (very funny), purses and more! Stainless steal bracelets with a secret message on the inside. Something for EVERYONE. You dont want to miss this booth! Beckys Jewelry Mankato, Minn. Beckys Jewelry offers a wide variety of jewelry including hand-wrapped pendants with natural stones, rings, bracelets, earrings and hair accessories. She also makes suncatchers, dreamcatchers and more. Come see whats new this year. The Expansion Center Sioux City The Expansion Center on Historic 4th , focuses on Mind, Body & Spirit. Retail, services, and workshops support your personal growth journey. Retail includes teas, crystals, tarot decks, books, journals, candles, jewelry and other metaphysical products. Services include sound baths, spiritual reads, reiki, and yoga. FB: @theexpansioncentersiouxland. TAT2U- Omaha, Neb. TAT2U temporary tattoos are back! After a break for COVID we are excited to be returning to Saturday in the park to offer fun for all ages. We have over 700 designs for your temporary tattoo- it is great for young and old alike. Stop in to see us & pick out a new tattoo or two for the weekend. Quichua Crafts- Norridge, Ill. Clothing- Sundresses, sweaters, bajas and flare pants. Jewelry: Necklaces, bracelets, rings and earring. Accessories: Should bags, dreamcatchers, marble figures, plush toys, and bucket hats. Under the Rainbow Under the Rainbow offers a unique variety of handmade jewelry such as rings, pendants, and bracelets, wrapped crystals, and copper wire work. We also offer crocheted shawls, scarves, and bags as well as wrap-around skirts. Mama Made Bows & Clothes MMB&C is your one stop shop for all things made for you and your littles! Everything is handmade by a Mama of two and is local to Sioux City. We have adult and childrens accessories including head wraps, bows, scrunchies and clothing. Skeptical Science New Research for Week #25 2023 Posted on 22 June 2023 by Doug Bostrom, Marc Kodack 168 articles in 60 journals by 1,055 contributing authors Physical science of climate change, effects Atmospheric heat transport is governed by meridional gradients in surface evaporation in modern-day earth-like climates, Fajber et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2217202120 Jet stream dynamics from a PV gradient perspective: The method and its application to a km-scale simulation, Bukenberger et al., Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society 10.1002/qj.4513 Observations of climate change, effects Anthropogenic Contribution to the Rapid Warming over the Tibetan Plateau, Wang et al., Climate Dynamics 10.1007/s00382-022-06576-8 Characterization, variability and long-term trends on local climate in a Mexican tropical dry forest, Takano?Rojas et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access 10.1002/joc.8133 Deciphering the Trend and Interannual Variability of Temperature and Precipitation Extremes over Greenland during 19582019, Wei et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-22-0488.1 Impacts of frozen ground degradation and vegetation greening on upper Brahmaputra runoff during 19812019, Wang et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8057 Increasing trend of extreme winter warm spells in China and the intra-seasonal differences, Ding et al., Atmospheric Science Letters Open Access 10.1002/asl.1179 Long-term changes in observed soil temperature over Poyang Lake Basin, China, during 19602016, Lou et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology Open Access 10.1007/s00704-023-04522-0 Possible linkage between winter extreme low temperature over central-western China and autumn sea ice loss, Ding et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Open Access 10.1029/2023jd038547 Trends in Northern Hemispheric Snow Presence, Jia et al., Journal of Hydrometeorology Open Access pdf 10.1175/jhm-d-22-0182.1 Instrumentation & observational methods of climate change, effects Heat stored in the Earth system 19602020: where does the energy go?, von Schuckmann et al., Earth System Science Data Open Access 10.5194/essd-15-1675-2023 Timing and spatial selection bias in rapid extreme event attribution, Miralles & Davison, Weather and Climate Extremes Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2023.100584 Towards monitoring stem growth phenology from space with high resolution satellite data, Eitel et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109549 Modeling, simulation & projection of climate change, effects Anthropogenic climate change impacts exacerbate summer forest fires in California, Turco et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2213815120 Bayesian assessment of CMIP6 surface net radiation predictions for KoppenGeiger climate zones, Liu, International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8152 Change from aerosol-driven to cloud-feedback-driven trend in short-wave radiative flux over the North Atlantic, Grosvenor & Carslaw, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Open Access 10.5194/acp-23-6743-2023 Changes in atmospheric moisture transport over tropical South America: an analysis under a climate change scenario, Arias et al., Climate Dynamics Open Access 10.1007/s00382-023-06833-4 Changes in Extreme Temperature and Precipitation over the Southern Extratropical Continents in Response to Antarctic Sea Ice Loss, Zhu et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-22-0577.1 Changing Nature of High-Impact Snowfall Events in Eastern North America, McCray et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2023jd038804 Climate data for Odesa, Ukraine in 20212050 based on EURO-CORDEX simulations, Borovska & Khokhlov, Geoscience Data Journal Open Access 10.1002/gdj3.197 Contributions of Climate Change and ENSO Variability to Future Precipitation Extremes Over California, Huang & Stevenson, Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2023gl103322 ENSORainfall Teleconnection over the Maritime Continent Enhances and Shifts Eastward under Warming, Chen et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-23-0036.1 Extreme temperature indices over the Volta Basin: CMIP6 model evaluation, Agyekum et al., Climate Dynamics 10.1007/s00382-022-06503-x Future changes of dry-wet climate regions and its contributing climatic factors in China based on CMIP6 models, Kou et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8046 Future winter precipitation decreases associated with the North Atlantic warming hole and reduced convection, Iversen et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres Open Access pdf 10.1029/2022jd038374 High resolution projections for extreme temperatures and precipitation over Greece, Politi et al., Climate Dynamics Open Access pdf 10.1007/s00382-022-06590-w Historical simulation of photovoltaic potential over China within the CORDEX-EA-II framework, Li et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology Open Access 10.1007/s00704-023-04527-9 Impact of Global Warming on U.S. Summertime Mesoscale Convective Systems: A Simple Lagrangian Parcel Model Perspective, Yang et al., Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-22-0291.1 Precipitable water vapor in regional climate models over Ethiopia: model evaluation and climate projections, Kawo et al., Climate Dynamics 10.1007/s00382-023-06855-y Projected change of East-Asian winter precipitation related to strong El Nino under the future emission scenarios, Huang et al., Climatic Change 10.1007/s10584-023-03551-y Projected changes in extreme climate events over Africa under 1.5 , 2.0 and 3.0 global warming levels based on CMIP6 projections, Ayugi et al., Atmospheric Research 10.1016/j.atmosres.2023.106872 Selection and downscaling of CMIP6 climate models in Northern Nigeria, Wada et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology Open Access 10.1007/s00704-023-04534-w Statistical downscaling and projection of climatic extremes using machine learning algorithms, Maqsood et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology 10.1007/s00704-023-04532-y Temperature characteristics over the Carpathian Basin-projected changes of climate indices at regional and local scale based on bias-adjusted CORDEX simulations, Simon et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access pdf 10.1002/joc.8045 The role of climate change and urban development on compound dry-hot extremes across US cities, Ghanbari et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-39205-x Advancement of climate & climate effects modeling, simulation & projection An Origin of North American Monsoon Retreat Biases in Climate Models, Ye & Wang, Journal of Climate 10.1175/jcli-d-22-0592.1 Changes of mean and extreme precipitation and their relationship in Northern Hemisphere land monsoon domain under global warming, Jiang et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8159 Climate Projections Very Likely Underestimate Future Volcanic Forcing and Its Climatic Effects, Chim et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2023gl103743 Evaluating the Simulation of CONUS Precipitation by Storm Type in E3SM, Reed et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2022gl102409 Evaluation of multi-RCM ensembles for simulating spatiotemporal variability of Asian summer monsoon precipitation in the CORDEX-East Asia Phase 2 domain, Seo et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access pdf 10.1002/joc.8054 Performance evaluation of CMIP6 HighResMIP models in simulating precipitation over Madagascar, Randriatsara et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8153 Quantifying the contribution of forcing and three prominent modes of variability to historical climate, Schurer et al., Climate of the Past Open Access 10.5194/cp-19-943-2023 The effectiveness of machine learning-based multi-model ensemble predictions of CMIP6 in Western Ghats of India, Shetty et al., International Journal of Climatology 10.1002/joc.8131 The improvements of sea surface temperature simulation over China Offshore Sea in present climate from CMIP5 to CMIP6 models, Deng et al., Climate Dynamics 10.1007/s00382-023-06843-2 The performance of CMIP6 models in simulating surface energy fluxes over global continents, Liu et al., Climate Dynamics 10.1007/s00382-022-06595-5 Cryosphere & climate change Continentality determines warming or cooling impact of heavy rainfall events on permafrost, Hamm et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-39325-4 CRYO, Smith et al., Australian Journal of General Practice Open Access pdf 10.31128/ajgp-10-20-5673 Continentality determines warming or cooling impact of heavy rainfall events on permafrost, Hamm et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-39325-4 Hydromechanical coupling mechanism and an early warning method for paraglacial debris flows triggered by infiltration: Insights from field monitoring in Tianmo gully, Tibetan Plateau, Yang et al., Natural Hazards 10.1007/s11069-023-05987-y Rock glaciers in the Central Eastern Alps How permafrost degradation can cause acid rock drainage, mobilization of toxic elements and formation of basaluminite, Wanner et al., Global and Planetary Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2023.104180 Subglacial Freshwater Drainage Increases Simulated Basal Melt of the Totten Ice Shelf, Gwyther et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2023gl103765 Summertime surface mass balance and energy balance of Urumqi Glacier No. 1, Chinese Tien Shan, modeled by linking COSIMA and in-situ measured meteorological records, Li et al., Climate Dynamics Open Access 10.1007/s00382-022-06571-z Paleoclimate & paleogeochemistry Effects of ozone levels on climate through Earth history, Deitrick & Goldblatt Goldblatt, Climate of the Past Open Access 10.5194/cp-19-1201-2023 Museum specimens uncover the past, present and future, Gomez-Bahamon, Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-023-01694-5 North American hydroclimate during past warms states: A proxy compilation-model comparison for the Last Interglacial and the mid-Holocene, de Wet et al., Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology 10.1029/2022pa004528 Biology & climate change, related geochemistry Broadleaf tree phenology and springtime wildfire occurrence in boreal Canada, Parisien et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.16820 Characterizing biological responses to climate variability and extremes to improve biodiversity projections, Buckley et al., PLOS Climate Open Access 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000226 Copula-based joint modelling of extreme river temperature and low flow characteristics in the risk assessment of aquatic life, Latif et al., Weather and Climate Extremes Open Access 10.1016/j.wace.2023.100586 Ecological restoration in the age of apocalypse, Svejcar et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.16809 Estimating density of forest bats and their long-term trends in a climate refuge, Law et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.10215 Expanding range and role change, Armarego-Marriott, Nature Climate Change Open Access 10.1038/s41558-023-01675-8 Future climate change will increase risk to mangrove health in Northern Australia, Chung et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-023-00852-z Historical DNA reveals climate adaptation in an endangered songbird, Turbek et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-023-01696-3 Increased sea ice melt as a driver of enhanced Arctic phytoplankton blooming, Castagno et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.16815 Long-term Monitoring of Coupled Vegetation and Elevation Changes in Response to Sea Level Rise in a Microtidal Salt Marsh, Yang et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 10.1029/2023jg007405 Ocean currents magnify upwelling and deliver nutritional subsidies to reef-building corals during El Nino heatwaves, Fox et al., Science Advances Open Access pdf 10.1126/sciadv.add5032 Permafrost thaw induces short-term increase in vegetation productivity in northwestern Canada, Ogden et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.16812 Physiologically vulnerable or resilient? Tropical birds, global warming, and redistributions, Monge et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access pdf 10.1002/ece3.9985 Rise of Ruppia in Chesapeake Bay: Climate changedriven turnover of foundation species creates new threats and management opportunities, Hensel et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2220678120 Should time-lag and time-accumulation effects of climate be considered in attribution of vegetation dynamics? Case study of Chinas temperate grassland region, Jin et al., International Journal of Biometeorology 10.1007/s00484-023-02489-1 Sources of variability in seagrass fatty acid profiles and the need of identifying reliable warming descriptors, Pansini et al., Scientific Reports Open Access 10.1038/s41598-023-36498-2 Thermal mismatches explain consumerresource dynamics in response to environmental warming, Alvarez?Codesal et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.10179 Unique evolution of foraminiferal calcification to survive global changes, Ujiie et al., Science Advances 10.1126/sciadv.add3584 Variable warming effects on flowering phenology of cherry trees across a latitudinal gradient in Japan, Hsu et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109571 Variations in soil microbial community structure and extracellular enzymatic activities along a forestwetland ecotone in high-latitude permafrost regions, Fu et al., Ecology and Evolution Open Access 10.1002/ece3.10205 Warming, drought, and disturbances lead to shifts in functional composition: A millennial-scale analysis for Amazonian and Andean sites, van der Sande et al., Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.16818 GHG sources & sinks, flux, related geochemistry A multi-model assessment of the Global Warming Potential of hydrogen, Sand et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-023-00857-8 Characteristics of methane emissions from alpine thermokarst lakes on the Tibetan Plateau, Yang et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-38907-6 Decadal increase in groundwater inorganic carbon concentrations across Sweden, Klaus, Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-023-00885-4 Disentangling the impact of Atlantic Nino on sea-air CO2 flux, Koseki et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-38718-9 Effects of landslides on terrestrial carbon stocks with a coupled geomorphic-biologic model: Southeast Alaska, United States, Booth et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences Open Access 10.1029/2022jg007297 Enhanced regional variability of seawater pCO2 under human and natural interference in a nearshore coral nature reserve (Dongshan Island, China), Dong et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 10.1029/2022jg007235 Estimating methane emissions in the Arctic nations using surface observations from 2008 to 2019, Wittig et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Open Access 10.5194/acp-23-6457-2023 Evaluation of the Stratospheric Contribution to the Inter-Annual Variabilities of Tropospheric Methane Growth Rates, Zhang et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access 10.1029/2023gl103350 Increasing riverine export of dissolved organic carbon from China, Yan et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.16819 Long-term elevated precipitation induces grassland soil carbon loss via microbe-plantsoil interplay, Wang et al., Global Change Biology 10.1111/gcb.16811 OceanSODA-UNEXE: a multi-year gridded Amazon and Congo River outflow surface ocean carbonate system dataset, Sims et al., Earth System Science Data Open Access 10.5194/essd-15-2499-2023 On physical mechanisms enhancing airsea CO2 exchange, Gutierrez-Loza et al., Biogeosciences Open Access pdf 10.5194/bg-19-5645-2022 Soil organic carbon is a key determinant of CH4 sink in global forest soils, Lee et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-38905-8 Spatial and temporal variations of gross primary production simulated by land surface model BCC&AVIM2.0, Li et al., Advances in Climate Change Research Open Access 10.1016/j.accre.2023.02.001 Trends of Anthropogenic Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean Estimated Using a State Space Model, Boteler et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans 10.1029/2022jc019483 CO2 capture, sequestration science & engineering Constructing soils for climate-smart mining, Ruiz et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-023-00862-x Unlocking complex soil systems as carbon sinks: multi-pool management as the key, Angst et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-38700-5 Decarbonization Evaluating the techno-economic impact of decarbonizing buildings by using borehole heat exchangers in comparison to fuel-based systems, Ahmed et al., Energy for Sustainable Development 10.1016/j.esd.2023.101262 Globalization and decarbonization: Changing strategies of global oil and gas companies, Guo et al., WIREs Climate Change 10.1002/wcc.849 Phase evolution under pressure, Javanbakht, Materialia Open Access 10.1016/j.mtla.2021.101199 Rail-based mobile energy storage as a grid-reliability solution for climate extremes, , Nature Energy 10.1038/s41560-023-01284-x Technology advancement is driving electric vehicle adoption, Forsythe et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2219396120 Geoengineering climate Coccolithophores and diatoms resilient to ocean alkalinity enhancement: A glimpse of hope?, Gately et al., Science Advances Open Access pdf 10.1126/sciadv.adg6066 Comment on An approach to sulfate geoengineering with surface emissions of carbonyl sulfide by Quaglia et al. (2022), von Hobe et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Open Access 10.5194/acp-23-6591-2023 Evaluation of Pulse Aerosol Forcing on Marine Stratocumulus Clouds in the Context of Marine Cloud Brightening, Prabhakaran et al., Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 10.1175/jas-d-22-0207.1 Black carbon Long-term observations of levoglucosan in Arctic aerosols reveal its biomass burning source and implication on radiative forcing, Chen et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2022jd037597 Aerosols Critical role of biomass burning aerosols in enhanced historical Indian Ocean warming, Tian et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-39204-y Implications of differences between recent anthropogenic aerosol emission inventories for diagnosed AOD and radiative forcing from 1990 to 2019, Lund et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Open Access 10.5194/acp-23-6647-2023 Climate change communications & cognition Authoritarian Environmentalism as Reflected in the Journalistic Sourcing of Climate Change Reporting in China, Guo et al., Environmental Communication 10.1080/17524032.2023.2223774 Climate change on Twitter: Implications for climate governance research, Dellmuth & Shyrokykh , WIREs Climate Change Open Access 10.1002/wcc.848 Green politics beyond the state: radicalizing the democratic potentials of climate citizens assemblies, Ejsing et al., Climatic Change Open Access 10.1007/s10584-023-03550-z Intersectional climate perceptions: Understanding the impacts of race and gender on climate experiences, future concerns, and planning efforts, Zoll et al., Urban Climate 10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101576 Slow Emergency but Urgent Action? Exploring the impact of municipal climate emergency statements in Sweden, Henman et al., Urban Climate Open Access 10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101575 The Impact of Climate Change on Media Coverage of Sponge City Programs: A Text Mining and Machine Learning Analysis, Shen & Wang, Environmental Communication 10.1080/17524032.2023.2223775 The use of qualitative research to better understand public opinions on climate change, Kleinberg & Toomey , Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences Open Access 10.1007/s13412-023-00841-w Using Protection Motivation Theory to examine information-seeking behaviors on climate change, Li et al., Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102698 Agronomy, animal husbundry, food production & climate change A comparison between climate change perceptions and meteorological observations to improve the understanding of adaptation decisions in shifting cultivation, Paul et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology 10.1007/s00704-023-04521-1 A framework for analyzing the implementation of climate adaptation policies in the agriculture sector at the subnational level, Mumtaz & Puppim de Oliveira, Environmental Science & Policy 10.1016/j.envsci.2023.06.002 Assessing the black gram (Vigna mungo) yield due to climate change impacts and its adaptation strategies in the Cauvery delta region of South India, S et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology 10.1007/s00704-023-04516-y Climate-smart forestry through innovative wood products and commercial afforestation and reforestation on marginal land, Zhang et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Open Access 10.1073/pnas.2221840120 Climate-smart management for increasing crop yield and reducing greenhouse gas emission in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China, Zhao et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 10.1016/j.agrformet.2023.109569 Hierarchy of value orientation and beliefs in climate change influencing the farmers extractive or non-extractive behavior on the farm, Karami, Environment, Development and Sustainability Open Access pdf 10.1007/s10668-023-03215-y Implications for the Iranian economy from climate change effects on agriculturea static computable general equilibrium approach, Shahpari et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology 10.1007/s00704-023-04506-0 Large global variations in the carbon dioxide removal potential of seaweed farming due to biophysical constraints, Arzeno-Soltero et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access 10.1038/s43247-023-00833-2 Promoting banana farmers adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices: the role of agricultural cooperatives, Zhou et al., Climate and Development 10.1080/17565529.2023.2218333 Quantifying the value to the farmer from adopting climate risk-reducing technologies, Rosas & Sans, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 10.1007/s11027-023-10068-3 Spatial and temporal dynamics of the bacterial community under experimental warming in field-grown wheat, Wang et al., PeerJ Open Access 10.7717/peerj.15428 The effects of climate change on food production in India: evidence from the ARDL model, Ahmed et al., Environment, Development and Sustainability Open Access 10.1007/s10668-023-03209-w Hydrology, hydrometeorology & climate change Detectability of the trend and hysteresis in rainfall across Kali Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalaya, Nepal, Baniya et al., Theoretical and Applied Climatology 10.1007/s00704-023-04515-z Extreme hydroclimatic variability and impact of local and global climate system anomalies on extreme flow in the Upper Awash River basin, Tola & Shetty, Theoretical and Applied Climatology 10.1007/s00704-023-04510-4 Geomorphic response of low-gradient, meandering and braided alluvial river channels to increased sediment supply, Kemper et al., Earth 10.1016/j.earscirev.2023.104429 Identifying areas of high drought risk in southwest Western Australia, Bourne et al., Natural Hazards Open Access 10.1007/s11069-023-06065-z MOPREDASury database and precipitation trends in mainland Spain, 19162020, Gonzalez?Hidalgo et al., International Journal of Climatology Open Access pdf 10.1002/joc.8060 More extreme precipitation over the Yangtze River Basin, China: Insights from historical and projected perspectives, Wu et al., Atmospheric Research 10.1016/j.atmosres.2023.106883 The UKSCAPE-G2G river flow and soil moisture datasets: Grid-to-Grid model estimates for the UK for historical and potential future climates, Kay et al., Earth System Science Data Open Access 10.5194/essd-15-2533-2023 Water balance shifts induced by multiyear drought within the Budyko framework, Liu et al., Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 10.1029/2022jd036758 Climate change economics Conflict sensitive climate finance: lessons from the green climate fund, Scartozzi, Climate Policy Open Access 10.1080/14693062.2023.2212640 Drivers of Bilateral Climate Finance Aid: The Roles of Paris Agreement Commitments, Public Governance, and Multilateral Institutions, Han & Cheng, Environmental and Resource Economics Open Access 10.1007/s10640-023-00783-5 The drivers and barriers of energy efficiency, Su, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113598 Will reshoring manufacturing of advanced electric vehicle battery support renewable energy transition and climate targets?, Lal & You, Science Advances Open Access pdf 10.1126/sciadv.adg6740 Climate change mitigation public policy research Applicability of leadership modes outside the negotiation framework: insights from China, Hurri & Kopra, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change Open Access 10.1007/s11027-023-10071-8 Energy citizenship: Accounting for the heterogeneity of human behaviours within energy transition, Schlindwein & Montalvo, Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113662 Identifying policy areas for the transition of the transportation sector, Hainsch, Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113591 National climate change acts: the emergence, form and nature of national framework climate legislation, Li & Zhu , Environmental Politics Open Access 10.1080/09644016.2023.2213136 Strategies for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change: Key performance indicators to assess nature-based solutions performances, Mosca et al., Urban Climate Open Access 10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101580 The effectiveness of building retrofits under a subsidy scheme: Empirical evidence from Switzerland, Hondeborg et al., Energy Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113680 The global power sectors low-carbon transition may enhance sustainable development goal achievement, Peng et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-38987-4 Climate change adaptation & adaptation public policy research A framework to assess multi-hazard physical climate risk for power generation projects from publicly-accessible sources, Luo et al., Communications Earth & Environment Open Access pdf 10.1038/s43247-023-00782-w A review of challenges, barriers, and opportunities for large-scale deployment of cool surfaces, Alhazmi et al., Energy Policy 10.1016/j.enpol.2023.113657 A review of climatic impacts on water main deterioration, Ahmad et al., Urban Climate Open Access 10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101552 Centering equity in the development of a community resilience planning resource, Fry et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2023.100520 Climate-related migration and the climate-security-migration nexus in the Central American Dry Corridor, Huber et al., Climatic Change Open Access 10.1007/s10584-023-03549-6 Communicating future sea-level rise uncertainty and ambiguity to assessment users, Kopp et al., Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-023-01691-8 Techniques used to predict climate risks: a brief literature survey, Nanwani et al., Natural Hazards 10.1007/s11069-023-06046-2 Testing the reliability of adaptive capacity as a proxy for adaptive and transformative responses to climate change, Bartelet et al., Global Environmental Change Open Access 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102700 The agency of community groups in health and climate change adaptation governance and policy in SIDS: The case of in Toco, Trinidad and Tobago, Scobie et al., Environmental Science & Policy 10.1016/j.envsci.2023.05.006 The hazard components of representative key risks The physical climate perspective, Tebaldi et al., Climate Risk Management Open Access 10.1016/j.crm.2023.100516 The need to include wild foods in climate change adaptation strategies, Powell et al., Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability 10.1016/j.cosust.2023.101302 Unlocking the flow of finance for climate adaptation: estimates of Fiscal Space in climate-vulnerable developing countries, Monsod et al., Climate Policy 10.1080/14693062.2023.2224281 What drives local climate change adaptation? A qualitative comparative analysis, Braunschweiger & Ingold , Environmental Science & Policy Open Access 10.1016/j.envsci.2023.03.013 Climate change impacts on human health Heat health during future summers in eastern Asia: The combined roles of circulation, temperature and humidity, Clark & Wu, International Journal of Climatology Open Access 10.1002/joc.8145 Climate change impacts on human culture Weather, climate change, and transport: a review, Gossling et al., Natural Hazards Open Access 10.1007/s11069-023-06054-2 Other Challenging the values of the polluter elite: A global consequentialist response to Evensen and Graham's (2022) The irreplaceable virtues of in-person conferences, Whitmarsh & Kreil, Journal of Environmental Psychology 10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101881 Coupled surface to deep Earth processes: Perspectives from TOPO-EUROPE with an emphasis on climate- and energy-related societal challenges, Cloetingh et al., Global and Planetary Change 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2023.104140 Drift of Earth's Pole Confirms Groundwater Depletion as a Significant Contributor to Global Sea Level Rise 19932010, Seo et al., Geophysical Research Letters Open Access pdf 10.1029/2023gl103509 Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives A claim for a next generation of multisite range-wide forest genetic trials built on the legacy of ecological genetics to anticipate responses to climate, Sampedro & Alia, Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.16816 A research and development investment strategy to achieve the Paris climate agreement, Aleluia Reis et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-38620-4 Do all roads lead to Paris?, Trencher et al., Climatic Change 10.1007/s10584-023-03564-7 Four ways to define the growing season, Korner et al., Ecology Letters Open Access 10.1111/ele.14260 Heat stored in the Earth system 19602020: where does the energy go?, von Schuckmann et al., Earth System Science Data Open Access 10.5194/essd-15-1675-2023 Revisiting the carbonbiodiversity connection, Gamon, Global Change Biology Open Access 10.1111/gcb.16829 Tackling grand challenges in wind energy through a socio-technical perspective, Kirkegaard et al., Nature Energy 10.1038/s41560-023-01266-z The effectiveness of global protected areas for climate change mitigation, Duncanson et al., Nature Communications Open Access 10.1038/s41467-023-38073-9 The forest is not yet lost, Pires, Nature Climate Change 10.1038/s41558-023-01707-3 Articles/Reports from Agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations Addressing Aspects of Climate Change What Counts as Climate? Preliminary Evidence from the World Banks Climate Portfolio, Nunez-Mujica et al., Center for Global Development and the Breakthrough Institute The World Bank is one of the largest providers of development finance to poor countries. In recent years, it has been under immense public pressure, mostly from its richest shareholders, to expand its climate portfolio. The authors examine the World Banks climate portfolio at the project level for the period 20002022 and find that financing is skewed towards mitigation projects. These projects lack estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and there is no standardized reporting on GHG estimates across the portfolio. Further, hundreds of projects tagged climatemany in poorer countriesappear to have little to do with climate change mitigation or adaptation. The authors recommend that projects labeled climate should be accompanied by a clear explanation of why they mitigate emissions, with estimates of GHG reductions, or how they help increase resilience to climate-related events. Likewise, the Bank must do more to identify outputs and verify outcomes for climate projects. Our Common Agenda Policy Brief 8 Information Integrity on Digital Platforms, United Nations The policy brief is focused on how threats to information, and integrity are having an impact on progress on global, national, and local issues. The brief outlines potential principles for a code of conduct that will help to guide Member States, the digital platforms, and other stakeholders in their efforts to make the digital space more inclusive and safe for all, while vigorously defending the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and the right to access information. The difference between mis- and disinformation lies with intent. Disinformation is information that is not only inaccurate but is also intended to deceive and is spread in order to inflict harm. Disinformation can be spread by State or non-State actors in multiple contexts, including during armed conflict, and can affect all areas of development, from peace and security to human rights, public health, humanitarian aid, and climate action. Misinformation refers to the unintentional spread of inaccurate information shared in good faith by those unaware that they are passing on falsehoods. Misinformation can be rooted in disinformation as deliberate lies and misleading narratives are weaponized over time, fed into the public discourse, and passed on unwittingly. In practice, the distinction between mis- and disinformation can be difficult to determine. Report: Paying the Price. Taxpayers Footing the Bill for Increasing Costs of Climate Change, Taxpayers for Common Sense The authors provide an introduction to the scale and types of costs federal taxpayers have borne and will continue to bear, in the absence of effective policy action on climate. They catalog federal programs addressing disaster response, federal flood insurance, infrastructure, federal crop insurance and agricultural disaster aid, natural security, and healthcare all affected by the rising taxpayer costs of climate change. Given the challenge in calculating specific costs attributed to climate change, the report is by no means a comprehensive inventory of every climate cost that taxpayers pay annually. In fact, the data, transparency, and tools necessary to make this calculation do not yet exist. State of the Climate in Europe 2022, Emerton et al, World Meteorological Organization and the European Unions Copernicus Climate Change Service Climate change is taking a major human, economic and environmental toll on Europe, the fastest-warming continent of the world. The year 2022 was marked by extreme heat, drought, and wildfires. Sea surface temperatures around Europe reached new highs, accompanied by marine heatwaves. Glacier melt was unprecedented. The authors show how Europe has been warming twice as much as the global average since the 1980s, with far-reaching impacts on the regions socio-economic fabric and ecosystems. In 2022, Europe was approximately 2.3 C above the pre-industrial (1850-1900) average used as a baseline for the Paris Agreement on climate change. But, in a sign of hope for the future, renewable energy generated more electricity than polluting fossil fuels for the first time last year. Wind and solar power generated 22.3% of European Union (EU) electricity in 2022, overtaking fossil fuel (20%). Obtaining articles without journal subscriptions We know it's frustrating that many articles we cite here are not free to read. One-off paid access fees are generally astronomically priced, suitable for such as "On a Heuristic Point of View Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light" but not as a gamble on unknowns. With a median world income of US$ 9,373, for most of us US$ 42 is significant money to wager on an article's relevance and importance. Here's an excellent collection of tips and techniques for obtaining articles, legally. Unpaywall offers a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox that automatically indicates when an article is freely accessible and provides immediate access without further trouble. Unpaywall is also unscammy, works well, is itself offered free to use. The organizers (a legitimate nonprofit) report about a 50% success rate The weekly New Research catch is checked against the Unpaywall database with accessible items being flagged. Especially for just-published articles this mechansim may fail. If you're interested in an article title and it is not listed here as "open access," be sure to check the link anyway. How is New Research assembled? Most articles appearing here are found via RSS feeds from journal publishers, filtered by search terms to produce raw output for assessment of relevance. Relevant articles are then queried against the Unpaywall database, to identify open access articles and expose useful metadata for articles appearing in the database. The objective of New Research isn't to cast a tinge on scientific results, to color readers' impressions. Hence candidate articles are assessed via two metrics only: Was an article deemed of sufficient merit by a team of journal editors and peer reviewers? The fact of journal RSS output assigns a "yes" to this automatically. Is an article relevant to the topic of anthropogenic climate change? Due to filter overlap with other publication topics of inquiry, of a typical week's 550 or so input articles about 1/4 of RSS output makes the cut. A few journals offer public access to "preprint" versions of articles for which the review process is not yet complete. For some key journals this all the mention we'll see in RSS feeds, so we include such items in New Research. These are flagged as "preprint." The section "Informed opinion, nudges & major initiatives" includes some items that are not scientific research per se but fall instead into the category of "perspectives," observations of implications of research findings, areas needing attention, etc. Suggestions Please let us know if you're aware of an article you think may be of interest for Skeptical Science research news, or if we've missed something that may be important. Send your input to Skeptical Science via our contact form. Journals covered A list of journals we cover may be found here. We welcome pointers to omissions, new journals etc. Previous edition The previous edition of Skeptical Science New Research may be found here. This is part of Not Quite Pride, a special series exploring how LGBTQ+ people are really feeling this June during Americas anti-queer state of emergency. Listen to Outward, Slates LGBTQ+ podcast, for more. It was the 1980s in Rust Belt suburbia, my senior year in high school, right as I was thinking about coming out of the closet, just to a couple of friends. In class that spring, another student had said all homosexuals should be shot. The teacher treated it as an understandable response to a complex subject. Indeed, she didnt know if she could accept a gay son herself. Advertisement I think of queer and trans kids today and wonder if theyre going through the same shock I felt back thena jarring realization that nice middle-class people can wish you death. Right as Pride month 2023 started, the Human Rights Campaign issued a national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people. For the past year, people from groups like the Proud Boys have been showing up to drag story hours toting guns. Can I cue my teacher to step forward and say this is all an understandable response to a complex subject? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement With my brain exploding right on schedule at the horrors of our political moment, Ive been craving some major dyke Fuck you energy, something to give me the power to focus my lavender laser-beam eyes and destroy at will. Which is probably why I finally decided to take up a historical research project Id been mulling over for years: the lesbian separatist fantasy of human parthenogenesis, or asexual reproduction. Its not that old-school separatism has been posed as a serious option for queer people todayat least not yet. But maybe the ideas and dreams that spawned the belief in parthenogenesis could make for a useful reference point as we try to imagine our own ways out of this hell? When I looked deeper, I found that this movement within a movement could be satisfying, even occasionally inspirational, in its anger, humor, and campiness. Its also a big bag of yikes. Well get there. Advertisement Parthenogenesis comes from the Greek for virgin birth. For those whove forgotten 10th-grade biology, it starts when an egg cell divides on its own, either naturally or in response to artificial stimulation. Without sperm, theres no XY chromosome that might result in a male offspring, so parthenogenesis only produces daughter cells and, theoretically, only daughters. In the 1970s, lesbianswho were coming into their ferocious own in the womens movement, challenging the homophobia of liberal feminism and society writ largeknew about the whiptail lizard, discovered to reproduce parthenogenetically in the 1950s. In theory, this process would solve the problem of reproduction in an all-female society, such as a lesbian separatist intentional community, where women could live as independently as possible, preferably without any interference (or help) from men, and reproduce their own population. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As Big Mama Rag put it in 1974, lesbian separatists liked to talk of the matriarchy and of its return, of parthenogenesis, of Amazon culture. This was a communal fantasy of creativity and abundance where women could become pregnant not simply without heterosexual intercourse (for example, through artificial insemination), but without sperm at all. They were trying, in some sense, to enact a feminist vision of absolute bodily autonomy and self-determination. I remember this kind of thinking myself, vaguely, from high school. A friend from the same class as the would-be shooter of homosexuals raved about the theologian Mary Dalys 1978 book Gyn/Ecology, which was full of eye-rolling wordplay like Hag-ography and said the primal goddesses spawned other little goddesses without any kind of male assistance. I thought Mary Daly was full of it, and I wanted nothing to do with her. Advertisement Yet none of these reproductive fantasies were totally unthinkable during the golden age of lesbian separatism, the 1970s and early 80s. In a nutshell, two main forces fueled parthenogenesis partisanship. First, advances in reproductive technologyincluding the first birth from in vitro fertilization, in 1978, and the first artificial parthenogenetic birth in mice, in 1980led people in mainstream media to speculate wildly on futuristic things like cloning. Also in the 70s, feminists were fighting for reproductive autonomy, including abortion rights, and often winning. Maybe human parthenogenesis was right around the corner. Advertisement Advertisement So lesbian separatists followed the news for possible breakthroughs, which you can see in their newsletters. In a widely cited 1974 article, writer Laurel Galana said, we cant afford to be ignorant of the tools men (primarily) are developing in the field of reproduction. A college student in New York read that article and put out her own call for scientific information about parthenogenesis: Just imagine, wed have the option to have babies without relying on the goddam make [male] sperm! Feminist newsletters referred to one another constantly, so fantasies of parthenogenesis spreadalongside misinformation. Advertisement Advertisement Almost no one I contacted for this article wanted to talk about parthenogenesis, even people with illustrious lesbian CVs. They said they never knew much about it in the first place, or their memory of it is fading. Its true, this is a very niche movement that started 50 years ago. But maybe it also has to do with the cringe factor: Parthenogenesis pulled pseudoscience and spirituality into Lesbianworld in some pretty uncomfortable, and sometimes abhorrent, ways. One person who did talk to me was Marshall University historian Greta Rensenbrink, whos written the sole peer-reviewed historical journal article specifically about lesbian separatism and parthenogenesis in the U.S. She had some of the same reservations I did. I find fascinating the sort of magical ideas about bodies, about the creative power of women, and how that created a sense of community and connection, a shared set of ideas, she told me. At the same time, she said, There was some crazy shit that ties to eugenics and racial superiority. Thats pretty hard to extract. Advertisement Advertisement Articles about parthenogenesis in newsletters could be densely footnoted, with scientific citations spliced in with ancient texts and straight-up pseudoscience. I checked up on one breakout series of letters to the editor that appeared in 195556 in the Lancet, the prestigious British medical journal. Dr. Helen Spurway, a lecturer who studied guppies at the University of London, announced that human parthenogenesis probably happened relatively frequently (note: it does not), leading a tabloid to put out a call for women whod had parthenogenetic pregnancies. Nineteen mothers answered. The ones who couldnt be eliminated right away were interviewed and examined by a celebrity doctor, who went so far as to graft their skin with their daughters to see if there was a genetic match. Holy meiosis, in one case the mother and daughter had matching saliva and blood types! (OK, the skin grafts didnt take.) These results were no more than suggestive, but soon Time magazine scooped up the tale. Advertisement Advertisement Also making frequent appearances in spiritually-leaning parthenogenesis citations was a bizarre character named Walter Siegmeister, who published The Mysteries of Human Reproduction in 1959 under the name Raymond W. Bernard. The first chapter of Mysteries opens with a breathless note about the Lancet reports and moves on to the anthropology of primitive beliefs in virgin birth, a power that was submerged within all women and could resurface any day now. Advertisement Advertisement I dont know if any separatists were aware of Siegmeisters history, but in 1940, this son of Russian Jewish immigrants reportedly moved to Brazil to start the master race. He became known among the choose-your-own-reality crowd for merging flying saucers with hollow-Earth theory, believing that superintelligent beings lived in a colony somewhere beneath the planets crust. Advertisement And then theres the eugenic language, which is so deeply woven into some separatist writing that I hesitate to quote it. This is what I thought would be campy and fun, but I wasnt prepared for the obsession with chromosomal essentialism. One sci-fi writer spoke of a holocaust of men through the parthenogenetic overthrow of patriarchy. If we wanted to live in a world of only women, if we wanted to finally eliminate that great death-force, the parasitic penis-brains, we can do it, ran one article in Dykes & Gorgons in 1973, which also predicted that with parthenogenesis, the males would all die out after seventy years or so. Word about this alternative reproduction passed through widely dispersed newsletters, coffeehouse bulletin boards, feminist bookstore readings, spirituality conferences, and more, but Rensenbrink writes that a community of parthenogenesis-seekers first came together at the annual Michigan Womyns Music Festival around 1978. A group of separatists exchanged names and phone numbers, and in the early 1980s two of them founded a newsletter devoted to parthenogenesis. Daughter Visions, published in Yellow Springs, Ohio, put out as few as four issues, all in 1981, but it had about 150 subscribers. Some wrote in anonymously to share their research, visions, and attempts to conceive parthenogenetically. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Within a year, Daughter Visions went from excitement to disappointment with reproductive technology. In the third issue, the editors wrote, the scientific approach is not the way to re-create our potential for having a child parthenogenetically. Instead, like Siegmeister and Daly, they believed all women once had the innate power to conceive on their own. So if you couldnt do parthenogenesis, maybe you werent trying hard enough to revive the matriarchy. Maybe you didnt truly believe in womens eternal generative power. Rensenbrink writes that the discouragement lesbian separatists felt could become self-blame when they couldnt achieve parthenogenetic pregnancy, whether through cold packs to the belly or group rituals under the moon or midnight swims in the ocean during ovulation. Advertisement Reading the words of these lesbians, you feel their powerful desire not only for independence and self-sufficiency, but also for children. Its not as if lesbians didnt have kids in the 70s, but many had them from prior heterosexual marriages, and some, of course, were boys. Rensenbrink told me the palpable wish for daughters could be thought of as sad and beautifulthey were trying to make it work with their ideas about what men are and what women are, in a period when insemination wasnt well developed. Advertisement Advertisement So what do we make of all this? After getting past these newsletters beautiful artwork to find eugenic overtones, Ive come to think that the history of lesbian separatist parthenogenesis is hard. Although its full of way-out retro woo-woo rabbit holes that are fun to fall into, its definitely not an aspect of dyke culture worthy of unreserved celebration. There was a chance you could be a lesbian separatist without holding that Y chromosomes are defective and evil, but some parthenogenesis believers were rabidly trans-exclusionary. The same issue of Dykes & Gorgons I quoted condemns the lesbian activist Beth Elliott, calling her a man without mentioning her name. Notably, the narrow logic of a parthenogenetic utopia would have a hard time accounting for nonbinary and trans people who were assigned female at birth. Intersex people were not on the partho radar screen at all. Advertisement Advertisement Related from Slate Evan Urquhart Many Queers Cant Bring Themselves to Face the Emotion Theyre Really Feeling Right Now. We Must. Read More That moment in lesbian history was so based on and so defined by reproduction and maternal power, Rensenbrink told me when I asked about that rhetoric. That makes it hard to talk about parthenogenesis, since its so situated in that discourse. Sure, the fantasy is compelling in its oddness, but only from a critical distance. You can feel the hardcore dyke energy reading things like When I perfect the parthenogenesis experiments Ive been conducting in my basement, our species will have no further need for them [men] and I wont have to take any more of their shit. But some of these women said things like Could we replace the birth-control pill with its high cost and dangerous side-effects with a bright light on a tube that is inserted into the vagina after rape or intercourse and left on for the required time to kill sperm? Advertisement This, Im sorry to say, wasnt what I wanted at all, but then, queer history isnt always joyful, or straightforward. Im tempted to stray into notes about not all lesbian separatists, which is true enough, but this jaunt makes clear that fantasies based in purity are dangerous. Anti-trans politics do, in fact, promote definitions of woman that center on chromosomes, so the partho vibe isnt going to help kooky queers seeking joy, community, and refuge today. Id say it hasnt even conquered parasitic penis-brainsif I could just figure out what that means. Read more of the Not Quite Pride series. The biggest story on Capitol Hill this Thursday is that, according to the Daily Beast, Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene called Republican Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert a little bitch on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Correctionthats according to the Daily Beast and Rep. Greene herself, who explained her reasoning to Semafor: Marjorie Taylor Greene explains her feud with Lauren Boebert:https://t.co/RU1BO1QyKk pic.twitter.com/K5uzEJCOv7 Semafor (@semafor) June 22, 2023 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Makes sense! At this moment, you might be asking yourself, Am I reading the political news or watching Real Housewives of the freakin District of Columbia? First of all, thats a pretty dated/obvious joke; lets try to keep things a little fresher. Second, this incident, as much as it seems like a tawdry matter of debasing gossip, actually speaks in an important (?) way to the Dynamics of Power in the Beltway. To understand why, consider what drew Greene and Boebert into conflicttheir competing resolutions to impeach President Joe Biden. You copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to cosponsor them, Greene is said to have told Boebert on Wednesday. Greene filed articles of impeachment against Biden in May; Boebert filed hers this week, but as a privileged resolution, which means they must be considered immediately. Advertisement Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy does not want to consider impeaching Joe Biden, now or ever. (Hes hoping to route Boeberts articles to committee.) Bidens approval ratings arent great, but voters predominantly dont believe hes running a crime family, as the right wing has it. (Greenes most recent Biden impeachment filingits her sixthaccuses him of deliberately compromising national security by failing to complete Donald Trumps border wall.) In 2022, voters also tended not to support Republican candidates who took Trumpy positions on issues like election denial as much as Republican candidates who did not. (See the section of the preceding link called When the Opposition Party Cant Balance.) And impeaching Biden for imaginary crimes would be Trump vibes, as young people say. Advertisement Advertisement McCarthys task as speaker is in some way like that of all Republican speakers before him: Keeping his partys most conservative voters and legislators happy without becoming perceived as so extreme as to lose seats in the next election. It is also very different than the task of speakers before him, because conservatism has been increasingly defined, by a certain Florida-based criminal defendant, as acting like a reckless idiot and believing in things that didnt happen. McCarthy is managing a caucus which includes a significant contingent of members who are liable to say in public, for instance, that individuals connected to the Italian military used satellites to change 2020 votes from Trump to Biden. (That is a real accusation that a Republican representative texted to the Republican White House chief of staff in January 2021.) Advertisement Advertisement Related from Slate Ben Mathis-Lilley Donald Trump Continues to Twist What It Means to Be Conservative Into Total Incoherence Read More Greene and Boebert both come from this wing of the party. McCarthy has appealed to Greene by giving her committee assignments and consulting with her on leadership matters; in return, hes gotten such concessions as Greene not filing her impeachment bills as privileged resolutions, which means that the House isnt obligated to vote on them, which means no Republican in a vulnerable seat has to decide whether to put themselves on the record voting for crazypants stuff. Put another way, though, the more cooperative and team-oriented Republican in this story called another Republican a little bitch on the floor of the House for copycatting her plan to hold an impeachment no one wants over the issue of building Donald Trumps border wall. Maybe McCarthy should call Bravo executive and Real Housewives producer Andy Cohen for some advice! (Sorry.) The recent OceanGate Titan expedition, which has been missing since Sunday, has revealed the dangers of plunging two miles under the oceans surface, whether in search of science or adventure (in this case, the latter). Added to this impending tragedy are the ongoing seabound dangers that the U.S. Coast Guard and others face in attempting a rescue. The Coast Guard reported on Thursday that it had found a debris field in the search area, which may or may not bring an end to this tragic saga. But two unavoidable questions follow any publicized safety disaster: How did we get here? What can be done? Advertisement OceanGates journey to visit the site of the Titanic highlights how, historically, nobody has been fully in charge of managing that site on the ocean floor and regulating voyages like those of the Titan. Companies like OceanGate have existed in a regulatory gray zone between a federal court and a federal agency, and sometimes have not been asked to answer to either. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Since 1993, there has been a federal court case in Newport News, Virginia, where a federal judge has supervised the underwater wreck site of the Titanicor the Wrecked and Abandoned Vessel, as it is known. You might be wondering what a Virginia judge has to do with an English vessel found by a joint French and American expedition off the coast of Canada. In the United States, our maritime law gives a federal court in a single state (like Virginia) the ability to wield authority over a historic wreck like the Titanic once pieces of it are brought ashore there (as they were in Virginia some 30 years ago). That court has power over the property itself, much like how courts can divvy up estates or marital property. That same power allows a judge to say yes or no to dives to collect more artifacts from the Titanics wreck site. Advertisement Theres a hard cap on that authority. A higher federal court ruled in 1999 that the Virginia court might control the wreck, but it could not bar people from viewing the Titanic or photographing the site. Much like an art museum, the baseline rule has been look, but dont touch. Because private surveyors like OceanGate have not planned to touch the wreck site, the Virginia court has not been able to dictate the manner or safety of their expeditions. (I previously acted as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in a case involving access to the Titanic wreckage.) Advertisement With a judicial solution to ensuring the soundness of Titanic expeditions being hard to come by, we need to look to alternative fixes. Other branches of the federal government have gotten involved with the Titanic in the past. After the Titanic was first discovered in 1985, Congress passed a law that designated the wreck site as a memorial because it contains human remains. Later on, the United States entered into an international agreement with the United Kingdom that recognized the principle that the memorial should remain intact. Advertisement Advertisement Most recently, Congress passed legislation in 2017 that requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationpart of the U.S. Department of Commerceto approve expeditions that would physically disturb the Titanics wreck site. Today, NOAA has a process for reviewing applications to explore the Titanic, based on long-standing guidelines that aim to respect the memorial as an underwater heritage site. Related from Slate Shannon Palus What Was the Fate of the OceanGate Submarine? Theres Some Wild Speculation. Read More But NOAAs main concern has been with the physical integrity of the wreck site, rather than with the safety of those visiting it. That focus has meant that companies have not gone through the application process for photographic or purely exploratory voyages. The agency has in some instances demanded information about OceanGates expeditions to ensure the sanctity of the memorial. But the company has also resisted giving out too many details about its workings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The current voyage highlights the perils of this regulatory cat-and-mouse game. NOAA sought information about OceanGates planned expedition, but OceanGate claimed that its trip was non-intrusive. As a result, NOAA decided that no application (let alone agency approval) was even needed. That approach is too shortsighted. If NOAAs mission is to keep the Titanic intact, it is easy to imagine how a wayward visitor or catastrophic accident could damage the wreck, even on a non-intrusive expedition. At museums, priceless art and artifacts are roped off so that no one gets too close. Even if you do not plan on touching an exhibit, we have decided that the risk of an inadvertent slip is too much. Advertisement NOAA can and should insist on safety measures for expeditions around the Titanicnot only as a necessary measure to protect the wreck, but also as a secondary benefit to explorers. To start, NOAA can demand an application for every voyage to explore the Titanic, even if the dive is non-intrusive. Congress 2017 legislation gives the agency the power to take appropriate measures to determine if an exploration would disturb the wreck site. That authority, taken to its natural conclusion, means that NOAA must investigate the safety of any expedition. After all, safety incidents or emergency rescue operations near the Titanic can themselves endanger the wreck (in addition to human life). Advertisement In those applications, NOAA should require enough information for it to assess the safety risks for the voyage. There is at least precedent for that approach. NOAAs current guidelineswhich have not been updated for two decadescontain a generic requirement for a safety policy for missions. And the agency requires qualified professionals on each voyage. But NOAA has not publicly detailed what any safety policy needs to contain, let alone the types of vessel materials, communication devices, navigational instruments, or other equipment that are required. Nor has the agency specified the types of experience or training that submersible operators must have. Advertisement Most of all, NOAA should make it clear that any safety risks for submersibles visiting the Titanic are tantamount to risks to the Titanic itself. And even non-intrusive excursions should be turned down if they are unsafe. We would not permit a raucous game of tag in an art gallery any more than we should permit risky adventures to an underwater memorial. What has become clear is the danger of these undersea missions. Those dangers are multiplied when members of the Coast Guard and others are dispatched to search the seabed. Once the continuing search-and-rescue operation concludes, we need to insist on changes that prevent tragedies like this one from happening again. For those trying to get in and out of the nations capitalresidents, tourists, business people, elected officialsRonald Reagan National Airport, also known as DCA, is the way to go. Its a short Metro or cab ride away from downtown or Capitol Hill. Its not that large of an airport; it has a short, easy walk from the gates to ground transportation. Aside from the normal annoyances of flying, its pure convenience. DCA is owned by the federal government, however, and Congress directly regulates its flight patterns. And a push this year to loosen those regulations in the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, a bill that comes up every five years or so, has sparked one of the most ferocious food fights in Washington. Its Western representatives and senators versus Capital-region representatives and senators. Its Western chambers of commerce versus small, regional airports in the East. Its one quickly slapped-together ad-hoc group, the Coalition to Protect Americas Regional Airports, versus another, the Capital Access Alliance. Its Atlanta and Salt Lake City versus Chicago and Northern Virginia. But, at its very core, its a corporate dogfight between United Airlines and Delta Air Lines. Advertisement At issue is a proposed loosening of the slot and perimeter rules, which govern both the number of flights that can take off from DCA and the destinations to which they can travel. In plain English: DCA has always been more convenient for those going in and out of the city. But when Dulles opened in the 1960s, the government tried to bolster its growth by placing restrictions on flights in and out of DCA. The governments initial perimeter rule, then, limited nonstop flights out of DCA to a 650-mile radius. If you wanted to get to, say, Rochester, New York, DCA was the airport for you. But if you needed to get on a larger aircraft for a trip to Los Angeles, youd have to haul out another half-hourin decent trafficto Dulles. Dulles had, and has, a much greater capacity for passengers. Advertisement Advertisement In the decades since, there have been constant pushes from lawmakers outside the perimeter to either expand or eliminate it, or at least create more exemptions to it. No senators, after wrapping up a busy workweek early Thursday afternoon, want to truck out to Dulles for a nonstop flight home when they could be at DCA in 10 minutes. Advertisement Advertisement By the mid-1980s, the perimeter was expanded to its present-day limit of 1,250 miles. And while enemies of the perimeter rule havent been able to eliminate it altogether yet, Congress has approved plenty of beyond-perimeter exemptions over the years. A limited number of daily nonstop flights are now available to destinations including Austin, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Juan, Seattle, and Portland. (Much of the work in earning these exemptions was achieved by former Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, the Republican from Arizona. But McCain was, on net, less of a dirtbag than many of his colleagues, and for years he continued to take connecting flights in and out of Phoenix to show he wasnt just trying to make travel more convenient for himself.) Advertisement Related from Slate Ben Mathis-Lilley Samuel Alito Confirms He Ruled on Case Involving Billionaire Who Gave Him Free Flight on Private Plane Read More With an FAA reauthorization due this year, DCA perimeter opponents made an aggressive push to lift as many of the restrictions as it could. A new group called the Capital Access Alliance, which formed earlier this year is arguing that additional flights in and out of the D.C.-region would be good for consumers in a costly flight market. To counter the CAA, an opposing group called the Coalition to Protect Americas Regional Airports popped up. It argues that DCA is already at capacity and warns that airlines would cancel less profitable in-perimeter flights if they were able to offer more long-haul flights to major cities out West. Advertisement Its all a lot to chew over, and these coalitions come armed with plenty of numbers to throw at you. But who is driving these coalitions? Well, here are a couple of screengrabs of their websites. Advertisement The first is from the website of Capital Access Alliance. Between the various midsize city chambers of commerce and film festivals, is there any behemoth aviation corporation that stands out to you? Advertisement Hint: It rhymes with Yelta. The second screenshot, below, is from the Coalition to Protect Americas Regional Airports. No offense to Tappahannock-Essex County Airport, but is there perhaps a larger global megacorporation that stands out as having a little more sway within the coalition? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ah, yes, its United. Dulles International Airport is what is known as a fortress hub for United Airlines; the airline controls about 70 percent of its gates. United, therefore, doesnt want more competition on long-haul flights from DCAespecially when many of those new DCA long-haul flights might go to its rival, Delta, which is trying to establish more of a foothold at the airport. This is whats going on. Delta is fighting with United. Within Congress, those who want to loosen the rules to get more nonstop flights out of DCA are mostly Western members and senators, or those from Atlanta, where Delta is headquartered. Those who want to keep the rules are mainly in-perimeter memberswhom United is surely warning that theyll lose their puddle-jumper DCA flights to Podunksville if carriers can offer all of these fancy new flights to Los Angeles insteadand those from the Chicago area, where United is headquartered. Advertisement Advertisement Some of the sharpest opponents of changing the rules, though, are local elected officials and government agencies. The four senators representing Maryland and Virginia, while sometimes on opposites sides of a congressional food fight, are in lockstep on this one. They argued in a Washington Post op-ed that Dulles, DCA, and Baltimore-Washington International Airport in Maryland have worked in tandem for decades to connect the nations capital to destinations around the world while serving as centerpieces of the regional economy. DCA was designed to be a small, regional airport, with Dulles and BWI as the growth airports for longer-haul flights to and from the region. Adding more long-haul flights out of DCA would further upset the equilibrium of the region and overload the airport more than it already is. Now, this might sound likeand isMarylanders simply wanting to protect BWI and the Virginians simply wanting to protect Dulles. But both the FAA and the airport authority that manages both DCA and Dulles concur that DCA is already stretched to the gills and cant take much more capacity. Advertisement Advertisement Ahead of the FAA reauthorization, Deltas partners in Congress put forth identical legislation in each chamber making their ask: 28 new round-trip flights per day out of DCA, either inside or outside the perimeter. Brian Walsh, a spokesman for the Capital Access Alliance, the Delta-affiliated group, told me on the phone that these new flights would be entirely additive to the flights that already exist, so Unitedser, the Coalition to Protect Americas Regional Airportsargument that carriers would cancel their less-lucrative, in-perimeter flights because of this change didnt hold water. Advertisement Advertisement In the Senate, the Direct Capital Access Act was introduced by Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock (Atlanta, Delta, etc.) and Wyoming Sen. Cynthia Lummis (West). In the House, the same bill was introduced by Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson (Atlanta, Delta, etc.) and Utah Rep. Burgess Owens (Delta hub in Salt Lake City). Advertisement The House passed its FAA reauthorization bill out of committee last week without touching the issue, punting the showdown to a later date. The Senate Commerce Committee, though, was prepared to act on the issue in its version of the FAA reauthorization last week. Shortly before the markup, the leaders of the committee, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, had reached a tentative deal that would add four daily round-trip flights at DCA outside the perimeter. But then, Sens. John Thune and Kyrsten Sinema threw a curveball on a separate matter. The two were insisting on an amendment that would let the FAA consider reducing the 1,500-hour rule for commercial pilot training. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, among others, was furious with the idea. A vote to reduce a 1,500-hour rule for pilot training, Duckworth inveighed, will mean blood on your hands when the inevitable accident occurs as a result of an inadequately trained flight crew. After a couple of hours of discussion, markup was eventually called off. The Senate Commerce Committee wont consider the FAA reauthorization, or its tentative agreement to increase long-haul slots at DCA, until July because of Duckworths revolt over pilot training hours. That buys United some time. This is the Sen. Tammy Duckworth who represents Chicago, by the way. This is part of Opinionpalooza, Slates coverage of the major decisions from the Supreme Court this June. Were working to change the way the media covers the Supreme Court. Sign up for the pop-up newsletter to receive our latest updates, and support our work when you join Slate Plus. Many people watching Supreme Court opinions on Thursday may have breathed a sigh of relief as the court did not hand down any of the most-watched remaining cases (like the challenge to the presidents student debt relief program, or the challenge to affirmative action, or the challenge to LGBTQ equality and nondiscrimination protections). Advertisement But thats only because a lot of people may have not been following the slow-motion disaster that has been unfolding in one of the less followed cases, Jones v. Hendrix. Jones involves a highly technical sounding, but practically significant, issue about when federal courts may correct wrongful convictions and wrongful sentences. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Essentially the case involves this scenario: What if it turns out that the federal courts that heard your criminal case made a mistake? And as a result of the courts mistake, you were convicted of something that isnt actually a crime at all (because federal law doesnt prohibit what you did), or, as a result of the courts mistake, you were sentenced to more time in prison than the law says you can be sentenced to? Can a federal court later correct the error in a federal habeas corpus proceeding when you challenge your conviction or sentence? Advertisement Today, the court, in a 63 opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas, answered that question with a no. For people watching this catastrophe happen in real time, the result is not surprising. But it is a catastrophe nonetheless. As Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote in her powerful dissent, the opinion unjustifiably closes off all avenues for certain defendants to secure meaningful consideration of their innocence claims. As a result of this opinion, people with illegal convictions and sentencespeople who are legally innocentwill be stuck in prison for no good reason because the courts screwed up, not because they did. The law certainly did not require this result. And the Jones debacle carries a few warnings about the nightmare at One First Street. Advertisement Advertisement One is that the Jones majority is part of a larger trend of the Supreme Court believing that the court (and all federal courts) are above reproach and can do no wrong. Take Justice Samuel Alitos Wall Street Journal op-ed on Tuesday night, the one that insisted he was entitled to take free personal jet trips from hedge fund billionaires with business before the court (and also to not disclose said trips) because otherwise the personal jet seat would have gone empty. Or look at the months of gaslighting about how the influence and access campaign directed at the courts Republican-appointed justices is all well and good because of course the justices are above reproach. Advertisement Jones is part of this trend. The cases affected by Jones are instances where a federal court screwed up. The federal court interpreted a statute incorrectly, and as a result, the court sent someone to prison for something that isnt a federal crime. Or they sent someone to prison for more time than the law actually imposes on that person. Then, when a court later recognizes the error in some other case, the incarcerated individual asks the court to fix the mistake in their case and to let them out of prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Related from Slate Gregory Ablavsky Clarence Thomas Went After My Work. His Criticisms Reveal a Disturbing Fact About Originalism. Read More Justice Thomas six-justice majority basically shrugged its shoulders and said, Too bad, so sad, we may have messed up, but youre going to stay in prison. As Justice Jackson wrote in her must-read dissent (which, as a disclosure, includes a citation to some of my work on this topic), the implications of the nothing-to-see-here approach that the majority takes with respect to the incarceration of potential legal innocents are pretty ghastly. Apparently, she observed, legally innocent or not, Jones must just carry on in prison regardless. Its not overstating things to say that this opinion means that there are people who are in prison illegally, but now have no vehicle to seek their release from a federal court. As Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan wrote in a rare joint dissent, A prisoner who is actually innocent, imprisoned for conduct that Congress did not criminalize, is forever barred from raising that claim, merely because he previously sought postconviction relief. Advertisement Yikes. And that brings me to my second point, which is that the case is part of a disturbing pattern of Republican appointees overvaluing the finality of criminal convictions rather than the lawfulness of criminal convictions, and the related trend of the Republican appointees narrowing the availability of remedies to enforce peoples rights. Again this issue is super technical, but this is how the relevant body of federal law works. For people who are convicted in federal court, after they finish their appeals, federal law allows them to file a section 2255 motion to challenge their conviction or sentence (perhaps on the basis of newly discovered evidence, perhaps on the basis of a new federal decision, or perhaps on grounds they couldnt raise during their appeal, such as ineffective assistance of counsel). But under the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, federal law severely restricts their ability to file a second or successive 2255 motion; they can only do so on the basis of certain newly discovered evidence, or on the basis of a limited category of decisions about constitutional law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That leaves out circumstances where a later decision on statutory law indicates that the courts misinterpreted a statute and caused someone to be wrongly convicted or sentenced. And so those individualswho are legally innocent of a crime or who were given a wrongful sentencehave traditionally relied on another provision of federal law (known as the savings clause) that allows incarcerated persons who are authorized to apply for relief under section 2255 to file a federal habeas petition challenging their conviction or sentence if section 2255 is inadequate or ineffective to test the legality of [their] detention. This is the avenue the court cut off on Thursday. As Sotomayor and Kagan wrote in their joint dissent, where section 2255 bars a claim that could be raised in a habeas proceeding (like the claim that youre innocent because the courts screwed up in interpreting a statute), section 2255 is inadequate to test a conviction and sentence because section 2255 doesnt authorize a person to apply for reliefand so that person should be able to file a habeas petition. And as Jackson painstakingly documented, the legislative context, statutory design, body of case law leading up the enactment of AEDPA, and more than a few principles of constitutional law point toward the same conclusionthat claims of legal innocence (or statutory innocence as she alternatively calls them) should be able to be raised in federal habeas proceedings even if an individual has filed multiple post-conviction motions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The majority arrived at the opposite conclusion by relying on a weird, negative inference from the federal statute. Essentially, they said, if Congress wanted to authorize people to file a second or successive motion when a federal court messed up on a statutory issue, it would have said so. And to permit individuals to file habeas petitions raising arguments that Congress didnt allow them to raise in successive 2255 motions would mess up the whole system and allow too many people to file too many claims. The reasoning calls to mind one of Justice William J. Brennans famous lines from McCleskey v. Kemp: Taken on its face, such [reasoning] seems to suggest a fear of too much justice. Justice Thomas majority also relied on some pretty shoddy historical accounts of habeas corpus as well. (Im sure theyll get their history right one of these days.) Advertisement Advertisement Its also important to note the pattern here. Last term, in one of the more ghastly Supreme Court decisions, the same 63 majority from Jones ruled for Arizona in a case where the state had loudly and proudly argued that innocence is not enough to remedy a conviction for innocent persons convicted in state courts. In that case, incarcerated individuals sought to introduce evidence that they didnt commit the crime they were convicted of, or were not even eligible for the death sentence they received. One of the individuals, Barry Jones, had successfully persuaded two federal courts (and four judges) that he probably didnt commit the crime for which he had been sentenced to death. The court said too bad; its illegal for a federal court to consider evidence of his innocence, even if that evidence wasnt ever introduced because the state appointed him an ineffective lawyer. After the 2022 midterm election resulted in a Democratic attorney general, Barry Jones successfully negotiated a plea agreement resulting in his release, though this Supreme Court would have allowed the state to execute him. Today, the court continued down the same road, and is likely to continue further with no end in sight. Last week, New York City finalized a rule setting a minimum pay standard of $17.96 per hour for delivery workers for gig companies like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Postmates. The new rule resulted from an extended campaign by Los Deliveristas Unidos, a fierce organization of delivery workers who brave traffic, snow, floods, heat, smoke, and COVID to bring New Yorkers our dinner. $17.96 per hour is more than reasonable when you consider that delivery workers cover all of their own expenses (e-bikes, cars, gas, vehicle maintenance, and so on); they also work extensive uncompensated time while waiting for orders. The new rule basically helps these workers get something close to minimum wage. According to the citys analysis, the current estimated pay rate from companies is a mere $7.09 per hour. This inadequate pay happens in large part because delivery-app companies treat workers as independent contractors, depriving them of the basic employee protections like paid sick days, workers compensation, and unemployment insurance. (New Yorks highest court, it should be noted, hasnt fully bought the argument that delivery workers arent employees under New York law. I dont buy it either.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Instead of feeling lucky that for so long theyve gotten to avoid the laws that every other business has to follow, these companies have expressed great consternation about New York Citys new rule on pay. DoorDash, for example, lambasted the citys action as deeply misguided and likely to harm workers; it also threatened a possible lawsuit. Neither the public nor policymakers should fall for this doomsaying. Gig companies often offer grim prophesies that dont come true when jurisdictions try to regulate them. And New York Citys economic experts identified various ways the companies can adjust to the new status quo without excessively increasing customer prices. The new pay rule will ensure that delivery workers are treated more justly as they serve New York diners, who are highly unlikely to stop ordering in. Advertisement In the end, when Uber and friends have been regulated, the sky didnt fall. When the government moves to regulate gig companies in any way, these corporations routinely forecast catastrophe; Uber even threatened to leave California, Seattle, and Minnesota if they didnt get their way on certain issues. But in the end, when Uber and friends have been regulated, the sky didnt fall. New York City in 2019 created what was effectively a minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers, and companies predicted significantly increased prices; Lyft even filed an unsuccessful lawsuit. Happily, though, the pay floor worked: A 2020 report found that in the first year, driver pay increased by about nine percent, passenger fares rose slightly but not much more than in Chicago without a pay standard, passenger wait times declined significantly, and some of the pay increase was absorbed by the app-dispatch companies through lower effective commission rates. Advertisement Advertisement In fact, to the extent that Uber and Lyft prices in New York have risen since 2019, its attributable more to company profit-seeking than to driver pay: A 2023 study found that Uber and Lyft took a larger share of passenger fares (20.7 percent versus 9 percent) in 2022 than in 2019, and that passenger fares increased significantly more than driver pay (50 percent versus 31 percent). Seattle also passed pay floors for Uber and Lyft drivers, as well as paid sick leave and COVID-19 hazard pay; despite these obligations, the companies thrive in that city, too. Advertisement New York Citys new pay standard is likely to improve worker income without massively increasing prices or slashing the ranks of delivery workers. The city commissioned outside experts and did its own extensive economic analysis in relation to the rule, with serious consideration of various potential scenarios impact on customers and workers alike. Advertisement Related from Slate Bryce Covert Uber Has Shown Us the Future It Wants for Employment Read More For policy wonks who want all the details, the citys calculations and reasoning are laid out in a report from November 2022, and more recently, in conjunction with the final rule. The analysis notes that worker pay is a small portion of the total cost of most app-based food orders. The average total cost of an order for a consumer was $33.09, and its interesting to see how its broken down: $18.33 goes to the restaurant; $4.11 goes to the worker as a tip; and $2.11 is for taxes. The app receives $8.54 in total: $3.06 of that comes from customer fees and $5.48 as a commission from the restaurant. Apps retain 49 percent ($4.22) of their revenue on each order, paying out the remaining 51 percent to the delivery worker ($4.32). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The city also offers several options for how apps can absorb the higher pay without excessive price increases, including making more efficient use of workers time by, for example, batching multiple orders from the same restaurant, shortening trips by reducing the radius for restaurant delivery, or otherwise structuring operations to have less wait time between trips. Certainly, apps could also take a slimmer profit margin themselves on each order. Another option: Apps could stop accepting orders below a certain dollar amount. Meals are one thing, but does anyone really need immediate delivery of a mocha-cookie-crumble frappuccino? It is possible that there may be a limited increase in the price of deliveries. But consumers make these decisions all the time: How much is convenience worth? And its the kind of trade-off that companies of all kinds have to consider: how to balance obligations to workers with consumer prices while also maintaining or growing a customer base. App delivery companies confront this challenge with a big advantage: The industry has had significant growth in recent years, with 17 percent more deliveries in the first six months of 2022 than the same period in 2021. App delivery nationally overall is currently more than four times larger than in early 2018. Such growth provides a healthy cushion to absorb higher worker pay; even a dent in demand caused by slightly higher prices is unlikely to halt the overall upward trend. Advertisement Advertisement More evidence of the citys reasonableness: The rule requires the city itself to report on certain aspects of implementation in September 2024, based on data about whats actually happened on the ground. In other words, to the extent any assumptions are not borne out in practice, theres a built-in method for correction. Whatever happens, New Yorkers arent going to stop having food delivered. Weve been doing this since there was a New York. (Im sure there are historical records somewhere of Henry Hudson ordering in.) Some people may pay slightly higher prices for app delivery. Others will go old-school and save money by ordering from restaurants directly, an approach that also has the benefit of supporting local restaurants by freeing them from burdensome payments to gig-company middlemen. Either way, there will be continued demand for workers to bring food to building lobbies and apartment front doors. The real question is how theyll be treated. In objecting to New Yorks new rule, app delivery companies essentially say that extreme poverty wages are the only way they can operate. But we dont allow that for any businesses. And as New Yorkers, thats not in line with our values. Despite the tough-guy reputation, New Yorkers believe that hard work should pay, and we care for our neighbors. Delivery workers deserve decent treatment, and the citys new pay standard is an important first step in that direction. More cities should follow suit, no matter what the DoorDashes and Ubers say. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Last week, the New York Times reported that the manager of a morgue at Harvard Medical School had been charged with stealing and selling body parts. Cedric Lodge, along with his wife and three others (who apparently collect and sell these things as a practice), were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pennsylvania for their involvement in conspiracy and transporting the stolen goods between states. The goods in question, according to the New York Times reporting, include dissected faces (two of them, sold for a mere $600!), braiiiiiins for just $200 (perhaps be a little more discreet with labeling your transactions, folks!), and what seems to have been an entire head for $1,000 (labeled, it should be noted, head number 7). Advertisement In response to the events, two Harvard deans released a statement calling the actions of the universitys former employee an abhorrent betrayal and vowing to improve security for the cadaver donation program. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But while the allegations are indeed abhorrent, a closer look at the history of how medical schools (like Harvards) have exchanged cadavers shows that last weeks indictment is not quite the anomaly you might think: Medical education was built on stealing bodies. For Benjamin Reiss, an English professor at Emory University who studies the history of medicine, the particular details of what happened at Harvard were surprising, but the essence of what happened felt eerily familiar. The commercialization and stealing of dead bodies in the early 19th century was essential to medical education, he said. Without the underground trade in dead bodies, Reiss told me, there would be no medical schools, and there would likely be no medical profession, or it would have taken generations longer for the medical profession to establish legitimacy. Advertisement A big part of this underground trade involved grave robbing. Sometimes, graves were robbed to retrieve valuables that had been buried with a person, or as a measure of contempt, or sometimes even for fun, said Michael Sappol, a historian who studies the cultural politics of anatomy. But in the 18th and 19th centuries in the United States, a lot of grave robbing was done with a specific purpose: to supply medical schools and medical students with bodies to dissect, said Sappol, who wrote the book A Traffic of Dead Bodies: Anatomy and Embodied Social Identity in Nineteenth-Century America. Theres a pretty straightforward reason for this. As medical education became more established in the U.S., it conferred legitimacy upon itself by prioritizing human dissections, Reiss said. The idea was that anatomical knowledge was emblematic of a higher medical truth. But because there wasnt exactly an established cadaver supply chain, medical students often self-sourced bodies by robbing graves. As Sappol noted, Medical students were wild about anatomical dissection, and they did a lot of extracurricular and extramural grave robbing, especially in places where there wasnt a legal source of bodies. Advertisement Advertisement Related from Slate Dan Kois Young People Have No Idea What We Used to Do After Work. Let Me Regale You. Read More Its easy to be cavalier about all thisbut of course, these bodies, reduced by grave robbers to their anatomy, once belonged to people, and those people often belonged to groups that were already heavily marginalized in life: Black and Indigenous people, sex workers, people convicted of crimes, and immigrants. Many of the people whose graves were later robbed either didnt have living family in the area or didnt have the money to build mausoleums or fancy tombs to protect the bodies from robbery or advocate on their behalf, historians told me. There are important differences between this history and the Harvard morgue story. The bodies stolen by the rogue Harvard employee and his co-conspirators were first donated to the university by families, and only stolen later. The stealing of bodies in this case is representative of a small black market these days, not the basis for an entire medical education system. Advertisement Today, an estimated 20,000 people donate their bodies to medical research and education each year in the United Statesand this is what props up medical school morgues like Harvards. But it wasnt until the late 19th or early 20th century that people began to willingly donate their bodies to research and education upon death, Reiss told me. Before then, there was a pervasive fear of dissection being an affront to religious sensibilities, he said. This required people to hold two contrary things at once, Sappol told me: they wanted a doctor who was well trained in anatomy of bodies, but they hated doctors who stole bodies to dissect. Advertisement Advertisement Instead of supplying medical education, it seems like modern grave robbing, of the kind we saw in last weeks indictment, is more about supplying the human fascination with morbidity and its emblems. According to the indictment, the defendants toured the morgue and stole remains, transported them across state borders, coordinated shipments over social media, and shipped them through the U.S. Postal Service. (Hope your mail hasnt been smelling like formaldehyde!) Alarmingly, the five people indicted in this case are just a sample of a niche market that already exists for human remains. Advertisement Advertisement Still, at the root, this story and our long history of body-stealing are really about a similar thing, said Kathleen Brown, a historian who studies gender, sexuality, and race. The continuity appears in the treating of these body parts as if they came from people who dont have loved ones, she said, as if theyre already diminished by virtue of being dead and falling into the hands of people outside their own families and communities. The context is very different, but theres a unifying risk: An opportunist might somehow see the bodies as up for grabsthat the body parts can become commodities if nobodys loving them. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Rep. Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, tries raw squid during his visit to a traditional market in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Thursday. Newsis Safety fears may be unfounded, but industry is already taking hit By Jung Min-ho Seemingly determined to keep the Fukushima water issue alive, Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition party, on Thursday met with fishermen who are deeply concerned about Japan's plan to discharge treated wastewater from the city's nuclear plant into the sea. The leader and other officials of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) visited a local market at Gangneung, a coastal city in Gangwon Province, where such worries are especially high. His move comes at a time when concerns are rising over a million tons of radioactive water set to be released into the Pacific Ocean beginning in the coming weeks. Many in the seafood industry say that they have already been losing customers and fear that this was only the beginning of a more serious business crisis that could unfold when Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) proceeds with the plan. The same day, Rep. Bae Jin-gyo, floor leader of the minor progressive Justice Party, and other officials departed for Japan, where they plan to hold rallies with the Social Democratic Party of Japan against the "dangerous" release of the water. Whether or not these fears are unfounded, their consequences have been felt acutely in the market even before the release of the water. The prices of some salt products jumped to record highs recently, triggering panic-buying and prompting authorities to scramble to stabilize them. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has been reviewing the safety of the Fukushima plan, is expected to issue its final report soon. Should no major issues be found, TEPCO will likely implement it thereafter. However, even if the IAEA guarantees its safety, it won't likely settle the issue in Korea's political arena, according to Cho Jin-man, a professor of politics at Duksung Women's University. "With the general elections coming in less than a year, the opposition party obviously thinks that highlighting the Fukushima issue would be politically beneficial in a country where anti-Japan sentiment is shared by many," Cho told The Korea Times. "The campaign is only expected to intensify, with the elections approaching. Factual matters regarding the water would probably be a lesser concern." Earlier this week, the Korean Nuclear Society, a respected organization in that scientific field with more than 6,000 members, released a statement criticizing politicians taking advantage of the Fukushima issue for political purposes. It said there is "no possibility" that the water release will have any health impact on Korean seafood consumers. It also proposed a public debate over the issue, saying anyone who thinks otherwise is welcome to join. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) also strongly denounced the DPK for its "fearmongering." "If they cannot trust scientists or a recognized international organization (the IAEA), what do they believe as facts?" PPP floor leader Rep. Yoon Jae-ok said during Thursday's meeting with officials. "The public remembers the DPK never apologized (for spreading false information) regarding mad cow disease and THAAD deployment." His remarks were apparently aimed at DPK politicians, including its chairman, who have raised safety concerns over electromagnetic radiation from the U.S. missile defense system, which set off protests from residents in Seongju County where the installation began in 2017. On Wednesday, the environment and defense ministries said their environmental impact assessment of the THAAD found electromagnetic radiation levels were well within safety standards, clearing the way for additional infrastructure construction for the system. A business consultant can be an invaluable asset to your small business. They offer a lens to view the company from a different perspective, bringing extensive knowledge to the table, and assisting in the creation of solutions that propel business growth. However, to maximize this potential, businesses must clearly understand the business consultant job description and the value they bring. Exploring the Role of a Business Consultant A business consultant is like the North Star for a small business. These professionals possess expertise in specialized business fields, such as marketing, finance, and human resources. Their role is to guide businesses towards their objectives, assist clients in making better decisions, and optimize performance through effective strategies. Being a business consultant often means being a master of many facets of business. The responsibilities that come with this role are varied and often complex. They range from identifying new business opportunities, interpreting data, and reading reports to crafting detailed business plans, providing expert advice, and aiding in the execution of promotional campaigns. Power Up Your Event's Success Sell Your Business Conduct Market Research Significance of a Well-Crafted Consultant Job Description A well-articulated business consultant job description is a cornerstone for attracting the right talent. It offers an insight into what a potential candidate should bring to the table while clearly outlining the responsibilities and expectations associated with the role. A business consultants role in a small business is unique, as the consultant often wears many hats due to the businesss size or because it lacks resources. Therefore, the job description should reflect the specific needs and demands of a small business environment. Snapshot of a Business Consultant Business Consultant Responsibilities A business consultants duties are broad and impactful. They are instrumental in many diverse business areas, from business development to process improvement and strategic planning. They assess a clients business to identify shortcomings and opportunities for improvement. They gather information about the internal processes, conduct market research, analyze competitors, and prepare detailed business plans. Additionally, they might be tasked with increasing sales, finding new business opportunities, or implementing change management processes. Their responsibilities also include working independently, collaborating with in-house teams, or forming a small team to implement new ideas or strategies. They interpret data, present findings to clients, and offer solutions to business problems. Skills and Qualifications for a Successful Business Consultant A successful business consultant brings a mix of education, experience, and skills. A bachelors degree in a relevant field such as business administration is typically required. However, a masters degree or a certified management consultant credential can provide an advantage. Moreover, proven experience as a business consultant or equivalent role in a specific industry is crucial. The ideal candidate should have experience with project management and business management software. Familiarity with MS Office, excellent communication skills, and the ability to solve problems creatively and effectively are also key skills required for this role. Building an Engaging Consultant Job Description An engaging and detailed consultant job description is the first step to finding a qualified business consultant. It should be simple, clear, and tailored to your business needs. Key Elements of a Business Consultant Job Description Job Summary : This should provide an overview of the consultant job, its significance in your company, and the impact they can have on your business. : This should provide an overview of the consultant job, its significance in your company, and the impact they can have on your business. Responsibilities : Clearly list out the duties that the consultant will be expected to perform. : Clearly list out the duties that the consultant will be expected to perform. Qualifications : Specify the educational qualifications, industry experience, certifications, and skills required for the job. : Specify the educational qualifications, industry experience, certifications, and skills required for the job. Skills: Mention the key skills required, including analytical abilities, problem-solving skills, excellent communication skills, familiarity with MS Office, and experience with business management software. Crafting an Engaging Job Description Avoid jargon and overused phrases. Be clear and concise about what the role entails and what the company expects from the candidate. Highlight the opportunities the job provides for growth and learning. Effective Onboarding and Training After the selection process, its important to warmly welcome your new business consultant and provide the necessary resources and support for success. Setting clear goals, expectations, and key performance indicators (KPIs) is crucial to align them with your companys vision. Understanding the Difference: Business Consultant vs. Management Consultant Aspect Management Consultant Business Consultant Primary Role Provides advice to improve the overall performance of a company. Offers specialized advice in specific areas like marketing, human resources, or finance. Employment Setting Typically works with a consulting firm. Could work independently or with a consulting firm, usually with a focus on small businesses. Focus of Advice Gives advice on different aspects of business management such as organizational structure, operations, or financial planning. Provides advice on particular business areas, often based on their extensive experience in a specific industry or business area. Typical Tasks Might give general advice on increasing efficiency or productivity across the entire business. Could help develop a marketing strategy, improve human resources processes, or identify new business opportunities. Value for Small Business Provides a broad perspective and helps improve overall business performance. Invaluable when the business needs specialized knowledge or expertise that it doesn't possess in-house. Its not uncommon for people to use the terms business consultant and management consultant interchangeably. However, these two roles, while sharing several similarities, do have their unique distinctions. In the simplest terms, a management consultant provides advice to improve the overall performance of a company, while a business consultant offers more specialized advice in specific areas such as marketing, human resources, or finance. Management Consultant Management consultants typically work with a consulting firm and are often brought in to view a problem from a different perspective. They use their extensive knowledge to provide expert advice on different aspects of business management, such as organizational structure, operations, or financial planning. A management consultant might also provide general advice on increasing efficiency or productivity across the entire business. Business Consultant On the other hand, a business consultant offers more specialized advice on particular business areas. A small business might hire a business consultant to develop a marketing strategy, improve its human resources processes, or identify new business opportunities. Unlike management consultants who generally offer broad-based advice, business consultants often have extensive experience in a specific industry or business area. In the context of a small business, a business consultant can be an invaluable asset when the business needs specialized knowledge or expertise that it doesnt possess in-house. How Much Does a Business Consultant Typically Earn? Business consultant earnings can vary widely based on factors such as the consultants experience level, the industry in which they work, and the geographical location. In general, a business consultant can expect to earn a competitive salary that reflects the value they bring to a business. While it is not possible to provide an exact figure without taking these factors into account, the salary range can be looked up on various job search or salary comparison websites to get a ballpark figure. Resources for Finding Qualified Business Consultants Finding the right business consultant for your small business can be a challenging task. Several resources can aid you in your search: Professional Networks : Networking events or industry-specific professional groups can be an excellent source for finding qualified consultants. : Networking events or industry-specific professional groups can be an excellent source for finding qualified consultants. Online Platforms : Websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, or specialized consulting platforms often have a vast pool of consultants from various industries. : Websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, or specialized consulting platforms often have a vast pool of consultants from various industries. Consulting Firms : Established consulting firms provide experienced consultants who can assist clients with their specific business needs. : Established consulting firms provide experienced consultants who can assist clients with their specific business needs. Referrals: Word-of-mouth or referrals from business partners or other industry connections can also lead to potential candidates. Its important to remember that the most effective way to find the right business consultant is to clearly define your business needs, thoroughly research potential consultants, and conduct a careful selection process. Business Consultant Job Description: Templates for Hiring at Your Business Template 1: This template focuses on a general Business Consultant role, highlighting the candidates responsibility for analyzing clients business operations, identifying areas for improvement, and developing strategies. It emphasizes the need for strong analytical and communication skills, as well as the ability to collaborate effectively with clients. This template is suitable for candidates with experience in business consulting, problem-solving, and strategic planning. Job Description: Business Consultant Location: [City, State] Company: [Company Name] About Us: [Company Name] is a dynamic and growing small business dedicated to providing exceptional consulting services to our clients. We specialize in offering comprehensive business solutions tailored to the unique needs of our clients, helping them achieve their goals and drive success. Our team is comprised of talented professionals who are passionate about delivering high-quality results and building strong relationships with our clients. Job Description: We are seeking a Business Consultant to join our team of experts. As a Business Consultant, you will collaborate with our clients to analyze their business operations, identify areas for improvement, and develop strategies to optimize their performance. Your expertise and guidance will play a crucial role in driving our clients success. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and has a passion for helping small businesses thrive. Responsibilities: Conduct thorough assessments of clients business operations to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Collaborate with clients to understand their business goals, challenges, and opportunities. Develop customized strategies and action plans to enhance their business performance. Provide expert advice and guidance on various aspects of business, such as financial management, marketing, operations, and human resources. Analyze market trends, industry benchmarks, and competitors to identify growth opportunities. Assist clients in implementing recommended strategies and monitor their progress. Deliver clear and concise reports, presentations, and recommendations to clients. Stay updated with industry trends and best practices to continuously enhance your expertise. Qualifications: Bachelors degree in business administration, finance, or a related field. Proven experience as a Business Consultant or in a similar role, preferably with small businesses. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Proficiency in data analysis and financial modeling. Ability to work independently and as part of a team. Strong attention to detail and organizational skills. Ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize tasks effectively. Benefits: Competitive salary commensurate with experience. Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance and retirement plans. Opportunities for professional growth and development. Collaborative and inclusive work environment. Work-life balance and flexible scheduling options. Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on small businesses and contribute to their success. To Apply: Please submit your resume, a brief cover letter, and any relevant certifications or references to [email address] with the subject line Business Consultant Application [Your Name]. We look forward to learning more about you and how you can contribute to the success of [Company Name]. [Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Template 2: This template is similar to Template 1 but emphasizes the candidates expertise in working with small businesses. It highlights the importance of understanding the unique challenges and opportunities faced by small businesses and tailoring strategies to their specific needs. This template is suitable for candidates with experience in consulting small businesses, knowledge of small business operations, and a passion for helping them succeed. Job Description: Business Consultant Location: [City, State] Company: [Company Name] About Us: [Company Name] is a dynamic and growing small business dedicated to providing exceptional consulting services to our clients. We specialize in offering comprehensive business solutions tailored to the unique needs of our clients, helping them achieve their goals and drive success. Our team is comprised of talented professionals who are passionate about delivering high-quality results and building strong relationships with our clients. Job Description: We are seeking a Business Consultant to join our team of experts. As a Business Consultant, you will collaborate with our clients to analyze their business operations, identify areas for improvement, and develop strategies to optimize their performance. Your expertise and guidance will play a crucial role in driving our clients success. This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and has a passion for helping small businesses thrive. Responsibilities: Conduct thorough assessments of clients business operations to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Collaborate with clients to understand their business goals, challenges, and opportunities. Develop customized strategies and action plans to enhance their business performance. Provide expert advice and guidance on various aspects of business, such as financial management, marketing, operations, and human resources. Analyze market trends, industry benchmarks, and competitors to identify growth opportunities. Assist clients in implementing recommended strategies and monitor their progress. Deliver clear and concise reports, presentations, and recommendations to clients. Stay updated with industry trends and best practices to continuously enhance your expertise. Qualifications: Bachelors degree in business administration, finance, or a related field. Proven experience as a Business Consultant or in a similar role, preferably with small businesses. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Proficiency in data analysis and financial modeling. Ability to work independently and as part of a team. Strong attention to detail and organizational skills. Ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize tasks effectively. Benefits: Competitive salary commensurate with experience. Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance and retirement plans. Opportunities for professional growth and development. Collaborative and inclusive work environment. Work-life balance and flexible scheduling options. Opportunity to make a meaningful impact on small businesses and contribute to their success. To Apply: Please submit your resume, a brief cover letter, and any relevant certifications or references to [email address] with the subject line Business Consultant Application [Your Name]. We look forward to learning more about you and how you can contribute to the success of [Company Name]. [Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Template 3: This template focuses on a Business Consultant role that highlights the candidates responsibility for providing tailored solutions to drive growth and success for clients. It emphasizes the importance of business analysis, strategic planning, and market research to identify growth opportunities. This template is suitable for candidates with a strong background in business analysis, strategy development, and market trends analysis. Job Description: Business Consultant Location: [City, State] Company: [Company Name] About Us: [Company Name] is a small business committed to providing top-notch consulting services to our clients. We pride ourselves on delivering tailored solutions that drive growth and success for businesses of all sizes. Our team of dedicated professionals is passionate about helping our clients achieve their goals and reach new heights. Join us and be part of a collaborative and dynamic work environment that fosters innovation and professional growth. Job Description: We are seeking a talented and experienced Business Consultant to join our team. As a Business Consultant, you will work closely with our clients to understand their unique challenges and develop strategies to improve their operations, profitability, and overall business performance. Your in-depth knowledge of business management, market trends, and best practices will be instrumental in providing effective solutions and delivering exceptional value to our clients. Responsibilities: Conduct comprehensive analyses of clients businesses, including financials, operations, and market positioning. Identify areas for improvement and recommend strategies to optimize performance, streamline operations, and enhance profitability. Collaborate with clients to develop actionable plans that align with their goals and objectives. Provide expert guidance on business development, marketing strategies, and competitive positioning. Conduct market research and analyze industry trends to identify growth opportunities for clients. Assist in the implementation of recommended strategies, monitoring progress, and adjusting as needed. Deliver clear and insightful reports, presentations, and recommendations to clients. Stay updated on industry developments and emerging trends to continuously enhance your consulting expertise. Qualifications: Bachelors degree in business administration, finance, or a related field. Proven experience as a Business Consultant or in a similar role, preferably with small businesses. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Proficiency in data analysis, financial modeling, and business intelligence tools. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment. Strong attention to detail and organizational skills. Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines. Flexibility and adaptability to navigate complex business challenges. Benefits: Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications. Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance and retirement plans. Professional development opportunities to enhance your skills and knowledge. Collaborative and supportive work environment that encourages innovation. Opportunities to work with diverse clients and industries. Work-life balance and flexible scheduling options. To Apply: Please email your resume, cover letter, and any relevant certifications or references to [email address] with the subject line Business Consultant Application [Your Name]. We appreciate your interest in joining our team, and we look forward to reviewing your application. [Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply. Template 4: Business Consultant This template is similar to Template 3 but emphasizes the candidates ability to deliver results-oriented consulting services. It highlights the importance of problem-solving skills, effective communication, and building strong client relationships. This template is suitable for candidates with a proven track record of delivering strategic solutions, excellent communication skills, and the ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment. Job Description: Business Consultant Location: [City, State] Company: [Company Name] About Us: [Company Name] is a thriving small business dedicated to providing strategic consulting services to our clients. We work closely with businesses of all sizes, helping them navigate challenges, optimize operations, and achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced professionals brings diverse expertise and a passion for delivering high-quality solutions. We foster a collaborative and supportive work environment that encourages creativity, innovation, and professional development. Job Description: We are seeking a skilled and results-oriented Business Consultant to join our dynamic team. As a Business Consultant, you will partner with our clients to understand their objectives, evaluate their business processes, and develop strategies to drive efficiency, profitability, and long-term success. This role requires strong problem-solving skills, business acumen, and the ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders. Responsibilities: Conduct comprehensive assessments of clients businesses, including operational processes, financial performance, and market positioning. Analyze data, identify trends, and provide actionable insights to improve performance and profitability. Collaborate with clients to develop strategic plans and initiatives aligned with their goals and objectives. Provide expert guidance on business development, marketing strategies, and competitive differentiation. Develop and deliver engaging presentations, reports, and recommendations to clients. Support clients in implementing recommended strategies, monitoring progress, and making necessary adjustments. Stay up-to-date with industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies. Foster strong client relationships, ensuring exceptional service and client satisfaction. Qualifications: Bachelors degree in business administration, finance, or a related field. Proven experience as a Business Consultant or in a similar role, preferably working with small businesses. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think critically and provide strategic insights. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to engage with clients and build relationships. Proficiency in data analysis, financial modeling, and business intelligence tools. Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines. Demonstrated adaptability, flexibility, and resilience in a fast-paced environment. Strong business acumen and knowledge of industry trends and best practices. Benefits: Competitive salary based on qualifications and experience. Comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance and retirement plans. Opportunities for professional growth and development through training and mentorship. Collaborative and inclusive work environment that values teamwork and innovation. Flexible work arrangements and a healthy work-life balance. To Apply: To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter, and any relevant certifications or references to [email address]. Kindly include the subject line Business Consultant Application [Your Name]. We appreciate your interest in joining our team and will carefully review all applications. [Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected characteristic. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply. Template Business Consultant (General) Business Consultant (Small Businesses) Business Consultant (Growth Strategies) Business Consultant (Results-Oriented) Role Focus Analyzing clients' business operations, identifying areas for improvement, and developing strategies. Working with small businesses, understanding their unique challenges, and tailoring strategies to their specific needs. Providing tailored solutions to drive growth and success for clients, emphasizing business analysis and market research. Delivering results-oriented consulting services, problem-solving, and building strong client relationships. Skills Required Strong analytical and communication skills, collaboration with clients. Experience in consulting small businesses, knowledge of small business operations, passion for helping them succeed. Background in business analysis, strategy development, market trends analysis. Proven track record of delivering strategic solutions, excellent communication skills, adaptability in a fast-paced environment. Suitable Candidates Candidates with experience in business consulting, problem-solving, and strategic planning. Candidates with experience in consulting small businesses, knowledge of small business operations, and a passion for helping them succeed. Candidates with a strong background in business analysis, strategy development, and market trends analysis. Candidates with a proven track record of delivering strategic solutions, excellent communication skills, and the ability to adapt to a fast-paced environment. Deciphering if Your Organization Needs a Business Consultant Determining whether your organization needs a business consultant involves analyzing your business operations and identifying areas where you lack the necessary expertise or resources. Some key indicators that your business may need a consultant include: You need expert advice for a specific project : If youre embarking on a project that requires expertise your team doesnt possess, a consultant might be beneficial. : If youre embarking on a project that requires expertise your team doesnt possess, a consultant might be beneficial. Youre facing persistent business challenges : If youve been struggling with the same challenges for a long time, it might be time to bring in an external expert. : If youve been struggling with the same challenges for a long time, it might be time to bring in an external expert. You need a fresh perspective: Sometimes, an outside viewpoint can be just what you need to spark innovation or identify new opportunities. Can a Business Consultant Work Part-time or on a Temporary Basis? Yes, many businesses hire consultants on a part-time or temporary basis, particularly for specific projects or during periods of transition. This allows the organization to access the consultants expertise without the commitment of a full-time salary and benefits. The flexibility of consultant contracts can make this a cost-effective solution for small businesses that only need these services on an intermittent basis. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) What is a Business Consultant? A business consultant is a professional who provides expert advice in specific areas of business such as marketing, human resources, finance, and more. They assess a companys operations, identify areas for improvement, and offer solutions to drive business growth and efficiency. How does a Business Consultant differ from a Management Consultant? While both roles involve providing expert advice to improve a businesss operations, a business consultant typically offers more specialized advice in specific areas. In contrast, a management consultant provides broader-based advice aimed at improving the overall performance of a company. What qualifications does a Business Consultant need? A business consultant typically needs a bachelors degree in a relevant field such as business administration. Other necessary qualifications may include a masters degree, specific industry certifications, and proven experience in a similar role. They should also possess excellent communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and knowledge of business management software. What are the key responsibilities of a Business Consultant? A business consultants key responsibilities include assessing a companys operations, identifying areas for improvement, crafting detailed business plans, interpreting data, and providing expert advice on how to address business challenges. They may also be tasked with identifying new business opportunities and implementing change management processes. Where can I find a Business Consultant? Business consultants can be found through professional networks, online platforms like LinkedIn, established consulting firms, or referrals from industry connections. Its important to clearly define your business needs and conduct thorough research when looking for a consultant. Can a Business Consultant work part-time? Yes, many businesses hire consultants on a part-time or temporary basis, especially for specific projects or during periods of transition. This arrangement can be a cost-effective solution for small businesses that require consulting services intermittently. How much does a Business Consultant typically earn? The earnings of a business consultant can vary widely based on their level of experience, industry, and geographical location. Its recommended to refer to job search or salary comparison websites to get a general idea of the expected salary range. When should a small business hire a Business Consultant? A small business might need a business consultant when its embarking on a project that requires specific expertise, facing persistent business challenges, or in need of a fresh perspective to identify new opportunities. Consultants can provide the necessary expertise and insight to navigate these situations successfully. In an escalating push against the alleged intellectual property theft by China, Congressman Roger Williams (R-TX), Chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, and Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, have called upon the Department of Justice (DOJ) for greater insight into the situation. They seek to assess the DOJs efforts in combating the purported theft and its subsequent impact on small businesses across America. Thanks to the efforts of the Chinese Communist Party, Main Street America is growing increasingly vulnerable to the intellectual property theft of cutting-edge technologies, Chairman Williams stated. He further emphasized that the estimated cost of this theft to taxpayers is a whopping $600 billion per year. In the context of small businesses, these figures are deeply concerning. The backbone of the US economy, small businesses are pivotal in driving innovation and growth. Intellectual property theft on this scale is not only a threat to the financial security of these enterprises but is also a serious blow to national innovation and security assets. Williams stressed the need for Congress to pressurize the Biden administration to take more robust measures in protection of the countrys innovation and national security. Echoing the same sentiment, Chairman Gallagher said, Small businesses are on the front lines of the economic war that the Chinese Communist Party is waging against America. These businesses, critical to the American economic framework, find themselves in a precarious position, directly exposed to the economic coercion exerted by the Chinese Communist Party. Both Williams and Gallagher are keen to learn more about the measures that Attorney General Merrick Garland has in place to safeguard American businesses against the Chinese Communist Partys intellectual property theft. They expressed their eagerness to explore additional ways in which Congress can further shield small businesses from such economic exploitation. As a sign of solidarity, all members from both the House Committee on Small Business and the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party have endorsed the letter addressed to Attorney General Garland. The Congressmen have requested a detailed briefing, slated to be held no later than June 30th, to discuss the Departments efforts in safeguarding American small businesses from the alleged malign behavior of the Chinese Communist Party. As the conversation surrounding Chinese intellectual property theft intensifies, it becomes increasingly crucial for small business owners to stay informed. The outcome of these discussions and subsequent actions could dramatically impact the way small businesses operate and safeguard their intellectual property assets. The steps taken by the DOJ could set a precedent for future interactions and relations with China, making this an issue of significance not only for small business owners but for the larger economic landscape of the nation. Get the latest headlines from Small Business Trends. Follow us on Google News. In the intricate dance of commerce and camaraderie that forms the heart of the nightlife industry, few things are as ubiquitous and essential as the simple, yet often misunderstood, bar tab. Serving as a lifeline to patrons and an indispensable tool for establishments, answering questions like What is a bar tab? and How do bar tabs work? is an absolute necessity. These essential questions are often overlooked, but they are relevant to both customers and bar owners. Worldwide, the bar tab system is a prevalent fixture, whether in an intimate pub tucked away in the corners of Dublin or a high-energy cocktail lounge pulsating with life in the heart of New York. It streamlines the financial transactions between patrons and business owners while enabling an uninterrupted flow of conviviality and refreshments. Sell Your Business Conduct Market Research Power Up Your Event's Success As a small business owner or entrepreneur, especially within the hospitality industry, demystifying the world of bar tabs not only enhances operational efficiency but also improves the customer experience. What is a Bar Tab? So, what exactly is a bar tab? If youve ever worked in or patronized a bar, youve likely heard this bar terminology, but you may not understand exactly what it is. In its most basic form, a bar tab is a running account that an establishment keeps tracking a customers purchases throughout their visit. Instead of paying for each drink or bar snack ordered, customers provide their credit or debit card to the bartender at the beginning of their visit, who then opens a tab in their name. The tab allows customers to order freely throughout their stay, with the final total settled at the end. It is akin to a short-term line of credit the bar extends to the customer for their visit. A bar tab provides customers convenience, flexibility and an uninterrupted experience. It eliminates the need for numerous card swipes or cash transactions and allows them to enjoy their time at the bar without worrying about immediate payment for each round of drinks. For bar owners and staff, the bar tab system streamlines service and financial transactions. It minimizes the time spent handling cash or cards, making it easier for bartenders to focus on serving drinks and engaging with patrons. From a business perspective, bar tabs also encourage customers to order more throughout their stay, potentially boosting sales. In small business bars, understanding and efficiently managing bar tabs can mean the difference between a smoothly operating establishment that provides a superior customer experience and one that struggles with inefficiencies and customer dissatisfaction. Historical Background of Bar Tabs Though we now associate bar tabs with contemporary hospitality services, their roots trace back much further in history. The concept of tabs or tabs of credit emerged as early as the Middle Ages when taverns were the heart of community life. People often traded goods or services, and tavern owners would keep a tab or tally of who owed what instead of immediate payment. However, the modern concept of the bar tab as we understand it today gained prominence in the early 20th century. During the Prohibition era in the United States (1920-1933), when the production, sale and transport of alcoholic beverages were illegal, secret bars or speakeasies found a novel way to manage their transactions covertly. They started running tabs for their trusted customers, allowing them to consume now and pay later, thus minimizing the risk of immediate cash transactions. The system was appreciated for its convenience and simplicity and survived even after Prohibition ended. Today, the bar tab has become an integral part of the bar experience globally, helping businesses streamline their services while providing an enhanced experience for patrons. How Does a Bar Tab Work: A Step-by-Step Process Navigating the mechanics of a bar tab can seem like a daunting task to the uninitiated. However, understanding this process is beneficial for patrons and essential for entrepreneurs aiming to implement this system in their establishments. The following steps offer a detailed guide on how a bar tab works from when a customer opens one to the final act of settling the bill. Bar Tab Steps What is it? How do you do it? Why does it matter? Open a Bar Tab Begin the tab process by securing a payment method. Ask the customer for their credit or debit card, along with a form of ID if required, then record their name and start a new tab in the system linked to the provided card. This assures the bar that the customer has the means to pay for their orders and allows for accurate tracking of the customer's purchases. Pre-authorize a Debit or Credit Card Verify the validity and funds of the customer's card. Use the POS system to preauthorize the card, confirming with the bank that the card is valid and has enough funds to cover potential charges. This step protects the bar from potential fraud and non-payment, ensuring that customers can cover their tabs. 3. Add Orders to a Running Tab Update the customer's bill as they order. As the customer orders drinks or food, add each item to their tab in the POS system, keeping a running tally of their total expenditure. This allows for continuous tracking of the customer's purchases, providing a seamless ordering experience without requiring frequent cash or card transactions. 4. Close the Bar Tab Finalize the customer's bill at the end of their visit. When the customer is ready to leave, provide them with their bill, allow for review, then process the payment, replacing the pre-authorized hold with the final charge, which often includes an added gratuity. This settles the customer's account, facilitating the exchange of payment for services rendered, and ensures both the bar and its staff are compensated, even if a tab is left unpaid. Opening a Bar Tab When a customer decides to open a bar tab, the process usually begins by providing their credit or debit card to the bartender or server. The card acts as a security measure, assuring the bar that the customer has the means to pay for their orders. In some establishments, a form of identification may also be requested. The bartender then records the customers name and starts a new tab, associating it with the provided card or ID. This process enables the bar to track the customers purchases throughout their visit accurately. Pre-Authorization of a Credit or Debit Card The process of opening a bar tab often involves the pre-authorization of a customers credit or debit card. This crucial step involves the bar verifying with the bank that the card is valid and has sufficient funds to cover potential charges. Essentially, the bank reserves a specific amountsay $50 or $100for the bar, though no money is actually deducted from the customers account at this point. Pre-authorization protects the establishment from potential fraud and ensures that customers can cover their tabs. Adding Orders to a Running Tab As the customer enjoys their time at the bar, any subsequent orders are added to the running bill. The bartender updates the tab number each time the customer orders a new drink or item. The ongoing tally allows the bar to keep track of the customers total expenditure while the customer enjoys the convenience of ordering freely without handling cash or cards after each purchase. Closing a Bar Tab Closing a bar tab marks the end of the customers visit. At this point, the customer requests their bill, reviews it for accuracy and pays for their purchases. The pre-authorized hold on the credit or debit card is replaced with the final charge, which often includes an added gratuity. Most establishments calculate a suggested tip amountgenerally around 15 to 20% off the total billbut the final decision rests with the customer. If a tab is left unpaid or forgotten, its common practice for the bar to charge the card on file, including a predetermined gratuity, ensuring that both the bar and its staff are compensated for their services. The Benefits of Implementing Tabs in Your Bar Business As we take an even deeper dive into the world of bar tabs, it becomes clear that their adoption extends far beyond traditional conventions. The use of bar tabs in a bar business brings several benefits, including enhanced customer experience, increased sales and profitability, and streamlined operations. Continue reading as we unpack these advantages to better understand how they contribute to the overall success of a bar business. Enhancing Customer Experience In the hospitality industry, customer experience is paramount. A bar tab system enhances this experience by creating a more relaxed and enjoyable environment for patrons. It allows customers to focus on the social aspect of their visit rather than continuously dealing with monetary transactions. This ease and convenience and the absence of transactional interruptions often encourage customers to stay longer and order more. Bar tabs also provide a touch of trust and personalization subtly reinforcing the customers relationship with the establishment. Boosting Sales and Profitability A bar tab is not just customer-friendly; its also a strategic tool for boosting sales and profitability. Customers who dont have to think about paying for every drink individually are more likely to order additional rounds. Moreover, the ease of adding one more item to a running tab can lead to upselling opportunities, ultimately increasing the average spend per customer. As such, the bar tab system can directly contribute to a bars bottom line, enhancing revenue and profitability. Streamlining Bar Operations From an operational perspective, implementing a bar tab system can significantly streamline service processes. By reducing the frequency of cash or card transactions, bartenders can focus more on serving drinks and less on handling money. The increased efficiency can lead to quicker service times, improved workflow, and higher customer satisfaction. Tracking customer orders on a tab can simplify end-of-day accounting and reconciliation processes, making it easier to manage the financial aspects of the bar business. Using Point of Sale Software (POS System) for Efficient Bar Tab Management Managing bar tabs manually can be challenging, particularly in a busy environment. However, advancements in technology, such as Point of Sale software with preauthorization features, provide an efficient and effective solution for bar tab management. POS preauthorization systems are a powerful tool that allows bar owners to manage tabs digitally while also verifying customer payment methods in real time. These systems link directly to your bars POS software, ensuring all orders are recorded accurately on the customers tab. Digital tracking provides a more secure, accurate, and efficient way to manage bar tabs, revolutionizing the overall process. A few of the key benefits offered by the POS preauthorization system for bar tab management include: Enhanced Efficiency: Digital tracking of bar tabs reduces the need for manual record-keeping, enabling staff to serve customers quickly and accurately. Increased Security: POS systems reduce the risk of fraud or non-payment by verifying the customers card details and ensuring sufficient funds are available at the time the tab is opened. Improved Accuracy: Digital tab management ensures each order is accurately added to the correct tab, reducing the risk of human error. Simplified End-of-Day Reconciliation: POS systems simplify end-of-day accounting and reconciliation processes by keeping a precise record of all transactions, saving time and reducing potential discrepancies. By adopting a POS preauthorization system for managing bar tabs, businesses can ensure a smooth, secure and efficient transaction process, contributing to a better customer experience and a more successful bar operation. Best Practices for Managing Bar Tabs Effectively managing bar tabs is crucial for a smooth, efficient bar operation. Employing best practices enhances customer experience and safeguards the business against potential issues such as unpaid tabs or mischarged orders. Want to ensure optimal bar tag management at your establishment: Consider the following practical tips: Implement a Robust POS System: A reliable POS system can streamline the process of managing bar tabs, ensuring accurate tracking of orders, and simplifying end-of-day reconciliation. Educate Your Staff: Ensure all staff members are trained in opening, managing, and closing bar tabs. This can help prevent errors and enhance customer service. Set a Minimum Spend: To make sure opening a tab is worthwhile for your business, consider setting a minimum spend requirement. This can deter customers from opening a tab for just one or two drinks. Preauthorize Cards: Always preauthorize customer cards when they open a tab. This ensures the customer can cover their bill and protects your business from unpaid tabs. Regularly Review Open Tabs: Encourage staff to review open tabs throughout the night. This can help catch any discrepancies early and prevent potential issues. Close Tabs Promptly: At the nights end, ensure all tabs are closed. If a customer forgets to close their tab, have a policy in place to charge the card on file, including a predetermined gratuity. By following these best practices, bar owners can ensure efficient, error-free management of bar tabs, leading to better customer experiences, increased sales and a smoothly running business. FAQs: What is a Bar Tab Why should I consider implementing bar tabs in my bar? Implementing bar tabs in your business can significantly enhance the customer experience by offering flexibility and uninterrupted service. From a business perspective, bar tabs can increase sales, as customers who dont have to pay after each drink tend to order more. Bar tabs also streamline service operations, allowing staff to focus on serving customers rather than handling numerous transactions, thus boosting efficiency and productivity. How can I efficiently manage multiple bar tabs at once? Efficient management of multiple bar tabs often hinges on utilizing a robust POS system. These systems can digitally track all opened tabs, accurately record orders and manage payments, making it easier to oversee numerous tabs simultaneously. Training staff to handle multiple tabs and regularly reviewing open tabs can also contribute to smooth and efficient management, ensuring a high standard of service even during busy periods. What should I do if a customer leaves without paying their bar tab? If a customer leaves without paying their bar tab, having a predefined policy in place is critical. Most bars will preauthorize a customers credit card or debit card upon opening a tab, which allows them to charge the card on file for any unpaid tabs. This policy should also include charging a predetermined gratuity to compensate the staff. Communicate this policy to customers when they open a tab to avoid misunderstandings later. Can a customer dispute charges on their bar tab? Yes, a customer can dispute charges on their bar tab. However, if youre using a POS system to track orders accurately and youve ensured transparency with the customer throughout their visit, disputes should be rare. In the event of a dispute, having a comprehensive record of the customers orders can help resolve the issue swiftly and fairly. Good communication and clear policies are key in handling such situations. How can I use bar tabs to benefit and retain my regular customers? Bar tabs can play a significant role in retaining regular customers by enhancing their experience and establishing a sense of trust. The convenience and personalized service associated with bar tabs can make regular customers feel valued. Include the tab setup process in your bartender training so team members can make the experience easy and seamless. Likewise, you might consider offering tab-based incentives such as a loyalty program where regular customers accrue points for each dollar spent on their tab, which can be redeemed for rewards. These incentives can boost customer retention and encourage more frequent visits. The place of worship in Kremnicke Bane was probably built in the 13th century. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Share Twitter Facebook Whatsapp E-mail Link to the page The oldest churches in Slovakia were often built on prominent locations in centres from which the local regions were controlled. This is mainly true in the period of Great Moravia, but also in the beginning of the Kingdom of Hungary. These churches were often the most visible structures among the hillforts or fortified feudal residences in which they were constructed. The Church of St John the Baptist was first built as a chapel on an elevated, visible site above the village of Kremnicke Bane. It can be seen in old artistic renderings of the nearby town of Kremnica. The place of worship was probably built in the 13th century, though it is not clear who the architect was. Monks from Hronsky Benadik are cited as among its builders, but it was likely built by German colonists who came to this mining region, later known as Hauerland, in search of work. The temple was converted into a Gothic-style church around the mid 15th century, while the tower was added about 100 years later. The churchs services were attended mostly by German inhabitants of the surrounding villages: Kremnicke Bane, Krahule, Horny and Dolny Turcek. This scenic location over Johannisberg, which was the German name for Kremnicke Bane (or Piargy in Slovak) was visited by Emperor Joseph II on June 27, 1764, with his brother Leopold. They were on an official trip to Kremnica, during which they also saw some of the surrounding sites. We can see the church of St John the Baptist in this early 20th-century postcard. Beneath the massive linden trees in the foreground, is a spring called Johns Well, or Johannisbrunnen. https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d21049.16239491693!2d18.881615848661703!3d48.74092116422448!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x4715217db8082241%3A0x70772b4a7a45bb06!2s967%2001%20Kremnick%C3%A9%20Bane!5e0!3m2!1sen!2ssk!4v1687408071220!5m2!1sen!2ssk This story was first published by The Slovak Spectator on Mar 31, 2014. We have updated the piece to keep it relevant for today. Enjoy Petrzalka days this weekend or participate in morning yoga on Monday. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Share Twitter Facebook Whatsapp E-mail Link to the page Nature | Culture | Sport Nature Plavecky Castle. (Source: NHF) Hike to Plavecky Castle June 24, meeting point at 9:45 at Nivy bus station in Bratislava This Saturday a group of foreigners who are going hiking, will meet at Nivy bus station in Bratislava, from here they will catch the bus to the town of Plavecke Podhradie. It departs at 10:00. After approximately an hour on the bus, the route starts from Plavecke Podhradie. Hikers then head to the Plavecky Hrad castle and the Vapenna hill and come almost full circle to the town of Solosnica. The organisers say that there will be rocky ridges to climb and caves to explore, so perhaps this one is for more adventurous outdoor enthusiasts. The trip takes about 7 hours and is about 16 km of walking. If you would like to join the hike later, here's a map for anyone not on the same bus. https://sk.frame.mapy.cz/s/penutatuku Culture (Source: Petrzalka.sk) Petrzalka Days From June 23 till June 25 in the area of the Bratislava-Petrzalka State Race Track at Starohajska Street 29 Mayor Jan Hrcka and the council of the Bratislava-Petrzalka district invite you to the 26th annual Petrzalka Days event, which will take place from June 23 to June 25. In addition to a great mix of genres performed by the stars of the Slovak music scene, a rich accompanying program is also prepared combined with a varied selection of the most delicious refreshments. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1PrXH2-OoM7pzjgWCP8yX5tMWmXtDe4I&ehbc=2E312F Sport (Source: BKIS - Irene Kharchenko) Morning yoga in Janko Kral Park June 26 at 7:30 in Janko Kral Park on a grass area near the amphitheatre Take a deep breath with the instructors from Yoga House Bratislava, and awaken your life force in the park among the trees. Morning exercise will strengthen your muscles, clear your mind and help you to breath easily. Everybody is welcome, but please note that it is necessary to bring your own exercise mat. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/embed?mid=1Elk7nifMdsyLY1CRSFzS264YnRhkB0c&ehbc=2E312F If you have tips for free events in Bratislava or you would like to share your hiking or cycling trip ideas with readers, let us know at kseniia.husieva@spectator.sk. Travellers can also fly to Vietnam. Bratislava airport will operate flights to the Carribean and Vietnam from October 2023. (Source: Pexels) Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Share Twitter Facebook Whatsapp E-mail Link to the page Holidaymakers will fly out from Bratislava airport to Vietnam, the Dominican Republic and Cuba. The flights will be launched in the autumn following a contract concluded between DER Touristik Eastern Europe and the Spanish airliner World2fly, the TASR news agency wrote. The airport announced the new connections on Wednesday. The value of the contract for this years winter season exceeds 21 million, said the airports spokesperson Veronika Tothova. The Fischer and Kartago Tours travel agencies, which fall under the group, will provide three flights a week to the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc, Punta Cana in Punta Cana, and Santa Clara in Cuba from the end of October. The plane will always take off from Bratislava, fly to Prague for refuelling and then to the destination from Prague airport. The return flight will first land in Prague and then continue to Bratislava. Speaker Boris Kollar is urged to resign, free events in Bratislava, and this year's Homophobe of the Year prize goes to an archbishop. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Share Twitter Facebook Whatsapp E-mail Link to the page Good evening. Here is the Thursday, June 22, 2023 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes. Rovinka fire seen from Bratislava Firefighters have been trying to put out a huge fire in Rovinka, near Bratislava, from Thursday morning. (Source: TASR - Jakub Kotian) A massive fire broke out in an Ospra-Invest warehouse with polyethylene and pallets in Rovinka near Bratislava on Thursday morning. The smoke from the fire, which has not yet been localised, also reached Bratislava. It can be seen from different parts of the capital city, hovering above the Slovnaft refinery. People in Rovinka and in the nearby areas are not in danger, experts say. However, the police called on people living in Bratislava-Podunajske Biskupice and the town of Dunajska Luzna to close their windows and stay indoors. The fire is expected to be put out by Friday morning. In total, more than 180 professional and volunteer firefighters with 66 pieces of firefighting equipment are working to extinguish the fire. Eight firefighers have been injured. It is said that 700 tons of plastic and 1,500 wooden pallets are burning in the warehouse. More stories from The Slovak Spectator website Politics: Speaker Boris Kollar admits that he slapped his former girlfriend to reportedly protect their child, but he sees no reason to resign. Speaker Boris Kollar admits that he slapped his former girlfriend to reportedly protect their child, but he sees no reason to resign. Business: From October, you can fly from Bratislava to Vietnam. From October, you can fly from Bratislava to Vietnam. Labour market: Legislation has been brought in to make it easier for Ukrainians to find work, but problems remain for skilled workers from non-EU countries. Legislation has been brought in to make it easier for Ukrainians to find work, but problems remain for skilled workers from non-EU countries. History: Do you know where in Slovakia you can find Johannisberg? If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you. FEATURE STORY FOR THURSDAY How to enjoy Bratislava for free Plavecky Castle. (Source: NHF) In the coming days, you can set out on a hike to Plavecky Castle or enjoy a yoga session in one of the Bratislava parks. ANNIVERSARY Slovaks died in terrorist attack in Pakistan In 2013, two Slovaks died in a terrorist attack in Pakistan. (Source: Pexels) Exactly 10 years ago, two mountaineers, Anton Dobes and Peter Sperka, became the first Slovak civilian victims of a terrorist attack. They were among a group of 11 people killed on June 22 in an attack on their base camp under Nanga Parbat, a mountain peak in northern Pakistan. In other news Demokrati leader and ex-PM Eduard Heger will not be no. 1 on the party's slate ahead of the elections, the party announced on Thursday. Heger will run from the second place, while physician Andrea Letanovska will be the party's no. 1. The party explained that Letanovska and her life story best describes the selfless and professional policy of the party. the party announced on Thursday. Heger will run from the second place, while physician Andrea Letanovska will be the party's no. 1. The party explained that Letanovska and her life story best describes the selfless and professional policy of the party. Trnava Archbishop Jan Orosch has been named the Homophobe of the Year by the Human Rights Institute. He received this award for his statement from October, in which he reacted to the murder of two LGBT+ people in Bratislava. He then said: "I will admit that there is one word in their statement that bothers me, with which I cannot agree. That word is 'innocent victims'." by the Human Rights Institute. He received this award for his statement from October, in which he reacted to the murder of two LGBT+ people in Bratislava. He then said: "I will admit that there is one word in their statement that bothers me, with which I cannot agree. That word is 'innocent victims'." The civic association Sloboda Zvierat along with regional animal shelters have said that there are 2,300 animals waiting for a new home , and that dog adoptions are stagnating. The most critical situation is in eastern Slovakia. , and that dog adoptions are stagnating. The most critical situation is in eastern Slovakia. The outdoor swimming pool Matadorka in Bratislava-Petrzalka will open on Saturday, June 24. See where in Bratislava you can find outdoor pools. Today's temperature in Bratislava. (Source: TASR - Pavol Zachar) WEATHER FOR FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Showers and storms in many places. The highest daytime temperature will rise to 32C. Strong breeze. Storm and heat warnings will remain in place on Friday. (SHMU) Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us. P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk. Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook, Instagram (@slovakspectator) and Twitter (@slovakspectator). https://sputnikglobe.com/20230621/officials-stumped-on-what-might-be-causing-banging-sound-near-titanic-search-site-1111375157.html Officials Stumped on What Might Be Causing 'Banging Sound' Near Titanic Search Site Officials Stumped on What Might Be Causing 'Banging Sound' Near Titanic Search Site On the fifth day of searching for the lost submarine, searchers head banging noises below the water, but are not sure of how to discern those sounds. 2023-06-21T22:47+0000 2023-06-21T22:47+0000 2023-06-21T22:46+0000 americas search and rescue submarine titan titanic /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/15/1111353355_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_2eb4bdc343a642e1be68c20abb7cd573.jpg The desperate search for a submarine that has been missing since Sunday detected noises for the second day on Wednesday, however, officials remain unsure as to what might be causing the sounds. On Tuesday night, the US Coast Guard said a Canadian search plane detected noises underwater in the designated search area. Then on Wednesday, they continued to hear noises, said Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick.According to Frederick, the team has at least two remotely-operated underwater vehicles actively searching for the missing submarine while several more were reported to be joining the search on Thursday. Additional search flights are continuing throughout the day and evening.Carl Hartsfield, of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, has said the noises were described as banging noises, adding that it is difficult to discern the source of noises underwater.The five people on the missing 22-foot submarine include OceanGate CEO and founder Stockton Rush, whose company owns and operates the Titan submarine in question, according to reports. The others include British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood.The submarine lost contact about 900 nautical miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts and had been expected to resurface on Sunday afternoon. The search area, according to Frederick, has expanded to about twice the size of Connecticut with a 2 and a half mile depth. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230621/2018-letter-warned-of-negative-outcomes-of-titanic-submarines-approach-1111348656.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Mary Manley https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/01/0b/1092187887_0:0:2048:2049_100x100_80_0_0_0c2cc4c84f89aff034cc55bb01fb6697.jpg search and rescue, titanic, titan submarine, missing submarine, us coast guard https://sputnikglobe.com/20230621/uk-defense-secretary-claims-hes-out-of-nato-chief-race-as-us-wants-stoltenberg-to-stay-1111375650.html UK Defense Secretary Claims He's Out of NATO Chief Race as US Wants Stoltenberg to Stay UK Defense Secretary Claims He's Out of NATO Chief Race as US Wants Stoltenberg to Stay UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday that he is not going to run for NATO's leading position as the US wants incumbent Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to keep the post. 2023-06-21T22:20+0000 2023-06-21T22:20+0000 2023-06-21T22:19+0000 world ben wallace jens stoltenberg mark rutte united kingdom (uk) washington nato un secretary general /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/10/1082090658_0:105:2000:1230_1920x0_80_0_0_d292cc6ab0c7610b3b9730de8ab7c763.jpg "It's not going to happen," he told UK media answering a question about his plans to become the alliance's next secretary general, adding that the US wanted to extend Stoltenberg's mandate. Wallace also suggested that Washington might want to see a prime minister as the new chief. The US has until recently favored Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, but he has reportedly turned the job down several times. However, sources close to Wallace reportedly say that the process remains open. Media further added that the UK is facing an ammunition crisis. Wallace noted the Storm Shadow cruise missiles which had been sent to Ukraine had not been produced in the UK for 10 years, and that it took the country almost a year to restart supply chains for NLAW anti-tank weapons. The main problem is money, he told the outlet. Wallace also supported France's position on NATO's expansion to the Indo-Pacific and opening an office in Tokyo, saying the alliance should not "mission-creep" there. Stoltenberg's term, who has led the alliance since October 2014, was scheduled to end on October 1 2022, but was extended until September 30, 2023. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/japan-seeking-to-open-nato-liaison-office-as-west-seeks-chinese-encirclement-1110252611.html united kingdom (uk) washington Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International uk, uk defense secretary ben wallace, nato secretary-general, jens stoltenberg, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230621/us-house-votes-to-formally-censure-rep-adam-schiff-over-trump-russia-claims-1111376159.html US House Votes to Formally Censure Rep. Adam Schiff Over Trump-Russia Claims US House Votes to Formally Censure Rep. Adam Schiff Over Trump-Russia Claims The US House passed a resolution to censure Rep. Adam Schiff over his claims regarding alleged collusion between former US President Donald Trump and Russia in his previous role as head of the House Intelligence Committee. 2023-06-21T23:11+0000 2023-06-21T23:11+0000 2023-06-21T23:40+0000 americas adam schiff censure us house of representatives us house intelligence committee /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107887/32/1078873288_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_af87d0d5fa999f7bc56360c2f208d852.jpg House lawmakers passed the resolution along party lines on Wednesday in a vote of 213-209, with six members voting present. Moments after the vote, House Democrats began heckling McCarthy in the lower chamber, shouting "shame."Schiff "abused his trust by alleging he had evidence of collusion between Trump and Russia that, as subsequent probes have released, never existed, according to the resolution. Schiff spread false accusations for years and abused his privileged access to classified information, the resolution said. Moreover, the resolution accuses Schiff of misleading the American people and bringing disrepute upon the House of Representatives. The resolution censures Schiff and directs the House Ethics Committee to conduct an investigation into Schiffs actions. Ahead of the vote, Schiff offered his thanks to Democratic colleagues who had attempted to strike down the measure, saying: "You honor me with your enmity. You flatter me with this falsehood. You, who are the authors of a big lie about the last election, must condemn the truth-tellers and I stand proudly before you. Your words tell me that I have been effective in the defense of our democracy and I am grateful."He later added that he would wear the "partisan vote as a badge of honor."The measure, introduced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) last week, was initially rejected by Republican lawmakers after officials deemed the multimillion-dollar fine attached to the resolution unconstitutional. GOP officials backed the measure once the fine was dropped. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230125/not-anything-political-house-speaker-mccarthy-boots-democrats-schiff-swalwell-from-intel-panel-1106669304.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International adam schiff, us house of representatives, censure, resolution, donald trump, russia, collusion allegations, house intelligence committee Let's meet in Korea in 2030 World Expo 2030 reminds many middle-aged Koreans of the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Korea, a late mover, won its bid for the Summer Olympiad in a near-miraculous come-from-behind story in 1981. Seven years later, Seoul hosted the largest and most successful Olympic Games in history. In Paris on Tuesday, President Yoon Suk Yeol said his country is ready to make World Expo 2030 "the best one of all times," if Korea succeeds in bringing the event to its second largest city Busan. Few Koreans doubt it. This time, too, Korea started later than its main competitor, Riyadh of Saudi Arabia. According to media reports, the Saudi capital has already won promises of support from 70 of the 179 Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) members, the international body governing the World Expo based in the French capital. Yet, few know who will be smiling come the deciding month of November. Expo watchers say it will be a three-way battle. This, therefore means that Rome is also an important player, throwing down the gauntlet just recently. Italy and Korea admit that the Saudis have an early lead, aiming for second place in the first vote. If Riyadh fails to win two-thirds of the votes there, Busan and Rome will seek to absorb each other's votes and pull off an upset in the second and final vote. Chances may appear slim, but anything can happen in a secret ballot. This newspaper believes Busan should host the event based on at least two key factors. The first factor is based on why Busan should host it. Saudi Arabia wants to wean itself off oil to a significant extent and be reborn as a modern country with a truly diversified economy. Its purpose is national and regional. Italy wants to reinvigorate its ancient capital, a national and even municipal cause. Korea is modern and vibrant and wants to transfer part of its know-how and vigor to the rest of the world. Its purpose is global. Korea, a bridge between the developing and developed world, wants to tackle global problems with other countries. The second factor is how Busan will win the bid. Italy's advantage is its diplomatic support courtesy of the EU. Saudi Arabia's weapon is its petrodollar. Korea's strength lies in its industry and culture K-biz and K-culture. Nothing showed this better than its presentation and reception early this week in Europe's cultural capital. The A to Z of Korean business leaders, heading global groups like Samsung, Hyundai, LG and SK, greeted BIE delegates and guests. They will traverse the globe, from Asia to Africa in the next five months to promote Busan's bid. Rapper Psy and soprano Sumi Jo will join forces alongside BTS and BLACKPINK to also help secure the Expo. All this illustrates how Korea is number one in realizing a national agenda. In a rare case of bipartisanship, the National Assembly unanimously adopted a declaration in April to attract and host the Busan Expo in 2030. After Yoon made a nine-minute English presentation on Tuesday, Rep. Woo Won-shik of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea heaped praise on Korea's leader. "President Yoon did an outstanding job," the four-term lawmaker told a radio talk show. "Let's praise what deserves praise." Praise may not be sufficient. The opposition party must do all it can to bring the event here and successfully hold it. Seven years later, a different president, maybe even of a different party, could declare its opening. Busan is a unique city. The nation's largest port was also the first to open to imperial powers in the late 19th century. It served as Korea's temporary capital during the Korean War (1950-53). The world saved Korea by saving this city. Now, this country seeks to reward the world through this city by sharing its development know-how and cutting-edge technology. The world is divided into industrialized and industrializing blocs, unable to deal with global crises. Busan and Korea seek to unite the world in solving enormous challenges together. Global partners will put this world and its future above geopolitics and tradition. Busan, Korea, and all Koreans are ready! https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/antonov-us-should-pay-for-ukraines-recovery-since-its-prolonging-hostilities-1111378557.html Russian Envoy: US Should Pay for Ukraine's Recovery Since It's Prolonging Hostilities Russian Envoy: US Should Pay for Ukraine's Recovery Since It's Prolonging Hostilities The United States, prolonging the Ukraine conflict, should themselves pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said Wednesday. 2023-06-22T04:17+0000 2023-06-22T04:17+0000 2023-06-22T04:35+0000 ukraine anatoly antonov americans washington russia pentagon world /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/0c/15/1105680293_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_f6a941a13a85b2239183c64032d44a45.jpg The United States, prolonging the Ukraine conflict, should themselves pay for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said Wednesday."The [US] administration is fully responsible for what is happening in Ukraine. Therefore, it is the United States that has to rebuild the country," Antonov said in a distributed commentary. He further stressed the US is now fomenting confrontation, "pumping the republic with powerful weapons and nipping any peace initiatives in the bud." "While they can pay for the homes destroyed by American weapons, how will Washington value the lives of innocent people? How is the US going to repay the Ukrainians whom they are driving into reckless head-on assaults in today's so-called counteroffensive?" Antonov said.The poorest states in Africa, Latin America and Asia have been left without attention against the background of the unprecedented funds sent to purchase weapons for Kiev, the ambassador noted. Antonov's latest remarks come as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken detailed that the US would be providing another military aid package to the tune of $1.3 billion, of which large portions are set to be designated for infrastructure and an overhaul of Ukraine's energy grid.To date, the US has provided upwards of $20 billion in economic and development aid to the Kiev regime. On Monday, European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand announced that EU representatives, commissioners and legislators would begin discussions on a legal framework in July that would allow confiscation of assets of the Russian citizens and entities accused of violating EU sanctions. EU banks were holding 24.1 billion euros' ($26.3 billion) worth of assets belonging to individuals and private entities, Wigand added.EU member states have also reported having more than 200 billion euros' worth of Russian Central Bank assets frozen in their banks. The next European Council meeting will consider ways of physically working with the interest on the assets, according to the spokesperson. The Russian Foreign Ministry has accused the European Union of stealing the assets.In 2022, the European Parliament was in recess over the summer holidays from July 25 - August 21 and resumed its operation on August 22. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230621/long-costly-legal-battle-awaits-attempt-to-seize-frozen-russian-assets-for-ukraine-reconstruction-1111370843.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230123/russian-diplomat-calls-us-plans-to-transfer-confiscated-assets-to-ukraine-theft-1106623898.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230621/eu-commission-says-will-present-proposal-on-immobilized-russian-assets-before-summer-break-1111362161.html ukraine washington russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International anatoly antonov, ukraine, us, us military packages https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/archive-documents-on-first-days-of-great-patriotic-war-released-by-russias-mod-1111389324.html Archive Documents on First Days of Great Patriotic War Released by Russias MoD Archive Documents on First Days of Great Patriotic War Released by Russias MoD Russias Ministry of Defense (MoD) has published for the first time documents shedding light on the first days of the Great Patriotic War. 2023-06-22T12:54+0000 2023-06-22T12:54+0000 2023-06-22T12:54+0000 russia russia ministry of defense germany nazi great patriotic war wwii georgy zhukov nazis nuremberg trials /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107830/36/1078303621_0:237:2800:1812_1920x0_80_0_0_c35f5faf662266a6b9dc103fc80e2ff0.jpg Russias Ministry of Defense (MoD) has for the first time published documents shedding light on the first days of the Great Patriotic War. The materials, available on the Telegram channel of Russias MoD, were released timed for the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow. This date was established to commemorate the day when Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union 82 years ago, on June 22, 1941, marking the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. For the invasion of the territory of the USSR, German command had assembled about 5 million soldiers and officers, around 4.4 thousand tanks and assault guns, 47.2 thousand guns and mortars, 4.4 thousand combat aircraft, and 192 warships. Among the documents released by the MoD are instructions issued by People's Commissar of Defense, Marshal of the Soviet Union Semyon Timoshenko on the eve of the Nazi attack to the commanders of border districts. As per the archive documents, the commanders were to place troops on full combat readiness, mask positions, covertly occupy firing positions in border areas, organize blackouts for cities and military installations, and relocate aviation to field airfields.Another released document is the historical journal of the Black Sea Fleet, detailing the attack on Sevastopol the largest city in Crimea, a major Black Sea port. The Nazis had attempted an air raid on significant forces of the Black Sea Fleet in the bay of Sevastopol, according to the MoD, but the attack failed. Not a single vessel was damaged, with Nazi-dropped mines neutralized by Soviet minesweepers, while the enemy forces lost several aircraft.According to insights offered by another archive document, on June 23, 1941, pilots of the Black Sea Fleets long-range Ilyushin DB-3 bombers successfully hit targets at the Romanian port of Constanta. As a member of the Axis, Romania had joined Operation Barbarossa, providing equipment and oil to Nazi Germany. Award sheets of those who participated in the raid feature the names of Senior Lieutenant Ilya Korneev, who had strategized the course for the Black Sea pilots to follow to reach the targets at the port, as well as Alexander Tolmachev. This pilot, who was later awarded the order of Hero of the Soviet Union, brought a downed plane out of a tailspin, taking over control from his mortally wounded captain.An order from the chief of the General Staff of the Red Army, General Georgy Zhukov, to form special forces for night raids is also among the materials published by Russias MoD.Battle groups would secretly approach the area where tank and motorized units of the Wehrmacht were located and simultaneously attack them from several sides, retreating to their home positions before dawn. Such tactics allowed significant damage to be inflicted on the fascist invaders with minimal losses.Feats of valor displayed by units of the Soviet Unions Red Army allowed it to thwart the enemys plan to destroy the main forces of the border military districts in the first week of the war.Nazi' Germany's Genocide PlanAlso on the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, the Russian Military Historical Society published in Russian for the first time the full version of Nazi Germany's plan to exterminate the population of the USSR. Dubbed the "Hunger Plan" (German: "der Hungerplan"; "der Backe-Plan"), it was part of a strategy to use famine against the population of the Soviet Union, occupied by the Nazis.According to historian Yegor Yakovlev, the Nazi Hunger Plan was conceived as a program of genocide of the USSR's population.In addition to the well-known military plan Operation Barbarossa - an economic plan was conceived to plunder the occupied Soviet territories. Ahead of the attack on the Soviet Union, the Third Reich was seriously dependent on food imports. The British naval blockade posed a threat to the food situation in Nazi Germany. Therefore, they were going to plunder the Soviet Union, taking out all the grain, while leaving from 20 to 30 million people to starve," Yegor Yakovlev, director of the Digital History Research Foundation, said.According to Yakovlev, the plan was discovered by the US among documents of the Wehrmacht High Command, and it subsequently surfaced at the Nuremberg trials. The document, posted on the portal "History.rf," is dated May 23, 1941. It had never been published in Russian.According to Hitler's plan, German colonists were to gradually settle on occupied Soviet territories. The solution to the depopulation of conquered territories was proposed by Herbert Backe, a German politician who served as state secretary and minister in the Reich Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The directives he formulated suggested that after the Wehrmacht had seized the black soil territories, all the food from there would be redirected to supply the Wehrmacht and the Third Reich. As a result, the people populating the non-black earth region would be left to face starvation, with Moscow and Leningrad to be the first affected."That is, the idea to starve Leningraders arose not as a result of the failure of the Barbarossa plan, but as a result of plans conceived before the invasion of the Soviet Union, the historian said, adding: https://sputnikglobe.com/20210622/we-lived-with-one-goal-soviet-veteran-on-first-last-days-of-great-patriotic-war-1083205425.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230118/putin-extremely-important-to-recognize-wwii-genocide-against-soviet-people-1106462374.html russia germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko russias ministry of defense, archive documents, first days of the great patriotic war, wwii, world war ii, day of remembrance and sorrow, nazi germany, attack on soviet union, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/cia-vet-warns-us-intel-agencies-will-do-everything-to-help-dems-in-2024-race-1111379378.html CIA Vet Warns US Intel Agencies 'Will Do Everything' to Help Dems in 2024 Race CIA Vet Warns US Intel Agencies 'Will Do Everything' to Help Dems in 2024 Race US Security Agencies Will Do Everything to Help Biden in 2024 Race, Philip Giraldi told Sputnik. 2023-06-22T08:16+0000 2023-06-22T08:16+0000 2023-06-22T08:16+0000 analysis us john durham donald trump house judiciary committee us house intelligence committee fbi russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102054/67/1020546720_0:83:2049:1236_1920x0_80_0_0_1bd8a61cd6d5fb92622547d5a106216c.jpg While it is not completely clear whether the Federal Bureau of Investigation knew from the outset that dug-up "information on Trump" had been paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016, there is "no excuse for their having learned that and, nevertheless, proceeded with the investigation," former CIA station chief Philip Giraldi told Sputnik.Former Special Counsel John Durham paid his second visit to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to face the House Judiciary Committee over the details of his May report, released after almost a four-year-long investigation into the origins of the FBIs Trump-Russia investigation codenamed, Crossfire Hurricane. Durham had found that the agency had been "seriously deficient," relying on raw, unanalyzed, and uncorroborated intelligence," when probing the 2016 Donald Trump campaign's alleged ties to "Russia."The Durham report had also exposed the Democratic establishment's anti-Trump narrative, and the role of Hillary Clinton's campaign in spawning and then pushing the Trump-Russia collusion hoax. During his probe, the special counsel charged and convicted FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith, who admitted to doctoring an email to state that Trump aide Carter Page had never been a CIA asset (which was not true) in order to push ahead with surveilling the former Trump campaign adviser. Durham also brought charges against Hillary Clinton's campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann and Brookings Institution scholar Igor Danchenko for lying to the FBI. Danchenko has served as the main 'subsource' for ex-MI6 agent Christopher Steele, the author of the now infamous Steele dossier. It had been funded by the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) through the law firm Perkins Coie, which Marc Elias and Michael Sussmann worked for at the time.'Acting on Behalf of the Deep State'As the Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign sought to use fabricated information from the Steele dossier to smear Donald Trump and some of his advisors, similar tactics were wielded in the 2020 elections, Philip Giraldi previously underscored. After the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees found that senior Biden campaign officials colluded with the CIA to falsely discredit Hunter Biden's "laptop from hell" as "Russian disinformation", Giraldi pointed out that former acting CIA Director Michael Morell had drafted the notorious letter, titled "Public Statement on the Hunter Biden emails." It was signed by 51 former intelligence officials including CIA Directors John Brennan, Leon Panetta, and Mike Hayden, former acting CIA Director Michael Morell, former Director of National Intelligence and James Clapper. The letter claimed that the data on Hunter's hard drive "has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation."The ex-spies' opinion was quickly disseminated by the US mainstream press, while the Hunter Biden laptop story, shedding light on the Biden family's questionable business dealings, was suppressed by both Big Media and Big Tech.Ahead of John Durham's testimony on June 21, Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) underscored in his opening statement that the hearing was tasked to provide more "detail and add more color to the findings of the May report.Seven years of attacking Trump is scary enough... Whats more frightening is that any one of us could be next, Jordan emphasized.A number of Republicans echoed John Durham's calls for reforming the FBI, underscoring that the agency, had become politicized and weaponized, and had carried out a politically motivated investigation of Donald Trump. Looking ahead at the next election cycle, where both Biden and Trump are gearing up to vie for another Oval Office stint, Philip Giraldi concluded: https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/cia-veteran-blinken-and-morell-meddled-in-2020-election-to-help-biden-win-1110245489.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230621/what-to-know-as-special-counsel-durham-faces-congress-over-fbis-russiagate-probe-1111358668.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230620/us-house-panel-chair-durham-probe-revealed-need-for-reforms-misconduct-by-fbi-1111348385.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko durham report, special counsel john durham, fbis russiagate probe, durham testifying to congress, russiagate a hoax, how the fbi handled trump-russia probe. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/delaying-divulging-denying-whistleblower-alleges-feds-protected-hunter-biden-from-probe-1111409231.html 'Delaying, Divulging, Denying': Whistleblower Alleges Feds Protected Hunter Biden From Probe 'Delaying, Divulging, Denying': Whistleblower Alleges Feds Protected Hunter Biden From Probe The House Ways and Means Committee released transcripts from the testimonies of two IRS employees who claimed the agency was just one of several that worked to stonewall an investigation of Hunter Biden. 2023-06-22T21:06+0000 2023-06-22T21:06+0000 2023-06-22T21:05+0000 americas joe biden hunter biden us internal revenue service whistleblower /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/11/1111248367_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_9d518915b4528e60171c9b7db853ba9e.jpg Earlier this week, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Hunter Biden had entered a plea deal on charges that could have put him in jail for up to 15 years, including tax evasion and unlawful possession of a firearm. He is expected to avoid prison time because of the deal.The Ways and Means Committee published the transcripts of the two interviews on Thursday, along with a news release about the contents of the interviews.Whistleblowers describe how the Biden Justice Department intervened and overstepped in a campaign to protect the son of Joe Biden by delaying, divulging, and denying an ongoing investigation into Hunter Bidens alleged tax crimes, the statement continues. The testimony shows tactics used by the Justice Department to delay the investigation long enough to reach the statute of limitations, evidence they divulged sensitive actions by the investigative team to Bidens attorneys, and denied requests by the US Attorney to bring charges against Biden.Regarding delays, Smith said investigators were told by US Attorney Lesley Wolf that there is no way a search warrant for a guest house of Joe Biden when he was US vice president would be approved. Regarding divulgences, he said Hunter Bidens attorneys were repeatedly tipped off about searches before they happened. Regarding denials, Smith wrote US Attorney of Delaware David Weiss attempted to bring charges against Biden in March of 2022 and again in January 2023, as well as special counsel status from the DOJ, and was denied in all cases.Smith added that IRS employees who blew the whistle on this abuse were retaliated against, despite a pledge to the committee by IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel not to do so because they had brought their concerns to the proper superior authorities.If the federal government is not treating all taxpayers equally, or if it is changing the rules to engineer a preferred outcome, Congress has a duty to ask why and to hold agencies accountable and consider appropriate legislative action, he said. The scales of justice must not be skewed in favor of the wealthy and the politically connected.Despite the charges brought against Hunter Biden, critics have noted they have almost no connection to the much wider scope of wrongdoing of which he has been accused in the media, including corruption, bribery, and drug use, some of which Biden admitted to in his 2021 memoir, Beautiful Things. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230620/hunter-biden-agrees-to-plead-guilty-to-three-federal-charges---court-document-1111329849.html americas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Fantine Gardinier Fantine Gardinier News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Fantine Gardinier hunter biden; whistleblower; irs; doj https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/israel-defense-forces-drone-struck-vehicle-with-palestinian-militants-near-jalamah-1111377488.html Israel Defense Forces: Drone Struck Vehicle With Palestinian Militants Near Jalamah Israel Defense Forces: Drone Struck Vehicle With Palestinian Militants Near Jalamah An unmanned aerial vehicle of the Israel Defense Forces destroyed a "suspicious vehicle" with a group of Palestinian militants inside, allegedly involved in a recent shooting near the town of Jalamah, the IDF said. 2023-06-22T02:49+0000 2023-06-22T02:49+0000 2023-06-22T02:48+0000 world israel defense forces (idf) palestinians israel west bank /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/104713/91/1047139196_0:157:3084:1892_1920x0_80_0_0_b9f5885ad0fe2f9451917cb4587b1bb4.jpg "Following ISA [Israel Security Agency] intelligence, IDF soldiers identified a terrorist cell inside a suspicious vehicle a short while ago, after the cell carried out a shooting adjacent to the town of Jalamah," the IDF tweeted. "The terrorist cell has carried out a number of shooting attacks toward communities in Judea and Samaria lately. Following the identification of the terrorist cell, an IDF UAV fired toward the cell and thwarted them." Palestinian media reported that three Palestinians were killed in the incident, which occurred north of the city of Jenin in the northern West Bank. The agency also cited the Palestinian civil defense as saying that its troops reached the vehicle to put out the fire and found three charred bodies inside but were not allowed to pull them out of the car, and ambulances were not allowed to reach the vehicle by the Israeli forces. The Israeli military struck the vehicle amid the escalating situation in the West Bank in recent days. On Monday, the Israeli military conducted a counterterrorism operation in Jenin to capture wanted Palestinians. Violent clashes with Palestinians erupted during the raid, leaving at least six Palestinians dead and about a hundred wounded. In response to the Israeli raid, Palestinians on Tuesday carried out a shooting attack in the Israeli settlement of Eli in the West Bank, having killed four Israelis and wounded four others. Earlier on Wednesday, one Palestinian was killed and 12 were wounded in clashes with Israeli settlers and law enforcers in the town of Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230511/commander-of-palestinian-islamic-jihad-killed-by-israeli-airstrike-1110257630.html israel west bank Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International israel defense forces, jalamah, drone, palestinian militants, suspicious vehicle, israel https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/leaders-of-states-unfriendly-to-russia-not-appropriate-guests-at-brics-summit---ryabkov-1111385680.html Leaders of States Unfriendly to Russia Not Appropriate Guests at BRICS Summit - Russian Deputy FM Leaders of States Unfriendly to Russia Not Appropriate Guests at BRICS Summit - Russian Deputy FM Leaders of countries that pursue hostile policy towards Russia should not be present at the BRICS summit in August, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Thursday. 2023-06-22T06:49+0000 2023-06-22T06:49+0000 2023-06-22T07:37+0000 world sergey ryabkov emmanuel macron russia brics /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/06/17/1096603406_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_64f767e1c83a58c44342ab703000b01f.jpg Leaders of countries that pursue hostile policy towards Russia should not be present at the BRICS summit in August, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Thursday. Moscow has conveyed its position on the matter to the leadership of South Africa and expects that it will be taken into account, the diplomat added.Earlier it was reported that Macron had asked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for an invitation to the upcoming BRICS summit. According to a source familiar with the matter, South Africa did not say whether it was prepared to allow other international leaders to attend the event.BRICS unites the world's largest developing economies Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. A number of other countries intend to join the economic bloc, including Argentina, Iran, Indonesia, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. South Africa, which assumed the rotating BRICS presidency in January, will host the 15th BRICS summit in August. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230614/moscow-expects-paris-to-clarify-motives-behind-macrons-plan-to-attend-brics-summit-1111140982.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International brics summit, hostile policy towards russia, deputy foreign minister sergey ryabkov https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/macrons-bid-to-join-brics-summit-signals-rift-within-g7---observer-1111405916.html Macron's Bid to Join BRICS Summit Signals Rift Within G7 - Observer Macron's Bid to Join BRICS Summit Signals Rift Within G7 - Observer JOHANNESBURG, June 22 (Sputnik) French President Emmanuel Macrons request for an invite to the BRICS summit in August signals a rift within the US-led Group of Seven industrialized economies, Koffi Kouakou, a senior research fellow at the University of Johannesburgs Centre for Africa-China Studies, has told Sputnik. 2023-06-22T17:14+0000 2023-06-22T17:14+0000 2023-06-22T17:14+0000 emmanuel macron naledi pandor france south africa china brics g7 /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/13/1111296642_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_c9380c353e491ae9783cb97bca34b256.jpg French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna confirmed Tuesday that President Macron is interested in attending the Johannesburg BRICS summit as an observer at the upcoming meeting of the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.As the world changes, BRICS is becoming more and more important globally, Kouakou observed. The bloc accounts for over 40% of global GDP and more than a half of the world's population. At least a dozen regional heavyweights representing the Arab world and the Global South have announced bids to join the five-nation group, which Kouakou said is united by its vision of a multipolar world, as opposed to the US-promoted "rules-based order."The expert said Macron wants to see for himself where the BRICS is going, but added that it would be difficult for Paris to break free from Washington's dominance. Macron sparked anger in the US in April when he said during a trip to Beijing that Europe should not be a US "vassal" in Washington's standoff with China and suggested that many Europeans saw the need for strategic autonomy. Macron's proposal has been met with a mixed reaction from BRICS, with South African International Relations Minister Naledi Pandor calling the idea a departure from ordinary practice. She said President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current BRICS chair, would be the one making the decision on whether the French president will attend. Russia has argued that Macron's participation would be "inappropriate," given Paris hostile policy toward Moscow. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230619/macrons-nato-plot-france-pushes-uk-to-stay-out-of-western-european-affairs-1111297495.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/leaders-of-states-unfriendly-to-russia-not-appropriate-guests-at-brics-summit---ryabkov-1111385680.html france south africa china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International france, emmanuel macron, g7, brics, diplomacy, politics, international politics https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/new-zealands-pm-rejects-bidens-remarks-on-xi-jinping-1111403830.html New Zealands PM Rejects Biden's Remarks on Xi Jinping New Zealands PM Rejects Biden's Remarks on Xi Jinping Ahead of a diplomatic visit to China, New Zealand's PM Chris Hipkins disagreed with Biden's "dictator" label for Xi Jinping, emphasizing that the choice of governance in China should be the Chinese people's decision. 2023-06-22T19:03+0000 2023-06-22T19:03+0000 2023-06-22T19:03+0000 world chris hipkins joe biden china new zealand jinping viral /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/01/13/1106491821_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_a94bd777e39c696404d5144fa0f69dd5.jpg In a recent press briefing, New Zealand's Prime Minister Chris Hipkins countered US President Joe Biden's characterization of Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a "dictator." Speaking ahead of his official visit to China later this month, Hipkins expressed his view that China's form of government is a matter that the Chinese people should decide. Biden's comments came after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rounded off an unusual meeting with the Chinese president in Beijing, intended to buckle slackening relations.The statement came after a reporter probed whether the Chinese population had any influence over the nation's governance. The New Zealand leader replied, reiterating his belief that any changes in the system should be up to the Chinese people.The ongoing international discourse takes place as Hipkins prepares for a diplomatic trip to China, scheduled from June 25 to 30. As the leader of a trade delegation, which includes some of New Zealand's largest corporations, Hipkins will meet with key Chinese political figures such as Xi Jinping, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and the chairman of the standing committee of the National People's Congress, Zhao Leji.China recently rejected Biden's remarks about Xi, decrying the US president's comments as absurd and provocative. The sudden escalation of tensions comes despite apparent efforts by both the US and China to defuse existing tensions. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/pentagon-calls-the-tune-in-us-china-policy-as-bomber-flight-follows-blinkens-beijing-visit-1111402744.html china new zealand jinping Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International new zealand, prime minister chris hipkins, us president, joe biden, chinese leader, xi jinping, chinese population, chinese people, new zealand's largest corporations, premier li qiang, chairman of the standing committee of the national people's congress, zhao leji, new zealand leader, chinese premier li qiang https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/over-400-wildfires-burning-in-canada-213-out-of-control---emergency-preparedness-chief-1111409472.html Over 400 Wildfires Burning in Canada, 213 'Out of Control' - Emergency Preparedness Chief Over 400 Wildfires Burning in Canada, 213 'Out of Control' - Emergency Preparedness Chief Some 416 active wildfires continue burning across Canada with 213 deemed out of control, the country's Minister for Emergency Preparedness Bill Blair said on Thursday. 2023-06-22T22:11+0000 2023-06-22T22:11+0000 2023-06-22T22:10+0000 americas canada bill blair australia new zealand wildfire /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/0c/1111094735_0:110:3251:1938_1920x0_80_0_0_30ecabbdce46f5fb4663a4f676edc682.jpg There are 416 wildfires burning across Canada, and 213 of those are currently determined to be out of control, Blair said while providing an update on the wildfire situation. The minister further noted that although the weather has been helping firefighting efforts in some regions, it remains a challenge and there is concern that new wildfires are high and extreme in some instances. Blair acknowledged the presence of 1,500 firefighters from the United States, and 300 more from Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Mexico, Costa-Rica, France, Portugal, Spain, and South Africa, thanking them for supporting ongoing efforts to tame the wildfires nationwide. During the last update on the wildfire situation in Canada on June 15, the Minister for Environment and Climate change noted that current rate at which forest lands are burnt exceeds by far the decade average of 2.7 million hectares per season. americas canada australia new zealand Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International wildfires, canada, minister for emergency preparedness bill blair https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/president-biden-follows-secretary-blinkens-diplomacy-with-insults-1111375501.html President Biden Follows Secretary Blinken's Diplomacy With Insults President Biden Follows Secretary Blinken's Diplomacy With Insults Just days after Western media touted a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Chinese President as a move to ease tensions, President Biden again attacked the Chinese leader as a dictator. 2023-06-22T04:03+0000 2023-06-22T04:03+0000 2023-06-22T12:24+0000 the critical hour radio antony blinken joe biden nato ukraine taiwan hunter biden donald trump /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/15/1111375344_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_7f04ae98ef942d08ee2e73d5f3dd5c97.png President Biden Follows Secretary Blinken's Diplomacy With Insults Just days after Western media touted a meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the Chinese President as a move to ease tensions, President Biden again attacked the Chinese leader as a dictator. Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. The Pentagon has "found" an additional 6.2 billion dollars for Ukraine. Also, President Putin argues that Russia's nuclear threat might ensure a global balance of power.Brian Berletic, ex-US Marine Corps independent geopolitical researcher and writer based in Bangkok, joins us to discuss foreign policy. Ukraine is pausing its offensive as casualties and equipment destruction mount. Also, the US empire is causing mischief in the Pacific region.KJ Noh, peace activist, teacher, writer, joins us to discuss China. President Biden called the leader of China a dictator immediately after Tony Blinken seemed to be pushing for a more reserved policy. Also, the US claims that China is building a military facility in Cuba.Dr. Gerald Horne, Professor of History at the University of Houston, TX, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the decline of the US Empire. US global domination seems to be coming to a screeching halt. Also, The West is robbing Africa.James Carey, host of The Left is Dead podcast, joins us to discuss the Middle East. The UK is looking to ban public bodies from boycotting Israel. Also, the Iranian-Arab naval project seems to be moving ahead.Dan Lazare, investigative journalist and author of "America's Undeclared War", joins us to discuss the Trump indictment. Dan Lazare is not sure if Trump will be convicted, but he understands that the US empire is facing an existential constitutional crisis.Dr. David Oualaalou, international geopolitical consultant, veteran, and author of many books, including "The Dynamics of Russia's Geopolitics: Remaking the Global Order," international security analyst, and host of the "Geopolitics in Conflict" Show on YT, joins us to discuss foreign policy. The Kremlin has pointed to President Biden's renewed attack on the Chinese leader as an indicator of unpredictable and unstable US policies.Craig "Pasta" Jardula, co-host of The Convo Couch & AM Wakeup on Rokfin, joins us to discuss domestic issues. Conservatives argue that Hunter Biden faced a slap on the wrist as Trump associates face the harshest legal outcomes.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik. ukraine taiwan china russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Wilmer Leon https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114047_0:-1:238:238_100x100_80_0_0_4e3adef3e334e381bffe19d388f4b776.jpg the critical hour, biden's remarks on xi, blinken in china, sino-american relations, aid for ukraine, ukraine' offensive, china's military facility in cuba, us global domination, us hegemony, west is robbing africa, trump indictment, biden's attack on china Kim Dong-hoon, CEO of NHN Cloud, speaks during a press conference at the COEX convention center in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Baek Byung-yeul By Baek Byung-yeul NHN Cloud, a local cloud computing service provider, vowed to achieve annual sales of 200 billion won ($155 million), up 25 percent from its 2022 performance of 160 billion won by focusing on domestic government agencies and financial cloud markets, according to its CEO, Thursday. "It's been a little over a year since NHN Cloud was established in April last year," Kim Dong-hoon, CEO of NHN Cloud, said during a press conference in Seoul. "The biggest significance was that we became a unicorn company with an enterprise value of over 1 trillion won. Our sales in 2022 reached 160 billion won, with 30 percent coming from NHN Group's affiliates and about 70 percent from the public market." "Although the external market situation is not good and the government's related budget is currently reduced, we are aiming for about 200 billion won this year. So far, we have secured around 5,000 customers, a significant increase from 2022 when we had around 3,000 customers." Kim said the company has a dominant position in the digital transformation market of government agencies. In 2022, NHN Cloud accounted for 39 percent of the total cloud conversion orders placed by government agencies. "A government organization switched to cloud computing for its mail and business operation processing system and they said the system was very satisfying. The webpage loading speed has been greatly improved and the satisfaction level has been rated as the highest after switching to the cloud compared to competitors," the CEO said. Kim Myung-shin, CTO of NHN Cloud, delivers a keynote speech during the company's NHN Cloud make IT 2023 event at the COEX convention center in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of NHN Cloud . If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the Access to the chat has been blocked for violating the rules . You will be able to participate again through:. If you do not agree with the blocking, please use the feedback form The discussion is closed. You can participate in the discussion within 24 hours after the publication of the article. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/russia-witnesses-possible-discord-in-west-growing-pressure-on-ukraine---kremlin-1111391396.html Russia Witnesses Possible Discord in West, Growing Pressure on Ukraine - Kremlin Russia Witnesses Possible Discord in West, Growing Pressure on Ukraine - Kremlin Russia is witnessing possible discord among Western countries and growing pressure on Kiev in light of failures of Ukraine's counteroffensive, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. 2023-06-22T10:11+0000 2023-06-22T10:11+0000 2023-06-22T10:11+0000 world russia ukraine volodymyr zelensky sergei shoigu dmitry peskov international atomic energy agency (iaea) kremlin /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/05/1110915268_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_e632e3f7b2d08b9959cf64c4eecddf14.jpg Russia is witnessing possible discord among Western countries and growing pressure on Kiev in light of failures of Ukraine's counteroffensive, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. The statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alleging that preparations are underway for a provocation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (NPP) is another lie, Peskov stressed."This is most likely another lie. This is another lie," Peskov told reporters.In an interview with the American broadcaster, Zelensky said that Russia seeks to blow up the ZNPP because it is not interested in Ukraine's security.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has commended Russia's efforts to ensure security at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant,Peskov said.There will be contacts between Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev and International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi in the near future, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday."We have planned contacts between Grossi and Likhachev in the very near future. Our dialogue and cooperation with the IAEA continues. We are interested in continuing these contacts. And the IAEA is interested," Peskov told reporters.Earlier in the day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that Grossi will visit Russia on June 23. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230613/iaea-chief-says-might-visit-russia-soon-to-discuss-zaporozhye-npp-1111125500.html russia ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International western countries, growing pressure, failures of ukraine's counteroffensive https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/russian-aerospace-forces-strike-warehouse-of-foreign-arms-equipment-in-ukraine---moscow-1111394828.html Russian Aerospace Forces Strike Warehouse of Foreign Arms, Equipment in Ukraine Russian Aerospace Forces Strike Warehouse of Foreign Arms, Equipment in Ukraine The Russian Aerospace Forces have launched a missile attack on a warehouse of foreign-made weapons and military equipment in Ukraine overnight, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. 2023-06-22T11:13+0000 2023-06-22T11:13+0000 2023-06-22T12:35+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukraine zaporozhye russia russian defense ministry russian aerospace forces /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/106240/72/1062407230_0:21:1770:1017_1920x0_80_0_0_93f6bb72dda8b645d1811058ebfe4004.jpg The Russian Aerospace Forces have launched a missile attack on a warehouse of foreign-made weapons and military equipment in Ukraine overnight, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. The long-advertised and repeatedly delayed Ukrainian "counteroffensive" started on June 4 along the South Donetsk, Artemovsk (Bakhmut) and Zaporozhye directions, the latter being primary. Russian President Vladimir Putin told military journalists on June 13 that neither of campaigns was successful and all three inflicted heavy damages on Ukrainian troops. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230621/scott-ritter-ukraines-counter-offensive-loses-momentum-as-logistics-falters-1111363622.html ukraine zaporozhye russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International russian aerospace forces, foreign-made weapons, military equipment, warehouse of foreign arms https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/swedish-prosecutors-say-reserve-right-to-classify-some-data-on-nord-stream-blasts-probe-1111387533.html Swedish Prosecutors Say Reserve Right to Classify Some Data on Nord Stream Blasts' Probe Swedish Prosecutors Say Reserve Right to Classify Some Data on Nord Stream Blasts' Probe Sweden reserves the right to classify some of the materials related to the investigation of the blasts at the Nord Stream gas pipelines, the Swedish Prosecution Authority told RIA Novosti on Thursday. 2023-06-22T07:58+0000 2023-06-22T07:58+0000 2023-06-22T07:58+0000 nord stream sabotage swedish prosecution authority russia nord stream sweden /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/09/1d/1101346224_0:25:1146:670_1920x0_80_0_0_3a5dd1b6a86501365cb3b3e9cab2bb01.jpg Sweden reserves the right to classify some of the materials related to the investigation of the blasts at the Nord Stream gas pipelines, the Swedish Prosecution Authority told RIA Novosti on Thursday. The Nord Stream pipelines, built to deliver gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, were hit by explosions in September 2022. The pipeline's operator, Nord Stream AG, said that the damage was unprecedented and it was impossible to estimate the time repairs might take.Denmark, Germany and Norway have left Russia out of their investigations into the attack, prompting Moscow to launch its own investigation over the charge of international terrorism. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230614/swedish-prosecutor-hopes-to-finish-investigation-into-nord-stream-blasts-by-fall-1111145265.html russia sweden Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International nord stream blasts, investigation of the blasts, nord stream gas pipelines https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/syria-turkiye-agree-with-russias-road-map-concept---envoy-lavrentyev-1111381761.html Syria, Turkiye Agree With Russia's Road Map Concept Syria, Turkiye Agree With Russia's Road Map Concept Syria, Turkiye and Iran have agreed with the concept of a road map submitted by Russia to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus, Russia's special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev told Sputnik. 2023-06-22T06:12+0000 2023-06-22T06:12+0000 2023-06-22T06:30+0000 world syria turkiye russia sergey lavrov bilateral relations /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/104296/69/1042966970_0:219:4256:2613_1920x0_80_0_0_c7912bd0221afaaf907226950c1ef482.jpg Syria, Turkiye and Iran have agreed with the concept of a road map submitted by Russia to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus, Russia's special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentyev told Sputnik. He said the process would take some time. Moscow has handed over to Ankara and Damascus a draft roadmap on the normalization of relations between Turkiye and Syria, Alexander added."After the meeting of the foreign ministers of the four countries [in May], the Russian side took upon itself the preparation of a draft for further approval. There is such a draft, it has been handed over to the concerned parties. It has been handed over to Turkiye, Damascus, the Iranian side has it," Lavrentyev said.The draft can be amended, the diplomat said.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov earlier named the priority topics of the road map: restoring the Syrian government's control throughout the country, ensuring the security of the Syrian-Turkish border, eliminating the possibility of cross-border attacks or terrorist infiltration.Moscow has evidence that the United States is building up its military contingent in Syria, Lavrentyev said."There is such information regarding the fact that the United States is reinforcing its military contingent in northeastern Syria, as well as in Al-Tanf, which has been illegally occupied by them [Americans] for quite a long time," Lavrentyev said.This may be due to "the tightening of the US position in relation to Damascus itself and attempts to make efforts to further destabilize the situation in Syria," the diplomat said. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/lavrov-meets-with-iranian-turkish-syrian-counterparts-in-moscow-1110233449.html syria turkiye russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International syria, turkiye and iran, road map submitted by russia, elations between ankara and damascus https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/ukraines-military-strikes-bridges-on-border-with-crimea---acting-kherson-governor-1111380439.html Ukraine's Military Strikes Bridges on Border With Crimea - Acting Kherson Governor Ukraine's Military Strikes Bridges on Border With Crimea - Acting Kherson Governor The Ukrainian armed forces have attacked bridges on the administrative border between the Kherson Region and the Crimea near the village of Chongar, Acting Kherson Governor Vladimir Saldo said early on Thursday. 2023-06-22T05:34+0000 2023-06-22T05:34+0000 2023-06-22T07:54+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine sergey aksenov kherson ukraine crimea russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/16/1111385377_0:252:706:649_1920x0_80_0_0_83afd70b351007f4c9daec859563081d.jpg The Ukrainian armed forces have attacked bridges on the administrative border between the Kherson Region and the Crimea near the village of Chongar, Acting Kherson Governor Vladimir Saldo said early on Thursday. "The criminal Kiev regime committed barbaric shelling of civilian objects - bridges on the administrative border between the Kherson Region and the Crimea near Chongar," Saldo said on Telegram. He added that Kiev wants to intimidate residents of the Kherson Region and sow panic among the population, but they will not succeed. Saldo said that the United Kingdom's Storm Shadow missiles were used in the attack, according to the preliminary assessment. "The roadway on the bridges was damaged. There are no human casualties," he said.The traffic between the Kherson Region and the Crimea continues on reserve routes, Saldo added. A Sputnik correspondent reports that markings on the wreckage of the missile that hit the bridge in Chonhar confirm that the strike was carried out using Storm Shadow cruise missiles.Crimean head Sergey Aksenov said on Telegram that bomb disposal technicians were examining the sites of the Ukrainian strike on the Chongar bridge. He confirmed that there were no casualties, adding that the information about the possibility of traffic across the bridge would be available within an hour.Oleg Kryuchkov, Aksenov's adviser on information policy, said the shelling of the bridge would not be able to seriously disrupt the logistics of the land transport corridor between the Kherson Region and Crimea.The Crimean Transport Ministry said that traffic flows between Crimea and the Kherson Region were redirected to other remaining checkpoints. The head of the department, Nikolai Lukashenko, said that traffic across the Crimean bridge was carried out as usual and the ferry service was operating without any issues.Last week, Aksenov said that nine drones were detected over Crimea. Six of them were shot down and three were grounded by electronic warfare. On Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Ukraine was planning to strike Crimea and other territories with HIMARS and Storm Shadow cruise missiles. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230620/ukraine-plans-to-strike-at-crimea-with-storm-shadow-cruise-missiles--shoigu-1111321394.html kherson ukraine crimea russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International ukraine's military, kherson region, crimea, village of chongar https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/ukraines-strike-on-chongar-bridge-on-border-with-crimea-a-diversionary-tactic---military-analyst-1111395009.html Ukraine's Strike on Chongar Bridge on Border With Crimea a Diversionary Tactic - Military Analyst Ukraine's Strike on Chongar Bridge on Border With Crimea a Diversionary Tactic - Military Analyst Ukraine's attack on the Chongar bridge on the border with Crimea is a diversionary tactic, military analyst Alexei Leonkov told Sputnik. 2023-06-22T13:21+0000 2023-06-22T13:21+0000 2023-06-22T13:21+0000 analysis crimea alexei leonkov kiev storm shadow cruise missile attack /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/16/1111399028_12:0:837:464_1920x0_80_0_0_9bba9cc34dd71beb3243763db42c9d75.jpg The Ukrainian attack on the Chongar Bridge on the border with Crimea on Thursday is not part of some counteroffensive-linked strategy, it's a diversionary action undertaken by the Kiev regime, military analyst Alexey Leonkov told Sputnik. Strikes like the one targeting the bridge are a deliberate provocation by the Kiev regime, part of an attempt to stir up a negative attitude towards the leadership of Russia's military operations, said Leonkov, who is also editor of Arsenal Otechestva (lit. Arsenal of the Fatherland) magazine."The strike came at around five in the morning, when there was no one around, only the bridge was damaged, he said, pointing out that it was enough to follow the reaction to this provocation not only on social media networks, but in the Western media. Right after the strike on the bridge was reported by bystanders, footage from the scene appeared in the Western media, which already prepared stories. Bomb disposal technicians are conducting an examination to accurately determine the type of ammunition used in the strike, it was reported. According to preliminary data, markings on the wreckage of the missile that hit the bridge in Chongar appeared to indicate that the strike was carried out using British-donated Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Furthermore, shell fragments bearing French markings were also found at the impact site.Weighing in on whether it is technically possible to trace the origin of the missile used to strike the bridge, Leonkov agreed that the markings could help, however he added, "I don't think it's Storm Shadow."According to the analyst, "if it had been a Storm Shadow missile, it has a warhead of over 450 kilograms... the entire bridge span could have collapsed... And here we see just a hole in the bridge, which was damaged, but the supports are intact."The damage to the Chongar Bridge can easily be fixed, while the chatter linked to the attack on social media and in the Western press is a result of the Ukrainian side hyping up the incident because they have no battlefield success to brag about, the military expert stated.Russias Ministry of Defense had previously warned that the Kiev forces would strike at Crimea, Leonkov said, adding, "we already knew that they had plans for such an attack." https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/what-is-known-about-ukraine-attack-on-chongar-bridge-on-border-with-crimea-1111388076.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230620/ukraine-plans-to-strike-at-crimea-with-storm-shadow-cruise-missiles--shoigu-1111321394.html crimea kiev Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko attack on chongar bridge, border with crimea, ukraine's forces, shelling of chongar bridge, crimean bridge, strikes with himars and storm shadow cruise missiles, border between kherson region and crimea, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/us-deploys-b-52h-stratofortress-bombers-to-indonesia-for-first-time-1111377245.html US Deploys B-52H Stratofortress Bombers to Indonesia for First Time US Deploys B-52H Stratofortress Bombers to Indonesia for First Time The US has deployed B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers to Indonesia for the first time as it seeks to take the bilateral military cooperation to a higher level, the Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs said in a statement. 2023-06-22T01:46+0000 2023-06-22T01:46+0000 2023-06-22T01:45+0000 asia us military indonesia pacific b-52 /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/0a/1080124175_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_2c784a189ece10a5c4841cac225800c1.jpg B-52s assigned to the 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron out of Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota arrived in Indonesia on 19 June to participate in exercise Cope West. The B-52s will participate through the remainder of Cope West which concludes on 23 June. This training enables our Airmen to become familiar with other theaters and airspace, the statement said on Wednesday. According to media reports, a total of two strategic bombers landed at the Kualanamu International Airport located on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The landing of the B-52 bombers in Indonesia comes after a series of bomber-deployment missions around the world, including a deterrent flight over the Gulf of Finland and the deployment to South Korea in March. In May, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto said Jakarta and Washington have agreed to maintain stability and peace in the Indo-Pacific region and increase cooperation, including joint drills and military personnel exchanges. https://sputnikglobe.com/20221031/china-warns-possible-b-52-deployment-in-australia-may-trigger-regional-arms-race-1102876373.html indonesia pacific Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us, b-52h stratofortress bombers, indonesia, pacific air forces public affairs https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/us-house-passes-measure-to-implement-initiative-to-enhance-us-taiwan-trade-1111378416.html US House Passes Measure to Implement Initiative to Enhance US-Taiwan Trade US House Passes Measure to Implement Initiative to Enhance US-Taiwan Trade The US House of Representatives passed legislation to implement a new initiative agreed to between the United States and Taiwan that will enhance bilateral trade. 2023-06-22T04:11+0000 2023-06-22T04:11+0000 2023-06-22T04:11+0000 economy taiwan china us /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/05/13/1110454708_0:156:3000:1844_1920x0_80_0_0_87eb30c616f89d202b9076f49dbda9b7.jpg The House passed the measure on Wednesday evening by voice vote, sending it to the Senate for consideration. The US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade First Agreement Implementation Act expresses Congress' approval for the agreement regarding trade between the United States and Taiwan. It also would require additional negotiations for certain other possible trade agreements between the United States and Taiwan. The bill also establishes that the agreement agreed to on June 1 may enter into force no earlier than 30 days after the US president certifies in writing to Congress that Taiwan has taken measures necessary to comply with the agreement. Moreover, the legislation requires the US Trade Representative be fully transparent of its negotiations with Taiwan. Last month, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) met to finish negotiations on the first phase of the US-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade. This agreement addresses trade matters in the areas of customs administration and trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, services domestic regulation, anticorruption, and small and medium-sized enterprises. The provisions in the first trade agreement, the USTR said, will help US businesses be able to bring more products to Taiwan and Taiwanese customers, while creating conditions to facilitate investment and economic opportunities in both markets, especially for small- and medium-sized companies. China previously said it opposes the United States' initiative to strengthen economic ties with Taiwan, specifically any efforts with sovereign connotations and of an official nature. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230619/china-to-not-compromise-on-taiwan-issue-us-must-respect-chinas-sovereignty---reports-1111271140.html taiwan china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International us house of representatives, united states and taiwan, bilateral trade https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/us-nuclear-powered-submarine-conducts-joint-drills-with-south-korean-navy--reports-1111381470.html US Nuclear-Powered Submarine Conducts Joint Drills With South Korean Navy Reports US Nuclear-Powered Submarine Conducts Joint Drills With South Korean Navy Reports USS Michigan, a US Ohio-class strategic nuclear-powered guided missile submarine, took part in joint drills with the South Korean navy during the stay in the country in line with the Washington Declaration, South Korean news agency reported on Thursday, citing its military. 2023-06-22T06:03+0000 2023-06-22T06:03+0000 2023-06-22T06:03+0000 military south korea korean peninsula washington us drills nuclear submarine /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102372/34/1023723499_0:109:2401:1459_1920x0_80_0_0_07c48512636244dec6f5f8ad8567dd67.jpg USS Michigan arrived at the Korean Peninsula on June 16, the day after North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan. The submarine is set to leave South Korea this Thursday. This is the first time since October 2017, when the United States has sent a submarine of this class to South Korea. South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Jeon Ha-kyu told reporters that the submarine took part in the joint special operations training with the South Korean navy during its stay in the country without providing details. In April, the leaders of South Korea and the United States adopted the Washington Declaration that provides for the establishment of a regular bilateral consultation mechanism on extended deterrence and strategic planning. South Korea also secured a US promise to promptly deploy "the entire force of the alliance," including nuclear weapons, in the event of a nuclear attack by North Korea. Washington also assured Seoul it would use all measures, including nuclear weapons, in the case of aggression from Pyongyang, and promised to send nuclear missile submarines to the Korean Peninsula. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230519/north-korea-joint-us-south-korean-drills-put-region-on-brink-of-explosion-1110470544.html south korea korean peninsula washington Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International uss michigan, nuclear-powered guided missile submarine, joint drills French President Emmanuel Macron, second from left, helps SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, walking on crutches due to a leg injury, after the meeting with a group of top Korean business tycoons at the Elysee Palace in Paris on June 21, in this photo provided by KCCI. Yonhap Business leaders of Korea and France have discussed efforts to deepen industrial cooperation, with a focus on energy and technologies, a Korean business lobby said Thursday. Some 30 top businesspeople from the two countries gathered at a roundtable in Paris on Wednesday (local time) co-hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and MEDEF International, a major French business federation, according to the KCCI. The business roundtable took place as the chiefs of major Korean conglomerates, including Samsung, SK and Hyundai, were in France this week accompanying President Yoon Suk Yeol on his trip to the European country. Attending the roundtable were top executives of those enterprises: Samsung Electronics President Park Seung-hee, LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan, and POSCO International Vice Chairman and CEO Jeong Tak, among others. The KCCI and MEDEF International agreed to form a partnership to work as a channel that helps businesses of the two countries expand their presence in each other's markets. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/us-senators-table-bipartisan-bill-demanding-clean-pentagon-audit-1111388162.html US Senators Table Bipartisan Bill Demanding 'Clean' Pentagon Audit US Senators Table Bipartisan Bill Demanding 'Clean' Pentagon Audit The Pentagon has failed its last five audits and now cannot account for more than $1 trillion in equipment and other assets paid for by the US taxpayer. now a crossbench group of senators is demanding transparency. 2023-06-22T12:04+0000 2023-06-22T12:04+0000 2023-06-22T12:04+0000 americas bernie sanders pentagon us us department of defense (dod) rand paul audit chuck grassley rand paul republican /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/01/19/1106700896_0:176:2001:1301_1920x0_80_0_0_87bb47876fe594fcbf65d967bc6ab654.jpg A bipartisan group of US senators have launched a bill to force the Department of Defense (DoD) to finally deliver a "clean audit."The draft legislation was led by Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley and Vermont's Bernie Sanders, the left-wing independent who has twice sought the Democratic presidential nomination.The Pentagon failed its fifth audit in a row last November, failing to account for as much as 39 per cent of its $3.5 trillion of listed assets although DoD Comptroller Mike McCord insisted: "I would not say that we flunked.""The Pentagon and the military industrial complex have been plagued by a massive amount of waste, fraud, and financial mismanagement for decades," said Sanders.If we are serious about spending taxpayer dollars wisely and effectively, we have got to end the absurdity of the Pentagon being the only agency in the federal government that has never passed an independent audit, he added.Other GOP sponsors were perennial dissident Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky, Utah's Mike Lee and Mike Braun from Indiana.The Democrats backing the bill were both Massachusetts senators, Elizabeth Warren another 2020 presidential hopeful and Ed Markey, along with Oregon's Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.Paul stressed that "accountability and transparency are the bedrock of responsible democracy."On Tuesday, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said the DoD could send an extra $6.2 billion-worth of the US military's arms to Ukraine after it applied commercial business asset depreciation models to reduce the balance-sheet value of its stocks.But that does not reflect the real cost to taxpayers of replacing equipment, which has only increased over time. Each of the 31 M1 Abrams tanks gifted to the Kiev regime will cost almost $9 million dollars to replace, more than double the $4.3 million unit price in the early 90s.The unit price of the F-16 jet fighter which the US and its allies are considering for future military aid to Ukraine has risen from $4.8 million in 1980 to $63 million in 2021, a 13-fold increase. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230621/pentagon-magically-finds-extra-6bn-of-arms-for-ukraine-in-accounting-error-1111358790.html americas ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 James Tweedie https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e4/08/1c/1080307270_0:3:397:400_100x100_80_0_0_7777393b9b18802f2e3c5eaa9cbcc612.png us department of defense history of incomplete audits, how much does the us military-industrial complex overcharge the american taxpayer? how many arms has the us really supplied to ukraine? https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/what-is-known-about-ukraine-attack-on-chongar-bridge-on-border-with-crimea-1111388076.html What is Known About Ukraine Attack on Chongar Bridge on Border With Crimea What is Known About Ukraine Attack on Chongar Bridge on Border With Crimea What is known so far about attack on Chongar Bridge on the border with Crimea by Ukraine's forces. 2023-06-22T10:03+0000 2023-06-22T10:03+0000 2023-06-22T10:25+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine kiev crimea kherson sergei shoigu high mobility artillery rocket system (himars) shelling storm shadow cruise missile ministry of defense sergey aksenov /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/16/1111390406_0:17:795:464_1920x0_80_0_0_c24da7ab9ad0196382227da074decbfb.jpg The Ukrainian Armed Forces "committed barbaric shelling of civilian objects - bridges on the administrative border between the Kherson Region and Crimea near Chongar," Acting Kherson Governor Vladimir Saldo said on Telegram early on Thursday. He added that the Kiev regime hoped to sow panic among residents of the Kherson region, but that they would not succeed.Here is what we know so far about the Ukrainian attack on the Chongar Bridge.Attack on Civilian ObjectsThe Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked bridges near Chongar on the administrative border between the Kherson region and Crimea in the eastern part of the isthmus of Perekop. Bomb disposal technicians are conducting an examination to accurately determine the type of ammunition used in the strike. Investigators are also at the scene. According to preliminary data, markings on the wreckage of the missile that hit the bridge in Chongar confirm that the strike was carried out using British-donated Storm Shadow cruise missiles, Russian media reported. Furthermore, shell fragments bearing French markings were also found at the impact site.Consequences of AttackAs the roadway on the bridge was damaged, traffic across the Chongar Bridge was suspended. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties in the Ukrainian attack.Oleg Kryuchkov, Crimean head Sergey Aksenov's adviser on information policy, said the shelling of the bridge would not be able to seriously disrupt the logistics of the land transport corridor between the Kherson Region and Crimea. Transport communication between the Kherson region and the Crimea continues to operate, as the Chongar Bridge is only one of three routes to the peninsula. It offers passage from the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions along the bridge in the vicinity of the northern Crimean city of Dzhankoi. Two other checkpoints - Perekop and Armyansk - are located in the Armyansk region. All motor transport was redirected to a reserve route following the Ukrainian attack.Crimean authorities have issued recommendations to take the route through Armyansk to all those travelling to the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. There are practically no queues at the checkpoint in Armyansk, authorities have said, with inspection time typically taking 20-30 minutes.The incident had no impact on the regular movement of transport along the Crimean Bridge, with the ferry crossing also fully operational, according to Crimeas Transport Minister Nikolay Lukashenko.The Ukrainian shelling of the bridge comes as last week, Sergey Aksenov said that nine drones had been detected over Crimea. Six of them were shot down and three were grounded using electronic warfare. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu warned at a meeting of the collegium of the Ministry of Defense on Tuesday that Ukraine was gearing up to strike Crimea and other territories."According to our information, the leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine plans to strike at the territory of Russia, including Crimea, with HIMARS and Storm Shadow missiles," Shoigu said, adding that use of UK Storm Shadow and American-donated HIMARS missiles outside the zone of Russia's special operation would mean the "full involvement of the United States and the United Kingdom in the conflict." Shoigu remarked that such attacks by Kiev would entail immediate strikes on decision-making centers in Ukraine.The Russian defense minister said that Ukrainian troops have launched a total of 263 attacks on the positions of the Russian Armed Forces in the Donetsk, South Donetsk, and Zaporozhye directions since June 4, when the much-hyped "counteroffensive" by Ukrainian forces is believed to have started. All such attacks have been successfully repelled, Shoigu added. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/ukraines-military-strikes-bridges-on-border-with-crimea---acting-kherson-governor-1111380439.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230620/ukraine-plans-to-strike-at-crimea-with-storm-shadow-cruise-missiles--shoigu-1111321394.html kiev crimea kherson Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Svetlana Ekimenko attack on chongar bridge, border with crimea, ukraine's forces, shelling of chongar bridge, crimean bridge, strikes with himars and storm shadow cruise missiles, border between kherson region and crimea, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230622/what-is-surovikin-defensive-line-which-ukrainian-forces-cant-crack-1111393818.html What is 'Surovikin Defensive Line' Which Ukrainian Forces Can't Crack? What is 'Surovikin Defensive Line' Which Ukrainian Forces Can't Crack? Ukraines president has acknowledged that Kievs counteroffensive is going slower than desired, claiming its because of his concern about peoples lives. Moscow says otherwise, citing the loss of thousands of Ukrainian troops and hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles for miniscule gains. Whats stopping Kievs offensive? Sputnik explains. 2023-06-22T11:19+0000 2023-06-22T11:19+0000 2023-06-22T12:19+0000 military sergei surovikin ukraine russia nato defense military operation /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/06/16/1111393321_0:133:2505:1542_1920x0_80_0_0_c3d52fdae7be28947105fde4a4c0147d.jpg A hawkish Estonian ex-top spy revealed this week that Russias long defensive lines have stopped Ukraines counteroffensive dead in its tracks, becoming the latest observer of the NATO-Russia proxy war in Ukraine to admit that the Ukrainian militarys Western alliance-trained, equipped, and armed units have failed to reach any strategic objectives ahead of NATOs summit in Vilnius next month.What were these objectives? Kiev has not said publicly, but US media and DC think tanks agree that the main goals seem to be centered around severing the so-called "land bridge" between Crimea and the Russian mainland in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, blockading the peninsula, and proceeding with attacks deeper inside Russia.For the moment, the offensive seems to have sputtered, with Ukrainian forces losing hundreds of troops and dozens of armored vehicles daily, and President Vladimir Putin reporting last week that losses of armor had reached 186 heavy tanks and 418 armored vehicles.What blunted the offensive? Aside from the bravery and determination of Russian forces, the so-called "Surovikin Line," a term first used derisively by British tabloid media in late 2022, in reference to the construction of defensive positions under the guidance of Sergey Surovikin, the Russian general who served as commander of the Joint Group of Forces in the Special Military Operation Zone between October 2022 and January 2023, has been credited with preventing a Ukrainian advance.Who is Surovikin? The 56-year-old career soldier has racked up nearly 40 years of service with the Soviet and Russian militaries, and has served as the commander-in-chief of the Russian Aerospace Forces since 2017. A veteran of the Soviet War in Afghanistan, where he served as a special forces commando, he also served as a commander during the Second Chechen War in the 2000s, and in Syria in the 2010s, where his command of Russian forces was credited with helping to turn the tide against a cacophony of Western-backed jihadist militias. Surovikin's efficiency and successes on the battlefield have led Western media to smear him with the cartoonish nickname "General Armageddon," purportedly over his "brutal tactics" and "hardline and unorthodox approach to waging war."What Makes Up the Surovikin Defensive Line? For reasons that should be clear, the Russian military hasnt exactly rushed to provide details about the exact makeup of its defensive positions. However, media reports and analyses indicate that the defensive lines consists of a complex, multilayered network of infantry trenches, anti-personnel and anti-tank minefields, anti-tank dragons teeth (meter-tall concrete structures designed to slow the advance of enemy armor), as well as elevated earthen berms to shield military equipment. The defensive lines, which run nearly 2,000 km through Kherson and Zaporozhye, as well as Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, and Russian regions bordering Ukraine to the north, are partially visible to military planners in Kiev thanks to the armada of NATO satellites tracking the situation on the battlefield.But Kievs ability to destroy this infrastructure is limited by several factors: ukraine russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Ilya Tsukanov sergei surovikin, defensive line, defensive positions, russia, ukraine, war, conflict, operation, fighting Oak Grove has announced a purse increase for the remainder of its harness racing meet, which runs until July 10. Horsepeople can look forward to a 25 per cent increase in purses for the remainder of the meet, ensuring an even more lucrative experience for participants. The enhanced purses are a testament to Oak Grove's commitment to supporting and rewarding the talented horsepeople and their exceptional equine athletes. Oak Grove will continue its racing schedule on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays until July 4 before concluding the race meet on July 9 and 10, with post time set at 3 p.m. CST. In addition to the regular racing events, Oak Grove will host more Kentucky Sire Stakes for two-year-old horses on Sunday, June 25 and for three-year-olds on Tuesday, June 27. The much-anticipated finals for both age groups will take place on July 4, promising a showcase of exceptional equine talent and fierce competition. (With files from Oak Grove) Woodbine Mohawk Park will be hosting a special complimentary owners breakfast this Saturday morning, June 24 for baby races. The breakfast is open for all racehorse owners to attend and enjoy the early season two-year-old qualifiers. Breakfast will be served in the Mohawk Harvest Kitchen and guests are welcome to start sitting down at 9 a.m. A variety of items, including hot food, juices and coffee, will be available. Baby races will begin at 10 a.m. Program pages for the two-year-old qualifiers will be available. (Woodbine) The Blooded Horse Sale is currently taking entries for its Black Type Yearling session, which will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 30 in Springfield, Ohio. Racehorses and breeding stock will follow the yearling session. Consignors will receive exposure to buyers coming from across the United States and Canada as well as online bidding availability. The yearling deadline is July 15. Mixed horse entries for the main catalogue will be taken through Aug. 5. Visit bloodedhorse.com to enter. (With files from Blooded Horse Sale) During the Festival of Hope on Saturday, June 17, the owner of a black Camaro prominently displayed it in front of the Scotts Bluff Event Center in Mitchell. A poster near the car shares the story of Barb Jensen, a local cancer survivor. Jensens car is adorned with a pink ribbon decal on the hood with the date 5-24-11, and more decals wrapping around the sides of the car. May 24, 2011, is when she was diagnosed with cancer, according to the poster hanging next to the car. The ribbon wrapping around the car symbolizes how she felt like she had arms wrapped around her, keeping her safe during her cancer treatments. Jensens story is just one of many for those attending the Festival of Hope. Zandra Pullens mom, Londa Maron, is a breast cancer survivor. Marons bout with cancer was 40 years before the Festival of Hope was founded, but Pullen said the cause of supporting cancer patients resonates with her. My dads currently suffering from prostate cancer from Agent Orange in Vietnam, she said. Weve got a lot of (history with) cancer in our family. We try to come out here every year to support the festival so that other families can get help. Jacquie Hartman took part in the live auction, the victor in a bidding war for a German Chocolate cake in honor of a longtime friend. The late Dr. Todd Sorensen and I would get in a bidding war for the blackberry pie. This year, like most years, the festival is on Fathers Day weekend. My husbands favorite cake is German chocolate, so I had to have that, she said. The (cake) goes down a little bit easier after the Pony Express from earlier this week. Hartman, an original board member for the Festival of Hope, was there to support her husband, Dr. Mark Hartman who is the radiation oncologist at Regional West, and do her part to raise money for the organization. (Proceeds from the live auction) help families in need, especially those that need to go for services that may not be provided in this area. For instance, we dont (treat) pediatric cancers here. They do get sent to the Front Range. Their staff is just trained for that specialty, she said. To help ease the financial burden from battling cancer may come in the form of help with mortgage, car payments or other expenses families may need help with, she said. The Festival of Hope kicked off with a 5K run in the morning followed by the festival inside the event center. It culminated with the releasing of butterflies around noon. This years event was shorter than previous years. It used to be a full-day event. As a committee and board, we decided we needed to shorten it, Jennifer Hiltgen, a Festival of Hope board member, said. Were losing people because its a busy weekend, being Fathers Day weekend. There are lots of great activities in our wonderful communities going on. The Festival of Hope isnt the only chance for those wishing to donate to the organization. Donations may be made at festivalofhope.net or at the Cancer Care Center, and at the Oregon Trail Community Foundations website, otcf.org. The Western Community College Area Board of Governors expressed its thanks to Western Nebraska Community College interim president John Marrin at its regular meeting on Wednesday afternoon. The meeting was the last that will take place before new WNCC President Greg Dart arrives to fill the office next month. Dart was selected by the board from a pool of three finalist candidates in April. Marrin said that Wednesdays meeting marked the two year anniversary of the day he stepped into the role of interim president, which took place following the resignation of former president Carmen Simone in June 2021. Marrin had a long history with WNCC even before being named interim president. He spent more than 20 years working at the college in various roles, including leadership roles at the Sidney and Alliance campuses and a stint as interim executive vice president in 2019 during a different presidential search process. Two years ago today, I started as interim president. It has been a wonderful journey. Ive thoroughly enjoyed it, and I want to thank the board again for your support, Marrin said. He went on to recount the progress of handing off responsibility to Dart, which he said has been going very smoothly. On the 13th of June, President Dart was in Scottsbluff, he said. He met with the executive planning team, and for the most part we had a really good day. The executive planning team presented the 10 major projects they were working on at his request as well as their goals for the year. Board Vice Chair Karen Anderson also expressed satisfaction with the transition process, particularly in regards to the implementation of the colleges new strategic plan. She credited the work done by Marrin and his executive team for the success of the process. The hand off is just impressive, she said. To hand someone a strategic plan weve been busy working (on) during the interim not many organizations can say that. You have excellent team support, and its impressive. You can see that he (Dart) was impressed with things, and I just want to thank you for all the work and leadership that you did to get us to this point. It could have been a totally different picture. Praise was also provided by various other board members who said that Marrin managed to step in during a difficult time in WNCCs history, right the ship and rebuild relationships over the course of just two years. I think, John, you have rescued us so to speak more than once in the past however many years its been, said board member Coral Richards. Thank you for your service and your dedication and love for this institution. Board Chair Lynne Klemke said, Two years ago you accepted a whale of a challenge. You quickly assessed what needed to be done, put the right people in the right spots and moved us forward in a tremendous fashion. Marrin received a standing ovation from the board, and before the meeting was adjourned he expressed his love for WNCC in simple terms. Its a great college that is great again, he said. The next regular meeting of the Western Community College Area Board of Governors is scheduled for Wednesday, July 19 at 1 p.m. on WNCCs Scottsbluff campus. That meeting will be preceded by a budget work session at 10:30 a.m. dedicated to discussion of designated and restricted funds. The 2023 Miss Nebraska competition brought out the best young women the state offers, and after a long week, Morgan Baird won the crown. Baird grew up in Gering, graduating from Scottsbluff High School in 2020. Teresa Scanlan, another Gering woman, went on to win the 2011 Miss America title after capturing the state crown. Baird hopes to do the same at the 2024 Miss America competition that will take place sometime in January, someplace warm, Baird said. I went to Gering schools K through nine, then Scottsbluff in grades 10 through 12, Baird said. My dad went to UNMC (University of Nebraska Medical Center) in Omaha and then got hired at Regional West and moved our family to Gering. Baird was 1 year old when her dad, Carl, and mom, Krista, took up residence in western Nebraska. After graduating high school, she went to Western Nebraska Community College where she finished her associates degree. The Scottsbluff college enrollment program is awesome, so I was able to get a year done while I was in high school, Baird said. She graduated from WNCC in 2021 and transferred to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she earned her bachelors in political science, graduating in May. Baird said she felt her private interview was the strength of her road to victory, along with the talent portion. The private interview accounts for 35% of her score, talent is 35%, on stage interview and community service impact statement is 15% and evening wear is 15%. I had a really great American government and history teacher, Gary Largo, Baird said. He was the best. Were still in contact today and hes the reason why I decided to go into social science when I was at community college. While in high school, Baird was on the human services and education career academy tracks and had plans to be a teacher. I really loved child development and those sorts of classes, Baird said, but then I had to write my first lesson plan and I said, Ahh, no thanks. She needed to decide what her major would be at community college and thats when she decided her interest in government and history was a better fit for her. While attending UNL, Baird worked as a legislative page for the Nebraska Legislature through its last two sessions. I really loved that environment and I learned a lot, Baird said. I dont know that I see myself ever running for office, but I love the whole behind-the-scenes process. Working as a research analyst or a legislative aide in some capacity, thats probably what I would lean into. Baird won the preliminary talent on June 9 with the ballet she self-choreographed. After her parents had her try out every single sport when she was a youngster, she discovered ballet. You know how (parents) do when youre like 5 years old and they try out everything, Baird said. Nothing else was my thing and they put me into my first ballet class when I was 8 years old. I loved it. She said ballet helped her come out of her shyness. The Tabor Dance Academy in Scottsbluff was her home for dance until she graduated from high school. She also was a teaching assistant while attending WNCC and the teachers there are the reasons why I love dancing so much. An injury in her senior year of high school while she was on the Scottsbluff High drill team almost brought an end to her dancing. (Drill team consists) of a lot of kicking and repetitive motion on top of being a competitive dancer, Baird said. I tore both my labrums in my hips. Theyre still torn, they havent been fixed yet. Ive just had to do a lot of strength training and stretching trying to relieve pain. The only permanent treatment is surgery and Baird said at some point she will need to have double hip surgery. Right now, if I can maintain some hip strength, back and core strength, I can minimize the pain as much as possible, Baird said. During the week of Miss Nebraska, I was trying to do my talent the fewest number of times as possible to save my body and make sure I was able to do as well as I could on stage. Dance is not her long-term goal for a career, but she said she would consider teaching perhaps as a sidelight to whatever she decides to do. Perhaps a studio would let me come in once or twice a week to teach a class or two and that would be awesome, Baird said. She is looking forward to everything being Miss Nebraska has in store for her. Im really excited to get in to high schools and colleges and do voter registration drives and things like that, Baird said. Im just really excited to focus on older kids and young adults instead of the elementary students, which is what a lot of titleholders focus on, which is great. I expect to get in to elementary schools as well, but Im excited to interact with some older students. She said it is important for youth to be cognizant of the political process. It affects everyone, it doesnt solely affect older people, older adults, Baird said. Starting from 14 to 15 years of age, we all start voting in high schools for student body presidents. She said everyone votes for positions and learning about the process during the smaller things will help youth when they reach voting age. When it comes down to being 18 and you now have to vote for bigger and more important positions, you already know what the process is like, Baird said. As she travels the state you may see her eating seafood because her favorite food is shrimp, I love seafood, Baird said. The U.S. Coast Guard says a missing submersible imploded near the wreckage of the Titanic, killing all five people on board. Coast Guard officials said during a news conference Thursday that they've notified the families of the crew of the Titan, which has been missing for several days. Debris found during the search for the vessel is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel, said Rear Adm. John Mauger of the First Coast Guard District. The outpouring of support in this highly complex search operation has been great appreciated. Our most heartfelt condolences go out to the friends and loved ones of the crew, Mauger said. OceanGate Expeditions said in a statement that all five people on board, including company CEO Stockton Rush, are believed to be dead. Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet have sadly been lost, OceanGate said in a statement. OceanGate did not provide details when the company announced the loss of life in a statement or how officials knew the crew members perished. The Titan's 96-hour oxygen supply likely ended early Thursday. OceanGate has been chronicling the Titanics decay and the underwater ecosystem around it via yearly voyages since 2021. The Titan was estimated to have about a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic but experts have emphasized that was an imprecise approximation to begin with and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And its not known if they survived since the subs disappearance. Rescuers have rushed ships, planes and other equipment to the site of the disappearance. On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard said an undersea robot sent by a Canadian ship had reached the sea floor, while a French research institute said a deep-diving robot with cameras, lights and arms also joined the operation. Authorities have been hoping underwater sounds might help narrow their search, whose coverage area has been expanded to thousands of miles twice the size of Connecticut and in waters 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) deep. Coast Guard officials said underwater noises were detected in the search area Tuesday and Wednesday. Jamie Pringle, an expert in Forensic Geosciences at Keele University, in England, said even if the noises came from the submersible, "The lack of oxygen is key now; even if they find it, they still need to get to the surface and unbolt it." The Titan was reported overdue Sunday afternoon about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. Johns, Newfoundland, as it was on its way to where the iconic ocean liner sank more than a century ago. OceanGate Expeditions, which is leading the trip, has been chronicling the Titanics decay and the underwater ecosystem around it via yearly voyages since 2021. By Thursday morning, hope was running out that anyone on board the vessel would be found alive. Read more: Titanic by the numbers: 10 things to know about the 'unsinkable' ship 882 feet 175 feet 4 smokestacks 21 knots 3 propellers 9 decks 159 furnaces 14,000 gallons 75,000 pounds 2,208 people South Africa: Hefty sentences for Eastern Cape rhino poaching gang A six-man rhino poaching gang has been sentenced to imprisonment for terms ranging between 16 and 20 years after they were found guilty of conspiracy to commit theft of rhino horn and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. The six men, who were sentenced in the Eastern Cape High Court sitting in Makhanda, are Francis Chitiyo, Trymore Chauke, Meshack Chauke, Simba Masinge, Nhamo Muyambo and Abraham Moyane. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali, said the men were arrested in 2018 after they conspired to commit rhino poaching in the Makhanda area. They obtained an unlicensed 375 caliber hunting rifle, which was fitted with a silencer to suppress gunshot sounds to avoid detection during their illegal hunt. On the afternoon of their arrest, the six travelled in two vehicles towards the Makhanda area, where there are numerous game reserves housing populations of rhino. Before they reached their destination, one of the vehicles suffered a mechanical breakdown. They were stopped by members of the rhino poaching task team of the police patrolling the N2 highway, while towing the other vehicle. Inside the vehicles, two axes, knives and cellphones were discovered. The disassembled hunting rifle was found concealed in the tailgate of one of the vehicles, Tyali said. Following their arrest and conviction, five of the men escaped but were rearrested. While the gang was in custody, no rhino poaching incidents were reported in the Eastern Cape. However, since the escape of the five, 13 rhino were poached during the first three months of 2023. Investigations to establish the involvement of the gang in the said poachings are being conducted and further charges will be brought in the subsequent trial if they are linked. Delivering the sentence, the court noted that it was more than a coincidence that when the gang was in custody, there were no poaching incidents in the Eastern Cape, Tyali said. Meanwhile in Mpumalanga, the Skukuza Regional Court has sentenced a 32-year-old man to 32 years imprisonment for rhino poaching related activities. This after the man, Freedom Ndlovu, was convicted on charges of trespassing at the Skukuza National Park, three counts of rhino killings, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, conspiracy to commit an offence, possession of a dangerous weapon and possession of ammunition. NPA regional spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa, said Ndlovu and two other accused were arrested in 2016 after rangers at the park received a tipoff about poachers in the area. [The rangers] went to the alleged scene and found Alberto Valoyi , Fanwell Ndobe and Freedom Siyabonga Ndlovu in possession of a hunting rifle, ammunition, six fresh rhino horns and an axe. They were all subsequently arrested. Ndobe and Ndlovu absconded after the court granted them bail, and Valoyi was convicted and sentenced. Later, Ndlovu was rearrested, but his co-accused Ndobe is still at large, Nyuswa said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2023-06-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. China has wisdom to share on rural development, governance 10:50, June 22, 2023 By Cui Li ( Xinhua HANGZHOU/NAIROBI, June 21 (Xinhua) -- This year marks the 20th anniversary of the launching of the Green Rural Revival Program in east China's Zhejiang Province. The experience in rural sustainable development and governance that China has gained through this program provides valuable insights of benefit to the wider world. Since the start of the reform and opening-up in 1978, Zhejiang has achieved rapid economic growth. However, the people in rural areas faced a poor living environment and pollution, and they wanted the situation to be changed. Focusing on the people's well-being, the Green Rural Revival Program, which covers as many as 10,000 villages, was launched in June 2003 to address the imbalance in development between cities and rural areas, whereby industrial growth propelled cities forward while rural areas lagged behind. Over the past 20 years, more than 200 billion yuan (27.8 billion U.S. dollars) has been invested in the program. Officials from various sectors, including transportation, finance and environmental protection, have joined hands to overhaul the rural environment. Starting with the improvement of ecology, Zhejiang is skillfully managing various aspects of industrial development, grassroots governance and cultural nurturing, with the aim of stimulating the potential for a virtuous cycle of rural revitalization. Zhejiang has revitalized and modernized rural areas by focusing on water and waste management, renovation, toilet overhauls and infrastructure development, with a focus on the protection and restoration of the living environment in rural areas. The implementation of the project has greatly transformed villages in the province. Now, the rural areas in Zhejiang are equipped with extensive road systems and reliable power grids. Cultural facilities and medical centers have also been improved. Sustainable and green development has been promoted in China. And Zhejiang has gradually been transformed into a place full of clear waters and lush mountains. Thanks to its robust private economy and the growing e-commerce in recent years, the province has become one of the wealthiest and most developed provinces in China. Its GDP reached 7.7 trillion yuan in 2022, accounting for about 6.4 percent of the nation's total. Meanwhile, the forest coverage of the province increased to 61 percent, far above the national average of 24 percent. Strong leadership and financial support are key to the success of the project. Scientific planning and working mechanisms have been rolled out for each phase to advance the construction and renovation process. Meanwhile, a holistic approach is adopted to coordinate various aspects of the program. The program is a vivid practice of the people-centered development philosophy, as it has met the needs of people for a beautiful and pleasant living environment and a better life, and won the support and active participation of local residents. It significantly enhanced people's sense of fulfilment and happiness. With its bustling homestays and agritainment, Zhejiang's rural areas have become popular tourist attractions for city dwellers. It is estimated that some 334,000 people are engaged in rural tourism in the province. Through this program, new jobs related to agricultural development and rural entrepreneurship have been created, with over 47,000 entrepreneurs engaged in rural innovation to date, according to the provincial department of agriculture and rural affairs. "The Green Rural Revival Program has benefited millions of farmers in Zhejiang by creating a beautiful environment, a prosperous economy, and a better life," said Gu Yikang, chief expert of the Zhejiang rural revitalization research institute. "The integration of tourism and agriculture has led to diverse rural industries, transforming Zhejiang into a forerunner in rural revitalization." A report by a group from Tongji University in Shanghai was released during the UN-Habitat Assembly from June 5 to 9 in Nairobi, Kenya. It is about a case study on rural revitalization and net-zero carbon development in Dinghai District of Zhoushan City, Zhejiang, that may provide valuable lessons for low-carbon rural development. Bruno Dercon, officer-in-charge of the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, said in the report that despite rapid urbanization worldwide, 40 percent of the global population still resides in rural areas, and the pathways and cases of rural revitalization and zero-carbon development in Dinghai can provide valuable experience for rural low-carbon development in other small islands and coastal areas. Charles Onunaiju, director of the Abuja-based Center for China Studies, said China's Green Rural Revival Program represents a comprehensive and forward-thinking approach to addressing the environmental and socio-economic challenges faced by rural areas. By promoting sustainable development, ecological conservation and poverty alleviation, the program has the potential to bring about positive and transformative changes in rural communities, he added. Vincent Kitio, chief of UN-Habitat's Urban Energy Unit, said that China's experience in the Green Rural Revival program, which combines rural revitalization with carbon reduction and emissions control, thus achieving green development, is worth emulating by developing countries in Africa. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie) Guido Haak, left, executive vice president of Renault Group, meets with Korea's Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon, second from right, for Renault's possible investment in its Korean plant for EV production at Renault Group's headquarters in Paris, June 20, in this photo provided by the Busan city government. Yonhap Renault Korea Motors, the Korean unit of Renault S.A., said Thursday it is in talks with the Korean government to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) at its sole Busan plant amid carmakers' accelerating electrification push. Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon met with Renault Executive Vice President Guido Haak in Paris on Tuesday (local time) during his visit to France to help promote Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030. In the meeting, Haak said the French carmaker is planning to invest in the Busan plant, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to produce 200,000 units a year of all-electric vehicles, a Renault Korea spokesman said by phone. Renault Korea's Busan plant is an important manufacturing base for Renault Group. The group wants active support from Korea's central government and the Busan city government, the Renault executive said in a statement released by the city of Busan. The current production facilities in Busan are likely to be upgraded for the production of EVs, Renault Korea said. Renault Korea currently produces three models the XM3 compact SUV, the SM6 midsize sedan and the QM6 SUV at the 300,000-unit-a-year plant in the southeastern port city. Renault has a 52.82 percent stake in Renault Korea, while China's Geely Automobile Holdings and Samsung Card hold 34.02 percent and 13.13 percent stakes, respectively. From January to May, Renault Korea's vehicle sales fell 10 percent on-year to 57,550 units from 64,145 in the same period of last year. (Yonhap) A Statesville man was found guilty on multiple child pornography charges. Jessie Leroy Glass Jr., 49, was convicted by a federal jury on three counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography during a two-day trial, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina Dena J. King said in a news release. According to trial evidence, witness testimony and court documents, between January and February 2020, Glass received and possessed images and videos of child pornography. The Iredell County Sheriffs Office initiated an investigation into Glass after a person alerted law enforcement about Glasss possession of child pornography, King said. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement recovered two cell phones associated with Glass. A forensic analysis of the cell phones revealed that they contained images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including infants and toddlers, King said. Glass was released on bond. A sentencing date has not been set, King said. He could be sentenced to a maximum of 80 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a statutory penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Each count of receipt of child pornography carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, King said This case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project was launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov. Piedmont HealthCare welcomed Dr. Venu Gangireddy, MD, to Piedmont HealthCare Comprehensive Digestive Care Center. Gangireddy will join tenured physicians Dr. Vivek Trivedi, MD, and Dr. Nikhiel Rau, MD, in Statesville. Comprehensive Digestive Care Center is honored to welcome Dr. Gangireddy to our team, said Dr. Trivedi and Dr. Rau in a joint statement. With his comprehensive training and unwavering commitment to patient well-being, Dr. Gangireddy is poised to make a significant impact on the communitys digestive health and well-being in Iredell County. Gangireddy completed his medical studies at Guntur Medical College in Andhra Pradesh India. He further pursued postgraduate studies in public health at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama. He completed his internal medicine residency and fellowship at Augusta University, in Augusta, Georgia. Gangireddy chose to specialize in gastroenterology because of its unique opportunity to diagnose and manage problems in both medicinal and interventional procedural settings. His areas of particular interest include general gastroenterology, gastroenterology motility, and therapeutic endoscopy, including retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Excited to join Piedmont HealthCare Comprehensive Digestive Care Center, Gangireddy expresses his enthusiasm for the physician-owned model, saying, This model allows me to practice greater autonomy in patient care, allowing me to specialize and customize treatment plans to meet the unique need of the individual patient. When it comes to patient care, Gangireddy emphasizes compassion as the foundation of his practice. I care for patients like my own family, he explains. Compassion is the most important part of the care I deliver. My main goal is to help understand the root cause of their medical problems and provide them with tools to help alleviate them. In his spare time, Gangireddy enjoys traveling with his family. He is married and has two daughters. Venu Gangireddy will begin seeing patients on Monday at Piedmont HealthCare Comprehensive and Digestive Care Center at 555 Kitchings Drive, Statesville. For more information on Gangireddy, visit www.piedmonthealthcare.com/provider/venu-gangireddy-md/. To schedule an appointment, contact Piedmont HealthCare Comprehensive Digestive Care Center at 704-978-1144. Two years after Australia decided to abandon diesel-electric subs for nuclear powered models, details of how hat will work have been disclosed. Australia will obtain eight American Virginia-Class SSNs (nuclear attack subs). The first three will be transferred from the United States, with the first one arriving in 2033. The other five will be built in Australia, with some modifications requested by Australia which will technically make the Australian Virginias a variant of the American Virginias. The first three will arrive from the United States in the 2030s.. Two will be transferred from the U.S. Navy while the third will come from one of the American Virginians under construction. The first two American Virginias will be used to complete the training of Australian crews. Australia will establish a shipyard and workforce capable of building the other five Virginias locally and this will take until 2052 for all eight Australian SSNs to be in service. To speed this up or simply make sure all eight are in service by 2052, the American may transfer another two, leaving Australia to build the other three. The Australian capability to build Virginians will also provide Australia with the capability to maintain, repair and upgrade Australian SSNs as well of those of allies like the United States and Britain. The U.S. plans to eventually have 66 Virginians in service by the 2040s and each of these will serve for at least 30 years. Currently, only 34 Virginias are guaranteed. The rest will be upgraded models that will be more expensive and require Congressional approval. The Navy put its 21st Virginia class SSN into service during 2022. Currently Block 3 and 4 Virginia's take about six years to build. In 2008 the navy got its fifth Virginia eight months ahead of schedule and under budget. At that point, the Virginias were taking 5-6 years to build and arriving at the rate of one a year. Over the last decade, the speed of construction has increased as well as the rate of delivery, now one or two a year. This is essential to replace the aging Los Angeles class boats. Covid19 halted the ability to build Virginias at the rate of two a year. Another time-consuming element is that current Virginias are 30 percent larger than the previous ones because they will have 40 launch tubes for cruise missiles. This is about three times as many cruise missile tubes as the previous Virginias. That means even more skilled workers are needed for the larger Virginias. The Navy currently plans to have up to ten Virginias under construction at the same time. Blocks 1-4 of Virginia are all armed the same way but Block 5 (arriving in the mid-2020s) will have additional space to store and launch missiles and will carry 65 missiles and torpedoes. This is 75 percent more than Block 1-4 boats. This will be accomplished by adding an additional section called the VPM or Virginia Payload Module. This adds 25.6 meters to the length of the sub and increases displacement to 10,400 tons. Each new Block gets better electronics and sensors and it is believed that the passive sonar in the late model Virginias have much longer and accurate detection ranges. The Block 5 will also receive a large number of equipment upgrades. The main problem with future Virginias is their larger size plus a shortage of shipyard capacity to simultaneously build all of them and the new Columbia-Class SSBN (larger ballistic missile carrying nuclear subs). Diverting existing Virginias and some on order to Australia is not seen as a problem as Australia is a long-time American ally and is facing the same Chinese naval threat as the United States. The planned Australian SSN shipyard is a major advantage for the U.S. Navy because currently the two American yards are on the Atlantic coast. Some SSN maintenance can be done at Pacific coast naval facilities but, for shipyard level attention, a Pacific-based SSN must make a long trip to the east coast of the United States. Australias decision to go nuclear came in 2021 and required the cancellation of a $65 billion contract with a French firm to build twelve non-nuclear versions of the new French Barracuda class SSN. Simultaneously it was announced that Australia had formed a military cooperation coalition with Britain and the U.S. called AUKUS. This made Australia a member of an exclusive club, one that long consisted of only two members; the United States and Britain. This special arrangement dates from the late 1950s when the U.S. agreed to provide Britain with access to military tech that America shared with no one else. This included nuclear submarine tech, including reactor design and SLBMs (Sea Launched Ballistic Missiles). France was offered access to submarine nuclear reactor tech but declined and developed its own. In the case of the twelve French non-nuclear subs (called the Attack class), Australia was concerned about constantly growing delays and escalating costs. The contract contained numerous opportunities for Australia to terminate the deal, with minimal cancellation fees, for failure to meet deadlines. Australia exercised one of those termination opportunities, which the French never expected. France reacted with denunciations against Britain and the U.S. for conspiring with Australia to steal the contract. That made for great headlines, but wasnt true. Australia was already paying a lot of money to deal with the delays already incurred. For example, two months before the French deal was canceled, Australia decided to spend over $4 billion to refurbish all six, instead of just three, of its current Collins class diesel-electric submarines. This was necessary to deal with delays in the construction of the twelve new Attack class boats. The Attack class are diesel-electric versions of the new French SSNs and are smaller because they have no nuclear reactor and all the additional equipment needed to support it. Part of the problem was that the Barracuda SSNs took longer than expected to enter service and that delayed equipping the Australian shipyard selected to use French SSN tech to build the non-nuclear Shortfin Barracuda. As a result of the delays in France and Australia, the cost of developing and building the Attack class boats in Australia had increased by over fifty percent. Extending the life of all six Collins class boats was seen as a cheaper and safer alternative than scrapping the innovative Shortfin Barracuda project and looking elsewhere. One likely replacement was the German 216 class boats, which came in second in the competition to replace the Collins class. The 216s are smaller and less effective, on paper, than the Shortfin Barracuda but can be delivered on time and at half the original cost of the French design. France was aware of this possibility but did not expect the AUKUS deal which would enable Britain and the U.S. to share nuclear submarine tech with Australia. This appeals to Australia because the Americans share nuclear sub tech with Britain, not construction contracts, and continues to do so. Britain designs and builds its own SSNs and SSBNs. While Britain uses American SLBMs (Sea Launched Ballistic Missiles), Britain supplies its own nuclear warheads. Much, if not most of the tech in British SSNs and SSBNs is British and Australia would like to purchase American and British tech for the six to eight SSNs Australia plans to build or buy to replace the French Barracuda design. The Collins class boats entered service between 1996 and 2003 and were expected to retire after 30 years of service. That long service life was attained by giving each Collins class boat one or more expensive refurbishments when the boats got older. By refurbishing all six Collins class boats one more time, all will have a useful life of 37 years and retire much later, sometime in the 2040s, giving the Attack class enough time to enter service to replace the six retiring Collins class subs. The first Attack class boat was supposed to be in service by 2035. By 2021 Australia had doubts that the Attack class subs would be ready before Collins class boats were too old to be operated safely. Australia had been discussing this with the British and Americans for over a year and the AUKUS proposal came out of that. There would have been an AUKUS agreement no matter what happened to the Barracuda project. The Australian naval officers had long been interested in the British switch to an all-nuclear sub force in the 1990s. Since the 1960s Britain had maintained a mixed nuclear/diesel-electric submarine force but when they put their first SSBNs into service during the 1990s they found it practical to go all nuclear rather than continue developing and building nuclear and non-nuclear subs. Now Australia plans to make the same switch. The non-nuclear Barracuda began in early 2016 when it was agreed that the French firm DCNS would design and share construction of twelve new diesel-electric submarines. Australians preferred the French design because it was a larger boat than those offered by Germany and Japan. The French proposal was a diesel-electric version of their new Suffren (Barracuda) class SSNs. This non-nuclear Shortfin Barracuda design was about 20 percent smaller (in surface displacement) than the 4,700-ton nuclear powered Suffren but was otherwise very similar with a crew of about 60, four 533 mm torpedo tubes and 24 torpedoes, missiles or mines. A major selling point for the Barracuda was the proven silencing technology France had developed for their SSNs. This would now be added to an inherently quiet diesel-electric design. The Shortfin Barracudas were to be built in Australia as the Attack class and cost about $2.4 billion each. This included an AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) system that would allow these boats to operate submerged for two weeks at a time. French firms were to only control about half of the construction budget, with much of the rest going to American firms that would provide the electronics and weapons. The RAN (Royal Australian Navy) Attack subs were to begin construction in 2022 and enter service in 2035. That did not happen because of problems in France. In mid-2019 the first of six new French Barracuda type SSNs was launched. Called the Suffren, it officially entered service in late 2020 but was not completely operational until sometime in 2021. All six will be in service by the late 2020s. Back in 2006, France decided to buy six Barracuda class SSNs, for about $1.5 billion each. These 4,700-ton (surface displacement) boats are smaller than America's new 7,300-ton Virginia class subs (which cost about $2.8 billion each) and use different nuclear power plant and silencing technologies. The unique French tech works but since they developed it themselves, without relying on the use of American tech, like the British do, getting a new class of SSNs into service usually takes longer than British or American designs and, in this case, took much longer than expected. Construction on the first Barracuda began in 2007 and it was supposed to be launched by 2012. That launch date was tentative and was delayed until 2019 because development of the Barracuda nuclear power plant began in 2003 and soon ran into problems. Problems with the power plant were no surprise because France, unlike Britain, did not license the American SSN power plant. This would make it more difficult to export French nuclear subs, which France has never been able to do because of a lack of customers. The French chose a different power plant design that used commercial (not military) grade nuclear fuel. This meant French nuclear subs had to be refueled more often but this was made easier by building the hull with special large hatches that could be quickly opened once every 7-10 years for refueling then sealed again. France is the only nation using this type of ship power plant and had to handle development and maintenance procedures itself. With a small fleet of nuclear subs, this increased the cost per sub. Britain, by licensing the American tech, gets the benefit of a much larger American nuke fleet and the larger budget for work on the power plants. Ever since the first Barracuda began construction, the delays have come from power plant problems. By 2012 it was believed that launch date could be 2017 but delays perfecting the power plant continued. The sub could not be launched until the power plant was completed and the hull made watertight. Delays in getting the Barracudas into service added more delays in completing the Attack Class design and getting construction going. Australia exited the Attack Class agreement because it appeared that AUKUS provided a more reliable and affordable solution that also enabled a switch to an all-nuclear sub force. Britain and the U.S. also provide crew and construction staff training in a common language and the option to lease one or more American or British SSNs that are about to retire. This would have the Australian crews ready by the time the first Australian SSN entered service. By building these subs in Australia, American and British nuclear subs would have access to some repairs or maintenance for their nuclear subs operating in the Western Pacific. The U.S. currently has over half its SSNs operating in the Western Pacific. One critical factor to how many SSNs Australia will build is the problems Australia already has finding enough qualified recruits for their diesel-electric subs. Britain and the U.S. have similar problems with their nuclear subs, as does China with its diesel-electric and nuclear subs. That might make it easier for Australia to settle for four or six nukes rather than the eight currently discussed. Lavrentiev stated that all parties involved have endorsed a road map to facilitate the advancement of normalized relations, Athr Press states. Moscow has once again raised concerns about unusual movements by US forces in Syria, as Alexander Lavrentyev, the Russian presidents special envoy to Syria, discussed the outcomes of the 20th round of Astana talks. He confirmed that Moscow has received information corroborating Washingtons efforts to strengthen its presence in Syria. Addressing the Astana talks and the Syrian-Turkish rapprochement, Lavrentiev emphasized that Syria, Turkey, and Iran have agreed on the road map proposed by Russia to normalize relations between Ankara and Damascus, as reported by the Russian agency Sputnik. Lavrentiev further stated that all parties involved have endorsed the road maps concept, which aims to facilitate the advancement of normalized relations. He explained that each party has expressed their viewpoints and proposals, which now need to be organized and coordinated. While acknowledging that this process will require some time, Lavrentiev emphasized the importance of maintaining a progressive approach to the normalization process, with unanimous agreement among all stakeholders. Regarding US actions in Syria, Lavrentiev emphasized that Moscow possesses information indicating a reinforcement of Washingtons military presence in the region. In light of these developments, sources from the Rukban camp, situated on the Jordanian-Syrian border in close proximity to the US base in Tanf, reported to Al-Mayadeen Net that the United States seeks to preserve the camps existence and prevent its dismantling from both the Syrian and Jordanian sides. This effort, backed by Russian support, allows the US to maintain the pretext for its forces continued presence at the Tanf base. The Washington-based Syrian Emergency Organization has recently launched a humanitarian aid operation called Syrian Oasis, aimed at delivering assistance to approximately 8,000 individuals with the support of US military cargo planes. The organization highlighted that the Pentagon has played a crucial role by facilitating aid transfers to the camp through the Denton program, utilizing available space on US military aircraft that regularly travel to the Tanf base. Over the past two months, Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern regarding what it perceives as unusual US military movements in Syria. Specifically, Moscow has emphasized that a significant portion of these movements originates from the Tanf base. On June 8th, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service reported that the United States is allegedly preparing terrorist attacks in densely populated areas and government institutions in Syria, with plans involving collaboration between militants and secret cells of extremist organizations. According to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, the coordination of these illicit activities takes place at the US military base in Tanf, which serves as a training ground for dozens of ISIS fighters. The report further suggests that the Americans regularly replenish the ranks of terrorists and release them from prisons in the occupied northeastern part of Syria. Additionally, trucks transport small arms, ammunition, and anti-tank missile systems to these training camps. It is widely believed that Washington assigns high priority to its presence in Tanf due to the strategic location of the region. Al-Monitor previously confirmed reports indicating that Israeli aviation leverages the US presence at this base to gather intelligence for conducting military operations in Syria. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. The carrier's CEO Kim E-bae, right, other officials, and crew members celebrate the opening of the Incheon-Oita route at Incheon International Airport, in this June 22 photo provided by Jeju Air. Yonhap Jeju Air said Thursday it has started services on the Incheon-Oita route as it moves to absorb rapidly recovering air travel demand amid a nationwide move to return to pre-pandemic normalcy. Jeju Air, Korea's biggest low-cost carrier, will start providing three flights a week Tuesday, becoming the only Korean carrier to serve the Oita route, the company said in a statement. The budget carrier also plans to start offering services on the Incheon-Hiroshima route July 13. In the January-March period, Jeju Air shifted to a net profit of 48.19 billion won ($36 million) from a net loss of 64.91 billion won a year earlier on increased flights to Southeast Asian countries. It swung to a record quarterly high operating profit of 70.73 billion won in the first quarter from an operating loss of 77.87 billion won a year ago. Sales more than quintupled to another record quarterly high of 422.29 billion won from 80.79 billion won during the same period. Jeju Air operated the same fleet of 37 B787-800 aircraft in the first quarter, down from 40 B787-800s a year earlier. This year, it aims to turn around after posting net losses for four consecutive years through 2022. (Yonhap) Bashar al-Assad's family reportedly benefits from the money paid by migrants to reach Libya and subsequently Europe by sea, Syria TV writes. Bashar al-Assads family reportedly benefits from the money paid by migrants to reach Libya and subsequently Europe by sea. This also includes the unfortunate incident involving nearly 700 migrants whose boat sank last week in Greek waters. Cham Wings, the exclusive carrier for these migrants, played a role in the tragedy. Last week, a boat carrying hundreds of asylum seekers from Syria, Egypt, Pakistan, and other countries sank off the coast of Greece, resulting in the tragic deaths of 82 individuals. Despite slim chances of finding more survivors after rescuing 104 people, Greek authorities are continuing their search. Survivor testimonies indicate that smugglers charge approximately $10,000 per person, a portion of which allegedly goes to Bashar al-Assads family, as reported by the German newspaper Badische Zeitung. According to the accounts of survivors, a significant number of Pakistanis departed from Karachi airport, transited through Damascus airport, and then joined large groups of Syrians at Benghazi airport in Libya, facilitated by Cham Wings, an airline associated with the Assad regime. Cham Wings operates two weekly flights between Karachi and other regular flights to Benghazi airport in Libya. The ticket price per person is around 1,500 euros. Confirming these claims, the newspaper Malta Today reveals that passengers departing from Damascus airport must pay exorbitant amounts in cash to secure a ticket on the semi-governmental Cham Wings Airlines. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Iran has also expressed its intention to establish two water refineries in Syria, according to Athr Press. Syria and Iran are deepening their cooperation in the field of electric energy, particularly in the production of electricity through alternative sources. According to a confidential source in the Ministry of Electricity, Syrias Minister of Electricity, Ghassan al-Zamil, held a meeting with a senior Iranian official from the joint Syrian-Iranian Chamber of Commerce, Eng., to discuss potential collaboration in this area. The discussions between the two officials primarily revolved around the possibility of Iran contributing to investment projects aimed at increasing Syrias hydroelectric power production. Syria is recognized as one of the leading countries in the Arab world in terms of hydroelectric power generation. The source further highlights Syrias current focus on enhancing electricity productivity from various local sources, with a strong emphasis on renewables. This includes efforts to harness solar energy through the use of solar panels, as well as the exploration of wind energy and the construction of water dams. Furthermore, Athr Pras announced by Iranian Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian during a meeting with Syrian Minister of Water Resources Tammam Raad. Mehrabian emphasized the readiness of Iran to participate in the rehabilitation of Syrias water and electricity industry. He also mentioned two gas-powered electricity projects built by Iranian companies in Syria, which are poised for opening. Given Syrias abundant water resources and established agricultural industry, Iran aims to share its expertise in canal construction, irrigation, drainage, and dam building with its Syrian counterparts. During the meeting, Minister Tammam Raad revealed that a contract had previously been signed with the Iranian private sector for the construction of two water refineries in Syria. The Syrian government hopes to activate these projects soon, with the assistance of a new credit line. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan commented on the outcomes of the 20th International High-Level Meeting on Syria held in the Astana format, saying it might resume hosting these meetings after its surprising decision to suspend them. Simultaneously, a think tank said the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is having significant implications for American forces stationed in the Middle East, specifically in Syria. Recent instances of hostile actions by Russian pilots towards American aircraft in Syria may be seen as an effort to alleviate Russian frustrations stemming from the situation in Ukraine. Additionally, it was reported that another boat, carrying approximately 40 migrants escaping the war-torn region of Syria, was discovered in the sea vicinity near Cape Greco in Ayia Napa. Kazakhstan ready to consider possibility of resuming Syrian peace process The Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a commentary on the results of the 20th International High-Level Meeting on Syria in the Astana format, Kazinform cites the press service of the Ministry. The announcement by the Republic of Kazakhstan of the 20th International High-Level Meeting on Syria in the Astana format as the final stage of the negotiation process on its territory is based on the following: It is known that this format was created as a supplementary negotiating platform to the Geneva process and was intended to solve specific practical tasks to end the conflict. At present, its initial goals of creating de-escalation zones, stopping bloodshed between the conflicting sides and preventing a large-scale humanitarian crisis have been achieved. Today, the political situation in the Middle East region is changing dramatically. There is a desire to restore relations between the Arab states and Damascus. Syrias membership in the Arab League has been renewed. The Brotherly Republic of Turkiye intends to normalize relations with friendly Syria. In this regard, the gradual withdrawal of Syria from isolation in the region can be regarded with firm confidence as a successful result of the efforts of the so-called Astana Process on Syria. At the same time, if the participants of the International Meetings on Syria in the Astana format express a collective request to continue negotiations in Astana, Kazakhstan is ready to consider the possibility of resuming the process as a gesture of goodwill, taking into account the progress of negotiations at other platforms and the situation in Syria in general. Russian Air Force Compensating for Ukraine with Dangerous Flights in Syria Air and Space Forces Website reported that Russias war in Ukraine is leading to far-reaching consequences for American forces in the Middle East, particularly in Syria, where recent aggressive behaviour by Russian pilots towards American aircraft may be an attempt to compensate for Russian frustrations in Ukraine. This behaviour poses risks of miscalculation and unintended incidents, hampers the fight against ISIS, and distracts US forces from their core mission. Additionally, Russias acquisition of drones from Iran and their growing relationship could further embolden Iran in supporting militias in the Middle East. The Website quoted the top U.S. Air Force commander for the Middle East, Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, as stating that Russias war in Ukraine is having significant consequences for American forces in the region. He believes that recent aggressive behavior by Russian pilots in Syria towards American aircraft may be an attempt by Moscow to compensate for its frustrations in Ukraine. Grynkewich also mentioned that Russias acquisition of drones from Iran could embolden Iran in its support of militias in the Middle East. According to Grynkewich, Russian pilots have violated deconfliction protocols that were established to reduce the risk of inadvertent conflict in Syria. There have been instances where Russian aircraft have flown close to U.S. aircraft and overflown U.S. troops. These actions pose a risk of miscalculation and unintended incidents, as both sides are conducting combat missions with live weapons. The specialized website added that the U.S. has expressed concerns about the dangerous interactions between American and Russian fighters in the region. In response, the U.S. sent F-22 Raptors to demonstrate its military strength. Grynkewich noted that Russia has shown little deterrence and has even decorated pilots involved in incidents, such as a collision between a Russian Su-27 and a U.S. MQ-9 drone over the Black Sea. The Russian harassment is not only affecting U.S. forces but also hampering the fight against ISIS, which Russia claims to support. ISIS continues to maintain capabilities and freedom of action, particularly in areas where pressure from the Syrian regime and Russia should be applied. Russias reliance on Tehran for supplying drones used in Ukraine could result in Iran receiving fighter jets from Russia, further strengthening their relationship. Grynkewich expressed concerns about Russias posture in the region and highlighted that the Russian actions distract U.S. forces from their core mission of fighting ISIS. He also emphasized that Russia is allowing the ISIS threat to grow under its nose. As a result, Air Forces Central faces the challenge of countering Iran-backed groups and Russia in Syria and the Arabian Gulf with limited resources, while also maintaining focus on the fight against ISIS. What is the impact of the Dutch-Canadian torture case against the Syrian regime at the top UN tribunal? Enab Baladi, a respectable Syrian Website, published a long report on the potential of the case the Netherlands and Canada have filed against the Assad regime at the the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over allegations of torture. The report says that the Netherlands and Canada have taken Syria to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over allegations of torture, marking the first such case since 2011. The case accuses Syria of breaching the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The allegations, according to the report, include mistreatment and disappearance of detainees, sexual violence, and the use of chemical weapons. The Dutch and Canadian governments have called for emergency measures to protect those at risk of torture. The outcome of the lawsuit involves two parts. The first part seeks immediate temporary measures to halt violations and improve detainee conditions. The second part aims to establish international recognition of the regimes torture practices, seek compensation, hold perpetrators accountable, and bring the case before the highest international court. The report adds that the United States and Britain have expressed support for the legal proceedings. The ICJs jurisdiction over the case is based on Syrias ratification of the Convention against Torture, and doubts about the regimes agreement to the courts jurisdiction have been dismissed. The International Court of Justice is the main judicial organ of the United Nations and handles legal disputes between states and provides advisory opinions on legal issues. It does not have jurisdiction over individual criminal cases but focuses on violations of state obligations under ratified treaties. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) addresses criminal matters, including torture, as instances of states violating their obligations under ratified treaties. This forms the basis for legal disputes between states, which extends beyond bilateral relations and encompasses the violating states obligations towards all other treaty parties. It is the duty of these states to confront and halt such violations. The ICJ consists of 15 judges, elected by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council for nine-year terms, with the possibility of re-election. Every three years, one-third of the members are elected, ensuring that no two judges of the same nationality serve concurrently. If a member judge passes away, a replacement judge of the same nationality is elected to fulfill their term. Migrant flows from Syria intensifies Another boat carrying nearly 40 migrants from war-torn Syria was found in the sea area off Cape Greco in Ayia Napa, confirming concerns over rising arrivals from the neighbouring country by sea, The Financial Mirror reports. According to police, a wooden seven-metre boat carrying 37 people, including six women and three children, was located by a coastguard patrol. Two of the people on board were arrested as they were identified as people smugglers. The two men, aged 33 and 31, were remanded in custody on Thursday for four days. The rest of those onboard the boat were transferred to the Pournara Reception Centre in Kokkinotrimithia outside Nicosia. The latest arrivals signal fears over an increase in migrant arrivals by sea. Earlier this month, authorities said that despite reports that migrant flows through the Turkish-occupied north are decreasing, arrivals by sea are rising. A 60% increase was recorded in the first five months compared to last year. According to the Aliens and Immigration Unit, most irregular migrants arriving by sea come on boats from Syria and are usually located off Cape Greco. Data from the authority, provided to Phileleftheros daily, reveal that since the start of the year, some 396 migrants arrived by boats from Syria, including 41 women and 89 children on 19 boats (nine in May alone). In the same period last year, 246 migrants from Syria arrived on 14 boats. Quoting the deputy commander of the immigration unit, Petros Zenios, Phileleftheros said the majority of migrants arrive on small wooden boats. According to Zenios, all boats depart from areas of the Syrian city of Tartus, with the fare ranging from $2,000 to $6,000 for each migrant. EVERETT As other entrepreneurs push the edges of technology to bring well-heeled tourists to space, Stockton Rush saw new opportunities for exploring another frontier: the deep sea. OceanGate, the company he founded in 2009, sought not just to profit from bringing wealthy adventurers to sites such as the wreck of the Titanic, but to help scientists and researchers unravel oceanic mysteries by giving them better access to the sea floor than ever before in vessels that would break the boundaries of how submersibles are developed. One of the reasons I started the business was because I didnt understand why we were spending 1,000 times as much money to explore space as we were to explore ... the oceans, Rush told a conference held by GeekWire, a Seattle tech news website, last year. There is no private access to the deep ocean, and yet theres all this life to be discovered. OceanGates novel submersible Titan was reported overdue Sunday night off Newfoundland, with Rush and four others onboard, spurring a desperate international search. A Canadian aircraft detected underwater noises in the area, prompting a glimmer of hope Wednesday amid worries about the levels of oxygen present in the vessel. It was the companys third annual expedition to the Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank in 1912, killing all but about 700 of the roughly 2,200 passengers and crew. Rush, a former test flight engineer for McDonnell Douglas F-15 fighter jet program, had long experience in aerospace and aviation, as well as technology startups by the time he founded OceanGate, according to the companys website. Before graduating from Princeton University with a degree in aerospace engineering in 1984 and obtaining a masters degree in business administration from the University of California in 1989, Rush had obtained his captains rating at the United Airlines Jet Training Institute. He went on to oversee business ventures that included serving on the board of Seattles BlueView Technologies and as chairman of Remote Control Technology. Rush saw a way to use advances in materials sciences to craft a new type of sub one that would be oblong, rather than spherical, and made with carbon fiber, which he said, had a better strength-to-buoyancy ratio than titanium. The design would carry five people and would give scientists and deep-sea adventurers alike more room the few privately owned subs in the world could only carry two or three people at most. Most research subs also required huge support ships and were not meant to be cost-effective, Rush said. Part of the idea behind OceanGate was to offset the cost of deep-sea research through high-end adventure tourism, exploration or mapping for the oil and gas industry, or inspection of bridges or ship hulls. He and other investors poured tens of millions of dollars into OceanGate, he told The Daily Herald newspaper in Everett in 2017. The company is based at an industrial marine park in Everett, close to Boeings factory and aerospace firms with expertise in using titanium and carbon fiber. OceanGate acquired its first submersible in 2009 and a second in 2012, which it rebuilt into the Cyclops 1 a working prototype for the Titan that can descend 500 meters. Cyclops 1 has been on dozens of training and research dives including a trip in Puget Sound with the hip-hop artist Macklemore to look for elusive six-gill sharks that helped inform the development of the Titan. In September 2018, Rush piloted Cyclops 1 on an expedition in Washingtons San Juan Islands with researchers and scientists. The expedition included seven dives over five days to observe the feeding strategies of deep-sea red urchins, document the habitat of Pacific sand lances, and assess possible impacts of scientific trawling on the ecosystem. In a Facebook post Tuesday, the conservation group SeaDoc Society, which funded the expedition, said the research would not have been possible without OceanGates submersible technology and their professional team. Alex Lowe, a University of Washington graduate student, recalled in a video published on OceanGates website his amazement at how, just six minutes into their dive, he and others onboard saw red urchins at 284 meters deep more than twice the depth at which they had ever been observed before. There was mission accomplished in six minutes, Lowe said. The companys charitable arm, the OceanGate Foundation, has provided support for deep-sea exploration, marine science research and nautical archeology. After scuba divers in 2016 discovered remnants of an ancient Roman merchant ship off Israel, OceanGate facilitated the testing of prototype 3D mapping robots that produced images for a virtual reality experience of the shipwreck site. Greg Stone, the former executive vice president and chief scientist for Conservation International as well as a friend of Rush, said there was a need for advances in research submersibles. Thats the direction he was going in. And I liked where he was going, Stone said. But, he added, Rush had the problem that a lot of frontier people have. And that is he was ahead of the regulations. In his speech at the Seattle tech conference, Rush described how various submarine safety programs were over the top in their rules and regulations, but they had no experience with carbon fiber. I remember him telling me that they didnt have any way to evaluate his designs, although from an engineering point of view, they worked on paper and he tested them over and over again, Stone said. At one point, Rush took a one-third scale prototype of the Titans hull to a lab at the University of Washington where he could test it under extreme pressure to see how much it could stand. The testing could only be done at night, with other people gone, and when the hull finally imploded it shook the building and blew out the labs pressure sensors, which Rush had to replace, he said. But, the test validated OceanGates approach to detect flaws in the hull by using sensitive acoustic monitoring that could detect crackles and pops as it strained under pressure, Rush said. The Titan has a 5-inch-thick carbon-fiber hull designed to descend 4,000 meters. Not everyone agreed with that approach. David Lochridge, OceanGates director of marine operations, wrote in a 2018 lawsuit that it could subject passengers to potential extreme danger. This type of acoustic analysis would only show when a component is about to fail often milliseconds before an implosion and would not detect any existing flaws prior to putting pressure onto the hull, his wrongful termination claim said. However, the company said Lochridge is not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan. Rush described at the Seattle tech conference the unnerving experience of taking a prototype down to 4,000 meters, only to have it prove unsound via acoustic monitoring. After a second attempt the company scrapped the prototype constructed by a marine manufacturer and built another with an aerospace supplier. In a 2018 letter, the Marine Technology Society, a professional group of ocean engineers, technologists, policy-makers and educators, complained to Rush that OceanGate should submit its prototype to tests overseen by an expert third party before launching in order to safeguard passengers. One of the things I learned is when youre outside the box, its really hard to tell how far outside the box you are, Rush said in the speech last year. We were pretty far out there. BELLINGHAM The alleged gunman who fired into a crowd killing two people at a Washington state music festival Saturday was stationed at a U.S. Army base in Western Washington, law enforcement officials said Tuesday. James M. Kelly, 26, of Joint Base Lewis-McChord was booked into the Grant County Jail Tuesday on investigation of two counts of murder, two counts of assault and one count of domestic violence assault, Grant County Sheriff Joe Kriete said in a Facebook post. Law enforcement officers shot him Saturday and he was being treated at a hospital until Tuesday, the sheriff said. The shooting killed two people and wounded two others in an area where people were camping for the Beyond Wonderland electronic dance music festival at the Gorge Amphitheatre. The two people killed were Seattle residents Brandy Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Ruiz, 26, Grant County Coroner Craig Morrison said Tuesday. Escamilla died of a gunshot wound to the head, and Ruiz died from a gunshot wound to her torso, Morrison said. The two were engaged to be married, according to a fundraising campaign by family members. Lily Luksich, 20, of Mill Creek, Washington, and 31-year-old Andrew Cuadra of Eugene, Oregon, were shot and wounded, according to the sheriff. A private security officer responding to the report of shots fired was struck by a bullet that deflected off her eyeglasses, causing bruising and lacerations, the sheriff said. The sheriffs office said it received a report of a shooting around 8:20 p.m. Saturday at the camping area at the amphitheater near the small city of George, 149 miles (240 kilometers) east of Seattle. The shooting happened several hundred yards from the music festival. Joint Base Lewis-McChord Lt. Col. Mike Burns told KXLY-TV in a statement Tuesday that the command is aware of the allegations against Kelly. We take all allegations seriously and are fully cooperating with the appropriate authorities, his statement said. Burns said Kelly is a joint fire support specialist assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment at the military base. It wasnt immediately known if Kelly has a lawyer to comment on his behalf. The North Central Washington Special Investigation Unit is investigating the shooting of Kelly by law enforcement officers. The names of the officer or officers who fired at Kelly havent been released. Nick Brown, the U.S. attorney for Western Washington, announced his resignation Tuesday ahead of an expected bid for state attorney general. Brown, a former legal counsel to Gov. Jay Inslee, was nominated for his federal job by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in September 2021, making him the first Black U.S. attorney to serve in Washington state. In his announcement Tuesday, Brown said he had submitted a letter of resignation to the president, but did not specify his future political plans, saying only that he hoped to return to public service in the future. Democratic political insiders have said hes been planning a run for attorney general in 2024 an opportunity opened up as incumbent Bob Ferguson is running to succeed Inslee as governor. State Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, has already announced her campaign for attorney general and has reported raising about $125,000. Dhingra chairs the state Senates Law and Justice Committee and is a longtime senior deputy prosecuting attorney for King County. In an interview, Brown said he is barred from talking about politics while he remains U.S. attorney. His last day in the position is Wednesday. After leaving his federal position, Brown said he plans to return on a part-time basis as a partner at Pacifica Law Group, the prominent Seattle law firm where he worked previously. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as U.S. Attorney for Western Washington, and humbled to have been selected by President Biden to serve in this important role. Building safe and healthy communities is one of the most important challenges we face as a state, Brown said in his announcement. In the interview, Brown said he was proud of the work hed done office on civil rights, including chairing a national subcommittee of U.S. attorneys. He said he had stood up a new unit dealing with cybercrimes and pointed to prosecutions of major COVID-19 aid fraud, including the recent indictment of six people who allegedly bilked the government out of more than $3.3 million through phony applications. Brown also touted his offices work trying to combat the fentanyl crisis by targeting drug cartels. He said hed also worked to increase transparency about the work of the U.S. Attorneys Office by meeting with community organizations for input. I feel really proud of culturally where this office is at, he said. Brown, 46, served as general counsel for Inslee from 2013 to mid-2017, advising the governor on legal issues, including a decision to impose a moratorium on the death penalty. He previously worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in Seattle from 2007 to 2013, handling more than 100 criminal cases. An Army veteran, he served in the Judge Advocate General Corps from 2003 to 2007 at Joint Base Lewis McChord; Fort Bliss, Texas; and in Baghdad; according to his Justice Department biography. Plans to restore full ferry service to the routes between Fauntleroy, Vashon and Southworth and Seattle and Bremerton, have been pushed into next year, a blow to the communities that previously had been told sailings would begin returning to normal this year. Behind the delay is the now-familiar issue of staffing, as well as the degrading state of the fleets ships. Recent unexpected retirements, resignations and protected leaves of absence have caused attrition to outpace our recruiting and training efforts, especially among licensed vessel crews, reads the ferry systems weekly newsletter, sent last week. Residents who live on the triangle route, as the Fauntleroy departure is known, were told earlier this year that Washington State Ferries would add a third boat to the three-stop rotation in April, up from the two the triangle has operated on for much of the last several years. Bremerton, which has been reduced to one boat, was scheduled to add a second boat in October. The ferry system plans to add an occasional third boat to the triangle route as crew and ships are available. Those boats will not show up on the schedule, but instead serve as a release valve if and when traffic backs up. On the Bremerton passage, Washington State Ferries has kicked over funding to Kitsap Transit to add extra foot ferry crossings to and from Seattle, including on the weekends. The shortage of maritime crew has been brewing for years as huge portions of the workforce approached retirement age. That wave was accelerated by the pandemic as workers who may have gone on leave opted for an early exit. The governors mandate that all workers be vaccinated likely added to the shortage as well. But while the state ferry system has been recruiting and adding new workers, it has struggled to get those people trained up in time. As of April 1, the ferry system was 126 people short of its target staffing level of 1,148, according to a presentation to community feedback groups from the department. Every position, from the engine room up the pilothouse, is below where the department would like to be. Most significantly, the more than 30 person shortage among captains and mates has been particularly challenging to plug, as it takes years of work before theyre qualified to assume those roles. This isnt a huge surprise to folks, but were struggling still to get our hiring numbers up and get people trained and get them on the routes, said ferries spokesperson Ian Sterling. The ferries officially switched to alternative schedules on many routes in 2020 as the crew shortages mounted, to make the sailings less frequent but more predictable. In the years since, the department has slowly been declaring certain routes fully restored, meaning they have the typical number of boats 95% of the time, beginning with the San Juan Islands, Bainbridge Island, Mukilteo and Edmonds. Even with these alternative arrangements, the boats are falling short of the systems reliability target of 99%. In fact, 2023 has seen a decline in reliability, down to 97%. The San Juans, Edmonds and Coupeville boats have been the least reliable. Compounding the issue is the state of the fleet. Between vessels in operation and those docked for regular maintenance, there are no boats to spare, meaning when one breaks down or drifts onto a beach WSF may struggle to replace it. Modernizing the fleet is a long-term problem, said Sterling. In the short term, the crew shortages mean that 99% reliability rate is probably gone for the foreseeable future. WOODLAND While the future of a swimming pool in Woodland remains unclear, an alternative water feature is in the works. The Woodland City Council Monday accepted Holland America Bulb Farms owner Benno Dobbes land donation for a splash pad. The city will develop the parcels, located across Park Road from Horseshoe Lake Park, into a park with a splash pad and restrooms, according to the agreement. The park will be tulip themed an homage to the Dobbes Woodland Bottoms tulip farm and be named Benno and Klazina Dobbe Memorial Park. Klazina Dobbe died in February 2021 but would have appreciated seeing the land used for a splash pad, Benno Dobbe told the council on Monday. Dobbe said he purchased land in 1999, intending to donate to the city for a good cause. The parcels are separate from the property the nonprofit Woodland Swimming Pool Committee owns at 785 Lakeshore Dr., adjacent to the donated land. The Woodland Swimming Pool Committee, which Dobbe is part of, has fundraised and purchased property for building a swimming pool for more than 30 years. The committee is considering its options after the YMCA pulled out of the project, Dobbe said Tuesday. The committee is an active, registered nonprofit with the state and had about $896,000 at the end of 2021, according to the Secretary of States Corporations and Charities filing system. After building a swimming pool didnt happen for a variety of reasons, Dobbe reached out to the mayor about the splash pad option on his familys property, he said. Its a great alternative for a pool, Dobbe said. I think the community will very much appreciate it. I think it is going to be a nice addition to the city, I think it is good for the kids, actually for any age, but mainly for the kids. The City Council agreed, with all members speaking in favor of the project. Councilmember Monte Smith said the splash pad is needed to keep small children away from the lake, where they are at risk of drowning. Councilmember Melissa Doughty said the park, which would be located behind Goerig Street, will help bring families into town and to local businesses. It will really get people to recognize Woodland for more than just the lake, she said. I think that just adds even more benefit. The council voted in early October to authorize the mayor to sign a quit claim deed and donation agreement, but the memorandum of understanding approved Monday rescinds those documents. The new document states the city and Dobbe wanted to mutually agree to key conditions before proceeding with the land transfer. The city will pay Dobbe about $10,000 for attorney fees and related expenses. Combined, the properties have an assessed value of $78,620, according to the Cowlitz County Assessors Office. Woodland received $82,000 in Legislative funds to put toward the project and will look for grants and donations, according to the meeting documents. Its unclear how much the project will cost, but the city of Kelso is spending about $836,000 to replace equipment at the Catlin Rotary Spray Park. Building a splash pad near Horseshoe Lake Park is one of the objectives outlined in the citys 2023 Park and Recreation Plan the council approved in May. Most residents who responded to a related survey stated their household members would use a splash pad if constructed, according to the plan. ATHENS, Greece (AP) Nine men suspected of crewing a migrant smuggling ship that sank off Greece leaving more than 500 missing were ordered held in pretrial custody Tuesday, as new accounts emerged on the sinking and the appalling conditions on the trip from Libya towards Italy. The Egyptian suspects face charges that include participation in a criminal organization, manslaughter and causing a shipwreck. A court in Greece's southern city of Kalamata ordered their detention after questioning them for hours. Only 104 men and youths Egyptians, Pakistanis, Syrians and Palestinians survived one of the worst migrant shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea early on June 14; 82 bodies have been recovered, the last late Tuesday as a large search continued for a seventh day. Survivors said women and children were trapped in the hold as the ship capsized and sank within minutes to one of the deepest spots in the Mediterranean. Survivor accounts emerged Tuesday confirming that about 750 people paid thousands of dollars each for a berth on the battered blue fishing trawler, seeking a better life in Europe. In sworn testimonies over the weekend, and seen by The Associated Press, survivors described shocking conditions on the five-day journey. Most of the passengers were denied food and water, and those who couldn't bribe the crew to get out of the hold were beaten if they tried to reach deck level. The testimonies also echoed previous accounts that the steel-hulled trawler sank in calm seas during a botched attempt to tow it. This clashes with the Greek coast guard's insistence that neither its patrol boat that escorted the trawler in its last hours nor any other vessel attached a tow rope. The Greek ship cast a rope and it was tied to our bows, survivor Abdul Rahman Alhaz said in his sworn testimony. We shouted stop, stop! because our boat was listing. (It) was in bad shape and overloaded, and shouldnt have been towed. Alhaz, a 24-year-old Palestinian from Syria, said he paid $4,000 to board the ship at Tobruk in eastern Libya. He said the people in charge on the trawler were all Egyptians, and recognized seven suspects from pictures Greek authorities showed him. Lawyer Athanassios Iliopoulos, representing a 22-year-old Egyptian alleged smuggler, told The AP that all 9 suspects denied the charges in court and claimed to be migrants themselves. Iliopoulos said his client said he sold his truck and borrowed from his parents to raise 4,500 euros for his fare. The lawyer said judges rejected a defense argument that Greek courts lack jurisdiction because the wreck occurred in international waters. Alhaz, the Palestinian survivor, said most of the Pakistani passengers had been in the hold and drowned. "One of the crew had told me there were more than 400 Pakistanis on the boat, and only 11 were saved, he said. These 11 didn't include the wife and two children of Rana Husnain Neseer, 23, who were in the hold. Neseer himself, who said he paid 7,000 euros for the trip, traveled on deck. About 750 people were on board, he said. (The crew) didnt give us food or water, and hit us with a belt to keep us from standing up. Neseer said other passengers told him a tow line was attached by a big ship just before the sinking. He didn't see that as I was bent low and praying. But he felt the vessel sharply list. We all went to the other side to balance it, which made our boat tilt in the other direction and sink, added Neseer. Fellow Pakistani Azmat Khan Muhammad Salihu, 36, identified three suspects, including one who hit him when he tried to leave the hold, and one who struck passengers with a belt. Being in the hold, he had no first-hand account of why the ship sank. I was saved because I found an opening and got out," his testimony said. "I called to the others to follow me but ... nobody managed to escape Greece has been widely criticized for not trying to save the migrants before the sinking in international waters. Officials in Athens say the passengers refused any help and insisted on proceeding to Italy, adding that it would have been too dangerous to try and evacuate hundreds of unwilling people off an overcrowded ship. Asked about the incident as World Refugee Day was marked across the globe Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: It is horrible ... and the more urgent is that we act. Von der Leyen, the head of the European Union's executive arm, said the EU should help African countries like Tunisia, where many migrants leave for Europe, to stabilize their economies, as well as finalize a long-awaited reform of the 27-nation bloc's asylum rules. She did not mention Libya, from where the doomed trawler and many similarly overloaded Europe-bound boats depart across the particularly dangerous Mediterranean migration route. Five other human smuggling suspects were arrested in Pakistan this week, officials in Islamabad said Tuesday. Relatives of at least 124 people in Pakistan have contacted authorities to find out about missing loved ones, the officials said. The full details of the sinking remain unclear. Photos and videos from before the sinking show people crammed on all available open spaces of the trawler. One survivor, Ali Sheikhi from the northeast Syrian town of Kobani, told Kurdish TV news channel Rudaw that the smugglers didnt allow life jackets and threw whatever food the passengers had into the sea. Speaking late Sunday by phone from a closed reception center near Athens where survivors were taken, Sheikhi said he was directed to the hold but paid the smugglers to get out onto deck. By the time the ship sank, they had been at sea for five days. Water ran out after a day and a half, and he said some passengers drank seawater. Sheikhi said the trawler's engine failed and another vessel tried to tow it. In the pulling, (the trawler) sank, he said. Associated Press writers Elena Becatoros in Athens, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan, and Lorne Cook in Brussels, Belgium contributed to this story. Follow AP's coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration Get the latest here: *** The search for the missing submersible on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic passed the critical 96-hour mark Thursday when breathable air could have run out, a grim moment in the intense effort to save the five people aboard. The Titan submersible was estimated to have about a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic but experts have emphasized that was an imprecise approximation to begin with and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And it's not known if they survived since the sub's disappearance. Rescuers have rushed ships, planes and other equipment to the site of the disappearance. On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard said an undersea robot sent by a Canadian ship had reached the sea floor, while a French research institute said a deep-diving robot with cameras, lights and arms also joined the operation. Authorities are hoping underwater sounds might help narrow their search, whose coverage area has been expanded to thousands of miles twice the size of Connecticut and in waters 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) deep. Jamie Pringle, an expert in Forensic Geosciences at Keele University, in England, said even if the noises came from the submersible, "The lack of oxygen is key now; even if they find it, they still need to get to the surface and unbolt it." The Titan was reported overdue Sunday afternoon about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John's, Newfoundland, as it was on its way to where the iconic ocean liner sank more than a century ago. OceanGate Expeditions, which is leading the trip, has been chronicling the Titanic's decay and the underwater ecosystem around it via yearly voyages since 2021. By Thursday morning, hope was running out that anyone on board the vessel would be found alive. Many obstacles still remain: from pinpointing the vessel's location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface assuming it's still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers' oxygen supply runs out. Dr. Rob Larter, a marine geophysicist with the British Antarctic Survey, emphasized the difficulty of even finding something the size of the sub which is about 22 feet (6.5 meters) long and 9 feet (nearly 3 meters) high. "You're talking about totally dark environments," in which an object several dozen feet away can be missed, he said. "It's just a needle in a haystack situation unless you've got a pretty precise location." The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan vanished Sunday is also prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol. The passengers are also facing temperatures just above freezing. Meanwhile, newly uncovered allegations suggest there had been significant warnings made about vessel safety during the submersible's development. Broadcasters around the world started newscasts at the critical hour Thursday with news of the submersible. The Saudi-owned satellite channel Al Arabiya showed a clock on air counting down to their estimate of when the air could potentially run out. Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District said a day earlier that authorities were still holding out hope of saving the five passengers onboard. "This is a search-and-rescue mission, 100%," he said Wednesday. Frederick said while the sounds that have been detected offered a chance to narrow the search, their exact location and source hadn't yet been determined. "We don't know what they are, to be frank," he said. Retired Navy Capt. Carl Hartsfield, now the director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, said the sounds have been described as "banging noises," but he warned that search crews "have to put the whole picture together in context and they have to eliminate potential manmade sources other than the Titan." The report was encouraging to some experts because submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their submersible's hull to be detected by sonar. The U.S. Navy said in a statement Wednesday that it was sending a specialized salvage system that's capable of hoisting "large, bulky and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels." The Titan weighs 20,000 pounds (9,000 kilograms). The U.S. Navy's Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System is designed to lift up to 60,000 pounds (27,200 kilograms), the Navy said on its website. Lost aboard the vessel is pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate. His passengers are: British adventurer Hamish Harding; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman; and French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet. At least 46 people successfully traveled on OceanGate's submersible to the Titanic wreck site in 2021 and 2022, according to letters the company filed with a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, that oversees matters involving the Titanic shipwreck. One of the company's first customers characterized a dive he made to the site two years ago as a "kamikaze operation." "Imagine a metal tube a few meters long with a sheet of metal for a floor. You can't stand. You can't kneel. Everyone is sitting close to or on top of each other," said Arthur Loibl, a retired businessman and adventurer from Germany. "You can't be claustrophobic." During the 2.5-hour descent and ascent, the lights were turned off to conserve energy, he said, with the only illumination coming from a fluorescent glow stick. The dive was repeatedly delayed to fix a problem with the battery and the balancing weights. In total, the voyage took 10.5 hours. OceanGate has been criticized for the use of a simple commercially available video game controller to steer the Titan. But the company has said that many of the vessel's parts are off-the-shelf because they have proved to be dependable. "It's meant for a 16-year-old to throw it around" and is "super durable," Rush told the CBC in an interview last year while he demonstrated by throwing the controller around the Titan's tiny cabin. He said a couple of spares are kept on board "just in case." The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. Retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, who is now deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University, said the disappearance underscores the dangers associated with operating in deep water and the recreational exploration of the sea and space. "I think some people believe that because modern technology is so good, that you can do things like this and not have accidents, but that's just not the case," he said. This undated photo shows the entrance of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy building located in Sejong, central Korea. Yonhap Korea decided to launch an investigation into whether imports of aerogel items by a domestic company violate the patents of an American aerogel firm, the industry ministry said Thursday. The move came two months after Aspen Aerogels, a leading U.S. aerogel insulation producer, sought a probe by the Korea Trade Commission (KTC) into a domestic company and a China-based firm, as the Chinese firm sold aerogel products to the domestic company even though Aspen Aerogel holds the patents. The KTC, which is under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, will launch an inspection into the case next month to make a decision on whether to impose a fine or order corrective measures, such as an import ban. It will take six to 10 months for the commission to wrap up the probe, according to the ministry. As a synthetic low-density material derived from a gel, aerogel is a good thermal insulator that can reduce energy loss while conserving interior space in building applications. (Yonhap) Oregon lawmakers have lined up a plan to borrow $1 billion over the next eight years to pay for the construction of a new Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means on Tuesday tacked the bonds onto House Bill 5005, a broad budget bill expected to move quickly during the waning days of the legislative session. It would allow the state to issue $250 million in general obligation bonds for the bridge replacement project in each of the next four biennia. Lawmakers had previously discussed devoting $1 billion for Oregons share of the new bridge, which is projected to cost as much as $7.5 billion. Tuesdays amendment comes as disagreements persist over how much money Oregon and Washington states should spend on the bridge, where the funding should come from and what the bridge should look like. Gov. Tina Kotek also weighed in on the proposed source of funding, saying while she was in favor of replacing the bridge, the state should save its bonding capacity for affordable housing projects and other priorities. Kotek said instead she would advise lawmakers to draw on existing funds. But lawmakers failed to pass a policy bill that directed funds to the bridge project while placing restrictions on the scope of the project. The budget bill, on the other hand, includes no such strictures. Rep. Khanh Pham, D-Portland, had called for lawmakers to put $250 million toward the bridge during the next budget cycle, enough to put the project in line for federal funds without fully clearing the way for the project. She also had proposed paring down the size of the bridge and including language that would ensure the bridge is constructed by a company with a unionized workforce. Pham said writing the financially strapped state transportation agency a billion-dollar check is fiscally irresponsible. This session, the Legislature doubled down on status quo transportation investments that prioritize freeway expansions before fixing existing streets, at a time in which traffic fatalities, air pollution, potholed roads, transit unreliability and carbon emissions are all steadily on the rise, Pham wrote in a statement to The Oregonian/OregonLive. Other lawmakers, however, said approving the full $1 billion was always part of the plan and a necessary step toward building the bridge on the existing timeline. Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, R-Albany, said in passing a funding plan to fund the new Interstate Bridge, lawmakers did what needed to be done. Using general obligation bonds makes it clear to the federal government that this project is a priority for Oregon, Boshart Davis wrote in an email. Using existing funds would have robbed money from approved transportation projects around the state. What this plan doesnt do is meet the growing needs of our transportation system broadly by funding needed projects like the Rose Quarter. Boshart Davis referred to an earlier funding proposal that would have included a commitment to fund an expansion of Interstate 5 through Portlands Rose Quarter. Rep. Susan McLain, D-Hillsboro, said the state needed to fully match Washingtons $1 billion commitment to the bridge in order to compete for $2.5 billion in federal matching grants, which will help pay for the rest of the construction costs. Authorizing the $1 billion match sends a clear message of bi-state support for the bridge, McLain wrote in an email. She also dismissed the idea that using bond funding for the bridge took away from other projects. If you look at all the budget bills passed today, many important projects around the state are receiving funding, she wrote. We voted to fund projects at community colleges and universities, for improvements to courthouses across the state, and allocations to the Burnside Bridge and the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge. McLain also touted funding for transportation projects like the Safe Routes to School program and the Hood River-White Salmon bridge over the Columbia River. But some public transit and climate advocates say those investments paled in comparison to what was needed. The climate activist group No More Freeways said transportation advocates had called for lawmakers to direct $100 million to the state transportation departments Great Streets program, which funds safety improvements and increases walking, biking and public transit access on state-owned roads. A bill introduced in this session proposed devoting $10 million to the state program. In Tuesdays budget bill, it got $1 million. Two bills that directed the state transportation department to study passenger railways also stalled. And another Columbia River bridge replacement project, the seismic retrofitting of the Bridge of the Gods in Cascade Locks, also isnt in line for funding. HB 5005 must pass both chambers of the Legislature before Sunday, the constitutionally mandated end of the session. Uber announced the launch of its flagship EV product, Uber Green with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) being the first location in Mumbai to offer the service. Accelerating sustainable mobility in India, Uber now offers on-demand electric vehicle (EV) rides with Uber Green, allowing riders to enjoy eco-friendly transportation options with a simple tap on the app. Uber Green will be currently available for passengers requesting a green ride to and from the Mumbai Airport. The new service will be available at a dedicated pick-up zone at Terminal 2 at Mumbai International Airport, and across various parts of Mumbai, ensuring that a wider range of passengers can contribute to reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable mobility throughout the city. Commenting on the launch, Spokesperson, Uber India and South Asia, said, Building on our strong association with Adani Airports and our shared commitment to sustainability, we are thrilled to introduce Uber Green in Mumbai starting from The Mumbai International Airport. Sustainability shouldnt be complicated; it should be effortless. With Uber Green, riders can make a small change that collectively leads to a significant environmental impact, one ride at a time. By offering on-demand electric rides, we aim to provide a convenient and zero-emission transportation option for our riders in Mumbai, taking a major step forward in our electrification journey. Spokesperson Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, said, We are delighted to partner with Uber in launching Uber Green at Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Over the years, Mumbai Airport has made resilient efforts in contributing to making aviation sustainability a reality and is committed to achieving operations Net Zero Carbon Emission. The airport recently achieved the Highest-Level 4+ Transition of Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) program of Airport Council International (ACI), making it only the 3rd airport to achieve the esteemed certification in the Asia-Pacific region. By providing passengers with the option of on-demand EV rides, we are collectively taking significant strides towards sustainable transportation and carbon emission reduction in the city. This launch aligns with our vision of promoting eco-friendly mobility and reinforces our commitment to creating a more sustainable and environmentally conscious Mumbai. As Uber paves the way for a greener future, it remains dedicated to providing reliable and affordable transportation options to riders while minimizing the impact on the environment. With Uber Green set to roll out to other cities, riders can now travel sustainably, contributing to a cleaner and healthier planet for all. Uber has committed to become a zero-emissions mobility platform by 2030 in Europe and North America, and globally by 2040. On sustainability, Uber has more than tripled the number of electric vehicles on the platform and connected 31 million unique riders with a ride in an electric vehicle in 2022. EV drivers on Uber are going electric 5X faster than the general public and even faster in places like London, highlighting the potential for the ridesharing industry to accelerate the transition to electrification. The Science Based Targets Initiative has also approved Ubers near and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets, making us one of the first 30 US-based companies to have such targets approved. How to book an Uber Green Trip: Cashfree Payments announced the launch of CVV-free card payments for partner businesses. CVV-free payments allow customers to experience faster, smoother, and more convenient checkouts for saved(tokenized) cards on major networks such as Visa, Mastercard, and RuPay. By eliminating the need for CVV entry, the checkout process is streamlined, reducing transaction time by up to 5 seconds. CVV-free payments maintain the highest level of security, ensuring compliance with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations. CVV-free payments eliminate the need for cardholders to manually enter the CVV, a 3 or 6-digit number found on credit, debit or prepaid cards. Previously, incorrect manual entry of CVV resulted in payment failures. With this launch, users can select their saved card, enter the OTP, and complete transactions seamlessly, reducing potential payment failure and friction. Akash Sinha, CEO and Co-Founder, Cashfree Payments said, We are excited to introduce CVV-free payments, a game-changing feature that goes beyond user convenience. Credit card and debit card users play a crucial role in the success of digital businesses, contributing significantly to the Indian market. With CVV-free payments, we are reducing friction for cardholders, aligning their payment experience with other popular modes like UPI Intent. At Cashfree Payments, our vision is to consistently innovate and forge solutions that make digital payments faster, safer, and more convenient. This feature represents a significant stride towards realising that vision. Ramakrishnan Gopalan, Vice President, Head of Products and Solutions, for India and South Asia, Visa said, We are delighted to bring the ground-breaking innovation of CVV-free transactions for tokenized cards to Cashfree Payments and the merchants they support. This gives numerous small businesses and their customers a seamless and secure shopping and transaction experience. We are confident that this reduction of friction will lead to better transaction success and encourage businesses to embrace the digital ecosystem with trust and confidence. Gaurish Korgaonkar, Head Digital Payments, NPCI said, We are pleased to partner with Cashfree Payments for the introduction of CVV-free payments with RuPay cards, taking a significant step forward in our pursuit of delivering enhanced customer experience. By eliminating the need for CVV verification for tokenized cards, we are further streamlining the payment process while ensuring utmost security of sensitive card information. This innovative feature guarantees faster and frictionless checkouts, revolutionising the way users make their payments. Ravi Datla, Vice President, Head of Products & Solutions, for India and South Asia, Mastercard said, Mastercard endeavours to revolutionise the payment landscape and drive the growth of the Indian digital market by making the payment journey seamless and hassle-free for customers. By eliminating the need for manual CVV entry, Cashfree Payments is reducing transaction time and minimising payment failures. The collaboration with Cashfree Payment reflects Mastercards unwavering commitment to continuously innovate and provide solutions that accelerate the pace of digital payments, ensuring safety, precision, and convenience for masses. CVV-free payments are 100% compliant with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulations ensuring highest level of security. The RBI guideline on the Card on File Tokenisation (CoFT) process, ensures enhanced card security by securely encrypting and storing customers card details with restricted access limited to card networks and issuing banks. The CVV-free feature will be automatically enabled for businesses using Cashfree Payments Token Vault solution for tokenization of cards. Token Vault is Cashfree Payments tokenization solution which enables merchants to provision and save card network tokens effortlessly, thereby helping merchants in staying compliant with RBI guidelines. Token Vault offers an interoperability feature that helps businesses who use multiple payment gateways to process tokenized card transactions across any payment gateway and card network of their choice. With over 50% market share among payment processors, Cashfree Payments today leads the way in bulk disbursals in India with its Payouts and is also among the leading online payment aggregators. Indias largest lender, SBI invested in Cashfree Payments underscoring the companys role in building a robust payments ecosystem. Cashfree Payments works closely with all leading banks to build the core payments and banking infrastructure that powers the companys products. Cashfree Payments is also integrated with major platforms such as Shopify, Wix, Paypal, Amazon Pay, Paytm, and Google Pay. Apart from India, Cashfree Payments products are used in eight other countries including the USA, Canada, and UAE. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A United Airlines jetliner is pulled out of a gate at Denver International Airport Friday, May 26, 2023, in Denver. Credit: AP Photo/David Zalubowski United Airlines says when flights are delayed or canceled it will use its app to send customers options for rebooking and, in some cases, vouchers for meals and hotel rooms. United said Thursday that it began testing the service on its app late last year and found that it reduced the number of people waiting in airports lines to speak to airline agents. Airlines are under pressure from the Biden administration to improve customer service. The Transportation Department said recently it would begin writing new rules to require passenger compensation when the airline causes delays and cancelations. United's chief customer officer, Linda Jojo, said the new app features would save time and reduce stress for travelers because "we know things don't always go as planned." So far this year, United has canceled about 5,400 flights, or 1.3% of its schedule, which matches the industrywide average, according to figures from FlightAware.com. Nearly 100,000 other United flights this year have arrived at least 15 minutes late. 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Twitter logos hang outside the company's offices in San Francisco, on Dec. 19, 2022. Australia's online safety watchdog has on Thursday, June 22, 2023, issued a legal notice to Twitter demanding an explanation of what the social media giant is doing to tackle a surge in online hate since Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought the platform. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File Australia's online safety watchdog has issued a legal notice to Twitter demanding an explanation of what the social media giant is doing to tackle a surge in online hate since Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought the platform. Australia's eSafety Commission describes itself as the world's first government agency dedicated to keeping people safer online. The agency said Thursday that it received more complaints about online hate on Twitter in the past 12 months than any other platform and had received an increasing number of reports of serious online abuse since Musk took over the company in October. The Australian agency's boss, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, said she sent a notice to the San Francisco-based company Wednesday with 36 detailed questions on how Twitter's policies about hateful conduct are enforced. If Twitter does not respond with factual and truthful responses to all questions within 28 days, an Australian judge could fine the company up to 700,000 Australian dollars ($476,000) for every day of delay, Inman Grant said. "The whole idea of the basic online safety expectations is that global companies like Twitter are enforcing their own policies and that they've got people and technology to keep their platforms safe," Inman Grant said. "They have a Hateful Conduct policy that says you may not directly attack other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, etc., and I want to know if fundamentally they are enforcing this policy and how effectively they are doing so," she added. Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. The eSafety notice followed Musk's announcement in November that he was granting "amnesty" for suspended accounts. This led to 62,000 banned or suspended users being reinstated to the platform, including 75 accounts with more than 1 million followers each, eSafety said in a statement. Twitter's global workforce had been slashed under Musk from 8,000 employees to 1,500, with trust and safety teams shed. Twitter had removed all public policy staff from Australia. Inman Grant said Indigenous Australians, disabled people and those who identify as LGBTQ+ experience online hate at double the rate of other Australians. "A third of all reports into our office of online hate are coming from Twitter. It's been a huge surge since October '22 when Elon Musk took over," Inman Grant told Australian Broadcasting Corp. "Twitter has always been fiery in terms of discourse, but it's turned into an absolute bin fire." "A lot of the changes to the algorithms have made people feel like you see more toxicity, much more coarse discourse. But without lifting the hood and using these transparency powers, we really don't know what's happening and this is where we're trying to get to the bottom of things," she added. Australians are not alone in their increasingly hostile experience with Twitter. American advocacy group GLAAD said last week that all major social media platforms do poorly at protecting LGBTQ+ users from hate speech and harassment. But Twitter was the worst. In its annual Social Media Safety Index, GLAAD gave Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter low or failing scores, saying the platforms don't do enough to keep their users safe. That said, most improved from a year ago. Twitter was the only exception. GLAAD's scorecard called it "the most dangerous platform for LGBTQ people" and the only one that saw its scores decline from last yearto 33% from 45% a year ago. British rights group Center for Countering Digital Hate found instances of racial slurs on Twitter soared immediately after Musk bought the company. A racial epithet used to attack Black people was found more than 26,000 times in the week following Musk's takeoverthree times the average for 2022, the center found. The center also found users who pay for a Twitter Blue Check seemed to enjoy a level of impunity from the platform's rules on online hate. Inman Grant chairs the Global Online Safety Regulators Network, which was formed with British, Irish and Fijian online harms regulators in November to coordinate on online safety issues. Each of the 27 European Union states will soon have its own online harms regulator. Inman Grant said Australia was discussing with other national regulators sharing information and how they might take joint regulatory actions. "We will be working with other governments to make sure that we're shining a spotlight on these companies and getting them to improve their standards in doing the right thing," she said. 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The Volocopter 2X, an electric vertical takeoff and landing multicopter, performs a demonstration flight during the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, France, Monday, June 19, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Lewis Joly Just a dot on the horizon at first, the bug-like and surprisingly quiet electrically-powered craft buzzes over Paris and its traffic snarls, treating its doubtless awestruck passenger to privileged vistas of the Eiffel Tower and the city's signature zinc-grey rooftops before landing him or her with a gentle downward hover. And thus, if all goes to plan, could a new page in aviation history be written. After years of dreamy and not always credible talk of skies filled with flying, non-polluting electric taxis, the aviation industry is preparing to deliver a future that it says is now just around the corner. Capitalizing on its moment in the global spotlight, the Paris region is planning for a small fleet of electric flying taxis to operate on multiple routes when it hosts the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games next summer. Unless aviation regulators in China beat Paris to the punch by green-lighting a pilotless taxi for two passengers under development there, the French capital's prospective operatorVolocopter of Germanycould be the first to fly taxis commercially if European regulators give their OK. Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke, a former top executive at aerospace giant Airbus, has a VVIP in mind as his hoped-for first Parisian passengernone other than French President Emmanuel Macron. "That would be super amazing," Hoke said, speaking this week at the Paris Air Show, where he and other developers of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraftor eVTOLs for shortcompeted with industry heavyweights for attention. The Archer midnight flying taxi is exhibited at the Paris Air Show, Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. Aviation industry CEOs and top government officials from around the world descended on the Paris Air Show for a week of deal-making and demonstrations of the world's latest air and space technology. Credit: AP Photo/Michel Euler "He believes in the innovation of urban air mobility," Hoke said of Macron. "That would be a strong sign for Europe to see the president flying." But with Macron aboard or not, those pioneering first flights would still be just small steps for the nascent industry that has giant leaps to make before flying taxis are muscling out competitors on the ground. The limited power of battery technology restricts the range and number of paying passengers they can carry, so eVTOL hops are likely to be short and not cheap at the outset. And while the vision of simply beating city traffic by zooming over it is enticing, it also is dependent on advances in airspace management. Manufacturers of eVTOLs aim in the coming decade to unfurl fleets in cities and on more niche routes for luxury passengers, including the French Riveria. But they need technological leaps so flying taxis don't crash into each other and all the other things already congesting the skies or expected to take to them in very large numbersincluding millions of drones. People talk by the eHang autonomous aerial vehicle at the Paris Air Show, Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. Aviation industry CEOs and top government officials from around the world descended on the Paris Air Show for a week of deal-making and demonstrations of the world's latest air and space technology. Credit: AP Photo/Michel Euler Starting first on existing helicopter routes, "we'll continue to scale up using AI, using machine-learning to make sure that our airspace can handle it," said Billy Nolen of Archer Aviation Inc. It aims to start flying between downtown Manhattan and Newark's Liberty Airport in 2025. That's normally a 1-hour train or old-fashioned taxi ride that Archer says its sleek, electric 4-passenger prototype could cover in under 10 minutes. Nolen was formerly acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. regulator that during his time at the agency was already working with NASA on technology to safely separate flying taxis. Just as Paris is using its Olympic Games to test flying taxis, Nolen said the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics offer another target for the industry to aim for and show that it can fly passengers in growing numbers safely, cleanly and affordably. "We'll have hundreds, if not thousands, of eVTOLs by the time you get to 2028," he said in an interview with The Associated Press at the Paris show. The Volocopter 2X, an electric vertical takeoff and landing multicopter, right, performs a demonstration flight during the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, France, Monday, June 19, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Lewis Joly The "very small" hoped-for experiment with Volocopter for the Paris Games is "great stuff. We take our hats off to them," he added. "But by the time we get to 2028 and beyond ... you will see full-scale deployment across major cities throughout the world." Yet even on the cusp of what the industry portrays as a revolutionary new era kicking off in the city that spawned the French Revolution of 1789, some aviation analysts aren't buying into visions of eVTOLs becoming readily affordable, ubiquitous and convenient alternatives to ride-hailing in the not-too-distant future. And even among eVTOL developers who bullishly talked up their industry's prospects at the Paris show, some predicted that rivals will run dry of funding before they bring prototypes to market. Morgan Stanley analysts estimate the industry could be worth $1 trillion by 2040 and $9 trillion by 2050 with advances in battery and propulsion technology. Almost all of that will come after 2035, analysts say, because of the difficulty of getting new aircraft certified by U.S. and European regulators. Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke poses for a picture next to the Volocopter 2X, an electric vertical takeoff and landing multicopter, during the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, France, Monday, June 19, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Lewis Joly The Archer "midnight" flying taxi is exhibited at the Paris Air Show, Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. Aviation industry CEOs and top government officials from around the world descended on the Paris Air Show for a week of deal-making and demonstrations of the world's latest air and space technology. Credit: AP Photo/Michel Euler Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke poses for a picture next to the Volocopter 2X, an electric vertical takeoff and landing multicopter, during the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, France, Monday, June 19, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Lewis Joly German developed Lilium's electric jet prototype is exhibited at the Paris Air Show, Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. Aviation industry CEOs and top government officials from around the world descended on the Paris Air Show for a week of deal-making and demonstrations of the world's latest air and space technology. Credit: AP Photo/Michel Euler The Volocopter 2X, or VoloCity air taxi, an electric vertical takeoff and landing multicopter, performs a demonstration flight at the Paris Air Show, Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. Aviation industry CEOs and top government officials from around the world descended on the Paris Air Show for a week of deal-making and demonstrations of the world's latest air and space technology. Credit: AP Photo/Michel Euler German developed Lilium's electric jet prototype is exhibited at the Paris Air Show, Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in Le Bourget, north of Paris. Aviation industry CEOs and top government officials from around the world descended on the Paris Air Show for a week of deal-making and demonstrations of the world's latest air and space technology. Credit: AP Photo/Michel Euler The Volocopter 2X, an electric vertical takeoff and landing multicopter, performs a demonstration flight during the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, France, Monday, June 19, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Lewis Joly "The idea of mass urban transit remains a charming fantasy of the 1950s," said Richard Aboulafia of AeroDynamic Advisory, an aerospace consultancy. "The real problem is still that mere mortals like you and I don't get routine or exclusive access to $4 million vehicles. You and I can take air taxis right now. It's called a helicopter." Still, electric taxis taking to Paris' skies as Olympians are going faster, higher and stronger could have the power to surprisepleasantly so, Volocopter hopes. One of the five planned Olympic routes would land in the heart of the city on a floating platform on the spruced-up River Seine. Developers point out that ride-hailing apps and E-scooters also used to strike many customers as outlandish. And as with those technologies, some are betting that early adopters of flying taxis will prompt others to try them, too. "It will be a total new experience for the people," said Hoke, Volocopter's CEO. "But twenty years later someone looks back at what changed based on that and then they call it a revolution. And I think we are at the edge of the next revolution." 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: In this July 9, 1960, file photo, the U.S. Navy nuclear powered attack submarine USS Thresher is launched bow-first at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine. In 1963, the crew of a rescue ship listened helplessly after receiving an ominous message exceeding test depth before the USS Thresher disintegrated under the crushing pressure of the sea in 1963. Killed were 129 sailors and civilians on a routine test dive off Cape Cod. Credit: AP Photo, File The desperate search for a submersible that disappeared while taking five people to view the Titanic wreckage has drawn attention to other deep-sea rescues. Those rescue effortsfrom a submersible off Ireland to a submarine off the New Hampshire coastoffer some measure of hope for the passengers and their families. But some of those rescues were not as complex as the effort to find the Titan submersible. They were often in shallower waters and, in several cases, were much bigger crafts. Many ended with some, if not all, the passengers on board dyingdemonstrating the inherent risk of operating in the deep ocean. ___ PISCES III SUBMERSIBLE Fifty years ago, two British sailors sat trapped in a deep-sea submersible more than 1,500 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, facing an uncertain fate while an international team scrambled to figure out a way to free them. In an incident that echoes the efforts to find and retrieve those trapped in the Titan submersible, Roger Chapman's and Roger Mallinson's lives hung on the success of the missionwhich turned out to be the deepest known successful underwater rescue. The operation illustrates the difficulty of carrying out deep water rescues. The ordeal for Chapman and Mallinson began as the two were laying a transatlantic telephone cable about 150 miles (241 kilometers) off the coast of Cork, Ireland on August 29, 1973. During what would otherwise have been a routine shift, water began flooding the aft section of the vessel, which measured only about six feet in diameter. The Pisces III would sink to about 1,575 feet (480 meters). Once the vehicle reached the sea floor, the two could do little more than check for leaks and do their best to conserve oxygen. Unlike Titan, they were able to maintain communication with those on the surface. The Pisces III was too deep for divers so the rescuers began searching for other options, One was a U.S. remote controlled submersible called CURV-III for Controlled Underwater Recovery Vehicle. The Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Navy also responded. Two similar submersiblesPisces II and Pisces Vwere also dispatched to the scene. Rescuers managed to attach cables to the stranded submersible. With available oxygen running low and the two having eaten their only fooda can of lemonade and a cheese sandwichrescuers began to hoist the Pisces III until it broke the surface of the water. Chapman and Mallinson had to wait a bit longer as workers struggled for 30 minutes to open the hatch and allow fresh aid to rush in. Yelena, right, wife of Vyacheslav Milashevsky, commander of the Russian AS-28 mini-submarine, and unidentified relative hold children as they wait outside a hospital in Russia's far eastern city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Monday, Aug. 8, 2005. Rescuers cut the Russian mini-submarine free of tangled deep-sea cables, saving its seven crew with British help, after a three-day ordeal deep in the Pacific with dwindling oxygen. Credit: AP Photo/Viktor Korotayev, Pool The two had been in the capsule for more than 84 hours and had an estimated 12 minutes of oxygen left when they were able to exit the cramped quarters. ___ USS SQUALUS Off the coast of New Hampshire, the diesel-electric submarine USS Squalus was on a test dive in March 1939 when a valve failure caused a portion of the sub to flood. The Squalus bottomed out at about 240 (73 meters) of water off the Isle of Shoals. Rescue operations began the following day, according to the Navy History and Heritage Command. Fort the first time, the Navy used the McCann rescue chambera pear shaped steel chamberthat was lowered down to the sub and successfully transported surviving crew members to the surface. Over the next 13 hours, 33 surviving crew members were rescued. Twenty-six others drowned in the initial accident. "During the emergency and the entire time we were on the bottom, all hands exhibited coolness and precision in carrying out the duties of their stations," according to testimony of one of the sub survivors Lt. W.T. Doyle. "Orders of the Commanding Officer were carried out promptly and efficiently. In spite of the low temperature and cramped quarters there were no complaints. A finer quality or higher spirited group of men, than those on the Squalus, will never be surpassed." ___ RUSSIAN MINISUB In 2005, a Russian AS-28 mini submarine sank in the Pacific Ocean after becoming entangled in a fishing net. The AS-28 has been sent to investigate an underwater surveillance antenna that had been entangled in nets. As it surveyed the area, the sub became stuck in about 620 feet of water. Seven trapped sailors started writing farewell letters to loved ones as water supplies dwindled and the air thinned in the claustrophobic mini-sub on the Pacific floor. But with only several hours of oxygen to spare, a British robotic vessel was able to free the sub. Crew members recalled three days of darkness and frigid temperatures. "It was cold, cold, very cold. I can't even describe it," one crew member with reddish hair said as the sailors walked ashore with dazed looks and bloodshot eyes after their vessel was cut loose from cables that had snagged it. Indonesia navy hospital ship KRI Dr. Soeharso, right, sails to join the search for submarine KRI Nanggala that went missing while participating in a training exercise on Wednesday, off Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia, Saturday, April 24, 2021. The KRI Nanggala 402 went missing after its last reported dive off the resort island. An underwater robot equipped with cameras found the lost submarine lying in at least three pieces on the ocean floor at a depth of 838 meters (2,750 feet). All 53 crew members died. Credit: AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim Soon after, Russia officials investigating the near-tragedy found problems with the rescue effort. Among them were reports that the Navy may have initially refused the sub's request to be towed free, fearing damage to the underwater antenna assembly. The response brought to mind the bungled response to the 2000 Kursk submarine disaster, in which most of the 118 members of the crew were killed instantly. As the submarine sank to the bottom of the sea, only about 350 feet (108 meters) below the surface, 23 men were able to flee to a rear compartment, where they waited for help. But delays in launching a rescue effort and then seeking Western help doomed the remaining crew who mainly died of suffocation. ___ INDONESIAN SUB Two years ago, an Indonesian submarine disappeared off the resort island of Bali with 53 sailors aboard. The submarine lost contact after being granted clearance to dive. The Defense Ministry said a helicopter later spotted an oil slick near the dive's starting position. The Navy launched a frantic search and predicted the sub would run out of oxygen in the next several days. An underwater robot equipped with cameras found the lost submarine lying in at least three pieces on the ocean floor at a depth of 838 meters (2,750 feet). All 53 crew members died. The cause of the German-built diesel-powered submarine sinking remains uncertain. The Navy previously said an electrical failure could have left the submarine unable to execute emergency procedures to resurface. Emergency survival suits that are normally kept in boxes were found floating underwater, apparently indicating the crew may have tried to put them on during the emergency. USS THRESHER In 1963, the crew of a rescue ship listened helplessly after receiving an ominous message "exceeding test depth" before the nuclear-powered USS Thresher disintegrated under the crushing pressure of the sea in 1963. Killed were 129 sailors and civilians on a routine test dive off Cape Cod. There was a massive search by air and surface forces using sonar, magnetometers and radiation detectors. Some floating debris was recovered. But it wasn't until several months later that a deep-diving research bathyscaphe discovered the wreckage at a depth of about 8,500 feet. The sub's remnants cover a mile of ocean floor at a depth of 8,500 feet (2,590 meters), according to oceanographer Robert Ballard, who used his 1985 discovery of RMS Titanic as a Cold War cover for the fact that he had surveyed the Thresher on the same mission. 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Children are growing up in a digital world where technology plays a role in their everyday lives. Research on human-computing interaction (HCI) shows that designing technologies for children's privacy and security online, like parental controls and monitoring systems, and centering the interests of children in these efforts is complex and challenging. Engaging children early and often in the development of online privacy and security features may result in technologies that better protect them while addressing their interests, according to Priya Kumar, assistant professor in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), who led the multi-institution research team. Kumar's team analyzed 90 HCI research publications from 2009 to 2019 to examine not only the problems and solutions involved with designing online technologies for children's privacy and security but also how the research engaged with children. "We wanted to know what it means to design for children's privacy and security and find out how children were playing a roleif at allin this work," Kumar said. "Privacy and security are complex concepts that are challenging to design for and centering the interests of children is similarly difficult." The team found that by defining online privacy and security goals more specifically and involving children earlier in the process, technology designers may prevent conflicts between what children want and what they need to stay safe. The researchers will present their findings at the Association for Computing Machinery Interaction Design and Children (IDC) Conference, taking place June 1923 at Northwestern University in Chicago. IDC is an international conference for researchers, educators and practitioners to share the latest research findings and new technologies in child-centered design, according to the conference website. Their findings will be published in the conference's proceedings later this year. Using prior research to inform work on children's privacy and security Kumar said she believes that because the definition of privacy and security is so wide-ranging, it's important for researchers and designers working in this area to define more specifically what aspects of privacy and security they're working on and recognize that those issues may conflict with one another. "Tension can result from designing for multiple privacy and security issues," she said. "Designers may implement parental controls or monitoring systems to keep children's data secure during digital interactions, but doing so can raise questions related to the surveillance and invasion of privacy for the children who use the technology." Some of the reviewed research found that children express frustration with "overly restrictive and invasive" parental controls. According to Kumar, these frustrations do not mean that monitoring systems should not exist but rather that researchers and designers need to be intentional about creating systems that address the needs of the children they are intended to protect. "Privacy and security are always going to mean lots of different things and there isn't one 'right' definition," Kumar said. "Drawing on existing theory and prior work on the topic can help researchers and designers identify their privacy and security goals and make a plan to achieve those goals." The researchers categorized each of the papers they reviewed using a framework developed by privacy scholar Daniel Solove that identified 16 privacy and security issues across four categories: information collection, information processing, information dissemination and invasion. Bringing children into the process of designing for privacy and security Kumar's team focused on research involving children ages 5 to 12 and found that more than half of the papers they reviewed engaged children in some way. But they also found that the majority of those papers focused on getting feedback from children by interviewing them or showing them a prototype, tactics they said are important but involve a fairly limited amount of engagement. "I would like to see the mentality of HCI researchers and designers shift from thinking they know what children need and want to actually centering children and their interests as much as possible," Kumar said. "We should explore how children are understanding privacy and security and how they want it to be addressed." Additionally, she said she is hopeful that researchers and designers will notice children's privacy and security issues sooner rather than later in the course of their work. "Ideally, they will considerfrom the project's conceptualizationwhich aspect of privacy they're touching and bring children into their work at the earliest stage," she said. "This evolving paradigm, in tandem with the work that's already been done in this space, may contribute to the creation of guidelines and systems that truly address the privacy and security issues that children are facing in a way that the children themselves are okay with." Kumar acknowledged that doing child-centered designwhich involves time, resources, expertise and ethical insightis more difficult than just asking children for feedback on adult-imposed visions of what we think they want. But she said she believes that good work has already been done. "Researchers and designers can look to the literature to see what children have said on the topic of privacy and security and build on that," she said. "They can also look to alternative ways to get children's viewpoints, such as comments and reviews on the software and apps the children are using." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: EU commissioner Thierry Breton will meet with Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter owner Elon Musk, who took over the highly influential platform in 2022. The EU commissioner in charge of enforcing Europe's new landmark rules on online content is heading to San Francisco on Thursday to ensure that the big platforms are ready. The two-day visit by Thierry Breton comes just weeks before the European Union's Digital Service Act (DSA) comes into full force for the world's biggest platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, as well as TikTok and Twitter. Breton will meet with Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Twitter owner Elon Musk, who took over the highly influential platform late last year. All eyes are on Musk, who since taking ownership of Twitter has, sometimes abruptly, modified many rules about what language is allowed on the site, even if it is found offensive or delivers hate and misinformationin direct opposition to the EU's new rules. Breton also plans to meet in California with Sam Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI, the tech company behind ChatGPT as well the boss of AI chipmaker Nvidia. EU lawmakers are in final negotiations to complete the AI Act, another proposed European law with the potential for imposing huge influence on US big tech companies. "I am the enforcer. I represent the law, which is the will of the state and the people," Breton said to Politico last month when announcing the trip. In an effort to reassure the Europeans, Musk has accepted that Twitter undergoes a DSA "stress test" to see if his platform will reach the EU's standards, though the results will not be public. On a visit to Paris last week, Musk said he had every intention of meeting the demands of the DSA. But with Twitter's payroll cut to the bone and content moderation teams decimated, observers doubt whether Musk is in a position to stand by his commitment. 'Easy target' The DSA is one of the most ambitious legislations on controlling online content since the advent of social media, putting major obligations on how the world's biggest platforms deal with the free flow of speech. Like the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, the DSA is expected to become a global benchmark as governments worldwide struggle to find ways to rein in the excesses of social media. To meet the new rules, Twitter, Meta, TikTok and other platforms will have to invest heavily on building compliance teams just at a time when big tech companies having been firing staff, including their content moderation workforce. Under the DSA, 19 platforms have been designated as "Very Large Online Platforms," which will be subject to specially designated rules beginning on August 25, when the full force of the regulation will take effect. "It's going to come down to what the first enforcement action looks like. Who will be made an example of?" said Yoel Roth, the former head of Trust and Safety at Twitter, who is now a Technology Policy Fellow at UC Berkeley. "I think my former employer is an easy target, but what does that look like?" he said, in an interview with AFP. Roth said that the DSA's biggest challenge for big platforms will be the transparency requirements. Under the DSA, Meta, Twitter and others will have to provide officials and researchers unprecedented access to their algorithms and content decisions. This will be especially a challenge for Meta, which since the 2018 Cambridge Analytica data breach scandal has severely limited access to data for third parties, Roth said. And in a hunt to make money, Twitter and Reddit have also cut off access to data by charging high fees for outsidersincluding researchersto have access to their data through something called APIs, that were free until recently. The wide-ranging DSA has many other provisions, including an obligation that platforms designate a representative in the EU who would be responsible for content matters. Users will also be handed unprecedented rights to lodge an appeal when subjected to takedown orders by a platform. Major violations of DSA rules could see tech giants slapped with fines as high as six percent of annual turnover and, if violations persist, be banned outright from the EU as a last resort measure. 2023 AFP This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Germany's Science Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, left, arrives for a news conference to present the government's new strategy for supporting research into nuclear fusion, a technology some hope will some day provide almost unlimited, clean energy, in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber The German government announced draft plans Thursday to boost domestic research into development of nuclear fusion, a technology some hope will provide abundant clean energy in the future, but left open how those efforts will be funded. Science Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger said that under the proposal, Germany will support all promising fusion technologies now being developed, including laser-based methods that achieved recent breakthroughs in the United States but aren't widely researched in Europe. Another method, using powerful magnets, has already received significant support from Germany at both its own Wendelstein 7-X research reactor in the northern town of Greifswald, and at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or ITER, in southern France. "We want to address both magnet and laser fusion," Stark-Watzinger told reporters in Berlin, adding that the plan is to "substantially" increase the 149 million euros ($163 million) that Germany currently provides annually for such research. She declined to be more specific. "We don't yet know today which power plant concept will succeed," she said. "In the end it will be scientists and industry, which will build the fusion power plant, that decide." Stark-Watzinger declined to say whether it could result in funding cuts for ITER, which has been plagued by delays and cost overruns, but said Germany would stand by its contractual obligations. The project is also under pressure because of the involvement of Russia, one of the few places of continued cooperation between Moscow and the West since the Russian attack on Ukraine. Germany's Science Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger attends a news conference to present the government's new strategy for supporting research into nuclear fusion, a technology some hope will some day provide almost unlimited, clean energy, in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Document reads : 'Position paper fusion research'. Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber Germany's Science Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger presents on a news conference the government's new strategy for supporting research into nuclear fusion, a technology some hope will some day provide almost unlimited, clean energy, in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber Germany's Science Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger arrives for a news conference to present the government's new strategy for supporting research into nuclear fusion, a technology some hope will some day provide almost unlimited, clean energy, in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Document reads : 'Position paper fusion research'. Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber Sibylle Gunter, scientific director of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, acknowledged that a commercial fusion reactor may not begin operation in Germany until the second half of the century, but insisted that the investment would be worthwhile for future generations. Germany aims to phase out the use of fossil fuels by 2045 and switched off its last three nuclear power plants, which used conventional fission, in April after years of lobbying by environmentalists. Stark-Watzinger made clear that she doesn't want a return of the old-style nuclear reactors, despite calls for that from some within her libertarian Free Democratic Party. Germany's Science Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger attends a news conference to present the government's new strategy for supporting research into nuclear fusion, a technology some hope will some day provide almost unlimited, clean energy, in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber "I wouldn't advocate building any reactor that uses this technology again," she said, adding that nuclear fusionwhich works by merging atoms to release energywouldn't pose the same risks of uncontrolled meltdowns and long-lived radioactive waste that come from splitting atoms. "The advantages are clear and we have good conditions here," she said. 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Hyundai Motor CEO Chang Jae-hoon, right, and Culture Convenience Club CEO Takahashi Yasunori pose alongside the IONIQ 5 during an event to mark their partnership at Tokyo Daikanyama T-SITE, Thursday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group By Kim Hyun-bin Hyundai Motor signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with lifestyle content company Culture Convenience Club (CCC) in Tokyo, aiming to facilitate collaborative exploration of zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) lifestyle services and more effectively target motorists in the world's third-largest economy, the company said Thursday. CCC, known for its philosophy of being a "bookstore that sells lifestyle," operates content businesses using online and offline platforms, including Tsutaya stores. The partnership intends to present new lifestyles and customer experiences suitable for the sustainable mobility era, in line with current demands for economic, social and community sustainability. Starting Friday, Hyundai Motor will launch its MOCEAN vehicle-sharing service in Tokyo at T-SITE, operated by CCC. T-SITE is a lifestyle-oriented commercial facility centered on the Tsutaya bookstore. Customers visiting T-SITE will have access to Hyundai Motor's charging facilities and IONIQ 5 sharing service. Hyundai Motor plans to expand the MOCEAN service by utilizing CCC-operated spaces in the future. Furthermore, independent of this agreement, Hyundai has been providing the MOCEAN service in regions such as Yokohama and Okinawa starting this year. Additionally, Hyundai and CCC will collaborate on database marketing to propose a new lifestyle in line with the ZEV era. They will utilize vehicle data held by Hyundai, and customer data from CCC, to conduct personalized marketing and further drive new business initiatives based on data related to the ZEV lifestyle. Hyundai plans to establish an EV Experience Platform in collaboration with CCC to provide customers with a more enriching EV experience. The goal is to create an experiential platform that can be utilized in global markets beyond Japan, combining Hyundai's mobility capabilities with CCC's content. "We expect to create new possibilities through collaboration between mobility and content companies. By thoroughly analyzing customer preferences and planning new lifestyles together with CCC, Hyundai will spread the ZEV culture we pursue and build a differentiated brand image for Hyundai," Hyundai Motor CEO Chang Jae-hoon said. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: This undated image provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company's Titan submersible. Rescuers are racing against time to find the missing submersible carrying five people, who were reported overdue Sunday night. Credit: OceanGate Expeditions via AP, File The race against time to find a submersible that disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site entered a new phase of desperation on Thursday morning as the final hours of oxygen possibly left on board the tiny vessel ticked off the clock. Rescuers have rushed more ships and vessels to the site of the disappearance, hoping underwater sounds they detected for a second straight day might help narrow their search in the urgent, international mission. But the crew had only a four-day oxygen supply when the vessel, called the Titan, set off around 6 a.m. Sunday. Even those who expressed optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the vessel's location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surfaceassuming it's still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers' oxygen supply runs out. The full area being searched was twice the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut in waters as deep as 13,200 feet (4,020 meters). Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District said authorities were still holding out hope of saving the five passengers onboard. "This is a search-and-rescue mission, 100%," he said Wednesday. The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan vanished Sunday is also prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush emerges from the hatch atop the OceanGate submarine Cyclops 1 in the San Juan Islands, Wash., on Sept. 12, 2018. Rescuers are racing against time to find the missing submersible carrying five people, who were reported overdue Sunday night, June 18, 2023. Credit: Alan Berner/The Seattle Times via AP, File Meanwhile, newly uncovered allegations suggest there had been significant warnings made about vessel safety during the submersible's development. Frederick said while the sounds that have been detected offered a chance to narrow the search, their exact location and source hadn't yet been determined. "We don't know what they are, to be frank," he said. Retired Navy Capt. Carl Hartsfield, now the director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, said the sounds have been described as "banging noises," but he warned that search crews "have to put the whole picture together in context and they have to eliminate potential manmade sources other than the Titan." The report was encouraging to some experts because submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their submersible's hull to be detected by sonar. Submersible pilot Randy Holt, right, communicates with the support boat as he and Stockton Rush, left, CEO and Co-Founder of OceanGate, dive in the company's submersible, "Antipodes," about three miles off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., June 28, 2013. Rescuers are racing against time to find the missing submersible carrying five people, who were reported overdue Sunday night, June 18, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File The U.S. Navy said in a statement Wednesday that it was sending a specialized salvage system that's capable of hoisting "large, bulky and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels." The Titan weighs 20,000 pounds (9,071 kilograms). The U.S. Navy's Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System is designed to lift up to 60,000 pounds (27,216 kilograms), the Navy said on its website. Lost aboard the vessel are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers are a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert. OceanGate Expeditions oversaw the mission. Authorities reported the 22-foot (6.7-meter) carbon-fiber vessel overdue Sunday night, setting off the search in waters about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John's. In this image released by Action Aviation, the submersible Titan is prepared for a dive into a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean on an expedition to the Titanic on Sunday, June 18, 2023. Rescuers are racing against time to find the missing submersible carrying five people, who were reported overdue Sunday night. Credit: Action Aviation via AP, File Officials have said the vessel had a 96-hour oxygen supply. That would give rescuers a deadline of between 6 a.m. (1000 GMT) and 8 a.m. (1200 GMT) Thursday morning to find and raise the Titan before the breathable air inside is expected to run outif the vessel hadn't suffered catastrophic damage before that. Frank Owen, a submarine search-and-rescue expert, said the estimated oxygen supply is a useful "target" for searchers, but is only based on a "nominal amount of consumption." Owen said the diver on board the Titan would likely be advising passengers to "do anything to reduce your metabolic levels so that you can actually extend this." At least 46 people successfully traveled on OceanGate's submersible to the Titanic wreck site in 2021 and 2022, according to letters the company filed with a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, that oversees matters involving the Titanic shipwreck. The logo for an OceanGate Expeditions 2019 Titanic expedition is seen on a marine industrial warehouse office door in Everett, Wash., Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Rescuers are racing against time to find the missing submersible carrying five people, who were reported overdue Sunday night. Credit: AP Photo/Ed Komenda, File One of the company's first customers characterized a dive he made to the site two years ago as a "kamikaze operation." "Imagine a metal tube a few meters long with a sheet of metal for a floor. You can't stand. You can't kneel. Everyone is sitting close to or on top of each other," said Arthur Loibl, a retired businessman and adventurer from Germany. "You can't be claustrophobic." During the 2.5-hour descent and ascent, the lights were turned off to conserve energy, he said, with the only illumination coming from a fluorescent glow stick. The dive was repeatedly delayed to fix a problem with the battery and the balancing weights. In total, the voyage took 10.5 hours. OceanGate has been criticized for the use of a simple commercially available video game controller to steer the Titan. But the company has said that many of the vessel's parts are off-the-shelf because they have proved to be dependable. This 2004 photo provided by the Institute for Exploration, Center for Archaeological Oceanography/University of Rhode Island/NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration, shows the remains of a coat and boots in the mud on the sea bed near the Titanic's stern. Rescuers are racing against time to find the missing submersible carrying five people, who were reported overdue Sunday night, June 18, 2023. Credit: Institute for Exploration, Center for Archaeological Oceanography/University of Rhode Island/NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration, File "It's meant for a 16-year-old to throw it around" and is "super durable," Rush told the CBC in an interview last year while he demonstrated by throwing the controller around the Titan's tiny cabin. He said a couple of spares are kept on board "just in case." The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. Jeff Karson, a professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University, said the temperature is just above freezing, and the vessel is too deep for human divers to get to it. The best chance to reach the submersible could be to use a remotely operated robot on a fiber optic cable, he said. "I am sure it is horrible down there," Karson said. "It is like being in a snow cave and hypothermia is a real danger." This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. In a race against the clock on the high seas, an expanding international armada of ships and airplanes searched Tuesday, June 20, 2023, for the submersible that vanished in the North Atlantic while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. Credit: OceanGate Expeditions via AP Documents show that OceanGate had been warned there might be catastrophic safety problems posed by the way the experimental vessel was developed. David Lochridge, OceanGate's director of marine operations, said in a 2018 lawsuit that the company's testing and certification was insufficient and would "subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible." The company insisted that Lochridge was "not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan." The firm also says the vessel under development was a prototype, not the now-missing Titan. The Marine Technology Society, which describes itself as "a professional group of ocean engineers, technologists, policy-makers, and educators," also expressed concern that year in a letter to Rush, OceanGate's chief executive. The society said it was critical that the company submit its prototype to tests overseen by an expert third party before launching in order to safeguard passengers. The New York Times first reported on those documents. U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick, right, faces reporters as Royal Navy Lt Cdr Rich Kantharia, left, looks on during a news conference, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at Coast Guard Base Boston, in Boston. The U.S. Coast Guard says sounds and banging noises have been heard from the search area for Titanic submersible. Credit: AP Photo/Steven Senne The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Warren Deyampert is docked as a member of the Coast Guard walks past, Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at Coast Guard Base Boston, in Boston. Rescuers are racing against time to find the missing submersible carrying five people, who were reported overdue Sunday night, June 18, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Steven Senne, File U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick, left, faces reporters as Carl Hartsfield, director and senior program manager Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, center, and Paul Hankins, U.S. Navy civilian contractor, supervisor of salvage, right, look on during a news conference, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at Coast Guard Base Boston, in Boston. The U.S. Coast Guard says sounds and banging noises have been heard from the search area for Titanic submersible. Credit: AP Photo/Steven Senne U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick, center at microphone, faces reporters during a news conference, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at Coast Guard Base Boston, in Boston. The U.S. Coast Guard says sounds and banging noises have been heard from the search area for Titanic submersible. Credit: AP Photo/Steven Senne The passengers lost on the Titan are British adventurer Hamish Harding; Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, whose eponymous firm invests across the country; and French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet. Retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, who is now deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University, said the disappearance underscores the dangers associated with operating in deep water and the recreational exploration of the sea and space. "I think some people believe that because modern technology is so good, that you can do things like this and not have accidents, but that's just not the case," he said. 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain As the hunt continues for a missing submersible with five people on board in the North Atlantic, experts from Northeastern University described a challenging search-and-rescue operation that would likely bring heartbreak. "It's not going to have a happy ending. That's almost pretty clear at this stage," Steve Flynn, retired Coast Guard commander and director of Northeastern's Global Resilience Institute, said Wednesday afternoon. "As you get down to this last 40 hours plus or minus, the fact that we haven't located itjust the mechanics are really, really challenging. So it's hard to see how this turns out well for the folks on the submersible." Meanwhile, Peter Boynton, affiliated faculty with the Global Resilience Institute, retired CEO of the Kostas Research Institute at Northeastern University and a retired Coast Guard officer, describes many challenges with the search-and-rescue operation. "As I reflect on this, there are half a dozen challenges, and all half dozen are big challenges," Boynton said. "It's that dicey." The "Titan" submerged Sunday morning, and its support vessel lost contact with it about an hour and 45 minutes later, according to the Coast Guard. Five people are aboard the craft, which was launched to survey the wreckage of the ocean liner Titanic. Boynton is familiar with the protocol for a search-and-rescue, having captained three ships while in the Coast Guard and being involved in "scores" of search-and-rescue operations. He is also a licensed master mariner. And while he is not involved with this particular search-and-rescue operation, he is paying close attention to the news. He is worried about several factors: time, distance, the ability to locate, the depth of the ocean, the ability to recover, andthe wild cardthe weather. As for time, the submersible has four days of oxygensomething that Boynton called "very limiting." Geoffrey Trussell, director and Doherty Professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at Northeastern's Coastal Sustainability Institute and Marine Science Center in Nahant, elaborated on the air-supply issuenoting it was not just about the availability of oxygen, but also the ability to remove carbon dioxide from the air. "When I went 2.5 miles down in the ALVIN Deep submergence vehicle, we were always attentive to CO 2 scrubbing and O 2 supply," Trussell said. "Sadly I think the oxygen supply and carbon dioxide levels will be the most pressing issue." Regarding distance, the site of the Titanic is about 370 nautical miles from Newfoundland and 900 nautical miles from Boston, Boynton said. This means that a large ship is necessary for a rescue rather than a helicopter, and getting such a ship to the site would take either roughly 24 hours from Newfoundland or roughly 60 hours from New England. That may be unlikely. But that's if they can even find the submersible, which Boynton notes is roughly the size of a minivan. The best chance of that is if the submersible manages to surface and it is located by an airplane before the oxygen runs out. The door is bolted from the outside, Boynton noted. "Listening to the reports, if accurate, it sounds like their ability to surface in an emergency isthere is a method, but it sounds pretty rudimentary," Boynton said, describing a process of releasing iron pipes as ballast. If the submersible remains submerged, then it is in water that is 2.5 miles deep. Airplanes can drop sonobuoyssmall buoys that detect sound or emit sonar to locate objects developed for anti-submarine warfareto help their search. But the submersible appears to not be emitting any signal, Boynton said. Moreover, the submersible is presumably in an area surrounding a shipwreck with an immense debris field. "How do you distinguish between a sub and all the debris that is around," Boynton said. On Wednesday morning, the Coast Guard said "underwater noises" were being investigated. In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, the Coast Guard described them as "banging noises," and said they were being analyzed by experts on underwater sounds. "We're doing the best you can possibly do with the best people on the case," Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick told reporters, noting that the search was now focused on the areas where the sounds were detected. But he described the search area as "larger than the state of Connecticut." Purnima Ratilal, a professor in the electrical and computer engineering department in the College of Engineering, said that searchers can triangulate where a sound is coming from by using underwater microphones. In fact, her lab has set up an array of 160 such hydrophones to locate sounds in all directions. Then by recording and analyzing the sound, experts can determine what it is that is likely making the noise. "Just like when you hear a recording, you know what part is singing, and you know what part is just musicjust like that, you can record the sounds underwater and play back and try and make some sense of the sound," Ratilal said, noting that algorithms can be written to differentiate sounds as man-made or from a marine organism. "And people who listen to underwater sounds on a daily basis would probably be able to pick out unusual sounds," Ratilal said. But what do you do if you find it underwater? Boynton said it would then require a remote-operated vehicle to recover, probably using a tow rope which would then have to be both long, strong and flexible enough to tow a submersible to the surface amid the strong currents of the North Atlantic. But even then, it is not a done deal. "Effecting a rescue at sea can be one of the most dangerous moments in time," Boynton said, noting the proximity of vessels and the risk of a fatal or damaging collision. "When at sea and in distress, survival depends not just on training and effectiveness of people doing the rescue and abilities of ships and planes, but it also depends on the vessel and people in distress. Do they have the right equipment to help the rescuers, and is that equipment redundant, resilient? The equipment and training of a vessel and the people in it when a vessel is in distress is key." Add to this the fog, wind and waves of the North Atlantic, and "there are just a lot of challenges with this," Boynton said. Flynn, who also is a professor of political science and affiliated with the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, said that the incident showcases the "gray area" that exists in international waters as well as with envelope-pushing technology. "I think people think there are a set of very stiff safety requirements that are supervised and closely monitored and that there are sanctions if you don't follow them," Flynn said. "A submersible being dropped in the international sea, it is literally in a no-man's-land in the regulatory area." "Because its subsurface, and it is not qualified as a vessel as a submersible, it creates challenges for regulatory agencies to adapt to new technology," Flynn continued. He also found it ironic that the submersible was visiting the wreckage of the Titanica disaster that ushered in new shipping and safety regulations. "As we continue to innovate and push envelopes, it's always going to outpace some of the risk associated with this and how we manage it," Flynn said. "This is reminding us, bringing us full circle to the Titanic exposing some of those risks 100 years ago. We continue to struggle with this." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: (a) Fabrication of a graphite-alloy bilayer back electrode on a PSC device. (b) Top-view image of spiro-OMeTAD, Ni-doped graphite, and Bi-In alloy. Credit: ACS Energy Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.3c00852 A thin layer of gold or silver helps improve the efficiency of perovskite solar cells, but researchers have found a less expensive material that will enable commercialization of the technology without exorbitant cost. "A layer of gold in a solar panel or even a layer of silver is probably too expensive," said Kai Zhu, a senior scientist in the Chemistry and Nanoscience Center at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). "It would make the solar panel not affordable for most people." Instead of a precious metal, Zhu and his colleague at Northern Illinois University have a better, cheaper idea. The solution is a nickel-doped graphite layer coupled with a bismuth-indium alloy layer. The two layers can be easily integrated into the perovskite device through painting them on, offering a low-cost fabrication method. The findings are detailed in a new paper, "Nickel-Doped Graphite and Fusible Alloy Bilayer Back Electrode for Vacuum-Free Perovskite Solar Cells," published in the journal ACS Energy Letters. "Our team has identified a potentially disruptive technology that could help reduce the infrastructure investment for use of highly promising perovskite solar cells in solar panels," said Tao Xu, a chemistry professor at Northern Illinois University and Zhu's co-corresponding author of the new paper. "Our approach replaces costly gold, commonly used to make the back-metal electrode in these solar cells through an expensive high-temperature vacuum-chamber process. Instead of gold, we use inexpensive materials that can be readily laminated to thin films at atmospheric pressure and mild temperatures. We think this will be an appealing low-cost solution that could help speed commercialization of perovskite solar cells." Xu and Zhu have previously collaborated on ways to sequester lead should a perovskite solar cell become damaged, as the cells contain a minute amount of the element. In addition to Zhu's NREL colleague So Yeon Park, the other co-authors are elsewhere in Illinois, at Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory. Zhu said the perovskite solar cell made with the new materials yielded a laboratory efficiency of 21%. Further research should boost the efficiency higher and closer to that of perovskites made with precious metals, which hold a record efficiency of 26%. Metal is better than carbon at conducting electricity. Perovskite solar cells are made by depositing chemicals onto a substrate. Individual layers all serve a purpose, with the perovskite layer serving as the semiconductor. The photons from sunlight trigger electrons to move in one direction, creating a vacancyor "hole"that then moves in the opposite direction. The right energy level is needed to spark this movement, in the process creating an electric current. The graphite material and gold both possess the right energy level. By eliminating a layer of precious metals, the cost to manufacturer perovskites will be significantly cheaper, the researchers calculated. An analysis suggests that for a perovskite-based solar plant with a gigawatt of power output, using the graphite/alloy bilayer will slash costs of the contact electrodes by a factor of between 4 and 1,000 depending on the other types of materials used for back materials. "That's the selling point for this approach," Zhu said. More information: Mengyuan Li et al, Nickel-Doped Graphite and Fusible Alloy Bilayer Back Electrode for Vacuum-Free Perovskite Solar Cells, ACS Energy Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.3c00852 Journal information: ACS Energy Letters The minimum wage commission holds a meeting at the Sejong Government Complex, Thursday. Yonhap By Lee Kyung-min Small businesses said they squarely reject the hourly minimum wage of over 12,000 won ($9.28) proposed by labor groups, according to market watchers, Thursday. This came shortly after members of the minimum wage commission representing labor groups said the hourly minimum wage for next year should be raised to 12,210 won. This is 26.9 percent higher than this year's 9,620 won. The labor representatives held a press conference at the Sejong Government Complex before the commission's seventh plenary session. They said the 12,210 won hourly minimum wage translates to a monthly income of about 2,551,890 won, provided that 209 hours are worked. However, the Korea Federation of Micro Enterprise said the commission is turning a blind eye to the hardships of low-income businesses. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of American Shared Hospital Services (NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Get Rating) in a research note released on Monday. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock. Separately, TheStreet cut American Shared Hospital Services from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research note on Monday, May 1st. Get American Shared Hospital Services alerts: American Shared Hospital Services Stock Performance Shares of AMS opened at $2.56 on Monday. The businesss 50 day moving average is $2.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2.93. American Shared Hospital Services has a 52-week low of $2.21 and a 52-week high of $3.75. The firm has a market cap of $15.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.19 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a quick ratio of 3.95, a current ratio of 3.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. Institutional Investors Weigh In On American Shared Hospital Services American Shared Hospital Services ( NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Friday, March 24th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. American Shared Hospital Services had a return on equity of 5.78% and a net margin of 6.71%. The company had revenue of $5.04 million for the quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its holdings in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 26.3% during the 3rd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 19,321 shares of the companys stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 4,021 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in American Shared Hospital Services by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 158,681 shares of the companys stock valued at $465,000 after buying an additional 5,899 shares during the last quarter. Canton Hathaway LLC grew its holdings in American Shared Hospital Services by 50.0% in the 1st quarter. Canton Hathaway LLC now owns 30,000 shares of the companys stock valued at $84,000 after buying an additional 10,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CI Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in American Shared Hospital Services in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $470,000. 13.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About American Shared Hospital Services (Get Rating) American Shared Hospital Services provides radiosurgery and radiation therapy equipment to health care providers. The company offers radiosurgery equipment for the Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, a non-invasive procedure to treat malignant and benign brain tumors, and arteriovenous malformations, as well as for trigeminal neuralgia. Read More Receive News & Ratings for American Shared Hospital Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Shared Hospital Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Central Japan Railway (OTCMKTS:CJPRY Get Rating) and Salzgitter (OTCMKTS:SZGPY Get Rating) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings, dividends and institutional ownership. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings for Central Japan Railway and Salzgitter, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Get Central Japan Railway alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Central Japan Railway 0 0 0 0 N/A Salzgitter 2 6 0 0 1.75 Salzgitter has a consensus target price of $29.37, suggesting a potential upside of 704.57%. Given Salzgitters higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Salzgitter is more favorable than Central Japan Railway. Volatility and Risk Valuation and Earnings Central Japan Railway has a beta of 0.24, indicating that its stock price is 76% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Salzgitter has a beta of 1.46, indicating that its stock price is 46% more volatile than the S&P 500. This table compares Central Japan Railway and Salzgitters top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Central Japan Railway $10.36 billion N/A $1.62 billion $0.81 15.60 Salzgitter $13.23 billion 0.15 $1.14 billion $1.66 2.20 Central Japan Railway has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Salzgitter. Salzgitter is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Central Japan Railway, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability This table compares Central Japan Railway and Salzgitters net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Central Japan Railway 15.56% 5.92% 2.33% Salzgitter 7.04% 17.37% 7.62% Summary Salzgitter beats Central Japan Railway on 6 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Central Japan Railway (Get Rating) Central Japan Railway Company engages in the railway and related businesses in Japan. The company operates through Transportation, Merchandise and Other, Real Estate, and Other segments. It primarily operates Tokaido Shinkansen, a transportation artery that links metropolitan areas of Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka, as well as operates a network of 12 conventional lines centered on the Nagoya and Shizuoka areas. The company also provides bus, logistics, travel agency, advertising, linen supply, track maintenance, construction and construction consulting, and contracted accounting and financial services; and manufactures and maintains railway rolling stock and machinery. In addition, it is involved in the operation of a department store; wholesale and retail sales business; sale of food and beverages; leasing and sale of real estate; hotel business; and development, improvement, and maintenance of computer systems. Central Japan Railway Company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Nagoya, Japan. About Salzgitter (Get Rating) Salzgitter AG, together with its subsidiaries, engages in steel and technology businesses worldwide. It operates through four segments: Steel Production, Steel Processing, Trading, and Technology. The Steel Production segment manufactures steel and special steels, such as hot-rolled wide strip, steel sheet, sections, tailored blanks, as well as scrap trading. The Steel Processing segment produces various high-grade heavy plates; and manufactures line pipes, HFI-welded tubes, and precision and stainless-steel tubes. The Trading segment operates a European sales network, as well as trading companies and agencies worldwide. The Technology segment engages in the provision of machinery and plants for the filling and packaging of beverages, as well as special machinery engineering for shoe manufacturing and elastomer production. The company also provides IT, facility management, logistics, automotive engineering, and research and development services, as well as supplies raw materials. Salzgitter AG was founded in 1858 and is headquartered in Salzgitter, Germany. Receive News & Ratings for Central Japan Railway Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Central Japan Railway and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Collective Family Office LLC lifted its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (BATS:EFV Get Rating) by 3.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 61,875 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 2,350 shares during the period. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF accounts for approximately 1.2% of Collective Family Office LLCs holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Collective Family Office LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF were worth $3,003,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in EFV. Coastal Investment Advisors Inc. raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 66.5% during the 4th quarter. Coastal Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 536 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 214 shares during the period. Harbor Group Inc. raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Harbor Group Inc. now owns 9,819 shares of the companys stock worth $476,000 after buying an additional 263 shares during the period. Signet Financial Management LLC raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. Signet Financial Management LLC now owns 7,837 shares of the companys stock worth $394,000 after buying an additional 301 shares during the period. Index Fund Advisors Inc. raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 5.2% during the 4th quarter. Index Fund Advisors Inc. now owns 6,247 shares of the companys stock worth $287,000 after buying an additional 309 shares during the period. Finally, LexAurum Advisors LLC raised its stake in iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. LexAurum Advisors LLC now owns 15,661 shares of the companys stock worth $719,000 after buying an additional 329 shares during the period. Get iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF alerts: iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Price Performance EFV opened at $49.06 on Thursday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $49.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $48.42. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF has a 1 year low of $49.15 and a 1 year high of $59.57. The company has a market capitalization of $15.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.51 and a beta of 0.84. iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Company Profile iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI EAFE Value Index. The Index is a subset of the MSCI EAFE Index and constituents of the Index include securities from Europe, Australasia (Australia and Asia), and the Far East. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EFV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF (BATS:EFV Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI EAFE Value ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. UCB (OTCMKTS:UCBJY Get Rating) is one of 365 publicly-traded companies in the Biotechnology industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare UCB to similar businesses based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, dividends, profitability, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership and risk. Dividends UCB pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.8%. UCB pays out 46.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Biotechnology companies pay a dividend yield of 2.7% and pay out 12,180.7% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Get UCB alerts: Institutional and Insider Ownership 25.5% of shares of all Biotechnology companies are owned by institutional investors. 26.0% of shares of all Biotechnology companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Valuation & Earnings Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio UCB N/A N/A 60.49 UCB Competitors $113.01 million -$14.69 million -93.96 This table compares UCB and its competitors top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. UCBs competitors have higher revenue, but lower earnings than UCB. UCB is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry. Profitability This table compares UCB and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets UCB N/A N/A N/A UCB Competitors -491.03% -63.69% -23.77% Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for UCB and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score UCB 0 0 2 0 3.00 UCB Competitors 569 1525 4425 65 2.61 UCB currently has a consensus price target of $96.50, indicating a potential upside of 108.96%. As a group, Biotechnology companies have a potential upside of 115.31%. Given UCBs competitors higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe UCB has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors. Summary UCB beats its competitors on 7 of the 13 factors compared. UCB Company Profile (Get Rating) UCB SA engages in the research and development biopharmaceuticals products. It offers medicinal products such as briviact, keppra, vimpat, neupro, cimzia, nootropil, xyrem, xyzal, and zyrtec. The company was founded by Emmanuel Janssen on January 18, 1928 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. Receive News & Ratings for UCB Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for UCB and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tri Pointe Homes (NYSE:TPH Get Rating) and Redrow (OTCMKTS:RDWWF Get Rating) are both construction companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings and institutional ownership. Institutional and Insider Ownership 98.5% of Tri Pointe Homes shares are held by institutional investors. 2.0% of Tri Pointe Homes shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Get Tri Pointe Homes alerts: Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of current ratings for Tri Pointe Homes and Redrow, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Tri Pointe Homes 0 2 2 0 2.50 Redrow 1 3 3 0 2.29 Earnings & Valuation Tri Pointe Homes currently has a consensus price target of $29.67, suggesting a potential downside of 8.02%. Redrow has a consensus price target of $469.50, suggesting a potential upside of 5,391.23%. Given Redrows higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Redrow is more favorable than Tri Pointe Homes. This table compares Tri Pointe Homes and Redrows revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Tri Pointe Homes $4.30 billion 0.75 $576.06 million $5.49 5.88 Redrow N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Tri Pointe Homes has higher revenue and earnings than Redrow. Profitability This table compares Tri Pointe Homes and Redrows net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Tri Pointe Homes 12.97% 20.83% 12.25% Redrow N/A N/A N/A Summary Tri Pointe Homes beats Redrow on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Tri Pointe Homes (Get Rating) Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. engages in the design, construction, and sale of single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. The company operates through a portfolio of six regional home building brands comprising Maracay in Arizona; Pardee Homes in California and Nevada; Quadrant Homes in Washington; Trendmaker Homes in Texas; TRI Pointe Homes in California, Colorado, and the Carolinas; and Winchester Homes in Maryland and Northern Virginia. It operates active selling communities, and owned or controlled lots. The company sells its homes through own sales representatives and independent real estate brokers. It also provides financial services, such as mortgage financing, title and escrow, and property and casualty insurance agency services. The company was formerly known as TRI Pointe Group, Inc. and changed its name to Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. in January 2021. Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. was founded in 2009 and is based in Incline Village, Nevada. About Redrow (Get Rating) Redrow plc focuses on housebuilding activities in the United Kingdom. It is involved in acquiring land; and develops and sells residential housing properties. Redrow plc was founded in 1974 and is based in Flintshire, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Tri Pointe Homes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tri Pointe Homes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. National Bank of Greece (OTCMKTS:NBGIF Get Rating) is one of 215 publicly-traded companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare National Bank of Greece to similar businesses based on the strength of its risk, dividends, profitability, valuation, earnings, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations. Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of current recommendations for National Bank of Greece and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Get National Bank of Greece alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score National Bank of Greece 0 0 2 0 3.00 National Bank of Greece Competitors 986 2756 2731 5 2.27 National Bank of Greece currently has a consensus price target of $4.40, suggesting a potential downside of 29.37%. As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 515.84%. Given National Bank of Greeces peers higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe National Bank of Greece has less favorable growth aspects than its peers. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets National Bank of Greece N/A N/A N/A National Bank of Greece Competitors 37.83% 8.70% 0.76% Insider & Institutional Ownership This table compares National Bank of Greece and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. 9.9% of National Bank of Greece shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.2% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by institutional investors. 16.2% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Valuation & Earnings This table compares National Bank of Greece and its peers gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio National Bank of Greece N/A N/A 18.60 National Bank of Greece Competitors $2.79 billion $680.11 million 365.77 National Bank of Greeces peers have higher revenue and earnings than National Bank of Greece. National Bank of Greece is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Summary National Bank of Greece peers beat National Bank of Greece on 9 of the 11 factors compared. About National Bank of Greece (Get Rating) National Bank of Greece S.A., together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Greece, the United Kingdom, North Macedonia, Romania, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Malta, Egypt, and Luxembourg. It operates through Retail Banking, Corporate & Investment Banking, Trouble Assets Unit, Global Markets and Asset Management, Insurance, International Banking Operations, and Other segments. The Retail Banking segment provides deposit, investment, bancassurance products, mortgage loans, consumer and small business lending, debit and credit cards, prepaid cards, and other traditional products and services for individual customers, professionals, and small-medium and small sized companies through its network of branches and digital businesses. The Corporate & Investment Banking segment offers financial and investment advisory services, deposit accounts, loans, foreign exchange, and trade services for corporate customers; and lending services for large and medium-sized companies, as well as shipping finance services. The Trouble Assets Unit segment manages various loans. The Global Markets and Asset Management segment is involved in treasury activities; and provision of asset management, custody, private equity, and brokerage services. The Insurance offers various insurance products. The International Banking Operations segment offers traditional commercial banking, such as commercial and retail credit, trade financing, foreign exchange, and deposits; shipping finance; investment banking; and brokerage services through its foreign branches. The Other segment engages in the real estate management and warehousing businesses. National Bank of Greece S.A. was founded in 1841 and is headquartered in Athens, Greece. Receive News & Ratings for National Bank of Greece Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for National Bank of Greece and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mid-America Apartment Communities (NYSE:MAA Get Rating) and Sino Land (OTCMKTS:SNLAY Get Rating) are both large-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and valuation. Dividends Mid-America Apartment Communities pays an annual dividend of $5.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.7%. Sino Land pays an annual dividend of $0.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.7%. Mid-America Apartment Communities pays out 98.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Mid-America Apartment Communities has increased its dividend for 13 consecutive years. Mid-America Apartment Communities is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth. Get Mid-America Apartment Communities alerts: Insider and Institutional Ownership 93.6% of Mid-America Apartment Communities shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.3% of Mid-America Apartment Communities shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Earnings & Valuation Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Mid-America Apartment Communities $2.02 billion 8.76 $637.44 million $5.70 26.62 Sino Land $1.99 billion 5.09 $734.70 million N/A N/A This table compares Mid-America Apartment Communities and Sino Lands top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Sino Land has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Mid-America Apartment Communities. Volatility and Risk Mid-America Apartment Communities has a beta of 0.77, suggesting that its stock price is 23% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Sino Land has a beta of 0.52, suggesting that its stock price is 48% less volatile than the S&P 500. Profitability This table compares Mid-America Apartment Communities and Sino Lands net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Mid-America Apartment Communities 31.92% 11.01% 6.06% Sino Land N/A N/A N/A Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Mid-America Apartment Communities and Sino Land, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Mid-America Apartment Communities 3 5 7 0 2.27 Sino Land 0 0 0 0 N/A Mid-America Apartment Communities presently has a consensus target price of $168.57, suggesting a potential upside of 11.11%. Given Mid-America Apartment Communities higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Mid-America Apartment Communities is more favorable than Sino Land. Summary Mid-America Apartment Communities beats Sino Land on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About Mid-America Apartment Communities (Get Rating) MAA, an S&P 500 company, is a real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on delivering full-cycle and superior investment performance for shareholders through the ownership, management, acquisition, development and redevelopment of quality apartment communities primarily in the Southeast, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. As of September 30, 2022, MAA had ownership interest in 101,769 apartment units, including communities currently in development, across 16 states and the District of Columbia. About Sino Land (Get Rating) Sino Land Company Limited, an investment holding company, invests in, develops, manages, and trades in properties. It operates through six segments: Property Sales, Property Rental, Property Management and Other Services, Hotel Operations, Investments in Securities, and Financing. The company's property portfolio includes office, industrial, and residential buildings, as well as shopping malls, car parks, and hotels. It also provides cleaning, building construction and management, financing, administration, security, mortgage loan financing, secretarial, management, project management, securities investment, living, consultancy, and deposit placing services, as well as operates hotels. As of June 30, 2022, the company had a land bank of approximately 20.4 million square feet of attributable floor area in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is based in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. Sino Land Company Limited is a subsidiary of Tsim Sha Tsui Properties Limited. Receive News & Ratings for Mid-America Apartment Communities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mid-America Apartment Communities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HF Sinclair Co. (NYSE:DINO Get Rating) has been given an average rating of Moderate Buy by the eight research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $58.91. A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. TD Cowen cut their price target on HF Sinclair from $50.00 to $44.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 5th. UBS Group started coverage on HF Sinclair in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. They set a neutral rating and a $58.00 target price on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on HF Sinclair from $55.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, March 28th. Wells Fargo & Company raised HF Sinclair from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $55.00 target price on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their target price on HF Sinclair from $69.00 to $56.00 in a report on Friday, May 19th. Get HF Sinclair alerts: HF Sinclair Stock Performance Shares of DINO stock opened at $44.54 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 2.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The business has a 50 day moving average of $43.16 and a two-hundred day moving average of $48.41. HF Sinclair has a 52 week low of $37.12 and a 52 week high of $66.19. The company has a market cap of $8.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.05, a PEG ratio of 1.37 and a beta of 1.40. HF Sinclair Announces Dividend HF Sinclair ( NYSE:DINO Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $2.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.48 by $0.52. The company had revenue of $7.57 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.97 billion. HF Sinclair had a return on equity of 32.56% and a net margin of 8.13%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 1.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.99 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that HF Sinclair will post 7.85 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 18th were issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 17th. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.04%. HF Sinclairs dividend payout ratio is currently 12.34%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other HF Sinclair news, major shareholder Carol Orme Holding sold 4,000,000 shares of HF Sinclair stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.59, for a total transaction of $190,360,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 34,853,483 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,658,677,255.97. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On HF Sinclair Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of HF Sinclair by 22.8% during the 4th quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 52,717 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,736,000 after acquiring an additional 9,772 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of HF Sinclair by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 46,034 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,389,000 after acquiring an additional 3,570 shares in the last quarter. AXA S.A. grew its holdings in shares of HF Sinclair by 79.2% during the 3rd quarter. AXA S.A. now owns 89,400 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,813,000 after acquiring an additional 39,500 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of HF Sinclair during the 4th quarter valued at $234,000. Finally, Seeyond purchased a new position in shares of HF Sinclair during the 4th quarter valued at $164,000. 90.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About HF Sinclair (Get Rating HF Sinclair Corporation operates as an independent energy company. It produces and markets gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, renewable diesel, specialty lubricant products, specialty chemicals, specialty and modified asphalt, and others. The company also owns and operates refineries located in Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming; and markets its refined products principally in the Southwest United States and Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest, and in other neighboring Plains states. See Also Receive News & Ratings for HF Sinclair Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HF Sinclair and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida answers a reporter's question during a news conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, June 21. AP-Yonhap Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday announced plans to visit Lithuania next month to attend a NATO leaders' summit as his country steps up cooperation with the Western organization amid China's increasingly assertive military activity. Kishida stressed the importance of dialogue with China in order to develop "constructive and stable" relationship with Beijing while his country cooperates with its key ally, the United States. He said the state of U.S.-China relations are crucial to international peace and stability. At a news conference marking the end of a five-month long parliamentary session, Kishida said reinforcing diplomatic and security measures were among his top policy priorities in the first half of this year. The goal, he said, is "to raise Japan's presence in the international society, to defend the peace of our country and the people's lives." Japan has been strengthening ties with NATO against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and concerns that it may embolden China's already assertive military activity in East Asia. The prime minister said he will join NATO leaders at the July 11-12 summit in Lithuania at the invitation of the organization. He said he also will visit NATO headquarters in Belgium. Discussions are also underway to open a NATO office in Japan. Describing the current security environment of the global community as "the most severe and complex" of the postwar era, Kishida vowed to "fully utilize diplomatic tools" to contribute to the peace and stability of the global community while serving Japan's national interest. Kishida said Japan will cooperate with the United States on China policy, while encouraging Beijing to fulfill its responsibility as a global power to observe international rules and order. Japan is increasingly concerned about China's coercive activity in the region, especially around Japanese-controlled disputed East China Sea islands that Beijing also claims. "It is important to continue making effort to have close dialogue at all levels, including myself, and in that process I will consider my possible visit to China, though nothing has been decided right now," Kishida said. Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, June 21. AFP-Yonhap Polaris (NYSE:PII Get Rating) and Beneteau (OTCMKTS:BTEAF Get Rating) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and valuation. Profitability This table compares Polaris and Beneteaus net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Polaris alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Polaris 5.46% 60.97% 12.72% Beneteau N/A N/A N/A Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Polaris and Beneteau, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Polaris 0 10 2 1 2.31 Beneteau 0 0 1 0 3.00 Institutional & Insider Ownership Polaris presently has a consensus price target of $114.27, suggesting a potential downside of 4.11%. Beneteau has a consensus price target of $14.10, suggesting a potential downside of 13.07%. Given Polaris higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Polaris is more favorable than Beneteau. 88.3% of Polaris shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.8% of Polaris shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Polaris and Beneteaus top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Polaris $8.59 billion 0.79 $447.10 million $8.31 14.34 Beneteau N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Polaris has higher revenue and earnings than Beneteau. Summary Polaris beats Beneteau on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks. About Polaris (Get Rating) Polaris Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets powersports vehicles worldwide. It operates through three segments: Off-Road, On-Road, and Marine. The company offers off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles; military and commercial ORVs; snowmobiles; motorcycles; moto-roadsters, quadricycles, and boats; and aftermarket parts and apparel. It also provides ORV accessories comprising winches, bumper/brushguards, plows, racks, wheels and tires, pull-behinds, cab systems, lighting and audio systems, cargo box accessories, tracks, and oil; snowmobile accessories, which include covers, traction products, reverse kits, electric starters, tracks, bags, windshields, oil, and lubricants; and motorcycle accessories, such as saddle bags, handlebars, backrests, exhausts, windshields, seats, oil, and various chrome accessories. In addition, the company offers light duty hauling and passenger vehicles; gear and apparel, such as helmets, goggles, jackets, gloves, boots, bibs, hats, pants, and leathers; and pontoon and deck boats. It provides its products through dealers and distributors, and online; and retail and e-commerce sites. The company was formerly known as Polaris Industries Inc. Polaris Inc. was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Medina, Minnesota. About Beneteau (Get Rating) Beneteau S.A. designs, manufactures, and sells boats and leisure homes in France and internationally. It provides boats under the Beneteau, Jeanneau, Lagoon, Prestige, Monte Carlo Yachts, Four Winns, Glastron, Scarab, WellCraft, EXCESS, and Delphia brand names; and leisure homes under the IRM, O'HARA, and Coco Sweet brand names. The company also offers bandofbaots.com, a community services platform for purchase and sale of new or used boats; lease purchase, credit, and insurance services through SGB Finance; and inventory and retail finance solutions. Beneteau S.A. was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Saint Gilles Croix de Vie, France. Receive News & Ratings for Polaris Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Polaris and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silverlake Wealth Management LLC reduced its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Rating) by 16.4% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 6,169 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 1,211 shares during the period. Silverlake Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $428,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 199,886,585 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $14,209,937,000 after acquiring an additional 3,058,491 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 174,002,852 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $12,369,862,000 after acquiring an additional 3,357,590 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,873,696,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 114,228.7% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 21,469,785 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,544,751,000 after acquiring an additional 21,451,006 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Partners raised its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 35.7% in the 4th quarter. Boston Partners now owns 13,794,089 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $992,048,000 after acquiring an additional 3,627,705 shares during the period. 74.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have recently commented on BMY. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $66.00 to $65.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Monday, March 6th. They set a hold rating and a $62.00 target price on the stock. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Finally, 51job reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Friday, April 28th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Bristol-Myers Squibb currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $78.62. Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Performance Shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock opened at $65.50 on Thursday. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a fifty-two week low of $63.07 and a fifty-two week high of $81.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $137.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.10, a P/E/G ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.44. The companys 50 day moving average price is $66.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $69.95. Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.98 by $0.07. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 15.95% and a return on equity of 51.75%. The firm had revenue of $11.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.50 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.96 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts forecast that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.48%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is currently 66.47%. Insider Transactions at Bristol-Myers Squibb In other news, EVP Rupert Vessey sold 50,385 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.06, for a total transaction of $3,378,818.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 47,751 shares in the company, valued at $3,202,182.06. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders. About Bristol-Myers Squibb (Get Rating) Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA Get Rating) had its target price boosted by Truist Financial from $325.00 to $340.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Truist Financials price objective would indicate a potential upside of 18.52% from the stocks previous close. Several other research analysts have also recently commented on HCA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on HCA Healthcare from $257.00 to $283.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on HCA Healthcare in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Citigroup raised their target price on HCA Healthcare from $293.00 to $324.00 in a research report on Monday, April 24th. Stephens reissued an overweight rating and set a $283.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald started coverage on HCA Healthcare in a report on Thursday, April 20th. They set an overweight rating and a $304.00 price objective for the company. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, HCA Healthcare has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $298.79. Get HCA Healthcare alerts: HCA Healthcare Trading Up 0.6 % Shares of HCA Healthcare stock opened at $286.88 on Tuesday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $276.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $260.73. The company has a market cap of $78.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.39, a PEG ratio of 1.83 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 157.23. HCA Healthcare has a 1 year low of $164.47 and a 1 year high of $296.89. Insider Buying and Selling HCA Healthcare ( NYSE:HCA Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 21st. The company reported $4.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.99 by $0.94. The business had revenue of $15.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.26 billion. HCA Healthcare had a net margin of 9.42% and a negative return on equity of 1,157.58%. HCA Healthcares quarterly revenue was up 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.12 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that HCA Healthcare will post 18.1 EPS for the current year. In other news, SVP P. Martin Paslick sold 2,539 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total transaction of $685,530.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 24,643 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,653,610. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, SVP Kathryn A. Torres sold 4,473 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.38, for a total transaction of $1,289,923.74. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 22,243 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,414,436.34. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, SVP P. Martin Paslick sold 2,539 shares of HCA Healthcare stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total value of $685,530.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 24,643 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,653,610. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 12,733 shares of company stock worth $3,518,389 over the last three months. 1.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On HCA Healthcare Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $547,104,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its stake in HCA Healthcare by 32.7% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,039,618 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,689,226,000 after acquiring an additional 1,734,194 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 51.5% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,229,190 shares of the companys stock worth $534,917,000 after purchasing an additional 758,127 shares in the last quarter. MFN Partners Management LP raised its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 102.9% during the 1st quarter. MFN Partners Management LP now owns 1,261,201 shares of the companys stock worth $316,081,000 after purchasing an additional 639,701 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Macquarie Group Ltd. raised its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare by 152.3% during the 3rd quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 740,182 shares of the companys stock worth $136,038,000 after purchasing an additional 446,839 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.86% of the companys stock. About HCA Healthcare (Get Rating) HCA Healthcare, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides health care services in the United States. It operates general and acute care hospitals that offers medical and surgical services, including inpatient care, intensive care, cardiac care, diagnostic, and emergency services; and outpatient services, such as outpatient surgery, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, cardiology, and physical therapy. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for HCA Healthcare Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HCA Healthcare and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AmerisourceBergen Co. (NYSE:ABC Get Rating) major shareholder Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. sold 275,984 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $181.17, for a total value of $50,000,021.28. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 33,090,404 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,994,988,492.68. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Large shareholders that own more than 10% of a companys stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. also recently made the following trade(s): Get AmerisourceBergen alerts: On Thursday, May 11th, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. sold 292,792 shares of AmerisourceBergen stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.77, for a total value of $50,000,089.84. AmerisourceBergen Price Performance ABC stock opened at $185.83 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.13, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.89 and a beta of 0.53. The businesss 50-day moving average is $171.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $165.08. AmerisourceBergen Co. has a 1 year low of $135.14 and a 1 year high of $186.79. AmerisourceBergen Dividend Announcement AmerisourceBergen ( NYSE:ABC Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.29 by $0.21. AmerisourceBergen had a return on equity of 809.53% and a net margin of 0.65%. The company had revenue of $63.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $60.40 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.22 EPS. AmerisourceBergens revenue for the quarter was up 9.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that AmerisourceBergen Co. will post 11.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th were issued a $0.485 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.04%. AmerisourceBergens payout ratio is currently 24.94%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Bank of America upped their target price on AmerisourceBergen from $195.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, June 7th. Barclays upped their price target on AmerisourceBergen from $182.00 to $189.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Mizuho upped their price target on AmerisourceBergen from $170.00 to $174.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. 888 reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of AmerisourceBergen in a research note on Friday, May 26th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on AmerisourceBergen in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $184.00. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. RFP Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of AmerisourceBergen in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Harbour Investments Inc. grew its stake in AmerisourceBergen by 61.8% during the 1st quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 165 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH purchased a new position in AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in AmerisourceBergen during the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new position in AmerisourceBergen during the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.64% of the companys stock. AmerisourceBergen Company Profile (Get Rating) AmerisourceBergen Corp. engages in the provision of pharmaceutical products and business solutions that improve access to care. It operates through the Pharmaceutical Distribution Services and Other segments. The Pharmaceutical Distribution Services segment distributes an offering of brand-name, specialty brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter healthcare products, home healthcare supplies and equipment, and related services to healthcare providers, including acute care hospitals and health systems, independent and chain retail pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, medical clinics, and long-term care and alternate site pharmacies. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for AmerisourceBergen Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AmerisourceBergen and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. It will be Del. Wren Williams, not Del. Marie March, who will carry the Republican party banner into this falls election in the new 47th Virginia House of Delegates district. The two incumbents, both elected to the House in 2021, were flung into competition for the seat after redistricting merged portions of what had been neighboring districts. Williams, R-Patrick, and March, R-Floyd, ended up battling for their partys nomination for the 47th, which includes Floyd, Carroll, Patrick and part of Henry counties, and Galax. Preliminary results on Tuesday night showed Williams winning the primary with about two-thirds of the vote about the same percentage he held in the 2021 primary contest in which he defeated Republican incumbent Charles Poindexter. On Tuesday, Williams gained a majority in each locality of the new district except Floyd County, where March had about 63 percent of the vote. This was the outcome that we expected, Williams said. We knew that people in our district were excited about having a proven conservative leader represent them. These are my folks. March did not reply to requests for comment Tuesday. Williams victory in the primary means that he will face Democrat Patty Quesenberry in November. Williams, 34, said that his campaign would emphasize Republicans hopes to expand the partys lead in the House of Delegates and capture a majority in the Virginia Senate steps that would set up at least two years for a GOP-dominated General Assembly and Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to turn the partys priorities into legislation. Williams and Marchs intra-party rivalry was fierce, with scathing exchanges online and via news releases which intensified in September, when March took out a criminal warrant against Williams. March said that her fellow delegate committed assault and battery by bumping into her as people left a party meeting in Wytheville. In January, a judge dismissed the charge. Afterward, on social media, March complained that the judge agreed with Williams attorneys objections and prevented testimony from a series of witnesses. Judges are appointed by politicians and the Swamp is deep, folks, March wrote. Our country is in a sad state of affairs. Williams issued a statement after the court case calling Marchs warrant a political hit job and a desperate move, and calling March unhinged. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Williams raised $373,254 ahead of Tuesdays primary and spent $359,620. Combined with Williams starting balance, that left him with $22,682 as of June 8. Williams top donors during the past two years were Dominion Energy and the candidate committee of Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, who is Virginias Speaker of the House. Each donated $25,000. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association contributed $21,500. The Virginia Public Access Project reported that March raised $65,531 and spent $78,968. Because she had a positive balance in her campaign funding to start with, March ended up with $3,543. March was her own top donor, putting $10,333 of her own money into the campaign. Her next highest donor was Shelor Motor Mile with $10,000. Quesenberrys Democratic campaign has so far raised $839, the Virginia Public Access Project said. Williams said Tuesday that despite his lead in fundraising, he did not relax in his campaign against March and would not slow as he turns toward November. We treat every race as if we were down by five, Williams said. You cant take anyone for granted. People have underestimated me. Those people are no longer in the General Assembly. RICHMOND With legislative primaries over, House Republicans are ready to return to negotiations on a revised state budget early next week. The question is whether Senate Democrats are ready to join them. House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, said Wednesday that he has asked House budget conferees to return to Richmond on Monday for up to three days of negotiations on a final budget, three months after talks broke down the night before the General Assembly was set to adjourn and focus on elections that will determine who controls the legislature in January. Knight has not been able to reach his Senate counterparts Senate Finance Co-Chairs Janet Howell and George Barker, both Fairfax Democrats, or Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, who is expected to become chairman of the powerful money committee with Howells impending retirement and Barkers loss in the Democratic primary for the 36th Senate District on Tuesday night. Howell is out of the country, but he said Barker and Lucas have not responded to his messages. Im looking forward to coming back, having a robust discussion and coming to a compromise, and getting this budget done, post haste, he said. A potential special session of the assembly on the budget this summer has prompted another delay in moving the legislature into the new General Assembly Building, after the failure of safety equipment prevented the state from complying with building code requirements in one stairwell. While it would be possible to partially open the new GAB without use of the affected stairwell until the issue is resolved, the General Assembly decided to remain in the Pocahontas Building until such time as limitations would not be required on the number of people in the building, the Department of General Services said on Wednesday. The highest priority was to guarantee an efficient and effective special session, should one be called later this summer. But first, House Republicans and Senate Democrats need to reach a deal on a revised budget that would include an additional 2% pay raise for teachers and state employees. The Senate version of the budget also includes an additional $589 million for k-12 public education, including money to eliminate a cap on state funding of school support positions imposed during the Great Recession. But the House is focused instead on the governors $1 billion package of proposed tax cuts. The reality is the governor and the House Republicans have not budged, said Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville, a Senate budget conferee who survived a close primary challenge from Del. Sally Hudson, D-Charlottesville, who is part of the partys progressive wing. Were still, frustratingly, a billion dollars apart. From 15 to 5 on Finance The tardiness of the budget was an issue in the primary race between Barker and Fairfax County School Board member Stella Pekarsky, a progressive Democrat who focused her campaign on her opposition of Gov. Glenn Young-kin, a Republican who is insisting on $1 billion in tax cuts in the two-year spending plan on top of the $4 billion in cuts in a budget compromise the governor signed a year ago. But the primaries cost Democrats two more members of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee Barker and Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, who was upset by another progressive candidate on Tuesday. The losses coupled with the retirement of seven senators and the departure of Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, to Congress leaves the finance committee with only five of the 15 members it had when the assembly adjourned on Feb. 25. The question for Democrats is whether they have political room to compromise or risk giving Youngkin an issue to use against them in general elections in November that will determine both his success in the final two years of his term and his viability as a potential national candidate next year. Im sure the majority of voters will be unhappy with the inability of the General Assembly and the governor to agree on the budget, said Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. Then the blame game begins and the governor is likely to have the upper hand at this point. Youngkins advantage is the fact that the state already has a budget in place when the next fiscal year begins. If the assembly cannot agree on a revised budget, he also would have an additional $3.5 billion to use to shape the two-year budget that he will propose in December for the next legislature to consider. On the other hand, the governor needs Republicans to gain control of both chambers of the assembly to continue what his political team calls Youngkin momentum as he positions himself for a potential bid for the GOP presidential nomination. Its a barely concealed national ambition at this point, Rozell said. The question (is whether) the Democrats will continue to play into his hands and give him what he wants in not doing a budget. The governor can place all the blame where it belongs on the legislators who couldnt get the job done. Knight thought he had a deal with Howell and Barker on the eve of the sessions adjournment, but they said they never agreed to the proposal, nor did other Democrats on the Senate negotiating team. The deal would have taken the governors proposal to reduce the corporate income tax rate off the table, but used surplus revenues for a one-time rebate to taxpayers. The House proposal also would have raised the standard deduction, benefiting lower and middle-income Virginians who do not itemize their deductions, and would have removed the age limit on a new exemption for military retirement income. Work these things out The sticking point remains Youngkins proposal to reduce the top income tax rate for individuals, which about 85% of Virginians pay, regardless of how much they make over a threshold of $17,000 a year in adjusted gross income. It would have a big price tag in the next two-year budget, with a potential recession still looming. I dont think its fiscally responsible, said Deeds, who is willing to support one-time rebates to taxpayers, but not cutting the individual and corporate tax rates. Petersen, a member of the Senate Finance Committee but not a budget negotiator, was still recovering on Wednesday from his upset loss to Saddam Azlan Salim, a progressive Democrat who criticized the incumbent for his votes with Republicans on hot-button issues such as guns and restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. I had a target on my back, he said. I think its fair to say it was less about him and more about getting rid of me. Petersen called a potential special session kind of a one-and-done situation for me, but he said getting a budget deal is important, especially in providing additional raises to state employees and teachers. Im ready to come down to Richmond and work these things out, he said. Korea carmakers Hyundai, Kia to put more energy into Vietnam market By Nguyen Thuy Thu, June 22, 2023 | 11:01 am GTM+7 Hyundai Motor and its sister automaker Kia are looking to build on their leading positions in Vietnam, and Hyundai Motor Group executive chairman Chung Euisun will accompany Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on his three-day state visit starting Thursday. Hyundai Motor and Kia, which are under Hyundai Motor Group, unveiled their plans on Wednesday to solidify their lead in the rapidly growing Vietnamese market through the release of new models and sales of popular vehicles, according to the Korea Times. In order to maintain its lead, Hyundai Motor plans to boost sales of the Accent, Creta and Santa Fe, while developing new SUVs and minivans. In addition, it will start local production of the IONIQ 5 in July to expand its presence in the Vietnamese electric vehicle market. During the second half of this year, the two Hyundai Thanh Cong Manufacturing Vietnam (HTMV) factories will begin to produce the IONIQ 5, Venue and Palisade. HTMV is a joint venture set up in 2017 by Hyundai Motor and Vietnam's Thanh Cong Group. Kia also plans to boost the sales of the Sonet, Carnival, Sportage and K3 in the Vietnamese market, the Korea Times added. Hyundai Motor hosted its 2023 CEO Investor Day in Seoul on Tuesday, unveiling its visionary mid- to long-term business strategies and financial plans. The Korean carmaker announced the same day that with the aim of actively leveraging its knowledge and heritage of innovation from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, it is committed to a successful transition to the electrification era through its newly introduced strategy, Hyundai Motor Way. Jaehoon Chang, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor, introduces Hyundai Motor Way in Seoul on June 20, 2023. Photo courtesy of the company. The company said it will implement this strategy and accelerate its transition toward becoming a smart mobility solution provider by securing a large-scale investment of KRW 109.4 trillion ($84.8 billion) over the next 10 years. Furthermore, in order to secure leadership in the future mobility industry, it has decided to focus on future businesses, such as autonomous driving, hydrogen, robotics, and advanced air mobility (AAM), Hyundai Motor said. At the Seoul event, Hyundai Motor president and CEO Jaehoon Chang laid out the Hyundai Motor Way roadmap for success in the electrification era, emphasizing the companys advantages as a legacy automaker and its proactive pursuit of leadership in EVs, according to a statement on the companys website posted the same day. Executive chairman Chung was not on the list of VIPs at the event as he will accompany Korean President Yoon on his visit to Vietnam as a member of a business delegation that includes 205 Korean companies. The business mission includes other top Korean business figures like Samsung Electronics executive chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group executive chairman Euisun Chung, LG Group chairman Koo Kwang-mo, and Lotte Group chairman Shin Dong-bin. During Yoons three-day working trip, the two sides are expected to sign a series of memoranda of understanding in areas including supply chain cooperation such as rare metals, infrastructure exports, and new industrial technology, according to the South Korean presidents office. As for Hyundai Motor, after establishing HTMV with Vietnamese conglomerate Thanh Cong Group in 2017, the joint venture has produced the Grand i10, Avante, Tucson and Santa Fe at the first HTMV plant in the northern province of Ninh Binh. Based on the success of the Hyundai brand in the market, the Korean firm built its second HTMV factory in early 2022 and inaugurated the $129 million facility last November. The new plant, which covers 50 hectares in Gian Khau Industrial Park, has a designed capacity of 100,000 cars per year, raising the joint ventures total annual capacity to 180,000 units. Kia started manufacturing in Vietnam in 2004 in collaboration with Vietnamese carmaker Thaco. The Thaco Kia manufacturing facility is inside Thaco Chu Lai, a complex of auto assembly, car part, and engineering factories in the central province of Quang Nam. The Kia Seltos 2023 SUV. Photo courtesy of Kia. In the year to end-May, Hyundai Motor held the top spot in sales volume in Vietnam with 22,903 vehicles, according to an HTMV report. The figure outperformed Toyota Motor Vietnam, which sold 21,547 vehicles, according to the Vietnam Association of Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association (VAMA). Kia sold 13,951 in the first five months of this year, also according to VAMA. Hyundai Thanh Cong is not a VAMA member, while Toyota Motor Vietnam, Thaco Kia, Mazda, Honda, Mitsubishi, Suzuki, Ford and others are. VinFast, the electric vehicle arm of Vietnams largest private conglomerate Vingroup, which is not a VAMA member, sold 8,483 EVs in the first five months of the year in Vietnam, according to company data. Vietnam pharmaceutical firm to pay dividend of up to 180% By Trang Nguyen Fri, June 23, 2023 | 12:08 am GTM+7 Ha Tay Pharmaceutical JSC (Hataphar) plans to pay a share bonus dividend at a ratio of 100:180 for 2022. Hataphar's factory at 10A Quang Trung street, Ha Dong district, Hanoi. Photo courtesy of the company. Hataphar, listed on the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX) as DHT, reported net revenue of VND1.84 trillion ($78.08 million) in 2022, up 14.2% year-on-year, and net profit of VND98.9 billion ($4.2 million), up 38.5%, the highest since its bourse listing in 2008. The company has targeted a revenue of VND1.6 trillion ($68 million) and pre-tax profit of VND80 billion ($3.4 million) in 2023, down 13% and 35% respectively. In the first quarter of this year, DHT recorded net revenue of VND499 billion ($21.2 million), up 22% year-on-year, and post-tax profit of over VND26 billion ($1.1 million), up 41%. As of March 31, 2023, the company's charter capital had stood at more than VND264 billion ($11.22 million). Major shareholders included Hanoi Investment Fund for Development (4.1%), ASKA Pharmaceutical - Japan (24.9%), chairman Le Van Lo and his family (11.81%), and board member Le Xuan Thang and his family (8.13%). On the HNX, DHT shares closed Thursday's session at VND60,800 ($2.58). Vietnams largest refinery avoids suspension with improved cash flow By Van Minh Thu, June 22, 2023 | 4:30 pm GTM+7 Nghi Son, Vietnams largest refinery, is expected to avoid a prolonged suspension with improved cash flow enabling a November debt repayment, a Nikkei Asia report said Thursday. The Nghi Son oil refinery in Thanh Hoa province, central Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Youth newspaper. The $9 billion refinery in the central province of Thanh Hoa, with a capacity of 200,000 barrels per day, is 35.1% owned by Idemitsu Kosan, 35.1% by Kuwait Petroleum, 25.1% by state-run Petrovietnam, and 4.7% by Japans Mitsui Chemicals. Japanese energy group Idemitsu Kosan, the top investor, has taken steps to boost the refinerys capacity usage, helping it secure an operating profit, the Nikkei Asia report said. A scheduled shutdown for regular maintenance in August had raised the specter of a longer suspension due to a lack of funds and disagreement among the four shareholders. With more repayment deadlines looming next year, the operating company was looking to approach the Vietnamese government with a debt-restructuring proposal, the Japanese newspaper said. The operator was seeking to restructure debts to a group of banks led by state-run Japan Bank for International Cooperation, or JBIC, it added. Vietnams Industry and Trade Minister Nguyen Hong Dien said at a Wednesday meeting with petrol suppliers in Vietnam that Nghi Son was scheduled to stop operations for regular maintenance from mid-August to early October. He asked Petrovietnam and Petrovietnam-invested Dung Quat oil refinery in the central province of Quang Ngai to ensure sufficient supply for the domestic market. Nghi Son, the nations second oil refinery, started commercial operations in 2018, a decade after the first, Dung Quat, did so in 2009. In May, the government decided to expand Dung Quats capacity to 171,000 barrels a day from the current 148,000 barrels, with an investment of more than $1.2 billion. The increase in production is expected to begin in 2028. The countrys third refinery, the Long Son Petrochemicals Complex in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, is set to begin commercial operations in mid-2023. Thai giant conglomerate SCG is the main investor in the 464-hectare complex, which has $5.4 billion in total investment. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Zip Code U.S. President Joe Biden, right, and China's President Xi Jinping meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Nov. 14, 2022. AFP-Yonhap President Joe Biden's remarks calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a "dictator" and China a country with "real economic difficulties" drew fast condemnation from China on Wednesday, cracking open a new rift just after the two countries agreed to tentative steps to stabilize the relationship. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning condemned Biden's unusually pointed comments as "extremely absurd and irresponsible." The clash of words comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing on Monday that sought to break the ice in a relationship that has hit a historical low. While both sides saw those talks as productive, they did not result in any significant breakthroughs beyond an agreement to return to a broad agenda for cooperation and competition. China's quick response to Biden, a president known for seemingly off-script remarks that venture beyond his administration's policies, raises questions whether his remarks would undo the limited progress that had been made in Blinken's carefully engineered trip or whether the two sides would move on. Biden's characterization of China comes as the campaign for next year's presidential election is already taking off, with Republicans accusing him of being weak on China. Biden also was preparing to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington on Wednesday evening for a lavish state visit where a central theme will be a shared wariness of China. Biden, at a fundraiser in California on Tuesday night, referred back to January and February's two-week overflight of what the U.S. says was a Chinese spy balloon. The balloon's surprise appearance over U.S. skies roiled relations and transfixed the American public. Speaking to wealthy donors at the event for his 2024 reelection campaign, Biden depicted Xi as out-of-touch and embarrassed by the incident, which ended with the Air Force shooting down the balloon just off the East Coast. "The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment is he didn't know it was there," Biden told the crowd. "No, I'm serious," he added. "That was the great embarrassment for dictators, when they didn't know what happened." Biden also played down trade competition from China, which is the world's second-biggest economy after the United States but struggling to emerge from COVID-era financial troubles. "By the way, I promise you, don't worry about China. Worry about China but don't worry about China," Biden said. "I really mean it. China has real economic difficulties." Biden's remarks came hours after his secretary of state, in an interview with MSNBC, had called for the two countries to put the balloon incident behind them, saying it was a chapter that "should be closed." In Beijing on Wednesday, Mao told reporters that Biden's remarks "go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China's political dignity." "It is a blatant political provocation," Mao said. Mao also reiterated China's version of the balloon episode, saying the balloon was for meteorological research and had been accidentally blown off course. Administration officials signaled Wednesday that Biden had no intention of walking back his comments. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, June 19. AP-Yonhap The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. To sign-up for EZ-Pay, call us at (903) 785-6901 or e-mail us at circulation@theparisnews.com. We will use the information you provide to change your current billing to EZ-PAY. Your current subscription delivery schedule will not be changed. No refunds for early cancellations. Remainder of early cancellation funds will be donated to Newspapers in Education. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA), which identifies fallen U.S. service members of past wars, made positive identifications of two Southern Illinoisans who have recently been brought back home for burial. U.S. Army Air Forces Tech. Sgt. James M. Howie of Chester and Tech. Sgt. Harold Kretzer of Odin were positively identified by the DPAA last summer through advances in identification science and technology. "In the U.S., we believe that when you sacrifice your whole life for the good of our country, you deserve to be identified and not remain unknown; we believe families have the right to know that their loved-ones are accounted-for and where they can be visited; and finally, we believe our current day military deserves to see that we leave no one behind, said Forensic Anthropologist and Project Lead Dr. Megan Ingvoldstad, who was responsible for organizing and overseeing the efforts of the DPAA to identify the two Southern Illinois natives, among others. The DPAA consists of hundreds of people, military and civilian alike, who work daily in labs, offices, archives, and in the field, to help bring everyone home. Sgt. Kretzer and Sgt. Howie, who were buried back in their home state earlier this year, are two such former MIAs no longer considered missing in action. The work to identify remains of U.S. service members who have died in past conflicts has existed in varying forms since WWII and the Korean War. More recently, DPAA embarked upon the specific challenge of identifying the unaccounted-for servicemembers from Operation Tidal Wave, Ingvoldstad said. Operation Tidal Wave was an air campaign targeting oil refineries of the Axis Power in Romania. It was believed that if oil production could be disrupted, Ingvoldstad explains, the war could have ended sooner. But the Romanian refinery was heavily fortified and defended, and Allied Powers casualties were heavy. Only 55 of the 177 bombers who flew in Operation Tidal Wave returned, and 310 Americans were lost, including Howie and Kretzer. Howie, who worked aboard a B-24 Liberator bomber as a radio operator, went down with the aircraft on Aug. 1, 1943, after the craft was shot by anti-aircraft guns. Kretzer, who served aboard a B-24 also, died on the same day during Operational Tidal Wave in Romania. Local Romanians buried the deceased airmen, trying as best they could to document and identify air crew, but it would be nearly 80 years later when the 88 caskets would start to be identified by the use of advanced DNA technology. Those unknown remains stayed there until 2017. By that time, most of the unaccounted-for Operation Tidal Wave service member families had provided the DNA reference samples needed to hopefully link those unknown remains to specific individuals, said Ingvoldstad. In the summer of 2022, 88 caskets of unknown remains arrived at DPAAs Offutt Laboratory to begin scientific analyses, including Howie's and Kretzer's. The process to make identification possible requires more than just a dental record or material marker like dog tags, which were utilized in the past. Today, the DPAA has an involved process to make as certain as possible the identification of the remains of soldiers, sailors, and airmen are accurate. Multiple lines of evidence are required to make an identification, said Ingvoldstad, who explained that remains generally arrive at DPAA laboratories either through the disinterment of unknown remains buried in U.S. military cemeteries around the world or through archaeological recoveries by teams in the field. Then, both processes begin with a thorough research by DPAA historians. This research narrows down the list of possible candidates that could be recovered from a specific grave or archaeological site. Once received in the lab, remains receive all appropriate types of analysis including anthropological, odonatological, histological, isotopic, genetic, and radiographic analyses, Ingvoldstad explained. The evidence and data must all point to a single individual to make a positive identification, but by far the most powerful data is found in DNA. DNA carries a huge amount of weight in making current identifications because of its ability to specify a single individual sometimes with extremely high statistical probabilities, Ingvoldstad said. In addition to providing a positive line of evidence towards one identification, DNA is also heavily replied upon to exclude other potential candidates. Therefore, it is extremely valuable when family members submit DNA samples for comparison to remains in our laboratories. Specifically, it was DNA obtained from cells still present in his (Kretzer's) bones after 78 years that made it clear that these remains were not those of anyone else, Ingvoldstad said in reference to the identification of Kretzers remains. Thanks to cheek swabs provided by his family members, we could now know that these remains were unequivocally those of T Sgt. Kretzer, the engineer from Missing Air Crew Report 2410. Because of those donated DNA samples, we knew that he had multiple family members who were still looking for him. For the DPAA, there is still much work to be done, because there are so many more service members who are MIA. About 81,000 U.S. service members remain unaccounted for from past conflicts (the majority are from WWII), Ingvoldstad said, and added that about 37,000 are forever lost in the seas abyss. Including Howie and Kretzer, the DPAA has made over half the identifications of the 80 unknowns of Operation Tidal Wave. The work is not easy. Making identifications from fragments and mixed up remains makes for difficult work, Ingvoldstad said, but the DPAA is committed to the challenge of identifying those who served so bravely and sacrificed their lives for their country during the air raids over the Romanian. We will continue to work until they are all home, Ingvoldstad said. Along with Howie and Kretzer, the remains of a Carbondale native who served in WWII were also recently identified. Commander Frederick R. Schrader, born in Carbondale and raised in Lawrenceville, left Illinois to join the U.S. Naval Academy after high school and went on to serve in World War II as a naval aviator. Schraders plane was shot down during an attack on Toko Seaplane Base on Formosa in 1944. "My father's remains had been buried as Unknown 136 at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) since they were returned to the U.S. in 1949," said Barbara Canavan, Schrader's daughter. "The search by family, a group of researchers, who are a part of the USS Hornet Museum, and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency came to fruition last September in the identification of the remains of Unknown 136 as my father's. The whole search has been a blessed miracle." Schrader was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart. He received a proper military burial in April at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. A traveling Smithsonian Institution exhibition is showing the innovation of rural regions with a special focus on Southern Illinois artists and the history of salt production in Gallatin County. Equality was selected to participate in Spark! Places of Innovation Illinois Tour, a part of the Smithsonians Museum on Main program that is held in partnership with Illinois Humanities. The stop in Equality is the first of seven in Illinois. The Gallatin County Tourism Committee is hosting the local exhibit, which is holding a series of lectures in conjunction with the display. The first presentation on Sunday covered the Legends and Lore of the Gallatin Salines and the Crenshaw House. Upcoming lectures include Archeological Investigations in the Gallatin Salines and the Crenshaw House on Monday, June 25, Native Americans and the Salt Springs in Gallatin County on July 9 and Did Black Lives Matter in Early Illinois? Voices from the Brink of Slavery and Freedom on July 16. The lectures, as well as the traveling exhibit are free and open to the public. Both are at the Ohio Rivers Visitors Center at 101 W. Lane St. in Equality. The "Spark" exhibition features much of the work of the 276 Art Exchange, a local nonprofit organization. Displays will share how the organization uses art to contribute to the local culture and economic development. A separate, local exhibit focuses on the history of salt mining in Southern Illinois and salts impact on the regions history. Through the exhibits, visitors can learn about Equality as well as the other chosen Illinois communities of Atlanta, Chatsworth, Fairbury, Hillsboro, Marshall and Rushville. Nationally, 30 communities are being highlighted. You can come and learn about a wide variety of innovation, both here and in other rural communities, explained Mark York, president of Gallatin County Tourism. Some of the communities are showing how theyve used technology and others how theyve used culture, heritage or other things to bring a spark to continue their existence. York said the exhibit runs through July 22 and is open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays, noon to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 3 p.m. on Sundays. He added it is a boost for the community and region. It brings a sense of community pride. First of all, we were selected not only to be in the exhibit, but to host it as well. It was two separate applications, he explained. This means people coming into town to visit. He added that the exhibition spreads throughout two buildings and is possible through volunteers who are working the exhibit and who have shared artifacts or expertise. More information on the "Spark! Places of Innovation" exhibition can be found at www.ilhumanities.org/events/spark-in-equality-il. Photos: American Legion Baseball | Murphysboro gets win over Sparta Two Southern Illinois community college leaders have been honored by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association during the groups recent annual awards banquet, June 2 in Normal. Shawnee Community College President Tim Taylor was recognized by the ICCTA as a nominee for the Gary W. Davis Ethical Leadership Award. I am deeply honored and extremely grateful for the recognition expressed by the Shawnee Community College Board of Trustees, whose partnership and counsel I value greatly, said Dr. Taylor. Taylor, the ninth president of Shawnee Community College, has been at the helm since 2020. Rend Lake College President Terry Wilkerson was presented with the 2023 Advocacy Award in recognition of exceptional leadership in advocating for the needs of students and the Illinois community college system. Throughout the past year, Wilkerson has held dual roles as both president of RLC and chair of the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents. Wilkerson has been instrumental in setting the agenda for systemwide discussions on topics such as transferability, transformative manufacturing training and competency-based instruction as well as increasing the visibility of community colleges through the state and in the Illinois General Assembly through establishment of the bipartisan Illinois Community College Caucus. In describing the partnership between trustees and presidents, Wilkerson stated, "We are at the helm of these institutions. We work together to benefit the students of the stateOur challenges are not unique; it is beneficial to have a team of thought leaders working on them." ICCTA president Dr. Maureen Dunne praised Wilkerson's dedication. "As a graduate of Rend Lake College himself, Terry knows firsthand the value of a community college education. He is committed to enhancing student success across the state. Terry has kept us informed, networked with allies and adversaries, and constantly reminded of why we are part of a unified community college movement, Dunne said. Students pass these AP courses more than any others Students pass these AP courses more than any others #10. Art and Design: 3D #9. Japanese Language and Culture #8. Calculus BC #7. English Literature #6. Spanish Language and Culture #5. Seminar #4. Research #3. Art and Design: 2D #2. Chinese Language and Culture #1. Art and Design: Drawing The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned an appeals court ruling that prevented South Carolina from denying public funding to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. The high court overturned a 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling in Kerr vs. Planned Parenthood Atlantic, sending the case back to the appeals court for reconsideration in light of a ruling in another case. The S.C. Department of Health and Human Services appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. Kerr vs. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic stems from S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster's 2018 Executive Order directing DHHS to remove abortion clinics from South Carolina's Medicaid provider list. In a statement on Wednesday, McMaster said, I am pleased with the U.S. Supreme Courts decision today and look forward to the 4th Circuit thoughtfully reconsidering its previous ruling. Just as I was when I issued Executive Order No. 2018-21, I remain confident in South Carolinas authority to administer its Medicaid program and the decision to terminate Planned Parenthoods funding. I am hopeful that the 4th Circuit will recognize that Congress did not intend to give Medicaid recipients the ability to force states to subsidize abortion providers like Planned Parenthood." All abortions will remain legal in Wyoming, at least for now, after a Teton County judge Thursday blocked a first-of-its-kind ban on medication abortions that was set to go into effect next month. Ninth District Court Judge Melissa Owens halted the abortion pill ban after a group of medical providers, Wyoming women and a Wyoming abortion fund challenged the new restrictions passed by lawmakers earlier this year as a part of their legal battle to preserve abortion access in the state. Anti-abortion advocates will now have to wait while the medication abortion ban and the states other abortion ban, also known as the Life is a Human Right Act, work their way through the courts. Essentially the government under this law is making the decision for a woman rather than the woman making her own health care choice, which is what the overwhelming majority in Wyoming decided that we should get to do, Owens said. Sponsored by Sen. Tim Salazar, R-Riverton, and backed by roughly three dozen lawmakers in the House and Senate, the law would have made it illegal for anyone to prescribe, dispense, distribute, sell or use any drug to perform an abortion in Wyoming as of July 1. Anti-abortion advocates pushed for the law, saying it was necessary to protect women and would ensure that abortions were banned in the state. The abortion lobby will try to use chemical abortion pills to circumvent future abortion bans in the state of Wyoming and this law will ever stop that from happening, Michael Barrow, a Wyoming state action captain for Students for Life of America, testified before the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee. The ban makes some exceptions in the cases of natural miscarriage, rape, incest and if the life of the woman is in danger. However, it excludes any psychological or emotional conditions and would see any physician or person who helped a woman obtain abortion pills face misdemeanor charges, up to six months in jail and up to a $9,000 fine. The ban targets the most common form of abortion in Wyoming and would have effectively ended abortion in the state. According to the Wyoming Department of Healths most recent report, all 98 abortions in Wyoming in 2021 were via medication abortion. Of the more than 200 abortions that have taken place in the state from 2019 2021, only three were not confirmed medication abortions. Because nearly all Wyoming abortions are in fact medication abortions, it acts as a complete ban, Marci Bramlet, one of the lawyers for the medical providers, women and Chelseas Fund, the Lander-based abortion fund, told Owens. She added that the law does not even meet the states own goal of prohibiting abortions because it still allows surgical abortions. Bramlet said the only purpose of the law was to make abortion more invasive and difficult for women. It effectively tells people you must have an open-heart surgery when a stent would do, she said. As in its legal challenge to the Life is a Human Right Act, the group argued that the abortion pill ban violates the Wyoming Constitution and the womens right to make their own health care decisions, causing irreparable harm. However, they also call attention to the broader implications of the states abortion pill ban, which they contend would have severe consequences for all women. The Ban will also impact my ability to care for many of my other patients, not just patients seeking to terminate a pregnancy, Dr. Giovannina Anthony, a medical and abortion provider at the Womens Health and Family Care clinic in Jackson, said in an affidavit. Mifepristone and misoprostol are the two drugs typically used together in a medication abortion. However, misoprostol has other important uses for reproductive and womens health, including inducing labor during pregnancies and treating postpartum hemorrhaging. Without clear guidelines when the drugs can be used, and with narrower exceptions (the law does not include exceptions for ectopic pregnancies or in the case of fatal fetal abnormalities like in the Life is a Human Right Act), the group argues that the ban will effectively end the use of the medications in Wyoming, harming patients even if they are not pursuing an abortion. Due to the legal risks associated with filling prescriptions for these medications under the Ban, it is likely that private pharmacies will not stock the medications that are necessary for routine gynecological care and CWC will be unable to care for our patients, Dr. Rene Hinkle, an OB-GYN with Cheyenne Womens Clinic, testified in an affidavit. In the context of debilitating health conditions like postpartum hemorrhages, there is the risk that CWC will be delayed in providing care while physicians and pharmacists determine if there is any legal risk with administering medication. In April, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a lower courts decision that would have restricted access to mifepristone, ruling that the drug should remain widely available nationwide while legal challenges to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations approval and the loosening of regulations around mifepristone make their way through the courts. Jay Jerde, Wyomings special assistant attorney general, urged Owens to let the ban take effect, saying that the plaintiffs were improperly trying to get the ban thrown out. In legal filings, Jerde and the state have used similar arguments to their defense of the Life is a Human Right Act. They maintain that abortion is not health care, that the women do not have a constitutional right to decide what medical services are legal and that the 2012 constitutional amendment that lawmakers and voters passed guaranteeing each competent adult shall have the right to make his or her own health care decisions only applies to the federal government. The framers and the voters took the state of Wyoming out of the mix and directed the state to act to preserve the Section 38 rights [guaranteed by the Wyoming Constitution] from undue infringement by other governments, Jerde said. It makes no sense to tell the state of Wyoming to act to preserve the rights from yourself. However, Owens questioned Jerdes reasoning. Its chopping up a constitutional amendment and saying we get to apply C and D because it works for the Legislature, but we dont have to apply A because abortion isnt health care, she said. Owens struggled throughout the hearing with Jerdes arguments, pointing out that the states defense can be ambiguous and at times the conflicts itself. Jerde held that an elected abortion is unrelated to health care even if part of the womens decision is to avoid the myriad physical effects of pregnancy. Jerde also had difficulty explaining how a healthy fetus produced by rape or incest, in which abortion is allowed under both bans, was different than that of other pregnancies. But its the way Jerde and the state interpret the Wyoming Constitution with some parts justifying lawmakers decision to prohibit abortion, but others not applying to the state that gave Owens the most confusion. It is still the answer that Ive been looking for that I dont seem to get, she said. Owens decision on the abortion pill follows her ruling at an emergency hearing in March blocking the states broader abortion ban just days after it went into effect. Sponsored by Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, the Life is a Human Right Act aimed to answer the legal questions raised after the Legislatures first trigger ban was challenged in court. Rodriguez-Williams and other lawmakers during this years legislative session expressed confidence that the new law would hold up in court and bring an end to abortion in Wyoming sooner. However, Owens questioned the constitutionally of the new ban, which critics and even supporters cautioned violated the separation of powers in its wide-ranging assertions and interpretations, including that abortion is not health care under the Wyoming Constitution. The Legislature declaring that abortion is not health care takes away from the duty of this court to decide constitutional questions of law, and that violates the separation of powers, Owens said during the March hearing. The state cannot legislate away a constitutional right, she added. Earlier this month Owens scheduled a three-day bench trial beginning April 15, 2024 that will decided the fate of Wyomings broad abortion ban at least temporarily with an appeal to the Wyoming Supreme Court likely. This story has been updated. Ignazio Cassis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, speaks during the second day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Thursday. AP-Yonhap Ukraine's allies pledged several billion dollars in non-military aid on Wednesday to rebuild the country's war-ravaged infrastructure, fight corruption and help pave the country's road to membership in the European Union. Stressing the vast scale of the task, diplomats and political leaders at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London urged private-sector companies to invest and revive an economy battered by almost 16 months of war. Delegates from more than 60 countries attended the conference, which was both a fundraising forum and a message to Russia that Ukraine's Western supporters are in it for the long haul. The World Bank has estimated the cost of the invaded nation's reconstruction at more than $400 billion, a figure rising daily alongside the human toll of Russia's aggression. Politicians from Europe and the U.S. vowed that Russia would one day be made to pay for the destruction, though officials acknowledged that day is some way off. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. would give more than $1.3 billion in new aid, including more than $500 million to restore and improve Ukraine's battered energy grid. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced 50 billion euros ($55 billion) in support through 2027, while Britain pledged 240 million pounds ($305 million) in aid and 3 billion pounds ($3.8 billion) in World Bank loan guarantees for Ukraine. Germany announced 381 million euros ($416 million) in humanitarian aid. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who addressed delegates by video, said his country needed action, not just pledges. "We must move from vision to agreements and from agreements to real projects," he said. Zelenskyy, who is pushing for Ukraine's membership in NATO and the European Union, urged Western leaders to have the "courage" to acknowledge that his country already was part of their economic and defense alliances. Alex Lissitsa, CEO of the Industrial Milk Company, attends the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Britain, Thursday. Reuters-Yonhap "We are only waiting for the courage of the alliance leaders to recognize this reality, politically," he said. NATO leaders are expected to endorse Ukraine's membership aspiration at a summit next month, but the alliance is wary of admitting the country while the war with Russia is raging. Britain said Wednesday it would support removing an obstacle to Ukraine's eventual NATO membership by waiving a a "membership action plan," which sets out reforms candidate nations must make before they can join the alliance. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland were offered NATO membership without submitting such plans. U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said "many of the requirements of the membership action plan are actually being delivered" by Ukraine, including armed forces reform. "I think the U.K.'s position will be very, very supportive if we moved on from the membership action plan," Cleverly told reporters. On the issue of Ukraine joining the 27-nation EU, von der Leyen said "I have no doubt that Ukraine will be part of our union" but stressed the country must still meet conditions such as reducing corruption and reforming the judiciary before it can start accession talks. Such reforms would send "a powerful message" to investors that they will get the "transparency, fairness and the functioning institutions they need to invest in Ukraine," von der Leyen said. Yuliya Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, left, and United Nations official Denise Brown attend the second day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Thursday. AP-Yonhap Blinken also highlighted the importance of anti-corruption efforts by Ukraine, a country long plagued by graft. He said some of the pledged U.S. money would go toward upgrading ports and border infrastructure and digitizing customs procedures to curb rule-breaking. "The goal is to rebuild a Ukraine that is fit for (the) EU," German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, whose country will host another recovery conference next year, said. At last year's recovery conference in Switzerland, Ukraine called for billions in Russian assets frozen by Western countries since the invasion to be used for Ukraine's recovery. That is under discussion in several countries, and getting international agreement on a precedent-setting reparations move could prove tricky. Britain took a step in that direction this week, extending sanctions on Russia so that funds can be kept frozen until Ukraine gets compensation for the invasion. Cleverly said the U.K. would "explore all legal paths, both domestically and internationally," to make Russia pay for the destruction it had caused. Blinken said the principle was clear: "Russia is causing Ukraine's destruction, and Russia will eventually bear the cost of Ukraine's reconstruction." Many say Ukraine needs the equivalent of the Marshall Plan that helped rebuild Europe after World War II. Russian attacks had decimated its infrastructure even before an explosion collapsed the Kakhovka dam this month, flooding some 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) of land and displacing thousands of people. Russia's President Vladimir Putin, left, listens to explanations from Victory Museum director Alexander Shkolnik as he visits an exhibition dedicated to the heroes of the so-called "special military operation" in Ukraine at Victory Museum in Moscow on Jun BUFFALO (WNE) David Chadwick, 31, of Buffalo, pleaded guilty in Fourth Judicial District Court to two counts of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree. He originally entered a not guilty plea at his Jan. 25 arraignment to eight counts of sexual abuse of a minor. Chadwick admitted to sexual contact with a minor who was less than 13 years old on two separate occasions. Chadwick could serve a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count, which he will serve concurrently if the judge approves the plea agreement. Both counts also carry a maximum $10,000 fine. The police investigation began in December 2022 after the Wyoming Department of Family Services was notified by the victim's school counselor that potential sexual abuse was occurring, according to court documents. According to court documents, when questioned, Chadwick at first denied the allegations brought by the victim but eventually admitted to some of them, including writing a letter of apology to the victim for his crimes. Prosecutors say he repeatedly had sexual contact with the minor in 2021 and 2022. Chadwick was released on a $50,000 cash bond and awaits sentencing. AN aviation company plans to run commercial flights using an electric engine that creates no carbon emissions by 2025. ZeroAvia has flown nine test flights with its hydrogen-electric engine at Cotswold Airport, near Cirencester. The only emission created by the engine is water. With concerns rising that more than 100 Venezuelan migrants who were held at a bar in St Jam When it came time to say goodbye, Doolarie Badree just could not do it. The ailing mother cried, begged, wailed and bought time until, in the end, she let go of the daughter she could no longer care for. So that afternoon, her child, Renuca Badree, was taken from the home she had never left in all her 47 years of life. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. About a week ago, I wrote about a friend who was robbed on Stanmore Avenue. That was a Frida AUSTIN, Texas If youre from Texas and you ask Miguel Kaiser the meaning behind the name of his T-Locs food truck, hell smile and say it stands for Texas Local. But if youre from Arizona, you wont even bother asking. Youll know once you see the ubiquitous University of Arizona block A sticker on the back door of the trailer, right above the University of Texas Longhorns insignia, and the Bens Bells Be kind clover stickers adorning the windows: Tucson Local. T-loc might not be in the Arizona vernacular, but customers from Tucson and Phoenix put it together, Kaiser said of the name he gave his almost 10-year-old Sonoran hot dog and burrito restaurant. If T-Locs Tucson bona fides arent clear from appearances, check out the menu of Sonoran dogs, grilled bacon-wrapped hot dogs tucked in a pillowy-soft, slightly sweet steamed and grilled roll, topped with pinto beans, diced tomatoes and onion and drizzled with mayo, mustard and mild chile sauce. Nothing like the Sonoran hot dog stands out in Austin, Kaiser said. It represents Tucson and Mexican style. Kaiser grew up eating Sonoran hot dogs during the chunks of his childhood spent in Tucson, which was the first to bring the Hermosillo-born Sonoran dog over the border in the early 1990s. The hot dogs are a Tucson staple that has since made its way to Phoenix and a couple California cities. But when Kaiser and his business partner Zulma Nataren launched T-Locs nine years ago, no one in Texas was doing it, and very few people even knew what they were. Inspired from childhood Kaisers love of Mexican food and cooking came from his Mexican grandmother and his mother, but it was his globe-trotting businessman father who instilled his foodie passion. I remember as a kid he was always grilling and hosting parties, said Kaiser, who graduated from Amphi High and studied illustration at Pima Community College. One thing I learned is when you host a party, you invite people and they dont have to bring anything. I always had that in mind. Kaiser was working in the medical field when he decided at age 30 to follow his passion for cooking. I always had an interest in culinary, he said, recalling how he would watch the chefs grill steaks at El Corral and was fascinated by the cooks working the open kitchen at La Parrilla Suiza. Kaiser attended the Scottsdale Culinary Institute and landed an internship in Thomas Kellers storied New York restaurant Per Se. When he returned home to Tucson, he worked in the kitchens of several resorts before meeting Nataren, who also worked in resort restaurants. The pair decided they wanted to go into business for themselves, focusing on Mexican street food. The goal was Sonoran hot dogs, Kaiser said. My mom was like, Wait, youre going to leave your job to do hot dogs? Yep. Dreaming out loud in ATX Kaiser and Nataren knew they would have to move to pursue their restaurant; there was no way to distinguish themselves among Tucsons crowded and storied Mexican food community. But Texas. Texas could use some Mexican food love and excitement. They flirted with San Antonio, but there was something about Austin that resonated. Its like Tucson, small city supporting a university, but theres a lot of corporate money coming in, Kaiser said. The city also has a vibrant food truck scene, but none were doing what Kaiser and Nataren had planned. It would take them a year of working two jobs and scrimping and saving before the pair was able to buy a food trailer. It took another six months to renovate the trailer and install the kitchen before they were able to open in 2014. Initially, the venture was a part-time gig; they kept their day jobs to pay living expenses while they worked to introduce Austin to the flavors of Tucson. In addition to Sonoran hot dogs, they offer other Tucson favorites including tacos, carne asada burritos and ranch fries. After a few years, they ditched their day jobs and focused on T-Locs full-time. The restaurant quickly earned rave reviews on Yelp and landed it on top of the crowd-sourced review sites list of the highest-rated restaurants in Texas. Within a couple of years, more accolades started flooding in. In 2018, they snagged best hot dog in Texas from Insider, and Money magazine listed them as No. 6 on its Top 10 hot dog joints in the country. Food & Wine in 2020 named T-Locs Sonoran dog as the best hot dog in Texas; in that same listing, El Guero Canelo was the top dog for Arizona. It was named the best burrito in Texas in 2019 by Insider, which gave Arizonas honor to Tucsons own Barista del Barrio. This year, Yelp chimed in on the burrito question, naming T-Locs the top burro in Texas; Barista del Barrio got the Arizona nod. Food you cant find anywhere else Those accolades were not what brought Robert and Jayne Hancock to the 5000 Burnet food truck park on the bustling Burnet Road just north of downtown Austin one Friday evening in mid-May. This is the only place where you can get real carne asada in Austin, Jayne Hancock insisted. Weve lived here 12 years and we couldnt find anyone who has good carne asada until we found these guys. T-Locs is one of seven food trailers set up in the non-descript park Tuesdays through Saturdays, but on most nights, it has the longest lines and most steady traffic. On that May Friday night, Erick Rodriguez, representing his Phoenix roots with a Devin Booker Suns jersey and Common Hype ball cap, and his girlfriend Aliana Saldivar showed up for the hot dogs. It reminded him of home, said the Phoenix native who is serving in the military. Twenty minutes into the night, a small line had formed. Kaiser took orders while carne asada sizzled on the grill behind him, and Nataren composed hot dogs from the counter next to him. Kaiser said T-Locs gets a lot of customers from Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, and he likes to think its because he takes great pains to keep the food authentic, Fed-Exing 650 buns a week from Alejandros Tortilla Factory on Tucsons south side and big, thin tortillas from a producer in Agua Prieta, Mexico, near Douglas. People from Arizona and Sonora come. Its kind of like a reminder from home, he said. Kaiser said he and Nataren are working on plans to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant once they find an ideal location. Learn more about T-Locs at tlocs.com. Q: We are taking a cruise next month from Miami. I booked an 11:30 a.m. return flight from Miami to Chicago on American Airlines. A few months before our cruise, American Airlines canceled our 11:30 a.m. flight and moved us to a 9 a.m. flight. We will still be on the ship at 9 a.m. I called the airline and asked for a flight later in the afternoon. An agent advised me that all flights were full and they could not move my party to any other flights, even out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I waited a few weeks and called again, hoping availability would open up, but it did not. An agent told me to cancel my tickets and that I would get a refund. So I did. I have had an email conversation spanning weeks with American Airlines. They only process refunds via email and give no phone option. They keep denying my refund. So, I asked for an extension on my ticket credit. American Airlines denied that, too. Can you help? Allison Bilski, Munster, Indiana A: American Airlines created this problem by moving your flight. It should show some flexibility something the agent who promised you a refund understood. Too bad you didnt get that promise in writing. If you had, then this case would be easy to resolve. American Airlines saw it differently. It has a four-hour rule when it comes to ticket changes. Its policy says that if it cancels or changes your flight, but reschedules you to arrive within four hours of your original arrival, it would not be required to refund your ticket. You were well within that window. But your circumstances were special because you were coming off a cruise. If you ever get stuck in a situation like this again (and I hope you dont), try reaching out to one of the American Airlines executives, whose names I publish on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. They may be able to review the problem and figure out a solution. You ended up booking a flight home on a different airline. I contacted American Airlines on your behalf. It offered to convert the $1,462 you spent on your flight into credits you can use any time next year. You are happy with that resolution. SEATTLE The company whose submersible vanished in the North Atlantic on a tourist dive to the wreck of the Titanic was repeatedly warned that there might be catastrophic safety problems posed by the way it was developed, documents show. With five people aboard a vessel that if still functioning would have a dwindling amount of oxygen, an expanding international fleet of ships and airplanes is searching for the Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions. The undersea exploration company based in Everett, Washington, has been making yearly voyages to the Titanic since 2021. David Lochridge, OceanGate's director of marine operations, wrote an engineering report in 2018 that said the craft under development needed more testing and that passengers might be endangered when it reached "extreme depths," according to a lawsuit filed that year in U.S. District Court in Seattle. OceanGate sued Lochridge that year, accusing him of breaching a non-disclosure agreement, and he filed a counterclaim alleging that he was wrongfully fired for raising questions about testing and safety. The case settled on undisclosed terms several months after it was filed. Lochridge's concerns primarily focused on the company's decision to rely on sensitive acoustic monitoring cracking or popping sounds made by the hull under pressure to detect flaws, rather than a scan of the hull. Lochridge said the company told him no equipment existed that could perform such a test on the 5-inch-thick carbon-fiber hull. "This was problematic because this type of acoustic analysis would only show when a component is about to fail often milliseconds before an implosion and would not detect any existing flaws prior to putting pressure onto the hull," Lochridge's counterclaim said. The craft was designed to reach depths of 13,000 feet, where the Titanic rested. But, according to Lochridge, the passenger viewport was only certified for depths of up to about 4,300 feet, and OceanGate would not pay for the manufacturer to build a viewport certified for 13,000 feet. OceanGate's choices would "subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible," the counterclaim said. The company said in its complaint that Lochridge "is not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan." He was fired after refusing to accept assurances from OceanGate's lead engineer that the acoustic monitoring and testing protocol was, in fact, better suited to detect any flaws than a scan would be, the complaint said. OceanGate Chief Executive Stockton Rush defended the approach in a speech to a conference in Seattle last year hosted by the tech news site GeekWire. He described how he took a prototype down to 13,000 feet: "It made a lot of noise," he said. So he brought the vessel back up, and on a second dive it made the same troubling noises, even though it should have been dramatically quieter. The company scrapped that hull, which was made by a marine manufacturer, and built another one with an aerospace supplier, Rush said. In a statement, a spokesman for the company said the missing sub was completed in 2020-21, so it would not be the same as the vessel referenced in the lawsuit. OceanGate also received another warning in 2018, this one from the Marine Technology Society, which describes itself as a professional group of ocean engineers, technologists, policy-makers and educators. In a letter to Rush, the society said it was critical that the company submit its prototype to tests overseen by an expert third party before launching to safeguard passengers. Rush refused to do so. Rush was piloting the vessel that is now missing. The letter, reported by the New York Times, said society members were worried that "the current experimental approach adopted by Oceangate could result in negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic) that would have serious consequences for everyone in the industry." In a 2019 interview with Smithsonian magazine, Rush complained that the industry's approach was stifling innovation. The U.S. Supreme Court has sided with Arizona in its bid to keep the federal government from taking actions that could help the Navajo Nation get a larger share of Colorado River water. In a split decision Thursday, the justices accepted the states arguments that the federal government has no legal obligation to help the tribal nation, which spans three states, secure the water it needs. Instead, the majority said if the nation wants help, it needs to go to Congress. The ruling means Arizona and other states wont have another player whose interests in Colorado River water must be considered as decisions are made to reduce and reallocate the increasingly limited supply. A contrary decision potentially could have reduced what is available for other Arizona residents. Crystalyne Curkey, speaker of the Navajo Nation Council, said this isnt the end of the fight. The tribe negotiated its rights in good faith with the federal government, she said. Todays ruling will not deter the Navajo Nation from securing the water that our ancestors sacrificed and fought for our right to life and the livelihood of future generations, Curkey said in a written statement. And Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing a dissent for himself and three other justices, chided his colleagues for sending the Navajo Nation packing. He said all the tribe really wants is for the federal government to identify the water rights it holds for the tribe and, to the extent Washington, D.C. has misappropriated those rights, formulate a plan to stop doing so in the future. There is nothing remarkable about any of this, Gorsuch wrote of the tribes bid. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing for the majority, said that, at least in this case, any relief for the tribe needs to come not from the courts but from Congress and the president. That explanation did not sit well with Gorsuch. To date, their efforts to find out what water rights the United States holds for them have produced an experience familiar to any American who has spent time at the Department of Motor Vehicles, Gorsuch wrote. The Navajos have waited patiently for someone, anyone, to help them, only to be told (repeatedly) that they have been standing in the wrong line and must try another. He said the lawsuit follows years of writing to federal officials and pursuing other litigation, all to be told to try again. When this routine first began in earnest, Elvis was still making his rounds on The Ed Sullivan Show, Gorsuch wrote. Central to the question is the 1868 treaty in which the Navajos agreed not to engage in further war with the United States. In exchange, the federal government established the reservation of more than 17 million acres on the tribes original homeland. Kavanaugh said that treaty includes the land, minerals and timber on the land as well as the right to use needed water on the reservation. That was complicated by seven Colorado River basin states decision in 1922 to divide up the river water. The tribe sought a ruling that, if successful, would require the U.S. Interior Department to consider potential impacts on the nations water rights as it makes future decisions about the river. In filing suit, the tribe sought an order compelling federal agencies to determine the water required to meet the needs of the Navajos in Arizona and to devise a plan to meet those needs. They cited the 1868 treaty. Arizona intervened in the lawsuit, as did Nevada and Colorado, to protect their own interests in water from the Colorado River. Gorsuch said the 1868 treaty does make various promises, including requiring the federal government to build a school, a chapel, a carpenter shop and a blacksmith shop. Other provisions mandated the United States provide teachers for Navajos schools for at least 10 years and provide articles of clothing or other goods to the Navajos. But the treaty said nothing about any affirmative duty for the United States to secure water, Gorsuch wrote. He said that would be like saying the treaty required the federal government to farm the land, mine the minerals or harvest the timber. Said Kavanaugh: It is not surprising that a treaty ratified in 1868 did not envision and provide for all of the Navajos current water needs 155 years later in 2023. He acknowledged the historic drought also has affected the tribe. So even though the Navajo Nation encompasses numerous water sources and the tribe has the right to use needed water from those sources, the Navajos face the same water scarcity problem that many in the western United States face, Kavanaugh wrote. He said, though, the remedy to the tribes water issues lies elsewhere. Congress and the president may update the law to meet modern policy priorities and needs, Kavanaugh said. But it is not the judiciarys role to update the law. He said thats particularly important in cases like this. Allocating water in the arid regions of the American West is often a zero-sum situation, Kavanaugh said. PHOENIX Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed legislation Tuesday she said could make criminals out of some who aid undocumented migrants. The proposal by Tucson Republican Sen. Justine Wadsack was among 15 measures approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature many on party-line votes that the Democratic governor said Tuesday were unacceptable. Others ranged from harsher sentences for certain fentanyl-related offenses to barring certain critical infrastructure purchases from citizens of certain countries. Hobbs also rejected a bid to tell social media platforms who they cannot keep from posting. The original proposal Wadsack pushed through the Senate would have made it a Class 2 felony to use a telephone, computer program or application to assist in any human smuggling. That carries a presumptive sentence of five years in state prison. But by the time Wadsack got the bill to the House, she agreed to narrow the focus. A Class 2 felony would have applied only if the person using the electronic device was intending to conceal a person from a peace officer or assisting a person in fleeing. The criminals have figured out how to use encrypted apps, Matthew Thomas, chief deputy of the Pinal County Sheriffs Department, told lawmakers during hearings on the measure. He said Senate Bill 1408 would give law enforcement and prosecutors an additional tool so we can get these criminals and keep them behind bars. But Marilyn Rodriguez of the American Civil Liberties Union called even the scaled-back version too broad. She said it would target even those who aid people who crossed the border illegally but surrendered themselves to Border Patrol to seek asylum. This could strengthen the suggestion that anyone providing humanitarian or legal services are assisting in the smuggling of human beings, Rodriguez said, quoting from the language of SB 1408. The language is broad enough to pose a serious concern for service providers who interact with migrants on a regular basis and use mobile phones or computer applications in their day-to-day operations. Rep. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, told of working with a nun and others with the Catholic Church in Texas to provide showers, food and clothing for border crossers. Im wondering if its your intention to lock up a Catholic nun, she asked Wadsack. In my opinion, if somebody is trafficking or harboring somebody, theyre trafficking and harboring, Wadsack responded. It shouldnt matter if theyre a clergyman or an ex-convict or somebody who works in a Walmart. Hobbs did not agree. This bill is yet another attempt by the majority to criminalize organizations and individuals who aim to support immigrants and refugees, Hobbs wrote in her veto message Tuesday. I implore the majority party to work with stakeholders to provide real solutions for our border communities. Fentanyl Hobbs also rejected House Bill 2802, a bid by Rep. Matt Gress, R-Phoenix, to impose a presumptive 10-year prison term on anyone who sells, attempts or intends to sell even a single pill that contains two or more milligrams of fentanyl. Gress said the penalty is appropriate. If someone takes that drug you intend to sell, they will die, he told colleagues. Its a known fact, its indisputable, if you ingest more than two milligrams of fentanyl, you will die. Ortiz questioned the hard-and-fast rule, saying the offender not only may not know the dose but also may be selling the drug to a friend solely to support his or her own habit. Rep. Melody Hernandez, D-Phoenix, said all the legislation would do is put more Arizonans behind bars. She said the state has a higher incarceration rate than not just many other states but also than El Salvador, Rawanda and Cuba. Hobbs had her own problems with the legislation. This bill will criminalize substance abuse disorder, she wrote in vetoing HB 2802. Instead of locking people up who are suffering from the effects of the opioid epidemic, we must prioritize treatment and risk reduction. Candidates postings The governor also rejected a bid by Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, to regulate how national and international social media platforms operate in Arizona. Rogers SB 1106 would have put into state law that once people become candidates for any public office, they could not have their posting rights taken away pretty much no matter what they say, truthful or otherwise. Only violations of the federal Communications Decency Act would result in loss of privileges. Rogers, in testifying for her bill, said special treatment for candidates is merited. This legislation seeks to reinforce the First Amendment, especially for political speech, she said. Hobbs said she found no merit in the measure. This bill does not attempt to solve any of the real problems social media platforms create, the governor wrote. Critical infrastructure Hobbs also rejected another Rogers proposal, which would have barred any governmental entity or private business from entering into any agreement for critical infrastructure with a company owned by citizens of China, North Korea, Iran or Russia. Such infrastructure already is defined elsewhere in state law as any system or asset so vital to the state or the county that its incapacitation would have a debilitating impact on security, economic security, public health or safety. That led Rep. Keith Seaman, D-Casa Grande, to ask if there have been problems in Arizona that this legislation would resolve. Rogers said she did not have specific examples other than China being involved in computer production. Hobbs, for her part, objected to creating a presumption that all citizens of certain countries are enemies of the state. She said there are also practical concerns, such as disqualifying many Arizonans who may have dual citizenship. Moreover, the bills broad language would jeopardize businesses entering the Arizona market, a significant tailwind in our economy as the U.S.s top state for foreign-direct investment, Hobbs said. She raised the question of whether this would bar investment from Taiwan, which China claims as its own. Other bills nixed Tuesday Hobbs also vetoed measures to: Set up new procedures for parents to file complaints if they believe schools are violating their parental rights and collecting that information on a statewide level. Hobbs called it an unnecessary mandate on school districts. Require that more people convicted of certain crimes be listed on a sex-offender website maintained by the Department of Public Safety. She said existing law already requires posting of the names of the most dangerous. Eliminate the requirement that attorneys be members of the State Bar of Arizona, a change that would have left all discipline of lawyers solely to the Arizona Supreme Court. She said the Bar is best equipped to do the job and noted the high court justices opposed the measure. Mandate a head-to-head test of hand counts versus machine counts of ballots, all in the wake of continued claims by failed candidates that machine counting is inherently suspect and susceptible to fraud and hacking. The 2022 election is settled, Hobbs wrote, telling lawmakers it is time to move on and start addressing real problems. Which Witch Hunt? The former president claimed the Mueller investigation was the biggest witch hunt ever. He now claims the successful civil suit against him as the biggest witch hunt ever. With so many investigations in-process, which one(s) will become the biggest? I can offer the answer, the one(s) that are successful in prosecution. His protege, Santos has recently co-opted Trumps description for his own legal troubles. It is a weak and tired argument to blame the legal system for catching you in the bad acts you have done. Shame on those who side with the offenders when they are caught. Jeff Rayner SaddleBrooke Argument does not hold water Re: the June 16 letter "Trump is unique." The letter writers letter reducing former President Trump's flagrant lawbreaking to "errors" due to his status as the first citizen President since George Washington is laughable. Does the letter writer mean to assert that every "citizen" should be excused for ignoring a subpoena, even if, as I assume Trump does, they have legal counsel to provide advice and guidance? Does he mean to assert that during his presidency, there's no possible way Trump would have had "political insiders" on his team advising him? I admire the letter writers ability to push the limits of logic and common sense, but his ridiculous argument doesn't hold water, except perhaps for the most delusional of Trump cultists. Jeanne Sharp East side Drag is joy In our 13 years of holding season tickets to the Arizona Theater Company we have loved many many performances. Our favorite until now was the play some 10 years ago about Deportees, based on the plane filled with migrant laborers that crashed in Los Gatos. As it ended we stood silently in tears. Well today we laughed and declared The Legend of Georgia McBride to be our new favorite. One of the best times weve had in our 79 years of life. The actors were amazing and the overall production was perfect. We now believe that where there is Drag there is joy. Bob and Kathy Mohelnitzky Oro Valley Pay attention to what they do... Rep Juan Ciscomani says he represents all of District 6; but he voted to repeal the bill clarifying the illegality of pistol braces (originally in The National Firearms Act of 1934). Semi-automatic pistols equipped with stabilizing braces were used at: Dayton - 9 people killed, 27 injured Boulder - 10 people killed at a grocery store Colorado Springs - 5 people killed and 25 injured Nashville - 6 people (3 were age 9) killed at Covenant School Ciscomanis District has mostly the same constituents as Rep. Gabby Giffords' did. Her organization reminds us the dangers of these braces are not theoretical. Dont just listen to what Ciscomani says look at what he does. Mary Keerins Foothills Patriots It seems that what motivates Trump supporters is that they are the patriots, likening themselves to the patriots of the American Revolution willing to fight for their cause. Mr. Trump in recent social media posts has referred to himself as "King" thereby, making MAGA really MAKA, Make America a Kingdom Again. Is there a better term for the remaining Trump supporters than loyalists, the name applied to those in America who supported the king and opposed the American revolution? Patriotism in America is defined by a willingness to uphold the constitution, pay taxes, and tolerate the 'other', as well as defend the country against foreign and domestic enemies. 'King' Donald fails these criteria. Eric Gormally Oro Valley I'm a little confused All my life I have been under the impression that the Republican Party was the party of fiscal responsibility. I don't see how underfunding the IRS fits in. The IRS is the only government entity that produces a profit. It seems that cutting IRS funding is the exact opposite of fiscal responsibility. Folks, please help me understand this! James Galvin Sahuarita All over the nation misinformation So COVID-19 was a hoax Why so many dying folks? Donald Trump hey, he won! His cult, each and every one Thinks it's true, wear your red white and blue Jan. 6, just another normal day! The dead and maimed, what to say? So many lies, so much at stake Ask Mike Lindell and Kari Lake Gun culture the American Way Will your kid come home today? Most pressing issue of the day, Drag shows! Hide your kids away! Indicted ex-prez wreaking havoc Yet people worry about a laptop! Guaranteed to take our country down Allegiance to a dangerous circus clown. Deborah Klumpp Oro Valley Southwest Gas changes Has anybody else looked at their Southwest Gas bill recently? Mine has gone up considerably just over the past few months, even though my usage has gone down. So, I did some digging and saw that Southwest Gas reported record revenue last quarter AFTER they raised rates again in January. Im an Air Force retiree living on a fixed pension my money only goes so far. Why is a corporate utility placing such a burden on individuals, families and small businesses especially while their profits continue to soar? These price hikes are causing undue hardships for vulnerable communities including disabled veterans and retired military like me. Were already facing enough challenges without having to spend our money to line the pockets of greedy corporate executives. Dallas Stevens Midtown Border crisis and responses Re: the June 21 article "Container wall leaves runaway costs behind." The AZ Daily Star featured a story from The Howard Center For Investigative Journalism that criticized former Republican Governor Doug Ducey and Republicans in the legislature for expenses and construction of a container wall at the border with Yuma. Nowhere in the story did it mention that under the Biden administration there has been record numbers of foreign nationals entering the country illegally. Nowhere in the story did it mention that in April 2019, the Mayor of Yuma declared a State of Emergency (SoE) due to the flood of people illegally crossing the border there. That in part lead President Trump to build the border wall in Arizona, which President Biden immediately halted. After President Biden was elected in November 2020, the numbers of people illegally entering country skyrocketed, including at Yuma. The Mayor there declared another SoE in December 2021. Governor Ducey's plan for the container wall only developed as the result of an increasing border crisis in Arizona that I think the Biden administration intentionally created and ignored. Martin Wagman Green Valley What a sick joke What am I missing here? Hunter is guilty of paying his taxes late? That's a crime? In the real world, that might cost him a financial penalty and the taxes and penalty would be paid. And Hunter was using drugs at the time he purchased a firearm? I did recently read that that was a federal felony! Give me a break. If we're going to start threatening jail time to Americans who pay their taxes late ... and gun owners that use illicit drugs, then we sure darn better start building more jails ... a LOT more jails. I don't know about you, but I tend to believe that Hunter has been experiencing an actual long-time Witch Hunt ... not the fake "Witch-Hunts" that Trump is constantly complaining about. And McCarthy is trying his best to defend all of this? It's time to admit it guys. If this is what we get from the Republican Party, then it's time to admit that the Republican Party isn't just a joke ... it's dead. Sue Thompson SaddleBrooke I'm confused If the GOP, as so many writers to this paper contend, is loaded with racists how come minorities and women are in the running for the GOP presidential nomination vs an old white guy for the Dems? I thought old white guys were the cause of all of our country's woes. Mark Moral East side Pride nights Sometime after hosting a pride night, may I suggest MLB ballparks host a zealot night"? That way we all would have a night. Duane Barbour MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Alabama legislators will hold their first meeting next week to determine what the state's new congressional map should look like after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the state's existing plan unlawfully diluted the power of Black voters. The chairmen of the Permanent Legislative Committee on Reapportionment on Wednesday released a schedule for hearings and deadlines. A three-judge panel last week gave lawmakers until July 21 to adopt a new congressional map. The deadline comes after the U.S. Supreme Court last week affirmed the panel's finding that Alabama likely violated the Voting Rights Act with a congressional map that had only one majority Black district out of seven in a state where more than one in four residents is Black. The state must now draw a new map where Black voters comprise a majority, or close to it, in a second district. The reapportionment committee set a June 27 public hearing, a July 7 deadline to submit plans to the committee, and another public hearing for July 13. Hearings can be watched online at the Alabama Legislatures website. Lawyers for the state of Alabama told the three-judge panel last week that they were prepared for a special session beginning the week of July 17. The court would then review the plan enacted by lawmakers. The judges tentatively set an Aug. 14 hearing date to review the new map. AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) The Maine Senate voted to advance a paid family and medical leave proposal on Wednesday, sending it to the House for further debate. The party-line vote 22-12 keeps the proposal on track for passage in the Democratic-controlled Legislature, but it's unclear if Democratic Gov. Janet Mills will sign it into law. The proposal allows up to 12 weeks a year of paid leave for qualifying conditions, such as the birth or adoption of a child, a workers serious illness, or care for a sick relative. It would be funded through a payroll tax split between workers and employers and capped at 1% of wages. The exact contribution rate, including the split, and the wage replacement rate have yet to be negotiated. Companies with fewer than 15 employees would be exempt. Business groups including the Maine Chamber of Commerce oppose the bill, which would cost $71 million to implement and $12.7 million per year to administer, according to legislative documents. Maine is the only state in New England without some form of paid leave, but it does offer unpaid leave. The governor supports the concept of paid leave but needs to review the bill and changes that have been made, a spokesperson said. WASHINGTON (AP) Plant-based courses of millet and stuffed mushrooms are on the menu for some 400 guests invited to Thursday's fancy White House state dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi is a vegetarian and first lady Jill Biden enlisted California-based chef Nancy Curtis, who specializes in plant-based cooking, to help in the kitchen. Biden previewed the menu and decor for the news media on Wednesday after she returned from an outing with the prime minister. She described the menu as stunning. For her part, Curtis declared herself so excited. You must understand the pressure I'm under standing here before you, but it's a kind of pressure that is also an elation because, when you're asked by the first lady to come and join her at the White House, it's an experience that I hope many chefs get to have, she said. This is definitely a pinnacle moment in my career and truly a pleasure to be able to work with the first lady and help her to bring her culinary vision to life, Curtis added. Politicians, CEOs, celebrities, White House and administration officials and other guests will dine on a salad of marinated millet, corn and compressed watermelon, stuffed Portobello mushrooms and saffron risotto, and a strawberry shortcake infused with rose and cardamom. Curtis said the menu showcases the best of American cuisine seasoned with Indian elements and flavors. She said India is leading an international year of recognition for millet. Trolleys will deliver guests to a pavilion built on the south grounds for the affair. It will be decorated in the green and saffron colors of India's flag, with translucent walls offering views of iconic symbols of American democracy and history, including the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument. Lotus flowers, native to Asia and featured in Indian design, will be incorporated throughout, along with saffron-hued floral arrangements that differ from table to table. Dinner will be candlelit, reflecting the first lady's love of candles. Each table arrangement, she said, is warm and unique. We hope guests feel as if someone has set that table just for them because we have. After dinner, guests will enjoy music by American violinist Joshua Bell; Penn Masala, a South Asian a cappella group founded by students at the University of Pennsylvania; and the U.S. Marine Band Chamber Orchestra. They will exit the grounds by walking across a lawn illuminated by hundreds of glowing lanterns. Earlier Wednesday, the first lady and Modi visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, for an event highlighting workforce training programs. He flew in from New York where earlier in the day he performed backbends and corpse poses during a yoga session with a multinational crowd on the lawn of the United Nations. Our universities are partnering together, leading research, creating apprenticeships and internships that span the ocean," Biden said at the event. "And as weve seen here, students from both countries are learning and growing alongside of each other, discovering the people they want to become and building a better world together. Modi spoke about the emphasis India has placed on education, integrating learning and training. Our goal is to make this decade a tech decade or tech-ade, the prime minister said, speaking in Hindi. President Joe Biden, who extended the state visit invitation to Modi, could not join the outing because he was flying back from California after raising money for his reelection campaign. The president returned to Washington in the evening and he and the first lady hosted Modi at the White House for a more intimate dinner before Thursday's splashier affair. As the official gift, the Bidens presented Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th century, the White House said. The president also gave Modi a vintage American camera and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, while the first lady gave him a signed, first-edition copy of Collected Poems of Robert Frost. Despite deep differences with India over its record on human rights and its approach to Russia's war in Ukraine, Biden nevertheless extended to Modi the administration's third invitation for a state visit. With all the pomp and attention being paid to Modi, Biden hopes to firm up his relationship with the leader of a country the U.S. believes will be a pivotal force in Asia for decades to come. Biden hosted the presidents of France and South Korea on official state visits in December 2022 and April of this year, respectively. A Bristow man was sentenced to serve life in federal prison after a jury found him guilty in the 2018 murder of a Jenks man. U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman gave Justin Dale Little, 29, the only sentence available to him as it wasnt a death penalty case. There is no parole in the federal prison system. A federal jury found Little guilty in November following a three-day trial in the murder of Johnathon Weatherford, 21. Prosecutors claimed that Little stalked Weatherford on April 22, 2018, and shot him in the back as he walked down railroad tracks near Jenks High School. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor Regal told the jury during his trial that Little was jealous because Weatherford was in a relationship with a woman with whom Little shared a child. Little had been serving a life prison sentence in state prison, with parole possible, for Weatherfords slaying when his first-degree murder conviction and sentence were overturned following the landmark 2020 U.S. Supreme Court McGirt ruling. The ruling found that the state of Oklahoma did not have jurisdiction to try tribal members for major crimes committed within the historical boundaries of the Muscogee Nation reservation because Congress had never disestablished the reservation. Only the federal and tribal governments may try tribal members for crimes committed in Indian Country. Little is a member of the Seminole Nation. A grand jury indicted Little on April 8, 2021, in Tulsa federal court on one count of first-degree murder in Indian Country. Under federal law, a person found guilty of first-degree murder in Indian Country is subject to either life in prison without parole or the death penalty. Since prosecutors did not seek the death penalty, Mosmans only option was to sentence Little to life in prison with no parole possible, a move that Little objected to in a court filing. Little claimed in a motion filed on his behalf that the mandatory no parole life sentence was unconstitutional because he was only 24 years old at the time of the murder. Little conceded that the U.S. Supreme Court has previously banned mandatory life prison sentences only for those under the age of 18. This rule should be broadened to individuals like Mr. Little aged 25 years or younger at the time they committed the alleged offense, the motion stated. Little requested the ban on mandatory life sentences be extended from under age 18 to under age 26 because the science reveals that the adolescent brain continues to develop until age 25. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 upheld a lower court ruling in a case known as Miller v. Alabama that found mandatory no-parole life sentences for those under the age of 18 to be unconstitutional. The filing noted that courts over the years have increased the threshold age for defendants to be eligible for the death penalty from 16 years to 18 years. Those holdings reflect scientific findings regarding the developing brains of juveniles; because juveniles have a greater proclivity than adults to engage in rash and impulsive behavior, juveniles are less morally culpable than fully grown adults, and in turn, the Constitution prohibits imposition of the harshest criminal penalties on juveniles, according to Littles filing. The motion noted that while case law in the 10th U.S. Circuit, which includes Oklahoma, forecloses his age argument, Little said he intends to preserve it for a possible appeal to the full 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals or the U.S. Supreme Court. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. For the second time in three years, the Edison High School Screamin Eagle Marching Band is having to recalibrate its sole fundraiser thanks to extenuating circumstances. Director Doug Styers, Edison students and parents spent their Saturday in an open field just east of 101st Street and Memorial Drive, preparing the bands annual fireworks stand. Along with pitching a tent and unloading a truckload of inventory, the students and band boosters made a few early sales before calling it a day and in compliance with their insurance policy, leaving a parent to keep an eye on the stand as a precautionary measure. And then the storm rolled in. I called the parent who was out there at 12:18 a.m. Sunday and she said it was quiet, Edison band booster treasurer Misti Ryan said. At 12:21 a.m., she texted me that the tent and everything else was gone. Instead of spending Sunday attempting to sell sparklers and smoke bombs, the Edison band community spent the day taking stock of what inventory was left unharmed. Their supplier, TNT Fireworks, is providing a restock and the band will not be out of pocket for the damaged goods. However, until the new inventory comes in, the options are a bit limited under the Screamin Eagle Bands replacement tent. Were just kind of rebuilding right now, Styers said. In recent years, the band has had up to 80 students participate with each student expected to work at least two shifts at the stand. Although band members are charged a fee to pay for shirts and a few other tangible needs, the fireworks sale proceeds cover most, if not all of the operating costs for the upcoming years marching season. For example, the cost to license music for the bands performances is about $2,500 per year. The dry cleaning bill for uniforms is another $2,500. Props and equipment for the color guard are an additional $2,000 per year, while transportation to and from competitions ranges from $1,000 to $2,000 per contest, depending on the events location. In 2022 alone, the band earned $27,000 from selling fireworks. It keeps us afloat, Styers said. Marching band is not cheap and this is what helps us keep the band fees lower for our kids and more affordable for parents. For a couple of weeks worth of hard work, it is worth it. This is the second time in three years that the bands fireworks sales have had to deal with unexpected inventory issues. In 2021, more than $16,000 worth of explosives were stolen from a stand operated by the band. However, even with the two incidents, both Styers and Ryan said the bands fireworks stands have had bigger payoffs than simply the financial aspect. Yes, it is frustrating, but its so important for the kids to be able to participate in this program, Ryan said. Its a place where they can belong, they can be themselves, they can really improve upon themselves and set themselves up for opportunities, like music scholarships. These kids have fun and they learn how to work together in band. When we get to the end of the stand season and the students find out how much theyve made, its such a good experience for them to see how all of their hard work pays off. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. China extends preferential purchase tax policy for NEVs Xinhua) 10:51, June 22, 2023 BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China will extend its preferential purchase tax policy for new energy vehicles (NEVs) to the end of 2027 as part of the efforts to continue to support the industry, Chinese authorities have said. Purchase tax will be exempted for NEVs bought in 2024 and 2025, and each passenger vehicle bought will enjoy up to 30,000 yuan (about 4,178.56 U.S. dollars) of tax exemption, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Finance, the State Taxation Administration, and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. For NEVs bought in 2026 and 2027, purchase tax will be halved, and each passenger vehicle bought will enjoy up to 15,000 yuan of tax exemption, said the statement. The move seeks to support the NEVs sector's development and stimulate automobile consumption, the statement said. The tax incentive covers fully electric, hybrid, and fuel-cell vehicles that are included on an official list. Preliminary estimates show the policy will result in a total of 520 billion yuan of tax exemptions and reductions, Vice Minister of Finance Xu Hongcai said at a press conference on Wednesday. The country first introduced the purchase tax exemption policy for NEVs On Sept. 1, 2014, and extended the policy three times in 2017, 2020, and 2022. The current policy is effective until the end of this year. By the end of last year, the preferential policy had led to more than 200 billion yuan of tax exemption. More than 115 billion yuan of tax is expected to be exempted this year, said Xu. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, China has introduced more than 70 policies and measures to support the NEV industry's development, according to Xin Guobin, vice minister of industry and information technology. As a result, the country has seen fast growth in its NEV market in recent years. In the first five months of this year, the NEV output grew 45.1 percent year on year to more than 3 million units, and the NEV sales increased by 46.8 percent from a year earlier to 2.94 million units. The NEV sales accounted for 27.7 percent of the country's total new vehicle sales, maintaining sound growth momentum, said Xin. Supporting infrastructure, including charging facilities, has also seen a notable improvement in recent years. The number of charging piles has increased from less than 100,000 in 2015 to 5.21 million in 2022. By the end of May this year, China's charging piles reached nearly 6.36 million. However, the market-oriented NEV development in China remains unbalanced and insufficient, with the northeastern and northwestern parts of the country lagging behind, sales of commercial NEVs growing more slowly than that of the passenger NEVs, and the rural market not fully tapped into, said Xin. He said the above problems will be addressed, and more policies will come out to support the development of the NEV industry. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie) OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma Veterans Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to close a veterans home in Talihina at least a year before a new veterans home opens in Sallisaw. Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs officials said the state was losing money, to the tune of $500,000 each month, because the 175-bed facility is currently home to only 36 residents. Those residents will be able to move to one of the states other six veterans homes, said Department of Veterans Affairs Interim Executive Director Greg Slavonic. The Talihina facility is expected to close by Oct. 1. We want to make sure we take care of the residents and we take care of the employees, Slavonic said. These decisions are not easy to make. An eastern Oklahoma lawmaker said Oklahomans who have family members in the Talihina facility were blindsided by the news. Thursdays meeting was the first time the Veterans Commission had discussed closing the home sooner than anticipated. The other veterans homes closest to Talihina are located more than two hours away in Claremore and Sulphur. Construction is ongoing on a new 175-bed veterans home in Sallisaw, but the completion date has been pushed back by 18 months due to a snafu with a previous contractor on the project. The Sallisaw veterans home, which was always intended to replace the Talihina facility, was originally scheduled to open next month. Now, the new facility is expected to open in early 2025. Previously, the agency planned to close the Talihina home after the Sallisaw facility opened. Closing the Talihina facility is expected to cost $3.9 million, about $2.1 of which will go toward employee severance and other costs related to the reduction in workforce. About 84 state employees work at the facility in addition to 38 contract employees. The state agency will offer to shift some Talihina employees into jobs at other veterans homes or within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Shawn Kirkland, deputy director of the Department of Veterans Affairs, said the agency is expected to lose at least $5.4 million over the next year if the Talihina facility remains open. The finances of where we are are rather stark and troubling, Slavonic said. Members of the Veterans Commission, which oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Slavonic expressed concerns about having to ask the Oklahoma Legislature for additional funding after already requesting more than $30 million in emergency funding this year due to a budget shortfall at the agency and cost overruns on the Sallisaw project. Commissioners peppered Slavonic and Kirkland with questions about how the closure would work and what it would mean for residents and their families. Commissioner Daniel Orr said residents knew they would be forced to move at some point, but now they could potentially transfer to better facilities with higher levels of care. If the residents dont want to move to another state-run veterans home, they could look for a local care facility or a center that contracts with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Kirkland said. The Department of Veterans Affairs is exploring the possibility of issuing travel stipends to residents family members who may have to travel farther to visit their loved one in a new home. Rep. Josh West, who chairs the House Veteran and Military Affairs Committee, said hes confident the Department of Veterans Affairs will take care of the residents and staff at the facility. Thats not an easy decision, he said of the commissions vote. Were tasked with being good stewards of taxpayer money and taking care of our veterans, too. But some lawmakers expressed shock and anger at the Veterans Commissions decision. Rep. Jim Grego, R-Wilburton, said he was taken off guard by the news. This means 36 families have just 90 days to find a place to care for their loved ones, Grego said in a news release. This is a disruption and a disgrace to these veterans who faithfully sacrificed and served our nation and to their families who want to keep their loved ones nearby. Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed all the members of the Veterans Commission. A Republican lawmaker introduced legislation this year to reform the board so the governor has fewer appointees, but the measure stalled. The Talihina veterans center was constructed in 1921 to serve as a tuberculosis sanatorium. State officials cited the age, location and condition of the building when they began planning to move the veterans home. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Twelve years ago today, reputed Boston mob boss James J. "Whitey" Bulger was finally behind bars, with several jurisdictions lined up to prosecute him. The longtime fugitive was charged in the 1981 slaying of Tulsa businessman Roger Wheeler. Police, prosecutors and Wheeler's family said at the time that they were happy to learn of his arrest. "Our intention in Tulsa County is to bring Bulger to justice" and to have him "held accountable," Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris said at the time. Bulger, 81, was on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list for his alleged role in 19 murders. FBI agents arrested him and his girlfriend, 60-year-old Catherine Greig, in Santa Monica, Calif., on a tip produced by a recent publicity campaign. OKLAHOMA CITY A new study found Oklahoma has 32 times more regulated marijuana than necessary to meet the demand of the nearly 400,000 Oklahomans who have medical cannabis licenses. The study commissioned by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority determined the oversupply is so significant that it is likely to pose an immediate threat to public safety. The 24-page report from Cannabis Public Policy Consulting indicates the vast quantities of medical marijuana in the state are contributing to the cannabis black market and that many illegal suppliers are likely licensed cannabis businesses. OMMA Executive Director Adria Berry said the reports findings were somewhat surprising. We knew there was an oversupply problem in the market, but the reason for the study was so we could have it quantified and create a plan to address it, she said. More than 43% of cannabis in Oklahoma is obtained by illicit sources, according to the report released Wednesday. Thats compared to roughly 38% of cannabis thats legally sourced from local dispensaries or grown at home by licensed cannabis patients. Another 18% is purchased from recreational marijuana dispensaries in other states. Non-medical marijuana patients making purchases from dispensaries was the most common way Oklahomans obtained cannabis from illicit sources, according to the report. Roughly 110,270 pounds of cannabis, or 328,604 plants, are needed to meet the demands of the states 369,515 medical marijuana patients in a year. But the total yearly cannabis demand, which factors in regulated and illicit marijuana for all consumers (not just licensed patients) amounts to 750,880 pounds of cannabis, or 2.2 million plants, according to the report. Although some elected officials have likened the states medical marijuana program to states that have legalized recreational marijuana, the report dispelled that comparison because patient demand for medical cannabis in Oklahoma is comparable to other states with medical programs. Efforts by the Oklahoma Legislature, the OMMA and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs to crack down on illicit marijuana operations and increase oversight and regulation of the states medical marijuana program are expected to improve the states supply-to-demand ratios, the reports states. The biggest piece is enforcement, Berry said. Were past the time to talk about prevention. We have to enforce our rules and regulations equally across the state. Berry said her agency will work with the Oklahoma Legislature to find ways to reduce the supply of marijuana in the state. She said imposing production limits on certain cannabis businesses could be one step forward. OMMA officials will also go on a statewide listening tour this fall to solicit feedback from Oklahomans. Jed Green, director of Oklahomans for Responsible Cannabis Action, questioned whether the study took into account the sheer volume of marijuana needed to make concentrates, which can be used in edibles or in vaping devices. He also urged the OMMA to double down on working with lawful business owners who have a real world understanding of supply and demand. Marijuana has been here and is not going away, he said in a statement. Our lawmakers have one simple choice moving forward. Do they want the State to benefit from marijuana sales, or do they continue giving away market share to illicit operators by taxing and regulating the good guys out of business? Oklahoma legalized medical marijuana in 2018 with few limits on cannabis patients and businesses. The OMMA last year implemented a two-year moratorium on issuing new grower, dispensary and processor licenses after the number of licensed growers ballooned to more than 8,600. The Legislature also hiked fees assessed on cannabis businesses. Now, roughly 10% of the states population has a medical marijuana card. The high number of patients is likely a result of the state not limiting access solely to Oklahomans with certain medical conditions, the report states. State officials have been trying for years to get their arms around Oklahomas free-market medical cannabis program. Cannabis Public Policy Consulting surveyed more than 1,300 cannabis consumers in 68 of Oklahomas 77 counties. The group also estimated the amount of regulated marijuana in the state through the OMMAs seed-to-sale tracking system, which ensures cannabis plants are grown, processed and sold in accordance with state law. This was the first statewide survey commissioned by the OMMA. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. OKLAHOMA CITY Faith advisers want State Superintendent Ryan Walters to enforce a daily full minute of silence in schools, mandate the posting of the Ten Commandments in every classroom and add a Western Civilization course to high school graduation requirements. What began with a letter a few months ago to the Oklahoma State Department of Education suggesting the possibility of a scripted, non-sectarian prayer for use in public schools across the state led to the formation of a group calling itself Oklahoma Advisory Committee on Founding Principles. At Thursday mornings state Board of Education meeting, Walters announced the group has issued three recommendations. Our goal has been to reflect upon the founding principles of the United States and the place that Christian faith, virtue, and morality plays in making this Nation such a place of blessing and hope for peoples from all parts of the world over hundreds of years now since her founding, the Rev. Stephen Hamilton, pastor of St. Monica Catholic Church in Edmond and chairman of the group, wrote in a recent letter to the state Department of Education. The Tulsa World obtained a copy through a public records request. In accord with the diverse composition of our committee, our recommendations are non-sectarian and non-partisan, Hamilton continued. We think these recommendations, if adopted, will help form current and future generations of students to appreciate the origins of the United States, to flourish in their own development, and to become citizens who contribute positively to the common good of this country. In late February, Walters responded to an initial letter by announcing he would form a committee to explore the role of prayer in public education. In March, a statewide faith coalition called Oklahoma Faith Network reacted by sending its own letter to Walters encouraging separation of church and state in public education. Walters commented at the time that he thought it ironic, a reverend sending a political letter to express her political opinion. In November of last year, Oklahomans had an election and they elected me to bring back traditional values into the classroom. I have a responsibility to see it done, he told The Oklahoman. As it turns out, the Oklahoma Advisory Committee on Founding Principles would go on to include a couple of religious leaders who made unsuccessful political bids for seats in the U.S. Congress, as well as the leader of a political action committee. Specifically, the group wants an existing state statute enforced that provides for the observation of a minute of silence. This shall be a full minute and not only the commonly referred to moment, the first recommendation reads. Prior to each days minute of silence, each school in each district must announce over the schools public address system the following purpose for the minute of silence: We now pause for a minute of silence in which students and teachers may use this minute to reflect, meditate, pray, or engage in any other silent activity. Second, the group wants displayed in every single classroom a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in a publicly visible location. The third recommendation echoes Walters own headline-making campaign call in 2022 for every Oklahoma history teacher to be trained in the patriotic education curriculum of the controversial Hillsdale College, a private conservative Christian liberal arts college in Michigan. The advisory group says mandating a new Western Civilization course for high school graduation will strengthen the heritage which was integral to the nations founding and its western culture, as well as to foster gratitude and informed citizenship. Walters began his public comments on the matter Thursday by saying he believes a landmark 1962 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court was wrong. They ruled in Engel v. Vitale that school-sponsored prayer in public schools violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Atheism is now the de facto and sponsored religion, and it is indefensible in a place like Oklahoma that we would allow this to happen. A long history of Supreme Court positions have created in fact, a state-sponsored religion: atheism, Walters said. The false narrative that has been touted regarding the separation of church and state has also created this idea that honoring ones faith the religion in the classroom should be prohibited. This is a fallacy. After reading the groups recommendations, Walters expressed support for only one and did not even mention the other two. I am therefore making the recommendation that all schools in Oklahoma faithfully observe the one minute of silence every day. And school districts must also tell students that they can pray at the beginning of the one minute and they should be fully informed of how they can utilize their minute of silence, Walters told his fellow state Board of Education members. Other members of the advisory group include: Wade Burleson, a Southern Baptist leader and retired preacher in Enid who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Oklahomas Third Congressional District in 2022; Howard Hatcher, pastor of International Outreach Ministry and Training Center in Tulsa; Jackson Lahmeyer, pastor of Tulsa-based Sheridan.Church and founder of Pastors for Trump, who ran an unsuccessful campaign to try to unseat incumbent U.S. Sen. James Lankford; Bob Linn, president of Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee; Masood Abdul-Haqq, who has served as chairman of Oklahoma City mosque Masjid Mumin and of CAIR-Oklahoma, a nonprofit Islamic civil liberties and advocacy group; Aiya Kelley, a Guthrie musician who ran unsuccessfully in the GOP primary for Oklahoma State Senate District 20; Jesse Leon Rodgers, president of Tulsa-based City Elders, a group of spiritual, political, and business leaders who band together in councils to uphold Biblical values in all levels of government; and Derwin Romani, a community mental health advocate in Oklahoma City. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Five years ago, thousands of Oklahomans swarmed the state Capitol with teachers and support staff to stand up for greater respect for educators and others who work with our public school students. That parents, business owners, clergy and students took to the streets with educators that year in the Educator Spring in Oklahoma, West Virginia, Arizona and other states many were not hotbeds of Democratic liberal activism demonstrated something important, which continues to ring true post-COVID-19: Americans support public schools and their educators and believe investment in them is essential for childrens futures. The quality of our public schools and the dedication of those who teach and serve their students in Tulsa and in cities across Oklahoma and the country havent changed in five years. As evidenced by recent polling, clearly the public hasnt, either. But the attacks on public education and teachers unions continue to mount, and theyre getting more dangerous and more vicious. Theyre intended to destroy the very institution of public education. In Oklahoma, State Superintendent Ryan Walters had the audacity to call teachers unions organizations that represent classroom educators and school staff terrorist organizations. He may just be thinking of teachers, which is bad enough. But teachers unions like mine the American Federation of Teachers also represent the bus drivers who transport kids safely to and from school every day, cafeteria workers who cook and serve kids breakfast and lunch, and custodians who make sure schools are clean, safe and well-maintained. We represent school support staff, who are often overlooked, overworked and underpaid. But that doesnt matter to those ready to attack public schools. Walters and others of his ideological persuasion are trying to turn public schools into battlefields and dehumanize our childrens teachers and support staffers, without whom teachers and administrators couldnt do their jobs. Walters comment isnt an isolated incident. The corporate-backed, anti-public school movement is methodically working its plan: Starve public schools of the funds needed to succeed; criticize them for shortcomings, even if its because of a lack of investment for programming and staff; erode trust by stoking fear and division, including pitting parents against teachers; and replace them with state-funded private, religious, online and home schools. This is all to an end goal of destroying public education as we know it. Here in Oklahoma, the attacks on public schools go beyond the bullying and name-calling. The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board recently approved the first U.S. taxpayer-funded religious charter school. Last month, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an expansive voucher bill into law despite polling showing a majority of Oklahomans are against programs that siphon money from all public schools. None of this helps to improve the education of a single Oklahoma child. This should concern every Oklahoman who wants whats best for all students across the state. It is only our public schools with a mission to provide opportunities for all students. These attacks and attempts to deny public schools resources fly in the face of what people want, and they do nothing to help our kids succeed. Calling teachers unions nasty names is a childish, bullying tactic. Unions are membership organizations for teachers and school support staff. My bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians are the union. We want what kids and communities need. It would make a lot more sense for Walters to do what he was hired to do support public education and work with teachers, other school staff and parents to give kids what they need to excel rather than to play the bully, call teachers unions names and work to destroy the bedrock of democracy: a strong public education system. Nancy Leonard is president of American Federation of Teachers Tulsa Local 6049. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Our Founders believed in a Godly nation. In recent history, weve drastically changed the Founders hopes and beliefs in a nation under God. Yet, this is the discussion we are having right now, today, in Oklahoma, that returns sensibility and faith back as an option in the classroom. It seems simple and logical in a country and state that prides itself on freedom, independence and empowerment of individuals and families. School choice is a fundamental right that has been returned to parents to empower each and every kid with options that theyve never received before. Enter the Catholic charter school conversation. Currently, the liberal left has infiltrated Oklahomas classrooms and have anchored themselves in promoting atheism as the state-run religion. They hold onto the argument of separation of church and state in order to exclude any reference or demonstration of faith at any level in schools. Hence, this obsession to destroy all religiosity in schools has created atheism as the state-sponsored religion of choice. Some have decided to redefine tradition and precedent, and impose themselves into a religious argument spewing a long-winded Sunday morning sermon about why Oklahoma parents should not have the freedom to choose what is best for their children. If you look at the lefts rationale, they never once point to the line in the U.S. Constitution that says that separation of church and state that is because no such line exists. Their fervor and insistence on this phrase makes you believe that what they are telling you is law. Oklahomans see through this. Instead of supporting liberty and upholding traditional family values, the left has focused its efforts on your classroom to undermine the very fabric of our country. At stake is the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Boards approval of Catholic charter schools recently. The new rule would allow parents to use their own taxpayer dollars to send their children to a school of their choice a decision that takes power away from the existing state and puts it into the hands of parents. The boards decision incensed the radical anti-Christian liberals so greatly that they spewed lies and a misunderstanding of the law at anyone who would listen. The left argues that the government knows better than parents, and that tax dollars received for education belong to the state and its systems, not to the students that the state serves. For the radical left to lie about our Founding Fathers, what they meant and how we should live our lives, is downright disrespectful and uncalled for. The people who hate our Founding Fathers are now ones who are trying to say any reference to faith must be stripped from the classroom. I am proud to support all schools in our state that match our values. I will continue to empower parents; its the right thing to do. Religious charter schools are more than welcome in Oklahoma. Ryan Walters is the Superintendent of Oklahomas State Department of Education. LOUIN, Miss. Tornadoes swept through Mississippi overnight, killing one and injuring nearly two dozen, officials said Monday. State emergency workers were still working with counties to assess the damage from storms in which high temperatures and hail in some areas accompanied tornadoes. The death and injuries were reported by officials in eastern Mississippi's Jasper County. The small, rural town of Louin bore the brunt of the damage. Drone footage and photos showed wide expanses of debris-covered terrain, decimated homes and mangled trees. At least one person was lifted from the wreckage in a stretcher. Standing in front of his damaged home on Monday, Lester Campbell told The Associated Press that his cousin, 67-year-old George Jean Hayes, was the person who died. Reached by phone Monday, Jones County Coroner Don Sumrall said Hayes was pronounced dead at 2:18 a.m. from "multisystem trauma." Eric Carpenter, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson, said an unseasonably strong jet stream blew through the area. A tornado emerged near Louin before traveling at least 7 miles south to Bay Springs. Tornadoes typically hit Mississippi in early to mid-spring. Carpenter called the timing of the tornadoes, along with persistent thunder and hail as well as high temperatures, "a very unusual situation." "This is a whole different game here," Carpenter said. "What we would typically see in March and April, we're seeing in June." On March 24, a vicious tornado carved a path of destruction through parts of western and northern Mississippi, killing at least 26 and damaging thousands of homes. Some towns in the rural, poverty-stricken Mississippi Delta face a daunting task to rebuild. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday's tornadoes also struck Rankin County, which borders the capital city of Jackson. Emergency crews were doing search and rescue missions, deploying drones in some areas because they were impossible to reach by vehicle due to downed power lines. On Monday afternoon, another possible tornado struck the south Mississippi town of Moss Point. Photos showed homes with obliterated roofs and tilted power lines. As high winds and heavy rain blanketed Jackson County, WLOX-TV reported that eight people were trapped inside a bank in downtown Moss Point. They were later rescued uninjured. Rescuers searching for a missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic focused on Wednesday on a remote patch of the North Atlantic where undersea noises were detected, although officials cautioned the sounds may not have originated from the vessel. With the submersible's air supply expected to run out in a matter of hours, an international search operation was sweeping a vast expanse of ocean for the Titan, which vanished on Sunday while carrying five people on a deep-sea tourist voyage to the world-famous, century-old shipwreck. The U.S. Coast Guard said remotely operated vehicles (ROV) were deployed underwater near where Canadian aircraft recorded the noises using sonar buoys on Tuesday and Wednesday but have not found any sign of the Titan yet. Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick said at a press conference that analysis of the noises has been "inconclusive." "When you're in the middle of a search-and-rescue case, you always have hope," he said. "With respect to the noises specifically, we don't know what they are." Officials did not offer a description of the sounds. In one highly anticipated addition to the search, the French research ship Atalante was en route late on Wednesday to deploy a robotic diving craft capable of descending to a depth well below that of even the Titanic wreck, the Coast Guard said. The French submersible robot, dubbed the Victor 6,000, was dispatched at the request of the U.S. Navy, which was sending its own special salvage system designed to lift large, heavy undersea objects such as sunken aircraft or small vessels. The wreck of the Titanic, a British ocean liner that struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage in 1912, killing more than 1,500 people, lies on the seabed at a depth of about 12,500 feet (3,810 meters). It is about 900 miles (1,450 km) east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and 400 miles south of St. John's, Newfoundland. Those aboard the submersible, the highlight of a tourist adventure that costs $250,000 per person, included British billionaire and adventurer Hamish Harding, 58, and Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, with his 19-year-old son Suleman, who are both British citizens. French oceanographer and leading Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, and Stockton Rush, founder and chief executive of OceanGate, were also reported to be on board. The 22-foot (6.7-meter) submersible Titan, operated by U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent at 8 a.m. (1200 GMT) on Sunday. It lost contact with its surface support ship near the end of what should have been a two-hour dive to the Titanic. The Titan set off with 96 hours of air, according to the company, which would mean the oxygen could run out by Thursday morning. But experts say the air supply depends on a range of factors, including whether the submersible still has power and how calm the people aboard have remained. A Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft of 14 Wing flies a search pattern for the missing OceanGate submersible, over the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland, Canada, June 20, 2023 in a still image from video. Photo: Reuters 'Life support available' Sean Leet, who heads a company that jointly owns the support ship, the Polar Prince, told reporters on Wednesday that "all protocols were followed" but declined to give a detailed account of how communication ceased. "There's still life support available on the submersible, and we'll continue to hold out hope until the very end, Leet, CEO of Miawpukek Horizon Maritime Services, told reporters in St. John's Newfoundland. A friend of Harding, Jannicke Mikkelsen, who has accompanied the British entrepreneur on other expeditions, told Reuters she was hoping for good news but was not optimistic. "It would be a miracle if they are recovered alive," she said. Even if the Titan were located, retrieving it would present huge logistical challenges. If the submersible had managed to return to the surface, it could still be difficult to spot it in the open water, experts said. It is sealed shut with bolts from the outside, preventing anyone inside from exiting without assistance. If the Titan is on the ocean floor, a rescue effort would be even more challenging because of the massive pressures and total darkness at a depth of more than 2 miles. Titanic expert Tim Maltin said it would be "almost impossible to effect a sub-to-sub rescue" on the seabed. The French submersible on its way could be used to help free the Titan if it is stuck on the sea bed, although the robot cannot lift the 21,000-pound (9,525-kg) craft on its own. The robot could also help hook the sub to a surface ship capable of lifting it, the operator said. Questions about the Titan's safety were raised in 2018 during a symposium of submersible industry experts and in a lawsuit filed by OceanGate's former head of marine operations, David Lochridge, who claimed he was fired for voicing concerns that the hull could not withstand extreme depths. In its own court claim against Lochridge, OceanGate said he refused to accept assurances from the company's lead engineer and accused Lochridge of divulging confidential information. The two parties settled the case in November 2018, and neither side has commented on the dispute. The shadow of a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft of 14 Wing forms on cloud cover as it flies a search pattern for the missing OceanGate submersible, over the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland, Canada, June 20, 2023 in a still image from video. Photo: Reuters The pilot of a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft of 14 Wing flies a search pattern for the missing OceanGate submersible, over the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland, Canada, June 20, 2023 in a still image from video. Photo: Reuters South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his spouse Kim Keon Hee arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Thursday morning, starting the first official visit of his tenure to Vietnam at the invitation of Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong. His visit is set to wrap up on Saturday, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Vietnam is also the first Southeast Asian country to which Yoon has paid a state visit since he took office in May last year. Many Vietnamese officials and diplomats, including Chairman of the Presidential Office of Vietnam Le Khanh Hai, chairman of the Peoples Committee of Hanoi Tran Sy Thanh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, and Vietnamese Ambassador to South Korea Nguyen Vu Tung, as well as South Korean Ambassador to Vietnam Oh Young Ju, gathered at the airport to welcome the South Korean official and his entourage. The South Korean presidents entourage includes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung Ho, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang Yang, Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung Sik, and Minister of SMEs and Startups Lee Young. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his spouse Kim Keon Hee wave at Vietnamese and South Korean high-ranking officials as they arrive at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, June 22, 2023. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre Official activities for the visit will begin on Friday. After a reception ceremony, President Thuong and President Yoon will hold talks, witness the signing of documents, and co-chair a press conference to announce the results of their talks. President Yoon will also meet with leaders of the Vietnamese Party, government, and National Assembly during his visit. Trade and investment are key fields of discussion during the visit. The top South Korean official is accompanied by a 205-member business delegation, including leaders from Samsung, SK, Hyundai, and Daewoo. The delegation is larger than any previous group accompanying President Yoon during his state visits, highlighting the fast and impressive development of cooperation between the two countries in the realms of economy, investment, and trade, according to Ambassador Oh. Trade between Vietnam and South Korea reached some US$87 billion in 2022. They set a target to increase the figure to $100 billion this year and $150 billion by 2030. Current difficulties in the region and the world as a whole have hit the two economies," Oh remarked. As a result, the high number of South Korean enterprises accompanying President Yoon to Vietnam will open up opportunities for leaders and enterprises from the two countries to discuss new cooperation, thus boosting their investment and trade collaboration. The Vietnamese and South Korean flags fly on the top of the Code One aircraft carrying South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his spouse at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, June 22, 2023. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre Prior to his visit to Vietnam, President Yoon expressed his desire to foster cooperation with the Southeast Asian country in various sectors, including security, supply chains, and energy. This year initiates the comprehensive strategic partnership of the two countries. With such meaning, I hope my state visit to Vietnam will open a new chapter in the relations between the two countries, President Yoon said in an interview with the Vietnam News Agency. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Vietnamese and South Korean high-ranking officials at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, June 22, 2023. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre Vietnam and South Korea elevated their bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership in December last year. South Korea is one of Vietnams most important partners, ranking first in terms of investment, second in official development aid after Japan, and third in trade after China and the U.S.. As of April this year, South Korea had had over 9,500 operational projects in Vietnam with total registered capital of nearly $82 billion. The Northeast Asian country has been the second-largest source market of Vietnams tourism over the past few years, with more than 1,000 direct flights between the two nations per month. In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Vietnam, 4.2 million South Koreans visited Vietnam and 550,000 Vietnamese people traveled to South Korea. South Korea is the second-most popular destination for Vietnamese laborers, following Japan, and Vietnam is also its second-largest source of laborers, after China. As of January this year, over 206,000 Vietnamese people were living, studying, and working in South Korea, according to news site VnExpress. The Code One aircraft with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his spouse onboard lands at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, June 22, 2023. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will visit China to attend the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF) from June 25 to 28, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday. The PMs trip was scheduled at the invitation of Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab, the ministry said. This will be the first time for PM Chinh and his Chinese counterpart to meet face-to-face following a phone talk on April 4, 2023, shortly after Li was elected as China's prime minister. China established diplomatic relations with Vietnam in January 1950, and the two countries have since maintained close contact, including at high levels. On October 30, 2022, Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was on a three-day official trip to China as the first foreign leader to visit Beijing after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. In April 2023, Permanent Secretary of the Secretariat Truong Thi Mai also went to China and met with the country's senior leaders. Along with his China visit, PM Chinh will attend the 14th WEF Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as the Summer Davos Forum, scheduled to open in northern Chinas Tianjin Municipality on June 27. About 1,500 leaders from both the public and private sectors from over 90 countries will take part in the three-day event, according to Xinhua. The WEF, founded in 1971, is the worlds leading economic and policy forum and attracts the interest of experts and politicians from around the world. PM Chinh met WEF leader Schwab in Cambodia in November 2022 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit. Vietnam is among the regular invitees to the annual WEF conference in Davos, Switzerland. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Nguyen Duy Hai, who had his 200lb tumor removed in 2012, died early this morning at Lam Dong general hospital. >> 200lb tumor patients life one year after surgery Pham Vu Thanh, a doctor at Lam Dong hospital, confirmed with Tuoi Tre that Hai developed difficulty breathing and was in a coma when he was hospitalized at 4pm on Oct. 24. Thanh added that hospital staff put Hai on a ventilator and gave him emergency medical care but failed to save his life. Dr. Bui Xuan Thanh, deputy director of Lam Dong general hospital, told Tuoi Tre that Hais family rushed him to Hoan My Da Lat hospital before admitting him to Lam Dong hospital. His family said Hai suffered acute pain from the tumor incision before his death. Dr. Jean-Marcel Guillon, Chief Executive Officer of FV hospital where Hai was operated on last year, responded by email that the hospital has assigned a team to attend go over Hai's residential home in Da Lat central highlands city for the funeral service. The team will also work with their counterparts from Hoan My Da Lat hospital and Lam Dong hospital to find out the cause of his death. "At the moment, we are trying to understand. It seems that it happened very suddenly, but we dont know yet for sure" - Dr. Guillon said. Check out the latest news in Vietnam today: Business -- ASEAN Online Sale Day 2023, the largest online shopping event in ASEAN, is scheduled to take place from August 8 to 22, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade. -- Saigon Taxi Transport Company (Cheap Taxi) and Saigontourist Transport Corporation (Saigontourist Taxi) were forced to suspend taxi services at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, as their drivers were found to commit taxi fare scams, said the airports management authority on Wednesday. Society -- Many manhole covers and pieces of lighting equipment along streets in Thu Thiem New Urban Area in Ho Chi Minh City have been stolen, causing public security and road safety problems in the area, according to the urban areas developer Dai Quang Minh Corporation. -- Police in Ho Chi Minh City are investigating the theft of 2,417 pairs of Dr.Martens shoes, worth over VND1.5 billion (US$64,176), that was allegedly committed by Nguyen Tan Hung, a 31-year-old trailer trucker residing in southern Dong Nai Province. -- Hundreds of boats equipped with sand suction equipment have entered the Ca Mau Cape National Park area, located in southern Ca Mau Province, to harvest clam seeds illegally over the past five days, said a local official on Wednesday. Politics -- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will pay an official visit to China and attend the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum from Sunday to Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday. World News -- Twitter Inc is facing a lawsuit claiming it failed to pay workers millions of dollars in promised bonuses, adding to a pile of court cases filed since Elon Musk acquired the social media company, Reuters reported. -- U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to deepen defense and technology cooperation between their countries during Modi's official visit to the White House, according to Reuters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A man, his daughter, and his grandchild were killed by a fire that broke out in Bac Giang Province, northern Vietnam in the wee hours of Thursday. The flames also damaged assets, including a truck and some motorcycles. The blaze erupted at a house in Trung Son Commune, Viet Yen District at 1:30 am. Firefighters and fire trucks were quickly dispatched to battle the blaze, said police in Viet Yen. About 480 square meters of the house, a fabric warehouse, a yard, and a parking lot were burned, according to police officers. The blaze was finally put out at 4:00 am. The deceased were identified as V.L., 58, T.T., 34, and Q.A., 3. Police are investigating the scene and working out the cause of the deadly blaze. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! South Korean Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung Sik pledged to propose that his government allow more laborers from Vietnam to enter his country during a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Dao Ngoc Dung in Hanoi on Wednesday. The meeting was held ahead of a state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to Vietnam from Thursday to Saturday. The two governments have plans to sign a memorandum of understanding on the dispatch of Vietnamese laborers to South Korea under the Employment Permit System (EPS) program. At the meeting, Minister of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs Dung informed that as of June this year, more than 5,400 Vietnamese laborers have traveled to South Korea for work with average monthly incomes of US$1,500-2,000. Vietnam has made conditions favorable for South Korean groups investing in northern Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen Provinces, Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi. This proves the care and support of the Vietnamese government, Dung stressed. South Korean Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jung Sik (R) sees Vietnamese candidates taking a test under the EPS program in Hanoi on June 21, 2023. Photo: Ha Quan / Tuoi Tre The Vietnamese minister said that authorities of the two countries are negotiating bilateral social insurance policies for laborers. He also suggested that the Northeast Asian country expand sectors in which Vietnam has strengths as the two countries have upgraded their bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership. The EPS program currently supports only 30 percent of the need of Vietnamese laborers. The Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs has proposed that the government amend regulations to support foreign corporate managers and experts, including those from South Korea, Minister Dung said. Minister Lee acknowledged Vietnamese Minister Dungs suggestions, adding that he would report them to the South Korean government. He also thanked Minister Dung for caring for South Korean laborers in Vietnam. On the same day, Minister Lee also observed candidates taking a test under the EPS program in Hanoi. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Ho Chi Minh City are investigating the theft of 2,417 pairs of Dr.Martens shoes, worth a combined VND1.5 billion (US$64,176), bound for export to South Korea. Authorities suspect a trucker was behind the crime. The suspect quit his job after the theft, which was uncovered on January 1 this year, investigators said on Wednesday. On December 6 last year, Kingmarker Footwear Co. Ltd. packed 3,335 pairs of Dr.Martens shoes into 421 cartons and made customs declarations in order to ship them to South Korea, according to a police report The combined product and shipping costs were valued at VND2.1 billion ($89,610). Van Xuan International JSC was then asked by Kingmarker to arrange a trailer truck to transport a shipping container filled with the batch. On December 7, a Van Xuan Company trucker visited Kingmarker Company to pick up the shipment to transport it to Cat Lai Port in Ho Chi Minh City. However, on December 30, Kingmarker was informed by its South Korean buyer that the shipment was 2,417 pairs of shoes short. The trailer trucker used a fake Class FC driving license and bogus dossiers to gain employment at Van Xuan Company, according to the investigation results. He claimed to be Nguyen Tan Hung, a 31-year-old resident of Dong Nai Province, just outside Ho Chi Minh City. He was accused of stealing the missing shoes. Authorities suspect that 'Hung' colluded with others to break the shipping container seal and steal the shoes while he was transporting them to the port. 'Hung' and his accomplices then allegedly used a special method to reseal the shipping container in order to avoid detection by customs officers. The driver quit his job after the theft and his whereabouts remains unknown. Police began cracking down on a container cargo theft ring in January this year. Notably, the ringleader went by the alias Nguyen Tan Hung, 31, from Dong Nai Province in order to apply for a post as a trucker at IPAX Logistic Company in Binh Tri Dong B, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City. Members of the ring used super glue 502 to reseal shipping containers after stealing cargo inside. Police are currently hunting for 'Hung' and have released a discription which identifies him as weighing about 60 kilograms, being short, hefty, and of slightly curly hair. They also say he has a central Vietnamese accent. Those with information linked to the theft should contact the Police Investigation Agency by visiting 459 Tran Hung Dao Street, Cau Kho Ward, District 1 or calling 0779031012 to reach investigator Le Van Sang. Stolen pairs of Dr.Martens shoes resemble the two pairs of shoes in this supplied photo. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Lam Dong Province, located in Vietnam's Central Highlands, on Wednesday afternoon imposed an administrative fine of VND2.5 million (US$106) on a local woman for humiliating a sanitation worker and her family. T.T.N., 33, a resident of Loc Phat Ward in Lam Dong's Bao Loc City, was also ordered to formally apologize to N.T.H., a garbage collector employed by Bao Loc Urban Projects Joint Stock Company. N.s punishments came after a video went viral on social media which showed her hurling rude and offensive insults at H. while she was collecting household waste near N.s home on June 18. N. also disrespected H.'s profession and insulted her husband and daughter. H. remained silent throughout the video. According to Bao Loc Urban Projects Joint Stock Company, the ridicule started when H. was unable to lift a trash can as per N.'s request due to its large size. Police officers on Wednesday afternoon said that N. had received a VND2.5-million fine for her behavior, and more severe penalties may be imposed if she relapses. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! EXCLUSIVE: South Pacific Pictures and All3 Media have announcd a broadcast partnership deal with 7plus, to become the new home of the long-running New Zealand drama, Shortland Street in Australia. The medical drama, now in its 31st year has seen over 1.5 million New Zealand viewers on average per week tune in to watch over seven thousand episodes. It last screened in Australia on SBS VICELAND in February on a cliffhanger episode as fire engulfed the hospital, one of the biggest cliffhangers in its three decade history. From Monday, 3rd July, it picks up from the same cliffhanger, dropping from 3pm weekdays. South Pacific Pictures CEO Kelly Martin says: We are thrilled to have 7plus as our broadcast partner screening Shortland Street in Australia. Weve had a huge amount of feedback from fans in Australia who are eager to continue watching the show and we are thrilled that 7plus have helped us to make that happen. Head of 7plus Acquisitions, Andrew Green, said: 7plus is the proud home of Australias #1 drama and were delighted to welcome New Zealands #1 drama to the family. Shortys Aussie fans have waited long enough! Its official. TV Tonight can reveal Neighbours returns to screens in September 2023. An airdate is yet to be confirmed but the revived show on Network 10 will also welcome a brand-new family in Ramsay Street, the Varga-Murphy clan. Hailing from the other side of the city, the Varga-Murphy family initially take up residence temporarily, and it quickly becomes evident there is more to their arrival than meets the eye. Wives Cara and Remi, played by Sara West (Dont Tell, Wakefield, Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door) and Naomi Rukavina (Harry Potter Theatre Production, Run Rabbit Run, Pawno), and sons JJ, played by Riley Bryant (Surviving Summer 2) and Dex, played by newcomer Marley Williams in his first television role make up the Varga-Murphy family. Sara West said: Im so honoured to be a part of the new Neighbours legacy and really looking forward to bringing the Varga-Murphy family to Australian and international screens. Cara has a bold, impassioned love for her family and I love that her intentions have, so far, always been good. I hope having the Varga-Murphys on tele will help better reflect the beautiful LGBTQIA+ community that Im proud to be a part of and I cant wait to share the family with you! Naomi Rukavina said: I am thrilled to be joining the new Neighbours legacy. As a stalwart of Australian drama television, the show is on the front foot of showcasing diverse and real representations of Australian families, not in a tokenistic way. The joys, sadness and madness of Neighbours has been a great adventure thus far and the Varga-Murphy family have already formed a special bond off screen and on. I cant wait to share it with the world. Jason Herbison, Neighbours Executive Producer, said: We are delighted to welcome the Varga-Murphy family to Ramsay Street and the amazing cast portraying them. It feels fitting that the new season will herald the arrival of a new household, with many new stories to tell. They have fitted into Erinsborough beautifully, they are warm, fun and also very unpredictable. Neighbours will continue to premiere in Australia on Network 10, its home for over three decades then Prime Video in Australia and New Zealand seven days later. UK and U.S. audiences can view the series on Amazon Freevee. To build wealth, Singaporeans were also willing to sacrifice work-life balance and family time. A study revealed that 53 per cent of Singaporeans would sacrifice spending on luxury items to generate more wealth in the long term. (PHOTO: Getty) SINGAPORE More than half, or 53 per cent, of Singaporeans are willing to sacrifice spending on luxury items to generate more wealth, according to a study conducted by wealth management group St. James's Place Asia. The study, titled "Accelerating the Wealth Journey From Stability to Abundance", looks at 1,000 affluent Singaporeans between the ages of 25 and 64 categorised across five different levels of wealth Financial Stability, Financial Security, Financial Flexibility, Financial Freedom and Financial Abundance and how they approach areas such as wealth creation and inter-generational wealth transfer. All respondents were from households with a minimum annual income of S$70,000 to over S$250,000 and held personal investments such as stocks, property, and funds. Different levels of wealth as defined in the St James's Place survey, "Accelerating the Wealth Journey From Stability to Abundance". (SCREENSHOT: St James's Place) Besides luxury items, the study also found that 51 per cent of Singaporeans were willing to sacrifice work-life balance to generate more wealth over the long term, while 42 per cent said they were willing to sacrifice family time. Furthermore, the study revealed that the wealthier an individual is, the more likely they are to advocate for sacrificing in other areas of their life to attain goals. As many as 76 per cent of those who are financially abundant the highest wealth level in the survey believe in making work-life balance sacrifices as compared to respondents from other levels of wealth. Are Singaporeans happy with their wealth? More than half of Singaporeans (55 per cent) in the study said they do not consider themselves to be financially wealthy. Overall, only 38 per cent of those surveyed said they were happy with their level of wealth, with 42 per cent saying that they would like to be wealthier, and only 19 per cent believing they are too wealthy. From the stages of financial stability to financial flexibility, the study showed that most Singaporeans will continue to believe they have too little wealth (Financial Stability 55 per cent; Financial Security 56 per cent; Financial Flexibility 52 per cent; Financial Freedom 22 per cent; Financial Abundance 4 per cent). Only when they attain the level of Financial Freedom will they believe they have sufficient wealth, and at the point of reaching Financial Abundance will most believe they have accumulated too much (55 per cent). Across the board, the thought of losing wealth makes 92 per cent of the respondents anxious. However, the level and frequency of anxiety decreases with each level of wealth although this increases again when the individual becomes financially abundant. Some 60 per cent of individuals in the Financial Abundance level have said that they constantly or frequently feel anxious at the thought of losing wealth. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. The Egyptian suspects face charges that include participation in a criminal organization, manslaughter and causing a shipwreck. The hearing took place in Greece's southern city of Kalamata. Only 104 men and youths - Egyptians, Pakistanis, Syrians and Palestinians - survived one of the worst migrant shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea early on 14 June; 82 bodies have been recovered, the last late Tuesday as a large search continued for a seventh day. Survivors said women and children were trapped in the hold as the ship capsized and sank within minutes to one of the deepest spots in the Mediterranean. New survivor accounts emerged Tuesday confirming that about 750 people paid thousands of dollars each for a berth on the battered blue fishing trawler, seeking a better life in Europe. In sworn testimonies provided over the weekend, and seen by The Associated Press, survivors described shocking conditions on the five-day journey. Most of the passengers were denied food and water, and those who couldn't bribe the crew to get out of the hold were beaten if they tried to reach deck level. The testimonies also echoed previous accounts that the steel-hulled trawler sank in calm seas during a botched attempt to tow it. This clashes with the Greek coast guard's insistence that neither its patrol boat that escorted the trawler in its last hours nor any other vessel attached a tow rope. The Greek ship cast a rope and it was tied to our bows, survivor Abdul Rahman Alhaz said in his sworn testimony. Then we moved forward, but not for more than two minutes. We shouted stop, stop! because our boat was listing. (It) was in bad shape and overloaded, and shouldnt have been towed. Sohaib Asghar, center, waits at the turnstiles and speaks with survivors of a deadly migrant boat sinking at a migrant camp in Malakasa north of Athens, on Monday, June 19. - Petros Giannakouris/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved Alhaz, a 24-year-old Palestinian from Syria, said he paid $4,000 to board the ship at Tobruk in eastern Libya. He said the people in charge on the trawler were all Egyptians and recognised seven suspects from pictures Greek authorities showed him. Most of the Pakistanis were in the hold, and were lost with the boat," he said. "One of the crew had told me there were more than 400 Pakistanis on the boat, and only 11 were saved. These didn't include the wife and two children of Rana Husnain Neseer, 23, who were in the hold. Neseer himself, who said he paid 7,000 euros for the trip, travelled on deck. About 750 people were on board, he said. (The crew) didnt give us food or water, and hit us with a belt to keep us from standing up. Neseer said other passengers told him that a tow line was attached by a big ship just before the sinking. He didn't see that as I was bent low and praying. But he felt the vessel sharply list. We all went to the other side to balance it, which made our boat tilt in the other direction and sink, added Neseer, who recognized four of the survivors as crew members. Fellow Pakistani Azmat Khan Muhammad Salihu, 36, identified three suspects, including one who hit him when he tried to leave the hold, and one who struck passengers with a belt. Being in the hold, he had no first-hand account of why the ship sank and said there were no women and children in his section below decks. I was saved because I found an opening and got out," his testimony said. "I called to the others to follow me but ... nobody managed to escape Greece has been widely criticised for not trying to save the migrants before the sinking in international waters. Officials in Athens say the passengers refused any help and insisted on proceeding to Italy, adding that it would have been too dangerous to try and evacuate hundreds of unwilling people off an overcrowded ship. Asked about the incident as World Refugee Day was marked across the globe Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: It is horrible, what happened, and the more urgent is that we act. Von der Leyen, the head of the European Union's executive arm, said the EU should help African countries like Tunisia, where many migrants leave for Europe, to stabilise their economies, as well as finalise a long-awaited reform of the 27-nation bloc's asylum rules. She did not, however, mention Libya, from where the doomed trawler and many similarly overloaded Europe-bound boats depart across the particularly dangerous Mediterranean migration route. Five other human smuggling suspects were arrested in Pakistan this week and some allegedly confessed to sending some of the Pakistanis who were on the trawler, officials in Islamabad said Tuesday. Relatives of at least 124 people in Pakistan have contacted authorities to find out about missing loved ones believed to have been on the trawler, the officials said. The full details of the sinking remain unclear. Photos and videos from before the sinking show people crammed on all available open spaces of the trawler. So the Ukrainian counteroffensive is well and truly underway, even if progress is measured in metres rather than the rapid advances that characterised Ukraines highly successful push last autumn. Volodymyr Zelensky himself has confirmed this, saying progress has been slower than desired and noting that the Russian invaders have mined an estimated 200,000 sq km of frontline territory. But then, as he has also noted, this war is not a Hollywood movie that will neatly resolve the way many might wish. And the analysts at think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe we are more likely to see a series of testing exercises, designed to highlight Russian weak points in preparation for a bigger push later in the campaigning season. One expert pondering the timing of the counteroffensive is Cyrille Bret, an expert in defence studies at Sciences Po, who asks: why now and to what end? On the one hand, waiting a month or so would undoubtedly give Ukraine the advantage of more advanced western military hardware. But there are other factors strategic and political that would have driven Zelensky to give the order to begin. Not least of these is that he faces a general election in Ukraine in the autumn and needs to have something to show voters. Since Vladimir Putin sent his war machine into Ukraine on February 24 2022, The Conversation has called upon some of the leading experts in international security, geopolitics and military tactics to help our readers understand the big issues. You can also subscribe to our fortnightly recap of expert analysis of the conflict in Ukraine. And round about then is when the interminable US 2024 presidential election machinery starts to grind in earnest. A growing number of Americans becoming increasingly ambivalent about the huge sums their government is ploughing into the war. So some good news from Kyiv could be just what Biden needs to bolster his chances against Republican candidates who are openly questioning their countrys involvement. A great deal hangs on the next weeks and months. Read more: Ukraine's long-awaited counteroffensive has finally begun - but why now and to what end? Theres been a fair bit of politics going on inside Russia, too. Its long been no secret that the countrys defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, and the boss of the Wagner Group private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin loathe each other. Not being held back by the constraints of public office, Prigozhin has been liberal with his criticisms of Shoigu and Russias military commander, Valery Gerasimov, calling them stupid and responsible for criminal orders. Shoigu, a politician to his bootstraps, has opted for a rather subtler play talking Putin into passing a law which will bring all Russias non-state militias under the control of the ministry of defence. It could be awkward, to say the least, writes Tracey German, a professor of conflict and security at Kings College London. Read more: Ukraine war: aborted Wagner Group rebellion shows how Putin's attempt to unify Russian forces has failed to quell factional rivalries From the sky to the seabed One of the reasons we know so much about what is happening on the battlefield is that, to an unprecedented degree, progress is being watched and relayed by satellites which can plot the action to just about the nearest metre. Christopher Morris, who teaches military strategy at the University of Portsmouth, believes access to superior commercial satellite tech has given Ukraine a significant edge in targeting Russian armour. Hi-res images of Russian defensive installations will allow Ukraines planners to work out ways to target, destroy or circumvent them. Read more: Ukraine war: offensive use of satellite tech a sign of how conflict is increasingly moving into space Map showing areas of Ukraine under Russian control in red. Meanwhile at the bottom of the oceans there are more than 1.4 million kilometres of vitally important infrastructure data cables without which the world would be plunged into chaos. So when one of Putins most senior political allies, Dmitry Medvedev, declared that Moscow now considers them a legitimate target, its a threat to be taken seriously. But as maritime security expert Christian Bueger of the University of Copenhagen writes subsea cables are the backbone of the contemporary digital economy. Almost all of our internet connections depend on them. And a number of chokepoints exist in places such as the English Channel and the Red Sea, which would be extremely vulnerable to sabotage, as would islands such as Ireland, which does not have terrestrial connections as backup. Bueger stresses that we must take the security of these cables as well as other maritime infrastructure such as wind farms, power cables, hydrogen pipelines and carbon storage projects very seriously indeed, and make them the focus of a global strategy to prevent a potential disaster. Read more: Ukraine war: Kremlin's threat to interfere with undersea data cables may be bluster, but must be taken seriously Neighbourhood threat Medvedev also has habit of popping up from time to time to threaten the use of nuclear weapons against the west. And it goes without saying he learned at his masters feet. Vladimir Putin announced the other day to let us know he planned to station nuclear warheads in neighbouring Belarus. Belarus was the first former Soviet bloc country to get rid of its nukes after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But the people there have little say in the matter of whether they want to become a target of retaliation in the (it must be said) unlikely event that the Russian president is unhinged enough to escalate to the use of tactical warheads against Ukraine. Natalya Chernyshova, a historian of the Soviet Union and Belarus at Queen Mary University of London, has tracked Belarusian attitudes to Russia and the war in Ukraine and finds a country that is deeply ambivalent about both questions. Not that that matters. Since the late 1990s, the two countries have been whats known as a union state (read, decisions are taken mainly in Moscow). The longtime dictator of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, is thought to do very little without consulting Putin. He had to call in Russian troops in 2020 to keep popular protests at what appeared to be his rigged election to keep him in power. In a survey taken in March 2023, Chatham House found that 74% of respondents objected to deployment and only 24% were in favour of stationing Russian troops there. And its important to remember, writes Chernyshova, that for years as in Russia Belarus state media has been banging a relentlessly pro-Moscow drum. Most likely though, according to the ISW, the plan to ship nuclear warheads and their accompanying troops across into Belarus is simply Putins way of taking an ever firmer grip over its unfortunate neighbour. Read more: Ukraine war: Russia's threat to station nuclear warheads in Belarus what you need to know Prospects for peace? While all this has been going on, a delegation of African leaders spearheaded by South Africas Cyril Ramaphosa have visited both Zelensky and Putin in their various capitals to plead for the two sides to come together and talk. This, writes Stefan Wolff, an international relations expert from the University of Birmingham, has a lot to do with Africas concern at the prospect that Moscow may decide to call a halt to the grain and fertiliser deal that has kept prices down and helped stave off starvation. But, as Wolff notes, like so many attempts to bring the two sides together, the red lines in Moscow and Kyiv are irreconcilable and will remain so as long as Russian troops remain in Ukraine, killing people and shelling innocent civilians. Read more: Ukraine war: failed African peace mission underscores need for more powerful political and military pressure on Putin Ukraine Recap is available as a fortnightly email newsletter. Click here to get our recaps directly in your inbox. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Thursday 1 June saw the first public meeting of the Hungarian group of the IMT, Faklya (Torch) at the Golya Co-operative Centre in Budapest with 30 in attendance. This is an important breakthrough for the forces of Marxism in Hungary, the first of many to come. Jack Halinski-Fitzpatrick from the International spoke on the crisis of capitalism, the political situation in different countries, revolutionary movements around the world, the war in Ukraine, and above all the tasks of the Marxists today. The talk was followed by a lively discussion on a wide range of topics. The event was also attended by a number of international visitors, including a comrade from the German section of the IMT, who spoke on the situation in Germany, and a Hungarian comrade from Belgium. We were also joined by comrade JG, who was a member of the organisation in Britain for many years before moving back to Hungary. After the event, she said: Yesterday I had a lovely time at an IMT meeting, an experience I don't have too often nowadays. Faklya, the Hungarian Marxist group of lovely young people, affiliated to the IMT, held a meeting on the crisis of capitalism in the world, and how to fight for a better one. Jack Halinski-Fitzpatrick, of the International bureau of the IMT, gave us a comprehensive analysis of the state of the world today, on how to fight back. There was a short, but lively discussion after the lead off, followed by the traditional visit to the bar for a pint or two. I was told that my contribution was inspirational, but honestly, the real inspiration was the young people that surrounded me and the enthusiasm they showed for changing the world. Many of those in attendance expressed an interest in joining us / Image: Faklya During the social, many of those in attendance expressed an interest in joining us, supporting us with monthly donations, or attending the reading groups. The day before the public event we held an internal school for those who are members or interested in joining the IMT with 15 present. Jack Halinski-Fitzpatrick spoke about the history of the IMT and drew out general lessons that can help us build a Marxist organisation in Hungary today. The work of building the organisation started about a year ago and we have grown very quickly in this short amount of time. These couple of days have enthused us all and we are excited to carry on the work of building the organisation. Our next target is to release the first issue of our newspaper by September. If you are interested in helping to build the forces of Marxism in Hungary today then get in touch with us below or contact us on social media! Class does not come from Beluga caviar What is a luxurious resort in the deluxe class? Are they gilded mansions with diamond-studded forks on Beluga caviar plates? We can call a gilded hotel luxury, but many things cannot be defined with money. The Peninsula is the worlds oldest luxury art hotel brand with dozens of properties around the globe. The hotel is considered the symbol of the Peninsula located in Hong Kong, established in 1928 with the famous name Lady of the Far East, which displays many admiring historical antiques. Although the price may be up to hundreds of millions of VND for a night, the Peninsula is still a particularly popular destination in Hong Kong. The Peninsula is a typical example of the luxury resort trend appearing and spreading in many developed countries around the globe, of which the boutique hotel is a type that has fascinated the whole world with hotels that are small but high-quality. The price paid for one night at these hotels will sometimes startle you, as it may be up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. In Vietnam, the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort can be considered the first hotel to bring the worlds high-class art resort to Vietnam in 2012. Bringing the worlds artistic quintessence but still promoting the identity of local culture is the successful formula helping the hotel to be honored as The Worlds Leading Luxury Resort by the World Travel Awards for four consecutive years. The hotel interprets its own story with the most unique features of traditional Vietnamese architecture and combines them with factors from wild nature. In there, youll find a bar designed by an aristocrat monkey, a banana-yellow cinema, and a toilet that many travel magazines have appreciated as the most interesting toilet in the world. And the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort can be considered a pioneer resort bringing high-class resorts to dock and register Vietnam on the global luxury resort map. Art hotel trends and the names raising Vietnams tourism position Gold and silver are the embodiment of luxury, while only art is the pinnacle of luxury. The elite are willing to pay up to USD450 million for the worlds most expensive painting by Leonardo da Vinci, hence, USD100,000 for a night at a deluxe resort that honors the beauty of art (we call it an art hotel) is not expensive. One of the reasons why art hotels are so treasured is their conservation value. Built as an open and interactive museum, many art hotels store thousands of paintings, sculptures, photography, and even antiquities from around the world. However, a hotel is not a museum, and it should not be a museum. Therefore, each art hotel has its own story and its own soul. It needs a lot of creativity to urge people to come to enjoy and relax. Bill Bensley, a the famous resort wizard with 150 resorts with artistic personalities around the world said: The more complicated, the simpler. It sounds quite paradoxical, but this master of architectural storytelling has turned such paradox into truth, with the hotel masterpieces that he collaborated on with the Sun Group in Vietnam. Each of his hotels is a masterpiece of art and tells its own story. JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay, inspired by a 19th-century university, is an outstanding masterpiece of Bill's in Phu Quoc. In two years, we have collected more than 3,000 antiques and vintage ornaments to create the true beauty of the school. From a 19th-century elevator to 48 original designs for a French six-wheeler from 1910, the campus is full of fascinating anecdotes to explore, he said. Hotel de la Coupole - MGallery (Sapa) is another example. This is a place that has thousands of fashion paintings, antique chests, fur coats, and necklaces with patterns of Northwest ethnic groups to honor the cultural values of ethnic minorities in Vietnam. The furniture here is of course antique or designed by Aood & Ord, the skilled interior designers, and crafted by Vietnamese artisans. That makes the hotel a place of cultural interaction between France and the highland culture of ethnic minorities such as HMong, Dao, Xa Pho, Tay, Giay, and so on. Moreover, Capella Hanoi, a typical boutique hotel in Vietnam, pursues the art of music, recreating the most brilliant era of opera. Here, Bill's creative team wrote the stories associated with 47 world-famous legends: acting stars, excellent opera vocalists, well-known dancers, and famous classical composers. Each room at the hotel is named after these 47 legends and tells their stories through thousands of pieces of memorabilia, costumes, photographs, theatrical settings, art shows, and even opera glasses. Possessing a story with its drama, each hotel provides a well-thought-out experience and becomes a work of art: a profound writing or a brilliant painting. Each Sun Group art hotel designed by Bill Bensley is an unmistakable one, and this resort trend has registered the name of Vietnam on the global luxury travel map. After the famous wedding of the Indian billionaire couple at JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay in 2019, this hotel is still proud of being the destination of the super-rich worldwide. At the end of 2019, Hotel de la Coupole-MGallery was honored with the worlds leading prestigious awards such as World Travel Awards or World Luxury Hotel Awards with the titles of World's Leading Design Hotel, Worlds Iconic Hotel, Worlds Luxurious Architecture Hotel, etc. For Capella Hanoi, the world remembers a magnificent Hanoi capital when it became one of the 100 best new hotels in the world voted by Travel + Leisure. Time magazine (USA) also mentioned Capella Hanoi as one of the best destinations in the world in 2021. Sophisticated and private, unique and inspiring, hotels with artistic architecture have contributed to bringing the quintessence of humanity to Vietnam and creatively preserving them. An art hotel is a place for tourists to feel true happiness when enjoying the pinnacle of art in the most private and relaxing way right in Vietnam. HCM CITY Viet Nam might have one of the fastest growing logistics industries in the world, but it remains highly fragmented. This presents attractive investment opportunities for private equity firms and other well capitalised investors, who could help the industry accelerate earnings by adopting best international practices, Michael Kokalari, chief economist at VinaCapital Fund Management JSC, said. The sector had grown at 14-16 per cent annually in recent years, but logistics costs accounted for over 20 per cent of GDP, among the highest in the world because of the industrys innumerable inefficiencies. Kokalari said the rapid growth of Viet Nams logistics sector growth was sustainable because of the ongoing expansion of the countrys manufacturing sector driven by high-tech products, and the continued growth of its middle class, which also presented numerous investment opportunities, especially in niches such as cold-chain logistics because of a greater demand for fresh food, certain perishable pharmaceutical products and in ecommerce such as last-mile delivery. E-commerce was growing at more than 25 per cent annually, and the Government targeted a much bigger role for e-commerce going forward, which was likely to lead to a regulatory environment especially favourable for last mile and other logistics firms, he added. Viet Nams logistics industry comprised of foreign and local firms, but the latter were essentially absent from the international shipping business with the exception of the handling and delivery of goods overland across the northern border with China. The industrys biggest challenge was improving the quality and reliability of its services, and these could be addressed by replicating best practices in other logistics markets. The logistics businesses most in need of investments were capital intensive ones and in segments that were highly fragmented, he said. For instance, transportation firms accounted for around two-thirds of the industry, but over 80 per cent of trucking firms in Viet Nam had a fleet size of fewer than five, and after an estimated 70 per cent of deliveries, trucks returned to its home base empty. Middlemen got nearly 30 per cent of trucking companies final service fees as commission. Even in cold storage transport, considered to be one of the most promising segments in the logistics industry and dominated by foreign-invested firms, an estimated 70 per cent of firms had less than 10 trucks. In our view, some very compelling opportunities for local firms stem from the fact that sophisticated foreign customers are willing to pay premium prices for reliable logistics services, and that middle-class customers demand for products and services that entail high-quality logistics, such as online shopping with home delivery and demand for perishable foods and medicines, is soaring. But logistics operators with sufficient scale and professional management would experience falling costs over time as bottlenecks stemming from Viet Nams infrastructure and other issues were eventually addressed. We also expect attractive investment returns for logistics firms that are beneficiaries of increased high-tech manufacturing in Viet Nam, and from the ongoing growth of its emerging middle class. Finally, we see three potential investment strategies: invest into leading logistics companies to aggressively grow their assets into an integrated platform which offers clients economies of scale; identify particular assets which need capital for upgrading or can be re-purposed, and drive new business by increasing efficiencies and M&A or consolidation. One attractive niche in Viet Nams logistics industry is the customs clearance business, in which brokers with good relationships with the proper officials can expedite the clearance of goods in and out of the country by assuring compliance with the complex regulations entailed. Most of Viet Nams 800+ freight forwarding companies provided customs clearance services, according to the Vietnam Logistics Business Association, but firms which could bundle customs clearance services as part of a core carrier relationship, capable of satisfying all of the shipping and logistics needs of high tech manufacturing firms could enjoy enhanced pricing power in exchange for providing premium logistics services to those firms. VNS HA NOI Many companies have been so geared to foreign markets that they find it difficult to find favour at home when the global downturn strikes. The global weakening demand has been wreaking havoc on Vietnamese trade. In the first five months of 2023, the country's total imports and exports hit US$262 billion, down nearly 15 per cent year-by-year. Scores of companies have begun to fall back on home markets to offset the fall in sales, but 'going back home' turned out not as easy as they thought. Le Viet Nga, Deputy Director-General of the Domestic Markets Department, Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), said many companies had been so export-oriented that they have no clue about how to gain a foothold back home. She took a five-star OCOP producer as an example. The producer could export noodles to the Czech Republic with ease but was struggling to bring the product to a Saigon Coop shopping mall in Hai Phong City. Her department had to act as an intermediary between large distributors and OCOP producers to help the latter make their way into domestic supermarkets. Thanks to the effort, some had managed to gain a presence in Saigon Coop, Aeon, and Mega Market. Le Hang, Communication Director of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said domestic markets have a vast untapped potential for seafood producers. However, gaining ground at home has never been an easy feat as most retail chains in Viet Nam are owned by foreign heavyweights. Those foreign players raise commissions once in a while, fueling the situation. Seafood companies had to look beyond retail chains to gain market shares at home. For instance, around 30 companies in VASEP banded together to form a club of home-targeted producers. They managed to raise their domestic sales to around 50 per cent of their total sales. The director also remarked that domestic consumers always have an appetite for value-added seafood, especially those in the Northern Region. Frozen seafood, meanwhile, had never caught on among them. The preference suggests that seafood producers should tailor their products to suit the tastes of each market rather than offer one-size-fits-all solutions at home and abroad. "Seafood producers clustering around the Southern and Central Regions have to do their homework before entering the Northern Region because consumers there have very different tastes," Hang said. Economist Vo Tri Thanh said the domestic market has risen to prominence in recent years thanks to a population of close to 100 million and a growing middle class. He cited a lack of information as the major cause of Vietnamese producers' weak position in their home field. "Foreign producers always do intensive market research before entering the Vietnamese market. Domestic producers, in contrast, don't bother to do so because they think they know the market inside out," Thanh said. The economist called for measures to bring the producers up to speed, bridging the information gap between them and foreign players. The Domestic Markets Department said it was sparing no effort in cementing the ties between large distributors and domestic companies. It aimed to raise the coverage of certain seafood products in retail chains from 15 per cent to 40 per cent by 2025. VNS JAKARTA Vietnamese and Indonesian enterprises specialising in various fields like food, beverages and renewable energy gathered at a business matchmaking seminar in Jakarta on Wednesday. The event was jointly held by the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the Vietnamese Embassy in Indonesia, and the Jakarta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Jakarta). In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Ambassador to Indonesia Ta Van Thong affirmed that the two countries boast great potential for cooperation in business and investment. Last year, the two-way trade reached US$14.17 billion, he said, adding that Indonesias investment in Viet Nam was valued at about $620 million, and that from Viet Nam stood at $50 million. However, the diplomat pointed out that the figures remain a far cry from the potential as well as other optimal conditions brought about by bilateral legal documents which have been almost done, close geographical distance, the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and free trade agreements between ASEAN and partners, along with direct flights between the two countries. Thong expressed his hope that more partnerships will be set up by the two countries enterprises, and more Indonesian firms will invest in Viet Nam. Tran Quang Huy, Director of the MoITs Asia-Africa Market Department, noted that Indonesia is now Viet Nams third biggest trade partner in ASEAN, and Viet Nam is Indonesias fourth largest in the region. Viet Nam exports rice, coffee, rubber, aquatic products, garments-textiles, phones and spare parts, steel, construction materials and plastic products to Indonesia, while importing coal, auto spare parts, palm oi and animal feed from the country. Kadin Jakarta Chairwoman Diana Dewi said the seminar offers an opportunity for Indonesian and Vietnamese businesses to promote cooperation and expand operations in the respective markets. On the sidelines of the seminar, there were meetings and working sessions between producers, exporters and importers in different areas. VNS BINH DUONG The BIFA Wood Vietnam 2023 fair will return to the southern province of Binh Duong from August 9-12, the event's organisers announced at a press conference in the locality on Thursday. The upcoming fair is expected to attract more than 100 Vietnamese and foreign exhibitors including those from the Americas, Europe, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. They will showcase advanced wood processing technologies, machinery and raw materials in more than 700 booths, organisers said. Several conferences will be held on the sideline of the fair such as a seminar introducing Canadian wood and its market, a seminar discussing intra-regional trade promotion and a workshop on accessing capital for timber enterprises. Deputy director of Binh Duong Department of Industry and Trade Nguyen Thanh Ha described the event as a good chance for manufacturing enterprises to access new technology and the world's legal source of raw materials in Viet Nam. The fair will also create opportunities for domestic and international organisations to meet, and establish long-term cooperative relationships to contribute to enhancing the sustainable development of Viet Nam's processing industry, she said. During the press conference, Ha also suggested the State and relevant ministries and sectors support wood processing enterprises in improving their capacity to be able to deal with commercial competition. Assistance in developing and expanding material areas to provide timber with certificates of sustainable forest management to meet the needs and tastes of consumers should be also included, Ha said. She also emphasised the importance of facilitating the development of supporting industries of the wood sector and issuing supportive policies on tax, insurance, and credit to create favourable conditions for businesses in the current difficult time. Organised by Viforest Fair Co, a joint venture between five wood processing industry associations (VIFOREST, HAWA, BIFA, DOWA, and FPA Binh inh), the fair will take place at the WTC Expo Binh Duong. o Xuan Lap, General Director of Viforest Fair Co said the fair would not only offer opportunities for businesses in the wood industry to meet, exchange information, and cooperate, but also create linkage chains among raw material and part suppliers; machinery and technology providers, manufacturers and traders. This will help businesses to team up and develop sustainably right here in Viet Nam. VNS HA NOI The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) has initiated a midterm review of safeguard measures on solar energy panels and components, including components, equipment and photovoltaic cell components, whether partially or fully integrated into other products. These measures were imposed in February 2018 and extended by President Joe Biden in February 2022 for an additional four years. The extension increased the tariff rate quota to 5 gigawatts, doubling the original measure. Under the extension, imported products within the tariff rate quota will not be subject to safeguard duties but will be subject to regular import duties based on the current US tariff schedule (currently set at zero per cent). Products beyond the quota will face a safeguard duty of 14.75 per cent for the first year, gradually decreasing by 0.25 per cent each subsequent year. The midterm review is required for safeguard measures lasting more than three years. Its purpose is to assess the impact and effectiveness of the measures on the US manufacturing industry. Based on the review results, the USITC may propose adjustments to the measures, such as maintaining the duty rate, extending or reducing their duration, lowering the duty rate or exempting certain countries from the duties. US imports of solar panels surged to over 850,000 tonnes in the first quarter this year, a significant increase from the previous quarter's 670,000 tonnes. Among these imports, Viet Nam held the largest market share, accounting for over 30 per cent, followed by Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Collectively, these four Southeast Asian countries comprised nearly 80 per cent of the photovoltaic (PV) panel imports to the US in the first three months, as per statistical data provided by Panjiva, a supply chain research unit of S&P Global. Panjiva also highlighted that the Vietnamese production branch of American company First Solar Inc, a major supplier of solar panels to the US market, is not under investigation by the US Department of Commerce. A hearing related to the investigation is scheduled for November 14, 2023. The USITC is required to submit the midterm review report to the President and the US Congress by February 6, 2024. VNS BINH DUONG A collection of biopsy samples from 26 captive tigers for DNA analysis was completed at ai Nam Zoo in the southern province of Binh Duong. The sampling was part of a joint-action programme by the National Forest Protection Department (FPD), the Southern Binh Duong FPD, the Institute for Environment and Biodiversity Research (IEBR), the ak Lak Elephant Conservation Centre, WWF and Four Paws. WWF-Vietnam said in a statement that the biopsy sampling was organised under the USAID Saving Threatened Wildlife project and implemented by the Management Board of Forestry Projects (MBFP)/MARD and WWF as part of a pilot programme with the National FPD. The pilot project will collate captive tiger DNA and stripe patterns on a national database and provide recommendations to officials for improving the monitoring and management of captive tigers. Biopsy sampling is an expert-handled procedure that involves removing tissue which is then analysed to reveal the unique DNA profile of each tiger. Images of the tigers stripe pattern are also recorded. WWF-Vietnam said that Tiger stripe patterns are as individually unique as human fingerprints, with each animal having its own pattern by which it can be identified. Tigers are globally endangered and are protected both nationally and internationally under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES requires all member states to implement measures restricting captive tiger populations to those kept for conservation efforts and strictly prohibits private ownership for breeding purposes. Recording unique DNA profiles and stripe patterns of captive tigers is part of the Governments efforts to improve the management of captive tigers as set out under Prime Ministerial Directive 29/CT-TTg, dated July 23, 2020, on urgent solutions to manage wildlife and to ensure compliance with the CITES requirements. The National FPD has worked closely with the Saving Threatened Wildlife project to conduct the biopsy sampling of tiger DNA and recording of stripe patterns, and we are looking forward to continuing this collaboration, said a senior National FPD representative. The sampling in Binh Duong was the third instance of DNA analysis being undertaken. Two other sites of sampling tigers in the central province of ak Nong and the northern Thai Nguyen Province were made in October 2022 and March 2023, respectively, as a result of close collaboration between the National FPD and the USAID Saving Threatened Wildlife project. Additional sampling will be undertaken before the end of 2023, a WWF Viet Nam spokesperson added. Following the sampling in Thai Nguyen, the facility owner Nguyen Khac Thuong courageously agreed to give up all six of his tigers to the Government after discussions with the National FPD and Thai Nguyen FPD. The tigers were safely transferred to the Ha Noi Wildlife Rescue Centre in early June, marking a milestone in getting private facilities to transfer captive tigers to state-run facilities. The recording of captive tiger DNA and stripe patterns is an important step in being able to monitor and manage captive tigers, not only to meet the requirements of CITES but also to prevent illegal activity driven by the demand for tiger products including tiger-bone glue, said Michelle Owen, Chief of Party, Saving Threatened Wildlife project, WWF. The US Government is collaborating with the Government of Viet Nam and local organizations to combat illegal wildlife trafficking in Viet Nam. The USAID Saving Threatened Wildlife project was implemented under the Ministry of Agriculture of Rural Development (MARD) by WWF, TRAFFIC, and ENV, supporting efforts to counter illegal wildlife trafficking (CWT). VNS HCM CITY Critically acclaimed pianist Nguyen Bich Tra and young South Korean violinist Joen Min will give performances at a concert held at the HCM City Opera House on June 25. The concert, titled A Night of From West to East, will highlight compositions of Russian composers Sergei Rachmaninoff and Sergei Prokofiev, and Vietnam's Trong ai. British-Vietnamese pianist Tra will play Rachmaninoffs Piano Concerto No 3 in D major. The three-movement composition was written in 1909, and premiered in New York City in the same year with Rachmianioff as soloist. Tra started her musical education at the Ha Noi Conservatory of Music, before continuing her studies at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Russia and the Royal Academy of Music in UK. She made her debut appearance with the Ha Noi Conservatory Orchestra. She has performed at prestigious concert halls worldwide, such as Queen Elizabeth Hall and Wigmore Hall in the UK, and Tokyo Opera City in Japan. Tras discography includes many world premiere recordings of neglected pieces. Her series of recordings of German-Swiss composer Joachim Raffs piano music, released on Grand Piano, has garnered wide critical acclaim, and was named Album of the Week by The Independent. She is currently working with British-French-Israeli composer Nimrod Borenstein on solo recordings and performances of his works. Seventeen-year-old Jeon Min will present Prokofievs Violin Concerto No 1 in D major, which was completed in 1917 and premiered in 1923 at Paris Opera. Joen Min, whose father is a violinist and mother is a pianist, started playing violin at the age of 4. She had her first appearance on stage when she was six, joining the Royal Thai Navy Orchestra. She continued her studies in Russia at the age of 12, and then gained numerous top prizes at international competitions such Gnessin International Competition, Bach International Competition, and Global Genius Music Competition. She made her debut at Tchaikovsky Hall in Russia. Joen Min is currently attending Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Both soloists will play along with the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) symphony orchestra. The orchestra will also perform the overture Binh Minh Nhip Pho (Dawn on the Streets) by veteran musician Trong ai, a graduate of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. The concert will be led by conductor Tran Nhat Minh, who performed with the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory Chamber Choir in Russia, France and Italy. The concert will begin at 8pm at 7 Lam Son Square in District 1. Tickets are available at the venue and at www.ticketbox.vn. VNS Khanh An Choby Vongxay is a senior-year student majoring in International Commerce and Transportation at the University of Transport and Communications (UTC). He has been studying in Viet Nam for the last five years. Before moving to Viet Nam, Choby was only familiar with Laotian folk dancing. Since secondary school, he has been learning Lao dance and performing regularly. Choby first saw Vietnamese traditional dancing during a performance from other students at a campus festival. It was love at first sight for Choby. I was immediately astonished by how impressed and inspired Vietnamese dance made me feel. Soon after, Choby connected with fellow students who enjoyed Vietnamese dance and became friends with them. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn't until 2022 that Choby had an opportunity to practise and eventually perform Viet Nams traditional dance professionally. Having sought out a new challenge, even a new love, Choby opted to join UTC's Art Club as one of the founding members. In less than a year since its establishment the club has grown steadily while Choby and the other members of the club have forged meaningful connections. They participated in the UTC's art competition and won the first prize, and more recently they took second place in the VWA's Got Talent competition. They also took part in several university concerts. Both Vietnamese and Laotian dances have their own unique features. Laotian folk dance such as Lamvong focuses on flexibility and emotional expression. Regarding the Viet Nams dance, it requires strength and endurance for men because we have to lead our female co-performers. I have to pay close attention to my memory to keep up with the dance sequences, Choby said. Choby has received the nickname big brother from junior members of the club as a result of his tireless dedication. Choby is not only a skilled professional dancer, but he's also like a warm older brother to us," said a member of UTC Art Club. "Choby helps us a lot, setting up a spot for us to nap while we perform and preparing us quick meals when we're hungry. Choby completely fits the traits of honesty, gentleness, and loving that members frequently use to describe Lao people. In addition to schoolwork and dancing, Choby also actively engages in numerous extracurricular activities, especially for the Lao students community. He is the leader of the Lao student delegation at the University of Transport and Communications and also participates in many activities arranged by the Lao Embassy in Viet Nam. Sharing about his life in Viet Nam, Choby feels extremely proud of himself to be here and overjoyed with his experience: I receive a lot of warmth and support from the Vietnamese professors and students at my university. Even the Vietnamese people outside the university grounds are warm towards me. I've learned a lot about Viet Nam and the Vietnamese people. The two characteristics of Vietnamese people that I admire the most are their optimism and diligence in every aspect of life, he said. Talking about the next chapter of his life after graduating, Choby shared with Viet Nam News that he will return to Laos and pursue his career as a transportation engineer. I will take the experience and knowledge I have learned in Viet Nam to develop my homeland, he said. Dancing will still be an inevitable part of my life. I will definitely look for others who are as passionate about Vietnamese dance as I am so that we can team up and perform. VNS. HA NOI Land acquisition for the purpose of socio-economic development must be transparent and fair to the people, according to National Assembly deputies at a whole-day session discussing the amended Land Law on Wednesday. The deputies agreed that land use planning is a very important content and is reflected throughout the draft Law. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully evaluate to make appropriate adjustments to serve socio-economic development and ensure effective management and use of land. Deputy To Van Tam of Kon Tum Province said it is necessary to separate the regulations on land acquisition for public purposes and land acquisition for commercial purposes. Citing Resolution 18-NQ/TW on improvement in regulatory institutions and management and use of land, he said it is necessary to continue implementing the self-agreement mechanism between people and businesses in the transfer of land use rights to implement urban and commercial housing projects. However, the regulations on land acquisition, compensation and support when recovering land in the draft law still do not clearly show this spirit, and there are many contents that are not favourable for people, he said at the fifth plenary session of the 15th National Assembly in Ha Noi. It is important to have separate regulations on land acquisition for different purposes. In case it is for the national/public purpose, the state will have compensation in accordance with the draft law and have more policies to encourage people to give their land. "There are many people who voluntarily donate land to build roads, bridges and schools without asking for compensation at all, the State needs more policies to encourage this," Tam said. In the case of land acquisition for commercial purposes that are purely for profit, Tam suggested that it should be regulated in accordance with Resolution 18 which highlighted the agreement (among stakeholders). In case no agreement can be reached, the parties may request an independent valuation agency. "If no agreement can be reached at this stage, we can ask the court to settle it," he said. Sharing the same view, deputy Le Huu Tri from Khanh Hoa said that although the draft law has tried to specify a list of projects that the State recovers land for socio-economic development, for the national and public interest, it is not possible to list all the projects that will arise in the future. He suggested that it is necessary to design another regulation to handle in case a project for socio-economic development and/or for the national and/or public interest, is not included in the list mentioned in the law. Tri said there are issues that are not clearly regulated in the 2013 Land Law, leading to many violations. In some cases, land which is supposed to be acquired for public purposes is taken for commercial purposes to benefit investors and businesses. With regards to compensation and relocation, deputy Nguyen Quang Huan said the regulations in the draft law should take into account not only incomes but also the lives and livelihoods and other factors of relocated households. Discussing principles and methods of land valuation, deputy Phan Thi My Dung from Long An Province said that it is necessary to abide by market-based principles to ensure harmony of interests of the State, land users and investors. Deputies noted that the issues with land compensation lie not only in calculating compensation but also in ensuring resettlement for affected people. This is to ensure the quality of their new place is equal to or better than the old one. The draft Land Law has 16 chapters and 263 articles with five more items, 40 new articles added, 13 articles removed compared to the draft for public opinion. The draft law incorporates revisions of regulations related to land acquisition, specification of cases where land is acquired to serve defence and security purposes, as well as regulations on compensation, resettlement and land price evaluation. VNS PARIS Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha met with Deputy CEO of the French Development Agency (AFD) Marie Helene Loison in Paris on Wednesday, during his working trip to France to attend the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact. Ha lauded the idea of French President Emmanuel Macron to organise the summit to seek new public and private financial sources, contributing to promoting financial sector development and the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs). He expressed delight at positive developments in Viet Nam-France relations, especially in trade and economics, one of the key pillars in the strategic partnership between the two countries. The official spoke highly of the role that the AFD has played in effectively implementing development aid projects in Viet Nam since 1994, especially in the fields of energy, climate change and urban transport. Ha proposed that the AFD continue to support and promote cooperation with Viet Nam in projects for emission reduction and climate change response, particularly in coastal areas and the Mekong Delta region. For her part, Loison held that Ha's participation in the summit shows Viet Nams strong commitment and responsibility in joining the international communitys climate change response efforts. She discussed with him cooperation between the AFD and Viet Nam, especially on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Viet Nam-France diplomatic relations and 30 years of partnership between the AFD and Viet Nam. She affirmed that the agency will continue to conduct research programmes on climate change impacts on local socio-economic development (GEMMES) while supporting Viet Nam in strengthening policy building and technology transfer, as well as providing financial assistance in green energy development, renewable energy, smart power transmission, and green fuel production. The two sides agreed to further promote cooperation in energy transition, especially in the context that Viet Nam gave strong commitments at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) and joined the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETP). They also agreed to continue close coordination in implementing economic projects serving sustainable development in Viet Nam. VNS HA NOI President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee arrived in Ha Noi on Thursday morning, beginning their three-day State visit to Viet Nam at the invitation of President Vo Van Thuong. Welcoming the RoK delegation at Noi Bai International Airport were Chairman of the President's Office Le Khanh Hai, Chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee Tran Sy Thanh, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tung, and RoK Ambassador to Viet Nam Oh Young Ju. The delegation accompanying President Yoon during his official visit to Viet Nam includes Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung Ho, Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Jin, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang Yang, Minister of Employment and Labour Lee Jung Sik, among many others. This is the first State visit to Viet Nam by President Yoon, and Viet Nam is also the first Southeast Asian country that he has visited since he took office in May 2022. It takes place in the context that the bilateral relationship was upgraded from a strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2022 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties. Viet Nam and the RoK established diplomatic ties on December 22, 1992. At present, the RoK is one of Viet Nams leading important partners. Currently, the RoK is Viet Nam's largest foreign direct investor with total registered capital of US$82 billion, the country's second largest Official Development Assistance (ODA), and third biggest trading partner. In the first quarter of 2023, bilateral trade turnover between the two countries reached $18.1 billion, while other areas of cooperation are also flourishing. During the visit, both sides will focus on discussing measure to further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership, promote economic cooperation, expand investments that stabilise supply chains and enhance cooperation in other areas such as finance, banking, digital transformation, and human resource training. Viet Nam and the RoK will also discuss international and regional issues of mutual interest. President Yoon is scheduled to hold talks with Vietnamese counterpart Vo Van Thuong, meet with senior leaders of Viet Nam, and attend the Viet Nam-RoK Business Forum, among other activities. VNS HA NOI Vietnamese Minister of National Defence Phan Van Giang on Thursday held talks with Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba Alvaro Lopez Miera, stressing that the relationship between the two countries is a symbolic exemplary relationship of the times. The Cuban leader is on an official visit to Viet Nam from June 20-25 at the invitation of General Giang, also a Politburo member, and Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission. General Giang said he highly appreciated the significance of the delegation's visit as the two countries were looking forward to the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Cuban Committee for Solidarity with South Viet Nam (September 1963), the predecessor of the Cuba-Viet Nam Friendship Association as well as 50th anniversary of leader Fidel Castros first visit to Viet Nam and to the Liberation of South Viet Nam area in Quang Tri (September 1973). He affirmed that over the past 60 years, the special friendship between Viet Nam and Cuba has been constantly consolidated and developed in the spirit of brotherhood and closeness, becoming a symbolic exemplary relationship of the times. General Giang expressed his belief that the success of this visit will contribute to strengthening the special friendship between the two countries and the two militaries. Sharing the difficulties and challenges that the Cuban people are facing due to the influence of the embargo and recently the loss of life and property due to natural disasters, General Giang affirmed that the Party, State, people and People's Army of Viet Nam will never forget Cuba's support and assistance during the most difficult period of the national liberation struggle as well as in the cause of national building. Viet Nam will always stand shoulder to shoulder and support Cuba on the path of building and developing a beautiful and heroic Cuba. On this occasion, General Giang congratulated Cuba on successfully holding the 10th National Assembly election; emphasising that this is the victory of the Cuban revolution, demonstrating the solidarity and unanimity of the Cuban people. Giang expressed his belief that Cuba would soon overcome all difficulties and challenges and achieve prosperous development. General Giang also thanked the Party, State and the Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba for awarding noble medals of the Cuban State to the leaders and former leaders of Viet Nams Ministry of Defence for their contributions to the relationship between the two countries and the two armies. Corps General Alvaro expressed his thanks to General Giang and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for the warm welcome to the delegation. He said Cuba appreciated Viet Nam for always accompanying and supporting Cuba, emphasising the close and strong relationship between the two countries and the two armies and the importance of this relationship. Corps General Alvaro expressed his hope that the two sides will continue to maintain and strengthen cooperation in fields of the same capabilities and needs, focusing on exchanging delegations at all levels, exchanging experts and training. He affirmed that he would do his best to contribute to deepening the Cuban-Vietnamese relationship. The two leaders agreed that defense cooperation has always been one of the pillars and a model for promoting cooperation in various other fields. The two sides have achieved some outstanding results in delegation exchange at all levels, Party and political work, defence industry, human resource training, among others. They agreed that the two countries will focus on enhancing cooperation in the above fields. At the end of the talks, the two leaders signed a cooperation plan for the 2023-25 period. VNS HA NOI Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh will pay an official visit to China and attend the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF) from June 25-28, according to an announcement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The visit was made at the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and WEF Founder and Chairman Klaus Schwab, spokesperson for the foreign ministry Pham Thu Hang said. PM Chinh's first official visit to China takes place as both countries are maintaining positive trends of development, particularly since the visit of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Nguyen Phu Trong to the neighbouring country in late 2022, while trade and economic ties and cooperation in other areas continue to deepen. Viet Nam is China's fourth largest trading partner with a bilateral trade turnover in 2022 reaching US$175 billion, Hang said. During the trip, PM Chinh will attend an official welcome ceremony and hold talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. He will also meet with senior Chinese leaders to discuss major measures to enhance cooperation between the two countries, in order to continue implementing the high-level agreements reached during the Vietnamese Party leader's visit. The trip also seeks to fulfil the Viet Nam-China Joint Statement issued during Party Chief Trong's previous visit and to promote the sound and sustainable development of the Viet Nam-China Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership. Both sides are also set to exchange views on the maintenance of peace and stability in the region as well as international and regional issues of mutual interest. As part of the visit, PM Chinh is also expected to attend the Viet Nam-China Business Forum, as well as meet with the Vietnamese community living in China and with a number of Chinese partners, scholars and businesses. The relationship between Viet Nam and WEF has continued to flourish in recent years, with bilateral cooperation growing ever more meaningful, focusing on a number of important areas such as policy consultation, plastic waste, waste reduction, sustainable agriculture, human resource training and digital transformation. Under the theme 'Entrepreneurship: The Driving Force of the Global Economy', the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, often considered the Summer Davos, held this year in Tianjin, China - will focus on growth adjustment, energy transformation, environmental protection, and post-pandemic consumer trends. The foreign ministry spokesperson informs that PM Chinh will deliver remarks during the plenary session, attend and deliver remarks at this session on preventing a 'lost decade', meet with founder and Chairman of WEF Klaus Schwab, co-chair the Viet Nam-WEF Country Strategic Dialogue, and meet with heads of governments and leaders of businesses at the meeting. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday confirmed the nuclear-powered aircraft supercarrier USS Ronald Reagan will arrive at the central city of a Nang starting later this week. "As we all are aware, Viet Nam has been receiving port calls by naval vessels from other countries, including the upcoming visit by the USS Ronald Reagan," spokesperson for the foreign ministry Pham Thu Hang told the media during the press briefing on Thursday in Ha Noi. "This is an ordinary exchange, meant to contribute to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world." The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is currently operating in the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea). The spokesperson also mentioned the ongoing visit of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force's largest destroyer, Izumo, and accompanying destroyer JS Samidare, which are currently docking at Cam Ranh International Port in the south central province of Khanh Hoa. The question over China's announcement of the arrival of Coast Guard vessel Haixun 03 to the Phu Lam (Woody) island and the expected patrolling activities of this vessel in Viet Nam's Truong Sa (Paracels) archipelago was also raised at the meeting. "As constantly reiterated, Viet Nam has sufficient historical grounds and legal evidence to assert its sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands in line with international law," spokesperson Hang said. "All activities of parties in the Paracel and Spratly islands conducted without Viet Nam's permission are violations of Vietnamese sovereignty over these islands, and proved detrimental to peace, stability, order, safety, security and freedom of navigation in the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea)." VNS HA NOI Hundreds of journalists from all over the country on Wednesday evening gathered to attend the National Press Awards awarding ceremony - the highest award for outstanding journalistic works. The awards council said that out of 157 finalist works, the council discussed, evaluated and chose 123 excellent works, of which eight A Prizes, 24 B Prizes, 46 C Prizes and 45 Consolation Prizes. Le Quoc Minh, member of the Party Central Committee, editor-in-chief of the Nhan Dan (The People) newspaper, deputy head of the Party Central Committees Commission for Publicity and Education, chairman of the Viet Nam Journalists Association, chairman of the National Press Awards Council, said that the participants closely followed major topics from politics, economy, culture, society, national defense, security and other aspects of the country in 2022. They strongly reflected important events of the country, he said, including efforts for socio-economic development, building independent economy in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, the fight against corruption and protecting the Partys ideology. Notably, many press agencies this year innovated, approached modern journalism technology, put their works on different communication platforms to increase peoples accessibility, step by step implement digital transformation. The awards council assessed that many works are written carefully, their content discovered new problems, expressed major policies of the Party and the State, proposed good solutions that are pervasive and influential in society. Many works have good quality, are presented in a good way that is lively and attractive to readers. Excited and moved to receive the A Prize, journalist Vo Manh Hung, from the VietnamPlus e-newspaper under the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), said that he spent nearly six years on conducting the series about environmental protection. He directly set up ideas, outlines and plans to investigate in more than 20 provinces and cities. To get information, he had to play many different roles and jobs. He acted as a worker at an industrial park, a ore and coal buyer, or a student studying geology to gain the trust of business owners. In some places, when he first asked, he received warnings that it might be life-threatening if he was detected. Overcoming all obstacles in the course of his work, in early December last year, Hung proposed to the newspaper leaders to appoint two more reporters specialising in photos and videos. They together returned to some hot spots to get the newest and panoramic footages. Returning from the field trip, he quickly completed the series and published in the last days of December last year. After the series of articles were published on the VietnamPlus e-newspaper, many localities across the country quickly carried out examination. From that basis, they issued decisions to punish violated enterprises and require them improve the polluted condition. Many residents' petitions have been handled by the authorities. Hung said that much of the information provided in the topic was studied by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and applied in the amended Law on Environmental Protection, which was effective from the beginning of last year. Our joy is multiplied when the series is awarded the A Prize. For me, this is happiness and also a great motivation to continue my efforts and dedicate the VNA writers bravery, said Hung. Also won the A Prize, the documentary film Bay (Trap) spoke about human trafficking to Cambodia. It was made by the Vietnam Television's Journalists Association and was first broadcast on December 24 last year. With many professional measures, journalists played different roles, penetrated the criminalss dens, learned their rules of guarding, and drew up an escape plan. The film has vivid images about where the victims work and in solitary confinement. VNS In its latest report on global economic prospects released over a week ago, the World Bank predicted that in 2023, lacklustre growth in the global goods trade, which is a key engine of East Asia and Pacific in recent decades, is expected to weigh on activity, particularly in Vietnam where growth is projected to moderate. Containers at Gemalink International Port in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. (Photo: VNA) The bank has lowered Vietnams economic growth for 2023 from 6.3 per cent in its January forecast to 6 per cent this year, 6.2 per cent in 2024, and 6.5 per cent in 2025. However, these rates are the highest in Southeast Asia, with the growth rate in 2023 being 5.5 per cent for Cambodia, 4.9 per cent for Indonesia, 4.3 per cent for Malaysia, and 3.9 per cent for both Laos and Thailand. The Vietnamese economy is facing external headwinds as weakening external demand weighs on exports, translating into weak industrial production. While domestic consumption remains robust, credit growth slowed, reflecting weak credit demand, the World Bank said in its May bulletin on the Vietnamese economic performance. According to the Vietnamese General Statistics Office, Vietnams index for industrial production (IIP) in the first five months of this year dropped 2 per cent compared to the same period last year, when the IIP climbed 8.1 per cent on-year. The IIP for the processing and manufacturing sector declined 2.5 per cent against the corresponding period last year, when it rose 8.9 per cent on-year. The electricity production and distribution sector climbed only 0.8 per cent on-year, while the mining sector fell 3.5 per cent on-year, and the water supply, wastewater, and waste management and treatment sector expanded 6.4 per cent. Spanish global analysts FocusEconomics told VIR that in Vietnam, economic momentum will soften this year due to slower growth in private consumption, fixed investment, and exports. That said, stronger fiscal spending would add support, and Vietnam would remain among ASEANs top performers, FocusEconomics said. Foreign exchange fluctuations, monetary policy, relations with the US, and the impact of Chinas recovery on exports are key factors to watch. The analysts forecast Vietnams GDP to expand to 5.4 per cent in 2023, down by 0.3 percentage points from the firms forecast made one month ago, and increase to 6.5 per cent in 2024. After sliding 11.2 per cent on-year in April, industrial output rose 0.1 per cent on-year in May. This still signals a worsening trend in the industrial sector. FocusEconomics sees industrial production expanding 5 per cent in 2023, down by 2.5 percentage points from one month ago, and climbing to 8.8 per cent in 2024. Prompted by economic woes, the International Monetary Fund has also lowered its projection for Vietnams growth from 6.2 per cent in January to 5.8 per cent for this year and 6.9 per cent for next year. Despite the revision, this will still be among the highest in the emerging and developing Asia group of 30 economies. At the National Assembly, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said, The crucial thing for enterprises is that they must have orders as soon as possible because orders will help them boost production and business activities. However, they are facing numerous burdensome administrative procedures. Many businesses are lamenting that such procedures in many localities are very slow as state cadres dont want to work, and instead shirk responsibility. According to the World Bank, one of the biggest drivers for economic growth in Vietnam is to boost public investment. Acceleration of public investment disbursement could support aggregate demand and economic growth in the short run while ensuring investments in human capital and resilient and green infrastructure will bolster long term economic development, the bank said Vietnams GDP grew 8.02 per cent last year, the highest in 10 years, while total per capita income hit $4,110. vir HCMC Vietnam will start building a new 500 kV power transmission line in 2025 to provide additional power for the northern region, said the Central Vietnam Power Projects Management Board. This project will facilitate the transmission of electricity from the southern and central regions to the north, ensuring stable power supply for the northern region. During a recent meeting, the Central Vietnam Power Projects Management Board presented a plan to connect thermal power plants and renewable energy facilities in the north-central region to the national grid. The 500 kV power transmission project is important as it will relieve the load on the two existing 500 kV lines and ensuring power security for northern Vietnam in the coming years. Covering a length of nearly 317 kilometers, the power lines will pass through several provinces in the central region, including Quang Binh, Nghe An and Thanh Hoa. The project is scheduled to be completed within 50 months from the date of the feasibility study being done, assuming no complications arise during site clearance and compensation. The 500 kV Quang Trach-Quynh Luu-Thanh Hoa transmission line project has received approval from the Prime Minister to be included in the National Power Development Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2045 (the Power Development Plan VIII), according to the Government news site at baochinhphu.vn. HCMC The USS Ronald Reagan, the ninth Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is scheduled to arrive in the central beach city of Danang this Sunday for a six-day friendship visit to Vietnam, announced the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pham Thu Hang, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a regular news conference of the ministry on the afternoon of June 22 that the USS Ronald Reagan would be visiting Danang from June 25 to 30. The visit coincides with the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive partnership between the two nations. This would be the third Vietnam visit by a U.S. aircraft carrier. The USS Carl Vinson came to Danang City in March 2018, becoming the first U.S. aircraft carrier to visit Vietnam in more than 40 years. The USS Carl Vinson is Americas third Nimitz-class aircraft carrier with a crew of 5,000 sailors. When Vietnam and the U.S. marked the 25th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral ties, the USS Theodore Roosevelt visited Vietnam in March 2020, becoming the second aircraft carrier to come to the country. It is the fourth Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered, aircraft carrier in the United States Navy. Outperforming more than 30 esteemed contenders in the same category at the Travel + Leisure Asia Pacific Luxury Awards and the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2023, Ana Mandara Cam Ranh Resort emerged as the sole beach front destination in Cam Ranh, to be honoured as one of the "Top 10 Best Beach Resorts in Vietnam." Ana Mandara Cam Ranh Resort was honoured as one of the "Top 10 Best Beach Resorts in Vietnam" at Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2023 This recognition places the resort alongside the prominent players in Vietnam's luxury tourism and resort industry. With its 25-year development legacy in Khanh Hoa province, Ana Mandara Cam Ranh Resort has proven its brand value. As it undergoes a substantial transformation while retaining its unique charm, the resort remains the preferred choice for tourists seeking the splendor of the South Central Coast in Vietnam. Susan Noonan, the general manager of Ana Mandara Cam Ranh Resort, expressed her delight during the prestigious Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2023 ceremony. "Through the collective efforts of our staff and the perfection of our facilities and services, Ana Mandara Cam Ranh Resort has managed to touch the hearts of our guests," Noonan said. "We are incredibly proud to be included in this esteemed Top 10 list, as it serves as clear evidence of the visitors' love for the Ana Mandara Cam Ranh brand and a testament to our year-long endeavours. We eagerly anticipate welcoming guests to our exquisite beachfront resort, where they will experience our hospitality, professionalism, and attentiveness in every service we provide." Furthermore, Ana Mandara Cam Ranh Resort excelled at the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2023, an esteemed international event organized by the International Property Awards, renowned for its extensive reach and high reputation. This accolade holds immense value for businesses involved in real estate project development, architecture, design, consulting, and interiors. The resort successfully navigated a rigorous evaluation process conducted by a panel of over 80 industry experts, ultimately securing the category "New Hotel Construction & Design Vietnam." General manager of Ana Mandara Cam Ranh Resort Susan Noonan Despite being operational for less than a year, Ana Mandara Cam Ranh Resort has consistently stood out in the hospitality industry. It garners immense appreciation from tourists and travel partners alike, owing to its exceptional service quality and stylish design. The resort creates a sense of connection with domestic and international visitors through its warm and welcoming atmosphere. It provides a relaxing and intimate retreat that exudes a distinct Vietnamese identity, combining rustic charm with modern sophistication. The recognition as one of the "Top 10 Best Beach Resorts in Vietnam" and the award for "New Hotel Construction & Design Vietnam in the Asia Pacific" serve as a driving force for Ana Mandara Cam Ranh Resort to continually uphold and enhance its service quality, leaving an indelible mark on the resort tourism industry. Travel + Leisure, a renowned travel magazine with a history of over 50 years and headquartered in New York, USA, selected Ana Mandara Cam Ranh Resort for the accolades. During the awards ceremony held in Thailand at the beginning of June, the Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2023, organised by Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Macau, unveiled the winners for Asia's luxury hotels, resorts, and tourism for 2023, as voted by the readers. Those who have joined the programme are expected to increase their annual income by at least 25 per cent On June 9, Bayer Vietnam tied up with the Anh Duong Community Development and Support Center to organise a day of volunteering as part of the Better Living Conditions project to support underserved families in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang. Within the scope of the project, Bayer Vietnam carries out three key activities. Firstly, the company offers livelihood support including seeds, farm tools, equipment, and technical training to help underprivileged households start a farming business. The second activity is to improve living conditions for families whose earnings are below the poverty threshold. Therefore, they can get better access to safe housing, clean water, community health services, and schooling opportunities for young children. Last but not least, Bayer Vietnam provides knowledge training on the topics of health, self-care, and family planning for women. So far, more than 135 farmers and 300 local women have benefited from the project. Those who have joined the programme are expected to increase their annual income by at least 25 per cent. Covering 2022 and 2023, it aims to improve livelihoods, incomes, and quality of life for at least 500 underprivileged households and individuals in the locality. Nguyen Thi Thu Ngan, a representative of the first household to receive a biogas system, expressed her gratitude. My family as well as many underprivileged households in this small hamlet all feel grateful to receive support from Bayer Vietnam and the Anh Duong centre. We were helped not only materially, but also spiritually, Ngan said. For the first time in my backyard, I have a biogas system to treat pig manure more hygienically, keep the air we breathe fresher, and save money on buying fuel for cooking. This event has also attracted many Bayer Vietnam volunteers who are eager to support the local community with farming, installing clean water purification equipment or biogas systems for families in need. Volunteer Mai Do said, The heat in Hau Giang province cannot stop our staff from being enthusiastic to contribute to the community. I have been with Bayer for 12 years and feel very fortunate to participate in many volunteer activities, joining the mission of the corporation. I believe that every small thing we do will help many families have a better life. Ho Thi Kim Chuc, director of the Anh Duong Community Development and Support Center, said, We are delighted to join with Bayer Vietnam to develop and implement this community project in Hau Giang. This project is very practical and especially meaningful in the context of local communities having to deal with various economic challenges. Ingo Brandenburg, general director of Bayer Vietnam, added, We believe it is important to contribute to the societys future viability and create values in diverse ways. Within the scope of our social commitment, we make targeted strategic commitments in the areas of science and education, health, social needs, and community projects. We partner with non-governmental organisations and non-profit organisations with significant contributions in their respective sectors to supporting their initiatives carried out by them. Bayer accelerates innovation in Pharmaceuticals At its annual Pharma Media Day, Bayer presented the recent progress it has made in the ongoing transformation of its pharmaceutical business, focusing on accelerating innovative healthcare solutions and delivering long-term, sustainable growth. An overview of the hearing on a draft resolution in support of Vietnamese Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin. (Photo: VNA) Brussels The Belgian Chamber of Representatives on June 20 held a hearing on a draft resolution in support of Vietnamese Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin. Present at the session, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao briefed the participants on policies, action programmes and plans for war victims in Vietnam, as well as the close coordination between Vietnam and the US in settling war consequences. The handling of AO issues needs international support, he said, lauding the Belgian government and people for their cooperation with and assistance to Vietnam in war legacy settlement and national construction over the past time, through many fruitful programmes and projects. Pierre Grega, President of the Belgium-Vietnam Friendship Association, who visited the Southeast Asian nation last March, said many Vietnamese children in dioxin-contaminated areas were born with birth defects. Stressing the importance of the draft resolution, Grega expressed his hope that it will be passed to facilitate the analysis of dioxin impacts on humans and the environment. It is the problem of not only Vietnam but also the entire world, he stressed. Jan Haemers, CEO of Haemers Technologies, said his company has been working with the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence since 2022 in dioxin remediation in some hot spots with the support of the Belgian government. Andre Flahaut, one of the five Belgian parliamentarians who proposed the draft resolution, told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)s correspondents in Brussels that he hopes the bill will be adopted this year on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Belgium. Sharing Flahauts view, Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee under the Belgian Chamber of Representatives Els Van Hoof said the information work should be stepped up to call for international support, especially tech firms, in dioxin cleanup in Vietnam. Once the draft resolution is approved, the Belgian parliament will be the first European legislature to support the issue, she stressed. According to the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA), the US army sprayed 80 million litres of toxic chemicals on the South of Vietnam between 1961 and 1971, with 61% being AO containing 366kg of dioxin, on over nearly 3.06 million hectares (equivalent to nearly one quarter of the souths total area). Preliminary statistics showed that 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to AO/dioxin, and about 3 million people became victims. Tens of thousands of people have died and millions of others suffered from cancer and other incurable diseases as a result. Many of their offsprings also suffer from birth deformities. Da Nang exhibition to support AO victims struggle for justice An exhibition themed Agent Orange - Sense and Justice will take place in the central city of Da Nang from July 23 to August 12. AO victim's library spells out hope for rural children When Huynh Thanh Thao was a child, she had to stay at home while other kids in her village went to school every day. US court ruling on Monsanto bolsters hope for Vietnamese AO victims Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange (AO) have once again had their hopes for justice rekindled. But despite the recent landmark ruling against Monsanto in a San Francisco court, major obstacles remain on the path towards justice. Thousands walk for AO victims, people with disabilities More than 5,000 volunteers of the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VNRC) as well as local residents participated in a fundraising walk for Agent Organge (AO)/Dioxin victims and impoverished people with disabilities in Ho Chi Minh City on August 10. Phuc Long has reduced its presence in Winmart stores, Photo: Le Toan The kiosks of Phuc Long tea and coffee brand have disappeared at the Winmart and Winmart+ supermarket chains since the end of May, officially ending the existence of the kiosk model after nearly two years of operation. Nhung Nguyen, a salesperson at the Winmart+ store on Hoang Hoa Tham street in Hanoi, said that the closure of these kiosks was inevitable as they had little business and took up quite a large area in the store. The number of bartenders at the Phuc Long kiosk was reduced from two to one before closing completely. Sometimes we asked them for help when Winmart+ is crowded. Since removal, the kiosk area has been used to display other items, Nguyen said. Phuc Long was the first beverage chain to put the kiosk model to the test, opening a series of kiosks of other coffee and beverage brands such as The Coffee House. Two months after Masan spent $15 million buying a 20-per cent stake in Phuc Long in May last year, 41 kiosks of the chain were opened at Winmart+ stores in Masans retail system. At its peak, nearly 1,000 kiosks and 111 flagship stores made Phuc Long the second-largest food and beverages brand in Vietnam, after Highlands Coffee. However, the number of kiosks decreased to 760 at the end of last year until they were completely discontinued in May. After failing with the kiosk model, Phuc Long continued to test a similar model called Hub-and-spoke. A representative of Phuc Long said that the new model works by transferring online customers from flagship stores to neighbouring kiosks during peak hours. Hub-and-spoke will reduce the pressure on flagship stores and contribute to increasing daily sales of kiosks by up to 2.8 times during the pilot phase, the representative said. According to the financial report published in March, Phuc Long achieved $68.6 million in revenue in 2022, mainly from the business of more than 100 flagship stores. Previously, a number of other coffee and beverage chains also quickly said goodbye to the kiosk model. The Coffee House opened up to eight new kiosks in a row in October 2021, but after that, there was no move to show the model could be replicated. This brand has just reopened its Signature store in Ho Chi Minh City in January after more than a year of closure. Ngo Nguyen Kha, CEO of The Coffee House, said that the new model has a different space with an open bar, aiming to serve visitors with better incomes looking for new experiences. In its growth journey, The Coffee House has continually pondered how to reinvent itself but maintain its identity. We feel fortunate customers are growing up with us, with higher and higher requirements for products and experiences, Kha said. With the return of our signature high-end store model, customers are still willing to spend time and pay more for the new experiences. This group of customers is not large enough for The Coffee House to open hundreds more stores, but enough to open a few in some areas. The model has many similarities with Starbucks Reserve Bar. In Vietnam, two Starbucks Reserve Bar stores located in Han Thuyen street in Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Tho street in Hanoi, work as high-end store models that attract a vast number of customers. Although not interested in the kiosk model, Starbucks has recorded a transformation in its operating model by opening a number of smaller stores for take-away and delivery during the pandemic. We believe that in the food and beverage segment, there must be the right formula to develop. We will continue to open more stores and create opportunities in addition to places that we have visited, said general director of Starbucks Vietnam Patricia Marques. As of the end of last year, Starbucks had 87 outlets spread across eight cities and provinces nationwide. The US chain plans to open its 100th store in Vietnam this year as a way of marking the 10-year journey of presence in Vietnam. According to Mordor Intelligence Inc., Vietnams food and beverage industry will achieve a compound annual growth rate of up to 8.65 per cent from 2021 to 2026. Bubble tea players wrapping up expansions to conquer the vietnamese market Many bubble tea makers are expanding their operations to conquer the domestic market, which is estimated an equity valuation of nearly $400 million. It was noted that even family-run businesses require a corporate mindset A recent survey conducted by PwC Vietnam shed further light on the situation. The survey, taken from October 2022 to January this year and involving 36 domestic family business owners, revealed that almost two-thirds of Vietnamese family business owners frequently experience conflicts but have not made trust-building between current and future generations a priority. Only 28 per cent of respondents considered this a significant factor. Moreover, 42 per cent of participants reported a lack of trust between the current and next generations within their families. Tran Van Thang, director of Assurance Services at PwC Vietnam, noted that family businesses were distinctive in that their members not only worked together but also shared a collective history, values, and vision for the businesss future. Regrettably, these vital aspects are often taken for granted, he added. When trust is lacking among family members, conflicts easily arise, leading to a lack of cohesion and potential business failures. This may help explain why 64 per cent of survey respondents reported frequent family conflicts in their businesses, significantly surpassing the global average of 30 per cent and the Asia-Pacific average of 29 per cent. Vuu Le Quyen, director of Bitis, a prominent consumer goods manufacturing company, has also encountered this challenge since assuming her role in 2018. I must confess that I was a square peg in a round hole in my family. I always pushed the boundaries, questioning my parents and challenging the reasons behind their instructions, she said. Upon assuming leadership as the next generation, Quyen sought to rectify the misconception that fear is necessary to get the job done, replacing it with the belief that happiness enables us to accomplish our tasks. To ensure the smooth functioning of the family business, she advocated for creating an environment where every member could voice their opinions and be heard. However, she acknowledged that fostering trust among family members had not received adequate attention. Kao Sieu Luc, CEO of ABC Bakery, said starting a business is difficult, but preserving ones legacy is even more challenging. He firmly believes that a family business cannot achieve true success without finding a suitable successor. For first-generation entrepreneurs like us, transferring power to the second generation is not as simple as delegating authority, Luc said. In reality, convincing children who have had the opportunity to study and work abroad, with lucrative salaries, to return to Vietnam and take over the family business is an incredibly challenging task. In the case of my children, I did not leverage my parental authority to force them to come back. Instead, I view them as colleagues, and with colleagues, it is necessary to outline the path of progress, potential, challenges, and the destination clearly and precisely for them to decide what is the right course, he said. Kao Huy Phuong, deputy CEO of the company, said that inheriting a family business involved more than maintaining a presence in the domestic market. With a younger generation that travels extensively, engages in continuous learning, and possesses a progressive mindset, expanding the family enterprise into international markets becomes crucial, according to Phuong. To successfully penetrate international markets, particularly Japan, I have dedicated considerable time to studying the Japanese language, understanding Japanese culture, and familiarising myself with the stringent regulations of this market, Phuong said. She recalled an incident when ABC Bakery exported a batch of pastries to Japan and Japanese authorities discovered an ant on the outer packaging. To determine its origin, they even conducted a DNA test on the ant. Witnessing the meticulousness and thoroughness of their Japanese counterparts made her realise that the pressure on the shoulders of the next generation is no less significant than that faced by the founding generation. However, Phuong firmly believes that with thorough preparation, the next generation can elevate the family business brand in the international market. Ng Siew Quan, Asia Pacific Entrepreneurial and Private Business Leader, PwC Singapore shared that in Vietnam, there may be a shorter generational gap compared to other regions. This could be the first time that the first generation is transitioning to the next generation in Vietnamese family businesses. The current generation might not have previous experience or a clear understanding of how to navigate this transition, which can lead to suspicion and uncertainty about the right course of action, Quan said. Learning from the experiences of other family businesses can provide valuable insights. In Singapore, there is a gradual understanding of the importance of preparing the next generation for succession. Many family businesses in Singapore ensure that the next generation spends time working in different areas of the family business to gain a comprehensive understanding of the operations, industry, customers, and employees. This process can take several years before the next generation becomes senior leaders within the family business. Additionally, it is crucial to prepare the current generation for their post-retirement phase. If they dont have interests or hobbies outside of the business, they might be reluctant to step down. Encouraging them to explore other activities and develop a life beyond the business can help facilitate a smoother transition, he told VIR. Dr. Peter Bartels - Global Entrepreneurial and Private Business leader PwC Germany If you see the global data, only 20 per cent of all global family businesses make it to the third generation. Quite often, the reason why they fail is that there are conflicts between the family, the business, and wealth. Family businesses, much like other types of enterprises, encounter various challenges in the business world. Whether they are large corporations or publicly listed companies, these challenges typically involve aspects such as digitisation, workforce preparation, and supply chain optimisation. However, family businesses also face limited resources and a lack of professionalisation. These constraints can hinder the ability to conduct thorough research on foreign markets and determine effective strategies. Beyond the business perspective, family businesses also confront a distinct set of challenges in the familial realm. These challenges encompass three overlapping areas: family dynamics, business operations, and wealth management. Each area carries its own unique considerations and striking a balance can prove complex. Within the family, individuals can choose to be involved in one or more of these realms or concentrate on a specific aspect. For instance, an in-law may focus solely on the wealth component without active engagement in the family or business affairs. I have assisted families by facilitating development of robust governance structures that clarify roles and responsibilities for individuals. Particularly noteworthy is the case of in-laws, whose inclusion transforms them into genuine members of the family. Consequently, their involvement must be carefully considered in both the operational activities and overarching wealth management. Challenges may arise when divisions occur within the family, necessitating the navigation of such situations with tact. Nevertheless, numerous global examples abound, demonstrating the remarkable success of in-laws serving as CEOs in running family businesses. These instances serve as testament to the potential for harmonious integration and collaboration between family and business. Family businesses: Continuing the future of a legacy KPMG Enterprise, in collaboration with the STEP Project Global Consortium, has conducted an in-depth global survey of nearly 2,500 family business leaders. Following that, a series of roundtable discussions with family business CEOs, academics, and advisers were carried out in February, before the survey report was released in May. Vietnams agricultural leaders have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, photo Le Toan HSBC is in the process of closing a green loan for a local company in the farming and seafood industry, following ASEANs first Push facility to Nutifood to support capital expenditures and working capital. HSBC is leading the way to meet the clients sustainability needs and making good progress with its commitment, achieving roughly 14 per cent of its targets by completing a number of notable green transactions for clients with solutions ranging from green trade financing options to sustainability-linked loans to sustainable supply chain finance. Such climate commitments of financial institutions open up a world of opportunity for agriculture companies to tap into green finance to support their growth and sustainability agenda. Surajit Rakshit, head of Global Trade and Receivables Finance at HSBC Vietnam, said, As one of the worlds largest financial institutions with far-reaching international connectivity, which has committed to and seriously involved in net-zero transition since the very early stage, our support for agriculture companies goes beyond banking solutions. Whether they need guidance, financing or insights, we can support their business to prepare for the transition. This is clearly in line with HSBCs overall sustainability strategy, and we have been helping clients to foster this with our strong capability in the space. Our sustainability strategy has, at its core, a commitment to support our customers to understand and act on their transition to lower emissions and to help them achieve their wider sustainability ambitions, he said. In 2022, HSBC Vietnam announced a commitment to arrange up to $12 billion of direct and indirect sustainable financing for Vietnam and the corporate sector in the country by 2030. Green loans from international organisations are a critical buoy for agriculture companies as increasingly firms are paying more attention to support their ecosystem and have become more interested in solutions such as supply chain financing or distributor financing. This also becomes one of their competitive advantages when competing in the fierce pricing environment. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan said one of the industrys major targets in 2023 is to optimise international financing in agricultural development. The local authorities target to earn $70 billion from exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products by 2030, while foreign direct investment is expected to reach roughly $25 billion. Vietnam will also likely benefit from 30 gratis-aid initiatives with $300 million over the next five years, Hoan said. Data from the State Bank of Vietnams (SBV) Credit Department for Economic Sectors showed that as of the end of last year, outstanding loans for green projects increased by 12.96 per cent against the end of 2021 to more than VND500 trillion ($21.25 billion) accounting for more than 4.2 per cent of the total outstanding loans of the whole economy. The loans mainly focus on green agriculture, renewable energy, and clean energy. The government is also focusing on tackling one of the most pressing challenges climate change to help the agriculture sector to thrive sustainably. Due to Vietnams geographic exposure, it is particularly susceptible to climate change, which has a serious effect on agriculture. The government in the recent past approved the National Green Growth Strategy for the decade, an important policy move for the countrys economic growth and sustainable development, with specific goals related to greenhouse gas emission reductions. The commitment to reduce agricultural emissions has also been declared in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments action plan to implement the strategy. Since the adverse impacts of climate change are better understood, many financial institutions operating in Vietnam are taking bold steps to finance and facilitate green and eco-friendly loan packages as an essential part of their sustainable investment and net-zero pledges. The SBV said that the country had 31 financial institutions involved in green credit, with a total credit of more than $12.4 billion, mainly in green agriculture and renewable energy. Eco-friendly credit and green bond issuance have received great attention, as these debt instruments can promote a lower-carbon and a more resilient economy. Green finance for a sustainable future Sustainability is no longer just desirable, there is mounting pressure for businesses and individuals to play their part in addressing the climate crisis. Green finance and technology solutions for net-zero emissions As climate change has become a serious international issue, many countries have taken action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. In Vietnam, the government has made a tremendous effort to combat climate change by ratifying the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016, pursuing the National Green Growth Strategy for 2021-2030, and implementing the Law on Environmental Protection which came into effect at the beginning of 2022. Japanese coffee chain %Arabica, which has opened more than 150 stores in about 20 markets around the world, has suddenly cancelled its plans for a second store at Diamond Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City. Foreign coffee chains take it slow and steady with expansion plans in Vietnam, Source: doanhnhansaigon.vn Just over a week ago, the brand said it was looking for an independent, larger store front with plenty of space that would have a roastery in the heart of the new store. After all your feedback since opening our first store, we made the hard decision to sadly say goodbye to the announced Diamond Plaza store. Were now focused on a bigger and better coffee experience for you, %Arabica said. The company opened its first brick-and-mortar coffee shop in Vietnam at the well-known cafe apartment building at 42 Nguyen Hue in February. Soon after, the brand embarked on the construction of a second store at Diamond Plaza, but before it could open, decided to change direction. Vynce Nguyen, general manager of investor The Kho Group, said, We are still very optimistic about the plan to open new stores in Hanoi, Hoi An, and Phu Quoc and will bring a new speciality coffee experience to consumers in Vietnams long-standing coffee market. According to Euromonitor, the value of the Vietnamese food and beverages (F&B) chain market is around $1.3 billion per year, but the penetration rate of foreign brands is only 5 per cent. Vietnam is one of the countries with the most beverage shops in the world, with up to 19,000, marginally fewer than the United States, China, and South Korea. Despite possessing the advantage of being the worlds largest producer and exporter of robusta coffee, as well as being a large coffee and beverage consumption market, international chains continue to find it tough to expand here. Mellower Coffee, a Chinese brand, announced the permanent closure of its operations in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of April. Mellower opened its first outlet in Ho Chi Minh City in 2019 and opened a second store in this city with drinks prices up to $10. Despite expanding rapidly in China and owning more than 50 stores worldwide, the brand failed in the Vietnamese market. Gloria Jeans Coffees, a chain from Australia, quietly left the Vietnamese market in 2017 after more than 10 years of joining. But only four years later, this brand once again returned to look for development opportunities with two stores in Ho Chi Minh City in 2021. Meanwhile, some foreign coffee chains that are considered successful, such as Highlands Coffee and Starbucks, are also struggling to open more stores and find suitable a development direction. Highlands Coffee, the market leader, decided to target the lower end of the market to seek new customers and sell cheap coffee for less than $1. It has also been locked in several rental disputes at major locations. In 2021, two Highlands Coffee shops, in the Artemis building in Hanoi and the Pax Sky building in Ho Chi Minh City, were accused by landlords of not paying rent for many months with a total debt of more than $50,000. Highlands Coffee currently has about 600 stores nationwide. According to the owner of Highlands Coffee chain, Jollibee Group, the coffee brand generated approximately $160.8 million in revenue in 2022, a record for the brand after many years of doing business in Vietnam. Meanwhile, by late 2022, Starbucks had 87 outlets in the country despite entering the local market 10 years ago. Instead of opening outlets in prime locations, Starbucks had to close three large stores located in the heart of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to switch to a small store model in new urban areas. The coffee chain Cafe Amazon, despite receiving financial support from Thai groups PTT Oil and Retail Business and Central Group, is also hesitant to expand. According to A-tathak Srinon, marketing director of Cafe Amazon Vietnam, the brand does not intend to move to the north but will continue to focus on the southern market. We have opened new stores while continuing research to understand the consumption behaviour of Vietnamese people more deeply. Our plan to expand the chain will depend on the specific needs of the market, said Srinon. In 2020, Cafe Amazon opened its first store in Vietnam at BigC Go! Shopping centre in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre. So far, the chain has 16 stores in the Ho Chi Minh City area and three more in Tra Vinh, My Tho, and Dong Nai. According to a market report by iPOS last year, the total revenue of the F&B market reached nearly $25.6 billion in 2022, but only 5 per cent of the revenue belonged to chains. The report said that competition in the sidewalk economy and prices at F&B chains were still high compared to the average income of Vietnamese people. Vietnam has over 1,500 coffee chain outlets, according to a 2022 report by Q&Me. The World Coffee Portal predicted that the country will have more than 5,200 coffee shops from different chains by 2025. Coffee chains shaking up habits and business tactics The United States and Vietnam, with the high consumer demand and fast-growing markets, are continuing to be promised lands for coffee and beverage brands on both sides. Major coffee chains attempt to wade through price storm Beverage chains are struggling under the pressure of increasing selling prices due to sky-high costs of fuel and raw materials. Coffee chains set on physical growth The journey of business growth and innovation is being boosted in Vietnams food and beverage market as businesses decide to close the door on a period of turmoil in search of breakthroughs this year. "Orders for wood exports have resumed, but the timeline for delivery has been reduced from 7090 days to 4560 days," said Nguyen Phuong, director of Minh Thanh Company, at a press conference ahead of August's Bifa Wood Vietnam 2023. "The new export standards for wooden furniture necessitate multifunctional technology and equipment. Vietnam intends to export $20 billion worth of wooden furniture by 2025." Do Xuan Lap, president of the Vietnam Timber and Forest Products Association, said that local businesses should invest in technology to abbreviate production lines. Wood businesses are losing their price competitiveness as a result of their reliance on a large labour force and cumbersome production procedures. "This fair will focus on strategies to reduce production costs and raw material consumption to enhance the competitiveness of Vietnamese wood businesses," Lap said. Bifa Wood Vietnam 2023 will be held at the WTC Expo Binh Duong International Exhibition Centre from August 9 to 12. The trade show will see more than 100 enterprises with nearly 800 exhibits. The fair is anticipated to facilitate access to new timber processing technology from countries and territories such as Italy, Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan, while also introducing diverse and legal raw material sources. Wood industry striving to regain growth momentum Having undergone numerous hardships, businesses in the wood industry are showing great resilience with a high level of adaption and flexibility to regain their growth momentum. Six product groups enjoy over 1-billion-USD exports to US in Q1 Six groups of products posted an export revenue of over 1 billion USD to the US market in the first quarter of this year, with the group of machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts topping with 3.98 billion USD, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs. In the recently published Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2023 by Startup Genome, Ho Chi Minh City secured its position within the top 100 emerging startup markets worldwide, specifically placing in the range of 81-90. The report provides an evaluation based on six key indicators, namely performance (40 per cent), funding (30 per cent), market reach (12.5 per cent), experience and talent (12.5 per cent), connectedness (2.5 per cent), and knowledge (2.5 per cent). In the first three indicators, Ho Chi Minh City has maintained its scores compared to the 2022 rankings, scoring one point for performance, five points for funding, and one point for market reach all on a scale of 10. Regarding the experience and talent indicator, Ho Chi Minh City has made significant improvements, increasing its score from one point in the previous year to seven points in this year's report. The two new indicators, connectedness and knowledge, both received preliminary evaluations of one point. In mid-June, Ho Chi Minh City's People's Committee also released a report on the results of implementing the Plan 672: Support for the Development of the Innovative Startup Ecosystem in Ho Chi Minh City during the 2021-2025 period. According to the report, the estimated average investment in science and technology as a percentage of the regional GDP in Ho Chi Minh City reached 0.88 per cent during the 2021-2023 period. Specifically, from 2021 to date, Ho Chi Minh City has supported the enhancement of the innovative capacities of 5,063 businesses, surpassing the target set for the 2021-2025 period by 168.8 per cent. It has also nurtured and developed 693 projects, achieving 69.3 per cent of the target for the entire period. Furthermore, it has supported 236 innovative startup enterprises in accessing venture capital investment. Ho Chi Minh City will continue implementing the effective measures outlined in Plan 672. These include organising and deploying specific policies for the management of science, technology, and innovation, establishing advanced technology and innovation institutes, opening startup innovation centres, and fostering the formation of world-class research bases. The city will focus on researching, developing, and applying high-tech solutions, products, and services to support the Smart City Initiative, digital transformation programmes, and key industries. On the other hand, Hanoi is absent from the Startup Genome rankings for both 2022 and 2023, despite previously being listed in the 91-100 range in 2021. The top 100 emerging ecosystems currently have a value of approximately $1.5 trillion, with Europe providing the highest number of representatives in this ranking. Europe's representation has increased from 37 per cent in the GSER 2022 report to 41 per cent this year. In addition to the top 100 emerging ecosystems, GSER also ranks the top 30 global ecosystems. The top three positions have maintained their performance since 2020, with Silicon Valley continuing to hold the first position, followed by New York and London. In Southeast Asia, Singapore has made its debut in the top 10 global startup ecosystems, rising from the 18th position last year to the eighth this year. This achievement is attributed to Singapore's successful completion of several divestment deals worth over $50 million, four of which were valued at more than $1 billion. Singapore currently boasts 18 unicorns, including the KuCoin cryptocurrency exchange, valued at $10 billion. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City now on the Michelin map As some restaurants in Vietnam were awarded Michelin stars for the first time, high hopes are set for the countrys food and restaurant scene. Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guide, talked to VIRs Linh Dan about the selection criteria and Michelins positive outlook for Vietnams culinary landscape. Ho Chi Minh City urged to explore financial hub options Ho Chi Minh City is embarking on an ambitious endeavour to transform into an international financial centre, facing complex challenges while exploring global demand and collaborative opportunities as a flourishing financial hub. Indonesia will stop exporting copper concentrates in 2024. (Photo: oilprice.com) Jakarta - Indonesia will stop exporting copper concentrates in 2024 when two major domestic copper companies finish building their smelters and begin processing the raw material locally, Indonesias President Joko Widodo said on June 20. Freeport Indonesia and Amman Mineral are expected to put into operational their new smelters in next May. Indonesia last week recommended both companies to continue their exports until then. Copper, in addition to nickel, is one of the raw materials crucial for the energy transition process, and Indonesia mines both of them in massive quantities. The Southeast Asian nation, which has been looking to develop nickel processing industries and ultimately produce batteries for EV manufacturers, is eager to attract foreign companies for those ventures. Indonesia plans to build various national data centres The Ministry of Communication and Informatics of Indonesia is aiming to complete and inaugurate a national data centre in Bekasi district, West Java province, by October 2024. Land-related procedures remain burdensome for businesses, Illustrative image (Photo: laodong.vn) Hanoi The preparation and completion of additional documentation for land-related administrative procedures remain burdensome for businesses, especially in "sub-procedures", according to the 2022 Administrative Procedure Compliance Cost Index (APCI 2022) report. The report was conducted by the Prime Ministers Advisory Council on Administrative Procedure Reform, with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through the LinkSME project which aims at promoting reform and enhancing the connectivity of small- and medium-sized enterprises. To assess compliance costs for land-related procedures, a team of experts surveyed over 3,000 firms regarding three procedures, including the registration and issuance of certificates of land use rights, ownership of residential houses, and other assets attached to land for the first time; registration of changes in land use rights, ownership of assets attached to land, and transfer of investment capital in the form of land use rights; and change of land use purposes. The report pointed out that the main reason for such "sub-procedures" is the lack of a land database system and interconnectivity among the land management agencies at various levels. Last year, the APCI score for land administrative procedures reached 71.4 out of 100, with an average compliance cost of 6.2 million VND (269 million USD). The central key economic region achieved the highest score of 86.4 and the lowest compliance cost of 3.3 million VND, which is only 47 per cent of the compliance cost in other key economic regions - the region with the lowest APCI score nationwide. Vinh Phuc province demonstrated the best administrative procedures, with a total compliance cost of approximately 2.3 million VND per procedure, equivalent to 68 per cent of the average compliance cost in the top region and 37 per cent of the national average compliance cost. Time cost accounted for 23 per cent and direct cost made up 77 per cent of the total compliance cost for conducting a land administrative procedure. The average time required by businesses nationwide to complete a land administrative procedure was 32.2 hours. The southern key economic region led the country in terms of time costs for land administrative procedures, scoring 83.3. Businesses in this region only spent around 20.1 hours to complete a land administrative procedure. The Mekong Delta key economic region had the lowest score for time costs at 58. Ba Ria-Vung Tau province demonstrated the best practicality in terms of time required for land administrative procedures, with 6.9 hours, equivalent to 21per cent of the national average. The steps related to preparing and completing the documentation accounted for 65.4 per cent of the time required for administrative procedures. The on-site survey step was also one of the crucial steps, occupying 19.6 per cent of the total time for administrative procedures. Roughly 34 per cent of the surveyed businesses conducted on-site surveys, with an average time of about 6.3 hours, or 19.6 per cent of the total time for administrative procedures. Procedures and practices to lure quality foreign investment Vietnam recorded total accumulated foreign direct investment of nearly $439 billion by the end of last year, of which accumulated capital in real estate reached $66.3 billion. Trang Le, head of Research and Consulting at JLL Vietnam, shared with VIRs Binh An an assessment of the positive changes in the field in recent years. Machinery is at risk of malfunction if unpredictable power cuts continue Photo: Le Toan The Korean Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (KoCham), the representative of over 10,000 Korean-invested enterprises generating more than one million jobs in Vietnam, on June 5 sent a document to the prime minister, the Government Office, and Electricity of Vietnam to report the impact of the interruption on its business community. The chamber has received feedback on the unannounced power interruptions, which had forced firms to suspend operations and miss deadlines for orders, while impacting the working time of their employees. Chairman Hong Sun said that the operation in factories was consecutively halted due to the unstable power supply. In many cities and provinces, power cuts have gone on for over three days a week, cutting capacity by half at many factories. South Korean enterprises suffer dual damage. When having power interruptions without prior notice, the workers still go to the factories and sit idle. Meanwhile, the manufacturing lines have to suspend operations and the companies still must pay salaries, Sun said. Sudden power cuts also make machinery break down and the quality of products and goods are impacted, he added. In addition, suspending operations will affect the completion of orders, and even delay exports. Thereby, in the case of compulsory blackouts, firms expect authorities to give specific notice and be proactive in having their workers off production plans, saving production costs. According to KoCham, although there are no specific statistics about the damage to South Korean groups due to power interruption, they are sure it causes serious damage to the business community. Pham Van Tuan, general director of An Phat Holdings, an environmentally friendly plastic group in Vietnam, is worried about the rotational power cut at its factory. Tuan said that the capacity of the factory is 300 tonnes per day, however, at present, the unstable power has suspended operation. Employees have to work on their day-off to offset the diminished capacity. The company also has to negotiate with partners to offset the remaining goods in the following months. Our partners also have foreign-invested enterprises, thus ensuring the deadline for order delivery is a crucial requirement to ensure the prestige of the company, Tuan said. In Hanoi and the northern provinces, power outages can last anywhere from half to an entire day. In areas where electricity is heavily needed for production, electricity is prioritised for production during the day and only provided to residents at night. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), the total accessible capacity of the northern power system (including imported electricity) that can be mobilised to satisfy electricity demand is around 17,500-17,900MW, approximately 60 per cent of the installed capacity. During the upcoming heatwave, the demand in the north may reach 24,000MW and the northern grid will fall short by approximately 4,350MW. The MoIT warns that the shortfall of power will have a significant impact on the power supply, not solely in the north but on a national scale, until July. The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) and the broader business community have expressed growing concerns regarding the ongoing power shortages in Hanoi and northern Vietnam. Many European companies with production and manufacturing facilities in the region, including numerous EuroCham members, have been adversely affected. Swift action is imperative to preserve Vietnams reputation as a dependable global supplier, the chamber said. EuroCham has intensified its advocacy efforts by writing a letter to the MoIT to propose a series of short- and long-term measures designed to alleviate the effects of the ongoing power outages. Experts suggest raising proportion of offshore wind power in new power plan Vietnam needs to increase the proportion of wind power, especially offshore wind power, in the total power capacity targeted in the National Power Development Plan for 2021-2030 with a vision to 2045 (Power Development Plan VIII), so as to attract more foreign investors in the field, according to businesses and experts. PV Power look for EPC contractor for Nhon Trach 3 and 4 thermal power plants Vietnam's second-largest electricity producer, PetroVietnam Power Corporation (PV Power), and the managing board issued the bidding information to call for investors for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) package for Nhon Trach 3 and 4 thermal power plants. The National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC) predicts that extreme temperatures will prevail well into July. If Hoa Binh Hydroelectricitys stagnant water level falls below 1,920MW, in particular, the scenario will be extremely fraught. Reorganisation in hand for 2023s electricity supply, illustration photo/ Photo Le Toan Last week, the centres deputy director Nguyen Quoc Trung said, We require the assistance of our customers to keep up a stable electricity system in the north. The Vietnamese government is considering energy conservation as a remedy for the current electricity shortage. Phuong Hoang Kim, director of the Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT), stated that it is feasible to save energy in Vietnams industrial sector, with a potential area of 30-35 per cent. Vietnams industries use more than half of the nations total energy, according to a survey by the National Energy Efficiency Programme. Kim estimated that if industrial enterprises conserve at least 2 per cent of their annual electricity consumption, the nation will save approximately 1.6 billion kWh annually, which is equivalent to over $136 million in electricity savings. Currently, the country has 3,068 establishments, the majority of which are industrial production enterprises, with an annual energy consumption of at least 1,000 TOE, or six million kWh. These businesses consume an annual average of 80 billion kWh of electricity, Kim said. The MoIT launched the National Electricity-Saving Movement in 2023 with the support of all provinces as well as power companies and major energy consumers. The majority of businesses are familiar with the laws and regulations governing the economical and efficient use of energy. However, Kim discovered that a great many firms have not implemented it or enacted it properly. The related data also highlights Vietnams inefficient energy consumption. Vietnams current primary energy intensity index of approximately 400 TOE generates $1,000 in GDP. This number is 30 per cent higher than Thailand, 60 per cent higher than Malaysia, and 4-5 times higher than developed nations like Japan and the United States. Moreover, the electricity elasticity coefficient the ratio between the growth rate of electricity demand and the growth rate of the GDP of Vietnam in recent years has tended to decrease but is still at 1.3-1.4, demonstrating that energy consumption is inefficient. The likelihood of a power shortage persists when annual economic growth exceeds 6-7 per cent. The MoIT has submitted a report to the prime minister regarding the issuance of a directive to increase electricity savings by 2 per cent per year between now and 2025 and in subsequent years, highlighting that electricity demand remains significant at 8.5 per cent. It is essential to transition to a mandatory and legalised mechanism, and simultaneously, its important to have a financial mechanism for economical and efficient use of electricity, said Vo Quang Lam, deputy general director of Electricity of Vietnam, providing remedies that provide economic leverage and encourage potential individuals and businesses to participate in electricity conservation. At present, encouraging people and businesses to use energy economically and efficiently is insufficient, Lam said. In sweltering and arid conditions for an extended period of time, each kWh of electricity saved is extremely precious, according to Lam. In the past, the country has conserved more than six million kWh of electricity per day. Compared to the present need for electricity, which is about 800 million kWh, this is an enormous amount that helped the electricity industry combat the issue of power shortage, Lam added. On June 8, the prime minister issued Directive No.20/CT-TTg on enhancing electricity savings towards 2025 and beyond. This directive requires the entire nation to save at least 2 per cent of its annual electricity consumption while lowering power loss across the entire electrical system to less than 6 per cent by 2025. The order of the prime minister also specifies that by 2030, half of office buildings and half of residential houses will use self-sufficient and self-consumable rooftop solar power, and that by the end of 2025, all street lighting will use LED. PM orders solutions to ensure power supply in dry season Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered drastic measures to ensure electricity supply in this dry season and the coming time. Prime Minister seeks electricity supply guarantees Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested that the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) conduct a thorough examination and assessment of the electricity supply situation by June 10. The PM believes it is particularly necessary to evaluate emerging factors to improve the efficacy and productivity of Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and to devise proactive and expeditious response scenarios. Northern Vietnam lacks between 30 and 50 million kWh daily The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) has warned that the northern power grid faces a shortfall of approximately 4,350MW. It has a median daily generation of approximately 30.9 million kWh; however, the largest daily output can reach 50.8 million kWh. Northern region facing risk of daily power shortage: official The northern region is facing the risk of power shortage at almost every point of time each day, according to Tran Viet Hoa, head of the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT). IPO General Director Dinh Huu Phi (R) and KIPO General Director Lee Insil at the signing ceremony (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - The Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IPO) under the Ministry of Science and the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) of the Republic of Korea (RoK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on strengthening intellectual property cooperation at a ceremony on June 22 in Hanoi. The document is to replace the one inked in 2009. Addressing the event, IPO General Director Dinh Huu Phi spotlighted the fruitful development of the Vietnam RoK relations, which was upgraded to comprehensive strategic partnership on the occasion of the 30th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties in December last year. The RoK is now the largest foreign investor in Vietnam. The two countries have established and joined numerous bilateral and multilateral cooperation mechanisms, including the Vietnam-Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA) which took effect in December 2025, providing a foundation for promoting bilateral economic, trade, and investment cooperation. The two offices have witnessed close and effective cooperation, Phi said, noting that joint cooperative programmes and projects between them have served as a testament to the good cooperation relationship between Vietnam and the RoK in general, and the special support of the RoK government for Vietnam's intellectual property system in particular. KIPO General Director Lee Insil said the event provided an opportunity for officials from both agencies to share experiences and information related to trademark and ink the second phase of Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme from June 1, 2021, to May 31, 2023, whose first phase was piloted from June 1, 2019 to June 31, 2021. The two agencies will share updated information on intellectual property development, experiences, policies, and common approaches to enhance efficiency in intellectual property management and appraisal. They will also conduct research and expert exchange and support the implementation of multilateral cooperation frameworks that both sides are members of, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), regarding the protection of intellectual property rights. She expressed her hope that the MoU will help deepen the KIPO - IPO partnership, enhance the ability of the two sides, and further develop the intellectual property system of each side. Along with Ha Long Bay (in the northern province of Quang Ninh), Lan Ha (in the northern port city of Hai Phong), and Lang Co (in the central province of Thua-Thien Hue), Vinh Hy Bay in Ninh Thuan province is considered one of the four most beautiful bays in Vietnam. It boasts many unspoiled landscapes, year-round crystal-clear turquoise waters, and delicious fresh seafood. (Photo: VNA) News Get Ready for VMware Explore 2023 Last year VMworld morphed into VMware Explore. Last year's U.S. event was held Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2022, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco while the European event was held Nov. 7-10, 2022, at the Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain, with smaller events held in Brazil, Singapore, Japan and China. I was able to attend and present at the U.S. event last year and thoroughly enjoyed the event. This year Explore will be held in Las Vegas at the Venetian Convention and Expo Center Aug. 21-24, 2023, with a live broadcast on Aug. 22 with free access to selected events to those with a VMware ID, which you can get for free. The European event will be held Nov. 6-9 at the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona. [Click on image for larger view.] A full event pass for VMware Explore will be $2,495 if you register at the show with substantial discounts for early registrations, so make sure you register early. [Click on image for larger view.] The theme of the event is Explore the center of the multi-cloud universe with learning tracks on Cloud & Edge Infrastructure, Modern Applications & Cloud Management, Networking & Security the Hybrid Workforce and Vision & Innovation. I am most interested in the Hybrid Workforce track. [Click on image for larger view.] The content catalog for the US event went live on June 6. I will be presenting two sessions this year; How Fat is Your Thin Client? [VMTN2822LV] and Troubleshooting Desktops Just Got Less Expensive, Faster, and Easier! [EUS2940LVS]. As with previous years, Explore will have Hands-on Labs and VMware Education certification exams will be available on site at a discount. It will still have the Expo center and a closing party, which will be held Wednesday night. The keynote speakers have still to be announced. I didn't see any rules or regulations around covid precautions so I am assuming that it will be up to the visitor's discretion on which, if any, should be taken. I love having conventions in Las Vegas due to the wide range of accommodations and easy travel into the city. VMware Explore Las Vegas has an event room block at the Venetian for $159 per night plus taxes and fees. To secure a room at the event rate, make your hotel arrangements via the VMware Explore booking tool after you complete your registration. Government attendees can book a room at Treasure Island, a quick seven-minute walk from the Venetian, for $109 per night plus taxes and fees. You must use a government email domain as your registration email address to qualify for this room block. This offer closes at 6:00 PM PDT on July 14. I am excited for this year's event and look forward to seeing you all in Vegas, baby, Vegas! To register for VMware Explore click here; for the Explore catalog click here. HAYNEVILLE, Ala. (AP) A judge on Wednesday ordered that the capital murder trial of a man accused of killing an Alabama sheriff be moved to another county. Circuit Judge Bert Rice granted a defense request to move the trial against William Chase Johnson out of Lowndes County, where Sheriff John Williams served. Rice said the new venue will be set at a later time. Johnson, 21, of Montgomery, faces capital murder charges for the 2019 shooting death of the sheriff. Williams was killed at a gas station in Lowndes County. Johnsons lawyers argued in a January motion that he could not receive a fair trial in the county where the case has been heavily covered in local media and where the courthouse was renamed for the slain sheriff. Defense lawyers said prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty. The sensational characterizations of the case and the portrayal of Mr. Johnson have provoked the communitys hostility against Mr. Johnson, his defense lawyers wrote. Sometimes known as Big John for his towering frame, the 62-year-old sheriff was well-known throughout the county. He spent more than 40 years serving the community. He started out as a reserve deputy in 1978 before moving to the Hayneville Police Department. Then he returned to the sheriffs office and worked his way up to chief deputy before being elected sheriff in 2010. PIONEER indigenous businessman and farmer, Cde Ben Mucheche, who died last week and was declared a national hero, will be laid to rest today at his farm in Beatrice. Cde Mucheche succumbed to heart failure at his farm on June 14 at the age of 96. In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage said: On Thursday June 22, 2023, burial proceedings shall start at 11am at No 75 Muda Farm, Beatrice, Mashonaland East Province. After lying in state at Charles Gumbo Barracks on Monday, his body was taken to his farm yesterday. The ministry said the general public was welcome to attend the burial. In a condolence message, President Mnangagwa described the late businessman as an innovative black entrepreneur who broke barriers set by the colonial regime to emerge as a leading transporter, who used his hard-earned resources to support the nationalist movement during its formative days. Additionally, President Mnangagwa said the late businessman will be remembered for his desire to push for black empowerment and for the majority to regain control of the land. From very humble beginnings, the late Cde Mucheche beat all bottlenecks placed in the way of enterprising blacks to break into the racially structured transport and farming businesses. Beginning with a single vehicle, Cde Mucheche persevered until he built a large fleet of taxis before venturing into the large passenger transport business and building up a fleet of buses for which he became known right through to independence. The late businessman was born on March 31, 1927 at Chishawasha Mission in Goromonzi. He later moved to Salisbury (now Harare) in search of employment and worked as a schoolteacher. In 1956, he started Easy Way Taxis, a taxi business, with only 300 in savings. By 1962, he had a fleet of six taxis, which he sold to buy two buses. By 1979, Mucheche was running a fleet of 75 buses, making him a highly respected figure in the countrys transport industry. In 1973, he was elected the president of the Rhodesian African Chamber of Commerce that represented the interests of black business people. He was also elected as the leader of the Zimbabwe Rural Transport Organisation between 1976 and 2002. In 1975, he was appointed a director of the Reserve Bank, a position he held up to 1988. He is survived by four wives, 24 children, 27 grandchildren and 57 great grandchildren. Herald Waco author and Baylor University creative writing senior lecturer Maura Jortner and her family had just returned from a trip to Disney World in March 2020 when the pandemic shut down their real world: schools and businesses closed, social gatherings discouraged, travel limited. With plenty of time to think during long walks through her Hewitt neighborhood, Jortner landed on the setting of a novel for middle school readers: an amusement park. "I love books with odd settings," she explained, pointing to "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler," set in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a childhood favorite, "Island of the Blue Dolphins," located on, well, an island. She imagined an action novel from her setting kids in an amusement park fighting off adults planning something sinister there, "sort of 'Die Hard' meets Disney World," she said. When she and her agent pitched the idea to an editor with Holiday House publishing, the editor liked her characters and the park setting, but recommended changing the plot. The author reworked her proposed story to one of a 11-year-old living in an amusement park where her mother had abandoned her, but who struggles to keep her secret amid the collision of another girl who seems to know her and a violent storm that threatens the park. That proposal won the 52-year-old Jortner a book contract and the result, "102 Days of Lying About Lauren," arrives this month in bookstores. Jortner will talk about her novel and sign copies at 2 p.m. Sunday at Fabled Bookshop & Cafe, 215 S. Fourth St. Her novel, written in first person from the viewpoint of its main character, Mouse, finds the author in her preferred territory of writing for young readers around 8 to 12 years old, or "middle grade," a publishing category slightly younger than young adult, intended for high school readers and older. While middle grade conventions put limits on profanity and subjects such as sexuality, drug use and violence, it nonetheless has room to touch on issues encountered by many young readers. In the case of "102 Days," main character Mouse struggles with her mother's abandonment, her well-to-do park friend Tanner is grieving the death of a sister and Cat, the newcomer, is dealing with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. "They're dealing with serious issues, but middle grade kids often are," Jortner explained. Characters in young adult fiction often find themselves trying to adjust to an adult world; in middle grade works, the personal struggles are more about self and identity. Keeping her attuned to the thoughts and behaviors of middle and high schoolers are her and husband David's two daughters, 11-year-old Gabrielle (Gabby) and 16-year-old Felicity. Jortner's earlier young adult novel, "The Life Group," had characters confronting issues such as manipulative church group leaders, abusive boyfriends, pregnancy scares and accidental deaths. Attempts in recent years across the country to ban certain books from school and public libraries, often on grounds of sexual content or LGBTQ characters, have put some young adult writers in the crosshairs. "People seem all ready to sue writers of young adult novels ... If I were a young adult writer, I'd be scared to death," Jortner said. She has a second middle grade novel in the publishing pipeline, "Keeper of the Marsh," scheduled for release in summer 2025. It's set in Galveston and, yes, there was a trip involved. "Gabby and I recently went to Galveston for research," she said. On February 14th, 2014, my name was on the cover of the Fremont Tribune for the first time. At 19 years old, I declared I would run for city council in Fremonts fourth ward. Though I would go on to lose that race, I was eventually elected in 2016. By 2020 I had announced that I would not run again. I have pursued several creative endeavors since getting off the city council. Ive made music, written books, and acted in short films. One thing has remained the same in my journey, I am constantly reading. Reading has given me a massive advantage in my life, and I would love to share this experience with you in this new column that I will call What Im Reading. The first book Id like to share is Wild Bill: The true story of the American Frontiers first gunfighter by Tom Clavin. Before he was known as Wild Bill, he was James Butler Hickok, and through letters and official documents, Tom Clavin pieced together a detailed biography on the life of Wild Bill, from birth to death. Through an impressive amount of research, Clavin is able to start Hickoks story in Ireland before the family eventually immigrated to New England and beyond. As you read, you learn about Hickoks family, brothers, and childhood before he traveled to Kansas, or Cansas, as he spelled it in letters to his brother Horace. The detailed accounts of his time as an Army Scout, lawman, and gunman give more depth to the life of Wild Bill and the times he lived through. Readers will find Hickok a large, barrel-chested man, capable of extreme violence, yet immaculately dressed and courteous. Part explorer, part hunter, part romantic figure, and part gunslinger, as Clavin says. As George Armstrong Custer described, Wild Bill was a Plainsman in every sense of the word, yet unlike any other of his class. The part of the book that stuck with me the most was Hickoks behavior toward the end of his life. As he aged, his public reputation was still highly regarded. It seemed he knew it was only a matter of time before someone would test his prizefighter reputation and get the best of him. In letters to his wife Agnes while in Deadwood, SD, we read that Hickok was troubled by a terrible premonition. While he may not have had the heart to tell her exactly what he felt, he told a close friend, Charley, I feel this is going to be my last camp, and I wont leave it alive. Unfortunately for Wild Bill, he was right. On August 2nd, 1876, a man known as Crooked Nose Jack shot Wild Bill from behind during a card game. As someone who grew up watching Jeff Bridges movie Wild Bill and having vacationed in Deadwood more than once, I opened this book with a bit of trepidation. Would my Western hero hold to my ideals of him, or would I find out that his legend was just another dime novel fabrication? Fortunately for me, this biography not only upheld my brave and tough image of James Butler Hickok but was also well-rounded enough to show the more relatable and human aspects of Wild Bills life, which were often overlooked. If you or someone you know is fascinated by Wild Bill Hickok or Gunfighters of the Old West, I highly recommend Wild Bill by Tom Clavin. Matt Bechtel is a former city councilman from Fremont, Nebraska. Bechtel is also the founder of Book Brilliant, a website where brilliant people recommend books that have changed their lives. If you would like more book recommendations from Matt, follow him on Instagram @mattbechtel. In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that ended nearly a half-century of a nationwide right to abortion, states have enacted contrasting policies on the issue. The Dobbs decision overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that protected the right to an abortion until fetal viability, which is generally considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks of pregnancy. Lawmakers, governors, courts and voters are all shaping policies and more changes are in the pipeline. A state-by-state breakdown of where things stand: STATES WHERE ABORTION IS BANNED THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY ALABAMA Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs. Exception: Woman's life or health. ARKANSAS Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Woman's life. IDAHO Law adopted in 2020 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Rape, incest and life of the woman. A judge has blocked enforcement in cases of medical emergencies. The state also has a law making it a felony to transport a minor for the purpose of obtaining an abortion without parental consent. KENTUCKY Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Health or life of the woman. Kentucky voters in 2022 defeated a ballot question for an amendment that would have declared there to be no right to abortion in the state constitution. LOUISIANA Law adopted in 2006 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Life or heath of the woman. MISSISSIPPI Law adopted in 2007 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Rape and the life of the woman. MISSOURI Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Life or heath of the woman. NORTH DAKOTA A new law was adopted in 2023, replacing one that was blocked by a court. Exceptions: Rape, incest and health or life of the woman. OKLAHOMA Law adopted in 2022 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Life of the woman. SOUTH DAKOTA Law adopted in 2005 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Life of the woman. TENNESSEE Law adopted in 2020 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Health or life of the woman. TEXAS Law adopted in 2021 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Health or life of the woman. WEST VIRGINIA Ban adopted in 2022 after the Dobbs ruling. Exceptions: Rape, incest and health or life of the woman. WISCONSIN Ban is from an 1849 law. There's litigation over whether it should be in effect. Exceptions: Woman's life. ___ STATES WHERE ABORTION IS BANNED AFTER 6 TO 15 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY ARIZONA A ban on abortion after 15 weeks' gestation was adopted in 2022 and took effect after the Dobbs ruling. Exceptions: Health or life of the woman. A state court has ruled that a ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy does not apply to doctors; there's a legal dispute about whether it is in effect for "helpers." GEORGIA Law adopted in 2019 bans abortion once cardiac activity can be detected, generally around six weeks into pregnancy and before women often know they're pregnant. Exceptions: Rape, incest and health or life of the woman. NEBRASKA Law adopted in 2023 bans abortion at 12 weeks' gestational age. Exceptions: Rape, incest and life of the woman. ___ STATES WHERE BANS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BUT ARE NOT YET IN EFFECT FLORIDA A ban on abortion after 15 weeks' gestation was adopted in 2022 and took effect after the Dobbs ruling. Exceptions: Health or life of the woman. If a court finds the current ban to comply with the state constitution, it is to be replaced with a more stringent one adopted in 2023 that would ban abortion after six weeks and add exceptions for cases of rape and incest. NORTH CAROLINA A ban on abortions after 20 weeks is in place until July 1, when a ban after 12 weeks, with exceptions for the health and life of the woman, rape and incest takes effect. ___ STATES WHERE BANS OR RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD BY COURTS INDIANA A ban on abortion after 22 weeks' gestation is in place. A law to ban abortion at any point in pregnancy was adopted in 2022 after Dobbs, but the Indiana Supreme Court put it on hold. MONTANA Abortion is banned after viability. A Montana judge has put on hold enforcement of a ban on abortions after 20 weeks and one on the most commonly used procedure in the second trimester, dilation and evacuation, after 15 weeks. OHIO A ban on abortions after 22 weeks is in place. A county judge put on hold a ban on abortion after cardiac activity can be detected. The state Supreme Court is reviewing that decision. Abortion-rights groups are pursuing a measure for the November ballot that would enshrine in the state constitution a right to make one's own decisions about a variety of reproductive care issues. SOUTH CAROLINA A ban on abortions after 20 weeks is in place. A judge has put on hold enforcement of a ban after cardiac activity can be detected. UTAH A ban on abortions after 18 weeks is in place. A state court has put on hold enforcement of a ban on abortions at all stages of pregnancy. A ban on abortion clinics is also on hold. WYOMING Abortion is banned after viability. A state court has put on hold enforcement of two different bans at all stages of pregnancy. The state has also adopted a specific ban on medication abortions that is set to go into effect in July. ___ STATES THAT HAVE MOVED TO PROTECT ABORTION ACCESS CALIFORNIA Abortion is banned after viability. Since last year, the state has adopted an executive order, laws and a state constitutional amendment to protect abortion access. COLORADO Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. An executive order and laws to protect access to abortion and one to bar "deceptive practices" by anti-abortion centers have been adopted since last year. CONNECTICUT Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order signed last year protects access to abortion. DELAWARE Abortion is banned after viability. A law has been adopted since last year to protect access. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. A law has been adopted since last year to protect access. HAWAII Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order and law have been adopted since last year to protect access. ILLINOIS Abortion is banned after viability. A law has been adopted since last year protecting access. MAINE Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order has been signed since last year protecting access. MARYLAND Abortion is banned after viability. A law has been adopted since last year protecting access. MASSACHUSSETS Abortion is banned after 24 weeks. A law has been adopted since last year protecting access. MICHIGAN Abortion is banned after viability. A constitutional amendment was adopted in 2022 to protect abortion access. MINNESOTA Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order and law have been adopted since last year to protect access. NEVADA Abortion is banned after 24 weeks. An executive order and law have been adopted since last year to protect access. NEW JERSEY Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. A law has been adopted since last year protecting access. NEW MEXICO Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. An executive order and law have been adopted since last year to protect access. NEW YORK Abortion is banned after viability. Laws have been adopted since last year to protect access. PENNSYLVANIA Abortion is banned after 24 weeks. An executive order has been signed since last year protecting access. RHODE ISLAND Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order has been signed since last year protecting access. A 2023 law expands coverage for abortion for state workers and Medicaid enrollees. VERMONT Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. A constitutional amendment and law protecting access have been enacted since last year. WASHINGTON Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order and law have been adopted since last year to protect access. ___ STATES WHERE KEY ABORTION POLICIES ARE UNCHANGED SINCE DOBBS ALASKA Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. IOWA A ban on abortion after 22 weeks' gestation is in place. KANSAS A ban on abortion after 22 weeks' gestation is in place. Voters in 2022 defeated a ballot question that would have found not right to abortion in the state constitution. NEW HAMPSHIRE Abortion is banned after 24 weeks. OREGON Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. VIRGINIA Abortion is banned after the second trimester, around 26 weeks. ___ Abortion in America: How access and attitudes have changed through the centuries Abortion in America: How access and attitudes have changed through the centuries 1880: Every state has laws restricting or banning abortions 1960s: Pressure from activists creates reform in some states ahead of Roe v. Wade 1973: Roe v. Wade makes abortion safe and legal in all 50 states Late-1970s: Racial fearmongering creates rise of the Moral Majority 2022: Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v. Wade Following a few simple safety tips can make long summer strolls just as fun for your dog as they are for you. Heres what you need to know as the temperatures rise. 1. Timing is everything. When the sun is at its peak, pavement can become scorching hot. Its best to save walks for early mornings or late evenings when the temperature is cooler. Skip mid-day walks when the sun is blazing unless you can stroll in a wooded area where the ground gets plenty of shade. 2. Stay hydrated. Just as its important for people to get plenty of water on hot days, its also important for dogs. When walking in the summer, grab a cold water bottle and a collapsible dog bowl. If you notice excessive panting or salivation, take a break and give your dog time to hydrate. Freezing low-sodium broth in an ice cube tray is also a great way to get your dog more fluids in the summer. 3. Stay in the shade. Staying in shady wooded areas is ideal, but for city-dwellers, its best to cross to the shady side of the street. Plan your dog's walking routes in areas with more tree or building coverage to keep your dogs paws cooler. As a bonus, it might help you avoid your next sunburn. 4. Protect their paws. As mentioned before, if the sidewalk is too hot for the back of your hand, its also too hot for your dogs paws. Stick to grassy areas, or get some breathable dog booties to protect their paws from hot pavement. 5. Watch for signs of overheating. Dogs produce far less sweat than people, so theyll need your help to stay cool in the summer. Watch for common signs of your dog overheating which include: Excessive panting Difficulty breathing Drooling Weakness Fatigue Collapsing If you notice any of these symptoms, get to a shady spot and offer your dog plenty of water. Wetting your dogs paws, belly, and ears with cool water can also help bring down their body temperature. You can even store some dog ice cream in the freezer for a special treat when you get home. CEDAR FALLS A former place of worship near Second Street will be given new life in the coming months following the city Board of Adjustments approval Tuesday. Business owner McKenna Pryor and Chad Welsh, owner of 209 Walnut St. property, appeared before the board with a conditional use request. Since last November, the two have been working together to move Pryors salon, Dolled Up Studios, onto Welshs property, the former Faith Wesleyan Church on the corner of Walnut and Second streets. The building was most recently the Jordan Crossing Church until 2022. Welsh purchased the property in October. The location had been a church site for more than a century, with the current structure built in 1958. The duo received approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission as well as the City Council earlier this year, including the passing of an amendment to the zoning code that now allows for personal service uses including salons in vacant institutional buildings such as churches and schools. When presented to the board, the project received little to no pushback. When we look at it, its not something thats going to disrupt the neighborhood, its moving into a property that may not be used for its original use, board member Mark G. Miller said. Its exciting to be able to see an old church getting utilized for something good, board member Sue Beach added. Concern was raised about the level and speed of traffic on Second Street and the potential safety concerns for street-parking patrons. Pryor stated that she plans to encourage customers to park in the propertys parking lot, which currently has 12 standard spots and two Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant spots. The salon only books by appointment and will see about 20 customers per day. The board agreed that the proposed business would meet the conditions of the code to not disrupt or devalue the neighborhood. The salon plans to abide by a handful of other conditions in order to be housed in a residential part of town. It will not have any illuminated signage outside of the building and will only operate daytime hours, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. The property was also approved for the installation of a streetlight-style light to illuminate the parking lot for safety purposes. The meeting was the final step in getting city approval for Pryor to move her business. Afterward, she was feeling, relieved, excited, really really good. Following the meeting, she and Welsh must wait 30 days before obtaining permits to finish renovations. The renovations are expected to take another month and a half, and Pryor hopes to open at the new location mid-September or the beginning of October. I thought it was a really unique space that has a lot of potential and a lot of room, she said. The new location would expand her salon from 1,000 square feet to over 6,000 square feet and would contain six salon stations. Another advantage to the old church is the annex building also on the property, which Pryor plans to convert to childcare space to serve her clients. I am doing this for the moms out there, she said. I have two children of my own, and its really hard to find time for yourself and to pamper yourself, so Im doing this for all of the moms out there that need a break. Pryor was waiting until approval from the board before discussing any changes to her businesss ability to serve alcohol with the city. At Dolled Up Studios current location on State Street, she is able to serve clients two complementary beverages without a liquor license. She hopes to obtain a liquor license from the city so she can sell more drinks, but is unsure at this point whether there may be more restrictions in a residential area. If not approved, she plans to continue serving the two complementary drinks. As the renovating of the church continues, Welsh offered assurances that there are no plans for structural changes to the exterior of the building. He plans to replace the siding on the top section of the buildings exterior to remove the cross symbols. The former Faith Wesleyan Church is one of a handful of old city churches being repurposed. The former First Church of Christ Scientist building at 701 W. Sixth St. was purchased in February. The owner has received about a half dozen inquiries with proposals including a home, office, preschool or place of worship. The former Cedar Falls Mennonite Church at 215 W. Ninth St. was demolished last October to build a pocket residential neighborhood. Tuesday was the first time the Cedar Falls Board of Adjustment had met since December 2021. Other business included the approval of a variance request at 422 Iowa St. and selecting new board officers. PHOTOS: Former church demolished in Cedar Falls AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN AND THE WALLS CAME TUMBLING DOWN Church Demo 5 Church Demo 4 Church Demo 6 Church Demo 3 Church Demo 7 The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) almost had its parliamentary candidates and those on the party lists disqualified during Nomination Court as a result of its strategic ambiguity tactic not to publicly disclose its party candidates while administratively running party issues from Harare. Party leader, Nelson Chamisa stated their tactic was to safeguard candidates and prevent infiltration by Zanu PF. However, since candidates handed in their nomination forms at the last minute, having just received them from Harare, which was in charge of checking the nomination papers, the technique exposed CCCs poor preparation despite the fact that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) opened up the Nomination process at its district, provincial and headquarters offices on June 10, 2023. According to party insiders who talked to CITE, various mishaps occurred, such as nomination forms and passport pictures disappearing when they returned from party leadership in Harare, as there were no attachments in some cases. It is administratively impossible even if CCC was an efficient organisation, you cant gather nomination papers of thousands of people to Harare with attachments and expect them to return in good order. It is not going to happen. No one at the provincial level was in charge and people did not even know who the signatories were. It was a secret, said the party members. The party insiders said documents sent from Harare indicated one Stha Mlilo and Siphiwe Ncube as signatories, but when nomination papers were filed, it was discovered that Mlilo was not an authorised signatory. The authorised signatory was Greta Gumede who was in her home in Luveve. Now the candidates had to pull out the page of the unauthorised signature to have it filled by one of the authorised party official, said the CCC disgruntled members who said there should have been provincial leadership to make sure nomination papers arrived at the respective places days before the Nomination Court sat. However, the candidates did not have the necessary documentation, as evidenced at the Nomination Court on Wednesday, when some of the CCC MP candidates who arrived in the morning were unable to file anything. Candidates did not even know if they were to fill new nomination papers. They did not know who the authorised signatories were because that information was classified. Now people had to rely on ZEC who told them who the signatories were, said the party insiders. The nomination forms were later brought in by outgoing Pumula MP and current candidate, Sichelesile Mahlangu after lunch. Upon submission, ZEC Bulawayo Provincial Elections Presiding Officer, Innocent Ncube, pointed out the nomination forms of the 12 MP candidates had unauthorised signatures. Ncube, who was in charge of the nomination process, questioned the CCC candidates why they brought in their papers late. It is those who come late who have their papers in order, if you are not sure about them, you must come early, he said. Ncube advised the candidates to collect new nomination forms, put proper signatures and submit the correct pages. CCC then released a statement after making the corrections and acknowledged that their 12 MP candidates had experienced some minor technical challenges. As a result of the late submission, the election agent representing CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba was only cleared to pay nomination fees well after midnight, around 00.50am. CCC members were unaware of who had been picked to represent them, how the candidates themselves were anxious because they didnt know if they had made it, and how there was tension when other potential candidates, such as Tichaona Mujati, were told to stand down. When CCC tried to submit its party lists for PR and Senate, the party clashed with the presiding officer Ncube who stated that he was not happy with their conduct as they were trying to mess up the process. CCC officials, with their lawyer present, had to plead their case and explain that they were not making new submissions since they were submitting after 11 pm but had been given the forms prior to making corrections. We were checking if the candidates papers were signed by the authorised signatories who were signing their nomination forms. If that was done, their papers would go through because we had names of those signatories, that is any of the two people authorised by the party to sign and there would be no ground to reject nomination papers, Ncube said in an interview. Meanwhile, several political parties such as MDC-T, United Democratic Alliance (UDA), the Zimbabwean African National Congress (ZANC) also had challenges with submitting party lists. CITE Second in a series WATERLOO The Ivy Trellis, 200 E. Fourth St., occupies what is probably the best retail corner in downtown Waterloo. Two large windows one facing East Fourth, the second looking onto Sycamore offer attractive, seasonal merchandise vignettes. Stepping inside the card and gift shop, customers are welcomed like old friends. They can browse displays to their hearts content, thumb through reams of Hallmark cards and make their purchases. (You might be breaking a law if you leave without buying a handful of sea salt caramels.) Small business is part of the vitality of downtown Waterloo, said Mary Heller, 73, Ivy Trellis owner. Downtown Waterloo is crying for more retail. When people shop here, they usually visit all the other stores, too, stop and eat at one of the restaurants, or grab a cup of coffee at the coffee shop. More retail means people will spend more time downtown. We all feed off each other. If we have a break in that chain, it hurts all of us. Born and raised in Waterloo, Heller spent her Saturdays people-watching from the Blacks Department Store mezzanine while her mom worked downtown. Downtown Waterloo was in its heyday. Its hard to imagine all the retail stores lining both sides of the street. It was mind-boggling, she recalled. A graduate of West High School, Heller built a wealth of retail experience from an early age, including stints at JC Penney, Walker Shoe Store and Homestead House. I fell in love with retail. Its what I wanted to do. At 50, Heller decided to open her own shop, The Ivy Trellis, in Mitchell Plaza at Ninth Street and Mitchell Avenue. I got a late start, she said, smiling. Her husband, David, is retired from John Deere and has been supportive of her business. They have two sons, Jason and Jeremy, and two grandsons through Jeremys recent marriage. After nearly a decade, Heller moved her shop to a location on Main Street in Cedar Falls and, later, at Washington and Fifth streets. Health issues forced her to close the doors in Cedar Falls about nine years later. I didnt want to quit but wondered about the difficulties of continuing in business. I also had a five-year contract with the landlord. It was time to sign again, there was my health and the rent was expensive. I just couldnt commit to another five years, Heller said. After recovering from her second back surgery, Heller suddenly realized she wasnt ready to retire. I decided to look at locations in downtown Waterloo, and talked with Dave Deeds at JSA Development. Waterloo looked so much nicer than it had in years. I saw bars and restaurants, but not a lot of retail. I saw this place on the corner and thought it was a great location. When the space became available in September 2018, she signed on the dotted line. The Ivy Trellis opened at its new location that year, just in time for the Christmas holiday season. Heller will celebrate her fifth anniversary on East Fourth Street in October. I saw the potential in downtown. At my age, Im never going to move again, Heller explained. I like small business. Its the personal connection with customers. You know them, recognize them in when they come into the shop. You have a more enjoyable relationship with your customers. Thats what I enjoy. COVID dealt a serious economic blow to retail businesses in 2020, including The Ivy Trellis. Heller is blunt about the struggles. When you have a card shop with gifts, you dont always have the highest sales. You cant count on cards alone to make your bottom line. You need more, and you have to watch your outgoing expenses rent, utilities, merchandise, payroll, taxes. Small business is a struggle and we struggled even in Cedar Falls. You dont always see it because theres always someone in the wings, entrepreneurs who want to take that space and open a business. But if you cant afford the overhead, if you cant afford the rent, you wont be in business long, Heller said. As far as retail right now, I feel like were not pulling in enough business, even though we have customers coming in and shopping. But, all-in-all, Iowa is a great place to live. I cant imagine living anywhere else. Although Heller keeps an eye on state, regional and national issues, her particular focus is on her own backyard. At the state and national levels, people get elected to office and get complacent. They lose contact with the average, everyday person. They need a reality check, she said. Watching as blocks of downtown Waterloo continue to be renovated for urban living and commercial businesses has been exciting, Heller said, but more needs to be done. She strongly encourages city leaders to work harder to attract new retailers and do more to develop the riverfront closer to downtown Waterloo. I want our city to be successful, but sometimes I feel like Im talking to a brick wall. It can get a little frustrating, Heller explained. It seems theres no structured approach to supporting small businesses. Thats the biggest challenge, is getting the city to realize they have to do something different if they want retail business to open downtown. For example, Heller is in favor of jettisoning parking meters for two-hour free parking, similar to other downtown communities like Cedar Falls. She would also like to see a parking ramp fee reduction for people who work downtown. Ive had customers get $10 tickets for overtime parking and they tell me they wont be back. Small businesses are losing dollars. City government needs to come up with a parking solution if they want the downtown to attract visitors and be successful, Heller said. At the state level, Heller admits shes not a big fan of Gov. Kim Reynolds, but she was pleased with the new property tax law, House File 718, approved by the Iowa Legislature with near-unanimous support. She calls it an important and good thing because seniors who want to stay in their homes need help. The bill limits the amount of new property tax revenue growth that local governments can use in their budgets. It also provides new property tax exemptions for Iowans age 65 and older and for military veterans. Heller considers herself an independent who is middle-of-the-road politically. I try to look at both sides of an issue and vote for the person I think will do the best job. That said, she voiced concerns about the federal government overstepping its boundaries when it comes to personal rights and freedoms and free speech. Thats why we live in this country, to have freedoms and to be able to put forth our opinions without someone telling us we cant speak our minds. Mary Heller Age: 73 City or town of residence: Waterloo Occupation: Small business owner Family: Husband David, two sons Jason and Jeremy Years in Iowa: 73 Political affliation: Independent Three questions What are the biggest challenges you face in your everyday life? The biggest challenge, is getting the city to realize they have to do something different if they want retail business to open downtown. How do you see Iowa's government affecting your life? She is pleased with the new property tax law, House File 718. She calls it an important and good thing because seniors who want to stay in their homes need help. What issues do you wish the government paid more attention to? Less attention to? She is concerned about the federal government overstepping its boundaries when it comes to personal rights and freedoms and free speech. Photos: The 2023 My Waterloo Days parade in downtown Waterloo My Waterloo Days Parade 26 My Waterloo Days Parade 19 My Waterloo Days Parade 17 My Waterloo Days Parade 14 My Waterloo Days Parade 13 My Waterloo Days Parade 11 My Waterloo Days Parade 6 My Waterloo Days Parade 5 My Waterloo Days Parade 4 My Waterloo Days Parade 1 My Waterloo Days Parade 2 My Waterloo Days Parade 3 My Waterloo Days Parade 7 My Waterloo Days Parade 8 My Waterloo Days Parade 9 My Waterloo Days Parade 10 My Waterloo Days Parade 12 My Waterloo Days Parade 15 My Waterloo Days Parade 16 My Waterloo Days Parade 18 My Waterloo Days Parade 20 My Waterloo Days Parade 21 My Waterloo Days Parade 22 My Waterloo Days Parade 23 My Waterloo Days Parade 24 My Waterloo Days Parade 25 COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis rolled out endorsements from 15 South Carolina lawmakers on Thursday, hoping their support for his Republican presidential campaign will help him make his case to voters in the first-in-the-South primary state. The endorsements, shared first on Thursday with The Associated Press ahead of DeSantis' town hall in North Augusta, come from 11 state House members and four state senators from across the state, with a heavy concentration in South Carolina's conservative Upstate. It's a show of force for DeSantis in a state that current Republican front-runner Donald Trump won handily in the 2016 primary and where he has maintained popularity. Earlier this month, state GOP leaders set Feb. 24 as the date of South Carolinas Republican presidential primary, which still needs approval from national party leaders. DeSantis' list includes Sen. Josh Kimbrell, a Spartanburg Republican who has been bullish on the governor's candidacy since before he officially entered the race. On Thursday, he called DeSantis the only candidate in this race who can defeat President Joe Biden. Many of the new endorsements are from lawmakers who have introduced DeSantis during appearances in the early voting state. One of them, North Charleston Rep. Chris Murphy, praised DeSantis, a former Navy judge advocate general, this month at a Bluffton campaign event as the only candidate that has worn our nation's uniform." There's also Rep. Micah Caskey, a Marine veteran who hails from Lexington County, another strongly conservative area. It's hard to quantify how much local lawmaker endorsements sway voters' perceptions of presidential candidates, although many in the crowded primary field are intently courting them. Last week, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina heralded endorsements from more than 140 current and former elected officials in his home state, including more than two dozen state lawmakers. At Trump's South Carolina kickoff event in January, he announced his leadership team in the state, including longtime backer Gov. Henry McMaster, Sen. Lindsey Graham and several other members of Congress. Trump is returning to South Carolina on July 1 for his first campaign rally since his indictment on federal charges of mishandling classified documents and will be back in August for a South Carolina GOP fundraiser. Rob Godfrey, a longtime adviser to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, one of the other presidential candidates, said endorsements from elected officials have short-term value in terms of associated media coverage. He said they aren't a substitute for spending quality time with voters in early states like South Carolina. You can reasonably assume the recipient is seen by colleagues as having a collaborative approach to policymaking, Godfrey said. "But the days of direct political capital transfers from elected officials to candidates seem to have passed, and the number of early primary state voters you meet face to face and ask for votes matters the most. According to his campaign, DeSantis also has backing from more than three-dozen state lawmakers in Iowa and 50 in New Hampshire, as well as dozens more in Michigan, Oklahoma and his home state of Florida. Linda Lewis, a retiree who went to check out DeSantis' appearance in Bluffton this month, said that she had previously supported Trump but was curious to hear more from the Florida governor. I still have a lot of appreciation for some of the things that he did, Lewis said of Trump. I think that some of his rhetoric is over the top ... and I think we need somebody else in there, probably, in order to win the national election. After speaking for about half an hour Thursday, DeSantis took a number of questions from the audience gathered in North Augusta on topics including the expansion of civics education in schools and his support for law enforcement. He told a questioner who said he represents broken veterans that he didn't think a DeSantis administration would support decriminalizing marijuana, despite its use as a therapeutic. Asked how we can make sure that (Vladimir) Putin takes a short jump out a tall window, DeSantis twice called the Russian president a bad guy and said he felt NATO needs to do more in terms of securing European countries. They should really be taking the lead and ensuring the security of the continent, he said. In both questions he got about Russia's war in Ukraine, DeSantis also pivoted to what he sees as threats posed by China, positing a NATO-like system in the Pacific to be able to keep China in check, because I think, in many respects, they're more of a threat to us. Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. archives 9 Jul - 16 Jul (1) 2 Jul - 9 Jul (6) 18 Jun - 25 Jun (4) 4 Jun - 11 Jun (5) 21 May - 28 May (4) 14 May - 21 May (1) 7 May - 14 May (4) 23 Apr - 30 Apr (2) 26 Mar - 2 Apr (1) 19 Mar - 26 Mar (1) 19 Feb - 26 Feb (3) 12 Feb - 19 Feb (1) 22 Jan - 29 Jan (2) 15 Jan - 22 Jan (1) 25 Dec - 1 Jan (2) 20 Nov - 27 Nov (1) 11 Sep - 18 Sep (1) 14 Aug - 21 Aug (3) 7 Aug - 14 Aug (3) 17 Jul - 24 Jul (3) 10 Jul - 17 Jul (3) 19 Jun - 26 Jun (2) 12 Jun - 19 Jun (4) 22 May - 29 May (1) 15 May - 22 May (5) 1 May - 8 May (2) 17 Apr - 24 Apr (3) 27 Feb - 6 Mar (3) 13 Feb - 20 Feb (1) 30 Jan - 6 Feb (3) 2 Jan - 9 Jan (4) 26 Dec - 2 Jan (1) 5 Dec - 12 Dec (3) 28 Nov - 5 Dec (2) 14 Nov - 21 Nov (1) 7 Nov - 14 Nov (1) 10 Oct - 17 Oct (1) 22 Aug - 29 Aug (3) 15 Aug - 22 Aug (1) 8 Aug - 15 Aug (3) 1 Aug - 8 Aug (1) 25 Jul - 1 Aug (3) 18 Jul - 25 Jul (1) 11 Jul - 18 Jul (1) 27 Jun - 4 Jul (4) 20 Jun - 27 Jun (3) 13 Jun - 20 Jun (1) 30 May - 6 Jun (2) 23 May - 30 May (4) 2 May - 9 May (3) 25 Apr - 2 May (4) 4 Apr - 11 Apr (2) 28 Mar - 4 Apr (4) 28 Feb - 7 Mar (1) 7 Feb - 14 Feb (2) 10 Jan - 17 Jan (2) 27 Dec - 3 Jan (2) 13 Dec - 20 Dec (3) 6 Dec - 13 Dec (1) 29 Nov - 6 Dec (1) 15 Nov - 22 Nov (6) 8 Nov - 15 Nov (1) 25 Oct - 1 Nov (1) 18 Oct - 25 Oct (3) 4 Oct - 11 Oct (1) 27 Sep - 4 Oct (1) 20 Sep - 27 Sep (2) 13 Sep - 20 Sep (4) 6 Sep - 13 Sep (3) 30 Aug - 6 Sep (1) 23 Aug - 30 Aug (1) 16 Aug - 23 Aug (4) 9 Aug - 16 Aug (1) 2 Aug - 9 Aug (3) 26 Jul - 2 Aug (4) 19 Jul - 26 Jul (5) 12 Jul - 19 Jul (2) 5 Jul - 12 Jul (7) 28 Jun - 5 Jul (2) 21 Jun - 28 Jun (7) 14 Jun - 21 Jun (4) 7 Jun - 14 Jun (4) 31 May - 7 Jun (3) 24 May - 31 May (2) 17 May - 24 May (1) 10 May - 17 May (1) 19 Apr - 26 Apr (1) 12 Apr - 19 Apr (1) 15 Mar - 22 Mar (1) 8 Mar - 15 Mar (3) 1 Mar - 8 Mar (2) 23 Feb - 1 Mar (2) 9 Feb - 16 Feb (3) 26 Jan - 2 Feb (1) 19 Jan - 26 Jan (2) 12 Jan - 19 Jan (2) 5 Jan - 12 Jan (1) 29 Dec - 5 Jan (1) 8 Dec - 15 Dec (1) 24 Nov - 1 Dec (2) 17 Nov - 24 Nov (1) 27 Oct - 3 Nov (1) 6 Oct - 13 Oct (1) 1 Sep - 8 Sep (2) 25 Aug - 1 Sep (4) 18 Aug - 25 Aug (1) 11 Aug - 18 Aug (2) 4 Aug - 11 Aug (8) 28 Jul - 4 Aug (5) 14 Jul - 21 Jul (3) 7 Jul - 14 Jul (3) 30 Jun - 7 Jul (4) 23 Jun - 30 Jun (2) 16 Jun - 23 Jun (4) 9 Jun - 16 Jun (1) 2 Jun - 9 Jun (5) 26 May - 2 Jun (1) 19 May - 26 May (6) 12 May - 19 May (1) 21 Apr - 28 Apr (3) 14 Apr - 21 Apr (1) 31 Mar - 7 Apr (3) 24 Mar - 31 Mar (6) 17 Mar - 24 Mar (5) 10 Mar - 17 Mar (1) 3 Mar - 10 Mar (3) 24 Feb - 3 Mar (2) 17 Feb - 24 Feb (5) 10 Feb - 17 Feb (3) 3 Feb - 10 Feb (2) 20 Jan - 27 Jan (3) 13 Jan - 20 Jan (1) 23 Dec - 30 Dec (3) 2 Dec - 9 Dec (1) 25 Nov - 2 Dec (2) 18 Nov - 25 Nov (2) 11 Nov - 18 Nov (2) 4 Nov - 11 Nov (1) 21 Oct - 28 Oct (4) 14 Oct - 21 Oct (5) 7 Oct - 14 Oct (2) 30 Sep - 7 Oct (1) 23 Sep - 30 Sep (1) 9 Sep - 16 Sep (4) 2 Sep - 9 Sep (1) 19 Aug - 26 Aug (1) 12 Aug - 19 Aug (4) 5 Aug - 12 Aug (6) 29 Jul - 5 Aug (2) 22 Jul - 29 Jul (1) 15 Jul - 22 Jul (3) 8 Jul - 15 Jul (4) 1 Jul - 8 Jul (1) 24 Jun - 1 Jul (1) 17 Jun - 24 Jun (3) 10 Jun - 17 Jun (5) 3 Jun - 10 Jun (3) 27 May - 3 Jun (5) 20 May - 27 May (6) 13 May - 20 May (6) 6 May - 13 May (1) 29 Apr - 6 May (5) 22 Apr - 29 Apr (4) 15 Apr - 22 Apr (6) 8 Apr - 15 Apr (4) 1 Apr - 8 Apr (4) 25 Mar - 1 Apr (3) 18 Mar - 25 Mar (3) 11 Mar - 18 Mar (3) 4 Mar - 11 Mar (4) 25 Feb - 4 Mar (3) 18 Feb - 25 Feb (1) 11 Feb - 18 Feb (4) 4 Feb - 11 Feb (5) 28 Jan - 4 Feb (6) 21 Jan - 28 Jan (1) 14 Jan - 21 Jan (4) 7 Jan - 14 Jan (2) 31 Dec - 7 Jan (7) 24 Dec - 31 Dec (2) 17 Dec - 24 Dec (3) 10 Dec - 17 Dec (1) 3 Dec - 10 Dec (4) 26 Nov - 3 Dec (3) 19 Nov - 26 Nov (2) 12 Nov - 19 Nov (1) 5 Nov - 12 Nov (4) 22 Oct - 29 Oct (3) 15 Oct - 22 Oct (4) 8 Oct - 15 Oct (4) 1 Oct - 8 Oct (1) 10 Sep - 17 Sep (2) 3 Sep - 10 Sep (2) 27 Aug - 3 Sep (1) 20 Aug - 27 Aug (6) 6 Aug - 13 Aug (4) 30 Jul - 6 Aug (1) 23 Jul - 30 Jul (5) 16 Jul - 23 Jul (3) 9 Jul - 16 Jul (5) 25 Jun - 2 Jul (5) 18 Jun - 25 Jun (2) 11 Jun - 18 Jun (6) 4 Jun - 11 Jun (1) 28 May - 4 Jun (5) 21 May - 28 May (2) 14 May - 21 May (4) 7 May - 14 May (4) 30 Apr - 7 May (4) 23 Apr - 30 Apr (3) 16 Apr - 23 Apr (3) 9 Apr - 16 Apr (1) 2 Apr - 9 Apr (3) 26 Mar - 2 Apr (2) 19 Mar - 26 Mar (3) 12 Mar - 19 Mar (3) 5 Mar - 12 Mar (2) 26 Feb - 5 Mar (3) 19 Feb - 26 Feb (2) 12 Feb - 19 Feb (2) 5 Feb - 12 Feb (6) 29 Jan - 5 Feb (5) 22 Jan - 29 Jan (1) 15 Jan - 22 Jan (8) 8 Jan - 15 Jan (7) 1 Jan - 8 Jan (4) 25 Dec - 1 Jan (3) 11 Dec - 18 Dec (3) 13 Nov - 20 Nov (4) 6 Nov - 13 Nov (2) 30 Oct - 6 Nov (1) 23 Oct - 30 Oct (1) 16 Oct - 23 Oct (1) 9 Oct - 16 Oct (1) 2 Oct - 9 Oct (2) 25 Sep - 2 Oct (1) 18 Sep - 25 Sep (4) 11 Sep - 18 Sep (2) 4 Sep - 11 Sep (1) 28 Aug - 4 Sep (4) 21 Aug - 28 Aug (1) 14 Aug - 21 Aug (2) 7 Aug - 14 Aug (4) 31 Jul - 7 Aug (6) 24 Jul - 31 Jul (3) 17 Jul - 24 Jul (6) 10 Jul - 17 Jul (3) 3 Jul - 10 Jul (6) 26 Jun - 3 Jul (3) 19 Jun - 26 Jun (4) 5 Jun - 12 Jun (5) 29 May - 5 Jun (1) 22 May - 29 May (1) 15 May - 22 May (1) 8 May - 15 May (5) 1 May - 8 May (5) 24 Apr - 1 May (1) 17 Apr - 24 Apr (2) 10 Apr - 17 Apr (3) 3 Apr - 10 Apr (2) 20 Mar - 27 Mar (2) 13 Mar - 20 Mar (4) 6 Mar - 13 Mar (1) 28 Feb - 6 Mar (2) 21 Feb - 28 Feb (1) 14 Feb - 21 Feb (1) 7 Feb - 14 Feb (3) 24 Jan - 31 Jan (2) 17 Jan - 24 Jan (3) 10 Jan - 17 Jan (2) 3 Jan - 10 Jan (1) 27 Dec - 3 Jan (1) 20 Dec - 27 Dec (1) 13 Dec - 20 Dec (3) 6 Dec - 13 Dec (2) 29 Nov - 6 Dec (2) 22 Nov - 29 Nov (2) 15 Nov - 22 Nov (1) 8 Nov - 15 Nov (5) 1 Nov - 8 Nov (2) 25 Oct - 1 Nov (2) 18 Oct - 25 Oct (1) 11 Oct - 18 Oct (4) 4 Oct - 11 Oct (1) 27 Sep - 4 Oct (3) 20 Sep - 27 Sep (2) 13 Sep - 20 Sep (1) 6 Sep - 13 Sep (3) 30 Aug - 6 Sep (5) 23 Aug - 30 Aug (6) 16 Aug - 23 Aug (1) 9 Aug - 16 Aug (1) 2 Aug - 9 Aug (3) 26 Jul - 2 Aug (2) 19 Jul - 26 Jul (1) 12 Jul - 19 Jul (5) 5 Jul - 12 Jul (6) 28 Jun - 5 Jul (4) 21 Jun - 28 Jun (7) 14 Jun - 21 Jun (5) 7 Jun - 14 Jun (2) 31 May - 7 Jun (5) 24 May - 31 May (3) 17 May - 24 May (5) 10 May - 17 May (3) 3 May - 10 May (1) 26 Apr - 3 May (1) 19 Apr - 26 Apr (5) 12 Apr - 19 Apr (5) 5 Apr - 12 Apr (2) 29 Mar - 5 Apr (1) 22 Mar - 29 Mar (5) 15 Mar - 22 Mar (9) 8 Mar - 15 Mar (6) 1 Mar - 8 Mar (10) 22 Feb - 1 Mar (5) 15 Feb - 22 Feb (5) 1 Feb - 8 Feb (2) 25 Jan - 1 Feb (1) 18 Jan - 25 Jan (4) 11 Jan - 18 Jan (1) 4 Jan - 11 Jan (3) 28 Dec - 4 Jan (3) 21 Dec - 28 Dec (3) 14 Dec - 21 Dec (4) 7 Dec - 14 Dec (2) 30 Nov - 7 Dec (3) 23 Nov - 30 Nov (3) 9 Nov - 16 Nov (3) 2 Nov - 9 Nov (5) 26 Oct - 2 Nov (3) 19 Oct - 26 Oct (8) 12 Oct - 19 Oct (6) 5 Oct - 12 Oct (3) 28 Sep - 5 Oct (5) 21 Sep - 28 Sep (4) 14 Sep - 21 Sep (1) 7 Sep - 14 Sep (4) 31 Aug - 7 Sep (1) 24 Aug - 31 Aug (2) 17 Aug - 24 Aug (2) 10 Aug - 17 Aug (7) 3 Aug - 10 Aug (3) 27 Jul - 3 Aug (3) 20 Jul - 27 Jul (3) 13 Jul - 20 Jul (4) 6 Jul - 13 Jul (1) 29 Jun - 6 Jul (5) 22 Jun - 29 Jun (2) 15 Jun - 22 Jun (4) 8 Jun - 15 Jun (2) 1 Jun - 8 Jun (2) 25 May - 1 Jun (8) 18 May - 25 May (4) 11 May - 18 May (1) 4 May - 11 May (3) 27 Apr - 4 May (4) 20 Apr - 27 Apr (2) 13 Apr - 20 Apr (6) 6 Apr - 13 Apr (2) 23 Mar - 30 Mar (4) 16 Mar - 23 Mar (2) 9 Mar - 16 Mar (2) 2 Mar - 9 Mar (2) 23 Feb - 2 Mar (2) 16 Feb - 23 Feb (1) 9 Feb - 16 Feb (6) 2 Feb - 9 Feb (1) 26 Jan - 2 Feb (2) 19 Jan - 26 Jan (1) 12 Jan - 19 Jan (1) 29 Dec - 5 Jan (1) 22 Dec - 29 Dec (2) 8 Dec - 15 Dec (2) 1 Dec - 8 Dec (1) 24 Nov - 1 Dec (4) 17 Nov - 24 Nov (4) 10 Nov - 17 Nov (1) 3 Nov - 10 Nov (4) 20 Oct - 27 Oct (2) 13 Oct - 20 Oct (4) 29 Sep - 6 Oct (1) 22 Sep - 29 Sep (2) 15 Sep - 22 Sep (3) 8 Sep - 15 Sep (1) 1 Sep - 8 Sep (6) 25 Aug - 1 Sep (7) 18 Aug - 25 Aug (9) 11 Aug - 18 Aug (6) 4 Aug - 11 Aug (4) 28 Jul - 4 Aug (3) 21 Jul - 28 Jul (8) 14 Jul - 21 Jul (4) 7 Jul - 14 Jul (5) 30 Jun - 7 Jul (8) 23 Jun - 30 Jun (8) 16 Jun - 23 Jun (4) 9 Jun - 16 Jun (7) 2 Jun - 9 Jun (7) 26 May - 2 Jun (8) 19 May - 26 May (7) 12 May - 19 May (5) 5 May - 12 May (5) 28 Apr - 5 May (11) 21 Apr - 28 Apr (6) 14 Apr - 21 Apr (5) 7 Apr - 14 Apr (6) 31 Mar - 7 Apr (7) 24 Mar - 31 Mar (4) 17 Mar - 24 Mar (4) 3 Mar - 10 Mar (6) 24 Feb - 3 Mar (3) 17 Feb - 24 Feb (3) 10 Feb - 17 Feb (5) 3 Feb - 10 Feb (3) 27 Jan - 3 Feb (6) 20 Jan - 27 Jan (1) 13 Jan - 20 Jan (6) 6 Jan - 13 Jan (2) 30 Dec - 6 Jan (2) 23 Dec - 30 Dec (1) 16 Dec - 23 Dec (3) 9 Dec - 16 Dec (2) 2 Dec - 9 Dec (1) 25 Nov - 2 Dec (1) 18 Nov - 25 Nov (3) 11 Nov - 18 Nov (5) 4 Nov - 11 Nov (2) 28 Oct - 4 Nov (6) 21 Oct - 28 Oct (9) 14 Oct - 21 Oct (9) 30 Sep - 7 Oct (4) 23 Sep - 30 Sep (2) 16 Sep - 23 Sep (2) 9 Sep - 16 Sep (6) 2 Sep - 9 Sep (3) 26 Aug - 2 Sep (3) 19 Aug - 26 Aug (3) 12 Aug - 19 Aug (7) 5 Aug - 12 Aug (4) 29 Jul - 5 Aug (8) 22 Jul - 29 Jul (7) 15 Jul - 22 Jul (7) 8 Jul - 15 Jul (7) 1 Jul - 8 Jul (7) 24 Jun - 1 Jul (9) 17 Jun - 24 Jun (10) 10 Jun - 17 Jun (7) 3 Jun - 10 Jun (10) 27 May - 3 Jun (6) 20 May - 27 May (8) 13 May - 20 May (8) 6 May - 13 May (11) 29 Apr - 6 May (6) 22 Apr - 29 Apr (8) 15 Apr - 22 Apr (5) 8 Apr - 15 Apr (11) 1 Apr - 8 Apr (5) 25 Mar - 1 Apr (9) 18 Mar - 25 Mar (9) 11 Mar - 18 Mar (8) 4 Mar - 11 Mar (8) 19 Feb - 26 Feb (7) 12 Feb - 19 Feb (7) 5 Feb - 12 Feb (5) 29 Jan - 5 Feb (7) 22 Jan - 29 Jan (4) 15 Jan - 22 Jan (2) 8 Jan - 15 Jan (5) 1 Jan - 8 Jan (5) 25 Dec - 1 Jan (6) 18 Dec - 25 Dec (4) 11 Dec - 18 Dec (5) 4 Dec - 11 Dec (7) 27 Nov - 4 Dec (7) 20 Nov - 27 Nov (7) 13 Nov - 20 Nov (3) 6 Nov - 13 Nov (4) 30 Oct - 6 Nov (5) 23 Oct - 30 Oct (9) 16 Oct - 23 Oct (3) 9 Oct - 16 Oct (8) 2 Oct - 9 Oct (5) 25 Sep - 2 Oct (11) 18 Sep - 25 Sep (4) 11 Sep - 18 Sep (6) 4 Sep - 11 Sep (6) 28 Aug - 4 Sep (7) 21 Aug - 28 Aug (3) 14 Aug - 21 Aug (9) 7 Aug - 14 Aug (4) 31 Jul - 7 Aug (8) 24 Jul - 31 Jul (11) 17 Jul - 24 Jul (8) 10 Jul - 17 Jul (9) 3 Jul - 10 Jul (11) 26 Jun - 3 Jul (9) 19 Jun - 26 Jun (9) 12 Jun - 19 Jun (7) 5 Jun - 12 Jun (9) 29 May - 5 Jun (5) 22 May - 29 May (8) 15 May - 22 May (9) 8 May - 15 May (4) 1 May - 8 May (6) 24 Apr - 1 May (6) 17 Apr - 24 Apr (10) 10 Apr - 17 Apr (8) 3 Apr - 10 Apr (8) 27 Mar - 3 Apr (8) 20 Mar - 27 Mar (8) 13 Mar - 20 Mar (12) 6 Mar - 13 Mar (7) 27 Feb - 6 Mar (7) 20 Feb - 27 Feb (11) 13 Feb - 20 Feb (7) 6 Feb - 13 Feb (5) 30 Jan - 6 Feb (8) 23 Jan - 30 Jan (10) 16 Jan - 23 Jan (10) 9 Jan - 16 Jan (9) 2 Jan - 9 Jan (11) 26 Dec - 2 Jan (6) 19 Dec - 26 Dec (7) 12 Dec - 19 Dec (6) 5 Dec - 12 Dec (7) 28 Nov - 5 Dec (5) 21 Nov - 28 Nov (4) 14 Nov - 21 Nov (7) 7 Nov - 14 Nov (6) 31 Oct - 7 Nov (6) 24 Oct - 31 Oct (5) 17 Oct - 24 Oct (5) 10 Oct - 17 Oct (7) 3 Oct - 10 Oct (2) 26 Sep - 3 Oct (4) 19 Sep - 26 Sep (6) 12 Sep - 19 Sep (7) 5 Sep - 12 Sep (10) 29 Aug - 5 Sep (8) 22 Aug - 29 Aug (5) 15 Aug - 22 Aug (6) 8 Aug - 15 Aug (6) 1 Aug - 8 Aug (4) 25 Jul - 1 Aug (13) 18 Jul - 25 Jul (9) 11 Jul - 18 Jul (9) 4 Jul - 11 Jul (8) 27 Jun - 4 Jul (9) 20 Jun - 27 Jun (11) 13 Jun - 20 Jun (11) 6 Jun - 13 Jun (11) 30 May - 6 Jun (9) 23 May - 30 May (23) 16 May - 23 May (12) 9 May - 16 May (12) 2 May - 9 May (10) 25 Apr - 2 May (7) 18 Apr - 25 Apr (9) 11 Apr - 18 Apr (10) 4 Apr - 11 Apr (11) 28 Mar - 4 Apr (9) 21 Mar - 28 Mar (6) 14 Mar - 21 Mar (9) 7 Mar - 14 Mar (2) 28 Feb - 7 Mar (9) 21 Feb - 28 Feb (7) 14 Feb - 21 Feb (9) 7 Feb - 14 Feb (9) 31 Jan - 7 Feb (6) 24 Jan - 31 Jan (14) 17 Jan - 24 Jan (9) 10 Jan - 17 Jan (11) 3 Jan - 10 Jan (10) 27 Dec - 3 Jan (10) 20 Dec - 27 Dec (8) 13 Dec - 20 Dec (6) 6 Dec - 13 Dec (9) 29 Nov - 6 Dec (13) 22 Nov - 29 Nov (10) 15 Nov - 22 Nov (14) 8 Nov - 15 Nov (11) 1 Nov - 8 Nov (16) 25 Oct - 1 Nov (13) 18 Oct - 25 Oct (12) 11 Oct - 18 Oct (9) 4 Oct - 11 Oct (11) 27 Sep - 4 Oct (14) 20 Sep - 27 Sep (19) 13 Sep - 20 Sep (13) 6 Sep - 13 Sep (12) 30 Aug - 6 Sep (15) 23 Aug - 30 Aug (15) 16 Aug - 23 Aug (16) 9 Aug - 16 Aug (14) 2 Aug - 9 Aug (15) 26 Jul - 2 Aug (20) 19 Jul - 26 Jul (10) 12 Jul - 19 Jul (13) 5 Jul - 12 Jul (21) 28 Jun - 5 Jul (15) 21 Jun - 28 Jun (20) 14 Jun - 21 Jun (10) 7 Jun - 14 Jun (13) 31 May - 7 Jun (13) 24 May - 31 May (13) 17 May - 24 May (15) 10 May - 17 May (16) 3 May - 10 May (11) 26 Apr - 3 May (21) 19 Apr - 26 Apr (17) 12 Apr - 19 Apr (20) 5 Apr - 12 Apr (16) 29 Mar - 5 Apr (19) 22 Mar - 29 Mar (17) 15 Mar - 22 Mar (23) 8 Mar - 15 Mar (22) 1 Mar - 8 Mar (21) 22 Feb - 1 Mar (22) 15 Feb - 22 Feb (25) 8 Feb - 15 Feb (25) 1 Feb - 8 Feb (21) 25 Jan - 1 Feb (23) 18 Jan - 25 Jan (19) 11 Jan - 18 Jan (35) 4 Jan - 11 Jan (23) 28 Dec - 4 Jan (27) 21 Dec - 28 Dec (28) 14 Dec - 21 Dec (23) 7 Dec - 14 Dec (22) 30 Nov - 7 Dec (19) 23 Nov - 30 Nov (22) 16 Nov - 23 Nov (19) 9 Nov - 16 Nov (15) 2 Nov - 9 Nov (17) 26 Oct - 2 Nov (10) 19 Oct - 26 Oct (12) 12 Oct - 19 Oct (13) 5 Oct - 12 Oct (19) 28 Sep - 5 Oct (14) 21 Sep - 28 Sep (17) 14 Sep - 21 Sep (19) 7 Sep - 14 Sep (22) 31 Aug - 7 Sep (15) 24 Aug - 31 Aug (14) 17 Aug - 24 Aug (9) 10 Aug - 17 Aug (5) Willamette Law is thrilled to announce five new faculty members who will join Willamette Law beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year. This new cohort of faculty marks the largest in recent Willamette Law history. Each faculty member will play an integral role in both strengthening the Colleges scholarly identity while building out its experiential learning course offerings. Both the Appointments Committee and the entire Willamette Law community were instrumental in hiring this exceptional cohort. These five new faculty members are impressive both in their scholarship and experiences but also in the energy and vision they bring to their new positions. I look forward to seeing the significant impact they will have at Willamette and getting to work with each of them, says Willamette Law Dean Brian Gallini. I owe tremendous thanks to the work of our Appointments Committee alongside the support of our broader community. I am grateful for their dedication and efforts in hiring our new faculty colleagues. Chinonso Anozie Professor Anozie joins the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Law following his time as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at the Arizona State University Sandra Day OConnor College of Law. With a passion for teaching and helping students to realize their full potential, Anozie looks forward to beginning his time at Willamette and meeting his students. I look forward to working with students and collaborating with the faculty at Willamette to train the next generation of lawyers, he says. He began his career as an associate in a law firms corporate division in Nigeria while also advising domestic and foreign government agencies on energy, trade, and environmental law issues as a foreign legal consultant. He obtained an LL.M from the University of Oklahoma and an SJD from SMU Dedman School of Law. Anozie will teach Property Law as well as upper-level courses covering topics such as Environmental Law, Energy/Climate Law, and Global Environmental Justice. His scholarship focuses on the intersection of energy, natural resources law, and environmental law. Specifically, he addresses the impact of energy and environmental laws, regulations, and policies on energy development in various jurisdictions focusing on Black and Brown communities and the extraterritorial impact of U.S. energy policies on the global south and how countries react to such policies. Antonio Olguin Torres Professor Olguin Torres joins the Willamette Law faculty from the University of Guanajuato for the 2023-24 academic year as a Visiting Assistant Assistant Professor of Law. . Olguin Torres received his bachelors degree from the University of Guanajuato, his master of arts in social science from Southern Oregon University, a master of arts in constitutional law from the University of Barcelona, and his PhD in law from the University of Colima. He is a member of the National System of Researchers Level 1 of the National Council of Science and technology and is the author and editor of several books as well as book chapters and articles on public international law, constitutional law, and international environmental law. Olguin Torres was also, previously, an aide in the State of Guanajuato Governors Office and received the Federal Department of Educations Recognition as Most Desirable Professors Profile. Olguin Torres looks forward to coming to Willamette Law, it is a history of love, I think. I have been to Willamette Law before, I know the campus, professors, and academics. And of course, I know the wonderful people who live there, he says. He will teach courses on the law of Mexico, comparative constitutional law and international environmental law. Emily Poor Professor Poor joins the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Law following her time as Clinical Teaching Fellow at the University of Baltimore School of Law. She knew she wanted to be a lawyer after completing college, but it took her a while to discover which area of law she was interested in. Poor clerked for a trial judge in Minnesota state court, was a staff attorney at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, and was the staff attorney at the Pro Bono Resource Center of Maryland before finding her way to academia. Most recently, she completed a clinical teaching fellowship with the University of Baltimore School of Laws Civil Advocacy Clinic, in which certified student attorneys represent low-income clients in civil matters related to experiencing poverty. For Poor, this was a great way to transition from direct public interest litigation work to academia. Beginning in the fall, Poor will teach Evidence, Criminal Law, and Gender and the Law. Im very excited to be teaching evidence in the fall. As a former trial attorney and clinician in a civil litigation clinic, I love the practical aspects of evidence law and helping students navigate the courtroom and figure out how to successfully introduce or oppose testimony and exhibits, Poor says. She is looking forward to helping students discover how the criminal legal system operates within other social systems and structures, and how it disproportionately impacts particular individuals and communities. Poor has enjoyed teaching because it affords her the opportunity to both teach a new generation of lawyers about the issues she saw in practice and also to utilize her scholarship to more deeply and freely consider what can be done as a whole profession to further justice. In terms of scholarship, Poor focuses on the intersections between the criminal legal system and civil legal remedies and processes. Her first paper is forthcoming in the N.Y.U Review of Law and Social Change and she is currently developing two related threads of research that have emerged from her first project. She is looking forward to joining the Willamette Law faculty and getting to work with students. I love that Willamette Law is so influential in the Oregon legal community, and Im excited to teach students who really want to learn and join a thriving professional network. I am also excited to get to live and teach in Oregon, she says. Poor received her bachelors degree from American University and her JD from Georgetown University Law Center. Sarah Purce Professor Purce joins the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Law and was inspired to pursue a law career helping immigrant communities attain better access to justice after working with a number of undocumented students during her time teaching ESL and GED classes in rural Washington State with AmeriCorps. After graduating with her JD from American University Washington College of Law, she worked as a contract attorney for immigration firms in Washington state before focusing on public interest work. She worked as a staff attorney in the immigration program for Catholic Charities of Oregon and later became their rural program coordinating, lead attorney, and finally assistant director of the program. Most recently, she has been leading the immigration section of a limited scope defense clinic at Portland Community College which provides services for low-income immigrant clients facing deportation. In her role at Willamette Law, Purce will join Professor Beth Zilberman in the Immigration Clinic where she will help to build out the clinics offerings for students and the community. Additionally, she will be teaching courses ranging in topic from Immigration Law to Rural Practice. As Purce looks ahead to joining the Willamette Law faculty, she shares I remember my clinic experience during law school as perhaps the most formative aspect of my time there. I am enthusiastic about helping students learn the practical skills that lawyers use every day and, hopefully, inspiring a love of immigration law and a commitment to this population of clients. Purce has had the opportunity to work with Willamette Law students in the past through internships, externships, and alternative spring break programs and shares that they have all been bright inquisitive future lawyers. As such, she looks forward to working with the students starting in the fall. Jillian Schroeder-Fenlon Professor Schroeder-Fenlon joins the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Law and spent the first six years of her career in large law firms focused on finance and real estate transactions. After discovering a love for mentoring and teaching, she transitioned into teaching legal writing to LLM students at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. She also taught first and second year law students at Villanova Universitys Charles Widger School of Law. Most recently, Schroeder-Fenlon has been the Associate Director of the Business Transactions Clinic at NYU Law School where she has taught and supervised second and third year law students. As she looks ahead to beginning her time at Willamette Law, Schroeder-Fenlon shares I am drawn to courses with experiential components that allow students to learn and practice the skills they need as junior attorneys. I like these courses because I get to work closely with students and provide them with detailed feedback I find it rewarding to watch students develop their critical thinking skills. She will be teaching Lawyering, Business Organizations, and Contract Drafting courses. After receiving both her undergraduate degree and JD degree from Georgetown University, Schroeder-Fenlon is looking forward to returning to the Pacific Northwest where she grew up. Im particularly excited to join Willamette Law because of its innovative approach to legal education and strong business law program, both of which are a great fit for my experience and interests, she says. The search for a missing submersible with five people aboard took a bleak turn Thursday when the U.S. Coast Guard said a debris field was found at the bottom of the ocean near the Titanic, and the critical 96-hour mark passed when breathable air could have run out. The Coast Guard's post on Twitter did not say whether officials believe the debris is connected to the Titan, which was on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic. It said the debris was discovered within the search area by a remotely operated underwater robot, and was being evaluated. The Titan was estimated to have about a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic but experts have emphasized that was an imprecise approximation to begin with and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And it's not known if they survived since the sub's disappearance. Rescuers have rushed ships, planes and other equipment to the site of the disappearance. On Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard said an undersea robot sent by a Canadian ship had reached the sea floor, while a French research institute said a deep-diving robot with cameras, lights and arms also joined the operation. Authorities are hoping underwater sounds might help narrow their search, whose coverage area has been expanded to thousands of miles twice the size of Connecticut and in waters 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) deep. Coast Guard officials said underwater noises were detected in the search area Tuesday and Wednesday. Jamie Pringle, an expert in Forensic Geosciences at Keele University, in England, said even if the noises came from the submersible, "The lack of oxygen is key now; even if they find it, they still need to get to the surface and unbolt it." The Titan was reported overdue Sunday afternoon about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John's, Newfoundland, as it was on its way to where the iconic ocean liner sank more than a century ago. OceanGate Expeditions, which is leading the trip, has been chronicling the Titanic's decay and the underwater ecosystem around it via yearly voyages since 2021. By Thursday morning, hope was running out that anyone on board the vessel would be found alive. Many obstacles still remain: from pinpointing the vessel's location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface assuming it's still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers' oxygen supply runs out. Dr. Rob Larter, a marine geophysicist with the British Antarctic Survey, emphasized the difficulty of even finding something the size of the sub which is about 22 feet (6.5 meters) long and 9 feet (nearly 3 meters) high. "You're talking about totally dark environments," in which an object several dozen feet away can be missed, he said. "It's just a needle in a haystack situation unless you've got a pretty precise location." Newly uncovered allegations suggest there had been significant warnings made about vessel safety during the submersible's development. Broadcasters around the world started newscasts at the critical hour Thursday with news of the submersible. The Saudi-owned satellite channel Al Arabiya showed a clock on air counting down to their estimate of when the air could potentially run out. Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District said a day earlier that authorities were still holding out hope of saving the five passengers onboard. "This is a search-and-rescue mission, 100%," he said Wednesday. Retired Navy Capt. Carl Hartsfield, now the director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, said the sounds detected have been described as "banging noises," but he warned that search crews "have to put the whole picture together in context and they have to eliminate potential manmade sources other than the Titan." Frederick acknowledged Wednesday that authorities didn't what the sounds were. The report of sounds was encouraging to some experts because submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their submersible's hull to be detected by sonar. The U.S. Navy said in a statement Wednesday that it was sending a specialized salvage system that's capable of hoisting "large, bulky and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels." The Titan weighs 20,000 pounds (9,000 kilograms). The U.S. Navy's Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System is designed to lift up to 60,000 pounds (27,200 kilograms), the Navy said on its website. Lost aboard the vessel is pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate. His passengers are: British adventurer Hamish Harding; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman; and French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet. In the first comments from Pakistan since the Titan vanished, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Thursday that officials have confidence in the search efforts. "We would not like to speculate on the circumstances of this incident and we would also like to respect the wishes of the Dawood family that their privacy may be respected," she said. At least 46 people successfully traveled on OceanGate's submersible to the Titanic wreck site in 2021 and 2022, according to letters the company filed with a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, that oversees matters involving the Titanic shipwreck. One of the company's first customers characterized a dive he made to the site two years ago as a "kamikaze operation." "Imagine a metal tube a few meters long with a sheet of metal for a floor. You can't stand. You can't kneel. Everyone is sitting close to or on top of each other," said Arthur Loibl, a retired businessman and adventurer from Germany. "You can't be claustrophobic." During the 2 1/2-hour descent and ascent, the lights were turned off to conserve energy, he said, with the only illumination coming from a fluorescent glow stick. The dive was repeatedly delayed to fix a problem with the battery and the balancing weights. In total, the voyage took 10 1/2 hours. The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. Nick Rotker, who leaders underwater research for the nonprofit research and development company MITRE, said the difficulty in searching for the Titan has underscored the U.S.'s need for more underwater robots and remotely operated underwater vehicles. "The issue is, we don't have a lot of capability or systems that can go to the depth this vessel was going to," Rotker said. Nicolai Roterman, a deep-sea ecologist and lecturer in marine biology at the University of Portsmouth, England, said the disappearance of the Titan highlights the dangers and unknowns of deep-sea tourism. "Even the most reliable technology can fail, and therefore accidents will happen. With the growth in deep-sea tourism, we must expect more incidents like this." Titanic by the numbers: 10 things to know about the 'unsinkable' ship 882 feet 175 feet 4 smokestacks 21 knots 3 propellers 9 decks 159 furnaces 14,000 gallons 75,000 pounds 2,208 people An Elroy bar with family history is back with a new twist. City resident Chris Madden purchased a downtown tavern and renamed it Maddens An Irish Pub at the end of May. By doing so, he is restoring the Madden name to a business once owned by his grandfather, George, during the late 1960s and 1970s. The tavern is located at 302 Railroad St. Chris Madden, along with his wife, Anna, and brothers Dave and John, have changed the look of the bar to make it more unique in the city, painting the building green with a black and gold sign to give it an Irish pub feel. We wanted to stand out down here because all of the buildings around us, the fire station, the ambulance garage, the bike trail shop across the street, theyre all the same color red, said Chris Madden. Maddens An Irish Pub is holding three promotional events to celebrate the return to its roots from 50 years ago. The bar is selling appetizers such as Carr Valley Cheese curds and Irish egg rolls wonton wraps stuffed with corned beef, carrots, spinach, and Swiss cheese this week. Chris Madden said the bar will begin selling burgers and sandwiches on June 26. My wife, my brothers, cousins, aunts, friends everyone has been helping and were all excited to see it return to the family, said Chris Madden in a release about the new tavern. He added that community support and interest has been strong; a significant number of residents who have inquired about the opening remember his grandfather. Since George Madden sold the bar in the early 1980s, it has had various owners and has mostly been a tavern. Chris Madden said that one owner shortly held a delicatessen and ice cream shop in a portion of the building. As for the menu, a unique dish being planned is Emerald Isle Poutine. It consists of tater tots topped with the cheese curds, corned beef, and a Guinness beer-based gravy. Guinness will also be infused into the bars house-made ketchup and a house-made aioli sauce will feature an Irish whiskey. Both sauces will be part of specialty burger items. The bar will also offer a reuben sandwich. The bar will eventually have a Friday fish fry and corned beef dinners on Saturdays. It will hold a grand opening celebration on July 21 and 22, with Madison-based Irish band The Tooles performing from 8 to 11 p.m. on the 22nd. Drinks served at the bar include Guinness, Irish coffee, and an Irish Slammer, which consists of a Baileys Irish Cream and Jameson Irish Whiskey mixed shot dropped into a glass of Guinness, and other Jameson drinks. The bar will also serve flights of Irish whiskeys, where customers can taste four different brands. GALLERY: 124th Elroy Fair Elroy Fair 1 Elroy Fair 2 Elroy Fair 3 Elroy Fair 4 070121-star-news-elroyfair5.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair6.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair7.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair8.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair9.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair10.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair11.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair12.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair13.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair14.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair15.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair16.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair17.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair18.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair19.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair20.jpg 070121-star-news-elroyfair21.jpg Pharmacists in Wisconsin could prescribe birth control under a bipartisan bill the Assembly overwhelmingly passed Wednesday, a measure that proponents say would lead to fewer unplanned pregnancies and abortions. The bill, which Democratic Gov. Tony Evers supports, will now head to the state Senate. It's unclear if the measure will pass the Senate. The bill passed the Assembly last year but didn't get a vote or public hearing in the Senate. The measure passed the Assembly 82-11, with only Republicans voting against it but most GOP lawmakers in favor. Under current law, only doctors can prescribe hormonal birth control. The proposal, Assembly Bill 176, would allow pharmacists to prescribe hormonal contraceptive patches, other "self-administered oral hormonal" contraceptives or birth control pills, according to the bill. Pharmacists would only be able to provide birth control to individuals who are at least 18 years old and only after the patient has completed a self-assessment and blood pressure screening. Pharmacists would also have to notify the patient's primary care provider after a prescription has been approved. Legislative debate surrounding birth control has amplified in the state since the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last summer, a ruling that dealt a considerable blow to abortion rights advocates across Wisconsin. Speaking to reporters Wednesday morning, bill co-author Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, said the bill has been "a showpiece in the Assembly that has gotten zero movement in the Senate." "I certainly hope the Senate will rise to the moment and move it forward," she added. Michael Pyritz, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, didn't respond to a request for comment. The elimination of Roe left in place legislation first passed in 1849 that has been widely interpreted as a near-complete ban on abortion, with an exception only for saving the mother's life. The law is the subject of ongoing litigation aimed at clarifying whether it remains in effect in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision. Several health oriented groups as well as the ACLU of Wisconsin and League of Women Voters of Wisconsin support the proposal. Three groups that oppose abortion Wisconsin Family Action, Pro-Life Wisconsin and Wisconsin Catholic Conference registered against the bill. Rep. Chuck Wichgers, R-Muskego, who voted against the bill, said birth control was unhealthy and led to sexually transmitted infections. Hormonal birth control methods are safe for most women, sometimes offering health benefits, though some versions can lead to side effects and increase the risk of some health problems, according to the federal Office of Women's Health. The world is falling well short of the progress needed to meet the United Nations' sustainable development goals by 2030 in areas ranging from poverty to clean energy to biodiversity, with a growing gap between wealthy and developing nations, according to a new report from the nonprofit tracking the goals. The coronavirus pandemic stalled the limited progress made in the years after United Nations member states adopted the goals in 2015. Now, halfway through the 15-year time frame, not a single one of the goals is on target to be met. We're at the risk of a lost decade for sustainable development, said Guillaume Lafortune, a lead author of the report released Tuesday and vice president and head of the Paris office of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the nonprofit launched by the UN to foster and track sustainable development. And theres actually a risk that the gap between rich and poor countries on sustainable development might be bigger in 2030 than it was in 2015. The goals, which the authors described as an ethical imperative, cover a range of areas, including threats to the climate and environment but also basic human rights such as food, health and education. The authors noted that goals for reducing hunger, improving health and protecting biodiversity are particularly off-track. They said changing global governance mechanisms and global finance architecture are critical for improving progress on all the goals. Lafortune pointed to the global finance summit that opens Thursday in Paris as an important moment for the world. A main focus of the summit is how international finance can be reformed to help the developing nations that are often most vulnerable to climate change but least able to raise capital for things like transitioning to renewable energy. The report analyzed countries' progress on the sustainability goals by assigning them scores from zero to 100. They examined factors like poverty, hunger, disease, carbon dioxide emissions, subjective well-being scores and dozens of other indicators. Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Austria ranked highest. South Sudan ranked lowest, followed by the Central African Republic, Chad, Yemen and Somalia. Lafortune called particular attention to the disappointing United States scorecard, which he said was below average for developed countries. He said the U.S. was one of the worst performers in terms of its commitment efforts and was one of only five member countries that did not present action plans and priorities to the international community. But Lafortune did note that some U.S. cities voluntarily provided local reviews. Kimberly Marion Suiseeya, an associate professor of political science and environmental policy and culture at Northwestern University who did not work on the report, said that while she sees pressing global development shortfalls on issues like the climate emergency, she thinks the Biden administration is taking climate seriously. She also saw signs of optimism in China's progress on renewable energy. Though the country ranked below the U.S. in the report, it has invested more in clean energy, according to research firm BloombergNEF. Anita Ramasastry, a law professor and director of the Sustainable International Development graduate program at the University of Washington, said she wasn't surprised that the sustainable development goals are off track. Ramasastry, who had no part in the report, said she doesnt think many governments with more advanced economies, like the U.S., have embraced the goals or made them relevant to citizens daily lives. She questioned whether the goals were overly ambitious and added that it will be important to examine how the 2030 agenda is financed, as well as the role of the private sector. Business has been asked to fill a role. And I think theres just an ultimate question, which is should we have asked business to fill that role? she asked. Because ultimately the SDGs are meant to be about governments and states. The report made the same point repeatedly, singling out several basic failures in global governance. Those included voluntary implementation of the goals with no enforcement mechanisms when countries fall short, international trade and finance rules not geared to sustainability, and national governments not coordinating well with smaller units of government on the goals. Lafortune called for countries to keep the sustainable development goals in mind at the Paris summit and other global conferences. He said Paris has the opportunity to act as an accelerator toward reforming international institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, which he sees as possible elements of a global strategy for investment in tackling climate change and other sustainable development goals. Despite all the fragmentation right now in geopolitics, the many crises and so on, we still need to keep that sort of long-term vision and this idea of multilateralism and global cooperation alive. I think this is absolutely crucial, Lafortune said. I dont think the world will be better off if we just forget about these goals because we wont achieve them. How travel management companies are attempting to meet UN sustainable development goals How travel management companies are attempting to meet UN sustainable development goals Quality education Gender equality / reduced inequalities Decent work and economic growth Sustainable cities and communities Responsible consumption and production / climate action Babies are being saved. The headline of an April 11 Daily Caller story provided an analysis of the first several months in the post-Roe v. Wade world. The landmark 1973 decision legalizing abortion was overturned June 24, 2022, when the U.S. Supreme Court issued the controversial Dobbs decision, which effectively turned the question of abortion back to the states. The story stated, abortions dropped by nearly 96% in the thirteen states (including Wisconsin) with bans compared the months before Roe v. Wade was overturned. It further stated, states with abortion restrictions have also experienced significant declines. Nationwide, the story reported, there were 5,377 fewer monthly abortions. The Dobbs decision is saving lives across America. The pro-life community continues to fight for those who cannot speak for themselves, and their efforts are to be applauded. The news isnt all good. States that permit abortion saw an average increase of 1,858 abortions per month after the Dobbs decision. Illinois reported 6,840 more abortions in the six-month period between July and December 2022. Its been well documented more than 60 million children in the United States alone lost their lives due to abortion in the nearly 50 years of the Roe era. How have we fared in Wisconsin? Wisconsin Family Council president Julaine Appling discussed the impact of the Dobbs decision in Wisconsin in a radio program on April 17. She stated, before the Dobbs decision, Wisconsin had 605 abortions each month on average. She surmised about 3,500 total lives saved between July and December 2022. With another six months having passed, it would be reasonable to estimate around 7,000 Wisconsin babies have been saved in the past year due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Since the Dobbs decision, there have been no legislative changes to Wisconsin Statute 940.04. Abortion advocates have been eagerly awaiting the investiture of the recently-elected Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz, whose 10-year term begins Aug. 1. While demonstrating a vapid disregard for any pretense of judicial ethics or the rule of law, Protasiewicz ran this past spring on one issue alone, assuring supporters she will make sure abortion becomes legal in Wisconsin. Its also been interesting to note how the mainstream media has twisted the terminology framing the debate. For those 50 or so years, the sides of the debate were commonly referred to as pro-life meaning the side that cherishes the sanctity of life for the unborn, versus the watered-down pro-choice for those who favored abortion. We now hear the term anti-abortion to describe what has traditionally been the pro-life movement. Its an intentional dig, seeking to shame those who value the lives of the unborn. Long gone is the traditional pro-choice stance of safe, legal and rare that commonly framed the pro-abortion side. Many abortion advocates are continuing a push to allow the procedures far into pregnancies. Quote box The Dobbs decision is saving lives across America. The pro-life community continues to fight for those who cannot speak for themselves, and their efforts are to be applauded. Its not just Wisconsin wrestling with this controversial issue. Just last week an NBC News story reported, The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday issued a split decision (3-3) on a proposed six-week abortion ban in the state, allowing the procedures to remain legal until about the 20th week of pregnancy. Iowas Republican governor, Kim Reynolds, made an effort to reinstate a six-week abortion ban that had been passed in 2018. The story further explains one of the justices recused herself from the case because her former law firm represented an abortion clinic that was a plaintiff in the original case. The issue remains incredibly divisive amid an already contentious political environment. On the pro-choice side, there is often disagreement about when a pregnancy should or can be terminated. On the pro-life side there is an ongoing debate about whether exceptions for abortion in cases such as rape or incest may be allowed, or whether the ban should be more comprehensive, and only allow exceptions for the life of the mother, or complications such as ectopic pregnancy or other anomalies. This volatile subject is front and center today, and will continue to be prominent in 2024. A June 19 Reuters story referred to ongoing efforts on both sides to rally their faithful on the anniversary of the Dobbs decision this Saturday, June 24. There are sure to be marches in Washington, D.C., cities around the nation, and most certainly, youll see folks from both sides of the issue at our own state Capitol in Madison this weekend. I hope all attendees seek to respect those who disagree as we forge ahead in these uncertain times. May the pro-life voices speaking for those who cannot yet speak for themselves echo loudly and be heard across the nation this Saturday. This week's Someone 2 Know will soon be a high school freshman... and in his 14 years - he has already done more charitable work than most of us will do in a lifetime. ACROSS the countrys 10 provinces, aspiring legislators and councillors filed their nomination papers before the closing of the Nomination Courts at 4pm yesterday with drama and heartbreak in some areas as some failed to make it through due to shambolic planning in their parties while for Zanu PF, the process was squeaky clean. The Nomination Courts were sitting across the country and before yesterday it was receiving nomination papers for aspiring candidates for local government, legislature and also the presidency. While for Zanu PF, it was smooth sailing, across the political divide in the CCC, it was pain and frustration as candidates were turned away because they failed to comply with elementary requirements while some, who were apparently riled by the blatant imposition of candidates by the leadership, chose to submit their papers either as independent candidates or as double candidates. The ruling party appeared late last night to have won uncontested local Government seats as well as in some constituencies. Zanu PF Mashonaland East province aspiring candidates Cde Daniel Garwe (left) and Cde Felix Mhona follow proceedings at the nomination court after submitting their papers at the Marondera Magistrates Court yesterday. In Mashonaland East, CCC fielded two candidates in Marondera Central, namely Mr Caston Matewu and Mr Misheck Manyere. The two will face Zanu PF seasoned politician and educationist Cde Cleopas Kundiona. At a time when CCC aspiring candidates were trading insults, in Zanu PF all candidates had successfully submitted their papers. In an interview after close of the Nomination Court process, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) Mashonaland East provincial presiding officer Mr Collins Munetsi said the process went on smoothly. We were supposed to end at 4 pm but we had outstanding issues but by 5:10 pm the results of the process were announced. We did not encounter any disturbing scenes; it was peaceful the whole day. Applicants met the requirements but it is quite disappointing that some brought their papers late, he said. In Harare, Zanu PF provincial chairman Cde Goodwill Masimirembwa said the process went on very well. We want to thank the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for conducting this process in an efficient and professional manner. On our part as Zanu PF we pre-filled our nomination papers and everything went on very well this morning (yesterday). In Harare we have 30 candidates for the National Assembly, six candidates for the Senate in a Zebra system headed by a female and six also for the Womens quota in the National Assembly and then two for the youth quota, said Cde Masimirembwa. The party, Cde Masimirembwa said, has filed 45 candidates for the Local Authorities in Harare. We have also filed for 45 candidates for the local authority candidates in Harare municipality, 14 for the proportional representation, the womens quota. We also filed for the provincial council which are 10 of them following the Zebra system headed by a female then followed by a male. We also filed our papers in Chitungwiza Municipality being for the 25 candidates for Local Authority and eight for the proportional representation for the Womens quota. In Epworth we also filed for the seven wards and then two for the womens quota in the Local authorities, he said. MDC director for Information and Publicity Mr Chengetai Guta said they are ready for the harmonised elections. We have submitted our nomination papers to ensure all our candidates contest in the coming elections. We have been submitting our nomination papers since last week, said Mr Guta. In Masvingo, aspiring CCC legislators almost traded blows at the Nomination Courts as they haggled over the contested final list. In contrast all Zanu PF candidates successfully filed their papers for both National Assembly and council election in the province. Scores of aspiring Members of Parliament, senators and Womens quota representatives throng the Mutare Magistrates Court to file their nomination papers yesterday. CCC Mayor Councillor Collins Maboke filed his papers to contest Masvingo Urban National Assembly seat as an independent candidate officially renouncing his membership of the party. The situation was the same in Chiredzi West where former Chiredzi council chair Councillor Gibson Hwende also reportedly filed papers to contest as an independent candidate. Councillor Maboke will slug it out with Cde Wellington Mahwende of Zanu PF, Mr Martin Mureri of CCC, while in Chiredzi Central Councillor Hwende will battle it out with Cde Francis Moyo of Zanu PF and Ms Ropafadzo Makumire of CCC. Speaking after filing his papers as an independent candidate, Councillor Maboke said he was no longer a CCC member. I am contesting the Masvingo Urban seat as an independent candidate because I was disqualified from standing as a CCC candidate without explanation. For now, I am independent and dont have a party if ever I am going to be CCC member again it will be some time under new circumstances, said the ex-Masvingo mayor. In Gutu Central, journalist and Masvingo Mirror publisher Mr Matthew Takaona will represent CCC after successfully filing his papers and will square off with Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando, the incumbent MP. It was the same story in Bulawayo where candidates from CCC failed to submit their papers after missing the deadline and this could see the ruling party taking an early lead in the elections. All the aspiring 12 candidates were late yesterday struggling to submit their papers after the Nomination Court noted that the party had made an error on signatories. In Bindura, the Nomination Court successfully sat at the Magistrates Courts where candidates for the House of Assembly womens and youths quota as well as the provincial council for four political parties namely Zanu PF, CCC, MDC and Unites Zimbabwe Alliance filed their papers. Out of the 18 candidates for Zanu PF who won the parties primary elections, only one Cde Douglas Karoro, was replaced by his contender, Cde David Butau. Cde Butau successfully filled his papers and is now standing as Zanu PF candidate for Mbire and he thanked the Second Republic for accepting back party cadres who were pushed out by factionalism. The provincial elections officer Ms Thenjiwe Mnkandla said the nomination process closed at 4 pm but the verification of the final list spilled up to 8 pm. The process went on well, we had no incidents. We are now looking at the final papers to come up with the final list of candidates. We had four political parties filing their papers with more than 80 percent success rate, she said. Minor challenges were on paperwork but they were solved. We will know after the final process if any candidate was disqualified, they are finishing up. We had no incidents of double fielding. In Mashonaland West, there were indications that several people who could not make it in the mainstream political parties filed their papers as independent candidates. The development was mostly prevalent among those seeking to be elected as councillors. There were also notable aspiring Members of Parliament including former Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter Chidakwa for Zvimba South and Temba Mliswa for Norton. There were also reports that incumbent opposition Chinhoyi MP Dr Peter Matarutse (CCC) who was nicodemously dropped in favour of Mr Leslie Mhangwa, could have filed his papers as an independent candidate. By 4pm almost all Zanu PF candidates had successfully filed their papers while others were making frantic efforts to make corrections or provide outstanding documents. In the Midlands province, the Nomination Court was extended by two more hours after aspiring candidates thronged the court gallery late to beat the 4pm deadline. Aspiring councillors wait to submit their papers to the Nomination Court at Council Chambers in Bulawayo yesterday. There were also double candidates in the opposition CCC with former Gweru Mayor, Councillor Josiah Makombe filling papers for Gweru Urban together with Ms Blessing Mhishi. Ms Mhishi could be seen confronting CCC leadership of Mr Amos Chibaya and Mr Sesil Zvidzai after some party members tried to block her from filing her papers. Herald We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Adalah, the mother of Palestinian prisoner Kamal Jouri, inspects the ruins of the house belonging to the family which was demolished by Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Nablus, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Jouri is accused of shooting and killing an IDF soldier last year near Nablus. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed) This $5M Condo Comes With the Most Epic Amenities Ever Xi orders all-out rescue and safety overhaul after deadly barbecue restaurant explosion Xinhua) 10:53, June 22, 2023 BEIJING, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday demanded all-out rescue and treatment of the injured and enhanced safety overhaul after a barbecue restaurant explosion in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the instruction following the accident, urging more efforts to ensure the safety of the people's lives and property. The explosion which ripped through a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia, on Wednesday night has left 31 dead and seven injured, local authorities said Thursday, which marks the start of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday. Xi urged efforts to ascertain the cause of the accident as soon as possible and hold the relevant people accountable in accordance with the law. All regions and related departments should screen for and rectify all types of risks and hidden dangers, Xi noted. Relevant departments should launch a campaign to promote workplace safety at an early date and enhance safety overhaul of key sectors and industries, Xi added. Under Xi's instruction, a work group composed of several central government organs has been sent to the scene to guide the rescue efforts. The cause of the accident is under investigation. (Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie) Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. Cover Images/KIKA Press Movie The Ethan Hunt depicter thinks the upcoming installment is the perfect entry point into the franchise for newcomers, gushing, 'It's so lush, filled with practical action and amazing locations.' Jun 22, 2023 AceShowbiz - Tom Cruise believes "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One" is the perfect entry point into the franchise for newcomers. The 60-year-old actor starred in the first "Mission: Impossible" movie in 1996, and Tom believes the new film could help to attract new, younger viewers to the franchise. He told Collider, "They could start with this film to see and understand that this is all real, all the action is real, it's practical. This movie is an epic adventure. It's so lush, filled with practical action and amazing locations." Tom believes the new film has a "very engrossing story." The veteran actor also hailed the movie's star-studded cast, which includes Hayley Atwell, Rebecca Ferguson (II) and Simon Pegg. He said, "[The movie has] submarines, it has the desert, it has Rome, beautiful locations in Abu Dhabi, Norway, a train that we built, action on the train, and a very engrossing story with a really beautiful cast, an amazing, very charismatic cast. I think when you look at this movie, it really defines what I think about cinema and why because you look at this kind of cast, you look at a brilliant ensemble cast, and the kind of story is very engrossing." Meanwhile, Hayley Atwell recently admitted to being inspired by Tom. The 41-year-old actress confessed to being wowed by the work ethic of her co-star. The brunette beauty told "ET Canada", "He's a one-man studio. There is nothing this man doesn't know about movie-making and the cinematic experience for the audience. It's deeply inspiring to find someone who is so committed to something, whose work ethic extends to so many different departments. For me, he remains a real inspiration as a professional, dedicated, enthusiastic guy, whose own success has never been his demise." You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The former rapper, whose real name is Daryl Campbell, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for shooting Troy Ave's bodyguard, Banga, back in May 2016. Jun 22, 2023 AceShowbiz - Taxstone will spend quite a long time behind bars. The former rapper has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for shooting Troy Ave's bodyguard, Banga, seven years ago. Offering more details about Taxstone's sentencing was reporter Shawn Setaro, who was present at the New York courthouse on Tuesday, June 20. Shawn tweeted, "#Taxstone gave a defiant statement during the hearing." "His final words were, 'Half the stuff that was told on the stand by Troy Ave is a complete lie to protect himself from going to jail,' " the reporter added. "The judge was absolutely clear in stating his belief that during the trial, #Taxstone was 'obviously' engaged in 'the procurement of false testimony.' " Taxstone was found guilty of manslaughter in the shooting back in March. The incident himself took place at New York City's Irving Plaza during a T.I. concert in May 2016. Troy himself was shot and wounded during the incident as he tried to fight back. When sharing his side of the story on Nick Cannon's "The Daily Cannon" last month, he stated, "If I'ma die, I'ma die fighting." "I'm not just gon' be on the floor like, 'Oh, I'm hit.' And let the person that shot me and my man get away," the emcee further declared. "Like f**k it, we all gon' die in this b***h then." "Now we fighting for the gun and s**t, he start squeezing those shots. I'm biting the n***a on his neck, he's biting my forearm. I managed to get more control of the gun than him, I just start pistol-whipping him," the New York City native added. "I turn around to make sure everyone I came in with is good." Troy went on to recall, "We leave out the room, and this is the part they showed on the media. This is the part that made it look like Troy Ave came into a club recklessly and started shooting." He then noted, "What people don't realize is I was coming out of a VIP room where I was attacked and I was shot. When I'm shooting, is when I see him." You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The social media personality is forced to deal with an online critic after she promoted her gym program on Twitter as a part of her partnership with Boku. Jun 22, 2023 AceShowbiz - Ari Fletcher insisted that she didn't go under the knife to enhance her butt. The social media personality has slammed a troll who accused her of getting a BBL, but it backfired because people didn't buy her claim. It all started after Ari promoted her gym program as a part of her partnership with Boku. "Surgery don't do this! Stop talking all that s**t and get in the gym h*e! LETS GOOOOOOO. https://bokufitness.com/products/bodied-30-day-challenge," she wrote on Twitter. Someone then responded to the post by writing, "Saying this after getting bbl's and a** shots is insane." Catching wind of the reply, the ex-girlfriend of Moneybagg Yo hit back, "Why do y'all keep saying I have a bbl and a** shots??? I DO NOT. And you ugly as f**k don't piss me off." A number of online users doubted Ari's statement though. One person in particular opined, "Having surgery &acting like you didn't is some real DELUSIONAL S**T." Another penned, "I just hate that she keeps lying it's annoying honestly lol." "Lipo suction and and fat transfers are still cosmetic surgery ma'am. And selling this to impressionable young women because you making it seem like you got this build from the gym and not the doctor is deceitful," a third noted. " 'Maintaining' your body after surgery could've been your marketing here but now you just look silly." The criticism didn't stop there. More came forward with one writing, "Fat transfer and lipo is getting your body done and it's ok. But just be honest about it. Promoting a healthy life when having a big platform is important. But stop telling us we will look like something we won't without surgery." You can share this post! Cover Images/Faye's Vision Celebrity The former star of 'Insecure', who tied the knot with husband Louis Diame back in 2021, opens up about her fear of pregnancy when appearing on the 'Big Tigger Morning Show'. Jun 22, 2023 AceShowbiz - Issa Rae has got candid about her fear of pregnancy. When appearing on the "Big Tigger Morning Show", the "Insecure" alum admitted that she's afraid to get pregnant because she doesn't want to be "slowed down" in her career. "I don't want to be slowed down for any reason," the 38-year-old declared. "And, my friends are like, 'Girl, it's not gone slow you down it's fine.' But I don't believe them." Fans are quite supportive of Issa's decision. Weighing in on the interview, one person wrote, "Her body her decision her career.. at the end of the day she has to be happy with her own decisions. No judgement- no agree or disagree, just allowing humans to live their lives freely." Another opined, "It's her body and decision! Too many kids coming in this world and families are not financially prepared. I don't see the issue. Do you!" A different individual echoed, "Completely understandable! Dooo YOU! Them babies can wait." Issa, who is married to Louis Diame, was previously hit with pregnancy rumors in early 2022. The pregnancy speculations emerged due to a video of her wearing a tight jumpsuit. The video in question reportedly was taken on March 25 last year at the HOORAE x Kennedy Center Takeover in Washington D.C., where she was hosting a festival touting black creatives. In the clip, "The Lovebirds" actress could be seen wearing a black fitted jumpsuit. It didn't take a long time for Issa to shut down the rumors though. "I am not pregnant, f**kyouverymuch," she fumed on Twitter, before insisting that it was just a food baby, "LET A B***H DRINK AND BE MERRY." You can share this post! Cover Images/TikTok/INSTARimages.com Celebrity The SKIMS founder recently discussed her decision to delete a TikTok video featuring North dressing up as the 'In Ha Mood' femcee and lip synching to the latters song 'Boy's a Liar, Pt. 2' back in March. Jun 22, 2023 AceShowbiz - Co-parenting isn't always easy for Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, especially since the exes don't reach agreement when it comes to their daughter North's social media presence. However, a source claims that the rapper "appreciates" his ex-wife for being "reasonable" at times. A new report reveals how the "Donda" artist reacts after Kim decided to take down a controversial TikTok video featuring their daughter dressing up as Ice Spice and lip-syncing to her song. "Although Kanye disagrees with North being allowed to post on TikTok," the source tells Us Weekly, "He appreciates Kim being reasonable about certain content she posts." The insider adds, "Kanye has a really strong bond with North and even though he completely trusts her, he knows she's still very young and can't always make the best judgment call on what's appropriate to share with the public and what's not." Recently, Kim discussed her decision to delete a TikTok video featuring North dressing up as Ice Spice and lip synching to the latter's song "Boy's a Liar, Pt. 2". Noting that sometimes co-parenting gets "tough," the SKIMS founder said in an interview with TIME magazine, "I would say, the Ice Spice videos. [North] said, 'Mommy, can I post this?' I was out of town so I had my nanny was there and allowed it." "As soon as I saw the words, I was like, 'Oh no, we're taking this down.' She would totally understood. So, I think that's the trial and error sometimes," "The Kardashians" star added. "I saw on the internet, [people saying] 'Kanye was right,' and maybe he was in that instance." Despite that, Kim insisted that nothing is wrong by letting North on the popular video app. "She loves making slime videos and doing her little hair tutorials, and I will fight for her to be creative," the KKW Beauty founder stressed. Kim was slammed online after a TikTok video saw North dressing up as Ice Spice and lip-syncing a few lines from her and PinkPantheress' song "Boy's a Liar, Pt. 2". Fans quickly slammed Kim for it as they thought it was inappropriate for North to sing the song. Some users even recalled Ye's 2022 sit-down in which he was against letting the 10-year-old on the video-sharing app. Speaking to Hollywood Unlocked's Jason Lee, he said, "My children ain't going to be on TikTok without my permission." You can share this post! Cover Images/BauerGriffin Celebrity During the second set of his performance, the 'Fashion Killa' rapper makes the adorable shout-out while his heavily pregnant partner listens with a wide smile in the VIP area. Jun 22, 2023 AceShowbiz - A$AP Rocky could not help but gush over "beautiful wife" Rihanna. While performing at his Spotify concert during the 2023 Cannes Lions Festival, the "Wild for the Night" rapper made the romantic gesture by giving the "Diamonds" songstress an onstage shout-out. The 34-year-old MC took time to shower his 35-year-old partner with praises during the second set of his performance on Wednesday night, June 21. He, at the time, exclaimed, "I'd like to dedicate this song to my beautiful wife in the motherf**king building!" Rihanna was first seen at Rocky's concert around 12:45 A.M. just in time for his performance, Page Six reported. She was spotted having a conversation with a pal in the VIP area at the concert venue. When Rocky delivered his track "Sundress", Rihanna could be seen dancing along to the song. The "Take a Bow" songstress seemed to have enjoyed the "Fashion Killa" rapper's late night gig as she was seen smiling throughout the show. Once her beau wrapped up his performance, the two were spotted hanging out together with their pals in the VIP area. For her concert appearance, Rihanna left little to the imagination by wearing a sheer ensemble. She opted to go with a long see-through jumpsuit with black patterns on it. Under the onesie, she donned a sparkling bra top and a pair of matching thong panties. She also put on a pair of golden open-toe high heels, carried a brown Louis Vuitton handbag, and styled her dark-colored hair into a sleek low ponytail. In addition to Rihanna, other famous Hollywood names were spotted in the VIP area at the concert. Among them were former star of "The Bachelorette" Dale Moss; "Saturday Night Live" actors Chloe Fineman, Bowen Yang, Ego Nwodim and Mikey Day; comedian Tiffany Haddish; as well as influencers Jake Shane, David Dobrik and Cameron Dallas. Concert aside, Rocky and Rihanna have previously shown their support to Pharrell Williams at his Louis Vuitton debut show during Paris Fashion Week. Attending the Tuesday, June 20 event, the power couple looked in sync in matching all-denim Louis Vuitton outfits. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The 'Wipe Me Down' rapper calls for prayers and protests to remove a prosecutor after they filed an appeal asking him to stay in custody although he has paid his bond. Jun 22, 2023 AceShowbiz - Boosie Badazz (formerly Lil Boosie) fumes as he still hasn't regained his freedom back following his recent federal arrest for gun possession. The rapper has called out an "evil" prosecutor, accusing them of racism for refusing to let him out of jail although he has been granted $50k bond by a judge. Boosie took to Twitter on late Wednesday, June 21 to express his anger over the apparent "injustice." He wrote, "After the judge has granted me a bond, and I paid my full cash amount the prosecution refuse to respect the judges decision to let me go. They showed no evidence of me being a flight risk or a danger to the community." "The prosecutor Mr. wheat looked at me singing Wipe Me Down and shook his head with a look of evil in his eyes," the Baton Rogue native continued, before alleging, "This is total misconduct from a prosecutor. He is racist and has evil intentions. Now they filed an appeal asking another judge to keep me in prison." The "Wipe Me Down" emcee asked for prayers and removal of the said prosecutor from his case. "I need ALL prayer warriors across the world to pray this southern district of California remove Mr. wheat and this prosecution off my case," he pleaded, claiming, "Even my attorneys have never seen nothing like this in their career. Help Me Fight this Injustice and say a prayer for me freedom." Boosie was arrested outside of a San Diego courtroom by federal agents on Wednesday, June 14, when he attended the court for another gun case. Federal files revealed that the arrest stemmed from his Instagram Live on May 6, wherein he was spotted having a gun tucked in the waistline of his pants while sharing the filming process of a music video. On Tuesday, June 20, TMZ reported that Boosie was set to be released on a $50,000 bond. His lawyers said prosecutors initially planned to make the rapper stay in custody until his trial, but the judge did not accept the request and granted Boosie the bond. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity The 'Selling Sunset' star and her musician spouse, who tied the knot in non-traditional Las Vegas nuptials, want to celebrate their anniversary by holding a wedding ceremony every year. Jun 23, 2023 AceShowbiz - "Selling Sunset" star Chrishell Stause and G Flip want to hold a wedding ceremony "every single year." The reality TV star married the musician earlier this year, and the latter has said they want to celebrate their union in a different place with different people each year. "We plan to do a ceremony every single year. Why would you just do it once? In different locations with different amounts of people," G Flip said on "The Viall Files" podcast. They insisted, "You celebrate your birthday once a year and when you're married you're with this person every day, so why don't you celebrate that once a year?" The 29-year-old Aussie loved everything about their non-traditional Las Vegas wedding. They said, "Chrishell has already done the big traditional. I'm not big on traditional things. On the day we just picked things from our closet and went through it. It was honestly the most fun and beautiful day of my life. It was the most exciting and the best memory I have." However, they admit that making their vows perfect was "nerve-wracking." G Flip - who uses the pronouns they/them - added, "[I was] freaking out about my vows, trying to get that right, because I wanted to say how I was feeling, so I had to tap into my songwriter brain and think of the words of how to describe what I'm feeling. So yeah, it was all a little bit nerve-wracking, but it was just so beautiful. And it was just so fun, and it was just so us ... It was really, really cute." Chrishell started dating G Flip after she split from Jason Oppenheim, her "Selling Sunset" co-star and boss. The actress actually confirmed their romance during the reunion episode of the Netflix show. Chrishell said at the time, "I recently have been spending a lot of time with someone that's very important to me. Their name is G Flip. They're non-binary, so they go by they/them. And they are an extremely talented musician." "It started because I was just going to be in their video [for 'GET ME OUTTA HERE']. And it's about this chaotic love story. I come from soaps, I love acting. And with the job that we have, I don't always get to do it." Chrishell also revealed that G Flip changed her entire outlook on love. She told Vogue Australia magazine, "[It] opened my brain up to the fact that I'm attracted to energy, not whatever physical thing that people have in their head. I don't have a type." You can share this post! In an era where AI is the buzzword at Cannes, AajTak's commitment to stay ahead sets another precedent by launching the first AI generated media campaign on the eve of International day of Yoga. This is sure to supercharge others in the industry to explore new horizons. Having powered over 2 million entrepreneurs scale their business ideas into brands, #D2CTech platform Instamojo has partnered with Nova Registry, one of the worlds most innovative registry operators to. make .link the de facto standard for businesses who need to share links their customers can trust. As a result of this partnership, Instamojo merchants will have access to a .link domain for free (1st year) which they can customize across different social channels and unify their digital universe. Instamojo and nova.link intend to address and solve the issue of small businesses not being able to create a unique identity for themselves online by not only providing a secure branded identity for every business, but also by helping them scale into full-fledged ecommerce websites. This partnership will help Instamojo capture a significant percentage of the website market in India and offer a new way for businesses to build their identity online. Commenting on the partnership Sampad Swain, Co-founder and CEO, Instamojo said, The internet has the potential to compound every idea to scale. However, while every idea in India is unique, they do not have a unique identity online. To link every idea with a unique identity online, we partnered with .link. We believe that the new age Indian entrepreneur needs a new-age domain name that moves beyond the .com and the .in. What they need is an intuitive, easy to remember domain name and what better than .link. With this partnership we will distribute over 2mn domain names and help 4mn entrepreneurs have an identity and build back the trust and credibility in the D2C and social commerce space. Instamojo recorded a 150% YoY growth by onboarding more than 2 million sellers onto their platform in the last year. The company aims to onboard more than 4 million sellers by the end of this year to boost the growth of online businesses in India. "This partnership is strategically significant especially in a mobile first market like India" said Nova Registry General Manager Vaughn Liley. "We see .link adding significant value to existing Instamojo users, enabling them to leverage social channels through SmartPages and branded payment links and we are delighted that Instamojo will be using .link as a differentiator in the market to attract new users to their platform." With over 230,000 domains under management, Nova Registry is one of the worlds most innovative Registry Operators. Having acquired the right to operate the .link TLD in 2021, they have debuted in India to tap into the growing demand for relevant and meaningful online brand identities among creators and businesses. As the number of forcibly displaced people reaches a new high of 110 million, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), this is one of the concrete ways in which Ipsos intends to support these men and women affected by forced migration around the world; by recruiting 100 refugees around the world over the next three years. This commitment is rooted in our belief that employment is one of the most powerful ways for migrants to integrate into their new host country. It comes after a similar pledge in 2018, following which over 100 refugees have now been recruited in our teams around the world. This announcement was made as part of the Tent European Business Summit, organised by the Tent Partnership for Refugees in Paris on 19 June, alongside other major international companies including Accor, LOreal, Pfizer and Unilever. Ipsos is a member of the Tent Partnership, of the Refugees Are Talents collective and of the UNHCRs #WithRefugees coalition. Ipsos also recently committed to offering mentoring to 50 refugee women over three years in cities across the United States, including Chicago, Detroit, and New York City, and to providing training resources for 100 refugees across the United States. In recent months, the Ipsos Foundation has supported several Non-Governmental Organisations active in helping refugees. They include Fundacja Ocalenie in Poland, which accompanies Ukrainian migrants fleeing the war, and the Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR), which we helped to operate a centre for asylum seekers and their families in Madrid. The Ipsos Foundation has also been funding the training of Syrian refugee teenagers in Jordan, with Mateen, and a French learning programme for refugees in Paris with JRS France. Pierre Gaudin, ESG Director at Ipsos, declared: A refugee who has a job is no longer a refugee. At Ipsos, we love this quote from Hamdi Ulukaya, the CEO of Chobani and founder of the Tent Partnership himself a refugee. This belief that economic activity is, alongside other factors of course, one of the most powerful vectors of integration in a new country is what lies behind the pledge we announced today. Together with mentoring, training, and projects funded by the Ipsos Foundation, this is our way of helping men and women who have often escaped some of the worst atrocities and situations on earth. According to an Ipsos survey in 29 countries, released ahead of World Refugee Day, support for the principle of refuge remains high in public opinion, despite a decline in support for refugees since last year. Brace yourselves as Netflix drops the scintillating trailer for the much-awaited second edition of its Emmy-nominated anthology, . Four extraordinary directorsAmit Ravindernath Sharma, Konkona Sen Sharma, R. Balki, and Sujoy Ghoshinvite audiences into a realm where desire takes center stage, presenting their distinct visions of lust. With an impressive ensemble cast including Amruta Shubhash, Angad Bedi, Kajol, Kumud Mishra, Mrunal Thakur, Neena Gupta, Tamannaah Bhatia, Tillotama Shome, and Vijay Varma, this collection of films promises to redefine the boundaries of storytelling. Produced by the visionary duo of Ashi Dua and Ronnie Screwvala, Lust Stories 2 is poised to make waves when it premieres exclusively on Netflix on June 29. R. Balki, another director in the anthology, shared his unique perspective on lust, saying, "Lust is natural and most important in a relationship. Its critical for all to recognise it. I wanted to create a lust story that a family can watch together. Why should a story of lust always make for exciting solo viewing and be uncomfortable for family viewing when families are created by love and lust?Neena Gupta, Mrunal and Angad have brought to life this simple, hilarious tale in the most charming way possible.Having partners like Netflix, RSVP and Flying Unicorn trust me to create a film for this reputed anthology has been immensely gratifying. I hope it's a story that will resonate with people Konkona Sen Sharma, an accomplished director making her directorial debut for a short film, discussed her excitement about the project. "There is something exhilarating about a woman getting her rightly deserved freedom and taking control of her life and this is exactly what I wanted to showcase in my anthology for Lust Stories 2. I was quite thrilled and excited when I was approached by RSVP , Flying Unicorn and Netflix to do this project. Lust for me, like many, is a forbidden topic and I wanted to break away from the norm which was only possible because of my wonderful co-writer Pooja Tolani. I couldn't have asked for a better cast than Amruta and Tillotama, who worked so in sync with each other! This time lust stories are all about the different shades of Lust," said Sujoy Ghosh, "I am so glad that RSVP, Flying Unicorn and Netflix brought this opportunity to me, and that our lust story will be watched by audiences in 190 countries. Tamannah and Vijay brought the film to life just as I had imagined it, and I am hoping audiences will enjoy seeing their chemistry on screen. Amit Ravindernath Sharma, the final director involved in this anthology, shared his thoughts, "When Netflix, Ronnie and Ashi approached me to be a part of their Emmy Nominated anthology Lust Stories, it was an immediate yes for me. It was truly an exceptional experience to work with actors like Kajol and Kumud Mishra to bring this complex and edgy vision of lust to the audiences. Lust has multiple shades and this film of mine depicts the lust for power and ambition. Catch Lust Stories 2 only on Netflix on June 29. Whoplah Creative Co, a well known PR & Marketing agency specializing in innovative brand communication strategies, is excited to announce its rebranding as Alkemi Media. This strategic transformation marks a significant milestone for the company as it embraces a new identity and embarks on a mission to unlock creative transformation for the digital age. As Alkemi Media, the agency will continue to deliver exceptional PR services while embracing a refreshed vision and brand identity. The name Alkemi represents the agency's dedication to the art of crafting compelling narratives that captivate and inspire. By combining creativity, strategy, and a deep understanding of the media landscape, Alkemi Media aims to help brands and businesses uncover their true essence and reach their target markets in a more meaningful and well rounded way. "We are thrilled to unveil our new identity as Alkemi Media. Our rebranding signifies our continued commitment to helping our clients transcend boundaries and achieve remarkable success," said Karen Martin, Founder and Creative Director, Alkemi Media. "In today's rapidly evolving PR landscape, brands need to navigate through complexities while remaining authentic and engaging. Alkemi Media stands ready to guide our clients on this transformative journey, combining innovation and creativity to achieve their goals without having to compromise on their larger brand message and ethos." Alkemi Media's comprehensive suite of services encompasses Media Relations, Brand development, Design, Influencer Marketing, strategic brand partnerships, and immersive experiences that connect brands with their target audiences on multiple platforms. The rebranding also extends to Alkemi Media's digital presence, including the launch of their new website (www.alkemimedia.com) which showcases a refreshed brand identity, featuring a seamless user experience that embodies the company's creative vision. The website serves as a platform for businesses to explore Alkemi Media's diverse portfolio of success stories and learn more about their comprehensive suite of services. As Alkemi Media, the agency continues to build upon its track record of success, partnering with clients to craft captivating narratives that disrupt traditional marketing approaches. By leveraging the power of media relations and embracing emerging trends, Alkemi Media empowers brands to establish meaningful connections with their customers, driving long-term loyalty and growth. Federal Mint Swissmint Bern, 22.06.2023, 22.06.2023 - In November last year, a new era was ushered in at Swissmint, the Federal Mint, with the new Swiss special coins brand. To mark the 175th anniversary of the Swiss Federal Constitution, the Federal Mint Swissmint has produced a new special coin. It will be available in silver and gold versions at the Open Federal Mile anniversary event in Bern on 1 and 2 July 2023. Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter presented the new coin at the beginning of June. On 12 September 1848, the old confederation became a federal state and the first permanent democracy in Europe. To commemorate the 175th anniversary of modern Switzerland, Swissmint, which produces exclusive and limited collector coins under the name "Swiss special coins", is putting a new special coin into circulation. As Head of the Federal Department of Finance, Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter presented the new 175 years of the Federal Constitution special coin to the public for the first time at the beginning of June, and underlined the overriding importance of the first Federal Constitution for Switzerland: "Over the course of 175 years, as our society has changed, so too has our Constitution. The first Federal Constitution, however, was a real stroke of genius with it, in a very short time, our forefathers created an institutional foundation for modern Switzerland that remains stable to this day." The new special coin will also be available in two versions, silver and gold, at the Bernerhof during the Open Federal Mile event on 1 and 2 July. During this weekend, the public will have the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at various federal buildings including the Bernerhof, the headquarters of the FDF. "As with the 100th anniversary, the idea of a special coin in gold and silver to mark the 175th anniversary is a great opportunity to bring our special coins closer to the Swiss public," proudly explained Jan Niklas Betz, Deputy General Manager at Swissmint. 175 years of the Federal Constitution on a coin The 20g special coin marking 175 years of the Federal Constitution is alloyed with 999.9 silver and shows the preamble of the Federal Constitution on the obverse symbolically transposed with the terms of the text intertwining to form a very powerful symbol. The reverse features an angel bears the the Swiss coat of arms. Further to the discussions about the reference to God in the Federal Constitution, the Olten artist Peter Salzmann left out the wings from the angel. "We usually see what we want to see and so we are left with a figure that is familiar to us. The angel becomes Helvetia, the peacemaker. A virtue that is more important than ever in today's world," explained Salzmann. In addition, the nominal value of CHF 20 is depicted. 10,000 uncirculated coins and 4,250 coins in proof quality will be issued. The version weighing 11.29g and alloyed with 0.900 gold shows the same motifs on both the obverse and the reverse. The nominal value of the gold coin is CHF 50. 5,000 coins will be issued in proof quality. Each of these special coins is a miniature work of art The Federal Mint Swissmint produces Swiss franc coins on behalf of the Swiss Confederation. These have been created in the heart of Switzerland since 1855, and in the popular Kirchenfeld district of Bern since 1906. Since 1936, Swissmint has also minted special coins to commemorate important historical and cultural events and to honour prominent figures. Each of these special coins is a miniature work of art in a unique tradition of artistry and craftsmanship. Federal Mint Swissmint The Federal Mint Swissmint produces the country's coins for use in everyday payment transactions. It also regularly issues circulation and special coins of particular quality for the numismatic market. Special coins in bimetal, silver, gold and platinum bear an official, state-guaranteed nominal value and are available in various minting qualities. Address for enquiries media@swissmint.ch Federal Mint Swissmint Bernastrasse 28 3003 Bern Switzerland www.swissmint.ch Publisher Federal Mint Swissmint https://www.swissmint.ch/swissmint/en/home.html Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde would have shot himself in the head if his revolt against the Shiv Sena leadership had failed last year, cabinet minister Deepak Kesarkar has claimed. Reacting to the sensational claim of Kesarkar, who was among the rebel MLAs led by Shinde, made on Tuesday, rival Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said the minister should be taken into custody for being aware of someones suicide plans. Kesarkar alleged Shinde, who was a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray cabinet, was insulted on the Shiv Sena foundation day (June 19) last year. The school education minister, a key member of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said the chief minister is a true Shiv Sainik. Shinde saheb is a genuine human being and a true Shiv Sainik. He (Shinde) had said if my revolt failed, I would have sent all the (rebel) MLAs back I would have made a call (to Matoshree the private home of Thackeray family in suburban Bandra) and said I made a mistake, but the MLAs are not at fault and then I would have shot myself in the head, Kesarkar said. The minister said a person who thinks on these lines is all together at a different level as he has the maturity to understand that not a single MLAs career should be politically ruined because of him, even at the cost of his own life. Latching on the statements, Raut said police should take Kesarkar into custody. Police should take Deepak Kesarkar into custody because someone is thinking about committing suicide and Kesarkar is aware of it. If tomorrow he (apparently referring to Shinde) commits suicide after the Assembly Speaker gives a decision (on disqualification of MLAs), then Kesarkar should be taken into custody immediately, the Rajya Sabha MP added. On June 20 last year, 40 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, revolted against the leadership, leading to a split in the party and collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Days later, Shinde took over as new chief minister with the BJPs support. The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and the opposition Congress are engaged in a war of words over the fake certificate issue in the state with the latter on Thursday accusing the Left front of protecting those involved in illegal activities. The CPI(M) on the other hand refuted the allegations against it on the issue and also came to the aid of its student wing SFI, whose two former members are facing charges of using fake certificates. While expelled SFI leader Nikhil Thomas is accused of submitting a fake certificate for admission to the M.Com course in a college in Kayamkulam area of Alappuzha district of the state, former SFI member Vidya K Maniyodi is facing charges of furnishing a fake teaching experience certificate to secure a guest faculty post in a government college. Vidya, who was absconding for nearly two weeks, was arrested on Wednesday night from a village in Kozhikode district and Thomas was expelled from SFIs primary membership on Tuesday. Dissatisfied by the delay in police action against the accused, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday alleged that the ruling Left government in Kerala and the police were protecting the accused and giving them time to destroy evidence. That is why it took 15 days to arrest Vidya. She had 15 days to destroy evidence against her. If the police wanted to, it could have caught her within hours. Now Thomas is also in hiding. He will be caught after giving him sufficient time to destroy evidence, he alleged while speaking to reporters at Kasaragod. Chennithala further contended that use of fake certificates, trying to pass exams without studying, going into hiding to destroy evidence, all these incidents are leading the higher education in Kerala to anarchy. Denying the Congress allegations, senior CPI(M) leader and former state minister A K Balan contended that the opposition was more concerned over such minor issues instead of criticising the Prime Minister for going abroad and doing yoga there when a state in the country is burning. Balan was referring to the violence in the state of Manipur. He also defended the Students Federation of India (SFI), saying it cannot be blamed for what Vidya and Thomas did. He said that SFI expelled Thomas on getting to know what he had done and there was nothing more it could have done. Balan, speaking to reporters at Thiruvananthapuram, also said that SFI has a strong presence of around 72 per cent among the students irrespective of their religion or political background and that is why it was being attacked. He said just like the making of fake currency, there are people behind the fake certificates too and the police and the state government will root them out and take appropriate action against them. Since the police are looking into the matter, let them ascertain why Vidya did what she did, he said, adding that her arrest indicates the governments stand on the issue. Balan also came to the defence of his party secretary M V Govindan who is facing flak from the Congress for his recent remarks against KPCC chief and MP K Sudhakaran in connection with a POCSO case in which controversial self-styled antiques dealer Monson Mavunkal was sentenced to life term in jail. Balan said that Govindan only commented about a news report and he was well within his rights to do so. However, the remarks against him subsequently were undignified, he said. He also said that while Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sudhakaran was a friend, he cannot save the Congress in this lifetime. He said there was an agenda to isolate the Kerala CM, the CPI(M) state secretary, remove the Left government from power and destroy the SFI which was responsible for strengthening the CPI(M) party base. Balan further said that SFI was responsible for the downfall of the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and relegating it to a corner and hence, the attacks on the left wing students organisation. The KSU, the student organisation of the Congress, has been claiming that Thomas failed in the B Com degree course at MSM college but during M Com admission, he provided a certificate from Kalinga University in Chhattisgarh. Vidya was booked by the police under sections 465 (forgery), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), and 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of government colleges in Ernakulam and Palakkad. According to the complaints, the woman claimed in the fake certificate that she was a guest lecturer at Maharajas College in 2018-19. Mens and womens clothing store The Normal Brand is opening this month at Birminghams The Summit. It is the first Alabama store for the company. Other stores are located in Minnesota, Missouri, Tennessee and Colorado. Occupying Suite 450, the store is situated between Free People and Madewell. It is expected to have about 50 employees. Several high profile names have been added to The Summit this year, including mens and womens underwear and apparel store Tommy John, womens fashion franchise Evereve, denim apparel retailer Buckle, jewelry store Pandora, Emmy Squared Pizza and Nordstrom Rack. Headquartered in St. Louis, The Normal Brand offers clothing and accessories online and in more than 600 stores in the U.S. Mobile police have released little in the way of details about a homicide at a local motel Tuesday night, but a sister of the victim says he was gunned down by three men in the parking lot. Kristopher Tyler Kenney, 20, was at the Spanish Oak Inn Tuesday with his fiance, Tailor Harris, and their 8-month-old son to visit a friend and his sister, Alexis, according to a GoFundMe page initiated by another sister, Meaghan Welborn. According to Welborn, after arriving, Kenney realized he had forgotten something in his car and went back out to retrieve it. It was then, Welborn wrote, that he was shot twice by three guys sitting on the stars of the apartments. Police were dispatched to the scene about 8 p.m. Kenney was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later as Tailor, Kendall and our sister Alexis watched him take his final breath, Welborn wrote. Kristopher was a wonderful father, son, brother, partner and so much more, Welborn wrote. We are left heart broken and devastated. The GoFundMe page was launched to help with Kenneys funeral expenses as well as living expenses for his fiance and child. Get the Ed Chat newsletter: Enter your email for weekly updates about Alabama schools from Trisha Powell Crain: Alabama, for years, has delayed turning over records that may shed light on how often public schools place children in seclusion or under physical restraint. Seclusion putting children in locked rooms alone has been illegal since 2011, but Alabama schools still performed the practice as recently as 2018. Physical restraint, when an adult directly restricts a childs movements through physical contact, is allowed under certain circumstances with trained staff. Its supposed to be used to keep students safe or to deescalate a situation, and should not be a punishment. Other types of restraint, including mechanical, which involves using belts, cuffs or any other device that restricts a childs movement, and chemical, which involves the use of medication to control a childs behavior or movement, are prohibited. The Alabama Education Lab at AL.com in 2020 first requested records collected by the state Department of Education about the use of seclusion and restraint. It went unanswered. AL.com revived the request in June 2022. Despite frequent communication and an initial promise to turn over records the department has failed to turn over information. Tell a reporter: Is there something we should know about seclusion, restraint or school discipline in Alabama? Public school districts are required to provide the U.S. Department of Education certain data, but the most recent publicly available numbers are from the 2017-18 school year. Nationally, that data showed 102,000 students were subject to seclusion or restraint. Alabamas data showed: 263 students were subjected to seclusion in 2017-18, despite it being prohibited. 31 students were mechanically restrained in 2017-18, despite it being prohibited. Historical data shows restraints are most often used on students with disabilities. In the 2017-18 school year, Alabama schools reported using physical restraint on 916 students. Of those, 799, or 87% of the total, were children with disabilities. Nationally, restraints were used against children with disabilities 80% of the time. When a restraint occurs, Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Programs Nancy Anderson said, I think of it as a failure. Not of the teacher. Not of the child. Of the system of the support thats been put in place. Lets go in and figure out whats wrong there. Government delay AL.com has made repeated efforts to understand the use of discipline in Alabama schools. AL.com first requested district seclusion and restraint reports from the Alabama Department of Education in March 2017. The department did not fulfill the request. Federal data later became available. In 2022, AL.com renewed its outstanding 2020 request for annual reports filed by Alabama school districts. Alabama Press Association Assistant General Counsel Evans Bailey said the way the department is drawing out AL.coms request has become all too common. The only guardrail for how long the government has to respond is a reasonable time, Bailey said, adding, and reasonableness is in the eye of the beholder. Three years? Two and a half? That seems totally unreasonable, regardless of the size of the request. In August 2022, a spokesperson for the department, Michael Sibley, confirmed paper records were sitting in his office waiting to be scanned and were almost ready for review by journalists. I will email them to you as soon as theyre ready, Sibley wrote in an email. Read more Ed Lab: Does your school have a safety, discipline problem? See the data. Read more Ed Lab: How do I get my child an IEP in Alabama? Until this week, there was no standard format for reporting when schools used restraint and seclusion, and it appears the department does not compile reports into a single document. Multiple officials told AL.com that some reports are handwritten and on paper. It is not clear if reports are reviewed or analyzed. When asked what the department does with the district reports, Sibley said he wasnt sure. Then, in October 2022, two months after saying the records would be scanned and released, the departments communications changed. Records needed to be reviewed by lawyers before they were released, officials said. I have been working closely with Prevention and Support to find what we can in terms of these files and working closely with Legal to determine what we can and cannot share, Sibley wrote in an email on Oct. 11. Once I know something concrete, youll be the first person I contact. Thank you for your patience. On Nov. 10, 2022, after a state board of education meeting this reporter attended, Sibley said the requested records were not available. He did not provide any additional explanation for the change, instead referring AL.com to the departments lawyers. The departments general counsel, Jason Swann, took over the issue. Since then, in response to repeated requests, Swann told journalists that the department is working on AL.coms request, reviewing records to make sure no students names are included. In June 2023, Sibley said staff still is compiling records and checking confidentiality and privacy. This week, the state department sent its annual request to school districts to report incidents of seclusion and restraint. It asks officials simply to record the number of incidents at each school on an online form. It does not ask for any additional information about incidents. It does not ask for incidents of seclusion at all, despite a state requirement to collect that information. This graphic depicts parts of the form Alabama asks school districts to fill out to report incidents of physical restraint in schools. Illustration by Ruth Serven Smith/AL.com Understanding seclusion and restraint in schools The records are important to understanding whether Alabama schools are following federal and state law, experts say. Reports about incidents involving seclusion and restraint help parents, educators and advocates figure out what happened and why, Anderson said. And reports also should indicate whether certain teachers, classrooms, grade levels and groups of students are using restraint more than others. They should be looking at the data about their use of restraint, to look systemically and say, Where is it happening? Anderson said. What needs to be done differently and better in that district by way of providing support to teachers and support to students. Attorney James Gallini, who practices special education law, told AL.com restraint and seclusion practices are still used in Alabama schools. He believes school officials arent following state regulations for handling incidents or reporting them. In our caseloads, the mass majority of schools stopped reporting or accurately reporting years ago, Gallini said. Im discovering that they stopped doing de-escalation and restraint training, have few personnel certified, rarely fill out restraint documentation, and Ive yet to see a document informing parents that their child was put in one of these [seclusion] rooms. They may verbally be informed but not in writing. Under Alabama law, anyone can request public records. But the law does not provide a clear time frame for responses or offer many avenues if officials fail to turn over information. [AL.coms] experience is a prime example of why we need statutory deadlines in the open records law for acknowledging requests and for responding to those requests, Bailey said. Groups in the state, including the Alabama Press Association, have pushed for reforms. A bill that would set deadlines for requests made some progress during the 2023 session. Then Gov. Kay Iveys office killed the bill. In April, Ivey signed an executive order that asks officials to acknowledge receipt of a records request and respond within 45 days unless they need more time. At the time, Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, pointed out that a weak point in the order was the lack of a specific, required response time. One of the problems that weve had in the past is that when a citizen requested records, many times the governmental entity will just take no action, Orr said in an interview with The Alabama Reflector. Weeks slide into months and its difficult for an individual desiring public documents to go into court, when the defendant, which would be the governmental body, says Weve not denied that request. But their delay is tantamount to denial. And thats one of the issues that we wanted to nail down in legislation. Asked June 21 whether Iveys order should have prompted a faster response to AL.com, a spokeswoman for Ivey, Gina Maiola, declined to comment. Read more: Alabama struggles to staff special education classrooms, leaving limited options. Limestone County school employee allegedly abused student with autism. Alabama school district files criminal charge against student with disabilities. Lawsuit claims brutal treatment at Alabama youth facility led child to attempt suicide. Mark Zuckerberg has responded to Elon Musks tweet that he would be up for a cage fight against the Meta CEO. Zuckerberg replied with a three-word response: Send me location. Zuckerbergs post on his Instagram account is legit. The story speaks for itself, Meta spokesperson Iska Saric said in a report by The Verge. According to the report, Musk has been taunting Zuckerberg on Twitter, which led to Meta chief product officer Chris Cox telling employees the company thinks creators want a version of Twitter that is sanely run. Ive always thought that Twitter should have a billion people using it, Zuckerberg said during a podcast interview with Lex Fridman. Im up for a cage match if he is lol Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 21, 2023 Meta CEO Mark Zuckerburg responded on social medial to Elon Musk's challenge to a fight. (Screen grab) As far as the actual fight, the report broke it down: Musk, 51, has talked about being in real hard-core street fights when he was growing up in South Africa. Zuckerberg, 39, is an MMA fighter who is already winning Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. Stay tuned. Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on The Opening Kickoff on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily. An investigation is underway after two men were fatally shot in Montgomery overnight. Police officials on Thursday identified the victims as Gregory Penick, 21, and Darnell Eaves, 19. Both lived in Montgomery. Police Maj. Saba Coleman said officers and fire medics were dispatched at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday to the 1300 block of Atlanta Highway on a report of a person shot. When they arrived, they found Penick dead on the scene. Eaves was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Coleman said the circumstances remain under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP, the Montgomery Police Department at 334-625-2831 or the Secret Witness tip line at 334-625-4000. A 36-year-old inmate at William Donaldson Correctional Facility was found dead in his private cell Wednesday. The Jefferson County Coroners Office identified the inmate as Joshua Aaron Odom. Odom was found unresponsive at 3:15 a.m. by correctional staff performing a routine safety check, said Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates. He was pronounced dead at 3:22 a.m. An autopsy will be performed today to try to determine the cause and manner of death. Odom was serving a life sentence for a 2007 rape conviction out of Mobile County. The Alabama Department of Corrections Law Enforcement Services Division is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death. He is the second inmate at Donaldson to die in less than a week. On Saturday, 41-year-old Greg Leon Nard died after being found unresponsive in his cell four days earlier. Yates said an autopsy found no evidence of trauma or foul play in Nards death. Odom is the 14th inmate to die this year at Donaldson. In 2022, 40 inmates died at the prison. Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida. Foot of Ten, Pennsylvania. Toad Suck, Arkansas. Those are some of the strangest town names in the U.S., a list that includes one spot in Alabama. 24/7 Tempo recently compiled a list of the 43 strangest town names in the U.S. Making the list was Arab, Alabama. The Marshall County city has a population of some 8,234 and, despite its name, has no Middle Eastern connections (it is pronounced ey-rab after all. READ MORE: Student loans update: Repayment restart date announced Heres 24/7 Tempos explanation of the name: (Arab) got its name through a typographical error. After a village grew up around mid-19th-century settler Stephen Tuttle Thompsons farm, Thompson asked the federal government to open a local post office. He offered three possible names for it: Ink, Blue Bird, and Arad, the last of these for his son Ranson Arad Thompson. Whoever processed the application chose Arad but misspelled it Arab, and the name stuck. As for the others, Howey-in-the-Hills comes from founder William John Howey in 1925. Howey called it the Florida Alps, thus the hills name. Foot of Ten takes its name from its position at the base of the Number 10 plane of the historic Allegheny Portage Railroad. And Toad Suck gets its name from a comment made by sailors on the Arkansas River who were said to drink until they swelled up like toads. You can see more from the list and history behind such names as Kermit, Texas, Pillow, Pennsylvania and Cal-Nev-Ari, Nevada here. United Methodists opened the annual meeting of the North Alabama Conference on Wednesday in Huntsville and on Thursday welcomed a report from the financially struggling Birmingham-Southern College, which is affiliated with the conference. Will you express your gratitude for an amazing turnaround? said Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, head of the North Alabama Conference. Several hundred delegates stood to applaud before Birmingham-Southern College President Daniel Coleman approached the podium to deliver a report. It been a tough year, Ill just tell you that, Coleman said. Miracles do happen. Coleman recapped the passage of state legislation, signed by Gov. Kay Ivey on June 16, that will allow the college to take up to a $30 million loan to help it stay open. Were looking for about $40 million to bridge us, Coleman said. This will allow us to restructure some debt. Our endowment has dwindled significantly. Coleman said he plans to meet with City of Birmingham officials over the coming weeks and with Jefferson County officials. The school hopes to get $5 million in funding from the city and $2.5 million from the county, he said. The college has lined up about $46 million in pledges from its donors and hopes to get to $75 million or more in pledges by October, when the fundraising campaign will go public, he said. The school needs to restructure debt, rebuild the endowment and rebuild student enrollment, he said. Coleman said that despite 3,300 applications received from prospective students, news about the colleges financial predicament early this year dampened enrollment. When the news hit that we might not be around, you can imagine we didnt get a lot of deposits, he said. More than 10 percent of the student body left, he said. Coleman said 2023 fall enrollment will be in the range of about 750 to 775 students. With increased financial stability, hes hoping the college will get back to an enrollment of about 1,200 to 1,500 students in the future. I want to assure you, we are the same Birmingham-Southern weve always been, Coleman said. Prospective BSC students continue to be high academic achievers, with a median 26 ACT score and an average 3.7 GPA in high school, he said. BSC students are about 74 percent white, 14 percent African-American, 5 percent Hispanic and 2 percent Asian, Coleman said. Several faculty members have left, but the college has hired 12 new faculty, he said. The student to faculty ratio will be about 9-to-1, he said. We are still very much a Christian school, which is of course very important, because were a Methodist school, Coleman said. About 70.4 percent of students identify as Christian, but 28.4 percent have no religious identification, he said. I think that reflects the broader society today and is something that concerns me personally, Coleman said. Its a school where Christ is alive and well with people in their day to day lives and Christianity is practiced in lots of different forms regularly on our campus. BSC has been running deficits every year and draining its endowment. It has gone from a $48 million endowment in 2012 to between $20 million and $25 million in endowment now. The colleges debt has been reduced from $68 million in 2012 to about $27 million now. Birmingham-Southern College formed from a 1918 merger of Southern University, dating to 1856, and Birmingham College, dating to 1898, both founded by the Methodist Church. The United Methodist North Alabama Conference, which has its headquarters on the BSC campus, supports BSC by pledging $250,000 annually for scholarships, but is facing a crisis of its own and also had a tough year. Since last year, 333 of 638 churches have disaffiliated, leaving 305 churches. See also: Birmingham-Southern College touts its value in economic impact statement Birmingham-Southern bill signed, college to stay open Ann Manley wants her son, incarcerated for over 34 years, to come home. He did not hurt anyone, Ann Manley said about her 60-year-old son, who is serving a life sentence in an Alabama prison after being convicted of burglary in 1986 for the third time. I just wish someone would vote on something, get him out of there and send him home. I just want him home. I wont last much longer. Even the man, now 73, whose house he burgled, says it makes no sense that Manley is still in prison and has asked the court to let him out. It troubles me that people who commit offenses involving serious injuries, or even death, often receive sentences less severe than Mr. Manley did for burglarizing my house, said Montgomery resident Anthony Wilson, in an affidavit filed last year. Related content: The Alabama Legislature had an opportunity to grant the 87-year-old Montgomery woman her wish. But during the final day of the legislative session earlier this month, a bill that began with bipartisan support, abruptly died in the Alabama Senate. The bill that offered Manley hope was HB229. And like all other criminal justice reforms introduced during the legislative session, it did not make it to the governors desk and crumbled under the weight of the tough-on-crime GOP supermajority in the Legislature. No-brainer A single corrections officer watches a dormitory where media and other officials tour the St. Clair Correctional Facility Fri., March 16, 2012 in Springville, Ala. John Manley, 60, is currently incarcerated inside the prison where he is serving out a life sentence for violating Alabama's Habitual Offenders Act. (The Birmingham News/Bernard Troncale).BN FTP But unlike some other reforms, HB229 began with a good amount of Republican support to start. Former Republican U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus of Birmingham, who met Manley and learned of her sons story in 2014, returned to the Alabama State House for the first time since the late 1980s to testify in support of it. The legislation, as originally written, offered a mechanism for judges to review sentences of those over 50 and who are serving life without parole, and who had served at least 15 years under Alabamas Habitual Offender Act. People convicted of homicide, a sex offense or an offense that caused serious physical injury were not eligible. According to the nonprofit Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, approximately 200 inmates would have been eligible to have their sentences reheard under the legislations original version. The bill was amended in the Alabama House to remove the age requirement, while increasing the length of the prison term before a rehearing could take place to at least 23 years. That bill passed on a 64-37 vote in the House. I think the best way to put it is this was a no-brainer, said Jerome Dees, Alabama policy director with the Southern Poverty Law Centers Action Fund. It shouldve been non-controversial and straight-forward. The bill would have helped ease crowding in Alabama prisons, which are already under federal review for dangerous and overcrowded conditions. Dees added, These are individuals who have been (in prison) quite some time. ... I believe a commonsense approach is to allow individuals to go back for a rehearing and reintegrate into society. Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the trend in Alabama or throughout the Southeast we still take this approach that tough on crime is the way to go. Carla Crowder executive director at the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, a nonprofit which worked with England to draft the bill, said the final version would have provided resentencing opportunities to more than 200 people, many who have served more than 30 years. And she said, while the efforts did win bipartisan support to start, criminal justice reforms in Alabama can expect to face challenges. It was always going to be an extremely heavy lift to pass anything in Alabama that would have potentially released people from prison, but HB229 targeted such a limited group of individuals whose crimes involved no physical injury, we learned there is an appetite even in Alabama to explore a solution for these older individuals. Proponents said the bill, by allowing for the reconsideration of sentences for older inmates, would save tax dollars. According to Appleseeds research, medical costs within Alabamas prisons have soared 119% in 15 years while the number of people aged 51 and over has increased during that time period. I wished all people would realize that prisons are the single most costly institutions in our state after public schools, said Susan Dewey, professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Alabama. Legislation unravels Retired Republican U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus of Birmingham speaks out in support of HB229, the "Second Chance" legislation during a hearing before the Alabama House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at the State House in Montgomery, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). No one spoke in opposition of the legislation during two public hearings before House and Senate Judiciary committees. It was very frustrating, said Bachus, referring the to the bills collapse in the Alabama Senate during the waning days of session. I didnt find anyone with a strong objection to it. He believes an opinion piece published in late May by former Republican state lawmaker Paul Demarco, who ran for Bachus 6th congressional district seat in 2014, might have played a role in its unraveling. Demarco, in the piece, urged voters to pay attention to Republicans who support soft-on-crime measures backed by Democratic politicians. The most important priority our lawmakers have is public safety in Alabama, Demarco, a Birmingham attorney, told AL.com this week. It should always be paramount when state representatives and senators consider legislation. Said Bachus, This is about mercy. We all believe in punishment, discipline, and justice, but there is also cruel and unusual punishment. To take someone who committed non-violent crimes in their 20s and put them into prison for the rest of their lives when no one was harmed seems to be unmerciful. Bachus relayed Manleys story during a news conference in April when he stood up to testify in support of HB229 before the Alabama House Judiciary Committee. The vote count showed it would pass overwhelmingly and it was on the Senate calendar, Bachus said. All of a sudden, it was pulled. Demarcos last-minute piece alleged that HB229 did not contain a provision for crime victims to be notified about the potential release. However, according to HB229, a victim shall have a right to be heard on any motion filed before a judge considers an early release. A judge, the bill says, shall give considerable weight to any objection made by the victim. Demarco said he wrote his piece as private citizen who was weighing in with an opinion, and that he has no vote on the matter. Alabama State Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, speaks inside the Alabama State House on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Montgomery, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Alabama State Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, who sponsored HB229, said there was misinformation about the bill that suggested we were just letting people out of prison. You have several ways to get out of prison, England said. Mandatory release or through being paroled, and this would have created a temporary window outside of those and would have created a more strenuous review process than all of them. It had as many guardrails that you could put into a piece of legislation to properly identify an individual for this review. Aside from a victims opinion, under HB229, a judge could consider the following criteria: The underlying offense Individuals conduct while in custody Age, including relevant research showing the decline in criminal behavior as people grow older Individuals likelihood of success after release based on availability of a structured, supportive re-entry program Whether a firearm was used during the offense The only way this bill gains any traction is through bipartisan support, England said. A number of Republicans voted for it. The Attorney General helped put some guardrails in it. And up until the last day, (Republicans in the Senate) were not against the bill. Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Greg Reeds office did not provide a comment for this piece. I think there was a general concern about having more legislation that was about releasing convicted criminals early, said state Senator Chris Elliott, R-Daphne. We had a number of those pieces of legislation, and there was an unwillingness to do too much more of that at this moment. Barry Matson, executive director of the Alabama District Attorneys Association, said there was supposed to be an amendment added HB229 that would have required the victims to be notified by an agency involved in the case, like Montgomery-based VOCAL Victims of Crime and Leniency. He said he never saw an amendment materialize and was unsure what happened. Anything you do with an early release needs to be scrutinized, said Matson. Whatever it is. Janette Grantham, executive director of VOCAL, said there were no plans for a VOCAL amendment on the bill at any time. In the beginning, there were concerns about public safety (about HB229 and several other bills), she said. I do not know of anyone from VOCAL being at the State House in the last days of the session. In fact, I was on medical leave, and no one else had authority to speak for VOCAL. Posterchild for relief John Manley, who has been in state prison since 1989, was viewed as a posterchild for the legislation. His story was highlighted in a report about Alabamas Habitual Offender Act released by Alabama Appleseed earlier this year. Manley, now 60, will likely die in prison if a version of the bill is not passed. He was convicted of first-degree burglary one month after George H.W. Bush was inaugurated as president. The incident occurred in 1986, and court records indicated Manley was arrested while he was hiding in a closet inside a home he was burglarizing. During the arrest, police found Manley in possession of a weapon he reportedly did not point it at anyone, nor did he have any interaction with the homeowner. He was charged under the 1979 Habitual Felony Offender Act due to having two prior burglary convictions which were also Class A felonies. According to court reports, both first-degree burglaries occurred with stolen firearms found in the possession of Manley. He never fired a gun while he committed a crime, his attorney said in a court filing last year. Manleys attorney, in seeking his clients release from state prison last year, argued that the offenses would have been downgraded to a third-degree burglary today and would not be punishable under the Habitual Offender Act. In 2006, lawmakers changed the burglary law to exclude offenses that involve the mere acquisition of a firearm from the first-degree felony section of Alabama state law. The burglarized victim in the case that led to Manleys life imprisonment has since requested a judge let Manley out of prison. He wouldve been out 20 years ago under the present law, Bachus said. Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey, president of the Alabama District Attorney's Association, speaks at the Alabama State House on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in Montgomery, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey, president of the Alabama District Attorneys Association, said he has been asked to ignore a Rule 32, which is a legal filing asking for post-conviction relief of an inmate. He said there is no argument by Manleys attorneys that includes new evidence nor ineffective legal counsel that would affect his original conviction in 1989, and that Manley should not receive a special exception under Alabama law. They have asked me not to answer (the Rule 32 petition) so the judge releases (Manley), said Bailey, a Democratic prosecutor. I am not fulfilling my duty (as a District Attorney) if I did that, and I am not turning a blind eye toward something like that. Manley, by all accounts, has also been a model prisoner. He works in the prison kitchen, is a barber and an accounting clerk. He earned an associates degree from Gadsden State Community College, and is deeply involved in prison ministry. Bachus said that he met Manley shortly before he retired from Congress in 2015, while visiting the St. Clair Correctional Center in Springville. Bachus said the jails warden told Bachus at the time that Manley should not be here, and that Manleys incarceration bothered him. Matson, who said he was unfamiliar with Manleys case, said during his career spanning back to 1993, life sentences without parole are applied to convicted criminals with three or more prior convictions with at least one being a Class A offense. Breaking and entering into a dwelling that is occupied and armed with a deadly weapon is akin to home invasion, Matson said. Thats a burglary, first-degree. If you got a prior burglary first, and two priors its life without parole. But if youre young and dad is a nice guy, we shouldnt enforce that? But then the next guy, its enforced. Thats how you get disparities of enforcement. Alabama Appleseed, in its report, identifies the older, nonviolent offenders who are serving life sentences in prison honor dorms as those least likely to reoffend. The organization says the states Habitual Offender Act fills prisons with old men reading their Bibles, writing poems, mopping floors, and seeking one more class, one more program, one more chance to finally prove they are more than who they were 30 years ago. Ann Manley knows her son would certainly be eligible if HB229 is reconsidered next year. England said he hopes the momentum the bill had this session will propel it forward in the future. He wants to get out, she said. And spend time with his family. This story was updated at 10:45 a.m. on June 22, 2023 for editing and to add comment from Alabama Appleseed Titanic director James Cameron on the catastrophic implosion of Titan submersible: Im struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field." pic.twitter.com/vO8JkCXS5f ABC News (@ABC) June 22, 2023 Titanic director James Cameron spoke out during an ABC News interview about the tourist submersible Titan that lost contact on its way to reach the Titanic. After submarine company OceanGate released a statement on Thursday saying that the five people who went down are believed dead, Cameron gave his thoughts on the tragedy as a longtime member of the diving community, who has made 33 trips to the Titanic himself. People in the community were very concerned about this sub, Cameron said. A number of the top players in the deep submergence engineering community even wrote letters to the company, saying that what they were doing was too experimental to carry passengers and that it needed to be certified. Im struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship, and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field on a moonless night and many people died as a result. For us, its a very similar tragedy where warnings went unheeded. To take place at the same exact site with all the diving thats going on all around the world, I think its just astonishing. Its really quite surreal. In 2018, the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society wrote to OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush warning him of their unanimous concern about Titans development, according to a letter obtained by the New York Times. Cameron also spoke about how he had known Titanic explorer Paul-Henri PH Nargeolet for 25 years and was mourning the death of his friend, who was on Titan. PH, the French legendary submersible dive pilot was a friend of mine, Cameron said. You know, its a very small community. Ive known PH for 25 years, and for him to have died tragically in this way is almost impossible for me to process. International search teams from the U.S., Canada and France joined efforts this week in an attempt to locate and rescue the craft. A breakthrough came on Tuesday when a Canadian aircraft picked up banging noises from the underwater search area. In February, Cameron posted footage of the first discovery of the Titanic shipwreck in 1986 by the research submersible HOV (Human Occupied Vehicle) Alvin. In 2012, Cameron piloted a submersible called the Deepsea Challenger to the oceans deepest point in the Mariana Trenchs Challenger Deep, which is 35,876 feet deep. There, Cameron collected samples and filmed the experience for a Nat Geo documentary. Parks Stephenson -- a Titanic specialist who advised on Cameron and Bill Paxtons 2003 documentary Ghosts of the Abyss -- made a public Facebook post on June 19 about the search for the Titan. No matter what you may read in the coming hours, all that is truly known at this time is that communications with the submersible have been lost and that is unusual enough to warrant the most serious consideration, he wrote. I am most concerned about the souls aboard, whose identities have not yet been made public. Those aboard included Nargeolet; British businessman Hamish Harding; British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman; and OceanGate CEO Rush, who was piloting Titan. 2023 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC A Marshall County man has pleaded not guilty to charges of abusing a corpse in connection with the discovery of a womans body late last October. Patrick Gerald Seals, 44, of Guntersville, was arrested Oct. 29, 2022. His charges came in connection with the death of Kendra Leigh Green, 25, of Arab. Greens remains were found inside a shed on property along Stewart Hollow Road. Marshall County authorities found the body during the execution of a search warrant on the property. Green had been reported missing for about two weeks. A grand jury indicted Seals back in February. Marshall County Chief Deputy Willy Orr told WHNT that further charges against Seals are not expected. Green had elevated levels of methamphetamine in her system, which most likely contributed to her death, which was ruled an overdose, Orr said. A Wednesday-afternoon shooting in an east Birmingham neighborhood left one man dead and another in police custody. Birmingham police identified the victim as Tadarrien Griffin. He was 22. The shooting happened about 5:30 p.m. in the 100 block of 71st Street North. That location was in front of one of the houses nearest to Wahouma Park. Officer Truman Fitzgerald said East Precinct officers arrived on the scene to find Griffin unresponsive outside of a vehicle. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced him dead on the scene. The suspected shooter remained on the scene. Patrol officers detained him and he was being taken in for questioning. Fitzgerald said the two men knew each other but did not elaborate. It will be up to the Jefferson County District Attorneys Office to determine whether criminal charges will be filed. There are a lot of answers that our investigators and district attorneys office will need that right now in the investigation we havent asked, Fitzgerald said. We just havent had time to further investigation. A man was shot to death Wednesday, June 21, 2023, on 71st Street North in an east Birmingham neighborhood. (Carol Robinson) We dont want to speculate or give any answers we dont have, he said. Were not withholding information we just dont have answers to some complex questions that are going to be presented in this case. The area surrounding Wednesdays crime scene was highly emotional, with dozens of friends and family members of the victim gathered there, including the victims mother. Extra officers were brought in for crowd control. Griffin is Birminghams 62nd homicide this year. Of those, one was an officer-involved shooting from an outside law enforcement agency and four others have been ruled justifiable. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 91 homicides, including the 62 in Birmingham. Anyone with additional information is asked to call Birmingham detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. It appears the NASA rocket located at the north Alabama welcome center on Interstate 65 will be dismantled and removed despite efforts to save it. The Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission, the governing body of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, voted earlier this month to continue its path to take down the Saturn 1B rocket that NASA says has deteriorated beyond the point of restoration. NASA, which owns the rocket and has loaned it to the Space & Rocket Center, has charged the rocket center with taking down the Apollo-era, 168-foot-tall rocket that has stood at the welcome center just south of the Tennessee state line for more than 40 years. Wes Kelley, chair of the ASSEC, said Wednesday the vote by the commissions business and executive committees charts a final course for the rockets demise. The full commission voted in May to refer the matter back to the subcommittees to ensure that the rocket center makes every reasonable effort to make sure the rocket could not be salvaged. However, a group seeking to save the rocket has not surrendered. Steven Thornton, CEO of Monte Sano Research in Huntsville and a leader of that group, said support from Gov. Kay Ivey will be pursued and noted that the Alabama attorney generals office has not signed off on dismantling the rocket. Under the states 2017 monument preservation law, the rocket may be protected from removal because it has been in place for more than 40 years. Thornton also pointed to a new state law passed earlier this month as an asset. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Tom Butler, R-Madison, and signed into law by Ivey, provides for a replica rocket at the welcome center if the original rocket is beyond restoration or repair. The subcommittee review, Kelley said, determined that dismantling the rocket was the best option. The committees have been studying the issue of the rocket for years, Kelley said. Thornton, however, said he expected an objection to the subcommittees review at ASSECs next full meeting in August. (Rocket Center CEO Kimberly Robinson) provided detailed information on the rockets structural design and the current condition, Kelley said. Both of those, the structural design and the current condition, present complications for further inspection and repair. So given the constraints of unpredictable costs, contracting requirements, time and safety, the committees agreed that reasonable efforts have been made to save the rocket. While NASA has affixed restoration cost estimates at more than $7 million, Kelley said the cost could possibly be more than that because of the uncertainty of the damage done through decades of being exposed to the environment. As I try to boil it down, its the unpredictable costs, Kelley said. The way the rocket is put together makes it very difficult to get to the structural pieces that need work without essentially completely deconstructing the rocket and putting it all back together again. And that means you cant get a good estimate on what needs to be done until you take it apart. The cost uncertainty is also factored alongside the rocket centers other artifacts and obligations, Kelley said. As far as the rocket center is concerned, when we look at the priorities that we have, which are significant with the other rockets and artifacts and infrastructure that were charged with, that amount of uncertainty is difficult to just jump off and go for it. Thornton has a different perspective on the cost uncertainty. Referring to Butlers bill thats now law, Thornton said, I do believe we have law that asks the question, Is the condition of that rocket beyond stabilization? And that has not been answered. The legality of removing the rocket, though, remains in limbo, Kelley said. The rocket center has not received a requested opinion from the Alabama attorney generals office asking if the rocket is protected under the 2017 monuments law, Kelley said. The penalty for violating the monuments law is a $25,000 fine. Kelley said the time for final resolution has passed, given that the welcome center has already been closed for months for renovation and that dismantling the rocket needs to occur during that closure. The preferred timeline was always to do it when the welcome center went under renovation, he said. That happened a little bit faster than we expected it to happen. But that was always what I viewed as an ideal timetable, to do it while the welcome center was under construction. The Saturn 1B is one of only two remaining in the world, according to the rocket center. A rocket center report from 2022 described the rocket as an overlooked workhorse of the Apollo program. Among its tasks was launching Skylab into space. A Tennessee doctor has lost his medical license for issuing COVID-19 vaccine waivers to patients he never met in at least three states. One, it turned out, was a dog named Charlie Kraus. Robert Coble, 76, of Goodspring, Tennessee, agreed to surrender his license in a May settlement with the Tennessee Department of Health that was announced by the agency on June 15. Coble issued the vaccine waivers in August and September 2021 while working for MedChoice, a company that sold waivers online for $139, according to a health department document summarizing the case. The MedChoice website offered handwritten medical waivers personally reviewed and signed by a licensed physician, and let customers choose from preset reasons for a waiver, including I have an autoimmune disease and I am very anxious about getting the vaccine. Coble then issued a waiver to those customers despite the absence of any patient/physician relationship, according to the health department document. The document does not say how many waivers MedChoice sold or Coble signed, but it does say waivers were sent to people in at least Tennessee, Maine, and Washington. Cobles waivers were issued in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, when vaccine hesitancy was rampant but some employers, college campuses, and events had begun to require proof of vaccination. Some MedChoice customers submitted Cobles waivers to their jobs or schools, and if those waivers were rejected, Coble would contact the department that rejected the waiver to try and convince them to reverse their decision, according to the document. The MedChoice waivers were exposed in a November 2021 investigation by Nashvilles NewsChannel 5, which purchased a waiver for a dog owned by investigative reporter Jennifer Kraus, a black Labrador retriever named Charlie, by saying he had an irrational fear of needles. Although Charlie was not examined by a medical professional, MedChoice mailed the dog a waiver signed by Coble and a laminated waiver card saying he was certified medically exempt from the COVID vaccination, NewsChannel 5 reported. The health department document made public in Cobles case makes no mention of NewsChannel 5 or Charlie. Coble could not be reached for comment. No attorney is listed for the doctor in the document. MedChoice has been dissolved, according to Tennessee business records. ___ (KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs of KFF the independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.) ____ 2023 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. New details about the state attorney generals inquiry into gender-affirming care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center reveal a sweeping demand for documents at all levels of care, from patient records to volunteers resumes, communications with outside therapists and emails sent by members of the general public to an LGBTQ health questions portal. The state inquiry has also sought the names of any persons referred to Vanderbilt for transgender care for nearly a decade, whether they opted to pursue treatment or not. Since November, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmettis office has issued three demands seeking documents from the Vanderbilt University Medical Clinic for Transgender Health as part of an ongoing investigation into possible violations of the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act, records filed in federal court show. Parents of trans children feel betrayed by Vanderbilt hospital Those demands were not publicly known until this week. Vanderbilt University patients, including parents of kids receiving care, were informed over the Juneteenth holiday weekend that complete copies of patient medical records that are relevant to (the attorney generals) investigation had already been turned over. Late Wednesday, a statement released by Skrmettis offices called the document demands part of a run-of-the-mill fraud investigation. The demands were prompted by a report his office received in the summer of 2022 that a Vanderbilt doctor publicly described her manipulation of medical billing codes to evade coverage limitations on gender-related treatment, the statement said. That led to the start of investigation last September into potential fraudulent billing violations involving Vanderbilt and certain related providers, the release said. The attorney generals office is authorized under state law to issue the so-called civil investigative demands document and testimony requests issued before any civil suit is filed, the statement noted. Medical records reviewed as part of an investigation into billing claims are kept confidential, it said. The statement also gave a nod to the public fallout since news of the document demands emerged. This office has kept the investigation confidential for almost a year and was surprised by VUMCs decision to notify patients, the statement said. The Attorney General has no desire to turn a run-of-the-mill fraud investigation into a media circus. The statement did not address the offices pursuit of records outside of billing and medical documents. It remains unknown whether Vanderbilt has complied with additional document requests. Vanderbilt officials on Wednesday did not respond to questions. A chilling effect The states demand for such a wide range of records on Vanderbilts transgender program will have a chilling effect on people seeking treatment, Chris Sanders, executive director of the LGBTQ-advocacy group, Tennessee Equality Project, said Wednesday. It is quite sweeping, he said, noting it goes after several pieces of information that have nothing to do with a billing investigation. That should be of concern to anybody whos had dealings with the program. State Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, accused Skrmetti of using his office as a weapon and the powers of civil investigation demands to carry out an intimidation campaign against Vanderbilt, the states largest provider of transgender care. Copies of demand letters were filed as part of an ongoing federal court challenge to the states newly enacted ban on transgender healthcare for minors. The lawsuit was brought by transgender youth and families and later joined by the Department of Justice. A judge in that case is expected to shortly rule on a request to temporarily halt the law before it is set to take effect July 1. In seeking a preliminary injunction putting the law on pause while the legal case continues, lawyers for the families introduced the attorney generals demand letters as evidence of the immediate harm the impending ban will have without court intervention. AG demands surface in federal lawsuit State lawyers have argued there is no need for an immediate injunction because the law calls for a temporary wind down period allowing existing transgender patient care until March 2024. Lawyers for the families, however, have noted the law threatens children needing care with imminent and irreparable injury. Vanderbilt University Medical Center has already informed the families filing suit that it will cease providing care July 1 unless the law is enjoined, the lawsuit noted. Doctors providing care are fearful that they would be second-guessed by state officials during the wind down period. In light of how the Attorney Generals office has targeted VUMC for legal investigation, these fears are well founded, lawyers for the family noted. The demands for patient health information, first reported by The Tennessean, began on Nov. 2 with a civil investigative demand seeking medical records dating back to 2018 for more than 80 patients, whose names are redacted in the request. State and federal laws allow for the attorney general to demand otherwise protected health information as part of the investigative process. Tennessee law specifically gives the attorney generals office authority to issue civil investigative demands for testimony and documents before filing a lawsuit. Those demands may be contested, narrowed through negotiation or challenged in court an event that could open the door to individuals with a stake in the records to intervene before they are provided. Vanderbilt officials have declined to respond to questions about whether they pursued any other option before turning over records. In messages to patients and parents, the medical center said it was legally obligated to turn over medical records. A wide net A second demand on March 14 sought the medical records of over 100 patients. The demand also sought a variety of information about insurance claims submitted to state-sponsored health plans, along with emails, training materials and other documents related to the clinics policies for submitting claims. A third demand, also issued March 14, cast a far wider net. Among the information it sought dating to 2014, were names of all individuals referred to the Center for Transgender Health who ultimately did not receive gender affirming care. It also sought the resumes, contracts and other documents for volunteers at the centers Trans Buddy program, which provides peer support from students, staff, and community members. The demand also included all communication to and from an email inbox set up to answer questions about LGBTQ healthcare; and all communications between a Vanderbilt clinical psychologist and staff at Centerstone, a nonprofit mental health clinic, related to potential gender dysphoria diagnosis of a Centerstone patient Sanders, the LGBTQ advocate, pointed out Vanderbilt hospital opened the transgender care unit in part because the LGBTQ community faces health-care barriers. Now that its being targeted by the state government, another hurdle could prevent people from seeking care, he said. It will make people think twice about seeking health care, because if you thought that the government was gonna routinely request everything related to a particular groups health care, you would be really cautious, Sanders said. Vanderbilts transgender healthcare practices drew attention last year after right-wing commentator Matt Walsh posted videos on social media featuring a Vanderbilt physician calling gender transition surgery a big money maker, causing backlash against the hospital from Republican lawmakers. Sanders believes the Attorney Generals Office investigation stems partially from that social media firestorm. Elected officials are feeling pressure from the far right, as well, to take action, he said. Sanders ventured so far as to say emails hes exchanged through advocacy work with the Vanderbilt hospital program could be caught up in the attorney generals probe. Eight hours. And within them, many unanswered questions. About an hour and a half after it dipped below the North Atlantic, a submersible on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic lost communication with the surface. It would take another nearly eight hours before the Canadian research icebreaker Polar Prince, supporting the Titan submersible, reported it missing to the Coast Guard a report that triggered the international rescue effort that was ongoing Thursday. The time lag has yet to be explained by the company that owns the submersible, OceanGate Expeditions. Sean Leet, head of the company that co-owns the Titans support ship, refused to discuss the timeline during a news conference Wednesday, saying only that all protocols were followed for the mission. But experts familiar with deep-sea exploration said those lost hours raise red flags. The time delay between declaring a submersible sunk and notification to outside resources and emergency responders appears to be excessive, said Robert Kraft, a deep-sea explorer who has located missing ships in the ocean. The emergency procedure in question, he said, is typically declared after three consecutive scheduled communications are missed but can vary slightly between organizations. Others suggested the delay could have been due to the unorthodox approach taken by the company behind the experimental vessel. Salvatore Mercogliano, a history professor at Campbell University in North Carolina who focuses on maritime history and policy, said the people on the Polar Prince likely didnt call for help after losing communication with the Titan because the submersible had previously experienced communication failures so such an occurrence didnt raise immediate alarms. The vessel used a rudimentary system that basically communicated with the surface ship through text message, Mercogliano said. Theyve lost communications before. And so what it appears is when they lost communications, they did not assume that this was a disaster at all, Mercogliano said. They probably were waiting for what was would have been the end of the scheduled voyage. And they probably waited for the period when they expected the Titan to come back to the surface, he speculated. They were unable to locate it. And then they knew they had an emergency. Another thing to consider: Mercogliano said the Titan lacked an emergency radio beacon that could have floated to the surface and started beeping if there was an emergency. But they didnt have that, he said. And so it sounds like the Polar Prince waited the normal period of time for the recovery of this submersible to send out the mayday in distress. Norman Polmar, a prominent naval analyst and author, said the protocol for checking in would be set by the company, and it varies by company and submersible. A company may say to check in every four hours and check in immediately if theres a problem, but there are absolutely no set rules with commercial submersibles, he added. From a military viewpoint, there are specific protocols. But from a commercial one, there is nothing thats standard, he said Thursday. If they said nine hours, that might have been what their agreement was-- if we dont have a problem, well call you in nine hours. For civilian submersibles, its what they want. Within the military, if you have got an experiment or test or trials, yes there is a fixed protocol. Aaron Davenport, a maritime expert, senior policy researcher with the RAND Corporation and a retired U.S. Coast Guard officer, said hes been perplexed by the operations perceived lack of safety protocols given the inherent dangers, including the timing of when Polar Prince sent out its distress call. First of all, Davenport said, the Titan and Polar Prince should have had a procedure in place in which they stayed in periodic contact, such as every hour or so. The protocol that is normally used in the Coast Guard operations, and in any kind of potentially dangerous situation, is that you want to maintain communications with someone on the surface or ashore that can call for help or render assistance in the event of an emergency, Davenport said. And so you would think they would check in with the surface on a regular basis, Davenport said. And then if you dont hear from them, then that would be an indication that you may need to start thinking about a potential rescue or getting things staged or invoke a plan, if you are unable to determine if they are safe or not. Davenport added that most ships carry an emergency beacon, which is automatically deployed if the ship sinks. But he said hes seen no indication that the Titan had a way to alert anyone of an emergency situation. In an email after an Associated Press interview, Davenport added that the vessel that launched the submersible appeared incapable of rescuing the vessel. They lost several hours early on they should have started alerting folks and preparing for a rescue immediately, Davenport said. What is confounding is that they lost comms with the sub at the beginning of the mission, and it does not seem they had a good plan to restore comms and/or abort the mission. A major home builder in Birmingham metro area has reached a settlement with environmental group Coosa Riverkeeper over excess sediment pollution in Shelby County. Coosa Riverkeeper and the Southern Environmental Law Center announced this week that the groups have agreed to a consent order resolving Clean Water Act lawsuit against Newcastle Homes, more than two years after the Riverkeeper began documenting excess runoff from a new subdivision being built along the U.S. 280 corridor in Shelby County. After three years of developing this complaint in this case, and advocating for protections of what Coosa Riverkeeper calls our skinny water, Im very pleased that we have reached the settlement, said Justinn Overton, staff riverkeeper at Coosa Riverkeeper. Newcastle Homes did not respond to requests to comment for the story, but signed the agreement to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Water Act without admitting fault. Under the agreement, Newcastle will pay the Riverkeeper group $39,750 to recoup its expenses for two years of monitoring the site and legal expenses and $500 to the U.S. Treasury for violations of its operating permit. In addition, for any future violations documented by Coosa Riverkeeper, Newcastle agrees to pay either $500 or $1000 to the Big Canoe Creek Preserve Partners, a non-profit group that maintains the Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve. That money would be used for supplemental environmental projects at the preserve. Coosa Riverkeepers lawsuit, filed in February 2022, alleged 158 separate violations of the Clean Water Act, and states that these violations have not been addressed and will continue in the future, absent a court order for corrective action. The lawsuit also states that Newcastle is the second most active homebuilder in Jefferson and Shelby Counties by number of building permits. Coosa Riverkeeper first filed a complaint with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management in December 2020 over excess sediment from the site of Melrose Landing subdivision on Dunnavant Valley Road off U.S. 280. Runoff from the 78-lot subdivision was documented entering the North Fork of Yellowleaf Creek -- a tributary of Lay Lake and the Coosa River -- carrying heavy loads of muddy sediment, which impairs water quality and harms wildlife, especially in rocky-bottomed creeks or streams. Our monitoring revealed that the site was contributing anywhere from 12 to 14 times more sediment than the permit allowed, Overton said. And so we filed our complaint, thanks to the Southern Environmental Law Center, documenting those hundreds of violations. According to ADEM, siltation is the third leading cause of impairment to Alabamas waterways. Sediment pollution from newly cleared construction can degrade water quality, harm fish and other aquatic animals and plants, and increase the difficulty and cost of treating water for drinking and other uses. Overton said the development in question is located next to a 1.8-mile hiking trail called the Dunnavant Valley Greenway that allow residents to walk along the creek. In the springtime, it is a gorgeous place to actually see mountain laurel, it feels like its dripping off every bush as you walk along the North Fork, Overton said. This particular creek, it has primarily been a rock bottom creek and so you can hear this creek gurgling and babbling, and its just a very great place for people of all walks of life to be able to safely enjoy the outdoors. ADEM personnel inspected the site and issued Newcastle a notice of violations on Dec. 28, 2020. However, according to Coosa Riverkeeper, the violations continued at the site after the notice was issued, leading the environmental group to file a notice of intent to sue Newcastle under the Clean Water Act in June of 2021. The settlement announced this week resolves that case, pending the approval of a U.S. District Court judge. Sarah Stokes, a senior attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center in Alabama, said the settlement was a positive step toward getting one of the areas largest home builders to operate in compliance with the rules and regulations. There are good and bad ways to develop a piece of land, Stokes said in a news release. Developers should realize that clear-cutting and then placing a subdivision on a mountain without phasing the development or maintaining any trees has a price. Overton said that the Riverkeeper first became aware of the situation from a concerned resident who noticed the large amount of sediment running into the creek. She said its vital that citizens who observe concerning environmental conditions document and report their findings to the authorities and the local environmental advocacy groups. We cant be everywhere all the time, Overton said. So I think its critically important to me that the public understands that, this was brought to us by concerned citizens. And so if they were to see something similar to this to please document it and let your local Riverkeeper know. Among the many examples of how cynically the progressive Left exploits fringe special-interest groups to do their political bidding, none is more stark than the callous manner in which they manipulate the LGBTQ+ crowd. Progressives have fashioned the LGBTQ+ group into a political mafia. Their job is to strike fear into the neighboring community, attempt to exert influence over events to their own benefit and just generally intimidate the surrounding society at large by forcing them to act in any manner the mafia wants. The bottom-line goal of the mafias activity is to make progressives look good and to make conservatives gun-shy. So-called normal society doesnt want to cross the LGBTQ+ mafia, lest they be labeled as intolerant haters and run the risk of having their business boycotted and being publicly shamed for their backward views. Depending on what study is cited and what metric qualifies an individual as belonging to the LGBTQ+ demographic, by any measure, the percentage is small, anywhere from .5% to 5-10% of the population. How, then, does such a small numerical group exert such a large influence on American society and culture? The answer, of course, is that it has nothing to do with gay or trans or any other marginal groups civil or human rights. Instead, this is the progressive wing of the Democrat Party using a numerically fringe group as a social cudgel to bludgeon their political opponents into submission by trying to smear them with the stain of intolerance and hatred. The Chuck Schumers, Debbie Dingells, and Gavin Newsoms of the world likely dont have any special affinity for the LGBTQ+ posse, from a personal standpoint. Lets make the assumption that like most people, the aforementioned pols probably take a Live and let live, as long as it doesnt hurt my family approach to this matter. But their political stance is quite a different story. Progressives will jump at the chance to use any hot social topic as a weapon with which to attack and besmirch conservatives and damage their image in the eyes of that all-important voting group, low-information undecided swing voters. In your gut, you just know that none of those high-profile progressives has even the slightest personal stake or interest in any of those issues. All of these current issues are poison-tipped arrows in the progressive quiver: Reparations -- According to progressives, were now, as a society, supposed to make huge financial payments to Blacks to atone for past inequities. If you oppose this ideal, youll be branded as an incorrigible bigot, lower than low. Putting aside for the moment the question of where the funding will come from, no one has worked out those pesky details yet of how were supposed to accurately trace a persons lineage back to actual African slaves, nor has the issue of mixed racial background been addressed. Halle Berry has one black parent and one white. So does Barack Obama. Do they only get a 50% share? Climate change -- Have even the slightest question and youre branded as a science denier. Illegal immigration -- Our country is made up of immigrants, so you must be hard-hearted to not enthusiastically agree with letting them in and paying for their housing, medical, and education. CRT -- Obviously, your idea of education is stuck back in the Jim Crow era. CRT -- Obviously, your idea of education is stuck back in the Jim Crow era. Military aid for Ukraine -- If youre not 100% on board, youre anti-democracy, a Putin supporter. Dont tell me about the U.S. budget deficit or that this money could house and feed our homeless American vets, or that this money could put armed guards at every public school and end school shootings overnight. Instead, progressives tell us that Zelenskyy is Churchill, so shut up! However, as divisive and caustic as all the foregoing issues are, none are deployed with more vigor or violent intensity than is the LGBTQ+ subject. That group truly acts as the progressives mafia. They terrorize the neighborhood of normal society. They insist upon payment from conservatives in the form of recognition, privilege, and being accorded legitimacy no matter how many indisputable biological laws of science/nature they defy, no matter how inappropriate their behavior is around young children and no matter how counterproductive their intentionally provocative presence is in the professional workplace or in the ranks of the active military. Refusal to fully and unquestioningly comply with their demands results in the mafia extracting their toll, in the form of permanently destroying that groups carefully curated reputation, followed by a swift, irreversible social ostracization. (In an ironic twist, the LGBTQ+-ers actually believe that progressive politicians really care about their rights and beliefs. They dont, of course. Progressives interest in LGBTQ+ rights will end the nanosecond theyve outlived their political usefulness to the liberal cause.) In reality, the LGBTQ+ mafia is little more than an armed enforcement wing of the progressive faction and the strong-arm tactics of shame, embarrassment and societal ransom are used to deadly effect to manipulate conservatives, influence undecided voters and control the national narrative. Although most people disapprove of the LGBTQ+ mafias tactics, until recently theyve been too afraid to stand up to them publicly for fear of an immediate, crushing, immutable reprisal. But thats changing in a big way. The customer backlash against Bud Light for the Dylan Mulvaney fiasco has been so crushing and immediate that even worse than Anheuser-Buschs off-the-cliff-likely-permanent sales drop is the fact that the phrase Bud Light is now a joke punchline. Ditto for Target stores -- their customer base reacted in such a vociferously negative way to Targets pushing of infant and toddler transgender clothing (as if five-year-olds can be transgender!), that the chain was forced to remove the offending displays and rationalize it by saying it was because their staff was being threatened with violence from some irate customers. That was just face-saving nonsense on Targets part, of course. Liberal HBO talk show host Bill Maher recently spoke out about the indefensible inconsistencies and hypocrisy that progressives routinely express on this topic, outright lies that they put forth without blinking an eye. Full credit to Maher for having the courage to buck progressive orthodoxy and point it out. Up until this point, the LGBTQ+ mafia has terrorized the neighborhood at will with its demands that society-at-large accept their views of such things as body-altering surgery for teens without parental knowledge or approval and the teaching of gay pornography in public schools to middle-schoolers, at taxpayer expense. Oppose this, voice a single doubt, and youre a hater. But the neighborhood is starting to rally around the idea of sanity and is pushing back, hard. The hope of everyday Americans is that this revolt against the mafia continues until they are no longer able to hold regular people hostage for simply wanting to live a normal life and raise their kids in a sane, calm atmosphere. Image: PxHere As you may remember, Dr. Martin Luther King said this in the summer of 1963: I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. As a side note, I was in Cuba when he gave that speech so did not hear it until we came to the U.S. in the fall of 1964. The words made a lot of sense to me as I saw the civil rights movement develop from the 1960s to the 1970s. A judge in Texas dealt a serious blow to the Biden administration by confirming that we don't do racial preferences for preferred races in the U.S. We judge people by character, not skin color. This is the story: The Biden administration's so-called "equity agenda" suffered a major defeat in federal court recently. In a lawsuit challenging the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) a new federal agency dedicated to helping only certain preferred racial groups a federal judge ruled that the Biden administration cannot discriminate based on race. Judge Mark Pittman, a Trump-appointee based in Fort Worth, Texas, delivered a remedial lesson in civics to the administration: "The Constitution demands equal treatment under law." While such a statement should be obvious to any American, this was quite a painful blow to the administration. On his first day in office, President Biden declared a "whole of government" approach to racial equity, requiring all his agencies to "affirmatively advance[e] equity." In practice, the equity agenda resulted in a bevy of programs open to some races, but not others. Farmers, restaurant owners, homeowners, small business owners and federal contractors all got billions in federal tax dollars, so long as they belonged to certain racial groups. In other words, you cannot discriminate based on race. Once upon a time, that was a generally accepted principle in the U.S. However, that was before, when we believed what Dr. King said. Why did the Biden administration even push this agenda anyway? My guess is that it was all political. They allowed a federal agency to push something not approved by Congress knowing that a judge will eventually strike it down. Then they can blame the judge and systemic racism. We have reason to be happy today: you can't discriminate based on race! PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos. Image: Dutch Nationaal Archief. Finally, and this is stated without schadenfreude, the House of Representatives has censured Rep. Adam Schiff for, among other things, perpetuating the falsehood that President Donald J. Trump colluded with Russia if by the partisan vote of 213-209. A simple Google search reveals that Rep. Schiff made it a habit to claim to have evidence of Trump-Russia collusion without supporting his assertions. Here are two links to Schiff's many lies falsely alleging Trump-Russia collusion. Here, now, is the third of eleven preambular paragraphs of H. Res 521, the resolution censuring the congressman from California's 30th Congressional District: Whereas, for years, Representative Schiff abused this trust by alleging he had evidence of collusion that, as is clear from reports by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz, and Special Counsel Durham, never existed ... Note the language of this paragraph: "the evidence of collusion [between Trump and Russia] never existed." Schiff reportedly has asserted that he regards the resolution of censure as "a badge of honor." This turns reality on its head. Here is a link to the full text of H. Res 521. The seventh preambular paragraph cites Schiff's denial that he had anything to do with the whistleblower's report leading to Impeachment I falsely alleging that President Trump abused his power over Ukraine policy. The egregious nature of the lie that is Impeachment I is made manifest, in a bizarre way, by the June 21 New York Times report that Hunter Biden will settle criminal charges against him without jail time. This story included the following reference to Ukraine: As president, Mr. Trump had long sought to tie Hunter Biden's business deals and personal troubles to his father. Mr. Trump's first impeachment had its roots in his efforts to persuade the Ukrainian government to help him show wrongdoing in Hunter Biden's work for Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, and while in the White House he pressured the Justice Department to investigate. This assertion reflects anti-Trump speech. The first impeachment had its roots in the desperation of House speaker Nancy Pelosi, assisted by Rep. Schiff, to draw attention away from indicia that the Bidens, father and son, were part of the corruption in Ukraine that, as vice president, Joe Biden had been tasked by President Obama to put an end to. The New York Times, alas, continues its campaign to aid Democrats in smearing with untruths Mr. Trump and Republican officials. Remarkably, the story on Hunter Biden's prison avoidance deal accused "Mr. Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill" of promoting "broader international conspiracies." Shades of Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Fabrication of allegations. Apparently, for The New York Times, as well as for Adam Schiff, bearing false witness is commendable in the political war against democracy and the two-party system. Republicans on Capitol Hill, be warned. Image: Adam Schiff. Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. The 2023 summer solstice was marked in the Green Mountains of Vermont by a somewhat incongruous visit by Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Addressing an audience of some 200 enthusiastic supporters on June 21 in Burlington, Mr. Kennedy's subject for the evening centered on industrial pollution and his plans to improve energy efficiency through free markets. But Vermont's hills did not reverberate with approving liberal cheers for these sensible policy proposals. Nary a Democrat was in attendance. Bernie Sanders did not introduce the fast-rising Dem hopeful from Camelot; Peter Welch did not extend a red carpet. The event that platformed Kennedy was organized and hosted by the rather libertarian-leaning Ethan Allen Institute, an educational think-tank focusing on free markets, individual liberty, and constitutional integrity. Kennedy's unconventional 2024 presidential campaign thus found a Vermont welcome in an unexpected forum. The Ethan Allen Institute has maintained its non-partisan posture throughout three decades of policy analysis and research. A recent EAI event featured famed columnist George F. Will and was largely attended by conservatives. A different cross-section of Vermonters gathered for RFK's visit, hinting at the possibility of a growing alliance of populist support for an authentic maverick. Speaking energetically in the low-ceilinged event room, Mr. Kennedy engaged the smilingly attentive crowd with a history of his legal battles against large industrial polluters, challenging PCBs that tainted the Hudson River and coal-burning plants that polluted the country with mercury. Mr. Kennedy's passion and confident optimism held the room even for those who might disagree: there was no doubting the intensity of his sincerity. Tellingly, RFK Jr. did not pontificate about greenhouse gases or condemn Republicans for climate change. He instead focused on the nonpartisan consensus that toxic chemicals are destroying the ecosystem and the free market forces that must be harnessed to compel polluters to internalize the true environmental costs of their products. Kennedy made an accurate case that protecting environmental resources can be accomplished without sacrificing economic growth. The standing ovation that followed suggested that his closing argument had hit home. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. truly appeals to an American political middle. He calls out the woke totalitarianism that has infested culture and government, ensuring that he is anathema to the far left. Yet he adheres to traditional liberal positions such as renewable energy manufacturing, and appeals to conservatives disenchanted with Donald Trump (and his infamous tweets!). Juxtaposed with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Kennedy highlights the corrupt incompetence of the bumbling incumbents. Kennedy is making the podcast rounds to outflank the efforts of MSM to deplatform and cancel him, and he is winning that battle. Demonstrating himself to be an artful, passionate, and eminently qualified candidate, his visit to Vermont portends a riveting 2024 election season for Americans. Traveling to deep-blue Green Mountain country, hosted by libertarians, discussing climate in ways that woo even conservatives that's an odd duck in any pond. Democrats are deer-in-Vermont-headlights dumbfounded about how to silence this guy from exposing their perfidy. Efforts to slander him over his vaccine record invite platforms to...discuss vaccines not at all what Biden and Democrats wish to do, as recent exchanges between Joe Rogan and Dr. Peter Hotez demonstrate. Fact is, Kennedy is a hard man for Dems to discredit. No Chappaquiddick; no crotch-grabbing videos; decades of virtuous environmental battles; he wears the Kennedy family martyr mantle John F. Kennedy remains an American icon even among conservatives. Efforts by liberal pundits to discredit Kennedy are circus-like, even laughable. The corrupt left has no credibility trying to blemish a traditional Democrat. And their usual playbook is bereft of options they can't simply call him a racist or homophobe, as they do with conservatives. The eclectic Vermont crowd at Wednesday's Ethan Allen Institute dinner reflects a centrist mass of awakening voters, fed up with betrayals by the absentee Dem elites, eager for a moderate with brains and mettle, rebelling against extremist agitation on both the far left and right. RFK Jr. has a low bar to clear in competence and integrity, to rally Americans from all walks of life like a snowball gathering tonnage as it crashes down a Vermont mountainside in January. That's some political climate change that everyone can believe in. Attorney-farmer John Klar hosts the Small Farm Republic Substack and podcast from his Vermont farm. His new book is Small Farm Republic: Why Conservatives Must Embrace Local Agriculture, Reject Climate Alarmism, and Lead an Environmental Revival. Images by John Klar, used with permission. If you're like me, you completely missed the creation of another, permanent federal agency forgive us, we've been a little distracted fending off endless tyrannical onslaughts at the claws of the political establishment hunkered down in Washington. The Federal Registrar currently acknowledges 434 federal agencies, one of which is the newly created Minority Business Development Agency. The bureau was born in 2021 when Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Act, and its 2023 budget request was $110 million for 134 positions (that's right: around $821,000 per person in salary and spending power). According to attorney Daniel Lennington, writing for Fox News, the MBDA is the "cornerstone" of the left's "equity agenda" and, thanks to a federal judge in Texas, appointed by President Trump, the agency recently suffered a big hit. As Lennington notes, "the MBDA is designed to help certain minority business owners ... to juice up their bottom lines" a mission in stark contrast to the supreme governing document that looks past physical characteristics to require equal treatment under the law. Lennington writes: Judge Mark Pittman, a Trump-appointee based in Fort Worth, Texas, delivered a remedial lesson in civics to the administration: 'The Constitution demands equal treatment under law.' "Remedial lesson[s] in civics" seems to be a common theme in litigious actions against the Biden regime, does it not? What's deeply stunning, though, is the massive, Orwellian shift in civics "truth," and it's worth mentioning. Article VI of the federal Constitution states: This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereofshall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding. However, an internet search on the "supremacy clause" yields a near-infinite number of results that distort the original language and relay an utter inaccuracy. To me, this suggests a coordinated disinformation campaign. Cornell Law, an elite Ivy League school, says this of the clause: It establishes that the federal constitution, and federal law generally, take precedence over state laws, and even state constitutions. What the law school and the other sources failed to include was the "in Pursuance thereof" portion of the text, which would mean that only federal law made in accordance with the limits set forth by the Constitution are supreme. Interesting, to say the least. Back to the case. The plaintiffs comprise three white small businessowners who were denied financial assistance because of the color of their skin, and in what should have been a shameful position to take: In court, the Biden administration attorneys vigorously defended this race-based agency, claiming that this type of race discrimination was justified because it was remedying 'the effects of past inequities stemming from racial prejudice.' As we all know, the "equity" agenda is nothing more than a socialistic transfer of wealth, a "rob Peter to pay Paul" scheme Kamala Harris once touted equity as making sure "we all end up at the same place." In plainspeak, illegal government interference to handicap the high-achieving and financially responsible in order to prop up the lowest common denominators. As that ingenious one-liner describing socialism declares, it's "where everyone starves equally." (Except government hogs at the trough like Kamala and Joe, of course.) Image: DonkeyHotey, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, unaltered. If you crane your neck and look up while standing in front of St Lambert's Church in Munster, Germany, you can make out three iron cages hanging from the church's steeple, just above the clock face. The cages are empty, but five hundred years ago they held the mutilated, rotten corpses of three revolutionaries who led one of the most brutal Protestant revolutions in history. Photo: ptwo/Flickr In the 16th century, Munster was ruled by the elected prince-bishop Franz von Waldeck. Waldeck was a Catholic, but he tolerated any kind of faith as long as it had Christian origin. Waldecks ambiguous attitude towards Reformists attracted all kinds of people, as it enabled them to practice their religion without the threat of persecution. Against this backdrop, arrived a Dutchman named Johan Beukelszoon from the city of Leiden, as he had heard Munster was friendly to Anabaptists. Supporters of Anabaptism, which many consider to be an offshoot of Protestantism, believe that only adults who confess their faith in Christ can be baptized, and not infants. They also believed that all men are equal and all wealth should be equally distributed. Upon arrival, John of Leidenas he was popularly calledfound many believers warming up to these new ideas. It did not take him long to rope in several local preachers and together they began conducting sermons denouncing Catholic doctrines and promoting Anabaptism. Through pamphlets distributed throughout northern Germany, Anabaptists called upon the poor of the region to join the citizens of Munster to share the wealth of the town and benefit spiritually from being the elect of Heaven. Before long John had mobilized a large group of delirious, religious zealots who turned the tolerant city into something very different. John of Leiden baptizing a young woman. Prince-bishop Franz von Waldeck and the city council was kicked out of office, and a new mayor was put in place. Non-believers were driven out of their homes and their properties seized. They were replaced by Anabaptists who flowed in from surrounding villages in large numbers. Cathedrals and monasteries became sites for orgies of iconoclasm as rebaptism became compulsory. Money was outlawed and owing of property was banned. Books were burned. John of Leiden proclaimed himself the leader, and established a Royal Order complete with a Royal Court. He made for himself a kingly costume, while asking his followers to be naked in preparation for the Second Coming. Polygamy was made compulsory, and John himself took sixteen wives. Capital punishment for trivial offences became commonplace. Meanwhile, the citizens starved as food and supplies dwindled. After more than a year of lawlessness, Franz von Waldeck succeeded in taking back the city from the hands of rebels. In January 1536, John of Leiden, Bernhard Knipperdolling (the new mayor) and one more prominent follower, Bernhard Krechting, were tortured and executed in the marketplace of Munster. Their bodies were put in cages about the size of coffins, and hung from the steeple of St. Lambert's Church, where they remained for fifty years. The cages still hang from the churchs steeple. Photo: rogiro/Flickr The city of Tyre in southern Lebanon is one of the oldest cities in the world. Originally founded by settlers from the nearby city of Sidon in the 3rd millennium BCE, Tyre became politically independent when Egyptian influence in Phoenicia declined, and later it surpassed even Sidon to become the most important Phoenician trade center and seaport having commercial ties with all parts of the Mediterranean world. The city is situated on a small bulbous peninsula that juts out from the Lebanese coast for nearly two kilometers. But it wasnt always like this. Tyre was originally an island with half a kilometer of open water separating it from the mainland. The island was formidably defended with high walls surrounded on all sides that was 45 meters tall at places. Tyre was considered impregnable, having withstood several sieges in the past, including a 13-year siege by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. Satellite view of the city of Tyre. In January 332 BCE, Alexander arrived in Phoenicia, having defeated Darius III at the battle of Issus in November 333 BCE. All Phoenician cities, with the exception of the island of Tyre, surrendered to Alexanders army without a battle. Alexander was aware of Tyre's supposed impregnability, and he knew that city would be hard to conquer without a naval fleet, which he did not have. But subjugating Tyre was important for Alexander, because it was the Persians last harbor in the region. Alexander decided to use trickery to gain entry. He told the Tyrians that he wanted to make a sacrifice at the ancient temple of the Tyrian god Melqart, whom the Greeks identified with their own god Heracles. But the Tyrians were no fools and they refused to admit Alexander, suggesting that the Macedonian make his sacrifice to Heracles in the temple on the mainland. Alexander then tried to negotiate but the Tyrians executed his messengers and threw their bodies into the sea. Alexander flew into a rage and became determined to capture Tyre. He ordered the construction of a large causeway (or mole), across the narrow channel towards Tyre, using rubble from demolished buildings on the mainland. The water was shallow, about two meters deep, and work progressed rapidly. But as the mole approached the island, the water became deeper and the seas heavy, and the Tyrians constantly harassed the builders by firing projectiles from the ramparts of the citadel. The Siege of Tyre. Illustration by Duncan B. Campbell To defend the mole, Alexander constructed two siege towers, 50 meters high, from timber and covered them with rawhides to protect against enemy fire arrows. Like most of Alexanders siege towers, these were moving artillery platforms, with catapults on the top. He positioned the towers at the end of the causeway, and from the top Alexanders army were able to return fire. The Tyrians responded by building a fireship. They took an old vessel, loaded it up with pitch, sulphur, and various other combustibles, hung cauldrons of oil from the mast, and set it on fire. Then they ran the burning ship aground the mole, engulfing the two siege towers in flames. Other Tyrian vessels fired missiles at Macedonian builders driving off anyone who tried to put out the fires. The destruction of the siege towers and parts of the causeway was a huge setback for Alexander, but the young king was determined to rebuild the causeway. He started at once on a second, wider mole that could hold more towers, but on the back of his mind he knew that the siege could only succeed when attacked with a fleet. The Siege of Tyre. Illustration by Frank Martini So Alexander set off for Sidon to fetch his own ships. He raided up and down the coast collecting Phoenician vessels and crews which have previously served with the Persians. Two Phoenician kings, Gerostratus of Aradus and Enylus of Byblos, willfully joined Alexander, perhaps guessing which way the fortunes of war would go. In addition, the Kings of Cyprus sent another 120 vessels to join him. Soon Alexander had a formidable fleet numbering over 250 vessels. When Alexander arrived with his superior fleet, the Tyrians blocked their ports and barricaded themselves inside. With the ships keeping guard, Alexander resumed building the mole. The Tyrians tried to prevent Alexanders fleet from approaching too close to the city walls by creating obstacles in the sea with large number of stones hurled over the city walls. Alexander ordered the rocks hoisted out of the water with ropes so that a path could be cleared. The Tyrians then sent divers to cut the anchor ropes of the besieging ships. Alexander responded by replacing ropes with iron chains. Eventually, the mole was extended all the way to the city allowing Alexander to bring his siege engines and battering rams to pound the walls with. A weak spot in the wall was found in the southern end where Alexanders army managed to crack open a hole. Once his troops forced their way into the city, they easily overtook the garrison, and quickly captured the city. The Macedonian army massacred Tyres population, and only those who took shelter in the temple of Melqart were pardoned. Some 6,000 men were killed in action and another 2,000 Tyrians were crucified on the beach. The rest of the population, some 30,000 people, consisting mostly of civilians were sold to slavery. Alexanders men themselves suffered little casualties, with only about 400 killed. The construction of the mole completely changed the geography of the coast. For centuries after the siege, the mole became an obstacle to sea currents causing sediments to deposit on either side of the mole, and an isthmus began to take shape. By the time Tyre became part of the Byzantium Empire in the late 4th century, the city was no longer an island, but well connected to the mainland by a wide peninsula. Today, this sandy peninsula is about half a kilometer wide and is heavily urbanized with hundreds of apartment blocks. Tyres southern harbor gradually filled with silt and has long since disappeared but the northern harbor is still used and is filled with fishing boats and pleasure craft. Aerial view of Tyre. Photographer unknown. References: # Marc G. De Santis, Alexander the Great and the Siege of Tyre, Warfare History Network # Grant, Alexander's Siege of Tyre, 332 BCE, Ancient History Encyclopedia # Yaacov Nir, The city of Tyre, Lebanon and its semiartificial tombolo, 3.0.CO;2-4">3.0.CO;2-4">3.0.CO;2-4">Wiley Online Library # Wikipedia The Tobacco Mosque in Dresden, Germany, by the citys main railway line, is a fascinating structure. The impressive building with a 60-feet-high glazed dome and minarets stands out from the otherwise Baroque architecture found in Dresdens historic old town. But despite its appearance, the building is not a mosque; its a former tobacco and cigarette factory. The building was built between 1907 and 1909 by Jewish entrepreneur Hugo Zietz, who founded the Yenidze Tobacco and Cigarette Factory in the late 19th century. The company was named Yenidze after the Ottoman town in Western Thrace from which the tobacco was imported. This town is currently called Genisea and is located in modern Greece. Credit: Jorg Blobelt/Wikimedia Initially, Zietz had difficulties acquiring permit for the construction of the factory because of architectural restrictions on building factories in Dresden's town center at the time. So, in 1907 he hired architect Martin Hammitzsch to help him bend the rules. Hammitzsch designed the factory after the Mamluk tombs in the Cairo Necropolis, using red and grey granite blocks to recreate the stripes of ablaq masonry commonly used in traditional Islamic architecture. The resulting structure looked like a mosque with tall minarets, which were actually chimneys. The Yenidze's remarkable design stood in stark contrast to Dresden's iconic Baroque architecture, which led to significant disapproval initially. Martin Hammitzsch was even excluded from the chamber of architects as a result of his draft for the Yenidze. But when Zietz threatened to pull his business out of the city, the authorities relented. Related: Dampfmaschinenhaus: A Mosque Shaped Pump House in Potsdam The building was completed two years later, with the illuminated words Salem Aleikum (peace be upon you) in Arabic emblazoned on its side to greet train passengers commuting between Prague and Berlin. The factory's "Salem Aleikum" and "Salem Gold" cigarette brands quickly became popular with smokers all over Germany. However, the Yenidze Tobacco and Cigarette Factory didnt exist for too long. Just 15 years after the factory opened, the business was sold to the Reemtsma group which operated until 1953, after which the building was abandoned. During World War 2, the building narrowly escaped destruction. In the 1990s, the building was renovated and reopened as an office facility in 1996. A restaurant was established inside the glazed dome that provides a 360 degree view of the city. Credit: QCA7/Wikimedia Credit: Alex DROP/Flickr Credit: Jorg Blobelt/Wikimedia Credit: VSchagow/Wikimedia Credit: Rene Venus/Wikimedia AI-generated music is making its presence known in the music industry, but the Recording Academy looks in the opposite direction. In a recent interview, the Academy made up its mind known regarding this kind of music. Will they make an appearance in various categories during the award shows, or will they take the back seat? This question might weigh down on the minds of lots of people looking forward to this years award ceremony. The past few months have brought a ton of AI-generated music to the internet, but Grammy will ignore these entries. From the interview, the Recording Academy makes it clear that they will only consider human creators for their award categories. From this decision, it is clear that the Academy is already setting a standard and guidelines to govern the use of AI in music production. Certainly, AI-based technology will shape lots of industries, including the music industry, and the Recording Academy recognizes this. But, by updating their requirements for music and performances to win awards, the academy is leveling the playing field. More information regarding the Grammys decision on AI-generated music From the Recording Academys decision regarding AI-generated music, it is clear that the focus is on human creativity. The entire creative process leading to the release of the song needs to be from a human. Songs written or produced by AI would not be considered in Grammy categories. However, songs that have AI influence in certain elements of the creative process might be considered. Performance categories of the Grammy Awards will also ignore AI-generated music performances and focus more on human creativity. If a song or performance was created or done by an AI model, hence lacking human creativity, the Recording Academy will not consider such entries. Advertisement For some reason, the Recording Academy will still accept AI-generated music and content submission. Possibly they will then evaluate these submissions to determine the level of human creativity before vetting them as being fit or not fit for consideration. Giving room for AI assistance in music creation shows that even the Recording Academy acknowledges the role AI will play in the music industry. In the coming future, the music industry might get to see some AI tools that might help them spice up their music and performances. However, these tools would not replace human creativity, but only improve the result of such creativity. Other music organizations and platforms are also fighting against AI-generated songs as they aim to push original content. Google is reportedly working on new branding for its Chromebooks called Chromebook X. The lineup consists of above-average models that target customers looking for a Chromebook with mid-level specifications at a reasonable price. Following the Covid outbreak and lockdowns, Chromebooks became immensely popular among students. Its estimated that nearly 20 million units will be sold in 2022. Despite complaints about the low life cycle of Chromebooks, the demand for these devices is expected to grow. Google Chromebooks now fail under two main categories: Plus Chromebooks and Premium Chromebooks. The latest report by 9to5google argues that the tech giant is working on Chromebook X models. The outlet continues that Google is in contact with manufacturers regarding the new tier, and the company itself will produce no Chromebook X. Google is preparing Chromebook X as new branding for its Chromebooks According to the latest speculations, Chromebook X models will land on a laptop/tablets chassis and carry an X symbol next to the Chromebook logo. The devices might also get a dedicated boot screen without a standard chromeOS logo. The hardware would be the main distinguishing point of Chromebook X. Chromebook users mostly complain about low-end hardware and the slowness of their devices. Google could address the issue by using four types of processors from Intel and AMD, including AMD Zen 2+ (Skyrim), AMD Zen 3 (Guybrush), and Intel Core 12th Gen (Brya & Nissa). The Intel Nissa is usually packed in under $400 Chromebooks and represents the companys N-series chips. This might lead us to the final price of Chromebook X models, which could be between $350 to $500. As the competition in this segment is quite intense, Google needs to give Chromebook X devices an overriding advantage, like an exceptional hardware pack. Advertisement Google might also add an exclusive set of features to Chromebook X models as a selling point. Since video conferencing could be a main feature, the device might land with a high-quality camera. As well as a bunch of other features. Including a built-in portrait blur effect, Live Caption, and voice isolation. The Chromebook X models might also launch with support for up to 16 virtual desks, Pinned (available offline) files from Google Drive, and a revamped retail demo mode. Google and manufacturers still remained tight-lipped about the Chromebook X launch time. Meanwhile, the end of this year is the most likely time to get our hands on the new Chromebook X models. A couple of months back, WhatsApp raised suspicions of spying on its users as many people reported noticing the app using their phones microphone even when not in use. Turns out an Android bug was erroneously pushing microphone usage alerts on Privacy Dashboard. The Meta-owned platform wasnt listening to you all the time, thankfully. Affected users can install the latest version of the app to stop this seemingly creepy behavior that isnt actually a problem. WhatsApp users have been reporting this untriggered microphone usage problem since at least March this year. Their Android phones Privacy Dashboard showed that the app is continuously using the microphone for several minutes in quick succession. Thats despite the app not running in the background (removed from recent apps), let alone being used actively in the foreground. An update for the messaging service fixed the issue for some but others were out of luck. Needless to say, this was a major privacy concern. After remaining mum for a few weeks, WhatsApp said in early May that it was an Android bug that was incorrectly reporting microphone usage on Privacy Dashboard. The company assured users that the app isnt listening to them all the time. WhatsApp added that it has asked Google to investigate and remediate the problem. But not everyone may have come across its statement, so it was still a worry for them. Moreover, its always a privacy concern if your Android phone is showing alerts for untriggered microphone or camera usage, regardless of whether or not any app is actually using it. Thankfully, the latest update for WhatsApp stops those erroneous alerts. For added peace of mind, Google recently acknowledged that the issue was indeed caused by an Android bug. So you can rest assured that WhatsApp wasnt spying on you. Advertisement A recent Android bug affecting a limited number of WhatsApp users produced erroneous privacy indicators and notifications in the Android Privacy Dashboard. Users can now update their WhatsApp app to address this issue. We thank WhatsApp for their partnership and apologize Android Developers (@AndroidDev) June 21, 2023 Google didnt specify whether it has fixed the Android bug Interestingly, Google didnt specify whether it has fixed the bug in the Android Privacy Dashboard or worked on a resolution for WhatsApp triggering the bug to produce erroneous microphone usage alerts. All it said is that the bug affected a limited number of WhatsApp users, and the problem doesnt exist in the latest version of the app. Android expert Mishaal Rahman says there havent been any relevant patches in the source code for the May 2023 Google Play System Updates. Hopefully, the Android maker has patched the bug and there wont be similar issues with WhatsApp or any other app in the future. Google has released a series of new ads, and these are interesting, and a bit cringey at the same time. In these ads, the iPhone (presumably the 14 Pro) is Pixels jealous friend, basically. Apples iPhone is Pixels jealous friend in Googles new ads There are five ads here in total, and in each of them the Pixels features are highlighted, well, features the iPhone 14 Pro doesnt really have. Do note that the iPhone 14 Pro is not mentioned per se, but based on the design of the phone in the videos, its obvious where Google is going with this. Google is using the BestPhonesForever hashtag for these ads. The Plateau ad, for example, paints Apples device as a has been of sorts. As both devices are basically talking in these ads, the iPhone 14 Pro decided to share what hes feeling. He says that its not the same, as in its not the same when people show it to their friends. In one of the ads, the focus is mostly on the camera performance & features The ad continues as Apples device shows jealousy for the Pixel 7 Pros camera prowess, including image sharpness, astrophotography, 30x zoom, and so on. The Pixel also offers to unblur the iPhone 14 Pros pictures thanks to Photo Unblur feature, and so on. You can check out that ad below. Advertisement The other four ads are more focused on specific features. The first one aimed at several of them, and is also the longest out of the bunch. Towards the end of the article, youll see Seeing Stars, Sketchy Wi-Fi, Lifesaver, and Opening Up ads. In Seeing Stars, the two phones are looking at the starry sky, but the iPhone cant see everything the Pixel sees. Google is clearly throwing shade here. One of the ads focuses on VPN, while the other highlights reverse wireless charging The Sketchy Wi-Fi ad focuses on the Pixel 7 Pros built-in VPN function, while the LIfesaver ad paints the Pixel 7 Pro as a lifeguard of sorts. After the iPhone 14 Pro runs out of juice on the beach, the Pixel 7 Pro recharges it via reverse wireless charging feature, another feature the iPhone 14 Pro doesnt have. The last ad on the list is called Opening Up, and it stars the Pixel Fold instead of the Pixel 7 Pro. The Pixel Fold is Googles first foldable smartphone, while Apple still didnt release its own foldable offering. You can probably see where this is going. The iPhone SE 4 info has been all over the place for over half a year at this point. The latest piece of information claims that the iPhone SE 4 is coming, but that its launch got delayed again. The iPhone SE 4 launch gets delayed yet again, unsurprisingly Barclays analysts said, to MacRumors, that the phones 2024 launch window is unlikely. They say that the reason for that is Apples in-house 5G modem. That modem was supposed to debut inside the iPhone SE 4, and it still is, hence the delay. As some of you may know, Apple acquired Intels 5G modem division back in 2019. At some point since then, Apple has been trying to produce its own 5G modem, but things dont seem to be proceeding as expected. Apple most likely acquired Intels 5G modem division due to a public clash it had with Qualcomm back then. Qualcomm accused Apple of patent infringement. That has been settled a long time ago, but Apple is still working on its own 5G modems. The rumors have been all over the place, to put it mildly In any case, at the beginning of the article, I said that the iPhone SE 4 rumors have been all over the place. That could not be more true. Back in December last year, a report surfaced claiming that the iPhone SE 4 is not coming at all. Then, in February, a follow-up came, saying that the device will launch, but in 2024. After that, 2025 was mentioned as the launch year, and the latest rumor before this one claimed that the iPhone SE 4 is just a prototype for 5G modem testing, and that its not coming. Saying that the rumors are all over the place is an understatement. If you decide to put faith in the latest one, the one were talking about today, the iPhone SE 4 will become a reality, but not until 2025. The iPhone SE 3 launched with a very affordable price tag, but it came with a number of compromises, ranging from its dated design, to very poor battery life, to camera performance. With the iPhone SE 4, if it ever sees the light of day, Apple will update the design. It will no longer use the iPhone 8 chassis. The Pixel Tablet has officially released, but the official stylus and keyboard accessories are still nowhere to be found. Google hasnt confirmed these accessories were going to be launching for the new device. But rumors have been swirling for a little while now that both a stylus and a keyboard would be launching for the Pixel Tablet. Based on a recent report from Android Authority, it seems the company may actually be working on them. The evidence of these potential accessories was found within an app Google would use to showcase the Pixel Tablets features. The report states that the latest version of the retail demo app contained lines of code that reference both accessories. Suggesting Google does plan official release both at some point in the future. Of course these arent confirmations. Plans can always change, and theres any number of reasons that Google might decide to never offer these accessories to Pixel Tablet owners. And simple references in lines of code are far from actual proof that Google is working on these. The Pixel Tablet could still get third-party stylus and keyboard accessories Even if Google never releases these accessories on its own, theres always a chance a third-party company may do so. Especially given the usefulness each one possesses for owners. Still, official Google versions would probably be appreciated by those that own one. It is a tablet after all, and both a keyboard and a stylus would make it easier to interact with the device for various purposes. And its rare that Google doesnt put care into the accessories for its hardware. People often use their tablets for productivity and both accessories are essentially staples for that kind of usage. Even if not necessarily a requirement. The Pixel Tablet was launched this week and you can pick one up starting at $499. Its no secret that Amazons warehouse safety standards and employee working conditions have been a matter of concern for some time now. However, Amazon has now found itself in hot water, as the US Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is investigating the companys alleged warehouse safety practices. The letter sent by Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders accuses Amazon of prioritizing profits above all else, resulting in unsafe working environments for warehouse staff and inadequate access to medical care. Additionally, the letter highlights Amazons knowledge of these working conditions and intentional disregard for them, reflecting a corporate culture that treats employees as expendable. Furthermore, the letter references data from the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), a coalition of North American labor unions, which characterizes Amazons safety record as exceptionally hazardous. This is because, in the past year alone, warehouse workers experienced nearly 39,000 injuries, with 95% of them being severe enough to require time off work or modified duties. Moreover, Amazons warehouses reported a serious injury rate of 6.6 injuries per 100 workers, more than double the rate reported in non-Amazon warehouses. Amazons response In response to Sanders letter, Steve Kelly, an Amazon spokesperson, stated, Our critics can manipulate data to fit their narrative, but the truth is that weve made progress, as evident from our numbers. Since 2019, we have reduced our rate of recordable injuries across our global network by over 23%, and our Lost Time Incident Rate has decreased by 53%. These facts are easily verifiable by examining the data we report to OSHA. Despite the companys response, Sanders has demanded that CEO Jassy provide more information on Amazons rates of injury and employee turnover, as well as data regarding the companys on-site medical clinic called AMCARE, dating back to 2019. Additionally, he also seeks clarification on whether Amazon has conducted any internal or third-party investigations into the potential relationship between the pace of work in its warehouses and the prevalence or cost of injuries. Lastly, Amazon has until July 5 to respond to Sanders warehouse safety inquiries. In a letter to Meta, Google, and Twitter, US Senators have questioned the Big Tech abilities to fight misinformation ahead of the 2024 election after mass layoffs. The tech giants have reduced their headcounts due to economic slowdown and post-Covid corrections. These companies own the biggest online platforms and could significantly impact public opinion. The Senators now worry that mass layoffs might hinder the companies from fulfilling their commitment to combating misinformation. The layoffs also included members of content moderation teams who are responsible for dealing with false content on the platforms. Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Vermont Democratic Sen. Peter Welch, and Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin wrote the letter on Tuesday. They warned that the emergence of AI to mislead voters is particularly troubling. Big Tech layoffs could impact US 2024 Elections, Senators Says The tech companies are now facing one of the biggest exodus in their history. The problem for Big Tech is more considerable. Following the Elon Musk takeover, Twitter laid off nearly 80% of its staff, including content moderations and some engineering teams. Google parent company Alphabet also plans to reduce 12,000 of its headcounts as well as pause the construction of a new Campus in California. Likewise, Facebooks parent company Meta wants to eliminate 21,000 jobs over two rounds of layoffs. The impacted staff are said to get severance payments. It remains to be seen how this exodus could impact the US 2024 election. In a statement to CNN, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said, We remain focused on advancing our industry-leading integrity efforts and continue to invest in teams and technologies to protect our community including our efforts to prepare for elections around the world. Advertisement Ahead of the 2024 election, some platforms are changing their content moderation policies. For example, YouTube now allows users to question the validity of the 2020 election and say it was stolen. Senators also pointed out the Twitter content moderation Challenges after Musks takeover and his mass layoffs. Twitter, Meta, and Google CEO must respond to the letter by July 10. Senators asked CEOs how they prepare for the 2024 election and what their plans are to combat misinformation. Additionally, the companies need to clarify whether they need to hire content moderators and how they can battle AI-generated deepfakes in politics. The family of a British billionaire adventurer who died after the Titan submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion have paid tribute to their dedicated father. Hamish Harding was described as a guide, an inspiration, a support, and a living legend following the news of his death on Thursday. The US Coast Guard confirmed the tail cone of the deep-sea vessel was discovered around 1,600 ft from the bow of the Titanic wreckage during a press conference in Boston. Rear Admiral John Mauger said further debris was also found, in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland, that was consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. OceanGate Expeditions said its pilot and chief executive Stockton Rush along with Mr Harding and fellow UK citizens Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. In a short statement, Mr Hardings family said: He was one of a kind and we adored him. He was a passionate explorer whatever the terrain who lived his life for his family, his business and for the next adventure. What he achieved in his lifetime was truly remarkable and if we can take any small consolation from this tragedy, its that we lost him doing what he loved. The submersible vessel named Titan (OceanGate Expeditions) Mr Hardings family said his death has left a gap in our lives that can never be filled, and that they were united in grief with the families of the others who had died. We know that Hamish would have been immensely proud to see how nations, experts, industry colleagues and friends came together for the search and we extend our heartfelt thanks for all their efforts, they said. Shahzada Dawoods company paid tribute to him and his son after their deaths. In a statement, Engro Corporation, the Pakistani conglomerate that Mr Dawood was vice chairman of, said: With heavy hearts and great sadness, we grieve the loss of our vice chairman, Shahzada Dawood, and his beloved son, Suleman Dawood. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dawood family at this tragic time. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, colleagues, friends and all those around the world who grieve this unthinkable loss. Rear Admiral Mauger said there did not appear to be any connection between the underwater noises detected during the search and rescue mission and the location of the debris on the seafloor. This was a catastrophic implosion of the vessel which would have generated a significant broadband sound down there that the sonar buoys would have picked up, he said. Undersea expert Paul Hankin said five major pieces of debris helped to identify it as from the Titan submersible including the vessels nose cone and the front end bell of the pressure hull. (PA Graphics) According to court documents, safety concerns had previously been raised about the Titan submersible by a former employee of OceanGate. The filings said David Lochridge, OceanGates former director of marine operations, claimed wrongful dismissal after flagging worries about the companys alleged refusal to conduct critical, non-destructive testing of the experimental design. Court papers suggest Mr Lochridge identified numerous issues that posed serious safety concerns but he was allegedly met with hostility and denial of access to necessary documents before later being fired. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly described the update as tragic news and said the UK Government is closely supporting the British families affected. The White House said the families of those who died had been through a harrowing ordeal over the past few days, and we are keeping them in our thoughts and prayers. Clare Balding is due to front a new, feel-good Channel 5 series that will call on the nation to help find the UKs missing dogs. Lost Dogs: Live will encourage viewers to help track down lost pets and reunite them with their owners. Members of the public will be able to contact the programme to report sightings of dogs who have gone missing. Clare Baldings new series will encourage viewers to help track down lost pets and reunite them with their owners (Ian West/PA) Award-winning broadcaster, writer and dog-lover Balding will be joined by several roving reporters, including Michelle Ackerley, Dr Amir Khan, Storm Huntley, JB Gill, Radzi Chinyanganya and Rav Wilding. Each live episode will feature round-ups of missing dogs and found dogs from across the UK, with a call to action for viewers to get in touch if they have any useful information. In addition, expert individuals, groups and organisations will showcase the latest advice on how to keep dogs safe and showcase the modern tech being used to help find lost or stolen dogs. Our dogs are not just pets, theyre part of the family and if one goes missing, its a traumatic experience, said Balding. With Channel 5 leading the charge, Im looking forward to helping reunite owners with their dogs and to share tips on how to keep our animals safe. According to pet insurance company PetGuard, 40% of the public have had a pet go missing, and 60% of missing animals are never recovered. Balding will host three, 60-minute episodes of the show, which was commissioned by Kit Morey, commissioning editor, unscripted, Channel 5 and Paramount+. Were so very delighted to have Clare on board for what is such an important and heart-warming series for our viewers, Morey said. Im looking forward to seeing the emotional reunions of dogs with their families. There wont be a dry eye in the house. Lost Dogs: Live is executive produced by Pat Doyle at BBC Studios. The show is expected to air in July with further details on launch date to be revealed in due course. A debris field has been discovered within the search area for the missing Titan submersible. The US Coast Guard (USCG) said a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) made the discovery near the wreckage of the Titanic on Thursday. The hunt for the missing deep-sea vessel is still an active search and rescue mission after it lost communication on Sunday. (PA Graphics) According to reports, the debris found was that of the landing frame and cover of the missing submersible. The vessel was about 435 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada. USCG officials said they were evaluating the information following Thursdays debris discovery. A press conference will be held at the Coast Guard base in Boston to discuss the findings at 8pm UK time. Rear Admiral John Mauger, First Coast Guard District commander, and Captain Jamie Frederick, First Coast Guard District response coordinator, will lead the press conference. Founding member of the Board of Trustees of The Explorers Club, Hamish Harding, was on board the undersea craft, alongside UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, and OceanGates chief executive and founder Stockton Rush, as well as French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet. The USCG said the ROV that made the discovery was from the Canadian Horizon Arctic ship with the debris being found on the sea floor near the Titanic wreckage. David Mearns, a UK-based marine scientist and oceanographer who specialises in searching for shipwrecks and who is a friend of British billionaire Mr Harding who is aboard the missing craft, told Sky News and the BBC the debris is from Titan. Mr Mearns told Sky News he had been contacted by the president of The Explorers Club, which Mr Harding belongs to, saying: It was a landing frame and a rear cover from the submersible. The US Coast Guard said it was not commenting on what the debris consisted of. Assistance from the Royal Air Force (RAF) is due to arrive in St Johns on Thursday after it confirmed a request was received overnight for help with movement of additional commercial equipment. Two RAF planes, a C-17 Globemaster and A400 Atlas, departed RAF Lossiemouth in north-east Scotland on Thursday. Specialist equipment being loaded onto a Royal Air Force A400M Atlas aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth (RAF) A British submariner and equipment from a UK firm has been sent to help the search at the request of the US Coastguard, Downing Street said. Royal Navy submariner Lieutenant Commander Richard Kantharia, who was on exchange with the US Navy, has been seconded to the search and rescue team. OceanGate Expeditions estimated the oxygen supply on the 6.7m (22ft)-long vessel would last 96 hours, giving rescuers a deadline of around midday on Thursday. Experts said the chances of finding the sub and rescuing those inside was diminishing. Former Royal Navy submarine captain Ryan Ramsey told the PA news agency: The outlook is bleak, thats the only word for it as this tragic event unfolds and almost the closing stages of where this changes from rescue to a salvage mission. Titan is believed to be about 900 miles east and 400 miles south of Newfoundland. It is not known how deep the vessel is, with the seabed being around 3,800m from the surface. Extreme weather such as wildfires and droughts could trigger ecosystem collapse even if other, more significant environmental stresses are kept under control, according to a new study. A perfect storm of unsustainable land use, agricultural expansion, climate change and extreme weather bringing fires and floods are rapidly endangering natural systems, scientists said. Those extreme events could be enough to tip some systems into a spiral of collapse and bring forward their predicted occurrence by as much as 80%. The Amazon rainforest, for example, may collapse several decades before the time predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Using computer modelling, a UK research team looked at two lake and two forestry ecosystems, including the collapse of the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island, who are thought to have over-exploited the islands resources. The scientists ran their model over 70,000 times for each ecosystem, adjusting variables each time. Up to 15% of collapses occurred because of new stresses or extreme events, even if the main stress, like deforestation, was kept constant. Dr Gregory Cooper, from the University of Sheffields Institute for Sustainable Food and co-author of the study, said: All four of the ecological systems we looked at showed the same overall outcomes. This has potentially profound implications for our perception of future ecological risks. While it is not currently possible to predict how climate-induced tipping points and the effects of local human actions on ecosystems will connect, our findings show the potential for each to reinforce the other. Any increasing pressure on ecosystems will be exceedingly detrimental and could have dangerous consequences. Scientists are concerned that tipping points natural feedback loops that cause further global warming separately from human emissions could be triggered even if the Earths temperature is limited to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. Other studies have suggested there could be a 50-50 chance of triggering tipping points such as melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, tropical coral reef die-off and loss of the Barents sea ice at 1.5C. The Earth has already warmed by 1.2C with the remaining 1.5C expected to be crossed within the next few decades. Extreme climate events have been increasing since 1980 and continued warming will increase their number still further. The new study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, suggests they may be the final trigger that pushes these tipping points over the edge. Professor Simon Willcock, of Rothamsted and Bangor University who co-led the study, said: Over a fifth of ecosystems worldwide are in danger of collapsing. However, ongoing stresses and extreme events interact to accelerate rapid changes that may well be out of our control. Once these reach a tipping point, its too late. In the past two years, the world has come together around the climate and ecological crises through the UN climate change and biodiversity conferences. But we should remember that the causes of the crises are interlinked, that they have already collided, and that inaction over both may result in dire consequences. The IPCC has estimated that the Amazon may reach a tipping point sometime soon before the end of the century, but the current studys authors say drought and wildfires may damage the forests ability to produce its own rainfall, dry it out further and push it towards collapse much earlier. Professor John Dearing, of the University of Southampton and one of the co-authors, said: Previous studies of ecological tipping points suggest significant social and economic costs from the second half of the 21st century onwards. Our findings suggest the potential for these costs to occur much sooner. The pilot and four passengers of the missing Titan submersible are believed to be dead. OceanGate Expeditions said its pilot and chief executive Stockton Rush along with UK citizens Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet have sadly been lost. The US Coast Guard offered its deepest condolences to the families after the tail cone of the submersible was found around 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic wreckage. In a press conference, Rear Admiral John Mauger said further debris was consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. In a statement, OceanGate Expeditions said: These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Shahzada Dawood, Suleman Dawood, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Stockton Rush, and Hamish Harding (AP) Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. At the press conference in Boston, Rear Admiral Mauger said: This morning, an ROV, or remote operated vehicle from the vessel Horizon Arctic discovered the tail cone of the Titan submersible approximately 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor. The ROV subsequently found additional debris. In consultation with experts from within the unified command, the debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Upon this determination, we immediately notified the families. US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger (Steven Senne/AP) On behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them. And I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time. Asked what the prospects of recovering crew members were, Rear Admiral Mauger said: This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel. And so well continue to work and continue to search the area down there, but I dont have an answer for prospects at this time. Rear Admiral Mauger said there did not appear to be any connection between the underwater noises detected during the search and rescue mission and the location of the debris on the seafloor. This was a catastrophic implosion of the vessel which would have generated a significant broadband sound down there that the sonar buoys would have picked up, he said. Undersea expert Paul Hankin said five major pieces of debris helped to identify it as from the Titan submersible. He told reporters: We found five different major pieces of debris that told us that it was the remains of the Titan. The initial thing we found was the nose cone which was outside of the pressure hull. We then found a large debris field. Within that debris field we found the front end bell of the pressure hull. That was the first indication that there was a catastrophic event. (PA Graphics) He continued: Shortly thereafter we found a second smaller debris field. Within that debris field we found the other end of the pressure hull. We continue to map out the debris field, and as the admiral said, we will do the best we can to fully map out whats down there. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly described the update as tragic news and said the UK Government is closely supporting the British families affected. Pakistans Foreign Ministry offered its deepest condolences to the Dawood family and the families of other passengers. In a Twitter post, a spokesman said: We appreciate the multi-national efforts over the last several days in search of the vessel. Former Love Islander Kady McDermott says she does not want to waste any more time with the wrong people, as she made a surprise return to the ITV reality show. The 27-year-old first entered the villa as a bombshell during series two, and shocked fans with her arrival during Thursdays episode. She last competed on the show in 2016, finishing in third place with Scott Thomas. Major Bombshell Alert #LoveIsland legend Kady is returning to the Villa to find her future hubby, and she's got her eyes on Zachariah, Tyrique and Mitchel pic.twitter.com/TKE3p0qmGX Love Island (@LoveIsland) June 22, 2023 Speaking ahead of her dramatic re-entry, McDermott said she was still a fiery pocket rocket but was now looking for someone to start a family with. Not many people can say theyve been on Love Island, let alone have done it twice, she said. I think Im known from season 2 for being so chaotic. People always ask, Do you have regrets? expecting me to say yes, but I was so true to myself and I was 100% authentic. Ill still be like that now, but seven years on, I am more mature. Im still the fiery pocket rocket but I know what I want and what I dont want. On the type of partner she was looking for during her return to the dating show, she said: The next person Im with, I want that to be marriage and babies. I dont want to waste any more time with the wrong people so I think Ill be a lot pickier than what I was when I was previously in the Villa. McDermott added that she wanted a partner who acts mature and was a listener and the observer who was in touch with their emotions. I hate emotionally unavailable men, she said. I want someone thats really family orientated, like I am. I want someone loving, caring and trustworthy. Im just ready for the next chapter. Love Island continues on Friday at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX Tanaiste Micheal Martin has criticised protesters who were removed by gardai after interrupting his opening remarks to the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy in Cork. Mr Martin continued to speak to the audience at University College Cork as the demonstrators shouted slogans including: No to Nato. The minister accused the protesters from the Cork branch of the Connolly Youth Movement of attempting to shut down debate, which he characterised as undemocratic. Other demonstrators who interrupted the address were encouraged to leave or remain seated for the opportunity to engage in the debate. Tanaiste Micheal Martin continued his opening address amid the protests (Brian Lawless/PA) A short time later, gardai escorted out another man, Diarmad O Cadhla, who protested during the opening remarks of forum chairwoman Professor Dame Louise Richardson. His exit was immediately followed by interruptions from two other members of the audience including Cork City councillor Lorna Bogue. Prof Richardson described the event as participatory democracy with all its strength and weaknesses. We are not allowing disruptions of speeches, I have the floor at the moment, she said. There were further demonstrations from groups such as the Cork Neutrality League outside the university building hosting the first day of the forum. Professor Dame Louise Richardson is chairing the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy at University College Cork (Brian Lawless/PA) Prof Richardson moved the forum into the first discussion on the global security environment in the context of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to reporters a short time later, Mr Martin said disruption at the event had been anticipated. He said he believed in free speech but an attempt to shut down debate is not the right approach. A lot of what was said was incoherent, frankly, and not evidence-based. I think Ireland has a very proud record in international affairs. He said the rhetoric of the protests did not tally with the reality of how Irish foreign policy is conducted. The Government is not changing policy on military neutrality, weve said this repeatedly. But we do need to discuss the wider challenges coming, not just our way and across Europe. Mr Martin said he wanted to be far more transparent about participation in Pesco (Permanent Structured Cooperation) initiatives like maritime surveillance, airlifts and cyber security. MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace attended the conference (Brian Lawless/PA) The aim of the event is to build public understanding and generate discussions on foreign, security and defence policies. The Government said the forum, which also sits in Galway on Friday and Dublin on Monday and Tuesday, will include civilian and military experts and practitioners representing a breadth of experience and views. The triple-lock mechanism for foreign troop deployments and Irelands neutrality are expected to be examined as part of the conversations on foreign and defence policy. The schedule also included panels on the European situation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as discussions on threats to critical infrastructure. The Irish president had said Ireland is playing with fire in a drift towards Nato. In an interview with the Sunday Business Post, Michael D Higgins criticised the line-up of speakers at the forum, saying they comprised the admirals, the generals, the air force, the rest of it. Mr Higgins also referred to Prof Richardson as a person with a very large letter DBE (Dame Commander of the British Empire) after her name. Prof Richardson, Oxfords first woman vice-chancellor, was recognised in the UKs 2022 Queens Birthday Honours for services to higher education. Speaking to reporters at the end of the first day of proceedings, shes said she is an admirer of President Higgins. She characterised the statement as a throwaway remark and added the president had apologised fulsomely and graciously. As far as Im concerned the issue is closed. Opposition parties have also been critical of the Governments approach to the forum as well as the list of speakers. Matt Carthy, Sinn Fein spokesperson on foreign affairs and defence, told the forum that Irelands foreign policy should be based on ending conflict as opposed to participating in it. Sinn Fein spokesperson on foreign affairs and defence Matt Carthy was in the audience (Brian Lawless/PA) He had been invited to speak by Prof Richardson during the first panel discussion. The first panel consisted of senior consulting fellow of Chatham House Renata Dwan, emeritus professor at the European University Institute Brigid Laffan, Rusi director of international security Neil Melvin, and Concerns head of international advocacy Reiseal Ni Cheilleachair. Mr Carthy said: Military neutrality and independent foreign policies should not be framed as weaknesses on the part of Ireland, they should be seen as strengths that we should all be very proud of. During further contributions from the audience, Clare Daly MEP said Putins illegal invasion of Ukraine has accelerated a path towards militarism in Europe. Nobody seems to say that growing militarism actually leads to more wars, she said. Ms Daly, who was seated beside Mick Wallace MEP, said Russia is responsible for the invasion but it has to be explained in the context of Nato expansion. She said: I dont want to be used by Russia and I dont think thats going to happen but I dont want to be used by Nato either. The best contribution we can make, as a country that was formerly colonised, yet a mature western democracy, is to join countries where the majority of the worlds people live who have also experienced colonialism and say: You know what, we have to get together. Dr Melvin responded from the panel by saying the idea the war was about Nato expansion is a Russian propaganda line. This is not a Washington-driven grand strategy. The last 20 years has been often Nato being pulled into these countries by the agencies of the countries themselves because they feel vulnerable. Separately, former UN peacekeeper Edward Horgan criticised US troops passing through Shannon Airport. He said: This is not military neutrality, this is not neutrality of any sort in fact. Graeme Souness has praised a brave young girl who inspired him to raise more than 1.2 million for charity as the most special human being he has ever met. Speaking on the red carpet at the annual Pride of Scotland Awards in Edinburgh, Souness talked about his friend Isla Grist, a 14-year-old girl who lives with an agonising skin condition, who won the Teenager of Courage award for her bravery and service to charity. The youngster has recessive dystrophic Epidermolysis bullosa, a rare condition that causes painful, blistering skin, also known as butterfly skin. He said: This is a very emotional night. Ive known Isla for five years and shes the most special human being I think Ive ever come across. And thats not a throwaway line. She really is. What she goes through on a daily basis is unbearable for her. Brian Cox arrives for the Pride of Scotland Awards (Jane Barlow/PA) Despite her tough situation, Souness said Isla is more concerned about her parents and her sister than herself. He added: Shes smart and shes funny, shes forthright, and shes just a pleasure to be around, and were mates. She takes me out on every opportunity. Souness and Islas father, Andy, took part in a gruelling 21-mile swim across the English Channel to raise money for Debra, a charity that supports people with Epidermolysis bullosa the severe skin condition Isla has battled her entire life. Isla was handed her award by comedians and Pride of Scotland hosts Elaine C Smith and Sanjeev Singh Kohli. Several other Scots celebrities were in attendance, including Dougray Scott, Irvine Welsh and Brain Cox. Other winners this year include 10-year-old Jade Edward a quadruple amputee from Aberdeenshire who has defied all odds and become a talented young surfer, and siblings Grace and Harry Sinclair of Dunfermline, who have fundraised to help families coping with cancer. Speaking from the red carpet ahead of the award ceremony, co-host Kohli said: Literally just came up the red carpet there and there were a couple of kids behind me. They are buzzing, I am buzzing that they are buzzing this is their moment. He added: When you watch the news, I think you sometimes see the worst of humanity, and tonights about celebrating the best of humanity and Im here for it. Seasoned Glastonbury attendees and first-timers batted off initial bouts of poor weather as the world-famous festival returned. Heavy rain that fell intermittently on Worthy Farm throughout Wednesday did nothing to dampen the spirits to those arriving early for the festival. Thousands of campers have descended on the site already, with stages across the 900-acre site hosting world-class music stars as well as speeches by politicians, film screenings, theatre and circus performances until Sunday. Festival-goers arriving in Somerset on Thursday could experience travel disruption due to wet weather, but the skies are due to clear in the area before the music kicks off on Friday. Temperatures are set to remain warm at 22C on Thursday and highs of 26C are expected on Sunday for Sir Elton Johns headline performance. Those already in place said they had already experienced a whole week of weather on the first day, after the morning downpour was replaced with hot sunshine that rapidly interchanged with further torrential showers throughout the day. Emily Eavis opens the gates on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset (Yui Mok/PA) New-comers to the festival Kathy and Tony Sharp said they were ready to have a go and then suffer after coming along following rave reviews from their daughter. Our daughter came last year for the first time, so she came home and was raving, and its on Tonys bucket list, Mrs Sharp, 53, told the PA news agency. I think (her) experience made us more eager to try and get the tickets. The couple set off at midnight to get to the festival with their daughter, but were swiftly left to their own devices once they arrived. Bouts of heavy rain fell on Worthy Farm throughout Wednesday, as thousands of campers descended on the site (Yui Mok/PA) Glastonbury veterans offered advice to other campers, reminding them to drink plenty of water and to look after each other. Dave Lowe, 36, from Manchester, told PA: If youre camping here, make sure you bring ear plugs, because they start doing the sound tests pretty early, and thatll blow you out of your tent! Plenty of water, stay hydrated, have a good time and look after your neighbours, and look after each other. Wednesday June 21 also marks the Summer solstice the longest day of the year with Glastonburys own Stonehenge made out of vintage cars opening for attendees to observe the event. Heavy rain that fell intermittently on Worthy Farm throughout Wednesday did nothing to dampen the spirits to those arriving early for the festival (Yui Mok/PA) Sheffield rockers Arctic Monkeys are due to top the bill on Friday night on the Pyramid Stage, though their slot has been thrown into question over concerns for frontman Alex Turner, who has been suffering from acute laryngitis. Saturday night will see US rockers Guns N Roses headline, after the original line-up of Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan reunited in 2015. Lizzo will play immediately before and has joint headline billing on the line-up poster. Sir Eltons headline slot on Sunday night is expected to draw large crowds, as it marks the end of his scheduled farewell tour dates in the UK. Festival-goers at the Glastonbury Festival (Ben Birchall/PA) Asked how it felt to greet the crowd and open the festival on Wednesday, co-organiser Emily Eavis told PA that welcoming people in was her favourite moment. Organisers have urged festival-goers not to bring a number of items, with disposable vapes top on the list as they pollute the environment and can be hazardous at waste centres. Gazebos, non-biodegradable body glitter, disposable wipes, knives and anything made of glass are also all on the what not to bring list this year. Nigel Hayes, who was one of the first people to enter the grounds, said he and his sister Joanne Hayes had left London at 1.30am to get a prime spot in the queue. Emily Eavis said she loves welcoming people to Glastonbury (Yui Mok/PA) Glastonbury is all about the people, its a lovely vibe, its a lovely place to be, Mr Hayes, 42, told PA. Theres something for everyone. I always say no matter who you are, try it once if you can. Glastonbury festival 2023 event will run from June 21 to 25 at Worthy Farm in Somerset. James Cameron says he is struck by the similarity of the Titan submersible tragedy and the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. The Hollywood director said many in the deep submergence engineering community had been deeply concerned about the OceanGate Expeditions craft that was reported missing on Sunday. Cameron, who directed 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic, has designed and built similar submersibles and had himself visited the wreckage of the famous ocean liner 33 times. OceanGate announced on Thursday that the pilot and four passengers of the missing Titan submersible were believed to be dead. The tail cone was found around 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean in 1912. Speaking to ABC News about submersible engineering, Cameron said: This is a mature art and many people in the community were very concerned about the sub. A number of the top players in the deep submergence engineering community even wrote letters to the company, saying that what they were doing was too experimental to carry passengers and they needed to be certified. Titanic director James Cameron on the catastrophic implosion of Titan submersible: Im struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field." pic.twitter.com/vO8JkCXS5f ABC News (@ABC) June 22, 2023 So Im struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship, and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field on a moonless night and many people died as a result. For a very similar tragedy where warnings went unheeded to take place at the same exact site, with all the diving thats going on all around the world I think its just astonishing. Those on board Titan included OceanGate chief executive Stockton Rush, along with UK citizens Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Cameron said the loss of Mr Nargeolet, who he described as a legendary submersible dive pilot and a friend of 25 years, was surreal. For him to have died tragically in this way is almost impossible for me to process, the director told ABC. Kevin Clifton says he feels proud to have gained several new female role models in his life, after appearing on the BBCs Who Do You Think You Are? The former Strictly Come Dancing professional said he had always been interested in his identity, having felt like it was handed to me from an early age. Clifton, 40, was born into a family of dancers with sisters who also danced. He first appeared on the popular dancing competition in 2013, having previously worked as an assistant choreographer on the show. In 2018, he won the competition with TV presenter Stacey Dooley, and the pair announced their relationship in 2019. During his episode of Who Do You Think You Are? Clifton travelled to Canada in search of a woman known as Matooskie, who had been part of his family folklore. Kevin Clifton and his sister Joanna Clifton at a dance competition (Keith Clifton/PA) Speaking about his early years, he told the PA news agency: I feel like my whole sort of idea of myself was dancer Kevin is a dancer. Thats what he does. Thats what he is. He goes to dance competitions and dresses a certain way and plays the part of the dancer. Clifton said that as he got older he reached a stage in his 20s when he rebelled against his identity as a dancer and had tried to get as far away from it as possible. I didnt want to do dancing anymore I became a goth and grew my hair long and black eyeliner. Yeah, fingernails and all of that. I was like, No, Im this guy now. And then when Strictly Come Dancing happened, I sort of had to go back into being a dancer person again. He said that after turning 40, his profile as a northern dancer, which earned him the nickname Kevin from Grimsby from the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, had caused him to question who he was without all that. (When) Who do you think you are? got in touch I was like wow, that this is a real opportunity to, not necessarily to find out who I am, but to find out where Ive come from. During Cliftons episode, he traces his lineage back to an orphanage in the Canadian province of British Columbia, where his great, great grandmother Emma once lived. He discovered that his three-times great grandmother Grace had suffered abuse at the hands of her husband John. John, Grace and Emma family portrait (Royal British Colombia Museum/BBC/PA) Going back further he learned that he is related to an indigenous woman named Nancy, also known as Matooskie, his five-times great grandmother. He travelled to York Factory on the bank of the Hudson Bay, where his five-times great grandfather, John George McTavish had been a prominent fur trader. Clifton said he was overwhelmed after learning the news about Matooskie, and the very offensive language that had been used to describe her at the time. Its funny how it gets to you, he said. Because, you know, were talking about my great, great, great, great, great grandma, you know? (It was) years ago, but Ive suddenly become really defensive and protective of her. Its strange, I feel so connected to it that way and so sort of protective. He later added: I never imagined in my wildest dreams that wed get to this level of story and adventure in my family history. They call me Kevin from Grimsby, but Ive ended up in Canada and I dont want to leave. I dont want to leave this place. Ive discovered Matooskie here, and its like I feel this sort of emotional connection to this place. My dad told me a story, a rumour about an indigenous woman that may or may not be connected to our family, but what Ive discovered over these two weeks is that the truth behind that story is way, way more amazing than the rumour. Asked how he felt after filming the show, he told PA: My main thing, as I finished was, was I felt really proud, adding that it had helped put his own hardships in perspective. (Matooskie) just seemed like such a strong woman and, you know, as sort of silly as it is Im so far removed from her experience, I hope that even 1% of her resiliency and toughness is passed down through some generations into me. Now Ive got like, a new role model, or a few role models, actually, in these women. To go think of what they went through dont dont complain about having to get on stage right now. Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton (Ian West/PA) Because your life is blessed compared to what they had to go through, and they were tough. And also you wouldnt be here if you know if they hadnt got through it. Clifton shares a young daughter with Dooley, and said he could not wait for her to grow up and find out about her history through watching the programme. We found out that Stacy was pregnant just as I was about to start filming this, so that felt quite cool, he told PA. That we could go, you know, oh my god Im about to find out all this family history, just as were creating the next generation. Kevin Cliftons episode of Who Do You Think You Are? is available now on BBC iPlayer. The King has said it is crucially important to recognise the immeasurable difference the Windrush generation has made to Britain. His comments come in the foreword of a book which accompanies a display of portraits that celebrate the Windrush generation in the week marking the 75th anniversary of the crossing. The milestone is being marked with events across Britain, including a national commemoration service at Southwark Cathedral on Thursday. A scandal, which erupted in 2018, saw many British citizens, mostly from the Caribbean, denied access to healthcare and benefits and threatened with deportation despite having the right to live in the UK. The HMT Empire Windrush first docked in England on June 22 1948 at Tilbury Docks in Essex, bringing people from the Caribbean who answered Britains call to help fill post-war labour shortages. A series of 10 new portraits will go on public display for the first time on Thursday at the Palace of Holyroodhouse after being commissioned by Charles in 2022. Windrush: Portraits Of A Pioneering Generation honours the accomplishments of the Windrush generation and those that followed. In the foreword to the book accompanying the portraits, Charles said: History is, thankfully and finally, beginning to accord a rightful place to those men and women of the Windrush generation. The 10 portraits in this series, together with the tributes to other members of that indomitable generation, are a small way to honour their remarkable legacy. The King speaks to a guest during a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Windrush generation (Chris Jackson/PA) It is, I believe, crucially important that we should truly see and hear these pioneers who stepped off the Empire Windrush at Tilbury in June 1948 only a few months before I was born and those who followed over the decades, to recognise and celebrate the immeasurable difference that they, their children and their grandchildren have made to this country. He added: Those pioneers, who arrived in a land they had learned about from afar, left behind all that was familiar to them. Many served with distinction in the British Armed Forces during the Second World War, just as their fathers and grandfathers had in the First World War. Once in Britain, they worked hard, offering their skills to rebuild a country during peacetime and seeking opportunities to forge a better future for themselves and their families. When they arrived on our shores with little more than what they were able to carry with them, few could hardly have imagined then how they, and those that followed them, would make such a profound and permanent contribution to British life. The King held a reception at Buckingham Palace for members of the Windrush generation (Chris Jackson/PA) Charles said it is his sincere hope that the portrait project acts as a reminder that our society is woven from diverse threads, each comprising stories of remarkable courage and sacrifice, determination and strength. He added: Though drawn from different parts of the world, they collectively enrich the fabric of our national life and the remarkable tapestry of the Commonwealth. This year, as we honour the legacy and achievements of the Windrush generation, I dearly hope that we can continue to embrace differences, listen to each others stories, and learn from one anothers experiences. It is these stories that help light the path of progress and remind us of a fundamental truth: that though we might all be different, every individual, no matter their background, has something unique to contribute to our society in a way that strengthens us all. Last week, Charles hosted a Buckingham Palace reception where he met the 10 individuals whose faces have been immortalised in paint, and was given a special preview of the artworks marking the 75th anniversary. The sitters were selected by the Windrush Portraits Committee, appointed by Charles and chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin, along with Paulette Simpson, Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin and Rudolph Walker. The portraits, which were done by black artists personally selected by the King, will be displayed for two weeks on 500 billboards and 600 shopping centre screens across the UK. A fisherman who drowned after falling overboard was not wearing a life jacket, a report has found. Skipper John Wilson, 64, was alone on the Harriet J off the coast of the Scottish Borders when he fell into the water on the morning of August 28, 2021. A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report found he had probably become entangled in a chain weight in his fishing gear and was pulled through the open door for shooting fishing gear into the sea. The unmanned vessel motored away and shortly afterwards it passed close to another fishing boat, of which one of Mr Wilsons relatives was the skipper. It managed to manoeuvre alongside Harriet J, a 7.19-metre creel fishing vessel, so a crewman could board it and take control. He confirmed Mr Wilson was not on board and the alarm was raised. Following a search of the area, Mr Wilson was recovered unconscious from the water off Fast Castle Head at around 9am and airlifted to a hospital. He was declared dead at 9.55am. The MAIB report found Mr Wilson, from St Abbs, was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD), which may have improved his chances of survival had he had one on. It also found he was not wearing a personal locator beacon (PLB), and there were no effective barriers to separate him from the fishing gear on the vessels working deck. While our reports focus is the commercial fishing industry it is published during #DrowningPreventionWeek and so a timely reminder to be aware of any safety measures if entering the water, be it for leisure or unexpectedly.https://t.co/wwiDED49N8 MAIB (@maibgovuk) June 22, 2023 The report said: With no means to remotely stop the vessels engine, the skipper was unable to recover himself back on board given its speed of advance. The skippers chances of survival would have improved had he been wearing his PFD. The skipper was not carrying his PLB, the activation of which would have enabled the search and rescue teams to localise the search effort. The skippers post-mortem examination report found the immediate cause of his death was drowning, but it also referred to ischaemic heart disease as a contributory factor, noting the further strain on an already diseased heart may have potentially played a role in his death. The MAIB has made a recommendation to the Fishing Industry Safety Group, asking it to expedite the delivery of the outcomes of its working group on lone-operated fishing vessels, taking into account the work commissioned by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and industry body Seafish. Glastonbury Festivals resident newspaper is celebrating its 10th year in residence, with one member of the printing team saying people didnt used to know who we were now everybody knows about us. Since its launch in 2013, the Glastonbury Free Press has offered news from across the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset it is printed on site at the festival with a vintage five-tonne Heidelberg printing press, which itself turns 70 this year. Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis told the PA news agency: We like the idea of providing a newspaper its quite old school now, many people dont read newspapers anymore, but we produce this paper which is just entirely for the world that were in for these five days. Two editions one on Thursday and one on Sunday are produced at the festival every year, with up to 30,000 copies distributed across the site for festival-goes to enjoy. (It is) written by people from the festival, on the festival, during the festival, Adrian Manning, who leads the printing team of the Glastonbury Free Press, told PA. Its an interesting thing as well as being an information point. News from across Glastonbury Festival is printed onsite with a vintage five-tonne Heidelberg printing press (Tom Leese/PA) Its bigger than it used to be. People didnt used to know who we were now everybody knows about us. Chris Salmon, who has written for every edition of the Glastonbury Free Press since its inception in 2013, said its a wonderful thing. This is the 10th year from a sort of madcap idea of getting a vintage Heidelberg printer, and putting it in a field without really being sure how that was going to work, Mr Salmon told PA. Its a ridiculous thing that we literally put this 70-year-old Heidelberg press its such a beautiful machine in a tent in the theatre and circus area, and print the paper through the night and people can come and pick it up. Adrian Manning, who leads the printing team of the Glastonbury Free Press (Tom Leese/PA) The papers printing blocks are produced in Bristol before being transported to Somerset, where workers produced 30,000 copies with the 1953 press for Thursdays edition a process which can see them start printing at 8am in the morning and finish at around midnight. Articles in Thursdays paper ranged from DJ Eliza Roses top tips for debut ravers to a Q&A with Joe Wicks on what to expect from his Friday morning workout in the Theatre & Circus Field, as well as a piece from Pete Paphides, British journalist and broadcaster, delving into his 30 years of memories at Glastonbury to pick his favourite vantage points from across the site. During printing, many festival-goers come to watch the press on stage in its tent, where Glastonbury poster prints are sold and papers are distributed for free. The first papers come off the press just after midnight and theres always people buzzing around, Mr Salmon said. The printers are just legendary people, all of whom have been in printing all their lives, who are just amazing. You see people coming down who used to work in Fleet Street 50 years ago who are just so excited to see a Heidelberg and you get five and six-year-olds whose minds are being blown that this thing is kind of spewing out tens of thousands of copies of a newspaper. The Heidelberg printing press used to print the newspaper turns 70 this year (Tom Leese/PA) Mr Salmon added that he hopes the Glastonbury Free Press will be at the festival for a long time to come. Its just a lovely, uncynical, very Glastonbury thing, just trying to make the experience a bit more special, he said. A man has been extradited to the UK from Morocco to stand trial for murder over a shooting in Essex. Nana Oppong, 43, was arrested for allegedly trying to enter the North African country using a fake passport in September 2022. He had been travelling from Spain at the time, the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Robert Powell died after being shot outside a party near Harlow (Joe Giddens/PA) Oppong was sought after Robert Powell, 50, died after being shot eight times outside a party near Harlow, Essex, in the early hours of June 13 2020. He was escorted to the UK on Tuesday by an extradition team from the NCAs Joint International Crime Centre. Oppong, of Newham, east London, appeared before Chelmsford Magistrates Court in Essex on Wednesday charged with murder, grievous bodily harm (GBH) and possession of a firearm, the NCA said. He appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday, where he was remanded in custody, the NCA added. Oppong was also wanted by the Metropolitan Police Service following an investigation into his alleged use of encrypted messaging platform EncroChat. He is to face charges of conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to enable others to endanger life, conspiracy to possess firearms, conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering in separate proceedings. Robert Powell, 50, was shot eight times (Joe Giddens/PA) Steve Reynolds, NCA regional manager in Spain, said Oppong had been returned to the UK to face justice. Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings, of Essex Police, said: Oppongs arrest and extradition are the result of an excellent collaboration between Essex Police and our law enforcement colleagues around the world, and it doesnt stop there. Were working day and night to get justice for Roberts family and all those who have lost a loved one to violent crime. We wont stop until each and every suspect is located, questioned and ultimately brought before the courts. The UKs ambassador to Morocco Simon Martin said: The UK enjoys a very positive relationship with Morocco across many areas, including working in partnership to tackle serious organised crime. The return of this suspect to the UK to face trial on these serious charges is a tangible result of that partnership. I am grateful for the co-operation of our Moroccan partners. John Sheehan, head of extradition at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: The CPS extradition team has worked extensively with our partners the National Crime Agency, Essex Police, Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as well as our Moroccan counterparts in order to arrange for the return of Nana Oppong, so that he can face trial in our country. A three-year-old boy and his 11-year-old sister who were found dead with their parents at a flat in west London, had suffered multiple stab injuries and a knife wound to the heart, the Metropolitan Police said. The deaths of Maja Wlodarczyk, her brother Dawid Wlodarczyk and their mother Monika Wlodarczyk, 35, are being treated as murder, the force added. The family was found dead along with Monikas partner Michal Wlodarczyk, 39, at the flat in Staines Road, Bedfont, on June 16, after Majas school called police when she had not attended since June 12 and the family had not replied to messages. Post-mortem examinations have been carried out and the cause of death for Mrs Wlodarczyk was given as multiple sharp force injuries. The flat in Bedfont, Hounslow where the family was found dead (PA) The cause of death for Mr Wlodarczyk was given as sharp force injuries to the neck. The force said they are not able to provide further details on his death at this stage. Officers are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident, police added. It is not yet known on what date the family died. Inquests were opened and adjourned on Tuesday at West London Coroners Court. Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley, who is leading the investigation, said: Specialist detectives continue to investigate the circumstances which led to this tragic incident. We are continuing to support family members at this unimaginably difficult time, and we thank the local community for their understanding in recent days whilst we conducted enquiries at the scene. The situation remains that we are not currently seeking anybody else in connection with the incident. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to call 101, quoting reference 5135/16Jun, or via the online form at: mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS23V28-PO1. Scottish ministers must use Holyrood powers to mitigate the effects of the UK Governments Illegal Migration Bill, human rights activists have warned. The proposed legislation, currently making its way through the House of Lords, seeks to crack down on refugees entering the country illegally. A legal opinion from Kay Springham KC, on behalf of Scottish human rights organisations, said that while immigration is reserved, the Scottish Government must challenge the Bills encroachment on devolved legislation. Her assessment concluded the proposals would interfere with Scottish ministers ability to support trafficking survivors and unaccompanied child refugees. She said the proposals would cut across adult and child protection frameworks, potentially risking a two-tier system to protect victims. The research, conducted on behalf of Scotlands Children and Young Peoples Commissioner, JustRight Scotland and the Scottish Refugee Council, said a failure to act would risk breaching international human rights obligations. She urged First Minister Humza Yousaf to lead from the front to deliver an urgent, concrete and commensurate response. Nick Hobbs, acting Children and Young Peoples Commissioner for Scotland, said the report is a chance for the Scottish Government to show real leadership and for ministers and Scottish public bodies to make concrete commitments to mitigate the worst attacks on childrens rights that are in this Bill. He added: The UK Governments Illegal Migration Bill will create a two-tier approach which seeks to deny them access to protection and support under the Scottish trafficking, welfare and child protection systems. It must be resisted by the Scottish Government and public bodies to the fullest extent the law permits. Jen Ang, director of development and policy at JustRight Scotland, said Scottish ministers would be at immediate risk of breaching international human rights law if they fail to act to stem the significant harms threatened by the Bill. Scottish migration minister Emma Roddick said the Bill violates human rights obligations (PA) She added: We are urgently pressing for Scottish ministers, public authorities and civil society to identify and commit to concrete actions to challenge and mitigate the most harmful impacts of the Bill. Migration minister for the Scottish Government Emma Roddick said: We are absolutely clear in our opposition to the UK Governments proposed Illegal Migration Bill, which clearly violates human rights obligations and will push some of societys most vulnerable people deeper into exploitation and destitution. We want to protect people from the deeply harmful impacts of this Bill as far as possible within our devolved powers and budget, and this summit will bring together partners and experts to identify the most effective ways to do this. A Home Office spokeswoman said: The UK has a proud history of providing protection for those who genuinely need it through our safe and legal routes, offering safety and protection to over half a million men, women, and children. While we are committed to creating more routes to safety for vulnerable people across the globe, we must grip the rise in illegal migration and stop the boats. That is why we are introducing the Illegal Migration Bill, which will stop the boats by changing the law so that people who come to the UK illegally can be detained and then swiftly returned to a safe third country or their home country. Sir Keir Starmer has said he wants to consult Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, while not ruling out House of Lords roles for the former prime ministers to serve a Labour government. Speaking to Matt Chorley on Times Radio about Labours plans for the House of Lords, Sir Keir said he of course wants to talk to the Labour grandees about moving into government. On Wednesday it was revealed the party is planning to increase the number of Labour peers to push through policy if it forms a government, despite pledging to abolish the upper house in the first term of a Labour administration. Sir Keir said: There is a mismatch at the moment, weve got far less peers than the Conservatives and obviously weve got to get the business of government through, but this is not some developed plan, Ive not discussed it with anyone. Tony Blair hands Gordon Brown a 99 ice cream during a visit to a park (Peter Nicholls/PA) Asked by Chorley whether he wanted to tell Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to get in the house of Lords, do your bit, Sir Keir said: What I do want to do is take advice from people who know what theyre talking about. What Im trying to do is get the Labour party from a terrible election defeat in 2019, what will be 13 or 14 years in opposition, into government. So, do I want to talk to Tony Blair and to Gordon Brown, who were the last leaders that achieved that switch from opposition into government for a Labour party? Of course I do. Not actually about the substance of particular policies, but more about the framework, the approach, pace. So much has changed in 25 years that a policy discussion wouldnt be the right one, but it is about understanding how does a party go from years in opposition into power, hopefully and into government. On Wednesday Sir Keirs spokesperson said the party could introduce interim reforms before replacing the Lords with a new elected chamber in a first term. The spokesman said: Every government when they first come into power do not have a majority within the House of Lords because of the nature of the appointments process. And every government as a matter of custom and practice looks to make appointments to the House of Lords but its not something thats done in one fell swoop, its something that takes time and often takes more than a term in government for that to happen. Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to abolish the House of Lords (David Mirzoeff/PA) He said new Labour peers would be expected to back abolition, with the full details of the policy to be set out ahead of the next general election. There are currently 779 members in the Lords, with 263 Tory members and 174 Labour. Sir Keirs spokesman suggested reforms could take place before full abolition, such as getting rid of by-elections for the remaining hereditary peers. He said: There may be interim reforms along the way, Im not ruling that out. In December Sir Keir unveiled plans led by Gordon Brown to replace the Lords with a democratic assembly of nations and regions. He told BBC Breakfast: I think the House of Lords is indefensible. Anybody who looks at the House of Lords would struggle to say that it should be kept. So we want to abolish the House of Lords and replace it with an elected chamber that has a really strong mission. Tanaiste Micheal Martin said he is worried about third-level institutions not facilitating debates over fear of disruption on campuses. His comments came after the first day of the Governments Consultative Forum on International Security Policy at University College Cork was disrupted by protest. Speaking to reporters during a break in proceedings, Mr Martin said: To me, the very purpose of being a student is to be open to different views and different perspectives, but have that then in a respectful way. Anti-NATO protesters disrupted the opening address (PA/Brian Lawless) Thats something in terms of the future of our democracy that we need to protect. He added: Its not just cancel culture. I think its people with a particular viewpoint on the world saying nobody else can have another viewpoint. Reflecting on his own time as a student at University College Cork, Mr Martin said debate in the past listened to all views. He said: I think we need more of that is all Im saying. What worries me about protests of this kind is that many third-level institutions are now shying away from debate because theyre afraid of this kind of thing. Theyre afraid of disruption, afraid of trouble in the campus, so: Better that we dont have any debates. I mean, I worry about the campuses of today in the future. In my time, we had excited debates, angry debates, on the campus, but there were debates. In the modern era, you know, theres a tendency that in order to avoid any sort of potential trouble or disruptions lets not have any debate. Tanaiste Micheal Martin speaking to members of the media following the opening session of the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy (Brian Lawless/PA) Academic institutions should be the centrepiece of good evidence-based inquiry, good solid debates, and should be spaces where people can become more informed, get more insights and then formulate your own views. Asked about his reaction to the protests during the forum, the Tanaiste said he had anticipated some disruption. He criticised the demonstrators who were removed from the lecture hall by gardai. Im a democrat, I believe in free speech, I believe in peaceful protest as well. But I also believe that people should allow others speak. He later added: To try and shut down the debate is not the right approach. A teenager has been charged with murder after a 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death in London. A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on Thursday having been arrested on Wednesday. He is accused of fatally stabbing Khaled Saleh in Paddington on Monday. Two other teenage boys were also arrested on suspicion of murder. One remains in custody, while the other has been released on bail. Police cordoned off the area at St Marys Churchyard, Paddington Green (James Manning/PA) Mr Saleh was found with stab wounds in Paddington Green, central London, on Monday at around 1.41pm. Emergency services including an air ambulance rushed to the scene but despite the efforts of paramedics he was pronounced dead at 2.15pm, the Metropolitan Police said. His next of kin were being supported by specially trained officers. Police cordoned off the area at St Marys Churchyard, Paddington Green. City of Westminster College, which provides post-16 education and training, has a campus located on the edge of the green and a group of young people were seen in tears on the college steps on Monday afternoon. Mr Salehs cousin Lena Wessan told The Evening Standard: He was such a happy, funny boy always making people laugh. I was in school when my sister called me to tell me (he had been killed). I was screaming and crying in disbelief, I couldnt breathe, I couldnt talk, my heart shattered. He was a role model in the family, everybody looked up to him. His mother is really devastated. Khaled was very caring. He would do absolutely anything for his family, to protect them, make them happy and be there for them. He was a family boy, he really valued them more than anything. A teenager trapped on the missing Titan submersible is a student at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. Suleman Dawood, 19, is on board the vessel with his father Shahzada Dawood, 48, and three other men. The university confirmed on Thursday that the teenager is a student there. A spokesperson said: We are deeply concerned about Suleman, his father and the others involved in this incident. Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones and we continue to hope for a positive outcome. The submersible vessel went missing on Sunday on a voyage to visit the Titanic shipwreck and is now thought to have just hours of oxygen left. During First Ministers Questions at Holyrood on Thursday, Glasgow Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said her thoughts are with the teenager and his family. Sulemans father Shahzada Dawood is also on board the vessel (Engro Corporation/PA) She said: The young man on the Titan submersible is a student in Glasgow. Im sure that everyone here will join me in sharing their thoughts with him and his family at this unprecedented and difficult time. Shahzada Dawood, thought to live in Surbiton, south-west London, is vice-chairman of Pakistani conglomerate Engro Corporation, and a long-time adviser to the Kings charity Princes Trust International, with a focus on its work in Pakistan. An earlier statement from the family said Suleman Dawood is a big fan of science fiction literature and learning new things, with an interest in Rubiks Cube and playing volleyball. A fresh wave of rail strikes will be held next month in the deadlocked row over pay, jobs and conditions, it has been announced The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said 20,000 of its members at 14 train companies will walk out on July 20, 22 and 29. The Government hit back, accusing the union of targeting two iconic international sporting events by coinciding with the fourth and fifth Ashes Test and The Open golf championship. The RMT said train operators had failed to make a new pay offer to resolve the long-running dispute. The RMT said that despite repeated statements that it was willing to enter further negotiations, neither the rail operators nor the Government have asked it to any meetings. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry. My team of negotiators and I are available 24/7 for talks with the train operating companies and Government ministers. Yet quite incredibly neither party has made any attempt whatsoever to arrange any meetings or put forward a decent offer that can help us reach a negotiated solution. BREAKING@RMTunion members to strike for 3 days in July. 20,000 railway workers will walk out in July as part of the national rail dispute after train operators failed to make a new pay offer.#RailStrikes RMT (@RMTunion) June 22, 2023 The Government continues to shackle the companies and will not allow them to put forward a package that can settle this dispute. Our members have now voted three times to take strike action over the last 12 months the most recent of which coincided with having the full details of the substandard offer from the rail operators. They voted by 9-1 to renew their strike mandate and RMT will continue its industrial campaign until we reach a negotiated settlement on pay, working conditions and job security. A Department for Transport spokesman said: The RMT leaderships decision to call strikes targeting two iconic international sporting events, as children and families begin their summer holidays, will disrupt peoples plans across the country. After a year of industrial action, passengers and rail workers alike are growing tired of union bosses playing politics with their lives. Its high time the union leaders realised that strikes no longer have the impact they once did and are simply driving people away from the railway. Union leaders should do the right thing and give their members a chance to vote on these pay offers. (PA Graphics) A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: More strikes are totally unnecessary. After a year of industrial action all the RMT has achieved is losing their members more money than they would have received in the pay offers they refused to put out to a vote, despite having agreed the terms with the negotiators in the room. We have now made three offers that the RMT executive have blocked without a convincing explanation. We remain open to talks and we have said repeatedly that we want to give our people a pay rise, but until the union leadership and executive is united in what it wants and engages in good faith with the 30% shortfall in revenue the industry is continuing to grapple with post-Covid, it is difficult to move forward. Sadly our staff, our customers and the communities across the country which rely on a thriving railway are the ones that are suffering as a result. The strike announcement comes a year after the first RMT walkout. Union members in train companies walked out on June 21 last year. There have been a series of rail strikes since then, as well as industrial action by hundreds of thousands of other workers including nurses, junior doctors and teachers. Search efforts are intensifying with just hours remaining to save five people on a missing submersible before they run out of oxygen. The vessel, named Titan, lost communication with tour operators on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada. As of Wednesday afternoon it was thought just 20 hours of oxygen remained, meaning it would run out at some point on Thursday morning. The US coast guard has been leading an international rescue effort which was stepped up after underwater noises were heard on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, although experts have been unable to determine the cause of the sound. The area of the search has been expanded, with the surface search now about 10,000 square miles, and the sub-surface search about 2.5 miles deep. The submersible vessel Titan is used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic (OceanGate Expeditions/PA) The 6.7m (22ft)-long OceanGate Expeditions vessel, which has British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding on board, reportedly had a 96-hour oxygen supply in case of emergencies. Also in the undersea craft are UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, and OceanGates chief executive and founder Stockton Rush, reportedly with French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet. The coast guard had five surface vessels searching for Titan on Wednesday and they expected there to be 10 by Thursday, Captain Jamie Frederick said at a press conference on Wednesday. He added: What I can tell you is, were searching in the area where the noises were detected, and well continue to do so and we hope that when were able to get additional ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) which will be there in the morning, the intent will be to continue to search in those areas where the noises were detected, and if theyre continuing to be detected, and then put additional ROVs down on the last known position where the search was originally taking place. Asked whether the mission was changing to become a recovery search, he said: This is a search and rescue mission 100%, we are smack dab in the middle of search and rescue and will continue to put every available asset that we have in an effort to find the Titan and the crew members. Titan is believed to be about 900 miles east and 400 miles south of Newfoundland. It is not known how deep the vessel is, with the seabed being around 3,800m from the surface. Questions have been raised about the safety of the vessel after it emerged earlier in the week that a former employee of OceanGate had raised concerns over safety and quality control issues regarding the Titan to OceanGate executive management. David Lochridge, OceanGates former director of marine operations, claimed in an August 2018 court document that he was wrongfully fired after flagging worries about the companys alleged refusal to conduct critical, non-destructive testing of the experimental design. On Wednesday Kathleen Cosnett, a cousin of Mr Harding, 58, told the Telegraph that OceanGates eight-hour delay before contacting the authorities was far too long. She said: Its very frightening. It took so long for them to get going to rescue them, its far too long. I would have thought three hours would be the bare minimum. Sean Leet, co-founder and chairman of Horizon Maritime Services, which owns the Polar Prince mothership from which Titan launched, defended the company at a separate press conference on Wednesday. He said: OceanGate runs an extremely safe operation. Our full focus right now is getting that submersible located and getting those people brought back safely. Mr Leet praised how quickly specialist marine craft have been scrambled to help in the search for the missing vessel. He said: Ive been in the marine industry since a very young age and Ive never seen equipment of that nature move that quickly. The response from the US Coast Guard, the US military, the folks at the airport, the people here various companies were involved in the mobilisation, it was done flawlessly. Mr Leet also said they are very aware of the time sensitivity around this mission. And he said some of the equipment at the site of the search for the missing Titan vessel is certainly capable of reaching those depths where Titan is presumed to be. Scots author Irvine Welsh has announced the highly anticipated Trainspotting musical will launch in mid-2024. The renowned Scots writer is also releasing a new book in August alongside fellow authors John King and Alan Warner. The three authors released a joint-novella in 2020 named The Seal Club. Irvine Welsh arrives for the Pride of Scotland Awards at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA) He also confirmed a second season of his hit show, Crime, will be released next year. Speaking from the red carpet at the annual Pride of Scotland Awards, the actor said: Ive got a book out in August with John King and Alan Warner. Ive got season two of Crime coming out on ITVX in September, and Ive got the Trainspotting musical out in the middle of next year. Dougray Scott arrives for the Pride of Scotland Awards at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. Picture date: Thursday June 22, 2023. Actor Dougray Scott stars in Crime as detective Ray Lennox. The shows first season launched in 2021, and fans have been anticipating the release of season two. Scott, also present at the Pride of Scotland Awards, confirmed he has recently finished filming the show. He said: Ive just finished doing Crime, season 2, adding: Ive been filming Vigil since March, Ill finish that in July, then at the end of July I have a wee break, then Im going to do a couple of movies, kind of back to back. Two Royal Air Force (RAF) planes have taken off, transferring equipment and personnel as part of the UKs latest effort to assist with the hunt for the missing Titan submersible. A British submariner has also been seconded to the search and rescue team looking for the vessel, which went missing during a voyage to the Titanic wreck site. The C-17 Globemaster and A400M Atlas aircraft departed RAF Lossiemouth in north-east Scotland on Thursday to fly to St Johns in Canada. Specialist equipment being loaded onto a Royal Air Force A400M Atlas aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth (RAF/PA) A No 10 spokesman earlier said the C-17 aircraft will transport specialist commercial equipment provided by Channel Islands-based deep water specialists Magellan. Sources within the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the RAF received a request overnight for assistance with movement of additional commercial equipment. Squadron leader Simon Philips said: The RAF is always ready to support civilian authorities in emergency and humanitarian situations. We hope that the RAF contribution to the international rescue effort is of assistance. Royal Navy submariner Lieutenant Commander Richard Kantharia, who was on exchange with the US Navy, has been seconded to the search and rescue team. A No 10 spokesman said: At the request of US Coastguard, the UK has embedded a Royal Navy submariner to assist the search and rescue effort for the missing submarine. Lt Cdr Kantharia has significant knowledge of submarine warfare and dived operations and so he will obviously be bringing that experience to the search and rescue team. The MoD said he had been serving under the commander of the US Atlantic Submarine Fleet where he was supporting US naval operations and training. The government department added that he was seconded to the search in recognition of his experience and expertise. Downing Street said Lt Cdr Kantharia would be part of the Titan rescue efforts for as long as is required. The experienced submariner joined the mission on Tuesday evening in the US, the MoD confirmed. A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, asked whether the request for UK assistance should have come sooner, said: Weve always said we stand ready to provide any assistance required and that continues to be the case. The search and rescue efforts continue and we will look to support that in any way we can. Asked whether Mr Sunak planned to speak to the families of the British people onboard the missing submersible, the No 10 official said the Prime Ministers thoughts remain with them and that the Foreign Office is in constant contact with those affected. Rear Admiral John Mauger, of the US Coast Guard, told Sky News he is thrilled and pleased to have a UK submariner involved in the search operation to help teams understand the complex undersea environment. I really appreciate the support from UK submarine force, he added. A vandalised painting on a building in Glasgow which some had thought to be the work of Banksy will be removed after the council confirmed it is not genuine. Glasgow City Council told the PA news agency that an image painted on the side of a building off Buchanan Street of a rodent wearing a Union Jack hat and playing a drum, which has the words God save the King on it, will be removed. There had been wide speculation that the image was a Banksy due to his exhibition Cut And Run opening at the nearby Gallery of Modern Art (Goma) last week. The artwork was first spotted on Wednesday, but on Thursday blue paint had been sprayed on top of it. The artwork has now had blue paint sprayed on top of it (Jonny Holliday/PA) The artwork does not appear on Banksys official website, Pest Control, which catalogues all of the artists genuine work. A spokesman for the council said: This image will be removed. We understand that it is not by Banksy. Anyone who wants to be certain of viewing a true Banksy should head to the exhibition at Goma. Depute Lord Provost of Glasgow Christy Mearns had urged the council not to remove it. She tweeted on Wednesday: I flagged this to council and asked that it is not removed. Its a building in a very public space and its not affecting the building in any way. Scotlands First Minister has paid tribute to the unique and unparalleled contribution of Winnie Ewing after the death of the trailblazing SNP politician. Known famously as Madame Ecosse, 93-year-old former MP, MEP and MSP Winifred Margaret Ewing died on Wednesday. Flags at the Scottish Parliament, where two of her three children Fergus and Annabelle are MSPs, were lowered in tribute to her on Thursday. Described as a beloved icon of the Scottish independence movement, Mrs Ewing was perhaps best known for declaring Stop the world, Scotland wants to get on after her shock victory at the Hamilton by-election in 1967. That victory saw her become Scotlands first ever female parliamentarian. First Minister and SNP leader Humza Yousaf said he was heartbroken that we have lost a shining light of our party, as he sent his condolences to her family particularly her three children, Fergus, Annabelle and Terry. Holyrood lowered its flags as a mark of respect after the death of Winnie Ewing (Jane Barlow/PA) Mr Yousaf said: No words can truly capture the unique and unparalleled contribution that Winnie made to Scotland and Scottish politics. Her work over many decades including in the UK, European and Scottish parliaments shaped the modern nation we have today. Without Winnie without her breakthrough by-election victory in Hamilton in 1967, her dedication to the cause of Scottish independence, and her promotion of Scotlands interests in Europe over many years the SNP would never have achieved the success we have, and self-government for Scotland would never have become the priority it did. He described her as being a pioneer and a patriot, saying her death would be mourned across Scotland. In a statement announcing her death, her family described Mrs Ewing as being generally considered the most important Scottish politician of her generation. Winnie Ewing being sworn in at the Scottish Parliament in 1999 (Ben Curtis/PA) She was the first presiding officer of the reconvened Scottish Parliament in 1999, and the family said she had sparked the revival of the SNPs fortunes, which continue to this day, with her victory in the Hamilton by-election of 1967. She was surrounded by her family when she died, the statement added. Along with her three children, she is survived by grandchildren Natasha, Ciara, Jamie and Sophie. Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was heartbroken at the death of the beloved icon. She wrote on Twitter: I cant begin to convey the depth of gratitude I feel for the advice, wisdom, encouragement and inspiration Winnie gave me and so many others over the years. Mrs Ewing with Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon in 2005 (PA) Today Scotland has lost one of her foremost patriots and champions, (the SNP) and the independence movement have lost a beloved icon. Ms Sturgeons predecessor Alex Salmond also paid tribute to a courageous and loyal colleague. The Alba Party leader said: Many politicians adapt to the climate. Few make the political weather. Winnie Ewing was one of those. He praised her extraordinary ability, and added: Above all she was a Scottish patriot, indomitable in her approach and a courageous and loyal colleague. Former Scottish deputy first minister John Swinney told how Mrs Ewing had inspired generations who sought independence and gave everything she could to make it happen. Mrs Ewing at the SNP conference in 2003 (PA) He tweeted: I will never, ever forget her encouragement and her steadfast support. Sir George Reid, the last remaining member of the group of seven SNP MPs elected in February 1974 and of the 11 elected in October 1974, said: Winnie was a bonnie fechter, utterly committed to the cause of an independent Scotland in Europe. When the SNP was down, she stood up not least in June 1979 when, after the decimation of the party at Westminster in May, she immediately contested and won a seat in the European Parliament. That year she was a light in the darkness. Politics for Winnie was not a career. It was a vocation. Mrs Ewing was born in Glasgow in 1929 and gained a law degree from Glasgow University, before being elected to the UK Parliament. Despite losing the Hamilton seat at the next election in 1970, she was re-elected to Westminster in 1974 for Moray and Nairn, and retained her seat in the second election in October of the same year. She also served in the European Parliament, representing the Highlands and Islands after losing her Westminster seat in the 1979. She resigned as an MEP in 1999 to stand as a candidate for the new Scottish Parliament, representing the Highlands and Islands until 2003. Mrs Ewing was president of the SNP until 2005 when she stood down from elected office, however she remained an ardent supporter of the independence cause. Leading childrens doctors have asked the First Minister to take urgent action to stop what they consider is fast becoming a vaping epidemic among young people in Scotland. In an open letter to Humza Yousaf, respiratory paediatricians Dr Kenneth Macleod, Professor Steve Turner, Dr Ross Langley and Dr Jonathan Coutts highlighted their alarm at the widespread visibility and promotion of e-cigarettes. They say this has resulted in a rapid increase in childrens uptake and regular use of the products over the last two years, a trend they argue shows no sign of abating and risks damaging the lungs of the next generation. The clinicians stress the need for swift regulatory intervention as they said children who use e-cigarettes tend to go on to become regular consumers of products containing nicotine over the long term. Health experts have asked for an urgent meeting with First Minister Humza Yousaf to discuss their concerns over vaping (PA) Their letter says: It is vital that we do not sacrifice the lung health of the next generation by failing to recognise the consequences of their increased e-cigarette use and we therefore encourage you to take all actions possible to prevent damage to Scotlands health and wellbeing. We are calling on you to act now to halt what is a fast becoming a vaping epidemic in the adolescent population. We have particular concerns regarding the negative impacts of e-cigarette use on developing lungs (acute lung disease) and brains (increased addiction and adverse behavioural outcomes). Furthermore, we are concerned that long-term use of e-cigarettes will lead to serious disease outcomes in coming decades. The group has also expressed concerns about young people who vape being up to three times at greater risk of moving on to using regular tobacco products. They warn: In Australia, the vaping industry has exploited regulatory loopholes to flood the market with vaping devices attractive to children and young people. The first rise in youth smoking rates in 25 years has recently been reported. The respiratory experts have added their voices to calls from the non-smoking charity Ash Scotland for the Scottish Government to introduce measures to restrict the advertising and promotions of e-cigarettes. We strongly advocate that regulations to restrict the visibility and availability of recreational e-cigarettes are introduced without further delay to help curb the experimentation and regular use of these tobacco related products by children, they say. The group has now requested a meeting with the First Minister to discuss their concerns at the earliest opportunity. Sheila Duffy, chief executive of Ash Scotland, said: This call for immediate action by Scotlands leading respiratory paediatricians is loud and clear, and demands an urgent response by the First Minister and his Government. The Scottish Government has missed a series of opportunities to introduce robust restrictions on the advertising and promotion of recreational e-cigarettes for almost seven years now. The First Minister should instruct ministers to lay such measures for parliamentary approval as soon as MSPs return from summer recess to demonstrate his Government is serious about tackling this epidemic and aspires to reclaim Scotlands position as a leading public health nation. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: We are concerned by evidence of young people using e-cigarettes or vaping products, even just once. These age-restricted products should only be used as a cessation tool for adult smokers, not by children, young people and adult non-smokers. Trading Standards continue to work across Scotland to enforce the current legislation on these products. Our refreshed Tobacco Action Plan will be published in autumn and will include further action on under age vaping. Top: Aquaculture pens in Norway. Below: Tidals underwater camera system and machine perception tools at work capturing fish behaviors (Tidal) No water, no life. No blue, no green, said revered marine biologist Sylvia Earle in summing up the importance of the global ocean. The primary food source for half the planet, the ocean supplies the oxygen for every second breath we take. And yet it is humanitys dumping ground choked by trillions of pieces of plastic, harmful chemicals and waste run-off. Ninety per cent of the atmospheric heat caused by fossil-fuel emissions is absorbed by the ocean, triggering a cascade of dire consequences. Global sea surface temperatures in April and May 2023 were the highest on record for those months, the UK Met Office reported last week, while Antarctic sea ice is the lowest on record for this date by a wide margin. Warmer waters pack more energy into tropical storms, whipping them into increasingly destructive tempests. Excessive ocean warming has also depleted most of the worlds wild fishing stocks, an unfolding food crisis for a growing global population. But the ocean is one of humanitys more important natural allies in the face of the climate crisis. Marine industries could deliver one-fifth of emissions cuts needed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5C by 2050, according to the UN High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economyi, holding off more catastrophic climate impacts. It could also provide more sustainable food sources from fisheries, seaweed and aquaculture, feeding more people and cutting back on carbon-intensive, land-based food systems. Its time to shift from thinking of the ocean as a victim to seeing it as an essential part of solving global challenges, the panel said. Much of the ocean remains a mystery to us, while its depth and breadth make it incredibly difficult to harness potential on a grand scale. However, recent advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning show signs of overcoming those challenges. Five years ago Tidal, a project inside Alphabets invention lab known at the Moonshot Factory, began exploring how to boost aquaculture operations the rearing of marine species for consumption while protecting ocean health. Cameras have long been used by fish farmers but failed to give a detailed picture of what was happening at operations with millions of fish. The first trials of the system comprised of 360 degree-rotating cameras, sensors and machine perception tools were conducted in a kiddie pool at Googleplex, the headquarters of Google and parent company Alphabet in Mountain View, California. The next stop was Norway to test prototypes in harsh ocean environments from fjords inside the Arctic Circle to open waters of the North Sea. The system captured environmental data like water temperature and salinity along with eight billion underwater observations of Atlantic salmon. The data was then used to train AI into a de facto fish whisperer which can predict their needs. Our system separates signal from noise, Tidal Founder and CEO Neil Dave told The Independent. Our model looks at those scenes, and pulls insights from whats happening in the water, whether its fish behavior, feeding, health, or general growth trends. Aquaculture pens in Norway (Tidal) The Tidal system reads a range of features including mouth opening and closing, whether fish consume food pellets, vertical swimming, and rapid changes in direction. The data is processed in miliseconds by AI and the insights help with day-to-day decisions at fish farms such as how much feed to put in the water, or whether pests like sea lice need to be treated. In the long-run it not only keeps fish healthier but reduces food waste not only an environmental benefit but a huge financial boon for an industry where around 60 per cent of costs go on feed. Its a win-win for the environment as well as the business, Mr Dave said. Tidal recently partnered with Cognizant, a global services and IT consultancy company with expertise in ocean industries, to scale the technology and get it into the market. Today, tidal has around 600 devices floating off the Norwegian coast. Stig Martin Fiska, the Oslo-based head of Cognizant Ocean, believes Norway is an ideal testing ground due to its large fishing industry, and willingness to confront challenges head on. Norways aquaculture sector hasnt been able to grow more fish for 10 years, he said, so he was impressed by Tidals strategy of looking at the complex ecosystem as a whole and attacking the problem from the egg to filet. With this technology, were seeing signals that were able to produce more fish because its granular, live, intelligent, he told The Independent. Youre able to make smart decisions earlier. Mr Fiska said it was too early to speculate on how much the industrys carbon footprint could be cut by the new technology but that he had high hopes. 1- Camera and computer vision continuously collecting and interpreting images of fish; 2 - Environmental sensors collecting a mix of environmental data like temperature and salinity (Tidal) We hopefully not only get [emissions] down to zero, or even positive ... but hopefully were also helping the world to produce more sustainable food, he said. Mr Fiska said that while initially there had been a bit of scepticism and reluctance to share non-sensitive data needed for an AI system to work, the overall aquaculture industrys response was optimistic. I think most people are looking at this as is it finally happening? Ive been talking to industry players in shipping, aquaculture,and energy who thought this was something we would get 10 years ago. Now its mature, its proven. It isnt just about feeding fish. The Norwegian aquaculture project is viewed as the jumping off point for a number of industries in the Blue Economy shipping, offshore renewable energy, and carbon sequestration. In shipping, for example, AI could be used to analyze micro-weather systems, and optimize vessel speeds, reroute around port traffic and adjust arrival times to cut fuel use, and therefore greenhouse gas emissions. With more and more offshore wind farms being built, AI could play a role in monitoring impacts of construction on ocean ecosystems. Theres a lot of promise in these technologies to really help elevate what humans are capable of in the ocean, Mr Dave said. A fee on some Buffalo Wild Wings takeout bills has drawn online backlash and heated debate, months after a class action complaint was brought against the chicken chain. On June 21, Buffalo Wild Wings confirmed to TODAY.com that its 99-cent takeout fee was part of a "test" at certain locations but that test is now coming to an end. Several Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants have tested a take-out fee, which is disclosed to guests prior to purchase; however, we are ending the test and will have the fee removed by the end of this summer, a Buffalo Wild Wings spokesperson tells TODAY.com. The takeout fee on a customer's Buffalo Wild Wings order. (@r/mildlyinfuriating via Reddit) So ... how did we get here? Well, on July 13, 2022, a class action complaint was filed in the circuit court for Montgomery County, Maryland, alleging that Buffalo Wild Wings was conducting false and deceptive business practices over the takeout fee. Plaintiff Divane Pittman who currently resides in Lanham, Maryland filed the complaint on behalf of herself and hundreds of thousands of Buffalo Wild Wings customers affected by what the plaintiff claimed is misleading menu price disclosures. For Buffalo Wild Wings to surreptitiously inflate food prices with a later-added Takeout Service Fee is false and deceptive, reads the complaint. Buffalo Wild Wings is imposing a stealth price hike in the form of late-added fee, rather than charging a list price that reflects the actual cost to consumers of the food it sells. The complaint states that no other similar chain imposes a similar deception on its customers, calling Buffalo Wild Wings' takeout fee a double-edged deception. It argues that the fee is deceptive to consumers, who cant evaluate real price in real time until after theyve ordered, as well as to competitors, who also may not have access to final prices. Brown, Goldstein & Levy, who represent Pittman, did not immediately respond to TODAY.coms request for comment. As of now, the case has been transferred to the District of Maryland is currently in discovery. But in the months since the initial complaint was filed, other customers have taken to social media to express their dismay about Buffalo Wild Wings' takeout fee. Ive gone from living in a time when delivery was free to a time when I have to pay to pick up my own food, Reddit user u/ColdCruise posted on June 11 in the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit. In the viral post, the user included a screenshot of their receipt, which includes an order of one medium house sampler. Although the customers order was discounted as a result of a rewards points deal, they were surprised to see the addition of a $0.99 "takeout fee." The original poster added context in a comment, saying that the location they ordered from was a Buffalo Wild Wings Go store, a contactless version of the establishment. This is just a way to squeeze customers for extra profit. And u/ColdCruise is not alone in his frustration: Many other Redditors have complained about the chain's takeout fee. Hoping someone from corporate sees this and understands that theyve completely lost my business until they get rid of the disrespectful, insulting attempt at a quick cash grab in the form of the new takeout fee, wrote Reddit user u/SublimeDolphin. Im legitimately offended at how dumb your company must think I am, the customer added. Raise your menu prices if you have to, but dont pretend charging extra for to-go orders isnt a totally laughable concept. Lets charge people extra since theyre taking their food home instead of needing to be waited on and cleaned up after, wrote another Reddit user. Not gonna be long before you have to pay just to step out your front door, commented another Redditor. But there are some who have defended the fee. Yall dont realize the work cashiers do lol, yall complaining about tipping a dollar? Yall 100% dont work here, wrote one Redditor. Yall are so heated over a dollar fee, no one is making you eat there. Thats what they charge, take it or leave it lol, wrote another, to which someone else replied, Its the (principle). If you let this slide, it will become much worse. Back in March, another class action complaint was filed against Buffalo Wild Wings, alleging that it is conducting deceptive business practices over claims its boneless wings are actually just chicken nuggets. A federal judge dismissed the complaint on procedural grounds, but lawyers for the plaintiff say they intend to refile the complaint. When reached for comment at the time, a representative for the chicken chain directed us to the following tweet: Its true. Our boneless wings are all white meat chicken. Our hamburgers contain no ham. Our buffalo wings are 0% buffalo. Buffalo Wild Wings (@BWWings) March 13, 2023 Its true. Our boneless wings are all white meat chicken. Our hamburgers contain no ham. Our buffalo wings are 0% buffalo, tweeted Buffalo Wild Wings. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Sam Buttrey competes on Jeopardy! Masters on May 12. (Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC via Getty Images) Jeopardy! fans are relieved tonight that beloved contestant Sam Buttrey the one who's a dead ringer for Steve Martin is safe. One of his interviews from his appearances on last month's Tournament of Champions has resurfaced on TikTok. In it, the associate professor of operations research at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., explains that he had recently skipped a tour similar to the one with five people aboard that rescue crews continued to search for Wednesday night. "That's right, KJ," Buttrey said to host Ken Jennings on the show. "I have a friend who operates a company that will take you out to the wreck of the Titanic. So you go out in a boat, and then you go down in a submersible craft and tour the wreckage. It sounds like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but through a miracle of bad timing, my son John and daughter-in-law Caitlyn were getting married that weekend. I was very happy to go there. It was a beautiful wedding, and not a shred of regret in my life." This just in #jeopardy I looked into the titanic trip that king Sam Buttrey shared he passed on- it would appear that it was very likely through OceanGate. https://t.co/gb9rrfgMmv Darian Lusk (@eatpraylusk) June 21, 2023 Yeesh. I bet Sam from @Jeopardy definitely has no shred of regret now for his sons wedding. #OceanGatepic.twitter.com/IEyf0IZIn7 Noelle Marie (@noellemarie1221) June 21, 2023 Thank God we didnt lose Sam, hes a hell of a Jeopardy player Brian Smith (@SmithBrianA) June 21, 2023 Someone tell Sams son I said thank you for getting married #Jeopardy#TikTokhttps://t.co/3mOH5gO7hH chelsea (@chelscornforth) June 21, 2023 Buttrey made his Jeopardy! debut on the show in 2021, when he won the show's Professors Tournament. He was the second runner-up in the 2022 Tournament of Champions and placed sixth on Jeopardy! Masters, and he won fans over with his kind, affable manner. As for the people who did make the trip, the situation remains precarious. Officials for the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news conference Wednesday that a Canadian P-3 aircraft had detected underwater noises on Tuesday and Wednesday. Carl Hartsfield, the director of the Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, described the sounds as "banging noises." The submersible, named Titan, was launched June 18 by Canadian research vessel the Polar Prince, and never resurfaced. Titan was on its way to visit Titanic's wreckage site, where that ship infamously sank on April 15, 1912, leaving more than 1,500 people dead. The fascination with the ship has only grown over the years, fueling, among other things, James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster movie, a traveling exhibition of artifacts from the sunken ship and OceanGate. That's the private company which offers expeditions to see the wreckage up close for about $250,000. HONG KONG Thirty-one people were killed in an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China, officials said Thursday. The blast was caused by a gas leak and occurred around 8:40 p.m. Wednesday local time (8:40 a.m. ET) on a busy street in the city of Yinchuan, the capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, according to Xinhua, Chinas state-run news agency. Seven others were injured, one of them critically. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered all-out rescue and treatment of the injured and strengthened safety measures, Xinhua reported. Nine people, including the manager and other staff members, have been detained and the restaurants assets have been frozen, the agency said. The explosion took place on the eve of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival, a national holiday that is celebrated with sticky rice dumplings and races between boats of paddling teams. A massive cooking gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China killed dozens and injured some, Chinese authorities said Thursday. (Wang Peng / AP) Photos from the scene published by state media show firefighters working among debris outside the heavily damaged storefront and injured people being carried away on stretchers. Chinas Ministry of Emergency Management said in a social media post that search and rescue operations at the restaurant, Fuyang Barbecue, had ended early Thursday morning and that an investigation was underway. Explosions and other industrial accidents are not uncommon in China, where they are often attributed to corruption, efforts to save money and a lack of safety training and oversight. In January 2022, at least 16 people were killed by an explosion at an office canteen in the city of Chongqing that was also thought to have been caused by a gas leak. A June 2021 gas pipe explosion at a market in the central city of Shiyan killed 26 people, injured 138 and led to 11 arrests. In March 2019, 78 people were killed and 76 seriously injured in an explosion at a chemical plant in the eastern province of Jiangsu. In both cases, government officials accused companies of negligence. On Wednesday, 47 people who had been missing since a Feb. 24 coal mine collapse in Chinas Inner Mongolia region were pronounced dead, Xinhua reported, bringing the total number killed to 53. The Chinese government has treated safety concerns more urgently since 2015, when a series of explosions in the northern port city of Tianjin killed 173 people and injured hundreds more. Officials said they were set off by a blast at a warehouse that until two months earlier had been operating with an expired license for handling hazardous chemicals. Police are investigating after a powerful blast hit a building in Paris Wednesday injuring at least 24 people, prompting the evacuation of surrounding buildings and sending plumes of smoke into the air over the city. The cause of the explosion in rue Saint-Jacques in the citys 5th arrondissement, or district, was not immediately known but officials said a gas leak could be to blame. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told reporters a fire broke out after the explosion near the historic Val de Grace military hospital. The police chief described some of the injuries as being critical, but could not release additional details. Paris police were asking people to avoid the area. A police officer stands by damaged window as a rescue vehicle drives to a blaze Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in Paris. Firefighters fought a blaze on Paris' Left Bank that is sent smoke soaring over the domed Pantheon monument and prompted evacuation of buildings in the neighborhood, police said. Local media cited witnesses describing a large explosion preceding the fire, and saying that part of a building collapsed. It was not immediately known if any fatalities occurred. The facade of a building collapsed and emergency personnel were working to determine if anyone was inside it, the Associated Press reported. Police officers and rescue workers work at the site of a fire Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in Paris. A strong explosion hit a building in Paris' Left Bank on Wednesday, leaving four people injured and igniting a fire that sent smoke soaring over the domed Val de Grace monument and prompted the evacuation of buildings, police said. The cause of the blast was not immediately known. Ukraine dam explosion Evidence is growing that Russia blew up Kakhovka Dam: Ukraine updates 'Extremely violent' Nunez told the AP the explosion took place at the Paris American Academy, a private school founded in 1965 that offers teaching in fashion design, interior design, fine arts and creative writing. Florence Berthout, mayor of the 5th arrondissement, said the explosion took place at 5 p.m. local time and called blast "extremely violent." "All my thoughts go out to the victims and families," the mayor tweeted. Ce jour a 17h, une explosion a eu lieu rue St-Jacques. Je me suis rendue sur place afin de constater la situation aux cotes des @pompiersdeparis et de la @prefpolice. Toutes mes pensees vont aux victimes et aux familles. La @Mairie5Paris reste ouverte pour les riverains impactes. Florence Berthout (@FBerthout) June 21, 2023 The AP reported pieces of glass fell from buildings after the blast and the smell of smoke lingered in the air as firefighters attempted to get the fire under control. The area was cordoned off as "scores of emergency workers, police and soldiers" responded to the neighborhood to search for survivors and investigate. Firemen use a water canon as they fight a blaze Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in Paris. Firefighters fought a blaze on Paris' Left Bank that is sent smoke soaring over the domed Pantheon monument and prompted evacuation of buildings in the neighborhood, police said. Local media cited witnesses describing a large explosion preceding the fire, and saying that part of a building collapsed. Church fire update Massachusetts church hosted thrift shop, not Pride event, before fire | Fact check Possible gas leak to blame Officials from the district said the blast and fire may have started due to a gas leak. A probe has been opened into aggravated involuntary injury, a Paris prosecutor told the AP, and investigators are examining whether the explosion stemmed from a suspected violation of safety rules. This is a developing story. Contributing: Associated Press. Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Explosion in Paris injures dozens. Gas leak suspected in building. Theres plenty of beauty to find on Ulko-Tammio without the need for a phone (Annika Ruohonen) A beauty spot off the coast of Finland is encouraging visitors to put down their phones this summer in an effort to become what they believe will be the worlds first phone-free island. Those travelling to Ulko-Tammio, which is part of the Eastern Gulf national park, will be asked to keep smart devices in their pockets and take a break from social media. Instead, tourists are being encouraged to stop and genuinely enjoy the islands, said Mats Selin, from Visit Kotka-Hamina tourism board, which covers the island. We encourage visitors to put their phones away voluntarily and to focus their senses on nature rather than on their phones, said Joel Heino, from Parks and Wildlife Finland. This is a great initiative that could be implemented in other nature and recreational destinations, too. For those apprehensive about giving up their devices, the digital fasting is entirely voluntary the island has a fully functioning mobile network. Keep your eyes off the screen on this island (Annika Ruohonen) While sharing every moment of holidays has become standard practice for many, and idle moments are often filled by scrolling, there are benefits from taking breaks from social media. People are not meant to be glued to screens all the time. Even a short digital fast can be useful and improve our wellbeing and help relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression, said Terhi Mustonen, psychologist and programme manager of the limitless gaming and limitless social media programmes at the Sosped Foundation, a social welfare NGO. A study from before the pandemic found that almost half of families were planning a summer digital detox because they were concerned their children were spending too much time on gadgets. In the UK, Unplugged offers short breaks in boutique cabins where guests lock their phone in box for their stay. The rationale is that people would be happier and more productive if we dedicated time to going offline for a few days each year. Sari Castren, psychologist and research manager at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, said: Taking a short break from them means you have more time for new experiences. Id like to see more initiatives like this that promote digital fasting. For those who fancy going off-grid on Ulko-Tammio, expect hiking trails, a birdwatching tower that offers views over the national park, and plenty of wildlife. Visitors can stay overnight on the island either in tents or in a cabin. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R) endorsed former Vice President Mike Pence (R) for president in 2024, in a statement Wednesday, marking the highest-profile Republican endorsement Pences campaign has received to date. Holcomb praised Pence for his honesty, integrity, and for being allergic to personal scandal, in his statement. Holcomb served as Pences lieutenant governor in Indiana, before he left to serve as former President Trumps vice president. Holcomb succeeded him as governor. Ive known Mike Pence for decades. Throughout those years, hes remained as honest as the day is long. Never once has he sacrificed an ounce of integrity in service to our state and nation as Congressman, Governor, and Vice President, Holcomb said in a statement released Wednesday. Mikes long been known to be forthright on the issues of the day, convicted in thought, and a consistent messenger regarding Americas role, at home and abroad, as a powerful force for good. Hes experienced, allergic to personal scandal, and prepared to serve as our next President on day one, Holcomb added. As one Hoosier Governor to another, look forward to supporting him as the weeks and months ahead unfold. Pence issued a statement announcing the endorsement Wednesday. He thanked the Indiana governor for his support and touted their achievements while serving Indiana together. Karen and I are truly humbled by Governor Holcombs endorsement as we set out to make America stronger and more prosperous, Pence said in the statement. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage Governor Holcomb was a steadfast partner as we cut taxes, achieved record employment, expanded school choice, and stood for the right to life here in the Hoosier State, and I am grateful for his unwavering support, he added. Pence entered the race earlier this month at an event in Iowa. Pence has frequently polled in third place among 2024 Republican presidential primary candidates, behind Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). In a poll published Friday, Pence had eight percent support, compared to Trumps 59 percent, DeSantiss 14 percent and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haleys (R) four percent. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Marty Sohl Since Mexican novelist Laura Esquivels Like Water for Chocolate was first published in 1989, it has been translated into more than 30 languages and adapted into a cult-favorite film. Now, with Tony Awardwinning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon at the helm, the best-selling novel sees its most ambitious adaptation yet: a ballet. Part of a co-production with the U.K.s Royal Ballet, which first premiered Like Water for Chocolate in London last summer, the commission opens American Ballet Theatres summer season this week, with performances taking place at New York Citys Metropolitan Opera House from June 22 to July 1. I saw the movie, actually, before I read the book, Wheeldon recalls. He was first introduced to the storya work of magical realismwhile dancing with the New York City Ballet in the early 90s. I had just moved to New York, and in an attempt to quash my homesickness, I would go to the movies on Sundays, the English choreographer says. I instantly became a fan, and for about 30 years, Ive thought about how I might bring it to the stage at some point. Given the complexity of the story it spans several decades and depicts the entire De la Garza family as it follows the forbidden love between Tita De la Garza and her neighbor PedroWheeldon decided he would need plenty of choreographic experience first. With an impressive resume of one-act ballets, full-length performances, and Broadway shows (including Tony Awards for choreography for An American in Paris and MJ The Musical, in 2015 and 2022, respectively), Wheeldon finally felt the timing was right. Both the Royal Ballet and ABT sought to take on the scale of the work, which, in addition to Wheeldons choreography, required commissioning a score, the designing and building of sets and costumes, and working with Esquivel to adapt the novel to the stage. Marty Sohl Marty Sohl The fruition of this ballet is between a two- and a three-year process from conception to putting it on stage, says ABTs artistic director, Susan Jaffe, herself a former principal dancer with the company for 22 years. New to the role in December 2022, Jaffe points out that Like Water for Chocolate was commissioned by her predecessor, Kevin McKenzie, but that it represents the direction in which she hopes to steer the company. Im thrilled that [Like Water for Chocolate] was written by a woman, and in the future, Im looking to bring more choreographic voices to the stage from women and artists of color, so that we are the preservers of the classics and also moving forward into our current time, she explains. But before getting started on Like Water for Chocolate, Wheeldon set off to Mexico for Esquivels blessing. It was very important to me going into this to know that I not only had Lauras support, but also her input, Wheeldon says, noting that his meeting with the author was arranged by longtime friend, Alondra de la Parra, a Mexican conductor who served as both musical and cultural consultant on the project (and who will conduct several of the Met performances). Laura is exactly the kind of magical, love-filled being that you would imagine would have written this tale, the choreographer says. Next, Wheeldon made a second visit to Esquivels home, this time with composer Joby Talbot and set and costume designer Bob Crowley both his frequent creative collaborators. Laura made us a recipe from the book for lunch, and sort of talked us through her inspiration; her family, her story behind the writing of this book, says Wheeldon. And she very generously agreed to help with the building of the synopsis, he adds. They worked together to make a few adjustments to the plot, including timing and added appearances from the cook (and Titas mentor), Nacha. Hearst Owned Hearst Owned Hearst Owned Honoring the Mexican culture so central to the novel was of equal importance to the team, and visiting Esquivel proved to be a crucial starting point for their creative research, particularly for Crowley. Laura lives in this extraordinary house, which could be in one of her books, recalls Crowley. She has this beautiful courtyard with tiles and flowers and Bougainvillea everywhere." While he studied Mexican architects like Luis Barragan and painters like Frida Kahlo, it was the Mexican landscape that he really honed in on recreating. For the scenery, that included working with Luke Halls on projections to illustrate different skies, such as the rolling clouds that often signal disaster ahead (as is the case when guests eat the cake that Tita is forced to prepare through tears for her sisters wedding to Pedro). And for the costumes, Crowley chose period designs with each character assigned various earthy colors. For me, costume both expresses the character, and at the same time, because there are no words here, what theyre wearing becomes information for the audience, he shares of wanting to give each character a distinct look. There was a lot of painting and hand-dyeing, so things look like the ochre is seeping from their hems upward. And then, theres the choreography, which sees Wheeldon adding his own cinematic touches to classical ballet steps. It is a story that was choreographed in its own language, describes Jaffe. The more I watched it, the more I understood how unusual it was that Christopher created this entire world. Choosing to forgo the use of traditional ballet mime to further the story, Wheeldon instead built the emotion into dance. Particularly, for Tita, there are many moments where I explored ways to sculpt the body to convey the broken emotion the anguish, the pain, the disappointment, he explains.Like Water for Chocolate is almost like a play without words, more than just a ballet, he adds. And so finding, in some cases, the simplest way to convey the deepest emotion was what became the challenge of putting this piece together. Rosalie O 'Connor Rosalie O 'Connor For the dancers, it proved to be its own exciting challenge on both technical and dramatic levels. There was so much material to learn, and on top of that, it requires a lot of really difficult partnering and lifting, says principal dancer Devon Teuscher, who will portray Tita (she is one of several dancers cast in the role). I dove into the story, she says of her early process, which began before heading into the studio. I read the book, then watched the movie, and just did all of the background work trying to wrap my head around who Tita was and the story itself before I went into the ballet. From there Teuscher and the company were given approximately one month to master the nearly three-hour ballet. We were in the studio from about 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. almost every day, which is actually more time than we get for a lot of other ballets, she says of the companys typical fast pace. (During this summer season at the Met, ABT will also perform three classical full-lengths Giselle, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet back-to-back.) After the initial rehearsal period, the ABT dancers went on tour, performing various works across the country before returning to Like Water for Chocolate. Chris has choreographed something where you can just live in the character, Teuscher says. For me, the biggest part of helping to tell the story is making sure that you and your characters are in it together; knowing when to take the backseat and knowing when its your turn to shine, she says. Its not just the principals that are telling the story; all of the characters have such featured moments and such important roles. You Might Also Like Summer's here, and you may well be making plans to hit the road. Well, whether your adventures will find you dashing through airport concourses, taking part in day-long sightseeing tours on foot, or just exploring your home state, a comfortable pair of sneakers is a must-have travel essential. And TikTok user @shescutesy seems to have found the perfect pair in the Dr. Scholls Time Off Sneaker, calling them literally the comfiest shoes shes ever worn in her life. The content creator said she walked 50,000 steps while visiting Barcelona in these cute kicks and didnt have any foot pain or get even a single blister while wearing them. These shoes made my whole European trip/ Honestly, 10/10, Id buy them in every color, she raved in the videos caption. Since posting the video just five days ago, it quickly went viral, racking up over 337,000 likes and a whopping 3.6 million views! Besides raving about how comfortable Time Off's are, she added: Also, they were cute, and that is not usually a part of the equation when it comes to foot comfort. In the video, she also described how versatile they were and that she was able to wear them with skirts, dresses, shorts and more. Are these the most aptly named kicks for summer, or what? (Photo: Amazon) The shoes themselves have an antimicrobial, anti-odor insole that prevents your feet from smelling while walking around on hot, sticky days. Plus, they have anatomical cushioning for added comfort and support and are lightweight so they wont weigh you down. The slip-on shoes have a small platform to give you a little boost and they are made with sustainably crafter materials, so you can feel good about your purchase. Hundreds of Amazon shoppers are fans of the cute and comfy kicks as well, with one raving I was skeptical as cute little sneakers usually arent the most supportive or comfortable, but these are amazing. They are so soft of the inside and extremely comfortable to walk around all day. The sole is thick but not excessively heavy. They are supportive without feeling wobbly. Another said the travel-ready sneakers were comfy straight out of the box with no break-in period. I traveled to Italy and wore these shoes the majority of the time. They were very comfortable, they said. There was one day I walked 36,000 steps (about 14 miles) and my hips and feet did not hurt. I wear a size 11 and have wide feet. They fit perfect and I did not wear them in before walking in them in Italy. Even people with foot ailments like plantar fasciitis love them! I wanted a cute shoe that would also be good for walking. This is perfect. I walked all around NYC, and they held up well and my feet never got sore. I have plantar fasciitis, and these helped so much compared to my other cute sneakers, wrote one. There are 10 colorways to choose from, and many options are on sale right now for as little as $70 depending on which style and size you choose. Snag a pair for yourself before your next trip while they are still marked down! If you have Amazon Prime, youll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.) The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication. Looking for more great Amazon style and beauty deals? Check these out: Beauty and wellness Style CANBERRA, Australia (AP) Australias online safety watchdog has issued a legal notice to Twitter demanding an explanation of what the social media giant is doing to tackle a surge in online hate since Tesla CEO Elon Musk bought the platform. Australias eSafety Commission describes itself as the worlds first government agency dedicated to keeping people safer online. The agency said Thursday that it received more complaints about online hate on Twitter in the past 12 months than any other platform and had received an increasing number of reports of serious online abuse since Musk took over the company in October. The Australian agencys boss, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, said she sent a notice to the San Francisco-based company Wednesday with 36 detailed questions on how Twitter's policies about hateful conduct are enforced. If Twitter does not respond with factual and truthful responses to all questions within 28 days, an Australian judge could fine the company up to 700,000 Australian dollars ($476,000) for every day of delay, Inman Grant said. The whole idea of the basic online safety expectations is that global companies like Twitter are enforcing their own policies and that theyve got people and technology to keep their platforms safe, Inman Grant said. They have a Hateful Conduct policy that says you may not directly attack other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, etc., and I want to know if fundamentally they are enforcing this policy and how effectively they are doing so, she added. Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. The eSafety notice followed Musk's announcement in November that he was granting amnesty for suspended accounts. This led to 62,000 banned or suspended users being reinstated to the platform, including 75 accounts with more than 1 million followers each, eSafety said in a statement. Twitters global workforce had been slashed under Musk from 8,000 employees to 1,500, with trust and safety teams shed. Twitter had removed all public policy staff from Australia. Inman Grant said Indigenous Australians, disabled people and those who identify as LGBTQ+ experience online hate at double the rate of other Australians. A third of all reports into our office of online hate are coming from Twitter. Its been a huge surge since October '22 when Elon Musk took over," Inman Grant told Australian Broadcasting Corp. "Twitter has always been fiery in terms of discourse, but its turned into an absolute bin fire. A lot of the changes to the algorithms have made people feel like you see more toxicity, much more coarse discourse. But without lifting the hood and using these transparency powers, we really dont know whats happening and this is where were trying to get to the bottom of things, she added. Australians are not alone in their increasingly hostile experience with Twitter. American advocacy group GLAAD said last week that all major social media platforms do poorly at protecting LGBTQ+ users from hate speech and harassment. But Twitter was the worst. In its annual Social Media Safety Index, GLAAD gave Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter low or failing scores, saying the platforms dont do enough to keep their users safe. That said, most improved from a year ago. Twitter was the only exception. GLAADs scorecard called it the most dangerous platform for LGBTQ people and the only one that saw its scores decline from last year to 33% from 45% a year ago. British rights group Center for Countering Digital Hate found instances of racial slurs on Twitter soared immediately after Musk bought the company. A racial epithet used to attack Black people was found more than 26,000 times in the week following Musks takeover three times the average for 2022, the center found. The center also found users who pay for a Twitter Blue Check seemed to enjoy a level of impunity from the platforms rules on online hate. Inman Grant chairs the Global Online Safety Regulators Network, which was formed with British, Irish and Fijian online harms regulators in November to coordinate on online safety issues. Each of the 27 European Union states will soon have its own online harms regulator. Inman Grant said Australia was discussing with other national regulators sharing information and how they might take joint regulatory actions. We will be working with other governments to make sure that were shining a spotlight on these companies and getting them to improve their standards in doing the right thing, she said. By Andrew Osborn, Mike Collett-White LONDON (Reuters) -Azerbaijan's foreign minister has rejected a demand from Armenia to provide special security guarantees for some 120,000 ethnic Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave ahead of a new round of peace talks. Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, has been a source of conflict between the two Caucasus neighbours since the years leading up to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and between ethnic Armenians and Turkic Azeris for well over a century. After heavy fighting and a Russian-brokered ceasefire, Azerbaijan in 2020 took over areas that had been controlled by ethnic Armenians in and around the mountain enclave. The two sides have since been discussing a peace deal in which they would agree on borders, settle differences over the enclave, and unfreeze relations. In what looked like a breakthrough, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was quoted last month as saying Armenia did recognise that Karabakh was part of Azerbaijan, but wanted Baku to provide the guarantees for its ethnic Armenian population. In an interview with Reuters, however, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said such a guarantee was unnecessary, and the demand amounted to interference in Azerbaijan's affairs. "We don't accept such a precondition ... for a number of reasons," he said. "The most fundamental is the following: this is an internal, sovereign issue. The Azerbaijan constitution and a number of international conventions to which Azerbaijan is party provide all the necessary conditions in order to guarantee the rights of this population." He said ethnic Armenians could still use and be educated in their own language and preserve their culture if they integrated into Azeri society and state structures like other ethnic and religious minorities. 'SOME PROGRESS' Bayramov said there had been "some progress" in peace talks, and that Baku was keen to strike a deal, but also made comments that show how wide the gulf remains before he meets his Armenian counterpart for more talks in Washington next week: "Why did it take the Armenian prime minister two-and-a-half years (since the war ended) to say he actually recognised the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan?" Bayramov, who was in London to attend a conference about Ukraine's recovery, complained too about the continued presence of thousands of Armenian troops on Azeri territory. Moscow - which has peacekeepers on the ground - and Washington and the European Union are all trying separately to help ensure lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have fought two wars since the early 1990s and still have sporadic firefights. Pashinyan is under pressure at home to protect the rights of the ethnic Armenians living in the enclave as Baku pushes for ethnic Armenian government and military structures to be dissolved and the population to accept Azerbaijani passports. Tensions have been raised by Baku installing a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor - the only road that connects the enclave with Armenia - following months of disruption caused by people who called themselves Azerbaijani environmental activists. Baku says the checkpoint is necessary to prevent the smuggling of military supplies into the enclave and illegally-mined materials out. It denies Armenian allegations that it has imposed a blockade that makes life miserable for Karabakh's inhabitants. Ruben Vardanyan, a billionaire banker who was a top official in Karabakh's separatist government until February, on Thursday accused Baku of trying to "ethnically cleanse" the enclave by imposing what he called a goods and energy blockade - allegations that Azerbaijan denies. Bayramov said a peace deal was within reach if Armenia was ready to take certain steps. "If there is a will not only to make statements but do some practical steps, I think that potentially it's possible to reach an agreement even earlier than the end of the year," he said. "But if there's no real readiness ... then it might be later." (Reporting by Andrew Osborn and Mike Collett-WhiteAdditional reporting by Alexander Marrow Editing by Kevin Liffey) RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) A federal court sentenced Brazilian engineer Mario Marcelo Santoro to 27 years in prison on Thursday, after he confessed to the 2018 murder of former girlfriend Cecilia Haddad in Australia. Santoro, today in his mid 40s, was convicted of aggravated homicide, asphyxiation, femicide and concealment of a corpse. The seven-person jury in the Rio de Janeiro made of six women and one man delivered its decision on Thursday morning. Santoros attorney said he will appeal. In April 2018, the body of Haddad, then 38, was found in the Lane Cove river in Sydney, Australia, a few miles from her apartment. By then, Santoro had already left the country and flown back to Brazil. Based on thousands of messages reviewed by Australian law enforcement and testimonies from friends and family members, Haddad had broken up with Santoro, but he refused to accept her decision. About 10 days before her death, Haddad had given Santoro an ultimatum, asking him to leave the apartment or else she would call the police, said Australian detective John Edwards, according to O Globo newspaper and other media outlets that attended the trial. At one point, Haddad had left her place to stay with some friends. Cellphone tracking placed Santoro at Haddad's apartment and by the river where her body was later found, O Globo reported. Sand and vegetation from that same area was also found in the victim's car, which Santoro was seen driving on images caught by security cameras. In testimony he delivered on Wednesday, Santoro acknowledged going to Haddad's house to retrieve his passport to catch his flight back to Brazil. He said they got into a fight and he grabbed her neck and squeezed really hard before she fell limp in his arms. Santoro, who otherwise appeared fairly relaxed during the trial's long and detailed testimonies, cried while confessing to Haddad's murder. The defendant only confessed in the jury room, after extensive evidentiary material had been produced against him," said federal judge Ian Legay Vermelho. In other words, he did not confess before the Australian police when he arrived in Brazil. He did not confess before the Brazilian investigators, nor before the judicial stages he had gone through up to that day. Before the ruling, Haddad's mother, wearing a white t-shirt with a photo of her daughter, told reporters that Santoro was not a human being but a monster, and that he belonged in jail. Tropical Storm Bret was beginning to weaken Thursday afternoon, with an estimated day or two left in its life span before it is expected to fizzle out in the open Caribbean sea. But right behind it is a new tropical depression, the fourth of the season. Its expected to strengthen into Tropical Storm Cindy in the next few days, but the projected course keeps it away from most land for now. As of the 8 p.m. Thursday update, the National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Brets maximum sustained winds held at 65 mph. It was headed toward the Leeward Islands at 16 miles per hour, and was about 60 miles west-northwest of Barbados and 55 miles southeast of St. Lucia. KNOW MORE: The Atlantic is definitely on fire: Unusually hot ocean sparks up early hurricane season St. Lucia was under a hurricane watch, in case Bret strengthens that last little bit, while other nearby islands were under tropical storm watches and warnings. Bret is expected to bring a few inches of rain, some high winds and rough surf to the Windward and Leeward Islands on Thursday and Friday. From there, the hurricane center expected Bret to head into open waters of the Caribbean and meet its end in the dry air and high, storm-shredding wind shear. The system was projected to be completely dissolved by Sunday. Tropical Storm Bret remained near hurricane strength as it edged toward the Lesser Antilles on Thursday. In line behind Bret on Thursday morning was tropical depression four, which is expected to power up into Tropical Storm Cindy as soon as Thursday night. The system is expected to slowly strengthen over the next three days before running into strong shear and cooler waters that would pump the brakes. The hurricane centers latest forecast puts Cindy on a track that steers clear of inhabited islands in the Caribbean, and drops the storm right into unfriendly conditions that could, by Tuesday, dissolve the storm back into a depression. As of the 5 p.m. update, the depression was holding steady with maximum sustained winds at 35 mph. Tropical depression four has maximum sustained winds around 35 mph and is expected to slowly build up in the next three days. Miami Herald reporter Devoun Cetoute contributed to this report. LOS ANGELES (AP) A California man has been found guilty of illegally importing an ancient mosaic from Syria, federal prosecutors said. Mohamad Yassin Alcharihi, 56, of Palmdale, was convicted by a jury Wednesday on one count of entry of falsely classified goods, the U.S. attorney's office said in a news release. The mosaic, which depicts a tale from mythology in which Hercules rescues Prometheus, dates to the Roman Empire, prosecutors said. Authorities believe it was looted from war-torn Syria. According to prosecutors, Alcharihi purchased the mosaic for $12,000 and falsely classified its value and quality when it was imported through the Port of Long Beach, California. It arrived as part of a container shipment from Turkey that was declared as ceramic tiles worth less than $600. The approximately 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) mosaic was trucked to Alcharihi's home, where federal agents seized it from his garage in 2016. Alcharihi had paid $40,000 to restore the mosaic and a government appraisal expert valued it at $450,000, the U.S. attorneys office said. Alcharihi faces up to two years in prison. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Aug. 31. MATADOR, Texas At least four people have been killed, and nine others were injured when a tornado ripped through the town of Matador, Texas, Wednesday evening, according to local officials. According to Derek Delgado, the Public Information Officer with Lubbock Fire Rescue, everyone is currently accounted for, and search and rescue efforts resumed at first light Thursday morning. Initially, 10 people were reported to be injured, but one of the tornado victims died at the hospital, bringing the total number of injured to nine. This is now the deadliest tornado in Texas since the deadly Dallas County tornado in 2015, according to the National Weather Service. "Coming in last night from Lubbock, coming in from the south, you really had to pass everything in order to get to where all the command post vehicles were," Delgado said on FOX Weather Thursday morning. "It was truly something Ive never seen in my career, just the amount of emergency crews from around the state that have come together to help this town is truly remarkable." But also, Delgado continued, the emotional toll of what took place is something that will affect residents well into the future. "These peoples livelihoods, we had a restaurant, you know, completely torn apart. We had doors broken down, residences, you know, demolished," he said. "Its truly devastating, especially with a town this size." Texas Gov. Greg on Thursday updated the state's disaster declaration to include Matador and other Texas communities that were impacted by severe weather and tornadoes that caused significant damage to homes and businesses. "There is no force more powerful than Texans helping Texans, and this updated disaster declaration will help the State of Texas swiftly respond to communities devastated by last nights severe weather and tornadoes in West Texas," Abbott said in a statement. "I ask all Texans to join Cecilia and me as we pray for the Matador community and families who tragically lost a loved one during last nights horrific storm. I thank all of our brave first responders and emergency response personnel who are working to help their fellow Texans navigate the aftermath of this severe weather event." Matador has a population of around 571 and is located about 60 miles east-northeast of Lubbock in northwestern Texas. Much of Matador remains without power due to the severe weather that rolled through Texas and the Plains on Wednesday. Severe thunderstorms also rolled through the Houston metro area, where there were reports of tree damage and widespread power outages. A record 97-mph wind gust was also measured at Houston's Intercontinental Airport. "The town of Matador has experienced an unprecedented tornado bringing damaging winds to the town," Lubbock Fire Rescue said in a statement on Twitter. "Agencies from across the South Plains have assisted with search and rescue efforts. These agencies include police, fire and EMS. State resources have arrived to Matador to begin post-disaster operations, including damage assessment and final recovery efforts." In addition, Lubbock Fire Rescue said a cooling center has been opened in Matador because of the expected excessive heat on Thursday. Its been a deadly year for tornadoes in 2023, with the total number of tornado-related deaths surpassing the final count in 2022, and were only halfway through the year. The four killed in Matador on Wednesday brings the total number killed by tornadoes so far this year to 73. Eight of those were reported this past week alone, with three killed in Perryton, Texas, and one in Jasper County, Mississippi. Last year, 23 people were killed by tornadoes. By Bart Biesemans and Charlotte Van Campenhout UTRECHT (Reuters) - Katja and Ilia bought their French bulldog puppy Abby after being charmed by her scrunched-up good looks. Two years on, the overbreeding that created those characteristics had also led to breathing problems that required surgery. A new law under consideration in the Netherlands would outlaw possessing and advertising all pets with attributes proved to cause medical issues, such as overly short snouts, which animal rights activists say are cruel. The young couple became worried when Abby, whom they bought from a breeder as a three-month-old pup, appeared to have difficulty breathing and could not go on longer walks. "A dog is a friend, a part of the family. So I always worry when something happens with her health", Ilia said in an interview before Abby's operation. Dr. Gert ter Haar, a specialist in short-muzzled animals at the AniCura veterinary hospital, widened her nostrils and performed other procedures to improve her breathing. The operation was successful and Abby appeared to be breathing more easily, although follow-up appointments will be needed to track her condition. Dogs are being bred for their looks, but people tend to forget about their health, said Ter Haar, who recommended potential pet owners should consult a vet before buying. "Through breeding, to get to a dog the way people would like, the face has been reduced in length", he said. "The skull has become very crowded. All the things that have to fit inside are squished together." "That has a massive effect on the airways, but also on the eyes, on the teeth, on the ears, even on digestion. On many, many organs", Dr. Ter Haar said. Dr. Ter Haar said pugs and French bulldogs are mostly affected, although larger dogs such as boxers and chows can also suffer from overbreeding. Dutch Minister of Agriculture and Nature Piet Adema has drafted a legal change to ban harmful characteristics after a transitional period during which owners of overbred pets will be exempt. It is not clear yet how the law would be enforced or what the penalty would be. (Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Bart Biesemans; Editing by Anthony Deutsch and Barbara Lewis) By Joe Cash (Reuters) - China's Premier Li Qiang and dozens of world leaders will meet in Paris on Thursday and Friday to discuss ways to help low-income countries manage their debt burdens and free up funding for climate financing. As the world's largest bilateral creditor, China is central to talks on making tangible progress in providing debt relief to Zambia, Chad, Ethiopia and Ghana through the Group of 20-led "Common Framework." WHAT IS THE COMMON FRAMEWORK? The Common Framework was set up by the G-20 in late 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as an initiative to expedite and simplify the process of getting indebted countries back onto their feet. The aim was to bring together big creditors like China and the traditional group of developed creditor nations, known as the Paris Club, to negotiate restructuring plans with defaulters. But nearly three years later, it is yet to provide any relief, partly due to disagreements between the rich countries and China, which over the past decade has emerged as a major international creditor. WHAT IS CHINA'S POSITION ON DEBT RESTRUCTURING? China wants multilateral lenders like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank to absorb some of the losses, which those institutions and many developed nations, notably the United States, are resisting. The U.S. and European governments have argued that acceding to Beijing's demand would be tantamount to a bailout for China. A case in point is Zambia, which owes $6 billion to China and has been locked in default for almost three years. The southern African country has been unable to secure further loans from the IMF because Beijing insists multilateral development lenders, which don't usually take haircuts, should participate in debt relief. The Common Framework requires debtor countries to secure restructuring assurances from any bilateral lenders first and commercial and multilateral lenders second - to Beijing's dismay. China continues to negotiate with debtor nations on a bilateral basis, urging that debt disposal be dealt with on a "case-by-case" basis despite the Common Framework's aim to standardise access to debt relief. China's central bank chief Yi Gang reiterated "China is willing to work with all parties to implement the Common Framework for debt disposal," at a gathering of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors at the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings in Washington in April. "Official bilateral loans related to China only account for less than 5% of Ghana's external debt," Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a press conference in Beijing in March, when asked whether China would agree to restructure the $1.9 billion Ghana owes it. "We call on multilateral financial institutions and commercial lenders, who are the main creditors for developing countries, to participate in developing countries' debt relief efforts," Mao said. WHY IS CHINA WILLING TO WRITE OFF SOME DEBTS BUT NOT OTHERS? In January, China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang announced a partial and undisclosed cancellation of the $13.7 billion that Ethiopia has borrowed from China since 2000 while visiting Addis Ababa. And last August, China waived 23 interest-free loans to 17 African states that had expired at the end of 2021. China's interest-free loans are funded from its foreign aid budget and are easier to waive. Interest-free loans account for less than 5% of the $843 billion in Chinese loan commitments to 165 governments globally between 2000 and 2017, according to AidData. WHAT SUPPORT IS CHINA OFFERING? In early May, China attended the first meeting of Sri Lanka's creditor nations only as an observer. Japan, India and France initiated the discussions despite China being Sri Lanka's largest bilateral lender, with the island nation owing Chinese lenders $7.4 billion at the end of 2021. In discussions over Ghana later in May, China took its involvement further and agreed to co-chair a committee of Ghana's official creditors alongside France. And in Zambia's case, "China has always taken Zambia's debt issues seriously and will jointly work for a better solution," according to Wang Wenbin, another Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson. WHAT NEXT? In Paris, analysts expect China to continue to voice support for the Common Framework but for debt relief to be dispensed "case-by-case". The last time global policymakers met to discuss the Common Framework in Washington, China proposed the IMF should speed up and improve information sharing on debt sustainability analyses. China will need more coaxing before it agrees to haircuts. (Reporting by Joe Cash; Editing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Shri Navaratnam) By Jarrett Renshaw (Reuters) -Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden met in Washington on Thursday and several agreements were to be announced to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries and highlight new private sector investments. The following is a roundup of the major announcements: VISAS The Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States. The State Department could announce as soon as Thursday that a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas will be able to renew those visas in the U.S. without having to travel abroad, one source said, part of a pilot program that could be expanded in coming years. The United States intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India is opening a new consulate in Seattle this year and will soon announce two new consulates in the United States. CHIPMAKER TO INVEST IN INDIA U.S. memory chip firm Micron Technology said on Thursday it would invest up to $825 million in a new chip assembly and test plant in Gujarat, its first factory in India. Micron said that with support from the Indian central government and from the state of Gujarat, the total investment in the plant will be $2.75 billion. Of that, 50% will come from the Indian central government and 20% from the state of Gujarat. U.S. semiconductor toolmaker Applied Materials (AMAT.O) will invest $400 million over four years in a new engineering center in India, the company said on Thursday. TRADE United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the two nations have agreed to terminate six outstanding disputes at the World Trade Organization. India also agreed to remove retaliatory tariffs, which it had imposed in response to the U.S. Section 232 national security measures on steel and aluminum, on U.S. products, including chickpeas and apples. CRITICAL MINERALS India joined the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), a US-led partnership to create critical energy minerals supply chains. India will join 12 other partner countries, plus the European Union. Indias Epsilon Carbon Limited will invest $650 million in a greenfield electric vehicle battery component factory, hiring over 500 employees over the course of five years. SOLAR POWER INVESTMENT A new venture backed by Indian solar panel maker Vikram Solar Ltd (VIKO.NS) said on Thursday it will invest up to $1.5 billion in the U.S. solar energy supply chain, beginning with a factory in Colorado next year. The newly formed company, VSK Energy LLC, will aid the U.S. push to build a clean energy manufacturing sector to compete with China. FIGHTER JETS General Electric's aerospace unit said on Thursday it has signed an agreement with India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to make fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force. The "historical" agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India and the engines will be used to power Tejas fighter jets, GE said. DRONES India's defense ministry has approved the procurement of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, sources told Reuters. India will buy 31 drones made by General Atomics worth slightly over $3 billion, one of the sources said. The deal was expected to be announced during Modi's visit, but was not included in a joint statement from India and the U.S. SPACE India agreed to join the U.S.-led Artemis Accords on space exploration and to work with NASA on a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. ADVANCED COMPUTING India and the United States established a Joint Indo-U.S. Quantum Coordination Mechanism to facilitate joint research between the public and private sectors across both countries. (Reporting By Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Heather Timmons and Grant McCool) By Jonathan Stempel NEW YORK (Reuters) -George Santos's father and aunt were identified on Thursday as the guarantors of the indicted U.S. representative's $500,000 bail, after Santos fought unsuccessfully to keep them anonymous. Gercino dos Santos and Elma Preven agreed to guarantee Santos' bail, after the first-term New York congressman pleaded not guilty last month to 13 criminal charges including fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds. George Santos and his lawyer had argued that releasing the names might subject his guarantors to the "media frenzy and hateful attacks" that the Republican congressman and his staff faced after news of his indictment surfaced on May 9. At least 11 media organizations had opposed anonymity for the guarantors, citing the public interest. The House of Representatives' Ethics Committee also wanted the names, to determine whether Santos violated congressional rules on gifts. Santos' relatives were identified after U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert in Central Islip, New York, in a decision made public on Thursday, upheld a magistrate judge's rejection of Santos' request that their names be kept under wraps. Seybert called it "disingenuous" to suggest that Santos' father and aunt might be endangered, noting that they came forward to offer help after the congressman's high-profile arraignment and expressed no concerns about guaranteeing bail. "Defendant's continued attempts to shield the identity of his suretors, notwithstanding the fact that he is aware their identities are not controversial, has simply created hysteria over what is, in actuality, a nonissue," the judge wrote. Santos, 34, had expressed a willingness to go to jail rather than release the names. Before being indicted, Santos became a lightning rod for criticism, with many Republican lawmakers calling for his resignation, after reports said he lied about much of his personal and professional background. Santos has since admitted to fabricating large parts of his biography. He announced in April that he would seek reelection in November 2024. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Alistair Bell) A former FBI analyst has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for keeping classified documents at her Kansas City-area home. Kendra Kingsbury, 50, pleaded guilty in October to two counts of unlawfully retaining documents related to national defense. She was sentenced Wednesday to three years and 10 months in prison. As an intelligence analyst in the FBI's Kansas City, Missouri, office, Kingsbury had a high-level security clearance that gave her access to national defense and classified information. She worked in that role from 2004 to Dec. 15, 2017. During her plea hearing, she admitted that she took 386 classified documents and kept them in her home in North Kansas City, Missouri. She also admitted that she retained and destroyed other classified and/or national defense information, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release. She kept the documents on hard drives, compact discs and other storage media. The information she took included documents classified at the secret level, some of which included U.S. efforts related to counterterrorism, details on specific FBI investigations, and sensitive operations in national security investigations and the FBI's technical capabilities, the release said. She also kept documents from another government agency that described intelligence sources and methods related to efforts to collect intelligence on terrorist groups, as well information on activities of emerging terrorists, federal prosecutors said. An investigation into how Kingsbury may have used the documents revealed more questions and concerns than answers, according to the release. The investigation found that a number of suspicious calls to and from numbers associated with counterterrorism investigations, the release said, but Kingsbury has declined to say why she contacted those individuals. In a court document submitted before the sentencing, Kingsbury's attorneys asked that she be sentenced to probation. Although the document does not indicate a motive for Kingsbury's actions, her attorneys note that she self-reported having taken the documents, had no previous criminal record and successfully met all legal requirements while on pre-trial release. Her attorneys say Kingsbury had several serious medical and family issues that began shortly after she started working for the FBI, and has experienced public embarrassment and employment difficulties since she was fired from the agency. She most recently lived in Garden City, Kansas, where she was a single mother and the caretaker for her elderly mom. By Borja Suarez ARGUINEGUIN, Spain (Reuters) - A total of 227 migrants were rescued on Thursday near Spain's Canary Islands, emergency services said, one day after migrant charities said they feared more than 30 migrants had died after their inflatable dinghy sank on the same route. The Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa have become the main destination for migrants trying to reach Spain, with a much smaller number also seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the Spanish mainland. Summer is the busiest period for all attempted crossings. Spanish officials said on Wednesday that the bodies of a child and a man had been recovered and a Moroccan patrol boat had previously rescued 24 people on a dinghy that was sinking. Migration-focused organisations said 59 people had been on the vessel and at least 30 were missing, and criticised Spain and Morocco for not intervening earlier. Canary Islands officials said on Thursday that during the night emergency services had assisted 114 migrants in two boats. A total of 53 people were taken to Lanzarote, while 61 migrants, including a baby and his mother who were taken to hospital, went to Gran Canaria. TV footage showed some of the migrants covered in red blankets arriving at Arguineguin port in Gran Canaria and rescuers helping a toddler and other arrivals to disembark. On Thursday morning a third boat was spotted by the coastguards and taken to Lanzarote with 54 people on board. They were in good health, the emergency services added. Later in the day, a rescue boat with 59 migrants on board arrived to Arguineguin. TV footage showed three children among the passengers. The Atlantic migration route, one of the deadliest in the world, is typically used by migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. At least 559 people - including 22 children - died in 2022 in attempts to reach the Canary Islands, according to data from the U.N.'s International Organisation for Migration. RISE IN ARRIVALS There has been a rise in arrivals in the Canary Islands this month. "Numbers were falling so far this year, but there was an increase this month that surprised everybody. Only in June, close to 2,000 people have arrived," said Canary Islands migration lawyer Loueila Mint El Mamy. A source working in a migrant camp on one of the Canary Islands told Reuters they had received around 1,000 new arrivals in the past few days, compared with 100 in the same period last year. Better weather conditions during the early summer could have brought forward the migration season that has previously taken place later in the year, a Spanish government source said. Spanish government data showed 5,914 people arrived in the Canary Islands between January and mid-June this year, a 31.5% drop compared with the same period last year. But around 41% arrived in just one month between May 15 and June 15. Meanwhile, in Italian waters in the Mediterranean, the Spanish rescue ship Aita Mari, belonging to the NGO Salvamento Maritimo Humanitario (SMH), said it took part in the rescue of 294 people from a migrant ship off the Italian island of Lampedusa on Thursday. SMH said a joint operation took place with the Nadir rescue vessel belonging to the NGO ResQship and the Italian coastguard to recover everyone onboard. (Reporting by Emma Pinedo, Corina Rodriguez and Inti Landauro; Writing by Emma Pinedo; Editing by Aislinn Laing, Frances Kerry and Alex Richardson) By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Group of Seven countries affirmed their unity and stressed the need for close coordination in dealing with China, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with G7 representatives in London. "The G7 noted the importance of close coordination on the PRC (People's Republic of China) and reaffirmed that the G7 is more united than ever," the State Department said in a statement. Blinken met representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union on the sidelines of a conference in London and briefed them on his meetings with leaders in China on a recent trip, the State Department said. Blinken's G7 meeting came a day after U.S. President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "dictator." China said that Biden's remarks, made at a fundraiser, were absurd and a provocation. Blinken recently completed a visit to China aimed at stabilizing relations between the U.S. and China that Beijing says are at their lowest point since formal ties were established in 1979. Blinken met Xi during his China trip, and they both agreed on Monday to stabilize the U.S.-China rivalry so it did not veer into conflict. While the visit did not yield breakthroughs, both sides agreed to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by U.S. officials in the coming weeks and months. Blinken, in his meeting with the G7, also discussed support for Ukraine amid Russia's invasion, according to the State Department. He met Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday and discussed the need for Ukraine to continue to implement reforms to establish an environment for investment, the State Department added. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Sandra Maler and Leslie Adler) THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) Greek authorities said they rescued 145 migrants found stranded Thursday on an islet on the river that runs along the northeastern land border with Turkey. Police said that the 70 men, 45 women and 30 children were all in good health and identified as Syrians or Kurds. Greek authorities launched the rescue after being alerted to the migrants' presence by a nongovernmental organization. The Evros River Meric in Turkish is a key crossing point for migrants coming through Turkey to seek a better life in the European Union. It's quite common for smuggling gangs to dump migrants on islets mid-river and flee, to avoid arrest by Greek authorities, and confusion over the precise location and ownership of the islets can lead to delays in their evacuation. Thousands of people also try to enter Greece by sea. On June 14, a battered fishing trawler carrying up to 750 people sank far off southwestern Greece, with only 104 survivors. The ship had left Libya for Italy, and Greece's coast guard has been widely criticized for failing to rescue the migrants before their vessel capsized and sank. ___ Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration SAN JUAN COMALAPA, Guatemala (AP) Just days away from electing a new president, many Guatemalans remain undecided, unimpressed by the leading candidates and even considering casting a protest vote to express their disapproval. Concerns about extortion and violent crime cross class lines, and rural and urban communities, perhaps explaining why candidates leading the polls are promising heavy-handed security tactics, including reinstating the death penalty or hammering criminal gangs into submission. The machinations of electoral authorities keeping some popular candidates out of the race and cancelling others drew headlines in the capital and expressions of concern abroad. But for the average Guatemalan the controversies surrounding the election are nowhere near as concerning as the rising cost of feeding their families and protecting their loved ones. Ahead of Sunday's election, the AP interviewed Guatemalans in rural San Juan Comalapa about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of the capital and in Chimaltenango, a chaotic city of 100,000, 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Guatemala City. These are some of their thoughts. ___ Maria Rosita Yoc Suruy is a 56-year-old homemaker from a hamlet called Cruz de Piedra, nestled in the mountains northwest of Guatemala City. On a recent day, she had taken a number of buses with her mother to a street market in larger San Juan Comalapa, a town of 30,000 inhabitants. Both women wore the traditional huipils brightly colored embroidered blouses as they rested in front of the towns main church with their bags of purchases beside them. Yoc Suruy, animated and chatty, said she planned to vote Sunday in the presidential race. Though she said she had not entirely decided, only one candidate's name came to mind: Zury Rios Sosa, the candidate for the far-right Valor party and daughter of the late dictator Jose Efrain Rios Montt. Keeping her family safe is a priority for Yoc Suruy. We need a new president who will be tough on crime because theres a lot of kidnapping, crime, killings and they rob a lot of people, Yoc Suruy said. She recalled her eldest son who works in a pharmacy coming home upset recently because an organized crime group had demanded $100 per week in extortion payments. She said her daughter was pickpocketed in a market. Yoc Suruy wants the next president to implement the death penalty in Guatemala, something Rios Sosa has pledged to do. Guatemalas highest court abolished the death penalty for civil crimes in 2017. ___ First grade teacher Ingrid Jhanet Simon Peren admits that with her 20-plus students to look after and a new baby at home she has not had enough time to learn much about all of the 22 candidates seeking Guatemalas presidency. The 39-year-old San Juan Comalapa native is mostly concerned by ever-rising prices for basic foodstuffs, Guatemalas deep inequality and a lack of jobs that could dim the future prospects of her rural students. The country is supposedly developing, but the truth is that its not like that, Simon Peren said. Theres a lot of crime, theres a lot of poverty and society is divided in different levels. Its always going to be that way if we, the people with limited resources, dont prepare ourselves to deeply understand our society, our economy and above all to study and know our countrys history. She did not always want to be a teacher. The youngest in her family, Simon Peren had wanted to be a secretary, but her older siblings warned her the job could be fleeting and suggested she either go into teaching or accounting. Simon Peren mentioned two candidates for the presidency: Rios Sosa and Sandra Torres, both of whom have sought the post before. She said a friend recently tried to convince her to support Torres, a former first lady who also has a conservative platform and an evangelical preacher for a running mate. The teacher said she was interested in Guatemala having its first female president, but needed to do more research before deciding her vote. Her choice would be someone who seeks the welfare (of all) and not the welfare of themselves. ___ Anibal Simon is worried about his countrys future. The soft-spoken 29-year-old call center worker cites a lack of investment in education, courses that havent kept up with a rapidly changing world and young people who study but give in to the conformism promoted in schools. They dont investigate why we have the problems we have, Simon said. Its like theyre all indifferent to the situation. So I think were to blame for being a poor country, for not being able to get ahead. Simon does not consider himself to be very political. Hes grateful for the remote call center job that allows him to work from rural San Juan Comalapa rather than making the arduous commute to the capital. He said he has been robbed and is unnerved by the level of crime. He said he was still deciding between two candidates. Bernardo Arevalo, candidate for the centrist Seed Movement, is the son of former President Juan Jose Arevalo Bermejo, Guatemalas first democratically elected president who served from 1945 to 1951, and was inspired by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelts progressive New Deal. The other candidate is Giovanni Reyes, a university professor and Fulbright scholar running for president with the conservative BIEN party. Simon said he believes the two mens proposals most closely track with Guatemalas reality. But at the end of the day, he says, a president isnt Superman; hes not the only one who makes changes. The changes start with us. ___ In the central square of Chimaltenango, a bustling department capital west of Guatemala City, Herbert Gudiel Pemech Estrada waited with a camera slung across his chest. Beside him stood a toy horse and a selection of gaudy sombreros for children to wear astride the spotted steed. The 30-year-old followed in his father's footsteps as a children's photographer. He remembers his dad bringing him along to work in the plaza since the age of 10. With only a few days before voters go the polls, Pemech Estrada was leaning toward casting a null vote, essentially a protest vote. Pemech Estrada wasn't impressed by any of the candidates leading the polls. He thinks the government party is also somehow manipulating the parties in this election and that real change will be unattainable through any of them. As a father of three, he worries about his children's future and whether they will be able to find jobs and stay out of trouble. But he said he was still wrestling with the decision. If you vote, youre contributing your grain of sand so that all of this stays the same, he said. North Carolinas 12-week abortion ban will see its first day in court next week almost two weeks after a lawsuit challenging the law was filed. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic and a North Carolina OB-GYN filed a lawsuit against the states abortion law June 16. The law, which restricts abortion access after 12 weeks in most cases, is slated to go into effect July 1. Now, the lawsuit will be heard in a federal court in Greensboro on June 28 by presiding District Judge Catherine Eagles, where she will consider issuing a temporary restraining order, which would block the law from taking effect. Its the first hearing in what is expected to be a prolonged court battle over the future of abortion access in the state. The lawsuit requested the court overturn various provisions, such as inconsistencies about when a physician can perform a medical abortion at 10 weeks or 12 weeks. The plaintiffs also raised issues with the bills 72-hour waiting period and what it called an unconstitutional hospitalization requirement for sexual assault or incest survivors to go to a hospital for an abortion after the 12-week period. Violations of the First Amendment were another point cited in the lawsuit, as physicians are seemingly barred from discussing out-of-state abortion options with patients. Seeking to remedy some of the same issues brought forward in the lawsuit, the N.C. Senate suddenly proposed an amendment to the abortion law Thursday. Among other changes, it would make the limits on medication abortion consistent at 12 weeks. Democrats said they were given little notice on the move, which left not much time to review the amendments content. Senate Bill 20, N.Cs 12-week abortion law, moved through both legislative chambers within 48 hours of the bill being introduced in May. The Republicans supermajority, ushered in by Mecklenburg County Rep. Trisha Cothams party switch, secured the vote to override Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers veto. GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) A high-ranking government official in the South American country of Guyana was arrested and is under investigation after being accused of raping an Indigenous teenager. Nigel Dharamlall, a senior Cabinet member who is minister of local government and regional development, rejected the accusations involving a 16-year-old girl from the remote western Essequibo region. All the allegations are denied, his attorney, Nigel Hughes, told reporters on Tuesday. Dharamlall, who interacts often with Indigenous communities given his job, was arrested Monday. He has since been released on bail and is required to report daily to detectives involved in the case. No charges have been filed. Police searched Dharamlall's home on Tuesday in the presence of his accuser. President Irfaan Ali placed him on leave as the investigation continues. Authorities have said the teenager asked to be released from the custody of her parents because ruling party officials allegedly pressured them to accept money as a settlement. Assistant Police Chief Wendell Blanhum said Wednesday that a file with the findings from the investigation would likely go to the state prosecutors office in the coming days to determine if enough evidence exists to charge Dharamlall. Civil society leaders, opposition politicians and human rights groups such as the Amerindian Peoples Association are following the case closely and have called for an impartial probe. To the victim, we commend you for your bravery in raising these allegations and wish that you will be free from fear and intimidation and that your security is not compromised, the association said in a statement. The National Toshaos Council, which is composed of leaders from Guyanas often marginalized Indigenous communities, called on authorities to establish an independent investigating body. The gravity of the allegations cannot be understated, the council said. They strike at the heart of trust and integrity within the government. TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - Honduras will return control of most of the country's penal system to the military police for the next year, the Central American country's presidential office said late on Wednesday, a day after a prison riot claimed nearly 50 lives. The measure is part of a fresh crackdown on crime which includes expanding a so-called state of exception suspending some constitutional rights to cover more territories over an extended time-frame, and a greater role for the armed forces in security efforts nationwide, the government said. Honduras will also turn islands hundreds of kilometers off the coast into a penal colony for "highly dangerous" gang leaders, the presidental office said. Castro had promised "drastic measures" to address the deaths at a women's prison, which she attributed to an organized attack by gang members conducted with guards' knowledge. Police said the clash took place when armed members of the Barrio 18 gang held back guards and attacked members of the rival Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). Both gangs, which have their origins in the United States, battle for control of drug trafficking and extortion rights, often clashing between themselves or with authorities. Tuesday's riot likely began in retaliation to recent government measures cracking down on corruption and gang control from within prison walls, authorities said. Castro's government sacked all members of the committee overseeing the earlier crackdown Wednesday evening. It also returned control of 21 of the country's 26 prisons to the military police. Castro, a leftist, had removed the military police from overseeing prisons when she took office in early 2022, handing power over to national police. Her office also expanded the state of exception to include additional areas of the country, a move which allows authorities to limit freedom of movement and assembly, as well as search homes and make arrests without a warrant. Human rights organizations have decried the state of exception, which follows a similar decision from El Salvador, where tens of thousands of alleged gang members have been jailed in the past year and a half. For the women remaining jailed at the prison where the riot broke out, Castro's government asked the judiciary reconsider detention for those yet to face trial and those with terminal illnesses. (Reporting by Gustavo Palencia; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Lincoln Feast.) WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden on Thursday pronounced the U.S.-India relationship never stronger and rolled out new business deals with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as human rights activists and American lawmakers questioned the administrations decision to honor the leader with a pomp-filled state visit. In a joint news conference with Modi, Biden called the relationship between the U.S. and India among the most consequential in the world and "more dynamic than at any time in history. He underscored how two of the worlds most powerful democracies were cooperating on issues such as the climate, health care and space, saying that the U.S-India economic relationship was booming. But Modi bristled at a reporter's question about his country's commitment to democratic values as the country has seen an erosion of religious, political and press freedoms under his watch. Democracy is our spirit, Modi, who rarely takes questions from journalists, said through an interpreter. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy and our ancestors have actually put words to this concept. He said India has proved that democracies can deliver and when I say deliver, this is regardless of class, creed, religion, gender." Yet Modi has faced criticism over legislation amending the countrys citizenship law that fast-tracks naturalization for some migrants but excludes Muslims, a rise in violence against Muslims and other religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, and the recent conviction of Indias top opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, for mocking Modis surname. Nevertheless, later in a 59-minute address before a joint meeting of Congress, Modi insisted that in India diversity is a natural way of life." We are home to all faiths in the world, and we celebrate all of them, added Modi, in a line that brought many cheering lawmakers to their feet. The premier's description runs counter to accusations by rights groups of widespread attacks and discrimination against Indias Muslims and other minorities under Modi. A group of more than 70 lawmakers wrote to Biden this week urging him to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms during the visit. At least six Democratic lawmakers Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Greg Casar of Texas, Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York boycotted Modi's address to Congress, because of concerns about his human rights records. When it comes to standing up for human rights, actions speak louder than words, Bush, Tlaib, Omar and Bowman said in a joint statement. By bestowing Prime Minister Modi with the rare honor of a joint address, Congress undermines its ability to be a credible advocate for the rights of religious minorities and journalists around the world. Standing alongside Modi, Biden emphasized that press, religious and other fundamental freedoms should be at the core of how both democracies operate. During their Oval Office meeting, Biden said, he and Modi had a good discussion about democratic values while Modi said there's absolutely no space for discrimination" when pressed about his own commitment on human rights. The state visit, just the third of the Biden's presidency, was certainly a glitzy affair. Thousands gathered on the White House South Lawn for the welcoming ceremony, listening to performances by violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the a cappella group Penn Masala. As Modi arrived, the crowd including many members of the Indian diaspora broke out in a chant of Modi, Modi, Modi." All eyes are on the two largest democracies in the world, India and America, Modi said. I believe that our strategic partnership is important. Im confident that working together will be successful. Later, Modi told Congress that our partnership augurs well for the future of democracy as the two countries expand partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and other industries. He also cheered the samosa caucusthe five U.S. House members of Indian descentand Vice President Kamala Harris, who is Black and of Indian descent, as examples of the impact of the diaspora. Biden administration officials say honoring Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is Diplomacy 101. The U.S.-India relationship will be vital in coming decades as both sides navigate an ascendant China and the enormity of climate change, artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience and other issues. On the issues that matter most that will define the future, our nations look to one another including on critical regional and global issues, Biden said. Among the announcements made Thursday is an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. The Biden administration also announced plans to bolster India's semiconductor industry. U.S.-based Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending more than $800 million and India financing the rest. U.S.-based Applied Materials will launch a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers. On the space front, India signed on to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA's lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization also agreed to make a joint mission to the International Space Station next year. We made critical and emerging technologies the pillar of our next generation partnership to ensure these technologies promote and protect our values, remain open, accessible, trusted and secure," Biden added. All this matters for America, for India and for the world. At the welcoming ceremony, Modi called the Indian diaspora in America the millions of immigrants and their children from the subcontinent living in the U.S. the real strength of the U.S.-India relationship. He said the honor of a formal state visit the first in the U.S. for India since Barack Obama honored Modis predecessor, Manmohan Singh, in 2009 reflected the positive impact Indians are having worldwide. Modi, the son of a tea seller who rose to be India's premier, also recalled that the first time he visited the White House was three decades ago as a common man. I have come here many times but today for the first time, the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian American community in such large numbers," Modi said to an estimated crowd of 7,000. Despite the major deals, the visit was shadowed by concerns laid out by rights activists and lawmakers who question Modi's commitment to democratic principles. In 2005, the U.S. revoked Modis visa to the U.S., citing concerns that, as chief minister of the state of Gujarat, he did not act to stop communal violence during 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 people dead. An investigation approved by the Indian Supreme Court later absolved Modi, but the stain of the dark moment has lingered. Biden and Modi have also had differences over Russia's war in Ukraine. India abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions condemning Russia and refused to join the global coalition against Russia. Since the start of the war, the Modi government has also dramatically increased its purchase of Russian oil. White House officials note that there are signs of change in India's relationship with Russia, which has long been New Delhi's biggest defense supplier. India is moving away from Russian military equipment, looking more to the U.S., Israel, Britain and other nations. Modi recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has spoken out about his worries about the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russia. Modi, before Congress, said the war is causing great pain in Ukraine and having residual effects on Europe and beyond. This is not an era of war, but it is one of dialogue and diplomacy Modi said. And we must all do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering. Without specifically naming China, Modi also addressed heightened tensions in the region, saying dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo Pacific. Later Thursday, Modi attended a lavish White House state dinner in his honor. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Fatima Hussein, Stephen Groves, and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report. High quality, affordable child care is essential for kids to learn, parents to work and the economy to prosper. But for years, families have struggled to find and afford care, which can cost more than college tuition, even as the industrys largely female workforce subsists on extremely low wages. Recent influxes of federal pandemic funding have eased many of those pressures but that money is about to run out, leaving the entire child care industry and the families that rely on it at risk. Fortunately, the state has the money to avert the coming crisis. When lawmakers pass a new two-year budget next year, they can use our record revenues and the billions saved in the states so-called rainy day fund to ensure kids keep learning and parents keep working. If they dont, we know the catastrophe thats coming. By one estimate, the more than $1 billion in federal funding that flowed into Kentuckys childcare industry since 2020 prevented half of our centers from closing and saved nearly 80,000 child care spots. Already, half of Kentuckys kids live in a child care desert, an area with no available spots for children who need care or more than three kids per available spot. This has only gotten worse over the past 10 years as Kentucky has lost 1,759 child care providers a 46% drop. Now, there are 159,000 child care spots for Kentuckys 316,000 kids ages 0-5. If theyre fortunate enough to find care, that doesnt mean they can afford it. Kentucky families pay an average of $7,640 per-year per-child. Thats nearly 14% of the state median income though likely much higher than the typical income of a family needing child care, as parents of young children are often early in their careers and near the lowest point in the trajectory of their earnings. High-quality centers in the states biggest cities can cost upward of $13,000 a year. By comparison, the average tuition for a full year at Eastern Kentucky University at $9,544. An expensive and inaccessible child care industry makes life hard on working Kentuckians. Over half of working adults in Kentucky are parents, and over a third of those are parents of young children. When parents are forced out of the workforce because they lack childcare, the effects fall largely on mothers. The workforce participation rate of moms of young kids is 65% compared to 93% for dads of young kids. This costs Kentucky an estimated $1.2 billion annually in lost economic activity. Even while child care is too expensive for many Kentucky families, child care workers are severely underpaid, earning an average of $25,770 a year. This apparent contradiction is because centers are rightfully required to maintain low teacher-to-student ratios and maximum class sizes for safety reasons. But it means that centers are constantly in a tug-of-war between the need to provide adequate compensation for the workforce while not pushing families out with higher tuition. Its a classic market failure. This fragile, but essential industry would have collapsed during the pandemic were it not for hundreds of millions of federal dollars that kept doors open at centers across Kentucky. These funds have helped increase subsidies for families with low incomes, kept tuition down, allowed centers to make building improvements, and resulted in necessary raises for child care workers in a highly competitive job market. In next years budget session, the General Assembly can prevent child care from collapsing by replacing the $300 million in annual funding the federal government has provided in recent years. Otherwise, centers will have to make impossible choices like cutting staff pay, significantly raising tuition, closing classrooms or closing entirely. Child care is the industry that supports all other industries, and the springboard for Kentuckys children its worth the investment. Dustin Pugel Dustin Pugel is Policy Director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy (kypolicy.org). By Ayenat Mersie and Mukelwa Hlatshwayo NAIROBI (Reuters) -Mohamed Ali doesn't believe gay Africans exist. He says homosexuality is a Western invention imposed on the continent. Openly gay Africans are liars seeking visas to the West or money from rights groups, he adds. Ali is a member of Kenya's parliament. He is desperate to follow neighbour Uganda by unleashing a sweeping legislative crackdown on LGBTQ people. Even if he happened to be sick in intensive care, he would ask to be dragged to parliament to approve it. "I will ask them to take me to vote for that, to kick them out, kick LGBT people out of Kenya completely," he said. Weeks after Uganda enacted one of the most draconian anti-LGBT laws on Earth, Kenya could be poised to follow suit with a similarly formulated bill that punishes gay sex with prison or even death in some cases, according to a draft of the law and two lawmakers backing it in parliament. Similar moves are also afoot in Tanzania and South Sudan, parliamentarians in those nations told Reuters, revealing for the first time a broad anti-LGBT legislative drive across East Africa. Some regional lawmakers frame the issue as an almost existential battle to save African values and sovereignty, which they say have been battered by Western pressure to capitulate on gay rights. The draft of Kenya's Family Protection Bill, seen by Reuters, mirrors many aspects of the Ugandan law, which was signed by President Yoweri Museveni at the end of May to the dismay of the LGBT community, human rights campaigners and Western capitals. Gay sex is punishable by at least 10 years in jail under the proposed Kenyan law, while "aggravated homosexuality", which includes gay sex with a minor or disabled person or when a terminal disease is passed on, brings the death penalty. "It is a hateful piece of legislation that will truly make the lives of queer Kenyans unbearable if passed," said Annette Atieno of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission campaign group. Spokespeople for the Kenyan presidency and government didn't respond to requests for comment about the proposed bill. In South Sudan, parliamentary spokesperson John Agany told Reuters that an anti-LGBT law with the same content as the Ugandan legislation was being drafted and would be put to a vote "very soon". He didn't elaborate on the bill, and the Juba government didn't respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, Tanzanian lawmaker Jacqueline Ngonyani said she planned to introduce a private motion in parliament later this year to clamp down on gay activity in an attempt to "control the ongoing moral decay". "If these (gay) people increase, this will be the end of generation," she added. "This is the same as drugs do to our youth." Asked whether she had specific punishments in mind, Ngonyani said she would not share anything until she was advised by legal experts. Tanzania's minister of constitutional and legal affairs, Damas Ndumbaro, said there was little room to tighten existing colonial-era laws against homosexuality, though. "Do they want 100 years in prison while we already have a life sentence?" he told Reuters. "Let us review why the problem is persisting," he said, referring to gay activity. "The government is still collecting opinions on how to solve the problem." 'PROMOTING' HOMOSEXUALITY: 5 YEARS The Kenyan anti-gay bill is being vetted by a parliamentary committee, which can then refer it to the full chamber for a vote. Officials have given no indication of the possible timeline. The LGBT community fears the worst, three rights groups told Reuters. In a debate in parliament initiated by Ali in March about whether to ban speech or publications that promote same-sex relations, more than 20 lawmakers spoke out against LGBT rights and none in support. Several called for legislation to strengthen penalties for same-sex acts, including the deputy majority leader, who said gay sex could be punished by hanging. President William Ruto, an evangelical Christian, has criticized a February supreme court decision allowing an LGBT rights group to register as a non-governmental organization. "We cannot travel the road of women marrying their fellow women and men marrying their fellow men," he said at the time. The proposed Kenyan law reflects a significant degree of agreement and coordination on anti-gay policies between lawmakers across the region, according to the draft of the bill as well as Reuters interviews with the Kenyan MPs and activists. Several new crimes appear in both Uganda's law and the proposed Kenyan one, including the aggravated homosexuality offence, "promoting" homosexuality and allowing gay sex on your property, which affects landlords. The latter two carry prison terms of at least 10 and five years respectively, the draft shows. The Kenyan bill's author, lawmaker Peter Kaluma, said the push to pass similar legislation to Uganda's was in part motivated by solidarity with its smaller neighbour, which has faced Western criticism over its law and seen the United States impose visa restrictions on some officials. "Across the continent we want to have these laws," Kaluma added. "If they were to sanction Uganda, let them sanction the entirety of Africa." He said the proposed law was influenced by discussions at a conference organized by Ugandan lawmakers in March in the city of Entebbe where he said parliamentarians from several African nations discussed strengthening anti-LGBT laws. The conference, about African family values and sovereignty, was attended by around 80 lawmakers from 14 countries, according to a communique issued afterwards. Uganda was best represented, contributing over half of the delegates, followed by South Sudan. The delegates called for action on issues ranging from the sexual exploitation of children to pornography. They urged nations to ban "transgender medical interventions" and make foreign donors pledge that none of their funding would go to "abortion, comprehensive sexuality education and/or the LGBTQ agenda". The U.S. State Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the conference or the East African legislative moves. FEAR REIGNS AT NAIROBI PRIDE The Kenyan bill would toughen up a colonial-era statute under which gay sex was already illegal, though the older, less detailed law was rarely enforced. The proposed law would signal the death knell for Kenya's status as a place of relative refuge for gay people in East Africa as the only country in the region to host refugees fleeing persecution because they are LGBT. The draft bill stipulates that no one should be granted asylum on grounds of persecution linked to sexual orientation. Anticipation of the new legislation, and the anti-gay rhetoric in politics and the media from public figures such as Ali and Kaluma that has accompanied it, is already casting a chill over the LGBT community, according to organizers of the Pride event in Nairobi this month. Stella Kachina, one of the organizers, said that unlike in previous years the location was not disclosed in advance out of fear that anti-gay activists would target the event. Instead, participants were picked up and brought to the venue. Attendee Marylize Biubwa said the current climate was frightening for gay people. "Kenya as a country doesn't feel like home anymore," she said. Both advocates and opponents of the Family Protection Bill say it has a good chance of becoming law, boosted by the enactment of the Ugandan law and well-organized and financed anti-LGBT political campaigners. Lorna Dias, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, also cited last year's election of Ruto. "The mere fact that we have a religious-leaning president who has openly declared his stand ... people have been emboldened by his religious proclamations," Dias said. (Additional reporting by Nuzulack Dausen in Dar es Salaam, Waakhe Simon Wudu in Juba and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Aaron Ross and Pravin Char) Man accused in Washington music festival shooting may have been on psychedelic mushrooms QUNICY, Wash. (AP) The man accused of fatally shooting two people and wounding several others at a Washington music festival Saturday told police he was high on psychedelic mushrooms and believed the world was ending, according to court documents. U.S. Army Spc. James Kelly, of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, is facing two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of first-degree assault and domestic violence assault in Washington states Grant County Superior Court, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Kelly, 26, appeared in court Wednesday but did not enter a plea, news outlets reported. He is being held without bail. Efforts to locate an attorney representing Kelly weren't successful Wednesday. Kelly and Lily Luksich, who have dated for about a year, together attended the Beyond Wonderland electronic dance music festival at the Gorge Amphitheater, court documents said. Kelly told police he took psychedelic mushrooms before walking to the concert venue, according to court documents. Kelly then started hallucinating and told Luksich they needed to return to the campground. This is the end, he told Luksich, court documents said. At their campsite, Kelly allegedly got a handgun from a locked box in the console of his pickup truck. He allegedly loaded it and fired at Seattle couple Brandy Escamilla, 29, and Josilyn Ruiz, 26, who were walking by, court records say. They died at the scene. Reports of a shooting came in around 8:20 p.m. Saturday, according to the North Central Washington Special Investigations Unit, which is leading an investigation into the shooting. Andrew Caudra, who is also known by August Morningstar, of Eugene, Washington, was shot next. He was in stable condition at Harborview Medical Center on Tuesday, investigators said. At the campground, Kelly then started to walk away, and Luksich followed him and dialed 911, court records said. She told dispatch her man had a gun, according to court records. Then no more information could be provided because Kelly took her phone and discarded it. Security employee Lori Williams was hit by a bullet while responding to the shooting report, investigators said. The bullet went through the windshield of her utility vehicle and struck her glasses and the side of her face, investigators said. She was treated for bruises and cuts at at the scene. Kelly then allegedly fired at a Grant County Sheriff's Office drone and shot Luksich twice, investigators said. The 20-year-old from Mill Creek, Washington, was treated at a Moses Lake hospital and has since been released, investigators said. Officers found Kelly and Luksich in a field next to the campground. Moses Lake Police Department Detective Edgar Salazar, who was working undercover at the festival, shot Kelly once before other officers provided aid and took Kelly into custody, investigators said. Salazar has been placed on leave during the investigation. Kelly was treated at a Spokane hospital and later booked into Grant County Jail. He's next scheduled to be in court July 5. A man accused of sneaking into a Wichita hospital where he sexually assaulted female patients last week was formally charged Wednesday with four counts of rape and two counts of misdemeanor battery. Miguel Rodela, 28, of Wichita, was arrested after Wichita police say he sexually abused three females then got into a fight with security guards at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis. Police were called to the hospital in the early morning, around 2 a.m., on June 15. Rodela, who police say was not a hospital patient or employee, made a first appearance in Sedgwick County District Court on Wednesday afternoon. Some of the four counts of rape are charged in the alternative, court records show. In two counts, he is accused of rape involving sexual intercourse without consent and use of force, according to court records. In another, hes accused of rape by misrepresenting intercourse as medically necessary. In a fourth count, Rodela is accused of rape involving sexual intercourse with a physically powerless victim. Rape is a felony crime in Kansas. The misdemeanor battery counts allege Rodela engaged in physical contact in a rude, insulting, angry manner. Wichita police said last week Rodela battered two of the security guards he scuffled with after he was caught but before police arrived at the downtown Ascension Via Christi campus. It wasnt immediately clear exactly how or when Rodela got into the hospital, 929 St. Francis in Wichita. A police spokesman told The Eagle last week he didnt know. That detail and others are likely contained in Rodelas arrest affidavit, which could be released by a Sedgwick County judge in the coming weeks. Rodela was ordered to return to court for another hearing on July 10, court records show. He remained in the Sedgwick County Jail on Wednesday afternoon. A judge set his bond at $250,000. Responding to a request for comment Wednesday, Sedgwick County Chief Public Defender Sonya Strickland said Rodelas file hadnt yet made it to her office. By Daniel Trotta, Brad Brooks (Reuters) -Experts raised safety concerns in 2018 about the submersible vessel that has been missing since Sunday, when it descended with tourists on a deep ocean journey to view the wreckage of the Titanic. The pilot and four passengers are aboard and the available oxygen on the vehicle has been forecast to run out by Thursday morning. The Titan submersible is a 22-foot (6.7-meter)-long vessel operated by Everett, Washington-based OceanGate Expeditions. It first made a voyage dive to 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) in December of 2018, according to the company's website, and first dove to the site of the Titanic - about 3,800 meters beneath the Atlantic - in 2021. It planned to make 18 such dives this year. But some industry experts and a whistle-blowing employee had worried about its safety, expressing concern that OceanGate opted against certifying the Titan through third parties such as the American Bureau of Shipping, a leading classifier of submersibles, or the European group DNV, an independent quality assurance and risk management company that sets standards for the design safety of underwater vehicles. Will Kohnen, chairman of peer-review group Marine Technology Society's (MTS) committee on manned submersibles, addressed a letter dated March 27, 2018, to OceanGate founder and CEO Stockton Rush, who is piloting the missing vehicle. In the letter, Kohnen expressed what he said were widespread concerns about the Titan, and Kohnen said he later discussed the letter with Rush. "There was a frank conversation. It was an adult conversation. And we agreed to disagree," Kohnen told Reuters on Wednesday interview, regarding his call with Rush. The issue was not any single design flaw, but that OceanGate chose not to pursue the industry's recognized certification process for the submersible's design, fabrication and testing. "Our apprehension is that the current experimental approach adopted by OceanGate could result in negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic) that would have serious consequences for everyone in the industry," read the letter. The letter came about after many submersible experts voiced concerns over the Titan during a three-day annual symposium, Kohnen said. He said he asked the MTS board to send the letter on behalf of the entire society, but the board declined. "I stand by the letter and all the sentiments of our members that were worried," Kohnen said. "There's no joy in saying, 'Boy, we were hoping this wasn't going to happen.'" OceanGate, ABS and DNV did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Kohnen credited OceanGate with notifying passengers about Titan's experimental nature. In November, CBS News aired a report from a journalist who read the waiver he had to sign before going on Titan that identified it as "an experimental submersible vessel that has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body which could result in physical injury, emotional trauma or death." EMPLOYEE BLOWS WHISTLE On Jan. 18, 2018, OceanGate employee David Lochridge forwarded to the company's leaders an engineering report he had authored that was critical of OceanGate's research and development process for the Titan, according to lawsuits Lochridge and OceanGate filed against one another that year. In particular, Lochridge was concerned about the materials used in the hull and a lack of testing performed on the hull to measure its ability to withstand the intense pressures of deep waters. The company called a meeting the next day to discuss Lochridge's concerns, according to the lawsuits. At the conclusion of the meeting, Lochridge stated he could not accept OceanGate's design decisions and would not authorize any crewed voyage without further testing. He was then fired. OceanGate filed a lawsuit against Lochridge in June and July of 2018 alleging he had discussed confidential information with at least two other people. Lochridge countersued in August 2018, denying that and claiming that OceanGate's lawsuit was an effort to discourage "whistleblowers from coming forth with quality control issues and safety concerns that threaten the safety of innocent passengers." OceanGate did not respond to requests for comment. Lochridge, through his lawyer, said he had no comment. Kohnen said his letter was not based on Lochridge's complaints. (Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California, Brad Brooks in Lubbock, Texas, and Rollo Ross in Rancho Cucamonga, California; Editing by Donna Bryson, Rosalba O'Brien and Muralikumar Anantharaman) Criminal complaints for threats made at North Carolina schools are up more than 37% above pre-pandemic levels, highlighting the fear and uncertainty thats become a part of dally school life. Figures released at Thursdays meeting of the N.C. Task Force For Safer Schools show 1,145 criminal complaints against students were filed by police in the 2022-23 school year for threats made on school campuses. Thats compared to the 830 to 840 threats per year before the pandemic. Were seeing an uptick in the number of threats being made on school campuses, said William Lassiter, chair of the task force. The number of school threats is actually much higher. Lassiter said the 1,145 total doesnt include cyberthreats, including some being made by people outside the United States, that have flooded schools. Rise in threats put schools on edge This school year has been one of the most stressful in years. School shootings across the nation, guns being found on campus and threats of mass violence have frequently led to campus lockdowns. During a Code Red lockdown, students and teachers hide in their classroom until police determine conditions are safe. A Charlotte-Mecklenburg police cruiser is parked at Kennedy Middle School in Charlotte, N.C., Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022. Olympic High, Kennedy Middle and Steele Creek Elementary were placed on lockdown following a bomb threat on Wednesday. There were so many lockdowns in February that Wake County Superintendent Catty Moore and school board chair Lindsay Mahaffey issued a joint call for the publics help to stop the threats. For this school year, Lassiter said 64% of the threats in North Carolina schools were of the misdemeanor variety. But Lassiter said 11% were for communicating threats of mass violence on school property. Thats about 120 cases statewide. He said 25% were for making a false report of mass violence on school property. Those cases can lead to felony charges. Lassiter said theres typically a spike in threats after a school shooting. He said this is only terrorizing the school community even further. Kids are already on edge, Lassiter said. Parents are already on edge. Staff are already on edge. These threats come in and we have to go to a lockdown, and obviously its a disconcerting situation. Advisory board for NC Center for Safer Schools The task force was created to serve as an advisory board for the N.C. Center for Safer Schools to recommend ways to make schools safer. Lassiter said the rise in school threats show why a bill requiring every public school to create a school threat assessment team is so important. Currently its only recommended that schools have assessment teams to help identify students who pose a threat to themselves and others. Law enforcement officers walk across NC-55 on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, in Durham, N.C. House Bill 605 was unanimously approved Wednesday by the state Senate. It returns to the House to see whether that chamber will concur with changes made to the bill by the Senate. I firmly believe in my heart of hearts that it could remedy 30 years from now a (Las) Vegas shooter like we had a few years ago because weve addressed mental health at the earliest time period of a young individual, Rep. John Torbett, a Gaston County Republican and primary sponsor of the bill, told a Senate committee this month. Call for more counselors in schools Task force members also talked Thursday about the need to have more school counselors, social workers and psychologists to help address the mental and emotional needs of students. Mental health issues are on the rise for teenagers. Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers said the students his school resource officers pull aside often come from home environments where theyre not getting the support, care and love they need from their families. Often the familys in a crisis, said Rogers, a task force member. Therefore the child is in a crisis, and thats a very volatile combination. Schools hired more mental health support staff during the pandemic using federal COVID relief aid. But schools have to find a way to keep those positions when the federal aid goes away. We made progress during the pandemic, Lassiter said. The problem is going to be sustaining that. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is joining other progressives in boycotting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis joint address to Congress. In a tweet, the New York Democrat urged her colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance and freedom of speech to join her boycott. Ocasio-Cortez highlighted Modis previous ban from entering the U.S. and reports from the State Department on Indias record on religious freedoms, as well as the countrys current ranking in the Press Freedom Index. A joint address is among the most prestigious invitations and honors the United States Congress can extend. We should not do so for individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed communities, Ocasio-Cortez added. Her statement comes a day after Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), the two Muslim women in Congress, said they would not be attending the Indian leaders speech. Tlaib added Tuesday on Twitter that Modis long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims and religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable. Prime Minister Modis government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity, Omar wrote in her own statement. While Democrats in both the House and the Senate have urged President Biden to address the issue of human rights in his meetings with Modi, the historic address is set to be a widely attended event. This will be the Indian prime ministers second address to the joint session of Congress and first official state visit to the United States. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. NEW YORK (AP) A gynecologist convicted of federal sex abuse charges should face at least 25 years in prison for assaulting a staggering number of victims during a quarter-century career as a serial sexual predator disguised as a doctor at prestigious Manhattan hospitals, prosecutors say in court papers. Their presentence submission in Manhattan federal court late Tuesday precedes a hearing next week when Robert Hadden's victims can deliver statements to Judge Richard M. Berman before he sentences Hadden next month. For decades, the defendant repeatedly leveraged his position of power to target, exploit, deceive, and sexually violate patients seeking medical care, many of whom were especially vulnerable, prosecutors wrote. He committed serial acts of abuse against patients all while hiding behind his power as a doctor and enjoying professional and financial success. Hadden, 64, of Englewood, New Jersey, was convicted in January of enticing victims to cross state lines so he could sexually abuse them. At trial, nine former patients testified. Defense lawyers last week said in their presentence submission that Hadden should face three years in prison after not abusing anyone since he stopped practicing medicine a decade ago. Hadden has lost 35 pounds and repeatedly been threatened with violence at a federal jail in Brooklyn, leading him to stay in his cell except to shower or call family members, the lawyers said. At the trial, Hadden's lawyers did not dispute that he had molested patients, but they said he was already prosecuted for those crimes in state court, where Hadden pleaded guilty in 2016 to allegations that he had abused several women. That plea required him to surrender his medical license, but he served no time behind bars. Prosecutors said in their papers that Hadden's calculated career as a serial sexual predator began soon after he started working in 1987 at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York, which later became New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Trial evidence proved Hadden committed from 167 to 310 acts of sexual abuse or assault on dozens of patients as he honed his abuse techniques so the assaults would go undetected for over 20 years, prosecutors wrote. They said he built rapport with victims in a private office decorated with pictures of his children and put them at ease by asking about their personal lives and talking about his family. Eventually, he sought sexual gratification when he asked victims detailed, inappropriate, and medically unnecessary questions and provided unsolicited advice and commentary about their bodies, pubic hair, masturbation, sexual activity, sex toys, pornography, and sexual partners, prosecutors said. They said he devised ways to get nurses and medical assistants to leave him alone with patients in the examination room, where he pretended that he needed to conduct a fake second exam, during which time he sexually assaulted patients. Prosecutors said they learned that Hadden assaulted a staggering number of victims ... under the guise of medical care. He worked at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital until complaints about his attacks shut down his career. The institutions have agreed to pay more than $236 million to settle civil claims by more than 200 former patients. By Tatiana Gomozova MOSCOW (Reuters) -U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich lost his latest appeal in a Moscow court on Thursday against his pre-trial detention on charges of espionage. The Wall Street Journal reporter denies the spying charge, which could lead to a prison sentence of up to 20 years if he is convicted. U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy, who was not allowed inside the hearing, told reporters outside that she was "extremely disappointed" by the decision. She praised Gershkovich, 31, for his "remarkable strength and resiliency" and reiterated the U.S. stance that the charges against him were baseless. "He is an innocent journalist who was carrying out journalistic activities and has been wrongfully detained. Such hostage diplomacy is unacceptable," Tracy said. The Kremlin has said Gershkovich was caught "red-handed" on a trip to the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, where the FSB security service said he was trying to obtain military secrets. It has provided no evidence to support that assertion, which is vehemently denied by the Wall Street Journal. The reporter's parents Mikhail Gershkovich and Ella Milman, who left the Soviet Union for the United States in 1979, were in court to support their son. They left afterwards without speaking to journalists. Gershkovich, wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt, stood in a glass box and smiled at reporters who were briefly allowed to film him before the start of the proceedings. He was appealing against his continued detention in Moscow's Lefortovo prison ahead of his trial, for which no date has been set. Emma Tucker, the Wall Street Journal's editor in chief, told the BBC before the hearing that she had low expectations from the appeal but it was important to go through the legal process. In April, a court denied an earlier request from Gershkovich's lawyers that he be transferred to house arrest, agree to restrictions on his movements, or be granted bail. He is being held at a time when relations between Washington and Moscow are at the lowest point since the Cold War after Russia launched what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Ambassador Tracy said Washington demanded the immediate release of Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. marine who was arrested in Russia in 2018 and jailed for 16 years in June 2020 on spying charges. He too is designated by Washington as wrongfully detained, a term that means the United States considers the verdicts to be bogus and politically motivated. (Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan, editing by Mark Heinrich) Spirit Aerosystems, a major supplier to the world's largest aircraft manufacturers, is suspending operations at a critical Kansas plant after union workers there rejected a proposed four-year contract and authorized a strike. Approximately 6,000 members of the IAM District 70, Local 839 voted to reject Spirit Aerosystems' best and last offer after 13 years without a fully negotiated agreement, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a prepared statement. Shares of Boeing Co. and Airbus slid about 2%, and shares of Spirit Aerosystems Holdings Inc. tumbled 10% at the opening bell. The tentative deal that was rejected had included up to a compounded 34% average pay bump through general wages increases, cost-of-living adjustments, and a guaranteed annual bonus; a 14.7% increase in retirement benefits; increased paid time off; job security enhancements and made Sunday overtime voluntary. A strike is scheduled to start on Saturday. Most of our members have concluded that the companys offer is unacceptable, the union said in a prepared statement. "IAM District 70 and Local 839 will regroup and begin planning the following steps to bring the company back to the table. The IAM is an industrial trade union that representing about 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries. Operations at the factory will be suspended starting Thursday, Spirit said. The company said union employees should not show up for work, but would be paid for their regularly scheduled hours. All scheduled overtime was canceled. Employees not represented by the IAM were instructed to show up for work as normal. We are disappointed that our employees represented by the IAM rejected our four-year contract offer and voted to strike. We believe that our fair and competitive offer recognizes the contributions of our employees and ensures we can successfully meet increasing demand for aircraft from our customers, the Wichita, Kansas, company said in a prepared statement. Aircraft manufacturers have wrestled with supply issues in recent years and a strike at Spirit Aerosystems at the Wichita plant could add to those headaches. Spirit builds the fuselage for Boeing's 737 MAX narrowbody jet and substantial sections of aircraft bodies in other of its models. It builds components for Airbus aircraft as well. By Emma Farge LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Reuters) -A Swiss court on Thursday acquitted six white police officers of charges of negligent homicide in the death of a Black man who suffered a fatal heart attack after he was held down in the street during an arrest. The case has raised questions about structural racism in Switzerland and the prosecution had compared it to the killing of George Floyd in the United States, who died after an officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes in 2020. Mike Ben Peter, a 39-year-old Nigerian, suffered the heart attack in 2018 after he was kicked and held face-down in a street in Lausanne during an arrest. Judge Pierre Bruttin described the case as "tragic" but said the officers had to be acquitted based on the evidence which drew on medical experts' testimonials. The officers had denied the charges, which could have brought a maximum sentence of three years in prison had they been convicted. Swiss privacy laws mean they cannot be named. Bruttin said Ben Peter's death had been "multifactoral", citing his obesity and the stress of the situation among the factors. Supporters of the victim's family left the courtroom as the verdict was read out shouting "shame" and "scandal"! Shortly after, about 100 protesters entered the court building booing and shouting "assassin" at defence lawyers and security officers. Ben Peter's death has led to protests calling for police reform, although defence lawyers dismissed the comparison with the Floyd case. A group of U.N. experts said last year there was systemic racism in Switzerland in a report that raised serious concerns about "excessive use of force and the expectation of impunity by police" and cited this case. A Swiss government-mandated study acknowledged racism was structural. According to the indictment, the officers first noticed Ben Peter during a drug patrol after he collected a bag later shown to contain marijuana. The indictment said he did not comply with police requests and the officers used pepper spray and knee kicks to the ribs and crotch to get him on the ground and handcuff him. It said he continued to struggle as he was held face-down by officers for three minutes, until they noticed he appeared unconscious. Ben Peter was later pronounced dead after a heart attack. In an unusual move, the public prosecutor leading the case on Monday dropped the charges against the officers saying they had merely "violated the rules of prudence", Swiss broadcaster RTS said. The court still had the ability to pronounce a verdict. "This is extremely unusual and, for me personally, it confirms my concerns about the ability and willingness to prosecute cases involving police officers in Switzerland," Simon Ntah, lawyer for the victim's family, told Reuters before the verdict. (Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Angus MacSwan) As rescuers raced to find a handful of wealthy people and explorers who vanished after launching a mission to survey the Titanic, another disaster at sea that's feared to have left hundreds of people dead has been swept from the spotlight. Last week's sinking of a fishing boat crowded with migrants trying to get from Libya to Italy sparked arrests, violent protests and questions about authorities failure to act or find a long-term solution to the issue. But many human rights advocates are frustrated that the world seems to have already moved on and that the resources and media attention being dedicated to the Titan rescue efforts far outweigh those for the sunken migrant ship. Its a horrifying and disgusting contrast, Judith Sunderland, associate director for Human Rights Watchs Europe and Central Asia division, said in a telephone interview, reflecting on the apparent disparities in resources and media attention on the two crises. The willingness to allow certain people to die while every effort is made to save others ... its a, you know, really dark reflection on humanity, she said. Sunderland wasn't alone in raising concerns over disparities in attention and resources dedicated to the search for the crew of explorers aboard the missing submersible, named Titan, compared with the deadly shipwreck last week of a vessel carrying hundreds of migrants and asylum-seekers. The front pages the past few days have been dominated by the search for the missing sub, said Josie Naughton, co-founder and CEO of Choose Love, a U.K.-based nongovernmental organization supporting refugees around the world. She said thousands more articles appeared to have been published about the submersible than about the migrant boat, yet, its 100 times as many people who are feared to have lost their lives and these people, they were forced to flee their homes, they were looking for safety. A fishing boat carrying migrants trying to reach Europe capsized and sank off Greece on Wednesday, authorities said, leaving at least 79 dead and many more missing in one of the worst disasters of its kind this year. (Thanassis Stavrakis / AP) Whilst of course we hope so much that the people on board get brought to safety, it does kind of make you question, whats the difference in terms of how the media is covering it but also in terms of how, you know, the governments and government infrastructure responds, Naughton added. Why is it so different? The search for Titan is a race against time as the oxygen supply dwindles on the vessel, which has been missing since it lost contact with its mother ship, the Polar Prince, an hour and 45 minutes after launching its dive early Sunday. The U.S. Coast Guard had said that 96 hours' worth of oxygen is available for the crew of five and it will run out by early Thursday morning, although the exact amount is not known. With the support of agencies from other nations, the Coast Guard has been racing to find the vessel and its passengers, who have been identified as Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, the company behind the mission; British billionaire Hamish Harding, owner of Action Aviation; French dive expert Paul Henry Nargeolet; and prominent Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman. Images released by the U.S. Coast Guard show the Titan rescue efforts underway Tuesday. (@USCGNortheast / Twitter) Sunderland said she was not surprised that the search for Titan and its passengers was attracting media attention. The focus on very wealthy people potentially dying on a vanity trip, you know, thats a good story, she said. The real issue in my mind is the resource question. Hundreds feared dead in Greece shipwreck Greek authorities have so far recovered the bodies of at least 81 people, and more than 100 passengers have been rescued, including Pakistanis, Egyptians, Syrians, Afghans and Palestinians. But survivors and the United Nations have said hundreds were aboard the boat and many are still missing and feared dead. If a death toll in the hundreds was confirmed, it would be among the worst shipwrecks recorded in the Mediterranean. Greek authorities have further been criticized for not acting to rescue the migrants, even though a coast guard vessel escorted the trawler for hours. International maritime law dictates that authorities are obligated to conduct immediate rescue operations with or without an explicit plea for help. Gianluca Rocco, head of the Greek section of the International Organization for Migration, the U.N. migration agency, called it one of the biggest tragedies in the Mediterranean. Artist Oliver Jeffers shared his feelings with a cartoon on Tuesday, which marked World Refugee Day. It depicted a news crew focusing its cameras on a vessel under the sea while turning away from people appearing to drown in nearby waters. While we are glued to the news about 5 mostly wealthy tourists lost on a submarine on their way to seek the wreckage of a sunken ship, today is World Refugee Day, and only last week a boat holding hundreds of refugees sank off the coast of Greece, Jeffers wrote in an Instagram post accompanying the graphic. Left: Pakistani mother Tazeem Pervaiz weeps as she holds a photo of her missing son Taquir at her home in Kashmir on Tuesday. Right: Syrian Kassam Abozeed searches for his missing wife, Israa, and brother-in-law in Kalamata, Greece. (Sajjad Qayyum / Angelos Tzortzinis / AFP via Getty Imaes) Many (including children) lost their lives on that sinking ship while on their way to seek a safer existence, he said. Its hard to not be cynical about the state of society that this story has gripped us in the midst of a constantly rising refugee crisis with more and more people dying on the daily, and not getting nearly as much attention. He asked his followers to make a donation to the International Rescue Committee while we watch for news of a still hopeful safe return of the missing sub. While many shared similar sentiments, not everyone agreed. Commenting on Jeffers post, one person wrote: The submarine story is leading the news because it is extraordinary, it is weird, and it is associated with a 100+ year old event that has long been part of pop culture. As sad as it is, a refugee boat going down is not altogether that uncommon, so it is naturally going to capture the publics imagination less than a missing deep-sea submarine, they said. Acting like we pay attention to one at the expense of the other is a logical fallacy: people can think about two things at once. A fishing boat crammed to the gunwales with migrants trying to reach Europe capsized and sank Wednesday June 14 off the coast of Greece, authorities said, leaving at least 79 dead and many more missing in one of the worst disasters of its kind this year. (Thanassis Stavrakis / AP) Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said she was deeply saddened by the tragedy off the Greek coast, and she promised to strengthen cooperation between the European Union and nearby countries to prevent such tragedies. Human rights groups have argued, however, that the current focus on efforts to crack down on migrant smuggling means migrants and refugees often feel forced to take longer and more dangerous routes to reach safe countries. The best way to prevent the deaths of migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees seeking safety is to create safe and legal routes for asylum-seekers to reach safety so that theyre not forced to take these journeys, Naughton said. While she didnt know what the outcome of the search for the missing submersible and its passengers might be, what I do know is that 500 people risking their lives in search of safety deserve the same respect as the lives of those on the Titan, she said. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, the wife of Attorney General Ken Paxton, will not be allowed to cast a vote in the impeachment trial that could lead to her husband's permanent removal from office, the senate decided Wednesday under rules for the historic proceedings. The decision settles a question that has loomed over the Texas Capitol since Ken Paxton last month became just the third sitting official to be impeached in Texas' nearly 200-year history. Angela Paxton, a Republican, has previously not said whether she would recuse herself from voting in the trial where her husband of more than 30 years will face charges that include abuse of power and accepting bribes. The trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 5. Angela Paxton has not publicly commented on the accusations against her husband, who is also under FBI investigation and has attacked the impeachment as an attempt to disenfranchise Texas voters who elected him to a third term last year. An undated photo of the submersible Titan. (Abaca via ZUMA Press) The world seems to be watching the daring rescue effort for the Titan submersible as crews from across the globe join in the days-long search. At a press conference Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard updated the search and rescue mission for the vessel, which went missing Sunday, as crews remain determined to find it. The most recent update was that underwater noises in the search area were detected by a Canadian P-3 aircraft on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the USCG. The noises have been described as banging noises, said Carl Hartsfield, director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, at the presser. Launched the morning of June 18 by the Polar Prince, a Canadian research vessel, the Titan was visiting the site of the Titanic's wreckage in the Atlantic Ocean. The surface vessel lost contact with the submersible about an hour and 45 minutes into the dive, approximately 900 miles east of Cape Cod and 400 miles southwest of Newfoundlands capital city, St. John's, according to the USCG. The Canadian research vessel Polar Prince in Vancouver in 2017. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press via AP) The Coast Guard is leading the mission, but several nations and private companies have provided their services to help rescue the five people inside the vessel. This is a complex search effort, which requires the use of subject matter expertise and specialized equipment, Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick, the response coordinator from the First Coast Guard District, told reporters Tuesday. U.S. forces take the lead Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick speaks about the search efforts for the submersible at a press conference in Boston on Tuesday. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images) The U.S. Air Force and Navy have joined the Coast Guard in the rescue mission for the Titan. Three Air Force cargo planes delivered winches, cables and unmanned vehicles capable of going 19,000 feet underwater to the airport in St. Johns. The military has sent aircraft, salvage equipment and ships to the remote part of the Atlantic Ocean. The Air National Guard has assisted as well. A C-130J U.S. Air Force plane during exercises in Germany on June 12. (Ronny Hartmann/AFP via Getty Images) According to Military.com, the Navy sent a Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System, or FADOSS, to help with search and rescue efforts. A FADOSS is described as a "portable motion-compensated lift system connected through the ship's crane boom" that can be used to bring objects up from the ocean floor. Canadian search vessels The HMCS Glace Bay Canadian Navy coastal defense vessel makes way past the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor marking the beginning of Fleet Week in New York in 2019. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters) While the P-3 aircraft has been investigating the noises it detected, the Royal Canadian Navy has shipped in the HMCS Glace Bay, which is equipped with a six-person mobile hyperbaric recompression chamber. But that ship is not expected to arrive until midday Thursday, even as U.S. Coast Guard officials say the passengers in the submersible have a limited supply of oxygen. The Canadian Coast Guard also sent the CCGS John Cabot, a scientific research vessel with sonar search capabilities. And, according to Radio Canada International, two other Canadian Coast Guard ships are nearby in St. John's to help load equipment. Deep Energy vessel from the Bahamas The Bahamian ship Deep Energy after it arrived to search for the Titan. (U.S. Coast Guard/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Deep Energy, a Bahamian research vessel, arrived at the scene around 7 a.m. Tuesday and began search operations with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The Deep Energy is a large ship capable of delivering pipes and cables at depths of up to 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). The vessels may be able to help locate the lost sub, which could be at 3,800 meters (12,500 feet) below, near the wreckage of the Titanic. Yasin Demirci/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images France sends ship The French are also helping rescue efforts by sending the research vessel L'Atalante managed by the Ifremer research institute which is capable of getting to the depths needed, according to the French government. French Research Institute for Exploration of the Sea (IFREMER) team loads a manned submarine, the Nautile, designed for observing ocean floors, on board the research vessel L'Atalante, on July 25, 2011 in La Seyne-sur-Mer, southern France. (Bertrand Languois/AFP via Getty Images) "It carries the Victor 6000 autonomous robot, capable of descending to a depth of 6,000 meters, beyond the 3,800 meters of the wreck's position, Ifremer said. The ship is expected to arrive Wednesday evening. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution The Massachusetts-based Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is important in joining the mission, and for good reason: It was part of the original expedition that found the wreckage of the Titanic nearly 40 years ago. The nonprofit said it's not able to help physically, but its researchers and engineers are providing expertise to the responders. Carl Hartsfield of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution gives an update on the recovery process during a press conference on Wednesday. (Matthew J. Lee/Boston Globe via Getty Images) At the press conference, Hartsfield said it was difficult to discern the source of noises from the P-3 aircraft but said the world's best people in this industry are analyzing the data. They have to put the whole picture together in context, and they have to eliminate potential man-made sources other than the Titan, he said. By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Donald Trump's push for a new trial in the civil case in which a Manhattan jury last month found the former U.S. president had sexually abused and defamed the writer E. Jean Carroll is "magical thinking," Carroll's lawyers said on Thursday. Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, on June 8 asked for a new trial after the jury awarded Carroll $5 million. Trump said the damages were excessive because the jury did not find Carroll was raped and because the alleged conduct did not cause her a diagnosed mental injury. In court papers filed Thursday in opposition to Trump's request, Carroll's lawyers maintained that the attack has harmed her ability to have romantic and sexual relationships, and that she has suffered intrusive memories. They pointed to a psychologist's testimony at trial that Carroll had some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. "Trump's motion is nothing more than his latest effort to obfuscate the import of the jury's verdict by engaging in his own particular Trump-branded form of magical thinking," her lawyers wrote. Trump is also appealing the verdict. Joseph Tacopina, one of his lawyers, said on Thursday, "We are confident we will win on appeal." Carroll's lawsuit, filed in 2022, said Trump raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s, and defamed her by denying it happened. Trump has called Carroll's claims a "hoax." Carroll, a former Elle magazine advice columnist, filed a separate lawsuit in November 2019 for defamation only. That case has been bogged down in appeals over whether Trump was immune from being sued because he was president when he spoke. Carroll updated that lawsuit to seek $10 million from Trump after he called her account "fake" and labeled her a "whack job" in a CNN town hall after the jury's verdict in the 2022 lawsuit. The case is one of several legal woes facing Trump, the first current or former U.S. president to face criminal charges, as he seeks to return to the White House. Last week, he pleaded not guilty to 37 federal counts of retaining national defense documents at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and obstructing an investigation into his conduct. In April, he pleaded not guilty to New York state charges stemming from a 2016 hush money payment to a porn star. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Leslie Adler) By Tom Balmforth and Anna Pruchnicka KYIV (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday Ukrainian spies believe Russia was plotting an incident to release radiation from Europe's largest nuclear plant, an allegation denied by the Kremlin. In a video statement, Zelenskiy said Kyiv was sharing its information with international partners about the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine. "Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - a terrorist act with a release of radiation," he said. "They have prepared everything for this." The Kremlin dismissed the allegation as "another lie", and said a team of U.N. nuclear inspectors had visited the plant and rated everything there highly. Zelenskiy did not say what evidence the intelligence agencies based their assertion on. The six-reactor complex has been under occupation since shortly after Moscow's forces invaded Ukraine in February last year. The two sides have accused each other of shelling it, and international efforts to establish a demilitarised zone around it have failed so far. "Unfortunately, I have had to remind (people) more than once that radiation knows no state borders. And who it will hit is determined only by the direction of the wind..." Zelenskiy said. 'DELIBERATE, CALCULATED CRIME' Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, suffered the world's worst nuclear accident at Chornbobyl in 1986. Zelenskiy made his statement two days after Ukraine's military intelligence chief accused Russia of "mining" the cooling pond that is used to keep the reactors cool at the Zaporizhzhia plant. The plant lies beside a huge reservoir where water levels have plunged since a dam across the Dnipro River was destroyed earlier this month, flooding swathes of southern Ukraine. Kyiv blames Russia, which controlled the dam, for blowing it up. Russia says Ukraine sabotaged it. In his video statement, Zelenskiy said intelligence agencies had gathered new evidence of how Russian forces blew up the dam and other structures at the hydroelectric plant. "It was a completely deliberate, calculated crime," he said. (Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Peter Graff) UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. envoy for Afghanistan warned the country's Taliban rulers Wednesday that international recognition as the country's legitimate government will remain nearly impossible unless they lift severe restrictions on women and girls education and employment. Roza Otunbayeva told the U.N. Security Council that the Taliban have asked to be recognized by the United Nations and its 192 other member nations, but at the same time they act against the key values expressed in the United Nations Charter. In her regular discussions with the Taliban, she said, I am blunt about the obstacles they have created for themselves by the decrees and restrictions they have enacted, in particular against women and girls. The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final weeks of withdrawing from the country after two decades of war. The group's decrees limiting the participation of girls and women have impacted foreign aid to the country, whose citizens face the worlds largest humanitarian crisis. The Taliban initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001 but started to enforce restrictions on women and girls soon after the 2021 takeover. Women are barred from most jobs and public places, including parks, baths and gyms, while girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade. The Taliban also have brought back their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Shariah, including public executions. Despite U.N. appeals, Otunbayeva reported no change to the restrictions, including an April ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations. She called the prohibition a violation of Afghanistans obligations as a U.N. member nation to respect the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its officials, including Afghan women who work for us. Otunbayeva, a former president of Kyrgyzstan, reiterated that all non-essential Afghan staff, both women and men, are still staying at home, and she said the U.N. is steadfast that female national staff will not be replaced by male staff as some Taliban authorities have suggested. In late April, the Security Council unanimously approved a resolution calling on the Taliban to swiftly reverse the increasingly harsh constraints imposed on women and girls and condemning the ban on Afghan women working for the U.N., calling it unprecedented in the history of the United Nations. Based on discussions with many people across Afghanistan, Otunbayeva said, it is clear the Talibans decrees are highly unpopular among the Afghan population and cost the countrys rulers both domestic and international legitimacy, while inflicting suffering on half of their population and damaging their economy. In a frank political assessment, she told council members that the Taliban regime remains insular and autocratic, with an unaccountable central authority and an all-male government almost entirely from its Pashtun and rural base. While the Afghan economy remains stable, albeit at a low equilibrium, 58% of households struggle to fulfill the basic needs of their families, and the U.N. continues to address the needs of 20 million people who need assistance, Otunbayeva said. She said cash shipments, required for U.N. humanitarian operations, are expected to decrease as donor funding declines, which could negatively effect Afghanistans monetary stability. And despite the bans, she said, the international community can do more to ensure the future stability of the Afghan economy in a way that directly improves the lives of Afghans. The humanitarian organization Save The Children said Monday that a large-scale plague of locusts is ravaging Afghanistans northern provinces and has the potential to destroy 1.2 million tons of wheat, approximately one-quarter of the countrys annual harvest. It said the infestation comes at the worst possible time, pointing to 8 million Afghans cut off from food aid in the past two months due to funding shortfalls, and over 15 million people one-third of Afghanistans population projected to face crisis levels of hunger over the next five months. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood blamed the continued deterioration of humanitarian conditions in large part on Taliban interference, warning that it will lead to more displacement, migrants and refugees. While generous donors and bold action prevented widespread famine in 2021, he said this year Afghans are already seeing the impact of reduced international support, the closure of women-led humanitarian organizations, ration cuts, and a reduction in people receiving food. Nonetheless, Wood said the United States, the worlds largest humanitarian aid donor, cannot turn our backs on the Afghan peoples growing humanitarian needs despite obstacles and competing global priorities and will continue providing assistance. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the U.S. and other Western nations of bringing Afghanistan to ruins over 20 years, being uninterested in a genuine settlement and the rebuilding of Afghanistan. Chinas U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun called it unacceptable for donors to cut assistance and to link humanitarian aid to other issues. He also expressed hope that "Afghan authorities will take firm and strong measures to combat all terrorism and to prevent Afghanistan from becoming again, a center of gravity for terrorism, warning that terrorist groups including al-Qaida and the Islamic State are colluding with each other and jeopardizing the security of the country, the region and the world at large. Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum speaks to supporters in Mexico City during a rally June 15 before stepping down to enter the primary race for president. (Eduardo Verdugo / Associated Press) The two appear an unlikely political pair: he a shopkeepers son from rural southern Mexico, she a globally recognized scientist from the capital. He is outgoing and folksy, a larger-than-life figure comfortable pressing the flesh and mingling with crowds. Her reserved manner and lack of charisma feed the notion that she is distant and arrogant. When it comes to their politics, however, it is difficult to distinguish Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Claudia Sheinbaum, whose long history together has uniquely positioned her to succeed him as the country's president next year. Sheinbaum, who would be the first woman to hold the job, has cast her candidacy as a victory for feminism. Mexico is no longer written with the M of machismo, she told tens of thousands of supporters gathered in the capital this month as she resigned from her job as Mexico City mayor to formally enter the race for president. But rather M for mother, for mujer woman. But her anointment by Lopez Obrador who is widely known as AMLO and her wholesale adoption of his policies, leftist ideology and even some of his speech patterns have led some pundits to wonder whether she is her own person. Claudia is not questioned for being a woman, but rather for mimicking a man and transforming herself to please AMLO, tweeted Denise Dresser, a professor of political science at Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico and fierce critic of the populist president. Nothing is more contrary to the agenda of autonomy/feminine empowerment that marks a new generation of women. Read more:Why is AMLO one of the world's most popular politicians? We took a road trip through Mexico to find out The 60-year-old Sheinbaum would also be the first president from Mexico's small Jewish community. Though she spent two decades in academia before starting her political career, she comes from a tradition of political engagement. Both her parents were active in the signature Mexican student movement of 1968, best known for the infamous Tlatelolco massacre in which Mexican security forces killed scores of protesters in the capital. As a high schooler, Sheinbaum participated in protests against the exclusion of students, many of them poor, from higher education. As a student at the Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM, she was part of a movement against a plan to raise fees at the public institution. And her first husband was a leader in Mexicos Democratic Revolution Party, which was formed in 1989 out of frustration on the left with the authoritarian rule of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which held an iron grip on Mexican governance for most of the 20th century. Read more:One party has governed Mexico's biggest state for a century. It looks as if that is about to change Among the former PRI stalwarts who defected was Lopez Obrador. Sheinbaum, who spent four years at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on her way to earning a doctorate in energy engineering, was teaching at UNAM in the 1990s when a mutual friend introduced her to him. When Lopez Obrador was elected mayor of Mexico City in 2000, he launched Sheinbaum's political career by making her secretary of environment for the capital. Photos from that era show the tousle-haired academic smiling alongside the dashing insurgent politician. She later joined his breakaway political group, the National Regeneration Movement, known as Morena, and was elected in 2015 as borough president of Tlalpan, a district in southern Mexico City. Three years later, she was elected mayor of Mexico City and he was elected president. Unlike her mentor, Sheinbaum is an uninspiring public speaker, sometimes drifting into techno-talk and utopian paens to her hometown. She would put Ghandi to sleep, wrote columnist Juan Ignacio Zavala in El Financiero, referring to the famously truncated slumber habits of the late Indian leader. Read more:In Mexico, a grisly killing inflames debate about femicide Dedicated to her work, Sheinbaum has only offered rare glimpses into her personal life. One instance came last June when she was recuperating from COVID-19 and posted a Facebook video displaying her modest apartment in southern Mexico City. The flat features shelves filled with books, tabletops brimming with family snapshots and paintings by Mexican artists. She also strummed a guitar, recalling that, as a child, her parents had taken her to guitar lessons. Sheinbaum has enthusiastically assumed Lopez Obradors crusade against corruption and neoliberalism the theory that free-market capitalism should reign supreme in economic decision-making. I am of the left, Sheinbaum said in a brief interview with The Times. The right, above all, thinks that the market is going to resolve all problems, and that the state has no responsibility. We think the state has responsibility to provide education, healthcare, housing and generate better conditions of life. She parts ways with the president on some issues. In contrast to Lopez Obrador, who has spent billions of dollars in efforts to revive Mexicos state-owned oil company, she is a vocal supporter of renewable energy. And during the pandemic she wore a mask and shut down businesses as he downplayed the threat. But any differences have never seemed to dim Lopez Obradors affection. With Mexican presidents limited to one six-year term, he has declared that his Morena party will hold a series of internal polls to determine who will succeed him. There will be no direct vote. The presidential election is to be held next June. But with the president carrying a 60% approval rating and the opposition deeply fragmented, many observers view the party's primary contest as the real competition for who will be Mexicos next leader. The Morena primary campaign officially kicked off this week. Whats in play is a lot, wrote columnist Leo Zuckermann in Excelsior newspaper. Power at the highest level. The president is widely expected to have the final say on Sept. 6, when Morena plans to unveil its nominee. Mr. Lopez Obrador will definitely name his successor, said Tony Payan, who heads the Mexico Center at Rice University. This is his political party, and he makes his decisions based on loyalty. Claudia has not deviated one iota from what he says. She has parroted, repeated and supported everything he has said. Read more:Mexico owes its young democracy to its elections institute. The president wants to dismantle it Asked about her status as the presumptive choice of Lopez Obrador, Sheinbaum said: It would be an honor to be the favorite of the president. Her most formidable competitor is Marcelo Ebrard, who is also a former Mexico City mayor and served as foreign secretary in Lopez Obradors administration before resigning this month to launch his candidacy. All potential successors have hastened to stress their proximity to the indomitable phenomenon that is Lopez Obrador. Ebrard more conservative politically than the president vowed to create a Cabinet-level ministry to defend Lopez Obrador's various mega-projects. Polls have been showing Sheinbaum with a comfortable lead of 10 points or more against Ebrard. "Closest to AMLO," reads one Sheinbaum campaign pamphlet. Special correspondent Cecilia Sanchez Vidal contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) New Zealanders this week were debating a thorny health care issue whether ethnicity should be a factor in determining when patients get surgery. It turns out that in some parts of Auckland, the country's largest city at 1.4 million people, clinicians have been using an algorithm to adjust where patients sit on elective surgery waitlists. Clinical need remains the top factor, but the algorithm also takes into account how long patients have been on the waitlist, where they live, their financial circumstances, and their ethnicity. Indigenous Maori and Pacific Island patients are given a higher priority on the list, pushing down white New Zealanders and other ethnicities. The idea is to balance out longstanding inequities in the publicly funded health system. At the moment, there is clear evidence Maori, Pacific, rural and low-income communities have been discriminated against by the health system, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told reporters. The algorithm has been used in Auckland since February and similar policies have been in place there since 2020. But most people weren't aware of the algorithm until Monday, when radio station Newstalk ZB reported on it, saying some surgeons were ethically opposed to using ethnicity as a factor. In an election year, the issue has quickly become a hot political topic, with conservative opposition parties coming out strongly against it. It's pretty simple, Opposition Leader Christopher Luxon told reporters Monday. Race shouldn't play any part in determining surgical need. The libertarian ACT Party has started a petition against what it describes as race-based waitlists. Following the backlash, Hipkins quickly put on ice plans to use the algorithm more broadly across New Zealand's health care system. Hipkins said he asked Health Minister Ayesha Verrall to take a closer look at the tool to ensure "we're not replacing one form of discrimination with another." Verrall said Thursday she had been disappointed in some aspects of this week's debate. I think it is important that we address the inequalities that we have in life expectancy and health services for Maori, she said. I think it's disappointing the tone that it's taken." She said one example of existing bias in the health care system was that Maori with the same heart conditions as white people get prescribed fewer medications. Professional health care organizations have expressed mixed reactions to the tool. Groups representing nurses have backed it, while a group representing surgeons said its too simplistic. About 10% of New Zealand's 5 million people are among those currently covered by the algorithm. Patients affected include those attending two large hospitals: Auckland City Hospital and Greenlane Clinical Centre. Jo Gibbs, who directs hospital system delivery at Health New Zealand, said those who are sickest or most in need of care are treated first. Beyond that, she said, the algorithm was helping reduce barriers and inequities in the health system. We will evaluate the tool to check it is achieving its purpose, she wrote in a statement to The Associated Press. It has not been rolled out nationally. ___ Find more of APs Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific The Columbia Generating Station, the Northwests only nuclear power plant, reconnected to the electric grid early Monday morning, ending its refueling and maintenance outage. The plant was off line for about 44 days, nine days longer than planned. More equipment and resources than planned were needed for maintenance on a feedwater valve, said Energy Northwest spokesperson Kelly Rae. In addition, workers had some equipment challenges as it wrapped up the outage work. We took the time to complete outage work with quality, and were bringing the station back with increased reliability, said Grover Hettel, Energy Northwest chief nuclear officer. Columbia Generating Station, owned and operated by Energy Northwest, is a boiling water nuclear power reactor located about 10 miles north of Richland, Washington. The Energy Northwest nuclear power plant was back on the grid before summers higher demand for electricity. The plant produces about 10% of the electricity used in Washington state. The Columbia Generating Station is shut down every other spring, when electricity demand is low and hydropower from spring snowmelt is plentiful for refueling. Outage work is a rigorous, complex sequence of 24/7 activity, Hettel said. It requires several years of planning and a highly skilled team to complete. The outage is used to add fresh fuel to the reactor core and to allow maintenance that is difficult while the plant is operating. During the outage just completed, 248 of 764 nuclear fuel assemblies in the plants reactor core were replaced with fresh fuel. The fuel that had been in the reactor core for six years was placed in the adjacent used fuel pool to remove residual heat for at least five years and then will be moved to Energy Northwests outdoor dry-cask storage. Used nuclear fuel from the Columbia Generating Station, a commercial nuclear power plant near Richland, is stored on an outdoor pad until the nation has a national repository. Crews also used the outage to inspect a high-pressure turbine and moisture separator reheaters; refurbish a feedwater drive turbine; replace the roofing material on the turbine building and repair the reactor feedwater valve that took longer than expected, plus other work to inspect and diagnose possible issues with the plants components. Before disconnecting from the grid May 5, the reactor achieved its second longest operating run in its 38-year history, 508 days online, according to Energy Northwest. The outage work was done with the help of 1,200 temporary workers, many of whom specialize in nuclear plant refueling and maintenance, who supplemented the permanent Energy Northwest staff of about 1,000 workers. They filled campsites and any available temporary housing near the Tri-Cities this spring. The Energy Northwest nuclear power reactor is 10 miles north of Richland on leased land at the Hanford nuclear reservation site, but is unrelated to the World War II and Cold War weapons work and ongoing environmental cleanup there. Columbia Generating Station is a 1,207 megawatt boiling water reactor that provides electricity at cost to the Bonneville Power Administration. Energy Northwest, which also has wind, solar and hydropower production, comprises 28 public power member utilities, serving more than 1.5 million customers. U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks during a stamp unveiling ceremony in honor of the late Congressman and civil rights activist John R. Lewis of Georgia, in Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol on June 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Getty Images) The House descended into chaos on Wednesday afternoon as the chamber voted along party lines to punish a Democrat over the long-shuttered Trump-Russia investigation. Democrats booed and heckled Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday as the GOP voted to censure California representative Adam Schiff for his efforts to investigate the 2016 Trump campaigns ties to Russia. On cameras of the House floor, Democrats could be seen rallying near the lectern and chanting, Shame! as the Speaker announced the result of the vote, which he said was punishment for misleading the American public. McCarthy is getting heckled and booed pic.twitter.com/a6MozkshO9 Acyn (@Acyn) June 21, 2023 On Wednesday, the House voted 213-to-209 largely on party lines to censure Mr Schiff. Republicans have claimed that Mr Schiff had misled the American public about the Trump-Russia investigation, which ended without proof that the Trump campaign had coordinated with Russia but found that Russias actions had been taken to benefit the former presidents campaign and harm Hillary Clintons bid for the White House. Republicans argue that Mr Schiff lied when he argued that there was evidence to support the idea of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. He was previously removed from the House Intelligence Committee by Mr McCarthy for the same reason. A previous version of the censure, which had included a $16m fine, was voted down with some Republican opposition. In a speech from the floor, the California Democrat remained defiant, saying he was being punished for pursuing the truth by a party thats attached itself to conspiratorial thinking about the election. You who are the authors of the big lie about the last election must condemn the truth tellers and I stand proudly before you, Mr Schiff said. No matter how many false justifications or slanders you level against me, you but indict yourselves, he added. As Liz Cheney said, there will come a day when Donald Trump is gone. But your dishonor will remain. New York Democrat Dan Goldman agreed, calling the censure vote a phony ploy to punish Adam Schiff for speaking truth to power in a floor speech of his own. One of my colleagues says, We will hold members accountable. You are the party of George Santos. Who are you holding accountable? he added. This phony ploy to punish Adam Schiff for speaking truth to power is pathetic and beneath this body. Coming from the party of George Santos, the Republicans should instead focus their attention inward rather than promote more lies about honorable public servants. pic.twitter.com/rBcsQHcq4s Rep. Dan Goldman (@RepDanGoldman) June 21, 2023 Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi laid into them as well: "Today we are on the floor of the House where the other side has turned this chamber where slavery was abolished, where Medicare and Social Security and everything were instituted theyve turned it into a puppet show." Theyve turned it into a puppet show and you know what? The puppeteer, Donald Trump, is shining a light on the strings. You look miserable, she added. You look miserable. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) slams Republicans during the debate over censuring Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Theyve turned it into a puppet show and you know what? The puppeteer, Donald Trump, is shining a light on the strings. You look miserable. You look miserable. pic.twitter.com/JW9H1RBjKb The Recount (@therecount) June 21, 2023 Mr Schiffs enemies, meanwhile, accused him of supporting a narrative that supposedly caused a great divide between members of families all across the country. Anna Paulina Luna, the GOP lawmaker leading the resolution, personally accused him of permanently destroying family relationships. By repeatedly telling these falsehoods, Representative Schiff purposely deceived his Committee, Congress, and the American people, the resolution read. Previously, Mr Schiff had said the censure resolution would accuse me of omnipotence, the leader of some a vast Deep State conspiracy, and of course, it is nonsense. Beyond the Trump-Russia investigation, Mr Schiff also became a target of the Republican caucus due to his prosecution of Mr Trump during his first impeachment trial, when he was accused of improperly pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into launching a criminal investigation into Joe Biden at the time, apparently, with the hopes of politically damaging the Democratic candidate ahead of the 2020 election. That investigation was never launched but Rudy Giuliani, who was a central figure in trying to make it happen, would later go on to become Mr Trumps legal counsel in his bid to overturn the election following his defeat. The toothless censure of Mr Schiff is likely to be little more than a consolation prize for Republicans who had originally wanted an investigation into the origins of the Russia probe to uncover a vast Deep State conspiracy against Mr Trump, which never materialised. The leader of that investigation, John Durham, appeared on Capitol Hill for a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee separately on Wednesday where Mr Schiff grilled him over whether he had been concerned about efforts by a group of Russians to reach out to the Trump campaign and offer damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Republicans, meanwhile, voiced their displeasure over how Mr Durhams investigation had fizzled without any major victories in the effort to prove a long-reaching shadowy conspiracy against Mr Trump. The House descended into chaos on Wednesday afternoon as the chamber voted along party lines to punish a Democrat over the long-shuttered Trump-Russia investigation. Democrats booed and heckled Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday as the GOP voted to censure California representative Adam Schiff for his efforts to investigate the 2016 Trump campaigns ties to Russia. On cameras of the House floor, Democrats could be seen rallying near the lectern and chanting, Shame! as the Speaker announced the result of the vote, which he said was punishment for misleading the American public. McCarthy is getting heckled and booed pic.twitter.com/a6MozkshO9 Acyn (@Acyn) June 21, 2023 On Wednesday, the House voted 213-to-209 largely on party lines to censure Mr Schiff. Republicans have claimed that Mr Schiff had misled the American public about the Trump-Russia investigation, which ended without proof that the Trump campaign had coordinated with Russia but found that Russias actions had been taken to benefit the former presidents campaign and harm Hillary Clintons bid for the White House. Republicans argue that Mr Schiff lied when he argued that there was evidence to support the idea of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. He was previously removed from the House Intelligence Committee by Mr McCarthy for the same reason. A previous version of the censure, which had included a $16m fine, was voted down with some Republican opposition. In a speech from the floor, the California Democrat remained defiant, saying he was being punished for pursuing the truth by a party thats attached itself to conspiratorial thinking about the election. You who are the authors of the big lie about the last election must condemn the truth tellers and I stand proudly before you, Mr Schiff said. No matter how many false justifications or slanders you level against me, you but indict yourselves, he added. As Liz Cheney said, there will come a day when Donald Trump is gone. But your dishonor will remain. New York Democrat Dan Goldman agreed, calling the censure vote a phony ploy to punish Adam Schiff for speaking truth to power in a floor speech of his own. One of my colleagues says, We will hold members accountable. You are the party of George Santos. Who are you holding accountable? he added. This phony ploy to punish Adam Schiff for speaking truth to power is pathetic and beneath this body. Coming from the party of George Santos, the Republicans should instead focus their attention inward rather than promote more lies about honorable public servants. pic.twitter.com/rBcsQHcq4s Rep. Dan Goldman (@RepDanGoldman) June 21, 2023 Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi laid into them as well: "Today we are on the floor of the House where the other side has turned this chamber where slavery was abolished, where Medicare and Social Security and everything were instituted theyve turned it into a puppet show." Theyve turned it into a puppet show and you know what? The puppeteer, Donald Trump, is shining a light on the strings. You look miserable, she added. You look miserable. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) slams Republicans during the debate over censuring Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Theyve turned it into a puppet show and you know what? The puppeteer, Donald Trump, is shining a light on the strings. You look miserable. You look miserable. pic.twitter.com/JW9H1RBjKb The Recount (@therecount) June 21, 2023 Mr Schiffs enemies, meanwhile, accused him of supporting a narrative that supposedly caused a great divide between members of families all across the country. Anna Paulina Luna, the GOP lawmaker leading the resolution, personally accused him of permanently destroying family relationships. By repeatedly telling these falsehoods, Representative Schiff purposely deceived his Committee, Congress, and the American people, the resolution read. Previously, Mr Schiff had said the censure resolution would accuse me of omnipotence, the leader of some a vast Deep State conspiracy, and of course, it is nonsense. Beyond the Trump-Russia investigation, Mr Schiff also became a target of the Republican caucus due to his prosecution of Mr Trump during his first impeachment trial, when he was accused of improperly pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into launching a criminal investigation into Joe Biden at the time, apparently, with the hopes of politically damaging the Democratic candidate ahead of the 2020 election. That investigation was never launched but Rudy Giuliani, who was a central figure in trying to make it happen, would later go on to become Mr Trumps legal counsel in his bid to overturn the election following his defeat. The toothless censure of Mr Schiff is likely to be little more than a consolation prize for Republicans who had originally wanted an investigation into the origins of the Russia probe to uncover a vast Deep State conspiracy against Mr Trump, which never materialised. The leader of that investigation, John Durham, appeared on Capitol Hill for a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee separately on Wednesday where Mr Schiff grilled him over whether he had been concerned about efforts by a group of Russians to reach out to the Trump campaign and offer damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Republicans, meanwhile, voiced their displeasure over how Mr Durhams investigation had fizzled without any major victories in the effort to prove a long-reaching shadowy conspiracy against Mr Trump. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Job no: 531927 Work type: Officer of Administration Location: Eugene, OR Categories: Architecture/Art/Design, Arts/Theater/Museum, Foreign Languages/Linguistics, International Studies Department: Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA) Appointment Type and Duration: Regular, Ongoing Salary: $65,000 $75,000 per year Compensation Band: OS-OA08-Fiscal Year 2022-2023 FTE: 1.0 Application Review Begins July 4, 2023; open until filled. Special Instructions to Applicants For consideration, please submit the following: A cover letter that outlines your skills, experience, and qualifications related to this position An updated resume Three professional references Department Summary The University of Oregons art museum, The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA), opened its doors to the public in 1933. Designed by Ellis F. Lawrence, UO Dean of Architecture & Allied Arts at the time, the museum was built to house the Murray Warner Collection of Oriental Artmore than 3,700 works of art given to the University of Oregon by Gertrude Bass Warner. After a major renovation and expansion, the museum reopened in 2005 at 70,000 square feet, twice the original size. Over 20,000 square feet are dedicated to museum exhibitions and related programs serving the academic university and community at large. The only academic art museum in Oregon accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA) features engaging exhibitions, significant collections of historic and contemporary art, and exciting educational programs that support the universitys academic mission and the diverse interests of its off-campus communities. The collection consists of 17,000+ works of art across all media with extensive holdings in Asian art (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean), Pacific Northwest art, Russian icons, European and American modern and contemporary art, and growing strength in Latin American art. Special exhibitions galleries display works from the collection and works on loan, representing many cultures of the world, past and present. The JSMA continues a long tradition of bridging international cultures and offers a welcoming destination for discovery and education centered on artistic expression that deepens the appreciation and understanding of the human condition. Position Summary The University of Oregons Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art is seeking a Curator of Contemporary and Traditional Chinese Art. This is an exciting opportunity to oversee, develop, research, and present Chinese contemporary art, with a special focus on the Jack and Susy Wadsworth Collection of Contemporary Chinese Photographs, in conjunction with modern and traditional Chinese art, and to assist as necessary with the museums other Asian collections and projects. This position reports to the Chief Curator and is focused on the development of a robust curation of contemporary and earlier Chinese art and related education initiatives. In this role, you will curate, organize, and implement exhibitions (in the range of $10,000 $100,000), assist with inventory and management of the Chinese collections, recommend acquisitions, and research and write Chinese publications. A specific project of the Curator of Contemporary and Traditional Chinese Art will be to develop and present a series of exhibitions drawn from and inspired by the Jack and Susy Wadsworth Collection of Contemporary Chinese Photographs. You will work closely with on- and off-campus communities to build museum engagement and organize major events, including those planned to help sustain and build the museums relationships in the diverse regional and state Asian and Asian American communities. You will have the ability to strengthen the JSMAs standing as a nationally recognized teaching museum by contributing to the museums energetic academic engagement work across the curriculum and across campus. Minimum Requirements MA in art history, with a demonstrated interest in and experience with contemporary or modern Chinese art. Coursework focused on and/or significant research and curatorial experience with contemporary, modern, and traditional Chinese art. 2 years experience working on relevant museum or curatorial and academic projects. Bilingual (Chinese/English): essential for communicating with museums, galleries, artists, and collectors in China, and other Chinese-reading/speaking countries to support JSMA exhibitions, programs, collections research, development, and fundraising and to further the JSMAs strategic plan. Teaching and/or guest lecturing experience in areas of contemporary, modern and/or traditional Chinese art history and museum practice. Professional Competencies Demonstrated ability to work collegially and collaboratively with diverse internal and external constituents. Demonstrated ability to multi-task and work collaboratively with staff, guest curators, faculty, students, artists, collectors, donors, and volunteers. Effective communication skills, including strong public speaking skills. Excellent research and data management skills. Excellent computer skills, including MS Office and Outlook Exchange. Preferred Qualifications PhD in art history, with a focus on contemporary or modern Chinese art. A record of published writing for museum and/or academic projects. Two years of curatorial experience in an academic art museum. Experience researching and presenting Chinese art for museum acquisition and exhibition. Strong track record of conceptualizing and organizing contemporary, modern and/or traditional Chinese art exhibitions. One year experience writing grants with a record of increased responsibilities and budget management. Interest and experience working with community organizations, especially those serving Asian and Asian American audiences. Experience mentoring students at the graduate and undergraduate level. Supervisory experience. FLSA Exempt: Yes All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background inquiry. The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit http://hr.uoregon.edu/careers/about-benefits. The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply, and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at mailto:uocareers@uoregon.edu or 541-346-5112. UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, Office of Civil Rights Compliance, or to the Office for Civil Rights. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed on the http://studentlife.uoregon.edu/nondiscrimination. In compliance with federal law, the University of Oregon prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and services. The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://clery.uoregon.edu/annual-campus-security-and-fire-safety-report. To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/4298622 Copyright 2022 Jobelephant.com Inc. All rights reserved. by Vladimir Rozanskij Thousands of documents have been published on Arkadij and Boris Rotenberg, among those closest to Putin and owners of the 'president's castle' denounced by Naval'nyj. In the network of frontmen in charge of their financial and personal affairs, even a cousin of Queen Elizabeth. Even after the invasion of Ukraine business not touched by sanctions especially in Monaco, Cyprus and Luxembourg. Moscow (AsiaNews) - A number of news agencies, together with the website Vaznye Istorii ("Important Stories"), have conducted an investigation into the phenomena of corruption and organised crime among Russians, focusing among others on the actions of the oligarch brothers Arkadij and Boris Rotenberg, among those closest to President Putin. They have been able to camouflage their companies and properties abroad, real estate, private planes and yachts, circumventing Western sanctions. An anonymous source provided journalists with a series of documents, called the 'Rotenberg archive', with more than 50,000 files, 30,000 electronic messages and 12,000 papers of various importance. In them, it becomes clear how the Rotenbergs were able to maintain their empire outside of Russia by organising a wide network of trusted persons, the so-called frontmen, in charge of administering the financial and personal affairs of the pimps so as to disguise the real destination of the interests at stake. One of these frontmen, according to the investigation, is Maksim Viktorov, business partner of a cousin of the late Queen of England, Elizabeth II. A former Soviet KGB collaborator, Viktorov has worked as an advisor to the former Russian defence minister, Anatoly Serdjukov, since 2012, becoming part of the closest entourage around President Putin. In 2014 he began helping the Rotenbergs, who even then ended up in the first US and EU sanctions packages issued after the illegal annexation of Crimea. The billionaire brothers then got out of the administrative structures of their own companies, hiding a substantial part of the shares in confidential investment funds, administered by the firm Evokorp owned by Viktorov, with whom the Rotenbergs have always denied even simple acquaintance, now denied by the documentation collected. Thanks to the off-shore funds, the Rotenbergs acquired through third parties many properties in Spain, France, Austria and Monaco for over USD 50 million, as well as a USD 42 million Bombardier plane. In an Austrian chalet in Kitzbuhel, Putin's eldest daughter Maria Vorontsova and her Dutch ex-husband Jorrit Faassen were registered. The wives of the two oligarchs also helped muddy the waters: Boris' wife Karina has US citizenship, and Arkadij's wife Maria Borodunova is a Latvian citizen. The latter is a big accumulator of real estate abroad, starting from the beginning of her relationship with her husband in 2013, and is also co-founder of the French company SCI Dana, to which a sumptuous villa on the French Riviera, in Villefranche-sur Mer, and a 400 sqm flat in the Sun Tower in the centre of Monaco, bought for 65 million euros, are in her name. Karina also owns at least half of her husband's properties, worth more than EUR 70 million. Until 2022 Karina and Maria ensured their husbands continuous money flows, through credits from the branches of Russian banks abroad, especially from the Cyprus branch of Promsvjazbank. The sanctions piled up further during the invasion of Ukraine, but the parties entrusted to wives and frontmen seem to have remained completely outside the controls and restrictions, especially in Munich, Cyprus and Luxembourg. The Rotenbergs are among the inner circle of Putin's 'magic circle', and Arkadij himself has declared himself the owner of the scandalous 'Putin castle' in Gelendzik, denounced by Naval'nyj at the height of his confrontation with Kremlin power. In Crimea alone, state funds have been hoarded by the Rotenbergs to the tune of more than 300 billion roubles, more than a quarter of the money invested by the Kremlin for the development of the occupied peninsula for 2020-2025. Boris Rotenberg is also co-owner and member of the board of directors of the major SMP Bank, vice-president of the Russian Judo Federation, a sport much loved by Putin, founder and director of the Russian motorsport SMP Racing. The whole world relentlessly targets him with sanctions, but he has proven to be a 'black belt' of not only sporting, but also financial reversal. by Alessandra Tamponi Speaking at the Sorbonne in Paris, the South Korean president calls for a global organisation under the UN, a proposal closely linked to South Koreas bid for World Expo in a city, Busan, that is a leading centre of the digital transition. Technology for humanity would be one of its subthemes. Paris (AsiaNews) - South Korea wants the establishment of an international organisation to establish rules for the digital order. President Yoon Suk-yeol made the proposal yesterday in Paris, underlining the paradox that new digital technologies improve people's lives with convenience, but at the same time pose a threat to human freedom. The South Korean leader was in the French capital for the general assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) to present Busan's bid for World Expo 2030, a crucial goal for his administration since he became president. Busan has to contend with two other cities, Rome and Riyadh; the final choice will be made in November. Over the past year, the South Korean president has used every opportunity to promote his country's bid, most recently at the Korea-Pacific Islands Forum. The South Korean project is based on three subthemes: "Sustainable Living with Nature centred on climate change, "Technology for Humanity" linked to the side effects deriving from advanced technological development on the human species, and "Platform for Caring and Sharing" to curb disparities between social classes and countries. All three will be guided by a general theme proposed by South Korea, namely, "Transforming our world, navigating toward a better future". For South Korea, winning the right to organise Expo would be an important achievement. First, hosting the event is expected to generate more than US$ 40 billion in economic benefits and create more than 500,000 jobs. Secondly, it would boost the country's prestige regionally and globally. For this reason, South Korea is linking its bid to innovation and technological transition, sectors in which it wants to take the lead. The choice of Busan as a venue is not causal. The port city, the countrys second largest, has already hosted international events, such as the Asian 2022 Games and many APEC meetings. But above all, over the years it has played a key role in the transformation of South Korea and today it is one of the symbols of its technological development in sectors such as digital transition, artificial intelligence, and digital economy: In 2022 the Global Smart Centres Index (SCI) placed Busan in 22nd place on its list of the best Smart Cities in the world. At the Paris Digital Vision Forum held at Sorbonne University, Yoon proposed to set up an organisation under the United Nations to set the rules for digital order. Dubbed the Paris Initiative, his proposal would tackle many of the fears associated with the development of digital technologies. In his address at the French university, Yoon stressed how new technologies in particular those related to data and artificial intelligence are generating a great deal of ambiguity linked to the lack of shared ethical norms that govern their development and use. South Korea is one of the leading countries in this area and it is not surprising that Yoon would like to see it play a role in developing its rules. In September, the president announced a national digital strategy for South Korea. If Busan hosts World Expo 2030, South Korea will have the opportunity to further consolidate its leading role in a world that, as Yoon noted in his proposal, needs profound transformations. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. SUV This pixel master is accustomed to digital play with the latest novelties from Japanese automakers he simply loves all things Asian, including little-known brands (in the West) like Perodua. Thus, between the latest Mitsubishi Lancer (shown in the second video embedded below) and stuff like the Perodua Nexis, there is always time for the latest Toyota or Lexus, too.Just recently, the CGI expert took a swing towards quirkiness and envisioned the 2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD PreRunner with the new XtraCab body style would make the perfect candidate for morphing into the upcoming new 4Runner mid-size! So, you see, a Lexus LBX F-Sport is quite a trifling matter, as it turns out. Luckily, in between European and Asian models, he sometimes dabbles with stuff that would deeply please the American car market , if ever real.And there is no need to take our word for granted, as the latest behind-the-scenes making-of video focuses on the newly introduced 2024 Lexus GX 550 off-road-focused luxury full-size SUV. The idea behind the transformation is simple, as the new GX was developed on the Toyota New Global Architecture the TNGA-F version, which is shared with the all-new N400 Toyota Tacoma superstar. As such, the morphing wasn't that intricate the author wiped away the SUV body style and used the new Tacoma (TRD Sport) template to create a larger GX pickup truck.Frankly, it's not that illogical to assume that Toyota could allow Lexus to create a pickup truck based on the all-new GX. After all, the TNGA-F body-on-frame platform also underpins larger models like the J300 Toyota Land Cruiser, XK80 Sequoia, and XK70 Tundra, along with the J310 Lexus LX. Frankly, it would not be hard for the Japanese to make the all-new GX 550 a luxurious pickup truck. But the question is, why would they even do that? Remember how Cadillac and Lincoln's attempts of the same posh nature failed miserably? Besides, Toyota already has a ritzy pickup truck the Tundra Capstone!As such, unfortunately, we are left without a case for the hypothetical Lexus GX 550 pickup truck. On the other hand, the SUV that already exists in real life is another thing altogether. It features a vastly improved design compared to its predecessor, which sets it apart from its comfort-oriented LX 600 counterpart. Plus, Lexus followed Toyota's new Trailhunter idea by introducing Overtrail and Overtrail+ trims that are more adventurous and off-road-prepared than anything before them. So, what's not to like about the 349-hp GX 550? BYD is reaching new markets with impressive products that bury the idea that Chinese companies copy famous car designs to sell more. The Han, Atto 3, and Dolphin have a distinctive style that is helping them achieve good sales numbers in new countries. However, BYD makes a 1958 Chevrolet Corvette replica that could make it seem the automaker shifted from its current design strategy and that is not correct. Photo: Songsan PHEV Photo: CarNewsChina ICE kW kWh Photo: CarNewsChina ABS Photo: CarNewsChina The model you see in this story is called Songsan (Loose in Chinese) SS Dolphin. This company was founded by nostalgic motorcycle and car enthusiasts who decided they could customize bikes and make a buck out of their passion. The SS Dolphin is part of that effort.BYD enters this story as a manufacturing contractor. Songsan does not have a car-production license, so it hired BYD to take care of building the SS Dolphin. Legally speaking, the plug-in hybrid roadster is a BYD , which is quite evident in pictures obtained by CarNewsChina. They show the SS Dolphin also wearing BYD badges, something we do not see on Songsan's website.CarNewsChina states the SS Dolphin is 4.86 meters long, 1.90 m wide, 1.43 m tall, and has a wheelbase of 2.70 m. Songsan's website tells a different story. According to it, the car is 4.80 m long, 1.85 m wide, and 1.39 m tall, but it does not share its wheelbase. On the official website, you can also learn it offers eight exterior colors (black, red, blue, yellow, white, green, gray, and beige) and three interior options (white, brown, or red).Songsan chose the SS Dolphin to have BYD's plug-in hybrid architecture, which is something it only briefly mentions on its internet page. That was probably a move to make it easier for this car to get a license plate: in China's crowded megalopolises, you have to buy a license plate for your new vehicle unless it is aor a BEV . In those cases, the license plates are free.The vehicle can go from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 5.9 seconds and uses a 1.5-liter engine. It is most certainly the Xiaoyun mill, which was the world's most efficient internal combustion engine () with 43% of thermal efficiency until the Geely DHE1.5 engine raised that bar to 43.32%. According to CarNewsChina, the SS Dolphin uses a six-speed transmission, which the pictures reveal to be an automatic gearbox.The Chinese website also shared the output: 118(158 hp) from the Xiaoyun engine and 110 kW (148 hp) from the electric motor. Due to losses, the combined number is 235 kW (315 hp) and 535 Nm (394.6 pound-feet). The battery pack can deliver 16, which is allegedly enough for an electric-only range of 100 kilometers (62 miles). Songsan states the vehicle has a fuel consumption of 3 liters per 100 km (78.4 MPG) and that it has a range of 500 km (311 mi) without inducing anxiety episodes.As the plug-in hybrid tech proves, the nostalgic looks of the SS Dolphin hide a modern car. It has McPherson suspensions in the front, multilink independent suspensions in the rear, brake discs in all four wheels,, brake distribution, traction control, AEB , and ESC. Songsan says it "meets safety collision standards and passes the most stringent durability and reliability tests."1958 Corvette units cost as much as their owners want to get depending on how well the car is. The good news is that there is an average price of around $100,000 which can give us an idea of how much someone looking for such a car in the US would pay. According to CarNewsChina, the SS Dolphin was supposed to have an RMB598,000 ($83,293 at the current exchange rate) price tag, but the final one ended up being RMB700,000 ($97,500). That's almost the same average price of the real deal, which may cost way more in China . It may be the case that the SS Dolphin is a bargain in its home market.Those worried about maintenance may also argue that the Songsan PHEV is a better deal because the company offers a 3-year or 60,000-km (37,282-mile) warranty. In case anything goes wrong with the SS Dolphin, it can be repaired in over 1,000 authorized shops all over China. Remember that the PHEV may also skip the license plate fees due to its green footprint. Some Chinese cities only grant this advantage to BEVs because they claim drivers only buy PHEVs to seize the benefits and never charge their battery packs. Considering many Chinese live in apartments and would have a hard time stopping to charge, it is easy to understand both sides of the story.Despite all that, I suspect that most people would just ignore that if they could buy an original Corvette instead of the tribute Songsan and BYD tried to pay for that machine especially if the price difference is not big. SUV We just saw Mercedes-Benz usher in the W214 era of E-Class Estate dealings in the family in Europe or Ram Trucks prepare to amaze everyone with the official introduction of the Rampage truck to South America, and voila, Toyota is tripling its efforts with help from Gazoo Racing and their new special editions of the GR Corolla (Circuit), GR86 (Trueno), and GR Supra (45th Anniversary) . And why a trio of launches, one might ask?Well, probably because they wanted more than double efforts like the Corolla Cross Hybrid and the entire Corolla Nightshade family, the Prius 'Hybrid Reborn' plus 220-hp Prime plug-in hybrid, among others. Interestingly, while the company allowed both its namesake brand and the luxury division over at Lexus to come up with new superstars (2024 Toyota Tacoma and 2024 Lexus GX 550), they also felt that a team-up was always in order. As such, not long after the arrival of the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander as a family-oriented, big three-row crossover, Lexus also brought into the spotlight the twinned 2024 TX crossoverthat will also be assembled in Indiana, the US. And, of course, none of them escaped the vigilant eye of the imaginative realm of digital car content creators.Over there, we found Nikita Chuicko, the virtual artist better known as kelsonik on social media, who thinks now is the right CGI time to (again) fiddle with the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander and give it the author's signature 'Shadow Line' treatment plus a set of new Y-spoke wheels to complete the tentative of aftermarket-style murdered-out look. But the cool thing about this Grand Highlander is that the pixel master also worked his CGI brush's magic on the 2024 Lexus TX in a mirroring dark and menacing demeanor. And the posher sibling even got three types of alternate-style aftermarket wheels, just for good measure. Plus, in case you don't like the murdered-out atmosphere, the rear POVs were dressed in subtler gray tones, by the way.So, which one is your favorite? Do you like the murdered-out 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander 'Shadow Line' more than the dark and menacing or subtle and gray 2024 Lexus TX with either of the three aftermarket wheels? Or are both good enough for your family, and the only conundrum would be centered around the powertrain of choice? Well, then, all we can say is that if you are a fan of PHEVs, you need to upgrade to the 2024 Lexus TX 550h+ as the only brotherhood member with a plug. Fast cars are often called expensive toys because they are built to make their drivers have fun at the steering wheel. Despite that, the McMurtry Speirling Pure is possibly the automobile that deserves that classification the most. After all, it is relatively small and has a restricted use. It also deserves to be called exclusive: apart from being quite expensive, it is also a single-seater, which means it offers fun to a single person at a time. Photo: McMurtry kWh Photo: McMurtry BEV Photo: McMurtry kW McMurtry has been teasing the Speirling for quite a while. The tiny marvel broke the Goodwood Hillclimb record in 2022 by completing it in 39.08 seconds. Apart from its low mass (it weighs less than 1,000 kilograms or 2,205 pounds), it also counts on a downforce-on-demand fan system. The GMA T.50 also uses this concept. McMurtry promises the Pure will be even faster than the prototype that broke the Goodwood record. It will charge those seeking these mindblowing performances 820,000 plus taxes. The price tag alone is equivalent to $953,709 at the current exchange rate.To deliver an even quicker car, McMurtry made a series of improvements in the Speirling prototype we have seen in Goodwood. The fan system is now 15% more efficient, 14% lighter, and has improved tolerance to flow variation. The skirt it needs to create the downforce effect is 15% lighter.The 60- battery pack that powers this tiny battery electric vehicle has a 15.5% lighter battery pack casing. New Molicel batteries made the pack 3% lighter, even with better thermal management. The chassis lost 4% of its former weight, and a new electrical architecture allowed the wiring loom mass to drop by 35%.The mass reduction measures also affected the wheel rims, which are 2% lighter in the front axle and lost 12% of their previous weight on the rear. The brake system is 2.5% lighter, while a revised pedal box and a lightened power steering unit managed to deliver mass savings of respectively 17% and 20%.That's quite an achievement for a component that will have even more work with the 28% wider front tires. Instead of 21/64R19 units, they are now 27/65R18. If you think these measures are weird, that's because the Speirling Pure uses slick rubbers. In the rear, the tires are 25% wider: instead of 24/64R19s, they are now 30/68R18 units. The little missile is a track-only vehicle. Just try to imagine the trouble McMurtry would have to make a road-legal version of this car Just like a toy, it can only be used in the proper environment.Being a single-seater makes the Speirling Pure an exclusive machine, but that's probably a good thing. Thiscan reach cornering accelerations in excess of 3G. Any passenger would probably get dizzy or throw up in the neat cabin of this amazing machine when submitted to such forces. Besides saving weight with a single seat in the cabin, keeping it exclusively for the driver was probably a safety and hygienic measure.Another advantage that the lonely seat brought was the potential for weight saving in a more compact body. The Speirling Pure is only 1.58 meters (62.2 in) wide and 1.02 m (40.2 in) tall, but it is longer than most people would imagine: 3.45 m (135.8 in), the same size as a Renault ZOE or a Volkswagen up!. A Chevrolet Spark is only 5 centimeters (2 in) longer. According to McMurtry, the length and adjustable pedals and steering wheel column help the Speirling Pure accommodate a driver who is 6ft 7" (2 m) tall and weighs up to 150 kg (330.7 lb).Destined to be used only in tracks, the range should not be a concern for its potential owners, but the company states it can complete ten laps at a "lap record pace" in Silverstone . Its E-axle delivers 745(999 hp) and a top speed of 190 mph (305.8 kph). Considering the British circuit is 3.66 miles (5.891 km) long, that means the McMurtry has a range of 36.6 miles (58.91 km) when running at full speed. Owners willing to play more with their toys will have to wait 20 minutes for a fast charge, which will reduce the range to 80%. At least, that is what most manufacturers recommend as the limit for fast charging: 80% of the battery pack's capacity. In other words, the Speirling Pure will be ready for eight laps instead of ten after needing a new charge. McMurtry did not disclose the charging speed the BEV can take.For those with a spare $1 million in the bank and access to tracks, the British company said it wants to present pre-production prototypes for the Steirling Pure in 2024. The first deliveries should take place in 2025. Only one hundred cars will be made, which is always an incentive for wealthy buyers to rush. There's a great chance that some of them will be left hanging or waiting for a used Speirling Pure to get to the market. Tesla is already underway with Cybertruck trial production, as more electric pickups were spotted in the wild. In a recent scoop, two Cybertruck that appear to be production-ready were hauled on a trailer to an unknown location. In another find, two camouflaged Cybertrucks were caught in the same picture in the Bay Area. The Tesla community couldn't be more excited as Cybertruck sightings have become common, especially in California. Although the Cybertruck will start production at Giga Texas soon, many prototypes and pre-production vehicles have been spotted in the Bay Area, where Tesla has its engineering headquarters . More Cybertruck sightings mean Tesla accelerated the Cybertruck program, and the series production start might be near.Mid-June, the internet got puzzled to see the first Tesla Cybertruck covered in camouflage , something unusual for the electric pickup. The Cybertruck has always appeared in public with no disguise, so the camo caused quite a stir. Moments later, another prototype with the same camo exited a drive-thru In-N-Out restaurant.Tesla fans concluded that this was a beta-production model, not a prototype. Elon Musk confirmed that the drive-through visit has already become a tradition at the end of the development phase. This was another proof that the Cybertruck was ready for the next stage of its career, the trial production.Tesla may have already started limited production, as more Cybertrucks have been spotted on Thursday. Camouflaged pickups are already mundane, but having two in the same picture is unusual. Even more unusual was seeing two uncamouflaged Cybertrucks on a trailer on a highway in California, heading to an unknown location. The electric trucks on the trailer appear to be production models. One had the vault cover closed, a welcome variation to previous sightings.Although I don't know where they were heading, I can assume they will not have a good fate. Tesla uses the first production models for structural and other "destructive" tests. These two Cybertrucks could be destined for crash tests. Although the Cybertruck's stainless steel exoskeleton is probably stiffer than other vehicle bodies, it should not survive a crash. Tesla surely designed the Cybertruck with proper crumple zones to enhance occupant protection in the case of a collision.There's another intriguing detail that eagle-eyed fans noticed. The latest Tesla Cybertruck still doesn't feature a light bar at the rear. When the first pre-production prototypes surfaced, people asked Elon Musk about this feature, and Tesla's CEO promised that the production model would have it. The latest sightings suggest that this might not be the case after all. Still, being such a minor detail, I imagine it shouldn't be difficult for Tesla to add it in production.The latest information suggests that Tesla will start Cybertruck series production around August , and the first reservation holders will get their pickups in September. Tesla plans a special delivery event, as it did with the Semi or the Model Y built at Giga Berlin. Still, I don't expect the production to ramp up fast, especially as Tesla is fighting a battery cell shortage that also affects the Semi production. If you're a videogame player, then the association between the names Kratos and Zeus will immediately have you thinking about the God of War title for PlayStation platforms. For people working in the American defense industry, the two names together will from now designate a potent new solid rocket motor. Kratos is a name weve discussed before here on autoevolution, most often in relation to a an uncrewed aircraft system called Valkyrie. The tech is currently gaining extra attention thanks to an announcement saying it will include the Shield AI artificial intelligence pilot, but its not the Valkyrie were here to discuss now.The target of our focus here is Zeus 1, a solid rocket motor (SRM) developed for Kratos by Aerojet Rocketdyne, a name we know from space exploration as the one behind the Space Shuttle engines, but also those that power the Artemis Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.Zeus is a brand new design of affordable commercial SRMs. It is in essence a 32.5-inch diameter rocket engine that will be used to power Kratos-made launch stages for hypersonic vehicles.The exact specs of the engine are not known, but we do get word of the Zeus being significantly better than legacy and heritage SRMs, while still allowing the same payload design and use of existing infrastructure.Unlike existing rocket engines, though, it will also allow the integration of newer tech and payloads. They will be flown more often, faster and farther, and will be cheaper than what current solutions offer. Kratos said this week that the Zeus 1 underwent its first static test fire at the Aerojet Rocketdyne facility in Arkansas, and it performed flawlessly. We are not given exact numbers to back that statement up, but the company ensures the world that preliminary hardware and data inspection confirms the robustness of the motor design and its applicability for multiple customer applications.It's not clear at this time when the Zeus 1 will be ready for duty, but we do know it will be followed by another version called Zeus 2, which should be test-fired later this year.The Zeus rocket engines are part of Kratos push to become one of the only companies with both the Rocket System and Flyer systems under one entity. The list of hardware being researched for this goal also includes the Erinyes hypersonic test vehicle, announced in 2021 and expected to debut next year, and the Dark Fury, a hypersonic system whose nature and performance characteristics are highly confidential.Well keep an eye out for what Kratos is up to in this field, and update any time we learn anything meaningful. After all, its not everyday we witness the advent of potentially world-changing tech. Pair a futuristic smart city powered by clean energy with a new type of aircraft for zero-emission air mobility, and you have a Sci-Fi movie scene come true. In an era of ultimate globalism, it's unsurprising that a German-made aircraft became the first eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) to complete flight tests in Saudi Arabia in preparation for future commercial service in NEOM. In 2021, HRH Prince Mohamed Bin Salman officially announced the NEOM project. This unprecedented city-state would cover 10,000 square miles (25,900 square km) in Saudi Arabia's Tabuk province.With an estimated cost of more than $500 billion, this ambitious urban project is set to become a huge industrial and technology hub powered exclusively by sustainable, renewable sources. The Line, a community cluster within NEOM based on a futuristic three-layer structure, will ban all cars and have no streets, replacing them with underground ultra-high-speed trains, similar to the infamous hyperloop concepts.NEOM will integrate a multi-modal mobility system, combining autonomous shuttles, electric boats, and delivery drones, all powered entirely by clean energy from solar and wind sources. The idea of a zero-emission, all-electric aircraft fits perfectly.NEOM project representatives announced the joint venture with Volocopter at the end of 2021. The German eVTOL manufacturer was selected to provide its VoloCity air taxis and VoloDrone cargo aircraft and to help build an AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) ecosystem.This week, the two partners reached a milestone with the first official eVTOL flight in Saudi Arabia. Volocopter became the first in the industry to obtain a special flight authorization and to conduct pioneering test flights in this country. It wasn't a single flight but a complex flight test campaign that unfolded over the course of one week.The VoloCity's performance is already confirmed, but NEOM required specific tests. The main issue here is a challenging climate, in addition to other environmental characteristics. Plus, the campaign focused on the air taxi's smooth integration within the local UTM (unmanned aircraft traffic management) system.Now, it's only a matter of time until Volocopter's air taxis and drones will start flying above the futuristic city-state on a regular basis. The German company is set to kick off serial production at its facility in Bruchsal, with an initial capacity of 50 units per year. Prior to that, the VoloCity is expected to get the official green light for commercial service next year.In the meantime, NEOM is also building its own airline , which will operate retrofitted airplanes at first (running on sustainable fuel) and later switch to zero-emission alternatives. The NEOM-operated airliners promise a luxurious and even futuristic flight experience, with large multi-media screens for every seat, on-demand dining (based on locally-sourced ingredients), and 6G Wi-Fi connectivity. The government insisted that Armenian border guards opened fire on June 15 to stop Azerbaijani servicemen manning a checkpoint set up in the corridor from placing an Azerbaijani flag on adjacent Armenian territory. Baku maintains that they did not cross into Armenia. Videos of the incident suggest that the Azerbaijanis were escorted by Russian soldiers as they crossed a bridge over the Hakari river in a bid to hoist the flag. The Armenian Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador in Yerevan on June 16 to express strong discontent with the Russian peacekeepers actions. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, on Wednesday defended the peacekeepers and rejected the Armenian criticism as absolutely groundless. She said the incident resulted from the absence of a delimited Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The Armenian Foreign Ministry dismissed that argument, saying that Zakharova echoed Bakus regular justifications of its aggressive actions against Armenias borders. It is not clear why the Russian peacekeepers participated in that Azerbaijani operation given that both the purpose and even the scene of the operation were clearly outside the scope of the peacekeepers' functions and their zone of responsibility, the ministry spokeswoman, Ani Badalian, said in written comments. Badalian said the Hakari bridge marks the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in that area. Instead of looking for excuses, Moscow should help to ensure the conflicting parties full compliance with a Russian-brokered agreement that stopped the 2020 war in Nagorno-Karabakh, added the official. The ceasefire agreement placed the only road connecting Karabakh to Armenia under the control of the Russian peacekeeping contingent and committed Azerbaijan to guaranteeing safe passage through it. Azerbaijan blocked commercial traffic there last December before setting up the checkpoint in April in what the Armenian side denounced as a further gross violation of the agreement. Right after the June 15 incident, Baku also blocked relief supplies to and medical evacuations from Karabakh, aggravating the humanitarian crisis in the Armenian-populated region. Zakharova called for the lifting of the blockade, saying that Baku should not hold Karabakhs population hostage to political disagreements with Yerevan. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and other Armenian officials have repeatedly accused the Russians of not doing enough to unblock the vital road. They also complained about a lack of broader Russian support for Armenia in the conflict with Azerbaijan. Pakistan and China signed a $4.8 billion deal Tuesday to build what would be the seventh Chinese nuclear power plant in the South Asian nation. The 1,200-megawatt project will be installed in the central Pakistani city of Chashma, where Beijing already has built four nuclear power generation units with a collective output of nearly 1,230 megawatts. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif oversaw Tuesday's signing of the memorandum of understanding between China National Nuclear Cooperation and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. According to the agreement, the Chinese company will employ its HPR 1000 technology, known as HPR1000 or Hualong One, to construct the nuclear power unit. It will be the third facility in Pakistan to feature the HPR 1000, or pressurized water reactor technology. "Investment from China in this project to the tune of $4.8 billion sends a loud and clear message that Pakistan is a place where Chinese companies and investors continue to show their trust and faith," Sharif said. He thanked Beijing for offering a more than $100 million discount for what is named the Chashma 5 power plant. The work on the project was initially planned to start a couple of years ago, but Sharif said the Chinese partners had not rescheduled costs despite the long delay. "This project is part of our energy security plan to diversify the energy mix with a focus on ensuring the provision of cheap electricity to the industry & relief to the common man," the Pakistani prime minister wrote on Twitter after the ceremony. 22 June 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00) Rena Murshud Read more Iran, which has the same character as its sister country Armenia, does not even lag behind her in hypocrisy. Sometimes they hug each other, sometimes they crush each other, but neither friendship nor sisterhood is comprehensible. In any case, this unusual passion of Iran for Armenia is a feeling that arose precisely because of Azerbaijan. If both sides a carefully examined, there is no reason for them to be interested in each other. Armenian root, which is not indigenous to the Caucasus, but grows like a wild plant seed, can be loved for what? Or what can a regime devoid of morality and human feelings understand about the beauty of nature? Speaking of nature, let's go back to the attitude of both couples to the Aras River. Two days ago, the Iranian state, which reluctantly published a critical article about Armenia's pollution of the Aras River with toxic waste, almost apologized to Yerevan by publishing an erratum under its article. But somehow it happened that it did not forget Azerbaijan there either. Although inappropriate and unfair, it managed to insinuate Azerbaijan in order not to break the hearts of her sisters in Yerevan. It is known to everyone that the Armenians polluted the Aras River with radioactive substances, and this was repeatedly reported in the local and foreign media. However, according to Iran's claims, Azerbaijan also has a 'role' in the pollution of the Araz River. Undoubtedly, Iran, which does not lag behind its sister Armenia in occupying the territories of neighboring states, is very well aware of geography. Everyone knows that the Aras River, which incepts in Turkiye, passes through the territory of neighboring states (Nakhchivan, Armenia, Iran) and finally joins the Kura River in Azerbaijan. At this time, the question arises that if Iran, as an objective state, is a real supporter of the safety and security of environment, why does it unfairly hint Azerbaijan in such an article? Otherwise, it could have involved Turkiye first in solving the issue, or it could have directly criticized Armenia, which is the real reason in fact. But again, unfortunately, Iran's problem is not the ecocide committed by Armenia... "When Iran criticizes Armenia, it does not do it on behalf of the state, but on behalf of individuals. With this approach, Iran supposedly demonstrates its objective approach. However, it does not criticize Armenia because it sees Armenia as a friend. However, the population living around the Aras River in Iran declares with footage and many other evidence that Armenia is responsible for the pollution." A South Azerbaijani political analyst living in Turkiye Babek Shahid said these words in his comments for Azernews. According to him, there is great hatred of population towards Armenians in Iran. Iran ignores the Armenian ecocide just for the purpose of not revealing the hatred of its local population. Speaking about Turkiye-Azerbaijan-Iran relations, the expert said that Iran, as an object of hatred, does not separate these two countries from each other. In other words, when making an unfair claim against Azerbaijan, it also applies to Turkiye. The political analyst linked the root of this relationship with the water crisis between Iran and Turkiye. "Currently, there is a serious drought in the northwestern part of Iran, so the country is experiencing a major water crisis. The Iranian authorities also connect the drought problem they are facing in irrigation works with the water dams that as though Turkiye transfers to the Tigris-Euphrates River. Also, Iran allegedly pointed to Turkiye as the cause of the recent sandstorm in its territory." The expert stressed that Iran is used to blaming its problems on others. With this, it avoids responsibility and tries to lower the reputation of countries with which it does not have good relations, the expert added. In addition, Babek Shahid spoke about the fact that the North West project signed between Russia, India and Iran in 2000 has not yet been launched. "Iran's lack of infrastructure and relations with neighboring regions cause delays not only in the North-West, but also in other projects. Iran is negotiating projects with the countries it wants to cooperate with, but it does not show any results in practice," the expert said. In conclusion, talking about Iran's recent dissuading of neighboring Armenia regarding the opening of the Zangazur corridor, Babek Shahid said that Iran is already aware of the seriousness of the corridor issue. For this reason, it wants Armenia to take a step back due to its geopolitical and geostrategic position. Iran is very seriously concerned about the current obstacles in the launch of the North-West project and the opening of the Zangazur Corridor. Also, according to him, Iran, as the third type of state in the South Caucasus region, is trying to express political ideas because it is isolated, but in reality it is trying to show its existence. Iran intends to win some time and stirs up situation with such speeches. --- Rena Murshud is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @RenaTagiyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 16:40 (UTC+04:00) Within the framework of cooperation between the Milli Majlis (parliament) of Azerbaijan and the expert platform "Baku Network", Azerbaijani deputies Tural Ganjaliyev and Sevil Mikayilova held discussions through a teleconference with the deputies of the Grand National Assembly (GNAT) of Turkiye from "AK parti" Mustafa Janbek and Osman Mesten. Azernews reports, citing Trend that during the debate, the deputies touched upon the socio-political processes taking place in the region, relations between Turkiye and Azerbaijan, which are at the peak of their development, an example of democracy, which Turkiye demonstrated to the world through transparent and fair elections, as well as the unconstructive position of Yerevan in the process of negotiations on a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and other issues. The parliamentarians also stressed the importance of further development of relations between the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan and the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye, work on new projects. The Azerbaijani deputies noted that members of the Milli Majlis, by holding such televised debates, use innovative methods in parliamentary diplomacy. In the activities of the Milli Majlis, a special place is occupied by the fulfillment of the tasks set by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in the field of foreign policy, in particular, bringing Azerbaijani realities to the world. The promotion of the foreign policy of the Azerbaijani state in the parliamentary plane by innovative methods is the order of the day and allows more efficient work in this direction. It should be noted that the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan, using the capabilities of the Baku Network expert platform, is developing parliamentary diplomacy along a new vector. The goals are the further expansion of parliamentary diplomacy in effective areas, the organization of activities in a new plane to bring the deputies to the attention of Azerbaijan's position in the geopolitical and geo-economic processes taking place in the world. Opportunities are being created for deputies to hold debates with their colleagues in the format of a teleconference, discussions on issues of mutual interest with the participation of well-known political figures and authoritative experts are envisaged. This teleconference with the participation of members of the GNAT is also an integral part of cooperation. Here is the full video of the discussion: --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 15:38 (UTC+04:00) On June 22, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov met with Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, who is on an official visit to Baku. Azernews reports with reference to the Cabinet of Ministers, a number of documents have been signed between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. First, the heads of government held one-on-one talks, during which topical issues on the bilateral agenda were touched upon. Then Ali Asadov and Alikhan Smailov continued the meeting with the participation of the delegations of the two countries. During the meeting, satisfaction was expressed that Alikhan Smailov is making his first foreign official visit after being reappointed as the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan. It was noted that last year was marked by the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Over the years, the two countries have managed to build a constructive dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas. It was emphasized that through the joint efforts of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, the Azerbaijani-Kazakhstani strategic partnership is now developing in all directions and is of a comprehensive nature. The parties stated that mutual visits and high-level meetings largely contribute to the effective interaction between the two countries. As another confirmation of this, the successful official visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan in April of this year was regarded. The importance of signing a number of important documents during the visit was noted, the key of which was the protocol on the establishment of the Supreme Interstate Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Kazakhstan. A.Asadov expressed gratitude for the high organization of events in Kazakhstan on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. The heads of government also pointed to the fruitful results of last year's official visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan. It was emphasized that this visit was also marked by the signing of a number of very important documents, in particular, the Declaration on Strengthening Strategic Relations and Allied Cooperation brought the Azerbaijani-Kazakh relations to a qualitatively new level. The Prime Minister of Azerbaijan expressed his gratitude for the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan to establish a Children's Creativity Center named after Kurmangazy in the liberated city of Fizuli. It was noted that the fundamental direction of cooperation between Baku and Astana is trade and economic cooperation. The parties expressed satisfaction with the significant, almost 4.5 times, growth in trade turnover in 2022, which reached $600 million. Taking into account the level of economic development and the potential of the two countries, the readiness to continue to make joint efforts in order to reach new indicators was confirmed. Prime Ministers noted the role of the joint intergovernmental commission in solving practical issues of developing trade and economic cooperation. It was emphasized that priority is given to the development of transport and logistics links, the importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) was especially noted. Satisfaction was expressed that last year the total volume of cargo transportation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan increased almost 3 times, and transit cargo transportation increased 3.2 times. The parties reaffirmed the mutual commitment of the parties to ensuring, through the governments, the fulfillment of the instructions of the heads of state to increase the transportation of goods along the Middle Corridor. Prime Ministers stressed the positive development of cooperation in the oil and gas sector, noted with satisfaction the start of deliveries of Kazakh oil to the markets of third countries through Azerbaijan this year. In addition, a positive assessment was given to the interaction of the two countries in the agricultural, cultural, humanitarian and other fields. The heads of government also discussed the prospects for developing mutually beneficial cooperation in a number of other areas, including high technology, telecommunications and renewable energy. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 12:39 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more The delegation headed by the Azerbaijan Culture Minister Adil Karimli is on a visit to Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, at the invitation of the Director General of the Islamic World Science, Education and Culture Organization (ICESCO). A meeting was held between the delegation led by Adil Karimli and the ICESCCO General Director Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik, Azernews reports. The Azerbaijani Ambassador to Morocco, Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to ICESCO Nazim Samadov also participated in the meeting. Speaking at the meeting, ICESCO General Director Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik expressed his satisfaction with the services of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who provided great and invaluable support for the success of the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the organization. He emphasized that this cooperation can be a successful model for many countries, and informed about the main strategic directions of the organization, currently implemented initiatives, programs and projects. He stressed that development of innovation, education systems, as well as strengthening the values of coexistence and civil dialogue is one of the priority directions. The Culture Minister Adil Karimli noted that ICESCO is a strategic partner of Azerbaijan in the fields of education, science and culture, and the relations between the two sides are greatly supported by President Ilham Aliyev and the First Lady, ICESCO's Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva. He pointed out that ICESCO is the main partner in the Intercultural Dialogue Forum and outlined the importance of continuing the cooperation within the framework of the Forum planned for May next year. The sides discussed cooperation between Azerbaian and ICESCO in various fields, including the opening of the ICESCO Regional Office in Baku, the declaration of the city of Shusha as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2024, the deepening of cooperation within the framework of the Baku Process in which ICESCO is a partner as well asthe inclusion of Azerbaijan's cultural sites in the Islamic World Heritage List. After the meeting, Salim M. AlMalik introduced the delegation headed by the Culture Minister Adil Karimlini to the newly created Way of the Prophet Museum at the ICESCO headquarters. The museum displays valuable exhibits and historical books devoted to the life, family, and lifestyle of the Prophet Muhammad, as well as the cities of Mecca and Medina in visual and digital form. Notably, Azerbaijan has been a member of ICESCO since 1991. Established in 1991, these relations have entered into a stage of successful development after the awarding of the First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva as ICESCO Goodwill Ambassador on November 24, 2006. The First Lady of Azerbaijan was honored for her services in the development of education and dialogue between civilizations. Azerbaijan is closely cooperating with various organizations of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Islamic Development Bank, Islamic Conference of Parliamentary Union, Islamic Conference of Youth Forum. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 19:21 (UTC+04:00) Laman Ismayilova Read more The winners, who went to the second round of the International Mugham Competition have been announced. The mugham contest was organized within the 6th International World of Mugham Music Festival, Azernews reports. The International Mugham Competition was held in the categories of singing and instrumental performance. According to the unanimous opinion of the judges, Mohichehra Shahmurotova (Uzbekistan) was awarded the Grand Prix in the singing category. Mirali Sarizade (Azerbaijan) won the first place, the second place went to Dashgin Kurchaily (Azerbaijan), while Dostmurod Negmurodov (Uzbekistan) ranked third. Vagif Tahmazov (Azerbaijan) was awarded the Grand Prix in the category of instrumental performance. In this category, the winners included Anar Valizade (Azerbaijan), Shoxijohan Yoriev (Uzbekistan) and Jahandar Mikayilov (Azerbaijan). Prizes will be presented to the winners at the final concert to be held at Heydar Aliyev Center on June 25. The jury chairman for the singing and instrumental performance categories is the rector of the National Conservatory, People's Artist Siyavush Karimi. The jury also included editor-in-chief of the well-known British music publication "Songlines" Simon Broughton, a musician from Iraq, oud player, UNESCO Artist of Peace Naseer Shamma, founder and conductor of the Sogdiana State Traditional Instruments Chamber Orchestra from Uzbekistan Firuze Abdurahimova and Chairman of the research group of the International Traditional Music Council from Turkiye Abdullah Akat. In his speech, the jury chairman, rector of the Azerbaijan National Conservatory, People's Artist Siyavush Karimi stressed the importance of the International Mugham Competition. He said that the competition, which has been going on since June 18, was an impetus for talents to present themselves to a wider audience. International Mugham Competition was held in the categories of singing and instrumental performance. In addition to Azerbaijan, a total of 22 performers from Iran, Israel, Uzbekistan and Turkiye took part in the competition, including 12 performers in the performance category and 10 performers in the singing category. Azerbaijan was represented by 5 performers in the category of instrumental performance, and 4 in the category of singing. Uzbekistan was successfully represented in this competition. Selections were made among 10 participants who qualified for the second round. Siyavush Karimi thanked the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for its support in organizing the competition. Other members of the jury also spoke and shared their impressions about the competition. The 6th International World of Mugham Music Festival is co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Culture Ministry with the support of the Ministry of Science and Education and the Azerbaijan National Conservatory. The music festival will run until June 25. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 12:18 (UTC+04:00) On June 22, at 02:15, the units of the Armenian armed forces opened fire from their positions located in the direction of Brun settlement of the Gorus district at the positions of Azerbaijan Army in the direction of Ahmadli settlement of Lachin district, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. Besides, from 23:05 on June 21 to 08:15 on June 22, the positions of the Azerbaijan Army located in areas of Khojavand, Shusha and Khojaly districts were subjected to fire intermittently from small arms by members of illegal Armenian armed groups on the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent was temporarily stationed. Adequate response measures have been taken by our departments in all the directions mentioned. Also, members of illegal Armenian armed groups tried to install long-term fortification facilities in front of the Azerbaijani Army positions located in the directions of Aghdam and Khojaly districts under the name of agricultural works. As a result of urgent measures taken by units of the Azerbaijani Army, the engineering works were immediately stopped. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 16:16 (UTC+04:00) A new administrative building of the district prosecutor's office has been opened in Lachin city, Azernews reports. According to the press service of the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan, the opening ceremony was attended by Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev, the leadership of the Prosecutor's Office, and veterans. All conditions have been created in the new building for the Lachin District Prosecutor's Office employees, there is a room for the archive, an office, a canteen, separate rooms for investigators, etc. The building has been provided with necessary furniture, computers, and other office appliances, Azernews reports. Addressing the ceremony K. Aliyev noted that the opening of the new building of the Lachin District Prosecutor's Office is a significant event for the Public Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan, also Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev added that During the occupation, 1511 houses were completely destroyed in city of Lachin by order of Armenian state authorities, after the occupation of the city of Lachin, until it was handed over to the control of Azerbaijan, 1511 out of 2020 individual residential houses located in that city in a serviceable condition were deliberately completely destroyed, rendered unusual by relevant state bodies of the Republic of Armenia and persons of Armenian nationality illegally settled there, and that 19 out of 27 general residential buildings in Lachin were deliberately completely destroyed and rendered unusable, and 8 were damaged in varying amounts: "In total, 143 of 190 administrative buildings were intentionally completely destroyed and rendered unusable. , and 47 were damaged in various amounts. said Kamran Aliyev, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan, at the operational meeting held in Lachin --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 17:00 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijan`s Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeyhun Bayramov has met with Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Olta Xhacka. According to Azernews, the sides exchanged views on cooperation between the two countries in bilateral and multilateral formats. They hailed mutual support within the international organizations. Jeyhun Bayramov informed his counterpart about the current state of the process of normalization of Azerbaijan-Armenia relations in the post-conflict period and the status of negotiations on a peace treaty. The parties also exchanged views on energy cooperation, prospects for bilateral trade and economic relations, regional security as well as other issues of mutual interest. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 18:11 (UTC+04:00) The date of the trial in the criminal case against Armenian citizens Arutyun Yurikovich Ovagimyan and Karen Ashotovich Ghazaryan, accused of violating Azerbaijan's state border and committing grave crimes, has become known, Azernews reports. The criminal case was transferred to the Sumgayit Serious Crimes Court for execution by Judge Fahmin Gumbatov. Four Azerbaijanis - Eltun Sarkarli, Rza Allahverdiyev, Asif Babashov, and Ibrahim Shikhlarov - are recognized as victims in the case. The preliminary preparatory meeting of the court is scheduled for 3 July. According to official information, an investigation into the criminal case opened on May 26 by the Investigation Department of the General Prosecutor's Office over the violation of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan through Razdara village of Zangilan region by a subversive group of the Armenian armed forces, was completed. During preliminary investigation was established that Armenian soldiers Harutyun Yurikovich Ovagimyan and Karen Ashotovich Ghazaryan, the citizens of the Republic of Armenia, illegally acquired firearms and ammunition, with the purpose of threatening to commit an act of terrorism in Azerbaijani territory and illegally crossed the secured state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the aim of violating the state border of Zangilan section of the State Border Guard Service with force. During the investigation, it was also found out that during the detention of members of an Armenian subversive group, who tried to run away, one AKM firearm and 10 cartridges of 5.45 mm caliber were taken from Ovagimyan Arutyun Yurikovich as a tool of crime. Hovagimyan Harutyun Yurikovich and Ghazaryan Karen Ashotovich were charged under 206.3.2 (smuggling of firearms and ammunition by a group of persons by prior conspiracy), 214.2.1, 214.2.3 (terrorism by a group of persons by prior conspiracy), 228.2.1 (illegal procurement, transportation, and storage of firearms by a group of persons by prior conspiracy), 283.2.1 (incitement to ethnic, racial, religious or religious hatred), and article 283. 1 (incitement of national, racial, social or religious hatred and enmity by use or threat of use of violence) and 318.2 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Azerbaijan Republic committed or by a group of persons by prior arrangement or by an organized group or by use or threat of use of violence) of Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic, and on June 21 the criminal case was sent for consideration to the Court for Serious Crimes. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 17:14 (UTC+04:00) "Letter of commitment to subscribe for shares related to increases in the capital of Black Sea Trade and Development Bank", which was signed on April 22, 2022, has been approved, Azernews reports. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 16:50 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has amended the decree "On the budget of the State Oil Fund for 2023" of December 30, 2022, Azernews reports. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a corresponding decree in this regard. According to the decree, the forecast of budget revenues of the State Oil Fund has been increased from 8.9 million manat ($5.2 million) to 16.3 million manat ($9.5 million), and the forecast of budget expenditures - from 11.3 million manat ($6.6 million) to 11.8 million manat ($6.9 million). As a result, the expected budget deficit of the Fund in the amount of 2.4 million manat ($1.4 million) was replaced by a surplus of 4.4 million manat ($2.5 million). The amount of the transfer from the State Oil Fund to the state budget this year increased from 11.2 million manat ($6.5 million) to 11.7 million manat ($6.8 million). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 15:20 (UTC+04:00) By News Center Vice President Cevdet Ylmaz held a joint press conference with President Ersin Tatar as part of his TRNC contacts. Ylmaz said, The Turkish Cypriots will break the embargoes that have been imposed on these lands for years in the Turkish Century, and they will open up to the world. We will continue to defend the two-state solution model on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status in the Turkish Cypriots' struggle for justice. Vice President Cevdet Ylmaz said, "The Turkish Cypriots will break the embargoes that have been imposed on these lands for years in the Turkish Century, and they will open up to the world." Ylmaz, who met with President Ersin Tatar within the scope of his contacts in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), made a statement on the rights of Turkish Cypriot rights. We will overcome the problems together Explaining that they will worry about the problems of the Turkish Cypriots and that they will not see their needs separate from the needs of Turkiye, Ylmaz said: The Turkish Cypriots will one by one break the embargoes that have been imposed on these lands for years in the Turkish Century, and they will open up to the world. The Turkish Cypriot people have been facing these unfair embargoes for nearly 50 years, but together we will overcome all these problems. Get the place it deserve Maybe these processes may be long for a person's life, but they are not really long periods in the history of a country or nation. We will get through these times together with patience, if necessary, in order to achieve national goals. I believe that the TRNC and Turkish Cypriot people, as a sovereign state and nation, will take their rightful place in the international arena within the framework of international law as soon as possible. We will continue to support We are already continuing our work on this issue, both in agreement and in unity of heart. In this context, observer membership to the Organization of Turkish States has also been a valuable step, again a very important indicator of our two-state approach. I believe that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus will come to a much further point politically, militarily, economically and sociologically. We will continue to support the Turkish Cypriots with all our institutions and organizations. We will defend the two-state solution Stating that they discussed the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean as well as the Cyprus issue in their meeting with Ersin Tatar, Ylmaz said, Resolving the Cyprus issue in a way that guarantees the legitimate rights and security of the Turkish Cypriot people is one of the most important priorities of our country. Pointing out that the solution in Cyprus can only be built on the facts on the Island, Ylmaz made the following assessments: The fact that the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is an observer member to the Organization of Turkish States with its constitutional name and that it has an observer status in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Turkish States, the course on the way to recognition is at a slow pace. We will continue to defend the two-state solution model on the basis of sovereign equality and equal international status in the struggle for justice of the Turkish Cypriots. We have never been the side of the solution, but I would like to express that we are always open to a solution in a two-state manner, very clearly and openly in our stance. However, in the Eastern Mediterranean, our country is determined to protect both its rights on its continental shelf and the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots, who are the equal and common owners of the island of Cyprus. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 13:44 (UTC+04:00) By Canberk Dogan The national UCAV Bayraktar TB2 Export Agreement process between Kuwait and Baykar was successfully completed. For the national UCAV Bayraktar TB2, which will be exported with an agreement of $367m, Baykar General Manager Haluk Bayraktar announced the development with the words The national UCAV Bayraktar TB2, the winner of the competitive process involving American, European and Chinese companies. While Turkiye's investments in the defense industry in recent years have been closely followed by many countries, it also reflects positively on exports. The national UCAV Bayraktar TB2 export contract process between the State of Kuwait and Baykar has been successfully completed. In the statement made on Baykar's social media account, "We have successfully completed the contract process with the State of Kuwait for the export of national UCAV BayraktarTB2. The national UCAV Bayraktar TB2, which is the winner of the competitive process involving American, European and Chinese companies, will operate in the skies of Kuwait, where it broke the record for the longest flight time by staying in the air for 27 hours and 3 minutes in desert conditions in 2019. Exported to 30 countries Baykar General Manager Haluk Bayraktar used the following expressions in his social media account: We have successfully concluded the national UCAV Bayraktar TB2 export contract, which we directly executed between the State of Kuwait and Baykar. National UCAV Bayraktar TB2s, with which we have signed export contracts with 30 countries so far, will continue to serve for the establishment of peace and security in the inventories of friendly and brotherly countries. On the other hand, in the statement made on the social media account of the Kuwait State Communications Office, it was reported that the agreement in question was worth 367 million dollars. The African continent preferred TB2 Bayraktar TB2, Turkiye's pride in the air, also made a difference to its counterparts in the African market. Many European countries have strengthened their air forces with Bayraktar TB2 instead of the Chinese-made Wing Loong and the USA-made MQ 9 Reaper. Bayraktar TB2s serve the armies of countries such as Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso and Djibouti. 18 countries in Africa include Aksungur UAV, Anka and Bayraktar TB-2s in their inventory. Apart from Turkiye, the Chinese-made Wing Loong UAV is also in the inventory of some African countries. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 14:34 (UTC+04:00) By News Center TUBITAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal made evaluations about his Brussels contacts and Turkiye's EUREKA term presidency. Stating that they are trying to create opportunities to develop new collaborations, Mandal said that their aim of coming to Brussels is that the EUREKA term presidency, which is a structure established in 1985 to develop R&D and technology-based collaborations of especially important industrial organizations in Europe, will pass to Turkiye for the third time. Mandal pointed out that they came together with the scientific and technological cooperation organizations of Europe called COST, where academics do business together and Turkiye is in the top three and explained that they evaluated the current situation and discussed what can be done together for the future. Noting that they also made important contacts with the EU Commission, Mandal noted that they met with the Commission's research and innovation officials. "We evaluated Turkiye's current situation. Indeed, especially since 2019, Turkiye has very well linked its programs with those of Europe within the scope of the Horizon Europe program in Europe," Mandal said. TUBITAK President said the EU Commission clearly saw and appreciated Turkiye's success and set an example for other countries. - High-level cooperation meeting with the EU will be held in Turkiye Reminding that a high-level cooperation meeting in the field of science and research was held in Brussels in November 2022, Mandal said, "We talked about the continuation of this. The second high-level cooperation meeting will be held in Turkiye in November this year." Pointing out that he had a meeting with NATO Permanent Representative Ambassador Zeki Levent Gumrukcu, Mandal said that security was the most important element in NATO in the past, however, there are technology and technology-based collaborations at the point of triggering security today. Stating that they evaluated the technology-centered cooperation between the allied countries in their contacts in NATO, Mandal said that he participated in an event about the transfer of the EUREKA term presidency to Turkiye. - Increasing visibility in science and technology "Really, our country's visibility was more limited in the past when we came. But now, Turkiye's visibility, especially in science and technology, together with the potential of what it has done and will do, both the way we are hosted, our collaborations and declarations of intent make us really happy. We're trying to turn it into more opportunities," Mandal noted. Noting that EUREKA is essentially a cooperation platform initiated for the development of innovation and innovation dimension of the industry in Europe, especially in the future, Mandal noted that Turkiye is among the 19 founding partners of EUREKA, and the number of members has increased to 47 countries. - unanimous in EUREKA Reminding that Turkiye was the term president of EUREKA in 1998-1999 and 2012-2013, Mandal said, "The term presidency is not something that rotates sequentially here. You become a candidate. I am pleased to say that Turkiye was unanimously elected EUREKA term chairman. It is very valuable in terms of its awareness, visibility and potential. Stating that Turkiye's EUREKA term presidency will officially start on 1 July, Mandal noted that the presidency will last for 1 year. "We will have 4 priorities during this period. Green and digital twin transformation. How can we successfully overcome the effects of climate change together? This is our primary priority," Mandal said. Pointing out that the second priority is EUREKA's potential for further expansion, Mandal said that Turkiye is friendly with the Western Balkans and that the region should be included more actively in this process. Mandal stated that EUREKA can further evaluate the data and projects it has and that the governance structure of the institution can become more effective and efficient. Stating that the theme of Turkiye's EUREKA term presidency is "to build bridges to the challenges of the future with science and technology", Mandal stated that the secretariat and operation of the term presidency will be carried out by TUBITAK. Noting that many committee meetings will be held in the coming period, Mandal said, "A great innovation congress will be held in Turkiye in June 2024." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 19:50 (UTC+04:00) The CEO of Russian oil company Rosneft , Igor Sechin held a meeting with the chairman of Mongolia's parliament, Gombojav Zandanshatar at which they discussed the development of comprehensive energy cooperation between their two countries, Azernews reports, citing Interfax. They discussed supplies of oil products and crude oil to Mongolia, and the modernization of power generating facilities in Ulaanbaatar, among other things, Rosneft reported. "The stability of pricing for supplies was one of the key topics of the negotiations. The parties confirmed their commitment to previously reached agreements to apply a flexible market approach to setting prices for oil products," the company said. The reliability and continuity of supplies was an important subject of the talks. The parties agreed on compensatory measures in the event of future and past force majeure circumstances, the company said. This includes making up for oil products not delivered in June due to railway congestion in Mongolia, Rosneft said. "Under the reached agreements, this amount will be compensated in the coming months," the company said. Furthermore, in light of the upcoming scheduled maintenance at the company's Angara group of oil refineries, Rosneft said it will increase exports to Mongolia in the coming months. Sechin and Zandanshatar also noted the changes made to Mongolian legislation in December that made it possible to supply aircraft fuel to the refueling station at the new Chinggis Khaan airport in Ulaanbaatar. "Mongolia is our strategic partner in energy. We guarantee the reliability of supplies to the country," Sechin said in the press release. Rosneft has been working on the Mongolian market since 2005 and has exported a total of 13.7 million tonnes of oil products to the country. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 21:20 (UTC+04:00) Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Romeo Mikautadze on Thursday welcomed delegations of nine south-eastern European countries that gathered in Tbilisi to participate in the 32nd Energy Efficiency Coordination Group and Workshop of the Energy Community, Azernews reports, citing Agenda. The Ministry of Economy cited Mikautadze as thanking the Energy Community for choosing Tbilisi as the host city of the event, and reviewing reforms carried out over the recent years for the development of Georgias energy sector. One of the important stages of our energy policy is the energy sector reform programme of Georgia. It focuses on increasing energy efficiency, promoting renewable energy and ensuring a sustainable and secure energy supply in all sectors. The programme is a roadmap for our energy transformation and helps us to harmonise our policies with EU directives and best practices", Mikautadze said. Mikautadze added his Government was conducting a number of initiatives to improve energy efficiency in buildings, industry and transport as part of the programme. He said the implementation of energy-efficient practices in Georgia was not only helping reduce consumption but also creating a more sustainable and economical energy ecosystem. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 22 June 2023 10:45 (UTC+04:00) In five months of the current year, the number of visitors to Azerbaijan has increased by 1.5 times. According to the information of the Azerbaijan State Border Service, 713k and stateless persons from 176 countries of the world arrived in Azerbaijan in January-May of 2023, or 1.5 times more than in the corresponding period of the previous year, Azernews reports, citing SSC. Azerbaijan Statistics Committee told that 32.4 percent of the arrivals came from the Russian Federation, 20.0 percent from Turkey, 8.1 percent from Iran, 5.2 percent from Georgia, 4.9 percent from India, 2.3 percent from Pakistan, 2.2 percent from Kazakhstan, 2.1 percent from United Arab Emirates, 2.0 percent from Saudi Arabia, 1.9 percent from Uzbekistan, 1.6 percent from Belarus, 1.5 percent from Ukraine, 1.3 percent from Great Britain, 1.3 percent from Turkmenistan, 1 2 percent from Kuwait, 12.0 percent were citizens of other countries. 74.1 percent of the arrivals were men, 25.9 percent were women. Compared to the same period in 2022, the number of arrivals from China increased 6.1 times, Turkmenistan 3.9 times, India 3.2 times, Belarus 2.7 times, Uzbekistan 2.6 times, Kazakhstan 2.0 times, the Russian Federation 2.0 times, 1.8 times from Great Britain, 1.7 times from Israel, 1.6 times from USA, 43.8 percent from Kuwait, 43.0 percent from Pakistan, 41.7 percent from Georgia, 22.5 percent from Turkey, 17.4 percent from Oman, 14.7 percent from the United Arab Emirates. In comparison with January-May 2022, the number of arrivals from the CIS countries increased by 2.0 times to 296.6k, the number of arrivals from the European Union member states increased by 1.7 times to 38k, the number of arrivals from the Gulf countries decreased by 4.5 percent to 103. Besides, 31.9 percent of foreigners and stateless persons who came to our country used railway and car, 66.6 percent air, and 1.5 percent sea transportation. Moreover, compared to January-May 2022, the total number of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan going abroad increased by 19.5 percent to 633,6k The number of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan going to the Russian Federation increased by 1.9 times, the number of people going to Georgia increased by 36.5 percent, the number of people going to Iran by 29.1 percent, and the number of people going to Turkey decreased by 0.4 percent. 39.0 percent of the country's citizens visited Turkey, 24.3 percent to the Russian Federation, 9.4 percent to Georgia, 7.9 percent to Iran, and 19.4 percent to other countries. 69.5 percent of those who left were men, 30.5 percent were women. Further, 30.0 percent of the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan who visited foreign countries in January-May 2023 used railway and automobile, 67.2 percent air, and 2.8 percent sea transportation. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A new chapter awaited the Rodrigues as they drove to their new house in Las Vegas on Kern Countys Highway 58, their cars packed with memories You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Lib Campbell: Above Anticipation of summer parties, cookouts and pool parties. Beach trips and lake trips, and our favorite, the Neuse River. My memories are thick with the good times of summer. That is the privilege of growing up White in the South.There are memories of Madras bathing suits, shirts and shorts. There are memories of Virginia Slims and house parties at Atlantic Beach. I remember the Pavilion when the Fabulous Blue Notes played and the saxophonist hung from the rafters.I remember Aunt Eula's house two rows back from the ocean at Atlantic Beach. Dunes were huge and my cousins and I played all day long.Aggie took us to Carolina Beach and Kure. I remember the smell of the cabins with the steel bunk beds. I remember the boardwalk and cotton candy. And I remember asking Aggie,My memories also include times in Ayden. The Ayden Recreation Center is where I learned how to play bridge. It's also where I taught beginning swimming at a new pool just built at the Ayden Country Club.My memories reflect the privilege I lived. But there are other parts of my memory, parts I regret not having given greater voice to at the time. For all the idyllic reminiscences, there are also memories etched in my brain of the people for whom summertime was just plain hard.In rural eastern North Carolina, tobacco fields in the 1960s stretched as far as the eye could see. Workers with mule-drawn carts carried leaves to the women under the shelter for tying. Even though sometimes my white friendstobacco, most of the work was done by Black men in the fields and Black women doing the tying. It was hot and dirty work.It was about this time in my memory that the public swimming pool in Greenville was closed. Fears of integration gripped the city leaders. Swimming while Black was not to be. Jim Crow was alive and thriving in the town of my youth.The Myers Theater, the only public air-conditioned space in town was segregated. Black movie-goers were relegated to the balcony. Black barbecue diners could only be served at a window in the back of the cafe.The Black man who came to my house to tend the yard brought his daughter with him. She and I played for hours in my playhouse. One day, I saw Thurba go to the back door to ask Mother for a cup of water. She served him in a canning jar. My playmate's daddy was not served at my house with a regular drinking glass. It struck my heart that something wrong was happening all around me. I didn't even know what to call it, until I started seeing Martin Luther King on television.It was called Racism. I was awakened to the sin of it when I was young. And if it were not still so prevalent among us, I might be able to let it go. But Racist comments permeate too many conversations and too many rants from people, like Jeff McNeely in our own Legislature. It's one thing to apologize, but quite another to root out the animus that seeds Racism. My woke self will keep speaking into the hate until Racism is crushed. But right now, we seem to be regressing instead of progressing.Summertime is hard for people who work in the heat. Summertime is hard for single parents who struggle with childcare issues. Summertime is hard for children who have food insecurity issues and miss school breakfasts and lunches. Too many of these people who have it hard in the summertime are minorities, migrants, and the poor.... God has work for us to do. The trial balloon over Thom Tillis trying to move into the govenor's mansion from DC seems to have deflated. The 3 to 1 vote by NCGOP state convention delegates to censure Tillis for his leftwing ways ripped an irrepairable hole in it, but it was already deflating from the 53 counties and several districts that had already passed similar resolutions of censure this year, including Beaufort County. Now, Tillis' handler, RINO consultant Paul Shumaker, who was also RINO Senator Richard Burr's handler, and the guy behind RINO Pat McCrory's run for Senate, has come up with a new candidate. He is pushing RINO Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. Troxler had alluded to possibly running for something different in his speech at the recent NCGOP convention. Troxler's candidacy stuck in the craw of many loyal NC Republicans when he first ran for Agriculture Commissioner. The reason was that Troxler had been state chairman of "Farmers for John Edwards" when slick liberal Democrat personal injury lawyer Edwards ran against incumbent conservative Republican US Senator Lauch Faircloth. The fact that Faircloth's own background before he was a senator was in agriculture, made this a particularly brazen move by Troxler. A "Republican" who can back liberal Democrats seems a perfect fit for a snake like Shumaker. He is right in line with other Shumaker candidates like Tillis, Burr, and McCrory. But it is not what the grassroots Republican activists and voters want. We do not need another Thom Tillis sitting in the governor's mansion or as our nominee for such. And Shumaker? He is one of the two RINO consultants caught by Civitas taking very large sums of money from national far left environmental activist organizations to promote the far left green agenda in the NC General Assembly, a process that gave us North Carolina's Green New Deal, HB951. To any conservative, Shumaker's association with a campaign should be the kiss of death. Troxler has also been questionable on gun rights issues which is a huge contrast with frontrunner Mark Robinson, who gained fame originally with support of gun rights. https://dailyhaymaker.com/the-charge-of-the-troxler-brigade/ Allied Digestive Health (ADH), a leading gastroenterology organization backed by private equity (Assured Healthcare Partners), is committed to creating a differentiated value for its patients and physicians through digital health platforms that directly impact care delivery and operations. ADH has more than 130+ GI Physicians (220+ Clinicians, including Nurse Practitioners, Pathologists, Anesthesiologists, and Nutritionists) in New Jersey and New York. With the capital investment from AHP, ADH has become a technologically enabled practice that enhances business processes, facilitates patient access, and improves clinical metrics for its providers. Patient Access Impact As a part of its efforts to improve the end-to-end patient experience, ADH has prioritized establishing a seamless scheduling process. Online scheduling was implemented to allow patients to schedule directly in the practice management through the website (not a marketplace scheduling website like ZocDoc), enabling them to schedule with a provider twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week in a few clicks. It eliminates the need for calling offices and creates an avenue of convenience for the patients like they would book restaurants in their personal lives. ADH has also invested in an after-hours tech-enabled call service for patients seeking assistance during and outside of regular business hours that categorizes all the calls into different types such as scheduling, refills, etc., and if need be, redirects to physicians who are on call to address any emergent patient issue. ADH is investing in generative artificial intelligence (AI) to answer patient financial queries without the burden of a telephone call but through texting. When establishing an appointment, patients also can move their appointment up through their patient accelerator program as other patients cancel appointments. Additionally, ADH has demonstrated its commitment to improving patient satisfaction with its prep management program for patients undergoing a procedure with the ability to get it delivered to the convenience of their homes. As part of the program, patients are assisted in all phases of the preparation process before, during, and after their procedure. As such, the process is simplified, and personalized communication is provided through SMS/phone reminders as well as online chat options. As ADH makes scheduling and preparation more accessible, faster, and more convenient, it can alleviate the stress of scheduling and make gastroenterology care more accessible for patients, especially Colonoscopy, which is still the gold standard in patient care Optimizing Business Processes ADH is committed to simultaneously driving systematic efficiency through process improvement. To improve accuracy and facilitate faster check-in, ADH has replaced traditional paper forms for patients by implementing a complete digital intake system that integrates into their EMR and practice management software. By utilizing artificial intelligence in coding and billing, they canimprove the accuracy and speed at which they bill, enhancing the availability of information to insurance companies and patients. It is alongside the implementation of ADH's new and optimized billing portal, making online payment options available to patients and significantlyreducing the workload. As part of their efforts to continuously identify operational inefficiencies, they have also invested in internal dashboards to increase transparency and identify operational concerns. Clinical Quality Impact From a provider standpoint, ADH actively optimizes internal clinical quality dashboards to improve patient care. This gives physicians greater insight and full transparency regarding crucial quality metrics, highlighting key quality improvement initiatives. To increase the rate of adenoma detection - a key indicator of clinical quality -, ADH has also implemented a computer- aided polyp detection system that utilizes artificial intelligence. ADH also uses artificial intelligence tools for clinical documentation, saving time and streamlining workflow processes. Thus, resulting in a faster turnaround time for notes, improved charting and coding accuracy, and an accurate collection process. With the adoption of new technologies, ADH is dedicated to advancing clinical quality outcomes. With implementing new programs and prioritizing process improvement, ADH has significantly improved patient satisfaction and the end-to-end process from scheduling, completing intake, preparing for their procedure, and managing their bill. As part of ADH's commitment to improving patient communication, artificial intelligence tools have been implemented to facilitate patient queries without requiring a telephone call. From a business process standpoint, administrative tasks have significantly reduced through digital intake, and billing has become more seamless with AI coding and billing and online payment options for patients, and operational issues are easier to identify through internal dashboards. As a result, ADH achieved an overall net promoter score of 88% in 2022 from its patient survey. Providers can focus on providing comprehensive patient care and prioritize clinical quality metric performance through these improvements. Further, the organization can significantly improve overall productivity, allowing ADH to provide care to a larger population of patients, therefore increasing accessibility to gastroenterology care. About Assured Healthcare Partners Assured Healthcare Partners (AHP) provides capital solutions supporting growth, consolidation, and repositioning opportunities in the healthcare services industry. AHP combines its flexible capital with company and sector-specific research, as well as an extensive industry network and internal team of specialized healthcare resources, to unlock value for portfolio companies and investors. For more information about AHP, please visit www.ahpartners.com. A suspicious package shut down Piedmont Hospital's medical office building in Atlanta early in the morning on June 21, forcing more than 100 people to evacuate, according to a June 21 report from Atlanta News First. The building was shut down while Homeland Security, the Atlanta Fire Department and the Atlanta Police Department conducted an investigation. The building was cleared for entry at 10 a.m., but the FBI is now investigating the package, which was filled with a large amount of household chemicals. No one was hurt, and Atlanta's Hazardous Materials Decontamination Unit tested the package to determine what it was. The Urbandale (Iowa) City Council approved a plan to build a 12,000-square-foot medical office building, according to a June 21 report from BusinessRecord. Timberline Wellness purchased the land for $822,412 in March. The one-story building will be built on a 1.1-acre property and include an eye care center and dental clinics. HCA Florida Poinciana Hospital in Kissimmee, Fla., has opened a freestanding emergency room in neighboring Haines City, The Ledger reported June 21. The 11-bed, 11,000-square-foot facility offers a pediatric entrance and waiting area, an on-site laboratory, and telemedicine focused on stroke care and behavioral health. It is open 24/7, according to the newspaper. HCA Florida Health, a division of Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, is expanding such services throughout the state. In June, the health system purchased 30 acres to build a freestanding emergency center next to its Englewood Hospital. In May, HCA began drafting plans for a 10,680-square-foot freestanding ER in downtown Orlando. And in April, the health system bought a $2.85 million plot for a freestanding ER in St. Cloud. Froedtert Hospital's new parking structure represents the first step of the hospital's expansion plans, CEO Cathy Jacobson told the Milwaukee Business Journal June 22. The Wauwatosa, Wis.-based hospital is running at or near the capacity of its 720-beds. The proposed expansion will add inpatient beds. However, the exact number and cost of the expansion is still unknown. Work on the 2,500-space parking structure has begun and will continue until 2024 to help accommodate the expansion. "We're doing some work right now to decide if, when, how much, what kind of inpatient capacity we would build," Ms. Jacobson told the Journal. Los Angeles voters will decide on a measure that would cap pay of hospital executives. That's after the Los Angeles City Council voted June 21 to put the initiative on the ballot next spring, according to The Los Angeles Times. After the measure qualified for the ballot, the council had 20 days to either place the measure on a future special election or regular election ballot or adopt the measure. The city's next regularly scheduled primary nominating election is in March 2024. The measure, backed by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, would cap hospital executive pay at the compensation of the U.S. president, or $450,000 per year. The president's compensation includes $400,000 annually with an expense allowance of $50,000. Pay for Los Angeles hospital executives "is often excessive, unnecessary, and inconsistent with the mission of providing high-quality, affordable medical care for all," the ballot measure states, arguing that executives "can be reasonably compensated without receiving more than" $450,000 per year in compensation. The California Hospital Association filed suit challenging the measure, arguing the U.S. president earns more when factoring in travel expenses, discretionary funds and residence in the White House. The CHA argued the alleged mismatched numbers constitute "calculated untruths" that misled voters who were asked to sign the petition. In April, a Los Angeles judge denied the hospital association's challenge. "This measure won't do anything to reduce healthcare costs or improve the quality of care in the community," the hospital association said in a statement shared with Becker's. "On the contrary, it will only make it more difficult to recruit qualified hospital leaders, including physicians and nurse leaders. Sadly, this union has a long history of filing politically motivated measures as a tactic to exert pressure on hospitals." The union shared the following statement with Becker's: "The last few years have put enormous pressure on healthcare workers, causing an exodus of workers from the industry due to burnout and wages that don't keep up with the cost of living. Our healthcare system isn't working as well as it could or should for most people, as chronic understaffing in medical facilities has created a patient care crisis, while hospital executives' pay has been allowed to grow unrestrained. The primary concern of our major health providers should be serving the community, not enriching individuals." The measure would apply to executives, managers and administrators of privately owned hospitals and other healthcare facilities in Los Angeles. Its cap includes salary, paid time off, bonuses, incentive payments and lump-sum cash payments. It would not apply to medical staff who primarily provide patient care, the Times said. An Ohio medical center has been caught up in the Fortra data breach that has affected multiple health systems, The Blade reported. University of Toledo Medical Center began notifying affected patients in early June that their information may have been compromised in an IT security incident involving billing company IntelliHARTx, or iTx, and its file transfer provider, Fortra, according to the June 19 story. The breached data may include names, addresses, Social Security numbers, insurance information, diagnoses and medications. "It is important to note the incident was isolated to the third-party company and did not affect UToledos information technology systems," the medical center wrote in a statement to the news outlet. "ITx is taking the incident seriously and notifying individuals potentially impacted about the incident and offering free access to credit monitoring services." The January hack on Fortra, which Russian ransomware gang Clop has claimed credit for, has also affected nearly 1 million patients at Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems and more than 25,000 at Pittsburgh-based UPMC, among other health systems. Oracle Cerner said it plans to grow its workforce in Kansas City, Mo., after asking for potential tax breaks at its campus there, Kansas City Business Journal reported June 22. The EHR vendor requested activation of the undeveloped tax increment financing areas at its 290-acre Innovation Campus, which would secure the company's access to upward of $1 billion in incentives, according to the story. Kansas City had been Cerner's longtime headquarters prior to its $28.4 billion acquisition by Oracle in 2022. "Oracle is excited to have the Kansas City region serve as a critical hub for the company's workforce," said Will Mintz, senior vice president of operations for Oracle Health, at a city committee meeting reported on by the news outlet. The campus "offers a large amount of room to further expand as our workforce grows in the region." The move "will keep Kansas City as an attractive option as we consider what we're going to do with our global footprint, and where we're going to develop and grow to support our employee workforce across all of our U.S. locations," said Don Watson, senior vice president of global real estate and facilities for Oracle, the Business Journal reported. Oracle Cerner closed two Kansas City-area campuses last year, consolidating operations to its Innovation Campus, and reportedly laid off employees in that region this spring. Chicago-based Cook County Health, the largest provider in its service area for low-income and uninsured people, estimates it will lose $40 million because of patients losing their Medicaid coverage, according to a June 22 WBEZ Chicago report. That news comes on the back of a planned Cook County budget for fiscal 2024 which is expected to have a shortfall of $86 million. Despite the projected Medicaid loss, Cook County Health is forecasting only a $3 million shortfall for the period. Contract labor is expected to increase next year at the two-hospital system even though it has reduced its reliance on such staff in the first quarter of this year. The system is anchored by the 450-bed flagship John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital. Cook County Health is also reevaluating the future of its Provident Hospital, which the system was looking to replace. Further investments are being made in the South Side of Chicago facility, according to CEO Israel Rocha. The Becker's Hospital Review website uses cookies to display relevant ads and to enhance your browsing experience. By continuing to use our site, you acknowledge that you have read, that you understand, and that you accept our Cookie Policy and our Privacy Policy Winner (S.D.) Regional Health has named Brian Williams CEO, effective June 20. He previously served as CEO of Coal Country Community Health Center in Beulah, N.D., and Sakakawea Medical Center in Hazen, N.D., according to a news release posted to the health system's Facebook page. Sumption & Wyland, a business consulting firm based in Sioux Falls, S.D., assisted in Mr. Williams' appointment. Becker's is touching base with healthcare chief operating officers to illustrate what the job means to different health systems. Read more here. Kurt Koczent, RN, does not lead his 1,900 employees from an ivory tower. He's well aware of the hardships frontline workers face: he has experienced many himself. Mr. Koczent now the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Canandaigua, N.Y.-based Thompson Health, a member of University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medicine began his healthcare career as a nurse's aide. He became a registered nurse in 1995 and decided to move into leadership after a decade as a trauma nurse in the Army Reserves. Mr. Koczent told Becker's he wanted to "figure out how to make a difference to my community," and that meant taking on greater responsibilities. He stepped up when the county jail needed a healthcare administrator, ascended the ranks from practice manager to vice president of outpatient services at Thompson Health, and rose to the occasion when a neighboring health system was searching for a chief administrative officer to grow its physician network. He decided to return to Thompson Health as chief operating officer, in part because of the familial environment fostered by the 113-bed community hospital, he said. Mr. Koczent's role takes him into the deepest corners of the organization's operations: ones he knows well from his wide range of past healthcare roles. "When somebody wants to come and talk to me about an operational issue, I can speak from a place of experience not from an accounting perspective, not from a textbook perspective," Mr. Koczent said. Mr. Koczent works closely with various positions across the enterprise as COO. He leads a daily safety huddle, conducts rounds on a regular basis and hosts meetings with different disciplines to ensure they are meeting targets and determine ways to improve. One unique focus of the COO role at Thompson Health is its emphasis on quality initiatives. It is easy to claim to be the best on a billboard, but how do you prove it? "It was very clear early on that our CEO and board of directors wanted to have outside stamps of approval of our institutions that would come in and review our services and say, 'Yes, you are doing great,'" Mr. Koczent said. "It's not just saying that we're great, we're actually able to prove that we're at the top of our game for everything that we do." To determine the most useful, feasible certifications for Thompson Health, Mr. Koczent must stay in touch with clinicians and the patient population. For example, the health system noticed its number one readmission by volume was patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, so Mr. Koczent led a multidisciplinary team to obtain chronic obstructive pulmonary disease certification from the Joint Commission. "We've been able to see that impact," Mr. Koczent said. "And the skillset transfers not just in primary care, but in the hospital, in our pulmonary division." In the past 10 years, Mr. Koczent has seen the health system grow from around 25,000 annual visits a year to 150,000 and more than double its primary care practice locations, all while focusing on quality alongside momentum. Currently, his number one focus is recruitment and retention. Along with flexibility and growth opportunities, the health system offers a community where senior leaders know every frontline worker by name and take their concerns seriously, according to Mr. Koczent. "I've actually worked nearly every position in a hospital like this, from an aide to a nurse [and from] a nurse leader to the executive director," Mr. Koczent said. "And that really lends itself well when I have frustrated people within our institution because they know I know." At a press conference held June 21, representatives from Regional One Health and LeBonheur Children's Hospital, both in Memphis, Tenn., joined a growing number of healthcare leaders to publicly call on policymakers to do more to address gun violence, ABC affiliate station WATN reported. The two hospitals see dozens of patients affected by gun violence each week, the station noted. At the press conference, hospital representatives' calls to address the growing issue were also joined by members of the African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee and the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis. Their pleas come just two weeks after Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy stated that since 2016, data has shown an increase in both gun violence and deaths in Memphis, according to NBC affiliate WMC-TV. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing Munster, Ind.-based Community Hospital and its operator Munster Medical Research Foundation Inc. for disability discrimination after it allegedly failed to accommodate a nurse who suffered a work injury. A nurse at the hospital could not return to her job due to lifting restrictions but expressed interest in several jobs that she could perform with the restrictions. However, the hospital failed to transfer her to a job she was qualified for and terminated her because she could not return to her prior job, according to a June 20 EEOC news release. Such actions would violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires employers to reasonably accommodate employees with disabilities, including reassignment to vacant positions. The EEOC is seeking back pay, compensatory and punitive damages for the nurse and a permanent injunction preventing the hospital from future disability discrimination. Munster Medical Research Foundation declined to comment, citing the active lawsuit. Cheshire Medical Center in Keene, N.H., will pay $2 million to settle allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act by failing to keep accurate records of controlled substances, including opioids. The Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating the hospital after a nurse had stolen 23 IV bags of fentanyl solution from an medication dispensing machine. Cheshire Medical Center disclosed the theft to the DEA in February 2022 and later reported that an additional 634 bags of fentanyl were unaccounted for. The nurse who allegedly stole these drugs died on March 3, 2022, according to the Justice Department. In April 2022, DEA investigators conducted audits of eight controlled substances at the hospital's inpatient pharmacy, which included audits of fentanyl 2 milliliter vial; fentanyl 50 milliliter vial; fentanyl 50 milliliter IV bag; midazolam 2 milliliter vial; lorazepam 1 milliliter vial; hydromorphone 4 milligram tablet; hydromorphone 1 milliliter vial; and morphine sulfate 1 milliliter vial. This audit revealed an additional 17,961 missing controlled substance units and various recordkeeping deficiencies on behalf of Cheshire Medical Center, such as failing to maintain accurate purchase and dispensation records. The hospital also failed to regularly review reports to look for possible diversion, did not have sufficient structures in place to alert it to the greatly increased purchasing of controlled substances from one month to the other and to enforce various controlled substance security policies, according to the Justice Department. The settlement resolves allegations that the hospital violated the recordkeeping requirements of the CSA. After Vanderbilt University Medical Center announced June 20 it had turned over five years of medical records of patients who are minors and had received gender-affirming care at the hospital, the Tennessee attorney general's office on June 21 released a statement about its investigation into "potential violation" of both the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act and the Tennessee False Claims Act at VUMC. The state said it launched its investigation in September into what it called "potential medical billing fraud" after it "learned that a VUMC doctor publicly described her manipulation of medical billing codes to evade coverage limitations on gender-related treatment." Further, in the statement, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he was "surprised" by the timing of the hospital's decision to make the investigation public by notifying patients that their records had been shared with investigators because the document transfers began "more than six months ago." "This office has kept the investigation confidential for almost a year," Mr. Skrmetti said in the statement. "The attorney general has no desire to turn a run-of-the-mill fraud investigation into a media circus." VUMC paused performing gender affirmation surgeries on patients younger than 18 after receiving a letter of concern Sept. 28 from 60 Republican Tennessee lawmakers. They wrote that they were "alarmed by recent reports" that detailed "the surgical mutilations of minor children" at the hospital. Becker's reached out to the hospital to ask if it has resumed these surgeries in the past nine months. VUMC responded with this statement: "Pertaining to gender-affirming care at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, we continue to fully comply with all federal and state laws and are carefully following the legal proceedings challenging the constitutionality of Tennessee's new law." Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation March 2 banning gender-affirming healthcare for youths in the state. The law goes into effect July 1. VUMC reported having performed gender-affirming surgical procedures on "an average of five [patients] each year between 2018 and September 2022." However, the hospital said "none of these patients were under age 16, none had received genital procedures and VUMC obtained parental consent to these procedures in all cases." The attorney general is authorized to request sworn testimony and documents including patient medical records as it conducts its investigation as part of enforcing the TMFCA and TFCA. "Every TMFCA investigation necessarily requires reviewing patient medical records in conjunction with medical billing claims," Mr. Skrmetti wrote, noting his office "is legally bound to maintain the medical records in the strictest confidence, which it does." A California skilled nursing facility and its management company agreed to pay more than $3.8 million to resolve allegations that they submitted false Medicare and Medicaid claims as part of a physician kickback scheme. From 2009 through 2019, Riverside, Calif.-based Alta Vista Healthcare & Wellness Centre and its management company, Los Angeles-based Rockport Healthcare Services, gave certain physicians extravagant gifts and paid them monthly stipends of $2,500 to $4,000 for their services as medical directors. At least one purpose of the gifts was to entice physicians to refer patients to Alta Vista, according to a June 21 Justice Department news release. This resulted in false claims to Medicare and California's Medicaid programs. The settlement stems from a whistleblower lawsuit filed in 2015 by a former nursing home accounting employee. The employee will receive more than $581,000 as her share of recovery. The defendants will pay $3,228,300 to the United States and $596,700 to California, according to the release. In addition to the fine, Alta Vista and Rockport entered a five-year corporate integrity agreement, which requires a review of the physician relationship with the companies among other obligations. Three scientists who worked at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China fell ill with an unspecified sickness in November 2019, refueling the debate over the COVID-19 pandemic's origins, according to a June 20 report from The Wall Street Journal. The Journal learned of the information from current and former U.S. officials, who said the researchers had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or a seasonal illness, though the nature of their sickness has not been firmly established. Ben Hu, a prominent coronavirus researcher, is among the scientists who fell ill and was working on projects funded by the U.S. government in Wuhan at the time, according to the report. In March, President Joe Biden signed a bill directing the federal government to declassify as much information about the pandemic's origins as possible. More information is expected to be declassified soon, though it is unclear if that intelligence will include details on the three researchers. U.S. agencies have opposing conclusions on the pandemic's origins. In late February, the Energy Department identified a lab leak as the most likely cause, though officials said the conclusion was made with "low confidence." The FBI has made the same conclusion with "moderate" confidence, while fourth other intelligence agencies conclude with low confidence that the virus arose naturally. Read the full story here. For many patients, there can be some mystery behind what their spine surgeons do when they are not in the operating room or seeing them in the clinic. This can lead to assumptions about the profession. Five spine surgeons told Becker's the biggest misconceptions from patients about the job. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. Becker's invites all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next week's question: We are about halfway through 2023. What is one of your accomplishments so far and a goal for the remainder of the year? Please send responses to Carly Behm at cbehm@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CDT Wednesday, June 28. Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length. Question: What's the biggest misconception patients have about your job? Chester Donnally, MD. Texas Spine Consultants (Dallas): From the total joint literature there have been several really interesting publications that ask patients "How much does your joint replacement surgeon make from this surgery?" and as you would guess, the patient way overestimates. This concept applies to spine surgery as well. Brian Fiani, DO. Mendelson Kornblum Orthopedic & Spine Specialists (West Bloomfield, Mich.): The biggest misconception patients have about spinal surgery is that there is one way to fix a problem. Often, there are many different surgical solutions to one given pathology. It is often a good indication of robust spine surgery training for a spine surgeon to conceptualize and contemplate several different approaches to the same surgery. Peer-reviewed medical literature and discussion forums at medical conferences are usually the places where spine surgeons are able to debate their surgical preferences for different types of cases. However, patients rarely ever witness the interaction of different surgeons expressing differences in opinions. Brian Gantwerker, MD. The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: Most patients are extremely cognizant about the fact I have a personal life. They are apologetic if they call after hours or on the weekends. I actually encourage them to if they are having issues that can be handled before they become a real problem. They seem to think that my job is something that I was born into. Occasionally, they pause our interview and ask how long it took to become a neurosurgeon. When I tell them "16 years or so," most are incredulous. Patients seem to really appreciate the careful decisions and surgical techniques I discuss, realizing that it takes a lot of work and time to get to be able to do these things. They also realize that if I worked that hard to do what I do, that I do very much care how they do as my patient. Richard Kube II, MD. Prairie Spine & Pain Institute (Peoria, Ill.): Two large misconceptions exist that are probably equal in amount. One is how physical spine surgery often can be. Many patients believe the procedures are very delicate. While work around the neural structures is delicate and precise, the bony work is quite physical. I also believe most patients would grossly underestimate the amount of administrative time spent throughout the week to be able to provide the medical services the patients need. Alexander Vaccaro, MD, PhD. Rothman Orthopaedic Institute (Philadelphia): Being an academic spinal surgeon training residents and fellows is one of the most invigorating and rewarding surgical careers one can have. Most academic spine surgeons fulfill multiple roles and wear many hats which can be confusing to patients. One of the most important roles of an academic spine surgeon is training the next generation of spine surgeons. Patients often fear that because of this training environment, their surgeon isnt the one actually performing the surgery. Its important to clarify that this is simply not true and it is imperative that the lay public understand what it means when one receives care at a training institution. All surgeries, whether in academia, combined academia and private practice or private practice, require more than one operator. In private practice, that operator might be a surgical assistant, while in academia it is often a surgeon-in-training i.e. a resident or fellow. One of the main advantages of being at an academic center is that the teaching environment and attending-trainee relationship necessarily fosters an environment of curiosity, questioning and learning, which in turn forces the teacher to continually strive to become more self-reflective, well-read and skilled so that we can continue to teach effectively at the cutting edge. Training the next generation of surgeons of course involves teaching them surgical skills, but they learn in an apprenticeship model observing an attending surgeon. The attending surgeon always performs the key elements of a procedure, or for the layman, the most crucial components of a case, and trainees are allowed to gradually increase their skills as they progress in a monitored fashion. However, training also entails so much more. Professors teach trainees the complete management of the patient from the preoperative evaluation to postoperative rehabilitation, management of complications, and gradual return to function. Patients benefit from this relationship as there are multiple skilled medical doctors involved and personally invested in their care, which often reduces the potential for adverse safety events. Indeed, it is important to remember that those being trained are MDs or DOs who have already completed four years of medical school and who have already completed several years of post-medical school graduate training. These are fully fledged doctors undergoing hyper-specialized training in the field of spine surgery. Finally, professors mentor trainees in developing their own career paths, in conducting research, and advancing the field of spine surgery for the benefit of patients today and tomorrow. This is vital if our profession is to survive and continue to improve. One of the biggest highlights of a teacher is being able to oversee and generate topical research and inspire young spine surgeons to do the same. This research would not have been possible without the work of surgeons-in-training who are highly curious and ambitious and are driven to pursue knowledge beneficial to patient care. In order to foster this, as a professor and academic, educators have an obligation to inspire a career built on the philosophy of lifelong learning. This starts fundamentally with our relationships and duty to our trainees. In the end, patients benefit greatly. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said urging fossil fuel companies to decarbonise has not worked (Jonathan Brady/PA) The Church of England is pulling its investment from fossil fuel companies because they are failing to align with the Paris Agreement, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said. By the end of the year, the Church said it will have removed its 10.3 billion endowment fund from all oil and gas companies unless they are in genuine alignment with limiting global temperatures to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. BP, Ecopetrol, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, Pemex, Repsol, Sasol, Shell, and Total will be excluded from the Churchs investments, joining 20 others that were excluded in 2021. The Church Commissioners for England, which manages the endowment fund, and the Pensions Board, said they had made their decision to divest after attempts to engage oil and gas majors on decarbonisation had failed. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said: The climate crisis threatens the planet we live on and people around the world who Jesus Christ calls us to love as our neighbours. It is our duty to protect Gods creation, and energy companies have a special responsibility to help us achieve the just transition to the low carbon economy we need. We have long urged companies to take climate change seriously, and specifically to align with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, and pursue efforts to limit the rise in temperature to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. In practical terms that means phasing out fossil fuels, investing in renewables and plotting a credible path to a net zero world. Some progress has been made, but not nearly enough. The Church will follow not just the science, but our faith both of which call us to work for climate justice. The Church said its National Investing Bodies (NIBs) have long tried to enact meaningful change among fossil fuel companies but in 2018, the General Synod agreed NIBs should divest their resources, by the end of 2023, from those companies not aligned with the short, medium and long-term goals of the Paris Agreement. Alan Smith, first church estates commissioner, said: The decision to disinvest was not taken lightly. Soberingly, the energy majors have not listened to significant voices in the societies and markets they serve and are not moving quickly enough on the transition. If any of these energy companies come into alignment with our criteria in the future, we would reconsider our position. Indeed, that is something we would hope for. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The exclusion will apply to companies involved in oil and gas exploration, production and refinement and equity debt investments. The Pensions Board said 10 years of attempts to bolster decarbonisation ambitions has resulted only in some companies coming close to alignment but none crossing the threshold, therefore it will instead refocus its efforts on reshaping demand for oil and gas in key sectors such as the automotive, aviation, utilities and steel industries, as well as pushing for greater ambition among policy makers. John Ball, chief executive officer of the Church of England Pensions Board, said: Today we announce our intention to disinvest from all remaining oil and gas holdings across our equity and debt portfolio. There is a significant misalignment between the long term interests of our pension fund and continued investment in companies seeking short term profit maximisation at the expense of the ambition needed to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. Recent reversals of previous commitments, most notably by BP and Shell, has undermined confidence in the sectors ability to transition. Responding to the decision, Charlie Kronick, oil finance adviser to Greenpeace UK, said: After years of trying to change these companies from within, the Church of England has clearly lost faith in Shell and other oil giants ability to redeem themselves. This should be a moment of moral reckoning for other investors and for our government. Left to their own devices, these companies are perfectly happy to unleash hell on earth to cash in their thirty pieces of silver. Ministers should stop rolling out the red carpet for fossil fuel firms and instead properly tax their enormous profits while also stopping licensing new oil and gas projects now. Rianna Garguiulo, Friends of the Earth divestment campaigner, said: The Church of England Commissioners are right to divest. The fossil fuel industry has repeatedly shown that its unwilling to listen to concerned investors or the science. We celebrate the decision and the campaigners who have fought hard for this for many years, and hope it inspires other institutional investors like our local councils, pension funds and universities to ditch fossil fuels and invest in solutions, not the problem. But a spokesperson for the activist shareholder group Follow This said: While it is encouraging that the CofE agrees that no oil major Paris-aligned, selling shares will not help to get them Paris-aligned. The shares will probably end up in the hands of less responsible shareholders. Its better to use your voting power as a shareholder, which CoFE didnt do in previous years. Were curious how the CofE converted after years of supporting Shells strategy with their votes at AGMs. Divestment doesnt work. An investor once said to me, I can clean my portfolio, I can sell off all the fossil fuels, but it wont help clean the world. And my remaining portfolio will still be in danger of devastating climate change. I can say Im fossil free, which is nice virtue signalling but it doesnt change anything. A Shell spokesperson said: Its disappointing, but not surprising given its recent change in stance, that the Church of England Pensions Board has taken this decision. Our commitment to becoming a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 remains as strong as it ever was, and we firmly believe our strategy is aligned with the more ambitious goal of the Paris climate agreement. At the same time, we are clearly focused on capital discipline, enhanced performance and delivering shareholder value, through a strategy which balances delivering energy security with investments in the lower-carbon energy sources of the future. TikToks chief operating officer, V Pappas, is leaving the popular social media platform after nearly five years at the company. In a note sent to employees on Thursday and later shared on Twitter, Pappas, who uses plural pronouns, said now that the company has achieved a lot of success, they felt it was the right time to move on and focus on entrepreneurial passions. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a note sent to employees that Pappas, one of the companys most public faces, will continue to serve as a strategic adviser. I want to take this opportunity to thank V for their many contributions over the years, Mr Chew wrote. Throughout their time at TikTok, they have been instrumental in growing the business, advocating for the company, elevating our product offerings and marketing campaigns, and fostering a positive community of creators and users. They have had a significant and lasting impact and we are truly grateful for their tireless efforts. Pappas joined TikTok in 2018 as general manager and was promoted to interim head in 2020 when then-CEO Kevin Mayer left the company after just three months in the role. The former YouTube official assumed the COO role the following year, and has testified on Capitol Hill and appeared in media interviews offering a full-throated defence of the company, which has been under scrutiny by politicians concerned about its Chinese origins. For years, TikTok has been fending off claims that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, would share user data from its popular video-sharing app with the Chinese government, or push propaganda and misinformation on its behalf. The company is currently negotiating its data privacy plans with the Biden administration which, earlier this year, threatened to ban it nationwide if its Chinese owners do not sell their stakes. TikTok maintains it has never been asked by the Chinese government to share US user data, and it would not do so if asked. In his email to employees, Mr Chew also announced an organisational shake-up at the company. Zenia Mucha, who served nearly two decades as a communications executive at Disney, will join TikTok as the chief brand and communications officer, overseeing the companys marketing and public relations arm. Mr Chew said TikToks chief of staff, Adam Presser, will become the companys head of operations. A Co Down company fined 75,000 for health and safety breaches that led to the death of an employee has been branded crass, insensitive, appalling and utterly shameful by a judge after it left a message on social media celebrating the news it had avoided a corporate manslaughter charge. A woman was charged today with causing the death of an east Belfast pensioner by careless driving. At Newtownards Magistrates Court, Emma-Clare Louise Dunnett (49) was charged with causing the death of Beryl Carson (87) by driving carelessly on the Portaferry Road in Kircubbin on August 27, 2020. Although she did not appear at court, Dunnett, from Wisborough Road in South Croydon, was also charged with causing grievous bodily injury to a male victim on the same date. None of the facts of the case were opened today but it was reported at the time how Ms Carson, who was from the Inverary area of east Belfast, was taken to hospital after the crash but died as a result of her injuries. Inspector Andy McLean said: It was reported that a black Citroen C3 and a silver Lexus were involved in the collision. Beryl, who was the front seat passenger of the Citroen, was taken to hospital but sadly died as a result of her injuries. The female driver and three children inside the Citroen were taken to hospital for treatment to injuries not believed to be life-threatening. The female driver of the Lexus was also taken to hospital, suffering minor injuries following the incident. The case against Dunnett had been scheduled to have a preliminary inquiry today, which would have seen the case elevated to the Crown Court, but defence solicitor Andrew Russell asked for that to be adjourned. There are a series of medicals to consider, Mr Russell told District Judge Mark Hamill, adding that a further complicating factor is that the defendant lives in England and he would want to have a consultation before the case can be progressed. Adjourning the case until August 4 for the preliminary inquiry, District Judge Hamill said Dunnett could appear by video-link at that stage. A DUP councillor who provided a character reference for a former party colleague who asked what he believed were schoolgirls to send pictures of themselves in their uniforms has stood over his decision. A TUV councillor who proposed the postponement of a meeting to make decisions on bonfires in his council area has said he cannot explain why, saying council advice dictates that closed meetings cannot be discussed. Wednesday's special meeting of Mid & East Antrim Borough Council was called by Alliance Mayor Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna. It was expected to consider the adoption of legal advice on the construction of bonfires in the borough, where a man died last year after falling from one. But it was adjourned until September after the bonfire season following a proposal from TUV councillor Matthew Armstrong, seconded by Ulster Unionist councillor Roy Beggs, and backed by other unionists. Read more Alliance man astounded unionist councillors voted to adjourn bonfire meeting until September Councillors were told six months ago that they cannot simply ignore the activity and do nothing but that is what they appear to be doing. The council has given no indication that it objects to the massive structures on its land, even though it is already facing legal action from the family of the man who died last year. It has legal advice that councillors could be held personally liable if they have consciously chosen to allow dangerous activity to continue. A year ago, John Steele died after falling 50ft from a pyre on the Antiville estate in Larne. The father-of-two, who was in his 30s, died at the scene on land owned by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Read more Despite legal advice after bonfire death, council dithers as huge structure built When asked why he proposed deferring a decision until September, long after the Eleventh Night bonfires, TUV councillor Matthew Armstrong said: I have nothing to say on that matter, those were conversations that took place in closed council. And advice from council is that they cant be discussed, so, Ive no comment to make. When the seriousness of legal action after the death of man was put to him and whether councillors could be liable for a similar incident this year, he added: I gave you the answer the first time, before hanging up. Its understood UUP councillor Roy Beggs seconded the proposal. Mr Beggs and the UUP were contacted for a response but did not provide one. Alliance councillor Aaron Skinner described the decision to defer as unbelievable, adding that the council desperately needs a strategy to deal with those who wish to build bonfires on its land due to issues around public safety". He added: "Failure to do so is exposing the council and individual councillors to potential legal jeopardy, while putting members of the publics lives at risk. Last year, the Belfast Telegraph revealed that just days before the tragic death of Mr Steele, the councils interim chief executive Valerie Watts was warned by a former police officer it was allowing bonfire builders to work at heights that are not survivable should they fall. The council has declined to say whether it was insured for what happened. Just a few streets away at Craigyhill, another loyalist bonfire measured 202ft much higher than the pyre from which Mr Steele fell. Now the Craigyhill bonfire builders are attempting to make it even bigger. In January, the media was excluded from a meeting of the council where councillors discussed a report into the situation which included key elements of a barristers legal advice. There are at least 35 bonfire sites in the council area which includes Ballymena, Larne and Carrickfergus and 19 of those are on council land. The report, which was obtained by this newspaper, admitted council does not have a clear strategy in respect of bonfires. British Dental Association warns a years worth of dentistry has been lost in NI since lockdown The closure of a dental practice in west Belfast this autumn due to financial struggles has been described as catastrophic for patients. Grosvenor Dental Care, based on the Grosvenor Road, provides NHS dental services to approximately 5,000 patients. It said that following a careful review of sustainability and after exploring all other possible options, it will cease operations and close in October. Sinn Fein MLA Pat Sheehan said he is seeking urgent meetings with the Belfast Trust and Department of Health over the closure. This dental practice supports many low-income families and individuals most in need, families on low incomes, older isolated persons, at risk children and young people, he said. Access to dental healthcare is an essential right and the loss of this service to a community which already faces excessive health challenges is simply catastrophic. People Before Profits Gerry Carroll added that staff and patients are utterly devastated. Dentists have long-warned of the threat to NHS dental provision, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears, he said. "The Department of Health has failed to provide funding to match the rising cost of dental care provision. Former Executive parties allowed this to happen on their watch. Dr Michael Davidson is the chief clinical officer for Portman Dental Care Ltd, which owns the practice. He said: Patient care and ensuring the sustainable delivery of the highest quality treatments are at the heart of the services provided at Grosvenor Dental Care. "A review of the commercial viability of the practice has concluded that, despite our continued efforts to overcome the challenges in delivering NHS services for patients, the costs of providing treatments outstrips the payments received from the NHS; and therefore, the provision of loss making underfunded NHS dental care, can no longer be sustained. We fully understand the impact todays decision has on patients; this decision has not been taken lightly and closure was our last resort." Grosvenor Dental Care is part of the Portman Dental Care Group Ltd, which acquired the practice in 2015 and owns 12 other practices across Northern Ireland. A spokesperson said that dentists and support staff at Grosvenor Dental Care have entered a consultation process, with endeavours underway to find positions in other practices in the group for them all. A total of 11 people are affected. The closure comes on the same day statistics from the British Dental Association showed 464,000 examinations were performed on adults in 2022/23, compared to 883,680 in 2019/20. The data shows over a years worth of dentistry has been lost in Northern Ireland since lockdown with 1.2 million fewer patients seen, including nearly 400,000 children. Meanwhile, data from the Department of Health released on Thursday shows that during 2021/22, the latest year for which comparative figures are available, NI dentists filled more teeth (over 24,000) per 100,000 population than any of the other UK regions. Responding to todays announcement, Ciara Gallagher, chair of the British Dental Associations NI Dental Practice Committee said that dedicated NHS dentists across Northern Ireland are in an impossible position. "No health professional should be expected to cover the costs of care out their own pocket, she added. Failure to address the rising costs of NHS dental care has pushed the service to the brink. Without an urgent rescue plan, this wont be the last practice to head down this road. Patients will be receiving letters from Grosvenor Dental Care in the next few days advising them of the situation. Throughout the three-months notice period, the practices team said they will be working to complete all treatment plans that are currently ongoing and will continue to support those in dental pain, where possible. The practice will be operating an enquiries service between 9am and 3pm Monday to Friday on 028 90 388 399 or email grosvenor.help@portmandental.co.uk The Department of Health said that it is working closely with the practice to ensure that all requirements in terms of transitional arrangements for patients are adhered to. A spokesperson added: The department values the important role played by General Dental Practitioners across Northern Ireland and is aware of the ongoing pressures on dental practices, caused by cost of living increases and a reduction in capacity to provide treatment to patients. The department also said that it has invested 87.5m in General Dentistry since April 2020, but confirmed that this support is coming to an end at the end of this July. "This decision has been made due to the severe financial pressures arising from the departments 2023/24 budget settlement. To help ensure that patients with urgent needs have appropriate healthcare, in October 2022, the Department commenced a pathfinder Pilot for Provision of Urgent Dental Care to Unregistered Patients and Asylum Seekers Scheme (PUPAS). A proposal to expand the pilot to a 3 year Pilot Personal Dental Services is being considered. Mark Lang was allegedly hit by his own stolen van and died in hospital more than two weeks later (South Wales Police/PA) A man has pleaded not guilty to murdering a delivery driver who was allegedly hit with his own van. Christopher Elgifari, 31, appeared before Merthyr Crown Court accused of killing Mark Lang. The 54-year-old, of Cyncoed, died at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff on April 15, more than two weeks after suffering serious injuries in North Road, Cardiff. He had been delivering parcels in Laytonia Avenue in the Cathays area of the city on March 28 and is said to have been hit by his white van, which was allegedly stolen, at 12.49pm. At a hearing on Thursday morning, Elgifari, of Cwrt y Esgydd, Aberdare, denied one count of murder against Mr Lang. He also denied robbing Mr Langs van on March 28. Crown prosecutor David Elias KC said a trial date had been set for September 25 and would last an estimated four weeks. Christopher Rees KC, defending, said his client had been fully advised and shown the evidence against him before pleading. Recorder of Cardiff Tracey Lloyd-Clarke remanded Elgifari in custody until his trial. Members of Mr Langs family and a number of police officers attended the hearing. In a tribute released in April, Mr Langs partner said: Its difficult to put into words quite how any of us are feeling. I dont think we can ever get over something so brutal and ultimately pointless. Mark was a good man with a lot of love to give. He will be sorely missed. Tributes have been paid to the five people lost onboard the Titan submersible by the president of the Explorers Club. Richard Garriott de Cayeux said club members Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet were both drawn to explore. He added that OceanGate Expeditions chief executive Stockton Rush was a friend of The Explorers Club and conducted lectures at its headquarters, and that Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulemans desire to explore as a family would have led them to our doorstep at some point in their futures. Mark Hannaford, a fellow member of the Explorers Club, also paid tribute to Mr Harding, saying he was a good father and someone who pushed boundaries. Hamish Harding (Dirty Dozen Productions) Mr Hannaford also shared a text which Mr Harding sent to him before the dive began, it said: Diving to Titanic later today! If weather holds. In a statement posted on Twitter, Mr Garriott de Cayeux said: Dear fellow explorers, our hearts are broken. I am so sorry to have to share this tragic news. Our friends and fellow Explorers Club members Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet are lost, along with Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, while trying to reach the RMS Titanic. After deploying all the military and commercial resources available to search for the submersible, the US Coast Guard announced that remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) has announced the catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible within the water column above the Titanic. We are thankful for the leadership from the US Coast Guard, US Navy, US Air Force, The White House, Members of Congress, Magellan Deep Water Specialists, partners, and collaborators who deployed as part of the search and rescue mission. We are also grateful for all our members and the scientific and exploration community around the world who have mobilised personnel and resources to support the search and rescue. Hamish Harding is a dear friend to me personally and to The Explorers Club. He holds several world records and has continued to push dragons off maps both in person and through supporting expeditions and worthy causes. Paul-Henri was elected to the club in 2001 and was one of the foremost experts on submersible expeditions to the Titanic. They were both drawn to explore, like so many of us, and did so in the name of meaningful science for the betterment of mankind. They pushed themselves in their entrepreneurial pursuits as they did in exploration. Stockton Rush was a friend of The Explorers Club and conducted lectures at our headquarters. While we did not know Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman personally, their desire to explore as a family would have led them to our doorstep at some point in their futures, where we would have welcomed them. Were heartbroken for the families, friends and colleagues of those who were lost. Their memories will be a blessing and will continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration. With our deepest condolences, Richard Garriott de Cayeux, president, The Explorers Club. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Mr Hannaford, 58, who is also CEO of World Extreme Medicine, said: As Explorers we are typically an optimistic bunch and whilst there was a slim hope of survival we strove to recover and save Hamish and his fellow travellers. But fate has not allowed that. Somebody asked me how I feel that Hamish would want to be remembered. One thing I noticed very clearly was that he had a close relationship with his boys, and to be remembered as a good father, closely followed by somebody who pushed boundaries and encourage others to do the same. The families will be devastated as will the rescue teams. Originally from Devon, Mr Hannaford now resides in Dubai, saying it is not far from where Hamish lived. Events are taking place on Windrush Day to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the first ship carrying Caribbean families to the UK to help fill the need for more workers after the Second World War. Here is all you need to know: What is the Windrush? The HMT Empire Windrush first docked in England on June 22 1948 at Tilbury Docks in Essex, bringing people from the Caribbean who answered Britains call to help fill post-war labour shortages. What is the scandal associated with it? In April 2018 it emerged that some immigrants who arrived legally in the UK between the late 1940s and early 1970s were facing deportation and being denied access to healthcare due to paperwork issues. HMT Empire Windrush docked at Southampton (PA) Officials were forced to defend a decision to destroy thousands of landing card slips recording the arrival of Windrush generation immigrants into the UK. The Home Office apologised, Amber Rudd lost her job as home secretary and Sajid Javid was drafted in, becoming the first person from an ethnic minority background to head the Home Office. Whose fault was it? A 2020 report said the scandal was foreseeable and avoidable and victims were let down by systemic operational failings at the Home Office. Campaigner Patrick Vernon said the fallout should be referred to as the Home Office scandal rather than the Windrush scandal. The author of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review, Wendy Williams, described a culture of disbelief and carelessness at the department which she said was born out of a conviction that the hostile environment policy would be effective, was effective, and should be pursued at all costs. She said the Windrush group had been trapped by the hostile environment policy net. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Ms Williams made 30 recommendations including for Home Office ministers to admit that serious harm was inflicted on people who are British and to provide an unqualified apology to those affected and the wider black African-Caribbean community. Other recommendations included commissioning a full review and evaluation of the hostile environment policy and that the Home Office should establish an overarching strategic race advisory board. Have all the recommendations been accepted? They were, but then they werent. All were originally accepted by Priti Patel when she was home secretary. But in January it emerged Home Secretary Suella Braverman had decided to drop three of the 30, something Windrush campaigners called a slap in the face. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Government has been criticised for deciding against recommendations to establish a migrants commissioner; increase powers of the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration; and to hold reconciliation events. Ms Braverman has defended this move, telling ITV on the eve of the Windrush 75 anniversary: We are exposing ourselves to heightened and incredibly rigorous levels of scrutiny. We have an independent examiner of complaints, a body thats been recently instituted, which is there to examine and provide checks and balances on our system. Have people been compensated for the effects on their lives? When she was prime minister, Theresa May announced a compensation scheme to pay those affected. The scheme is available to people of all ages and nationalities, including those from African, Asian and Caribbean backgrounds who had suffered due to being unable to prove their legal right to live in the UK. Victims need to submit a claim form and evidence to support their application. Compensation starts at a minimum of 10,000 and can go up to 100,000 or more. Has it been successful? The latest Government figures show that as of May 75.0 million had been offered, with 62.7 million of that paid out. But the scheme has faced criticism for being complex, too slow and inefficient. (PA Graphics) Analysis by the PA news agency of the most up-to-date figures published on Wednesday showed that of the 2,138 claims in progress as of May, 302 (14%) had been in the system for at least 12 months, including 154 for more than 18 months. The Home Office has said it remains absolutely committed to righting the wrongs of the Windrush scandal but recognised there is more to do when it comes to the compensation scheme. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said changes had been made to simplify the scheme for users. She also maintained it should be kept under the Home Office remit, despite calls to have it handled independently due to a belief there remains a lack of faith in the department among victims of the scandal. How is Windrush 75 being marked? Events are taking place across the country including in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Bradford, Bristol, Ipswich, Edinburgh and Cardiff. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Windrush flag is being raised in more than 200 locations including at the Houses of Parliament and the Home Office; all Network Rail stations; more than 20 hospitals and NHS sites; around 50 local authorities; and at dozens of churches, schools, universities, theatres and community organisations. The King is attending a service in Windsor for young people, while a separate thanksgiving service will be held at Southwark Cathedral. A day-long programme of events is taking place at the Port of Tilbury in Essex, where Windrush first arrived including a dawn chorus performed by schoolchildren and a steel pan band welcoming 100 NHS workers and 100 people with Windrush connections who are due to arrive by Thames Clipper in the afternoon. Family of billionaire explorer Hamish Harding say he was passionate explorer and one of a kind Details such as the propeller, shoes and unopened champagne bottles are part of a hge section of debros surrounding the ship. Credit: ATLANTIC PRODUCTIONS/MAGELLAN The bow section of the Titanic is still unmistakenly recognisable in the scan. Credit: ATLANTIC PRODUCTIONS/MAGELLAN The Titan submersible has five people on board: (from left) OceanGate founder Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Suleman Dawood and his father Shahzada The family of one of the Titan submersible tragedy victims have paid tribute to "a dedicated father" who "lived his life for his family, his business and for the next adventure. British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding was one of five men now known to have died after a "catastrophic implosion on the sub, which killed those on board instantly. It marks a tragic conclusion to a story that had gripped the world since the vessel disappeared on Sunday. A remote operating vehicle found the tail cone of the Titan submersible approximately 1600ft from the bow of the Titanic wreck, along with additional debris. Oceangate, the company which owned the missing sub, said it now believed the five men on board the missing vessel have sadly been lost. Mr Harding (58) was among the victims, alongside Pakistani-British business adviser Shahzada Dawood (48) and his son Suleman (19), who also reside in the UK. Former French Navy diver and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet (77) was piloting the submersible. Mr Nargeolet has family in Cork, including a grandson being educated in the city and two adult children. Stockton Rush (61), the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions which owns the submersible, was also on board. Mr Hardings family said: "Today we are united in grief with the other families who have also lost their loved ones. Hamish Harding was a loving husband to his wife and a dedicated father to his two sons, whom he loved deeply. To his team in Action Aviation, he was a guide, an inspiration, a support, and a living legend. He was one of a kind and we adored him. He was a passionate explorer - whatever the terrain - who lived his life for his family, his business and for the next adventure. What he achieved in his lifetime was truly remarkable and if we can take any small consolation from this tragedy, it's that we lost him doing what he loved. He will leave a gap in our lives that can never be filled. We know that Hamish would have been immensely proud to see how nations, experts, industry colleagues and friends came together for the search and we extend our heartfelt thanks for all their efforts. OceanGate Expeditions also paid tribute, saying the men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans". It added: Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. UK foreign secretary James Cleverly said the fate of the submersible was tragic news. Posting on Twitter, he said: Tragic news that those on the Titan submersible, including three British citizens, have been lost following an international search operation. The UK government is closely supporting the families affected and expresses our deepest condolences. The president of the Explorers Club paid tribute to the Titan passengers, saying: "Our hearts are broken. Meanwhile, Rear Admiral John Mauger said he cannot confirm whether the US Coast Guard will be able to recover the bodies of the five men. "This is an incredibly unforgiving environment," he added. Earlier, a rescue expert who is friends with two men lost on the missing submersible Titan said his worst fears have been realised after the debris was found in the search site. David Mearns is friends with Mr Harding and Mr Nargeole. "Two friends of mine are gone," Mr Mearns told Sky News. Mr Mearns added that the term debris field would not be used unless theres no chance of a recovery of the men alive. "A debris field implies a break-up of the submersible... that really sort of indicates what is the worst-case scenario, which is a catastrophic failure and generally that's an implosion, he said. "The only saving grace is that it would have been immediate - literally in milliseconds - and the men wouldn't have known what was happening." More ships and expertise were scrambled on Thursday to help find the missing deep-sea vessel and the five men on board. Titan was lost on Sunday about 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada. Credit: ATLANTIC PRODUCTIONS/MAGELLAN Rear Adm Mauger said there were nine vessels on the scene at present, as the search for more details continues. "We have medical personnel on the scene, we have other technicians on scene, and we will begin to demobilise personnel and vessels from the scene over the course of the next 24 hours," he said. "This is an incredibly difficult and dangerous environment to work in." He added: "On behalf of the US Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families. "I can only imagine what this has been like for them. "Additionally, we have been in close contact with the French and British consuls general to ensure that they are fully apprised and that their concerns are being fully addressed. "The outpouring of support during this highly complex search operation has been robust and immensely appreciated." Titanic director James Cameron, who has famously visited the wreck 33 times, has said many people in the community were concerned about this sub. Speaking to ABC, he said: Ive been down there many times I know the wreck site very well I understand the engineering problems associated with building this type of vehicle and all the safety protocols He added that he was struck by the similarity between the two disasters. This is a mature art and many people in the community were concerned about the sub Im struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about ice ahead of his ship and yet he steamed at full speed into an ice field on a moonless night and many people died as a result. Aaron Newman is an investor in OceanGate; the company that operates the craft, which usually serves as a tourist or research vessel. He claimed Titan was designed to return to the surface after 24 hours. Guests are believed to pay around $250,000 (about 195,000) to take the underwater voyage see the Titanic wreck, which lies 12,500ft beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. Mr Newman visited the site on the vessel in 2021. Titan is held underwater by ballast heavy weights that helps with a vessels stability built to be automatically released after 24 hours to send the sub to the surface, Newman said. Read more Everything we know about missing Titanic submersible so far The Explorers Club is a professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research and scientific exploration. Founded in New York City in 1904, it has served as a meeting point for explorers and scientists worldwide ever since. Richard Garriott de Cayeux, the club's president, called Mr Harding his "dear friend" who continued to "push dragons off maps both in person and through supporting expeditions and worthy causes." He said Mr Nargeolet was "one of the foremost experts on submersible expeditions to the Titanic." Mr Garriott de Cayeux also paid tribute to "friend" Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and son Suleman, who he said would have been "welcomed" to the club at some point in their futures. Rescuers race against the breathable air clock after noises heard from Titanic vessel search area Tim Maltin, a Titanic expert, told the BBC that he believes tourism dives to the Titanic wreck should be suspended "until lessons are learned". Womens rights activists hold placards during a candlelight vigil in Manila on Sept. 13, 2016, calling to save Filipina drug convict Mary Jane Veloso who is on death row in Indonesia. The family of a Philippine woman on death row in Indonesia for drug trafficking appealed to the national human rights commission Thursday to help save her from execution, while Manila hoped Jakarta would give her clemency. The Filipina, Mary Jane Veloso, 38, was arrested at an Indonesian airport in April 2010 with 2.6 kg (5.7 pounds) of heroin in her suitcase and later sentenced to death, but her scheduled execution in 2015 was postponed at the last minute after Manila asked that her case be reviewed. Indonesia has some of the worlds harshest anti-narcotics laws, but in March it granted a rare pardon to a woman who had been on death row for more than 20 years. It is very painful for us that Mary Jane has been imprisoned here for 13 years, but we can only visit her a few times, Velosos mother, Celia, told reporters in Jakarta after meeting with officials from the National Commission on Human Rights. I know she is a victim of human trafficking, she said. Velosos parents and two sons traveled from the Philippines to Indonesia last week and were reunited with her for the first time in five years. The Filipinas lawyers have argued that she was trafficked by a woman named Maria Cristina Sergio, who was arrested in the Philippines in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison in 2020. Velosos legal team plans to file a petition with Indonesias Supreme Court to review her case, based on what it says is evidence from the trial of her alleged recruiter in the Philippines. We hope that the Supreme Court will grant our petition and give Mary Jane a fair trial, said Agus Salim, one of Velosos lawyers. We believe that she is not a drug trafficker but a victim of a transnational crime syndicate. Indonesia has executed 18 people, mostly for drug offenses, since President Joko Jokowi Widodo took office in 2014, despite international criticism and appeals for mercy. The last batch of executions took place in July 2016, when four drug convicts were killed by a firing squad on Nusakambangan Island, off the coast of Java. Among those executed were three Nigerians and an Indonesian. There have been no executions since. Ten other drug convicts, including nationals from India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Zimbabwe were spared at the last minute for reasons that were not explained. Jokowi has defended the use of capital punishment as a deterrent against drug trafficking and abuse, saying the country was facing a national emergency. He has repeatedly rejected clemency pleas from drug convicts and said that he would not compromise on the issue. I have said it before, we must be firm. Especially for the foreign drug dealers who resist, just shoot them right away. Dont give them any mercy, Jokowi had said in 2017. However, some human rights activists and legal experts have questioned the effectiveness and fairness of Indonesias anti-drug policy and called for a moratorium on executions. Under Indonesias new criminal code passed last year, judges can impose death sentences with a probationary period of 10 years, after which the sentence can be reduced to life imprisonment. ASEAN member and friend Meanwhile, an official at the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that Indonesia would listen to the Philippines request for clemency for Veloso, the Philippine Inquirer newspaper reported on Thursday. Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega pointed out that the two countries have close ties as members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). We think that as an ASEAN member and friend, the Indonesian government will be lenient to our pleas, De Vega was quoted as saying. Every day that she is alive, that means that Indonesia is listening to us. On Tuesday, Velosos parents met with leaders of the Communion of Indonesian Churches, the countrys largest organization of churches, to ask it to relay their plea for clemency. We are poor, but we teach our children to be religious and obedient. They always pray the rosary and do not do evil things, the communions website quoted Celia Veloso as saying. The communions general secretary, Jacklevyn Fritz Manuputty, promised to help. Your tears, your pain, are also part of us. Thank you for your strong heart as parents, with such great love for your family, he said. We are committed to supporting you according to our capacity, relations and prayers. He also said that he hoped Veloso would be given a pardon by Jokowi, like Merry Utami, an Indonesian woman whose death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment in March. Merry, a former garment factory worker and mother of two, has maintained her innocence and claimed that she was duped into carrying heroin. Veloso is one of the many migrant workers from the Philippines who have faced legal problems abroad. In March, the Philippine government said there were 81 Filipinos on death row in different countries. A Malaysian court is expected to charge four Thai nationals Friday in connection with the 2015 discovery of graves of more than a 100 human-smuggling victims found at jungle camps near the border with Thailand, Malaysias home minister said. The Thai suspects were handed over to Malaysia on Thursday as part of a 2017 extradition request by Kuala Lumpur and an investigation into the discovery of mass remains of Rohingya and Bangladeshi human smuggling victims in shallow graves in Wang Kelian, a village in Perlis state. They were handed to us on June 22 and will be brought to the Sessions Court in Perlis to be charged on Friday, Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said in a statement but without disclosing details. A senior Malaysian police official, who asked that his identity be kept anonymous because he was not authorized to speak to reporters, said the Perlis police chief was scheduled to hold a press conference related to the Thai nationals on Friday. The four will be charged with human smuggling, he told BenarNews. In January 2015, Malaysian authorities found 139 mass graves and 28 abandoned camps scattered near the rocky hills along the Thai-Malaysia border at Bukit Wang Burma in Wang Kelian, but waited four months to exhume the bodies. More than 100 skeletal remains, believed to be those of members of Myanmars stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, were found in the graves while other remains apparently belonged to undocumented migrants from Bangladesh. After a cluster of similar mass graves were discovered at jungle camps abandoned by human smugglers on the Thai side of the frontier, Thailand in early May 2015 launched a crackdown on illicit immigration that triggered a humanitarian crisis in Southeast Asia. Close to 3,000 ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladesh nationals, abandoned by their handlers on smugglers boats, suddenly came ashore in Malaysia and Indonesia. It was only after the news of the Thai graves made headlines that Malaysian authorities publicized the discovery of the graves in Wang Kelian and moved to recover the remains of the victims. Men wait in a mass grave amongst coffins of unidentified remains of Rohingya refugees found at a human-trafficking camp in Wang Kelian, Malaysia, June 22, 2015. [Olivia Harris/Reuters] A Malaysian government-commissioned panel inquiry report made public last October found that officials could have prevented the torture and deaths of the smuggling victims if they had taken a more proactive step in border control. It did not require any extraordinary effort to detect what had happened in Bukit Wang Burma, according to an excerpt from the Royal Commission of Inquiry report. The Commission regards the incident at Wang Kelian as a humanitarian tragedy that should never have happened in this day and age. No Malaysian has been charged in connection with the 2015 discovery. Only four foreign nationals have been convicted and imprisoned. But in Thailand, prosecutors tried 102 people linked to 32 graves found on its side of the border. Of the 62 people convicted, one was a three-star general, who died in prison while serving an 82-year sentence. No form of trial on our side Malaysias home minister said this latest development was the result of close cooperation between his country and Thailand. Malaysia had in 2017 sought the extradition of 10 Thai nationals. As a result of close collaboration between the two countries, four of the 10 individuals were tracked down and presented at a Thai court to face extradition, Saifuddin said. The extradition proceeding took place at many courts in Thailand, and the Thai Court of Appeal on March 30 this year ordered the four individuals to be handed to Malaysia. However, Mohd. Mizan Mohammad Aslam, a professor at the National Defense University of Malaysia, would like to see a more active investigation on the Malaysian side. In Thailand, many people have been arrested for being involved in the crime and ended up in prison, he told BenarNews. However, on our side, we have yet to take any action seriously; there has been no form of trial on our side. He urged the Malaysian authorities to find local suspects involved in the case and put them behind bars. I believe that if no serious action is taken, such crimes can flourish again and create another Wang Kelian, he said. Fishermen return after a days work in waters off the municipality of Bani in the northern Philippines facing the South China Sea, Jan. 25, 2023. A fishers group and others have slammed the Philippine president for saying he would coordinate with Beijing on its annual fishing ban in the disputed South China Sea, including in waters within Manilas jurisdiction. China has no standing to prohibit any activities in the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ), critics said as they responded on Thursday to comments by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reporters about planning ahead of the May-August Chinese ban to give fishermen an alternative source of income. Beijing has no right whatsoever to impose a fishing ban in waters within the Philippines EEZ, said Antonio Carpio, a former Philippine Supreme Court justice and South China Sea expert. Thats because in 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines when it threw out Chinas expansive claims in the waterway, he said. This was particularly true of the West Philippine Sea, the waters of the South China Sea within Manilas EEZ. China has been unilaterally imposing a fishing moratorium from May to August every year, claiming this promotes sustainable fishing. But the Philippines has in past years protested against this, saying the practice violates its sovereignty. Some areas covered by the fishing ban are in Philippine waters. We cannot recognize Chinas fishing ban in any part of our EEZ because that will recognize Chinas nine-dash line, which is the basis for Chinas fishing ban, Carpio told BenarNews in a message on Thursday. The nine-dash line is a boundary used by Beijing on its maps to demarcate its territorial claims in the sea. The Arbitral Award states that Chinas nine-dash line cannot serve as a basis to claim waters or resources in the South China Sea, Carpio said. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks during an exclusive interview at his hotel in Washington, May 4, 2023. [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters] During his comments on Tuesday, Marcos made no reference to the validity of the ban or otherwise. When there is a fishing ban, we coordinate with them so we do not get surprised that theres suddenly a fishing ban. So we can have some time to plan, Marcos said, according to transcripts released Thursday. When they say there is going to be a fishing ban in two months time, then lets plan: What will the fishers do? Let us give them another livelihood or another source of income. Marcos said he had raised the issue of Filipino fishers rights during his meeting with President Xi Jinping when he visited China in January. I really prioritized the issue of fisheries when we met. I said, let us not talk about the territory because we will not be able to decide now, Marcos said. Let us prioritize the fisheries because these people are not at fault, why punish them? So we are making some progress in that regard. China has no moral ascendancy The activist fisherfolk group Pamalakaya is completely unconvinced by this argument of the Marcos administration, which it believes should reject Beijings annual unilateral ban. There should be no room for any compromise, not even a coordination in regards to fishing activities in our territorial waters, Pamalakaya said in a statement on Thursday. No amount of alternative source of income could equate the fishing livelihood of Filipinos in the resource-rich West Philippine Sea, and its significant contribution to our local food security. Additionally, Pamalakaya trashed Beijings claim about sustainable fishing. We remind President Marcos Jr. that China has no moral ascendancy, not especially a legal right, to impose a fishing ban on the pretext of marine conservation, the group said. Because it is the one destroying our marine biodiversity and ecosystem through massive reclamation, illegal poaching, and industrial fishing expeditions. Fishermen check their catch in Bani in the northern Philippines facing the South China Sea, Jan. 25, 2023. [Jojo Rinoza/BenarNews] Marine scientists meanwhile have expressed alarm over the destruction of coral reefs in the South China Sea that are critical for the environment and preventing a collapse in fish stocks, which sustain the livelihoods of tens of millions of people. Some of the South China Sea reefs are gone forever due to the creation of military bases atop them, John McManus, a professor of marine biology at the University of Miami in Florida, told Radio Free Asia, a news service affiliated with BenarNews, in October 2020. The majority of such construction has been by China, which dredged up Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef, Mischief Reef, Woody Island, and some other islets between 2014 and 2017, to make way for artificial islands that now host its military. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 83F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening followed by increasing clouds with showers developing after midnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. LENOX William Shakespeares "Henry VI, Part II had its first performances in 1591. Now, more than four centuries later, the play couldnt be more timely, say stage director Tina Packer and Shakespeare & Company artistic director Allyn Burrows. I think people will be astounded. Its about power; why people want it, Packer said during an interview in the spacious lobby of Shakespeare & Companys Tina Packer Playhouse, where her production of The Contention (King Henry VI, Part II) is running through July 15. The show, which has been previewing since June 17, officially opens June 24. Sign up for the In The Berkshires This Week newsletter Sign up Onstage What: The Contention (King Henry VI, Part II) by William Shakespeare. Directed by Tina Packer; associate directors, Kate Kohler Amory and Sheila Bandyopadhyay Who: Shakespeare & Company Where: Tina Packer Playhouse, 70 Kemble St., Lenox When: June 24 - July 15 Performances: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, Saturdays; 2 p.m. Fridays and Sundays Tickets: $37 $82 Reservations and information: 413-637-3353; shakespeare.org The Contention also is about the corrosive effects of power what happens to those who are beneath the people in power; what happens to them as they catch the fever, Packer said. [The play] allows modern audiences to ponder how things have changed over time and how they have not changed. Its kind of a bird's eye view of what humanity is capable of doing to itself, said Burrows, who is playing the Duke of Suffolk and Jack Cade. Burrows played Cade and the Duke of Gloucester eight years ago when Packer directed Henry VI, Part II for Actors' Shakespeare Project at Suffolk University in Boston. Essentially the story of the bloody contention between the powerful rival houses of York and Lancaster for control of the throne of England, Henry VI, Part II examines what happens in a society driven by political self-interest and a vacuum in leadership. Ill-prepared to rule, Henry VI, who was only 9 years old when he assumed the throne, knows the right thing to do, Packer said, but hes terrified of life. Hes not a good leader in this warrior culture. Youre literally watching society break down, said cast member Austyn Williamson, who plays 11 characters. Youre seeing common folk drawn into these big squabbles among noblemen over issues that are distant. It's a social system in which working class people feel the law is there to oppress them. If you don't have law (what is there)? Packer asked rhetorically. The Contention is a big story being played out on a bigger stage than Packer had eight years ago. The plays 37 characters are portrayed by a company of only 10 actors. There are no small roles (here); no wasted character or text, said Bella Merlin, who plays the doomed Dame Eleanor, wife of the Duke of Gloucester (played by Jonathan Epstein), in the plays first half and a series of male roles in the second. I get to fight with swords, something I wouldn't do in life, Merlin said with a slight laugh, taking some delight in the fact that she is a physically small woman executing big acts of violence. Eleanor becomes collateral damage in the free-for-all for control of England. She begins the play as a swan, Merlin said, and ends as a dancing bear. Packer, who is unaccustomed to working with one associate director, let alone two Kate Kohler Amory and Sheila Bandyopadhyay said the arrangement has been harmonious and smooth. We discuss everything with each other. Ultimately, when push comes to shove I have final say but it never comes to that, Packer said with her hearty signature laugh. I trust and like what they see. Amory and Packer are hardly strangers. She's been my mentor for some decades, Amory said. Amorys primary responsibilities have had to do with continuity is the arc of the story clear; is the narrative moving sensibly onstage. Ill sit in various locations in the theater and look at the staging, for example; how it's working, she said. Burrows said the arrangement has not been confusing for the actors. Packer, Amory and Bandyopadhyay have formed a kind of mind meld, Burrows said. Kate is a formidable director in her own right. There is clarity in her insight, especially within Tina's neverending vision, Burrows said. Sheila brings a different sensibility. These three dont compete. Burrows believes Henry VI, Part II is the best of the rarely produced Henry VI plays, which were extremely popular with Shakespeares audiences. It also is, partially, the inspiration for the book series, "A Song of Ice and Fire," which became the hugely popular HBO series, Game of Thrones. Shakespeares strength, Packer said, lies in his ability to understand why human beings act the way they do, particularly within a power structure. Every character in this play is out to shame somebody and the result of that is violence. In order to make that work onstage means that actors have to take this on personally. The key to being an actor, Packer said, is telling the truth. ONSTAGE What: The Contention (King Henry VI, Part II) by William Shakespeare. Directed by Tina Packer; associate directors, Kate Kohler Amory and Sheila Bandyopadhyay Who: Shakespeare & Company Where: Tina Packer Playhouse, 70 Kemble St., Lenox When: June 24 - July 15 Performances: 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, Saturdays; 2 p.m. Fridays and Sundays Tickets: $37 $82 Reservations and information: 413-637-3353; shakespeare.org You are the owner of this article. Start the day with the lastest headlines Stay up to date on Berkshires news with Berkshires in Brief, our free daily newsletter Vegetables abound at an indoor farmers market in North Adams in November 2022. The Market Match program from Berkshire Agricultural Ventures will help SNAP recipients buy more produce from markets like these. Last week, The Eagle reported on a rash of signs across the Berkshires promoting the so-called Patriot Front, an extremist organization founde Former President Donald Trump greets supporters June 13 at Versailles restaurant in Miami after appearing in federal court on dozens of felony charges accusing him of illegally hoarding classified documents and thwarting the Justice Department's efforts to get the records back. President Yoon Suk-yeol met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday and they agreed to cooperate closely on the international stage. "Our two countries have developed a close partnership in various fields, sharing the universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law," they said in a joint press statement. They pledged to promote "practical economic cooperation and build a stable supply chain." South Korea, "as a next nonpermanent member of the Security Council, will deal with North Korea's unlawful provocations that are in violation of UN Security Council resolutions, in close cooperation with France, a permanent member," Yoon told reporters after their meeting. Macron also condemned North Korea's human rights violations and added that South Korea's presence on the UNSC will offer a chance for France to cooperate closely on North Korean issues. Talking Points Memo: The failure of the Biden administration is only getting more and more obvious by the day. Heres three major agencies that are falling apart. President Biden snaps at reporter for asking about Hunters text messages. SCOTUS rules on states control over elections and agrees to hear case on wealth tax. Bill renews calls for investigation into Zuckerbergs efforts into the 2020 presidential election. Former Prosecutor Cully Stimson on his new book Rogue Prosecutors: How Radical Soros Lawyers are Destroying Americas Communities. Reuters releases report that says all living US Presidents descended from slaveholders all expect Donald Trump. Smart Life: pickleball injuries This Day in History: International Body Piercing Day Final Thought: Leaving money to kids, charities & friends In Case You Missed It: Read Bill's latest column, "They're Not Victims" It's the 'Summer Reading Special!' 'Killing the Killers,' Killing the Legends,' and 'Killing Crazy Horse' all for $32.95. We'll also give you a FREE 'Team Normal' hat. 'Team Normal!' gear is 15% for a limited time. Go to BillOReilly.com now and order! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Business and Arts South Africa NPC (Basa) has four vacancies on the board of directors and the purpose of this notice is to call for nominations. The current board comprises 12 non-executive directors and one executive director, all of whom contribute to the overall success, governance, and compliance of the organisation. Basa was founded in 1997, as a joint initiative between government and the private sector, as part of a strategy to secure greater involvement in the arts, from businesses operating within South Africa. To learn more about Basa click here. In 2017, the board appointed a governance committee to assist with this process. The duties of the governance committee include (but are not limited to) the following: receive nominations for potential Board appointment; identify potential candidates based on the balance and current skills set of existing representation of the Board; evaluate candidates based on background information, declaration of interests and curriculum vitae; shortlisting of candidates, and preparation of a recommended list of nominees for election at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The current Governance Committee members are as follows: Unathi Malunga (chairperson) Zingisa Motloba Charmaine Soobramoney Ashraf Johaardien Eligibility of nominees One of the key objectives of this nomination process is to create a board that consists of a diverse and skilled collection of members who can provide a high level of strategic and governance leadership for the organisation. Some of the skills, expertise and networks that directors are expected to support the organisation with include fundraising, marketing, policy and governance, and financial oversight. Preference will be given to paid-up Basa members who have been active for 12 months. Nominees should meet the following criteria and preferably have at least five years cumulative experience as a director of one or more of the following entities: A listed company An unlisted company A public sector body (whether incorporated or created by statute); or be A director, or equivalent, of a not-for-profit (NPO) organisation of substance; or An arts or arts-affiliated organisation or body, or be An individual with proven business experience. The nominee should have the expertise and capacity to serve on one or more of the following Basa committees: Audit and Risk Committee Marketing Committee Human Resources Committee Governance Committee New Business Development Board directors serve for a period of three years on an unpaid voluntary basis and the qualification criteria application is subject to the discretion of the Board and its oversight committees. Nominations should include the nominator's name, a letter of motivation from the nominator, a detailed curriculum vitae (CV) of the proposed candidate, and a written acceptance of the nomination from the proposed nominee. This documentation must be submitted to Rochelle Singh via e-mail at az.oc.asab@ellehcor. The deadline for nominations is 29 June at 5pm. Kindly note that no late submissions will be processed. Senior health department official Popo Maja, has made a court appearance due to corruption charges related to a R150m tender awarded to Digital Vibes. He is facing two corruption charges for his alleged involvement in the allocation of a contract intended to provide communication services to the department for the National Health Insurance (NHI) programme, and awarding a Covid-19 media campaign contract, which was scored by Digital Vibes. Maja the director of communications at the national Department of Health, served as a member of the bid evaluation committee responsible for evaluating the various bids submitted for the tender. During the course of this process, it is alleged that he received two bribes totalling R15,000. The charge sheet indicates that the funds for these alleged bribes were transferred from a Digital Vibes bank account to an account belonging to Tahera Mather. Subsequently, it is alleged that the money was deposited into Maja's bank account. The [health] department upholds its position of zero tolerance to fraud and corruption and will allow the legal process to take its course without any interference, a media statement said. The department believes in the principle of innocent until proven guilty, and procedural fairness will be adhered to in order to afford Maja space and opportunity to deal with the case. Following his surrender to the police, Maja appeared in the Pretoria specialised commercial crimes court on Wednesday morning, 21 June. As a result of allegations linking Maja to the alleged owners of Digital Vibes, Mather and Naadhira Mitha, former health minister Zweli Mkhize resigned amid the Digital Vibes scandal. The Special Investigating Unit is currently investigating the matter. The World's 50 Best coveted Flor de Cana Sustainable Restaurant Award was presented to Peter Tempelhoff and the team of Fyn Restaurant in Cape Town in recognition of the expansive sustainability philosophy supporting its fusion of South African and Japanese flavors and cooking methods. Fyn Restaurant's Chef Peter Tempelhoff, Jennifer Huge and Chef Ashley Moss. Image supplied. With the emergence of sustainability as a dominant global dining trend, The Worlds 50 Best has sought to commend restaurants achieving the highest environmental and social responsibility ratings, as determined by its audit partner, the Sustainable Restaurant Association. The Worlds 50 Best is the benchmark globally, thanks to its panel of culinary experts including leading restaurant critics, chefs, restaurateurs, and gourmets from 27 regions worldwide. This accolade follows the announcement of Fyns placing, for the third consecutive year since its opening in 2018, on The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants Top 100 list. This annual reveal of the world's finest restaurants provides a snapshot of some of the best destinations for unique culinary experiences. All listed establishments were invited to enter the Sustainable Restaurant Award, and were assessed across the pillars of sourcing, society and environment. Delicately balancing the wildness of Africa with Japanese refinement in its seasonally led kaiseki-style menu, Fyns cuisine is deeply rooted in its locale, which it honours through conscious sourcing of native ingredients from the Western Cape. Suppliers have been selected according to careful criteria, ranging from Abalobi, South Africas first community-supported fishery, to the regenerative-principled Meuse Farm for vegetables, Cape Wagyu for free-range, pasture-reared cattle, and responsibly harvested dune spinach, sea lettuce and kelp. Image supplied Fyn is about balancing authenticity and innovation, says Peter Tempelhoff, who shares the accolade with his partners, culinary director Ashley Moss and service and beverage director Jennifer Huge. This award is huge for Fyn, its also unexpected and I feel a little unprepared for it but, it does lay the gauntlet down for us to continue on our current trajectory with every fiber of the restaurants being. To continue our work with the communities, the fishermen, the farmers, the foragers and of course our dedicated staff who weve grown so close to over the past few years is the real reason why weve won this fantastic award, and I dedicate this to them, he says. For Tempelhoff, sustainability is not a matter of box-ticking when it comes to sourcing ingredients but rather a deeper mindset that encompasses an entire ecosystem, from suppliers to staff. Its also about providing work for people, keeping villages alive, and providing hope, he adds. Its a philosophy he applies not only to FYNs support of small fishermen and farmers in the Western Cape, but also closer to home. We care about where our staff come from and where theyre going. Although hailing from diverse backgrounds, all see themselves as unified in our common pursuit of creating a unique experience for our guests. Fyn's Limpid mousse and sea lettuce crisp. Image supplied Fyn joins a respected circle of global establishments at the fore of sustainable hospitality in earning this title, including chef Angel Leons three-Michelin-starred Aponiente in Spain, chef Rodolfo Guzmans acclaimed restaurant Borago in Chile, and Andreas Caminadas three-Michelin-starred Schloss Schauenstein in Switzerland. South Africa's best mathematics teacher for 2022, Tebogo Mokwene, 33, is pleased by the impact of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountant's (Saica's) development camps in holistically reshaping and developing learners' schooling careers. Tebogo Mokwene (center) with the minister of basic education, Angie Motshekga (right) and deputy minister of basic education, Dr Reginah Mhaule (left) Saicas development camps started in 2002 and are hosted annually across all South Africas nine provinces. These camps form part of Saica's strategy to aid the global drive for transformation, employment, and growth by supporting social and economic development as outlined in the National Development Plan (NDP) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To be invited, learners must score a minimum of 60% in mathematics and English. According to Lwando Bantom, Saicas project director: Transformational Projects, despite being initially designed to promote the chartered accountancy profession, the camps have had significant impacts in other fields as well. The camps are now speaking to the needs of the country as per the shortage of skills in these fields. What is even more exciting about these camps is the fact that we are changing the landscape of these communities. We are developing future leaders of South African industries and even beyond, says Bantom. Mokwene, a high school teacher at Mmabatho High School in the North-West province and winner of the best mathematics teacher in the country for 2022 at the National Teachers Awards, is one of the mathematics tutors at Saicas development camp in the North-West province, along with his colleague, Medusa Nkgatho. As he reflects on the programmes impact, Mokwene, who has been a tutor in the camp for the past five years, says these camps allow learners to sharpen their skills. We sharpen our learners mathematics skills and in subjects like accounting, physical sciences and many others, so our learners can pursue a career in chartered accountancy and other key professions of high demand. I thank Saica for such a wonderful programme, Ausi Lerato [Lerato Kotane], Saicas project manager: Transformational Projects in the North-West and the team leaders who organise everything and my responsibility is just to be present and teach mathematics, says Mokwene. He says most learners are poorly grounded on mathematical concepts and as teachers, they should have the ability to make learners see mathematics as a subject that stimulates logical thinking. To teach mathematics, Mokwene uses a variety of self-generated methods to make learning entertaining and effective for learners. One of them is the Jobe rule for trigonometry. We cannot teach this generation the way we were taught in the '90s. Most teaching methods are directed to learners with a good aptitude for maths, leaving behind those who are struggling. The Jobe rule allows learners to tackle trigonometry with ease. I use Amapiano sound to explain it to them. As they see, narrate, and recite this Jobe rule song, they realise that mathematics is not as tough as they think and when they get to the examination room they excel, adds Mokwene. He says the award he received encourages him to make a positive impact on learners. My learners are doing extremely well both at school and in the Saica development camp, the numbers for mathematics in terms of pass rate continue to rise and we are only getting better, says Mokwene. Mokwene also thanks Dr Agnes Motsusi, chief education specialist for curriculum in the North-West province and Phongi Mekgwe, North-West Department of Educations chief education specialist for mathematics, science and technology, for believing in his abilities. The Department of Tourism, in partnership with the Department of Small Business Development and the Free State Department of Economic Development, is set to organise a community engagement session aimed at exploring and discussing opportunities for enhancing the skills and empowerment of young individuals in the tourism sector. Source: Reuters. Tourism deputy minister Fish Mahlalela and the deputy minister of small business development Dipuo Peters, along with the executives of the Mangaung metro municipality, will lead the discussions. They are expected to highlight the significance of government programmes in elevating communities, reviving local economies and creating sustainable opportunities for all. The event will take place on Thursday, 29 June at the Samson Sefuthi Hall (N section) Botshabelo, in the Mangaung metro municipality in the Free State. The community engagement will seek to inspire and uplift young people to pursue sustainable livelihoods through business ideas, innovation and government-led programmes that unlock opportunities and enable them to contribute meaningfully to their communities and the overall economy. The tourism engagement takes place as South Africa commemorates Youth Month in June under the theme: Accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future. This year marks 47 years since the 1976 student uprising, and the country celebrates the impact brought about by the youths actions in the liberation of our country. It was around three and a half decades ago that the world experienced its first major security attack. The Morris Worm shut down 10% of the internet in just 24 hours, sending unsuspecting businesses into a tailspin. And so it was, that the very first Computer Emergency Response Team was born, marking an important milestone in modern cybersecurity. Colin Erasmus, chief operations officer at Microsoft South Africa | image supplied Looking back, its fascinating to see how far incident response has come especially as we stand on the cusp of another tidal shift in the tech landscape. With the revolutionary capabilities of AI in the spotlight, the future of cybersecurity is a key topic of conversation especially for businesses in South Africa that have proven to be vulnerable to attack. As a new era in cybersecurity unfolds, these four key trends will help shape the security discourse. 1. Ransomware is becoming more sophisticated While Africa and South Africa have always been a prime target for malware and ransomware attacks, these occurrences are increasing in number and sophistication. In fact, Interpols Africa Cyberthreat Assessment report found that South Africa leads the continent in the number of cybersecurity threats identified, and that it also has the highest targeted ransomware and business email compromise (BEC) attempts. Recent Microsoft-IDC research on Enterprise Security Trends shows that the growing number of ransomware attacks is among the top three security priorities for South African organisations, with 45% identifying protection against harmful ransomware and malware attacks as a key focus area. Moving forward, hackers will continue to use these tried-and-tested techniques, but will also make use of AI to enhance the speed and accuracy of attacks. Smarter workplaces provide hackers with new entryways to networks Over the past few years, South African organisations have made significant changes to their cybersecurity strategies to accommodate the growing number of remote users that need access to mission critical data and applications. The Microsoft-IDC research reveals that organisations are placing the bulk of their focus on endpoint security and access management solutions, with 65% already invested in endpoint protection solutions and 61% in access management. But while IT teams have been preoccupied by remote work, largely perceiving ransomware as an IT-focused threat, these attacks have become more prevalent in operational technology (OT) environments including everything from industrial equipment to HVAC controllers and elevators. Microsofts threat intelligence has revealed an increase in threats exploiting OT controllers and IoT devices like routers, printers and cameras, driven largely by hybrid workplaces and the growing interconnectivity among organisations. The IT world is increasingly being brought together with the OT world, introducing new and severe risks, with attackers now able to jump between formerly physically isolated systems. Suddenly everything from cameras to smart conference rooms are providing hackers with new entryways into workspaces and other IT systems. AI is becoming more mainstream The good news, however, is that AI and machine learning are arriving in technologys mainstream. The Microsoft-IDC research shows that around 39% of companies in South Africa plan to address security concerns by improving the automation of processes and integration of technologies. And while there has long been a perception that attackers even those using age-old techniques have the advantage of surprise, AI can swing the agility pendulum back in favour of defenders. Al empowers defenders to see, classify and contextualise much more information, much faster. Its radical capabilities and speed give defenders the ability to deny attackers their agility advantage. The growing skills gap will become less challenging AI also enables human defenders to operate more quickly and efficiently than before. This is key for IT teams across the region, given the growing skills gap among security professionals. Around 53% in South Africa identified upskilling as a vital step to increase the level of security in their organisation, according to the Microsoft-IDC research. Automated and intelligent tools empower security professionals to focus on security strategy and culture rather than sitting behind a computer watching and managing incoming signals that indicate attacks or zero-day vulnerabilities. The more teams can use AI to provide clear views of cyberthreats, the more they can open the door for entry-level talent while also freeing highly skilled defenders to focus on bigger challenges. AI is a new area for defenders, and as organisations increasingly develop new AI systems, they need to understand how these systems can be breached, and how attackers can leverage AI systems to carry out attacks. Though Al won't be the silver bullet that solves security in 2023, it is the turning point for rapid acceleration in protecting against bad actors. Businesses simply cannot afford to underestimate the way AI innovation over the next few years will impact the security industry in South Africa. SA to import up to 1,000MW of electricity from Mozambique South Africa has signed a Power Purchase Agreement with Mozambique that will see SA importing 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity within the next three months from its neighbour and up to 1,000MW over the next 12 months. Source: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters Cabinet also welcomed a donation of emergency and small-scale generation equipment from China, valued at R167m. A deployment plan is being developed to ensure the donated equipment is installed in public facilities which will, as a result, be isolated from load shedding. A formal handover ceremony will take place as soon as the goods are cleared by South African customs authorities, cabinet said. Rahul Gandhi (File Photo) A day after Home Minister Amit Shah called for an all-party meet on June 24 to deliberate on the Manipur crisis, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence and said that the meeting is being called in his absence as it is not important for him. In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said, "Manipur is burning for last 50 days but the Prime Minister is silent. An all party meeting has been called at a time when he himself is not in the country. It is clear that for Prime Minister, this meeting is not important." Earlier in the day, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal also termed BJP's move "too little too late" which came only after CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi addressed the people of the northeastern state. Taking a dig at Shah, Venugopal said, "Well after 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, HM Amit Shah's call for an all-party meeting is too little too late. The government only woke up after Sonia Gandhi ji's address to the people of Manipur." Slamming the government, the Congress leader said that at the outset, the Prime Minister's (Narendra Modi) absence from such a serious meeting displays his "cowardice and unwillingness" to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them, he added. "The Home Minister himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, in fact things have worsened since his visit. Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship? Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty," he said. The Congress Rajya Sabha MP said that "any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at". "This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi. The entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government, which has been missing in action so far," Venugopal added. On Wednesday, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi in a video statement condoled the deaths in violence-hit Manipur and appealed for peace. Meanwhile, speaking to media at party headquarters here, Venugopal said, "The party has been demanding an all-party meeting convened by the Prime Minister all this while. Despite the passage of 53-54 days of violence and loss of lives, the Prime Minister has not uttered a single word. At least a peace call from him should have been done. When the Home Minister has already visited the state and done his exercise, then what is the need for Shah calling the meeting again. At least a meeting chaired by Prime Minister should have been convened in Manipur. "Whatever joint press conference is happening is ok. But the Prime Minister should find a little time for our own state Manipur also," the Congress leader added. Even Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala attacked the government and said, "To the people of Manipur who have been reeling under the horrendous violence for the past 50 days, the insensitivity and inaction of the Modi government is like rubbing salt on their festering wounds." "'All-party meeting' after the loss of hundreds of lives and destruction of thousands of families? Is this just a reaction of the government to panic after Sonia Gandhi's message? Is the job of the Prime Minister of the country only to seek votes from the people of Manipur in the election rally? Is it Modi's 'self-reliant campaign' to turn away every time the country is in trouble? After all, for how long, instead of saving 'false image', will it be considered necessary to save the lives of the country and its people?" Surjewala, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP wondered. The Congress leader's remarks came a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday said that the Union Home Minister has convened an all-party meeting on June 24 at 3 p.m. in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur. Home Minister Shah had also visited the strife-torn state for four days (May 29 to June 1) and met a cross-section of people, more than 45 civil society organisations and different political parties as part of his efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the strife-torn state. After his visit, the Home Minister had announced a slew of measures to deal with the situation. Over 100 people have died and around 50,000 forced to live in relief camps following the violent clashes in Manipur since May 3. The Congress has been questioning the silence of the Prime Minister on the issue. Dr. Peter Hotez -- the authoritarian, portly puppet of the pharmaceutical industry -- doesn't just assault basic human decency with his horrendous appearance and obesity; he also offends common sense and sensibility, to quote Jane Austen, with his public utterances. As I reported elsewhere, the man once floated as COVID Warlord Fauci's replacement at NIAID was recently thrust into the public spotlight after a series of events involving populist paragon RFK Jr., Joe Rogan, and something Hotez calls "vaccine misinformation." "Spotify Has Stopped Even Sort of Trying to Stem Joe Rogans Vaccine Misinformation. Its really true just awful. And from all the online attacks Im receiving after this absurd podcast, its clear many actually believe this nonsense," Hotez Tweeted earlier this week (he has since set everything in his profile to "private"). "Peter, if you claim what RFKjr is saying is misinformation I am offering you $100,000.00 to the charity of your choice if youre willing to debate him on my show with no time limit," Rogan replied. "Peter. Lets finally have the respectful,congenial, informative debate that the American people deserve," RFK Jr. chimed in. Peter. Lets finally have the respectful,congenial,informative debate that the American people deserve. Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 17, 2023 RFK Jr. is a man among lemmings because he's about it. There is no doubt he would show up in full force for a one-on-one Hotez debate. But Hotez, being the coward that he is whose entire public image is predicated on narrative control run by the corporate state media on his behalf, would never subject himself and his ridiculous industry talking points to such strict scrutiny. Exhibits A, B, C, and D: https://twitter.com/ggreenwald/status/1671234537706102786 https://twitter.com/GenXChristinaR/status/1671248139695824896 https://twitter.com/KanekoaTheGreat/status/1670269937276035072 Hotez is such a transparent hack, just as devoid of any depth of thought as he is of character, that debating him wouldn't even be worth the effort but for the fact that Hotez is held up as the avatar of The Science. He is deeply respected, as you can see at the end of the final exhibit above, by the corporate state media and the government, and so knocking him down in the most public of formats on the most popular podcast in the world would be a devastating blow to the corrupt Public Health establishment. Unfortunately, that's exactly why Hotez's handlers would never permit such an event to transpire, even if Hotez were willing. Ben Bartee, author of Broken English Teacher: Notes From Exile, is an independent Bangkok-based American journalist with opposable thumbs. Follow his stuff Substack if you are inclined to support independent journalism free of corporate slant. Also, keep tabs via Twitter. Insta-tip jar and Bitcoin public address: bc1qvq4hgnx3eu09e0m2kk5uanxnm8ljfmpefwhawv The Biden administration has released the countrys first national strategy for combating antisemitism, a landmark plan aimed at addressing a growing problem. This is from a piece in NPR titled, The first national strategy for fighting antisemitism is finally here. Whats in it? Spoiler alert: it is not about fighting antisemitism or any other sort of racism; it is a strategy to silence Palestinian voices in the U.S. in the service of Israel. The article starts with an outline of the Biden administrations commitment to fighting Antisemitism. It then quotes the president, who referred to the plan as the most ambitious and comprehensive U.S. government-led effort to fight antisemitism in American history. But then, about four short paragraphs into the piece, it becomes clear that a large part of the data regarding antisemitism in the United States is coming from the Anti-Defamation League or ADL. DEDICATED TO RACISM PREACHING ON ANTISEMITISM The Anti-Defamation League is a dedicated Zionist, anti-Palestinian organization that has support for Israel as a declared part of its mission. A page on the groups website demonstrates that what began in the early twentieth century as a gutsy civil rights network dedicated to combating racism has morphed into a racist organization committed to Zionism and the state of Israel. The following are a few choice examples of accomplishments the organization highlights on this very page: 1970s The agency exposes and takes the lead in combating the Arab boycott of companies that do business with Israel. ADL exposes Palestinian Liberation Organization and Arab links to terrorism and highlights the hypocrisy of a United Nations General Assembly resolution equating Zionism with racism. 2000s The World Conference Against Racism, a U.N.-sanctioned conference held in Durban, South Africa in 2001, turns into an anti-Israel and antisemitic hate fest. ADL convinces the U.S. government and others to withdraw in protest. ADL exposes the inherent antisemitism in Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimers published accusations that an Israel lobby is forcing the U.S. government to adopt policies that are counter to American interests. ADL further renounces similar accusations in former President Jimmy Carters book Palestine: Peace not Apartheid. ANTI-PALESTINIAN AGENDA The primary role that the ADL plays in this new, integrated effort to combat antisemitism raises serious questions as to the real intent behind it. The ADL is clearly a racist, Zionist, Anti-Palestinian organization that makes it its mission to delegitimize the Palestinian struggle by equating it first with terrorism and now, since that claim has proven to be absurd, with extremism and antisemitism. In his newly published outstanding book, Weaponizing Anti-Semitism, journalist Asa Winstanley says, The ADL has long had a close working relationship with the Israeli state and its intelligence agencies. In 2002 the ADL settled out of court when it was revealed that it had for years organized a spy ring to infiltrate leftist solidarity groups in the US, feeding the information back to Israel and apartheid-era South Africa. (pp. 180-1). The call for boycott, divestment and sanctions against the State of Israel is essential for all Palestine solidarity and resistance groups worldwide. This is what the ADL report has to say about it: NOTE ON BDS: ADL has not counted incidents of BDS resolutions on or off campus as antisemitic incidents in our audit, because they do not target individuals. However, these are antisemitic and contribute to the pressures faced by Jews on campus. On student activism, the report states that: In 2022, Jewish students on college and university campuses were subjected to radical anti-Israel sentiment that sometimes veered into antisemitism, often by anti-Zionist groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). THE ADL TWIST At a national leadership summit held in May 2022, ADL chief Jonathan Greenblatt said: SJP, Jewish Voice for Peace and the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations these groups epitomize the Radical Left, the photo inverse of the Extreme Right that ADL long has tracked. In case this is not clear, he is comparing organizations and student groups who speak up and stand up for Palestinian rights to the extreme racist right. An article published on the ADL website states that SJP, or Students for Justice in Palestine chapters, [F]ail to see that because large percentages of American Jews have stated that Zionism or a connection to the State of Israel are important parts of their religious, social, or cultural identities, SJPs wholesale demonization of Zionism and Zionists amounts to the demonization of a significant number of their fellow students. In other words, Jewish students who feel a connection to a racist ideology, in this case, Zionism, and an affinity to a state accused of committing the crime of apartheid, in this case, Israel, get a pass because they are Jewish. Thus, according to the ADL, calling out Jewish people who chose to identify with a racist, genocidal ideology is antisemitic. This is, of course, outrageous. DEMANDING A RACIST-FREE ENVIRONMENT With all of its efforts to pass as a legitimate civil rights organization, the ADL cannot hide its real intention: promoting a racist ideology called Zionism and an apartheid state called Israel in the United States. Again, according to the ADL, students who demand that their institutions show no tolerance to all forms of racism, including Zionism, are antisemitic. Here the ADL report again gives several examples: In March, following the release of a statement by an anti-Israel organization at CUNY calling for protest, a CUNY Law SJP speaker declared at an off-campus rally: Demand that Zionist Professors are not welcome on your campus, demand that Zionist students are not in spaces where Palestinian students are, because Zionism is a threat, Zionism is a genocidal threat to us. The crowd chanted we dont want no Zionists here. Replace Zionism with any other racist ideology or movement, and the ADL has no problem. But when it comes to Israel, they claim, Expelling Zionists from campus would likely result in the removal of a large percentage of Jewish students and calls like this have a deleterious effect on Jewish campus life. The ADL leaves out that the issue is not Judaism but Zionism and contends that Jewish people should be allowed to be racist as long as the racist ideology they profess is Zionism. Another example from the ADL report mentions something that occurred in August at the University of California, Berkeley. Law Students for Justice in Palestine announced that they and nine allied student groups had adopted a bylaw stating they will not invite speakers that have expressed and continue to hold views or host/sponsor/promote events in support of Zionism. Once again, the ADL has a problem, As Zionism is a fundamental component of many Jews identities, overtly excluding Zionists from campus or communal spaces has a disproportionately large and negative effect on the Jewish community. Again, according to the ADL, Jewish people should get a pass if racism is, as they say, a fundamental component of their identity. The Biden administrations strategy for combating antisemitism is not about fighting racism at all; it is another war being waged on Palestinians in the United States. Once again, the United States is serving Israel by silencing legitimate voices. Feature photo | Illustration by MintPress News Miko Peled is MintPress News contributing writer, published author and human rights activist born in Jerusalem. His latest books areThe Generals Son. Journey of an Israeli in Palestine, and Injustice, the Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five. Do they scratch around in a litter box and catch mice? VIA DAILY MAIL: The tiger headmistress and founder of the Michaela Community free school in Wembley, London, made the comments during a speech at NatCon last month. Dubbed Britains strictest head, she warned that parents have no idea just how bad things are in schools. She said: Do you know that some kids identify as furries? Children identifying as cats are wearing tails and ears in class, Britains toughest headteacher has warned. Katharine Birbalsingh cautioned that adult authority is long gone as more children are being allowed to identify as animals in school. It comes after a 13-year-old girl was branded despicable by her teacher for rejecting her classmates claim that she identified as a cat. Elon Musk is correct - you all have no idea just how bad things are in schools and you ignore the vital and crucial roles schools play in shaping our societys culture. There are kids right now, in some schools, with tails and ears pinned to their heads and bottoms. This isnt fancy dress, they identify as cats, you see. Kids arent allowed to wear trainers to school but they are allowed to wear ears and tails because thats their chosen identity. Thats how they feel they belong. Adult authority is long gone. It comes after a teacher, whom the Daily Mail is not naming, sparked outrage after dismissing a pupils view that gender is binary as despicable and very sad. A secret video, filmed by a pupil at Rye College in East Sussex, includes a heated exchange in which the disgruntled teacher says the youngster needed a proper educational conversation about equality, diversity and inclusion. They refused to comment when confronted and sped off from their home in East Sussex when questioned by our reporter. Downing Street on Tuesday cautioned teachers against showing off their liberal credentials by silencing valid discussions on trans issues and related matters. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan is said to have instructed the Department for Educations regional director to visit the school to ensure guidelines are being followed. EROAD Limited (NZX: ERD , ASX:ERD, EROAD or the Company) advises that it has today received an unsolicited, non-binding indicative proposal (NBIO) from Brillian APAC Pty Ltd (Volaris), part of the Volaris Group. The Volaris Group is an operating group of Toronto Stock Exchange-listed Constellation Software Inc. (TSX:CSU). The NBIO from Volaris is seeking to acquire 100% of EROADs shares at a proposed price of $1.30 per share in cash noting its preferred approach is by way of a scheme of arrangement. The NBIO is subject to a number of conditions, including due diligence on an exclusive basis, negotiation and execution of a scheme implementation agreement with customary terms and conditions, unanimous support from EROADs Board of Directors and approval from Volaris investment committee. Volaris has also disclosed that it has acquired an interest of 17.734% of EROADs shares on issue with the most recent acquisition of 15,994,438 shares being at $1.30 per share with an agreed escalation payment to the sellers of these shares if within six months after the date on which the relevant escalation agreement was entered into, Volaris enters into a scheme of arrangement with EROAD at a higher price, or gives notice under rule 41 of the Takeovers Code of its intention to make a full takeover offer at a higher price. EROADs Board of Directors has commenced a process to consider the NBIO alongside its advisors, Goldman Sachs as financial advisor and Chapman Tripp as legal advisor. The Board will act in what it considers to be the best interests of the Company and its shareholders, including assessing the merits of this NBIO from Volaris relative to the work underway on reviewing partnership options to contribute some combination of market access, expertise and capital to drive further growth in the North American market and other alternatives. There is no certainty that the NBIO or the strategic review will result in any transaction. EROAD shareholders do not need to take any action at this time in relation to the NBIO by Volaris. The EROAD Board will continue to keep shareholders and the market informed of material developments. ENDS Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: LIC - Full Year Result 2022-23 July 20th Morning Report Argosy refinances bank facilities Tower changes guidance, provides Q3 trading update July 19th Morning Report Third Age Health - Change of External Auditor Infratil Infrastructure Bond Offer Opens Genesis Appoints Chief Transformation & Technology Officer Chatham Rock Phosphate Private Placement Closes Mainfreight - Director and Legal Counsel Retirements Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. Auckland based financier; Marvin Yee will as of the 1st of July 2023, take over the Chairman role of NZX listed Greenfern Industries. The previous Chairman Phillip Brown will step down as Chairman from the 30th of June but will remain on the Greenfern Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director. Mr Yees appointment represents a rotation of responsibilities and commitments across the Board and will bring a new set of skills and experience to the leadership of the Board as the Company moves forward. Mr Yee was appointed to the Board as an Independent Non-Executive Director when the company was listed in October 2021. I am excited to take on this role at a time when Greenfern is going through a cathartic point in its journey to become a best of breed producer of medical cannabis. The high standards of New Zealand's unique cannabinoids make it ideally suited to a range of medical and therapeutic applications which I expect will provide the company a significant competitive advantage in the near future. Mr Yee is the Managing Partner of International Private Equity firm, Crown Capital which provides debt and equity funding to high-growth companies. He has numerous business interests and directorships both in and outside of New Zealand. Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: LIC - Full Year Result 2022-23 July 20th Morning Report Argosy refinances bank facilities Tower changes guidance, provides Q3 trading update July 19th Morning Report Third Age Health - Change of External Auditor Infratil Infrastructure Bond Offer Opens Genesis Appoints Chief Transformation & Technology Officer Chatham Rock Phosphate Private Placement Closes Mainfreight - Director and Legal Counsel Retirements India's Light Combat Aircraft 'Tejas'. (File photo) WASHINGTON (PTI): In a landmark announcement, USAs GE Aerospace on Thursday said it has inked a pact with Indias Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly produce fighter jet engines for Indian Air Forces 'Tejas' Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk2. The announcement came during Prime Minister Narendra Modis first state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospaces F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US Government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this," the US firm said in a statement. It described the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HAL as a key element in strengthening defence cooperation between India and the US. This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL, said H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. The agreement will advance GE Aerospaces earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the IAF as part of the LCA-Mk-II programme. It puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India, including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospaces selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA programme with our F414-INS6 engine, the statement said. The pact is significant as India has been sourcing its military aircraft from Russia and European consortia. Recently, the IAF bought 36 Rafale fighter aircraft from Dassault Aviation, a French manufacturer of combat aircraft. In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with the Indian Government on the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Mk2 engine programme. We are proud to play a role in advancing Biden and Modis vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet, the US firm said. Currently, HAL uses GE 404 engines for the 83 Light Combat Aircraft it is manufacturing for the IAF. GE Aerospace has operated in India for more than four decades with wide engagement in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. GE Aerospaces F404 and F414 engines have been part of the development and production of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programmes. In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development programme for LCA Mk2, the US firm said. Russia and Israel are both major developers of systems that disrupt satellite navigation systems like GPS or the Russian GLONASS. Both nations use their jamming and anti-jamming tech against each other because Russia maintains a naval base and airbase on the Syrian coast while Israel is constantly under attacks by Iranian UAVs and missiles launched from Syria. Israeli missiles regularly hit Iranian targets in Syria and Russia uses its GPS jamming systems to disrupt these attacks. Israel has responded with new tech installed in the missile guidance systems that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of the jamming. This GPS jamming and counter-jamming competition has been going on for over a decade and became particularly intense when Russian forces arrived in Syria. Before that Russia had provided their ally Syria with these jamming weapons while Israel and the United States cooperated in developing new jamming tech. Details of the new jamming technologies are usually kept secret but those that are sold as commercial products must reveal some technical details. For example, in 2021 the Israeli military announced that it was the prime backer of the new Advanced Navigation Technology Center. This new division of state-owned IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries) develops and manufactures new generations of INS (Inertial Navigation System) technology to complement or replace satellite (GPS) guidance. IAI did not provide any more details of the new INS technology, not even the name of the new system. IAI already develops and makes INS systems as unjammable backups for GPS systems but the future is seen as better INS. The 21st century saw research in the U.S. and other industrialized countries developing new concepts and technologies that greatly improved INS accuracy and cost. By 2013 prototypes of new INS tech proved INS could be nearly as accurate as GPS and almost as small. Cost was still a factor, with the new INS still costing more than 10 times current GPS, but all this is a big improvement over what has been available before. The new INS tech can now be used to more effectively monitor GPS and alert the operator that their GPS has either developed a problem or is being jammed. The new INS systems are also useful for some fast missiles that often lose their GPS signal as they maneuver. Another urgent chore for INS is to more effectively deal with the growing use of GPS spoofing (misdirecting). This involves EW (electronic Warfare) equipment that can mislead) rather than jam without alerting the victim that their navigation system might not be reliable. Thus, even with the ability of GPS anti-jamming tech to keep up with jammer technology, there is still a demand for a new INS. That has led to smaller, cheaper and more accurate INS systems. Aside from airlines and commercial shipping, there is not much of a mass market for these new INS systems because for most users, GPS is reliable enough to keep the INS gear out of the more cost-sensitive markets. But the demand from the airlines, shipping companies and the military is huge. INS tech is becoming a popular feature for high-end smartphones and other consumer items, because some smartphone and smartwatch manufacturers seek to use INS to automatically fill in if the user temporarily loses the GPS signal. Many defense specialists on navigation and electronics experts believe current anti-jamming efforts are sufficient to keep military GPS use viable for a while, but the improvements in GPS jamming and spoofing technology have been arriving faster than expected. Despite the secrecy about GPS disruption, since 2017 there has been growing evidence that Russia has been frequently jamming or spoofing GPS signals, mainly to hide the exact location equipment that allows GPS tracking. Developing equipment like this is easily within Russian capabilities. In early 2019 a report made the news revealing that there had recently been nearly 10,000 instances where someone, apparently Russia, had been jamming or spoofing satellite navigation signals. Not just the American GPS, but also signals from non-American satellite navigation systems (Chinese Beidou, EUs Galileo, Japans QZAA and even the Russian GLONASS). Much of this activity was not outright jamming but harder to detect spoofing. This was apparently done to conceal the true location of key Russian officials, like president Putin, and Russian military units. The spoofing was particularly common for Russian military forces in Ukraine and Syria. Spoofing replaced the actual satellite signal with a false one that rendered smart bombs or planned attacks on targets inaccurate. Spoofing can introduce the false signal gradually and sometimes delay a navigation system's realization that it is being deceived. Thats one function of INS, to act as a monitor for GPS as well as a backup. Current INS tech relies on receiving an accurate GPS location initially and periodically thereafter to keep both GPS and INS location data in sync. GPS depends on continuous satellite signals to operate and the INS is used to step in and replace GPS when the satellite signal becomes temporarily too weak, or absent. When an accurate GPS signal is achieved, INS goes back into standby mode. Spoofing can now mimic these momentary disruptions and evade detection as a false signal by the INS, which is completely self-contained. This is sometimes a problem for American guided weapons sent to Ukraine that do not have the latest jamming tech installed. Israeli INS researchers are not the only ones seeking an INS that is accurate and persistent enough to replace GPS for extended periods. INS has long suffered from the inability to provide as accurate a location as satellite navigation systems while also suffering from drift as the gyroscope and acceleration capabilities now performed by microelectronics of the chip-based INS cannot maintain as continuously precise location as the space satellite-based system can. This is no longer seen as an insurmountable problem, nor is the large cost-difference between GPS and INS tech. Israel apparently feels it is closer to a solution than anyone else. Meanwhile, spoofing satellite navigation systems has become more popular and practical because it does not require expensive or high-tech equipment. While American weapons and military navigation systems have a backup in the form of unjammable INS systems, these are useless if the spoofing is not detected. American systems are supposed to detect spoofing and revert to INS but the Americans do not disclose details of how these systems work in order to make it difficult for spoofing systems to be modified to be less detectable. That is one reason why the U.S. has not released detailed information on spoofing incidents because some of them may have evaded the INS spoofing detection tech. To further complicate the issue there have also been instances where mandatory AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders that all large ships must carry are more frequently reporting instances of getting no GPS signal at all. Large ships usually carry two AIS units, in case one malfunctions so AIS failure can be ruled out as a cause. Something outside the ship is messing with the GPS signal. This demonstrates how it is possible to deceive the unjammable INS and new INS systems are sought that will eliminate that risk by replacing GPS most of the time. The new INS technology has attracted a lot of attention in the military as backups are always appreciated because when equipment fails in combat, or for commercial users like aircraft or ships, its literally a matter of life or death. Meanwhile, the U.S. is building and testing more compact GPS anti-jamming systems for smaller (as small as 200 kg/440 pounds) UAVs. This is part of a program to equip all American UAVs, even the smallest ones, with more secure GPS. While all UAVs can be flown by the operator, the GPS makes it a lot easier for the operator to keep track of exactly where his UAV is at all times, and sometimes the UAV is programmed to simply patrol between a series of GPS coordinates. If the GPS jams or fails, the operator can usually use the video feed to find landmarks on the ground and bring the UAV back to where it can be seen and landed. Other UAVs have a failsafe system for the GPS. When it is no longer available the UAV turns around and heads back in the general direction of the operator. This is better than just allowing the GPS-less UAV keep flying until it runs out of fuel and crashes somewhere, GPS reliability threats are coming from a few suppliers like Russia, China and North Korea. These nations have developed all manner of GPS jamming technology, and in 2019 it became public that the Russians were using GPS new spoofing technology to conceal the true location of senior leaders and some military units. Developers and users of GPS jamming gear tend to keep quiet about what they do because this sort of thing is illegal in peacetime, especially when civilians experience GPS disruptions themselves. When the United States tests military GPS jamming it does so at sea or in remote areas and warns nearby civilians who might encounter GPS problems to be aware of the tests and act accordingly. This warning policy has been in use for decades because of the growing number of new electronic equipment designs that could cause problems for civilians if the disruptive effect extended farther than expected. Other nations are not as secretive in complaining and often the culprit is Russia. In late 2018 Finland and Norway went public with their accusations that Russia deliberately jammed GPS signals in northern Finland and Norway from a location near the Russian military bases in the Kola Peninsula on the Barents Sea. The jamming took place as NATO held its largest training exercise since the Cold War ended in 1991. Russia denied any responsibility even though they are known to possess long-range jammers for GPS and other signals. Norway said they had tracked the jammer to a specific location but when Russia refused to admit any involvement Norway refused to explain how they tracked the signal because that would provide Russia with information on Norwegian EW (Electronic Warfare) equipment that might be useful to them. In 2020 Iran was caught testing spoofing tech at a military facility in the capital Tehran and trying to keep it secret. It is not known if the Iranians developed the spoofing tech themselves or received it from Russia or China. Until the appearance of the new spoofing tech, GPS jamming had little or no impact on the NATO military exercises and even commercial airliners operating in the area had INS backup in case GPS signals were not working properly. The potential victims were civilians with smaller aircraft or on the ground who depend on commercial navigation gear using GPS. Then again, that may have been the point because Russian firms have long been producing a wide variety of GPS jammers that are generally ineffective against military GPS users but would be useful for criminals, terrorists or anyone involved in irregular warfare, as Russia has been in Ukraine since 2014. As for the damage to diplomatic relations with Norway and Finland, these two nations need no reminders of what a bad neighbor Russia is and historically has been. GPS spoofing equipment has also found a market among criminal gangs. This was first encountered during 2018 in Shanghai, China where local gangsters were found to be using technology for spoofing GPS signals. Shanghai was just the beginning because this spoofing tech was subsequently encountered in twenty other Chinese coastal cities where gangsters ran profitable smuggling operations. The Chinese GPS spoofing was implemented differently from the Russian method. The Russian spoofing would make all GPS devices in an area appear in the same position instead of the many different positions they actually were. In contrast, the Chinese spoofing, when active, would show individual ships each in a different location but always around the same central point that was apparently where the spoofing signals were broadcast. This produced what was called a crop circle pattern. This was first noted by crews of ships slowly entering the port of Shanghai. While doing so they would watch the location of other ships via their AIS transponders. International law requires all large seagoing ships to carry and use AIS equipment which constantly broadcasts the GPS position of the ship, but there were cases where ships suddenly saw the AIS positions of ships near them change. The bridge crew could see, often with/or without, the use of binoculars, where the other ships actually were while, at the same time, the AIS display was showing them somewhere else within a circular area. After a few minutes, AIS signals would accurately report location again. In situations like this, it was noted that no GPS receivers onboard were receiving a signal, nor were GPS devices ashore that were within the circle. The Chinese government denied responsibility for this GPS spoofing and blamed it on smugglers who apparently used a spoofing device to avoid being caught by the police while a smuggler ship was carrying illegal cargo. In one case the smuggler was caught anyway, because of an accident caused by the spoofing, and the smuggler ship was found to be carrying sand illegally obtained nearby and being taken out of the port for sale elsewhere. Sand mining had been banned in this region because this valuable commodity was in great demand elsewhere and exporting more of it was damaging the environment. GPS spoofing declined during 2020 but China revealed no details about what happened. In the past China has given local hackers a choice between going to prison or quietly working for the Chinese government. Russia uses similar tactics as do many other governments. One thing that was noted about the Shanghai Spoofer was that the spoofing often took place around oil terminals where ships smuggling oil for Iran or to North Korea often operated. The governments of Iran and North Korea also noticed this and could have received useful information on how the Shanghai spoofing gear worked. Thats one of the conspiracy theories popular with many Iranians and South Koreans. Since 2022, many new spoofing and anti-spoofing technologies have shown up in Ukraine. While this battlefield is invisible, its impact is not. This is especially true when normally reliable guided systems suddenly become unreliable. State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, Canada Postal Code Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris has expressed disappointment at the scenes in Cork at the first meeting of the forum on international security policy when Tanaiste Micheal Martins speech was interrupted by anti-Nato protestors. They're disappointing, if not unsurprising. I just never understand why anyone wants to stifle debate. I think we've seen an incredible effort over the course of the last week to try and stifle a really important discussion. And in many ways, we've had over the last week a discussion really about process. Advertisement "I'm hoping now that we get into a discussion of actual substance, the substance of really important issues around the security and protection of this country into the future, he told RTE radios Today show. People had a right to protest and to make their views known, but now it was important to get into the work of the forum, he added. Advertisement When asked who had tried to stifle debate, Mr Harris said it had been unfortunate that the discussion over the past week had been polarised or focused on the issue of neutrality, an issue on which the Government had no intention of changing its position. Ultimately, now we have an opportunity through this forum to hear a range of expert views and opinions across many different workshops and sessions on a whole variety of topics. Advertisement The President had the right as a citizen to make his views known, as did all the citizens of the country, but the Government also had a right, and a responsibility not to shirk discussions, said Mr Harris, but he did not agree with the sentiments expressed by the President. The Government, in using its own executive authority, is entirely within its rights and entirely right to actually establish this forum. But ultimately, the forum will come back to Government with its output in time." Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has dismissed as a soap opera suggestions of a power struggle with the most senior civil servant in his department. Mr Donnelly made clear he set policy direction within the Department of Health as he answered questions at an Oireachtas committee on the botched secondment of former chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan to Trinity College. Advertisement The secretary general of the Department of Health, Robert Watt, has largely rejected the findings of an external report into the handling of last years ill-fated attempt to second Dr Holohan to a research post at Trinity. The report found there was a lack of formal consultation with the Taoiseach, Mr Donnelly and the Department of Public Expenditure, and that the corresponding proposed annual funding of 2 million bypassed accepted protocols. Advertisement Mr Donnelly appeared before the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and Taoiseach to answer questions on the controversy on Thursday. With the Minister and the Government having accepted the reports findings but Mr Watt having rejected them, Mr Donnelly acknowledged there had been commentary questioning who was in charge within his department. Advertisement He also made clear that the recommendations of the report would be implemented. I would say this wouldnt I, but there is no question within the Department of Health as to where the direction of travel and the policy and the initiatives we are undertaking is coming from, he said. They are coming from government and they are coming from me, as Minister for Health, as the member of government in the Department of Health, and there is no question about that. Mr Donnelly added: If you look at what the Department of Health and HSE has been doing for the last three years, what you will see is that they are doing exactly what Government and I, as Minister for Health, have set as the task ahead in terms of achieving universal health care in this country. Advertisement Anything else, then its kind of soap opera he said, she said ultimately whos in charge, the people who set the direction and say this is what were going to do with the resource of the State. Advertisement And Robert, as my secretary general, is tasked with leading the department on that. And I have to say I believe he has done and continues to do a good job. The Minister expressed regret that Dr Holohan had left public service in the wake of the episode as he suggested the State would have been safer if he was involved in planning and research around how the country responds to future potential pandemics. Advertisement The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Ireland did not violate the European Convention on Human Rights over its refusal to pay child benefit to women who were awaiting a decision on their immigration status. The ECHR ruled that the State had not discriminated against the two women, known as X and Y, who had applied for child benefit for their lawfully resident children in Ireland at a time when a decision was still awaited on their own status to be allowed to stay in Ireland. Advertisement The Strasbourg-based court found that the immigration status of the two applicants had not been similar enough to parents who already had legal residency in Ireland. As a consequence, the ECHR in a unanimous decision of the seven-judge court which included an Irish judge, Ms Justice Siofra OLeary said they had not been discriminated against. Advertisement The two women were subsequently granted child benefit for their children after a decision to allow them to remain in Ireland was confirmed. The ECHR stated it was acceptable to have a residency requirement in defining who was entitled to claim child benefit as social welfare systems operated primarily at national level. Advertisement The applicant, X, who is a Nigerian national and who arrived in Ireland in 2013, had applied for asylum a year later but had her application rejected in 2015. Her daughter, known as E, who was born in 2014, is an Irish citizen by virtue that her father is an Irish citizen. X subsequently applied to the Minister for Justice for the right to reside in Ireland on the grounds that she was the mother of an Irish citizen. While the application was pending, she also applied for child benefit for E. Advertisement X subsequently brought High Court proceedings after she was refused child benefit. She was granted the right to reside in Ireland in January 2016 and claimed child benefit thereafter. Her case before the ECHR solely related to the period of around 12 months between the initial refusal of child benefit and the ministers decision to grant her a right to stay in the Republic. Advertisement In the second case, Y was a native of Afghanistan who arrived in Ireland in May 2008 with her husband and first child. Advertisement Y subsequently gave birth to three children in Ireland with the youngest known as M, born in 2013. The Refugee Appeals Tribunal granted M asylum in December 2014 and his family subsequently applied for reunification the following month under the Refugee Act 1996. Y then applied for and was refused child benefit for the four children while a decision on their residency status was pending. Her legal challenge related to an eight-month period where she was refused child benefit. Advertisement In January 2017, the High Court ruled that the residency status of the parent or guardian was the key determinant for eligibility for child benefit. It also observed that the residency requirement was neither unfair nor discriminatory. The following year, the Court of Appeal differed in its ruling and claimed the residency status of the qualified child determined eligibility. It thus ruled that X was entitled to receive child benefit from Es birth since E was an Irish resident from birth but that Y could only claim the benefit from the time her son, M, was granted asylum. Following another appeal in the case, the Supreme Court ruled that the approach of the Court of Appeal had been incorrect and that the relevant legislation related to the qualified parent or guardian rather than the qualified child. The Supreme Court also found that the State was not obliged to make child benefit payments until X and Y had been given permission to remain in Ireland. A law student is seeking a High Court injunction restraining a solicitor she has made a complaint against to the Workplace Relations Commission from allegedly harassing and intimidating her. The action has been brought by Sumaia Samanta, who is seeking an injunction restraining Dublin-based solicitor Imtiaz Khan, practising under the style and title of IMK Solicitors, from deliberately and punitively harassing, intimidating her and causing her intentional emotional distress. Advertisement She also wants the court to apply the terms of injunction to alleged agent, associate of, or person acting on Mr Khan's befall. Represented by David O'Brien BL, instructed by RNL Solicitors, Ms Samanta says she holds a law degree from Bangladesh and is currently studying at the Law Society of Ireland with a view to qualifying as a solicitor. She claims she approached the defendant, who is based in Mountjoy Square in Dublin, in late 2022 seeking advice on becoming a solicitor. Advertisement In her affidavit to the court, she claims that on learning she is from Bangladesh, Mr Khan offered her a job where she would help bring in more Bangladeshi clients to the defendant's firm. Advertisement The plaintiff, with an address in Leixlip, Co Kildare, says her role included promoting the firm via her social media pages and YouTube channel to members of Ireland's Bangladeshi community. She says she was to be paid commission for every new client she brought into the firm, that her travel expenses would be paid, and that she would be given a written contract of employment. She claims that despite bringing in clients to the firm she was never paid, nor provided with a written contact and, as a result, made a complaint to the WRC about Mr Khan. 'Malicious campaign' Since making the complaint she claims that she has subjected to a malicious campaign of intimidation and harassment, which she says is "designed to pressure me into withdrawing my WRC claim against him". Advertisement She said that last December she was instructed to attend the firm's Christmas party and take pictures of those in attendance at the event. Images and videos she said were post on the firm's social media. Advertisement However, shortly afterwards she claims she was told by a person at the law firm, whom she did not know, to take down the images and videos, which she did. Shortly afterwards she was informed by email that her employment at the firm had been terminated. She believes that she was "teed up for a sanction" so the defendant's firm could avoid making the payments he owed her. Advertisement She claims that earlier this year, after she filed her complaint with the WRC, she received a letter on behalf of the defendant threatening to sue her. The letter demanded that she pay 26,000 or 2,000 to each of some 13 persons whose data rights were allegedly breached over posts and images she had allegedly posted on social media. She claims her health has suffered and said the allegations made against her have been "soul-destroying". She said she was fearful for her career prospects in Ireland if that action was brought against her and, at one stage she did withdraw her claim to the WRC before reinstating it. Advertisement Ms Samanta said her solicitor wrote to the defendant seeking to find the identities of the 13 persons who rights were alleged to have been breached by the plaintiff, to see if the defendant does indeed act for them. She claims that no response has been furnished to that request. No issue Advertisement In addition, her solicitor contacted an individual who attended the Christmas party to see if they had made a complaint against the plaintiff over post images taken at that event. Her solicitor was informed that several persons individual at the party had no issue with the plaintiff and had not instructed the defendant to take proceedings on their behalf over the posts. She and her solicitor, who has called on the defendant to withdraw the threat to sue her over alleged data breaches, says the letter from the defendant was another attempt to make her withdraw the complaint to the WRC. Matters were escalated in recent days as she claims she received several calls from an associate of the defendants stating he and his wife would sue Ms Samanta for defamation with the assistance of the defendant's firm. The associate, who she said is acting in concert with Mr Khan, stated that he and defendant would "make my life hell". As a result of the defendant's alleged actions, she has come before the court seeking various orders including an injunction and damages against Mr Khan. Her injunction application came before Mr Justice Brian O'Moore on Thursday afternoon. The judge, who remarked that the case has some unusual features, said he was not prepared to make any temporary orders against the defendant on an ex-parte basis without hearing from the defendant. The judge said he was prepared to grant the plaintiff permission to serve short notice of the injunction application and adjourned the matter to Monday's sitting of the High Court. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called out Russia on Thursday for killing 136 children in Ukraine in 2022, adding its armed forces to a global list of offenders, according to a report to the UN Security Council seen by Reuters. The United Nations also verified that Russian armed forces and affiliated groups maimed 518 children and carried out 480 attacks on schools and hospitals. Russian armed forces also used 91 children as human shields, according to the report. Advertisement Russia has denied targeting civilians since it invaded Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. Ukrainian armed forces killed 80 children, maimed 175 children and carried out 212 attacks on schools and hospitals, the report verified. The Ukrainian armed forces are not on the global offenders list. Advertisement A bridge between the Moscow-annexed peninsula of Crimea and Russia-occupied areas in southern Ukraine has been hit by missiles, Russia-backed officials said, threatening a key supply link to Russian forces amid the early stages of a Ukrainian counter-offensive. The Russian military has relied on the Chongar bridge as the principal connection to its forces in the Kherson region, part of which is controlled by Moscow. Advertisement Vladimir Saldo, the Moscow-appointed Kherson governor, said the bridge was hit by air-launched Storm Shadow missiles supplied by the UK. Ukrainian authorities, who usually refrain from commenting on specific attacks, did not directly claim responsibility for the strike but spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk, for the Ukrainian militarys Southern Command, emphasised the importance of derailing Russias logistics in televised comments. A Ukrainian MSLR BM-21 Grad fires towards Russian positions, near Bakhmut at the front line in the Donetsk region, Ukraine (Iryna Rybakova via AP) Advertisement We are destroying enemy plans, destroying the enemys capability to stand up against us, she said. Advertisement Russia-appointed officials in Crimea said that while it could take weeks to fully repair the bridge, traffic could continue on one lane and noted that two other crossings are also available. But despite those attempts to downplay the damage, the attack has hurt the Russian military logistics at a time when Ukrainian forces are probing Russian defences in the initial stages of a long-expected counter-offensive. Ukrainian authorities have said that for the countrys nearly 16-month war to end, Moscow must withdraw its forces from Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, as well as from areas they seized during the full-scale invasion that started last year. Advertisement Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu warned earlier this week that Ukraine was planning to use US-made HIMARS and UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles to attack Russian territory, including Crimea. He warned that use of those missiles against targets outside the combat zone would trigger immediate strikes on the decision-making centres on the territory of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting via video conference in Moscow (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) Advertisement But on Thursday, Mr Shoigu sought to downplay the importance of West-supplied advanced weapons such as the Storm Shadow missiles as he reported to Vladimir Putin during a session of Russias Security Council. We understand that the quantity that will be delivered in 2023 and that has already been delivered will not significantly affect the course of hostilities, Mr Shoigu said. Advertisement He declared that Russian forces have successfully fended off Ukrainian attempts to break through Russian defences as part of a counter-offensive that began earlier this month. He claimed that Ukrainian troops are now regrouping after suffering heavy losses, noting that the enemy still has forces to continue offensive operations. Advertisement Mr Shoigu said that the Russian military is forming additional reserves after drawing an additional 166,000 volunteer soldiers this year. That number tops 300,000 reservists who were mobilised on Mr Putins order in the autumn. Mr Shoigu added that while the volunteers are highly motivated and eager to go to combat, the military does not need them yet and will continue training them for now. They will be pulled together under a single command, the minister said. A Ukrainian soldier at the front line near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Ukraine (Iryna Rybakova via AP) Neither Mr Putin, nor Mr Shoigu made any mention of the attack on the Chongar bridge in their televised comments at the start of the security meeting. In the opening days of Russias February 2022 invasion, Russian troops from Crimea pushed north and quickly captured the entire Kherson province. Ukraine reclaimed the city of Kherson and other areas on the west bank of the Dnieper that bisects the province during its counter-offensive in the autumn. Advertisement Russia has continued to hold on to the east bank. The destruction of an upriver dam this month caused dozens of deaths and extensive flooding on both sides. Ukrainian commanders say it also got in the way of some of their plans for taking Russian positions in the area in the counter-offensives initial stages. Addressing the overall progress of the counter-offensive unfolding in Ukraines south and east, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Thursday that Ukraines army had advanced 7km and retaken territory that included eight villages during the last two weeks. As the president of Ukraine said yesterday, the counter-offensive is not a Hollywood movie. Its not an easy walk, Mr Shmyhal told reporters at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. The illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is continuing. The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 22 June 2023. Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/RIa6PXhEkD #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/kYgP6b9xOt Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) June 22, 2023 The counter-offensive is a number of military operations. Sometimes its offensive, sometimes its defensive. Sometimes it could be tactical pauses. Unfortunately, during our preparation for this counter-offensive, Russians were preparing too. So there is so much minefields, which really make it slower. Advertisement Mr Shmyhal urged Ukraines Western allies to be patient, noting that Ukraine will proceed carefully in the high-stakes campaign. We will not bring our people into the fire of this war as Russians (are) doing We will do very smart offensive operations and because of this it will take time, the prime minister said. We all should have patience and we will see results. The Crimean Peninsula is connected to mainland Ukraine by a narrow strip of land about six miles wide and several bridges. An October truck bomb explosion on the 12-mile Kerch Bridge over a strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov caused its partial collapse. It took Russia months to repair the bridge, which is Europes longest and a symbol of Moscows claims on Crimea. Hopes were fading for the five men on board the missing Titan submersible as the 96-hour oxygen supply dwindled and experts warned the chances of their rescue were decreasing all the time. More ships and expertise were scrambled to help find the missing deep-sea vessel, which lost communication on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada. Advertisement OceanGate Expeditions estimated the oxygen supply on the 6.7m (22ft)-long vessel, which has British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding on board, would last the crew of five 96 hours, giving rescuers a deadline of around midday on Thursday. The US Coastguard said the French ship LAtalante was preparing its specialist Victor 6000 ROV, which has a capacity to lift the Titan ship to the surface, to enter the water, while the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctics ROV had reached the sea floor. Advertisement Also in the craft are UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, and OceanGates chief executive and founder Stockton Rush, as well as French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Advertisement Undated photo showing staff at work inside the Titan submersible (OceanGate Expeditions/PA) A British submariner and equipment from a UK firm has been sent to help the search at the request of the US Coastguard, Downing Street said. Royal Navy submariner Lieutenant Commander Richard Kantharia, who was on exchange with the US Navy, has been seconded to the search and rescue team. A No 10 spokesman said he has significant knowledge of submarine warfare and dived operations and so he will obviously be bringing that experience to the search and rescue team. Advertisement A British C-17 aircraft will transport specialist commercial equipment provided by Magellan to St Johns to assist with the search-and-rescue effort. The French vessel L'Atalante is preparing their ROV to enter the water. #titanic USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 22, 2023 Advertisement Experts said the chances of finding the sub and rescuing those inside was diminishing. Former Royal Navy submarine captain Ryan Ramsey told the PA news agency: The outlook is bleak, thats the only word for it as this tragic event unfolds and almost the closing stages of where this changes from rescue to a salvage mission. Advertisement Advertisement Dr Jamie Pringle, a reader in Forensic Geosciences at Keele University, said: I think theres always hope with these things but you know about the golden first 24 hours and were well past that stage. So theres always a chance, its never zero, but I think obviously the longer the time elapses the lower the chance of success. And British Antarctic Survey marine geophysicist Dr Rob Larter said: It is just a desperate situation. Its kind of unimaginable if people are alive trapped in a submersible with oxygen supplies running down, it doesnt bear thinking about. An objective assessment of where things are at the moment it doesnt look good. You have to try and stay optimistic for as long as possible, he added. Prof Alistair Greig, professor of Marine Engineering at University College London, told reporters that every step takes time, adding: This is the problem and were running out of time. Titan went missing on Sunday (OceanGate Expeditions/PA) The Explorers Club, of which Mr Harding is a found member of the Board of Trustees, confirmed on Thursday morning it had approval to send an (ROV) from the Channel Islands-based company Magellan to the search area. In the statement, Richard Garriott de Cayeux, president of The Explorers Club, criticised the time it took for the approval of the ROV which has visited the Titanic wreckage previously and can go to depths as low as 6,000m. Advertisement The statement said: Magellan is en route (should have been accepted sooner), we are still trying to get side scan sonar (should have been accepted sooner), and still working on ships to transport equipment and other details. We continue to come together for our friends, their families and the ideals of The Explorers Club, and the cause of safe scientific exploration of extreme environments. There is good cause for hope and we are making it more hopeful. The area of the search has been expanded, with the surface search now about 10,000 square miles, and the sub-surface search about 2.5 miles deep. The coast guard had five surface vessels searching for Titan on Wednesday and they expected there to be 10 by Thursday, Captain Jamie Frederick said. The Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic has deployed an ROV that has reached the sea floor and began its search for the missing sub. #Titanic USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 22, 2023 Asked whether the mission was changing to become a recovery search, he said: This is a search-and-rescue mission 100%, we are smack dab in the middle of search and rescue and will continue to put every available asset that we have in an effort to find the Titan and the crew members. Titan is believed to be about 900 miles east and 400 miles south of Newfoundland. It is not known how deep the vessel is, with the seabed being around 3,800m from the surface. Iraq has two major problems, one external and the other internal. Neighboring Iran is ruled by a religious dictatorship that condones aggressive interference in neighboring countries. Iraq has long been the main recipient of this meddling. Iran has long sought more economic and political influence in Iraq. This is made easier by Iraqs internal problem with corruption. Historically what is now known as Iraq was seen as the most corrupt region in the Middle East, if not the world. For the last 30 years Transparency International mas been monitoring corruption worldwide. This is done by measuring corruption on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The nations with the worst score are currently Syria (score of 14), South Sudan (12) and Somalia (12). The least corrupt nations are currently Denmark and New Zealand, each with a score of 88. Iraq had a score of 23 in 2022, up from 21 in 2020, 20 in 2019, 17 in 2017-18 and 16 in 2013. Since Iraq became a democracy in 2004, reducing corruption has become more and more at the center of reform efforts. Iraq has long been infamous for its high levels of corruption. Before Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003, the corruption was somewhat controlled by Saddam and his government. Saddam used the corruption to raise money and reward friends and punish enemies. Eliminating Saddam did not eliminate the corruption but did mean you could openly protest the corruption without risking arrest or execution. To deal with corruption and Iran the Iraqis rely on more reliable foreigners. Prominent among these foreigners are Americans. In addition to many American contractors, Iraq also hosts several thousand American troops. These are part of an effort to reduce growing Iranian influence in Iraq. Arabs see Iran as a major troublemaker in the region. The Turks, Americans and Israelis agree and are all doing something to keep the Iranians out. The Assads in neighboring Syria are somewhere in the middle when it comes to Iran. At the moment the Assads want closer relations with its fellow Arabs, have been readmitted to the Arab League, and are negotiating with Saudi Arabia for reconstruction assistance and commercial investments. Keeping Iran out of Iraq is complicated by the fact that lots of Iraqis have been pro-Iranian for almost twenty years, and a growing number appear to be on the government payroll via the post-2014 deal that put all PMF (Popular Mobilization Force) militias on the army payroll. Technically this meant that the PMF units had to report to senior army commanders and obey orders issued by army generals. That was fine in theory but did not work in practice. The PMF units took the payroll cash but refused to obey army commands or requests. Each year the PMF units demanded more money from the government. This cash came out of the army budget. This year PMF wants nearly $3 billion. The PMF claims that this is what it needed to support about 200,000 PMF members and that number increases each year. The PMF leadership additionally contends that many of its troops will resort to violence if not paid. The PMF is composed of many groups with different and/or conflicting motives (some are even patriotic and lots more are pro-Iranian), but most are corruption scams (ghost soldiers). This is when large numbers of soldiers are claimed but do not exist and whoever controls the payroll and other expenses for these non-existent troops just steals the money. It is suspected that some of the ghost soldier cash going to the PMF is being diverted to Iran. This would not be the first time that cash from Iraqi corruption went to Iran, which is responsible for a lot of the corruption in Iraq. Iran also has problems with corruption but not to the extent of Iraq. To Iran, Iraqi corruption is an opportunity for them and a constant drag on Iraqi economic and social development. Iraqis are increasingly active in trying to reduce corruption but it is one of those situations where we have met the enemy and they are us applies. For Iraqis, reducing corruption is the ultimate form of self-improvement. Another problem is that while most Iraqis recognize corruption as a major problem, few are willing to take the lead in suppressing it. They want other Iraqis to go first. The corruption is so pervasive that eliminating it costs many Iraqis a lot of income. Reducing corruption is nice in theory but in practice is a painful adjustment for many and no one wants to make the first move. June 17, 2023: In the north (Kirkuk) an ISIL roadside bomb attacked an army convoy but only one soldier was wounded. Over the last fifteen years Iraq has obtained over a thousand MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected), which are similar to armored trucks and greatly reduce the effectiveness of roadside bombs and anti-vehicle mines. June 13, 2023: In the Kurdish north, Turkey claimed that one of their airstrikes killed three Yazidi militiamen and wounded three others. Yazidi officials insisted there were no casualties because the Turkish UAV had fired a missile at an abandoned village and the only one killed was a local shepherd. The Turks accuse the Yazidi of supporting PKK (Turkish Kurd separatist). The Yazidi are Kurds who practice a pre-Christian religion related to the pre-Islamic Zoroastrian religion once common in Iran before Islam and now only found in India. The Yazidis are considered pagans by ISIL and to Moslems pagans must either renounce their beliefs or die. The Kurds have always gotten along better with Yazidis, Christians and other minorities and many of those people fled to the Kurdish north. In 2015 it was the Kurds who recaptured Yazidi territory from ISIL. June 12, 2023: Parliament approved a record high $153 billion budget which included a record high deficit of $49 billion. This was four times higher than the 2022 deficit. The heavy spending is meant to deal with reconstruction in the wake to more than two decades of fighting. There are also development projects, especially to increase oil production. Oil income pays for most of the federal budget and 99 percent of foreign exchange for imports. To keep the peace, money is needed to rebuild infrastructure, including water, sewage disposal and the health care system. Roads have to be maintained as well as irrigation systems that is a major reason for a 60 percent increase in wheat production to 3.5 million tons. Iraq consumes 4.6 million tons of wheat annually and what cant be produced internally has to be imported. June 11, 2023: In the north (Kirkuk province) two soldiers were killed and three wounded by an ISIL attack. June 8, 2023: Iraq confirmed that 3,000 Iraqi terrorists had been returned from Syria and prosecuted for their crimes. There are still over 10,000 Iraqi in al Hol prison camp. The Iraqis terrorists had been held in eastern Syria (Raqqa province) by the Kurdish SDF forces who operated al Hol. Kurdish security forces regularly search the al Hol for active Islamic terrorists and criminal gangs operating in the camp. Several suspects are arrested during each search. SDF has been maintaining the prison camps for captured ISIL fighters and their families since 2018. The SDF must divert troops and other resources to maintain camps This includes persistent problems with criminal activity taking place among the prisoners. The SDF has to keep complaining to their allies that without some help in dealing with the huge number of ISIL captives in al Hol, the situation would get out of control. In 2019 the SDF had over 50,000 refugees (most of them under 18) in the al Hol complex and various governments were asked to verify who was a citizen of where. The UN has been asked to take custody of those found to be stateless. Iraq agreed to take about 30 percent of the refugees and prosecute those who are suspected of ISIL crimes. That process was slower than expected. The SDF decided to try the known ISIL members, turning those convicted over to the UN and releasing the rest, along with their families. Most of the people in the camps are women and children. Al Hol has existed since the 1991 Gulf War when the UN established it to handle refugees from the fighting. Al Hol kept expanding since then because there was more fighting in Syria and Iraq and more refugees. There are still about 50,000 people at the al Hol camp, most of them women and children that no one wanted to take back. Many of the ISIL wives are obviously still active ISIL members and many were caught smuggling weapons into the camp when they were searched before entering. These ISIL women are terrorizing other camp residents and seeking to intimidate the camp guards. There is a separate high-security area for known Islamic terrorists and other criminals. The Kurds needed help paying for the camp and wanted the nations these people came from, including Syria, to claim and take custody of them. Nearly all camp residents claim to be non-Syrian but for many of them it is unclear exactly where they come from. Some active ISIL terrorists are in the camps and are the source of much violence. Nearly a hundred prisoners are killed in al Hol some years and ISIL leadership keeps calling for members inside and outside the camps to cooperate to create a major uprising in the camps. Food and other aid from the United States and other donors is distributed by the UN to NGOs (Non-Government-Organizations) that do the actual work in al Hol distributing food and other supplies as well as providing medical care. The Kurds need to maintain good relations with the United States, which has been a major supplier of military and other assistance to the Kurds. Because of that the Kurds cant just walk away from al Hol. June 7, 2023: In Baghdad, raids by soldiers and PMF militiamen killed four ISIL members. June 2, 2023: In the northwest the IRGC used UAVs carrying explosives to attack Iranian Kurdish separatists based in northern Iraq. June 1, 2023: During May, American forces carried out 21 attacks on ISIL in Iraq, leaving six ISIL members dead and eleven captured. May 25, 2023: A legal dispute continues to block the flow of oil through the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline. The pipeline can carry about 450,000 barrels a day from northern Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The flow stopped March 25 after an arbitration court ruled that Turkey violated the 1973 pipeline transit agreement and now owes Iraq around $1.5 billion. Europe recorded almost as many locally caught cases of dengue in 2022 as it had over the previous 11 years, new figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show. There were 71 cases of the disease which generally causes fever and muscle pain but can be more severe and even sometimes fatal last year, mainly in France. Between 2010 and 2021, there were 74 cases. Advertisement If this continues, we can expect to see more cases and possibly deaths from diseases such as dengue, chikungunya and West Nile fever," said Andrea Ammon, ECDC director. "Efforts need to focus on ways to control mosquito populations, enhancing surveillance and enforcing personal protective measures. The agency said that the mosquito species Aedes albopictus, which spreads chikungunya and dengue, was moving further north and west in Europe. Aedes aegypti, which spreads diseases including dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya, became established in Cyprus last year and could make further inroads, it said. Advertisement While the rates of some mosquito-borne diseases in Europe have not risen dramatically in recent years or even fallen slightly, such as malaria and zika, others have seen a "striking" rise, particularly dengue, the ECDC said. Dengue rates are rising globally. This year, the disease was found in the Sudanese capital for the first time, and Peru recently declared a state of emergency in most regions due to a surge in cases. Advertisement The World Health Organization warned on Wednesday about a potential further rise in infections due to the El Nino weather event impacting weather patterns worldwide. The caution comes after a woman from the UK was infected while on holiday in the south of France in September 2022, reporting a fever, headache, muscle pain and a rash for three days, but without needing further medical treatment. Dr Owain Donnelly from the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London said: This individual was part of an outbreak of over 30 locally transmitted cases in the south of France in 2022, which highlights the rapidly changing epidemiology of dengue. With climate change, particularly hotter temperatures and more rainfall, and increasing global trade and tourism, we may see more parts of Europe with the right combination of factors for dengue outbreaks. Surveillance and reporting mechanisms are important in ensuring we have an accurate understanding of dengue spread. A Scottish clothing designer favoured by the Princess of Wales is on the brink of collapse. Christopher Kane, whose dresses have been worn by the Princess to numerous public engagements over the years, filed notice to appoint administrators on Monday, court documents show. The Princess of Wales, with the Prince of Wales, in Dundee in 2015 wearing a custom-made Scottish blue coat by Christopher Kane. Credit: Getty Images The business is pinning its hopes on finding a buyer to rescue it, and has lined up insolvency expert FTS Recovery to oversee the process. North Lanarkshire-born designer Christopher Kane, 40, founded the eponymous label with his sister, Tammy Kane, in 2006 in London. His dresses, which can cost upwards of 1000 ($1900), have won many accolades over the years. Image Seven, the PR firm of choice for Scots College in Bellevue Hill, has been getting a workout of late. Loading In April, the college had to deny asking if boys running for school captain were gay or having premarital sex. Months earlier, Scots had to hose down inquiries about whether students had fleeced a Double Bay newsagent with fake $50 bills. Then there was the prospect of a court battle with mutimillionaire neighbour Ian Joye, aborted after the school scrapped its expansion plans this year. The latest drama, which triggered an apology from principal Ian Lambert, began when the $40,000-a-year school invited Reverend David Maher, moderator of the Presbyterian Church in NSW, to speak at an assembly on June 13. Maher used the phrase love is love, cat food is cat food, according to parents of numerous boys present at the assembly, unimpressed by what they saw as homophobic and misogynistic overtones of the speech. Teachers walked out and students have subsequently complained. As youve no doubt heard, Taylor Swift is coming to Australia. As the news was excitedly shared across too many Instagram stories and group chats to count, for many, the thrill quickly turned to fear: how the hell are we going to get tickets? Swift is only playing in Melbourne and Sydney, already creating a hurdle for millions of fans. And even though shes playing big stadiums in those cities the MCG and Accor its already clear not everyone who wants to go will nab a ticket. Im one of the lucky few Australians whos already seen the show: I took a Swiftie pilgrimage to the US earlier this year, and went to eight shows. I know firsthand just how much of a cultural juggernaut this show is. In Nashville, people lined up for an hour to take a photo with a freshly painted Taylor Swift mural. The morning after her concert, I was one of about three hundred people wearing Eras merch at the airport. The show boosted Vegas tourism to pre-pandemic levels, meanwhile, all hotels, trains, and restaurants were booked out in Boston for the whole weekend Taylor was in town. A lot of planning goes into securing Taylor Swift tickets. Credit: George Walker Forget stimulus cheques, it turns out the Eras Tour was what we needed to get the economy moving again. After conquering audiences in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, The Picture of Dorian Gray is headed to Londons West End with Succession star Sarah Snook taking on the one-woman play. Snook takes over from actor Eryn Jean Norvill who originated the role in the Sydney Theatre Company adaptation of the Oscar Wilde play that premiered to five-star reviews, sold-out audiences, two season extensions, and an encore show. Sarah Snook is taking on Kip Williams Oscar Wilde adaption of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Credit: Hugh Stewart The London show is Snooks first significant stage project after Succession, the juggernaut series that made her a household name. Its also the first show to be exported under a first look deal struck between the Sydney Theatre Company and the Michael Cassel Group in 2021. The agreement gives the Australian producer first dibs on transferring or remounting interstate or international shows that STC creates. Advertisement Eating outFine dining One of Brisbanes most celebrated restaurants is closing temporarily Patrons have just one week to revisit its much-loved dining room before it receives a major facelift from a Sushi Room, SK Steak & Oyster and Same Same designer. Matt Shea June 22, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share Gerards Bistro on James Street in Fortitude Valley will close for renovations. Supplied Iconic James Street restaurant Gerards Bistro will close after dinner service on Saturday, July 1, it announced last week via its Instagram page. The restaurant will then undergo an extensive two-month refurbishment, led by in-demand designer and architect Jared Webb. Webb previously worked for Richards & Spence and had a hand in the design and delivery of several of the acclaimed architecture firms projects, including Sushi Room, SK Steak & Oyster and Same Same. The temporary closure will mark the end of an era for one of Brisbanes most celebrated modern restaurants. Advertisement I think the restaurant does need a refresh, owner Johnny Moubarak told this masthead. Its home. Its where we work and play ... we want to feel good about it too. Johnny Moubarak, owner As much as we love it and many of our customers love it, we feel we have something else to offer. We want to elevate the experience more, and design is part of that. Also, for ourselves, for our staff, for our family we just want this fresh space where its a new form of expression. Thats what the business is to us. Advertisement Its home. Its where we work and play. We spend 80 per cent of our waking hours there so we want to feel good about it too. The restaurants new dining room will be rendered in a warm minimalism with beautiful textures intended to pay homage to the Levant modern-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt and Turkey. Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos. Brisbanes dining scene: Post-COVID, pre-Olympics, where to from here The kitchen is also being refurbished to improve its design and lean further into wood fire and charcoal cooking, and away from gas and electricity. If I was to explain it to someone, I want [diners] to feel like theyre sitting in one of the ancient ruins in [Lebanons] Beqaa Valley, Moubarak says. But its our interpretation of the Beqaa Valley. Advertisement Gerards has evolved with the Brisbane dining scene over the course of its 11-year existence. Celebrated chef Ben Williamson made his mark during the restaurants early days with his progressive interpretations of Middle Eastern food. Diners may have wondered if the restaurants best years were behind it when Williamson departed in late 2018 to open his own restaurant, Agnes (and later Bianca and Agnes Bakery, as well as become a co-owner of Same Same and Honto), but Moubarak then hired star Sydney chef Adam Wolfers (formerly Est, Marque, Monopole, Yellow, Etelek), who channelled his Ashkenazi and Sephardi backgrounds to push the Gerards menus in new directions. I learned so much from both chefs, Moubarak says. The temporary closure will mark the end of an era for one of Brisbanes most celebrated modern restaurants. Supplied Ben really delved deep into Middle Eastern cuisine. He pushed hard, and took the traditional and made it progressive. It was so strong and so relevant and really resonated with the diner. Advertisement And then Adam went further into the Levant, North Africa, even pockets like Yemen. Who wouldve thought, the stuff he did with that: the hawaij chicken and the zhug and the malawach bread. Wolfers left Gerards Bistro in March to focus on his health after suffering a stroke in 2022. Head chef Juliette Malkovich has also parted ways with the restaurant. Moubarak expects to have hired a new exec chef by the time Gerards reopens, which is tentatively scheduled for mid-September. Gerards Bar, located just across Little James Street, will open seven days a week for the duration of the Gerards Bistro refurb, running an expanded menu that includes dishes from the restaurant. Its been an amazing 11 years, Moubarak says. Weve had so much support from the community at large. And thats what makes me proud, the support from our hometown people. Its been so heartening. Advertisement Eating outJust open Sooshi Mango comedy trio enlists hospo heavyweights for new nonna-style Italian restaurant in Lygon Street Named after the trios comedy characters, Johnny, Vince & Sams will serve traditional Italian food in a homely, gimmick-free setting. Donna Demaio June 22, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share Brothers Joe and Carlo Salanitri and best mate Andrew Manfre, aka comedy trio Sooshi Mango, are opening their first restaurant, Johnny, Vince & Sams (named after their ethnic dad characters) in the site formerly known as St Charly cafe in Lygon Street, Carlton. The Italian restaurant will be a gimmick-free, delicious food experience, laced with nostalgia aimed at restoring Lygon Street to its former glory. The Sooshi Mango trio are opening an Italian restaurant in Lygon Street. Nicole Cleary We didnt want it to be like Disneyland. We dont want it to be an amusement park, Joe tells Good Food. Meantime, Manfre defines his vision for the eatery as homely, unpretentious and tasty. Advertisement We didnt want it to be like Disneyland. We dont want it to be an amusement park Joe Salanitri The troupe developed the concept with award-winning chef Johnny Di Francesco (400 Gradi) and Dani Zeini (Royal Stacks), drawing on the pairs industry knowledge and experience. Joe says, Weve gone to a lot of effort to get it right, working with two well-established amazing restaurateurs because the only thing we know about restaurants is ordering food, and thats about it. The Johnny, Vince & Sams menu brims with traditional dishes such as spaghetti vongole. Supplied Di Francesco recently returned from Italy after honing his dough-making skills in a pizza lab in Naples. Advertisement Hes nailed an airy, Neapolitan-style pizza with a light crust that no one is doing in Melbourne, says Carlo. 400 Gradi founder and chef Johnny Di Francesco is lending his pizza-making skills to the venture. Calida Pendock / Mildura Photography The menu brims with traditional dishes - spaghetti and meatballs, pasta and broccoli, gnocchi and the ubiquitous cotoletta. The drinks list includes a tiramisu cocktail and limoncello spritz. Interior designers Mitchell & Eades (Chin Chin, Grill Americano) have introduced chandeliers, carpet in the dining space, crystal cabinets and picture frames that you havent seen since you were a child, reveals Manfre. Advertisement Menu consultant Johnny Di Francesco has come up with a an airy, Neapolitan-style pizza for Carlton restaurant, Johnny, Vince & Sams. It will feel just like home. Like nonnas house, like mums house, like where you grew up, he asserts, while confirming theres a large, framed print of The Last Supper. The comedians cant resist a gag: If you dont finish your meal, one of the waiters comes up and hits you with a belt. And while that definitely wont happen, the trio is still deciding whether Tupperware will be on hand for diners leftovers. Open Mon-Fri 11.30am-3pm, 5pm-11pm; Sat-Sun 11.30am-11pm from June 29. 306-308 Lygon Street, Carlton, johnnyvinceandsams.com Advertisement Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. The Mould festival is back with some rare and one-off Australian-made cheeses (plus, free samples). Cheese enthusiasts, its time to prepare your cooler bags and pop a Lacteeze: there will be upwards of 100 varieties of Australian made cheese to sample when cheese festival Mould arrives in Sydney on Friday, June 30. Rare and one-off varieties such as raw milk Monforte (aged for 36 months by Adelaide Hills cheesemaker Section 28); semi-hard sheeps milk cheese with native Australian gin botanicals (produced by Grandvewe in Tasmania); and semi-hard cheese washed in Four Pillars gin (from the Stone & Crow micro dairy in the Yarra Valley) will be available on the day. Dozens of varieties of cheese will be on show at the Mould festival. Supplied Were unapologetically all about Australian cheese as the quality of that now being produced is truly world-class, says Olivia Sutton, chief cheese wrangler (yes, thats her official title) for festival organiser REVEL. [The festival] is about celebrating the wide diversity of styles we make here and how unique they are to the land we call home. Private equity group Allegro Funds is in talks to buy PwCs government consulting business as well as its healthcare and education operations, as the fallout of the firms tax leaks scandal continues. Loading PwC had ring-fenced its government consulting business after revelations earlier this year that its head of international tax, Peter Collins, had leaked confidential government information to other staff at PwC and the firms clients. People with knowledge of the deal confirmed PwC was in talks with Allegros partners in an attempt to strike a deal to further safeguard the business from the fallout of PwCs ongoing issues. The deal was still in the early stages of negotiations, but is expected to include almost 10 per cent of the firms existing staff cohort, or several hundred staffers. News of the potential transaction came as the Australian Securities and Investments Commission told a Senate committee it was considering banning Collins financial services advice in the future after discovering he had an Australian Financial Services licence until he left PwC last year. Read more here. But fourth is not third, as Melburnians are entitled to sniff and who undoubtedly will do so. Loading Now that COVID-19 disruptions have eased, the two cities run neck-and-neck on attributes such as healthcare, education and infrastructure, where they are both judged at 100 out of 100. Seriously. We can only picture the mighty gales of relief that will blow through the offices of two premiers assailed daily with uncomplimentary public commentary about hospitals, schools, roads and trains. The breakpoint is to be found in the category marked culture and environment. Here, Melbourne receives a score of 95.8, while Sydney gets 94.4. Melbourne rated higher in the category of culture and environment. Credit: Joe Armao It stands to reason. Sydney may have its opera house, but Melbourne has the MCG, considered by Melburnians to be the worlds greatest cultural institution. Melbourne also boasts an art gallery it has called with creative abandon, for well over a century, the National Gallery of Victoria. Loading Yes, yes, the Sydney equivalent was founded quite a long time ago, too, but it settled on the decidedly unambitious name of Art Gallery of NSW. Points lost, obviously. Even Sydneys old cultural boast of being Sin City has faded. Kings Cross has become insipid. Who can remember the last time even an Ibrahim was spotted in the vicinity? And before we hear the inevitable bellowing that Sydney has the worlds most glorious harbour and the finest ocean beaches anywhere, let us point out that this may be true, but there is no category for the most squillionaires with views of the harbour or the ocean. This is about liveability. Consider the business of ordinary people getting around. Melbourne has been awarded the title of third most liveable city. Credit: Wayne Taylor Sydney, its traffic snarled everywhere, claims to have the second-largest light rail network in Australia. It has three lines, with 42 stops over 25 kilometres. Youd wonder how Sydneysiders get to the footy, until you recall that rugby league is what they call footy. Melbournes tram network is, shall we say, larger: 250 kilometres of double tram tracks, 493 trams, 24 routes, and 1763 tram stops. And Melbourne invented the culturally and environmentally magnificent hook turn to make it possible for trams to run on city streets and to bamboozle out-of-state motorists. There are many, of course, who will have no Earthly reason to care about any of this. Sydneys light rail cant compete with Melbournes tram network. Credit: Ben Symons Those who sleep huddled on the streets or beneath bridges or in cars, or who shuttle from borrowed couch to substandard rooming house, seem unlikely to be transfixed by the news that Melbourne and Sydney rank high on the worlds liveability ladder. They are among the masses including, wed be sure, the burgeoning group unable to imagine buying a house in either city in which to sample stable liveability who may not even care that the scale is drawn up each year by something swaggering under the label of the Economist Intelligence Unit. This London-based outfit spruiks that it provides accurate and impartial intelligence for companies, government agencies, financial institutions and academic organisations around the globe, inspiring business leaders to act with confidence since 1946. Loading In other words, its a fat cats guide to where it might be best to send your executives to run a business. The intelligence unit chose this year to include Ukraines capital, Kyiv, instantly relegating it to one of the 10 cities judged to be burdened with the worlds most intolerable living conditions. Ukraines thank-you note may get lost in the mail, we predict. So what do Vienna at No.1 and Copenhagen at two have that Melbourne and Sydney havent? In Ukraine, Russian commanders made a lot of mistakes and one of the most fatal, and personal, was not making an effort to conceal their field headquarters. The Ukrainians took advantage of this and during an eight month period in 2022 attacked Russian command posts over twenty times, killing ten generals and 152 colonels and lieutenant-colonels along with hundreds of lower ranking staff officers. This crippled Russian efforts to carry out offensive operations, and even defensive operations were clumsy because combat units often lacked timely communications with senior commanders. Requests for supplies or updates on the overall situation resulted in Russian operations being sluggish and less effective. Field headquarters are vulnerable because they are easily identified by the high volume of electronic communications they send. The field headquarters are mobile but often have to be set up in tents without any protection from artillery or missiles. During the Cold War field headquarters were described as missile magnets. Western armies never came up with an effective solution while the Russian-dominated Soviet Union relied on the tactic of attacking units advancing in a general direction during the initial offensive and not relying on communications with higher headquarters until the attacking units ran out of essential supplies (usually fuel) and had to halt. This worked against the Germans during the last few years of World War II when the Germans were on the defensive and the Red Armys minimal electronic tactical communications was sufficient. Over 70 years later everyone is more reliant on electronic communications at a time when detecting such communications is easier, as is hitting them from a distance with guided missiles. Western armies have sought to solve this problem by using field headquarters that are more mobile and dispersed. Traveling in armored trucks that do not congregate, there is still a lot of electronic communications, but from dispersed targets that are difficult to destroy with missiles. These communications are often encrypted, which slows down enemy use of intercepted messages while the intended recipients of these messages have the decryption codes to quickly render the messages in usable form. These techniques cost more to implement and require headquarters personnel to work harder to get the job done. The Russian use of headquarters in Ukraine made it clear that you either adapt or die. As recently as World War I (1914-18) assignment to a headquarters meant safety and comfort. Over the last century the increased use of aircraft and missiles as well as electronic communications has changed all that. Russia and the NATO nations supporting Ukraine have seen the grim new world for headquarters duty. Thats an incentive to adapt, something not all nations are willing or able to do. Women who have suffered trauma during pregnancy and childbirth will give evidence to an upper house inquiry sparked by a group of mothers who complained about their treatment at a regional NSW hospital. The NSW Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) is investigating the maternity care 30 women received at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, including allegations they were not given adequate pain relief, others were forcibly held down, and some were told they would be induced into labour to free up hospital beds. Eddy Mead lodged a complaint with the Health Care Complaints Commission after a traumatic caesarean while giving birth to her son, Taylor (right). Credit: Steven Siewert The problem is not confined to one hospital; 1 in 10 women in Australia say they were made to feel abused, powerless or dehumanised by a healthcare provider in the last five years. Animal Justice MLC Emma Hurst will chair the upper house select committee into preventing birth trauma in NSW, which will hear from mothers, academics, and healthcare providers before reporting on its findings in February next year. Warning: Graphic and distressing content Hours after referring a violent arrest for internal investigation, Queenslands police commissioner described punching as a confronting, but effective, use of police force. An officer attending a crash north of Brisbane on Thursday repeatedly struck one of the drivers and deployed a Taser while he remained in the front seat of a damaged car. Police said officers attended a three-vehicle crash on the corner of Gympie and Samsonvale roads at Strathpine about 1.45pm. Greens senator David Shoebridge has raised conflict-of-interest concerns about the dealings between Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw and former NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller, alleging that their personal relationship could jeopardise the criminal investigation into the PwC tax scandal. Shoebridge said documents he received in response to a Senate order seeking all communications between the AFP commissioner and Fuller since July last year highlighted that Kershaw had five meetings with Fuller over a lucrative contract handed to PwC. Greens senator David Shoebridge ordered the production of all communications between AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw and PwC senior partner Mick Fuller. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Fuller, a friend of Kershaw, joined PwC as a partner in March 2022. The documents, cited by Shoebridge, reveal a text message between Fuller and Kershaw before their first meeting on July 28 to scope out the work and determine whether PwC could deliver on the contract, an ACT policing review. I think Im booked in to see you with PwC in a few weeks. Will call you before if [sic] okay, Fuller said in a text sent to Kershaw on July 14. A senior Air Force commander will become Australias first cybersecurity tsar, as the federal government responds to one of the biggest data breaches in the countrys history. Federal cabinet on Tuesday signed off on the appointment of Air Vice-Marshal Darren Goldie as the governments first co-ordinator of cybersecurity, according to multiple senior security sources who are not authorised to speak publicly. Darren Goldie will be the nations first co-ordinator for cyber security. Credit: Defence Goldie will be backed by a National Office for Cyber Security within the Department of Home Affairs to co-ordinate work across the government to respond to cyber hacks and threats. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Clare ONeil will announce the appointment on Friday after a four-month search for candidates. A popular budget measure to double the length of common medicine scripts is facing an unexpected hurdle, with crossbench senators joining the Coalition in pushing the government to go back to the negotiating table with pharmacies. The Health Department will officially register the policy on Friday, making an initial tranche of about 100 medicines eligible for 60-day scripts from September 1 in effect halving their cost for consumers. The Health Department will on Friday register the policy, making the first tranche of medicines eligible for 60-day scripts from September 1. Credit: Louie Douvis But the Greens are yet to decide whether they support the change and the Jacqui Lambie Network says it wants the government to return to the drawing board, with senators from both parties accusing Health Minister Mark Butler of failing to properly consult pharmacies. The powerful Pharmacy Guild lobby group has mounted a staunch campaign against the proposal on behalf of pharmacy owners, who say they will have to cut staff and services if they lose government dispensing fees and retail sales as peoples trips to the chemist become less frequent. The families had gathered to eat grilled skewers and stir-fry on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, an annual celebration designed to ward off bad luck in an inauspicious month. But just after 8.40 pm (10.40pm AEST) on Wedneday, an explosion tore through the Fuyang Barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan, north-western China, killing 31 and injuring seven more, in one of the countrys deadliest gas disasters. Cooking gas caused a massive explosion at a barbecue restaurant in north-western China on Wednesday. Credit: Xinhua The explosion ripped through the popular restaurant at peak hour, killing high school students and retirees seated inside. Chinese state media outlet Xinhua reported late on Wednesday that there was only one dead and many injured after the explosion. London: Ukraine says it wants to make its economy cashless as soon as possible to stamp out corruption and secure the hundreds of billions of dollars from private investors that it will need to rebuild after the war. The plans follow the direct urging to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by Australias richest man, Andrew Twiggy Forrest, who has unveiled a new investment fund for Ukraines reconstruction, kick-started with $US500 million ($735 million) paid for via his private company, Tattarang. People in a bar in Kyiv last month. Ukraine wants to move to become a cashless society. Credit: Getty Images While the likes of Sweden have moved towards a cashless society, Ukraine could be the first in the world to truly achieve it as part of a shift intended to avoid the corruption seen after the Iraq War, when reconstruction funds were used for bribes and kickbacks. On the most recent Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, Ukraine scored 33 out of 100 ranking 116 out of 180 countries on the index. Around the same time, the US Coast Guard announced on Twitter experts were assessing the findings from a robotic vehicle which was deployed to the sea floor by a Canadian ship, the Horizon Arctic. Authorities also tweeted they would provide an update at 3pm EST - two hours later than the Coast Guards daily updates have been this week, which would have allowed them more time to talk to the families of the Titans occupants. US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger confirms the deaths of the Titan passengers and crew. Credit: AP Prior to the press conference, OceanGate said: We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding and Paul Henri Nargeolet have sadly been lost. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss and the joy they brought to everyone that they knew. The Coast Guard announcement came four days into a search that captivated the world and reignited questions about the growing market for extreme tourism, where individuals are willing to pay hefty amounts of money to view parts the Earth - or space - that most people will never see. In the case of the Titan, passengers paid $US250,000 ($370,000) for a seat on the van-sized vessel which promised to get them to depths of 4000 metres and give them a glimpse of one of the worlds most famous ship wrecks. An undated image showing OceanGates Titan submersible vehicle. The van-sized Titan, operated by US-based OceanGate Expeditions, began what was to be a two-hour descent at 8am (10pm AEST) on Sunday but lost contact with its support ship. The submersible set off with 96 hours of air, according to the company, which means the oxygen would likely have been exhausted by Thursday morning. Rescuers and relatives of the Titans five occupants took hope when the US Coast Guard said on Wednesday that Canadian search planes had recorded undersea noises using sonar buoys earlier that day and on Tuesday. But remote-controlled underwater vehicles searching where the noises were detected did not yield results, and officials cautioned that sounds might not have originated from the Titan. Five different pieces of debris were found this morning, including a nose cone outside the pressure hull, a large debris field, and a separate section of the pressure haul. However, officials say it is too early to tell when the implosion happened, how it occurred, or what might be recovered from the ocean bed. Loading However, the US Navy later said it had detected an anomaly consistent with an implosion or explosion near where the submersible was at the time its communication was lost. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed US defence officials, said the sound was picked up by a secret system usually tasked with detecting enemy submarines. While not definitive, this information was immediately shared with commanders of the search mission, a senior Navy official said in a statement first quoted by the Journal. Asked about the prospect of recovering the bodies of the victims, Mauger replied: This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor Well continue to work and continue to search the area down there, but I dont have an answer for prospects at this time. Questions are also likely to emerge about the safety of the Titan amid revelations that OceanGate ignored calls to get its vessel independently checked and certified, believing this would stifle innovation. Court filings and industry letters from 2018, along with OceanGates own website, reveal how the company was warned by employees and external experts that the Titan should undertake rigorous testing and assessments or run the risk of potentially catastrophic problems during its expeditions. However, the company refused insisting that its own safety testing and risk assessments were sufficient. Were going to continue the site of the debris field, and I know theres a lot of questions about how, why and when this happened, said Mauger. Those are questions that we will collect as much information as we can on now, while the governments are meeting and discussing what an investigation of this nature of casualty might look like. This is something that happened in a remote part of the ocean with people from several different countries from around the world, so it is a complex case to work through, but Im confident those questions will begin to get answered. Latest News Sydney woman jailed for 15 years for defrauding NAB Lavish embezzlement scheme cost bank almost $9 million The work from home contrast between banks and brokers How brokers have a choice that bank employees don't have Low prices, high rental returns and a strong economy are increasingly attracting east coast investors to Perth, according to two West Australian brokers and a buyers agent, leaving some FOMO-driven investors to overpay. But while the lucrative WA market may be driving fear-driven investor decisions, questions remain over who is actually missing out. With the number of expats moving home or wanting to invest back in Australia in recent years weve certainly noticed more interest in Perth soil, especially from interstate, said Helen Avis (pictured above centre), director of finance of Specialist Mortgage. Part of the SMATS Group, the WA brokerage won the prestigious Finance Broker Business Award category at the recent MFAA WA Excellence Awards. To put it plainly, $1 million on the west coast can get you a large home in a good neighbourhood whereas that same budget in an overly competitive market on the east is getting you a unit, an aged apartment or a home on the urban fringes, Avis said. That level of affordability coupled with the strength of the underlying state economy is attracting investors looking for both yield and growth. Robert Flynn (pictured above right), director and mortgage consultant at WA-based Vorteil Financial Group, said the lack of supply was driving the fear in the market. When you're in WA, it's quite obvious that there is just such a chokehold on supply, and being so isolated, I think were a little more affected, said Flynn, who also won the Young Professional Award at the recent MFAA WA Excellence Awards. While everyone's been impacted by COVID and Ukraine war and whatever else in terms of supply chain, there are just so few new builds, whether that's single-res or multi-res properties, that are actually getting off the ground or being completed in a timely manner. Who is really missing out? Peter Gavalas (pictured above left), a buyer's agent from Resolve Property Solutions, said Perths property market is in an investment sweet spot right now, with a vacancy rate of just 0.6% in May, according to SQM Research. Gavalas said this limited availability is causing asking rents to soar, with annual growth of 18.9% for the week ending 12 June. Consequently, CoreLogic data showed Perths gross rental yields are among the highest in the country, at 4.9% in May. Perth stands out as the only capital city where dwelling values have returned to record highs after the recent downturn. Despite this, Perth remains one of the most affordable cities in Australia with a median value of $580,000 in May, according to CoreLogic, he said. However, low stock levels are posing a significant challenge for homebuyers with the number of properties available for sale in Perth falling to a 13-year low at the end of May, according to the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia. The scarcity of listings has resulted in homes selling at a median time of just 12 days, the fastest median time on the market since REIWAs records began in 1998. Avis said that while there was probably an element of fear among investors, they were the least likely to be missing out on Perth property. They can stretch their dollar further by investing in Perth properties and distinguished and experienced investors are certainly seeing the Perth market as one to be plucked, she said. Flynn agreed, saying that when it came to investors, they were more likely to take a commercial view compared to others in the market. Flynn said that he was seeing three drivers in the current market out-of-state investors, people looking to move to Perth, and those that already live there. For the investors its quite transactional. It comes down to the numbers and they set a ceiling and stop. Others are moving for lifestyle reasons as well from places like Sydney and Melbourne where the market price is higher and theyve generally got more room to move, he said. But for the people that are here in WA, they need a property not as an investment but as a place to live in their community. This is why I think the true FOMO right now is coming from within WA. Is there opportunity for brokers? While the market is competitive, Avis said with many homebuyers rolling off low fixed-rate mortgages within the next six months, brokers could provide value right now. There is still plenty of renegotiation and refinancing opportunities out there, especially when a greater portion of the population are heading into mortgage stress and are really starting to feel the bite of increased costs of living expenses, Avis said. Continuous client support is key to retaining clients in the current environment. Check in with clients regularly to see if their circumstances have changed. Flynn agreed, saying there was a huge opportunity for brokers in this market not only to be a trusted adviser domestically but also among buyers agents. Buyers agents are looking for someone to be able to deal with brokers who know the Perth market and they are obviously looking to buy in the area so theres definitely opportunity there, he said. Latest News Sydney woman jailed for 15 years for defrauding NAB Lavish embezzlement scheme cost bank almost $9 million The work from home contrast between banks and brokers How brokers have a choice that bank employees don't have The winners of the 2023 MFAA State Excellence Awards winners for Victoria and Tasmania were celebrated at the prestigious Grand Hyatt Melbourne last night. One of five state award ceremonies, the 18 Victoria and Tasmania winners will also be finalists int the National MFAA Excellence Awards ceremony scheduled for Thursday, July 27. MFAA CEO Anja Pannek said the awards recognised those members who had excelled in areas including customer service, professionalism, ethics, growth and innovation. Our members make a positive difference to the lives of so many Australians every day, and its wonderful to be able to take the time to celebrate and acknowledge the amazing outcomes they deliver, said Pannek. I congratulate all finalists and winners on their great work and dedication over the past year, which is absolutely worthy of this recognition, particularly given the strong competition in this years awards. Among the winners were Tim Reynolds from Accession Finance (pictured above left) who won the Residential Finance Broker Award and Penny Finances Morgan Owen (pictured above centre) who was honoured with the Young Professional Award. Trusted Financial Choices Varun Goyal (pictured above right) won the Newcomer Award while ubank claimed the Fintech Lender Award. Last week the MFAA hosted the WA awards in Perth, while the NSW/ACT awards and the Queensland awards were held earlier this month. The South Australia and Northern Territory awards will be held next Thursday, June 29 the final state award ceremony for the year. The MFAA said the awards, audited by accounting firm Hall Chadwick, were judged on excellence and professionalism across all areas of the business. The industry body also thanked the events sponsors, including Key Medias Australian Broker and MPA, ANZ, BOQ, Commonwealth Bank (CBA), Helia, La Trobe Financial, Macquarie Bank, ME Bank, Mortgage Choice, National Australia Bank (NAB), Prospa, QBE and Teachers Mutual Bank Limited. The 2023 Victoria/Tasmania MFAA State Excellence Awards winners are as follows: Business Development Manager Award Aggregator: Tony Wood, AFG Business Development Manager Award Lender/Support Service Provider: John Paul Azzopardi, Bank of Melbourne Commercial & Equipment Finance Broker Award: Cameron Perry, Perry Finance Community Champion Award: FinancePath Customer Service Award Business: UFinancial Customer Service Award Individual: Reet Gill, Loan Market Diversified Business Award: The Australian Lending & Investment Centre Finance Broker Business Award: Cinch Loans Fintech Lender Award: ubank Loan Administrator Award: Kendall Wignell, Perry Finance Major Lender Award: Macquarie Bank Mutual/Credit Union Lender Award: Heritage Bank Newcomer Award: Varun Goyal, Trusted Financial Choice Non-Major Lender Award: ING Regional Finance Broker Award: David Fraser, Bayland Finance Residential Finance Broker Award: Tim Reynolds, Accession Finance Specialty Lender Award: Liberty Young Professional Award: Morgan Owen, Penny Finance Latest News Sydney woman jailed for 15 years for defrauding NAB Lavish embezzlement scheme cost bank almost $9 million The work from home contrast between banks and brokers How brokers have a choice that bank employees don't have Victorias new investor land tax grab announced in its state budget will hurt property owners the most, according to two professional bodies. In a statement, the Property Investment Professionals of Australia (PIPA) and the Property Investors Council of Australia (PICA) said that under the new policy, a Victorian with land holdings valued at $1 million will be slapped with an extra $2,000 in land tax per year or about $20,000 over the next decade but the tax will continue to rise along with land values throughout that period, so the cost to investors will likely be much higher. This is what happens when you have so much debt as well as continued economic mismanagement and self-serving governance, PICA Chair Ben Kingsley (pictured above left) said. Victorians will be paying for the governments incompetence for not just years, but for decades. It's a classic case of which policy is going to cause the least amount of political damage, so they go after the aspiring and hardworking Australian, but aspiration in Victoria is officially dead under the Labor government. PIPA Chair Nicola McDougall (pictured above right) said the absurd new land tax grab seemed to be modelled on the Queensland governments failed policy last year. It does seem like the Victorian government has taken an illogical page out of the Queenslands government's ill-fated and investor-focused land tax playbook from last year, and we all know how that worked out for them, McDougall said. This absurd policy will no doubt lead to the exodus of investors in Victoria who are already struggling with significantly higher mortgage repayments that dwarf any increases in rent over the past year. Kingsley said the policy folly will drive investors away from Victoria in droves similar to what happened in Queensland last year and result in renters paying higher rents. Victoria has the highest stamp duty of any state and territory in the country, so this policy is like rubbing salt into a wound, he said. Anyone looking to buy property in Victoria will look elsewhere, because this policy says that Victoria is closed for business. Borderless investors will simply shop elsewhere, where they are not being slugged by sky-high stamp duty and land tax, which will have a hugely detrimental impact on rental supply. McDougall said implementing such a policy during a prolonged critical undersupply of rental properties was simply illogical. Its beggars belief that at a time of record low vacancy rates, rising rents, and increasing overseas migration many of whom will initially choose to live in Melbourne but may find nowhere to rent that the Victorian government would even consider implementing such a ridiculous policy, McDougall said. This is yet another example of politicians having no understanding of how bad policy impacts investor behaviour, especially those aspirational and hardworking property owners who are set to be slugged the most by this latest financial impost. Use the comment section below to tell us how you felt about this. German pharmaceutical major Bayer on Thursday announced that it is winding up its business from Pakistan, giving another setback to the cash-strapped nation amidst its precarious economic situation, according to a media report. The decision by Bayer, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, came days after local employees of the multinational company held a protest demanding that the company pay them 60 to 100 months' salaries -- ostensibly at par with the company's termination policies elsewhere in the world, the Dawn News reported. "Bayer has decided to wind up its business from Pakistan," the report said. The management of the company said that the organisation's assets from its factory in Pakistan have been sold to a local company, which has assured existing employees of job security for at least two years. "Since these workers would continue to be employed, there was no call for severance packages to be handed out," the report said. Prior to Bayer, American pharmaceutical major Eli Lilly made an exit from the Pakistani market last year in November due to the poor economy and harsh business environment in the country. Also Read Bayer partners Cargill to bring digital solutions, market info to farmers Bayer CropScience records 3.79% increase in Q4 profit at Rs 159 crore Sale of petroleum products halves in Pakistan, high inflation to blame Historical trail of Pakistan's powerful military enterprise: Explainer Mankind Pharma IPO to open next week: Check price band, GMP, other details Mercedes-Benz accelerating drive to bring top-end vehicles to India IFFCO, Kapoor Enterprises ink pact for export of nano liquid urea to US Cyient DLM IPO to open on Jun 27, sets price band at Rs 250-265 per share VSK Energy backed by Vikram Solar to invest $1.5 bn in new US factories Manipal Technologies partners with Indian Bank to offer banking products Pakistan's economy remains volatile due to uncertainty over the International Monetary Fund's bailout. Without the active support of the IMF, it is feared that the country may default. Co-working operator EFC (I) Ltd plans to expand its capacity by more than 2.5 times to 60,000 desks as it seeks to encash rising demand for flexible workspace from corporates. Pune-based EFC (I) Ltd, which is a serviced office/co-working space operator, is listed on BSE. It has a presence in seven states spanning over 35 co-working centres totalling 1.5 million square feet area. In a statement, the company said that it plans to "triple its capacity -- from 23,000 to 60,000 seats by March 2024." EFC (I) will add 10,000 seats during the first quarter of this fiscal year. It mentioned that 65 per cent of the company's business comes from institutional clients, while the remaining 35 per cent comprises the retail part. Umesh Sahay, Founder & CEO of EFC (I) Ltd, said, "We have built an ecosystem comprising efficient, safe, well-designed and ergonomics-friendly workspaces - ranging from made-to-order offices to co-working solutions." "In the past six years, we achieved a scale of 23,000 seats, which we expect to nearly triple to around 60,000 within this year. In doing so, we intend to keep our profitability intact," Sahay added. The company's enterprise workspace solutions are under the brand EFC, while co-working spaces are branded under Sprint. It has co-working centres in Maharashtra, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. The company charges Rs 6,000 to Rs 10,000 per desk from its customers. Also Read Indian, US space officials discuss human space exploration in Washington China to send its first civilian to space on Tuesday, says space agency China to send astronauts to Moon by 2030 as space race intensifies US, Japan sign pact at Nasa Headquarters for deep space exploration Hyderabad offered highest new office space in India in 2022-23: Anarock Fortis to divest Vadapalani hospital business operations to Kauvery Group IKEA store in Noida: Construction to begin soon after govt approval Musk eager to bring satellite broadband 'Starlink' to India, Ambani resists GE signs MoU with HAL to make fighter jet engines for Indian Air Force L&T and DRDO sign contract to make AIP modules for Indian Navy submarines EFC (I) said its total revenue stood at around Rs 145 crore in the last fiscal and a net profit of Rs 24 crore. According to property consultants, the demand for flexible office space has risen significantly in the last two years, especially from enterprises that are looking to save on capital expenditures and get rid of the hassles of managing office portfolios. Fortis Healthcare Limited, on Thursday, signing of definitive agreements for the sale of its hospital business operations at Vadapalani, Chennai to Sri Kauvery Medical Care (India) Limited, for a sale consideration of Rs 152 crore. The divestment of Arcot Road hospital business operations is in line with our stated intent of optimising our hospital assets keeping in mind our key markets and regions, said Dr. Ashustosh Raghuvanshi, managing director & CEO, Fortis Healthcare Limited. This also underpins our focus on improving our overall profitability and margins in the segment, allowing us to re-allocate capital in our key clusters, he added. Shares of Fortis Healthcare, on Thursday, fell marginally lower at Rs 308.85 on BSE. In a regulatory filing, the company said, The transaction will be an all-cash deal and is estimated to be consummated by the end of July 2023, subject to certain conditions as stipulated in the definitive agreements. The facility, which is on leased premises, was commissioned in October 2020 and is located on the arterial Arcot Road. It currently has 110 operational beds with a potential to scale up to nearly 200 beds, the company said in a statement. Also Read Fortis Healthcare acquires Medeor Hospital for Rs 225 cr, plans expansion Fortis in Bengaluru completes 500 robotic aided urology procedures Brownfield expansion will give us 1,700 beds: Fortis Healthcare MD & CEO HC appoints arbitrator in Max Healthcare, Care Hospitals dispute case India business to boost pharma, after US sales prove to be a mixed bag IKEA store in Noida: Construction to begin soon after govt approval Musk eager to bring satellite broadband 'Starlink' to India, Ambani resists GE signs MoU with HAL to make fighter jet engines for Indian Air Force L&T and DRDO sign contract to make AIP modules for Indian Navy submarines Musk eager to bring Starlink to India, but faces resistance from Ambani The aforesaid divestment is a part of Fortis ongoing portfolio rationalisation strategy in order to focus on deepening its presence in select geographic clusters where it has a sizeable presence. The acquisition of Vadapalani facility is in line with Kauverys strategy to further expand its presence in Chennai, in addition to its existing facilities of 500+ beds at Alwarpet & Radial Road. Dr. S Chandrakumar, founder & executive chairman of Kauvery Group of Hospitals said, We are focused on our growth plan to become a leading and trusted healthcare provider in South India. With this acquisition, we will have 750+ beds in Chennai. Dr. S Manivannan, founder & managing director of Kauvery Group of Hospitals said, Kauvery continues to provide best-in-class personalised care, with the highest standards of clinical excellence and ethical practices. This acquisition helps us to expand our care to more regions in Chennai. Lumikai, a venture capital (VC) firm that supports gaming and interactive media firms, on Thursday announced the launch of its second fund targeting a $50 million corpus from global investors. Fund II has completed its first close, with marquee investors like Japans Mixi and Colopl, South Koreas Krafton and Smilegate, Finland-based decacorn Supercell, Indian gaming start-p Nazara, and the family offices of Jeejeebhoys, KCT Group, DSP Kothari, and Sattva Group. High net worth individuals, including Ben Feder (former chief executive officer of Take Two Interactive), Jon Vlassopulos (CEO of Napster), Pankaj Gupta (founder of Gulf Islamic Investments) and Akshat Rathee (founder of Nodwin Gaming), have invested in the fund. The fund will take bets in pre-seed to series A start-ups with an average ticket size ranging between $200,000 and $1.2 million. Over the course of the last three years, we have witnessed over 1,400 deals and seen the industry attract investor interest, deepen founder quality and achieve liquidity events. We continue to remain bullish on the long-term potential of the India interactive market and this is our opportunity to build on the foundation we have laid, said Salone Sehgal, founding general partner, Lumikai. Lumikai launched its Fund I worth $40 million back in 2020. With the launch of the two new funds, the firms total assets under management (AUM) in India have reached $100 million. The fund will invest in gaming areas like creator economy, technology infrastructure and virtual identities. Also Read Gaming startups form two regulatory bodies; to hold talks with govt Paid competitive gaming growing 6x faster than overall mobile gaming: RPT Indians will spend more on online gaming than on films by 2025: EY-Ficci Indian gaming industry needs stable regulatory environment: Sameer Barde IT ministry appointed as nodal ministry for online gaming in India GAIL beats IOC to win licence to build Gurdaspur-Jammu gas pipeline EFC (I) to expand office space capacity 2.5 times to 60,000 desks in FY24 Fortis to sell Vadapalani hospital operations to Sri Kauvery Medical Care IKEA store in Noida: Construction to begin soon after govt approval Musk eager to bring satellite broadband 'Starlink' to India, Ambani resists Lumikai Fund II already has a healthy pipeline of investments planned for deployment, including three deals at term sheet stage for companies within the content, platforms and frontier thesis areas, Sehgal said. Lumikai was created ground-up to be a focal point for the next generation of superstar gaming and interactive media founders. These sunrise sectors have seen tremendous tailwinds since we launched the fund, and we are privileged to have a front row seat in this revolution, said Justin Shriram Keeling, another founding general partner at Lumikai. The firm has separately set up a $10 million alternative investment fund (AIF) for Indian limited partners (LPs). Free medical clinics and legal aid clinics, where college students and their instructors help their communities while also learning more about their professions, are now commonplace. Google hopes to add cybersecurity clinics to that list. Google CEO Sundar Pichai pledged $20 million in donations on Thursday to support and expand the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics to introduce thousands of students to potential careers in cybersecurity, while also helping defend small government offices, rural hospitals and nonprofits from hacking. Pichai said the new initiative addresses both the rising number of cyberattacks up 38 per cent globally in 2022 and the lack of candidates trained to stop them. Just as technology can create new threats, it can also help us fight them, Pichai said, announcing the commitment at Google's Washington offices. Security was critical to the work I did early in my Google career, including when we built our Chrome browser. Today, it's core to everything we do, and the current inflection point in AI is helping take our efforts to the next level. The tech giant launched the Google Cybersecurity Certificate program last month to help prepare people for entry-level cybersecurity jobs. It also partnered with universities in New York on a research program to create learning and career opportunities across the cybersecurity sector. Making sure we protect and safeguard both the consumer services and the enterprises services we provide is foundational to the company, which is why we treat it treated as such, Pichai told The Associated Press in an interview after the announcement. Also Read Pixel 7a review: Google's entry-level phone is mixed bag of hits and misses India suffering high cybersecurity skill gap, 40k open positions: Report Google's June Feature Drop for Pixel phones: Know what is new in update World Blood Donor Day 2023: History, Theme, Everything you need to Know Fitbit rolls out Google account sign-in: Here's everything you need to know Carlyle Group sells 18.4 million shares of Delhivery for Rs 710 crore JPMorgan to pay $4 mn fine to SEC as it mistakenly deletes 47 mn records Wipro opens new office in Cape Town, deepens presence in South Africa Vedanta Limited says not selling copper plant at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu Google's advertising tech in peril as EU joins US's breakup bandwagon We've been building security from the ground up for a long time and training to innovate and stay ahead. Google's announcement had support from Congressional members on both sides of the aisle. Republican Rep. Jay Obernolte of California said addressing cyber threats is essential to the country's economic competitiveness as well as national security. He added that China will likely produce twice as many computer science students with doctoral degrees this year than the United States. We need to incentivize students to pursue careers in fields like cybersecurity to reverse that trend, he said. We must all embrace the idea of becoming lifelong learners." Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas said Google's initiative helps democratise cybersecurity, providing more employment opportunities and more protection to those not located in Silicon Valley. Small businesses literally can lose hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, Castro said. "I'm grateful to Google for building on their commitment to support the growth of a workforce necessary to do everything from securing critical infrastructure in local communities to bolstering our national security. Pichai said there are currently more than 650,000 open cybersecurity jobs and there is a need for a diverse workforce to address the issue. We have seen this in the past when we've gone to communities and open data centers in rural communities, he said. It creates a spark. It inspires more people... These are catalysing moments. Justin Steele, director of Google.org, the company's philanthropic arm, said the initiative appealed to his team because it seeks projects where the funding can spawn change on multiple levels. It's a challenge, Steele said. But there's a huge opportunity here. Steele anticipates the cybersecurity clinics will have students help small organizations that lack their own technology departments with threat assessments and installing defenses. Those students get hands-on experience and they get to increase their marketability for all of these open jobs in cybersecurity, Steele said. We get to diversify the field of cybersecurity by training these students and we get to protect critical US infrastructure. Ann Cleaveland, executive director of the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity at the University of California, Berkeley, said the clinics can help organizations get over a sense of nihilism about dealing with hackers. While many groups think there is nothing they can do against a state-supported hacker or ransomware attacks, the clinics can offer low-level solutions that can combat a large number of threats. Students can really help organisations overcome 80 to 90 per cent of the problems and give them a much more resilient stance, said Cleaveland, adding that the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics hopes to establish clinics in every state by 2030. Mark Lupo, coordinator of the University of Georgia's clinic, known as CyberArch, said demand continues to increase for the clinic's services because more and more data is at risk. We have continued as a society to bring more of our sensitive information online, so that vulnerability has only increased, he said. The malicious actors understand that sensitive data can be monetised, which, at some point in the past, was not even a thought. Now that there's money there, they're going to gravitate toward that. That makes cybersecurity and all hands on deck issue, said Cleaveland, who is co-chair of the consortium's executive committee. She said Google.org's donation will help the consortium establish new clinics, as well as provide mentors to the students staffing them. The funding is critical, especially for the smaller universities and colleges and for some of the minority-serving institutions, she said. And I think it will be transformative just in terms of making other institutions of higher education aware of the opportunity to have a cybersecurity clinic. Kevin Harris, program chair of the Department of Computational and Information Sciences at Stillman College, said he is ready to apply for a grant from Google.org to expand the cybersecurity clinic at his school, the first member of the consortium at a historically Black college or university. We're still pushing to make the field more inclusive, Harris said. By Samuel Stolton and Leah Nylen European Union and US antitrust regulators may have gone their separate ways of late. But they can still agree on one thing: the era of Googles dominance in advertising technology must end. The European Commission last week joined the Department of Justice in touting a breakup as a viable remedy for the California-based tech giants alleged monopoly abuses. Divestiture is the only way, Margrethe Vestager, the EUs antitrust commissioner, told reporters after firing off a charge sheet accusing Alphabet Inc.s Google of favoring its own services to the detriment of ad tech rivals, advertisers and online publishers. The EU complaint is the latest escalation in a long-running saga thats already led to a trio of penalties totaling more than 8 billion ($8.8 billion) for abuses across other Google services. Charts A selloff order would strike at the heart of one of Googles biggest money spinners, although it could still be years away due to the legal processes being played out. While most of its revenue comes from ads on search results, the EU and US antitrust cases focus on a lucrative segment of its business that involves facilitating the placement of ads on other websites. Also Read Pixel 7a review: Google's entry-level phone is mixed bag of hits and misses Google's June Feature Drop for Pixel phones: Know what is new in update Google now testing Blue check marks for advertisements of verified business Fitbit rolls out Google account sign-in: Here's everything you need to know TCL launches T6G 4K Ultra HD Smart QLED Google TV in India: Details here Group backed by Vikram Solar to invest $1.5 bn in new US factories PE firm Carlyle offloads its entire stake in Delhivery for Rs 709 cr VFS Global with Radisson Hotel in India to operate UK application centres Paytm inks MoU with Arunachal Pradesh for creating startup ecosystem RBI asks PTC Indian Financial Services' CEO Pawan Singh to go on leave The EUs competition chief argued that since 2014, Google has favored its own advertising exchange platforms by abusing access to information on rival bids for ad space, and also harmed other ad exchanges by placing bids for advertising on its own platforms. In its probe, the EU said a divestment is needed because a behavioral remedy wouldnt stop Google from self-preferencing. It said Google is active on both sides of the market with its publisher ad server and with its ad buying tools and holds a dominant position on both ends. It also operates the largest ad exchange. This leads to a situation of inherent conflicts of interest for Google. One option for a split down the middle of Googles ad tech services would be to force the firm to separate its ad-purchasing platforms Google Ads and DV360 from DoubleClick its service for publishers to find advertisers and its advertising marketplace AdX, according to the EU commission. The EUs view echoes the January lawsuit by the DOJ, which called for a company breakup for the first time since the late 1990s when it unsuccessfully sought to force Microsoft Corp. to sell off some of its computer software operations. The departments last major breakup came when the Bell telecoms systems was dismantled in the 1980s. But under the leadership of DOJ Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter who in a previous legal career represented Google rivals breakups are back on the cards. The US agency alleges that Googles dominance over advertising technology allows it to keep at least $0.30 out of every dollar advertisers spend through its online advertising tools. It claims Google engaged in 15 years of anticompetitive conduct, including a pattern of acquisitions to dominate the market including the 2007 acquisition of online advertising giant DoubleClick for $3.1 billion. Vestager last week heralded close and fruitful cooperation with the DOJ. But following on its coat tails could come at a risk for the EU commission and Vestager, with a potential legal battle in the EU courts. The commission may feel emboldened by the fact that the DOJ is pursuing virtually the same lawsuit, but some might say this is more a case of folie a deux than a healthy working relationship, said Dirk Auer, Director of Competition Policy at the International Center for Law & Economics. Charts The legal obstacles to breaking up Google are tremendous, he said. The commission will have to show there was really no other way to solve the issues. Unlike in the US, the EUs move to issue a statement of objections is an interim step that doesnt mean a court fight is inevitable. The Brussels-based commission could still be swayed by Googles arguments at a formal hearing or accept a settlement. Google has already hit back, with Dan Taylor, vice president for global ads, warning last week that breaking up Googles ad tech suite would diminish the availability of free, ad-supported content that benefits everyone. The company may also lean on an agreement that was brokered with the French competition regulator in order to convince regulators in Washington and Brussels of a less-intrusive remedy to the alleged abusive behavior. In 2021, Google was hit with a 220 million ($240 million) fine by Frances antitrust watchdog for favoring its AdX sales platform, and pledged to implement greater interoperability for third-party ad servers. The countrys competition chief Benoit Coeure said that his authority had blazed the trail in curtailing Googles market dominance in ads. Paytm Payment Services Limited (PPSL) on Thursday signed an MoU with Arunachal Pradesh Innovation and Investment Park (APIIP) to create a startup ecosystem for the youth in the northeastern state, officials said. According to the MoU, Paytm Incubation Centre will provide its product to early-stage startups at a discounted price and offer free credits through the Paytm Startup toolkit to aid the business ventures of youths in their early stage of growth. This will nurture the startup ecosystem in the state and motivate the young entrepreneurs, an official communiqu informed here. The MoU was signed at the Arunachal Pradesh Innovation & Investment Park, the first state-owned marquee incubator here in the presence of its CEO Tabe Haidar. "We are happy to partner with the government of Arunachal Pradesh in its journey to create a vibrant startup ecosystem. At the Paytm Incubation Centre, we strive to catalyse the startup ecosystem in India and help young entrepreneurs gain new user acquisition, access funds and more facilities, the spokesperson of Paytm Payment Services said. "Our comprehensive platform helps businesses to expand their digital presence with quick integration of payment, brand and commerce solutions," he added. Also Read Paytm's loan disbursals more than doubled to Rs 9,618 crore in Apr and May Here's why Macquarie has double upgraded Paytm's stock to 'Outperform' Paytm shares rise 4% ahead of Q4FY23 results; here's what brokerages expect Today's India not of 1962, but of Modi and Shah: Arunachal CM Khandu China face-off, Assam border dispute hog news in Arunachal Pradesh in 2022 RBI asks PTC Indian Financial Services' CEO Pawan Singh to go on leave Chennai-based Kauvery Hospitals acquires Fortis Hospital in Vadapalani Infosys to provide certification in AI, generative AI skills on Springboard Tata Power plans to sell overseas assets to raise up to Rs 2,500 crore ONGC links Panna oilfield field via sub-sea pipeline, saves $43,000 per day Paytm is India's payment app, which offers consumers and merchants payment services. It is a pioneer of mobile QR payments in the country. It enables commerce for small merchants and distributes various financial services offerings to its consumers and merchants in partnership with financial institutions, the communiqu added. Tata Power is planning to raise up to Rs 2,500 crore by selling some of its assets overseas, including hydro assets in Zambia, and two coal mines in Indonesia. The firm would also receive an additional Rs 1,200 crore from the sale of the strategic engineering divisions assets in the next two years, according to banking sources. The proceeds of the sale will be used to invest in the company's ambitious renewable energy projects which is looking to produce 20 gigawatt (Gw) of electricity by 2027. According to sources, the company is in talks to sell its stake in its joint Al Salam Bank has announced its sponsorship of an auditorium at the newly developed Injaz Bahrain Academy headquarters. The bank has granted BD25,000 ($66,313) for the auditorium, which will accommodate up to 30 people. This initiative comes as part of Al Salam Banks social responsibility platform, Helping Hands, established to aid homegrown institutions in support of social causes. The academy offers a roster of business and entrepreneurship programs benefiting more than 80,000 young individuals annually. Injaz Bahrain has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Labor and Social Development to provide programs and train 1,200 unemployed citizens. Al Salam Bank Deputy CEO of Banking Anwar Murad said: We are pleased to be supporting Injaz Bahrain Academy, which aims to achieve sustainable development goals in line with the Economic Vision 2030 and the advancement of future generations. The banks sponsorship of Injaz Bahrain Academy comes as part of our ongoing commitment to strengthen our community and aligns with the Kingdoms national strategy to empower youth and ultimately create new directions for future opportunities. Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa of Injaz Bahrain commented: Partnership, cooperation, and innovation have been pillars of the Injaz Bahrain promise, representing the values that the organisation operates under and the values we instill in our student programs. These values are present in driving forward the new INJAZ Bahrain Academy, an endeavor we are excited to bring to life with the support of our esteemed partners Al Salam Bank as part of their mission to support homegrown institutions and as part of Injaz Bahrain and Al Salams shared vision to create tangible change and impact. We are thrilled to make this trailblazing structure a reality with the aim to support the next generation of Bahrains leaders and gamechangers. Injaz Bahrain is a non-profit organisation that was established in 2005, with the aim of empowering young people to own their economic success and be prepared for todays business challenges. With the help of its partners and volunteers, Injaz Bahrain impacts thousands of students every year, bringing them closer to the real world, and unlocking their potential. TradeArabia News Service Vedanta Ltd on Thursday said that it has no plans to sell its copper plant at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu. Junking the media reports that claimed that the company is selling Sterlite Copper plant, Vedanta said the reports are "wrong, baseless and incorrect". In a regulatory filing, the company said Sterlite Copper is a national asset and claimed it contributed 40 per cent to India's overall copper production. "It has come to our notice that certain sections of the media have carried out the news article that Vedanta Ltd is selling the Sterlite Copper Plant, Thoothukudi. The said media articles are wrong, baseless and incorrect and the same is refuted by the company," it said. As the country has become a net importer of copper, there has been a growing demand to restart its operations, Vedanta Ltd said. VFS Global on Thursday said it has entered into a strategic partnership with Radisson Hotel Group in India to operate UK Premium Application Centres from the hotel chain's properties. The UK visa customers can now book appointments at any of the premium application centres located at Radisson Blu Hotel Amritsar, Radisson RED Chandigarh Mohali, Park Plaza Ludhiana, and Radisson Noida for submitting their applications and enrolling biometrics this summer season, the company said in a statement. This partnership will provide customers residing in and around Punjab and Noida with four new location options, in addition to the visa application centres located in Chandigarh, Jalandhar, and New Delhi. "The partnership with Radisson Hotel Group provides additional and conveniently located touchpoints to our customers. "UK visa customers will continue to enjoy the same comfort, convenience, and best-in-class services at these locations that they do at our Visa Application Centres, as well as experience the comfort and hospitality offered by the Radisson Hotel Group's properties," VFS Global Chief Operating Officer-South Asia Prabuddha Sen said. Also Read Facing competition from pvt players, 10 hotels of RTDC to be renovated Hospitality industry flocks to Ayodhya as religious tourism gains momentum Sidbi partners with VFS to extend MSME loans up to Rs 5 lakh at 13% pa Apply for visa as early as possible to avoid shady agents: VFS Global As the economy rebounds, India's hotel industry may have its best year ever Paytm inks MoU with Arunachal Pradesh for creating startup ecosystem RBI asks PTC Indian Financial Services' CEO Pawan Singh to go on leave Chennai-based Kauvery Hospitals acquires Fortis Hospital in Vadapalani Infosys to provide certification in AI, generative AI skills on Springboard Tata Power plans to sell overseas assets to raise up to Rs 2,500 crore The number of factory inspections carried out by labour departments in several states and Union Territories (UTs) in 2019 nearly trebled to a 13-year high. The total number of inspections carried out by labour departments rose to 85,558 in 2019, from 28,489 in 2018, according to the latest annual data released by the Labour Bureau. The annual data on factory inspections released by the Labour Bureau with a time lag is a compilation of the data furnished to it by state and UT labour departments, as the rules framed under the Factories Act, 1948, impose an obligation on all registered factories to submit annual statutory returns and administrative reports to their local labour commissioners. In 2006, 92,261 inspections were conducted a higher number than the number carried out in 2019. Of the total 234,696 registered factories, 69,328 (29.5 per cent) underwent inspection only once in 2019, while 15,272 (6.5 per cent) factories underwent inspection twice, and just 584 factories (0.2 per cent) underwent inspection thrice. A senior official from the Department of Employment and Labour says that the rules framed under the Act impose an obligation on the inspectorate staff to enquire into complaints lodged by individual workers, trade unions, private persons, etc, regarding infringement of the provisions of the Factories Act, 1948. Also Read International Labour Day: Celebrations, history, and all you need to know Top CEOs got an average hike of 9% in 2022, workers' wages fell 3%: Oxfam Foxconn deal: Karnataka labour laws in focus, Tamil Nadu may follow Modi govt at 9: As 2nd innings nears close, some unfinished business Labour ministry looking to replace 'minimum wage' by 'living wage': Report Fitch Ratings ups India's FY24 economic growth estimate by 30 bps to 6.3% Job half done as MPC focuses on 4% inflation target: RBI Governor Das Power demand to grow in double digits, says Union Minister R K Singh MPC minutes: RBI members diverge on further rate hikes amid growth risks Govt authorises DGFT for TRQ items allocation under new India-Nepal Treaty The inspectorate cannot take suo motu action against any factory for any violation. It is only upon receipt of a formal complaint that action is taken by the department. The rise in the number of inspections means more violations were reported in the year, he adds. However, K R Shyam Sundar, visiting professor at the Impact and Policy Research Institute, says that the main reason for this spike could be that a major industrial state that might not have submitted the data earlier would have done so later in the year, as this data by the Labour Bureau does undergo significant fluctuations. Mostly, these violations are borne by small and medium-scale and labour-intensive enterprises, which are essentially home-run units or have meagre resources to comply with the provisions of the Act. Most of these violations occur due to non-compliance with the safety and environmental provisions of the Act. A major industrial state like Tamil Nadu, which has huge clusters of small enterprises, furnished its data in 2019, which could be the reason for this spike, he adds. Also, the number of convictions recorded in 2019 (5,722) doubled from the 2018 levels of 2,630. Generally, the inspectorate issues a notice to the management regarding the violation. If it fails to comply with it, legal action is taken against the violator, resulting in a conviction as well. Generally, they do comply, and its only a few repeat offenders that face legal action, adds the official. Amarjeet Kaur, general secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress, says that the rise in inspections and convictions is a result of the general disregard for workers rights that has increased in recent years. It is high time the government takes cognisance of the issue and gives more powers to the factory inspectorates to rein in the offenders, she observes. Lenders of Vidarbha Industries Power Ltd (VIPL), a subsidiary of Reliance Power, have appointed SBI Caps as an advisor for its debt resolution process, sources said. As per the terms of reference, SBI Caps will invite bids for the sale or one time settlement (OTS) of VIPL debt. It will also lay down evaluation criteria and recommendations for the anchor bidder. SBI Caps will follow a fair and transparent process to ensure the resolution of VIPL's over Rs 2,000 crore outstanding debt, said a source close to the development. The responsibility of conducting the Swiss Challenge process to maximise the recovery for lenders will also lie with SBI Caps, they said. The deadline to complete the resolution process by SBI Caps is September 30. Also Read What's capping rally in SBI shares despite record net profit in Q4FY23? NIM expansion, loan growth: Top 5 things to track in SBI's Q4FY23 results SBI Q3 profit may rise nearly 60% YoY; deposit growth could outrun peers SBI loans to get costlier as bank hikes key lending rate; Details here SBI Q4 results: Profit rises 83% YoY to Rs 16,695 crore, beats estimate MPC minutes: RBI members diverge on further rate hikes amid growth risks RBI directive on one-time-settlement with defaulters can derail banks: MP Fund pick: ICICI Pru Medium Term Bond A snapshot of health insurance plans offered by various firms with details Indian banks looking for a bigger stake in digital India via own QR codes The terms of reference say that SBI Caps, while executing the process, will ensure compliance with the RBI guidelines of June 8, 2023, for the sale of VIPL debt and OTS. The appointment of SBI Caps comes at a time when VIPL lenders have received three suo moto bids for the sale and OTS of VIPL debt. Reliance Power, the promoter of VIPL, has made an OTS offer to the lenders of VIPL. Reliance Power's all-cash offer of Rs 1,260 crore is supported by the Varde Partners of Singapore. Ahmedabad-based CFM Asset Reconstruction and NARCL are the other two bidders in the fray. But, CFM ARC's Rs 1,220 crore all-cash offer is lower than RPower's offer of Rs 1,260 crore. The third bidder, NARCL's offer of Rs 1,120 crore is significantly lower than RPower's OTS offer, as it is offering only 15 per cent in cash, while the rest will be paid over 5 years. The Net Present Value (NPV) of NARCL's offer is only Rs 850 crore. Chennai-based Sri Kauvery Medical Care (India) (Kauvery Hospitals) has signed definitive agreements to acquire hospital business operations of Fortis Healthcare at Vadapalani, Chennai With the acquisition of Vadapalani facility with over 200 beds, Kauvery would have over 750 beds in Chennai together with its existing facilities at Alwarpet and Radial Road. This is in line with Kauverys strategy to further expand its presence in Chennai and have more than over 1,000 beds in Chennai in the next 18 months. Kauvery is currently in the midst of a fast-paced expansion program, as it plans to reach 1,000 beds each by 2025 in Chennai, Bengaluru and Tamil Nadu clusters. This ramp-up would mean that the network shall comprise of 15 hospitals spread across seven cities in South India, with over 3,000 beds and shall likely go for an IPO, in the next 36 months. With this acquisition of the facility at Vadapalani, Kauvery Hospitals shall be the second largest Hospital chain in Chennai and continue to focus on strengthening its leadership position in our existing markets, said S Chandrakumar, Founder and Chairman of Kauvery Hospitals Group. Kauvery Hospitals, one of the leading hospital chains in South India, has built a strong foothold in its focus markets of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over two decades and has emerged as one the leading hospital chains in South India. Established in 1999 as a 30-bedded hospital, it has scaled its presence to a network of 9 facilities comprising 2,000 beds spread across six cities -- Chennai, Trichy, Bangalore, Salem, Hosur and Tirunelveli. The hospital network offers high-quality comprehensive care across specialties with a strong focus on cardiology, oncology, neurology, renal sciences, orthopaedics, and organ transplants, amongst others. Kauvery Hospitals, with three hospitals in Chennai and 9 more Hospitals spread across five cities, we have established a strong presence in Tamilnadu and Bengaluru. This new acquisition will help us to provide care to the larger community covering all parts of the city. We will be launching 2 more hospitals in Trichy and Bengaluru respectively in this financial year as part of our focussed expansion drive. We will continue to provide best-in-class personalised care with the highest standards of clinical protocols and ethical practices, said S Manivannan, Founder and Managing Director of Kauvery Group of Hospitals. The AAP government will move the Supreme Court against the appointment of former Allahabad High Court judge Umesh Kumar as the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairman, Power Minister Atishi said on Thursday. Addressing a press conference, she said the government had recommended the name of Justice (retd) Sangeet Lodha for the post on June 21. However, it was "sidelined and former Allahabad High Court judge Umesh Kumar was appointed as the chairman by the BJP-led Centre. This has been done to 'trouble' the elected government of Delhi. In the coming days, we will approach the Supreme Court against this 'illegal' appointment," she said. A statement issued by the lieutenant governor's office on Wednesday night said Justice Kumar has been appointed the DERC chairman by President Droupadi Murmu. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had in January recommended the name of retired high court judge Rajeev Kumar Shrivastava for appointment as the chairperson of the power regulator. The LG office statement, however, said the appointment of Kumar comes as Shrivastava expressed his inability to take charge due to "family commitments and requirements" through a communication on June 15. Also Read Journalist Siddique Kappan gets bail after 26 months by Allahabad HC Atiq conviction: Judge, lawyers and ex-minister get additional security Allahabad HC reverses UP government notification on OBC reservation Two HC judges elevated to SC, total strength of apex court reaches 34 Final phase of voting begins for local body polls in Uttar Pradesh How a man staying in Delhi five star hotel left with unpaid bill of Rs 58L Home Minister Amit Shah on two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir from June 23 New bill could give aircraft leasing firms more power to repossess planes Small industry players stage protests in Karnataka over power tariff hike Prepare Ayushman Bharat cards for those eligible on priority: Adityanath Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar inaugurated a labour engagement group meeting of G20 here on Thursday. Altogether 173 delegates from 28 countries are participating in the conference. Apart from the G20 countries, India, as part of its presidency, has invited Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Nepal and the United Arab Emirates to join the meeting. Welcoming the delegates, the governor said, I am proud to see you in Bihar. The dignitaries present here represent around 75 per cent of the total population, which is a moment of pride for Bihar. He also highlighted the historical significance of the eastern state. The history of Bihar goes back thousands of years. It is a land of knowledgewhere students from different nationalities used to seek knowledge at Nalanda University. Vaishali too is considered as the mother of democracy," he said. Also Read International Labour Day: Celebrations, history, and all you need to know Labour Day 2023: History, Evolvement, Importance, Celebration of day Three-day-long G20 event in Kashmir to begin today: All you need to know Top CEOs got an average hike of 9% in 2022, workers' wages fell 3%: Oxfam World Day Against Child Labour 2023: Tracing its History, Importance, Theme Sri Lankan Navy arrests 22 Indian fishermen, seizes their boats Musk eager to bring satellite broadband 'Starlink' to India, Ambani resists Opposition parties to meet in Patna tomorrow; check who all are attending Massive increase in employment in 9 yrs; 12.5 mn got jobs: Bhupender Yadav Undernutrition in India a big concern, urgent attention needed: experts say Addressing the gathering, Labour-20 (L-20) chairman Hiranmay Pandya said, I want to assure you that L20 will not only represent the voice of G 20 nations but it will surely also represent the voice of those nations whose representatives are not in the attendance. Security measures have been tightened and traffic restrictions have been placed around Gyan Bhawan, the main venue of the event. After extensive discussion in the inception meeting of L-20 held in Amritsar from March 19- 21, 2023, a joint statement was issued on two subjects - social security and international portability of social security fund and women and future of work, Pandya said. Now, these two topics would be discussed extensively before the representatives of the L-20 Summit here, he said on Wednesday. Discussions were also held at 11 cities across the country, in which officials from the central government and the state labour departments, trade union leaders, labour and development economists, and activists from the national and international labour organisations participated, he added. "People of the Indian community are enhancing India's glory in the US through their hard work and dedication," says PM Modi. "You are the real strength of our relationship. I thank President Biden and Dr Jill Biden for giving this honour to them," he added. "This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honour for 1.4 billion Indians," he said. The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday ordered the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) to requisition Central Forces within 24 hours for deployment in panchayat elections. The court's directive specifies that the number of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) companies should not be less than those requisitioned for the 2013 panchayat polls. This decision by the court comes amidst allegations from Opposition parties that the ruling Trinamool Congress is employing violence and intimidation tactics to discourage their candidates from filing nominations for the upcoming July 8 elections. The court observed that there are more districts now compared to 2013, and it is going to be a single-phased election while in 2013 there were five phases of elections. The court's order was in response to the contempt plea filed by the BJP and Congress. Ahead of the Panchayat elections, scheduled to be held on July 8, the state witnessed continuous clashes in various parts of the state, including a violent incident at the Block Development Office in Birbhum's Ahmadpur, where crude bombs were reportedly thrown. Also, a TMC worker was beaten to death in the Malda district. Also Read Bengal panchayat polls: Plea in Calcutta HC over violence during nomination UP's Election Commission to adopt ECI's voter list to eliminate duplication Political slugfest erupts as WB govt moves SC against deployment of forces BJP welcomes Calcutta HC's order on deployment of central forces in Bengal Calcutta HC Bar Association divided over attending Justice Mantha's bench After yrs of ties, US-India partnership deep, expansive: Jill Biden From marinated millets to stuffed mushrooms, White House menu for PM Modi Delhi govt to create 600,000 jobs through conforming industrial areas: CM Biden admin to ease visas for skilled Indian workers as PM Modi visits US As temp soars in India, officials dispute claims of 100 heat-related deaths The election will be held in a single phase on July 8, with vote counting scheduled for July 11. Panchayat polls in West Bengal will witness a fierce contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Trinamool Congress as they will be seen as a litmus test ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru is on a three-day official visit to Kenya from June 21-23, where he will oversee the Harbour Phase activities of the ongoing Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) between the two countries' navies, Defence Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Vice Admiral Mahindru's visit coincides with Indian Naval Ship Sunayna making port call at Mombasa as part of the Ocean Ring of Yoga' initiative conceptualised to celebrate ninth International Day of Yoga. The Deputy Navy Chief called on Aden Bare Duale, Cabinet Secretary in the Kenyan Ministry of Defence, on Wednesday and discussed historical ties between the two maritime neighbours and stressed on strengthening defence relations between them. Mahindru also called on General Francis O Ogolla, Chief of Defence Forces, Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF). Key aspects of enhancing coordinated operations in the maritime domain and bolstering interoperability between the Indian Navy and the Kenyan Navy were discussed during the interaction. "Reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace, stability and good order in the region through joint and coordinated operations, the need to further collaborate and tackle common maritime challenges was also highlighted," the Defence Ministry said. Also Read ONGC, Oil India in talks for 50% stake in $3.4 billion Kenya oilfield Rajnath to join Naval officers to perform yoga on board INS Vikrant Indo-American Iyengar Plumb confirmed as Deputy under Defence Secretary Nominee for top US military post advocates strong defence ties with India Robust defence finance system backbone of strong military: Rajnath Singh New floodlights to be installed at Wankhede Stadium ahead of 2023 World Cup Omar Abdullah calls yoga event at Budgam's sufi saint shrine 'photo-op' AAP to move SC against appointment of ex-HC judge Umesh Kumar as DERC chair How a man staying in Delhi five star hotel left with unpaid bill of Rs 58L Home Minister Amit Shah on two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir from June 23 The DCNS also interacted with the members of GLOCEPS (Global Centre for Policy and Strategy) at Nairobi. The Vice Admiral is scheduled to visit Mtongwe Naval Base, Mombasa, and interact with Commander, Kenya Navy at the Kenya Navy Headquarters (KNHQ). He, along with the Kenyan Chief of Defence Forces, will oversee the Harbour Phase activities of the MPX between the two navies and would also interact with the crew of INS Sunayna. He would also be providing insights to the Kenya Naval Training College and Kenya Shipyard Limited in Mombasa. "The visit of the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, reaffirms the strong and longstanding relationship between Kenya and India and will further consolidate bilateral defence cooperation with Kenya, particularly in the maritime realm," the Defence Ministry said. Bahrains Labour Fund (Tamkeen) has supported the training of more than 4,000 Bahrainis and the employment of more than 4,500 since January 2023, it has been revealed. A total of 2,500 enterprises of various sizes, representing a wide range of sectors, have been supported by Tamkeen as at the end of May this year, bringing the total number since Tamkeens establishment to more than 74,000, it was noted at Tamkeens second quarterly Board of Directors meeting for the year 2023. The board reviewed Tamkeen's most significant achievements during the first half of the year, which showed remarkable progress, especially within the areas of training and employment. Tamkeens support for foreign-owned companies through enterprise and human capital support programmes makes up 4.85% of the total support for enterprises over the past years. The Labour Fund supports these companies for the purpose of creating quality job opportunities for Bahrainis, enriching local supply chains through collaborations with local SMEs, and providing the national workforce with opportunities to build quality skills through knowledge transfer and experience in international companies. Over 57% of the support to these institutions was through Tamkeens human capital development programmes, and these companies have contributed to creating over 4,000 jobs for Bahrainis in the local market, the board noted. The board reviewed the performance of the second quarter, as well as the progress of work in accordance with the performance indicators and strategic priorities announced for the current year. Tamkeens Chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa reiterated that the organisations efforts during this period focused around developing a range of initiatives and support offerings to meet national aspirations, in line with recent government announcements. He added: Tamkeen is an integral part of the governments support system to the private sector, which continues to play a key role in economic development, private sector empowerment, and enhancing the competitiveness of national talent both the locally and internationally. Maha Mofeez, Tamkeens Chief Executive, added: "Tamkeen has made important strides in achieving its strategic priorities for the year by focusing on the creation of quality jobs, especially in the technology sector, and supporting economic development by encouraging innovation, and empowering businesses to improve their productivity and enhance their access to a wide range of innovative solutions and financing options. The Board of Directors was also briefed on current training initiatives, including the graduation of several batches through programmes facilitated by partnerships with General Assembly, a technology and software engineering leader, as well as courses on cybersecurity, held in partnership with the SANS Institute. These partners have reported high success rates with General Assembly reporting 67.5% positive outcomes for their graduates within the first 3 months after graduation which includes employment, career progression and freelance opportunities. While SANS Institute reported that 66% of their graduates have received employment and career progression opportunities. The meeting included a review of important developments related to Skills Bahrain, which launched two reports on the kingdoms telecommunications and financial services sectors. Work is ongoing to launch reports addressing nine other key sectors, shedding light on emerging jobs and changing labor market requirements, and identifying skills gaps and the required Career Pathway Maps to address them. Earlier this year, Tamkeen announced its strategic priorities for 2023, which included facilitating the increased economic participation of Bahrainis, providing training that is aligned with the labour market needs in new and emerging skills, as well as supporting growth and development of enterprises and ecosystem development, a statement said. -TradeArabia News Service Five key priorities of the G20 tourism track, including green tourism, digitalisation and destination management, were "endorsed by all G20 countries" for achieving a sustainable, resilient and inclusive growth in the sector, officials said on Wednesday. A Goa Roadmap and Action Plan and a ministerial outcome document came out at the end of the G20 ministerial meeting here. The meeting was preceded by the Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting here. About 130 delegates from countries such as the US, the UK, Spain, South Africa, Russia, Mauritius, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, Nigeria, Oman, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and top international organisations took part in the ministerial meeting. The delegates were greeted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via a recorded video message in which he welcomed them to "Incredible India". Later, official sources said, the members arrived at a "broad consensus" in the Goa Roadmap and Action Plan and the ministerial communique. Union Tourism Ministry G Kishan Reddy also addressed the delegates before the deliberations began. "Both the deliverables of the G20 TWG were welcomed by the G20 delegation," he said. Also Read Three-day-long G20 event in Kashmir to begin today: All you need to know Crisis in multilateralism affecting developing nations most: PM at G20 meet G20 meet will help India maximise its potential in tourism sector: Minister G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting: Guests welcomed with dance performance G20 foreign ministers' meeting today: Schedule, agenda, other details here Calcutta HC directs EC to deploy more Central forces than in 2013 After yrs of ties, US-India partnership deep, expansive: Jill Biden From marinated millets to stuffed mushrooms, White House menu for PM Modi Delhi govt to create 600,000 jobs through conforming industrial areas: CM Biden admin to ease visas for skilled Indian workers as PM Modi visits US He later tweeted, "Five inter-related key priorities of the G20 Tourism track of Green Tourism, Digitalization, Destination Management, Skills and Tourism MSMEs were endorsed by all G20 countries for achieving sustainable, resilient and inclusive tourism". Meanwhile, several bilateral talks took place on the sidelines of the meeting, including with the US, Brazil, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, officials said. "Hon'ble Minister of State for Tourism Shripad Yesso Naik held a bilateral meeting with Mr. Brian Beall, Director of National Travel and Tourism Office, United States of America on the sidelines of the 4th Tourism Working Group and Ministerial Meeting," India's Tourism Ministry tweeted. They held fruitful discussions on a broad range of pertinent topics, data sharing, investments, and knowledge transfer. The parties agreed to institutionalise mechanisms to facilitate the skilling of hospitality professionals, it said. Naik also held a meeting with Eduardo Uziel, the Ambassador of Brazil to India, on the sidelines of the 4th Tourism Working Group and Ministerial Meeting, the Union Tourism ministry said. "The talks brought to focus the strong cultural exchanges that have been instrumental in strengthening the relations. The Ambassador congratulated India for its stewardship and agreed to collaborate on mutual promotional measures," it tweeted. Naik also held a meeting with Michiel Sweers, Deputy Director-General, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the Netherlands. "The parties appreciated India's stewardship of G20 Presidency and the deliberations held during the Goa Tourism working group," the ministry tweeted. The flood situation in Assam remained grim on Thursday morning with incessant rain across several parts of the state inundating new areas even as nearly 1.2 lakh people were hit due to the deluge in 10 districts, an official bulletin said. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange alert' and predicted 'very heavy' to 'extremely heavy' rainfall across several districts of Assam over the next few days. IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati has issued the warning for 24 hours from Wednesday, followed by a 'yellow' alert for Thursday and Friday. 'Orange' alerts imply to be prepared for action and 'yellow' alert stands for watch and be updated. According to a flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), over 1,19,800 people are affected by the deluge in Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Sonitpur and Udalguri districts. Nalbari is the worst hit with almost 45,000 people suffering, followed by Baksa with over 26,500 and Lakhimpur with more than 25,000, it said. Also Read Assam gets approval for 12th medical college with a new one at Nalbari No aid needed from AIUDF, AAMSU to re-design district boundaries: Assam CM Phailin to Amphan: Deadliest cyclones that hit India in last 10 years Centre bars tourists at Shri Sammed Shikharji in Jharkhand, amid protests Assam merges 4 districts with 4 others, changes jurisdiction of villages India, US launch INDUS-X for technology and defence industry partnership PM Modi's US visit may encourage more American firms to invest in India Five key priorities of G20 tourism track endorsed by all member countries Calcutta HC directs EC to deploy more Central forces than in 2013 After yrs of ties, US-India partnership deep, expansive: Jill Biden The administration has been operating 14 relief camps in five districts, where 2,091 people have taken shelter, and running 17 relief distribution centres in five districts. Army, paramilitary forces, National Disaster Response Force, SDRF, Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES), civil administrations, NGOs and locals have rescued 1,280 people from different places. At present, 780 villages are under water and 10,591.85 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam, the ASDMA bulletin said. Massive erosions have been witnessed in Baksa, Barpeta, Sonitpur, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, South Salmara and Udalguri, it said. Incidents of landslides due to heavy rainfall were reported from places in Dima Hasao and Kamrup Metropolitan. Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by flood waters in Baksa, Nalbari, Barpeta, Sonitpur, Bongaigaon, Darrang, Chirang, Dhubri, Goalpara, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Udalguri, Dhemaji and Majuli. Urban areas were inundated at many places across Barpeta, Darrang, Kamrup Metropolitan, Kokrajhar and Nalbari districts. The Brahmaputra River's tributary Beki is flowing above the danger mark at three places, the ASDMA report pointed out. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that India and the US - the two biggest democracies of the world, can contribute towards global peace, stability and prosperity as he asserted that for the partnership between the two countries, "even the sky is not the limit". Modi made the remarks during a joint press conference with President Biden after his one-on-one meeting which was followed by delegation-level talks at the White House. "For the partnership between India and the US, even the sky is not the limit. The most important pillar of our relations is our people-to-people ties. More than 40 lakh people of Indian origin are contributing to the development of America," Modi said. The Prime Minister said that the two biggest democracies of the world, India and the US, can contribute towards global peace, stability and prosperity. "I'm sure that on the basis of these values, we can fulfil the aspirations of the world," he added. Modi said that India and America are walking shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against terrorism and radicalism, and added that during his talks with President Biden, the two sides have agreed that concerted action is necessary to end cross border terrorism. The Prime Minister said that peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region is our shared priority. "We are unanimous that the development and success of this region is important for the whole world," he added. Also Read Biden falls onstage at graduation ceremony; White House says he's 'fine' No deal has yet been reached, says Joe Biden after debt ceiling talks Incredible rich diaspora truly an asset to both countries: Biden's top aide US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill receive PM Modi at White House US Prez Joe Biden's family to host intimate dinner for PM Modi on June 21 New chapter added to Indo-US ties, says PM Modi after talks with Biden Success of Modi doctrine in diplomacy: Shah on PM's White House welcome Manipur crisis prompts state to invoke RBI's riot relief measures Why GE plan to make fighter jet engines in India a big deal: Details here IIT Kanpur successfully conducts test flight for cloud seeding: Report "We have also decided that like trusted partners the US and India will prepare a reliable, secure, resilient global supply chain and value chain, amid global uncertainties." Earlier, President Biden said India and the US should work and lead together given the challenges and opportunities facing the world. Funds parked by Indian individuals and firms in Swiss banks, including through India-based branches and other financial institutions, declined by 11 per cent in 2022 to 3.42 billion Swiss francs (nearly Rs 30,000 crore), annual data from Switzerland's central bank showed on Thursday. The decline in aggregate funds of Indian clients with Swiss banks, from a 14-year-high of CHF 3.83 billion in 2021, follows two consecutive years of increase and was largely driven by a sharp plunge of nearly 34 per cent in customer deposit accounts from a seven-year high. These are official figures reported by banks to the SNB and do not indicate the quantum of the much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. These figures also do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of third-country entities. The total amount of CHF 3,424 million, described by the SNB as 'total liabilities' of Swiss banks or 'amounts due to' their Indian clients at the end of 2022, included CHF 394 million in customer deposits (down from CHF 602 million at 2021-end), CHF 1,110 million held via other banks (down from 1,225 million), CHF 24 million (up from CHF 3 million) through fiduciaries or trusts, and the highest component of CHF 1,896 million (down from 2,002 million) as 'other amounts due to customers in form of bonds, securities and various other financial instruments. The total amount stood at a record high of nearly 6.5 billion Swiss francs in 2006, after which it has been mostly on a downward path, except for a few years including in 2011, 2013, 2017, 2020 and 2021, as per the Swiss National Bank (SNB) data. While all four components had declined during 2019, the year 2020 saw a significant plunge in customer deposits, while there was a surge across all categories in 2021. During 2022, only the fiduciaries segment saw an increase. Also Read Swiss Re Group sees India units taking lead owing to more senior roles Good times for the Swiss watches; 2022 saw highest ever demand in India GoPro Hero 11 Black review: A pro-grade action camera that is easy-to-use Credit Suisse AT1 holders' billions of debt challenged in Swiss court UBS weighs options for sale of Credit Suisse's Swiss unit, say reports Odisha CM Patnaik sanctions Rs 20 cr for Aahaar programme in state DGCA suspends AI pilot for allowing unauthorised person in cockpit Sebi invites applications to hire for 25 senior-level posts in legal dept We will 'thoroughly' clean Delhi within 2 months, says Mayor Oberoi Monitoring of water supply for efficient distribution from July 1: Delhi CM According to the SNB, its data for 'total liabilities' of Swiss banks towards Indian clients takes into account all types of funds of Indian customers at Swiss banks, including deposits from individuals, banks and enterprises. This includes data for branches of Swiss banks in India, as also non-deposit liabilities. On the other hand, the 'locational banking statistics' of the Bank for International Settlement (BIS), which have been described in the past by Indian and Swiss authorities as a more reliable measure for deposits by Indian individuals in Swiss banks, showed a decline of over 18 per cent during 2022 in such funds to USD 94.4 million (Rs 781 crore). It had dropped by over 8 per cent in 2021, after rising by nearly 39 per cent in 2020. This figure takes into account deposits as well as loans of Indian non-bank clients of Swiss-domiciled banks and had shown an increase of 7 per cent in 2019, after declining by 11 per cent in 2018 and by 44 per cent in 2017. It peaked at over USD 2.3 billion (over Rs 9,000 crore) at the end of 2007. Swiss authorities have always maintained that assets held by Indian residents in Switzerland cannot be considered as 'black money' and they actively support India in its fight against tax fraud and evasion. An automatic exchange of information in tax matters between Switzerland and India has been in force since 2018. Under this framework, detailed financial information on all Indian residents having accounts with Swiss financial institutions since 2018 was provided for the first time to Indian tax authorities in September 2019 and this is to be followed every year. In addition to this, Switzerland has been actively sharing details about accounts of Indians suspected to have indulged in financial wrongdoings after the submission of prima facie evidence. Such exchange of information has taken place in hundreds of cases so far. The overall funds of foreign clients, including of institutions, declined to CHF 1.15 trillion (over Rs 125 lakh crore) in 2022. In terms of assets, Indian clients accounted for CHF 3.99 billion at the end of 2022, marking a decline of nearly 15 per cent. This included dues from Indian customers worth about CHF 164 million, which almost halved from CHF 323 million at the end of 2021. While the UK topped the charts for foreign clients' money in Swiss banks at CHF 309 billion, it was followed by the US (CHF 133 billion) at the second spot -- the only two countries with 100-billion-plus client funds. These two were followed in the top 10 by West Indies, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, Bahamas and the Netherlands. UAE, Guernsey, Cyprus, Italy, Australia, Jersey, Cayman Islands, Russia, Japan, Panama, Spain, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, China and Israel joined them in top-25. India was placed at 46th place, down from 44th a year ago, ahead of countries like South Korea, Sweden, Argentina, Bahrain, Oman, New Zealand and Mauritius and Pakistan, which also saw a sharp dip to CHF 427 million (from CHF 712 million). Bangladesh also saw a sharp plunge from CHF 871 million to CHF 55 million. Just like in India, the issue of alleged black money in Swiss banks has been a political hot potato in the two neighbouring countries as well. After the annual data release in 2021, the Indian government had sought details from Swiss authorities on the relevant facts along with their view on possible reasons for changes in the funds parked by individuals and entities that year. In its statement, the Finance Ministry had said then that the figures "do not indicate the quantum of much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. Further, these statistics do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of third-country entities." It had also listed out the reasons that could have led to the increase in deposits that year, including rising business transactions by Indian companies, rise in deposits owing to the business of Swiss bank branches located in India and increase in inter-bank transactions between Swiss and Indian banks. Besides, capital increase for a subsidiary of a Swiss company in India and increase in the liabilities connected with the outstanding derivative financial instruments could be the other potential reasons for this jump in deposits, the ministry had explained. It also said that exchanges of financial account information in respect of residents of each country have been taking place and there did not appear to be any significant possibility of the increase of deposits in the Swiss banks which is out of undeclared incomes of Indian residents. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Jammu and Kashmir on June 23 and 24 during which he will attend various development programmes in Jammu and Srinagar, sources said. The home minister will begin his tour of the Union Territory by laying wreaths on the statue of BJP ideologue and Bhartiya Jana Sangha founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee in Jammu on Friday morning. After that, Shah will lay the foundation stone of the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory at Samba. He will also inaugurate and lay foundation stones of various development schemes in the city, sources said. In the afternoon, the Union home minister will travel to Srinagar where he will attend a function at Raj Bhavan for the inauguration and laying foundation stones of various development projects, they said. Later, he will attend the 'Vitasta' festival organised by the Union Ministry of Culture in the city. On Saturday, the home minister will lay the foundation stone of the 'Validan Stambh' in Srinagar before returning to the national capital. Also Read PM Modi to visit Bengal tomorrow, to dedicate several projects to nation Govt approves renaming of national institute on water after SP Mookerjee Sittwe Port in Myanmar, B'desh rail link highlight govt's NE growth push PM Modi redefined India's foreign policy, ended uncertainty in J-K China calls J-K 'disputed territory', opposes holding G20 meeting in region New bill could give aircraft leasing firms more power to repossess planes Small industry players stage protests in Karnataka over power tariff hike Prepare Ayushman Bharat cards for those eligible on priority: Adityanath Karnataka bandh today over electricity tariff: All you need to know Maha govt requested for consent to take control of Ambedkar house in London A five-star hotel in Delhi has accused a man of residing in one of its rooms for two years while not paying a single penny. An FIR was recently filed by Roseate House, a renowned five-star hotel close to Indira Gandhi International Airport, in which it claimed to have sustained a loss of Rs 58 lakh. The man, identified as Ankush Dutta, stayed for 603 days which cost Rs 58 lakh but checked out without paying anything, alleged the FIR lodged recently by Vinod Malhotra, an authorised representative of Bird Airports Hotel Private Limited, which operates Roseate. A hotel employee has also been charged with fraud by the establishment. According to the allegations, the hotel said that Prem Prakash, head of the Front Office Department, had permitted Dutta's prolonged stay in violation of hotel policies. It said that Prakash was authorised to decide room rates and had access to the hotel's computer system, which allowed him to monitor the balance owed by each visitor. The hotel's management further claimed that Prakash may have received money from Dutta in exchange for allowing him to stay longer than permitted. Also Read 39 years of Operation Bluestar: What happened in Punjab and the aftermath Card and internet fraud cases up 257% since Covid-19 pandemic began FIR against ex-BharatPe MD Ashneer Grover, wife over alleged Rs 81cr fraud 53-year-old Mumbai man sells flat for Rs 1.3 cr, loses all to cyber fraud Star Cement soars 11%, nears 52-week high on heavy volumes Home Minister Amit Shah on two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir from June 23 New bill could give aircraft leasing firms more power to repossess planes Small industry players stage protests in Karnataka over power tariff hike Prepare Ayushman Bharat cards for those eligible on priority: Adityanath Karnataka bandh today over electricity tariff: All you need to know How did it all start? Dutta made a reservation for a room at the Roseate House for one night on May 30, 2019. He was supposed to leave on May 31 but kept extending his stay till January 22, 2021. Dutta allegedly resorted to various tricks to extend his stay in the hotel. He paid three cheques of Rs 10 lakh, Rs 7 lakh and Rs 20 lakh at different dates but all of them bounced. He even faked an account, in order to claim that other visitors who stayed at the hotel had paid for Dutta, a claim that turned out to be false. According to the hotel policies, if a guest's pending outstanding dues exceed 72 hours, it should be brought to the attention of the CEO and Financial Controller for their information and instruction. However, Prakash did not inform these officials of Dutta's pending dues. 'False pending bills created' Prakash also failed to submit any outstanding payment reports between May 30, 2019 and October 25, 2019. Even after October 25, when he created the outstanding payment report, he forged it by combining the pending bills of other unrelated guests into one bill in order to conceal Dutta's pending dues, said the FIR. "The scrutiny of record of the alleged officials of the hotel revealed that they created several fake and false pending bills to benefit Ankush Dutta by adopting various ways like by removing room nights from his bills, transferring his debits into the bills of other guests' bills, using settled bills of other guests by incorporating his name in the bill, etc," the FIR added. Meanwhile, the hotel has demanded that the perpetrators face strict legal action as "they have committed criminal offences, criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and falsification of accounts." A preliminary inquiry by the IGI police showed that prima facie the offences were made out, and now they are further probing the matter. Indo-US ties on Thursday appeared to be on the cusp of an upward leap as President Joe Biden described them as one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century while Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the US leader's commitment to their bond has inspired his country to take "bold and audacious" steps. Modi held one-on-one talks with Biden in the Oval Office of the White House before holding delegation-level talks. Both leaders discussed a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests, aimed at further boosting the Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. In his initial remarks, Modi told Biden that the President's commitment to the ties between the two countries has inspired India to take bold and audacious measures. He also described strong people-to-people ties as the real engine of India-US relationship and referred to the energetic diaspora crowd in the White House to assert that a "roar" was heard about this connect. "Today India and the US are walking shoulder-to-shoulder from the depths of the ocean to heights of the sky, from ancient culture to artificial intelligence," Modi said. The diplomatic relations between the two countries are generally spoken in terms of joint statement, working groups, he said, adding that they are indeed important. "But the real engine of India-US relations is our strong people-to-people ties," he said. Also Read Biden falls onstage at graduation ceremony; White House says he's 'fine' No deal has yet been reached, says Joe Biden after debt ceiling talks Robust US-Pak trade relationship is more important than ever: US Official President Biden offers $450 mn for clean energy projects at coal mines Joe Biden returning to his union roots as his 2024 campaign gears up Paris summit: FM Sitharaman discusses G20 efforts to strengthen MDBs Monsoon hits Odisha, heavy rains likely over next 4-5 days, says IMD TRAI consultation on encouraging innovative tech via regulatory sandbox President confers National Florence Nightingale Awards for 2022, 2023 Rajasthan women to get 50% rebate on fares across all roadways buses Noting that Modi and Biden are meeting on all the three days of the Indian leader's stay in Washington, official sources said the prime minister's maiden state visit to the US is likely to deepen the two countries' like never before. This was the second interaction between the two leaders within 24 hours. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Prime Minister Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House a day earlier during which they discussed a range of issues, exchanged gifts and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. Biden earlier accorded a grand welcome to Modi, saying "Welcome back to the White House," amid cheers from the large Indian-American crowd gathered on the South Lawn of the White House. In their remarks at the welcome ceremony, the two leaders mentioned both countries shared democratic values and pluralism and noted that their constitutions begin with "We the people", a nod to their robust democratic spirit. Biden earlier said that with India's cooperation, they have strengthened QUAD for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Modi earlier said at his welcome ceremony that societies and institutions of both the US and India are based on democratic values and both countries take pride in their diversity. Thanking Biden, his wife Jill Biden and the US administration for a warm and grand welcome, Modi said this is the first time the gates of the White House have been opened for Indian-Americans in such large numbers. "This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honour and pride for 1.4 billion people of India. This is also an honour for more than 4 million people of Indian origin living in the US. For this honour, I express my heartfelt gratitude to President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden," Modi said. He said both countries take pride in their diversity, and "both of us believe in the fundamental principle of 'In the interest of all, for the welfare of all'". He said about three decades ago, he had come to America as a common man and at that time, he had seen the White House from the outside. "After becoming the Prime Minister, I've come here many times, but today for the first time the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian-American community in such large numbers," he added. He said Indian community members are enhancing India's glory in the US through their hard work and dedication. The day began with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeting Prime Minister Modi for the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn. The two national anthems were played along with a 21-gun salute to the visiting leader. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff were also present at the welcome ceremony. The prime minister would also deliver an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, which would be attended by Congressmen and senators in the presence of several hundred Indian Americans from the visitor's gallery. In the evening, President Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Preparations for the visit have been going on for more than six months now and a lot of efforts have gone to ensure that the deliverables are historical in nature. "This visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together, the White House said on Wednesday. "The visit will strengthen our two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and shared resolve to elevate the technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space, it said. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has criticised the holding of the International Yoga Day event on the lawns of a revered shrine in Budgam district, calling the programme a "photo-op." The Army had on Wednesday, in collaboration with the administration, organised a yoga session for school students on the lawns of the shrine of Sufi saint Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, popularly known as Sheikh-Ul-Alam and Alamdar-e-Kashmir, at Charar-e-Shareef in the central Kashmir district. "The burial place of one of our most revered saints is used as a venue for a yoga day photo op!" Abdullah, the vice president of the National Conference (NC), said in a tweet. Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu too took exception to the event calling it "absolutely hare-brained." "An absolutely hare-brained, inconsiderate idea to organise a demonstration at the shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, Sheikh-Ul-Alam (RA). "I'm all for Yoga but this is immensely problematic. Places of religious importance should be treated with utmost sensitivity," Mattu wrote on Twitter. Socio-Political activist Tahir Peerzada said it was a deliberate attempt to hurt people's religious sentiments. "This is a deliberate attempt to hurt the emotions, and sentiments of the majority community! But! Do they know HIS life is an example of peace, and brotherhood! The concerned Tasildar or SDM, who allowed this to happen should be sacked!" he too said on Twitter. Also Read EC should tell people why no elections in Jammu and Kashmir: Omar Abdullah BJP won't have courage to allow assembly poll in J-K: Omar on K'taka result Unfortunate that no G20 meetings were scheduled in Jammu: Farooq Abdullah GCM recommends sacking of Group Captain for 2019 crash of Mi-17 chopper Doors of party always open for secular-minded people: J&K Congress chief AAP to move SC against appointment of ex-HC judge Umesh Kumar as DERC chair How a man staying in Delhi five star hotel left with unpaid bill of Rs 58L Home Minister Amit Shah on two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir from June 23 New bill could give aircraft leasing firms more power to repossess planes Small industry players stage protests in Karnataka over power tariff hike To Adil, another Twitter user, the exercise was "outrageous." "Outrageous that the resting place of Kashmir's beloved Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani's has been used by the state for this photo op. Sheikh-ul-Alam is the top-most Kashmiri Sufi wali, who all his life preached monotheism, and summarised the Holy Qur'an in his poetry," he said. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed concern on Thursday over orchestrated efforts by certain forces that aim to spread false narratives that are detrimental to the country. While acknowledging that the number of such individuals is small, he emphasised the need to remain vigilant. Dhankhar raised concerns about those who protest against being summoned by law-enforcement agencies, emphasising that no one is exempt from the law. He said a clear message has been given in the last few years that the law applies to everyone, regardless of their status or background. "I can tell you that these (protests on streets in response to legal issues) changes are taking place in the last few years. No one is above the law. The long arm of law will reach you. Some people in the country have taken to themselves that 'we are above law'. "If 'X' is summoned by a regulatory agency, how can you take to the streets ...," Dhankhar said at the convocation of the Jammu University here. Asserting that there is zero tolerance to corruption, he said everyone will be accountable to law. Also Read VP Dhankhar arrives in Delhi after attending King Charles's coronation Next 25 years crucial for India, says Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar PIL in Bombay HC against Dhankhar, Rijiju for recent remarks over judiciary Tarnishing India's image on foreign land should be forbidden: VP Dhankhar Dhankhar vs SC: Congress cites Naidu's remark that Constitution is supreme Air conditioning in India can raise emissions by 120 mn tonnes by 2050 Bihar Guv Arlekar inaugurates G20 labour engagement group meet in Patna Sri Lankan Navy arrests 22 Indian fishermen, seizes their boats Musk eager to bring satellite broadband 'Starlink' to India, Ambani resists Opposition parties to meet in Patna tomorrow; check who all are attending "Stakeholders in corruption will get all forces together to get an escape route. The good thing is that all their escape routes have been plugged. There is zero tolerance for corruption. The message is loud and clear. You may be anyone or having any identity or lineage, you are accountable to law. The mechanism is transparent and accountable and effective," he said. Referring to an episode involving Time magazine about ChatGTP, the vice president stressed that if the silent majority chooses to remain silent, their voice may be silenced forever. He urged all citizens to actively embrace nationalism and not underestimate the gravity of these sinister designs that seek to undermine India's growth story. Protecting the country's progress from impediments is of utmost importance, he added. "It is ironic that false narratives are set afloat in an orchestrated manner by forces that are inimical to this country. Some of us do not take it seriously. Their number is small. I was enthused by what the lieutenant governor (of Jammu and Kashmir) said about Time magazine. I will reflect on another episode focussed on Time magazine. It was a cover story. If the silent majority decides to remain silent, it may be silenced forever," he said. Dhankhar appealed to people to use their mind, activate their nationalism and not to take lightly these erroneous designs communicated in a sinister manner to run down India's growth story. "We cannot allow it to be impeded," he said. The vice president underscored the country's remarkable achievements and called upon the citizens to take pride in its accomplishments. Emphasising the country's rising stature as the mother of the oldest democracy, he expressed his belief that India's progress is unstoppable. He encouraged everyone to make their voices heard, particularly during times when global events shape the world like never before. He expressed concern over a small faction of individuals attempting to tarnish and demean the nation's institutions, stressing the importance of addressing such behaviour. "Our rise is unstoppable. I urge and call on you to take pride in our achievements when all is going well and the world looks toward the leader of the biggest democracy, which is the mother of world democracies. These are the days when we have to make our voice clear to the world," he said. Without naming anyone, Dhankhar said, "It is a cause of concern and worry when some of us, a small category of people, try to tarnish, demean and decry our institutions. How can we ignore it? We cannot allow historic achievements to be run down. The Centre has requested the Maharashtra government for its consent to hand over the control of Dr B R Ambedkar's house in London to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), an official said on Thursday. The file has been submitted for approval, the official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) told PTI. The 3.1 million pound three-storey house located on King Henry's Road in north London was purchased by the state government in 2015 to turn it into a museum. In 2020, the house was converted into a museum and thrown open to public. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, lived in the house in 1921-22. The CMO official said, "The MEA has requested the state government to give consent to hand over control of Dr Ambedkar's home in London to it." The 2,050 square feet residential property in London went up for sale through an estate agent in 2014. Also Read Dr Ambedkar Jayanti 2023: Know his early life, education, sayings and more Unveiling of Ambedkar's 125-ft statue in Hyderabad to be grand affair Culture of forcing silence, branding people anti-national dangerous: Kharge Real 'anti-nationals' are those misusing power to divide Indians: Sonia Law Commission seeks information from govt on age of consent: Report Minerals Security Partnership: What is it, and why is it important? National Land Monetisation Corporation: What is it, and why was it needed? Delhi govt to introduce Cloud Kitchen Policy to boost state's economy Punjab announces Rs 300 cr incentive to promote use of electric vehicles There should be no hate politics in providing rice to poor: Siddaramaiah The Federation of Ambedkarites and Buddhist Organisation (FABO) UK had written to the Indian government to urge them to purchase it as a historically important monument. The decision for Maharashtra to purchase the house was later cleared by the Narendra Modi-led government. Ambedkar, who died in 1956 at the age of 65, was posthumously conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1990. A growing number of Korean students are heading overseas to study medicine as competition intensifies in their home country, and Hungary has emerged as the most popular destination. According to the Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination Institute, 409 people took the Korean medical license exam from 2001 to 2023 after studying abroad. Of the 247 or 60.4 percent who passed, 119 of them had studied in Hungary, followed by 106 in the Philippines, 38 in Uzbekistan, 23 in the U.K. and 22 in Germany. As recently as the early 2000s, the preferred overseas destination for aspiring Korean doctors was the Philippines, where English is a lingua franca, but the preference shifted to Hungary from 2015. Saudi Arabias Ministry of Investment (MISA) has signed five Memoranda of Understanding and cooperation agreements across trade, technology and entrepreneurship sectors with Estonia. A Saudi-Estonian business council was also formed as Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment for Saudi Arabia, concluded a two-day official visit to Estonia. The Minister had led a Saudi business delegation to Estonia to bolster strategic partnerships and explore mutually beneficial investment opportunities at the Estonian-Saudi Investment Forum. The agreements *A cooperation agreement between the Federation of Saudi Chambers and the Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the establishment of a Business Council. *A Memorandum of Understanding between Saudis Shammal Commercial Investment Company and Estonian DeepTech startup GScan to establish a Joint Venture and to introduce Muon Flux Technology to Saudi Arabia. *An agreement between the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabias (MISA) entrepreneurship sector department and Estonian Computer Numerical Control machine manufacturer 5.0 Robotics to establish a framework of support to explore opportunities for expansion in Saudi Arabia. *A cooperation agreement between MISA and Estonian autonomous system developer Auve Tech to establish a strategic partnership to share expertise and explore manufacturing options in the region. *An agreement with capital management firm Rigel Capital and Estonian autonomous delivery innovator Clevon to support expansion of innovative last-mile autonomous technology and the establishment of a Clevon Academy branch in Saudi Arabia. Estonian-Saudi Investment Forum The Estonian-Saudi Investment Forum opened the gates for government officials and private sector leaders to explore mutually beneficial investment opportunities in sectors such as technology, startups and the energy transition through a series of presentations, panel sessions and a B2B networking session. Al-Falih met several high-level government officials and private sector leaders including Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Minister of Economic Affairs and Information Technology Tiit Riisalo and Minister of Regional Affairs Madis Kallas to identify avenues for enhancing bilateral relations. The Minister of Investments visit follows eight official visits over the past 24 months between both nations, most recently with the Governor of Saudi Arabias Digital Government Authority (DGA) Eng Ahmed Mohammed Al-Suwayans visit to Estonia in May where he held a series of meetings on bilateral cooperation and expertise exchange. Trade between Saudi Arabia and Estonia reached $412 million in 2022.-- TradeArabia News Service The crisis in Manipur has prompted the state government to invoke the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBIs) riot-relief measures that allow banks to restructure loans with at least one year of moratorium and grant consumption loans, among others. According to the Manipur governments notification, the governor has declared that as the riots affected economic activities and livelihood of the majority of the public, relief measures are taken up under the RBIs (relief measures in banks in areas affected by Natural Calamities) direction 2018, chapter VII, Riots and Disturbances: Applicability of Guidelines. The RBI norms state that short-term crop loans can be restructured for riot-affected borrowers with a maximum repayment period of two years, including one year of moratorium if the loss is between 33 and 50 per cent. If the crop loss is more than 50 per cent, the five-year repayment period may be extended up to a maximum of five years, including the one-year moratorium period. The restructured portion of the short-term as well as long-term loans may be treated as current dues and need not be classified as non-performing assets, the norms said. The rules allow banks not to insist on additional collateral security for such restructured loans. In the event of large-scale riots where most parts of the state/area are affected and the state administration is not in a position to identify the riot/disturbance-affected persons and subject to state-level bankers committee specific decision, the onus of identifying genuine persons will rest with banks, the norms said. Also Read As Manipur reels from violence, home minister Shah to visit the state today Shielding governance failure will not resolve Manipur's problems Tribal protest in Manipur turns violent; curfew imposed, internet suspended 'Not consulted over CM's presence': Kuki members to boycott peace committee Manipur violence: Long-standing issue of ST status for Meitei torches state Why GE plan to make fighter jet engines in India a big deal: Details here IIT Kanpur successfully conducts test flight for cloud seeding: Report 500,000 people hit, one dead as flood situation in Assam worsens: Official Success stories of Indian-Americans define limitless possibilities: Biden Indian defence industry showcases capabilities to delegation from Thailand Banks can also extend grant consumption loans up to Rs 10,000 to existing borrowers without any collateral. The limit can be enhanced beyond Rs 10,000 at the banks discretion. The Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) is a global initiative by the US to bolster critical mineral supply chains. It is also known as the critical minerals alliance. It was announced by the US and other key partner countries in June 2022 with an aim to ensure that critical minerals are produced, processed and recycled in a way that helps countries secure a stable supply of critical minerals for their economies. It also aims to weaken China's grip on supplies of critical minerals worldwide. The focus is primarily on the supply chains of critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, lithium and the 17 "rare earth" minerals. However, India is not a part of this partnership. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ongoing state visit to the US is expected to see a discussion on India's possible entry into the global alliance on critical minerals. Officials said various ministries, including the Ministry of Finance, have communicated to the Ministry of External Affairs to explore the possibility of India joining the partnership. Also Read India, Australia to invest $3 mn each in critical mineral exploration PM Modi's US visit: India's entry into critical mineral alliance on table Of metals and rare earths Imported drugs for rare diseases to be exempt from customs duty India vs Australia 3rd Test Day 2 Stumps: Lyon's 8-64 demolishes IND to 163 National Land Monetisation Corporation: What is it, and why was it needed? Delhi govt to introduce Cloud Kitchen Policy to boost state's economy Punjab announces Rs 300 cr incentive to promote use of electric vehicles There should be no hate politics in providing rice to poor: Siddaramaiah India records 95 Covid-19 cases in a day, active infections dip to 1,784 An official said, "The issue will be discussed during the Prime Minister's visit. Officials will explore preparatory talks on the subject. As newer manufacturing verticals are established in India, sourcing many critical minerals in large volumes will become necessary. We expect dependence on any one country to become a key challenge then." Critical minerals A critical mineral is a mineral resource that is essential to the economy and has high economic vulnerability and high global supply chain risk. Critical minerals have a supply chain at risk of disruption. They are used to manufacture advanced technologies, such as mobile phones, tablets, electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, fibre optic cables, and defence and medical applications. Many critical minerals, including rare earth minerals and metals such as lithium, gallium, tellurium, and indium, are central to high-tech sectors. Rare earth (RE) comprises 17 elements which are classified as light RE elements (LREE) and heavy RE elements (HREE). Individual countries develop their own list of critical minerals depending on the importance of particular minerals in the industrial sector and the strategic assessment of supply risks. Also Read: PM Modi's US visit: India's entry into critical mineral alliance on table The major critical minerals are graphite, lithium and cobalt. They are critical for making semiconductors and high-end electronics manufacturing. They are also used in manufacturing fighter jets, drones, and radio sets. Top producers of critical minerals According to the International Energy Agency, the major producers of critical minerals are China, Congo, Chile, Indonesia, South Africa, and Australia. China has global dominance in terms of processing. Rare earth minerals Rare earth minerals are a set of 17 metallic elements, which includes scandium, yttrium, and the 15 lanthanides (15 metallic chemical elements with atomic numbers 5771, from lanthanum to lutetium). Rare earth minerals are necessary components of a wide range of applications such as cellular telephones, flat-screen monitors and televisions, and electric vehicles. The amount of rare earth minerals used in a product is significantly less, but it can be necessary for the device to function. Countries part of the MSP Japan, Australia, Finland, the US, Germany, the UK, Canada, the Republic of Korea, France, Sweden, and the European Union are part of the Minerals Security Partnership, India's concerns Some rare earth elements available in India are: neodymium, lanthanum, cerium, samarium, and praseodymium. Some elements classified as heavy RE elements, such as dysprosium, terbium, and europium, are not available in the country in extractable quantities. It relies heavily on China for HREE. India has recently witnessed a shift from public and private transport to electric vehicles. This underlines the need to secure the supply of critical minerals. India needs a multi-dimensional mineral policy to address the issues posed by the uneven distribution of rare earth elements, the Economic Survey 2022-23 had pointed out. India-Australia Critical Minerals Investment Partnership India and Australia decided to strengthen their partnership in the field of projects and supply chains for critical minerals under the Australia-India Critical Minerals Investment Partnership. In March 2022, Australia allocated $5.8 million to the three-year partnership. Under this partnership, India can take resources from Australia to meet the growing demand for critical minerals to help India's space and defence industries and the manufacture of electric vehicles. According to a statement released by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, the companies and institutions in Australia will partner with India to supply critical minerals, export services and technology to "process, refine, recover, and recycle critical minerals, help with mineral exploration in India, carry out joint research projects, and support India's mining-related environmental management". In July 2022, the Union minister for parliamentary affairs, coal and mines, Pralhad Joshi, visited Australia for a six-day tour to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. A statement released by the Ministry of Mines said, "as part of its larger mission to transition to clean sources of energy, India is set to move a step closer to realising its ambition to develop secure, robust, and commercially viable strategic critical minerals". Monsoon set in over parts of Odisha on Thursday, due to which heavy rains are likely in the state over the next four-five days, the weather office said. The southwest monsoon has covered parts of Malkangiri, Koraput and Gajapati district, and the conditions are favourable for further advancement during the next two days, it said. Fairly widespread to widespread rain and thundershower are likely during the next four-five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. "Temporary water logging is likely in some low-lying areas, and traffic congestion in urban areas," it said, advising farmers to prepare for sowing of paddy crops and take precautionary measures for lightning strikes. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely on Friday in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Puri, Ganjam and Kandhamal, it said. Thunderstorm with lightning is also likely in Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj, it added. Also Read Monsoon rains over Kerala likely in next 48 hours, says IMD forecast 2023 monsoon to be 'normal'; NW India might get 'below normal' rains: IMD IMD disagrees with Skymet, says India will have a normal monsoon this year 17 flights diverted from Delhi airport as heavy rains lashes parts of NCR Stalled monsoon in India likely to gain momentum in 3-4 days: IMD officials TRAI consultation on encouraging innovative tech via regulatory sandbox President confers National Florence Nightingale Awards for 2022, 2023 Rajasthan women to get 50% rebate on fares across all roadways buses PM Kisan mobile app with face authentication feature launched today Article 370 was temporary but lasted for 70 years: Vice President Dhankhar State capital Bhubaneswar received pre-monsoon showers during the day, recording 90.4 mm rainfall by 2.30 pm. After nearly a year of being established, the National Land Monetisation Corporation is preparing its groundwork to auction assets for the first time. The company was established as a part of the government's asset monetisation programme to fully utilise and monetise unused land owned by the centre. Here is everything you need to know about the company, its incorporation, and its purpose. What is the National Land Monetisation Corporation? The National Land Monetisation Corporation (NLMC) was conceptualised in the Union Budget 2021-22 and approved by the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9, 2022. Officially incorporated in June 2022, the NLMC is a special purpose vehicle (SPV) wholly owned by the government of India that is undertaking the monetisation of surplus lands and building assets of the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and other government agencies. This means that the government is identifying and either selling or finding an alternative way to monetise its properties with little to no business activities. Why was the NLMC needed? Many CPSEs currently possess non-core assets such as land and buildings that are surplus, unused, or under-utilised. For CPSEs undergoing strategic disinvestment or closure, monetising these assets to realise their value is crucial. The NLMC aims to support and facilitate the monetisation process of such assets. Therefore, it will enable the productive utilisation of under-utilised assets and help stimulate private sector investments, foster new economic activities, boost local economies, and generate financial resources for economic & social infrastructure. Also Read A first: NLMC prepares groundwork for DRT-like bid of assets by September Where is the National Monetisation Pipeline headed? FinMin invites applications to appoint CEO and chairperson of NLMC TMS Ep337: Markets, 2023 outlook, monetisation pipeline, census Govt asks BSNL and MTNL to identify low-value assets for monetisation Delhi govt to introduce Cloud Kitchen Policy to boost state's economy Punjab announces Rs 300 cr incentive to promote use of electric vehicles There should be no hate politics in providing rice to poor: Siddaramaiah India records 95 Covid-19 cases in a day, active infections dip to 1,784 Two, including a juvenile, held over involvement in CoWIN data 'leak' Role and responsibilities of NLMC The NLMC is responsible for owning, managing, and monetising surplus land and building assets of CPSEs under closure and surplus non-core land assets of government-owned CPSEs under strategic disinvestment. By taking over these assets, the NLMC aims to expedite the closure process of CPSEs and streamline the strategic disinvestment of government-owned CPSEs. The corporation will also guide and support other government entities, including CPSEs, in identifying surplus non-core assets and monetising them professionally and efficiently to maximise their value. In cases involving ongoing CPSEs and listed CPSEs under strategic disinvestment, the NLMC will undertake surplus land asset monetisation as an agency function. It is expected that the NLMC will become a repository of best practices in land monetisation and offer advice to the government on implementing asset monetisation programs. Management and leadership of NLMC The Department of Public Enterprise under the Ministry of Finance was responsible for establishing the NLMC and serving as its administrative ministry. According to the Ministry of Finance, in 2022, the Union Cabinet decided that the board of directors for NLMC would consist of senior Central government officers and experienced experts to ensure professional operations and management. The chairman and non-government directors of the NLMC would be appointed through a merit-based selection process. For specialised roles, the ministry was instructed to hire skilled professionals from the private sector for roles such as real estate market research, legal due diligence, valuation, master planning, investment banking, land management, and related areas; the NLMC plans to hire professionals from the private sector. The government had appointed a joint secretary to the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), Sanjay Kumar Jain, as the interim chief executive officer (CEO) of NLMC. The finance minister opened an application for a full-time CEO position in May. The selection of a chairman, CEO and board-level members will be made by a search-cum-selection-committee (SCSC) under the chairmanship of the cabinet secretary. Like other specialised government companies, such as the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and Invest India, the NLMC operates as a lean organisation with minimal full-time staff. Funding and budget The firm received an initial authorised share capital of Rs 5,000 crore and a paid-up share capital of Rs 150 crore. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday discussed G20 efforts to strengthen multilateral development banks (MDBs) to address the global challenges of the 21st century. Sitharaman, who attended the Paris summit on 'New Global Financing Pact', participated in a round table on 'Evolving the model of MDBs to address 21st-century challenges', a finance ministry tweet said. The Union finance minister highlighted the contribution of the G20 India Presidency on Capital Adequacy Framework (CAF) reforms and the G20 Expert Group on strengthening MDBs. "FM Smt. @nsitharaman discussed #G20 efforts to #strengthenMDBs to address the global challenges of 21st century. Work on #CAF recommendations will enable #MDBs to utilise their existing resources more effectively," the tweet said. An expert group is examining how the lending capacity of the MDBs can be substantially enhanced to help developing nations meet sustainable development goals (SDGs) and eliminate poverty. The finance minister shared that the Paris Summit front-runs the G20 New Delhi Summit and CoP 28 Summit. Also Read Three-day-long G20 event in Kashmir to begin today: All you need to know Crisis in multilateralism affecting developing nations most: PM at G20 meet G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting: Guests welcomed with dance performance G20 foreign ministers' meeting today: Schedule, agenda, other details here LIVE: Blinken asks for 'contact' with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Monsoon hits Odisha, heavy rains likely over next 4-5 days, says IMD TRAI consultation on encouraging innovative tech via regulatory sandbox President confers National Florence Nightingale Awards for 2022, 2023 Rajasthan women to get 50% rebate on fares across all roadways buses PM Kisan mobile app with face authentication feature launched today The momentum will fuel ongoing efforts in addressing development and transboundary challenges faced by humanity, the tweet said. From the first edition of The Ten Principal Upanishads for US President Joe Biden, to an eco-friendly lab-grown diamond for First Lady Jill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to the White House on Thursday bearing gifts showcasing the diverse culture of India. The PM gifted Biden a copy of the first edition print of the book The Ten Principal Upanishads published by Faber and Faber of London, according to a list of gifts put out by the government. In 1937, Irish poet and dramatist WB Yeats had published an English translation of the Upanishads, co-authored with Purohit Swami, a teacher from Maharashtra. The US President also received a special sandalwood box with intricately carved flora and fauna patterns handcrafted from Jaipur while the sandalwood was sourced from Mysore, Karnataka. The box contained a silver idol of Lord Ganesh made by a fifth-generation member of a silversmith family from Kolkata. It also contained an oil lamp, and a copper plate. The PM gifted an eco-friendly lab-grown 7.5 carat diamond to US First Lady Jill Biden. The diamond reflects earth-mined chemical and optical properties and was placed in a box made of Kashmirs famous papier-mache called Kar-e-Kalamdani. As a special nod to the age of octogenarian Biden, the box also contained the 10 danams (donations) traditionally made for this occasion. This is mentioned in the Vaikhanas Grihya Sutram in the Yajurveda, the ancient Vedic Sanskrit text compiling the list of offerings. Media reports quoting the The White House said the PM was gifted a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th century. Also Read Biden falls onstage at graduation ceremony; White House says he's 'fine' From marinated millets to stuffed mushrooms, White House menu for PM Modi Day 1 of PM Modi's US trip: From EVs to space; here's what was discussed From green-diamonds to Robert Frost poems: Gifts that Modi, Biden exchanged Together we stand stronger: PM Modi as he leaves for US on 1st state visit Sky not the limit for India-US partnership, says PM Narendra Modi For partnership between India and US, 'even sky is not the limit': PM Modi New chapter added to Indo-US ties, says PM Modi after talks with Biden Success of Modi doctrine in diplomacy: Shah on PM's White House welcome Manipur crisis prompts state to invoke RBI's riot relief measures Biden also gifted Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastmans patent of the first Kodak camera. A hardcover book of American wildlife photography and a signed, first edition copy of Collected Poems of Robert Frost was also given to Modi. The gifts were handed over at an intimate dinner at the White House. hosted by the Bidens on Wednesday. Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister, Narendra Singh Tomar, has launched the PM Kisan mobile app with a face authentication feature, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme. The app aims to resolve difficulties related to Aadhaar verification and updating bank account details on the PM Kisan Portal through effective use of digital public goods. Through the app, farmers can complete electronic know your customer (e-KYC) processes remotely by scanning their face. This eliminated the need for one time passwords (OTPs) or fingerprint verification. Furthermore, the app enables farmers to assist up to 100 other farmers in completing their e-KYC from home. The government has extended the e-KYC ability to state government officers, enabling them to complete the process for up to 500 farmers. The department has also collaborated with India Post Payment Bank (IPPB) to open Aadhaar-linked bank accounts for beneficiaries and urged Common Service Centers (CSCs) to organise village-level e-KYC camps with the help of states and union territories. During the launch event held at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi, thousands of farmers, government officials, and representatives of agricultural organisations were virtually connected. In his address, Tomar stated that the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, which provides income support to farmers, has allowed around 85 million farmers to receive scheme instalments after completing their KYC. This platform also provides complete data to the central and state governments, ensuring smooth data verification for farmer benefits. Also Read PM-Kisan grows from strength to strength amid calls for raising the amount A MeitY move: Aadhaar validation by private entities gets green signal ChatGPT arrives on Apple App store for iPhones: Everything you need to know 43% mobile users 'confused' or 'unclear' about app tracking: Report Twitter's two-factor authentication moves behind paywall effective today Article 370 was temporary but lasted for 70 years: Vice President Dhankhar Indian diaspora gathers to witness PM Modi's welcome at White House Zootorium to come up in Chennai zoo at an outlay of Rs 4.3 cr: TN govt Power sector transforms into surplus from deficit in nine years: R K Singh 1st abort mission of 'Gaganyaan' to be conducted in August-end: Isro chief Tomar also urged all state governments to expedite the process to reach all eligible beneficiaries and achieve the set targets. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Kailash Choudhary, expressed that the agriculture sector is benefiting from technology, and the new app will provide added convenience to farmers. As stated by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, the PM Kisan scheme is one of the world's largest direct benefit transfer (DBT) schemes, where farmers receive Rs 6,000 annually directly into their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts in three instalments. Over 110 million farmers, including more than 30 million women, have received a total of Rs 2.42 trillion through the scheme. The PM Kisan mobile app is available for download on the Google play store. It provides important information about the scheme and PM Kisan accounts, including land seeding status, Aadhaar linking with bank accounts, and e-KYC using the no-user status module. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in the US for a three-day state visit, has gifted an eco-friendly lab-grown 7.5 carat diamond, placed in Kashmir's exquisite Papier mch box, to the US First Lady Jill Biden. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted the prime minister for an intimate dinner at the White House, during which they discussed a range of issues, exchanged gifts and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. "Bharat Ka Heera! (India's diamond) PM@NarendraModi ji gifts this beautiful eco-friendly lab-grown diamond, placed in Kashmir's exquisite Papier mch box to the U.S First Lady @FLOTUS," commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said in a tweet. The diamond is eco-friendly as resources like solar and wind power were used in its making. The green diamond is sculpted with precision and care using cutting edge technology. It emits only 0.028 grams of carbon per carat and is certified by the Gemological Lab, IGI (International Gemological Institute). India is promoting manufacturing of lab-grown diamond (LGD) in the country and for that the government announced steps in the last Union Budget. The government had announced elimination of customs duty on LGD seeds from 5 per cent earlier. It also approved a five-year research grant to the Indian Institutes of Technology, Madras to encourage the indigenous production of LGD machinery, seeds and recipe. Also Read Biden falls onstage at graduation ceremony; White House says he's 'fine' US Prez Joe Biden's family to host intimate dinner for PM Modi on June 21 Indian, Israel, US researchers developing drug for GNB1 Encephalopathy Centre releases Rs 22.20 cr for treatment of patients with rare diseases Bihar Cabinet approves Rs 309 cr for construction of AIIMS-Darbhanga Subtle shift in India's position on Ukraine and Russia: US official From green-diamonds to Robert Frost poems: Gifts that Modi, Biden exchanged BJP official murdered by suspected Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur Retired Allahabad HC judge Umesh Kumar appointed chairman of DERC: Delhi LG PM Modi invites Micron to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India It is proposed to establish an India Centre for Lab-grown Diamond (InCent-LGD) at IIT Madras with the estimated cost of Rs 242.96 crore over 5 years. Lab-grown diamonds are produced through two technologies - High-Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD). India is one of the leading producers of these diamonds using CVD technology. As per industry estimates, India's share in its global trade in the financial year 2021-22 was 25.8 per cent. However, India has to depend on other countries for the supply of critical machinery components and seeds -- which are the raw materials for producing synthetic diamonds. The aim of this (InCent-LGD) project is to provide, in mission mode, technical assistance to the industries, and entrepreneurs in the country, in promoting indigenous manufacturing of both CVD and HPHT systems along with the recipes for expanding the LGD business at the upstream end. Besides the jewellery industry, lab-grown diamonds are used in computer chips, satellites, and 5G networks as they can be used in extreme environments due to their potential to operate at higher speeds while using less power than silicon-based chips. LGD has a vast application in the field of defence, optics, jewellery, thermal and medical industry. The lab-grown diamond jewellery market is expected to rapidly rise to USD 5 billion by 2025 and exceed USD 15 billion by 2035. The exports of cut and polished (worked) lab-grown diamonds stood at USD 1.4 billion during April-December 2022-23. It was USD 1.35 billion in 2021-22. On the other hand, Kashmir's Papier mch involves meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs. It has a GI (Geographical Indication) tag. A GI is primarily a sign of authenticity of an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory. Typically, such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness, which is essentially attributable to the place of its origin. There is a proper process of registration of GI products, which includes filing of application, preliminary scrutiny and examination, show-cause notice, publication in the geographical indications journal, opposition to registration, and registration. Any association of persons, producers, organisation or authority established by or under the law can apply. The applicant must represent the interest of the producers. It is a legal right under which the GI holder can prohibit others from using the same name. Once a product gets this tag, any person or company cannot sell a similar item under that name. This tag is valid for a period of 10 years following which it can be renewed. The other benefits of GI registration include legal protection to that item, prevention against unauthorised use by others, and promoting exports. The famous goods which carry this tag include Basmati rice, Darjeeling Tea, Chanderi Fabric, Mysore Silk, Kullu Shawl, Kangra Tea, Thanjavur Paintings, Allahabad Surkha, Farrukhabad Prints, Lucknow Zardozi and Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving. The US Department of Defence (DoD) and the Ministry of Defense launched the India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) at an event in Washington DC, on Thursday. The program seeks to "expand the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation" between the two countries. The INDUS X event was co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the Ministry of Defence, and the US Department of Defence. Under the program, Indian and US defence firms seek to identify opportunities to establish formal and informal mentoring with start-ups to assist with market access and technology know-how. Further, Indian and US defence firms could explore options for supply chain collaborations with start-ups. The event showcased innovative technologies by Indian and US start-ups. 15 Indian start-ups and 10 US start-ups showcased their technologies in the domains of maritime, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and space to Indian and US stakeholders. With support from our governments, closer cooperation between our private sectors and research institutions will catalyze innovation within our defense industrial bases, the US Department of Defence said. Through INDUS-X, we will strengthen ties between our defense industrial ecosystems to make them more innovative, accessible, and resilient. INDUS X has the potential to be a catalyst for India to achieve its target of $5 billion in defense exports by 2025, and for India to diversify its defense supply chain, the US Chamber of Commerce said. Ahead of his state visit to the US, Prime Minister Modi had called the defence cooperation between the two countries an important pillar of partnership. PM Modi and President Joe Biden are expected to sign an agreement on the joint manufacture of GE-F414 fighter jet engines and the sale of armed MQ-9B Predator drones, both a first for a non-military ally of the US. (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States may encourage more American companies to consider investing in the South Asian country as they look to reduce their reliance on China for manufacturing-related activities. The United States is the third largest source of foreign investment for India, with over $60 billion invested between 2000 and 2023, according to official data. Following are some recent investment announcements, mostly by U.S. companies: TESLA Elon Musk said Modi was pushing the electric-car maker to make a "significant investment" in the country, adding that such an announcement was expected soon. MICRON TECHNOLOGY Also Read May 'temple of democracy' continue strengthening India's development: PM Narendra Modi can become first Indian PM to address US Congress twice PM Modi's US visit may encourage more American firms to invest in India PM Modi, Kishida discuss cooperation in green hydrogen, semiconductors PM holds meeting with top ministers to discuss strategy for Budget session Five key priorities of G20 tourism track endorsed by all member countries Calcutta HC directs EC to deploy more Central forces than in 2013 After yrs of ties, US-India partnership deep, expansive: Jill Biden From marinated millets to stuffed mushrooms, White House menu for PM Modi Delhi govt to create 600,000 jobs through conforming industrial areas: CM India's cabinet approved the chipmaker's $2.7 billion plan for a new semiconductor testing and packaging unit, a senior government source said, ahead of Modi's state visit to the United States. Modi met Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra in Washington on Wednesday and invited the company to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India, the Indian government said in a statement on Thursday. Boeing The aircraft-maker plans to invest about $24 million in India to set up a logistics centre for airplane parts. The announcement preceded the company bagging an order for 220 jets from Air India. AMAZON.COM Amazon Web Services said it planned to invest $13 billion in India by 2030 to build its cloud infrastructure and create thousands of jobs APPLE The U.S. tech giant opened its stores in Mumbai and Delhi in April. It has been trying to make India a bigger manufacturing base and has started manufacturing several products there through contract electronics makers Foxconn, Wistron Corp and Pegatron Corp During his visit to India in April, CEO Tim Cook said Apple was "committed to growing and investing across the country." FOXCONN The Taiwanese contract manufacturer plans to invest $500 million to set up manufacturing plants in the south Indian state of Telangana and almost $968 million in neighbouring Karnataka. The investments are expected to create more than 70,000 jobs, Indian officials have said. The Apple supplier also plans to build a factory in India to manufacture AirPods, Apple's wireless earphones. CISCO SYSTEMS The U.S. networking equipment maker will begin manufacturing from India as it looks to diversify its global supply chain. It has set a target of $1 billion in production and exports from India over the next few years. WALMART The retail giant's CEO met Modi during his India visit last month and reiterated that the company planned exports from India worth $10 billion a year by 2027. GENERAL ELECTRIC Modi invited General Electric to play a "greater role" in aviation and renewable energy sectors in India in a meeting with CEO Lawrence Culp on Wednesday, the Indian government said. APPLIED MATERIALS Modi invited Applied Materials to contribute towards strengthening the "semiconductor ecosystem" in India and developing "process technology and advanced packaging capabilities" in a meeting with CEO Gary Dickerson in Washington on Wednesday. (Reporting by Sakshi Dayal, Shivam Patel in New Delhi, and Akash Sriram and Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; editing by Eileen Soreng) The Africa Energy Forum (aef) kicked off in Nairobi, Kenya its first time in Africa as part of its 25th anniversary celebration at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). The forum which was organized by EnergyNet and officially endorsed by Kenyas President Dr William Ruto will run from June 20th to 23rd 2023. The aef, widely recognized as the premier gathering of decision-makers in African energy, has been instrumental in forming partnerships, identifying opportunities, and driving the industry forward over the past 24 years. Kenyas experience of energy sector potential, policies, investment opportunities and projects exemplify the huge possibilities within the African energy and climate action complex. Decades ago, Kenya boldly invested in the development of its renewable energy potential at a time when it was not fashionable to do so, said President Ruto. The decision has paid off: Renewable sources form 73 % of our installed electricity generation capacity, accounting for over 90% of electricity generated and distributed in the country, he added. Simon Gosling, MD of EnergyNet, said, We are thrilled to bring the Africa Energy Forum to mainland Africa for the first time, marking this special 25th anniversary. This edition will provide an unparalleled platform for stakeholders to connect, collaborate, and drive the continents energy agenda forward. As it enters its 25th edition, the aef promises to deliver an extraordinary experience for participants, fostering dialogue and promoting collaboration among governments, regulators, utilities, development finance institutions, commercial banks, power developers, technology providers, EPCs, and professional services. KenGen, Kenyas largest power producer, is the host of this years event. Under the theme "Africa for Africa", this year's agenda will prioritise strategic areas such as mining, hydrogen, connectivity, and the "Just Transition", to advancing projects, partnerships, and business development in the energy sector. Adam Cortese, CEO of Sun Africa said, We are at the forefront of clean energy in Africa. With our unmatched technical expertise, supply chain capabilities, best-in-class EPC partners, and access to capital, we deliver clean energy solutions with market-leading costs and efficiency, from utility-scale installations all the way down to microgrids. Clean energy is at the core of Sun Africas commercial strategy. We deliver clean energy solutions to our partners by providing our partners with vast technical expertise, best in class EPC partners and access to capital. Our solutions have market leading costs and efficiency, including utility scale installations and microgrids, he added. Best known for organizing the aef, EnergyNet has established itself as the premier business development meeting place for senior-level decision-makers in Africas power sector. With a long-standing record, the aef brings together key stakeholders to discuss, debate, and shape the future of the continents power industry. Running alongside aef, the Youth Energy Summit (YES!) will return for its second edition, dedicated to empowering and equipping the next generation of African energy leaders. YES! will gather over 1,000 participants, including early career professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and educators, to enhance their skills, connections, and business readiness to accelerate access to reliable energy across the continent. Through partnerships with various universities across Africa, YES! aims to engage students and educators in dialogue, better-preparing graduates for todays fast-moving workforce. This year, with the support of key partnerships spanning corporates, foundations, NGOs, universities, and sector initiatives, YES! can showcase its credentials alongside aef on home soil. A noteworthy addition to this years event is the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), joining as the events first foundational partner. Comprising philanthropists, local entrepreneurs, governments, technology enablers, policymakers, and finance partners, GEAPP aims to support developing countries shift to a clean energy, pro-growth model that ensures universal energy access and economic development. Attendees at the aef will have the opportunity to engage with stakeholders and decision-makers from across the continent and around the world. They can participate in high-level panel discussions, interactive workshops, and talks covering a wide range of themes and issues, including the expansion of renewables in Africa, overcoming barriers to energy transition in the mining sectors, and Africas potential to become a global hydrogen powerhouse. Africa Energy Forum will cover a range of exciting themes and topics vital to the African energy sector. With engaging panel discussions and insightful topics, attendees can expect a packed agenda filled with knowledge sharing and valuable insights for the African energy sector. The increasing pace and scale of renewable energy projects in Africa and project pipelines will be explored, as well as the growing role of Africas gas resources in todays geopolitical context. Discussions and talks will also focus on breaking down barriers to energy transition in the mining sector, the challenges and opportunities around capital flow and risk mitigation in todays markets and financing the African transition. This years event will also feature new streams that delve into two important topics: Mining, Critical Minerals and Energy and Hydrogen Africas Opportunity. By bringing together industry leaders, experts, policymakers, and stakeholders, the aef facilitates the exchange of ideas, best practices, and innovative approaches to address the continents energy challenges. Through these engagements, the aef aims to catalyse the development of sustainable energy projects, technologies, and policies that will contribute to the continents energy transition and support its economic growth and social development.-TradeArabia News Service Former Allahabad High Court judge Umesh Kumar was Wednesday appointed the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission chairman by the President, a move likely to fuel a fresh tussle between the LG and the AAP government as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had suggested another retired judge for the post. A late-night statement issued by the lieutenant governor's office said Justice Umesh Kumar (retired) has been appointed the DERC chairman by President Droupadi Murmu in the exercise of powers conferred by Section 45(b) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, read with sub-section 2 of Section 84 of the Electricity Act, 2003. Chief Minister Kejriwal had in January recommended the name of retired high court judge Rajeev Kumar Srivastava for appointment as the chairperson of the power regulator. The LG office statement, however, said the appointment of Umesh Kumar comes as Shrivastava expressed his inability to take the charge due to "family commitments and requirements" through a communication on June 15. Reacting sharply to the development, the Kejriwal government's power minister Atishi dubbed the appointment of Justice Kumar (retired) as "illegal and unconstitutional". The Supreme Court has repeatedly stated that on all subjects other than land, public order and police, the aid and advice of the elected government is binding, Atishi said in a statement. Also Read Delhi CM renominates retd Justice Rajiv Kumar Srivastava as DERC chief Delhi discoms approaches court over DERC-issued regulations: Official Atiq conviction: Judge, lawyers and ex-minister get additional security Delhi Deputy CM Sisodia asks LG to clear appointment of DERC chairman Judge seeks ED response on Satyendar Jain's plea to transfer his case PM Modi invites Micron to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India WB guv returns SEC's joining report to state govt ahead of panchayat polls Flood situation grim in Assam; nearly 120,000 people hit in 10 districts India, US launch INDUS-X for technology and defence industry partnership PM Modi's US visit may encourage more American firms to invest in India Electricity is a transferred subject falling under the jurisdiction of the elected government, she asserted. Atishi also said that the chief minister had recommended the name of Justice Sangeet Lodha (retired) for the post of the DERC chairperson on June 21. "The President wilfully ignored and overlooked the aid and advice of the elected government on a transferred subject and appointed someone else for this post. This unconstitutional and illegal decision by the Hon'ble President of India is extremely unfortunate and the Government of NCT of Delhi shall challenge this in the Hon'ble Supreme Court," the statement said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will convene an all-party meeting on June 24 in the national capital to discuss the situation in Manipur, Home Ministry Spokesperson said on Wednesday. The meeting is scheduled at 3 pm in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur. The announcement came hours after, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi said that the unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people in Manipur has "left a deep wound in the conscience of our nation" while appealing for peace and harmony in the state. As Manipur is still witnessing incidents like arson, the state government has extended the ban on the internet by five more days till June 25 with immediate effect in an effort to prevent further disturbance to peace. The data services have also been banned in view of the persisting unrest in the state. Violence gripped Manipur on May 3 after clashes erupted during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. Also Read As Manipur reels from violence, home minister Shah to visit the state today Tribal protest in Manipur turns violent; curfew imposed, internet suspended Shielding governance failure will not resolve Manipur's problems 'Not consulted over CM's presence': Kuki members to boycott peace committee Manipur violence: What is SoO pact Amit Shah warned of dissolving? Chandini Chowk, Majnu Ka Tila to be transformed into Delhi's food hubs Indian Olympic Association panel reschedules WFI elections to July 11 Protesting wrestlers want to train in US to prepare for Asian Games trials PM Modi pays tributes to fallen UN peacekeepers at Wall of Peace 3 civilians injured as SUV explodes in ethnic violence-hit Manipur "Further suspension of mobile data services/internet/data services including broadband services and internet/data services through VASTs of Bharatnet Phase-ll is further suspended in the territorial jurisdiction of the state of Manipur, except for those who have already been specifically exempted by the government and may be exempted subsequently and Internet Lease Line (ILL) on a case to basis as permitted by the competent authority," an order issued by Maniour government said on Tuesday, adding it is issued to prevent any disturbances of the peace and public order in the jurisdiction of the state. ALSO READ: Chip plant, fighter jets: A flurry of India-US deals as Modi, Biden meet India and the US upgraded their strategic partnership by a few crucial notches on the second day of Prime Minister Narendra Modis state visit to Washington, DC, with the signing of agreements spanning mega defence deals, semiconductors, critical minerals, cooperation in critical and emerging technology, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, telecommunications and space cooperation on Thursday. ALSO READ: Democracy is in our veins, no discrimination against minorities: PM Modi The US could introduce in-country renewable H-1B visas, and it will open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, while India will establish a mission in Seattle. ALSO READ: Apple, Google, Microsoft CEOs among those invited for PM Modi's dinner In reply to a question on human rights in India at the joint press conference after their delegation-level talks, US President Joe Biden said: Prime Minister (Modi) and I had a good discussion on democratic values. There is an overwhelming respect for each other because we are democracies. It is a common democratic character of both our countries our diversity, culture and open, tolerant debate. We believe in the dignity of every citizen. Also Read Biden falls onstage at graduation ceremony; White House says he's 'fine' EB-5 visa: What is it, who can apply and how it is different from H1-B visa US extends visa walk-in interview waiver for more applicants; check here H1-B visa deadline likely to get extended as users face technical glitches US visa threat before B'desh elections: Warning to faltering democracies For partnership between India and US, 'even sky is not the limit': PM Modi New chapter added to Indo-US ties, says PM Modi after talks with Biden Success of Modi doctrine in diplomacy: Shah on PM's White House welcome Manipur crisis prompts state to invoke RBI's riot relief measures Why GE plan to make fighter jet engines in India a big deal: Details here In an interview to a US private channel, former US president Barack Obama said that India might start pulling apart if the government did not protect the rights of minorities. Biden said bilateral trade had doubled over the past decade to more than $191 billion, supporting tens of thousands of good jobs in India and the United States. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said government benefits reached every citizen without any discrimination in India. Democracy is in our DNA, and we live it ...Theres no discrimination on the basis of caste, religion or region, he said. ALSO READ: India, US plan to send Indian astronaut to ISS in 2024: President Biden Additionally, the US President said that 1 million American jobs across 44 states would be supported by the purchase of more than 200 American-made Boeing aircraft by Air India. With this visit, Indian firms are announcing more than $2 billion in new investment in manufacturing and solar in Colorado, steel in Ohio, optic fibre in South Carolina and much more, proving that manufacturing in America is back, Biden said. Modi said India had decided to end all pending trade issues with the US and termed the transfer of technology to manufacture fighter jet engines in India a landmark agreement. He said Indias decision to join the Artemis Accord proved that even the sky is not the limit for India-US ties. Biden said the US would put an Indian in space in 2024. On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Biden said, Today we also talked about our shared efforts to mitigate the humanitarian tragedies unleashed by Russias brutal war in Ukraine and to defend the core principles of the UN Charter on sovereignty and territorial integrity. In both form and substance, the PMs visit has rivalled any undertaken by his predecessors, officials said. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill hosted him at an intimate dinner on Wednesday at the White House. On Thursday, Modi received a colourful White House South Lawn arrival ceremony, including a 21-gun salute, attended by 7,000 guests, held one-on-one talks with Biden, and subsequently the bilateral delegation-level talks. At the start of his talks with the US president, Modi said: India and the US are walking shoulder-to-shoulder from the depths of the ocean to heights of the sky, from ancient culture to artificial intelligence, adding that Biden's commitment to their bond has inspired his country to take bold and audacious steps. With the US trying to wean India from relying on Russia for its military equipment needs, imploring it to take an unambiguous stand on the Ukraine conflict, and play a more empowered role as a strategic counterweight to China, Biden described the India-US relationship as one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century. With your cooperation, we have strengthened the Quad for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Decades from now, people will look back and say that the Quad bent the arc of history for the global good, Biden said. The US President said the two countries are working together to eliminate poverty, expand access to healthcare, address climate change, and tackle food and energy insecurity triggered by the Russian war on Ukraine. He said the exchange of critical and emerging technology would be the pillar of the India-US next-generation partnership, which comes at a once-in-a-generation inflexion point in world affairs. The US President stressed the two countries could showcase the greatness of democratic values with their example and commitment to equality of law, freedom of expression, plurality, diversity of people, tolerance and opportunity for all. Modi said that a new world order was taking shape post-Covid, and the strong India-US strategic partnership was committed to the global good, peace, stability and prosperity. The PM said the US and India were based on democratic values, and both countries took pride in their diversity, echoing Biden that the constitution of both countries began with the three words We the People. Modi said this was the first time the gates of the White House had been opened for Indian-Americans in such large numbers and thanked the Bidens for the grand welcome ceremony at the White House, which was an honour and pride for the 1.4 billion people of India. On Wednesday, the PM participated in the Skilling For Future Event, organised by the National Science Foundation (NSF), where he said that for India and the US, it is important to ensure a pipeline of talent to maintain the momentum of growth. The US has the world's top educational institutions and advanced technologies, while India is the world's biggest yuva (youth) factory, Modi said. Later in the day, the PM was scheduled to address a joint Congress sitting, joining a select list of world leaders to have addressed it more than once. The Sri Lankan Navy arrested 22 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu as they were allegedly fishing in the countrys waters. According to the reports, the fishermen hailed from Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai and Nagapattinam districts. They were arrested from near Neduntheevu late on Wednesday. The Sri Lankan Navy also seized their four boats, and they were taken to Kankesanthurai for further legal action. The PMK founder condemned the arrest and tweeted, "The Sinhalese Navy has arrested 22 fishermen from Ramanathapuram district Mandapam and Pudukottai and Nagapattinam districts who were fishing in the Bay of Bengal. The 3 boats they used for fishing have also been confiscated. This inhuman violation perpetrated by the Sri Lankan Navy is strongly condemned! Sri Lankan navy arrested more than 264 fishermen last year In December last year, Srilankan Navy arrested 12 fishermen and seized their trawlers to poach into the country's territorial waters. During the year 2022, the Sri Lankan navy has arrested more than 264 fishermen and seized their 36 trawlers. Despite many high-level meetings between India and Sri Lanka, illegal fishing in Sri Lanka water is still a recurrent problem. In one such past incident, the Sri Lankan navy even fired at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and captured their boats for allegedly entering into their territorial waters. Also Read TN fishermen to meet EAM Jaishankar, seek release of boats seized by Lanka Sri Lanka arrests 12 Indian fishermen, TN CM flags issue with Centre Indian Navy Ship 'Batti Malv' visits Sri Lanka's Trincomalee port Sri Lanka concludes debt restructuring talks with Japan: Wickremesinghe India will help Sri Lanka in oil sector despite recent changes: Officials Musk eager to bring satellite broadband 'Starlink' to India, Ambani resists Opposition parties to meet in Patna tomorrow; check who all are attending Massive increase in employment in 9 yrs; 12.5 mn got jobs: Bhupender Yadav Undernutrition in India a big concern, urgent attention needed: experts say Prez Biden, PM Modi to announce deal on 'Reaper' armed drones: White House Palk Strait is a narrow strip of water that separates Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, and it is a rich fishing ground for fishermen of both countries. Praising the Indian community in the US, President Joe Biden on Thursday mentioned the contributions of Americans of Indian heritage in his administration, including Vice President Kamala Harris, whose success stories define the relationship and the limitless possibilities between the two nations. Biden's remarks came as he welcomed Prime Minister Modi at the White House on his first state visit. He said a special bond between the two nations forged by the special bond among its people based on values like the duty to family and elders, treating all people with respect and dignity, self-discipline, hard work, faith and service to the community, courage, resilience and tolerance and opportunity for all which are universal. "I see it in the Indian-American diaspora that reflects every part of American life and remains a bridge between our nations and only grows stronger with each generation," he said. "We see it with record numbers of Indian Americans serving in the United States Congress. We see it here at the White House where proud Americans of Indian heritage serve our country every day, including our vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris," Biden said. A record 150-plus Indian-Americans serve in key positions in the Biden administration. Also Read Biden falls onstage at graduation ceremony; White House says he's 'fine' My career of 280 years': Biden jokes off 2024 US prez poll age concerns US President Biden prepares to announce re-election campaign next week Incredible rich diaspora truly an asset to both countries: Biden's top aide Biden surprised over records at old office post calls for damage assessment Indian defence industry showcases capabilities to delegation from Thailand Slow progress of monsoon causing delay in sowing of oilseeds: SEA India braces for hotter days ahead; El Nino may add to heatwave crisis 'Haryana taking steps to convert paddy straw in income source for farmers' Funds of Indians in Swiss banks down 11% to Rs 30,000 cr, shows data "The granddaughter -- the proud granddaughter of an Indian civil servant; daughter of an Indian student, turned American scientist who came to the United States when she was only 19 years old to pursue her dream of curing cancer. A family like so many of ours in our nation. That speaks to the thousand stories of determination courage and hope in America," he said. "Stories that define the relationship and the limitless possibilities between the United States and India. Two great nations, two great friends, two great powers that can define the course of the 21st century," he added. Harris, 58, was born in Oakland, California. Her mother Shyamala Gopalan migrated to the US from Tamil Nadu in India, while her father, Donald J Harris, moved to the US from Jamaica. Prime Minister Modi also praised the Indian diaspora and said the grand welcome accorded to him at the White House was an honour and pride for 1.4 billion people of India and more than 4 million people of Indian origin living in the US. "The people of the Indian community are enhancing India's glory in the US through their talent, hard work and dedication. You are the real strength of our relationship," Modi said. Mayor Dr Shelly Oberoi on Thursday pledged to clean Delhi within two months, saying that special cleanliness campaigns will be conducted in each zone to "thoroughly cleaning each ward". Oberoi held a review meeting with all zonal DCs of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to discuss Delhi's cleanliness, desilting of drains, road repairs, and park maintenance, among other local issues, officials said. During the meeting, the mayor instructed officials to coordinate with councillors to enhance public services. The importance of regular inspections inwards and prioritised resolution of issues was also emphasised. In the review meeting, officials informed Mayor Dr Shelly Oberoi that the cleaning of drains in the MCD areas is nearly complete, while some drains in other departments are still pending. "To address this, the mayor sought a list of the relevant drains to establish coordination with other departments for their cleaning. This collaborative effort aims to prevent waterlogging in Delhi during the monsoon season," the Mayor's office said in a statement. "Dr Shelly Oberoi reiterated the commitment to completely clean Delhi within two months. Special campaigns will be conducted in each zone, involving the participation of all campaign employees. Additionally, a campaign to remove construction and demolition waste will be launched in each zone," the statement added. Also Read Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi to participate in 52nd General Mayor's meet in MP Delhi HC sets aside Mayor Shelly Oberoi's decision to call for a repoll Shelly Oberoi has set April 26 for fresh MCD mayoral polls: AAP leader Shelly Oberoi re-elected MCD Mayor: Why fresh polls? All you need to know AAP announces candidate Shelly Oberoi's victory in Delhi mayor election Monitoring of water supply for efficient distribution from July 1: Delhi CM Institutions in both countries based on democratic values, says PM Modi Surat adds sparkle to lab-grown diamond gifted by PM Modi to US First Lady Drone, jet engine deals will boost India-US defence ties: Experts Indo-US one of most defining relationships in 21st century: Biden Leader of the House Mukesh Goyal emphasised the need for officials in all 12 zones to work together and address public-related issues based on merit. Sufficient funds will also be allocated to support the work of the civic body, he said. In light of the festival of Eid-ul-Adha, all regional DCs have been instructed to repair street lights and ensure cleanliness around mosques. Deputy Mayor Aaley Mohammad Iqbal highlighted the importance of maintaining cleanliness in the areas of Old Delhi among other areas. The municipal corporation will conduct cleaning operations three times during the festival to ensure a hassle-free experience for the public, the mayor's office noted. By YP Rajesh NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The aerospace unit of General Electric on Thursday announced it had signed an agreement with India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics to jointly make engines in India to power fighter jets for the Indian Air Force. The announcement was timed to coincide with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's landmark visit to the United States this week. The deal, called "historic" and "trailblazing" by officials, is considered the most significant of a number of agreements expected to be concluded between the two countries or their companies during Modi's visit, which ends on Friday. Below are some facts about the engine and why it is critical for India's military. THE ENGINE Also Read 45 fighter jets including Sukhois, Rafales perform during 74th R-Day Parade Chequered history: Why the MIG-21 came to be called 'the flying coffin' Jet Airways looks into abyss as JKC fails to renew its flying permit GE signs MoU with HAL to make fighter jet engines for Indian Air Force HAL disinvestment: Offer for sale subscribed two-fold after slow start IIT Kanpur successfully conducts test flight for cloud seeding: Report 500,000 people hit, one dead as flood situation in Assam worsens: Official Success stories of Indian-Americans define limitless possibilities: Biden Indian defence industry showcases capabilities to delegation from Thailand Slow progress of monsoon causing delay in sowing of oilseeds: SEA The GE engine in question is called the F414 and it has been used by U.S. Navy aircraft for more than 30 years. The F414 powers or is on order to power jets in the U.S., Sweden, Australia, Kuwait, Brazil, South Korea, India and Indonesia. GE says it has delivered more than 1,600 F414 engines and they have clocked more than 5 million flight hours. It is also manufactured in South Korea. INDIA'S NEED India's quest to manufacture an engine for an indigenous light combat aircraft called "Tejas" began in the 1980s but has struggled. Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) turned to GE's F404 engine - the predecessor of F414 - to power Tejas in the mid-2000s. So far, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 worth $716 million are on order for Tejas Mark 1. Tejas Mark 2, still under development, is a more powerful jet and needs a bigger engine. HAL has procured eight F414 engines for this programme. The F414 will also be used to develop India's next generation Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft. India's Air Force is desperate to shore up its fighter squadrons, which have fallen to 31 from a target of 42. New Delhi hopes it can meet its target with home-made jets powered by home-made engines to keep costs under control and also to avoid becoming dependent on a foreign supplier. U.S. COOPERATION India and the United States, once on opposite sides of the Cold War, have grown closer over the last two decades and are building a strong bond centred on trade, defence and technology partnerships as well as geopolitical alignment. Washington designated India as a "major defence partner" in 2016 and New Delhi's military purchases from the United States passed $20 billion in 2020 from near-zero in 2008. India faces twin military threats from China and Pakistan and is the world's largest arms importer. It has traditionally been dependent on its old friend Russia for arms supplies but has over the decades also sourced from France, Israel and the U.S., among others. Washington has sought to deepen ties with New Delhi also as a counter to China's rising global influence. It also wants to wean India away from Russian military supplies and is willing to give India access to critical American technologies such as F414 it rarely shares with non-allies. WHAT NEXT? The GE-HAL deal to co-produce F414 engines in India requires U.S. government and legislative approvals. It is not known yet how much of the technology behind the F414 that GE will share with HAL, and if that includes sensitive technology that deals with managing very high engine temperatures. The first F414 engines are expected to be delivered from the U.S. over the next three years while HAL sets up a production facility for it in India. The first Tejas Mark 2 is expected to fly in 2026. Full scale production of F414 in India and Tejas Mark 2 is expected only early in the next decade. (Reporting by YP Rajesh in New Delhi; Editing by Conor Humphries) The Tamil Nadu government has proposed to establish a Zootorium at the Vandalur Zoo (Arignar Anna Zoological Park) here, as part of measures to strengthen conservation efforts and about Rs 4.3 crore has been sanctioned for the project. A museum and also a theatre will be part of the Zootorium to be established by the Environment, Climate Change and Forests department, Additional Chief Secretary Supriya Sahu said on Thursday. "The government has issued orders today to set up a zoo museum and a zoo theatre in Vandalur zoo at Chennai at a cost of Rs 4.3 crore under the planning commission innovation fund to enable people to understand wildlife conservation in a new light," she said in a tweet. A 3D/7D theatre will be developed at the old auditorium within the zoo premises and also a zoo museum and an interpretation complex with an interactive display model enabling people to discover, explore and experience wildlife in a new way, will be established, the government order said. The project is expected to be completed in three years' time on an outlay of Rs 4.365 crore. Though the state government has been taking several initiatives to conserve environment and wildlife, the present move will strengthen conservation efforts besides create awareness among the new generation about the need to protect, preserve and conserve our natural heritage, the order said. It is hoped that the project would ensure a positive change among the youngsters in protecting wild animals in their habitat and in addition instill in them a sense of urgency for wildlife conservation and a sense of curiosity, too, the order further said. Also Read Tamil Nadu govt launches drive for solid waste management awareness Chennai metro passengers can buy tickets on WhatsApp: Here's how to book Tamil Nadu Governor returns bill on prohibition of online gambling Tamil Nadu says won't transfer land ownership to AAI for Coimbatore airport Vizag Zoo calls for volunteers for coastal cleanup on World Ocean Day Power sector transforms into surplus from deficit in nine years: R K Singh 1st abort mission of 'Gaganyaan' to be conducted in August-end: Isro chief G20 agrees upon role of education as enabler of human dignity: Pradhan Skyroot successfully tests Raman-I engine designed to help Vikram-I rocket INDUS-X launch: India, US startups to focus on co-developing technology Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said multilateral development banks (MDBs) lending resources would face increased pressure as non-borrowing shareholders were asking them to expand their mandate to address transboundary challenges. Sitharaman was speaking at a roundtable discussion on Evolving the model of MDBs to address 21st century challenges in Paris, France. The minister said based on the current pace of implementation of the capital adequacy framework and its recommendations, it was estimated that an additional lending capacity of over $100 billion would be generated by the MDBs over 10 years. However, given the scale and scope of the global development and financing challenges, this is not enough, much more needs to be done, Sitharaman said. She said the issue needed a multipronged approach and work on capital adequacy framework recommendations would enable MDBs to utilise their existing resources more effectively. The review of the equity loan ratio by World Bank, the recalibration of the shareholders risk appetite by the Asian Development Bank are recent examples in this context. Under the Indian G20 presidency, an expert group on strengthening MDBs will touch upon all aspects of MDB evolution, the FM said. This would include incentive structure, operational approaches, and financial capacity so that MDBs are better equipped to finance a wide range of sustainable development goals and transboundary challenges, such as climate change and health. The first part of the groups recommendations is expected by the end of this month. Also Read Manappuram Finance launches digital lending app to widen reach Budget 2023: FM Nirmala Sitharaman takes tablet in red pouch to Parliament Banks tighten rules around lending money to airlines after Go Air crisis Private banks slower than public sector banks in raising interest rates Ease lending norms for artisans, weavers: Amit Mitra to FM Sitharaman Chairman posts vacant in six of 11 public sector banks, some for two years Compromise with wilful defaulters to help banks recover dues much faster The ECL model will not dent profits much: Karur Vysya Bank MD & CEO RBI's hygiene step to bring much-needed clarity to FLDG arrangements Axis Bank appoints former RBI deputy guv Vishwanathan as non-exec chairman Highlighting the contribution of G20 India Presidency on Capital Adequacy Framework and the G20 Expert Group on Strengthening MDBs, the finance minister said: The Indian presidency is hopeful that this group can provide inclusive, ambitious and pragmatic guidance on the MDB reform agenda, she added. The MDB system, by virtue of its global reach and financial firepower, the FM said, had historically been a critical pillar of support for much of the developing world. The FM said the Paris Summit front-runs the G20 New Delhi Summit and the CoP28 Summit. The momentum will fuel ongoing efforts in addressing development and transboundary challenges faced by humanity, she said. Sitharaman is in France to attend the two-day summit in Paris that will discuss a new global financing pact. Co-organised by France, Barbados, and India, the summits objective is setting the foundations for a new global financing architecture beyond the Bretton Woods system to address climate change, biodiversity crisis and development challenges, and help countries achieve their sustainable development goals. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) framework will impact India's 15-40 per cent of steel exports to Europe, Icra said on Thursday. The impact will be seen from the calendar year 2026 to 2034, the rating agency said in a report. The European Union (EU) is introducing the CBAM from October 1 this year. Icra said the EU is the second largest steel-consuming block globally. It recently signed the mechanism laying the framework for the imposition of taxes on embedded carbon imports from six sectors, which includes steel, aluminium, cement, hydrogen, electricity, and fertiliser. "...CBAM compliance requirements could pull down the profits of Indian steel exports to the EU by USD 60-165/MT between CY 2026 and CY2034. CBAM to impact between 15-40 per cent of India's annual steel exports which are made to Europe. Failure to reduce the carbon footprint may result in lower profits in EU markets," it said. According to Icra, India exports up to 3-5 million tonnes of finished steel to Europe every year. India produced 122 MT finished steel in FY 2022-23. Also Read More initiatives on anvil to boost steel sector in 2023: Union Minister Fitch says outlook for Tata Steel positive, stable for JSW Steel Jindal Steel and Power says enquiries from European buyers on rise India steel imports from Russia rise to eight-year high in April-Jan: Data Agreements with 26 cos signed under PLI scheme for specialty steel: Scindia Regulation largest barrier in pharma, cos should focus on quality: Official From sequels to horror films, global movie business back in motion India plans to widen range of steel grades in manufacturing incentive plan L&T and DRDO sign contract to make AIP modules for Indian Navy submarines PM Modi in US: India, US launch defence acceleration ecosystem Indus-X Average emission intensity of leading domestic primary steel producers is 12 per cent higher than the global average level from the blast furnace route, it said. Jayanta Roy, Senior Vice-President & Group Head, Corporate Sector Ratings, ICRA said: 'Leading domestic primary steel producers have an average CO2 emission intensity of around 2.6 MT CO2/ MT crude steel. "Europe has historically remained an important overseas destination for Indian steel mills, accounting for between 15-40 per cent of our annual steel exports. However, the carbon footprint of Indian mills is significantly higher than competing suppliers to the EU. Engie, a global leader in low-carbon energy and services, together with Posco, one of the world's largest steel producers, have announced their spearheading role in a consortium set to mobilise Omans renewable energy resources through the development of a 1.2mtp Green Ammonia project. Other partners in the consortium include Samsung Engineering, Korea East-West Power Co (EWP), Korea Southern Power Co (Kospo), and FutureTech Energy Ventures Company Ltd (a subsidiary of PTTEP). The Engie and Posco led-consortium has been named the winner of land block (Z1-02) offered by Hydrom, the orchestrator and master planner of Oman's green hydrogen industry. Spanning 340 sq km, the concession block is located in Duqm, with downstream elements to be established at the Port of Duqm. The land block will include a total renewable energy capacity of approximately 5GW which comprises wind and solar power, in addition to battery energy storage (BESS) and a hydrogen plant that will produce 200 kilotons per annum (ktpa) of green hydrogen. The hydrogen will then be transported by a pipeline to the Special Economic Zone at Duqm where it will be converted into approximately 1.2 million tons per annum (mtpa) of green ammonia for export. The commercial operation date (COD) is expected by 2030. "This venture marks a significant leap forward in its worldwide dedication to expediting the transition to low-carbon energy. With presence in Oman for more than a quarter-century, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to supporting the energy transition in the country and the region. By joining forces with our consortium partners, we aim to unlock Oman's extraordinary renewable energy potential while capitalizing on their expertise and capabilities. Ultimately, this collaboration propels Engie toward its global ambitions of attaining a hydrogen capacity of 4GW by 2030," said Frederic Claux, Managing Director, Flexible Generation & Retail, AMEA and Country Manager GCC from Engie. In March 2022, Posco and Engie signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore joint development opportunities for green hydrogen production and related infrastructure in the Middle East, Australia, and Latin America. This venture symbolises a continuation of their combined efforts and a monumental stride in Engies quest for net-zero carbon by 2045 and Posco's ambition for a green hydrogen-based steel business by 2050. Veronique Aulagnon, Ambassador of France to Oman, said: "France, as part of the European Union, and Oman share a common ambitious target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. France commends the remarkable leadership by the Sultanate of Oman to scale up renewables in its energy mix and develop a strong green hydrogen portfolio. As the French Ambassador to Oman, I am delighted to see a major French company, Engie, who has been active in Oman for over two decades, become a part of this transformative venture in the Sultanate of Oman and confirm its position as a key player in the global energy transition. I am confident that this collaboration will yield significant results in terms of sustainable development and job creation. With strategic relevance for Engie and the involved nations, the project feeds into Engie's aim of generating 80GW of renewable capacity and 4 GW of electrolyzer capacity by 2030, thereby solidifying its global standing in the zero-carbon transition. The project is also in line with Korea's national decarbonization objective of a 40% carbon footprint reduction by 2030, and aids in realizing Oman's Vision 2040 that centers around energy transition and industry diversification. The project contract will last for a period of 47 years, broken down into a seven-year development and construction phase followed by a 40-year operational period, and is set to roll out within a month of the contract signing. Construction is projected to begin in 2027, with the first shipment of green ammonia to Korea planned for the second half of 2030, thereby marking a significant step in sustainable development. The consortium will carry out the feasibility and technical studies, in order to finalise the total capital expenditure requirement for the project, a statement said. - TradeArabia News Service By Adrija Chatterjee and Swansy Afonso India plans to widen the range of steel grades covered by a government incentive program in a bid to boost output and back Prime Minister Narendra Modis goal to establish the nation as a global manufacturing hub. The steel ministry is in talks with other government departments and domestic industry to include more types of the alloy in the so-called production-linked incentive program, Steel Secretary Nagendra Nath Sinha said in an interview. We hope to come out with something in this regard in a few months. India has already approved an investment of about 6,300 cr rupees ($770 million) over five years to make high-grade specialty steel. The government is keen that India becomes a country which can produce all grades of steel competitively, Sinha said. The nation is the biggest steel maker after China. Modi is seeking to boost local manufacturing and lure the worlds top brands to make products locally for export through use of production-linked incentives. The prime minister has pitched India as an alternative manufacturing hub, as more companies become wary of the risks of depending on China. The ministry also plans to incentivize green technologies like hydrogen, Sinha said. The country has about a dozen task forces working on ways to help policy makers respond to demand for low-carbon emission steel production, he said. Also Read More initiatives on anvil to boost steel sector in 2023: Union Minister India steel imports from Russia rise to eight-year high in April-Jan: Data Agreements with 26 cos signed under PLI scheme for specialty steel: Scindia Around 40 MT new steel capacity to be commissioned by FY26: Assocham Jindal Steel and Power says enquiries from European buyers on rise L&T and DRDO sign contract to make AIP modules for Indian Navy submarines PM Modi in US: India, US launch defence acceleration ecosystem Indus-X Musk eager to bring Starlink to India, but faces resistance from Ambani Unsold inventory of homes priced above Rs 2.5 cr down, says Anarock Telecom regulator to meet OTT cos on action against phishing, spam calls The ministry has made 455 cr rupees available to companies under the National Green Hydrogen Mission for research and development in this space. The government is also monitoring European Union plans for a carbon tax. Carbon-efficient steel exporters from India may not be impacted, he said. Construction conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Thursday signed a contract for the realisation of two air-independent propulsion (AIP) modules for the Kalvari class of submarines of the Indian Navy. The manufacturing and trials of the energy modules will be done in L&Ts A M Naik Heavy Engineering Complex at Surat, the firm stated. The energy modules constitute the core of the fuel cell-based AIP system, which has been indigenously developed by the Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) of the DRDO. The company said the energy modules will be integrated into the AIP plug that will be retrofitted into the Kalvari submarine. The project could lead to further orders for AIP Systems for the remaining five Kalvari Class submarines in the coming years. Possible export opportunities to other countries that operate Scorpene class submarines could open up, the company added. L&T has been the recipient of the Transfer of Technology (ToT) for the DRDO-developed AIP System. We are proud to be the longest-serving development partner to DRDO across programs in multiple domains. L&T is privileged to be associated with accomplishing the dream of realising an indigenous AIP system and mark Indias joining a select group of few nations who have developed the requisite technology. Our commitment to nation-building continues to be as strong as ever and establishes yet another milestone in our journey to fulfill Indias aspirations to become Atmanirbhar in critical technologies, Executive Vice-President and Head of L&T Defence Arun Ramchandani said. Last year, the Ministry of Defence had signed a contract with L&T Limited for the manufacture of two Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs) for the Indian Navy at a cost of Rs 887 crore. In a move that will make it easier for aircraft leasing firms to seize the planes of airlines that have not paid rents, the Centre is planning to introduce the Cape Town Convention Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament, according to a report in The Economic Times (ET). In case of conflict with any other local law, particularly the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) , 2016, the bill will give priority to the Cape Town Convention. It is a global agreement that guarantees the rights of lessors to repossess their leased high-value equipment such as aircraft, helicopters, and engines in case of payment defaults. It aims at decreasing the lessors risk and boosting their confidence. The introduction of the Bill was prompted by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT)'s ruling in the Go First case, which placed a moratorium on lessors' ability to repossess aircraft. This has left lessors in long legal battles as they attempt to recover their aircraft, even though the bankrupt carrier now has the legal protection to retain them despite defaults. The report said this has shaken the confidence of lessors, who are backed by top banks and financing companies and has led to an immediate increase in risk premiums from other Indian airlines, which is increasing their cost of doing business. Worried lessors have also filed for the deregistration of six aircraft with SpiceJet, which has defaulted on lease rentals and is currently in negotiations. The insolvency resolution process can take a long time, and lessors are often unable to recover their aircraft during this time. As of December 2022, the average time taken to resolve an insolvency case under the IBC is over 600 days, according to data from the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI). The bill will make it compulsory for the resolution professional to return the aircraft to the lessor within two months from the beginning of the bankruptcy process, the report quoted people working on the draft bill as saying. Also Read NCLAT to hear SMBC Aviation's plea against NCLT order on Go First today IMD disagrees with Skymet, says India will have a normal monsoon this year Govt may expedite Bill that assures lessors on repossession of aircraft Byju's lenders say lawsuit is meritless, designed to dodge obligations 2023 monsoon to be 'normal'; NW India might get 'below normal' rains: IMD Small industry players stage protests in Karnataka over power tariff hike Tipping over tippling: Scotch consumption in India has doubled since 2020 Extend trusted source mandate to all devices in network, says COAI Grab slashes 1,000 jobs in biggest round of job cuts since pandemic Creativity, engaging stories drive brand sales, says Kantar report There are no underlying domestic laws to enforce its provisions, even though India became a signatory to the Cape Town Convention in 2008. As a result, in case of a conflict with any domestic airline, the latter holds the sway. As it is not backed by legislation, lessors do not consider this accession to be important. Scotch sales in India have nearly doubled in the past two years on the back of higher consumption by millennials and a growing middle class, a report by The Economic Times (ET) said on Thursday. The report, based on data by global alcohol market analysts IWSR, said that India consumed 7.5 million cases of Scotch whisky in 2022 as compared to 3.9 million in 2020. One case has nine litres of whisky. The data also highlighted that in 2022, India became the world's leading Scotch export destination by volume. In 2020, India was second to France in Scotch imports in terms of volume. Moreover, it also shows that premiumisation in Scotch is evident. Moreover, the report said that premium whisky is now a popular choice for millennials owing to increasing income. Its versatility as a cocktail mix and easy availability through restaurants are also important reasons for its rise in demand. Shweta Jain, chief business development officer of premium, luxury, reserve and craft at Diageo India, retailing brands such as Johnnie Walker, Black Dog and Singleton, told ET, "Indian consumers have preferred Scotch for its depth of flavours for generations. The young legal drinking age entrants continue to find that aspirational and have started discovering the versatility that Scotch gives to various occasions and serves." Another industry expert, Sachin Mehta, country director-India and Indian subcontinent at William Grant & Sons, which owns Glenfiddich and Balvenie brands, was also quoted in the report as saying, "Premium products across spirits are under-indexed and this is a natural correction, accelerated by at-home drinking which made people shift consumption to less but better quality drinking." Also Read British Scotch companies seek safeguard against excise duty hikes Alcohol sales in India rose to a four-year high in 2022, says report After WHO's warning on cancer link, a look at how India consumes alcohol No amount of alcohol 'safe', even low consumption hikes cancer risk: WHO What does economic research tell us about festival gifting and alcohol? Extend trusted source mandate to all devices in network, says COAI Grab slashes 1,000 jobs in biggest round of job cuts since pandemic Creativity, engaging stories drive brand sales, says Kantar report Residential real estate sales to grow by 8-10% in FY22-23: CRISIL study Competition body reviewing report on Apple app store billing policy The executives also said that a significant purchase volume shifted from global travel retail to domestic retail during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and has not returned since then. However, despite the surge in demand, Scotch still accounts for just 3.1 per cent of the total alcohol consumption in India. Traders and small industry owners took out protest rallies in several parts of Karnataka on Thursday opposing the recent power tariff hike. Following a call for a 'bandh' given by Hubballi-based Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), industrialists and small traders participated in a protest march in big numbers. Their protests came at a time when the state government started the registration process earlier this week for the 'Gruha Jyoti' scheme offering up to 200 units of free electricity for residential connections. Holding banners, posters and placards, the traders and industrialists marched in the district headquarters in Hubballi-Dharwad, Shivamogga, Belagavi, Ballari, Vijayanagar, Davangere and Koppal, among others. They shouted slogans demanding that the government roll back the hike. In Belagavi, a large number of traders and small and micro industry owners marched up to the office of the Deputy Commissioner with banners and placards. Also Read US firms prioritize others over China: American Chamber of Commerce China CBIC extends interest waiver on customs duty payable via ECL till April 13 Govt appoints Rajneesh Karnatak as BoI MD, Debadatta Chand to head BoB India will cut import tariff on pecans by 70 per cent: Senator Jon Ossoff Karnataka bandh today over electricity tariff: All you need to know Tipping over tippling: Scotch consumption in India has doubled since 2020 Extend trusted source mandate to all devices in network, says COAI Grab slashes 1,000 jobs in biggest round of job cuts since pandemic Creativity, engaging stories drive brand sales, says Kantar report Residential real estate sales to grow by 8-10% in FY22-23: CRISIL study KCCI acting President Sandeep Bidasaria claimed that the hike in power tariff has gone up between 50 and 70 per cent, which has deeply impacted the small businesses. A protester in Belagavi, a city bordering Maharashtra, alleged many industries were planning to move out to the neighbouring state due to the drastic increase in tariff. Many shops were shut and production was stopped in small industries in several parts of the state in response to the bandh call. In the district headquarters town of Bidar, many shops were shut and the main market wore a deserted look following the Bandh. Also Read Mankind Pharma IPO to open next week: Check price band, GMP, other details Mankind Pharma IPO opens today: Check GMP, price band, other details here Stocks to Watch: Wipro, Reliance, Ajanta Pharma, Infosys, IRB Infra, REC Pharma firms with India focus preferred as US market concerns grow Mankind Pharma IPO subscribed 8% so far on Day 1; GMP down 30% in 10 days Weekly F&O Expiry: Traders expect Nifty to hold 18,800, shows option data Stocks to watch: RIL, TCS, Bharti Airtel, PNB, Vedanta, NMDC, JK Tyre Stock Market LIVE: Sensex, Nifty volatile; IDFC First Bank, M&M Fin drop 3% Trading strategies for Nifty Auto, Realty indices Mcap of BSE-listed firms reach record high of Rs 294.5 trn in morning trade Shares of Ajanta Pharma surged 2 per cent to hit a 52-week high of Rs 1,534.85 in Thursdays intra-day trade. In the past three weeks, the stock of pharmaceutical company has rallied 17 per cent on upbeat branded generic business outlook. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 0.10 per cent at 63,459, as of 10:01 am.Ajanta Pharma is a specialty pharmaceuticals formulation company with a well-diversified branded generics business spread across India, the rest of Asia, and Africa. The company has a strong chronic-focused product portfolio led by a first-to-market strategy and front-end presence that helps it to outgrow market. The company is committed to investing in innovative products to fill identified gaps and putting major capital allocation into this business.Ajantas business also consists of two more verticals: US generics and institutional business in Africa. These two verticals are facing headwinds and the company said that they remain cautiously opportunistic for them."After disruptions of the past three years, the outlook for global spending on medicines has become clearer as uncertainties gave way to more predictable challenges. Policymakers across developed and emerging economies are shifting from crisis to rebuilding modes with a focus on longer-term sustainability issues," Ajanta Pharma said in their annual report.The price erosion in the US made the situation worse and this brought the companys profit margins to the lowest level in the last decade. The management is confident to scale up margins again in the coming years on the back of enhanced contribution from Branded Generics business and normalisation of freight costs.Analysts at ICICI Securities maintain a 'buy' rating on Ajanta Pharma due to their compelling play on branded generics (~72 per cent exposure) with strong execution track record and financials. The stock, however, was trading above brokerage firms 12-month target price of Rs 1,520 per share."Margins are likely to improve amid operational leverage, expected softening of raw material cost and incremental focus on branded business," the brokerage firm added. Shares of sugar companies were in focus and rallied up to 14 per cent on the BSE in Thursdays intra-day trade in an otherwise subdued market on expectation of sugar prices to remain elevated due to the deteriorating weather outlook coupled with rising demand.Among individual stocks, Uttam Sugar Mills (up 14 per cent at Rs 347.65), Ugar Sugar (up 8 per cent at Rs 131) and Dhampur Sugar Mills (up 6 per cent at Rs 286) hit their respective 52-week highs.Avadh Sugar & Energy, Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries, Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar, Dwarikesh Sugar Industries, Balrampur Chini Mills, Shree Renuka Sugar and Triveni Engineering were up in the range of 3 per cent to 8 per cent. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 0.15 per cent at 63,429 at 11:38 AM.According to ICRA, domestic sugar prices are expected to remain elevated with lower-than-expected output in India, Thailand and Europe along with delayed harvest in Brazil in April 2023. El Nino risk on Asian production may also result in a price increase.Meanwhile, industry remains cautiously optimistic. India is headed to produce 32.8 million tonnes of sugar during sugar season 2022-23 compared to a sugar production of 36.5 million tonnes in SS 2021-22 even as consumption is gradually rising and estimated at about 27.5 million tonnes in SS 2022-23.Besides, the government approved the export of 6 million tonnes of sugar by May 31, 2023. The net result is that the closing stock at the end of the sugar season 2022-23 is estimated at 6 million tonnes, less than three months of consumption.The incremental tailwind is expected from attractive international prices, which could catalyse a positive in sugar realizations, Dwarikesh Sugar said in its financial year 2022-23 annual report.The distillery business is headed in the right direction. India intends to increase the blending of ethanol with automotive fuel from around 10 per cent presently to 20 per cent by 2025. The doubled proportion on a larger consumption base implies that whatever ethanol manufacturers expect to produce will be sold at attractive realisations, accelerating reinvestments, the company said, adding, this virtuous cycle play out across the future, resulting in a larger ethanol contribution to the bottomline of companies.The government is going to introduce flex fuel vehicles on a large scale. The early introduction of flex-fuel vehicles will require a higher percentage of ethanol, including running these vehicles on pure ethanol could help achieve 20 per cent blending target, Dwarikesh Sugar said.Meanwhile, sugar consumption was expected to increase on account of the appetite coming from Indias largely unorganised catering segment, one of its largest consumers. Indias unorganised grocery segment was expected to report positive growth due an increasing population and disposable incomes. The Congress on Thursday termed the all-party meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah on the Manipur situation as "too little, too late," and said efforts to bring warring factions on the discussion table will lack seriousness if they are done sitting in Delhi. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government. "Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi," he said on Twitter. After 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, he said, "Home Minister Amit Shah's call for an all-party meeting is too little, too late". The government only woke up after Sonia Gandhi's address to the people of Manipur, he said. Shah has called an all-party meeting on the situation in Manipur on June 24. Also Read As Manipur reels from violence, home minister Shah to visit the state today Tribal protest in Manipur turns violent; curfew imposed, internet suspended Manipur requires a political solution, not mere deployment: Surjewala Cong working on banned PFI's agenda: Amit Shah at Karnataka election rally Sonia Gandhi never spoke of Karnataka sovereignty: Congress deletes tweet There should be no hate politics in providing rice to poor: Siddaramaiah Fight erupts between CPI(M), Congress in Kerala over fake certificate issue TMC calls Patna oppn meet 'good beginning' ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls Attempts being made to create Manipur-like situation in Maharashtra: Patole Panel to screen applicants for PTU VC post not as per norms: Punjab guv "At the outset, the PM's absence from such a serious meeting shows his 'cowardice' and 'unwillingness' to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them," the Congress leader alleged. Noting that the Home Minister himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, he said in fact things have "worsened" since his visit. "Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship," he asked. "Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty," Venugopal charged. The Congress has been seeking the Centre's immediate intervention in bringing peace to the north eastern state which has been struck by violence since May 3. The party has also blamed the alleged divisive politics of the BJP for the current situation in Manipur. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 are injured. Shah had also visited the state for four days last last month and met a cross sections of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state. A political fight has erupted between the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and the opposition Congress regarding the fake certificate issue in the state with the grand old party on Thursday accusing the Left Front of protecting those involved in illegal activities. The CPI(M) on the other hand refuted the allegations against it on the issue and also came to the aid of its student wing SFI, whose two former members are facing charges of using fake certificates. While expelled SFI leader Nikhil Thomas is accused of submitting a fake certificate for admission to the M.Com course in a college in Kayamkulam area of Alappuzha district of the state, former SFI member Vidya K Maniyodi is facing charges of furnishing a fake teaching experience certificate to secure a guest faculty post in a government college. Vidya, who was absconding for nearly two weeks, was arrested on Wednesday night from a village in Kozhikode district and Thomas was expelled from SFI's primary membership on Tuesday. Dissatisfied by the delay in police action against the accused, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday alleged that the ruling Left government in Kerala and the police were protecting the accused and giving them time to destroy evidence. "That is why it took 15 days to arrest Vidya. She had 15 days to destroy evidence against her. If the police wanted to, it could have caught her within hours. Also Read Senior leaders get 'factionalism' notice in Alappuzha CPI(M) unit of Kerala CPI(M) decides to bring Cheriyan back into cabinet; Cong criticises move Kerala govt launches drive to improve green cover over 3,000 temples Oppn needs ideological, political struggle to deal with BJP-RSS, says Karat Only a technical issue, CPI secretary on removal of national party status TMC calls Patna oppn meet 'good beginning' ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls Attempts being made to create Manipur-like situation in Maharashtra: Patole Panel to screen applicants for PTU VC post not as per norms: Punjab guv Amit Shah holds discussions on 2024 LS elections with Goa CM, JP Nadda Many leaders are more experienced than PM Modi: Tejashwi ahead of Oppn meet "Now Thomas is also in hiding. He will be caught after giving him sufficient time to destroy evidence," he alleged while speaking to reporters at Kasaragod. Chennithala further contended that use of fake certificates, trying to pass exams without studying, going into hiding to destroy evidence, all these incidents are "leading the higher education in Kerala to anarchy". Denying the Congress' allegations, senior CPI(M) leader and former state minister A K Balan contended that the opposition was more concerned over such minor issues instead of criticising the Prime Minister for going abroad and doing yoga there "when a state in the country is burning". Balan was referring to the violence in the state of Manipur. He also defended the Students Federation of India (SFI), saying it cannot be blamed for what Vidya and Thomas did. He said that SFI expelled Thomas on getting to know what he had done and there was nothing more it could have done. Balan, speaking to reporters at Thiruvananthapuram, also said that SFI has a strong presence -- of around 72 per cent -- among the students irrespective of their religion or political background and that is why it was being attacked. He said just like the making of fake currency, there are people behind the fake certificates too and the police and the state government will root them out and take appropriate action against them. "Since the police are looking into the matter, let them ascertain why Vidya did what she did," he said, adding that her arrest indicates the government's stand on the issue. Balan also came to the defence of his party secretary M V Govindan who is facing flak from the Congress for his recent remarks against KPCC chief and MP K Sudhakaran in connection with a POCSO case in which controversial self-styled antiques dealer Monson Mavunkal was sentenced to life term in jail. Balan said that Govindan only commented about a news report and he was well within his rights to do so. "However, the remarks against him subsequently were undignified," he said. He also said that while Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sudhakaran was a friend, he cannot save the Congress in this lifetime. He said there was an agenda to isolate the Kerala CM, the CPI(M) state secretary, remove the Left government from power and destroy the SFI which was responsible for strengthening the CPI(M) party base. Balan further said that SFI was responsible for the downfall of the Kerala Students' Union (KSU) and relegating it to a corner and hence, the attacks on the left wing students' organisation. The KSU, the student organisation of the Congress, has been claiming that Thomas failed in the B Com degree course at MSM college but during M Com admission, he provided a certificate from Kalinga University in Chhattisgarh. Vidya was booked by the police under sections 465 (forgery), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), and 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of government colleges in Ernakulam and Palakkad. According to the complaints, the woman claimed in the "fake certificate" that she was a guest lecturer at Maharajas College in 2018-19. The issue of who would be the prime ministerial face of the Opposition alliance is not important as the leadership question can be tackled collectively after dislodging the BJP-RSS from power, Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh said on Thursday, stressing the need for preparing a common minimum programme soon. Singh claimed that when Opposition parties unite and contest the general elections next year, the BJP will come down to less than 100 seats. His remarks come ahead of a crucial meeting on Friday of top leaders of Opposition parties to chart a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In an interview with PTI, Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president Singh said his party is the central pillar of Opposition unity and stressed that small differences between parties will be ironed out at meetings such as the one taking place here. "We hope that all will sit together and an amicable solution will be reached to move forward together," Singh said of the Opposition meeting. Asked about the BJP's criticism that the Opposition does not have a prime ministerial face, he said, "I will take you back to 2004, Manmohan Singh ji was not our prime ministerial face and without a prime ministerial face, with an alliance, the Congress defeated the BJP and when (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee ji lost, Manmohan Singh ji became the prime minister and continued for 10 years." "This (prime ministerial face) is something not very important, all Opposition parties will unite together and contest the election, we are sure the BJP will come down to less than 100," the Rajya Sabha MP said. Also Read Hindu gurus do more social service in South than missionaries: RSS Chief Defamation complaint against Rahul Gandhi for 'Kauravas' remark on RSS Congress to continue fighting BJP, RSS to protect democracy: CM Gehlot National parties should support regional ones against BJP, says Akhilesh BJP, RSS attacking democracy, spreading hatred: Rahul Gandhi in Karnataka Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur: Cong on all-party meet There should be no hate politics in providing rice to poor: Siddaramaiah Fight erupts between CPI(M), Congress in Kerala over fake certificate issue TMC calls Patna oppn meet 'good beginning' ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls Attempts being made to create Manipur-like situation in Maharashtra: Patole At present, the Lok Sabha has 543 seats. Stressing that picking the prime ministerial face was not a priority, Singh said it was fine for the BJP to think on those lines but the Congress had not followed that strategy in Karnataka and contested without declaring a CM face. In Himachal Pradesh also, the Congress did not contest declaring a CM face, he pointed out. Asked about voices within the Congress that Rahul Gandhi should be the prime ministerial face, the Bihar Congress chief said, "Whether Rahul ji is the face, he makes someone else the face or someone else becomes the face, all these things probably are not important right now. What is important is how the BJP-RSS is removed from power after that we can pick (the prime ministerial candidate) collectively. I have said that in 2004 Manmohan Singh was not PM face but when Vajpayee ji lost, then people picked him." On the BJP's charge that the Opposition alliance was opportunistic as there were serious differences between them, Singh said there were only small issues among Opposition parties that would be ironed out. "There are small issuesthis is not the first meeting, Nitish Kumar ji, Tejashwi Yadav ji have had a meeting with Congress president (Mallikarjun Kharge) and after that everyone is sitting together so these small issues of state politics, the problems that are there with AAP in Delhi and Punjab, there can be some small issues with Mamata di (West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee), for (solving them) we are sitting together," Singh said. All the Opposition leaders are mature people with an understanding of politics and they are unanimous over the fact that we need to unite to defeat the divisive politics of the BJP, he asserted. Asked whether the Congress would be the central pillar of the anti-BJP alliance, Singh said Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said this repeatedly that there is no meaning of an opposition alliance without the Congress. "I don't need to say this. All Opposition leaders would understand that in terms of national presence, the Congress is there in all states, so how can there be any alliance without the Congress," he said. Pressed further on whether the Congress will be the main pillar of opposition unity, Singh said, "The Congress is (the main pillar) and not will be. Among the Opposition parties, we have governments in three-four states, we have about 800 MLAs nationwide. So, everyone understands this and these things are happening keeping that in mind." On whether the Congress would be the glue that would bind the Opposition, Singh said his party as well as others were working to bring everyone together. "The Congress had given Nitish ji the responsibility of speaking with some parties. Also this is not the final meeting, people will keep meeting after that also. It is not as if others won't join in, people will keep coming together and the number of parties will keep increasing," he said. Asserting that issues were more important for the Opposition parties, he said a common minimum programme should be prepared. "I think we should move forward with a common minimum programme. The BJP will automatically lose," he said, adding that certainly leaders will discuss it. Asked if the common minimum programme would soon evolve, Singh said certainly as the election is just months away. He also asserted that seat sharing for the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar was not an issue. "We had fought together earlier also with RJD and the LeftSeat sharing is important but more important is how we come together and fight together to defeat the BJP," he said. Singh also said Patna has been the place for change and has a history. Mahatma Gandhi launched the struggle for Independence from Champaran and we were successful in throwing out the British, he said. "I am confident that the bugle of the Modi government's exit will be blown from Bihar," he asserted. Congress president Kharge, former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, former chief minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar are among those expected to attend the first high-level Opposition meeting being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD's Yadav. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya are the other leaders who have agreed to be part of the meeting. New Delhi, June 22 (UNI) Delhi Power Minister Atishi on Thursday said that the state government will approach the Supreme Court against appointment of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairman. Atishi, in a press conference held here, alleged that the Delhi government had recommended Justice Sangeet Lodha, a retired Judge of Rajasthan High Court, for the post of DERC chairman. But the Lieutenant Governor did not accept the recommendation and appointed Justice Umesh Kumar. Atishi alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party does not want the Delhiites to get free electricity. They want Delhi to become like Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad where people have to face electricity issues for hours, she alleged. She claimed that the cheapest electricity in the country is available in the national capital. During the previous regime, electricity prices used to go up every year but now people are getting electricity at a cheap price, and over 41 lakh families get free power. UNI CM SSP Top leaders of Opposition parties will brainstorm at a meeting here on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with sources saying that they would look to avoid the prickly leadership question and emphasise on common ground. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. It is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav here. Sources said the meeting was being seen as a starting point for the Opposition to come together to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP. Therefore, a basic outline and roadmap for Opposition unity are likely to be deliberated upon with the contentious issue of seat sharing and leadership questions to be avoided for now, they said. "This is just the beginning. A meeting of minds is important. The strategy, leadership question and seat sharing are unlikely to be discussed at this stage," a senior Opposition leader said on condition of anonymity. The leader said issues that the Opposition would jointly raise to corner the BJP would be at the top of the agenda and in this context the Manipur violence and the Centre's alleged failure there are likely to be discussed. Also Read Role of regional parties to be important for 2024 LS polls: Amartya Sen BJP's historic win, Morbi bridge, Bilkis case dominate Gujarat's 2022 J P Nadda lays foundation for Delhi BJP's new office building at DDU Marg Opposition parties to take out 'Tricolour March' from Parliament House Oppn uneasy over presence of Congress in Patna meet ahead of 2024 LS polls Oppn must move forward with common minimum programme: Bihar Congress chief Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur: Cong on all-party meet There should be no hate politics in providing rice to poor: Siddaramaiah Fight erupts between CPI(M), Congress in Kerala over fake certificate issue TMC calls Patna oppn meet 'good beginning' ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls With all eyes on the meeting, another interesting aspect would be Kejriwal strongly pitching for a discussion on the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital and how the Congress would respond to it. Keeping cards close to its chest, the Congress has so far kept its stand ambiguous as to whether it would support the AAP or not when the ordinance is put to test in Parliament by the BJP-led Centre. Kejriwal on Tuesday had expressed hope that the Congress will clear its stand on the Centre's ordinance at the June 23 meeting. The meeting also comes amid fissures in the Opposition ranks with Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sitting on a dharna outside a block office in Bengal's Murshidabad district demanding action against the activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress who allegedly attacked Congress workers in the run-up to the panchayat polls in the state. The BJP has been taking swipes at the Opposition over differences within its ranks and repeatedly jabbing it over the leadership question as to who will be their prime ministerial face. Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh hit back at the BJP's criticism, saying the issue of who would be the prime ministerial face of the Opposition alliance is not important as the leadership question can be tackled collectively after defeating the BJP in the 2024 general elections. CPI general secretary D Raja, who would be attending the meeting, hailed the Patna huddle of Opposition leaders as a step forward "in the right direction". "This meeting is being held Immediately after the Karnataka elections. Several state elections are coming up and the Lok Sabha polls are due in 2024. This (the meeting) will give clarity," Raja told PTI. The secular democratic parties coming together itself is a very positive message and that is the reason why the BJP is getting "jittery and desperate", he claimed. Exuding confidence that the anti-BJP alliance can win in 2024, Raja said the secular democratic parties must work together keeping in view the primary objective to defeat BJP. "This is not just for winning seats and forming a government. This is to safeguard democracy, constitution, the secular fabric of the country and even safeguarding the sovereign independence of Parliament," he said. "When elections take place, the electoral strategy and seat sharing will be discussed at the state level. It will be based on the balance of political forces. There, I think, the secular democratic parties must be more reasonable and mutually accommodating," the CPI leader said. The meeting also comes amid a churn in the ruling coalition in Patna as well with one of the 'Mahagathbandhan' allies and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi walking out of the alliance and crossing over to the NDA. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya are among the other leaders who have agreed to be part of the meeting. Telangana-based Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the Biju Janata Dal of Odisha, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the YSR Congress Party are among the non-BJP parties which are likely to give the meeting a miss. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah was enough to handle the situation in violence-hit Manipur and there was no need for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the north-eastern state for that purpose. His statement comes days after Shiv Sena (UBT) president and former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray targeted PM Modi, asking why he was undertaking a tour of the US instead of visiting Manipur to restore peace there. Fadnavis once again credited PM Modi for taking initiative in developing anti-coronavirus vaccines in India and said it was because of him all 140 crore citizens of the country were administered doses free of cost or else "crores of people would have died". Addressing a rally at Karad town in Maharashtra's Satara district, Fadnavis said without naming Thackeray, "A few days back, a leader from Maharashtra said that PM Modi is visiting America but not Manipur. I would like to tell him that our Union minister Amit Shah is enough to handle the situation in Manipur. There is no need for Modiji to go there." "You (Thackeray) did not even go from 'Matoshree' (his personal residence) to Worli (nearby suburb in Mumbai), but you are telling Modiji to go to Manipur instead of America. Does he even have any right to speak on it?" the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 were injured. Union minister Shah has called an all-party meeting on the situation in Manipur on June 24. Fadnavis, in his speech made at Akola on Sunday, gave credit to PM Modi for development of anti-coronavirus vaccines in India. However, Thackeray later ridiculed Fadnavis and asked, "If Modi ji made the vaccine, what were the scientists doing? Were they (merely) plucking grass?" Referring to it, Fadnavis said, "Earlier, my speech was ridiculed by Thackeray when I had said that Modiji made the vaccine. When Uddhavji was the chief minister of Maharashtra, was he running the show like a person holding the reins of a horse?" "Today, I am stressing on it and saying that the PM made the vaccines because only five countries in the world could manufacture the vaccine vials. A couple of countries had the raw material (for the vaccines) and they were not sharing it with others. It was Modiji's relationship with these countries that helped us get the raw material," he said. He said the PM met scientists, gave Rs 1,800 crore in advance and got the anti-coronavirus vaccine vials produced, due to which all 140 crore citizens of the country got vaccinated for free. "Had Modiji not given the vaccine for free, what would have been our condition? We might have been standing like a beggar before the US or Russia requesting vaccines. And had those countries prioritised vaccination of their own population over us, then crores of people here would have died," Fadnavis said. It would have led to piles of dead bodies here and we would not have been able to meet publicly even now, the former chief minister said. We have got a visionary prime minister, who not only ably tackled the COVID-19 pandemic, but also gave free food grains to the poor for two years, he said, adding, "It is a world record in the name of Modiji." Even the United Nations in its report stated that because of PM Modi's free food grain distribution programme, our citizens did not face starvation the way people in some other countries had to, he claimed. The Trinamool Congress considers Friday's opposition meeting in Bihar's Patna as a "good beginning" ahead of the 2024 general elections and emphasised the significance of anti-BJP parties uniting against "undemocratic and authoritarian policies". Leaders as diverse as Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, M K Stalin, Sharad Pawar, Mehbooba Mufti and Hemant Soren and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal are expected to take part in the meeting convened by Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar, who dumped the BJP last year. Banerjee will be accompanied by TMC national general secretary and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee for the opposition meeting. "A good beginning even before reaching Patna...All parties working to save the Constitution of the country are on the same page on many issues. For now, we have a date, a venue and an agreement that the head of every party will attend the meeting. "Subsequently, the date and venue for the next meeting will be decided in Patna. Beyond this, it is not advisable for anyone to jump the gun and speculate," TMC's Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien said. The idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata in April. Also Read Mamata Banerjee scared of losing popular support: BJP state President Cong, CPI(M) question invite to Trinamool for June 12 Oppn meet in Patna Call after polls: Abhishek Banerjee refuses to comply with ED summon TMC, BJP exchange barbs over Odisha's Balasore triple train accident Trinamool Congress second richest party after BJP, Congress at third: ADR Attempts being made to create Manipur-like situation in Maharashtra: Patole Panel to screen applicants for PTU VC post not as per norms: Punjab guv Amit Shah holds discussions on 2024 LS elections with Goa CM, JP Nadda Many leaders are more experienced than PM Modi: Tejashwi ahead of Oppn meet Delhi L-G slams AAP for delay in framing rules for fair price shops' audit The aim should be to ensure that the opposition unity takes shape at the earliest as less than a year is left before the 2024 general elections, Senior TMC leader Sukhendu Shekhar Roy told PTI. "The BJP has destroyed the country's democracy and is trying to subvert the Constitution. If the parties, which are opposed to the BJP and are fighting against it, fail to come together to put up a united fight, it would be unfortunate for the country," he said. Roy said the efforts to cobble up opposition unity had begun last year during the selection of opposition candidates for the presidential elections. When asked whether the issue of leadership of the opposition front would throw a spanner into the efforts, Roy said, "Only media and BJP are bothered about it. Neither the opposition parties nor the people of this country are bothered about such a leadership issue." Another TMC leader, who did not wish to be named, said the ongoing crisis in Manipur, where ethnic violence has claimed over 100 lives, would also feature in the discussions. After the Congress' massive victory in the Karnataka polls earlier this month, the TMC supremo had said her party would support the grand old party where it is strong in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but had asserted that she would expect a seat-sharing formula to give priority to regional players in areas where they were strong. Kumar, the JD(U) 's supreme leader, has been pitching for "opposition unity" ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year. The BJP dubbed the proposed opposition meeting a "futile exercise" and said such an "opportunistic alliance would not yield any result". "These are futile exercises. We saw such efforts in 2014 and 2019, and the results are before us. The people of this country trust the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They would never vote for an unstable and opportunistic alliance," BJP's West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar said. Apple has rolled out an urgent iOS 16.5.1 update for its iPhone customers. According to a report, the update includes a fix for a critical security flaw that had been used to exploit iPhones in Russia. Russian security software manufacturer Kaspersky Lab discovered the flaw. It stated that an iMessage with a malicious attachment was the method of the attack. The security company claims that the attacker can infect the user's device and run the code without seeing the message. The malicious code installed after infection had 24 commands, Kaspersky was quoted as saying by the Washington Post. According to the report, there were commands such as removing passwords from Apple's Keychain, monitoring locations, and modifying or exporting files. Apple iOS 16.5.1 update: Overview According to Apple, the iOS 16.5.1 update addresses two significant security flaws. The company said it is aware that an app with kernel privileges may be able to execute any code. It added they are also aware of a report that says "this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7". Webkit is the subject of the second vulnerability that iOS 16.5.1 addresses. "Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution," read the release notes for the update. There is a report that this vulnerability may have been actively exploited, and Apple is aware of it. Apple says that the list of qualified iPhones incorporates iPhone 8 and later. The company with its headquarters in Cupertino has also released iPadOS 16.5.1, which is accessible with the iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air (3rd and later), iPad 5th and later, and iPad mini (5th and later). Apple iOS 16.5.1 update: Download To download the latest iOS 16.5.1 update, below are the easy steps to follow: Also Read iPhone 15 series: Apple's upcoming phones to be made in India by Tata Group Apple rolls out iOS 16.5 for iPhones: What's new, how-to install, and more Apple iPhone 16 Pro models may get bigger displays, Periscope camera lenses Apple may introduce high-end iPhone 'Ultra' in 2024 along with iPhone 16 Tech giant Apple might launch affordable iPhone SE 4 in 2023: Report Here's what Apple's Vision Pro prescription optical inserts look like Asus to launch ROG Ally handheld gaming device in India on July 7: Details Asus A5402 all-in-one desktop series launched in India: Know price, specs Nothing Phone (2): Launch date, expected design, features and more LG launches Gram series laptops, Ultra PC in India: Price, specs, and more Visit the Settings app on your Apple iPhone Click on General and then press Software Update Here, you will witness the update available for your device. If it displays over one update, then install the recent one. Enter on Download and Install. After Twitter, social media behemoth Meta has launched 'Meta Verified,' a paid subscription model for its Facebook and Instagram in India. The new subscription-based model is intended to provide secure services and authentication for its users, as well as a variety of features such as account verification. "Meta Verified is now available in India, the UK, and Canada with Brazil coming soon. Any previously verified account will maintain its status on Instagram and Facebook for free," Mark Zuckerberg said on Meta Channel on Wednesday. Meta Verified costs Rs 699 per month for iOS and Android devices, and Rs 599 for web Facebook users. In India, the pricing of Meta's paid subscription model is lower than previously speculated. Unlike Twitter, the company has not implemented a yearly subscription model. However, Meta Verified costs less than Twitter Blue, which costs Rs 650 per month for web users and Rs 900 per month for Android and iOS users. Meta Verified was primarily launched earlier this year in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Also Read Twitter removes legacy blue ticks for thousands; all you need to know Have a Twitter blue tick? Buy a Blue subscription or lose it from April 1 39 years of Operation Bluestar: What happened in Punjab and the aftermath New York Times loses gold tick on Twitter; Musk calls its feed 'diarrhea' To pay or not to pay: Media cos split over buying $1,000 Twitter blue tick In Indian start-up technology churn, generative AI gets edge over Web3 Microsoft, US regulators head to court over $69 bn Activision Blizzard deal Apple engaged in 'coercive' interviews, anti-union tactics: US Judge Twitter has no choice but to obey local laws in every country; Elon Musk Decoded: Wreck-diving and the missing OceanGate's Titan submersible Meta Verified features As the name suggests, the new feature will provide subscribers with a blue badge, additional impersonation against fake accounts claiming to be the user, direct access to customer support, and increased visibility and reach. "Meta Verified a subscription service that lets you verify the account with a government ID, get a blue badge, get extra impersonation protection against accounts claiming to be you, and get direct access to customer support. This new feature is about increasing authenticity and security across our services," Zuckerberg had said earlier. The company had been thinking of a paid offering that will unlock these features since last year. How do I get a Meta Verified subscription? To be eligible for Meta Verified, accounts must meet minimum activity requirements, such as prior posting history, and be at least 18 years old. Applicants are then required to submit a government ID that matches the profile name and photo of the Facebook or Instagram account they are applying for. Subscriptions will include proactive monitoring for account impersonation. "The ID must match the profile name and photo of the Instagram or Facebook account that you're applying for. Once your profile has been verified, you can't change your username or date of birth on your profile without going through the Meta Verified subscription and verification application process again," Meta said. Users will have to also subscribe to the new model on Instagram and Facebook separately. What happens to accounts that have already been verified? Unlike Twitter, Meta stated that existing verified Instagram and Facebook accounts will not be affected. "Existing verified badge holders can also apply for a Meta Verified subscription if they meet the eligibility requirements," it said. It was a long time coming, but a shift back to normality after the years-long Covid pandemic is reshaping the list of the most liveable cities in the world. As upended lives return to normal, education, health and cultural facilities are improving, according to the Economist Intelligence Units (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2023, which compiles the list. This year, the global average score was the highest in 15 years. For the second year running, the Austrian capital Vienna took the title of worlds most liveable city, based on a wide range of indicators, followed by Copenhagen. Sydney and Melbourne both jumped, to claim the third and fourth spots, after a particularly infectious Covid strain saw them tumble down the index last year. Asia-Pacific cities were some of the most improved destinations, with eight of the 10 biggest upward movers coming from the region. New Zealands Wellington rose 35 spots to take 23rd place, while Auckland rose 25 places to land at number 10. Hanoi, Vietnam moved up 20 places to 129. "The shift towards normality after the pandemic has overall boded well for global liveability in 2023, said Upasana Dutt, head of the liveability index at EIU. Education has emerged stronger with children returning to schools, alongside a significantly reduced burden on hospitals and healthcare systems, with some notable improvements in cities across developing economies of Asia and the Middle East. Of the 10 cities to slip farthest down the rankings, three were in the UK Edinburgh, Manchester and London and two in the US, Los Angeles and San Diego. Most Chinese cities were broadly stable when compared to last years results, according to the survey. Also Read India views Austria as 'serious, consequential partner': EAM S Jaishankar EAM Jaishankar to visit Cyprus, Austria from Dec 29 to Jan 3: MEA Minister's statement cannot be attributed 'vicariously' to govt, says SC Ukraine to boycott OSCE meeting in Vienna next week if Russia attends Anti-inflammatory patterns explain fatigue in long Covid patients : Study Uber to lay off 200 employees in recruitment division to streamline costs Australia demands answers from Twitter on how it tackles online hate EU summons Kosovo, Serbia leaders for emergency talks amid conflict fears Beijing breaches 40 deg C for first time in 9 yrs as heatwaves return Turkish central bank faces key economic test after Erdogan's reelection Damascus, Syria and Libyas Tripoli remain at the bottom of the list, held back, the report says, by social unrest, terrorism and conflict. The EIU ranked 173 cities on more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Data was collected Feb. 13 and March 12. These are the top 10 most liveable cities in 2023 (ranking numbers are the same where cities scores were identical): 1. Vienna, Austria 2. Copenhagen, Denmark 3. Melbourne, Australia 4. Sydney, Australia 5. Vancouver, Canada 6. Zurich, Switzerland 7. Calgary, Canada 7. Geneva, Switzerland 9. Toronto, Canada 10. Osaka, Japan 10. Auckland, New Zealand And these are the bottom 10: 164 Douala, Cameroon 165 Kyiv, Ukraine 166 Harare, Zimbabwe 166 Dhaka, Bangladesh 168 Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 169 Karachi, Pakistan 170 Lagos, Nigeria 171 Algiers, Algeria 172 Tripoli, Libya 173 Damascus, Syria Confident of New Delhi's diversification of military equipment, Pentagon's Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh explained the different treatment being meted out to Turkey and India for getting a delivery of Russia's S-400 missile system and said that both cases are different. While addressing the press conference on Tuesday, Singh said, "We encourage all of our partners and allies to avoid transactions with Russia. That's something that we've continued to reiterate with Turkey, with India, and with others. I think there are very different and two different cases, and when it comes to India, we remain confident in their diversification of equipment and our ability to integrate with them as well." Earlier, the US and NATO warned Turkey that the S-400 system is not compatible with NATO's defence systems and could expose sensitive information to Russia. As a result of Turkey's refusal to back down from the deal with Russia, the US has taken several punitive measures, including suspending Turkey from the F-35 fighter jet program in 2019 and imposing sanctions on Turkish officials and entities involved in the purchase of the S-400. Over PM Modi's US visit, Singh said, "I think you've seen the importance that India has for this building, for this administration. Of course, there is a state visit that's being hosted this week by the White House. I'm not going to get ahead of any announcements that might come out from the White House or any other agencies." "But again, as the secretary did on his visit that was really about deepening Indian and US relations and continuing military cooperation. We're not asking countries to choose between us and China," she added. The Pentagon's Deputy Press Secretary stated that the US does not seek conflict with China. She further added that the US seek to encourage competition in a healthy and safe way but does not seek countries to choose sides here. Also Read North Korea fires missile that may have been a new type of weapon China says it successfully conducted mid-course missile interception test Still assessing exactly what intel China got from spy balloon: Pentagon Pentagon releases selfie taken by US pilot of Chinese spy balloon N Korea fires missile toward East Sea, Japan says taking all precautions Lack of funding resulting in painful rollbacks: UN Chief Antonio Guterres 1,000 Hollywood writers rally in Los Angeles for new contract with studios Apple engaged in 'coercive' interviews, anti-union tactics: US Judge Subtle shift in India's position on Ukraine and Russia: US official From green-diamonds to Robert Frost poems: Gifts that Modi, Biden exchanged "I think this will be another opportunity for the Secretary to engage with India, his counterparts here at the state dinner and just further deepen cooperation between our two countries," she added. US First Lady Jill Biden, on Wednesday, said that education is the cornerstone of the bond between India and the United States. First Lady Jill Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, and attended the 'Skilling for Future' event where she said, "Education is the cornerstone of the bond between India and the United States. Students from both countries are learning and growing alongside each other, discovering the people that they want to become and building a better world together. Working side by side, our nations can create a safer, healthier, more prosperous future for everyone." She also stated that to make the economies of both nations strong, India and the US need to invest in young people who are the future. She highlighted the importance of providing young people with the opportunities they deserve. "We are bringing together our entire administration, including agencies like NSF to partner with employers, unions, schools and local governments so we can ensure that students have what they need to pursue these careers. That's the Biden education pathway. It starts with free, high-quality, universal free school and creates a high school experience that prepares students for their next steps," the First Lady of the US said. "After years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expensive as we jointly tackle the global challenges...You work to ensure that all Indians, especially girls have the opportunity to pursue education and gain the skills they need for a modern workforce. It is exciting to be able to show you some of the innovative programs our schools and businesses are creating for the students here," she added. Earlier, addressing the event, PM Modi said that India and the United States partnership will serve as the driving engine behind sustainable and inclusive global growth. Also Read Biden falls onstage at graduation ceremony; White House says he's 'fine' My career of 280 years': Biden jokes off 2024 US prez poll age concerns US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill receive PM Modi at White House Rice cornerstone of food security in country, says President Murmu It's a little shocking: Jill Biden as many Republicans still support Trump Global money flocks to India as PM Modi meets Elon Musk, Ray Dalio LIVE: Pipeline of talent needed for India, US for growth momentum, says PM Cooking gas explosion kills 31 people at barbecue restaurant in China Came away from Modi meeting truly impressed: Expert from US think-tank India-US partnership to drive sustainable, inclusive global growth: PM Modi "To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On the one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world's biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth," he added. Earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi arrived in Washington DC and received a ceremonial welcome as well as a Guard of Honour at the airbase. PM Modi will, later on, attend the state dinner to which he was invited by US President Joe Biden and the first lady. After concluding the event, Jill Biden, in Washington DC, gave details on the State dinner that will be hosted for PM Modi at the White House by her and President Joe Biden. She said that tomorrow night, guests will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron-coloured flowers at every table, the colours of the Indian flag. Meanwhile, guest Chef Nina Curtis gave details on the State Dinner and said, "We are very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the international year of millet. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu. The European Union has summoned the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo for emergency talks on Thursday to try to bring an end to a series of violent clashes near their border that is fuelling fears of a return to open conflict. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that he would hold urgent meetings with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels. It was unclear whether the two would meet face-to-face, or only hold separate talks with Borrell. We need immediate de-escalation and new elections in the north with participation of Kosovo Serbs. This is paramount for the region and (the) EU, Borrell tweeted ahead of the talks. The 27-nation bloc has for years been leading talks aimed at reconciling the two foes, but with little success. Serbia and its former province Kosovo have been at odds for decades. Their 1998-99 conflict left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians. Belgrade has refused to recognize Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence. Tensions flared anew last month after Kosovo police seized local municipality buildings in northern Kosovo, where Serbs represent a majority, to install ethnic Albanian mayors who were elected in a local election that Serbs overwhelmingly boycotted. Also Read Serbia places its troops on Kosovo border on combat alert, ignores NATO Another mass killing in Serbia after deadly school shooting, 8 killed USAID chief Power heads to Serbia, Kosovo in a bid to stabalise situation USAID chief optimistic on Serbia-Kosovo talks, pledges US support Disturbances in Kosovo won't affect visit of President Murmu to Serbia: MEA Beijing breaches 40 deg C for first time in 9 yrs as heatwaves return Turkish central bank faces key economic test after Erdogan's reelection Rescuers make last push as few hours of oxygen left in missing Titan Minerals Security Partnership: What is it, and why is it important? G20 nations can undertake skill mapping at global level, find gaps: PM Modi Serbia has put its troops on the border on the highest state of alert amid a series of recent clashes between Kosovo Serbs on one side and Kosovo police and NATO-led peacekeepers on the other. In recent weeks, NATO has sent in reinforcements. The tensions persisted last week with three shock grenades exploding near Kosovo police stations in the north of the country, while Kosovo Serbs staged protests in front of municipality buildings. Borrell had been trying for several days to try to get Kurti and Vucic to come to Brussels but they had refused until now. Still, Vucic said that he won't be talking to Kurti in Brussels. I have nothing to talk to him about, he told the state RTS broadcaster. Vucic has said there can be no negotiations until Serbs who have been arrested by Kosovo police for attacks on Kosovo police and NATO-led peacekeepers are released. Just four months ago, Borrell had made things seem so promising. He exited meetings with the pair to announce that Serbia and Kosovo had given their tacit approval to a EU-sponsored plan to end months of political crises and help improve their ties longer-term. But the deal unraveled almost immediately as both leaders appeared to renege on commitments that Borrell suggested they had made. To commemorate the traditional Chinese holiday known as the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, Google created a GIF doodle. That's why it's sometimes called the 'Double Fifth Festival'. The day falls in the month of June-July according to the Gregorian calendar, and this year, the holiday is being observed on June 22. The doodle for today depicts a hand-made cardboard and yarn Dragon Boat replica sailing through an ocean of yarn bowls. The current era's history begins in the third century BCE. It is observed to remember Qu Yuan, a Chinese poet and politician who was well-known for his contributions to classical poetry for his patriotism. Dragon Boat Festival 2023: History Chinese poet Qu Yuan is said to have committed suicide by drowning in the Miluo River during the period of 475-221 BC, after learning that Chu State had been defeated. Legend says that local people surged out in boats wanting to find and save him. To keep fish and evil spirits away from the poets corpse, they threw sticky rice dumplings into the water. Dragon Boat Festival 2023: Importance The Chinese nation's cultural heritage is celebrated at the Dragon Boat Festival as it is the spirit of cooperation and unity. Particularly, dragon boat racing emphasises the significance of teamwork, communication, and mutual support among team members. Dragon Boat Festival 2023: Celebration People from all over Asia gather to watch teams race toward a finish line in long, multicoloured, canoe-shaped wooden boats usually adorned with dragon heads and tails. There are 12 to 32 people in each boat, including paddlers and drummers who sit at the front of the boat and drum energetically to keep the rowers on time. In mainland China and Hong Kong, a public holiday is observed to mark the Dragon Boat Festival. As a result, dragon boat races and eating sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves (zongzi in Mandarin and zong in Cantonese) became important aspects of the Dragon Boat Festival and continue to be so today. Also Read Google Doodle honors Polish sculptor Magdalena on her 93rd birthday All you need to know about the 'Godfather of Voguing', Willi Ninja Google pays tribute to Kitty O'Neil, once the fastest woman in the world Google Doodle celebrates Nowruz 2023 today, marking the Persian new year Blinkit to deliver boAt headphones and accessories within minutes After yrs of ties, US-India partnership deep, expansive: Jill Biden From marinated millets to stuffed mushrooms, White House menu for PM Modi Education is cornerstone of bond between India-US, says Jill Biden Global money flocks to India as PM Modi meets Elon Musk, Ray Dalio LIVE: Pipeline of talent needed for India, US for growth momentum, says PM While some experts say that the same practice had been followed even before the death of Qu Yuan; dragon boat races and sticky rice dumplings have turned into the trademarks of festivities for the celebration in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia and elsewhere on the planet. Dragon boat racing has likewise turned into a famous sport with members from the entire world. New Delhi, June 22 (UNI) Over 20 inmates of Tihar Jail allegedly injured themselves in a bid to resist from the jail staff when the authorities went to their prison cells to search mobile phones after receiving information regarding illegal use of cellphones from there, jail officials said on Thursday. Four of the injured inmates were sent to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for treatment and rest of the injured were treated in the jail dispensary, Tihar jail officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event here highlighted the various initiatives taken by India to promote education, research and entrepreneurship. He was attending the Skilling For Future event organised by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and his visit to the organisation at Alexandria, Virginia, was hosted by First Lady Jill Biden. "I am really happy to have got an opportunity to interact with young and creative minds here. India is working on several projects in collaboration with NSF. I thank First Lady Jill Biden for planning and organising this event," Modi said. The Skilling For Future event was organised to highlight the US and India's shared priorities around education and workforce. "PM @narendramodi and @FLOTUS @DrBiden participated in a unique event focused on promoting vocational education and skill development among youth. PM and @FLOTUS discussed collaborative efforts aimed at creating workforce for the future. PM highlighted various initiatives undertaken by India to promote education, research and entrepreneurship," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted along with pictures of the programme. The NSF is headed by Indian American Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan. In the last year or so, several Indian Cabinet Ministers have visited its headquarters in Virginia. Prominent among them are Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Also Read India, US agree to streamline funding for research projects, says NSF Need to build resilient health system across world: India at G20 Health Leadership at global institutions like UN needs to be re-evaluated: PM Modi Together we stand stronger: PM Modi as he leaves for US on 1st state visit PM Narendra Modi's US visit: Top points for Indian diaspora in US 'Pipeline of talent' needed for India, US to maintain growth momentum: PM Modi given ceremonial welcome, guard of honour on arriving in Washington DC It's India's time to shine: CEO of Applied Materials after meeting PM Modi Had an excellent meeting with PM Modi: Micron Tech chief Sanjay Mehrotra US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill receive PM Modi at White House The NSF is an independent agency of the US government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health. Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. In his departure statement, Modi had said this "special invitation" from President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a State Visit is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between the democracies. India and the United States partnership will serve as the driving engine behind sustainable and inclusive global growth, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday. Addressing the 'Skilling for Future' event at the National Science Foundation, PM Modi emphasised the need to nurture a pipeline of talent to sustain the growth momentum between the two countries. "To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On the one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world's biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth," PM Modi at the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia in the US. Earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi arrived in Washington DC and received a ceremonial welcome as well as a Guard of Honour at the airbase. PM Modi will, later on, attend the state dinner to which he was invited by US President Joe Biden and the first lady. Accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden, PM Modi visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, where they interacted with students from both countries who are acquiring skills relevant for them to succeed in the vital industries of their respective economies. Highlighting the initiatives taken by the Indian government to secure a bright future for students such as implementing the New Education Policy and integrating education and skilling. Also Read London the world's second most expensive city for driving, shows report Future of trade is digital, green and inclusive, says WTO Director-General IndiGo, Go First face P&W engine headwinds; over 50 planes on ground Rane Engine Valve freezes in 20% upper circuit on strong Q4 performance India highlights inclusive, sustainable development agenda at G20 DWG meet US President, First Lady host PM Modi for intimate dinner at White House Why the US should reach out to India's Opposition, not just PM Modi India is working on several projects in collaboration with NSF: PM Modi 'Pipeline of talent' needed for India, US to maintain growth momentum: PM Modi given ceremonial welcome, guard of honour on arriving in Washington DC Talking about the work that the Indian government did for the bright future of the students, PM Modi stated that they have brought the New Education Policy and integrated education and skilling. Under Skill India, India has skilled over "15 billion people" in the field of artificial intelligence, blockchain, drone and others. He also said that in schools, the Indian government has established 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs where children have been provided with facilities to engage in innovation. PM Modi urged American students to come to India and said that hundreds of United States teachers are already in India, participating in a tech partnership. Proposing the idea of an India-US teachers' exchange program, PM Modi said, "We can think of starting an India-US teachers' exchange programme. To increase the engagement of scientists & entrepreneurs across the world with Indian institutions, we started GIAN - Global Initiative of Academic Networks - in 2015. I am delighted to tell you that under this, 750 faculty members from the US have come to India." "I think together, both countries should also organise hackathons on different issues. This may offer solutions to several of the current problems as well as new ideas for the future," he added. Iraq's president on Wednesday approved a record USD 152 billion budget that the parliament voted on earlier this month and which adds about half a million public sector jobs. Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid ratified the budget, which has a projected deficit of USD 48 billion. Parliament last week voted on the draft, six months into the fiscal year and after months of negotiations. The main sticking point during the talks was the distribution of oil revenue between the central government in Baghdad and the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region in the north. The approved draft consolidates Baghdad's authority over the oil sector and allocates 12.6 per cent of the revenue to the Kurdish region. The Iraqi Kurdish local government will be allowed to sell its own oil but will have to deposit the revenue first in a bank account that officials from the central government can monitor. Baghdad will then deduct that amount from its monthly allocation to the Kurdish regional government and transfer any surplus money to it. According to an official in Baghdad, the government expects the Kurdish region's oil exports by way of the Turkish port of Ceyhan halted for several months due to legal disputes to resume next week at a rate of 400,000 barrels per day. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations. Iraq's president hailed the budget as "a turning point for the government's implementation of its program, which includes securing the necessary needs of citizens, providing basic services such as health and education, rehabilitating the infrastructure and initiating vital and strategic projects. Also Read Budget 2023-24: Manufacturing sector eyes revised taxations, new PLIs Union Budget 2023: Experts don't expect surprises in social sector outlay Budget 2023: A look back at some major announcements in previous Budget Crypto industry wants 0.1% TDS, Sebi-like regulator in Budget 2023 Budget 2023 to increase capex for infra projects for growth: Experts Google Doodle celebrates Dragon Boat Festival 2023, details inside After yrs of ties, US-India partnership deep, expansive: Jill Biden From marinated millets to stuffed mushrooms, White House menu for PM Modi Education is cornerstone of bond between India-US, says Jill Biden Global money flocks to India as PM Modi meets Elon Musk, Ray Dalio The budget, which was also approved for 2024 and 2025 in the same amounts, includes substantial spending on increasing public wages and investing in reconstruction projects that have suffered from years of conflict. It also has provisions for raising salaries of public sector employees and the conversion of contracted workers into permanent public employees. Meanwhile, the country's Interior Ministry announced the openings for 37,100 members of the police force, for three-year periods with a monthly pay of 500,000 Iraqi dinars about USD 377. It was looking for Iraqis between 18 and 22 years of age. The budget's rosy revenue projections and more than half a million new positions in the public sector have drawn criticism. Abdulsalam Hassan, an Iraqi researcher and economist, said the state's expenditures were already too high and that the new budget resembles a ticking time bomb that will have detrimental effects on Iraq's delicate economy. The International Monetary Fund in a recent report warned against fiscal loosening and a heavy reliance by Baghdad on oil revenues. The IMF also urged the Iraqi government to implement a stricter fiscal policy. The Supreme Court of Nepal on Thursday cleared the way for the implementation of the newly amended Citizenship Bill which was recently certified by President Ram Chandra Paudel. A division bench of Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Justice Kumar Regmi paved the way for the bill's implementation as it decided not to give continuity to the interlocutory interim order earlier issued by a single bench. The short-term order issued by Justice Manoj Sharma earlier blocked the way for the implementation of the amended provisions of the Citizenship Act, allowing thousands of children of parents, who got citizenship by birth, to acquire citizenship by descent. An estimated 500,000 such people are waiting for their citizenship certificates. However, the court is yet to issue its final verdict in this matter. Last year, the then president Bidya Devi Bhandari had put the Citizenship Bill, which was passed by both Houses of the federal parliament, on hold without certifying it. Also Read Senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel sworn in as Nepal's third President Nepal Prez Paudel airlifted from Kathmandu, to be admitted to AIIMS President Droupadi Murmu speaks to Nepal counterpart Ram Chandra Paudel Nepal's President Paudel discharged from AIIMS, to return home tonight Nepal police arrest 10 Indians for illegally acquiring citizenship cards US to introduce in-country hassle-free renewable for H-1B visa: Official Yellen says critical to maintain China ties after Biden's dictator remarks Mark Zuckerberg vs Elon Musk 'cage fight': What the two billionaires said US jobless claims hold steady at 20-month high, current account gap widens IOC banishes boxing body, but sport will still be at 2024 Paris Games The same bill was however approved by Paudel on May 31. Senior advocates Surendra Bhandari and Balkrishna Neupane had filed a writ at the apex court, saying that the president's move to validate the bill went against the Constitution. Pakistan's Former Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan was arrested in relation to the May 9 incident on Wednesday, according to a Police official, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. Rawalpindi Police Spokesperson Inspector Sajjadul Hassan confirmed that the ex-minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan was arrested during a joint raid executed by Pindi and the capital police. The police added that during the raid, the police also took former National Assembly member Mansoor Hayat Khan and ex-Punjab MPA Ammar Siddique Khan into custody, as per Dawn. Officials have reported that the former Aviation Minister, appointed during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) era and others arrested have been transferred to a police station in Taxila. The authorities had been searching for Ghulam Sarwar Khan for more than a month in connection to the May 9 violence case, since his name has been suspected among others, according to Dawn. Unlike other leaders, Former Minister Sarwar has not announced his departure from the PTI or resigned from any party position. Also Read Sale of petroleum products halves in Pakistan, high inflation to blame Historical trail of Pakistan's powerful military enterprise: Explainer 2020 Delhi riots case: Court pulls up SI for incomplete investigation 2020 Delhi riots: Court adjourns case with warning to prosecution Key January 6 riots witness says lawyer sought to influence testimony PM Modi invites Micron to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India Iraq president ratifies record $152 bn budget, IMF says 'too rosy' Google Doodle celebrates Dragon Boat Festival 2023, details inside After yrs of ties, US-India partnership deep, expansive: Jill Biden From marinated millets to stuffed mushrooms, White House menu for PM Modi A Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court issues a non-bailable arrest warrant for Imran Khan and several other former and current party leaders in cases related to May 9 riots, reported Dawn. During the riots, at least eight people were killed and over 290 injured after the National Accountability Bureau arrested the PTI chief in the Al-Qadir Trust case. To maintain the momentum of growth, a "pipeline of talent" is needed for India and the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at an event here to highlight the two nations' shared priorities around education and workforce. He was participating in the 'Skilling For Future Event' organised by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on Wednesday and his visit to the organisation was hosted by First Lady Jill Biden. The prime minister also highlighted the initiatives undertaken by India to promote education, research and entrepreneurship. "I am really happy to have got an opportunity to interact with young and creative minds here. India is working on several projects in collaboration with the NSF. I thank First Lady Jill Biden for planning and organising this event," Modi said. Explaining the skilling mission of his government, Modi said for the bright future of youngsters, it is important to have education, skill and innovation, and India has worked in this direction. The National Education Policy (NEP), education and skilling have been integrated. Under the Skilling Mission, more than 50 million people have been trained, and another 15 million are being given training on latest and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchains, Modi said while addressing a gathering. Also Read Skill-Lync partners with TN Skill Development Corp to train 10,000 students These are the non-IT sectors most eager to hire tech talent in India Predictable, progressive taxes for online gaming needed, experts suggest US, India launch working group on education and skill development Haryana to launch comprehensive campaign for skill development schemes Modi given ceremonial welcome, guard of honour on arriving in Washington DC It's India's time to shine: CEO of Applied Materials after meeting PM Modi Had an excellent meeting with PM Modi: Micron Tech chief Sanjay Mehrotra US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill receive PM Modi at White House Twitter has no choice but to obey local laws in every country; Elon Musk To maintain the momentum of growth, "for India and the US, it is important to ensure a pipeline of talent", he said and added that his goal is to have this decade as "techdecade". The US has the world's top educational institutions and advanced technologies, while India the world's biggest "yuva (youth) factory", the prime minister said and added that he believes, the India-US partnership will prove to be the sustainable and inclusive engine for global growth. Welcoming the prime minister to the US, the First Lady said,"With this official visit, we are bringing together the world's oldest and world's largest democracies. But our relationship isn't just about governments. We're celebrating the families and friendships that span the globe, those who feel the bonds of both of our countries." She said after years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges. "Mr. Prime Minister, I know that education is an issue close to your heart as it is to mine. You work to ensure that all Indians, especially girls, which I love, have the opportunity to pursue an education and gain the skills they need for our modern workforce. It is so important, it is exciting to be able to show you some of the innovative programs our schools and businesses are creating for students here," Jill Biden said. The NSF is headed by Indian American Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan. In the last year or so, several Indian Cabinet Ministers have visited its headquarters in Virginia. Prominent among them are Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "PM @narendramodi and @FLOTUS @DrBiden participated in a unique event focused on promoting vocational education and skill development among youth. PM and @FLOTUS discussed collaborative efforts aimed at creating workforce for the future. PM highlighted various initiatives undertaken by India to promote education, research and entrepreneurship," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted along with pictures of the programme. The NSF is an independent agency of the US government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health. The First Lady thanked the NSF for hosting them. "There are students in this room who are discovering the inner workings of semiconductors starting in middle and high school or training for other cutting edge jobs...," she said addressing the gathering. "If we want our economies to be strong, we need to invest in young people who are our future. We need to ensure that they have the opportunities that they deserve," Jill Biden said. NSF director Panchanathan said that India, as of this year, is the world's most populous country. "Promoting education opportunities and expanding India's technology sector have been key pillars of Prime Minister Modi's vision for the country," he said. Modi arrived here from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. In his departure statement, Modi had said this "special invitation" from President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a State Visit is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between the democracies. The United States has experienced a subtle shift in India's position on Ukraine and Russia, the Biden Administration said on Wednesday, on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-level talks with President Joe Biden at the White House. Since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year, Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a number of times during which he insisted that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. "What you have seen in the last several months is a subtle shift in the Indian position on the war in Ukraine that started last summer, almost a year ago in August with Prime Minister Modi saying to President Putin to his face that now is not the era for war, a senior State Department official told reporters. In September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at the UN that the war must be ended through diplomacy and according to the UN Charter and its founding principles. This is a way of saying what the US has always said from the beginning based on territorial integrity and sovereignty, said the official. And then in October of last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the threat to use nuclear weapons is inconsistent with the basic tenets of humanity. "These are pretty strong statements," the official said. "While in the West, I'm not sure we read it exactly the same way in India, that was seen as a very clear shift. You have seen Prime Minister Modi speaking to President Zelensky at the G-7 summit in Hiroshima and recommitting that this conflict must be settled through diplomacy and dialogue, said the official, who spoke with reporters on conditions of anonymity. Also Read Online used-car marketplace Shift Technologies lays off 30% of workforce YouTube testing new, more subtle video progress bar for Android: Reports Putin admits Russia's shortcomings as Ukraine presses counteroffensive Shrachi group engineering firm order book position at Rs 1,800 cr: official Ukraine says Russia plans tactical shift using more Iranian drones From green-diamonds to Robert Frost poems: Gifts that Modi, Biden exchanged Immigration drove white, Asian population growth in US last year: Census Pakistan Finance Minister Dar meets US envoy; discusses stalled IMF loan Pakistan's ex-aviation minister arrested in relation to May 9 riots case PM Modi invites Micron to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India India, the official said, has a long history of relations with Russia. They have interests with Russia that go back many, many decades. "It is a positive thing that Prime Minister Modi has said and repeated that this must be settled through dialogue and diplomacy. I think you'll see that again honestly, that this is now a very established part of Indian policy. What I think you'll also see is that while the US and India differ about our exact policies on Russia and Ukraine, we share a belief that this must be dealt, this must be settled through diplomacy and this must end in a lasting piece according to the UN charter and its founding principles which are territorial integrity and sovereignty, the official said. That's a common position of India in the United States, the official added. Responding to a question, the official said India will make its own decisions about whether it purchases oil from Russia. "As you know, there are no sanctions on the purchase of Russian oil. There are restrictions by G-7 countries about buying oil at a certain price, the Russia oil price cap. And so we hope that India will continue to use the G-7 oil price cap to leverage lower costs for the Russian oil that it purchases. That's in the interest of all of us that it buys Russian crude at rock bottom prices, said the official. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House. Modi was received by the president and the first lady, and before entering the building, they posed for photos and were seen chatting. "When friends meet! PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden and family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. According to the White House, this evening, the president, the first lady and the prime minister also enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. They were joined by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, it said. Later in a tweet Prime Minister Modi said, "I thank @POTUS @JoeBiden and @FLOTUS @DrBiden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects." Earlier in the day, Jill Biden hosted Modi at the National Science Foundation (NSF), where they participated at an event to highlight shared priorities of India and the US around education and workforce. Also Read US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill receive PM Modi at White House US is going to hell: Donald Trump in first post-indictment address My career of 280 years': Biden jokes off 2024 US prez poll age concerns It's a little shocking: Jill Biden as many Republicans still support Trump US Prez Joe Biden's family to host intimate dinner for PM Modi on June 21 Why the US should reach out to India's Opposition, not just PM Modi India is working on several projects in collaboration with NSF: PM Modi 'Pipeline of talent' needed for India, US to maintain growth momentum: PM Modi given ceremonial welcome, guard of honour on arriving in Washington DC It's India's time to shine: CEO of Applied Materials after meeting PM Modi On Thursday, President Joe Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Prime Minister Modi visit also includes an address by him to the joint session of the US Congress. The White House also said that as the official gift, the president and first lady will present Prime Minister Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. They will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, it said. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. China's Premier Li Qiang and dozens of world leaders will meet in Paris on Thursday and Friday to discuss ways to help low-income countries manage their debt burdens and free up funding for climate financing. As the world's largest bilateral creditor, China is central to talks on making tangible progress in providing debt relief to Zambia, Chad, Ethiopia and Ghana through the Group of 20-led "Common Framework." WHAT IS THE COMMON FRAMEWORK? The Common Framework was set up by the G-20 in late 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as an initiative to expedite and simplify the process of getting indebted countries back onto their feet. The aim was to bring together big creditors like China and the traditional group of developed creditor nations, known as the Paris Club, to negotiate restructuring plans with defaulters. But nearly three years later, it is yet to provide any relief, partly due to disagreements between the rich countries and China, which over the past decade has emerged as a major international creditor. Also Read Sri Lankan rupee shows appreciation against US Dollar in recent months India will help Sri Lanka in oil sector despite recent changes: Officials Sri Lanka concludes debt restructuring talks with Japan: Wickremesinghe EAM likely to visit Lanka on Jan 19; talks on debt restructuring expected India is Sri Lanka's biggest friend in time of crisis, says Sri Lanka PM Microsoft, US regulators head to court over $69 bn Activision Blizzard deal Modi to have one-on-one meeting with Biden before high-level talks PM Modi gifts eco-friendly lab-grown diamond to US First Lady Jill Biden 1,000 Hollywood writers rally in Los Angeles for new contract with studios Both cases are different: Pentagon on treatment meted out to India, Turkey WHAT IS CHINA'S POSITION ON DEBT RESTRUCTURING? China wants multilateral lenders like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank to absorb some of the losses, which those institutions and many developed nations, notably the United States, are resisting. The U.S. and European governments have argued that acceding to Beijing's demand would be tantamount to a bailout for China. A case in point is Zambia, which owes $6 billion to China and has been locked in default for almost three years. The southern African country has been unable to secure further loans from the IMF because Beijing insists multilateral development lenders, which don't usually take haircuts, should participate in debt relief. The Common Framework requires debtor countries to secure restructuring assurances from any bilateral lenders first and commercial and multilateral lenders second - to Beijing's dismay. China continues to negotiate with debtor nations on a bilateral basis, urging that debt disposal be dealt with on a "case-by-case" basis despite the Common Framework's aim to standardise access to debt relief. China's central bank chief Yi Gang reiterated "China is willing to work with all parties to implement the Common Framework for debt disposal," at a gathering of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors at the World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings in Washington in April. "Official bilateral loans related to China only account for less than 5% of Ghana's external debt," Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a press conference in Beijing in March, when asked whether China would agree to restructure the $1.9 billion Ghana owes it. "We call on multilateral financial institutions and commercial lenders, who are the main creditors for developing countries, to participate in developing countries' debt relief efforts," Mao said. WHY IS CHINA WILLING TO WRITE OFF SOME DEBTS BUT NOT OTHERS? In January, China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang announced a partial and undisclosed cancellation of the $13.7 billion that Ethiopia has borrowed from China since 2000 while visiting Addis Ababa. And last August, China waived 23 interest-free loans to 17 African states that had expired at the end of 2021. China's interest-free loans are funded from its foreign aid budget and are easier to waive. Interest-free loans account for less than 5% of the $843 billion in Chinese loan commitments to 165 governments globally between 2000 and 2017, according to AidData. WHAT SUPPORT IS CHINA OFFERING? In early May, China attended the first meeting of Sri Lanka's creditor nations only as an observer. Japan, India and France initiated the discussions despite China being Sri Lanka's largest bilateral lender, with the island nation owing Chinese lenders $7.4 billion at the end of 2021. In discussions over Ghana later in May, China took its involvement further and agreed to co-chair a committee of Ghana's official creditors alongside France. And in Zambia's case, "China has always taken Zambia's debt issues seriously and will jointly work for a better solution," according to Wang Wenbin, another Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson. WHAT NEXT? In Paris, analysts expect China to continue to voice support for the Common Framework but for debt relief to be dispensed "case-by-case". The last time global policymakers met to discuss the Common Framework in Washington, China proposed the IMF should speed up and improve information sharing on debt sustainability analyses. China will need more coaxing before it agrees to haircuts. By Pankaj Mishra Warmly welcoming Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US this week, Congress and President Joe Bidens administration will underscore the flip side of growing antagonism to China: a deepening infatuation with Modis India. The affection was manifest most recently and embarrassingly when US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, wearing a colorful Indian outfit and gesticulating emphatically, hailed Modi as a visionary, who was unbelievable, even indescribable. No doubt, Modis India is irresistible to many US leaders as the worlds biggest arms buyer, an enticing market for US capital and goods, and the ancestral country of an affluent, politically consequential and largely Democrat-voting diaspora. But India is also a country, where, as writers including Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai and Jhumpa Lahiri pointed out in a signed statement last year, hate speech is expressed and disseminated loudly; where Muslims are discriminated against and lynched, their homes and mosques bulldozed, their livelihoods destroyed; where Christians are beaten and churches attacked; where political prisoners are held in jail without trial. Modis Western cheerleaders obscure the depth of fears about his government among the large and globally prominent Indian intelligentsia, not to mention respected institutions such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Oxfam and the Committee to Protect Journalists. No less than the US Holocaust Memorial Museum recently ranked India eighth, above Syria and Somalia, in a list of 162 countries exposed to the risk of mass killings. It is hard to see how the Biden administration can pursue intimacy with such a government without risking both the long-term reputation and material interests of the US. For one, despite his governments use of the judiciary, tax authorities, and security and intelligence agencies against critics, Modis domination over Indian politics is hardly complete. He has notably failed to persuade electorates in Indias richest states in the south; his Bharatiya Janata Party still only gets a little over a third of the national vote. And it remains far from clear how electorally potent Hindu nationalism will be in Indias poorest and most populous states whenever Modi himself departs the scene. Also Read Biden falls onstage at graduation ceremony; White House says he's 'fine' Together we stand stronger: PM Modi as he leaves for US on 1st state visit PM Narendra Modi to visit US from June 21 to 25: What is a state visit? From State Dinner to UN Event: Full schedule of PM Modi's US state visit PM Narendra Modi's US visit: Top points for Indian diaspora in US India is working on several projects in collaboration with NSF: PM Modi 'Pipeline of talent' needed for India, US to maintain growth momentum: PM Modi given ceremonial welcome, guard of honour on arriving in Washington DC It's India's time to shine: CEO of Applied Materials after meeting PM Modi Had an excellent meeting with PM Modi: Micron Tech chief Sanjay Mehrotra Moreover, as recent violence in the state of Manipur shows, the governments efforts at social engineering in border regions with non-Hindu populations could radically destabilize India. The US cannot afford to be seen taking what could turn out to be yet again the catastrophically wrong side in a countrys existential conflicts. US support for despots in Latin America sowed the seeds of a seemingly ineradicable anti-Americanism in the region. More recently, former President George W. Bush found Vladimir Putin to be very straightforward and trustworthy. The perils of such misjudgments are even higher today, amid a global surge of authoritarian and neo-fascist regimes. Biden repeatedly insists the US stands for democracy against autocracy. If this is not just some expedient rhetoric, policy makers must bring moral principle in line with policy. As it happens, this challenge is less difficult than it seems in the case of India especially compared to, say, Saudi Arabia. And it neednt involve moralizing about the virtues of democracy and pluralism. For Modi himself never ceases to proclaim India as the mother of democracy and originator of the idea that the world is one family. The US government should take up Modis invitation to broad and naturally flowing links between India and the world. It should reach out to Indias battered and besieged political opposition; it should talk publicly to the Indian intelligentsia. And, when his government complains about foreign interference, it should hold Modi to his own vision of a traditionally cosmopolitan and open Indian society. In any case, Modi himself has invited foreigners into Indian politics by relentlessly projecting his popularity among foreign leaders in order to woo Indian voters. Biden could, if he wishes, innovatively use the glamor and authority invested in his office and forge a closer and more multi-dimensional relationship between the US and India. For those who seek it, a middle way exists between hailing Modi as an unbelievable visionary and sternly lecturing him about Indias democratic deficit. There is ample scope for a US policy that is both pragmatic and ethical, which not only recognizes Indias geostrategic and economic importance but also honors the pluralistic politics and culture of its society. By vigorously flattering Modi, the Biden administration instead echoes former President Donald Trumps weakness for strongmen. It also evokes US adversaries Russia and China, who are only too happy to strike lucrative deals with blatantly illiberal regimes while turning a blind eye to their violations of civil liberties and ordinary decency. Perhaps we can expect nothing more as big powers aggressively scramble for military and economic advantage. But a greater common good is worth striving for even in our bleakly amoral, multipolar world. Disclaimer: This is a Bloomberg Opinion piece, and these are the personal opinions of the writer. They do not reflect the views of www.business-standard.com or the Business Standard newspaper You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Thursday that it's critical the US and China maintain a relationship so they can work together on global challenges, coming just after President Joe Biden's remarks calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a dictator drew condemnation from Beijing. Speaking at a news conference in Paris, Yellen said that with respect to the comments, I think President Biden and I both believe it's critical to maintain communication ... to clear up misperceptions, miscalculations. We need to work together where possible." But we have disagreements, and we are also forthright in recognising we do have disagreements, she added. Yellen has recently advocated for improving relations between the US and China, arguing cooperation is needed for the sake of maintaining global stability. Biden's remarks at a fundraiser Tuesday, when he also said China had real economic difficulties, opened a new rift just after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing. The trip sought to break the ice in a relationship that has hit a historical low. China delivered a formal protest of Biden's remarks on Thursday, with Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng telling senior White House and State officials that Washington should take earnest actions to undo the negative impact of what Biden said or bear all the consequences, a Chinese embassy spokesperson said in a statement. Also Read Biden falls onstage at graduation ceremony; White House says he's 'fine' No deal has yet been reached, says Joe Biden after debt ceiling talks President Biden offers $450 mn for clean energy projects at coal mines Janet Yellen calls for better US-China relations as tensions rise US-China officials meet to discuss economy, trade; aim to ease tension Mark Zuckerberg vs Elon Musk 'cage fight': What the two billionaires said US jobless claims hold steady at 20-month high, current account gap widens IOC banishes boxing body, but sport will still be at 2024 Paris Games Deutsche Bank plans to cut 10% of 17k German retail jobs to curb expenses Global south's climate ambition debilitated by debt crisis: Report With the latest irresponsible remarks about China's political system and its top leader, people cannot help but question the sincerity of the US side in seeking to stabilise relations, the statement said. The Chinese government and people do not accept any political provocation against China's top leader and will resolutely respond. Meanwhile, speaking as a two-day gathering gets underway in Paris on improving the global financial response to climate change and poverty, Yellen said that I'm certainly pleased to see China participating in this summit." Chinese Premier Li Qiang was among the dozens of heads of state and government, world finance officials and activists who converged on the French capital Thursday to discuss ways of reforming the global financial system and address debt, climate change and poverty crises, especially for developing nations. "I believe it's important, as President Biden does, that the world's two largest economies are working together in addressing global challenges, Yellen said. She also emphasised that debt restructuring was a US priority. As a growing number of countries struggle with unsustainable debt aggravated by the fallout from climate change, Yellen encouraged all creditors to enter into negotiations to make the burden sustainable. China is the world's biggest government lender. Citing Zambia, the southern African country she visited in January, Yellen said she was encouraged by progress regarding debt negotiations and was hoping "debt treatment can move forward soon. She did not provide details. "Other urgent pending cases must also move forward quickly, she added, mentioning Ghana and Sri Lanka. Brainlab, a digital medical technology company, announced today an expanded collaboration outlining initiatives in their ongoing work with the AO Foundation. Signed at the annual AO Trustees Meetingheld this year in Sydney, Australiathe collaboration showcases both parties dedication to advancing medical education, delivering on a shared belief that immersive education is the catalyst for change in surgical practice and improved patient outcomes. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621121553/en/ Brainlab, the AO Foundation and Level Ex sign an agreement at the AO Trustees Meeting, June 22 in Sydney, Australia. Left to right: Sam Glassenberg, CEO, Level Ex; Prof. Dr. Florian Gebhard, President, AO Foundation; Christoph Lindenmeyer, CEO, AO Foundation; Nils Ehrke, EMEA President, Brainlab. (Source: AO Foundation and Brainlab.) Incorporating Brainlab technology into AO courses will increase knowledge acquisition, enhance decision making and improve coordination of skills, all within a safe and engaging setting. The AO will leverage Brainlab technology, including Mixed Reality Viewer, for craniomaxillofacial (CMF), spine and trauma education. This platform provides an immersive experience for physicians by offering 3D visualization of medical images, allowing the user to interact with 2D images and corresponding 3D patient models. Signature AO events, e.g., AO Davos Courses and AO regional events will be equipped with this advanced training offering that features Brainlab Spine and CMF Elements software for pre-operative planning and case review. The AO, Brainlab and its subsidiary, Level Ex, are working to accelerate the adoption of new skills and techniques using video game technology. Using Level Ex technology, the parties will transform AO clinical guidelines into game mechanics that will feature accurate, physics-based simulations. They will also collaborate on a new spine surgery video gamewith a dedicated curriculum focused on instilling the expert skills needed for successful spine procedures using the neuroscience of play. The AO is committed to collaborating with Brainlab on an AO-recommended surgical navigation workflow for spinal procedures. The focus will be on training how to achieve the best accuracy at every step of the spinal procedure to improve patient outcomes. The solution relies on high imaging quality, precise pre-planning supported by AI-driven anatomical mapping and patient registration. In addition, the workflow will have a focus on navigated instrumentation that aims to decrease pressure on the spine to further increase accuracy and address the specific challenges of the cervical spine. The AO plans to introduce this workflow and associated technology into certain activities within the AO Education Institute and the AO Technical Commission. Brainlab and the AO have worked together for decades and are mutually dedicated to accelerating the adoption of new technology and clinical workflows to improve patient outcomes globally, said Stefan Vilsmeier, Founder and CEO, Brainlab. Were excited to expand our collaboration and have a shared vision to create an Extended Reality Center for Immersive Surgical Education. "Since the 1990s, the AO and Brainlab have worked together on various projects focusing on computer guided applications, said Prof. Dr. Florian Gebhard, President of the AO. Teaching has been, is and will be the major focus in the AOtoday we are excited to start the integration of extended reality in our teaching offerings together with our strong partner, Brainlab. We expect a huge impact on our learner experience using this technology. In parallel, the respective Technical Commission Expert Group will evaluate options for clinical extended reality applications, together with Brainlab, following our mission to improve patient care outcomes." About Brainlab At Brainlab, we digitize medical workflows, from diagnosis to therapy, to offer clinicians and patients better treatment possibilities. Our innovative digital ecosystem forms the basis for modern healthcare technology in 6,300 hospitals in 120 countries. At the forefront of health technology for over 30 years, Munich-based Brainlab employs around 2,200 people with expertise across the entire healthcare value chain in 25 locations worldwide. For more information, please visit Brainlab and follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. About AO Foundation The AO is a medically guided, not-for-profit organization, a global network of surgeons, and the world's leading education, innovation, and research organization specializing in the surgical treatment of trauma and musculoskeletal disorders. The AO has a global network of over 520,000 healthcare professionals. Each year over 870 educational events are offered by the AO around the world, supported by nearly 8,000 faculty members and attended by over 82,000 participants. The AO has approximately 20,000 surgeon members working in the fields of trauma, spine, craniomaxillofacial, veterinary, and reconstructive surgery. For more information, visit: www.aofoundation.org. For more information, visit the AO's website and follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621121553/en/ In a groundbreaking medical achievement, Jaipur's Eternal Hospital has made headlines by successfully treating the first reported case of a life-threatening ruptured DACA (Distal Anterior Cerebral Artery) aneurysm in India through neurointerventional surgery. This remarkable milestone is a testament to the exceptional expertise and collaboration of international neurointerventionalist, Dr. Madan Mohan Gupta, and the support of Dr. Suresh Gupta as Chairman of Neuro Sciences at Eternal Hospital. Their leadership and the combined efforts of the dedicated healthcare team have set a new standard in neurointerventional treatment.The patient, a 53-year-old male with a history of diabetes and hypertension, arrived at Eternal Hospital with three distal ACA aneurysms, including the pericallosal branch. Complicating matters further, the patient also experienced a corpus callosal bleed with intraventricular extension. The situation demanded immediate attention and expertise to save the patient's life.Under the guidance of Dr. Madan Mohan Gupta, the international neurointerventionalist, the neurology team evaluated various treatment options, including surgical clipping and endovascular coiling. After careful consideration and obtaining informed consent, they opted for the advanced neurointerventional technique of endovascular coiling.In an extraordinary display of skill and coordination, the multidisciplinary team at Eternal Hospital successfully performed the coiling procedure in a single sitting for all three aneurysms. Utilizing the state-of-the-art facilities of the cathlab, the team overcame the challenges posed by the two aneurysms sharing a common neck, ensuring complete treatment without the need for open brain surgery.Thanks to the expertise and dedication of Dr. Madan Mohan Gupta, the international neurointerventionalist, the patient was discharged without any neurological deficits. Dr. Suresh Gupta, Chairman of Neuro Sciences at Eternal Hospital, provided invaluable support and guidance throughout the procedure, ensuring the highest standards of care.This unprecedented success highlights the effectiveness of endovascular coiling in managing complex ruptured aneurysms, providing a minimally invasive alternative to traditional surgical methods. Dr. Madan Mohan Gupta, known for his exceptional contributions to neurointerventional surgery, emphasized the significance of public awareness about aneurysms and the available treatment options. He urged individuals to recognize the signs and symptoms, seek prompt medical attention, and consult specialized centers like Eternal Hospital for optimal care.The groundbreaking achievement of Eternal Hospital, led by international neurointerventionalist Dr. Madan Mohan Gupta, and with the support of Dr. Suresh Gupta as Chairman of Neuro Sciences, sets a new benchmark in neurointerventional care. By sharing this remarkable milestone, Eternal Hospital aims to raise public awareness about neurovascular conditions, highlighting the importance of timely intervention and the critical role played by skilled medical professionals.For further information or inquiries, please contact: Wipros Cape Town office was inaugurated in the presence of Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member Economic Growth, City of Cape Town, representatives from the Indian Consulate in Cape Town and from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), along with Wipros clients, technology partners and local employees. said, Wipro is developing talent and creating jobs with clients that will yield a lasting impact for our communities in South Africa. We appreciate this opportunity to expand our presence in the region and continue our momentum towards becoming the leading professional services business across the continent. Centenarian former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger met top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Wednesday in Beijing, where they discussed China-U.S. relations, Taiwan and Ukraine. The former Nixon administration official also had a conversation with Defense Minister Li Shangfu the day before. Kissinger visited Beijing several times during his diplomatic career and played a key role in normalizing relations between China and the U.S. in the 1970s Jul 19, 2023 07:07 PM Pride and pain for Biden as his son Hunter reaches a plea deal after 5 years of investigation President Joe Biden had just six words to offer after his 53-year-old son Hunter pleaded guilty to federal tax offenses in a deal that is also likely to spare him time behind bars on a weapons charge Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 10:52AM Leaked Spotify HiFi interface (Image: Jane Manchun Wong / Twitter) Spotify may soon launch a new subscription tier with lossless audio streaming, Bloomberg reports. The tier, internally called "Supremium," could debut later this year in some markets outside the US. Spotify first announced its plans for lossless streaming, dubbed "Spotify HiFi," in February 2021 but has yet to deliver on the feature. Spotify may have delayed the move due to its rivals, Amazon Music and Apple Music, which added lossless streaming to their standard plans at no extra cost. Spotifys co-president Gustav Soderstrom told The Verge in March that the company was still working on HiFi, but had to adapt to the changing industry and figure out the economics of the feature. Spotify has not revealed how much it will charge for HiFi, but a survey last year suggested it could be USD 19.99 (around CAD 26) as part of a "Platinum" plan. The survey also hinted at audiobook access as a possible perk. Spotify's Premium subscription right now costs CAD 9.99 for individual accounts. Bloomberg says Spotify may start offering audiobooks as part of its current Premium tier in the US from October and earlier in other regions. Spotify already sells audiobooks individually. Spotify declined to comment on the report, saying it is always looking for ways to improve its product and offer value to users. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit United Nations Public Service Day: Significance and History Every year on June 23, the United Nations Public Service Day is observed. The United Nations General Assembly's resolution A/RES/57/277 of 2003 established the UN Public Service Day to "celebrate the value and virtue of public service to the community." Let's look at the different important aspects of commemorating the United Nations Service Day: United Nations Public Service Day Significance: The United Nations Public Service Day honors public officials and encourages students to participate in public service by running for government office. Here are some of the reasons why Public Service Day is so important. To oversee the working conditions of all civil servants worldwide, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) passed the Treaty on Labour Relations (Public Service), 1978 (ILO convention no. 151). As a result, the United Nations Public Service Day is observed to celebrate the importance and virtue of public service. Public Service Day instills in the public a sense of responsibility for societal issues and civil behavior. History of United Nations Public Service Day: United Nations Public Service Day dates back to 2003 when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) established the day. The UN Public Service Day aims to commemorate the value and virtue of community service; highlight the role of public service in the development process; recognize the efforts of public employees; and inspire young people to consider jobs in the public sector. The following is the complete schedule of events on Public Service Day: After passing Resolution 57/277 on December 20, 2002, the United Nations General Assembly established June 23 as United Nations Public Service Day. A year later, on June 23, 2003, the world observed Public Service Day for the first time. In 2003, the United Nations established the UN Public Service Awards program to mark the day. In 2016, the program was amended to align with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. On the occasion of the United Nations Public Service Day, numerous celebrations are performed to celebrate the contributions of public servants. United Nations Public Service Awards (UNPSA): The UNPSA celebrates Public Service Day by recognizing and honoring public institutions for their innovative and excellent achievements. The goal of UNPSA is to motivate public servants around the world to become more efficient and accommodating in public administration while prioritizing sustainable development. About UNPSA: This UN Public Service Day here's everything you need to know about the UNPSA: In honor of UN Public Service Day, the United Nations Economic and Social Council established the United Nations Public Service Awards in 2003. The award program was updated in 2016 to meet the 2030 Agenda. These awards are granted to those who have made substantial contributions to the cause of increasing the dignity and visibility of public service. The UNPSA works to recognize and promote public service innovation and excellence that leads to more efficient and effective government in countries around the world. Democracy and successful government are impossible to achieve without public service or public administration. The theme of the United Nations Public Service Day: The theme of the United Nations Public Service Day for the year 2023 is yet to be announced. Viva Kids has released the English-language trailer for Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow, a PG-rated murder mystery comedy from director Julio Soto Gurpide (Deep). The film will hit U.S. theaters on October 13. Inspector Sun screened at the Annecy Festival last week, and earlier this year scored a best animated feature nomination at the 37th Spanish Academy Goya Awards. Film details: Heidelberg Materials celebrates 150-year anniversary 22 June 2023 Heidelberg Materials is celebrating its 150th company anniversary this year and on 20 June, a 150 years of progress ceremony was held with guests and employees at the headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany. 150 years of Heidelberg Materials these are 150 years that have been shaped by people whose innovative spirit and courage have led to constant change. We owe it to them and their common pursuit of progress that we have been successful for so many years, says Dr Dominik von Achten, CEO of Heidelberg Materials. Since 1873, our building materials have enabled numerous innovations all over the world. And we want them to continue to do so for the next 150 years. With a wide portfolio of sustainable building materials, Heidelberg Materials is already playing a decisive role in shaping the future of construction. The history of Heidelberg Materials began in 1873 in the heart of Heidelberg. With only 35 employees, Johann Philipp Schifferdecker started to produce a completely new, high-quality building material: Portland cement. Today, 150 years later, Heidelberg Materials is one of the worlds largest suppliers of building materials with around 51,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Published under Attock Cement sells Iraqi unit for US$11.7m 22 June 2023 Attock Cement Ltd of Pakistan has updated Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) about selling its 60 per cent share in its Iraqi grinding plant on 21 June 2023. Company Secretary, Irfan Amanullah, has informed PSX that the agreement for the sale of the entire shareholding of the company in its subsidiary Saqr Al Keetan for Cement Production Co Ltd reached, and the company has received a sum of US$11.700m as a consideration against the sale of 9m shares. The company will be sold to two buyers ie, Abdul Lateef Mohsin Al Geetan, an Iraqi national, and Lamassu Babylon General Trading Co, a company incorporated under the laws of Dubai, UAE. The notice adds that the company is now transferring 9m shares to one of the buyers as per the Share Purchase Agreement under the prevailing laws of the Islamic Republic of Iraq. Set up in 2019, the grinding plant has a cement capacity of 540,000tpa. Published under Hoffmann Green to build four new units in Saudi Arabia 22 June 2023 Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has agreed to collaborate with Shurfah Holding to build four Hoffmann units in Saudi Arabia. As part of Saudi Vision 2030, Shurfah Holding and Hoffmann Green have been in talks for over a year with the aim of developing low-carbon Smart Cities. In 2022 the two companies signed a preliminary letter of intent to a test phase which enabled Hoffmann clinker-free cement to be experimented in Saudi Arabia and the production process to be assessed locally. Following these tests, which turned out to be highly satisfactory, the two entities decided to speed up their collaboration by concluding an agreement defining the main points of a licensing contract which will be signed in the next few weeks. The licensing contract will lead to the construction of four Hoffmann plants in Saudi Arabia, which will be built on the same model as H2, Hoffmann Green's second production unit inaugurated last month in Bournezeau, France. The plants will be funded and operated by Shurfah Holding, which will market Hoffmann Green clinker-free cement in Saudi Arabia. The first plant will be built in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. In exchange for this industrial and technological transfer, Hoffmann Green will receive royalties generated by this licensing model. Shurfah Holding is a conglomerate with a wide range of investments in real estate, industry, financial services, food and beverages. Julien Blanchard and David Hoffmann, co-founders of Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies, said, Hoffmann Green's international development strategy is speeding up thanks to this agreement with Shurfah Holding, holding of the Saudi real estate giant. The forthcoming construction of four Hoffmann units in this new high-potential territory, Saudi Arabia, once again illustrates the attractiveness of our clinker- free cements and the ingenious vertical production process of our H2 unit. We would like to thank the Shurfah Holding teams and we are proud to participate in Saudi Vision 2030 by promoting the decarbonation of Smart Cities. Abdullah Al Majed, founder and chairman of Shurfah Holding Company, added, "Decarbonising our smart cities is a key challenge for Shurfah Holding and, more broadly, for Saudi Arabia as part of its Saudi Vision 2030. Tests carried out over more than a year using Hoffmann Green technologies have been more than conclusive from both an ecological and a technical point of view. So it was a natural step for us to enter into this agreement. We look forward to signing the final contract in a few weeks' time and from 2024 starting to work on the construction of these vertical production plants to market the first sustainable clinker-free cement in Saudi Arabia." Published under Two tiers of justice. Those are the words that cross my mind when I think about the Biden Department of Justices indictment of former President Trump. Watching this ordeal play out has exposed the disturbing reality of life under President Biden: if your last name isnt Biden or Clinton, you could be targeted next. Remember when former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kept a private email server in her basement? On the server, Clinton wrote over 100 classified emails that we know of, but the true number may never be known. Why? Because Secretary Clinton used BleachBit, a computer disk space cleaner, to permanently destroy 33,000 emails. Her aide even took a hammer to multiple old phones, ostensibly to hide incriminating evidence. But when the American people demanded accountability, former FBI Director James Comey announced that, despite the fact that Clinton was extremely careless in her handling of classified emails, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case. The double standard doesnt end there. President Biden kept classified documents at several locations including the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C., his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and in his garage next to his Corvette. Storing classified documents in a garage is as careless as it gets. But where was the raid on Bidens home? Unsurprisingly, President Bidens classified documents scandal is far from his most egregious offense. This month, we learned he allegedly engaged in a bribery scheme with an executive at Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. According to a form presented to the FBI by a confidential source, Biden and his son, Hunter, were each paid $5 million in exchange for access to their political influence. The executive allegedly told then-Vice President Biden to pressure Ukrainian officials to fire a prosecutor investigating Burisma. To conceal this alleged pay-for-play scheme, the Burisma executive paid the Bidens "through so many different bank accounts" that investigators would be unable to uncover the scheme for at least 10 years." According to the unredacted documents turned over by a whistleblower to my colleague Senator Chuck Grassley, that Burisma executive kept recordings of 17 separate conversations with Joe and Hunter Biden as an insurance policy. Last week, when I questioned FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate about those documents, he admitted that the FBI concealed evidence of the recordings from the House Oversight Committee. Since the FBI has taken no public action to investigate Bidens criminal activities, I called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to appoint a special counsel to probe the Biden familys shady business dealings. The American people deserve to know that these disturbing allegations will be investigated fairly and independently, and the appointment of a special counsel will do just that. We also have an obligation to trace the roots of this years-long cover-up. The FBI has possessed the form detailing the alleged bribery scheme since June 30, 2020, and they have resisted cooperation at every turn. The agency even went so far as to stonewall congressional oversight before ultimately turning over a heavily redacted document under threat of being held in contempt of Congress. What is the FBI trying to hide? Hunter Biden reached a deal to plead guilty to two federal misdemeanor counts and will likely negotiate an agreement with the DOJ regarding a felony gun possession charge. Hunter is not expected to face any jail time for his crimes. The gun-related charge possessing a handgun despite Hunter knowing he was a drug user carries a maximum sentence of ten years. Yet, Hunter will most likely get off scot-free. It is crystal clear why: Hunter has the last name Biden. His status as the son of a Democratic president shields him from any accountability. This is the most recent example of two tiers of justice at play. Instead of investigating prominent Democratic politicians who likely engaged in criminal activity, this administration and the FBI are instead going after conservatives and Bidens political opponents. The DOJ labeled concerned parents domestic terrorists, while the FBI arrested a pro-life advocate in front of his wife and children and raided the home of a former president and national political candidate. The Biden administration has even allocated funding for 87,000 new IRS agents to ensure the agency has the bandwidth to harass families and small business owners. These arent the actions of a fair and impartial federal government. Rather, this is the behavior of a politicized, bureaucratic cabal that has been weaponized to target parents concerned about their childrens education, people of faith, and pro-life individuals. The message the FBI and the DOJ are sending to Americans is clear: the liberal elite are untouchable, but those who stand against the leftist agenda are prime targets. The liberal media and Democratic politicians have remained silent about the Biden administrations two tiers of justice, but I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure every American receives the transparency and justice under the law that they deserve. The United Nations declared June 21 as the day to recognize the importance of practicing yoga and the benefits of it. We are not recognizing this day by celebrating a person, simply a practice that has been proven to benefit us spiritually, mentally and physically. Yoga is an ancient practice that goes back thousands of years and it was developed in a way to help us interconnect the mind body and soul to step closer into enlightenment. June 21 was chosen due to the summer solstice the day where there is the most sun out of every other day. There are many high-profile political figures from all around the world that practice yoga and they know the benefits of it and due to that they have declared today as yoga international Day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga is not just about exercise it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself the world and nature." Based on yoga's popularity, its ancient tradition and its scientifically shown effects on health, the United Nations General Assembly voted to make June 21 international date of yoga and I say thank you. If you have not tried yoga then I encourage you that today is always a good day to better ourselves. Young and old we can all learn how to create a better world and that starts within and then it moves outward. Yoga, prayer, and meditation has changed my life so much just by practicing basic yoga at home to now studying to become a certified yoga instructor. Prayer we talk, meditation we listen and yoga we learn. The mind mentally, and the body physically. Yoga has taught me the importance of slowing down, meditation has taught me to listen and be still and take things has they come and let them go as they go, but not to push anything away even if it causes me pain it is a matter of being in the moment and then when it goes let it go and when you put the two together then you can enjoy them one at a time and meditation along with yoga will teach you to be mindful of your physical and mental self. When we practice yoga, we become more relaxed and our mind and our body will thank us for it. "Seek your happy place and sit quietly with your soul and listen to it as it will tell you where to go when your body is old and tired - then you will see that you have inspired another soul to be free." I wrote this quote on February 18, 2021 and I reflect on it often. Seek my happy place and listen to what my mind and body is trying to tell me. Happy vibes to all. Tonya R. McBryar The Lee University Center for Responsible Citizenship awarded Liliana Marler, a rising senior political science major, its newly installed CRC Research Scholarship for her work on the years theme, Institutions & Inheritance. In addition to receiving this $500 award, Ms. Marler is a Kairos Honors Scholar, McNair Scholar, and Rymer Scholar. Ms. Marler will be working with CRC Director Dr. Thomas Pope to develop further research on Christian liberal arts education this summer. The CRC has shown me a more embodied experience of living, exposing me to a robust dialogue with students from different majors and all walks of life, said Ms. Marler. It has inspired me to believe in my abilities, allowing them to be refined by challenges and directing them toward the intellectual and spiritual edification of myself and my community. According to Dr. Pope, the CRC is grateful for Ms. Marlers dedication to the Center and looks forward to seeing her grow in her intellectual and spiritual endeavors. Its wonderful to see Lilianas care for others manifest itself in her studies. said Dr. Pope. The Center for Responsible Citizenship works hard to supplement the curricular life of students so that their intellectual interests bear real fruit in their community. Ms. Marlers award is among the many benefits offered by the CRC. The Center provides numerous opportunities to students seeking to be active and beneficial members of a healthy community. Lees Center for Responsible Citizenship hosts interdisciplinary reading groups, lectures, workshops, and symposia to cultivate conversation about the elements of a healthy community. For more information regarding the CRC and its plans for the upcoming year, please contact crc@leeuniversity.edu. After a four-hour meeting with 40 people commenting about the budget and setting Red Banks new tax rate for fiscal year 2023-2024, the majority of the commissioners did not change their minds. Vice Mayor Stefanie Dalton, and Commissioners Pete Phillips and Hayes Wilkinson were in favor of increasing the property tax rate by 57 cents, and Commissioner Jamie Fairbanks Harvey was opposed. With the final vote, including the increase, the tax rate will go from $1.10 to $1.67 for every $100 of assessed value of a property. With a large number of residents expected, the meeting had been moved to the Red Bank Community Center that has a larger capacity than the room where the commission regularly meets. Residents lined up to speak about the proposed property tax increase. Those opposed to the budget and tax rate as proposed outnumbered those in favor three-to-one, mirroring the meeting prior to the first vote on the budget on June 6. City Manager Martin Granum said the $9,773,647 budget had been created to fulfill the goals set by the commissioners for 2023-2024. Those are to revamp the stormwater ordinance and associated processes and fees, to make multi-modal transportation improvements and to develop a comprehensive plan for the city which includes creating a new park to replace park property that was used to build Red Bank Middle and High Schools. There is also the desire to develop more parks, trails and recreational opportunities including all residents living within a 10-minute walk to a park. Another goal is to create a Red Bank Community Library and Civic Center. It was noted that no funding was in the budget for this. And a loan will be taken out to make improvements at White Oak Park, so that cost is not included in the budget, but will be spread out over five years. There was mutual agreement among city officials and residents that fire and police personnel had been underpaid and there was little opposition to the increased salaries and additional officers and firefighters that will be added in those departments. There was more disagreement about increases for employees in the administrative positions and about the additional people who have been hired. There was also push back against paying $200,000 for consultants that will be used to make assessments of parks in the city, for the development of the Red Bank Middle School property and to create a Comprehensive plan for the city. A seven percent cost of living raise for all employees along with the increased pay increases for specific jobs were both considered too much by many people. One speaker said that compensation in Red Bank was going to be much more than the average in the state of Tennessee. Most speakers acknowledged that to live in a city and receive services, property taxes are needed, but why everything needs to be done all at once causing the large increase to be made at one time became the issue. The commissioners were asked to make the increases incrementally and spread over several years. They were asked to narrow the list down to needs, not wishes. Other suggestions made were that the city should attract more businesses which could generate business and sales taxes that could reduce the reliance on property tax. A comment that was repeated many times is that there are a large number of people in Red Bank living on a fixed income and an increase that large would cause them to make hard decisions for where to reduce spending. Some said it would force them to move because they would be unable to pay the taxes. One resident said that not only will taxes be going up, so will everything else except for most incomes. Commissioners responded that Hamilton County has a tax relief program available to low-income households, and the city is prepared to look into how to freeze taxes for seniors, said the vice mayor. Citizens are also afraid that this will set a precedence for tax increases to continue. One resident presented the commissioners with a petition containing 1,000 signatures of people against the tax increase as proposed. And toward the end of the long line of speakers, one said that we wish youd change your minds and have compassion for residents that have low incomes, and she added, We dont need new parks in Red Bank. But she said Youve already got your minds made up. Arguments from the 11 speakers who supported the tax increase included the You get what you pay for, and you cant keep kicking the can down the road. Some considered the increase in taxes and what it will accomplish as an investment in the citys future. One person said they wanted to live in a city that "thrives, not just survives." The average appraised value of a house in Red Bank is $201,400, said City Manager Martin Granum, which will mean the property tax amount will increase around $20-$25 per month on that house, or about $250-$300 per year. Most of the speakers who had calculated the amount of tax on their properties, said it would add about $500 per year to their property tax bill. Because of the Independence Day holiday, the Red Bank commission meeting on July 4 has been cancelled. The next meeting will be on July 18. For 17 years Chattanooga Christian School musical theater teacher Mary Catherine Schimpf has watched her star students leave Chattanooga for careers in New York City. But she wants her new theater company Theatrico to give them a chance to pursue a career at home. I dont want to be the launch pad, Ms. Schimpf said. I want this to be a good home for them. Theatricos first show The Fantasticks opens July 27. The stage is outdoors, in the street, in West Village downtown. Ms. Schimpf, the creative director, has styled the small-cast love story from 1960 as a travelling circus. Acrobats and ringmaster wander into West Village, come upon the audience and begin their story on the summer night pavement, as if lead actors Michael Johnson and Jack Roden have traveled back home from the big city, this time to stay. I think the audiences will see something they havent really seen, Ms. Schimpf said, and Fantasticks is the worlds longest-running musical. All theater should be new, she said. Her new stage is our own version: immersive, experiential, built around these actors, this audience, what is happening in the world right now, down to the fleeting minute. She said the performance will be affected by neighborhood sound and passersby. A show should reflect all of those realities, she said. Theres no dark theater, no stage and no curtain. In the street, all of thats gone, she said. West Village developer Byron DeFoor is Ms. Schimpfs business partner and sponsor of her art. He and his brother Ken own the Westin, Marriott Downtown at the Convention Center, Days Inn and Hotel Indigo that define West Village from Carter Street to Sixth Street. His Chattanooga Motorcar Festival began in 2019 and supports the CHI Memorial Stroke and Neuroscience Center. Theater is community, Ms. Schimpf said. He has built a very cool community called West Village. Put the two together and its a very obvious collaboration. Its such a cool area and he really wants people to be out and about at night, she said. Artists are always defending what theyre doing, Ms. Schimpf said. They must ask for any money and all support, and they must justify their requests, she said. I didnt have to do any of that. He was immediately on board, she said. I cant really quite explain how he is. Ms. Schimpf said the two met while Mr. DeFoors grandchildren attended CCS, with many of them in her musicals. He asked her to work with him on a few projects including the motorcar festival. He has become a friend and a mentor, she said. Hes built so many successful companies in Chattanooga. Mr. DeFoor came on board in December. Ms. Schimpf said his support allowed the company to embark with excellent professional cast, crew, costumes, orchestra, lights, paid internships, everything, and turn this dream I've had for so many years into a reality, she said. Theatrico is right now just a collection of artists, she said. But she collected the best, tapping her former students who studied acting, directing, choreography and theatrical tech after high school. Theatrico fills a void in the city, too, she said. The Broadway tours are fun to watch, but Theatrico offers a chance for more professionals to participate. Community theater is open to all, but Theatrico can inspire amateurs with a human-scale example. Theres levels and all of it is really important, Ms. Schimpf said. Many Theatrico cast and crew join Ms. Schimpf to direct a two-week summer camp for children at CCS, this year staging The Jungle Book. The Tivoli Foundations summer camp for children is also directed by Ms. Schimpf and other Theatrico artists, who will stage Raise Your Voice. The Tivoli Foundation Director of Education Ellie Austin is a former student of Ms. Schimpfs who also serves as Theatricos production manager. Both theater camps teach kids how to do an entire show from start to finish. Afterward theyre usually inspired to pursue an interest such as painting for set design, tap dancing lessons or voice lessons. Thats a very natural way to hook people, Ms. Schimpf said. Ms. Schimpf also consults with schools throughout the year about their own musical theater programs. She said she has answers to break the barriers of space, money and training. Thats sort of our bread and butter, she said. The Fantasticks, theater camps, consulting and a busy CCS lineup every year all aim to answer Ms. Schimpfs most important question: Where are the needs? I didnt want to say no to anything and then miss out. Im just owning the crazy, she said. Its going to morph. Its going to be exciting to see the ways we can serve the city, she said. The Fantasticks performances are July 27, 28 and 29 at 8 p.m. in West Village. Tickets are on sale now. www.theatricochatt.com Here are the Grand Jury no bills and true bills: No Bills: 1 BURGER, CHAS ERIC BOATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE (BUI) 06/21/2023 1 BURGER, CHAS ERIC OPERATING BOAT W/O CERT OF NUMBER 06/21/2023 1 COMPTON, ALASIA KATRISE PUBLIC INTOXICATION 06/21/2023 1 COMPTON, ALASIA KATRISE DISORDERLY CONDUCT 06/21/2023 1 COMPTON, ALASIA KATRISE RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS 06/21/2023 1 HUDGINS, COREY LEBRON POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED 06/21/2023 1 HUDGINS, COREY LEBRON POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA 06/21/2023 1 HUDGINS, COREY LEBRON VIOLATION OF LIGHT LAW 06/21/2023 1 HUDGINS, COREY LEBRON VIOLATION OF REGISTRATION LAW 06/21/2023 1 SIMS, QUENTIN AGGRAVATED RAPE 06/21/2023 1 SIMS, QUENTIN AGGRAVATED DOMESTIC ASSAULT 06/21/2023 1 SMITH, TIMOTHY LAMAR POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE 06/21/2023 1 TAYLOR, ANDREW SCOTT THEFT OF PROPERTY 06/21/2023 1 WEBB, DONTRELL NASHOD THEFT UNDER 1,000 06/21/2023 1 WEBB, DONTRELL NASHOD POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE 06/21/2023 1 WEBB, DONTRELL NASHOD POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA 06/21/2023 1 WOODY, ADAM DAX THEFT OF PROPERTY 06/21/2023 1 WOODY, ADAM DAX POSSESSION OF FENTANYL 06/21/2023 True Bills: 1 BURGER, CHAS ERIC BOATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE (BUI) 06/21/2023 1 BURGER, CHAS ERIC OPERATING BOAT W/O CERT OF NUMBER 06/21/2023 1 COMPTON, ALASIA KATRISE PUBLIC INTOXICATION 06/21/2023 1 COMPTON, ALASIA KATRISE DISORDERLY CONDUCT 06/21/2023 1 COMPTON, ALASIA KATRISE RESISTING ARREST OR OBSTRUCTION OF LEGAL PROCESS 06/21/2023 1 HUDGINS, COREY LEBRON POSSESSING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO GO ARMED 06/21/2023 1 HUDGINS, COREY LEBRON POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA 06/21/2023 1 HUDGINS, COREY LEBRON VIOLATION OF LIGHT LAW 06/21/2023 1 HUDGINS, COREY LEBRON VIOLATION OF REGISTRATION LAW 06/21/2023 1 SIMS, QUENTIN AGGRAVATED RAPE 06/21/2023 1 SIMS, QUENTIN AGGRAVATED DOMESTIC ASSAULT 06/21/2023 1 SMITH, TIMOTHY LAMAR POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE 06/21/2023 1 TAYLOR, ANDREW SCOTT THEFT OF PROPERTY 06/21/2023 1 WEBB, DONTRELL NASHOD THEFT UNDER 1,000 06/21/2023 1 WEBB, DONTRELL NASHOD POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE 06/21/2023 1 WEBB, DONTRELL NASHOD POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA 06/21/2023 1 WOODY, ADAM DAX THEFT OF PROPERTY 06/21/2023 1 WOODY, ADAM DAX POSSESSION OF FENTANYL 06/21/2023 Sheriff Steven Wilson of the Walker County Sheriffs Office has returned to Georgia from Israel after an intensive two weeks of public safety leadership training with the countrys top police executives. Sheriff Wilson was part of a 20-member delegation that partnered with the Israel Police for the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchanges 30th annual peer-to-peer executive training program. While in Israel, they were shown best practices and the latest technologies in policing and public safety. They learned more about strategies to successfully lead law enforcement programs and use community policing to build safer neighborhoods for minority communities in partnership with all community stakeholders. The delegation included 12 Georgia police chiefs and command staff including the Atlanta and Gwinnett public school system chiefs three Georgia sheriffs, the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, a law enforcement coordinator for the Department of Justice, the director of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, a deputy commissioner from the Georgia Department of Public Safety and a senior law enforcement official from Tennessee. Director Michael Register of the GBI served as head of Delegation. GILEE Founding Director Robbie Friedmann and Associate Director Col. (Ret.) Brent Cummings led the delegation while Assistant Director Nadia Borissova managed its operations. During their orientation, the delegates heard from several former GILEE delegates including Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy and John King, Georgias Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, whose interest focused on the use of volunteers in support of law enforcement operations during his time in Israel. He gave the keynote address prior to their departure. This will be the most impactful professional experience in your law enforcement career, Commissioner King said. This experience has forged relationships that will last a lifetime. Youre going to be exposed to something truly extraordinary. Its important that you think now about what youre going to bring back, how youre going to share your knowledge. You have a responsibility to give back. GILEE gives U.S. law enforcement leaders an opportunity to expand their professional perspective by visiting their peers, Col. Cummings said. They are able to witness firsthand how their peers perform differently but also share many similarities. This broadening experience through peer-to-peer exchange makes these executives better leaders, which helps our communities receive better services. Nearly 1,250 law enforcement executives from the U.S. and countries around the world have graduated from GILEE peer-to-peer exchange programs during its 32 years. Additionally, almost 43,000 public safety, homeland security and police executives have attended GILEE-led special briefings, seminars, workshops, training sessions and conferences featuring experts on issues related to homeland security, public safety, community policing and law enforcement. GILEE is a research center within Georgia State Universitys Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. It enhances public safety by nurturing partnerships within and across public law enforcement agencies and the private sector. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, GILEEs focus on the protection of civil and human rights and its development of executive leadership exemplifies the core mission of the school. The role of policing to quote John Alderson, who many consider the father of community policing in Britain in the 1970s and 80s is to guarantee the freedom of movement of people and merchandise. Current policing policies and practices are challenged by many communities and by decision makers, Director Friedmann said. Bringing police closer to the community and the community closer to the police is the essence of community policing. We aim at sharing best practices to achieve closer proximity with the community to provide better police service. For more information on GILEE, go to gilee.gsu.edu. The recent ruling by the presiding trial judge in the Florida federal court proceedings of ex-President Donald Trump in the criminal trial now set for August 14 is reflective. Of course this may just be a tentative procedural ruling to technically comply with the largely abandoned Speedy Trial rule and the case will probably be further delayed. Traditionally lawyers on both sides will argue that, because of the massive scope of the investigation, thousands of involved documents need for experts, etc. a new trial date could be set on a later date. However, the late federal district judge from Knoxville, Robert L. Taylor (1899-1987), who preceded the respected Frank W. Wilson of Oak Ridge-Chattanooga, had a way to cut through the legal delays and tell the lawyers to get ready for trial. Judge Robert L Taylor was appointed by President Harry S. Truman and served from 1946 until 1985. His method of moving cases forward at a fast pace and his lack of patience towards slow moving lawyers was described by some trial participants (after his death) as having endured his wrath. The late Court of Appeals Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr. summed up his experience with Judge Taylor in an article in the Tennessee Bar Journal in May 2009, Volume 45 No. 5 by lawyer and author Don Paine. Whether the federal judge in the Mar-A-Lago documents trial will hold the prosecution and defense lawyers feet to the proverbial fire and start the trial on August 14, 2023 is pure speculation. Whatever decision they make as to start the trial on that date will be politicized by the talk shows on the far left and far right with numerous legal experts informing the viewing public of their predictions on a daily (or hourly) basis! (Judge Robert L. Taylor would make certain that a defendants speedy trial rights were protected although the legal teams might differ with his methods.) * * * You can reach Jerry Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (Helmholtz Centre for Materials and Energy, HZB) are jointly founding the "Helmholtz Institute for polymers in Energy Applications" (HIPOLE) on 1 July 2023. The aim of HIPOLE is to develop sustainable polymer materials for energy technologies that can be rapidly brought into application, in particular polymer-based batteries and perovskite solar cells with polymer additives. HIPOLE is funded with up to 5.5 million euros per year by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, 90%) and the Free State of Thuringia (10%). In the start-up phase until 2028, the Free State of Thuringia will additionally fund the new institute with more than ten million euros and take over the financing of the construction costs for the laboratories and offices. In order to achieve the climate goals, innovations and low-cost solutions for energy supply are necessary. Polymer materials, i.e. special plastics, offer great opportunities for this: they can be easily processed and specifically "functionalised" to enable innovative, sustainable, marketable and reliable technologies. Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (Helmholtz Centre for Materials and Energy, HZB) are now joining forces to build up a critical mass of expertise and develop innovative technologies for energy storage, hydrogen generation and photovoltaics based on polymer chemistry and materials science. To this end, sustainable polymers in particular are to be designed to enable rapid material development, also using high-throughput methods and artificial intelligence. Located in a unique academic and entrepreneurial environment HIPOLE will move into two floors in the new building of the application centre of the "Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry" (AWZ CEEC Jena) of the University of Jena at the Landgrafen Campus from October 2023. For further projects of the institute, it is planned that it will rent space in the incubator "lab2fab" of the Jena Technology and Innovation Park, which is scheduled for completion in 2024. HIPOLE is thus embedded in a unique academic and entrepreneurial "ecosystem", the Jena researchers are convinced. This is because the activities of CEEC Jena at the University of Jena are carried out in the direct vicinity of the incubator in the adjacent new buildings CEEC Jena I and II. In addition to participating in large scientific collaborative projects, HIPOLE also aims to further strategically build partnerships with companies at an early stage of research and development. The founding director and spokesperson of HIPOLE is Prof. Dr Ulrich S. Schubert from the University of Jena; the co-spokesperson is Prof. Dr Yan Lu, an internationally recognised polymer expert at HZB, who will take up a professorship at the University of Jena in the winter semester. Prof. Dr Bernd Rech, Scientific Director of HZB, is looking forward to the establishment of HIPOLE as part of HZB. "With HIPOLE, we get the unique opportunity to shape the scientific field of polymers for significant sustainable energy technologies at the forefront of the world," he says. "The expertise in polymer chemistry and technology applications at the University of Jena ideally complements HZB's experience in photovoltaics, battery research and state-of-the-art synchrotron-based operando analysis methods of chemical processes." Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. speaks May 30 during a groundbreaking ceremony for a tribal wellness center next to the Wilma P. Mankiller Health Center in Stilwell. Days later on June 3, he was re-elected as chief with nearly 63% of the vote against three challengers. Todays observance of the International Day of Yoga, proclaimed by the United Nations since 2015 and led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India during his visit this week to New York, underscores yogas global popularity. Although not a religion, the ancient Eastern practice is mentioned in the sacred scriptures of Hinduism such as the Bhagavad Gita. A Sanskrit word meaning union or yoke, yoga aims to unite the body, mind, soul, and universal consciousness, allowing its practitioners to experience freedom, peace, and self-realization. The practice of yoga involves various physical, mental, and spiritual techniques, including breathing exercises, postures, relaxation, chanting, and meditation. Different styles of yoga exist, each with its own focus and approach to achieving a unitive state. The roots of yoga can be traced back to the Rigveda and the Upanishads. One of the most well-known texts is the Yoga Sutras, written by Patanjali around 200 B.C. In this foundational text, the ancient scholar describes yoga as the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. Yoga holds spiritual significance, aiming to control the mind, attain a detached witness consciousness, and liberate oneself from the cycle of birth and death, as stated on one yoga website. Since assuming office in 2014, Modis government has actively promoted yoga as both a cultural and spiritual practice. Yoga has been a prominent soft power tool for Indias foreign policy. However, a massive study conducted by the Pew Research Center of almost 30,000 Indian adults found that 6 in 10 said they never practice yogaincluding 6 in 10 Hindus. Only 35 percent of respondents reported having ever practiced yoga, with 22 percent practicing monthly or less and a mere 7 percent practicing daily. According to the Pew survey, Hindus were not the religious group most likely to practice yoga in India. Jains (62%), Sikhs (50%), and Buddhists (38%) all ranked higher than Hindus (36%), while Muslims (29%) and Christians (24%) in India ranked lower. Pew found that only 3 percent of Christians practice yoga every day, the least likely of the six religious groups compared. Sikhs (14%) were most likely to be daily practitioners, followed by Buddhists (12%), Jains (11%), Hindus (7%) and Muslims (6%). Political inclinations also played a role, as 38 percent of Indians with favorable views of Modis BJP party reported practicing yoga, while only 31 percent of non-BJP supporters said the same. Article continues below While yogas spiritual roots lie in Hinduism, a Pew survey conducted in Western Europe asked adults if they considered yoga not just as exercise but also as a spiritual practice. The results indicated that many individuals in Western Europea regional median of 26 percent, including 4 in 10 Swedes, Portuguese, and Finnsembraced yoga from a spiritual perspective, acknowledging its significance beyond physical exercise. CT queried a Hindu professional yoga expert, who has been practicing for eight years and teaching for five, on her view of whether yoga is just exercise or also has spiritual significance. CT then asked five Christian leaders to answer the question: Is yoga too Hindu for Christians to practice? Their responses are arranged from yes to no: Pinky Choubey, a Hindu yoga teacher, Noida, Uttar Pradesh: Yoga certainly has spiritual significance. When you go deeper into the practice of yoga and perform meditation, your senses will develop toward spirituality. It certainly is connected to Hinduism. Whoever follows the Bhagavad Gita gets connected to yoga automatically. Yoga is far more than just physical exercise; it is spiritual exercise. In the words of Swami Sivananda, The practice of yoga leads to communion with the Lord. Whatever may be the starting point, the end reached is the same. Yoga manifests itself as four major paths: Karma, Bhakti, Raja, and Jnana. In Karma yoga, the active aspect of mind is involved; in Bhakti yoga, the emotional aspect; in Raja yoga, the mystical aspect; and in Jnana yoga, the intellectual aspect. Calling yoga a mere exercise is a shallow definition. Hinduism and yoga are woven together. People are becoming aware of this fact more and more in recent times. Jaykar Kristi, a former Hindu sadhu (ascetic) who practiced yoga for 10 years before becoming a Christian; now a pastor in Indore, Madhya Pradesh: Christians should not practice yoga. Yoga means unionso union with who or what? When we practice yoga, it leads us to become devoid of any thoughtthats the whole purpose. Yoga teaches how to modulate ones breath. It is based on the control and manipulation of breath and in this way, it aims to achieve thoughtlessness. But we as Christians pray consciously, as well as in the Spirit, and we pray using our minds. Just as the Bible says in Mark 12: We are called to worship the Lord with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind. Article continues below Yoga generally starts with Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar), which is the practice of worshiping the sun. Christians worship the Creator, not the creation. We bow down before the living God alone. Sunita Howell, principal, Caleb International School, Gurugram, Harayana: For me, yoga is definitely a Hindu practice. It stems from an awareness of the Purusha, the supreme power untouched by affliction and its causes. Yoga is practiced with the chanting of Om [a sound considered sacred and ancient in Hinduism and other Eastern religions]. Self-awareness leads me to confess that I am a sinner who needs outside help. I receive that help in Jesus alone. Leela Manasseh, a leader with Global Spiritual Care Networks and Singles Asia, Bengaluru, Karnataka: Yoga by itself is a form of worship. I know of several Christians who are into yoga and practice it while reciting the Psalms. Personally, I am not for yoga as there are alternate exercises for better health and immunity. If Christians like to get into yoga, I dont judge them; but personally I refrain from it. Dorcas Isaac, retired principal, Mysuru, Karnataka: I am presently attending three yoga classes per week. I have found that yoga is scientific, and that Om is just a sound. Shantimeanspeace, [and] yoga exercises make us flexible, active, and energetic. Today yoga is taught in schools as part of physical education and not as part of the Hindu religion. Several Christians come to my house once a week to join the yoga class. We are all finding the exercises very useful. Even though its origin is in Hinduism, and we are practicing all the asanas (yoga poses), I think it is okay. We recite Bible verses instead of Sanskrit shlokas (stanzas) and mantras. We dont think there is anything Hindu about it. We are happy with the results of yoga. We have been doing it now for 34 months. We consider yoga as scientific exercise. Mohit Singh, lay preacher, Methodist Church, Noida, Uttar Pradesh: I dont think that yoga is too Hindu for Christians to practice. Any Christian who wishes to take up yoga should be clear about the reasons for opting the same. In my case, it was purely driven by getting some guided exercise regimen to help me lose weight and get fitter. While there are other options available like Zumba and Pilates dance classes, I found them immoderate for me, while yoga class was more gradual in its approach. Initially, when I went for the yoga class, I was taken aback to see the instructor and students chanting Om and Gayatri mantra both before and after the class. [Gayatri is the name of the goddess of the Vedic meter in which the verse is composed, and a mantra is a sacred utterance.] Article continues below As one of the students I was required to conform to this ritual. However, I did not follow that path and instead remembered my God and prayed to him by calling out his name and asked his guidance in this new venture where I was trying to make my physical body healthier. I believe that if your intentions are right, God will not feel offended and will provide a way to deal with such tricky situations. While no one forced me to recite any of the mantras, I kept praying to God and performed the exercises that the instructor was describing. I recollect myself deliberating over the various asanas that are practiced in yoga to be poses honoring the [Hindu] gods. However, I continued to do them purely from an exercise point of view and not to please any [Hindu] deity. Hence, I would like to sum it up by saying that as long as our intentions are clear and we do not chant the mantras, it should be okayfor God looks at the heart. [ This article is also available in Francais, , and . ] At least 450 Christians have died in a series of attacks on Christian villages in three northcentral Nigerian states since May, according to reports from religious freedom advocates. Christian death tolls include at least 300 in several attacks in Plateau state spanning May 1517, according to reports from Morning Star News (MSN) and CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide); more than 100 in attacks spanning May and June in Benue state, MSN and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reported; and 43 in Nasarawa state in mid-May, MSN reported. Tens of thousands were displaced, according to MSN and CSW. Whole villages, dozens of church buildings and thousands of homes reportedly were destroyed. Grain was looted. MSN quoted Christian leaders in blaming the attacks on militant Fulani herdsmen. As our people are fleeing, herders are occupying these areas and grazing freely on our farms, MSN quoted a press statement signed by Samuel Door and Ephraim Zuai of the Shitile Development Association in Benue. Though due to the fear of general insecurity it is difficult to move from village to village to gather exact statistics, hordes of lives have been horrendously eliminated in several villages across the land, such that the whole land is thrown into wailing and mourning. USCIRF referenced many of the attacks as ethnonationalist in a report it released June 9. Nigeria is home to a plethora of armed actors committing violence with dire implications for religious freedom. In several regions of the country assailants have targeted ethnoreligious minorities as well as houses of worship and religious ceremonies with violence, USCIRF said in the report, Ethnonationalism and religious freedom in Nigeria, which referenced violence spanning June 2022 through May. In some areas, armed actors include ethnonationalist militias seeking to wrest territorial control from government authority. Ethnonationalist fighters in Nigeria have politicized religion and attacked civilians based on ethnoreligious identity, USCIRF wrote. These fighters commit some of the most egregious atrocities and human rights violations of any actors in the country. This is particularly true in northcentral Nigeria, where ethnonationalist fighters affiliated with the predominantly Muslim Fulani community attack vulnerable Christian civilians with impunity. But the predominantly Christian Igbo community in southeast Nigeria has also targeted Muslims, USCIRF wrote in its report. Additionally in southeast Nigeria, ethnonationalist fighters affiliated with the predominantly Christian Igbo community have at times targeted Muslim civilians as a part of their campaign to secede, USCIRF said. In both northern and southeast Nigeria, ethnonationalist fighters have been implicated in attacks against both Muslim and Christian worshippers. In the latest attacks on Christian communities, at least four pastors were killed, according to several MSN reports. On June 4, militant Fulani killed Mangmwos Tangshak Daniel of the Nigeria Baptist Convention in Kantoma village, and Shadrack Ayuba of the Assembly of God Nigeria church in Ntin Kombun village, both in Plateau, MSN said, attributing the report to Timothy Daluk, chairman of the Mangu Local Government Area Chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). On May 8 in Benue, militants killed pastor Dominic Dajo of St. Peter Catholic Church in Hirnyam village, and his wife, MSN said. On May 11 in Nasarawa, Fulani killed pastor Daniel Danbeki of the Evangelical Church Winning All in Takalafiya village, MSN said, along with his wife and 41 others in an attack spanning several hours. Nigerians staged a peaceful protest May 25 in Jos, Plateau, as the attacks continued, CSW reported. The killings have included 130 deaths in 23 communities in the Mangu and Riyom Local Government Areas in Plateau, CSW said. The attacks displaced tens of thousands, destroyed thousands of homes and damaged farmlands and food barns. CSW press officer Reuben Buhari called the attacks a sad testament to Nigerias incapability to protect its own citizens. The attacks follow the killings of more than 200 in Christian areas in Benue and Kaduna state in March and April following Nigerias election season. Kiri Kankhwende, CSW press and public affairs team leader, has called the longterm violence deeply distressing but not at all uncommon in the region. The unaddressed insecurity has now metastasized and constitutes a threat to Nigerias territorial integrity, with serious implications for the region, the continent and the wider international community, Kankhwende said April 18. In other reports from the region, 16 members of the Bege Baptist Church in the Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna, abducted in May, were released June 4 after a ransom was paid, CSW reported June 6. The 16 were among 40 abducted from the congregation May 7 by armed Fulani militants, CSW said, but many had managed to escape. Despite the Fulani ethnicity of the assailants, Muslims contributed to the ransom that included a motorcycle, CSW reported. I confirm and give thanks that all 16 are now back home, CSW quoted John Joseph Hayab, Kaduna state chair of CAN. We are grateful to the local Muslims who contributed towards the ransom, and pray that from now onwards the two religious communities will work together to bring this painful era of kidnapping, violence and killings to an end. Fulani militants are among several violent extremist groups active in Nigeria, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors reported in 2023 in ranking Nigeria as the sixth most dangerous nation for Christians. 700 Christians killed in Nigeria during May, NGO report claims At least 700 Christians were reportedly killed in Nigeria during the month of May, according to a report released by the Anambra-based International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law. In one of the "bloodiest" episodes of anti-Christian violence in the country's history, the north-central Plateau State was reported to be the most impacted area, particularly in Mangu county. The report alleges that a minimum of 300 Christians were slaughtered over the span of three days (May 15 to 17) in the state. The report also alleges at least 1,100 Christians were killed by jihadis between April 12 and June 12, representing an average of 17 deaths per day. "The period under review also represents one of the bloodiest in anti-Christian attacks in Nigeria," the report states. The NGO, founded by Christian criminologist Emeka Umeagbalasi, draws its statistics from a variety of sources, including local and international media, religious organizations, community organizations, security channels, research, intergovernmental organizations, nongovernmental organizations, human rights bodies, international parliamentary organizations or diplomatic institutions. The report comes as Nigerian Christians and human rights groups have voiced concerns for years that the violence being carried out against predominantly Christian farming communities in the Middle Belt states by radicalized herdsmen has reached genocidal levels as thousands have been killed in recent years. However, the Nigerian government has rejected claims that the violence is influenced by religion and insists it's part of decades-old farmer-herder clashes. Additionally, data cited by the U.S. State Department suggests that violence targeting Christians accounts for a small fraction of the killings. The new report identifies Benue as the second hardest-hit state, documenting 110 deaths from May to early June, including 40 killed within a 24-hour period from June 3 to June 4. Between April 12 and June 12, the Christian death toll in Benue surpassed 190. Kaduna state was named the third most deadly region, the report found. Over the same two-month span, it witnessed the murder of at least 100 Christians. On April 15, 33 were killed in Runji village, an attack that resulted in the destruction of 42 homes. According to the Southern Kaduna Peoples' Union, over 245 communities in Southern Kaduna have been brutally seized by Fulani radicals within the past six years, the report says. The report also highlights that at least 100 churches were torched or destroyed between April and June, with Plateau State alone accounting for 28. Among the victims were clergy, with the report stating that no fewer than 20 Christian pastors were kidnapped or murdered over this period. The NGO also alleges a troubling pattern of abductions. From Kaduna to Niger to Borno and more, it is reported that over 1,400 Christians were taken in the past two months. Kaduna State topped the list with at least 700 abductions, followed by Niger State with 300. The report suggests a devastating impact on Christian communities since 2016, with over 1,000 communities reportedly being displaced and subsequently occupied by attackers. Among these, Benue state lost 400 communities, Kaduna 245, and Plateau 200. Intersociety previously reported in April that 1,041 Christians had been murdered in the first 100 days of the year, with an additional 700 abducted. The organization's data now indicates that from January to June, no fewer than 2,150 were killed and over 1,400 abducted. As Nigeria continues to see violence in its farming-rich Middle Belt states, it also faces the presence of radical Islamic extremist groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province in its northeast. Despite the scale of the situation, the international community has yet to respond decisively to this emerging humanitarian disaster. Many fear that the continued absence of adequate intervention will only allow for the violence to persist. The Nigerian government has yet to respond to the claims made in the NGO report. Previous Intersociety reports have highlighted the involvement of various groups in the violence, including jihadist Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province and the al-Qaeda-affiliated Ansaru. Predominantly Muslim Fulani comprise hundreds of clans of many different lineages across Africa who do not hold extremist views, but some Fulani adhere to radical Islamist ideology, the United Kingdoms All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom or Belief stated in a 2020 report. Earlier this year, the U.S. State Department under President Joe Biden reaffirmed its decision to remove Nigeria from its list of countries of particular concern for religious freedom violations after conducting what it described as a "careful review." Nigerian Christians, human rights groups and members of Congress objected to the decision to lift the CPC designation from Nigeria after Nigeria was added to the list in 2020 under the Trump administration. Nadine Maenza, the former chair of the bipartisan U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which advises the State Department and Congress about religious freedom matters, was "especially displeased" with the decision. The CPC designation carries with it the possibility for sanctions and other deterrence actions to influence those countries to improve religious freedom conditions. In its latest International Religious Freedom Report, the U.S. State Department noted a spike in deadly violence impacting both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. The NGO Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project reports there were 3,953 civilian deaths from violence across the country in 2022, with violence targeting Christians accounting for 5% of all violence. "There continued to be frequent violent incidents, particularly in the northern part of the country, affecting both Muslims and Christians, resulting in numerous deaths," the State Department's report on Nigeria states. "Kidnappings and armed robbery by criminal gangs increased in the South as well as the North West, the South South, and the South East. The international Christian organization Open Doors stated that terrorist groups, militant herdsmen, and criminal gangs were responsible for large numbers of fatalities, and Christians were particularly vulnerable." Judge blocks Florida law banning Medicaid funding for trans surgeries, puberty blockers A judge in Florida has struck down a state measure that prohibits Medicaid coverage for puberty blockers and body-mutilating, cosmetic sex-change surgeries. United States District Judge Robert Hinkle issued an injunction against Floridas ban on the Medicaid funding of drugs such as puberty blockers and opposite-sex hormones, for those suffering temporary confusion about their birth sex, also known as gender dysphoria. These plaintiffs are Medicaid beneficiaries who are entitled to payment, as a matter of medical necessity, for puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones as appropriately determined by their multidisciplinary teams of providers, ruled Hinkle. The rule and statute violate the federal Medicaid statute, the Equal Protection Clause, and the Affordable Care Acts prohibition of sex discrimination. The lawsuit was brought on behalf of two trans-identified adults and two trans-identified minors represented by Lambda Legal, Florida Health Justice Project, the National Health Law Program, Southern Legal Counsel and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP. Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, counsel with Lambda Legal, said in a statement released Wednesday that the procedures the plaintiffs sought to have covered by Medicaid is evidence-based care. Over a two-week trial, the court heard from our clients, who have benefited from gender-affirming medical care, and from a contingent of medical and scientific experts from various disciplines, stated Gonzalez-Pagan. We are gratified by todays result which protects access to care for some of the most vulnerable Floridians, transgender Medicaid beneficiaries. todays ruling makes clear that discrimination is wrong and recognizes that every person in Florida, including transgender people, deserves equal access to evidence-based and lifesaving medical care. In August of last year, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration enacted a rule that prohibited the use of Medicaid funds to pay for puberty blockers and body mutilating surgeries, such as elective double mastectomies and chemical and surgical castration. The rule came after the Florida agency had announced the findings of a review in June 2022, in which they concluded that such procedures were not consistent with generally accepted professional medical standards and are experimental and investigational with the potential for harmful long-term affects. Scientific studies supporting hormone replacement therapy, puberty blockers, and sex reassignment surgery for treating gender dysphoria are weak to very weak, stated the agency last year. The evidence showing benefits from hormone replacement therapies for gender dysphoria is very weak Scientific studies do not show that the use of puberty blockers improves mental health. The injunction against the Florida law comes the day after another judge struck down an Arkansas law banning sex-change surgeries and puberty blockers for minors. U.S. District Judge James M. Moody Jr. of the Eastern District of Arkansas, an Obama appointee, issued the decision against Arkansas Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act, or Act 626. If Act 626 takes effect, adolescents whose parents and doctors agree that gender-affirming medical care is appropriate treatment for their gender dysphoria will be unable to receive that care in their home state and unable to get referrals from their doctors to receive care in other states, wrote Moody. This will cause irreparable harm to the Plaintiff adolescents, Plaintiff parents and Plaintiff doctor. PCA passes overture opposing sex-change surgeries as 'sin,' to petition Biden admin. The Presbyterian Church in America will petition the Biden administration and other government leaders in the United States to "renounce the sin" of performing sex-change surgeries and hormonal gender interventions on minors. At the PCA 50th General Assembly last week in Memphis, Tennessee, the theologically conservative denomination passed an overture titled "Petition Government to End Sex-change Procedures for Minors." The overture passed by a tally of 1089-793. Introduced by the Birmingham, Alabama-based PCA Evangel Presbytery, the overture argued that "so-called sex change procedures" are "a rejection of God's design" and "a rejection of science." The overture vows to send a "humble petition" to the U.S. government and all 50 state governments, calling on elected officials to "renounce the sin of all medical and surgical sex change procedures in minors by the American healthcare system because they result in irreversible harm." "The obedience to God, which places us in subjection to your rightful civil authority, requires of us to humbly, boldly and prayerfully proclaim the counsel of God as it bears upon the same God-given authority," the overture reads. The overture takes effect immediately and symbolizes the denomination going on record against surgical and hormonal gender interventions on children. The petition will be sent to state and federal officials. PCA is a reformed denomination with nearly 2,000 congregations across the United States. Dating back to 1973, the PCA separated from the Presbyterian Church in the United States (Southern) in opposition to what it calls "long-developing theological liberalism which denied the deity of Jesus Christ and the inerrancy and authority of Scripture." The Rev. Fred Greco, the moderator of this year's PCA General Assembly, told Fox News that the denomination felt compelled to speak out against state support of medical professionals subjecting children with gender dysphoria to bodily mutilation. Although close to 800 voted against the resolution, Greco said most objections were not in disagreement about the harms of sex-change surgeries, puberty-blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones on children but rather the church's role in petitioning the state on a public policy matter. The Westminster Confession of Faith, which forms the basis of many reformed faith traditions, states that synods and church councils are "not to intermeddle with civil affairs which concern the commonwealth, unless by way of humble petition in cases extraordinary." Supporters of the measure believe the Biden administration's support for such interventions fits the definition of "cases extraordinary." "We have governmental officials saying not only do we have to press [children] to make these decisions, we have to allow them to do so without even the input of their parents," Greco said. "That's very, very dangerous." "I think that's what has gotten so many people concerned about it, and I think that also makes it rise to the level of a 'case extraordinary' that it's not just a bad moral decision, it's something where the government is interfering with the rights of parents and allowing this to happen in an irreversible fashion." The petition comes as a report released earlier this year found that as many as 3 million children in the U.S. attend schools in districts where they can change their name and preferred pronouns to reflect their chosen gender identity without parental consent. Twenty states have enacted policies that ban medical professionals from subjecting children with gender dysphoria to sex-change surgeries or hormonal interventions. The Biden administration has opposed such laws. In April, the Tennessee chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the state over a similar law. The U.S. Department of Justice intervened in the case on the plaintiffs' side. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said in a statement she believes no one "should be denied access to necessary medical care just because of their transgender status." "The right to consider your health and medically-approved treatment options with your family and doctors is a right that everyone should have, including transgender children, who are especially vulnerable to serious risks of depression, anxiety and suicide," stated Clarke. This week, a federal judge struck down Arkansas' law banning sex change surgeries and interventions like puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones for minors. U.S. District Judge James M. Moody, an Obama appointee, ruled that adolescents whose parents and doctors agree that "gender-affirming medical care" is an appropriate way to treat their gender dysphoria won't be able to receive such interventions in their home state if the law is allowed to take effect. Moody argued that while "gender-affirming medical treatments can have potential risks and side effects," those risks are "not categorically different than the types of risks that other types of pediatric healthcare pose." Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin vowed to appeal the ruling. "Unfortunately, Judge Moody misses what is widely understood across the United States and in the United Kingdom and European countries: There is no scientific evidence that any child will benefit from these procedures, while the consequences are harmful and often permanent," Griffin stated. "I will continue fighting as long as it takes to stop providers from sterilizing children." Utah school district reverses ban on Bible in libraries Other religious texts remained on libary shelves during ban The worlds all-time bestselling book is back on library shelves in one Utah school district. Board members with the Davis School District north of Salt Lake City announced Tuesday that district officials have determined the Bible is appropriate for school-age students after banning the Good Book last month for containing sex and violence, The Associated Press reported. The committee published its determination that the Bible has significant, serious value for minors which outweighs the violent or vulgar content it contains and will be made accessible to all grade levels, according to the AP. As many as 70 people filed appeals with the district after the book was banned last month and pulled from library shelves at as many as eight Davis School District elementary and middle schools. The reversal comes after the board removed the Bible from the libraries of elementary and middle schools following a single complaint from a students parent. Despite removing the Bible, the district continued to permit other religious texts, including the Book of Mormon and the Quran, to remain available to students without age restrictions. After the district initially agreed, another request was made to ban the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Book of Mormon due to its violent content. The Mormon religious text, deemed a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible by the LDS, is expected to face a review to determine its suitability for school libraries. The status of that review as of Thursday is unclear. Serving roughly 72,000 students, the Davis school district made headlines back in March after a parent provided officials with a list citing verses from Genesis to Revelation and calling for the Bible to be removed from a high school library for being "pornographic." The request made in December 2022 described the Bible as "one of the most sex-ridden books around" and, therefore, in violation of Utah state code. "Incest, onanism, bestiality, prostitution, genital mutilation, fellatio, dildos, rape, and even infanticide," the parent was quoted as writing in the request. "You'll no doubt find that the Bible, under Utah Code Ann. 76-10-1227, has 'no serious values for minors' because it's pornographic by our new definition." The code referenced in the request defines pornographic and harmful materials as those which include a "description or depiction of illicit sex or sexual immorality" or a "nude or partially denuded figure." However, the code notes that such definitions do not apply to any material with "serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors," which could likely include the Old and New Testaments. In submitting the request, the parent referred to Utah Parents United, a conservative parental rights group that, in recent months, has challenged various books in school libraries under Utah's HB374. The statute prohibits "certain sensitive instructional materials in public schools." The national debate over the practice of book banning has grown increasingly heated in recent years. Last fall, the American Library Association claimed that efforts to ban or restrict books in school libraries are on the rise amid parents' concerns about sexually explicit material depicting child sex and pedophilia. Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, 2022, the organization said it documented 681 attempts to ban or restrict library resources, aimed at 1,651 titles; more than 70% of the attempts sought to ban multiple titles. According to the ALA, the ban attempts are "on track to exceed record counts from 2021," when 729 attempts were made that targeted 1,597 book titles. "The unprecedented number of challenges we're seeing already this year reflects coordinated, national efforts to silence marginalized or historically underrepresented voices and deprive all of us young people, in particular of the chance to explore a world beyond the confines of personal experience," ALA President Lessa Kananiopua Pelayo-Lozada stated. "Librarians develop collections and resources that make knowledge and ideas widely available, so people and families are free to choose what to read." That backlash is due in large part to an increase in parents across the country who have complained about kids' access to sexually explicit materials in school libraries, including in Michigan, where parents many from the Muslim community pressured a Michigan school district to reduce students' access to certain books in school libraries. Christian Reformed Church solidifies opposition to homosexuality as confessional' belief The Christian Reformed Church Synod has declared that its historic stance on sexual ethics, particularly the practice of homosexuality, has "confessional status." According to The Banner, a monthly magazine published by the Christian Reformed Church in North America, 69% of the denomination's representatives voted last week to affirm the definition of "unchastity" in the Heidelberg Catechism to include homosexual acts. The vote occurred at Synod 2022 at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. CRC has over 1,000 congregations across the United States and Canada and over 230,000 members. The Heidelberg Catechism is a Protestant confession of faith in the Reformed tradition that was initially composed in 1563 in Heidelberg, Germany, and was approved by the Synod of Dort in 1619. The CRC vote followed another vote where 74% of Synod 2022 delegates recommended that the human sexuality report to CRC congregations was a "useful summary of biblical teaching" on human sexuality. The report upholds the denomination's traditional stance that homosexual practice is not in keeping with biblical orthodoxy. The synodical vote giving this definition of confessional status carries significant implications, specifically church discipline measures for officers and faculty who teach at church-owned schools should they teach or preach anything that diverges from the confessional creed. "There might be one-third of the people in this room who would be subject to special discipline if this passes," said Anthony Elenbaas, a delegate in attendance from Hamilton, Ontario. "Those of us who are in the minority in this place will have a much harder job to do. Please don't put the walls up any higher. Please allow room for us." Michael LeRoy, the outgoing president of the denomination's flagship university, Calvin University, voiced a similar sentiment. "Since 1973, there have been officebearers who disagree with (the church's stance that homosexual practice is a sin)," he said. "For officebearers who have written or spoken in opposition to this, there would be cause for church discipline. Consider the implication for officers of the church." In 2020, the Calvin student senate elected its first openly LGBT student body president, a bisexual student who questioned if she is a lesbian but calls herself "queer." The theological and spiritual conflict over sexual ethics in the Reformed Church is part of a long-running and much broader pattern across several Christian denominations in recent years. Although nuances abound, the division in each Protestant group appears to mostly center on whether marriage and sexual ethics are first-order doctrinal issues and essential to a scripturally faithful proclamation of the Gospel or secondary or tertiary matters where Christians can peaceably agree to disagree. Earlier this month, the Mennonite Church USA voted to retire denomination-wide membership guidelines that barred pastors from performing same-sex wedding ceremonies. Local Mennonite churches, however, are allowed to maintain the prohibition. Delegates at the Mennonite Church USA's Delegate Assembly also passed a non-binding resolution calling upon the church to repent for the mistreatment of LGBT-identified people. Some groups within the Mennonite Church USA, such as the 70,000-member Lancaster Mennonite Conference, formally split from the denomination in response to the more liberal posture toward these issues. The Methodist Church has also faced divisions along similar lines. In March, a group of theologically conservative Methodists announced the creation of a new denominational structure the Global Methodist Church amid a schism over the issue. The UMC General Conference, where the potential separation plan is set to be debated and may be approved, has been postponed until 2024. Christian Reformed Church tells congregation to remove deacon in same-sex marriage The Christian Reformed Church in North America has reaffirmed an earlier ruling demanding that a Michigan church rescind its appointment of a deacon who is in a same-sex marriage. At the CRCNA Synod 2023, which took place June 9-15 at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, church leadership rejected an appeal from Neland Avenue Christian Reformed Church, also located in Grand Rapids, to have a noncelibate homosexual deacon. The final vote was 124 against the appeal, 47 for the appeal and six delegates abstaining. The decision against Neland Church reaffirmed an earlier ruling against the church from Synod 2022. At Synod 2022, the denomination also voted to declare its biblical stance on sexual ethics as having "confessional status." "Since 1973, the CRCNA has held the position that its churches should show love and welcome to same sex attracted people. The CRCNA has also been steadfast in its biblical conviction that sexual relationships are reserved for marriages between men and women," CRCNA General Secretary Zachary King stated in comments emailed to The Christian Post Wednesday. "The CRCNA expects that its leaders pastors, elders, and deacons align themselves in their teaching and preaching with this position. Therefore, Synod 2022 instructed Neland Ave CRC to rescind its decision to appoint a same-sex married person to a leadership position." CRCNA, a small Calvinist denomination rooted in the Dutch Reformed Church of the Netherlands, has over 1,000 congregations across the United States and Canada and over 230,000 members. King acknowledged that "the Church has often failed people in the LGBTQ+ community." "The synods of the CRCNA have repeatedly affirmed a pastoral posture towards same-sex attracted people, and yet we too often fail to do so. Several synods have lamented that as churches and as a denomination we have struggled to live up to our ideals and calling in this area," he continued. "Synod 2022 recognized that all human beings suffer from brokenness in their sexuality. This is not exclusive to those that are same sex attracted. God calls us to encourage and disciple each other, regardless of our sexual orientation, to live out our biblical understanding of sexuality." Neland Church will now have time to follow the decision, with the congregation's regional body, known as a classis, holding it accountable if it refuses to abide by the Synod 2023 decision. In brief comments sent to CP, Neland Church co-pastor Cindy de Jong said that her congregation "was disappointed that the CRCNA Synod did not sustain our appeal." "Neland is taking time to pray and talk with our leadership, with our congregation, and with other churches in our Classis (local group of churches), as we seek God's plan for us and discern what comes next," she added. As with other Protestant denominations in the United States, the CRCNA has endured much emotional debate over its biblical stance on LGBT issues, with many progressives within the denomination advocating for change. Last November, the leadership of the CRCNA-affiliated Calvin University voted to allow faculty to publicly disagree with the stance of the denomination on human sexuality issues, such as marriage definition. A spokesperson for Calvin sent CP a statement at the time stating that, despite the allowance for dissent, faculty will still have to "adhere to the university's expectations for teaching and personal conduct that honor the church's position." "The Calvin University community has been well served throughout its 150-year history by accommodating a range of faculty perspectives on specific doctrinal issues, while affirming and upholding the confessional standards of the Christian Reformed Church in North America," stated Calvin. "The Board characterized its decision as respectful of the university's covenantal partnership with the CRCNA, consistent with confessional commitment, congruent with existing policies and procedures, supportive of academic freedom, and reflective of constructive engagement." Christian university cancels Promise Keeper's event over LGBT pride month statement A private Christian university in Tennessee has canceled a Promise Keepers event after the national Christian men's ministry posted a blog criticizing LGBT pride month. The university accused the organization of "unnecessarily fan the flames of culture wars." Promise Keepers, a male Evangelical parachurch organization founded in 1990 that holds men's rallies in stadiums nationwide, released a statement this week stating that Belmont University in Nashville canceled an event it was to host at the university's Fisher Center in late September even though the group claims that it had already begun promoting the event. The event was part of Promise Keepers' "Daring Faith" event series, which will occur in Houston, Memphis, New York City, and other cities. The events will focus on "Biblical manhood and the difficulties of navigating the tension between our Christian identity and the often antithetical identities of the culture in which we live," according to the statement released by Promise Keepers. The reason for the move, according to the statement, is because Promise Keepers released a statement for pride month warning about what it calls the "dangers of gender ideology" and reaffirming its stance on biblical marriage between one man and one woman. "We will not stand on the sidelines and remain quiet. As fathers, husbands, grandfathers, and young men we see the dangers of gender ideology and the harm it causes," the organization's pride month statement reads. "At Promise Keepers, we believe it is more important than ever to stand up boldly for what we believe as Christians. God's Word is very clear on this topic and we also see the way gender ideology has damaged lives, mutilated bodies, and torn apart families in our own communities." In an interview with the Edifi Podcast Network, Promise Keepers CEO Ken Harrison confirmed that the ministry signed a contract with the university and advertised for the event. Roughly two days before tickets went on sale, Harrison said he was sent an email from the campus stating: "due to recent information, we realize our values don't align with your values or something to that effect so we can't do the event here." Harrison said he contacted the university's vice president to understand the reason for the cancellation better, and he was informed that it was because of "the statement we put out a week before Pride week." The Christian Post reached out to Belmont University for comment. A response was not received by press time. Belmont University Office of Communications pushed back against Promise Keeper's claims, telling CBN News in a statement that the organization's press release "incorrectly states why Belmont University decided to withdraw the campus' Fisher Center as the potential venue for an event anticipated for late September in Nashville." "Belmont informed Promise Keepers leadership that the event could not be held on our campus because a blog the organization posted, 'In Light of June Being Designated as 'Pride Month,' includes comments that we believe unnecessarily fan the flames of culture wars and are harmful to members of our community," the statement reads. "The Promise Keepers press release also falsely asserts that Belmont had not responded, when in fact University leaders have had multiple conversations with senior leaders at Promise Keepers, including CEO Ken Harrison. In these phone calls our reasoning was thoroughly and respectfully discussed, and we believed we reached mutual understanding." The university's statement adds that it welcomes the opportunity to work with "a variety of groups that hold disparate opinions, and we encourage the exchange of dialogue." "Yet as an ecumenical, Christ-centered institution we are also unequivocal in our belief in the value of each human being, and we are committed to engaging in constructive conversations that demonstrate kindness and seek understanding," the school asserts. "We will not knowingly provide a space for any group whose language we believe to lack that same respect." In addition to calling gender ideology "dangerous," Promise Keepers' pride month post also called gender ideology an "idol of our culture" and a "sin" that is "poisonous." Belmont, which averages over 8,500 students from each state and more than 33 countries, was once tied to the Tennessee Baptist Convention. A lawsuit in 2007 put an end to its relationship with the convention after about 56 years. The university now identifies itself as "the largest ecumenical Christian university in the United States" with no denominational ties. Harrison said people should beware of "Christian schools who are not teaching Christ." "The state of Christian colleges today is really concerning and people need to know this, that Belmont is by no way unique in this way," Harrison told Edifi. "If you go on their homepage, it is all Christian this and Christian that and training people for Christ. What does that mean when you deny the basic tenets of scripture?" The saga with Promise Keepers comes as the Belmont University student newspaper, The Belmont Vision, published a "Nashville Pride Guide" in early June. In 2015, Belmont University made headlines when it began offering employment benefits to legally recognized same-sex spouses of school employees following the Supreme Court's ruling overturning state bans against same-sex marriage. College accused of firing professor for saying chromosomes determine sex A Texas college has been accused of firing a biology professor because some students took issue with his teaching that the sex of a human being is determined by their chromosomes. St. Philips College, which is part of the Alamo Colleges District, reportedly fired professor Johnson Varkey in January after teaching at the academic institution for around 20 years. Kristi Wyatt, associate vice chancellor of Communications & Engagement at the Alamo Colleges District, emailed The Christian Post on Thursday evening to say that "the Alamo Colleges District does not comment on personnel matters or pending or threatened litigation." The First Liberty Institute, a law firm based in Plano, Texas, that often handles religious freedom issues, sent a complaint letter on Tuesday to officials with St. Philips and Alamo Colleges. St. Philips College fired Dr. Varkey for teaching human biology just as he did in his previous twenty-year career as a professor. His statements are not only supported by his extensive education and experience, but they also reflect his sincerely held religious beliefs, read the letter, in part. We write to request that St. Philips College reinstate Dr. Varkey to his position as Adjunct Professor and acknowledge that his termination was not for cause, but that it violated federal and state law, including the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to the complaint letter, Varkey was fired after students walked out of his class when he spoke about how human sex was determined by chromosomes, as opposed to a chosen gender identity. Varkey was terminated in late January under the accusation of having engaged in religious preaching, discriminatory comments about homosexuals and transgender individuals, anti-abortion rhetoric, and misogynistic banter. Kayla Toney, associate counsel at First Liberty and one of the signatories of the complaint letter, told The Christian Post that Varkey had reached out to her law firm shortly after he was fired. Varkey was fired for teaching basic, widely accepted concepts of biology that reflect his sincerely held religious beliefs. St. Philips College violated multiple federal and state laws when it fired Dr. Varkey, said Toney. It's important for us to defend people of faith like Dr. Varkey, especially when they experience discrimination in the workplace. Toney told CP that if college officials refuse to reinstate him and acknowledge that his termination was wrongful, we plan to pursue legal remedies as Dr. Varkey directs. Public schools have no business firing teachers or professors simply because they hold a different view than their students. No American should be forced out of their job because of their religious beliefs, Toney continued. The Constitution and Title VII protect Americans from being forced to speak messages that violate their consciences, or being punished by their employers for their religious beliefs. Mother of girl killed by trans ideology slams bill to seize kids from parents The mother of a trans-identified daughter who died by suicide after she was taken from her family and placed in a home with adults who encouraged her transition has pleaded with California lawmakers to reject a bill that could remove children from their parents if they don't support transing their children. Abigail Martinez testified before the California state Senates Judiciary Committee last week to speak out against Assembly Bill 957, which would take into account a parents affirmation of the childs [self-identified] gender identity as part of the health, safety, and welfare of the child when determining the best interest of a child as it pertains to custody placement. The bill passed the committee last week by a party-line vote of 8-2, in which all Democrats voted to advance it while all Republicans opposed it. AB 957 now awaits approval by the full state Senate, which is controlled by Democrats. Martinez recounted how her 16-year-old daughter, Yaeli, was murdered by gender ideology nearly three-and-a-half years ago. [Child Protective Services] took my daughter when she was 16 years old. It was helped by her public school counselor, an LGBTQ group RISE and another trans-identified girl, she said. My daughter was taken from her loving home because the state of California claimed I was abusive for not affirming her trans identity. Insisting that her daughter was not a boy trapped in a girls body, Martinez maintained that she had mental health issues and lamented that against my consent, my daughter was given testosterone instead of therapy. The LGBTQ group used her to raise money for them, she said, expressing concern that parents are given one option to treat their distressed child: affirm, drugs and remove their healthy body parts or else lose your child. As her voice broke, Martinez recalled how the abuse claim against me was finally dropped, but it was too late, the damage was done. By then, my daughter was in horrible mental and physical pain. My daughter knelt down in front of a train. Reiterating that her daughter was murdered by gender ideology, Martinez emotionally pleaded with the Democrat-controlled state Legislature to stop pushing gender ideology, stressing, I dont want any parent to feel what I feel every day. She asserted that affirmation is not good for the health, safety and welfare of any child. Assembly Bill 957 has already been approved by the Democrat-controlled California Assembly in a 51-13 vote on March 30, where all votes in favor of passage came from Democrats and all votes against it came from Republicans. Californias consideration of AB 957 comes as several states have enacted laws that ban some or all sex-change procedures on minors due to the long-term effects they have on physical and mental health. These states include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. The American College of Pediatricians has discussed the potential side effects of sex-change procedures on minors in detail. Potential long-term impacts of puberty blockers, often administered to youth suffering from gender dysphoria, include osteoporosis, mood disorders, seizures, cognitive impairment and, when combined with cross-sex hormones, sterility. Cross-sex hormones, which were prescribed to Martinezs late daughter, can cause an increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, blood clots and cancers across their lifespan. Other organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association and the American Psychiatric Association, have expressed support for so-called "gender-affirming care" for minors. Perryton families find help in new beginnings after deadly tornado Octavia Uribe stands inside her home, a newly-added vinyl inscription over her shoulder: "Family, where life begins and love never ends." The phrase, she says, has new meaning. All of her family survived last week's EF-3 tornado in Perryton, Texas. But others here werent that fortunate. The storm killed three people in this small town, injured at least 75 more and destroyed as many as 200 houses like Uribes. The home saved her life. After tornado sirens started, she, her daughter, son and grandson ran to her car to escape. She returned for her purse, and never made it out. The storm swept away the porch and carport. She crawled to a wall in the kitchen with her English bulldog. This afternoon is the last time she will see that wall. Structural engineers are on their way to condemn and board up the stucco home that has stood in Perryton for more than 100 years. "[Texas Baptist Men] helped us finish taking out everything we had, because we lost everything, Olivia said. They came in yesterday and helped us with everything we could salvage. My house isn't safe, the structure is bad, so it will be knocked down. They made me feel like I had someone to help me take out my things my memories and they made me feel like I had someone to count on. Texas Baptist Men volunteer Missy Mehringer, a member of First Baptist Church in Saginaw, was among the volunteers who helped Uribe clear her home. "It's a daunting task, and you don't know where to start. You're in shock," Mehringer recalled. "We helped her with the practical things. It was go-time. We had boxes, paper and tape. She made the hard decisions. We just help her with the practical help of packing before the home was destroyed." "At a moment like this," Uribe added, "You're grateful for the help and grateful to be alive, and there there are people who volunteer to help you for nothing. It makes you realize how to appreciate the small things in life. Today it's you; tomorrow it may be you helping others." Mehring is one of many TBM volunteers scattered across Perryton, providing free boxes, helping homeowners sort through debris, running mobile shower and laundry units and removing ruined homes with heavy machinery. Jim Lawton, a member of First Baptist Church of Waxahachie, is the white cap for the Perryton tornado recovery deployment. He said the tornado caused "complete damage. In one part of town, the trailers and homes were just destroyed. God brought the people to Perryton who could best minister after the storm. "We have 44 people on site," Lawton said. "In the evening after supper, we have a debrief, and the debrief lets them talk about their experiences during the day. A lot of our volunteers are new and they're not familiar with the devastation a tornado causes. So the debrief is a way for them to unwind and decompress "The stories last night were wonderful about how God used them to tell people and they talked about the children," he pointed out. "Many people don't realize children are devastated just like adults are. So we had some schoolteachers deployed, and I firmly believe God puts these teams together the teams he wants on these deployments and he put school teachers on this one to respond to the children." TBM teams deploy with a lot of equipment, but the heart of the ministry is delivering help, hope and healing to people in their most difficult days. These certainly qualify as that for Perryton residents. Among those tools, he said, "are a trailer-load of moving boxes for personal possessions, a shower trailer for hot showers and a laundry that the public can bring their clothes, we wash them and fold them and give them back the next day. We have cleanout teams for debris removal, we have skid steers. But those are just tools to tell people about Jesus." Among the TBM volunteers responding to the Perryton disaster are college students brought together through Missouri Baptist Convention Disaster Relief. Two of the students said they had their perspectives changed by volunteering. Brian Kinney, a student at the University of Missouri, said he came at the urging of his "college ministry pastor. He wanted me to sign up because he thought it would be a good fit for me to learn more about my faith and help me spread the Gospel, too. That's why I'm here." Working in the mid-90-degree temperatures, Kinney admitted the team has encountered "a lot of labor, helping people pack, moving things, cleaning things up, and moving a lot of debris." But he's also encountered "a lot of emotional strength" and a connection point from survivors. "From talking to them, I found strength in them. I know what it's like to lose everything overnight. I was homeless at one time." One such person is Monica Ramirez. She was on the top floor of her small two-story home altering a wedding dress when the hail started. Setting down her work, she picked up her phone to record video. Panning the view left out of the window, revealed a nightmare: A deadly tornado formed on her screen, and it was only a block from her home. The rest of the video revealed a moment of terror and destruction as the tornado shook the home. There was the sound "like an explosion" as windows shattered from the pressure. Then the video went black. She survived the ordeal. The tornado swept away a greenhouse and her garage. It stripped siding from her home. A few days later, a TBM crew helped her locate and return her belongings. They did so with care and compassion. Its an experience Ramirez will never forget. "They are very, very, special," Ramirez said of the TBM team. "I feel like I have another family." Satanic Temple launches nationwide tour to mock Sean Feuchts 'Let Us Worship' movement The Satanic Temple is promoting a worship tour titled the "Let Us Burn - Satanic Planet Capitol Concert Tour" after Christian worship leader Sean Feucht announced he will be hosting his "Let Us Worship" capitol tour. Satanic Temple co-founder and spokesperson Lucien Greaves took to Twitter recently to announce the plan to mimic Feucht's "Let Us Worship" capitol tour by launching their own tour featuring the band Satanic Planet. "Special thanks to @seanfeucht and his state Capitol-wide 'Let Us Worship' tour for paving the way for @satanicplanet's 'Let Us Burn' Capitol tour, coming soon," Greaves tweeted last week. Greaves shared a statement explaining the reasoning behind the tour. "According to law, the government must remain neutral regarding religious viewpoints when granting permission to parties seeking to take advantage of public accommodations," the statement read. "For this reason, the fact that public representatives have allowed Feucht to perform openly Christian Nationalist events within state capitol buildings leaves little in the way of a legal rationale whereby Satanic Planet might be denied." Due to Feucht's bold stance of wanting "God to be in control" of everything, TST branded the minister a "Christian nationalist." "You want God to come on over and take over the government?" Feucht recently asked a crowd in Oklahoma, and declared: "We want God to be in control of everything! We want believers to be the ones writing the laws!" Greaves, a member of the "avant-industrial" band Satanic Planet, said they have made it their mission to oppose Feucht's "theocracy." In a statement sent to The Christian Post, Feucht accused the TST of trying to "pervert" something that is "God-inspired." "Satanists, like their defeated leader the devil, have zero creativity," Feucht told CP. "Their only trick is to take what is authentically God-inspired & pervert it. But it's always a cheap rip-off. Whatever they imitate is what they are TRULY afraid of. I've read the end of the Book." According to a profane video posted by Satanic Planet online, their tour will visit every state capital across the United States. "Feucht is openly a theocrat who courts the attention of politicians and seeks to proselytize through his performances," Greaves said in a press release. "He has his opinions, and we have ours, but one thing the government can not do is preference his viewpoint over ours by giving him exclusive access to perform a concert on the Capitol grounds. That stage is every bit as much ours as it is his, so, in the name of pluralism and religious liberty, there are some state capitols that are likely soon to be hosting Satanic Planet shows." Satanic Planet hopes to raise $15,000 to fund its "Let Us Burn" tour. They have requested to start the tour at the Indiana State Capitol on Aug. 12. "We will not be able to sell tickets to the capitol grounds, we will surely draw protests, the stage and sound will likely be difficult, and the cost will not be insignificant," Greaves was quoted as saying on the tour's Patreon account. "However, we cannot stand by idly as theocratic extremists are given such an elevated public platform to spread their divisive message without reminding everybody that that stage is equally theirs as well." Greaves argues that Feucht seeks to use the stage to "announce a theocratic stranglehold over the United States government." "[W]e seek to rectify that by re-establishing pluralism," he claims. Feucht was seemingly flattered that he ruffled feathers and responded to Greaves' on Twitter. "Imitation is the highest form of flattery. And Satan has never had creative ability," Feucht wrote. "He only tries to pervert what has already been created. And guess what it's always weaker, a rip-off and way more pathetic than the original." In a separate post, Feucht added that it's "very telling" that the TST wants to copy the Let Us Worship tour and "even rip off our logo with an upside down cross." "They don't do this to CCM/industry worship tours," Feucht said. "The devil always tries to counterfeit the authentic. The impact we're having on America is profound." According to Intercessors For America, TST is "expanding its efforts and offerings" with its subscription-based media platform The Satanic Temple TV. TST has also launched a news platform titled Satanic Information Network (SIN). Feuchts "Let Us Worship" tour is sponsored by TPUSA Faith. Texas Christian U offers 'Queer Art of Drag' course teaching 'gender binary' is white supremacy Texas Christian University is offering a course on creating a drag persona in which the culmination of the class is a performance in the university's annual drag show. Texas Christian University will offer "The Queer Art of Drag" course during the 2023-'24 school year through its Women and Gender Studies Department. The syllabus listing the weekly assignments and student expectations states that students will create their personas through a "drag vision board," engage in self-reflection and assemble a collage of images to gain inspiration. Students must also read commentaries such as "The Gender Binary Is a Tool of White Supremacy" by Kravitz Marshall. Nino Testa, the course instructor, has a drag persona of his own named Maria von Clapp. According to the school's website, the professor's focus areas include queer theory and activism, as well as "LGBTQ history and culture." Those who take the course will also write a "drag bibliography," finding eight to 10 articles "about the people, performers, aesthetics, movements, politics, ideas, or communities." Students enrolled in the class will also create a lip-sync performance to share with the class and participate in a live group number on the night of the Spectrum Drag Show. The syllabus also describes a "drag worksheet" that students must fill out throughout the semester that contains "elements of your drag persona." As part of the "drag worksheet," students are asked to "name your drag persona," "describe your drag persona," design a "drag greeting" and "strike a pose." Each student must "produce a one-to-two-minute solo drag performance to be recorded, edited, and shared with an open audience at TCUs Annual Night of Drag on April 21." Texas Christian University did not respond to The Christian Post's request for comment. "The Department of Women & Gender Studies, in collaboration with community partners at the Gender Resource Office, The End, Spectrum, Westside Unitarian Church, local drag performers, and LGBTQ organizations in Fort Worth, has produced a series of opportunities to develop campus vocabulary and understanding of drag history and practice," TCU's website states about the course. The university's website includes links highlighting other ways the school promotes drag, including footage of its April 2022 Annual Night of Drag and a 2019 Critical Drag Symposium, which "focused on drag as a critical performance practice." Though TCU boasts about its affiliation with the Disciples of Christ denomination on its website, the university has more than 60 religious traditions represented on campus. The Religious and Spiritual Life community also advises more than 22 student religious organizations. "TCU's foundation is built on pursuing knowledge for the greater good," the website reads. "Our historic covenant with the Disciples of Christ informs our roots as a liberal arts college, valuing others' perspectives during the educational journey." As CP previously reported in August 2016, TCU offered students three credit hours if they interned with Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas. In a now-deleted post by Students for Life of America, the pro-life youth activist organization revealed that the History Department had sent an email to students promoting the internship. During the internship, a student or students would work to "develop a project highlighting [Planned Parenthood's] history in Fort Worth since it was established here in 1935." "Their office ... about 15 minutes from campus, has a substantial archival collection of photographs, scrapbooks, and other materials," the TCU email obtained by SFLA read. "There are also opportunities for oral history, interviewing local families who have long been involved in support of PP." SFLA President Kristan Hawkins said in a statement at the time that "it is a disgrace for a large Christian university to offer credit for an internship at the largest abortion provider in the nation." "Instead of educating and equipping students on how to persuasively discuss the pro-life viewpoint and help women in crisis, they instead reward students for spending valuable time volunteering for an organization that ends the lives of over 325,000 innocent human beings a year," Hawkins said. "And just think of the parents who thought their child would be receiving a valuable Christian-focused education at a private school. They are paying over $53,500 a year to be swindled." Texas public universities offering women's studies courses on witchcraft, 'worship of the devil' Students at publicly funded Texas universities are now able to enroll in courses about witches, black magic and the supernatural under the guise of womens studies. Texas Tech University is offering Women and Gender Studies course 4301 titled Witches, Bruxas, & Black Magic in a course listed June 12 on the Lubbock campus website. According to the course description, students will study beliefs and practices, past and present, associated with magic, witchcraft, spirituality, magical realism, and religion. The course curriculum will cover topics including ritual, symbolism, mythology, altered states of consciousness, and healing. While witches and black magic are familiar topics to many people, bruxas might not be as well known. A bruxa was a pre-Christian female witch figure from Portugal during the Middle Ages and is considered a type of vampire entity known for bloodsucking attacks on infants. Bruxas are said to assume the form of a duck, rat, goose, or other animal and can only prey on their victims in the middle of the night. Texas Tech, a public research university, received approximately $80 million from taxpayers in 2021 under a higher education funding bill signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. A request for comment from Texas Tech was not returned by press time. This story will be updated if a response is received. University of North Texas (UNT), another state university, is offering students an anthropology course on Magic, Witchcraft and Religion. The course description lists two required textbooks for the course, one of which is Dharma and Ecology of Hindu Communities by Pankaj Jain. While there are a number of course readings listed on the UNT website, only two had overly Christian references: a PBS video on a Christian theme park in Kentucky and another video on a Pentecostal congregation in West Virginia. The University of Texas (UT) is also offering a History of Witchcraft course in which students will examine witch beliefs and witchcraft prosecutions in western Europe and colonial America, mainly between 1100 and 1700" and looks at the role of religion in prosecuting witches during the age of the Reformation. The stated main purpose of the course which falls under both womens and religious studies is to explain the prosecution of more than 100,000 people, most of whom were women, for the crime of witchcraft in Europe and colonial America between 1450 and 1750. In addition to historical events, the course includes a number of satanic-oriented curricula, including studies on Worship of the Devil, Witchcraft and the Law, and Demonic Possession and Witchcraft. 'Onward, Christian soldiers' now too jingoistic? America is going to Hades in a handbasket. A large portion of Americans agree were headed in the wrong direction. But when Christians try to get more involved in the culture and in politics, they are often told to cease and desist sometimes even by fellow professing Christians. In fact, if a pastor were to preach on todays moral issues, he might be accused of preaching politics. But Dr. D. James Kennedy once observed that in recent times, abortion has come to be viewed as a political issue. So if a minister speaks out on abortion, he is accused of supposedly preaching politics. But, he noted, the Church of Jesus Christ has, from the beginning, been opposed to abortion and has provided loving alternatives to it through the centuries. John Stemberger of the Florida Family Policy Council says Everything has become political. The weather's political. COVID is political. There's no area of life that has not been politicized in some way, and the church has been trained wrongly. He explains, The Scripture speaks to all areas of life. Now, admittedly, it speaks to some areas more clearly and prophetically than others. And where it does speak that clearly, pastors need to be equally clear about life, about the nature of marriage, human sexuality, gender, and all these things that are up for grabs It's not politics, it's ministry. It's teaching the Bible, and it's what pastors should be doing. As Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council notes, Surrounded by evil, with your own children at stake, there is no retreat. Some well-meaning Christians accuse those wanting to see American renewal as embracing Christian Nationalism by which they mean putting America above (or on an equal footing with) Jesus. That is something no true Christian could do but it doesnt follow that we should abandon attempts to renew the country. A classic hymn of the 19th century is Onward, Christian Soldiers. The music of that hymn was written by Arthur Sullivan, as in Gilbert and Sullivan. Its interesting to note that Onward, Christians Soldiers has actually been removed from some church hymnals because its viewed as too jingoistic. Of course, this is a metaphor and not in any way an endorsement of real violence, which is against the teaching of Jesus, who said we should love even our enemies. Recently, I got to speak on a radio segment with Cheryl Chumley of the Washington Times, who wrote a book called, Socialists Dont Sleep: Christians Must Rise or America Will Fall. The very last words of her book are, Onward, Christian Soldiers. Cheryl told our listeners, Its my premise that Christians are facing some dark times right now, largely because those who know best about freedom, those who understand God-given liberties, who understand God and read the Biblethe Christian communityhave failed to speak up, as were supposed to do. She added that Christian silence and inaction have left a vacuum which is then filled by large government. She told me, Socialism comes when government grows bigger. So what happens is, as we move further and further away from the idea of light coming from God, which is a natural consequence of Americas turning away from God and forgetting God. That leaves a void for government to enter. And thats where were at right now. Chumley also noted, Its no coincidence, therefore, that government is growing bigger because it picks up where God leaves off. When people dont turn to God for solutions and provision, they turn to the government for that. Ands how socialism, communism, Marxism, collectivism creeps in. How different was the vision of Americas founders on this point? George Washington famously said in his Farewell Address that religion and morality are indispensable supports to our political prosperity. Dr. Peter Lillback, the founding president of Providence Forum, for which I serve as the executive director, says, Christianity is the leavening force, the moral influence, the guiding star, the spiritual zeitgeist, the essential moral compass, the spiritual compass of a nation that intends to have ordered liberty. He adds, This means that Christianity provides the sense of human dignity, the principle of transcendent law, the idea of limited government, the standard of universal justice and equity, all under a common law, with the duty to seek to fulfill the Golden Rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Indeed, Jesus said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. So, Onward, Christian soldiers. The antagonism between the world and Christs Kingdom Christians have always, to one extent or another, felt like fish out of water. And this should come as no surprise. After all, the systems of the world gravitate away from Christ rather than towards him. A Scottish Baptist minister named Alexander Maclaren (1826-1910) stated: "Society is not of God, and the institutions of every nation upon earth have still in them much of the evil one. Christian people are set down in the midst of these, and the antagonism is perennial. The Apostle John clearly understood this ever-present dynamic. He wrote, We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19). God is of course always sovereign over all things. Nevertheless, Satan controls those who are outside of Christs Kingdom, and he works strategically to consume the hearts and minds of young people. Martin Luther offered this warning 500 years ago: I am afraid that the schools will prove the very gates of Hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the heart of the youth. America has a unique history in this regard. Angela Kamrath writes: American schools began with the Puritans in the 1600s to insure Bible literacy. As expected, the Bible was the core of learning in schools. The New England Primer, the first reader in America, included Bible truths, stories, poems, hymns and prayers. Our adversary, the devil, always schemes to infiltrate and dominate individual hearts, as well as the various institutions of the world. The Apostle Paul discipled believers with truth in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11). These schemes are aimed at keeping people from knowing the Lord, while also tempting Christians to compromise their allegiance to Christ and His Word. When Jesus said, God so loved the world, (John 3:16) he was referring to the people of the world. For Christ died for sins once for all (1 Peter 3:18) But when John wrote about the world in 1 John 2:15-17, he was referring to the lusts, temptations, pride and evil cravings of man, along with the systems of the world which of course have no use for the Gospel or Christianity. John wrote, Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:15-17). The world often celebrates and takes pride in behavior that is opposed to the Kingdom of God. Why does this celebration of sin take place so consistently? Jesus said, This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil (John 3:19). Meanwhile, followers of Christ resonate with these words from the Apostle Paul: May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14). Taking pride in the cross is a far cry from taking pride in sin. And the only way to know what is sinful is to turn to Gods Word. Scripture declares: Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). One reason the world rejects biblical doctrine is because Scripture excludes unrepentant sinners from the kingdom of God. You see, the world wants to decide who gets into Heaven, while at the same time promoting ungodly ideas, unrighteous behavior and universalism. In other words, the world wants to have its cake and eat it too. This is why Jesus said, Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the Earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matthew 10:34). What did the Prince of Peace mean by this perplexing statement? Jesus was simply revealing that He came to usher in a kingdom and beliefs that are incompatible with the ways of the world. Christ drives a sword through any idea or relationship that stands in the way of Christian discipleship. This sword is not a physical weapon, but rather, spiritual truth. For example, the Gospel divides people into believers and unbelievers. In addition, The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). Right and wrong are determined by Gods Word, rather than by ones feelings. Christians are called to be salt and light in a world that desperately needs the love of Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and the truth of the Gospel. The witness, compassion and humble service of Spirit-filled Christians helps unbelievers come to know the One who defeated sin, death and the devil by his victory on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you will often feel out of step with the world. But dont despair. God did not create us and redeem us so that we could pursue the cravings, lusts and temptations of the world. We have been given a higher calling. You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). As followers of Christ, we are in the world but not of the world. And until we arrive in Heaven, we will often continue to feel like fish out of water. Abortion figures rise again Abortion numbers have risen again in England and Wales, according to statistics released by the Department of Health and Social Care on Thursday. Between 1 January and 30 June 2022, there were 123,219 abortions by women resident in England and Wales - 17,731 more than during the same period in 2021. More than half of abortions in the first half of 2022 (54%) were DIY abortions carried out at home using the 'pills by post' service. There were 1,428 abortions of babies with a disability. Today's figures suggest that 2022 is on track to surpass 2021's figures for the full year, which stood at 214,256 - the highest on record. The total for 2022 is due to be published on 1 January 2024. Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said the figures were "a national tragedy". "Every one of these abortions represents a failure of our society to protect the lives of babies in the womb and a failure to offer full support to women with unplanned pregnancies," she said. "The reporting on this significant rise in abortions has come as abortion campaigners, led by abortion provider BPAS, cynically use the tragic case of the death of Baby Lily at between 32 and 34 weeks gestation to call for the full decriminalisation of abortion, which would permit abortion for any reason up to birth. "It seems this tragic number of lives being lost to abortion is not enough for abortion campaigners and they are set on doing everything they can to introduce extreme abortion legislation that would likely see even more lives lost to abortion." Louise Davies, Director of Advocacy and Policy at CARE said, "It's saddening to see consistently high numbers of abortions in England and Wales. The direction of travel appears to be providing faster, and easier access to abortion. "This is not a pro-woman approach. We should be removing barriers to motherhood and ensuring that every woman who goes through a crisis pregnancy is made fully aware of all the options she has. Advice is very often one-sided." Christian Concern said that the cost of living crisis and "a lack of pro-family policies" was likely to be a factor. Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concern, said: "It is with heavy hearts that we witness the devastating toll upon innocent lives. Each number represents a precious child, fearfully and wonderfully made, but whose lives have been cut short." She continued, "The sheer scale of these statistics underscores the urgent need for a collective awakening, a return to valuing and protecting every human life, no matter how small or vulnerable. Our culture's embrace of abortion as a solution to complex problems is a chilling reflection of our diminished respect for the sanctity of life. "Let us strive for a future where we as a nation chooses compassion and hope in the recognition that every life, from conception to natural end, is a precious gift from God." Lynn Murray, spokesperson for Don't Screen Us Out, said: "As a mother of a 23-year-old daughter who has Down's syndrome, I see every day the unique value she brings to our family and the positive impact she has on others around her. "It is deeply upsetting to see another 1,428 babies with disabilities screened out by termination in the first six months of 2022. "It is also concerning that despite the leaps that advocacy groups have made in raising awareness in support of people with Down's syndrome and other conditions, abortion for disability is still so commonplace and widespread in the UK." Orthodox Christian teachers are on the chopping block After 13 years under five Conservative Prime Ministers, orthodox Christian teachers in UK schools could surely be forgiven for thinking that their situation could not get any worse if Labour wins the 2024 General Election. But according to the General Secretary of the Free Speech Union (FSU), Toby Young, the challenges Christian teachers are already facing could loom considerably larger under Labour. The present Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has called for a review of sex education, is showing signs of pushing back against neo-Marxist political correctness in schools. The Sun newspaper has been briefed that new government guidance is about to be issued banning schools from allowing pupils to "socially transition" by changing their names, pronouns or uniform without parental consent. But Young believes Labour would impose compelled trans speech if it won power. He told Christian Today: "I think it's likely Labour will bring forward a Hate Crime and Public Order (England and Wales) Bill, which will be very similar to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act. It will increase the number of protected groups you can be prosecuted for 'stirring up' hatred against to include trans-identifying people and that will make it a criminal offence to misgender or deadname trans individuals. "It will also scrap the 'dwelling exemption' whereby you cannot be prosecuted for stirring up hatred in the privacy of your own home so in theory a father telling his daughter that 'transwomen aren't women' over the dinner table could be sent to prison, with his daughter being summoned as a witness for the prosecution." Young warned: "If the Conservative government doesn't pass a Gender Conversion (Prohibition) Bill, the next Labour government will and, in all likelihood, that will make it a criminal offence for a church congregation to pray for someone who is wrestling with their sexuality, as well as a criminal offence for a parent to try to talk their trans-identifying child out of embarking on a medical pathway which will be irreversible." He added: "I wouldn't be surprised if Labour makes it illegal for faith schools to give preference to applicants of a particular faith in their admissions arrangements, something many Labour activists have been agitating for a long time." In May, secondary school Maths teacher Joshua Sutcliffe was banned by the Teaching Regulation Agency for refusing to use a trans pupil's preferred pronoun. Mail on Sunday columnist, Peter Hitchens, an Anglican Christian, commented on the Sutcliffe case: "In the past few years it has become clear that the schools of this country, state and private, have been invaded by Left-wing dogmas, dogmas it is dangerous to challenge. For they are enforced, hard, with the backing of a supposedly Conservative government. "For example, you do not need to like or agree with the former Oxford state school teacher Joshua Sutcliffe. I think he may be a bit of a pain. Brave people often are a pain. But every civilised person must be scared by the fact that he is now forbidden to teach at all by a body called the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA), which ought not to exist in a free country." And there has been another case of an orthodox Christian teacher getting into trouble, this time in a primary school. After being sacked for opposing her school's trans policy, the teacher, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has just been refused a judicial review by the High Court. She remains under investigation by the TRA and cannot work as a teacher until it reaches its verdict. "Unable to teach, she has taken up work in a sandwich shop. If found guilty of professional misconduct by the TRA, she faces a lifelong ban from teaching," CT reported. Since its launch in 2020, the FSU has been working hard to protect academic freedom to debate and pursue truth in schools and universities. "Young said: "When it comes to cases, we've come to the defence of approximately 400 students and academics in the past three years about 20% of our overall case load and won approximately 70% of them. I think this has put universities on notice that if they do breach the speech rights of students or academics, they'll have to deal with us." Young said the union's main policy achievements have been helping to persuade the Department for Education to "issue new guidance about the teaching of politically contentious ideas in schools, which reminded schools of their obligations under section 407 of the Education Act 1996, and helping to get the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 on to the statute books". Young concluded: "In general, I think a Labour government will mean orthodox Christians becoming a demonised minority with fewer rights than other minorities. They won't be fed to the lions, but they will find themselves increasingly unwelcome in polite society." Julian Mann is a former Church of England vicar, now an evangelical journalist based in Lancashire. He is the author of Christians in the Community of the Dome, published by Evangelical Press in 2017. Why is the CofE opposing Christians in court? Kristie Higgs was sacked for gross misconduct for posting on Facebook in her own capacity widely held concerns about the sexualisation of children through sex education in schools. Her concerns were motivated by her Christian faith and indeed were an expression of that faith. Her concerns are now so mainstream that they are even shared by the Prime Minister who has commissioned an independent review into sex education in schools. It is clearly unjust for a school worker to be sacked for manifesting her Christian beliefs in this way. But the Church of England (CofE) doesn't see it that way. Higgs lost her case at the Employment Tribunal so we appealed to the Employment Appeal Tribunal. We were very surprised to find that the Archbishops' Council decided to intervene at this stage. Why on this case at this time? There have been many high-profile cases over recent years as well as countless others issues raised in schools with no public profile which they have failed to address. We were suspicious about their motives and it was right to be so. At best their motives appear naive, at worse reckless and malicious. The CofE intervention was at pains to emphasise that it was "strictly neutral" between the parties. How can this be? Does the CofE not have a view on the merits of sex education and the outrageous sexualisation of children that is going on? Is the CofE really 'strictly neutral' on whether a Christian teacher can be sacked for manifesting her Christian beliefs? But it got worse. The CofE intervention actually worked against Kristie in court. The CofE argued about "the distinction between appropriate and inappropriate manifestation of belief." This clearly implied that Kristie's expression could be deemed 'inappropriate'. It also made comments about the "tone of the manifestation" and "the manner and nature of the manifestation" and so on. All this is designed to confuse the fundamental issue and work against free speech. In case the intentions of the CofE were not already clear, the Rev Dr Malcom Brown, the Church's Director of Faith and Public Life has now commented publicly about the case. In the interview he claims that Christians are seen as 'aggressive' in court. He claimed that cases against Christians who have been summarily dismissed have "been fought between binary positions with little nuance." He even claimed to have been informed that the judiciary was "increasingly frustrated with the way these cases were being argued in the courts." Where is the sympathy for the Christians who have actually lost their jobs for manifesting their Christian beliefs here? What about the very real aggression from employers in these cases which results in Christians being hounded out of their professions? Who is the real aggressor and who is the real victim? It has taken Kristie five years to get to this place; she is the kindest, most softly spoken person you are likely to meet and was greatly loved by the students she served. Most people can see through the absurdity of the CofE acting against Christians in court. High profile campaigner Maya Forstater, who is actively campaigning for clarity on sex in law and policy in the UK, tweeted her response to Rev Brown's comments. She tweeted: "Church of England sees Christians who stick to their faith as 'aggressive'. With friends like these ..." Precisely. Sadly this is not the first time that the CofE has worked against Christians in court. The notorious Valuing All God's Children CofE guidance for schools has been used against Christians three times in court. One of these times was against one of their own clergymen, another warm hearted, generous man with a keen intellect who lost his job for preaching an orthodox sermon in a CofE chapel in a CofE school. The CofE went on to brand him a safeguarding risk because of his Christian beliefs. You can't makeup this stuff.. The CofE is actually turning against Christians who stick to their faith - just as Forstater said. By intervening in the way that they did in such a high handed and arrogant manner, they display their lack of understanding of the times they are living in. The CofE is actively betraying faithful Christians. What more can be said? Lord have mercy. Andrea Williams is chief executive of Christian Concern. Windrush anniversary coincides with calls for slavery reparations As the UK marks the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush generation, a delegation of Christians from Jamaica is visiting the country to meet fellow church leaders about financial restitution for the harm caused to black communities by slavery. The delegation comprises members of the Church Reparation Action Forum (CRAF), which is leading the campaign in Jamaica for reparations. They believe that UK churches that had some involvement in the transatlantic slave trade should consider making financial restitution to black communities that are still experiencing the harmful effects of slavery. The delegation is meeting with representatives of Christian denominations and organisations, including the Quakers, Churches Together in England, the Evangelical Alliance, the Church of England, the New Testament Church of God, and the National Church Leaders Forum. They are visiting the UK at the invitation of Street Pastors founder Les Isaacs, theologian Professor Robert Beckford, Professor of Racial and Climate Justice, Dr Jackie McCleod, and the leader of the Church of God of Prophecy, Bishop Tedroy Powell. Rev Isaac said, "It's time for the UK church across the denominational spectrum to have an honest, open and meaningful discussion about reparations. This tour will play a part in that process." CRAF co-founder Pastor Bruce Fletcher said, "A number of reports have highlighted the financial contribution enslaved Africans made to the world economy during the Atlantic slave trade for which they received nothing. "It's now time for businesses and church denominations that benefitted from the slave trade to make reparation to their descendants. "It's CRAF's hope that whilst in Britain, we will move the case for reparations forward, and that the church will understand the part they have to play." Rev Dr Gordon Cowans, co-founder of CRAF stated: "It's important to note that reparation is not just about making financial restitution. It entails Christians also seeking to redress the emotional and psychological harm enslavement caused within black communities." Their visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush's arrival in Britain on 22 June 1948, bringing hundreds of people from the Caribbean to help the country recover from World War Two. The CRAF delegation will be special guests at the Windrush 75 National Service of Thanksgiving being held at Southwark Cathedral on Thursday afternoon. Commemorations are being held across the country to mark the Windrush anniversary. The King, who attended an anniversary service at Windsor Castle, said that the Windrush generation had made a "profound and permanent contribution to British life". The anniversary has been overshadowed by the Windrush scandal that unfolded in 2018 when members of the Windrush generation found themselves facing wrongful deportation or detention despite having the right to live in the UK. Many of them are still waiting for compensation. Asociatia Techsoup lanseaza Meet and Code 2023: programul dezvolta competente digitale pentru zeci de mii de copii. ONG-urile moldovenesti sunt incurajate sa aplice pentru granturi The charity sector is potentially missing millions in online donations because of poor website accessibility, according to new research. A recent OnePoll survey of 600 neurodivergent and physically disabled adults in the UK shows that nearly half of the respondents have been put off making online donations due to their needs not being met online. Giant Digital, a web development agency that commissioned the research, estimated that charities could be missing out on up to 65m a year in online donations as a result. The Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIoF) said that charities must ensure that their donation channels are as accessible as possible to everyone. Poor accessibility Some 49% of respondents said that they have been discouraged from making online donations due to poor web accessibility and 33% said they have been put off making direct debits online. According to the latest UK Giving Report 2023, an estimated 12.7bn was donated to charities in 2022. Data from Barclays Bank shows that online donations make up 48% of all donations, totalling 6bn. Meanwhile, government figures reveal that around one in five people (14.6 million) had a disability in the year ending March 2021. This means that disabled people donate over 1bn (22% of 6bn) each year online, Giant Digital said. Based on the OnePoll survey and these figures, Giant Digital calculated that charities could be missing out on up to 65m (49% of 1.32bn) annually due to a lack of focus on accessibility for donors. Donation channels must be as accessible as possible Daniel Fluskey, director of policy and communications at CIOF, commented: Its really important for charities to ensure that theyre fundraising and donation channels are as accessible as possible to everyone. Our guidance on Treating Donors Fairly highlights the need for organisations to be as responsive and flexible as they can be to ensure that everyone is able to make an informed decision on their donation and the needs and preferences of people with protected characteristics or accessibility requirements are met wherever possible. This is why its so important for charities to invest in digital fundraising appropriately so that teams have the right skills and systems which support them to be able to fundraise in the right way so everyone can have the best experience of giving. Charities must prioritise website accessibility Alex McGibbon, director of innovation at Giant Digital, said: In an increasingly digital world where online presence is paramount, it is imperative that charities and not-for-profit organisations prioritise website accessibility. By embracing inclusive design principles, they can forge stronger connections with their audiences, unlock untapped potential, and create a profound impact on the causes they champion. The findings from our recent survey shed light on the challenges faced by people who have been disproportionately impacted by inaccessible websites, and this valuable insight enables us to better understand their needs and create solutions that ensure inclusivity. Ultimately, charities are missing out on millions of pounds by not focusing on the fundamentals of their online presence. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, The Church Commissioners for England and the Church of England Pensions Board have announced that they will independently disinvest from fossil fuel companies. The Commissioners, the charity investment arm of the Church of England, said that it will exclude oil and gas giants from its portfolio and companies that are engaged in the exploration, production and refining of oil or gas, unless they are in genuine alignment with a 1.5C pathway, by the end of 2023. It said the decision to disinvest was taken after a number of companies failed to meet various climate goals on time. This follows the Commissioners decision in 2021 to exclude 20 major oil and gas firms from its investment portfolio. It also comes after four priests urged the Commissioners and Pensions Board to cut ties with oil and gas companies in a protest last November. Failure to meet climate hurdles In 2018, the Church of England passed a Synod motion setting out a five-year strategy to invest in climate solutions, engage with high-carbon emitting firms, and divest from fossil fuels companies not aligned with the Paris Agreement. As part of this, the Church of Englands National Investing Bodies (NIBs) developed several hurdles requiring those companies to meet progressively more ambitious climate change performance criteria by July 2023. In a report for the General Synod , the NIBs said that as none of the oil and gas giants passed the hurdles, the Church would disinvest from fossil fuel companies accordingly. These include BP, Ecopetrol, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, Pemex, Repsol, Sasol, Shell, and Total. We set the bar of expectations high The NIBs said in the report that they set the bar of our expectations high for where companies should be in their commitments by July 2023. We also set the bar of our expectations high for where companies should be in their commitments by July 2023, the report reads. We are clear that fossil fuel companies targets need to be aligned with the Paris Agreement in the short, medium and long term to be credible. This is critical to the integrity of a genuine net zero commitment. Some companies have come close, and indeed it is in no small part down to the efforts of each of the NIBs working collaboratively with other investors through global engagement initiatives such as Climate Action 100+, that they have done so. However, as this report sets out, no fossil fuel company has met the 2023 hurdles. Alan Smith, first church estates commissioner, said that the decision to disinvest was not taken lightly. Soberingly, the energy majors have not listened to significant voices in the societies and markets they serve and are not moving quickly enough on the transition. If any of these energy companies come into alignment with our criteria in the future, we would reconsider our position. Indeed, that is something we would hope for, he added. Christian Aid: Decison is damning indictment of oil and gas industry Jennifer Larbie, Christian Aids head of global advocacy, said that the Church of Englands decision to divest from fossil fuel companies is a damning indictment of the harm these corporations are doing to the world. Over the years the support of Church investors has emboldened oil and gas companies and given them the social licence and political capital to influence politicians around the world. That time has ended, she continued. For decades many fossil fuel companies have known the harm their activity is causing yet they continue to spend millions lobbying governments to block efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Profiting from climate suffering caused by fossil fuels should carry the same stigma as investing in smoking or arms dealing. Larbie added that it is telling that the Church of England, which has worked tirelessly to engage with the oil and gas industry and shift it onto a sustainable approach, has decided that these companies are beyond the pale. If ever there was a sign that the UK government needed to step in and tax fossil fuel profits to pay for the damage they have caused, this is it. Its only right that the polluters should pay. By AJay, Adobe The Charity Commission has explained why it has yet to introduce requirements for charities to report the diversity of their trustees. A report commissioned by the regulator in 2017 called Taken on Trust recommended that the Commission should require all charities with an annual income in excess of 500,000 to report the diversity of their board of trustees in their annual return. Last year, 65 organisations wrote to the regulator to encourage it to introduce such a requirement. However, the Commission did not do so when it concluded its review of its annual return reporting requirements. At a Small Charity Week event yesterday, Mike Allen, trustee recruitment and liaison at Involve Community Services, said he was really surprised the Commission did not ask questions about trustee diversity in its annual return. He described the Commissions decision not to introduce a requirement as an opportunity missed. The problem is we dont have the data. And therefore, as a trustee recruiter [] we dont know where were missing so we cant target. And thats the biggest thing. Holly Riley, head of strategic policy at the Commission, said in response that she was super keen to collect more data on the diversity of charities trustees but said the regulator has decided that the annual return was not the best way to do that. The reason we didn't put it in the annual return is, one, that it is filled in by one person from the charity, and therefore there is a question [over its accuracy]. As well, with a lot of small charities, it wouldnt give us data that we could publish, because of the small numbers of people and the identifiable characteristics in there. So, I don't think personally that the annual return is the kind of golden bullet I think there are other ways of doing it. And its definitely something that I'm super keen that we do. But it just isnt in the annual return. sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector, PARIS (AP) A strong explosion hit a building in Paris Left Bank on Wednesday, leaving at least 16 injured and igniting a fire that sent smoke soaring over city monuments and prompted the evacuation of surrounding buildings, police said. The cause of the blast was not immediately known. The facade of a building in the 5th arrondissement, or district, collapsed and emergency services were working to determine if anyone was still inside, a Paris police official said. The explosion hit near the historic Val de Grace military hospital. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told reporters there were 16 people injured, including seven in emergency condition. The fire was contained but not extinguished, he said. Florence Berthout, mayor of the arrondissement, said, The explosion was extremely violent, describing pieces of glass still falling from buildings. Nunez described several injuries, some of them critical, but did not provide an exact figure, nor did he specify whether any were in life-threatening condition. The Paris prosecutor says a probe has been opened into aggravated involuntary injury, and investigators are examining whether the explosion stemmed from a suspected violation of safety rules. Officials from the 5th arrondissement attributed the blast and blaze to a gas leak. The Paris police chief says the building where the explosion occurred was a private school, the Paris American Academy, which was founded in 1965 and offers teaching in fashion design, interior design, fine arts and creative writing. The smell of smoke lingered in the air while the gray plume visibly lessened as firefighters battled the blaze. The neighborhood was cordoned off and scores of emergency workers, police and soldiers filled the area. Achille, a student, said he was in a building about 100 meters (yards) from the explosion. I was sitting on the windowsill, and we moved 2 meters away from the window, carried by a small blast (from the explosion) and huge fear, he told BFM television. His last name was not given. We came down (from the building) and saw the flames, he said. The police gave us great support and we evacuated quickly. With more than 2 million people densely packed within the city limits and historic, sometimes ageing, infrastructure, Paris is no a stranger to gas explosions. A January 2019 blast in the 9th district killed four people and left dozens injured. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bruce Johnson, a ceramics artist and teacher, routinely dug through shipping packages stuffed to the brim with vermiculite in order to pull out the pyrometric cones that he used for his work with hot kilns. That packaging material was the very same asbestos-laced stuff extracted from W.R. Graces vermiculite mine in Libby, Montana that killed hundreds and sickened thousands of workers and their families, Johnsons widow says in a lawsuit. Bruce died from mesothelioma in January 2020. A decision Tuesday by a panel of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals opens a path for his widow, Deborah, to win compensation from the company that she says exposed him to asbestos by using vermiculite in its packaging. The panel reversed a decision by the US District Court for Northern Illinois to dismiss Ms. Johnsons lawsuit, finding that a jury could find that the Edward Orton Jr. Ceramic Foundation had a duty to care for Bruce Johnson because it should have known its packaging material was contaminated. The panel said the District Court erred by not holding Orton, a manufacturer and seller of ceramics equipment, to the standard of care that Illinois courts expect from manufacturers. Because Ortons duties as a manufacturer extended to ensuring that its pyrometric cones were transported reasonably safely, we must conclude that, given the policy concerns that animate Illinois law, Orton should be held to an expert standard of knowledge with respect to the packaging that it used to ship its pyrometric cones and to which it exposed consumers such as Mr. Johnson, the opinion says. Johnson, an Illinois resident, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in March 2017. A year later he filed a lawsuit, along with his wife, against Orton and other parties potentially liable for exposing him to asbestos. The case was removed from state court to the federal Northern District of Illinois in Chicago, where Deborah Johnson filed an amended complaint after her husband died in January 2020. Johnson had been a ceramics artist and teacher. As part of his work he used pyrometric cones manufactured by Orton. The devices are used to monitor the temperature of kilns. Before his death, Johnson testified in a deposition that he received the cones in packages that were packed in vermiculite. He would dig through the packing material to retrieve the product or pour the vermiculite out of the package. Either way, unpacking the packages always produced some dust that typically coated his face, he said. US District Judge Mary M. Rowland granted Ortons motion for summary judgment. She found that Ms. Johnson had failed to show that Orton owed Mr. Johnson a duty of care. Under Illinois law, manufacturers are held to degree of knowledge and skill of experts in ensuring a product is safe, Orton was not a manufacturer of vermiculite and should not be held to the same standard, Judge Rowland reasoned. Johnson appealed. The Seventh Circuit panel said manufacturers have a duty to warn consumers of any known dangerous properties of their products. A manufacturer is liable for any harm incurred if it knew or should have known about the potential harm, the opinion says. Orton used vermiculite from the Libby mine until 1982. In 1981, it received a Material Safety DataSheet from Orton showing that trace amounts of asbestos were found in its vermiculite. There was also evidence in the record that Orton could have known that asbestos was in its packing material even before then, the opinion says. Articles had been published prior to 1963, when Orton started buying vermiculite from W.R. Grace, that the mine was producing vermiculite contaminated by asbestos. Air monitoring at a W.R. Grace facility in Kentucky, where vermiculite from the Libby mine was stored, showed airborne asbestos fibers. The appellate panel said the evidence was adequate to conclude that Orton should have known about the contamination present in its packaging. The panel reversed the District Courts judgment and remanded the case and directed Orton to pay Johnsons costs for the appeal. SEATTLE (AP) The company whose submersible vanished in the North Atlantic on a tourist dive to the wreck of the Titanic was repeatedly warned that there might be catastrophic safety problems with the venture, documents show. With five people aboard a vessel that if still functioning would have a dwindling amount of oxygen remaining, an expanding international fleet of ships and airplanes is searching for the Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions. The undersea exploration company based in Everett, Washington, has been making yearly voyages to the Titanic since 2021. In the first piece of good news since the search began, a Canadian aircraft detected underwater noises, though the vessel has not been found, the U.S. Coast Guard reported early Wednesday. David Lochridge, OceanGates director of marine operations, wrote an engineering report in 2018 that said the craft under development needed more testing and that passengers might be endangered when it reached extreme depths, according to a lawsuit filed that year in U.S. District Court in Seattle. OceanGate sued Lochridge that year, accusing him of breaching a non-disclosure agreement, and he filed a counterclaim alleging that he was wrongfully fired for raising questions about testing and safety. The case settled on undisclosed terms several months after it was filed. Lochridges concerns primarily focused on the companys decision to rely on sensitive acoustic monitoring cracking or popping sounds made by the hull under pressure to detect flaws, rather than a scan of the hull. Lochridge said the company told him no equipment existed that could perform such a test on the 5-inch-thick (12.7-centimeter-thick) carbon-fiber hull. This was problematic because this type of acoustic analysis would only show when a component is about to fail often milliseconds before an implosion and would not detect any existing flaws prior to putting pressure onto the hull, Lochridges counterclaim said. Further, the craft was designed to reach depths of 4,000 meters (13,123 feet), where the Titanic rested. But, according to Lochridge, the passenger viewport was only certified for depths of up to 1,300 meters (4,265 feet), and OceanGate would not pay for the manufacturer to build a viewport certified for 4,000 meters. OceanGates choices would subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible, the counterclaim said. However, the company said in its complaint that Lochridge is not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan. He was fired after refusing to accept assurances from OceanGates lead engineer that the acoustic monitoring and testing protocol was, in fact, better suited to detect any flaws than a scan would be, the complaint said. Also in 2018, warnings came from the Marine Technology Society, which describes itself as a professional group of ocean engineers, technologists, policy-makers, and educators. In a letter to Stockton Rush, OceanGates chief executive, the society said it was critical that the company submit its prototype to tests overseen by an expert third party before launching in order to safeguard passengers. Rush had refused to do so. Rush was piloting the vessel that is now missing. The letter, reported by the New York Times, said society members were worried that the current experimental approach adopted by Oceangate could result in negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic) that would have serious consequences for everyone in the industry. In a 2019 interview with Smithsonian magazine, Rush complained that the industrys approach was stifling innovation. There hasnt been an injury in the commercial sub industry in over 35 years, he said. Its obscenely safe because they have all these regulations. But it also hasnt innovated or grown because they have all these regulations. Top photo: OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush emerges from the hatch atop the OceanGate submarine Cyclops 1 in the San Juan Islands, Wash., on Sept. 12, 2018. Rescuers in a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean raced against time Tuesday, June 20, 2023, to find a missing submersible before the oxygen supply runs out for five people, including Stockton, who were on a mission to document the wreckage of the Titanic. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times via AP) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Texas power grid operator asked residents Tuesday to voluntarily cut back on electricity due to anticipated record demand on the system as a heat wave kept large swaths of the state and southern U.S. in triple- digit temperatures. On the last day of spring, the sweltering heat felt more like the middle of summer across the South, where patience was growing thin over outages that have persisted since weekend storms and tornadoes caused widespread damage. In the Mississippi capital, some residents said Tuesday that they had been without power and air conditioning for almost 100 hours, which is longer than the outages caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Entergy Mississippi, the states largest electric utility, said its crews had worked 16-hour shifts since Friday, but some officials expressed doubts about its preparedness. High temperatures in the state were expected to reach 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday. The delay in restoring power has caused significant hardship for their customers and it is unacceptable, said Brent Bailey, a member on the Mississippi Public Service Commission, the states energy regulator. The request by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which serves most of that states nearly 30 million residents, was its first of the year to cut energy consumption. ERCOT said it was not experiencing emergency conditions, but it noted that the state set an unofficial June record on Monday for energy demand. In the oil patch of West Texas, temperatures in San Angelo soared to an all-time high of 114 degrees (46 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. Many Texans have been skeptical of the states grid since a deadly 2021 ice storm knocked out power to millions of customers for days. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has said improvements since then have made the grid more stable, but those improvement efforts continue to draw scrutiny. In neighboring Oklahoma, more than 100,000 customers were eagerly awaiting the restoration of power and air conditioning following weekend storms that downed trees and snapped hundreds of utility poles. Officials say at least one person in Oklahoma has died because of the prolonged outages, which could last into the weekend for some residents. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday declared a state of emergency because of the weekends storms, citing damage from the weather and numerous downed power lines. In Louisiana, more than 51,000 electricity customers were still without power Tuesday because of the storms that damaged more than 800 structures around Shreveport alone, according to Mayor Tom Arceneaux. Officials said more than a dozen major transmission lines were still awaiting repairs. Associated Press writers Michael Goldberg in Jackson, Mississippi, and Andrew DeMillo in Little Rock, Arkansas, contributed to this report. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio There currently is very little shade at the Tri-City Bark Park in Middleburg Heights, but that situation will change after a pavilion is constructed in the coming months. The dog park, which opened in July 2022, resulted from collaborative efforts and funding provided by Berea, Brook Park and Middleburg Heights. Middleburg Heights City Council at its June 13 meeting passed an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with Weaver Barns of Sugarcreek for the pavilion work. The structure will be 16 feet by 32 feet in size and have a metal roof and concrete pad. A $50,000 Community Development Supplemental Grant recently awarded by Cuyahoga County Council will cover the cost. According to Middleburg Heights Councilman Tim Ali, the pavilion will be completed by the end of September. He said Bark Park Advisory Board meetings, as well as outdoor fundraisers, can then be held there. At the June 13 council meeting, Ali thanked Economic Development Director Charles Bichara and Mayor Matt Castellis administration for their work in securing the grant and pavilion proposal. I never thought in my wildest dreams that we were going to be able to get a pavilion up within a year, Ali said. Because of this grant, there is zero cost to our cities. To get this done so quickly is very, very exciting. Plans for future amenities at the park include a dog agility course and some type of shade structures along the fences. Ali also hopes someday to have the adjacent former water treatment facility converted into an animal shelter. Read more stories from the News Sun. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You had one job, McDonalds! When the fast-food giant announced it was celebrating Grimaces birthday with a limited-edition purple shake, I was excited. Could it possibly be an Ube-flavored shake? The delicious and nutty purple sweet potato from the Philippines and my youth has become the it ingredient in foodie culture of late, popping up in everything from cheesecakes and ice cream to cookies and waffles. But after finally trying Grimaces Birthday Shake, I can report its definitely not Ube. Whats its deal then? Related: Purple shakes coming to McDonalds for limited time for Grimaces birthday Also: McDonalds Grimace shake promotion prompts viral TikTok trend of horror-like videos Also: McDonalds Grimace and purple shake storm Internet as LGBTQ icon The backstory: Grimace made his debut in 1971, appearing in an ad campaign along with other McDonaldland characters such as Ronald McDonald, Hamburglar and Captain Crook. The big, fuzzy blob originally had four arms, which he used to steal milkshakes from customers. In fact, the purple bestie loves milkshakes so much, he celebrates every birthday at McDonalds. So, in honor of the characters 52nd trip around the sun, the chain introduced the Grimace Birthday Meal on June 12. It comes with a choice of a Big Mac or 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, plus fries and that purple, not-Ube shake. What you need to know: Knowing a social media opportunity when it sees one, McDonalds has been intentionally coy about the shakes flavor. The creamy concoction is inspired by Grimaces iconic color and sweetness, the company said in a press release. And the menu items nutritional info page is of no help, indicating its made with vanilla reduced-fat ice cream and Grimace Shake Syrup. Scrolling down, theres nothing in the ingredients of Grimace Shake Syrup that provide any clues of the intended flavor either. Its just the usual sugar, water, corn syrup and the ominous natural flavor. A company spokesperson, however, recently told the Today show the sweet treat contains berry flavors. OK, but I wanted to be sure. The taste test: Fast-food shakes can often be too thick or too runny. But this one was right in that sweet spot of moderately creamy. The first flavor that popped into my mind was grape jelly, but that was probably just the purple talking. I took a second and third sip and noted how sweet the shake is. So, I mixed the whipped cream on top and the vanilla ice cream at the bottom into the purple midsection and that balanced it out nicely. I then tried to narrow in on the flavor with each subsequent sip. Birthday cake? Maybe. Cereal milk? Perhaps. But its more like if someone dropped a Wild Berry Pop Tart into a fairly standard vanilla milkshake and then hit the pulverize button on the blender. Nice, as Dom DeLuise in History of the World Part I might say. Not thrilling, but nice. If you go: Grimaces Birthday with Special Meal & Shake is available at participating McDonalds restaurants nationwide while supplies last via the app, in-restaurant or delivery. I paid $12.79 for my Big Mac Meal & Shake, while the McNuggets option costs $13.49. Prices may vary by location. More in this series: I tried McDonalds new Smoky BLT Quarter Pounder with Cheese so you dont have to I tried Arbys Wagyu Steakhouse Burger so you dont have to I tried Chipotles quesadilla so you dont have to I tried Taco Bells new french fries so you dont have to I tried Popeyes new chicken sandwich so you dont have to I tried Wendys Breakfast Baconator so you dont have to I tried McDonalds Crispy Chicken Sandwich so you dont have to CHESTERLAND, Ohio Fans of Northeast Ohios culinary scene should mark Aug. 20 on the calendar for Clevelands Top Chefs event at the International Culinary Arts & Sciences Institute, 8700 Mayfield Road, Chesterland. Like many events, this is a first after the pandemic. LANSING, Michigan House legislators on Wednesday passed a bill that would ban all child marriages in the state, eliminating an exemption that allows children under the age of 18 to get married with parental consent. According to the Detroit Free Press, there currently are only 18 states that ban all marriages involving people under the age of 18. In Ohio, then-Gov. John Kasich signed a law in 2018 that banned nearly all child marriages, but 17-year-olds are still allowed to get married if they have parental consent. The proposed Michigan bill would eliminate exemptions for 16- and 17-year-olds who receive permission from parents or guardians, the Free Press reports. It also would no longer allow probate judges to give permission to marry to people under 16 years old. Its hard to believe that this practice is still legal in Michigan in the year 2023, Democratic Rep. Kara Hope, one of the legislations main sponsors, tells the Detroit News. The changes were approved as part of a 10-bill package, the News reports. Marrying children to full grown adults is not safe, Rep. Kristian Grant, a Democrat who also was a bill sponsor, tells the News. We have failed to protect the children when it comes to child marriage, especially when it comes to young girls. The Michigan Advance reports the bill received bipartisan support, although five Republicans four men and a woman voted against the ban on child marriage. This is a harsh law based on an ideology that removes reasonable options for any exceptions for people who want to marry before 18 like my wonderful mother-in-law, Republican Rep. Matt Maddock said in a statement to the News. CLEVELAND, Ohio Before authorities discovered 146 dead dogs at a Mantua home owned by an animal rescue shelter founder, Parma police found a dozen more dead dogs at her home in that city, police on Thursday said. Parma police went to a home on West Ridgewood Drive June 2 after an Amazon delivery driver reported packages had piled up for over a week, police said. The driver also saw flies buzzing inside the house, according to a police report. COLUMBUS, Ohio Public health experts and anti-cancer lobbyists are warning that the Ohio Senates budget proposal will needlessly weaken Ohios anti-tobacco laws. They say a toothless version of a prohibition on flavored e-cigarette sales, coupled with a preemption rule that would block Ohios progressive cities from passing local tobacco laws stricter than those set by conservative state lawmakers, would together reverse years of progress cutting down on tobacco use. Our best assumption here is hes [Gov. Mike DeWine] not seeing how far this would set us back, said Dr. David Margolius, Clevelands Director of Public Health. State Republican political leadership disagreed. They argued their legislation will prevent children from getting hooked on nicotine products. Gov. Mike DeWine, who anti-tobacco organizations have long seen as an ally, characterized the package as a compromise. Those opposed to this compromise victory against youth nicotine consumption have, quite frankly, lost the forest for the trees, sad Dan Tierney, a DeWine spokesman. House and Senate lawmakers are currently negotiating differences between their various budget proposals. Once they produce a final draft, it goes to DeWine, who can sign it outright or veto individual provisions. At issue are two core policy ideas: the first is a ban on the sale of flavored e-cigarette tobacco in Ohio, with major exceptions; the second is the preemption law. Anti-smoking advocates have pressured states and local governments around the country to adopt bans on flavored tobacco in both traditional and e-cigarette forms, citing links between a rise in teen tobacco use and flavored vape products. But the e-cigarette flavor ban in the Ohio budget is meaningless, Margolius said, given it exempts menthol cigarettes, menthol vapes, and other tobacco products. He said besides blocking three Ohio cities already-passed flavored tobacco bans, the preemption proposal threatens a tobacco retail licensure system used throughout Cuyahoga County to ensure retailers comply with 21-and-up laws to buy tobacco. The budget would prohibit the sale of any flavored electronic liquid with a characterizing flavor. But it exempts menthol cigarettes and menthol e-cigarettes from the ban, and also exempts products that have received Premarket Tobacco Product Marketing clearances from federal regulators. This is far weaker than DeWines budget proposal to lawmakers, which sought to ban all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, menthol-flavored e-cigarettes, and other forms of tobacco. Its also arguably weaker than current flavored tobacco bans in Columbus, Toledo, and Bexley all of which could be overturned under a state preemption law. The so-called ban is but a paper tiger that allows tobacco sellers to continue to target novice smokers with menthol additives, which can ease the harshness of the smoke, according to Dustin Holfinger, a lobbyist with the American Heart Association. This is a much more watered-down approach that gives us a lot of concern, said Leo Almeada, a lobbyist with the American Cancer Society. By prohibiting vapes with a characterizing flavor, the current proposed ban doesnt capture what regulators refer to as concept flavors, according to Erika Trapl, an epidemiologist with Case Western Reserve University. For instance, the new law would block the sale of tobacco with characterizing flavors of a real, known taste like mango or cherry. But it wouldnt block concept flavors like jazz or tropical, which conjure something more abstract. The history of the industry is finding loopholes to legislative actions, she said. Senate Finance Chairman Matt Dolan, a Chagrin Falls Republican, said the goal of the amendment is to ban the sales of e-cigarette flavors like bubble gum or cherry, which act as a shiny object in the eyes of children. When asked about the menthol exception, he said the budget focuses more on what kids would find attractive. He dismissed the idea it would take the state backward. In 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by rule prohibited the sale of flavored e-cigarettes but left a loophole that allowed the sale of single-charge (as opposed to rechargable) devices, as The New York Times reported. Tierney said the budget will close this loophole across the state. He said he understands the concern about the menthol exemption. With the enactment of the budget provision, provisions will exist in every jurisdiction in Ohio which will enhance the public health policies regarding flavored vaping products versus what currently exists, he said. Given the documented relationship between the increase in nicotine addiction in young people and the availability of flavored vaping products, the assertion that a flavored vaping ban does nothing is false and outrageous. However, the new proposal fails to close this loophole, according to Micah Berman, a public health professor with a background in tobacco policy at Ohio State Universitys law school. He said the new law could be interpreted to allow such disposable e-cigarettes to skirt the flavor ban. Tierney said enactment of the idea would bring Ohio to terms with five states to ban flavored tobacco. But those states went demonstrably further than the Ohio proposal. In 2020, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to ban retail sales of all flavored tobacco and vaping products including menthol. California soon followed suit. New Jersey and Rhode Island then banned the sale of all flavored e-cigarettes including menthol (but not traditional cigarettes). New York banned all e-cigarette flavors besides tobacco. Washington D.C. banned the sale of flavored tobacco, and the sale of e-cigarettes within a quarter mile of schools. As a U.S. Senator, DeWine worked to increase regulatory scrutiny of the tobacco industry. After Columbus passed its flavored tobacco ban late last year, Republican lawmakers swiftly responded by passing a preemption law to reverse the citys effort. DeWine vetoed the bill, warning how child-friendly flavors provide an ease of entry into tobacco use. Besides requesting a tougher flavored tobacco ban, DeWine in his original budget sought $20 million per year to a state anti-tobacco program compared to the $7.5 million in the Senates budget. Federal law has banned the sale of flavored cigarettes, except for menthol, since 2009, which was attributed at the time to their appeal to youths. Adult cigarette use has gradually trended downward in Ohio since 2012, state survey data shows. In 2020, about 25% of Ohio adults used tobacco with about 6% of them using vapes instead. Of smokers, about one in three smokes more than a pack a day. But some evidence suggests youth tobacco consumption is on the rise, and flavored tobacco has proven especially alluring to teens. In Ohio, 2019 data shows tobacco use among middle and high school students increased significantly from about 16% in 2016 to 30% in 2019. The use of vapes and flavored tobacco are dramatically more prevalent than cigarettes. A large scale CDC survey from 2021 found that of the 13% of high school and 4% of middle school students who used tobacco in the prior 30 days, about 80% reported using flavored tobacco, usually within an e-cigarette. Jake Zuckerman covers state politics and policy for Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. CNBC's Jim Cramer warned investors on Wednesday that while bulls and bears make money, hogs get slaughtered. Cramer said it's time to trim some hot stocks and keep money waiting in the wings while the Federal Reserve weighs its next move. "It's OK to take something off the table after a big run," he said. "You don't sell everything unless there's something fundamentally wrong with the company or the entire economy right now, and neither's the case." For the CNBC Charitable Trust, Cramer trimmed stock from Facebook parent Meta , AMD and Costco because he'd seen such high gains, especially in the latter two. To Cramer, these prices were getting "piggish," and he felt it was time to "ring the register." "I think we're currently in no man's land though not high enough to justify making more sales, but certainly not low enough to justify buying anything, because I want to wait for a better opportunity," Cramer said, adding that he needs a solid catalyst to buy new stock. Cramer also said he thinks the decline in the CBOE Volatility Index also known as the market's fear gauge shows that many investors are getting complacent, and it doesn't help, he continued, that the Fed keeps giving out mixed messages. According to Cramer, instead of swinging at every pitch, it's time for investors to keep their bats on their shoulders. "I just told you what we're doing for the trust: waiting," Cramer said. "It's often the hardest thing to do, but many times the hardest thing to do is also the best way to try to make a lot of money." Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) gaggles with reporters as he walks down the steps of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 in Washington, DC. The House on Wednesday took the rare step of censuring one of its own members, Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, over his criticisms of then-President Donald Trump and his role in leading the first impeachment inquiry into the former president. The 213-209 party-line vote came exactly one week after a similar effort to censure Schiff was rejected after 20 Republicans joined Democrats to block the resolution over objections to a provision that called for fining the California Democrat $16 million. But the author of the resolution, freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said this week she had secured support from the 20 GOP dissenters after she removed language about a fine. Schiff will now be ordered to stand on the House floor to receive a verbal rebuke. The resolution also requires the House Ethics Committee to launch an investigation into Schiff. "The perpetrator of this web of deceit became mainstays on cable news, waking up every morning with one goal: to lie, lie, lie to the American people that there was direct evidence of Russia collusion," Luna said in a floor speech before the vote. Then-special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation did not establish any coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, though it did document contacts between Russians and campaign officials and found that the campaign was willing to accept help. Democrats chanted "Shame!" and "Disgrace!" on the House floor after the vote. Schiff, who is running for an open Senate seat in California, served as the chairman and ranking member of the Intelligence Committee during the Trump administration and became the face of Democratic accusations that members of Trump's 2016 campaign colluded with Russia to defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. In January, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., a top Trump ally, single-handedly removed Schiff and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., from the Intelligence panel. "I think once Donald Trump threatened that any Republicans who didn't go along with his effort to censure me were going to get primaried, they fell in line They just cannot stand up to this most unethical, now-indicted president," a defiant Schiff told reporters on the steps of the Capitol before Wednesday's vote. "As [Franklin D.] Roosevelt said, sometimes you can judge a person by the enemies they make," he added. "Judging from the kind of crazy people that were on the floor today in support of this resolution, I'm doing really well measured by that standard." Censure represents the House's formal disapproval of a lawmaker's misconduct. But even amid today's political polarization, censure doesn't happen very often. Schiff is the 25th lawmaker in U.S. history to be censured by the House. Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., a Trump ally and member of the conservative Freedom Caucus, was censured on Nov. 17, 2021, for posting an animation on Twitter depicting him killing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and attacking President Joe Biden. Before that, the last censure occurred more than a decade earlier. On Dec. 2, 2010, the House censured then-Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., for a variety of ethics violations including misusing congressional letterhead for fundraising and filing inaccurate financial reports and federal tax returns. Democrats, particularly those who worked closely with Schiff on the Intelligence panel, defended the former committee chairman, both in floor speeches and interviews. "Adam Schiff did his job. He spoke the truth, and he held Donald Trump accountable," Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said in an interview. "And demagogues like Donald Trump don't like that. They don't like people calling them out." This is the script of CNBC's news report on Soybean Futures for China's CCTV on March 10, 2023. Recently, there have been fluctuations in the price of soybean futures in the global commodity market. From the supply side, this is related to the production of several major soybean exporting countries. This chart shows the price trend of the May '23 futures contract for soybean on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. It can be seen that starting from mid to late February, the price has fallen from its peak and has been fluctuating around $15 per bushel since March. According to Statista, it is estimated that the top four major soybean exporting countries in the international market for the period from 2022 to 2023 will be Brazil, the United States, Paraguay, and Argentina. In Brazil, the drought last year affected soybean harvests, leading to a decrease in production and exports. In the first two months of this year, heavy rains also kept Brazil's soybean exports at a low level. Filip Gouveia, an analyst from the Baltic International Maritime Council (BIMCO) pointed out that Brazil's soybean harvest this year is expected to reach a new high, leading to significant increases in both production and exports, potentially becoming the main driving force behind global grain exports this year. According to the forecast data released by CONAB, the National Supply Company under the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, for the period from 2022 to 2023, Brazil's soybean production is expected to reach approximately 150 million tons, an increase of over 20% compared to the previous year. Gouveia also stated that Brazil's soybean exports are expected to grow by 19% in 2023, accounting for 55% of the world's total exports. It is known that the soybean planting area in Brazil has been expanding for 16 consecutive years, with a significant increase in production capacity. Therefore, some analysts suggest that there is a high possibility of soybean oversupply this year, and the situation of oversupply may continue until the middle of this year. Another factor causing fluctuations in soybean futures prices is the recent downward revision of Argentina's soybean production expectations by the US Department of Agriculture. Argentina is one of the major producers of soybeans globally and is also the largest exporter of soybean meal and soybean oil. The USDA's report indicates that dry and hot weather may affect crop growth in key areas of Argentina. As a result, this year's soybean production expectation for Argentina has been revised down to 33 million tons, a 20% decrease compared to the expectation in February, and the lowest since 2009. Additionally, the Rosario Grain Exchange in Argentina has made an even more pessimistic forecast, lowering the production estimate to 27 million tons. Crops from South America are crucial for the world's feed reserves, so traders are closely monitoring the weather in the region. However, with the recovery of production in Paraguay and the news of Brazil's potential record-high production mentioned earlier, there may still be some fluctuations in soybean futures. We will keep a close eye on this matter. This is the script of CNBC's news report on World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought for China's CCTV on June 13, 2023. Desertification and drought are global issues. Currently, one-third of the Earth's land surface is affected by desertification, and it is predicted that by 2050, drought may impact over three-quarters of the global population according to the United Nations. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) describes that desertification is not simply the natural expansion of deserts but refers to land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas due to factors such as abnormal climate conditions and human activities. An ecologist called Dukes from Stanford University states that prolonged droughts can reduce land productivity and even render it barren. Africa and Asia are particularly affected by desertification, especially concerning agriculture and food supply. A recent study from the Bocconi University revealed that between 1995 and 2005, drought led to global losses of approximately 1.7 million tons of corn, 81,000 tons of rice, 786,000 tons of soybeans, and 430,000 tons of wheat, with the majority of these losses concentrated in Africa and Asia. The study also indicates that from 1990 to 2015, desertification caused a reduction in income by approximately 12% across Africa. It is estimated that by 2079, the losses caused by desertification will be equivalent to 16% of Africa's GDP. Apart from food security issues, desertification leads to frequent occurrences of dust storms, which in turn affect human health. In regions such as the Sahara, the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia, dust storms have caused approximately 15% to 50% of cardiovascular and respiratory-related diseases and deaths. According to a study by the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, by 2050, around 4 billion people may live in drought-prone conditions, with over 2 billion in Asia and at least 1 billion in Africa. How can we address the issue of drought? Cloud seeding or artificial rain-making techniques have been attempted since the 1940s, and recently, this technology has regained attention. The process of cloud seeding involves artificially introducing catalysts such as silver iodide into clouds, lowering their temperature and causing cloud droplets to become large enough to fall. Lately, in regions of the western United States and Mexico, extreme drought and climate warming have increased the demand for rainfall and snowfall. Cloud seeding programs are being conducted in several areas, including Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico, and California. Advocates of cloud seeding in the United States claim that this technology can increase precipitation in specific regions by up to 15% compared to clouds without seeding. However, it should be noted that artificial rain-making remains a subject of debate within the meteorological community, and it does not provide a fundamental solution to global drought. The United Nations calls for increased cooperation among governments and environmental organizations to combat land degradation through actions such as ecological restoration and afforestation. This is the script of CNBC's news report for China's CCTV on June 19, 2023. After a four-year hiatus, the Paris Air Show is finally back. At the trade event, aircraft manufacturers have the opportunity to showcase new technologies and make deals. Currently, there is a surge in global air travel demand, and industry executives expect that this event will see a spate of multibillion-dollar aircraft deals. A report released by the International Air Transport Association in June showed that the industry's passenger traffic in April increased by 46% compared to the same period last year, reaching 91% of pre-pandemic levels. In light of the increasing demand, we have already witnessed substantial orders being placed by several airlines this year. Earlier this year, Air India placed substantial orders for Boeing and Airbus jets. Additionally, both Boeing and Airbus received numerous confirmed and option orders from companies such as Saudia Airlines, Riyadh Air, and Qatar Airways. IBA, an aviation analytics company, provided an estimate stating that approximately 2,100 aircraft orders could potentially be generated during the event, as airlines make preparations for the anticipated growth in air travel. The rebound in travel demand has outpaced expectations, which is good news for an aviation industry severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a major challenge for aircraft manufacturers this year is whether they can increase production. The Director General of the International Air Transport Association stated in an interview with CNBC that the supply chain continues to face challenges, and there will be a notable shortage of engine parts, potentially leading to delays in the delivery of new aircraft from manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus. IATA Director General Willie Walsh "It's delaying the delivery of new aircraft from the manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus. So that is impacting on the pace at which supply is being returned to the industry. It is frustrating because it is going to have an impact in summer 2023." The CEO of Qantas Airways told CNBC that he expects supply chain issues to continue until 2025. Some airlines are also seeking alternative solutions as a result of production delays, leading to an increase in aircraft leasing costs. This graph shows that aircraft leasing costs have been continuously rising since 2022. IBA estimates that the monthly lease rate for new Boeing 737 Max 8 in July this year is around $350,000, higher than the $305,000 during the initial phase of the pandemic in January 2020. Additionally, leasing costs for new Airbus A320s may rise to $355,000. Due to the surging demand, the stock prices of Boeing and Airbus have increased by approximately 60% and 35%, respectively, over the past 12 months. It is expected that this show will also impact the trends of these two stocks. Since the 53rd Paris Air Show ended four years ago, one major trend in the global aviation industry over the past four years has been the search for alternative energy and power solutions to achieve sustainable development. One highlight of this year's event is decarbonization. The Paris Air Lab at this event will showcase innovative decarbonization technologies in the aviation industry. Airbus is expected to present its hybrid-electric aircraft project, EcoPulse, while Boeing will introduce the carbon emission detection and modeling tool, Cascade. GE Aerospace conducted a survey of 325 global aviation industry executives ahead of the Paris Air Show. Among the respondents, 30% believed that sustainable development is the biggest challenge facing the aviation industry today. Additionally, nearly one-third of airline executives predicted that the aviation industry may not achieve its emission reduction goals by 2050. We will closely monitor the green transformation taking place in the aviation industry. This is the script of CNBC's news report for China's CCTV on June 21, 2023. Recently, CNBC and online survey company SurveyMonkey conducted a survey among nearly 9,000 American employees. The results show that the majority of employees are not concerned about artificial intelligence replacing their jobs. However, the level of worry about AI varies significantly among different industries. About half of workers in advertising and marketing, business support and logistics say they're worried AI will soon take their jobs, while fewer than 20% of those working in construction, and government jobs are worried. Furthermore, while most people do not feel worried, many do acknowledge that their jobs will undergo changes due to AI. 43% of workers say it's likely their job will significantly change in the next five years due to disruption from AI, while 55% say their job is not likely to change. Additionally, a recent report released by employment consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas revealed that in the United States, AI led to approximately 4,000 job losses in May of this year. CNBC's survey also indicates that 56% of employees would feel uncomfortable and uncertain if the HR department used AI for recruitment and performance evaluations. Mark Zandi, Chief Economist at Moody's Analytics, admitted in an interview with CNBC that major technological transformations like AI can stir the pot, creating winners and losers, with opportunities and challenges coexisting. On a positive note, he stated that employees can leverage AI to improve work efficiency and obtain higher wages. CNBC's survey also confirms that employees who use AI in their work have a higher job satisfaction index, scoring 78, which is 7 points higher than those who do not use AI at all.Specifically, among those who believe AI is necessary for their work, 74% consider their work highly meaningful, and 38% believe they are well paid. Both of these proportions are higher than those among employees who use AI relatively less frequently. From a business standpoint, numerous entrepreneurs are actively seeking to capitalize on the AI revolution. They are deliberating on the specific skill sets required within the realm of emerging technologies. These contemplations are still at an early stage but progressing rapidly. Slack's CEO Lidiane Jones "Every CEO that have had the opportunity to speak to over the last few months, are trying to learn how to use the technology responsibly, but also how they are redefining the way the employees that are going to need to hire the skill set that they're going to have. But I think it's early, I think a lot of companies are still going to determine what jobs what functions are going to evolve, how to equip their own employees with the learning, but it's moving quickly, which is exciting as well." Economist Mark Zandi believes that concerns about artificial intelligence may be premature at present.While advances in AI have the potential to change a lot of business practices, the technology is still in the early stages. Drawing from historical precedents, integrating new technologies into business practices typically requires a significant amount of time, potentially spanning several years or even decades. CNBC's survey also reveals that 64%, meaning the majority of American employees, currently do not use artificial intelligence in their work. 26% of respondents view AI as helpful but not necessary, while only 8% of employees consider it essential. This is the script of CNBC's news report on Southeast Asia Heat wave for China's CCTV on April 28, 2023. Although it is only April, in recent times, several regions in Southeast Asia such as Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia have experienced temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, and some places have even broken their historical records. Climate scientist Herrera has created a social media account to track extreme weather events worldwide, and he described the recent heatwave as the "most severe April heatwave in Asian history." Power outages and water shortages are the two most common impacts from extreme Heat waves. The surge in electricity demand from people using air conditioners and fans to cool down has put pressure on the power grids in S.E.A countries. Bangladesh, for example, had to temporarily cut off power supply to millions of people. Moreover, this period coincided with the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims, and some people in Bangladesh told the media about their difficulty of sleeping at night without electricity, especially after fasting the entire day. Furthermore, analysis suggests that many regions in Southeast Asia heavily rely on agriculture for their economy and have a significant number of self-sufficient farms. Insufficient rainfall can lead to crop failure, affecting local food security. Last year, the Mekong River Commission, comprising Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam along the Mekong River, declared an end to a four-year drought. However, there are indications that the drought may return this year. The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology in Cambodia stated that the hot weather would persist until mid-May, longer than previously expected, and the rainfall is projected to be around 20% to 30% below the average levels of previous years. This indicates a high possibility of drought recurrence. This prediction also applies to other countries along the Mekong River. If the drought unfolds as predicted, it will have a severe impact on the 70 million people who depend on the Mekong River for their livelihoods. The World Economic Forum recently released a white paper titled "Accelerating Asia's Advantages: A Business Climate Action Guide." It highlights that climate change has posed significant threats to Asia, particularly Southeast Asian countries. Experts predict that if global temperatures rise by 3.2 degrees Celsius by 2050, Singapore and Malaysia's GDP will shrink by nearly half, reaching 46%. Thailand and Indonesia would experience reductions of 43% and 39%, respectively. Sri Mulyani Indrawati The Minister of finance of Indonesia "On this climate disaster, I think no country can hide and can protect themselves, cut to and poor country definitely is going to be even poorer, more vulnerable." Some analysts suggest that the recent abnormal high temperatures in Southeast Asia may indicate the return of the El Nino phenomenon this year. El Nino refers to the abnormal warming of the sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. In contrast to the La Nina phenomenon, which typically causes cooling of sea surface temperatures, El Nino leads to warming. They usually occur in a cyclic pattern. In the past three years, Southeast Asia experienced unusual wet weather due to the consecutive occurrence of La Nina. However, this did not offset the impact of climate change, and the region still experienced high temperatures last year. The previous El Nino event in 2016 resulted in a heatwave that made it the hottest year globally on record. Dr. Otto from Imperial College London believes that with ongoing human combustion of fossil fuels and intensifying global warming, if El Nino occurs this year, 2023 could be even hotter than 2016. Prominent tech investor Chamath Palihapitiya expressed his admiration towards Warren Buffett, calling the "Oracle of Omaha" the greatest of all time after analyzing his latest bet on Japan. The 92-year-old Buffett recently hiked his stakes in five Japanese trading houses Itochu , Marubeni , Mitsubishi , Mitsui and Sumitomo to more than 8.5%. These companies, which are roughly akin to a conglomerate structure just like Berkshire, make good investments because they are stable dividend payers and earning growers, Palihapitiya said. "He found a group of companies that had very low volatility, grew earnings predictably, had a good dividend yield and, in most cases, were buying back their stock," Palihapitiya said in a Twitter post. But Social Capital's Palihapitiya said what makes the trade so brilliant is how Buffett is able to hedge currency risk by selling Japanese debt and then pocket the difference between dividends from the investments and bond coupon payments he pays out. "He issues Japanese debt at very low rates, uses the proceeds to buy the stocks and then uses the dividends he then gets from owning these stocks to pay the coupon!" Palihapitiya said. "What's left over is a near-risk less bet where he's borrowed trillions of Japanese Yen for free to buy billions of dollars of companies growing earnings in the mid teens." Berkshire has become one of the largest overseas issuers of yen debt, after selling billions of dollars worth of Japanese bonds to fund his purchase of the stocks. Buffett first acquired these stocks on his 90th birthday in August 2020 through regular purchases on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, saying he was "confounded" by the opportunity and was attracted to their dividend growth. The 92-year-old Buffett paid a visit to Japan and met with the heads at these Japanese firms earlier this year. Berkshire said it intends the Japanese investments as long-term positions, but Buffett pledged he will only purchase a maximum of 9.9% in any of the five firms unless given specific approval by each company's board of directors. Palihapitiya said Buffett becomes insensitive to currency volatility over a 10 to 20 year holding period, while locking in earnings growth along with the spread he gets to keep between dividends and coupons. Similar to Berkshire, the Japanese trading firms, also known as sogo shosha, are conglomerates involved in a wide range of products and services, including energy, machinery, chemicals, food, finance and banking. Palihapitiya said the only way this trade could fail is if the Japanese economy craters, but he said even then it's very unlikely to be a loser for Buffett because these conglomerates' businesses are very much tied to the rest of the world. "It's inspiring to see folks act this intelligently at scale," Palihapitiya said. Diamond rings and bracelets on display in a show window in Antwerp, Belgium. (Photo by Yuriko Nakao/Getty Images) Yuriko Nakao | Getty Images News | Getty Images "Diamonds are a girl's best friend," as the old song goes. But they're not an investor's favorite currently, with the precious gems losing some significant value over the last few months. related investing news What China's resilient big spenders are buying and the stocks that benefit Diamond prices are down 18% from their all-time highs in February 2022, and are lower 6.5% year-to-date, according to one Global Rough Diamond Price Index. And their value is about to dive further, market watchers predict. "A slightly better-than-average-quality 1-carat natural diamond was $6,700 a year ago, today this same diamond is selling for $5,300," Paul Zimnisky, the CEO of Paul Zimnisky Diamond Analytics, told CNBC. Diamonds, alongside other jewelry, saw elevated prices during the Covid-19 pandemic which culminated in a peak early last year. "Consumers were ready to spend," management consulting firm Bain & Company said in a report dated February last year. "They were flush with cash from buoyant capital markets and economic stimulus programs, and eager to spend it on meaningful gifts for their loved ones," they said. A diamond necklace in a Harrods department store in London. Leon Neal | Afp | Getty Images When people could not travel or eat out, all of that excess money went into luxury goods and jewelry, said CEO of online jeweler Angara, Ankur Daga. And when the economy started opening up again, diamond prices started moderating, and slid into a "steep decline," he added. Continued competition from man-made diamonds, a slower Chinese economic recovery and an uncertain macroeconomic backdrop are also drivers of a lackluster market, according to industry experts. A 'perfect substitute?' An increasing amount of consumers are turning to lab-grown diamonds, said Edahn Golan, the CEO of Edahn Golan Diamond Research & Data, with prices sinking 59% in the last three years. "The share of lab grown diamond sales versus natural diamonds is rising. In 2020, they were just 2.4%. In 2023 to date they are already up to 9.3%," he said. Lab-grown diamonds are made in a controlled environment using extreme pressure and heat that recreates how natural diamonds are forged hundreds of kilometers in the Earth's mantle. They are chemically, physically and optically identical to natural diamonds, and are deemed to be a "perfect substitute," Daga said. But more importantly for most they are a lot cheaper. And more people are turning to them for their choice of engagement rings. "Lab is indistinguishable over mined diamond, and if I can get a bigger diamond for the same price, why not?" said 29-year-old Singaporean Jonathan Lok, who proposed to his fiancee with a 0.76 carat lab-grown diamond ring late last year. He added that his fiancee had specified for a smaller diamond, and did not want him to spend an exorbitant amount on the ring. Colorless lab-grown diamonds at the Diam Concept laboratory in Paris, France, on March 16, 2023. Lab grown diamonds are made in a controlled environment using extreme pressure and heat that recreates how natural diamonds are forged hundreds of kilometers in the earth's mantle. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Prices of lab-grown diamonds have been "nosediving," said Edahn. "Three years ago, you would be able to buy a lab grown equivalent 20% to 30% off of the natural price. Now it's anywhere between 75% and 90% off natural prices," Daga said, attributing the cheaper prices to machines becoming more efficient in producing more man-made diamonds. The lab-grown diamond industry, which is energy-intensive, have also been seeing soaring energy costs taper off from its peak. In the bear case scenario, he expects natural diamond prices to record a drop of between 20% to 25% from current prices in the next 12 months, which would mark a 40% drop off the February peak. And Daga is not alone. "There is room for continued price declines, and that is a very likely scenario, especially since retailer margins for lab grown diamonds are especially high, around 60% compared with 34% for natural diamonds," said Golan. However, even so, the plunge could eventually hit a "natural floor" due to labor costs. "Labor costs have been going up still, and labor is still a very critical part of producing the diamond. So there is a natural floor somewhere," Daga said, adding that a flatline will follow after a 25% drop. Haul trucks driving down Jwaneng Diamond Mine in Jwaneng, Botswana, on May 11, 2023. Monirul Bhuiyan | Afp | Getty Images The middle-market stage of diamond production involves the cutting and polishing of the diamond before fashioning it into jewelry, which is the "most complex" and extensive portion of the value chain, according to Bain & Company. Sanctions on Russian diamonds Moving to a remote island in Ireland could secure you a cash grant but there are conditions. If you've ever dreamed of leaving everything behind and living on a remote island, now might be your chance. Ireland will give you a grant of up to 84,000 euros ($92,297) if you settle one of the country's coastal islands. But there are conditions attached to the deal, as well as a few factors that may deter people from making the move. The islands in question are cut off from the mainland by the tide on a daily basis, and aren't connected to it by bridges or causeways, according to the Irish government. Around 300,000 visitors come to these islands each year, the government noted in its policy outline but barely anyone lives there. Some islands have as few as two year-round inhabitants, while the largest has over 700. In total, around 3,000 people live across around 30 islands. Declining population levels especially the lack of young people is a key concern, according to plan's details published earlier this month. Between 1996 and 2016, the population of the islands covered by the policy was found to have fallen by 12.8%. But the policy's aims go beyond boosting population levels. "'Our Living Islands' contains 80 actions which are designed to support and empower our island communities and the people living there," said Heather Humphreys, Ireland's minister for rural and community development. "It's all about improving housing, better access to essential services in health and education, delivering high speed broadband, and further developing our outdoor amenities, which will in turn increase tourism and support sustainable island communities." Improving infrastructure and increasing job opportunities, including the option for remote work, are also part of the 10-year plan, she added. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference on the use of the "queen-of-the-hill" rule for DACA legislation in the House on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. Will Hurd, a retired CIA officer and former Texas congressman, announced Thursday that is joining the race for the Republican presidential nomination, launching a long-shot bid as a moderate alternative to GOP hard-liners. Hurd, who made the announcement on "CBS Mornings," has billed himself as a "common-sense Republican" capable of winning over swing voters who have strayed from the party in recent elections. But he faces long odds in a growing primary field still dominated by former President Donald Trump, analysts say. Recent polls show Trump with a commanding lead over other presidential hopefuls. J. Miles Coleman of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics said Hurd's bipartisan record is likely to hurt him in the Republican primary. "He'd be a very formidable general election candidate," Coleman said, "which is part of the reason why I suspect he's going to have a hard time getting the nomination." Hurd was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2014, when he unseated the incumbent Democrat to become the representative of a large swath of the southwestern Texas border. He quickly established himself as a moderate in the party, though he aligned himself with the more conservative wing in his criticisms of the FBI's handling of an investigation into classified information Hillary Clinton had sent over a private email server when she was the secretary of state. After narrowly winning re-election in 2018, Hurd announced he would retire from Congress ahead of the 2020 election. He was the lone Black Republican in the House when he retired. In recent weeks, his campaign has taken shape. He recently visited New Hampshire to meet with voters and has lodged attacks against the Republican front-runners. In a mid-May appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," he blamed Trump for Republican losses in the 2022 midterm elections and charged the former president with "looking backwards" instead of "to the future." Hurd called a 2024 battle between Trump and President Joe Biden the "rematch from hell," claiming that a majority of Americans would prefer other candidates. "Whether you're in ruby-red towns or deep-blue cities, people care about putting food on the table, a roof over their head, and making sure the people they love are healthy, happy and safe," he said. Hurd has cast himself as a moderate Republican who can appeal to voters across the political spectrum. He recently authored an article calling himself a "firearm-owning Republican" and advocating for new gun laws. He has emphasized aiding Ukraine in defending itself against Russian forces and addressing the rise of artificial intelligence and its national security implications. He is on the board of directors of OpenAI, the startup that created ChatGPT. The former representative of a border district, Hurd has also made immigration a focal point of his nascent campaign. In a recent appearance on CNN, he called for a long-term plan to streamline legal immigration, increase deportations of people who come to the country illegally, and provide economic aid to Latin America to discourage people from leaving their countries. "The crisis that we're dealing with now began under Donald Trump," he said. "It's gotten significantly worse under the Biden administration." Matt Terrill, managing partner at Firehouse Strategies a public affairs firm founded by Republican strategists said that even long-shot candidates have a chance if they can gain momentum in states such as Iowa, New Hampshire or South Carolina, which have early caucuses or primaries. "It's the voters in these early primary states, the delegates, they're going to be the ones who eventually decide this nomination," he said. Candidates might be able to win over these voters by demonstrating how they can attract swing voters in a general election. "Republican voters want to win," Terrill said. U.S. Rep. George Santos leaves the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Central Islip, New York, May 10, 2023. The secret identities of Republican Rep. George Santos' bail backers in his federal criminal case were revealed to be members of his family, court filings showed Thursday. Gercino dos Santos, the congressman's father, and Elma Preven, his aunt, had guaranteed the $500,000 bond that allowed the scandal-plagued House freshman to walk free after his arraignment on 13 criminal counts last month. The congressman had sought to keep his family members' identities hidden from public view. But the federal judge overseeing his case ordered that their names be made public Thursday at noon ET. "I'm concerned," Santos said at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday afternoon when asked about his family's safety, NBC News reported. Asked whether family members had enough money to back the bond, Santos replied, "Don't you think that's a little invasive?" "That's exactly the reason that I chose to keep their identities secure," Santos said, according to NBC. He described his father and aunt as honest working people. In a later tweet, Santos said he and his family "have made peace" with the court's decision. "Now I pray that the judge is correct and no harm comes to them," Santos tweeted. Santos' lawyer and a spokesperson for his office did not respond to CNBC's requests for comment. Santos has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, which include money laundering, wire fraud, theft of public funds and making false statements. He has vowed not to resign. The criminal charges followed a snowballing series of scandals surrounding Santos, who admitted before taking office that he had lied about key details of his life while on the campaign trail. Santos was already embroiled in an investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which announced Thursday that it has issued "over 30 subpoenas and more than 40 voluntary requests for information" in the probe. In a newly unsealed court order from June 6, a magistrate judge said that the two guarantors, referred to as suretors, had appeared in person to sign Santos' bond five days after his arraignment. "Although neither Suretor secured the Bond with cash or property, each agreed to be personally responsible for Defendant's compliance," Magistrate Judge Anne Shields wrote in that order. A third suretor was referenced at an earlier bail hearing, but that person never showed up and the court is "unaware of their identity," Shields wrote. The two family members who signed the bond are employed and live in the same district as the Long Island-area federal court handling Santos' case, Shields noted. "These family members were deemed able to provide the necessary moral suasion to ensure Defendant's compliance with the terms of the Bond," she wrote. Santos "sought to have this information sealed to protect his family from publicity and possible harassment." But she ordered that the guarantors' names be unsealed, siding with multiple news agencies who had pushed for the information. Days after his arraignment, The New York Times argued that the law supported the public's right to know the suretors. The "interest in openness is particularly strong in this case" because the situation presented "an obvious opportunity for political influence," the newspaper wrote. It added: "That risk is further heightened by the fact that the very crimes Rep. Santos has been charged with involve abusing the political process for personal gain." A consortium of news outlets, including NBC News, followed suit, arguing, "Rep. Santos cannot overcome the presumption of openness" afforded by the First Amendment and federal common law. Santos' attorney, Joseph Murray, urged the court to deny those requests, pointing to the "media frenzy" that was swirling around the case. That intense press coverage has made the suretors "very fearful and concerned," even prompting one of the three to back out by the morning of Santos' May 10 arraignment, Murray wrote. The lawyer argued the guarantors will likely "suffer great distress" and face retaliation if their names are made public. "My client would rather surrender to pretrial detainment than subject these suretors to what will inevitably come," he added. Shields sided with the news outlets but gave Santos time to appeal. His lawyer then asked U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert if it would be possible to find a compromise, such as disclosing that the suretors were Santos' family members without identifying them specifically. But the judge ordered Tuesday evening that "all previously sealed documents, including the Bond, are to be unsealed to the extent that the names of Defendant's Suretors are to be disclosed." The judge noted that Santos can move to modify the conditions of his bail if his remaining guarantors decide to back out. In her memorandum on the decision, which was also unsealed Thursday, Seybert said it was "disingenuous" for Santos to argue that the environment surrounding the case would keep the suretors from fulfilling their role. Seybert noted that Santos' father and aunt did not appear in court until five days after the arraignment and were therefore aware of the media reaction to the case. "At that time, Defendant did nothing to diffuse the 'media frenzy' when leaving the courthouse, instead choosing to address the numerous reporters awaiting his departure," the judge wrote. She also brushed aside Murray's assertion that the suretors will likely be harassed if publicly outed, calling that claim "speculation and conjecture." "Indeed, it appears Defendant's continued attempts to shield the identity of his Suretors ... has simply created hysteria over what is, in actuality, a nonissue," Seybert added. Santos, 34, is accused of defrauding his campaign supporters, lying to obtain unemployment money during the coronavirus pandemic and making false statements on his congressional disclosure forms. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the top charges against him, according to the Justice Department. Santos, who took office under a cloud of scandal in January, is the Republican Party's first openly gay representative elected to Congress. He is still seeking reelection in 2024. Disclosure: NBC News and CNBC are part of NBCUniversal. In this article QAN-AU Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT From popping melatonin to making fists with your toes, passengers have long employed strategies to combat the negative effects of air travel. But airlines can play a role too, according to new research from Qantas and the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre. The research is part of Qantas' Project Sunrise program, which plans to link Sydney to New York City and London via non-stop flights in 2025. Qantas says that while it has the capability to fly the 20-hour flights, it's studying ways from lighting schedules to eating spicy foods to make the journey less arduous for passengers and crew. The research According to preliminary results released in mid-June, researchers used volunteer passengers on three test flights to analyze ways to reduce jet lag, including: Adjusting cabin lighting and mealtime schedules Providing special food and beverage menus that included chili, chocolate and ingredients known to produce sleep-inducing tryptophan Performing onboard stretches and exercises Volunteers were monitored using wearable tech devices during the flight, and their reaction times were measured through online tests, according to the press release. They also kept a daily health log before, during and for two weeks after test flights, it said. The report concluded that, compared with other passengers, the volunteers "experienced less severe jet lag (self-reported), better sleep quality inflight [and] better cognitive performance in the two days after flight." Flight volunteers reported their jet lag wasn't as severe and ended one to two days earlier than expected, according to a summary of the research released last week. David Gray | Getty Images News | Getty Images "Light exposure is critical for reducing jetlag," said Svetlana Postnova, who studies sleep-wake cycles and circadian rhythms at the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre. The flight departed New York City at 9 p.m., and the researchers kept the lights on for an additional six hours, she told CNBC. Lights were turned off around 3 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, and the cabin stayed dark for 11 hours, before being turned back on for the final two hours of the flight, she said. That was done "to nudge the body clocks towards the destination time zone," she said. Serving lunch at night Meals were aligned with the lighting, said Postnova, noting they were served after takeoff, before the lights were turned off and before arriving. But the initial meal wasn't dinner it was lunch, said Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce. "Night flights usually start with dinner and then lights off. For this flight, we started with lunch and kept the lights on for the first six hours, to match the time of day at our destination. It means you start reducing the jetlag straight away," he said in a statement after the first test flight was conducted. Qantas also monitored brain waves, melatonin levels and alertness of pilots who flew the 20-hour test flights. James D. Morgan | Getty Images News | Getty Images Studies on the brightness and color tone of cabin lighting are planned for later this year, and more research on departure and arrival times and seasonal differences is needed, according to Qantas and the University of Sydney. Findings from the test flights have not been published, but Peter Cistulli, professor of sleep medicine at the University of Sydney, called the early results "promising." For now, Postnova said, travelers shouldn't wait until they land to combat jet lag rather, they should start the process as soon as their flight departs. An onboard 'wellbeing zone' The jet lag research is being conducted while Qantas awaits 12 Airbus 350 aircraft it ordered in May 2022. Delivery is expected to begin in late 2025, with the New York-Sydney route starting shortly thereafter, according to the press release. Joyce said the new non-stop flights will reduce travel times between New York and London to Sydney by some three hours. Passengers exercise during a Qantas test flight from New York to Sydney on Oct, 19, 2019. Flyers can do this in an onboard "Wellbeing Zone" once the airline's new Airbus 350s are delivered. James D. Morgan | Getty Images News | Getty Images New vehicles are becoming more troublesome, due in part to new technologies including safety systems, according to the 2023 edition of J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study released Thursday. "The automotive industry is facing a wide range of quality problems, a phenomenon not seen in the 37-year history of the [Initial Quality Study]," said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. "Today's new vehicles are more complex offering new and exciting technology but not always satisfying owners." The 2023 Initial Quality Study found industry-wide problems per 100 vehicles rose by 12 to 192, on average. That follows an increase of 18 problems per 100 vehicles in last year's study, a rise attributed at the time to the ongoing supply-chain problems that plagued the industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. The study called out growing problems with advanced driver-assistance features such as lane-departure warnings and automatic emergency braking, as well as widespread issues with the wireless charging pads automakers have added for drivers' smartphones. But while the survey showed that part of this year's increase in problems is related to new technologies, it also found automakers are having trouble with things once seen as basics, such as door handles. Some automakers, perhaps inspired by Tesla, have added high-tech door handles to new models, a "percolating problem area," according to the study, with electric vehicles making up seven of the 10 worst offenders. Three Stellantis brands Dodge, Ram and Alfa Romeo topped this year's quality rankings, while Volvo and EV makers Tesla and Polestar landed at the bottom of the list, with 257 and 313 problems per 100 vehicles, respectively. Among U.S. automakers, General Motors had a strong showing, landing all four of its brands Chevrolet, GMC, Buick and Cadillac in the top 10 brands for quality. Ford Motor didn't do as well. Both the Ford brand and Lincoln were below average in this year's tally, with 201 and 208 problems per vehicle, respectively. While Korea's Hyundai and Kia were both solidly above average, a longtime paragon of quality, Toyota , underperformed with 194 problems per 100 vehicles, slightly worse than average. The top mass-market brands for initial quality were Dodge, Ram and Buick. Alfa Romeo, Porsche and Cadillac topped the premium brands' rankings. EV makers such as Tesla, Polestar, Lucid and Rivian aren't officially considered part of the study because they don't give J.D. Power formal permission to access customer data, a legal requirement in 15 states. J.D. Power was able to calculate its scores for Tesla and Polestar based on the results it collected in other states. Sample sizes for Lucid and Rivian were considered too small to be eligible for rankings and awards, but are included in the overall industry averages, J.D. Power said. The firm's annual initial quality rankings are based on survey responses from new car buyers or lessees of current model-year vehicles who respond during their first 90 days of ownership. It's a widely watched study within the auto industry. This year's results were based on responses from over 93,000 participants. The company conducts separate surveys to rank brands by long-term dependability, the appeal of their new vehicles' features and car buyers' purchasing experiences across brands. A vial and a medical syringe seen displayed in front of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Moderna biotechnology company's logos. Moderna on Thursday applied for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of the biotech company's updated Covid vaccine for the fall. The shot targets omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, the dominant strain of the virus nationwide. Moderna said the submission is based on the FDA's recommendation last week that vaccine makers update their jabs to target XBB.1.5, which is one of the most immune-evasive Covid strains to date. Moderna and rivals Pfize r and Novavax already began to develop versions of their vaccines targeting XBB.1.5 months before the FDA's recommendation. All three companies are expected to make vaccines available to Americans in time for the fall, pending the FDA's approval. "The agility of our mRNA platform has enabled us to update Spikevax, Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, to target XBB variants with speed and clinical rigor," Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement. The FDA will review Moderna's available efficacy and safety data on the shot to decide whether to approve it for the fall. Preclinical trial data on mice suggests a monovalent vaccine targeting XBB.1.5 produces a more robust immune response against the currently circulating XBB variants than the company's authorized bivalent shot targeting the BA.4 and BA.5 strains, according to a Moderna presentation last week. Clinical trial data on more than 100 people similarly demonstrates the monovalent XBB.1.5 vaccine produces protective antibodies against all XBB variants. All trial participants had previously received four Covid vaccine doses. The U.S. is expected to shift Covid vaccine distribution to the private sector as soon as the fall. That means Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax will sell their updated jabs directly to health care providers rather than to the government. It's unclear how many people will take the new shots. Only about 17% of the U.S. population has received Pfizer and Moderna's latest boosters since they were approved in September, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Norfolk Southern supervisors didn't address an engineer's safety concerns before a train loaded with toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio in February, according to preliminary findings released Thursday from a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. The day before the train derailed, an engineer in Decatur, Illinois, had voiced his concern about the size of the train to the yardmaster, according to the NTSB. But the engineer told the agency that he was told, "Well, this is what they want," the findings showed. "If you talk to the manager, they said this train was 100% rule compliant. To me, in my opinion, you know, you got 32% of the weight on the headend. Twenty percent in the middle and 40% weight on the rearend. So, to me, that's why we reported that to the yardmaster and like I said this is what they want," the Decatur engineer said. Norfolk Southern responded by saying that the Federal Railroad Administration has not set out regulatory requirements on train configuration, and that the train met its internal policies regarding train configuration at the time of the East Palestine derailment. "Every accident is an opportunity to learn. We are collaborating with labor leadership and our craft employees to enhance safety, we've brought in an outside safety consultant, and we are committed to leading the industry," Norfolk Southern spokesman Connor Spielmaker told CNBC in an email. The NTSB released its findings before it began a two-day hearing on the derailment Thursday. The hearing is intended to address preparedness during the initial emergency response, the decision-making process regarding venting and burning the vinyl chloride tank cars, and the examination of freight car bearing failure modes and wayside detection systems. On Feb. 3, a Norfolk Southern freight train carrying hazardous chemicals derailed, releasing toxic chemicals into the environment near Ohio's border with Pennsylvania. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw has pledged support for residents of East Palestine, Ohio, although critics have said he hasn't gone far enough. A duration of three minutes to three minutes and 45 seconds is adequate for maintenance personnel to inspect a train car, the Transportation Communications Union told NTSB in a separate statement. But the union said that Norfolk Southern has decreased the average inspection time to around one minute following the company's new train scheduling strategies, which TCU believes is insufficient for a comprehensive inspection of each train. The company responded that it doesn't have a policy limiting time for car inspections. Norfolk Southern took further exception with the union's allegation, saying that the current average car inspection time is approximately two minutes. The company said that is one minute longer than the average that was set by professional craft railroaders performing the same inspection and offered as a guide to crews. "It is not accurate to say NS has 'reduced' the standard amount of time for a car inspection since the implementation of PSR. What we have done is documented and standardized what a proper inspection looks like, and the time it should take a qualified railroader to complete that inspection," Spielmaker said. People march together to protest the Supreme Court's decision in the Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health case on June 24, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Allison Dinner | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images On the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, 6-in-10 voters remain opposed to the court removing the national right to abortion, according to results from a new national NBC News poll. That includes nearly 80% of female voters ages 18-49, two-thirds of suburban women, 60% of independents and even a third of Republican voters who say they disapprove. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards NBC News Poll And by more than a 2-to-1 margin, voters say abortion access across the country has become too difficult rather than too easy. A plurality 43% say their home state has struck the right balance, though there's a considerable geographical difference on this question. "Without a doubt, the issue of abortion will continue to shape our country's political and electoral landscape moving forward," said Democratic pollster Aileen Cardona-Arroyo of Hart Research Associates, which conducted this survey with Republican pollster Bill McInturff and his team at Public Opinion Strategies. "The data is stable and clear a majority of voters support at least some access to abortion," McInturff added. "A year after the Dobbs decision, though, there is no change in voters saying access is too difficult in their state." In the poll, 61% of all voters say they disapprove of the 5-4 decision, Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which leaves the legality and conditions of abortion up to individual states. The total includes a majority of voters 53% who strongly disapprove of the decision. That's compared with 36% of voters who say they approve of the decision, including 27% who strongly approve. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards NBC News Poll Those numbers are essentially unchanged from a Sept. 2022 NBC News poll conducted two months before last year's midterm elections when an identical 61% said they disapproved of overturning Roe v. Wade, versus 37% who approved. And they're nearly unmoved from Aug. 2022 two months after the Dobbs decision when 58% disapproved, while 38% approved. Inside the new numbers, majorities of men (55%) and women (67%); white (57%), Latino (70%) and Black voters (78%); and urban (71%) and suburban residents (57%) all disapprove of the Dobbs decision. By comparison, majorities of Republicans (65%) and rural voters (53%) say they approve of the decision. Cardona-Arroyo, the Democratic pollster, added that there's an intensity gap between the parties with 87% of Democrats strongly disapproving of Roe's overturn, versus 52% of Republicans who strongly approve. "As abortion remains a salient electoral issue, this could have implications for how the issue impacts turnout and mobilization," she said. Abortion rights demonstrators gather outside the US Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., US, on June 24, 2022. Yasin Ozturk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images The NBC News poll also finds 22% of registered voters saying abortion access has become too difficult in their state, 17% saying it's too easy and 43% saying their state has struck the right balance. But there's a geographical difference here: Majorities of voters in West (57%) and Northeast (55%) say their states have struck the right balance, versus 38% in the Midwest and just 29% in the South. When asked about abortion access nationwide, 53% say it's become too difficult, 23% say it's become too easy and 13% say the nation has struck the right balance. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards NBC News Poll Here are Thursday's biggest calls on Wall Street. Wells Fargo reiterates Goldman Sachs as overweight Wells Fargo said it's standing by its overweight rating on the stock but trimmed its second-quarter estimates due to lower trading. "Better capital markets activity could be a catalyst for GS, and recent IPO activity gives some hope of a rebound." Bank of America upgrades XP to buy from neutral Bank of America said the Brazilian investment company's shares will re-rate higher. "As the largest independent broker in Brazil, XP' s earnings are poised to benefit from an easing cycle, while trading multiples have room to re-rate higher." Deutsche Bank upgrades Anheuser-Busch InBev to buy from hold Deutsche Bank said it sees "light at the end of the tunnel" for the Bud Light parent. "Nielsen data suggests ABI's US business is currently -12% with Bud Light -24% and the remainder of the portfolio -7%. However, analysis of distribution data suggests ABI is not losing shelf presence with sales velocity the primary driver of decline." Read more about this call here. JPMorgan reiterates Amazon as overweight JPMorgan Chase reiterated the stock as a top idea and said it sees a runway for more growth for Amazon Prime. " AMZN is working hard to increase the velocity of 1-Day & Same-Day delivery, w/2023 tracking toward the fastest Prime delivery speeds ever, and strong selection, great pricing, & faster delivery speeds likely drive stronger consideration & higher shopping frequency." Bernstein upgrades Kellogg to market perform from underperform Bernstein said the stock's valuation is getting more attractive. "We are upgrading Kellogg to Market-Perform with a TP of $62 based on 1) cheap current valuation, 2) relatively modest stranded cost estimates, and 3) a fair SOTP value post spin off that should take place at the end of this year." Morgan Stanley downgrades Tesla to equal weight from overweight Morgan Stanley downgraded the stock mainly on valuation. "While we move to equal weight, in our view, Tesla remains a 'must own' company in any EV portfolio." Read more about this call here. Loop reiterates Amazon as buy Loop raised its price target on the stock to $180 per share from $140 and said it sees further upside. " Amazon has been our top pick for the year and has performed very well to-date up nearly 50% compared to the S & P500 up 15%. We see further upside to the stock and have increasing conviction in fundamentals behind our investment thesis." Bank of America downgrades Dow to underperform from neutral Bank of America said in its downgrade of the chemical company that the demand recovery is "elusive." "We downgrade DOW to Underperform with a $55 PO, down from $64. Our anticipated demand recovery has remained elusive and is weighing negatively on prices." Deutsche Bank adds a catalyst call buy on Walgreens Deutsche Bank says it's bullish heading into earnings next week. "We are adding WBA's shares as a catalyst call Buy heading into next Tuesday's EPS print, with the F3Q results as our catalyst." B. Riley initiates Expedia as buy B. Riley said in its initiation of Expedia that it sees an "appealing risk/reward" for the travel website company. "We expect margins to continue improving in the coming years, benefiting from fixed-cost leverage and gains in operating and marketing efficiency." B. Riley initiates TripAdvisor as buy B. Riley said in its initiation of the stock that it sees margin expansion. " TripAdvisor's core revenue recovered to ~80% of 2019 levels in 2022, and segment revenue is expected to continue to show Y/Y growth in 2023, with the EBITDA margin remaining flat." Bank of America reiterates Eli Lilly as buy Bank of America said the biopharma company is still one of the firm's favorite ideas. "Lilly remains our favorite Biopharma name given its peer leading growth profile, anchored by tirzepatide and donanemab, as well as its promising early-stage pipeline." Raymond James reiterates Microsoft as outperform Raymond James said Microsoft is the firm's top artificial intelligence pick. "Among our coverage universe, MSFT likely emerges as one of the largest beneficiaries of AI, with the potential to positively touch every aspect of MSFT's vast portfolio, helping it maintain/widen share on markets it currently dominates, expanding customer acquisition across some of its higher growth initiatives and potentially disrupting profitable areas where it currently captures small share." Loop reiterates Apple as hold Loop said it's bullish on Apple' s foray into augmented realty but is staying cautious on the stock. "Given the fact Apple has done little more than display the Vision Pro at the company's recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), we believe the awareness of the headset, favorable view of the features, and initial buying intentions are surprisingly robust." Bank of America reiterates Broadcom as buy Bank of America raised its price target on AI beneficiary Broadcom to $1,050 per share from $950. "Our $1050 price objective for Broadcom is based on 23x CY24E EV/FCF, within its long-term 10x-30x range, given double-digit EPS growth and best-in-semis profitability, FCF generation, and returns." Morgan Stanley downgrades Alcoa to underweight from equal weight Morgan Stanley said it sees material downside for the metals company. "We see material downside to consensus estimates for Alcoa . As negative earnings revisions materialize, we believe the stock will face downward pressure and underperform." Read more about this call here. Citi adds a positive catalyst watch on Boston Scientific Citi said it's bullish ahead of the medtech company's trial study on catheter products. "However, even first-generation PFA (pulsed field ablation) catheters may provide compelling value propositions, and upcoming iterations should move it further. In an analysis of the products and the data, we believe near-term BSX stands to benefit the most, but a rising tide should raise all boats (and benefit patients)." Piper Sandler reiterates Planet Fitness as overweight Piper Sandler said Planet Fitness has qualities similar to Ulta. "We view PLNT similarly to ULTA given the bigger box format, broader price-point offering (Black Card for consumers willing to spend a bit more and standard membership for the more price conscious consumers), which creates opportunity to be a trade-down beneficiary, as well as strong loyalty among guests." After nearly 16 months of a war that has destroyed homes, hospitals and other critical infrastructure across Ukraine, Sunak appealed to businesses and governments at a recovery conference in London to do more to help rebuild the country. While welcoming the support, the answer from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was blunt - Kyiv needs concrete commitments to projects that will help Ukraine not only recover but to develop into a powerful member of the Western world. Britain, the United States and the European Union pledged on Wednesday billions of dollars more help to rebuild Ukraine, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak launching a war insurance framework to try to spur companies to invest. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivers a speech via videolink on the first day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on June 21, 2023. Leaders and representatives from more than 60 countries are in London for a two-day conference to secure funding to help Ukraine recover from the ravages of war. Addressing the key difficulty for most companies wanting to invest in Ukraine - insurance against war damage and destruction - Sunak announced the London Conference Framework for War Risk insurance, which could pave the way for derisking investment, though he was light on details. He said the London Conference Framework was "a huge step forward towards helping insurers to underwrite investments into Ukraine, removing one of the biggest barriers and giving investors the confidence they need to act". Sunak also unveiled measures including $3 billion of additional guarantees to unlock World Bank lending that Ajay Banga, president of the World Bank Group, said would allow his group to continue to help "people rebuild their lives after devastation". European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU would provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros for 2024-27, while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered $1.3 billion in additional aid. Ukraine is seeking up to $40 billion to fund the first part of a "Green Marshall Plan" to rebuild its economy, including developing a coal-free steel industry, a senior Ukrainian official said before the conference. The total bill will be huge, with Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations estimating in March that the cost was at $411 billion for the first year of the war. It could easily reach more than $1 trillion. Reuters So far this year, 491 anti-LGBTQ+ policies have been proposed to the U.S. legislature, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. That's well over double the total of last year. This legislative trend has led to growing concerns for LGBTQ+ employees about their professional security, access to benefits and safety at work. For example, workers say they are worried that they may lose gender-affirming health care for themselves or their children. "A year ago, if you were to tell me, 'How do you feel in the workplace as an LGBT person?' I would say, 'Yeah, there's challenges but I'm confident and excited to see us progress,'" says Radissen Ramoutar, an advertising manager at Indeed. "This year, if you asked me that question, I would say 'I don't know if we're moving forward anymore. I worry that we're moving backwards.'" A Glassdoor report that polled over 6,000 employees in May found that 55% of LGBTQ+ workers say they have either experienced or witnessed their coworkers making anti-LGBTQ+ comments, a 53% increase from 2019. An Indeed survey of over 700 LGBTQ+ workers discovered that 65% are worried about the impact that anti-LGBTQ+ legislation will have on their employment opportunities. Abby, an office manager at Indeed who is based in Texas, says, "I do not feel as comfortable showing up in the workplace being a very visibly queer person that uses they/them pronouns without knowing exactly who I'm speaking to anymore. Especially living in a state affected by this legislation." Abby asked that their last name be omitted due to safety concerns related to sharing their identity with a public audience. Now, employees are getting more selective about where and at which companies they work. According to the Indeed report, more than three-quarters of LGBTQ+ workers would hesitate to apply to a job based in a state with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. In today's tight labor market, that's an especially significant result. "It matters in hiring you are literally doing away with 15 million people the moment you don't support the LGBTQ+ community," says LaFawn Davis, senior vice president of environmental, social and governance policies at Indeed. "Companies that are more inclusive make more revenue." US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greet India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives at the South Portico of the White House in Washington, DC. Modi is at the White House for a private dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden. Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty Images The U.S. and India are set to announce a slew of defense and technology collaborations on Thursday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit, U.S. officials said. From deepening defense and military ties to greater collaboration on technology and diversification of supply chains, senior administration officials discussed a wide range of deals in a briefing with reporters. "The nature, the depth and breadth of our deliverables for this is unprecedented," said one of the officials. India has overtaken China as the world's most populous country and is set to become the third-largest economy in the coming years. "India will be a critical strategic partner for the United States in the coming decades," one official said. "There is no partner more consequential now and into the future than India," the person said adding that the bilateral partnership is "deeper and more expansive than it ever has been." "We now look instinctively to each other and work cooperatively to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific," the person said. "Our countries will shape the future, working towards a world that is open, prosperous, secure, stable and resilient." Modi is on his first state visit to the U.S., where he has met President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden as well as prominent business leaders including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio. The Indian leader will join Biden in a press conference on Thursday where both leaders will be answering questions from journalists, the officials said. According to Reuters, Modi has not addressed a single press conference in India since he became prime minister in 2014, making this an extremely rare occasion. Military cooperation On the defense front, officials highlighted three announcements. India and the U.S. are expected to announce a deal to jointly produce F414 jet engines in India, involving General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics. They are also expected to announce master ship repair agreements that will lead to cost and time savings for the U.S. military enabling U.S. navy ships to be serviced and repaired in Indian shipyards. Thirdly, the so-called India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem will aim to integrate India's growing private sector defense industry with the U.S. defense sector. US President Joe Biden greets India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives at the South Portico of the White House in Washington, DC on June 21, 2023. Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty Images Military agreements between the countries will help India secure its borders with China and Pakistan and hopefully, reduce the country's heavy reliance on Russia for military supplies. "India is actively engaged in diversifying away from Russian military equipment ... It is not just the United States that is engaged in that effort of diversification. It's our allies and partners in France, in Great Britain and Israel and elsewhere that are actively supporting efforts to secure India's defense capabilities more generally," senior administration officials said. India is also widely expected to purchase MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, a deal that has long been hampered by bureaucracy. "I think the Indians, to be honest, have been surprised and thrilled by the steps that we've been able to take to remove bureaucratic roadblocks from achieving this goal. So I think we fully recognize that it's going to be necessary to follow through," one of the senior administration officials said. Tech collaboration Modi's visit comes at a time when the U.S. is adopting a strategy of "friend-shoring" as it diversifies away from China and taps into the potential of other countries in the region. On technology, the officials said U.S. and Indian companies will be partnering to build semiconductor facilities to promote supply chain diversification. The two countries are also expected to announce agreements on strengthening critical minerals supply chains, advancing telecommunication capabilities and working on A.I. developments. watch now Officials said Applied Materials will also be announcing a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India. "This is India's time to drive incredible growth, and we are very much looking forward to working with the prime minister and everyone in India to achieve tremendous success together," Applied Materials CEO Gary Dickerson said Wednesday in a video interview published on Modi's official YouTube page. "Many companies around the world see the trust and tremendous talent that is in India. I deeply believe this is India's time to shine," Dickerson said. The U.S. is also facing burgeoning competition from China in its space race. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization will collaborate to work on a framework for human spaceflight cooperation this year. Attracting more Indian talent Indian students are "on pace to become the largest foreign student community in the United States with a 20% increase last year alone," the officials said, adding that the U.S. government wants to welcome more Indian students and workers. The U.S. issued 125,000 student visas to Indian nationals last year or about one in every five student visas and more than what was issued to any other nationality, the U.S. Embassy in India said in June. "This year, we will interview more students than ever before," Brendan Mullarkey, acting minister counselor for consular affairs in India, said earlier this month. watch now Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, smiles as he plays bridge following the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, May 5, 2019. Warren Buffett has made another annual donation to five foundations, boosting his total charitable giving to more than $50 billion significantly higher than his entire net worth in 2006 when he first scheduled the grants. The 92-year-old legendary investor said Thursday he has converted over 9,000 Berkshire Class A shares into B shares in order to donate 13.7 million B shares to five foundations. A total of 10.5 million shares were delivered to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, and 1.05 million shares were donated to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named for his first wife, who died in 2004. Another 2.2 million shares were split evenly among the three foundations run by his children: the Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the NoVo Foundation. As of 1:30 p.m. ET, the B shares were worth about $336 apiece. The "Oracle of Omaha" said the schedule for annual grants was made on June 26, 2006, when he owned $43 billion of Berkshire A shares, which represented more than 98% of his net worth. Buffett pledged in a 2006 letter to make annual gifts of Berkshire B shares throughout his lifetime for the benefit of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "During the following 17 years, I have neither bought nor sold any A or B shares nor do I intend to do so. The five foundations have received Berkshire B shares that had a value when received of about $50 billion, substantially more than my entire net worth in 2006," Buffett said. "I have no debts and my remaining A shares are worth about $112 billion, well over 99% of my net worth." Last year, Buffett donated more than $750 million to the four foundations associated with his family on Thanksgiving eve as the "ultimate endorsement" in his children. Buffett plans to give away all of his Berkshire shares through annual gifts, which will be completed 10 years after his estate is settled. After this year's donation, Buffett now owns 218,287 A shares and 344 B shares. "Nothing extraordinary has occurred at Berkshire; a very long runway, simple and generally sound decisions, the American tailwind and compounding effects produced my current wealth," Buffett said. "My will provides that more than 99% of my estate is destined for philanthropic usage." The Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate, a sprawling empire with businesses ranging from insurance to railroads, and utilities to energy and retail, is now worth more than $730 billion. (The stream is slated to start at 12:45 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a video above at that time.) President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India will hold a joint press conference following their bilateral meeting Thursday. Later, Modi will deliver remarks to a joint meeting of Congress before the president and the first lady will host the prime minister for a state dinner at the White House. The leaders are expected to discuss semiconductor manufacturing and defense. U.S.-based Micron Technology has committed to open a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly in India with Micron footing $800 million and the country's government covering the remainder. India is slated to announce an agreement to purchase MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. Additionally, under a new partnership, General Electric will work with India's Hindustan Aeronautics to jointly build F414 jet engines in India. French President Emmanuel Macron (L) looks on as he takes part in a round table discussion next to World Bank President Ajay Banga during the New Global Financial Pact Summit at the Palais Brongniart in Paris on June 22, 2023. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The World Bank chief announced a raft of measures on Thursday to aid countries hit by natural disasters, including a pause in debt repayments to the lender, at a gathering of world leaders in Paris to give impetus to a new global finance agenda. Some 40 leaders, including about a dozen from Africa, China's prime minister and Brazil's president, were in the French capital alongside international organisations at the "Summit for a New Global Financial Pact". It aims to boost crisis financing for low-income countries, reform post-war financial systems and free up funds to tackle climate change by getting top-level consensus on how to promote a number of initiatives struggling in bodies like the G20, COP, IMF-World Bank and United Nations. "It is clear that the international financial architecture has failed in its mission to provide a global safety net for developing countries," United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, calling the system outdated, dysfunctional and unjust. Leaders are set to back a push for multilateral development banks like the World Bank to put more capital at risk to boost lending, according to a draft summit statement seen by Reuters. In remarks to a panel on Thursday, new World Bank president Ajay Banga outlined a "toolkit", including offering a pause in debt repayments, giving countries flexibility to redirect funds for emergency response, providing new types of insurance to help development projects and helping governments build advance-emergency systems. "We need a robust and predictable financial safety net," Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed told the conference, calling for a boost to below-market financing and more grants. "African countries are facing an unprecedented funding squeeze which have aggravated the vulnerabilities," he said. While the new World Bank measures are designed to give developing nations some breathing space, there was no discussion of multilateral lenders offering debt writedowns - so-called haircuts. China - the world's largest bilateral creditor - has been pushing for lenders like the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund to absorb some of the losses, which the institutions and rich countries oppose. Coming from its debut season with "Mula sa Buwan," Barefoot Theatre Collaborative launches its sophomore season with Pride Plays, a twinbill of "Unica Hijas" and "Laro'" for Pride Month. "Unica Hijas" is a 35-minute one-act play about high school sweethearts Mitch and Nikki coming to terms with their relationship amid conservative school policies, parents, and themselves. "Laro" is a 90-minute two-act play following 10 unnamed gay characters from all walks of life traversing an interweaving circle of abusive relationships. Cast members Joy Delos Santos, Ash Nicanor, Gio Gahol, and Phi Palmos sat down with CNN Philippines Life for an exclusive interview as they talk more about their plays and its themes, their process in internalizing their characters, and their advocacies as members of the LGBTQIA+ and artists of the theater stage. The poster for Pride Plays "Unica Hijas" and "Laro." Photo courtesy of BAREFOOT THEATRE COLLABORATIVE Can you tell us more about "Unica Hijas" and "Laro?" What are the importance of these stories especially for Pride Month? Ash Nicanor: Pride Plays is a platform for LGBTQIA+ narratives. It's not just plays, may kasama ring talks with creatives. Merong mga nagbebenta rin ng queer books. It's really a celebration with every queer creative that wants to collaborate with Barefoot. Balak sana ng Barefoot na every year yung Pride Plays. So next year, iba naman siguro yung productions and yung mga talks. Joy Delos Santos: "Unica Hijas" was [staged] at last year's Virgin Labfest. Sinulat ito ni Mikaela Regis nung student pa siya. I was with her sa Ateneo Entablado and it was staged with my students. It was a very different play before. Pat Valera was also the director last year. Mika and Pat worked together to revisit the script. Maraming na-discover not just creatively, but also personally for everyone involved. The process is very collaborative. They came with their own experiences. Lalo na when we were young girls a lot of nostalgia was used para makuha talaga kung ano ba yung feeling nang maging isang young queer girl trying to discover not just her identity, but her sexuality in the face of many external factors. And then, na-realize namin, "Alam mo, walang masyadong ganitong stories." Even outside theatre. Most of it ay mainstream lesbian stories na usually sad, may namatay, hindi nagkatuluyan. Parang napakaserious. Parang nakakainggit yung mga BL series na lumalabas. I want something like those na will heal my inner gay kid, na bibigyan ka ng hope. We see the importance of these kinds of plays not just for young people to see that there is hope in it, especially for Pride Month, but also for older people who say, "I hope younger me had this. I hope I had that courage when I was younger. I hope young kids can see this now." Gio Gahol: "Laro" is pretty dark since it's about power play and sexual morality. Floy Quintos adapted the play from Arthur Schnitzler's "La Ronde" and he situated it in the milieu of homosexual males. The community is represented by a rainbow and you don't see a rainbow unless there is rain, unless there are clouds hovering above us. You would only see a rainbow when the clouds start to clear. And I feel that's the experience so far. Parang those 10 scenes in "Laro" are the darkest clouds and the heaviest rain that we could experience. And at the end of the show, all of that clears and it's actually empowering for all of the audience to see it. Gio Gahol (left) and Phi Palmos (right) star in "Laro." Photo by NIKKI BONUEL That's actually one of the worries of the cast the first time when we did a reading of the script back in Artist Playground 2019. We were like, "So what do we do after?" Are we just gonna leave the audience depressed and be like, "Oh yeah, all the struggles of our community, it never ends. And we're just stuck there." Pero I feel like the generation that we have now ay mas nangingibabaw na yung, "How do we find empowerment in seeing the struggle?" Maybe it's because we survived the pandemic. Yes, we still lost a lot. But there's a paradigm shift in terms of how we see struggles. We have so much will to fight now. Phi Palmos: If you watch "Laro," you will say that it's tragic agad. It's dark. But in one of my conversations with Sir Floy Quintos, I said that the show is important because it's a cautionary tale. And kailangan nating makita yun nang harap-harapan to confront us that these stories exist. Alam naman nating nangyayari siya but we shrug it off. "Laro" is an ugly mirroring of the community. Hindi natin pwedeng kalimutan lang at isantabi yung pangit, para lang umalsa yung maganda. It works both ways. For us to appreciate the beauty and vibrance of diversity and equality na pinaglalaban natin, we should be able to acknowledge and accept the dark and ugly side of it. The last time we did "Laro" in 2019, that's also during the time na pang-ilang beses na namang hindi nakapasa sa House ang SOGIE Bill. It was a dark cloud during that time. And then I said, "Oh sige, sa kanila ang Senado, samin ang teatro." Because there is where we can really say anything we want to say and have discourse on anyone. And now, oo, nakapasa naman siya [sa House Committee on Women and Gender Equality panel], pero hindi naman raw siya priority. So it's a different dark cloud we are experiencing. Ang saya lang to see kung nasaan tayo before. It's dark clouds but it's different dark clouds. And we hope to see the rainbow after. The 10 narratives are, in a way, connected. Pero yung struggles ay unique. And yun naman ang laging pinaglalaban ng community mas maintindihan, mas makita ninyo hindi yung pagkakaiba, but yung pagkakapare-pareho natin because at the end of the day, it's our common humanity. Para sa akin, laging dun bumabalik. Na parang all these realizations, all of [the discourse], ano ba ang common thread satin? It's being human. By putting "Unica Hijas" and "Laro" as a twinbill, how do you think they go together? How do they form a coherent theme? Ash Nicanor: After ng play naming "Unica Hijas," may magbibigay samin ng balloon so happy happy kami ganyan tapos darating si Phi tapos puputukin niya yun. Joy Delos Santos: Nung sinabi samin kung paano magiging yang transition from this very hopeful and bright ending ng "Unica Hijas," then you go into the gritty reality living as a gay man in the Philippines. Ash Nicanor: Sinabi naming, "Paano yun? Ang saya-saya namin tapos babawiin lang yung saya samin." So binigyan na lang kami ng motivation na, "Okay, kapag pinutok yang balloon na yan, laban pa rin kayo. Joy Delos Santos: Which answers yung doubt namin na, "Would this just take away the hope we just gave?" No. Actually, it gives more power to that hope. It gives validation na kailangan talagang mag-hope. Kailangan talagang lumaban kasi ganun ang realidad. We can't just delude ourselves na everything will be fine and dandy because it's not. Nung umaarangkada na yung show, we see na hindi na-miss yung gustong iparating. Na there are two sides of the coin. We want to give hope pero at the same time, we have to remind ourselves na Pride is not just a party. It's a protest. We have to remember what we're fighting for that struggle is not over unless everyone is equal. Phi Palmos: Nung nalaman ko na "Unica Hijas" muna tapos "Laro," para sakin ang ganda lang din niya na it's a shift because it's always the gays that gives you kilig or funny moments. But now, it's the lesbians. Nag-change siya ngayon. So it shows how dynamic and diverse the community is. Hindi laging nagpapatawa ang bakla at hindi laging seryoso ang mga tomboy. Yes, there's still a very tangible fight in "Unica Hijas" but at the same time, it's so kilig and innocent. Ang sarap-sarap niya. There's a line in "Unica Hijas" that goes like, "Hindi mo na kailangang magtago kasi naipinaglaban na siya ng mga nauna satin." Eh kami yung nauna. Kami lagi yung maingay. Gio Gahol: We're not completely detached from each other na parang "Unica Hijas" is just happy and "Laro" is just the dark clouds. There's still a fight there. It's not all rainbows, cakes, and butterflies. It came to us as a surprise that in the process of creating the two plays, that [became] the effect that damn, these people feel empowered. How do you prepare for your roles in the play? Where do your personal experiences and advocacies fit in with your internalization? Joy Delos Santos: For Nikki, part ng preparation is yung pag-alala ng context kung bakit ko siya ginagawa. Kasama siya sa pag-drop in ng values ng sarili kong character. Nikki has internalized homophobia. She's scared of coming out because she fears that her parents and society would judge her. And as someone who's comfortable with my sexuality, kailangan kong i-tap yung dark past when I was still afraid of facing who I am. I have to be very forgiving with the character and myself who was young then. And then I try to remember that I'm not doing this just to heal my inner child, but also to provide [for those] who are also going through or have gone through the same story a kind of visibility onstage and hope na it gets better. Nung June 2, I found an article of a news report from Hong Kong of a lesbian couple. Many news reports were denying they were a couple even though it's well known they were a couple. One was butch, the other was femme. Na-stab sila sa mall at pareho silang namatay. Unang inatake yung butch representing sa couple and prinotektahan siya until the end ng girlfriend niya. It was so heartbreaking and it made me angry, scared, and very sad. And everytime I utter yung last lines ng play, which is, "We'll fight and love, and fight and love, and never ever die," I think of them. It gets very emotional for me when I try to prep for that. This is my way for me to fight against that erasing of the identities and experiences that actually do happen within the LGBTQIA+ community. Ash Nicanor (left) and Joy Delos Santos (right) star in "Unica Hijas." Photo by NIKKI BONUEL Ash Nicanor: For me naman, si Mitch ko kasi ay di na siya bago sakin pero hindi naman sa play. Yung "Ang Highschool at si Olive," isang thesis film nung 2014. Nung naging role ko na siya dati, nagkaroon na ako ng mga researches. Dun nga sa mga nababasa naming news and things na nangyayari. Pero di naman siya malayo sa karanasan ko at sa mga malapit sakin so humuhugot din ako from their experiences. Gusto lang din naming ipakita na may kakampi kayo. Nandito kami, di lang namin ito kwento. Kwento ito ng lahat. Bibigyan natin sila ng justice at ng push na lumaban din kasabay natin. Pag nagpre-prepare kami, sige tahimik lang bago show. Tapos after nun, give na natin ito sa kanila. Gio Gahol: The role I played this time around, which is Batang Pulis, is different from my role then in the 2019 version and my initial thought was, "Oh my gosh, I don't think I understand this character very much." Back in 2019 when I did Manggagamit, I knew exactly what experiences I was gonna pull to put together this person. But for Batang Pulis, I don't. But because of the rewrite, there are aspects about the character that were added that I'm well aware of now. Mas naiintindihan ko na yung issues that surround the character at dahil dun, I knew how to put his character together. My preparation always is that I have to remind myself that unless stated otherwise, it's a human being. There are limitations. There are certain line deliveries and emotional peaks. If I take the character this far, tao pa ba siya? Am I just making it theatrical and too dramatic? It's always important to bring humanity to it because that's what makes it relatable. I don't transform into the character, I breathe the same air. I'm still there, the character is still there, and we just have to co-exist in our moment on-stage. Phi Palmos: Hindi ako naniniwala na you go into a character blank. When you approach a character, meron ka nang kaagad na dala-dala. And para sa akin, mas nakakatulong siya because it makes me accountable in taking care of that character. Because at the end of the day, like what we said, it's human. The character may not be real, but all of the experiences of the character, it's based on lived experiences. Natatapos yung internalization ko kung malinaw na sakin kung sino yung character. Ang pinakagusto kong naa-achieve other than the reviews ay yung masasabi ng audience na, "May kakilala akong ganyan." O, "Ganyan ako." Because I'm so tired of watching queer characters being portrayed on-screen, on-stage, commercials na parang, "Wala naman akong kilalang ganyan! Bakit ganyan kayo magsisikilos?" Pride Plays will have its final shows on June 24 and 25, with a special Pride Show on the 24th, at the Powermac Spotlight Theatre, Circuit Makati. Tickets are available via tickets@barefootcollab.com. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) One of the 30 contacts of the first COVID-positive Mayon evacuee has contracted the virus, according to health authorities in Bicol. In a statement on Thursday, the Department of Health-Bicol confirmed that the second COVID-19 patient is a 12-year-old male. The DOH reported the first COVID-19 patient among Mayon evacuees last June 19. RELATED: Mayon evacuee tests positive for COVID-19 Officials said he was not showing any COVID symptoms, but the patient was brought to Daraga Infirmary for isolation. Because of this, the DOHs One Mayon Disease Surveillance Team is intensifying its contact tracing for other close contacts of the second patient. Provincial and local health authorities are also conducting health education and inspection of Mayon evacuees, urging them to observe protocols in the centers. Officials also encourage them to see medical personnel stationed at evacuation camps if they develop any symptoms. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) A co-accused in the drug case of former Senator Leila de Lima and six National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel underwent inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday, a day after they were arrested for leaving the NBI's detention center. A complaint of corruption of public officials and employees was filed against Jad Dera, while the six NBI security officers were slapped with complaints for infidelity in the custody of prisoners and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. However, Dera's lawyer Mark Anthony Te maintained his client left the detention facility because he wasn't feeling well and needed a checkup. Te denied his client went on a date, and said the trip was authorized by the NBI. The lawyer also claimed that the cash seized during Dera's arrest was intended for food. "As per the complaint, 101,000. Nung pina check natin, consisting ito ng mga 100 bills. Yung pera na yun kasi ginagamit nila as ambagan para sa pagpapaluto sa detention cell," he said. [Translation: When we checked, it consisted of 100 bills. That money was being used for food cooked for the detention cell.] Meanwhile, Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said Dera was not authorized to leave the NBI. "We can assume hindi siya [it wasn't not] sanctioned by any office order or any purpose to just leave and have dinner and come back," Clavano said. The DOJ official stressed that any trip outside the detention facility due to medical concerns has to go through the proper authorities. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is considering downgrading the alert status in Myanmar from Level 4 to 2 to allow Filipino migrant workers to return there, an official said Thursday. "We're discussing it para pwedeng pababain ['yong alert level] para payagan 'yong mga Pilipino na legal na nagtatrabaho dun na makabalik," DFA Undesecretary Eduardo de Vega told a televised public briefing. "'Yong mga legal they are in Yangon. Business as usual 'yong Yangon at saka Mandalay, it's very possible na i-lift na natin 'yong alert level para sa kanila. A decision will be made in the next few weeks," he added. [Translation: We're discussing downgrading it to allow Filipinos with legal papers to work there to returnThey are in Yangon, it's business as usual there as well as in Mandalay, it's very possible that we will lift the alert level there for them. A decision will be made in the next few weeks.] De Vega said he is set to visit Myanmar at the end of the month to assess the situation and make a final recommendation regarding the nation's alert status. The DFA raised Alert Level 4 in Myanmar in May 2021 because of the worsening conflict caused by the military's takeover of the government. Under the alert level, the Philippine government will enforce the mandatory evacuation of Filipinos. Alert Level 2, on the other hand, is a restriction phase. This means there might be no approval of new deployment and only those with valid working visas are allowed to go back. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) The Philippines is negotiating with COVAX, a global initiative for COVID-19 vaccine access, for two million doses of bivalent COVID-19 shots, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Thursday. "There is an ongoing negotiation with the COVAX facility to facilitate a request from the Philippines of [two million] doses of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines," the DOH said. "Negotiations include the requisite documents and legal requirements to be signed and submitted by the Philippine government, since this will be the first time again that the Philippines will be receiving vaccines from the COVAX facility after [Republic Act] 11525 ceased," it also said. "Once these documents are cleared and submitted, approval of allocation by COVAX will follow to commence the delivery," the agency added. The COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021 had lapsed after the COVID-19 state of calamity proclamation ended. It was declared during the Duterte administration. The law expedited the vaccine procurement and administration process, as well as provided the needed funds. RELATED: DOH: Not extending COVID-19 state of calamity would prolong vaccine procurement The Philippines received 390,000 shots of COVID-19 bivalent vaccines on June 3 donated by the Lithuanian government. The bivalent shots will serve as a third booster for priority groups such as health care workers and people with underlying illnesses. RELATED: New COVID-19 cases drop to 4,281 on June 12-18 The DOH began the inoculation on Wednesday. The vaccines will expire in November. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appealed to local government units to encourage the elderly and those with other illnesses to receive bivalent COVID-19 vaccines as they were vulnerable to the virus. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) Existing and arriving stocks of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs for people living with HIV (PLHIV) will be able to cover all patients until April 2024, the Department of Health (DOH) said, allaying fears of unstable supply. The DOH statement was in response to the claim of Network Plus Philippines Association, Inc. composed of 40 member organizations on the supposed dwindling supply of HIV antiretroviral treatment. The group earlier said some patients nationwide reported receiving only one bottle of ARV or even less when refilling their medications in government treatment facilities. It added that some were asked to prepare to buy their own medication. The DOH said the low ARV stocks, particularly Tenofovir-Lamivudine-Dolutegravir (TLD), could be attributed to the unprecedented increase in use among PLHIV prior to the targeted full-scale rollout of the transition from their existing regimens. As the PLHIV community became more aware of the promising superiority of TLD over other regimens through word of mouth, social media, learning sessions with support groups, and information dissemination by the treatment facilities, there was notable increase in the uptake of TLD across the facilities, it explained on Wednesday. The department said the initial batch of additional TLD supply it procured for this year, which consists of 58,000 bottles, is expected to arrive by the end of June. It said these stocks can cover current patients, as well as estimated new enrolees and shiftees based on the updated TLD transition plan until the rest of the other batches are delivered. The DOH noted that the second tranche is expected in July (243,000 bottles), while the third will arrive in September (292,000 bottles). Further, a reorder of 25% of the total procurement (146,000 bottles) will be facilitated to ensure adequate supply until next year, it said. The department also said it will facilitate early procurement for 2024 to make supplies in facilities will be enough. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) Members of the Makabayan bloc want the House of Representatives to investigate the recent slew of gruesome murders of women by their partners in the country, as well as look into ways to prevent such crimes. Gabriela Womens Party, ACT Teachers Party-list, and Kabataan Party-list on Thursday filed House Resolution No. 1096, urging the committees on human rights and on women and gender equality to address the prevalence of gender-related killings, which they deemed "the vicious and extreme form" of gender-related violence. In the resolution, the Makabayan bloc members cited "alarming cases" of such violence, including a 22-year-old who was punched and stabbed to death with glass by her 27-year-old live-in partner in March. In May, a woman and her friend were stabbed by a 34-year-old boyfriend in a fit of rage after seeing the two victims talking to each other. This month alone, a scavenger found dismembered parts of the body of a young woman in Antipolo. The parties also cited other reports of women found dead in different parts of the country most were stabbed, strangled, and buried by their husbands, boyfriends, or live-in partners. "The recent incidents in our country not only show the frequency of domestic related cases in the Philippines, but also show the violence and brutality of the attacks aimed at these women," the resolution read. The three parties also pointed out that the Philippines is the first ASEAN country to have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and thus has the duty to ensure the prevention and prosecution of gender-based violence, which they said is a form of discrimination against women. Citing a study, the House members also mentioned that one out of four women in the country has faced gender-related violence with 41% of them not getting help. https://politics.com.ph/2023/06/22/brutal-killings-of-women-by-their-partners-worry-makabayan-bloc/ They also emphasized how important it is for the government to guarantee that justice is delivered in each of these situations and that killings motivated by gender be stopped. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) The Commission on Audit (COA) said most jail facilities nationwide remain heavily congested and have failed to comply with the United Nations' standards for the treatment of prisoners. In its report on the Bureau of Jail Management & Penology (BJMP) for 2022 released on Wednesday, the state auditor noted that 323 or around 67% of the country's jails are congested with occupancy rates of up to 2,739%. "The total jail population of 127,031 as of December 31, 2022 exceeded the total ideal capacity of 46,702 resulting in unhealthy living conditions for the Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs)," the report read. The number of PDLs in 2022 also went up by 1,684 from the previous year. But on March 17, BJMP spokesperson Jayrex Bustinera said the jail congestion rate in Philippine jails had gone down to 370% from 600% in 2018. READ: Jail congestion rate drops to 370% - BJMP Based on records, COA said most or 89% of PDLs are either awaiting or undergoing trial, or awaiting final judgment. Some detainees who are qualified for provisional liberty also remain imprisoned because they cannot afford bail. "Moreover, the land where some jail buildings were constructed has limited space. Hence, construction and/or expansion of existing jails were not made possible," COA added. The audit team recommended that BJMP include expansion of facilities in its budget and to ask local government units for possible lot donations for the construction of more jails. Construction projects delayed COA also found that five infrastructure projects of the BJMP worth over 687 million were not completed within the specific contract period due to weather conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic. The projects were supposed to address the BJMPs congestion problem. Three are in Metro Manila, while the other two are in the Eastern Visayas Region and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. COA told BJMP to direct regional logistics division heads to closely monitor the projects and ensure their immediate completion. They were also advised to impose liquidated damages pursuant to the terms of contract. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 22) The Makabayan bloc filed a bill that seeks to establish a Magna Carta for airline passengers amid numerous complaints against low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said Thursday. Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source, Brosas said House Bill 6738, or the proposed Magna Carta for Air Passengers, was filed in January. The bill lists the rights and obligations of both passengers and air carriers, as well as of government agencies dealing with air travelers and airlines. Cebu Pacific has been receiving backlash due to reported overbooking, offloading, and booking glitches. During a Senate inquiry on Wednesday, the company said it currently has supply-chain problems with Pratt & Whitney, the manufacturers of the engines for its Airbus fleet. It also noted delays in the deliveries of its aircraft. Sen. Grace Poe said airlines should also hire more service agents to answer the concerns of their customers instead of deploying chatbots. Brosas said House Bill 6738 was filed early this year as they were already seeing a few complaints against Cebu Pacific. Now that the issues have become rampant, the lawmaker said legislation is important to strengthen the passenger bill of rights. Yung problem ay persistent, so mayroon kang kailangan talagang tingnan and yung legal resource ng passengers, hindi siya enough, she said. [Translation: The problem is persistent, so there is something we really need to look into and the legal resource of passengers is not enough.] The Makabayan bloc on Wednesday also filed House Resolution 1093 urging the House Committee on Transportation to look into passenger complaints against Cebu Pacific. A surprise effort by hard-right House Republicans to impeach President Joe Biden has been sidelined for now. But the ability of GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert to force the issue demonstrates the challenge Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces in controlling his own Republican majority. Conservatives are lining up other such votes to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, among others. Its all part of the right flanks broader effort to steer control of the House away from the traditional centers of power, including the speakers office. For now, McCarthy negotiated a deal with Boebert, the Colorado Republican, to send the Biden impeachment resolution to committees for review. The House is expected to vote on the plan Thursday. ARVADA, CO - OCTOBER 26: Chief Justice Brian D. Boatright of the Colorado Supreme Court addresses an auditorium full of students at Pomona High School before he and the other six members of the court hear two cases at the high school on October 26, 2021 in Arvada, Colorado. The visit is part of the Colorado judicial branchs Courts in the Community outreach program. (Photo By Kathryn Scott) El Paso County Clerk Steve Schleiker is the newest member of the Colorado Electronic Recording Technology Board. This is Schleiker's first appointment to the board responsible for ensuring consistency, quality and efficiency in the state's land records systems. The Colorado Secretary of State's Office announced Schleiker's appointment on Thursday, along with the reappointment of Saguache County Clerk Trish Gilbert and the appointment of interim member Jefferson County Clerk Amanda Gonzalez. The Electronic Recording Technology Board serves a crucial role in supporting Colorados counties, said Secretary of State Jena Griswold. I am excited to welcome Clerks Schleiker, Gilbert, and Gonzalez to the board their dedication to public service will add greatly to the boards achievements. The Electronic Recording Technology Board was created in 2016. Housed within the Department of State, the board develops, maintains, improves, replaces and preserves land records systems in Colorado. Since 2021, the board also considers security improvements for counties land recording systems. The board has awarded more than $10 million to counties for improvements, maintenance and digitization of property records and other documents including $260,000 awarded so far this year. The grants largely go to rural counties to help fund technological upgrades, according to Griswold's office. I am looking forward to serving the public on the Electronic Recording Technology Board, Schleiker said in a statement. The recording offices in counties statewide must operate with efficient systems that are current with 21st century technology and provide the public access to recorded documents. Our customers are impacted by the success of these systems. Schleiker's two-year term on the board begins on July 1. Singapore jails Indonesian man for encashing Marina Bay Sands casino tickets worth SGD17,900 A Singapore court has sentenced an Indonesian man, who came as a tourist, for unlawfully encashing Marina Bay Sands Casino slot machine tickets worth SGD17,900. He had been arrested at Changi Airport in late March this year and then put on trial. The sentence has recently been passed. Interiors of the Marina Bay Sands Casino, where the convicted Indonesian man had gone to gamble. Photo courtesy: Instagram/ buildingswow The man, named Silitonga Andri Parulian, 27, had not robbed anyone, but he also did not return the tickets lying on the casino floor. The tickets had fallen out of a folder carried by a casino staff member. Parulian, who had planned to play some casino games, spotted the dropped tickets, quietly picked them up, encashed all of them, pocketed the money, and tried to fly out of the country immediately. This was an unlawful use of the casino tickets. According to state prosecutor Lim Yeow Leong, a casino manager named Tham Wan Nyit, who was in charge of slot-machine operations, had dropped them. Before the staffer could retrace his steps and find the tickets, they were already picked up by Parulian. The visitor was obliged to give the tickets to the casino security, but he quickly encashed them. All his actions were captured on CCTV. The Indonesian never returned to his hotel and went to Changi Airport, where he spent the night. Meanwhile, he even managed to move some of the money to his bank in Indonesia, using Western Union Money Transfer. He managed to transfer several thousand Singapore dollars in this manner. While all this was going on, the casino officials called the Singapore Police, who saw the Indonesians face on the CCTV footage. They sent out a stop list to exit points around the island state; the tourist was identified when he tried to leave through Changi. Even after being arrested, Parulian refused to return the money he had already transferred, and he would not tell the police what happened to the rest. During the trial, he pleaded guilty to dishonestly misappropriating money and was sentenced to prison. Those godless heathens over at Rotten Tomatoes have been sending us down the wayward path for years, with reviews from major media outlets (in other words, liberal brainwashing machines) leaving conservative audiences alienated and frustrated. Thats why James Carrick has masterminded Worth It or Woke?, a new site that promises to review movies from a conservative Christian perspective. Carrick tells Fox News Digital that the site will help viewers avoid films with woke messages, but wait, theres more! If Worth It or Woke completes its mission, Hollywood will learn it can no longer ignore or talk down to conservatives or force a radical agenda on them. Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox. How do some well-known comedies rank on the woke/anti-woke scale? Its not always as straightforward as youd think. While Worth It or Woke? has reviewed less than 100 movies total so far, here are some funny movies rated according to non-wokeness, with a score of 100 being the most non-woke. Got that? Lets go. (The sites sometimes iffy punctuation and spelling are left intact lest we enforce a radical grammar agenda on Carrick and crew.) The 40-Year-Old Virgin Non-Wokeness Score: 100 percent Woke Elements: The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a deceptively conservative film. Amidst its often vulgar and adolesent (sic) humor, the truth of the film is that waiting for a commited (sic) and monogomous (sic) relationship is worth it. Everyone in the movie who has had and does have multiple partners is actually somewhat sad, with the exception of Seth Rogens Cal, who is too stupid and high to know the difference. Romany Malcos Jay is a serial cheater and is actually miserable underneath his slick veneer, that is until he finds out that his girlfriend is pregnant. Once he finds out that he is a father (which he acknowledges upon seeing the ultrasound) and comes to grips with the underlying reasons that he cheats, he becomes monogomous (sic) and happy. Advertisement Elemental Non-Wokeness Score: 10 percent Woke Elements: Elemental is the perfect metaphor for Leftist views of diversity. Here you have a mostly peaceful and cohesive society filled with a diverse group of people from completely different backgrounds and cultures. Then, on the other side of town is a relatively small group of people who are literally made of a deadly and dangerous substance with the ability to destroy everything around them just by getting too upset or even accidentally touching someone. Yet, the movie wants to preach that three-fourths of the society is bigoted for wanting to be cautious around them. Advertisement Renfield Non-Wokeness Score: 49 percent Woke Elements: Every man is either a moron, disgusting beta male, dirty cop, evil murderous henchman or a centuries-old blood-sucking vampire. The Super Mario Bros. Movie Advertisement Non-Wokeness Score: 85 percent Woke Elements: The movies greatest weakness is its use of Peach. With the exception of the American version of Super Mario 2, the plot for every main title Super Mario game is that Peach is kidnapped and Mario and Luigi rescue her. However, in this film, it is Luigi who is kidnapped and Peach and Mario who go on the main quest. Thats all fine and good but what isnt is that Peach is absolutely amazing and perfect in every way, completely actualized and needs to learn nothing in the film. She never makes a mistake or a wrong turn. She is a textbook Mary Sue. Mario is only along for the ride because she allows it. This shift in dynamic only serves to water down Mario while nearly completely castrating Luigi. Advertisement Eighty for Brady Non-Wokeness Score: 95 percent Woke Elements: The irony that I dont have much to put in this section when talking about a film that features both Sally Field and Hanoi Jane, is not lost on me. However, I dont. As Good As It Gets Non-Wokeness Score: 89 percent Woke Elements: If this movie was made today, many of us would assume that it was woke. The main character, a white guy is the one who has to learn how to live life from a woman and a gay man. However, while some of its themes are certainly progressive, the film isnt preachy. It tells the story of a man who is deeply troubled who is taking it upon himself to be a better man. Sure, his motiviation (sic) in the begining (sic) is the power of boners, but in the end he learns how to love both his hearts desire and (platonicly (sic)) his gay neighbor, and if it was made today theyd end up a throuple and Nicholsons character would give a soliloquy about the superior virtues of homosexuals. Most of the time, childrens cartoons are a pleasant enough way for a kid to pass a bit of time and allow their parents to get some stuff done. Theres an enormous spectrum of them out there shittily-made, production-line shows that offer nothing of any value at one end, and beautifully produced, emotionally rich shows at the other. Sometimes, though, whatever the quality and intent of the show being made, something ends up not quite working, and not quite working in a way which upsets, horrifies or endangers people. Like 5 When Peppa Pig Told Australians to Befriend Spiders British cartoon Peppa Pig is a global phenomenon, to the extent that American parents of Peppa-obsessed kids occasionally find their offspring speaking in British accents. One 2004 episode, Mr. Skinnylegs, sees Peppa horrified by a spider that her younger brother George has befriended. Over the course of the episode, she learns not to be afraid of spiders, and gives her new arachnid friend a name. In a lot of places, not being afraid of spiders is a great, positive lesson to learn. But in Australia, being wary of spiders is pretty sensible the Sydney funnel-web and the redback are two of the most deadly spiders on Earth, so teaching kids that theyre silly and friendly is, well, not what you want to do. A parent-led campaign caused the episode, and its follow-up Spider Web, to be pulled from future broadcast Down Under. 4 When Pokemon Gave Hundreds of Kids Seizures In 1997, an episode of Pokemon aired in Japan and resulted in a large number of children having to go to the emergency room. The episode, Denno Senshi Porigon (translated variously as Electric Soldier Porygon, or Cyber Soldier Porygon), sees Ash, Pikachu and their friends travel into cyberspace to find Porygon, a digital Pokemon thats been kidnapped by Team Rocket. A midair collision between Pikachu and a missile leads to a flashing red and blue strobe-like sequence that immediately sent around 700 Japanese kids to the hospital with photosensitive seizures. Advertisement Later that evening, news programs showed the sequence again when reporting the story, and even more people had seizures. However, it didnt cause any of them to hate the show. I felt a little dizzy toward the end of the program but Id be sad if I could not watch the program anymore, one girl told the New York Times. The episode was edited for future broadcasts, regulations were tightened around strobe effects and Pokemon went on to become world-conqueringly enormous. Advertisement 3 When Tiny Toon Adventures Made Drunk-Driving Seem Hilarious Tiny Toon Adventures was a conscious effort at reimagining the classic Looney Tunes characters for a new generation. Executive producer Steven Spielberg and animation mastermind Tom Ruegger successfully created a whole knowing, metatextual cartoon universe (Tiny Toons led to Animaniacs, Taz-Mania, Freakazoid, Pinky and the Brain and more) full of characters that knew they were animated and willingly subverted all the conventions associated with that. Advertisement One episode, One Beer, served as a spoof of animated public service announcements, and saw the main cast of Plucky Duck, Hampton J. Pig and Buster Bunny get wasted on a single drink and turn into leering, slurring scumbags with five-o-clock shadows. Their bender ends with them driving a stolen police car off a mountain, before panning out and revealing that they are actually fine but warning everyone watching about the dangers of alcohol. The network decided the joke would be lost on a lot of the shows prepubescent audience and shelved the segment. 2 When Dexters Laboratory Went Surprisingly Foul-Mouthed Dexters Laboratory was a key part of Cartoon Networks late-1990s reinvention into a home of cutting-edge animation that could be enjoyed by adults as well as kids. Creator Genndy Tartakovsky is rightly hailed as one of the most unique and creative voices to ever work in kids animation, and influenced a whole subsequent generation of animators. Advertisement Advertisement One 1997 episode of Dexters Laboratory, however, was never broadcast on its original run. Dexters Rude Removal saw the titular pint-sized scientist creating a machine to remove all the rudeness from his big sister Dee Dee. What transpired was two versions of both characters polite ones, and ones consisting solely of rudeness. Tartakovsky and his team had a lot of fun making the characters swear excessively and then bleeping it out, but seven minutes of mooning, flipping the bird and saying things like Im fucking starving (bleeped, but still) proved too much for the networks Standards & Practices Department. When Hari Kondabolu was promoting his most recent stand-up special, Vacation Baby, he recruited an unlikely new friend to help get the word out: Hank Azaria. Play For anyone familiar with Kondabolus career, the joke was delicious and a long time coming. In 2017, Kondabolu made The Problem With Apu, a documentary that expressed his frustration with The Simpsons portrayal of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the lovable Indian immigrant who operates Springfields Kwik-E-Mart. The film convincingly argued that Nahasapeemapetilon was little more than a coarse cultural stereotype, inspiring generations of Simpsons viewers to thoughtlessly greet real-life South Asians with Apus exaggerated, clownish accent and his trademark expression, Thank you, come again! That the character was voiced by a white actor, Emmy-winner Hank Azaria, was even more offensive to people like Kondabolu, who in the documentary talked to other South Asian celebrities, such as Kal Penn, who grew up being bullied because of Apu. Kondabolu had hoped Azaria would sit down for an interview for The Problem With Apu, but he declined. Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox. Things have changed in the last six years both for Kondabolu and Azaria. In recent times, Azaria has made amends for the performance, going on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in 2018 to announce he was willing and happy to stop doing the character. He also eventually reached out to Kondabolu, who spoke to Azaria about the fallout from the documentary on Code Switch earlier this year. As for Kondabolu, hes still getting death threats about The Problem With Apu, but hes moved on. For one thing, the 40-year-old comic had a son during the pandemic, a momentous, unexpected occurrence that helped inspire Vacation Baby. (The name comes from the fact that the child was conceived while Kondabolu was on holiday in Hawaii.) Advertisement Self-financed and released for free on YouTube an extended album version of the special is available for purchase through Bandcamp Vacation Baby finds Kondabolu in a laidback, reflective mood at the Bell House in Brooklyn. He remains politically pointed Roe v. Wade was overturned about a week before he recorded the special, a landmark decision he knew he had to tackle but hes also looser, more relaxed, like hes just talking to us about whats on his mind. Hes still really funny, but less concerned about going for the jugular. On Vacation Baby, he allows his humor to breathe a little. With recorded stuff, historically, I very much am joke, joke, joke, he says over Zoom from his Brooklyn home while assessing the comedic shift thats evident on Vacation Baby. This is what I planned, riffing if necessary, but this is what I planned. But my best work, honestly, is when Im not like that when Im kind of in between when I know my shit but can go off on a tangent and its just as funny. I was having more fun up there. Advertisement Advertisement As he talks to me, I notice pictures of Joni Mitchell and Nina Simone behind him on the wall. Thats my partners, he says, referring to Jocelyn Bonadio-de Freitas, the mother of their son. (In Vacation Baby, Kondabolu amusingly jokes about how certain liberal audiences are always so disappointed that when he refers to my partner that hes not gay.) Also on the wall is the black-and-white photo of Kondabolu and his baby that adorns the cover of Vacation Baby. There are plenty of terrible things still going on in the world, and Kondabolu isnt about to stop calling them out. (Talking about some material he wrote pre-pandemic that hes ready to revisit, he notes, wryly, Luckily, colonialism and racism is still evergreen. So I still got a bunch of stuff to talk about. If anything, colonialism is something that more people are talking about now than ever before. Im like, Just a matter of time until colonialism is back in style.) But theres no denying that hes in a good place right now and he isnt going to complain about that. Advertisement During our conversation, we talked a lot about Vacation Baby, but we also focused on its larger implications both professionally and personally. Where does he see his career at the moment? How has fatherhood affected his comedy? And are he and Azaria buddies now? Kondabolu had the answers as well as telling me why clapter can be useful as a comedian and why he still feels very conflicted about The Simpsons. Play Advertisement Advertisement Maybe Im imagining it, but you seem happier in Vacation Baby. You still talk about why everything is terrible, but I get the sense that fatherhood very much agrees with you. Yeah, I think that you see joy on my face a bit more in this special. I look at the other work Ive done, its not like I didnt have joy then it just feels like maybe I didnt know how to put that forward in the same way. Theres something about anger that works as a protective shield if youre venting, if youre fuming, its harder for people to hurt you. I historically have been able to let people see me through my values and ideas and not through my personal life in any way, because that was a scarier place for me to go. This one, Im actually opening up, but I also discovered that lets me be more playful and silly and fun because Im allowing myself to enjoy parts of it. I love being a dad I love this part of my life. When people dont laugh at an idea, thats vulnerable enough, but when its about a personal experience or something youre going through, it makes you feel that much more vulnerable: I shared this with you, and you betrayed me. That is new for me. Advertisement Some comics worry about doing Life as a new dad jokes because they fear it will make them seem less edgy. Were you concerned about that? There was a part of me that was, Just ignore it. Just go back to what you normally do. And then Im like, Thats not what youre supposed to do. (Fatherhood) is a life-changing experience, plus COVID to ignore both those things, that doesnt show any bravery and that isnt consistent with what Ive wanted to do with my art and with my career. But part of it for me was, How do I do it in a way that (isnt) cheesy? Thats the biggest fear that you become a dad comic who talks about day-to-day dad stuff. Advertisement There is something about having experiences other people (have) when youre in your 20s that feels corny the thing you want to be the least is corny and hackneyed. I remember looking at a sunset once and thinking, Man, this is just like a postcard this is so cheesy. And then Im like (angry at himself), Its a sunset! Yeah, you can have experiences that many people have, but its still distinctly your own because its not the experience itself thats part of it, but its the filter that it goes through, and youre the filter. The years of living that youve had is the filter and the lens you bring as a result. It took a long time to be able to accept that. Advertisement With fatherhood, some of it was like, I have a feeling this has been done. Im pretty sure this has been done. The different-colored poops have been done. What is the deeper stuff? Where are the insecurities? What is the uniqueness? And part of the uniqueness was how we had the kid, the fact that we had to move cross-country to have the kid. It was a global pandemic. It was bringing a child into the world I dont know if theres ever been a great time in world history, but this certainly isnt it. And then the last little bit that was fascinating, (I was) recording the special a week after Roe v. Wade happens I found out the news hours before I went on stage in Chicago the week before. So I had a week to figure out how to make this special make sense to me. Look, I could have still put it out without referencing Roe v. Wade, but it just felt phony: Im a man talking about having a child during a pandemic, and Im just going to ignore Roe v. Wade like that never happened? Part of the special is about the choice to have a child: The child wasnt expected and we chose to have a kid, and were going to ignore the idea that choice is a privilege even more so now than ever before? So all that stuff made for a really unique experience. Advertisement Advertisement Stand-ups take months and months honing material before recording a special. You barely had any time to figure out how to make the Roe v. Wade material fit with the rest of the hour let alone make sure it was polished enough. Thats not an ideal situation. Its awful creatively. But the part of me that kept getting annoyed was like, Let me get this straight: Youre getting annoyed that you cant come up with jokes? The issue is Roe v. Wade being overturned! To me, it would be a betrayal to the audience in the room that knows me and that came for me to not address it. My thinking was, At the bare minimum, acknowledge it. Best-case scenario, you come up with something that works, that is something youre proud of, that is funny, that has some interesting things that ties the special together, something that adds to it. Advertisement The whole time youre preparing for a special, I think a lot of us run the risk of being not present because were not performing for the audience in the room were performing for the audience that (well be) performing for when we record it. Whenever you see a stand-up preparing for a late-night set, even if they were pretending they were making eye contact with the audience, they werent there they were thinking, How is this going to play later? And so part of me is like, Im in the room am I going to play for the imaginary audience thats listening to this later, as opposed to the audience thats in the room now? At what point are you actually playing for the audience in front of you? And it was that moment where Im like, I got to play for the audience thats in front of me, because all these other shows Ive been battling to try to stay focused because Ive been thinking about this audience now is not the time to think about a future audience thats listening to this. Advertisement Advertisement I knew that memorizing (the Roe v. Wade material) that late might be tricky. And coming up with something short and punchy especially about that thats also appropriate, that also has heart, is going to be tricky. So I came up with things (my partner and I) had to think about when discussing whether we wanted to have a child. That allowed me to read (a medical pamphlet on stage), which took some of the pressure away. It allowed me to have multiple examples, which were easier to edit around if something fell flat. It gave me opportunities to tie in callbacks so it doesnt sound out of place that its still organic to the set and it still lets me address Roe v. Wade. The version thats on YouTube, thats definitely a poppier version. Theres a longer version of the special thats on Bandcamp, (thats) about 25 minutes longer, where you see more of the fat and its a little less perfect, but its a little bit more honest and raw as a result. I didnt want that for the YouTube special because thats not its purpose. But on the album, you do hear a little bit more of that and a little bit more silence by choice. Advertisement So yeah, it was really hard. I was writing up till the buzzer: Even between shows, what I read the first show and what I read the second show (for the special) wasnt exactly the same. My opener, Liz Miele, was helping me punch it up. My longtime writing partner and collaborator, Ahamefule J. Oluo who was also recording, and ended up doing the edit and helping produce it was trying to come up with ideas, too. It was still a living thing, which is what good art should be thats what stand-up is. Same thing with my Netflix special: There were a few lines in there that I wrote between shows because Im like, Its still missing a pop and we got nothing to lose. We might as well just throw everything out there. Its funny: Youre so precious until the day of (the special), and then all of a sudden its like everything goes. If it hits, its great. Advertisement Advertisement So yeah, it was very alive. Looking back on it, Im like, You dont want the thing to feel stale. Youve done (the material) a million times this prevented it from feeling completely stale. There was something that was brand new in it that was actually pretty important. Do you think of your specials as time capsules of who you were as a person at that moment in your life? I do, yeah. I think part of that also is a recording philosophy. I think some people want an authentic one-show feeling: I recorded this, this is how it felt. Im not shy about editing because, to me, this is supposed to reflect a period of time a set of material and I want it to sound as good as possible for an audience listening to it later. My concern isnt so much about historical accuracy in terms of one magic-bullet show that you capture all the ins and outs and the flubs Im not interested in that. Im going to give you the best of those two shows where I delivered things the best, where there were funny moments, but also that really best displays the stuff Im working on and lets you know where Im at. Advertisement I understand the idea of doing it in one show and having an honest recording: Anything can happen and if things go wrong, thats part of the magic I get that. But part of me also is like, Yeah, but theres a difference between a live show and something recorded, and youre getting the best of this time period. This is a slice of my life at this time. Each one of those hours whether only I see the difference or feel the difference reflects where I was. This one is more clear to the audience because I wasnt a dad before and now I am. Play Advertisement Advertisement So whos the guy who made Warn Your Relatives, your 2018 Netflix special? I was single. The Apu documentary had come out a couple of months earlier, and it was the best and worst thing that has happened, and I still feel that way. I impacted a lot of people I led this conversation but I still get death threats. I made a documentary about how I hate being associated with this stereotypical character and, as a result, Im forever associated with a stereotypical character. But at that point, Im recording that special and Im still coming off the buzz of this (documentary) making a dent. So my confidence is at an extremely high level, and I see that in that performance. I also can see how much I cared this (new) special, its not that I dont care, but I see somebody whos like, I have to get this done. Im still sharp (in the new special), but I feel looser Im going with whats there. I am having more fun. Advertisement When youre watching Chris Rock and Bring the Pain by the way, Im not comparing myself to that but this dude is not riffing. He knows what hes doing hes in control of the room, hes there to destroy you, and at the end, the mics going to drop. When I was recording my Netflix special, thats the feeling I had. But when I was recording in Brooklyn (for Vacation Baby), Im like, God, I hope this works, because I gave myself (only) four months. Usually when its ready, then Ill record it (but this time) I gave myself three to four months of touring to write a new hour. I didnt use much of the stuff Id written before the pandemic, because it felt like it didnt have a place I wanted to talk about having a kid. Usually, my stuff is battle-tested over years, but a lot of (Vacation Baby) was written during a really vulnerable period of time, and Ive never been this vulnerable on stage here we go. Advertisement Advertisement You self-financed Vacation Baby. What did you learn from doing a special that way? I knew how much it costs it raised the pressure because its coming out of my pocket. If there are other comics who were thinking about going the same route, the thing I learned is, know exactly what this is for. Are you putting this out on YouTube, or are you trying to sell it? Those are two very different things I tried to do both. I thought, Let me make something if there are people interested, Ill sell it, and if not, Im going to put it out (on my own). I didnt want to be patient theres a difference between You make the thing and you just wait as long as you can and see if theres going to be a buyer and You need to put it out now because this things going to be dated. If you put a timestamp on it, its going to be hard to sell, because youre saying that this thing is going to be relevant only for so long. Advertisement (With Vacation Baby), I said, This thing is meant for the internet. And as a result, the production values can be less still high, but I dont need a six-camera shoot. You can do it with decent lights and two or three cameras. Liz Miele, who I love, is one of my best friends, and shes produced a number of specials that she has spent less than 20 (grand on) and its not to say 20 grand or 15 grand are small numbers, but its easier to make your money back with that. And I certainly think its more sustainable. Im not going to tell you what I spent, but I will tell you that I wouldve done it for less in hindsight. If youre deciding to go on YouTube, youre hoping that it pops, but even if it doesnt immediately, its a long game its going to live there. People will pass it around. You dont know when people find things you dont know what clips will eventually go super-viral. You dont know when something will be relevant again. You let it live. Youre going to have a long career people will find it eventually, and its a much more patient kind of route. Advertisement Advertisement When you have a Netflix special or HBO Max or whatever theres the immediate push of the network. Even though Netflix doesnt put a bunch of stuff out in terms of advertising, I definitely had some Subway posters, which was cool it was on their front page, and that means more than anything else at this point. For (Vacation Baby), youre doing the push, and you have to be good with that. Would I do it again? Yeah, I would. Because, at the end of the day, the thing that was frustrating was the fact that me and a lot of other comics were waiting for streamers to get their shit together, to figure out what they wanted to do, to know who theyre making offers to. And unless youre one of the big superstar comics, youre basically waiting. And I got sick of waiting I didnt want to be beholden to that. I want to release work. Everything that we do is controlled except when we release the work thats just mind-boggling. It feels like youre sitting on material that you want to expunge, and the only way to expunge it is to put it out. And so thats what (self-releasing a special) gives you it gives you that level of control. Advertisement If Netflix came up to me and asked me to make it, of course Id say yes. But if its a matter of just waiting, I dont want to wait, and we dont need to anymore. No comedian wants to sit on the same stuff forever, at least not anyone worth their weight. The idea that you have an act is absurd no, you have a living document that youre constantly editing. To me, its a book of essays Im waiting to publish so I can get to the next one. In Vacation Baby, and earlier in your career, you occasionally do this thing where you present the audience with a punchline that you know doesnt work and then, later, try to offer another punchline, which also doesnt work. I love that you intentionally do material that fails, creating suspense about whether the joke will ever land. Advertisement Advertisement A good punchline beats any trick with regards to form. If I found one punchline I was happy with, then we would move on without needing that structural game I like to play. But when you feel like you dont have that, but the point is still interesting and there still can be fun there So much of what Ive learned as a performer is from the great British comic Stewart Lee. Watching his specials 41st Best Stand-Up Ever! and If You Prefer a Milder Comedian, Please Ask for One, you see that the idea of a setup and then a punchline, that doesnt need to be the only way a joke is told. Theres jokes in the fact that were in this room where you can just deconstruct the idea of performance. Even if a joke fails, theres something in that failure thats funny. One thing me and the audience all share in this moment if we dont share anything else is that we were just here when that joke failed. Its really learning to see a show as not just a vehicle to present material, but in itself as material. Advertisement Thats what Stewart Lee's art opened up for me. You saw Mr. Show and different types of alternative comedy and how it could work with sketch and just how the fourth wall could be broken there arent limits but with stand-up, I wanted to see more of that, and so I already had (that) desire and started to play with that. But once I saw (Lee) do it, it was like, Shit, this was all the stuff I wondered whether I could do. This is the kind of joke I wanted to make, and he just wrote the masters thesis version of that joke. Watching that opened my brain up and let me have more fun on stage. It was tricky because I didnt want to do what he did for a long time, I worried, Am I just copying what he did? But then I started to think, Well, hes even talked about some of the things that he does hes either nicked or came from other comics hes put his own spin on it. So when I see a joke thats not working, all of a sudden Im like, The failure is funny. The idea that Im even attempting to make this work is funny. All of that is so freeing theres five minutes of laughter there that is so much bigger than one quick punchline could have given me. Advertisement Advertisement I always give him credit because I do think that comedy has been so much more fulfilling to me, as an art form, (because) he made it not just setups and punchlines he made the whole thing a fun game. But, honestly, it is kind of a curse because it means that theres audiences that dont know what the hell Im doing. The idea of a joke failing somewhat intentionally doesnt work quite as well if the rest of the jokes arent working either. (Laughs) Then all of a sudden there is no difference between an intentional fail and one that wasnt intended to fail. Play Advertisement For Vacation Baby, you made a cheeky promo starring Hank Azaria, who you criticized in your documentary The Problem With Apu for his portrayal of the Simpsons character. He wouldnt be interviewed for the documentary, but you two have spoken since as part of his effort to make amends for voicing Apu. I wondered if there was any part of you that didnt want to talk to him after the negative online reaction to The Problem With Apu. Advertisement Id reached out to him after he was on Colbert and (hed) said, basically, Ive reconsidered the character, and I understand why this is upsetting. I said, Hey, thanks for that. It means a lot to know that there was some impact. He didnt write back, and that was fine. I was aware, also, that he wasnt really mentioning my documentary or how he got to that conclusion, which was a little bit of a frustrating point for me, but I was glad that at least it felt like there had been some progress. That was cool to know that I contributed to that. Advertisement Years later, he wrote back to that email I wrote him he wanted to meet for breakfast and we did. It was a really nice conversation, and he was talking about things we could do together. I was honest with him: I really dont want to have to do this whole thing over and have to make it a big thing. Perhaps at some point, we could have a public conversation and that seems interesting, but I dont want to make this a bigger thing again, because our experiences with it have been very different. For you, this is a, whoa, you learned something and want to impact positive change in the world especially working with white people with regards to race and privilege, and thats incredible. But for me, this is old hat it was an old topic when I made the documentary. It was something that I felt like I had already addressed. Advertisement I thought, If were going to reopen it, lets reopen it in a way that fits what I would like to do, which is talk about, not so much the documentary, but the aftermath. Thats what I find more interesting: understanding how an interesting topic can be watered down; how the internet regurgitates it; how people can have opinions without ever seeing the actual documentary; how people in other countries are talking about it and writing about it, even though they didnt have access to it since it was only available in the U.S. for over two years. Advertisement That felt like a nice jumping-off point in addition to Hanks journey with it. And so when Gene (Demby) at Code Switch and I talked about this, and he said, I think the angle thats interesting is what happens after a call-out, Im like, Thats exactly the way Ive been looking at it. Thats the nuanced conversation. And when Hank was down for that, it felt great if we were going to talk about it, we were going to talk about it on my terms in a way that felt more authentic to me. Because talking about that cartoon character, after a while it just stopped being interesting. Advertisement Still, did you worry that Azaria was using you to validate his redemption tour? Part of me certainly felt like, Hey, the offer was on the table when I made the film. That wouldve been not only a perfect opportunity, it wouldve been such a forward move, because it wouldve skipped all these intermediate steps that we went through it wouldve shown America this is how a good conversation can be had in an unexpected way. It didnt become that, and my bitterness about it not becoming that was very clear in the film by the end of it where an animated version of me beats up an animated version of Hank. But (the Code Switch appearance), on the other hand, felt like a mature adult conversation, which is what I wanted to have. It was much more nuanced than perhaps we could have had back then, to be fair, because he had to be on a journey to understand this and he had to really think about what it was I was talking about that it wasnt a personal attack as much as it was a discussion of his role in a much longer history of minstrelsy and racism. It took years of work on his part, and Im appreciative of that, but initially, it was like, Why do I want to reopen this and just talk about what youve learned? Advertisement How are things between you now? Advertisement We text every now and then. Its not like were best friends, but certainly were bonded by this very strange thing. Were now forever connected and that could have been a negative thing, but weve both made it into something positive. I appreciate him, and he has very clearly said how he appreciates me. To me, its pretty wonderful. At the end of the day, I know Im right (about Apu) it always felt that way. I look at this character, and I understand the complexity of the character now. I understand the context that he was created in. I understand how hes one of the more developed characters on that show now they did the best they could to make something out of him. But I know that when future generations look at this character, theyre going to wince that seems obvious to me. What I found amusing and frustrating was like, You guys are struggling to see this? Really? So many things have happened in our world and youre struggling to see this? And knowing that makes it easier to be like, All right, whatever bullshit Im taking now Advertisement I got a tweet the other day from somebody I dont like when anybody mentions my kids, like any parent that said, Hows it going to feel when your kid knows that you killed this cartoon character? And Im like, How delusional are you where you think my kids going to care about anything Ive done? I dont know if Einstein had children, but do you think they (said,) Oh, relativity? That was you?! Also, (my son) is not going to know what The Simpsons is. And he is not going to know what Apu is and if he does, he is going to know it in the way that we know, like, Sambo. Its going to be a slur. Its going to feel weird the way when I saw Speedy Gonzales that was weird even when I was a kid. Talking to Hank about it, though, has given me a lot more clarification. He says, When you think of a character like Carl (the writers) gave him a background that he was adopted and is from Sweden the fact they even invested in a backstory is because you made that documentary, so they decided to actually be more creative and do something. The fact that all these people of color who are voice actors are getting work on The Simpsons and on other shows is because you made a documentary that forced people to actually have to confront it. The Simpsons is more interesting, whether they like to admit it or not, because I forced them to be more interesting. Advertisement Advertisement Hank saying that to me, I didnt think about it that way because I stopped watching the show. To be fair, I stopped watching the show for other reasons years earlier. (Laughs) It just got boring. But at the same time, its good to know that I had something positive to add. Look, its hard for me to even watch the reruns now it kind of broke my heart with how they reacted to (the documentary). But I still make Simpsons jokes. I still make references. Theres still things I say: Stop! Stop! Hes already dead! We cant help it: For a lot of us, that show is embedded in our DNA. My best friend in college didnt see The Simpsons and it was really hard it was confusing to me. Its like, You dont understand anything Im saying to you right now? None of these (references) make sense to you? The Lisa and Bart mystery episodes, which I wish they did more of, were always my favorites because me and my brother watched The Simpsons religiously. We were just always joined by the hip we are extremely close, and anything with siblings always made us happy. I love those episodes, so its also a connection to family and friends. Advertisement In Vacation Baby, you describe how your son was conceived. Have your parents ever told you how you were conceived? No, and I dont want them to. I have no interest whatsoever. As far as Im concerned, my parents have had sex twice, so that led to two children. And even the two times Im on the fence about Im aware at some point (my son is) going to have to deal with the fact that this special (mentions how he was conceived). Hes going to understand it and its going to horrify him. Thats something I realized I scarred him. But if this special helps pay for college, I feel like were even. You talk about your mom in your stand-up, mentioning how close you two are. But what part of you comes from your dad? Advertisement The tunnel vision. My dad is very good at focusing, putting his head down, getting stuff done hes incredibly hardworking, as is my mom. My dad knew how to hustle (he) worked not only his main job, but he worked five or six other jobs after his main job and on weekends and put me through college and grad school. I saw how hard he worked. Its not to say I didnt see how hard my mom worked I dont think, at the time, I appreciated the labor women do when theyre not at work. Thats a job, too Ive apologized and thanked her since, but still. Advertisement My dad did what he had to do till he got the job done, but in terms of personality stuff, I think I was always closer with my mom and there was always a give and take. Shes just funny and shes very dark, and shes dealt with her own losses and tragedies with humor. Thats always been the reason why I am as dark at times with what I talk about and why Im attracted to painful things. Thats where you need the most light the darkest places. Thats why I end up going there. In Warn Your Relatives, you have a joke where your mom says in anger to you, Dont have children. I wondered if that joke came back to you after you had your son. Oh my god, I forgot about that joke! I think that was a moment of frustration when she said that and not a general philosophy shes always wanted me to have kids. Advertisement I was just thinking about the fact that talking about my family and my parents (in my stand-up) is actually relatively new. It really starts with the second album (Mainstream American Comic) I put out I was sitting on a bunch of stuff with my family for a decade-plus that I didnt use. A lot of (my reluctance) was the stigma around hearing other comics say stuff like, Of course, hes going to talk about his immigrant parents... I just didnt want to be known as that, so I stayed away from it. And at some point, it hit me that they all talk about their parents whats the difference between my parents and their parents? Advertisement I dont use accents thats never been my thing, not only because of some of the philosophical issues with it but I dont do them well. (I thought,) Oh, is the issue that you cant make that kind of joke I can make? Is that the reason, because you cant match me with that? Thats absurd. And so I started talking about my folks and their experiences and where theyre from and things that I denied myself because I was worried about not even the lens of the audience, but the lens of my peers. Advertisement Stand-up is in a much different place now than it was then in that regard because I see just the number of things people are talking about, and the range of topics is just beautiful. But I think a lot of us were like that where we denied ourselves which is funny because one of my biggest inspirations, the reason I started, was Margaret Cho, and she talked about her parents all the time. Maybe that was part of where that stigma came from, because people saw how successful Margaret was, and so immediately its shutting everybody down who could possibly have a similar thing. What Im proud of is when I talk about my folks, especially my mom, I give them the upper hand. It isnt wacky immigrant parents. Its like, Oh, my mom is the one putting me down. When I talk about my dad in this new hour that Im doing, its more about him being a middle-class person, somebody who likes package deals, somebody who likes to assign blame as a hobby. So I suppose, what makes him unique isnt just that hes an immigrant, its that hes totally bought into the middle-class ideal. To me, thats so interesting. And I stayed away from even getting close to that territory because of the fear of how others would look at it. Advertisement It goes back to the vulnerability thing. Telling a joke about your family is so personal that if an audience rejects it, its like theyre rejecting you and your folks. Advertisement Absolutely. Even with the race stuff, theres this feeling of Am I alone? And when people are laughing or clapping I have thoughts on the clapping business, too, Ill share in a moment theres a feeling of catharsis that comes with it. When you dont feel that, its like, I feel really alone right now. But the family stuff, its certainly that. The bigger thing with the family stuff though, especially with the kid, is I dont want his life to be framed by what I say about him. I dont want him to have to deal with my feelings and my thoughts about him and his life and who he is and how I view him. I think, going forward, Im going to be minimal about that. Theres something about him being this small, youre not really getting him or his personality very much. But as he gets older, I dont want to do that because its not like its a one-way street theres an echo chamber here, hes going to be impacted by it. So I dont know how long Im going to be talking about my kid, but I know at a certain point it has to be almost more philosophical or what it means to be a father than about him as a human being. Advertisement Okay, tell me your thoughts on clapping. Theres this concept of clapter thats used derisively: Instead of getting a laugh, people are clapping and its a political point and its not a joke. That annoys me because Ive definitely been accused of that, and I think anybody who makes points of any sort gets accused of that. If the punchline (provokes) clapping, thats the issue but clapping in the setup helps the misdirection, because if people think youre talking about something in a righteous way, and then youre able to spin it another way or put it on yourself, theyre not expecting that. Theyre clapping because theyve already made up their mind its going in a particular direction clapping is a useful tool, its part of the misdirection. Advertisement When Ive missed a punchline and I realize its not strong enough because people are clapping, it annoys me because it means Ive failed as a comic. But if the issue is people are (annoyed to hear) clapping and laughing at the same time, which is, I guess, literally clapter, that annoys the hell out of me. Because all the great comics had clapter. Hear every Chris Rock special when he hits a joke that hits you to the bone because its so true people are clapping and laughing. Thats how I know a joke is money it means that what youre telling me is, Im laughing, but you deserve a bonus because it hit me more. Advertisement If you simply mean people are clapping at your points instead of punchlines, thats one thing and that has a nuance to it but if youre talking about people clapping while theyre laughing at your punchline, I want to get people so much that theyre laughing but they want to give me a little bit more to know that I nailed it. Thats the ovation that comes with the laugh. A standing ovation is what? That is literally people getting up to show you what youve done. Look, there are only so many types of sounds that we are allowing: Were allowing the audience to laugh, woos sometimes, and clapping. Were limiting the amount (of reactions) they can show us. Dont take that sound away were only giving them so many sounds. I think people dislike clapter because its saying, Yes, I agree with your point, as opposed to That joke was so funny! Advertisement And I get that. When youre a comic that talks about things you care about, you run the risk of being self-righteous and didactic. I have been self-righteous and didactic do you know how I know? They start clapping, and theyre not laughing. If anything, its a warning to me: You better either turn it or change the punchline, because it means something has not worked out for you. Or it means youre still too angry about whatever it is and too passionate to be able to make this funny. So its a hint its not the end result. Advertisement Also, I am a comic that is embarrassed to admit I have people snapping at my shows and when that happens, I get furious. Do not treat this like poetry if you are snapping, I have failed tremendously. That means I have to throw this whole thing out. I get a lot of people (at my shows) who dont like comedy, but they like me and I want them to know that comedy is bigger than just me. It is an art form you should love because theres so much here for you. Do not snap at my show. It makes this very un-lucrative thing seem even less lucrative. Advertisement No offense to slam poetry, but offense to bad slam poetry. Bad, preachy stand-up is bad slam poetry. It doesnt have the lyricism and the complexity of good poetry, but it has that tone and arrogance and it doesnt have the intelligence of a lecture. Its subway ranting. Play Advertisement Advertisement You talk about having an ego in your stand-up. So many comics lean into self-deprecation, but you own up to your ambitions: I should be in this. I should be doing that. How easy was that to admit on stage? We all have egos even when were being self-deprecating, were still thinking about us. Everything is about us. Our business is about us. Our stand-up is about us. Were on stage claiming that we have something interesting to say for an hour. How pompous are you to just go up with a microphone and be like, Watch me for an hour? Oh, really, are you an expert in this field? Im not an expert in anything, but Im going to talk for an hour about a broad range of things and pretend I know what Im talking about, and youre going to listen and pay for it. Advertisement You need to be a certain type of person to be able to do that its scary to think about what that type of person is, exactly. But ego is definitely a piece of it. For me to deny thats a part of it is nonsense. Im grateful for all the things Ive been able to do and at the same time (I have) a sense of, Ah, I want more. I think thats everybody and what more means looks different to everybody. Im sure some of this could be remedied with a nice slice of Buddhism. (Laughs) But theres also this want for stability and this want for the grind to be a little less hard than its been, because touring comedy is not easy. I want to be honest about that. Im not who I was when you saw me at 23. The comic that you saw 10 years ago is different. Its also me being bruised up a little bit and me being tired and me having ups and me having downs and me feeling great and me feeling like, Where is this going? Its me wanting to quit. Its me cant imagining doing anything else. And that rollercoaster, Im still on it, so why are we pretending that thats not there? And so I think thats the reason I bring ego into it, because it definitely influences how Im feeling and how Im doing. Its something that has to be checked constantly by friends, by family and by myself. At the end of the day, youre an artist and that is great, but thats not all you are. And you might wish you had this, this and this, but the things you have are pretty great. Are you proud of your art? Im proud of this hour. Im proud of the work Ive put out. At the end of the day, thats whats going to stand. Security and threat intelligence company Silobreaker has announced new geopolitical threat intelligence capabilities with RANE (Risk Assistance Network + Exchange). The tie-up will see Silobreaker integrate global risk intelligence company RANE's enterprise geopolitical intelligence into its own platform, providing cyber threat intelligence teams with real-time information about world events that could heighten the risk of cyberattacks. The integration, announced at Infosecurity Europe 2023 in London, will provide context into highly complex, interconnected events, allowing teams to take proactive steps to reduce their organizations' exposure to risks impacting business productivity, resiliency, and continuity, Silobreaker said. The release comes amid an increasing blurring of the lines between geopolitical events and cyber activity, significantly heightened by factors such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, political conflicts, and nation-state cyber campaigns. Integration provides "early warning system" of geopolitical-linked cyber threats Users will be able to seamlessly access RANE reports, country risk scores, and the full resources of Silobreaker's data source-agnostic platform, the firm said. This will help teams retrieve RANE's geopolitical intelligence and pivot between it and other finished intelligence sources, or data from millions of open and dark web sources, to contextualize results and meet complex intelligence requirements, Silobreaker added. Features include automated data collection and customizable dashboards. "In recent years, there's been a blurring of the lines between geopolitical events and cyber activity," said Kristofer Mansson, CEO of Silobreaker. "Today, if you want to defend against the latter, you absolutely need to know about the former. With RANE's geopolitical threat intelligence integrated into our platform, organizations have access to an early warning system of the events that cross over with the most pressing current cyber threats - emphasizing the importance of multi-disciplinary intelligence for mitigating the most serious risks." Organizations warned of significant cyberspace conflict amid Russia-Ukraine war Last September, the head of the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Lindy Cameron, urged UK organizations and Ukraine's allies to prepare for Russian cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure. She cited a "very significant conflict in cyberspace - probably the most sustained and intensive cyber campaign on record - with the Russian State launching a series of major cyberattacks in support of their illegal invasion [of Ukraine]." As organizations continue pursuing digital transformation efforts--from introducing new products and services to leveraging the cloud to continuing hybrid work--securing an enterprises assets has never been more crucial. Yet leaders struggle to hire critical security and IT positions, as there aren't enough qualified applicants to fill open roles. Meanwhile, malicious actors are advancing their tactics, introducing new variants of well-known attack methods, and finding more sophisticated ways to infiltrate networks. They're also increasingly embracing Crime-as-a-Service operations, which can provide even novice cybercriminals with the tools and knowledge needed to carry out a successful attack. With organizations facing growing cybersecurity threats, now is the time to employ innovative strategies to mitigate organizational risk. While recruiting and hiring new security professionals is undoubtedly a part of that strategy, you might be overlooking one of your most valuable assets in the fight against cybercrime: your existing employees. Offering upskilling and reskilling opportunities to your current team members is an effective way to advance your internal capabilities and safeguard your organization while making your enterprise less dependent on competing for new security talent. The skills gap increases organizational risk The skills gap continues to plague organizations around the globe as the threat landscape intensifies. As a result, breaches are becoming more ubiquitous, making every business a target. In the past year, more than 80% of organizations suffered a security breach, with almost 30% suffering five or more. Nearly half of those who experienced a breach said it cost their organization over $1 million to remediate the incident. While most security breaches cant be attributed to a single cause, many leaders say the ongoing cybersecurity skills gap plays a role in these incidents. Nearly 70% of security leaders say their enterprises face additional risks because of the cybersecurity skills shortage. At the same time, more than half of leaders indicate they also struggle to recruit and retain cybersecurity talent. Both recruitment and retention are equally concerning challenges, with skills needed most in the areas of cloud security, threat intelligence, and malware analysis. Specific roles that are proving the most difficult to fill include those focused on cloud security, security operations, and network security. The good news is that many public and private sector organizations are actively working to shrink the cyber skills gap. For example, many seek to source candidates from untapped talent pools to fill these vital positions. Yet even as employers implement more creative approaches to recruiting, the threat landscape is moving at such an unprecedented pace that even the most well-staffed enterprises are finding it difficult to effectively protect their digital assets. The many benefits of upskilling Cybercriminals are showing no signs of slowing, meaning cybersecurity professionals at all levels will need to continually improve their skills and abilities to manage organizational risk effectively. As businesses increasingly embrace new technologies and automation, this magnifies the need for ongoing learning, with the World Economic Forum reporting that half of all employees will require reskilling by 2025. It's encouraging to see that most security leaders already recognize the benefits of upskilling, both for their organization and individual employees, and are committed to supporting individuals in pursuing these opportunities. Upskilling--through opportunities like certification programs--has the potential to improve morale, increase productivity, speed career growth, and enhance employee satisfaction, among other perks. Nearly all leaders (95%) with certifications themselves or who have a certified employee on their team say they have experienced positive results, such as increased cybersecurity knowledge (72%), better performance of duties (62%), and even higher salaries (47%). Effective risk mitigation requires ongoing learning As cybercrime flourishes and your security teams daily task list inevitably grows, your employees need to dedicate time to refreshing and enhancing their skills. Offering ongoing upskilling opportunities is a must-do to ensure your security team and strategy remain effective. And while there are many options for upskilling, certification programs are an accessible, impactful way for security professionals to stay one step ahead of malicious actors, advance their careers, and ultimately protect their respective enterprises. Embrace training programs to upskill your existing security talent There are many well-regarded cybersecurity training and certification programs available that can benefit learners of all levels. Obtaining these certifications often takes far less time than, for example, enrolling in a degree program, making certifications a desirable option for those already employed in the cybersecurity field. Certifications go a long way toward helping to upskill professionals so they can stay ahead of the changing cyber landscape and learn about the latest security technologies. Some certifications--such as the Fortinet Training Institute's Network Security Expert (NSE) Certification program--even offer role-based training opportunities that map to specific skill sets, with specialized paths for network administrators, cybersecurity analysts, system engineers, security architects, and more. Employers increasingly use certifications to verify individual abilities when hiring new employees and are more willing to support current employees in pursuing these programs. According to the Fortinet 2023 Cybersecurity Skills Gap report, 90% of respondents say they would pay for an employee to obtain a cybersecurity certification. Summary Table Advertisement AUD/JPY AUD/JPY: Retail trader data shows 42.62% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.35 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 17.14% higher than yesterday and 19.19% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 3.16% lower than yesterday and 14.52% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests AUD/JPY prices may continue to rise. Yet traders are less net-short than yesterday and compared with last week. Recent changes in sentiment warn that the current AUD/JPY price trend may soon reverse lower despite the fact traders remain net-short. AUD/USD AUD/USD: Retail trader data shows 51.31% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders long to short at 1.05 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 2.16% lower than yesterday and 3.69% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 7.27% higher than yesterday and 0.30% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests AUD/USD prices may continue to fall. Positioning is less net-long than yesterday but more net-long from last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a further mixed AUD/USD trading bias. Oil - US Crude Oil - US Crude: Retail trader data shows 62.58% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders long to short at 1.67 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 2.52% higher than yesterday and 7.04% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 1.84% lower than yesterday and 22.15% lower from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests Oil - US Crude prices may continue to fall. Traders are further net-long than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger Oil - US Crude-bearish contrarian trading bias. Germany 40 Germany 40: Retail trader data shows 23.72% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 3.22 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 1.38% lower than yesterday and 9.68% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 3.71% higher than yesterday and 4.15% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests Germany 40 prices may continue to rise. Traders are further net-short than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger Germany 40-bullish contrarian trading bias. EUR/CHF EUR/CHF: Retail trader data shows 76.54% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders long to short at 3.26 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 3.05% higher than yesterday and 8.14% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 5.56% higher than yesterday and 56.16% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests EUR/CHF prices may continue to fall. Yet traders are less net-long than yesterday and compared with last week. Recent changes in sentiment warn that the current EUR/CHF price trend may soon reverse higher despite the fact traders remain net-long. EUR/GBP EUR/GBP: Retail trader data shows 56.16% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders long to short at 1.28 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 0.25% higher than yesterday and 20.28% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 9.82% higher than yesterday and 13.82% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests EUR/GBP prices may continue to fall. Yet traders are less net-long than yesterday and compared with last week. Recent changes in sentiment warn that the current EUR/GBP price trend may soon reverse higher despite the fact traders remain net-long. EUR/JPY EUR/JPY: Retail trader data shows 33.02% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 2.03 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 14.81% higher than yesterday and 0.71% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 2.54% higher than yesterday and 2.91% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests EUR/JPY prices may continue to rise. Positioning is less net-short than yesterday but more net-short from last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a further mixed EUR/JPY trading bias. EUR/USD EUR/USD: Retail trader data shows 25.13% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 2.98 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 0.58% higher than yesterday and 1.04% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 0.26% lower than yesterday and 12.38% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests EUR/USD prices may continue to rise. Positioning is less net-short than yesterday but more net-short from last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a further mixed EUR/USD trading bias. France 40 France 40: Retail trader data shows 29.88% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 2.35 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 8.13% lower than yesterday and 12.73% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 8.42% higher than yesterday and 3.21% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests France 40 prices may continue to rise. Traders are further net-short than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger France 40-bullish contrarian trading bias. FTSE 100 FTSE 100: Retail trader data shows 49.37% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.03 to 1. In fact, traders have remained net-short since May 24 when FTSE 100 traded near 7,626.60, price has moved 0.13% higher since then. The number of traders net-long is 18.12% lower than yesterday and 35.66% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 23.22% higher than yesterday and 56.27% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests FTSE 100 prices may continue to rise. Our data shows traders are now net-short FTSE 100 for the first time since May 24, 2023 when FTSE 100 traded near 7,626.60. Traders are further net-short than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger FTSE 100-bullish contrarian trading bias. GBP/JPY GBP/JPY: Retail trader data shows 27.53% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 2.63 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 6.38% lower than yesterday and 11.65% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 10.29% higher than yesterday and 10.29% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests GBP/JPY prices may continue to rise. Traders are further net-short than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger GBP/JPY-bullish contrarian trading bias. GBP/USD GBP/USD: Retail trader data shows 38.83% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.58 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 10.57% higher than yesterday and 30.31% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 8.78% lower than yesterday and 16.61% lower from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests GBP/USD prices may continue to rise. Yet traders are less net-short than yesterday and compared with last week. Recent changes in sentiment warn that the current GBP/USD price trend may soon reverse lower despite the fact traders remain net-short. Gold Gold: Retail trader data shows 63.13% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders long to short at 1.71 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 3.69% higher than yesterday and 5.28% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 2.58% lower than yesterday and 0.65% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests Gold prices may continue to fall. Positioning is more net-long than yesterday but less net-long from last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a further mixed Gold trading bias. NZD/USD NZD/USD: Retail trader data shows 56.82% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders long to short at 1.32 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 20.61% higher than yesterday and 25.00% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 3.98% higher than yesterday and 18.36% lower from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests NZD/USD prices may continue to fall. Traders are further net-long than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger NZD/USD-bearish contrarian trading bias. Silver Silver: Retail trader data shows 76.31% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders long to short at 3.22 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 0.08% lower than yesterday and 8.38% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 5.87% higher than yesterday and 22.53% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests Silver prices may continue to fall. Yet traders are less net-long than yesterday and compared with last week. Recent changes in sentiment warn that the current Silver price trend may soon reverse higher despite the fact traders remain net-long. US 500 US 500: Retail trader data shows 28.31% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 2.53 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 4.13% lower than yesterday and 10.16% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 3.24% higher than yesterday and 8.80% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests US 500 prices may continue to rise. Traders are further net-short than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger US 500-bullish contrarian trading bias. USD/CAD USD/CAD: Retail trader data shows 66.09% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders long to short at 1.95 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 12.29% higher than yesterday and 6.43% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 9.79% higher than yesterday and 1.88% lower from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests USD/CAD prices may continue to fall. Traders are further net-long than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger USD/CAD-bearish contrarian trading bias. USD/CHF USD/CHF: Retail trader data shows 88.58% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders long to short at 7.76 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 3.16% higher than yesterday and 22.00% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 4.03% lower than yesterday and 11.72% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-long suggests USD/CHF prices may continue to fall. Traders are further net-long than yesterday and last week, and the combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a stronger USD/CHF-bearish contrarian trading bias. USD/JPY USD/JPY: Retail trader data shows 46.92% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.13 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 2.56% higher than yesterday and 2.27% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 7.37% higher than yesterday and 3.70% lower from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests USD/JPY prices may continue to rise. Positioning is more net-short than yesterday but less net-short from last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a further mixed USD/JPY trading bias. Wall Street Wall Street: Retail trader data shows 25.05% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 2.99 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 0.58% higher than yesterday and 21.94% lower from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 0.25% higher than yesterday and 22.27% higher from last week. We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests Wall Street prices may continue to rise. Positioning is less net-short than yesterday but more net-short from last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a further mixed Wall Street trading bias. AUD/USD ANALYSIS & TALKING POINTS All eyes on Fed Chair Jerome Powell today. RBA and Fed guidance diverging? Golden cross the focus on the daily AUD/USD chart. Recommended by Warren Venketas Get Your Free AUD Forecast Get My Guide AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR FUNDAMENTAL BACKDROP The Australian dollar remains on the backfoot this Thursday morning after Fed Chair Jerome Powells hawkish first day Testimony before Congress. That being said, the Feds Bostic pushed for rates to remain on hold for the rest of 2023 and may be on of the two doves revealed in the revised 2023 Dot Plot revision chart. The recent divergence between the two central banks with the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) minutes slightly more dovish than the Fed, may be contributing to AUD weakness. In addition, there is still a disconnect between the Feds guidance and money market pricing in terms of rate hike expectations and upcoming economic data next week should provide some valuable input as a gauge to determine how rates may unfold. Trade Smarter - Sign up for the DailyFX Newsletter Receive timely and compelling market commentary from the DailyFX team Subscribe to Newsletter Todays schedule is centered firmly around the US dollar with initial jobless claims, Fed speak and Fed Chair Powells second day of Testimony. AUD/USD ECONOMIC CALENDAR (GMT +02:00) Source: DailyFX economic calendar TECHNICAL ANALYSIS AUD/USD DAILY CHART Chart prepared by Warren Venketas, IG Daily AUD/USD price action continue on the short-term downtrend after Aussie bulls failed to break above the long-term trendline (black) for the second time coinciding with an overbought signal via the Relative Strength Index (RSI). There is unlikely to be too much volatility prior to Mr. Powells Testimony but the golden cross potential is still very much in play and could result in another AUD rally. Key resistance levels: 0.6900 Trendline resistance 0.6856 0.6800 Key support levels: 0.6772 0.6700/50- day MA (blue) 200-day MA (yellow) IG CLIENT SENTIMENT DATA: BEARISH IGCS shows retail traders are currently net LONG on AUD/USD, with 53% of traders currently holding long positions. At DailyFX we typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment resulting in a short-term downside disposition. Contact and followWarrenon Twitter:@WVenketas South Africa: Cabinet salutes SA firefighters deployed in Canada This story has been published on: 2023-06-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to attend and participate in the New Global Financing Pact Summit to be held in Paris, France, on 22 and 23 June 2023. This at the invitation of his counterpart, the President of the Republic of France, Emmanuel Macron. International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, Finance Minister... See more Has King Charles, in choosing Bishop of Coventry Dr Christopher Cocksworth as his next Dean of Windsor, confirmed his opposition to the Church of Englands decision to bless same-sex civil marriages? Cocksworth, an open evangelical, was one of two bishops who abstained at the General Synod vote in February to introduce prayers and blessings for same-sex couples. It was thought his stand had ended any hopes of climbing further up the greasy pole of woke Anglicanism. The King evidently had other ideas. The King (pictured) has appointed Bishop of Coventry Dr Christopher Cocksworth as his next Dean of Windsor. Dr Cocksworth was one of two bishops who abstained at the General Synod vote in February to introduce prayers and blessings for same-sex couples With 49million in the bank it should be all systems go for Williams plan to build social housing on Duchy of Cornwall land. As well as the cash surplus in the 1billion Duchy, William will not have to endure the red tape nightmare of other developers. He enjoys a swathe of exemptions from planning legislation including the 1990 Town and Country Planning Act, the 2008 Planning Act and the 2011 Localism Act. And if he does break planning laws, as Duke of Cornwall, bizarrely, the authorities can challenge him only if he gives them permission to do so. Prince Georges career as a Page of Honour could be shortlived. After he and his fellow pages carried the Kings robe at the Coronation they were expected to be on duty on Garter Day. However Charles abandoned the robe requiring trainbearers for his normal Garter attire. And with the King determined to dress down to shed flummery, George and pals may not even be needed for the state opening of Parliament. Redundant aged nine? Surely not! Catherine, Princess of Wales meets with Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy Shevell during the reopening of the National Portrait Gallery Has Paul McCartney, greeting the Princess of Wales at the National Portrait Gallery, been tempted to write a song about Kate as he once did after meeting the Queen? Her Majestys a pretty nice girl but she doesnt have a lot to say, Macca wrote. I wanna tell her that I love her a lot but I gotta get a belly full of wine/Some day Im gonna make her mine, oh yeah, some day Im gonna make her mine. Paul, pictured, must have quite liked the ditty. It features at the end of The Beatles Abbey Road album. Black Sabbath drummer Bill Wards enthusiasm for growing long beards prompted band mate Tony Iommi to set one alight during a recording session. Tony doused him in this flammable cleaner that was used to wipe off the mixing desk. Bill went up like a bloody bonfire. He was rolling around on the floor, trying to put the flames out, reports Classic Rock. Bills socks and his jeans had melted into his legs. He was very badly burnt. Adds CR: He took it in good spirits. Joseph Fiennes attracts impressive reviews for his impersonation of England manager Gareth Southgate. Yet he never met Southgate before appearing in James Grahams play Dear England. I made do with Youtube, he explains. Fiennes couldnt have gleaned much from Southgates Pizza Hut TV commercial made after he missed a penalty against Germany in Euro 96. Gareth was wearing a paper bag over his head. The first celebrity I ever met was the World War II fighter pilot Douglas Bader. Today, he is rather a forgotten figure, but back in 1967, when I was ten years old, he was as famous as can be. A biography of him, Reach For The Sky, was the biggest-selling book of its day, and the film of it, starring Kenneth More, won the Bafta for best British film a few years earlier. Bader had lost both legs in a flying accident in 1931, but he proved undaunted and flew with the RAF in World War II, shooting down 20 enemy planes in two years. In 1942, he had to bail out of his plane, was captured by the Germans and ended up in Colditz. At the end of the war, he returned home a hero, his name a byword for courage and perseverance. Recently, author Ben Macintyre published a history of Colditz in which he depicted another side of Bader: a vain, imperious bully. World War II fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader (1910 - 1982) photographed in October 1940 He was a show-off, the most pompous chap Ive ever met, said one of his fellow pilots, and others weighed in, too. He treated the ground crew with withering superiority, and they detested him, concluded Macintyre. Baders treatment of his batman, Alex Ross, in Colditz was particularly mean. I dont think all the time I knew him he said please or thank you recalled Ross. I soon understood why none of the other orderlies wanted to work for him; you had to be at his beck and call all the time. I know he was a very brave man, but he could also be a monster. At the Hay Festival this month, Macintyre created a furore in certain quarters when he declared that Bader was racist, snobbish and brutally unpleasant to anybody he considered to be of a lower socio-economic order. The rent-a-quote Conservative Party Deputy Chairman Lee Anderson responded predictably by tweeting: Another vile attack on our Great British hero and flying ace Douglas Bader. In the Spectator magazine, the rather more sophisticated Douglas Murray was equally incensed at the traducing of a hero. I hope that people without legs point out that Bader was one of theirs and tell Macintyre where to stick it. Since then, people have come out to fight on either side, some remembering the kindness Bader showed to those mutilated by war, others recalling yet more examples of his arrogance. Soon after the war, remembered one Spectator reader, I was serving at my regimental depot when a young recruit fell from a platform and lost both legs to an incoming train. Not surprisingly, his spirits were very low and he did not want to live like that. Douglas Bader made several visits to persuade him that it was possible to have a good and productive life with artificial legs and gave him the determination to live. A former managing director of the BBC recalled how the witty broadcaster Robert Robinson had returned from interviewing Bader astounded by his arrogance. He may be a hero, said Robinson, but after a few minutes you want to shout, Race you down the corridor. And so to my own memories of Bader. The headmaster of my boarding school had approached him to come and speak at the school prize-giving. Given that our guest speakers were usually local bigwigs, missionaries, or, worst of all, other headmasters, there was considerable excitement among pupils and staff alike at the pros-pect of coming face-to-face with this world famous air-ace. For some reason perhaps because I had managed to skive off all the preceding sporting activities I was given the task of welcoming our famous speaker and handing him a programme of the days events. Programme in hand, I remember standing at the end of the schools long drive, nervously awaiting Baders car, going over the welcoming rigmarole in my head: shake his hand, say Welcome, sir, here is a programme and pass it to him. Eventually, the big black car arrived, and out tottered the war hero. Nervously, I walked up to him, and went through all the right moves. He responded by snapping, Your ties crooked, boy and moving on. Since then, I have never doubted that he was a hero. But, from that moment on, I have always been aware that many heroes are best avoided. Like millions across the globe, I can't shake from my mind the unimaginable terror the passengers of Titan must have been feeling in their likely last moments. The claustrophobic anxiety and inevitably heartbreaking final conversations amid, I imagine, the staunch belief that the devastating risks they took were a necessary part of conquering our powerful planet. For centuries, the world's greatest explorers and adventurers have put their own lives at risk over and over again to drive forward humanity. In the weeks and months to come there is going to be more than enough time to question many of the policies, priorities and, quite frankly alarming, procedures of OceanGate and its confident chief executive Stockton Rush, who went down with his sub. But as the distraught families of the Titan Five await news at sea of their loved ones as any serious hope fades following the announcement from the US Coast Guard that a debris field has been found in the search area, the focus must be on the very real human cost of this failed expedition. The US Coast Guard has announced that a debris field has been found in the search area for the Titan submersible (pictured) Like millions across the globe, I can't shake from my mind the unimaginable terror the passengers of Titan must have been feeling in their likely last moment, Dan Wootton writes Our thoughts should especially be with London Pakistani Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman, just 19 and studying at Strathclyde University in Glasgow. Not to mention the French navy commander Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who was part of the first human expedition to the Titanic in 1987, and successful British businessman and adventurer Hamish Harding, who, yes, happens to be a billionaire. For the hate-filled left to politicise the traumatic events of this week, largely because of Harding's presence on the sub, to suggest explorers should be taxed more to stop these pioneering adventures altogether is a new low. That's exactly what's happened, however, with The Guardian columnist and hard left agitator Ash Sarkar leading the charge. Rather than keep her communist mouth shut and thinking of the devastated families for just one goddamned day, she tweeted to her 400,000 followers: 'If the super-rich can spend 250,000 on vanity jaunts 2.4 miles beneath the ocean then they're not being taxed enough.' Not only is such a position morally repugnant, given the timing, it shows everything that is wrong with her Corbynite political philosophy that the west should stop all private innovation, with the government wasting our money on more failed state projects. Aware of the backlash, she doubled down, adding: 'The Titanic submarine is a modern morality tale of what happens when you have too much money, and the grotesque inequality and sympathy, attention and aid for those without it. Five people are onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Ash Sarkar, 31, (pictured) has sparked outrage on social media following an 'utterly grotesque' tweet about the missing Titanic tourist submarine victims In a tweet to her 400,000 followers, the columnist said the rich are not being taxed enough 'Migrants are ''meant'' to die at sea; billionaire's aren't.' Those comments referencing the equally upsetting story of the migrant boat that sank off the coast of Greece, killing at least 78, had already drawn intellectually dishonest parallels between the rescue operation for the passengers on the Titan. Who is Ash Sarkar? Ash Sarkar is a British journalist and columnist, and has written 23 articles for the Guardian. She is currently Contributing Editor at Novara Media, an independent, left-wing alternative media organisation based in the UK. Ms Sarkar has gathered more than 400,000 followers on Twitter. The journalist has previously sparked backlash for her views on the Royal Family. Advertisement Ben Kentish of the increasingly leftie radio station LBC tweeted knowingly 'Desperately hope they find the submarine, but the fate of the five people on it has already received far more attention than the 78 who drowned in one tragedy off the coast of Greece last week surely that should make us pause for thought.'Actually, no it shouldn't. The Greek tragedy made significant news, as do all sinkings of small boats crossing the Channel or from Africa to continental Europe. The story of the Titan is unique because, until 4.48pm this evening when the Coast Guard news came through, it remained a clear and present reality that the five crew members could be alive underwater, even though its likely depths made a rescue bid almost impossible. But Labour councillor Freddie Bailey added to the false narrative, tweeting: 'A billionaire who is missing at sea viewing the Titanic is front page news 300 migrants die in a boat off the coast of Greece and the British media talks about them like they aren't human.' Sarkar, who seems to have transformed into a nautical engineer overnight, wasn't prepared to stop her tirade though, directly targeting Rush and Harding next. 'I have enormous pity for what must be a terrifying experience, and should the worst have happened, an awful way to die,' she wrote. 'I have absolutely no time for the arrogance of the endeavour, both on the part of OceanGate and the billionaires who paid for their services.' Her comments referencing the equally upsetting story of the migrant boat that sank off the coast of Greece (pictured), killing at least 78, had already drawn intellectually dishonest parallels between the rescue operation for the passengers on the Titan Sarkar added: 'The Titanic submarine is a modern morality tale of what happens when you have too much money, and the grotesque inequality and sympathy, attention and aid for those without it' In response to Ms Sarkar, fellow Guardian columnist Ariane Sherine rejected the views Labour councillor Freddie Bailey added to the false narrative, tweeting: 'A billionaire who is missing at sea viewing the Titanic is front page news 300 migrants die in a boat off the coast of Greece and the British media talks about them like they aren't human.' I repeat that there is going to be more than enough time to debate the safety standards of OceanGate, but before Rush's fate has been determined this feels deeply unnecessary. As for Harding, he was a very experienced adventurer who amassed a fortune from his successful business interests to spend on these sorts of expeditions, including being awarding the record for the longest time traversing the deepest part of the ocean on the sea floor in March 2021 and the fastest circumnavigation of the globe via the north and south poles by aircraft; how he chose to spend his money is absolutely none of Sarkar's business. It's not just those on the left who have used the terrible situation to spout unhinged theories. TV commentator Lin Mei speculated that the crew, if alive, should have made decisions to kill off members one by one, writing: 'That submersible had 20 days of oxygen for one person. They should have voted on keeping the boy alive possibly the captain no point everyone dying.' If there's ever a moment to keep your mad theory to yourself As if that wasn't bad enough, the Cambridge college Harding previously attended went ahead with a submarine-themed ball on Wednesday night The billionaire's cousin Kathleen Cosnett described the decision of Pembroke College to proceed with the 'Into the Depths' event, featuring submarine costumes and dancing to Celine Dion's Titanic movie song My Heart Will Go ON, as in 'extremely bad taste'. 'Polite courtesy has missed out on quite a few generations,' she told the Daily Telegraph. Indeed it has. I've been sickened by the woke left's bid to politicise this tragic mission to the Titanic and score cheap points on social media. There must be a post-mortem into what went wrong, but the solution cannot put off other billionaires investing in future great voyages that help to enhance the world. When Boris Johnson announced a public inquiry into the Governments handling of the Covid pandemic last year, I gave a small inward cheer. For its surely obvious that while there were successes such as the vaccine roll-out, there were also failings. Why was so little personal protective equipment available at the start of the pandemic? Why were elderly patients with Covid ejected from hospitals and shoved into care homes in the early days without being tested? Above all, why were lockdowns considered a sensible measure in view of mounting evidence that they have left an enduring legacy of social and economic harm? These are important questions which a rational society should address so that if, God forbid, there is another pandemic in the foreseeable future, the same mistakes wont be repeated. Yet I fear the hope that such matters would be coolly and forensically examined is already crumbling and the Covid Inquiry has been going for little more than a week. Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt leaves the UK Covid-19 Inquiry at Dorland House in London today Aggressive For one thing, it has already grown into an unmanageable monster. Even before the doors opened in a government office near Paddington station in London, it was clear the Covid Inquiry has been taken over by highly paid lawyers, who will talk and talk and talk. Some of these were on show when I witnessed proceedings earlier this week. There is lead counsel Hugo Keith KC, a smoothie with a sting in his tail. More overtly aggressive was Kate Blackwell KC. Ten other senior barristers have been appointed to the inquirys legal team. Since it is thought that it will last for at least three years and possibly as many as seven, we can be certain that Hugo, Kate and the gang are going to earn a lot of money. Roll on that villa in Tuscany or the South of France! In all, at least 63 lawyers will work directly for the inquiry, while more than 100 have been named either as the official representatives of core participants, or have submitted documents on their behalf in recent weeks. Little wonder that the bill for the inquiry reached almost 114 million before it started. Its likely to be the most expensive investigation of its kind ever to have taken place in this country. Presiding over this legal jamboree which moved at a very leisurely pace when I was there is Baroness Hallett, a former Appeal Court judge. She looked genial and quite engaged. As she is 73, she could be 80 before stumps are pulled. In Sweden, the authorities have already concluded their Covid investigation, producing a 1,700-page report. Why do we take so long in Britain? Could it be because politicians have handed over the process to lawyers, who seem to have little interest in being speedy and concise? Why do we rely on astronomically well-paid barristers when setting up public inquiries? Is there no one else capable of asking pertinent questions? Hugo and Kate displayed enormous confidence when examining former ministers, as lawyers will, but I got the impression that neither of them has much idea of how Whitehall works. Presiding over this legal jamboree which moved at a very leisurely pace when I was there is Baroness Hallett (pictured), a former Appeal Court judge By the time Baroness Hallett eventually publishes her report, the country will have largely forgotten about the pandemic, and have limited interest in her recommendations. It is absurd and also inimical to good governance that this inquiry should drag on for years. But then the report into the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in which 72 residents died has been delayed until 2024. Thats seven years, apparently the going rate for these things. It was so for the Chilcot report into the Iraq War, finally published in 2016. And it still didnt nail Tony Blair! Everybody must have their say, however tangential their connection to the matter under investigation, and my learned friends are only too happy to go along with it. Baroness Hallett has said she is determined to undertake and conclude the work of this inquiry as speedily as possible. How many years? The first week has felt like an object lesson in wasting time. Hugo Keith and Kate Blackwell have attempted to prove that Tory austerity weakened the nations defences against Covid. READ MORE: George Osborne questions whether schools should have been shut during Covid lockdowns as ex-Chancellor insists his austerity policies meant Britain was BETTER able to respond to coronavirus Advertisement Swipe Hugo also contrived to have a swipe against Brexit, claiming it had crowded out and prevented the work needed to improve pandemic preparedness. Without an intimate and expert knowledge of Whitehall, how on earth is it possible to assert such a thing? Both he and Kate pursued the line that Tory parsimony undermined the health of the population. David Cameron denied the allegation on Monday, while former Chancellor George Osborne tried to fend off Kate on Tuesday. Last week a scathing submission by epidemiologist Sir Michael Marmot and academic Clare Bambra stated: The UK entered the pandemic with its public services depleted, health improvements stalled, health inequalities increased and health among the poorest people in a state of decline. Former chief medical officer and the nations erstwhile nanny-in-chief Dame Sally Davies offered supporting fire on Tuesday: We were at the bottom of the table on number of doctors, number of beds, number of ITUs [intensive therapy units], number of ventilators. You get the picture. There has been an attempt, encouraged by Hugo and Kate, to pin some of the blame for Covid deaths on Tory austerity. Believe me, Im no fan of George Osbornes, and rather enjoyed watching Kate Blackwell lay into him. He could have mounted a better defence if he had come armed with the following statistics. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron departs the Covid-19 Inquiry hearing center in London, on June 19 According to the Kings Fund, spending in England on health and social care rose from 130.2 billion to 156 billion between 2010/11, the first year of Tory rule, and 2019/20, the eve of the pandemic. These figures are at 2022/23 prices. In other words, despite what Sir Michael Marmot, Clare Bambra, Dame Sally Davies, Hugo Keith and Kate Blackwell may allege, spending on health and social care in England increased by almost exactly 20 per cent during a decade of supposed austerity. If only Cameron and Osborne had had the nous to say that! Even though the facts dont sustain the thesis, Ive no doubt well hear much more during this inquiry about how the wicked Tories allegedly paved the way for Covid deaths. A special module is going to be devoted to health inequalities. Perhaps Sir Michael Marmot and Dame Sally will be invited back. Lashing And what of lockdown surely the most important question? There is no planned module to discuss that. No doubt it will be intermittently touched on. To be fair to Dame Sally, she suggested on Tuesday that lockdown has damaged a generation. It had been awful watching young people struggle. Thats right. Reflect on what has happened to our schools, universities and the economy. Look at the staggering rise in eating disorders among teenage girls reported in The Lancet (cases up by 42 per cent). Consider the deterioration in cancer treatment just cited by Macmillan Cancer Support. Will this long-winded, time-wasting Covid Inquiry dare to get to the centre of things, and tell the truth about the lasting damage of lockdown? Or will it traipse down a dozen by-ways, lashing the Tories over austerity whenever the opportunity arises? I think we know the answer. She paid thousands in deposit and fees before realizing the breeder was fake The internet personality, who bought the puppy on impulse, sobbed in the clip Hawaii native Kouvr Annon, 23, took to TikTok to complain about the online scam An influencer claims she was scammed out of thousands of dollars by fake dog breeders who advertised a purebred puppy that did not seem to exist. Hawaii native Kouvr Annon, 23, sobbed as she laid bare her plight in a three-minute video uploaded to TikTok. She said that the Australian Shepherd breeder she had found online had 'looked really legit' - a judgement she made after she 'reverse-image searched' photos of the puppy she had decided to buy on impulse. It comes as countless adoptable dogs continue to languish in kill centers across the United States - with an estimated 400,000 being euthanized every year, according to the ASPCA. Hawaii native Kouvr Annon, 23, sobbed as she laid bare her plight in a three-minute video uploaded to TikTok She said that the Australian Shepard breeder she had found online had 'looked really legit' - a judgement she made after she 'reverse-image searched' photos of the puppy she had decided to buy on impulse In the clip, which has been viewed more than 1.4 million times, Kouvr sat in her car with tears rolling down her cheeks as she laid out the situation. The influencer, who already has three dogs, began: 'So I'm pretty sure I just got scammed, literally so sad. 'Two days ago I literally fell in love with this puppy. He's so adorable!' She said that she had found him at Royal Australian Shepherd Creek before making an inquiry. In a screenshot Kouvr shared of the Royal Australian Shepherd Creek website - which has since been taken down - above the site's banner appeared an email address attached to a different domain: info@royalakuitascreek.com. The associated website of RoyalAkitasCreek.com is riddled with typos, spelling errors and awkwardly constructed, rambling sentences. For instance, a 'guarantee' blurb on that homepage reads as follows: 'Every one of our doggies have a 1 wellbeing ensure. They likewise accompany every one of their papers. 'From our name Exquisite Akitas, we assist you with getting the ideal dream doggy for your children and family. We ensure everybody embracing a doggy from us, get the best and ideal individual from their loved ones.' In the clip, which has been viewed more than 1.4 million times, Kouvr sat in her car with tears rolling down her cheeks as she set out the situation She said that she had found him at Royal Australian Shepherd Creek before making an inquiry about him Kouvr claimed: 'They told me he was available, and asked me all the right questions. They said I was the perfect match. 'Keep in mind I have three dogs, so I know what it's like to buy a puppy. 'I was a little skeptical about this breeder because I have never heard about them before so I took every single photo on their website, reverse-image searched it and found nothing, so they looked really legit.' Using a reverse-image search tool allows internet sleuths to track whether an image has been published elsewhere online and means it is possible to trace its origins. But this is not a foolproof system as snapshots can also be pulled off platforms such as TikTok - where search engines are not able to scrape them and thereby making this verification method futile. Nonetheless Kouvr claimed that she sent over a deposit for the dog and the next morning 'woke up to a tracking number for his shipment, and I was so unbelievably excited, you have no idea.' 'But that excitement was gone when, two hours later, they said they put him on hold because there was a problem, as he was getting shipped from Colorado, they said he needed an upgraded crate,' she alleged. 'I thought "valid" so I paid the upgraded crate fee.' The domain of an email address visible in a screengrab Kouvr shared of the original site was associated with a separate website advertising Akita puppies The associated website of RoyalAkitasCreek.com is riddled with typos, spelling errors and awkwardly constructed, rambling sentences But she said she then received yet another invoice because she paid the fee 'too late' and so was required to fork out another $500. 'Maybe I'm just stupid or I see the good in everyone,' she added. Then, 10 minutes later, the so-called breeders send another email requesting $1000 for a 'vaccination fee,' Kouvr claimed. It was then that she insisted she was done sending money until she had the puppy 'physically in my hands' and only then would she 'reimburse' them for the vaccination. She claimed that the party corresponding with her wrote: 'This is the last payment we have to make. Unfortunately I only get my pay check on Monday so we can wait till Monday. 'The is nothing I can do now. Our daughter has cancer so we have a lot we are dealing with too. 'Please just get this handled so they can proceed with the delivery and refunds.' By that point, it dawned on the influencer that she was 'probably getting scammed' and resolved not to send any further funds. Even so, she added: 'The littlest part of me thinks that this puppy is still out there,' so she sent them an email asking for 'proof' he is at the shipping center. She then received texts from the so-called shipping company, 'Freight Expertise,' with images of the puppy, called Milo, claiming he was getting 'weak' after being there 'for hours.' @k0uvr Am I crazy or did I get scammed original sound - Kouvr And other social media users urged her not to send any more money after already shelling out thousands Kouvr vented: 'I'm sorry but this just does not look like a weak puppy to me.... 'I don't know what to do because I feel like I'm getting scammed. But there's also a little part of me that wants this puppy so badly. 'Do you guys think I'm getting scammed?' she implored of her more than 14 million followers. She concluded: 'Do I send them the $1,000 for the vaccine or do I cut my losses and just walk away?' And other social media users urged her not to send any more money. 'Girl you're 100 per cent getting scammed. This how they talk - with urgency and playing to your feelings,' one wrote. Another echoed: 'No do not pay anymore money. The EXACT like EXACT same thing happened with me and my mom with a kitten and never got her.' A separate commenter chimed in with entirely separate, down-to-earth advice: 'Adopt don't shop.' There have been plenty of warnings about fake dog breeders circulating in recent months with experts urging potential pet owners to adopt through sites such as Petfinder instead. It lists nearly 200,000 dogs across America in need of homes, many of which can be adopted for free or a nominal single payment. For all the latest Royal news, pictures and videos click here Diana bridesmaid Sarah Jane Gaselee will go on TV to sell her luxury apartment One of Princess Diana's bridesmaids is to make a television appearance in an attempt to sell her luxury family home after the collapse of her relationship. When Sarah Jane Gaselee bought two neighbouring flats in London's Knightsbridge nine years ago, she and her property developer partner Paul Andrews spent a year turning it into a 5.25 million family home. The couple knocked the two flats, which cost 3 million and 850,000 in 2014, into one four-bedroom apartment, digging down to make higher ceilings and creating a steam and laundry room. But Covid made it hard to sell when the relationship fell apart, and now Sarah Jane is appearing on the Channel 4 show Britain's Most Expensive Houses - and giving viewers a rare insight into her life in the process. Princess Diana asked Sarah Jane (circled) to be a bridesmaid when she was giving her a piggyback. Sarah Jane gave a surprising response.... It was Sarah Jane's father who introduced her to Princess Diana and they corresponded when she went to Southover school in Lewes, East Sussex. Sarah Jane, left, is pictured holding her mother Mary's hand as they leave St Paul's following a practice for the wedding. Behind, Clementine Hambro is carried by her mother Former bridesmaid Sarah Jane Gaselee wants to sell this luxury Knightsbridge apartment, valued at 1.7million The flat will feature on Channel 4's Most Expensive Houses Sarah Jane, who has two children, Ashley, 17, and Ruby, 15, has spent six months and 120,000 converting the property back into adjoining flats, which are connected by a secret door, in a bid to hasten a sale. The larger three-bedroom apartment has been sold by UK Sotheby's International Realty for just under 3.85 million, earning the couple a profit of around 700,000, while the smaller two-bedroom flat, valued at 1.7 million has been rented out. 'We're selling it now because it's time to move onto the next project and it's too big for us when we're three or even four,' said Sarah, who works for the buying agency Property Select UK, doing introductions and viewings for high net-worth people. 'We want to get something a little more permanent maybe not in the middle of Knightsbridge. We could have done much better with it had we not had Covid and all these things.' It is now 42 years since Sarah Jane, then 11, was chosen to be one of Princess Diana's five bridesmaids - her father Nick Gaselee was a racehorse trainer who once rode for the Queen Mother and taught Prince Charles to ride. He introduced her to Princess Diana and they corresponded when Sarah-Jane went to the boarding school Southover, in Lewes, East Sussex. 'I absolutely hated it,' she once said. Sarah Jane Gaselee pictured in 2001 The exterior of the Knightsbridge block. The sale has followed the break-up of a relationship The kitchen-dining room in the luxury apartment A stylish bathroom in her Knightsbridge home One of the bedrooms. Covid-19 had made a quick sale impossible 'I'd creep into the phone box and call Diana and tell her how utterly miserable I was and she was so sympathetic. I missed a lot of my education because it was so horrendous. Diana kept me going. She was always so sweet and kind.' Diana asked Sarah Jane to be a bridesmaid when they were walking a racecourse together. 'Diana was racing round with me on her back and she said: 'Would you like to be my bridesmaid?' I said: 'Will I be on television?' And she fell about laughing. 'The Diana I remember was bright and sweet and funny. But her life got more and more difficult. I wrote to her after Andrew Morton's book was published to say how sorry I was about everything she'd been through. Sarah Jane, fourth from the left, was 11 when she was asked to be one of Lady Diana's five bridesmaids Sarah Jane and partner pictured at the 2007 memorial service held to mark tenth anniversary of Diana's death 'She wrote such a lovely letter back. She said: I understand the pain and suffering of people all over the world.' I'll always remember that.' Sarah Jane was a guest at both Diana's funeral and memorial service held to mark the anniversary of Diana's death. 'I went to her funeral but I wasn't sitting with the other bridesmaids so I don't know who went to that,' she recalled. 'But ten years after Diana died, her boys had a memorial for her and all the bridesmaids and pages were sat together so that was sweet.' Lady Frederick Windsor enjoyed a night on the town with her husband last night as they attended the Victoria and Albert museum summer party in London. Actress Sophie Winkleman, 42, best known for playing Big Suze in the sitcom Peep Show alongside David Mitchell and Robert Webb, is the wife of Frederick, the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, who is 52nd in line to the throne. Since the couple tied the knot 13 years ago, mother-of-two Sophie has become a fixture at royal events, and recently joined senior royals at the Duchess of Cambridge's carol concert at Westminster Abbey. And the pair enjoyed a rare night out on the town yesterday as they joined fellow royal Lady Amelia Windsor to attend the event in central London. Sophie appeared in particularly high spirits as she left the event - giving her husband a kiss before hopping into a taxi with a friend, while Frederick headed off to a different event. Lady Frederick Windsor enjoyed a night on the town with her husband last night as they attended the Victoria and Albert museum summer party in London Sophie, dressed in a green dress, was seen warmly hugging a friend as she steeped out of the taxi The actress donned a smart green dress for the occasion, which she paired with a large pair of sunglasses. Meanwhile Frederick opted for a smart black suit with a baby blue tie. After bidding farewell to her husband, Sophie hopped into a taxi with a friend who happened to be passing by to pick her up, offering him a warm embrace as they left. Officially open to the public from the 24th of June, the 'DIVA' exhibition at the V&A is said to celebrate the 'power of iconic performers to transform and inspire', as well as explore the 'intersection of women, power and creativity through the prism of performance'. The event will showcase over 250 objects spanning fashion, photography, design and music. Trinny Woodall, Vick Hope and Nicola Roberts were also in attendance at the event last night. The half-sister of TV presenter Claudia Winkleman - their father was publisher Barry Winkleman - she was educated at the private City of London School for Girls before completing an English degree at the University of Cambridge. Sophie, who now lives in Chelsea, married Lord Freddie in September 2009 at Hampton Court Palace, after meeting him on a night out in Soho. The couple spent seven years living in Los Angeles - having moved there the day after their wedding in 2009 for her career. Frederick, dressed in a navy blue suit and holding a white shopping bag, made his way into the car Her husband worked for his bank, JP Morgan, while she bagged a number of decent roles including Zoey, the girlfriend of Ashton Kutcher's character Walden in Two And A Half Men. She also penned screenplays for Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz. The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Maud Elizabeth Daphne Marina, in August 2013, and daughter, Isabella Alexandra May, was born in January 2016. The couple moved back to Britain after having their children, as Sophie was keen to be closer to her family. She had a tough first year of motherhood after catching a hospital bug while giving birth to Isabella, which left her unwell for a year. Maud and Isabella were among five bridesmaids for her sister-in-law Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston when they wed in May 2019 - having already been in the bridal party for Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank's wedding the previous October. The past six months have been a busy period for Sophie, who joined other senior members of the royal family at a number of high profile events - including the late Queen's Jubilee events and her funeral in September. Meanwhile, she also joined royals at Kate's carol concert in December, where she brushed shoulders with Mike and Zara Tindall. At the end of last year, she wrote a personal piece in The Spectator about joining the royal family and her experience within The Firm. She said: 'I cherish my growing closeness to the senior members of the royal family who are so hardworking, uncomplaining and brave in the face of relentless and brutal media attention, criticism, lies, undermining and fictional TV programmes and always so good to me that Im honoured to know them.' Elsewhere, Sophie explained how she and her family will be spending Christmas in London, saying: 'Well see my parents on Christmas Day and some of my husband Freddies relations in various locations.' She also revealed how she had been inspired by the late Queen's Christian faith, adding that it 'fascinated' her. Good Morning Britain hosted a heated debate today over whether Miss England should bring back its controversial bikini round. The beauty competition is looking to reintroduce the bikini parade on stage for the first time since 2002 - despite other competitions continuing to scrap such rounds. To discuss the issue, Good Morning Britain's hosts, Dan Shepphard and Susanna Reid welcomed the pageant's director Angie Beasley and journalist Flora Gill. While she was the one who decided to scrap the bikini parade when she got charge of the contest in 2002, Angie was arguing in favour of the round's come-back, while Flora said the move was 'backwards,' and said the pageant's director was 'disingenuous' to argue that the bikinis would empower women. Watching at home, some agreed with Flora that the bikini round was misogynistic and should not be brought back to the competition's main run. Good Morning Britain hosted a heated debate on whether Miss England should bring back its bikini round this morning. Director Angie Beasley argued that it was up to the contestants Journalist Flora Gill said the move was 'backwards,' and said the pageant's director was 'disingenuous' to argue that the bikinis would empower women Watching at home, some viewers were not convinced that the contest should bring back its bikini round Angie, who took over the competition in 2002, explained the bikini round replaced was never completed taken out of the Miss England pageant. 'We replaced bikinis with sportwear to showcase the other parts of the competition,' she said, adding that the bikini round made up only a tenth of the contest. 'We don't parade the girls on stage, we haven't paraded them since 2009, we brought it back because it was debated and the girls wanted it,' she added. 'They wanted us to include the swimwear round. It's important to give the girls a choice and that's what Miss England is all about. 'It's about empowering women and given them a choice,' she added. 'If you want to enter a competition like this, which, I'd like to add, hundreds of thousands of women do in this country, they should have the choice,' she said. Susanna asked if Angie would make the bikini round an option contestants can choose to take part in, which the pageant director replied that was already the way the Miss England contest operated its Beach Beauty photoshoot. 'We have a Beach Beauty round, which is run as a photoshoot, and if you want to enter that round, you can do by submitting your own photograph of yourself in swimwear, then you can decide in the beach shoot. Angie added that she took part in the pageant's bikini round in the 1980s, and that it made her more confident Fiona told Angie not to 'pretend' that the move to bring back the bikini round was to empower women '80 per cent of the girls submit the photograph and they feel good about themselves in a bikini, it's up to them,' she added. She went on to say that Bhasha Mukherjee won Miss England in 2019 without taking part in the Beach Beauty photoshoot, suggesting posing in a bikini was not necessary to win. 'These are really educated girls, they got a mind of their own, they can decide if they want to enter Miss England and the Beach Beauty round, so we're putting it out to them for them to decide whether we include it this year, there are all these different rounds,' she said. However, journalist Flora said she felt re-introducing the bikini round was 'backwards.' 'I think beauty pageants have taken a lot of steps to make themselves more progressive, and be more than just about physical beauty,' she said. 'It feels like a step backwards to be bringing back this idea that an important part of beauty was judged on how you look in a bikini. 'It's the same as we used to have Page 3 models or women in bikinis holding up signs to highlight different rounds in game shows,' she added. Viewers at home sided with Flora, dubbing the bikini round 'dangerous,' and 'misogynistic' and adding that they don't think it empowers women 'Everyone would always say, "It's up to these women, it's their choice", but it's also about the image you're projecting of women and what you're saying is important,' she told Angie. 'It's not as if we're talking about banning this round which already exists, it's bringing it back,' she added. Susannah argued that some women want to wear a bikini because they feel good about themselves, but Flora countered she doesn't want to feel judged when she wears her own bikini at the beach. Angie, who took part in Miss England in the 1980s, countered that she was initially terrified of taking part in the pageant's bikini round, but that it eventually gave her body confidence. Flora questioned whether the decision is really up to women, or if they feel pressure to have to take part in bikini rounds. 'I just think the whole thing is disingenuous,' she said. 'Don't pretend you're doing it for feminist reasons, you're doing it because you think you'll get more attention if they are in their bikinis, which you will,' she shrugged. Viewers at home sided with Flora, dubbing the bikini round 'dangerous,' and 'misogynistic.' 'Dont say youre not doing it and then bring it back. Thats going backwards,' one said. Dont pretend youre doing it for women empowerment. Its only seen as empowering when theyre overweight,' one said. 'Women's beauty pageants are so misogynist and encourages men to mistreat their partners!! 'Sexualising girls as objects of prettiness. Not good,' another wrote. 'Empowering women? really? ,' one said, 'that's judging people on their body not empowering them,' another said. Were giving girls the choice my a***,' one wrote. Advertisement Glamorous racegoers were keen to let their hair down and start the party at Ladies Day on the third day of the Royal Ascot this afternoon. Revellers were snapped wearing stunning outfits boasting a rainbow of colours today, as they made the most of the glorious Berkshire sunshine during Ladies Day. The British royal family has been out in force at the event this week, with King Charles, Camilla, Princess Anne, 71, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice, 33, and Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, 38, all attending. And today proved no different, with Charles and Camilla securing their first ever win at the racecourse - and breaking down in tears over the emotional moment. They weren't the only ones who were getting into the party spirit at the event however - with many revellers opting to pop the champagne and lap up the atmosphere at the racecourse. Glamorous racegoers were keen to let their hair down and start the party at Ladies Day on the third day of the Royal Ascot this afternoon Glamorous ladies at the event today enjoyed relaxing in the sun on day three of the Royal Ascot, taking place in Berkshire this week Glamorously dressed racegoers appeared in high spirits as they revelled in the celebratory spirit on day three of the Royal Ascot today The sun was out as revellers enjoyed Ladies Day at Royal Ascot in Berkshire today, letting their hair down as they lapped up the sunny day Racegoers got in the summery atmosphere as they sipped on drinks and took in the celebratory spirit on Ladies Day at Royal Ascot The royals weren't the only ones who were getting into the party spirit at the event however - with many revellers lapping up the atmosphere at the racecourse Revellers were snapped wearing stunning outfits boasting a rainbow of colours today, as they made the most of the glorious Berkshire sunshine during Ladies Day While many lapped up the atmosphere inside the racecourse, others tucked into picnics set up in the car park during the Ladies Day event Dressed up to the nines! One pair of friends opted to go all out for the Ladies Day event in Berkshire - donning floor length gowns with enormous fascinators Sabrina Elba, the actress wife of superstar Idris Elba, led the glamour today in a Kate Middleton-inspired white Self Portrait dress suit and beret, which costs 710. Other celebrities at the event included TV stars Charlotte Hawkins and Louise Roe, who were sure to command attention in green and blue dresses. Zara stunned in a french lace short sleeve dress from Scanlan Theodore, which she paired with a fascinator with pretty flower detail. Many of the female dressers made the most of the relaxed new rules - which allows people to dress from male and female dress codes regardless of their gender - with women in trousers and three-piece suits. While others opted for plunging necklines and teetering heels which will no doubt be kicked off as the festivities continue. Yesterday the action hotted up as the champagne flowed and guests got very merry into the night. As the drinks kept coming and revellers began celebrating their wins, they began to loosen up and lark about with each other, in good spirits on a sunny day. Among the scenes of revellers who were heading home after a day of partying were savvy women who had ditched their high heels in favour of sensible flat shoes to travel home in, as well as a gentleman who had picked up some snacks to tide him over for the evening. Stylish attendees made for a colourful and glamorous display as they arrived at the racecourse earlier for another day of nail-biting races and plenty of partying. Many opted for wild and wonderful outfits for the occasion, with some taking advantage of this year's updated dress-code which permits women to wear trousers. The glamorous scenes at the beginning of day two, where white seemed to be the colour of the moment among the earliest attendees, come after hilarious antics captured as the opening day of the festival came to a close. Time for tea! Some set up camp in the car park to enjoy picnics and champagne as the races kicked off in the Berkshire sunshine One keen racegoer delighted in the event, looking glamorous in a white polka dot summer dress as she enjoyed the day out today What a look! One racegoer opted for a sky high fascinator which featured feather detailing in bright pink and blue colours (pictured) Suited and booted! Many guests opted for the relaxed dress code by choosing to wear trouser suits Champagne chic! One of the sleekest dressers of the day opted for a gold hue with a scorpion tie and headpiece Another race goer looked radiant in a red suit with a huge feather fascinator The futures bright! Another racegoer picked a bright orange suit for the celebrations Pink perfection! Another racegoer opted for towering heels and a vibrant pink outfit for their big day out at the races Gorgeous in green! One reveller opted for a mint green dress for the outing this afternoon (pictured right), while another donned a forest green number (left) Strutting their stuff! Many made the racecourse their catwalk as they looked stunning in suits Bit of all white! These racegoers opted for a huge hats and 70s-inspired white outfits for the day out Tatler's style editor Chandler Tregaskes looked great in gold boots and a 90s rock suit Milliner Tracy Rose improved their neck muscles in a huge headpiece Pineapple perfection! Another racegoer opted for a bright yellow dress with a pineapple bag while exuding glamour with a stunning make-up look Ready for summertime sadness! One racegoer took a break from the pack in a black velvet number All coming up roses! Another looked pretty in a pink look which appeared to be floral inspired Another racegoer opted for a gorgeous blue and orange dress with an A-line shape Glamorous racegoers showed off their finery as they arrived for day three of Royal Ascot today - with many donning sky high fascinators and figure hugging dresses for the event Guests were snapped wearing stunning outfits boasting a rainbow of colours today, as they made the most of the sunshine during Ladies Day Ladybug chic: One lady opted for oversized sunglasses with red and blue as she began celebrations Here comes the girls! Another group arrived for the day pretty summer dresses set to celebrate the day ahead Green was very on theme for many of the guests who opted for pretty dresses and hates Floral fancy! Another racegoer looked gorgeous in white with a pretty floral pattern Ray of sunshine! Another racegoer opted for a bright yellow dress with a Kate Middleton inspired white jacket Red at the races! Another opted for a bright red top hat and intricately patterned dress, while clutching a copy of Memoirs of a Geisha Laura Green (right) toted her essentials in a chic blue croc Midi Mayfair Bag while her college (left) sported the accessories in a Navy & Ivory Chevron design both by Aspinal of London Pom pom perfection! This guest commanded attention in yellow with a pom pom fascinator Lady in red! One racegoer opted for white strappy heels with a thigh-high slit Here come the girls! Colour seemed to be the choice of the day for many of the women Racegoer Anastasia Tutus added a bit of theatre in a flamingo-inspired red gown Neon nights! Another opted for a bright green dress with a golden flower fascinator She got the monochrome memo! Another racegoer opted for black and white as she celebrated the day Blue beauty! Another racegoer paired nude platform heels with a flowing floral number Cha cha cha! Another reveller opted for a deep pink look, with a ballroom inspired skirt Garden of England! One racegoer chose a pretty dress with a white heel Dotty for the races! One reveller opted for a simple but stylish look Silky perfection! Another looked stunning in a full length green gown Another feather in the cap! One racegoer opted for a very extravagent feather fascinator Sabrina Elba, the actress wife of superstar Idris, lead the glamour in a chic white number Sabrina stunned in the white number - which appeared to be a big trend among racegoers Zara and Mike Tindall lead the royal family arrivals at Ladies Day as they arrived for day three of Royal Ascot The two appeared to lap up the sunshine at the event as they arrived ahead of the Royal Procession Sabrina Elba (3rd R), Gurpreet Panesar (2nd R) and Corinne Grierson (R) attend day three of Royal Ascot The Tootsie Rollers wore floral dresses as they made the most of the sunny weather The retro girlband looked stunning in the summer dresses Beauty in blue! Charlotte Hawkins showed off her sensational figure in cobalt Gorgeous in green! Louise Roe looked pretty in a floral dress with green shoes Stylist Nana Acheampong was joined by Scott Wimsett and Louise Roe for the event King Charles' private secretary Sir Clive Alderton and Lady Alderton attend the races Lady Forsyth, the widow or Sir Bruce, opted for a white look for the day out Model and influencer Rahi Chadda also attended the celebration and donned 175 Pasadena Sunglasses by Aspinal of London TV presenter Aly Vance stunned in jewel tones Milliner Alexandra Harper was sure to see her work on display in a yellow number Pastel colours and white were a theme of the day with many revellers stunning in pretty dresses Going for green! Racegoers picked bright green fascinators and accesories for the celebration. Pictured is Louise Roe and Nana Acheampong Orange you glad to see me! Dressers didn't shy away from bright colours as they picked red and coral hues Hats off! Many coordinating their hats with their dresses for full glam The butterfly effect? Others used nature to inspire their race day looks As the festival continues for its second day in the baking summer sunshine, partying racegoers will no doubt be ready for another day of festivities. The opening of Royal Ascot 2023 saw plenty of royals descend on the racecourse to celebrate King Charles's first event as monarch. Included in the royal line-up was King Charles and Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall, and Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. This year, organisers of the race have paid tribute to Royal Ascot's 'biggest fan', Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away last September. During her 70-year reign, Her late Majesty attended almost every single Royal Ascot festival, with the exception of last year. In the pink! One woman opted for a stunning vibrant gown as she arrived for the Berkshire event ahead of Ladies Day Strike a pose! One pair of friends appeared in good spirits as they arrived this morning for the event in Berkshire ahead of the big day Feeling floral! One woman showed off an incredible hat which featured an enormous flower as she arrived for the event in Berkshire Yesterday the action hotted up on the second day of Royal Ascot 2023 as the winnings came in and the champagne is on ice This year, organisers have displayed a heartwarming collection of photos of the Queen visiting Ascot over the years. They include a black-and-white photo of the royal riding on the tracks in 1960 when she was 34 years old. The mother-of-four was pictured with a headscarf and riding boots on on as her horse galloped along the track. The Queen was taking part in an unofficial race with others members of her royal party and ended up finishing fourth. What's more, the organisers also selecting a photograph of the Queen beaming at Ladies Day in 2013. The event turned out to be one of the Queen's most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup - making her the first monarch in 200 years to scoop the prize. The late royal was pictured beaming at her trophy, which was presented to her by her son Prince Andrew. The Queen was dressed in one of her signature coat dresses in a pretty shade of purple. Underneath her jacket, the monarch wore a pretty floral dress - which perfectly complimented the flowers on her hat. In the image, the Queen is seen wearing a three-strand pearl necklace - which she also wore to her final ever Ascot in June 2021. The Dutch royal, 52, is currently on an official state visit to the country Queen Maxima of the Netherlands stunned in vibrant red today as she made the most of her third and final day in Belgium. The Dutch royal, 52, is currently on an official state visit to the country with her husband Willem-Alexander, 56. Continuing her busy schedule, she appeared with her husband, plus King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium at Imec, a digital company in Leuven. She looked sensational in a striking red dress from Natan, which she also wore on her Caribbean tour earlier this year. She accompanied the silk crepe dress with an elaborate broach and earrings. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands looked a picture of elegance as they stayed dry under an umbrella official state visit to Belgium on Thursday She also carried a clutch bag and gloves, and wore her make-up minimal with her blonde hair swept elegantly back. Her Dutch counterpart Queen Mathilde, 50, also donned a similar bright colour, looking fabulous in orange. She wore an elaborate hat and beamed throughout the event. The foursome spent this third day in the city of Leuven in central Belgian, east of Brussels. There they visited Imec, a research centre specialising in chip technology that supports companies developing digital applications. They met with the CEO - and from there moved onto Antwerp for a walk of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA). The museum contains a collection representing seven centuries of art and has been recently renovated. They will then host a meeting on the theme of youth unemployment. The royal was gifted a bouquet of flowers by a royal fan as she was greeted by school children who lined the streets She looked sensational in a striking red dress from Natan, which she also wore on her Caribbean tour earlier this year King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima have rounded off their three-day state visit to Belgium with a visit to a Dutch and a Belgian frigate in Antwerp, alongside King Philippe and Queen Mathilde The royals appear to be caught in a spot of stormy weather as they make their way across the grounds flanked by security Queen Mathilde of Belgium looked chic dressed in summer colours, while her look from head to toe was almost identical to Queen Maxima's The stylish duo looked impressive as they both rocked reds and oranges for the official visit Both King Phillipe and King Willem-Alexander looked dapper in black tuxedos for the occasion Willem and Mathilde embrace each other for an affectionate hug while out in Antwerp Queen Maxima beamed as she visited the city center and was greeted by royal fans The Queen was met with screaming royal fans who were ver excited to see in the city of Belgium Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Dutch King Willem-Alexander, King Philippe - Filip of Belgium and Dutch Queen Maxima pictured during a visit to Imec The Queen and her husband have been living the high life on their trip. Previously King Phillippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium hosted a state dinner for the visiting royal couple. As she arrived for the occasion in Brussels, Maxima looked sensational in a one-shouldered pleated gold gown. The sophisticated dress had a short train and was cinched in at the waist with a glistening belt. Off-setting the tone of her gown, Maxima wore a chunky diamond necklace with a large amber pendant. The royal styled her blonde hair in loose waves and opted for her signature brown smokey eye. Braving the 24 degree heat this evening, Maxima carried a small white fan and finished off her outfit with a square gold clutch bag. Meanwhile, Queen Mathilde, opted for a glistening silver floor-length gown with floral appliques. Queen Maxima is known for always looking elegant and enjoying herself as she carries out her engagements The Queen looked striking in red as she visited the chip company with the Belgium queen Malthide Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Dutch King Willem-Alexander, King Philippe - Filip of Belgium and Dutch Queen Maxima pictured during a visit to Imec Maxima appeared happy as she learnt all about the company. She is later to visit an art gallery in Antwerp Queen Mathilde, Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander, King Philippe and Antwerpen Mayor Bart De Wever pose at the Antwerp City Hall on the third and final day of the official state visit The European royal swept her hair into a chic up-do and wore a pretty floral diamond necklace. What's more, both King Phillipe and King Willem-Alexander looked dapper in black tuxedos for the occasion. It comes as both Queen Maxima and Queen Mathilde twinned in floral dresses as they attended the Climate Tech Forum. Both queens looked typically glamorous as they stopped to chat at the cafe in the Serre d'hiver. Queen Mathilde looked chic in a green floral ensemble which she paired with a dusty pink hat. She completed her ensemble with matching pink heels, gloves and a leather clutch bag. Maxima's stylish gown featured a colourful pattern and was paired with a sophisticated matching hat. The royal completed her look with beige heels and added a bit more glamour with gold earrings. The Queens were joined by their husbands Dutch King Willem-Alexander and King Philippe of Belgium for the tech forum. And earlier this week, the royals attended a gala dinner in Brussels. Hosted by the Belgian royals at their official residence, the Castle of Laeken, the gala dinner took place on the first night of Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander's three-day state visit to Brussels. Looking effortlessly elegant, Queen Maxima sported a dusty pink gown, which featured a beaded bodice and a full, ruffled skirt. With her hair brushed back, the Dutch Queen wore the Stuart Tiara dating back to 1897 for the momentous occasion. Queen Maxima previously wore the elaborate tiara for a state banquet at Buckingham Palace in October 2018. The finishing touches of an ornate diamond necklace and matching diamond drop earrings made Queen Maxima dazzle. Meanwhile, her host, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, looked equally elegant in an embellished pale blue strapless gown. The 50-year-old mother-of-three wore a long lace shawl draped over her shoulders and carried a small clutch bag. Also wearing a tiara, a diamond necklace and diamond earrings, Queen Mathilde's jewellery was just as spectacular as Queen Maxima's, The two Heads of State, King Phillipe and King Willem-Alexander, both of whom were due to deliver speeches, looked smart in white tie and tails. McDonald's fancy new addition to its dessert menu has left fans hungry for more. The fast-food chain released a new Lotus Biscoff McFlurry in its UK restaurants yesterday, as part of its summer menu. Initially, fans of the brand and of the biscuits were delighted with the news, with some saying they couldn't wait to get their hands on the dessert. However many people complained that the treat, which will only be available for six weeks, uses caramel sauce instead of Lotus Biscoff sauce. Many made their disappointment known online, with some slamming the dessert a 'knock off.' MailOnline has requested comment from McDonald's. Lotus Biscoff McFlurries were released in McDonald's UK restaurant yesterday,, starting at 1.49 for a mini, with a regular at 1.99, but fans were not convinced The ingredient most people seemed to be disappointed with was the frozen yogurt's sauce. 'You brought out a Biscoff Mcflurry and didn't even use Biscoff sauce just biscuit? 'Bitterly disappointed by this and I hope you are disappointed in yourselves,' one adamant fan said. 'Biscoff McFlurry 4/10. Theyre using s*** toffee sauce instead of Biscoff sauce??? 'Absolute knock off,' another said. 'The new Biscoff Mcflurry I had today doesn't have Biscoff sauce. 'It was literally some Biscoff crumb, thought it was an error but apparently that's correct,' one wrote. 'Was really looking forward to a Biscoff McFlurry but just found out the sauce isnt even Biscoff so whats the point,' another asked. One added: 'The Biscoff Mcflurry is not even real Biscoff sauce, so dead.' The move to roll out the dessert was in response to calls from customers as the announcement read: 'You asked for it. We deliver.' The dessert has been available previously overseas, but this is the first time British customers are able to try it. Disappointed fans took to Twitter to voice how they felt let down by the fact the Biscoff McFlurry does not include Biscoff sauce For the pleasure, a regular will set you back 1.99, or 1.49 for a mini. Thomas O'Neill, Head of Marketing for McDonald's UK and Ireland said he was 'so pleased' to bring the Lotus Biscoff McFlurry to the UK and Ireland, and that it has been 'a long-time hope' to some. After the news broke on Twitter, users were quick to share their delight. 'Biscoff McFlurry coming to the UK? I will be there no matter what,' one said. Another added: 'Finally, something to look forward to this summer!' And one more ice cream enthusiast said: 'Lotus Biscoff is my absolute favourite, I've dreamt of this.' Sabrina Elba and Charlotte Hawkins were among the stars who donned lavish outfits as they started arriving at day three of the Royal Ascot today. As thousands of revellers descended on the Berkshire racecourse, the actress wife of superstar Idris Elba, stunned in a Kate Middleton-inspired white Self Portrait dress suit and beret, which costs 710. Joining her was Charlotte Hawkins, who looked picture perfect in a bright blue dress with a matching headpiece. Finishing out the line-up of celebrity guests was Louise Roe, who opted for a pretty floral dress in green. Revellers were snapped wearing stunning outfits boasting a rainbow of colours today, as they made the most of the sunshine in Berkshire during Ladies Day. Sabrina Elba and Charlotte Hawkins were among the stars who donned lavish outfits as they started arriving at day three of the Royal Ascot today Idris Elba's stunning wife opted for a white ensemble for the outing, dazzling in a smart jacket and matching skirt Meanwhile TV star Charlotte opted for an eyecatching ensemble, pairing a vibrant blue dress with a matching fascinator Glamorous racegoers showed off their finery as they arrived for day three of Royal Ascot today - with many donning sky high fascinators and figure hugging dresses for the event Meanwhile Georgia Toffolo opted for a red and white dress for the outing today, pairing the look with a statement bag The British royal family has been out in force at the event this week, with King Charles, Camilla, Princess Anne, 71, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice, 33, and Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, 38, all attending. More of the royal family are expected to be seen today, with revellers certainly dressed to impress arriving as early as 10am. Idris Elba's stunning wife opted for a white ensemble for the outing, dazzling in a smart jacket and matching skirt. Meanwhile TV star Charlotte opted for an eyecatching ensemble, pairing a vibrant blue dress with a matching fascinator. Sabrina Elba, the actress wife of superstar Idris, lead the glamour in a chic white number Sabrina stunned in the white number - which appeared to be a big trend among racegoers Guests, Sabrina Elba (3rd R), Gurpreet Panesar (2nd R) and Corinne Grierson (R) attend day three of Royal Ascot 2023 The Tootsie Rollers wore floral dresses as they made the most of the sunny weather The retro girlband looked stunning in the summer dresses Beauty in blue! Charlotte Hawkins showed off her sensational figure in cobalt Gorgeous in green! Louise Roe looked pretty in a floral dress with green shoes Stylist Nana Acheampong was joined by Scott Wimsett and Louise Roe for the event Model and influencer Rahi Chadda also attended the celebration and donned 175 Pasadena Sunglasses by Aspinal of London Lady Forsyth, the widow or Sir Bruce, opted for a white look for the day out TV presenter Aly Vance stunned in jewel tones Milliner Alexandra Harper was sure to see her work on display in a yellow number King Charles' private secretary Sir Clive Alderton and Lady Alderton attend the races Yesterday the action hotted up as the champagne flowed and guests got very merry into the night. As the drinks kept coming and revellers began celebrating their wins, they began to loosen up and lark about with each other, in good spirits on a sunny day. Among the scenes of revellers who were heading home after a day of partying were savvy women who had ditched their high heels in favour of sensible flat shoes to travel home in, as well as a gentleman who had picked up some snacks to tide him over for the evening. Stylish attendees made for a colourful and glamorous display as they arrived at the racecourse earlier for another day of nail-biting races and plenty of partying. Many opted for wild and wonderful outfits for the occasion, with some taking advantage of this year's updated dress-code which permits women to wear trousers. The glamorous scenes at the beginning of day two, where white seemed to be the colour of the moment among the earliest attendees, come after hilarious antics captured last night as the opening day of the festival came to a close. Guests were snapped wearing stunning outfits boasting a rainbow of colours today, as they made the most of the sunshine during Ladies Day Ladybug chic: One lady opted for oversized sunglasses with red and blue as she began celebrations Here comes the girls! Another group arrived for the day pretty summer dresses set to celebrate the day ahead Bit of all white! This racegoer opted for a huge hat and 70s-inspired white jumpsuit for the day out Pastel colours and white were a theme of the day with many revellers stunning in pretty dresses Champagne chic! One of the sleekest dressers of the day opted for a gold hue with a scorpion tie and headpiece Orange you glad to see me! Dressers didn't shy away from bright colours as they picked red and coral hues As the festival continues for its second day in the baking summer sunshine, partying racegoers will no doubt be ready for another day of festivities. The opening of Royal Ascot 2023 saw plenty of royals descend on the racecourse to celebrate King Charles's first event as monarch. Included in the royal line-up was King Charles and Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall, and Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. This year, organisers of the race have paid tribute to Royal Ascot's 'biggest fan', Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away last September. During her 70-year reign, Her late Majesty attended almost every single Royal Ascot festival, with the exception of last year. In the pink! One woman opted for a stunning vibrant gown as she arrived for the Berkshire event ahead of Ladies Day Strike a pose! One pair of friends appeared in good spirits as they arrived this morning for the event in Berkshire ahead of the big day Feeling floral! One woman showed off an incredible hat which featured an enormous flower as she arrived for the event in Berkshire Yesterday the action hotted up on the second day of Royal Ascot 2023 as the winnings came in and the champagne is on ice This year, organisers have displayed a heartwarming collection of photos of the Queen visiting Ascot over the years. They include a black-and-white photo of the royal riding on the tracks in 1960 when she was 34 years old. The mother-of-four was pictured with a headscarf and riding boots on on as her horse galloped along the track. The Queen was taking part in an unofficial race with others members of her royal party and ended up finishing fourth. What's more, the organisers also selecting a photograph of the Queen beaming at Ladies Day in 2013. The event turned out to be one of the Queen's most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup - making her the first monarch in 200 years to scoop the prize. The late royal was pictured beaming at her trophy, which was presented to her by her son Prince Andrew. The Queen was dressed in one of her signature coat dresses in a pretty shade of purple. Underneath her jacket, the monarch wore a pretty floral dress - which perfectly complimented the flowers on her hat. In the image, the Queen is seen wearing a three-strand pearl necklace - which she also wore to her final ever Ascot in June 2021. King Charles led the procession for a third day today as he arrived at Royal Ascot with Queen Camilla. The monarch, 74, opted for a traditional charcoal morning suit and pink tie, which he paired with a black top hat. Queen Camilla, 75, looked suitably sophisticated in a pale green V-neck coat dress by UK designer Anna Valentine, which she also owns in pink. The stylish royal paired it with a matching hat, complete with a feathered trim, by Phillip Treacy - who also designed her wedding headpieces. Camilla also wore a diamond brooch belonging to the late Queen, a five-strand pearl necklace, a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet and a pair of pristine white gloves. King Charles and Queen Camilla appeared in high spirits as they arrived at Royal Ascot this afternoon The Earl of Snowdon, King Charles' cousin, and his horse trainer Mark Prescott also rode in the carriage with the couple. As their horse-drawn carriage drew into the Royal Enclosure, the group were met with huge cheers from the crowds. Princess Anne - dressed in a chic green lace gown and white hat - and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence followed in the second carriage, Meanwhile, the Princesss Royal's daughter Zara Tindall and son-in-law Mike skipped the royal procession and headed straight to the races. Also in attendance was Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family who is also a horse owner. David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linely, also known as Earl Snowdon, is the son of the late Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. His sister, Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto joined the procession too, alongside Lord Nicolas Soames, a former Conservative MP and grandson of Winston Churchill. Camilla's friends Colin Chisholm and Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen as well as horsetrainers Rachel and John Gosden, Lady Carolyn Warren and John Warren also joined the procession. The Queen, 75, looked sophisticated in a pale green coat dress and matching feathered hat for the races Queen Camilla pictured wearing an Anna Valentine green coat dress and a Phillip Treacy hat for Ascot King Charles wore a grey morning suit, black top hat and pink printed tie for the third day of Royal Ascot The newly-crowned King and Queen were met with huge cheers at Royal Ascot today King Charles beams at crowds as he arrives at Royal Ascot with his wife Queen Camilla The Earl of Snowdon, King Charles' cousin, and his horse trainer Mark Prescott were also rode in the carriage with the royal couple Princess Anne seen arriving at Ascot with husband Sir Timothy Laurence in a carriage behind Charles and Camilla Zara and Mike Tindall led the royal arrivals at Ladies Dayfor day three of Royal Ascot Zara opted for a summery white lace dress for the occasion, while her rugby ace husband Mike matched her in neutral tones It's shaping up to be a busy day for King Charles - after he attended a Windrush service at St Georges Chapel marking 75 years since historic migration of Caribbean and Commonwealth citizens to Britain. The British royal family have been out in force at the event this week, with King Charles, Camilla, Princess Anne, 71, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice, 33, and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 38, all attending. Zara and Mike Tindall led royal arrivals today, with more of The Firm expected to be seen today. Sabrina Elba, the actress wife of superstar Idris Elba, led the glamour today in a Kate Middleton-inspired white Self Portrait dress suit and beret, which costs 710. Zara stunned in a french lace short sleeve dress from Scanlan Theodore, which she paired with an Emily London hat with pretty flower detail. Princess Anne's daughter - who was styled by Annie Miall - wore nude heels by Julia Mays and jewellery by Lauren Coste, Sif Jakobs and Astley Clarke. Many of the female dressers made the most of the relaxed new rules - which allows people to dress from male and female dress codes regardless of their gender - with women in trousers and three-piece suits. The two appeared to lap up the sunshine at the event as they arrived ahead of the Royal Procession with Zara toting an Ivory patent croc hat box from luxury brand Aspinal of London Sir Clive Alderton, and his wife Lady Alderton, Private Secretary to King Charles III and Queen Camilla, also joined in the races fun While others opted for plunging necklines and teetering heels which will no doubt be kicked off as the festivities continue. Yesterday the action heated up as the champagne flowed and guests got merry. As the drinks kept coming and revellers began celebrating their wins, they began to loosen up and lark about with each other, in good spirits on a sunny day. Among the scenes of people who were heading home after a day of partying were savvy women who had ditched their high heels in favour of sensible flat shoes to travel home in, as well as a gentleman who had picked up some snacks to tide him over for the evening. Stylish attendees made for a colourful and glamorous display as they arrived at the racecourse earlier for another day of nail-biting races and plenty of partying. Glamorous racegoers showed off their finery as they arrived for day three of Royal Ascot today - with many donning sky high fascinators and figure hugging dresses for the event Guests were snapped wearing stunning outfits boasting a rainbow of colours today, as they made the most of the sunshine during Ladies Day Model and influencer Rahi Chadda also attended the celebration and donned 175 Pasadena Sunglasses by Aspinal of London Many opted for wild and wonderful outfits for the occasion, with some taking advantage of this year's updated dress code which permits women to wear trousers. The glamorous scenes at the start of day two, where white seemed to be the colour of the moment among the earliest attendees, come after hilarious antics captured last night as the opening day of the festival came to a close. Before the Queen's Vase got underway, the Queen was seen nervously swaying in anticipation. Frankie Dettori was cheered as he won and performed his trademark celebration of jumping out of the saddle on to the ground. Despite their losses on the racecourse, the royal couple appeared in great spirits as they met other members of their family. King Charles and Queen Camilla left Zara Tindall in stitches earlier in the afternoon. The opening of Royal Ascot 2023 saw plenty of royals descend on the racecourse to celebrate King Charles's first event as monarch. Included in the royal line-up was King Charles and Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall, and Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. This year, organisers of the race have paid tribute to Royal Ascot's 'biggest fan', Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away last September. During her 70-year reign, Her late Majesty attended almost every single Royal Ascot festival, with the exception of last year. In the pink! One woman opted for a stunning vibrant gown as she arrived for the Berkshire event ahead of Ladies Day Strike a pose! One pair of friends appeared in good spirits as they arrived this morning for the event in Berkshire ahead of the big day Feeling floral! One woman showed off an incredible hat which featured an enormous flower as she arrived for the event in Berkshire Yesterday the action hotted up on the second day of Royal Ascot 2023 as the winnings came in and the champagne is on ice This year, organisers have displayed a heartwarming collection of photos of the Queen visiting Ascot over the years. They include a black-and-white photo of the royal riding on the tracks in 1960 when she was 34 years old. The mother-of-four was pictured with a headscarf and riding boots on as her horse galloped along the track. The Queen was taking part in an unofficial race with other members of her royal party and ended up finishing fourth. What's more, the organisers also selecting a photograph of the Queen beaming at Ladies Day in 2013. The event turned out to be one of the Queen's most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup - making her the first monarch in 200 years to scoop the prize. The late royal was pictured beaming at her trophy, which was presented to her by her son Prince Andrew. The Queen was dressed in one of her signature coat dresses in a pretty shade of purple. Underneath her jacket, the monarch wore a pretty floral dress - which perfectly complimented the flowers on her hat. In the image, the Queen is seen wearing a three-strand pearl necklace - which she also wore to her final ever Ascot in June 2021. A two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Belle, is believed to be one of the first dogs in the UK ever to be allowed on a hospital labour ward. The clever dog was serving as a birthing partner to owner Amee Tomkin, 33, who has severe anxiety and ADHD. Belle accompanied Amee through fertility treatment, as well as scans and midwife appointments during her pregnancy. The dog was so well behaved that Milton Keynes University Hospital, allowed her to support nervous Amee on the maternity ward before she had a caesarean section in April. Loyal pooch Belle was even waiting for Amee as she came out of theatre and was the first to meet Olly, her newborn son, in April 2023. Amee in hospital with newborn Olly and her doggy midwife Belle, believed to be one of the first dogs in the UK ever to be allowed on a labour ward Belle was the first to see Olly and welcomed him into the world with a lick. Now she doesn't leave his side Amee, from Milton Keynes, said: 'Belle was waiting patiently in the hospital room when I went to theatre to have my baby. 'And when I was wheeled back, she was the first to meet Olly I couldn't have done it without her.' Since she was a tiny pup, Belle has been trained by Amee to be an assistance dog, helping her deal with her anxiety, autism and panic attacks. And Amee said it was clear from the beginning that Belle was a natural at assisting her. For the past eighteen months, the pup has accompanied Amee wherever she goes and when she fell pregnant with her son Olly, after 12 years of fertility treatment, nothing changed. She attended all her pregnancy scans with her, where doctors decided that a C-section would be better for Amee's autism and anxiety, because she would know exactly what was happening. Amee said: 'Belle can detect symptoms of a panic attack, and does things like help me find exits in crowded places if she senses I'm feeling anxious. The two-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier accompanied Amee, 33, through fertility treatment, as well as scans and midwife appointments throughout her pregnancy Amee, from Milton Keynes, said: 'Belle was waiting patiently in the hospital room when I went to theatre to have my baby.' Doctors decided that a C-section would be better for Amee's autism and anxiety, because she would know exactly what was happening The prospect of giving birth without Belle by her side was worrying for Amee, so her midwife asked Milton Keynes University Hospital if she could accompany her on the ward 'She presses buttons on lifts and she even holds my debit card against the machine to pay for things when we're shopping. 'Basically, without her, I'm too anxious to leave the house. I'd just stay indoors all day and every day. 'She came with me to all my appointments during my pregnancy and kept me calm I couldn't have done it without her.' The prospect of giving birth without Belle by her side was worrying for Amee, so her midwife asked Milton Keynes University Hospital if she could accompany her on the ward. Once the green light was given, doctors allowed the dog to sleep on Amee's hospital bed. Amee said: 'She came with me to all my appointments during my pregnancy and kept me calm I couldn't have done it without her.' She added: 'As soon as she saw Olly, she gently sniffed him then gave his face a tiny lick to welcome him. Since then she has never left his side' She rested her nose gently on her bump, near her belly button. Amee said: 'It was as though she was checking the baby's heartbeat when I was pregnant. 'She even learned to tell the difference between the baby's heartbeat and my own. It was such a reassurance. 'Belle was allowed to stay with me before I went went to theatre and we were given our own room so she could stay with me and the baby afterwards. 'As soon as she saw Olly, she gently sniffed him then gave his face a tiny lick to welcome him. Since then she has never left his side.' Milton Keynes University Hospital has been contacted for comment. Charles and Camilla broke down in tears this afternoon as they secured their first ever Ascot win - before the King knocked over his trophy in an emotional moment at the winning podium. The royal couple were overcome with emotion as they watched their horse Desert Hero win the King George V race from the royal box. After two losses yesterday, Charles and Camilla were thrilled to scoop their first ever win at Royal Ascot, which is the first time the event has been held since the Queen passed away last September. Over the course of her 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth had over 24 Ascot wins - and Zara Tindall said the moment was 'bittersweet' for King Charles and Camilla. Speaking to ITV, Princess Anne's daughter said: 'It's bittersweet to think how proud and excited the Queen would have been. King Charles appeared emotional as he won his first Ascot race with Queen Camilla this afternoon Pictured: King Charles and Camilla were on the edge of their seats as their horse Desert Hero win the King George V race King Charles accidentally knocked over the cup during the presentation ceremony this afternoon The late Queen (pictured at Ascot in 2018) attended the annual racing event for almost 70 years in a row 'To have a winner for Charles and Camilla and to keep that dream alive. And besides all that, what a race!' The couple's trainer William Haggas added: 'They're absolutely thrilled. 'They've been looking forward to Ascot for a long time, it's very important for horse racing, important the King and Queen enjoy it.' During the presentation ceremony, King Charles accidentally knocked over the trophy to begin with and couldn't disguise his joy. The late Queen had a lifelong love of horses - having received a Shetland pony called Peggy from her grandfather George V when she was four years old. According to her racing adviser, the late monarch - who passed away at the age of 96 last September - was discussing 'her love for her horses right to the very end'. Mr Warren said he spent the weekend before the Queen died in Scotland, discussing her horses, as they had done so many times before. 'We sat there for hours over the weekend strategising and making plans going forward', he said. Charles and Camilla shared a giggle as they both smiled at their jockey Tom Marquand after their horse Desert Hero won The King George V Stakes Charles was overcome with emotion as he cheered on Desert Hero in the King George V Stakes today The King and his wife were both on the edge of their seats as they enjoyed the Royal Ascot excitement today King Charles and Queen Camilla shared smiles with the Duke of Kent during the trophy presentation after Desert Hero won the King George V Stakes The monarch couldn't contain his glee as he held onto the trophy during today's Ascot excitement Charles fondly stroked Desert Hero - who won The King George V Stake - during Ladies Day at Ascot King Charles congratulated Frankie Dettori after riding Courage Mon Ami to winning The Gold Cup on day three during Royal Ascot Charles smiled while watching a victorious Frankie Dettori kiss his Golden Cup at the Royal Ascot today Queen Camilla received a kiss from Frankie as she presented him with the winning Gold Cup today The Queen looked to be full of praise for the jockey as he received The Gold Cup at the Royal Ascot today Frankie Dettori celebrated with the trophy after riding Courage Mon Ami on the third day of Ascot The jockey gave his golden trophy a kiss, appearing emotional as he celebrated the victorious outcome Frankie looked delighted to revel in his victory at Ascot today, holding up the trophy for all to see Charles and Camilla won the King George V Stakes with Desert Hero - as an emotional Charles struggled with the cup The King appeared overwhelmed as he and his wife were presented with the trophy on Ladies Day at Ascot The monarch couldn't get a grip on the trophy - while his wife gently tried to help her husband today An emotional Charles knocked the trophy over as he enjoyed the victorious moment at Royal Ascot today Camilla couldn't contain her laughter as her husband knocked over their trophy at the Royal Ascot today Charles appeared excited as he knocked over the trophy, with a helpful Camilla on hand to help him Charles and Camilla appeared delighted as they showed off their trophy on day three of the Royal Ascot King Charles appeared emotional as he handled the trophy with his wife Camilla at Ascot today Queen Camilla has her tears wiped away after her and King Charles's horse Desert Hero won on Ladies Day King Charles and Queen Camilla broke down in tears this afternoon as they secured their first ever Ascot win King Charles couldn't disguise his joy as he was presented with the trophy for the King George V Stakes Queen Camilla chuckled as King Charles accidentally knocked over their trophy during the presentation Charles and Camilla were beaming as they were presented with the trophy at the Ascot racecourse today Tom Marquand riding Desert Hero poses with the trophy after winning The King George V Stakes during day three of Royal Ascot 2023 Charles posed for a photograph with Desert Hero and Tom Marquand after winning the 15:05 King George V Stakes Pictured: King Charles and Queen Camilla spoke with their jockey following his win this afternoon King Charles and Queen Camilla went down to the race course to congratulate the jockey and Desert Hero This year, Royal Ascot have paid heartwarming tribute to the Queen with a photo exhibition of her racing highlights. Following her Coronation in 1953, the Queen travelled to the racecourses in Berkshire at least once a year to attend the event - and only missed it in 2020 due to Covid lockdowns. To mark the first Ascot since her passing, organisers have displayed a heartwarming collection of photos of the Queen visiting Ascot over the years. These include a black-and-white photo of the royal riding on the tracks in 1960 when she was 34 years old. The mother-of-four was pictured with a headscarf and riding boots on on as her horse galloped along the track. The Queen was taking part in an unofficial race with others members of her royal party and ended up finishing fourth. What's more, the organisers also selecting a photograph of the Queen beaming at Ladie's Day in 2013. The event turned out to be one of the Queen's most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup - making her the first monarch in 200 years to scoop the prize. King Charles lead the procession for a third day today as he arrived at Royal Ascot with Queen Camilla. The monarch, 74, opted for a traditional charcoal morning suit and pink tie, which he paired with a black top hat. Queen Camilla, 75, looked suitably sophisticated in a pale green V-neck coat dress by UK designer Anna Valentine, which she also owns in pink. The King appeared to have been congratulated by others in the Royal Box after his win this afternoon Charles and Camilla appeared to have tears in their eyes as they responded to cheers from the crowd today King Charles cheered with delight from the Royal Box at Ascot as their horse Desert Hero participated in the King George V race King Charles roared during his horse's nailbiting race - while Camilla also appeared transfixed The royal couple turned to face each other after securing their first Royal Ascot win this afternoon The royal couple were overcome with emotion as they watched their horse Desert Hero win the King George V race from the royal box King Charles looked tearful as he made his way to the presentation ceremony to pick up his trophy Camilla appeared completely overwhelmed with emotion in the moment, with tears filling her eyes The royal couple appeared delighted as they beamed at one another following the win from their horse The royal couple appeared completely riveted by the race as it got underway at Ascot during Ladies Day Before the race, Charles could be seen inspecting the booklet from the Royal Box at the Berkshire racecourse Desert Hero wins the King George V Stakes It's a Royal1-2 at Royal Ascot!#ITVRacing | #RoyalAscot pic.twitter.com/xLeopVWwpJ ITV Racing (@itvracing) June 22, 2023 The stylish royal paired it with a matching hat, complete with a feathered trim, by Phillip Treacy - who also designed her wedding headpieces. Camilla also wore a diamond brooch belonging to the late Queen, a five-strand pearl necklace, a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet and a pair of pristine white gloves. The Earl of Snowdon, King Charles' cousin, and his horse trainer Mark Prescott were also rode in the carriage with the royal couple. As their horse-drawn carriage drew into the Royal Enclosure, the group were met with huge cheers from the crowds. Princess Anne - dressed in a chic green lace gown and white hat -and her husband Sir Timothy Laurence followed in the second carriage. Meanwhile, the Princesss Royal's daughter Zara Tindall and son-in-law Mike skipped the royal procession and headed straight to the races. Also in attendance was Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family who is also a horse owner. David Armstrong-Jones, Viscount Linely, also known as Earl Snowdon, is the son of the late Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. His sister, Lady Sarah Chatto and her husband Daniel Chatto joined the procession too, alongside Lord Nicolas Soames, a former Conservative MP and grandson of Winston Churchill. Camilla's friends, Colin Chisholm & Baroness Chisholm of Owlpen as well as horsetrainers Rachel and John Gosden, Lady Carolyn Warren and John Warren also joined the procession. King Charles and Queen Camilla appeared in high spirits as they arrived at Royal Ascot this afternoon The Queen, 75, looked sophisticated in a pale green coat dress and matching feathered hat for the races Queen Camilla pictured wearing an Anna Valentine green coat dress and a Phillip Treacy hat for Ascot King Charles wore a grey morning suit, black top hat and pink printed tie for the third day of Royal Ascot The newly-crowned King and Queen were met with huge cheers as they arrived at Royal Ascot today It's shaping up to be a busy day for King Charles - after he attended a Windrush service at St Georges Chapel marking 75 years since historic migration of Caribbean and Commonwealth citizens to Britain. The British royal family have been out in force at the event this week, with King Charles, Camilla, Princess Anne, 71, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice, 33, and Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, 38, all attending. Zara and Mike Tindall lead the royal arrivals today, with more of The Firm expected to be seen today. Sabrina Elba, the actress wife of superstar Idris Elba, led the glamour today in a Kate Middleton-inspired white Self Portrait dress suit and beret, which costs 710. Zara stunned in a french lace short sleeve dress from Scanlan Theodore, which she paired with an Emily London hat with pretty flower detail. Princess Anne's daughter - who was styled by Annie Miall - wore nude heels by Julia Mays and jewellery by Lauren Coste, Sif Jakobs and Astley Clarke. Many of the female dressers made the most of the relaxed new rules - which allows people to dress from male and female dress codes regardless of their gender - with women in trousers and three-piece suits. Pictured: King Charles beams at crowds as he arrives at Royal Ascot with his wife Queen Camilla The Earl of Snowdon, King Charles' cousin, and his horse trainer Mark Prescott were also rode in the carriage with the royal couple Princess Anne seen arriving at Ascot with husband Sir Timothy Laurence in a carriage behind Charles and Camilla Zara and Mike Tindall lead the royal family arrivals at Ladies Day as they arrived for day three of Royal Ascot Zara opted for a summery white lace dress for the occasion, while her rugby ace husband Mike matched her in neutral tones While others opted for plunging necklines and teetering heels which will no doubt be kicked off as the festivities continue. Yesterday the action hotted up as the champagne flowed and guests got very merry into the night. As the drinks kept coming and revellers began celebrating their wins, they began to loosen up and lark about with each other, in good spirits on a sunny day. Among the scenes of revellers who were heading home after a day of partying were savvy women who had ditched their high heels in favour of sensible flat shoes to travel home in, as well as a gentleman who had picked up some snacks to tide him over for the evening. Stylish attendees made for a colourful and glamorous display as they arrived at the racecourse earlier for another day of nail-biting races and plenty of partying. Many opted for wild and wonderful outfits for the occasion, with some taking advantage of this year's updated dress-code which permits women to wear trousers. Pictured: The Queen appeared in high spirits as she arrived at Royal Ascot in June 2021, which would be her last time visiting the races Pictured: The exhibition of the Queen's racing highlights that has been put on display at this year's Ascot The glamorous scenes at the beginning of day two, where white seemed to be the colour of the moment among the earliest attendees, come after hilarious antics captured last night as the opening day of the festival came to a close. Before the Queen's Vase got underway, the Queen was seen nervously swaying in anticipation. Frankie Dettori was cheered as he won the Queen's Vase and performed his trademark celebration of jumping out of the saddle onto the ground. Despite their losses on the racecourse, the royal couple appeared in great spirits as they met with other members of their family. King Charles and Queen Camilla left Zara Tindall in stitches earlier in the afternoon. The opening of Royal Ascot 2023 saw plenty of royals descend on the racecourse to celebrate King Charles's first event as monarch. Included in the royal line-up was King Charles and Queen Camilla, Princess Anne, Zara and Mike Tindall, and Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The two appeared to lap up the sunshine at the event as they arrived ahead of the Royal Procession Sir Clive Alderton, and his wife Lady Alderton, Private Secretary to King Charles III and Queen Camilla, also joined in the races fun Glamorous racegoers showed off their finery as they arrived for day three of Royal Ascot today - with many donning sky high fascinators and figure hugging dresses for the event Guests were snapped wearing stunning outfits boasting a rainbow of colours today, as they made the most of the sunshine during Ladies Day This year, organisers of the race have paid tribute to Royal Ascot's 'biggest fan', Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away last September. During her 70-year reign, Her late Majesty attended almost every single Royal Ascot festival, with the exception of last year. This year, organisers have displayed a heartwarming collection of photos of the Queen visiting Ascot over the years. They include a black-and-white photo of the royal riding on the tracks in 1960 when she was 34 years old. The mother-of-four was pictured with a headscarf and riding boots on on as her horse galloped along the track. The Queen was taking part in an unofficial race with others members of her royal party and ended up finishing fourth. What's more, the organisers also selecting a photograph of the Queen beaming at Ladies Day in 2013. In the pink! One woman opted for a stunning vibrant gown as she arrived for the Berkshire event ahead of Ladies Day Strike a pose! One pair of friends appeared in good spirits as they arrived this morning for the event in Berkshire ahead of the big day Feeling floral! One woman showed off an incredible hat which featured an enormous flower as she arrived for the event in Berkshire Yesterday the action hotted up on the second day of Royal Ascot 2023 as the winnings came in and the champagne is on ice The event turned out to be one of the Queen's most successful Ascots as her horse Estimate won the Gold Cup - making her the first monarch in 200 years to scoop the prize. The late royal was pictured beaming at her trophy, which was presented to her by her son Prince Andrew. The Queen was dressed in one of her signature coat dresses in a pretty shade of purple. Underneath her jacket, the monarch wore a pretty floral dress - which perfectly complimented the flowers on her hat. In the image, the Queen is seen wearing a three-strand pearl necklace - which she also wore to her final ever Ascot in June 2021. Prince William and Kate Middleton have paid tribute to the Windrush generation for 'rebuilding Britain' on the 75th anniversary of their arrival in the UK. The Prince and Princess of Wales shared a heartwarming video montage with their 15m followers today, which included footage showing people disembarking the Empire Windrush boat in Essex. The former troop ship landed in Britain on June 22, 1948, carrying people from across the Caribbean who had responded to an ad offering tickets for 28 (around 1040 in today's money) to those wanting to work in the UK. Speaking for himself and his wife, Prince William said 'we are forever grateful' for the Windrush generation's 'extraordinary contributions and resilience'. Appearing on camera, William said: 'This Windrush, we mark 75 years since the Empire Windrush laid anchor at Tilbury docks. 'Many of the young people on that historic voyage knew Britain well. They'd fought by our sides in WWII. 'They, and the generation of commonwealth citizens who followed in their footsteps, chose this country to start new lives.' 'We know they experienced hardships but they also experienced joy and life did indeed change for them and their families. 'But these voyagers also gave to our nation, helping to rebuild our country and adding to our culture.' As William's narration plays in the video, pictures of the Prince and Princess of Wales meeting members of the Windrush generation and their families appear on screen. He continued: 'Their contributions to the Britain we know now cannot be overstated. 'We are a better people today because the children and the grandchildren of those who came in 1948 have stayed and become part of who we are in 2023. 'And for that, we are forever grateful. Today, we celebrate the Windrush generation, their descendants and everything they have given to us all.' In the caption, William added: 'We honour the extraordinary contributions and resilience of the Windrush generation.' Pictured: The Prince of Wales filmed a personal message to mark Windrush Day this year. The video also included footage of people disembarking the ship in 1948 The royal couple's tribute comes as it was announced Prince William will appear in a new documentary about those who arrived on the Empire Windrush. The Prince of Wales will join celebrities including newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald, Mel B, Alesha Dixon and comedian Judi Love to meet members of the Windrush generation and hear their inspirational life stories for the ITV documentary. Each will meet people from the Windrush generation and hear their stories to provide a powerful and eye-opening insight into the experiences of a community of more than 500,000 who arrived in Britain between 1948 and 1971 initially to work in the NHS and on transport networks. Contributors will also be invited to the Pride Of Britain Awards in October where they will accept a special award on behalf of others in the Windrush generation. One of the contributors is Alford Gardner, a 97-year-old, who moved to the UK from Jamaica when he was 22 in 1948. Filmed across the UK and produced by Multistory Media [part of ITV Studios], the 1x60 film, the Windrush Generation, will bring together stories that celebrate their contributions to British life and culture, as well as shedding light on the reality of the struggle many faced to gain citizenship despite having lived and paid taxes in the UK for many years as a result of what became known as the Windrush scandal. Prince William and Kate Middleton pictured meeting members of the Windrush generation and their families last year Pictured: the Windrush monument, which was unveiled in Waterloo station in June 2022 by the Prince and Princess of Wales Between 1948 and 1970 more than half a million Windrush migrants from the West Indies left their homes to emigrate to the UK. Those who came from former and current British colonies had an automatic right to settle in the UK, as the country recognised the reconstruction of the British economy required a large influx of labour from abroad. Many of the migrants had fought for the UK in the Second World War and soon took up jobs as nurses, cooks, engineers, mechanics and more. The appeal for new workers was primarily aimed at white Europeans, who had dominated immigration to Britain during the century before the Second World War and still played an important role after 1945. Working age adults and many children travelled from the Caribbean to join parents or grandparents in the UK or travelled with their parents without their own passports. One of the contributors is Alford Gardner (pictured with Prince William), a 97-year-old, who moved to the UK from Jamaica when he was 22 in 1948 Since these people had a legal right to come to the UK, they neither needed nor were given any documents upon entry to the UK, nor following changes in immigration laws in the early 1970s. Many worked or attended schools in the UK without any official documentary record of their having done so, other than the same records as any UK-born citizen. The Windrush scandal, brought about in 2012 by the Government's 'hostile environment policy,' saw migrants who arrived from the Caribbean between 1948 and 1973 wrongly deported, detained or stripped of their homes and jobs. After the fiasco came to light, the Government pledged compensation for anyone who suffered, but there has been criticism that the response has been too slow. Last year, the couple marked Windrush Day by visiting ELEVATE in London to meet with younger generations of the British-Caribbean community at the youth programme nurturing the next generation of British creative talent. The Prince and Princess of Wales also unveiled the Windrush monument at Waterloo station last year. Krispy Kreme Australia is set to give away 3,000 free doughnuts today - but you'll have to be quick. Sydney customers can head into the new Krispy Kreme location on George Street to redeem their complimentary Original Glazed doughnut offer. The store is located at 785-787 George Street, Haymarket, and is open until 10pm. A live DJ is also set to perform all day long to celebrate and keep the party going. Sydney foodies can head into the brand-new Krispy Kreme location on George Street to redeem their complimentary doughnut offer today The first three customers who stepped into the store found themselves on a lucky streak. The first person received a complimentary dozen Original Glazed doughnuts every week for a year, while the second and third enjoyed the offer for six and three months respectively. Aimee Cutajar, Head of Marketing at Krispy Kreme ANZ, told FEMAIL, 'We're pleased to announce the brand-new store opening, relocating our previous Central Station store to the hustling and bustling heart of the Sydney CBD. 'Our much-loved Original Glazed Doughnuts are made fresh and ready now to sweeten the day for locals and shoppers, alongside our full-service menu, including daily fresh doughnuts, bagels and barista-made coffee.' But independent UK and US experts say the scientists conclusions are flawed China has discovered two new coronaviruses lurking in bats and state-funded virologists are parading them as proof Covid did not leak from a lab. Both pathogens harbour the same genetic quirk believed to make the pandemic-causing strain so infectious. Until SARS-CoV-2 spawned in China towards the end of 2019, no sarbecoviruses (the virus family it belongs to) had even been found to have a 'furin cleavage site'. Experts argued this oddity pointed to the pandemic as having a man-made origin, challenging Beijing's insistence that it emerged naturally. However, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention-backed researchers said their discovery 'deepens our understanding of the diversity of coronaviruses'. Scientists in the study analysed results from 112 bats captured in 'abandoned caves' in Baoting County, Hainan Province in Southern China in March and April in 2021 CD35 and CD36 were found in samples taken from great roundleaf bats, which are also known as the great Himalayan leaf-nosed bat Shi Zhengli - dubbed the 'Bat Lady' of 'Bat Woman' for her work on bat coronaviruses - investigated the possibility Covid could have emerged from her lab back in 2020 according to colleagues, she is also the editor Virologica Sinica Sharing their findings in a scientific journal, they argued it 'strongly' indicates SARS-CoV-2's furin cleavage site 'naturally originated'. They wrote the discovery: 'Provides clues about the natural origin of the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2.' But independent experts said the study cannot draw such a conclusion as the viruses discovered aren't actually that closely related to Covid. Neither of the two viruses, known as CD35 and CD36, have yet been proven capable of infecting humans. This prospect requires 'further investigation', according to the researchers, who were funded indirectly by President Xi Jinping's communist regime through China's national research and development programme. READ MORE: Lockdowns have 'damaged a generation' of children, emotional ex-chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies tells Covid Inquiry In an emotional apology, ex-chief medical officer (CMO) Dame Sally Davies said how sorry she was to families of those who lost loved ones during the pandemic Advertisement Dr Richard Ebright, a biologist at Rutgers University and lab leak proponent, said the paper's conclusions do nothing to dismiss the possibility that Covid leaked from a research facility. 'The viruses reported in the paper are not SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses,' he told MailOnline. 'They are not even sarbecoviruses (the subgenus of viruses comprising SARS-CoV-1-related and SARS-Cov-2-related viruses). 'The authors of the paper classify them as hibecoviruses, placing clade hibecovirus adjacent to, but distinct from, clade sarbecovirus.' He, therefore, said that the paper cannot draw any conclusion about Covid's unique furin cleavage site. 'SARS-CoV-2 is the only one of hundreds of known sarbecoviruses that has an furin cleavage site,' he said. 'This was true before the paper and remains true after the paper. 'No informed person would suggest that the paper, somehow, suffices dismiss the idea that Covid emerged from a lab.' Professor Francois Balloux, an infectious disease expert based at University College London echoed these same doubts. 'It's a hibecovirus, totally unrelated to SARS-CoV-1/2,' he told MailOnline. 'It carries a furin cleavage site but many coronaviruses (outside sarbecoviruses) do. 'This paper tells us nothing about the origin of Covid. It just adds one more coronavirus species to the hundreds described to date.' The study itself describe CD35 and CD36 as being a 54 per cent genetic match for Covid. This means it's not actually that related to Covid itself. For comparison, a virus called RaTG13 collected from bats in China in 2013 is a 96 per cent match and has no furin cleavage site. Scientists in the study analysed results from 112 bats captured in 'abandoned caves' in Baoting County, Hainan Province in Southern China in March and April in 2021. Of the bats collected samples from 7 (6.3 per cent) tested positive for coronaviruses. CD35 and CD36 were found in samples taken from great roundleaf bats, which are also known as the great Himalayan leaf-nosed bat. The authors noted: 'Bat CoV CD35 is so far the closest relatives of SARS-CoV-2 with a polybasic furin-like site, strongly suggesting that the cleavage site is of natural origin, which provides clues to the evolutionary origin of the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV-2.' They added that as great roundleaf bats have a wide geographic distribution, being found in southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Malaysia, this means CD35 could be circulating widely. Five of the paper's ten authors were affiliated with the Chinese CDC Beijing's equivalent of the UK Health Security Agency or US organisation of the same name. The discovery itself was published in Virologica Sinica, the publishing arm of the Chinese Society for Microbiology (CSM). This society is linked to the state-affiliated China Association of Science and Technology with its website adding that it 'accepts administrative supervision' from the Chinese Government's 'Ministry of Civil Affairs'. Virologica Sinica is also edited by Dr Shi Zhengli, an influential scientist described as China's 'bat woman' who works inside the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) considered to be the source of the Covid pandemic in some corners. Its editorial board also features over a dozen other academics linked to the WIV. And the study can count a British zoologist whose organisation funded research at the WIV, and central to the debate about Covid's origins, among its fans. Peter Daszak, the president of EcoHealth Alliance, which directed millions of US Government cash to fund experiments at the Chinese lab Tweeted about the study: 'Happy Saturday! Here's a newly discovered bat -CoV with a furin cleavage site from bats in Hainan Province China. He also quoted the study's conclusion '..this study deepens our understanding of the diversity of CoVs & provides clues about the natural origin of the FCS of SARS-CoV-2.' British zoologist Dr Peter Daszak, is one of the most stringent deniers of the man-made Covid hypothesis with ties to WIV Dr Daszak has been passionate defender of the WIV over the course of the pandemic and has repeatedly shot down any suggestion experiments at the lab could have led to the emergence of Covid. The expert in zoonosis, the spread of viruses from animals to humans, hails from the mining town Dukinfield, on the outskirts of Manchester, and has been one of the central, and controversial, figures at the centre of the debate on Covid's origin. He has been accused of orchestrating a behind-the-scenes bullying campaign to ensure blame for Covid was directed away from WIV. This involved allegedly persuading 26 other scientists to sign off on a letter he wrote to the scientific journal The Lancet claiming the virus could only have been natural in origin and to suggest otherwise creates 'fear, rumours, and prejudice'. The letter was so influential that it cowed most experts into refusing even to consider that the virus could have been man-made. It also later emerged that Dr Daszak told his fellow signatories in an email that the letter would not be sent under the EcoHealth logo to not make it identifiable as coming from any 'one organisation' or 'person'. These emails show that he even considered not signing the letter himself, although in the end he did. He was also accused of not declaring EcoHealth's, and therefore his own, ties with WIV during investigations into the pandemic. In January 2021, Dr Daszak joined the World Health Organization (WHO) team sent to Wuhan to investigate the origins of the virus. READ MORE: Britain wasn't 'operationally prepared' for Covid: Ex-chief scientific adviser suggests country was too focused on knock-on effects of obesity Sir Mark Walport, who was the Government's chief scientific adviser (CSA) from 2013 to 2017, told the Covid Inquiry while 'scientifically' the country was 'quite prepared', operationally was 'another matter'. Rates of chronic inflammatory diseases, hypertension and diabetes were deemed more important than infectious disease planning, he said Advertisement The group's report, published in March 2021, concluded it was 'extremely unlikely' that the virus originated in a laboratory. But he came under fire after it emerged that he had a working relationship with Dr Shi Zhengli, a virologist at the WIV nicknamed 'Bat Woman', and one of the very scientists whose work he was tasked with investigating. EcoHealth Alliance has provided at least $600,000 to WIV where research was carried out. Dr Daszak has previously defended his connections to WIV during investigations into Covid's origins, arguing the probe should involve those who know the most about coronaviruses in China. He also chaired a group of scientists probing Covid's origins for the medical journal The Lancet but stepped down when his link with Chinese virus research was revealed. The lab leak theory, once dismissed as an outright conspiracy, has gained increasing traction in the years since the virus first caused a global pandemic. Insiders at the heart of Beijing's response to the pandemic have also admitted that the nation quietly investigated the possibility of the virus emerging from one of its labs. Such investigations occurred despite President Xi Jinping's communist administration repeatedly denying the hypothesis, labelling it a smear campaign by 'anti-China' forces and insisting the virus emerged naturally instead. Back in 2020 the overwhelming opinion, shared by the world's leading experts, was that Covid crossed naturally from animals infected with a bat coronavirus to humans. But consensus over how the pandemic began three years ago has slowly started to shift. Even some US intelligence officials have backed it, with FBI director Christopher Wray stating in February that the virus 'most likely' originated from a lab incident in Wuhan. However, most experts maintain that Covid most likely emerged naturally, being transmitted from animals to humans - what is known as zoonosis. Such theories have largely pointed to Wuhan's Huanan seafood wholesale market, where numerous species of live animals were kept and sold, as the potential site where such an infection could have taken place. And in February 2021, an investigation into Covid's origin by the World Health Organization said it was 'extremely unlikely' the virus leaked from a lab. But plans for a second phase of the investigation, involving audits of laboratories in the Wuhan area, were rejected by the Chinese government. No concrete proof to support either argument has ever been found, leaving experts fearing the truth behind Covid's origins will never be uncovered. Beyond being just establishing a historical fact, experts also want to find how Covid emerged to help stop other similar pathogens becoming pandemics in the future. Rising carbon dioxide levels onboard the Titanic submersible may act as a sedative which sends the five trapped explorers to 'sleep', experts warned today. Rescue teams are scouring the Atlantic Ocean to find the deep-sea Titan vessel in a race against time, with oxygen levels rapidly running out. Electrical power may have already been lost inside the 22ft vessel, experts fear. This means vital 'scrubbers' designed to filter out toxic levels of CO2 in confined spaces might have already switched off. As oxygen levels fall, the proportion of carbon dioxide being exhaled will rise. Dr Ken Ledez, a specialist in hyperbaric medicine at Memorial University in St John's, Newfoundland, said: 'It becomes sedative, it becomes like an anaesthetic gas, and you will go to sleep.' CO2 poisoning can be deadly. It can cause asphyxiation or hypercapnia, when too much of the gas floods the bloodstream. However, another risk presented to the Titan sub could help them survive in time to be rescued, experts claimed. Hypothermia a potential threat because of the low temperatures in the depths of the ocean could see the crew lose consciousness and 'live through' the agonising wait. The Titan vessel will have a carbon dioxide scrubber on board to remove excess toxic gas that builds up when passengers exhale in the confined space, but in most craft this will have a limited capacity. There is also a risk of hypothermia due to the low temperatures in the depths of the ocean, as well as hyperventilation induced by panic attacks, which can use up more valuable oxygen At 9.45am - an hour and 45 minutes into the dive - it lost contact with its mothership, the Polar Prince. But it wasn't reported as missing to the US Coast Guard until 5.40pm, eight hours later. Canada 's Coast Guard wasn't alerted until even later - 9.13pm on Sunday night. The company's Titan sub submerged at 8am EST on Sunday morning around 400 miles southeast of St John's, Newfoundland, according to the US Coast Guard. It lost contact at 9.45am but it wasn't reported to the Coast Guard until 5.40pm Underwater vessels use a process called CO2 scrubbing. This is done chemically using soda lime which traps and removes carbon dioxide from the air, ensuring a safe breathing atmosphere is maintained. CO2 is colourless and odourless. Levels found in the environment do not pose any immediate danger to humans. But, in confined spaces, they can. Symptoms of CO2 poisoning include headaches and drowsiness. Exposure to higher levels can trigger hypercapnia, when CO2 builds up in the bloodstream. This can lead to disorientation, confusion, rapid breathing and seizures. Eventually levels become life-threatening with victims passing out before dying from a lack of oxygen. Breathing oxygen depleted air caused by extreme CO2 concentrations can lead to death by suffocation, the US Department of Agriculture warns. People can survive around 15 minutes without oxygen, it is believed. A former Royal Navy submarine captain said the 'greatest problem of all' was that he could not spot any sign of a scrubber while reviewing videos previously taken onboard the Titan. Earlier this week, the former director of undersea medicine and radiation health for the US Navy said many people assume the lack of oxygen is the biggest concern when humans are confined in an airtight space. But Dr Dale Mole said the biggest risk is actually from carbon dioxide. 'If they lost battery power, then that [scrubbing] system would no longer work,' he said. Dr Mole added: 'When people inside breathe in oxygen, they'll breathe out oxygen, and it'll go from like 21 percent to 17 percent [oxygen]. But they'll exhale carbon dioxide, and that carbon dioxide has to be removed because otherwise it becomes toxic.' Similarly, ex-Royal Navy Clearance Diver and Falklands Veteran Ray Sinclair also warned the five passengers could have already succumbed to these toxic carbon dioxide levels. Mr Sinclair took part in a deep-sea dive in the North Sea in 1984 in a small submarine that detaches from the main ship, like the missing vessel Titan. He told the Daily Express US: 'These submarines have batteries which have a finite life, and they have CO2 scrubbers. 'If these die, the people could suffocate before the oxygen even runs out as the toxic gas fills their lungs. 'If the CO2 scrubbers died, it would be a matter of hours before they did too. The build-up of the gas would make them feel very sleepy very quickly and they would pass out from that. 'The CO2 would have nowhere to go. I'm worried this may have already happened. 'It's an absolute nightmare scenario, the worse any diver could ever imagine but realistically, I think it could still be a few days before they are found.' The wreck of the Titanic (12,500ft) is far below the level of water pressure humans can withstand without the protection of a submersible. Experts say if the Titan's hull was breached did occur experts say the likelihood of survival is almost zero Read more: Expert reveals what might have happened to the five tourists on board missing Titanic sub if hull of 22ft vessel had cracked Advertisement But even without these factors, the five tourists would also have to contend with the prospect of hypothermia setting in rapidly. The deep ocean receives little to no light, and temperatures at 12,500 feet how far the Titanic is buried are about 2C (36F). If the vessel is stuck on the seabed, the water temperature could also be around 0C (32F). In humans, hypothermia can set in water as cold as 4C (40F), with bodily systems beginning to shut down with people becoming tired and confusion. Without electrical power, the vessel will not generate power or heat. But hypothermia 'could be their friend', Dr LeDez also cautioned. 'There is a possibility if they cool down enough and lose consciousness they could live through it - rescuers know this,' he said. The body will automatically try to adapt to survive, he added. Research has also suggested entering a hypothermic state, lowering body temperature and metabolic rate, can work as an effective energy-saving strategy. Another study by scientists at the University of Bristol also concluded that lowered head temperatures help to protect and maintain normal central nervous system function. This works by preserving the supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production - the primary source of cellular energy - in the brain. 'Hypothermia may thus prove a promising avenue in the treatment of stroke and trauma and, in particular, of perinatal brain injury,' the researchers said. However Dr LeDez cautioned: 'If they're unconscious, they're not going to be able to do much to help themselves.' Shivering can also use up more oxygen, Dr Mole said. Stuck in an increasingly stressful situation, the submarine's passengers are also likely to panic. Passengers may start breathing rapidly and deeply, which in itself can speed up the use of oxygen. But Dr Nicolai Roterman, a deep-sea ecologist and lecturer in marine biology at the University of Portsmouth, also warned the oxygen stored in the vessel could also increase the risk of an implosion. She said: 'Another equally unpleasant possibility is fire. 'The air in deep-sea submersibles can be enriched in oxygen, which could increase the risk and intensity of fire. 'Often petroleum-based makeup and skin creams are prohibited in deep-sea dives owing to the fire risk. 'Even without oxygen enrichment, any fire would incapacitate the occupants quickly in such a confined space.' Titan disappeared while diving towards the shipwreck of the Titanic, 12,500ft below the surface of the water. The vessel submerged at 8am EST on Sunday around 400 miles southeast of St John's, Newfoundland. It lost contact with its mothership at 9.45am an hour and 45 minutes into the dive. It has five people on board, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, as well as one of Pakistan's richest men, Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman, aged just 19-years-old. The others on board are OceanGate's chief executive and founder Stockton Rush and French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet. While some animals can survive at extreme depths thanks to extreme adaptations human beings can only go about 400ft unaided by modern technology The area of ocean near Newfoundland is teeming with boats and equipment trying to find the missing sub The deepest human free dives, a deep swim without any equipment like scuba gear, only go to only 400ft and are still dangerous. Specialised equipment, like special gas mixtures to combat the intense pressure of the depths of the ocean, have only enabled human divers to reach depths of about 1,700ft. Even whales that have evolved to feed in the deep ocean only go to a maximum of 10,000ft. The deep ocean is so inhospitable in part because of the pressure. At the depth of the Titanic wreck, the pressure will be approximately 380 times what people experience on the surface. Canadian aircraft picked up the sounds by sonar some of which were said to be heard at regular 30-minute intervals as recently as yesterday afternoon, close to where the Titan submersible disappeared. But the Coast Guard admitted last night that extensive searches around the area 435 miles off Newfoundland had so far 'yielded negative results'. And as it specifically predicted that the oxygen supply would run out at 12.08pm UK time today, specialist equipment was being rushed to the scene to aid the operation overnight. Deep-sea explorer Dr David Gallo has said it will take hours to rescue the submersible once found. Speaking to Good Morning Britain, he said: 'In this case, the noises are repetitive, every half hour I believe. 'Three different aircraft heard them in their sensors at the same time and it went on for two days-plus. 'It's still going on apparently. There's not a lot in the natural world we can think of that would do that every 30-minute cycle. 'We have to, at this point, assume that that's the submarine and move quickly to that spot, locate it and get robots down there to verify that is where the submarine is. 'They've got to go fully ready as if that was the sub because it takes a while to locate it and get it up to the surface, it takes hours.' The Food Standards Agency fears the plastic in the dip could be choking hazard A batch of houmous is thought to be contaminated with small pieces of plastic A brand of houmous sold in supermarkets such as Tesco is being urgently recalled over fears it might contain small pieces of plastic. The manufacturers of Ramona's Heavenly Original Humous have issued a 'do not eat warning' after identifying the 'possible presence' of small pieces of plastic in a batch of the dip. Food Standards Agency (FSA) said the risk 'presents a possible choking hazard and makes this product unsafe to eat'. The 500g pot of Ramona's Heavenly Original Humous with a use-by date of July 28 2023 is affected. It costs around 3. No other products or batch codes are affected by this issue What to do if someone is choking Encourage the person to keep coughing, and remove any obvious obstructions from their mouth. If that fails, give five sharp blows to the back, between the shoulder blades. Check their mouth after each one. If they are still choking, stand behind them and put your arms around their waist above the belly button. Clench one fist and grasp it with your other hand. Pull sharply and upwards five times. Check their mouth each time. Call 999 if this fails. Continue giving five sharp blows followed by five sharp pulls. Start CPR if the person becomes unresponsive. Source: St John Ambulance Advertisement Only the 500g pot of Ramona's Heavenly Original Humous with a use-by date of July 28 2023 is affected. It costs around 3. No other products or batch codes are affected by this issue. The product is also sold in Sainsbury's, Morrisons as well as on Ocado. Manufacturers Ramona's said that, as a 'precautionary measure', they are asking all customers who bought this batch of houmous to not eat it. Ramona's is instead urging customers to return the dip to their nearest store where they will receive a full refund without needing to show a receipt. The company said: 'We are really sorry about this but delivering the best quality product is our number one priority and we cannot take the risk of you finding plastic in the product.' Small pieces of plastic in food are a choking hazard for both children and adults. Choking happens when someones airway suddenly gets blocked, this can be partially or fully, but enough so they can't breathe properly. If an adult's airways are blocked, they may be able to clear the blockage themselves, the NHS has said. However, if coughing doesn't solve the issue, back blows and abdominal thrusts can help. If these do not work, you should call 999 immediately. The NHS warns that you should not give abdominal thrusts to babies under one or to pregnant women. Shamed ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock will be grilled by the Covid Inquiry next week. The MP was at the helm when the coronavirus pandemic struck and was a key figure in the lockdown restrictions and vaccine rollout that followed. He resigned after leaked CCTV images showed him kissing an adviser in his office in breach of his own social-distancing guidance. Mr Hancock will be questioned on Tuesday about Britain's preparations ahead of the pandemic, which have been widely criticised. Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon will also be among the witnesses next week. She will be hauled before the probe alongside former deputy John Swinney on Thursday. Shamed ex-Health Secretary Matt Hancock will be grilled by the Covid Inquiry next week. The MP was at the helm when the coronavirus pandemic struck and was a key figure in the lockdown restrictions and vaccine rollout that followed. Mr Hancock will be questioned on Tuesday about Britain's preparations ahead of the pandemic, which have been widely criticised Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon will also be among the witnesses next week. She will be hauled before the probe alongside former deputy John Swinney on Thursday The ex-SNP leader, who departed as Scotland's first minister in March, this week made her first public return to Holyrood since her dramatic arrest. Ms Sturgeon refused to answer questions about whether her husband who was also arrested was innocent. Both were quizzed as part of a police probe into the spending of 600,000 in donations. Today's arm of the wide-ranging Covid Inquiry will question Sir Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance. The pandemic gurus, nicknamed Professor Gloom and Dr Doom, became household names for their prominent roles during the crisis. They often appeared next to Mr Hancock and ex-PM Boris Johnson during Downing Street Covid briefings. Mr Hancock, 44, resigned after leaked CCTV images showed him kissing an adviser in his office, in breach of his own social-distancing guidance. Mr Hancock later angered colleagues and constituents by flying to the Australian jungle to appear on Im A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! in November 2022. Sir Chris Whitty, former chief scientific adviser, arrives to give evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry at Dorland House in London, June 22 Today's arm of the wide-ranging Covid Inquiry will question Sir Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance (pictured arriving). The pandemic gurus, nicknamed Professor Gloom and Dr Doom, became household names for their prominent roles during the crisis Having been stripped of the Conservative whip over the appearance, he said he would not contest his West Suffolk seat at the next election when he would step down. Mr Hancock, who penned his own explosive diaries lifting the lid on the inside story of the pandemic, took charge of the Department of Health in July 2018, 18 months before Covid hit the UK. Next week's Covid Inquiry will also hear from the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency Dame Jenny Harries. Dame Jenny, a former deputy chief medical officer for England, will appear on Monday while former Public Health England chief Duncan Selbie will appear on Tuesday afternoon. Caroline Lamb, chief executive of NHS Scotland, and Catherine Calderwood, Scotlands former chief medical officer, will give evidence on Wednesday, along with former cabinet secretary for health Jeanne Freeman. Other witnesses across the week include Emma Reed, director of emergency preparedness and health protection at the Department of Health and Social Care, and Rosemary Gallagher from the Royal College of Nursing. The first module will run for six weeks, until 20 July. The probe is not expected to conclude until 2026. Sir Chris Whitty was today repeatedly told to slow down by officials as he gave evidence on the country's preparedness for the pandemic. Addressing the Covid Inquiry, England's chief medical officer apologised, admitting 'my enthusiasm is running away with me'. It came just moments after he also slammed the abuse levelled at the country's top scientists as they worked to implement measures to curb the spread of the virus. He called the abuse targeted at independent scientific advisers (SAGE) during the pandemic 'extremely concerning'. He also told the probe that the UK should be 'very firm' in saying it 'appreciates the work of these people'. Addressing the Covid Inquiry, England's chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty apologised, admitting 'my enthusiasm is running away with me' The inquiry's chief lawyer Hugo Keith KC asked him: 'Could I - I apologise - just ask you to make your answers a little bit slower. 'Whilst, I may say so, your evidence is wonderfully clear, it is difficult to transcribe,' he added. 'My enthusiasm is running away with me,' Sir Chris apologised. Giving evidence throughout the morning, he was again asked to slow down by Mr Keith. The Inquiry's chair, Baroness Hallett, also remarked that the probe's stenographers 'are looking panicked'. But moments after Sir Chris' initial apology, Mr Keith asked: 'Do you identify that going forward is there a growing risk in terms of the availability of the requisitely qualified and expert members, to take part in this committee work? 'Is there a problem developing in relation to the ability of such experts to make themselves available for such lengthy periods of time.' Sir Chris responded: 'I think we've been extraordinarily lucky in the UK in having the best people doing this and this has happened over very many years. 'I think there are two potential threats that we need to be very alive to. 'The first is that the university system has got hawkish about recovery of time and what are the people that they're paying, doing with their time. 'I see this as a very major part of the contribution of science to society.' He added: 'I do think that what occurred during Covid with the level and abuse and in some cases threats to people who volunteer their time is an extremely concerning one and one we should be very firm in saying that society very much appreciates the work of these people, who put in considerable amounts of time, usually for no recompense.' Mr Keith responded: 'You were the recipient of some of that disgraceful behaviour. 'Is there anything that can be done, other than calling it out and making it absolutely plain that the inevitable consequence of such abuse will be the diminution and cooperation and assistance that is given by people such as yourself?' Sir Chris said: 'I think the main thing is to make sure that people who do this understand that their work is very thoroughly appreciated by the great majority of the population, which I think it is.' He added: 'We, society, need to ensure scientists know their service is valued.' Sir Chris become a household name during the pandemic, appearing alongside then Prime Minster Boris Johnson at Downing Street briefings while spearheading the fight against the virus. But as the face of the NHS's virus battle, he has been both championed and criticised by Britons. The harassment of Sir Chris and other prominent scientists including Sir Patrick Vallance and Professor Neil Ferguson also came amid a surge of conspiracy theories about the virus. Last year, a thug who jeered at Sir Chris while he was held in a headlock was jailed for eight weeks and ordered to pay 1,058 in costs and compensation. Jonathan Chew, 24, approached England's chief medical officer as he walked through St James's Park in Westminster on June 27 last year. Jonathan Chew, 24, approached England's chief medical officer as he walked through St James's Park in Westminster on June 27, 2021. Footage of the incident, lasting around 20 seconds and showing Chew alongside former estate agent Lewis Hughes, was widely shared on social media Last week the inquiry's chief lawyer, Hugo Keith KC, presented the Inquiry with an extraordinarily complicated flow chart detailing the government's chain of command in helping to protect Brits from future pandemics. The diagram, created by the Inquiry to reflect structures in 2019, links together more than 100 organisations involved in preparing the country for any future infectious threats Government data up to May 12 shows the number of deaths of people whose death certificate mentioned Covid as one of the causes, and seven-day rolling average. Baroness Hallett told the inquiry she intends to answer three key questions: was the UK properly prepared for the pandemic, was the response appropriate, and can lessons be learned for the future? Government data up to June 4 shows the number of Covid cases recorded since March 2020. As many as 70 witnesses will contribute to the first module on pandemic preparedness Footage of the incident, lasting around 20 seconds and showing Chew alongside former estate agent Lewis Hughes, was widely shared on social media. Lady Hallett, later told Sir Chris she was 'astonished and sorry' to hear of the abuse. She added: 'Its wrong for so many reasons, but I do know how distressing it can be so I hope that people will think twice - but of course they never do, do they? before committing themselves to distressing acts unnecessarily. 'There are so many different ways to express different opinions, why do we have to have personal abuse?' Sir Chris also opened his evidence this morning by addressing the families bereaved by the pandemic, saying he had first-hand experience of being on the front line when he was on the wards for 12 weeks. He said: 'I can say to the families who are here I saw the extraordinary impact and devastation for individuals and the families.' Giving evidence later, he also revealed the county's science advisory system may struggle between emergencies. Under questioning from Mr Keith, Sir Chris said: 'There are a number of bodies which give advice irrespective of whether there's an emergency or not. 'Some of those are relevant in emergencies, if they happen in their area of work. 'Also, and I think this is important, in the way we think about it as a co-ordination mechanism for how to prioritise the advice that's given.' He added: 'I think that there are no structural problems that I think need to be changed. 'However, I think what this did demonstrate was that whilst the system can be extremely fast-moving during an emergency, I think it is sometimes less well co-ordinated between emergencies. 'I think from that some problems actually arose.' As many as 70 witnesses will contribute to the first module on pandemic preparedness. Former health secretary Matt Hancock, ex-Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon and the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency Dame Jenny Harries will be among next week's witnesses. Mr Hancock is expected to give evidence on Tuesday while Ms Sturgeon and her former deputy John Swinney will appear on Thursday. Dame Jenny, a former deputy chief medical officer for England, will also appear on Monday. The first module will run for six weeks, until 20 July. The probe is not expected to conclude until 2026. A separate Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry chaired by Lord Brailsford is looking at the pandemic response in devolved areas in Scotland. Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has said he and the Welsh government are fully committed to the inquiry, though they maintain that there is no need for Wales to hold its own inquiry. Sir Chris Whitty today defended the worst-case scenarios advisors give Government, like the terrifying models pumped out during the pandemic. Doomsday forecasts are vital for planning purposes, the chief medical officer told the Covid Inquiry. Although Sir Chris accepted assumptions can be morbid, he insisted high potential death tolls, like those cited during the darkest days of the crisis, allowed officials to prepare in case they came to fruition. It gave ministers chance to work out where they were 'going to bury the bodies', he said. Horrifying predictions of upwards of 500,000 deaths are infamous for spooking No10 into declaring the first lockdown in March 2020. Addressing the Covid Inquiry, England's chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty apologised for speaking too quickly for officials to record his comments, admitting 'my enthusiasm is running away with me' Vaccines considered the only safe route out of the pandemic were still months away from being deployed. But the restrictions had huge knock-on effects, crippling the economy and causing huge backlogs within an already overwhelmed NHS. Sir Chris, who took over in the role as CMO in October 2019, just three months before Covid officially began, made the statement during his evidence to the Inquiry today. Questioned by lead counsel Hugo Keith KC about 'worst case' scenarios put together by experts and presented to the Government, Sir Chris who's nicknamed Dr Doom in some corners defended the practise. 'It is sensible to have a plan for "if everything fails what are we going to do",' he said. 'We do still need to be able to say, "let's go to the top of the range, actually we could end up with 750,000 people dying, where are we going to bury the bodies".' Sir Chris added: 'These are important, they may seem morbid, but they're practically important planning.' While he did not highlight any specific scientific modelling or predictions used during the pandemic, Sir Chris has previously defended the use of unlikely worst case scenarios for Covid. Morbid predictions made by scientists during the pandemic have come under huge scrutiny. One which has drawn particular focus is modelling by SAGE expert Imperial College London epidemiologist Professor Neil Ferguson, dubbed Professor Lockdown. It warned 510,000 people could die from Covid if ministers didn't act in early 2020. That specific model, which critics have since labelled as flawed, is single-handedly credited with spooking ministers into banishing Britons into lockdown to thwart the spread of the virus. Imperial College London published a paper in mid-March on the potential impact of coronavirus. It weighed up options on how a lockdown could reduce demand on hospitals It added that trying to 'mitigate' the spread allowing it to continue but attempting to slow it down with limited measures such as isolation for those with symptoms would have halved it to around 260,000. The report also showed that mitigation would not be insufficient to prevent the NHS becoming overwhelmed by looking at bed capacity. If the strictest possible measures are introduced including school closures and mandatory home quarantine the number of deaths over a two-year period will fall below 20,000, the scientists said. Britain's current Covid death toll stands in the region of 220,000. Other models were also heavily disputed, including a terrifying 4,000 deaths per day chart presented at a Downing Street press conference in the inter of 2020. Scientists not involved in guiding the Government's response claimed they failed to account for basic behavioural changes and underestimating the strength of natural immunity. It is not the first time the Government's top scientists have defended gloomy Covid data. Sir Patrick Vallance, No10's former chief scientific advisor, admitted in 2020 his 'regrets' of the forecast of the 4,000 Covid deaths a day over that winter which was used to justify a second national lockdown. He made the comments alongside Sir Chris when the pair were hauled before MPs to defend SAGE's modelling that also predicted hospitals would be overrun with virus patients by the end of November that year. Cambridge and PHE predicted the daily death toll could reach 4,000 at one point in the pandemic. This was heavily criticised, however At the time Sir Chris conceded that the 4,000 daily deaths prediction was unlikely to come true because the modelling was a worst-case scenario based on a situation where no extra measures were brought in. But the experts defended the science behind the gloomy forecast and said it was realistic to expect levels seen in April would be surpassed at the peak of a second wave, unless there was a lockdown. While presenting evidence to today's Inquiry Sir Chris was repeatedly told to slow down by officials as he gave evidence on the country's preparedness for the pandemic. 'Whilst, I may say so, your evidence is wonderfully clear, it is difficult to transcribe,' the inquiry's chief lawyer Hugo Keith KC said. As stenographers struggled to keep up with him, Sir Chris joked 'my enthusiasm is running away with me'. He also slammed the abuse some members of the public had levelled at the scientists who stepped forward to advise the Government during the crisis. He called the abuse targeted at the independent scientific advisers 'extremely concerning' and told the probe the UK should be 'very firm' in saying it 'appreciates the work of these people'. As Sir Chris gave evidence to the Inquiry, anti-coronavirus vaccine protesters gathered in the streets outside the building in Paddington Holding signs that read 'Covid jabs toxic by design' and 'Would your Government harm you?', they were approached by police officers WHAT DID PROFESSOR FERGUSON'S WORK SAY? The scientific paper published by Professor Ferguson and his colleagues on the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team was credited for persuading Boris Johnson's Government to ramp up their response to the coronavirus. The paper, released on March 17, and titled Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID19 mortality and healthcare demand, predicted that the Government's original plan to 'mitigate' the outbreak instead of trying to stop it could have led to a quarter of a million people dying. Using data from Italy and China, the scientists predicted how different Government measures would have different impacts on the outbreaks. If no action at all had been taken against the coronavirus it would have claimed 510,000 lives, the team's report said. Had the Government stuck with their strategy of trying to 'mitigate' the spread allowing it to continue but attempting to slow it down with limited measures such as home isolation for those with symptoms this number would be roughly halved to 260,000. If the strictest possible measures are introduced, the number of deaths over a two-year period will fall below 20,000, the scientists said. Other points in the Imperial College report, titled Impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to reduce COVID19 mortality and healthcare demand, included: Lockdown measures could be brought back if the virus resurfaces after this epidemic is over The coronavirus outbreak is worse than anything the world has seen since the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic Dramatic measures to suppress an outbreak carry 'enormous social and economic costs which may themselves have significant impact on health and well-being' Virus transmission happens evenly one third of cases are caught in the home, one third at work or school, and one third elsewhere in the community People are thought to be infectious from 12 hours before symptoms start, or from four days after catching the infection if someone doesn't get symptoms Patients who do get symptoms are thought to be 50 per cent more infectious than those who don't People are thought to develop at least short-term immunity after catching the virus, meaning they can't catch it again Approximately 4.4 per cent of patients need hospital care. 30 per cent of those need intensive care, and 50 per cent of intensive care patients can be expected to die, according to data from China The average length of a hospital stay for a coronavirus patient is 10 days eight days for those who recover quickly; 16 days for those who need intensive care Advertisement 'The level and abuse and in some cases threats to people who volunteer their time is an extremely concerning one and one we should be very firm in saying that society very much appreciates the work of these people, who put in considerable amounts of time, usually for no recompense,' he said. As the face of the NHS's virus battle, Sir Chris alongside other prominent prominent scientists including Sir Patrick Vallance and Professor Neil Ferguson, were both championed and criticised by Britons. Sir Chris was himself a victim of such abuse, at one point being held in a headlock and jeered at by thugs who filmed the encounter. He also told Mr Keith: 'We - society - need to ensure scientists know their service is valued.' But as he gave evidence to the Inquiry, anti-coronavirus vaccine protesters gathered in the streets outside the building in Paddington. Holding signs that read 'Covid jabs toxic by design' and 'Would your Government harm you?', the group was approached by police officers. Sir Chris opened his evidence this morning by addressing the families bereaved by the pandemic, and referred to his first-hand experience of being on the Covid front line for 12 weeks. 'I can say to the families who are here I saw the extraordinary impact and devastation for individuals and the families,' he said. Later he also revealed the county's science advisory system may struggle between emergencies. Under questioning from Mr Keith, Sir Chris said: 'There are a number of bodies which give advice irrespective of whether there's an emergency or not. 'Some of those are relevant in emergencies, if they happen in their area of work. 'Also, and I think this is important, in the way we think about it as a co-ordination mechanism for how to prioritise the advice that's given.' He added: 'I think that there are no structural problems that I think need to be changed. 'However, I think what this did demonstrate was that whilst the system can be extremely fast-moving during an emergency, I think it is sometimes less well co-ordinated between emergencies, and I think from that some problems actually arose.' Giving evidence later in the afternoon, Sir Chris also said SAGE was not best-placed to challenge or provide advice on economic decisions taken during Covid. He told the Inquiry: 'If you had two economists on SAGE, you would not be in a situation where SAGE would suddenly become an economically extraordinarily competent body. 'It would be a competent, scientific body with two economists on it which does not strike me as actually answering any terribly useful questions. 'The very, very narrow bit where I think that SAGE in the health emergencies can have a role is in health economics, which is a very specific bit of microeconomics.' He added: 'And I don't think SAGE people, including myself, have the competence to assure Government that they consider the economic problem and they can now give a central view on it. 'I think that would have to be done separately.' Later, under questioning, Sir Chris however also admitted: 'we did not give sufficient thought to what we could do to stop, in its tracks, a pandemic on the scale of Covid, or indeed any other pathogen that could realistically go there'. Sir Chris said one issue 'we really absolutely should have taken much more seriously, was the capability to scale up'. But he told the inquiry that interventions like quarantines and school closures were not new ideas - with some dating back to the Middle Ages. However, he highlighted the nation's lockdown as the 'very big new idea' of how to handle a pandemic. 'I'm talking here very, very specifically about the state saying people have to go home and stay at home, except under very limited circumstances - a very radical thing to do,' he said. He added that it would have been 'very surprising' for a scientific committee to have planned lockdowns with their 'huge economic and social impact ramifications' in advance, without 'this being requested by a senior politician'. Jonathan Chew, 24, approached England's chief medical officer as he walked through St James's Park in Westminster on June 27, 2021. Footage of the incident, lasting around 20 seconds and showing Chew alongside former estate agent Lewis Hughes, was widely shared on social media As many as 70 witnesses will contribute to the first module on pandemic preparedness. Ex-health secretary Matt Hancock, and former first minister for Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, and the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency Dame Jenny Harries will be among next week's witnesses. Mr Hancock is expected to give evidence on Tuesday while Ms Sturgeon and her former deputy John Swinney will appear on Thursday. Dame Jenny, a former deputy chief medical officer for England, will also appear on Monday. The first module will run for six weeks, until 20 July. The probe is not expected to conclude until 2026. A separate Scottish Covid Inquiry chaired by Lord Brailsford is looking at the pandemic response in devolved areas in Scotland. Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has said he and the Welsh government are fully committed to the inquiry, though they maintain that there is no need for Wales to hold its own inquiry. Patrick Vallance said such a group would give insight into the 'difficult trade offs' Sir Patrick Vallance wants a special pandemic advisory group set up in the wake of the pandemic. Addressing the Covid Inquiry today, the Government's ex-chief scientific adviser said the proposed pandemic preparedness centre should include economists. His suggestion follows criticism that advice offered to No10 on the pandemic failed to assess the financial costs of lockdown. Sir Patrick said the inclusion of economists would help assess the 'difficult trade-offs that occur' during a pandemic emergency. He said many different models are being looked at, but he favours a 'hub and spoke' model. Addressing the Covid Inquiry, Sit Patrick Vallance said he wants a special pandemic advisory group set up in the wake of the Covid pandemic Addressing the Covid Inquiry, England's chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty apologised for his rapid responses, admitting 'my enthusiasm is running away with me' This would, theoretically, see a single physical base for research that would extend to involve many universities that integrate different disciplines. He added that individual academics would not spend all of their time working on pandemics, but a range of specialists could give 10 per cent to create an overall 'critical mass'. He called the proposed idea 'advantageous' for the UK, and said it would be an important part of integrating new challenges. His comments followed those of Sir Chris Whitty, the Government's chief medical advisor who also gave evidence at the inquiry today. Sir Chris was also questioned about how economic advice could be better incorporated into the evidence offered to Government during pandemics. He cautioned against any token inclusion of economists in the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which offered ministers expert advice on health issues during the pandemic. 'If you had two economists on SAGE, you would not be in a situation where SAGE would suddenly become an economically extraordinarily competent body,' he said. 'It would be a competent, scientific body with two economists on it which does not strike me as actually answering any terribly useful questions.' While estimates vary, analysis suggests lockdown may have cost the nation 500m every day in lost output. During today's enquiry Sir Chris was also repeatedly told to slow down by officials as he gave evidence on the country's preparedness for the pandemic. The inquiry's chief lawyer Hugo Keith KC said: 'Could I - I apologise - just ask you to make your answers a little bit slower. 'Whilst, I may say so, your evidence is wonderfully clear, it is difficult to transcribe,' he added. Sir Chris apologised, saying: 'My enthusiasm is running away with me.' The Inquiry's chair, Baroness Hallett, also remarked that the probe's stenographers 'are looking panicked'. It came just moments after he slammed the abuse levelled at the country's top scientists during the pandemic. He called the abuse targeted at the independent experts that sit on SAGE 'extremely concerning'. He also told the probe that the UK should be 'very firm' in saying it 'appreciates the work of these people'. As many as 70 witnesses will contribute to the first module on pandemic preparedness. Ex-health secretary Matt Hancock, and former first minister for Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, and the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency Dame Jenny Harries will be among next week's witnesses. Mr Hancock is expected to give evidence on Tuesday while Ms Sturgeon and her former deputy John Swinney will appear on Thursday. Dame Jenny, a former deputy chief medical officer for England, will also appear on Monday. The first module will run for six weeks, until 20 July. The probe is not expected to conclude until 2026. A separate Scottish Covid-19 Inquiry chaired by Lord Brailsford is looking at the pandemic response in devolved areas in Scotland. Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has said he and the Welsh government are fully committed to the inquiry, though they maintain that there is no need for Wales to hold its own inquiry. Vaping is poisoning young children at an alarming rate, an official report suggests. The number of children under five in America who were sickened by e-cigarettes this year is about three times higher than in 2018 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration looked at a year's worth of reports to the National Poison Data System and found there were 6,074 accidental exposures to e-cigarettes among under-5s reported in 2023 compared to 1,836 in 2018. Inhalation through the mouth and nose is the leading means of accidental exposure to vapes while swallowing the nicotine-dense liquid came in second. During 20172018, the number of e-cigarette exposure cases increased by 25 percent (from 2,320 to 2,901), and in 2018 more than 63 percent of cases occurred among children under five Children who watch adults vaping are very likely to mimic their actions and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adult more carefully store their devices to avoid poisonings Most of the time, calls to poison centers about dangerous exposure to vapes have excluded the brand names of the devices in question, but the most oft-cited brand was Elf Bar, a mega-popular disposable device that comes in nicotine concentrations as high as five percent. In the time between April 2022 and March 2023, over 87 percent of reports to US poison centers of dangerous exposure to e-cigarettes have pertained to young children, In 2018, nearly two-thirds of accidental vape exposure reports occurred in under-fives, making a total of roughly 1,836. Over 60 percent of reports to poison control centers involved Elf Bars, and of that total, a staggering 90 percent were among children under five. Swelling rates of e-cigarette poisonings in the form of inhalation, ingestion, contact with skin, and contact with eyes suggest that older users may not be storing their devices carefully enough or keeping a sufficent eye on their little ones. The majority of all poisonings - 61 percent - were due to inhalation, while 40 percent were due to ingestion. Three and a half percent of poisonings involved skin contact with the nicotine in vapes, while one percent involved eye exposure. The devices are also designed to look sleek and harmless, which greatly increases the odds of sparking the interest of a young, unsuspecting child. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said: 'Continued surveillance is critical to guiding efforts to prevent poisoning exposure associated with e-cigarettes, particularly among young children. 'Adult e-cigarette users should store their e-cigarettes and e-liquids safely to prevent access by young children.' Despite the alarming rise in reports, they do not necessarily mean the child was hospitalized or required further medical attention. Overall, 0.6 percent of dangerous exposures - just 43 cases - resulted in a person of any being admitted to the hospital, while 8.3 percent, or 582 cases, required treatment at a doctors office or clinic. The CDC report did not specify how old each hospitalized or medically treated patient was, though, and the agency looked at poisoning rates broadly in people of all ages, from under five to 25 and older. While exact age breakdowns are not known, it is likely that the lion's share of poisonings resulting in necessary medical treatment were in children, because highly-potent e-liquids would wreak the most havoc on a young body naive to nicotine. Matthew Myers, President of the anti-smoking advocacy group Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids told DailyMail.com: 'As these products deliver higher and higher content of nicotine they become more and more dangerous for a very young child who accidentally gets hold of one. 'What we have is these products are easily accessible to people of all ages but because they now deliver such high levels of nicotine, the potential risks to a toddler logically just grow.' And it's not just the US that is seeing alarming upticks in accidental exposure to vapes among young children. In Australia, reports to New South Wales poison control centers number of toddlers aged one to four poisoned by vape devices jumped from 42 in 2020 to 127 in 2021, while children aged five to 14 went from 9 to 27 in the same period. In 2019, an Australian baby died after allegedly being exposed to toxic levels of liquid nicotine from an e-cigarette. Just one milliliter of liquid nicotine concentrate is enough to be fatal to a child if ingested, inhaled or splashed in their eyes the coroner reported. Those on board would not have even known what happened to them, he said Dr Dale Mole, former director of undersea medicine and radiation health for the US Navy, said the implosion would have been instantaneous A decorated former Navy doctor has revealed what would have happened during the Titanic Five's tragic final moments before their vessel suffered a 'catastrophic implosion'. Dr. Dale Mole, the former director of undersea medicine and radiation health for the US Navy, told DailyMail.com the deaths would have been quick and painless, dying almost instantly by the extraordinary forces exerted by the ocean at depth. Mole said: 'It would have been so sudden, that they wouldn't even have known that there was a problem, or what happened to them. 'It's like being here one minute, and then the switch is turned off. You're alive one millisecond, and the next millisecond you're dead.' US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger confirmed in a Thursday press conference that the search for Titan yielded debris that is 'consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber.' Five people were onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who was just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) was in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition An aerial view from the US Coast Guard of the search for the missing Titan at the Titanic wreck site. The sub imploded killing all five of the crew members instantly, experts say The crew were more than 2 miles below the ocean surface, which would have generated more than 5,500 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure. On board the vessel was OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61; French Navy veteran Paul-Henri (PH) Nargeolet, 77; British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 41; and his son Suleman, who was just 19. The tiny vessel carrying the crew was protected by a pressure chamber, a sealed pod that holds internal pressure significantly higher than ambient pressure, a pressurized gas system to control the internal pressure, and a supply of breathing gas for the occupants. Mole said: 'The pressure hull is the chamber where the occupants reside. It sounds as though they had reached the bottom when the pressure vessel imploded, and usually, when it gives way, it gives way all at once. 'It sounds like it was the carbon fiber cylinder that gave way and resulted in the implosion.' How the pressure chamber was breached remains unclear. But such an implosion could be due to a leak, power failure, or small fire from an electrical short circuit. What would have resulted would have been a violent and instantaneous implosion as the high pressure water outside flooded in, wrenching away the rear cover, landing frame, and ripping apart the sub's hull, crushing those inside. Mole said: 'They would have been ripped to shreds. 'An implosion is when the wave of pressure is inward, whereas an explosion is when the pressure wave or the shock wave goes out from whatever the source of that is.' He explained it like blowing up a balloon too much - the balloon will eventually pop when there is too much pressure. In an implosion, the opposite occurs, when there is more outward pressure than the container can understand, then the insides collapse. Mole said: 'When somebody stands on an empty soda can, it would support your weight, but then if you press on the sides, the can would collapse immediately.' He added: 'It's simply where the debris and fragments and everything else goes inward because of a strong external force. In this case, it was the ocean. 'At least at the depth of the Titanic, which is 12,500 feet, the external pressure would be 6,000 lbs per square inch. It's that pressure that, if there were a weakness in the hull, would cause the hull to collapse and suddenly creates a shockwave. An implosion can certainly be every bit of destructive as an explosion.' According to Scientific American, if the submersible was near the Titanic, it would have experienced higher pressure than a great white shark bite. Nicolai Roterman, a deep-sea ecologist at the University of Portsmouth, UK, agreed if such an implosion did occur, the pressure would have killed the occupants almost instantly. 'If there was any kind of hull breach, the occupants would succumb to the ocean in a near instant.' The company's Titan sub submerged at 8am EST on Sunday morning around 400 miles southeast of St John's, Newfoundland, according to the US Coast Guard. It lost contact at 9.45am but it wasn't reported to the Coast Guard until 5.40pm The Viking 6000 ROV could reach the Titanic site depth and when it did located debris from the imploded vessel After Thursday's announcement of the deaths of the Titanic Five, tributes were posted and released. Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77 - known universally as PH - was part of the first human expedition to visit the Titanic's wreck in 1987, and had visited the site at least 35 times. His family said their hearts were broken over his death. 'He is a man who will be remembered as one of the greatest deep-sea explorers in modern history. When you think of the Titanic and all we know about the ship today, you will think of Paul-Henri Nargeolet and his legendary work. 'But what we will remember him most for is his big heart, his incredible sense of humor and how much he loved his family. We will miss him today and every day for the rest of our lives.' Harding's company Action Aviation also released a statement on the news of his passing. 'Hamish Harding was a loving husband to his wife and a dedicated father to his two sons, whom he loved deeply. To his team in Action Aviation, he was a guide, an inspiration, a support, and a Living Legend,' a statement read. The Dawood family said it was grateful to those who participated in the international rescue effort. Their works was the a 'source of strength,' Hussain and Kulsum Dawood Family said in a statement. 'We are also indebted to our friends, family, colleagues, and well-wishers from all over the world who have stood by us during our hour of need,' the statement noted. 'The immense love and support we receive continues to help us to endure this unimaginable loss.' One of the final pictures of the OceanGate Expeditions Titan sub before it started its fateful descent to the Titanic wreck The US Navy might have picked up the sound of the implosion on Sunday morning, but the massive rescue effort still continued. The OceanGate sub started its descent around 8 am Sunday toward the Titanic wreck site in the deep Atlantic Ocean. About one hour and 45 minutes later, the vessel lost contact with the surface. A new report noted the US Navy might have picked up the sound of the implosion on Sunday morning, but the massive rescue effort still continued. 'The US Navy conducted an analysis of acoustic data and detected an anomaly consistent with an implosion or explosion in the general vicinity of where the Titan submersible was operating when communications were lost,' a senior U.S. Navy official said. Earlier on Thursday, Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger said it was too soon to say whether the implosion happened at the time of last communication. The implosion was not detected by sonar buoys used by search crews, he said, which suggests it happened before they arrived - and was indeed heard by the U.S. Navy. 'We had listening devices in the water throughout and did not hear any signs of catastrophic failure from those,' said Mauger. 'The implosion would have generated a significant, broadband sound that the sonar buoys would have picked up.' It is not known why the U.S. Navy did not make the information about the likely implosion known. It is also not known if they informed the families or rescue crews of their analysis. One reason may be that they wanted to launch a search and rescue mission in the hope that their information was wrong, and did not want to give any reason for deterring the search. A glimmer of hope came earlier in the week when the Coast Guard confirmed consistent 'banging' noises had been detected by P-3 aircraft, but the search teams were unable to find the source of the sound, or confirm that they were the SOS signals the world had hoped for. Instead on Thursday, a French Viking 6000 kocated debris from the imploded vessel near the site of the Titanic. In addition to the vessel's landing frame and rear cover that were the first pieces of debris detected, the ROV submarine also found fragments of the pressure hull - the main body of the submersible. Helen Czerski's compelling and elegantly written story about the depth and breadth of the sea Blue Machine by Helen Czerski (Torva 20, 446 pp) We think of the sea as separate from our lives, a place to go for holidays, to travel across by ferry or where fish come from. But, in fact, the oceans affect every single aspect of our lives. Their continuous transference of heat from the tropics to the poles, from ocean temperatures of up to 30c down to minus 2c, is a vital function for life on Earth. But things arent always predictable. The great German 19th-century scientist Alexander von Humboldt first discovered that the oceans off the west coast of South America, where you would expect the temperature to be around 28c, are only 16c. This vital cold current, welling up from the depths, has a huge influence on global geopolitics, the Atacama Desert, a lot of fishermen, and a surprising number of pigs, says Helen Czerski. For life to flourish in the oceans requires both sunlight and nutrients. Unfortunately, the warm upper layer is usually short of the latter, while nutrient-rich deeper layers are short of sunlight. From whales' earwax, it is possible to read the levels of average whale cortisol, ie, stress, and progesterone, pregnancy at any time But off this coast of South America, the warm upper layers are driven away by steady winds, so that the deep cold currents can well up to the surface and receive sunlight as well. The phytoplankton can gorge themselves silly on sunlight, stashing away solar energy on a monumental scale, says Czerski. The result is a teeming fishery almost unequalled anywhere on Earth. Everything else then feeds on this abundance of phytoplankton, from small fish to bigger ones, and seabirds to mammalian giants. This narrow ocean region, covering perhaps 0.05 per cent of the global ocean surface, is responsible for 15-20 per cent of the entire global fish catch. So much fish, indeed, that much of it is dried and turned into fish meal for pigfeed. We also learn that a bath full of sea water contains 5kg of salt; and that if you live anywhere along the Thames, up as far Teddington or Richmond, then you can correctly say you live on the coast of Britain, since its tidal. Czerski also looks back in time to the end of the last Ice Age, around 9,000 BC, when the shallow seas around what is now the Bering Strait spawned a vast arc of submarine giant kelp forest, stretching from Japan, all the way round to Alaska and then down to California. She writes that its impossible to dive into the environment giant kelp creates without being reminded of forests on land. During World War II whaling virtually stopped, yet whales were still highly stressed due to noise pollution from the underwater din of the war - whales can hear sounds from hundreds of miles away If you look upwards, bright sunbeams sneak through the gaps in the canopy to stab into the forest, turning any kelp they touch to gold. 'If you look downwards, vertigo washes over you because the ramrod-straight garlands keep going and going until they disappear into the gloom . . . But my favourite revelation here concerns whale earwax. You may think this sounds less than appealing, but what it tells us is jaw-dropping. The baleen whale produces earwax even though it is no longer necessary, and Londons Natural History Museum and the Smithsonian in the U.S. own a collective 146 years worth of this earwax between them. From these specimens they can actually read the levels of average whale cortisol, ie, stress, and progesterone, pregnancy at any time. The result is not very flattering for us busybody humans, because, thanks to us and our depredations, the past 150 years or so of whale life on Earth has been patchy, but overall pretty terrible, says Czerski. Commercial whaling was at its peak in the 1960s, and whales were ruthlessly hunted around the world until only 1-2 per cent of the blue whale population was left alive by 1966: the largest animals to have ever lived on the planet, larger than any dinosaur. And sure enough, as recorded in that precious wax, their cortisol/stress levels were sky high. During World War II whaling virtually stopped, yet whales were still highly stressed. Why was this? Noise pollution from the underwater din of the war, when humans filled the ocean with the sound of battleships, depth charges, torpedo strikes, submarines and plane crashes, says Czerski. Whales can hear sounds hundreds of miles away. It must have been torture. From our point of view, it was a monumental war between good and evil, full of heroism and sacrifice. Yet from the whales view point, all we did was cause extreme stress to these gentle giants, with our noisy baboon-like squabblings over territory. Czerski is a wonderful writer. Most scientists could give you a handful of fascinating facts about their subject, no doubt, but few can string them together into such a compelling and elegantly written story, or convey complex ideas and novel perspectives with a few vivid phrases. Blue Machine really does change the way you see the world. Amid the furore over sexual harassment and drugs at the CBI, and alleged sexual assaults by hedge fund boss Crispin Odey, there has been a huge positive to take away. The business world and the City no longer tolerates inappropriate behaviour in their orbit. In rapid succession, the CBI was cast into the outer darkness by Government and by some of its most esteemed members such as Marks & Spencer. Even more dramatically, it took only a week or so for Odey Asset Management, long regarded as a fixture in the private world of Mayfair hedge funds, to unravel as major clients severed relations or put future dealings on hold pending the outcomes of investigations and lawsuits. Decisive action was also seen at Tesco where chairman John Allan, a former CBI president, was propelled rapidly out of the door pending investigations into his allegedly inappropriate behaviour. Contacts: The financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein (pictured) died in his prison cell four years ago The boardroom, not before time, has become a zero-tolerance zone for improper relationships involving those holding power even if they hold most of the equity as at Odey Asset Management and those vulnerable to unwanted attentions. A combination of meticulous investigation by the news media and the wake-up call of the #MeToo movement is cleaning the stables. Yet not all justice involving sexual misbehaviour in the financial world is so easily resolved. The convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein died in his prison cell four years ago and his high-profile procurer Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence. Yet many of the great and the good drawn into Epsteins financial and social web so far have eluded any reprimand or justice. In Britain, initial allegations against former Barclays chief executive Jes Staley over the Epstein connection were glossed over by a bank board unwilling, at first, to lose him as a leader. He was widely admired for transforming the finances of the groups investment banking arm. Staley now finds himself at the centre of complex set of lawsuits and countersuits which have dragged in his former employer JP Morgan, the worlds most admired banker Jamie Dimon and the US Virgin Islands. Barely a day passes without new court documents casting light on how deep Epstein and Staleys tentacles leaked into the Washington and London economic establishment. But there appears to be no co-ordinated effort by regulators and prosecutors on either side of the Atlantic to bring about closure with a thorough investigation which lifts the mystery of what took place and who was involved. Some of Epsteins contacts, notably Prince Andrew, have withdrawn from public life. Others, including former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, have somehow been able to slough off their Epstein connections as of no significance and seek to be taken seriously for their views. The revelations that Lord Mandelson, the former Labour business secretary and European commissioner, was a frequent contact of Epstein, who knew him as Petie, may come as no surprise to those who followed his career in and out of government. He had a fondness for dealings with rich businessmen which saw him set aside by New Labour not once but twice, only to be promoted by prime minister Gordon Brown to first secretary of state. This was a title which led Epstein (from a prison cell) to suggest to Staley that Mandelson was now deputy prime minister. Mandelson is not without skills. He did a good job as business secretary. But in many ways he would be the last person the former director of public prosecutions and Labour leader Kier Starmer would want anywhere near his squeaky clean enterprise. Yet earlier this month, when Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves delayed plans for 28billion of green investment a year until by mid-way through the next parliamentary term, Mandelson was put forward, as a sometime Labour adviser, to explain why this was entirely sensible. The old master was as silky as ever in convincing his BBC interrogator that less green investment was more because it allowed for a build-up of infrastructure. Maybe. But after these recent disclosures, Mandelson, like other Epstein associates, should be quickly shuffled off the commercial stage. His colleagues and clients at the consultancy Global Counsel, where he is chairman, need to act. The Restaurant Groups boss has shaken up his senior team amid a battle to calm investors worries over its performance. Andy Hornby is best known for taking Halifax owner HBOS to the brink of collapse in 2008, but despite this calamity he has held a number of high profile corporate positions. He has been running TRG since 2019, just before the hospitality industry was blighted by Covid, and has been under pressure to turn the companys fortunes around. Last month he announced plans to shutter 23 restaurants including Frankie and Bennys and Chiquito sites, which have not been as successful as the pan-Asian Wagamama brand. High profile: Andy Hornby (pictured) is best known for taking Halifax owner HBOS to the brink of collapse in 2008, but despite this calamity he has held a number of high profile positions And yesterday he went further, reshuffling TRGs board and announcing the departure of its chief financial officer. Finance boss Kirk Davis will be standing down from his role after the firms interim results in September, and remain available to the company until October 31. Hornby said: [Davis] was instrumental both in the acquisition and successful integration of Wagamama and in supporting the business as it successfully navigated the Covid pandemic. Mark Chambers, who heads TRGs leisure and concessions arm, will take over Daviss role in September. Chambers will help navigate the company through its next stage of evolution, investors were informed yesterday. The company posted an 86.8million loss last year, its fourth annual loss in a row, and its shares have fallen 80 per cent since it bought Wagamama five years ago. Analysts at Investec yesterday said the changes suggest the company is committed to a survival plan presented to investors in March. Other updates yesterday included Jonathan Knight replacing Davis as the head of leisure and concessions while the leisure arms people director Jacqui McManus is taking on a dual role as group HR director. Style: Kate Middleton (pictured) has been a loyal fan of high street name Reiss, often wearing smart blazers from the retailer Two fashion brands beloved by the Princess of Wales yesterday faced uncertain futures. Luxury dressmaker Reiss is thought to be a takeover target for US investment fund Elliott Advisors while designer Christopher Kane collapsed into administration. Kate Middleton has been a loyal fan of High Street name Reiss, often wearing colourful, smart blazers from the retailer, and even picked a white dress from the brand for her engagement portrait with Prince William back in 2010. But Reiss may be sold to Elliott, the New-York investment manager behind booksellers Foyles and Waterstones, in a deal that could value it at more than 500million, according to Sky News. Lord Wolfsons High Street clothing firm Next has been working with private equity firm Warburg Pincus, which also owns a stake in Reiss, to auction the business. Reiss was founded in 1971 by David Reiss and now has more than 60 shops in the UK. It was dubbed an outstanding brand with enormous potential by Wolfson when he first snapped up a 25 per cent stake in the company in 2021. Next now owns 51 per cent of the fashion retailer, after increasing its stake last summer. Another brand adored by the Princess of Wales, Scottish business Christopher Kane, yesterday said it would appoint insolvency experts amid a battle for survival. It has launched an 11th hour attempt to put together a rescue plan, which could see a refinancing deal or the company saved by a buyer. A spokesman for Christopher Kane Limited said: The board has recently resolved to file a notice of intention to appoint FTS Recovery as administrators. This difficult decision has been reached to give the company sufficient time to implement a rescue plan. Although the brand had garnered an impressive fan base, including Michelle Obama and Anna Wintour, as well as the Princess of Wales, retail expert Wizz Selvey of Wizz & Co said Christopher Kane relied too heavily on pricey collections which wavered in popularity and visibility due to the pandemics effect on much of the luxury fashion industry. The business was also forced to shutter stores and lay off a slew of employees during Covid, which wounded the brand over the longer term, Selvey said. I have owned a one-bedroom flat in London since 2014. In 2021, I started a family and we decided to move out as the flat was no longer fit for purpose. My intention was to sell the flat. However, the development I was living in was deemed to have unsafe cladding, and at the time no dates had been set for the remediation work. This made it unsellable. When we moved in October 2021 I was forced to pay the additional 3 per cent stamp duty surcharge, as my new property was technically a second home. Surcharge: Those purchasing an additional home on top of their main residence are required to pay an extra 3 per cent surcharge on top From speaking to HMRC, I understand that I have three years from the date I left my property to sell the flat and claim back the additional stamp duty. But I'm not sure if I can sell the flat by October 2024. The work to fix the cladding is finally about to begin, but we have not been told when it will finish. During the phone call with HMRC I expressed my concerns and said that I would like to be granted an extension. I didn't get much sympathy and was told that extensions are not granted. In this case I feel quite hard done by as the situation was completely out of my hands. Is there anything that can be done? Via email. Ed Magnus of This is Money replies: I am sorry to hear of your predicament. Roughly half a million people are living in a property with some form of unsafe cladding, according to the Association of Residential Managing Agents - so it's likely you are not the only one with this problem. Under current stamp duty rules, if you don't sell your main residence when buying another home, you have to pay a stamp duty surcharge on the purchase price of the second property. This is because, in the eyes of the taxman, you now own a second home. You don't say how much you paid in extra stamp duty, but it can add up to a significant sum. For example, buying a 300,000 property would ordinarily incur a 2,500 stamp duty bill. With the surcharge included, it would cost you 11,500 in tax. A 500,000 property would cost 12,500 without the surcharge included. With it included, the tax would set you back 27,500. STAMP DUTY RATES Band Stamp duty land tax rate Additional rate for landlords / second homes First-time buyers pay 0% to 425,000 then normal rates apply 0 - 250k 0% 3% 250,001 - 925k 5% 8% 925,001 - 1.5m 10% 13% 1.5m + 12% 15% * No stamp duty is paid on property transactions costing less than 40,000 as these are considered low value and not reported to HMRC As our reader is already aware of, you can apply for a stamp duty refund if you sell your previous main home within 36 months. If it takes longer than 36 months to sell your previous main home, there is an exceptional circumstances scenario where you may still be able to claim the money back. The delay in selling must be because of reasons outside of your control. If you can prove you were unable to sell due to the unsafe cladding, then this seems like a legitimate reason. We spoke to HMRC and James Kipping, a private client tax partner at chartered accountants MHA MacIntyre Hudson to help give our reader more clarity on the matter. Tax hit: If you don't sell your main residence when buying another home, you have to pay a 3% stamp duty surcharge on the purchase price of the second property James Kipping replies: The reader has until October 2024 to sell their old home and fall within the normal three-year timeframe. However, if they are unable to sell the old property before that time, the reasons may qualify as exceptional circumstances to allow an extension to the normal three-year period. HMRC's guidance states that 'exceptional circumstances' include a person being prevented from selling their property due to Government restrictions. For example, the restrictions that were imposed during the early Covid-19 lockdown or due action taken by a public authority preventing the sale are cited as legitimate reasons. Exceptional circumstances will not extend to a late change of intention to sell, funds shortage, or a decision not to sell, even if the sale would be loss-making due to a market downturn, for example. In a response to a Parliamentary written question on 17 June 2021, then-Treasury minister Jesse Norman stated that the inability to sell a previous main residence due to fire safety issues - for example, due to unsafe cladding - might be considered exceptional, but HMRC would consider each case on its own merits. HMRC's guidance was subsequently updated to include two examples concerning the presence of external cladding, that required remediation work before a sale can be completed. If the sellers were not aware of the cladding issues when they bought the property, this may qualify as 'unforeseen exceptional circumstances' and mean they can reclaim the 3 per cent surcharge - provided that the property is sold as soon as possible following the remediation works. Hundreds of thousands of homeowners in unsafe flats have been unable to sell due to serious safety defects identified in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire (Stock image) There is no pre-transaction clearance for determining whether circumstances are exceptional and unforeseen, so it is not possible to obtain an extension in advance of the property being sold. Each case will be considered on its own merits. HMRC states that occurrences of exceptional circumstances are very rare, and are likely to affect large groups of people during the same time period. HMRC has discretion as to whether there are exceptional circumstances enabling recovery of the 3 per cent surcharge. It states that a taxpayer should only request a refund once they have sold the old property, and the application must clearly state what the exceptional circumstances are, how and why those circumstances prevented them from selling the property and why the circumstances were not foreseeable. It must also be accompanied by evidence that the taxpayer sought to sell the property as soon as possible following the end of the exceptional circumstances. Stamp duty calculator How much tax would you have to pay on a home or buy-to-let? Purchase price Is this a buy-to-let or second home? (Higher rates apply) Are you a first-time buyer? Stamp duty charge An HMRC spokesman replies: You must have sold your previous main residence within three years of buying the new property to qualify for a refund, unless exceptional circumstances apply. You may still be able to apply for a refund, if you purchased your new home on or after 1 January 2017 and were unable to sell your previous home within 3 years. To be able to get the refund, the delay in selling must be because of reasons outside of your control. Fire safety issues are likely to be considered reasons outside a person's control. Once the reason has ended, you must sell the previous home to be able to apply for the refund. More information on exceptional circumstances, and how to apply for a refund, can be found here. Reinforcement police then had 90-minute gun battle with brothers and wife Horrific new details have emerged about the brutal murders of two young police officers killed at a remote Queensland property. The execution-style killing of the two local officers prompted the arrival of the Special Emergency Response Team, who were involved in a fierce 90-minute gun battle. Daily Mail Australia can exclusively reveal ex-teacher Stacey Train 'did engage' with police, along with her husband and brother-in-law, Gareth and Nathaniel Train. Police, traumatised by the loss of two young colleagues' lives, believe the showdown with the trio, at least one of whom was a wild conspiracy theorist, was 'suicide by police' and intended to end their lives. A timeline of events at the Wiembilla shootout that left two police, three assailants and a neighbour dead Constables Rachel McCrow, 29 (left) and Matthew Arnold, 26, (right) were both gunned down upon entering Gareth Train's property in Wieambilla, rural Queensland The scene of the 90-minute shootout that left vehicles and the house riddled in bullets The fatal encounter began on Monday afternoon when Tara Police Station constables Rachel McCrow, 29, and Matthew Arnold, 26, attended the property at Wains Road, Wieambilla owned by Stacey and Gareth Train. They were accompanied by Chinchilla officers Constable Keeley Brough and Constable Randall Kirk, both 28. They were there to check for the presence of Nathaniel Train, who had been reported missing after abruptly leaving his job as a teacher and his wife and home in New South Wales. When the people inside the property refused to come out the front of the 43ha property to allow the officers to check for the presence of Nathaniel Train, officers McCrow and Arnold jumped the fence. They were fired upon from within the house; McCrow was struck in the leg and Arnold was also hit. Kirk, who was still behind the perimeter fence, received a grazing bullet wound to a leg but managed to take off in his police car to call for help. One of the Train brothers then emerged from the wooden house and moved down the driveway, shooting the stricken McCrow and Arnold at point blank range with a shotgun. The rural town of Wieambilla is about 305km west of Brisbane in the Darling Downs region Police were at the homestead to check for the presence of Nathaniel Train, who had been reported missing after abruptly leaving his job as a teacher and his wife and home in New South Wales Nathaniel Train (pictured), his brother Gareth and Gareth's partner Stacey shot at and killed three people on a rural Queensland property The shooter then took the Glock handguns from the bodies of the two officers and went back inside the house. Brough managed to escape and hide in the surrounding scrub, but the Trains set fire to the grass trying to flush her out as she desperately retreated towards Robbos Road at the back of the Trains' property. Brough called 000 and texted her family, but managed to escape and was rescued by police reinforcements who had arrived at the scene. When a large team of officers from Queensland's Special Emergency Response Team had gathered to get the assailants, police say 'a substantial gun battle' ensued. When the people inside the property refused to come out the front of the 43ha property (pictured) to allow the officers to check for the presence of Nathaniel Train, officers McCrow and Arnold jumped the fence When a large team of officers from Queensland's Special Emergency Response Team had gathered to get the assailants, police say 'a substantial gun battle' ensued (vehicle pictured with bullet holes) Alan Dare (pictured) is being remembered as a 'hero' after he was killed in rural Queensland Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey Train were by then armed with the shotgun, two other firearms and the two Glocks stolen from bodies of McCrow and Arnold. The Trains fired on the SERT vehicle, which ended up pierced with bullet-holes which could not penetrate the armour. Stacey Train 'engaged' with police during the firefight, but it is unsure whether she was wearing camouflage clothing like her husband and brother-in-law. During the firefight, which left hundreds of shell casings on the property's driveway and the front of the house, a vehicle was set on fire. On police bodycam video of the shoot-out, officers can be heard identifying the Train males as PO1 and PO2 being under the car or near the house as the exchange of gunfire continued. Members of the local community take part in a vigil at Calamvale police station south of Brisbane, Queensland, Tuesday, December 13, 2022 Heartbroken locals paid tribute to the fallen officers outside Tara Police station Members of the community are reeling from the shocking tragedy and laid flowers outside Tara Police station Neighbour Alan Dare, alarmed by the sound of gunfire and the sound of the vehicle exploding, drove to the front of the Trains' house and as he was getting out of his car, he was shot in the back. Mr Dare fell to the driveway and died from his wounds as the gun battle continued. Distraught police officers believe the Trains ambushed police deliberately, even thought they were not adequately armed for the fight, forcing them to steal the slain officers' weapons. The three also had 'no escape plan', leading police to believe they may have intended to die during the shoot-out. But the businessman from Plympton is said to deny that it is him in the footage A number of people claim Mr O'Reilly is one of the men leaving the pub in CCTV A man caught on CCTV allegedly 'doing a runner' from a gastropub after racking up a 215 bill has been identified as the boss of a paving firm who lives on a caravan site, MailOnline can reveal. Edward O'Reilly is believed to have enjoyed a long Sunday lunch with his family at The Fishermans Arms in Newlyn, near Penzance, before leaving without paying and claiming he was going outside for a cigarette. Mr O'Reilly, 23, who is known as Ned, was allegedly part of a group of six who polished off the slap up meal and cocktails before skipping out on the bill. He is the managing director of a company called Kings Landscaping and he lives in a static caravan on a traveller site next to the A38 in Plympton, Devon. A number of people came forward to identify Mr OReilly in the footage, although the businessman is believed to deny that he was at the pub on Sunday and insists it is not him on CCTV. There was no answer when MailOnline visited his home and phone numbers on his company's website appear to be disconnected. Edward O'Reilly (pictured left) was allegedly seen on CCTV footage (right) leaving The Fisherman's Arms in Newlyn, near Penzance, on Sunday without paying The Fisherman's Arms posted CCTV footage and grabs on social media calling out the family who stayed for about three hours, had three courses and drank cocktails before walking out After the dine and dash, the pub's manager posted CCTV footage on Twitter that went viral - since then she has received a number of calls to identify him. She has since passed his name on to Devon and Cornwall Police, which is investigating the alleged incident. The group of six - two men, two women and two children - are said to have arrived at the pub around 5pm and stayed for three hours. They downed four Baileys White Russians and two Cosmopolitan cocktails as well as a cider, three pints of coca cola and three starters, six main courses and two desserts to rack up the mammoth bill. The pub manager, who gave her name as Lucy, said: They werent the most talkative to the staff. The boys came up to the bar and asked for the bill and while they were asking for the bill the girls left out the door without anybody seeing. 'They said the girls were in the toilet and would pay while they went for a cigarette. We didnt realise the girls were already gone and the guys just went as well. Ive had lots of people get in touch since to tell me Edwards name. Many of them are people who know him or have had dealings with him in the past. I have worked in the industry 14 years and this is the first time its happened to me, we have had people accidentally not pay and they always ring back and make it right. They didnt book so we didnt have a name or a number. The pub put out an appeal on Twitter to try and identify the family who did a runner after lunch Mr O'Reilly (pictured) was allegedly part of a group of six who polished off a slap up meal and cocktails before skipping out on the bill And a Plymouth resident who hired Kings Landscaping to work on his drive instantly recognised Mr O'Reilly from the CCTV pictures. He said: I remember him well. He tarmacked my drive.' Devon and Cornwall Police told MailOnline: 'Police are aware of an incident where it is alleged that a group of people left The Fisherman's Arms in Newlyn without paying their bill, late afternoon on Sunday 18 June. Enquiries continue into this matter. 'Anyone with any information that could assist the police is asked to contact 101 quoting case reference 50230172827.' The man behind Sanctum (SNCTM), generally hailed as the world's most exclusive and elite sex club, is opening an erotic dinner club in LA called 'Puzzle', which he claims will be 'more like foreplay than the full thing.' Damon Lawner, 52, a self-styled 'modern day sex Jesus', is known for hosting extravagant sexual gatherings, where prospective members are required to provide photos of themselves beforehand, pay exorbitant annual fees reaching up to $75,000, and share their deepest turn-ons. Now, after selling SNCTM for $1 million in 2019, Lawner has embarked on a new venture as the co-founder and co-owner of Puzzle, an exclusive French restaurant club set to open in West Hollywood this summer. To secure a reservation, prospective diners are required to disclose their net worth, pay annual fees of up to $10,000, and respond to prompts such as 'describe a dream night at Puzzle where anything you desire can be enjoyed'. It comes as Lawner reportedly claimed Hunter Biden was a member of the elite Los Angeles sex club SNCTM - but was kicked out for being a 'scumbag'. Damon Lawner, 52, founder of SNCTM and a so called 'modern day sex Jesus', is known for hosting extravagant sexual gatherings Lawner is recruiting a roster of 'single ladies,' offering the most 'beautiful women' in LA a complimentary membership and full access to the private club for drinks on the house The restaurant layout will feature 15 intimate tables, tucked into arched alcoves, and hidden behind thick velvet curtains that can be drawn shut for privacy Puzzle is described as 'a sensual utopia for fine dining and celebration in a members-only sanctuary on the Sunset Strip,' according to its website. Although this sounds awfully similar to Lawner's previous MO at SNCTM, he claims the restaurant will be different from his sex parties. 'Think of Puzzle as more like foreplay than the full thing,' he told the Los Angeles Times. The restaurant layout will feature 15 intimate tables, tucked into arched alcoves, and hidden behind thick velvet curtains that can be drawn shut for privacy. There will be a DJ and dance areas and a swanky bar, according to its website. 'Puzzle is a refuge to indulge in the finest food, wine, Champagne and spirits with a curated group of intriguing individuals,' the website writes. What goes on behind the curtains is none of Lawner's business, he implied to the LA Times. 'I have to tell people they cannot have sex. Like, I have to tell them that,' he said. 'Then the question becomes, well, what happens behind those curtains and what are grown-ups allowed to do in their own little private space? Am I going to peek my head in? No.' Thomas Fuks co-founded Puzzle and brought Lawner onto the project at the start of the year. The pair met after he sold SNCTM and was working the nightclub circuit in LA where he was promoting at the time. 'I sat with him and I told him, "I think you're better than that," Fuks said, according to the LA Times. 'He's such a creative person; he has so much talent. I said, "You shouldn't do this promoting, you should really create and bring your universe and take over the night."' Lawner founded the members-only club SNCTM in 2013 and spent the next six years running the company - which he claimed took a toll on his 15-year marriage and his relationship with his two young daughters Lawner sold SNCTM in 2019 for $1 million, expressing his desire to separate himself from his previous identity and start fresh Thomas Fuks co-founded Puzzle and brought Lawner onto the project at the start of the year. The goal is to 'make it hot without being trashy,' according to the LA Times The team's goal is to 'make it hot without being trashy,' Fuks said. 'We're still, to be honest with you, trying to figure out what we can and cannot do. It's kind of tricky,' he said to the LA Times. 'It's essential to make sure everybody's on the same vibration and page and vision inside the room.' The website emphasizes the 'paramount' importance of 'privacy and pleasure' at Puzzle. 'In order to achieve top-notch service and true exclusivity our initial membership round is limited to 111 members,' it writes. There are four tiers of memberships listed: Emerald, black, gold and single lady. Lawner has already sold three-quarters of the memberships for Puzzle, including 10 out of the 11 of the most expensive Emerald-level slots, that cost $10,000 yearly, according to the LA Times. 23 Black-level memberships cost $5,000 and 75 Gold-level memberships cost $2,500. The tiers correspond to priority access for reservations, with food and drinks not included in the annual fee. He is also recruiting a roster of 'single ladies,' offering the most 'beautiful women' in LA a complimentary membership and full access to the private club for drinks on the house. Single Lady applicants are required to issue their Instagram handles for Lawner to review. 'It's our little hideaway for people who can afford it, and people who are attractive enough to join them,' he said to the LA Times. The restaurant is currently under construction and due to open this summer. Claudia Fijal, one of the first women hired by Lawner to work as an 'atmosphere model' at Snctm when it initially opened, called him a 'modern-day sex Jesus'. Speaking about the new restaurant, Lawner said: 'I have to tell people they cannot have sex. Like, I have to tell them that'. But he added: Am I going to peek my head in? No.' Members pay up to $50,000 to live out their wildest fantasies at SNCTM's Eyes Wide Shut-style sex parties 'Damon to me is like the modern-day sex Jesus I kind of feel like he sacrificed himself for the greater good of creating a culture for people that was needed, especially in a city like Los Angeles. 'I mean, he risked his marriage, he flipped his world upside down,' she said, according to the LA Times. Despite Lawner's efforts to tame his ways, 'at the end of the day a lion is a lion,' Fijal added. 'It's such a shame because he has this internal conflict all the time,' she said. 'Like, on one hand you're talking about monogamy, and now you're talking about velvet curtains and handing out condoms.' Lawner founded SNCTM in 2013 and spent the next six years running the company - which he claimed took a toll on his 15-year marriage and his relationship with his two young daughters. He sold it in 2019 - expressing his desire to separate himself from his previous identity and start fresh. The elite sex club was reportedly loved by Gwyneth Paltrow and Bill Maher, with top-secret masked orgy parties for 'Ultra VIP' celebrities and the ultra wealthy. Attendees typically wore masks and costumes. SNCTM, which was founded in Beverly Hills, California, hosts adult black-tie masquerades, private dinner soirees, pool parties, and quarterly classes on fetishes and eroticism. Admittance to the elite club's naughty nights is granted solely by application, and hopefuls are judged based on their reputation, image standard, stature, and whether they will be a 'net for the atmosphere.' Guests range, allegedly, from CEOs, members of the one percent, successful business people, actors, professional athletes, and artists no names divulged, of course. They were asked to move out by original owners A Queensland family who paid $1.26million for their dream home and lived in it for five years have been left devastated after learning they never legally owned the property. Jess and Jacqueline Morecroft are demanding compensation from the state government after their home in Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast was returned to its previous owners due to an alleged fraudulent mortgage scheme. The couple, who have raised their two young daughters in the three-bedroom property, were devastated to learn it never belonged to them. In September 2018, the previous owner alleged the home had been unlawfully mortgaged as security for a loan by a relative who later defaulted. In February, the Supreme Court of Queensland ruled that because the mortgage was procured by the fraud of another person it was now null and void. The court found the Morecrofts had no 'legal interest' in the property because it had never been officially transferred into their names, only 'equitable interest'. The home recently sold for $2.6million at auction on June 16th, with the couple not receiving a cent despite purchasing it in 2018 and paying all the bills. Jess Morecroft, 43, and Jacqueline Morecroft, 47, are demanding compensation from the state government after their Mermaid Beach home was returned to its previous owners due to an alleged fraudulent mortgage scheme (The Morecrofts in 2018) 'In five years, we will have gone from owning a house outright and having money in the bank to being robbed of absolutely everything we have worked for our entire working lives,' Mr Morecroft, 43, told the Courier Mail. The family, who moved into a rental in March, were told that the Mermaid Beach property came with a caveat - another party may have claim to the home. However, the Morecrofts say six months later they were told the caveat had been removed and they moved in, despite the property never being put in their names. In September 2018, the couple were sued by the previous owner who alleged a relative had fraudulently mortgaged the property in her name without her consent. Despite the legal proceedings, the family remained living in the house for five more years and even renovated the garage into a rumpus room for the kids. The rate notices and bills continued to be addressed to a different name, however the Morecrofts continued to pay them amid the court proceedings. In February 2023, the Supreme Court ruled the Morecrofts were owed $2,751,666.32 for damages of breach of contract and ordered the state government to pay. The Morecrofts, who have raised their two young daughters in the three-bedroom home, were devastated to learn the property (pictured) never belonged to them The ruling said the 'State is liable to compensate the purchasers as they have been deprived of their equitable interest in the property because of the fraud of another person'. However, the government proposed a contingent order that required the couple to first seek recovery for damages against the original owner and then pay one-third of the owner's costs and one-third of the government's cost. The Morecrofts say this will be a 'devastating' financial and personal loss that they might never recover from. Last week, six registered bidders fought it out for the Mermaid Beach home. The property sold for $1,395,000 more than what the family paid five years ago and had previously sold for $775,000 in August, 2003. Despite the legal proceedings, the family remained living in the house for five more years and even renovated the garage into a rumpus room for the kids (pictured) The Morecrofts, who have spent over $300,000 in legal fees fighting for the home, are now demanding compensation from the state government. In May, they started a petition which has since garnered over 17,000 signatures. 'As innocent victims caught up in this horrible situation, we were granted compensation by the court,' the couple wrote. 'However, the Queensland government has chosen to appeal the decision, claiming that we do not qualify for compensation as we were never the registered property owners and are not direct victims of fraud.' The family has thanked friends, neighbours, local community and people they had never met for their continued support throughout the ordeal. 'We are so humbled to know that you are all behind us in our fight to seek justice.' This week's Garter Day was the first presided over by King Charles III. But it marked another historic moment - the retirement of the late Queen's favourite cleric. Bishop David Conner, the Queen's spiritual guide, most trusted priest and the man who conducted her funeral, is finally bowing out after 25 years of service. Now 76, he should have left at 70, the usual Church of England retirement age. But it is understood that the Queen personally asked him to stay 'to see her out'. The role is vital for the spiritual well-being of the monarch and is thought Her Late Majesty did not want a change so late in life. His successor, the Right Reverend Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, has just been announced. The Dean of Windsor, seen her with Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II following a thanksgiving service for the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret in 2012. The Dean was personally appointed by the Queen and became her spiritual mentor The Dean of Westminster places the Imperial State Crown and orb and sceptre on the altar during the Committal service for Queen Elizabeth in September 2022. It is understood he had continued working well into his 70s 'to see her out' at her request Senior members of the Royal Family attend the Garter Service at Windsor - the last one to be conducted by the Dean While many people assume that it is the Archbishop of Canterbury who who comes closest to being the monarchs mentor and the current archbishop, Justin Welby, did help spiritually prepare the King for his coronation it is usually the Dean of Windsor who plays that role. Also known as Register of the Order of the Garter, Bishop David was one of the longest serving Deans of Windsor, a position which is always filled by a cleric personally chosen by the monarch. And with Elizabeth II and Prince Philip spending their final years at Windsor, thanks to the Covid lockdown, the Dean became ever more important to them. Their trust in him was evident when Queen Elizabeth asked Bishop Conner to preach at Prince Philips memorial service in Westminster Abbey. He was also seen helping officiate at the then Prince of Wales and Camilla Parker Bowless church blessing in 2005 and at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018. Bishop David was asked to conduct the funeral of the late Prince Philip in 2021 Queen Elizabeth shakes the Dean's hand after the Easter Matins Service at Windsor, 2018 But the Deans most important role came last year when he officiated at the committal and burial of Queen Elizabeth II on September 19 in St Georges Chapel. That the Queen had finally laid down the burden of her office was poignantly symbolised when the Dean removed her crown, orb and sceptre from her coffin and placed them on the high altar of St Georges. Now the Dean too is laying down his own burden, completing more than 20 years of eventful service to the Sovereign. England and Wales will run out of space to hold prisoners by 2025 with a shortfall of 2,300 cells, a report has revealed. In the memo, posted on the Ministry of Justice website last week, officials stated: 'The March 2022 demand and supply forecast shows that, assuming all current planned capacity projects are delivered on time there will be a capacity gap of 2,300 by March 2025.' The document set out the business case for a 4billion Government programme to build 20,000 more prison places and was signed off: 'Accounting Officer Assessment endorsed by Antonia Romeo, Principal Accounting Officer of Ministry of Justice.' However, the MoJ swiftly removed the two-page report from its website after being asked about it by Inside Time, the UK's prison newspaper. A spokesman said it was an 'internal, draft document that is over a year old, was not cleared and was published in error'. The memo was posted on the Ministry of Justice website before being swiftly deleted. Pictured is Justice Secretary Alex Chalk Ms Romeo, the MoJ permanent secretary, has previously insisted the UK is not facing any capacity problems, telling the Commons Public Accounts Committee earlier this month: 'Just to be clear, we will always have enough places for those sentenced to custody. 'That is clear by definition. We must do that is the main job.' The Government has called its 4billion investment in the UK's prison estate 'the biggest prison-building programme this country has seen in over a century'. It vows the new jails will be designed with rehabilitation in mind 'giving them the education, skills and support they need to live crime-free lives on release'. But one of the new prisons, HMP Berwyn, has already become the subject of scandal, with an astonishing 18 female guards fired for illicit affairs since it began operating in 2017. Earlier this year it emerged that Britain's biggest prison could be built just four miles from Jamie Oliver's 6million rural pad in England's most photographed village. The TV chef and his family face having their lives 'turned upside down' by the huge construction 'on the doorstep' of his mansion, which is located near the idyllic village of Finchingfield. The MoJ wants to build two 'mega jails' that can hold 3,430 male inmates on the site of a former RAF airbase at Wethersfield, in Essex. The Government has called its 4billion investment in the UK's prison estate ' the biggest prison-building programme this country has seen in over a century'. File photo Locals in Finchingfield have hit out at the plans as being 'almost the worst place you could find a prison'. If they come to fruition, the plans would see Category B and Category C prisons built on the 800-acre site close to an area renowned for its picture-perfect views. The MoJ has launched a consultation on the plans, but has been met by stiff resistance from people living in the village and the nearby village of Wethersfield. Responding to the leaked memo, Prison Reform Trust chief executive Pia Sinha said: 'This document released accidentally by the Ministry of Justice appears to let the cat out of the bag even if all existing capacity projects are delivered on time there will still be a short fall of 2,300 prison places by March 2025.' A Ministry of Justice spokesperson told MailOnline: 'This is an internal, draft Government document that is over a year old, was not cleared and was published in error. 'We're building six new prisons as we create an additional 20,000 places to deliver the biggest prison expansion in over a century. 'As the public would rightly expect, we're also taking action to accelerate additional capacity in the immediate term, including rolling out hundreds of rapid deployment cells with the first of these already in place at HMP Norwich and HMP Wymott.' An elderly Texas couple lost their life savings after falling victim to a scam where fraudsters posed as Apple, Wells Fargo and a Government department. Judith and George Mijarez, from San Antonio, lost a total of $43,500 to the elaborate fraud, which took place over two days. It also involved the couple traveling to a nearby Food Mart, where they were tricked into transferring $14,900 to crooks via a Bitcoin ATM machine. The couple were reeled in by an unusual message that popped up on their tablet computer. Judith told News4SA. 'It just kept flashing back up at me so I called the number and it said Apple customer support,' she said. It comes amid a scam epidemic in the country. Last year alone, the FBI reported Americans lost a huge $10.3 billion to internet scams - with fraudsters coming up with increasingly sophisticated ways to lure in often vulnerable victims. Judith and George Mijarez, from San Antonio, Texas, were lured in when a message popped up on their tablet computer After the couple responded to the first message, another fraudster followed up - this time claiming to be from Wells Fargo bank. 'She proceeded to tell me about charges that were made on my account,' Judith told the outlet, 'quite a bit for child porn.' She said the scammers then connected her to a third fraudster. The man claimed to be a representative for the Justice Department, and said her social security number had been compromised, and that she should withdraw her money. The crook told Judith he was going to put her money into a safe place where it would be protected. The fake government worker told the couple to travel to a nearby Food Mart and transfer $14,900 to a secured cryptocurrency account using a Bitcoin machine. 'In the course of the two days, they had us empty our account to the tune of $43,500,' Judith said. Looking back, she said she is devastated she ignored the red flags and warning signs. 'I took her word that she was from Wells Fargo,' Judith added. 'At the time we were so frightened, we didn't think.' The FBI has issued advice on how to steer clear of internet fraudsters. Phishing scams were the most common online crime last year, with 300,497 victims reporting losses of $52 million in 2022. A single mom told DailyMail.com how she lost $80,000 to a fraudster she met on a dating app after being conned by a cruel 'pig-butchering' scam sweeping the country. Kate, 41, was lured in by a crook posing as a 36-year-old wine trader from Seattle who persuaded her to make bogus cryptocurrency investments with the promise of big returns. The con is known as 'pig-butchering' because victims are 'fattened up' with a fake romantic relationship before being butchered by fraudulent investment advice. Americans lost a huge $10.3 billion to internet scams in 2022, according to the FBI The couple lost a total of $43,500 to the elaborate scam, which lasted two days Officials urged Americans to keep systems and software up to date, install a strong, reputable anti-virus program, create different passphrases for each online account and never click the link in an unsolicited text message or email. Earlier this year, Verizon also revealed the most common scam texts to look out for - including those that claim you have won a contest you did not enter. The telecoms giant urged users to pay close attention to so-called 'smishing' attacks, where a scam message is sent via SMS or text. Fraudsters typically send messages that appear to come from reputed organizations to try and dupe unsuspecting victims into handing over personal information such as bank details, credit card information or even a social security number. Attackers will often try to play with your mind by asking you to take immediate action, Verizon warned. If a message is asking you to do something urgently, its likely to be a con. Scammers often pretend to be your bank or a Government agency. They may say your credit card has been blocked or there appears to have been a fraudulent transaction - and ask you to provide information to unblock or reverse the payment. Remember that that your bank will never message you to ask for sensitive information such as your banking password or PIN. Attackers can only victimize people who respond to these messages. A new poll showed a third party candidate would siphon enough votes off Joe Biden to elect Donald Trump the next president of the United States should that scenario come to pass in the 2024 election. The numbers are stoking Democratic fears of a spoiler effect as polls continue to show voters would prefer another option to Biden. The nonpartisan group No Labels is looking at running a third-party candidate should Biden and Trump be their respective parties' nominee. Biden is expected to easily win the Democratic nomination and Trump, even with his legal issues, leads in polls on the GOP race. The survey from Data for Progress, released on Wednesday, showed that a third-party candidate from No Labels would do enough damage to Biden to bring about a Trump victory. The poll tested voter support for Larry Hogan, the former moderate Republican governor of Maryland who has been mentioned as contender for the No Labels ticket. When polled head to head, Biden leads Trump 47 to 45 percent among likely voters, with a 6-point advantage among Independent voters. When Hogan is offered as a third option, he polls at 6 percent but his inclusion narrows the race between Biden and Trump to a tie. Data for Progress also polled a hypothetical 'moderate Independent candidate' in a general election against Biden and Trump. That candidate receives support from 13 percent of voters but siphon more votes away from Biden delivering Trump a slim victory. 'Our polling makes clear that a No Labels candidate would almost surely spoil the election in favor of Trump and hand our country over to right-wing extremism,' said Danielle Deiseroth, Executive Director at Data for Progress. Conducted from May 25 to June 5 the survey of 1,625 likely voters nationally had a margin of error is +/-2 percentage points. Other polling throughout the past few months has shown neither party is excited about having Biden or Trump as their nominee. And No Labels argues it's too far out from election day to know what role a third-party candidate would play. 'We're sitting here 17 months away from the election. And so everybody can speculate about how this kind of ticket would or wouldn't impact the race,' said Ryan Clancy, the chief strategist for No Labels, said in a statement. 'There's only one thing we all know, and we could all agree. Almost nobody wants the election both major parties seem intent on giving us,' he noted. President Joe Biden is expected to be the Democratic nominee in the 2024 election Donald Trump leads in the polls for the Republican presidential nomination No Labels is a group that promotes centrist, bi-partisan policies and politics. Their search for an alternative comes as polls show only about half of Democrats think Biden should run again. And the president is also facing declining support from two major voting blocs - black and Latino voters - that helped him win in 2020. Some Democrats have expressed concern about his age - at 80 he is the oldest president in American history. He also has seen his approval rating drop to a low of 37%. And Democrats have been visibly worried about talk that No Labels, which is attempting to get on the ballot in all 50 states, will run an alternative candidate that would cause Biden to lose. So far, the group has made the ballot in four: Arizona, Colorado, Alaska and Oregon. Along with Hogan, moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin has been mentioned as an option. Both Manchin and Hogan told The Washington Post earlier this year that they weren't ruling out being on a No Labels ticket, if it comes to fruition. 'If enough Americans believe there is an option and the option is a threat to the extreme left and extreme right, it will be the greatest contribution to democracy, I believe,' Manchin said. And as to being on the ticket: 'I don't rule myself in and I don't rule myself out.' 'I think it is really important to have that option. Because we have never been at the point we are today in America,' Hogan noted. 'The vast majority of people in America are not happy with the direction of the country and they don't want to see either Joe Biden or Donald Trump as president.' No Labels reportedly has a $70 million war chest its willing to invest in its presidential efforts. Earlier this month, top Democratic strategists, including some Biden campaign advisers, met with former Republicans who oppose Donald Trump. Their goal, according to the Washington Post, was to subvert a potential third-party presidential bid by the group No Labels, fearing it would cause Biden to lose and put Trump in the White House. A Data for Progress poll found that if former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a moderate Republican, ran as a third-party candidate, he could take enough votes to make a tie between Donald Trump and Joe Biden Moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia also has been mentioned as a contender as a third-party candidate But, besides the threat of a third-party effort, Biden is also facing a revolt of support among some of Democrats most-reliable support groups: blacks and Hispanics. It was black voters in South Carolina who helped make him the Democratic nominee after they gave him a massive win in the primary contest. But, besides appointing Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court - a fact he featured in his announcement video for a second term - Biden has failed in other items important to African Americans, including protecting voting rights from GOP-led restrictions and enacting police reform. In an AP-NORC poll conducted a week before Bidens announcement, only 55 percent of black adults said they are likely to support him in the general election. Among Latinos, only 27 percent want Biden to run again in 2024 and only 43 percent said they would definitely or probably support him. The campaign seems aware of its shaking ground with minority voters. Biden has hired hispanic campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, who is the granddaughter of legendary labor leader Cesar Chavez, and he's hired a black deputy campaign manager: Quentin Fulks. A career criminal who allegedly slashed three women on the subway on Father's Day has been arrested and charged with three counts of felony assault. Kemal Rideout, 28, appeared in the Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday after police arrested him on the corner of East 122nd Street and Second Avenue in East Harlem while he was causally munching on a bag of potato chips after being kicked off the bus for fare evasion. Rideout has been accused of slashing three women at the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall and 86th Street stations on Father's Day. The first victim, Bianchelly Diplan, 19, was walking out of the 86th Street station on her way to Paris Baguette to pick up a cake when she felt the back of her leg get cut so deeply she required 19 stitches, as she became one of the many New Yorkers to experience random slashings. 'I noticed him staring at me,' she told the New York Post. 'He was staring at me [from 125th Street] until 86th Street, so a good four or five minutes. 'I just felt a little weird, a little tense. He seemed a little off. Just the way he walked, his body language was off. You know when you have that gut feeling? He seemed off.' Kemal Rideout, 28, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal court on Wednesday after allegedly slashing three women on the subway on Father's Day Rideout has been accused of slashing three women at the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall and 86th Street stations on Father's Day. He has been charged with three counts of felony assault and is being held without bail at Rikers The teen said she came face-to-face with her attacker after he cut her and 'he just stared at me then walked away.' 'I just started crying. I was in shock. He didn't say anything. He went back down the stairs and I could see he was walking on the platform,' she told the outlet. Another woman, 48, was slashed in the right leg in the same station on the platform before Rideout dashed back into the downtown 4-train around 4.15pm. Fifteen minutes later, Rideout allegedly attack a 28-year-old victim in the Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall station, police said. The third victim was texting her boyfriend when she felt someone slash her. 'Some random guy walked past me and sliced me I don't know what he used and nonchalantly walked away. My body was in shock. I didn't feel the pain right away,' she told the Post. 'My first instinct was to get a video of him, and then [I] looked down and saw the blood coming down.' The unidentified victim did manage to get a video of Rideout, which later helped police identify an assailant. The first victim, Bianchelly Diplan, 19, (pictured) was walking out of the 86th Street station on her way to Paris Baguette to pick up a cake when she felt the back of her leg get cut so deeply she required 19 stitches The victim was seen moving between train cars to catch a glimpse of him as he calmly traversed the moving train. After he managed to move onto a different car, the victim stopped, panning the camera down toward her leg, which was dripping in heavy amounts of blood as passengers stared silently. The second the man left the car, the female victim addressed the passengers, begging for someone to 'call 911' as she held back tears. The massive gash required a tourniquet and she was she was rushed to Bellevue Hospital for treatment. 'He was walking away slowly. He was walking nonchalantly. He didn't run. He brought no attention to himself at all. You could see him going through the door. He was at the tip of the door. He looked back. He saw my daughter filming. He went through and shut the door,' the woman's mother told the Post. 'Her mental state will never be the same.' Rideout was eventually apprehended near a bus stop in Harlem on Tuesday. Cops spotted him after recognizing his shoes and he was carrying a bag with the outfit he was wearing on the train on Sunday. Chief of Transit Michael Kemper said at a press conference that he was 'proud' of his officers and 'depressed' by the incident. MTA CEO Janno Lieber praised the cops who caught Rideout, saying: 'It is a great comfort to our riders and everyone in our region to know that the NYPD has subway riders' backs.' The career criminal had four priors outside of the city before Sunday's trio of attacks. 'For forcible touching in Norwich 2016, for assault 3 again in Norwich in 2012, for attempted rape in Varick, New York, and 2011 for criminal mischief in Riverhead,' Chief of Detectives James Essig said at a press conference. Rideout is being held on Riker' Island without bail. A sonar expert claims the 'banging' heard by search and rescue vessels at the search site for the missing Titanic tourist sub is likely to be 'debris' and 'junk' from the iconic wreck. Jeff Karson, Professor Emeritus of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Syracuse University, told DailyMail.com the sounds heard are likely to be 'wishful thinking' by the Coast Guard. The US Navy detected the noises Wednesday morning after a Canadian P3 search aircraft had picked up sounds coming from underwater Tuesday night. It has been a glimmer of hope for the multinational effort to find the Titan, which vanished after launching on Sunday with five men on board. But Karson said he won't be 'shocked if that, wherever that sound is, that there's no submarine there.' The Titanic wreckage is 12,500ft underwater - some 11,000ft deeper than many US and British Navy subs can dive Speaking to DailyMail.com he said: 'One possibility is that the sounds bouncing around the debris. And so it's a more complicated echo. 'It's just not bouncing off of one thing. It's bouncing off a bunch of things. And it's like, you know, dropping up a marble into a tin can. It's rattling around and that would confuse the location. 'The banging, I hear the Coast Guard talk about it. I wonder how much of this is just wishful thinking? 'Is it really banging or just some unidentified sound? I think that is a more accurate description right now. 'In past investigations, looking for lost objects on the seafloor, I know that all sorts of crazy sound was discovered. It's just one more thing we don't understand about the ocean, our own planet. 'There's no telling where the sound is coming from or how far away it is. Personally, I'm worried that sound may be coming from something that's far from where they need to be looking. 'But they have to follow up on it. It's the best lead right now. Everything is being done. It's all hands on deck, international vessels, everybody is doing the best they possibly can.' Jeff Karson, Professor Emeritus of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Syracuse University, told DailyMail.com the sounds heard are likely to be 'wishful thinking' by the Coast Guard Shahzada Dawood, 48, a UK-based board member of the Prince's Trust charity, plus his son Suleman Dawood, 19, are on board CEO of OceanGate Stockton Rush (left) and billionaire Hamish Harding (right), CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai are also on board French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet - who is considered the world's leading expert on the Titanic - was on the Titan vessel US Coast Guard First District response coordinator Jamie Frederick would not confirm that the sounds were 30 minutes apart, as had been reported, nor would he describe them as being an SOS signal. The Titan lost communication during the 12,500ft dive below the Atlantic - and oxygen supplies were due to run out by 7am EST. Billionaire Hamish Harding, CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai, and Shahzada Dawood, 48, a UK-based board member of the Prince's Trust charity, plus his son Suleman Dawood, 19, are all on board. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush is also on the vessel, along with French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet - who is considered the world's leading expert on the Titanic. An international search is being led by the US Navy and the Coast Guard, which include high-tech submersibles, jets and ships which are able to search 20,000ft beneath the ocean surface. Officials today confirmed that they have extended the surface search area to 10,000sq-miles of the Atlantic. But Professor Karson warned the sub is most likely underwater, as the rescue effort 'should have found it long ago' if it was on the surface. Victor 6000 is a French unmanned ROV that is deployed by the L'Atalante ship and can reach depths of 20,000ft Nautile is deployed by L'Atalante, a French research ship which has joined the Titan rescue efforts. It can remain underwater for eight hours at a time Like the other submersibles deployed to search for Titan, Nautile can reach depths of 20,000ft He added: 'I don't know why they're searching such a wide area at the surface. It can't go that far, the batteries are not strong enough, it can't go very fast. 'It has to go pretty much straight down. The good news is if they find it and free it, they'll be on the surface in two hours. 'If there's no sound coming from the submarine - not even banging - that's not good. Clearly there was an electronic failure of some kind. 'They lost all that communication and so forth. But that suggests that there might have been a catastrophic mechanical failure. There are a lot more bad possibilities than good ones at this stage. 'I think there are a lot of people who will not be shocked if that, wherever that sound is, that there's no submarine there. I hope it's there. Everyone does. But there's a real strong possibility that it's something else.' He explained triangulating the source of the sound would usually be simple, but the distance from the top of the ocean to the seabed is 'utterly dark and silent' meaning officials are 'groping in the dark.' OceanGate's Titan submersible went missing shortly after it departed for the Titanic wreckage on Sunday morning and its oxygen supply is running low As the search for the missing Titan submersible becomes increasingly desperate, some of the world's most advanced underwater search equipment has been deployed to scour the depths of the Atlantic Rescue equipment was seen arriving in St John's, Newfoundland, on US military planes last night But there is a hope for the remotely operated vehicles which can reach the depths of the wreck and identify objects more clearly. Professor Karson said: 'This noise that they've detected, if that's coming from the submarine, if it is, they should be able to track that sound the same way by having multiple directions from different echoing points. 'Those could be these sonar buoys that they drop at the surface. That's why the airplanes are involved, the airplanes detect the sound that the sound of buoys hear and could locate the source of sound if there's enough of them. 'And I believe they're also using the ROVs, to do that on the sea floor, which also have sonar. When they drive around, they scan the sea floor, and anything that's out there, that sticks up, sound bounces off of it and comes back. 'It's just the same way a bat navigates. This sound has bounced off objects. The problem is that even relatively small objects, sometimes they reflect a lot of sound. 'With this debris field, there's just a lot of junk down there. That's reflecting. So more hunting and pecking required, the best thing can happen is if the sounds persist, at least they can locate the source of that sound.' A racist transgender woman faces jail after being found guilty of battering a Chinese man on a New York City subway with a hammer. Christian Jeffers, 49, who identifies as a woman, was found guilty of attempted assault, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, menacing and aggravated harassment. The jury deliberated for less than a day before delivering a guilty verdict. Jeffers had taken to the stand one day prior in her defense. She appeared in court Wednesday wearing a white scarf, white shirt and make-up. She will be sentenced at a later date. Christian Jeffers, 49, was found guilty of multiple violent charges pertaining to a hate crime committed against an Asian man on the New York City subway system last year The jury deliberated for less than a day before returning a guilty verdict. Jeffers has previously taken to the stand as part of her defense Jeffers was arrested last spring for assaulting a 29-year-old Asian victim at the 14th Street subway station in Manhattan. Prosecutors argued Jeffers attacked with 'little to no provocation.' The incident, which was captured on-camera, shows Jeffers, wearing a black wig and purple lipstick, smashing the victim in the head with a hammer just after the strangers had bumped into one another. The pair exchanged words before Jeffers can be seen launching a brutal attack on the 29-year-old Asian man. Police said Jeffers has a vast criminal history that stretches back to 2007 and includes 47 prior arrests, charges of prostitution, grand larceny, public lewdness, theft of service and drug possession. Jeffers was released from prison in June 2021 after serving six years for second-degree robbery, and just a week after release, was arrested for petit larceny. Jeffers has yet to be sentenced following the guilty verdict, but assault in the first degree, a Class C felony in which an individual has intentionally caused serious physical injury to another person using a dangerous weapon, can carry a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Police said that Jeffers has a vast criminal history that stretches to 2007 and includes 47 prior arrests, charges of prostitution, grand larceny, public lewdness, theft of service and drug possession The 29-year-old victim was left with blood pouring down the side of the face after being smashed in the head at the 14th Street station The victim is seen in the back of an ambulance. He was taken to Bellevue hospital, where he made a full recovery At the time of the hammer attack, the victim said he was fed up with the rising crime in the Big Apple - and that he wants his hammer-wielding attacker 'locked up.' 'I want to get him locked up because he was pretty aggressive,' the victim, who chose not to be identified, told the New York Post. 'He was looking for trouble. 'We're trying to live our lives as well as we can, you know, and it's just unfortunate that we have to face all these adversities, along with just all the struggles in life,' he added. The president of the New York-based Explorers Club has accused the U.S. government of delaying the delivery of vital equipment for the search for the missing Titanic tourist sub. Richard Garriott told National Geographic he had complained to top officials about the bureaucracy hampering the race against the clock. Two of the five on board - British billionaire Hamish Harding and French Titanic expert PH Nargeolet - are members of the Explorers Club. Other members have worked to enable deep sea company Magellan, based in Guernsey in the British Isles, to ship its surveillance equipment to the site: Magellan has Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) which last year surveyed the Titanic site. Magellan has not obtained the permits necessary to get to the site, Garriott said. On Wednesday night, a release from the Coast Guard indicated that an ROV from Magellan is en route. Richard Garriott, president of the Explorers Club, on Wednesday accused the US government of holding up efforts to get equipment to the rescue site A Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) operated by Magellan is pictured in action He wrote on Wednesday afternoon to Vice Admiral William Galanis, commander of Naval Sea Systems Command; US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John W. Mauger, who is leading the recovery mission; Congressman Lloyd Doggett; and Representative Eric Swalwell, urging them to allow Magellan to the site. 'Magellan has received mixed signals, first hearing from US Gov to get ready, waiting for plans - then getting told to stand down,' wrote Garriott. The US Coast Guard has not responded to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Garriott told National Geographic that, even with only 24 hours of air left, it was vital to continue fighting to find the missing sub. 'Whatever the right thing is to do, we should still do it, even if it's now at the cusp of fatality,' he said. The missing Titan submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions (pictured) which is one of the only companies that offers the tours for tickets costing $250,000 The Magellan Argus-class ROVs are capable of deploying to 6,000 meters (19,700 feet) and are outfitted with external arms that can retrieve and raise Titan. They could be delivered to the site within 16 hours. Instead of Magellan's ROVs, the U.S. Navy has sent its Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System, which was used to retrieve an F-35 from 12,400 feet of water in March. But Garriott said there are fears the Navy's equipment will crush the capsule. 'The concern is that the big scooper will crush the hull, because it would be almost impossible to get down under it in the mud without applying pressure to the hull itself,' said Garriott. 'Instead, a 6,000-meter working-class ROV has the ability to attach directly to the point on the top of the sub. 'It's a traditional method and people like Magellan have done it over and over again. It's the way it's designed to happen.' Garriott's concerns about the bureaucratic hurdles echo those aired on Monday by OceanGate advisor David Concannon. 'We need to move. We do not have minutes or hours. We need to move now,' he said. 'This equipment has been on the tarmac for hours. 'When I communicate with the U.S. government, I get 'out of office' replies - not from everyone, but from key people that have a sign-off on this.' He told NewsNation: 'That's unacceptable.' This is the last sighting of the submersible, Titan, which was launched on Sunday. It is seen in a photograph shared by Hamish Harding's company. He and the four others onboard remains unaccounted for David Concannon, an advisor to OceanGate, was due to be on board the Titanic expedition on Sunday, but a last-minute scheduling issue meant he was not available. He said that vital rescue equipment was being held up by U.S. bureaucracy Machinery needed for the rescue effort (pictured) is currently awaiting transport from the British island of Guernsey Concannon said that the machinery (above) needed urgent permission to be flown to the site Concannon, who has previously led an expedition and made multiple dives to the Titanic site, was supposed to be the expert on OceanGate's journey to the wreckage on Sunday - but a client emergency kept him on shore. He said every minute counted in the race to find and retrieve the sub. 'If we get the assets flown from Guernsey Channel Islands overnight, we can have them mobilized on the ship in a day and we can get there inside the window. 'Now, it's at the end of the window, but we can get there inside the window where there's still oxygen in the submersible and that's what we want to do.' The US Coast Guard is now looking for the missing vessel. The wreckage of the iconic ship sits 12,500ft underwater around 370 miles from Newfoundland, Canada The red circle shows the spot where the Titanic shipwreck is located and a fleet of boats and planes is headed to aid in the rescue efforts Rescue crews are in a race against time and air to find the Titan five - the people trapped on a submersible at the site of the Titanic shipwreck. The Titan was launched Sunday morning and lost contact with the surface within two hours. Billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and Shahzada Dawood, 48, a UK-based board member of the Prince's Trust charity, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, are reported to be the people stuck in the sub. A massive effort, involving several countries, is underway to try and rescue the crew. Late Tuesday, rescuers reported hearing 'banging sounds'. The Explorers Club reported that 'likely signs of life have been detected.' A new financial year is just over a week away, bringing some major changes for Australians. From minimum-wage increases and electricity price hikes to new tax rules and amendments to the pension that will benefit older Aussies, there will be a raft of changes in effect from July 1. One major change will make it a lot easier for New Zealanders to obtain Australian citizenship. 'Australia and New Zealand have a deep friendship, which has been forged through our history, shared values and common outlook,' Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said of the changes. 'We know that many New Zealanders are here on a Special Category Visa while raising families, working and building their lives in Australia. So I am proud to offer the benefits that citizenship provides.' Below, Daily Mail Australia takes a look at some of the new rules. From July 1, 2023, the minimum wage for Australians will be upped to $23.23 and hour, or $882.80 a week Workers on an award will also see a 5.75 per cent increase to base rates from July 1 Minimum wage increase Changes to the minimum wage previously announced are in effect from July 1. The minimum wage will be increased to $23.23 an hour or $882.80 a week. Those on an award will also see a 5.75 per cent increase to base rates. Electricity price hikes Some electricity providers will be increasing rates from July 1. This includes three of Australia's largest providers - Origin, AGL, and Red Energy. Households in NSW, south-east Queensland, South Australia and Victoria will see hikes of between 19.6 per cent and 24.9 per cent from July 1, and in some cases as high as 30 per cent. Aged pension Australians born on or after January 1, 1957, will have to reach 67 years of age before becoming eligible for the pension. From July 1, singles can earn $204 a fortnight and couples $360 a fortnight, before losing their full pension. Home-owning singles can have $301,750 worth of assets before their pension is reduced, while non-homeowners can have $543,000. These asset amounts increase to $451,500 for home-owning couples or $693,500 for couple who don't own a house. Those who were previously ineligible for a pension could also qualify for a part payment as income thresholds are raised to $2332 a fortnight for singles and $3568 for couples. Childcare payments Families who earn less than $530,000 of combined income will be able to access an increased childcare subsidy from July 10. The maximum subsidy amount will also see an increase of 5 per cent from 85 to 90 per cent. Parental leave On July 1, 2023, Parental Leave Pay and Dad and Partner Pay are combining into one payment. New parents will be able to access 20 weeks of paid leave to be split however suits them. Families who earn less than $530,000 of combined income will be able to access an increased childcare subsidy from July 10 Tax changes There are no changes to personal income tax thresholds from July 1, 2023. From July 2024, however, some tax thresholds will be removed, leaving only the 19 per cent, 30 per cent and 45 per cent tax brackets. The low and middle income tax offset (LMITO) is no longer available for this year or 2024, which will see many people get lower refunds. From July 1 this year, the threshold for the Medicare levy surcharge will be raised. For singles, this increases from $90,000 to $93,000 before the tax applies, while for families it will increase from $180,000 to $186,000. Superannuation The super guarantee rate increases from 10.5 to 11 per cent on July 1 this year. It will also increase by 0.5 per cent over the next two years to reach 12 per cent. The change means employers will be putting more of your pay into your superannuation. Migration The Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) will increase from $53,900 to $70,000 from July 1. The result is employers looking to sponsor overseas workers will need to offer an annual salary of at least $70,000 plus superannuation to candidates. Some Labor Market Testing (LMT) requirements will also be removed so companies do not need to advertise jobs locally before inviting overseas candidates. This applies to the top two tiers of skilled workers earning above $70,000. Temporary Skill Shortage visa holders will get increased pathways to permanent residency from July 1. Also, Kiwis living in Australia for four or more years will no longer have to get permanent residency before applying for Australian citizenship. Children born in Australia to New Zealand parents will also qualify for Australian citizenship. A new Pacific Engagement Visa (PEV) will allow people from Pacific countries and Timor-Leste to apply for permanent residency, with 3,000 places available. The super guarantee rate increases from 10.5 to 11 per cent on July 1 this year Employers looking to sponsor overseas workers will need to offer an annual salary of at least $70,000 plus superannuation to candidates Student visas Student visa holders will be limited to working 48 hours per fortnight again from July 1 after restrictions were removed during the Covid pandemic. Some holders of subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visas will be allowed to stay in Australia for a longer period. From July 1, it will be four years for a bachelor's degree graduate, up from two years previously. For master's degree graduates it will be five years, up from three years previously Doctoral graduates are allowed six years, up from four years previously. The wife of the CEO of the missing Titanic tourist submarine is descended from a wealthy New York couple who drowned on the Titanic in 1912. Wendy Rush is married to Stockton Rush, one of the five men trapped in Titan after it vanished on Sunday during a trip to visit the historic wreckage. Her great-great-grandparents, Isidor and Ida Straus, died in the historic disaster - with Isidor being a co-founder of the Macy's department store. They were also immortalized in James Cameron's 1997 movie 'Titanic', where they are shown in an iconic scene, fictionally embracing on their bed as water rushed onto the ship. The revelation comes as crews continued to search a remote area of the Atlantic ocean for the missing sub containing her husband, a French explorer, an English billionaire, a Pakistani billionaire and his son. Wendy Rush is the wife of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who is among the five people missing on board the submersible. Her great-great-grandparents died on the Titanic Isidor Straus and his wife Ida died on the Titanic. Isidor co-owned Macy's with his brother, Nathan: their father, Lazarus Straus, convinced Rowland Hussey Macy, founder of Macy's, to allow L. Straus & Sons to open a crockery department in the store. Isidor and Nathan became co-owners in 1896 Isidor and Ida Straus are depicted lying on a bed as the water rises in the 1997 film Wendy Rush, born Wendy Hollings Weil, married engineer and entrepreneur Stockton Rush in 1986. She is descended from Isidor and Ida Straus's daughter Minnie, who married Dr. Richard Weil in 1905. Their son, Richard Weil Jr., later served as president of Macy's New York, and his son, Dr. Richard Weil III, is Wendy Rush's father, The New York Times reported. Isidor and Ida were two of the wealthiest people onboard the Titanic when it sank to the bottom of the ocean during its maiden voyage - from Southampton, England to New York City - after striking an iceberg. The couple had in real life visited their native Germany, and were travelling back to the United States on the Titanic with Ida's recently-appointed maid, Ellen Bird, and Isidor's manservant, John Farthing. The couple typically only journeyed on German vessels, but were taken in by the allure of a trip on the brand new Titanic and the luxury offered onboard. This decision would lead to a tragic end to their love story, but not before the couple displayed one final act of compassion. As the Titanic began to sink, Isidor and Ida were offered seats on a lifeboat - her as a woman, and him as a well-known former congressman and co-owner of Macy's department store - giving them priority over other passengers. But Isidor refused, saying he would not go until all the women and children had gone, and Ida then refused to go without her husband of 40 years. This moment, witnessed by other passengers, was also depicted in a deleted scene from Cameron's 'Titanic'. A memorial statue to the couple sits at the intersection of Broadway and West End Avenue at W. 106th Street in Manhattan (pictured). It depicts a young woman lying on her side on what appears to be a divan, one leg draped over the side Pictured: The memorial to Isidor and Ida Straus at Broadway and West End Avenue Pictured: A New York Times article showing Mayor Mitchel speaking at dedication of a fountain erected at Straus Park 106th Street and West End Ave), in memory of Isidor Straus and his wife, who lost there lives on the Titanic, Sunday, April 25, 1915 Ida gave her mink coat to her maid, Ellen Bird, to keep her warm as she sailed away on the lifeboat. According to eyewitness accounts, the pair were seen embracing on the deck of the ocean liner as it went down. According to an archived copy of the New York Times published on May 13, 1912, a memorial for the couple was held in New York City's Carnegie Hall. The memorial was 'impressive and reverential', the newspaper wrote at the time, reporting that the venue was too small to contain all the mourners who wanted to attend, resulting in the crowd spilling out onto the streets outside. A number of notable figures at the time were in attendance, including the then-city Mayor William Jay Gaynor and industrialist Andrew Carnegie. Today, a memorial statue to the couple sits at the intersection of Broadway and West End Avenue at W. 106th Street in Manhattan. It depicts a young woman lying on her side on what appears to be a divan, one leg draped over the side. The couple's great-grandson Paul A. Kurzman spoke about his ancestors in 2017. 'My great-grandmother Ida stepped into the lifeboat expecting that her husband would follow,' the couple's great-grandson Paul A. Kurzman told NBC's The Today Show in 2017. 'When he didn't follow, she was very concerned and the ship's officer in charge of lowering that particular lifeboat said, "Well, Mr. Straus, you're an elderly manand we all know who you are....Of course you can enter the lifeboat with your wife. 'And, my great-grandfather said, "No. Until I see that every woman and child on board this ship is in a lifeboat, I will not enter into a lifeboat myself,"' he said. Isidor's body was found at sea roughly two weeks after the disaster, archives show. Ida's body has never been recovered. A locket was recovered from Isidor's body, which Kurzman says contained two photographs: 'One of the photographs was of their eldest son, Jesse, and the other was of their eldest daughter, and that, of course, was Sara, my grandmother.' Wendy Rush has visited the Titanic wreckage three times with her husband's company in the last two years, and works as OceanGate's communications director. Stockton Rush, 61, founded OceanGate in 2009. The Seattle-born, Princeton-educated aeronautical engineer worked on fighter jets and initially hoped to go to Mars before switching his attention to the sea. Leaders in the submersible industry sent a letter to OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush (pictured) who is currently missing along with the vessel urging him to take caution The Boston Coast Guard is now looking for the missing vessel. The wreckage of the Titanic sits 12,500ft underwater around 370 miles from Newfoundland, Canada French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is believed to be taking part in the expedition, along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Among those taking part in the expedition is billionaire Hamish Harding (pictured), CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai. He excitedly posted to social media about being there on Sunday Shahzada Dawood, 48, (pictured with his wife Christine) a UK-based board member of the Prince's Trust charity, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, are among the five people missing in the submersible He tried to buy explorer Steve Fossett's submersible after his death in 2007, but was unable to do so and began creating his own. Rush admitted that parts of his sub were improvised - it is controlled by a video game controller, and the light inside was bought from an online camping website - but said it had been built with help from Boeing, NASA and the University of Washington. Who was Stockton Rush? San Francisco-born Rush, 61, founded OceanGate Expeditions in 2009 - after trying, and failing, to buy explorer and businessman Steve Fossett's submersible, after the adventurer died in a 2007 plane crash. As a young man, Rush was more interested in space than deep seas: At 19, he became the youngest jet transport-rated pilot in the world, qualifying with the United Airlines Jet Training Institute. For the next three years he flew for Saudi Arabian Airlines on his summer holidays from his aerospace engineering course at Princeton. From 1984 he worked with the US Air Force on F-15s and anti-satellite missile programs, with the aim of eventually taking part in the space program. Rush obtained an MBA from Berkeley and went on to work for multiple companies, specializing in sonar, subsea technology and radars. Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate He built a Glasair III experimental aircraft which he flew regularly, and his own Kittredge K-350 two-man submersible. Rush always intended to take tourists to the Titanic: in 2017, he said he planned to then branch out to excursions to hydrothermal vents or deep-sea canyons, and underwater battlefield tours. He then hoped to work with oil and gas exploration. In 2018, the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, a 60-year-old trade group, warned that the 'current 'experimental' approach' of the company could result in problems 'from minor to catastrophic.' The company also fired David Lochridge, who was Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, after disagreeing with his demand for more rigorous safety checks on the submersible, including 'testing to prove its integrity'. Additionally, the company opted against having the craft 'classed', an industry-wide practice whereby independent inspectors ensure vessels meet accepted technical standards. The first trips to see Titanic began in 2021. Rush was killed in the June 18 disaster. Advertisement Yet it emerged Tuesday that OceanGate's safety record had been questioned by an industry body - while Boeing and the university have denied having any involvement in the sub's creation. A 2018 letter to Rush, obtained by the New York Times, warned that 'the current 'experimental' approach' of the company could result in problems 'from minor to catastrophic.' It was sent by the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, a 60-year-old trade group that aims to promote ocean technology and educate the public about it. But it is unclear if any employee or Rush himself responded to the letter, and there was no further detail on why the approach was considered dangerous. Officials searching for the missing sub have warned that they may not be able to rescue the missing tourist sub even if they find it. The sub's oxygen supply had just 24 hours remaining from Wednesday, giving rescue crews until Thursday morning to find it before it runs out. Rescue crews from the US, France and Canada are still trying to find the vessel, which is understood to have last 'pinged' while directly above the Titanic wreck. In addition to Rush, the passengers are British billionaire Hamish Harding; French Titanic expert PH Nargeolet; and Pakistani father and son Shahzada Dawood, 48, and Sulaiman Dawood, 19. First District Response Coordinator Capt. Jamie Frederick said the Coast Guard has already searched 7,600 square miles of ocean - a search area the size of Connecticut. At 12,500ft underwater, there are few vessels able to dive deep enough to find it, let along bring it back to the surface. It comes after DailyMail.com revealed OceanGate refused to put their submersible through an independent inspection process and fired a director in 2018 after he asked for more rigorous safety tests on the craft, named Titan. Bosses fired David Lochridge, who was Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, after disagreeing with his demand for more rigorous safety checks on the submersible, including 'testing to prove its integrity'. The company also opted against having the craft 'classed', an industry-wide practice whereby independent inspectors ensure vessels meet accepted technical standards. OceanGate, which charges up to $250,000 for a seat on the submersible, suggested that seeking classification could take years and would be 'anathema to rapid innovation'. In 2019, the firm added that seeking classification for Titan would not 'ensure that operators adhere to proper operating procedures and decision-making processes two areas that are much more important for mitigating risks at sea'. Classification involves recruiting an independent organization to ensure vessels like ships and submersibles meet industry-wide technical standards. It is a crucial way of ensuring a vessel is fit to operate. Titan is currently missing with five people on board after it lost communication during a dive to the Titanic's wreckage, which is around 12,500ft below the Atlantic OceanGate bosses fired David Lochridge, who was Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, in 2018 after it disagreed with his demand for more rigorous safety checks on the submersible, which is missing after a mission to the Titanic wreckage The Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society said in a statement about the tragedy that the 'modern commercial submarine industry is 'regulated in accordance with international safety standards through classification societies.' They added: 'These organizations have rules and safety standards for the design and construction of systems ranging from submersible vehicles to super tankers and oil platforms. 'The main classification organizations for submersibles include the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Det Nortke Veritas (DNV) and Lloyds Registry (LR) among others. 'The submarine industry has a safety record of fifty years without incident. 'This is due to the engineering discipline and professional approach exercised by members of the industry, and the collective observation of (and adherence to) a variety of safety standards.' Melbourne has once again been named one of the world's most livable cities after plunging down the rankings due to harsh Covid lockdowns. The Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index, released on Thursday, ranks Melbourne the world's third-best place to live, up from number 10 last year. The Victorian capital went under six lockdowns between 2020 and 2021 under the Dan Andrews government, totalling 262 days and giving it the record of the world's longest time in lockdown. Melbourne has been named the world's third-most livable city in a new global list The Victorian capital holds the record for the longest time in Covid lockdown at 262 days under Premier Dan Andrews (pictured) 'From the most locked-down city to the world's third-most livable city is pretty darn good,' Melbourne's Lord Mayor Sally Capp told The Age. Taking out the top spot was Austria's capital Vienna, while Denmark's capital Copenhagen was at number two - both holding their spots from last year. Other Australian capital cities also fared well with most jumping in the rankings significantly compared to last year. Sydney rose 11 spots from 13 to number four, while Perth and Adelaide were awarded a tie for 12th place, jumping up from 32 and 30 respectively. Brisbane was ranked the world's 16th most livable city, up from number 27 in 2022. Ms Capp said it was 'cute' to see Sydney close behind Melbourne. 'We'll leverage this competition to push us to do better, work harder and achieve our rightful position at the top once again,' she said. Five categories were assessed stability, culture, education, healthcare and infrastructure. Melbourne pipped Sydney only in terms of culture, scoring 95.8 compared to the NSW capital's 94.4. Victorian College of the Arts graduates Veronica Pena Negrette and Vitoria Hronopoulos, both 21, told The Age they were enthralled by Melbourne's theatre and hospitality scenes. 'There's so many bars in Brunswick, there's so many in the city,' Ms Negrette said. The pair said they first moved to Melbourne during Covid lockdowns and found it hard, but now love the city after it reopened. The said they might consider a move to Sydney where they could be more jobs but Melbourne, being slightly cheaper and having a thriving grassroots theatre scene, was exactly what they wanted for now. Melburnians are once again enjoying the city's many bars and cultural hotspots (pictured are revellers is Prahran) Many businesses barely struggled through the drawn-out closures and strict rules Across the ditch, New Zealand cities also fared well with Wellington jumping 35 places to number 23 and Auckland rising 25 places to number 10. 'The removal of Covid-related restrictions has overall boded well for global liveability in 2023,' Upasana Dutt, Head of Liveability Index at EIU, said in a statement. 'Education has emerged stronger with children returning to schools alongside a significantly reduced burden on hospitals and healthcare systems, with some notable improvements in cities across developing economies of Asia and the Middle East. 'As the world's political and economic axis continues to shift eastwards, we expect the cities in these regions to move slowly up our liveability rankings.' It seems European cities are also taking longer to recover from the last few years compared to Asia-Pacific cities with London, Edinburgh and Stockholm dropping in the rankings. 'None of these cities has seen a particularly sharp decline in their index scores, but they have failed to make the gains that many other cities particularly those in Asia have made in the past year,' the report reads. The wealthiest man in Australia, Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest, has donated $5billion worth of shares in his mining company to his charity, the Minderoo Foundation. Forrest, the second-richest person in Australia behind mining heiress Gina Rinehart, and his wife Nicola donated 220 million shares in Fortescue Metals Group. The donation is about one-fifth of their stake in the company Forrest founded in 2003 and of which he is now executive chairman. The Forrests established the Minderoo Foundation in 2001, with the charity now working to tackle a range of issues from modern slavery to plastic pollution. 'As our world faces enormous challenges, we have elected to continue to use our material wealth to help humanity and the environment meet these existential risks,' he told Nine newspapers. Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest and his wife Nicola (pictured together) have donated $5billion worth of shares in their mining company Fortescue to their charity the Minderoo Foundation 'Accumulating wealth should only be a small part of a person. Their contribution to their family and society is way more important. 'If you happen to be good at accumulating wealth, then I believe in using that skill for the greater good.' Forrest is worth an estimated $33billion and his foundation was the second-highest philanthropic spender following the Yajilarra Trust in the 12 months to June 30, 2022. He became the first Australian to sign Bill Gates' and Warren Buffett's 'giving pledge' in 2013. The pledge encourages billionaires to give away more than half of their wealth in their lifetime. The Forrests have donated more than $7billion to their foundation since 2001. The Minderoo Foundation tackles range of issues and was the second-highest philanthropic spender following the Yajilarra Trust in the 12 months to June 30, 2022. (Pictured: an animal rescue by Minderoo) The Forrests (above) have donated more than $7billion to the Minderoo Foundation since 2001 Nicola Forrest said their latest donation will help support vulnerable communities. 'From the outset and over the past 22 years, we have remained focused on supporting families to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential - as children are our future,' she said. Andrew Forrest stepped up as chairman of Fortescue last May following a company restructure that saw $50million cut from the executive employee bonus system. Almost 20 of Fortescue's executives have left the company in the last two years following the failure of the major Iron Bridge magnetite project that forced chief operating officer Greg Lilleyman and projects director Don Hyma's resignations. Forrest's new role is the most hands-on position he's held in the company in over a decade. A cute video has shown a baby in a glass tube in order for the infant to be kept still for X-rays, with her mother in the background finding it amusing. The hilarious video shows six-month-old Stevie, who is from St John's in Newfoundland, Canada, with her arms up high in a glass tube, known as a Pigg-O-Stat, with her mother laughing in the background. The infant suffers from Down's Syndrome as well as a congenital heart defect. The device, which according to manufactures has been around since the 1960s, aims to hold babies or small children still during X-rays. The Pigg-O-Stat is an all-in-one pediatric immobilization device designed for positioning infants and young children for an appropriate x-ray without significant complications. The hilarious video shows six-month-old Stevie, who is from St John's in Newfoundland, Canada, with her arms up high in a glass tube, known as a Pigg-O-Stat, with her mother laughing in the background The manufacturer describes the Pigg-O Stat as an 'all-in -one paediatric immobilisation device designed for positioning infants and young children for an appropriate x-ray without significant complications.' They go onto say that the device safely secures the child and allows the x-ray technician to be brief and efficient while the child remains immobilised. The manufacturer adds: 'the Pigg-O Stat provides x-ray technicians the best opportunity to capture a great picture on the first attempt. With fewer retakes required, infants receive significantly less exposure to radiation.' A truckie was applauded for dragging protesters off a highway This is the moment climate change activists were forcibly removed by a furious truckie after they blocked a major road in Brisbane on Wednesday morning. The protesters sat in a row across the Port of Brisbane motorway, one of the city's busiest routes, causing a massive traffic jam. But they were no match for a burly truck driver, who dragged them off the bitumen and dumped them onto the side of the road. The protesters repeatedly tried to scramble back - only for the truckie to drag them off again. Earlier photos showed five masked protesters posing with two silver cars parked across the highway. One woman had chained herself between the vehicles with police forced to cut her out. The video was shared online where hundreds of viewers applauded the driver. A truck driver (pictured in a high-vis vest) was filmed dragging Blockade Australia protesters off the Port of Brisbane motorway on Wednesday 'This guy needs a medal,' one said. 'This driver is a legend. They are playing with people and their livelihoods,' a second added. 'Makes me ropable how they just sit there with such an entitled attitude! Well done for dragging them off like they deserve,' a third added, Police said three protesters - a 49-year-old Lismore woman, 28-year-old South Brisbane man and 34-year-old Sydney man - were arrested over the peak-hour blockade that caused a kilometres-long traffic jam. The stunt was the latest in a series of protests organised online by Blockade Australia that have caused massive delays across major cities this week. Several of the protests have used a 'monopole' - a small pole held up by three ropes with a protester suspended from the centre - to block roads. Five protesters have been arrested since Monday. Earlier photos of the blockade (above) showed masked protesters posing on top of cars parked across the motorway with a woman chained between them On Thursday the group struck out again, this time delaying a series of coal trains. In Melbourne a 62-year-old woman jumped on top of a coal train heading to the port. As of 10am, emergency services were at the scene with the woman still on top and causing significant operation delays. In NSW's Hunter Valley a 16-year-old girl and 64-year-old woman locked themselves on top a coal train in Singleton, delaying its trip to Newcastle by two hours. Both protests were livestreamed on Facebook with the 16-year-old telling viewers: 'I'm really worried about my future and am taking action today because I believe that the system is hurling us towards ecological collapse.' The group bragged about the blocks on Instagram writing: 'Epic! 11 times in four days and counting, Blockade Australia has stopped operations at major export facilities.' When asked how long disruptive protests will continue, Blockade Australia told Daily Mail: 'Roads, rail and ports have been blockaded by protesters for as long as there have been roads, rail and ports. 'These are the parts of national infrastructure that are accessible to ordinary people. 'Blockade Australia and aligned direct action groups will continue to disrupt the destructive systems that are killing our world for as long as it takes.' Police said three protesters were arrested for the peak-hour blockade (above) in Brisbane NSW Premier Chris Minns said he is meeting with Facebook heads and police to discuss how livestreams of the illegal protests can be blocked. 'These thrill demonstrators are putting lives at risk both their own and those of emergency service and police,' Mr Minns said. 'Their business model relies on social media to broadcast their protest. 'We will sit down with police and Facebook about what more can be done to stop the broadcast of illegal acts.' Blockade Australia responded: 'Silencing protests on Facebook will not cool the planet. There are many other media platforms available to activists. 'We are in discussions with our network about banning the infinite profit economic model that is driving climate collapse.' A French man has been accused of drugging his wife and recording at least 83 'aggressors' raping her in a horrific cycle of abuse spanning ten years. 'Dominique P' is understood to have recruited his wife's attackers from an online forum called 'Without Her Knowing' where users discuss performing sex acts on unwitting partners and storing evidence on a USB drive in a file called 'ABUSES'. Fifty-one men, aged 26 to 73, have been identified and charged with raping his wife of 50 years, pseudonym Francoise, with investigators finding 92 cases between 2011 and 2020. The husband is alleged to have used the drug Lorazepam to sedate his wife by mixing it into her meal, before inviting men to have sex with her while she was unconscious at their home in Mazan, near Avignon. Investigators learned of the horror after arresting Dominique in 2020 for filming up the skirts of customers in a supermarket in nearby Carpentras, with a search of his Provence home uncovering camera equipment and 'dozens of videos' of his wife's abuse. General view of the picturesque village of Mazan, near Avignon in the south of France A French man has been accused of drugging his wife every night and then recording at least 51 men raping her while she slept. It is understood that Dominique would record the assaults and keep the footage on a USB drive in a file called 'ABUSES' (stock photo) According to The Daily Telegraph, Dominique used an internet forum called 'a son insu' ('without him/her knowing') to organise the abuse of his wife while she was sleeping. Investigators have identified 92 cases of rape of Francoise, drawing up a list of 83 'aggressors' but have yet to identify all of the alleged assailants. Those charged include a fireman, a municipal councillor, a prison guard, a nurse and a journalist. In 2021, it was reported a total of 33 had so far been jailed, with nine under arrest. Louis-Alain Lemaire, a lawyer for some of the suspects, claimed at the time that some believed the wife was 'simulating' being unconscious as part of a sex game. Detectives argued the suspects must have known the woman was drugged, because the husband claims to have briefed them before each episode of abuse. The alleged assaults occurred between 2011 and 2020, with the prosecution claiming that Dominique insists none of the attackers 'gave up going through with sexual acts on his wife given her state'. They say Dominique 'never used violence or threats' to ensure the rapes took place, adding: 'Each individual was in possession of his free will to stop these acts and leave.' Some of the rapists are understood to have come to the home multiple times. Many allege they were unaware that Francoise had not consented to the encounters. 'Guests' were allegedly asked to park away from the house and to avoid bringing strong smells into the house, such as tobacco or perfume, that could wake her. One, denying rape, reportedly said: 'It's his wife, he does what he likes with her.' Police learned of the videos during a preliminary investigation into Dominique in 2020 after he was suspected of using a hidden camera to film women getting changed in a supermarket. A trial is expected to take place next year. Abuse took place in the town of Mazan, south of France, and was only uncovered after the man was caught up-skirting women in a local supermarket prompting officers to search his home France3 previously reported Dominique could receive up to 20 years for the alleged crimes. Francoise, who learned of the attacks after police found the tapes, said she suffered gynaecological problems, frequent fatigue and 'absent-mindedness'. Medical examinations also revealed she had been infected with four sexually transmitted infections. She is understood to have battled with depression following the attacks and has since filed for divorce. Dominique, however, told the investigating magistrates he loves his 'saint' wife. His lawyer added that Francoise was 'his first love, indeed the only love of his life'. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will not go to India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to Congress as a protest of his record on human rights abuses. Modi will be speaking to a joint session of Congress Thursday after meeting with President Joe Biden. But AOC isn't the only one skipping out. Fellow progressive Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, the two Muslim women in Congress, said they also won't be attending the Indian leader's speech. A group of 70 lawmakers wrote to the president urging him to address during their discussion surrounding concerns of how Modi has handled human rights of religious minorities and lower castes. In India, Modi has cracked down on dissents, sparking fears he's leading the world's largest democracy toward an autocratic regime. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will boycott India Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to a joint session of Congress on Thursday President Joe Biden met with PM Modi on Wednesday as the White House assured that Biden would not lecture Modi on criticism involving human rights violations 'I will be boycotting Prime Minister Modi's address to Congress tomorrow, and I encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to join me in doing the same,' AOC wrote in a statement. 'In 2005, Narendra Modi was denied a U.S. visa because of his violations of religious freedom, including his complicity in an anti-Muslim riot that left over 1,000 dead,' she detailed. 'India currently ranks 161 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index - in part due to Modi's raids on BBC India's offices and his court challenges against a critical documentary.' 'A joint address is among the most prestigious invitations and honors the United States Congress can extend,' AOC noted. 'We should not do so for individuals with deeply troubling human rights records - particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed communities.' Biden rolled out the red carpet for Modi on Wednesday amid assurances from the White House that he would not lecture the Indian prime minister on human rights. The White House also denied that the visit is regarding the rise in aggression from China. President Biden, who wants India to be a counter to China in the Indo-Pacific region, won't confront Modi about the human rights situation that has deteriorated under his leadership. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan previewed before the meeting that Biden would bring up U.S. concerns about democratic backsliding in India, but assured he would not lecture Modi on the subject. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden greet PM Modi at the White House on Wednesday, June 21 AOC said in a statement that 'a joint address is among the most prestigious invitations and honors the United States Congress can extend,' and that it should not be awarded to 'individuals with deeply troubling human rights records' like Modi Modi participates in a yoga class during the observation of International Yoga Day on the grounds of United Nations headquarters in New York When the U.S. sees challenges to press, religious or other freedoms, 'we make our views known,' Sullivan said, according to Reuters. He added: 'We do so in a way where we don't seek to lecture or assert that we don't have challenges ourselves. 'Ultimately, the question of where politics and the question of democratic institutions go in India is going to be determined within India by Indians. It's not going to be determined by the United States,' Sullivan said. Biden has argued for the virtues of democracy over autocracy. And Modi's record on human rights could put the president in a tough spot as he welcomes the Indian leader with open arms. 'A series of independent, credible reports reflect troubling signs in India toward the shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organizations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access,' the 70 lawmakers wrote in a letter to Biden. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chat ahead of a working session on food and energy security during the G20 Summit in 2022 Modi was once denied a visa to the U.S. after riots in 2002 killed more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, in Gujarat - the region where he was chief minister. To ban Modi, the State Department invoked a little-known U.S. law passed in 1998 that makes foreign officials responsible for 'severe violations of religious freedom' ineligible for visas. But Modi was granted entry to the U.S. after his 2014 election as prime minister. Modi has been accused of marginalizing Muslims, the Hindu country's largest minority group. Under Modi, violence against Muslims has become more common. And the prime minister has been criticized for supporting a law that makes it more difficult for Muslim immigrants to become Indian citizens. The White House also argues publicly that Modi's visit is not about China. 'This state visit is not about China. And it's not about sending a message to China. It really is all about the bilateral relationship with India and fostering that relationship for a future that we believe is very, very great,' Kirby said. But China will be an unspoken, underlying thread. The visit comes as India has surpassed China as the world's most populous nation. The White House's courtship of Modi, and its effort to draw India closer on issues of trade, climate and technology, all have the greater goal of countering Beijing's influence in the region. Other presidents also have kept India close. Barack Obama visited India during his presidency, as did Donald Trump. Trump also attended a 'Howdy Modi' event with the prime minister in Houston. To help its cause, the Biden White House is honoring Modi with a state dinner - the third of the Biden administration. And while Modi has been to the U.S. five time since becoming prime minister in 2014 this will be his first state visit. The visit to the U.S. included all the pomp and majesty that comes with the occasion - a colorful arrival ceremony on the White House South Lawn, an Oval Office meeting and a lavish dinner in a glass pavilion built for the occasion. India Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives for the International Yoga day event at United Nations headquarters Flags of India and US adorn the Eisenhower Executive Office Building ahead of Modi's visit Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) meets with Elon Musk (left) in New York The two men held a joint press conference on Wednesday Modi rarely takes questions from the media. Before arriving in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, Modi led celebrations for the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Modi then visited the National Science Foundation with first lady Jill Biden on Wednesday afternoon and is having a private dinner with the first couple later in the evening. His address to a joint session of Congress will take place Thursday. Modi is meeting with several U.S. CEOs during his visit to America, including at a Friday reception. On Tuesday he met with Twitter's Elon Musk in New York. Biden and Modi are expected to announce a variety of agreements related to defense cooperation and sales, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and investments in India by Micron Technology and other U.S. companies. The war in the Ukraine will also be on the agenda. India has continued to buy oil and weapons from Russia and has not publicly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For his part, Modi is pushing for India a bigger role on the global stage. India, a member of the G20, will host world leaders for the group's annual meeting in September. And Modi wants his country to have a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. A flight map tracking the precise route of the 'ghost plane' that mysteriously crashed in Virginia and killed all on board has been released by federal investigators. Authorities also revealed that the cockpit voice recorder has still not been located. The map, provided by the NTSB, showed the path the private Cessna took before it fell out of the sky over mountainous terrain near Montebello on June 4. The cause of the crash remains unclear, but the new report provides some details on what happened aboard the small plane in the hours before. Air traffic controls received the last known broadcast from the plane minutes after takeoff. It then flew - some have suggested on auto-pilot - to New York before turning around and flying over Washington, DC. This caused fighter jets to scramble and track the plane before it crashed in Virginia, killing the four people on board. A newly detailed flight map of the Cessna plane that crashed in Virginia earlier this month Adina Azarian (left), her two-year-old daughter (center) and the child's nanny Evadnie Smith (right) were killed when a jet they were travelling in crashed in rural Virginia on Sunday The plane's pilot, Jeff Hefner, made contact several times with air traffic controllers after the flight departed from the Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee at about 1.15 pm, June 4 The plane's pilot, Jeff Hefner, made contact several times with air traffic controllers after the flight departed from the Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee at about 1.15 pm on June 4. The plane was carrying real estate agent Adina Azarian, her two-year-old daughter, Aria, and the child's live-in nanny, Evadnie Smith. It was heading to the Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York. The pilot contacted controllers at least three times as the small plane gained altitude. On each occasion, the controllers gave the plane the go ahead to keep climbing. At around 1.30pm the controller told the pilot to stop climbing at 33,000 feet. The pilot did not respond, but stopped climbing at 34,000 feet. After that no further radio transmissions from the pilot were received, despite attempts from controllers to make contact. The aircraft continued on its scheduled path until it suddenly made close to a 180-degree turn at about 2.30pm over the Long Island airport, according to the map. The Pentagon previously reported that six F-16 fighter jets were deployed out of Joint Base Andrews after the plane veered into restricted space around the capital as it headed back toward Virginia. 'The pilot was unresponsive to several radio transmissions, intercept flight maneuvers, and flare deployments,' according to the report. Despite some sources saying the fighter jets had witnessed the pilot passed out. Investigators, however, made no mention of that detail in the recent report. The report said the plane hardly deviated in altitude until just prior to 3.30pm, when the plane suddenly 'entered a rapidly descending right spiral descent into terrain.' Minutes later, the plane crashed into the mountainous region. Around 3.20pm, seeing the plane head towards the capital at 34,000ft, the military was authorized to scramble F-16 fighter jets to make contact with the plane. Residents in three states reported hearing a sonic boom as the jets traveled at supersonic speeds to reach the jet. Adina Azarian and her two-year-old daughter died in the plane crash as investigators said it was likely on auto-pilot when it ran out of fuel John Rumpel (left) owned the Cessna aircraft that crashed and adopted Azarian with his wife Barbara (right) when she was 40. Rumpel has said it was Hefner's responsibility to maintain the plane Investigators say they believe based on the evidence and a review of the crash site, the plane plummeted at 'high velocity' and a 'near vertical descent.' The passengers were understood to have been returning to the Hamptons after visiting Azarian's parents, Trump donors John and Barbara Rumpel, in North Carolina. 'My family is gone, my daughter and granddaughter,' Barbara Rumpel wrote of the casualties soon after the disaster. 'It descended at 20,000 feet a minute, and nobody could survive a crash from that speed,' John Rumpel later told media outlets. Investigators say they believe based on the evidence and a review of the crash site, the plane plummeted at 'high velocity' and a 'near vertical descent.' 'The cockpit was destroyed in the impact,' said the report, adding that fragments of both wings and both of the plane's engines were found scattered nearby. The cockpit voice recording still hasn't been recovered despite recent maintenance on the plane, the records of which showed that one had been installed as of May 2023. A full crash site report isn't expected to be completed for up to a year. A British computer hacker who 'ate himself fat by gaming 18-hours a day' has begged a US judge to spare him jail after threatened to spread nude images of American actress Bella Thorne. Joseph O'Connor, 24, accessed Miss Thorne's phone and Snapchat account in June 2019 and obtained 'numerous nude photographs and videos'. It is understood that one of his associates then texted the actress and threatened to release the images unless she promoted O'Connor on social media. O'Connor, who grew up in Liverpool and Spain, was arrested in June 2021 on charges connected to the hacking of more than 130 Twitter accounts in 2020. O'Connor was arrested in Spain in connection to Miss Thorne's hack, as well as a monumental hack of Twitter accounts belonging to celebrities and politicians He has now told a New York judge that he is 'deeply ashamed' of his actions and alleged that he was unaware his threats were an act of 'serious criminal conduct' until after he was arrested, The Times reported. He said his obsession with gaming made it so he 'never had a relationship of an intimate nature except online' and claimed to have lived 'a lonely, reclusive life for many years'. O'Connor added that he is in 'disbelief' at how he has ended up 'a convicted criminal in a place so far away from home'. Instead of meeting the hacker's demands, Bella Thorne (pictured in Los Angeles last week) decided to share her own nude photographs to Twitter as a means of 'taking her power back' O'Connor was arrested in Spain in connection to Miss Thorne's hack, as well as a monumental hack of Twitter accounts belonging to celebrities and politicians. He was extricated to the US in April this year and pleaded guilty to seven counts involving cybercrime and conspiring to steal nearly $800,000 of cryptocurrency from a tech company in New York. Prosecutors have asked for a sentence of seven years, but O'Connor has launched a plea to be spared jail. The 24-year-old told the judge how his alleged gaming obsession led him to become a recluse and suffer a series of health conditions. He said he 'ate himself fat' by consuming 'unhealthy' and 'processed' foods. He also 'never exercised'. O'Connor told the court how he developed a back injury 'due to sitting in a chair for 18 hours a day' and claims his eyes 'could not tolerate the sunshine'. 'I could not believe what I had done was even serious criminal conduct,' he said of his arrest, adding that he now understands the severity of his actions. Reacting to the news of O'Connor's arrest in 2021, Bella Thorne thanked the FBI for 'searching tirelessly' and, eventually, tracking down one of the men responsible for hacking her Snapchat account in June 2019 At the time of Miss Thorne's hack, O'Connor had threatened to 'release nude photos found on the account unless she posted a tweet thanking him for returning her account,' according to an FBI affidavit. Instead of acquiescing to the hacker's demands, the actress decided to share her own nude photographs to Twitter as a means of '[taking her] power back.' Reacting to the news of O'Connor's arrest on Instagram, Miss Thorne wrote in 2021: 'I want to thank the FBI for searching tirelessly for the person who made my life and others a living hell.' On deciding to share her own nudes in wake of the hack, Bella said that she has 'felt violated many times in my life, but I thought I didn't have a way out, so I made a choice. 'My choice. A choice I didn't want to make but felt I had to because I wouldn't spend another day feeling someone was taking away from me my body, my soul, my mental health, and my love and hope for the world,' she wrote. 'So thank you, FBI, for a step in the right direction and just one less bad guy to worry about. Today I woke up with hope again, and a weight lifted off my shoulders.' A Russian soldier who was awarded almost 10,000 for supposedly blowing up a Western tank had recently had his arm amputated, casting major doubts over the legitimacy of the story which was broadcast on state media. Vladimir Putin has promised to reward his soldiers for destroying every German Leopard 2 tank and other major equipment supplied by the West. Russia's defence ministry posted a video on Tuesday showing Andrei Kravtsov, sitting on a hospital bed and receiving a reward certificate from Alexander Karelin - a three-time Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling - for destroying a Leopard 2 tank. In the video, Kravstov says: 'I didn't go [to war] for the one million. I'm a patriot. I love my country.' But it has since emerged that the same soldier appeared at the same military hospital outside Moscow on June 12 when Russian despot Putin was giving out awards. On this occasion, Kravstov said he lost an arm in the trenches while on an offensive in the forest. Neither Putin, nor the soldiers, referenced the German tanks. Russia's defence ministry posted a video showing Andrei Kravtsov (left), sitting on a hospital bed and receiving a reward certificate from Alexander Karelin (right) Vladimir Putin (pictured June 21) has promised to reward his soldiers for destroying every German Leopard 2 tanks and for other major equipment supplied by the West The Leopard 2 tanks were first spotted in Ukraine at the start of the much-anticipated counter-offensive earlier this month. And despite Russian claims, the earliest verified case of a Leopard tank being destroyed is June 8. Therefore, Kravstov would have had less than four days to be medically evacuated from Zaporizhzhia, where it was claimed the tank was destroyed, have amputation surgery, recover and arrive at the hospital to meet Putin,' Agentstvo reports. Most patients would usually take two days to recover enough to meet people following amputation surgery, while it is also unlikely Kravstov would be permitted to meet Putin without the mandatory one-week quarantine period. Moscow says its forces have destroyed a number of Leopards and U.S.-supplied Bradley fighting vehicles since Ukraine launched a counteroffensive earlier this month. The defence ministry last week said it had paid individual bonuses to more than 10,000 Russian servicemen since the start of the Ukraine war - something Moscow calls a 'special military operation' - for destroying or capturing Ukrainian or Western-supplied hardware. It said the rate was 100,000 roubles for a tank and 300,000 roubles for a plane. Handing over the certificate for the private bonus, Karelin told Kravtsov: 'These are wonderful additional payments for those who cause significant damage to the enemy, on top of what the state is doing.' The bonus was paid from a fund established by a private group of entrepreneurs, an example of how some Russian businesses are seeking ways to publicly display their loyalty to the Kremlin's military campaign in Ukraine. Propaganda photographs have shown dozens of destroyed Western armoured vehicles, including 16 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and five Leopard tanks. Pictured: German Leopard 2s and US-Bradley tanks A Ukrainian MSLR BM-21 'Grad' fires towards Russian positions, near Bakhmut at the frontline in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on June 21 Ukrainian soldiers repair a Leopard 2 tank in Zaporizhzhya region, Ukraine, Wednesday, June 21 Ukrainian artillery batteries fire on the frontline as clashes continue near villages recaptured by the Ukrainian army in Donetsk, Ukraine on June 21 Russian state media splashed the soldier's award as a main story on Tuesday, but Kravstov claims he is unable to remember how he destroyed the tank. 'We were moving under artillery fire and were under a tank attack,' he said in comments to Komsomolskaya Pravda. 'I took a grenade launcher and fired. Smoke came out. I only found out at the hospital that it was a German Leopard.' Propaganda photographs have shown dozens of destroyed Western armoured vehicles, including 16 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and five Leopard tanks. Russian bloggers have continually gloated over photos of burnt-out Western tanks. As questions are raised over the legitimiacy of the awards, Putin yesterday warned that his terrifying new Satan II missiles - which are capable of carrying ten nuclear weapons - will be deployed for combat duty in the 'near future'. The Russian leader threatened the West with his new Satan-II big-beast 208-ton nuclear apocalypse rocket while speaking to military graduates in the Grand Kremlin Palace. The giant missile - which can allegedly reach the UK in just three minutes and is known as Sarmat to Russians - has experienced embarrassing development delays. But Putin said launch pads for the 'unstoppable' 15,880mph rocket - the size of a 14-storey tower block - will be put on 'combat duty'. Linda Burney says the Voice has no interest in Jan 26 The head of the Yes campaign claims the Voice to Parliament will allow Aboriginal people to influence change on issues such as the date of Australia Day. Yes23 Campaign Director Dean Parkin made the assertion during an online forum titled 'Exploring January 26' that he hosted by Evangelisation Brisbane last year. The forum looked into what the date of Australia Day - or Invasion Day - means for First Nations people. The forum featured Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Mr Parkin, Reconciliation officer and Birri Gubba woman Cynthia Rowan, and Caritas Australia Youth Participation Coordinator and Kuku Yalanji and Yidinji woman Sabrina Stevens. At one point, Mr Parkin spoke about the Voice and how it would give Indigenous Australians a 'real say' in influencing change on important issues such as January 26. His comment just 12 months ago contradicts Indigenous Affairs minister Linda Burney's statement in Parliament that the Voice would have no interest in trying to change the date. Yes23 Campaign Director Dean Parkin (pictured) claimed the Voice to Parliament would allow Indigenous people to influence change on important issues, such as Australia Day 'We need to make sure that we have that Voice in place because that constitutionally guaranteed Voice is going to be the mechanism that allows us a seat at the table to ensure that these conversations around truth,' Mr Parkin said in 2022. 'Be it on the 26th, be it on any other issues that's affecting our people, that we have a real say and we have a real opportunity to actually influence change.' Mr Parkin said he did not want to be 'sitting on a couch in 30 years' time, 40 years' time, having the same conversation'. 'That's why we need that Voice in place to make sure that when we think about these issues that are approaching - the 26th or anything else - that we have a genuine seat at the table and that's the opportunity that's before us,' he said. 'I believe we'll get there. And hopefully we'll be able to make more of an impact and have more of a say in changing the trajectory of our nation.' Mr Parkin, who is from the Quandamooka peoples of Minjerribah, revealed during the discussion that January 26 is a date he feels he needs to 'protect' himself from by switching off social media and bunkering down in his home on the day. 'It's actually something I feel coming on the calendar - it's not just all the days leading up and then it pops up on the day,' he said. 'It's something that builds as it gets closer, as something to almost bunker down and away from.' Mr Parkin made the comment during an online forum titled 'Exploring January 26' that was hosted by Evangelisation Brisbane last year. (Pictured L-R: Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Reconciliation officer and Birri Gubba woman Cynthia Rowan, Mr Parkin, and Caritas Australia Youth Participation Coordinator and Kuku Yalanji and Yidinji woman Sabrina Stevens) The statement comes despite the fact Indigenous Affairs minister Linda Burney (pictured) said the Voice would have no interest in trying to change the date of Australia Day on Tuesday Ms Burney said in parliament on Tuesday the Voice would have no interest in trying to change the date of Australia Day. Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley repeatedly called on Ms Burney to outline what the body would and would not be able to make representations to parliament on - with Ms Burney ruling out it would give advice about Australia Day. 'I can tell you what the Voice will not be giving advice on. It won't be giving advice on parking tickets,' she said. 'It won't be giving advice on changing Australia Day. It will not be giving advice on all of the ridiculous things that that side has come up with.' Ms Ley hit back on Wednesday morning in an interview with Peter Stefanovic on Sky News, calling on Ms Burney to return to parliament to 'correct the record'. 'I think Linda Burney is in real trouble here,' she said. 'If you mislead parliament, unintentionally perhaps, you need to step back into the chamber and correct the record. 'It is clearly not the case that the Voice would not be able to make representations about Australia Day.' Ms Ley had asked Ms Burney if the Voice could 'make representatives to the Chief of the Defence Force on military acquisitions or the location or operation of military bases' Constitutional experts have cast doubt on Ms Burney's claims on Tuesday that the body would not be interested in Australia Day Constitutional law expert George Williams told The Australian it is 'conceivable' to expect a group like the Voice to Parliament to make representations on the date of Australia Day. The debate over whether Australia should change the date of the national day has been raging for decades, and only been amplified in recent years. Mr Williams said: 'The question is 'matters relating to Indigenous peoples' and a public holiday commemorating the colonisation of Australia might be something they make representations about. I only say 'might' - we don't know - but it'd be open to them to do so if they wanted and then it would be a judgment call. '[Ms Burney] may know better than me. It's her community after all. She may be making a judgment that she doesn't believe they will. That's why I don't think she's wrong; it's just a judgment.' Other experts say a date change is likely not a high priority, but could not give assurances that it would never be on the agenda. Mr Parkin was also questioned this week about whether the Voice will be a step toward reparations being paid to Indigenous people after one of the proposal's chief architects made the suggestion in an unearthed video clip. Fellow board member on the Yes23 campaign, Thomas Mayo, spoke about the proposal being a step towards making compensation for Indigenous people a reality in a clip from 2020. One of the architects of the Voice to Parliament, Thomas Mayo (pictured), spoke about making compensation for Indigenous people a reality during an unearthed video from 2020 'Pay the Rent' for example, how do we do that in a way that is transparent and that actually sees reparations and compensation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people beyond what we say and do at a rally?' he said. The 'Pay the Rent' movement wants homeowners to voluntarily pay a percentage of their income to Aboriginal elders without any government oversight or intervention. When asked about this by 2GB broadcaster Ben Fordham on Tuesday, Mr Parkin responded: 'It's got nothing to do with the Voice.' 'The Voice has absolutely, and has always been about, getting to the nub of those real issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in communities (such as) health, education,' he said. 'Everyone's talking about their young people, whether it's in urban areas, remote areas. I was out at Barunga last week, they're worried about their young people's futures. That's what the Voice will be focused on.' If approved at the referendum later this year, an Aboriginal-only body will be set up - with its role enshrined in Australia's constitution - to make input and advise upon any bill before parliament which will impact indigenous people. Mr Parkin was asked again about 'paying the rent' after the audio from Mr Mayo's video was played on air. 'It's not the conservation that I'm having now, Ben,' Mr Parkin responded. 'That's not the weight of the issues that people have been talking to me.' 'Everyone's going to have their say on these issues, they're going to be able to input them into the piece, but it'll be our mob on the ground that will hold the people on the Voice to account.' 'They're going to have to look them in the eye and say, 'Well, what are you doing about clean drinking water in our communities? What are you doing about looking after our young people?' 'These are the things Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people want to see action on.' He added that there would be 'enormous accountability on the members of the Voice'. Mr Parkin (pictured left with the head of Indigenous Affairs and Strategic Inclusion at National Australia Bank, Eveanne Liddle), was asked about Mr Mayo's comments on 2GB on Tuesday Mr Mayo (pictured), said in another clip that politicians should be 'punished' if they ignore advice from the advisory body Mr Mayo said in another unearthed video posted in 2021 that politicians would be 'punished' if they ignored advice from the advisory body. 'The power in the Voice is that it creates the ability for First Nations to come together through representatives that they choose, representatives that they can hold accountable,' he said. 'And then go forth with coherent positions on how things should be - what legislation needs to be created, what legislation needs to be amended, what funding is needed and where. 'And then be able to campaign for that, and punish politicians that ignore our advice. That is where the power comes from.' In response to that comment, Mr Parkin said that the Yes campaign wanted to ensure politicians were 'getting the decisions right on the issues that affect our communities'. 'This is not a partisan shot in anyway shape or form, but over the years they (politicians) just haven't been getting it right.' 'We want them to be held to account more tightly on issues affecting Indigenous affairs.' The Voice referendum is expected to be held sometime between October and December this year. The creator of the submersible missing underwater since Sunday said last year his biggest fear was the craft getting stuck beneath the waves. Stockton Rush, the 61-year-old founder and CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, is among five people on board the Titan sub, which was journeying to visit the wreck of the Titanic. Rescue teams are desperately trying to find the sub and save Rush and his fellow passengers before the air runs out. The US Coast Guard said they expect the air to run out around 7am on Thursday. Rush spoke to CBS News in the summer of 2022, and told reporter David Pogue on his podcast Unsung Science that his worst fear was getting the sub trapped. 'What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface,' said Rush. 'Overhangs, fish nets, entanglement hazards.' Stockton Rush, the 61-year-old founder and CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, is among the five people missing. He was piloting the craft, and said his biggest fear was getting trapped on the sea bed The submersible, Titon, is pictured descending. It is the only five person sub capable of reaching Titanic But he insisted that such obstacles were avoidable. 'And, that's just a technique, piloting technique,' said Rush. 'It's pretty clear if it's an overhang, don't go under it. If there is a net, don't go near it. 'So, you can avoid those if you are just slow and steady.' He said he didn't think diving in a submersible was 'very dangerous' at all. Rush added: 'I mean, if you just want to be safe, don't get out of bed. 'Don't get in your car. Don't do anything. At some point, you're going to take some risk, and it really is a risk-reward question. I think I can do this just as safely by breaking the rules.' Rush is joined onboard by British businessman Hamish Harding, 58; British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son, Suleman, 19; and retired French navy commander Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77. Among those taking part in the expedition is billionaire Hamish Harding (pictured), CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai. He excitedly posted to social media about being there on Sunday Amongst those on board are Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, 19 (pictured together) French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet is on board the sub. He was part of the first human expedition to visit the Titanic's wreck, in 1987 and has visited at least 35 times The safety of the vessel has come under renewed scrutiny since its disappearance. Those boarding the submersible must sign a waiver that states: 'This experimental vessel has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death.' Pogue reported that passengers pay $250,000 to board the sub, but the sub is controlled by a Logitech games controller and fitted with camping lights. Communications with the mothership are done via text message. 'I couldn't help noticing how many pieces of this sub seemed improvised, with off-the-shelf components,' he said. 'Piloting the craft is run with a video game controller.' While Pogue was at sea on the mothership, another team went down in the sub but failed to find the wreck: they were communicating with the mothership all the time but were unable to locate the metal hulk. In the end they had to surface without having found it: passengers said they were lost underwater. OceanGate said they would be able to return the following summer at no cost and try again. OceanGate's submersible was designed by the company to travel almost 13,000ft below sea level to the wreck of the Titanic - but 'has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body, and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death' David Pogue, a CBS journalist, is seen inside the submersible. He descended to see Titanic last year The controller of the submersible is taken from a video game handset In 2019, OceanGate said that getting the sub 'classified' - or certified as safe - would be too lengthy a process. Classification involves recruiting an independent organization to ensure vessels like ships and submersibles meet industry-wide technical standards. It is a crucial way of ensuring a vessel is fit to operate. They said it would not 'ensure that operators adhere to proper operating procedures and decision-making processes two areas that are much more important for mitigating risks at sea'. The blog post said: 'While classing agencies are willing to pursue the certification of new and innovative designs and ideas, they often have a multi-year approval cycle due to a lack of pre-existing standards 'Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation.' The company said its 'innovations' included a real-time hull health monitoring system which is 'not currently covered by any classing agency'. OceanGate suggested its own in-house safety protocols were sufficient. The blog concluded that 'by itself, classing is not sufficient to ensure safety'. The year before, OceanGate executives had fired their director of marine operations, David Lochridge, after disagreeing with his demand for more rigorous safety checks on the submersible, including 'testing to prove its integrity'. He also wanted the company to carry out a scan of Titan's hull to 'detect potential flaws' rather than 'relying on acoustic monitoring' which would only detect an issue 'milliseconds before an implosion'. In a court document filed in 2018, lawyers for the company said Lochridge's employment was terminated because he 'could not accept' their research and plans, including safety protocols. OceanGate also claimed Lochridge 'desired to be fired' and had shared confidential information with others and wiped a company hard drive. The company said he 'refused to accept the voracity of information' about safety from Titan's lead engineer. Lochridge had relocated from the UK to Washington to work on the development of the Titan which was previously called Cyclops 2. A former Royal Navy marine engineer and ship's diver, he was described by OceanGate as an 'expert in the field of submarine operations and rescue'. Legal filings obtained by DaiyMail.com show that he wrote a report in 2018 which was critical of the company's research and development process for the vessel. Lochridge also 'strongly encouraged that OceanGate utilize a classification agency, such as the American Bureau of Shipping, to inspect and certify the Titan.' The suit states that 'OceanGate refused both requests, and stated it was unwilling to pay for a classification agency to inspect its experimental design.' Lochridge 'disagreed with OceanGate's position to dive the submersible without any non-destructive testing to prove its integrity, and to subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible.' Lochridge stated he could not accept OceanGate's research and development plans. Based on Lochridge's position, OceanGate terminated his employment, the legal filings reveal. Pictured: File photo of inside the OceanGate Expeditions sub which is currently missing with five people on board The Boston Coastguard is now looking for the missing vessel. The wreckage of the Titanic sits 12,500ft underwater around 370 miles from Newfoundland, Canada Lochridge said he was 'ignored' when trying to raise verbal concerns over the safety and quality control of Titan. Who was Stockton Rush? San Francisco-born Rush, 61, founded OceanGate Expeditions in 2009 - after trying, and failing, to buy explorer and businessman Steve Fossett's submersible, after the adventurer died in a 2007 plane crash. As a young man, Rush was more interested in space than deep seas: At 19, he became the youngest jet transport-rated pilot in the world, qualifying with the United Airlines Jet Training Institute. For the next three years he flew for Saudi Arabian Airlines on his summer holidays from his aerospace engineering course at Princeton. From 1984 he worked with the US Air Force on F-15s and anti-satellite missile programs, with the aim of eventually taking part in the space program. Rush obtained an MBA from Berkeley and went on to work for multiple companies, specializing in sonar, subsea technology and radars. Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate He built a Glasair III experimental aircraft which he flew regularly, and his own Kittredge K-350 two-man submersible. Rush always intended to take tourists to the Titanic: in 2017, he said he planned to then branch out to excursions to hydrothermal vents or deep-sea canyons, and underwater battlefield tours. He then hoped to work with oil and gas exploration. In 2018, the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, a 60-year-old trade group, warned that the 'current 'experimental' approach' of the company could result in problems 'from minor to catastrophic.' The company also fired David Lochridge, who was Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, after disagreeing with his demand for more rigorous safety checks on the submersible, including 'testing to prove its integrity'. Additionally, the company opted against having the craft 'classed', an industry-wide practice whereby independent inspectors ensure vessels meet accepted technical standards. The first trips to see Titanic began in 2021. Rush was killed in the June 18 disaster. Advertisement He had several meetings in 2018 'regarding the quality control and safety of the Titan, particularly OceanGate's refusal to conduct critical, non-destructive testing of the experimental design of the hull.' During one meeting he discovered that the viewpoint was only built to a certified pressure of 4,250 feet (1,300 meters) despite OceanGate intending to take passengers down to nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). Legal filings state: 'Lochridge learned that the viewport manufacturer would only certify to a depth of 1,300 meters due to the experimental design of the viewport supplied by OceanGate, which was out of the Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy ('PVHO') standards. 'OceanGate refused to pay for the manufacturer to build a viewport that would meet the required depth of 4,000 meters. 'The paying passengers would not be aware, and would not be informed, of this experimental design, the lack of non-destructive testing of the hull, or that hazardous flammable materials were being used within the submersible. 'Discouraging whistleblowers from coming forth with quality control issues and safety concerns that threaten the safety of innocent passengers would undermine and jeopardize the public policy, and put innocent passengers at increased risk.' The case was ultimately settled out of court in November 2018. Lochridge did not immediately respond to a request for comment by DailyMail.com. During its 2022 expedition, OceanGate reported that the submersible had a battery issue on its first dive and had to be manually attached to its lifting platform, according to a November court filing. Lochridge was set to make a series of dives in May 2018 in the Titan, before he was fired by OceanGate in January. At the time they were charging $105,129 for the trip, with 54 people signing up for the deep dive which ultimately did not happen. Lochridge previously piloted a sub down to the Andrea Doria, a passenger liner that sank off Massachusetts in 1956, with the loss of nearly 50 lives. In the same year that Lochridge raised his concerns, a group of industry experts wrote to Rush and warned that 'the current 'experimental' approach' of the company could result in problems 'from minor to catastrophic.' It was sent by the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, a 60-year-old trade group that aims to promote ocean technology and educate the public about it. But it is unclear if any employee or Rush himself responded to the letter, and there was no further detail on why the approach was considered dangerous. The European Union is set to approve new laws that would let governments spy on journalists in the name of national security. The legislation would expand legal 'loopholes' that let governments install spyware on journalist's phones and computers, including British reporters working in the EU, press freedom campaigners warned. The draft legislation, that has now been agreed upon by Brussels ambassadors, extends the 'national security' exemptions beyond those covered under terrorism and threats to national security. It would let EU governments use a broad array of crimes, ranging from murder to theft to music piracy, as legal justification for using 'intrusive surveillance software' on reporters. Press freedom advocates warned the last-minute changes demanded by France could 'open the door to all sorts of abuses'. The EU is set to approve new laws that would let governments spy on journalists in the name of national security (File photo: European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyen) All 32 offences listed in the EU arrest warrant, alongside any crime that could lead to a prison sentence of over five years, could be used under the new draft law. It would also let EU governments exempt themselves from spying on journalists if it is an 'overriding requirement of the public interest'. Campaigners criticised the draft law as they warned it could pose a threat to freedom of the press and have a 'chilling effect' on whistleblowers. Julie Majerczak, Brussels director at Reporters Without Borders, said: 'The possibility of monitoring journalists in the name of national security is an open door to all sort of abuses.' Renate Schroeder, director of the European Federation of Journalists, decried the 'dangerous loopholes' and said the exemptions dealt a 'blow to media freedom'. 'It puts journalists even more at risk and creates in addition a chilling effect on whistleblowers and other sources,' she said. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, welcomed the legislation and called for it to become law (File photo: EU flags outside the European Commission) EU ambassadors will now take the draft legislation to the European Parliament, with a view to thrashing out the final text. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, welcomed the agreement by the bloc's member states and called for the draft legislation to become law soon. 'Major step towards 1st-ever EU rules to protect media pluralism and freedom. We should all do more to protect journalists,' said commission official Vera Jourova, who proposed the law last year. 'I hope the Parliament can work quickly and we get a final deal soon.' The leader of a Sydney megachurch has sparked outrage after declaring that 'homosexuality will never be normal' following a series of vile homophobic church sermons. The lead pastor and founder of Echo Church at Leumeah, Andrew Sedra, launched the vile attack on the gay community during pride month. The church, which was founded in 2017, holds services in a large warehouse-style building, with concert-style lighting, rock music, and controversial preaching from Mr Sedra. It even sells controversial merchandise, including tee shirts that say: 'I'm Gen Z, and I'm straight.' Mr Sedra has also built up a large following on Instagram, with almost 40,000 followers and his hateful rants gaining thousands of views. He describes Sydney as 'Sodom and Gomorrah 2.0' in reference to the biblical cities destroyed by God after residents were caught committing the 'sin' of homosexuality. 'Welcome to the progressive cult of secularism. Where Christianity is blasphemy, the bible is sacrilegious, and not celebrating sexual perversion is the unforgivable sin,' he said. 'Pride is the most celebrated virtue, and kids are nothing but a sex experiment of our time grooming children under the disguise of education. 'Butchering kids' body parts in the name of love, tolerance and diversity. Drag queens' sex shows are perverted men robbing the innocence of our children.' Andrew Sedra, co-founder of the Echo Church in Leumeah, southwest Sydney, has made dozens of videos criticising gay men, drag queens and their supporters Throughout his anti-LGBTQIA+ sermons, the pastor repeatedly warns parents their children are in danger of being indoctrinated by the LGBTQ+ community if they are not taught the bible. Mr Sedra warns that if children received such 'sex education', they were in danger of being manipulated to 'cut their body parts to change their gender, pervert God's design for sexuality and become a sex clown for kids'. 'When leftist politicians say 'inclusivity and diversity', they don't really mean inclusivity and diversity,' he said. 'What they really mean is old, half-naked, hairy men dancing with fishnet stockings around kids, grooming kids to pervert their sexuality and cut their body parts!' The pastor complained that people who spoke out against drag queens were called 'right-wing, Neo-Nazi, misogynistic, sexist, homophobic bigots'. 'The gay agenda war is happening in Australia! The LGBTQ+ sex indoctrination propaganda is already in Australia!' he continued. 'It is already in our schools and believed by so many they/them shim-shim pansexual pancake, lesbian blue-headed feminist teachers.' The church sells controversial merchandise, including tee shirts that say: 'I'm gen Z and I'm straight' The pastor also repeatedly condemns abortion on his Twitter account, with his wife Noleen seen happily posing in an 'Abolish Abortion' t-shirt on his Instagram page The pastor has been particularly active during Pride Month, celebrated in June. 'Marriage and sex are holy, God-designed human experiences between one man and one woman for a lifetime,' he said. 'Homosexuality will never ever be normal to the people of God no matter how much culture or Hollywood try to normalise it!' His homophobic comments have shocked many, with Equality Australia condemning the pastor's videos. 'Hatred packaged up on Instagram and dressed up as some kind of inspired spoken word is still hatred,' Equality Australia Legal Director Ghassan Kassisieh said. 'This is an abuse of the trust which is placed in religious leaders and is blatant bigotry that does great harm to LGBTIQ+ people, especially those of faith. 'These fringe views only serve to alienate people of faith in contemporary Australia.' Mr Sedra has also come under fire on his social media accounts. 'The statements about what love IS are great and beautiful! But I'm confused as to why a church would be so focused on opposing one specific group,' one commented underneath a clip from one of his sermons. 'Does this level of opposition reflect Jesus? When I see this, I just see worldly arguments and fighting, not Jesus, who has overcome the world and doesn't need to participate in culture wars.' The church, which was founded in 2017, holds services in a large warehouse-style building, with concert-style lighting, rock music, and controversial preaching A growing number of his followers have questioned the pastor's growing criticisms of the LGBTQIA+ community during his fiery sermons (pictured, drag queens at World Pride) 'Can't believe you're actually allowed to preach these nasty views in church. I definitely wouldn't ever come to your church! Jesus loves everybody,' another said. A third wrote: 'This is dangerous and misinformed. I feel for any LGBT person who goes to this church. Preaching like this causes suicide, depression, and worse - causes people to believe they are not loved by God.' 'It's weird that you think about sex when thinking about the LGBTQ+ community,' a fourth commented on a clip from his 'Christianity VS LGTQ Sex Religion' sermon. 'Being queer is not a religion. This whole 'us vs them' thing is completely made up by people like you. Do you have to call it a religion so you feel justified when you attack other humans like this? Since, to you, the only true religion is Christianity?' The pastor also repeatedly condemns abortion, with his wife Noleen seen happily posing in an 'Abolish Abortion' t-shirt. 'God is pro-life, the devil is pro-choice. God is pro-life, the devil is pro-abortion. The devil came to steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus came for people to have life and life to the full!' he said. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Sedra for comment. The Obamas, including their two children, are in Athens for an Obama Foundation event Barack Obama was spotted caressing the former First Lady's buttocks during a trip to the ancient Greek site The Obama family has been spotted visiting the Acropolis in Athens - with the former president cozying up to his wife. Barack Obama, 61, was pictured caressing his wife's buttocks during the visit to the ancient site on Wednesday. The former first lady wore a flattering khaki jumpsuit and white cardigan, with her husband looking relaxed in white chinos, trainers and a casual blue shirt. The loved-up couple were joined by their two daughters Malia, 24, and Sasha, 22. Malia was sporting a long brown dress and black ankle boots, and Sasha trainers, jeans and a purple top paired with hoop earrings. Barack Obama, 61, was pictured caressing his wife's buttocks during the visit to the ancient site on Wednesday The former first lady wore a flattering khaki jumpsuit and white cardigan, with her husband looking relaxed in white chinos, trainers and a casual blue shirt The Obama family is in Greece for an Obama Foundation event and appears to have taken some downtime to see the popular attraction. The Foundation is hosting 100 changemakers from across Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe for a week-long leadership and cultural experience in Athens. 'During the week, Leaders are exchanging ideas, workshopping solutions, and building meaningful connections' the Foundation's website states. 'From Athens, Greece, to the South Side of Chicago, we are committed to investing in the next generation of emerging leadersand President Obama is too!' Barack Obama has spent time with the attendees, 'listening to the challenges leaders face and learning about the opportunities to advance their work.' Other downtime has included an evening of traditional Greek experiences at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. In a tweet posted to his account on Tuesday the former President said 'Michelle and I started the @ObamaFoundation to support the next generation of leaders creating sustainable change in their communities. 'This week, I'll be joining our Obama Leaders in Greece where we'll share ideas and dive deeper into the work they're doing.' Malia, was seen sporting a long brown dress and black ankle boots, and Sasha trainers, jeans and a purple top paired with hoop earrings The Obama family is in Greece for an Obama Foundation event, and appears to have taken some down time to see the popular attraction Obama was spotted grabbing a few pictures of the world-renowned ancient site The former president is in Greece leading an event for the Obama Foundation Barack and Michelle first met in 1989 when working for the same law firm. The couple have both spoken at length about their enduring marriage and the challenges their relationship has weathered over the years, particularly in regard to living high profile-public lives. The couple was in the White House from 2009 through 2016. Since then, the couple has authored books, created documentaries for Netflix and traveled the globe. The California man who stun gunned a police officer in the neck during the January 6 Capitol riot was sentenced Wednesday to more than 12 years in prison. Daniel 'DJ' Rodriguez screamed 'Trump won!' as he was escorted out of the courtroom after US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced him to 12 years and seven months in jail. Jackson said that Rodriguez, 40, was a 'one-man army of hate, attacking police and destroying property' at the US Capitol. 'You showed up in (Washington) DC spoiling for a fight,' Jackson said. 'You can't blame what you did once you got there on anyone but yourself.' Daniel 'DJ' Rodriguez, 40, said he was willing to fight and die for the US on January 6. He has now been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison for his role in the riot Rodriguez was one of about 1,000 people who have been charged for their roles in the riot Just two other Capitol riot defendants have been handed down longer prison terms after hundreds of sentencings pertaining to January 6 cases. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone was shown on footage from his own body camera screaming in pain after Rodriguez shocked him with a stun gun as the officer was surrounded by a mob. A different rioter had dragged the officer into the crowd on the Capitol's Lower West Terrace, where a line of policemen was guarding an entrance to the building. Other rioters began beating Fanone, who ultimately lost consciousness and had a heart attack after Rodriguez pressed the stun gun against his neck and repeatedly zapped him. Prior to sentencing, Fanone - who has written a book and participated in a number of interviews and Congressional hearings about January 6 - addressed the judge. The now-retired law enforcement officer described how his experience at the Capitol prematurely ended his policing career and turned him into a target for the MAGA movement. 'I don't care about Daniel Rodriguez,' Fanone said, according to the Washington Post. 'I ceased thinking about him as a person a long time ago.' Fanone said he was focused on the leader who convinced Rodriguez and his friends that the 2020 election was stolen and must be taken back by force. Fanone did not stay in the courtroom for the duration of Rodriguez's statement to the judge. The defendant has already been jailed for more than two years and will be given credit for time served. 'I'm hopeful that Michael Fanone will be OK some day. It sounds like he's in a great deal of pain,' said Rodriguez. 'Nothing he could have said to me today would have made any difference whatsoever,' Fanone later said. Former officer Michael Fanone was repeatedly tased by Rodriguez and spoke during his sentencing hearing Prosecutors had recommended a 14-year prison sentence for Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty in February to charges that included assaulting the officer. They also sought a fine of close to $100,000 to offset the cost of Fanone's medical bills and medical leave. 'Rodriguezs criminal conduct on January 6 was the epitome of disrespect for the law; he battled with law enforcement at the U.S. Capitol for hours, nearly costing one officer his life, in order to stop the official proceeding happening inside,' prosecutors wrote in a filing. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to four felony charges, including conspiracy and assaulting a law enforcement officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The plea was entered about two weeks prior to the start of his Washington, DC, trial. According to prosecutors, at the January 6 riot, Rodriguez deployed a fire extinguisher at law enforcement officers and shoved a wooden pole at the line of police before another member of the crowd handed him what looked like a stun gun. Fanone went on to write a book about his experience at the Capitol. He delivered a statement to the judge prior to Rodriguez's sentencing Rodriguez (center) pleaded guilty in February, about two weeks before his trial was set to begin During an interview with FBI agents following his arrest, Rodriguez said he believed he was doing the 'right thing' on January 6 and had been prepared to die to 'save the country.' He wept as he spoke to the agents, telling them he had been 'stupid' and was ashamed of his behavior. 'Mr. Rodriguez trusted Trump blindly and admired Trump so much that he referred to him as `dad in his social media chats leading up to Jan. 6th,' Rodriguez's defense attorneys explained. More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes relating to the January 6 Capitol riot. More than 700 of them have been convicted or pleaded guilty, about 550 of them have been sentenced. Some have received terms as brief as seven days or as long as 18 years. The associate editor of niche news website Crikey has posted a series of disgusting social media comments mocking the five men trapped on the Titan submersible. While the world waited for news of the vessel's fate, Cam Wilson chose to joke about how the missing adventurers might be spending what could be their last hours. 'If you were stuck in this doomed, lost submarine, what would you do for you last 48 hours of oxygen,' Wilson tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. Two hours later he answered his own question with a follow-up comment: 'A lot of you said j***ing off. The question I put to you is: What's stopping you now?' Cam Wilson, associate editor of niche news website Crikey, has posted a series of insensitive social media comments mocking the five men trapped on the Titan submersible While the world waited for news of the vessel's fate, Cam Wilson chose to joke about how the missing adventurers might be spending what could be their last hours In another tweet that day, Wilson said: 'It's time to disrupt the doomed submarine market. 'Those fat cats have had it too good for too long. I'm undercutting them by offering to cut off your oxygen supply and turn off the lights for a mere $240k.' Wilson, an alumnus of $37,000-a-year private school Knox Grammar, primarily covers 'internet culture and tech' for Crikey and has previously worked for the ABC. On Tuesday night Wilson was at it again, this time posting: 'Gotta say, boarding a submarine for 250K only to die from suffocation in the depths of the oceans 96 hours later is NOT very padam padam.' That last phrase is an onomatopoeic rendering of a beating heart, as well as the title of Kylie Minogue's latest hit single, and has since taken on variously defined positive meanings. When Daily Mail Australia contacted Wilson about his Titan commentary, first reported by Sky News, he said he would reply via email after claiming his tweets 'obviously aren't affiliated with work'. He then responded without addressing whether his tweets reflected poorly on Crikey, and instead referred to an erroneous story the website recently published. Titan, which is operated by private submersibles company OceanGate, disappeared in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland on Sunday night. The sub is pictured 'Those fat cats have had it too good for too long. I'm undercutting them by offering to cut off your oxygen supply and turn off the lights for a mere $240k,' Wilson tweeted That story, written by Wilson, wrongly accused a Daily Mail Australia journalist of being behind an extremist troll Twitter account. Daily Mail Australia immediately conducted a thorough investigation into Wilson's claims about the journalist and found them to be false. Crikey editor Gina Rushton was also contacted for comment about Wilson's tweets. Titan, which is operated by private submersibles company OceanGate, disappeared in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland on Sunday night. On board were five passengers, including tourists who had paid US$250,000 to view the wreck of RMS Titanic, which sank with the loss of more than 1,500 lives in 1912. On Wednesday morning, as Titan could still not be located and hopes were fading for its occupants, Wilson turned to Twitter again. 'I know the location of the oceangate submarine but I'm not saying because someone on board was mean to me,' he wrote. Social media users were not amused by Wilson's running commentary of the drama, with one responding: 'All I can think of is I'm glad they can't read the tweets.' British billionaire Hamish Harding (right) is one of the five men who went missing on the OceanGate tourist submersible on Sunday. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush (left) is also on board Shahzada Dawood, 48, a UK-based board member of the Prince's Trust charity, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19 (both left), are among the five people trapped in the sub. French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet (right) is also aboard On Wednesday morning, as Titan could still not be located and hopes were fading for its for its occupants, Wilson turned to Twitter again Another wrote: 'Given Crikey's recent disgraceful article by Guy Rundle I would think you would be more careful and aware. But obviously not.' On Friday, Crikey retracted an opinion piece it had published calling into question Brittany Higgins's taxpayer-funded payout which it estimated to have been $3million. Some parts of the piece are too offensive to republish. The former Liberal staffer and her fiance David Sharaz lashed out at the subscription-based left-wing website after publication of the piece. Ms Higgins launched legal action against the Morrison government after airing allegations her then colleague Bruce Lehrmann sexually assaulted her in Senator Linda Reynolds' office in Parliament House in 2019. Mr Lehrmann, who has always denied the allegations, faced a rape trial which was aborted due to a juror's misconduct and charges against him were dropped. Ms Higgins was awarded compensation by the incoming Albanese government after she and the Commonwealth reached an agreement over a personal injury claim in December 2022. An opinion piece journalist Guy Rundle wrote for Crikey argued Ms Higgins belonged to a 'well-connected network' and the compensation was fast-tracked by Labor for its own political purposes. Crikey soon removed the article from its website and apologised to readers. Rundle's article said while Ms Higgins 'may still be a victim of crime', leaked texts suggest.... she and her partner 'ran a sustained, planned and strategised media campaign around her accusations.' Brittany Higgins and her fiance David Sharaz (pictured) hit out at fringe online site, Crikey, last week 'We're generally required to leave our brains at the office door in these matters. However, were not required to leave our brains at the security entrance in the little plastic dish, with our keys and phone,' Rundle wrote. 'Higgins and co did what their role as political advisers trained them to do: they strategised with their assets to maximum advantage... 'We're entitled to read the texts that led up to it.' Ms Higgins quickly fired up her Twitter to condemn the article, which referenced publicised CCTV footage of Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann passing through Parliament House security on the night in question. ''We're not required to leave our brains at the security entrance...",' Ms Higgins wrote. 'Wow. Pithy but disgusting given the context.' Sharaz quickly piled on, tagging the boss of Crikey's parent company, Will Hayward, in the comments. Guy Rundle (pictured) authored an opinion piece calling into question the circumstances surrounding Ms Higgins' multimillion-dollar compensation payout '@mrwillhayward Are you happy with this victim-blaming bile being on your website?' he wrote. Both fans and critics flocked to the comments of Ms Higgins' tweet, with some vowing to boycott Crikey while others claimed 'taxpayers are the real victims'. In the article, Rundle claimed the case was not a matter of public interest until Ms Higgins received the payment, which he argues gave the perception the procedural process was bias. Rundle also speculated on how Ms Higgins may have used the funds, suggesting she may have splurged on designer shoes. Referencing an article titled 'I would not walk a mile in Brittany Higgins shoes' written by his colleague Michael Bradley, Rundle suggested it would hardly be possible for Bradley to do so as 'they may well be $5,000 Louboutins'. A statement on the publisher's website said: 'Crikey has made the decision today to remove a piece written by Guy Rundle that asserted the consultation process over Brittany Higgins' compensation was "stunningly rapid". 'That is not correct - Higgins lodged her claim in March 2022 while the Morrison government was still in office, and it was not settled until December 2022, seven months after the election of the current government. 'The piece also repeats the false assertion that the "figure is believed to be $3 million". Ms Higgins and her fiance slammed the article in the above tweets 'There is no factual basis for the $3 million figure; Higgins has publicly said that figure was her initial claim but that the final figure was much lower than that. 'In addition to these factual errors, the tone of the piece did not meet Crikey's journalistic standards, crucially given that it concerns writing about allegations of sexual assault. 'We firmly believe in promoting a space that publishes a plurality of views, and as editors we regularly publish opinion pieces that we may personally disagree with. 'But this piece doesnt fall into that category, and we regret publishing it. We have consistently pointed to the flawed coverage of News Corp on this issue, only to then join it in making that same mistake ourselves. 'We apologise to Brittany Higgins and our readers and we will update you on a continuing conversation around this issue.' Wilson reacted to his employer pulling the Higgins piece with a statement on Twitter on Monday. 'I strongly support the decision to remove the article,' he wrote. 'I want to see changes to ensure Crikey never publishes something like this again.' More than 130 creditors are believed to be affected Pools and Spas Pty Ltd went into administration Hot on the heels of Melbourne company Pools R Us going under, the same fate has befallen another builder in the industry leaving customers confused and out of pocket. Pools and Spas Pty Ltd, trading as Dreamtime Pools and Spas, which primarily builds pools in the Geelong region south-west of Melbourne, went into voluntary external administration on June 9. More than 130 creditors are believed to be affected by the move, while the Geelong Advertiser reported that five customers had paid at least a combined $175,000 for pools that were yet to be delivered. The collapse comes as it emerges Dreamtime director Doug Constable is the author of a book titled, 'What To Do When You Can't Pay Your Debts'. Pools and Spas Pty Ltd, trading as Dreamtime Pools and Spas, which primarily builds pools in the Geelong region south-west of Melbourne, went into voluntary external administration on June 9 More than 130 creditors are believed to be affected by the move, while the Geelong Advertiser reported that five customers had paid at least a combined $175,000 for pools that were yet to be delivered It's understood some customers paid money to the company for their pool in the week before it went into administration. The newspaper spoke to a resident of the west Geelong suburb of Herne Hill, Dana Lunn, who said she now had a 'collapsing' hole in her backyard after initially signing a contract with Dreamtime in November 2021. 'We were told that the pool shell would be delivered within two days of excavation,' Mrs Lunn said. 'Now for two months we've got a hole in the ground that's collapsingI have two children who cannot go outside and we cannot landscape our yard, because everything revolves around this pool hole. 'We've paid $40,255 for our backyard to be destroyed.' Other customers who were left in the lurch after the collapse of the company vented their frustrations on social media. 'Anybody here through Dreamtime Pools. We are one of many that has just heard the news that they have gone under,' wrote one. 'We have been trying to contact them for the past 4 weeks with no response.' Another said: 'They installed my pool late last year. After I paid the shell/installation instalment, I didn't hear from them.' 'I rang, emailed, panicked, got given the run around, they had a high staff turn over, they locked in installation dates and never turned up, many times!' 'DREAMTIME POOLS & SPAS can you please elaborate what is going on with your company??' a third customer wrote in a post to Facebook. 'Many of us have paid lots of money to you and are yet to receive our pools, this has been going on for months now!' 'One of your pool manufacturers has mentioned no pools are going to you currently. This is a huge concern to all of your current clients and we deserve answers!!!!!!!' 'If anyone has advice on how to get our pools we have paid for, or get our money back please advise! Located in Victoria.' It's understood some customers paid money to the company for their pool in the week before it went into administration One of Dreamtime's directors, Doug Constable - who coincidentally runs a site helping people and companies deal with insolvency - said he hoped to buy the outstanding jobs from the liquidator and complete the builds Dreamtime Pools cited problems with its pool shell supplier as the reason for the delay but one supplier said it had stopped trading with the company after six pool shells ordered by it were not paid for. One of Dreamtime's directors Doug Constable - who runs a site helping people and companies deal with insolvency - said he hoped to buy the outstanding jobs from the liquidator and complete the builds. He denied customers and creditors had been left in the dark or 'ripped off'. 'Over the past six to 12 months there has been a concerted media and social media campaign, staff shortages, supply delays, material cost blowouts and logistics costs,' Mr Constable said. He said he intended to purchase the majority of the jobs from liquidators and finish the installations. Daily Mail Australia contacted Mr Constable for comment. The travails of Dreamtime come on top of the collapse of major Melbourne pool company Nyerse Constructions Pty. Ltd, trading as Pools R Us. The company went into liquidation on June 1 leaving as many as 80 clients desperately trying to get deposits worth tens of thousands of dollars back. The family-run business's downfall has left clients in limbo with little or no communication about what will happen to their pools, or their money. An email to clients sent on May 31 said the director, Chris Rhodes, was undergoing treatment for a health issue that was 'taking a very heavy toll' on his family and the business. Nyerse Constructions Pty. Ltd. which trades as the Melbourne-based company Pools R Us (pictured), went into liquidation on June 1 An email to clients sent on May 31 said the director Chris Rhodes was undergoing treatment for a health issue that was 'taking a very heavy toll' on his family and the business Customers were told the business had been closed for several weeks but was working on various options to finish projects. 'Unfortunately what has happened during this period has taken a toll to say the least,' the email read. 'Our website and Google Maps listing has been hacked, alongside several death threats towards us and our families, including their children. 'This is something we cannot work through or tolerate.' The company then said they would be permanently closing Pools R Us 'after many years of building quality swimming pools'. 'We were trying every avenue and all options in our power to continue trading under the circumstances we were facing,' the email continued. 'We had continued through Covid - followed by an insanely bad year of weather, massive price rises throughout the building industry, endless supply shortages and huge staff shortages. 'We are absolutely devastated that we have had to make this decision and unfortunately, due to the events over the last few days, we believe it is no longer possible or safe for us to continue trading.' A small town's local towing company was tasked with the disturbing job of hauling away an 18-tonne dead humpback whale that was discovered half-buried on the beach. Clayton's Towing shared photos from the challenging job on Wednesday after the whale had to be dug out of Inskip Point beach, near Rainbow Beach in Queensland's Wide Bay region, and winched onto the back of a tow truck. The whale was reported to authorities earlier in the week with beachgoers urged to stay away in case the animal was carrying disease. The Queensland environment department enlisted the help of Clayton's Towing and was able to move and bury the whale on Wednesday. The body of a 12-metre humpback whale (above) was found on Inskip Beach in Queensland's Wide Bay region Local company Clayton's Towing was tasked with moving the whale's body from the beach (above) after authorities warned it could carry diseases 'The whale had been there a couple of days and couldn't stay there much longer, it was already starting to smell,' Mike Clayton of the towing company told Daily Mail Australia. 'The hardest part was trying to load the whale onto the back of the trailer in one piece. It was about 12 metres long so took up the whole deck. 'We've towed animals before but this was a big job, it's not like you can Google how to tow a whale. 'Still, we were off the beach within five hours. It helped the whale was stuck near the entry to the beach so we had fairly easy access.' Mr Clayton revealed the whale was towed 'a fair way' from the beach and properly buried to avoid smell as the whale carcass rots. Photos show the massive whale being removed from the beach and loaded onto the tow truck. More than 1,000 commenters under Clayton's Towing's photos applauded the business for a job well-done. 'Hat goes off to the momentous job to the crew, wow hope you get all the acknowledgement you deserve,' one commenter wrote. 'Its sad the whale died but its also really cool to see it up close like this. Thanks for sharing,' another said. 'What a sad end for such a majestic animal! Good on you for getting the job done,' a third person wrote. Mike Clayton from Clayton's Towing described the removal as a 'big job' saying 'you can't Google how to tow a whale' (pictured, the whale's body being dug out of the beach) Humpback whales are often spotted on Australia' east coast between April and November (pictured, the whale's body on Wednesday) Humpback whales are very active along Australia's east coast from April through to November. At this time of year, heading into winter, the whales can be spotted as they migrate north towards sub-tropical waters for mating season. Popular viewing spots include Eden and Byron Bay in NSW, and Hervey Bay in Queensland. The US Coast Guard has released a new graphic map detailing their massive search pattern in the hunt for the missing Titanic submersible. The image, released Wednesday night, showed the area above the shipwreck, marked with a large red X, and the areas surveyed by the joint rescue efforts of The Canadian Coast Guard boat John Cabot, commercial vessels Skandi Vinland and the Atlantic Merlin and a Coast Guard C-130 crew also arrived on scene. The search area has now expanded to around 14,000 square miles - an area twice the size of New Jersey. The update also stated that several other assets were mobilizing to help with the increasingly desperate search. Among those are the Canadian CGS Ann Harvey, Canadian CGS Terry Fox, Motor Vessel Horizon Arctic (ROV), French Research Vessel L'Atalante (ROV). The image shows the area above the shipwreck, marked with a large red X, and the areas surveyed by the joint rescue efforts The Canadian military shared footage of the rescue effort via a video posted to Twitter on Wednesday, In addition, His Majesty's Canadian Ship Glace Bay, which has a mobile decompression chamber and medical personnel, the Air National Guard C-130 and ROV from Magellan will also join the efforts. 'The Navy is sending subject matter experts and a Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System (FADOSS), a motion-compensated lift system designed to provide reliable deep ocean lifting capacity for the recovery of large, bulky, and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels, from Navy Supervisor of Salvage' the press release said. 'Expertise and equipment will support the unified command.' The search for this missing submersible, which lost contact with its mothership during a dive to the Titanic wreck on Sunday, has become increasingly time pressured as the Titan's oxygen supply is expected to run out on Thursday morning. Billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and Shahzada Dawood, 48, a UK-based board member of the Prince's Trust charity, and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, are reported to be the people stuck in the sub. They left for the wreckage site on Sunday morning and quickly lost contact with the surface. Two submersibles capable of descending 20,000ft beneath the ocean surface are currently leading the underwater search. The vehicles are being aided by a fleet of specialized ships which also include tools that could help lift Titan from the seabed - if it is found. The time-pressure is compounded by the fact that the underwater vehicles may be able to pinpoint Titan, which was headed for the Titanic wreckage 12,500ft below the surface, but it will take additional specialized tools for the mammoth task of bringing it up. Hopes of a recovery were raised slightly on Wednesday when a Canadian P-3 aircraft equipped with sonar detected periodic 'banging' sounds, which experts hope came from Titan's crew. The new pattern (above) shows searches completed on Wednesday, comapred with the search area covered by Tuesday (below) OceanGate's Titan submersible went missing shortly after it departed for the Titanic wreckage on Sunday morning and its oxygen supply is running low As the search for the missing Titan submersible becomes increasingly desperate, some of the world's most advanced underwater search equipment has been deployed to scour the depths of the Atlantic The Coast Guard chief who's coordinating the search said that sounds were initially heard overnight and more were detected Wednesday. The P-3 is one of several models of aircraft which are also helping the search by scouring the ocean surface and using sonar equipment for signs of activity on the seabed. A range of military and commercial vessels is also at the site, offering a mixture of search capabilities, communications tools and rescue equipment if Titan is found. Ultimately, it is down to the submersibles to get eyes on Titan if it remains on the seabed - or trapped within the Titanic's wreckage. Sean Leet, co-founder of Horizon Maritime Services, the company which owns Titan's mothership Polar Prince, said on Wednesday that he has never seen advanced search 'equipment of that nature move that quickly'. The missing OceanGate submersible, the Titan, lost contact with the mothership during its descent to the shipwreck on Sunday morning However, a sonar expert claims the 'banging' heard by search and rescue vessels at the search site for the missing Titanic tourist sub is likely to be 'debris' and 'junk' from the iconic wreck. Jeff Karson, Professor Emeritus of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Syracuse University, told DailyMail.com the sounds heard are likely to be 'wishful thinking' by the Coast Guard. The US Navy detected the noises Wednesday morning after a Canadian P3 search aircraft had detected sounds coming from underwater Tuesday night. Karson said he won't be 'shocked if that, wherever that sound is, that there's no submarine there.' Speaking to DailyMail.com he said: 'One possibility is that the sounds bouncing around the debris. And so it's a more complicated echo. 'It's just not bouncing off of one thing. It's bouncing off a bunch of things. And it's like, you know, dropping up a marble into a tin can. It's rattling around and that would confuse the location. 'The banging, I hear the Coast Guard talk about it. I wonder how much of this is just wishful thinking? 'Is it really banging or just some unidentified sound? I think that is a more accurate description right now. 'In past investigations, looking for loss objects on the seafloor, I know that all sorts of crazy sound was discovered. It's just one more thing we don't understand about the ocean, our own planet. 'There's no telling where the sound is coming from or how far away it is. Personally, I'm worried that sound may be coming from something that's far from the where they need to be looking. 'But they have to follow up on it. It's the best lead right now. Everything is being done. It's all hands on deck, international vessels, everybody is doing the best they possibly can.' A bus has ended up with two of its wheels stuck on a concrete barrier following a collision with two cars on a busy Sydney road. Emergency services including fire and rescue crews and ambulances were called to the intersection at Victoria Road and Lyons Road in Drummoyne, in the city's inner west, after the crash at about 12.30pm on Thursday. The bus's front windshield has been completely smashed while its two side wheels are stuck on the concrete divider between the lanes, leaving the bus on a 30 degree angle. All passengers have been freed from the bus while three men have been taken to hospital with minor injuries. Those injured include a driver who had to be freed from a ute involved in the collision, the bus driver and a bus passenger. Twenty other patients were assessed at the scene by paramedics. Emergency services including fire and rescue crews and ambulances were called to the intersection at Victoria Road and Lyons Road in Drummoyne, in Sydney's inner west, after the crash which occurred just before 12.30pm on Thursday. One lane on Victoria Road in both directions is open but motorists are urged to use Sydney Harbour Bridge or Church Street and Homebush Bay Drive instead. Lyons Road is also closed between Victoria Road and Bayswater Street. A witness, James Willis, said the bus driver told him he wasn't sure how the crash unfolded. 'I've never seen anything like it,' he told 2GB. Traffic has been significantly delayed along Victoria Road following the multi-car crash 'Somehow it's hit these bollards and is resting on two wheels on the other side of Victoria Road.' Traffic has been significantly delayed while buses have been set back by up to 20 minutes. Fire and Rescue NSW crews are working to move the bus off the divider. Martinez spoke to a California legislative committee last week and said the state took her daughter after she objected to the transition A California mom has claimed her 19-year-old daughter was 'murdered by gender ideology' after the CPS removed her from her home because her parents didn't affirm her transgender identity. Abigail Martinez stood before the California Judiciary Senate last week to blame gender ideology for taking her daughter Yaeli's life. Yaeli Mozelle Galdamez died by suicide in September 2019, three years after CPS removed her from her mother's home. In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com in March 2022, Martinez accused her Los Angeles County school of encouraging Yaeli to take hormones and undergo gender reassignment surgery as a child, while failing to properly treat her severe depression. 'The school was telling her to go to these LGBT groups behind my back. She went from questioning her sexuality to her gender,' she said. At the hearing last week, Martinez said her daughter was murdered by a gender ideology'. 'CPS took my daughter when she was 16 years old. It was helped by her public school counselor and LGBTQ group and another trans-identified girl. 'My daughter was taken from her loving home because the state of California claims I was abusive for not affirming her trans identity. I lost my daughter over a name and pronouns.' Yaeli Mozelle Galdamez died by suicide in 2019 after transitioning to be a boy. Mom, Abigail Martinez, said 'my daughter was murdered by a gender ideology' Yaeli began questioning her gender identity when she entered high school and joined an LBGTQ+ club, where she met a friend who also identified as a boy and suggested Yaeli's depression could be from her actually being a boy Martinez said her daughter began questioning her gender identity when she entered high school and joined an LBGTQ+ club, where she met a friend who also identified as a boy and suggested Yaeli's depression could be from her actually being a boy, the mother told the Daily Signal last year. She said the school did not inform her about her daughter's desire to transition and after she expressed concerns, Yaeli's school counselor recommended she'd be better off out of her parents' home. She went on to say that her daughter had 'mental health issues' and was 'not a boy trapped in a girl's body.' However, throughout her daughter's transitioning - where she was almost immediately put on testosterone - Martinez claimed to have called her daughter by her chosen names, Jay and Andrew, and did try to support her daughter. CPS took Yaeli to a group home and only allowed her mother to visit her once a week for an hour. Martinez told the Daily Signal she did 'everything' to try and get custody of her daughter again, but was unable and now questions why so many of the state's adolescent transgender community ends up in foster care. 'Why are there so many transgender in foster care? Because this state take them from their families, tells them to run, then steals them. Parents are given one option to treat their distressed child: Affirm drugs and remove their healthy body part or else lose your child,' she told the Judiciary Senate. 'The abuse claim against me was finally dropped, but it was too late. The damage was done. By then, my daughter was in horrible mental and physical pain. My daughter knelt down in front of a train. She was murdered by gender ideology.' CPS took Yaeli (center) to a group home and only allowed her mother to visit her once a week for an hour. Martinez told the Daily Signal she did 'everything' to try and get custody of her daughter again, but was unable 'Why are there so many transgender in foster care? Because this state take them from their families, tell them to run, then steals them,' Martinez said 'She believed all the lies she was told,' the mother said. 'She followed their agenda.' The mother said it 'breaks my heart' that CPS took her daughter with the ideology that removing her from her 'loving' home would give her 'more [of a] chance to survive' and a lower chance of suicide. While in CPS' custody, her daughter was put on hormones, went by the name Andrew, and 'adopted a dog' to make her happy, her mother claimed. 'Everything that they [did] didn't work,' Martinez told the Daily Signal. 'Against my consent, my daughter was given testosterone instead of therapy,' she told the Senate committee. She told Fox News' Jesse Watters a California judge approved giving Yaeli testosterone. The mother claimed all her daughter had to do was sign off and watch a video before receiving her first shot. 'She believed all the lies she was told,' the mother said. 'She followed their agenda.' Martinez said her daughter's depression got worse throughout treatment and she begged doctors to explain the damage being done to her child's body but was told nothing negative was happening. Taking testosterone treatments can cause sleep apnea, weight gain, vaginal atrophy, diabetes, and hair thinning, among others, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Now, the mother is pushing for others to stop advocating for gender transitioning among children. 'I beg you, stop pushing gender ideology,' Martinez told the California committee. 'I don't want any parent to feel what I feel every day. Affirmation is not good for the health, safety, and welfare of any child.' A woman's photo of popular bridge in Brisbane has shocked thousands around the world who said they'd crash if they had to drive over it. Gold Coast woman Wendy Martin shared a snap of Brisbane's Gateway Bridge, in the city's east, to Facebook last week with more than 2,000 comments saying the road looks warped. The bridge features six lanes in each direction with angular streets lights giving it a tunnel-like illusion. However, commenters were less than impressed with the unique bridge and said the strange design could be dangerous. 'This makes me want to cry and be sick at the same time,' one person wrote. 'The road that screams at you "you're drunk!" while you're driving,' another said. A photo of Brisbane's Gateway Bridge (above) raised alarm with commenters around the globe claiming it looks dangerous 'It's like someone did a bad panorama of the bridge,' a third commented. A fifth said: 'It looks like it's twisted.' Another wrote: 'Is that normal or it broke? Somebody help I can't understand what I'm seeing.' 'It looks like the aftermath of an earthquake,' another said. Ms Martin also admitted she was shocked by the photo but reassured viewers it was not edited. She explained she was trying to get a photo of the sunset when she snapped the odd shot. The original bridge was opened in 1986 with a duplicate opened in 2010 to cope with increased traffic flow. At it's highest point the bridge stands at 64.5m high. Thousands of commenters (like above) said the bridge looked 'twisted' and 'broken' with some saying they'd crash if they had to drive over it Several Brisbane locals under Ms Martin's post assured people around the wold the bridge isn't as scary as the photo makes it looks, but instead claim its worst feature is the $5.07 toll. 'The only anxiety people should have over this wee bridge is the price to cross it. Now that's a nightmare!,' a commenter wrote. 'It doesn't look that trippy in real life, the worst thing about this bridge is the cost of the toll,' another said. Szasz has received immense criticism for attending a Blink-182 concert and commenting on an Only Fans creator's page amid the search and rescue Harding, 58, and four others disappeared off the coast of Canada on the Titan submersible Sunday and are in the waning hours of their oxygen supply The stepson of British billionaire Hamish Harding has claimed he is going through hell and is worried about the missing explorer - after receiving backlash for attending a Blink-182 concert after the Titanic tourist sub went missing. Brian Szasz has been hit with massive backlash from Cardi B and others for attending a concert the day after his stepfather went missing on the Titan submersible and asking for an Only Fans model to sit on his face. Taking to his Instagram stories, Szasz - who only claimed to have $100 to his name - said the 'whole situation is f**king nightmare.' 'Everything about it, especially what Hamish is going through down there is just f**king god awful,' he said. 'I haven't slept in days, [but] it's not about me. Obviously, [I'm] too worried about my mom [and] the situation, so I'm not rocking out or whatever they're trying to accuse me of doing. 'It just makes the f**king situation that much worst.' Brian Szasz said he hasn't 'slept in days' as he's 'too worried about my mom [and] the situation' after his billionaire stepfather Hamish Harding disappeared on a sub at the Titanic wreck site During the last few days, Szasz has received immense criticism for attending a Blink-182 concert and commenting on an Only Fans creator's page instead of grieving He also claimed the Only Fans model he asked to sit on his face is a friend of his and he leaves a cheeky comment 'every day' on her post - but everyone 'flipped out.' 'She wished me well, she wished my family well,' he said. 'Give it a break, there's nothing wrong with that,' he told his followers. 'I'm just tired of the bulls**t.' While on his rampage, he also referred to Cardi B as a complete 'b**ch' who was looking for 'clout.' Szasz also said he 'can't go out to the ocean' as he doesn't have enough funds to leave California to head to Canada and has a 'legal situation keeping me here as well.'' 'I can't get on a flight, I don't have a passport,' he admitted. He said he watched the news for two days straight and went to the Blink-182 concert for a quick two-hour break for relief and was just 'nodding' his head. 'The submarine is stuck at the damn Titanic, there's nothing I can do for the situation at all,' he said. Szasz initially asked his followers to continue to think of his family on Wednesday morning, writing, 'Please keep my family in your prayers!' Harding, 58, (pictured) and four others disappeared off the coast of Canada on the Titan submersible on Sunday and in the waning hours of their oxygen supply But he was quickly mocked online for making pass at the Only Fans star. One person said: 'Lmao quote tweeting a thirst trap while your stepdad is lost at sea is wild business.' In a Facebook post, he initially said his family would 'want him to be there,' sharing a snap from the San Diego show. Another added, 'This guy loves Blink- 182 and having ladies sit on his face and he's not afraid to let the world know.' Szasz then went on to like a post that said 'no one can judge the way you deal with this trauma', after Cardi B made a video calling him out for attending a concert. The rapper insisted the stepson should be 'at home, crying' and waiting for updates on his stepfather's whereabouts instead of 'shaking d***ks' at a concert. He captioned it: 'It might be distasteful being here but my family would want me to be at the Blink-182 show as it's my favorite band and music helps me in difficult times!' Cardi B called him out for not being at home during this stressful time, to which he referred to her as a 'complete b**ch' and said he attended the concert for a few hours of relief He also claimed to be friends with the Only Fan model and comments on her posts daily. Obviously, [I'm] too worried about my mom [and] the situation, so I'm not rocking out or whatever they're trying to accuse me of doing. It just makes the f**king situation that much worst,' he said on his Instagram story. ''Give it a break, there's nothing wrong with that. 'I'm just tired of the bulls**t' The billionaire Harding, 58, and Shahzada Dawood, 48, a UK-based board member of the Prince's Trust charity, plus his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, and French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet are all on board the submersible that disappeared on Sunday. Oxygen on the missing Titanic submersible was expected to run out at 7am EST today, the US Coast Guard has warned - with rescue efforts to find the five people trapped onboard in full force overnight. The vessel, named Titan, lost communication with tour operators on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada. The US Coast Guard has been leading a massive international rescue effort which was stepped up after underwater noises were heard on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, although experts have been unable to determine the cause of the sound. A countdown has now begun with the vital oxygen supply expected to run out at 7.08am US eastern time, a US Coast Guard spokeswoman has said. The Titanic wreckage is 12,500ft underwater - some 11,000ft deeper than many US and British Navy subs can dive French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is believed to be taking part in the expedition, along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Shahzada Dawood, 48, a UK-based board member of the Prince's Trust charity, plus his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19, are on board The announcement has painted a bleak picture for those trapped inside the stranded vessel, but officials have continued to insist that the hunt is '100 per cent' still a search and rescue mission. Rescuers including the USCG, British Navy and French and Canadian teams are picking up the pace ahead of as the window of rescue narrows. They face a battle against time, and with less than twelve hours left of oxygen on the vessel, experts have said those inside will be trying to minimize their breathing to preserve the remaining supplies. Rescuers are refusing to give up hope, US Coastguard Captain Jamie Frederick insisted on Wednesday, even as people around the world count down the hours until oxygen is expected to run out on the vessel. 'We have to remain optimistic and hopeful when we are in a search and rescue case.' A Labor MP has suffered a very unfortunate slip of the tongue in Parliament. Josh Burns immediately became defensive when colleagues on the opposite side of the chamber noted he used the word 'circumcise' in a sentence. He said: 'the government has no intention of countenancing reforms that would circumcise its power.' Several members began snickering amongst themselves, prompting West Australian MP Nola Marino to point out the faux pas, shouting 'circumcise! Circumvent?' Josh Burns immediately became defensive when colleagues on the opposite side of the chamber noted he used the word 'circumcise' in a sentence Mr Burns said: 'I didn't say that, I didn't say that... check the Hansard. 'There's some incorrect interjections being made, Mr Deputy Speaker.' The Hansard - an official transcript of speeches - confirmed he did, in fact, use the word. Daily Mail Australia contacted Mr Burns' office for comment. Mr Burns said: 'I didn't say that, I didn't say that... check the Hansard Mr Burns brushed off the gaffe later on Thursday to make a follow up speech on the Rainbow Community Angels, which aims to protect LGBTIQ+ children and their families from far-right extremism. That speech he went on to share to his social media channels, writing: 'Hatred, homophobia, transphobia and anti-Semitism have no place in our community. 'Rainbow Community Angels - we are proud of you, and we stand with you.' An apartment building has been evacuated and two people have been rushed to hospital after toxic fumes were detected inside the residential complex. Fire and rescue crews were called to the building on Parramatta Road in the inner western Sydney suburb of Camperdown at about 11.15am on Thursday. Around 70 residents were evacuated after toxic fumes were released when chlorine was mixed with hydrochloric acid in a maintenance room used for a swimming pool. Emergency workers in HAZMAT suits were able to stop the fumes by pouring the chemicals into water. Emergency workers in HAZMAT suits attended a Sydney apartment building that needed to be evacuated due to toxic fumes The two rushed to hospital were the pool workers who are feared to have breathed in the toxic fumes. An ambulance spokesperson said the two men, one in his 30s and another in his 40s, had inhaled toxic fumes and were taken to Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for assessment. Police and NSW Safe Work officers were also at the scene. A spokesperson for NSW Fire and Rescue told Daily Mail Australia that the building had been declared all clear. Tensions flared as trans protesters screamed and chanted outside NSW Parliament on Thursday as eight women from largely conservative backgrounds gathered inside to debate the erosion of their rights by non-biological females. The lunchtime debate 'Why Can't Women talk about Sex' was picketed by an angry crowd. The debate, hosted by Binary Australia and Liberal Democrats MP John Ruddock, was conducted as about 50 trans activists noisily objected outside, waving placards saying 'transphobes smell' and 'TERFs off our turf', while yelling 'shame!' and chants such as 'One, two, three, four, kick the bigots out the door'. Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming (above) told the meeting that 'women and children are real and they are entitled to be recognised and protected by law' 'TERF' is an acronym for 'transexclusionary radical feminist' and is used to negatively label those who oppose policies favourable to transgender people. Those labelled TERFs hold the view there is a fundamental difference between women and trans women, including the belief there should be spaces where only biological women are allowed - such as crisis centres and prisons - and feel the transgender moment is infringing on the rights and safety of females. Meanwhile, inside Parliament's Jubilee Room, Victorian Liberal MP Moira Deeming addressed the meeting via video link. About 50 trans activists protested noisily at the Parliament House entrance, waving placards, yelling 'shame!' and chanting 'One, two, three, four, kick the bigots out the door' 'They all f**king TERFs!' yelled one activist, referring to the acronym for 'trans-exclusionary radical feminists', or women who were perceived as anti-trans Katherine Deves addressed the meeting (left) whose line-up (right) included controversial Victorian MP Moira Deeming Deeming was controversially expelled from the Victorian Liberal Party last month for addressing a 'Let Women Speak' rally in Melbourne because a group of neo-Nazis turned up and made 'Heil Hitler' salutes. In her talk to the group, she denounced 'the vilification and escalating extreme public violence which is repeatedly inflicted upon women all around the world who refuse to allow the laws which safeguard women to be allayed'. 'Women and children are real and they are entitled to be recognised and protected by law,' Deeming said. Federal Liberal candidate for the Sydney seat of Warringah, Katherine Deves, opened the talk after protesters had infiltrated the gathering. The proceedings were halted as Deves and others present responded to the heckling activists who were then removed by parliamentary security. Transgender rights protesters denounced all political parties saying they needed 'to deal with transphobes in their party' About 50 protesters gathered outside Parliament House on Thursday to rally against the conservative women's meeting They carried placards which said 'no more TERF wars or trans lives' Speaking for the eight women guests, and women in general, Deves said, 'We are brave in the fact of a society that is captive to a movement that is determined to erase us as a legal class. 'Biology is intrinsic to every aspect of our life; that's why the Sex Discrimination Act is in. Our society is legislating away the reality of biological sex and redefining women to include men.' Deves, the founder of Save Women's Sport, which believes sport should be based on gender at birth and not gender identity, was on the panel along with breastfeeding advocate Jasmine Sussex. The other speaking guests were Tasmanian councillor and advocate for women's sex-based rights Louise Elliott; Kirralie Smith of Binary Australia, which 'avows that gender is male and female'; Sall Grover, the founder of female social media network Giggle; Angie Jones, the organiser of Let Women Speak; and gender-critical feminist philosopher Holly Lawford-Smith. Mr Ruddick had organised the forum 'to give women a safe space to discuss women's safety in women's spaces and fairness in sport and sex-based rights'. Viewed as 'anti-trans' by LGBTIQ campaigners, the meeting stirred into action protestors from the Sex Worker's Action Collective, University of Sydney queer activists, and others chanting 'f**king shame'. 'They all f***ing TERFs,' yelled one activist. One person addressed the crowd outside, introducing herself as 'Evelyn, a trans woman' who had 'been threatened with physical violence at school' and 'wanted to feel safe in Sydney'. Protesters denounced all political parties, saying they needed 'to deal with transphobes in their party'. The former mayor said New Yorks current crimewave is making the city feel as dangerous as it did in the 1970s and 80s Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Daniel Penny did what he should and protected people when he put a chokehold on Jordan Neely Rudy Giuliani says he would have given ex-marine Daniel Penny a bravery medal if he were still mayor as he lashed out at politicians who are empowering criminals in a new interview. Penny, 24, was indicted on second-degree manslaughter charges over the chokehold death of mentally-ill vagrant Jordan Neely, 30, last week and faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted. But in a clip from a new interview obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, former New York City Mayor Giuliani said Penny did what he should and protected people. The Donald Trump loyalist added: The city should be doing it. Giuliani, 79, was speaking on a new episode of Miss Understood a podcast run by Tiger Woods ex-mistress Rachel Uchitel. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani claims politicians are 'empowering criminals and that he no longer uses the subway The Trump loyalist said New Yorks current crimewave is making the city feel as dangerous as it did in the 1970s and 80s During the interview, he hit out at current Mayor Eric Adams, saying the citys approach to crime is empowering criminals while also angrily refuting widely aired claims that say he has a drinking problem. But he reserved his greatest ire for the citys response to the subway crimewave currently plaguing New York, saying he no longer uses the subway and backing Penny over his response to Neely when he boarded the same subway car on May 2. Neely, who was on a city list of mentally-ill people who urgently need help at the time of his death, had previously racked up more than 40 arrests for crimes that included assaulting an elderly woman in the street. According to passengers, Neely became highly aggressive after boarding the F train threatening to kill people and throwing trash at them. In the viral clip, Penny, who was in New York to look for bar work, can be seen lying on the train floor with Neely in a chokehold which he said he did in a bid to stop the rampage. Tragically, the 30-year-old lost consciousness while being restrained and EMTs who arrived at the scene were unable to revive him. The incident sparked outrage after footage of the confrontation went viral, with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez demanding Penny be charged with murder while Reverend Al Sharpton told the congregation at Neelys funeral: When they choked Jordan, they put their arms around all of us. But Giuliani told Uchitel that AOC and Sharpton are wrong, telling her Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul have allowed crime to spiral out of control and that Penny acted in the only way he could when confronted with Neely. Giuliani said: The man [Dnaiel Penny]should get a medal. If I was mayor, I would have brought him to City Hall and given him an award. Jordan Neely lost consciousness while being restrained by Penny, and EMTs who arrived at the scene were unable to revive him He said: The man [Penny]should get a medal. If I was mayor, I would have brought him to City Hall and given him an award. Id have said that was an awfully brave thing you did. You had no idea if you would have gotten killed. [Neely] walked onto the train, yelling and screaming, throwing garbage at them [the passengers], telling them basically hes going to kill them. Then he took his jacket off and threw it on the ground. When he took his jacket off, you had to say is he going to kill somebody? The marine sergeant acted exactly as he should when that jacket came off thats the time to stop him because if you wait, theres a chance hes going to kill somebody. People came forward who had been beaten up by this guy and said I wish Penny had been there when I got beaten up. The guy has 45 arrests. We basically are empowering criminals to be on the street. He did what he should and protected people. The city should be doing it. Giuliani, whose time as mayor included a zero-tolerance policy on petty crime, said New Yorks current crimewave is making the city feel as dangerous as it did in the 1970s and 80s. He said: Its like deja-vu. Its like Im living in the 70s and 80s before I was mayor. No, I dont take the subway. We basically empower criminals and its going to keep people away. Penny, who faces 15-years in jail if convicted of manslaughter, has also spoken about what happened in a series of Instagram posts following his arrest on May 12. He denied being a racist killer and insisted he had no intention of harming Neely but said he felt obliged to protect the women and children traveling with him on the F train that day. Penny said: Theres a common misconception that Marines dont get scared. Were actually taught one of our core values is courage, and courage is not the absence of fear but how you handle fear. I was scared for myself but I looked around there was women and children, he was yelling in their faces saying these threats. I just couldnt sit still. Giuliani, 79, was speaking on a new episode of Miss Understood a podcast run by Tiger Woods ex-mistress Rachel Uchitel Giuliani stands with then president-elect Donald Trump in November 2016 During the interview, Giuliani was also asked about persistent rumors that he is an alcoholic and angrily denied it saying he is sick of personal attacks. He told Uchitel: Theyve investigated me more thoroughly than anyone except Donald Trump. They took everything I have and they didnt find anything. They couldnt even make anything up. I wish theyd stop these ridiculous attacks. They said Im an alcoholic. Somebody just said when I wake up in the morning, I drink Scotch. Its totally ridiculous. How could I ever have accomplished what I accomplished if I was an alcoholic. An alcoholic who destroyed the mafia? An alcoholic who was able to take over the Teamsters Union and change it? An alcoholic who led the city on 9/11? Giuliani added: I dont mind if you oppose me politically. My political views are conservative and Republican and I respect people who are liberal and Democrat. I dont respect people who lie about me and get so insane about it they have to attack me personally and worse. Its getting worse. Ive read things about me that have nothing to do with who I am. Some things that could hurt my reputation. My reputation as a lawyer is very important to me. Uchitels podcast Miss Understood is out now. Advertisement A deep water robot sub has reached the wreck of the Titanic on the Atlantic floor - and another is descending the 12,500ft of ocean fast - just minutes before the missing Titanic submersible is predicted to run out of oxygen. The vanished vessel, Titan, lost communication with tour operators on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic off the coast of Canada. The last 'ping' of its homing device was heard on Sunday afternoon - directly above the world's most famous seawreck. The world is praying for a 'miracle' with the vital oxygen supply expected to run out at 12.08pm GMT (7.08am EST and 9.08pm Sydney) with banging every 30 minutes heard from the depths of the search area but not yet located. French research vessel L'Atalante has also arrived in the search zone at around 2am GMT (10pm EST, midday Sydney). It is carrying the Victor 6000 - an unmanned remote controlled robot sub that can reach depths of 20,000ft and will arrive at the Titanic's wreck at 12,500ft around two hours after entering the water. It has arms that can cut cables - or dislodge a trapped or stranded vessel - and may be able to fix a cable onto the sub before it is hauled several miles to the surface by a giant winch called a Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System. One of these is believed to be on a ship called the Horizon Arctic, which left Newfoundland yesterday and is racing to the area but will not arrive until later today. Those stuck onboard, dubbed the Titan Five, include British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French navy veteran PH Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19. Mr Nargeolet, who has visited the Titanic 35 times - more than any other person - is viewed as the only man on board with the skills and experience to either help rescuers find them or free the Titan if it is stuck on the seabed. Above the Titanic is a flotilla of at least ten ships, two robot subs and several aircraft scanning the Atlantic for any sign of Titan as sonar continues to hear a banging noise from the depths. Shipping experts Marine Traffic have shared an animation of the ships rushing to the search zone. Titan's mothership Polar Prince has been searching the area since Sunday and is zig-zagging the site in the hope that it will appear on the surface or get back in contact after communications cut out more than 72 hours ago. Guillermo Sohnlein founded OceanGate with Mr Rush in 2009 and believes that if the window for finding them could go beyond Midday if all five men are calm and lay still. He said in a statement: 'Today will be a critical day in this search and rescue mission, as the sub's life support supplies are starting to run low. 'I'm certain that Stockton and the rest of the crew realised days ago that the best thing they can do to ensure their rescue is to extend the limits of those supplies by relaxing as much as possible. I firmly believe that the time window available for their rescue is longer than what most people think. I continue to hold out hope for my friend and the rest of the crew'. The Atalante - viewed as the final hope for the missing Titan sub - has arrived at the search site. It is dropping in a deep sea robot called the Victor 6000, shown at the stern of its mother vessel The Victor 6000 (pictured) can get to the depths needed and can help free or attach a cable to the Titan - if they can find it This is how Titan could be saved by the French ship, if it is found Titan's mothership Polar Prince has been searching the area since Sunday and is zig-zagging the site. At least ten ships are on the sea above the Titanic Five people are onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition The Coastguard has admitted it does not know if it is the five men hammering on the side of their sub or simply the sound of the sea including perhaps debris falling from the Titanic itself at 12,500ft below the surface. But even if it is discovered it will take many hours to save Titan - meaning that the oxygen could run out before they get to the surface. Rescue efforts to find them have continued overnight - and are becoming ever more desperate - with just hours to pinpoint 'banging' from the deep and save them. Oisin Fanning has been on board the Titan sub twice. He told BBC Breakfast this morning: 'There are no noises down there. There are no noises on the Titanic - no banging, no nothing. So the likelihood is that it is someone tapping every 30 minutes to indicate where they are'. Oceanographer and water search expert Dr David Gallo said today: 'Its going to be almost impossible. We need a miracle but miracles do happen'. But former Royal Navy Officer, Chris Parry, said as Midday approached: 'Im afraid times up - I dont think theres any prospect of getting those people out alive now'. The announcement has painted a bleak picture for those trapped inside the stranded vessel, but officials have continued to insist that the hunt is '100 per cent' still a search and rescue mission. Rescuers searching for the missing Titanic explorers were racing against the clock last night as they struggled to find the source of underwater banging noises detected yesterday. Canadian aircraft picked up the sounds by sonar some of which were said to be heard at regular 30-minute intervals as recently as yesterday afternoon, close to where the Titan submersible disappeared. But the Coast Guard admitted last night that extensive searches around the area 435 miles off Newfoundland had so far yielded negative results. And as it specifically predicted that the oxygen supply would run out at 12.08pm UK time today, specialist equipment was being rushed to the scene to aid the operation overnight. Despite the grim deadline, rescuers insisted we always have hope for the five passengers including three Britons on the missing 21ft submersible which vanished on Sunday. Response co-ordinator Captain Jamie Frederick for First Coast Guard District said: This is a search and rescue mission, 100 per cent. Deep-sea explorer Dr David Gallo believes it would take a 'miracle' to rescue those trapped in Titan, but remains optimistic. He told Good Morning Britain: 'Maybe two days ago my hope was sliding downward rapidly, but then these noises appeared and there seems to be very credible sources there, credible and repeatable. 'We'll see how that pans out but everything is happening very quickly, so we have a race against time. 'Our hopes are high. We need a miracle at this point, but miracles do happen, so I'm very optimistic.' Dr Gallo has said it will take hours to rescue the submersible once found. Speaking to Good Morning Britain, he said: 'In this case, the noises are repetitive, every half hour I believe. 'Three different aircraft heard them in their sensors at the same time and it went on for two days-plus. 'It's still going on apparently. There's not a lot in the natural world we can think of that would do that every 30-minute cycle. 'We have to, at this point, assume that that's the submarine and move quickly to that spot, locate it and get robots down there to verify that is where the submarine is. 'They've got to go fully ready as if that was the sub because it takes a while to locate it and get it up to the surface, it takes hours.' A door with signage removed is seen at Ocean Gate Headquarters at the Waterfront Building within the Port of Everett complex in Everett, Washington The Titan, a tourist submersible which runs $250,000 tours of the doomed Titanic ship and is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has been underwater since 8am on Sunday with five people on board The pilot of a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft of 14 Wing flies a search pattern for the missing OceanGate submersible The area of ocean is teeming with boats and equipment trying to find the missing sub Timeline (British Summer Time) of the search for the Ocean Gate submersible, if Titan has lost its power the crew will be in complete darkness facing temperatures of 3C The 21ft submersible has an oxygen supply of up to 96 hours Victor 6000 is connected to the ship by an electromechanical cable which is 26,250ft long and supplies 20 kW of power At a press conference at the US Coast Guard Station in Boston - which is coordinating the search and rescue effort - First District Response Coordinator Capt. Jamie Frederick said it was not certain the sub could be saved Rescuers including the USCG, British Navy and French and Canadian teams are picking up the pace ahead of as the window of rescue narrows. Rescuers are refusing to give up hope, US Coastguard Captain Jamie Frederick insisted on Wednesday, even as people around the world count down the hours until oxygen is expected to run out on the vessel. 'We have to remain optimistic and hopeful when we are in a search and rescue case. 'If we continue to search, potentially we could be at that point... And that's a discussion we will have with the families long before I am going to discuss here publicly.' According to OceanGate, Titan's operator, the sub has a 96-hour oxygen supply in case of emergencies. Search and rescue teams are racing against time as they scour an area where noises were detected for the missing Titan sub, with experts saying they are continuing to analyse the sounds in the sea. The only possible trace of the vessel which is continuing to be investigated was underwater 'banging' sounds, which were detected yesterday in the search for the missing Titanic submersible. But, the US Navy experts analysing the sounds said they cannot yet conclude whether they are coming from the stranded vessel, and ROVs were continuing to return negative results from under the sea. As time runs out, more equipment is expected to arrive as late as Thursday morning, including more remote operated vehicles (ROV) to detect noise as planes continue to scour the ocean from above. Private groups who had offered their help to the rescue mission as early as Monday were allegedly not authorised to help until Wednesday night, sources also told MailOnline. Rescuers are now embarking on a last-ditch attempt to find the tiny vessel in a huge expanse of water, with the search area expanded to around 14,000 square miles - twice the size of the state of Connecticut. The time pressure is compounded by the fact that the underwater vehicles may be able to pinpoint Titan, which was headed for the Titanic wreckage 12,500ft below the surface, but it will take additional specialized tools for the mammoth task of bringing it up. Hopes of a recovery were raised slightly on Wednesday when a Canadian P-3 aircraft equipped with sonar detected the periodic 'banging' sound. The P-3 is one of several models of aircraft which are also helping the search by scouring the ocean surface and using sonar equipment for signs of activity on the seabed. A range of military and commercial vessels is also at the site, offering a mixture of search capabilities, communications tools and rescue equipment if Titan is found. Ultimately, it is down to the submersibles to get eyes on Titan if it remains on the seabed - or trapped within the Titanic's wreckage. Sean Leet, co-founder of Horizon Maritime Services, the company which owns Titan's mothership Polar Prince, said on Wednesday that he has never seen advanced search 'equipment of that nature move that quickly'. The family of the missing Titan sub tourists, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, gathered above the water on Wednesday where the vessel was last seen. A family source in Karachi, Pakistani, where Mr Dawood is from, released a new picture of the father and son to MailOnline and said: 'I can tell you that Mrs Dawood and her daughter are currently in the search area at the moment and will remain there for as long as they can. Sulaiman Dawood, 19, who is missing on board the sub is pictured with his mother Christine Among those taking part in the expedition is billionaire Hamish Harding (pictured), CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai. He excitedly posted to social media about being there on Sunday 'Naturally this is a very tough time for the family and they're not coping at all well with the situation, they are drawing strength from each other and hoping and praying for the best. 'The messages of support they are getting from all around the world are also keeping them positive and they are grateful for everyone's kind thoughts and wishes.' 'It's not clear what it was that made Mr Dawood want to go and visit the Titanic with his son, but he is driven by a passion of exploration, and I understand this was something that had been planned for some time.' The Dawoods belong to one of Pakistan's most prominent families. Their eponymous firm invests across the country in agriculture, industries and the health sector. Their family, including Shahzada's wife Christine and daughter Alina, are waiting for news of the pair. The passengers onboard Titan include British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and OceanGate's chief executive and founder Stockton Rush. In a heartbreaking plea, one of Mr Harding's close friends Jannicke Mikkelsen warned 'we are losing time'. The panicked friend told BBC Radio 4's Today programme yesterday: 'I'm nervous. I'm sick to my stomach with nerves. I'm terrified, I'm anxious. I'm not sleeping at the moment. I'm just hoping for good news. Every single second, every single minute feels like hours.' The Brazilian ex-boyfriend of a woman found dumped in a Sydney river five years ago has been jailed for 27 years for her murder - hours after confessing to the gruesome killing. Cecilia Haddad's body was found by kayakers in the Lane Cove River, in the city's north, on April 29, 2018. The group who made the grisly discovery said in 2018 that she had been weighed down with heavy items, believed to be gym weights, in the pockets of her khaki cargo pants. Mario Marcelo Santoro admitted to a Brazilian court on Wednesday, local time, he was responsible for the 38-year-old's death, going into disturbing detail about strangling her. He confessed to the crime on the second day of the trial but unlike the Australian justice system, the trial had to continue and a jury of seven people were still required to make a formal decision over a two-day process. The jury found Santoro guilty of Ms Haddad's murder and he will now begin his prison sentence in Brazil. Cecilia Haddad's body was found in the Lane Cove River on April 29, 2018 Mario Marcelo Santoro admitted to a Brazilian court on Wednesday local time, he was responsible for her death, going into disturbing detail about strangling her Santoro had been charged with murder in July, 2018, and on Wednesday revealed he had gone to Ms Haddad's Ryde apartment without her permission where the pair then got into an argument. He told the court he wanted to shut her up and grabbed her around the neck and 'squeezed very hard' until she fell into his arms. 'She fell limp in my arms, I don't remember if she hit her head on the floor. I picked her up, desperate and put her on the sofa She wouldn't wake up,' he said breaking down in tears, as reported by local publication Globo. Ms Haddad's mother had to leave the courtroom during Santoro's chilling admission while her brother sat in the front row shaking his head, Nine News reported. Santoro broke down in tears during his admission and begged for forgiveness Santoro, who pleaded to Ms Haddad's family for forgiveness, had told one of the witnesses, who is his priest, to reveal his confession during the trial. Also at the trial were three Australian police officers who were called to give evidence. On the day Ms Haddad's body was found, Santoro was seen on CCTV travelling from Sydney to Rio de Janeiro. Ms Haddad, who had lived in Australia for ten years, was reported missing after failing to turn up to several appointments. She'd enjoyed a barbecue with friends just two days before her body was found. Ms Haddad had lived in Australia for ten years before she was killed Do you know more? Email tips@dailymail.com The man was involved in a crash in Strathpine, QLD on Wednesday Police officer seen repeatedly punching driver in the head Disturbing footage shows a police officer repeatedly punch an 'aggressive' driver in the face after the motorist smashed into a road barrier. The shocking incident occurred around 1.45pm on Wednesday along Gympie Rd, Strathpine in Brisbane's north. Emergency services responded to the crash which resulted in two other cars being impacted. Video posted to social media shows a police officer arriving and conversing with the driver for a short period of time before punching him multiple times through an open window. The motorist appears in the footage to be resisting the officer while hanging out of the window. The officer punches the 'aggressive' man multiple times in the vision (pictured) Another video filmed shortly after shows the cop tasering the man. A spokesperson for Queensland Police told Daily Mail Australia they are investigating the incident and a review is underway. They also stated the driver became 'aggressive' with the officer. 'On arrival, officers will allege they were confronted by an aggressive driver of one of the vehicles. Police were forced to use a taser and physical force to take him into custody,' a Queensland police spokesperson said. 'The man was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital for assessment.' Witnesses say the driver was holding what appeared to be a wine bottle prior to the altercation, according to a 9News report. The victim had curries thrown at her and was hit with a frozen chicken A Melbourne woman convicted of keeping a Tamil woman as a slave called her victim in the lead-up to her Victorian Supreme Court trial to talk her out of giving evidence. Kumuthini Kannan was found guilty alongside her husband Kandasamy in 2021 for keeping the woman in domestic servitude in their Glen Waverley home between 2007 and 2015. She has now admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice, by contacting her victim to discourage her from giving evidence. The woman, now in her 70s, had said she worked up to 23 hours a day doing housework, caring for the couple's children and was restricted from going outside or mixing with members of Melbourne's Tamil community. She had tea and curries thrown at her, was beaten with a frozen chicken and when her son-in-law asked the Kannans to let her return home to Tamil Nadu in southern India, they responded 'f*** you'. Kumuthini Kannan (pictured) admitted to trying to pervert the course of justice when she attempted to convince her victim to not give evidence Kumuthini Kannan was found guilty alongside her husband Kandasamy (pictured) in 2021 for keeping a woman in domestic servitude The victim said she worked up to 23 hours a day doing housework, caring for the couple's children and was restricted from going outside or mixing (pictured, the home where she was kept) She was rushed to hospital in July 2015 after she collapsed, suffering untreated diabetes and sepsis. Emergency room doctors described her as 'fading away'. The night before the woman was due to meet with police to go over statements she made while in hospital, where her servitude was uncovered, Kannan phoned the woman's nursing home from a shopping centre pay phone. She claimed to be a translator who had worked for the courts for 14 years, and repeatedly told her that she should not give evidence in the upcoming trial for her and her husband. 'Think of me as a mother, trust me, do as I say,' Kannan told the vulnerable woman who weighed just 40kg when she was found by paramedics in the family's suburban home. Kannan told the woman that police would not help her and if she listened to police she would never be able to leave Australia or see her daughter again. 'You'll be here until you perish,' Kannan told her. Referring to herself in the third person, Kannan told the woman she had taken her on a trip to Sydney and asked if the police had done that for her. Police and lawyers were in it for the money and to make a name for themselves, she claimed. The enslaved woman was rushed to hospital in July 2015 after she collapsed, suffering untreated diabetes and sepsis (pictured, the home where she was treated like a slave) Phone records show a call made to the woman's nursing home about 8pm on February 16, 2020 while CCTV puts Kannan in front of a shopping centre pay phone connected to the number the call came from. Kannan's lawyer told the court there were no physical threats made by her to the woman and accepted that while the woman was vulnerable, that arose from the case Kannan had already been sentenced for. Judge Martine Marich said it was to the woman's credit she had not wavered and continued assisting police. Kannan was sentenced to eight years behind bars and ordered to serve at least four for the slavery offences, while her husband is serving at least three years of a six year sentence. Kannan will be sentenced for this matter next month. A 92-year-old scientist who created the first Soviet two-stage RDS-37 thermonuclear bomb has been found hanged in his apartment. Grigory Klinishov was found dead at his central Moscow home, as Russian investigators said they were probing the death of the nonagenarian atomic expert. Klinishov was reported to have died on June 17. Officials said a suicide note was found next to his body. A top secret bomb designer, Klinishov won the Lenin Prize in 1962. He was most well known as one of the creators of the Soviet RDS-37 - a thermonuclear bomb first tested in 1955. Klinishov's death follows a slew of suspicious deaths of oligarchs and high profile Russians, particularly those linked to business executives at Russian energy giant Gazprom. Grigory Klinishov was one of the creators of the Soviet RDS-37 - a thermonuclear bomb first tested in 1955 Grigory Klinishov was found dead at his central Moscow home, as Russian investigators said they were probing the death Klinishov's death follows a slew of suspicious deaths of oligarchs and high-profile Russians. Pictured: Vladimir Putin delivers a speech to military school graduates at the Kremlin, Wednesday Klinishov - whose photograph was never released by the Soviet authorities - was found by his daughter, 67. The scientist was a creator of the first Soviet two-stage thermonuclear bomb RDS-37, tested on 22 November 1955 at Semipalatinsk training ground by dropping it from a Tu-16 bomber. Born in 1930, the bomb designer developed several types of thermonuclear bomb charges for subsequent generations. The Russian Investigative Committee said: 'A note was found next to the scientist, on whose neck injuries characteristic of hanging were found. 'The reasons for the suicide could be the severe illness of the scientist and the death of his wife.' However a probe was underway pending a decision on whether to initiate a criminal case into his death, said the committee. But Klinishov's suicide follows a string of mysterious deaths in recent years linked to high-profile Russians. It comes just months after Andrey Botikov - one of the 18 scientists who worked on the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in 2020 - was found strangled to death with a belt in his Moscow home. Russia's investigative committee has launched a murder investigation following the death. Klinishov was a creator of the first Soviet two-stage thermonuclear bomb RDS-37 The Soviet two-stage thermonuclear bomb RDS-37, tested on 22 November 1955 at Semipalatinsk training ground by dropping it from a Tu-16 bomber Most notable have been the successive suspicious deaths related to business executives at Russian energy giant Gazprom. Novaya Gazeta Europe, a leading investigative news outlet, and Transparency International Russia, claimed that the high-profile Russian businessmen who have died in suspicious circumstances were linked to a multi-million dollar money-laundering scheme. The day after the war in Ukraine started, Alexander Tyulyakov, deputy head of corporate security at Gazprom's United Settlement Centre, the energy giant's 'treasury' allegedly committed suicide. Just two months later Vladislav Avayev, 51, a vice-president of Gazprombank and former Kremlin official, was found dead in Moscow, alongside the bodies of his wife Elena, 47, and daughter Maria, 13. They were discovered by his adult daughter, Anastasia. Investigators rapidly concluded Avayev had killed them, before taking his own life. However, this was strongly disputed at the time including by a former top Gazprombank official who claimed Avayev had access to the private accounts of elite clients, including Vladimir Putin's circle and possibly the president himself. The world's top Nazi hunters are demanding the truth about a wrecked 'submarine' alleged to have helped Hitler escape to Argentina. The 80m-long wreck was found near Quequen, a port in central Argentina, by the Eslabon Perdido (Missing Link) research group. And their leader, Abel Basti, believes it was a Nazi submarine that may have carried Hitler to a new life in South America, despite the widely accepted view by most historians that he killed himself in his Berlin bunker in April 1945. Government divers examined the wreck after its discovery was confirmed last year, but their findings remain shrouded in mystery. Now the Simon Wiesenthal Center named for the famed Nazi hunter whose work it continues is calling for Buenos Aires to end its 'suspicious' silence. German U-boat U-530 at Mar del Plata after its surrender in 1945 in Quequen, Buenos Aires. It is a different vessel to the one that was discovered last year Group leader Abel Basti believes it was a Nazi submarine that could have smuggled Hitler (pictured in painting) to South America Ariel Gelblung, director of the center's Latin America office, said: 'I think that the government has the obligation to let us know about this if it's something real or not. 'They have to give some opinion because the silence is suspicious. 'It's really important to know if it's a Nazi U-boat or not, because if it is, it will change all the things we know. 'We know about the ratlines and that the others came by plane, and a lot of people talked about U-boats but nobody found them. 'This is the one chance we have where we can understand if it's a U-boat or another kind of wreck.' Argentina's coalition government is currently led by the Justicialist Party, whose founder, Juan Peron, welcomed fleeing Nazis to his country after the war. For Dr Gelblung, that makes transparency all the more important. He said: 'The government that is in power at this moment is from the same line that was Peron. Photo shows a potential periscope on the shipwreck in images taken by divers Fabio Bisciotti, who leads the underwater study group at the Italian Naval League, analysed photos of the wreck and found several potential clues. One such clue was a yellow plate, marked with two S-like characters in a familiar font (pictured) 'So they have to give some answers and they have to compromise with this investigation. 'They have to say 'okay we are looking at what we have found and our experts say this or that' but not silence silence is not good.' Dr Gelblung added that he did not believe Hitler settled in Argentina after the war. 'But what's really true is that the government in the 40s and 50s helped Nazis to come to Argentina,' he said. For now, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is reserving judgement about whether the wreckage was a Nazi submarine. 'I don't know maybe, maybe not,' said Dr Gelblung. 'I have to see the results of the investigation.' Fabio Bisciotti, a diver who leads the underwater study group at the Italian Naval League, analysed photos of the wreck and found several clues that could point to German origin. He offered to dive the wreck and identify it properly, but said he had no response from the Argentinian government. In emails in May, Mr Basti said Buenos Aires had killed its probe of the wreckage. Mr Basti said: 'The Argentine government has notified me that it will not continue to investigate. 'It is a political decision by law they should identify the shipwreck, and verify if it has potential risks, explosives, dangerous substances, fuel, etc.' Last year, the Argentine Naval Prefecture which conducted the expedition to the wreck declined to comment when asked about their dive. Photo shows part of the wreck, described as a 'gear or block section Now shipwreck experts say the wreck could be a German U-boat after all, after analysing new pictures taken by Argentine divers The Argentine government has been contacted for comment. One local legend, recounted in 2021 by Argentine newspaper La Arena, says that policeman Luis Mariotti even went to investigate reports of submarines landing in 1945. He reportedly followed truck tracks from the beach to Moromar, where men with machine guns prevented him from entering. When he asked for further instructions from his superiors, Mariotti was told to forget the whole matter or so the story goes. Declassified FBI documents also include one 1945 account of Hitler reaching Argentina by U-boat, but that was at the Valdes Peninsula some 400 miles south of the newly-found wreckage. In any case, Mr Basti's theory remains controversial. Even some members of his group, Missing Link, have reportedly distanced themselves from his claims. Steven Woodbridge, a senior history lecturer at London's Kingston University, urged scepticism when the wreck was found earlier this year. 'Until it can be fully verified by the Argentinian authorities one has to tread very carefully,' he said. Two Pakistani men have today been jailed for life in Greece for gang-raping a British 18-year-old woman on her sunbed after she went for a morning swim on holiday. The two men, aged 27 and 24, raped the Briton, who has not been named, on a beach in Rethymno, a city on the north coast of Crete, in July 2022. The Pakistanis, who have not been named, had approached the then 18-year-old as she sunbathed on a sunbed before launching their attack. The young tourist tearfully told Rethymno court how the two men pinned her down on the sunbed and raped her one after the other, reports the Olympia newspaper. The woman had immediately reported the gang-rape to the authorities before the police were able to identify and arrest her attackers. The two men, aged 27 and 24, raped the Briton, who has not been named, on a beach in Rethymno (pictured in a file image), a city on the north coast of Crete, in July 2022 The two men confessed to the gang-rape at the time of their arrest, but during their court appearance today, they claimed that the woman had consented and had stopped when she asked them to. But the court today sentenced the two Pakistani men to life in prison over the gang-rape. They will serve their sentence in prisons in the Greek city of Tripoli. Their lawyers have appealed the sentence, according to local media. The sentencing comes days after two 19-year-old British men accused of raping a British woman and filming the attack in a Greek hotel were released from custody but ordered to report to the embassy in London every month while the investigation continues. The 24-year-old unidentified Briton claimed the two teenagers assaulted her in her inebriated state in a hotel room last week in Rethymno on the Greek island of Crete. She alleged the pair filmed the sexual assault on their mobile phones after meeting them at a bar in the city earlier that night. The woman said the three consumed alcohol and went back to the hotel where the two men were staying. She said she woke up naked the next morning and did not know where she was. Both men were arrested and appeared in court on Monday where they were released with restrictive conditions and fined. The two are now free to fly back home but must report to the Greek Embassy in London each month. It comes two weeks after another British tourist was allegedly raped in the sea during a summer holiday on the Greek island of Rhodes (pictured) after she visited a beach with a man she met online It comes two weeks after another British tourist was allegedly raped in the sea during a summer holiday on the Greek island of Rhodes after she visited a beach with a man she met online. The 20-year-old Briton, who has not been named, told police a 23-year-old Albanian man raped her on June 3 after they went for a swim at Glystra beach on the east coast of the island. The young woman claimed the man, who she had been speaking to online for two weeks before meeting in person, then took her back to her hotel room in Kiotari where he attacked her and tried to rape her a second time, reports the Vradini newspaper. The Albanian man, who has not been named, has since been arrested by police on the Greek island on suspicion of rape and attempted rape. He denies the charges. The British tourist told police that she had met the suspect at her hotel room in the afternoon of June 3 before they agreed to ride on his brother's motorbike to Glystra beach where they went swimming. She said that the man then attacked her while they were in the sea and raped her. The victim walked onto the beach and put on her clothes before begging the suspect to drive her back to her hotel room. But when they arrived at the hotel at 4pm local time, the 23-year-old man followed her back to her room where he took off her clothes and tried to sexually assault her again. This time, the woman was able to push him away from her and forced him to leave the room. The victim then left the hotel and reported the rape and assault to Rhodes police. Detectives launched a manhunt for the Albanian man. He was found hours later and taken to the police station. A case has been filed against him for rape, for which he could face up to ten years in prison. He has now been released from custody on the condition that he does not leave the country. The investigation continues. A multi-millionaire farmer's son who was cut out of his mother's 2million will has left his younger sister facing 'ruinous' legal costs after beating her in a court fight over the family fortune. Simon Morton, 64, said he devoted his adult life to toiling on his parents' land 'working long hours for only modest pay' and helping build up their farm in Lymm, Cheshire, until it was worth 6million. His father, Geoffrey Morton, 'repeatedly assured him that one day Reddish Hall Farm would be his,' he said, while his younger sibling, Julie Morton, now 62, was from an early age discouraged from working there and made a career for herself in business. After his father died in 2001, he carried on the farming partnership with his mother Jennifer Morton, with mother and son each ultimately owning half. But after his mother's death in September 2016, he was shocked to discover she had left her share worth about 2million after debts were taken into account to his sister. Some of Simon's relatives have since testified that they believe Jennifer made the move partly due to an alleged heated conversation during which he 'addressed his mother in a way that was insulting and provocative'. Simon Morton outside the Court of Appeal in London for an earlier hearing Julie Morton now faces 'ruinous' legal costs also pictured outside the Court of Appeal The siblings clashed in court in 2021, with Simon winning a ruling at the High Court in Manchester last year that forced Julie to hand over around 1million half her inheritance. But in another court clash last September, he was ordered to give around 700,000 to his sister, representing seven years' worth of annual interest on her 2million stake in the farming partnership. The siblings went to war in court for a third time last week, with Simon challenging the 700,000 payout to his sister at London's Court of Appeal. And he has now won, succeeding in having the 700,000 bill overturned and leaving his sister facing potentially 'ruinous' legal costs. The exact sum will be decided at a later date. The court heard that Simon had worked alongside his parents, helping them expand their 400-acre holding and introducing new innovations and farming techniques to maximise its profits from the time he left agricultural college aged 21. During the High Court hearing in Manchester, he explained that he gave everything to the business after his father 'repeatedly assured him that one day Reddish Hall Farm would be his'. In 2015 the partnership was estimated to be worth around 6million. The 'ruinous' court battle between the siblings is over the inheritance of the 6million family estate, Reddish Hall Farm, in Cheshire (pictured) Ruling on the first clash between the siblings, High Court judge Mark Halliwell said tension had developed between mother and son in Jennifer's final years due to her concerns about his handling of the business, and the purchase of a 1.9million farm with family money which his sister Julie was only told about afterwards. Jennifer's final will of May 2016 'gave the whole of her estate to Julie,' although provided Simon with a six-month time-limited option to buy out her share in the farm partnership. The judge said Jennifer probably changed her will after her daughter 'undermined her confidence' in Simon, whom Julie distrusted over his handling of the farm partnership and the purchase of the 1.9million farm in 2012. However, there was 'no substantial evidence Julie crossed the line from advice and persuasion to coercion or misrepresentation,' the judge found. In a ruling given in January last year, Judge Halliwell handed victory to Mr Morton, adding 956,850 to his share of the partnership on the basis that he had worked to his detriment on the farm due to his father's promises that it would be his. 'It was important to Geoffrey for the farm business to be passed on to the next generation of the family,' the judge said. 'To achieve this, he sought to encourage in Simon an expectation that it would be left to him.' He also granted him a new opportunity to buy his sister out. But in a subsequent September 2022 ruling, the same judge found that Simon's sister was entitled to more than 700,000, representing annual interest on her share of the farm since 2016 when she inherited her mother's portion. Appealing last week, Simon's barrister Thomas Dumont KC argued that the judge should have allowed him to use laws governing partnership buy-outs to avoid making an interest payment. Under Section 42 (1) of the Partnership Act 1890, buying members of a partnership can avoid paying interest to the seller if they are exercising an option to make a buy-out. The KC said that, although Simon had not bought out his sister in the months after the option first came into effect because he couldn't afford it, the judge had effectively extended the time limit for a buy-out in his judgment last year. Appeal judges Lord Justice Lewison, Lady Justice King and Lord Justice Nugee agreed and overturned the order for the 700,000 interest to be paid to Julie. Lord Justice Lewison said the judge at the High Court had been wrong to find that Simon was excluded from using partnership law to avoid having to pay his sister the interest. Because he was intending to take advantage of an option to buy her out, which was extended by the High Court ruling, he ought not to have to make the 700,000 payment, he found. 'The dispute is an unfortunate family dispute about a farming partnership,' he said in his judgment. 'If an option in the partnership contract is exercised, there is no entitlement to interest. 'An option is a choice between two (or more) possibilities. If there is no choice there can be no option. 'In my judgment, therefore, Julie is not entitled to interest.' After the Court of Appeal hearing, lawyers said the exact cost of the three legal fights between the siblings has not yet been calculated, but would be 'ruinous' for the loser. The mother of a pregnant woman who was pushed to her death off Arthur's Seat by her abusive husband has revealed the final words her daughter said before her death. Fawziyah Javed, 31, and her unborn child died after she was shoved from the famous peak in Edinburgh by Kashif Anwar, 29, in September 2021. Anwar, from Leeds, was found guilty of the murder after a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. He was given a life sentence in April and ordered to serve at least 20 years in prison. In her first television interview, Ms Javed's mother Yasmin Javed told BBC Newsnight her daughter had contacted divorce lawyers and had made voice recordings of Anwar being abusive. She said she will never forget her daughter's last words asking 'Am I going to die? Is my baby going to die?'. Fawziyah Javed (pictured), 31, who was pushed to her death off Arthur's Seat by her abusive husband has revealed the final words her daughter said before her death Kashif Anwar (pictured), 29, from Leeds, was found guilty of the murder after a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh. He was given a life sentence in April and ordered to serve at least 20 years behind bars In her first television interview Ms Javed's mother Yasmin Javed (pictured) told BBC Newsnight her daughter had contacted divorce lawyers and had made voice recordings of Anwar being abusive Mrs Javed said: 'The words go round around my head every single day. Alongside the grief and pain, I can't get them words out of my mind.' The BBC reported that in one of the voice recordings Anwar can be heard telling his wife not to challenge him, saying: 'Don't challenge me, do not be that British woman.' Her daughter, who was about 17 weeks pregnant when she died, used her last words to tell a passerby it was her abusive husband who caused her to fall about 50ft before her body came to a rest. Daniyah Rafique, 24, managed to reach the dying employment lawyer on the side of the hill, where she was told: 'Don't let my husband near me, he pushed me.' Giving evidence during the trial Mrs Javed said Anwar was 'abusive, controlling, manipulative, aggressive and violent' towards her daughter. She told the BBC that he did not like the fact his wife was independent. Mrs Javed said: 'He didn't like the fact that Fawzi had her own voice, her own opinions. He didn't like that.' She said her daughter had contacted divorce lawyers to 'get the ball rolling' but Anwar always said he would never divorce her. The mother told the BBC: 'He used to say to Fawziyah, we don't have divorces in our family, we don't divorce, we stay in marriages, no matter what.' Ms Javed fell around 50ft from Arthur's Seat (from the blue arrow to the red arrow). She used her final words to make sure witnesses knew she had been shoved by her husband Chilling CCTV footage captured the moments leading up to Ms Javed's death. She is seen walking behind Anwar in Edinburgh, shortly before he killed her Ms Javed, seen here walking behind her husband, had wanted to leave him and had contacted divorce lawyers to 'get the ball rolling' Sentencing Anwar earlier this year, Lord Beckett said he had committed a 'wicked crime' and had showed no remorse. He told him: 'She was willing to trust that you would keep her safe when she agreed to accompany you on your project to climb Arthur's Seat despite a fear of heights and being pregnant. 'She was entitled to expect your protection and support.' Lord Beckett added: 'As a result of your actions, Fawziyah Javed died far from home on a Scottish hillside and her loving family are left devastated and will never be the same again. 'Had she lived she would have given birth to your child some months later, but that life was also extinguished by you.' Treat Williams' grieving daughter has posted a touching tribute to him from his memorial site after he was tragically killed in a motorbike crash aged 71 last week. The Instagram stories video shows flowers on display in the back of a blue truck surrounded by greenery. It then cuts to a group huddled round fire pits at night singing Blackbird by the Beatles with a couple of them playing acoustic guitars. Ellie Williams, 25, also shared tributes to the actor on Father's Day one week after he passed away. She posted two moving pictures of him on Instagram stories. In the first image, Treat is helping baby Ellie stand as he supports her from the back. Treat Williams at Hallmark Channel's Summer TCA event held at a private residence on July 26, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California The Instagram stories video shows flowers on display in the back of a blue truck surrounded by greenery. It then cuts to a group huddled round a couple of fire pits at night singing Blackbird by the Beatles with a couple of them playing acoustic guitars The message reads: 'I love you, Dad. I miss you.' The second image shows Treat with grey hair sitting on a tractor in the middle of a field, accompanied by the words: 'I took this picture of my pops when I was in college. He's so handsome.' Williams, 71, who starred in the 1979 film Hair, died on June 12 after his motorcycle smashed into an SUV that was turning left into a parking lot by Long Trail Auto near Dorset. A couple of days later, Ellie shared another moving post on Instagram as the family gathered at their $1million Vermont estate. Ellie shared a snap showing her father's beloved dog Woody, with text overlaid that simply read: 'We're home, dad.' Williams was conscious and alert after being thrown to the pavement, answering questions from paramedics before he was airlifted to Albany Medical Center in New York, where he was pronounced dead. Ellie, who is the only daughter of the Golden Globe nominated star and his wife Pam Van Sant, described her 'terrible heartbreak' in the wake of his death. She also shared a link to a New York Times article about her father with her followers and described it as 'wonderful'. The day after her father's death she posted a grief-stricken message alongside an old picture of her father and a close-up of his name emblazoned on a bomber jacket. She wrote: 'This is a pain I have never felt. I am absolutely shattered. 'Thank you to everyone who has sent messages and kept our family in your hearts during this terrible heartbreak.' Police said Treat was 'unable to avoid a collision' with the 2008 Honda Element driven by Ryan Koss, 35. Williams, 25, shared a heartbreaking tribute to the actor Treat Williams, on Father's Day, one week after he died in a tragic motorcycle accident Ellie Williams shared two pictures of her dad on Instagram stories for Father's Day. The second image showed Treat with grey hair sitting on a tractor in the middle of a field A witness who saw the crash said Treat was conscious after being thrown from his motorcycle. 'He was totally alert, answering questions,' said Matt Rapphahn, the owner of Long Trail Auto on Route 30, adjacent to the crash site. Rapphahn, 29, was standing outside his shop when the accident took place right in front of him. He said: 'He was totally laid out, and they were asking him basic questions, like, ''do you know where you are'' and ''what's your wife's name,'' that kind of stuff. 'And he was responsive. He seemed like he was awake the whole time because, obviously, when they had to move him, you could see he was in a great deal of pain. They loaded him up into the ambulance and drove off. 'Honestly, I was pretty hopeful that he was going to pull through.' Rapphahn said Treat was a regular customer - a classic car and motorcycle enthusiast who would bring his vehicles in for repairs and restoration work. He said: 'He stopped into the shop just a few weeks ago and made some appointments for his vehicles. 'He pulled up here in his old Apache pickup truck, a blue '57 Chevy. We were talking about actors going on strike right now, and he seemed kind of grumpy about it. He wanted to get back to work acting.' He added: 'We talked about airplanes too because he was an airplane enthusiast.' 'I'd run into him in town all the time,' he said. 'He'd share some stories. He had such a good laugh. He was a great guy, super nice. This was his home. This was his community.' The actor, 71, died last Monday after his motorcycle smashed into an SUV which was turning left into a parking lot by Long Trail Auto near Dorset He said Treat was also exceptionally generous and once wrote a check to repair the home of one of Matt's mechanic friends after a fire. 'People around here have been using that old cliche all day that for somebody who is Hollywood famous, he was totally chill,' he said. Vermont State Police detectives confirmed driver Koss was not drunk at the time of the horror crash. Authorities gave an update to the press on Tuesday as the police continue to investigate what happened. Lieutenant Steven Coote said investigators have not yet made 'a formal determination' on who is to blame for the crash, according to the Boston Globe. He added that Koss, who is from Pownal in the south-western corner of Vermont, was screened and cops 'determined there wasn't any evidence of impairment'. Pictured: Ryan Koss, 35, was driving his Honda Element SUV on Route 30 and was turning into the auto shop parking lot when he collided with Williams Ellie, pictured with her father in April, is the only daughter of the Golden Globe nominated star and his wife Pam Van Sant Koss' car had major damage to the front end passenger side, while William's 1986 Honda VT700c motorcycle (pictured) had 'front-end damage' His daughter Ellie, 25, shared a photo from the family home on Wednesday and has described her 'terrible heartbreak' in the wake of his death The driver was also 'checked by medical personnel at the scene for minor injuries' and he did not need hospital treatment. Coote added that detectives have 'utilized tools and technology' including a drone flight, as well as 'old-fashioned crash investigation stuff' like on-scene photographs in the investigation. He told reporters he could not provide an 'exact timeframe' for when the probe is likely to conclude, but he hopes 'to have some more answers soon'. Following the fatal crash, Koss' car sustained major damage to the front end passenger side, while Treat's 1986 Honda VT700c motorcycle had 'front-end damage'. The Everwood actor had been riding his $3,500 bike wearing a helmet when he was hit by Koss' vehicle as it cut across the northbound lane of Route 30 in the Morse Hill Road area of Dorset, south-west Vermont. Treat and Koss in all likelihood knew each other, as Koss works at the theater where Williams performed American Buffalo in 2017. It is currently not known when Treat's funeral will take place. Treat was enjoying his weekend mowing the lawn at his $1million Vermont home just hours before the tragedy. He often posted about his idyllic country life on social media. Treat pictured with his children Gil and Ellie on set of White Collar in Manhattan in May 2012 She described her 'heartbreak' to her Instagram followers on Tuesday in the wake of her father's death, and thanked people who had sent her messages of support In 1979, Treat starred as George Berger in the film Hair, which was based on the Broadway musical He was married to actress Van Sant, and together they had two children, Gille and Ellie. Treat was born 1951 in Rowayton, Connecticut, and kickstarted his professional acting career in his 20s after graduating from Franklin and Marshall College. He shot to fame after his debut role in the thriller Deadly Hero in 1975. He also performed in 1976's The Ritz and The Eagle Has Landed. In 1979, he starred as George Berger in the film Hair, which was based on the Broadway musical. It was the role which earned him his first Golden Globe nomination for New Star of the Year - and two years later, he got his second nomination for his acting in Prince of The City. He also played Dr. Andrew Brown in Everwood - and he received two SAG Award nominations for his work on the show. An explosion in the busy Latin Quarter of central Paris has left at least 37 people with injuries. The blast took place in Rue Saint-Jacques, in the fifth arrondissement of the French capital and resulted in several buildings catching fire. But how exactly did the Paris explosion happen in the first place? Read on below for all you need to know regarding the possible causes of the explosion that hit Paris. Fire fighters rush to the centre of the explosion in Paris ' fifth arrondissement Smoke rises from a building at Place Alphonse-Laveran in the 5th arrondissement of Paris The building was reduced to rubble, with the wreckage of a collapsed roof and outer wall lying in the street How did the Paris explosion happen? The 'privileged theory' for the blast was believed to be a gas explosion, which is not the first to have occurred in central Paris in recent years. The explosion destroyed part of the Paris American Academy, which offers courses in fashion, interior design, and the arts. The road where the building is situated leads from the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral to the Sorbonne University and the Val de Grace military hospital and is a few blocks from the popular Jardin du Luxembourg. The area is usually packed with tourists and foreign students in the early summer. Several social media clips showed blackened and destroyed buildings as a result of the blaze which followed the explosion. In 2019, two firefighters and a Spanish woman were killed by a huge blast at a bakery near the Paris Opera an area hugely popular with tourists. That incident came as emergency services were responding to a gas leak when a dramatic explosion occurred, also injuring 47 other people. It has resulted in the city's gas network being described as a 'ticking time bomb' because it is in such a poor state of repair. Bystanders watch in disbelief as plumes of thick black smoke billow out from the building where the explosion took place A giant plume of smoke tumbles into the sky after a gas explosion in Paris What do French authorities say about the explosion? Authorities in Paris have opened an emergency response unit in the wake of the explosion, but police spokesperson Loubna Atta said there is still no official confirmation on the cause of the blast and subsequent fire. The Paris prosecutor said an investigation was opened into aggravated involuntary injury, whilst confirming that the initial 'privileged theory' for the cause of the fire is 'a gas explosion'. Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said investigators would seek to 'determine whether or not there was failure to respect a rule or individual imprudence that led to the explosion'. Following explosions in recent years, city councillor Alexandre Vesperini said the whole system was 'rundown and poorly' managed. A view from another angle shows the ruinous state of the building, with the upper storeys completely blown away by the explosion 'I don't blame gas fitters, but I have to point out that the network, set up at the start of the 20th century, is a veritable ticking time bomb,' Mr Vesperini said in 2019. 'I was at home writing...I thought it was a bomb,' said art historian Monique Mosser, adding that many of the windows in her building had been blown out by the blast's shockwave. 'A neighbour knocked on the door and told me that the fire brigade were asking us to evacuate as quickly as possible. I grabbed my laptop, my phone. I didn't even think to get my medication.' An aristocrat who owns Hatfield House - one Britain's largest homes where TV hits and films such as The Crown and The King's Speech were filmed - has failed on his mission to ban the general public from walking on his grounds. Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, who is worth 345m according to The Sunday Times Rich List, had opposed an application to register part of his massive Hertfordshire estate as common so the public could access the grounds. But the Open Spaces Society's (OSS) application was granted by Hertfordshire Country Council after it heard the area is considered the manor's 'waste land'. It is currently made up of grass, shrub and trees and was largely unused by those on the estate - but following the decision walkers will be able to ramble through the greenery. The OSS claimed that it was a 'waste land of a manor' and that the lord and lady were not cultivating it. Hatfield House is one Britain's largest homes where TV hits and films such as The Crown and the King Speech were filmed. It sprawls over 1.8 hectares (4.45 acre) Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury, who is worth 345m according to The Sunday Times Rich List, had opposed an application to register part of his massive Hertfordshire estate Frances Kerner, the society's commons re-registration officer, told The Guardian: 'I am delighted that the land at Wildhill Road has been added to the register of common land and that the public will be able to enjoy its beauty. 'Ironically, the marquess recently hosted Future Countryside, an important conference tasked with discussing the many challenges faced by people who live in, work in, and visit the countryside. 'Disappointingly, the society was not invited to the conference, but we hope that any future events held by the organisation will include the society and others who champion access to our splendid countryside.' The paper said that in 1969 the land had been registered as common under provisional measures. But this provisional registration was later axed following an objection. The land then became eligible to become a public space again after it met the conditions under the 2006 Commons Act. And it is not the first time the Marquess has got into a row over his land. Back in 2020 he received backlash for introducing a 'divisive and exclusive' scheme when he announced that he wanted to charge 15 per walk for those who wanted to stroll through the estate. The Open Spaces Society (OSS) application was granted by Hertfordshire country council after it heard the area is considered the manor's 'waste land He also wanted to introduce an annual 50 fee for those living around the area in Hertfordshire to get access to the grounds which sprawl over 1.8 hectares (4.45 acre). The Marquess of Salisbury, 76, reportedly manages 300 residential properties and owns 10,300 acres at Hatfield and Cranborne Manor in Dorset. Built in 1611, Hatfield house is surrounded by a deer park, stunning countryside and a lake. Police at Glastonbury 2023 have told festival-goers the one app they should download for the big event. The app will allow attendees to never lose their tent, no matter what state they are in, and help police find them quickly in an emergency. It comes as part of Avon and Summerset Police's guide to staying safe at Glastonbury 2023, along with a number of other tips, after the festival opened on Wednesday. The what3words app can pinpoint your location to within about three metres, and police at the UK's biggest festival have strongly recommended it to those attending. The what3words app can help you dfind your tent whatever state you are in at Glastonbury Avon and Summerset Police have included the geo-location app as part of their Glastonbury 2023 essential guide The app gives every 10 square foot its unique three-word identity The app divides the planet into 57 trillion 10 square foot blocks, and gives each a unique three-word identity. Avon and Summerset police have encouraged any music fans at Glastonbury this year to download the app and make a note of their tent's three-word address. They reminded attendants on Twitter: 'Dont forget to download what3words and make a note of your grid reference. 'Youll never forget where your tent is, plus, if you need us, well know exactly where to find you.' What3words also tweeted to say that their free app can help you find your tent, car, or friends despite poor signal which can rear its head at festivals and other busy events. Glastonbury police have also been handing out phone pouches to prevent people from losing their prized possessions, as well as sharing travel and weather information. Glastonbury police have encouraged any music fans at Glastonbury this year to download the what3words app What3words was founded in 2013 by Chris Sheldrick and Jack Waley-Cohen, and is based in London. They realised that GPS, which works by providing a string of 16 numbers to identify a location, is a poor way of finding directions because of the high risk of human error. And it has already proved potentially life-saving, helping people guide rescue teams and medics to their location when in danger. Last year, a teen saved his younger brother who had suddenly had a seizure 'in the middle of nowhere' using the what3words app. With 37 dives to the Titanic shipwreck under his belt, renowned oceanographer Paul-Henri Nargeolet has earned the title of a 'super-hero' in his native France. The 77-year-old - dubbed 'Mr Titanic'- spent more than two decades in the French Navy before leading several expeditions to the famous wreck in the Atlantic Ocean. His 'unparalleled' knowledge of the Titanic and the images he captured during his world renowned dives there helped inspire his friend James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster film. But his latest expedition to the Titanic has seen the famous mariner become trapped alongside four others in the missing Titan submarine, with time running out for rescue crews to save them before the air runs out in less than two hours. Nargeolet's friends have said he is an 'extraordinary leader' in crisis situations, and if anyone can keep those onboard calm in the claustrophobic conditions onboard the Titan, it's him. Here, MailOnline takes a look at Nargeolet's career and why friends believe he will be key to keeping those onboard the submersible calm. With 37 dives to the Titanic wreck under his belt, renowned oceanographer Paul-Henri Nargeolet (pictured) has earned the title of a 'super-hero' in his native France The 77-year-old - dubbed 'Mr Titanic'- spent more than two decades in the French Navy before leading several expeditions to the famous wreck in the Atlantic Ocean (pictured) His 'unparalleled' knowledge of the Titanic and the images he captured during his world renowned dives to the wreck (pictured) helped inspire his friend James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster film Nargeolet's love of diving and the oceans began at the age of nine when he discovered his 'first wreck' by following divers in Morocco. And that passion led him to join the French Navy where he served for 22 years in mine disposal before becoming a 'leading authority' on the Titanic. The mariner, born in Chamonix, France, was the first person to have brought up an object - a silver plate - from the Titanic in 1987 and in 2022 he told Le Parisien that he had read '200 to 300 books' on the wreckage. Since that first dive in 1987, the esteemed mariner has led several expeditions to the sunken cruiser off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, and even supervised the recovery of thousands of artifacts including the 20-ton section of the Titanic's hull. 'He is the world specialist on the Titanic, its conception, the shipwreck, he has dived in four corners of the world - he is a super-hero for us in France,' said Mathieu Johann, his editor at Harper Collins. Nargeolet had been serving in the French navy for 22 years when, in 1986, he was chosen by the French ocean research institute Ifremer to supervise the underwater research on the Titanic. At the time, the French navy commander had been clearing the Suez canal. 'I wasn't interested in the Titanic any more than that,' Nargeolet told Le Parisien. 'Admittedly I had seen or read reports on the subject, but I did not imagine that it was going to take such a big place in my life.' In his position at the Ifremer, Nargeolet participated in the Five Deeps expedition, exploring the deepest parts of all five of Earth's oceans and even breaking the record for the deepest submersible dive at 10,928 meters, or 35,853 feet, below sea level. By 1987 he led the first expedition to the Titanic, two years after its discovery. He later said that when he came across the wreckage site for the first time, he and his two crew members were stunned into silence for 10 minutes as 'we were at the foredeck, the most beautiful part where you saw the anchor chains, bronze winches still polished by the water and sedimentation... you could read perfectly they were made in Glasgow.' 'That's it, we've done it,' Nargeolet exclaimed when they found the wreck. The 1997 film 'Titanic' directed by James Cameron, a friend of Nargeolet, was inspired by images taken by the French explorer, who was amazed by the quality of the reconstructions in the film, shot in a pool, Johann said. Nargeolet became the director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, which owns the rights to the ship's remains, and done more than 35 drives to the shipwreck. During an interview in 2019, Nargeolet, then 73, was asked whether he got scared diving 12,500ft below the water's surface to reach the Titanic. 'If you are 11 metres or 11 kilometres down, if something bad happens, the results are the same,' the mariner told the Irish Examiner at the time. 'When you're in deep water, you're dead before you realise that something is happening, so it's not a problem.' Nargeolet (pictured before one of his expeditions to Titanic) is widely considered to be a 'leading authority' on the sunken cruiser, leading several expeditions to the Titanic wreckage site off the coast of Newfoundland Paul-Henri Nargeolet is pictured on the right with some friends after they caught fish on a boat Commander Paul-Henry Nargeolet, left, laughs with Millvina Dean, 84, of England at the Black Falcon Pier in Boston on Sept.1, 1996 Nargeolet is on board the missing OceanGate submersible, the Titan (file image) During his explorations of the wreck of the Titanic he brought about 5,500 objects to the surface, including personal items belonging to passengers, like binoculars and letters, said Johann. One of those personal items included a watch, which Nargeolet gave to the victim's daughter after tracking her down. Nargeolet's findings - including the ship's fittings including a cherub that was placed by the famed staircase - were auctioned by RMS Titanic in New York with a value of over $189 million (148 million). Johann said the only part of the ship that the diver had not explored to date was the safe room, where gold and jewellery would have been kept. 'At the beginning we were scared to recover artefacts owned by passengers but then we realised we could learn a lot about the passengers,' Nargeolet said, according to the Telegraph. 'We are resurfacing the history of these families, and for me that's a good thing.' From there, Nargeolet continued to lead dives to the Titanic, helping to map the site and chart the course of deterioration. In 2010, before his sixth expedition to the Titanic, Nargeolet was tasked with finding the missing Air France A300, which disappeared off the coast of Brazil in June 2009 but he was unsuccessful. But Titanic has been the focus of his career and speaking about why he's still fascinated by the wreck, he said last year: 'The word Titanic is magic in my opinion because it always sparks a reaction. 'There are those who are interested in the construction of the boat, as it was a new type of boat. There are those who are interested by the billionaires of the time on board as they were the stars of the time, some are interested in the immigrants looking for a new life in North America everyone can find an interest in the Titanic. 'Once you've put your head in the Titanic, it's hard to take it out.' Johann convinced Nargeolet to write his book 'In the depths of the Titanic' because he said his kids were super-fans. He said the underwater explorer needed convincing to write the book because he wanted to spend all his time diving. 'He wakes up in the morning and he wants to go to the sea,' said Johann. He is the director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, Inc, and has appeared on numerous films and documentaries on the ship He led the first recovery expedition of the Titanic in 1987 after specialising in deep submersibles Nargeolet's French wife, Anne, lives in Connecticut and his adult children live in Cork, Ireland. John Paschal, 31, Nargeolet's stepson who has a Connecticut address, said just a few words about the search, declined to say anything personal at this time, not wanting to sound like he was speaking of him in the past tense. 'I don't want to speak in terms of active and passive with him. I just want the search and rescue process to play out at this point. We hope for the best possible result for everyone who's on board. We hope they return safely and soundly, and we're keeping everyone in our thoughts and prayers. We appreciate the efforts made by everyone so far in the search and rescue effort.' Nargeolet was previously married to American journalist Michele Marsh, who died of breast cancer in 2017 at the age of 63. They met after Marsh contacted the explorer to ask for the contact of a Frenchman who had survived the Titanic. The president of RMS Titanic, Jessica Sanders, said in a statement on Wednesday that Nargeolet's experience was unparalleled and 'no-one has a better chance of navigating equipment failures than he does'. Those who know Nargeolet have said his expertise and experience will mean he will be keeping everyone onboard the Titan 'in a stable mindset' now that they are 'at the mercy' of the sea. Joe MacInnis, a renowned diver and physician, told CNN of Nargeolet: 'He's been in all kinds of problematic situations and he's resolved them. He's the guy you want next to your side in this kind of situation.' Dik Barton, who has made 22 dives of the wreck down at 12,500ft, said Nargeolet is 'reliable' and is '100 percent' the man he would want to be with if trapped on a sub. Speaking to MailOnline on Wednesday, Guest Lecturer at the University of Sunderland Mr Barton said Mr Nargeolet would be a huge asset to the explorers: 'There's no comparison. 'HP [as he is known] is a consultant in underwater sciences, an expedition leader, very reliable, he's going to be the man who is keeping everyone in a stable mindset. 'That's crucial to retain normality. Everyone gets claustrophobia, panic attacks, but you have to limit it as you can't go anywhere.' He continued: 'You're in the danger zone from the second the craft is released by the mothercraft. From then on you are reliant on the technology, integrity and strength of the vessel.' Meanwhile, Portuguese captain Jose Paulo Viera da Silva, who has piloted oil tankers and ships for over 30 years, said he believes the fate of the five men on board the Titan rests on Nargeolet. 'You can see that he is very experienced. When he [conducts] missions at sea he doesn't have problems and I believe that he will be one of the solutions to this situation,' Da Silva told Sky News. 'I think he will help [find a solution], of course. I think he can [work with] the other people on board so they can have a good expectation to come to the surface.' When asked whether he still believes this now that the air inside the Titan is within its last hours, Da Silva said: 'Yes, I [will] believe this to the last moment. It would be a pity if we lose that man.' Da Silva said he had transported Nargeolet and his crew to the site of the Titanic in 2010 and an incident at 12,500ft down almost cost them their lives. But Da Silva said the Frenchman had kept his cool. He said: 'The team on board at that time were very experienced but the [submersible] got stuck on a piece of the Titanic. We had to do a lot of manoeuvres to bring it back. 'It got stuck in the wreck - that was the worst part and everyone was afraid we'd lose them.' A senior female executive has won a victimisation claim after she was denied a pay rise because her boss thought her director husband's salary was 'more than enough'. Jiang Ping, 69, previously won 4,000 after tribunal judges found she had been discriminated against on the basis of her sex by James Durrans & Sons Ltd, a 35million of carbon products used to make items including brake pads and paint. However, they rejected a claim she had been victimised after director Chris Durrans threatened to make allegations of discrimination against her if she sued him. Ms Ping appealed the ruling and has now won a further 3,000 after a second tribunal ruled in her favour. The first tribunal heard that Ms Ping's boss at the company thought 'a married woman cannot challenge her salary if her husband is a high earner'. Jiang Ping, 69, previously won 4,000 after tribunal judges found she had been discriminated against on the basis of her sex by James Durrans & Sons Ltd (pictured is the company's HQ) Ms Ping's husband, David Armitage, was a director at the Sheffield-based company earning up to 270,000, while she was a senior manager who went part-time and was earning 36,000 when she complained. Mr Durrans, 62, also made the 'inherently discriminatory' comment about Ms Ping's household income - saying he was 'comfortable' with it. The tribunal in London heard Ms Ping, who is Chinese, was recruited to James Durrans & Sons in 1998 and worked as a senior manager, overseeing important business in China. Before going part-time, Ms Ping received a salary of 65,448 and a bonus of 30,000. Her husband Mr Armitage, 58, was operations director at the company and managing director of its Chinese subsidiary, earning lucrative salaries and bonuses. Ms Ping went part-time in 2016 and later became unhappy that her workload was not cut significantly to match her reduced hours. In May 2021 she raised the issue. A tribunal report said: '[She] asked Mr Armitage to raise the level of her salary with Mr C Durrans. 'Mr Armitage was uncomfortable about doing so, but did as she asked. 'Mr Durrans' response was that he was comfortable with the level of their combined household income. 'Mr Armitage said to him that he needed to talk to [Ms Ping] about the level of her salary. 'Ms Ping sent Mr C Durrans an email about her pay. She began by saying... Mr Armitage had raised with him the inadequacy of her remuneration for the work that she did for [the company]. 'She said that her remuneration should reflect her value and significant contribution, particularly in so far as it related to the success of [the Chinese subsidiary]. 'She said that that was irrespective of the fact that her husband also worked for the company. 'The work that she did and her remuneration had never correlated but since 2016 the gap had become 'so unreasonably acute' that she had felt compelled to raise it with him. 'She said that Mr Durrans' comment about household income had been discriminatory.' Mr Durrans had said their 'combined household is more than enough', it was heard. Mr Durrans' 55-year-old brother Nicholas Durrans - also a director at the company - then agreed with his brother and rejected her grievance, the panel heard. Nicholas Durrans said 'he did not understand why she said that the comment about the combined household income was sexist'. Ms Ping was left 'upset' and 'angry', the tribunal heard. Ruling at the original tribunal, Employment Judge Harjit Grewal said: 'We concluded she was subjected to a detriment because her complaint about her level of pay was not considered on its merits. 'It is clear from the reason given for not dealing with it that Mr Durrans' view was that a married woman cannot challenge her level of earnings if her husband is a high earner. 'That is a view that is inherently discriminatory against women. Mr Durrans has always denied responding in that way. 'In the absence of any explanation from Mr Durrans for not considering her complaint about her level of pay at that stage and the inherently discriminatory nature of the comment he made, we concluded that in not considering her complaint he treated her less favourably on the grounds of sex. 'Ms Ping's evidence was that she had been very upset and angry Mr Durrans had used that as an excuse to avoid paying her that to which she was entitled.' It was heard Ms Ping's complaints about her pay were later considered. She has now won a total of 7,000 compensation after her victimisation claim was successful at a new hearing. The claim was previously dismissed but Ms Ping appealed it. Other claims of race, sex and marital status discrimination, and harassment were all dismissed. The current run of strikes across various sectors in the UK is set to continue, as workers plan more walk-outs. Bus, train drivers, junior doctors and civil servants are just some of the workers who have taken industrial action against their employers recently. Many unions are currently balloting on strike action, as the law requires trade unions to secure a new mandate for walkouts every six months. But who will strike in July and is it likely to affect you? Here is everything we know about the planned action in July so far. Teachers in the UK are to continue striking due to the ongoing dispute between the National Education Union (NEU ) and the government over salary increases Confirmed dates for strike action in July 2023 - Heathrow Airport workers have added numerous walk-outs to the calendar Train Strikes RMT union members working across 14 train operating companies will take strike action on 20, 22 and 29 July. Some 20,000 railway workers will walk out as part of the national rail dispute after train operators failed to make a new pay offer. RMT general secretary Mike Lynch said: 'This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry.' Mr Lynch said he is available 24/7 to negotiate with train operating companies and government ministers Another date look out for is July 2, when members of Aslef working for Avanti West Coast will strike. Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said: 'It is deeply regrettable that Aslef members have been forced to take this action but our members will not stand by and allow our agreed terms and conditions to be violated by train operating companies.' READ MORE: Tempers flare after furious commuters are forced to battle for buses, drive or cycle to the office during the biggest rail strike in 30 years Advertisement In addition, drivers employed by London North Eastern Railway (LNER) will refuse to work overtime from July 1. Teacher Strikes Teachers across England who are members of the National Education Union (NEU) will strike on July 5 and 7, which will cause disruption to the current school term. Join general secretaries of the NEU, Dr Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney said: 'No one wants to take strike action but when faced with an Education Secretary who clearly has no interest in settling this dispute, teachers are left with no option.' Earlier this year, teachers were offered a one-off payment of 1,000 for the current academic year, on top of the 5.4% average pay rise teachers received in September 2022. Teachers and leaders were also offered an average pay rise of 4.5% from September 2023. Teacher unions also rejected an offer to create a new taskforce to help reduce workload by an average of five hours a week for teachers and leaders. Heathrow Airport Strikes Passengers queue at security at London Heathrow on June 22 last year amid staff shortages Around 2,000 officers who are members of the Unite union will walk out for a number of days in July - as part of 31 days of planned action over the summer. Industrial action has been announced for nearly every weekend from the middle of June to the end of August, which will coincide with the beginning of the school holidays and Eid al-Adha. Your questions answered: Can I get compensation for a delayed flight? By ZAC CAMPBELL If your flight is cancelled, you have a number of options. You are legally entitled to a full refund, which includes other flights from the airline that you won't use in the same booking, such as onward or return flights. You are also entitled to a replacement flight to get you to your destination. If your cancelled flight delays you by two hours or more, you have the legal right to be helped with costs. If the replacement flight offered to you has delayed you by two hours or more, and you were given less than two weeks' notice, you are legally entitled to compensation. The Heathrow Airport website recommends that passengers should arrive at the airport three hours before their departure for international flights, and two hours before take-off for domestic flights. A number of flights could be cancelled due to the summer strikes at Heathrow, so it is best to check the status of your flight before you travel to the airport. Advertisement British Airways, Virgin, Emirates, Qatar, United, American and Delta are some of the airlines set to be affected by the walkouts at Terminal 3 and 5. The planned strike dates are: June 24, 25, 28, 29 and 30; July 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 and 31; and August 4, 5, 6 , 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26 and 27. A Heathrow spokesperson said the airport will do 'everything' it can to minimise disruption during the strikes and said it will deploy 1,000 additional staff members to lessen the impact, but chances are it will take longer to get through security than usual. Passengers are advised to check in early. Refuse workers Nearly 500 refuse collectors, members of Unite, working in Bristol, Somerset and South Gloucestershire are in a dispute with their employers. Around 150 bin workers employed by Suez in South Gloucestershire will continue walk-outs into the first week of July. After rejecting an eight per cent pay rise from the company, 89% of workers voted to strike. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: 'Suez is an extremely profitable company but is offering these workers a real terms pay cut during the worst cost of living crisis in generations.' According to its latest UK financial returns in 2021, the company brought in profits of 80.8m. Graham said that Suez workers have their full support in fighting back against their employer's greed. Will there be any more strikes? Unions are obliged to give 14 days notice of any strike action, so there may be some more dates added to the list. Doctors could walk out in what would be the first strike by consultants since the 1970s. The British Medical Association opened a strike ballot of NHS consultants in England which closes on 27 June. If they vote in favour, the BMA has scheduled strikes for 20-21 July. Services will be affected if consultants walk out but the BMA has said emergency care will be covered. While handful of train strikes in July have been confirmed, more dates could be added. OceanGate boss Stockton Rush previously spoke about 'breaking rules' to build the missing Titan submersible, newly emerged footage has shown. Rush is shown giving a tour of the 22-foot vessel to Mexican actor Alan Estrada before he travelled to the Titanic on the submersible that is the subject of a massive search operation in the Atlantic ocean. Rush, who is lost on the vessel, is seen telling Estrada - who filmed the video and posted it on YouTube last year - about the seven-inch thick acrylic window on the front of the Titan to give those inside a view of the famous wreckage that lies 12,500 feet below the ocean surface. He explains that the window gets 'squeezed' by the water pressure as it descends, and that it gives a 'warning' if its going to 'fail'. Experts have said a structural failure is one of the possible fates suffered by the Titan, which set off on Sunday morning and lost contact with its mother ship after just 105 minutes into the two-hour descent to the Titanic wreckage. Some fear this is likely amid reports that the deep-sea vessel did not meet the necessary safety standards to dive that deep, with Rush admitting in the clip himself that he has 'broken some rules to make this'. OceanGate boss Stockton Rush (pictured in a video filmed by Mexican actor Alan Estrada before he travelled to the Titanic on the submersible) previously spoke about 'breaking rules' to build the missing Titan submersible, newly emerged footage has shown Rush (pictured), who is lost on the vessel, is seen in a new clip telling Mexican actor Estrada about the seven-inch thick acrylic window that is mounted on the front of the Titan to give those inside a view of the famous wreckage that lies 12,500 feet below the ocean surface The Titan, a tourist submersible which runs $250,000 tours of the doomed Titanic ship and is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has been under water since 8am on Sunday with five people on board. It is rapidly running out of time The water pressure at the wreck site of the famous ocean liner is nearly 6,000 psi (pounds per square inch) - which means a weight equivalent to around two tons is exerted on any object at that depth. READ MORE: Last hope for Titanic five as rescue mission enters final hours Advertisement Any vessel not able to withstand the pressure would be crushed, allowing water to flood inside. No human could survive such pressure without the protection of a submersible such as the Titan - and would be killed in such an event. Despite the risks of entering such an inhospitable environment, Rush appears very confident in his invention in the clip, that has emerged on TikTok. 'Its acrylic plexiglass,' Rush tells Estrada after being asked what the window mounted at the front of the Titan vessel is made of. 'It is seven inches thick and weighs about 80lbs. And when we go to the Titanic, it will squeeze in about three-quarters of an inch and just deforms,' he explains. 'And acrylic is great because before it cracks or fails, it starts to crackle so you get a huge warning if its going to fail.' The video then shows Rush giving a tour of the submarine's interior. 'Typically when were in the dive, youll have two people sitting here (by the window) and two people here (behind them), and the pilot back there (at the rear of the vessel), so its quite a bit of room,' he tells Estrada. 'First thing we do one button so it doesnt detonate,' he says, pressing a small button mounted on the wall. As he does, monitors inside the craft flash on. He then says that he has ambitions to make the sub require even less human input. 'Hopefully, what I want it to be, is you walk in it senses motion, it senses who you are. You say hello Titan it sense your voice it says: Stockton, how deep are we diving today? I say were going to 4,000 meters,' he says of his vision. 'The sub is your vehicle to get there, it should be an elevator, it should not be an exercise in buttons and switches and stuff,' he says. The clip then shows Rush explaining the various screens and interfaces that he as the pilot uses during a deep-dive mission, as Estrada narrates in Spanish. 'I'd like to be remembered as an innovator,' Rush is then seen telling the actor. 'I think it was General (Douglas) MacArthur who said: "You're remembered for the rules you break." And you know, I've broken some rules to make this. 'I think I broke them with logic and good engineering behind me. The carbon fibre and titanium, there's a rule you don't do that well I did,' the CEO says. 'There's picking the rules that you break that are the rules that will add value to others and add value to society, and that really to me is about innovation.' He goes on to say he doesn't consider his work 'invention' but 'innovation'. 'Innovation is when you take an invention and you make it accepted broadly. And it made me think of ocean exploration in the way everyone thinks of space exploration, because this is where we will find the strange new lifeforms and the future of mankind is underwater, it's not on Mars,' he says. 'We're not going to have a base on Mars or the Moon, we'll try and we'll waste a lot of money, but we will have a base underwater.' Mexican actor Alan Estrada told DailyMail.com that the Titan submarine lost communication for two hours during the July 3, 2022 voyage to the Titanic wreck Estrada also shot this incredible photo of the Titanic's famous bow. The ocean liner sunk on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in April 1912, killing around 1,500 passengers 'Because when the sun extinguishes, there will still be hydrothermal vents, and there will still be those life forms down there living off chemosynthesis that don't needs the sun. If we trash this planet, the best lifeboat for mankind is underwater.' Rush spoke to CBS News in the summer of 2022, and told reporter David Pogue on his podcast Unsung Science that his worst fear was getting the sub trapped. 'What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface,' said Rush. 'Overhangs, fish nets, entanglement hazards.' But he insisted that such obstacles were avoidable. 'And, that's just a technique, piloting technique,' said Rush. 'It's pretty clear if it's an overhang, don't go under it. If there is a net, don't go near it. 'So, you can avoid those if you are just slow and steady.' He said he didn't think diving in a submersible was 'very dangerous' at all. Rush added: 'I mean, if you just want to be safe, don't get out of bed. Don't get in your car. Don't do anything. At some point, you're going to take some risk, and it really is a risk-reward question. 'I think I can do this just as safely by breaking the rules.' Officials said a debris field had been found by Odysseus 6k, a remote operated vehicle (ROV) deployed by the Canadian vessel, the Horizon Arctic, that can dive 20,000ft underwater. Since the Titan vanished, Estrada has shared his experience, recalling how the vehicle's batteries suddenly drained during the expedition, forcing it to end early. He said the Titan's energy source quickly drained to 40 percent power during a July 2022 mission to see the ill-fated ocean liner. That saw Estrada and his fellow submariners' time spent at the wreck slashed from four hours to one so they could return to the surface before the sub lost power. Speaking on his YouTube video about the trip, he said: 'For safety reasons this is completely understandable when the last battery - the submersible has two batteries - when the second battery has only 40 percent left, it is necessary to return to the surface for safety. This means that the four hours that they tell you that you are going to be down there are not fulfilled.' Estrada - best known for his YouTube channel - still managed to snap a stunning selfie standing in front of the Titan's porthole while holding up a Mexican flag, with the Titanic's iconic bow visible in the depths. Five people are onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition The safety of the vessel has come under scrutiny since its disappearance. Those boarding the submersible must sign a waiver that states: 'This experimental vessel has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death.' Pogue reported that passengers pay $250,000 to board the sub, but the sub is controlled by a Logitech games controller and fitted with camping lights. Communications with the mothership are done via text message. 'I couldn't help noticing how many pieces of this sub seemed improvised, with off-the-shelf components,' he said. 'Piloting the craft is run with a video game controller.' While Pogue was at sea on the mothership, another team went down in the sub but failed to find the wreck: they were communicating with the mothership all the time but were unable to locate the metal hulk. In the end they had to surface without having found it: passengers said they were lost underwater. OceanGate said they would be able to return the following summer at no cost and try again. In 2019, OceanGate said that getting the sub 'classified' - or certified as safe - would be too lengthy a process. Classification involves recruiting an independent organisation to ensure vessels like ships and submersibles meet industry-wide technical standards. It is a crucial way of ensuring a vessel is fit to operate. They said it would not 'ensure that operators adhere to proper operating procedures and decision-making processes two areas that are much more important for mitigating risks at sea'. The blog post said: 'While classing agencies are willing to pursue the certification of new and innovative designs and ideas, they often have a multi-year approval cycle due to a lack of pre-existing standards. 'Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation.' The company said its 'innovations' included a real-time hull health monitoring system which is 'not currently covered by any classing agency'. OceanGate suggested its own in-house safety protocols were sufficient. The blog concluded that 'by itself, classing is not sufficient to ensure safety'. Timeline (British Summer Time) of the search for the Ocean Gate submersible, if Titan has lost its power the crew will be in complete darkness facing temperatures of 3C The year before, OceanGate executives had fired their director of marine operations, David Lochridge, after disagreeing with his demand for more rigorous safety checks on the submersible, including 'testing to prove its integrity'. He also wanted the company to carry out a scan of Titan's hull to 'detect potential flaws' rather than 'relying on acoustic monitoring' which would only detect an issue 'milliseconds before an implosion'. In a court document filed in 2018, lawyers for the company said Lochridge's employment was terminated because he 'could not accept' their research and plans, including safety protocols. OceanGate also claimed Lochridge 'desired to be fired' and had shared confidential information with others and wiped a company hard drive. The firm said he 'refused to accept the voracity of information' about safety from Titan's lead engineer. Lochridge had relocated from the UK to Washington to work on the development of the Titan which was previously called Cyclops 2. A former Royal Navy marine engineer and ship's diver, he was described by OceanGate as an 'expert in the field of submarine operations and rescue'. Legal filings obtained by DailyMail.com show that he wrote a report in 2018 which was critical of the company's research and development process for the vessel. Lochridge also 'strongly encouraged that OceanGate utilize a classification agency, such as the American Bureau of Shipping, to inspect and certify the Titan'. The suit states that 'OceanGate refused both requests, and stated it was unwilling to pay for a classification agency to inspect its experimental design'. Lochridge 'disagreed with OceanGate's position to dive the submersible without any non-destructive testing to prove its integrity, and to subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible'. The former employee stated he could not accept OceanGate's research and development plans. Based on Lochridge's position, OceanGate terminated his employment, the legal filings reveal. Pictured: File photo of inside the OceanGate Expeditions sub which is currently missing with five people on board The Boston Coastguard is now looking for the missing vessel. The wreckage of the Titanic sits 12,500ft underwater around 370 miles from Newfoundland, Canada Lochridge said he was 'ignored' when trying to raise verbal concerns over the safety and quality control of Titan. Who was Stockton Rush? San Francisco-born Rush, 61, founded OceanGate Expeditions in 2009 - after trying, and failing, to buy explorer and businessman Steve Fossett's submersible, after the adventurer died in a 2007 plane crash. As a young man, Rush was more interested in space than deep seas: At 19, he became the youngest jet transport-rated pilot in the world, qualifying with the United Airlines Jet Training Institute. For the next three years he flew for Saudi Arabian Airlines on his summer holidays from his aerospace engineering course at Princeton. From 1984 he worked with the US Air Force on F-15s and anti-satellite missile programs, with the aim of eventually taking part in the space program. Rush obtained an MBA from Berkeley and went on to work for multiple companies, specializing in sonar, subsea technology and radars. Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate He built a Glasair III experimental aircraft which he flew regularly, and his own Kittredge K-350 two-man submersible. Rush always intended to take tourists to the Titanic: in 2017, he said he planned to then branch out to excursions to hydrothermal vents or deep-sea canyons, and underwater battlefield tours. He then hoped to work with oil and gas exploration. In 2018, the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, a 60-year-old trade group, warned that the 'current 'experimental' approach' of the company could result in problems 'from minor to catastrophic.' The company also fired David Lochridge, who was Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, after disagreeing with his demand for more rigorous safety checks on the submersible, including 'testing to prove its integrity'. Additionally, the company opted against having the craft 'classed', an industry-wide practice whereby independent inspectors ensure vessels meet accepted technical standards. The first trips to see Titanic began in 2021. Rush was killed in the June 18 disaster. Advertisement He had several meetings in 2018 'regarding the quality control and safety of the Titan, particularly OceanGate's refusal to conduct critical, non-destructive testing of the experimental design of the hull'. During one meeting he discovered that the viewpoint was only built to a certified pressure of 4,250 feet (1,300 meters) despite OceanGate intending to take passengers down to nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). Legal filings state: 'Lochridge learned that the viewport manufacturer would only certify to a depth of 1,300 meters due to the experimental design of the viewport supplied by OceanGate, which was out of the Pressure Vessels for Human Occupancy ('PVHO') standards. 'OceanGate refused to pay for the manufacturer to build a viewport that would meet the required depth of 4,000 meters. 'The paying passengers would not be aware, and would not be informed, of this experimental design, the lack of non-destructive testing of the hull, or that hazardous flammable materials were being used within the submersible. 'Discouraging whistleblowers from coming forth with quality control issues and safety concerns that threaten the safety of innocent passengers would undermine and jeopardize the public policy, and put innocent passengers at increased risk.' The case was ultimately settled out of court in November 2018. Lochridge did not immediately respond to a request for comment by DailyMail.com. During its 2022 expedition, OceanGate reported the submersible had a battery issue on its first dive and had to be manually attached to its lifting platform, according to a November court filing. Lochridge was set to make a series of dives in May 2018 in the Titan, before he was fired by OceanGate in January. At the time they were charging $105,129 for the trip, with 54 people signing up for the deep dive which ultimately did not happen. Lochridge previously piloted a sub down to the Andrea Doria, a passenger liner that sank off Massachusetts in 1956, with the loss of nearly 50 lives. In the same year that Lochridge raised his concerns, a group of industry experts wrote to Rush and warned that 'the current 'experimental' approach' of the company could result in problems 'from minor to catastrophic.' It was sent by the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, a 60-year-old trade group that aims to promote ocean technology and educate the public about it. But it is unclear if any employee or Rush himself responded to the letter, and there was no further detail on why the approach was considered dangerous. The search for the Titan submersible drew to a devastating close today, with officials saying its five passengers had perished and that debris pointed to a 'catastrophic implosion' of the vessel. British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French navy veteran PH Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who was just 19, are all believed to have died in the tragedy. While dealing with the pain of losing their loved ones in such a horrific way will be the primary focus for their families, attention will now turn to what could have been done to avoid their deaths. The minivan-sized Titan sub, operated by US company OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent around midday UK time on Sunday. The final 'ping' to its mothership came around 3pm - putting it just above the famous wreck. Questions have been asked about the speed at which OceanGate informed the authorities that it had lost contact with Titan and the sub's alleged technical inadequacies - as well as the failure to address repeated warnings it was unsafe. Below, MailOnline examines what are being seen as the key errors leading up to the disaster and the numerous occasions safety concerns were raised - Delay before sounding the alarm OceanGate Expeditions has been criticised for taking eight hours to tell the US Coast Guard it had lost contact with Titan. The company's Titan submerged at 1pm UK time on Sunday around 400 miles southeast of St John's, Newfoundland, near to where the famous shipwreck lies. At 2.45pm - an hour and 45 minutes into the dive - it lost contact with its mothership, the Polar Prince. The Titan sub is shown on Sunday morning, seconds before submerging with five people onboard But it wasn't reported as missing to the US Coast Guard until 10.40pm, eight hours later. Canada's Coast Guard wasn't alerted until even later - 1.13am on Monday. The company has not yet explained why it took so long to alert the Coast Guard when the Titan lost communications. Dives to the Titanic usually take around eight hours, it is understood. On Wednesday Kathleen Cosnett, a cousin of Mr Harding, 58, told the Telegraph that OceanGate's eight-hour delay before contacting the authorities was 'far too long'. She said: 'It's very frightening. It took so long for them to get going to rescue them, it's far too long. 'I would have thought three hours would be the bare minimum.' 'Flimsy' sub with shop-bought parts Much attention have been paid to the construction quality of the sub, with one commentator comparing it to a 'kit car' built from 'parts you can get from Amazon'. Chris Parry, a former Royal Navy rear admiral, called the small craft 'very flimsy and fragile'. CBS correspondent David Pogue is seen inside Titan holding the PlayStation controller that is used to drive it READ MORE - 'I've broken some rules to make this': OceanGate boss Stockton Rush reveals admits he ignored guidance to create deep sea vessel Advertisement Meanwhile, a journalist who once sat inside claimed it features lights from a camping shop, off the shelf CCTV cameras and salvaged metal pipes for ballast. CBS correspondent David Pogue told Stockton Rush: 'I couldn't help noticing how many pieces of this sub seemed improvised, with off-the-shelf components. 'It seems like this submersible has some elements of MacGyver jerry-riggedness. I mean, you're putting construction pipes as ballast.' The CEO replied: 'I don't know if I'd use that description of it. But, there are certain things that you want to be buttoned down.' Mr Rush showed Mr Pogue a games controller that was used to drive the craft. The journalist later told the BBC's Context programme that Titan 'was not made for consumers'. Repeated warnings from experts Experts in submersible vehicles wrote a letter to Mr Rush warning trips on Titan could end in 'disaster' years before the vessel vanished. The letter, obtained by the New York Times, warned that 'the current 'experimental' approach' of the company could result in problems 'from minor to catastrophic.' Leaders in the submersible industry sent a letter to OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush (pictured) who is currently missing along with the vessel urging him to take caution It was sent by the Manned Underwater Vehicles committee of the Marine Technology Society, a 60-year-old trade group. It is unclear if any employee or Rush himself responded to the letter, and there was no further detail on why the approach was considered dangerous. Anyone boarding Titan was required to sign a disclaimer that read: 'This experimental vessel has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death.' Safety incidents on dives The Titan was hit by technical issues and mishaps on at least six previous occasions before it vanished over the weekend. In August 2021, Arthur Loibl dived down 12,500 feet to the Atlantic wreck site and has said he was 'incredibly lucky' to survive the voyage. Titan had experienced several safety incidents on previous dives, it has emerged Speaking to German tabloid Bild, the 60-year-old said parts fell off and the mission went into the water five hours late due to electrical problems. READ MORE - Search for missing Titanic sub live blog Advertisement In July 2022, YouTuber Alan Estrada was on board Titan when the batteries of the sub suddenly drained, forcing it to end early. Mexican-born Estrada and his fellow submariners' time spent at the wreck was slashed from four hours to one so they could return to the surface before the sub lost power. Meanwhile, Josh Gates told how the sub 'did not perform well' when he went on a trip to the Titanic in 2021. He said: 'To those asking, Titan did not perform well on my dive. Ultimately, I walked away from a huge opportunity to film Titanic due to my safety concerns with OceanGate. 'There's more to the history and design of Titan that has not been made public - much of it concerning.' Billionaire's friend withdrew due to safety worries A thrill-seeker who intended to join his missing billionaire friend Hamish Harding on the sub pulled out of the dive because he thought OceanGate was 'cutting too many corners'. Chris Brown, 61, had paid the deposit to go on the doomed voyage, but says he changed his mind after becoming concerned by the quality of technology and materials used in the vessel. Among his concerns were OceanGate's use of 'old scaffolding poles' for the ballast and the fact that its controls were 'based on computer game-style controllers'. He told The Sun that despite being 'one of the first people to sign up for this trip', he ultimately decided the 'risks were too high'. Chris Brown (pictured with Sir Richard Branson) pulled out of the dive because he thought OceanGate was 'cutting too many corners', it has emerged Mr Brown added that he feels 'really upset about Hamish', who was among the five passengers on the submersible that are still missing. Mr Brown and Mr Harding signed up for the then-80,000 voyage after sharing a 'few beers' while holidaying on Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island. The pair paid the 10 per cent deposit for the trip, which has since more than doubled in price, while the Titan was still being developed, he claimed. But Mr Brown alleged that in the years that followed, he learned OceanGate had 'missed key targets' when depth-testing the submersible. The multi-millionaire digital marketing tycoon found it concerning that the vessel was controlled by a modified PlayStation controller. He told The Sun: 'I found out they used old scaffolding poles for the sub's ballast. 'If you're trying to build your own submarine you could probably use old scaffold poles. But this was a commercial craft.' Mr Brown, who says he is 'not one to shy away from risk', eventually emailed OceanGate and asked for a refund. Official inspections rebuffed OceanGate opted against having Titan 'classed', an industry-wide practice whereby independent inspectors ensure vessels meet accepted technical standards. The firm suggested that seeking classification could take years and would be 'anathema to rapid innovation'. In 2019, OceanGate said seeking classification for Titan would not 'ensure that operators adhere to proper operating procedures and decision-making processes two areas that are much more important for mitigating risks at sea'. A file photo of inside the OceanGate Expeditions sub, which has been described as around the size of a minivan Classification involves recruiting an independent organization to ensure vessels like ships and submersibles meet industry-wide technical standards. READ MORE - Five things that could have happened to the missing Titanic sub Advertisement It is a crucial way of ensuring a vessel is fit to operate. In a blog post titled 'Why Isn't Titan Classed?', OceanGate suggested classification would take too long. The post said: 'While classing agencies are willing to pursue the certification of new and innovative designs and ideas, they often have a multi-year approval cycle due to a lack of pre-existing standards 'Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation.' The company said its 'innovations' included a real-time (RTM) hull health monitoring system which is 'not currently covered by any classing agency'. Worker fired after raising safety issues OceanGate bosses fired David Lochridge, who was Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, in 2018 after it disagreed with his demand for more rigorous safety checks on the submersible, including 'testing to prove its integrity'. Mr Lochridge, whose role included overseeing safety on the Titan project, had urged OceanGate to seek classification several years ago, before he was sacked in a disagreement about safety checks on the craft. He also wanted the company to carry out a scan of Titan's hull to 'detect potential flaws' rather than 'relying on acoustic monitoring' which would only detect an issue 'milliseconds before an implosion'. In a court document filed in 2018, lawyers for the company said Mr Lochridge's employment was terminated because he 'could not accept' their research and plans, including safety protocols. OceanGate bosses fired David Lochridge, who was Director of Marine operations for the Titan project, in 2018 after it disagreed with his demand for more rigorous safety checks OceanGate also claimed that he 'desired to be fired' and had shared confidential information with others and wiped a company hard drive. The company said he 'refused to accept the voracity of information' about safety from Titan's lead engineer. Mr Lochridge had relocated from the UK to Washington to work on the development of Titan which was previously called Cyclops 2. A former Royal Navy marine engineer and ship's diver, he was described by OceanGate as an 'expert in the field of submarine operations and rescue'. Legal filings obtained by DaiyMail.com show that he wrote a report in 2018 which was critical of the company's research and development process for the vessel. Mr Lochridge also 'strongly encouraged that OceanGate utilize a classification agency, such as the American Bureau of Shipping, to inspect and certify the Titan.' The suit states that 'OceanGate refused both requests, and stated it was unwilling to pay for a classification agency to inspect its experimental design.' Mr Lochridge 'disagreed with OceanGate's position to dive the submersible without any non-destructive testing to prove its integrity, and to subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible.' He said he could not accept OceanGate's research and development plans. Based on the CEO's position, OceanGate terminated his employment, the legal filings reveal. A woman in South Korea has been arrested, accused of strangling to death two of her infant children and storing their bodies in her freezer since they were born. The mother, 30, who has not been named, reportedly ended the lives of her babies a day after their births in November 2018 and 2019. Police said that she had stored them in a freezer in plastic bags, after uncovering the horror during an investigation in the northwestern city of Suwon on Wednesday. In a tragic twist, the mother of three told police that she had chosen to kill her children because she could not afford to look after them. Police said both children appeared to have been killed a day after they were born, one at home and the other near the hospital where the mother gave birth. Image shows the Gyeonggi Provincial Policy Agency building. Police detained the mother accused of killing her children after an investigation into unregistered children in Suwon According to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, the woman had told her husband that she had aborted the children. Through his lawyer, he said he was unaware of the crime, apologising for not having done anything to stop her: 'I knew my wife was pregnant, but I didnt know she had killed the babies. I trusted her when she told me she had an abortion. 'I am sorry for not protecting the babies. I suspected something was wrong when the police recently investigated my wife, but I didnt think she had done something like this. 'I couldnt protect the babies, and I think it is a crime that I didnt know something like this happened. I am so sorry to the babies.' But he remains a suspect in an ongoing investigation into the case. Police are currently detaining the woman and plan to file for an arrest warrant after their investigation, reports say. The couple live in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, a city in northwestern South Korea. They work in a call centre and have three other children aged eight, 10 and 12. The killings were brought to light during a wider investigation into missing children in South Korea. Local governments were pushed to find 20 missing children urgently, after it was revealed 2,000 born since 2015 remained unregistered. She had initially refused an attempt by the municipal government to carry out an inspection of their home. In another case, a baby born in Changwon, South Gyeonsang, in 2022, died of malnutrition 76 days after birth. Others had been found abandoned in so-called 'baby boxes'. Infanticide and the abandonment of young children are pronounced issues affecting the country. The preference of parents towards having a boy has led some to abandon children in 'baby boxes', prompting social debates - but no meaningful policy changes in recent years. Income inequality and poverty are also worrying factors influencing parents' decisions to end the lives of their children. South Korea's Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, is ranked medium. Where a value of 0 indicates complete equality, and a value of 1 indicates complete inequality, South Korea received a value of 0.331 in 2020. For comparison, Britain received a value of 0.355 in the same year. Research into infanticide and poverty in South Korea has showed that just a one per cent increase in the unemployment rate significantly raises the risk of infanticide within half a year. Between 2003 and 2017, there were 205 infanticides in total in South Korea. The rate of child homicide peaked between 2009 and 2011, fluctuating until 2014 before sharply increasing in 2015. Researchers correlated economic turmoil with a greater number of infanticides. Suwon, a city south of the Korean capital of Seoul, where a mother was arrested after allegedly killing two of her infant children, saying she could not afford to look after them In August last year, President Yook Suk-yeol said that he would take action to care for struggling citizens after a family was found dead at home in Suwon. A mother and her two daughters were found dead in apparent suicides after reportedly struggling with illness and financial difficulties. The President said at the time: 'I have told the people until now that when it comes to welfare, which is the foundation of freedom and solidarity, I would pursue welfare for the weak rather than welfare for politics, and meet with the weak who are unable to express their difficulties in one voice and look after their difficult lives.' The mother was in her sixties and the two daughters in their forties. A British Army sergeant has been demoted after using nearly 6,000 provided from the Ministry Of Defence for his daughter's school fees to buy a new house. Colour Sergeant Josaia Digova received 7,847 from the Ministry of Defence to pay for his 17-year-old daughter's private tuition at St Joseph's College in Ipswich, Suffolk, Bulford Military Court heard. However, CSgt Digova of 1st Battalion Princess of Wales Royal Regiment only paid the school 2,000, before using the remaining 5,847 to pay for solicitors' fees while purchasing a new house. St. Joseph's boasts a 60 acre campus and charges up to 40,000 per year for students who board full time, with alumni including the likes of comedian Richard Ayoade, musician Brian Eno and politician John McDonnell. Having admitted misapplying public property, 44-year-old CSgt Digova was demoted and ordered to pay service compensation for the 'significant abuse of trust'. Colour Sergeant Josaia Digova used nearly 6,000 provided by the MOD for his daughter's education to buy a new house, Bulford Military Court heard (pictured, file image) Prosecutor Major Hannah Thomson told Bulford Military Court in Wiltshire that he had received money from the MoD in a Continuity of Education Allowance (CEA) payment. She said: 'On October 4, 2021, the Ministry of Defence paid a sum of 7,847 into CSgt Digova's bank account. 'It was CEA allowance for term September 2021 until December 2021 for his daughter to attend St. Joseph's College in Ipswich. 'But, only 2,000 of that amount was paid to the school, meaning there was a balance still due to the school of 5,847.' Maj Thomson said CSgt Digova was 'fully eligible' for CEA payment and had his application approved correctly. However, he didn't qualify for the allowance in the spring and summer terms as he was unable to provide proof of full payment to the school within 30 days. This meant he couldn't pay the substantial 9,000 fees for the following two terms - seeing his total debt to the school rise above 23,000. Maj Thomson told the court CSgt Digova was interviewed under caution, giving 'full and frank' answers about where the funds had gone. She continued: 'He accepted he had received the sum. 'He stated he had used the remaining funds to to pay his solicitors' fees following purchase of a house under the forces' Help to Buy scheme. 'He was concerned he might have ended up losing his house. 'CSgt Digova recognised he had breached CEA regulation by failing to pay the full balance of funds to the school. 'This was a breach of trust by a senior non commissioned officer.' Mitigating, Dingle Clark said CSgt Digova was 'full of remorse' for the decision he made while 'up against a wall financially'. 'He feels he has let himself, and to a certain extent his colleagues, down,' Mr Clark said. 'This was a legitimate claim that he was entitled to. 'What went wrong was that he found himself financially stretched in October 2021. 'He didn't misuse the money to gamble or anything like that, he paid some solicitors' fees for the acquisition of his house and paid 2,000 to the school.' Mr Clark told the court over months that followed he paid 3,900 back to the school, but admitted the failure to pay school fees by a military parent 'has potential to embarrass the army'. Sentencing CSgt Digova, Judge Advocate General Darren Reed said his actions had 'potential to reflect badly on the army'. Regarding the fees he now owes the school having been unable to claim CEA for the following terms, he added: 'That is something you have brought entirely on yourself.' Addressing CSgt Digova, Judge Reed said: 'You are not a young, private soldier, you are a 44-year-old, experienced Colour Sergeant. 'Having got yourself into something of a financial mess, you misapplied just under 6,000 of public money to assist you to buy a house rather than use it for its intended purpose. 'This was a significant abuse of the trust placed in you and is serious enough to warrant a reduction in rank.' CSgt Digova was therefore reduced to rank of Sergeant and handed a service compensation order of 1,075 to be paid back to St. Joseph's. Hopes are quickly vanishing that passengers on the missing Titanic submersible will be found alive - with only one remote-controlled submarine having the ability to retrieve the Titan by hooking a winch to the craft and hauling it off the ocean floor. Oxygen supplies are now feared to have fun out after the vessel lost communication with operators on Sunday while 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland, while on a tourism voyage to the Titanic's wreck. The Titan Five include include British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French navy veteran PH Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19. An unmanned remote controlled robot sub is the only vessel in the world that could help bring the men's submarine from the dark depths of the Atlantic to the surface, with the help of the US Navy's unique salvage system. Victor 6000 ROV - which arrived at the search area at 2am on the French research vessel L'Atlante - can reach depths of 20,000ft, going deeper than where the Titanic lays. Once submerged it can get to the wreck, lying at 12,500ft, in approximately two hours after entering the water. There is only one vessel in the world - the Victor 6000 ROV - that can be used to find the missing Titan, with the US Navy's Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System having the only winch strong enough to bring it to the surface The Victor 6000 (pictured) can get to the depths needed and can help free or attach a cable to the Titan - if they can find it The US Navy's Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System can be used to haul objects weighing as much as 270 tons from depths of 19,000ft The impressive submarine, kitted out with a robotic arm and powerful lights, will remain connected by an 8km long umbilical cable to its mother ship as it travels down. The cable provides Victor with the electrical power it needs on its dive. Its remotely controlled arms can be used to cut cables and carry out other maneuvers to release the stuck vessel. While it has the capability to release the submarine that could be lodged under debris from the Titanic, lodged in its giant propellers or stuck in mud on the ocean floor, it cannot lift the Titan to the surface on its own. It can, however, help hook it to a ship at the ocean's surface. A winch and cable long enough to bring the Titan out of the water has been deployed by a US Navy system called the Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System (FADOSS) which can recover 'large, bulky, and heavy sunken objects such as aircraft or small vessels.' This can be used to haul objects weighing as much as 270 tons from depths of 19,000ft. Victor, which cost 130,000 to design in 1999, will use its robotic arms to hook this cable onto the Titan and help lift out of the deep sea using a giant winch. One of these is believed to be on a ship called the Horizon Arctic, which left Newfoundland yesterday and is racing to the area but will not arrive until later today. Five people are onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Victor 6000 is connected to the ship by an electromechanical cable which is 26,250ft long and supplies 20 kW of power The only set back is that the robot moves as slow as 1km/h which is problematic given the short time frame to find the missing tourists and crew. Many are praying for a 'miracle' for those onboard to be found alive but even if they have died in the tragedy, by combining technologies from the Victor and FADOSS, the doomed Titan will be able to be retrieved if it's ever found. Many are now praying for a 'miracle' that the five on board are found still alive. The area of the search has been expanded, with the surface search now about 10,000 square miles, and the sub-surface search about 2.5 miles deep. The Victor 6000 is run from the surface by a 25-strong crew. It can work 'non-stop' for up 72h hours, Olivier Lefort of Ifremer, a state-run French research institute that operates the robot, said. The company's Titan sub submerged at 8am EST on Sunday morning around 400 miles southeast of St John's, Newfoundland, according to the US Coast Guard. It lost contact at 9.45am but it wasn't reported to the Coast Guard until 5.40pm 'Victor is able to do visual exploration with all the video equipment it has,' he added. 'It is also equipped with manipulating arms which could be used to extricate the sub, such as by sectioning cables or things that would be blocking it at the bottom.' Above the Titanic is a flotilla of at least ten ships, two robot subs and several aircraft scanning the Atlantic for any sign of Titan as sonar continues to hear a banging noise from the depths. Shipping experts Marine Traffic have shared an animation of the ships rushing to the search zone. Titan's mothership Polar Prince has been searching the area since Sunday and is zig-zagging the site in the hope that it will appear on the surface or get back in contact after communications cut out more than 72 hours ago. The Titan had set off with 96 hours of air according to the company, meanings its oxygen supplies have likely depleted. A marine archaeologist has recalled the harrowing moment she was almost trapped in a submersive vessel by a 'ghost net' while exploring the Titanic almost 20 years ago. Emily Jateff, from Sydney, had just graduated in 2005 when she was chosen to take part in an expedition to the doomed ship's remains at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Her horror memories have been reignited as fears grow for the five adventurers now feared to have run out of oxygen onboard the missing Titan sub. Ms Jateff ran into trouble when she descended 3,800m in a 7.8-metre expedition vessel - along with a pilot and crew member. Sydneysider Emily Jateff had just graduated in 2005 when she was chosen to take part in an expedition to the doomed ship's remains at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean She and the group she was with spent hours roaming around the famous shipwreck (pictured) before the vessel became ensnared on its way up to the surface by a 'ghost net' The group spent hours roaming around the famous shipwreck before the vessel became ensnared on its way up to the surface by a discarded fishing net - known as a ghost net by submariners. The rear of the submersible was tipped upwards while the front end pointed below. 'It was momentarily terrifying,' Ms Jateff told the Sydney Morning Herald adding that the ghost nets 'are a serious threat to navigation both above and below the water'. After a few nail-biting moments the vessel righted itself with her companion Mike deGruy telling her to 'just watch the bubbles, if they are still going up, so are we'. The now curator of ocean science and technology at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney has made three more similar trips in submersibles since that scary moment. 'It was momentarily terrifying,' Ms Jateff (pictured) said when she became trapped on her way up from the Titanic wreck in 2005 Meanwhile, oxygen on Titan is now feared to have run out - but the desperate search for the missing Titanic submersible and the brave adventurers on board reached the floor of the Atlantic today - just as the desperate deadline passed. The world is now praying for a 'miracle' after the US Coast Guard predicted the vital oxygen supply would end at 12.08pm GMT (7.08am EST and 9.08pm Sydney). Banging has been heard at 30 minute intervals from the depths of the Atlantic - possibly from the men striking the side of the sub - but it has not yet been located. Those stuck onboard include British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French navy veteran PH Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19. The US Coast Guard has said that the rescue operation is 'still in an active search' with no plans yet to shift to a recovery phase as the desperate families of the so-called 'Titan Five' wait for news. A deep water robot sub has reached the Atlantic floor - and another is descending the 12,500ft of ocean fast. 'The Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic has deployed an ROV that has reached the sea floor and began its search for the missing sub', a spokesman said. And a French ship viewed as the best and final hope of finding the missing Titanic submersible has also dropped its remote-controlled sub to find five missing adventurers. L'Atalante has deployed Victor 6000, which can reach depths of 20,000ft and will arrive at the Titanic's wreck in the next two hours. Victor 6000 has arms that can cut cables - or dislodge a trapped or stranded vessel - and may be able to fix a cable onto the sub before it is hauled several miles to the surface by a giant winch with more than three miles of cable called a Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System on Horizon Arctic. Despite fears their oxygen supplies have run out, there is still hope in the most desperate of situations. Experts believe that the 96-hour oxygen supply number is an imprecise estimate and could be extended if those on board have taken measures to conserve breathable air including lying still and even sleeping. Guillermo Sohnlein founded OceanGate with Mr Rush in 2009 and believes that if the window for finding them could go beyond the US Coastguard's prediction. He said: 'Today will be a critical day in this search and rescue mission, as the sub's life support supplies are starting to run low. 'I'm certain that Stockton and the rest of the crew realised days ago that the best thing they can do to ensure their rescue is to extend the limits of those supplies by relaxing as much as possible. I firmly believe that the time window available for their rescue is longer than what most people think. I continue to hold out hope for my friend and the rest of the crew'. Five people are onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition The Atalante - viewed as the final hope for the missing Titan sub - has arrived at the search site. It is dropping in a deep sea robot called the Victor 6000, shown at the stern of its mother vessel The Victor 6000 (pictured) can get to the depths needed and can help free or attach a cable to the Titan - if they can find it This is how Titan could be saved by the French ship, if it is found Titan's mothership Polar Prince has been searching the area since Sunday and is zig-zagging the site. At least ten ships are on the sea above the Titanic Titan lost communication on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic off the coast of Canada. The last 'ping' of its homing device was heard on Sunday afternoon - directly above the world's most famous seawreck. Above the Titanic is a flotilla of at least ten ships, two robot subs and several aircraft scanning the Atlantic for any sign of Titan as sonar continues to hear a banging noise from the depths. Shipping experts Marine Traffic have shared an animation of the ships rushing to the search zone. Titan's mothership Polar Prince has been searching the area since Sunday and is zig-zagging the site in the hope that it will appear on the surface or get back in contact after communications cut out more than 72 hours ago. Rob Larter, a marine expert at the British Antarctic Survey, told a press conference on Thursday that he thought the Victor 6000 was the 'main hope' for an underwater rescue. Alistair Greig, a professor of marine engineering at University College London, said the robot's two manipulator arms could potentially allow it to untangle the Titan, or attach a device that could float it to the surface. The Victor 6000 also has strong lights, allowing to see through some of the murk at such depths. But the experts warned that the rescuers would need to know fairly precisely where to look for Titan, which currently does not seem to be the case. Finding the submersible 'could potentially take weeks of intense survey,' Larter warned. And even if search teams do find the submersible, a rescue operation could take up precious time. In a normal situation, it would take two hours for a ROV like the Victor 6000 to get down to the necessary depth - and another two hours to float back up, Greig said. The missing submersible is also reportedly bolted from the outside, which could take up more time, he added. Larter said it was a 'desperate situation'. 'It's kind of unimaginable if people are alive, trapped in a submersible with oxygen supplies running down. 'An objective assessment of where things are at the moment: it doesn't look good,' Larter said, adding that it was important to stay optimistic. The Coastguard has admitted it does not know if it is the five men hammering on the side of their sub or simply the sound of the sea including perhaps debris falling from the Titanic itself at 12,500ft below the surface. But even if it is discovered it will take many hours to save Titan - meaning that the oxygen could run out before they get to the surface. Rescue efforts to find them have continued overnight - and are becoming ever more desperate. Oisin Fanning has been on board the Titan sub twice. He told BBC Breakfast this morning: 'There are no noises down there. There are no noises on the Titanic - no banging, no nothing. So the likelihood is that it is someone tapping every 30 minutes to indicate where they are'. Oceanographer and water search expert Dr David Gallo said today: 'It's going to be almost impossible. We need a miracle but miracles do happen'. But former Royal Navy Officer, Chris Parry, said as Midday approached: 'I'm afraid time's up - I don't think there's any prospect of getting those people out alive now'. It is a bleak picture for those trapped inside the stranded vessel, but officials have continued to insist that the hunt is '100 per cent' still a search and rescue mission. Rescuers searching for the missing Titanic explorers have been racing against the clock as they struggled to find the source of underwater 'banging noises' detected yesterday. Canadian aircraft picked up the sounds by sonar some of which were said to be heard at regular 30-minute intervals as recently as yesterday afternoon, close to where the Titan submersible disappeared. But the Coast Guard admitted last night that extensive searches around the area 435 miles off Newfoundland had so far 'yielded negative results'. Rescuers have insisted 'we always have hope' for the five passengers including three Britons on the missing 21ft submersible which vanished on Sunday. Response co-ordinator Captain Jamie Frederick for First Coast Guard District said: 'This is a search and rescue mission, 100 per cent.' Deep-sea explorer Dr David Gallo believes it would take a 'miracle' to rescue those trapped in Titan, but remains optimistic. He told Good Morning Britain: 'Maybe two days ago my hope was sliding downward rapidly, but then these noises appeared and there seems to be very credible sources there, credible and repeatable. 'We'll see how that pans out but everything is happening very quickly, so we have a race against time. 'Our hopes are high. We need a miracle at this point, but miracles do happen, so I'm very optimistic.' Dr Gallo has said it will take hours to rescue the submersible once found. Speaking to Good Morning Britain, he said: 'In this case, the noises are repetitive, every half hour I believe. 'Three different aircraft heard them in their sensors at the same time and it went on for two days-plus. 'It's still going on apparently. There's not a lot in the natural world we can think of that would do that every 30-minute cycle. 'We have to, at this point, assume that that's the submarine and move quickly to that spot, locate it and get robots down there to verify that is where the submarine is. 'They've got to go fully ready as if that was the sub because it takes a while to locate it and get it up to the surface, it takes hours.' A door with signage removed is seen at Ocean Gate Headquarters at the Waterfront Building within the Port of Everett complex in Everett, Washington The Titan, a tourist submersible which runs $250,000 tours of the doomed Titanic ship and is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has been underwater since 8am on Sunday with five people on board The pilot of a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft of 14 Wing flies a search pattern for the missing OceanGate submersible The area of ocean is teeming with boats and equipment trying to find the missing sub Timeline (British Summer Time) of the search for the Ocean Gate submersible, if Titan has lost its power the crew will be in complete darkness facing temperatures of 3C The 21ft submersible has an oxygen supply of up to 96 hours - but some experts believe it could be higher At a press conference at the US Coast Guard Station in Boston - which is coordinating the search and rescue effort - First District Response Coordinator Capt. Jamie Frederick said it was not certain the sub could be saved Rescuers including the USCG, British Navy and French and Canadian teams had been picking up the pace ahead as the window of rescue narrowed. Rescuers are refusing to give up hope, US Coastguard Captain Jamie Frederick insisted on Wednesday, even as people around the world count down the hours until oxygen is expected to run out on the vessel. 'We have to remain optimistic and hopeful when we are in a search and rescue case. If we continue to search, potentially we could be at that point... And that's a discussion we will have with the families long before I am going to discuss here publicly.' According to OceanGate, Titan's operator, the sub has a 96-hour oxygen supply in case of emergencies. Search and rescue teams are racing against time as they scour an area where noises were detected for the missing Titan sub, with experts saying they are continuing to analyse the sounds in the sea. The only possible trace of the vessel which is continuing to be investigated was underwater 'banging' sounds, which were detected yesterday in the search for the missing Titanic submersible. But, the US Navy experts analysing the sounds said they cannot yet conclude whether they are coming from the stranded vessel, and ROVs were continuing to return negative results from under the sea. Private groups who had offered their help to the rescue mission as early as Monday were allegedly not authorised to help until Wednesday night, sources also told MailOnline. Rescuers are now embarking on a last-ditch attempt to find the tiny vessel in a huge expanse of water, with the search area expanded to around 14,000 square miles - twice the size of the state of Connecticut. The time pressure is compounded by the fact that the underwater vehicles may be able to pinpoint Titan, which was headed for the Titanic wreckage 12,500ft below the surface, but it will take additional specialized tools for the mammoth task of bringing it up. Hopes of a recovery were raised slightly on Wednesday when a Canadian P-3 aircraft equipped with sonar detected the periodic 'banging' sound. The P-3 is one of several models of aircraft which are also helping the search by scouring the ocean surface and using sonar equipment for signs of activity on the seabed. A range of military and commercial vessels is also at the site, offering a mixture of search capabilities, communications tools and rescue equipment if Titan is found. Ultimately, it is down to the submersibles to get eyes on Titan if it remains on the seabed - or trapped within the Titanic's wreckage. Sean Leet, co-founder of Horizon Maritime Services, the company which owns Titan's mothership Polar Prince, said on Wednesday that he has never seen advanced search 'equipment of that nature move that quickly'. The family of the missing Titan sub tourists, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, gathered above the water on Wednesday where the vessel was last seen. A family source in Karachi, Pakistani, where Mr Dawood is from, released a new picture of the father and son to MailOnline and said: 'I can tell you that Mrs Dawood and her daughter are currently in the search area at the moment and will remain there for as long as they can. Sulaiman Dawood, 19, who is missing on board the sub is pictured with his mother Christine Among those taking part in the expedition is billionaire Hamish Harding (pictured), CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai. He excitedly posted to social media about being there on Sunday 'Naturally this is a very tough time for the family and they're not coping at all well with the situation, they are drawing strength from each other and hoping and praying for the best. 'The messages of support they are getting from all around the world are also keeping them positive and they are grateful for everyone's kind thoughts and wishes.' 'It's not clear what it was that made Mr Dawood want to go and visit the Titanic with his son, but he is driven by a passion of exploration, and I understand this was something that had been planned for some time.' The Dawoods belong to one of Pakistan's most prominent families. Their eponymous firm invests across the country in agriculture, industries and the health sector. Their family, including Shahzada's wife Christine and daughter Alina, are waiting for news of the pair. The passengers onboard Titan include British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and OceanGate's chief executive and founder Stockton Rush. In a heartbreaking plea, one of Mr Harding's close friends Jannicke Mikkelsen warned 'we are losing time'. The panicked friend told BBC Radio 4's Today programme yesterday: 'I'm nervous. I'm sick to my stomach with nerves. I'm terrified, I'm anxious. I'm not sleeping at the moment. I'm just hoping for good news. Every single second, every single minute feels like hours.' A British chef has incurred the wrath of vegans across the world after announcing he will no longer cater to plant-based diners at his Australian restaurant. John Mountain, originally from Preston, Lancashire, caused a stir when he reacted to a negative review from a non-meat eater by declaring: 'F*** vegans... they can f*** off.' The 55-year-old has since imposed a ban on all such customers at Fyre in Perth, where a 'monster lamb shank' costs 24, claiming to do so 'for mental health reasons'. However, it is not the first time the restaurateur has caught the eye, after a memorable stint on the BBC's Great British Menu more than a decade ago. Fans may recall Mountain insisting on serving King Charles - then the Prince of Wales - a rabbit stew pudding on a plastic plate, before storming off set and swearing at Michelin-starred chef Marcus Wareing for marking him two out of ten for a fish dish. John Mountain, originally from Preston, Lancashire, caused a stir when he reacted to a negative review from a non-meat eater by declaring: 'F*** vegans... they can f*** off' He has since imposed a ban on all such customers at Fyre in Perth, where a 'monster lamb shank' costs 24, claiming to do so 'for mental health reasons' Early in his career, Mountain enjoyed a whirlwind education from Marco Pierre White at his Mayfair restaurant, Mirabelle, and worked under Heston Blumental at the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire. However, he soon decided that he didn't want to work for anyone else, as he grappled with his drinking habits. 'The booze was getting a bit too much,' he told The West Australian in 2019. 'I was being paid far too much and was p****d almost every night. My fridge was full of nothing but Veuve Clicquot.' So in 2000, he decided to open his own restaurant in Wood Green, north London called Mosaica, which he described as 'a magical place', with walls painted black, tin foil on the ceiling and the place covered in fairy lights and candles. People told him the idea was 'ridiculous', but were proved wrong when he started racking up glowing reviews from some of the capital's harshest food critics. As his stock continued to grow, he then appeared on Great British Menu, catching the eye of viewers with some unusual choices. In one memorable scene, he is questioned over how he is going to present a rabbit stew pudding to the-then Prince of Wales on a white polystyrene tray, only to be ridiculed by colleagues. But the chef defended himself, claiming: 'This is what it's all about. Do you think he cares about what he eats from?' Wareing - who Mountain would later swear out after being given two out of ten for a fish dish - then suggests there may be some logic behind the young star's idea. 'Strangely enough looking at the plastic plate, I think something like that would make someone like Prince Charles chuckle,' he said. However, Mountain later revealed in a Channel 4 interview with Ruby Wax that the show sparked a spiral of depression, as he told viewers fascinated by his behaviour: 'I'm not eccentric. I have a mental problem.' Great British Menu fans may recall Mountain insisting on serving King Charles - then the Prince of Wales - a rabbit stew pudding on a plastic plate Early in his career, Mountain (pictured, right, in the Fyre kitchen) enjoyed a whirlwind education from Marco Pierre White at his Mayfair restaurant, Mirabelle, and worked under Heston Blumental at the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire Mountain emigrated to Australia in 2016 with his wife and two children, working with some of the finest chefs Down Under before setting up in Fyre Speaking of his exit from the show, he added: 'As I walked out and kicked the doors open, all I saw was this six foot picture of myself staring down at me. 'I looked at it and pulled it down and snapped it, smashed it and kicked it down the studio. When I got home I fell into my wife's arms and cried my eyes out. It just got worse. I thought about suicide and how I would do it.' His 2010 appearance on Great British Menu came a year before he set up the English Pig in London's Millbank, using his own money, where he would work up to 80 hours a week. However, he branded the business a 'disaster' after it closed just 24 months later, costing him nearly 200,000 and forcing him to sell off kitchen equipment and furniture to pay off debts. His carnivorous devotion was clear when he penned 'Pig: Cooking with a Passion for Pork' in 2012, describing the meat as 'healthy, inexpensive and incredibly versatile'. His profile picture on Instagram, meanwhile, is one of him in an apron cuddling a piglet. He then emigrated to Australia in 2016 with his wife and two children, working with some of the finest chefs Down Under before setting up in Fyre. Mountain and his restaurant then made worldwide headlines after an extraordinary Facebook post, in which he said: 'Sadly all vegans are now banned from Fyre for mental health reasons. We thank you for your understanding. xx' His outburst came after a disgruntled customer triggered a series of one-star reviews on his page. Mountain explained on social media: 'A young girl reached out to me and said she was coming to the restaurant and asked if there were vegan options,' he said. 'It was my only shortfall I said I would accommodate her, I said we had gnocchi, vegetables and that was that.' However, Mountain admitted he forgot about the woman's request because he had been busy catering a private party. His sous chef scolded him for 'not telling them about the vegan customer' and the woman then lodged a complaint the following day after what she felt was a below-par experience. Mountain was a memorable contestant on the Great British Menu back in 2010 Mr Mountain said his decision was simple as if you come at him and his business he will come at you (pictured: Mr Mountain's restaurant Fyre) 'My only option was the vegetable dish it was okay but not that filling and I was shocked to see it was $32,' she wrote in her complaint via a direct Facebook message. 'I think it's incredibly important nowadays that restaurants can accommodate everyone and to not be able to have actual plant-based meals shows your shortcomings as a chef. 'I hope to see some improvements in your menu as I have lived in Connolly for quite some time and have seen many restaurants come and go from that building and none of them last. 'If you don't get with the times, I don't hold out faith that your restaurant will be the one that does.' However, Mountain did not take to the criticism kindly, launching a fierce response via the restaurant's page. 'As for vegans/vegetarians being a very low minority, especially in the northern burbs' I try to accommodate everyone else,' he wrote 'Thanks for your negative review please feel free to share your s**tty experience and I look forward to not seeing you again. How very childish. 'You and all your vegan mates can all go and enjoy your dishes in another venue. You are now banned.' A flurry of competing one-star and five-star reviews followed between those venting their displeasure at Mountain's stance and those supporting the restaurant. He went on to tell PerthNow how the negative reviews 'really hurts the business'. 'F*** vegans seriously I'm done. At the end of the day, it's not what I want to do, they can f*** off.' The ban sparked a reaction across the globe, with Australian vegan activist Tash Peterson leading the charge to stage a protest at the restaurant. Notorious vegan activist Tash Peterson (pictured) and others online suggested they might stage a protest at his Fyre restaurant Mountain told The Project: 'I have nothing against nobody apart from those who want to damage my business. 'I don't care whether you're green, yellow, orange, you could be Mexican, I don't give a monkeys. 'You try and damage my business, you come after me, you are going to have the wrath of Johnny Chuffin Mountain against you.' He also joked that he always knows when a vegan in his restaurant. 'You always know when you have a vegan in your restaurant because they will tell you 17 times they are vegan before they even step a foot in your building,' he said. Despite sparking outrage for many, Mountain says business has picked up dramatically. 'Things have worked out ridiculously well... I usually do half a dozen people in this beautiful restaurant.. I have 35 booked for dinner (on Wednesday night),' he said. 'Thank you so much for your vegans, I can go buy a new farm now and look after my animals beautifully.' Following his remarks vegan activist Ms Peterson, who has been known to stage protests inside diners before, said that the chef was guilty and insecure. 'He's obviously quite triggered by veganism and I think maybe it's a defence mechanism for his own guilt,' she told 7News. Many others across the globe also took exception to his comments on social media. One said: 'I wouldn't eat at this ego maniac's expensive slop shop if I ever visited England.' Another wrote: 'Who are you, John Mountain, to dictate to me what I can eat? Mind your own business, and get smart, you are not my father, you have no RIGHT to be a socialist dictator.' Hunter Biden's deal with federal prosecutors has even a third of Democratic voters questioning whether the Department of Justice is handing down special treatment to the president's son. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll finds that 50 percent of Americans think Hunter, 53, got preferential treatment by reaching a plea deal on tax charges that will allow him to avoid jail time for lying on a federal form to purchase a firearm. News of the charges and deal broke earlier this week, showing that the younger Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax. He also is entering a prison-free pre-trial agreement for probation for possessing a firearm while using or addicted to a controlled substance. Reuters' two-day poll closed on Wednesday and showed Americans are divided on the case. A whopping 75 percent of Republicans see the DOJ giving preferential treatment to Biden compared with just 33 percent of Democrats who feel the same. Americans are split down party lines on whether President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden received preferential treatment from federal prosecutors in reaching a plea deal that will see him avoid jail time A new poll from Reuters/Ipsos shows that 50% of the public thinks Hunter got special treatment, while 75% of Republicans feel that way and one-third of Democrats agree The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,004 U.S. adults nationwide and has a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about 4 percentage points. Most respondents said the case would not affect their likelihood of voting for President Joe Biden next year as he seeks reelection. The lawyer for rapper Kodak Black denounced Hunter's special treatment after his client was charged with the same federal weapons crime but was sentenced to over three years in prison. 'There's no such thing as not getting jail time on a gun charge on any kind of gun charge,' Bradford Cohen, the criminal defense attorney for Black, told Fox News Digital. Hunter will make an initial appearance in a Delaware federal court on July 26, according to a Wednesday court filing. U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a federal prosecutor in Delaware appointed by Republican former President Donald Trump, said on Tuesday that Hunter has agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes and to enter into an agreement that could avert a conviction on the gun-related charge. Trump and his Republican allies charged that the plea agreement amounted to special treatment for Biden's son. Weiss was one of a few Trump-appointed prosecutors that Biden asked to stay on after he took office in January 2021, to avoid the appearance of tampering in politically sensitive investigations. The younger Biden has worked as a lobbyist, lawyer, consultant to foreign companies, investment banker and artist, and has publicly detailed his struggles with substance abuse. According to court filings, Hunter received taxable income of more than $1.5 million in 2017 and in 2018 but did not pay income tax those years despite owing in excess of $100,000. Details of a plea deal were revealed in court filings this week where Hunter plans to plea guilty to two tax offenses and is reaching a pre-trial agreement on probation that will see him avoid jail time for lying on a federal form to purchase a gun and possessing a firearm while using or being addicted to a controlled substance President Biden insisted just one month before the charges that his 53-year-old son did 'nothing wrong' He is also charged with unlawfully owning a firearm from roughly Oct. 12 to Oct 23, 2018, when he was using and addicted to a controlled substance. For that charge, he entered a pretrial diversion agreement, an alternative to prosecution that is sometimes used to allow defendants to avoid prison time or a criminal conviction. President Biden said just last month in an interview with MSNBC that his son did 'nothing wrong.' 'First of all my son has done nothing wrong,' the president said in reference to the multiple investigations and high amount of scrutiny placed on Hunter when asked how his son's business dealings have impacted his presidency. 'I trust him, I have faith in him,' Biden told host Stephanie Ruhle in May during his first one-on-one since announcing his reelection campaign. 'And it impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him.' The Vatican has revealed 'new leads' in the case of a missing schoolgirl who vanished mysteriously from her family's Vatican City apartment 40 years ago today. Emanuela Orlandi left home for a flute lesson in Rome on June 22, 1983, vanishing without a trace, aged just 15-years-old. Her disappearance was linked to everything from a mafia kidnapping to an attempt on the life of then-Pope John II, and a financial scandal involving the Vatican bank. Now, the Vatican has revealed that new leads 'worthy of further investigation' have surfaced, reviving hopes of the mystery will be solved at last. The Vatican's criminal prosecutor, Alessandro Diddi, said today he had recently forwarded to prosecutors in Rome all the relevant evidence he had gathered in the six months since he reopened the investigation into Orlandi's disappearance. In a statement, he vowed to keep pursuing the case, reviewing old files and re-interviewing witnesses. The Vatican recently reopened the case of Emanuela Orlandi who vanished in Rome in 1983 The Vatican's senior prosecutor Alessandro Diddi is leading the new probe, going over old case files and speaking again to witnesses Popular interest in the case was renewed last year with the four-part Netflix documentary 'Vatican Girl'. The show explored the different scenarios suspected in her disappearance and also provided new testimony from a friend who said Orlandi had told her a week before she disappeared that a high-ranking Vatican cleric had made sexual advances toward her. After the documentary aired and with the 40th anniversary of her disappearance nearing, Orlandi's family - backed by some lawmakers - pressed for an Italian parliamentary commission of inquiry. Separately, the Vatican and Rome prosecutor's offices reopened the investigation. In January, it was reported the new probe led by Diddi would revisit files and speak to old witnesses. There have been no meaningful leads back to the missing child since 1983. In the years since, a number of conspiracies have emerged to explain the girl's disappearance. Some say Orlandi went missing in an attempt to blackmail the Vatican to release Mehmet Ali Agca, jailed in 1981 for trying to kill the Pope. Others said there was a link to the grave of Enrico De Pedis, a mobster buried in a Rome basilica with mafia ties. Rome's previous chief prosecutor who archived the case within the Italian legal system, Giuseppe Pignatone, is now the chief judge of the Vatican's criminal tribunal, where Diddi is the chief prosecutor. In the statement, Diddi said his office had collected 'all the evidence available in the structures of the Vatican and the Holy See.' He said his office had also interrogated people who held Vatican positions 40 years ago. 'It has proceeded to examine the material, confirming some investigative leads worthy of further investigation and transmitting all the relevant documentation, in recent weeks, to the Prosecutor's Office in Rome, so that the latter may take a look at it and proceed in the direction it deems most appropriate,' the statement said. He expressed solidarity with the Orlandi family. Pietro Orlandi wears a placard with a picture of his sister Emanuela during a sit-in near Saint Peter's Basilica, in Rome, Saturday, January 14, 2023. A poster announcing the vanishing of Emanuela Orlandi, the daughter of a Vatican employee Pietro Orlandi, who has fought for 40 years to find the truth about his sister, is planning a sit-in protest Sunday near the Vatican. He has long charged that the Vatican has never come clean with what it knows about the case. In July 2019 the tombs of two princesses in the Vatican's Teutonic Cemetery, opened in a search for Orlandi's body, were found empty. In late November 2018 Rome prosecutors said bones found in an annexe to the Vatican's nunciature to Italy do not belong to Orlandi or the other girl, Mirella Gregori who disappeared a month before Orlandi vanished. A former Labour peer has led the backlash against Guardian columnist Ash Sarkar over her 'grotesque' tweets about the missing Titanic tourist submarine victims. The columnist, 31, who has written some 23 articles for the Guardian, used the tragedy to suggest the rich should be taxed more. Her comments came shortly before OceanGate Expeditions confirmed the deaths of the five men on the missing submersible, parts of which were discovered today on the ocean floor, 500 meters from the bow of the famous ship they died trying to see. Writing to her 400,000 followers on Twitter, she wrote: 'If the super-rich can spend 250,000 on vanity jaunts 2.4 miles beneath the ocean then they're not being taxed enough.' In response, Former Labour MP Lord Ian Austin, who sits as an independent in the Lords, replied: 'Look how this virtuous caring communist reacts as five human beings - including a teenager - might be gasping their last breaths and suffering an awful fate. 'And the hard left wonder why people dont vote for them.' Ash Sarkar, 31, (pictured) has sparked outrage on social media following an 'utterly grotesque' tweet about the missing Titanic tourist submarine victims In a tweet to her 400,000 followers, the columnist said the rich are not being taxed enough Former Labour MP Lord Ian Austin said: 'Look how this virtuous caring communist reacts as five human beings - including a teenager - might be gasping their last breaths and suffering an awful fate' Lord Ian Austin (right), pictured with Prince William, disagreed with Ash Sarkar's comments on the Titanic submarine tragedy She added: 'The Titanic submarine is a modern morality tale of what happens when you have too much money, and the grotesque inequality and sympathy, attention and aid for those without it' In response to Ms Sarkar, fellow Guardian columnist Ariane Sherine rejected the views Since receiving backlash on social media, Ms Sarkar also wrote: 'The Titanic submarine is a modern morality tale of what happens when you have too much money, and the grotesque inequality and sympathy, attention and aid for those without it. Who is Ash Sarkar? Ash Sarkar, 31, is an influential British journalist and columnist who has written 23 articles for the Guardian. She is currently Contributing Editor at Novara Media - an independent, left-wing media group - and teaches at the Sandberg institution in Amsterdam. She earned her undergraduate and masters degrees in English Literature at University College London. The London-native has gathered more than 400,000 followers on Twitter and was a strong backer of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour Party leader. Ms Sarkar is reportedly the great-great-niece of East Bengali revolutionary nationalist Pritilata Waddedar who was influential during the Indian independence movement. In December 2020, writer Julie Burchill's book was cancelled by publisher Little, Brown after she told Ms Sarkar, who is Muslim, that her worship of the Prophet Mohammed was the 'worship of a paedophile'. Four months later, Ms Burchill apologised 'unreservedly' on Twitter, and revealed she had agreed to pay Ms Sarkar 'substantial damages' for the 'distress' caused In July 2021 Ms Sarkar announced she was publishing a book titled Minority Rule which focuses on 'culture war, demographics, paranoia and politics'. She said the book would come out in 2022, but it does not appear to have yet been released. The journalist has previously sparked backlash for her views on the Royal Family. She branded the monarchy a 'cartel of some very weird people' that is 'neither fair nor representative'. Sarkar previously called for Britain's national anthem to be replaced with a 'grime banger'. She said: 'I just think it's not the catchiest of national anthems. I would much prefer Wearing My Rolex by Wiley - grime banger.' In September 2018, Sarkar defended activist Ewa Jasiewicz's decision to spray the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto -where thousands of Jews were holed up during the Second World War - with anti-Israel graffiti. She said it wasn't 'anti-Semitic' but 'anti-racist' and sent 'solidarity' to the pair, despite it causing huge anger among the Jewish community. And earlier this year, she used a slot on BBC Question Time to launch another attack on the royals, branding them a 'hideous cartel'. Advertisement 'Migrants are ''meant'' to die at sea; billionaire's aren't.' Disagreeing with this tweet, fellow-Guardian writer Ariane Sherine replied: 'I'm not sure this is entirely true. The reason the news has been all about the submarine is the fact that (a) they could still be alive and (b) time was running out. 'Everyone cared about the Thai boys stuck in the cave and they were poor. Sadly the migrants were already deceased.' Other Twitter users have slammed Ms Sarkar's comments, with one critic labelling her post as 'vile'. GB News commentator and former Brexit Party MEP Martin Daubney said: 'What an utterly grotesque tweet. People are likely about to die and Ash Sarkar makes this about rich people paying more tax? Have a day off, love.' Another person responded: 'The youngest is just 19.' YouTuber Mahyar Tousi said: 'Evil and heartless tweet purely based on envy and hate.' Ms Sarkar also suggested the missing, one of whom is 19-years-old, are arrogant due to the amount they were willing to pay for the tourist experience. 'I have enormous pity for what must be a terrifying experience, and should the worst have happened, an awful way to die,' she wrote. 'I have absolutely no time for the arrogance of the endeavour, both on the part of OceanGate and the billionaires who paid for their services.' It comes after the columnist triggered outrage in May after branding Britain's monarchy a 'cartel of some very weird people' that is 'neither fair nor representative'. Ash Sarkar, senior editor at Novara Media, tore into the Royal Family in her latest controversial broadside against the Firm - just days before King Charles's coronation. The journalist, who previously called for Britain's national anthem to be replaced with a 'grime banger', said young people interested in the 'values of fairness and representation' were increasingly becoming turned off by the royals. 'Whatever way you slice it, the monarchy is neither a fair nor representative institution,' Ms Sarkar told BBC's Newsnight. 'There have been attempts by the Royal Family to strip themselves of some of the mystery, invite the media in and show the public what they really do. And what they've revealed themselves to be is a cartel of some very weird people.' During her tongue lashing of the monarchy last month, she claimed social media and 24-hour press coverage had shown some of the Royal Family to be 'deeply unhappy by the institution that they were born into'. 'The more unhappy you see them being, the less you're into it,' Ms Sarkar told a debate on BBC Question Time. Ms Sarkar has since defended herself on Twitter following the backlash she received The Titan, a tourist submersible which runs $250,000 tours of the doomed Titanic ship and is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has been underwater since 8am on Sunday with five people on board Writing to her 400,000 followers on Twitter, she wrote: 'If the super-rich can spend 250,000 on vanity jaunts 2.4 miles beneath the ocean then they're not being taxed enough' Ms Sarker has posted a string of tweets in response to the Titantic tourist submarine tragedy The landing frame and rear cover of the missing Titan submersible were discovered today by a remote operated submarine in a devastating blow to any hope that the men may still be found alive. It would mean the sub suffered a crack and imploded under the underwater pressure, instantly killing all five men on board. MailOnline has contacted the Guardian for comment. Advertisement The US Coast Guard today insisted they still hope to find the five adventurers trapped inside a missing Titanic submersible alive despite predicting oxygen had run out - as the co-founder of the firm that organised the trip insisted rescuers 'have longer than we think'. The world is now praying for a 'miracle' after rescuers estimated the vital oxygen supply would end at 12.08pm UK time (7.08am EST and 9.08pm Sydney). Banging has been heard at 30 minute intervals from the depths of the Atlantic - possibly from the men striking the side of the sub - but it has not yet been located. Rear Admiral John Mauger, of the US Coast Guard, said the operation 'remains an active search' and he 'remains hopeful' thanks to 'favourable' weather conditions. Asked about the banging noises, he said initial analysis suggested they were 'background ocean noise' but this was still being examined. Those stuck onboard the sub include British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French navy veteran PH Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 and a student at Strathclyde University. A deep water robot sub has reached the Atlantic floor - and another is descending the 12,500ft of ocean fast. 'The Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic has deployed an ROV that has reached the sea floor and began its search for the missing sub', a spokesman said. And a French ship viewed as the best and final hope of finding the missing Titanic submersible has also dropped its remote-controlled sub to find five missing adventurers. L'Atalante arrived on the scene at 11.48am UK time (7.48ET) and has deployed Victor 6000, which can reach depths of 20,000ft and will arrive at the Titanic's wreck in the next two hours. Victor 6000 has arms that can cut cables - or dislodge a trapped or stranded vessel - and may be able to fix a cable onto the sub before it is hauled several miles to the surface by a giant winch with more than three miles of cable called a Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System on Horizon Arctic. Despite fears their oxygen supplies have run out, there is still hope in the most desperate of situations. Experts believe that the 96-hour oxygen supply number is an imprecise estimate and could be extended if those on board have taken measures to conserve breathable air including lying still and even sleeping. Guillermo Sohnlein founded OceanGate with Mr Rush in 2009 and believes that the window for finding them could go beyond the US Coast Guard's prediction. He said: 'Today will be a critical day in this search and rescue mission, as the sub's life support supplies are starting to run low. 'I'm certain that Stockton and the rest of the crew realised days ago that the best thing they can do to ensure their rescue is to extend the limits of those supplies by relaxing as much as possible. I firmly believe that the time window available for their rescue is longer than what most people think. I continue to hold out hope for my friend and the rest of the crew'. Five people are onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition The Atalante - viewed as the final hope for the missing Titan sub - has arrived at the search site. It is dropping in a deep sea robot called the Victor 6000, shown at the stern of its mother vessel The Victor 6000 (pictured) can get to the depths needed and can help free or attach a cable to the Titan - if they can find it This is how Titan could be saved by the French ship, if it is found Titan's mothership Polar Prince has been searching the area since Sunday and is zig-zagging the site. At least ten ships are on the sea above the Titanic Titan lost communication on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic off the coast of Canada. The last 'ping' of its homing device was heard on Sunday afternoon - directly above the world's most famous wreck. Above the Titanic is a flotilla of at least ten ships, two robot subs and several aircraft scanning the Atlantic for any sign of Titan as sonar continues to hear a banging noise from the depths. Today, Rear Admiral John Mauger confirmed the initial reports suggesting the noise heard by sonar buoys was 'background ocean noise'. He told Sky News: 'We've taken that information and shared it with top leading experts from the US Navy and the Canadian Navy, and they're working on the analysis of that information, they're continuing to work on the analysis of that information. 'The initial reports is that there's a lot of the sounds that were generated were from background ocean noise, but they continue to ... look for all available information there. READ MORE - MailOnline's live blog on the rapidly unfolding search for Titan Advertisement 'What's important to me, and what's important as the unified command, is that we've continued search in the areas where noise was detected with the ROVs that we have from the time of that detection, so we're not waiting for this analysis to take action. 'The analysis is really helpful to our overall search-and-rescue efforts, but we're not waiting on it, we've moved the remote operated vehicles that we've had on site to those areas where noise was detected.' Shipping experts Marine Traffic have shared an animation of the ships rushing to the search zone. Titan's mothership Polar Prince has been searching the area since Sunday and is zig-zagging the site in the hope that it will appear on the surface or get back in contact after communications cut out more than 72 hours ago. A Royal Navy submariner, as well as equipment from a British company, has been sent to assist in the search for Titan. Number 10 said Lieutenant Commander Richard Kantharia had been 'embedded... to assist the search and rescue effort'. Rob Larter, a marine expert at the British Antarctic Survey, told a press conference on Thursday that he thought the Victor 6000 was the 'main hope' for an underwater rescue. Alistair Greig, a professor of marine engineering at University College London, said the robot's two manipulator arms could potentially allow it to untangle the Titan, or attach a device that could float it to the surface. The Victor 6000 also has strong lights, allowing it to see through some of the murk at such depths. But the experts warned that the rescuers would need to know fairly precisely where to look for Titan, which currently does not seem to be the case. Finding the submersible 'could potentially take weeks of intense survey,' Larter warned. And even if search teams do find the submersible, a rescue operation could take up precious time. In a normal situation, it would take two hours for a ROV like the Victor 6000 to get down to the necessary depth - and another two hours to float back up, Greig said. The missing submersible is also reportedly bolted from the outside, which could take up more time, he added. Larter said it was a 'desperate situation'. 'It's kind of unimaginable if people are alive, trapped in a submersible with oxygen supplies running down. 'An objective assessment of where things are at the moment: it doesn't look good,' Larter said, adding that it was important to stay optimistic. The Coastguard has admitted it does not know if it is the five men hammering on the side of their sub or simply the sound of the sea including perhaps debris falling from the Titanic itself at 12,500ft below the surface. But even if it is discovered it will take many hours to save Titan - meaning that the oxygen could run out before they get to the surface. Rescue efforts to find them have continued overnight - and are becoming ever more desperate. Oisin Fanning has been on board the Titan sub twice. He told BBC Breakfast this morning: 'There are no noises down there. There are no noises on the Titanic - no banging, no nothing. So the likelihood is that it is someone tapping every 30 minutes to indicate where they are'. Oceanographer and water search expert Dr David Gallo said today: 'It's going to be almost impossible. We need a miracle but miracles do happen'. But former Royal Navy Officer, Chris Parry, said as Midday approached: 'I'm afraid time's up - I don't think there's any prospect of getting those people out alive now'. It is a bleak picture for those trapped inside the stranded vessel, but officials have continued to insist that the hunt is '100 per cent' still a search and rescue mission. Rescuers searching for the missing Titanic explorers have been racing against the clock as they struggled to find the source of underwater 'banging noises' detected yesterday. Canadian aircraft picked up the sounds by sonar some of which were said to be heard at regular 30-minute intervals as recently as yesterday afternoon, close to where the Titan submersible disappeared. But the Coast Guard admitted last night that extensive searches around the area 435 miles off Newfoundland had so far 'yielded negative results'. Rescuers have insisted 'we always have hope' for the five passengers including three Britons on the missing 21ft submersible which vanished on Sunday. Response co-ordinator Captain Jamie Frederick for First Coast Guard District said: 'This is a search and rescue mission, 100 per cent.' Deep-sea explorer Dr David Gallo believes it would take a 'miracle' to rescue those trapped in Titan, but remains optimistic. He told Good Morning Britain: 'Maybe two days ago my hope was sliding downward rapidly, but then these noises appeared and there seems to be very credible sources there, credible and repeatable. 'We'll see how that pans out but everything is happening very quickly, so we have a race against time. 'Our hopes are high. We need a miracle at this point, but miracles do happen, so I'm very optimistic.' Dr Gallo has said it will take hours to rescue the submersible once found. Speaking to Good Morning Britain, he said: 'In this case, the noises are repetitive, every half hour I believe. 'Three different aircraft heard them in their sensors at the same time and it went on for two days-plus. 'It's still going on apparently. There's not a lot in the natural world we can think of that would do that every 30-minute cycle. 'We have to, at this point, assume that that's the submarine and move quickly to that spot, locate it and get robots down there to verify that is where the submarine is. 'They've got to go fully ready as if that was the sub because it takes a while to locate it and get it up to the surface, it takes hours.' A door with signage removed is seen at Ocean Gate Headquarters at the Waterfront Building within the Port of Everett complex in Everett, Washington The Titan, a tourist submersible which runs $250,000 tours of the doomed Titanic ship and is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has been underwater since 8am on Sunday with five people on board The pilot of a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft of 14 Wing flies a search pattern for the missing OceanGate submersible The area of ocean is teeming with boats and equipment trying to find the missing sub Timeline (British Summer Time) of the search for the Ocean Gate submersible, if Titan has lost its power the crew will be in complete darkness facing temperatures of 3C The 21ft submersible has an oxygen supply of up to 96 hours - but some experts believe it could be higher At a press conference at the US Coast Guard Station in Boston - which is coordinating the search and rescue effort - First District Response Coordinator Capt. Jamie Frederick said it was not certain the sub could be saved Rescuers including the USCG, British Navy and French and Canadian teams had been picking up the pace ahead as the window of rescue narrowed. Rescuers are refusing to give up hope, US Coastguard Captain Jamie Frederick insisted on Wednesday, even as people around the world count down the hours until oxygen is expected to run out on the vessel. 'We have to remain optimistic and hopeful when we are in a search and rescue case. If we continue to search, potentially we could be at that point... And that's a discussion we will have with the families long before I am going to discuss here publicly.' According to OceanGate, Titan's operator, the sub has a 96-hour oxygen supply in case of emergencies. Search and rescue teams are racing against time as they scour an area where noises were detected for the missing Titan sub, with experts saying they are continuing to analyse the sounds in the sea. The only possible trace of the vessel which is continuing to be investigated was underwater 'banging' sounds, which were detected yesterday in the search for the missing Titanic submersible. But, the US Navy experts analysing the sounds said they cannot yet conclude whether they are coming from the stranded vessel, and ROVs were continuing to return negative results from under the sea. Private groups who had offered their help to the rescue mission as early as Monday were allegedly not authorised to help until Wednesday night, sources also told MailOnline. Rescuers are now embarking on a last-ditch attempt to find the tiny vessel in a huge expanse of water, with the search area expanded to around 14,000 square miles - twice the size of the state of Connecticut. The time pressure is compounded by the fact that the underwater vehicles may be able to pinpoint Titan, which was headed for the Titanic wreckage 12,500ft below the surface, but it will take additional specialized tools for the mammoth task of bringing it up. Hopes of a recovery were raised slightly on Wednesday when a Canadian P-3 aircraft equipped with sonar detected the periodic 'banging' sound. The P-3 is one of several models of aircraft which are also helping the search by scouring the ocean surface and using sonar equipment for signs of activity on the seabed. A range of military and commercial vessels is also at the site, offering a mixture of search capabilities, communications tools and rescue equipment if Titan is found. Ultimately, it is down to the submersibles to get eyes on Titan if it remains on the seabed - or trapped within the Titanic's wreckage. Sean Leet, co-founder of Horizon Maritime Services, the company which owns Titan's mothership Polar Prince, said on Wednesday that he has never seen advanced search 'equipment of that nature move that quickly'. The family of the missing Titan sub tourists, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, gathered above the water on Wednesday where the vessel was last seen. A family source in Karachi, Pakistani, where Mr Dawood is from, released a new picture of the father and son to MailOnline and said: 'I can tell you that Mrs Dawood and her daughter are currently in the search area at the moment and will remain there for as long as they can. Sulaiman Dawood, 19, who is missing on board the sub is pictured with his mother Christine Among those taking part in the expedition is billionaire Hamish Harding (pictured), CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai. He excitedly posted to social media about being there on Sunday 'Naturally this is a very tough time for the family and they're not coping at all well with the situation, they are drawing strength from each other and hoping and praying for the best. 'The messages of support they are getting from all around the world are also keeping them positive and they are grateful for everyone's kind thoughts and wishes.' 'It's not clear what it was that made Mr Dawood want to go and visit the Titanic with his son, but he is driven by a passion for exploration, and I understand this was something that had been planned for some time.' The Dawoods belong to one of Pakistan's most prominent families. Their eponymous firm invests across the country in agriculture, industries and the health sector. Their family, including Shahzada's wife Christine and daughter Alina, are waiting for news of the pair. The passengers onboard Titan include British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and OceanGate's chief executive and founder Stockton Rush. In a heartbreaking plea, one of Mr Harding's close friends Jannicke Mikkelsen warned 'we are losing time'. The panicked friend told BBC Radio 4's Today programme yesterday: 'I'm nervous. I'm sick to my stomach with nerves. I'm terrified, I'm anxious. I'm not sleeping at the moment. I'm just hoping for good news. Every single second, every single minute feels like hours.' Whilst many people's go-to for an affordable Chinese meal might be a stir-fry, the newest take on the dish could leave your stomach churning. A new take on the Chinese dish of stir-fry - involving rocks - has gone viral across social media, with some claiming it is 'delicious'. The bizarre twist on the popular meal appears to have made a comeback in China, as people go to extreme efforts to cut costs during the cost-of-living crisis. Named Suodiu - meaning to suck and discard - the dish has origins in ancient China. However, the recipe for suodiu has re-emerged in recent videos on social media, with chefs preparing the stir-fried rocks at very high heats. A new take on the Chinese dish of stir-fry - involving rocks - has gone viral across social media, with some claiming it is 'delicious' Named Suodiu - meaning to suck and discard - the dish has origins in ancient China Some online chefs have praised it as a 'delicious' meal while other videos showed diners spitting out the stones, appalled at the state of the dish They then proceeded to add spices and aromatics to the stones, including garlic and chilli. Afterwards, the rocks were served with a mixture of vegetables once they had softened enough to safely eat. Despite the viral reach of the meal, reactions have been mixed. Some online chefs have praised it as a 'delicious' meal while other videos showed diners spitting out the stones, appalled at the state of the dish. One clip posted on TikTok - which gained more than 1.5 million views - appeared to show a chef cooking the dish of rocks, before selling it for 1.74. The video had mixed reviews, but most viewers could not comprehend the meal. 'Hard to digest,' a TikTok user stated. 'They reuse the same pebbles,' a second remarked. 'I could never eat this, the impulsive need to bite the rock would shatter my teeth,' another said. A food blogger has claimed that the river stones used in the dish have a naturally fishy taste, which they believe is enhanced when fried at a high heat Suodiu allegedly dates back centuries to the Hubei province in central China, where local fishermen would collect the rocks to eat when they ran out food Meanwhile, a food blogger has claimed that the river stones used in the dish have a naturally fishy taste, which they believe is enhanced when fried at a high heat. Suodiu allegedly dates back centuries to the Hubei province in central China, where local fishermen would collect the rocks to eat when they ran out food. The viral stir-fry comes as 'white people food' trended on Chinese social media platforms, after users were bewildered by the typical Western packed lunch, with some even calling it the 'lunch of suffering'. The trend started on the social media platforms Weibo and Xiaohongshu, with users dumbfounded by quick and easy meals such as cold sandwiches and raw vegetables. Hunter Biden was a member of an elite Los Angeles sex club but was kicked out for being a 'scumbag,' the club's founder has reportedly claimed. Damon Lawner, who opened the exclusive Snctm but sold it in 2019, was banned from the venue after he publicly identified the president's son as a former member. The claim about Hunter was included in a profile of Lawner published in the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday. A spokesperson for Snctm told the LA Times it has a policy of never identifying its members and that any infringement of the rules results in a lifetime ban. The publication said Lawner made the claim that Hunter had been a member of the club after he had reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors this week. Hunter Biden (pictured last year) was a member of an elite Los Angeles sex club but was kicked out for being a 'scumbag,' the club's founder has sensationally claimed Damon Lawner (pictured), who opened the exclusive Snctm but sold it in 2019, was banned from the venue after he publicly identified the president's son as a former member. Joe Biden's controversial son will go before a judge next month to formally strike a plea agreement with prosecutors on tax and gun charges that will likely spare him time behind bars, according to court documents posted Wednesday. Lawner, 52, founded Snctm in 2013 with the intention of creating a sex playground for LA's elite, ranging from Hollywood stars, musicians, high-ranking business figures, city officials and millionaires. Lawner told the newspaper that he decided to open the club after watching the Tom Cruise movie 'Eyes Wide Shut,' in which wealthy elites gather for a secret orgy. At the time, he was $1million in debt, but the club soon gained popularity. Its guest lists were carefully curated, and its membership fees were as high as $75,000. In the publication's recent profile on Lawner, he speaks of putting on masquerade parties in mansions and nightclub in the city. But after five years, Lawner said he decided to sell the club on to new owners because his lifestyle had ruined his relationship with his family. He told the LA Times he has since attended events, but only to show friends what it was like inside - and lifted the lid on one of the club's members, breaking a tabboo. 'Hunter was a member at Snctm and I canceled his membership after 1 party because he's a scumbag,' he wrote on Instagram in a now-deleted post. The current ownership of the elite club took issue with his claim and banned him from its events that he once hosted. 'Posting what I did on my Instagram about Hunter was me letting people know that the type of behavior that he exhibited was something that upsets me,' Lawner told the LA Times after its reporters followed up with him. 'I knew that the consequences could be me not being part of Snctm anymore, but I was willing to take that risk.' He said he was not fazed by the ban, saying he wanted no part in the club anymore. A spokesperson for Snctm told the publication that 'we neither confirm nor deny the identities of past or present attendees. 'We uphold a strict code of conduct to protect our members' safety and privacy, and any infringement leads to a lifetime ban.' Lawner, 52, founded Snctm in 2013 with the intention of creating a sex playground for LA's elite, ranging from Hollywood stars, musicians, high-ranking business figures, city officials and millionaires. He is now opening a new exclusive restaurant called Puzzle (pictured) Hunter is set to go before a judge next month to formally strike a plea agreement with prosecutors on tax and gun charges. The move will likely spare him from prison. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika must still approve the plea agreement that was reached following a lengthy federal investigation. It calls for the president's son to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of failing to pay taxes. Hunter Biden also must commit to court-imposed conditions that will spare him full prosecution on a felony gun charge. The hearing is scheduled for July 26 as a combined initial appearance and plea agreement. News of the plea deal broke on Tuesday, sparking criticism from Republicans who are pursuing their own congressional investigations into nearly every facet of Hunter Biden's business dealings, including foreign payments. Attorney General Merrick Garland, traveling in Stockholm on Wednesday, said David Weiss, the U.S. attorney for Delaware, was given 'full authority to decide the matter as he decided was appropriate. And that's what he's done.' Former President Donald Trump and other Republicans have pointed to the case to raise questions about Justice Department independence as Trump faces a historic criminal indictment of his own. The controversial son of Joe Biden (pictured) will go before a judge next month to formally strike a plea agreement with prosecutors on tax and gun charges that will likely spare him time behind bars, according to court documents posted Wednesday The charges against Trump were filed by a special prosecutor appointed in an effort to avoid any perception of a political conflict. The Hunter Biden charges, meanwhile, were filed by U.S. Attorney Weiss, who was appointed by Trump and kept on during the Biden administration to continue the investigation, some aspects of continue. Noreika was also appointed by Trump, in 2017. Hunter Biden's lawyer has said the guilty pleas are an effort to take responsibility for mistakes that he made 'during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life,' and his understanding is that it wraps up the five-year investigation of his client. A retired US navy Captain who has twice dived to the Titanic in a Russian mini sub said that he always thought OceanGate was 'a little rough round the edges'. It comes as the massive search and rescue effort for the missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic reaches a critical stage, with oxygen supplies feared to have hit zero. Titan began its descent at 8.00 am on Sunday and had been due to resurface seven hours later, according to the US Coast Guard. Captain Alfred McLaren, president emeritus of The Explorers Club, described an unorthodox operating culture adding to worries surrounding the company. McLaren told The Times: 'I've advised people not to do it. Captain Alfred McLaren (pictured), president emeritus of The Explorers Club, described an unorthodox operating culture adding to worries surrounding the company Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken SS Titanic (File photo) 'I wouldn't do it in a million years.' Titan is carrying British billionaire Hamish Harding and Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who also have British citizenship. Also on board is the company's CEO, Stockton Rush, and a French submarine operator Paul-Henri Nargeolet, nicknamed 'Mr Titanic' for his frequent dives at the site. In 2018, members of the Marine Technology Society, an industry group that includes deep sea explorers, oceanographers and submersible experts, expressed their 'unanimous concern' about the Titan to Rush. The company also faced several court filings. David Lochridge, formerly OceanGate's director of marine operations for the Titan project, raised concerns over the submersible that has vanished before he was fired, a lawsuit has alleged. He wrote an engineering report in 2018 that said the craft under development needed more testing and passengers may be endangered when it reached 'extreme depths,' according to a lawsuit filed that year in U.S. District Court in Seattle. OceanGate sued Lochridge in 2018, accusing him of breaching a non-disclosure agreement, and filed a counterclaim alleging that he was wrongfully fired for raising questions about testing and safety. Lochridge said in the counterclaim that OceanGate, which charges up to $250,000 for a seat on the vessel, would 'subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible'. French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Five people are onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 He also said Titan was not equipped to reach the depths of around 13,123 feet that it was designed for. The case settled on undisclosed terms several months after it was filed. Florida couple Marc and Sharon Nagle placed a $10,000 deposit in 2016 to reserve spaces on a 2018 OceanGate trip to the Titanic. In a lawsuit filed in February they accused Rush of 'fraudulent inducement' and demanded a refund for the sum of more than $400,000 paid out to OceanGate for a trip that never took place. They said Rush had engaged in 'wilful, wanton and egregious conduct'. In the lawsuit they said that when they began having doubts, Rush visited their property and told them of the Titan's readiness because he wanted to use their investment. They paid out the full amount in 2018 but the company cancelled the trip two months later noting that it had not had enough time to carry out tests. The expedition was cancelled again after being rescheduled to 2019. The court papers say: 'Rush knew that if plaintiffs requested a refund of their deposit and withdrew from the expedition, others may follow suit.' Records have also emerged of Titan having battery issues in 2022. The extent of repairs needed was unclear after the hull was battered in the high seas. Rush claimed in 2018 that technological innovation has grown at a faster rate than industry standards, so the Titan could not be fully certified to the general criteria. This is how Titan could be saved by the French ship if it is found McLaren said short cuts should not have been made when human lives were at stake. He also noted that they didn't have any back-up system when ideally they would have kept several, as well as a deep diving ROV in the vicinity keeping watch. McLaren is friends with Nargeolet, 77, who is on board the vessel. He said: 'If he's gone, he's a great loss to the underwater world. 'He would have been the only truly experienced person on board that sub.' In a longform interview given late last year, Rush repeatedly said that the explorers would be safe and had the oxygen necessary to survive but also did not appear unaware of the risks involved. 'You know, there's a limit. You know, at some point, safety just is pure waste. I mean, if you just want to be safe, don't get out of bed,' he told CBS News. 'Don't get in your car. Don't do anything. At some point, you're going to take some risk, and it really is a risk/reward question. I think I can do this just as safely by breaking the rules.' When asked what he was most worried about, if anything, he replied: 'What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface. 'Overhangs, fish nets, entanglement hazards. And, that's just a technique, piloting technique. It's pretty clear - if it's an overhang, don't go under it. If there is a net, don't go near it. So, you can avoid those if you are just slow and steady.' He also spoke about how simplistic the design and technology meant for taking them underwater was supposed to be. Discussing using a white Xbox controller to run the operation, he said: 'We run the whole thing with this game controller. 'It should be like an elevator, it shouldn't take a lot of skill.' Regardless of any worries he had, including the crushing weight of the water pressure, he seemed confident that this would work out. Rush said: 'I don't think it's very dangerous. If you look at submersible activity over the last three decades, there hasn't even been a major injury, let alone a fatality.' The Victor 6000 (pictured) can get to the depths needed and can help free or attach a cable to the Titan - if they can find it The area of ocean near Newfoundland is teeming with boats and equipment trying to find the missing sub He added: 'What worries us is not once you're underwater. What worries me is when I'm getting you there, when you're on the ship in icy states with big doors that can crush your hands and people who may not have the best balance who fall down, bang their head. That's, to me, the dangerous part.' Coast guard officials today insisted they remained 'hopeful,' with a surge of assets and experts joining the operation and sonar picking up unidentified underwater noises, but the challenge of locating and recovering the crew alive appeared increasingly formidable. Based on the sub's capacity to hold up to 96 hours of emergency air, rescuers estimated that the passengers could run out of oxygen in the early hours of Thursday. Organizers of the multinational response - which includes US and Canadian military planes, coast guard ships and teleguided robots - are focusing their efforts in the North Atlantic close to the underwater noises detected by sonar. A French research ship equipped with an unmanned robot able to search at depths of up to 6,000 meters (nearly 20,000 feet) below water arrived near the wreck on Thursday. Rob Larter, a marine expert at the British Antarctic Survey, told a press conference he thought the Victor 6000 robot was the 'main hope' for an underwater rescue. An additional Canadian vessel carrying medical staff and a decompression chamber was en route to the area early on Thursday, with Canadian media reporting it was not expected to arrive before midday. The sounds raised hopes that the passengers on the small tourist craft are still alive, though experts have not been able to confirm their source. 'We don't know what they are, to be frank with you,' said US Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick. 'We have to remain optimistic and hopeful.' The 21-foot (6.5-meter) tourist craft lost communication with its mothership less than two hours into its trip to see the Titanic, which sits more than two miles (nearly four kilometers) below the surface of the North Atlantic. Ships and planes have scoured 10,000 square miles (around 20,000 square kilometers) of surface water - roughly the size of the US state of Massachusetts - for the vessel, which attempted to dive about 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. After the noises were detected by a Canadian P-3 aircraft, rescuers relocated two remotely operated vehicles (ROV) that search under the water and one surface vessel with sonar capability. The ROV searches have not yielded results but data from the Canadian aircraft has been shared with US Navy experts for acoustics analysis. 'There have been multiple reports of noises and every one of those noises is being analyzed,' said Carl Hartsfield, from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He added that the sounds were 'described as banging noises'. The Navy has sent a specialized winch system for lifting heavy objects from extreme depths along with other equipment and personnel, while the Pentagon has deployed three C-130 aircraft and three C-17s. Titan's mission was expected to be the only manned trip to the Titanic this year due to bad weather, Harding wrote in an Instagram post beforehand. The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912 during its maiden voyage from England to New York with 2,224 passengers and crew on board. More than 1,500 people died. It was found in 1985 and remains a lure for nautical experts and underwater tourists. The pressure at that depth as measured in atmospheres is 400 times what it is at sea level. Alistair Greig, professor of marine engineering at University College London, has suggested two possible scenarios based on images of Titan. He said if it had an electrical or communications problem, it could have surfaced and remained floating, 'waiting to be found' - bearing in mind the vessel can reportedly be unlocked from the outside only. 'Another scenario is the pressure hull was compromised - a leak,' he said in a statement. 'Then the prognosis is not good.' Tom Zaller, who runs the company behind Titanic: The Exhibition, toured the wreck 23 years ago in a submersible much like the one that went missing on Sunday. 'You're sending a very small vessel two and a half miles down, which is incredibly complicated and technical,' he said. 'It's just this very seemingly unsophisticated sphere.' Zaller has known Nargeolet for decades and was in touch with Rush before he embarked on Sunday's tour. 'I was in that sub for 12 hours with everything working fine,' Zaller said. 'They've been there for almost four days. I just can't imagine.' An NHS midwife has been slapped with a restraining order to stop her contacting her police officer ex after she left him needing 'psychological support'. Cecilia Hopkins, 53, fired off 20 angry messages to Custody Detention officer Jeremy King after the breakup, calling him a 'thick' and 'stupid clown'. Mr King claimed he needed mental support and took six months off work as a result of the abuse. In her messages, filed over a ten-month period, Hopkins, from Latchford, Cheshire, told her ex: 'I hope that you are feeling bad, stressed and useless. 'I have not finished yet, you have no future, you are thick and stupid and a stupid clown. Watch your back Jeremy King. Cecilia Hopkins, pictured left outside Warrington magistrates court, fired off 20 angry messages to Custody Detention officer Jeremy King after the breakup, calling him a 'thick' and 'stupid clown' Officer Jeremy King claimed he needed mental support and took six months off work as a result of the abuse 'There is no hope for you at all, you are f*****,' and 'I will come to your parents, I've something to deliver.' She was later charged with harassment after former PCSO Mr King, who currently deals with violent offenders on a daily basis with Merseyside Police, said he felt 'vulnerable and intimidated because of the threats'. In a statement he said: 'Each day is a worry. Treatment and support from my employer is currently ongoing. My biggest concern is any contact with the offender. In my mind the offender still has the potential to carry out the threats.' At Warrington magistrates, Hopkins denied harassment of Mr King between June 12 and October 23 of last year by sending abusive, threatening and insulting emails, but changed her plea to guilty on the day of her trial. She faced dismissal from her job after sentencing guidelines suggested she should complete a community order - but is expected to be spared the sack after she was instead fined 934 with 800 in prosecution costs and told to pay a further 374 in victim surcharge. She was further forbidden from contacting or approaching Mr King or going near addresses in Formby and Kirkby, Merseyside for 12 months. Laura Simpson, prosecuting, said Hopkins and Mr King had been in relationship for five and half years but it ended in December 2021 for undisclosed reasons. Miss Simpson said: 'The defendant then sent a number of emails, 20 emails in total, to the victim which are considered as harassment. There were 20 emails in total with the same strain of content and Mr King stated that this whole incident has had a massive impact, a significant psychological impact. Hopkins and Mr King pictured in happier times with the late comedian Bobby Ball In a statement Mr King said: 'Each day is a worry. Treatment and support from my employer is currently ongoing' 'For the past six months he has been receiving psychological support through his work. The victim works as a police detention officer. He said he is feeling vulnerable and intimidated because of the threats that have been made. The biggest impact has been on his relationships with friends, family and at work. He has taken six months off work due to the threats and after returning was not working full time in his role. 'The victim has been caused distress. Under sentencing guidelines the starting point for this offence is a low-level community order.' In mitigation Hopkins' lawyer Peter Green said: 'I ask that you give her some credit for her guilty plea on the day of trial. It is fair to say that Miss Hopkins has wrestled with this from fairly early on in the proceedings, from the first court appearance because this conviction could well have a massive impact on her and potentially end her career. 'She is a specialist midwife. She has spoken to the professional body which has indicated to her that if she receives by way of a sentence more than a financial penalty, she will almost certainly lose her job. She has been a midwife and a specialist midwife for many years. 'She was one of the NHS staff, obviously, who three years ago or so we were all clapping for on our doorsteps at eight o'clock at night. Up until now she has been a lady of good character. She had a relationship with Mr King but that relationship ended. 'It is fair to say that Miss Hopkins made an allegation to police of a more serious nature against Mr King which the police and Crown Prosecution Service took no further action on. It was against that backdrop that this incident occurred.' They added: 'We also have a scenario where the defendant was looking after her elderly mother who was particularly infirm at the time. She took her mother at the end of September last year to Canada, to see her brother for the last time. Miss Hopkins was with her mother because no other family member wanted to do it because it was too much responsibility.' 'She seems to be quite a good lady who just made a mistake. One of the problems with sending emails and text messages, such as those in this particular case, is that members of the public do not necessarily understand that they may be committing a criminal offence by doing that. In her messages, filed over a ten-month period, Hopkins, from Latchford, Cheshire, told her ex: 'I hope that you are feeling bad, stressed and useless' Hopkins and Mr King had been in relationship for five and half years but it ended in December 2021 for undisclosed reasons 'I think for someone in Miss Hopkins' situation, one of the biggest points of mitigation is that, since October of last year when first interviewed by police or when police came to arrest her, Miss Hopkins has had this matter hanging over her. For seven or eight months, she has been worrying about what the outcome will be. 'You will know that there are certain defendants you see in the dock who are not particularly bothered about what happens to them. They are not bothered if they go down the steps to custody, some view it as going to see their mates in HMP Altcourse. 'She has viewed it very seriously, and is taking it very seriously. She sees the conviction as a stain on her character. That to me is punishment enough.' 'People need to be punished, that's the purpose of the court, but we do not want to destroy people. Everybody in this court today has made a mistake in their life though we do not necessarily all finish up in a criminal court. She has made a mistake but she can have a future. 'She can get back on track. The emails were not particularly threatening. They were the sort of communication you would expect from a party when the relationship comes to an end. 'The victim in this case is an employee of Merseyside Police and as a detention officer you would expect detention officers to deal on a daily basis with violent individuals not someone who sent 20 emails sent on the breakdown of a relationship. I will say no more than that.' Sentencing Hopkins, JP Paul Chadwick told her: 'In our sentencing guidelines the starting point is a low-level community order but Mr Green suggested an alternative of a fine. We are not going down the route of a community order as we have listened to Mr Green. 'We have considered a number of factors. Your references and the victim personal statement for psychological distress suffered. Equally it was not one email, it was 20 emails and threats contained within them. But you are a lady of previous good character and you pleaded guilty on the day of trial. Mr Green has offered significant mitigation on your behalf in court today.' She was handed a six month good behaviour bond for her actions Emily Gray says she will stand by her partner while he's in jail A young woman who hid her drug-dealing boyfriend in her garage after he cut off his ankle monitor has defended her decision to stand by him, insisting that he was suffering from meth addiction and 'not a bad person'. Emily Jane Gray, 22, helped her Benjamin Thomas Cairns, 28, evade police in South Australia's Mount Gambier in April, 2022. She pleaded on Thursday at Mount Gambier Magistrates Court to several charges including driving while disqualified, breaching bail, hindering police and entering a licensed premises she was banned from. She was given a six-month good behaviour bond. Emily Jane Gray (pictured), 22, who helped her boyfriend Benjamin Thomas Cairns, 28, evade police in Mount Gambier in April 2022 was sentenced to a six month good behaviour bond in court on Thursday A Snapchat conversation shows the pair defiant stance to stay together (pictured) Since her court appearance she has gone on to defend her actions on social media. 'I stand by everything I have done and continue to do for my partner,' she said. 'Just because people do bad things doesn't make them a bad person. 'A drug addiction is something I don't wish upon anyone and I'm proud to call him my partner.' It is not the first time she has defiantly stood by her partner's side, previously stating he is misunderstood. 'Most people don't understand or have never experienced what it's like to have a loved one with a drug addiction, people will always judge me for being with Ben,' she shared online. She also posted on Instagram in April writing: '365 days since you were taken away.' '403 days since you made the most irrational decision, but also made you the person you are today. 475 days since your best friend died,' it continued. 'I wish people saw you through my eyes and then they would understand why I stuck by your side.' The couple also shared loved-up messages on Snapchat in March 2022 prior to Cairns' arrest. In the messages Gray says she will always be by his side to which he replies: 'I hope so.. I love you just know that and don't forget it, I will die for you'. The District Court previously heard Cairns (pictured) was under the influence of meth when he cut off his home detention bracelet and fled to Victoria where he allegedly committed further offences The court previously heard that while a widespread manhunt was underway for Cairns in April 2022, Gray told police she was 'adamant' he wasn't at her home, The Advertiser reported. 'She initially refused entry to the place shortly after police attended the address with a warrant and located (Cairns) hiding in a garage,' a police prosecutor said. During Thursday's court appearance, it was revealed Ms Grey had a Victorian criminal record and had avoided a conviction last year for possession of ammunition, dishonestly receiving stolen goods and dealing with property suspected of being proceeds of a crime. The prosecution also stated she breached her bail twice by speaking to her partner via video while he was behind bars at Mount Gambier prison. In May 2021, Cairns was caught with 95.51g of methamphetamine, 252g of fantasy and 53 Suboxone strips during a Mount Gambier raid. He pleaded guilty to three counts of drug trafficking and was granted home detention bail for those offences. The District Court previously heard Cairns was under the influence of meth when he cut off his home detention bracelet and fled to Victoria where he allegedly committed further offences. He is yet to enter pleas for those matters. Britain's strictest headteacher has said children allowed to self-identify as animals, moons and holograms should be moved to another school by their parents. Katharine Birbalsingh, founder of the Michaela School in west London, said she was aware of a child at one school who identified as a gay male hologram - and at least one school where a group of students identified as cats. She claimed the 'issue' was widespread but that people are unaware because teachers are 'not allowed to tell you'. The headteacher, who said she has no pupils identifying as animals at her own school, said it is a 'societal problem' where teachers and parents have allowed children to lead the way. Her comments come after a recording revealed the moment a schoolteacher branded a Year 8 pupil 'despicable' after they rejected a classmate's claim that she identified as a cat. Katharine Birbalsingh, founder of the Michaela School in west London The 13-year-old pupil said she was made to stay after the class at Rye College in East Sussex on 'life education' by the teacher, who can be heard in a secret recording calling her view that gender is binary 'really despicable' and 'very sad'. In the three-and-half-minute recording, the angry teacher is heard speaking to two girls and says they would report the children to a senior colleague, and they needed a 'proper educational conversation about equality, diversity and inclusion'. Ms Birbalsingh says parents should act quickly if schools tolerated children wanting to be recognised as animals. She told the Telegraph: 'As a society we have lost our way. Teachers and parents have allowed children to lead the way and adult authority has completely dissolved. 'We are scared of our children, we are scared of our responsibility of leading, and we are shying away from our duty of looking after our children. 'For parents of children who are allowed to behave like this in classrooms, I think they need to move schools quickly. I don't want to blame the school, because I think it's society's problem, but there will be schools that are more tolerant of this kind of behaviour and schools that are less tolerant.' Earlier this week she tweeted: 'Some weeks ago- I gave this speech at the @NatConTalk conference. I spoke of children identifying as cats. 'I was told on Twitter many times that I was lying. Now, everyone can see that what I was saying was true.' She also retweeted a tweet from a parent which said: 'A girl at my daughters school identifies as a Wolf. Its real. A fact. I doubt she is the only person in the UK.' Ms Birbalsingh said she knew of schoolchildren identifying as cats - not at her school The 13-year-old pupil said she was made to stay after the class at Rye College in East Sussex (stock image) Rye College was bombarded by thousands of angry social media messages after the recording of the anonymous teacher and two pupils went viral. A spokesman said they would make sure 'such events do not take place in the future'. He said: 'We are committed to offering our pupils an inclusive education. Teachers endeavour to ensure that pupils' views are listened to, and encourage them to ask questions and engage in discussion. Teachers also aim to answer questions sensitively and honestly. 'We strive to uphold the highest standards across the school. We will be reviewing our processes and working with the relevant individuals to ensure such events do not take place in the future.' It is understood the girls will not be punished and the school regards the matter as closed. The official cannot be arrested as he has diplomatic immunity A Russian diplomat is illegally squatting on land near Parliament House after representatives from Vladimir Putin's regime were evicted from the site, it has been reported. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rammed through legislation last week to legally strip Russia of its planned new Canberra embassy site after fears were raised it could be used to threaten national security. But an extraordinary standoff has erupted after it emerged an unidentified Russian official has been staying in a demountable on the plot of land - and Australian cops are unable to arrest him because of diplomatic immunity. The man was photographed by The Australian newspaper smoking a cigarette nonchalantly as helpless Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers watched on. The unidentified diplomat (pictured) is trespassing because Russia's lease on the land is no longer legally valid following legislation passed by the Australian Parliament last week A view of the Russian Embassy construction site in Yarralumla, in Canberra 'Can I help you?' the man asked a reporter in heavily-accented English before returning inside the portable building which is mounted with multiple surveillance cameras. He has reportedly received food deliveries in recent days. A spokesman for Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said the government was preparing to seize the land. 'Make no mistake, last week the parliament took decisive action to resolve the national security challenges presented by this site,' the spokesman said. 'Processes are under way for the commonwealth to formalise possession of the site.' The diplomat is trespassing because Russia's lease on the land is no longer legally valid following last week's legislation. However, the legal ramifications of removing the diplomat may prove tricky. ANU international law expert Don Rothwell told The Australian that AFP officers 'cannot actually arrest him'. 'They can obviously seek to engage the diplomat in dialogue and ask him to move on, but he can refuse to do so,' Mr Rothwell said. If such a situation transpired, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade could try to deport him but another diplomat could take his place. Australian Federal Police officers cannot arrest the man (pictured) because he has diplomatic immunity Russia has already threatened retaliation over the decision last week by the Australian government to strip them of the site, accusing the nation's leaders of 'Russophobic hysteria'. 'Another unfriendly display from Australia,' said a Kremlin spokesman, according to a report published by Russia's TASS news agency last week. 'We will take this into account and if there are issues on the agenda that require the principle of reciprocity, we will act accordingly.' Intelligence agencies cited threats of espionage and political interference if Russia's second embassy was built at the Yarralumla diplomatic precinct, just a stone's throw from Parliament House. Russia currently occupies the former USSR embassy in the suburb of Griffith, which is farther from Parliament House than the new site. Mr Albanese acknowledged the Russians would take action in response to the decision to strip them of the site but he said it was the right decision. 'We don't expect that Russia's in a position to talk about international law given their rejection of it so consistently and so brazenly with their invasion of Ukraine and the atrocities that have occurred that are occurring on an ongoing basis,' he said. The Russian Federation is expected to launch legal action over the decision. The teenager trapped on the missing Titanic submersible - feared to have now ran out of oxygen - is a student in Glasgow, Scotland. Suleman Dawood, 19, who boarded the deep sea tour taking passengers to the wreck of the Titanic alongside his father Shahzada Darwood, 48, is a student at the University of Strathclyde. The university confirmed to MailOnline that he has just completed his first year at the Strathclyde Business School. During First Minister's Questions at Holyrood on Thursday, Glasgow Labour MSP Pam Duncan-Glancy said her thoughts are with the teenager and his family. She said: 'The young man on the Titan submersible is a student in Glasgow. I'm sure that everyone here will join me in sharing their thoughts with him and his family at this unprecedented and difficult time.' The world is currently praying for a 'miracle' after the US Coast Guard predicted that the vital oxygen supply onboard the Titan would have run out at 12.08pm GMT (7.08am EST and 9.08pm Sydney). Suleman Dawood, 19, was reportedly studying at the University of Strathclyde when he boarded the Titan, Shahzada Darwood, 48 Suleman, who is missing on board the sub, is pictured with his mother Christine The Titan, a tourist submersible which runs $250,000 tours of the doomed Titanic ship and is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has been underwater since 8am on Sunday with five people on board A spokesperson for the university added: 'We are deeply concerned about Suleman, his father and the others involved in this incident. Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones and we continue to hope for a positive outcome.' The youngster graduated from ACS International School Cobham in Surrey last year before moving to Scotland, according to local media reports. The head of his former school Barnaby Sandow confirmed to SurreyLive yesterday that the teen had previously been a student there. He said: 'The ACS International School Cobham community is deeply concerned by the news that recent graduate, Suleman Dawood, and his father are on board the submersible which has gone missing during a dive to the Titanic's wreck.' The Dawood's belong to one of Pakistan's most prominent and riches families, with Shahzada being the vice chairman of Pakistani conglomerate Engro Corporation, which is a large fertiliser firm. Shahzada is also a UK board member of the Prince's Trust charity Their family, who live in Surbiton, West London, include Shahzada's wife Christine and daughter Alina, are waiting for news of the pair. Suleman just completed his first year at the Strathclyde Business School The family said in a statement two days ago: 'We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety.' Suleman and has father are two of five stuck onboard the submersible along with British billionaire Hamish Harding, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and French navy veteran PH Nargeolet. The US Coast Guard said it is continuing its 'active search' for the submarine with no plans to become a recovery mission as the desperate families of the men, dubbed the Titan Five, await more news. It comes as a deep sea robot has reached the bottom of the Atlantic, while another vessel is descending 12,500ft down at pace. MailOnline has contacted the University of Strathclyde for a statement. Bankrupt retailer Bed, Bath and Beyond has been snapped up at auction for $21.5million - in a deal that will see all its stores shutter and the brand live on in name only. Dot-com juggernaut Overstock.com now holds the rights to the retailers name - as well as its intellectual property and all of its assets, court documents revealed on Thursday. The buyout comes weeks after the e-commerce firm filed for Chapter 11 before attempting to reorganize its assets and pawn them off to the highest bidder. It's a stark fall from grace for a brand once worth well over $17billion, and the latest example of investment firms scooping up recognizable assets for dirt-cheap prices. The strategy has been implemented on other failed fixtures such as Toy 'R' Us and Radio Shack, and is generally executed with the goal of reviving the brands, usually online. Bankrupt retailer Bed, Bath and Beyond has been snapped up at auction for a $21.5million - in a deal that will see all its stores shutter and the brand live on in name only. The entrance to a store in Anchorage is seen on the day the retail giant filed for Chapter 11 back in April The buyer, dot-com juggernaut Overstock.com now holds all of the rights to the retailers name - and has already liquidated at least 19 failed companies at below-wholesale prices The latest example of investment firms scooping up recognizable assets, It's a stark fall from grace for the big box brand - which was once worth well over $17billion A hearing is set for next Tuesday to finalize the purchase - after which the brand's 360 remaining stores locations will close its doors for good. The 30,000 who staffed them will now lose their jobs. Overstock's share price, meanwhile, shot up in pre-market trading Thursday as a result of the news - now trading at six percent above Wednesday's close. The buyout is characteristic of e-commerce company, which initially started with model with exclusively selling surplus and returned merchandise online as it emerged from the digital boom of the late 90s. The firm eventually widened its model to include first-party products and handmade goods produced by Overstock workers in developing nations, and is worth roughly $1billion today. The company has already liquidated at least 18 failed companies at below-wholesale prices. The company also manages the inventory supply for other retailers, though Bed, Bath and Beyond will now bringing some much needed name recognition to its sprawling inventory. Notably, the firm narrowed its focus last year from more general merchandise to selling only furniture and related home goods. In fact, this year marks its first as an online home retailer - with the buying of Bed, Bath and Beyond showing devotion to this new model. Overstock's stock, meanwhile, shot up in pre-market trading Thursday as a result of the news - now trading at six percent above Wednesday's close The strategy has been implemented on other failed fixtures such as Toy 'R' Us and Radio Shack, and is generally executed with the goal of reviving them, usually online The e-commerce discounter was selected as the stalking horse bidder for Bed Baths bankruptcy-run auction earlier this month, a court filing detailing the bankruptcy proceedings revealed Thursday. JOWA Brands - a women's boutique that carries clothing and accessories from independent designers in South Korea - was selected as a backup bidder solely for Bed-Baths Wamsutta brand, a private sheets and towels label the retailer owns. Ten Twenty Four, a software firm that helps owners maximize vacation rental revenues and does business as Beyond Pricing, was chosen as the backup bidder for the company's Beyond.com asset. Bed-Bath chose to run a separate sale process for its Buy Buy Baby chain, which has 120 stores across the US and is thought to be one of the most desired of the firm's assets. The separate process will allow Bed, Bath and Beyond to wait and find another bidder willing to keep those stores open, all without having to take on any of the company's assets. The big box chain is only the latest but not the last brick-and-mortar victim of what experts are calling a 'retail apocalypse', and its demise is among the most piercing in recent memory considering its preeminence in the American landscape. The company was founded in Springfield, New Jersey in 1971, and and has since ubiquitous in the US home goods market. Its closure, however, signals a wider trend sweeping the US - the long-anticipated dissipation of brick-and-mortar stores, as online giants like Amazon go from strength to strength. UBS warned earlier this year that 50,000 stores would close by 2027 while online dominance grows. 'The pace of store closures is set to accelerate due to the combination of a slowdown in consumer spending, a reduction in the availability of credit, and a rise in the penetration of e-commerce,' said analyst Michael Lasser in the report obtained by DailyMail.com. The sell-off comes as part of a wider trend sweeping the US - the long-anticipated dissipation of brick-and-mortar stores, as online giants like Amazon go from strength to strength UBS has increased its predicted store closures by 2027 from 40,000 to 50,000. Its analysts point to the other brands that have closed stores around the US since 2021 as proof of the ongoing corrosion. In November 2021, CVS announced it was closing 900 of its stores - around 10 percent of its total. Foot Locker recently announced 545 additional closures, while Tailored Brands announced last year it was closing 500. Among the driving factors behind the closures are a slowdown in consumer spending and rising costs of operating retail stores. 'Bed, Bath and Beyond fell between the racks, unable to compete with the cut-price offerings of rivals like TJ Maxx and value ranges of Target, and with their products not seen as little luxuries worth paying more for,' Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdow. Now, analysts are warning that the only stores that stand a chance of competing with Amazon and Wayfair are those that invest in their online infrastructures. Walmart, for example, is investing heavily in its online presence as it also shutters several stores, and can afford absorbing the higher operating costs that are knee-capping independent businesses. Bank of America analysts listed Walmart Inc, Amazon.com Inc , Target, Wayfair and Williams-Sonoma Inc as the companies that seek to gain revenue from Bed, Bath and Beyond's bankruptcy. The sale, however, still needs to be approved at a hearing on Tuesday, while an auction for Buy Buy Babys assets is slated for Wednesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Russia is plotting to release radiation from Europe's largest nuclear plant, which is currently held by Putin's forces. In a video statement Thursday, Zelensky said Kyiv was sharing its information with international partners about the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia plant in southern Ukraine. 'Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - a terrorist act with a release of radiation,' he said. 'They have prepared everything for this.' The Kremlin dismissed the allegation as 'another lie', and said a team of U.N. nuclear inspectors had visited the plant and rated everything there highly. Zelensky did not say what evidence the intelligence agencies based their assertion on. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia is plotting an incident to release radiation from Europe's largest nuclear plant. He is pictured during a joint press conference with African leaders in Kyiv, Friday A Russian service member stands guard at a checkpoint near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the Zaporizhzhia region in Russian-controlled Ukraine, Friday The six-reactor complex has been under Russian occupation since shortly after Moscow's forces invaded Ukraine in February last year. The two sides have accused each other of shelling it, and international efforts to establish a demilitarised zone around it have failed so far. 'Unfortunately, I have had to remind [people] more than once that radiation knows no state borders. And who it will hit is determined only by the direction of the wind...' Zelensky said. Such incidents come in recent memory for Ukraine who - then part of the Soviet Union - suffered the world's worst nuclear accident at Chernobyl in 1986. Zelensky made his statement two days after Ukraine's military intelligence chief accused Russia of 'mining' the cooling pond that is used to keep the reactors cool at the Zaporizhzhia plant. The plant lies beside a huge reservoir where water levels have plunged since a dam across the Dnipro River was destroyed earlier this month, flooding swathes of southern Ukraine. Kyiv blames Russia, which controlled the dam, for blowing it up. Russia says Ukraine sabotaged it. In his video statement, Zelensky said intelligence agencies had gathered new evidence of how Russian forces blew up the dam and other structures at the hydroelectric plant. 'It was a completely deliberate, calculated crime,' he said. The Kremlin dismissed the allegation as 'another lie' from Ukraine. Vladimir Putin is pictured on Russia's the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow today in Moscow, A view shows Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from the bank of Kakhovka Reservoir near Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, suffered the world's worst nuclear accident at Chernobyl in 1986 (pictured) It comes as Russia-backed officials earlier today said an explosion had damaged a bridge that is one of the few links between Crimea and Ukraine's mainland. Russian forces in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, use the Chongar bridge to reach southern Ukraine's Kherson province. Russia and Ukraine control different sides of the province, which is a focus of fighting and attacks as Ukrainian troops try to reclaim Russian-occupied territory. Ukrainian authorities have said that for the country's nearly 16-month war to end, Moscow must withdraw its forces from Crimea as well as from areas they seized during the full-scale invasion that started last year. The damage to the bridge was not severe and is likely to be repaired within several days, Vladimir Konstantinov, chairman of the parliament of Crimea, said. Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed head of the occupied parts of Kherson province, said the explosion appeared to have been caused by a type of long-range cruise missile that both France and the UK have given to Ukraine's military. The claim could not be independently verified and Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment on the bridge. However, they do not typically confirm specific attacks. Cumberbatch was trying to escape Albert Barnes House in Elephant and Castle This is the moment a police officer was caught pepper spraying a serial robber as he dangled from a tower block drainpipe 100 feet from the ground. PC Luke Wenham, 31, blasted Carl Cumberbatch twice as he tried to escape at Albert Barnes House in Elephant and Castle, London. Cumberbatch momentarily lost his footing and was temporarily blinded, clinging to the drainpipe with one hand. PC Wenham's career is now in ruins after he was convicted of two counts of common assault at Westminster magistrates' court today. The officer sobbed as District Judge Louisa Cieciora told him there was an 'obvious risk' of Cumberbatch falling to his death. PC Luke Wenham, 31, blasted Carl Cumberbatch twice as he tried to escape at Albert Barnes House in Elephant and Castle, London in August last year Cumberbatch dangled from a tower block drainpipe 100 feet from the ground - as a judge ruled today there was an 'obvious risk' of him falling to his death Meanwhile Cumberbatch was later convicted of 11 charges of robbery, two of criminal damage and two counts of racially aggravated public order. The footage released by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) shows PC Wenham using the spray twice as Cumberbatch, wanted for several robberies, clambered down the side of the building. When police arrived at the 12th floor flat Cumberbatch barricaded his door with furniture and officers had to force entry on August 17 last year. Cumberbatch then dashed to the window and scrambled down the drainpipe. 'It was between the 12th and 10th floors that PC Wenham sprayed Mr Cumberbatch with irritant spray from the window of flat 73,' said Tom Broomfield, prosecuting. 'A member of the public filmed what was happening. It clearly shows PC Wenham calling Mr Cumberbatch's name... while he is on the side of the building holding on to the pipe. 'In response Mr Cumberbatch looked up to where PC Wenham was calling from and then PC Wenham deployed the spray in the direction of Mr Cumberbatch whilst Mr Cumberbatch had hold of the pipe with only one hand. 'That appeared to result in Mr Cumberbatch momentarily losing his footing. PC Wenham's career is now in ruins after he was convicted of two counts of common assault at Westminster magistrates' court today 'At least one of Mr Cumberbatch's feet appears to lose contact with the pipe after spray had been deployed.' After he was sprayed the first time, Mr Cumberbatch continued to shimmy down the pipe to a flat on the eighth floor. PC Wenham then sprayed the suspect again from another bottle. Cumberbatch managed to climb down onto the balcony of flat 44 on the sixth floor. PC Wenham and his colleagues then began a 'very lengthy discussion of negotiation' with Mr Cumberbatch as he repeatedly threatened to leap to his death. Cumberbatch was finally arrested later that afternoon. In a statement read to the court Cumberbatch said he was climbing down the pipe when he heard someone call his name and he naturally looked up. 'I heard someone shout 'Carl' and it's a natural instinct to look up, and I got sprayed in the face with 'CS' gas. Cumberbatch managed to climb down onto the balcony of flat 44 on the sixth floor 'I've been sprayed with 'CS' in the past, that's how I know. 'It was hard to hold on, if I let go, I would fall off...I was unarmed and I think it was wrong for the police to do that...I think only the adrenaline kept me holding onto the pole. 'I couldn't see anything; I couldn't see my foot or anywhere I could go...I put my head down because it was burning, and it hurt. 'The officer kept spraying onto the top of my head.' CS gas is sometimes used by UK police forced to temporarily incapacitate a suspect. Its qualities cause a burning sensation in the eyes and tearing. Cumberbatch was later convicted of 11 charges of robbery, two of criminal damage and two counts of racially aggravated public order. PC Wenham told the court it was a 'high risk situation' and that he believed his use of pepper spray was 'completely reasonable' in order to avoid risk to the wider public. He said his main concern was to save the residents of the block of flats from the potential harm Cumberbatch presented due to his history of violent offending. 'I was just concerned for occupants in that address and anyone in the stairwell, anyone off to work and children off to school, I believed he was going to do anything he could to avoid capture,' he said. PC Wenham told the court it was a 'high risk situation' and that he believed his use of pepper spray was 'completely reasonable' PC Wenham, of Dartford, Kent, denied but was convicted of two counts of common assault after a one-day trial. Judge Cieciora told the court: 'Mr Cumberbatch was obviously, from his history, a violent offender, he was known to evade officers and known to use force. 'He was willing to climb down a pipe of unknown quality at a significant height to not be arrested. 'For both offences you acknowledge there was an obvious risk of Mr Cumberbatch falling. 'And you admit it's not disputed the spray causes certain reactions; involuntary spasms, legs to become weak, tense muscles and so on, and you admit those were possible reactions. 'You admit you aimed the spray intending to cause the reactions known to be caused by the spray. 'I could not accept your account you used the spray as a distraction to cause Mr Cumberbatch to move onto the balcony and be inconvenienced by the spray. 'I am sure you are aware it would not simply cause an inconvenience...and you would be aware it would include the risk of death. He said his main concern was to save the residents of the block of flats from the potential harm Cumberbatch presented due to his history of violent offending 'For both incidents it cannot be said the use of force was reasonable, proportionate or necessary, I therefore find you guilty of both offences.' PC Wenham, who wept as he was convicted, will return to Westminster Magistrates Court for sentence on 26 July. Detective Chief Superintendent Seb Adjei-Addoh, in charge of policing Southwark and Lambeth, said: 'Officers know that their actions will be held to account and where any use of force is deployed, must always consider whether it was necessary and proportionate to the circumstances. 'It is clear in this case that not only was PC Wenham's response completely disproportionate to the situation he faced but also, by doing what he did, he put a member of public at risk of harm. 'PC Wenham has let down not only himself but many hardworking police colleagues who strive to improve trust and confidence with our communities. 'I am pleased that this matter was put before a jury to make a decision following a careful consideration of all the facts.' IOPC director Steve Noonan said: 'At the time he was sprayed, the man was not posing an immediate risk to the officers or anyone else. 'It is clear that in spraying the man twice at considerable heights, PC Wenham exposed him to the genuine risk he may have lost his grip on the pipe and fallen, which would have likely had fatal consequences.' A close friend of Kevin Costner's estranged wife slammed the rumors that the former handbag designer is in a relationship with the tech mogul who was renting a home on their $145 million property. Earlier this week, multiple reports emerged linking Costner's divorce to an alleged relationship between his wife, Christine, 49, and Daniel Starr, 42. 'Christine is anything but some some bored, desperate housewife. As far as Daniel (Starr) is concerned, there was and is nothing romantic between them,' a friend told DailyMail.com exclusively. 'He's a busy person as well, so to paint the picture that these two had some sort of romantic relationship is a joke. It's a small town here, especially within the Padaro Lane community. Everyone knows everyone,' the friend continued. This comes after Starr denied the relationship in an interview with TMZ. '[I'm] just a guy who paid [his] rent.' Starr added that tries 'to be friendly to everybody.' Daniel Starr rented a home from Kevin Costner on the Yellowstone actor's $145 million property close to Santa Barbara, California Costner and Baumgartner, a model and handbag designer, began dating in 1998 before getting married at his Colorado ranch in 2004 A rep for Daniel Starr, 42, told DailyMail.com Monday that the tech mogul (pictured) 'wishes nothing but the best to Mr. Costner in his dispute with his estranged wife' 'I just had a tenant landlord relationship [with them], nothing else. There was nothing there. They have kids and are going through a divorce,' Starr added. 'I just hope that it ends peacefully for them. I hope his divorce resolves and his kids are minimally impacted,' he continued. In May, the Yellowstone star announced that he was to divorce his wife of 19 years. 'It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr. Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage,' Costner's publicist Arnold Robinson said in a statement. Costner and Baumgartner, a model and handbag designer, began dating in 1998 before getting married at his Colorado ranch in 2004. They have two sons, ages 14 and 15, and a 12-year-old daughter together. It was the second marriage for Costner, 68, the Oscar and Emmy winning star of TV's Yellowstone and films including Dances With Wolves, The Bodyguard and Bull Durham. Costner also has four adult children from previous relationships. Earlier this week, it emerged that Christine was seeking nearly $250,000 per month in child support. Tech mogul Starr, pictured here, sold his international mobile billing company Principal Media in 2016 for around $40 million Costner allegedly confronted Starr after learning that 'Chris and Daniel hung out a lot' while he was on location working on Yellowstone Starr also denied the that the home he was renting was a 'guest house' rather calling it a 'home' on their property. A source told The Sun about the chain of events involving Starr, 42, who was renting a home on the property, in a report published Monday. The Dances With Wolves actor-director confronted Starr after learning that 'Chris and Daniel hung out a lot' while he was on location working on Yellowstone, the source told the outlet. Starr had been renting out a beachfront guest house for around $64,000 a month, and Baumgartner 'would come into his house almost daily,' the source said. Originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania, Starr is the founder of several web-based businesses including video game streaming service GameMine. Besides GameMine, Starr also notably sold his international mobile billing company Principal Media in 2016 for around $40 million. He has also developed a penchant for buying and selling real estate, having flipped a Santa Barbara mansion he bought for $13.5 million in 2021 for $25 million the following year. Outside of this transaction, he has developed and sold on properties across Southern California totaling over $150 million since 2013. This included a Beverly Hills mansion that was purchased by recording artist and brand mogul Rihanna. The former couple was pictured at the SAG Awards in February of 2022 in Santa Monica, California It also emerged this week that Costner told his children about the divorce during a 10 minute Zoom call. This came despite Christine's wish that the pair tell the children together. According to People, Christine alleged in documents Kevin was on location in Las Vegas for a show when he told their children of the split: 'After a 24-year relationship, from his hotel room in Las Vegas, Kevin told our three children that we were getting divorced over a 10-minute Zoom call without me present. 'I am still confused by his motivation to do this via a very short Zoom session, especially since he was planning on being home five days later. 'He also could have easily come home from Las Vegas to have the conversation in person.' Christine had wanted to tell their children about the divorce with Kevin. 'The childrens welfare has always been my highest priority, and I was concerned they would find out about the divorce before Kevin and I could tell them. It was important for me that we tell the children in person and together,' she said. She allegedly shared her fears their children would learn about the split via an 'outside source' and even gave Costner articles detailing 'the importance of talking to the children as a united front.' Christine thought she and Kevin would be able to deliver the news together, but she claims he ended up informing them on his own without her. 'He disregarded my proposal to do what I felt was right based on research and my relationship with the children. Instead, he insisted that he had the right to tell them that we were getting divorced "first" and tell them privately "without me present."' A source close to Kevin told People the actor's ex filed for divorce in May while he was filming on location, and explained he 'FaceTimes all the time with the kids when he is away working.' The families of some of those killed on the Titanic are railing against the billionaire tourist trade that spawned the missing Titan submersible, calling it a 'disgusting' example of 'ogling' at their loved ones' watery grave. The Titan went missing Sunday morning with five people on board. The passengers paid $250,000 for their seat on the 21ft vessel. OceanGate is now facing a mountain of fierce backlash and fury for its promises of safety. Among those most irate that the private company was operating in such dangerous territory are the families of some of the 1,517 souls who died when the Titanic sank in 1912. 'I compare it to looking inside a grave. I mean, people died there tragically, very tragically. Why make it a place for people to go see? 'Why, why do you have to do that? Let the people rest,' John Locascio and his wife Angelica Harris. Locascio's uncles, who were brothers, died in the 1912 disaster Images of the Titanic wreckage previously obtained by OceanGate on a prior expedition 'Why, why do you have to do that? Let the people rest,' John Locascio, whose uncles, Alberto and Sebastiano, died in the disaster, told CNN. The pair - who were brothers - were working as waiters on the ship. They were 17 and 20. Locascio's wife, Angelica Harris, chronicled their story in the book The Peracchio Brothers. 'Why make it a place for people to go see? Dead bodies are there, or whats left of them. 'The ship is there, or whats left of it, and its just a peaceful site there right now, or as peaceful as can be. 'If I were them, if my soul was there, I wouldnt want people coming down to take a look at me. Wendy Rush is the wife of OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who is among the five people missing on board the submersible. Her great-great-grandparents died on the Titanic Isidor Straus and his wife Ida died on the Titanic. Isidor co-owned Macy's with his brother, Nathan: their father, Lazarus Straus, convinced Rowland Hussey Macy, founder of Macy's, to allow L. Straus & Sons to open a crockery department in the store. Isidor and Nathan became co-owners in 1896 Isidor and Ida Straus are depicted lying on a bed as the water rises in the 1997 film 'I dont feel that it would be a very comfortable situation, to have people just looking, ogling. It makes no sense.' In a previous interview with The Daily Beast along with other victims' families, he called it 'disgusting'. 'Would you want to dig up your uncles or aunts to see the box? Thats basically what I compare it to. Theres no reason for it. 'They died a horribly tragic death. Just leave the bodies resting. They dont want people down to see them. Just leave well enough alone.' His comments were echoed by other victims' families. 'Thats where all those people lost their lives. That should be it. It should be left just as it is. We should let those people down there lie in peace,' T. Sean Maher, whose great-grandfather James Kelly, of County Kildare, Ireland, died in the disaster, said. Among those onboard is OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, whose wife Wendy is a descendant of two other Titanic victims. Her great-great-grandparents, Isidor and Ida Straus, died in the historic disaster - with Isidor being a co-founder of the Macy's department store. They were also immortalized in James Cameron's 1997 movie 'Titanic', where they are shown in an iconic scene, fictionally embracing on their bed as water rushed onto the ship. A flotilla of international ships arrived at the search site some 900 miles east of Cape Cod. They deployed multiple remote control subs that searched the ocean floor for signs of life, and a fleet of aircraft are scouring an enormous, 10,000 square-mile patch of ocean for any sign of life. A 'heartbroken' Nicola Sturgeon led tributes to her political heroine Winnie Ewing today, after the SNP's first female parliamentarian died aged 93. The former party president, who became known as Madam Ecosse - Mrs Scotland - passed away yesterday, surrounded by her family. She is perhaps best known for marking her shock victory in the Hamilton by-election in 1967 with the declaration: 'Stop the world, Scotland wants to get on.' Five years ago Ms Sturgeon described her as her inspiration for getting into politics, saying her mentor helped her with public speaking and advised her to 'stand your ground and believe in yourself'. After the announcement today the former first minister said: 'I can't begin to convey the depth of gratitude I feel for the advice, wisdom, encouragement and inspiration Winnie gave me and so many others over the years. She was a master of the art of campaigning and it was a privilege to learn from her. 'Today, Scotland has lost one of her foremost patriots and champions, the SNP and the independence movement have lost a beloved icon and Fergus, Annabelle Ewing and Terry Ewing have lost their mum. 'My condolences to them and the wider family. Thank you Madame Ecosse.' The former party president (left), who became known as Madam Ecosse - Mrs Scotland - passed away yesterday, surrounded by her family. She is perhaps best known for marking her shock victory in the Hamilton by-election in 1967 with the declaration: 'Stop the world, Scotland wants to get on.' Mrs Ewing was born in Glasgow in 1929 and gained a law degree from Glasgow University before being elected to the UK Parliament. Despite losing the Hamilton seat at the next election in 1970, she was re-elected to Westminster in 1974 for Moray and Nairn, and retained her seat in the second election in October of the same year. She also served in the European Parliament, representing the Highlands and Islands after losing her Westminster seat in the 1979. She resigned as an MEP in 1999 to stand as a candidate for the new Scottish Parliament, representing the Highlands and Islands until 2003. Mrs Ewing was president of the SNP until 2005 when she stood down from elected office, however she remained an ardent supporter of the independence cause. Flags at Holyrood were lowered as a 'mark of respect' following her death. First Minister Humza Yousaf paid tribute to a 'pioneer and a patriot', saying: 'Without Winnie without her breakthrough by-election victory in Hamilton in 1967, her dedication to the cause of Scottish independence, and her promotion of Scotland's interests in Europe over many years the SNP would never have achieved the success we have, and self-government for Scotland would never have become the priority it did.' The SNP's first female parliamentarian was considered by many to be the mother of the party, having won arguably the most important by-election in Scottish political history and changing the course of the nationalist cause forever. Her victory lives on in SNP supporters' memories, as her son Fergus Ewing, then Scotland's energy minister and now a SNP MSP, recalled in 2015. In an interview with Holyrood Magazine, he said: 'She was pretty superhuman then and has remained so, and wherever I go in Scotland very often people come up to me and say, ''oh I remember Winnie at Hamilton'' or ''I was there when your mum won'' and so on. She did make an impact on people, far more so than most politicians that you know now. 'She really got through to people by the way she communicated and the way she moved them in her speeches, but also in her general style of being a politician; it was all about people. 'People remember her hospitality and they also remember her courage.' A diving veteran broke down in tears today as he said the five passengers of the stricken Titanic submersible may have felt like they were being 'buried alive in a tin can'. Dr Michael Guillen, who became the first TV correspondent to visit the remains of the Titanic when he explored the wreckage on a Russian sub in 2000, spoke of his experience. His comments came earlier today as rescuers clung onto hope that the sub could still be recovered, but the US Coast Guard later confirmed they had found debris in the search area, which appeared to be consistent with a 'catastrophic implosion'. The sub operator OceanGate said this evening that they now believe the passengers have 'sadly been lost'. Onboard the vessel was the company's CEO Stockton Rush, UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, British billionaire Hamish Harding, and French Navy veteran Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Dr Guillen, who is one of the few to have explored the Titanic by sub, revealed the terror he felt when he became stuck underwater for 30 minutes, after his vessel smashed into the ship's propeller. The sub operator OceanGate said this evening that they now believe the passengers had 'sadly been lost' Dr Michael Guillen, who became the first TV correspondent to visit the remains of the Titanic when he explored the wreckage on a Russian sub in 2000, spoke of his experience TITANIC ACCIDENT. When I was at ABC News, I became the first TV correspondent in history to report from the wreck of the Titanic at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, 2-1/2 miles below the surface. An accident happened that almost claimed my life. Here's what happened. #Titanic pic.twitter.com/b4t3WtaRdc Dr. Michael Guillen (@DrMGuillen) June 19, 2023 'Every minute that you're buried alive in this tin can, it stretches out for eternity. You lose any sense of time,' he told Holly Willoughby and Dermot O'Leary on ITV's This Morning. In an emotional interview, he added: 'I feel like I'm down there with them. I know what they went through. 'I feel it, I'm very empathetic, and I was hoping that they would experience that second chance of life that I did and I almost feel guilty talking to you this morning about how I was given that second chance. 'It's pretty remote that they're gonna be given a second chance and it's a terrible way to go. 'My only hope and prayer is that they experience that sense of peace that I did when I was ready to let go of my life.' Earlier this week, Dr Guillen shared news footage of the incident, which told how the vessel was suddenly caught in a strong underwater current that pushed it towards the Titanic's 21-ton propellers. After becoming wedged under the stern, the crew tried to reverse out - at which point a bang was heard as chunks of debris were seen floating through the water. 'So are we stuck or what?' a voice can be heard asking in the footage. The team eventually managed to free the sub and get it back to the surface, but Dr Guillen said the accident 'almost claimed my life'. Dr Guillen was on a submersible called the Mir 1 which was built in 1987. Writing in his 2021 book Believing is Seeing, Dr Guillen said: 'It seemed to me we were heading toward it [the propeller] too fast - and, worse, accelerating. 'Later, I learned that our sub accidentally got caught in a fast-moving, deep-underwater current. A split-second later, Mir 1 slammed into the Titanic's propeller. 'I felt the shock of the collision: rusty debris showered down on our submersible, obscuring my view through the porthole.' Journey to the bottom of the ocean: Dr Michael Guillen was the first TV reporter to visit the Titanic wreck Ex-ABC reporter Michael Guillen revealed his own terrifying experience when he became the first TV correspondent to visit the wreck (this is a still from news footage of the incident) A current pushed the sub underneath the Titanic's stern, as which point the crew began fiddling with the controls to try and reverse it out At this point a bang was heard as large chunks of debris were seen floating through the water 'So are we stuck or what?' a voice can be heard asking in the footage Dr Guillen said 30 minutes passed and the team were trying to dislodge the vessel by 'moving it forward and backward, forward and backward' to 'rock us out of our stuck position'. At this point he started to think they would not make it out. But he said he then suddenly felt as if an 'invisible presence' had entered the sub, and 'shortly afterward everything went quiet' before the engine 'stopped roaring' and it felt like they were floating again. The team had managed to free Mir 1 from the propeller but Dr Guillen admitted that even today he did not fully understand how he had survived the incident. Dr Guillen, who is a Christian, also wrote how he 'experienced God's presence and peace right when I was resigned to kissing my life goodbye'. Five people were onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who was just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) was in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition The nail-biting search for the Titan, a 21ft submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions, drew to a devastating close today when a remote operated submarine from a Canadian ship found broken pieces of it on the ocean floor. READ MORE: Bodies of five Titanic sub crew may never be found due to 'unforgiving' ocean Advertisement Search and rescue officials say the men likely died on Sunday - before military planes using sonar buoys detected what they thought could have been SOS 'banging' sounds in the water. 'The implosion would have generated a significant, broadband sound that the sonar buoys would have picked up,' explained Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard at a press conference today. It would have been an instant death for the men, some of whom had paid $250,000 each to see the famous shipwreck. The victims are OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French Navy veteran Paul-Henri (PH) Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who was just 19. In a gut-wrenching blow for their families, experts say there is little prospect of recovering any of their remains. 'This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there. 'The debris is consistent of a catastrophic implosion of the vessel.. we'll continue to work and search the area down there - but I don't have an answer for prospects at this time,' Paul Hankin, a deep sea expert involved in the search, said. The world has come together in a last-minute scramble to find five adventure tourists who are trapped inside a missing Titanic submersible, with ships, equipment and experts from the UK, US, Canada and France heading to the wreck site. The US Coast Guard insisted today that rescuers 'have longer than we think' to find the group - who have been dubbed the Titan Five - despite predictions that oxygen supplies on the submarine ended at 12.08pm (7.08am EST and 9.08pm Sydney). In the last 24 hours, more vessels have joined the desperate search to find the Titan, which lost communication on Sunday while 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland. The frantic search continues as the US Coast Guard confirmed that debris field had been discovered in the search area. Specialist personnel from the Royal Air Force (RAF) departed RAF Lossiemouth in north-east Scotland this afternoon. The two planes, C-17 Globemaster and A400 Atlas are being used to carry specialist equipment to St John's. Squadron Leader and C-17 pilot Simon Philips said: 'The RAF is always ready to support civilian authorities in emergency and humanitarian situations. We hope that the RAF contribution to the international rescue effort is of assistance.' Britain also joined forces with the US on Thursday to transfer a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) owned by a Guernsey company called Magellan. The device which can create a digital scan of the wreck was loaded onto a US transport aircraft from Jersey Airport using a crane. It follows a last-minute U-turn made by the US Coast Guard who yesterday said after 'careful consideration' it did not want the help of the Magellan device because of 'how far out that vessel would be from the area if needed'. Last night Downing Street confirmed that Lieutenant Commander Richard Kantharia (pictured left) would be deployed as part of the Titan search efforts for 'as long as is required' This afternoon specialist equipment was loaded onto a Royal Air Force aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth to be taken to St John's in Canada The ROV, however, is now on its way to St John's Airport so it can assist with the rescue efforts by diving the 12,500ft down to the wreck - but it could take up to 60 hours until it arrives. The vessels and specialist kit from all over the world involved in the search for Titan: Polar Prince - on site - from Canada Deep Energy - on site - from Bahamas Atlantic Merlin - on site - from Canada Skandi Vinland - on site - from Canada L'Atalante - on site - from France Horizon Arctic - on site - from Canada Glace Bay - en route - from Canada John Cabot - on site - from Canada Ann Harvey - on site - from Canada Terry Fox - en route - from Canada Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System - on site - from US ROV Magellan - en route - from Jersey Atlas A400M and C-17 Globemaster III - from Scotland Advertisement The Explorers Club confirmed the decision earlier today. In the statement, Richard Garriott de Cayeux, president of The Explorers Club, criticised the time it took for the approval of the ROV which has visited the Titanic wreckage previously and can go to depths as low as 6,000m. The statement said: 'Magellan is en route (should have been accepted sooner), we are still trying to get side scan sonar (should have been accepted sooner), and still working on ships to transport equipment and other details. 'We continue to come together for our friends, their families and the ideals of The Explorers Club, and the cause of safe scientific exploration of extreme environments. There is good cause for hope, and we are making it more hopeful.' One The Explorer Club's trustees, British billionaire Hamish Harding, is among the five trapped on board. He is joined by OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French navy veteran PH Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 and a student at Strathclyde University. The world is on a knife-edge as the frantic search continues. Banging had been heard in 30-minute intervals from the dark depths of the Atlantic providing hope that the men could have been striking the side of the sub - but nothing has been found yet. This morning the French research ship L'Atlante - which contained the only vessel capable of bringing the lost sub to the surface - arrived on scene. It quickly deployed its ROV Victor 6000, which can reach depths of 20,000ft which arrived at the Titanic site. The Atalante - viewed as the final hope for the missing Titan sub - has arrived at the search site. It is dropping in a deep sea robot called the Victor 6000, shown at the stern of its mother vessel The Victor 6000 (pictured) can get to the depths needed and can help free or attach a cable to the Titan - if they can find it Five people are onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Victor 6000 has arms that can cut cables and dislodge trapped vessels. It would then work with the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic's Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System, which has a winch capable of bringing heavy vessels up from the ocean floor. The Canadian boat's ROV has also reached the ocean floor. Meanwhile, more vessels have flocked to the wreck site, including Canadian naval ship Glace Bay which has a decompression chamber as well as a team of medical staff on board. It had previously been on standby in St John's harbour but is now moving towards the search site. The Ann Harvey, a light icebreaker vessel operated by the Canadian Coast Guard, has also safely arrived at the site of the Titanic while the force's other ship, the Terry Fox, is also en route to the site, leaving its docking station at St John's. Bahamian-flagged research vessel Deep Energy has also joined the search carrying to ROV's which can go down to 3,000m. The ships have all joined the submarine's mother ship the Polar Prince over the 25,000 sq km region, with military planes and sonar buoys also being used. Downing Street said last night that experienced Lieutenant Commander Richard Kantharia would be deployed as part of the Titan search efforts for 'as long as is required'. This is how Titan could be saved by the French ship, if it is found The experienced submariner is understood to have joined the US Coastguard mission on Tuesday evening in the US. A spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, asked whether the request for UK assistance should have come sooner, said: 'We've always said we stand ready to provide any assistance required and that continues to be the case. The search and rescue efforts continue, and we will look to support that in any way we can.' Captain Jim Lee, who is station commander at RAF Lossiemouth, said: 'The RAF stepped up today to support the vital work of the rescue efforts. We are proud to have played a small but vital part, of getting essential equipment and specialists to where it is needed.' The area of the search has been expanded, with the surface search now about 10,000 square miles, and the sub-surface search about 2.5 miles deep. Titan is believed to be about 900 miles east and 400 miles south of Newfoundland. It is not known how deep the vessel is, with the seabed being around 3,800m from the surface. New evidence suggests more victims were caught in alleged attacker's trap A French wife whose husband allegedly let 83 men rape her while she was drugged unconscious collapsed in horror when shown evidence of how she was brutally assaulted for nearly a decade, prosecution documents have revealed. 'Francoise' told police how she would wake in the night feeling she had been raped, but assuming the chilling reality must have been a dream. Now, she has filed for divorce from her husband of 50 years, as evidence mounts in the case against him and 51 identified suspects accused of raping her as she lay unconscious at their home in the south of France between 2011 and 2020. Prosecution documents allege that husband 'Dominique P.' urged his wife's rapists not to wear condoms. A doctor has also revealed the woman in her sixties had contracted four venereal diseases and suffered gynaecological problems. Meanwhile, Dominique P. has also been charged with raping and murdering a 23-year-old estate agent in Paris in 1991. A second estate agent said she had been attacked in Paris eight years later and investigative sources say an e-fit of the suspect in both cases 'bears a strong resemblance' to Dominique. As prosecutors also prepare to bring the case involving his wife to trial next year, evidence is said to show how the couple's eldest daughter was also filmed unconscious in her underwear, and alleged abuses against other family members. Dominique P. was indicted for the murder of a woman in 1991 - which he denies - and the attempted rape of another in 1999. This E-FIT based on witness testimonies in the 1999 case was said to 'bear a strong resemblance' to Dominique P Grandchildren allege the suspect regularly 'played doctor' with them, and would buy them toys for undressing, and Dominique P. is said to have filmed his daughters-in-law in the bathroom using a hidden camera, sharing the images online. In the case involving his wife, he was ultimately caught in 2020 after he was found using a pen with a hidden camera to spy on women in changing rooms in Carpentras, leading police to search his house. Dominique P. as he is being referred to by France's legal authorities faces trial next year, along with alleged accomplices he met on an online sex forum, for alleged offences against his wife. Police have used video and computer data evidence to identify 92 cases of rape of his wife by 83 men, and have to date identified 51 suspects aged between 26 and 73. Dominique P. is understood to have recruited his wife's attackers from an online forum called 'Without Her Knowing' where users discuss performing sex acts on unwitting partners and storing evidence on a USB drive in a file called 'ABUSES'. The vast majority of the attacks were filmed, with the videos placed in computer files, complete with the name of the attacker and the type of sex act. In his videos, Dominique P. called his wife a 'slut' hundreds of times, but insisted he meant it affectionately. He also told investigating magistrates he loves his 'saint' wife. His lawyer added that Francoise was 'his first love, indeed the only love of his life'. Dominique P. is alleged to have used the drug Lorazepam to sedate his wife by mixing it into her meal, before inviting men to have sex with her while she was unconscious at their home in Mazan, near Avignon. Investigators learned of the horror after arresting Dominique in 2020 for filming up the skirts of customers in a supermarket in nearby Carpentras, with a search of his Provence home uncovering camera equipment and 'dozens of videos' of his wife's abuse. Alleged rapists involved in the case include civil servants, ambulance workers, soldiers, prison guards, nurses, a journalist, a municipal councillor, and truck drivers. A fireman accused of raping Francoise wore his uniform during the attack, one video shows. The fireman's computer contained 728 images of children being sexually abused. Some of his accomplices claimed they had no idea his wife was not consensual while one denied it was rape, saying: 'It's his wife, he does what he likes with her.' The father-of-three, in his early 70s, is currently in prison in Avignon, in the south of France, charged with 'aggravated rape' and the administration of drugs which were used to sedate his wife. When his wife was informed of the secret tapes, she broke down and became suicidal, saying: 'I was his thing,' before filing for divorce. General view of the picturesque village of Mazan, near Avignon in the south of France Dominique P. is also suspected of raping and then murdering Sophie Narme, a 23-year-old estate agent, who was found mutilated in a flat in the 19th arrondissement of Paris in December 1991. An autopsy revealed that the young woman had been drugged, raped, strangled, and stabbed in the chest with a knife. Investigating sources told Le Parisien newspaper that they suspect Dominique P. of setting up a meeting with Ms Narme at the flat, using the fictitious name 'Mr Duboste'. A colleague of Ms Narme recalled meeting a man who used the name Duboste, and who fitted Dominique P.'s description. The suspect denies having any involvement in the case. Another female estate agent aged 19 and referred to only as E. was attacked in similar circumstances by Dominique P. at a flat in the Paris suburb of Villeparisis in 1999, but managed to escape after fighting back. Blood was found on the carpet in the second case, and in August 2022 DNA found was matched with Dominique P.'s genetic profile. Dominique P. was in the real estate industry throughout the 1990s, and a police E-FIT put together from witness testimonies was said to 'bear a strong resemblance' to Duboste and the man who attacked E., an investigating source said. On September 7 2022, Dominique P. appeared before a judge in Nanterre, where he was indicted for the murder of Sophie Narme, and the attempted rape of E. Dominique P. has since admitted trying to rape E. Sophie Narme, a 23-year-old who Dominique P. was suspected of raping and killing in 1991. He denies having anything to do with the case Abuse took place in the town of Mazan, south of France, and was only uncovered after the man was caught up-skirting women in a local supermarket prompting officers to search his home He and his wife lived together in the village of Mazan, near Carpentras, where he is said to have continued setting up sexual liaisons on a dating site called Coco. Dominique P. is said to have sedated his wife by putting tablets of Temesta a powerful anxiolytic into her evening dinner. He then invited strangers from the online forum into the couple's bedroom, so that his wife could be raped while unconscious. Almost all of the rapes were filmed, and the videos kept on file with a date, a first name, and the nature of the sexual act, according to prosecution evidence. One hundred and twenty-eight images were seized by police in all, with 92 rapes on Francoise proved. A list of 83 attackers was drawn up, and 51 men arrested in a first wave of arrests. A member of a New York City gang that allegedly drugged partiers to steal their money has been charged with three other homicides of bargoers on the Lower East Side. Kenwood Allen, 33, of the Bronx was charged Wednesday in the drugging deaths of Sadath Ahmed, Alexander Rudnitsky and fashion designer Kathryn Gallagher. He had previously been indicted in the overdose deaths of two others who were both found dead of a drug overdose with fraudulent charges on their cards after leaving bars. In total, prosecutors say, Allen and his crew targeted at least 26 partygoers in their drugging and robbing operation. Allen was involved in at least 21 of those, including the five fatal attacks, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said. He is now charged with 10 counts of second-degree murder two for each death, one accusing him of acting with depraved indifference to human life and the other of accusing him of acting in furtherance of a crime. Kenwood Allen, 33, was charged Wednesday in the drugging deaths of three more partygoers in lower Manhattan last year One of the alleged victims was fashion designer Kathryn Gallagher, 35, who was found dead of a drug overdose in her apartment on July 24 Additionally, he is facing 17 counts of robbery, assault, attempted robbery, grand larceny and drug possession. Allen has pleaded not guilty. Authorities say Allen and his crew allegedly drugged his victims with fentanyl and other opioids before lifting their credit cards, watches, phones and other personal items. Allen would then allegedly use their bank accounts and use their credit cards to rack up charges. In Rudnitsky's case, law enforcement officials previously told PIX 11, the 26-year-old Yonkers man was found dead near Jerome Park Reservoir in the Bronx last July. Authorities believed he had been dragged out of a car and dumped on the sidewalks by thieves, with one official saying the victim was targeted outside a rooftop bar in downtown Manhattan earlier that night and was eventually drugged with a lethal cocktail of narcotics before he was robbed. A medical examiner later attributed his death to 'complications of acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, morphine, clonazolam, lidocaine and ethanol.' Ahmed's body was found in the same area just one month later, with a medical examiner ruling that he died from a fatal combination of heroin, ethanol and fentanyl. Fashion designer Gallagher was also found dead in her apartment on July 24. The 35-year-old had been profiled in magazines like Vogue and Elle, and dressed A-listers including Lady Gaga. A toxicology report from the time showed she also died from the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl and ethanol. Authorities say Allen and his crew allegedly drugged his victims with fentanyl and other opioids before lifting their credit cards, watches, phones and other personal items. He has pleaded not guilty Allen had previously been indicted in the drugging deaths of Nurbo Shera, 29, at a club on Seventh Street and the death of Ardijan Berisha, 26, on July 30, 2022 Allen was previously charged in the March 18, 2022 death of Nurbo Shera, 29, at a club on Seventh Street and the death of Ardijan Berisha, 26, on July 30, 2022. Berisha, of South Salem, New York, and a friend passed out on Ludlow Street in the Lower East Side after a night of drinking at the trendy Hotel Chantelle, police said at the time. The friend later awoke to find Berisha unresponsive, lying in a fetal position. Medics rushed to the scene, but were unable to revive him. Sherba, meanwhile, was found dead on the sidewalk in March 2022 after leaving a bar where he had been celebrating St. Patrick's Day. 'These alleged pernicious drugging and robbery schemes have left far too many families mourning the loss of their loves ones,' DA Alvin Bragg said in a statement Wednesday. 'The careful and meticulous work of our prosecutors and the NYPD has led us to charge this individual with a spree of criminal conduct that now includes five murders.' Robert Demaio, 34, turned himself into authorities after cops discovered a video of John Umberger's lifeless body on his cellphone Jacob Barroso, 30, and Jayqwan Hamilton, 35, are believed to have helped Demaio Bragg's office is also investigating a connected pattern of robberies and druggings at gay bars in Hell's Kitchen. In that case, prosecutors say, Robert Demaio, 34, filmed victim John Umberger's body on his cellphone. Authorities now say that Demaio, as well as his accomplices Jacob Barroso, 30, and Jayqwan Hamilton, 35, fed lethal drug cocktails to Umberger and Julio Ramirez, 25, when they were partying at gay clubs in Hell's Kitchen in separate instances last year. The crew is alleged to have stolen thousands of dollars from their victims in at least 17 drug-induced robberies, in which they would befriend an unwitting victims at major Manhattan clubs and knock them out with a cocktail of drugs that they would pass off as just being cocaine. They would then grab the victims' cellphones to electronically transfer money from their bank accounts. 'The defendant and others approached intoxicated individuals exiting bars and nightclubs,' prosecutor Emily Chang said of Demaio. 'Those targeted victims would be offered a substance that was promoted as cocaine, and the intoxication of these drugs resulted in the victims being incapacitated,' she continued. 'The incapacitation led to the death of two individuals. Demaio has since been indicted on murder and robbery charges. Currently, there are 70 soldiers and two sniffer dogs participating in a mission to find Wilson, who graduated from a canine school in February The two-year-old Belgian Shepherd was part of the special forces unit that was deployed to search for four indigenous children who survived a plane crash The Colombian military is holding on to hope that soldiers will find the hero sniffer dog who helped locate the four indigenous children lost in the Amazon jungle for 40 days after surviving a plane crash that killed three people, including their mother. A unit of 70 soldiers and two sniffer dogs have been scouring the forest where Wilson, a two-year-old Belgian Shepherd, was last seen on June 6 - three days before the children were miraculously found. The military-trained search dog's pawprints were vital in leading soldiers to Lesly Jacombaire Mucutuy, 13, Soleiny Jacombaire Mucutuy, nine, Tien Noriel Ronoque Mucutuy, four, and one-year-old Cristin Neriman Ranoque Mucutuy. The siblings are now recovering in a military hospital in Bogota, with the focus moving on to a desperate hunt for Wilson. Wilson, a two-year-old Belgian Shepherd, got lost in the Amazon jungle in May while helping lead the military in the search of four indigenous children who survived a plane crash that killed three people, including their 34-year-old mother Soldiers and indigenous men pose for a photo with the four children who went missing after a deadly plane crash in the Colombian department of Caqueta. The children were safely located June 9 The pooch was raised at a canine school in the capital city where he was trained for 14 months, and the center's commander is among many high-ranking members of the military who have vowed to make sure Wilson is located safe and sound. 'For us it was an honor that our canine helped to find those children' said Sgt. Luis Fernando Sena, the commander of the canine school, as quoted by The Associated Press. 'It would be great news for the country, and for our children if he can be found.' Wilson completed his training in February and was immediately assigned to a special forces unit at the Tolemaida air force base. In May, he and four other sniffer dogs joined soldiers searching the Guaviare rainforest after a single-engine Cessna crashed in the department of Caqueta, killing three adults, including the children's mother Magdalena Mucutuy Valencia, 34. Exclusive photos show the four siblings, Lesly, 13, Soleiny, nine, Tien Noriel, four, and baby Cristin, one, safe in their hospital beds at a military hospital in Bogota, Colombia Wilson has been hailed a hero in Colombia and the military is doing everything possible to find the Belgian Shepherd, who has been lost in the Amazon jungle after he helped find four Indigenous children who survived a plane crash in May The Cessna crashed into thick jungle in southern Colombia, killing all three adults on board, but the four children all miraculously survived To track down the children's whereabouts, Wilson was provided samples of their clothing to sniff. But during a May 18 search mission, the sniffer dog got separated from the military unit after he raced into the forest following a scent. Wilson's handler spotted him May 20, but the dog ran off. On May 28, the soldiers discovered the children's footprints next to Wilson's pawprints. The clues were a sign that the children and Wilson were together. Colonel Gustavo Narvaez told news magazine Semana that the military spotted Wilson once again June 6. They tried to get him to come closer by offering him food and entertaining him with a search dog from a Civil Defense unit, but Wilson ran away and has not been seen again since. General Pedro Sanchez told W radio that Wilson kept the children safe days before the military were able to find them. 'The children spoke to us, and confirmed that the dog was with them for two or three days,' he said. Wilson graduated from the Colombian military's canine academy in February and then was placed with an air force special forces unit Magdalena died in the plane crash along with the pilot and an Indigenous leader During a search mission last week, the military flew out two female dogs to the area near where the plane crash in an effort to draw Wilson closer. They have also left food in the near the crash area as well as clothing items belonging to his handler with the hope the scent will help Wilson back to safety. Mark Lee, a Colombian dog trainer, and radio host who has 13 pups at home, including a 10-year-old Belgian Shepherd, is aware that Wilson and the military are in a 'tough situation.' 'I don't see a Belgian Malinois eating fruits and leaves in the forest, or trying to catch an animal to survive,' he said. 'And I wouldn't see that in a dog that is used to having his food in his bowl, at regular hours.' At the canine academy, Wilson's commanders are not giving up because they know the dog is highly trained and capable of overcoming physical obstacles. But ultimately it will have to rely on its instincts to survive. 'He is very energetic, and always stood out because of his strength, his energy and his strong temperament' said Elvis Porras, a trainer who helped to raise Wilson, and worked with the dog until he graduated from the academy earlier this year. 'He is a distant relative of wolves, so I hope his instinct to hunt will help him to survive.' Lauren Boebert has hit back at Ukraine-bashing Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene over their unsightly 'catfight' in Congress. Georgia's Greene lashed out at Boebert on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday after she accused her of 'copying' her ideas to impeach Joe Biden. The 36-year-old stoked the MAGA-on-MAGA feud once more on Thursday after an interview with CNN's Manu Raju. 'I'm not at middle school,' Boebert was quoted as saying, indicating that the row could still drag on. It came after a messy argument over her motion to impeach Biden over the number of migrants who have entered the U.S. where curse words were apparently exchanged. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia apparently called Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado a 'little b***h' in the heated exchange caught on C-SPAN's cameras without audio. But two sources who witnessed the exchange detailed what was said to the Daily Beast and said that it all started when Boebert approached Greene about 'statements you made about me publicly.' Greene was apparently peeved that Boebert also introduced articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden, saying in response to the public feud with Boebert: 'Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.' Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene (left) and Lauren Boebert (right) had a heated public exchange on the House floor Wednesday The back-and-forth apparently included Rep. Greene accusing Rep. Boebert of copying her articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden and sources say Greene called Boebert a 'little b***h' Both Greene and Boebert are MAGA sweethearts and are fiercely pro-Trump they have both rallied and campaigned with the former president. During the back-and-forth, the presiding representative appeared annoyed as he tried to get the congresswomen to take their talk off the floor. 'Take your conversations to the back,' the presiding lawmaker said. 'Off the floor.' 'Order, please,' he said again, banging the gavel on the desk before resuming with normal business as Greene and Boebert continued their chat without budging. While C-SPAN doesn't have audio of what the lawmakers said on the floor, the talk did not appear friendly. At two separate points, Greene is seen pointing and their facial expressions did not appear light-hearted. Boebert didn't deny reports of what was said, telling Daily Beast: 'Marjorie is not my enemy. I came here to protect our children and their posterity. Joe Biden and the Democrats are destroying our country. My priorities are to correct their bad policies and save America.' The two people who witnesses the exchange, as well as a third familiar with it, told Daily Beast that Greene called Boebert a 'b***h,' while another said more specifically that Greene called her 'a little b***h.' Greene stood up out of her chair on the House floor as the exchange appeared to become increasingly more animated and heated. 'I've donated to you, I've defended you,' Greene said, according to one source that witnessed the back-and-forth. 'But you've been nothing but a little b***h to me.' 'And you copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to cosponsor them,' she added, to which the Colorado congresswoman dismissed by claiming she hadn't even read the resolution. Boebert and Greene are two of the most far-right and fiercely pro-Trump lawmakers in the House. Pictured: The two Republicans scream 'Build the Wall' during President Biden's State of the Union at the Capitol on March 1, 2022 Boebert has introduced a fast-tracked impeachment resolution against Biden, which House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has spoken out against. Greene has taken claim to the impeachment push, however, and doesn't like the Boebert is trying to champion the same cause. 'Lauren Boebert never addressed the conference,' Greene said earlier on Wednesday in reference to the Colorado Republican not addressing the GOP conference regarding her fast-track resolution. 'I made it clear to the conference that I have introduced articles of impeachment, literally since Joe Biden's first day in office,' Greene added. 'I have been talking about it with everybody forever.' 'Literally, everyone. Forever, 'til I'm blue in the face. You see me? I'm blue in the face.' A Louisiana pastor shot his wife in front of the couple's three children before turning the gun on himself inside a hotel in Mississippi on Wednesday. He has been named locally as Danny Prenell Jr., 25, the lead pastor at the Bright Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Pineville, Louisiana. Multiple Facebook posts identify his wife as Gabby Prenell, 27. The couple have three children together. In a Facebook post that was sent from the Hampton Inn hotel where the shooting took place, Prenell captioned a picture with his wife and kids: 'I may not be a perfect man, but I'll always be a family man.' A picture from the scene published by The Enterprise-Journal showed blood-stained floors close to the elevators in the hotel's lobby in McComb, Mississippi. The shooting took place around 3:30pm. Prenell is alleged to have shot his wife twice and then himself, investigators said. Authorities have not commented on Prenell or his wife's condition. A Facebook post from a friend of Gabby's said that the mother was 'still fighting' in an intensive care unit. Pastor Danny Prenell Jr posted this photo with his wife, Gabby, and his children on June 19, two days before the shooting The picture was accompanied with this caption The bloody hallway in the aftermath of the shooting Both were rushed to the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Their children are in the custody of child protective services. According to Prenell's Facebook page, he's a former sheriff's deputy with the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Department up until as recently as December 2022. On April 6, Prenell paid tribute to his wife on her birthday calling her 'my queen' and 'the woman that I love and owe my life to. 'Ive watched your growth on all levels and youre a great mother, wife, and my best friend. Im proud to be your husband because you are a woman of class, discretion, integrity, and most importantly.youre a woman of God,' he added. The pastor regularly spoke about his self-growth in Facebook posts. 'At the age of 25, I often hear that Im far beyond my years. However, I never get satisfied with where I am.Im constantly looking for more,' he wrote on April 16. 'People with small minds will keep you locked up into what can fit into their heads. The God I serve doesnt have a limit, and Im staying faithful because I know my cup shall run over,' he added. The horror unfolded at this Hampton Inn in McComb, Mississippi, around 3:30pm on June 21 In a Facebook post on his wife's birthday in April, Prenell called her 'his queen' Danny Prenell Jr's condition has not been made public while a friend of Gabby's said that she is 'still fighting' in the ICU Prenell is a former sheriff's deputy who left the force in December 2022 Domestic shootings have become a disturbingly common tragedy across the country. They've happened nearly every 3.5 weeks for the last two decades on average. In 2022 there were 17 of them, according to a database, compiled by multiple media organizations. Ten were murder-suicides, and 14 were shootings. The database defines a mass killing as four or more people slain, not including the assailant. Sequatchie, Tennessee, is one of more than 30 communities sent reeling by a family mass killing in the last two years, a list that includes communities of wealth and poverty and spares no race or class. A family mass killing where four or more people were killed, not including the perpetrator happened each of the last two years in places as large as Houston or as small as Casa Grande, Arizona. Motives can remain speculative in family killings in which assailants take their own lives, but police often cite financial or relationship issues as the causes. Family mass killings immediately capture the attention of people in a community, but rarely garner the level of national attention received by mass killings at schools, places of worship or restaurants, said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University who has studied familicides and mass killings for decades. Fox, who helped compile and maintains the database for the AP and USA Today, said that's because it doesn't carry the same kind of fear with the public. He noted police often issue messages saying there is no danger to the public shortly after the killings are discovered. 'It's a nice safe community, but family massacres are independent of the crime rate in the local area,' he said. 'We are talking about internal factors, and I think that's why it's hard for people to see themselves in these situations and why the response is to mourn instead of fear.' Family mass killings are in fact the most common type of mass killing, making up about 45 percent of the 415 mass shootings since 2006, according to the database. They happen twice as frequently as mass shootings in which members of the public are killed. Michael Haight, 42, fatally shot his wife, her mother and the couple's five kids after he was investigated for child abuse in one of the most infamous murder suicides in recent years Most, but not all, involve handguns, only about a third involve households with a previous occurrence of domestic violence and most of the assailants have no violent history or criminal past, Fox said. There is no governmental agency tracking murder-suicides nationally, so a few years ago policy analysts at the Violence Policy Center a nonprofit educational organization that conducts research and public education on violence in the U.S. began tracking details from news accounts to produce an annual report. The latest version from 2020 looked at murder-suicides including many mass killings during the first six months of 2019. The study found 81 percent of murder-suicides happened at home and 65 percent involved intimate partners. The study also found that among murder-suicides where more than three people aside from the assailant were killed, six of the 10 during those six months were incidents in which a person killed their children, partner and themselves. Fox said most of the killings fall into two categories. The first is murder by proxy, in which the killer is motivated by anger or resentment and kills the children who are seen as an extension of their partner. The second is suicide by proxy motivated by despondency or depression, most often a job loss, and the assailant kills the children as an extension of themselves. 'He wants to spare them the misery of living in this awful world,' Fox said. 'Over the years, there's been an eclipse in community. There was a time decades ago if you had trouble feeding your family or if you had lost your job, neighbors would come over with casseroles and they would offer emotional support. Many people don't know their neighbors these days.' Qantas has announced a mega sale with more than one million discounted airfares across Australia and to North America. The airline's Red Tail Sale will see flights to New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Vancouver and Honolulu discounted from most Australian capital cities. The cheapest flight is between Melbourne and Honolulu at $999 for the return trip. Those travelling from Sydney to New York will be set back $1,799 - these flights even include the new route through Auckland. A flight from Brisbane to San Francisco will cost $1,299 while Adelaide to Vancouver is priced at $1,599. Qantas has discounted one million domestic and international airfares for its Red Tail Sale The cheapest international return flight on offer is from Melbourne to Honolulu at $999 while the cheapest domestic flight is a one-way trip from Launceston to Melbourne at $99 Qantas said that its domestic flights are discounted by an average of 30 per cent compared to their normal cost with 120 domestic routes included in the sale. The cheapest domestic flight at $99 one way is from Launceston to Melbourne, while a flight from Perth to Sydney will cost $299. Flights from Sydney to Townsville will run at $209 while Gold Coast to Sydney will cost travellers $119. More flights are included and can be found on the Qantas website. Covid credits received during the pandemic can be used when booking sale fares. The Red Tail Sale ends 11.59pm (AEST) on June 30, unless sold out prior. The operators of the pleasure cruiser at the centre of the police investigation into the Bournemouth beach drownings have vowed never to return to the resort. Island Cruises Ltd, which runs the Dorset Belle, has said it will permanently cease its operations from Bournemouth Pier following the May 31 tragedy. A maritime safety expert has said there is no evidence to show the 78ft vessel was to blame for the deaths of Sunnah Khan, 12, and 17-year-old Joe Abbess. Inquests into their deaths heard that they drowned after possibly being caught by a sudden riptide. Eight other young people who were swimming in the sea had to be rescued in the incident. Island Cruises Ltd, which runs the Dorset Belle (pictured), has said it will permanently cease its operations from Bournemouth Pier following the May 31 tragedy A man in his 40s, who was described as 'on the water' at the time of the incident, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter but was released under investigation. The Dorset Belle, built in 1974, was impounded at the time and remains at Cobb's Quay Marina in Poole and has been under police supervision. There has been speculation the 78ft long vessel may have in some way contributed to the dangerous sea conditions. All boat trips from the late 19th century pier have been halted by the local authority until further notice. But a statement made on the Dorset Belle Facebook page said: 'Our thoughts go out to the two children and their families who tragically lost their lives on Bournemouth beach on Wednesday 31st May. 'Unfortunately, due to current circumstances, all operations from Bournemouth Pier have been permanently discontinued. 'Island Cruises Ltd who own the vessel along with current operators who have recently been running the boat thank all for the support afforded to both companies.' A maritime safety expert has come to the defence of the crew of the Dorset Belle and said there was no evidence a passenger boat was to blame for the deaths. He said the most obvious explanation for what happened was a riptide, which are common at Bournemouth Pier due to its location. The news comes after a maritime safety expert claimed there was no evidence to show the 78ft vessel was to blame for the deaths of Sunnah Khan, 12, (pictured) and 17-year-old Joe Abbess The mother of Sunnah Khan appeared to back up the riptide theory in an interview earlier this week when she warned of the danger of them while swimming in the sea. Stephanie Williams told Good Morning Britain that her daughter was chest deep in the water when she was overcome by waves and swept out to sea. The maritime expert, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'It is known that riptides are common on any open stretch of water that faces the sea that has a prevailing wind coming on to a south facing beach and shifting sands. 'Whenever you have a pier on a beach, it is inevitable there is going to be a lot of riptides. 'Because a commercial vessel was in the vicinity of the incident, it is normal that it has been impounded while they investigate. 'But the vessel would have been heavily regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency with an experienced crew. 'Its design means it has no underwater suction and doesn't manoeuvre on jet propulsion so any theories about 'jet wash' causing the incident do not apply. 'The vessel has a 360 degree viewing station for its master, is highly manoeuvrable and only operates in deeper water. 'There is no evidence to prove negligence on behalf of the passenger vessel in question. The most logical explanation for what happened is a riptide. 'They are unpredictable and can be hard to spot, happening after a period of calm waters.' Mr Abbess, who died in the tragedy, was a trainee chef in Southampton He said BCP Council needs to consider allowing people to swim in the sea around the pier in the future. He added: 'Why is the designated swimming area so vast and close to the pier when it is well known that currents and rips are at large there and have been for so many years? 'The council needs to look at the parameters of where the designated swimming zones are.' Despite the tragic incident, people are continuing to swim in the water surrounding Bournemouth Pier. Just last night, a lifeboat crew was called out to reports of swimmers 'in difficulty' in the water west of the pier. By the time they arrived at the scene, they had made it back to the shore. On June 6, two people were seen apparently struggling in the water to the east of the pier. It prompted a huge air and sea operation involving beach lifeguards, an RNLI lifeboat, two coastguard crews, a coastguard helicopter, police officers and ambulance paramedics. A search of the water swung into action to find the potential casualties. The operation was called off when it emerged the two male swimmers had been able to make their own way back on to the beach The Dorset Belle has hosted cruises from Bournemouth to destinations including Brownsea Island, Poole and Swanage. It occasionally travels as far as Southampton, Weymouth and the Isle of Wight. Operations moved to Cardiff Bay in 2002, before returning to serve Bournemouth Pier in 2021. BCP Council has suspended all boat operations from the pier 'as a precaution' while the investigation continues. A spokesperson for the local authority said: 'We are aware the investigation is complex and will consult with Dorset Police when the investigation is complete.' A spokesperson for Dorset Police said the investigation into the drownings continues and there are no further updates. This is the shocking moment a couple bought a meal at a Thai restaurant in Brighton before leaving without paying their 38.90 bill. The unnamed duo dined at Thai restaurant Sawadee in East Sussex earlier this month, where they decided to skip the bill. Footage, captured on CCTV, begins with the pair being welcomed into the restaurant and directed to a seat near the window. It then fast forwards to the waiter delivering the food after the couple ordered the set menu for two. The pair are then seen chatting and seemingly enjoying their food as more customers come and go. Shocking footage shows a couple buying a meal at a Thai restaurant in Brighton before leaving without paying their 38.90 bill The unnamed duo dined at Thai restaurant Sawadee in East Sussex earlier this month, where they decided to skip the bill But something soon appears odd when they begin looking around them several times to check whether staff are watching. The woman then packs her possessions up and walks out of the front door while the man, looking more concerned, double checks behind him before leaving. The two then run out of the front door and head across the road. The restaurant also has cameras on the outside of the building, meaning they managed to capture the couple sprinting down their escape route on the side street. Another angle overlooking the entrance shows the same waiter coming outside in a pointless attempt to locate the pair, as he looks baffled by their actions. The video was posted to social media by the restaurant on Saturday, where it has received over 32,000 likes and more than 1,100 comments. One user wrote: 'That's sad.' Another added: 'If you're broke don't come out to eat. Simple.' The woman packs her possessions up and confidently walks out of the front door while the man, looking more concerned, double checks behind him before leaving The video was posted to social media by the restaurant on Saturday, where it has received over 32,000 likes and more than 1,100 comments The couple can we seen hurrying away from the restaurant after they leave without paying A third said: 'That's so embarrassing.' Another commented: 'Sat by the door for a reason.' A fifth replied: 'Can you imagine having a criminal record for this?' Speaking today, Sawadee's restaurant owner said: 'First starters were served and when finished, the main course was served. 'It was a very hot sunny day in Brighton, we were working in the kitchen and didn't have a clue until the server asked if we had seen the customers. 'We found out after checking the cameras what happened. 'After three or four days we had a young waiter starting work with us, and he actually edited the video and put it online. 'We are surprised by the number of viewers and support, we received phone call and text messages from people who know them - however our intention is not to report to the police or catch them. 'We of course don't want them to keep doing it to other businesses. 'Sawadee Brighton is a small Thai restaurant in Kemptown, Brighton established for 22 years so we got very upset at first, then we thought of making a video so that they can't get away with it.'. Two children ages three and 11 found dead alongside their mother and father were stabbed to death, police officers said today, in what was a suspected murder-suicide. The bodies of Monika Wlodarczyk, 35, and her husband Michal Wlodarczyk were found alongside their daughter Maja Wlodarczyk, 11, and son Dawid Wlodarczyk, three, after police forced their way into their family home in Hounslow, west London, on Friday. Post-mortems on the two children at Great Ormond Street Hospital yesterday revealed their causes of death. Maja was stabbed directly in the heart while Dawid suffered 'multiple stab injuries', Metropolitan Police said today. Mrs Wlodarczyk's at Fulham Mortuary found the cause of her death was from 'multiple sharp force injuries'. Officers gave no further information into her husband's death other than that he suffered from a sharp force injury to the neck. Each death is being treated as part of an ongoing murder probe but no one is currently being sought over the deaths, the force said today. Monika Wlodarczyk, 35, as well as their daughter Maja Wlodarczyk, 11, and son Dawid Wlodarczyk, three, were found dead with serious stab. There deaths are being treated as a suspected murder-suicide Monika with daughter Maja. Neighbours said they saw them playing 'very happily' together just days before their tragic deaths Police forced entry to the upstairs property on Staines Road, Befont, on Friday afternoon but nothing could be done to save the family. Pictured: Maja and her little brother Dawid The alarm had been raised by little Maja's school after her friends had not heard from her for four days and family members had not replied to any messages. Police were forced to kick down the door to the home in Staines Road, Bedfont, where they discovered the four bodies inside. The exact date of the deaths is not yet known. An inquest opening heard how Maja's school called the police on Friday after not attending classes since Monday. Distraught friends and neighbours of the victims described the 'lovely' family, who were originally from Poland. Just days before they died the mother had been playing 'very happily' together with her two children, neighbours revealed. Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley, who is leading the investigation, said: 'Specialist detectives continue to investigate the circumstances which led to this tragic incident. The death of the family of four is being treated as a murder-suicide Monika Wlodarczyk, 35 - neighbours have described the family as 'absolutely gorgeous' A card left outside the family home is believed to be from Maja's school teacher, who is said to have called police after she had been absent from class since Tuesday Floral tributes were left at the scene of the house in Hounslow, west London on Saturday 'We are continuing to support family members at this unimaginably difficult time, and we thank the local community for their understanding in recent days whilst we conducted enquiries at the scene. 'The situation remains that we are not currently seeking anybody else in connection with the incident.' At West London Coroner's Court on Tuesday, inquests into the deaths were opened and adjourned with full hearing due to be held at a later date. The Met's enquires will continue to be led by homicide detectives in the Specialist Crime Command group. Anyone with information can call 101, quoting reference 5135/16Jun. Ron DeSantis is the latest Republican who appears to be balking at the RNC requirement to support the eventual nominee if candidates want to reach the Party-sponsored debate stage. When asked about whether he would back frontrunner Donald Trump if he became the Republican nominee in 2024, the Florida governor deflected to attacking some recent statements made by the former president instead. He did, however, say during a Thursday morning press conference in Florida that he would 'respect the process and respect the people's decision.' 'I want to beat [President Joe] Biden, OK?' DeSantis said. 'I will do that, I will get that done. And, I think, more importantly than that, I will actually bring these policies for a landing and get it done.' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would 'respect' the 2024 primary and the will of the voters he refused to directly say if he would support Donald Trump if he were the eventual nominee Fellow 2024 contenders and former Governors Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson both said over the weekend that they think the RNC requirement to support the eventual nominee is 'useless' and a way to 'circle the wagons around Trump.' The former president has also refused to back the pledge. DeSantis vowed that his campaign stump speech is not full of empty promises as a swipe at Trump, whom he claims was not able to fulfill his vows as president. The 2024 presidential hopeful is upping his rhetoric against his No. 1 rival in the 2024 primary after months of attacks from Trump, who has claimed DeSantis' entry into the race is 'disloyal.' Now, the ex-president is claiming that New York did better on its COVID-19 response than Florida, despite claims to the contrary during the pandemic. DeSantis replied to a reporter during a press conference Thursday when asked if he would take the pledge to support the 2024 nominee: 'When you are saying that [New York Gov. Andrew] Cuomo did better on COVID than Florida did, you are revealing yourself to just be full of it. 'Nobody believes that,' he added. 'And you know why I know that? Because I remember in 2020 and 2021 when he was praising Florida for being open.' The governor said that Trump often praised him for responding to the coronavirus pandemic 'better than New York and Michigan.' 'He used to say that all of the time now all of the sudden his tune is changing,' DeSantis said. 'And I would just tell people do you find it credible? 'These are just frivolous criticisms. But, in some respects, I think it shows that if you have to make that argument then you probably don't have very good arguments. Some 2024 longshots claim the RNC requirement to support the eventual nominee if they want to make the debate stage is a way to 'circle the wagons around Trump' 'Now he's trying to backtrack, because he views he needs to do that and he's saying things that are false.' DeSantis still maintained the presidential primary is still a crucial step in the election cycle that he will 'respect.' 'It's an important process, and you know, you respect the process and you respect the people's decisions,' DeSantis said. 'But I'm very confident that those decisions are going to be positive for us.' The Florida governor is speaking later Thursday afternoon in South Carolina and will visit New Hampshire next week for another campaign stop. The mother of Robert De Niro's youngest child has accused his longtime assistant of being in love with the actor, according to newly unveiled court records. A full 158 pages, the summary judgment ruling gives an insight into the messy legal battle between De Niro, 79, and nixed Graham Chase Robinson, 37 - both of whom filed suits against one another in 2019 that are now set to be heard in court. The dueling cases stem from Robinson's acrimonious departure from De Niro's stable back in 2019, shortly after his split from wife Grace Hightower. At the time, the storied star was shacked up in Manhattan with a new flame, 45-year-old Tiffany Chen - a martial arts practitioner who De Niro met while filming 2015's The Intern, and who gave birth the star's seventh child, a girl, this past April. In the film, Chen played a Tai Chi instructor. In these new documents, she weighed in on her partner's $6million dispute - which alleges Robinson stole from De Niro's company on her way out - painting Robinson 'as a territorial figure who didnt play nice with others' who was also possibly was in love with the actor. Martial arts expert Tiffany Chen, the mother of Robert De Niro's latest child - has accused his ex- assistant of secretly being in love with the actor in a newly unveiled case summary The 158-page summary judgment ruling provides insight on the messy legal battle between the actor and nixed assistant Graham Chase Robinson (pictured), who left her position in 2019 Initially sealed but unveiled by Puck Monday, the document details not only Robinson's deteriorating relationship with De Niro, but an alleged feud with Chen as well. It reportedly contains depositions, emails, texts, and audio recordings that offer an account of the events that predated De Niro's filing of a $6million lawsuit against Robinson - one that accused her of abusing company credit cards and stealing five million frequent-flier miles after resigning. The lawsuit also alleges she binge-watched shows such as 'Friends,' 'Arrested Development' and 'Schitt's Creek' while on the clock at De Niros opulent New York townhouse. Robinson responded the same year with her own lawsuit in federal court, alleging she was regularly subject to gender discrimination over the course of her 11 years of employment at De Niro's company, Canal Productions. In it, she claimed she was treated like De Niro's 'office wife,' forced to heed his beck and call and perform menial duties like scratching his back, buttoning his shirts, prodding him awake in his hotel room, and regularly doing laundry and cleaning. A portion of the suit read: 'Robert De Niro is someone who has clung to old mores. He does not accept the idea that men should treat women as equals. He does not care that gender discrimination in the workplace violates the law.' The documents obtained by Puck, meanwhile, depicts some of the tension that surfaced between Chen and Robinson, as the former began to suspect the latter of moving in on her beau. In the new documents, Chen weighed in on her partner's $6million dispute, painting Robinson 'as a territorial figure who didnt play nice with others' who possibly was in love with her beau The lawsuit also alleges she binge-watched shows such as 'Friends,' 'Arrested Development' and 'Schitt's Creek' while working k at De Niros New York townhouse on the Upper East Side Chen - a martial arts practitioner who met De Niro while filming 2015's The Intern (pictured) - who gave birth the star's seventh child, a girl, this past April The baby girl was born weighing 8 lbs., 6 oz. this past April, and is seen in this photo posted to social media by the actor According to one text message chain cited by Puck, Chen aired her suspicions to another employee, after which Robinson found herself stripped of several responsibilities at De Niros apartment. In the message, Chen reportedly shared her dissatisfaction with Robinson, telling the unnamed Canal staffer how the situation had become 'very "single white female"' - referencing the 1992 Bridget Fonda film of the same name. Eventually, Puck reports, Robinson used a colleague's email account to confirm suspicions that Chen was behind her apparent demotion - which reportedly revoked her of the duties that required her being inside De Niro's home. The move - labeled the 'the final straw' in Robinson's court filing - led to her resignation, something she pondered the year before, according to Puck. That said, after airing that desire to De Niro, the actor - then in the midst of his contentious divorce - increased her salary to $300,000 in a bid to keep her on, an amount Puck reported was enough to temporarily stall her desire to move on. After her resignation, De Niro's lawyers got involved, Puck reports - with attorney Tom Harvey launching an internal probe that uncovered Robinson's alleged email hack. Citing messages contained in the document, Puck reported that when De Niro asked Chen about the need to work out severance for Robinson, Chen responded that the money should be used instead 'for the therapy everyone needs as a result of her' According to the judgment obtained by Puck, both cares are now set to be heard by a Manhattan jury in late October The internal investigation reportedly also resulted in the discovery that Robinson transferred five million Delta SkyMiles belonging to De Niro's company into her personal account - marking the start of a lengthy legal battle involving her exit. At the time, Robinson - who began working for De Niro at age 25 back in 2008 - was seeking severance to the tune of two years of her annual $300,000 salary, as well as continued health coverage and a letter of recommendation. Citing messages contained in the document, Puck reported that when De Niro asked Chen about the need to work out severance for Robinson, she responded that the money should be used instead 'for the therapy everyone needs as a result of her.' When De Niro caught wind that Robinson was enlisting a lawyer to possibly take legal action, Puck reported that Chen texted De Niro to again attest her belief that Robinson's actions were similar that of a jilted lover. 'She thought she was your wife,' the martial artist wrote. 'I saw it from the beginning. I told you.' To that, the Taxi Driver star reportedly texted back: 'The balls, the nerve, the chutzpah, the sense of entitlement: how dare her!' Both sides would them scramble to sue each other, with De Niro striking first with his complaint in state court, alleging Robinson cleaned him out for roughly $300,000 in frequent flyer miles, and used a Canal Productions card to pay for personal expenses like Pilates, dog-sitting and hotel rooms. Attorneys for the actor also claimed she used the company's American Express card to pay for things like food, flowers, cameras, iPhones, Uber trips, groceries and dry cleaning, and regularly 'helped' herself to petty cash. The suit said Robinson of converted more than 7million Delta SkyMiles over a two-year period, using 3million for personal travel before transferring an additional $4.5million to a personal account. When Robinson brought forth her own suit alleging gender discrimination, the parties found themselves in another lengthy squabble - this time over whose case could proceed first. According to the judgment obtained by Puck, both are now set to be heard by a Manhattan jury in late October. Robinsons lawsuit is demanding at least $12 million damages, double what her former boss has demanded. In January court documents obtained by Radar Online, De Niro elaborated on his claims with a 2019 letter from his lawyer to Robinson - who had worked her way up from personal assistant to Vice President of Production and Finance. 'I was asked to respond to your recent emails addressed to Bob. Please note that Bob does not wish to communicate with you. As such, please direct correspondence regarding this matter to me,' the letter states. The letter also claimed Robinson improperly used Canal's credit cards to pay for taxis and cover her food costs while on vacation in London. Robinson denied she improperly used the credit cards - and in her own filing, called into question whether she made all the purchases mentioned. In those documents, she alleged the actor forced her to endure a toxic workplace where he branded her a 'b**ch' and spoke to her in a 'hostile, abusive and intimidating manner.' But in a 2012 voicemail leaked last year, De Niro can be heard shouting at Robinson, calling her a 'spoiled brat,' saying 'how dare you f***ing disrespect me,' and threatening her, saying 'you're f***ing history.' She claims such behavior wasn't unusual for De Niro. 'It was a routine occurrence for Mr. De Niro, when intoxicated, to call Ms. Robinson - to call her names, to berate her, to curse at her,' her lawyer Alexandra Harwin told Fox Business in January 2020. Harwin also alleged that Robinson 'was asked to do things that her male colleagues were never asked to do, like scratch Mr. De Niro's back, button his buttons, [and] tie his ties.' The lawsuit also states that she was directed to wake him when he was in bed and imagine him on the toilet. The death of a father whose body was discovered more than five years after he went missing still remains a mystery, an inquest heard. James Hodgkiss was 34 when he was last seen alive by his partner, Jenny McDonagh, in the early hours of 3 August, 2016. Almost five-and-a-half years later, on January 24 last year, his remains were found in a peat bog on Red Moss nature reserve in Bolton, Greater Manchester. The remains were discovered by conservation landscapers cutting back trees and hedges on Futura Park, Bolton at around 3pm that day. Mr Hodgkiss was formally identified by his dental records, a forensic archaeologist, and forensic anthropologists. James Hodgkiss (pictured) was 34 when he was last seen alive by his partner, Jenny McDonagh, in the early hours of 3 August, 2016 Almost five-and-a-half years later, on January 24 last year, his remains were found in a peat bog on Red Moss nature reserve in Bolton, Greater Manchester However, an inquest at Bolton Coroner's Court on June 21 , heard evidence about both the period leading up to his disappearance and the time following his discovery, could not answer how or when he died. The court heard that Mr Hodgkiss struggled with a drug addiction in the years leading up to him going missing, and despite living in Salford, he would often frequent the Weston Street area of Bolton for drug use. Giving evidence, his mother, Christine Hodgkiss, said she had picked him up from Weston Street on 1 August, 2016 and tried to take him to hospital due to his state. He refused to go into the hospital and after taking him back and forth on a few occasions she dropped him off at his father's address in Blackrod in the early hours of August 2. This was the last time Christine saw her son, and she would report him missing on August 5. His father, John Hodgkiss, told the court that on the morning of August 2 he dropped his son at Weston Street, as he often did, but had no contact with him again after this. He told the court that his son would often turn up at his address, walking all the way from Bolton, always taking one of two routes. The peat bog where Mr Hodgkiss was found in 2022 was around three-quarters of a mile away from his father's address. However, John told the court that his son would never take this route as it would make 'no sense'. Jenny McDonagh, Mr Hodgkiss' long-term partner, told the court he had been taking drugs for a long time before going missing. She said that around 2am on August 3 he threw stones at the window of her house in Salford and they spoke briefly. After this brief conversation Mr Hodgkiss walked away without saying where he was going. This was the last confirmed sighting of Mr Hodgkiss. The coroner, Professor Alan Walsh, discussed other alleged sightings of Mr Hodgkiss around Weston Street during the day of August 3. However, these were described as contradictory and he considered the early hours interaction with Ms McDonagh as the last confirmed sighting. After this sudden disappearance a missing persons investigation was launched with the family spending the intervening years searching for him. This included distributing more than 2,000 leaflets, extensive police searches around Bolton, including the Weston Street area, and an underwater search at Bradford Reservoir, along with numerous media appeals. Forensic archaeologist Alison Baldry, who carried out a search in the area where Mr Hodgkiss' remains were found, said only bones were found, some of which were underwater in a ditch. She added there was no evidence that Mr Hodgkiss had been buried by anyone else. Home Office pathologist Dr Philip Lumb suggested that Mr Hodgkiss may have suffered hypothermia leading up to his death, but this couldn't be 'substantiated' with evidence and would be unlikely due to it being in the summer. Dr Lumb gave Mr Hodgkiss' cause of death as 'unascertained due to skeletal remains' and that 'nothing can be supported by evidence'. This included not knowing when, where, or how Mr Hodgkiss died. He added that there were limited tests that could be done and they were not worth doing as they would not provide any clear answers. Detective Inspector Anthony Lunt, from Greater Manchester Police, described the peat bogs as 'precarious' and said there were lots of minks and foxes in the area that are 'active in scavenging'. Police never searched the peat bogs as part of the missing person search as it was 'never an area of suspicion'. DI Lunt said: 'There is no evidence how he came by his death or what happened.' Professor Walsh, recording an open conclusion into Mr Hodgkiss' death, said: 'The investigation was as thorough as it could be bearing in mind the unknowns. I couldn't exclude natural causes, accident, or third-party involvement. 'He seemed to live a double life. He cared for his children and was good with his children, but then he had another life which was born out of drug dependency.' The coroner described what happened at his last sighting as a mystery and finding out was 'just currently not possible to answer'. Professor Walsh said: 'There is insufficient evidence to say what happened. We don't know how he came to be in that area or how he came to die.' Tens of thousands of rail workers will strike in July as part of an ongoing rail dispute, targeting the first weekend of the school summer holidays. The RMT has announced that 20,000 workers will go on strike. So far, the dates affected will be July 20, 22 and 29. Most school in the UK go on summer holidays from July 21. The union accused train operators of failing to make a new pay offer to resolve the long-running dispute. The RMT said that despite repeated statements that it was willing to enter further negotiations, neither the rail operators nor the Government have asked it to any meetings. It comes only a day after the RMT boss told The Independent that new strike action was likely to be announced within days Mick Lynch claims that neither the government nor the TOCs have arranged a meeting with the union The union boss said the latest wave of strike action will show just how important British railway staff are RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: 'This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry. 'My team of negotiators and I are available 24/7 for talks with the train operating companies and govt. 'Yet quite incredibly neither party has made any attempt whatsoever to arrange any meetings or put forward a decent offer that can help us reach a negotiated solution. 'The Government continues to shackle the companies and will not allow them to put forward a package that can settle this dispute. 'Our members have now voted three times to take strike action over the last 12 months - the most recent of which coincided with having the full details of the substandard offer from the rail operators. 'They voted by 9-1 to renew their strike mandate and RMT will continue its industrial campaign until we reach a negotiated settlement on pay, working conditions and job security.' According to the RMT: 'The government has the mandate for the 14 rail operators RMT is in dispute with and contractually sets the negotiating parameters of those companies with the rail unions.' Only yesterday, Mr Lynch spoke to The Independent saying that more walkouts were expected to be announced within days. He also said that the recent ballot to continue industrial action was a referendum on the employer's best and final offer. The union boss said: 'Our executive will meet again this week and I'm fairly certain they will put more strike action down.' A DfT spokesperson said: 'The RMT leadership's decision to call strikes targeting two iconic international sporting events, as children and families begin their summer holidays, will disrupt people's plans across the country. 'After a year of industrial action, passengers and rail workers alike are growing tired of union bosses playing politics with their lives. 'It's high time the union leaders realised that strikes no longer have the impact they once did and are simply driving people away from the railway. 'This Government has played its part by facilitating fair and reasonable pay offers that would see generous increases for rail workers. 'Union leaders should do the right thing and give their members a chance to vote on these pay offers.' One of the disputes, involving Network Rail, has been settled but negotiations with train operators have apparently stalled. It has been one year since the strikes were first announced. They are the first set of national rail strikes since the 1980s. Several big summer sporting events could be affected by the fresh strike action such as The Ashes The latest pay offer from the Rail Delivery Group was a backdated pay rise of 5 per cent for 2022 The strikes will coincide with some of the summer's biggest sporting events. The Open Championship is taking place at Royal Liverpool from July 16-23, while the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford and the fifth Test at The Oval could also be disrupted. In the most recent wave of RMT strikes, Eurovision and the FA Cup final were targeted. According to the BBC, the latest pay offer from the Rail Delivery Group, which represents Train Operating Companies, was a backdated pay rise of 5 per cent for 2022. But unions say that any pay offer should reflect the rising cost of living which is currently at 8.7 per cent. It also comes hours after the Bank of England said higher pay awards were fuelling inflation. The rail services affected by the strike will incliude Chiltern Railways, Cross Country Trains, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, South Eastern, South Western Railway, Transpennine Express, Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Trains and GTR, including Gatwick Express. It comes after a strike by train drivers with Avanti West Coast that was due on July 2 was suspended. This was after an agreement was reached between bosses and union officials over sick pay. A pregnant law graduate who murdered her boyfriend by stabbing him with a kitchen knife as he repeatedly shouted 'Please. I love you, please' faces life in jail. Blaze Lily Wallace, 28, who had ambitions to become a human rights lawyer, followed Samuel Mayo, 34, and stabbed him in the street after a domestic at their home. Bare-chested Mr Mayo suffered a fatal 4cm wound in Lower Richmond Road, Mortlake on July 18 last year. Witnesses heard his final, desperate words as he repeatedly shouted: 'Please Blaze. I love you, please Blaze.' He bled to death as he begged motorists and passers-by to call an ambulance. Blaze Lily Wallace, 28, (left) who had ambitions to become a human rights lawyer, followed Samuel Mayo, 34, and stabbed him in the street after a domestic at their home The Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court jury unanimously convicted Wallace after ten-and-a-half hours deliberation following the three-week trial. They also unanimously convicted her of possessing an offensive weapon at the same time and place and she was remanded in custody to be sentenced on August 4. Judge Rajeev Shetty told the jurors: 'Ms Wallace has been in Springfield psychiatric hospital until relatively recently and I need to get more information on her.' The jury rejected Wallace's claim Mr Mayo was armed with an improvised sharpened wooden chopstick and she was simply using the knife to ward him off to protect herself and her unborn child. Wallace graduated from St. Mary's University, Twickenham, with a law degree in 2017. When arrested she was one month short of completing her Masters in Human Rights & Legal Practice at the University of Roehampton. She gave birth on March 30 after being transferred in custody to St. George's Hospital and her older brother currently has care of her daughter. Both were under the influence of heroin, cocaine and cannabis that evening and had rowed at Wallace's one-bedroom housing association flat in nearby Mullins Path. CCTV footage showed Wallace deliberately following Mr Mayo while armed with the knife in her pocket, catching up with him outside the huge Stag Brewery. 'The defendant had clearly caught up with her intended victim and they disappear off camera to the left of the screen,' said prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff KC at the start of the trial. 'The incident is not captured on CCTV footage, but in just under thirty seconds Mayo appears back on screen and he is now fatally injured. The Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court jury unanimously convicted Wallace after ten-and-a-half hours deliberation following the three-week trial 'He can be seen to run into the road and back onto the pavement on the other side of the road, where he collapsed and died. 'It is the Crown's case that the defendant had a large kitchen knife concealed at her right side. She took it out and stabbed Mr Mayo once, straight into his heart. 'We say this was intentional and with no lawful reason and the defendant's intention at the time was to kill her boyfriend, or at the very least to cause him really serious harm.' Eight stone Mr Mayo bled to death at the scene, and when police arrived at 9.57pm they immediately recognised him as a local drug user who regularly begged outside Tesco's and Mortlake train station. He was taken to Kingston Hospital and pronounced dead at 10.33pm. Locals heard some of his final words as he shouted: 'Please Blaze. I love you, please Blaze.' Police officers arrived at Wallace's home at 1.00am, but she failed to give them the same explanation, regarding the chopstick. Wallace told the jury why she did not want to talk to the officers. 'My dad told me not to say anything and I had no solicitor. I did not want to spend the night in a cell, it was overwhelming.' Describing that night's events she explained: 'I said: 'Get the f*** out of my house,' and he said: 'You're nasty,' or something and then walked off. 'There was a big clean knife on the side and it freaked me out. The logical thing was to keep the knife on me out of harms way and I did not think to throw it in the bin,' she told the court. 'I saw him in the distance and tried to apologise to him for not letting him have a bath and went to say I was freaked out by his weapon-hiding and he pulled out a sharpened chopstick and said: 'That's what time it is.' 'It was wooden, but bladed, like a home-made shank, like an ice pick and he used it like an inconspicuous weapon.' Wallace claimed Mayo had been physically abusive during their three-month relationship and had smashed her into a hallway mirror - cutting her hand - and punched her in the stomach the week before. 'He started moving his hand up until the chopstick was by my neck and said: 'C'mon. Say pussy one more time.' 'I've frozen up and tried to back away from him and he has gone to grab me where the knife was in my pocket and I pulled the knife out of my pocket backwards and he has pulled the chopstick backwards off my neck. 'I put the knife out as a deterrent to get back and he has lunged forward and I did not get a chance to pull the knife back. 'He has got a mad look on his face and I have felt the knife go in quite hard. 'I said: 'What's wrong with you?' and could see the slit in his chest and a tiny bit of blood on the knife and he started shouting: 'Blaze, Blaze.' 'It was horrible. I did not mean any impact, I meant to gesture for him to get back,' Wallace told the jury. 'I was in fear of my belly and the foetus inside from either a punch or a stab. If I hadn't had the knife on me I'd have to defend myself with my hands. 'I did not want to cause any harm. I wanted to deter him from attacking me by holding the knife out.' No wooden chopstick was found in the area during the subsequent police investigation. Iconic New York City store Bergdorf Goodman is reportedly looking at options to sell, just three years after it was saved from bankruptcy. High-end retailer Neiman Marcus is allegedly considering selling the swanky 5th Avenue store - and possibly even the whole company, after it reportedly became increasingly alarmed over weakening finances. Top executives are set to meet prospective buyers in the Big Apple this week. Dallas-based Neiman is also reportedly examining a possible auction of the entire company as a rift has emerged following the rescue of the retailer from bankruptcy at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in September 2020. Neiman Marcus, which owns the department store in New York City, is allegedly considering selling The Dallas-based company is reportedly becoming increasingly alarmed over weakening finances Some investors allegedly want out, while others believe there could be a brighter future for the company. 'There is a civil war going on between the ownership group,' a source told the New York Post. 'Neiman Marcus had a very bad year, and the minority shareholders have lost faith with the business plan and with management.' The owners are however concerned that selling Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus's most prized property, could diminish the overall value of the company. The New York City store, which was founded in 1899 and permanently set up shop on glamorous Fifth Avenue in 1928, sells designer clothes from brands such as Prada, Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Lanvin, Dolce & Gabbana. It is the favorite store of Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker's beloved character in HBO's Sex and the City. 'The crown jewel will always find a buyer, but I think Neiman loses most of its value if Bergdorf goes away,' an insider told the outlet. 'Saks and Neiman are considered equals. The differentiator for Neiman has always been Bergdorf.' London-based luxury retailers Harrods and Selfridges are reportedly seen as prospective bidders for the New York store. 'We do not comment on rumors or speculation,' Neiman Marcus said in a statement. It comes after Neiman Marcus CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck was accused of being 'snobbish' by his employees after saying the luxury chain will focus on the company's wealthiest clients because they bring in a majority of sales. 'Many customers shop at Neiman Marcus 25 times a year and spend $27,000,' he told Fortune in February. 'I see much more risk in having a one-time transaction where I dont know if you will ever come back.' In 2020, he was also blasted for flaunting his Dallas mansion in an 11-page magazine spread amid the bankruptcy saga that saw staff furloughs and pay cuts. Despite van Raemdonck promising to waive his entire salary, it was later discovered that the CEO and other top execs could receive up to $9.9million on the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Neiman Marcus CEO Geoffroy van Raemdonck faced backlash earlier this year after saying the luxury chain will focus on the company's wealthiest clients Owners are concerned that selling Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus's most prized property, could diminish the overall value of the company The New York City store sells designer clothes from brands such as Prada, Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Lanvin, Dolce & Gabbana Neiman Marcus is among the growing list of companies fighting the so-called retail apocalypse gripping the US. Since 2021, nearly 5,000 storefronts from major brands including Target, Best Buy, Sears, Foot Locker, and CVS have already shut their doors, with thousands more closures across the country expected in the coming years. Investment bank UBS warned earlier this year that 50,000 stores would close by 2027, cautioning 'the pace of store closures is set to accelerate due to the combination of a slowdown in consumer spending, a reduction in the availability of credit, and a rise in the penetration of e-commerce.' One of the biggest name stores to file for bankruptcy this year is Bed Bath & Beyond - which has closed 50,000 stores across the country. San Francisco has been particularly badly hit by closures - as increasing numbers of retailers abandon the city's downtown district amid rising crime. Advertisement The family of a missing British billionaire have slammed the company behind the Titan submersible for waiting eight hours before raising the alarm when it went missing - as the firm's co-founder insisted rescuers have 'longer than we think' despite predictions the oxygen has run out. The craft, run by OceanGate Explorations, submerged on Sunday at 1pm UK time (8am EST and 10pm in Sydney) around 400 miles southeast of St John's, Newfoundland, near to the Titanic wreck. At 2.45pm it lost contact with its mothership, the Polar Prince. But it wasn't reported missing to the US Coast Guard until 10.40pm. Kathleen Cosnett, a cousin of UK businessman Hamish Harding, 58, who was on the sub, said the delay before contacting the authorities was 'far too long'. She told the Telegraph: 'It's very frightening. It took so long for them to get going to rescue them, it's far too long. I would have thought three hours would be the bare minimum.' The world is now praying for a 'miracle' after rescuers estimated the vital oxygen supply would end at 12.08pm UK time (7.08am EST and 9.08pm Sydney). Banging has been heard at 30 minute intervals from the depths of the Atlantic - possibly from the men striking the side of the sub - but it has not yet been located. Today, Rear Admiral John Mauger, of the US Coast Guard, said the operation 'remains an active search' and he 'remains hopeful' thanks to 'favourable' weather conditions. Asked about the banging noises, he said initial analysis suggested they were 'background ocean noise' but this was still being examined. Those stuck onboard the sub also include OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French navy veteran PH Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 and a student at Strathclyde University. A deep water robot sub has reached the Atlantic floor - and another is descending the 12,500ft of ocean fast. 'The Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic has deployed an ROV that has reached the sea floor and began its search for the missing sub', a spokesman said. And a French ship viewed as the best and final hope of finding the missing Titanic submersible has also dropped its remote-controlled sub to find five missing adventurers. L'Atalante arrived on the scene at 11.48am GMT (7.48 EST) and has deployed Victor 6000, which can reach depths of 20,000ft. Victor 6000 has arms that can cut cables - or dislodge a trapped or stranded vessel - and may be able to fix a cable onto the sub before it is hauled several miles to the surface by a giant winch with more than three miles of cable called a Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System on Horizon Arctic. Despite fears their oxygen supplies have run out, there is still hope in the most desperate of situations. Experts believe that the 96-hour oxygen supply number is an imprecise estimate and could be extended if those on board have taken measures to conserve breathable air including lying still and even sleeping. Guillermo Sohnlein founded OceanGate with Mr Rush in 2009 and believes that the window for finding them could go beyond the US Coast Guard's prediction. He said: 'Today will be a critical day in this search and rescue mission, as the sub's life support supplies are starting to run low. 'I'm certain that Stockton and the rest of the crew realised days ago that the best thing they can do to ensure their rescue is to extend the limits of those supplies by relaxing as much as possible. I firmly believe that the time window available for their rescue is longer than what most people think. I continue to hold out hope for my friend and the rest of the crew'. Five people are onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who is just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition The Atalante - viewed as the final hope for the missing Titan sub - has arrived at the search site. It is dropping in a deep sea robot called the Victor 6000, shown at the stern of its mother vessel The Victor 6000 (pictured) can get to the depths needed and can help free or attach a cable to the Titan - if they can find it This is how Titan could be saved by the French ship, if it is found Titan's mothership Polar Prince has been searching the area since Sunday and is zig-zagging the site. At least ten ships are on the sea above the Titanic Titan lost communication on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic off the coast of Canada. The last 'ping' of its homing device was heard on Sunday afternoon - directly above the world's most famous wreck. A Canadian Navy ship carrying medics specialising in treating health issues relating to deep-sea diving arrived on the scene this morning on the HMCS Glace Bay, according to officials. They also brought a hyperbaric chamber - which can be used for decompressing divers after they return to the surface. Above the wreck is a flotilla of at least ten ships, two robot subs and several aircraft scanning the Atlantic for any sign of Titan as sonar continues to hear a banging noise from the depths. Speaking today to Sky News, Rear Admiral John Mauger confirmed the initial reports suggesting the noise heard by sonar buoys was 'background ocean noise'. 'We've taken that information and shared it with top leading experts from the US Navy and the Canadian Navy, and they're working on the analysis of that information, they're continuing to work on the analysis of that information,' he said. 'The initial reports is that there's a lot of the sounds that were generated were from background ocean noise, but they continue to ... look for all available information there. READ MORE - MailOnline's live blog on the rapidly unfolding search for Titan Advertisement 'What's important to me, and what's important as the unified command, is that we've continued search in the areas where noise was detected with the ROVs that we have from the time of that detection, so we're not waiting for this analysis to take action. 'The analysis is really helpful to our overall search-and-rescue efforts, but we're not waiting on it, we've moved the remote operated vehicles that we've had on site to those areas where noise was detected.' Shipping experts Marine Traffic have shared an animation of the ships rushing to the search zone. Titan's mothership Polar Prince has been searching the area since Sunday and is zig-zagging the site in the hope that it will appear on the surface or get back in contact after communications cut out more than 72 hours ago. A Royal Navy submariner, as well as equipment from a British company, has been sent to assist in the search for Titan. Number 10 said Lieutenant Commander Richard Kantharia had been 'embedded... to assist the search and rescue effort'. Rob Larter, a marine expert at the British Antarctic Survey, told a press conference on Thursday that he thought the Victor 6000 was the 'main hope' for an underwater rescue. Alistair Greig, a professor of marine engineering at University College London, said the robot's two manipulator arms could potentially allow it to untangle the Titan, or attach a device that could float it to the surface. The Victor 6000 also has strong lights, allowing it to see through some of the murk at such depths. But the experts warned that the rescuers would need to know fairly precisely where to look for Titan, which currently does not seem to be the case. Finding the submersible 'could potentially take weeks of intense survey,' Larter warned. And even if search teams do find the submersible, a rescue operation could take up precious time. In a normal situation, it would take two hours for a ROV like the Victor 6000 to get down to the necessary depth - and another two hours to float back up, Greig said. The missing submersible is also reportedly bolted from the outside, which could take up more time, he added. Larter said it was a 'desperate situation'. 'It's kind of unimaginable if people are alive, trapped in a submersible with oxygen supplies running down. 'An objective assessment of where things are at the moment: it doesn't look good,' Larter said, adding that it was important to stay optimistic. The Coastguard has admitted it does not know if it is the five men hammering on the side of their sub or simply the sound of the sea including perhaps debris falling from the Titanic itself at 12,500ft below the surface. But even if it is discovered it will take many hours to save Titan - meaning that the oxygen could run out before they get to the surface. Rescue efforts to find them have continued overnight - and are becoming ever more desperate. Oisin Fanning has been on board the Titan sub twice. He told BBC Breakfast this morning: 'There are no noises down there. There are no noises on the Titanic - no banging, no nothing. So the likelihood is that it is someone tapping every 30 minutes to indicate where they are'. Specialist equipment being loaded onto a Royal Air Force A400M Atlas aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth on its way to Newfoundland. Undated photo released by the Ministry of Defence Number 10 has said the equipment is being sent to the scene along with a Royal Navy submariner The Royal Air Force A400M Atlas aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth preparing for take-off Oceanographer and water search expert Dr David Gallo said today: 'It's going to be almost impossible. We need a miracle but miracles do happen'. But former Royal Navy Officer, Chris Parry, said as Midday approached: 'I'm afraid time's up - I don't think there's any prospect of getting those people out alive now'. It is a bleak picture for those trapped inside the stranded vessel, but officials have continued to insist that the hunt is '100 per cent' still a search and rescue mission. Rescuers searching for the missing Titanic explorers have been racing against the clock as they struggled to find the source of underwater 'banging noises' detected yesterday. Canadian aircraft picked up the sounds by sonar some of which were said to be heard at regular 30-minute intervals as recently as yesterday afternoon, close to where the Titan submersible disappeared. But the Coast Guard admitted last night that extensive searches around the area 435 miles off Newfoundland had so far 'yielded negative results'. Rescuers have insisted 'we always have hope' for the five passengers including three Britons on the missing 21ft submersible which vanished on Sunday. Response co-ordinator Captain Jamie Frederick for First Coast Guard District said: 'This is a search and rescue mission, 100 per cent.' Deep-sea explorer Dr David Gallo believes it would take a 'miracle' to rescue those trapped in Titan, but remains optimistic. He told Good Morning Britain: 'Maybe two days ago my hope was sliding downward rapidly, but then these noises appeared and there seems to be very credible sources there, credible and repeatable. 'We'll see how that pans out but everything is happening very quickly, so we have a race against time. 'Our hopes are high. We need a miracle at this point, but miracles do happen, so I'm very optimistic.' Dr Gallo has said it will take hours to rescue the submersible once found. Speaking to Good Morning Britain, he said: 'In this case, the noises are repetitive, every half hour I believe. 'Three different aircraft heard them in their sensors at the same time and it went on for two days-plus. 'It's still going on apparently. There's not a lot in the natural world we can think of that would do that every 30-minute cycle. 'We have to, at this point, assume that that's the submarine and move quickly to that spot, locate it and get robots down there to verify that is where the submarine is. 'They've got to go fully ready as if that was the sub because it takes a while to locate it and get it up to the surface, it takes hours.' A door with signage removed is seen at Ocean Gate Headquarters at the Waterfront Building within the Port of Everett complex in Everett, Washington The Titan, a tourist submersible which runs $250,000 tours of the doomed Titanic ship and is operated by OceanGate Expeditions, has been underwater since 8am on Sunday with five people on board The pilot of a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft of 14 Wing flies a search pattern for the missing OceanGate submersible The area of ocean is teeming with boats and equipment trying to find the missing sub Timeline (British Summer Time) of the search for the Ocean Gate submersible, if Titan has lost its power the crew will be in complete darkness facing temperatures of 3C The 21ft submersible has an oxygen supply of up to 96 hours - but some experts believe it could be higher At a press conference at the US Coast Guard Station in Boston - which is coordinating the search and rescue effort - First District Response Coordinator Capt. Jamie Frederick said it was not certain the sub could be saved Rescuers including the USCG, British Navy and French and Canadian teams had been picking up the pace ahead as the window of rescue narrowed. Rescuers are refusing to give up hope, US Coastguard Captain Jamie Frederick insisted on Wednesday, even as people around the world count down the hours until oxygen is expected to run out on the vessel. 'We have to remain optimistic and hopeful when we are in a search and rescue case. If we continue to search, potentially we could be at that point... And that's a discussion we will have with the families long before I am going to discuss here publicly.' According to OceanGate, Titan's operator, the sub has a 96-hour oxygen supply in case of emergencies. Search and rescue teams are racing against time as they scour an area where noises were detected for the missing Titan sub, with experts saying they are continuing to analyse the sounds in the sea. The only possible trace of the vessel which is continuing to be investigated was underwater 'banging' sounds, which were detected yesterday in the search for the missing Titanic submersible. But, the US Navy experts analysing the sounds said they cannot yet conclude whether they are coming from the stranded vessel, and ROVs were continuing to return negative results from under the sea. Private groups who had offered their help to the rescue mission as early as Monday were allegedly not authorised to help until Wednesday night, sources also told MailOnline. Rescuers are now embarking on a last-ditch attempt to find the tiny vessel in a huge expanse of water, with the search area expanded to around 14,000 square miles - twice the size of the state of Connecticut. The time pressure is compounded by the fact that the underwater vehicles may be able to pinpoint Titan, which was headed for the Titanic wreckage 12,500ft below the surface, but it will take additional specialized tools for the mammoth task of bringing it up. Hopes of a recovery were raised slightly on Wednesday when a Canadian P-3 aircraft equipped with sonar detected the periodic 'banging' sound. The P-3 is one of several models of aircraft which are also helping the search by scouring the ocean surface and using sonar equipment for signs of activity on the seabed. A range of military and commercial vessels is also at the site, offering a mixture of search capabilities, communications tools and rescue equipment if Titan is found. Ultimately, it is down to the submersibles to get eyes on Titan if it remains on the seabed - or trapped within the Titanic's wreckage. Sean Leet, co-founder of Horizon Maritime Services, the company which owns Titan's mothership Polar Prince, said on Wednesday that he has never seen advanced search 'equipment of that nature move that quickly'. The family of the missing Titan sub tourists, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, gathered above the water on Wednesday where the vessel was last seen. A family source in Karachi, Pakistani, where Mr Dawood is from, released a new picture of the father and son to MailOnline and said: 'I can tell you that Mrs Dawood and her daughter are currently in the search area at the moment and will remain there for as long as they can. Sulaiman Dawood, 19, who is missing on board the sub is pictured with his mother Christine Among those taking part in the expedition is billionaire Hamish Harding (pictured), CEO of Action Aviation in Dubai. He excitedly posted to social media about being there on Sunday 'Naturally this is a very tough time for the family and they're not coping at all well with the situation, they are drawing strength from each other and hoping and praying for the best. 'The messages of support they are getting from all around the world are also keeping them positive and they are grateful for everyone's kind thoughts and wishes.' 'It's not clear what it was that made Mr Dawood want to go and visit the Titanic with his son, but he is driven by a passion for exploration, and I understand this was something that had been planned for some time.' The Dawoods belong to one of Pakistan's most prominent families. Their eponymous firm invests across the country in agriculture, industries and the health sector. Their family, including Shahzada's wife Christine and daughter Alina, are waiting for news of the pair. The passengers onboard Titan include British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and OceanGate's chief executive and founder Stockton Rush. In a heartbreaking plea, one of Mr Harding's close friends Jannicke Mikkelsen warned 'we are losing time'. The panicked friend told BBC Radio 4's Today programme yesterday: 'I'm nervous. I'm sick to my stomach with nerves. I'm terrified, I'm anxious. I'm not sleeping at the moment. I'm just hoping for good news. Every single second, every single minute feels like hours.' No further action is being taken against TikTok tearaway Mizzy after he was arrested in the wake of a vile new home invasion prank video, MailOnline can exclusively reveal today. The troublemaker, whose real name is Bacari-Bronze O'Garro, shared a video last night showing the moment that he was arrested by Metropolitan Police officers captioned: 'The Matrix sent their agents'. Mizzy's new clip was posted on Twitter a day after Scotland Yard announced it had launched a probe into a different video which appeared to show Mizzy staging a home invasion prank. MailOnline can now reveal that O'Garro, of Hackney, east London, was taken to Thames Magistrates' Court yesterday - the same day he was arrested - on suspicion of a tag breach. A spokesman for the Met Police confirmed that the case was withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and that Mizzy was released with no further action. Last month, the troublemaker was granted bail and let off with a two-year criminal behaviour order which stated he must not directly or indirectly post videos on social media without the documented consent of those featured in the content. MailOnline can exclusively reveal today that Mizzy, real name Bacari-Bronze O'Garro, will face no further action after he was arrested (poictured) in the wake of a vile new home invasion prank video In his latest video, which Mizzy described as depicting his arrest, the teen appeared to refute allegations that he was not home when police tried to install his tag Mizzy at Thames Magistrates' Court in May this year following a TikTok prank video where he entered a home without consent. He has since posted another home invasion prank In the arrest video, Mizzy appears to refute allegations that he was not home when police tried to install his tag. An officer claimed that on June 12, just after midnight, police visited the residence and Mizzy did not appear to be in. The teen claims he was asleep. The video was posted just one day he shared footage of himself sneaking through an open flat door while its residents sit on the balcony. Mizzy is then seen opening two bedroom doors and laughing until the homeowners notice, running towards him. He is then chased out the flat by a barking Alsatian. In a second video shared on his Twitter account, captioned 'my leg is mash', Mizzy is seen sprinting out the door and down the corridor as the animal chases him. Accompanying him was his friend Harle Jordean, 19, who was on his way to becoming a millionaire while he was still at school and dreamed of becoming the next Sir Alan Sugar after starting his own marble business - which became a global success. He was one Britain's youngest CEO. Jordean later revealed that the second home invasion prank had been staged, telling viewers he was in fact staying at the property. 'I came up with the idea of us man fake breaking into this house,' he said. Mizzy was last month handed a two-year criminal behaviour order which stated he must not directly or indirectly post videos on social media without the documented consent of those featured in the content. Over the past few months, Mizzy has caused fury after he shared videos of him stealing pensioner's dogs and trespassing in people's homes. Other videos of his 'vile' pranks' included asking a stranger if he 'wanted to die' and jumping out on a passer-by. He was also arrested for harassing orthodox Jews in London, with one video showing him approaching a man at a bus stop before putting his hands over his victim's shoulders and attempting a leapfrog. In his latest home invasion video, Mizzy said although he could 'go to prison', he 'had to' break into a 'random house one last time' Mizzy is seen walking into the home before spotting people on the balcony. A dog is then seen chasing him out of the flat Mizzy, 18, - whose real name is Bacari-Bronze O'Garro - was seen with his sidekick Harle Jordean, 19, filming a video sneaking into someone's house. His sidekick was on his way to becoming a millionaire while he was still at school and dreamed of becoming the next Sir Alan Sugar after starting his own marble business In another video, Mizzy is seen leading a gang of yobs into the clothing store Primark on Oxford Street which they proceed to trash He sparked outrage with his antics, culminating in him putting a family 'at risk' by barging into their home with others while their young children were present, pretending he was trying to find a study group. In another video, Mizzy is seen leading a gang of yobs into the clothing store Primark on Oxford Street which they proceed to trash. He eggs on his followers shouting 'Primark! Ay, Primark!' as some get on tables and counters at the till, throwing products on the floor. O'Garro then, while continuing to run around the shop, shouts: 'Go subscribe to Mizzy!' He then leads his followers around the shop and heads back to the door, shouting 'Everyone out! Out!' His young followers can be heard cheering their idol on, saying things like: 'I love Mizzy!' In a bid to soak up the fame, Mizzy has appeared on interviews with the likes of Piers Morgan, who described him as a 'moron' in a feisty interview last month. The pair continued to interrupt each other throughout while Morgan listed the numerous extreme pranks O'Garro has carried out. 'You go up and take a dog from an elderly woman, you leapfrog over the top of an orthodox Jewish man standing at the side of the road minding his business. You go up to women in the street and say, 'do you want to die?' O'Garro has already been taken back to court after he was admitted failing to comply with a community protection notice in Thames Magistrates' Court last month of failing to comply with his community protection notice At one point the Talk TV presenter then asked: 'A lot of the stuff that you do could have consequences far more serious but you don't care do you, as long as you get a laugh?' O'Garro replied: 'Of course I care I have remorse.' He then said he is his 'own person' and 'I am legally an adult now so I can do what I want'. Morgan ended the interview by saying: 'You're just a complete moron.' He added: 'For the record, he wasn't paid for this.' Fellow Talk TV host Andre Walker also demanded security remove Mizzy in separate interview as he angrily threw his papers in the air. Walker had accused the influencer of 'threatening' a female guest. The BBC then faced backlash for giving Mizzy a platform after his Newsnight interview. The 18-year-old father appeared on the show earlier this month to discuss the hold social media 'bad boy' and misogynist Andrew Tate still appears to have on teenage boys. In St. John's, the coastal city in Newfoundland where the Titanic Five's journey began, residents and tourists have woken up to a new grim reality, with hope now gone that the crew will return alive. Craig Tiernan, 23, took drags of a cigarette Thursday morning as he stared out onto the harbor, where the explorers set off on Friday aboard the Polar Prince vessel. 'I woke up thinking about the crew, wondering if they're still alive,' Tiernan, who works at a local supermarket in the province capital, told DailyMail.com. 'It's a very sad morning for the people on board and for their families. I feel like I'm mourning with all of them. 'I was pretty hopeful yesterday when I heard there might sounds coming from the submarine. I'd like to be hopeful now, but I don't think there's any more hope. 'It's hard to come to terms with the reality. They're not coming back.' St. John's local Craig Tiernan tells DailyMail.com he awoke Thursday morning thinking about the missing Titan crew with very little hope that they will return alive French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet (left) and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush are among those trapped on the submersible Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman are also on board, along with British billionaire Hamish Harding 'It's scary to think about it,' Tiernan continued. 'They could hardly move as this was all happening. I'm sure as soon as they lost a signal, they were like, "oh my God." 'That's torture. You're down 13,000 feet below sea level, running out of air. It's like something you experience in nightmares.' Tiernan added that the situation is especially tragic given that the sub has made several successful expeditions in the past. 'I'm sad for all of them,' Tiernan said. 'This was not supposed to happen. Last year and the year before, OceanGate had already gone down to the Titanic successfully. 'They were confident, they paid a lot of money, a quarter of a million dollars to go down. If I had the money, I'd love to go do that, to see the Titanic sight in the flesh. That's amazing. Brian Smith,66, from Saskatchewan, spoke to DailyMail.com Thursday as he visited the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist to say a prayer for the missing crew 'I would never think this would happen,' he said. 'I'm not sure if I'd do it now.' Brian Smith, 66, visiting St. John's from Saskatchewan with his wife Sharon, stopped into the Anglican Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Thursday morning. 'I offered up a silent prayer for the crew, and I'm praying for peace for their families,' he told DailyMail.com. 'I can't imagine what it would be like to be in that submarine. 'It's kind of like the Apollo 13,' he said. 'But on the Apollo 13, they were trying to do something. Here, they were all tourists, so it's different. 'If they're not going to be found, you almost wish they sprang a leak or something like that because then they say it's an instant death,' he said. 'It's a horror to think about.' John Mercer, 63, gazed out onto ocean from a park bench. 'It's a sad situation, certainly sad for the families,' Mercer told DailyMail.com. 'I think it's a waste. I don't think they should have been there. You only go down for a bit. 'And you could just turn on a documentary on the Discovery Channel to see it. Being here don't make it any different. It's not worth the chance of putting your life in danger.' Earlier in the week St. John's was the scene of a frantic effort to get underwater vehicles and heavy equipment out to the search area. Three US Air Force C-17 aircraft landed at the airport on Tuesday and unloaded equipment onto waiting flatbed trucks, which were taken through the town with a police escort. The missing OceanGate submersible, the Titan, lost contact with the mothership during its descent to the shipwreck Sunday morning Ten ships sped to the Titanic wreck site to try to find the missing submersible as its oxygen supply dwindled This image shared by the US Coast Guard was the first from the search site, some 900 miles off the coast of the US. It shows Deep Energy, a rescue ship that has deployed remote operated subs to go looking for the Titan underwater It was taken to the waiting Horizon Atlantic ship, which is owned by the same company that owns the Polar Prince, the vessel that took out the Titan and its crew. The equipment included at least one ROV, or remote operated vehicle, which was capable of going down 19,000ft, deep enough to reach the wreck of the Titanic. There was also a giant spool of cable, two heavy duty generators and a double winch with a combined weight limit of 12,000kg, enough to bring up the Titan. The Horizon Atlantic left St John's at 5am on Wednesday, followed a few hours later by the Terry Fox, a Canadian Coast Guard ship which was also laden with supplies and equipment. The journey to the Titanic wreck site, which is 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, was estimated to take 15 hours, meaning they would arrive with just a few hours to spare before the oxygen ran out on the Titan. Earlier on Thursday DailyMail.com revealed the crew of the missing submersible stopped into a local cafe just before their fateful adventure. After waiting for days for the weather to break, they seemed excited that the fog had lifted Friday morning. They entered the Terre Cafe around 8am Friday, staff there exclusively told DailyMail.com. 'Before leaving on their last expedition, a bunch of the crew came in here and ordered a bunch of coffees before going out,' barista James Law, 27, said Wednesday from the same cafe where he served them freshly ground coffee. 'They were saying they were excited for a good expedition. And a few of them seemed in a rush. They were a little behind schedule. That was the first day there was a break in the fog for a while. They were in a rush to go. They were excited to go,' Law said. The Titan submersible began its dive to the Titanic wreck site on Sunday morning, 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. John Mercer said he believes the crew should have never set out on the expedition because it's 'not worth the chance of putting your life in danger' 'They were saying they were excited for a good expedition. And a few of them seemed in a rush,' barista James Law, 27, said. 'They were excited to go' The crew of the missing Titan submersible stopped into their hotel cafe just before their fateful adventure Hours later, the main vessel lost contact with the five-member crew. The news broke Sunday night after they were reported missing, with oxygen supply running out. A flotilla of international rescue ships steamed towards the Titanic rescue site to try to locate the missing sub. Boats from France, Canada and the US Navy raced towards the site carrying the only specialist equipment in the world capable of making the 12,500ft dive to try to find the missing vessel. The sub lost communications with its operator, OceanGate Expeditions, less than two hours into its dive to the famous shipwreck. A glimmer of hope lit up the bleak search yesterday when the Coast Guard announced that 'banging' sounds had been detected underwater. It remains unclear if the banging came from the submersible, but it became the 'focus' of the mission. The US Coast Guard insisted on Thursday they still hoped to find the five adventurers alive despite predicting oxygen had run out - as the co-founder of the firm that organized the trip insisted rescuers 'have longer than we think'. Pope Francis was forced to skip reading a planned speech at a conference on Thursday, saying he still had breathing problems following a hernia operation this month. 'I am still under the effects of anaesthesia, my breathing is not good,' Francis told a meeting of the Catholic Oriental Church, saying delegates would instead receive a text of the speech. Asked by a well-wisher how he felt, the 86-year-old pope replied: 'I'm still alive.' The pope had surgery on June 7 to repair an abdominal hernia. He spent nine days in hospital recovering before he was discharged, with his surgeon saying he was 'better than before'. The pontiff has had a busy schedule since returning to the Vatican last Friday, including meeting the presidents of Cuba and Brazil. He also had eight events on his schedule for Thursday amid his ailing state. Asked by a well-wisher how he felt, the 86-year-old pope replied: 'I'm still alive'. He is pictured in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on the day of his surgery earlier this month, June 7 Pope Francis meets with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Brazil's First Lady Rosangela da Silva at the Vatican, Wednesday He also gave reassurances about his health in a video about his upcoming trip to Portugal in early August for World Youth Day and to visit the Shrine of Fatima. 'The doctor told me I can travel,' Francis said in a message on the Vatican News website. 'There are 40 days left, like Lent, before the meeting in Lisbon. I'm ready! I already have everything, I can't wait to go!' said Francis, brandishing a grey bag with the kit that will be handed out to pilgrims. Francis has complained previously about feeling the effects of anaesthesia long after surgical procedures, including after an operation in 2021 to remove 13 inches (33cm) of his large intestine. He had cited that reaction in part in refusing surgery to repair strained ligaments in his knee. His surgeon for both the 2021 and 2023 operations, Dr Sergio Alfieri of Rome's Gemelli hospital, has stressed that there were no adverse reactions to anaesthesia either time, though he acknowledged that "no-one likes" to be put under and operated on. Francis had part of one lung removed as a young man following a respiratory infection and had a three-day hospital stay this past spring for bronchitis. Pope Francis and Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva shake hands and they pose for a picture beside first lady Rosangela da Silva, the Vatican, Wednesday Pope Francis speaks with Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti ahead of a private audience at The Vatican today He often speaks in a whisper and can seem out of breath, especially when physically strained. Part of his rehabilitation after the most recent surgery involved respiratory exercises. Dr Alfieri has urged Francis to take it easy so that the scar can heal and he can fully regain his strength before upcoming trips in August to Portugal and Mongolia. Francis has not exactly followed doctors' orders, holding a normal slate of audiences in recent days including high-profile meetings this week with the Cuban and Brazilian presidents. With the 2024 election cycle starting to hot up, firebrand Republican Kari Lake has been taking time off to recharge her batteries on a family vacation in the Bahamas as she plots the next steps in her political career. Next week she launches her memoir and it understood that in September she will begin putting together a team to launch a run for the U.S. Senate. But in the meantime the former TV news anchor, who narrowly lost a bid to become Arizona governor last year, has been kicking back on vacation. Photographs shared with DailyMail.com show her deep sea fishing and messing around on the beach with her husband and two children. In one picture she shows off a giant amberjack fish caught in the Caribbean waters and in others the 53-year-old shows off her beach-ready body in a black bikini. Kari Lake, 53, shows off an amberjack fish during a Bahamas vacation. It comes as she plots a Senate run after being narrowly defeated last year in the contest for governor of Arizona Lake on the beach with her family in the Bahamas. Her memoir is published next week and she will tour the country to promote it before likely announcing a run for the Senate in the fall It meant Lake swapped the Florida sun of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, where she has been a frequent sight schmoozing with guests and political visitors, for a five day vacation in the Caribbean. He narrow defeat in Arizona last year saw her launch a series of court battles to overturn the result, winning her plaudits in Trump world and bitter recriminations from political opponents. That punchy style clashing frequently with journalists and her presence at Trump's Florida home saw her quickly elevated to the status of possible running mate if the former president wins the Republican nomination. She has played down the speculation and said Trump doesn't need any help from anyone to win the election next year. Friends say her first aim now is publicising her book, 'Unafraid: Just Getting Started,' which is released by Winning Team Publishing next week. 'The book is filled with incredible stories from the campaign trail, a biography of her life, and the what she plans on doing in the future. I think we will be seeing Kari Lake for a long time to come,' said a source. A book tour, including a stop at Trump's Bedminster club in New Jersey next week, is designed to increase her profile once again, laying the building blocks for a Senate run. She is expected to announce her campaign in the fall, following months of speculation that has largely cleared the field of rivals for the Republican nomination. Lake horsing around with a Donald Trump inflatable during her five-day family vacation Lake wished former President Donald Trump a happy birthday last week Lake is being talked about as a possible VP pick if Trump wins the Republican 2024 nomination Lake with son Leo (left), 18, daughter Ruby, 19, and husband Jeff Halperin (right) Kari with her daughter Ruby as they inspect the famous swimming pigs found on some of the islands during the Bahamas vacation Rep. Ruben Gallego has already announced he is running for the Democratic nomination while Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who declared as an independent last year, has yet to say whether she will defend her seat. Mainstream Republicans fear that Lake's loyalty to Trump and vociferous record of election denialism could see her romp to victory in the primary before condemning her to defeat next November. Lake won the gubernatorial nomination last year with almost half the vote, beating second placed Karin Taylor Robson by five points. But she lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs in November, a defeat she tried and failed to overturn in the courts. Her final lawsuit was dismissed in June, a decision Lake said she will appeal. But it was mostly family time for the past five days, spending a vacation with her husband of 25 years Jeff Halperin, daughter Ruby, 19, and son Leo, 18. She did make time to telephone Trump last week to wish him a happy birthday, calling him up from the deck of a pleasure boat. Fragments of shattered sub found 500 meters (1,600ft) from Titanic bow in 'clear' patch of ocean bed The men inside likely died instantly in an implosion that would have created a 'broadband' underwater boom Five major pieces of debris from the Titan sub - including the main body of its hull - have been found Advertisement The Titanic Five were killed instantly when the submersible suffered a 'catastrophic implosion' just 1,600ft from the bow of the wrecked ocean liner, the US Coast Guard announced on Thursday. The nail-biting search for the men on the Titan, a 21ft submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions, drew to a devastating close when a remote operated submarine from a Canadian ship found debris on the ocean floor. Search and rescue officials say the men likely died on Sunday - before military planes using sonar buoys detected what they thought could have been SOS 'banging' sounds in the water. The victims are OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French Navy veteran Paul-Henri (PH) Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who was just 19. 'The implosion would have generated a significant, broadband sound that the sonar buoys would have picked up,' explained Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard at a press conference today. It would have been an instant death for the men, some of whom had paid $250,000 each to see the famous shipwreck. In a gut-wrenching blow for their families, experts say there is little prospect of recovering any of their remains. 'This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there. The debris is consistent of a catastrophic implosion of the vessel.. we'll continue to work and search the area down there - but I don't have an answer for prospects at this time,' Paul Hankin, a deep sea expert involved in the search, said. Five people were onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who was just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition In a heartbreaking tribute, Richard Garriott, president of the Explorers Club, of which Harding and Nargeolet were both members, said that the men had been drawn to explore 'in the name of meaningful science for the betterment of mankind.' 'Our hearts are broken. I am so sorry to have to share this tragic news,' Garriott announced. He said the club was 'grateful for all our members and the scientific and exploration community around the world who have mobilized personnel and resources to support the search and rescue'. Garriott described Harding as a 'dear friend' to himself and the club. 'He holds several world records and has continued to push dragons off maps both in person and through supporting expeditions and worthy causes,' he wrote. 'We're heartbroken for the families, friends and colleagues of those who were lost. Their memories will be a blessing and will continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration,' Garriott said. The debris was discovered by the Odysseus 6K, the remote-operated submarine deployed by the Horizon Arctic yesterday. The ROV can dive up to 20,000ft Titanic director James Cameron took to the airwaves shortly after the Coast Guard announced the news, saying that he was 'struck' by the similarities between the disaster and the sinking of the ocean liner in 1912. 'I am struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about the ice ahead of his ship and yet he steamed at full speed into the ice field on a moonless night and many people died as a result,' Cameron told ABC News. 'I've been down there many times I know the wreck site very well I understand the engineering problems associated with building this type of vehicle and all the safety protocols,' he added. 'This is a mature art and many people in the community were concerned about the sub.' 'It is absolutely critical for people to really get the take-home message from this,' said the filmmaker. Cameron's pointed message comes after it was revealed that emerged that OceanGate boss Rush had been warned years before that his 'experimental approach' could lead to a catastrophe - and in another interview he spoke about 'breaking rules' to make the submarine. In addition to the vessel's landing frame and rear cover that were the first pieces of debris detected, the ROV submarine also found fragments of the pressure hull - the main body of the submersible. 'The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Upon this determination we immediately notified the families. 'On behalf of the Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families. 'I hope this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time,' Rear Admiral Mauger said. In its own statement, OceanGate said this afternoon: 'We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. 'These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world's oceans. 'Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.' The company added: 'This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. 'The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission. 'We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families. 'This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger announcing the men's deaths today at a press conference in Boston. 'The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Upon this determination we immediately notified the families. 'On behalf of the Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families.' In this U.S. Coast Guard handout, a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina HC-130 Hercules airplane flies over the French research vessel, L'Atalante approximately 900 miles East of Cape Cod during the search for the 21-foot submersible, Titan, June 21, 2023 over the Atlantic Ocean Flotilla of hope: Ten ships from the US, Canada and France rushed to the Titanic wreck to try to assist in the search earlier this week 'We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time.' Earlier, David Mearns, who was friends with two of the men on board, said the 'only saving grace' for the men was how quickly their deaths would have occurred. The world had been praying for a 'miracle' after rescuers estimated the vital oxygen supply would end at 7.08am EST (12.08pm UK time, 9.09pm Sydney) on Thursday. Officials said the field had been found by Odysseus 6k, a remote operated vehicle (ROV) deployed by the Canadian vessel, the Horizon Arctic, that can dive 20,000ft underwater. A glimmer of hope came yesterday when the Coast Guard confirmed consistent 'banging' noises had been detected by P-3 aircraft, but the search teams were unable to find the source of the sound, or confirm that they were the SOS signals the world had hoped for. The families of the five men on board the sub are yet to publicly react to news of the debris discovery. Experts have for days warned of the possibility that the Titan had sprung a leak and imploded under the pressure, which is 400 times that experienced at sea level. 'They would be dead before they knew anything had even happened,' L. David Marquet, a retired Navy nuclear submarine commander, said earlier this week. Earlier on Thursday, before the debris was found, Rear Admiral John Mauger, who coordinated the effort from Boston, said during an appearance on NBC's Today show: 'People's will to live has to be accounted for.' The submersible's oxygen theoretically should have run out at 8am EST (1pm BST) Thursday, according to the 96 hours limit listed on OceanGate's specs of the ship. The Titan submerged at 8am (1pm BST) and lost communications at 9.45am (2.45pm) but was not reported as missing to the US Coast Guard until 5.40pm (10.40pm). The sub was due to return to the Polar Prince ay 3pm EST (8pm BST) Sunday. Since Sunday night, there has been a frantic, international effort to find it and save the men on board. This is how Titan could have been saved by the French ship, if found in tact. Experts now say it likely imploded long before any of the help arrived The Royal Air Force A400M Atlas aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth preparing for take-off Kathleen Cosnett, a cousin of UK businessman Hamish Harding, 58, who was on the sub, said the eight-hour delay before contacting the authorities was 'far too long'. She told the Telegraph: 'It's very frightening. It took so long for them to get going to rescue them, it's far too long. I would have thought three hours would be the bare minimum.' Titan lost communication on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic off the coast of Canada. The last 'ping' of its homing device was heard on Sunday afternoon - directly above the world's most famous wreck. A Canadian Navy ship carrying medics specializing in treating health issues relating to deep-sea diving arrived on the scene this morning on the HMCS Glace Bay. They also brought a hyperbaric chamber - which can be used for decompressing divers after they return to the surface. Above the wreck was flotilla of at least ten ships, two robot subs and several aircraft scanning the Atlantic for any sign of Titan as sonar continued to hear a banging noise from the depths. A Royal Navy submariner, as well as equipment from a British company, was also sent to assist in the search. Oceanographer and water search expert Dr David Gallo said earlier on Thursday: 'It's going to be almost impossible. We need a miracle but miracles do happen'. But former Royal Navy Officer, Chris Parry, said as midday approached: 'I'm afraid time's up - I don't think there's any prospect of getting those people out alive now'. Rescuers were insistent that they would continue to look for the men even after the 96 hour oxygen window expired. As recently as Wednesday afternoon, Coast Guard response coordinator Captain Jamie Frederick for First Coast Guard District said: 'This is a search and rescue mission, 100 per cent.' The Supreme Court ruled against the Navajo Nation after they claimed the U.S. government has a duty to provide their Arizona reservation with running water. The justices voted 5-4 that a lawsuit filed by the tribe against the federal government over water supply from the drought-stricken Colorado River must be thrown out. One-third of the roughly 175,000 people who live on the reservation, the largest in the country, do not have running water in their homes. The Colorado River flows along the northwestern border of the tribe's reservation and tributaries of the San Juan River and the Little Colorado River also flow through. Justice Brett Kavanaugh in his majority opinion said a 1868 treaty with the Navajo Nation did not mean the U.S. government had to step in to secure water access. The Supreme Court ruled against the Navajo Nation after they claimed the U.S. government has a duty to provide them with running water from the Colorado River The justices voted 5-4 that a lawsuit filed by the tribe against the federal government over water supply from the drought-stricken Colorado River must be thrown out Colorado, another state that draws water from the river, had argued that siding with the Navajo Nation would undermine existing agreements and disrupt the management of the river. The Biden administration had said federal government could face lawsuits from many other tribes if the government had come out in favor of Navajo Nation. Lawyers for the Navajo Nation had characterized the tribe's request as modest, saying they simply were seeking an assessment of the tribe's water needs and a plan to meet them. The facts of the case go back to treaties that the tribe and the federal government signed in 1849 and 1868. The second treaty established the reservation as the tribe's 'permanent home' - a promise the Navajo Nation says includes a sufficient supply of water. In 2003 the tribe sued the federal government, arguing it had failed to consider or protect the Navajo Nations water rights to the lower portion of the Colorado River. Writing for a majority made up of conservative justices, Kavanaugh explained that 'the Navajos contend that the treaty requires the United States to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Navajos - for example, by assessing the Tribe's water needs, developing a plan to secure the needed water, and potentially building pipelines, pumps, wells, or other water infrastructure.' But, Kavanaugh said, 'In light of the treaty's text and history, we conclude that the treaty does not require the United States to take those affirmative steps.' Kavanaugh acknowledged that water issues are difficult ones. 'Allocating water in the arid regions of the American West is often a zero-sum situation,' he wrote. It is important, he said, for courts to leave 'to Congress and the President the responsibility to enact appropriations laws and to otherwise update federal law as they see fit in light of the competing contemporary needs for water.' A federal trial court initially dismissed the lawsuit, but an appeals court allowed it to go forward. The Supreme Court's decision reverses that ruling from the appeals court. In a dissent, Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that he would have allowed the case to go forward and he characterized the Navajo's position as a 'simple ask.' Raynelle Hoskie attaches a hose to a water pump to fill tanks in her truck outside a tribal office on the Navajo reservation in Arizona 'Where do the Navajo go from here?' he wrote. 'To date, their efforts to find out what water rights the United States holds for them have produced an experience familiar to any American who has spent time at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Navajo have waited patiently for someone, anyone, to help them, only to be told (repeatedly) that they have been standing in the wrong line and must try another.' Gorsuch said one 'silver lining' of the case may be that his colleagues in the majority recognized that the tribe may still be able to 'assert the interests they claim in water rights litigation, including by seeking to intervene in cases that affect their claimed interests.' Gorsuch, a conservative, was joined by the court's three liberals: Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. During arguments in the case in March, Justice Samuel Alito pointed out that the Navajo Nations original reservation was hundreds of miles away from the section of the Colorado River it now seeks water from. The government argued that it has helped the tribe secure water from the Colorado Rivers tributaries and provided money for infrastructure, including pipelines, pumping plants and water treatment facilities. But it said no law or treaty required the government to assess and address the tribes general water needs. The states involved in the case argued that the Navajo Nation was attempting to make an end run around a Supreme Court decree that divvied up water in the Colorado Rivers Lower Basin. Another 80 migrants were spotted arriving into the UK today after being escorted across the Channel by a French vessel - as people traffickers took advantage of the good weather to step up their deadly trade. The group of illegal immigrants, which included young children, were pictured being escorted into Dover by UK Border Force after attempting to make the treacherous journey. As Britons basked in the sun today, with temperatures up at 28C, migrants made the most of the calmer sea conditions to cross the Channel. They were pictured wearing life jackets as several security personnel in yellow hi-vis jackets escorted them into the Dover Marina. The latest group of migrants to make the journey comes after the total number of arrivals so far this year passed 10,000 yesterday. Another 80 migrants were spotted arriving into the UK after being escorted across the Channel by a French vessel today (pictured) The group of migrants were pictured being escorted into Dover by UK Border Force after attempting to make the treacherous journey Several security personnel in yellow hi-vis jackets escorted the group of migrants into the Dover Marina 'Almost 100' illegal immigrants were escorted by UK Border Force officials into the Kent port yesterday, a witness said, taking this year's provisional total to 10,188. This is now thought to be higher. The numbers are slightly down on the same period last year, which saw a record-breaking total of 45,755 crossings throughout 2022. Last weekend, 707 people were detected making the treacherous crossing from France in 14 boats, the Ministry of Defence said. However, poor weather at the start of the week saw the numbers arriving into the UK dip slightly, with only 46 people making the journey on Monday and none on Tuesday. But with the Met Office predicting dry and warm conditions into the weekend, the number of crossings is likely to pick up again. It comes after it was revealed that the Home Office and French government are to join forces to launch a surveillance plane which will fly over the English Channel 24/7 to catch people smugglers. The move, designed to cut the overall numbers of migrants and vulnerable asylum seekers from crossing the Channel on small boats, is being seen as the 'final piece in the puzzle' to cut crossings. The news comes after the French Interior Minister told RFI last week: 'We are guarding the border for the British people. Therefore you would expect to receive thanks rather than complaints.' The numbers are slightly down on the same period last year, which saw a record-breaking total of 45,755 crossings throughout 2022 The large group, which included young children, arrived into UK territory this afternoon Meanwhile, it emerged last night that defending the Government's Rwanda asylum deal against legal challenges has already cost the British taxpayer more than 1million. Figures released by immigration minister Robert Jenrick showed 1.3 million has been spent on legal costs by the Home Office up to March this year. The true figure will already be far higher, as the 1.3million sum does not include costs associated with a four-day hearing in the Court of Appeal at the end of April. Under the Rwanda scheme proposals, any adult who enters Britain illegally could be sent on a one-way ticket to the African country to have their asylum claim processed. The former director of the Honduran jail where 46 female inmates were massacred on Tuesday has revealed how guards are bribed look the other way so prisoners can smuggle in grenades, guns, rifles and other contraband. Rene Cruz, who was once in charge of the Women's Center for Social Adaptation in the northwestern city of Tamara, said inmates pay up to $3,000 to sneak in grenades and between $3,200 to $3,500 for rifles. 'It generates wealth that is illegal and quite high,' Cruz said, as quoted by La Tribuna on Wednesday. His comments come as one of the prisoners who survived the gruesome gang attack described the ordeal as 'hell'. The detainee, who was not harmed, recalled hearing other inmates, who were locked in their cells, crying for help as they were covered in flames. 'The minutes were eternal, we just wanted to save ourselves,' she said. 'The fellow prisoners could not get out and died. It was living hell,' she said. One of the security cameras at a women's prison in Tamara, Honduras, captured the moment one of the suspects was holding a gun during a Barrio 18 gang attack on MS-13 rivals that left 46 inmates dead on Tuesday Rene Cruz once serves as the director of the Women's Center for Social Adaptation in the northwestern city of Tamara, the prison where 46 inmates were slaughtered Tuesday. He said it was normal for prisoners to bribe guards with money in order to smuggle weapons Authorities have identified 11 inmates who were involved in the massacre that left 46 female prisoners dead at the Women's Center for Social Adaptation in the northwestern city of Tamara on Tuesday 'We had to save ourselves because even those of us who are not from the (MS-13) and gang groups were on target and there was nothing left but to seek refuge and thank God the annex of the Renaciendo center saved us,' the woman added. Cruz blamed the riot, during which victims were shot, burned and hacked with machetes while locked in jail cells, on a lax security system. 'What happened in PNFAS (National Women's Penitentiary for Social Adaptation) only denotes a lack and a failure in the security devices, in human resources, the technological part and the intelligence mechanisms,' he said. Cruz explained that the prison, which houses 900 inmates, should have three different security checkpoints. 'So, for a firearm to be able to pass through what we call customs, they would have to split that amount (of money) among themselves,' he said. The National Police recovered at least 21 weapons, including an AR-15, Uzi and two grenades when security forces regained control of the prison after members of the Barrio 18 gang launched an attack against rival members of the MS-13. A doctor provides aid to one of the Honduran jail detainees who were injured Tuesday's massacre that left 46 prisoners dead Forensic workers remove bags that contain the bodies of the prisoners killed at a jail in Honduras on Tuesday A man stands over a body bag after identifying the body of his relative, one of 46 prisoners who were massacred at a jail in Honduras on Tuesday National Police officers transferred members of the women's prison after the riot that left 46 inmates dead Gangs slaughtered 48 women, many of them burned, shot or stabbed to death, at a women's prison in Honduras on Tuesday. Pictured: Police and military guarding the prison Authorities have identified 11 suspects, who were jailed at the facility, and released the image of one of the criminals caught on camera holding a gun while pacing through the hallways. La Prensa reported that at least two suspects known as 'Crazy' and 'Psico' were the first Barrio 18 members who entered one of the cell blocks, where the guards opened the gate, before they shot and laughed at their targets. The gang shot 23 of the victims and stabbed or hacked the remaining 23. The riot led the administration of President Xiomara Castro to roll out severe measures as part of its plan to regain complete control of its prison system. Honduran security forces surround female prisoners at a jail in Tamara, Honduras, where 46 inmates were killed by alleged members of the Barrio 18 gang. Authorities have identified 11 Barrio 18 suspects who they said targeted rivals members of the MS-13 Honduran soldiers guard an entrance to the Women's Center for Social Adaptation in the northwestern town of Tamara on Tuesday after 46 inmates were murdered The relative of an inmate reacts while others try to comfort her as they wait for news about their loved ones Relatives of inmates get into the Forensic Medic installations with the victims, after a fire following the brawl As part of government crackdown, the military police will take control of security next year. Castro's administration is also expanding a so-called state of exception that suspends some constitutional rights to cover more territories over an extended period. The military will also have a greater role in security efforts nationwide. In addition, the president's 'drastic measures' call for the transfer of the country's most dangerous gang leaders to the Cesnes Islands, 155 miles off the mainland coast in the Caribbean Sea. The minority leader said he would leave it up to the public to determine whether the Hunter Biden deal is fair 'This was an investigation that was started by the Trump Justice Department,' Jeffries said Top House Democrat and fierce gun reform advocate Hakeem Jeffries said his caucus would respect the rule of law when it came to Hunter Biden's plea deal - even if that meant the president's son facing no jail time for lying on a gun application. The New York Democrat flipped the script on Republicans, who claim that the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) is going after the president's top political opponent - Donald Trump - for his handling of classified documents. 'This was an investigation that was started by the Trump Justice Department, which made the decision that they were going to investigate the son of Donald Trump's most prominent political life,' Jeffries said of the Hunter Biden plea deal with the Delaware U.S. attorney's office. The minority leader said he would leave it up to the public to determine whether the sentence is fair. 'Yet Democrats have still taken the view that we're going to allow the justice system to run its course and express optimism that all of the individuals involved, including the judge will ultimately render a sentence on following facts, by the law be guided by the Constitution. And then the American people can make a determination as to the fairness of it all.' Top House Democrat and fierce gun reform advocate Hakeem Jeffries said his caucus would respect the rule of law when it came to Hunter Biden's plea deal - even if that meant the president's son facing no jail time for lying on a gun application Jeffries on Thursday also called Oversight Chair James Comer 'totally out of control and unhinged' for his crusade against the Biden family and its alleged corruption But House Republicans have insisted the president's son got a sweetheart deal - in an agreement that will see him plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax crimes and avoid prison on a felony gun charge. The deal includes a so-called diversion program that will result in prosecutors dropping the gun charges if he complies with the program's conditions. Republicans have used the deal to further their narrative of a 'two-tiered system' within the DOJ that targets conservatives. Speaker Kevin McCarthy dismissed the fact that the U.S. attorney handling the case was a Trump holdover. 'You think it's equal and fair that a political opponent is going to be given jail time, but a presidential son and if you compare this to other individuals in America that have the same accusations against them, same crimes that they had been guilty of, that they were proposed to have 10 years and other time periods I think that's a difference of justice,' McCarthy told reporters this week. House Republicans have insisted the president's son got a sweetheart deal - in an agreement that will see him plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax crimes and avoid prison on a felony gun charge Jeffries on Thursday also called Oversight Chair James Comer 'totally out of control and unhinged' for his crusade against the Biden family and its alleged corruption. 'They have not uncovered anything that is, in any way, evidence of wrongdoing. They just peddle conspiracy theory after conspiracy theory,' he told reporters. Comer called the Hunter Biden plea deal a 'slap on the wrist' and said he would ask U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who oversaw the deal, to testify before either the Oversight or Judiciary committees and offer a 'transparent' explanation of his investigation. Comer's committee is investigating alleged payouts to the Biden family by foreign nationals in exchange for policy outcomes. They've honed in on an FBI form that details a conversation between the FBI and a confidential source. In it, the informant detailed claims of a $5 million 'arrangement' of an exchange of money for policy decisions between then-Vice President Joe Biden and a foreign national. Hunter Biden was part of the arrangement and allegedly also cashed in on $5 million. Home Improvement star Zachery Ty Bryan says his domestic violence arrest in Oregon was a 'wake-up call' as he tries to rebuild his life. The former child star, now 41, claimed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the physical altercation in October 2020 started because his girlfriend at the time, Johnnie Faye Cartwright, was upset he was 'living a double life' and was still married even though he had announced his divorce two weeks earlier. He later pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of menacing and assault in the fourth degree and was sentenced to a three-year probation, attendance in a violence intervention program and was ordered to have no further contact with the victim. Bryan says he now tries to stay away from alcohol, but he and Cartwright are still together and are now raising three children of their own. Meanwhile, the star faces further scrutiny for allegedly stealing his friends' and investors' money in a fraudulent scheme. Zachery Ty Bryan, 41, was arrested in Oregon in October 2020 for domestic violence. He was accused of strangling his girlfriend at the time Bryan had just announced two weeks before that he was getting a divorce from his longtime wife, Carly Matros. The two are pictured together in 2016 Bryan rose to national fame in the 1990s as the eldest child on Home Improvement, which also starred Tim Allen and future teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas. After the show ended in 1999, Bryan turned to film roles and earned guest spots on television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He then became an executive producer on independent films, and married his high school sweetheart Carly Matros in 2007. They would go on to have four children that they raised together in a multi-million dollar home in Newport Beach. The youngest, a son, was born in March 2019, joining three daughters including a set of twins. In more recent years, Bryan made a name for himself as a conservative commentator on platforms like FOX News and The Daily Wire. But in September 2020, Bryan announced he and Matros were getting a divorce plagiarizing Armie Hammer's divorce announcement almost word for word. He now admits to The Hollywood Reporter: 'I was just in party freaking mode making movies, traveling, drinking. I wasn't living the way I was raised, you know what I mean? 'I was not being a faithful husband, and I was not being the best me,' he continued. 'I thought I would be able to go out and do whatever I wanted, have fun, come home and be a family man with my kids. That's not how the real world works.' Just 16 days after the announcement, in October, Bryan was arrested in Oregon and charged with felony strangulation, fourth-degree assault, coercion, menacing, harassment and interference with making a police report. The most serious charges, including felony strangulation, were later dropped and he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors. Bryan was then sentenced to three years probation, attendance in a violence intervention program and was ordered to not have any contact with the victim. He was also ordered by the court not to 'buy possess or consume alcoholic beverages' or be in any place that sells or serves alcohol as its primary purpose. It was his second arrest of 2020, after being booked for DUI in Orange County that May. He pleaded guilty in that case as well, and was sentenced to five years probation and 18 months in a multiple-offender alcohol program due to a record of other DUI arrests in 2004, 2007 and 2017. Bryan had rose to national fame in the 1990s as the eldest child on Home Improvement, which also starred Tim Allen and future teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas After the show ended in 1999, Bryan turned to film roles and earned guest spots on television shows. He is pictured here on Home Improvement with Tim Allen In recent years, he has become a conservative commentator on FOX News and The Daily Wire According to Oregon police records obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Cartwright claimed that on the night of the alleged assault, Bryan, with whom she had been in a 'sexually intimate' relationship for two years, woke her up demanding to know what happened to his cellphone charging cables. She alleged that he 'pulled her hair' and punched her in the face multiple times. The two then fell on a set of stairs, at which point, the police report says, Bryan 'grabbed Cartwright's neck with both hands and choked her' for about 45 seconds. Responding officers said they saw multiple injuries on Cartwright, who claimed Bryan became abusive a month earlier. But Bryan claimed Cartwright woke him up and bit him in the groin. He alleged that her injuries were self-inflicted in an effort to set him up because she 'wanted to ruin his career' after he said he wanted to break up and stop paying her rent. 'I heard her tell dispatch, "This is the guy from Home Improvement. He's the famous guy,"' Bryan reportedly told officers on the scene. Looking back, he says the arrest 'got so blown out of proportion' by the media, and claims it was not as physical as the police report states. He explained that he and Cartwright began seeing each other when he was still married and there were times she would get upset over his 'double life.' And even though he announced his divorce, Bryan claimed the fight escalated that night because they had both 'been drinking too much. 'We didn't even really get that physical,' he said. 'We got really loud. We were screaming and because we were in a townhome that had [thin walls], everybody could hear.' He continued to say Cartwright 'was at the time just really upset about my situation.' And, he claimed, 'At the end of the day, [the police] throw a bunch of counts at you because they ultimately want you to plead something,' noting that cops nicknamed him 'Country Club Zach' and seemed to poke fun at his fame. 'I could've fought it... but that's more stress and drama,' Bryan explained. 'I got two misdemeanors and called it a day.' But he said he now thanks God for his arrest, describing it as a 'wake up call.' 'I went through a situation that I'm pretty sure plenty of people across the globe experience with their partners, and that was a learning experience,' Bryan said. He acknowledged he 'definitely [has] an issue with drinking' but does not believe the term 'alcoholic' applies to him. 'Dude, I started drinking when I was 14,' he said. 'Back then I was going to nightclubs and they would just let me in because I was the kid from Home Improvement.' Now, he says, he tries to stay away from alcohol, explaining: 'I'm not going out and getting lit, and that takes away a lot of my problems.' Bryan continues to face scrutiny for his role selling tokens for an ag-tech company that never materialized He and Cartwright are still together. In November 2021, just one year after his arrest, Bryan revealed that he and Cartwright were engaged to be married. Based on the timeline of his now private Instagram account, The Hollywood Reporter found, Cartwright was already pregnant with a girl at the time. He announced the birth on the social media platform in spring 2022. That November, Bryan also revealed that he and Cartwright were expecting twins, and she gave birth in May. But the actor/producer continues to face scrutiny from some who considered him one of their closest friends. In 2018, they explain, Bryan linked up with Producers Market, an ag-tech startup focused on farmers and the global food chain. The company aimed to empower farmers by removing the middleman and putting profits more directly in their tokens using a QR ode that would allow them to tip farmers. It explored using tokens to fund growth, and brought Bryan who had made millions in the early days of Bitcoin on as an adviser to help develop relationships within the crypto community. He then invested in the money in the company, and asked others to do the same. But the plans for a token system never materialized, and in 2019 the company officially decided to end Bryan's role as an advisor. Executives learned just one year later that Bryan was selling the nonexistent tokens to other investors. 'Mr. Bryan misrepresented our company without our knowledge, participation or permission,' a spokesperson said. 'When we found out, we immediately issued a cease and desist demand to him. 'This activity is unacceptable and not a reflection of our mission to support the well0being of farmers and our food systems.' But Bryan denies he was 'running some shady scam deal that's just not me.' 'What people don't understand is that you take risks, nothing is for sure,' he said, vowing that if the company ever goes public, he will personally distribute his Producers Market stock to those who are still waiting on their money. He will now give up a career in TV meteorology to tackle climate change, he said A meteorologist in Iowa has said he is quitting his job after receiving a death threat and a series of harassing emails in response to his climate change coverage. Chris Gloninger, the chief meteorologist for KCCI Channel 8 News in Des Moines, announced on Wednesday he would end his television career and 'embark on a new journey dedicated to helping solve the climate crisis'. Gloninger had received several threatening emails last summer, some of which asked for his home address. Others said he was a 'worthless Biden puppet' and should 'go east and drown from the ice cap melting'. After reporting the messages to authorities, police identified a man in Lenox, Iowa, who admitted to sending them. Danny Hancock, 63, was then charged with third-degree harassment. He pleaded guilty and was fined $105. He was also ordered to pay $76 in court costs. Meteorologist Chris Gloninger in Iowa said he is quitting his job after receiving a death threat and a series of harassing emails in response to his climate change coverage Gloninger (left) had received a number of threatening emails last summer, some of which asked for his home address, where he lived with his wife (pictured) Danny Hancock, 63, referred to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and asked for Gloninger's home address The first message from Hancock accused Glonginer of promoting 'liberal conspiracy theory' Glonginer used his position at KCCI to raise awareness of the impact of climate change and often shared clips to social media in which he discussed the negative ramifications. 'I take immense pride in having educated the public about the impacts of climate change during my career,' he wrote in a note announcing his departure on Twitter. Glonginer shared screenshots of some of the abusive emails last July and the Iowa Capital Dispatch reviewed court and police records to expose some of the others. The first message on June 21 at around 5.35pm read: 'Getting sick and tired of your liberal conspiracy theory on the weather, climate changes every day, always has, always will, your pushing nothing but a Biden hoax, go back to where you came from.' A few days later, Hancock wrote: 'You are worthless Biden puppet, a liar, a conspiracy theorist, and an idiot!!! You give Iowa a bad name, GO HOME B****.' Hours later came perhaps the most threatening message, in which Hancock referred to Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 'What's your address, we conservative Iowans would like to give you an Iowan welcome you will never forget, kinda like the lib**** gave JUDGE KAVANAUGH!!!!!!!' he wrote. Hancock's first message was sent on June 21 but the emails continued into July In another email, Hancock told Glonginer to 'go east and drown from the ice cap melting' Glonginer regularly discussed the impacts of climate change during his show on KCCI Hancock was likely referring to an incident in which US deputy marshals intercepted an armed man outside the Justice's house who said he was upset over the leaked draft Supreme Court opinion on abortion rights and planned to kill him. Police found on him a Glock-17 pistol, a tactical knife, two magazines, a speed loader, ammunition, pepper spray, zip ties and tools including a hammer, screwdriver, nail punch and crowbar. A week after the first message Hancock made reference to the fact that another KCCI meteorologist, Metinka Slater, had recently resigned. 'Evidently Metinka could see through your lies and conspiracy theory on climate change, evidently she knew you are full of did s**t cause it didn't take her long to leave when your lieing a** got there, pack your liberal conspiracy and go home!!!!!' he sent. The following month on July 12, Hancock wrote: 'I don't watch your worthless weather forecast because your an idiot but someone else texted me and said you are still an idiot, go the hell back where you came from DOUCHEBAG!!!' On July 15, he told Gloninger to 'go east and drown from the ice cap melting you dumbf**k!!!!!!!' Gloninger became interested in weather as a child and graduated in meteorology from Plymouth State University, after which he became a certified broadcast meteorologist with the American Meteorological Society. Before moving to Des Moines, Gloninger worked at a number of other TV stations in Wisconsin, Michigan and Massachusetts. With NBC10 in Boston he started his first series on climate change. 'I take immense pride in having educated the public about the impacts of climate change during my career,' he wrote in a note announcing his departure on Twitter He told The Washington Post this week that trauma caused by the threats caused him to fear for not only his safety but also that of his wife, who would often remain at home alone while he was working late shifts. 'I was not sleeping,' Gloninger said. 'I had bags under my eyes.' 'I'm trying to put it behind me,' he told the newspaper. 'But at the same point, I think it brings awareness to what journalists face day-to-day bringing the news.' He said he was sad to give up his role but also looked forward to the next chapter. 'Having a dream since you were in second grade of being a TV meteorologist?' Gloninger told The Post. 'Yeah. Im going to miss it. I just hope that this is even more fulfilling than the last 18 years, my next chapter.' An Italian coin dealer was arraigned in Manhattan on Wednesday for possession of stolen coins worth one million dollars - after one he gave to his colleague sold for $4.1million. Italo Vecchi was charged with one count of grand larceny in the first degree, two counts of conspiracy in the fourth degree and second degree criminal possession of stolen property, among other charges. The 75-year-old worked with British coin dealer Richard Beale, who was charged in March over the fraudulent $4.1 million sale of the 'rarest and most valuable' coin in the world. He arrived at criminal court at 3 p.m. handcuffed and with a cane, and was released within a half hour - leaving alongside his lawyer, Withers international law firm defense attorneys Georges Gilbert Lederman and Wendy Dickieson. The District Attorney's office agreed to his release on his own recognizance. Vecchi (center) arrived at criminal court at 3 p.m. with a cane, and was released within a half hour - leaving court alongside his lawyer, Withers law firm defense attorney Georges Gilbert Lederman (right) and Wendy Dickieson (left) Minted to celebrate the assassination of Julius Caesar, this 2000-year-old Roman coin was sold by Beale in October 2020 for a record-breaking $4.1 million - the highest price ever paid for an ancient coin at auction The professional coin dealer is also alleged to have falsified the provenance of the Sicily Naxos silver coin, minted around 430 BC, which Beale sold for $293,000 at the same auction as the Eid Mar Between 2013 and 2014, Vecchi, who is Italian citizen living in the United Kingdom, allegedly sold two rare coins to Beale without provenance. One of the coins was referred to as the 'Eid Mar' coin, referring to an ancient Roman gold coin minted in 42 B.C. to celebrate the assassination of Julius Caesar on March 15 of 44 B.C. Minted to celebrate the assassination of Julius Caesar, this 2000-year-old Roman coin was sold by Beale in October 2020 for a record-breaking $4.1 million - the highest price ever paid for an ancient coin at auction. But Beale, 38, allegedly falsified the coin's ownership history documents, known as its 'provenance', to make it more valuable and allow him to fetch a higher price for it. The other coin, known as the 'Sicily Naxos' coin, was created in 430 B.C. and is one of the 'rarest and most prized ancient coins in the world,' according to the complaint. Vecchi has allegedly been selling illegal coins for decades, according to court documents. In 1992, the defendant was detained by United States customs officials for attempting to smuggle undeclared ancient Greek coins into the United States in his briefcase. And then in 2012, the defendant also falsified provenance for a 4th B.C.E. silver coin, called an Akragas Dekadrachm, which was being sold for one million dollars at the annual New York International Numismatics Convention. Italo Vecchi (pictured) is seen walking out of criminal court after being arraigned in Manhattan for possession of stolen coins valued in excess of one million dollars Between 2013 and 2014, Vecchi (center) who is Italian citizen living in the United Kingdom, allegedly sold two rare coins to Beale without provenance Vecchi has been selling illegal coins for decades, according to court documents The 'defendant and his co-conspirator ... deceived potential buyers by creating false provenance for the Eid Mar Coin and the Sicily Naxos Coin so that both coins would be viewed as legitimate and ascribed a certain value,' the court document wrote. Beale, the owner of London-based auction house Roma Numismatics, allegedly falsified the ownership records of the two ancient coins he sold at a 2020 auction, including the Eid Mar coin. Vecchi worked at Roma Numismatics as a consultant specialist, According to the complaint, Beale and Vecchi 'deceived potential buyers by creating false provenance for the Eid Mar Coin and the Sicily Naxos Coin so that both coins would be viewed as legitimate and ascribed a certain value.' In 2014 Beale was allegedly given the coveted Eid Mar coin to sell by his 'co-conspirator' Vecchi, who was detained by US customs in 1992 for attempting to smuggle ancient Greek coins into the country, according to the complaint document. Richard Beale, the owner of London-based auction house Roma Numismatics, allegedly falsified the ownership records of two ancient coins he sold But Beale, 38, allegedly falsified the coin's ownership history documents, known as its 'provenance', to make it more valuable and allow him to fetch a higher price for it. In January Beale was charged with Grand Larceny in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the First Degree on top of eight other counts. If found guilty, he could be facing up to 25 years in jail. According to Special Agent Brenton Easter, the auction house owner 'admitted to me that he paid for the provenance' but said 'this was the first and only time that [he] had ever paid for provenance'. When an informant told Beale ahead of the auction that the coin's provenance was false, Vecchi and Beale allegedly offered them 100,000 Swiss Francs to sign the provenance documents, which was refused. The professional coin dealer is also alleged to have falsified the provenance of the Sicily Naxos silver coin, minted around 430 BC, which Beale sold for $293,000 at the same auction as the Eid Mar. It is further alleged that Beale bought five coins in 2018 'from a convicted antiquities trafficker' which came from the 'Gaza Hoard' - a cache of ancient coins looted in the Gaza Strip in 2017 before being 'smuggled to Israel, and ultimately London'. The complaint states that Beale 'sold these freshly looted coins through Roma Numismatics with the false provenance 'from a private Canadian collection''. Vecchi's next court appearance is scheduled for September 7 at 9:00 am. NASA has distanced itself from claims by OceanGate that it was involved in the development of the Titan submersible. The agency said it only carried out remote consultations with the company which built and deployed Titan, and 'did not provide any approvals for the project'. A NASA spokesman clarified its role after OceanGate and its CEO, Stockton Rush, made several claims about how it '[worked] with NASA' and used the agency's logo in some of its promotional material. Boeing and the University of Washington have also denied any involvement in the design of the missing Titanic tourist submersible - despite OceanGate saying they played a part. Titan went missing on Sunday morning during a dive to the Titanic wreckage and a 'debris field' was found on Thursday during an enormous international search operation. The evidence points to a 'catastrophic implosion' that claimed the lives of all five people on board, including Rush. Stockton Rush, the founder and CEO of OceanGate, is seen in the summer of 2022 talking to CBS News correspondent David Pogue about his Titanic tourist submersible. Rush told Pogue that the sub, Titan, was made in collaboration with Boeing, NASA and the University of Washington The submersible, Titan, is pictured descending. It was the only five-person sub capable of reaching Titanic NASA told DailyMail.com it had a Space Act Agreement with OceanGate, which allows it to work with an outside organization, and 'consulted on materials and manufacturing processes for the submersible'. But a spokesman added: 'NASA did not conduct testing and manufacturing via its workforce or facilities, which were done elsewhere by OceanGate.' OceanGate announced in February 2020 that it had partnered with NASA and that the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, would 'serve as the facility where the development and manufacturing of a new aerospace-grade hull is completed'. The work was described as 'key to OceanGate completing its latest Cyclops-class submersible', which is understood to be a reference to Titan. But the pandemic struck a month later and thwarted the plan. NASA said: 'For the safety of our team members during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as limited resources and availability, NASA Marshall engineers only participated remotely in technical interchange meetings with OceanGate, providing consultation for materials and manufacturing processes based on industry standards. 'We did not provide any approvals for the project as OceanGate was the technical authority.' OceanGate Expeditions stated on its website that Titan was designed with the help of Boeing, the University of Washington and NASA. OceanGate's submersible was designed by the company to travel almost 13,000ft below sea level to the wreck of the Titanic - but 'has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body, and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death' OceanGate and its CEO, Stockton Rush, made several claims about how it '[worked] with NASA' and used the agency's logo in some of its promotional material Boeing said it was 'not a partner on the Titan and did not design or build it'. The University of Washington also said it was not involved in Titan. When Rush was questioned last year by CBS News about the rudimentary conditions inside the sub - it has one button, a camping store light, and is controlled by a PlayStation-style controller - he insisted it was made in conjunction with experts. 'There are certain things that you want to be buttoned down,' said Rush, insisting that the sub was safe. 'The pressure vessel is not MacGyver at all, because that's where we worked with Boeing and NASA and the University of Washington. 'Everything else can fail, your thrusters can go, your lights can go. You're still going to be safe.' The US Coast Guard and OceanGate Expeditions have confirmed the deaths of the five men on the missing Titan submersible, parts of which were discovered today on the ocean floor, 500 meters from the bow of the famous ship they died trying to see. The landing frame and rear cover of the missing submersible were discovered today by a remote operated submarine in a devastating blow to any hope that the men may still be found alive. It would mean the sub suffered a crack and imploded under the underwater pressure, instantly killing all five men on board. 'The only saving grace is that it would have been immediate, literally in milliseconds and the men would have no idea what was happening,' David Mearns, a friend of two of the men on board, said during an appearance on Sky News in the UK this evening. He added: 'My worst fears have now been realized.' It brings a devastating development to the search, which had been emphatically categorized as rescue effort - and not a recovery mission - by US officials. The audacious incident came a month after New York City Mayor Eric Adams vowed to crack down on retail thefts The unidentified perpetrator melted through the locks before making his escape as staff watched on Footage revealed how a brazen NYC thief used a blowtorch to bypass the security measures in Walgreens Shocking footage captured the moment a brazen criminal used a blowtorch to steal locked-up products from an NYC Walgreens. The store, believed to be in Astoria, Queens, was targeted in the audacious robbery while staff watched on in confusion. It is currently unclear if any arrests have been made following the incident, and the thief appeared to make it away with numerous items unimpeded. The daring robbery comes a month after New York City Mayor Eric Adams vowed to crack down on retail thefts in the Big Apple, as a crime wave continues to plague businesses in the Dem-run city. Shocking footage revealed how an NYC thief stole from a Walgreens using a blowtorch Footage of the robbery first saw the criminal set upon a row of products near the entrance of the Walgreens. He then fires up a blow torch and melts through the storage locks over the items, before bringing out a bag to snatch up a host of products. For well over a minute the thief continues to steal from the store while staff and security guards watch on. After clearing out a small section of the store, the thief's brazen attitude was on show again as he picked up a backpack to steal more items before making his escape. The NYPD did not immediately respond to a request for further information. The thief was seen melting through the security locks using the blowtorch, before using several bags to scoop up products while staff watched on The incident comes a month after NYC Mayor Eric Adams publicly pledged to bring New York's retail theft epidemic to an end. With the exception of 2020, the total number of citywide shoplifting complaints has increased year over year since 2018, with the largest increase, 44 percent, taking place from 2021 to 2022, according to the mayor's office. Citing the dramatic rise in the crime that is costing businesses millions of dollars, Adams held a press conference to announce his crackdown. 'Last year alone, 327 repeat offenders were responsible for 30 percent of the more than 22,000 retail thefts across our city,' Adams said. 'This hurt our businesses, our workers, our customers, and our city.' Adams said the new plan involves a streamlined way for businesses to report shoplifting to the NYPD, establishes a neighborhood retail watch program, and creates specialized task force to respond to shoplifting incidents. Retail thefts has been an escalating issue on both coasts of the US, with Democrat-run cities from Philadelphia to California and Oregon hit with crime waves. One San Francisco Target store was even forced to lock its entire product range behind security glass due to the untamed crime rate. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has unveiled a new plan to crack down on retail thefts in the Big Apple, citing a dramatic rise in the crime that is costing businesses millions of dollars In recent months, Walgreens and other drugstores have increased the number of products kept locked behind transparent plastic displays to stop shoplifters getting their hands on everything from razor blades to toothpaste. Critics say New York's shoplifting spree is another indicator of America's lawless, liberal cities, and that New York's bail reform rules make it harder to keep people accused of nonviolent crimes locked up before trial. Adams said the new plan will also call for prevention and intervention strategies to address the underlying causes of retail theft. He added the plan aims to 'reassure our store owners that we know they are essential to our city, and we have their backs.' The House Ways and Means Committee released bombshell new whistleblower testimony Thursday claiming that Hunter Biden failed to pay taxes on $8.3 million in income and the Department of Justice denied attempts to bring charges in other states. The testimony revealed that U.S. Attorney David Weiss - the Trump-era holdover who prosecuted the case against Hunter Biden - allegedly asked for special counsel status and was denied by the Department of Justice. Weiss also allegedly tried to bring charges against Hunter in Washington D.C. and California in the fall of 2022 and had that request denied in January 2023. But Weiss said in a letter to lawmakers earlier this month the DOJ granted him 'ultimate authority' on when and where to bring charges. It all amounted to conduct that longtime IRS investigator Gary Shapley said amounted to 'preferential treatment' for the president's son. Attorney General Merrick Garland just Wednesday vouched for Weiss, saying he had given him 'full authority' to decide how to handle the situation. 'And thats what hes done,' Garland said. The unverified testimony came from two IRS whistleblowers as news broke this week that Hunter Biden had agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses while dispensing with a gun charge against him, likely allowing him to avoid prison time. The powerful House Ways and Means Committee released bombshell new whistleblower testimony claiming that Hunter Biden failed to pay taxes on $8.3 million in income and the Department of Justice denied to bring charges in other states The testimony revealed that U.S. Attorney David Weiss - the Trump-era holdover who prosecuted the case against Hunter Biden - allegedly asked for special counsel status and was denied by the Department of Justice Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., revealed in a press conference that two IRS employees had claimed that the agency sought felony charges against Hunter Biden for attempting to evade taxes and making false statements. According to Smith, the whistleblowers, one of whom the committee later identified as Shapley, said Hunter failed to pay $2.2 million in taxes on $8.3 million in income from foreign entities in Ukraine, China, and Romania. His guilty plea this week only related to $1.5 million in unreported income. Smith said the testimony also shows the DOJ sought to 'delay the investigation long enough to reach the statute of limitations' and 'divulged sensitive actions by the investigative team to Biden's attorneys.' In one example whistleblower testimony claimed that the IRS was going to search a storage unit in Virginia belonging to Hunter Biden but tipped off his lawyers before doing so. In one revelation a July 2017 WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to Chinese business partner Henry Zhao the president's son invoked his father to threaten Zhao for payment. 'I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight,' the text message read. A whistleblower chafed at limitations being imposed by the Justice Department, and wanted to interview a dozen people in a tax probe of Hunter Biden The whistleblower account released by the Ways and Means committee includes a message by Hunter Biden seeking to threaten a Chinese business partner by invoking his father The news comes days after the Justice Department announced Hunter Biden had agreed to plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors and reach a diversion agreement related to lying about substance abuse when buying a gun 'And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.' The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. According to Smith, the whistleblowers claimed the DOJ dragged its feet in authenticating the message. They had obtained it in August 2020 after getting the results back from an iCloud search warrant. 'The messages included material we clearly needed to follow up on,' whistleblower testimony said. In the lead-up to the 2020 election, the IRS had 'prepared for when we could go overt' by obtaining further leads in the case. The testimony also revealed that the investigation into Hunter Biden, code name Sportsman, was first opened in November 2018 as an offshoot of an investigation the IRS was conducting into a foreign-based amateur online pornography platform. According to 'whistleblower 1,' identified as former IRS agent Gary Shapley, one point it became clear to the IRS that they needed to search the guest house of Joe Biden where Hunter had been living for a time. 'Assistant United States Attorney, Lesley Wolf, told us there was more than enough probable cause for the physical search warrant there, but the question was whether the juice was worth the squeeze,' the whistleblower said. According to his testimony, Shapley chafed at restrictions and limitations being imposed by DOJ as part of its internal policies on probes that might interfere with an election although he happened that many of the interactions took place months before the November 2020 elections. He complained to IRS leadership in June 2020 that 'DOJ Tax has made a concerned effort to drag their feet concerning conducting search warrants and interviewing key witnesses in an effort to push those actions to a time frime where they can invoke the Department of Justice rule of thumb concerning affecting elections.' The whistleblower reveals a July 2017 WhatsApp message from Hunter Biden to Chinese business partner Henry Zhao where he claimed his father was sitting next to him Then-President Donald Trump's election overturn effort stalled things further. 'Because the 2020 election was contested, our original plan to go overt on or around November 17th was delayed. DOJ pushed back against the day of action date because they did not want to approach Hunter Biden while he was in Delaware, potentially collocated with President Biden,' he told lawmakers. Then, the whistleblower said, his team began preparing for a 'day of action' on December 8, 2020, with document requests and a dozen interviews, while seeking a search of Hunter Biden's residence, which he called a 'Hail Mary' idea. Shapley wanted to question Hunter Biden associate Rob Walker about information from the infamous laptop, including an email that said 'Ten held by H for the big guy,' bus said the assistant U.S. Attorney in Delaware said there was no specific criminality to the line of questioning. Shapley memorialized his complaints to higher-ups. 'This investigation has been hampered and slowed by claims of potential election meddling,' he complained in a May 3, 2021 memo. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf "does not want to include [DOJ's] Public Integrity Unit because they would take authority away from her,' Shapley claimed, who added, 'We do not agree with her obstruction on this matter.' According to Shapley, Wolf 'supported charging Hunter Biden for tax evasion and false return in 2014, 2018, and 2019, and failure to file or pay for 2015, 2016, and 2017. It is my understanding that the Tax Division then authored a 90-plus-page memo that recommended prosecution.' According to the agreement announced this week, Hunter is pleading guilty to only two counts of failure to timely pay taxes owed, to the tune of about $200,000. 'That process meant no charges would ever be brought in the District of Columbia, where the statute of limitations on the 2014 and '15 charges would eventually expire,' Shapley said. Those years did not just account for additional income that Shapley said was owed. Those years included foreign income Hunter earned from his lucrative position serving on the board of Ukrainian energy firm Burisma. Shapley called it a 'scheme to evade his income taxes through a partnership with a convicted felon,' as well as 'potential' disclosure issues regarding required registrations as a foreign agent for those years. 'The purposeful exclusion of the 2014 and 2015 years sanitized the most substantive criminal conduct and concealed material facts,' according to his testimony. Security cameras inside of Caesars Palace on the Las Vegas strip caught the moment two suspects were seen walking hand-in-hand and laughing with the man they are accused of killing just minutes later. The newly released footage from KLAS shows Erika Covington and Arionna Taylor, both 20, with Bryan Altamirano-Solano, 25, in the early hours of May 15. The suspects met Altamirano-Solano at the valet area of the hotel and casino before agreeing to accompany him to his room. The trio can be seen walking down a hallway towards the victim's room at 2:36am. Just 14 minutes later, video captured Covington and Taylor running back down the same hallway, this time with what authorities believe was Altamirano-Solano's bag. Covington and Taylor were indicted on murder and burglary charges earlier this month. The victim was killed by a single gunshot wound to the chest. The suspects were linked to the crime thanks to a slug that was found in Altamirano-Solano's room. That slug matched one that was found at a separate crime that involved Taylor, police said. Erika Covington, 20, pictured left, and her cousin, Arionna Taylor, also 20, pictured right, appearing gleeful following their arrest The victim Bryan Angel Altamirano Solano, 25, was a native of Nicaragua and seeking refuge in the US Further investigation of Covington's Instagram page showed that she was in Caesars on the night of the shooting and was wearing the same clothing that could be seen in the video. Police noted in their report that Covington and Taylor were tagged in the same Instagram posts. The pair are cousins. Covington and Taylor were arrested on May 17 at an apartment, during a search of the home, investigators found the clothing shown in the video as well as a Glock magazine. Covington told police that she was not at Caesars on the night of the crime but later changed her story when she was shown photos taken from surveillance footage. She then requested a lawyer and ended the interview. Taylor said that she had a bad memory due to a car accident she was involved in and said the only things she remembered from the day in question were spending time with her mother, as it was Mother's Day, and then going to bed at Covington's home. The suspect is also said to have told the officers that she had no other memories of the day and that the 'detectives needed to do their job.' Shortly after the shooting, police said that surveillance video caught the pair getting into a stolen white car outside of the Linq hotel and leaving the area. The two suspects appeared less gleeful during their first appearance in court in which they pleaded not guilty The pair shown here walking Altamirano-Solano moments before he was shot dead A completely separate woman had booked the room. That woman told police that she met Altamirano-Solano on a texting app a week earlier. They arranged to meet up at the hotel for sex, she left to return home around 1:00am, police said. The woman said the victim is a native of Nicaragua and did not speak English. His body was not discovered until around eight hours after the shooting. He was found by a member of the hotel's housekeeping staff. The suspects said that they couldn't communicate with Altamirano-Solano and had to use a translator app to communicate. Meanwhile, Covington and Taylor have pleaded not guilty to the crime. 'I expect to be meeting with President Xi sometime in the future, the near term, and I don't think it's had any real consequence,' he said on Thursday Joe Biden on Thursday defended calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a 'dictator,' arguing it didn't have any 'real consequence' even as Beijing accused the president of 'blatant political provocation' with his description. Biden was the first president in recent history to refer to a Chinese leader as a 'dictator,' a comment he made at a closed-door fundraiser in California Asked if his words would complicate relations with China as his administration was trying to ease tensions, Biden said swiftly 'No.' 'I expect to be meeting with President Xi sometime in the future, the near term, and I don't think it's had any real consequence,' he said when he held a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Thursday. Joe Biden defended calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a 'dictator,' arguing it didn't have any 'real consequence' Biden's words, and China's furious response, came just over a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing that sought to break the ice in a relationship that has hit a historical low. But Blinken's work was soon eclipsed by Biden's remarks at a California fundraiser on Tuesday. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Wednesday said Biden's comments 'go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China's political dignity.' 'It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition,' Mao said at a daily briefing. 'The U.S. remarks are extremely absurd and irresponsible.' Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, is seen in Beijing on Monday meeting Xi Jinping. Blinken is the first top U.S. official to visit China in five years Chinese President Xi Jinping looks on as meets with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday Blinken's visit, during which he met with Xi, was aimed at easing tensions between the two superpowers but appeared not to have achieved any solid results. The Secretary of State became the first top U.S. diplomat to visit China in five years following tensions between the two superpowers over COVID, Taiwan and the 'spy balloon' saga. Both Washington and Beijing said progress was made without detailing concrete examples. But just over a day later, Biden, in off-the-cuff remarks at a fundraiser on Tuesday night, said that Xi was embarrassed over the recent tensions surrounding a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had been shot down by the Air Force over the East Coast. 'The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didn't know it was there,' said Biden, referencing the February incident. 'That's a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn't know what happened. That wasn't supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course.' Mao reiterated China's contention that the balloon was intended for meteorological research and had been blown off-course accidentally. 'The U.S. should have handled it in a calm and professional manner,' she said. 'However, the U.S. distorted facts and used forces to hype up the incident, fully revealing its nature of bullying and hegemony.' The Chinese 'spy balloon' is pictured on February 4 being shot down off the coast of South Carolina The 'spy balloon' is seen on February 1 over Billings, Montana. It traversed the U.S. before it was shot down In March, Xi secured a precedent-breaking third term as president after clinching in October another five years as chief of the ruling Communist Party, making him China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong. Biden also said that China 'has real economic difficulties.' China's economy stumbled in May with industrial output and retail sales growth missing forecasts, adding to expectations that Beijing will need to do more to shore up a shaky post-pandemic recovery. The World Bank earlier this month forecast U.S. growth for 2023 at 1.1 percent - more than double the 0.5 percent forecast in January. China's growth, meanwhile, is expected to climb to 5.6 percent, compared to a 4.3 percent forecast in January. Blinken and Xi agreed in their Monday meeting to stabilize the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so it did not veer into conflict, but failed to produce any breakthrough during a rare visit to China by the secretary of state. They did agree to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by U.S. officials in the coming weeks and months. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Wednesday said Biden's comments 'go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China's political dignity' Prior to his damaging remarks, Biden said Monday he thought relations between the two countries were on the right path, and he indicated that progress was made during Blinken's trip. Biden said that Xi had been concerned by the so-called Quad strategic security group, which includes Japan, Australia, India and the United States. The U.S. president said he previously told Xi the U.S. was not trying to encircle China with the Quad. 'He called me and told me not to do that because it was putting him in a bind,' Biden said. Hunter Biden sent a WhatsApp message demanding payment from a Chinese businessman while he was 'sitting with his father' Joe, according to bombshell testimony from an IRS whistleblower. The president's son was staying at the guest house of Biden's Delaware home when he wrote to Communist Party official Henry Zhao on July 30, 2017, threatening him to follow his 'orders'. The allegations undercut consistent claims from the Biden family and administration that Joe was not involved in his son's foreign business dealings. The IRS whistleblower then stated that they were blocked from getting a search warrant, even after the Department of Justice learned about the message. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee released the latest claims as part of testimony from two IRS whistleblowers alleging the president's son got preferential treatment in criminal investigations. Members of the committee also heard Hunter failed to pay taxes on $8.3 million in income and the Department of Justice denied attempts to bring charges in other states. 'I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled.' Hunter wrote in 2017 according to testimony released by the GOP. Hunter then said, according to the testimony: 'Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. Hunter Biden sent a WhatsApp message demanding payment from a Chinese businessman while he was 'sitting with his father' Joe, according to bombshell testimony from an IRS whistleblower The president's son was staying at the guest house of Biden's Delaware home when he wrote to Communist Party official Henry Zhao on July 30, 2017, threatening him to follow his 'orders' 'And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father,' he added. The unverified testimony came from two IRS whistleblowers as news broke this week that Hunter Biden had agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses while dispensing with a gun charge against him, likely allowing him to avoid prison time. The testimony revealed that U.S. Attorney David Weiss - the Trump-era holdover who prosecuted the case against Hunter Biden - allegedly asked for special counsel status and was denied by the Department of Justice. Weiss also allegedly tried to bring charges against Hunter in Washington D.C. and California in the fall of 2022 and had that request denied in January 2023. But Weiss said in a letter to lawmakers earlier this month the DOJ granted him 'ultimate authority' on when and where to bring charges. Attorney General Merrick Garland just Wednesday vouched for Weiss, saying he had given him 'full authority' to decide how to handle the situation. 'And that's what he's done,' Garland said. Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo., revealed in a press conference that two IRS employees had claimed that the agency sought felony charges against Hunter Biden for attempting to evade taxes and making false statements. According to Smith the whistleblowers said Hunter failed to pay $2.2 million in taxes on $8.3 million in income from foreign entities in Ukraine, China, and Romania. Smith said the testimony also shows the DOJ sought to 'delay the investigation long enough to reach the statute of limitations' and 'divulged sensitive actions by the investigative team to Biden's attorneys.' In one example whistleblower testimony claimed that the IRS was going to search a storage unit in Virginia belonging to Hunter Biden but tipped off his lawyers before doing so. According to Smith, the whistleblowers claimed the DOJ dragged its feet in authenticating the message. They had obtained it in August 2020 after getting the results back from an iCloud search warrant. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee released the latest claims as part of testimony from two IRS whistleblowers alleging the president's son got preferential treatment in criminal investigations The unverified testimony came from two IRS whistleblowers as news broke this week that Hunter Biden had agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses while dispensing with a gun charge against him, likely allowing him to avoid prison time The testimony revealed that U.S. Attorney David Weiss - the Trump-era holdover who prosecuted the case against Hunter Biden - allegedly asked for special counsel status and was denied by the Department of Justice 'The messages included material we clearly needed to follow up on,' whistleblower testimony said. In the lead-up to the 2020 election, the IRS had 'prepared for when we could go overt' by obtaining further leads in the case. The testimony also revealed that the investigation into Hunter Biden, code name Sportsman, was first opened in November 2018 as an offshoot of an investigation the IRS was conducting into a foreign-based amateur online pornography platform. According to 'whistleblower 1,' believed to be former IRS agent Gary Shapley, one point it became clear to the IRS that they needed to search the guest house of Joe Biden where Hunter had been living for a time. 'Assistant United States Attorney, Lesley Wolf, told us there was more than enough probable cause for the physical search warrant there, but the question was whether the juice was worth the squeeze,' the whistleblower said. The President of the Explorers Club has paid tribute to members Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet after the deaths of the Titanic Five were confirmed. OceanGate, the company behind the expedition, said that all five had died during the adventure after the landing frame and rear cover of the sub were discovered. Since then, tributes have begun pouring in from across the globe to remember the men on board, including from Titanic director James Cameron and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. This includes a letter from Richard Garriott, President of the Explorers Club - a professional society for scientists and entrepreneurs - who said the men had been 'drawn to explore' for the 'betterment of mankind'. Garriott wrote: 'Our hearts are broken. I am so sorry to have to share this tragic news. French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) was on the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Five people had been on board, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding (left) and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who was just 19 The five men had been aboard the OceanGate Titan, pictured here, trying to see the wreck of the Titanic when it imploded Richard Garriott said the men had been 'drawn to explore' for the 'betterment of mankind' 'Our friends and fellow Explorers Club members Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet are lost, along with Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, while trying to reach the RMS Titanic. 'Hamish Harding is a dear friend to me personally and to The Explorers Club. He holds several world records and has continued to push dragons off maps both in person and through supporting expeditions and worthy causes. 'Paul-Henri was elected to the Club in 2001 and was one of the foremost experts on submersible expeditions to the Titanic. 'They were both drawn to explore, like so many of us, and did so in the name of meaningful science for the betterment of mankind. 'While we did not know Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman personally, their desire to explore as a family would have led them to our doorstep at some point in their futures, where we would have welcomed them. 'Their memories will be a blessing and will continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration.' Shahzada Dawood was one of Pakistan's richest men. Also on board was OceanGate chief executive Stockton Rush. Garriott said that the club were 'heartbroken for the families, friends and colleagues of those who were lost' Read Garriott's letter to the Explorers Club in full Dear Fellow Explorers, Our hearts are broken. I am so sorry to have to share this tragic news. Our friends and fellow Explorers Club members Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet are lost, along with Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, while trying to reach the RMS Titanic. After deploying all the military and commercial resources available to search for the submersible, the U.S. Coast Guard announced the catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible within the water column above the Titanic. We are thankful for the leadership from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, The White House, Members of Congress, Magellan Deep Water Specialists, partners and collaborators who deployed as part of the search and rescue mission. We are also grateful for all our members and the scientific and exploration community around the world who have mobilized personnel and resources to support the search and rescue. Hamish Harding is a dear friend to me personally and to The Explorers Club. He holds several world records and has continued to push dragons off maps both in person and through supporting expeditions and worthy causes. Paul-Henri was elected to the Club in 2001 and was one of the foremost experts on submersible expeditions to the Titanic. They were both drawn to explore, like so many of us, and did so in the name of meaningful science for the betterment of mankind. They pushed themselves in their entrepreneurial pursuits as they did in exploration. Stockton Rush was a friend of The Explorers Club and conducted lectures at our headquarters. While we did not know Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman personally, their desire to explore as a family would have led them to our doorstep at some point in their futures, where we would have welcomed them. Were heartbroken for the families, friends and colleagues of those who were lost. Their memories will be a blessing and will continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration. With our deepest condolences, Richard Garriott de Cayeux Advertisement Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, James Cleverly, tweeted: 'Tragic news that those on the Titan submersible, including three British citizens, have been lost following an international search operation. 'The UK government is closely supporting the families affected and expresses our deepest condolences.' Titanic director James Cameron paid tribute to Paul-Henri Nargeolet, telling ABC News: The legendary submersible dive pilot, he is a friend of mine. It is a very small community. Ive known him for 25 years. For him to have died tragically in this way is almost impossible for me to process. Director of Titanic Cameron paid tribute to his friend Nargeolet on ABC News, saying it was impossible for him to process The Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom James Cleverly also paid tribute to the men on board In a statement from OceanGate, the company said: 'We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. 'These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. 'Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.' The submersible had been missing since 9.45am on Sunday morning after being launched into the Atlantic at 8am. A full scale rescue mission was launched to recover the missing sub and crew after it disappeared 400 miles southeast of Newfoundland, Canada, as oxygen supplies in the sub continued to dwindle. Earlier today it was announced that, despite the frantic search to find the sub and crew, they had all perished during the descent to the wreck of the Titanic. 'The implosion would have generated a significant, broadband sound that the sonar buoys would have picked up,' explained Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard at a press conference today. It would have been an instant death for the men, some of whom had paid $250,000 each to see the famous shipwreck. In a gut-wrenching blow for their families, experts say there is little prospect of recovering any of their remains. 'This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there. The debris is consistent of a catastrophic implosion of the vessel.. we'll continue to work and search the area down there - but I don't have an answer for prospects at this time,' Paul Hankin, a deep sea expert involved in the search, said. A breach of the Titan's hull at that depth would also mean instant death, due to intense pressure levels at the site of the historic wreck. A The Titanic Five have been confirmed dead by the US Coast Guard and now the attention of the world is turning to the potential recovery of the wreck of the Titan submersible and the victims. The 21ft Titan lost contact with its mother ship Sunday as it descended roughly 12,500 feet toward the ocean floor - where pieces of the vessel were found Thursday by a remote-operated rescue submarine near the wreck of the liner. However, the likely Pounds Per Square-Inch or PSI - exerted by the water pressure at those depths make a recovery very unlikely. Time expired in the search for a missing submersible lost near the wreck of the Titanic - with the five people onboard now believed to be lost as well The 21ft Titan lost contact with its mother ship Sunday as it descended roughly 12,500 feet toward the ocean floor - where pieces of the vessel were found Thursday by a remote-operated rescue submarine What is the pressure at the site in PSI? While some animals can survive at extreme depths thanks to adaptations human beings can only go about 400ft unaided by modern technology Following Thursday's discovery, it is assumed that a hull breach caused the small five-person craft to implode on itself with the occupants still on board. In terms of atmospheres - a unit of measurement used to quantify pressure by comparing it to the pressure at sea level (1 atmosphere) - the water pressure at the site of the Titanic wreck is roughly 400 atmospheres, or 400 times that of what most people are accustomed. In terms of pounds per square-inch (PSI), another, more popular pressure unit, the pressure at those depths is around 6,000 PSI. For reference, pressure at sea level is around 14.7 psi. Dr. Nicolai Roterman, a deep-sea ecologist at the University of Portsmouth, said if such an accident did occur, the pressure would have killed the occupants instantly - a theory that's been echoed several times by scientists versed in such subjects. 'If there was any kind of hull breach, the occupants would succumb to the ocean in a near instant, given the more than 5,500 pounds per square inch pressure exerted by the ocean at the depth of 3,800m (12,467ft),' Roterman said. Florida-based senior research scientist Steve Somlyody had an almost identical assessment Thursday, telling Fox News the passengers 'wouldn't even know it happened'. 'The pressure down there at 4,000 meters is pretty high. About 5,800 PSI at Titanic depth,' he said. 'If they had any kind of leak, it would lead to an implosion and it would happen in an instant, very immediately.' Greg Stone, a California-based oceanographer who has been on similar submersibles, added, 'If there was a pressure failure, it's going to be very fast and it's just going to be over in a second.' Where is the Titanic wreckage? The wreck of the Titanic (12,500ft) is far below the level of water pressure humans can survive. Experts say if the hull was breached the likelihood of survival is almost zero Long lost in an area of the Atlantic near Newfoundland dubbed 'Iceberg Alley,' much of the Titanic's hull was found in 1985 on ocean floor near where it sank more than 70 years prior. The barnacle covered boat was found roughly 400 miles off the Canadian coast, and more than two miles below the sea's surface - where pressure levels become problematic. That said, nearly 40 years after the discovery, only a handful have actually laid eyes on the lost vessel, which set out from Southampton to New York City in April 1912 before sinking. Moreover, the wreckage remains at the site due to the difficulties of a retrieval operation at such depths - where the pressure is more than 10 times what the most seasoned of deep-sea divers could stand. Will they ever be able to recover the bodies? Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman were on board the ill-fated Titan, along with British billionaire Hamish Harding. All three are presumed dead after the ship imploded nearly 12,500 feet below the surface French explorer PH Nargeolet and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush are among those trapped on the submersible With the fate of the five souls more than likely sealed, search officials are now faced with the looming task of locating - and potentially retrieving - what may remain. That, however, could be a fool's errand - given the fact the intense pressure at such a depth would make a retrieval operation a slow, arduous process, and more than likely leave not much left to bring back With the fate of the five souls sealed, search officials are now faced with the looming task of locating - and potentially retrieving - what may remain. That, however, could be a fool's errand - given the fact the intense pressure at such a depth would make a retrieval operation a slow, arduous process and more than likely leave not much left to bring back to the surface. Compounding those difficulties is the fact debris from the Titanic is spread out over a kilometer and underwater currents that could move what's left of the crew from their submerged resting place. Lawrence Brennan, a professor at Fordham Universitys School of Law, described the situation to PBS as one of the worse case scenarios. To even make an effort, Brennan said, rescuers would need equipment 'that are not available presently,' and extremely expensive - which, even then, would leave a slim chance of finding anything noteworthy, aside from more debris. 'Equipment used for deepwater oil drilling could work, but that equipment likely isn't anywhere near the search site,' he said. After struggling CEO Chris Licht was fired after less than a year, rumors are swirling that Zucker is 'likely' to bid for the company Ousted CNN boss Jeff Zucker reportedly sees it as the 'ultimate revenge' to return to the embattled network CNN's turbulent year could be set for more drama as reports indicate parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is considering selling the struggling network. In a surprise turn of events, ousted CEO Jeff Zucker has also emerged as a potential buyer, insiders revealed to the New York Post. Over a year after he left the company following an undisclosed relationship with CNN executive Allison Gollust, Zucker is reportedly waiting in the wings ready to take the helm again. The 58-year-old is allegedly preparing to capitalize on ex-CEO Chris Light's surprise sacking to take over the network in time for the 2024 presidential election. Ousted CEO Jeff Zucker is reportedly looking into a return to CNN and is 'likely to make a bid', an insider claimed. He is pictured in 2019 CNN has suffered a turbulent year that could culminate in a historic sale Licht's time in charge of CNN came to an unceremonious end this month, after his attempts to angle the network towards centrists backfired. His sacking after just a year in the hot seat has reportedly awoken Zucker, who would see a return to CNN's helm as the 'ultimate revenge' for his own firing, insiders said. 'Jeff is likely going to make a bid this fall to purchase,' they claimed. Another friend of the embattled media chief, who is worth around $60 million, said the mogul is looking for a way to 'be back on top'. They added that he still 'holds a grudge' over his firing, which came as he admitted to having an affair with CNN's executive vice president Allison Gollust. The relationship was also made public in January 2022 during the network's investigation into Chris Cuomo, amid accusations Zucker was overly close to his brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, could look to sell CNN after a turbulent year, insiders claimed. He is pictured June 12, 2023 Chris Licht (pictured) was fired after just a year at the helm of CNN While Zucker is possibly keen to negotiate, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav may not be seen as open minded. Zaslav, who recently topped the list of the highest paid executives in America, has taken over CNN's management following Licht's departure. But insiders alleged that his future plans are less clear, and several options are on the table for the mogul. Alongside potentially remaining in his current position, one outcome could see a landmark deal struck, depending on the ongoing merger negotiations between NBCUniversal parent Comcast and Paramount. If that merger, which has been in the works since 2021, is pulled off them Comcast would reportedly be looking to sell CBS News to avoid antitrust violations. In that scenario, it has been predicted that Zaslav's Warner Bros. Discovery could look to combine CNN and CBS in a blockbuster merger. 'I could see a sale next year,' said one industry insider. 'Once Warner reduces its leverage, it will be more willing to sell non-core assets including CNN.' Another media investor told The Post that to reap the best returns, CNN should be 'absorbed' by a corporation that already owns numerous cable channels - a strategy that would be both cost cutting and offer expansive programming power. A further industry insider, who works on media mergers, added that Zaslav's public sacking of Licht after just a year on the job is a 'sign it is readying the cable news network for a sale'. Zucker, who is now the head of RedBird IMI, a media venture with $1 billion in capital, is said to be open to the idea of taking back his old job, but is not pursuing it. 'It is not on his agenda, but he said hed look at all media assets and CNN is not an exception,' an insider said. Warner Bros. Discovery did not immediately comment on the rumors when contacted by DailyMail.com. CNN was criticized for a series of blunders in recent times, including its town hall with Donald Trump in May Fired host Don Lemon (center) has also been blamed for the network's troubles after several on-air fiascos Rumors of a sale come after a turbulent year for the network. The company brought in around $500 million less in profit last year than the year before, according to the New York Times. And in a media fiasco frequently attributed to Licht's demise, the network hosted a disastrous town hall with former President Donald Trump last month that sparked backlash on both sides of the aisle. Longtime anchor Don Lemon has also been seen as a telling sign of CNN's decline in recent years, as his 17-year stint on the network came to a close following a series of blunders. He allegedly screamed at co-host Kaitlan Collins in December after an off-air argument about interruptions. Soon after, he sparked fury by remarking that presidential hopeful Nikki Haley was 'past her prime', while another incident saw him ask a female guest if she was suffering from 'mommy brain' when she stumbled on a word. The CUNY law school graduate student who gave a 'hate-filled' commencement speech has doubled down on her attacks on 'facist police' and military - and says given the chance she would say it all again even louder. Fatima Mousa Mohammed, who has stayed silent since her controversial commencement speech, sat down with senior reporter for Jewish Currents Alex Kane on Tuesday to discuss the widespread backlash she has received. The Yemeni immigrant made a series of incendiary remarks at the annual commencement ceremony of City University of New York (CUNY) Law School on May 12, that many are calling anti-American and anti-Semitic. Mohammed said she believed the backlash she has received is meant to 'stifle, censor, and intimidate me away from Palestine organizing.' The criticism Mohammed received for her speech which she found surprising was from her school. Fatima Mousa Mohammed (pictured) took her graduation ceremony to blast the NYPD and the US military as 'fascists' and called on her peers to continue to 'revolution' against capitalism and racism across the country 'I did not think that CUNY would come out and say that my speech, which was approved by CUNY Law, was 'hate speech.' she said. Adding that 'even a first-year law student would know that they are using a definition of hate speech that does not meet the legal standard.' Mohammad then doubled down on her anti-Zionist views. 'Zionism is built on racist, settler colonial dispossession and ethnic cleansing,' she said, as she nearly recited her speech word for word. 'For as long as Zionism has existed, it has wreaked violence and pain on the Palestinian people. Our tax dollars are being used to fund this violence. She argued that her anti-Zionist views are in fact her and her classmates 'responsibility' as future lawyers - and it was her way of honoring her fellow graduates. 'Calling out Zionism was my way of honoring my colleagues selection of me as class speaker as well as our schools mission statement,' she said. Regarding her rage filled comments about the military, Mohammed said that CUNY students have 'been vocal in resisting racism, protesting the role of the military-industrial complex, protesting the privatization of higher education, and supporting global movements of liberation from South Africa to Puerto Rico to Palestine.' 'Those calling for CUNY to be defunded are willfully ignorant of what CUNY is and who CUNY serves,' she said. The law grad complained that she was being subjected to harassment, which was impacting her family as well as her studies for the New York Bar. 'The harassment was overwhelming for me and my family. We worried for our safety. I was trying to study for the bar exam while getting comments like, she said, Mohammad claimed the 'repression' she has received occurred because 'theres an exception to Palestinian rights, even in liberal spaces.' 'There is this notion that Palestine is a radioactive subject, and that if you approach it, there will be consequences that are exceptional,' she said. During her speech, Mohammed called the U.S. military and NYPD 'fascist' and claimed there was an ongoing covert revolution. 'The masses, those who brought the ferocity of the violence, those who need our protection. They will carry this revolution,' she added. Mohammed attacked the State of Israel and Zionists for the 'indiscriminate' killings of 'innocent' Palestinians - encouraging 'lynch mobs' and promoted resistance to 'Zionism around the world.' The Yemeni immigrant sat down with senior reporter for Jewish Currents Alex Kane on Tuesday to discuss the widespread backlash she has received since her May 12 speech that many are calling anti-American and anti-Semitic The contentious speech enraged people on social media - including lawmakers, professors and entire organizations - who criticized Mohammed for her hateful and ignorant words. Ted Cruz and other lawmakers have slammed a NYC college for allowing the graduate to give a 'hateful' speech attacking the US military - all while getting her education on the taxpayer's dime. New York City Mayor Eric Adams also slammed the CUNY law graduate for her 'negativity and divisiveness' after she incited anger and slammed 'fascist' cops. A Jewish legal group went as far as to send an appeal to the New York Supreme Court to block Mohammed from becoming a lawyer after her anti-Israel commencement speech which they say proves she lacks the character and fitness to practice the law. There are growing calls for CUNY to lose its government funding after the commencement speech of a pro-Palestine, graduating student who used the floor to denigrate Israel, the NYPD, the US Armed Forces and local politicians after receiving her subsidized education. Others defended Mohammed and agreed with statements. A New York law department dean, who previously condemned Israel in a series of 'anti-racist' courses at another university, applauded the commencement speech. Sudha Setty, the dean of law at the City University of New York (CUNY), sat on stage and applauded on May 12 while Fatima Mousa Mohammed delivered her speech. Mohammed said that support is what has 'kept her on her feet.' She then referenced another student from California, Jana Abulaban, being 'subjected to a smear campaign,' for speaking about Palestine. Mohammed said she reached out to express her approval of the speech, and said it inspired her. 'It makes this whole thing worth it to know that censorship is not working anymore,' Mohammed said. 'Students and people are waking up to the reality of what Palestinians are enduring. Censorship and intimidation tactics will work if it's only one or two people speaking up, but if we all speak up, it'll be harder to stifle us, she said. 'That support has given me a lot of motivation and conviction to carry on, she added. Surveillance footage caught the shocking moment a Kia sped through a Florida convenience store and pinned a man up against a wall. Video posted online shows the black sedan crashing through the the Travel Centers of America in Seffner, a town just east of Tampa, at around 12.24am on Tuesday before coming to a stop at a back wall, where a man could be seen flailing his arms. Authorities say the crash was not an accident, but have not released a motive even as they arrested Anthony Katosh, 37, for criminal mischief of $1,000 or more. Fortunately, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said, both the victim and the driver suffered only minor injuries. Anthony Katosh, 37, was arrested for criminal mischief of $1,000 or more after he allegedly plowed his Kia Forte into the Travel Centers of America in Seffner, a town just east of Tampa, at around 12.24am on Tuesday Surveillance footage caught the moment the car broke through the glass doors of the convenience store and swept the victim up in a cloud of debris The Kia finally came to a stop at the back wall, where a man could be seen reaching out from between metal beams and crumpled produce displays In the footage of the crash, a man in a light colored shirt and dark pants could be seen entering the store at the far end. As he approaches the door, a black Kia Forte could be seen speeding into view, crashing through the glass doors before they even have a chance to close after the customer. Just four seconds pass between the time the Forte enters the parking lot and the crash, when the unidentified victim is picked up in a wave or debris and carried through the store. Once the car comes to a stop at a back wall, the customer's arms are seen reaching out from between metal beams and crumpled produce displays. Store employees could then be seen coming out from behind their desk on the right side of the screen and calling the police as they assess the situation. Both the victim and Katosh were transported to Tampa General Hospital in the aftermath with non-life threatening injuries. 'The footage of the car smashing through this business and straight into a victim is jarring to say the least,' Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. 'It is an absolute miracle that the person pinned by the car did not sustain more serious injuries, and we're glad to hear he will be OK.' The victim could be seen approaching the door to the convenience store when the Kia Forte speeds into view Just four seconds passed between the time the Forte enters the parking lot and the crash A motive for the crash remains unclear, but it came just days after Katosh urged his friends to send police to his address as he was having trouble with his roommate It remains unclear what led up to the collision, but on Katosh's Facebook page he asked for police assistance just two nights before, urging is friends to 'send police fast. Don't call, send.' When asked if he was OK, Katosh replied that 'a little roommate trouble over escalated.' Katosh has previously been arrested for domestic violence and traffic violations, records obtained by DailyMail.com show. He is now being held on a $2,000 bond as an investigation into the crash continues. The boy's mother said the child's behavior changed in the days following the incident and would wake up at night saying that the 'school spanked him' The footage shows the child crying inside a cage and calling for his mother This is the horrifying moment a two-year-old boy was found crying inside a cage at a nursery in Brazil. The troubling incident reportedly took place at the Early Childhood Care Center in Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, on May 25 but the shocking videos were not made public until Thursday. The concerning footage shows the boy crying for his mother while he stood inside the chain-linked cage. The child was eventually let out of the cage and appears standing alone in front of it before an adult woman, who seemed to be his teacher, approached him. A cellphone video shows a two-year-old boy crying inside a cage at a day care center in Sao Paulo The incident reportedly took place May 25, but was not released until Thursday. In one of the videos, a woman who appears to be the boy's teacher stands in front while he continued to cry Witnesses told Brazilian news outlet G1 that the boy had been reprimanded by his teacher for his bad behavior before she locked him in the cage. The child's mother was alerted about the incident by the school principal, who explained that the teacher had only put him on a 'time out.' Following the incident, the mother noticed a change in the pattern of the boy's mood. The shocked boy is said to have displayed more aggressiveness and restlessness in his behavior. The boy was also spotted standing in front of a garbage bin and crying for his mother after he was let out from the cage at nursery in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The incident is being investigated by authorities in the municipality of Sorocaba and the Ministry of Education He would wake up often in the middle of the night screaming that the 'school spanked' him, she said. The Municipality of Sorocaba received an incident report that was filed by the boy's parents and said it's internal affairs department would be in charge of the investigation. The Ministry of Education also received a complaint. Sorocaba Mayor Rodrigo Manga condemned the incident, saying it was 'alleged terrorism by a municipal servant.' 'I am, at this very moment, ordering the Department of Education to remove this employee from the workplace immediately until the investigation of the facts is concluded,' he said. It's unknown if the teacher has been suspended or fired from the nursery. The names of the parents and teacher were not released publicly. There are now questions about whether their bodies will be found and if Titan's remnants will be recovered The desperate search for the missing Titan submersible came to a tragic conclusion on Thursday afternoon when authorities found its shattered remains after a 'catastrophic implosion'. The grim discovery 12,500ft beneath the Atlantic brought a tragic close to a huge, days-long mission that has involved an international team of resources, including the world's most advanced underwater search equipment. Titan, which was built and operated by OceanGate, vanished on Sunday morning shortly after it embarked on a journey to the Titanic's wrecked about 435 miles south of St John's, Newfoundland. All five men on board are believed to have died almost instantly after the vessel succumbed to the immense water pressure and 'imploded'. The victims are OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French Navy veteran Paul-Henri (PH) Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who was just 19. Here, DailyMail.com looks at some of the questions around what happens next. Five people were onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who was just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) was in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Will the crew's bodies be found? The nature of the disaster and the location of Titan's discovery - nearly 2.5 miles beneath the ocean surface - leave the harrowing conclusion that's it's highly unlikely that any of the crew's remains will be found. Paul Hankin, a deep sea expert involved in the search, said: 'This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there. The debris is consistent of a catastrophic implosion of the vessel.. we'll continue to work and search the area down there.' Search teams 'don't have an answer' for whether the bodies will be recovered, he added. They are likely to have died instantly after Titan failed to cope with the immense pressure. Titan broke into several pieces, the Coast Guard confirmed, and the pressurized container which held the crew was also destroyed. Will the Titan wreckage be recovered? The Coast Guard has not said whether the wreckage of the submersible will be recovered. OceanGate's submersible was designed by the company to travel almost 13,000ft below sea level to the wreck of the Titanic - but had 'not been approved or certified by any regulatory body, and could result in physical injury, emotional trauma, or death' The huge search and rescue operation has included ships which are equipped for such a task - but they were on standby if Titan was found intact, with the intention of saving those on board. The US Navy deployed its Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System (FADOSS), which is a portable ship lift system that can lift loads up of up to 60,000lb from the bottom of the ocean. It was previously used to recover a downed helicopter from a depth of 19,075ft. The lifting capability of FADOSS could be used to recover the pieces of Titan. Could families file lawsuits against OceanGate? Legal experts are divided on whether the families of the victims could sue OceanGate following the catastrophic failure of the vessel. Miguel Custodio says relatives of the missing passengers may not be able to claim the company was negligent because their loved ones 'knew it was big and serious' The crew were each forced to sign a waiver that mentioned the risks involved in the mission - including the possibility of death. But there have also been claims that OceanGate ignored the safety fears of its own staff and did not have the vessel independently inspected. It's not clear whether the crew were aware that concerns had been raised previously. Los Angeles personal injury attorney Miguel Custodio, co-founder of Custodio and Dubey LLP, told DailyMail.com that the families of the missing would find it difficult to prove their case in court if the incident ends in tragedy. He said: 'Everyone on board knew this wasn't a vacation or sightseeing, that it was really an exploration into the unknown at one of the deepest points on the planet. 'The price-tag itself is a clear indication that this is something big and serious. The trip itself was dangerous and there was a real possibility that things could go wrong. 'I don't see much recourse for these families in court, or how this waiver could be challenged, unless it's discovered that someone on the ship's crew controlling it was negligent in the way it was being operated and that caused the submersible to be lost. A desperate search mission sought to rescue a Titanic tourist submarine which has vanished 12,500ft below the Atlantic Ocean This was the last sighting of the submersible, Titan, which was launched on Sunday. It is seen in a photograph shared by Hamish Harding's company Is this the end of Titanic tourism? OceanGate was the only company in the world to sell commercial tickets for a trip down to the Titanic's wreckage. While the ship's wreckage has been visited by manned submersibles several dozen times since the 1980s, all of the trips were on research vessels. These are specially-designed for information-gathering and observation. OceanGate's titan deployed 'innovative' technologies that were designed to enable tourists to visit. But the Titan disaster could deter others with a similar vision to open up the wreckage for tourists. It may be the case that all future visits are in the interests of research. An organ transplant recipient became seriously ill after a donation from a teenager whose cause of death was a mystery, an inquest heard yesterday. The donor, 16-year-old Rohan Godhania, became suddenly unwell after drinking a protein shake in August 2020 and was rushed to hospital the next morning when his condition deteriorated, said senior coroner Tom Osborne. The schoolboy then appeared to have some neurological episode and died at Londons West Middlesex Hospital days later, having suffered irreversible brain damage, Mr Osborne said. He told the inquest there was not a cause of death given at the time and that Rohans organs had previously been signed off for transplant. The organ recipient later developed a serious illness and only then was a cause of death for Rohan given, Mr Osborne told Milton Keynes Coroners Court. The donor, 16-year-old Rohan Godhania (pictured), became suddenly unwell after drinking a protein shake in August 2020 Rohan was rushed to hospital the next morning when his condition deteriorated, said senior coroner Tom Osborne In August, The Sunday Telegraph reported that a rare disease ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, a genetic disorder that causes ammonia to build up in the blood had killed the teenager. The link was reportedly identified by an independent expert after the organ recipient was hospitalised with similar symptoms of seizures, though they are believed to have survived. OTC was not referred to directly during yesterdays proceedings but the coroner questioned whether healthcare workers had missed opportunities to test Rohan for ammonia build-up in the blood, which may have identified it. The inquest also heard that Rohan was not seen by a neurologist because none were on site at the hospital over the weekend. Rohan Godhania (second from right, with his father and mother Pushpa and Hitendra Godhania and his sister Alisha on a family holiday in August 2019 Rohans parents Pushpa and Hitendra, of Ealing in west London, said they hope the inquest will finally bring them answers as to why their boy could not be saved. Sarah Kingsley Fried, from Fieldfisher, representing the family, told the inquest the case demonstrated a woeful gap between paediatric and adult care, and a correct diagnosis would have been reached had the teenager fallen ill on a Monday. The inquest continues. Two Saudi Arabian sisters found dead inside their Sydney unit died in a suspected suicide pact after they were cut off from their family months earlier, police have claimed. Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, were found dead inside their Canterbury unit in the city's south-west on June 7, 2022 - some five years after they fled their homeland and arrived in Australia with $5,000 in savings. NSW Police believe the pair remained holed up inside the apartment from late February - shortly after they stopped receiving money - until early April when they died, the Daily Telegraph reported. Toxicology reports - which were ultimately inconclusive - found unusual levels of sodium, nitrate and fluoride in the apartment, with a report claiming police 'strongly' believe the sisters died as a result of a suicide pact. 'There was a stream of money coming to them from their (family) that stopped in February,' one source told the Daily Telegraph. 'Now, we don't know why it stopped, but it seems there had been some sort of a fall out with their family overseas. 'After that, they cut off communications with everybody.' The new claims are contained in a police report to the coroner. Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, (left) and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, (right) were found dead inside their Canterbury unit in the city's south-west on June 7, 2022 Unusual levels of sodium, nitrate and fluoride were detected in ultimately inconclusive toxicology reports (pictured, the Canterbury apartment block where the girls were found) The sisters received a final payment of more than $4,400 from family in Saudi Arabia on February 3, 2022. Amaal, who was in charge of the funds, put $960 towards their fortnightly rent and then transferred $2,000 to her sister. The girls also drove a black BMW coupe, which usually costs upwards of $38,000. Their rental agent Jay Hu revealed the women were originally 'good' tenants when they first moved in two years earlier and had proof of 'ample' savings before falling behind on rent in early 2022. Building manager Michael Baird asked police to conduct a welfare check on the two women, who refused to unlock the door when officers arrived. 'Eventually the door was opened and the police stood at the door, asking the girls a series of questions,' he told the ABC. 'They said they were OK. They didn't want any police involvement. And the police left it at that.' While it remains unclear what ultimately caused their deaths, multiple sources believe the girls had a falling out with their 'well-connected' family. They remained inside their apartment from late February to early April, speaking to their father only once more and receiving a visit from a NSW Sheriff. While it remains unclear what ultimately caused their deaths, multiple sources believe the girls had a falling out with their 'well-connected' family back in Saudi Arabia and were cut off The sheriff told the young women they would be 'kicked out or evicted' from the Canterbury unit after they fell behind about $5,000 on their rent. There were also three welfare checks carried out by police in the months before the girls were finally discovered, as mail piled up outside their door. When the sheriff's office returned to evict them in June, they found the bodies of the two girls in separate bedrooms of the first-floor unit. Police found no evidence that the girls were being followed by a private investigator as they had suggested to several of their friends. Instead, sources with knowledge of the investigation believe the girls were aware of the dangers of returning to Saudi Arabia and decided to take their own lives. Another source said the combination of chemicals found in the sisters' bodies could no longer be detected two months later. 'It looks like it is probably a suicide pact. They have taken a pill or something and just had enough for themselves, because there were no traces of chemicals or anything found in the unit, or anyone else entering,' they told the Daily Telegraph. Police are not looking to charge anyone over the deaths. After coming to Australia in 2017 the sisters lived for a period in the western Sydney suburb of Fairfield, which has a large Arabic-speaking community. In 2022, they applied for subclass 866 protection visas which requires applicants to have legally arrived in Australia and have valid reasons for seeking asylum. The sisters drove a black BMW coupe (pictured) which normally costs upwards of $38,000 In their applications, Asra claimed to have been an atheist while Amaal said she was a lesbian, The Australian newspapers reported. Police were told the sisters attended a girls-only queer event in January, 2022. Both same-sex relationships and atheism is strictly forbidden in Saudi Arabia, where the legal system is based on a strict interpretation of sharia law. Reports published in Middle Eastern newspapers at the time of the shock discovery said the sisters had renounced Islam. The bodies of Amaal and Asra were returned to the Saudi kingdom last August. A coroner will now be tasked with determining the official cause of death. The first author to win the Women's Prize for Fiction twice has revealed she is 'mad' the female-only award exists. Barbara Kingslover said modern literature is still 'struggling with a respect gap' and warned that books by women were still not 'discussed or reviewed' in the same way as their male counterparts. Earlier this month the US author, 68, made history by winning the Women's Prize for Fiction for the second time after judges unanimously picked her 10th novel Demon Copperhead. The book, a modern retelling of Charles Dickens' classic David Copperfield, also won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize For Fiction last month alongside Hernan Diaz's Trust. Speaking to the i newspaper, Kingsolver said: 'With Demon having received a good deal of respect, I guess I've arrived at the point where the world thinks I'm allowed to write whatever.' Barbara Kingslover (pictured) said modern literature is still 'struggling with a respect gap' and warned that books by women were still not 'discussed or reviewed' in the same way as their male counterparts The Women's Prize for Fiction was founded in 1996 by author Kate Mosse after she noted the lack of female writers on the prestigious Booker Prize shortlist. 'It amazes me that we are still struggling with a respect gap,' Kingsolver told the i. 'Our books are not discussed or reviewed or respected in the same way, so it really makes me mad that we still need this prize.' Kingsolver was presented with the anonymously endowed 30,000 prize and bronze figurine 'Bessie' by the Chair of Judges Louise Minchin at a ceremony in London last week. The other five shortlisted books were Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks, Trespasses by Louise Kennedy, Pod by Laline Paull, Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris and The Marriage Portrait by former winner Maggie O'Farrell. Chair of Judges Louise Minchin said the judges voted unanimously for the 'towering, deeply powerful and significant book'. 'In a year of outstanding fiction by women, we made a unanimous decision on Demon Copperhead as our winner,' she said. 'Brilliant and visceral, it is storytelling by an author at the top of her game. We were all deeply moved by Demon, his gentle optimism, resilience and determination despite everything being set against him... it packs a triumphant emotional punch, and it is a novel that will withstand the test of time.' The Ohio teenager who allegedly strangled his ex-girlfriend to death on a senior class trip in Myrtle Beach is now accused of locking himself in his room with her dead body while he attempted to kill himself. Natalie Martin, 18, of Roseville, Ohio, was enjoying a trip to South Carolina to celebrate her recent high school graduation when her ex-boyfriend Blake William Linkous, also 18, of Blue Rock, Ohio, allegedly strangled her to death inside a hotel room on Maison Drive on June 7. Brooklyn Ferrell, Martin's best friend described what she was told the morning after Martin's death when she saw Linkous emerge from his room with a stab wound. 'At about 9 a.m., Blake came out, he had stabbed himself in the chest and everyone got up and was freaking out and asking 'Where's Natalie? Where's Natalie?'' Two other friends of Martin then walked into the room where they hopelessly attempted to revive her. Linkous was charged with murder and is being held in jail without bond. Brooklyn Ferrell (pictured left), Natalie Martin's (pictured right) best friend described what she was told the morning after Martin's death when she saw Linkous emerge from his room with a stab wound Linkous was arrested, according to the Horry County Police Department, and charged with murder. He is being held in jail without bond Ferrell further described Linkous' previously violent behavior toward Martin, saying he assaulted her in front of their friends, leading Martin to break with up with him. 'He took her and threw her across the room. He was trying to make amends and apologized to her all the time. He would text me constantly asking what I should do to get her back,' she told Fox News. Despite his violent history, Ferrell maintains her shock that he would actually kill Martin. 'I'm angry at him because he is a better person than this. He truly is,' she said. Ferrell, who has raised $32,000 for Martin's family on Gofundme, said 'you couldn't find anyone else like Natalie.' She described Martin as 'really goofy' and someone who loved to hunt, fish, wrangle snakes Linkous was arrested and charged with murder after police were called to the area just outside Myrtle Beachy, according to Horry County Police Department. 'Blake William Linkous did with malice aforethought cause the death of Natalie Martin. The defendant did so by manually strangling the victim,' the incident report noted. Ferrell further described Linkous' previously violent behavior toward Martin, saying that he assaulted her in front of their friends, leading Martin to break with up with him Martin, 18, of Roseville, Ohio, was enjoying a trip to South Carolina to celebrate her recent high school graduation when she was killed Police have not released a motive for the crime. However, the former couple had broken up at the beginning of the year, a friend said. Their Facebook pages show the pair had attended prom as a couple. The couple had been together for years prior to their breakup, the friend said. Linkous is currently being held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center without bond. The pair had graduated from Philo High School in Ohio on May 26 and Martin was working as a childcare provider at Sundale Kids at the time of her death. Police have not released a motive for the crime. However, the former couple had broken up at the beginning of the year, Linkous is currently being held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center and faces life in prison if convicted The teens were staying near Myrtle Beach on a senior trip, which was not funded by the school, Superintendent Kacey Cottrill of the Franklin Local School District said. The school received confirmation of their former student's death on Thursday. Visitation for the teen's funeral will be on Tuesday at Cornerstone Full Gospel Church and her funeral be held at 11am on Wednesday. She was described in her obituary as being a 'free, pure and wild spirit with a contagious laugh,' who had a 'personality out of this world that could bring anyone out of their darkest of days.' 'Natalie enjoyed all of natures beauty. She loved to hunt, shoot guns, fish, wrangle snakes, plant and nurture flowers, and could gut and skin a deer better than most grown men,' it read. The pair had graduated from Philo High School in Ohio on May 26 and Martin was working as a childcare provider at Sundale Kids at the time of her death She was described in her obituary as being a 'free, pure and wild spirit with a contagious laugh,' who had a 'personality out of this world that could bring anyone out of their darkest of days' 'Natalies beauty shined like a ray of sunlight and her smile could brighten a whole room. Her glowing blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes represented that she was truly an angel here on Earth.' Linkous will be held in the county jail until he can appear before a circuit court judge, who will consider bond. He faces up to life in prison if convicted of the murder charge. Hamish Harding's cousin said the fact the event went ahead was 'unbelievable' Relatives of the British billionaire feared dead following the discovery of debris in the hunt for the missing submersible last night slammed his old Cambridge college for going ahead with an under-the-sea themed ball. As the search for Hamish Harding and his four fellow crew members beneath the Atlantic reached a critical stage, students from Pembroke College were drinking prosecco and cocktails at the 175-a-head black tie event. Photographs from Wednesday nights event show deep blue lighting and posters of submarines, while music included a rendition of Celine Dions My Heart Will Go On, from the film Titanic. Last night the 58-year-olds cousin said it was unbelievable that the 600-year-old college had gone ahead with an event in such extremely bad taste. However Pembroke said that by the time the OceanGate expedition to the Titanic had become an international rescue mission, it was too late to change the theme of the ball. The ball had the name: 'Nautilus Into The Depths' The traditional end-of-exams May Ball - which saw students at the historic college partying until 5am yesterday - was entitled Nautilus: Into the Depths in a reference to Jules Vernes classic science fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. A giant illuminated deep sea divers helmet was placed in the main quadrangle, while students were entertained with live sea shanties as they queued. Promotional poster featured images of submarines and signs reading Wanted - dead or alive while decorations included giant jellyfish-shaped lighting. Slamming the decision to go ahead amid fears that Mr Harding and the rest of the crew were hours away from running out of oxygen, his cousin Kathleen Cosnett accused the college of being disrespectful. I was shocked about that, she told the Daily Mail. Unbelievable - at his college of all colleges. Hopefully, they didnt play We all Live in a Yellow Submarine. Asked if the event should have been cancelled, she said: Yes, certainly. Someone should have taken a second thought. Earlier the 69-year-old told The Daily Telegraph the theme of the ball was terrible, adding polite courtesy has missed out on quite a few generations. She also slammed the delay before the submersibles support ship raised the alarm on Sunday, saying it had taken far too long. One student who was at the ball told student newspaper Varsity it had been insensitive given the circumstances. She added: Its a really heartbreaking situation [and] I think itd be wrong to blame the committee. But another told MailOnline: The ball itself had no references to submersibles or the like and the theme was mainly interpreted through decor relating to aquatic sea life and pirates. Among the food and drink available at the nautical themed event were cocktails from townandgownevents The May Ball committee continued posting underwater imagery, including of submarines, right up until the ball itself A statement placed on the balls website just hours before it was due to take place said: We are aware of the worrying news about Pembroke alumnus Hamish Harding. Todays May Ball theme was chosen many months ago and if we could change it now, we would. All we can say is that we sincerely hope that Mr Harding and the others on board the submarine will be found safe and well. The ball saw money raised for charities Plastic Oceans and the Blue Marine Foundation. A spokesman for the college said: Our thoughts go out to the Harding family and all the affected families at this very difficult time. Founded in 1347, its other alumni include comic actors Peter Cook and Eric Idle as well as Marvel star Tom Hiddleston. Mr Harding, a Dubai based private jet broker and father-of-two, attended Pembroke in the 1980s, graduating with a degree in natural sciences and chemical engineering. The aviator holds three Guinness World Records - including the longest time spent at the bottom of the sea after exploring the Mariana Trench, the deepest place on Earth - and has been to space on the Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin rocket. Also yesterday it emerged that 19-year-old Suleman Dawood, who was on board with his Pakistani-born businessman father Shahzada, 48, was studying for a business degree at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. A spokesman said it was deeply concerned about Suleman, his father and the others involved in this incident and was hoping for a positive outcome. The U.S. Navy likely heard the sound of the Titanic tourist submersible imploding shortly after it was reported missing, according to a report - and yet still a massive international rescue effort was launched hoping to find survivors alive. The Navy maintains an acoustic detection system around its coast for early detection of enemy submarines, and has done since the 1950s. Contact with Titan tourist sub was lost at 9:45am on Sunday - one hour and 45 minutes into the descent. 'The U.S. Navy conducted an analysis of acoustic data and detected an anomaly consistent with an implosion or explosion in the general vicinity of where the Titan submersible was operating when communications were lost,' a senior U.S. Navy official told The Wall Street Journal in a statement. 'While not definitive, this information was immediately shared with the Incident Commander to assist with the ongoing search and rescue mission.' The sound was detected in an area where the debris from the sub was located on Thursday. Hours after the debris was found, officials noted the five people on board were presumed dead in an implosion. The Titan submersible is seen being towed out to sea on Saturday, before it made its final descent on Sunday morning The submersible, Titan, is pictured descending. It began its desceny to the site of the Titanic wreck at 8am on Sunday, and at 9:45am contact was lost. It was around this time that the U.S. Navy registered the sound of something they believed to be an implosion By Sunday afternoon the alarm had been raised, and a huge multinational search mission was launched to try and rescue the people on the sub The U.S. Navy would not reveal the name of the secret listening system, citing national security concerns. Earlier on Thursday, Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger said it was too soon to say whether the implosion happened at the time of last communication. The implosion was not detected by sonar buoys used by search crews, he said, which suggests it happened before they arrived - and was indeed heard by the U.S. Navy. 'We had listening devices in the water throughout and did not hear any signs of catastrophic failure from those,' said Mauger. 'The implosion would have generated a significant, broadband sound that the sonar buoys would have picked up.' It is not known why the U.S. Navy did not make the information about the likely implosion known. It is also not known if they informed the families or rescue crews of their analysis. One reason may be that they wanted to launch a search and rescue mission in the hope that their information was wrong, and did not want to give any reason for deterring the search. By Wednesday morning, three ships were on the site in addition to the mothership, the Polar Prince: the Canadian Coast Guard boat John Cabot, a vessel with sonar capabilities; and two commercial vessels - Skandi Vinland and the Atlantic Merlin. A Coast Guard C-130 crew was continuing the search from the air. On Wednesday night, the Coast Guard said at least five more vessels were on their way to the search zone: Canadian CGS Ann Harvey, Canadian CGS Terry Fox, the Motor Vessel Horizon Arctic and French Research Vessel LAtalante, plus a Canadian Ship Glace Bay, which has a mobile decompression chamber and medical personnel. They were also due to receive an ROV (remotely operated vehicle) from the British-based deep sea company, Magellan. While the fleet was speeding to the search zone, the U.S. Navy knew that in all likelihood the five passengers were killed instantly around 9:45am Sunday. The victims are OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61; French Navy veteran Paul-Henri (PH) Nargeolet, 77; British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, 41; and his son Suleman, who was just 19. It would have been an instant death for the men, some of whom had paid $250,000 to see the famous shipwreck. In a gut-wrenching blow for their families, experts say there is little prospect of recovering any of their remains. 'This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there. The debris is consistent of a catastrophic implosion of the vessel,' said Paul Hankin, a deep sea expert involved in the search. 'We'll continue to work and search the area down there - but I don't have an answer for prospects at this time.' Five people were onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who was just 19 French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) is in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition In a heartbreaking tribute, Richard Garriott, president of the Explorers Club, of which Harding and Nargeolet were both members, said that the men had been drawn to explore 'in the name of meaningful science for the betterment of mankind.' 'Our hearts are broken. I am so sorry to have to share this tragic news,' said Garriott. He said the club was 'grateful for all our members and the scientific and exploration community around the world who have mobilized personnel and resources to support the search and rescue'. Garriott described Harding as a 'dear friend' to himself and the club. 'He holds several world records and has continued to push dragons off maps both in person and through supporting expeditions and worthy causes,' he wrote. 'We're heartbroken for the families, friends and colleagues of those who were lost. Their memories will be a blessing and will continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration,' Garriott said. The debris was discovered by the Odysseus 6K, the remote-operated submarine deployed by the Horizon Arctic yesterday. The ROV can dive up to 20,000ft Titanic director James Cameron took to the airwaves shortly after the Coast Guard announced the news, saying that he was 'struck' by the similarities between the disaster and the sinking of the ocean liner in 1912. 'I am struck by the similarity of the Titanic disaster itself, where the captain was repeatedly warned about the ice ahead of his ship and yet he steamed at full speed into the ice field on a moonless night and many people died as a result,' Cameron told ABC News. 'I've been down there many times. I know the wreck site very well. I understand the engineering problems associated with building this type of vehicle and all the safety protocols,' he added. 'This is a mature art and many people in the community were concerned about the sub.' He added: 'It is absolutely critical for people to really get the take-home message from this.' Cameron's pointed message comes after it was revealed that emerged that OceanGate boss Rush had been warned years before that his 'experimental approach' could lead to a catastrophe - and in another interview he spoke about 'breaking rules' to make the submarine. In addition to the vessel's landing frame and rear cover that were the first pieces of debris detected, the ROV submarine also found fragments of the pressure hull - the main body of the submersible. In its own statement, OceanGate said: 'These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world's oceans. 'Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.' US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger announcing the men's deaths on Thursday at a press conference in Boston. 'The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Upon this determination we immediately notified the families. 'On behalf of the Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families.' In this U.S. Coast Guard handout, a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina HC-130 Hercules airplane flies over the French research vessel, L'Atalante approximately 900 miles East of Cape Cod during the search for the 21-foot submersible, Titan Flotilla of hope: Ten ships from the US, Canada and France rushed to the Titanic wreck to try to assist in the search earlier this week The company added: 'This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. 'The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission. 'We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families. 'This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. 'We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time.' Earlier, David Mearns, who was friends with two of the men on board, said the 'only saving grace' for the men was how quickly their deaths would have occurred. The world had been praying for a 'miracle' after rescuers estimated the vital oxygen supply would end at 7.08am EST (12.08pm UK time, 9.09pm Sydney) on Thursday. Officials said the field had been found by Odysseus 6k, a remote operated vehicle (ROV) deployed by the Canadian vessel, the Horizon Arctic, that can dive 20,000ft underwater. A glimmer of hope came earlier in the week when the Coast Guard confirmed consistent 'banging' noises had been detected by P-3 aircraft, but the search teams were unable to find the source of the sound, or confirm that they were the SOS signals the world had hoped for. This is how Titan could have been saved by the French ship, if found in tact. Experts now say it likely imploded long before any of the help arrived The Royal Air Force A400M Atlas aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth preparing for take-off Experts have for days warned of the possibility that the Titan had sprung a leak and imploded under the pressure, which is 400 times that experienced at sea level. 'They would be dead before they knew anything had even happened,' L. David Marquet, a retired Navy nuclear submarine commander, said earlier this week. The submersible's oxygen theoretically should have run out at 8am EST (1pm BST) Thursday, according to the 96 hours limit listed on OceanGate's specs of the ship. The Titan submerged at 8am (1pm BST) and lost communications at 9.45am (2.45pm) but was not reported as missing to the US Coast Guard until 5.40pm (10.40pm). The sub was due to return to the Polar Prince ay 3pm EST (8pm BST) Sunday. Since Sunday night, there has been a frantic, international effort to find it and save the men on board. The British university student who was killed in the tragic Titanic submarine 'implosion' was 'terrified' about the trip and only joined the crew to please his dad for Father's Day, his heartbroken aunt has revealed. Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, 19, were two of the five victims killed instantly when the OceanGate submersible suffered a 'catastrophic implosion' just 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic, according to the US Coast Guard. The other victims were OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, French Navy veteran Paul-Henri (PH) Nargeolet and British billionaire Hamish Harding. They had been missing since the Titan sub vanished on Sunday, prompting a nail-biting search for the crew. Tragically, Azmeh Dawood told NBC News that her nephew informed a relative he 'wasn't very up for it' but felt compelled to please his father, who was very passionate about the 1912 shipwreck. 'I am thinking of Suleman, who is 19, in there, just perhaps gasping for breath... It's been crippling, to be honest,' the devastated aunt and sister told the US outlet from her home in Amsterdam. Suleman (pictured) was studying at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow before his death University student Suleman (left), 19, and his father Shahzada Dawood (right) were two of the five victims who were killed instantly when the OceanGate submersible suffered a 'catastrophic implosion' Azmeh Dawood (pictured) - the older sister of Mr Dawood - revealed today that her nephew was 'terrified' about the trip and only went on it to please his father Mr Dawood and his son were heirs to the great Dawood business dynasty and among the richest people in Pakistan- although they lived in Surrey, England Sulaiman Dawood, 19, pictured with his mother Christine, a coach and psychologist The older sister of Mr Dawood, who was the vice chairman of Engro Corporation, reportedly said through tears: 'I feel disbelief. It's an unreal situation.' Azmeh, who like the other anxious relatives was hoping for a miracle, continued: 'I feel like I've been caught in a really bad film, with a countdown, but you didn't know what you're counting down to.' She said she 'personally found it kind of difficult to breathe thinking of them', adding: 'It's been unlike any experience I've ever had.' Azmeh herself admitted she would not have gotten on the Titan submersible 'if you gave me a million dollars'. Mr Dawood's sister said she had fallen out of touch with him in recent years. Azmeh was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in 2014 and 'reduced to being in a wheelchair'. She had moved from England to Amsterdam to have easier access to medical cannabis - something her family members, including her brother, disapproved of. Shahzada Dawood, 48, (pictured with his wife Christine) was a UK-based board member of the Prince's Trust charity The Dawood family paid tribute following the announcement that Shahzada and his son Suleman were among those who died But after hearing the tragic news, she was reminded of her love for her brother. 'He was my baby brother, I held him up when he was born,' she said. Azmeh said she always felt close to Suleman who she described as 'thoroughly good-hearted'. Suleman's grandparents, Hussain and Kulsum Dawood, paid tribute to their beloved grandson and son, describing their passing as an 'unimaginable loss'. News of the tragic deaths emerged today, with the US Coast Guard revealing that debris the search mission had discovered was 'consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber'. 'Upon this determination we immediately notified the families,' US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger told a press conference attended by reporters from across the globe. 'On behalf of the Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families.' It would have been an instant death for the men, some of whom had paid 195,000 ($250,000) each to see the famous shipwreck. In a gut-wrenching blow for their families, experts say there is little prospect of recovering any of their remains. A source said Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood was 'driven by a passion of exploration' As search and rescue teams continued to cling onto hope of finding the sub on Wednesday, the Dawoods' family gathered above the water where the vessel was last seen. A family source told MailOnline that Mr Dawood's wife Christine and daughter Alina were at the search site and would wait there 'as long as they can'. The source added: 'It's not clear what it was that made Mr Dawood want to go and visit the Titanic with his son, but he is driven by a passion of exploration, and I understand this was something that had been planned for some time.' Mr Dawood and his son were heirs to the great Dawood business dynasty and among the richest people in Pakistan. They were British citizens and lived in Surbiton, Surrey. Suleman and his older sister were both raised in London. Suleman was studying at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He was a Business School student and had just completed his first year. Five people were onboard, including British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding (pictured) French Navy veteran PH Nargeolet (left) was also in the sub along with Stockton Rush (right), CEO of the OceanGate Expedition Before his death was announced, Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice Chancellor, said in a statement: 'I write to you with a heavy heart to share the news that one of our students, Suleman Dawood, is a passenger on board the submersible that is missing in the North Atlantic. 'We are deeply concerned about Suleman, his father and the others involved in this incident. I know you will join me in sending our thoughts and prayers to their families and loved ones.' A family statement earlier in the week described Suleman as 'a big fan of science fiction literature and learning new things'. US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger announcing the men's deaths today at a press conference in Boston. 'The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Upon this determination we immediately notified the families. 'On behalf of the Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families.' Rescuers had scrambled to locate the missing Titanic tourist submersible but it was confirmed that debris had been found from it today Suleman's mother Christine, a psychologist and life coach, and his sister Alina had been spending a month in Canada before the father and son undertook the dive. In January 2019, Christine revealed how she and her husband had been involved in a terrifying plane 'plunge', during which they felt they were going to die. 'My husband told me later that he was thinking of all the opportunities he'd missed and how much he still wanted to teach our children,' Christine said in a heartbreaking post at the time. Ahsen Uddin Syed, a friend of Mr Dawood's who worked with him at his company, said earlier this week that the businessman was 'an explorer'. 'Traveling, science, are part of his DNA,' Syed told The New York Times. He added that Mr Dawood loved Star Trek and Star Wars and was a keen photographer. Mr Dawood was a trustee at the SETI Institute - a Silicon Valley not-for-profit working in space exploration. He was also a supporter of two charities founded by King Charles - the British Asian Trust and the Prince's Trust International. The Dawood family released a statement on Twitter on Thursday night, saying 'it is with profound grief that we announce the passing of Shahzada and Suleman Dawood'. 'Our beloved sons were aboard OceanGate's Titan submersible that perished underwater. 'Please continue to keep the departed souls and our family in your prayers during this difficult period of mourning. In this US Coast Guard handout, a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina HC-130 Hercules airplane flies over the French research vessel, L'Atalante approximately 900 miles East of Cape Cod during the search for the 21-foot submersible, Titan, June 21, 2023 over the Atlantic Ocean 'We are truly grateful to all those involved in the rescue operations. Their untiring efforts were a source of strength for us during this time. 'We are also indebted to our friends, family, colleagues, and well-wishers from all over the world who have stood by us during our hour of need. The immense love and support we receive continues to help us to endure this unimaginable loss. 'We extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the other passengers on the Titan submersible. At this time, we are unable to receive calls and request that support, condolences, and prayers be messaged instead. Details of their final rites in this world will be announced soon.' The statement was signed by Mr Dawood's parents, Hussain and Kulsum, philanthropists who run an educational charity and the heads of the family dynasty. Mr Dawood's sister, Sabrina, said as the rescue mission was underway that he and his son would be 'as moved as we are by the support of the global community'. As tributes for the father and son continue to pour in, Mr Dawood's company shared condolences with the family. In a statement, Engro Corporation, the Pakistani conglomerate that he was vice chairman of, said: 'With heavy hearts and great sadness, we grieve the loss of our vice chairman, Shahzada Dawood, and his beloved son, Suleman Dawood. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dawood family at this tragic time. 'We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, colleagues, friends and all those around the world who grieve this unthinkable loss.' After days of searching for the lost Titan sub, officials today announced that the five passengers on board had perished. Among them was British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, whose family have paid tribute to him as a 'dedicated father' and 'living legend' who died doing what he loved. French Navy veteran Paul-Henri (PH) Nargeolet, who was an experienced Titanic diver, also lost his life. In a heartbreaking tribute, Richard Garriott, president of the Explorers Club, of which Harding and Nargeolet were both members, said that the men had been drawn to explore 'in the name of meaningful science for the betterment of mankind.' 'Our hearts are broken. I am so sorry to have to share this tragic news,' Garriott announced. He said the club was 'grateful for all our members and the scientific and exploration community around the world who have mobilized personnel and resources to support the search and rescue'. Garriott described Harding as a 'dear friend' to himself and the club. 'He holds several world records and has continued to push dragons off maps both in person and through supporting expeditions and worthy causes,' he wrote. 'We're heartbroken for the families, friends and colleagues of those who were lost. Their memories will be a blessing and will continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration,' Garriott said. In a statement confirming their deaths, OceanGate said: 'We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. French explorer PH Nargeolet was among those lost on the Titan submersible 'These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world's oceans. 'Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew.' The company added: 'This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. 'The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission. The debris was discovered by the Odysseus 6K, the remote-operated submarine deployed by the Horizon Arctic. The ROV can dive up to 20,000ft 'We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families. 'This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea.' Until reports of a 'debris field' emerged, which was later confirmed to include pieces of the Titan, the world had been praying for a 'miracle' for the passengers on board the lost vessel. Officials said the field had been found by Odysseus 6k, a remote operated vehicle (ROV) deployed by the Canadian vessel, the Horizon Arctic, that can dive 20,000ft underwater. On Wednesday, rescuers estimated that the vital oxygen supply would end at 7.08am EST (12.08pm UK time, 9.09pm Sydney) the next day. A glimmer of hope came on Wednesday when the Coast Guard confirmed consistent 'banging' noises had been detected by P-3 aircraft, but the search teams were unable to find the source of the sound, or confirm that they were the SOS signals the world had hoped for. But, experts warned for days of the possibility that the Titan had sprung a leak and imploded under the pressure, which is 400 times that experienced at sea level. With officials now confirming that the search had discovered debris 'consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber,' it is believed the five passengers could have been killed instantaneously, possibly as communications dropped on Sunday. The expansion of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) across all London boroughs later this year could force more than two in five drivers in the capital to give up their current car, research has found. More than a third will also be forced to buy a new car sooner than planned, the study commissioned by personal finance company Credit Karma revealed. London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced his flagship green policy last year in an effort to clean up London's air and improve public health, but it has proven controversial among drivers who will soon be out of pocket. The zone currently covers an area bounded by the North Circular and South Circular roads, but under the expansion which comes into effect on 29 August non-compliant vehicles across all 33 London boroughs could face a daily charge. The charge of 12.50 potentially adding up to 4,550 per year, and not paying the ULEZ charge can land motorists with a penalty of up to 180 per offence. The Ultra Low Emissions Zone expansion across all London boroughs later this year will see more than two in five drivers have to give up or change their current car, research has found Nine out of ten cars seen driving in outer London already meet the ULEZ emissions standards. However, 40 per cent of car-owners living in London claimed that they will have to change their existing vehicle sooner than they planned because of the controversial expansion. Nearly one in five Londoners - 18 per cent of the 4,000 surveyed - told researchers they are planning on using some kind of credit to buy a car in the next year. The issue of having to replace their cars is disproportionately affecting millennials, with half (50 per cent) saying they will be unable to afford to keep their car. Male drivers were also found to be worse affected than their female counterparts, the research suggested. Of male car respondents, 44 per cent said they will be prompted to buy a new car sooner than planned, compared to 29 per cent of female car owners. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan at an air quality monitoring station last year READ MORE: Why millions of Londoners will ignore ULEZ and continue using their cars despite massive expansion Advertisement Londoners on low income or disability benefits have been encouraged to take up the Mayor's new scrappage scheme, which awards grants to scrap or retrofit vehicles that do not meet the ULEZ emissions standards. They may also apply for discounts or grants to help with more sustainable forms of transport, such as e-bikes or car club credit. From the end of August, the daily ULEZ charge, which runs from midnight to midnight each day, will include areas as far out as Heathrow Airport, Chingford and Sutton in an attempt to improve air quality across the city. TfL hopes that, by reducing the number of cars in London that do not meet emissions standards, air pollution will continue to be reduced in the UK capital. But expanding the ULEZ zone might only prevent at maximum one case of lung cancer every year, according to a TfL-commissioned review. A 197-page document, used to justify Sadiq Khan's controversial decision to widen the scheme, which began in 2019, acknowledged the impacts on cancer rates specifically would be 'nominal'. It comes as the London Mayor's policy to tackle toxic air is facing a High Court challenge from five Tory councils in the coming weeks. They have claimed Mr Khan acted unlawfully in the way he proposed to widen the zone, and want to stop its expansion from going ahead. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London told MailOnline: 'This study is hugely misleading. Londoners will be reassured to know that the ULEZ is actually a very targeted scheme. Nine out of ten cars seen driving in outer London are already ULEZ compliant and will not have to pay the charge. 'For drivers of the most polluting vehicles, the Mayor is also delivering the biggest scrappage scheme yet - 110m - to help the Londoners who need it most. 'The decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide was not an easy one for the Mayor to make, but necessary to tackle air pollution. Around 4,000 Londoners die prematurely each year due to toxic air and thousands of people are developing life-changing illnesses as a result.' They are titans in the world of technology. But now the simmering feud between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg has bubbled over and the billionaires have agreed to face each other in a cage fight. Musk, who took control of Twitter in October, tweeted that he was up for a cage fight with Meta boss Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg took a screenshot of Musks tweet and replied send me location, the catchphrase of the unbeaten mixed martial arts champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Musk, who took control of Twitter in October, tweeted that he was up for a cage fight with Meta boss Zuckerberg Zuckerberg took a screenshot of Musks tweet and replied send me location, the catchphrase of the unbeaten mixed martial arts champion Khabib Nurmagomedov The Twitter boss, 51, joked: I have this great move that I call The Walrus, where I just lie on top of my opponent and do nothing. He added: I almost never work out, except for picking up my kids and throwing them in the air. Zuckerberg, 39, would appear to be in good shape after winning his first jiu-jitsu competition recently. Musk, a father of ten, has trained in Kyokushin karate, taekwondo, judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu briefly, and once shared a photo of himself grappling a sumo wrestler. Earlier this month, father-of-three Zuckerberg rubbished a report in The New York Times claiming he was knocked out during a jiu-jitsu fight. The official said he heard the tech chief executive snoring and thought he had passed out during a chokehold. But Zuckerberg told the publication the referee had mistaken his grunting for snoring. That never happened, Zuckerberg wrote in an email. Musk has form for challenging prominent people to fights that do not come to pass. Zuckerberg called out the Twitter CEO on his Instagram page, asking him to send a location for the fight Last year, he challenged the Russian president, a judo blackbelt. Stakes are Ukraine, he said. The talk of a fight comes amid rumours that Zuckerberg is preparing to create a new app to rival Twitter, set to be called Threads. The new platform, currently named Project 92, will reportedly have buttons similar to Twitters like and retweet functions, and a 500-character limit on posts. The tale of the tape: Mauler Mark Who's fit enough? MARK: At 39, the Zuck has youth on his side Musk is 51. Hes in pretty good shape, recently doing The Murph, a fitness challenge, in a seriously impressive 39mins 58 secs. 5/5 Got the skills? MARK: Zuckerberg has been training in both mixed martial arts and jiu-jitsu. You dont know this nerd is a silent killer, said Khai Wu, his MMA trainer. 4/5 Bank accounts MARK: Zuckerberg is way behind on just over 78billion. The Facebook and Instagram owner is merely the tenth richest person in the world. 3/5 Who cares? MARK: His Buddhist wife, Priscilla, is none too smitten by his newfound passion for martial arts, grimacing ringside in Las Vegas recently. 2/5 Touchy tekkies MARK: Aside from having a rival platform to Twitter in the works, he is a passionate AI optimist, who has called Musks attacks on new tech irresponsible. 3/5 Final reckoning MARK: The Zuck just shaves it, with his fitness and training standing him in good stead to run rings around the older, less nimble Musk. Result: 17/25 Advertisement Running out of cash to fund his defence An ex-Jetstar pilot accused of murdering secret lover campers Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, is running out of cash to fund his defence. Greg Lynn appeared via video link in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday where his barrister Dermot Dann, KC, revealed Lynn would not likely be able to afford to pay his legal team by the time he goes on trial in February. The 56-year-old has been in custody since November 2021 - some 20 months after he allegedly murdered the couple in the Wonnangatta Valley, in Victoria's High Country. Greg Lynn, 56, will stand trial in the Supreme Court of Victoria on two counts of murder next year, if at all Carol Clay (left) was allegedly shot dead by Lynn before Russell Hill (right) was stabbed to death Police allege Carol Clay was shot while standing toward the rear of this vehicle, which was damaged by fire after the alleged crime The court heard Lynn had been privately funding Mr Dann, who is recognised in legal circles as one of the best defence barristers in Australia. However, it remains unclear whether Mr Dann will continue to represent Lynn when he eventually goes on trial next year. It is understood Lynn had hoped to obtain funds off the back of his Caroline Springs property, which has become the subject of a separate court battle believed to be between his wife and Victoria Police. 'Every avenue was and is still being pursued in respect to an alternative course to fund the matter privately, it's just that we are dealing with various entities that are presenting somewhat of a roadblock,' Mr Dann said. The court heard Lynn's prospects of being granted Victorian Legal Aid funding were also under a cloud while he continued to hold substantial assets, albeit tied up under proceedings linked to the Confiscation Act. Mr Dann said an order made in the Supreme Court in December declared Lynn was still linked financially to the family home, which had potential to ruin any application for government assistance. Lynn is due back in court on October 16 where Mr Dann is expected to try and have his client's record of interview scrapped from the brief of evidence amid claims Victorian homicide detectives obtained it unlawfully. The contents of that interview are now subject to a court-imposed gag order. A previous hearing was told Victorian homicide detectives had compiled a whopping 773-page brief of evidence against Lynn. Many of those pages contain the contents of Lynn's nine-plus hour interview, which was recorded at Sale police station directly after his arrest in November 2021. Mr Dann committed to representing Lynn in October whether he had funding in place or not. 'Even if funding remains a difficulty, I am indicating to the court that I'd be prepared to continue with pre-trial in that October period even in the event that that difficulty remained. Perhaps I shouldn't, but I am, even if that difficulty remains,' he said. Greg Lynn, pictured in court last year, was grilled by police for four days Police made thousands of recordings of Greg Lynn (right) in the 11 months before his arrest in Victoria's high country. Almost 300 relevant recordings came after the airing of a 60 Minutes special on the missing campers Lynn's barrister Dermot Dann, KC (pictured left leaving court last year) plans to fight the admissibility of his client's record of interview with police. Mr Dann has long argued his client's interview should be ruled inadmissible from any murder trial. 'There are 15 items of evidence that we are going to make application for exclusion, including the record of interview and basically everything that flows thereafter,' he told the court in May. Mr Dann said the outcome could result in an interlocutory appeal, which could ultimately render the trial against Lynn unnecessary. While the contents of what exactly was discussed by police with Lynn cannot be revealed, Mr Dann described it during a preliminary hearing last year as 'explosive'. 'It's just that these items of evidence are potentially game changing in terms of the way the trial will be conducted by the prosecution,' he told the court then. Police allege Lynn blasted Ms Clay in the head with a shotgun after getting into an angry confrontation with Mr Hill over the use of his drone in the national park, which is illegal. Lynn was arrested at the intersection of Doolans Plains Road and Moroka Road, Arbuckle - some seven hours after he was heard by police on secret listening devices talking to himself in a 'depressed state'. A judge has choked back tears during the sentence of two killers who led a seven-foot-tall 'gentle giant' at gunpoint to his brutal death. Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Michael Croucher had no choice but to sentence the killers of Moe man Jarrad Lovison on manslaughter charges after they were provided a prosecution deal to avoid a murder trial. Acknowledging the pain of the victim's parents, Justice Croucher said the sentence was not a reflection on the value of their son's life. 'I know there is nothing that this court can say or do to lessen the grief. It must be awful,' he said, fighting back tears. Jake Brown, 31, and his mate Andrew Price, 50, were sentenced on Thursday over the 'evil' killing of Lovison, 38, who was force fed a toxic overdose of GhB and left in the bush in 2019. Jarrad Lovison and Angela O'Brien in happier days. It was her relationship with Andrew Price that got Mr Lovison killed Jake Brown, 31, and his mate Andrew Price, 50, were sentenced on Thursday to four years in jail Samantha Grace Guillerme (pictured above) pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Jarrad Lovison Mr Lovison had been lured to his death by barista Samantha Guillerme, who last year received a non-parole sentence of just 15 months after also pleading guilty to his manslaughter and agreeing a deal to inform on the others. Justice Croucher sentenced Price to seven-and-a-half years in jail, with a non-parole period of four-and-a-half, and Price to seven years with a minimum of four. Brown has already served 679 days behind bars and Price 586. Guillerme was branded 'evil' by Mr Lovison's father John for tricking and luring his beloved son to his death. The court heard Mr Lovison was abducted amid rumours he had been sleeping with his ex-girlfriend Angela O'Brien, who was in a new relationship with Price. The court heard Guillerme had lured Mr Lovison over with dirty text messages. When he turned up at a remote location on his bicycle, Price and Brown produced rifles and bundled him into the backseat of Guillerme's car. The court heard Mr Lovison's phone was tossed out the window as Guillerme drove him into the bush. Guillerme was told to remain in the car while the men marched Mr Lovison out into the wilderness. His remains were located five weeks later in the Moondarra State Park, in Victorias southeast, after a public appeal to help find him. Justice Croucher said while the men admitted forcing Mr Lovison to consume a large quantity of GHB, prosecutors had accepted they had no intention to kill him. 'The director does not allege that there was any intention to kill Mr Lovison through the administration of GHB. When Mr Price left Mr Lovison unconscious it was with the intention that it would be in the bush without an ability to get back to town,' he said. Price, who for years maintained his silence, claimed he simply intended to 'teach Mr Lovison a lesson'. Brown claimed at its worst, Mr Lovison would have been 'inconvenienced' by being drugged and abandoned in the bush. Barista Samantha Grace Guillerme (pictured) was accused of murdering a Moe man The Instagram post from accused murderer Samantha Grace Guillerme (pictured above) Mr Lovison was last spotted in Moe, Latrobe Valley. He was allegedly murdered over 'rising tensions' with Andrew Price The next day Guillerme shared a photo on her social media page of her dog at the Lyrebird Forest Walk about 60km to the south of Moondarra. Alongside the photo she wrote the caption 'today's adventure'. Mr Lovison's body was found on May 23 that year in the same area. Justice Croucher was brought to tears when recounting the victim impact statements of Mr Lovison's devastated parents. He urged them to accept his sentence was not a reflection on the value of their son's life. 'Such a thing is immeasurable, at least by a stranger. The sentence simply reflects as they must the many a varied factors that are required by law to take into account of only one of which is the impact on loved ones,' he said. Justice Croucher claimed both of the accused had an 'arguable defence' to claims of murder, noting the death of a key witness further hampered the prosecution case against them. During their pre-sentence plea hearing, Mr Lovison's father described the pair as 'gutless dogs'. 'I dont think you even care, I dont think you even give Jarred a second thought,' he said. 'You cannot begin to comprehend the damage you have done to us. We cannot stop thinking about how our boy would have felt. The fear he would have been going through. 'Its so easy for scum people like you to commit a serious crime and claim a hard life, all the excuses under the sun its not right and nor is it fair.' Jarrad Lovison, 38, went missing in mid-April 2019 but his remains were discovered by detectives in Moondarra, near Moe in Victoria's Gippsland region Jarrad Lovison had been in an ongoing feud with Price over his ex-girlfriend Angela O'Brien In December, Mr Lovison Snr savaged Guillerme from the witness box during her pre-sentence hearing. 'You planned it all and he was lured by you to his death in the most evil and sinister way,' he told her. Mr Lovison Snr claimed Guillerme had been welcomed into his own home where she would share meals with the Lovison family. 'He trusted you Samantha. He liked you a lot and you liked him,' he said. 'You used to come to our home - Jay's home. You would talk to Di (Jarrod's mum) and I for hours day after day. You would sleep with Jay at our home. Di and I would pick you up from your house and bring you down to our house so you could be with Jay and we would take you home, all the time.' 'You would eat with us Samantha. Your betrayal of Jay has broken us, it's broken our Jay and he paid for that betrayal with his life. How could you do that? How could you betray him like that without a second thought? That's just pure evil.' Mr Lovison Snr further condemned Guillerme for her subsequent cover-up, which saw Mr Lovison's body rot in the bush for almost six weeks before he was found. 'Our baby Jay was dumped like he was a piece of rubbish and that haunts us and breaks us everyday. You knew exactly what you were doing. You drove away after leaving Jay in the bush, you covered up and hid what you'd done to him. You never once gave our son a second thought,' he said. Mr Lovison Snr had pleaded with Justice Croucher to throw the book at his son's killers. 'We hope your honour sees our extreme pain and loss for what you, such an evil person, has planned and done. Put you in jail for a very, very long time for your reprehensible actions,' he said. Guillerme was provided a deal after agreeing to dob on her mates Part of the building that was once home to the bookseller and statesman WH Smith, who was part of the family behind the eponymous high street retailer, is up for grabs for 4.25million. The period building in London's affluent Hyde Park Street has a stylish white stucco exterior. On that exterior is a blue plaque confirming that it is the former home of William Henry Smith. William joined his father's newsagent and book business in 1846, at which time the company became W H Smith & Son. The three-bedroom flat for sale is in this white stucco building in London's Hyde Park Street A blue plaque on the building confirms it was once the former home of William Henry Smith The section of the building that is for sale is a luxury penthouse that spreads across the fourth and fifth floors. There is direct lift access to the leasehold penthouse, which has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The penthouse has almost 2,000 square feet of space and boasts some 2.95 metre high ceilings, with sash windows. On that exterior is a blue plaque confirming that it is the former home of William Henry Smith William joined his father's newsagent and book business in 1846, at which time the company became W H Smith & Son The penthouse has large living room with a feature fireplace and a separate dining area The sleek kitchen has modern base and wall units and a central island with some seating Daniel Copley, of Zoopla, said: 'This beautiful penthouse would make the perfect home for a buyer searching for a bright and airy space that doesn't compromise on luxurious touches. 'Despite its modern interior, which includes direct lift access and a sleek kitchen - the property also has an interesting history and was once the home of WH Smith - of the well-known high street store.' The kitchen includes a separate dining area and leads through to the main living room The flat has almost 2,000 square feet of space and boasts 2.95 metre high ceilings, with sash windows William Henry Smith (1825 to 1891) William Henry Smith was born on June 25 in 1825. He was an English bookseller and newsagent who worked for the family firm WH Smith. He was responsible for expanding the company by introducing the the sale of books and newspapers at railway stations. He was elected an MP in 1868 and rose to the position of First Lord of the Admiralty less than ten years later. Due to his lack of naval experience, he was perceived as a model for the character Sir Joseph Porter in HMS Pinafore. In the mid-1880s, he was twice Secretary of State for War, and later First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons, among other posts. He was the son of William Henry Smith who was born in 1792, who in turn was the son of Henry Walton Smith, who established a news vendor in Little Grosvenor Street in London - the precursor of WHSmith in 1792. Advertisement The flat has a large kitchen with a central island and a separate space for a table and chairs. And there is a large living room with a feature fireplace and a dining area. The sale of the property is being handled by Chestertons estate agents, which said: 'This fourth floor duplex penthouse is a true gem. With double aspect views and 2.95m ceilings, it offers an abundance of natural light and a spacious ambiance.' The sale of the appealing London property is being handled by Chestertons estate agents The penthouse is ready to move into having been beautifully staged and ready to sell The penthouse extends across two across the fourth and fifth floors of the impressive building The pristine bathroom includes a separate shower and floor to ceiling taupe wall tiles There is direct lift access to the leasehold penthouse, which has three bedrooms and two bathrooms The property has good access to public transport, with Lancaster Gate and Paddington Underground stations less than half a mile away. There are also schools within a similar distance, including Connaught House School and Halcyon London International School. The flat is in Hyde Park Street, which is in the London's Westminster. The average price of a property sold in London's Westminster in the past 12 months is 1,647,450. It compares to the average of 356,318 for the country as a whole, according to property website Zoopla. Onlookers are nervously counting down the hours as rescuers continue to search for the Titanic-bound submersible that vanished earlier this week. Onboard the 'Titan' are five passengers, including one of Pakistan's richest men, Shahzada Dawood, along with his son Suleman, billionaire Hamish Harding, Stockton Rush and renowned French oceanographer Paul-Henry Nargeolet. With their oxygen supplies due to run out, experts fear the vessel may be stuck somewhere 12,500ft (3,810m) below the North Atlantic surface. Here lies the Titanic, at depths more than twice as great as the Grand Canyon (6,000ft) and five times the height of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa (2,217ft). But you may be surprised to know the Titanic is by no means the deepest wreck in the world - with the record held by a ship much further into the deep blue. MailOnline has revealed a shocking graphic that shines a light on how vast the ocean really is. The deepest shipwreck in the world, USS Samuel B. Roberts, is nearly twice as deep as the Titanic. USS Samuel B. Roberts is located at at 22,523 ft (6,865m) in the Philippine Sea. This wreck is nearly four times as deep as the colossal Grand Canyon, US THE DEEPEST KNOWN SHIPWRECKS WORLDWIDE USS Samuel B. Roberts: 22,620ft (6,895m) USS Johnston 21,222ft (6,468m) SS Rio Grande 18,904ft (5,762m) SS City of Cairo 16,896ft (5,150m) Advertisement As it turns out, the deepest known shipwreck was found almost a year ago today, at 22,523 ft (6,865m) in the Philippine Sea. USS Samuel B. Roberts - also known as 'Sammy B' - was identified by the American explorer, Victor Vescovo, after decades of mystery. This vessel took part in the final phase of the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944, which saw the Japanese Navy and US forces fight over Leyte in the Philippines. During this, it's understood that USS Samuel B. Roberts was critically hit by a battleship, killing 89 people as it sank. Now, its remains lie at depths nearly four times as great as the Grand Canyon - far deeper than the Titanic. Last year's discovery also beat USS Johnston which was crowned the deepest shipwreck in the world just a year before. This warship was also discovered in the Philippine Sea at a depth of 21,222ft (6,468m) and served as a WII destroyer during one of the largest naval battles in history. In 2019, experts from the Research Vessel owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, released video of the battered and twisted hull lying eerily on the ocean floor. USS Samuel B. Roberts found off the Philippines in the Western Pacific Ocean. The U.S. Navy destroyer escort that engaged a superior Japanese fleet in the largest sea battle of World War II in the Philippines has become the deepest wreck to be discovered, according to explorers Pictured: USS Samuel B. Roberts in action before sinking in the Philippine Sea The remains of USS Samuel B. Roberts lie at depths nearly four times as great as the Grand Canyon - far deeper than the Titanic Pictured: USS Johnston which is now one of the deepest shipwrecks in the world 'There is no hull structure intact that we can find. This wreck is completely decimated, it is just debris,' the crew said on finding its remains. 'This wreck is either the Johnston or the Hoel ... This wreck is in the southern part of where the battle took place and this is one of the reasons why we believe this is the Johnston, because she sank later, after Hoel did.' Before Johnston, SS Rio Grande held the world record as the deepest known shipwreck for nearly 30 years. This ship was found in 1996 almost 621miles (1,000km) off the coast of Brazil but, even to this day, items wash up from the wreckage, according to the New Scientist. In 1944, Rio Grande served as a German World War II vessel but was destroyed by US fighters in 1944, before sinking to around 18,904ft (5,762m). USS Johnston was crowned the deepest shipwreck in the world just a year before USS Samuel B. Roberts. This liner was also discovered in the Philippine Sea at a depth of 21,222ft (6,468m) and served as a WII destroyer during one of the largest naval battles in history Experts from the Research Vessel Petrel released video of the battered and twisted metal lying on the ocean floor when the wreck was discovered in 2019 Pictured: SS Rio Grande on the seas before plummeting to depths of 18,904ft Pictured: The Titanic lined up against some of the biggest buildings and landscapes in the world Pictured: SS City of Cairo which eventually sank 480miles south of St Helena Pictured: The Titanic which sank in the North Atlantic during 1912 This again beat the SS City of Cairo, with its shipwreck located at 16,896 ft (5,150m), in the mid Atlantic ocean. The vessel was in operation just two years before Rio Grande before it was torpedoed twice by the Nazis, while transporting 136 passengers. At the time, it was also carrying around 100 tons of silver coins that were salvaged in 2015. These belonged to the UK Government who commissioned Deep Ocean Search (DOS) to find them during the last decade. Right now, these historic coins are estimated to be worth around 34million. A DOS spokesman previously said: 'The team quickly found that operating at this depth caused serious technical difficulties which were new to us and which had to be resolved, quickly. 'The combination of pressure, temperature, repeated dives at this depth and other issues resulted in multiple breakdowns of systems such as we had not experienced before when working in 3000m to 4000m depths. READ MORE: Photos that show why Australia is the beach capital of the WORLD The list also includes a dinner on a floating pontoon on the Great Barrier Reef These unique experiences take place everywhere from Tasmania to Queensland Tour around Australia and you'll discover an all-you-can-eat-buffet's worth of unique foodie experiences. You can picnic on an alpaca farm, eat oysters at a table knee-deep in the water they were farmed from and sit at a head-spinning dinner table that's suspended from a towering crane. These are just a handful of experiences in the smorgasbord of weird and wonderful culinary experiences we present here, which take place everywhere from Tasmania to the Northern Territory via the Great Barrier Reef. DINNER IN THE SKY - VARIOUS LOCATIONS The Dinner in the Sky dining experience sees dinner party guests seated at a table thats suspended up to 50m (164ft) above ground The Dinner in the Sky dining experience sees 22 dinner party guests seated at a table thats suspended up to 50m (164ft) above ground from a crane. Unbeatable views are served up with the meal, the website reveals (although the appeal may be lost on those with a fear of heights). The experience takes place in various locations across Australia, but each December theres a two-week-long season of dinners hosted in Tasmania. How do you get a place at the table? You must join a mailing list to win a coveted spot. 'SEAFOOD SEDUCTION' CRUISE - TASMANIA Watch your guide dive for abalone and sea urchins on a seafood-themed tour with Pennicott Wilderness Journeys The full-day 'Seafood Seduction' cruise begins in the Tasmanian capital of Hobart, taking passengers along the River Derwent and DEntrecasteaux Channel to the southern end of Bruny Island, where a guide will dive into the water to hunt for seafood. Passengers can watch as the guide emerges with the fruits of their labour - abalone and sea urchins. This fresh seafood is then cooked on the spot aboard the boat and served alongside local crayfish, mussels and salmon, paired with Tasmanian wines. This bounty is enjoyed against a beautiful backdrop - Bruny Islands secluded bays and deserted beaches. To experience the tour, which is run by Pennicott Wilderness Journeys, visit seafoodseduction.com.au. OYSTER FARM DINING EXPERIENCE - NEW SOUTH WALES Sample fresh oysters in the waters of the Hawkesbury River with Sydney Oyster Farm Tours Love oysters? Then youll be in your element with Sydney Oyster Farm Tours Immerse Yourself tasting experience. First there's a boat tour around the Broken Bay oyster farm on the Hawkesbury River, north of Sydney. Next, you slide into a pair of waders and take your place at a dining table planted in the water. Here youll be treated to a feast of fresh oysters as you stand in the water they were harvested from. Throughout the day, youll chat with second and third-generation oyster farmers and learn about oyster harvesting and farming. They'll even teach you how to expertly open oysters. The tour costs 104 ($195AUD/$132US) per person. Visit sydneyoystertours.com. PICNIC WITH ALPACAS - NEW SOUTH WALES The Blackwattle Alpaca Farm in New South Wales offers a luxury picnic experience Heres one for animal lovers - venture to the Blackwattle Alpaca Farm near the town of Murrumbateman in New South Wales to try out its unique Luxury Bobo Picnic experience. As its name suggests, the farm, overlooked by the Brindabella Range mountains, is home to a herd of alpacas, 70 in total. Visitors can take the resident alpacas for a stroll around the 'picturesque' paddocks whilst learning about the inner workings of the farm from a tour guide. There's also the chance to pat, cuddle and take photos with the creatures, the farm's website reveals. Post-tour, visitors are led to a luxurious picnic spot decorated with pillows and blankets, where they're presented with a sweet and savoury grazing platter. Tickets are priced from 95 ($180AUD/$121US) for two people. Visit blackwattlealpacas.com.au. BRAE RESTAURANT - VICTORIA Brae (pictured) offers a menu that revolves around produce from its organic farm, which is home to an olive grove and beehives Lauded restaurant Brae is housed in a country cottage just outside the town of Birregurra, at the foothills of the Otway Ranges mountains in Victoria. A regular on the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list, the restaurants ever-changing menu revolves around produce from its organic farm, which is home to an olive grove and beehives. After your meal, you can explore the farm, with dedicated walking paths designed to let visitors discover where their food comes from. Its easy to extend your stay too - there are six guest suites on site. Visit braerestaurant.com. PORTARLINGTON MUSSEL TOURS - VICTORIA Portarlington Mussel Tours in Victoria offers a cooking demonstration and a speciality mussel-themed lunch The historical seaside town of Portarlington in Victoria is thought to harvest around 60 per cent of Australias mussels. To learn about its seafood industry - and taste its wares - sail around Port Philip Bay aboard a 40-year-old wooden vessel with Portarlington Mussel Tours. The companys Classic Mussel Tour is run by Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation farmer who has been in the business for 37 years, and his wife. Their three-hour tours offer the chance to see first-hand how mussels are cultivated and include a cooking demonstration and a speciality mussel-themed lunch. Mussels will be pulled up on ropes and harvested, cleaned, and cooked on the vessel, before they're plated up and washed down with local wines and beers. The tours website notes: If you happen to spy a few dolphins or make some new friends, then thats an added bonus! Prices start at 122 ($230AUD/$155US). Visit portarlingtonmusseltours.com.au. WINE AND DINE IN A NEST - SOUTH AUSTRALIA Enjoy a 'little whimsy' with a wine tasting inside a wooden nest at Golding Wines winery The Golding Wines winery in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia offers a wining and dining experience with a twist. Billed as 'one of the most unique spaces you will find at a cellar door', a 'whimsical' woven nest has been crafted on the winery's estate. Groups are ushered inside to enjoy a six-course lunch paired with the winery's award-winning wines. Golding Wines says the nest 'will have you reminiscing of childhood tree houses and remind you that there is always room for a little whimsy with your wine'. The experience costs 133 ($250AUD/$157US) per person. Visit goldingwines.com.au. DINNER BY ULURU - NORTHERN TERRITORY Dine under the stars with a view of one of Australia's most iconic landmarks, Uluru, courtesy of these two gourmet experiences - the 'Sounds of Silence' experience (image one) and the Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner experience (image two) Dine under the stars with a view of one of Australia's most iconic landmarks - the distinctive red monolith of Uluru - courtesy of these two gourmet experiences, run by the Ayers Rock Resort in the Red Centre region of the Northern Territory. The first event - called the 'Sounds of Silence' experience - begins with canapes and chilled sparkling wine in a setting that overlooks Uluru. As the sun sets and darkness falls, listen to the sound of a didgeridoo and join your table to dine on a bushtucker-inspired menu crafted using native bush ingredients. A resident 'star talker' will decode the southern night sky, pointing out the Southern Cross, the signs of the zodiac and various features of the Milky Way. The resort also offers a Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner experience that offers guests more awe-inspiring views of Uluru and the nearby Kata Tjuta rock formations. Guests can fill up on a gourmet dinner hamper as they witness the ancient Mala story - a tale that's central to the Anangu people who've lived by Uluru for tens of thousands of years - being re-told in a mesmerising light show that sees choreographed drones and lasers light up the night sky. Visitors are said to feel a powerful connection to the land as they listen to a traditional Inma (ceremony) soundtrack and narration in the local Pitjantjatjara language. Visit ayersrockresort.com.au. POP-UP DINING - WESTERN AUSTRALIA Above is the unique pop-up restaurant Fervor taking place at Gantheaume Point near Broome Roaming restaurant Fervor puts a focus on Australian produce, working with ingredients that include green tree ants, silver cobbler fish and native stingless bees. The pop-up eatery appears in a wide variety of landscapes across Western Australia, from the Pinnacles Desert within Nambung National Park to rugged Breaksea Island. Chef Paul Iskov works in partnership with local communities for each dining experience, and it's ensured that no trace is left on the land once the event wraps. Visit fervor.com.au. DINE ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF - QUEENSLAND Sleep and dine on the Great Barrier Reef with a stay at Reef Suites (above) Australias Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world, home to the globes largest collection of coral reefs. One unique way to experience it is with a 'gourmet' dinner under the stars at the 'Reef Suites' floating pontoon hotel. After dinner, guests retire to underwater suites and fall asleep to a front-row view of nocturnal marine life passing by the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows. Visit cruisewhitsundays.com. FEAST IN THE WORLD'S OLDEST RAINFOREST - QUEENSLAND Get to know the history of the Daintree Rainforest as you dine at the Flames of the Forest experience The indigenous Kuku Yalanji people have been living in the Daintree Rainforest - the worlds oldest rainforest - on Australias north-eastern coast for over 50,000 years. The Flames of the Forest dining experience, hosted weekly, offers the chance to learn about their culture as you enjoy local foods that have been harvested from the land and sea. Throughout the evening, listen as two Kuku Yalanji brothers share stories, and the sound of a didgeridoo performance fills the air. Visitors arrive in the rainforest via transfer from Port Douglas, a town on the Coral Sea coast in the far north of Queensland. Visit flamesoftheforest.com.au/cultural-experiences. 'SALT SOMMELIER' EXPERIENCE - TASMANIA Foodies can sample Tasman Sea Salt at the Mayfield Estate on Tasmanias eastern coast Take your seasoning skills to a whole new level courtesy of this 'salt sommelier' experience, which takes place in the Mayfield Estate on Tasmania's eastern coast. Foodies can tour the estate's saltworks, learning how locals harvest the region's pure sea salt flakes from the Tasman Sea, before trying it themselves with a tasting experience. An array of carefully seasoned small plates are produced, demonstrating how the 'robust' salt flakes can transform dishes. To sweeten the deal, the setting offers wonderful views across the rugged Freycinet Peninsula. Visit tasmanseasalt.com/salt-sommelier. ATTICA RESTAURANT - VICTORIA You might sample barbecued saltwater crocodile ribs at Attica restaurant in Ripponlea, a suburb of Melbourne Attica is a must-visit destination for fine dining - its a regular on The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants list, which says that the eatery offers emotional, boundary-pushing Australian cuisine at its very best. The restaurant, based in the Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea, notes: We are proud to serve ingredients endemic to Australia, so you won't find chicken or beef on our menus. Instead, smoked emu or barbecued saltwater crocodile ribs are among the dishes presented to diners, many of whom have booked their table three months in advance. The experience doesn't come cheap, it's worth noting - a multi-course tasting menu is priced at 192 ($360AUD/$245US) per person. Visit attica.com.au. READ MORE: Cornish beach with turquoise waters and secret caves compared to the Seychelles Harry Mount is the author of Odyssey: Ancient Greece In The Footsteps Of Odysseus Comparing it to the nearby isle Mykonos, he says that 'Syros, thankfully, has never become fashionable' Harry Mount stays at the Aristide Hotel in Syros's main town, Ermoupoli - a place he describes as 'restful' Advertisement Where have all the tourists gone, I ask myself as I buzz around the coast of Syros on a moped. Syros is at the heart of the Cyclades, a collection of islands that circle Delos the holiest spot in Ancient Greece and a religious sanctuary hailed as the birthplace of the gods Apollo and Artemis. And yet, on my first morning, there are only two families alongside me in the crescent bay of Finikas Beach. When I have Greek salad and sardines at the Dyo Tzitzikia in Kini, supposedly Syross most popular beach, there are just two elderly Greek ladies in the sea, chatting away as they breaststroke at a glacial pace. Greek is the language you hear on Syros, with only the odd Englishman or Frenchman butting in. In Ano Syros, a hill town dotted with chapels and settled by Italians in the 13th Century its still mostly Roman Catholic I spot a British couple photographing a kitten. Otherwise, hardly anyone is about. Yet when I take the 25-minute ferry to Mykonos, I enter tourist hell. Some 300 of us disembark, and we are all heading to the same spot the charming but impossibly crowded town of Chora. Harry Mount explores the Greek island of Syros and finds it has none of the crowds of nearby Mykonos. 'How restful it is to stay in its main town, Ermoupoli (above),' he says 'Greek is the language you hear on Syros, with only the odd Englishman or Frenchman butting in,' says Harry Emphasising how peaceful the island is, Harry reveals that he only has to share the island's Finikas Beach with two families during his visit. Above is the nearby Finikas harbour Its narrow, horseshoe-shaped streets were built to deflect the winds whipping off the Aegean. Now theyre so packed that its horrible to make your way along them they cant accommodate two tourists passing each other without intimate contact. And the prices! One poor American couple were recently stung for 700 for two mojitos, four crab legs and a salad. What a relief to get the ferry back to Syros, where only half a dozen people get off all Greek except for me. At just 32 sq miles (84 sq km), Syros is easy to negotiate by moped or on foot. Large tracts of it are blissfully empty Syros, thankfully, has never become fashionable. How restful it is to stay in its main town, Ermoupoli. Built on the site of the ancient city of Syros, modern Ermoupoli was founded in the early 19th Century by sailors and ship-owners who named it for Hermes, the herald of the gods. And as the protecting god of travellers, you could say Hermes is the Greek god of tourists. I pray to him, thanking him for keeping Syros a real place. Harry visits Ano Syros (above), a hill town dotted with chapels and settled by Italians in the 13th Century At just 32 sq miles (84 sq km), Syros is easy to negotiate by moped or on foot, Harry reveals. Pictured is Galissas Beach on the western coast According to Harry, large tracts of Syros are 'blissfully empty'. He says: 'Syros, thankfully, has never become fashionable.' Above is Ermoupoli The island is the administrative capital of the Cyclades: real Greek life still goes on there in its offices, churches, public squares and harbour. Im staying at Aristide Hotel, in the richest part of old Ermoupoli, built by those ship-owners in the splendid style of the late 19th and early 20th Century. It has been restored to its original, classical beauty, which is complemented in the bedrooms and public areas with stylish modern art. The hotel is in a line of merchant palaces set along the hillside, overlooking Syross Little Venice seaside Italianate warehouses and mansions in pastels. On my morning walk, I dont see another tourist. And everywhere you walk in Ermoupoli youre reminded of Syross boom time of a century ago. Its wide, empty boulevards are lined with sparkling stone and Cyclades marble from road to kerb to pavement. The white-and-grey stones are so clean that the streets look like a Hollywood film set. Harry writes: 'The island is the administrative capital of the Cyclades: real Greek life still goes on there in its offices, churches, public squares and harbour' Harry stays at the Aristide Hotel, located 'in the richest part of old Ermoupoli'. He recommends having dinner or an evening drink on the Aristides rooftop terrace (above), which offers views across to Mykonos and Tinos Aristide Hotel, which sits in a line of merchant palaces, has 'been restored to its original, classical beauty' A narrow alley in the town of Ano Syros. While there, Harry spots a British couple photographing a kitten - they're among the few tourists he encounters TRAVEL FACTS Double rooms at Aristide Hotel cost from 267 per night (hotelaristide.com). Return flights from Gatwick to Mykonos cost from 77 (easyjet.com), with regular 25-minute Mykonos-Syros ferries from 42 each way (go-ferry.com). Advertisement Do have dinner or an evening drink on the Aristides rooftop terrace I have grouper that tastes as though it has been in the sea just minutes earlier and there are views across to Mykonos and Tinos. The islands seem to move in and out of focus sometimes a brown blur, at other times a sharp, dark blue outline against the horizon. The sea, too, is ever-changing: milky with rippling, blue streaks earlier in the day, before turning purple at dusk wine-dark as Homer called it in the Iliad and Odyssey. At Asteria Beach, a ten-minute walk down the hill, theres a series of concrete platforms set into the waters edge where local children go for a dip. I drop into the sea, a few yards from them, only slightly annoyed by the thump of music from a neighbouring bar. Theyre keen on music, too, at the Aristide but they agreed to turn it off when I asked. I prefer to listen to the swifts screeching as they swirl round the blue dome of the neighbouring church, Agios Nikolaos. Across the sea, as dusk falls, I can see the twinkling lights come on in the fleshpots of Mykonos. I once again thank Hermes that I am here in his divine town instead. The button issue arises when travellers take out cash or pay with plastic Money expert Martin Lewis has warned Britons that theres one button they should never press while holidaying overseas. When travellers take out money from an ATM or pay with their debit or credit card abroad, theyre typically asked whether theyd like to pay in the local currency or in British pounds. Martin explained that people should never push the convert to GBP button, as a markup cost is likely to be added to carry out the conversion. On an episode of ITV's Martin Lewis Money Show, the 51-year-old travelled to Malaga, Spain, and demonstrated how ATMs charge you to carry out a conversion, noting: [The ATM] says markup 4.5 per cent, so they are adding a 4.5 per cent load on top of the exchange rate. You do not want this machine to do the conversion for you. Money expert Martin Lewis has warned Britons that theres one button they should never press while holidaying overseas You want your card company at home to do the conversion because, even if it's not a good card, it's a better rate. Continue with conversion? No way, it's going to cost me 20 quid more than it should. He added that the machine's offer of carrying out a conversion is a 'psychological scare tactic' that travellers can be victim to, adding: 'Do not pay to pay. 'When you go into a shop, when you go to a cash machine, and it says "do you want us to do the conversion for you", no, no, no. Pay in the local currency.' The TV personality, who founded the website MoneySavingExpert.com, also recommends that travellers get a specialist overseas debit or credit card to take advantage of the 'near-perfect' exchange rates they offer. Mr Lewis explained: 'What normally happens when you spend on plastic abroad is when you spend on the card, the bank or the card provider gets a near-perfect rate and they add a 3 per cent non-sterling exchange rate fee. 'This means you get 100 worth of euros, dollars, or dong, which is the Vietnamese currency but it costs you 103 because of the extra 3 per cent.' Continue with conversion? No way, it's going to cost me 20 quid more than it should,' Nr Lewis says when taking money out of an ATM abroad (stock image) 'But the specialist cards don't add that 3 per cent and you get the near-perfect rates that they do.' According to Mr Lewis, the specialist cards worth opting for currently are the Barclaycard Rewards credit card, the Chase debit card and the Halifax Clarity credit card. Another way travellers can conserve holiday cash is by picking a destination where their pound is guaranteed to stretch further in the first place. Earlier this year, Post Office Travel Money revealed that Cape Town in South Africa is the worlds best-value holiday hotspot for Britons in 2023. It's followed by Marmaris in Turkey in second place and Sunny Beach in Bulgaria in third. Meanwhile, Reykjavik in Iceland was revealed to be the worst-value holiday destination for British holidaymakers. Viewers can catch up on episodes of The Martin Lewis Money Show on the ITVX player. A new documentary produced and directed by a former CNN war correspondent and an ex-Newsweek boss aims to shed light on an enduring Australian mystery. Revealed: The Cape investigates the disappearance of fisherman Bevin Simmonds and his 10-year-old son Brad, who set out to check shark nets in the Gulf of Carpentaria off the Queensland coast one morning in 2003 and vanished - along with their boat - into thin air. Justine Rosenthal, the former news magazine executive who is one half of the filmmaking duo alongside veteran war reporter Michael Ware, spoke to Daily Mail Australia about venturing into the hostile tropical landscape and insulated Cape York fishing community ahead of the documentary's premiere. 'There is perhaps nowhere in the world that is as remote and less understood as this area and it hasn't been shown on screen in quite this way,' Rosenthal said. 'It is this wild, somewhat lawless region where most people have a gun but there is almost no authority and no one to answer to. 'We've tried to tell an intimate story within this very vast, ancient landscape. 'Almost as if you're sitting in the pub with each of these people; getting their view on the hardships of living up there and what could have happened to Bevin and Brad.' A documentary crew (pictured) ventured into Queensland's remote north-west to retrace the steps of a father and son who vanished Documentary makers Justine Rosenthal and Michael Ware (pictured) made the previous 2015 Emmy-nominated documentary Only the Dead Revealed: The Cape is available to watch on Stan. The pair, who have relocated from Australia to Los Angeles, released a previous 2015 documentary, the Emmy-nominated Only the Dead, which focused on Ware's years spent reporting on the war-torn Middle East. While the setting of far north-west Queensland takes viewers a long way from the deserts and caves of Iraq and Afghanistan, there are some striking similarities. The locals in particular, settled along the banks of snaking mangrove-lined rivers, clam up when confronted by outsiders, much in the same way Afghan villagers would refuse to talk about the Taliban. 'They'll radio each other and everyone will know when someone else is in the area, whether that's police or fisheries inspectors or whoever,' Rosenthal said. 'We knew going in there were going to be these sorts of challenges because it was such a closed community. 'We had logistical difficulties getting charter boats and people fearing the repercussions of working with us or cooperating with us.' The concerns of reprisals - the crew had to get a boat from near Papua New Guinea because no-one would hire them one - stem largely from the area being ruled by two commercial fishing dynasties. Both clans, the Wards and the Gaters, are central to Bevin and Brad's case - the latter is fittingly named, led by a hook-handed patriarch and his fearsome wife. Bevin, who was an outsider himself and trying to establish his own fishing territory, had married the Ward's daughter, but there were rumours she was having an affair with the Gater's son, Michael. Fisherman Bevin Simmonds (right), 36, and his son Brad, 10, vanished without a trace 20 years ago Detectives believe the father and his 10-year-old boy (pictured) were shot but it is officially unsolved Michael and his mother Joan were tried and acquitted of the double murder of Bevin and Brad in the Cairns Supreme Court in 2005. They had been in a boat where the father and son were checking their shark nets when they vanished and, as one former detective on the case said, the area is so remote there was 'literally no-one else around'. The two clans' dominance over the fishing community was evident to Ware and Rosenthal when making the documentary. 'The investigation found everyone, even the warring factions, would talk to each other that the police were in the area and it was no different for us,' Rosenthal continued. 'Even at the trial there were people afraid to speak up. 'That brought up questions for the people we were trying to speak to. Do they speak and at what risk? Do you feel differently about that risk 20 years later? 'So we had to gain their trust... and then there's the Indigenous community we wanted to give a voice because this is their land. The local Indigenous community features heavily in the documentary The remote Cape York community relies on the fishing industry which is dominated by two clans 'We're outside of our normal wheelhouse of war and geopolitical scheming but the questions about humanity and the people in these situations are the same.' When asked what she'd like to see the documentary achieve, Rosenthal said their focus was foremost on the victims. 'We'd not done true crime before but we wanted the story of the victims to be brought to light. 'There was the salacious nature of it - the affair and the warring fishing dynasties - but we were focused on them. 'One hope is that we do some justice to the memory of Bevin and Brad Simmonds in a way that hasn't been told before. 'We wanted to do more than a formulaic sense of an unravelling of a mystery, we wanted to have people go away with questions. 'And not just here in Australia but for a global audience as well. People are fascinated by Australia and fascinated by the different.' Revealed: The Cape is available to watch on Stan. When asked what she'd like to see the documentary achieve, Rosenthal said their focus was foremost on the victims While some parts of the documentary are undeniably bleak, Rosenthal said there were also 'angels' who courageously spoke out. 'Bevin's friend Rodd really exudes that sense of humanity. He really regrets not speaking out more. 'He heard for example someone say if Bevin went out to the nets one day, it would be easy to make him disappear. 'How many people heard those things or heard other rumours? 'He was an outsider himself who found peace with the indigenous community. 'There was Bob Katter speaking about this, he leaps off the screen and can tell a great yarn when describing this frontier land. 'I quote back these people in my mind and feel for them. 'With each new film we make we hope we've learnt something from the last one.' The lead up to Kim Kardashian and sister Kourtney's soon-to-be showdown was shown in the fifth episode of season three of Hulu's The Kardashians on Thursday. The rival sisters have been feuding over Kim co-creating a runway collection with Dolce & Gabbana in 2022 just four months after the brand curated Kourtney's Italian wedding to Travis Barker. Kim showed another side to her as she pondered the idea of having a one-on-one with her 'jealous' older sister, while Kourtney threw shade at the Kardashian-Jenner clan by proclaiming that her family with Travis is her true family. During her candid convo with Kim, Khloe admits she's 'fearful' things with Kourtney will go south if the SKIMS founder fails to keep herself in line. 'Don't be like, "I don't give a f**k!" Like, don't be like, "I don't need your f**king permission." Like, "Who do you think you are?" You can't be that Kim,' Khloe warns. Sister showdown: The lead up to Kim Kardashian and sister Kourtney's soon-to-be showdown was shown in the fifth episode of season three of Hulu's The Kardashians on Thursday Kim showed another side to her as she pondered the idea of having a one-on-one with her 'jealous' older sister, while Kourtney threw shade at the Kardashian-Jenner clan by proclaiming that her family with Travis is her true family Feud: The rival sisters have been feuding over Kim co-creating a runway collection with Dolce & Gabbana in 2022 just four months after the brand curated Kourtney's Italian wedding to Travis Barker 'Yeah,' says Kim. 'So, get it out now because I can see it boiling inside of you,' Khloe adds. 'I'll be like, "B*tch you think I need your permission?"' Kim exclaims. 'Yeah, you can't do that. It's not a d**k measuring contest. You gotta big d**k. She's got a nice size d**k. You guys are good,' Khloe tells her. A smiling Kim replies with, "Ok.' Khloe also doesn't think their mom Kris Jenner should be present. 'Because mom will say, "F**k you! I've known [Domenico and Stefano]." And then it's totally a d**k measuring contest. 'And we all know she has the biggest schlong,' Khloe jokes. In confessional, Kris teases that it's 'really not a competition' between the girls because she always 'wins that contest.' Kim's candid talk with Khloe kicked off with her admitting that she had failed to speak to Kourtney after her runway show debut. 'I know it's really crazy,' Kim admits. 'I hope she's gonna talk to you about it. I really wish she would but she definitely feels like you kind of stole her thunder,' Khloe explains. 'I get that,' Kim says. In confessional Khloe says that she 'found out that Kourt is so upset because she actually called my crying. 'She feels like her wedding moment was taken away from her and she just feels like there's no loyalty in the family and that everyone wants what the other person has.' Khloe tells Kim that she's heard that Kourtney's friends have also been 'riling her up' about it all behind the scenes. Her words were, 'Everyone thinks this is the weirdest thing,' Khloe adds. Kim decides to call her friend Simon Huck, who also happens to be one of Kourtney's best friends. 'If anyone knows where Kourtney's head is at it's Simon.' Simon pick up the phone and Kim jumps right into it. Fears: During her candid convo with Kim, Khloe admits she's 'fearful' things with Kourtney will go south if the SKIMS founder fails to keep herself in line 'I'll be like, "B*tch you think I need your permission?"' Kim exclaims 'Yeah, you can't do that. It's not a d**k measuring contest. You gotta big d**k. She's got a nice size d**k. You guys are good,' Khloe tells her 'I need to brainstorm with you because we need to figure out how we're gonna talk about Dolce because [Kourtney] doesn't really wanna talk about it,' Kim explains. Simon keeps it real with the SKIMS founder, telling her that it 'might not be a good time to say something' to Kourtney. Kim is confused as to why Kourtney wouldn't want to talk it out, with Simon explaining that Kourtney feels as though 'nothing will get solved' by doing so. 'But what is there to solve?' Kim asks. 'That you should've said no and that just wasn't gonna happen,' he replies. 'I think it's also that she found out after the fact,' Simon beings to explain but Kim interrupts him. 'That's not true. I told her before. I invited her and Travis. I had those conversations, she just didn't know that it was this big of a deal.' Kim says that she 'shouldn't have to ask her for permission' and that she feels also she 'was really being mindful. 'There were so many collections that I wanted to do. Like I would have done something from the Madonna collection but [Kourtney] wore something at her wedding,' Kim explains. 'So I said, "Don't do any of that. Don't do any of the lace that she wore at her wedding."' She reveals that several looks that Kourtney wore at her wedding were ensembles that Kim's actually worn before, including a Madonna dress back in 2018. 'And she wore [that dress] as her bridal thing with the black veil. The same outfit,' she says. 'That I already own.' She tells Simon and Khloe that D&G also 'wanted to do black veils and I said, 'Absolutely not because Kourtney had them at her wedding.' Khloe interjects, 'All of these things are information she's not aware of and maybe that would make her feel better.' In confessional Khloe says that she 'found out that Kourt is so upset because she actually called my crying Kim decides to call her friend Simon Huck, who also happens to be one of Kourtney's best friends Kim tells Simon that she 'shouldn't have to ask [Kourtney] for permission' and that she feels also she 'was really being mindful Seeing double! She reveals that several looks that Kourtney wore at her wedding were ensembles that Kim's actually worn before, including a Madonna dress back in 2018. 'And she wore [that dress] as her bridal thing with the black veil. The same outfit,' she says. 'That I already own' Khloe reminds Kim that Kourtney's been saying that 'everyone of her friends' has been remarking on how 'weird' the ordeal. Kim fires back: 'But she doesn't have any friends. So, Travis?' Simon confirms that Kourtney 'doesn't know any of that information.' Khloe reminds Kim that Kourtney's been saying that 'everyone of her friends' has been remarking on how 'weird' the ordeal. Kim fires back: 'But she doesn't have any friends. So, Travis?' Kim's brutal remark takes Khloe aback and her eyes bug out, leaving fans wondering if the rage simply runs too deep. The episode kicks off in Milan, Italy as Kim's just one day away from debuting her collection with Dolce & Gabbana during MFW, which took place in September 2022. 'I am so tired. I'm delirious,' Kim confesses to BFF Natalie Halcro as they hangout in her Paris hotel room with her eldest daughter North West, 10, just feet away. 'The last few days have been exhausting,' she tells cameras as it's revealed her stylist 'forgot her passport' and that 'a lot of the 90s stuff' is missing from the collection. Kim reveals that only 35 of the 80 looks set to grace the runway are complete but that they will 'work all through the night' to get them done before the big show. Back in the hotel room, Kim's longtime pal Tracy Romulus tells Kim that while she's been busy putting the finishing touches on her collection, there's been a major update in Khloe's love life. 'I haven't looked at my phone,' Kim admits. 'Khloe's been saying, "Mayday! Mayday! 911,' on the group chat this afternoon' Tracy informs her. 'You know why?' Tracy asks,' to which Kim replies: 'Why?' Natalie explains that Khloe ran into a 'hot guy' in the elevator at the hotel and he 'asked where she's staying and he said his room number.' According to Natalie, Khloe told the hunk: 'That's right across from me!' 'Like literally right next-door to each other,' Tracy adds. 'Right across from [Khloe] as the end of the hall and there's only two doors' says Kim, marveling at the coincidence. 'So, I was like, "Khloe, we have to invite him to the Dolce & Gabbana party. Let's slip an invited under his door,"' Tracy recalls. 'Oh my God,' Kim replies, visibly stunned. North clearly feeling mischievous chimes in, telling her famous mom: 'We should make a note saying it's from him and hang it on KoKo's door, like, "Can we go on a date?" Kim is totally up for the idea as she, North and her pals excitedly search for a piece of paper in the hotel. Kim hands North a notepad and tells her exactly what to write. Back in Los Angeles, Kourtney Kardashian is supporting her husband Travis at the grand opening of the latest Crossroads Kitchen location in Calabasas In confessional, Kourtney explains that they're their with Reign, as well as her daughter Penelope, Travis' former step-daughter Atiana De La Hoya, his daughter Alabama and several of their friends 'Your family is not there though,' a producer remarks. Kourtney's body stiffens up before replying that Travis and the gang 'is my family' 'Say, "Hi, Khloe,"' Kim begins, with Tracy adding: 'Knock on my door two times '.if you wanna go on a date,' Kim finishes. In confessional Kim says that she 'just hopes Khloe won't get pissed off' because they 'just want her to have a good time.' In the previous episode, Khloe felt as though Kim thinks she's 'lost my mojo' after what love rat ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson had put her through, which included multiple instances of infidelity and a paternity scandal in 2021 which DailyMail.com had exclusively revealed. Kim places the note and a single white rose in a plastic bag before rushing down the hotel hallway with North and her tight-knit friend group. 'Be quiet,' North whispers, reminding her mom and pals that 'people are asleep.' Kim tells her daughter that she's 'the best prankster' before hopping out of the elevator on Khloe's floor and sneakily sticking the bagged note on her hotel room door. 'Mission accomplished, ladies!' Kim exclaims as they successfully make it back to their floor without getting caught. Back in Los Angeles, Kourtney Kardashian, her husband Travis and youngest son Reign, eight, are at the grand opening of the latest Crossroads Kitchen location in Calabasas. Travis is one of the founding owners of the upscale vegan restaurant chain, which also has locations in West Hollywood and Las Vegas. They're seen mingling with Calabasas Mayor Mary Sue Maurer, who is there for the ribbon cutting ceremony. 'Reign's asking if he should cut the ribbon,' Kourtney tells Travis. They gesture Reign to get behind the ribbon and Mayor Mary hands him the scissors. The crowd cheers as he confidently does the honors, thus signaling the restaurant's opening. Pop punk princess Avril Lavigne is in attendance with her former fiance Mod Sun who she abruptly split from in February 2023. 'The [grand opening] is such a vibe and it has a cool bar and they're gonna have matcha margaritas, which is really exciting. And I am excited to have a good restaurant to go to in Calabasas,' she says in confessional. Kourtney, Travis and their kids slide into a booth for dinner. 'What do you guys think?' Travis asks the family. 'Its wild, right? It's gonna be a game changer. Crazy.' In confessional, Kourtney explains that they're their with Reign, as well as her daughter Penelope, Travis' former step-daughter Atiana De La Hoya, his daughter Alabama and several of their friends. 'Your family is not there though,' a producer remarks. Kourtney's body stiffens up before replying that Travis and the gang 'is my family.' The night before: The episode kicks off in Milan, Italy as Kim's just one day away from debuting her collection with Dolce & Gabbana during MFW, which took place in September 2022 'I am so tired. I'm delirious,' Kim confesses to BFF Natalie Halcro as they hangout in her Paris hotel room with her eldest daughter North West, 10, just feet away Despite her exhaustion, Kim decides to pull a prank on her sister Khloe after daughter North came up with the idea to leave a fake love note on her hotel door Later in the episode, Khloe recalled the moment she learned the letter was fake At the table, Reign and Travis engage in an arm wrestling contest. 'Travis, can we wrestle,' he says to his step-dad before asking the cameramen: 'Can one of them camera us? Are you videoing? 'Ok, threetwoone!' exclaims the little boy. 'Ugh! You got me! You got me,' says Travis as he sweetly lets Reign win. Kourtney then praises her husband for committing himself to veganism for over a decade. 'It's really cool that Travis made this lifestyle choice 15 years ago to be vegan and then has gone on to open theses restaurants with his friend and chef, Tal [Ronnen],' she gushes in confessional. At the dinner table, Kourtney takes the opportunity to ask her son if he's 'been eating crayons and paper at school?' 'I didn't eat crayons at school,' he insists, but Kourtney isn't buying it. 'So, what's your teacher talking about?' 'She's a liar,' Reign replies. This earns a laugh from the entire table. Travis abruptly leaves the table to take a call from celebrity jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, whose worked with the likes of Beyonce and Blake Lively. 'So, I was expecting two more stones from Europe today but they're stuck in customs. They should be there by the morning in LA,' she tells Travis over the phone. '[Kourtney and I's] anniversary is Monday so we're going to Santa Barbara and I would just need it Sunday. Where are [the stones] coming from,' he asks. Lorraine repeats that they're 'coming from Europe.' Travis offers to 'fly someone out there' to get them but, unfortunately, the stones are 'already in transit.' He hangs up the phone and heads back inside. 'What were you doing out there?' Kourtney asks, to which Travis replies: 'Just getting some fresh air. Changing the subject, Travis thanks his wife for supporting him at the grand opening. 'Yeah, I'm so excited. We've been waiting for this for so long,' Kourtney says. The episode flips back to Milan on the day of Kim's D&G show with just 45 minutes left before the models make their way down the catwalk. A slew of celebrities arrive to the event, including the hunky actor/model Michele Morrone, who Kim is trying to set Khloe up. Show day: The episode flips back to Milan on the day of Kim's D&G show with just 45 minutes left before the models make their way down the catwalk 'Today is the show day,' Kim tells the audience. 'So, everything we've been working towards is all happening today. This is pure chaos, like, girls are still being styled and they're still doing their hair and makeup. They're still figuring it all out and getting them already' Dolce & Gabbana designers Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce present Kim with a gift ahead of the show The designing duo gifted Kim a stunning diamond cross necklace, with Stefano quipping: 'It's not Swarovski' Kim arrives with daughter North West, 10, in a black sprinter van, both glammed to the nines in rhinestones. 'Today is the show day,' Kim tells the audience. 'So, everything we've been working towards is all happening today. This is pure chaos, like, girls are still being styled and they're still doing their hair and makeup. They're still figuring it all out and getting them already.' Kim admits that she 'didn't really know how the whole process' of putting together a runway show' worked. 'I've been backstage at fashion shows but it's ten times better than I could've even imagined.' She adds: 'I mean, it's just so surreal.' Dolce & Gabbana designers Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce present Kim with a gift ahead of the show. 'This a special gift for you,' says Domenico as he hands the SKKN by Kim founder a red velvet box with a letter on top and stems of pink roses. The designing duo gifted Kim a stunning diamond cross necklace, with Stefano quipping: 'It's not Swarovski.' 'This is beautiful! You guys' says a shocked Kim before giving them both a kiss on the cheek. 'The honor is mine. I love you guys,' she tells them. 'I have to wear [this necklace] tonight,' she says, with Domenico happily helping the mother-of-four fasten it around her neck. It proves to be a full circle moment for Kim as she reveals to fans that 'the first thing I ever got with a check was a diamond cross necklace.' 'This is the nicest piece of jewelry I own,' she confesses to Domenico and Stefano. 'Because I lost it all.' Kim was referring to the Paris hotel robbery in 2016, where she was allegedly robbed of approximately $10million in jewelry by a group of masked men. 'After I was robbed in Paris, I haven't bought jewelry or have really been about wearing jewelry because when it was taken from me it was such a' says Kim, pausing to find the right words. 'I didn't know I was ready for that experience of what that meant, but, like, I was ready to, like, give it up.' Kim teases Domenico: 'You ruined it for the next boyfriend who tries to buy me something!' She explains in confessional just how meaningful getting the necklace was for her. 'This was more than just getting a diamond cross necklace. This, like, brought a piece of my glamour back to me and that's why it's so special that I got it back from a really meaningful experience.' 'The entire look is exactly how I envisioned it,' Kim gushes about her collection. 'This is like a bucket list moment and I wanna live in this moment' 'Kim, we can watch the screen right here,' says one of her team members, who directs her over to the four-screen monitor Ciao, Kim! The venue lights turn off and a large screen lights up with black-and-white imagery of Kim emulating Old Hollywood glamour girls A nervous Kim asks Domenico and Stefano for advice about walking onto the catwalk with them after the models complete their stint, telling them to 'not leave me hanging' out there. With just 20 minutes to go, Khloe, their mother Kris Jenner, Kris' boyfriend Corey Gamble, all four of Kim's children, and her BFF La La Anthony are seen arriving. They all join Kim backstage. Kim's youngest daughter looks darling in a black, crystal-covered jumpsuit, which immediately catches Khloe's eye as she's wearing a very similar look. 'We need to take a picture together because we look like twins,' she tells her niece. Domenico informs Kim that it's 'time to dress the models' and then the show will begin. 'Now the anxiety kicks in,' she remarks, taking a deep, nervous breath. Her children wish her good luck, along with little sister Khloe, to which she replies: 'Thank you!' Kim is then whisked away as the countdown to the show reaches the four-minute mark. The audience is packed with fans, fashionistas and photographers all eager to see what Kim's co-created with the Italian fashion house. 'We're perfecting it to the last minute. Each girl by girl, like, "No, it has to be more Kim-ish. Like, a lighter lip and darker liner and the hair has to be this and the eye has to be a little smokier,"' she recalls in confessional. 'But I am so f**king nervous. This just has to go perfect.' Khloe calls the whole experience 'surreal' as she and the rest of Kim's family and friends take their seats front row. She continues: 'This is a fashion show that my sister's creative directing! All of this sounds outrageous and, like, how did we get here? 'And I hope I never lose that and I hope we never lose that. Like, how is this real life?' 'You guys look amazing. So good,' Kim tells the models as they're set to hit the catwalk in just two minutes. The D&G team is seen sewing pieces onto the models while the hair and makeup artists perfect the models' looks. Some of the runway mavens even take a moment to check themselves out in the mirrors that fill the backstage area. 'So beautiful. I love it. I just want to watch you do the finishing touches,' Kim tells Domenico as he scans each model up and down. Epic: Kim is a total vision in her black beaded gown and blonde bouffant as she confidently makes the daunting walk halfway down the runway during which she's greeted with roaring applause Domenico and Stefano then join her and the trio lock arms They believe the show will make 'history' 'The entire look is exactly how I envisioned it,' Kim gushes. 'This is like a bucket list moment and I wanna live in this moment.' The lights in the venue turn off, signaling it's just about showtime. 'Kim, we can watch the screen right here,' says one of her team members, who directs her over to the four-screen monitor. Kim wishes the models good luck, before telling viewers that she feels that 'today is a make it or break it for my career because this is my first time doing something solo and on my own and it's the first time [Domenico and Stefano] have done something like this. 'I feel like if this isn't good, I will never be hired to do a campaign or anything again. This could ruin everything.' A screen lights up the venue with giant text reading: 'Ciao, Kim' A short black-and-white film plays showing Kim emulating iconic Old Hollywood glamour girls like Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe. She's seated at table where she's served a plate of delicious pasta. 'So beautiful girls,' Kim remarks backstage as the models begin to walk single file towards the runway. With the clip of Kim chowing down on pasta behind them, the catwalk queens begin their highly-anticipated strut. 'The energy is so crazy. Just to have the girls all ready, all dressed up in all of their looks walking down the runway. Just seeing Stefano right there to fix every every hair and to give them a positive note as they walk out,' she gushes. 'This part is so fun. This is where the energy is.' The looks are ultra glamorous, with each model dripping in diamonds while rocking see-through catsuits and other pieces worthy of a modern day femme fatale. Clearly proud of her daughter, Kris brands the entire show 'spectacular' and breathtaking.' 'I was in awe. I was just mesmerized. It was just beautiful,' she adds. It's now time for Kim's walkout. 'The walkout is what makes me so nervous because if people [don't like the collection] then it's just me they'll blame,' Kim says in confessional. 'Okay, we go on right after the finale. This is your place,' Domenico instructs Kim. The lights shut off once again and then the screen that once played the glamorous visuals of the bleached blonde bombshell begins to split in half, revealing Kim in silhouette. 'The moment of just walking out. That moment when the curtain opens. Our audio girl, Patsy, who we've worked with forever was standing on the side like bawling,' she recalls in confessional. Kim had to remind herself not to cry and to just 'get out there' and do her thing. Kim is a total vision in her black beaded gown and blonde bouffant as she confidently makes the daunting walk halfway down the runway during which she's greeted with roaring applause. Fans learned all the details of Khloe Kardashian's flirty night with 'soft porn' star Michele Morrone in the fifth episode of season three of Hulu's The Kardashians Viral moment: Rumors of a potential romance ran wild after Michele shared a very steamy snap of himself and Khloe to his Instagram Story during the festivities 'I think he's super hot. He's like a man ,' Khloe admits in confessional. 'He's tall and hot and muscular' 'We'll see you tonight,' Khloe tells him, referring to the post-runway show dinner and after-party D&G is hosting to celebrate Kim Girl talk: While getting ready for the rest of the night, Khloe is asked about Michele, which reminds her to show Kris and her pals the picture of her and Michele that's circulating online Him?! Khloe reveals to her mom that she learned Michele is the 'face of Dolce & Gabbana' and that she had no idea and neither did Kris, who proceeds to pull up a photo of him posing for D&G shirtless Domenico and Stefano then join her and the trio lock arms. 'It's super emotional when you've worked on something for a longtime and it's coming to life,' she explains. 'And this is the moment that you're nervous of, that you're proud of, that you just want to soak up the moment and live in the moment.' Kim blows kisses at the crowd while Domenico and Stefano wave and bow. 'This crazy life. I still will never get over that this is my life,' she says with a smile. 'Kim killed it,' Khloe tells the audience while mom Kris says: 'I'm so damn proud of her.' Kim admits in confessional that she 'had no idea what this relationship' with Dolce & Gabbana 'was gonna be' upon agreeing to co-design the brand's Spring 2023 line. 'And it just ended up being so much more and exactly what I needed.' Kim toasts champagne with the Dolce & Gabbana team before heading backstage to ask her children 'what they think' of it all. 'Mommy, I didn't like it,' her son Saint, seven, tells her, before blurting out: 'I loved it!' Her three little ones tackle her with hugs on a red velvet couch. Suddenly, Michele Morrone aka Khloe's potential suitor enters the area while Khloe is just feet away sipping on champagne. He and Khloe were seated beside one another during the fashion show. She proceeds to introduce the 365 actor to their friends and family. 'I think he's super hot. He's like a man,' Khloe admits in confessional. 'He's tall and hot and muscular.' 'We'll see you tonight,' Khloe tells him, referring to the post-runway show dinner D&G is hosting to celebrate Kim. Khloe acknowledges she's had a 'tough year' after welcoming a son via surrogate who she previously admitted to having trouble bonding with and healing her heart after Tristan's recurrent betrayals. 'I'm excited to be in a new environment and have new energy. Like, even if it's my same group of girls! We all act different when we're out of town.' Kim and the rest of the ladies change into entirely new D&G looks. 'We're changing looks to go to the dinner and after-party,' Kris explains. 'The show was amazing. It was such a great, great day.' Khloe is asked about Michele, which reminds her to show a picture of her and the actor that's circulating online. 'It's like everywhere but I don't care 'cause it's so funny,' she says. 'He's like kissing my forehead,' as she shows the camera the cozy image. She recalls: 'He was like, "Can I put my hand on your waist for a photo?" And I was like, "That is so nice that you asked me!" 'He liked grabbed the small of my waist and I was like, "Oh! Yes, daddy!" Khloe says with a laugh. Khloe learns that Michele posted the photo on his Instagram Story, which explains how the it ended up 'everywhere' online. She says she 'doesn't care' that he posted it because the narrative that the two may be dating is 'better than the narrative I've been having' referring to Tristan's antics. Kim admits in confessional that she had no idea just how famous Michele was when she 'plotted' the entire set-up for Khloe. 'We couldn't have asked for this to go better to be honest,' she tells viewers. Khloe says it was 'cute' of her sister for 'plotting and planning for me to hookup with someone here in Milan.' Khloe reveals to her mom that she learned Michele is the 'face of Dolce & Gabbana' and that she had no idea and neither did Kris, who proceeds to pull up a photo of him posing for D&G shirtless. Back in LA, Kourtney is hanging at her and Travis' Calabasas mansion with her stylist Dani Michelle. Kourtney confesses to Dani that she 'didn't watch' Kim's Dolce & Gabbana show 'but I saw photos and I saw that it was like the 90s as their theme.' She thought it was 'so crazy' to see that because of the items that Dolce had presented to her for her wedding, which was their more recent designs and patterns. 'Then [Travis and I] insisted that it had to be 90s Dolce,' she claims. She then recalls Dani having to go to Milan to scour through the D&G archives to pull the 'special' 90s silhouettes, etc. that she wanted. Kourtney says that Kim's runway show 'was just weird' for her because many of the looks resembled ones she's worn from the brand and what appeared at her May 2022 wedding. 'Well, have you talked to Kim about it and how you feel? Dani asks. 'No, she's there doing this whole thing [and] I want her to have her time, you know?' she replies. Kourtney claims that she was 'never really told the concept' of Kim's collaboration 'was gonna be 90s and then it just feels like she took the mood board we sent my family and made it.' She continues: '[Kim's] putting out all these vibes from my wedding with looks that [Kourtney and Dani] so carefully curated and then putting it into the fashion show,.' Dani admits that it was 'a lot of work' putting together Kourtney's wedding looks, with Kourtney adding that they had to push to make it happen. Back in LA, Kourtney is hanging at her and Travis' Calabasas mansion with her stylist Dani Michelle Kourtney confesses to Dani that she 'didn't watch' Kim's Dolce & Gabbana show 'but I saw photos and I saw that it was like the 90s as their theme' Kourtney says that Kim's runway show 'was just weird' for her because many of the looks resembled ones she's worn from the brand and what appeared at her May 2022 wedding 'Do you think you'll say something to Dolce and talk to them about it? Dani asks. 'Maybe not. I think maybe I did think it was more of a personal relationship which is why I ended up doing my whole wedding with them,' Kourtney explains. But she understands that Dolce & Gabbana is 'also a brand [and] I can't really expect as much from them as I would from my sister. 'Or even I'm sure that my mom did the deal and it's just bizarre that she wouldn't mention it to me.' She also noted that the 'timing' of the show bothered her because 'it was four months after my wedding. 'This had to be being planned and worked on for months to get such a big production done.' All in all, Kourtney says she is 'happy with my wedding and the way it all happened.' The after-party is just beginning in Milan and Kim makes her grand arrival in a dress that she 'can't even walk in.' Kim says she's 'on cloud nine' as she's already seen that positive reviews for her show are rolling in. She gushes in confessional: 'We've seen reviews. We've gotten all the energy and the calls. Like, now we're feeling ourselves, like, we did it!' Domenico and Stefano believe Kim's show will go down in 'history.' Khloe praises Kim for stepping out of her ex-husband Kanye West's shadow after he spent years styling her and creating a collection of her very own. 'Kim, you've been a fashionista since you've been born. And you don't need anybody else but your little self,' she says. 'So, you better own that s**t.' During dinner, after the toasts and applause, Khloe throws a little shade at her sister Kourtney for seemingly not being 'happy' for Kim. 'She got so mad,' Kim interjected. 'She was like, "You're trying to copy me," but she always tries to hate. She's such a hater.' Still being shady to her big sister, Khloe continued: 'So I don't know where this is coming from so you just let someone pout in the corner. 'You don't entertain it and you move on because you don't get jealous of your family.' Kris believes Kim and Kourtney's feud is gonna 'work itself out' because, at the end of the day, 'they have this deep love for one another and they'll figure it out.' Kim explains that she did the D&G collaboration to 'push myself mentally' but knowing Kourtney's mad 'just kills my vibe. 'I have to talk to her and explain it to her. I just want her to be happy for me. This was too big of a moment to not be proud.' The Kardashian-Jenner ladies eventually make their way back home to Los Angeles and Kris and Khloe are seen getting in an early morning mother-daughter workout session. Khloe recalls the prank North West pulled on her and how she found the rose and note but refused to knock on her neighbor's door. She then happened to run into the mystery man and she thanked him for the note and he obviously had no idea what she was talking about. 'I told him the whole thing and he was like, "Can I see the note?" So, I went to get the note and I gave it to him and he was like, "One, I am so offended that you thought this would be my handwriting. And two, I just didn't write this for you."' 'And while I was talking I was thinking, "North!" I don't know why I thought North.' 'This note is from my f**king nine-year-old niece,' she says in confessional. 'I'm mortified because I am this much of a f**king loser that I'm gonna accept any child's handwritten letter to me and take it as an admirer.' Though North penned the note, Khloe knew that 'North didn't come up with this story on her own' and that Kim had to know about it. 'Kim's a f**king b*tch for not texting me a heads up,' she snaps. Despite her sister's anger, Kim thought it was 'so f**king funny' that she would think that note was written by a grown man. 'They're all a**holes, actually,' Khloe tells cameras, clearly still shaken by the prank. The episode then travels to Santa Barbara, California on the anniversary of Kourtney and Travis' engagement. Countless crew members are seen setting up a giant rose display in the shape of a heart, along with lit candles. It is a complete recreation of the display he had created for their engagement in October 2021. Romantic: The episode then travels to Santa Barbara, California on the anniversary of Kourtney and Travis' engagement. Countless crew members are seen setting up a giant rose display in the shape of a heart, along with lit candles No idea: She insists that she 'had no idea' that Travis was 'setting up any surprise' for her He presents her with a sweet photo album of all the pictures they've taken together since the start of their relationship, as well as a new and improved version of a necklace he'd gotten her for Christmas The couple walk down the beach towards the romantic set-up. 'I wanted to go to Santa Barbara to the same hotel where we got engaged a year ago,' Kourtney explains in confessional. She insists that she 'had no idea' that Travis was 'setting up any surprise' for her. 'It was just the most special and romantic thing anyone has ever done,' she gushes to the audience. 'It's just us and, like, a million roses,' says Travis while seated on a blanket beside his wife. He presents her with a sweet photo album of all the pictures they've taken together since the start of their relationship, as well as a new and improved version of a necklace he'd gotten her for Christmas. The original one 'was stolen and so Travis got me the same necklace again but a little bit more beautiful.' Kourtney begins to tear up, admitting that she was so happy to have her necklace, again. Holding hands, the pair getup from their sandy spot and bravely rush into the ice cold ocean water. After their romantic beach night, the couple head to their hotel in Montecito, where a bed of roses is waiting for them and Kourtney bids the cameras farewell. The Kardashians airs every Thursday on Hulu. The Kardashians S3 is available to stream on Disney+ in the UK. Fans learned all the details of Khloe Kardashian's flirty night with 'soft porn' star Michele Morrone in the fifth episode of season three of Hulu's The Kardashians. Khloe, 38, was setup with Michele, 32, by her sister Kim Kardashian, 42, during last year's Milan Fashion Week, where Kim was debuting her collection with Dolce & Gabbana. Rumors of a potential romance ran wild after Michele shared a very steamy snap of himself and Khloe to his Instagram Story during the festivities. 'I think he's super hot. He's like a man,' Khloe admits in confessional. 'He's tall and hot and muscular.' They were seated next to one another during the runway show and met up backstage after it wrapped. Fans learned all the details of Khloe Kardashian's flirty night with 'soft porn' star Michele Morrone in the fifth episode of season three of Hulu's The Kardashians Viral moment: Rumors of a potential romance ran wild after Michele shared a very steamy snap of himself and Khloe to his Instagram Story during last year's Milan Fashion Week She proceeds to introduce the 365 actor to their friends and family. 'We'll see you tonight,' Khloe tells him, referring to the post-runway show dinner and after-party D&G is hosting to celebrate Kim. While getting ready for the rest of the night, Khloe is asked about Michele, which reminds her to show Kris and her pals the picture of her and Michele that's circulating online. 'It's like everywhere but I don't care 'cause it's so funny,' she says. 'He's like kissing my forehead. She shows the steamy image to the camera. Khloe recalls taking the picture and how Michele 'was like, "Can I put my hand on your waist for a photo?" 'And I was like, "That is so nice that you asked me!" He liked grabbed the small of my waist and I was like, "Oh! Yes, daddy!" she says with a laugh. Khloe learns that Michele posted the photo on his Instagram Story, which explains how the it ended up 'everywhere' online. She says she 'doesn't care' that he posted it because the narrative that the two may be dating is 'better than the narrative I've been having' referring to Tristan's antics. Kim admits in confessional that she had no idea just how famous Michele was when she 'plotted' the entire set-up for Khloe. 'We couldn't have asked for this to go better to be honest,' she tells viewers. Khloe says it was 'cute' of her sister for 'plotting and planning for me to hookup with someone here in Milan.' Khloe reveals to her mom that she learned Michele is the 'face of Dolce & Gabbana' and that she had no idea and neither did Kris, who proceeds to pull up a photo of him posing for D&G shirtless. She's thoroughly impressed and seems thrilled her daughter is about to spend the evening with Michele by her side. In confessional, Khloe says that she's had 'tough year' after welcoming a son via surrogate who she previously admitted to having trouble bonding with and healing her heart after Tristan's recurrent betrayals. As she speaks, Khloe is seen mingling with Michele as the rest of her family hits the dance floor. 'I'm excited to be in a new environment and have new energy. Like, even if it's my same group of girls! We all act different when we're out of town.' The episode kicks off in Milan, Italy as Kim's just one day away from debuting her collection with Dolce & Gabbana during MFW, which took place in September 2022. 'I am so tired. I'm delirious,' Kim confesses to BFF Natalie Halcro as they hangout in her Paris hotel room with her eldest daughter North West, 10, just feet away. 'The last few days have been exhausting,' she tells cameras as it's revealed her stylist 'forgot her passport' and that 'a lot of the 90s stuff' is missing from the collection. Kim reveals that only 35 of the 80 looks set to grace the runway are complete but that they will 'work all through the night' to get them done before the big show. Back in the hotel room, Kim's longtime pal Tracy Romulus tells Kim that while she's been busy putting the finishing touches on her collection, there's been a major update in Khloe's love life. 'I haven't looked at my phone,' Kim admits. 'Khloe's been saying, "Mayday! Mayday! 911,' on the group chat this afternoon' Tracy informs her. 'You know why?' Tracy asks,' to which Kim replies: 'Why?' Sister setup! Khloe, 38, was setup with Michele, 32, by her sister Kim Kardashian, 42, who was in Milan debuting her collection with Dolce & Gabbana Front row: They were seated next to one another during the runway show and met up backstage after it wrapped Natalie explains that Khloe ran into a 'hot guy' in the elevator at the hotel and he 'asked where she's staying and he said his room number.' According to Natalie, Khloe told the hunk: 'That's right across from me!' 'Like literally right next-door to each other,' Tracy adds. 'Right across from [Khloe] as the end of the hall and there's only two doors' says Kim, marveling at the coincidence. 'So, I was like, "Khloe, we have to invite him to the Dolce & Gabbana party. Let's slip an invited under his door,"' Tracy recalls. 'Oh my God,' Kim replies, visibly stunned. North clearly feeling mischievous chimes in, telling her famous mom: 'We should make a note saying it's from him and hang it on KoKo's door, like, "Can we go on a date?" Kim is totally up for the idea as she, North and her pals excitedly search for a piece of paper in the hotel. Kim hands North a notepad and tells her exactly what to write. 'Say, "Hi, Khloe,"' Kim begins, with Tracy adding: 'Knock on my door two times '.if you wanna go on a date,' Kim finishes. In confessional Kim says that she 'just hopes Khloe won't get pissed off' because they 'just want her to have a good time.' In the previous episode, Khloe felt as though Kim thinks she's 'lost my mojo' after what love rat ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson had put her through, which included multiple instances of infidelity and a paternity scandal in 2021 which DailyMail.com had exclusively revealed. Kim places the note and a single white rose in a plastic bag before rushing down the hotel hallway with North and her tight-knit friend group. 'Be quiet,' North whispers, reminding her mom and pals that 'people are asleep.' Kim tells her daughter that she's 'the best prankster' before hopping out of the elevator on Khloe's floor and sneakily sticking the bagged note on her hotel room door. 'Mission accomplished, ladies!' Kim exclaims as they successfully make it back to their floor without getting caught. The episode also shows the lead up to Kim and sister Kourtney's soon-to-be showdown. The rival sisters have been feuding over Kim co-creating a runway collection with Dolce & Gabbana in 2022 just four months after the brand curated Kourtney's Italian wedding to Travis Barker. Kim showed another side to her as she pondered the idea of having a one-on-one with her 'jealous' older sister though Khloe admits she's 'fearful' things with Kourtney will go south if the SKIMS founder fails to keep herself in line. 'Don't be like, "I don't give a f**k!" Like, don't be like, "I don't need your f**king permission." Like, "Who do you think you are?" You can't be that Kim,' Khloe warns. 'Yeah,' says Kim. 'So, get it out now because I can see it boiling inside of you.' 'I'll be like, "B*tch you think I need your permission?"' Kim exclaims. 'Yeah, you can't do that. It's not a d**k measuring contest. You gotta big d**k. She's got a nice size d**k. You guys are good,' Khloe tells her. A smiling Kim replies with, "Ok.' Khloe also doesn't think their mom Kris Jenner should be present. 'I think he's super hot. He's like a man ,' Khloe admits in confessional. 'He's tall and hot and muscular' Introductions: She proceeds to introduce the 365 actor to their friends and family Kim tells her daughter that she's 'the best prankster' before hopping out of the elevator on Khloe's floor and sneakily sticking the bagged note on her hotel room door. 'Mission accomplished, ladies!' Kim exclaims as they successfully make it back to their floor without getting caught. The episode also shows the lead up to Kim and sister Kourtney's soon-to-be showdown. The rival sisters have been feuding over Kim co-creating a runway collection with Dolce & Gabbana in 2022 just four months after the brand curated Kourtney's Italian wedding to Travis Barker. Kim showed another side to her as she pondered the idea of having a one-on-one with her 'jealous' older sister though Khloe admits she's 'fearful' things with Kourtney will go south if the SKIMS founder fails to keep herself in line. 'Don't be like, "I don't give a f**k!" Like, don't be like, "I don't need your f**king permission." Like, "Who do you think you are?" You can't be that Kim,' Khloe warns. 'Yeah,' says Kim. 'So, get it out now because I can see it boiling inside of you.' 'I'll be like, "B*tch you think I need your permission?"' Kim exclaims. 'Yeah, you can't do that. It's not a d**k measuring contest. You gotta big d**k. She's got a nice size d**k. You guys are good,' Khloe tells her. A smiling Kim replies with, "Ok.' Khloe also doesn't think their mom Kris Jenner should be present. 'Because mom will say, "F**k you! I've known [Domenico and Stefano]." And then it's totally a d**k measuring contest. 'And we all know she has the biggest schlong,' Khloe jokes. In confessional, Kris teases that it's 'really not a competition' between the girls because she always 'wins that contest.' Kim's candid talk with Khloe kicked off with her admitting that she had failed to speak to Kourtney after her runway show debut. 'I know it's really crazy,' Kim admits. 'I hope she's gonna talk to you about it. I really wish she would but she definitely feels like you kind of stole her thunder,' Khloe explains. 'I get that,' Kim says. In confessional Khloe says that she 'found out that Kourt is so upset because she actually called my crying. 'We'll see you tonight,' Khloe tells him, referring to the post-runway show dinner and after-party D&G is hosting to celebrate Kim Girl talk: While getting ready for the rest of the night, Khloe is asked about Michele, which reminds her to show Kris and her pals the picture of her and Michele that's circulating online All good: 'It's like everywhere but I don't care 'cause it's so funny,' she says. 'He's like kissing my forehead' 'She feels like her wedding moment was taken away from her and she just feels like there's no loyalty in the family and that everyone wants what the other person has.' Khloe tells Kim that she's heard that Kourtney's friends have also been 'riling her up' about it all behind the scenes. Her words were, 'Everyone thinks this is the weirdest thing,' Khloe adds. Kim decides to call her friend Simon Huck, who also happens to be one of Kourtney's best friends. 'If anyone knows where Kourtney's head is at it's Simon.' Simon pick up the phone and Kim jumps right into it. 'I need to brainstorm with you because we need to figure out how we're gonna talk about Dolce because [Kourtney] doesn't really wanna talk about it,' Kim explains. Simon keeps it real with the SKIMS founder, telling her that it 'might not be a good time to say something' to Kourtney. Kim is confused as to why Kourtney wouldn't want to talk it out, with Simon explaining that Kourtney feels as though 'nothing will get solved' by doing so. 'But what is there to solve?' Kim asks. 'That you should've said no and that just wasn't gonna happen,' he replies. 'I think it's also that she found out after the fact,' Simon beings to explain but Kim interrupts him. 'That's not true. I told her before. I invited her and Travis. I had those conversations, she just didn't know that it was this big of a deal.' Kim says that she 'shouldn't have to ask her for permission' and that she feels also she 'was really being mindful. 'There were so many collections that I wanted to do. Like I would have done something from the Madonna collection but [Kourtney] wore something at her wedding,' Kim explains. 'So I said, 'Don't do any of that. Don't do any of the lace that she wore at her wedding.' She reveals that several looks that Kourtney wore at her wedding were ensembles that Kim's actually worn before, including a Madonna dress back in 2018. 'And she wore [that dress] as her bridal thing with the black veil. The same outfit,' she says. 'That I already own.' She tells Simon and Khloe that D&G also 'wanted to do black veils and I said, 'Absolutely not because Kourtney had them at her wedding.' Khloe interjects, 'All of these things are information she's not aware of and maybe that would make her feel better.' Simon confirms that Kourtney 'doesn't know any of that information.' Khloe reminds Kim that Kourtney's been saying that 'everyone of her friends' has been remarking on how 'weird' the ordeal. Kim fires back: 'But she doesn't have any friends. So, Travis?' Kim's brutal remark takes Khloe aback and her eyes bug out, leaving fans wondering if the rage simply runs too deep. Hunk: Khloe reveals to her mom that she learned Michele is the 'face of Dolce & Gabbana' and that she had no idea... ...and neither did Kris, who proceeds to pull up a photo of him posing for D&G shirtless No clue: Kim admits in confessional that she had no idea just how famous Michele was when she 'plotted' the entire set-up for Khloe In confessional, Khloe says that she's had 'tough year' after welcoming a son via surrogate who she previously admitted to having trouble bonding with and healing her heart after Tristan's recurrent betrayals Back in Los Angeles, Kourtney, Travis and her youngest son Reign, eight, are at the grand opening of the latest Crossroads Kitchen location in Calabasas. Travis is one of the founding owners of the upscale vegan restaurant chain, which also has locations in West Hollywood and Las Vegas. They're seen mingling with Calabasas Mayor Mary Sue Maurer, who is there for the ribbon cutting ceremony. 'Reign's asking if he should cut the ribbon,' Kourtney tells Travis. They gesture Reign to get behind the ribbon and Mayor Mary hands him the scissors. The crowd cheers as he confidently does the honors, thus signaling the restaurant's opening. Pop punk princess Avril Lavigne is in attendance with her former fiance Mod Sun who she abruptly split from in February 2023. 'The [grand opening] is such a vibe and it has a cool bar and they're gonna have matcha margaritas, which is really exciting. And I am excited to have a good restaurant to go to in Calabasas,' she says in confessional. Kourtney, Travis and their kids slide into a booth for dinner. 'What do you guys think?' Travis asks the family. 'Its wild, right? It's gonna be a game changer. Crazy.' In confessional, Kourtney explains that they're their with Reign, as well as her daughter Penelope, Travis' former step-daughter Atiana De La Hoya, his daughter Alabama and several of their friends. 'Your family is not there though,' a producer remarks. Kourtney's body stiffens up before replying that Travis and the gang 'is my family.' At the table, Reign and Travis engage in an arm wrestling contest. 'Travis, can we wrestle,' he says to his step-dad before asking the cameramen: 'Can one of them camera us? Are you videoing? 'Ok, threetwoone!' exclaims the little boy. 'Ugh! You got me! You got me,' says Travis as he sweetly lets Reign win. Kourtney then praises her husband for committing himself to veganism for over a decade. 'It's really cool that Travis made this lifestyle choice 15 years ago to be vegan and then has gone on to open theses restaurants with his friend and chef, Tal [Ronnen],' she gushes in confessional. At the dinner table, Kourtney takes the opportunity to ask her son if he's 'been eating crayons and paper at school?' 'I didn't eat crayons at school,' he insists, but Kourtney isn't buying it. 'So, what's your teacher talking about?' 'She's a liar,' Reign replies. This earns a laugh from the entire table. Travis abruptly leaves the table to take a call from celebrity jeweler Lorraine Schwartz, whose worked with the likes of Beyonce and Blake Lively. 'So, I was expecting two more stones from Europe today but they're stuck in customs. They should be there by the morning in LA,' she tells Travis over the phone. '[Kourtney and I's] anniversary is Monday so we're going to Santa Barbara and I would just need it Sunday. Where are [the stones] coming from,' he asks. Lorraine repeats that they're 'coming from Europe.' Travis offers to 'fly someone out there' to get them but, unfortunately, the stones are 'already in transit.' He hangs up the phone and heads back inside. 'What were you doing out there?' Kourtney asks, to which Travis replies: 'Just getting some fresh air. Changing the subject, Travis thanks his wife for supporting him at the grand opening. 'Yeah, I'm so excited. We've been waiting for this for so long,' Kourtney says. The episode flips back to Milan on the day of Kim's D&G show with just 45 minutes left before the models make their way down the catwalk. A slew of celebrities arrive to the event, including the hunky actor/model Michele Morrone, who Kim is trying to set Khloe up. Kim arrives with daughter North West, 10, in a black sprinter van, both glammed to the nines in rhinestones. Sister showdown: The lead up to Kim Kardashian and sister Kourtney's soon-to-be showdown was shown in the fifth episode of season three of Hulu's The Kardashians on Thursday Kim showed another side to her as she pondered the idea of having a one-on-one with her 'jealous' older sister, while Kourtney threw shade at the Kardashian-Jenner clan by proclaiming that her family with Travis is her true family Feud: The rival sisters have been feuding over Kim co-creating a runway collection with Dolce & Gabbana in 2022 just four months after the brand curated Kourtney's Italian wedding to Travis Barker 'Today is the show day,' Kim tells the audience. 'So, everything we've been working towards is all happening today. This is pure chaos, like, girls are still being styled and they're still doing their hair and makeup. They're still figuring it all out and getting them already.' Kim admits that she 'didn't really know how the whole process' of putting together a runway show' worked. 'I've been backstage at fashion shows but it's ten times better than I could've even imagined.' She adds: 'I mean, it's just so surreal.' Dolce & Gabbana designers Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce present Kim with a gift ahead of the show. 'This a special gift for you,' says Domenico as he hands the SKKN by Kim founder a red velvet box with a letter on top and stems of pink roses. The designing duo gifted Kim a stunning diamond cross necklace, with Stefano quipping: 'It's not Swarovski.' 'This is beautiful! You guys' says a shocked Kim before giving them both a kiss on the cheek. 'The honor is mine. I love you guys,' she tells them. 'I have to wear [this necklace] tonight,' she says, with Domenico happily helping the mother-of-four fasten it around her neck. It proves to be a full circle moment for Kim as she reveals to fans that 'the first thing I ever got with a check was a diamond cross necklace.' 'This is the nicest piece of jewelry I own,' she confesses to Domenico and Stefano. 'Because I lost it all.' Kim was referring to the Paris hotel robbery in 2016, where she was allegedly robbed of approximately $10million in jewelry by a group of masked men. 'After I was robbed in Paris, I haven't bought jewelry or have really been about wearing jewelry because when it was taken from me it was such a' says Kim, pausing to find the right words. 'I didn't know I was ready for that experience of what that meant, but, like, I was ready to, like, give it up.' Kim teases Domenico: 'You ruined it for the next boyfriend who tries to buy me something!' She explains in confessional just how meaningful getting the necklace was for her. 'This was more than just getting a diamond cross necklace. This, like, brought a piece of my glamour back to me and that's why it's so special that I got it back from a really meaningful experience.' A nervous Kim asks Domenico and Stefano for advice about walking onto the catwalk with them after the models complete their stint, telling them to 'not leave me hanging' out there. With just 20 minutes to go, Khloe, their mother Kris Jenner, Kris' boyfriend Corey Gamble, all four of Kim's children, and her BFF La La Anthony are seen arriving. They all join Kim backstage. Kim's youngest daughter looks darling in a black, crystal-covered jumpsuit, which immediately catches Khloe's eye as she's wearing a very similar look. 'We need to take a picture together because we look like twins,' she tells her niece. Domenico informs Kim that it's 'time to dress the models' and then the show will begin. 'Now the anxiety kicks in,' she remarks, taking a deep, nervous breath. Her children wish her good luck, along with little sister Khloe, to which she replies: 'Thank you!' Kim is then whisked away as the countdown to the show reaches the four-minute mark. The audience is packed with fans, fashionistas and photographers all eager to see what Kim's co-created with the Italian fashion house. 'We're perfecting it to the last minute. Each girl by girl, like, "No, it has to be more Kim-ish. Like, a lighter lip and darker liner and the hair has to be this and the eye has to be a little smokier,"' she recalls in confessional. 'But I am so f**king nervous. This just has to go perfect.' Khloe calls the whole experience 'surreal' as she and the rest of Kim's family and friends take their seats front row. She continues: 'This is a fashion show that my sister's creative directing! All of this sounds outrageous and, like, how did we get here? 'And I hope I never lose that and I hope we never lose that. Like, how is this real life?' 'You guys look amazing. So good,' Kim tells the models as they're set to hit the catwalk in just two minutes. The D&G team is seen sewing pieces onto the models while the hair and makeup artists perfect the models' looks. Some of the runway mavens even take a moment to check themselves out in the mirrors that fill the backstage area. 'So beautiful. I love it. I just want to watch you do the finishing touches,' Kim tells Domenico as he scans each model up and down. 'The entire look is exactly how I envisioned it,' Kim gushes. 'This is like a bucket list moment and I wanna live in this moment.' The lights in the venue turn off, signaling it's just about showtime. 'Kim, we can watch the screen right here,' says one of her team members, who directs her over to the four-screen monitor. Kim wishes the models good luck, before telling viewers that she feels that 'today is a make it or break it for my career because this is my first time doing something solo and on my own and it's the first time [Domenico and Stefano] have done something like this. 'I feel like if this isn't good, I will never be hired to do a campaign or anything again. This could ruin everything.' A screen lights up the venue with giant text reading: 'Ciao, Kim' A short black-and-white film plays showing Kim emulating iconic Old Hollywood glamour girls like Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe. Back in Los Angeles, Kourtney Kardashian is supporting her husband Travis at the grand opening of the latest Crossroads Kitchen location in Calabasas In confessional, Kourtney explains that they're their with Reign, as well as her daughter Penelope, Travis' former step-daughter Atiana De La Hoya, his daughter Alabama and several of their friends 'Your family is not there though,' a producer remarks. Kourtney's body stiffens up before replying that Travis and the gang 'is my family' She's seated at table where she's served a plate of delicious pasta. 'So beautiful girls,' Kim remarks backstage as the models begin to walk single file towards the runway. With the clip of Kim chowing down on pasta behind them, the catwalk queens begin their highly-anticipated strut. 'The energy is so crazy. Just to have the girls all ready, all dressed up in all of their looks walking down the runway. Just seeing Stefano right there to fix every every hair and to give them a positive note as they walk out,' she gushes. 'This part is so fun. This is where the energy is.' The looks are ultra glamorous, with each model dripping in diamonds while rocking see-through catsuits and other pieces worthy of a modern day femme fatale. Clearly proud of her daughter, Kris brands the entire show 'spectacular' and breathtaking.' 'I was in awe. I was just mesmerized. It was just beautiful,' she adds. It's now time for Kim's walkout. 'The walkout is what makes me so nervous because if people [don't like the collection] then it's just me they'll blame,' Kim says in confessional. 'Okay, we go on right after the finale. This is your place,' Domenico instructs Kim. The lights shut off once again and then the screen that once played the glamorous visuals of the bleached blonde bombshell begins to split in half, revealing Kim in silhouette. 'The moment of just walking out. That moment when the curtain opens. Our audio girl, Patsy, who we've worked with forever was standing on the side like bawling,' she recalls in confessional. Kim had to remind herself not to cry and to just 'get out there' and do her thing. Kim is a total vision in her black beaded gown and blonde bouffant as she confidently makes the daunting walk halfway down the runway during which she's greeted with roaring applause. Domenico and Stefano then join her and the trio lock arms. 'It's super emotional when you've worked on something for a longtime and it's coming to life,' she explains. 'And this is the moment that you're nervous of, that you're proud of, that you just want to soak up the moment and live in the moment.' Kim blows kisses at the crowd while Domenico and Stefano wave and bow. 'This crazy life. I still will never get over that this is my life,' she says with a smile. 'Kim killed it,' Khloe tells the audience while mom Kris says: 'I'm so damn proud of her.' Kim admits in confessional that she 'had no idea what this relationship' with Dolce & Gabbana 'was gonna be' upon agreeing to co-design the brand's Spring 2023 line. 'And it just ended up being so much more and exactly what I needed.' Kim toasts champagne with the Dolce & Gabbana team before heading backstage to ask her children 'what they think' of it all. 'Mommy, I didn't like it,' her son Saint, seven, tells her, before blurting out: 'I loved it!' Her three little ones tackle her with hugs on a red velvet couch. Back in LA, Kourtney is hanging at her and Travis' Calabasas mansion with her stylist Dani Michelle. Kourtney confesses to Dani that she 'didn't watch' Kim's Dolce & Gabbana show 'but I saw photos and I saw that it was like the 90s as their theme.' She thought it was 'so crazy' to see that because of the items that Dolce had presented to her for her wedding, which was their more recent designs and patterns. 'Then [Travis and I] insisted that it had to be 90s Dolce,' she claims. She then recalls Dani having to go to Milan to scour through the D&G archives to pull the 'special' 90s silhouettes, etc. that she wanted. Kourtney says that Kim's runway show 'was just weird' for her because many of the looks resembled ones she's worn from the brand and what appeared at her May 2022 wedding. 'Well, have you talked to Kim about it and how you feel? Dani asks. 'No, she's there doing this whole thing [and] I want her to have her time, you know?' she replies. Kourtney claims that she was 'never really told the concept' of Kim's collaboration 'was gonna be 90s and then it just feels like she took the mood board we sent my family and made it.' Show day: The episode flips back to Milan on the day of Kim's D&G show with just 45 minutes left before the models make their way down the catwalk 'Today is the show day,' Kim tells the audience. 'So, everything we've been working towards is all happening today. This is pure chaos, like, girls are still being styled and they're still doing their hair and makeup. They're still figuring it all out and getting them already' 'Kim, we can watch the screen right here,' says one of her team members, who directs her over to the four-screen monitor Ciao, Kim! The venue lights turn off and a large screen lights up with black-and-white imagery of Kim emulating Old Hollywood glamour girls She continues: '[Kim's] putting out all these vibes from my wedding with looks that [Kourtney and Dani] so carefully curated and then putting it into the fashion show,.' Dani admits that it was 'a lot of work' putting together Kourtney's wedding looks, with Kourtney adding that they had to push to make it happen. 'Do you think you'll say something to Dolce and talk to them about it? Dani asks. 'Maybe not. I think maybe I did think it was more of a personal relationship which is why I ended up doing my whole wedding with them,' Kourtney explains. But she understands that Dolce & Gabbana is 'also a brand [and] I can't really expect as much from them as I would from my sister. 'Or even I'm sure that my mom did the deal and it's just bizarre that she wouldn't mention it to me.' She also noted that the 'timing' of the show bothered her because 'it was four months after my wedding. 'This had to be being planned and worked on for months to get such a big production done.' All in all, Kourtney says she is 'happy with my wedding and the way it all happened.' The after-party is just beginning in Milan and Kim makes her grand arrival in a dress that she 'can't even walk in.' Kim says she's 'on cloud nine' as she's already seen that positive reviews for her show are rolling in. She gushes in confessional: 'We've seen reviews. We've gotten all the energy and the calls. Like, now we're feeling ourselves, like, we did it!' Domenico and Stefano believe Kim's show will go down in 'history.' Khloe praises Kim for stepping out of her ex-husband Kanye West's shadow after he spent years styling her and creating a collection of her very own. 'Kim, you've been a fashionista since you've been born. And you don't need anybody else but your little self,' she says. 'So, you better own that s**t.' During dinner, after the toasts and applause, Khloe throws a little shade at her sister Kourtney for seemingly not being 'happy' for Kim. 'She got so mad,' Kim interjected. 'She was like, "You're trying to copy me," but she always tries to hate. She's such a hater.' Still being shady to her big sister, Khloe continued: 'So I don't know where this is coming from so you just let someone pout in the corner. 'You don't entertain it and you move on because you don't get jealous of your family.' Kris believes Kim and Kourtney's feud is gonna 'work itself out' because, at the end of the day, 'they have this deep love for one another and they'll figure it out.' Kim explains that she did the D&G collaboration to 'push myself mentally' but knowing Kourtney's mad 'just kills my vibe. 'I have to talk to her and explain it to her. I just want her to be happy for me. This was too big of a moment to not be proud.' The Kardashian-Jenner ladies eventually make their way back home to Los Angeles and Kris and Khloe are seen getting in an early morning mother-daughter workout session. Khloe recalls the prank North West pulled on her and how she found the rose and note but refused to knock on her neighbor's door. She then happened to run into the mystery man and she thanked him for the note and he obviously had no idea what she was talking about. 'I told him the whole thing and he was like, "Can I see the note?" So, I went to get the note and I gave it to him and he was like, "One, I am so offended that you thought this would be my handwriting. And two, I just didn't write this for you."' 'And while I was talking I was thinking, "North!" I don't know why I thought North.' 'This note is from my f**king nine-year-old niece,' she says in confessional. 'I'm mortified because I am this much of a f**king loser that I'm gonna accept any child's handwritten letter to me and take it as an admirer.' Though North penned the note, Khloe knew that 'North didn't come up with this story on her own' and that Kim had to know about it. 'Kim's a f**king b*tch for not texting me a heads up,' she snaps. Despite her sister's anger, Kim thought it was 'so f**king funny' that she would think that note was written by a grown man. 'They're all a**holes, actually,' Khloe tells cameras, clearly still shaken by the prank. The episode then travels to Santa Barbara, California on the anniversary of Kourtney and Travis' engagement. Countless crew members are seen setting up a giant rose display in the shape of a heart, along with lit candles. It is a complete recreation of the display he had created for their engagement in October 2021. The couple walk down the beach towards the romantic set-up. 'I wanted to go to Santa Barbara to the same hotel where we got engaged a year ago,' Kourtney explains in confessional. She insists that she 'had no idea' that Travis was 'setting up any surprise' for her. 'It was just the most special and romantic thing anyone has ever done,' she gushes to the audience. 'It's just us and, like, a million roses,' says Travis while seated on a blanket beside his wife. He presents her with a sweet photo album of all the pictures they've taken together since the start of their relationship, as well as a new and improved version of a necklace he'd gotten her for Christmas. The original one 'was stolen and so Travis got me the same necklace again but a little bit more beautiful.' Epic: Kim is a total vision in her black beaded gown and blonde bouffant as she confidently makes the daunting walk halfway down the runway during which she's greeted with roaring applause Domenico and Stefano then join her and the trio lock arms They believe the show will make 'history' Kourtney begins to tear up, admitting that she was so happy to have her necklace, again. Holding hands, the pair getup from their sandy spot and bravely rush into the ice cold ocean water. After their romantic beach night, the couple head to their hotel in Montecito, where a bed of roses is waiting for them and Kourtney bids the cameras farewell. The Kardashians airs every Thursday on Hulu. The Kardashians S3 is available to stream on Disney+ in the UK. Kyle Sandilands has weighed in on the mystery surrounding Shannon Noll's 'KFC ad' performance at State of Origin 2. Noll, 47, left fans at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane scratching their heads on Wednesday after he performed a song about the event's sponsor KFC. Even more perplexing, Channel Nine never broadcasted his performance, despite both the network and Noll heavily promoting his set on Instagram. Discussing the gaffe on The Kyle And Jackie O Show on Thursday, Sandilands speculated that something went wrong at the last minute. 'Normally if something like that's organised, there's months and months worth of contracts,' he said of Noll's performance. Kyle Sandilands (left) has weighed in on the mystery surrounding Shannon Noll's (right) 'KFC ad' performance at State of Origin 2. 'If you are going to perform, and it's going to be televised, they don't get to just choose [not to air it] on the day. Something must have gone wrong,' said Sandilands, who has been working in the broadcasting industry for decades. Co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson was also baffled by the situation, telling him: 'You would think if they're the sponsor, then why wouldn't they air that?' 'I don't know. It's just weird. Why give it to the people there and not the people at home?' she asked. Channel Nine never broadcasted his performance, despite both the network and Noll heavily promoting his set on Instagram Discussing the mystery on The Kyle And Jackie O Show on Thursday, Sandilands speculated that something went wrong at the last minute It comes after Origin and Nollsy fans expressed their confusion on social media following his performance. 'Did the NRL just make Shannon Noll perform a full song about the KFC Friday Night Footy jingle?' asked one bemused viewer on Twitter. 'Shannon Noll singing a KFC ad at Origin has to be as low as things could ever get #RIPTina,' wrote another. 'If you are going to perform, and it's going to be televised, they don't get to just choose [not to air it] on the day. Something must have gone wrong,' said Sandilands, who has been working in the broadcasting industry for decades ABC Sport's Nick Campton soon joined the chorus in disbelief. 'If I wasn't seeing Shannon Noll open his pre-game set with a KFC jingle I'd refuse to believe it happened,' he wrote said. 'Who needs Taylor Swift when you've got Shannon Noll at Suncorp Stadium singing a song about footy and chicken,' added another. 'Did the NRL just make Shannon Noll perform a full song about the KFC Friday Night Footy jingle?' asked one bemused viewer on Twitter Elsewhere, others were left perplexed as to why Shannon's performance was cut from the broadcast altogether. 'So Nine doesn't broadcast Shannon Noll's 'performance' because he was singing the theme song of the sponsor. Which would be a free ad. But ABC sport radio accidentally did cuz they were broadcasting pre match stuff. Funny,' wrote respected music journalist Kathy McCabe. 'They're showing even less of Shannon's performance than they did of The Living End's, i.e. none at all,' wrote another. 'They didn't even show a single Shannon Noll song?! I'm fuming. Getting in the big black shiny car to Drive and give some throat punching justice for Nollsie,' quipped another. Strangely, Channel Nine had heavily promoted Noll's appearance at the match on social media, suggesting that the move to not screen his performance was a last minute decision Emily Ratajkowski looked effortlessly sexy as she bared her cleavage and midriff while walking her dog Colombo in New York City on Wednesday. The 32-year-old supermodel - who was also spotted with the dog and her son days ago - wore a zip-up black sweater. She left the top partially unzipped, flashing her perky bust as she teamed it with low-rise, slightly baggy green pants. The runway regular added a pair of white sneakers and covered her brown eyes with rectangular black sunglasses. The mother-of-one wore her brunette locks loose, styled in a center part with shaggy bangs framing her face. Sultry: Emily Ratajkowski looked effortlessly sexy as she bared her cleavage and midriff while walking her dog Colombo in New York City on Wednesday Timeless staple: The 32-year-old supermodel wore a zip-up black sweater Emily, who hosts the podcast High/Low With Emrata, wore medium sized hoop earrings, a ring, and a necklace. She later took to Instagram to share a bathroom selfie, giving her 30 million followers a closer look at her. Emily has had Colombo since May 2019 and even brought him on The Tonight Show and introduced him to Jimmy Fallon when he was just a puppy. 'I've been loving it. It felt like a big step,' the beauty gushed about her pet at the time, which was before she became mom to son Sylvester Apollo in 2021. Before her divorce, the best-selling author was often seen walking the pup on the streets of NYC with then-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard. The brown and black dog even has its own Instagram where the runway regular occasionally posts updates. The star, who was born in Southern California, is regularly seen making a fashion statement as she walks around her neighborhood. On Monday she wore a patterned purple and orange skirt with ruching, adding tan, heeled cowboy boots. Detail: She left the top partially unzipped, flashing her perky bust as she teamed it with low-rise, slightly baggy green pants Selfie: Emily appeared on Instagram later in the day to post a selfie in the look The beauty, who founded the swimwear brand iNAMORATA, turned 32 earlier this month. Sharing a slew of photos from her birthday celebration with a cake and her son, she wrote, 'grateful doesnt even begin to describe it.' The multihyphenate wore a sexy black leather mini dress with thin straps and a lace-up detail going up the front. Back in March she celebrated her son's birthday and took to social media to share her thoughts. 'My beautiful baby turns 2 this week and the time has gone by as quickly as this video,' she wrote, referencing a montage of moments from her pregnancy and the weeks after his birth. 'What a two years its been, Sly. So much joy, so much pain. So many lessons. Ill do anything to keep you safe and make sure your life is a wonderful one. 'Being your mama is magical. I love you more than you could ever know.' Ice cream date: Emily took her son Sylvester, 2, to cool down with a treat Fashion statement: Days ago Ratajkowski sported an orange-red skirt and fitted gray tank top as she walked Colombo Friends: Emily later shared this selfie with her pup The My Body author recently invited Architectural Digest to visit her in the backyard of the NYC home she moved into last September. 'I wanted it to just feel really fresh,' she explained. 'The back is surrounded by trees and a lot of plants, and I wanted it to feel comfortable but still chic and modern, without being too try hard, if that makes any sense.' 'I think we found a really good combination of pieces because it still feels modern, but it doesnt feel overly designed,' she added. Emily said Sly has a little area just for him that includes a baby pool and a sensory table. 'I have a 90-pound dog and a two-year-old. Being in New York City, its just so nice to sit out there, having morning coffee and letting my son play. Im very much enjoying that and looking forward to more of it,' she said. Joel Edgerton and his fashion director wife Christine Centenera made a rare public appearance at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday. The couple were seated front row alongside rocker Lenny Kravitz at the Louis Vuitton show. Joel, 48, looked stylish in navy trousers, a simple white T-shirt and and a grey beige jacket. The always stylish Christine, 40, wowed in a chic black dress and bright red lipstick. The sighting comes after Christine recently replaced Edwina McCann as Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Australia. Joel Edgerton (center) and his fashion director wife Christine Centenera (right) made a rare public appearance at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday, sitting alongside Lenny Kravitz (left) at the Louis Vuitton show Christine, who is the editor of Australian Vogue, turned her to the side to allow Joel and Lenny to soak up the spotlight The tastemaker, who also has her own label Wardrobe.NYC, has worked for the magazine since 2012. She will continue to report to McCann, who was promoted to Vogue Australia's Editorial Director and Publisher. Christine's first issue was in March 2023, with the red carpet regular set to change up the title. 'After more than 10 years editing the magazine, I am thrilled Christine has agreed to expand her role and look forward to seeing the next chapter of Vogue Australia magazine's rich history unfold,' McCann told the Daily Telegraph last December. 'We have worked together for more than 13 years and Christine is my natural choice to succeed me in this role. 'While I will continue as the magazine's editorial director and publisher, this change will allow me to focus on our expanding and successful Prestige publishing business at News Corp Australia, which also includes Conde Nast titles GQ Australia and Vogue Living.' Joel revealed that he and Christine had welcomed their first children together in an interview with Oprah Daily in May last year Centenera, who will continue to be based in Australia, the UK and the US, added: 'I love being in close proximity to the extraordinary photographers and people that we work with on the pages anywhere in the world. 'Wherever I go people love Australia and I'm proud to be an Australian abroad.' Meanwhile, Joel revealed that he and Christine had welcomed their first children together in an interview with Oprah Daily in May last year. He also confessed he'd been 'very nervous' he'd miss the babies' births in Sydney, because he was working in Queensland at the time. They're the first children for the notoriously private couple, who started dating back in 2018. Australian courtroom drama The Twelve has been given the green light for a second series in the wake of the show's nine Logies nominations. The first season of the Foxtel series had a star studded cast, including Sam Neill, Marta Dusseldorp, Kate Mulvany and Brooke Satchwell. Sam, 74, who plays barrister Brett Colby in the series, was nominated for two Logie awards for his depiction of the character. He was given the nod for both Most Popular and Most Outstanding Actor. His co-stars Mulvaney and Dusseldorp also received nominations for the Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress. Australian courtroom drama The Twelve has been given the green light for a second series after its major Logie success The show was also nominated for Most Outstanding Drama Series and Most Popular Drama Program. The Herald Sun reported that production for the second series of The Twelve will begin in the coming months. It will be filmed in the west of the country as part of the WA Production Attraction Incentive. Speaking to the publication, Binge executive director Alison Hurbert-Burns said: 'WA we are coming Binge is bringing The Twelve, one of Australias most premium and awarded drama series, to (you). The first season of the Foxtel show had an star studded cast, including Sam Neill, Marta Dusseldorp, Kate Mulvany and Brooke Satchwel 'We cant wait to be on ground working with local creatives and talent to bring this gripping series to life, showcasing Perth along with the incredible WA countryside.' Series one of The Twelve tells the story of 12 jurors who, while dealing with their own personal struggles, must decide the case of a woman accused of killing a child. It is anticipated that the second season will follow a similar premise, but with a new murder case. While Sam is expected to reprise his role as barrister Colby, there will be new jurors for the latest trial. Series one of The Twelve tells the story of 12 jurors who, while dealing with their own personal struggles, must decide the case of a woman accused of killing a child Speaking about the series last year, the Jurassic Park star said he was instantly attracted to being involved as he found the storyline 'really compelling'. So much so, that he decided he didn't want to read the full script before signing on. 'Thats always a very critical thing when youre reading a project. If you want to know what happens next, then thats telling you something,' he told Who Magazine. 'I thought, I dont want to know what happens in the end, because you dont in life, and I thought it much more interesting to just play it as someone who just doesnt know what the story is.' Life for Lili Reinhart is about to change in a major way with the end of Riverdale fast approaching. While the seventh and final season of Riverdale premiered on March 29 and runs through until the finale on August 23, filming is still ongoing, but it's expected to wrap up by the end of this work work. Taking advantage of some downtime in between her call times, Reinhart hit the streets of Vancouver, Canada, which is where the hit series has been shot, for a walk with her beloved pet pooch Milo. The Cleveland, Ohio native stepped out for her one-on-one time with her four-legged family member in faded blue jeans with a high-water design, that fell to just above her ankles. She also gave admirers more than a hint of her toned midriff by wearing a black crop turtleneck with long sleeves. Bonding time: Lili Reinhart, 26, took her beloved dog Milo out for a walk along the streets of Vancouver, Canada on Wednesday, which comes days before her hit series Riverdale is expected to wrap on the seventh and final season Strolling along the pavement in white sneakers, the actress looked as though she might be getting ready to film a scene, from the looks of her perfectly styled locks with a left side part and a healthy dose of extra volume. Reinhart kept up a consistent pace while showing proper pack leader skills by having Milo stay to the side of her for much of their walk together. The little black and brown dog has been a 'source of love' and comfort for Reinhart since she adopted him in February 2020, especially since she's had to relocate to the Vancouver region while shooting Riverdale. But her prized pup has gone through quite a bit since adding him to her family. Months after the adoption, she had to rush him into emergency surgery after he was attacked by a dog she described as being '10x his size.' The battered pooch had to had to have a puncture wound on his head cleaned and stitched, which was 'traumatizing' for the both of them, according to Reinhart in an Instagram post. And then, in June 2022, Milo had to be hospitalized for what was suspected to be salmonella poisoning. But, in the end, he made it through both health emergencies, and over the past year life for him and his famous owner has been smooth sailing. Casual-cook: The actress showed off her fab figure in a black cropped turtleneck and faded blue jeans that hugged her womanly curves Four-legged family member: Milo has been a 'source of love' and comfort for Reinhart since she adopted him in February 2020, especially since she's had to relocate to the Vancouver region while shooting Riverdale 'Traumatizing': Since adopting Milo in February 2020, he has had two health emergencies that included a bite from a much larger dog and salmonella poisoning last June That's a wrap: In the wake of his two health ailments, Reinhart is expected wrap the shoot for Riverdale at the end of the work week, which is June 23 Created by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Riverdale is a dark take on the classic Archie Comics that debuted in 1941. As season six was about midway through, in March 2022, it was announced the show would be renewed for a seventh and final season. Along with playing the role of Betty Cooper on Riverdale since 2017, Reinhart is also best known to most fans for portraying Annabelle in the block comedy crime-drama film Hustlers (2019), that starred Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu in the leads. Her resume also includes starring in the Fox sitcom Surviving Jack (2014) and the female lead in the romantic drama film Chemical Hearts (2020), alongside Austin Abrams. Radio presenter Jackie 'O' Henderson is struggling to navigate French traffic as she drives around Saint-Tropez. The 48-year-old accidentally drove on the wrong side of the road in a BMW rental with her daughter Kitty, 12, sitting in the back seat. In a video shared to the Kyle and Jackie O Instagram page, Jackie looked confused as she slowly drove down a busy freeway before reaching a toll checkpoint. With her mobile phone and a vape in her lap, she asked: 'Why do we need the first toll where the ticket is? Wait, what's going on here? What the f**k?' Jackie became even more alarmed when she reached the ticket station. Jackie 'O' Henderson is struggling to navigate French traffic as she drives around Saint-Tropez 'Oh, no. What do I do? What do I do? I don't even know what to do. Did I miss something? What did I do?' she added. As traffic started banking up behind them, and several cars were beeping their horns, Kitty said her mum might have driven into the wrong lane. 'Oh, no! What do I do?!' Jackie cried before turning to signal the driver behind her. 'I'm so sorry. Yes, he's reversing,' she said. The 48-year-old accidently drove on the wrong side of the road in a BMW rental with her daughter Kitty, 12, sitting in the back seat. In a video shared to Instagram, Jackie looked confused as she slowly drove down a busy freeway before reaching a toll checkpoint 'Oh, no. What do I do? I don't know what to do. Did I miss something? What did I do?' she said She continued: 'I don't know what this is though. This is terrible. 'God, we're on a freeway and I'm making people reverse.' After several apologies to the surrounding drivers, the mother-of-one still didn't know what lane she needed to be in. Jackie is holidaying with her radio co-host Kyle Sandilands and his wife Tegan Kynaston on their honeymoon in Saint-Tropez. It comes after Kyle called out Jackie's parenting skills after she left her daughter Kitty at a restaurant that turned into a nightclub at midnight. As traffic started banking up behind them and several cars were beeping their horns, Kitty said her mum might have driven into the wrong lane After several apologies to the surrounding drivers, the mother-of-one still didn't know what lane she needed to be in Jackie found herself in a bind on Tuesday after sending Kitty to have dinner at a restaurant without her, while she was busy hosting her KIIS FM show at a local radio studio. She originally planned to drop Kitty off at Kyle's hotel room to be babysat by Tegan, but was unable to get there in time due to France's notoriously bad traffic. To make matters worse, Jackie was forced to send newsreader Brooklyn Ross - who is also holidaying in Saint-Tropez - to leave his post at the radio studio and pick up the pre-teen before the restaurant turned into a nightclub. Jackie is holidaying with her radio co-host Kyle Sandilands and his wife Tegan Kynaston on their honeymoon in Saint-Tropez Kyle Sandilands called out Jackie 'O' Henderson's (right) parenting skills on Tuesday after she left her daughter Kitty, 12, (left) at a Saint-Tropez restaurant that turned into a nightclub at midnight Defending her parenting decision on-air, Jackie told her unimpressed co-host: 'Listen, we organised this all this afternoon. I had a plan in place.' 'This has been organised for days. You were supposed to drop Kitty at our place at 7 o'clock tonight,' replied Kyle. 'Yes, and the traffic was too bad. We would never have made it,' Jackie explained, to which Kyle scoffed: 'Well we didn't know you were going on a six-hour car [ride]. Appalled, Kyle told Jackie it was 'unbelievably unorthodox' to ask Brooklyn to 'go and get my daughter from the nightclub'. He was also convinced the restaurant had already turned into the adults-only venue. 'Kyle, It's not a nightclub! But it will become a nightclub if she's not picked up in time,' Jackie assured him. 'Darl, it's 11 o'clock at night. It turned into a night club an hour ago,' Kyle replied. After a moment of squabbling, the pair agreed to disagree. Jackie shares Kitty with her ex-husband Lee Henderson, to whom she was married between 2003 and 2018. Michelle Collins has admitted she originally thought bringing back her EastEnders character Cindy Beale was a 'ridiculous idea'. The actress, 61, shocked fans on Wednesday when her notorious character Cindy made an epic return to the BBC soap opera, 26 years after her supposed death. After her unexpected return, which will see her reunite with her long-suffering husband Ian Beale, Michelle has opened up about reprising her role. She admitted she was initially apprehensive about returning to EastEnders because she thought bringing Cindy back to the show sounded 'ridiculous', after the character died off screen during childbirth. Though fans are eagerly awaiting to see how Cindy's return will play out, Michelle told The Sun of the mystery plot: 'I said to my agent, "Oh, this is ridiculous, it's never going to happen". Return: Michelle Collins has admitted she originally thought bringing back her EastEnders character Cindy Beale was a 'ridiculous idea' 'But we had this breakfast meeting and [executive producer Chris Clenshaw] got his laptop out and reeled it all off, we both went, "Wow, oh my God", and then I was like, maybe this could work.' Though she didn't reveal exactly where Cindy has been for 26 years, Michelle praised the upcoming plot as 'genius' as she hinted at her character's new backstory. Though she admitted she doesn't know whether she has made the right decision in returning to the soap, she said that for the time being, she is absolutely loving it. 'It feels like I've come full circle,' she added. Speaking about why she decided to return to the show, after first appearing back in 1988, Michelle said it was about 'timing', confessing she would have said no if asked any earlier. She said: 'It's about timing, life is about timing, and it wasn't the right time. I think if it had happened five years ago I probably would have said no.' Michelle admitted she is both excited and scared about her return to EastEnders, telling how she found it very difficult to keep her comeback a secret. Show bosses went to huge lengths to keep her return a secret and Michelle told how she had to lie when asked if she would ever appear on the soap opera again. She's back! The actress, 61, shocked fans on Wednesday when her notorious character Cindy made an epic return to the BBC soap opera , 26 years after her supposed death Sharing how her stint on EastEnders has been different this time around, Michelle told how she would always argue with her on-screen husband Adam Woodyatt. She told how they have both 'mellowed' over the years and no longer 'bizarrely' squabble in between takes and in their dressing rooms like they used to. EastEnders fans were left gobsmacked when Cindy made her grand reveal during Wednesday's episode as Rose Knight's identity was finally revealed. In the closing seconds of the episode, Rose's double life was revealed as she was finally confirmed to be non-other than the notorious Cindy. The massive twist saw the Queen Vic landlord George Knight (Colin Salmon) attempt to call his ex-wife 'Rose' after Phil Mitchell discovered she wasn't who she claimed to be. In a tense moment, George stood in the Queen Vic as Seal's Kiss From A Rose played on the pub's jukebox, before the scene dramatically flashed to a sun lounger in Spain. A mysterious hand could be seen rejecting the call before picking up a glass of wine, with the shot then flashing to show Cindy's face, confirming weeks of suspicion over Rose's real identity. She's back! EastEnders fans were left in complete shock during Wednesday's episode when the mysterious Rose Knight was finally revealed to be none other than Cindy Beale Worries: She admitted she was initially apprehensive about returning to EastEnders because she thought bringing Cindy back to the show sounded 'ridiculous', after her character died The huge reveal comes 26 years after Cindy (Michelle Collins) was believed to have died in childbirth after plotting to kill her then-husband. Fans were left completely stunned by the revelation, and took to Twitter to share their shock over Cindy's unexpected return. One fan wrote: 'I don't watch eastEnders much anymore but I literally just screamed at the TV, she's back!' Another wrote: 'That was AN ICONIC DUFF DUFF!!!,' while a third said: 'OMG it's Cindy Beale.' And a fourth commented: 'Yesssss I am screaming!,' and another added: 'WHAAAAT!!!! I'm so shocked!!! So glad Cindy is back!! Eeeeek.' The tension had been building up throughout the episode, gearing towards the grand reveal of Rose's true identity. Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) had been digging into George's past as he wanted to know who he was going into business with at the Queen Vic. After contacting his friends in the police to dig into George's ex-wife 'Rose', Phil confronted a confused George, saying he had lied to him. Gobsmacked: EastEnders fans were left gobsmacked when Cindy made her grand reveal during Wednesday's episode as Rose Knight's identity was finally revealed Shock: In the closing moments of the episode, Cindy could be seen relaxing on a sun lounger and drinking a glass of wine in Spain, 26 years after she was believed to have died in childbirth Phil said: 'I like people being straight with me... the Old Bill have put a stop on everything to do with your ex.' George asked: 'What? Why?' To which Phil said: 'It means there's more to this than what you've been telling me.' But George insisted: 'I've been straight with you on everything.' After digging for more information, George then followed Phil and Linda upstairs, where they had gathered to speak about George's ex-wife. Phil told George: 'I need to know who I'm going into business with, I don't want any surprises.' He then revealed that he had found out more information about Rose's whereabouts, with George then asking him if she was OK and why she hadn't been in touch with their two daughters Anna (Molly Rainford) and Gina (Francesca Henry). Phil said: 'All the Spanish police would say is she's got a new life now, about her old life, she doesn't want to know.' To which George asked: 'She doesn't want to know about her girls? There's got to be more to it.' Linda then apologised to George for not trusting him, and he revealed that Rose had left their family home after a huge argument, and despite his attempts to get in touch with her, she had never responded. Linda was quick to comfort George, who told her that his daughters didn't know anything about the row and the situation surrounding Rose's disappearance. George then returned downstairs to close up the pub, while Phil loitered and waited for the place to empty before dropping another bombshell about Rose. Build up: In the tense moment, George stood in the Queen Vic and called Rose as Seal's Kiss From A Rose played on the pub's jukebox, before the scene dramatically flashed to Spain Tension: The reveal came after Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) had been digging into George's past as he wanted to know who he was going into business with at the Queen Vic Family: The bombshell reveal will no doubt cause a stir for George and his two daughters Anna (Molly Rainford) and Gina (Francesca Henry) George told him: 'I thought your brief was checking to see if I had any problem with the tax, I didn't realise you were poking around my personal life, that's way out of order. 'I can't do business with a chancer who does business like that, so if that's why you're waiting.' But Phil revealed more information, telling him: 'What I said about the Spanish police was right, up to a point. 'They did their checks, every time they did, they hit a brick wall, every time the same story came back, every time. 'I don't know who you were shacked up with all those years, but she weren't who she said she was. 'Nobody with the name Rose Knight with the details you gave me, ever existed. I'll see you tomorrow.' A shocked George then looked angry and upset, before dialling Rose's number into her mobile in an attempt to get back in touch with her. The scene then flashed to Cindy rejecting the phone call, confirming that Rose's true identity is none other than the notorious character. George arrived in Walford earlier this month, after his new girlfriend Elaine Peacock invested money in her daughter Linda Carter's pub. Cindy supposedly died while serving time in prison for hiring a hitman to kill her then-husband Ian Beale, played by Adam Woodyatt. New arrivals: George arrived in Walford earlier this month, after his new girlfriend Elaine Peacock invested money in her daughter Linda Carter's pub Drama: Cindy is set to reunite with her long-suffering husband Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) upon her epic return to the soap opera Cover up: Cindy supposedly died while serving time in prison for hiring a hitman to kill Ian (both pictured in 1989), but it appears she has been living a double life But it appears she has been living a double life under the moniker 'Rose Knight'. And she is set to reunite with her long-suffering husband Ian upon her epic return to the soap opera. Michelle, who also played Stella Price in Coronation Street from 2011 to 2014, said she initially thought a comeback was 'ridiculous'. 'I think if it had happened five years ago I probably would have said no,' she told a press conference. 'But it's about timing and when Chris approached Adam and I and we'd both been touring and he'd mentioned it to me and I said don't be silly. 'And then we had a meeting and I said to my agent, 'oh this is ridiculous, it's never going to happen'. And they said let's just go and meet Chris [Clenshaw, producer]. And we had this breakfast meeting and he got his laptop out and he reeled it all off. 'And we both went 'wow, oh my god'. And then I was like maybe this could work.' Cindy first arrived in Albert Square in 1988, striking up a relationship with Ian after tiring of barman Simon Wicks, played by Nick Berry. She later married Ian after a brief fling with Simon saw her fall pregnant with her son Steven. Simon eventually convinced her to tell Ian the truth and to leave him. The pair left Walford, but Cindy returned in 1992, rekindled with Ian, and welcomed twins Lucy and Peter, before having an affair with lifeguard Matt and later her ex-Simon's half-brother, David. After Ian threatened to take her to court to get custody of their children, she had him shot by a hitman before fleeing. He later hired a private investigator who tracked her down in Italy where she was living with her new boyfriend Nick Holland. On returning to Walford she was arrested for conspiracy to murder. Exciting: Cindy first arrived in Albert Square in 1988, striking up a relationship with Ian after tiring of barman Simon Wicks, played by Nick Berry In 1998, Ian received the news that she had died giving birth to her daughter with Nick. Michelle said she was 'incredibly nervous' on returning to the soap but said by the end of a six-page scene with Woodyatt 'it was like putting on a pair of old slippers'. She added: 'Both of us have mellowed and I think we're both just kind of comfortable in our lives and it felt like it's the right kind of time.' EastEnders airs the truth about George's past on Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Jennifer Lawrence showed off her casual street style as she stepped out in New York City on Wednesday. The 32-year-old Oscar winner - who looked radiant at the premiere of her film No Hard feelings - enjoyed a solo stroll through the busy city streets as she chatted on her cell phone. The Hunger Games star dressed for comfort in a plain white T-shirt paired with loose-fitting black track pants and brown sandals. The mother-of-one appeared makeup free behind dark glasses and wore a black bag crossbody. The beauty styled her long blonde highlighted tresses down over her shoulders and tucked under a blue Polo hat. Solo in the city: Jennifer Lawrence showed off her casual street style as she stepped out in New York on Wednesday Laid back chat: The 32-year-old Oscar winner enjoyed a solo stroll as she chatted on her phone. She wore a T-shirt, loose-fitting black pants, and brown sandals Her parents accompanied Lawrence as she attended the New York premiere of her latest film, No Hard Feelings, on Tuesday. During her interview with Vogue as the cover star for their September issue, she expressed her firm opposition to her fathers conservative political views. The story behind her new film No Hard Feelings centers on Maddie, played by Jennifer, who is in dire need of money to prevent the foreclosure of her deceased mothers house. She accepts a job provided by a wealthy new-age couple portrayed by Broadway actors Laura Benanti and Matthew Broderick. Percy, the 19-year-old son portrayed by Andrew Feldman, who is preparing to attend college, has a nerdy personality, and has never been with a woman. He is described as a straight-laced geek who has never broken any rules. The couple offers Maddie a car under the condition that she seduces their son before he leaves for Princeton University. The X-Men actress not only stars in No Hard Feelings but also serves as one of the producers. Two weeks ago, while speaking with Variety, Jennifer revealed that she is open to playing the role of Katniss Everdeen again. She said if the opportunity were presented to her, she would gladly take on the role. Off duty parent: The Hunger Games star appeared makeup free behind dark glasses, wore a black bag crossbody, and tucked her long highlighted tresses under a blue Polo hat Sexy rom-com: The star's latest film No Hard Feelings centers on a young woman named Maddie who accepts a job to seduce a 19-year-old nerd who has never been in a romantic relationship and is about to move away to University Getting along: Lawrence attended the New York premiere of her latest film No Hard Feelings with her parents. During her interview with Vogue in September she expressed her firm opposition to her fathers conservative political views Open to the idea: Lawrence starred in four critically acclaimed Hunger Games films, starting with the first film in 2012. Sequels included The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014) and Part 2 (2015); still from The Hunger Games She sure can look elegant: Lawrence recently took a year off from acting; pictured in London at the Causeway European premiere during the 66th BFI London Film Festival on October 8, 2022 'If Katniss ever could ever come back into my life, 100 percent, she said. Lawrence appeared in four Hunger Games films and won critical acclaim for her portrayal of Katniss, starting with the first film in 2012. The subsequent three films followed soon after with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in 2013 and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 and Part 2, released in 2014 and 2015, respectively. A prequel to the series will be released in November 2023. After achieving global superstardom through The Hunger Games, Lawrence revealed during an event at the London Film Festival that she felt like a 'commodity' and wanted to take a break from acting. Fashion designer Effie Kats has jetted into Paris with her fiance James Cerolini ahead of her friend Sarah Lew's wedding celebrations to restauranter Chris Lucas. The 32-year-old shared a loved-up photo to Instagram on Thursday of herself and her beau ahead of their flight to France. Effie looked stylish in a leather jacket, white track pants and a pair of comfortable white sneakers for the flight. Meanwhile, James dressed for comfort in black track pants, a black T-shirt, a jacket and sneakers. 'Excited for our next adventure. Next stop Paris,' Effie captioned the post. Fashion designer Effie Kats travelled to Paris with her fiance James to celebrate her socialite pal Sarah Lew's wedding to restauranter Chris Lucas The designer also shared a photo of the couple's four large suitcases and wrote: 'We travel light'. The couple are heading to Europe to celebrate Sarah's wedding celebrations to her new husband Chris. Sarah, the ex-daughter-in-law of billionaire retail magnate Solomon Lew, revealed last week she and Chris had exchanged vows a few weeks ago. The newlyweds are set to host lavish celebrations in Europe with their closet friends and family. Effie looked stylish in a leather jacket, white track pants and a pair of comfortable white sneakers for the flight The designer also shared a photo of the couple's four large suitcases and wrote: 'We travel light' Chris is the mastermind behind some one Melbourne's most upmarket and stylish restaurants, including Yakimono, Grill Americano, and Chin Chin. The newlyweds were last year named one of Melbourne's power couples and she is considered one of the city's most stylish 'IT' girls. Sarah divorced Solomon Lew's son Steven in 2011 after they tied the knot in 2003. They share two children together. The couple are heading to Europe to celebrate her friend Sarah Lew's (pictured) wedding celebrations to her new husband Chris Joan Collins showed off her age-defying looks as she attended the Victoria and Albert museum summer party in London on Wednesday night. The actress, 90, looked stunning in a champagne gold sequin gown and a shimmering sequin cape. Joan was joined by her husband Percy Gibson, 58, who was also dressed up in a navy suit. The Dynasty legend exuded glamour as she paired the metallic dress that had a slit on the leg with sparkly heels and huge silver earrings. Joan accessorised her outfit with a pair of shades and appeared in high spirits as she posed for photos. Glam: Joan Collins showed off her age-defying looks as she attended the Victoria and Albert museum summer party in London on Wednesday night Romantic: Joan was joined by her husband Percy Gibson, 58, who was also dressed up in a navy suit Officially open to the public from the 24th of June, the 'DIVA' exhibition is said to celebrate the 'power of iconic performers to transform and inspire', as well as explore the 'intersection of women, power and creativity through the prism of performance'. The event will showcase over 250 objects spanning fashion, photography, design and music. Trinny Woodall, Vick Hope and Nicola Roberts were also in attendance. Percy, the longest-lasting of Joan's husbands, is more than 30 years younger than her, a gap she dismisses in interviews with the line: 'If he dies, he dies.' The long-standing couple celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary with a star-studded party at Claridge's last year. Originally from Peru, Percy is a noted Hollywood producer, known primarily for producing Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Joan, meanwhile, has a career that includes more than 50 films, dozens of performances in the West End and on Broadway, including in her own one-woman show, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Age-defying looks: The actress, 90, looked stunning in a champagne gold sequin gown with slit and a shimmering sequin cape All dressed up: The Dynasty legend exuded glamour as she paired the metallic dress with sparkly heels and huge silver earrings She's got style: Joan accessorised her outfit with a pair of shades and appeared in high spirits as she posed for photos Love: Percy, the longest-lasting of Joan's husbands, is more than 30 years younger than her, a gap she dismisses in interviews Percy, who is 31 years Joan's junior, is her fifth husband, following marriages to Maxwell Reed, Anthony Newley, Ron Kass and Peter Holm. The actress shares two children, Tara and Alexander Newley, with second husband Anthony - alongside daughter Katyana Kass with Ron. Mia Fevola appears to be in a new relationship. The model daughter of footy great Brendan Fevola 'soft launched' a mystery man in March, and has been posting snaps ever since. Last weekend her father's company Everyday Australia Beer had a party to celebrate its new product. The company's Instagram page shared a carousel of photos from the party, including a picture of Mia and her new beau. In the image, Mia has a wide smile on her face as she sat next to him in matching black outfits. Mia Fevola appears to be in a new relationship. Last weekend, her father's company Everyday Australia Beer had a party to celebrate its new product and company's Instagram page shared a carousel of photos from the party, including a picture of Mia and her new beau Mia has been teasing her new relationship on Instagram since March, which is a term coined by the internet where a person shares photos with a love interest, but doesn't show their face The model looked flawless as she tied her long locks back into a sleek ponytail and wore a dewy makeup look with pink lips. While the mystery man wasn't tagged in the photo, an Instagram account that appears to be his would suggest that he's not in the public eye. Mia has been teasing her new relationship on Instagram since March, which is a term coined by the internet where a person shares photos with a love interest, but doesn't show their face. 'Hard launching' is then posting a photo with a new partner where they are identifiable. She first hinted to new love while on holiday at the Mornington Peninsula. In one photo, a tan-skinned hand could be seen sitting opposite her at a restaurant while they dined on a pasta dish. Another snap then showed him on the grounds of five-star Jackalope Hotel. She first hinted to new love while on holiday at the Morning Peninsula. In one photo, a tan-skinned hand could be seen sitting opposite her at a restaurant while they dined on a pasta dish Mia's dating history in the AFL world has been well-documented over the past couple of years. She enjoyed a trip to Bali in July last year with Daniel Grant, who played for divisional club Sorrento Sharks. A photo was uploaded at the time which showed her seated next to Daniel and several other pals as they enjoyed drinks before their dinner. She had since denied their relationship was a romantic one, insisting they shared a close friendship. Mia previously dated Western Bulldogs forward Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. In another photo, he was snapped on the grounds of five-star Jackalope Hotel Their relationship dissolved in 2021 just after his team's defeat to Melbourne Demons at the Grand Final. Her high-profile relationship with Daniel Rioli of the Richmond Tigers in 2020 also didn't work out, but they've remained good friends. Mia became part of a footy family at a young age when her mother Alex married the-then Carlton forward Brendan Fevola in 2005. Brendan adopted Mia after marrying her mother. The Fevolas have three daughters of their own: Leni, Lulu, and Tobi. Madeleine West has won her court appeal against a domestic violence order taken out against her by the elderly father of her ex-partner, the celebrity chef Shannon Bennett. A NSW District Court judge on Thursday set aside an AVO that Benny Clifton Bennett, 75, had previously secured against the former Neighbours star and model over a fiery clash at the chef's Byron Bay mansion in May last year. In his appeal judgment, Judge Jonathan Priestley said certain things about the events that occurred that day - when Mr Bennett claimed Madeline 'barged' or 'pushed her way in' to the house - were agreed upon. At the time Mr Bennett was at his son's waterfront home, while Shannon - famous for his guest judge appearances on MasterChef - was overseas. 'It is common ground that at about 11.10am on May 4, 2022 the grandfather was at the father's residence in Byron Bay,' Judge Priestley recalled. 'At about that time the doorbell rang and the grandfather went to answer it and could not see anybody and opened the gate when [Madeleine West] appeared. '[Mr Bennett's] statement was that she came around the fence and barged in, which was a matter of dispute. The 'toxic' relationship between Madeleine West and her celebrity chef ex Shannon Bennett (the former couple is pictured in March 2016) was laid bare in a NSW District Court judgment West successfully appealed an AVO taken out by police to protect her elderly ex-father-in-law Benny Bennett, after he said he was fearful of her Benny Bennett was minding son Shannon's Byron Bay mansion when Madeleine West 'went in' uninvited '[Mr Bennett] said [in his statement] that he asked her what she was doing and she said she had come to [address a family matter which cannot be reported on for legal reasons]. 'The grandfather said he did not want a messy scene...' the judge said, before continuing to read from the statement. 'When asked to describe how [Ms West] barged through, the grandfather said she came straight through the gate. 'He said he had said "wait at the gate" and she came straight through and that she just pushed him by pushing his arm out of the way. 'He said he opened the gate because he thought there was somebody delivering a parcel and that the minute he opened the gate she [West] was in. 'He said he told her she can't come in, she said she could and she pushed him out of the way. 'Significantly he also said that he just wanted to make sure the matter was reported because his son said he was going to take action.' Madeleine West (seen near Byron Bay before her court appearance in March) has challenged a two-year AVO effectively banning her from ex-partner Shannon Bennett's Byron Bay mansion West's lawyer claimed the reason the 75-year-old father of Shannon Bennett (left, with chef Matt Moran) was because the celebrity had told him to as part of the estranged couple's 'continuous battle' Judge Priestley's judgment detailed what had been heard during the Apprehended Violence Order Application in Byron Bay Local Court which Magistrate Karen Stafford had confirmed in March, and which His Honour dismissed on appeal on Thursday. West's barrister, Andrew Fernon SC, had submitted earlier this month that Ms Stafford had made factual and judicial errors in granting the AVO, and argued that Benny Bennett was not scared of West. Mr Fernon contended that Shannon Bennett had put his father up to making a complaint to police as part of his 'continuous battle' with West. Judge Priestley said Benny Bennett had testified about text messages from West saying she would arrive at the home at 4pm, to which he replied asking her to wait. Mr Bennett 'expressed the view that 'switched her on' and 'she became you know uncontrollable',' and had 'described her as irrational.' 'These are of course conclusions; the evidence of facts supporting them is light on, and not supported by the CCTV.' Benny Bennett 'said he had never really had bad words with the mother.' CCTV from five different cameras positioned around Shannon Bennett's compound played in court showed West pushing her way into the estate and Benny Bennett throwing up his hands as she marches into the house. Judge Priestley said that Madeleine West had found out that Shannon Bennett was out of town earlier. When police asked Mr Bennett if she had any fears about his former daughter-in-law, he replied 'no I don't ahh she's never been ahh aggressive or anything to me'. His Honour detailed Madeleine West's statement to police, in which she said she had learned on May 2 last year that Shannon Bennet had gone to the US. Public prosecutor Ms Nicola Breward briefly argued earlier this month that Benny Bennett 'didn't welcome [West] inside... she made the decision to access the door, enters the property without invitation. 'He's obviously feeling some kind of stress. He's elderly and hearing-impaired, she's turned up unannounced, that's it,' she said. Judge Priestley ordered that a hearing as to the payment of costs would be held in July. Shannon Bennett said last year that love between him and Madeleine West had tuned 'toxic' Shannon Bennett, who rose to fame on MasterChef Australia, revealed in May last year how the separation process between he and West had 'turned love toxic'. In 2020, West left Melbourne and moved to Byron Bay to be near her children, buying her own $4.6million mansion in Suffolk Park. More recently, the actress and podcaster revealed she was a child sexual abuse victim. Speaking publicly for the first time about her battle with anorexia, she said the trauma of being abused caused her to become obsessed with looking 'perfect' - a task that was both 'punishing' and never-ending. 'For every sexually abused person, what has happened to them will manifest in their life in some self-destructive behaviour,' she said earlier this year. Last year, Shannon Bennett said West saw their children fortnightly, while they spend the remainder of the time with him. 'The kids live with me full time and they visit their mother every fortnight for a few days,' he revealed. Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson have slammed the stepson of British billionaire Hamish Harding for attending a Blink-182 concert as his relative still remains missing on the Titanic submarine. Harding, 58, is among the five adventurers onboard the submersible that lost contact with its mothership as it reached the site of the Titanic wreckage early Sunday morning. Brian Szasz confirmed in a Facebook post on Monday he was the stepson of Harding, before sharing a snap from the band's San Diego show, insisting his family would 'want him to be there.' Speaking on KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O on Thursday, Kyle said attending the concert while his stepdad is missing 'is a bad look'. 'How could you go to a concert when that's happening? Unless that have a really bad relationship,' Jackie O questioned. Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson have slammed the stepson of British billionaire aboard the missing Titanic sub for attending a Blink-182 concert after the craft disappeared Kyle agreed, adding:'It is a bad look if your stepdad is at the bottom of the ocean and probably dead in 10 hours [and you're at a concert].' In his original Facebook post, Brian shared an image outside the San Diego venue where he was watching the Blink-182 concert He captioned it: ''It might be distasteful being here but my family would want me to be at the Blink-182 show as it's my favourite band and music helps me in difficult times!' Meanwhile, the search for the missing Titanic tourist sub continues. A ten-hour countdown has now begun, with the vital oxygen supply expected to run out at 7.08am US eastern time (11:08am GMT, 12.08pm UK, 9.08pm Sydney), a US Coastguard spokeswoman has said. Brian Szasz confirmed in a Facebook post on Monday that he was the stepson of the explorer, before sharing a snap from the San Diego show, insisting his family would 'want him to be there' Hopes of finding Titan are now fading, hours after those leading the rescue said they will 'hold on hope until the very end', but admitted that they would at some point need to 'make a tough decision'. Rescuers are refusing to give up hope, US Coastguard Captain Jamie Frederick insisted on Wednesday, even as people around the world count down the hours until oxygen is expected to run out on the vessel. 'We have to remain optimistic and hopeful when we are in a search and rescue case. Hamish Harding is one of five passengers aboard the Titan submersible, which has been missing since Sunday morning with air slowly running out OceanGate Expeditions - the company which runs the tours and is responsible for the sub - did not notify the Coast Guard until 5.40pm, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed earlier on Tuesday. A total of five people are on board. The others are OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who's leading the mission, and the world's pre-eminent Titanic wreck expert PH Nargeolet. Also on the submersible are British-Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19 year-old son Sulaiman. John Mayer and Andy Cohen were spotted sharing an affectionate laugh during a lunch outing in New York City this week. The dynamic duo, who have enjoyed a close friendship for several years, radiated bonhomie as they spilled onto the sidewalk locked in conversation. Andy, 55, was dressed in the same sand-toned suit he wore later that day to the premiere of Jennifer Lawrence's raunchy new sex comedy No Hard Feelings. Meanwhile John, 45, had his hair coiffed into a retro chic pompadour as he stepped out in a casual look including a walnut brown jacket over a matching t-shirt. Their latest sighting comes after Andy gushed that the two men are 'in love' - but insisted their bond has never escalated into a sexual encounter. Out and about: John Mayer and Andy Cohen were spotted sharing an affectionate laugh during a lunch outing in New York City this week Off they go: The dynamic duo, who have enjoyed a close friendship for several years, radiated bonhomie as they spilled onto the sidewalk chattering away Details: Andy, 55, was dressed in the same sand-toned suit he wore later that day to the premiere of Jennifer Lawrence's raunchy new sex comedy No Hard Feelings The fact that they are longtime close friends and Andy is gay has led to wild rumors about the true nature of their relationship. But during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show last week, Andy insisted that his affection for John, 45, has never gotten physical. At Howard's urging, Andy even swore on his children Ben, four, and Lucy, one, that he and John have never fooled around. However Andy did tell the self-proclaimed King Of All Media: 'I am in love with John Mayer. We are in love with each other.' 'I mean, swear on your children's lives there's never been anything sexual between you and John Mayer,' Howard said, and Andy readily agreed: 'I swear.' John and Andy are so close that when they met up the day after Thanksgiving last year, John matched Christmas sweaters with Andy's mother. Andy even traveled to Brazil to be with John for his 40th birthday, which occurred while he was on tour there in October 2017. Although he and Andy have joked about their romance rumors, John is straight and has dated such stars as Jessica Simpson, Katy Perry and Jennifer Aniston. Dynamic duo: Their latest sighting comes after Andy gushed that the two men are 'in love' - but insisted their bond has never escalated into a sexual encounter; pictured last year Peas in a pod: The fact that they are longtime close friends and Andy is gay has led to wild rumors about the true nature of their relationship; pictured in 2015 So sweet: John, per Andy, 'is someone to say: "I love you and I cherish you and I cherish our friendship," and this stuff that straight guys aren't necessarily supposed to say' Warm words: While discussing his various friendships with straight men, Andy shared: 'John Mayer is someone who's very in touch with his emotions too' He infamously called Jessica 'sexual napalm' in a sensational 2010 Playboy interview, ostensibly in a tribute to their chemistry. 'Have you ever been with a girl who made you want to quit the rest of your life? Did you ever say: "I want to quit my life and just f***in snort you. If you charged me $10,000 to f*** you, I would start selling all my s*** just to keep f***ing you,"' he said. Meanwhile Andy is a single father of two, currently juggling his chockablock Bravo career with raising little Benjamin and Lucy. Appearing on the podcast Table For Two a few months ago, he said he was 'open to' a romance but joked: 'Are people really looking for a 54-year-old guy with two kids?' During the same interview, he lifted the curtain on the deep emotional intimacy he has been able to develop with John. While discussing his various friendships with straight men, Andy shared: 'John Mayer is someone who's very in touch with his emotions too.' Andy recalled that John 'very quickly in our friendship started saying like: "You know what? I gotta tell you something. I love you."' John, per Andy, 'is someone to say: "I love you and I cherish you and I cherish our friendship," and this stuff that straight guys aren't necessarily supposed to say.' Chloe Sevigny has earned herself a reputation as someone who walks to the beat of her own drum, when it comes to her art and fashion. And on Wednesday the actress and director proved that to be true once again when she stepped out for an afternoon of shopping in her adopted hometown of New York City. The Springfield, Massachusetts native put her one-of-a-kind fashion tastes on display in a vintage gray Mickey Mouse T-Shirt that she paired with black-and-white plaid skirt. Known for her work in independent films, the actress also decided to forgo socks and slip on a pair of black sandals, along with cool dark sunglasses which came handy when the sun would come out from behind the clouds. Rounding out her overall look for the day, Sevigny had her long blonde tresses pulled into a ponytail, although by the time she was spotted on the street it had become slightly messy, compliments of some gusts of wind from Mother Nature. Unique: Chloe Sevigny, 48, showed off her unique sense of style when she stepped out for an afternoon of shopping in her adopted hometown of New York City on Wednesday Once Sevigny, 48, took notice of the admiring photographer, she quickly slipped into a playful mood by making a few funny faces. Herr shopping excursion appears to be somewhat of a success, considering the brown bag she carried over her left arm, along with her stylish black purse. Over the years, her alternative fashion sense has earned her a reputation as a 'style icon'. In 1995, she made her film debut in the coming-of-age drama film Kids, which earned her critical acclaim and a bit of name recognition. A string of roles in small-scale features throughout the late 1990s, such as Trees Lounge (1996), further established her as a prominent performer in the independent film scene. She would then rise to prominence with her portrayal of Lana Tisdel in the drama film Boys Don't Cry (1999), which would earn her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her resume also includes American Psycho (2000), Demonlover (2002), Party Monster (2003), Dogville (2003), The Brown Bunny (2004), Broken Flowers (2005), along with more mainstream movies like Zodiac (2007), Mr. Nice (2010), Lovelace (2013) and Beatriz At Dinner (2017). But many fans first took notice of the actress and her work when she starred in the hit HBO series Big Love (2006-2011), for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. Artsy: The actress and director got playful once she took notice of the admiring photographer dressed in a vintage Mickey Mouse t-shirt, black-and-white plaid skirt and black sandals Breakout: Known for her work in independent films, Sevigny was 21-years-old when she made her debut in the coming-of-age drama Kids Latest role: Sevigny currently plays the role of Lenora Vulvokov in the comedy-drama series Russian Doll (2019-present), alongside the show's leading lady Natasha Lyonne Sevigny currently plays the role of Lenora Vulvokov in the comedy-drama series Russian Doll (2019-present), alongside the show's leading lady Natasha Lyonne. After serving as a guest star in season one in 2019, Sevigny joined the main cast for the second season that dropped on Netflix in April 2022. So far, there's no official word on whether there will be a season three of Russian Doll, but considering the three year gap in between the first two, a decision won't likely come anytime soon. Sevigny and husband Sinisa Mackovic, a Croatian art gallery director, have been married for more than three years and are the proud parents of son Vanja, who turned three in May. Karl Stefanovic is continuing to live it up on his European summer holiday with his wife Jasmine - as Today show ratings remain well behind rival Sunrise. The Channel Nine breakfast show host, 48, went to extra lengths to watch the State of Origin II game, tuning into 9Now on his mobile phone while while sitting in a cafe and enjoying a coffee. Sharing a photo of the moment to his Instagram account, the Maroons team supporter smiled as he held up his phone that displayed the broadcast. 'Thanks to the Lord for 9Now,' he wrote alongside the photo. 'Queenslander!!!' Meanwhile, back in Australia, the Today show still continues struggle in the ratings battle with Sunrise after former Olympic sprinter Matt Shirvington's debut as host last week. Karl Stefanovic went to extra lengths to watch the State of Origin II game live from overseas He replaced David Koch, who retired from the show after a record 21 years on the job. Latest ratings show 245,000 metro viewers tuned in to see the new host sit alongside Natalie Barr on the Channel Seven breakfast program. Meanwhile, Today landed 192,000 in the metro market as co-host Sarah Abo was joined by James Bracey - who is filling in during Karl's holiday. Meanwhile, back in Australia, the Today show still continues struggle in the ratings battle with Sunrise after former Olympic sprinter Matt Shirvington's debut as host last week Shirvo's first day last Monday saw some 235,000 metro viewers tune in, which was deemed impressive for the King's Birthday public holiday. As for Today show last Monday, they drew 188,000 in the metro market. Last week, Karl and his wife Jasmine attended chicken heiress Tamie Ingham and Guillaume Brahimi's wedding in Paris. Karl and Jasmine, who married in 2018, introduced their respective friends Guillaume and Tamie to each other in 2020. The 'socialite wedding of the year' included many guests from Australia's showbiz, business, and media circles. At both the pre-wedding event and the lavish day, several stars took to Instagram and social media to share their own special moments. Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict went public and announced their separation last October after more than 14 years of marriage. Some eight months on, and the former couple have since worked out the details of their divorce, which includes taking pre-planned steps in how they each raise their children in two separate homes, according to the legal documents obtained by People. Among the details in the document: a timeline on when each of them can introduce future romance partners to their two children: son Cree, 11, and daughter Cairo, five. 'Absent agreement to the contrary, each party is restrained from introducing the minor children to a new romantic partner until that party has been in an exclusive relationship with the romantic partner for at least six months,' the stipulation read. Both Mowry and Hardrict will also have to refrain from having any of their love interests from spending overnights at their respective homes whenever the children are present during the first six months of the exclusive relationship. Divorce agreement: Tia Mowry, 44, and Cory Hardrict, 47, set parental guidelines that they both have to adhere to as part of their divorce settlement that was finalized in April The six-month timelines regarding new romantic partners was said to be in 'the best interest of the children,' it read in the document. They also agreed to keep a previous agreement to share legal and physical custody of their children in tact, which was originally proposed by Mowry in an October court filing. Mowry, 44, and Hardrict, 47, who met on the set of their film Hollywood Horror (2005), also 'entered into a written agreement regarding their property and their marriage or domestic partnership rights, including support.' The Sister Sister alum announced their separation publicly in a heartfelt Instagram post that included a black-and-white photo of the pair staring deep into each other's eyes, with looks of concern on their faces. 'I have always been honest with my fans, and today is no different. I wanted to share that Cory and I have decided to go our separate ways,' she began. 'These decisions are never easy, and not without sadness. We will maintain a friendship as we co-parent our beautiful children.' Showing respect and class she added: 'I am grateful for all the happy times we had together and want to thank my friends, family and fans for your love and support as we start this new chapter moving forward in our lives.' Around the time they were finalizing the divorce in April, the actress shared several photos of herself with her two kids, some of which included her opening up about her thoughts and emotions on her changing family dynamic. In one selfie, with the sun shining on her as her dark hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail, she wrote: 'It's a beautiful Monday.' 'The best interest of children': The divorce documents include a minimum six month waiting period on when to introduce future romantic partners to their two kids: son Cree, 11, and daughter Cairo, five Sharing custody: The former couple also agreed to keep a previous agreement to share legal and physical custody of their children in tact, which was originally proposed by Mowry in an October court filing. In a separate post shared to her grid, the mother of two got real and honest when she shared a couple of photos of her snuggling up in bed with Cree and Cairo. 'If I'm being completely honest with you all, these last few months have been some of the hardest of my life,' she confessed, in an obvious reference to the divorce. 'Theres no telling what direction life is going to take you and nothing but one thing is ever certain: the love I have for these two. They are the reason I continue to push myself every day to work harder. Even when the going gets tough, I do everything for my kids, for their future, and for the generations to come,' she shared. Last November, during an appearance on the Today show, Mowry revealed her moment of clarity on when she knew it was time to move on from her marriage to Hardrict, who currently stars in the series All American: Homecoming. Officially over: The Sister Sister alum finalized her divorce from the All American: Homecoming star were married for 15 years by the time their divorce was finalized in April Feeling good: After an emotionally tough time with the separation and divorce proceedings, Mowry look toward the beauty in the world in an Instagram post Reflective: Around the time the divorce was finalized, the actress shared images with her two children along with a heartfelt message in another Instagram post Admitting her 'awakening' happened 'when I really started to focus on my happiness,' the entertainer went on to share how women 'tend to focus on everyone else's happiness making sure that everybody else is OK - meaning our children, our friends, our family.' She continued: 'But at the end of the day, its about self-love. And when you start to really work on yourself, love yourself, know your value, know your worth, then all of a sudden, there's this awakening.' The Family Reunion actress shared that 'its not easy, it's a hard journey, but at the end of the day, I feel like it is so, so worth it.' Harrowing life events also reminded her to seize the day, particularly when two of her family members died close together, beginning with her grandmother. Moment of clarity: Mowry revealed she had an 'awakening' that she needed to move on from her marriage when she started to focus on my happiness' during an appearance on the Today show last November End of a chapter: Mowry announced she and Hardrict 'decided to go out separate ways' on Instagram in October 2022 Tia's twin sister Tamera then lost her 18-year-old niece Alaina Housley in a mass shooting at a bar in Thousand Oaks, California. Before her marriage ended, Tia said, 'There was this sadness. And I knew that life is short. I had actually lost my grandmother. 'We had lost Alaina Housley. And both of them at the same time.' Tia reflected: 'There was just an "aha" moment in me where I said: "You know what? We need to tap in, see whats really going on with your happiness. Life is short. Lets go. Lets start working on you and really focusing on what really, really matters here, which is at the end of the day, your peace, your joy and your happiness."' Gold medalist swimmer Ryan Lochte and his wife Kayla Rae Reid have welcomed their third child together. The couple are now parents to a daughter named Georgia June Lochte, who was born on Wednesday, June 21, according to Us Weekly. Ryan and Kayla already share son Caiden Zane Lochte, seven, and daughter Liv Rae, four, together. '[Were] thrilled. We are so excited,' Kayla explained to Us before Georgia's arrival. 'Ryan is such a great dad; I cant wait to see him as a father to 3. Hes so great with kids in general, they always gravitate towards him.' Their daughter's name was one the couple 'easily' came to an agreement to. New addition! Gold medalist swimmer Ryan Lochte and his wife Kayla Rae Reid have welcomed their third child together, a daughter named Georgia June Lochte 'Her middle name has a play on the timing of her birth and a family member,' the proud mom explained. As far as her nursery, their new addition will look forward to a beautifully-decorated room with a fun theme. '[Its] pink and green tones with a southern eclectic feel, [that] is what I was going for,' she said. It comes nine months after Kayla announced her pregnancy with a clip of the family running up and down an idyllic beach. Caiden and Liv ran to their parents as the camera rolled, held hands and posed alongside their mother and her growing baby bump. Ryan and his wife locked lips in the clip and held each other tightly while flashing overjoyed smiles. Tim Halperin's cover of Mariah Carey's Always Be My Baby played over the clip. 'Lochte baby #3 on the way, in June again of course![winking and tongue out emoji face],' Kayla wrote in the caption of the clip. Family! Ryan and Kayla already share son Caiden Zane Lochte, seven, and daughter Liv Rae, four, together Locking lips: The couple announced a third child was on the way back in December Running down the beach: The clip that Kayla posted showed the couple, alongside their two children running up and down an idyllic beach Gaining a little sibling: Caiden and Liv ran to their parents as the camera rolled, held hands and posed alongside their mother and her growing baby bump Cover song: Tim Halperin's cover of Mariah Carey's Always Be My Baby played over the clip Her caption refers to how both of her other children were also born in June. Ryan and Kayla met back in 2016 in a very modern way she slid into his direct messages on Instagram. 'She was living in L.A. at the time and I was in Charlotte, North Carolina,' Ryan told People in 2018. 'I went to L.A. for training and was going out to a club. She was going out to the same club with her girlfriend.' Another June baby: 'Lochte baby #3 on the way, in June again of course![winking and tongue out emoji face],' Kayla wrote in the caption of the clip Social media: Ryan and Kayla met back in 2016 in a very modern way she slid into his direct messages on Instagram Sonogram: They shared a sonogram of their growing baby as well Hours of conversation: 'We talked for eight to 10 hours about everything and honestly the next day we started dating,' the swimmer said. 'We just talked about what we want in life our goals, family, everything. I think right after that I was just like, "Shes the one"' The couple hung out at the club, and met up for a drink on a second date where they said they seemed to know immediately that they'd met the one. 'We talked for eight to 10 hours about everything and honestly the next day we started dating,' the swimmer said. 'We just talked about what we want in life our goals, family, everything. I think right after that I was just like, "Shes the one."' They married in Palm Springs in 2018 about a year after welcoming their first child. Kayla works as a realtor, according to her Instagram biography. Lochte's career has been filled with a fair share of both gold medals and controversies. He won 12 Olympic medals - tied for second-most by a swimmer in history - and 27 more at world championships. He has an impressive six gold Olympic medals. But his reputation was left in tatters after he lied about being robbed at a gas station during the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro. Lochte then found himself embroiled in another scandal two years later, when he got suspended in 2018 for an intravenous B-12 injection that exceeded the allowed limit. While athletes are allowed to receive an IV for a legitimate medical reason, the US Anti-Doping Agency forbids any other IV use. He was banned for 14 months over this incident. In 2019, Lochte said he had turned his life around - he quit partying, entered rehab and was living happily with his wife and children. While he will forever be known for both his scandals and his athletic greats, Lochte is also known for shouting his favorite made-up expression 'Jeah!' Jackie 'O' Henderson appears to have given up cigarettes and turned to vaping while on holiday in Europe with her daughter Kitty. In a video shared to the Kyle and Jackie O Instagram account on Thursday, the 48-year-old radio queen was struggling to navigate French traffic as she drove around Saint-Tropez. Jackie looked embarrassed when she accidentally drove on the wrong side of the road in a BMW rental with her daughter, 12, sitting in the back seat. As she looked around and apologised to surrounding drivers, an apple-flavoured vape was perched in her lap on top of her mobile phone. 'Why do we need the first toll where the ticket is? Wait, what's going on here? What the f**k?' she said. Jackie 'O' Henderson has been caught out carrying a vape while on holiday in Europe with her daughter Kitty The KIIS FM host previously spoke about her very real struggle with cigarettes over the years - and the lengths she's gone to to hide it. 'There was a period where I gave up and then started secretly smoking,' she said on her show back in 2021. 'I had to hide it from Lee [Henderson, her ex-husband] because he didn't want me smoking.' In a video shared to the Kyle and Jackie O Instagram account on Thursday, the 48-year-old radio queen was struggling to navigate French traffic as she drove around Saint-Tropez As she looked around and apologised to surrounding drivers, an apple-flavoured vape was perched in her lap on top of her mobile phone Kyle chimed in, adding, 'She had to wear the dishwashing gloves [while smoking] and she had to gargle mouthwash [afterwards]'. Jackie continued that she 'gave it up for a good year when I was pregnant and had Kitty and I didn't go back to it... and then stupidly, I did [go back]'. 'So stupid,' lamented The Kyle and Jackie O Show star. In 2016, the mother-of-one admitted she smoked 'probably about 15 to 20 [cigarettes]' a day at the time. When asked if her daughter Kitty knew about her smoking habit, Jackie replied that she'd 'tried to hide it'. 'It does play on my mind. Every morning I wake up and think, "s**t, should I be doing this because I am a mum now",' she added. 'So I get the guilt for that reason.' Beauty and the Beast is set to hit the stage in Sydney's Capitol Theatre. The West End's production of the enchanting fairytale premiers this Thursday night, June 22. Disney lovers have been given a first look at the stellar cast, with photographs from the dress rehearsals released hours before the curtain is raised. As she prepared for the big night, lead Shubshri Kandiah looked flawless on stage while portraying Belle in her beautiful signature yellow princess gown. Her co-star Brendan Xavier, who plays the Beast, also looked the part in a royal blue suit and special effects makeup. Things are about to get a whole lot more magical in Sydney's Capitol Theatre as Beauty And The Beast takes to the stage The West End lineup includes some of the most well-known theatre stars, including Jayde Westaby, whose credits include roles in The Rocky Horror Show, Grease and Mamma Mia. She will play Mrs Potts while Australian actor Rohan Browne will step into the role of Lumiere for the exciting run Down Under. Other cast members include Nick Cox, who plays Le Fou, and Rodney Dobson as Maurice. The major production will run for over four months, premiering on June 22 and closing on November 5. Shubshri Kandiah looked flawless on-stage as she perfectly portrayed the main character Belle in her beautiful signature yellow princess gown The major production will run for over four months, premiering on June 22 and closing on November 5 While it's based on the 1991 animated Disney film, the magical story was first turned into a theatrical production on Broadway in April 1994. Speaking about taking the production to Australia, Disney Theatrical Productions President Thomas Schumacher said: 'We are thrilled to return to Australia with Beauty And The Beast as re-imagined by members of the brilliant original creative team. 'This beloved show and Belle herself are somehow as contemporary today as when the film premiered in 1991; even more meaningful to those who first discovered them decades ago and to an entirely new generation. 'Each time weve returned to Australia over the last quarter century we see audiences grow larger and more appreciative and the deep pool of extraordinary home-grown musical theatre talent grow even deeper. We cannot wait to come back.' Aoki Lee Simmons claims she's been receiving online backlash in wake of the drama involving her father Russell Simmons who has since apologized for 'being frustrated and yelling' at her in a disturbing FaceTime call her mother Kimora Lee Simmons shared this week. 'I wonder how your mothers, sisters, daughters, nieces, girlfriends, wives, would feel seeing some of the sexist, racist, honestly foul comments and messages some of you "men" are leaving me,' the model, 20, began on her Instagram Story Wednesday. Aoki also shared a childhood photo of herself with Russell, 65, with text that informed critics that even her father who she's 'stopped talking to' would brand their behavior 'pathetic.' She said that many of those flooding her DMs and comment sections are fueled by their 'absolute hate for women of color' and using her as a punching bag. 'The misogynistic stereotypes and names, the absolute hate for women of color a lot of your comments show, just waiting to take your anger at how you feel you've been "treated" by women,' Aoki wrote. Backlash: Aoki Lee Simmons claims she's been receiving online backlash in wake of the drama surrounding her father Russell Simmons who has since apologized for 'being frustrated and yelling' at her in a disturbing FaceTime call her mother Kimora Lee Simmons shared this week 'Pathetic': Aoki also shared a childhood photo of herself with Russell, 65, with text that informed critics that even her father who she's 'stopped talking to' would brand their behavior 'pathetic' 'All of us "b*tches are like this" and "this is the problem with you girls/women/black women/bitter women/hoes/skanks today?" 'No how about all of YOU B*itches are like this. I only see one bitter mess in a DM between a 40+ year old male stranger yelling at me about "all the bitter black women" I represent, and it's not the 20 year old on the receiving end.' In the slide featuring her father's photo, Aoki said that Russell always told her to 'never' let herself be mistreated by men and to always 'defend' her mother and sisters. 'Until a short time ago, this is the man who told me "always defend and look after your mother girls" and "never let a man curse at you,"'' she wrote of her father. '"You call Daddy if a man ever tries to yell [sic] you or scare you that's never ok! Real men don't shout at women and girls."' Aoki continued: 'So to all the toxic men in my comments using "I'm defending him" to be foul, and talk about all the grievances you have with women, you can save it. 'It's pathetic. [Russell] would agree I know that for sure.' She then reiterated that by defending her family and not 'letting any man talk to [her] crazy' she's 'just following instructions' her estranged father once gave her. Aoki's posts came just days after Russell publicly apologized to his youngest daughter. The ousted Def Jem co-founder posted a mea-culpa late Monday evening saying, in part, that he was 'DEEPLY sorry for being frustrated and yelling.' Russell was accused by Kimora, 48, of 'threatening [their] kids' lives' and claims Aoki has severe panic attacks as a result of his behavior and has been 'placed on emergency medication' every time she speaks to him. In response, Russell told his followers that God had been 'testing' him lately, writing: 'God is testing you a little bit, its ok, be strong... they are called growing pains... as you know, we grow through adversity and struggle.' The somewhat rambling response also included this message to his daughters: 'But know this... there are no conditions... for sure i love you guys more than i love myself.' She said that many of those flooding her DMs and comment sections are fueled by their 'absolute hate for women of color' and using her as a punching bag; Aoki seen in May 2022 She then reiterated that by defending her family and not 'letting any man talk to [her] crazy' she's 'just following instructions' her estranged father once gave her His words accompanied a picture of his two daughters, Aoki and Ming Lee Simmons, 23. Russell was responding to the shocking footage that showed him angrily berate his daughter who could be seen crying and looking distressed on a muted FaceTime call with her dad. Explaining why she shared the clip, Kimora wrote to her followers: 'I'm so sorry to have to do this. But this man has been threatening my kids' lives. I'm hearing so much more now. We won't be bullied, threatened, or afraid. Who [gives a f***].' She added: 'No one should live like this. No one's child. This is abuse. Not okay. The threats, not okay. The fear mongering. Not okay.' DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for both Kimora and Russell who have so far been unavailable for comment. Kimora ended her 11-year marriage to Russell in 2009 citing 'irreconcilable differences.' They also share 23-year-old daughter Ming Lee Simmons. Simmons (born Perkins) and her second husband Tim Leissner were sued by Russell over allegedly stealing 4M shares of his stocks in 2018. The Queens-born New Yorker accused them of making a 'fraudulent transfer' of his 50% shares in the energy drink company Celsius to pay Leissner's legal/bail fees totaling $44M. The 51-year-old ex-Goldman Sachs banker avoided jail time by pleading guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit money laundering for stealing $2.7B from Malaysian wealth fund 1MDB. Their youngest daughter Aoki is a Harvard University grad, who currently works as an intern for New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Aoki also shared the muted video of one of her recent FaceTime conversations with Russell where his face was visibly full of rage. 'Dad, I stopped talking to you because you were giving me panic attacks to the point I was placed on emergency medication every time we spoke,' Aoki wrote in a text. 'This is abuse': The 48-year-old former model (R, pictured May 27) accused the 65-year-old ousted Def Jam co-founder of abusing the 20-year-old Harvard University grad (L), whose panic attacks got so severe she 'was placed on emergency medication every time' they spoke Kimora wrote via Instastory on Monday: 'I'm so sorry to have to do this. But this man has been threatening my kids' lives. I'm hearing so much more now. We won't be bullied, threatened, or afraid. Who [gives a f***]' Simmons (born Perkins) shared a text from Aoki with the caption: 'No one should live like this. No one's child. This is abuse. Not okay. The threats, not okay. The fear mongering. Not okay' 'She did not steal it. You lost it!' In texts the ONE Management model shared via Instastory, Russell repeatedly calls Kimora a 'piece of s***' who has 'stolen my money and the love of my kids' In another exchange, Simmons said 'your mother and Tim [Leissner] took what equals $250 million dollars of my money' and Aoki replied: 'You are being blocked for not respecting my boundaries. I asked you 10 million times to not talk to me about this lawsuit again' Bad blood: The former married couple have been warring for years, with Russell accusing Kimora in 2021 of stealing 4M shares of his stocks in the energy drink company Celsius to pay her embattled husband Tim Leissner's (L, pictured in 2019) $44M bail. 'I cannot have a relationship with you until that stops. No one stops me from talking to you, my health does. I have to put that first. Every time I spoke to you, you would yell and scream about a legal situation that I can't even respond to because I am not involved! I am you child, not your lawyer, your ex-wife - any of it. 'I can do nothing. Yet you yell at me like it's my fault. You were putting so much anger and rage on me every phone call. Cursing, screaming, and god knows what else. I'm sorry but I cannot be the target of that, it's not fair. It got to the point I could not hear your voice without having an anxiety attack. You have to at least respect I'm putting my health and well-being first.' In texts the ONE Management model shared via Instastory, Russell repeatedly calls Kimora a 'piece of s***' who has 'stolen my money and the love of my kids.' 'She did not steal it. You lost it. Understand? You lost it with your actions,' Aoki defended in her reply. In another exchange, Summons said 'your mother and Tim [Leissner] took what equals $250 million dollars of my money' and Aoki replied: 'You are being blocked for not respecting my boundaries. I asked you 10 million times to not talk to me about this lawsuit again.' 'It's like talking to a cruel child or something, and no he does not financially support me,' wrote Simmons who claimed the native New Yorker calls herself, her mother, and her sister 'bi***es.' 'He hasn't given me a dime in years. I haven't had a graduation gift, a birthday gift, so much as a taxi ride in years.' In a tearful video, Simmons said Russell has 'completely changed' since being accused of over 20 women of sexual assault and misconduct, which led to his life in exile in Bali (due to extradition laws). Simmons - who claimed her dad calls herself, her mother, and her sister 'bi***es' - cried: 'It's like talking to a cruel child or something, and no he does not financially support me. He hasn't given me a dime in years. I haven't had a graduation gift, a birthday gift, so much as a taxi ride in years' '#DaddysGirl': In a tearful video, Simmons said Russell has 'completely changed' since being accused of over 20 women of sexual assault and misconduct, which led to his life in exile in Bali (due to extradition laws) Aoki wrote: 'Some of us do think he's mentally ill or experiencing something like dementia, he really acts like he hates and does not know his children frequently. Prior to his media issues, he was really the best dad ever and a great co-parent. He and my mom were best friends. We all defended him against anything, and then he suddenly turned on anyone who will let him lash out. It's a really just terrifying change to watch' 'Love you so much!' The vegan yogi - who used to run the meditation/yoga app GDAS - did not comment on his daughter's posts but Instastoried a happy Father's Day message he received from his niece Vanessa Simmons Simmons' #MeToo scandal was detailed in Kirby Dick + Amy Ziering's critically-acclaimed documentary On the Record, which premiered in 2020 on HBO Max. 'Some of us do think he's mentally ill or experiencing something like dementia, he really acts like he hates and does not know his children frequently,' Aoki wrote. 'Prior to his media issues, he was really the best dad ever and a great co-parent. He and my mom were best friends. We all defended him against anything, and then he suddenly turned on anyone who will let him lash out. It's a really just terrifying change to watch.' The vegan yogi - who used to run the meditation/yoga app GDAS - did not comment on his daughter's posts but Instastoried a happy Father's Day message he received from his niece Vanessa Simmons. Kimora is also mother to two sons - Wolfe, 8; and Gary, 14 - with Tim (whom she hasn't been pictured with since 2019), and she mothered 14-year-old son Kenzo with ex-fiance, two-time Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou. DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for both Russell and Kimora who have so far been unavailable for comment. Jack Hanna, the zookeeper famed for his appearances on David Letterman's late night shows and Good Morning America, is battling an advanced stage of Alzheimer's disease. Hanna's wife Suzi detailed her spouse's health issues in an extensive piece published Wednesday in The Columbus Dispatch. Hanna, 76, who was the director for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium from 1978 to 1992, was initially diagnosed with Alzheimer's in October of 2019, and his family - Suzi and daughters Kathaleen, Suzanne, and Julie - told the paper that his condition has gone from moderate to advanced. According to Hanna's relatives, he can currently only remember Suzi, his wife of 54 years; his dog Brassy and his oldest daughter Kathaleen. 'The Jack people knew isn't here anymore, but pieces of my husband are,' Suzi told the paper. 'And I'm going to hang onto them for as long as I can.' The latest: Jack Hanna, the zookeeper famed for his appearances on David Letterman's late night shows and Good Morning America, is battling an 'advanced' stage of Alzheimer's disease. Pictured in NYC in 2017 His daughter Suzanne said, 'He just stopped remembering who I was in all ways. Whether it was in person or by phone, he had no idea I was his daughter,' adding, 'I think it's because he didn't see me as much because I got married so young and I moved away.' Suzi said that Hanna's daily routine includes medications and a two-mile walk they take together. 'I want to hold on to these walks as long as I can,' she said. 'I remember the day this all officially started. The day the doctor told us what it was. I've just tried to hang on to the little pieces of Jack since then.' She told the newspaper, 'My husband is still in there somewhere. There are still those sweet, tender moments - you know, pieces of him that made me and the rest of the world fall in love with him.' Suzi said that taking care of her spouse has been 'real hard some days ... but he took care of me all those years, and so it's my turn to take care of him.' Kathaleen was emotional as she discussed her father's withdrawal from the limelight - he retired from his conservation work in 2020 - as the family sought to keep his Azheimer's diagnosis private. 'He only retired due to the Alzheimer's,' Kathaleen said. 'He was embarrassed by it. He lived in fear the public would find out.' Kathaleen said Hanna 'would have worked until the day he died.' The TV personality's family - wife Suzi and daughters Kathaleen, Suzanne, and Julie - said his condition has gone from moderate to advanced Hanna, 76, who served as the director for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, was initially diagnosed with Alzheimer's in October of 2019 The Knoxville, Tennessee-born Hanna has shared his expertise and brought exotic animals onto many shows, most famously Letterman's a total of 93 times Hanna appeared on 68 episodes of the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS from 1993-2015 The charismatic zookeeper had Letterman on the edge of his seat with a reptile pal he brought Kathaleen said that the family was coming forward about Hanna's health to spread awareness for other families in a similar situation. 'If this helps even one other family, it's more than worth sharing dad's story,' Kathaleen told the paper. 'He spent a lifetime helping everyone he could. 'He will never know it or understand it, but he is still doing it now.' Suzi said she's refrained from relying on home health care providers when their daughters are not available to be present. She said she told her children: 'I just want it to be your dad and I for as long as I can. The river, the sun, Brassy, our walks ... that's what we have left.' In April of 2021, Hanna's daughters opened up about the Alzheimer's diagnosis in a statement on the Columbus Zoo's social media. 'His condition has progressed much faster in the last few months than any of us could have anticipated,' his daughters said. 'Sadly, Dad is no longer able to participate in public life as he used to, where people all over the world watched, learned, and laughed alongside him.' They added: 'While dad's health has deteriorated quickly, we can assure you his great sense of humor continues to shine through. And yes - he still wears his khakis at home.' Hanna was pictured with actress Drew Barrymore at a 2016 event in LA He carried a rare serval cat as he posed next to Katie Holmes on the NYC set of Good Morning America in 2017 The Knoxville, Tennessee-born Hanna - nicknamed 'Jungle Jack' - has shared his expertise and brought exotic animals onto many shows, most famously Letterman's a total of 93 times. He appeared on 25 episodes from NBC's Late Night with David Letterman 1985-1993; and on 68 episodes of the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS from 1993-2015. He has also shared his expertise on 39 episodes of ABC's Good Morning America from 1990-2019. Hanna also made appearances on talk shows including Piers Morgan Live, Maury, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Late Late Show with James Corden. He also had his own syndicated shows, starring on 162 episodes of Jack Hanna's Into the Wild from 2007-2020; and on 156 episodes of Jack Hanna's Wild Countdown from 2011-2020. Tenoch Huerta has announced that he's leaving the Netflix film 'Fiesta en la Madriguera' following recent sexual assault allegations. The 42-year-old Mexican actor earlier this month was accused of sexual assault by musician and activist Maria Elena Rios who claimed that he was a 'sexual predator'. Huerta has denied the allegations. In a statement released on Wednesday to media outlets, Huerta said, 'Given the impact of the recent false statements by Maria Elena Rios and the damage they have caused, I have no choice but to withdraw from participating in the film Fiesta en la Madriguera.' 'It is with great sadness that I do this, but I cannot allow her actions to harm not only me, but also the work of dozens of talented and hard-working people involved in the project,' the statement continued. 'My focus now is simple: continue the process of restoring my reputation,' the statement concluded. Withdrawal announcement: Tenoch Huerta, shown last November in New York City, has announced that he's leaving the Netflix film 'Fiesta en la Madriguera' following recent sexual assault allegations Denying the rumors: The Mexican actor, 42, earlier this month vehemently denied the saxophonist's claims that he is a 'sexual predator' in a lengthy statement, uploaded to his Instagram Stories (pictured as Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) 'As a result, a few months ago, I engaged a legal team to commence the appropriate actions to protect my reputation and refute these irresponsible and false accusations that can cause great prejudice and damage,' he stated. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star earlier this month took to social media as he vehemently denied the saxophonist's claims. 'A false and completely unsubstantiated accusation about me has spread like wildfire and I cannot let it go unchallenged any longer,' he told his more than 1.2 million Instagram followers. The father-of-two, who has starred in a number of movies in Latin America and Spain, continued: 'About a year ago, I dated Elena for several months. It was entirely consensual at all times, as countless others can attest. And throughout it was a loving, warm and mutually supportive relationship.' He alleged after they split that his ex 'began to misrepresent' their 'interactions both privately and in front of groups of mutual friends.' 'As a result, a few months ago, I engaged a legal team to commence the appropriate actions to protect my reputation and refute these irresponsible and false accusations that can cause great prejudice and damage,' he stated. Huerta went on to say that although he is 'by no means perfect' that he knows 'these allegations are simply untrue.' 'And while I will always work to improve myself, I need to contest claims that are both false and offensive,' he concluded. 'I am deeply grateful to my family and the people who have supported me and greatly appreciate everyone who is willing to look at the facts and reflect before rushing to an untrue and unjust conclusion.' 'A false and completely unsubstantiated accusation about me has spread like wildfire and I cannot let it go unchallenged any longer,' he told his more than 1.2 million Instagram followers Rios on social media accused the actor of being 'a violent and sexual predator' who was being protected to 'avoid scandals over their Marvel movie' in a series of tweets, translated from Spanish. Huerta is best known for his role as Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 'I made it very clear to them when I left their group that they protect the violent and sexual PREDATOR of @TenochHuerta that they did not publish anything about me. They still went to look for me at a concert of hypocrites to avoid scandals for their @MarvelLATAM movie,' she wrote. 'It is very difficult to talk about the emotional abuse and abuse of power of a sexual predator who is loved in the world for playing a movie character like @TenochHuerta.' 'Charming in appearance, the great hallmark of a narcissist + a good helping of victimization,' she added. She also wrote: ''And why didn't you report?' They say those who live in a macho country, where justice is unattainable where they almost kill you and still they don't believe you or justice comes. His side: The father-of-two, who has starred in a number of movies in Latin America and Spain, continued: 'About a year ago, I dated Elena for several months. It was entirely consensual at all times, as countless others can attest. And throughout it was a loving, warm and mutually supportive relationship' Speaking out: Rios, shown in January in Mexico City, accused the actor of being 'a violent and sexual predator' who was being protected to 'avoid scandals over their Marvel movie' in a series of tweets, translated from Spanish 'And no, I don't want to be famous. And no, I don't want money because I know how to work,' she posted. In the comments on her posts, she alluded to the fact that there are 'several more' women who may have also been allegedly assaulted by Huerta. The Mexican actor after his breakthrough success in Wakanda Forever is rumored to be reprising his role as Namor in the upcoming movie Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Huerta also is set to star in the upcoming Netflix series El Elegido [The Chosen One] opposite Dianna Agron and Bobby Luhnow. The series was previewed at Netflix's recent Tudum global fan festival in Brazil and is scheduled to be released in August. Former Married At First Sight star Jessika Power appears to have split from her boyfriend Connor Thompson after two years. The 31-year-old influencer, who relocated from Queensland to Manchester in 2021 after falling for the Englishman, has dropped several big hints they have separated. Jessika has unfollowed her beau on Instagram and has also revealed her plans to move back to Australia. She shared a post to her Instagram story asking her fans to recommend a removalist company to bring her belongings back home. The reality TV star also shared a cryptic quote to her Instagram about 'happiness and respect'. Jessika Power has sparked rumours she's split from her boyfriend Connor Thompson as she reveals she is moving back to Australia from the UK 'Staying in a relationship just because you love somebody is not worth it. Love is not all you need. Respect is what you need. Time is what you need. Reassurance is what you need. Happiness is what you need. A best friend is what you need,' it read. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jessika Power for comment. In September last year, Jessika revealed Connor had met all of her family and they all approved. 'He's met my family in Perth and my family on the Gold Coast,' she said at the time. She shared a post to her Instagram story asking her fans to recommend a removalist company to bring her belongings back home The reality TV star also shared a cryptic quote to her Instagram about 'happiness and respect' 'I haven't introduced most of my boyfriends to my family, but every single family member, even my dad, love him.' She added: 'My nan asked me the other day when we're getting married!' Jessica and Connor returned Down Under in August last year to promote Celebrity Slim, which she is the face of. The blonde rose to fame on season six of Married At First Sight Australia in 2019. The Weeknd has once again defended his controversial new miniseries The Idol as backlash continues to mount on social media. The show has elicited an explosive controversy over its graphically raunchy depiction of Lily-Rose Depp's character Jocelyn, a pop star who becomes ensnared by a cult-leading nightclub owner played by The Weeknd. One headline slammed The Weeknd's 'nonexistent' acting chops and another accused the show of containing 'the worst sex scene in history.' However, The Weeknd this Wednesday chose to highlight a fan of the series who wrote on Twitter: 'I cried a lot this episode. Ive never related to a character more on a program than I have to jocelyn. Her mental. Her mother dynamic. Its uncanny. The Idol is REAL. And a lot of people just dont get it.' Quoting her tweet, The Weeknd responded: 'they will i promise, give it time. until then enjoy the show for yourself,' adding a heart emoji. Unbothered: The Weeknd has once again defended his controversial new miniseries The Idol as backlash continues to mount on social media Fan service: Quoting a tweet by an admirer who felt 'a lot of people just don't get' the show, The Weeknd responded: 'they will i promise, give it time. until then enjoy the show for yourself' The Weeknd also shrugged off the criticism in an interview with Variety - the same outlet where a recent headline called his acting ability 'nonexistent.' Dismissing the blowback as 'very much expected,' The Weeknd cited Carrie director Brian De Palma and Basic Instinct director Paul Verhoeven as an 'inspiration.' He argued that 'were playing with genres with this show, were doing exactly what we wanted to do. And none of this is a surprise.' Ever since it screened at Cannes, the show has been raked over the coals for its portrayal of Jocelyn, who is described at one point as a 'human c** sock.' On one episode, Jocelyn masturbates and self-harms while mourning her dead mother and ultimately falls into the carnal thrall of The Weekend's character Tedros. In what British GQ has called 'the worst sex scene in history,' Jocelyn pleasures herself as Tedros instructs her to 'make that throat wet for me' and demands that she 'f***ing stretch that tiny little p***y.' The Weeknd co-created The Idol with former nightlife entrepreneur Reza Fahim as well as Sam Levinson, the writer behind Euphoria. Sam, whose own history with drugs helped inspire Euphoria, is Lily-Rose's fellow 'nepo baby' as the son of the acclaimed director Barry Levinson. Premise: Lily-Rose Depp leads the cast as Jocelyn, a pop star who becomes ensnared by a cult-leading nightclub owner played by The Weeknd Backstage: The Weeknd co-created The Idol with former nightlife entrepreneur Reza Fahim as well as Sam Levinson, the writer behind Euphoria Upon its premiere at Cannes, The Idol got a five-minute standing ovation but also provoked a raft of blistering responses from critics. The Playlist's Gregory Ellwood called the second episode 'Sexist, pseudo-porn,' while the New York Times' Kyle Buchanan dismissed the show as 'a Pornhub-homepage odyssey' starring 'Lily-Rose Depps areolas,' and The Wrap dubbed it 'luxury sleaze.' 'Lots of strong reactions to #TheIdol out of #Cannes2023 - ranging from: "I hated it" to "the TV version of clickbait" to "I dont need to see any more of Lily-Rose Depp naked,"' tweeted Variety reporter Ramin Setoodeh, author of the bestselling book Ladies Who Punch about the backstage drama on The View. Much of the chatter revolved around Lily-Rose's raunchy role, which at one point involves an apparent picture of her character with semen on her face. Insiders alleged to Rolling Stone in March that the show was almost completely reshot in order to give it less of a feminine outlook. Pet Sematary actress Amy Seimetz, who has also helmed such movies as Sun Don't Shine and She Dies Tomorrow, was claimed to have directed around 80 percent of The Idol before she left the project. The Weeknd was said to have felt The Idol had an excessively 'female perspective' and wanted the plot to give his character more attention than Lily-Rose's. Sam stepped in as director and reshot the show, which reportedly was heavily rewritten with so much raunchy material that one source was left thinking: 'What is this? What am I reading here? It was like sexual torture porn.' Reaction: One headline slammed The Weeknd's 'nonexistent' acting chops and another accused the show of containing 'the worst sex scene in history' Wow: On one episode, Jocelyn masturbates and self-harms while mourning her dead mother and ultimately falls into the carnal thrall of The Weekend's character Tedros Other sources, however, said that the insiders Rolling Stone quoted had made their remarks without seeing the finished product. The Weeknd responded publicly by denouncing the report as 'ridiculous,' arguing to Vanity Fair: 'Shows get reshot every day.' Lily-Rose also defended Sam, issuing a statement to E! News in which she called him 'for so many reasons, the best director I have ever worked with.' She added: 'Never have I felt more supported or respected in a creative space, my input and opinions more valued.' The showbiz legacy continued: 'Working with Sam is a true collaboration in every way it matters to him, more than anything, not only what his actors think about the work, but how we feel performing it.' At a press conference at Cannes, Lily-Rose defended the extensive nudity on the show, arguing that 'the occasional bareness of the character physically mirrors the bareness that we get to see emotionally in her,' according to People. Eiza Gonzalez sizzled in a tiny two piece in her latest Instagram post on Wednesday. The 33-year-old Mexican born beauty, who gained popularity portraying Lola Valente in the telenovela Lola, flaunted her bombshell figure in a mismatched tiny bikini combination including grey top and black bottoms. The Bulgari brand ambassador pulled her dark brunette tresses back and let her long bangs fall around black oversized flat top square lens sunglasses. The bombshell, who boasts 7.7 million Instagram followers, inscribed the image, 'First day of summer mood.' The Baby Driver actress also shared two short videos on her Instagram stories as she filmed out the window of an airplane as she flew over a tropical landscape with islands and crystal-clear water. Fuego: Eiza Gonzalez sizzled in a tiny two piece in her latest Instagram post on Wednesday Selfie time: The 33-year-old stunner flaunted her figure in a mismatched tiny bikini combination including grey top and black bottoms. The Bulgari brand ambassador pulled her dark brunette tresses back and let her long bangs fall around black oversized flat top square lens sunglasses The Ambulance star has been showing off her body in multiple Instagram posts lately. Gonzales recently showed off her washboard abs while lifting weights in a pink bra with black leggings and inscribed the image, 'It's that time.' Two weeks ago, the Extrapolations actress shared an image wearing a black sleeveless body suit and jeans amid a wooded backdrop after wrapping production on her latest film in New Zealand. She captioned the post, 'Kia Ora New Zealand. Making our film here has been one of the most special experiences of my life. The mana of this land is transformative. I love getting lost in it. I can't believe we are nearing the end. I will miss you Auckland.' Eiza is set to star in the upcoming Guy Richie WWII action Spy thriller, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Gonzalez will play the role of a military sniper with extraordinary spy-craft abilities. The film's plot follows the British military as they recruit a small group of highly-skilled soldiers to strike against Nazi forces behind enemy lines during World War II. Other cast members that will star in the movie, slated to release in 2024, include Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhall, Cary Elwes, Alan Ritchson, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and Henry Golding. Eiza also uploaded snaps on her Instagram page as she stood on a beach at sunset while looking out at an open landscape. Sweaty: The Baby Driver actress recently shared a snap of herself in a pink bra while lifting weights in the gym That's a wrap: Two weeks ago, the Extrapolations actress shared an image wearing a black sleeveless body suit and jeans amid a wooded backdrop in New Zealand Serene: Eiza also uploaded an image as she stood on a beach at sunset Rising star: Eiza is set to star in the upcoming Guy Richie WWII action Spy thriller, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, playing the role of a military sniper with extraordinary spy-craft abilities In another eye-catching image, the beauty shared a hot photo wearing a tiny colorful bikini and matching bottoms that tied at the hips. The performer, who split from Jason Momoa over the summer, recently appeared in Extrapolation, available for streaming on Apple TV+. It has been announced that the actress will appear in the upcoming sequel of Kung Fury, which will be released in November. Recently, she has reportedly been working on the upcoming Netflix sci-fi series The Three-Body Problem and Hulu limited series La Maquina in which she will star opposite Diego Luna. MasterChef judge Melissa Leong recently shared her devastation following the death of her beloved co-star Jock Zonfrillo. And on Thursday, the culinary expert, 41, looked downcast as she arrived at Sydney Airport and made her way through the arrivals lounge. The raven haired beauty rocked a smart casual look in an oversized brown blazer and matching pants as she headed to the taxi rank. She added a touch of style to her look with a $2700 Gucci tote but could not hide her sadness as she took off her sunglasses to better focus on her surroundings. Melissa wore her black hair parted in the centre and a light layer of make up accentuated her striking facial features. MasterChef judge Melissa Leong (pictured) recently shared her sadness following the death of her beloved co-star Jock Zonfrillo On Thursday, the culinary expert, 41, looked downcast as she arrived at Sydney Airport and made her way through the arrivals lounge. Her outing comes almost two months after her beloved co-star Jock Zonfrillo died in Melbourne on May 1, aged 46, on what was supposed to be the premiere date of the latest series, which was delayed by a week following his passing. Back in May, Melissa explained the grieving process is a quiet one for her, after she was criticised for not taking part in a special tribute to late co-star. The MasterChef Australia star wrote in her column for Stellar Magazine that there is no wrong way to grieve. 'We all deal with loss differently, and we need to honour that,' the 41-year-old said. 'Some people need to talk in order to process emotions, while other take more time to find the words, if they can at all,' she continued. 'Some people need to be with people, while others need time alone to stare at a wall, clean incessantly or sleep. The raven haired beauty rocked a smart casual look in an oversized brown blazer and matching pants as she headed to the taxi rank She added a touch of style to her look with a $2700 Gucci tote but could not hide her sadness as she took off her sunglasses to better focus on her surroundings Melissa sparked concerns after she failed to take part in The Sunday Project's moving tribute to Jock following the MasterChef Australia star's shock death. Jock's fellow judge Andy Allen and renowned chefs Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White and Curtis Stone all shared their memories in the heartbreaking special. Conspicuously missing was Jock's co-star Leong, who did not appear in the program. MasterChef fans posted to Twitter wondering why Melissa was absent, with several speculating that she was too grief-stricken to take part. Her character Cindy Beale's return from the dead after 26 years was finally confirmed on Wednesday. And EastEnders actress Michelle Collins, 61, beamed as she reunited with her on-screen ex-husband Adam Woodyatt, 54, in London just hours before the shocking scenes aired. In the closing seconds of the episode, mysterious character Rose Knight's true identity was revealed to be non-other than the notorious Cindy. And Michelle and Adam, who will appear on screen together once more, appeared delighted to be back in each others company as they chatted outside a hotel before sharing a hug. Michelle, who was also joined by husband Michael Davidson, 39, cut a chic figure in a plunging black blazer. Reunited: EastEnders' Michelle Collins embraced on-screen husband Adam Woodyatt after her return as Cindy Beale was confirmed in SHOCKING twist in London on Wednesday Shocking stuff: In the closing seconds of the episode, mysterious character Rose Knight's true identity was revealed to be non-other than the notorious Cindy Sporting a radiant palette of make-up she wore her blonde tresses in loose curls and carried a plush Birkin style bag. She completed the look with a pair of oversized glassed and a selection of funky silver jewellery. Meanwhile Adam, who will return to the soap as her long suffering former spouse Ian Beale after a two year break, cut a casual figure in a black Fred Perry polo shirt which he teamed with grey trousers. Speaking following Cindy's reveal he said: 'No offence but working with Michelle has been like putting on an old pair of slippers. It's comfortable. It just works.' He then went on to give an insight in his own return to the show: 'The weirdest thing for me that since Ive been gone theyve rebuilt the lot. I got out of the car yesterday morning and gone "wheres the Square?" Its just disappeared'. 'But the nicest thing is just going back to see all the faces. The first day in France it must have taken half a day to say hello to everyone'. Before adding: 'Im amazed we got anything filmed that first morning because I was just chatting'. It comes after Michelle has admitted she originally thought bringing back her character Cindy was a 'ridiculous idea'. Back together: Michelle and Adam appeared delighted to be back in each others company as they chatted outside a hotel before sharing a hug hours before the scenes aired (L-R) Michelle, Adam, Michelle's husband Michael Davidson Chic: Michelle cut a chic figure in a plunging black blazer and appeared in high spirits Low key: Meanwhile Adam, who will return to the soap as Ian Beale after a two year break, cut a casual figure in a black Fred Perry polo shirt which he teamed with grey trousers Drama: Cindy is set to reunite with her long-suffering ex-husband Ian upon her epic return to the soap opera She admitted she was initially apprehensive about returning to EastEnders because she thought bringing Cindy back to the show sounded 'ridiculous', after the character died off screen during childbirth. Though fans are eagerly awaiting to see how Cindy's return will play out, Michelle told The Sun of the mystery plot: 'I said to my agent, 'Oh, this is ridiculous, it's never going to happen'. 'But we had this breakfast meeting and [executive producer Chris Clenshaw] got his laptop out and reeled it all off, we both went, 'Wow, oh my God', and then I was like, maybe this could work.' Though she didn't reveal exactly where Cindy has been for 26 years, Michelle praised the upcoming plot as 'genius' as she hinted at her character's new backstory. Though she admitted she doesn't know whether she has made the right decision in returning to the soap, she said that for the time being, she is absolutely loving it. 'It feels like I've come full circle,' she added. Pals: Adam (centre) gave Michelle's new husband Michael (right) a big hug before he departed Glam: Sporting a radiant palette of make-up she wore her blonde tresses in loose curls and carried a plush Birkin style bag Style: She completed the look with a pair of oversized glassed and a selection of funky silver jewellery Fun times: Michelle joked around with a member of the swanky hotel's staff Speaking about why she decided to return to the show, after first appearing back in 1988, Michelle said it was about 'timing', confessing she would have said no if asked any earlier. She said: 'It's about timing, life is about timing, and it wasn't the right time. I think if it had happened five years ago I probably would have said no.' Michelle admitted she is both excited and scared about her return to EastEnders, telling how she found it very difficult to keep her comeback a secret. Show bosses went to huge lengths to keep her return a secret and Michelle told how she had to lie when asked if she would ever appear on the soap opera again. Not too sure: It comes after Michelle has admitted she originally thought bringing back her character Cindy was a 'ridiculous idea' Exciting: Though she didn't reveal exactly where Cindy has been for 26 years, Michelle praised the upcoming plot as 'genius' as she hinted at her character's new backstory Cover up: Cindy supposedly died while serving time in prison for hiring a hitman to kill Ian (both pictured in 1989), but it appears she has been living a double life Sharing how her stint on EastEnders has been different this time around, Michelle told how she would always argue with her on-screen ex-husband Adam. She told how they have both 'mellowed' over the years and no longer 'bizarrely' squabble in between takes and in their dressing rooms like they used to. EastEnders fans were left gobsmacked when Cindy made her grand reveal during Wednesday's episode as Rose Knight's identity was finally revealed. Age defying: Michelle looked gorgeous as she sported a youthful complexion Bye! She said goodbye to the hotel staff before heading off She's back! The massive twist saw the Queen Vic landlord George Knight ( Colin Salmon ) attempt to call his ex-wife 'Rose' after Phil Mitchell discovered she wasn't who she claimed to be The massive twist saw the Queen Vic landlord George Knight (Colin Salmon) attempt to call his ex-wife 'Rose' after Phil Mitchell discovered she wasn't who she claimed to be. In a tense moment, George stood in the Queen Vic as Seal's Kiss From A Rose played on the pub's jukebox, before the scene dramatically flashed to a sun lounger in Spain. A mysterious hand could be seen rejecting the call before picking up a glass of wine, with the shot then flashing to show Cindy's face, confirming weeks of suspicion over Rose's real identity. Gobsmacked: EastEnders fans were left gobsmacked when Cindy made her grand reveal during Wednesday's episode as Rose Knight's identity was finally revealed Shock: In the closing moments of the episode, Cindy could be seen relaxing on a sun lounger and drinking a glass of wine in Spain, 26 years after she was believed to have died in childbirth Family: The bombshell reveal will no doubt cause a stir for her husband George and his two daughters Anna (Molly Rainford) and Gina (Francesca Henry) The huge reveal comes 26 years after Cindy was believed to have died in childbirth after plotting to kill her then-husband. Fans were left completely stunned by the revelation, and took to Twitter to share their shock over Cindy's unexpected return. One fan wrote: 'I don't watch eastEnders much anymore but I literally just screamed at the TV, she's back!' Another wrote: 'That was AN ICONIC DUFF DUFF!!!,' while a third said: 'OMG it's Cindy Beale.' And a fourth commented: 'Yesssss I am screaming!,' and another added: 'WHAAAAT!!!! I'm so shocked!!! So glad Cindy is back!! Eeeeek.' EastEnders airs the truth about George's past on Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer. My Kitchen Rules stars Carly Saunders and Tresne Middleton have opened up about the profound loss they felt after their miracle IVF baby died in February at age one. On Thursday, the pair came forward to discuss the tragic loss and provide others with a list of easily missed signs something was wrong with their daughter Poppy. 'We noticed her belly was starting to get enlarged. So, it was a little bit distended. And when she was feeding, she would have quite large vomits,' Tresne told 7Life. The pair added another clue something was wrong with Poppy was when she got a bruise on her thigh - which remained on her body after five weeks. Their worst fears were confirmed when their beloved child was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a severe form of blood cancer. My Kitchen Rules stars Carly Saunders and Tresne Middleton have opened up about the profound loss they felt after their miracle IVF baby died in February at age one. All pictured 'If they've got bruises or excessive bleeding - they are generally signs that the leukaemia is affecting their marrow which therefore affects their blood,' Carly said. She added they did not realise Poppy's pale complexion was a major sign she was seriously ill. Tresne said after the couple received the heartbreaking cancer diagnosis they made a promise to spend as much time with Poppy as they possibly could. On Thursday, the pair came forward to discuss the tragic loss and provide others with a list of easily missed signs something was wrong with their daughter Poppy 'It let her feel like this is a normal lifestyle. We didn't treat her any differently than we would any other child,' she said. 'We did as much as we could to try and normalise what was happening to her. I don't think she knew any different.' The couple have been documenting their healing journey on social media since Poppy passed away in February. 'We noticed her belly was starting to get enlarged. So, it was a little bit distended. And when she was feeding, she would have quite large vomits,' Tresne told 7Life They recently returned home to Australia after spending some time in Thailand, as they hoped the trip would help them cope with their grief. Posting a video montage of their time in Thailand to Instagram, the couple wrote: 'Home again it is time to face home again. 'It's beyond us that the whole time we were in hospital with Pops we just wanted to be home, and now we'll do almost anything to avoid it.' Before Poppy passed, the mothers documented the realities of parenting a sick child on social media, and thanked their followers for their continuous support. The pair added another clue something was wrong with Poppy was when she got a bruise on her thigh - which remained on her body after five weeks Tish Weinstock debuted her baby bump in a white maxi dress at the V&A summer party in London on Wednesday evening. The socialite, who is expecting her second child with husband Tom Guinness, showcased her changing shape in the figure-hugging number. The fashionista looked incredible in a plunging white garment which boasted a side split up the leg. Tish added inches to her frame in a pair of eye-catching black heels and toted her belongings in a coordinated clutch bag. She accessorised with a simple gold necklace and a pair of matching hoop earrings as she posed up a storm at the star-studded event held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. Chic: Tish Weinstock debuted her baby bump in a white maxi dress at the V&A summer party in London on Wednesday evening Bumping along: The socialite, who is expecting her second child with husband Tom Guinness, showcased her changing shape in the figure-hugging number Tish, who is already mother to two-year-old son Reuben with her husband, completed her evening look by styling her long dark poker straight. The socialite revealed she and Tom were expanding their brood in April, with a duo of bikini-clad Instagram snaps as a pregnancy announcement. The couple married in a lavish spectacular in October 2022 at the incredible Belvoir Castle with a host of fashion and society movers and shakers looking on, including Kate Moss, the Manners sisters, Sabine Getty and Adwoa Aboah. Tish studied art history at Oxford and is now a Vogue beauty editor and writer. Tom's grandmother was Diana Mitford, who later became Lady Mosley, after marrying British Fascist Oswald Mosley. At their epic October wedding, Tish looked incredible in her lace dress and ballet pumps, wearing her long raven locks down and in a loose style. She had a long vintage train which trailed behind her as she walked down the aisle in the gothic ceremony. Later, she changed into a sheer light lilac gown, which featured celestial style detailing across the body. The chapel on the estate was decorated with a red neon sign which spelled out their names as they walked out carrying son, Reuben. Posing up a storm: The fashionista looked incredible in a plunging white garment which boasted a side split up the leg Stylish: Tish added inches to her frame in a pair of eye-catching black heels and toted her belongings in a coordinated clutch bag Wow! Tish revealed she and Tom were extending their brood in April, with a duo of bikini-clad Instagram snaps acting as a pregnancy announcement Sweet: The couple married in a lavish spectacular in October 2022 at the incredible Belvoir Castle with a host of fashion and society movers and shakers (pictured with son Reuben) Sweet: Tish shared an image of her baby scan alongside the bikini clad shot A collection of bones decorated with the entranceway - and the couple had a red neon sign which spelled out their names. The couple jumped into a Victorian-style carriage alongside their toddler son, before being whisked away to the reception. Tom's father Jonathan is the son of Bryan Guinness, 2nd Baron Moyne and Diana Mitford, who abandoned her husband to marry Sir Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British Union of Fascists. The Mitford sisters were raised in the Cotswolds to Lord and Lady Redesdale. They had one brother Tom who was educated at Eton. But despite their privileged upbringing as members of the aristocracy, the six daughters went on to shock polite society with their impulsive, hedonistic lifestyles. Sir Oswald and Diana tied the knot in a civil ceremony in Joseph Goebbels' drawing room in Berlin in 1936. Hitler was the only other guest. As a result, during World War Two she was locked up as an enemy to the Allies in Holloway Prison. Following her and her husband's release from jail, they cruised the Mediterranean, before settling together in the Paris suburbs, with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor for neighbours. Both Diana and Mosley were jailed during World War II due to their fascist beliefs. Gothic beauty! At their epic October wedding, Tish looked incredible in her lace dress and ballet pumps, wearing her long raven locks down and in a loose style Sir Paul McCartney looked dapper in a blue striped blazer as he left Cecconi's restaurant in London's Mayfair on Wednesday. The Beatles musician, 80, looked in high spirits as he stepped out and with friends after his lunch date. The legendary British songwriter dressed in a navy open collar shirt, which he teamed with a pair of dark trousers. Sir Paul kept comfortable by rocking a pair of black trainers and shielded from the sun behind a pair of dark sunglasses. He sported a salt and pepper stubble and left his long locks pushed over to one side. Dapper dude: Sir Paul McCartney looked dapper in a blue striped blazer as he left Cecconi's restaurant in London's Mayfair on Wednesday Out and about: The Beatles musician, 80, looked in high spirits as he stepped out and with friends after his lunch date The musician's appearance comes after the ground-breaking news that he is using artificial intelligence (AI) to 'extricate' John Lennon's voice from an old demo to create the 'final Beatles record.' While he's yet to name the song, it's likely to be a 1978 Lennon composition called Now And Then, according to the BBC. Speaking to Radio 4's Today programme, McCartney explained: 'We just finished it up and it'll be released this year.' Now And Then was one of several songs recorded by Lennon shortly before his death in 1980. Two of the other tracks - Free As A Bird and Real Love - were cleaned up by producer Jeff Lynne before being released in 1995 and 1996. But he struggled to clean up Now And Then, and his attempt was deemed 'rubbish' by George Harrison, who refused to work on it. However, AI technology has given McCartney a new way to revive the song once more. Speaking to Radio 4's Martha Kearney, McCartney explained how he turned to director, Peter Jackson, who had used AI to create 'clean' audio in the Get Back documentary. Slick: The legendary British songwriter dressed in a navy open collar shirt, which he teamed with a pair of dark trousers Looking good: Sir Paul kept comfortable by rocking a pair of black trainers and shielded from the sun behind a pair of dark sunglasses 'He [Jackson] was able to extricate John's voice from a ropey little bit of cassette,' he explained. 'We had John's voice and a piano and he could separate them with AI. They tell the machine. "That's the voice. This is a guitar. Lose the guitar". 'So when we came to make what will be the last Beatles' record, it was a demo that John had [and] we were able to take John's voice and get it pure through this AI. 'Then we can mix the record, as you would normally do. So it gives you some sort of leeway.' It remains unclear when this year McCartney plans to release the 'final Beatles record'. The Beatles aren't the only band using AI to complete unfinished songs. Paul's new book, titled 1964: Eyes of the Storm, Photographs and Reflections by Paul McCartney, is published from 13 June 2023 via Penguin Press. The exhibition, Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm, at the National Portrait Gallery, London, will run from June 28 until October 1. They've been happily married since 2012. And David Mitchell, 49, and Victoria Coren, 50, made a rare public appearance as they cosied up at the star-studded V&A summer party in London on Wednesday. The South Kensington museum plays host to the annual fundraising event, which is a highlight of the social calendar and draws in more than 1,000 celebs and socialites. Victoria stunned in a pink frock as she stepped out with her Peep Show comedian husband to the event, which showcased over 250 objects spanning fashion, photography, design and music. The writer looked gorgeous in the summer number which featured a white floral detail and waist-cinching belt. In love: David Mitchell , 49, and Victoria Coren, 50, made a rare public appearance as they cosied up at the star-studded V&A summer party in London on Wednesday Date night: The South Kensington museum plays host to the annual fundraising event, which is a highlight of the social calendar and draws in more than 1,000 celebs and socialites The TV personality paired the look with a chic pair of multicoloured heels and a dazzling diamond necklace. David looked sharp as he teamed an open-collared green and white striped shirt with beige trousers. The Peep Show icon finished his look with brown smart shoes and placed his arm around his wife adoringly. The couple largely keep their lives out of the limelight and rarely make public appearances together. David and Victoria welcomed their only child, daughter Barbara, in May 2015 - with the comedian previously describing her as 'the best human being that has ever been born'. He said in a chat on The Jonathan Ross Show in 2018: 'Unfortunately, there is nothing like having a tiny child who's safety you are responsible for to make you worry. 'You really don't want the world to spin into the sun and explode. You thought you didn't want it before but you really don't want it [after having a child.] 'That is the real downside of parenthood, and I suppose any form of love, is it makes you fear more I would say love is not a stress reduction exercise is it? Elegant: Victoria stunned in a pink frock as she stepped out with her Peep Show comedian husband to the event, which showcased over 250 objects Arrival: The writer looked gorgeous in the summer number which featured a white floral detail and waist-cinching belt Good spirits: The TV personality paired the look with a chic pair of multicoloured heels and a dazzling diamond necklace 'What you want is a long period of bland contentment I'm a family man. I've made bad choices and I am constantly worried.' The pair met at a showbiz party in 2007, and even though David admitted he was instantly smitten with the fellow writer and broadcaster, three years went by before they actually got together. Victoria was in a relationship with someone else at the time and turned down the comedian's advances. In his autobiography Back Story, David spoke out about the agony of not being with the love of his life for those years, and how it led him to midnight walks in the park and frequent visits to the pub. 'I was hopelessly in love. I told no one about it,' the star discloses in his book. 'I didn't tell my closest friends or my parents of the enormous sadness that overshadowed my life.' ITV has reportedly shelved a cooking show fronted by popular star Gino D'Acampo. Gino's Cooking Up Love will not return after bosses decided to 'ditch the concept'. Filmed in Sardinia, the show helped singeltons find love through food with the 46-year-old pairing contestants with other chefs. Despite filming two pilot episodes last year, a source told The Sun: 'There were meaningful discussions about commissioning further episodes, but ultimately it was decided to ditch the concept'. They added: 'ITV is still working with Gino on a number of other shows this year' AXED: ITV has shelved a cooking show with one of its top stars Gino continues to host Family Fortunes and is currently filming a second series of his travel show Gino's Italy for the broadcaster. MailOnline has contacted ITV and Gino's reps for comment. Back in March the chef revealed he had quit the channel's popular show Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip after three series. Gino said that he was leaving due to a row over 'complicated' contacts. It was later reported he was allegedly caught with cannabis by police sniffer dogs as he flew into the UK after filming the series in Spain. A source told The Sun that colleagues Gordon Ramsay and Fred Sirieix were 'pretty cross' following the incident. The show saw the trio travel the globe as they explore the local cuisine. Gino said that his friendships with his former colleagues had nothing to do with his exit with their 'strong' bond meaning more to him than arguments over contracts. MATCH-MAKING: Gino's Cooking Up Love will not return it's been reported after bosses decided to 'ditch the concept' (the chef pictured on the show) SHELVED: Despite filming two pilot episodes last year, a source said: 'There were meaningful discussions about commissioning further episodes, but ultimately it was decided to ditch the concept' Telling his followers on Instagram: 'Last week I decided not to film any more Gordon, Gino and Fred Road trips. The reason is very simple nothing to do with Gordon or Fred, the friendship is very strong'. He continued: 'It's just because we can't get the dates together and sometimes when we do get the dates together sometimes they get changed and it causes a lot of problems for me because I have other stuff that I have to do. 'Personal problems as well because when I have to change things with my family it is very complicated and also because [of] contracts'. Gino is married to Jessica Stellina Morrison with whom he has sons Luciano, 21 and Rocco, 18 and nine-year-old daughter Mia. Gino went on to say: 'Because contracts start to become very complicated and very stressful, I personally value the friendship with Gordon and Fred so much that I would rather the friendship than arguments with the contract'. QUIT: Back in March Gino D'Acampo revealed he had departed the channel's popular show Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip after three series ROAD TRIP: The show saw the Italian TV favourite (left) travel the globe with fellow foodies Gordon Ramsay (centre) and Fred Sirieix (right) as they explore the local cuisine 'So I have decided not to do it anymore because I want to be friends with the boys for many, many years ahead.' An ITV spokesman said: 'A brand new series of Gordon, Gino and Fred's Road Trip in Spain will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX later this year'. The shows have already been filmed. It was first broadcast in 2018 with the trio travelling France and Italy, before heading to America in 2020 followed by a trip to Greece two years later. The series has also spawned three Christmas specials. Christopher Nolan has claimed that early viewers of Oppenheimer have left the film 'devastated' and 'unable to speak'. The upcoming historical thriller centres on the life of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who was director of the Los Alamos Laboratory responsible for the creation of the first atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project. With its anticipated release scheduled for July 21, the British-American director, 52, has now commented on how early viewers have received the film. Speaking to Wired magazine, he explained: 'Some people leave the movie absolutely devastated. They can't speak. 'I mean, there's an element of fear that's there in the history and there in the underpinnings. But the love of the characters, the love of the relationships, is as strong as I've ever done.' Honest: Christopher Nolan has said that early viewers of Oppenheimer have left the film 'devastated' and 'unable to speak' (pictured in 2021) Gripping: The upcoming historical thriller centres on the life of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) The film stars some of the most famous faces in Hollywood, including Peaky Blinders' Cillian Murphy, 46, as J. Robert Oppenheimer and Emily Blunt, 40, as his wife, biologist and botanist Katherine 'Kitty' Oppenheimer. Little Women star Florence Pugh, 27, plays psychiatrist Jean Tatlock - while Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr, director of the Manhattan Project. Nolan said: 'It is an intense experience because it's an intense story. I showed it to a filmmaker recently who said it's kind of a horror movie. I don't disagree.' The director even admitted he was 'relieved to be finished' with the project due to the emotional toll it took. 'As I started to finish the film, I started to feel this colour that's not in my other films, just darkness. It's there. The film fights against that,' he said. Written and directed by Nolan, epic thriller Oppenheimer thrusts audiences into the pulse-pounding paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it. The film centres on the life of American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, responsible for the creation of the first atomic bomb in the Manhattan Project. In August 1945 the bombs were detonated on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date - to end the Second World War. It is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin. The three-minute long new trailer is tense, showing the race against time to develop the bomb and the moral dilemmas that come alongside it. Nail-biting: With its anticipated release scheduled for July 21, the British-American director, 52, has now commented on how early viewers have received the film Familiar face: Emily Blunt, 40, plays the titular character's wife, biologist and botanist Katherine 'Kitty' Oppenheimer New look: Florence Pugh plays psychiatrist Jean Tatlock Other famous faces include Robert Downey, Jr who plays Lewis Strauss, a founding commissioner of the US Atomic Energy Commission. Benny Safdie plays theoretical physicist Edward Teller, Michael Angarano plays Robert Serber and Josh Hartnett plays pioneering American nuclear scientist Ernest Lawrence. Oppenheimer also stars Rami Malek and reunites Nolan with eight-time Oscar nominated actor, writer and filmmaker Kenneth Branagh. It comes after Cillian Murphy said he was 'desperate' to land lead role in Christopher Nolan's upcoming Oppenheimer after five films as a supporting actor. 'I have always said publicly and privately, to Chris, that if I'm available and you want me to be in a movie, I'm there,' he said. 'I don't really care about the size of the part,' Murphy revealed in an interview with AP. 'But deep down, secretly, I was desperate to play a lead for him.' It turns out Murphy didn't have a clue about getting the lead role in Oppenheimer until Nolan called him up out of the blue and offered him the part. 'He's so understated and self-deprecating and, in his very English manner, just said, "Listen, I've written this script, it's about Oppenheimer. Id like you to be my Oppenheimer,"' Murphy recalled, before adding, 'It was a great day.' The actor decided to focus his pre-shoot preps on learning more about J. Robert Oppenheimer and what inventing the atomic bomb does to the individual, the actor told The Guardian last year. 'You realise this is a huge responsibility. He was complicated and contradictory and so iconic,' Murphy said of Oppenheimer the man, adding, 'But you know you're with one of the great directors of all time. 'I felt confident going into it with Chris. Hes had a profound impact on my life, creatively and professionally. Hes offered me very interesting roles and Ive found all of them really challenging. And I just love being on his sets.' Oppenheimer will hit cinemas from July 21. Cast: Matt Damon portrays General Leslie Groves Jr, director of the Manhattan Project She will be detained as doctors try to stabilise her medication Amanda Bynes' psychiatric hold will be extended by at least one week as doctors try to stabilise her medication and therapy. The actress, 37, was placed back on a 5150 psychiatric hold in Los Angeles on Monday, two months after she was released from a mental health facility following a three-week stay. According to TMZ following the latest incident loved ones are concerned by the Hairspray star's 'cycle of repeated breakdowns'. They also reported that Amanda, who suffers from mental illness, functions well when she takes her medication but stops once feeling better, leading to her next downward spiral. When the star was previously under conservatorship, before ending in March 2022, her mother Lynn was responsible for making sure she took her prescribed medication and Amanda not taking her meds was never an issue during this time. Ill health: Amanda Bynes' psychiatric hold will be extended by at least one week as doctors try to stabilise her medication and therapy Help: The actress, 37, was placed back on a 5150 psychiatric hold in Los Angeles on Monday, two months after she was released from a mental health facility following a three-week stay The actress was deemed 'a danger to herself and others' following a mental health evaluation, authorities with the Los Angeles Police Department told TMZ Monday, noting it was Bynes herself who called the police in the first place. She initially contacted the LAPD Saturday to report that a woman was in distress, sources told the outlet. Bynes was reportedly detained by officers from the Los Angeles Police Department on Saturday for a mental health evaluation, according to TMZ. The former Nickelodeon star had been released from a mental health facility in April after being placed on psychiatric hold for three weeks due to roaming the streets of LA naked and appearing to be in a manic state. On Saturday, the She's The Man actress was placed in handcuffs outside of her place of residence, with law enforcement sources telling the outlet that they responded to a call from 'a woman who was in distress.' TMZ reported that the woman was Bynes herself, with the sources adding, 'She was taken to a police station where a professional medical unit was standing by to check her out and determine if she needed further treatment.' Eyewitnesses who had seen the incident unfold told the publication that Amanda was 'calm during the interaction' with LAPD officers, but 'looked defeated as they dealt with her.' Bynes was then placed in the back of one of the police cruisers that had arrived to the scene. However, it is unclear if officers had 'escorted' the star out of her place of residence, or if she was met by cops outside. The latest: Following the latest incident loved ones are concerned by the Hairspray star's 'cycle of repeated breakdowns' It's been claimed Family: When the star was previously under conservatorship , before ending in March 2022, her mother Lynn was responsible for making sure she took her prescribed medication and Amanda not taking her meds was never an issue during this time (Amanda pictured with parents Lynn and Rick in 2004) In a 5150 hold, individuals are placed in custody for a span of 72 hours for psychiatric hospitalization. DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives for Bynes for comment. Bynes' latest mental health evaluation comes only months after the actress was placed in a mental health facility in March due to her reportedly wandering the streets of Los Angeles for four days after her vehicle was towed in the Long Beach area. TMZ reported that at one point, she roamed the streets without any clothes on, with eyewitnesses stating that Bynes herself 'waved a car down, telling the driver she was coming down from a psychotic episode,' and proceeded to call 911. After she was picked up, Bynes was initially put under a 72-hour psychiatric hold, which was initially extended while her team at the mental health facility devised a treatment plan for her. After three weeks of treatment, she reportedly worked with the facility's staff to determine that she was ready to get back to her regular routines and checked herself out of the hospital for an outpatient treatment program. 'Amanda has left the medical facility on her own recognizance,' a source told Dailymail.com at the time. 'She was very cooperative, participated in her recovery the staff supported her decision to leave as she had successfully completed the treatment program.' In March 2022 Amanda was freed of her nine-year legal conservatorship. Amanda's conservatorship began in 2013 when she was involuntarily committed to a Pasadena psychiatric treatment facility following a public meltdown involving a string of bizarre run-ins with the law dating back to 2012. Flashback: The She's The Man actress was seen earlier this year on a fan's TikTok page Bynes 'has been advised to continue to distance herself from her' former fiance, Paul Michael, the source said, adding that 'her family and friends believe that her split was a catalyst in her breakdown and that he is not a healthy and safe person for her to be around.' The source went on to say that the former pair 'were codependent on each other, and the latter part of their relationship was toxic due, in part, to the fact that they met in rehab. They substituted their addiction to substances for an addiction for each other.' The pair initially announced their engagement in February 2020, but reportedly split only three weeks later. However, in March, Amanda announced her pregnancy with her attorney later stating in May that she was not expecting her first child. In April, her ex-fiance, Paul Michael, claimed that both he and Amanda had broken up only days before her mental breakdown that occurred in March. While reflecting on the end of their chaotic romance, the actress' former partner alleged that two weeks before walking the streets of Los Angeles naked, she had 'disappeared for three days' before coming 'home with another guy.' He went on to tell TMZ that 'they argued' and Bynes, who he reportedly first met back at Alcoholics Anonymous in November 2019, 'said she 'didn't care about him anymore.' Past conservatorship: Bynes had previously been under a conservatorship since 2013, but it was ended last year in March 2022; seen back in 2009 in Los Angeles Recent split: In April, her ex-fiance, Paul Michael, claimed that both he and Amanda had broken up only days before her mental breakdown that occurred in March After calling it quits, he 'packed up his things and left their home.' Michael recalled feeling blindsided by her behavior as she 'seemed stable' and was focused on her becoming a nail artist after enrolling in a cosmetology course. He speculated that something may have happened to her because she 'seemed like a different person' during their last encounter. Following her three-week stay at the mental health facility, sources close to the Hairspray actress told TMZ last month in May that the star was not having an easy time adjusting back to her normal life. The insiders informed the outlet that after checking out of the hospital, Bynes went back to living alone and stated 'she doesn't have a lot of people in her life.' They added that 'Amanda hasn't been focusing on some of the passions she had before' which include nail tech and fashion. Despite facing difficulties, the sources expressed to TMZ that Bynes has been 'attending her outpatient treatments, seeing therapists, and taking her medication.' Bynes had previously been under a conservatorship since 2013, but it ended last year in March 2022. Hollywood star: Amanda is known for starring on The Amanda Show from 1999 to 2002, and also appeared in hit films such as She's The Man (2006) and later Easy A (2010) TMZ previously reported that Bynes' parents were not considering trying to set up another conservatorship, as she had been doing relatively well prior to her mental health crisis in March of this year. The original arrangement began in 2013, after she was involuntarily committed after multiple run-ins with the law starting a year earlier. She had two hit-and-runs, as well as a DUI, in 2012, and she was later arrested in 2013 for allegedly throwing a bong out of the window of her 36th-floor apartment in Manhattan. Amanda is known for starring on Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show from 1999 to 2002, and also appeared in hit films such as She's The Man (2006) and later Easy A (2010) and the musical Hairspray (2007). Katie Price launched into foul-mouthed rant against woman pictured with her ex Carl Woods in a now deleted post. Just weeks after their split was revealed last month, Carl was spotted with his arm around a mystery blonde woman as they strolled together in Las Vegas. And it appeared that Katie didn't take too kindly to the reality star, 34, moving on as she shared a snap of the pair and branded the woman a 'tramp' who she claimed 'f**ked' her ex before being 'chucked' by him. In the furious tirade shared to her Instagram stories on Wednesday night, Katie said the woman - who was seen holding Carl's hand - had 'no respect for herself', before claiming that Carl said she was 'boring' and lacked 'experience'. She wrote over the now-deleted image: 'I know her name age where they went and then went back to Carl's on his last night so they just met and she f***ed it then he chucked her out and he came back to UK to me he said she was boring very no experience... Lashing out: Katie Price launched into foul-mouthed rant against woman pictured with her ex Carl Woods in a now deleted post Moving on: Just weeks after their split was revealed last month, Carl was spotted with his arm around a mystery blonde woman as they strolled together in Las Vegas 'See grass isn't always greener. But she love seeing all my tattoos of me on his body. Utter trump no respect for herself. [sic]' MailOnline contacted representatives of Katie and Carl for comment, who both declined to comment. The photo in question sees Carl walking with his arm around the woman, who affectionately clutched onto his fingers. The were also seen enjoying a drink at a bar and also tried their luck at a Casino during the night out in Sin City. Carl cut a casual figure as he stepped out with his female companion, who put on a busty display in a plunging green mini dress. Since splitting, Katie and Carl have appeared to take swipes at each other online. Last week, Katie enjoyed a girls' night out with pals, while her ex partied on the same night in Vegas with bikini-clad women. Katie shared an Instagram post as she posed up next to her gal pals and penned: 'Girls night out needed with @jeydayilmaz and @missc.001.' Rant: It appeared that Katie didn't take too kindly to the reality star, 34, moving on as she shared a snap of the pair and branded the woman a 'tramp' who she claimed 'f**ked' her ex before being 'chucked' by him Claims: In the furious tirade shared to her Instagram stories on Wednesday night, Katie said the woman - who was seen holding Carl's hand - had 'no respect for herself', before claiming that Carl said she was 'boring' and lacked 'experience' (Carl in Las Vegas last week) But her on and off boyfriend Carl made a sly dig at her as he enjoyed some female company of his own. Sharing a cheeky snap surrounded by bikini-clad women while partying in Vegas, he captioned his upload: 'Girls night out achieved .' Carl appeared in good spirits as he donned a lilac t-shirt and sported black shades - while posing with three girls wearing a matching metallic purple bikini. Fans were quick to comment under Carl's snap, as many of them hinted his post was a deliberate dig at Katie. Making digs: Last week Katie enjoyed a girls' night out with pals while her ex Carl partied on the same night in Vegas with bikini-clad women Cheeky: But her on and off boyfriend Carl made a sly dig at her as he enjoyed some female company of his own, captioning his upload: 'Girls night out achieved ' All over: Katie recently confirmed she had once again split from the former Love Island star Katie recently confirmed she had once again split from the former Love Island star. The now former couple were last seen together at the end of last month as they celebrated her birthday in Brighton. Sharing a photo of herself sporting short black hair, she wrote: 'Extensions out ready for new transformation literally had so much s**t thrown at me and being single now and now dealing with the suspicions my dog had been killed deliberately so being investigated I need a massive change and move in my life.' Since beginning their relationship in 2020 and getting engaged a year later, the tumultuous couple have had a slew of public bust-ups - with their most recent split at the beginning of the year. Sabrina Elba was a vision in white on Thursday as she made a stylish turn at Royal Ascot's Ladies' Day. The actress, 35, looked effortlessly chic as she slipped into a tailored white boucle jacket and matching midi skirt from Self-Portrait as she joined races fixture Georgia Toffolo at the swanky event. The stylish two-piece, custom designed in London by Self-Portrait designer and creative director Han Chong, perfectly hugged Sabrina's curves and featured pretty button detailing throughout. The wife of Hollywood actor Idris teamed her outfit with a coordinating fascinator and pointed court shoes. Sabrina wore her cropped raven tresses loose for the day and finished off her look delicate diamond jewellery. Ethereal: Sabrina Elba (left) was a vision in white on Thursday as she joined Georgia Toffolo (right) for Royal Ascot's Ladies' Day A bit of all white: The actress, 35, looked effortlessly chic as she slipped into a tailored white boucle jacket and matching midi skirt both by fashion brand Self-Portrait Georgia showed off her own sophisticated sense of style in a fun red and white floral dress with an enormous matching fascinator. Meanwhile, Good Morning Britain's Charlotte Hawkins stunned in a bold blue look as she enjoyed the event. The presenter, 48, wowed in a blue gown which she paired with matching heels and an elaborate fascinator. The British royal family has been out in force at the event this week, with King Charles, Camilla, Princess Anne, 71, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh and Princess Beatrice, 33, and Edoardo Mapelli-Mozzi, 38, all attending. More of the royal family are expected to be seen on Thursday, with revellers certainly dressed to impress arriving as early as 10am. On Wednesday the action hotted up as the champagne flowed and guests got very merry into the night. As the drinks kept coming and revellers began celebrating their wins, they began to loosen up and lark about with each other, in good spirits on a sunny day. Earlier this month, Sabrina commanded attention in a classy ensemble as she attended the We Will Rock You Gala Night at the Coliseum Theatre. Wow: The stylish two-piece, custom designed in London by Self-Portrait designer and creative director Han Chong, perfectly hugged Sabrina's curves and featured pretty button detailing throughout So chic: The wife of Hollywood actor Idris teamed her outfit with a coordinating fascinator and pointed court shoes Here she is! Georgia showed off her own sophisticated sense of style in a fun red and white floral dress with an enormous matching fascinator Here she is: Meanwhile, Good Morning Britain's Charlotte Hawkins stunned in a bold blue look as she enjoyed the event Dressed to impress: The presenter, 48, wowed in a blue gown which she paired with matching heels and an elaborate fascinator The stunner looked sensational in a halterneck lime satin top, flaunting her slender neck and cleavage. She teamed the classy look with a black midi skirt and wore black strappy heels - which were barely visible under the floor-length skirt train. The actress opted a simple set of jewellery - as she only sported gold hoop earrings and a dazzling bracelet. The Dantai star wore her raven locks in a flawless bob with a side parting, with side bangs. Coronation Street's Max Turner is set to face a shock in upcoming scenes as his ex-girlfriend Lauren Bolton returns to Weatherfield. The teen (played by Paddy Bever) has been attempting to rebuild his life after his release from a Secure Training Centre following his involvement in Alya Nazir's stabbing at the hands of extremist Blake. Max had been groomed and manipulated into joining an extremist gang run by leader Griff Reynolds (Michael Condron) with Lauren's dad also a member of the far-right group. During the disturbing storyline, Max was involved with Lauren (Cait Fitton), but when the gang broke up, Lauren fled to Cornwall to be with her mum where she believed she'd be safer. And in first look images, Max is set to get an unexpected blast from the past as Lauren suddenly re-enters his life and claims to have fallen out with her mum - but is her return as innocent as it seems? She's back: Coronation Street's Max Turner is set to face a shock in upcoming scenes as his ex-girlfriend Lauren Bolton returns to Weatherfield Trouble: During the disturbing extremist storyline, Max was involved with Lauren (Cait Fitton), but when the gang broke up, Lauren fled to Cornwall to be with her mum where she believed she'd be safer Lauren, who previously held the same racist views as Max, insisted that she wants nothing to do with her father or his right wing associates, while also claiming she spent the night sleeping rough at the bus station. Feeling sorry for Lauren he takes her to the cafe where she makes it clear that she wants to pick things up where they left off. But it remains to be seen if she has an ulterior motive. Opening up about his character's love life to Metro.co.uk, actor Paddy, 20, said: 'I would like to see him find love with someone who has good intentions for him, with someone who is not going to bring about danger for him. Id like to see him find love with someone who can weather the storms with him rather than creating them. Meanwhile, Max is set to more issues with his current girlfriend Bec, after her ex is released from prison. Following his own release from jail, things have been looking up for Max as he forms a new romance with Bec. But in upcoming episodes, as the teen heads to her flat, Gav approaches and explains that he's been released from the STC and he intends to marry Bec. Return: In first look images, Max is set to get an unexpected blast from the past as Lauren suddenly re-enters his life - but is her return as innocent as it seems? Questions: Meanwhile, Max is set to more issues with his current girlfriend Bec, after her ex is released from prison Hiding something? Spotting Bec, Max shouts at her to run, but has Bec got her own secrets? When Max reveals that Bec has moved on and she's going out with him now, Gav's furious and grabs him. Spotting Bec, Max shouts at her to run, but has Bec got her own secrets? Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX. Elton John's husband David Furnish has revealed he is set to have four surprise guests performing in his Glastonbury headline show. The music legend, 75, will close out the festival on Sunday on the iconic Pyramid Stage with his last UK performance, bringing an end to his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. Speaking to Sky News presenter Beth Rigby, David said he's 'sworn to secrecy' on the identity of the mystery acts, but described Elton's headline slot as 'very special.' It comes amid huge speculation that Harry Styles could be one of the mystery names taking to the stage, after fans noted that there was a perfect gap in his own tour to make room for a surprise appearance. Other rumoured names include Dua Lipa, Rina Sawayama and Lil Nas X, who is already booked to perform at the festival right before him. Surprise! Elton John's husband David Furnish has revealed he is set to have four surprise guests performing in his Glastonbury headline show David said: 'Four collaborators of his choosing. People, he just thought, 'I'd really like to do something with these artists at Glastonbury'. And that's all I'm going to say'. Asked who they might be, Furnish added: 'Sorry. I am sworn to secrecy'. 'This one is very special. It is not just another day in office,' David told Beth. 'It's a different setlist - it's a huge outdoor live festival. 'He's got four different collaborators joining him on stage at different times, who I won't name, sorry. 'So, he's done a lot of changes. A lot on his plate, so I think he's anxious. Yeah, but I think good, anxious, healthy anxious.' David added that despite the end of Elton's farewell tour, he has no plans to retire completely, and will be working on a new album in the autumn. He joked: 'I don't think he'll be sitting on the sofa with a remote control. 'He's going to go back into the studio in October and start his next album. Which will be great. He's not done a studio album in a long time.' Who could it be? Among the names rumoured to be joining Elton on stage is Dua Lipa, after the pair collaborated on the track Cold Heart Could it be him? Others are hoping it could be Harry Styles, after noting he has a perfect gap in his tour schedule for a surprise appearance The festival - which takes place from June 21-25 at Somerset's Worthy Farm, will see the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age, Skepta and The Chemical Brothers joining the already confirmed headline acts. Glastonbury's other headliners are Arctic Monkeys on Friday and Guns and Roses on Saturday. The other stage will be headlined by Wizkid, Lana Del Rey and Queens of the Stone Age over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Elton John will perform on the Pyramid Stage on Worthy Farm, the stage was first set up in 1971 and has held some impressive acts. Glastonbury Festival described the stage as 'the most instantly recognised festival stage in the world'. The iconic stage has had quite the line-up featuring: The Rolling Stones, Radiohead, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Shirley Bassey and many more. David Bowie delivered one of the most memorable Glastonbury performances on the stage in 2000. In an interview with BBC London, John admitted that he was 'a little intimidated' by the prospect of performing on the stage. He said: 'I'm a little, not frightened, but I'm a little intimidated by it because I haven't played there, I haven't been there before.' Watch David Furnish on the Beth Rigby Interviews show, 9pm Thursday 22nd June on Sky News, or catch up with the Beth Rigby Interviews podcast. Roxy Jacenko's daughter Pixie is about to turn 12 and it's clear she has inherited her mother's penchant for the finer things in life. The PR queen, 43, stumbled across an eye-watering birthday wishlist from Pixie on Thursday, and it seems the pre-teen is obsessed with luxury clothing and shoes. Roxy shared the lists with her Instagram fans and some of the items included an Yves Saint Laurent hoodie [$1350], Yeezy shoes [$700] and an Alexander McQueen T-shirt [$580]. The pre-teen entrepreneur continued to showcase her taste, requesting multiple pairs of trainers, including Air Jordan, Off-White x Dunk Low [$1500 plus] and Golden Goose [$600] All up, Pixie's wishlist totalled well over $10,000 in value, with the cheaper items retailing for a few hundred dollars. Roxy Jacenko's daughter Pixie is about to turn 12 and it's clear she has inherited her mother's penchant for the finer things in life. Both pictured The PR queen, 43, stumbled across an eye-watering birthday wishlist from Pixie on Thursday, and it seems the pre-teen is obsessed with luxury clothing and shoes. Pictured Roxy cheekily joked in the comment section that her daughter had been unusually quiet and she now knew why. The list was notably cheaper than Pixie's eyebrow raising Christmas wish list from last year. Back in November, Roxy shared her 11-year-old daughter Pixie's Christmas list for 2022, complete with a $9,000 handbag and various pieces of designer fashion. The mum-of-two and former director of Sweaty Betty PR firm posted a picture of Pixie's wish list on Instagram, which was 'helpfully' divided into 'expensive' and 'mid/cheap gifts'. 'I'm so pleased Pixie Curtis has given options for various budgets. Goyard Bag also known as Goyer,' Roxy wrote on Instagram in a nod to Pixie's misspellings. Included in the 'expensive' section was a Goyard tote bag in blue, which retails for $9,935 second-hand. Among the items on Pixie's wish list was a $580 Alexander McQueen t-shirt The youngster also requested $250 Yeezy green slides Pixie was also after plenty of swimwear, including a red Sommer Swim bikini (around $180) and Triangl's Savoca set ($135). She further listed Bamba Swim's Bounty Dress in both Sunset colour and Aqua ($118), 'any' Yeezy trainers and the Lily Floral Tee by With Harper Lu ($160). The youngster rounded off the expensive section with Kim Kardashian's Skims Cotton Rib Briefs ($54). Roxy recently relocated from Australia to Singapore with her husband Oliver Curtis and their two children Pixie and Hunter, eight. Jared Leto sported a wild look as he attended the Givenchy menswear show as part of Paris Fashion Week on Thursday. The 51-year-old actor, who is no stranger to making big statements when it comes to fashion, was at it again with a bold new style. Jared turned heads as he entered the show with bleached blonde eyebrows and a huge brown fur coat. Underneath, he wore smart black trousers and went shirtless under a matching blazer. He paired the look with simple black boots and wore his balayage locks naturally straight. Wow: Jared Leto sported a wild look as he attended the Givenchy menswear show as part of Paris Fashion Week on Thursday Show-stopping: The 51-year-old actor, who is no stranger to making big statements when it comes to fashion, was at it again with a bold new style The star was certainly not short of eye-popping accessories however and wore dazzling silver necklaces and a statement pearl bracelet. He also added a collection of green rings and a diamond encrusted teeth grills. Posing up a storm ahead of the event, Jared rocked a dark wing of eyeliner, making his piercing blue eyes shine through. He then shielded his face with a pair of black sunglasses as he made his way in. It comes after Jared climbed the walls of a building in Paris without a harness on Saturday, just days after scaling a hotel in Berlin. The actor didn't attempt to go particularly high up, but still garnered the attention of a few passers-by who had gathered to watch. It's not clear why Jared was trying to climb the walls, and whether he was trying to film it. According to TMZ he was joined in Berlin with internet personality Younes Zarou, who is known for his illusion TikTok videos. Flexing: Jared turned heads as he entered the show with bleached blonde eyebrows and a huge brown fur coat Pose: Underneath, he wore smart black trousers and went shirtless under a matching blazer Head-turning: He paired the look with simple black boots and wore his balayage locks naturally straight Stylish: The star was certainly not short of eye-popping accessories however and wore dazzling silver necklaces and a statement pearl bracelet Details: He also added a collection of green rings and a diamond encrusted teeth grills Fashionable: Posing up a storm ahead of the event, Jared rocked a dark wing of eyeliner, making his piercing blue eyes shine through Jared is known for his love of climbing and once revealed he almost fell 600 feet while rock climbing at Nevada's Red Rock when his safety rope began to fray. In 2020, Jared detailed a harrowing experience had happened when he fell off a wall while scaling a cliff with professional rock climber Alex Honnold. 'Not to sound dramatic, but this is the day I nearly died. Took a pretty good fall climbing with @alexhonnold at Red Rock,' he began in the caption of two photos and a quick video from the scene. 'Looked up and within seconds the rope was being cut by the rock while I dangled some 600 ft in the air.' 'I remember looking down at the ground below. It was a strange moment - less fear, more matter of fact, and slightly melancholy,' he said. 'The adrenaline came after, when I got back on the wall. But we made it through and lived to see another day.' Matching! Also making an appearance at the star-studded show was Tyga, who matched Jared's teeth grills Baggy: The rapper rocked grey leather jeans and an oversized black fur coat for the event All black: Jack Harlow also donned an all-black ensemble for the fashion show Dapper: He wore a turtle neck top and accessorised with stylish diamond earrings Beauty: Noomi Rapace stunned in a figure-hugging green gown Looking good: Miguel turned up to the show in an oversized grey blazer and matching trousers Meanwhile, the Academy Award-winning actor is slated to appear in multiple upcoming projects, including the reboot of Disneys Haunted Mansion, which releases next month on July 28, and Tron 3 (2025). Eddie Murphy starred in the original The Haunted Mansion, which was released in theaters in 2003. Jared is also set to star in the thriller, Adrift, directed by Darren Aronofsky and produced by Jason Blum, which is in pre-production. Jared's band 30 Seconds to Mars recently announced their first album in five years and dropped a new single, Stuck, which he told Rolling Stone is 'A love letter to the power of movement and connection.' Kelly Brook made a very cheeky quip about her husband Jeremy Parisi needing to be 'contained' in bed as she opened up about their sleeping arrangements. The model, 43, married her long-term boyfriend in a romantic ceremony in his native Italy last year - eight years after meeting. Speaking on her Heart Drive radio show with co-star Jason 'JK' King, Kelly discussed a recent survey that suggests marriages last longer when a couple sleep in the nude, and the star couldn't help but lift the lid on her husband's preferences in the bedroom. While she claims that the secret to her happy marriage to the hunk is down to the fact that she loves to sleep in the nude. When JK asked her: 'Do you want a happy marriage, do you?', Kelly responded: 'Yes, of course'. Spilling the beans: Kelly Brook made a very cheeky quip about her husband Jeremy Parisi needing to be 'contained' in bed as she opened up about their sleeping arrangements Love: The model, 43, married her long-term boyfriend in a romantic ceremony in his native Italy last year - eight years after meeting She added of the survey's findings: 'I think I do have a happy marriage and I think the reason is, I sleep in the nude. 'Thats what it says, if you dont wear pyjamas, youre gonna have a happy marriage, "Those who wear nothing in bed are happier in their relationships", its a stat and its a fact!' When JK then quizzed if she really strips off to her birthday suit at night, Kelly was quick to clarify that she wears 'zilch' in bed. Stating he was in fact the opposite, JK said: 'Ive gotta be contained', to which Kelly then shared her husband's sleeping habits. 'Jeremys the same, he has to be contained!' she giggled. The stunner then went on to spill the beans about her husband's recent back X-ray, which JK joked he couldn't 'unsee', with Kelly sharing a racy hint about her beau. She said: 'Jeremy had an X-ray, lets put it this way, when the doctor put it up on that light box no-one was looking at his back'. The former Big Breakfast host then shared she often gets sleepwear sent to her by brands, admitting she sometimes doesn't know what to do with it. Ooh I say! Kelly discussed a recent survey that suggests marriages last longer when a couple sleep in the nude, and the star couldn't help but lift the lid on her husband's preferences in the bedroom (pictured in 2018) Revelation: While she claims that the secret to her happy marriage to the hunk is down to the fact that she loves to sleep in the nude Confessions: When JK then quizzed if she really strips off to her birthday suit at night, Kelly was quick to clarify that she wears 'zilch' in bed She shared: 'I know, sometimes companies are really kind and they send me things in the post and sometimes I get sent nighties/ I got sent one I didnt know what to do with it!' JK concluded the chat by stating: 'So, we should have happier marriages in this sort of weather, in summer, cause were not wearing anything anyway so are we naturally happier because were not wearing anything.' With Kelly agreeing: 'I know, its a shame. I dont know why we cover up so much, I feel like we should be more free, dont you, we should have a Come To Work Naked for a day?' It comes days after Kelly didn't hold back as she discussed her sex life with Jeremy. During an appearance on Loose Women last week, the former glamour model admitted that where she enjoys public displays of affection, Jeremy isn't keen. But the reason is because he assumes it's going to lead to lovemaking and won't just be 'a kiss and a cuddle,' and added that he is 'always in the mood.' Panelist Judi Love initially asked: 'Marriage life sex, and before marriage is different. And [for some] it's completely stopped. I mean, oh gosh, a year in?' The radio host Kelly chimed in: 'A year in, am I still getting it, is that what you're asking me?' before laughing. Candid: It comes days after Kelly didn't hold back as she discussed her sex life with Jeremy Loved-up: Kelly said Jeremy assumes PDAs are going to lead to lovemaking and won't just be 'a kiss and a cuddle,' and added that he is 'always in the mood' She continued: 'Has it changed? Well, I'm very, I'm very touchy feely and I'm quite I'm into PDA, he's not so much. 'So I like a kiss and a cuddle at the side of the street or in the car, and he's just a bit like 'get off me' because he thinks it has to lead to something else, it's not just a kiss and a cuddle. 'So we don't have to worry about that with Jeremy. He's always in the mood!' Kelly also admitted that their relationship feels 'different' now that they are married. She explained: 'It is different. Everything was kind of my way for long time. And it's now about you know, compromising.' Teresa Giudice has shut down rumors that her marriage to Luis Ruelas, 48 - who has been accused of stalking his ex fiance - is 'shaky' and 'on the rocks.' During the June 21 episode of her podcast Namaste B$tches, she told co-host Melissa Pfeister, 'There's no such thing.' The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 51, added: 'I love and adore him so much. Like, no. Nothing shaky.' She laughed and said, 'I mean, maybe we shake together when we dance, but that's about it,' she quipped without skipping a beat. 'That's the only time we're doing any shaking, you know?' Pfeister pointed out that the savvy fans of the Real Housewives franchise have speculated that the Bravolebrity would deny that her marriage was in trouble because it is a story line on the next season of RHNJ. No drama here: Teresa Giudice has shut down rumors that her marriage to Luis Ruelas, 48, is 'shaky' and 'on the rocks' 'No and, believe me, I don't play like that,' Giudice said. 'I play like what's really going on in my life. I don't need a storyline. I have a lot going on.' She continued: 'You know, I have my cooking channel, my YouTube cooking channel, that's doing amazing. I have my podcast with Melissa. I have a lot going on with the children.' The married couple met in 2020 at the Jersey Shore where they were each vacationing. The confirmed their relationship in November 2020 and got engaged in October 2021. They married in August 2022 in front of Bravo's cameras for a special. Before meeting Ruelas, Teresa went through a very public and messy divorce from her ex-husband Joe Guidice, 51, with whom she shares daughters Gia, 22, Gabriella, 19, Milania, 17, and Audriana, 13. 'Me and my ex, we didn't like the same things. We were two opposites,' Giudice told People in 2021. 'You know when they say opposites attract? It did for a little while, for like 15 years. But now I've found my true match my soul mate. He's really amazing.' In fact, the first time she heard the rumors was when Melissa asked her about them. She pointed out that neither she nor Ruelas pay any attention to the press or rumors about them. PDA: During the June 21 episode of her podcast Namaste B$tches , she told co-host Melissa Pfeister, 'There's no such thing' Love birds: The Real Housewives of New Jersey star, 51, added: 'I love and adore him so much. Like, no. Nothing shaky.' She laughed and said, 'I mean, maybe we shake together when we dance, but that's about it,' she quipped without skipping a beat. 'That's the only time we're doing any shaking, you know?' Lovely couple: Pfeister pointed out that the savvy fans of the Real Housewives franchise have speculated that the Bravolebrity would deny that her marriage was in trouble because it is a story line on the next season of RHNJ Not her style: 'No and, believe me, I don't play like that,' Giudice said. 'I play like what's really going on in my life. I don't need a storyline. I have a lot going on' And the reality television star isn't afraid to talk about her sex life with her husband. 'I can't keep my hands off of him, he can't keep his hands off of me. I can't keep my tongue out of his mouth, he can't keep his tongue out of my mouth,' Guidice shared with People. 'I'm really so attracted to him, and vice versa, and I love every minute of it. You have to be! Otherwise, why would I get married?' Viewers will have to stay tuned to find out if the rumors about a marriage on the rocks are true or not. Amal Clooney meant business as she made a head-turning arrival to the We Choose Earth tour in Madrid on Thursday. The human rights lawyer, 45, cut a glamorous figure in a yellow satin one-shouldered jumpsuit for the event. Styling her brunette locks in soft waves, Amal complemented the look with pointed bronze heels and a small clutch bag. The barrister, who is married to Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney, 62, appeared in high spirits as she arrived, accompanied by her bodyguard. Amal was speaking at the event which sees a collection of people come together to help inspire change towards a more sustainable future. Gorgeous: Amal Clooney exuded glamour as she strutted on stage at the We Choose Earth tour in Madrid on Thursday Speech: Amal was speaking at the event which sees a collection of people come together to help inspire change towards a more sustainable future Amal is proud mum to twins son Alexander and daughter Ella, five. Over in America, George has been busy filming Apple TV+ thriller Wolves over the past few months, but the couple attended The Prince's Trust Awards in London in May. George has teamed up with Brad Pitt, 59, to produce the movie directed by Jon Watts (The Old Man, Spider-Man: No Way Home). Wolves marks the fifth film real-life friends Brad and George have co-starred in since the Coen Brother's 2008 comedy Burn After Reading and The Ocean's Trilogy (2001, 2005, and 2007). 'Brad and George's lifelong bromance is in tighter than ever, and they are having a blast and causing some mischief,' a source told DailyMail.com. 'Everyone on the film knows that it will be an unbelievable hit so there has been great energy on set. Brad and George are in great moods. 'They are very aware that Wolves could land them both an award for their performances. It is a film and project that they are both proud of.' Plot and character details have remained under wraps for the most part, with the premise following, 'two lone wolf fixers' that are given the same job, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Natural: Amal looked at ease as she headed to the podium to present Head-turner: Amal meant business as she made a head-turning arrival Beauty: The human rights lawyer, 45, cut a glamorous figure in a yellow satin one-shouldered jumpsuit for the event Grin: Amal smiled as she headed onto the stage Gorgeous: Amal cut a glamorous figure as she headed to the venue Arrival: Amal smiled as she emerged from her car Smart: The one-shouldered jumpsuit was tailored Happy: The barrister, who is married to Hollywood heartthrob George Clooney, 62, appeared in high spirits as she arrived, accompanied by her bodyguard Loved-up: Over in America, George has been busy filming Apple TV+ thriller Wolves over the past few months but the couple attended The Prince's Trust last month With the project still in its production stages, a set premiere date has yet to be announced. Debra Messing and Sean Hayes shared a kiss on the lips on Wednesday during a mini Will & Grace reunion. The former co-stars were photographed kissing each other on the lips backstage of the Broadway play Good Night Oscar, which Hayes stars in. For the reunion, Messing, 54, sported a light blue and white striped long sleeved dress shirt, a blue tank top, a pair of dark blue jeans, and a thin brown belt. The actress wore her long dark orange hair down. Meanwhile, Hayes, 52, wore a brown graphic tee that had the word 'Smartless' and the letter 'S' in black on the center of the shirt, and a pair of grey track pants. A Friendly Kiss: Former Will & Grace co-stars Debra Messing (right) and Sean Hayes (left) shared a kiss on the lips on Wednesday during a mini Will & Grace reunion Will & Grace Reunion: The former co-stars were photographed reuniting backstage of the Broadway play 'Good Night Oscar' which Hayes stars in Hayes, who turns 53 on June 26, completed his outfit with a pair of glasses and a beige color hat. Messing and Hayes were also seen taking selfies and chatting backstage as well. The 54-year-old actress was not the only celebrity spotted attending the June 21 showing of Hayes' Broadway play 'Good Night Oscar' at the Belasco Theatre in New York City. The former Will & Grace co-stars were also seen chatting with and taking photos with actor Dan Finnerty, actress and activist Kathy Najimy, and Hayes's husband Scott Icenogle. Messing and Hayes have a close relationship from their time starring on the hit NBC sitcom Will & Grace, which focuses on the relationship between Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and his best friend Grace Adler (Messing), a straight Jewish woman who runs an interior design firm. On the show, Hayes portrays Jack McFarland, a gay actor who is Will's best friend. Will & Grace originally aired on NBC for eight seasons from 1998-2006 before the network revived the show for three more seasons, which aired from 2017-2020. Both the original run and revival resulted in the show winning 18 Primetime Emmy Awards and the show's cast earning rave reviews and several accolades for their performances. For his portrayal of Jack McFarland, Hayes won one Primetime Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild ('SAG') Awards. Meanwhile, Messing won one Primetime Emmy Award and one SAG Award for her portrayal of Grace Adler. Star Sighting: Messing (center) and Hayes (next to Messing on the right) were also photographed backstage at 'Goodnight Oscar' with Hayes' husband Scott Icenogle (on the right), Dan Finnerty (far left), and Kathy Najimy (second from the left) Selfie Time: During their reunion backstage, the former Will & Grace co-stars found time to take some selfies together Third Wheeling - In addition to kissing former Will & Grace co-star Sean Hayes (left), Messing (center) posed for a photo backstage with Hayes and his husband Scott Icenogle Award Season: The reunion between the former Will & Grace co-stars comes almost two weeks after Hayes won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play at the 2023 Tony Awards The reunion between the former Will & Grace co-stars comes almost two weeks after Hayes won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play at the 2023 Tony Awards for his portrayal of Oscar Levant in the Broadway play 'Goodnight Oscar'. It was Hayes's first win and second Tony nomination (His first nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in the 2010 Broadway revival of the musical Promises, Promises). The Broadway play 'Goodnight Oscar' is fictionalized and composited version of true events: The plot, which is set the year 1958, revolves around a Levant (Hayes) is given a four-hour furlough from a psychiatric hospital to appear on The Tonight Show with Jack Parr (Ben Rappaport). After a successful run in Chicago in 2022, 'Goodnight Oscar' premiered on Broadway on April 24, 2023 with the audience including several celebrities in attendance, such as Matt Damon, Jennifer Aniston, Steven Spielberg, and Michael Douglas, to name a few. 'Good Night Oscar' has a planned closing date of August 27, 2023. Fred Sirieix teased a surprising career change on Thursday. The First Dates star, 51, has said he plans to make a history programme for TV which he is very excited about. It comes after Fred's other show Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip was thrown into chaos when Gino D'Acampo quit after three series leading it to be axed. The chef, 46, said that he was leaving due to a row over 'complicated' contracts. Fred has now told The Sun of his new idea for a show: 'I'm reading an incredible book called Black Spartacus, about a guy called Toussaint Louverture who led the revolution in Haiti and I want to do a passion project about him. Making his moves: Fred Sirieix (pictured above) teased a surprising career change on Thursday Over: It comes after Fred's other show Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip was thrown into chaos when Gino D'Acampo quit after three series leading it to be axed 'I think there is a series there about incredible historical figures such as himself. I think there is a very interesting kind of historical programme there to show the people, the landscape and the country of Haiti, as well of course the food.' The star added: 'It would be very interesting. So it's very different from the kind of programme I normally do, it's more passion than anything else, but it's something I want to do.' It comes after Fred's other show Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip was thrown into chaos when Gino quit after three series. The ITV programme saw the Italian TV favourite travel the globe with fellow foodies Gordon and Fred as they explore the local cuisine. Gino said that his friendships with his former colleagues had nothing to do with his exit with their 'strong' bond meaning more to him than arguments over contracts. Telling his followers on Instagram recently, he said: 'Last week I decided not to film any more Gordon, Gino and Fred Road trips. The reason is very simple nothing to do with Gordon or Fred, the friendship is very strong.' He continued: 'It's just because we can't get the dates together and sometimes when we do get the dates together sometimes they get changed and it causes a lot of problems for me because I have other stuff that I have to do. 'Personal problems as well because when I have to change things with my family it is very complicated and also because [of] contracts.' Quit: Telling his followers on Instagram recently, he said: 'Last week I decided not to film any more Gordon, Gino and Fred Road trips' Travels: The show saw the Italian TV favourite (left) travel the globe with fellow foodies Gordon (centre) and Fred (right) as they explore the local cuisine Gino is married to Jessica Stellina Morrison with whom he has sons Luciano, 21 and Rocco, 18 and nine-year-old daughter Mia. Gino went on to say: 'Because contracts start to become very complicated and very stressful, I personally value the friendship with Gordon and Fred so much that I would rather the friendship than arguments with the contract.' 'So I have decided not to do it anymore because I want to be friends with the boys for many, many years ahead.' An ITV spokesman said: 'A brand new series of Gordon, Gino & Fred's Road Trip in Spain will be broadcast on ITV1 and ITVX later this year' - having already been filmed. The popular show first aired in 2018 with the trio travelling France and Italy, before heading to America in 2020 followed by a trip to Greece two years later. During promotional interviews for his new Channel 4 series, Fred's Last Resort, Sirieix told MailOnline earlier this year that the trio were busy organising the show's next series. However, he hinted that trouble was brewing behind the scenes, noting that there was an issue trying to pin everyone down. He said: 'Yes, we are talking about dates at the moment to go together on the next road trip. It is a bit difficult to juggle all our diaries, but we are getting there.' He went on to say that a hectic schedule was no bother for him, explaining: 'I'm busy that's the nice thing about my career is there are never two days the same and that's why I like it - it's very diverse.' Saucy stuff: The popular show first aired in 2018 with the trio travelling to France and Italy, before heading to America in 2020 followed by a trip to Greece and three Christmas specials 'I get to meet a lot of people in different settings whether it's restaurants or TV and I find it really exciting. 'I don't mind being busy, I like being busy in fact because the busier you are, the busier you get and when I'm busier I'm happy. When I'm not busy, I'm not happy.' He then echoed the sentiments during a chat with ITV's Lorraine Kelly, saying: 'We are talking about dates for the next one. It is difficult to juggle all of our diaries. 'But we're getting there - we're getting there.' She played the ruthless, career-driven Shiv Roy in a Golden Globe-winning turn in Succession. And now Sarah Snook is set to take on an even bigger acting challenge by playing a staggering 26 characters on stage in a one-woman show in London's West End. The Australian actress, 35, will star in an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's A Picture of Dorian Gray at the Theatre Royal next year, playing male characters including Gray and Basil Hallward as well as female characters such as actress Sibyl Vane. Ms Snook, who was a relative unknown before landing the role as the youngest of the Roy children in HBO's Succession, will appear on stage in January 2024 for nearly 12 weeks in what is sure to be her most demanding acting endeavour yet. Adapted and directed by Sydney Theatre Company's artistic director Kip Williams, the play has already had successful runs in Adelaide, Auckland and Melbourne with actress Eryn Jean Norvill starring. Impressive! Sarah Snook is set to take on a huge acting challenge by playing 26 characters on stage in a one-woman West End adaption of Oscar Wilde's A Picture of Dorian Gray It's not the actress' first time on stage in London as she appeared in The Master Builder opposite Ralph Fiennes in 2016. 'I am elated to return to the London stage in such an astonishing piece of theatre,' she said. 'From Oscar Wilde's remarkable original text to Kip Williams' stunning adaptation, this story of morality, innocence, narcissism, and consequence is going to be thrilling to recreate for a new audience. I can't wait.' She told the BBC it would be an 'exhilarating challenge' to take on all 26 roles. Director Williams uses multiple live cameras and pre-recorded video during the production to make the story come alive with Ms Snook in every role. The performance runs for two hours with no interval. Williams said: 'In creating a new piece of theatre like The Picture Of Dorian Gray, you always hope to have the opportunity to share it with a wider audience. 'I am so excited for theatre lovers in London to experience our show and am thrilled to have the extraordinary Sarah Snook bringing to life the many characters of Oscar Wilde's remarkable story.' Ms Snook was last on screen in the nail-biting Succession finale last month, which saw her character Shiv's shock decision to go against her brothers Kendall and Roman and vote for a company takeover. The hard-working star who gave birth to her first child with comedian husband Dave Lawson just weeks before the show's finale will have just seven months to prepare for her rigorous role. Fame: Sarah rose to recognition playing the ruthless, career-driven Shiv Roy in a Golden Globe-winning turn in Succession Back on stage: It's not the actress' first time on stage in London as she appeared in The Master Builder opposite Ralph Fiennes in 2016 Before that she will appear on the big screen in upcoming comedy-drama The Beanie Bubble, about the Beanie Baby phenomenon, opposite Zach Galifianakis and Elizabeth Banks. She also voices a character in Disney+ series, Koala Man. Wilde's only novel, published in its full-length version in 1891, tells the story of the aristocratic Gray who sells his soul in order to maintain his beauty while a portrait of him ages. There is a colourful cast of characters that Ms Snook will inhabit, including artist Hallwood who is infatuated with Gray and the charming Duchess of Monmouth. British actress Ruth Wilson recently achieved a similar theatrical feat when she appeared on stage in The Second Woman, which saw her perform the same scene with 100 male strangers over a 24-hour period. The play, performed at The Young Vic, saw a host of stars including Idris Elba and Andrew Scott play the role as well as a number of untrained actors. Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell beamed as they hit the red carpet for the premiere of Mission: Impossible 7 Dead Reckoning Part One in London on Thursday. After lengthy delays due to the coronavirus pandemic and an unprecedented $290million outlay, the Hollywood actor, 60, and his co-star, 41, looked thrilled to be celebrating the film launch. The world premiere, which happened in Rome earlier this week, received rave reviews from early critics, who branded it 'dynamite' and tipped it to be a summer blockbuster. Hayley turned heads as she wore a very voluminous satin dress to the screening at Odeon in Leicester Square, while Tom, who first starred as Ethan Hunt in the first Mission: Impossible movie in 1996, rocked a three piece suit. Hayley teased a hint of cleavage in the figure-hugging bodice of the dress while the skirt puffed out at the hips. Here comes Hollywood: Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell beamed as they hit the red carpet for the premiere of Mission: Impossible 7 Dead Reckoning Part One in London on Thursday Leading lady: Hayley, who plays Grace in the film, turned heads as she wore a very voluminous satin dress to the screening The brunette beauty, who plays Grace in the film, added a boost to her height with heels and slicked half of her hair back. The duo were joined by Rebecca Ferguson on the red carpet, who has reprised her role as Ilsa Faust. The actress, 39, was dripping in pearls as she arrived in a iridescent white gown and kissed her co-star Hayley's hand as they posed for photos. Pom Klementieff, meanwhile, wowed in a black backless minidress and silver Prada platforms with Simon Pegg and Ivan Ivashkin also in attendance. Vanessa Kirby, 35, was the epitome of glamour in a black velvet gown. The floor-length number hugged her curves and featured a satin neckline. The Crown actress plays Alanna Mitsopolis/White Widow, the daughter of Max Mitsopolis. The film follows Ethan Hunt and the IMF team, including Grace, as they track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands. Following Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One's world premiere in Rome on Monday, critics and fans who got a chance to see the film early shared mostly fawning praise on social media. The latest Mission: Impossible entry premiered in the iconic Italian city as part of the Rome Film Festival, after a significant chunk of the movie was filmed in the capital. On Twitter, early reactions to the 'impeccably made' film were almost unanimously positive. Joyful: Hayley and Tom beamed as the posed for photographs Glam: Hayley teased a hint of cleavage in the figure-hugging bodice of the dress, before the skirt puffed out at the hips Over the moon: Tom waved for the cameras as he continued the media tour for the film critics have branded as 'dynamite' Decades ago: Tom starred in the first Mission: Impossible movie in 1996 as Ethan Hunt Spy: The film follows Ethan and the IMF team must track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands (pictured with Hayley Atwell) Wow factor: Vanessa Kirby was the epitome of glamour in a black velvet gown Sophisticated: The floor-length number hugged her curves and featured a satin neckline Action: The Crown star worked the cameras as she strutted down the red carpet Sultry: Vanessa's brows were laminated and half her hair was slicked back behind her ear to show off her dazzling earrings Feeling the love: Vanessa waved to fans who had turned up to the event to catch a glimpse of the cast Strike a pose: The duo were joined by Rebecca Ferguson on the red carpet, who has reprised her role as Ilsa Faust Statement look: The actress, 39, was dripping in pearls as she arrived in a iridescent white gown Satin: The floor-length dress had a layered skirt and was one-shouldered Proud moment: Rebecca kissed her co-star Hayley's hand as they posed for photos Cloud nine: The two looked excited the film was finally hitting the big screen Gizmodo and io9 writer Germain Lussier called the new movie 'fantastic' and said it had a 'dynamite, timely story.' 'Excellent new characters. Huge variety of action and a final set piece that ranks top 23 all-time for the franchise,' he added. Erik Davis, of Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, bragged he had the 'absolute best time' watching Cruise's new film. He added it was 'an impeccably made action film that does not stop entertaining.' 'Each action sequence is long, crazy & intense. The story is big & sprawling, but I like how it both felt complete & left you dying for what comes next.' Bold: Indira Varma cut a striking figure in a bold red and blue satin gown as she arrived for the premiere Here she is! She was among the film's cast who took to the stage for the glitzy premiere Milestone: After lengthy delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, Tom, 60, looked thrilled to be celebrating the film launch (pictured with director Christopher McQuarrie) 'Dynamite': The world premiere in Rome this week received rave reviews from early critics - and it looks set to be a summer blockbuster Designer heels: Pom Klementieff hit the red carpet in a black backless minidress and silver Prada platforms Strike a pose: The actress, who went braless in the backless dress, posed up a storm on the red carpet Flower power: Simon Pegg wore a floral suit to the screening Supportive: He was joined on the red carpet by his wife Maureen and their daughter Matilda On the red carpet: Ivan Ivashkin also arrived to celebrate the film release Evening out: Actress Amanda Abbington looked chic in a black summer dress and sparkly heels Family: Amanda was joined by her two children Grace and Joe Freeman Lilac: Rebecca Romijn opted for a purple zig-zag dress and slicked back hair Out: They then headed to an afterparty Smart: He looked dapper Busty: She showed off her assets Fans: He was popular Guests: Cary Elwes was also seen after dark Handsome: Esai Morales also looked dapper Popular: He signed autographs Movie: They were up on stage Smart: He wore a black suit Happy: The X-Men star beamed for the cameras Date: Boxer David Haye and his model girlfriend Sian Osborne turned up to watch the film Team: (L to R) Cary Elwes, Pom Klementieff, Vanessa Kirby, Hayley Atwell, Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie a Proud as punch: Everyone seemed in a great mood as they posed for a group photo Having a blast: Hayley put on an animated display in the cast photo Dead Reckoning Part One is a long time coming as it had production halted a number of times due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It was shot back-to-back with its direct sequel, Dead Reckoning Part Two. The two films were initially reported to be the final chapters, as reported by several publications, including Screen Rant. Along with the hype surrounding a new addition to the Mission Impossible franchise, the fans and media were also intrigued by rumors that co-stars Tom and Hayley had secretly dated during filming. But Hayley efficiently silenced the rumblings as she spoke for the first time about her 'close' bond with Tom in an interview in the May-June issue of Country & Town House. 'I felt like if I ever was worried about it, I could talk to him [Tom],' the newly-engaged star said of the dating rumours. 'And I know that he would've said, "People say whatever they want to say, but you know who you are, I know who I am and I want you to feel safe in this environment."' Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One, which along with Cruise and Atwell also stars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby and Henry Czerny, is slated to hits theaters in the U.S. on July 12. The sequel, Dead Reckoning Part Two, is scheduled to make its premiere in theaters on June 28, 2024. Advertisement Heidi Montag and her husband, Spencer Pratt, looked every inch the happy couple as they enjoyed a fun-filled family vacation with their sons Gunner, five, and seven-month-old Ryker, to Hawaii earlier this week. While hitting the beach in matching pink swimwear, featuring a trendy palm print design, the 36-year-old reality star showcased her incredibly lean post-baby body as she enjoyed some quality time with her spouse and kids. As she held her baby boy in her arms, the TV personality, from Colorado, shared a sweet kiss with her longtime love, who she first met at a club in Hollywood while filming her hit series The Hills in 2006. The mother-of-two went on to venture into the ocean as she gazed adoringly at her infant, and kept one arm wrapped around her eldest, who stuck to his father's side. While documenting their vacation on her Instagram, Montag described their trip as 'epic' and 'packed with memories.' 'These are the moment I live for,' she captioned footage from her stay at the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, located on the North Shore of Kauai. Happy family: Heidi Montag and her husband, Spencer Pratt, looked every inch the happy couple as they enjoyed a fun-filled family vacation with their sons Gunner, five, and seven-month-old Ryker, to Hawaii earlier this week Taking a dip! The mother-of-two went on to venture into the ocean as she gazed adoringly at her infant, and kept one arm wrapped around her eldest, who stuck to his father's side Paradise: While documenting their vacation on her Instagram, Montag described their trip as 'epic' and 'packed with memories' As they soaked up some time in the sun, the actress threw her arms up enthusiastically in the air and smiled, before lounging by the pool. As they took advantage of their resort's oceanfront pool, the lovebirds relaxed on a set of in-pool lounge chairs. Montag and Pratt welcomed their latest addition in November, 2022. Their getaway comes after Montag took to Instagram earlier this month to mark Gunner's preschool graduation. She shared a photo of her and Spencer embracing the tot as he wore a white graduation cap and smiled. 'Time is flying by! Gunner has graduated from preschool! Oh my gosh I have had so many tears of joy and reflection,' she said. Heidi recently spoke to Us Weekly in December and said her infant son 'has a great temperament.' 'Parenthood this time is really different. I just think I have so much more to focus on with Gunner and with our businesses...I'm busy! It just feels very different and easier,' she explained to the publication. 'These are the moment I live for,' she captioned footage from her stay at the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, located on the North Shore of Kauai Another boy: Montag and Pratt welcomed their latest addition in November, 2022 Proud: Their getaway comes after Montag took to Instagram earlier this month to mark Gunner's preschool graduation Adorable: Heidi recently spoke to Us Weekly in December and said her infant son 'has a great temperament' 'Parenthood this time is really different. I just think I have so much more to focus on with Gunner and with our businesses...I'm busy! It just feels very different and easier,' she explained to the publication She continued: '[I'm] juggling the heartstrings with Gunner and making sure I have that time with him...Mom guilt is something I'm really trying to balance. 'It's just more people to worry about constantly...I do just love Gunner and Ryker so differently, but it's equal. I just feel really whole.' As far as he physical state since welcoming her second child, Heidi said in a TikTok post earlier this year: 'So my goal is just to get strong, to have strength. 'I fit back into my Alo [workout clothes], which is great. And now I'm going to be stronger and better than ever!' She continued: '[I'm] juggling the heartstrings with Gunner and making sure I have that time with him...Mom guilt is something I'm really trying to balance 'It's just more people to worry about constantly...I do just love Gunner and Ryker so differently, but it's equal. I just feel really whole' Feeling fit: As far as he physical state since welcoming her second child, Heidi said in a TikTok post earlier this year: 'So my goal is just to get strong, to have strength Heidi and friend Kristin recently dropped in on TikTok to share a video of them lip-syncing Aqua's 1997 single Barbie Girl. The Uncommon James founder described Montag as her 'BFF' and 'ride or die' in the caption of the post. The pair both appeared in the original iteration of The Hills, which premiered on MTV in May 2006. Montag appeared in all of the show's six seasons while Cavallari joined the show as a guest at first, later signing on as a full-time cast member. Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of the hit Paramount series Yellowstone, revealed that HBO executives hated Kelly Reilly's foul-mouthed Beth at first, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The 53-year-old showrunner recounted how executives were convinced before the show premiered that 'women would hate [Beth]' due to her abrasive nature. Although the popular drama series currently airs on Paramount, Yellowstone started off in series development at HBO, hence why the Yellowstone creator had to deal with HBO executive opinions about the Dutton family fans would come to know and love. According to the Tulsa King creator, the executives told him during a notes call that they 'want[ed] to tone [Beth] down.' Taylor believed Beth's blunt nature was her saving grace: 'When someones rude to you in a restaurant, or cuts you off in the parking lot, Beth says the thing you wish youd said.' HBO who: Taylor Sheridan , co-creator of the hit Paramount series Yellowstone, revealed that HBO executives hated Kelly Reilly's foul-mouthed Beth at first; seen in February Dutton daughter: Yellowstone fans love 45-year-old British actress Reilly's portrayal of Beth Dutton The 45-year-old British actress' portrayal of Beth has garnered acclaim among Yellowstone fans and critics alike. In the Paramount series, Beth Dutton is the only daughter of John Dutton, the owner of the 'Yellowstone' Dutton Ranch. Beth never backs down from speaking her mind, striking fear into the hearts of men who dare make an attempt to boss her around. Although she's known in Darby, Montana, for her cunning wit and razor sharp comebacks, Beth struggles with the trauma of her past. She blamed herself for the death of her mother, and the guilt nearly drove her to take her own life. Thankfully the treasure of the Dutton Ranch realized that ending her life for something she couldn't change wasn't worth it. However, the Yellowstone fan-favorite found herself in peril once again during the season five midseason finale. After Beth and her father John (Kevin Costner) decided they needed to get rid of Jamie (Wes Bentley), Jamie retaliated by hiring a hitman to kill Beth. Not abrasive, assertive: Beth's life was put at risk in the Yellowstone season five midseason finale Not going down without a fight: Beth recognized that Jamie had intel that could bring down the whole Dutton family Like father, like daughter: Beth and John mutually agreed that Jamie had to go Yellowstone fans will have to wait until this November to find out more about Beth's fate. John Dutton's only daughter was still alive at the end of the midseason finale, but Jamie made it clear he wasn't going down without a fight. The Yellowstone co-creator certainly took a page out of Beth's book when he responded to HBO executives who criticized Beth's personality. 'Who on this call is responsible for a scripted show that you guys have on the air? Oh, youre not? Thanks,' Taylor recounted. He added, 'And I hung up. They never called back.' Yellowstone now continually breaks viewing records on Paramount Network. Harrison Ford cosied up to his stunning wife Calista Flockhart at the star-studded Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny premiere in Berlin, Germany on Thursday night. The leading actor, 80, looked smart in a black suit, white shirt and tie as he posed for cameras with the American actress beauty, 58. She looked glamorous in a figure-hugging pink dress which cinched her in at the waist and had a pretty polka dot design. The brunette wore her dark tresses in a choppy bob as she looked adoringly at her husband. Also at the premiere was Phoebe Waller-Bridge, 37, who plays Helena Shaw in the franchise wore a sexy black dress. Leading man: Harrison Ford cosied up to his stunning wife Calista Flockhart at the star-studded Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny premiere in Berlin, Germany on Thursday night Premiere: The leading actor, 80, looked smart in a black suit, white shirt and tie as he posed for cameras with the American actress beauty, 58 The number had a plunging and dramatic statement neckline and was teamed with matching heels. She wore her dark tresses slicked back and opted for glamorous makeup complete with a slick of red lip. It comes after Phoebe weighed in on the future of Indiana Jones recently. The actress insisted the franchise should not be revived with anyone other than Harrison because he helped create 'a perfect moment in cinematic history'. Phoebe, who plays the globe-trotting archaeologist's goddaughter, Helena, in the final film in the fantasy-action series, addressed the subject at LA screening. When asked if the films could be revived without Harrison, she said: 'I don't think it should be. I think he is Indiana Jones and I think Indiana Jones is him. 'Whatever magic chemistry happened between that script and Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford is a perfect moment in cinematic history.' James Mangold has directed the latest instalment while Steven [Spielberg] was at the helm of the first four films. Stunning: She looked glamorous in a figure-hugging pink dress which cinched her in at the waist and had a pretty polka dot design Beauty: The brunette wore her dark tresses in a choppy bob as she looked adoringly at her husband Gorgeous: Also at the premiere was Phoebe Waller-Bridge, 37, who plays Helena Shaw in the franchise wore a sexy black dress Duo: She wore her dark tresses slicked back and opted for glamorous makeup complete with a slick of red lip Leadings stars: They looked great together on the red carpet Gorgeous: Phoebe looked incredible in her plunging black dress Having her say: It comes after Phoebe weighed in on the future of Indiana Jones recently Fair: The actress insisted the franchise should not be revived with anyone other than Harrison because he helped create 'a perfect moment in cinematic history' Actress: Phoebe, who plays the globe-trotting archaeologist's goddaughter, Helena, in the final film in the fantasy-action series, addressed the subject at LA screening Icon: When asked if the films could be revived without Harrison, she said: 'I don't think it should be. I think he is Indiana Jones and I think Indiana Jones is him' Looking good: She showed off her sophisticated style Radiant: She opted for a glowing makeup look Phoebe added that she feels James has done 'the most beautiful job' of bringing the series to an end. 'It was wonderful to be by Harrison's side prodding him and poking him and being annoying as Helena all the way through the movie. It was incredible,' she said. The film sees Ford return as Indiana Jones more than 40 years after his first stint in Raiders Of The Lost Ark in 1981. Phoebe first found her feet at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where she debuted her hit series Fleabag as a one-woman show in 2013. After it won the Fringe First Award, it was adapted into a BBC sitcom which won a host of Bafta, Emmy and Golden Globe awards. The actress admitted being at the premiere did feel 'quite Edinburgh', with the streets being packed and the barricades surrounding the area. Reflecting on her career trajectory, she said: 'Every moment is a pinch-me moment. I kind of disassociate. It's when you leave these things that you go home and you're like, 'What the hell just happened?' 'But I love all these people so much. I love every single person involved in the film. 'We had such a good time. I honestly had the time of my life making this film, I loved it so much. So it's just so nice to be with everyone to celebrate it.' Huge: The film sees Ford return as Indiana Jones more than 40 years after his first stint in Raiders Of The Lost Ark in 1981 Exciting times: Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny arrives in UK cinemas on June 28 Incredible: Phoebe first found her feet at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where she debuted her hit series Fleabag as a one-woman show in 2013 Cast: The film also stars Mads Mikkelsen as villain Jurgen Voller and Toby Jones as Basil Shaw, an ally of Jones Impressed: Phoebe added that she feels James has done 'the most beautiful job' of bringing the series to an end All smiles: She looked in great spirits Friendly: German actor Thomas Kretschmann and Phoebe posed together Glam lady: She was the epitome of elegance at the star-studded event Here they are: Phoebe and Harrison posed together on the red carpet Friendly: He gave a wave Together: They looked the perfect couple Dapper: He looked handsome in his suit Chatting: They had a good catch up on the red carpet Crew: Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, Harrison, Phoebe and German actor Thomas Kretschmann posed together Handsome: Thomas wore a white linen suit In good spirits: The cast smiled for snaps Fans: He posed for snaps with people on the red carpet Team: The cast posed together Big night: There have been several press nights for the film Outfit: Mads (left) opted for a brown suit and white shirt The film also stars Mads Mikkelsen as villain Jurgen Voller and Toby Jones as Basil Shaw, an ally of Jones. Asked why he feels the series has resonated so deeply with fans, Toby told PA: 'Who isn't into adventure? Who isn't into being led through an adventure by a funny, ironic, brave, handsome, courageous figure - who isn't into that? 'And it seems to shift tone in a way that people love. That something that's very interesting about it is how it's supposed to be comic and be serious at the same time.' Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny arrives in UK cinemas on June 28. Collin Gosselin thanked his father Jon Gosselin and sister Hannah as he celebrated his high school graduation on Instagram - but excluded his mother Kate Gosselin from the post. Kate, 48, attended the graduation ceremony, and reportedly refrained from interacting with Collin despite posing for photos with Hannah. In his post, Collin, 19, expressed appreciation for his sister Hannah, 19, his father Jon, and his dad's ex-girlfriend Colleen Conrad. The post contained photos of Collin and Hannah wearing their cap and gown, along with one of the teens celebrating their achievement in a convertible driven by their proud father. Colleen also made an appearance in the post as she was pictured posing with the new graduate. 'Thank you dad for always supporting my decisions': Collin Gosselin praised his father Jon Gosselin and sister Hannah as he celebrated his high school graduation on Instagram - but notably excluded his mother Kate Gosselin from his post 'Better late than never! Graduation I wasnt totally sold on the idea of making a graduation post, as most students graduate, therefore making it not such a big deal. So I decided to anchor this post more towards gratitude for mentors, friends, and of course family I want to first thank my amazing sister, Hannah, for standing by me and supporting me, she is my number 1. 'I would like to thank my dad, who has taught me so much about running into hard times and moving past them, about resilience. Thank you dad for always supporting my decisions, and having my back when I bite off more than I can chew. Id like to thank Colleen for rooting for me day in and day out. When you think of someone you want by your side, you think of Colleen. 'And as Ive told her many times, she is my motivator for being successful in this world. And last but not least I would like to thank my Army Junior ROTC instructors, First Sergeant Dolan, Sergeant Gonzalez, and Major New. Three of the realest, most humble, and genuine leaders I have ever met. Collectively they have taught me some of the most valuable lessons that I will carry by my side for life. 'No hate towards the Army, but the challenge of the Marine Corps just appealed to me more. Just thought Id clarify that. Anyways, this chapter of my life has come to a close Next stop Parris Island and soon after I will be studying Mechanical and Industrial Engineering in college! Cant wait!!!' It comes after Kate allegedly 'coldly snubbed' her son Collin at his high school graduation, according to a report by The Sun. However, the former reality star did take pictures with Hannah, who was also graduating, per the outlet. Kate and Hannah recently reconciled, and were seen posing for pictures together after the ceremony. She 'never' spoke to Collin or 'took' photos with him, the outlet's source reported. Congrats grad! The post included a snap of Collin receiving his diploma 'She is my motivator for being successful': He also raved about his father's ex-girlfriend, Colleen Conrad, who also attended the ceremony 'Kate has some nerve showing up at the graduation and giving only Hannah love,' their source said. 'Kate didn't even clap when Hannah or Collin's names were read and they collected their diplomas,' they alleged. 'Showing up to a special event like this and only giving attention to one of the two kids just shows Kate hasn't changed,' the insider said. 'Kate did end up taking photos with Hannah, but never spoke to Collin and never took photos with him,' they said. Gosselin allegedly 'coldly snubbed' her son Collin at his high school graduation, according to a report by The Sun; seen June 12, 2019 Hannah: The former reality star took pictures with 19-year-old daughter Hannah, who was also graduating, per the outlet The insider claimed that the 'graduation seemed more about her than graduation itself' - with the former reality star taking selfies as she walked around. Kate reportedly sat in front of ex-husband Jon Gosselin's mom and his ex-girlfriend Colleen. The outlet said a source previously revealed that Jon was aware that Kate was coming to the graduation, although he was still 'surprised.' 'Kate showed up, which was a bit of a surprise considering she truly has been missing from most of Collin's adult life and barely sees Hannah. Jon has previously told The Sun about his estrangement with six of his eight children, with the star claiming Kate did parental alienation. He has not spoken to four of the sextuplets: Alexis, Leah, Joel and Aaden. The last time they spoke was in 2018. Awkward: She 'never' spoke to Collin, 19, or 'took' photos with him, the outlet's source reported Reconciliation: Kate and Hannah (pictured), 19, recently reconciled, and were seen posing for pictures together after the ceremony Dad: Jon has previously told The Sun about his estrangement with six of his eight children, with the star claiming Kate did parental alienation Former: Jon and Kate were married from 1999 until 2009, becoming household names with the show Jon & Kate Plus 8; seen April 2, 2009 The way they were: Their custody battle took 14 years in court, with it finally coming to an end in March, he revealed to the outlet The sextuplets turned 19 on May 10; he is only on speaking terms with Hannah and Collin. In May, he revealed he has not spoke to twins Cara and Mady, 22, in nine years, he told the outlet. Jon and Kate were married from 1999 until 2009, becoming household names with the show Jon & Kate Plus 8. Their custody battle took 14 years in court, with it finally coming to an end in March, he revealed to the outlet. Hannah and Collin lived with Jon in Pennsylvania while the other six lived with mom Kate in North Carolina following their divorce. Vanessa Kirby stunned as she attended the premiere for Mission: Impossible 7 Dead Reckoning Part One in London on Thursday. The actress, 35, showed off her slender figure in a black velvet gown on the red carpet. The floor-length number hugged her curves and featured a satin neckline and black ribbon straps. The Crown actress, who plays Alanna Mitsopolis/White Widow, the daughter of Max Mitsopolis, slicked half of her blonde hair back behind her ear to show off her diamond earrings. The cast appeared over the moon to come together to celebrate the film's release after lengthy delays due to the coronavirus pandemic and an unprecedented $290million outlay. Wow factor: Vanessa Kirby was the epitome of glamour in a black velvet gown Sophisticated: The floor-length number hugged her curves and featured a satin neckline The film follows Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and the IMF team as they track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands. Following Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One's world premiere in Rome on Monday, critics and fans who got a chance to see the film early shared mostly fawning praise on social media. The latest Mission: Impossible entry premiered in the iconic Italian city as part of the Rome Film Festival, after a significant chunk of the movie was filmed in the capital. On Twitter, early reactions to the 'impeccably made' film were almost unanimously positive. Gizmodo and io9 writer Germain Lussier called the new movie 'fantastic' and said it had a 'dynamite, timely story.' 'Excellent new characters. Huge variety of action and a final set piece that ranks top 23 all-time for the franchise,' he added. Erik Davis, of Fandango and Rotten Tomatoes, bragged he had the 'absolute best time' watching Cruise's new film. He added it was 'an impeccably made action film that does not stop entertaining.' Action: The Crown star worked the cameras as she strutted down the red carpet Sultry: Vanessa's brows were laminated and half her hair was slicked back behind her ear to show off her dazzling earrings Feeling the love: Vanessa waved to fans who had turned up to the event to catch a glimpse of the cast Team: (L to R) Cary Elwes, Pom Klementieff, Vanessa Kirby, Hayley Atwell, Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie Proud as punch: Everyone seemed in a great mood as they posed for a group photo Spy: The film follows Ethan and the IMF team must track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity if it falls into the wrong hands (pictured with Hayley Atwell) 'Each action sequence is long, crazy & intense. The story is big & sprawling, but I like how it both felt complete & left you dying for what comes next.' Dead Reckoning Part One is a long time coming as it had production halted a number of times due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It was shot back-to-back with its direct sequel, Dead Reckoning Part Two. The two films were initially reported to be the final chapters, as reported by several publications, including Screen Rant. Along with the hype surrounding a new addition to the Mission Impossible franchise, the fans and media were also intrigued by rumors that co-stars Tom and Hayley had secretly dated during filming. But Hayley efficiently silenced the rumblings as she spoke for the first time about her 'close' bond with Tom in an interview in the May-June issue of Country & Town House. 'I felt like if I ever was worried about it, I could talk to him [Tom],' the newly-engaged star said of the dating rumours. 'And I know that he would've said, "People say whatever they want to say, but you know who you are, I know who I am and I want you to feel safe in this environment."' Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One, which along with Cruise and Atwell also stars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby and Henry Czerny, is slated to hits theaters in the U.S. on July 12. The sequel, Dead Reckoning Part Two, is scheduled to make its premiere in theaters on June 28, 2024. Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence's composed, confident exterior collapsed - at least momentarily - by taking on the wings of death while appearing on Thursday's webisode of First We Feast talk show Hot Ones. 'Oh good heavens! Oh my god! Ooommm!' the Kentucky-born 32-year-old cried after taking a bite of a chicken wing coated in the dreaded Da Bomb Beyond Insanity Hot Sauce. 'Oh my god I'm panicking! I'm really panicking, oh my god!' Jennifer grabbed a pitcher of ice water and started sipping from it. 'I saw someone do that on the show on TikTok. It just seems like there's more ice,' Lawrence explained before realizing there were two more wings to go. 'Oh good heavens!' Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence's composed, confident exterior collapsed - at least momentarily - by taking on the wings of death while appearing on Thursday's webisode of First We Feast talk show Hot Ones After taking a bite of a chicken wing coated in the dreaded Da Bomb Beyond Insanity Hot Sauce, the Kentucky-born 32-year-old cried: 'Oh my god! Ooommm! Oh my god I'm panicking! I'm really panicking, oh my god!' 'The other two are hotter?!' Hot Ones host Sean Evans then reassured The Causeway producer-star that Da Bomb was the worst one, but she exclaimed: 'I don't know what to - nothing helps! I'm drooling so much. Is my face okay?' At that, Jennifer - whose team was audibly laughing off camera - literally had tears running down her cheeks while laughing at the absurdity of the popular YouTube show: 'I feel like I'm going to die!' During the interview, Lawrence confirmed the story about how American Hustle costume designer Michael Wilkinson had to have an extra white halter gown on set because she would stain it with Cheeto dust. 'It was the white dress and I feel really bad,' the three-time Golden Globe winner admitted. 'I actually didn't know that until it came out and that was very disrespectful to cut to the costume department. Yes, that is true...[It was] an accident, you know, I wasn't like, "F*** you guys!" 'I think also getting the second dress it just encouraged me to I was like, "Oh, they must have a million of these!" And then it just it was a domino effect.' And while Jennifer is far from a method actor, she admitted she did learn techniques on how get into character from her American Hustle onscreen husband Christian Bale. 'I saw someone do that on the show on TikTok': Jennifer grabbed a pitcher of ice water and started sipping from it Lawrence suddenly realized there were two more wings to go and panicked: 'The other two are hotter?!' Hot Ones host Sean Evans (L) then reassured The Causeway producer-star that Da Bomb was the worst one, but she exclaimed: 'I don't know what to - nothing helps! I'm drooling so much. Is my face okay?' At that, Jennifer - whose team was audibly laughing off camera - literally had tears running down her cheeks while laughing at the absurdity of the popular YouTube show: 'I feel like I'm going to die!' 'It was the white dress': During the interview, Lawrence confirmed the story about how American Hustle costume designer Michael Wilkinson had to have an extra white halter gown on set because she would stain it with Cheeto dust The three-time Golden Globe winner admitted: 'I feel really bad. I actually didn't know that until it came out and that was very disrespectful to cut to the costume department. Yes, that is true...[It was] an accident, you know, I wasn't like, "F*** you guys!" I think also getting the second dress it just encouraged me to I was like, "Oh, they must have a million of these!" And then it just it was a domino effect' And while Jennifer is far from a method actor, she admitted she did learn techniques on how get into character from her American Hustle onscreen husband Christian Bale (2-R) Lawrence recalled: 'I noticed when the cameras started rolling and the crew kind of started preparing like it was going to be you know 10 seconds or whatever to action, he would kind of start, like, getting ready. And then I saw that and was like, "That seems like a really good idea" and so then I started to do that' 'I noticed when the cameras started rolling and the crew kind of started preparing like it was going to be you know 10 seconds or whatever to action, he would kind of start, like, getting ready,' Lawrence recalled. 'And then I saw that and was like, "That seems like a really good idea" and so then I started to do that.' Back in 2014, The Hunger Games alum's onscreen leading man Liam Hemsworth went on The Tonight Show and claimed that she 'would make a point of eating garlic or tuna fish' before their kissing scenes in Mocking Jay - Part 1. 'It was not intentional,' Jennifer groaned. 'It was just, like, what I was eating and then we'd kiss. Like, he should just, you know, get over it.' Lawrence has a habit of being a bit accident prone, having lost a tooth on the set of Adam McKay's dismally-reviewed 2021 disaster comedy Don't Look Up. 'It wasn't just one tooth because I have veneers,' the two-time SAG Award winner recalled. 'I had a whole section, like, missing and it was [the] height of Covid so I couldn't go to the dentist. So I had to do all of Don't Look Up with just a gaping hole in my mouth - Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Leonardo DiCaprio - just everybody.' Confirm to deny? Back in 2014, The Hunger Games alum's onscreen leading man Liam Hemsworth went on The Tonight Show and claimed that she 'would make a point of eating garlic or tuna fish' before their kissing scenes in Mocking Jay - Part 1 Jennifer groaned: 'It was not intentional. It was just, like, what I was eating and then we'd kiss' She scoffed: 'Like, he should just, you know, get over it' 'It wasn't just one tooth': Lawrence has a habit of being a bit accident prone, having lost a tooth on the set of Adam McKay's dismally-reviewed 2021 disaster comedy Don't Look Up The two-time SAG Award winner recalled: 'I have veneers. I had a whole section, like, missing and it was [the] height of Covid so I couldn't go to the dentist. So I had to do all of Don't Look Up with just a gaping hole in my mouth - Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Leonardo DiCaprio - just everybody' Ouch! Jennifer also managed to hurt herself while hyperventilating during the climactic scene in her ex-boyfriend Darren Aronofsky's dismally-reviewed 2017 Biblical drama Mother! Lawrence said seriously: 'I tore my diaphragm and cracked something in my chest or my top rib. It still clicks to this day' Jennifer also managed to hurt herself while hyperventilating during the climactic scene in her ex-boyfriend Darren Aronofsky's dismally-reviewed 2017 Biblical drama Mother! 'I tore my diaphragm and cracked something in my chest or my top rib,' Lawrence said seriously. 'It still clicks to this day.' The Real Housewives super fan was on Hot Ones to promote Gene Stupnitsky's coming-of-age sex comedy No Hard Feelings - hitting US theater this Friday - in which she plays a Craigslist escort paid by helicopter parents to date their Princeton-bound virginal 19-year-old son (Andrew Barth Feldman). Jennifer's former Uber driver character Maggie is lured into the unseemly deal in order to save her mother's home and replace her repossessed car with a Buick Regal. Lawrence also executive produced No Hard Feelings - which also features Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Scott MacArthur, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Hasan Minhaj, and Kyle Mooney. A controversial Byron Bay influencer has sparked debate online by posting her ideal 30th birthday party dress. Ruby Tuesday Matthews took to Instagram on Thursday to show herself posing in a Monot strapless black horizontal cut out mini dress. The skimpy garment retails for a whopping $2090. Matthews, 29, captioned the post, 'Dirty 30 is a few weeks away I think I found my party dress . YES or NO'. Unfortunately for the mother-of-three, her 239,000 followers overwhelmingly answered in the negative. Controversial Byron Bay influencer Ruby Tuesday Matthews [pictured] has sparked debate online by posting her ideal 30th birthday party dress 'Sorry I'm a no on this one, I think you could find better,' answered one fan. 'No its giving supre vibes,' added another, referencing the discount clothing chain. 'You could find something much better! You will look in bangin either way though'. 'Hot but $2000 for polyester?' queried another. Unfortunately for the mother-of-three, her 239,000 followers overwhelmingly responded negatively to the garment Matthews recently caused a stir after selling T-shirts decorated by her five-year-old son for up to $60 a pop. She raised eyebrows earlier this month by announcing she was selling tops that had been tie-dyed by her middle child Mars on Instagram. Modelling one of the tops on Instagram Stories, the mother-of-three told her audience: 'Mars has a few shirts and singlets that we are going to sell here'. '100 (sic) of the profits go into his piggy bank as he does not have a bank account yet. He just owes me money for the die [sic] and shirts LOL but I'll let that slide,' she added. Ruby, who recently came under fire for using a photo of Mars to promote her brand Robey, accompanied this with more images of herself modelling Mars' T-shirt designs, which were priced between $50 and $60. Earlier this month, Matthews sparked debate for selling T-shirts decorated by her five-year-old son for up to $60 a pop Ruby raised eyebrows by selling tops that had been tie-dyed by her middle child Mars on Instagram Instagram 'snark' account Dutch Minty has since reposted the images, sparking a lively debate about Ruby's latest enterprise. 'People are literally struggling to pay for groceries, $50 is a jokeeeeee,' one user commented. 'I'm sure she has plenty of spare change she could be putting in her sons piggy bank. $50 for a tie dye shirt and they tie dye isn't even that vibrant? Ya jokin,' another added. Modelling one of the tops on Instagram Stories, the mother-of-three told her audience: '100 (sic) of the profits go into his piggy bank as he does not have a bank account yet' Ruby, who recently came under fire for using a photo of Mars to promote her brand Robey , accompanied this with more images of herself modelling Mars' T-shirt designs, which were priced between $50 and $60 Some users were concerned that Ruby's post suggested she doesn't have a savings account for her children, with one writing: 'Even in my brokest days my kids have accounts with an [accounts payable] going into them weekly.' However other users defended Ruby's money-making venture, calling it a clever parenting strategy. 'Doesn't bother me. She has a platform and in turn, so do her kids. No one's holding a gun to anyone forcing them to spend $50. I think she's using supply and demand to help her child understand value and economics,' one user wrote. Melbourne socialite Sarah Lew is resting and relaxing ahead of her massive wedding celebrations in Europe next week after secretly tied the knot with successful restaurateur, Chris Lucas. Lew, who is the ex-daughter-in-law of billionaire retail magnate Solomon Lew, married Lucas a few weeks ago in an intimate ceremony. The brunette beauty shared several stunning photos from Lake Como on Wednesday. The couple are staying at Passalacqua, a luxury boutique hotel that begins at $2,406 per night. One photo featured the hotel's customised orange Fiat 500 parked outside in front of gorgeous sprawling views of the water and hills. Melbourne socialite Sarah Lew is resting and relaxing ahead of her massive wedding celebrations in Europe next week after she secretly tied the knot with successful restaurateur Chris Lucas She later shared a mirror selfie of her holiday outfit that consisted of linen trousers and a crochet top, taken inside the hotel. Lew also enjoyed a aperitivo beverage before heading indoors for dinner inside the restaurant. The Passalacqua hotel is a prime wedding location, with stunning views overlooking the town as well as gorgeous outdoor settings and interiors. The brunette beauty shared several stunning photos from Lake Como on Wednesday. The couple are staying at Passalacqua, a luxury boutique hotel that begins at $2,406 per night Lew shared a mirror selfie of her holiday outfit that consisted of linen trousers and a crochet top, taken inside the hotel Weddings in Lake Como cost anywhere from $145,000 to $325,000 for 50 to 100 guests. It comes after Lew quietly tied the knot with Lucas, revealing the pair exchanged vows a few weeks ago after speculation the pair had said 'I do' when she changed her last name on social media. Sharing several photos to her Instagram account last week, the fashion queen posed in a stunning $4000 Saint Laurent gown and a white netted mini veil. The Passalacqua hotel also offers a prime wedding event location, with stunning views overlooking the town as well as gorgeous outdoor settings and interiors. Weddings in Lake Como cost anywhere from $145,000 to $325,000 for 50 to 100 guests Lew quietly tied the knot with Lucas, revealing the pair exchanged vows a few weeks ago after speculation the pair had said 'I do' when she changed her last name on social media The married couple are expected to host lavish celebrations in Europe very soon. 'Cannot deal with this! You know how much I love it x,' ex-WAG Nadia Bartel commented on Lew's post. 'Also the makeup on this day was next level.' Sharing several photos to her Instagram account last week, the fashion queen posed in a stunning $4000 Saint Laurent gown and a white netted mini veil Bec Judd and Tayla Broad both commented 'Stunning', while best friend and Sydney sociality Pip Edwards left three white heart emojis. 'The most beautiful bride,' designer Effie Kats wrote. Last month, Melbourne's glitterati gathered for Lew's hens party at lavish restaurant Society. Her famous pals, including Bartel, Edwards and Kats, all dressed like Lew at a lavish Saint Laurent-themed dinner. The husband and wife were last year named one of Melbourne's power couples and she is considered one of the city's most stylish 'IT' girls Stunning decorations included a decadent table setting with white candles and bespoke menus with monogramming. The famous YSL monogram had been changed to 'YasSarahLew' in a nod to her upcoming dream wedding in Italy. Elegant white flowers also adorned the table. Melbourne's glitterati gathered for Lew's hens party at Society restaurant last month Those in attendance sipped on Dom Perignon Champagne and tucked into pasta and seafood dishes. Guests dressed-up like Lew, who later shared a photo college of 'My Life In Looks'. Lew's husband Lucas is the mastermind behind some one Melbourne's most upmarket and stylish restaurants, including Yakimono, Grill Americano, and Chin Chin. The husband and wife were last year named one of Melbourne's power couples and she is considered one of the city's most stylish 'IT' girls. She divorced Solomon Lew's son Steven in 2011 after they tied the knot in 2003. They share two children together. Amber Turner made a sensational return to TOWIE filming in Cyprus on Thursday following rumours she had quit filming after her split from Dan Edgar. The TOWIE star, 29, made quite the entrance as she surprised her pals Chloe Meadows and Courtney Green by strutting out to join them for drinks. She made sure to turn heads in an eye-popping ensemble as she arrived to film, with her pals rushing to sweetly embrace her, before Amber got very emotional. Amy Childs and Harry Derbidge were seen watching on in surprise at her unexpected arrival in Cyprus as the cast gathered to film the evening scenes. Her ex Dan is also in the sun-soaked location with the TOWIE cast and it is expected that he and Amber will come face-to-face on camera for the first time since their split now she has jetted to Cyprus. She's here! Amber Turner made a sensational return to TOWIE filming in Cyprus on Thursday following rumours she had quit filming after her split from Dan Edgar Bombshell: The TOWIE star, 29, made quite the entrance as she surprised her co-stars by strutting out to join them for drinks Gorgeous: She made sure to turn heads in an eye-popping ensemble as she arrived to film, strutting into the venue confidently Making her bombshell entrance to the drinks after reportedly pulling out of filming, Amber showed off her incredible figure in a plunging white corset top. She teamed her top with a sheer lace wrap-around skirt with a daring side split showing off her toned pins. Amber gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of gold strapped stilettos and kept her essentials in a matching handbag. She let her outfit do all the talking as she simply accessorised with a dainty pendant necklace and a silver watch. The reality TV star wore her golden tresses in glamorous waves loosely across her shoulders and opted for a bronzed make-up palette for the occasion. As she arrived at the drinks, she was seen rushing to hug her pals Chloe and Courtney as they supported her after her recent break-up. While having a drink with her pals, Amber appeared to become emotional in one moment as she was seen wiping tears from her eyes. It comes after rumours Amber had pulled out of the TOWIE cast filming trip in Cyprus, saying it felt 'too soon' to see Dan following their split. Glam: Amber made her bombshell entrance to the drinks after reportedly pulling out of filming due to feeling like it was 'too soon' to film with her ex Dan Shock: Amy Childs and Harry Derbidge were seen watching on in surprise at her unexpected arrival in Cyprus as the cast gathered to film the evening scenes Sweet: As she arrived at the drinks, she was seen rushing to hug her pals Chloe Meadows and Courtney Green as they supported her after her recent break-up Emotional: While having a drink with her pals, Amber appeared to become emotional in one moment as she was seen wiping tears from her eyes Tearful: Amber appeared overwhelmed as she returned to filming in Cyprus as she looked glassy-eyed at one moment during the drinks Stunning: Amber showed off her incredible figure in a plunging white corset top as she strutted her stuff Incredible: She teamed her top with a sheer lace wrap-around skirt with a daring side split showing off her toned pins Elegant: Amber gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of gold strapped stilettos and kept her essentials in a matching handbag Sophisticated: She let her outfit do all the talking as she simply accessorised with a dainty pendant necklace and a silver watch Stylish: The reality TV star wore her golden tresses in glamorous waves loosely across her shoulders Beauty: She opted for a bronzed make-up palette and a gold bangle for the occasion Filming: Her ex Dan is also in Cyprus with the TOWIE cast and it is expected that he and Amber will come face-to-face on camera for the first time since their split Dan ended their six-year relationship last month after suspecting Amber had lied to him about attending after-parties in Dubai and 'went off radar' during a two-week girls' holiday. An insider had claimed that the Amber wasn't certain she would return to the ITVBe reality show following the breakdown of her relationship. A source told The Sun earlier this week: 'Amber made it clear she wasn't going to go on the overseas trip if Dan was there. 'She feels it's too soon after their break-up to have to go on a plane with him and the rest of the cast to film on location. 'It's one thing filming back home in Essex where she can avoid him, but on these trips, there is no escape.' 'Amber was in two minds whether to even return to TOWIE this series, but it's a job she loves and she didn't want what happened between her and Dan to ruin that for her,' they added. But the insider noted Amber might change her mind, which she now appears to have done as she has been busy filming in Cyprus, with Dan also believed to be there. Just more than a month ago, Dan split from Amber after she 'went off radar' during a two-week girls' holiday. He was said to be left 'hurt' and 'confused' after Amber claimed on multiple occasions she was 'home' and 'in bed' after nights out in Dubai, despite him being told that she was still out partying. Amber, who cheated on ex-boyfriend Jamie Reed with Dan in scenes filmed for the ITVBe series, extended her trip several times, leaving her partner of six years in the lurch. MailOnline learned that Amber began to limit communication with Dan, leading him to suspect that she had met someone else. Dan, who stayed at home looking after their dog Oliver, has unfollowed Amber and removed all trace of her from his Instagram. Dressed to the nines: Amber pulled out all the stops as she looked very glamorous for the evening out What an entrance! Amber powerfully strutted solo into the drinks as she surprised her cast mates with her arrival All smiles: Amber was seen catching up with her pals over drinks and laughing with them both Overwhelmed: Chloe was seen smiling and wiping her eyes as things got emotional with her chat with Amber Amazing: Amber looked stunning as she smiled and caught up with her pals at the drinks event during filming Close: Amber was greeted with a huge hug from her pals Chloe and Courtney as she arrived for the drinks Thrilled: Amber appeared over-the-moon to be reunited with her pals at the evening drinks in Cyprus Sensational: Amber turned heads and made quite the entrance in her elegant ensemble at the event Arrival: Amber was seen confidently strutting through the drinks as her TOWIE cast mates began to notice her arrival Fashionista: Amber once again showed off her signature sense of style as she arrived for filming Cameras, action! Amber was seen strutting confidently into the drinks as the cameras followed her entrance Drinks: Chloe was seen wiping tears from her eyes as the group of pals caught up over a drink Besties: Amber was greeted with a sweet hug from her close pals Chloe and Courtney in a heartwarming moment Supportive pals: Courtney and Chloe couldn't contain their joy that Amber had decided to return to filming Watching on: Amy and Harry were seen chatting as they sat at the bar when Amber arrived at the event Getting ready: Amber was seen preparing for her big entrance back on to TOWIE with the crew before stepping out Heartwarming: Amber became locked in a close embrace by her pals Chloe and Courtney in a sweet moment A source close to the ex-couple revealed: 'Dan has been so hurt and confused over Amber's actions the past month. 'Amber went to Dubai to celebrate her mum's 60th but she didn't come home for over two weeks. 'She was out partying with girlfriends and would tell him she was in bed, but he received messages from other people saying she was still out. 'A huge assumption has been made that their split was because of Dan's lack of commitment but this time he was left questioning whether Amber can be trusted.' MailOnline understands the exes are still living together at their rented apartment in Stapleford Abbotts while they decide on arrangements for the future. Over the years, Amber's romance with Dan has been rocked by various cheating claims with the reality star becoming known for his 'deny until you die' catchphrase amongst his TOWIE cast mates. In April 2017, Amber finally confessed to ex Jamie that she had lied about cheating on him with Dan during emotional scenes filmed for the reality series. When Amber's car was spotted outside Dan's house, she tried to cover her tracks by telling Jamie she was collecting her leather jacket, but she later admitted to staying the night. In a memorable TOWIE episode, Amber claimed to Jamie 'I went to pick up my leather jacket that I left there' before he questioned 'your car was there all night' and she said 'no, it wasn't there at 7:30 in the morning, I don't know what else you want me to say'. Grinning: Amber surprised her pal Chloe by arriving at the drinks for filming, with Chloe jumping up to hug her Split: Dan ended his six-year relationship with Amber after suspecting Amber had lied to him about attending after-parties in Dubai and 'went off radar' during a two-week girls' holiday Pals: Amber was supported by her friend Chloe Meadows as she returned to filming in Cyprus Wow! Chloe showed off her toned abs in a strapless sparkling pink bandeau and a satin wrap around skirt for the evening Glittering: Elsewhere, Chloe Brockett looked equally as glamorous in a metallic co-ord set, made up of a one-shouldered crop top and a matching skirt with a daring side split Dazzling: She captured attention in her show-stopping ensemble as she was shown to her table with her pal Saffron Lempriere Sensational: Chloe wore her brunette locks in an up-do while she let two strands of hair fall loosely to frame her features Chic: Saffron looked glamorous in a blue dress with a frilled neckline as she caught up with Chloe over a drink Chatting: Chloe accentuated her striking features with lashings of mascara and a glossy slick of lipstick Glitzy: Chloe accessorised her stunning look with a pair of chunky silver hoop earrings Six months later, Dan was forced to admit that he had betrayed Amber by sleeping with another woman during a lads' trip in Dublin and the star was left devastated dealing with the dishonesty. During a relationship break in 2019, Dan started dating Chloe Sims but he quickly went back to Amber, leaving his friendship with the TOWIE veteran in tatters. Before their split, Dan recently told co-star James Lock that his life is 'different' now and his lifestyle is more 'civilised' in comparison to his former Lothario ways. He said: 'I'm the first person to admit we've had a very rocky road and it's been very up and down and it's taken us a long way to get to where we are now.' Phoebe Waller-Bridge was the epitome of elegance on Thursday as she led stars at the premiere of Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny at Zoo Palast in Berlin. The Fleabag creator, 37, dazzled under the spotlight in a sensational strapless black gown, featuring a sultry plunging sweetheart neckline. The elegant number perfectly hugged her slender physique, as she accessorised the look with a pair of matching black open-toe heels. The actress and screenwriter sported two sparkling diamond anklets to accessorise the glamorous ensemble. She added small dainty rose gold earrings and rocked a gold ring. Show-stopping: Phoebe Waller-Bridge was the epitome of elegance on Thursday as she led stars at the premiere of Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny at Zoo Palast in Berlin Glamorous: The Fleabag creator, 37, dazzled under the spotlight in a sensational strapless black gown, featuring a sultry plunging sweetheart neckline The twice Golden Globe winner finished off her glamorous look with a classy red lipstick. She was captured posing and mingling alongside other cast members including leading man Harrison Ford, Mads Mikkelsen and Thomas Kretschmann. Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny is the fifth and final film of the beloved franchise created by legendary director George Lucas. Ford last played Indiana Jones aka Henry Jones Jr in 2008's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull starring Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett. The latest movie hit is set in the year 1969, following Ford's Indiana Jones set against the backdrop of the American 'space race.' Jones is said to be, 'uneasy' about the American government enlisting former Nazis in their race to beat the Russians to the moon Franchise newcomer Phoebe joins the sequel as the globe-trotting archaeologist's goddaughter Helena Shaw, along with Mads Mikkelsen as villain Jurgen Voller, an ex-Nazi who now works for NASA, and Toby Jones as Basil Shaw, an ally of Jones. Other newcomers include Antonio Banderas as Renaldo, a friend of Indy, Thomas Kretschmann as Colonel Weber, Toby Jones as Basil Shaw and Boyd Holbrook as Klaber. Gleaming: The actress and screenwriter sported two sparkling diamond anklets to accessorise the glamorous ensemble Accessorising: She added small dainty rose gold earrings and rocked a gold ring Beauty: The twice Golden Globe winner finished off her glamorous look with a classy red lipstick It first premiered at the recent Cannes Film Festival and has a reported budget of $300million. Earlier last week, Phoebe weighed in on the future of Indiana Jones as she attended the premiere for the fifth instalment in Los Angeles. The actress insisted the franchise should not be revived with anyone other than Harrison Ford because he helped create 'a perfect moment in cinematic history'. When asked if the films could be revived without Harrison, she said: 'I don't think it should be. I think he is Indiana Jones and I think Indiana Jones is him. 'Whatever magic chemistry happened between that script and Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford is a perfect moment in cinematic history.' James Mangold has directed the latest instalment while Steven [Spielberg] was at the helm of the first four films. Phoebe added that she feels James has done 'the most beautiful job' of bringing the series to an end. 'It was wonderful to be by Harrison's side prodding him and poking him and being annoying as Helena all the way through the movie. It was incredible,' she said. A-list cast: She was captured posing and mingling alongside other cast members including leading man Harrison Ford, Mads Mikkelsen and Thomas Kretschmann Duo: Phoebe posed with leading actor Harrison Ford at the premiere of the fifth-instalment in Berlin Phoebe first found her feet at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where she debuted her hit series Fleabag as a one-woman show in 2013. After it won the Fringe First Award, it was adapted into a BBC sitcom which won a host of Bafta, Emmy and Golden Globe awards. Reflecting on her career trajectory, she said: 'Every moment is a pinch-me moment. I kind of disassociate. It's when you leave these things that you go home and you're like, 'What the hell just happened?' 'But I love all these people so much. I love every single person involved in the film. Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny arrives in UK cinemas on June 28. Success: Indiana Jones and The Dial of Destiny is the fifth and final film of the beloved franchise created by legendary director George Lucas Newcomer: Phoebe plays the globe-trotting archaeologist's goddaughter, Helena Shaw, in the final film in the fantasy-action series Franchise: The latest movie hit is set in the year 1969, following Ford's Indiana Jones set against the backdrop of the American 'space race' The desire of the political leadership of the two countries to build a strong relationship is based on regional, domestic, and strategic factors The transformation of the India-US relationship from estranged democracies to a strategic partnership has been a defining movement of the 21st century, with the two countries having witnessed significant cooperation in several areas of common interests. While successive Indian Prime Ministers and US Presidents have played pivotal in cementing the ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden have also taken a slew of measures in this regard. Therefore, the upcoming state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US on June 21-24 is viewed as a historic movement in the relationship. Modi will become the first Indian Prime Minister to address a joint session of the US Congress for a second time, reiterating to US leaders that a resurgent India is committed to working together with the United States in ensuring peace, security and development in South Asia and other parts of the globe. Undoubtedly, one of the major shifts that have been observed in the relationship is an unprecedented political willingness in both countries to engage each other. This can be gauged from regular interactions between the senior Indian and US political leaders on a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues. Of course, the desire of the political leadership of the two countries to build a strong relationship has not developed in a vacuum. In fact, there is a milieu of structural, domestic, leadership and other drivers responsible for the transformational shift in bilateral ties. One such driver is the shared security challenges facing New Delhi and Washington. There is a growing sentiment among US security officials and experts that, given its economic slowdown, its involvement in the Russian-Ukraine war, as well as security crises in the Indo Pacific, the Middle East, and other regions, it is not possible for the United States alone to ensure peace and security. It needs to engage rising powers like India. As the Modi government has accelerated the process of military modernisation, buoyed by increased foreign direct investment in the defence sector, Washington sees economic opportunities in deepening defence ties with New Delhi. The rise of China and its assertive posturing in the South China Sea is another reason for the United States to expand its security and military relations with India. Washington also views Indias Act East policy as compatible with its Indo-Pacific strategy. India is concerned by Chinas position on disputed territories and by the growing nexus between Beijing and Islamabad. New Delhi feels that the presence of the United States in South Asia would help maintain the balance of power in its favour. The Modi government also knows it cannot aggressively pursue military modernisation without access to advanced US weaponry and technology. Modis ambitious Make in India initiative would also not be successful without the active participation of the American defence industry, given its expertise in the field. Isolating Pakistan internationally for failing to adequately address terrorism also requires New Delhi to sustain security talks and military exercises with Washington. The security concerns led India and the US to sign several key defence agreements including the Logistic Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMA), the Communication and Information Security Memorandum (CISMOA) and the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA). With the aim of boosting technology cooperation, the two countries have also signed the Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). This in turn will help in strengthening the innovation ecosystem, defence innovation &technology cooperation, resilient semiconductor supply chains, space, and next-generation telecommunication. A roadmap for defence industry cooperation has also been signed between New Delhi and Washington early this month. The US policy towards Pakistan and terrorism has also undergone a marked shift to placate Indias security concerns. These developments in turn have also led to a sharp rise in Indias defence imports from the US from less than US$ 1 billion in 2008 to US$ 21 billion in 2021. The signing of an agreement between General Electric (GE) and Hindustan Aeronautics regarding the domestic manufacturing of American jet engines during Modis visit. This in turn will be a bone for the Make in India initiative. The two sides can also finalise a defence deal to buy 30 MQ-9 armed drones. Economic interests are another driver of the relationship. While the volume of bilateral trade has reached US$ 190 billion, the two countries have set a goal of taking it to $500 billion in the next few years. For that to happen, the two countries have established an India-US Investment Initiative as well as an Infrastructure Collaboration Platform. Sure, the above account of encouraging trends however does not blind us to the challenges that the relationship has continued to face. The Biden administrations reluctance to restore Indias status under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) and the two countries divergent approaches in the agriculture and dairy sectors are a set of obstacles facing the relationship. The two sides also have differences in Myanmar, Iran, and Afghanistan. The US continues to feel uneasiness with the idea of Indias strategic autonomy. Thus, with the visit by Modi to Washington, one hopes that both countries would be able to address these issues to realise the full potential of the relationship. (The writer is Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, the University of Delhi. Views are personal) While urban children get an opportunity to cultivate art, rural children often remain unaware of art and literature, let alone pursue it India is renowned for its rich artistic heritage, with various art forms depicting cultures and traditions throughout history. In the state of Bihar, the Mithila painting style, frescoes, and Aripan have become synonymous with artistic expression. Mithila painting, also known as Madhubani painting, has garnered worldwide acclaim for its distinctive style and artistry across Asia. This ancient art form thrives in the regions of Darbhanga, Purnia, Saharsa, Muzaffarpur, Madhubani in Bihar, and Nepal, where both men and women vividly recreate the cultural essence of Mithilanchal through their intricate paintings, depicting ancient epics, natural scenes, and socio-cultural themes. While the inclusion of painting in school curricula has allowed children to develop skills in artistry, creativity, logic, and imagination, there remains a lack of awareness about painting in government schools. Particularly in rural areas, boys and girls often lack the necessary knowledge about art and craft education and potential careers. Recognizing this gap, the Bihar government has declared Saturdays as Bagless Days, which have helped raise awareness and interest in art and crafts among children. However, in a society divided by caste, religion, gender, and other factors, marginalized individuals face challenges not only in social and economic development but also in cultural enrichment. In an era of expensive education, the question arises as to how children from financially struggling families can access and learn folk art, folk culture, painting, dance, and music. Renowned painters often seem distant and unattainable to those on the margins, making it difficult for them to find time for artistic pursuits. Furthermore, without financial support, many talented artists find it challenging to develop their skills. Despite these obstacles, a group of young individuals is kindling the flame of art and painting in the rural areas of Bihar. In the Ahiyapur-Muradpur Dalit-Mahadalit Basti, situated 10 kilometres from Muzaffarpur headquarters, girls from underprivileged backgrounds, including Suruchi, Chandni, Amandeep, Megha, Anoop Priya, Rakhi, Vaishnavi, Neha, and others, are using their paintbrushes to vividly express the sorrows, childhood experiences, poverty, discrimination, and gender biases they face. These girls study in government schools and have embraced painting as both a career and a means of self-expression. Despite their low social and economic status, they are determined to bring their feelings, moods, desperation, and helplessness to life on canvas. Their aspirations find support at the nearby Artifact Art Studio, where they learn painting free of cost for two days a week since 2018.Sujit Kumar, a talented young painter who grew up in a Dalit family, has played a pivotal role in empowering these girls and giving them a new dimension to their artistic endeavours. Having experienced the challenges of poverty firsthand, Sujit chose painting as a medium to express his sorrows and struggles. After completing his studies in a government school, he obtained a bachelor's degree from the Art and Craft College in Patna, followed by a master's degree from Tripura Central University. Inspired by the hardships faced by the Dalit-Mahadalit slums, Sujit embarked on a mission to educate and bring about change in the lives of girl children through folk art, painting, and drama. Through art studios, he has nurtured the artistic abilities of approximately 50 underprivileged children since 2018. Sujit believes that painting enables these children to gain a unique understanding of education, health, society, culture, nature, and art. Several of these children have showcased their talent in various art exhibitions and festivals. Notably, Jaya Pramar, Neha Kumari, Megha, Chandni Kumari, and others are currently preparing for entrance examinations in Arts. Sujit, using his own pocket money, has taken on the responsibility of teaching these children the intricacies of art, despite his own modest earnings from teaching painting at a private school. He believes that by nurturing their interest in art from a young age, the lives of children from marginalized and neglected families can be improved. While urban families demonstrate an awareness of art and actively cultivate it at home, rural families often remain unaware of the advantages and disadvantages of art and literature. It is essential to acknowledge that every individual possesses some form of art, whether it be writing, painting, drama, music, or others. To promote art in rural areas, schools play a crucial role. The Bihar government's efforts to kindle the flame of art in schools on Bagless Days have been commendable. It is imperative for the Department of Art and Culture to focus on honing the skills of these budding artists at the local level, ensuring that one day, these children will bring pride to the nation through their artistic contributions. (The writer is an expert on issues of rural India. Views are personal) Charkha Features In a strong response to Chinas move to block a United Nations proposal to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Sajid Mir as a global terrorist, India has expressed its disappointment, stating that it demonstrates a lack of genuine political will to combat terrorism. Mir is wanted for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. Chinas decision to block the proposal, co-designated by India and moved by the United States, came as a setback on Tuesday. The proposal aimed to blacklist Mir under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, subjecting him to asset freezes, travel bans, and an arms embargo. China had previously paused the proposal in September. In a strongly-worded statement, Prakash Gupta, joint secretary at Indias permanent mission in New York, criticised the failure to ban terrorists due to petty geopolitical interests, suggesting a lack of genuine political will to address the terrorism challenge. Gupta emphasised the need to avoid double standards and the justifications of good terrorists versus bad terrorists, emphasising that terrorism is terrorism without any justifications. He questioned the blocking of evidence-based listing proposals without providing any reasons, especially in the current era of accountability and transparency. Referring to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Gupta highlighted their impact on the global counterterrorism architecture and the collective conscience of the worlds largest democracy. He played an audio clip of Mir instructing terrorists from Pakistan during the attacks, illustrating his role in the heinous act. The Mumbai attacks involved ten heavily armed assailants who carried out urban warfare, resulting in the deaths of 166 innocent individuals, including 26 foreigners. Gupta lamented the lack of justice for the victims, noting that Mir is listed as a proscribed terrorist under Indian and international laws. Expressing concern about the failure to list established terrorists under the Security Councils sanctions regime, Gupta questioned the genuine political will to fight terrorism if petty geopolitical interests take precedence. He pointed out that even 15 years after the Mumbai attacks, the masterminds in Pakistan have not been brought to justice. Mir, in his mid-40s, is considered one of Indias most wanted terrorists and carries a USD 5 million bounty placed by the US for his role in the Mumbai terror attacks. Last year, he was sentenced to over 15 years in a terror-financing case by an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan. However, doubts remain regarding his reported death, as demanded by Western countries seeking proof. This issue has become a significant point of contention in the Financial Action Task Forces assessment of Pakistans progress in fulfilling its action plan. Indias strong condemnation of Chinas blockage of the United Nations proposal highlights the ongoing challenges in the fight against terrorism and the need for international cooperation to ensure the perpetrators of such heinous acts are brought to justice. US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has described Prime Minister Narendra Modis ongoing visit to the United States as a watershed moment. Garcetti expressed his belief that this weeks events have the potential to reshape the course of history, as the two democratic nations come together to pursue peace and prosperity. During the summit between Modi and President Joe Biden, it is expected that India and the United States will announce several crucial defense partnerships. These partnerships could reinforce the strategic alliance between the two nations and bolster their joint efforts in addressing global challenges. In his keynote address to the inaugural INDUS-X conference organised by the US India Business Council in partnership with the US Department of Defense and Indias Department of Defence Production in Washington late Tuesday, Garcetti said , Were just getting in the car together and were starting this voyage. Its the elevation of something that has been growing. Two democracies, after all, are about our people. 1.75 billion of them are unstoppable, a force for peace, for prosperity, for our planet and for people, Garcetti said. He said India and the US can help to work and preserve the planet, bring peace and look all the way up into the air and beyond. Garcetti said both India and the US need to be able to navigate their regulation and bureaucratic culture more readily. I think if were harsh critics of ourselves, which we always have to be, theres so much more we can do to take the rhetoric of this moment and actually institutionalise it into the way that we do business from the newest bureaucrat all the way up to the leaders of our two countries, he said. Eleven days after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar appointed the partys senior leader Praful Patel and his daughter-MP Supriya Sule as the partys working presidents, a sidelined NCP leader and his nephew, Ajit Pawar, said here on Wednesday that he had no interest in continuing as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly. Instead, he preferred to accept any responsibility within the party. Speaking at a function organised to mark the NCPs 25th foundation day, Ajit told the party leadership, I am not interested in continuing in the post of the leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly. Relieve me of the Opposition leaders post and give me any post in the party. I will do justice to the partys post. Ajits statement, which came as a surprise to Sharad Pawar and other party leaders, is being interpreted in State political circles in two ways. First, through his statement, he wanted to express his dissatisfaction over the manner in which he was sidelined by the NCP chief in the organisational restructuring that took place on June 10, the day when the NCP entered its 25th year of existence. Secondly, by requesting any post, Ajit has sent a message to the party leadership that he should be considered for the State party presidents position, replacing Jayant Patil, who has been the State NCP president for the past five years. Patil has continued in the state party chiefs role despite a stipulation in the NCPs constitution that no leader holding a party post should be replaced after a tenure of three years. Despite speculation that he is angling for the State party chiefs position, informed party sources have stated that Ajitdada has not taken kindly to the manner in which he was ignored by the NCP chief in the organizational reshuffle that the latter undertook on June 10. It may be recalled that after appointing Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as the partys working presidents and assigning other leaders with various party responsibilities, the NCP tried to downplay the decision of not giving any organisational post or responsibility to Ajit. Sharad had said Ajit already had the responsibility of being the LoP. Wearing a customised white yoga T-shirt, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took centre stage on Wednesday as he led the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Joined by the residents of the city, celebrities, and dignitaries, Modi hailed yoga as a practice that transcends boundaries and emphasised its universal appeal, free from copyrights and royalties. The event created a vibrant atmosphere around the UN headquarters, with a gentle breeze and mild sunlight adding to the historic occasion. Commencing with the chanting of Om, the participants engaged in yoga asanas and breathing exercises, guided by skilled instructors. Volunteers were on hand to assist yoga enthusiasts in maintaining correct postures and following the instructors cues. The UN lawn was transformed into a sea of yellow yoga mats, while LED screens showcased captivating videos depicting the rich cultural heritage of India. Prior to the session, Modi paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, with a bust of the revered leader installed in the North Lawn during Indias tenure as president of the UN Security Council. The yoga celebration led by Prime Minister Modi at the UN headquarters created the Guinness World Record for participation of people from over 180 countries. During his address, Modi expressed his delight at the diverse representation of nationalities in attendance and highlighted the inherent inclusivity of yoga. He underscored that yoga, originating from India, is a timeless tradition that can be practiced by individuals of all ages, genders, and fitness levels. Modi emphasised the portability and adaptability of yoga, proclaiming it to be truly universal. He said, Yoga comes from India and it is a very old tradition. Yoga is free from copyrights, patents, and royalty payments. Yoga is adaptable to your age, gender, and fitness level. Yoga is portable and is truly universal. The celebration witnessed the participation of esteemed figures, including UN officials, ambassadors, delegates, and members of the global community. Notable attendees included US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly Csaba Korosi, renowned actor Richard Gere, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J Mohammed. I am excited for everyone who is participating in Yoga Day, said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN. The feeling here is so open and embracing, I hope this feeling intoxicates the entire building. Its a really nice feeling here today, Gere said ahead of the event. The event drew participants from over 180 countries, representing various professions and backgrounds. Enthusiastic individuals lined up outside the UN headquarters since early morning, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to join the yoga session. The International Day of Yoga, which was first observed in 2015, has grown in significance and is now celebrated worldwide. Recognising yoga as an ancient practice that unites the mind and body, the United Nations proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga following a proposal by Prime Minister Modi during the 69th session of the UN General Assembly. Yoga means to unite...I remember about nine years ago, right here, I had the honour to propose celebrating the International Day of yoga on 21st June. It was wonderful to see the entire world come together to support the idea, Modi said. You can see the vibrations and excitement. Hundreds of people are lining up for International Yoga Day celebrations with Prime Minister Modi. Such a great feeling, said Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner for New York City Mayors Office for International Affairs. Ruchika Lal, Yoga and Meditation Instructor, Art of Living, said people are excited. They have been waiting outside since 6 am, she said. People were seen standing in queues outside UN headquarters to take part in the yoga session since early morning. The first International Day of Yoga was commemorated in 2015 and has since then been marked with several sessions and events highlighting the benefits and universal appeal of Yoga at the UN, Times Square and iconic locations across the world. The UN underlined that yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word yoga is derived from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of body and consciousness. Today it is practised in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity. Recognising its universal appeal, in December 2014, the UN proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. The draft UNGA resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states. The proposal was first introduced by Prime Minister Modi in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly. Earlier in a video message on the occasion of the International Yoga Day, Modi said India has always nurtured traditions that unite, adopt and embrace and made a fervent appeal to eliminate contradictions, hurdles and resistances through yoga. Modi said Indians have welcomed new ideas, conserved them and celebrated the countrys rich diversity. We have to eliminate our contradictions, blockages and resistances through Yoga. We have to present the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat as an example to the world, Modi said. Modi also said the International Day of Yoga was special this year as researchers at Indias research stations in the Arctic and Antarctica too were participating in the celebrations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in his message for Yoga Day, said yoga unites people. It unites body and mind, humanity and nature and millions of people across the globe for whom it is a source of strength, harmony and peace, he said. In a dangerous and divided world, the benefits of this ancient practice are particularly precious. Yoga offers a haven of calm, it can reduce anxiety and promote mental well-being. It helps us to develop discipline and patience. It connects us to our planet, which so badly needs our protection, Guterres said. He added that yoga reveals our common humanity, helping us to understand that despite our differences, we are one. On this International Day of Yoga, let us embrace the spirit of unity and resolve to build a better, more harmonious world for people, the planet and ourselves. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday made a spirited defense of the new social coalition PDA his party is seeking to forge ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Akhilesh Yadav claimed that PDA is the name of the unity born out of shared consciousness and feeling against the exploitation and oppression of those who are pichhde (backward), Dalit and alpasankhak (minority). PDA is basically the name of that unity borne out of consciousness and common feeling against the exploitation, oppression and neglect of backward, Dalit and minority, a rough translation of his tweet in Hindi reads. In this fight, people from every class are involved who stand for humanity, Akhilesh said, adding that he was against injustice. He requested everyone involved in this fight to rise above party politics and join him in this mission. all those people of every class are also involved, who are on the side of humanity. I am against any kind of injustice. Everyone should rise above party politics and join it, he said in his tweet. Akhilesh Yadav was apparently compelled to issue clarification as Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Monday trashed the PDA formula, maintaining that for the Samajwadi Party, the abbreviation stood for nothing more than Parivar (family), Dal (party) and Alliance. Mayawati dismissed the PDA formula as nothing but tukbandi (rhyming) that the SP had coined at a time when the backwards classes, Dalits and minorities were passing through tough times. UPs Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, too, had attacked SP over PDA, stating that it stood for parivarvad (dynasty), dangaiyon ka sung (support rioters) and apradh karne wale ko sanrakshan (patronage to criminals). He said this was based on SPs past, present and future. Akhilesh Yadav while floating the new social coalition PDA, dismissed BSP the claims of the supremo that she snapped her alliance with the SP after 2019 Lok Sabha poll as the latters votes did not transfer to the BSP. Akhilesh said BSP won 10 seats in 2019 Lok Sabha polls and in 2022 assembly elections which BSP contested alone, the party got only one which explained if SPs votes were transferred to the BSP or not. Earlier, the SP chief said that the PDA (backward, Dalit, minority) alliance would defeat the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. In 2024, the PDA alliance will defeat the NDA, he had tweeted. Akhileshs comments come at a time when the opposition parties are scheduled to meet at Patna on Friday under the leadership of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to formulate plans for forming an alliance in the run-up to the 2024 general elections. Rats gnawed at a dead body kept in the mortuary of Hamidia Hospital in the capital Bhopal. The matter came to light on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Medical Education Minister Vishwas Sarang said, "We have ordered an inquiry." The Congress targeted the Madhya Pradesh government and said, 'Even dead bodies are unsafe in self-reliant MP'. The information about the ears of the dead body being gnawed by rats came to light on Tuesday afternoon when the relatives came to collect the body after the postmortem. When the family inquired with the staff, they said, this keeps happening here. The angry relatives objected and created ruckus. The deceased identified as 50-year-old BR Singh, a resident of Parvaliya, died on Monday. The family had kept the dead body in mortuary at 7 pm. When the dead body was taken out of the deep freezer on Tuesday morning, blood was oozing from both the ears. Director in charge said - We are troubled by rats. Dr. Neelam Srivastava, in-charge director of the Medico Legal Institute, said, "Mercury is full of rats. We have put cages to catch rats. Cakes are also kept, so that the rats can be reduced. Holes have been drilled in some deep freezers. It is our endeavor that such an incident does not happen again. The Medical Education Minister has ordered an inquiry into the matter. He has also asked to ensure that if there is any reason, it should be ascertained. We have started the process of making Mercury completely modular. Not only this, wherever mortuary is available in all district hospitals and medical colleges, the process of making modular has been started. Congress media department president KK Mishra tweeted on the incident, not only humans are unsafe in self-reliant Madhya Pradesh, even human dead bodies are unsafe in hospitals. On the occasion of International Yoga Day, a programme was organized by BSL on 21st June at Bokaro Club premises. Executive Director in-charge of BSL Birendra Kumar Tiwari, Executive Director (Projects) Chitta Ranjan Mohapatra, Executive Director (Finance and Accounts) Suresh Rangani, Executive Director (Materials Management) Amitabh Srivastava, Executive Director (Personnel and Administration) Rajan Prasad, Executive Director (Mines) Joydeep Dasgupta, and senior executives, employees of Bokaro Steel Plant along with their families at B.S.L. School boys and girls were present. Yoga Guru Krishna Bandhu Mishra of Yoga Center, Sector-4 Bokaro was present in the programme as instructor. Notably in the International Yoga Day programme, Yoga Guru Mishra gave detailed information about Yoga to the participants and demonstrated various types of experimental Asanas and Pranayama. The present group practiced various asanas under the guidance of the Yoga Guru and participated enthusiastically in the event. At the end of the programme B.S.L. Yoga Guru Krishna Bandhu Mishra was honored with a shawl by the ED BK Tiwari. Apart from the main programme, B.S.L. International Yoga Day was also organized in various schools run by the NGO, in which hundreds of children participated. It is noteworthy that International Yoga Day was also organized in the Jharkhand Group of Mines, which comes under BSL , in which workers along with their families took part actively. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that June 24 is the Balidan Diwas (sacrifice day) of Veerangana Rani Durgavati. She is a symbol of India's valour and self-respect. The state government has decided to take out Veerangana Durgavati Gaurav Yatra from 5 places from June 22 to 27 to remember the struggle and sacrifice of Veerangana and to pay homage to her. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay floral tributes to Veerangana Rani Durgavati in Shahdol on June 27. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the Veerangana Durgavati Gaurav Yatra from Balaghat on June 22. Chief Minister Chouhan said that Rani Durgavati bravely faced Akbar's army and sacrificed her life to protect her self-respect. It has been decided to take out these yatras to make the present generation aware about her struggle. The yatras will start from Balaghat, Chhindwara, Singrampur (Jabera-Damoh), Kalinjar Fort, the birth place of Rani Durgavati and Dhohni Sidhi. All 5 yatras will conclude on 27 June in Shahdol. Along with this, Prime Minister Modi will launch a nationwide programme to free India from sickle cell anaemia and one crore Ayushman cards will be distributed symbolically by him in Madhya Pradesh. All the wards and villages of the state will be connected virtually with the programme. Chief Minister Chouhan was addressing the meeting held at Samatva Bhawan to review the preparations for Veerangana Durgavati Gaurav Yatra. Forest Minister Vijay Shah was present. Chief Minister Chouhan said that meetings will be held at the places falling on the routes of the five yatras. The Panchayat and Rural Development Department and the urban bodies will make arrangements to connect masses and for the programmes. All yatras will start with the chariots. Garlands and floral tributes will be offered on the picture of Rani Durgavati in the meetings to be held on the yatra route. The purpose of these yatras is to give information about the struggle and bravery of Rani Durgavati to the people. There will be discussions, cultural programmes, folk songs, patriotic songs etc. about Veerangana at the meeting places. Local artists will give their presentations in the programmes. For better arrangements, the District Collector, local public representatives and officers should be made head of yatras and programmes and entrusted with the responsibility. The Tribal Affairs Department will be the nodal department for the Gaurav Yatra, along with the Jan Abhiyan Parishad, Culture Department and Youth Commission have also been entrusted with the responsibilities. Gaurav Yatras will also be monitored from the state level. Chief Minister Chouhan informed that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the yatra starting from Balaghat on June 22. Union Minister Faggan Singh Kulaste will be in charge of this yatra. On June 22, the Yatra will take a night halt at Baihar, on June 23 it will take a night halt at Dindori via Bichhiya, the next night halt will be at Pushparajgarh on June 24, on June 25 the yatra will reach Jaitpur via Anuppur, where the night halt will be made. The last stop of the yatra will be in Shahdol on June 26. The yatra will start from Chhindwara on the second route. Its in-charge MP will be Durgadas Uike. Starting from Chhindwara on June 22, the yatra will reach Chaurai, after the night rest at Seoni, on June 23, the yatra will take a night halt at Mandla while passing through Lakhnadon, the yatra will leave for Niwas on June 24 and will have a night halt at Shahpura, on June 25 the yatra will reach Umaria and will take a night halt at Pali-Manpur. The last stop of the yatra will be in Shahdol on June 26. The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal takes pride in announcing the inauguration of the General Waste Storage Building. This significant event was presided over by Prof. Dr. Ajai Singh, Executive Director of AIIMS Bhopal, in the presence of Prof. Dr. Shashank Purwar, Officiating Medical Superintendent, Col. Ajit Singh, Deputy Director of Administration, and Dr. Mayank Dixit, Deputy Medical Superintendent. The inauguration ceremony marked the culmination of the General Waste Storage Building project, which commenced with a Bhumi Pujan on October 20, 2023. The construction of this facility, with an estimated budget of approximately 26 lakhs, signifies AIIMS Bhopal's commitment to efficient waste management and environmental sustainability. The General Waste Storage Building is a crucial addition to the AIIMS Bhopal campus, designed specifically to address the storage needs of general waste generated within the institute. With the continuous growth of the campus, it has become imperative to establish a dedicated facility for the systematic storage of general waste, ensuring a clean and hygienic environment for patients, staff, and visitors. During the inauguration, Prof. Dr. Ajai Singh, along with the esteemed dignitaries, expressed their satisfaction with the completion of the project. They emphasized the importance of effective waste management in healthcare institutions and appreciated the efforts made by the AIIMS Bhopal administration to prioritize this aspect. Prof. Dr. Ajai Singh, Executive Director of AIIMS Bhopal, extended his gratitude to all the individuals involved in the successful completion of the project. He recognized the collaborative efforts of the construction team, administrative staff, and other stakeholders who contributed to making this facility a reality. The Uttarakhand High Court has granted bail to Dr Durgesh Kumar who used to work as a doctor in the GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology and was accused of digital rape of a girl student. The single bench of justice Alok Verma granted the bail to the accused. The prosecution was unable to present the medical report of the girl allegedly raped by the accused. The counsel for the defence told the court that the chargesheet has been presented in court and there is no scope for tampering with the evidence. The doctor has been in jail since December last year. The accused was granted bail by the High Court on the condition that he will present himself regularly in the trial court. It is pertinent to mention here that in her police complaint the victim has stated that on November 30 last year she went to the doctor after experiencing pain while urinating. The doctor advised her to give a urine sample and then reportedly told her that he needed to examine her private parts to check for infection. He then allegedly digitally raped the girl student. The student said that initially she was not in a mental state to complain about this incident. However, she gathered the courage and lodged a police complaint after another girl student of the university reported a similar incident. SPECIAL MO BUS SERVICE TO PURI Bhubaneswar: The Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) has decided to provide special Mo Bus service to Puri from June 22 to 27 on the occasion of Rath Yatra. On the other hand, the Mo Bus service for route numbers 7, 8 and 52 shall remain suspended till June 30 due to traffic restrictions in Puri. TPWODL LABOURER DIES ON DUTY Sambalpur: A worker, Murati Bariha (36) engaged by Himanshu Panda, a TPWODL project contractor, died on Wednesday while working at a height on a double pole structure near Mandelia at Khetrajour here. "We at TPWODL are saddened about sudden demise of Murati Bariha," a company release stated. JUNIOR ENGINEER HELD TAKING BRIBE IN SAMBALPUR Cuttack: The Vigilance police on Wednesday caught Pranati Sahu, Junior Engineer, Batemura and Bargoan GPs under Maneswar block in Sambalpur district while accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000. Sahu had demanded the bribe from a Gram Sathi to hand over measurement books and all related documents in respect of road works executed by him under the MGNREG scheme in Maneswar block. Following the trap, simultaneous searches were carried out on the premises of Sahu. ILS CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY Bhubaneswar: On the International Yoga Day, the Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar organised a special yoga practice session on the relevance of yoga on human body, breath and mind. The session was conducted by experts Dr Manorama Panigrahy and Nancy Sharma, who demonstrated simple yoga exercises to the participants that could be practised both at homes and workplaces. ILS Director Dr Debasis Dash spoke on this years theme Yoga for Humanity and emphasised on the numerous benefits of yoga for physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. RATH YATRA HELD IN VSS NAGAR Bhubaneswar: The Shri Shri Bhubaneswari Seva Sanskruti Parishad organised a Rath Yatra at VSS Nagar here on Tuesday. The Holy Trinity began the yatra from DL Colony Bhubaneswari temple in a decorated chariot and reached the Adap Mandap. Chhera Pahanra was performed by organisation president Jayant Parida. Secretary Pratap Kumar Nanda held the Pahandi Bije. Vice-president Prasant Sarangi, treasurer Niranjan Nanda, Dharanidhar Raut, Premananda Lenka, Nabinn Kumar Bhukta and many members participated in the Rath Yatra. MLA Susant Kumar Raut, Commissioner of Police Saumendra Priyadarshi and Priyadarshi Mishra were the guests, said Parishad general secretary Dillip Dashsharma. BOY DROWNS IN RIVER IN BALESWAR Baleswar: A 14-year-old boy drowned in river Budhabalanga in Baleswar district on Wednesday while taking bath. The deceased was identified as Om Prakash Kar, a resident of Manikhamb village under the Town police station. Om Prakash was swept away by strong currents. Onlookers said they tried to save him but in vain. SAND ARTIST SATYA BUILDS NANDIGHOSH WITH NEWSPAPERS Brahmapur: Sand artist Satya Moharana of Brahmapur made Nandighosh Rath using old newspapers. Last year, he had come to limelight by making the smallest chariot (1 mm) of the world. This year, he prepared Nandighosh Rath of height seven inches weighing 4.5 gram. The chariot is built so beautifully that it looks exactly like Nandighosh Rath of Puri, which has 16 wheels, four horses, two reverse parrots, Dadhinauti, Patitapaban flag and Sarathi. He took only one day to make the chariot. Earlier Satya had created world Record in making the smallest chariot of one mm. His art of Nandighosh chariot of one cm is recognised in India Book Records. WOMEN SPECIAL CHARIOT PULLED IN ATHAGARH Athagarh: Along with the chariot of Lord Attali Jagannath pulled here, a women special chariot adorned with Lords Jagannath, Balabhadra and Sudarsan and Goddess Subhadra was pulled exclusively by women devotees and it reached the Mausima temple in time. Thousands of devotees congregated to take part in pulling of the chariots. RATH YATRA HELD AT JINDAL NAGAR Angul: Rath Yatra was celebrated at Devbhoomi, Jindal Nagar, with thousands of devotees participating in the festival. The chariots were pulled from the temple in Devbhoomi to the Gundicha temple in the township. Jindal Steel & Power (JSP) chairman Naveen Jindal, along with JSP Foundation chairperson Shallu Jindal joined the festival as prime servitors. The 9th International Yoga Day was celebrated with enthusiasm at NTPC Coal Mining Headquarters, Ranchi on June 21, 2023 with the theme Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam capturing the shared aspiration for One Earth, One Family, and One Future. The event was graced by Sivam Srivastava, Director (Fuel) and Nominated Owner of Coal mining projects,NTPC Limited as Chief Guest. Srivastava said Yoga is beneficial and helps us to keep us fit, it is universally accepted and practiced by all worldwide. Yoga has been there in India since ancient times, with time new innovations have taken place in practicing yoga. It is treated as preventive medicine to avoid lifestyle diseases with regular practice. He added that Yoga is the journey towards self-realisation, it is proven very effective for stress management.On the occasion,Director(Fuel) appreciated team NTPC Coal Mining Headquarters for organising a 20 days online yoga session which concluded on International Yoga Day. The yoga session was conducted by Yoga Guru, Ramani Ranjan Panigrahi as per Yoga Protocol. Senior officials, employees and associates participated in the program in large numbers to benefit from the various yoga asanas demonstrated during the yoga session. Uttar Pradeshs Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Danish Azad Ansari, said here on Wednesday that despite early morning rains and drizzle in many parts of the state, madrasas in Uttar Pradesh celebrated International Yoga Day in a big way. The minister joined the Yoga Day celebrations by performing yoga at a madrasa in Gomti Nagar in Lucknow. All madrasas in Lucknow and the entire UP observed Yoga Day and performed yoga, which is the best way to stay fit and healthy, Ansari said. UP has around 25,000 madrasas, of which around 16,000 are recognised by the Board of Madarsa Education. However, the officials of the Minority Affairs department said the day was observed at all the madrasas. The Board of Madarsa Education had issued strict directives to all aided and non-aided madrasa to celebrate Yoga Day. On June 17, Jagmohan Singh, Registrar of the Madarsa Education Board had written to all district minority officers of the state, directing them to ensure that the day is observed in all madrasas at district level. One of the oldest madrasa, Hanfia Jia-ul-Quran in Lucknows Bada Chandganj area, too, witnessed grand Yoga Day celebrations where students, teachers and other members of the management gathered at the central hall to practice yoga. It is just like going to the gym or jogging. It is just a way to keep oneself stress-free and healthy in the present busy lifestyle, the instructor told the students while performing yoga on Wednesday. Besides madrasas, clerics in UP too came out in support of yoga, calling it one of the most effective ways to keep people healthy. Yoga is not puja and hence there is no harm in doing yoga. It is a kind of an exercise and in todays busy lifestyle, yoga is very important for staying fit and healthy, said Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, a senior Sunni cleric and member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB). Health Minister Banna Gupta has said that 21st June is the longest day of the year and on this day International Yoga Day is celebrated to prolong life. By imbibing yoga in our life, we can strengthen our health and mind. He said that the practice of yoga increases immunity. Together we have to make the dream of a healthy and prosperous Jharkhand come true. He was addressing the people at the International Yoga Day function organized by the Department of AYUSH at MECON Stadium, Ranchi on Wednesday. In the state level program organized on the occasion of International Yoga Day, more than 6 thousand people practiced yoga in the midst of rain. T-shirts and yoga mats were distributed among them by the department. Yoga exercises were conducted in the program by Yoga instructor Archana Kumari. Yoga flag hosting was also done during that time. Programs were organized by the Department of AYUSH in various districts of the state on the occasion of Yoga Day, in which more than 5 lakh people practiced yoga. Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation Mithilesh Thakur said that today the whole world is knowing India as Yoga Guru. By adopting yoga, we remain healthy not only physically but also mentally and also learn to control our senses. He said that the government is working for the health of the people of the state. We have to take a pledge to include yoga in our daily routine and make ourselves healthy. On this occasion, Member of Parliament Mahua Maji said that Yoga is in every house. All of us had increased our inclination towards western civilization for some time, but today again we are adopting our old method, as well as giving its message to the world. She said that today many big works are being done in the field of AYUSH under the leadership of the state government. On the one hand, where AYUSH doctors have been restored, on the other hand, many AYUSH hospitals are also being opened. He said that the Jharkhand government is giving free medical consultation to the people on the Sanjeevani app, due to which people are taking health benefits. Additional Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Singh said that yoga practice is included in our daily routine. Yoga is not an act of doing only for one day, but it has to be done throughout the year to get health benefits. He said that the budget in the field of AYUSH has been increased under the able leadership of the Chief Minister. 748 wellness centers are being opened in the state. Ayush hospitals are being built in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Gumla, Deoghar and Dumka. The government has also given appointment letters to 552 AYUSH officials. He is working for the health benefit of the people in his area. On this occasion, Rajya Sabha MP Sameer Oraon, MLA Samrilal, Additional Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Singh, Tourism Secretary Manoj Kumar, suitable Ranchi and a large number of yoga practitioners were present. The Prestige Institute of Management and Research (PIMR) organized a mega yoga session here on Wednesday at its UG campus to mark the International Yoga Day at its undergraduate campus. The program witnessed the participation of faculties, staff, and students from various academic institutions of the Prestige Education Group, particularly from the PIMR PG, UG, Law Campuses, and Prestige Public School. Chief guest of the function Dr. Neha Raka conducted the yoga session and provided important suggestions for a healthy lifestyle. The chief guest was welcomed by Monica Davis Jain. The yoga session was also attended by Dr. Davish Jain, the Chancellor of Prestige University and Chairman of the Prestige Education Foundation, along with his family members. In his address, he shed light on the importance of yoga and encouraged all the faculty members and students at the institute to adopt and practice yoga in their daily lives to maintain a healthy life. The yoga session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. S. Raman Ayyar, Director of PIMR UG. A day after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took unparliamentary and insulting potshots at his opponents and even the State Governor Banwarilal Purohit on the concluding day of Vidhan Sabhas two-day special session, the states constitutional head on Wednesday lashed out the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader for passing derogatory remarks against him. Visibly irate over Manns remarks against the Governor, Purohit called a press conference to retort to Chief Ministers acquisitions and gibes while condemning the manner in which the Chief Minister ridiculed the office of the Governor sending out a clear-cut message that he was in no mood to take it lying down. Mincing no words, Governor asserted that the Chief Minister chose to ignore his request to remove a tainted Minister from his Cabinet, besides refusing to provide him information sought on important matters related to the State while dubbing his official letters as love letters. The position of the Governor is enshrined in the Constitution and its dignity has to be maintained at any cost, he asserted. Purohits reaction came in response to Manns allegations that the state Governor was often seen on the other side instead of securing Punjabs interests. He even quipped that the Central Government has appointed a person in the non-BJP ruled states to trouble the State Governments, including Punjab and Delhi, known as Rajpal or Governor. In fact, the Vidhan Sabha, had also passed a resolution against the Centre condemning it for not releasing the RDF besides passing the four bills, including the one divesting the Governor from the charge of Chancellor of the state-run universities, and handing over the same to the Chief Minister. While participating in debates on Bills and also the resolution, Mann indulged in multiple monologues in the absence of the main opposition Congress, went all out to crack jokes against his opponents, using unparliamentary language. He even did not spare the Governor, took a dig at him for using state helicopter and then finding faults with him. That was not all! Mann even displayed a file containing several letters written by the Governor to him, while referring to them as love letters. He takes my helicopter, a government helicopter, and then abuses me...I don't think so much interference is needed. His duty is to administer an oath... It does not mean he will create trouble for every small thing, Mann had said a day before. Annoyed, Purohit declared that he would not use the State Governments helicopter anymore till the time he is in Punjab. At the same time, he made it clear that he would get all the four Bills examined first. I will get those examined constitutionally. If these are not as per the Constitution, I will reject them, he said. What do they expect? Should I clap for them? Is this what they expect?...Touring border areas is my official duty. The Chief Secretary and DGP have also travelled in that chopper. Is it something to say he gave his helicopter for me to travel ...? Purohit said in disgust, adding that he would not use the Punjab Government helicopter till he is in Punjab. Unlike several Punjab officers, I did not travel in the business class during a flight. Instead I choose the economy class to travel. My lifestyle is very simple. I have used the helicopter not more than three-four times and that too when I had to travel to the border. The Chief Secretary and the DGP also travelled with me. If that is to be used against me as if it is a bribe which was offered by the CM so that I dont question him about the working of his Government, then let me declare that from now onwards, I will not use the government helicopter, he added. Coming down heavily on Mann, Purohit said: Mann chose to speak in a derogatory manner against the Governor using the protection of the Vidhan Sabha. Had he used the same kind of language outside the Vidhan Sabha, I would have ensured that the matter is taken to its logical conclusion. Purohit maintained that he was wrongly accused of trying to interfere in the working of the Chief Minister. Every day, I receive over 200 representations of various kinds from the people seeking action. On the basis of one such representation, we found that one of the Ministers in the Cabinet is tainted and we asked the Chief Minister to remove the Minister but he has refused to do so. It is up to him. But let me tell you because of that Minister, the Government has become a laughing stock, he said. The Governor was referring to the Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khairas complaint of alleged sexual misconduct against Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak. Also taking exception to Mann calling his official letters to him love letters, Purohit said: I have to maintain the Raj Bhavan's dignityThat is why this one sided affair is going onI saw on TV and also read in the newspapers that he made fun of me in the Vidhan Sabha. And he used the word that the Governor is writing many love letters to him. A Chief Minister is using such words for me. Whereas there is Supreme Court order that the Chief Minister is duty bound to furnish information which has been soughtI don't think the Chief Minister can escape from giving a reply just by using derogatory language, he said, adding that he was performing my duty, whether somebody is happy or not. I am supposed to perform my duty and I will perform. A day before, Mann quipped that the Centre, to fulfill its nefarious designs in the state and trouble the State Governments, has appointed a person known as Rajpal or the Governor. Their only job is to trouble or harass the state governments from doing their work. The post of Governor has its traces in the British regime and still these selected ones live with the same pomp and show as their predecessors did. As a fact of matter, these Raj Bhawans have now emerged as the state headquarters of BJP to interfere in the matters of the State Government, he had said. These selected ones are unnecessarily peeping in the work of the elected ones. And if the Governors dont interfere in the affairs of the states, the Centre rebukes them for why they are sitting idle in the offices, Mann had said while showing a file containing several letters written by the Governor to him. These are love letters written to me by the GovernorWe have replied to some of them, and sometimes we wait for spare time to answer them, Mann had said, while reminding the Governor that it was his duty to recommend Punjabs case before the Centre, instead of writing these letters. But he does the reverse. He speaks from the Haryana side. I asked him the other day (during a meeting to discuss affiliation of colleges to Panjab University) if he has come from Haryana, the Chief Minister quipped. : Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasised on the importance of improving passenger amenities and facilities during the Rath Yatra period while inspecting the Puri Railway Station on Monday evening. During his visit to Puri, the Minister reviewed the arrangements made for the convenience and benefit of pilgrims and devotees during the Rath Yatra. He also took the opportunity to interact with different groups of devotees resting in the Pilgrim Shed organised by the Railways, seeking their valuable feedback to enhance the travel experience and amenities provided by the Railways. In his statement to the media, Vaishnaw expressed the Indian Railways' commitment to the comprehensive development of the nation. As the lifeline of the country, the Indian Railways not only focuses on infrastructure development but also strives to improve the overall travel experience of its passengers, he said. Highlighting the initiatives undertaken, the Minister mentioned that this year, a total of 640 regular trains and 208 Special Trains are being operated during the Rath Yatra period. These special trains connect Puri with various destinations, including Nanded in Maharashtra, Kacheguda and Secunderabad in Telangana, Visakhapatnam and Palasa in Andhra Pradesh and Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh, in addition to different parts of Odisha, in order to accommodate the increased passenger traffic. Vaishnaw also highlighted the measures implemented for crowd management. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojana has been started for the empowerment of sisters and daughters and in their honour. The state government is providing assistance through the scheme so that the marriage of the daughter does not become a burden to the family or the society. Under the scheme Rs 49 thousand are made available for marriage purpose so that daughters can buy things according to their choice and requirement to start their married life. It is our endeavour to ensure that there should be no tears in the eyes of the sisters, but a smile on their faces. Chief Minister Chouhan was virtually addressing the mass marriage sammelan held at District Panchayat Khaknar in Burhanpur district under Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojana from residence office Samatva. The Chief Minister gave his blessings and best wishes to 471 couples who tied the knot in Khaknar. Chief Minister Chouhan said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is achieving new heights in all fields. Prime Minister Modi has made Yoga a universal thing. This is a big achievement for us. Chief Minister Chouhan told the farmers of Burhanpur not to worry about the damage to the banana crop, soon the relief amount would be released in their bank accounts. The Uttar Pradesh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party organised yoga camps at all Shakti Kendras in the state to celebrate International Yoga Day with party state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary taking the lead by attending the camp at Moradabad on Wednesday. Partys state general secretary (organisation) Dharampal Singh participated in the Yoga Day Programme in Lucknow. Party leaders and workers performed yoga along with the local citizens, party MPs, MLAs, ministers, chairpersons and members of commissions, and members of urban bodies. Celebrating International Yoga Day at Shakti Kendras, the party gave the message of Sarve Santu Niramaya to the world, BJP spokesman Manish Dixit said. In Moradabad, Chaudhary said that yoga, the historical heritage of Indian culture, was a valuable gift given to the whole world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done an unimaginable task of taking it to the global platform, he said. Today yoga has become the lifestyle of the whole world and now it is accepting and adopting Indian tradition, culture and knowledge, Chaudhary said. Dharampal Singh said yoga was the philosophy of life which connected man with the soul. Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh led the celebration in a mini stadium in Lucknow while officials of Jal Nigam participated with the villagers at the camp sites of Jal Jeevan Mission. Over 95,000 jal samitis took part in the celebration. The journey which started with just the determination of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned into the International Day of Yoga in which millions of people across the world are participating. Stating this, the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the State government is working to develop Uttarakhand into a model State and the global capital of Sanatan culture. Dhami said this while speaking at the programme held on the occasion at Patanjali Yogpeeth on Wednesday. Earlier, the chief minister participated in Yoga exercises along with Swami Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna and a number of other people. Dhami said, Despite facing various global challenges and conspiracies, India never acted while ignoring human values. The basis of this benevolent mentality is our culture and Yoga is one of the main pillars of our culture. Today Yoga has become an integral part of the daily lives of crores of people around the world due to which the world is getting connected more strongly to Indian culture. He appreciated Ramdev for working on the principle of nation first. Recalling the Covid-19 pandemic, the CM said that the people got to know more about the value of Yoga during the pandemic. Stating that Yoga is an effective means to tackle stress, he said that Patanjali has contributed to popularising Yoga. He said that Uttarakhand is also known as a world-class Yoga destination and the government is trying to further strengthen this identity. The CM exhorted all people of Uttarakhand to resolve to take out one hour daily for themselves and practice Yoga daily. We will have to wake up before sunrise and change ourselves which will also reduce the expenditure on medicines, said Dhami. Earlier, Ramdev began the programme with mild exercises. He said that for the first time in history, the Indian PM participated in Yoga exercises at the United Nations headquarters. Guiding the people in undertaking various Yogic exercises and postures, he also explained the benefits of these exercises. Speaking about the importance of Yoga, he also spoke in detail about the journey of the Patanjali institution. Balkrishna spoke about the importance of Yoga in keeping healthy and away from illness. He said that Yoga had also opened up employment opportunities and is helpful in efforts to build a healthy nation. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath described yoga as an effective medium to achieve global peace and welfare of humanity, apart from being a medium to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. Speaking on the occasion of the 9th International Yoga Day at a programme organised at Mahant Digvijay Nath Smriti auditorium on Wednesday, the chief minister described yoga as a precious gift of the Indian sage tradition to the world to achieve global wellness. The chief minister was addressing practitioners and trainees at Gorakhnath temple. He also congratulated people of the state on the occasion of International Yoga Day and expressed his gratitude towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for re-establishing the prestige of yoga on the global platform. He remarked: Prime Minister Modi inspired people at the United Nations to use yoga for global wellness and peace. Today, about 200 countries of the world are expressing their gratitude towards Indias sage tradition by joining various programmes on yoga. Yogi said that India became a world guru because everything here was practical and proven. Our legacy includes thousands of years of Indian sage tradition and knowledge. We should be proud of our legacy of yoga, which we have been incorporating into our lives for hundreds of years; Yoga is now attracting people from different parts of the world, he added. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that in the last three-and-a-half years, when the whole world was battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian AYUSH system was in great demand on the global platform as people considered it as a source of complete health. The Indian AYUSH system has paved the way for the welfare of humanity, he added. He further informed that the demand for AYUSH was continuously increasing. Those who used to drink tea and cold drinks earlier, began drinking Ayurvedic kadha during the COVID-19 period. This is the contribution of AYUSH of India. Turmeric is a major part of Indian cuisine and its increasing demand in the world provides a new opportunity for Indian farmers, he pointed out. The chief minister said that yoga was a means to stay healthy physically and mentally, emphasising the importance of both in a persons life. The chief minister highlighted the importance of yoga and emphasised that individuals who practised Pranayama experienced minimal effects of COVID-19, even during the severe second wave. Even those Pranayama practitioners who contracted the virus were able to recover within a few days, thanks to the benefits of the asana. The chief minister said that Pranayama not only strengthened people, but also served as a medium of physical purification. Yogasanas not only give us stability, but also provide physical strength. Besides, yoga is the way to enter the spiritual realm which leads to a wider dimension of consciousness, he said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath added further that Ashtanga Yoga is an important yoga tradition in which Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi are different activities. There are different types of these genres which provide us all with the medium of physical and mental purification, he added. The chief minister said that yoga gave relief from all cold, cough disorders. Along with explaining the importance of asanas and pranayama, he also discussed the purification of the nadi. He further said that yoga was effective in reducing stress, which was common these days because of an unhealthy lifestyle. It relieved anxiety and stress and also controlled blood-pressure and sugar. He appealed to all the people to make yoga a part of their regular routines. On International Yoga Day, Yogi Adityanath also witnessed the live address of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Mahant Digvijay Nath Smriti auditorium of Gorakhnath temple. Later, he practised yoga with practitioners and trainees present in the auditorium. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has said that our yoga has become a global festival today. Today on International Yoga Day it is coming alive in every corner of the world which is a proud moment for every Indian. The Vice President accredited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for putting Yoga on the international stage, at the United Nations General Assembly on 27 September 2014 which was supported by 193 countries of the world. It was announced by the United Nations on 11th December 2014 that every year 21st June will be celebrated as International Yoga Day and with this Prime Minister Modis relentless efforts for Yoga became successful. Vice President Dhankhar said that today we are celebrating 9th International Yoga Day. Prime Minister Modi will participate in a mass yoga programme today at 5:30 pm in the United Nations premises, in which 180 countries of the world will participate. This is the international acceptance of Indias dignity and glory. It is a symbol of positive change towards India for the whole world. Today, on the 9th International Yoga Day, a grand programme was organized at the Garrison Ground in Jabalpur. About 15 thousand people performed yoga simultaneously in the presence of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. Prime Minister Modi said that Yoga has today become a global movement, a global spirit. He said that today is a historic and unprecedented occasion, when on the call of India, more than 180 countries of the world will participate in the Yoga Day programme of the United Nations. Today the Yoga programme Ocean Ring of Yoga is being organized all over the world, crores of people are participating in it. The two poles of the earth are coming together, Yoga is what connected the entire world. This is our Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam meaning the whole world is one family culture. Yoga brings health, longevity, strength and happiness. With the energy of yoga, there is welfare all around. Yoga makes us realize the unity of the living being. This is the basis of the love of human beings. Through yoga, we can eliminate contradictions, deadlocks and resistances. Skill in actions is yoga. Dedication to ones duties leads to Yogsiddhi, through Yoga one performs selfless actions. The Prime Minister wished the whole world a Happy Yoga Day. Vice President Dhankhar said that Yoga is the key to a healthy life and health is our wealth. Yoga is full health insurance at zero premium. We need to be healthy in order to use our potential fully for the service of humanity and yoga is necessary to be healthy. The first happiness is a healthy body. Yoga symbolizes the unity of body, mind and soul. Vice President Dhankhar said that yoga is not for any one caste but for the welfare of the entire humanity. Today, along with good health, it has also become an important skill, through which a good career can be made all over the world. Today the whole world needs good yoga instructors. Vice President Dhankhar said that today on the occasion of International Yoga Day, I am overwhelmed for having got the opportunity of visiting the land of Maa Narmada and Rani Durgavati and doing yoga here. This is the most memorable moment of my life. Yoga is not for a day it has to be practiced every day. It is a symbol of world unity. It is a symbol of Indias culture of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and thinking of the welfare of the world. Yoga has been an integral part of our culture for thousands of years. The theme of the G-20 Summit being held in India is based on our culture One Earth, One Future and One Family. Describing Yoga as a medium to make life stress-free, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday said that Yoga has been included in the school curriculum in the State so as to make Yoga a part of the lifestyle right from the beginning. Addressing yoga practitioners and students at the State Level Yoga Day programme at Shivaji Stadium in Panipat to mark International Yoga Day, the Chief Minister said, Yoga works as a medicine for many diseases; therefore we should do yoga regularly. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi got recognition for Yoga at the international level by getting a resolution passed in the United Nations General Assembly in the year 2015. This year, by giving the theme "Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, he has also given a message to the G-20 group of countries about the significance of Yoga in human life. Khattar called upon the people to make collective efforts to promote yoga. He said that it is also the responsibility of yoga practitioners to take yoga to every person and inspire them to adopt yoga in their life so that the dream of Har Aangan Yoga becomes a reality and the people of our state and country remain healthy. He said he has made Yoga a part of his life and he practices Yoga for about 45 minutes daily. Doing Yoga not only increases ones ability to work but also helps in making life stress-free and joyful. Thus, everyone should adopt the routine of doing Yoga daily in their life so as to stay healthy and fit. He said that Yoga also prepares our body to deliver better results. During his address, the Chief Minister also highlighted the significance of different types of yoga asanas. Chairman of Haryana Yoga Ayog, Jaideep Arya practiced yoga and also explained the benefits of different types of yoga asanas. Yoga increases the strength of the body, peace of mind and tolerance. Yoga is the art of living, which connects our body, mind and soul. It makes the body healthy, disease-free and strong, while getting rid of many serious diseases. With an increase in self-confidence, it helps in being happy. Yoga not only makes our mind strong but also awakens the power of our soul. In today's fast paced life, the role of yoga has proved to be significant. In September 2014, world's most popular leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, proposed to celebrate June 21 as the International Day of Yoga while addressing the United Nations General Assembly. The UNGA approved the proposal of International Day of Yoga on 11 December 2014 in just 90 days. The first International Yoga Day was celebrated on 21st June, 2015. This great heritage of India has been re-established by PM Modi on a world stage. The mind remains healthy only when the body is healthy. All the functions of the body are operated from the brain. These functions are completed properly when the brain is healthy and stress-free. Thus, yoga is essential for our physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual development. Yoga is the complete essence of lifestyle in science. Yoga is an activity, which explains spirituality in a scientific way. It is a spiritual elevation with emotional integration and a touch of mystic element. Patanjali is regarded as the father of yoga and his Yoga Sutras are devoted entirely to the knowledge of yoga. According to Patanjali's yoga philosophy - 'Yogas Chitta Vritti Nirodhah', meaning yoga is the cessation of the instincts of mind. Yoga is a science beyond religion, faith and superstition. The word yoga has two meanings and both are important. Hence, it can be said that Yoga is both an art as well as a science of living life. The modern era is emerging as an era of mental pressure, anxiety and tension. Blind faith in materialism has become the root cause of most problems nowadays. Until a few years ago, yoga was seen as something associated with Ayurveda, but today the importance of yoga has increased scientifically as well. Doctors are now advising children to do yoga. Yoga is a path based on subtle science which is a medium to establish harmony between the mind and body. Yoga connects the consciousness of man to the conscious energy of the universe. According to modern scientists, everything in the universe is a manifestation of this conscious energy. The man who realises the consciousness of existence is said to be situated in yoga. Yoga has made both material and spiritual upliftment of humanity possible. Yoga is not just exercise, but a sense of finding oneness with self, the world and nature. It creates awareness in us by bringing changes to our lifestyle and can be helpful in tolerating the changes in the body due to changes in nature. Decline in moral values is a big problem today. Yogic activities like Yama and Niyam teach moral discipline by following the path of truth, non-violence, non-stealing and Brahma Charya. Such qualities make a person more ethical and virtuous. All these can be attained by following the path of yoga. Yoga originated thousands of years ago in India. In Yoga Vidya, Shiva is considered as the first Yogi or Adi Yogi and the first Guru or Adi Guru. Thousands of years ago in the Himalayan region, Adi Yogi passed this knowledge on to his famous sages. The sages took this yoga science to the whole world including Asia, Middle East, North Africa and South America. Agastya Rishi fashioned this yoga culture around the yogic way of life. If we look at the history, there are many remnants of the Indus and Saraswati Valley Civilizations that have the presence of Yoga in India. Yoga is present in many folk traditions, such as the Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic and Upanishadic heritage, Buddhist and Jain traditions, philosophies, the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, theistic traditions of Shaivas, Vaishnavas, and Tantric traditions. Surya worship was given utmost importance during the Vedic period. Later on, the practice of 'Surya Namaskar' was invented. The great sage Maharishi Patanjali, through his Yoga Sutras, systematised the practice of yoga existing at that time. Let us make our mind, soul and body healthy by following rules of yoga and practising it regularly. Yoga is the Sanjivani for a beautiful, healthy, peaceful life. The author is Organisational General Secretary of BJP, Jharkhand. The views expressed are personal. Translated from Hindi by Astha Anand, 2nd year student of BA Journalism/Eng, KJC, Bangalore. In an initiative to facilitate distribution of fortified rice to 15.05 crore beneficiaries of the Rice Fortification Scheme, covered under the National Food Security Act across Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has started allotting paddy exclusively to rice mills in the state that have installed blenders. In the second phase of the Central governments Rice Fortification Scheme, 64,365 ration shops were selected in 60 districts across the state for the distribution of fortified rice to 12 crore beneficiaries, a government spokesman said on Wednesday. Fortified rice is richer than normal rice in terms of nutrition because milling and processing removes the fat and micronutrients from regular rice, whereas fortified rice retains all of its properties. The blending process in fortified rice helps preserve and enrich essential micronutrients such as Vitamin B-1, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin E, Niacin, Iron, Zinc, Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12, and Vitamin A. Fortified rice has the potential to address various health-related issues, including anemia. According to the government statistics, 12 crore people have already started getting benefits of the Rice Fortification Scheme through annual allocation of 46.10 lakh metric tons to 64,365 ration shops in 60 districts under NFSA. The Uttar Pradesh government has also taken steps to achieve the target of providing fortified rice to 3.61 crore ration card holders through 79,365 ration shops by March 2024, the official said. The fortified rice will be produced in 1,718 rice mills. A total of 1,917 lakh beneficiaries, including 1,823 Anganwadis and 865 ration shops got benefited through 102 rice mills in Chandauli and Sewapuri blocks of Varanasi in 2021, where a pilot project was operated. In 2021, a pilot project was launched in Chandauli and Sewapuri blocks of Varanasi, where a total of 1,917 lakh beneficiaries, including 1,823 Anganwadis and 865 ration shops, benefited from 102 rice mills. Building on this success, the benefit of fortified rice was extended to 3.96 crore people in the first phase in the state, he said. At present, the monthly requirement of fortified rice in the state is 4.95 lakh metric tons, while a total of 24.56 lakh metric tons of fortified rice is available in the state. As per the Centres data, the procurement of paddy by the Government of India during the Kharif marketing season 2022-23 in the country is going on smoothly. More than 830 lakh metric tons of paddy has been procured for the Central pool till 19 June 2023, under the Minimum Support Price (MSP). More than 1.22 crore farmers have been benefited so far from the ongoing paddy procurement operations of KMS 2022-23 and Rs 200 crore has been withdrawn on MSP. Rs 1,71,000 crore has been directly transferred to the accounts of farmers. Production and marketing of fortified rice has been given priority on a large-scale. Significantly, rice is the staple food of 65 per cent of Indias population and India is also the largest producer and consumer of rice, contributing 22 per cent of worlds total production of rice. Pushing the Shiv Sena (UBT) further into a corner, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ran a bulldozer on its 'Shakha' (branch) office in Bandra east, contending it was 'illegal', here on Thursday. The 'shakha' of the party led by former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was located at Nirmal Nagar, a prime location and a hub of Shiv Sainiks loyal to the Sena (UBT). Interestingly, the 'shakha' was barely a stone's throw away from the Thackeray bungalow 'Matoshri', and has now evoked sharp reactions from the party leaders. Senior Sena (UBT) leader and MP Arvind Samant flayed the move saying the 'shakha' was over 40 years old and how it was suddenly declared illegal, and wondered if the BMC is dancing to the state government's tune. "The (Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party) government has stooped to abysmal levels by such vindictive actions... The people are watching everything and there will be repercussions," said Samant. Another Sena (UBT) leader Haji A. Khan slammed the BMC for abruptly coming and razing the old 'shakha' without even serving a notice. "This is being done as I refused their offer of Rs 10-crore to join them. They also threatened me with action from the police, CBI, ED, I-T, etc... We shall not be scared by these tactics and will continue to support Uddhav Thackerayji," said a fuming Khan from the demolition site. Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar virtually brushed away the criticism and commented that "if the 'shakha' is illegal then it will be removed". The move came days after Thackeray announced a mega-protest march to the BMC headquarters on July 1, to be led by Aditya Thackeray to highlight the corruption going on in the civic body. The protest-march followed an announcement by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde that a Mumbai Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) would probe an alleged fraud of Rs 12,000-crore expenses incurred by the BMC during the Covid-19 pandemic after a special audit by the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) in March. The CPI-M has alleged that the ethnic violence in Manipur has become "emblematic" of the BJP's divisive politics in the Northeast region and questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. The latest editorial of the party mouthpiece People's Democracy says that after the BJP came to power in the state in 2017, the RSS and its outfits have been active to consolidate the Meiteis as a Hindu force against the Kukis who are Christians. This has given the Meitei-Kuki conflict the contours of a Hindu-Christian conflict too, it said. "Manipur burning has become emblematic of the divisive politics of the BJP in the Northeast. Only four months ago, in February, Narendra Modi had crowed about the success of the BJP in Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland elections in the Northeast. He claimed Christians in the region are accepting the BJP. "The home minister, Amit Shah, visited the state on May 29, a full 26 days after violence engulfed the state. His visit and the measures announced have not stemmed the violence. The divide between the Meiteis and the Kukis is now complete with extremist elements on both sides exploiting the lawless situation," the CPI-M said in the editorial. Accusing the N Biren Singh government of aggravating the situation by initiating eviction measures in the reserve forests, which affected a large number of Kuki families, the editorial said that the crackdown on poppy cultivation was also seen as a hostile act against the Kukis. "The RSS-BJP have been encouraging extremist Meitei groups like Arambai Tengol and Meitei Leepun, who have been propagating against the Kukis and branding them as illegal outsiders. The duplicitous game of the BJP was exposed when it was found that it has been enlisting some of the Kuki armed militant groups to help it during the elections," it said. Questioning PM Modi on his silence over the issue, the editorial said how delegation of MPs from Manipur have been waiting to meet him in Delhi. "The most intriguing part of the whole affair is the total silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has not spoken a single word about the situation in Manipur nor appealed for peace and restoration of normalcy. "Three political delegations, two of them comprising BJP MLAs and the third of opposition parties from Manipur, waited in vain in Delhi to meet the prime minister. They only saw him leaving the country for the United States. This complete lack of accountability on the part of the prime minister has infuriated all sections of the people of Manipur," it said. The editorial further said that with the state government in shambles and no clear line of authority established, the first step necessary is a political one -- removal of the Biren Singh government. "Without such a step, there can be no way out of the mess created by the narrow and sectarian politics of the ruling party in the Northeast," it said. Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary will skip the opposition leaders' huddle in Patna on Friday due to a family programme but expressed hope the meeting will be an "important milestone in the path of opposition unity". The meeting of opposition parties has been called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In a letter to Kumar that was shared on the official Twitter handle of the RLD on Thursday, Chaudhary said he could not attend the meeting due to a "predetermined family programme". "The way authoritarian and communal forces are posing a threat to democracy and social harmony in the country, it is the need of the hour to unite the opposition parties of the same ideology. By discussing the important problems and challenges of the country, the entire opposition can present a far-reaching, practical plan in front of the public," Chaudhary said in his letter. "This way, we can together bring a meaningful change in the country in line with the aspirations of the youth, women, farmers and the underprivileged sections of the society," he said. Extending his best wishes for the success of the meeting, the RLD chief said, "I am sure that this meeting will prove to be an important milestone in the path of opposition unity." Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati Mayawati has not been invited for the opposition meeting, with JD(U) chief spokesperson K C Tyagi saying "We have invited those parties that are willing to fight against the BJP in 2024". "The BSP says it will not become part of an alliance, then why should we waste our invitation," he told West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed confidence that opposition parties will fight like a family and take on the BJP "one to one". The TMC chief, however, parried questions on her reservations about the Congress's alliance with the Left in her state and the Aam Aadmi Party threatening a "walkout" if support was not forthcoming on the ordinance of control of services in Delhi. "I cannot say what will happen at tomorrow's meeting. But I am certain we are all here to fight the BJP together, like a family, one to one," she told reporters. She was speaking outside the residence of Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, where she met his father and RJD president Lalu Prasad and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi. "I have great respect for Lalu-ji. The poor man was sent to jail and had to spend a lot of time in the hospital," said Banerjee. She also surprised all by sharing a humorous anecdote involving the RJD chief. "Once, when both Lalu ji and I were MPs, he was stating on the floor of Parliament that prices of all vegetables, potatoes, onions, were rising. I got up and asked what about the price of rabri (a sweet)," said Banerjee, her pun on the veteran leader's wife's name evoking peals of laughter. "Lalu-ji replied, rabri is the most precious," she recalled with admiration for the RJD supremo's legendary wit writ large on her face. Banerjee said she was happy to meet Prasad. "He looks strong enough to take on the BJP," said the West Bengal CM who drove straight to meet the RJD leaders upon setting foot in Patna. She was accompanied by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, an MP, and West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim. Kazakhstan abruptly said on Wednesday it will stop hosting talks aimed at resolving the Syrian conflict that erupted 12 years ago. The decision was a surprise to Russia and other participants at the wrapping up of the 20th round of talks held in the capital, Astana. Since 2017, the former Soviet nation has provided a venue for talks to representatives of Russia, Turkiye, Syria and Iran on ways to resolve the Syrian conflict. Kazakhstans Foreign Ministry said that the talks have fulfilled their mission and the initial goals, including the creation of de-escalation zones, ending the bloodshed and reducing the number of casualties have been fully implemented. The foreign ministry spokesman, Aibek Smadiyarov, cited Syrias recent return to the Arab League and the efforts to restore ties with Turkiye as proof that the Astana talks have achieved their purpose. But Alexander Lavrentyev, Russian President Vladimir Putins envoy to Syria, who led Moscows delegation at the talks, said that Kazakhstans decision came as a complete surprise. The Kazakh foreign ministrys move was unexpected, he told reporters after the talks wrapped up. Lavrentyev said that no decision has been made regarding the venue for future talks, but added that they could be held in Moscow, Ankara, Tehran, or even Damascus in the second half of the year. This weeks round of talks followed an ongoing improvement in ties between Syria and some Arab countries that once backed opposition groups fighting inside the country and called for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Lavrentyev hailed Syrias reinstatement to the Arab League in May during its summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as an important step towards ending the conflict. Representatives from the UN and Syrias neighbouring countries Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq attended the Astana talks as observers. They expressed hope to see a swift end to the conflict and the return of millions of refugees living in their countries.A statement by Turkiye, Russia, and Iran noted that the latest round of talks in Astana was constructive and discussed progress in preparing the roadmap for the restoration of relations between Turkiye and Syria.Moscow has waged a military campaign in Syria since September 2015, teaming up with Iran to help Assads government reclaim control over most of the country. While the bulk of Russias armed forces has been busy fighting in Ukraine, Moscow has maintained its military foothold in Syria and has also made persistent efforts to help Assad rebuild fractured ties with Turkiye and other countries in the region. Turkiye has had troops in northwestern Syria backing opposition fighters in an opposition-held enclave there. Syrian Assistant Foreign Minister Ayman Sousan said on Tuesday that Turkiye should produce a clear timeline for the withdrawal of its forces from Syria. In May, Turkiye and Syrias foreign ministers agreed to set up a roadmap to improve strained ties following talks in Moscow, days after the war-torn country was readmitted to the Arab League. It marked the highest-level contact between the two countries since the start of the uprising turned-civil war over a decade ago. The Syrian conflict killed nearly 500,000 people and displaced half of the countrys prewar population of 23 million. Singapore is considered a prized target by terrorists who have been increasingly targeting youths, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Wednesday, underlining the need to have strong community leaders to inoculate Singaporeans against extreme ideologies. Speaking at the Religious Rehabilitation Groups (RRG) 18th annual retreat, Wong said that while terrorism may not be at the top of many Singaporeans minds, the threat of radicalism and extremism remains high. This includes Singapore, which is considered a prized target by terrorists. There is a need to inoculate Singaporeans against extreme ideologies, Wong was quoted as saying by Channel News Asia. The RRG was formed in 2003, after Singapore authorities arrested members of the Jemaah Islamiyah group. Global terrorist groups like ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) and Al-Qaeda continue to rebuild their strength and remain determined to sow disorder and chaos by conducting attacks in other countries, said Wong. The groups have become more sophisticated at using digital platforms like social media to spread propaganda and incite followers to conduct attacks. This has not only made extremist material easier to access, but it has also accelerated the process of radicalisation to a matter of months, or even weeks, because all of this now takes place behind a computer screen and it is much harder to detect, he said. He said that terrorist groups have been increasingly targeting youths who are more impressionable and susceptible to influence. Apart from traditional social media channels, they have started to exploit online music streaming sites and gaming platforms that are popular with young people. Since 2015, the Internal Security Department (ISD) has issued ISA orders to 11 self-radicalised Singaporeans below 21. Some of them started their process of radicalisation from as young as 14 years old, he noted. Before 2015, there was only one case of youth radicalisation. The threat has also gone beyond Islamic extremism because we have seen a broader range of radical extremist and violent groups active in spreading their ideologies online, said Wong. For example, one of the 11 youths was a 16-year-old Protestant Christian who had planned to conduct attacks against Muslims at two mosques in Singapore, after he imbibed far-right extremist ideology, he pointed out. What all this means is that extreme and violent ideologies can radicalise any Singaporean, regardless of age, regardless of race or religion, said Wong. And this has serious implications for our society. The extremist and terror threat is far more insidious now, it can reside within our own communities. It will seek to exploit our racial and religious differences in attempts to divide us. It will not be possible to completely insulate Singaporeans from everything online, said Wong.So, our approach must be to inoculate Singaporeans against extreme ideologies, he added. BlackRock Income and Growth Investment Trust plc (LON:BRIG Get Rating) announced a dividend on Wednesday, June 21st, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 20th will be given a dividend of GBX 2.60 ($0.03) per share on Friday, September 1st. This represents a yield of 1.39%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 20th. The official announcement can be viewed at this link. BlackRock Income and Growth Investment Trust Stock Performance Shares of LON:BRIG remained flat at GBX 187.50 ($2.40) during trading hours on Wednesday. 966 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,968. BlackRock Income and Growth Investment Trust has a 52 week low of GBX 164 ($2.10) and a 52 week high of GBX 206 ($2.64). The businesss 50-day moving average is GBX 189.87 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 190.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.86. The stock has a market cap of 39.28 million, a PE ratio of -3,750.00 and a beta of 0.68. Get BlackRock Income and Growth Investment Trust alerts: BlackRock Income and Growth Investment Trust Company Profile (Get Rating) Featured Articles BlackRock Income and Growth Investment Trust plc is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched by BlackRock Fund Managers Limited. It is managed by BlackRock Investment Management (UK) Limited. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United Kingdom. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Income and Growth Investment Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Income and Growth Investment Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EnerSys (NYSE:ENS Get Rating) updated its FY 2027 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $11.00-$13.00 for the period. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have weighed in on ENS. BTIG Research boosted their price objective on shares of EnerSys from $100.00 to $125.00 in a research report on Friday, June 16th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of EnerSys in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer boosted their price objective on shares of EnerSys from $110.00 to $119.00 in a research report on Friday, June 16th. Get EnerSys alerts: EnerSys Stock Up 1.5 % Shares of ENS stock traded up $1.52 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $103.65. 189,223 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 209,674. The stock has a market cap of $4.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.35. The stocks fifty day moving average is $91.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $85.04. EnerSys has a 52-week low of $55.60 and a 52-week high of $107.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 2.64 and a quick ratio of 1.53. EnerSys Dividend Announcement EnerSys ( NYSE:ENS Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 25th. The industrial products company reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.44. The business had revenue of $990.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $953.05 million. EnerSys had a net margin of 4.74% and a return on equity of 14.75%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.20 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that EnerSys will post 6.84 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 16th will be given a $0.175 dividend. This represents a $0.70 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 15th. EnerSyss payout ratio is currently 16.43%. Insider Activity at EnerSys In related news, insider Andrew M. Zogby sold 10,537 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.21, for a total value of $1,098,060.77. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 20,495 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,135,783.95. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 1.78% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On EnerSys A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in shares of EnerSys during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $60,000. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of EnerSys by 58.2% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 930 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. SkyView Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of EnerSys during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $87,000. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of EnerSys by 23.5% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 2,546 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $149,000 after purchasing an additional 484 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd increased its holdings in EnerSys by 959.2% in the 2nd quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 2,775 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $164,000 after acquiring an additional 2,513 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.17% of the companys stock. EnerSys Company Profile (Get Rating) EnerSys provides various stored energy solutions for industrial applications worldwide. It operates in three segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, and Specialty. The company offers uninterruptible power systems applications for computer and computer-controlled systems, as well as telecommunications systems; switchgear and electrical control systems used in industrial facilities and electric utilities, large-scale energy storage, and energy pipelines; integrated power solutions and services to broadband, telecom, renewable, and industrial customers; and thermally managed cabinets and enclosures for electronic equipment and batteries. Read More Receive News & Ratings for EnerSys Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EnerSys and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Interfor Co. (OTCMKTS:IFSPF Get Rating)s share price dropped 0.7% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $17.48 and last traded at $17.66. Approximately 3,735 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 43% from the average daily volume of 6,580 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.78. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In IFSPF has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. CIBC lowered their price target on Interfor from C$31.00 to C$30.00 in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on Interfor from C$35.00 to C$32.00 in a report on Monday, May 8th. Get Interfor alerts: Interfor Price Performance The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $16.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $16.76. Interfor Company Profile Interfor Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells wood products in Canada, the United States, Japan, China, Taiwan, and internationally. It offers decking, fascia and board, framing, v-joint paneling, paneling, and siding products, as well as appearance, structural, studs, timbers, and machine stress related products. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Interfor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Interfor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. QuantumScape Co. (NYSE:QS Get Rating) Director Jurgen Leohold sold 9,101 shares of QuantumScape stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $8.01, for a total value of $72,899.01. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 185,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,487,593.17. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. QuantumScape Price Performance QuantumScape stock traded down $0.38 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $7.06. The companys stock had a trading volume of 6,173,304 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,757,465. The company has a quick ratio of 22.85, a current ratio of 22.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.13 billion, a P/E ratio of -7.20 and a beta of 5.14. QuantumScape Co. has a twelve month low of $5.11 and a twelve month high of $13.86. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $6.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $7.38. Get QuantumScape alerts: QuantumScape (NYSE:QS Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported ($0.24) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.23) by ($0.01). During the same period in the previous year, the business posted ($0.21) EPS. Research analysts forecast that QuantumScape Co. will post -0.92 earnings per share for the current year. Analysts Set New Price Targets Hedge Funds Weigh In On QuantumScape A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of QuantumScape from $5.00 to $4.00 and set a sell rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of QuantumScape from a peer perform rating to an underperform rating and set a $2.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Thursday, June 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of QuantumScape from $10.00 to $8.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Level Four Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in QuantumScape by 133.2% in the 1st quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLC now owns 25,420 shares of the companys stock worth $208,000 after purchasing an additional 14,520 shares during the period. Prelude Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in QuantumScape by 25.6% in the 1st quarter. Prelude Capital Management LLC now owns 20,243 shares of the companys stock worth $166,000 after purchasing an additional 4,128 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its stake in shares of QuantumScape by 10.3% during the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 16,789 shares of the companys stock valued at $137,000 after buying an additional 1,573 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of QuantumScape by 44.3% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 243,976 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,996,000 after buying an additional 74,940 shares during the period. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its stake in shares of QuantumScape by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 65,914 shares of the companys stock valued at $539,000 after buying an additional 2,271 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 25.70% of the companys stock. QuantumScape Company Profile (Get Rating) QuantumScape Corporation, a development stage company, focuses on the development and commercialization of solid-state lithium-metal batteries for electric vehicles and other applications. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in San Jose, California. See Also Receive News & Ratings for QuantumScape Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for QuantumScape and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Mexco Energy (NYSE:MXC Get Rating) in a research report report published on Monday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock. Separately, Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a speculative buy rating and issued a GBX 2 ($0.03) price target on shares of Mexco Energy in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Get Mexco Energy alerts: Mexco Energy Price Performance NYSE MXC opened at $12.02 on Monday. Mexco Energy has a fifty-two week low of $10.30 and a fifty-two week high of $20.84. The stocks 50-day moving average is $7.68 and its two-hundred day moving average is $6.80. The firm has a market cap of $25.72 million, a P/E ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 1.14. Mexco Energy Announces Dividend Institutional Inflows and Outflows The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 1st were issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a yield of 0.81%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, April 28th. A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Mexco Energy by 270.3% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 61,108 shares of the companys stock valued at $990,000 after acquiring an additional 44,605 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Mexco Energy by 2.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 41,094 shares of the companys stock worth $666,000 after purchasing an additional 999 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in Mexco Energy by 84.2% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 35,000 shares of the companys stock worth $602,000 after purchasing an additional 16,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 6.83% of the companys stock. Mexco Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) Mexco Energy Corporation, an independent oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of natural gas, crude oil, condensate, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It owns partial interests in approximately 6,300 gross producing wells located in the states of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado, Montana, Virginia, North Dakota, and Ohio. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Mexco Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mexco Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Revvity (NYSE:PKI Get Rating) in a research report released on Monday. The firm issued a hold rating on the medical research companys stock. Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. TheStreet lowered Revvity from a b- rating to a c rating in a research report on Thursday, May 11th. Barclays decreased their price target on Revvity from $140.00 to $125.00 in a research note on Friday, May 12th. Citigroup decreased their target price on Revvity from $170.00 to $160.00 in a research note on Monday, May 15th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Revvity from $145.00 to $135.00 in a research report on Friday, May 12th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Revvity from $182.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Friday, May 12th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $158.60. Get Revvity alerts: Revvity Stock Performance The stock has a market cap of $14.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.01, a P/E/G ratio of 0.50 and a beta of 1.10. Revvity has a 1 year low of $113.46 and a 1 year high of $170.00. The stocks 50 day moving average is $127.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $132.78. The company has a quick ratio of 2.15, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. Revvity Dividend Announcement Revvity ( NYSE:PKI Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 11th. The medical research company reported $1.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.07 by ($0.06). Revvity had a return on equity of 11.17% and a net margin of 28.94%. The firm had revenue of $674.87 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $686.30 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.41 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Revvity will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 21st will be issued a dividend of $0.07 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 20th. This represents a $0.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of . Revvitys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 3.65%. Revvity announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase program on Thursday, May 11th that permits the company to buyback $600.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the medical research company to reacquire up to 4.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued. Insider Buying and Selling In other Revvity news, insider Maxwell Krakowiak sold 322 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $41,860.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 7,202 shares in the company, valued at approximately $936,260. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, insider Maxwell Krakowiak sold 322 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total transaction of $41,860.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 7,202 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $936,260. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Andrew Okun sold 2,435 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.51, for a total value of $332,401.85. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 4,356 shares of the companys stock, valued at $594,637.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,608 shares of company stock worth $624,165 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.52% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Revvity Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PKI. Covestor Ltd raised its position in shares of Revvity by 25.1% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 359 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund grew its stake in Revvity by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund now owns 17,934 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $2,515,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. grew its stake in Revvity by 5.3% in the 1st quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 1,582 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $276,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its stake in Revvity by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 7,334 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,043,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its stake in Revvity by 3.6% in the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,281 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $304,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. 85.22% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Revvity (Get Rating) Revvity, Inc provides health science solutions, technologies, expertise, and services that deliver complete workflows from discovery to development, and diagnosis to cure. It focuses on translational multi-omics technologies, biomarker identification, imaging, prediction, screening, detection and diagnosis, informatics.? The company was founded by Richard Scott Perkin and Charles W. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Revvity Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Revvity and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Investment analysts at StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of WidePoint (NYSE:WYY Get Rating) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday. The brokerage set a sell rating on the stock. WidePoint Price Performance WidePoint Company Profile (Get Rating) WidePoint Corporation provides technology management as a service (TMaaS) to the government and business enterprises in North America and Europe. The company offers TMaaS solutions through a secure federal government certified proprietary portal and secure enterprise portal that provides ability to manage, analyze, and protect communications assets, as well as deploy identity management solutions that provide secured virtual and physical access to restricted environments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for WidePoint Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WidePoint and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Paragon Capital Management Ltd acquired a new position in Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE:BIP Get Rating) (TSE:BIP.UN) in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm acquired 41,040 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $1,386,000. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners comprises 0.3% of Paragon Capital Management Ltds investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 36,594,769 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,313,751,000 after acquiring an additional 236,682 shares during the period. 1832 Asset Management L.P. raised its stake in shares of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners by 6.3% in the 4th quarter. 1832 Asset Management L.P. now owns 15,750,231 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $488,100,000 after acquiring an additional 938,006 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 14,431,368 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $447,228,000 after acquiring an additional 129,066 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its stake in shares of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners by 18.8% in the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 13,460,428 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $417,056,000 after acquiring an additional 2,134,502 shares during the period. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners by 12.1% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 6,344,597 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $420,203,000 after acquiring an additional 685,194 shares during the period. 47.41% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Brookfield Infrastructure Partners alerts: Brookfield Infrastructure Partners Stock Down 0.0 % BIP traded down $0.01 on Thursday, reaching $35.72. The company had a trading volume of 41,340 shares, compared to its average volume of 352,820. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. has a 1 year low of $30.03 and a 1 year high of $43.62. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.37 billion, a PE ratio of 446.56 and a beta of 0.89. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $35.88 and a 200-day moving average price of $34.32. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners Dividend Announcement Brookfield Infrastructure Partners ( NYSE:BIP Get Rating ) (TSE:BIP.UN) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The utilities provider reported ($0.07) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.72 by ($0.79). The business had revenue of $4.22 billion for the quarter. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners had a return on equity of 1.00% and a net margin of 1.67%. As a group, analysts expect that Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. will post 3.07 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be given a dividend of $0.382 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 30th. This represents a $1.53 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.28%. Brookfield Infrastructure Partnerss payout ratio is 1,912.74%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Brookfield Infrastructure Partners from $40.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $47.00 target price on shares of Brookfield Infrastructure Partners in a report on Thursday, April 13th. National Bankshares raised their target price on Brookfield Infrastructure Partners from $38.00 to $39.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Friday, May 5th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Brookfield Infrastructure Partners in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a sell rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $43.75. About Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (Get Rating) Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. owns and operates utilities, transport, midstream, and data businesses in North and South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company's Utilities segment operates approximately 60,000 kilometers (km) of operational electricity transmission and distribution lines; 2,900 km of electricity transmission lines; 4,200 km of natural gas pipelines; 7.8 million electricity and natural gas connections; and 540,000 long-term contracted sub-metering services. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BIP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. (NYSE:BIP Get Rating) (TSE:BIP.UN). Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Infrastructure Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Anhui Conch Cement Company Limited (OTCMKTS:AHCHY Get Rating)s share price crossed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $14.81 and traded as low as $13.28. Anhui Conch Cement shares last traded at $13.28, with a volume of 22,030 shares traded. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Anhui Conch Cement from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Get Anhui Conch Cement alerts: Anhui Conch Cement Stock Performance The stocks 50-day moving average is $14.73 and its 200-day moving average is $17.06. Anhui Conch Cement Cuts Dividend Anhui Conch Cement Company Profile The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.918 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 6.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 1st. (Get Rating) Anhui Conch Cement Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, sells, and trades in clinker and cement products. The company conducts its operations through five segments, which include Eastern China, Central China, Southern China, Western China, and Overseas. It provides construction and installation services for industrial purposes; logistic services; and mining and related services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Anhui Conch Cement Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Anhui Conch Cement and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) by 9.0% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 152,966 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 12,624 shares during the quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Wells Fargo & Company were worth $5,718,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WFC. Silicon Valley Capital Partners purchased a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. US Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Studio Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC grew its stake in Wells Fargo & Company by 494.8% during the 4th quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 2,754 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 2,291 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Wells Fargo & Company during the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 72.11% of the companys stock. Get Wells Fargo & Company alerts: Wells Fargo & Company Price Performance Shares of Wells Fargo & Company stock opened at $41.65 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $40.47 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $41.95. Wells Fargo & Company has a 12 month low of $35.25 and a 12 month high of $48.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $156.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.93, a PEG ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.83. Wells Fargo & Company Announces Dividend Wells Fargo & Company ( NYSE:WFC Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.15 by $0.08. Wells Fargo & Company had a return on equity of 10.07% and a net margin of 15.93%. The firm had revenue of $20.73 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $20.06 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.88 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 16.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Wells Fargo & Company will post 4.73 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, May 5th were issued a $0.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 4th. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.88%. Wells Fargo & Companys dividend payout ratio is presently 34.38%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In WFC has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $41.00 to $43.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 15th. Citigroup lowered their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $52.00 to $50.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Barclays lowered their target price on Wells Fargo & Company from $64.00 to $54.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on Wells Fargo & Company in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $48.71. Wells Fargo & Company Profile (Get Rating) Wells Fargo & Company, a diversified financial services company, provides banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through four segments: Consumer Banking and Lending; Commercial Banking; Corporate and Investment Banking; and Wealth and Investment Management. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WFC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Wells Fargo & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wells Fargo & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:BHLB Get Rating) has received a consensus recommendation of Hold from the five research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $29.40. Several equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on Berkshire Hills Bancorp from $28.00 to $26.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 21st. StockNews.com began coverage on Berkshire Hills Bancorp in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating for the company. TheStreet cut Berkshire Hills Bancorp from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Friday, April 21st. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Berkshire Hills Bancorp from $32.00 to $27.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Get Berkshire Hills Bancorp alerts: Berkshire Hills Bancorp Price Performance Shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp stock opened at $21.65 on Thursday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $21.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.98. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market cap of $958.66 million, a PE ratio of 9.67 and a beta of 0.98. Berkshire Hills Bancorp has a 52 week low of $18.07 and a 52 week high of $31.63. Berkshire Hills Bancorp Announces Dividend Berkshire Hills Bancorp ( NYSE:BHLB Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The savings and loans company reported $0.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.63. The firm had revenue of $148.92 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $116.65 million. Berkshire Hills Bancorp had a return on equity of 10.99% and a net margin of 19.62%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.43 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Berkshire Hills Bancorp will post 2.38 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, May 18th were issued a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 17th. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.33%. Berkshire Hills Bancorps dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.14%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CEO Nitin J. Mhatre bought 2,100 shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $19.54 per share, for a total transaction of $41,034.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 55,530 shares in the company, valued at $1,085,056.20. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.90% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp during the first quarter worth approximately $35,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp during the third quarter worth approximately $38,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp in the first quarter valued at $57,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp in the first quarter valued at $57,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in shares of Berkshire Hills Bancorp by 304.1% in the first quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,538 shares of the savings and loans companys stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 1,910 shares in the last quarter. 83.61% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Berkshire Hills Bancorp Company Profile (Get Rating Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc operates as the bank holding company for Berkshire Bank that provides various banking products and services. It offers various deposit accounts, including demand deposit, interest-bearing checking, regular savings, money market savings, time certificates of deposit, and retirement deposit accounts; and loans, such as commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, consumer, and residential mortgage loans. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Berkshire Hills Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Berkshire Hills Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:BNY Get Rating) passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $10.37 and traded as low as $10.19. BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust shares last traded at $10.21, with a volume of 33,788 shares traded. BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust Stock Performance The businesss 50 day moving average price is $10.14 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.36. Get BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust alerts: BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust Cuts Dividend The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.0305 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.37 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.59%. Institutional Trading of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust Company Profile Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Almitas Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust during the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust during the 1st quarter worth about $69,000. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust during the 1st quarter worth about $77,000. Logan Stone Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust during the 3rd quarter worth about $117,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust during the 1st quarter worth about $125,000. (Get Rating) BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets. It invests primarily in the investment grade municipal bonds exempt from federal income taxes and New York State and New York City personal income taxes. See Also Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock New York Municipal Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Central Bank & Trust Co. boosted its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO Get Rating) by 1.9% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 407,379 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 7,741 shares during the period. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF comprises 2.9% of Central Bank & Trust Co.s holdings, making the stock its 5th biggest holding. Central Bank & Trust Co.s holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF were worth $16,458,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sound Income Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 311.0% in the 4th quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 637 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 482 shares during the period. Endurance Wealth Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 303.2% in the 4th quarter. Endurance Wealth Management Inc. now owns 633 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 476 shares during the period. Retirement Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA lifted its position in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 110.1% in the 4th quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 689 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 361 shares during the period. Finally, Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH purchased a new stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Get Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF alerts: Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Trading Down 0.4 % Shares of VWO traded down $0.18 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $40.72. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,956,258 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,763,310. The companys 50-day moving average is $40.29 and its 200-day moving average is $40.40. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has a 52-week low of $34.88 and a 52-week high of $43.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.00 and a beta of 0.69. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Profile The Fund seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index, that measures the return of stocks issued by companies located in emerging market countries. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VWO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vivic (OTCMKTS:VIVC Get Rating) and Polaris (NYSE:PII Get Rating) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings and risk. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Vivic and Polaris top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Vivic alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Vivic N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Polaris $8.59 billion 0.78 $447.10 million $8.31 14.20 Polaris has higher revenue and earnings than Vivic. Analyst Recommendations Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Vivic 0 0 0 0 N/A Polaris 0 10 2 1 2.31 This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Vivic and Polaris, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Polaris has a consensus price target of $114.27, indicating a potential downside of 3.45%. Given Polaris higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Polaris is more favorable than Vivic. Profitability This table compares Vivic and Polaris net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Vivic N/A N/A N/A Polaris 5.46% 60.97% 12.72% Insider and Institutional Ownership 88.3% of Polaris shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.8% of Polaris shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Summary Polaris beats Vivic on 9 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Vivic (Get Rating) Vivic Corp. engages in the construction of marinas and yachts under Monte Fino brand in the mainland China. It operates Joy Wave, an online platform that offers yacht rental and leisure services; development of energy-saving yacht engines; and provision of tourism consultancy services, as well as yacht services. The company was incorporated in 2017 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vivic Corp. is a subsidiary of Honetech Inc. About Polaris (Get Rating) Polaris Inc. designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets powersports vehicles worldwide. It operates through three segments: Off-Road, On-Road, and Marine. The company offers off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles; military and commercial ORVs; snowmobiles; motorcycles; moto-roadsters, quadricycles, and boats; and aftermarket parts and apparel. It also provides ORV accessories comprising winches, bumper/brushguards, plows, racks, wheels and tires, pull-behinds, cab systems, lighting and audio systems, cargo box accessories, tracks, and oil; snowmobile accessories, which include covers, traction products, reverse kits, electric starters, tracks, bags, windshields, oil, and lubricants; and motorcycle accessories, such as saddle bags, handlebars, backrests, exhausts, windshields, seats, oil, and various chrome accessories. In addition, the company offers light duty hauling and passenger vehicles; gear and apparel, such as helmets, goggles, jackets, gloves, boots, bibs, hats, pants, and leathers; and pontoon and deck boats. It provides its products through dealers and distributors, and online; and retail and e-commerce sites. The company was formerly known as Polaris Industries Inc. Polaris Inc. was founded in 1945 and is headquartered in Medina, Minnesota. Receive News & Ratings for Vivic Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vivic and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CIMB Group Holdings Berhad (OTCMKTS:CIMDF Get Rating) is one of 228 public companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its competitors? We will compare CIMB Group Holdings Berhad to related companies based on the strength of its dividends, earnings, valuation, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership. Dividends CIMB Group Holdings Berhad pays an annual dividend of $0.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 15.6%. CIMB Group Holdings Berhad pays out 41.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 9.9% and pay out 15.9% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Get CIMB Group Holdings Berhad alerts: Earnings & Valuation This table compares CIMB Group Holdings Berhad and its competitors top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio CIMB Group Holdings Berhad N/A N/A 2.67 CIMB Group Holdings Berhad Competitors $3.32 billion $774.52 million 311.90 Profitability CIMB Group Holdings Berhads competitors have higher revenue and earnings than CIMB Group Holdings Berhad. CIMB Group Holdings Berhad is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. This table compares CIMB Group Holdings Berhad and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets CIMB Group Holdings Berhad N/A N/A N/A CIMB Group Holdings Berhad Competitors 35.34% 10.29% 0.89% Institutional & Insider Ownership 11.9% of CIMB Group Holdings Berhad shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 31.6% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by institutional investors. 15.7% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for CIMB Group Holdings Berhad and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score CIMB Group Holdings Berhad 0 0 0 0 N/A CIMB Group Holdings Berhad Competitors 1023 2958 2889 17 2.28 As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 506.06%. Given CIMB Group Holdings Berhads competitors higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe CIMB Group Holdings Berhad has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors. Summary CIMB Group Holdings Berhad competitors beat CIMB Group Holdings Berhad on 9 of the 10 factors compared. About CIMB Group Holdings Berhad (Get Rating) CIMB Group Holdings Berhad provides various banking products and services in Malaysia and internationally. The Consumer Banking segment offers conventional and Islamic financial products and services, such as residential and non-residential property loans, secured personal loans, motor vehicle financing, credit cards, unsecured personal financing, wealth management, bancassurance, remittance and foreign exchange, deposits, and internet banking services to individual customers. The Commercial Banking segment provides banking credit facilities, trade financing, cash management, remittance and foreign exchange, and general deposit products, as well as an online business banking platform to small and medium-scale enterprises, and mid-sized corporations. The Wholesale Banking segment offers client coverage marketing and delivering solutions; financial advisory services on issuance of equity and equity-linked products, debt restructuring, initial public offerings, secondary offerings, and general corporate advisory; conventional and Islamic funding solutions covering trade, working capital line, capital expenditure, leveraging, merger and acquisition, leveraged, and project financing products; and holistic funding solutions, including cash management, trade finance, foreign exchange, custody and corporate loans, derivatives, structured products, and debt capital. This segment also engages in the treasury activities and services comprising foreign exchange, money market, derivatives, and capital market trading instruments; transaction banking and broking services; and wealth management solutions, as well as investment, securities financing, and trust services. CIMB Group Holdings Berhad was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Receive News & Ratings for CIMB Group Holdings Berhad Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CIMB Group Holdings Berhad and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Boston Scientific Co. (NYSE:BSX Get Rating) by 1.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 95,920 shares of the medical equipment providers stock after purchasing an additional 1,114 shares during the period. Boston Scientific makes up approximately 1.7% of Ellsworth Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Ellsworth Advisors LLCs holdings in Boston Scientific were worth $4,799,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Boston Scientific during the 1st quarter valued at $54,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Boston Scientific during the 1st quarter valued at $35,000. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in shares of Boston Scientific during the 1st quarter valued at $1,076,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its holdings in shares of Boston Scientific by 24.0% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 28,793 shares of the medical equipment providers stock valued at $1,275,000 after acquiring an additional 5,581 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Boston Scientific during the 1st quarter valued at $230,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.20% of the companys stock. Get Boston Scientific alerts: Boston Scientific Trading Down 0.1 % Boston Scientific stock opened at $53.96 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $52.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $48.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $75.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 91.46, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 0.80. Boston Scientific Co. has a 52-week low of $35.91 and a 52-week high of $54.69. Insider Transactions at Boston Scientific Boston Scientific ( NYSE:BSX Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The medical equipment provider reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.43 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $3.39 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.16 billion. Boston Scientific had a net margin of 6.91% and a return on equity of 14.57%. Boston Scientifics revenue was up 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.39 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Boston Scientific Co. will post 1.95 earnings per share for the current year. In other news, EVP Eric Francis Yves Thepaut sold 83,401 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.49, for a total value of $4,377,718.49. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,269 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $643,999.81. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Joseph Michael Fitzgerald sold 63,339 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.60, for a total value of $3,394,970.40. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 213,859 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,462,842.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Eric Francis Yves Thepaut sold 83,401 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.49, for a total transaction of $4,377,718.49. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 12,269 shares in the company, valued at $643,999.81. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 183,985 shares of company stock valued at $9,697,589. Company insiders own 0.53% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on BSX shares. TheStreet raised shares of Boston Scientific from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 30th. Raymond James lifted their price target on shares of Boston Scientific from $56.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Boston Scientific in a research note on Tuesday, March 28th. They set a buy rating and a $57.00 price target on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Boston Scientific from $54.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Finally, BTIG Research boosted their target price on shares of Boston Scientific from $53.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $54.00. Boston Scientific Company Profile (Get Rating) Boston Scientific Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets medical devices for use in various interventional medical specialties worldwide. It operates through MedSurg and Cardiovascular segments. The company offers devices to diagnose and treat gastrointestinal and pulmonary conditions; devices to treat various urological and pelvic conditions; implantable cardioverter and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators; pacemakers and implantable cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemakers; and remote patient management systems. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Boston Scientific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boston Scientific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA grew its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO Get Rating) by 88.5% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,414 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 664 shares during the quarter. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PAs holdings in Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF were worth $57,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VWO. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 108,287.1% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 296,468,035 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $11,556,324,000 after purchasing an additional 296,194,508 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 1.0% in the 4th quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 75,901,915 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,958,657,000 after purchasing an additional 744,035 shares during the period. Betterment LLC lifted its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 8.5% in the 4th quarter. Betterment LLC now owns 71,776,690 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,797,855,000 after purchasing an additional 5,650,398 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 57,103,884 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,083,721,000 after purchasing an additional 1,023,733 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 55,758,981 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,173,478,000 after purchasing an additional 3,909,063 shares during the period. Get Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF alerts: Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Stock Down 0.2 % Shares of NYSEARCA:VWO opened at $40.90 on Thursday. The firms 50 day moving average price is $40.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $40.40. Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF has a twelve month low of $34.88 and a twelve month high of $43.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $72.80 billion, a PE ratio of 10.00 and a beta of 0.69. About Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF The Fund seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Emerging Markets All Cap China A Inclusion Index, that measures the return of stocks issued by companies located in emerging market countries. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VWO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF (NYSEARCA:VWO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard FTSE Emerging Markets ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Home Capital Group (OTCMKTS:HMCBF Get Rating) and PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (OTCMKTS:PBCRF Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation, profitability, risk, dividends and earnings. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Home Capital Group and PT Bank Central Asia Tbks revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Get Home Capital Group alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Home Capital Group N/A N/A N/A $4.06 8.14 PT Bank Central Asia Tbk N/A N/A N/A $652.56 0.00 PT Bank Central Asia Tbk is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Home Capital Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Home Capital Group N/A N/A N/A PT Bank Central Asia Tbk N/A N/A N/A Institutional & Insider Ownership This table compares Home Capital Group and PT Bank Central Asia Tbks net margins, return on equity and return on assets. 37.0% of Home Capital Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 11.2% of PT Bank Central Asia Tbk shares are owned by institutional investors. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Dividends Home Capital Group pays an annual dividend of $0.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk pays an annual dividend of $98.25 per share and has a dividend yield of 16,172.8%. Home Capital Group pays out 15.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk pays out 15.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Home Capital Group and PT Bank Central Asia Tbk, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Home Capital Group 0 2 1 0 2.33 PT Bank Central Asia Tbk 1 1 0 0 1.50 Home Capital Group presently has a consensus target price of $40.83, suggesting a potential upside of 23.49%. Given Home Capital Groups stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe Home Capital Group is more favorable than PT Bank Central Asia Tbk. Summary Home Capital Group beats PT Bank Central Asia Tbk on 5 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Home Capital Group (Get Rating) Home Capital Group, Inc. operates as an investment holding company with interests in providing loan and trust services. It offers deposits, residential and non-residential commercial mortgage lending, consumer lending and credit card services. The company was founded on September 28, 1977 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. About PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (Get Rating) PT Bank Central Asia Tbk, together with its subsidiaries, provides banking products and services to individual, corporate, and small and medium enterprise customers in Indonesia and internationally. It offers savings accounts; motorcycle financing, as well as car, housing, working capital, and investment loans; mutual funds and bonds; electronic money services; credit cards; business collection services; and home and eBanking, remittance, and customer services. The company also provides investment financing, working capital financing, auto and multipurpose financing, operating lease, other financing activities, money lending and remittance, securities brokerage dealing and securities issuance underwriting, general or loss insurance, life insurance, Sharia banking, and venture capital services. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk is a subsidiary of PT Dwimuria Investama Andalan. Receive News & Ratings for Home Capital Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Home Capital Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lion Street Advisors LLC increased its holdings in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWP Get Rating) by 102.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 13,329 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 6,730 shares during the period. Lion Street Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF were worth $1,214,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its position in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF by 71.1% in the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 710 shares of the companys stock valued at $65,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares during the last quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. JMG Financial Group Ltd. now owns 130,485 shares of the companys stock worth $11,881,000 after buying an additional 515 shares in the last quarter. Country Club Bank GFN raised its position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF by 110.4% during the 1st quarter. Country Club Bank GFN now owns 30,736 shares of the companys stock worth $2,745,000 after buying an additional 16,125 shares in the last quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF in the 1st quarter worth approximately $204,000. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF by 11.5% in the first quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 7,304 shares of the companys stock worth $665,000 after acquiring an additional 751 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF alerts: iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF Stock Performance Shares of IWP opened at $94.26 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $12.62 billion, a PE ratio of 25.03 and a beta of 1.10. The companys 50 day moving average price is $90.89 and its 200 day moving average price is $89.22. iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF has a 52 week low of $75.88 and a 52 week high of $96.30. iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF Company Profile iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF, formerly iShares Russell Midcap Growth Index Fund (the Growth Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Russell Midcap Growth Index (the Growth Index). Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IWP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWP Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Jupiter Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of KB Home (NYSE:KBH Get Rating) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 5,200 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $209,000. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of KBH. Heritage Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of KB Home by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Heritage Wealth Management LLC now owns 880 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 440 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. bought a new stake in shares of KB Home during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of KB Home by 45.4% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 922 shares of the construction companys stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 288 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI bought a new stake in shares of KB Home during the 1st quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of KB Home by 130.1% during the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,254 shares of the construction companys stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 709 shares in the last quarter. 96.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get KB Home alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at KB Home In other news, CEO Jeffrey T. Mezger sold 150,000 shares of KB Home stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.26, for a total value of $6,789,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,472,577 shares in the company, valued at $66,648,835.02. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 4.44% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes KB Home Trading Down 1.3 % Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on KBH shares. Seaport Res Ptn reissued a neutral rating on shares of KB Home in a research note on Wednesday, June 14th. UBS Group raised their target price on KB Home from $48.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Thursday. Wedbush raised their target price on KB Home from $55.00 to $64.00 in a research report on Thursday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their target price on KB Home from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on KB Home in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. They issued a hold rating and a $49.00 target price for the company. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $50.63. NYSE KBH traded down $0.67 during trading on Thursday, hitting $51.34. 1,802,456 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,643,321. KB Home has a 12 month low of $25.31 and a 12 month high of $52.20. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $45.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.95. The company has a market capitalization of $4.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.57, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.61. KB Home (NYSE:KBH Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, June 21st. The construction company reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.61. KB Home had a return on equity of 22.86% and a net margin of 11.73%. The company had revenue of $1.77 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.43 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.32 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that KB Home will post 5.26 EPS for the current fiscal year. KB Home announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Wednesday, March 22nd that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the construction company to repurchase up to 15.2% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically an indication that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. KB Home Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 18th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 4th were issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 3rd. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.17%. KB Homes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.59%. KB Home Company Profile (Get Rating) KB Home operates as a homebuilding company in the United States. It operates through four segments: West Coast, Southwest, Central, and Southeast. It builds and sells various homes, including attached and detached single-family residential homes, townhomes, and condominiums primarily for first-time, first move-up, second move-up, and active adult homebuyers. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KBH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for KB Home (NYSE:KBH Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for KB Home Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KB Home and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Grandview Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in Laboratory Co. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH Get Rating) by 18.3% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,405 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 985 shares during the quarter. Grandview Asset Management LLCs holdings in Laboratory Co. of America were worth $1,011,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of LH. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 532.2% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 1,530,675 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $360,441,000 after buying an additional 1,288,574 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America during the 4th quarter valued at about $219,236,000. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 5,366.9% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 725,243 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $170,780,000 after buying an additional 711,977 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 11,436,397 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $2,342,288,000 after buying an additional 252,118 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nordea Investment Management AB lifted its holdings in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 40.8% during the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 809,242 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $190,180,000 after buying an additional 234,621 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.75% of the companys stock. Get Laboratory Co. of America alerts: Laboratory Co. of America Stock Performance NYSE LH traded down $0.26 during trading on Thursday, hitting $232.72. The companys stock had a trading volume of 48,587 shares, compared to its average volume of 604,544. The company has a quick ratio of 1.46, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $223.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $232.51. The firm has a market cap of $20.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.15 and a beta of 1.04. Laboratory Co. of America Holdings has a 52 week low of $200.32 and a 52 week high of $263.13. Laboratory Co. of America Announces Dividend Laboratory Co. of America ( NYSE:LH Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The medical research company reported $3.82 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.99 by ($0.17). The business had revenue of $3.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.70 billion. Laboratory Co. of America had a return on equity of 15.56% and a net margin of 6.78%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 3.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $6.11 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Laboratory Co. of America Holdings will post 16.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 18th were given a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 17th. Laboratory Co. of Americas dividend payout ratio is currently 26.13%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup reduced their price target on Laboratory Co. of America from $260.00 to $235.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on Laboratory Co. of America from $265.00 to $240.00 in a report on Wednesday, April 26th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Laboratory Co. of America in a report on Thursday. They issued a buy rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group reduced their target price on Laboratory Co. of America from $304.00 to $288.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 13th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their target price on Laboratory Co. of America from $277.00 to $257.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $273.50. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, EVP Mark S. Schroeder sold 3,897 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.81, for a total transaction of $879,981.57. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,687 shares in the company, valued at $1,509,991.47. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, COO Mark S. Schroeder sold 1,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $216.77, for a total transaction of $325,155.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 6,687 shares in the company, valued at $1,449,540.99. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Mark S. Schroeder sold 3,897 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $225.81, for a total value of $879,981.57. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 6,687 shares in the company, valued at $1,509,991.47. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 9,697 shares of company stock valued at $2,137,850 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.65% of the companys stock. About Laboratory Co. of America (Get Rating) Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as a life sciences company that provides vital information to help doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and patients make clear and confident decisions. It operates in two segments, Labcorp Diagnostics and Labcorp Drug Development. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Laboratory Co. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Laboratory Co. of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Laboratory Co. of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lavras Gold Corp. (CVE:LGC Get Rating) shares crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$0.36 and traded as low as C$0.27. Lavras Gold shares last traded at C$0.27, with a volume of 16,000 shares. Lavras Gold Price Performance The companys 50-day moving average price is C$0.31 and its two-hundred day moving average price is C$0.36. The company has a market cap of C$10.28 million and a P/E ratio of -4.17. The company has a current ratio of 7.63, a quick ratio of 11.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.94. About Lavras Gold (Get Rating) Lavras Gold Corp. operates as a junior exploration company in southern Brazil. It engages in the exploration and development of the Lavras do Sul gold project covering an area of approximately 22,000 hectares located in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The company was incorporated in 2021 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Lavras Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lavras Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. lowered its position in WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC Get Rating) by 2.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 34,880 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 1,025 shares during the period. Leavell Investment Management Inc.s holdings in WEC Energy Group were worth $3,306,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of WEC Energy Group by 2.0% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 41,460,137 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,707,780,000 after acquiring an additional 820,031 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of WEC Energy Group by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 29,308,895 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,621,096,000 after buying an additional 440,902 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of WEC Energy Group by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 19,333,531 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,728,998,000 after buying an additional 325,772 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of WEC Energy Group by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,735,838 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $631,165,000 after buying an additional 115,820 shares during the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of WEC Energy Group by 10.8% in the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 6,038,533 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $566,172,000 after buying an additional 590,838 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.68% of the companys stock. Get WEC Energy Group alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Ulice Payne, Jr. sold 1,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.36, for a total value of $141,540.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,503 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,029,023.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.34% of the stock is owned by insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth WEC Energy Group Stock Performance Several research firms recently weighed in on WEC. 888 restated a maintains rating on shares of WEC Energy Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Evercore ISI cut their target price on WEC Energy Group from $98.00 to $91.00 in a research note on Friday, June 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on WEC Energy Group from $99.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Mizuho upgraded WEC Energy Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $98.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on WEC Energy Group in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a sell rating on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, WEC Energy Group currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $99.27. Shares of NYSE WEC traded down $1.18 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $89.51. 186,613 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,364,805. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $92.15 and a two-hundred day moving average of $93.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $28.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.19, a PEG ratio of 3.45 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.75. WEC Energy Group, Inc. has a one year low of $80.82 and a one year high of $108.20. WEC Energy Group (NYSE:WEC Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $2.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.90 billion. WEC Energy Group had a return on equity of 11.60% and a net margin of 14.10%. The companys revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.79 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that WEC Energy Group, Inc. will post 4.6 EPS for the current fiscal year. WEC Energy Group Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th were issued a dividend of $0.78 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $3.12 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.49%. WEC Energy Groups payout ratio is 72.90%. WEC Energy Group Company Profile (Get Rating) WEC Energy Group, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the generation and distribution of electricity and natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure and Corporate & Other. The Wisconsin segment refers to the electric and gas utility operations. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WEC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for WEC Energy Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WEC Energy Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Matrix Trust Co purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF (NYSEARCA:EWG Get Rating) during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor purchased 1,737 shares of the exchange traded funds stock, valued at approximately $49,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 304.9% during the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 5,444,426 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $134,641,000 after buying an additional 4,099,796 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 88.4% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 8,574,393 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $243,426,000 after buying an additional 4,023,346 shares in the last quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF during the 4th quarter valued at $30,699,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 11,623,966.7% during the 1st quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 1,046,166 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $29,774,000 after buying an additional 1,046,157 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of iShares MSCI Germany ETF by 1,178.6% during the 2nd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 934,109 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $21,494,000 after buying an additional 1,020,709 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI Germany ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Germany ETF Stock Performance Shares of NYSEARCA EWG opened at $28.42 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $1.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.82 and a beta of 1.07. The firms fifty day moving average is $28.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $27.69. iShares MSCI Germany ETF has a 52-week low of $19.35 and a 52-week high of $29.56. About iShares MSCI Germany ETF iShares MSCI Germany ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Germany Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to provide investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of publicly traded securities in the German market, as measured by the MSCI Germany Index (the Index). Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Germany ETF (NYSEARCA:EWG Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Germany ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Germany ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its holdings in shares of Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Rating) by 0.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 860,349 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after purchasing an additional 1,946 shares during the quarter. National Bank of Canada FIs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $87,123,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of ABT. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the first quarter valued at $131,000. United Bank increased its position in Abbott Laboratories by 7.2% during the first quarter. United Bank now owns 27,280 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $3,229,000 after acquiring an additional 1,826 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its position in Abbott Laboratories by 1.9% during the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 813,253 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $96,257,000 after acquiring an additional 15,521 shares during the last quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC increased its position in Abbott Laboratories by 2.3% during the first quarter. Kinneret Advisory LLC now owns 19,467 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $2,304,000 after acquiring an additional 436 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lumature Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in Abbott Laboratories by 636.2% during the first quarter. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,216 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $262,000 after acquiring an additional 1,915 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 73.08% of the companys stock. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Insider Activity at Abbott Laboratories In related news, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.02, for a total value of $5,551,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,825,316 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $757,746,582.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director Daniel J. Starks sold 50,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.02, for a total value of $5,551,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,825,316 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $757,746,582.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 8,226 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $110.56, for a total transaction of $909,466.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 70,427 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,786,409.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance ABT stock opened at $106.25 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $184.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.29, a PEG ratio of 4.76 and a beta of 0.67. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $106.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $106.30. Abbott Laboratories has a one year low of $93.25 and a one year high of $115.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.68. Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $9.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.64 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 13.98% and a return on equity of 22.36%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 18.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.73 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.39 EPS for the current fiscal year. Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 15th. Investors of record on Friday, July 14th will be given a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.92%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 13th. Abbott Laboratoriess payout ratio is currently 62.01%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades ABT has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $117.00 to $130.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $118.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $132.00 to $133.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $121.26. Abbott Laboratories Profile (Get Rating) Abbott Laboratories, together with its subsidiaries, discovers, develops, manufactures, and sells health care products worldwide. It operates in four segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment provides generic pharmaceuticals for the treatment of pancreatic exocrine insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome or biliary spasm, intrahepatic cholestasis or depressive symptoms, gynecological disorder, hormone replacement therapy, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, Meniere's disease and vestibular vertigo, pain, fever, inflammation, and migraine, as well as provides anti-infective clarithromycin, influenza vaccine, and products to regulate physiological rhythm of the colon. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Abbott Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abbott Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. National Bank of Canada (OTCMKTS:NTIOF Get Rating) announced a dividend on Saturday, June 17th, investing.com reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 26th will be paid a dividend of 0.7496 per share by the financial services provider on Tuesday, August 1st. This represents a dividend yield of 3.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 23rd. This is a positive change from National Bank of Canadas previous dividend of $0.71. National Bank of Canada Stock Up 0.6 % Shares of National Bank of Canada stock opened at $74.57 on Thursday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $73.85 and its 200-day moving average is $72.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.19 billion, a PE ratio of 10.68 and a beta of 1.08. National Bank of Canada has a 12-month low of $59.42 and a 12-month high of $76.34. Get National Bank of Canada alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, National Bank Financial boosted their target price on National Bank of Canada from C$102.00 to C$104.50 in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. About National Bank of Canada National Bank of Canada provides various financial products and services to retail, commercial, corporate, and institutional clients in Canada and internationally. It operates through four segments: Personal and Commercial, Wealth Management, Financial Markets, and U.S. Specialty Finance and International. See Also Receive News & Ratings for National Bank of Canada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for National Bank of Canada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund Inc. (NYSEAMERICAN:NML Get Rating)s stock price crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of $0.00 and traded as high as $6.59. Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund shares last traded at $6.51, with a volume of 96,806 shares changing hands. Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund Price Performance Get Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund alerts: Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a $0.0584 dividend. This represents a $0.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 10.97%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Funds dividend payout ratio is presently -227.59%. Insider Buying and Selling In other Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund news, Portfolio Manager Douglas A. Rachlin purchased 50,000 shares of Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $6.25 per share, for a total transaction of $312,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the portfolio manager now owns 378,817 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,367,606.25. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, Portfolio Manager Douglas A. Rachlin bought 50,000 shares of Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 5th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $6.25 per share, with a total value of $312,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the portfolio manager now owns 378,817 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,367,606.25. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Portfolio Manager Douglas A. Rachlin bought 58,580 shares of Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 28th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $6.55 per share, for a total transaction of $383,699.00. Following the purchase, the portfolio manager now owns 328,817 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,153,751.35. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund Company Profile Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NML. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its holdings in Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund by 448.8% during the 1st quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 5,625 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 4,600 shares in the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management grew its holdings in Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund by 42.8% during the 1st quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 5,940 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 1,780 shares in the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund during the 2nd quarter worth about $62,000. Almitas Capital LLC grew its holdings in Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund by 132.0% during the 4th quarter. Almitas Capital LLC now owns 11,137 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 6,337 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC bought a new position in Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund during the 1st quarter worth about $80,000. (Get Rating) Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure & Income Fund, Inc is closed-end mutual fund. It seeks total return with an emphasis on cash distributions by investing in master limited partnerships. The company was founded on November 16, 2012 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Neuberger Berman Energy Infrastructure and Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Northland Power (TSE:NPI Get Rating) had its target price decreased by CIBC from C$39.00 to C$37.00 in a report issued on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports. CIBCs price objective suggests a potential upside of 34.84% from the stocks previous close. Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on NPI. ATB Capital decreased their price objective on shares of Northland Power from C$50.00 to C$48.00 in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on shares of Northland Power from C$42.50 to C$41.50 in a research report on Wednesday. National Bankshares lifted their price objective on shares of Northland Power from C$40.00 to C$42.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on shares of Northland Power from C$46.00 to C$45.00 in a research report on Friday, February 24th. Finally, CSFB boosted their price target on shares of Northland Power from C$42.00 to C$46.00 in a research report on Friday, May 19th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus price target of C$43.85. Get Northland Power alerts: Northland Power Trading Down 0.7 % Northland Power stock traded down C$0.19 during trading on Thursday, hitting C$27.44. The company had a trading volume of 241,947 shares, compared to its average volume of 797,279. Northland Power has a 1-year low of C$27.08 and a 1-year high of C$47.13. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 150.94. The companys 50 day simple moving average is C$30.65 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$33.80. The stock has a market cap of C$6.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 0.43. Northland Power Company Profile Northland Power ( TSE:NPI Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The solar energy provider reported C$0.27 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$0.53 by C($0.26). The business had revenue of C$621.72 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$663.80 million. Northland Power had a return on equity of 18.76% and a net margin of 28.14%. As a group, analysts expect that Northland Power will post 1.2448245 EPS for the current fiscal year. (Get Rating) Northland Power Inc, an independent power producer, develops, builds, owns, and operates clean and green power projects in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The company produces electricity from renewable resources, such as wind, solar, or hydropower, as well as clean-burning natural gas and biomass for sale under power purchase agreements and other revenue arrangements. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Northland Power Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Northland Power and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Providence Resources P.l.c. (LON:PVR Get Rating)s share price passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 3.25 ($0.04) and traded as low as GBX 3.10 ($0.04). Providence Resources shares last traded at GBX 3.25 ($0.04), with a volume of 1,470,563 shares trading hands. Providence Resources Price Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.54. The stock has a market cap of 34.84 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.19. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is GBX 3.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 3.25. Providence Resources Company Profile (Get Rating) Providence Resources P.l.c. operates as an oil and gas exploration company in Ireland. Its principal project is the Barryroe project located in the North Celtic Sea Basin. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Providence Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Providence Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Grupo Comercial Chedraui (OTCMKTS:GCHEF Get Rating) is one of 60 public companies in the Grocery Stores industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its rivals? We will compare Grupo Comercial Chedraui to related businesses based on the strength of its profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, institutional ownership and valuation. Profitability This table compares Grupo Comercial Chedraui and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Grupo Comercial Chedraui alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Grupo Comercial Chedraui N/A N/A N/A Grupo Comercial Chedraui Competitors 2.07% 14.55% 4.73% Insider & Institutional Ownership 10.9% of Grupo Comercial Chedraui shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 45.3% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are held by institutional investors. 22.8% of shares of all Grocery Stores companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Analyst Ratings Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Grupo Comercial Chedraui 0 1 0 0 2.00 Grupo Comercial Chedraui Competitors 1118 2750 3004 114 2.30 This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Grupo Comercial Chedraui and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Grupo Comercial Chedraui currently has a consensus target price of $84.00, suggesting a potential upside of 1,389.36%. As a group, Grocery Stores companies have a potential upside of 100.87%. Given Grupo Comercial Chedrauis higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Grupo Comercial Chedraui is more favorable than its rivals. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Grupo Comercial Chedraui and its rivals gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Grupo Comercial Chedraui N/A N/A 3.18 Grupo Comercial Chedraui Competitors $26.98 billion $611.37 million 189.77 Grupo Comercial Chedrauis rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Grupo Comercial Chedraui. Grupo Comercial Chedraui is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Summary Grupo Comercial Chedraui rivals beat Grupo Comercial Chedraui on 10 of the 11 factors compared. About Grupo Comercial Chedraui (Get Rating) Grupo Comercial Chedraui, S.A.B. de C.V. operates selfservice stores. The company operates through three segments: Retail in Mexico, Retail in the United States, and Real Estate. Its stores sell electronic goods, perishables, cloths, groceries, and general merchandise. The company also leases commercial space to third parties; and operates and maintains shopping centers. It operates 306 stores, including 198 tiendas chedraui, 60 super chedraui, 15 super che, and 33 supercito stores; and 7 distribution centers in Mexico, as well as 125 self-service stores, such as 64 El Super and 61 Fiesta stores in the United States. The company was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Comercial Chedraui Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Comercial Chedraui and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silverlake Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating) by 3.5% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 20,178 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 690 shares during the quarter. Silverlake Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Altria Group were worth $900,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. National Bank of Canada FI grew its stake in Altria Group by 11.7% in the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 617,426 shares of the companys stock worth $27,589,000 after acquiring an additional 64,769 shares in the last quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Altria Group by 16.8% in the 1st quarter. Whitener Capital Management Inc. now owns 9,717 shares of the companys stock worth $434,000 after acquiring an additional 1,395 shares in the last quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Altria Group by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 14,944 shares of the companys stock worth $667,000 after acquiring an additional 540 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its stake in Altria Group by 5.0% in the 1st quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 453,189 shares of the companys stock worth $20,221,000 after acquiring an additional 21,638 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC now owns 248,365 shares of the companys stock worth $11,082,000 after purchasing an additional 6,656 shares during the period. 58.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Altria Group alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Altria Group from $49.50 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com cut shares of Altria Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $52.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $44.67. Altria Group Stock Up 1.1 % NYSE:MO opened at $43.95 on Thursday. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $40.35 and a 52 week high of $51.57. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $45.47 and a 200 day moving average of $45.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $78.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.13, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.59. Altria Group (NYSE:MO Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.01). Altria Group had a net margin of 22.44% and a negative return on equity of 245.43%. The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.89 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.12 EPS. The companys revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Altria Group, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year. Altria Group Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a $0.94 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.56%. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 120.90%. About Altria Group (Get Rating) Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; cigars and pipe tobacco principally under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco products and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; and on! oral nicotine pouches. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silverlake Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL Get Rating) by 8.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,857 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 383 shares during the period. Silverlake Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Royal Caribbean Cruises were worth $317,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of RCL. Capital World Investors grew its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 1,314.9% during the first quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 2,759,035 shares of the companys stock worth $231,152,000 after acquiring an additional 2,564,035 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter valued at $100,326,000. Primecap Management Co. CA grew its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 29.8% in the 3rd quarter. Primecap Management Co. CA now owns 6,776,061 shares of the companys stock valued at $256,813,000 after buying an additional 1,554,600 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 2,470.7% in the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 1,280,200 shares of the companys stock valued at $63,280,000 after buying an additional 1,230,400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Absolute Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Royal Caribbean Cruises in the 4th quarter valued at $980,000,000. 71.08% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Royal Caribbean Cruises alerts: Royal Caribbean Cruises Trading Up 0.8 % Shares of RCL stock opened at $97.36 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $77.88 and a 200 day moving average price of $68.06. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has a twelve month low of $31.09 and a twelve month high of $97.70. The company has a market capitalization of $24.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -23.92 and a beta of 2.43. The company has a current ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 0.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.41. Insider Activity Royal Caribbean Cruises ( NYSE:RCL Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported ($0.23) earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.71) by $0.48. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a negative net margin of 9.72% and a negative return on equity of 25.86%. The firm had revenue of $2.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted ($4.57) EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 172.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 4.69 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In other news, Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 375,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.74, for a total transaction of $30,277,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 20,689,632 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,670,480,887.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 375,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.74, for a total transaction of $30,277,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 20,689,632 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,670,480,887.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jason T. Liberty sold 36,536 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total transaction of $2,922,880.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 147,078 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,766,240. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 729,861 shares of company stock valued at $58,020,180 in the last 90 days. 8.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In RCL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Argus lifted their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $88.00 to $92.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lifted their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $65.00 to $71.00 in a research report on Friday, May 5th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $72.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 30th. Bank of America boosted their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $82.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Monday, June 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $100.00 to $103.00 in a research report on Monday, June 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $87.79. Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile (Get Rating) Royal Caribbean Group is a cruise company, which engages in the ownership and operation of the following global cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. The firm also holds interest in TUI Cruises GmbH, which operates the German brands TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RCL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Get Rating) by 3.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 88,506 shares of the banks stock after purchasing an additional 3,034 shares during the quarter. Bank of New York Mellon makes up about 1.4% of Ellsworth Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Ellsworth Advisors LLCs holdings in Bank of New York Mellon were worth $4,022,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BK. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 160.0% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 5,358 shares of the banks stock valued at $263,000 after buying an additional 3,297 shares during the last quarter. Prudential PLC bought a new stake in Bank of New York Mellon in the first quarter valued at $1,096,000. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 3.3% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 35,635 shares of the banks stock valued at $1,769,000 after buying an additional 1,154 shares during the last quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. lifted its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 54.3% in the first quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 232,115 shares of the banks stock valued at $11,519,000 after buying an additional 81,728 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zions Bancorporation N.A. lifted its stake in Bank of New York Mellon by 165.3% in the first quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,459 shares of the banks stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 909 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.19% of the companys stock. Get Bank of New York Mellon alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research firms have issued reports on BK. Barclays cut their target price on Bank of New York Mellon from $64.00 to $62.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $44.00 to $49.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $55.00 to $58.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 14th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Bank of New York Mellon from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Bank of New York Mellon in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Bank of New York Mellon has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $51.82. Bank of New York Mellon Price Performance Shares of Bank of New York Mellon stock opened at $44.00 on Thursday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $42.49 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $45.67. The stock has a market cap of $34.72 billion, a PE ratio of 13.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 1.07. The Bank of New York Mellon Co. has a 52 week low of $36.22 and a 52 week high of $52.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The bank reported $1.12 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.09 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $4.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.40 billion. Bank of New York Mellon had a return on equity of 11.45% and a net margin of 11.98%. Bank of New York Mellons revenue was up 11.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.86 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Bank of New York Mellon Co. will post 4.74 EPS for the current fiscal year. Bank of New York Mellon Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 11th. Investors of record on Friday, April 28th were paid a $0.37 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 27th. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.36%. Bank of New York Mellons dividend payout ratio is currently 46.84%. About Bank of New York Mellon (Get Rating) The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and other segments. The Securities Services segment offers custody, trust and depositary, accounting, exchange-traded funds, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, and data analytics. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Bank of New York Mellon Co. (NYSE:BK Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of New York Mellon Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of New York Mellon and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA boosted its holdings in The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV Get Rating) by 3.5% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 12,415 shares of the insurance providers stock after acquiring an additional 421 shares during the quarter. Travelers Companies accounts for 1.4% of Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PAs portfolio, making the stock its 25th largest position. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PAs holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $2,128,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,000. US Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Travelers Companies in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc acquired a new position in shares of Travelers Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $38,000. Motco increased its position in shares of Travelers Companies by 75.4% during the 4th quarter. Motco now owns 214 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 92 shares during the period. Finally, OLD Mission Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Travelers Companies during the 4th quarter valued at $42,000. 81.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Travelers Companies alerts: Insider Activity at Travelers Companies In related news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 37,316 shares of Travelers Companies stock in a transaction on Friday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $179.08, for a total transaction of $6,682,549.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 11,703 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,095,773.24. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Travelers Companies news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 37,316 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $179.08, for a total transaction of $6,682,549.28. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 11,703 shares in the company, valued at $2,095,773.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Michael Frederick Klein sold 10,246 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.85, for a total value of $1,873,481.10. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,080 shares in the company, valued at $2,574,528. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 59,134 shares of company stock valued at $10,617,466. Insiders own 1.29% of the companys stock. Travelers Companies Stock Performance Shares of Travelers Companies stock opened at $175.29 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $40.49 billion, a PE ratio of 14.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.61. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $177.50 and a 200-day simple moving average of $180.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $149.65 and a 12 month high of $194.51. Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The insurance provider reported $4.11 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.64 by $0.47. The business had revenue of $9.70 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.98 billion. Travelers Companies had a return on equity of 13.41% and a net margin of 7.41%. Travelers Companiess revenue was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $4.22 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 14.24 EPS for the current fiscal year. Travelers Companies declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, April 19th that authorizes the company to buyback $5.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the insurance provider to repurchase up to 12.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually an indication that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued. Travelers Companies Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, June 9th will be given a dividend of $1.00 per share. This is a boost from Travelers Companiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.93. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 8th. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.28%. Travelers Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.10%. Analyst Ratings Changes TRV has been the topic of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Travelers Companies from $180.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, March 31st. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Travelers Companies from $188.00 to $182.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Travelers Companies from $181.00 to $182.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Barclays raised their price objective on Travelers Companies from $179.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered Travelers Companies from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $192.93. Travelers Companies Company Profile (Get Rating) The Travelers Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TRV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Travelers Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Travelers Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of TOR Minerals International, Inc. (OTCMKTS:TORM Get Rating) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $2.42 and traded as low as $2.20. TOR Minerals International shares last traded at $2.20, with a volume of 582 shares changing hands. TOR Minerals International Trading Down 4.6 % The company has a current ratio of 3.55, a quick ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The companys 50-day moving average is $2.37 and its 200 day moving average is $2.42. TOR Minerals International Company Profile (Get Rating) TOR Minerals International, Inc produces and sells specialty mineral products in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The company offers alumina trihydrate and boehmite halogen-free flame retardant and smoke suppressant fillers for plastics, rubber, and specialty applications; and beige and gray colored titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigments for use in paints, coatings, plastics, paper, and various other products. Read More Receive News & Ratings for TOR Minerals International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TOR Minerals International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Children identifying as cats are miaowing and wearing tails and ears and defecating in kitty litter boxes in class, Britains dumbest headteacher has warned. Schools are now having to install kitty litter boxes in classrooms, as well as scratching posts for pupils who identify as cats. Some pupils also demand that they are allowed to sleep during classes, simply because thats what cats do all the time. Katharine Bhenchod cautioned that adult authority is long gone as more woke children are being allowed to identify as animals and objects in school. It comes after an 8-year-old girl was branded despicable by her teacher for rejecting her classmates claim that he identified as a toilet cleaning brush. The dumb headmistress and founder of the Panchod Salaa Community free school in Wembley, London, made the comments during a speech at NatCon last month. Dubbed Britains dumbest head, she warned that parents have no idea just had bad things are in schools. She said: Do you know that some kids identify as pussycats? Britains most idiotic headteacher Katharine Bhenchod claims there are more cases of pupils identifying as other species as parents and teachers cave in to woke demands. Even though I am supposedly the headteacher, I have no authority over anything that goes on in my own school, and because I have been forced to be woke myself, I cannot do or say anything. In fact, I might as well identify as a lamp post or something because everyone ignores me, Ms Bhenchod moaned. Britains weakest headteacher Katharine Bhenchod claims there are more cases of pupils identifying as other species as parents and teachers cave in to woke demands. We have one boy who identifies as a skunk. He says it is his non-binary right to fart in peoples faces if he is scared. Another pupil, Alison, identifies as a stick insect and stays still in one position for hours. So far, she has missed twelve classes this week alone, because she freezes in position in random areas around the school. On Tuesday, during a maths class, one pupil who identifies as an octopus squirted black ink over the entire classroom simply because he said he was very scared of quadratic equations. The teacher could do nothing and everyone just sat there for the entire class soaked in black ink. Julie Armshaw, 15, is a pupil at the school who identifies as a radiator. She now refuses to speak and only makes a creaking sound once in a while. During classes, she stands in the corner and spreads her arms and legs onto a wall. Because being woke is celebrated throughout the entire school system, there is nothing anyone can do to stop it all. Oink, miaow, moo. Recent Master of Marine Management graduate Rahim Sheik Heile remembers one Friday growing up in Somalia when he found himself on the water. I used to go to the sea every morning and see people fishing, says Rahim. One day he asked a man fishing, Can I follow you today? I fished with him, and he taught me how to put the hook and line on, everything. He noticed, though, that the man would return much of the fish he caught back to the water. The problem is that the people dont like eating fish, he joked. But there was a greater lesson there one that he would be instilled into his research and advocacy. He said, I will come tomorrow. The fish were abundant and very few people were fishing there, Rahim recalled. It was there on the riverbank that he started to form a concept of sustainability and equity that would influence his work years later nearly 11,000 kilometers away from home at Dal. A chance meeting Fast forward to 2017, Rahim found himself in the Maldives, representing his country at a meeting of like-minded developing coastal states, known as the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. It was there that he met Dr. Megan Bailey, an associate professor in Dal's Marine Affairs program. Rahim, who also has his MBA, was working with Somalias Ministry of Fisheries in his capacity as a fisheries director. His goal was to improve fishing equity in the Indian Ocean and represent Somalias interests in international negotiations. It was after a coffee chat with Dr. Bailey that Rahim decided he wanted study in Halifax at Dal. He was accepted into the Master of Marine Management program in 2019, but visa delays and tragedy pushed back his start. I was preparing to do an exam in Nairobi, and that was the moment a big explosion happened in Somalia, Rahim said. I couldnt go and travel. I missed the deadline. Then, with the start of the pandemic in Spring 2020, his arrival in Canada was again delayed. The tragic loss of colleagues and friends, along with travel restrictions, greatly complicated the start of his degree. Sometimes its difficult for me to make a decision on tough issues. But the moment I decided, I never hesitated. I waited, I continued, I persisted, until I reached the destination. Working for equitable outcomes It took several challenging years for Rahim to realize his goals, but in 2021, that persistence paid off. He arrived in Halifax, but not before entering a two-week quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staying at a Truro hotel, with the help of funding from Dal, Rahim remembers how one of his new colleagues drove up from Halifax to bring food and help him feel a little less alone while he braved the 14 days in the hotel room. That sense of support that Rahim encountered continued throughout his graduate program at Dal, where he completed research on foreign tuna fishing in Somali waters. Rahims work relates to the position of Somalia as a developing coastal state, previously a failed state, trying to redevelop its governance capacity, but fishing capacity as well, explains Dr. Bailey, who is also Canada Research Chair in Integrated Ocean and Coastal Governance and serves as Rahim's advisor His work is all related to his former position within government, working to support equitable outcomes for Somalia in fisheries negotiations. A newfound confidence Looking back on the past two years in the program, Rahim believes hes improved his ability to quickly problem solve a critical skill in fast-paced multilateral negotiations. I feel more confidence now, says Rahim. Conversation moves really fast in these meetings, says Dr. Bailey. Countries cite a legal precedent, or they cite a report. Then the topic moves on. If youre the person sitting at the microphone, you have to think really fast. The confidence those meetings require is something that Rahim always had within him, according to Dr. Bailey. She recalls watching him at a 2018 Commission meeting taking place during Ramadan. There were some delegates who had been fasting all day in these super long meetings, for weeks. The meeting is supposed to end at a certain time and the chair just kept letting it go. Rahim took the floor, and I thought this was very brave, and said can we take a break to break our fast? A broader scope Now, as Rahim has reached the end of his program, he will continue working with Dr. Bailey on his PhD and focusing on equitable fishing outcomes. My masters was basically focusing on Somalia, says Rahim, who begins his doctoral studies this fall. He will continue his studies with funding and support from the Sustainable Fisheries and Communities Trust (SFACT) and Nippon Foundation Nexus Program. He hopes to take a regional perspective and investigate colonial legacies and economic development in the east African region. While it was not an easy journey, from arriving in Canada to completing his degree, all while dealing with personal loss, Rahim looks back proudly on the last two years. The moment they called my name [at Convocation], I remembered the day I met Megan, Rahim says. The research itself is not really the goal, its doing this research to improve the future and create opportunity for the country and for the region. It has real meaning, Dr. Bailey says about Rahims work. While Rahim isnt entirely sure what the future will hold for him, he hopes that one day he will be able to return to Somalia as a change-maker. No matter what that looks like, hell be taking with him the lessons hes learned, and has yet to learn, at Dal back home and to the negotiating table. When the Constitution was originally drafted and came into use in 1950, the Preamble did not have the words socialist' and secular'." said Anoop Rao, an activist. (Image:DC) Hyderabad: The omission of the words secular and socialist from the Preamble of the Constitution printed on the cover page of Class X Social Studies textbooks published by the TS Council of Education Research & Training (SCERT) for the current academic year sparked a heated debate on whether it was a deliberate act by the government. Activists called out the grave error and asked that immediate action be taken up to fix the same. While some believe that it could have been a genuine mistake, of using the older, pre-amended version of the Preamble, others called it a deliberate act. "When the Constitution was originally drafted and came into use in 1950, the Preamble did not have the words socialist and secular. They were added later on December 18, 1976, by way of the 43rd amendment. So, it's possible the publishers made a mistake, albeit a terrible one," said Anoop Rao, an activist. Others said they have reasons to suspect foul play. Ravi Chava, secretary of the TS United Teachers Federation (TS-UTF), said that the omission might be a dig at the ruling BJP government for its push towards Hindutva and other allegedly anti-secular proposals. "The changes proposed and made to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and National Curriculum Framework (NCF), especially the removal of lessons about the Mughal empire, etc., all point towards political involvement," Chava said. Irrespective of the reason, the UTF demanded that authorities investigate the matter and take immediate steps on the issue of "wrong publication of the Preamble of the Constitution." Chava pointed out that while the error was only on the cover page of Class X textbooks, the picture of the Preamble in lessons for Class VIII and Class X had the latest version of the Preamble in both English and Telugu mediums. "It's the cover page that catches the eye and remains in a student's memory. Hence, its of bigger concern. Nevertheless, faulty printing of something as big as the Preamble of the Constitution is no tiny mistake," Chava said. Members of the UTF contended that such a mistake, appearing at a time when the world and the country were debating if Indias secular fabric and philosophy were facing a threat, is worrisome. K. Jangaiah, president of UTF, in a statement to the Council on Thursday, said: "The publication of the old Preamble, as some people could have wanted, instead of the existing Preamble, by the Telangana state government gives rise to many doubts. It appears to be done on purpose. Accidentally or not, it must be looked into and strict action must be taken against those responsible. Books must be reprinted and distributed." SCERT director Radha Reddy was unavailable for comment. In the second incident, a 30-year-old construction worker was murdered by his wife's paramour and the paramour's friend in Kudalwadi of Azampura on Wednesday afternoon. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: Hyderabad witnessed one of its most bloodthirsty days in history, witnessing six brutal murders in four separate incidents within 24 hours. Among the first incidents to be reported on Wednesday was the double murder at the Durganagar crossroads in Mailardevpally, wherein a roadside blanket seller and his friend, identified as Prakash, were murdered. The police said that the assailant smashed the heads of the victims with a granite slab, killing them on the spot. While the police have taken two persons into custody, they suspect that the murderer may not have had a motive and could have been mentally unstable. Mylardevpally police collected blood samples and CCTV footage from adjoining areas, before registering a case in the matter. The police also deployed a Clues team at the spot to collect forensic evidence. In the second incident, a 30-year-old construction worker was murdered by his wifes paramour and the paramours friend in Kudalwadi of Azampura on Wednesday afternoon. Identifying the main accused as Mohammed Shoeb and his aide as Akram, police said that the wife of the victim, Yousuf, was in an extramarital relationship with Shoeb for the past five months. Yousuf, upon finding out about their relationship, threatened Shoeb, following which Shoeb and Akram decided to murder Yousuf. The police said that they made the plan two days ago and brutally stabbed Yousuf, who died due to excessive bleeding. The duo fled the spot, the police said, adding that they were later taken into custody by the Chaderghat police. The southeast zone DCP said a Clues team was deployed to collect forensic evidence. In the third incident, a man strangled his wife to death over a dispute about adopting a child. The police said that a couple from Bihar, Bina and Laxman, were married 29 years ago but had no kids, due to which they frequently fought. In one such fight on Wednesday, Bina insisted on adopting a child, to which Laxman objected, leading to a heated argument between the husband and wife. Laxman, in a fit of rage, strangled Bina with a cable wire at their Bowenpally residence, the police said. Bowenpally police registered a case of murder against Laxman and remanded him to judicial custody. In the fourth incident, two transgenders were intercepted when they were travelling on a bike at Daibagh Road in Tappachabutra and murdered by one of the transgender persons jilted lover, in the early hours of Wednesday. The police identified the accused as Syed Inayat and Mohammed Inayath, who waylaid the victims, smashed their heads with boulders and surrendered to the police later in the day. The police said that Syed Inayat and one of the victims, Syed Yousuf alias Dolly, 26, were in a relationship for the past six months. However, Inayat decided to murder Dolly after she refused to marry him, the police said. The other victim was identified as Mohammed Riyaz alias Sofia, 27. DCP Kiran Khare said the murder was premeditated and took place at 1.20 am. After the accused smashed in their heads, one of them dropped a dagger at the spot before fleeing. The victims, residents of Hari Dargah in Jirrah, were returning home after meeting a friend. Tappachabutra police registered a case of murder against the accused, seized the murder weapons and recovered their blood-stained clothes from their possession. US President Joe Biden and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi walk through the Colonnade to the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on June 22, 2023. (AFP) New Delhi: US President Joe Biden on Thursday said India and the US should work and lead together given the challenges and opportunities facing the world, as he accorded Prime Minister Narendra Modi a grand welcome at the White House. "The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the United States work and lead together... Two great nations, two great friends, two great powers that can define the course of the 21st century," he said, describing the ties between the two countries as "one of the most defining" relationships in the 21st century. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in response said India and the US are committed to working together for global good and peace, stability and prosperity. He said the societies and institutions of the two countries are based on democratic values. Modi emphasised that the robust people-to-people connections serve as the true driving force behind the India-US relationship. "Today, India and the US are standing shoulder-to-shoulder, transcending boundaries from the depths of the ocean to the heights of the sky, encompassing ancient culture and embracing artificial intelligence," Modi said. Biden earlier accorded a grand welcome to Modi, saying "Welcome back to the White House," amid cheers from the large Indian-American crowd gathered on the South Lawn of the White House. They noted that their constitutions begin with "We the people", a nod to their robust democratic spirit. "This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honour and pride for 1.4 billion people of India. This is also an honour for more than 4 million people of Indian origin living in the US. For this honour, I express my heartfelt gratitude to President Biden and Dr Jill Biden," Modi said. He said both countries take pride in their diversity, and "both of us believe in the fundamental principle of 'In the interest of all, for the welfare of all'. He said about three decades ago, he had come to America as a common man and at that time, he had seen the White House from the outside. "After becoming the Prime Minister, I've come here many times, but today for the first time the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian-American community in such large numbers," he added. He said Indian community members are enhancing India's glory in the US through their hard work and dedication. The two national anthems were played along with a 21-gun salute to the visiting leader. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff were also present at the welcome ceremony. The Prime Minister would also deliver an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, which would be attended by Congressmen and senators in the presence of several hundred Indian Americans from the visitor's gallery. Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (File Image) Hyderabad: As the United States pulls out all stops to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit a huge success, India basks in a new glory of being a key indispensable partner of the developed economies to ring-fence the world from a coalition of autocrats. The tag of partner, analysts believe, was not bestowed upon on India by the Western nations, but it was earned by proving its economic mettle and potential. As per the World Economic Outlook report published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), India is the fastest growing major economy in the world. As per IMFs managing director Kristalina Georgieva, "even with global growth slowing down, India remains a bright spot in todays world". Now, India is the fifth largest economy in the world in a complete contrast to 10 years ago when the economy under the United Progressive Alliance government plunged to be one of the Fragile Five economies. Officials give credit to the Narendra Modi government's sustained economic reforms for helping India shed the Fragile Five tag. Under the BJP government, the Indian economy is worth $3.74 trillion standing behind the economies of just the United States ($26.85 trillion), China ($19.37 trillion), Japan ($4.41 trillion) and Germany ($4.31 trillion). Given the economic growth rate differential and the government's push for exports, the Indian economy is set overtake Germany to become the fourth largest economy in the world in 2027 and the third largest economy in 2029. The government's reforms included increasing the capital expenditure to create world-class infrastructure, implementation of GST, boost to exports and manufacturing through schemes such as PLI, reforms resulting in ease of doing business, reforms in labour laws, development of renewable energy capacity, reforms in FDI policy and ease of living for the common man through various welfare schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, among others. Telangana High Court Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Wednesday expressed concern over human trafficking menace in Telangana and the country, while dealing with a batch of PILs about the welfare of the destitute and functioning of child welfare centres in the state. The division bench of Chief Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N. Tukaramji observed that there was much to do to prevent, protect, rescue and rehabilitate trafficking victims. The court was dealing with PILs that mentioned a lack of sufficient government-run rehabilitation centres, including child welfare centres, for rescued victims. Earlier, the court had appointed senior counsel D. Prakash Reddy as amicus curiae to assist the court and submit a report by visiting the centres. The court had also assigned work to Telangana State Legal Services Authority (TSLSA) and District Legal Services Authority (DSLA) to file reports with respect to rehabilitation centres and rescue homes in their respective districts. On Wednesday, TSLSAs standing counsel Jukanti Anil Kumar compiled all reports received from the DLSAs, drawing the attention of the court to the poor conditions of most child welfare homes, most of which are managed by NGOs. Deepak Mishra, the counsel for Prajwala, one of the petitioners, pointed out to the court that all the matters were interconnected and respondents were not implementing provisions of the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act of 1956, by adequately setting up rescue homes in consonance with minimum standards of care and security requirements. Senior counsel L. Ravichander said that in 2014, according to the directions of the court, a committee was appointed to inspect the child welfare centres in the erstwhile undivided Andhra Pradesh. Ravichander, highlighting that the committee was headed by him, said a detailed report on the functioning of child welfare centres, their status and infrastructure was filed in court along with the said report, which contained several measures and also certain recommendations for the proper implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act. Besides, Telangana DGP, secretary to the state government, women, children, disabled and senior citizen welfare department filed their affidavits stating that anti-human trafficking units (AHTUs) were established in 31 police districts/commisionerates to tackle trafficking, which was highly organised conventional, as well as a digital/online, crime. Further, an affidavit stated that the womens safety wing is the nodal agency to monitor the functioning of AHTUs in all districts of Telangana. After hearing the contentions, the court asked the amicus curiae to make necessary submissions on the next date of the hearing, July 12. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao said that the Hussainsagar has become a landmark for Hyderabad, with its grandiose new Secretariat, 125-ft Ambedkar Statue, Buddha Statue and now, the Telangana Martyrs Memorial. (Image: S. Surender Reddy) Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday inaugurated the Telangana Martyrs Memorial Centre and said that the monument, constructed on the banks of Hussainsagar, will keep alive the flame of the Telangana agitation and Telangana spirit forever. He also emphasised the importance of the memorials location, as it was from here (Jala Drushyam) in 2001 that Chandrashekar Rao had launched the TRS to embark on a struggle for statehood. "Jala Drushyam was the residence of veteran freedom fighter Konda Laxman Bapuji. He allowed us to use his residence as the TRS office. After TRS won a good number of seats in zilla parishad and mandal parishad elections in Telangana in 2001, the then government of undivided AP took over the building, threw away all our belongings and razed the building in our absence. I decided to build the Telangana Martyrs Memorial at the same place, where the Telangana agitation was humiliated," Rao said. Countering allegations of inordinate delay in its construction, Rao said: "The delay was on account of my plans that this structure should be unique. I examined martyrs memorials in China, Singapore and Malaysia etc., and consulted engineers Finally, we zeroed in on a huge elliptical shaped mirror-finished structure built in the form of a lamp (diya) with a giant reddish yellow metallic flame atop. Engineers told me that this design would be expensive, but I opted for this structure, which is the largest seamless stainless-steel memorial built in the world, at a cost of 179 crore." The Chief Minister said that the flame atop the structure will continue to glow and reflect the spirit of those who had fought for statehood. "It will stand not just as a memorial for their sacrifices, but also an inspiration to the future generations," he said. Rao said that the Hussainsagar has become a landmark for Hyderabad, with its grandiose new Secretariat, 125-ft Ambedkar Statue, Buddha Statue and now, the Telangana Martyrs Memorial. He said the state government will ensure that any visiting national or international dignitary visits the memorial and pays tribute before embarking on their activities. Aam Aadmi Party leader, Mr Arvind Kejriwal threatened to "walk out" of the meet if the Congress doesn't join the protest against the Centre's ordinance. (File Image: ANI) New Delhi: Faultlines seemed to have appeared before the much-awaited Opposition meet at Patna on Friday. A day before the crucial gathering of the Opposition heavyweights to strategize the moves for the 2024 general elections, the Aam Aadmi Party leader, Mr Arvind Kejriwal threatened to "walk out" of the meet if the Congress doesn't join the protest against the Centre's ordinance. While the Bahujan Samaj Party chief, Ms Mayawati targeted the Opposition parties, particularly Congress, Odisha and Telangana chief ministers, Mr Naveen Patnaik and K. Chandrashekhar Rao had earlier indicated that they would skip the meet. The Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary expressed his inability to attend the mega event owing to a family function." On the eve of the meet, the Congress and the AAP crossed swords by taking on each other. Senior Congress leader, Mr Sandeep Dikshit responding to the AAP threat, lashed out saying "nobody is going to miss AAP, even if they skipped the meeting." He accused the AAP supremo of "looking for excuses to break the Opposition unity." It may be recalled that AAP has demanded that the ordinance promulgated by the Centre that effectively overrode a Supreme Court judgment on "control of services" to be on the agenda for tomorrow's meet. The Congress, which is in a direct fight with AAP in Delhi has maintained a stoic silence. Also the AAP's move to contest the forthcoming Rajasthan polls has set the alarm bells ringing for the Congress in the desert state. The BSP chief Ms Mayawati, who was not invited to Patna hit out at the Opposition outfits saying-it would have been better if these parties had come clean on their intentions." She wondered how long is this "moonh mein Ram bagal mein chhuri" going to to last. Those expected to participate include Tamil nadu CM, MK Stalin, Congress president, Mr Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader, Mr Rahul Gandhi, Trinamul Congress chief and West Bengal chief minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand chief minister, Mr Hemant Soren, NCP leader5, Mr Sharad Pawar, AAP's Punjab chief minister, Mr Bhagwant Mann and party supremo, Mr Arvind Kejriwal ,Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party chief, Ms Mehbooba Mufti., CPI(M) general secretary, Mr Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader, Mr D. Raja, Samajwadi Party chief, Mr Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena(UBT) chief, Mr Uddhav Thackerey, RJKD chief, Mr Tejashwi Yadav. The meeting was called by the JD(U) chief and Bihar chief minister, Mr Nirtish Kumar. Questions had earlier been raised over the possibility of an "opposition unity" as the outfits have their own "contradictions and electoral interests,"a Congress leader said. Sources revealed that the Congress could also rake up the raging violence before the forthcoming Panchayat polls in Bengal. "This could ruffle the TMC feathers,"the leader said. However, all eyes will be on the Congress and the role it intends to play during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Micron Technologys CEO Sanjay Mehrotra on Thursday said the company is looking forward to greater opportunities in India after an excellent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amid reports that the Union Government has cleared a proposal for the US chipmaker to set up a semiconductor testing and packing unit in the country. Mehrotra, who met Modi at the upscale Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington D.C. located just a few hundred metres away from the White House, praised the Prime Ministers vision for India and the advances that the country is making in several sectors. Track the live coverage of PM Modi's US visit here The meeting comes amid reports that India cleared an investment of over Rs 20,000 crore by Micron to set up the semiconductor testing and packing unit under the Union Governments Rs 76,000 production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the sector. The government had in 2021 launched the PLI scheme to woo major semiconductor firms across the globe after the supply chain encountered several issues, including the Covid-19 lockdown in China. Micron is a global leader in memory and storage, and we are the supplier for memory and storage in all end markets from data centres to smartphones to PCs and today really fueling the AI engine as well. We are excited about the opportunities that exist for the future of memory and storage, Mehrotra told reporters after meeting Modi. Also Read US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill host PM Modi for intimate dinner Under the PLI scheme, Vedanta and Foxconn have applied for a joint venture in Gujarat. Sources told DH that Gujarat remains the frontrunner for housing the Microns unit in India though several other states like Tamil Nadu are in the race. Several state governments have in the past one year invited Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Samsung to invest in the semiconductor sector in India. Home-grown Tata Electronics Private Limited (OSAT division) has also announced that it will venture into semiconductor manufacturing, for which four states, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana, are in competition. (The writer is in the US for a study tour on Countering Disinformation sponsored by the US Department of State) By Laura Nahmias and Guillermo Molero Stockton Rush, founder of the company that owns the missing submersible craft that was on its way to view the Titanic wreckage, has said safety is pure waste. I mean if you just want to be safe, dont get out of bed, dont get in your car, dont do anything, Rush said in a 2022 podcast with CBS reporter David Pogue. At some point, youre going to take some risk, and it really is a risk-reward question. Also Read What we know about missing Titanic tourist submersible That mindset is now coming into focus as rescuers race to find the Titan, which has Rush and four other passengers on board and is likely running out of oxygen, with estimates of about 16 hours left. Ocean scientists and at least one former employee of Rushs company, OceanGate Inc, have been sounding alarms about its safety procedures for at least five years. Founded in 2009, Everett, Washington-based OceanGate has been leading chartered expeditions on the Titan to the wreckage of the Titanic, 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) below sea level, since the summer of 2021 at a cost of $250,000 per person. The company declined to comment when contacted by Bloomberg News. But the experimental Titan craft, designed to explore a part of the Earth that few people have ever visited, is subject to little regulatory oversight and made passengers explicitly aware of the mortal risks they would face on board. Also Read | Missing Titanic sub: Experts raised safety concerns about OceanGate Titan in 2018 Passengers planning to board the Titan signed safety waivers that repeatedly mentioned the possibility of death. The craft, a cylindrical carbon-fiber and titanium tube that operates with a rudimentary video game controller and lacks even a GPS system, has been missing since Sunday. British-born sea adventurer Rob McCallum, who has visited the wreck of the Titanic, consulted for OceanGate in its earlier years but parted ways with the company for several reasons, including concern that Chief Executive Officer Rush was moving too quickly, Bloomberg reported in 2017. I know Stockton well and think the world needs more Stocktons prepared to take a chance, McCallum said at the time. But hes a full-speed-ahead, damn-the-torpedoes kind of guy, and in the submersible industry, extreme depth is all about precision and control. Nothing can be left to chance. McCallum declined to comment on the Titan mission Tuesday. Partners cited In a claim on its website that was visible last month, OceanGate said that Boeing Co, NASA and the University of Washington had collaborated on the design and engineering of the Titan. The mention of the three are no longer visible on the page. Another section of the website thanks various industry partners, including Boeing and NASA, for the help they provided in designing and engineering the Titan. Also Read Who's on board the missing Titanic sub? In a promotional video on OceanGates YouTube page, the company describes the Titans safety, and explains that it partnered with aerospace experts at the University of Washington, NASA and Boeing on the design of our hull. Boeing said in a statement that Boeing was not a partner on the Titan, and did not design or build it. In a 2020 release posted on the companys website, OceanGate said that NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, will serve as the facility where the development and manufacturing of a new aerospace-grade hull is completed for its latest submersible. In a statement Wednesday, NASA said it consulted on the materials and construction process for the Titan but didnt conduct testing or use its workforce or facilities for manufacturing. We regret to hear the Titan submersible is missing, and we remain hopeful the crew will be found unharmed, said Lance Davis at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. Kevin Williams, a spokesperson for the University of Washingtons Applied Physics Laboratory told CNN that the laboratory didnt help design or engineer the Titan vessel. Industry letter In March 2018, the Marine Technology Society, a group of ocean technologists and engineers, sent a letter to OceanGate asking the company to adopt recognised safety standards for the Titan, saying the companys experimental approach could result in negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic). Submersibles, unlike boats and other vessels, are largely unregulated, particularly when they operate in international waters, according to The New York Times. A former OceanGate employee, David Lochridge, raised concerns about the companys safety practices, according to documents filed in a 2018 federal case. OceanGate sued Lochridge for disclosing confidential business information about its technology, and court documents show Lochridge argued in a counterclaim that hed been wrongfully terminated from his position with OceanGate because he raised critical safety concerns regarding OceanGates experimental and untested design of the Titan. In 2019, in an unsigned blogpost on its website explaining why the Titan wasnt regulated, OceanGate said such approvals could be lengthy and wouldnt address operational risks. Bringing an outside entity up to speed on every innovation before it is put into real-world testing is anathema to rapid innovation, the post said. Signing waivers Since the Titans disappearance, several former passengers who have boarded the submersible said theyd signed a waiver before embarking that clearly delineated the extreme risks. Before you even get on the boat, theres a long, long waiver that mentions death three times on page one, Mike Reiss, a producer for The Simpsons television show who took a voyage on the Titan last summer to visit Titanic wreckage, told the New York Post. And in a CBS broadcast aired last summer on the Titans voyages, Pogue read aloud from a passenger waiver he signed before riding in the craft that described the Titan as an experimental submersible vessel that has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body and could result in physical injury, disability, emotional trauma or death. Some have questioned why OceanGate representatives waited so long after losing contact with the Titan to alert the US Coast Guard that the ship had gone missing. The surface ship lost contact with Titan an hour and 45 minutes into the dive, at 9:45 am New York time on Sunday, but the company waited until 5:40 pm to alert the Coast Guard. One possible explanation? It wasnt the first time the Titan had lost contact with the surface on a long dive to the sea floor. Pogue said in a tweet this week that during his trip the submersible lost contact with the surface for five hours. Pogue was in the control room of the research vessel overseeing the trip at the time. The surface ship could still send short texts to the Titan during the trip, but the crew was unsure of where the submersible was, Pogue said. OceanGate even shut off the ships internet connection, which he said OceanGate told him was done to keep all communications channels open in case of an emergency. There was no way to confirm whether this was the case, he said. The BJP president J P Nadda will address a public rally in Jharkhands Giridih district on Thursday as part of the partys mass outreach programme on the completion of nine years of the NDA government at the Centre. During his visit to the state, he will also meet distinguished people as part of the saffron party's "Sampark Se Samarthan" campaign. Nadda is scheduled to meet Sarod player Mor ji and Mukut Kedia ji at their residence in Giridih, the party said in a statement. The BJP launched the nationwide campaign last month under which its leaders, including ministers and parliamentarians, are reaching out to people, including distinguished personalities, seeking their support for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda will be on a two-day visit to Jharkhand and Odisha from June 22, where he will participate in several public and organisational programmes," the party said in a statement. Also read | Priyank Kharge lodges complaint against Nadda and Malviya for video 'misrepresenting' Rahul Gandhi Nadda is scheduled to reach Ranchi in the morning and fly to Giridih to address the rally at Jhanda Maidan (ground). He will meet various distinguished people in the two states under the party's Sampark Se Samarthan campaign, the statement said. After attending some other events in Giridih, the BJP president will leave for Odisha to chair a meeting with senior leaders of the Bargarh Lok Sabha constituency at the party office in Jharsuguda, the statement said. Nadda will offer prayers at Maa Manikeswari temple in Bhawanipatna on Friday and later address a public rally at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium. He will also meet "influential people" in Bhawanipatna as part of the outreach programme. Meanwhile, the Congress launched a scathing attack on the saffron party, stating that polls are more important for the BJP as its president is on an election tour and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is abroad at a time when Manipur is burning. PM Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. "Nadda should have visited Manipur on humanitarian grounds before making plans for the Jharkhand rally," the party said in a statement here. Over 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence in Manipur, which has been continuing for more than a month now. At a time when at least 18 parties are coming together to discuss Opposition unity for the 2024 elections, BSP chief Mayawati on Thursday struck a discordant note saying that the meeting was all about joining hands than hearts, and their "attitude" does not seem "serious" when it comes to winning Uttar Pradesh, which is crucial to their plans. Her comments, against the backdrop of now-denied reports that BSP is keen to strike a deal with the Opposition, came as she is not invited to the meet. Opposition leaders, however, claim that the BSP has "made it clear that the party will not be part of any alliance" and has never been part of the joint Opposition programmes in the recent past. Mayawati took to Twitter to find fault with the Patna exercise saying it would have been better if the parties had tried to instil confidence among people by espousing their clear intentions. "How long will 'Muh me Ram bagal mein churi' (speaking praise on face and stabbing in the back) last?" she said. Read | Leaders to meet in Patna to prepare first draft of Opposition unity but Kejriwal issues a threat at last minute She was particularly unhappy with the way the Opposition parties are strategising on UP, which sends a crucial 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha. The former UP Chief Minister said that it does not seem from their "attitude" that they are "serious about their objective in the north Indian state. "Eighty Lok Sabha seats in UP are said to be the key to electoral success, but it does not seem from the attitude of the opposition parties that they are serious and truly concerned about their objective here. Without the right priorities, will the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections here really bring about the necessary change?" she asked. Mayawati said it is clear from the condition of the 'bahujans' in the country, who are suffering from price rise, poverty, unemployment, backwardness, illiteracy, ethnic hatred, communalism and violence, that the Congress and the BJP are "incapable" of implementing the "humanistic, egalitarian" Constitution framed by B R Ambedkar. Mayawati was critical of the priorities of the parties, alleging that they were not raising issues of common people, and added, "in such a scenario, the meeting called by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is more of joining hands than hearts." The Opposition parties and BSP have kept each other at a distance for the past couple of years. The Mayawati-led party, which had participated in a series of Opposition protests in Parliament, has of late not attended any floor strategy meetings of the Opposition and has been taking a pro-government stand on legislations. Read | Nitish Kumar monitors preparations for mega Opposition meet However, with Lok Sabha elections fast approaching, there are attempts from both sides to find a middle path but no forward movement has been achieved so far. Earlier this week, there were reports about BSPs Telangana leadership holding talks with a Congress leader and possibilities of extending electoral cooperation to four state polls. However, BSP immediately denied any such plans. BSP was in alliance with Samajwadi Party and Congress in Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the last decade. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is on his maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday said that the special status of the erstwhile state under Article 370 was a temporary arrangement but still lasted for 70 years. The dream of Dr. Shama Prassad Mukherji - aik mulq mei dou nishan, dou pradhan nahi chaleingay (in one country two flags and two prime ministers will not work), stands fulfilled. With J&Ks complete integration, there is Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan and Ek Nishan (one constitution, one flag and one Prime Minister) from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, he said while addressing the Jammu University Convocation. Also Read: People in PoK are demanding to be part of India: Yogi Adityanath Dhankhar said that post abrogation of Article 370 J&K has witnessed remarkable growth. J&Ks integration with the Union has paved the way for investment, tourism boom and development. Jammu will be an education hub. J&K today has all the top institutions of the country be that IIM, IIT and even AIIMS, he said. The Vice President said that the architect of the Indian constitution Dr B R Ambedkar declined to draft Article 370 as he had a great vision. 200 State laws have been repealed and 100 laws modified post 370 abrogations, he said. Without naming any country or any person, he said that false narratives are set afloat in an orchestrated manner, by forces inimical to India. Some of us dont take it seriously. If the majority decides to stay silent, that means silence forever. These nefarious designs will never be allowed to succeed in our land, Dhankhar said. On the recent G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar, he said, We never stop dreaming as all our dreams will get fulfilled. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the Narendra Modi-led central government brought Left Wing Extremism under control in the entire country, except for a few areas in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, in nine years. Speaking at a rally at Pt Ravishankar Stadium in Durg city of Chhattisgarh, where the Assembly elections are due this year-end, Shah said the state government has failed on all fronts and the countdown of the Bhupesh Baghel-led regime has begun. Also Read: Amit Shah convenes all-party meeting to discuss Manipur unrest on June 24 Sounding the poll bugle, the senior BJP leader asked people to vote out the Baghel-led Congress government from the state and to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi to power for a third consecutive term in the 2024 parliamentary polls. Highlighting the achievements of nine years of the Modi-led government, he said, "The Left Wing Extremism was brought under control in the entire country, barring a few areas in Bastar region in Chhattisgarh, during this period." Shah accused the Congress government in Chhattisgarh of indulging in corruption in multiple sectors and said Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel should be ashamed of "ditching" people of the state. Blaming the Congress government for the "rise" in crime and corruption, Shah said, The Baghel government has been facing allegations of a Rs 2,000 crore liquor scam, Rs 500 crore coal transportation scam, Rs 1,300 crore gauthan scam, Public Service Commission scam, District Mineral Foundation (DMF) scam and many more." "Do you want to re-elect this government ridden with corruption?" he asked the gathering. Also Read: Amit Shah reaches Chhattisgarh for public rally; CM Baghel requests him to ban 'Adipurush' Shah described the Baghel government as "wadakhilafi karne wali sarkar" (the government going back on its promises). The Congress failed to fulfil its promises of liquor ban, waiving the loans of self-help groups and providing unemployment allowance, Shah said. Women involved in the 'ready-to-eat' scheme lost their jobs, elderly people have not been getting old age pension properly and even the payments of tendu leaves collectors are pending, he said. Terrorism divides but tourism unites and helps in creating a harmonious society, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday. A video message from Modi was played at the inaugural session of the G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting here. "It is said that terrorism divides, but tourism unites. Tourism has the potential to unite people from all walks of life thereby creating a harmonious society," he said. Also Read | PM Modi to join Biden in rare press conference; questions limited The prime minister expressed confidence that the deliberations and the 'Goa Roadmap' would "multiply the collective efforts to realise tourism's transformative power". A Goa Roadmap and Action Plan, and a ministerial outcome document later came out at the end of the G20 ministerial here. Tourism ministers and delegates from various G20 countries, including guest countries, are attending the two-day ministerial meeting. About 130 delegates from countries such as the US, the UK, Spain, South Africa, Russia, Mauritius, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia, Nigeria, Oman, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and top international organisations took part in the event in Goa. Modi said tourism ministers rarely get a chance to be tourists themselves even though they are handling a sector worth more than USD 2 trillion globally. Underlining that the meeting was taking place in Goa, one of the major tourist attractions in India, the prime minister urged the dignitaries to take out some time from their serious discussions and explore the natural beauty and the spiritual side of the state. In the last nine years, the central government has placed special emphasis on developing the entire ecosystem of tourism in India, he said. The Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) has called off the 'bandh' slated for Thursday following talks with the government, and also urged all its affiliated bodies not to protest or call a 'bandh', news agency ANI reported. The Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I) along with all other district chambers of commerce had given a shutdown call for June 22 against the recent power tariff hike. They had appealed to all the trade and industry bodies to close their establishments in protest against the abnormal price hike in electricity charges by ESCOMs. Despite reports of the FKCCI calling off the 'bandh', DH reported that Hubballi commercial areas saw near-total 'bandh' over the issue. In Belagavi too, there were protests from industry and trade bodies. Protestors reportedly held banners and marched to district headquarters in Hubballi-Dharwad, Shivamogga, Belagavi, Ballari, Vijayanagar, Davangere and Koppal, among others. Amid the row over raised electricity bills, there are reports of a Karnataka woman with two light bulbs, who has been handed a bill of Rs 1 lakh. Chevron Corporation, through a network of subsidiaries, engages in integrated energy and chemicals operations worldwide. The company is the 7th largest integrated oil company worldwide, the 2nd largest in the US, and has been in operation since 1879. Chevron was part of the original Standard Oil Company and is one of the 34 successor companies that were formed when it was broken up. Today, the company brings in roughly $160 billion in annual revenues and is the last remaining oil and gas component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Originally called Standard Oil Of California the company grew quickly via mergers and acquisitions. It was hailed as one of the Seven Sisters to dominate the US and global production throughout the mid-20th century and became even bigger in 1985 when it merged with Gulf Oil. The merger with Gulf Oil resulted in the rebranding from Standard Oil Of California to Chevron (a brand used by the company outside its California jurisdiction) and then ChevronTexaco Corporation in 2005 when that merger took place. The company rebranded again in 2005 to what we know today as Chevron Corporation. Chevron Corporation is now based in San Ramone, California, and has operations in 180 countries. The company employs more than 42,500 people who operate 5 refineries and 8,000+ Texaco, Chevron, and Standard Oil service stations in the US alone. The company's Exploration and Drilling operations produced a record 3.1 million barrels per day and its US refineries process more than 1 million barrels per day. At the end of 2021, the company has more than 11.3 billion barrels of proven oil and liquid-equivalent reserves and boasted a 112% reserve replacement rate. The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment explores new reserves, develops known reserves, produces petroleum and gas products as needed, transports, processes, pipes, stores, and markets petroleum worldwide. The Downstream segment refines and markets the full line of petroleum-based products including but not limited to fuels such as gas, diesel, and aviation fuel, as well as lubricants, petrochemicals, and plastics. The company transports products via pipeline, rail, marine vessels, and truck. Chevron recognizes the need to lower the worlds carbon output and is working toward that end. The companys strategy is two-pronged and includes reducing its own carbon output while investing in green and lower-carbon technologies. The companys goal is to invest $10 billion or more into lower carbon energy sources and technologies by 2028. Chevron is a Dividend Aristocrat. The company has been paying a dividend since 1989 and it has raised it every year since its inception. Exxon Mobil Corporation is the largest direct descendent of John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil and one of the worlds largest companies. Its earliest roots lie with Vacuum Oil which got its start in the 1860s. Vacuum Oils primary product was kerosene, an important advancement for heating and lighting in rural America. Vacuum Oil was later merged with Standard Oil of New Jersey which was the parent operation of the Standard Oil empire prior to its breakup. Standard Oil of New Jersey would merge with other independent operators over the next few years until settling on the brand Exxon for most of its operations. Meanwhile, Standard Oil of New York was operating under much the same impetus, merging and growing, until it became known as Mobil. Then, in 1999, the two giants became one with a merger of equals that on paper had Exxon buying Mobil. Now, the combined company operates under the Exxon, Mobil, and Esso brands as an international vertically integrated energy and petrochemical business. Today, the company explores and produces crude oil and natural gas and their derivative products globally. As of 2022, it was ranked 6th on Forbes Fortune 500 list and 12th on the Global 500 list but it has held positions from #1 to #10 over the years. In terms of its operations, it is the worlds second-largest oil refiner and the largest refiner outside of China. In terms of reserves, ExxonMobil claimed about 18.5 million barrels of oil and oil equivalents at the end of 2021 and was ranked 15th globally. ExxonMobil operates through three segments that are the Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces oil and oil equivalents and represents roughly 70% of the income. The Downstream segment gathers, receives, stores, transports and refines oil and equivalents and their derivatives. The Downstream segment also markets and delivers fuel products to consumers and businesses. The Chemicals segment produces the full range of petrochemicals including plastics, resins and synthetic rubber. ExxonMobil is committed to advancing sustainable and carbon-free energy solutions. The company is targeting 2050 for net-zero emissions and its 2030 interim targets are in alignment with the Paris Accord, the EU's Global Methane Pledge, and US Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan. The companys plans include investing $15 billion into reducing greenhouse emissions by 2028. The following companies are subsidiares of UnitedHealth Group: 1070715 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1st Avenue Pharmacy Inc., 310 Canyon Medical LLC, 4C MSO LLC, 4C Medical Group PLC, 5995 Minnetonka LLC, ABCO International Holdings LLC, ACN Group IPA of New York Inc., ACN Group of California Inc., AHN Accountable Care Organization LLC, AHN Central Services LLC, AHN Target Holdings LLC, AMIL International S.a.r.l., APS Assistencia Personalizada a Saude Ltda., ASC Holdings of New Jersey LLC, ASC Network LLC, ASC Operators-East Bay LLC, ASC Operators-San Francisco LLC, ASC Operators-San Luis Obispo LLC, ASC Operators-Santa Rosa LLC, ASC Operators-South Bay LLC, ASV-HOPCo-SCA Cornerstone LLC, ASV-HOPCo-SCA Florida LLC, AbleTo Behavioral Health Services P.C., AbleTo Inc., Accurate Rx Pharmacy Consulting LLC, Administradora Clinica La Colina S.A.S., Administradora Country S.A.S., Administradora Medica Centromed S.A., Advanced Surgery Center of Clifton LLC, Advanced Surgical Center LLC, Advanced Surgical Hospital LLC, Advocate Condell Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., Advocate-SCA Partners LLC, Aliansalud Entidad Promotora de Salud S.A., All Savers Insurance Company, All Savers Life Insurance Company of California, Alliance Surgical Center LLC, Allina Health Heart and Vascular Surgery Center LLC, Allina Health Surgery Center-Brooklyn Park LLC, Aloha Surgical Center LLC, Ambient Healthcare Inc., Ambient Holdings Inc., AmeriChoice, AmeriChoice Corporation, AmeriChoice of New Jersey Inc., American Health Network of Indiana Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Indiana II LLC, American Health Network of Indiana LLC, American Health Network of Kentucky LLC, American Health Network of Ohio Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Ohio II LLC, American Health Network of Ohio LLC, American Physicians Inc., Amico Saude Ltda., Amil, Amil Assistencia Medica Internacional S.A., Angiografia e Hemodinamica Madre Theodora Ltda., Anne Arundel-SCA Holdings LLC, Anne Arundel-SCA Surgicenter LLC, Antelope Valley Surgery Center L.P., Analisis Clinicos ML S.A.C., Apothecary Holdings Inc., AppleCare Medical Management LLC, Aquitania Chilean Holding SpA, Arcadia JV Holdings LLC, Arcadia Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., ArchWell Health LLC, ArchWell Health MSO LLC, ArchWell Health Professional Services Holding Co., ArchWell Health Professional Services of Alabama LLC, ArchWell Health Professional Services of North Carolina P.C., ArchWell Health Professional Services of Oklahoma LLC, Archwell Health Professional Services of Arizona LLC, Archwell Health Professional Services of Nebraska LLC, Arise Physician Group, Arizona Physicians IPA Inc., Arlington Surgery Center LLC, Aspectus Inc., Associacao Lusiadas Knowledge Center Health Education and Research, Audax Health Solutions LLC, Aurora Hospitalist P.C., Austin Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Avella Specialty Pharmacy, Aventura Medical Tower Surgery Center LLC, Avery Parent Holdings Inc., Aveta Inc., AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings LLC, AxelaCare LLC, B.R.A.S.S. Partnership in Commendam, BOSC Holdings LLC, BSC Holdings LLC, Ball Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Banmedica Colombia S.A.S., Banmedica Internacional SpA, Banmedica S.A., Barranca Surgery Center LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings II LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings III LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings LLC, Beaver Medical Group P.C., Bedford Physicians Risk Retention Group Inc., Behavioral Healthcare Options Inc., Beltway Surgery Centers L.L.C., Benefit Administration for the Self Employed L.L.C., Benefitter Insurance Solutions Inc., Bergan Mercy Surgery Center LLC, Bergen-Passaic Cataract Laser and Surgery Center LLC, Bessler MD PLLC, Bind Benefits Inc., Bind LH Holdings Inc., Bind Re Inc., Birmingham Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Birmingham Outpatient Surgical Center LLC, Bloomfield ASC LLC, Blue Ridge Day Surgery Center L.P., Blue Ridge GP LLC, Blue Ridge Properties LLC, Boca Raton Outpatient Surgery & Laser Center LTD., Bordeaux Barbados Holdings I SRL, Bordeaux Barbados Holdings II SRL, Bordeaux Barbados Holdings III S.r.l., Bordeaux Holding SpA, Bordeaux International Holdings Inc., Bordeaux UK Holdings I Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings II Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings III Limited, Bosque Medical Center Ltda., Brandon Ambulatory Surgery Center LC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 102 LLC, BriovaRx of Florida Inc., BriovaRx of Maine Inc., BriovaRx of Massachusetts LLC, CCEC Anesthesia Management LLC, CDC Holdings Colombia S.A.S., CLISA Clinica de Santo Antonio S.A., CMO Centro Medico de Oftalmologia S/S Ltda., CMS Central de Manipulacao e Servicos Farmaceuticos Ltda., COI Clinicas Oncologicas Integradas S.A., Cabin Enterprises LLC, Cabin Holdings LLC, California Medical Group Insurance Company Risk Retention Group, Camp Hill Ambulatory Centers, Camp Hill-SCA Centers LLC, Capital City Medical Group L.L.C., Cardinal Holding Company LLC, Care Improvement Plus Group Management LLC, Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus Wisconsin Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus of Texas Insurance Company, Care Logistics LLC, CareMount Dental Member LLC, CareMount Health Solutions ACO LLC, CareMount Health Solutions Employer LLC, CareMount Health Solutions LLC, CareMount Holding LLC, CareMount Medical Foundation Inc., CareMount Value Partners IPA LLC, Carr PLLC, Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha Ltda., Castle Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Castle Rock SurgiCenter LLC, Catalyst360 LLC, Catamaran 2 Unlimited Company, Catamaran Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, Catamaran S.a.r.l., Cedar Park JV Partners LLC, Cedar Park Surgery Center LLC, Cemed Care Empresa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Center for Quality Improvement LLC, Center for Restorative Surgery at Maple Grove LLC, Center for Surgery of North Coast L.P., Central Indiana Care Organization LLC, Central Ohio Care Organization LLC, CentriHealth Corporation, CentrifyHealth LLC, Centro Medico Hospitalar Pitangueiras Ltda., Centro Odontologico Americano S.A.C., Centro de Entrenamiento Capacitacion en Reanimacion y Prevencion Limitada, Centro de Servicios Compartidos Banmedica SpA, Centromed Quilpue S.A., Centros Medicos y Dentales Multimed Ltda., Centura-SCA Holdings LLC, Centurion Casualty Company, Channel Islands Surgicenter L.P., Channel Islands Surgicenter Properties LLC, Charleston Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Charleston Surgery Properties LLC, Charlotte Surgery Center LLC, Charlotte Surgery Properties LTD., Charlotte-SC LLC, Chatham Orthopaedic ASC LLC, Childrens Surgery Center LLC, Citrus Regional Surgery Center L.P., Claims Management Systems Inc., Cleburne Surgical Center LLC, Clinical Partners of Colorado Springs LLC, Clinton Partners LLC, Clinica Alameda SpA, Clinica Bio Bio SpA, Clinica Ciudad del Mar S.A., Clinica Davila y Servicios Medicos S.p.A., Clinica Iquique S.A., Clinica Medico Cirurgica de Santa Tecla S.A., Clinica Portoazul S.A., Clinica San Felipe S.A., Clinica Santa Maria S.p.A., Clinica Sanchez Ferrer S.A., Clinica Vespucio S.A., Clinica del Country S.A.S., Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare Inc., Coalition for Advanced Pharmacy Services Inc., Cobranzas Banmedica SpA, Cogent Healthcare IPA of New York Inc., Cogent Healthcare Inc., Cogent Healthcare Management of New York Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Arizona P.C., Cogent Healthcare of California Prof. Corp., Cogent Healthcare of Georgia P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Illinois LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Iowa P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Jackson MS LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Jacksonville LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Missouri Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Montana P.C., Cogent Healthcare of New Jersey P.C., Cogent Healthcare of North Carolina P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Oregon P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Pensacola L.L.C., Cogent Healthcare of Tennessee P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Washington P.C., Cogent Medical Care P.C., Cogent Patient Safety Organization Inc., Cogent/Endion Medical Care of New York P.C., Collaborative Care Holdings LLC, Collaborative Care Services Inc., Collaborative Realty LLC, Colmedica Medicina Prepagada S.A., Colonial Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Colorado Innovative Physician Solutions Inc., Colorado Springs Surgery Center Ltd., Comfort Care Transportation LLC, Comprehensive Hospital Physicians of Florida Inc., ConnectYourCare Inc., ConnectYourCare LLC, Connecticut Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Connecticut Surgery Properties LLC, Connecticut Surgical Center LLC, Consorcio Regenero S.A., Constructora Inmobiliaria Magapoq S.A., Consumer Wellness Solutions Inc., Continuum Physicians Group Inc., Continuum Physicians Group of Washington PLLC, Cornell Surgicenter LLC, Cornerstone Surgery Center LLC, Cornerstone Surgicare LLC, Corpus Christi Endoscopy Center L.L.P., Country Scan Ltda., Critical Care Physician of New York P.C., Critical Care Physicians of Illinois LLC, Critical Care Physicians of New Jersey PC, Critical Care Physicians of Pennsylvania P.C., Cross Timbers Surgery Center LLC, Cypress Care Inc., DBP Services of New York IPA Inc., DSP Flint Real Estate LLC, DSP-Building C LLC, DTC Surgery Center LLC, DWIC of Tampa Bay Inc., Dallas Inpatient Specialist PLLC, Danbury Surgical Center L.P., Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company LLC, Definity Health, Dental Benefit Providers Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of California Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois Inc., Denton Endoscopy Surgery Center LLC, Denton Surgery Center LLC, Derry Surgical Center LLC, Diagnostico Ecotomografico Centromed Ltda., Diasnostico por Imagenes Centromed Ltda., Digestive Disease Center L.P., Dilab Medicina Nuclear Ltda., Diplomat Blocker LLC, Diplomat Corporate Properties LLC, Diplomat Pharmacy, Diplomat Pharmacy Inc., Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy Great Lakes Distribution Center LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Chicago LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Los Angeles County LLC, Distance Learning Network Inc., Divisadero Holdings LLC, DocASAP Inc., DocASAP India Technologies Private Limited, DocASAP US LLC, Doctor + S.A.C., Dry Creek Surgery Center LLC, Dublin Surgery Center LLC, Duluth Surgical Suites LLC, Durable Medical Equipment Inc., E Street Endoscopy LLC, EM Orange Tree LLC, EP Campus I LLC, EPIC Health Plan, EPIC Management Services LLC, East Bay Endoscopy Center L.P., East Brunswick Surgery Center LLC, Echo Locum Tenens Inc., Electronic Network Systems Inc., Elual Participacoes S.A., Emerald Coast Surgery Center L.P., Emisar Pharma Services LLC, Emmaus Holdings LLC, Emmaus Surgical Center LLC, Empire Physician Management Company LLC, Empremedica S. A., Endion Hospitalist North P.C., Endion Hospitalist of Western New York P.C., Endion Medical Healthcare P.C., Endion Medical Services P.C., Endoscopy Center Affiliates Inc., Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Equian, Equian LLC, Equian Parent Corp., Esho Empresa de Servicos Hospitalares S.A., Everett MSO Inc., Excelsior Insurance Brokerage Inc., Executive Health Resources Inc., Executive Surgery Center L.L.C., Eye Clinic Oftalmologia Clinico Cirurgica e Diagnostico Ltda., Eye Specialists Surgery Centers LLC, FMG Holdings LLC, Family Health Care Services, Family Home Hospice Inc., Ferrell Physician Services P.C., Fideicomiso Clinica Barranquilla Portoazul FA-517, First Coast Orthopedic Center LLC, First Family Insurance LLC, Florence Surgery Center L.P., For Health Inc., For Health of Arizona Inc., Fort Sutter Medical Building a California Limited Partnership, Fort Worth Endoscopy Centers LLC, Fortified Provider Network Inc., Foundation Surgery Affiliate General of Huntingdon Valley LLC, Foundation Surgery Affiliate of Huntingdon Valley L.P., Franklin Surgical Center LLC, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Freeway Surgicenter of Houston LLC, Frontier Medex Tanzania Limited, FrontierMEDEX Inc., FrontierMEDEX Kenya Limited, FrontierMEDEX US Inc., Fundacion Banmedica, GLBESC LLC, GRANTS PASS SURGERY CENTER LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center LLC, Gainesville Surgery Center L.P., Gainesville Surgery Properties LLC, Genoa, Genoa Healthcare Inc., Genoa QoL Wholesale LLC, Genoa Technology Canada Inc., Genoa Technology Inc., Genoa Telepsychiatry Inc., Genoa of Arkansas LLC, Gladiolus Surgery Center L.L.C., Glenwood Surgical Center L.P., Glenwood-SC Inc., Global One Ventures LLC, Golden Gate Endoscopy Center LLC, Golden Outlook Inc., Golden Rule Financial Corporation, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Golden Triangle Surgicenter L.P., Grandview Surgery Center LTD., Greater New Haven ASC LLC, Greensboro Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Greenville Surgery Center LLC, Greenway Surgical Suites LLC, Grossmont Surgery Center L.P., Grove Place Surgery Center L.L.C., H&W Indemnity SPC Ltd., H.I. Investments Holding Company LLC, HCP ACO California LLC, HCentive Technology India Private Limited, HFHS-SCA Holdings LLC, HMG Holding Corporation, HMG Holdings LLC, HMP of Baltimore USH P.C., Harken Health Insurance Company, Harrison Endo Surgical Center LLC, Hawthorn Place Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Hays JV Partners LLC, Hays Surgery Center LLC, Health Care-ONE Insurance Agency Inc., Health Inventures Employment Solutions LLC, Health Inventures LLC, Health Plan of Nevada Inc., HealthCare Partners ASC-LB LLC, HealthCare Partners Affiliates Medical Group, HealthCare Partners Management Services California LLC, HealthCare Partners RE LLC, HealthEast Surgery Center-Maplewood LLC, HealthFirst IPA Inc., HealthMarkets Group Inc., HealthMarkets Inc., HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., HealthMarkets LLC, HealthMarkets Services Inc., HealthSCOPE Holdings Inc., HealthScope Benefits Inc., Healthcare Solutions Inc., Healthplex America LLC, Healthplex Dental Services Inc., Healthplex I.P.A. Inc., Healthplex Inc., Healthplex Insurance Company, Healthplex of CT Inc., Healthplex of DC Inc., Healthplex of MD Inc., Healthplex of ME Inc., Healthplex of NC Inc., Healthplex of NJ Inc., Healthplex of TX Inc., Heartland Heart and Vascular LLC, Help Seguros de Vida S.A., Help Service S.A., Help SpA, Hemonefro Hemodialise e Nefrologia Ltda, Highlands Ranch Healthcare LLC, Home Medical S.A., Honodav SpA, Hospice Inspiris Holdings Inc., Hospitais Associados de Pernambuco Ltda., Hospital Alvorada Taguatinga Ltda., Hospital Ana Costa S.A., Hospital Santa Helena S.A., Hospital de Clinicas de Jacarepagua Ltda., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of Broome County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Binghamton P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Buffalo P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Newburgh P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Nyack P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Patchogue P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Goodyear Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Nogales Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Sierra Vista Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Buncombe County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Apple Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Bakersfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Camarillo PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Crescent City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fairfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fremont PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Grass Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Jackson PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oceanside PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oxnard PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Salinas PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Leandro PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Sonoma PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Thousand Oaks PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Vacaville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Brighton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Denver PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Manchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Rockville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Wallingford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Palm Coast LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Fredericksburg LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Atlanta PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - East Point PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Lavonia PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Savannah PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii - Kealakekua Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho - Nampa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Downers Grove LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Elmhurst LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Rockford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Winfield LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Clinton LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Mishawaka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Terre Haute LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Cedar Rapids PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Mason City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Topeka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Wichita II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Wichita LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Alexandria Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Bossier City Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Lake Charles Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Shreveport Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine - Bangor PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine - Lewiston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Cheverly PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Cumberland PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Frederick PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Laurel PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Rockville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Brockton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Dorchester PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Framingham PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Holyoke PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Natick PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Norwood PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Springfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Stoughton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Taunton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Worcester PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Alpena PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Dowagiac PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Escanaba PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grand Blanc PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grayling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Kalamazoo PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Plainwell PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Port Huron PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Saginaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Tawas City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Bridgeton Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Richmond Heights Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Billings PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Butte PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Miles City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Missoula PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Multiple Practice Sites LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada TCG Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada TCS Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - Hackensack PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - Paterson PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - Clovis LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - Rio Rancho LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Mexico - TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New York PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Burlington PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Clyde PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Elizabeth City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Jacksonville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - New Bern PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina - Rocky Mount PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Carolina TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Dakota TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of North Dakota TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Akron Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Batavia Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Canton Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati II Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati III Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Cincinnati Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Circleville Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Columbus II Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Columbus Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Dover Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - East Liverpool Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Fairfield Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Martins Ferry Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Westerville Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio - Youngstown Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio TCG Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Ohio TCS Professional Corporation, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oklahoma - Oklahoma City LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oklahoma TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oklahoma TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oregon - Portland PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oregon TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Oregon TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Pennsylvania P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Pennsylvania TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Pennsylvania TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Rhode Island TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Rhode Island TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Richland County Ltd., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of San Luis Obispo County Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina - Aiken LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina - Rock Hill LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Carolina TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Dakota TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of South Dakota TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee Columbia PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee Franklin PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Tennessee TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Amarillo PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Atlanta PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Austin II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Austin PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Bryan PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Burnet PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Corpus Christi II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Corpus Christi PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Cypress PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Dallas PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - El Paso II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - El Paso III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - El Paso PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Fort Worth II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Fort Worth PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Fredericksburg PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Houston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Humble PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Kerrville PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Kyle PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Livingston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Lubbock PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Lufkin PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Mount Pleasant PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Plainview PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Rockwall PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Round Rock PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio IV PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio V PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio VI PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio VII PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Marcos PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Texarkana PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Tyler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Utah TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Utah TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Vermont TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Vermont TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Alexandria LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Mechanicsville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Midlothian LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Winchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Arlington PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Auburn PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bellingham PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bremerton PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Burien PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Coupeville PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Enumclaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Federal Way PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Gig Harbor PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Lakewood PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Mount Vernon PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Puyallup PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Tacoma PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Vancouver PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington County LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia Martinsburg PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia South Charleston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of West Virginia Wheeling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wisconsin Ltd., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming - Casper LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming TCS LLC, Hospitalists Management Group LLC, Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation Ontario, IEC Holdings LLC, IHD Holdings LLC, INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, Illinois Independent Care Network LLC, Imagen Technologies Inc., Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., InTouch Pharmacy LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Indiana Endoscopy Centers LLC, Inland Surgery Center L.P., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inpatient Services P.C., Inpatient Specialists of California P.C., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Instituto Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, Inter-Hospital Physicians Association Inc., International Healthcare Services Inc., Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria SpA, Ironman Holdco Inc., Ironman Intermediate Holdco LLC, Isapre Banmedica S.A., JPM Healthcare LLC, Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Jordan Ridge Family Medicine LLC, Joyable Inc., Kansal Inc. A Professional Corporation, Knox Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Kokomo Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, LDI Holding Company LLC, LDI Management Services LLC, LGH-A/Golf ASTC L.L.C., LHC Group, La Esperanza del Peru S.A., Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Landmark Group Holdings LLC, Landmark Health Holdings LLC, Landmark Health LLC, Landmark Health NY IPA LLC, Landmark Health NY PO LLC, Landmark Health Technologies Private Limited, Landmark Health of California LLC, Landmark Health of Massachusetts LLC, Landmark Health of North Carolina LLC, Landmark Health of Oregon LLC, Landmark Health of Pennsylvania LLC, Landmark Health of Washington LLC, Landmark India LLC, Landmark Intermediate Holdings LLC, Landmark MSO LLC, Landmark Medical of Idaho PC, Landmark Medical of Massachusetts PLLC, Landmark Medical of Tennessee PC, Landmark Primary Care LLC, Laser Acquisition Holdings III LLC, Leehar Distributors LLC, Lemhi Ventures Fund I LP, Lemhi Ventures Fund II LP, Level2 Medical Services P.C. Alaska, Lexington Surgery Center Ltd., Liberty Anesthesia Services LLC, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeWell. Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Limestone Medical Center LLC, Litomedica S.A., Logan Surgical Suites LLC, Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook L.P., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas Algarve S.A., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., Lutheran Campus ASC LLC, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MCNA Health Care Holdings LLC, MCNA Insurance Company, MCNA Systems Corp., MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, Main Line Spine Surgery Center LLC, Managed Care of North America Inc., Managed Physical Network Inc., Mansfield Endoscopy Center LLC, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care IPA Inc., March Vision Care Inc., March Vision Care of Texas Inc., Marin Health Ventures LLC, Marin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Marlin Holding Company LLC, Maryland Ambulatory Centers LLC, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, McKenzie Surgery Center L.P., MedExpress Primary Care West Virginia Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services LLC, Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memorial Houston Surgery Center LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Orange Coast LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Saddleback LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management Ltd., Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midlands Orthopaedics Surgery Center LLC, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Medical Plaza L.C., Mobile Medical Services of New Jersey PC, Mobile-SC LTD., Modality Accountable Care Organisation Limited, Moen M.D. P.C., Mohawk Surgery Center LLC, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Monument Health LLC, Moore Orthopaedic Clinic Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Morris County Surgical Center LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Murrells Inlet ASC LLC, Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings Inc., NPN IPA Washington PLLC, NSC Channel Islands LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Greensboro West LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Naperville Surgical Centre LLC, National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Navigator Health Inc., Nebraska Spine Hospital LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., New York Proton Management LLC, Newton Holdings LLC, Niagara Hospitalist P.C., Nomad Buyer Inc., North American Medical Management California Inc., North Coast Surgery Center Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, North Dallas Surgical Center LLC, North Kitsap Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgery Center L.P., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northern Utah Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Hills JV Partners LLC, Northwest Medical Group Alliance LLC, Northwest Spine and Laser Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OCC MSO LLC, OSB Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Lda., Omesa SpA, OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., One World Surgery, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Dallas LLC, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Networks Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Care of New York Management Inc., Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Compounding Services LLC, Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Direct To Consumer Inc., Optum Financial Inc., Optum Frontier Therapies Holdings LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies II LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies LLC, Optum Genomics Inc., Optum Global Solutions Colombia S.A.S., Optum Global Solutions India Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Global Solutions Philippines Inc., Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners Holdings Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings US Inc., Optum Health & Technology Hong Kong Limited, Optum Health & Technology India Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health & Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology US LLC, Optum Health Plan of California, Optum Health Services Canada Ltd., Optum Health Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions UK Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 200 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 204 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 209 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 305 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 402 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 500 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 550 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 551 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 553 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 554 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs LLC, Optum Life Sciences Canada Inc., Optum Management Consulting Shanghai Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Operations Ireland Unlimited Company, Optum Oregon MSO LLC, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharma Services Holdings Inc., Optum Pharmacy 601 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 700 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 704 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 706 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 707 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 800 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 803 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 805 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 806 Inc., Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket LLC, Optum SCA CS JV Holdings LLC, Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Services Ireland Limited, Optum Services Puerto Rico LLC, Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Venture Global Partners II LP, Optum Venture Global Partners LP, Optum Venture Partners II LP, Optum Venture Partners III LP, Optum Venture Partners LP, Optum Washington Network LLC, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare ACO West LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare Portland LLC, OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumCare Specialty Practices LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Oregon Healthcare Resources LLC, Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the South Inc., OrthoWest MSO LLC, Orthology Inc., Orthopedic Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopedic Surgery Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopro Management LLC, Ovations Inc., Owensboro Ambulatory Surgical Facility Ltd., Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans CT Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, Oxford Health Plans NJ Inc., Oxford Health Plans NY Inc., P2P Link LLC, PCCCV Inc., PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PPH Management Company L.L.C., PPH-Columbia Inc., PPH-Gardendale Inc., PS Center LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., Pacific Cardiovascular Associates Medical Group Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Panama City Surgery Center LLC, Park Hill Surgery Center LLC, Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Patient Care Associates L.L.C., PatientsLikeMe, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peninsula Eye Surgery Center LLC, Penzo Enterprises LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Perham Physical Therapy LTD, Perimeter Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Pharmaceutical Technologies LLC, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians' Surgery Center of Downey LLC, Pinnacle III LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings Inc., Pocono Ambulatory Surgery Center Limited, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Post-Acute Care Center for Research LLC, Practice Partners in Healthcare LLC, Preferred Care Network Inc., Preferred Care Network of Florida Inc., Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., PreferredOne, PreferredOne Administrative Services Inc., PreferredOne Insurance Company, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Premiere Medical Resources LLC, Presidio Surgery Center LLC, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., PrimeDoc St. Francis P.C., PrimeDoc of Richmond P.C., ProHEALTH Care Associates L.L.P., ProHEALTH Care Associates of New Jersey LLP, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, ProHealth/CareMount Dental Management LLC, Procura Management Inc., Professional Coverage Services PLLC, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical LLC, Promotora Country S.A., Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Benefits Management LLC, Prospero Care Management LLC, Prospero Management Services LLC, Providence & SCA Development LLC, Providence & SCA Off-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA On-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA Outreach Markets Holdings LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., R Cubed Inc., RABessler M.D. P.C., ROC Surgery LLC, ROCS Holdings LLC, RX Ricardo Campos Ltda., Rally Health Inc., ReMedics LLC, Real Appeal Inc., Redding Surgery Center LLC, Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Reliant Medical Group Inc., Reliant Medical Group The Endoscopy Center LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, Resonancia Magnetica de Colombia Ltda., Resonancia Magnetica del Country S.A., RightCare Solutions Inc., River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Corporate Wellness LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Robert A. Bessler MD PLLC, Rockville Eye Surgery Center LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rush Oak Brook Surgery Center LLC, SC Affiliates LLC, SCA AHN JV Holdings LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA Austin Medical Center Holdings LLC, SCA Aventura Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA Bloomfield Holdings LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Colorado Springs Holdings LLC, SCA Community Service Foundation, SCA Cottonwood Holdings LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Denver Holdings LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA Duluth Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville MSO LLC, SCA ESSC Holdings LLC, SCA Englewood Holdings LLC, SCA Global One Holdings LLC, SCA Greenway Holdings LLC, SCA Grove Creek Holdings LLC, SCA Guilford Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Health Value Enterprise LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA High Point Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Lutheran Holdings LLC, SCA Maple Grove Holdings LLC, SCA Mohawk Holdings LLC, SCA Murrells Inlet LLC, SCA Northern Utah Holdings LLC, SCA Northwest Holdings LLC, SCA Outside New Jersey LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pacific Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Palisades Holdings LLC, SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Pinnacle Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA Providence Holdings LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA Rush Oak Brook Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA San Diego Holdings LLC, SCA Skyway Holdings LLC, SCA South Ogden Holdings LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Specialty Holdings of Connecticut LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA West Health Holdings LLC, SCA Westgreen Holdings LLC, SCA Woodbury Holdings LLC, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colonial Partners LLC, SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Glenwood Holdings LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Memorial LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Morris Avenue LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Panama City Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-VLR Holdings Company LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCLHS-SCA Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SJ East Campus ASC LLC, SRPS LLC, SSSC Holdings LLC, SVHS-SCA Florida JV LLC, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Sage Medical Prof. LLC, Salem JV Holdings LLC, Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., San Diego Endoscopy Center, San Diego Sports and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center LLC, San Francisco Endoscopy Center LLC, San Luis Obispo Surgery Center a California Limited Partnership, Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Barbara Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santa Rosa Surgery Center L.P., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Sanvello Health Holdings LLC, Sanvello Health Inc., Sanvello Health Limited, Scanner Centromed S.A., Seashore Surgical Institute L.L.C., Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Serquinox Holdings LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Ltda., Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Ltda., Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., Serviclinica Inmobiliaria S.A., Serviclinica S.A. Ex Los Leones La Calera, Servisalud Inmobiliaria S.A., Servisalud S.A. Ex Los Carrera Quilpue, Shark Holdings P.C., Sierra Dental Plan Inc., Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria SpA, Solstice Administration Services Inc., Solstice Administrators Inc., Solstice Administrators of Alabama Inc., Solstice Administrators of Arizona Inc., Solstice Administrators of Missouri Inc., Solstice Administrators of North Carolina Inc., Solstice Administrators of Texas Inc., Solstice Benefit Services Inc., Solstice Benefits Inc., Solstice Health Insurance Company, Solstice Healthplans Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Arizona Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Colorado Inc., Solstice Healthplans of New Jersey Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Ohio Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Tennessee Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Texas Inc., Solstice of Illinois Inc., Solstice of Minnesota Inc., Solstice of New York Inc., Solutran LLC, Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Sound Inpatient Physicians Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians Medical Group Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians of Ohio LLC, Sound Inpatient Physicians of Texas I Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians Michigan PLLC, Sound Intensivists of Nevada RBessler M.D. PLLC, Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati Inc., Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati LLC, Sound Physicians Advisory Services Inc., Sound Physicians Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, Sound Physicians Anesthesiology of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Georgia P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kansas LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kentucky PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Louisiana Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Michigan PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Nevada Bessler PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Southern California P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of West Virginia PLLC, Sound Physicians Holdings LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Intensivists of Georgia PC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Virginia LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Palliative Care of Maryland P.C., Sound Physicians Telemedicine Inc., Sound Physicians of Florida IV LLC, Sound Physicians of Georgia III P.C., Sound Physicians of Hawaii Inc., Sound Physicians of Idaho PLLC, Sound Physicians of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Indiana LLC, Sound Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Sound Physicians of Kankakee Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Massachusetts II P.C., Sound Physicians of Massachusetts Inc., Sound Physicians of New Jersey LLC, Sound Physicians of New York PLLC, Sound Physicians of North Carolina PLLC, Sound Physicians of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians of Wyoming LLC, South Arlington Surgical Providers LLC, South County Surgical Center LLC, South Sound Inpatient Physicians PLLC, Southern California Medical Practice Concepts LLC, Southland Hospitalists P.C., Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center LLC, Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Spartanburg Surgery Center LLC, Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits LLC, Specialty Billing Solutions LLC, Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy Inc., St. Cloud Outpatient Surgery Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, St. Louis Cardiovascular Institute LLC, St. Louis Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Stonegate JV Partners LLC, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Summer Street ASC LLC, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Cottonwood LLC, Surgery Center at Grove Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center at South Ogden LLC, Surgery Center at St. Vincent LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Fairfield County LLC, Surgery Center of Fort Collins LLC, Surgery Center of Lexington LLC, Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Mt. Scott LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Caregivers of Fort Worth LLC, Surgical Center of Greensboro LLC, Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Eye Experts LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgical Management Solutions LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Central Jersey LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Jackson Ltd. a Mississippi Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Minneapolis Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Mobile Ltd., Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, T.M. Carr M.D. P.C., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., THR-SCA Holdings LLC, TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologia de Informacion en Salud S.A., Texas Health Craig Ranch Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Flower Mound Orthopedic Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Orthopedic Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Bedford LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Chisholm Trail LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Irving LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Las Colinas LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Preston Plaza LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Rockwall LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Southwest Fort Worth LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Waxahachie LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Willow Park LLC, The Advisory Board Company, The Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Eye Surgery Center of the Carolinas L.P., The Intensivist Group of Langhorne LLC, The Lewin Group Inc., The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, The Surgery Center of Easton L.P., The Surgical Center of Connecticut LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Trauma Surgery Affiliates LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, Treasure Valley Emerald Properties LLC, Treasure Valley Hospital Limited Partnership, Tri-City Medical Center ASC Operators LLC, Tri-County Surgery Center LLC, Trinity Cardiovascular Care PLLC, Tufts Health Freedom Insurance Company, Tufts Health Freedom Plans Inc., Tuscaloosa Surgical Center L.P., U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UCSD Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, UCSD Center for Surgery of Encinitas L.P., UCSD Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings I LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings II LLC, UHC Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings Ireland Limited, UHCG Services Ireland Limited, UHCG FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHG Holdings UK IV Limited, UHG Holdings UK V Limited, UHG Holdings UK VI Limited, UHIC Holdings Inc., UMR Inc., UPHT-SCA Holdings LLC, USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors LLC, USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD ASC IV1 LLC, USMD ASC IV2 LLC, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Hospital at Arlington L.P., USMD Hospital at Fort Worth L.P., USMD Inc., USMD PPM LLC, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Medical Park ASC LLC, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., United in Advancing Health Equity Foundation, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Employee Assistance Fund, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group International Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service Beijing Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Medical UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of America, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Parekh Insurance TPA Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Rockies Inc., Unity Health Network LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, VPay Benefits Corporation, VPay Inc., VPay Intermediate Holdings LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vascular Labs of the Rockies ASC LLC, Vascular Labs of the Rockies PLLC, Via Vitae MSO LLC, Vida Integra S.p.A., Vida Tres S.A., Virtua-SCA Holdings II LLC, Virtua-SCA Holdings LLC, Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wake Forest Ambulatory Ventures LLC, Walnut Creek Endoscopy Center LLC, Walnut Hill Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center LLC, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., Waypoint Minnesota PC, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, WestHealth JV Holdings LLC, WestHealth Surgery Center LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, Westgreen Surgical Center LLC, Wilson Creek Surgical Center LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, Winter Park Surgery Center L.P., Woodbury Surgery Center LLC, XAS Infusion Suites Inc., XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, divvyDOSE, divvyMED LLC, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative Inc., naviHealth Care at Home LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care SC P.C., naviHealth Holdings LLC, naviHealth Inc., naviHealth Michigan HBPC P.C., and naviHealth SM Holdings Inc.. Read More Derry City and Strabane Council is considering joining Mid Ulster District Council in taking legal action against the Department for Communities over cuts to the rate support grant. The Rate Support Grant (RSG) is granted to seven councils in the most deprived areas to help pay for services. DCSDC is entitled to 20% of the grant, which once stood at 20m but has now been reduced to 4.9m. It is now proposed that the council will receive 982k, substantially less than the original 4m. The Council is now using its reserves to plug a 1.25m gap in its budget. Sinn Fein Councillor Conor Heaney said DCSDC is actively exploring the possibility of joining the legal action. At the last Governance and Strategic Planning Committee I proposed that we join the judicial review as a council to increase the pressure and try to get that decision overturned, he said. To join a legal action you have to bring additional information and evidence to the table and council officers are putting that together. There are already a lot of particular circumstances here in Derry and Strabane that would make this cut have an extreme impact on the services and ratepayers in the city. The other impacted council areas are Causeway Coast and Glens, Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon, Mid and East Antrim, Newry, Mourne and Down, Fermanagh and Omagh. Cllr Heaney says addressing the most recent cut isn't enough it also needs to be increased. The Rate Support Grant has been cut and cut and cut over the last number of years. This further cut will have real impacts on the services that the council can deliver. We're already in a really difficult situation with rising costs across the board to keep the rates at as low as possible for ratepayers. With this further cut now it makes that job much, much harder. Derry City and Strabane council was previously presented with a report that said the repercussions of the RSG cuts will fall disproportionately on Catholics. Of the 805k Catholics in Northern Ireland, 559,563 (69.5%) live in council areas that are affected by cuts. Impact analysis from the Census 2021 illustrates that the Catholic population within the seven impacted councils is 51%, the report stated. This compares to Catholic populations of 27% in those councils who are not entitled to rates support grant and 42% across Northern Ireland as a whole. A spokesperson for DCSDC said it is very disappointed at the advised cuts to Rates Support Grant. If the grant was restored to its original and required levels, Council would be entitled to 4,109,649 as compared to the current proposed 982,450 allocation. This additional 3.127m would equate to a rates benefit for Council of 4.39% or alternatively would enable a further 48m of capital projects to be delivered, the representative said. In the short term, until these processes are concluded, Council is having to fund the 1.25m budgetary pressure through utilisation of reserves. In the medium term as Council works towards setting its rate for 2024/25, if the reduction is maintained, this will inevitably result in either service reductions or rates increases or a combination of both. In addition to exploring the possibility of join the legal action, the Council has issued a robust response to the Department for Communities about the cut. It hopes that this will result in the cut being reversed or reconsidered. Over fifty pupils from St Cecilias College in Derry received awards at a special prize giving ceremony last week as part of the Bogside & Brandywell Health Forums OCN accredited programmes. Training and Development Worker from the Health Forum, Orlath Robson, said that the prize giving event was a fantastic opportunity to recognise the girls achievement and celebrate their success at the time when many of them have just completed their school exams. Pupils from the college successfully completed their OCN programmes: Level 1 qualification in Healthy Living, as well as Entry Level 3 qualifications in Personal Success & Well-being. Orlagh said: All the qualifications focussed on the girls wellbeing and lifestyles, looking at things like nutrition, mental health, exercise, and importantly, how all of these aspects combined can feed into a healthier lifestyle and improve their mental health We have a long established partnership with St Cecilias College, working closely with the school staff to provide health and well- being programmes in the form of recognised qualifications that are a response both to the needs of the school and the local community. Particularly after Covid-19, weve seen the need to establish greater resilience and educate people about their mental health and that we are also trying to implement the approach of how to help a friend, which we feel is very important for young people. Kevin OConnor, a senior teacher at St Cecilias College said that as a school, they were very proud of the community partnership that exists with the Bogside & Brandywell Health Forum and the Open College Network (OCN). The Mayor, Patricia Logue and Danny Quigley presenting OCN Certificates to students from Class 8511 at St. Cecilias College. Included in photo are Karen Wilson, Yvonne Morgan, Orlagh Robson, BBHF and Maoliosa McCabe, St. Cecilias College. Mr OConnor also said that: We are offering our girls additional qualifications and experiences through BBHF and OCN and the girls are really benefitting from it. We are a proud community school where we celebrate the success of each and every one of our girls and as our motto says Aspire, Endeavour, Achieve, and that is the aspiration for have for each of our girls. The Mayor, Patricia Logue and Danny Quigley presenting OCN Certificates to students from Class 8514 at St. Cecilias College. Included in photo are from left, Aileen McGuinness, Yvonne Morgan, BBHF, Mr. Lafferty, Mr. Kevin OConnor, St. Cecilias, Orlagh Robson, Karen Wilson, BBHF and Mrs. Mary Jo Carolan, Principal, St. Cecilias College. (Photos: Jim McCafferty Photography) The Bogside & Brandywell Health Forum offer a range of OCN accredited qualifications for both schools and community groups. A lecturer from North West Regional College (NWRC) has been presented with the Pearson Silver Award for Further Education Lecturer of the Year, recognising her outstanding commitment to changing lives at HMP Magilligan, every day. Pamela Brown has been teaching Creative Writing courses at the Prison since 2011 and fully understands the impact and importance of her courses on the lives of her students. She is also the editor of prison magazine Time In, and co-edits the magazine, All In, both of which provide major curricular activity for the prisoners/students to contribute to print content. Earlier this year she worked with students at Magilligan to produce a Project Based Learning short story anthology Gas Light. Pamela ensures that each prisoner is given access to achieving the highest levels of education and delivers modules in Levels 1-3 in Creative Writing, Presentation Skills, Employability, Learning Skills and Study Styles. In the past 12 years her students have won an astonishing 195 awards. Her students have been successful in Listowel Prison Writing Festival and the Koestler Arts Trust Competitions, with work exhibited in various locations such as the South Bank Centre, London. In 2021, during teaching via Zoom Classes, one of her students came second runner up in the Prison Reform Trusts writing competition judged by the world-renowned crime writer Ryan Gattis based in LA. During the pandemic, Pamela designed a weekly Creative Writing Resource for inmates in HMP Magilligan, and had a resource available on the European Prison Education Association (EPEA) website. In total, she created over 100 writing resources. One of her students said: Thank you for all your help, support, and encouragement over the years. My dream as a boy was to one day become a published author, with your assistance that dream is looking more likely. Pamela has now been shortlisted to win one of just 16 Gold Awards, which will be announced and celebrated at a gala ceremony in London on 25 November and televised on the BBC, with winners showcased on The One Show. Last year two NWRC lecturers Ivor Neill (Sport), and Jacqueline Turner (Health) received Silver Pearson Teaching Awards, while the NWRC Health Studies team won the Gold award for Further Education Team of the Year. The Pearson National Teaching Awards is an annual celebration of excellence in education run by the Teaching Awards Trust, an independent charity now in its 25th year, that recognises the life-changing work that takes place in education, highlighting the vital role educators play and the work thats delivered in schools and colleges every day. Michael Morpurgo, author, former Childrens Laureate, and President of the Teaching Awards Trust, says: I am inspired by the devotion of teachers and the huge impact they have on the lives of the young people they tutor, support, encourage and motivate day in and day out. The valuable role they play both inside and outside the classroom has inspired generations of young people across the country to achieve their potential. I am delighted to congratulate the winners of the 2023 Awards and thank them all for the amazing contributions they have made to our communities. Sharon Hague, Senior Vice President of Schools at Pearson UK, says: We would like to congratulate todays Silver winners on their incredible achievements. We cant underestimate the huge contribution schools make to our young peoples lives and Pamela is an inspiring example of the positive impact an individual can have on pupils and communities. Joe Kennedy, US special envoy for Northern Ireland, has offered his commitment to social enterprise leaders in Northern Ireland, saying his role was to help focus on people. Mr Kennedy addressed a meeting at Stormont on Wednesday hosted by Speaker Alex Maskey in conjunction with Social Enterprise NI. The social enterprise leaders at the meeting represented a range of issues, including sustainable energy, helping children in the care system and integrating refugees into communities in Northern Ireland. Many spoke of their wish to break into the US market or receive US investment for their projects and businesses in Northern Ireland. Mr Kennedy told them: What you have is my commitment to try to do what we can to meet the needs of your organisations. He said his role as special envoy included a focus on the quality of life in Northern Ireland. As I come here, for the president of the United States, who cares so much about this place and your people, to say hey, yes why dont you focus on economic affairs. Were asking you that because we want you to focus on people. To focus on not just jobs, its not special envoy for GDP. Its not a special envoy for employment numbers. Its a special envoy for economic affairs, which is quality of life. Which is a roof over your head, food on your plate and your kid in a good school. Its healthcare, its childcare, its skills, its sustainability, its prosperity. And so filling those needs and working with partners, from businesses, from communities, government, to try to find ways to amplify the folks that are striving and struggling and fighting and scratching and clawing, to innovate. Head of the Northern Ireland civil service Jayne Brady said social enterprise initiatives were a key part of ensuring more young people want to live and work in Northern Ireland. She told the meeting: We shouldnt have to leave the place that we grew up to find career opportunities. It shouldnt be that hard. The Speaker said: The #SocialEnterprise economy sector here can be the engine for empowering and growing our communities. Im delighted that we have the @USEnvoyNI @cajessca and @HeadNICS with us today to explore the opportunities available from working together. pic.twitter.com/0Ch6LesonX Northern Ireland Assembly (@niassembly) June 21, 2023 But it was and it still is for a lot of people here in Northern Ireland, this place we call home. I suggest we need to look beyond the equality of opportunity, of which we have made great strides, but to the equity of opportunity, and address some systemic changes that are holding us back. I believe we need to focus on innovation, on inclusivity and on sustainability. We need to create higher value jobs, more fulfilling jobs that are accessible to more people. She added: Social enterprise has been and always is vital to that vision. After the event Mr Kennedy spoke to a number of the social enterprise leaders in the Great Hall at Stormont. A day of reflection event for family and friends of those killed in Northern Irelands Troubles has heard a message of hope. Operation Kenova chief Jon Boutcher and scores of people who lost loved ones attended the gathering at the Wave Trauma Centre on the longest day of the year. Mr Boutcher, a former chief constable of Bedfordshire Police, has been working with a team of detectives for seven years investigating a series of Troubles crimes, including 200 murders as well as incidents of torture and kidnap. During an event which included music from Waves Towards Inclusion choir, Dympna Kerr whose brother Columba McVeigh, a teenager from Co Tyrone, was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by the IRA in 1975, spoke about hope. She was speaking after a visit to Bragan Bog in Co Monaghan where the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains (ICLVR) is continuing the search for her brother. For a long time all I could do was think about Columba, pray for him privately, now I can speak his name very loudly and am proud to say his name. His name is Columba McVeigh and I have words, she said. Im going to keep his name alive, and out there and fresh, and its going to be at the forefront of as many peoples minds as I can get it into. All we want is for Columbas remains to be found, to bring them to our home in Donaghmore, take them into that church and then take them up to that cemetery and put him in the grave beside our mum and dad. I want Columba home. She added: If you only carry one thing throughout your entire life, let it be hope. Let it be hope that better things are ahead, let it be hope that we can get through even the toughest of times. If you dont have hope, you have nothing. Columba disappeared 47 years, seven months and 20 days ago, and I still have hope. I went to the site yesterday (Tuesday), its dismal but the team are up there, and theyre wonderful people. I still have hope that they are going to find him there. Its the hope that motivates me to still campaign and lobby, and every chance I get I will take it. Hope is what unites us in this place. Columbas name will never be dead as long as I have hope. Michael McConville, the son of Jean McConville who was abducted, murdered and secretly buried by the IRA in 1972 and whose remains were not found and recovered until 2003, spoke about his journey to forgiveness. He described the 50-day search for her remains as very hard, with every day getting harder as they slowly covered the beach, but that he decided he had to forgive her killers. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life, but not forgiving these people was ruining my life, it was turning me into a person that I wasnt, he said. After I forgave them, my life just turned right round. People ask me why I forgave them, I didnt forgive these people for them, I forgave them for me. I wasnt in a good place at the time and I wanted to leave that place. Forgiving people is not for everybody, but it was good for me. The event also heard from Gerry Armstrong, whose brother Paul was murdered in 1974, who read from his forthcoming book A Young Life Stolen, and Linda Molloy, whose 18-year-old son John was murdered in a sectarian attack in 1996, read from a collection of her poetry. Dr Sandra Peake, CEO of Wave, said Ms Kerr spoke about hope in particularly poignant personal circumstances while the UK Government through its legacy Bill is intent on removing hope from countless other victims. Hope that one day, however slim the chances are, that someone will be held to account for their loved ones murder, she said. Hope that they will get the kind of information that Operation Kenova is providing but which the Government wants to limit by their own test of reasonableness. Hope that there would be recognition that what happened to their loved one mattered while the Government is telling them that it is no longer of any interest to the state. And the Government says it is doing this to victims and survivors in the name of reconciliation. Shame on them. The US special envoy for Northern Ireland has said he is hopeful that the devolved powersharing institutions at Stormont can soon return. Joe Kennedy said that everybody was working hard to navigate challenges that are preventing the Assembly and Executive from being reformed. Mr Kennedy is undertaking a number of engagements in Belfast as part of his second visit to Northern Ireland since being appointed to the role of economic envoy by President Joe Biden. He started the day at Stormont Castle where he held talks with political leaders including Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill and DUP deputy leader Gavin Robinson. He then officially opened a new community facility in west Belfast. The St Comgalls community facility project saw the transformation of a former school building into a multi-use centre and was jointly funded by the Executive Office and Belfast City Council. There he was asked about his meeting with party leaders and the lack of progress on a return to Stormont since his last visit to Northern Ireland earlier this year. The DUP is currently blocking the reformation of the Executive as part of its protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements. Mr Kennedy said: It was a wonderful meeting with members of the parties this morning. He added that his role was to support the people of Northern Ireland, as well as taking guidance and direction from party leaders, the civil service and business leaders. He said: I know everybody is working hard to navigate some of the challenges with regards to reforming a government. I know it is a priority for everybody and we hope that will happen as quickly and as soon as possible. Asked if he was optimistic about a return to devolved government, Mr Kennedy said: I am hopeful. It is wonderful for me to be back in Belfast. I woke up this morning and there wasnt a cloud in the sky. It has been another wonderful visit here, the enthusiasm is what it is all about. Mr Kennedy was also asked about recent remarks from Mr Biden where he stated that his visit to Ireland earlier this year was to ensure that the Brits didnt screw around with the Good Friday Agreement. He said: I was here with the President, he cares so much about Northern Ireland. He cares about the deep and committed relationship with England and Britain; there has been a longstanding relationship personally with him and both Ireland and the United Kingdom. You saw the Prime Minister over in the United States recently. It is a deep partnership. Later, Mr Kennedy opened a new building at Queens University, where he took part in a question and answer session with students union president Emma Murphy. Speaking about the investment potential in the region, Mr Kennedy said: I am optimistic about the future of the Northern Ireland economy because I have been able to spend some time with the people of Northern Ireland and I think if there is any one takeaway from one who has now spent a reasonable amount of time here, you have an enormous amount to be proud of and excited about. He added: Look at where you were 25 years ago and where you are today, it is nothing short of miraculous. You have done the hard part. Are there challenges between now and the future? Yes, of course. But if you can do what you have achieved over the last 25 years, the next 25 arent nearly so difficult. Britain must pause its Northern Ireland legacy bill - Micheal Martin News Tomorrow is the longest day of the year. The solstice is the day of reflection in Northern Ireland, a moment each year when we are asked to stop and think about the challenging legacy of 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland, for individuals, families and wider society. It is a moment to consider how so much has changed in 25 years of peace, but also how much more is needed if true reconciliation is to be achieved. Tomorrow, the UK governments Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) bill also returns for consideration in the House of Lords. I worry, deeply, that the enactment of this bill, opposed by all political parties in Northern Ireland, and by victims and survivors of the Troubles across communities, will set back the essential work of reconciliation. While we have peace, Northern Ireland is not reconciled. That has an impact on todays politics. Competing narratives on the past can crowd out constructive work on the day-to-day issues which change lives for the better. Families bereaved during the Troubles continue to feel the pain of loss and to articulate their desire for truth, accountability and justice. Existing mechanisms for dealing with the legacy of the past, while imperfect, deliver important outcomes for those families, such as the vindication of a murdered loved ones innocence. In its Legacy bill, the UK government intends to permanently close off access to these mechanisms inquests, police ombudsman investigations, civil cases and police investigations which are working for families and, importantly, demonstrating a vindication of the states obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights to investigate killings effectively. The UN high commissioner for human rights and the Council of Europe, as well as Westminsters joint committee on human rights, have expressed serious doubts about the compliance of the legislation with international human rights norms. If enacted, the bill will be the subject of significant legal challenge, adding to the distress of families. But a better path exists. In the 2014 Stormont House Agreement, parties in Northern Ireland, together with the British and Irish governments, decided on mechanisms to better assist these families, and to pursue justice. The path set out by that agreement was endorsed again by both governments, in the 2015 Fresh Start and the 2020 New Decade, New Approach deals. Collectively, we agreed that the new processes should be victim-centred. And together we agreed an architecture designed to promote reconciliation, creating a context in which the UK and Irish governments would consider statements of acknowledgment and, importantly, expect others to do the same. I am concerned that the unilateral approach now being pursued by the UK government will be deeply damaging. In the Stormont House Agreement, mechanisms for cross-border co-operation were built in. Because the Legacy bill is designed without regard for this cross-border dimension, there may be profound impediments to the effective investigation of murders in Ireland perpetrated by those who lived north of the border, and vice versa. This is unnecessary. Worse, it is simply cruel, leaving questions and suspicions hanging and preventing lasting reconciliation. I enjoy a positive and constructive relationship with Chris Heaton-Harris, the UK Northern Ireland secretary. I have asked him to pause the Legacy bill and allow time for further engagement with those who will be most affected. When better to pause than tomorrow, the day of reflection? Note to Editors This opinion piece was originally published in the Financial Times on the 20th June 2023 - https://www.ft.com/content/8662651e-90c6-40a5-b32a-b0a4ce6ec731 Previous Item | Next Item Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The launch of the Alzheimers Annual Memory Walk, a nationwide event that gives families, friends and those living with dementia the opportunity to come together, honour, celebrate and raise funds for the vital support services that The Alzheimer Society of Ireland provides, took place at Merrion Square in Dublin this week. The annual Memory Walk takes place in 30 locations across Ireland this year, including one in Louth. The Alzheimers Memory Walk is a family-friendly event suitable for all ages and walking abilities to unite friends, families and communities to raise awareness and funds for dementia supports. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is aiming to secure over 3,000 walkers across Ireland to participate and help raise funds for vital services that support so many people living with dementia and those who care for them. These services include Daycare, Daycare at Home, Family Carer Training, Social Clubs, Cafes, and a National Helpline. An estimated 578 people live with dementia in Louth, and 64,000 people live with dementia in Ireland which will more than double in the next 25 years to over 150,000 by 2045. Members of the public can sign up now to participate in the 2023 Alzheimers Memory Walk on Sunday 24 September 2023 at www.memorywalk.ie. Registrations cost 5 for kids and 18 for adults and include a participation pack with a Memory Walk t-shirt. The closing date for registrations to receive your participation pack before the walk is 12noon on Wednesday 20 September. For those who cannot walk on the day, they can still support the Memory Walk by donating at www.Alzheimer.ie. Mairead Dillon, Head of Fundraising for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland commented, The Alzheimers Memory Walk for 2023 is set to be our biggest and best to date and the number of ambassadors, staff, and local champions gathered at todays launch is testament to that. "Id like to say a heartfelt thank you to our partners Payzone who are supporting the event and are in attendance today. With over 30 locations nationwide, there will be a Memory Walk in your locality, and it is the ideal event for the whole family to get together and walk to remember or support a loved one living with dementia. "We are really looking forward to September 24th this year to get people together supporting people with dementia. Michele Ann Kelly, Payzone Ireland, said, Payzone is honoured to support the Memory Walk, The Alzheimer Society of Irelands flagship event. This campaign is important to us, as it is to many. "Every day in Ireland, 30 people develop dementia, while over 64,000 people currently live with dementia. Unfortunately, many at Payzone have first-hand experience of the effects that Alzheimer's can have on families and loved ones, a reason The Alzheimer Society of Ireland was voted as one of Payzones charity partners by our employees. "We hope to support this wonderful event as best we can to play a small part as The Alzheimer Society of Ireland continues to provide vital dementia-specific services. Funds raised from the Memory Walk will help to keep these services going. The team at Payzone are excited to come together this September, honour and celebrate those with dementia, and raise much-needed funds for continued support. We encourage everyone in Ireland to join in on this great cause." Two teams from Dundalk Grammar School were represented at the ECO UNESCO Young Environmentalist Awards National Showcase Finals 2023 held in the National Convention Centre Dublin. Both groups came through two qualifying rounds to be selected for the National Showcase. Environmental Expert-ees, a group of four TY students, participated in the Senior Section. The focus of their project was on fast fashion. DGS Young Environmentalists, a team of two 1st Year students, participated in the Junior Section. Their project focused on making their school a Green School. Both groups are very passionate about the environment and developing a greater awareness of all issues green, a spokesperson for the school said. The students participated through the year in the Young Environmentalist Awards Programme run by ECO UNESCO, the senior group as part of TY and the junior group as art of their CSPE course. The Programme stimulated them to action and they were thrilled to be able to take their projects to the Convention Centre and exhibit them on a national stage. The day capped a fine year for the students and their projects, who had also participated in the Young Social Innovators Programme. A busy and fulfilling year for both groups. BirdWatch Ireland is undertaking breeding Swift surveys across counties Monaghan this summer and says it needs the public's help to locate nesting Swifts in these three counties. This project is supported by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) under the National Biodiversity Action Plan, and is a collaboration with Monaghan County Council. It is one of three surveys being carried out, the other two taking place in Carlow and Offaly. Swifts are incredible creatures, Birdwatch Ireland explains. This tiny bird, weighing around 40 grams, spends most of its life in the air, only coming to land to nest", says Tara Adcock, BirdWatch Irelands Urban Birds Project Officer. "It sleeps on the wing, eats, and drinks on the wing, mates on the wing and gathers its nesting material on the wing. When the chicks leave the nest for the first time at about six weeks of age, they most likely wont touch land again for about 3-5 years when they are ready to breed and find a nesting space of their own. "To prepare for their first flight the chicks do push-ups on their wings to strengthen their flight muscles. The chicks only have one chance to get this right. They are a truly astonishing species! Unfortunately, we are seeing drastic declines in our breeding Swift population in Ireland and across much of Europe. In Ireland, we lost 58% of our breeding Swift population in just 18 years! If this rate of loss continues, we will lose our Swift population in Ireland in the next decade or so, Tara continues. Across the Republic of Ireland, Swift numbers have declined rapidly in the last few decades. According to the Countryside Bird Survey, operated by BirdWatch Ireland on behalf of NPWS, the Swift population fell by 58% between 1998 and 2016. As such, the Swift is now on Irelands endangered or Birds of Conservation Concern Red List, alongside other notable species such as the Curlew, Corncrake and Kestrel. The reasons for the decline are multi-faceted, but one of the principal driving forces behind the Swifts decline may be a lack of nesting space. Swifts are an urban species, having evolved to nest in buildings, in crevices and under eaves, in our towns, villages and cities. Renovations to buildings can result in these nest sites being lost. Swifts are highly site-faithful. As such, they find it difficult to find alternative nesting spaces. Indeed, it is thought that many displaced pairs may never find a new nesting site and thus never breed again once their nest site has been lost. In addition, in the last few decades, modern buildings have become incredibly well-sealed, meaning there are no longer any cracks or crevices for Swifts to nest in, and thus no new supply of housing for our feathered neighbours. Swifts are thus facing the double-whammy of losing their existing nest sites due to renovations and demolition and very little new nesting space coming on to the market due to current building practices. To protect Swifts, conservationists need to know first and foremost where they are nesting, and to protect these nest sites before they are lost. The BirdWatch Ireland County Swift Surveyors and experienced volunteers are currently working hard across all three counties to catalogue these nest sites. They will continue to do so into August, after which the Swifts will depart for their wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa. The county surveys carried out this year brings the tally of county boundaries surveyed for Swifts by BirdWatch Ireland up to 18, with Co. Offaly, which was first surveyed in 2017, the first county to be re-surveyed. The survey work undertaken this summer in Co. Carlow builds on work undertaken by Padraig Webb. On a wider level, there is hope for the Swift, as there are practical solutions to this problem. Swifts can literally be built into our buildings using Swift bricks (bricks with cavities for nesting Swifts, which blend into the fabric of the wall), or they can be provided with nest boxes which are placed on the exterior of the building at appropriate sites. As Swifts are a clean and quiet species, they are perfect house guests, and these bricks and boxes can be used on buildings from hospitals, to schools, to private residences. Several conservation groups and charities are working hard to reverse the plight of the Swift in Ireland. Such groups include BirdWatch Ireland, Swift Conservation Ireland, Dublin Swift Conservation Group, the Northern Ireland Swift Group, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Northern Ireland, as well as several county councils and Tidy Towns groups. By working together, highlighting the plight and the practical measures which can be put in place to save these remarkable birds, there is hope for this species on the island of Ireland. If you are aware of Swifts nesting in Monaghan, please email the details (location, number of Swifts, number of nest sites if known) to swifts@birdwatchireland.ie. For more information on Swifts and how you can protect your local Swifts through erecting nest boxes or installing swift bricks, download the Saving Swifts guide for free from www.birdwatchireland.ie and see Genesis Nest Boxes in Co. Kerry for Swift nest boxes and caller systems. This project is supported by the National Parks and Wildlife Service under the National Biodiversity Action Plan, and is a collaboration with Carlow County Council, Monaghan County Council, and Offaly County Council. A four-day forum on Irish security and defence policy begins in Cork on Thursday, amid criticism of the line-up of speakers from the opposition and president. The aim of the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy is to build public understanding and generate discussions on foreign, security, and defence policies. The Government said the forum, which also sits in Galway on Friday and Dublin on Monday and Tuesday, will include civilian and military experts and practitioners representing a breadth of experience and views. The triple-lock mechanism for foreign troop deployments and Irelands neutrality are expected to be examined as part of the conversations on foreign and defence policy. The proceedings will be chaired by Professor Dame Louise Richardson, Oxfords first woman vice-chancellor, who was recognised in the UKs 2022 Queens birthday honours for services to higher education. Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Micheal Martin will speak at Thursdays session at University College Cork. The schedule includes panels on the global security environment and the European situation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as discussions on cyber security and threats to critical infrastructure. It comes as the Irish President said Ireland is playing with fire in a drift towards Nato. In an interview with the Sunday Business Post, Michael D Higgins criticised the line-up of those invited to speak at the forum, saying they comprised the admirals, the generals, the air force, the rest of it. Mr Higgins had also referred to Prof Richardson as a person with a very large letter DBE (Dame Commander of the British Empire) after her name. He has since apologised to Prof Richardson for the throwaway remark. Opposition parties have also been critical of the Governments approach to the forum as well as the line-up of speakers. Sinn Fein spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Defence Matt Carthy said an independent foreign policy has served us well and that neutrality should be enshrined in the constitution. We cannot allow neutrality to be recast as a weakness by those who would have us further aligned to Nato. Irelands neutrality is a strength. It is about showing leadership on the world stage, finding solutions, de-escalating crises and, where needed, contributing to peacekeeping missions. It is about ensuring our security in a turbulent world. While government have clearly sought to use this forum to reshape public opinion rather than facilitate a genuine public discussion, Sinn Fein will use the limited opportunity available to us to set out that neutrality has served Ireland well and will be crucial to allowing us to play a positive and constructive role in the world. Solidarity TD for Cork North-Central Mick Barry said the forum had been loaded with speakers who support increased European militarisation and hold pro-Nato views. However, Mr Martin has said there were no predetermined outcomes for the process. RTE has apologised after the broadcaster admitted paying former The Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy more over several years than it had previously declared. In a statement, the board of the Irish national broadcaster said that between 2017 and 2022, Mr Tubridy received a series of payments totalling hundreds of thousands of euros above his annual published salary. The series of payments totalling 345,000 euro were uncovered after the companys auditors alerted the board to some of the transactions. Arts Minister Catherine Martin said she was extremely concerned at what has emerged and will meet with RTE chairwoman Siun Ni Raghallaigh on Monday. I have asked the chair to set out in that meeting, in detail, the issues involved, the steps the board is taking to deal with the matter, the follow on action that will be required, and the timeline for these actions, she said. Earlier Ms Ni Raghallaigh said: This is a matter of profound regret for the board of RTE. We are well aware that this is a serious breach of trust with the public. On behalf of the board, I wish to apologise for what has occurred. It is clear that RTE has fallen short of the high standards that it sets for itself and are expected of it. Once these issues came to light, we acted expeditiously to establish the facts and we are confident that the safeguards we have now put in place will ensure that nothing like this will happen again, and that good corporate governance is adhered to at all times. Mr Tubridy, who stepped down as host of RTEs flagship The Late, Late Show earlier this year, is the broadcasters highest profile and highest paid presenter. The RTE statement said in late March of this year during a routine audit of 2022 accounts, an issue was identified in relation to the transparency of certain payments. An auditor was then appointed to carry out an independent fact-finding review. Mr Tubridys previously published remunerations for 2020 and 2021 show that he earned 466,250 euro and 440,000 euro respectively across those years, which appeared to represent an 11% reduction on his 2019 earnings. However, under a separate agreement, Tubridy was guaranteed by RTE an additional annual income of 75,000 euro in 2020 which was intended to come from a commercial partner. The statement said the fee due to Tubridy from the commercial partner was guaranteed and underwritten by RTE. The commercial partner did not renew this agreement for a second year, and since the agreement was guaranteed by RTE, the payments were instead made directly by RTE to Tubridys agent. The presenter received two further payments of 75,000 euro each in 2022. It was these payments that prompted the review. The statement said RTE then carried out a review of Mr Tubridys previously stated remunerations. It was then discovered that the presenters remuneration had been understated by RTE by a figure of 120,000 euro over the contract period of 2017-2019. The statement said: The circumstances that led to this understatement by RTE are currently under examination. As such, it is necessary for the Board of RTE to correct the public record in relation to Mr Tubridys earnings from RTE during the period 2017-2022. The RTE board said it considered the public mis-stating of financial information to be a very serious matter. The statement continued: At the request of the board, RTE has this week conducted an internal review of the reporting of the remuneration of its top 10 most highly paid, on air presenters. This review has found that the full cost to RTE of its contracts with the other such on air presenters, has been correctly reported. The board has now requested that Grant Thornton review the contracts of RTEs top 10 most highly paid on air presenters to independently validate that all remuneration figures have been correctly stated and accounted for by RTE. Grant Thornton will also review the understatement by RTE of Mr Tubridys published remuneration by 120,000 euro in the period 2017-2019. Ms Martin added: The public rightly expect much higher standards of transparency and accountability from Irelands public service broadcaster. It is unacceptable that these have not been met. It will be critical for the board to identify whether there are wider governance issues that need to be examined and addressed, and to ensure that there is appropriate accountability for what has occurred. It will be equally important for the board to demonstrate that it is putting in place appropriate structures and processes to prevent a recurrence of a matter of this nature. WELCOME news that The Half Moon Place Cafe has now opened in the foyer of the Opera House - a great location for meeting up with friends at lunchtime or even breakfast! With delicious food and drink on offer, where better to be this summer? Especially as you can catch a free lunchtime concert as well! Yes, they have arranged a series of new and emerging artists to entertain you during that lunch break, making this surely the in place to see and be seen! Meanwhile, surely Irelands most successful impressionist and satirist, Mario Rosenstock is onstage at the Opera House tomorrow and Saturday night with Gift Grub. Tickets are going fast! 021 427 0022 or www.corkoperahouse.ie The Cork Midsummer Festival is in full swing. Last chance to see The Settling by Nathan Carter tonight (Thursday June 22) at the Granary, presented by BrokenCrow in association with The Everyman. The same team bring FOUND, Aideen Wyldes new play, to Graffiti Theatre, also as part of the festival. Described as Bridget Jones meets Indiana Jones, with talking fish, in a joy-filled night of theatre, traditional storytelling and music directed by Julie Kelleher. 9pm tonight and Friday, 4pm and 9pm on Saturday, and 4pm and 7.30pm Sunday. Freefalling is at the Everyman. In the Everyman itself tonight, the premiere of Freefalling by Georgina Miller, presented by Rough Magic and The Lime Tree/Belltable in association with Fidget Feet Aerial Dance, again as part of the Midsummer Festival. This is movement as youve never seen it, combined with thought-provoking questions about the difference between a body living life to the full and one unable to move. Freefalling runs until Saturday at 7pm with an extra matinee on Saturday at 2pm. And still more from the Festival. Tonight the Philip Connaughton dance company perform Trojans, based on the Aeneid, in the Marina Market Warehouse. 9pm start, and it runs until Sunday with an additional Sunday matinee at 2pm. And a marvellous late night event at the Circus Factory when Four Lovers turns Shakespeares Midsummer Nights Dream into an acrobatic fantasy! Until Saturday at 10.30pm. See https://everymancork.com/ Up at the Cork Arts Theatre, Candy Warhol is presenting her glittering drag act tomorrow at both 4pm and 7pm, and from next Wednesday, June 28. Booking for all the amazing festival shows on corkmidsummer.com, where you can also see just how many events are going on! See https://corkartstheatre.com/ Something different up at the Cork Arts Theatre next week, OCD Me, a one-woman play about living with obsessive compulsive disorder, written and directed by Aisling Smith and starring Laura Whelan. Up to 150k people suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder in Ireland, says author Aisling Smith. She herself was formally diagnosed with OCD when she was 19, and this play was created to give people an honest insight into the condition. Which often manifests in adolescence. Wednesday June 28 to Saturrday July 1 at 8pm, plus lunchtime performances at 1pm Thursday. and Friday, June 29 and 30. 021 450 5624 for tickets. Head for Macroom this weekend, whatever you do! The Macroom Music Fest runs Friday to Sunday, with headline acts like The Frank & Walters, Riptide Movement, Mundy, and more on Saturday, plus a Music Trail tomorrow, live music in all the bars, and a great Family Day in the town square on Sunday with events to amuse all ages. The festival celebrates the opening of the long-awaited bypass, and the town being able in consequence to realise its full potential for both residents and visitors. It also recalls the very first open-air music festival in Ireland, The Macroom Mountain Dew Festival, which ran from 1976 until 1982 and brought Rory Gallagher Van Morrision, The Dubliners, The Chieftans and many more to West Cork. Its going to be a lively few days in this bustling little town! See www.macroommusicfest.ie The documentary Biseach on Ailse tells the stories of two cancer survivors, Ann Marie OSullivan, from Cork, and Caitriona Greene, from Donegal. It also features the researchers and advocates who are advancing new approaches to eliminate cancer, backed by the Cork-based medical charity, Breakthrough Cancer Research. This is a story of hope and perseverance, and a tribute to the remarkable individuals who are working tirelessly to find new, better, kinder, smarter treatments and diagnostics for cancer. Broadcaster and cancer survivor Evelyn ORourke interviews Ann Marie, who lives in the northside of Cork City, along with Orla Dolan, CEO of Breakthrough Cancer Research (BCR), with contributions from researchers Dr Triona Ni Chonghaile and Maitiu OMurchu. Ann Marie was the first person in Munster to receive a new treatment, TCH-P, when she was diagnosed with cancer at the start of the pandemic in 2020. The treatment was successful, and she remembers the hope her medical team gave her. Ann Marie told The Echo that her cancer was first noticed in May of that year, when a lump appeared in her armpit. The doctor initially told her she shouldnt be too concerned, but in two weeks it grew from a grape to the size of a plumb. During those weeks, another growth appeared in her breast. In June 2020, Ann Marie was referred to the care of Cork University Hospital (CUH). I was 37, she said. All of it didnt feel like it was lining up to be cancer. First of all, it was in my armpit, and it was sore. Once it sunk in that it was cancer, there was a huge time of anxiety in that they werent sure if it was stage-three or stage-four breast cancer. 'SCARY TIME' The world was just turned upside down, and it was a scary time. It was a devastating time and a time of huge worry. Ann Marie found the chemotherapy incredibly draining. It felt like I had been emptied out. I found it very challenging. The surgery and radiotherapy were difficult, but not as difficult as the chemotherapy. The chemotherapy took everything. Ann Marie said she was glad she had spent so much time with her children and family. She entrusted her care to the medical experts, which gave her hope. It feels like the train is leaving and you just hop on: You do absolutely everything the doctors tell you, Ann Marie said. I put every bit of faith in their decisions. Despite the pandemic, they moved everything very swiftly. Very fortunately, I live in Cork, where there is a phenomenal medical team in the CUH. They had everything in hand, and they knew best how to treat my particular cancer. Ann Maries advice to cancer sufferers is to be gentle on yourself. Take it slowly. All of this language of fighting and battling: There is space to be kind to yourself and to take things at your own pace. Taking part in the documentary helped her cope. Doing the documentary really made me see what goes behind everything. The level of time and energy and commitment and the years of dedication that these researchers give to this is phenomenal. Ann Marie paid tribute to the researchers who could walk into any other job, but they spend years doing this work. A new drug, called Pertuzumab, which had been trialled, increased the chances of the chemotherapy being a success, while reducing the risk of the cancer returning, but it had never been administered to a patient in stage three. I was the first person in Munster to get it, and the first cohort of people with stage three, said Ann Marie. All the data showed it would be successful, but the funding was lacking. The day that I got it, they had gotten the go-ahead that the funding was received, and they could give it to the stage-3 cancer patients, she said. Now the lifesaving drug is more widely available, and it was the best treatment. I just happened to be fortunate enough to be there. Ann Marie remembered enough of her school-going Irish to speak as Gaeilge for the documentary. I was very nervous about my Irish, she said. I felt it was a struggle, but I was really glad to have done it. Telling a personal story in a language that I dont use as much as Id like to was a challenge, but definitely well worth it. Speaking to the Breakthrough Cancer researchers gave her the confidence to go before the cameras. I benefitted from the work of Cancer Research, and particularly the people who put themselves for trials. This was a good chance to explain, for anyone who is thinking about signing up for a trial, that it has a real impact. And it gives people hope. It means that the likelihood of surviving is only improved. ONE IN TWO One in two people in Ireland will receive a cancer diagnosis, a stark reality that researchers across are tackling, thanks to the support of leading charities like Breakthrough Cancer Research. CEO Orla Dolan said their role in the documentary was demonstrating the value of research, hearing stories like Ann Maries, and showcasing new advancements and drugs. From our standpoint, it was helping them identify researchers who are currently on the frontlines, said Orla. Thats what we do: We fund the researchers. Ireland has 209,000 cancer survivors. The research we fund tends to be in areas that havent seen immense progress, said Orla. Testicular cancer has a 99% survival now. Breast cancer is almost 90%. But pancreatic would still be less than 10. BCR supports at least 156 researchers across Ireland, from a staff of eight personnel at their base on the Western Road, Cork City. The charity funds research in 13 institutions, including teams in UCC, the CUH, the Mercy Hospital, Bons Secours, and MTU in Cork, but also the Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI), Trinity, and DCU in Dublin. Cork has a proud pedigree in cancer research. Orlasfather was Professor Gerald OSullivan, a surgeon in the Mercy, who helped pioneer the concept in the 1990s of bringing together researchers and clinicians. Biseach on Ailse, supported by BCR and produced by Derek Nagle of Bo Media, will be aired tonight at 8.30pm on TG4. Donations can be made to breakthroughcancerresearch.ie. CORK County Council will consider assigning a harbourmaster part- or full-time to manage, maintain, and develop water-related infrastructure in public ownership in Cork Harbour. The commitment was made at the latest southern committee meeting after a motion from Independent councillor Marcia DAlton was passed. Ms DAlton said there is a huge opportunity in Cork Harbour. Cork Harbour is the largest natural harbour in Ireland. It supports an incredible wealth of industrial, residential, tourism, fishing, and leisure activities. The harbour is a significant home for energy generation. There is a huge opportunity here that we are 100% missing. We need someone either in a part- or full-time role demonstrating a daily Cork County Council presence on the ground, managing, improving and growing Cork Harbours marine leisure economy, she said. Cork County Council identifies 13 assets within the harbour area in public ownership and under the aegis of the Municipal District directorate, Ms DAlton said. The potential of these assets should be grabbed with both hands to drive forward the harbours marine leisure economy. We need a harbourmaster, or similar, with a physical presence inCork Harbour every day of the week. Checking assets, identifying new ones, making sure that the harbours public marine leisure infrastructure is managed capably on behalf of the public. Councillor Marcia D'Alton at the waterfront at Passage West, Co. Cork. Picture: Denis Minihane. "As it stands, the harbourmasters are almost never seen in Cork Harbour. When I have spoken of this need before, Cork County Council says that the Port of Cork is the harbour authority in Cork Harbour. But the Port of Cork company is responsible for the commercial running of the harbour, she added. Fianna Fail councillor Sheila OCallaghan seconded the motion, and she used Battery Strand as an example of facilities that are left by the wayside. Niall Healy, Cork County Councils director of services, municipal district services and rural development, explained the situation in a report to councillors: Additional budget would have to be provided for in the annual budget process to fund the recruitment of additional staff, and this would need to be considered in the context of budgetary constraints and other competing service delivery priorities. Cork County Council divisional manager, Valerie OSullivan, said she will report back to members on their progress. It is a question of getting agreement that this is required, where they should be deployed, and budgeting for that resource. I will go and discuss it at municipal district (MD) level and with the harbour master to see what we can do. We will report back in a couple of months on progress. A local councillor has welcomed confirmation from Garda Commissioner Drew Harris that Cork garda stations will get its share of civilian staff in the coming months. Commissioner Harris was speaking at this months meeting of the Cork City Joint Policing Committee (JPC) and was asked by Ballicollig based Fianna Fail councillor Colm Kelleher about the allocation of civilian staff to city garda stations. Garda civilian staff perform very important functions, Mr Harris said, freeing up garda time by taking on front desk, administrative and control room duties, and he said that as the summer progresses more civilian staff will be allocated. Thats a very important element of An Garda Siochana," he said. "We are at 14,000, and in July onwards we will have graduates in from Templemore, so, Cork will get its share of those, we have promotions to sergeants later this month, and again, Cork will get its share of those, the commissioner added. He stated that it was widely supported that the best work the gardai did was backed up by their visibility in the community, something which was only enhanced when gardai were freed up by civilian staff. RECRUITMENT Cllr Kelleher, who is former chair of the JPC, asked for an update on the recruitment of civilian staff nationally, and in particular to Ballincollig garda station. To some laughter, Chief Superintendent Tom Myers, who is head of policing in the Cork City division, responded: Colm, thanks for breaking my heart every time I see you. Commissioner Harris replied that from a national perspective, It is a fair enough question, adding that there are currently over 500 front of house civilian vacancies in An Garda Siochana, adding that a process to fill those vacancies is ongoing. Speaking to The Echo after the JPC meeting, Cllr Kelleher said he had spoken privately with the commissioner and he had been assured that the recruitment of civilian staff was well underway. Its very welcome news, although I am disappointed that we werent given a clear indication of how long it will take, he said. For one of the first times in the history of the State, money isnt an issue in any Government departments. Thankfully, resources have been supplied by Government, so it is now solely a Garda headquarters issue, and for them to speed up the process. I would take the garda commissioner at his word that it is now fairly advanced, Cllr Kelleher added. A FATHER of 11 who controlled a bank account in another mans name when 228,000 passed through it over four years had no explanation for this money except that he sold The Big Issue. Judge Colin Daly said Chilimbar Vasile, 57, played a significant role in money laundering where he also appeared to be assisting a criminal organisation, and he jailed the accused for three years. While substantial sums were going into the account, he was claiming welfare payments from the State, said Judge Daly. He admitted using the account for a number of years but he could not account for all of the money that had gone through the account in excess of 200,000 save for saying it was from selling The Big Issue. Interpol established he was the owner of what can only be described as a substantial property in Romania and there was no mortgage listed on the property. He has three vehicles in his name in that country. The accuseds conduct here also appears to be assisting a criminal organisation. However, in this case, it would appear to be a family-based enterprise. The judge imposed a prison sentence of four years on Vasile and suspended the final year, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. The same man was previously convicted at district court level for using a wire hook to fish money out of church collection boxes. In the course of the current money laundering investigation, Detective Garda David Kelleher said the defendant was caught in possession of live CCTV coverage from a huge house in Romania where a large volume of notes and coins in multiple denominations and currencies were being counted on a kitchen table. The CCTV was on Vasiles phone and it covered his property in Romania where he also had three powerful cars, said the detective. It was established through Interpol enquiries that there was no mortgage against the house, which is owned by the defendant. In January 2021, Vasile was caught with an AIB bank card for an account in someone elses name and in an examination of the account over the previous four years, it was established that over 228,000 had passed through it. The father of 11 children was in receipt of 455 per week in disability allowance and received rent allowance of 164,000 over a number of years living in Cork. Vasile, of 13A Eagle Valley, Sarsfield Road, Wilton, Cork, pleaded guilty to the count stating that on September 24, 2019, proceeds of criminal conduct, namely, the money, was credited to an AIB account in another name, knowing or being reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of crime. Det Garda Kelleher said the sum of money in the AIB account was 228,274. Last week, defence senior counsel Siobhan Lankford said that, although it was to a limited extent, the accused had co-operated with the investigation. She also suggested that such cases were difficult in terms of proofs for the prosecution and that his plea of guilty would have been of assistance. This was accepted by Det Garda Kelleher. In relation to evidence of a large property in Romania, Ms Lankford said there was a family background to the ownership of this property, that the man had 11 children, and that property [in Romania] is not as expensive as Ireland. Protesters were removed by gardai from the opening session of a four-day security and defence policy forum which began on Thursday morning at University College Cork. Five protesters who heckled Tanaiste Micheal Martins opening speech to the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy were removed from the event by gardai. As Mr Martin began his opening address, he was repeatedly heckled by members of the Connolly Youth Movement. As the Tanaiste spoke, protesters shouted shame on you and no to Nato, while a number of people stood before the stage holding a banner saying Nato wars, millions dead. Telling protesters he had learned the value of free speech in UCC, Mr Martin said: The most undemocratic thing you can do is try to shut down debate, which is what you're trying to do. What you are saying is that it is on your terms and nobody elses terms, but that is not what we are going to do today. Mr Martin continued his address, raising his voice repeatedly to be heard over the heckling, and gardai removed a number of protesters from the room. The Tanaiste later dismissed as incoherent and not evidence based the contributions of the protesters. A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana said on Thursday lunchtime that gardai continue to attend and facilitate a number of protests at UCC. Noting that there is a constitutional right to the freedom of assembly and freedom of speech, subject to statutory provisions, the spokesperson said all persons in attendance at public events have rights, not just specific groups or persons. At the start of the public event this morning a number of members of the public commenced to disrupt the running of the event, they said. When the protesters declined a request from the events organisers to leave, the organisers then requested gardai on duty outside the event to assist. Members of the public were asked by gardai to desist from disruptive activity and again declined to do so. The members of the public were removed from the public event for alleged breaches of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1984. The garda spokesperson added that no arrests had been made and the incidents continue to be investigated. Earlier, when Mr Martin arrived just before 9am at UCC, he heard chants of jail, jail, jail them all, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail from a crowd of some 50 pro-neutrality campaigners protesters outside UCCs Boole Library. As Mr Martin entered the building, a call of three cheers for the President was heard from Dominic Carroll, chair of the Cork Neutrality League, a reference to comments made by President Michael D Higgins at the weekend, in which he said Ireland was playing with fire in what he saw as a drift towards Nato. In a Sunday Business Post interview, President Higgins also criticised the line-up of those invited to speak at the forum, saying they comprised the admirals, the generals, the air force, the rest of it. The Consultative Forum on International Security Policy has been billed by the Government as aiming to build public understanding and generate discussions on foreign, security, and defence policies. The forum, which will also sit in Galway on Friday and in Dublin on Monday and Tuesday, will include civilian and military experts and practitioners representing what the Government has described as a breadth of experience and views. Irelands neutrality and the triple-lock mechanism governing Irish foreign troop deployments are expected to be examined as part of the forums conversations on foreign and defence policy. The forums proceedings will be chaired by Oxford Professor Louise Richardson, to whom President Higgins apologised for describing as someone with a very large letter DBE (Dame Commander of the British Empire) after her name. A Cork senator has criticised the State Examinations Board for the phrasing of the higher level maths paper 1. Three days into the Leaving Cert examination, word emerged of a whopper of a maths paper, said Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard. The wording of the questions meant that students found it difficult to understand what was being asked of them, he said. The Dyslexia Association of Ireland has been campaigning for extra time to be allotted for examinations. And what did the State Examination Board do? They didnt give them the extra time, said Mr Lombard, who added they instead brought forward more wordy questions into the paper. This is a really significant issue, three days into an examination which is hard on a good day without making it very hard by what theyve done. There are significant questions here for the State Examinations Board, significant questions for the minister, and I would respectfully state that the minister needs to make a response. The real issue here is that confidence has been shattered with the schooling community in the last few days. Ive had parents, teachers, and students talk to me about this. The State Examination Board needs to make a decent statement rather than the statement they brought forward so far, which in many ways isnt appropriate in any way, said Mr Lombard. I think the widespread and genuine concerns raised by students, teachers, and parents following the higher level maths paper 1 have to be acknowledged. My own kids are not yet at the state examination stage but its not hard to imagine the concern parents had for their Leaving Cert child based on the conversations I had. Every student, parent, or teacher I met told the same story of panic, tears, and worry. At a time when we know young people are under pressure, you would have to question the wisdom of the SEC putting on a paper which was so unexpected and alien to all students, from those looking for high grades and expecting to study maths at third level to those working hard for a lower grade and the valuable bonus points for doing higher level maths. In the weeks leading up to the exams, I supported the call of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland for extra time in state exams for students with dyslexia who need additional time to read and process the questions. A Dubliner visiting Cork to collect drug debts from heroin dealers was caught by gardai when a bundle of 50 notes fell out of a duvet cover in a Penneys bag during a search - and now he has been jailed. Judge Helen Helen Boyle imposed a sentence of three years with the last year suspended in the case against Paul Geraghty of 23 Swan Grove, Ranealagh, Dublin. There was a message on Geraghtys phone to a drug dealer in Cork which he sent from Dublin the day before his arrival in Cork, which stated, Do your best for me tomorrow. I gave you extra time. There was another stating, I dont have much. Ill go for 200 grammes of ted there. Judge Helen Boyle said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Texts suggest he was supplying controlled drugs. The evidence is that he was heavily involved in heroin supply, collecting drugs debts for a drug dealer. He was around Cork and collected money from... heroin users. He was collecting money from drug-dealers and he was being paid for this. He was seen collecting money from a well-known drug-dealer in Cork. He actively travelled around Cork city collecting that money. He met a convicted drug-dealer and collected. Addressing Geraghty directly, Judge Boyle said, You have a bit more insight into your part of the drugs trade which destroys lives and destroys cities. The culpability is high it was a deliberate act and you were being paid cash, you were not an addict. According to the accused mans own account to gardai, he was being paid 500 a week for what he was doing. Detective Garda Robert Kennedy described 36-year-old Paul Geraghty as a convicted drug-dealer heavily involved in dealing heroin in Cork. The incident occurred on Tuesday October 5 2021 when Garda Conor Cronin and Garda Noel Harrington were on plainclothes duty at the bus station on Parnell Place. They saw a man making his way to the Dublin bus. But before he stepped on to the bus, gardai identified themselves to Paul Geraghty. NERVOUS BEHAVIOUR Det. Garda Kennedy testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, He was nervous and agitated and carrying a Penneys shopping bag. Because of his nervous behaviour he was informed he was going to be searched. He had over 2,000 in cash in his jacket and shorts pockets. He refused permission to search him. He was handcuffed and brought to the Bridwell garda station. During the search of the Penneys bag the duvet cover set was removed from the back and as it was opened a roll of 50 notes in two hairbands fell out on the floor. CCTV was then harvested which tracked the Dubliners movements from the moment of his arrival in Cork. He went to Penneys on St. Patricks Street and bought some bedroom clothing and childs pyjamas. He travelled by taxi to Cork University Hospital and then to Blackpool shopping centre where he went to Woodies. CCTV at the DIY store showed him meeting a known, convicted drug dealer from Cork. They walked around the store and interactions between them were seen. Later he got a Toyota Rav taxi to the bus station where gardai approached him. He told them he was in Cork to visit someone at CUH. Interviewed on six occasions following his arrest he replied, No comment to most of the questions asked. Paula McCarthy, defence barrister, He came forward on a signed plea of guilty. He had addiction issues. He is motivated to attend the probation service. He was collecting a drug debt he was being paid for his role in that. That has not been contradicted by the evidence. He pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on Tuesday October 5 at the Bridewell garda, in relation to property that is the proceeds of criminal conduct, namely 3,315, he was involved in concealing or disguising the true nature, source, location, disposition, movement or ownership of the property, contrary to Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. A contract has been signed for 1.35m for the upgrade of roads and services at Graball Bay. Cork County Council has appointed contractor Priority Construction to install a foul and storm sewer at Graball Bay, including watermains upgrade, as part of a Graball Bay roads and services upgrade contract. Dwellings within the Graball Bay catchment are served by individual septic tanks and soakaways, which discharge directly to groundwater. The 370m of gravity sewers that are being installed as part of this contract will serve the western Graball Bay catchment and provide the opportunity for dwellings to connect to the sewer network and to decommission their on-site treatment systems. This contract represents the first phase of a larger plan to provide a sewerage collection network to convey these flows via gravity foul sewers and a pumped rising main to the sewer network serving Crosshaven. Mayor of the County of Cork Danny Collins welcomed the signing of the contract. Graball Bay is home to a mix of over 150 full-time and holiday homes, which is served by a poor cul de sac access road, which is often subject to flooding. The upgrade of this road and the installation and upgrade of underground services is much welcomed. The provision of a sewerage collection system will allow for decommissioning of individual existing, problematic, on-site sewerage treatment systems and reduce the risk of groundwater and surface water contamination, he said. The contract includes the installation of a separate surface water collection pipe on Graball Bay Road and upgrade of the existing chamber and outfall at the end of Point Lane. The existing watermain serving the settlement will be replaced. Upon completion of the service installation, Graball Bay Road will be re-graded and surfaced with tarmacadam. Considering the narrow width of the local access road, the road will be closed to facilitate excavation and pipe installation. It is proposed to construct a temporary access road across existing tillage lands to the South of Graball Bay Road linking Graball Bay Road to Church Bay Road. This temporary road will be removed upon completion of the contract. Works are due to commence at the start of July and will take six months. The project is funded by a combination of a Specific Improvement Grant from the Department of Transport, Irish Water mains replacement funding, and Cork County Council Capital funding. David Raleigh A man has been arrested by gardai investigating a series of violent assaults on a woman who was kicked in the head in broad daylight in Limerick city centre. A video of the shocking incident which occurred yesterday in the Arthurs Quay and Patrick Street area went viral after it was shared thousands of miles across social media platforms. A Garda source described the footage as nasty. The video footage begins with a male performing a dangerous big-boot wrestling move on the woman as she rushes towards him outside the front entrance of the shopping centre. The woman is sent backwards onto the footpath from the impact of the mans kick to her face, as members of the public, including children, look on. The big-boot is synonymous with TV wrestling fights where one wrestler uses the momentum of their opponent to counter-attack them by extending their leg into their face as they rush towards them. Despite being knocked the ground the woman gets to her feet and follows the man. As the pair continue to remonstrate with one another the woman is joined by a second woman and an older man. The man who had kicked the woman pulls up his shirt a number of times pointing to his chest. The woman then runs at the man and appears to try to kick him, she continues following him and he throws a punch at her face. The woman continues remonstrating with the man who then performs a karate-style high-kick into the first womans head. The woman continues walking after the man who appears to be attempting to leave the scene and the man lashes out at her again, kicking her into her upper body. A few moments later the woman squares up to the man who can be heard telling her, I don't want to fight you, stay away from me...please stay away. The woman continues to remonstrate with the man who then turns back towards and appears to strike the womans head, and she stumbles into a wall. A female onlooker can be heard screaming at the man, asking him what the f**k are you doing, dont touch her. A male onlooker can be heard stating oh my f*****g god, oh my f*****g god, oh my f*****g god, oh my f*****g god and then laughs. The woman continues following the man, at one point she appears to pick something up off the ground and attempts to strike the man in the face. A screenshot from the video. The woman then appears to scold a boy who walks towards her and appears to be trying to calm the situation. For a moment the man and woman appear to link hands before they go at each other again. The older man returns and puts his arms around the woman, telling her, walk away, f**k him. However, the woman breaks free from the older mans grasp and runs at the first man again who kicks her into her chest, sending her to the ground again. The woman gets to her feet again and follows the man who pushes her and she falls between the footpath and a parked car. A female onlooker can be heard at one point in the footage, screaming, go up and kill him. On Wednesday, a garda spokesman said: Gardai investigating a public/violent disorder incident in the Arthurs Quay Patricks Street area of Limerick city which occurred yesterday evening, 20th June 2023, have arrested a man (20s). He is currently being detained in a Limerick Garda Station under Section 4 of The Criminal Justice Act 1984. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this incident to come forward. Gardai can be contacted at Henry Street Garda Station on 061 212400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station. Investigations are ongoing. High Court reporters Planning permission for the development of 204 homes in Rathcoole, Co Dublin, has been overturned by the High Court. On Wednesday, Mr Justice Richard Humphreys agreed to quash the approval, secured by Homeville Developments Ltd in November 2020, on account of two legal flaws identified by four residents groups. The judicial review action was brought against An Bord Pleanala by Four Districts Woodlands Habitat Group, BCM Residents Association, Rathcoole Park Residents Association, and Forest Hill Residents Association, all with different addresses in Rathcoole. The strategic housing development was to consist of 123 houses, 28 duplexes, 53 apartments, a childcare facility and associated works at Stoney Hill Road in Rathcoole. The residents persuaded Mr Justice Humphreys that the permission materially contravened the local development plan in relation to the schemes density and the level of hedgerow removal required for the build. The local plan, the judge said, required the schemes density to be in accordance with 2009 Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas. The guidelines prescribe that the appropriate density for this project would fall in the range of 20 to 35 dwellings per hectare, whereas this build would be 40 units per hectare, he said. Mr Justice Humphreys said An Bord Pleanala failed to give lawful consideration to the materiality of the density contravention. The boards permission also fell down in its consideration of the removal of 674 metres of hedges, which equates to almost half of the sites hedgerows, the judge said. Mature or indeed ancient hedgerows are just not equivalently replaceable by freshly created ones, he said. The judge said that An Bord Pleanala and its inspector did not pause to consider whether the development plan was being contravened due to this level of hedgerow removal. Mr Justice Humphreys noted there were numerous defects in the residents legal pleadings, shortcomings in their procedural approach, and potentially winning points they did not include in their case. Due to these, he said, it might perhaps appear unfortunate from the opposing parties perspectives that the residents managed to come up with two winning arguments. That only goes to illustrate the general proposition that an applicant only has to win on something whereas the opposing parties have to win on everything, he remarked. The judge quashed the permission and adjourned the case to be mentioned at a later date. COLOMBO The Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), Sri Lankas garment manufacturing body, has praised German textile firms for the continuing support offered to its troubled garment industry. Over the last year, the country's garment manufacturers have reported a drop in orders from global retailers and brands which has further squeezed factories still reeling from the pandemic. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. Seagrasses are ancient plants that evolved in the ocean before moving to land and then back to sea about 140 million years ago, according to a Stanford University press release. Lying just below the surface of the coastal tides, seagrass meadows remove carbon dioxide from the air and produce the oxygen essential to life on Earth. Manatees, sea turtles and other herbivores graze on seagrasses, and they provide shelter for fish, shrimp and marine invertebrates. About 20 percent of the biggest commercial fisheries in the world use them as nurseries. In a new study from Stanford, researchers modeled seagrass species distribution worldwide at two separate timepoints in the future and found that these underwater savannahs may be in peril. Marine species are predicted to be greatly affected by climate change, partially due to the fact that oceans absorb about 80 percent of the excess heat created by greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists dont know just how well seagrasses will do in the future, or if existing marine protected areas will be enough to save them. The simple question we ask in this paper is, How will seagrasses which are a foundational group in the marine food chain respond to climate change? said Barnabas Daru, assistant professor of biology in the Stanford School of Humanities and Sciences, in the press release. The study, Reorganization of seagrass communities in a changing climate, was published in the journal Nature Plants. Though many marine species are directly dependent on seagrasses to survive, many others benefit indirectly from the versatile plants. For example, sharks feed on marine animals that, in turn, may feed directly or indirectly on plants, said Daru, who is the lead author of the study conducted with Brianna M. Rock, a researcher at Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute in Florida, in the press release. If anything affects these foundational species at the beginning of the food chain, it will have cascading effects on other organisms that depend on them high up in the food chain, including humans, Daru said. Seagrasses expand outward from about 116,000 square miles of land along the coastlines of 191 countries on every continent but Antarctica, so creating models of how they might be affected by climate change globally was a big undertaking. Rock and Daru started out by mapping how much of each species of seagrass there was and where they were located using a century or so of samples collected from ecosystems along the various coasts. This information was combined with data from the field, as well as statistics on seagrass prevalence from public databases such as Seagrass-Watch and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. In modeling-predicted seagrass habitats in areas that had been under-sampled, like the Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia, the researchers used data from areas like Europe and North America that had been well-sampled. The scientists used environmental and geophysical data taken from the Bio-ORACLE website to create global snapshots of todays ocean climate, as well as snapshots for the years 2040 to 2050 and 2090 to 2100. For the future time periods, as well as the present, Daru came up with models for four distinct climate scenarios. The first was a best case that had low concentrations of greenhouse gases; the second and third were a pair of scenarios where the levels of greenhouse gases had plateaued; and the last was a worst-case scenario plagued with high concentrations of greenhouse gases. All of the possible scenarios included data on variables that are known to have a significant influence on the growth, photosynthesis and distribution of seagrasses, like salinity, sea temperature and velocity of sea currents. In order to predict how populations and distributions of seagrasses could change from now until the future timepoints, Daru used a computer model of each climate scenarios observed species occurrences. The study found that widespread species composition and diversity reductions will occur in a significant number of seagrasses that exist in hotspots outside of the present system of marine protected areas. Perhaps most importantly, the findings showed that within every scenario even the best case seagrasses were found to decline in composition and abundance. It probably means that the best is still not enough, Daru said in the press release. We have to be more intentional in how conservation efforts are prioritized and this sort of analysis points to the places where these efforts should be done. The study also indicated that the network of existing marine protected areas isnt enough. One of the signatures of this modern era of profound human impact on the environment is not even the loss of species, but the reorganization of biotic communities. The homogenization of communities is likely to lead to a more profound impact on biodiversity than even the loss of species, Daru said. Reductions in diversity due to homogenization makes ecosystems more prone to extreme weather and disease. These impacts could affect the marine life that relies on seagrasses, as well as the ecosystem services they provide. It could also force marine species specializing in particular types of seagrass to move to another location or adapt to a different, less favored species of seagrass, which could lower their rates of fitness and survival. However, Daru still has hope for the future. We highlighted hotspots of change in species diversity and phylogenetic diversity that represent priority regions to target for conservation efforts, Daru said in the press release. Our goal, our hope is that by pointing policymakers and conservationists to focus on these hotspots, marine protection will be increased in these areas and the future of seagrasses will to some extent be safeguarded. Hypothermia kills close to 3,000 cattle in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil Nearly 3,000 head of cattle died from hypothermia in Brazil's Mato Grosso do Sul state in recent days, according to a statement posted on the website of local veterinary services on June 21. The deceased animals represent a tiny fraction of Brazil's cattle herd of about 224 million head and their deaths and are unlikely to compromise beef production at meatpackers like JBS, which operate in the state. But they drew attention as they are uncommon. Temperatures in the most affected areas ranged from six to nine degrees Celsius, according to local press reports. Alcides Torres, owner of agribusiness consultancy Scot Consultoria, said local cattle breeds can withstand the low temperatures of the Brazilian winter. "Brazil exports live cattle for slaughtering in Turkey below snow," Torres said. "It was the cold but there was something else." The animal's nutritional state, the low availability and quality of pastures, as well as the absence of shelters to protect animals against sudden climate change, rainfall and winds, all may contribute to cases of mortality due to hypothermia, authorities said. "Previous episodes of mortality due to weather conditions in the state have already been described as prone to occur in a cyclical way," the statement noted. - Reuters Daniel Cooley, CTO Silicon Labs, hosted ther embedded world Conference keynote 2023. Themed Connecting a global community, the program committee is calling for submissions. embedded world 2024 will take place in Nuremberg from 9 to 11 April 2024. On the conference website www.embedded-world.eu you will find the detailed Call for Papers with the topics and all important deadlines and conditions. The embedded world Exhibition&Conference is the global meeting place for a community of experts from industry and application-oriented science. The presentations are intended to highlight new and enhanced developments in embedded technologies, but also to present results from research that are ready for the transfer into the development of products. The combination of a conference with 200 presentations and a trade fair with around 1000 exhibitors with a clear focus on embedded technology is unique in the world. The slogan of embedded world 2024 Connecting a global community on the one hand points to the international expansion of embedded world: In June 2023, the first embedded world China celebrated its successful debut in Shanghai and NuernbergMesse is preparing the first embedded world USA in Austin, TX for autumn 2024. On the other hand, the mother of all embedded worlds is also becoming increasingly international. The program committee is entering into co-operations with international industry consortia that support the embedded world Conference with their knowledge, content and moderators. The cooperations are currently in the finalisation phase and will be expanded in the coming weeks. There will be further "Special Calls for Papers" aimed specifically at members of these industry consortia. Want more? Subscribe to our premium service! Key Energy News offers carefully selected global news on a wide selection of energy topics - tax, price, supply, contract, forecast, energy market and policy to name a few - in the form of a daily, weekly or monthly newsletter. Benefit from our powerful search functionalities, query capabilities, archive browsing & saving capabilities and enhanced preference options. Take advantage of our free trial! Earlier this year, AST SpaceMobile, with the help of AT&T, managed to connect an off-the-shelf Samsung Galaxy S22 to a satellite in low-Earth orbit to complete a two-way voice call . The announcement marked a major milestone for satellite-based cellular communication. Now the company says its one step closer to bringing the technology to consumers. On Wednesday, AST shared it recently completed multiple tests in Hawaii where its engineers saw download speeds of 10Mbps from the companys BlueWalker 3 satellite to unmodified phones on the ground. Successfully reaching double-digit download speeds during satellite-to-smartphone testing takes us one step closer to ensuring people across the United States will be able to stay connected no matter their location, said Chris Sambar, AT&T network head. As a next step, AST hopes to connect a phone to BW3 over a 5G signal. A SpaceX Falcon 9 carried the prototype satellite to low-Earth orbit in September. At 693 square feet in size, BW3 features the largest antenna of any commercial satellite to date and is easily one of the brightest objects in the night sky , making it difficult for astronomers to carry out their research . A new report has revealed alarming statistics about Discord's issues with child safety. Over the past six years, NBC News identified 35 cases of adults being prosecuted on charges of "kidnapping, grooming or sexual assault" that allegedly involved Discord communication. At least 15 of those have resulted in guilty pleas or verdicts, with "many others" still pending. Reporters also discovered 165 more cases, including four crime rings, in which adults were prosecuted for sharing CSAM (child sexual exploitation material) via Discord or allegedly using the site to extort children into sending sexually graphic images of themselves, a practice known as sextortion. The illegal acts often take place in hidden communities and chat rooms, according to the report. A simple Google search of "site:justice.gov Discord" yields a large number of hits, many of a disturbing nature. In one case identified by NBC News, "a teen was taken across state lines, raped and found locked in a backyard shed, according to police, after she was groomed on Discord for months." "What we see is only the tip of the iceberg," the Canadian Center for Child Protection's Stephen Sauer told NBC News. And it's not the first time Discord has been under fire for its handling of child abuse complaints. Last year, CNN also identified numerous incidents of CSAM, with some parents claiming that Discord offered little help. Earlier this year, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) issued a statement titled "Discord Dishonestly Responds to How it Handles Child Sexual Abuse Material After Being Named to 2023 Dirty Dozen List." Among other things, it noted that CSAM links were identified and reported, but still available on Discord's servers "over two weeks later." It added that Discord's actions in responding to the issues are "far too passive, failing to proactively search for and remove exploitation." It recommended that the site, which currently has over 150 million users, ban minors "until it is radically transformed." In a recent transparency report, Discord said its "investment and prioritization in child safety has never been more robust," adding that it disabled 37,102 accounts and removed 17,425 servers for child safety violations. The company's VP of trust and safety, John Redgrave, told NBC News that he believes the platform's approach to the issue has improved since Discord bought the AI moderation company Sentropy in 2021. It uses several systems to proactively detect CSAM and analyze user behavior, and Redgrave said that he thinks the company now proactively detects most materials that already "identified, verified and indexed." However, the systems can't currently detect child sexual abuse materials or messages that have yet to be indexed. In a review of Discord servers created over the past month, NBC News found 242 that use thinly disguised terms to market CSAM. Discord isn't the only social media company with CSAM problems. A recent report found that Instagram helped "connect and promote a vast network of accounts" devoted to underage-sex content. However, Discord has reportedly made it particularly difficult for law enforcement at times, in one case asking for payment after the Ontario Police asked it to preserve records, according to the report. Engadget as reached out to Discord for comment. Owlet and its baby monitoring devices are back in the good graces of the FDA. The company received clearance from the US regulator for its product BabySat, a medical-grade pulse-ox monitor designed as a wireless sock for newborns and babies. The win comes after the FDA ordered the Utah-based biotech company to stop selling its smart sock almost 18 months ago. The FDA objection was based on the fact that the wearable had the capacity to relay a live display of a babys heart rate and oxygen levels, which is critical data that a doctor should interpret, especially in vulnerable populations. The tumultuous approval demonstrates our technology is medical-grade, Kurt Workman, Owlet CEO and co-founder said of the company's path to getting FDA approval. We conducted several side-by-side accuracy comparisons to hospital monitors and that demonstrated Owlet is accurate." The device can alert a provider if any metrics are out of range, which can help to diagnose and prevent complications. Owlet stripped out the blood oxygen tracking feature and returned to the market just a few months later with the Dream Sock. It later added in an average oxygen level readout through a software update. The $299 wearable is available direct from the company and through a number of other retailers without a prescription, but it lacks the advanced features that set it apart from the rest of its rivals. Instead, its a pretty straightforward sleep tracker. BabySat, on the other hand, is a prescription device. It integrates medical-grade pulse oximetry technology into a discreet wearable. Its a noninvasive tool to measure how well oxygen is circulating to extremities in babies from 1 to 18 months. Without a prescription, a rival medical-grade device can not be readily found on the market, given that BabySat is the first device of its kind to receive FDA approval. Creating a treatment plan with a doctor is especially valuable and useful to the parents of babies that have been diagnosed with heart defects or chronic conditions. If a newborn or baby does present with persistent low oxygen levels, quick intervention by medical professionals is needed to prevent life-threatening complications. Owlet anticipates the product will be available in the US by the end of this year. The company declined to disclose pricing information for BabySat but did say that insurance options, including reimbursements and HSA/FSA eligibility, will likely be available at launch. Update, June 22nd, 2023, 11:35 AM ET: This story has been updated to clarify that Owlets Dream Sock added average oxygen level tracking through a software update after its launch. All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. All prices are correct at the time of publishing. Get ready for a Zuck vs Musk cage fight Whether it moves from banter to the octagon remains to be seen. I haven't watched a fight since Manny Pacquiao fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. way back in 2015, but I'd totally tune in if Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg duke it out in front of the camera. And I'm not the only one who would, based on the attention the idea of a fight between the two tech billionaires is getting on social media. It all started when Musk reacted to a report about Meta's Twitter rival. Apparently, Meta chief product officer Chris Cox said the company has "been hearing from creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run." Someone told him to be careful, because Zuckerberg does jiu jitsu now. "Im up for a cage match if he is," Musk responded. As The Verge reports, Zuckerberg posted a screenshot of the exchange as a story on his Instagram account with the note: "Send Me Location." Im up for a cage match if he is lol Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 21, 2023 Zuckerberg has been training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for around a year now, and his efforts have been well-documented he even competed in a tournament back in May and won gold and silver medals. As for Musk, he said he has a great move called "The Walrus" where he just lies on top of the opponent and does nothing. His proposed venue for the fight? The UFC Octagon in Las Vegas. I have this great move that I call The Walrus, where I just lie on top of my opponent & do nothing Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 22, 2023 Since Musk Vs. Zuckerberg will be the main event, Engadget editors have a few suggestions for undercard matches. Satya Nadella Vs. Sundar Pichai would be almost as interesting to see, especially now that Bing has finally become part of the conversation, thanks to its AI chatbot. And then there's Snap CEO Evan Spiegel and Instagram head Adam Mosseri, who can take their mobile-first services' rivalry to the octagon. Since both Musk and Zuckerberg are looking for ways to monetize their platforms, the smart thing to do is to broadcast the event as pay-to-view live streams on Twitter Blue and Meta Verified. Of course, these are imaginary fights that will most likely not happen, but we're expecting a juicy check as thanks for our ideas if they do. This is the aftermath from a rampage by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, where officials say at least one person was killed, and another critically injured. Thursday, June 22, 2023 Richard North Patterson has a special reason to celebrate the publication on June 13 of his new novel. Indeed, The Trial represents a triumph over an unexpected obstacle in the publishing industry and is a cautionary tale for business leaders about preparing for and managing a crisis. It's part of the job description of fiction writers to be able to put themselves in the shoes of others and see the world from different perspectives. Patterson has repeatedly shown he can do just that. He has written 22 novels, been on the New York Times bestseller list 16 times, and sold over 25 million books. Irony Ironically, Patterson's expertise as an author created a problem. That's because he's white, and two of the three main characters in his new legal thriller are Black. That difference in skin color is what Patterson said led 19 major book publishers in New York to turn down his book, saying that white authors couldn't write about the Black experience of racism in the U.S. Although he anticipated that writing a book "across racial lines could pose a problem laterI was really startled by the uniformity of response and by how explicit publishers were inciting my ethnicity as a reason," Patterson said in an interview via Zoom. Unprepared "I wasn't prepared for the totality of the experience and how entrenched this belief was in the [New York] publishing world," he noted. That's when Patterson realized, "I had to start to think about what do I do now?" His experience of having the publication of his book "banned" by major publishers comes at a time when many schools across the country are being askedor requiredto ban books about race, history, sexual orientation, and gender. Bucking that trend, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law on Monday that prohibits libraries from banning books, saying it's the first of its kind in the country, CNN reported. "Pritzker and nine other governors sent a letter last month to textbook publishers urging them consider the negative impacts of book banning," according to the news organization. Patterson said that his reputation as a writer who has tackled controversial issues such as gun control, reproductive rights, and capital punishment stirred controversy and opposition to some of his other books. "But the only time I encountered preemptive censorship is when I wrote a book, directed at the racial problems I see [are] woven into the tapestry of our society," he observed. Unafraid Of Controversy Bellow said he "was personally offended and appalled by what happened to [Richard Patterson] and I was very pleased to be able to give him a home" for his new book. Patterson eventually found a publisher in Tennessee for The Trial who was not put off by the controversial issues surrounding the book. "It wasn't a difficult decision" to publish The Trial, Adam Bellow, executive editor at Bombardier Books, a politically conservative imprint at Post Hill Press, said in a video interview. Patterson "is a very viable commercial author. I'm a publisher in the traditional sense, which is to say I don't have to agree with every book I publish. But I was personally offended and appalled by what happened to [him], and I was very pleased to be able to give him a home" for his new book. Best Practices Patterson's response to the controversy he expected when the book was published followed several of the best practices companies and organizations should adopt when confronted with a crisis. Be Proactive "I'm not a big fan of sitting back and letting people do stuff to you when they think [you're] wrong," Patterson said. "I think the ability to be decisive and the ability to be clear about what you want to do and consistent in trying to do is something that transcends" book publishing. Hire The Experts You Need Companies may not always have the in-house expertise to prepare for or manage a crisis. Neither did Patterson. He and Bellow "talked at the outset about putting together [a] public relations team, and I hired some folks from the outside to do social media, which I know virtually nothing about as well as conventional public relations." Prepare A Plan As soon as you know, you will face a controversy or crisis, prepare a plan to address it. "I was very keen to bring this to the public's attention," Patterson said. I wanted my response to the issue to be read, and I wanted it to impact the debate." He, Bellow and the PR consultants discussed and agreed on the steps to take. "We started formulating a plan in the latter part of 2022. And I think we had our first conversation about it in January," Patterson recalled. Control The Narrative Controlling the narrative and telling your side of the story about a controversy or crisis can be crucial in helping to ensure success. About six weeks before the book's launch, Patterson wrote first-hand accounts about his experience that were published in The Wall Street Journal and The Bulwark. And he encouraged people to read portions of the book themselves by posting excerpts on Substack. Then, Patterson said, "I made people who have voices in the media aware of the situation, and some of them chose to write or publicize about it in some way. So we certainly thought about how to bring this issue to the attention of peopleand also how to encourage people to read my book as a book rather than as simply symbolic" of an issue in the publishing industry. "I'm hoping that because this is getting some fresh discussion, there'll be some fresh thought in the publishing world about censorship on the basis of racial identity." Patterson said. 'Don't Let Them Cancel You' Publisher Bellow's advice for other authors who are facing opposition to their work "is that standing up to bullies is the best strategy. Show them you're not afraid. Don't let them cancel you. "Ric Patterson is one of those people, and that's why his book will find readership. I don't happen to agree with his outlook on [all] issues.but that is not important," Bellow concluded. THURSDAY, June 22, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Shema Tariq, a sexual health doctor based in London, was diagnosed with low ovarian reserve and told that her chances of conceiving without in vitro fertilization (IVF) were nearly nil. "It took six rounds of IVF to conceive our son, who was born in 2018," she recalled. "My GP briefly mentioned contraception to me after he was born, but we both laughed and agreed that it wasn't relevant. It never occurred to me that I might get pregnant... I was 43 and had been told that my chances of conceiving naturally were less than 1%," she added. Eight months later I was unexpectedly, and naturally, pregnant with our daughter. She has been the most wonderful surprise, but when we first found out I felt overwhelmed and unprepared for another pregnancy," Tariq noted. Now, new research from investigators at University College London (UCL) shows that 1% figure may have been off: Fully one in five women who have had a child using IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (where a tiny needle pushes a single sperm into the center of an egg) will later experience natural conception. "If I'd known that one in five women conceive naturally after IVF, I'd have used contraception until I was ready both emotionally and physically," Tariq stressed. The new meta-analysis of 11 published studies included over 5,000 participants. Of the pooled participants, around 20% were found to have natural pregnancies after they had used assisted reproductive technology (ART) for at least one previous pregnancy. Im a clinical doctor, as well as a researcher, said study author Dr. Annette Thwaites, an academic clinical fellow in community sexual and reproductive health at UCL's Institute for Womens Health, and I got interested because I really wasnt sure what the answer was. I had colleagues, I had health care professionals advising women that this was very rare. Anecdotally, however, Thwaites had heard from several women that they were able to conceive naturally after ART, so she decided to delve into the topic. She also discovered that, of the women able to conceive naturally, most of them did so in the two to three years after IVF use. So, these are sort of relatively quick repeat pregnancies, which may be useful for women to know if theyre thinking about planning their subsequent children, whether or not to use contraception, whether or not to seek further IVF, whether to wait, balancing it with their age, all of these things, Thwaites said. Her team's findings were published June 20 in the journal Human Reproduction. Dr. Alan Copperman, director of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, also thinks the findings could be illuminating for women wishing to start families. Too many people think that infertility and fertility are categorical variables. In other words, that you're either one or the other, said Copperman. The study is reassuring in that it supports what we've long known, which is that humans are not very good at reproduction. It sometimes takes a lot of attempts to achieve a successful outcome. And also that technology can help couples get pregnant with their first or second baby, and may or may not be needed in the future. Copperman suggests that anyone looking to start a family see a fertility specialist. It doesn't always mean that you're going to need high-tech treatment, but getting [an] evaluation is a first step and that can help you really make a personalized decision over whether you want to access technology, he said. Thwaites hopes her study will help prospective parents realize that natural conception after ART isnt as rare as many believe. She also hopes it can help parents make more informed decisions. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the average cost of an IVF cycle in the United States is $12,400, and couples often do multiple cycles. Thinking about this cynically, fertility is big business, said Thwaites. Women who desperately want a child can be made vulnerable because of that, and there doesn't seem to be anybody advocating to get this research and to be able to give women really tailored practical information with regard to their personal risk. As next steps, Thwaites hope scientists further explore the data and figure out what specific factors would make someone more or less likely to conceive naturally after using infertility treatment. There is so much more that we need to understand, so much more research we should be doing, she said. I think we should get cracking. More information Visit the University of Pennsylvania for more on IVF. SOURCES: Annette Thwaites, MD, academic clinical fellow, community sexual and reproductive health, Institute for Womens Health, University College London; Alan Copperman, MD, director, division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, Mount Sinai Health System, New York City; Shema Tariq, sexual health doctor, London; Human Reproduction, June 20, 2023 (Screenshot of report cover.) More Montana women murdered intimate partners this decade than in the previous one, and more perpetrators are using a car as a weapon. Those are a couple of the trends identified in the 2023 report on domestic violence fatalities from the Montana Department of Justice. In the 2019-2021 period, the report identified 30 violent interactions that resulted in 48 deaths. It said many victims have limited, if any, contact with the system, and many never sought shelter or support from law enforcement, family or victim advocates. Many of these deaths are preceded by relative social isolation, which makes their occurrence all the more tragic, the report said. A factor that isnt new in the tragedies? Firearms are frequently involved. The report also said substance abuse was prevalent in all reviewed cases. The goal is to prevent future deaths by identifying obstacles and trends and by making recommendations for improvements in policy and practices, said the report. Clearly, there is more work to do. The statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission and Native American Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team investigated a set of intimate partner homicides for the report six cases in all, four homicides and two homicide/suicides. The reviews included two female-perpetrated killings. All told, the report counted at least 248 deaths since the DOJ began tracking in 2000 through 2021. It said most victims die without having sought an order of protection, and most perpetrators dont have extensive criminal histories or involvement with law enforcement. Nonetheless, domestic violence calls are common to at least some law enforcement officials. Just this past weekend, the Flathead County Sheriffs Office received a variety of calls, including that a moose walked through a yard, a gay flag had been ripped off a pole, and a male and female were hitting and shoving each other. Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said calls to domestic disputes are frequent, and the more people that descend on the valley, the more incidents, including calls about domestic violence. Assault and domestic violence is a very common call for us to go on year-round, Heino said. (Heino said law enforcement hadnt received enough information to investigate the ripped flag. However, he also said the wind was gusting at 31 mph around the same time, the incident appeared to be isolated, and he could not verify it was a hate crime, as first reported.) For the domestic violence fatalities report, the teams reviewed incidents on remote reservations and in Montanas largest cities. Financial issues were prevalent in four of the cases, the report said. Alcohol and/or drug abuse were accelerants in all of the statewide cases and substance, physical abuse and historical trauma were evident in the Native American cases. The domestic violence fatality review report starts with a letter introducing the work of the statewide commission and Native American team, along with data about the subject. It notes one in four women and one in nine men experience severe intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence or stalking with injury. The letter also notes the 2003 Montana Legislature authorized the commission, which it said has led the way nationally in fatality reviews. As we approach our twenty-year mark, Montana can be proud that both our statewide and Native American teams are considered national models in the way we conduct domestic violence fatality review, said the introductory letter from coordinator Joan Eliel, with the Department of Justice. Along with trends, the report also makes recommendations. For example, it said the $3,500 cap on homicide victim funeral expenses hadnt been increased since 1995, it was the lowest in the nation, and it could be a burden on families. It recommended the legislature increase the limit to $10,000, and this year, House Bill 183 did so; it was sponsored by Rep. Nelly Nicol, R-Billings, passed with bipartisan and unanimous support, and signed by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte. The report was released in March, in the midst of the 2023 Montana Legislature, and DOJ Press Secretary Emily Flower said she doesnt believe other recommendations have been implemented just yet. Some also may be heavy, albeit critical, lifts, such as the top recommendation for housing and employment stability. It said victims cannot leave dangerous situations without stable housing and work, and it requested the governors housing task force, slated to sunset July 1, 2023, consider this demographic. It also recommended teaching basic life and money management to children in public, private and tribal schools; increased sentencing for strangulation; depression screenings; and making a second offense of PFMA, or partner family member assault, a felony. Additionally, it says important intervention opportunities exist for medical providers and the faith community to identify and intervene in violent relationships, and it noted risk assessment tools and training opportunities are available. Another recommendation said the public needs to be educated that there is no waiting period around reporting someone missing you can report a person missing immediately. It encouraged the DOJ to issue a PSA about the issue. None of the recommendations address firearms. The report notes the team synthesizes recommendations into action items that are affordable and can be promptly implemented. The teams conducted six reviews, and they identified trends, including that female-perpetrated homicides increased since 2000. From 2000-2010, there were 19 such deaths; from 2011-2021, there were 24. Seven female-perpetrated homicides occurred in this biennium, the report said. It noted the use of motor vehicles as a weapon in intimate partner homicides has increased as well, with a total of eight since 2000, and four in 2021. Other trends include the following, the report said: Cyberbullying from friends and family before and after the deaths occurred was prevalent in four of the intimate partner homicide cases reviewed. Mental health issues, particularly depression and suicide ideation, continue to be significant factors. Childhood trauma and generational abuse (both physical and sexual) continue to be significant factors of intimate partner violence as identified in previous reports. The report counted 21 deaths in 2020, the second highest number in one year since 2000, the first year of data in the report. The high was in 2016, with 24 deaths, and the report noted 17 deaths in 2021. Firearms were used in 58% of the cases in Montana, and a knife was used 19% of the time, according to the report. However, the report notes in Native American partner homicides, a knife was used 38% of the time, a firearm used 21% of the time, and blunt force trauma was responsible in 25% of the cases. Although the subject of the report is grim, it also notes Montanas teams have been a national model and, recently, leaders internationally as well. We are currently working with Nebraska in their efforts to develop their state domestic violence fatality review team, the report said. Recently, a researcher from the Indigenous Law Centre at University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney, Australia, applied for a grant to fund travel to Montana to observe the Native American teams work with tribal communities, government representation and collaboration. The post Montana domestic violence fatality report shows substances prevalent, motor vehicles as weapons appeared first on Daily Montanan. GREAT FALLS, Mont. - Earlier this week, agents from the IRS Criminal Investigation Unit and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (AFT) closed Highwood Creek Outfitters to search for financial documents. Friday afternoon, Congressman Matt Rosendale announced he sent a letter to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach and IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, asking for answers and calling the incident outrageous. Rosendale asked Dettelbach and Werfel for answers behind Wednesdays search, including why it was conducted. Under Director Dettelbachs leadership of the ATF, a pattern of intimidation and harassment against hardworking Americans has emerged Montanans will not tolerate these political witch hunts. I remind both Director Dettelbach and Commissioner Werfel that Congress has the power of the purse, and I will ensure that funding for these agencies is not weaponized against the American people, Rosendale said in his letter Rosendale was in Great Falls and talked with Highwood Creek Outfitters owner Tom Vanhoose. Senator Steve Daines also sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel asking for answers. I write today seeking further clarification surrounding events that took place on June 14, 2023 at Highwood Creek Outfitters gun shop in Great Falls, Montana. According to the owner and local reporting on the event, 20 armed federal agents entered the store, remained on the premises for several hours, and confiscated several boxes worth of documents. Among the documents reportedly seized were Firearms Transaction Records (ATF Form 4473) that contain the personally identifiable information (PII) of prospective firearm purchasers. With the PII of an unknown number of Montanans potentially collected by your agents, the stores customers and the community are rightfully concerned. As a result, local law enforcement has been inundated with calls and inquiries seeking information they are unable to provide, Daines letter reads. We have reached out to the Great Falls Police Department and IRS and have not heard back at this time. We will provide updates as more information becomes available. You can read Rosendales full letter here. You can read Daines' full letter here. Article update on June 21, 2023 with a release from Senator Steve Daines. The Great American Pushback has begun, and Gov. Ron DeSantis will ride this burgeoning political movement into the White House. Swashbuckling confidence in traditional American values, and stunning competence in serving people instead of ruling over them, sets DeSantis apart and will make Ron DeSantis our 47th U.S. president. Outrage about George Floyds murder blew through American cities, institutions, and large businesses like a hurricane. Black Lives Matter and other radical organizations promoting their version of diversity, equity and inclusion (or DEI) rode the fury, reaping massive political, financial, and cultural gains. DEI had been percolating for years, but in Floyds callous killing at the hands of Minneapolis police nearly every institution of any size latched onto DEI. Educational institutions changed curricula, businesses hired consultants, and urban Democrats changed laws. According to LinkedIn, diversity and inclusion manager was the second fastest-growing job title, right behind vaccine specialist. By now, a vast number of employees in business or government have experienced the ubiquitous implicit bias training, the gist of which is this: If you are white, you are a racist, and so is our nation. And the only way to purge yourself and America of this sin and prove your goodness is to advocate for, and participate in, the deconstruction of every aspect of modern American life because white supremacy permeates the system. It is no surprise that young people, who have been marinating in this ideology in the form of critical race theory in schools, are strikingly less patriotic (who would love a racist country?), less inclined to work (what good is personal ambition in an economy rigged by institutional racism?), and less inclined to build families (why bring a child into this awful nation?). Democrats applied DEI to criminal justice and are pursuing criminal justice reform premised on the observation that black men are disproportionately represented in prison. Their expert solution was decarceration, and Democrats are electing prosecutors who refuse to enforce criminal laws and legislators who change laws to make it harder to keep criminal suspects and convicts locked up in prison. This movement succeeded in proving common sense is correct: Crime increases when fewer criminals are locked up (although left-wing experts claimed otherwise in the years leading up to the current failed experiment). Decarcerations failure occurred as COVID responses also undermined faith in expert governance. Faith in politicized experts was already fading before COVID, but when politicized experts obviously lied, it accelerated this distrust in expert government. DEI experts in oppression also advance intersectionality theory to latch onto and leverage public revulsion with racism to promote the other isms in the lefts panoply of purported evils Even the Green New Deal was promoted based on intersectionality, leveraging fear about climate change to facilitate radical economic changes in U.S. and global economies to achieve equity goals. For nearly three years, American abhorrence of racism created a political environment in which cultural, political, and economic elites glommed onto intersectional oppression theory, and Democrats launched a top-down revolution pitting Americas institutions and experts against the American people. Everything the Biden administration did, even banning gas stoves and moving to low-carbon alternatives, became a matter of intersectional equity too. On policy matters, experts say has become a tell that what precedes or follows is contrary to common sense. But the tide turns with time and experience. Enter Ron DeSantis and the Great American Pushback against this top-down, expert-driven, Democrat-led cultural and economic revolution. When DeSantis personally developed Floridas unique response to the COVID pandemic and flagrantly pushed back on Fauci and other left-promoted experts, he became the champion of common sense. DeSantis embraced freedom over government-promoted fear and the results were clear: DeSantis Florida fared better during COVID, while those in Democrat-led states like California and New York suffered needlessly. But DeSantis didnt just push back against pandemic top-down orthodoxy. He went on to push back against all aspects of the top-down cultural revolution. First, Florida rejected the radical new sex ed curriculum proposed for elementary schools that blue states like Illinois were adopting. Opponents called this bill which banned sex and gender instruction before fourth grade Dont Say Gay. But when presented with the actual language in the bill, more than 60% of Floridians generally, and even a majority of Democrats, support it. The Walt Disney Company, despite initial (prudent!) misgivings about weighing in on the legislation, did not stand up to pressure from left-wing groups and employees, and instead came out against it. Now, Disney finds itself pitted against its own customer base in a debate over gender and a sexualized curriculum. No surprise, Disneys reputation with its customers and investors took a hit and so did its stock price, which has significantly underperformed the S&P 500 since Disneys CEO opposed the law in March 2022. Refusing to let Floridians be talked down to by an elitist woke corporation, DeSantis eliminated Disneys special-interest deals with Florida to the cheers of Americans everywhere; here, finally, a champion emerged, pushing back for traditional American values. Second, DeSantis pushed back against DEI ideology itself, banning DEI in Florida in schools and colleges. He effectively took over Floridas public honors college, New College, to wrench the school back toward a traditional liberal arts curriculum and away from the radical extremes that are now routine at colleges and universities elsewhere. DeSantis also pushed back against radical prosecutors refusing to enforce the law, firing the prosecutor elected in Hillsborough County after he announced he would not enforce a law passed by the legislature with which he disagreed. DeSantis pushback against the post-George Floyd, intersectional agenda referred to as wokism gained organic momentum when Bud Light and Target foolishly followed Disney down the cultural revolution rabbit hole. Consumers pushed back against product and marketing decisions that pit companies against customers with traditional values, and the consequences for these businesses have been swift and severe: The woke go broke. Along the way, DeSantis showed that government could function competently. In an age when people have lost faith in the governments ability to get anything done, and with the entire nation watching, Florida rebuilt the Pine Island bridge destroyed by Hurricane Ian in just three days, and also rebuilt the Sanibel Island causeway in record time. DeSantis has proven to be a leader who gets it and gets things done. He offers to fight for us, for our fight the fight for our freedoms and for traditional American values. He is not out for revenge over whats wrong, but to refresh whats right. A common man with common sense, Ron DeSantis is the antidote to crazy, a competent champion of American values who, as our next president, will end this age of intersectional, expert nonsense. For many Ohio landowners, performing conservation practices such as wildlife habitat management or forestry management is something that is of interest to them, yet can be hard to pursue. One tool that has been developed to help with this is the Ohio Resource Connection statewide contractor database. This website database is a collaboration between Ohio Division of Wildlife, Ohio Division of Forestry, the Nature Conservancy and the Ohio Society of American Foresters. The website provides Ohio landowners with lists of contractors as well as wildlife and forestry professionals who can assist with management on a landowners property. This comes in the form of management recommendations from skilled professionals as well as contractors who can carry out this work and input management practices. In this database, there are labeled tabs for the Ohio Society of American Foresters directory, the wildlife directory, and TSI/ service provider directory. Foresters Within the OSAF directory portion of the website, one can find information on consulting foresters, industry foresters and even a local state service forester. So, what is the difference between these different foresters and what can they do for the landowner? Consulting foresters are those who are self-employed or work for a private consulting company, and they provide forest resource management recommendation services for a fee. Industry foresters, however, are employed in industries such as a logging company, a paper mill or sawmill. These foresters may provide services such as timber harvest planning, tree planting advice and forest management recommendations. Finally, the state foresters are employed by the state of Ohio and can provide landowners with current information for long term management of their woodlands to meet their management objectives. This can be done by providing technical assistance and info on tree planting projects, woodland improvement activities, timber marketing assistance and assistance with U.S. Department of Agricuture financial incentive programs. Wildlife The wildlife directory portion of this website directs one to the state wildlife biologist information page and another information tab will assist one in finding their local state or non-governmental organization wildlife biologist. These wildlife specialists include state private lands biologists, county wildlife officers and wildlife technicians who will be able to assist the landowner by providing wildlife management recommendations for their land. The landowner simply can navigate through this page to find the proper wildlife biologist for their county or region. The website will then provide the landowner with the contact information so that they can inquire about getting wildlife management assistance. This would include wildlife habitat management, as the biologist would be able to give recommendations on how to manage the habitat on a landowners property for a desired species. This can be any wildlife species from white-tailed deer to wild turkeys, to songbirds and even bats. Essentially any species, whether game or non-game, can be managed, depending on the landowners interests. Service provider The final portion of the statewide contractor database is that of the TSI/service provider directory. Within this tab is the Ohio forest/ habitat improvement vendor directory which lists different improvement vendors who will be able to assist in applying management practices on a landowners property. Some of these vendors work statewide, whereas some work only within their county, and even the management practices which they can perform, vary. Some of the common practices which these vendors perform include those of brush hogging, herbicide and pesticide work, invasive plant control, tree planting, pollinator planting and chainsaw work. So, next time youre interested in having some wildlife or forestry management done on your property, check out the Ohio Resource Connections Statewide Contractor Database. This is a great way in which an Ohio landowner can get in contact with forestry and wildlife professionals who can give advice on how to manage their land. Once you have your management recommendations, you can even find a vendor who will be able to assist in making these plans come to life. A third of UK adults dont use sunscreen despite most burning at least once per year, new survey data shows, with farmers particularly vulnerable to skin cancer. Melanoma Focus has issued a warning following the data, which shows that only 11% say they always use sunscreen in the UK, dropping to just 8% for males. The national charity warns that melanoma is on the rise in the UK and is the most serious form of skin cancer. Outdoor workers, such as those in the agricultural sector, are at greater risk of the cancer due to their exposure to the sun's UV rays, which can cause skin damage and sunburn. Male respondents were particularly reluctant to use sunscreen, according to Melanoma Focus's survey, with 40% saying they rarely or never use it in the UK. When asked why they dont use sunscreen the majority (39%) said its because they dont expect to burn. This is despite 52% of all respondents reporting that they got sunburned at least once per year, rising to 71% for 26-35 year olds. Melanoma skin cancer is a serious and potentially fatal condition, yet people in the UK are often ignoring the dangers posed by prolonged exposure to the UV rays. One in 36 men and 1 in 47 women in the UK will be diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer in their lifetime. It is the deadliest form of skin cancer and is in the top five most commonly diagnosed cancers in the UK, killing 2,333 people per year. Yet, according to Melanoma Focus, the vast majority - 86% - of melanomas are preventable. Susanna Daniels, CEO of the charity said: About seven people die from melanoma every day in the UK and more people die from melanoma in the UK than in Australia. "The fact that people are continuing to ignore the warnings and not take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from skin cancer is concerning. About 9 in 10 melanoma skin cancer cases are preventable and it is vital that people take the warnings about the dangers of excessive sun exposure and the dangers of sunbed use seriously." New conditions for support payments will be introduced from 2025 to help farmers tackle climate change, the Scottish government has announced. Unveiling the news at the Royal Highland Show, the Scottish government said farmers would be required to adopt numerous environmental practices to qualify for the payment. Practices to qualify include adopting foundations of a whole farm plan, consisting of soil testing, animal health and welfare declaration, carbon audits, biodiversity audits and supported business planning Scottish farmers and crofters will have to agree to protections for peatlands and wetlands to help restore the habitats to sequester more carbon. And farmers must also accept new conditions to the Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme to help make beef production more efficient. Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said the transition would be "a just one", adding that some things wont change before a new framework for support was implemented beyond 2026. These changes will only work if as many farmers and crofters as possible take part," she explained. "Unlike in England, there will be no cliff edges in support I am committed to maintaining direct payments and supporting our nations producers through a just transition. An updated version of the route map has been published today. It contains much more information on what will change from 2025." The second edition of the agricultural reform route map sets out upcoming changes The refreshed route map sets out what changes recipients of current farm payments will be expected to make from 2025 and beyond. It also sets out the process for changing to a new agricultural support framework from 2026. It includes information on important dates, the measures being considered now, when current schemes will transition or end, the support available, and how to prepare for these first changes from 2025. Ms Gougeon said: "The changes are gradual I promised no cliff edges, and there will be none. While direct payments will continue, some of the changes mean doing more in return for that support." Responding to the announcement, Mary Munro, head of farming in Scotland at Strutt & Parker, said farmers should prepare for the changes by taking advantage of the Preparing for Sustainable (PSF) scheme. She said: The PSF scheme can provide useful funding towards a carbon audit and there is also support for detailed soil analysis, with payment region 1 land funded at 30/ha if a carbon audit has been carried out within the previous three years. PSF support is scheduled to end by March 2025 and from then, soil testing, animal health and welfare declarations and carbon audits will be part of the productivity baseline for a whole farm plan. Scottish farmers have been denied emergency access to bracken control herbicide Asulox despite it given the go ahead for use in England. The herbicide had been granted emergency authorisation by the Scottish government for the last ten years. However, this year, despite the spread of ticks in bracken which can cause numerous livestock diseases, the government has rejected it. The same decision has also been taken in Wales, but Northern Ireland is yet to decide. It will only be possible to use Asulox in England this year and that control in Scotland and Wales will be restricted to physical methods, such as cutting, bruising, trampling and pulling. Risks to human health and the environment do not outweigh the benefits of using the herbicide, the Scottish government said as its reason. This is despite NFU Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) and the Bracken Control Group warning that the issue was a "matter of urgency" as bracken continued to "grow out of control". An aggressive and invasive weed, there are reports that it is growing frantically throughout the hillsides of Scotland. Where bracken grows, the land is unproductive, and it is also a risk to livestock health due to the abundance of ticks. Rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon said while the decision would "protect our natural environment and water resources", she admitted it would be "challenging" for the herbicide's users. "I therefore want to emphasise that support for bracken control through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) continues for 2023," she said. "Contracts for chemical and mechanical bracken control have been issued from the 2022 round of AECS which commence in 2023. "Where contract holders had intended to undertake chemical control, we will offer flexibility to allow mechanical or manual activity. "We are also taking forward further research on bracken control options and its impacts, and I look forward to engaging with stakeholders as part of a roundtable in the coming months to discuss this important issue. Responding to the decision, the Scottish Conservatives said it was 'hugely disappointing', one which would have 'major ramifications' for rural livelihoods. Shadow rural affairs secretary Rachael Hamilton said: It looks as though once again the SNP-Green government have ignored the needs of our rural and remote communities. I cannot fathom why ministers have gone against the calls not only from myself, but also industry leaders like Scottish Land and Estates, NFUS, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Bracken Control Group. They must urgently clarify the reasons behind this decision which will be met with widespread anger in rural areas, including in my constituency. The timeline of Northern Ireland's new farm support has been released, with BPS payments set to remain unchanged for two more years. The Department of Agriculture's (DAERA) has announced a road map which highlights the timeline for when different elements will roll out. The department said it wanted to reassure farmers that this years payments remained unchanged. It means there will be no change to the application process for the Basic Payment Scheme in 2023 and 2024. However, timelines and pathways are in place for schemes such as the Ruminant Genetics Programme and the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme. They will be phased in over a number of years, with DAERA telling farmers not to take any action other than familiarise themselves with the road map. NI's new farm support programme aims to deliver benefits for land, livestock, infrastructure and communities through a range of new schemes and measures. The schemes and measures to be introduced will provide levers to contribute to statutory obligations under the Climate Change Act (NI) 2022, with a focus on a "just transition". Norman Fulton, DAERAs head of food and farming group, explained that the new programme had been co-designed with the agricultural industry. He said: For the first time in a generation we will have a tailor-made programme of support, bespoke for our agricultural industry in Northern Ireland. Our goal has always been to create a profitable, productive, environmentally sustainable and resilient agri-food sector and we believe we are well on our way to achieving that. "Thanks to the ideas, efforts and collaborative working from across our stakeholders we are redefining our agricultural policy for the first time in 50 years for the benefit of this and future generations. It means we will be targeting support and development programmes to meet our local needs and priorities more effectively. Mr Fulton added: "This is just the start of a communications process and further information will be published as schemes are ready to roll out." The timeline for the introduction of support measures, subject to legislative and business case cover is as follows: Responding to the announcement, the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) said it welcomed clarity around the direction of travel within the new farm support. Commenting, UFU president David Brown said: "The UFU has been part of the co-design process of the new future NI agriculture policy along with other stakeholders. "It is now critical that going forward, DAERA effectively communicates with farmers about the new schemes and measures that will be phased in over the next number of years. "This is vital to help ensure the sustainability of our unique family farm structure in NI as we move forward, delivering for the environment, local communities and consumers. Killer snails have plunged a city in Florida into lockdown. Deadly snails are on the loose in Florida A giant African land snail has been found in Miramar, 20 miles north of Miami, and authorities have set up a quarantine area to tackle the invasive species. The snails can grow up to eight inches long and are capable of consuming at least 500 plant types with their voracious appetites. Officials plan to spray the affected area with the chemical snail bait metaldehyde in order to kill off any more of the pests. Miramar residents will be allowed to leave the area but will not be able to carry any plant-based supplies that could be carrying tiny eggs. William Kern, an entomologist at the University of Florida, told Miami's Local 10 news station: "The primary danger is that they're voracious plant eaters, so they can do an awful lot of damage to both landscapes and to agriculture. "If the snails crawl on uncooked vegetables, you can have a problem with it getting a human infection. With any invasive species, if you find it early, you may be able to control or eliminate it." Jackie Kennedy is said to have thought Warren Beatty was a flop in bed. Jackie Kennedy is said to have thought Warren Beatty was a flop in bed The former First Lady, who died aged 64 from non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1994, briefly dated Hollywood icon Warren, 86, in the mid-70s after her husband President John F Kennedys 1963 assassination when he was 46. A new book titled Jackie: Public, Private, Secret obtained by People claims she once said about the womanising actors bedroom skills: Oh, hes fine. Men can only do so much, anyway. The books writer J Randy Taraborrelli is also said to claim in the tome late socialite Jackie met Warren when she was working as a book editor and trying to woo big names for memoirs. She reportedly found the Bonnie and Clyde star interesting to begin with, which led them going on a few dates, including one that apparently ended with the star spending the night at her Fifth Avenue home in New York. Their fling is said by the author to have ended a few months later as Jackie thought Warren was too self-absorbed and consumed by his own career and movies. The book adds: All he wanted to do was talk about directors and producers and films, and she just wasnt into any of that. By the end of the relationship, mum-of-two Jackie reportedly thought it had lasted two weeks longer than it should have. Warrens list of famous exes includes Madonna, 64, Faye Dunaway, 82, and Goldie Hawn, 77, and his romance with Jackie was also addressed in the 2014 book Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Life Beyond Her Wildest Dreams. Dad-of-four Warren has been married to actress Annette Bening, 65, since 1992, and has not publicly commented on Jackie. King Charles has hailed the Windrush generation for their "profound and permanent contribution to British life." The King And The Queen hosted a Windrush 75th Anniversary Reception at Buckingham Palace To mark the 75th anniversary (22.06.23) of HMT Empire Windrush first transporting people to the UK from the Caribbean on this day in 1948, the 74-year-old sovereign led tributes to the "pioneers", who left behind "all that was familiar" to them to offer up their skills to help rebuild the country during peacetime after the Second World War. Last year, the then-Prince of Wales commissioned the 'Windrush: Portraits of a Pioneering Generation' project, created by 10 Black artists in honour of the "tremendous impacts of the Windrush Generation" on the UK. The 10 portraits have gone on public display for the first time at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the royal residence in Scotland, today. King Charles said: "History is, thankfully and finally, beginning to accord a rightful place to those men and women of the Windrush generation." He continued: "Those pioneers, who arrived in a land they had learned about from afar, left behind all that was familiar to them. "Once in Britain, they worked hard, offering their skills to rebuild a country during peacetime and seeking opportunities to forge a better future for themselves and their families. "When they arrived on our shores with little more than what they were able to carry with them, few could hardly have imagined then how they, and those that followed them, would make such a profound and permanent contribution to British life." The King added that it is his "sincere hope" that the portraits remind us that "our society is woven from diverse threads, each comprising stories of remarkable courage and sacrifice, determination and strength." The King is currently attending a service at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle to mark the anniversary. Charles and Queen Camilla also hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace. The Prince of Wales - who is first in line to the British throne - also shared a special video message on the anniversary, Prince William said: "We are a better people today because the children and the grandchildren of those who came in 1948 have stayed and become a part of who we are in 2023, and for that we are forever grateful. "Today we celebrate the Windrush Generation, their descendants, and everything they have given us all." The US remains the biggest market for Cambodian exports, particularly for textiles and garments. However, the country's apparel exports saw a significant decrease in the first four months of 2023. These exports to the US amounted to $643.886 million, comprising 26.50 per cent of Cambodia's total exports of $2,807.546 million during this period. This figure, however, marks a 50.32 per cent decline from the corresponding period in 2022. In the first four months of 2022, Cambodia exported garments worth $1,497.387 million. The respective figures for January-April 2021, 2020, and 2019 were $1,097.180 million, $977.303 million, and $819.210 million, as per Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro. In 2022, Cambodia's total garment exports amounted to $4.438 billion, contributing 34.37 per cent to the country's overall exports of $12.910 billion. Cambodia's apparel exports to the US in the first 4 months of 2023 were $643.886 million, representing a 50.32 per cent drop from the same period in 2022. Trousers and shorts were the leading export items, accounting for 31.39 per cent of total garment exports. Despite the decline, US remains the primary market for Cambodian exports, particularly textiles. A product breakdown for the first four months of 2023 reveals that trousers and shorts were the most exported garments to the US, earning Cambodia $230.292 million and making up 31.39 per cent of total garment exports. Jerseys brought in $122.014 million (16.63 per cent), followed by shirts at $67.086 million (9.14 per cent), baby wear at $47.581 million (6.48 per cent), T-shirts at $43.340 million (5.91 per cent), nightwear at $33.623 million (4.58 per cent), and dresses at $31.846 million (4.34 per cent), according to data obtained from TexPro. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL) European companies business confidence towards China has significantly deteriorated, according to a survey by European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, in partnership with Roland Berger. Faced with escalating risks and a more unpredictable business environment, European companies are reportedly reassessing their investment and operational strategies. Companies are also adapting their supply chains to become more resilient in the face of uncertainty. A record 64 per cent of survey respondents reported that doing business in China had become more challenging over the past year. Furthermore, 30 per cent of respondents noted a decline in their revenue compared to the previous year, a significant increase of 20 percentage points and a new high in the survey's history. Meanwhile, a concerning trend showed 11 per cent of businesses have relocated existing investments away from China, and 8 per cent are choosing to channel future investments initially earmarked for China to other locations, as per the European Business in China Business Confidence Survey 2023 (BCS). European companies' business confidence in China has declined, with 64 per cent of respondents finding it harder to operate in the country, as per a survey by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China and Roland Berger. Faced with growing risks, European companies are rethinking their strategies, impacting investments, headquarters locations, and supply chains. Additionally, one in every ten respondents disclosed intentions to move their Asian headquarters or business units out of Mainland China. The country also saw a drop in its investment appeal, with a 13-percentage point decrease in respondents considering China as a top-three destination for future investments. As for supply chain strategies, 75 per cent of respondents reassessed their plans in the last two years. Specifically, 24 per cent are looking to partially relocate their supply chains into Mainland China, while 12 per cent have already shifted parts of them out of the country. Nearly 75 per cent of respondents have localised their IT and data storage infrastructure. A notable trend of staff localisation has also been observed over the last five years, with 16 per cent of respondents reporting no foreign nationals employed in their China operations. These shifts come at a significant cost to both companies and China. Creating divergent systems for China and the rest of the world disrupts the overall efficiency provided by global economies of scale. Moreover, the decline in foreign nationals employed contributes to a reduced transfer of knowledge and best practices, difficulties in communication, delayed investment plans, and even the closure of Chinese operations, the survey added. The negative trends we see in this years survey are concerning and reflect both recent challengesbrought by uncertainties in Chinas policy environment and rising geopolitical tensionsand the persistence of long-standing market access barriers, said Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China. For China to turn the tide and allow European companies to develop and contribute to their full potential, we really need to see concrete action. Unless further steps are taken to address the uncertainties confronting companies, then the trend of supply chain diversification is likely to strengthen in the medium-term, said Denis Depoux, global managing director of Roland Berger. Many European companies are now focusing more on how to make their China operations more durable instead of capturing greater market share, which is not good for competition. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP) Alia Bhatt is currently making waves for her upcoming Hollywood debut in Heart of Stone. The spy thriller film will see her star alongside Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot and 50 Shades of Gray actor Jamie Dornan. Now, her father Mahesh Bhatt has opened up about it.As per reports on a leading news portal, Mahesh Bhatt revealed that his heart "soars with pride" when he sees her making appearances with some of the biggest international stars. He also shared his amazement as Alia doesn't feel "pygmied" by the idea of Hollywood.Alia Bhatt was recently in Sao Paulo, Brazil where she unveiled the trailer of Heart of Stone along with its release date. Joining her were co-stars Gadot and Dornan who were seen having a blast at the fan event.The trailer of Heart of Stone revealed Alia Bhatt as the main antagonist of the movie. Her rugged look and acting chops have made headlines already.Read all about it here:Heart of Stone arrives on OTT on August 11, 2023. Adipurush, starring Prabhas, Kriti Sanon and Saif Ali Khan, since its release on June 16, the movie has been making the audience nostalgic about their childhood favourite Ramayana, which was released in the 1990s and was viewed by many children on Doordarshan or the Cartoon Network.Yes, it's the famous 1992's anime film Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama, produced and directed by the Japanese filmmaker Yogo Sako which was made both in Hindi and English. As the story goes during his work on The Ramayana Relics documentary, which focused on the excavations near Prayagraj (then known as Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh by renowned archaeologist Dr BB Lal, Yugo Sako became familiar with the story of Ramayana. After conducting extensive research and reading 10 different Japanese versions of the epic, he concluded that an animated film would better capture the essence of Ramayana than a live-action movie. According to Yugo, "Because Ram is God, I felt it was best to depict him in animation, rather than by an actor."The film was voiced by the popular Indian actor Arun Govil who voiced Lord Rama, Amrish Puri for Ravana, Namrata Sawhney as Sita and Shatrughan Sinha as the narrator.In 2001, the film was then edited and adapted for a US release named Warrior Prince or The Prince of Light: The Legend of Ramayana, which is when Bryan Cranston aka Walter White in Breaking Bad lent his voice for Lord Rama. In addition, the movie featured a narration from the renowned James Earl Jones, who is most famous for providing the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise.Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama was well-received globally, including in Japan. However, the film faced a ban in India for more than three years due to the polarised and communal environment during the Babri Masjid riots. The Hindi version of the film was finally broadcasted on Doordarshan in 1995, and both versions are currently accessible on YouTube. Mission Impossible 7: Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise's popular franchise Mission Impossible has been one of the most celebrated movies of all time. Over the years, Cruise and the film makers have treated fans to several astonishing action sequences, making us want for more. As the entire world eagerly awaits to watch some more daredevil stunts from Cruise, the next installment of Mission: Impossible 7 is reported to release next month. After multiple delays, fans will again see Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, agent of the Impossible Missions Force, in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1. But this time, the makers have set the bar a lot higher by using AI (Artificial Intelligence) as the main villain in the newest installment. Along with some really crazy and best action scenes, the film's team has turned to new age technology that would be the first ever to be seen in a movie. Mission Impossible 7 to feature AI as a villain MI 7 will feature an AI as a villain, something ahead of its time. The report has already got everyone excited, but what was the vision behind the idea? This is explained by the film's director, Christopher McQuarrie. Recently speaking to an English media outlet, Collider, McQuarrie said the previous franchises have seen all sorts of threats, including chemical threats, biological threats, Rabbit's foot, and others. Mission Impossible - Death Reckoning Part 1: Tom Cruise Performs A Death Defying Stunt In A BTS Video; WATCH Trying to bring something fresh to the screen, the filmmaker said that for MI 7, they have used one of the latest threats to mankind, information technology, and AI in the movie as the villain, which Tom Cruise and his team will face. He added that AI is now increasingly present in people's lives, which fits best within the Mission: Impossible franchise now. Further, while the AI revolution is underway, everyone is becoming aware of the fears it could bring to people's lives. McQuarrie expanded on his decision to take AI as the bad guy in Dead Reckoning Part One. Comparing it to the Cold War, he stated, "When I was growing up, the Cold War was very real, it was a very present thing. We were under the threat, we believed, of nuclear annihilation; at any point, there could be a war between two or three nuclear superpowers." He then added, "So when you went to see a Cold War movie, you didn't need somebody to set up the threat of the Cold War, you just felt it. It was something you brought to the movie." Here's How A Russian Movie Has Beaten Hollywood & Its Superstar Tom Cruise. Check Deets Inside In MI 7, Tom Cruise's character Ethan Hunt will be seen fighting the new AI weapon that threatens humanity as a whole. While details about the film's plot have been kept under wraps, the film's trailer already showed us that something huge is coming. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One also stars Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Rebecca Ferguson, and Henry Czerny, amongst others. It is slated to release in theatres on July 14. Whereas the second part is expected to release on June 28, 2024. Asvins First Review: Vasanth Ravi and Vimala Raman starrer Asvins movie gets amazing response from the press show that happened yesterday in Chennai. Vimala Raman Shares Her Experience The press meet of Vasanth Ravi's 'Ashvins', directed by debutant Tarun Teja and produced by Bapineedu, was held in Chennai. Participating in the event, Vimala Raman said, "Congratulations to everyone for fulfilling director Tarun's dream. I liked Tarun's short film during the lockdown. Tarun had everything a director should have. It is a pleasure to be a part of this project. Vasanth, Saras, Murali, Uday, we all worked as a family. I liked Vijay Siddharth's music. He has given the right music. In London we shot in minus 4 degrees. No one pretended to make a face. We all wanted to show a different kind of making to Tamil cinema. Thank you Bobby sir and Shakti sir for making this possible. We look forward to your support." Later the film was screened to the press people and many of them appreciated it after watching. Few of them shared their opinion on Twitter. "Caught the Press show of Asvins. Those who know me, know I'm not a fan of horror films, as I don't believe in paying money to get scared. Asvins however, was a very interesting watch, thanks to great acting, powerful sound design and a gripping screenplay. Await detailed review!" says Jayabhuvaneshwari. Technically Sound Film Karthik AK says "Had a great opportunity to witness #Asvins Movie in a special screening. Believe me when I say, prepare yourself for an awe-inspiring blockbuster that will leave you breathless! It's the next big thing in Kollywood this year. Congrats vasanth ravi and tarun teja." "Has handled a high concept film supported by a brilliant technical team (excellent sound design and cinematography). The UK location is a big plus . Vasanth Ravi has portrayed a physically demanding role, the painstaking effort is also quite evident!" says Rajasekar. Ashok Surya said "Asvins Brilliant can watch it for the thrills, screenplay, acting and BGM can safely say, no repetitive music. Future theme music specialist. Kudos to Director, Music Director, and Actors." Leo First Look Poster Thalapathy Vijay Photo Credit: Gallery The Bloody Sweet revenge tale co-written and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj featuring Thalapathy Vijay in the lead, Leo is back in the headlines shaking the internet. Leo First Look Poster The makers of one of the higly-ambitious project have released Thalapathy Vijay's first look poster on the eve of the actor's birthday on June 21. The fans of the actor have gone into a frenzy with a poster that is quite aggressive and impressive at the same time. With such an exciting poster, the fans are expecting the movie to re-write the old records of the actor and that of the Kollywood film industry. The poster received a thumping response upon its release and has become a sensation on social media platforms, trending continuously since yesterday (June 21). Producers Of Leo Eye More Than Pan-India Release According to the latest buzz, the makers of the film have decided to not limit themselves to release the movie in five Indian languages all over the world. Originally shot in Tamil, the movie will be dubbed into Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi, usually, for a pan-India hero's films. However, going by the information, Leo makers, SS Lalit Kumar and Jagadish Palanisamy are keen on dubbing Leo into other foreign languages as well. This is not for the theatrical release but for the OTT. Netflix India has acquired the digital streaming rights for Thalapathy Vijay's Leo and the makers now want to make it more available and reach out to worldwide audience by dubbing it in German, Spanish, and French as well. Leo Cast The film stars Vijay, Trisha, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Sarja, Priya Anand, Mysskin, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mansoor Ali Khan, SJ Suryah, Sandy Master, Mathew Thomas, Bbau Antony, Janany Kunaseelan, George Maryan, Abhirami Venkatachalam, Kathir, Denzil Smith, Madonna Sebastian, Vaiyapuri. In addition, late veteran Manobala will be seen in his last film posthumously with Vijay. Director Lokesh Kanagaraj and Pradeep Muthu will have cameo appearances in Leo. LEO Theatrical Release The movie which marks the collaboration of hit director-actor, actor-actress combination will likely hit the screens on October 19, this year. The movie is a production venture of SS Lalit Kumar and Jagadish Palanisamy under the Seven Screen Studio and The Route banners. Manoj Paramahamsa and Philomin Raj are handling the cinematography and editing of Leo. Anirudh Ravichander is composing the film's entire soundtrack including tunes and score. Leo's story was written by Lokesh Kanagaraj along with Rathna Kumar, and Deeraj Vaidy. Bigg Boss OTT 2: Salman Khan's reality show has managed to keep the audience engaged, courtesy of its drama-packed episodes. While the early seasons featured only actors, the makers have introduced an exciting line-up of contestants in the digital version of the show. BIGG BOSS OTT 2 CAPTAINCY TASK From a YouTuber to a content creator, Bigg Boss OTT 2 features names from different professions. One such contestant who has stood out is Fukra Insaan aka Abhishek Malhan. The YouTuber, who has over 8 million subscribers in his four channels, has been grabbing eyeballs with his presence in the reality show. From locking horns with Pooja Bhatt and Avinash Sachdev to taking a stand for his friend, the 26-year-old has hogged all the limelight. He got an opportunity to determine the new captain of the house. Abhishek Malhan decided to support Akanksha Puri and not his friends Bebika Dhurve or Manisha Rani, a decision which set several tongues wagging. While fans expected Abhishek and Akanksha to win the captaincy task, Cyrus Broacha and Falaq Naaz emerged as the winner. Falaq became the first captain of Bigg Boss OTT 2, gaining a special advantage in the first week itself. FUKRA INSAAN'S SISTER REACTS TO CAPTAINCY TASK Prerna Malhan, who is also a known YouTuber, shared her thoughts about the captaincy. Without mentioning the captaincy task, she said that she is elated to see the support for the YouTube community. She shared a post on her official Twitter handle, stating that 'things are obvious'. "Happy to see how strong our Youtube community can be! Aur sabse zada maza aata hai comment section padke. I mean how obvious things are," Prerna wrote on the micro-blogging site. Check out the viral tweet right here! Happy to see how strong our Youtube community can be! Aur sabse zada maza aata hai comment section padke I mean how obvious things are Prerna Malhan (@HubWanderers) June 21, 2023 On a related note, four contestants are nominated for eviction this week. Avinash Sachdev, Jiya Shankar, Palak Purswani and Bebika Dhurve are in the danger zone. Bigg Boss OTT 2 Update: Bebika Dhurve has embraced her reality show Journey with India's biggest reality show, Bigg Boss OTT. In the second season of the show, the actress made a captivating entry as an intriguing contestant. Prior to joining Bigg Boss, she had gained significant recognition for her exceptional portrayal of the character Devika Oberoi in the popular television drama series, Bhagya Lakshmi. The actress is currently locked inside BB's house, which is known for massive controversies, fights, and allegations. Although we have seen lots of fights between the contestants with Bebika, there is one such contestant who is always seen praising her that is Pooja Bhatt. The bond between Bebika and Pooja is surely appreciated by the fans, as they are always seen sharing a beautiful connection. Both the contestants are seen sharing a great bond from day one as Pooja is always seen sharing all her inner insecurities and thoughts with Bebika, which resembles that they are both gelling up well. Bebika respects Pooja's thoughts and somewhere makes her feel connected always. Pooja is always seen praising Bebika in front of other contestants. In the previous episode Pooja was seen saying, "Bebika is a strong woman, I really like her." This is not the only time where Bebika is been praised by Pooja. Many other contestants who once were friends of Bebika showed their true colours and betrayed her. Even, Aaliya, her friend was seen nominating Bebika during the nominations. This is why, Bebika is only close to a few people, where Pooja is also included. As Pooja shares a good bond with Bebika, she knows how true and real personality she possesses. So while having a conversation with Cyrus, Avinash and others, Pooja is again seen appreciating Bebika for being real and says," She is very transparent with her emotions, she has the capacity to be truthful."* Now, this great bond between Bebika and Pooja is making fans go in awe of them. And it would be really worth watching how Bebika will rise and what game plans she has to counter hurdles built by her opposition in the house. So for more updates, stay tuned. Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya Shiv Shakti Update: Having presented several interesting narratives such as Pyaar Ka Pehla Naam Radha Mohan, Teri Meri Ikk Jindri, and Rabb Se hai Dua that have resonated beautifully with audiences across India, Zee TV has joined hands with Studio LSD Productions yet again to present an exciting new show - 'Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya Shiv Shakti'. Starring Arjun Bijlani and Nikki Sharma as Shiv and Shakti respectively, the first promo of the show has managed to grab a lot of eyeballs. However, with a lot of intrigue around the show, its plot, and its characters, the viewers are getting eager by the day for the show to premiere. To add to the excitement around the show, popular television actor and comedian - Ssumier Pasricha has also joined the cast of Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya Shiv Shakti. He will be playing the pivotal role of Purnendu - who is a Guru with the power of sensing what is going to transpire in the future. He will play a crucial part in bringing about several twists and turns in the show and it seems that Ssumier is excited about the show, especially since he is returning to television after four long years. What's even more interesting is that he will be seen in quite a unique avatar that will surprise the audience that are otherwise used to seeing him in the Pammi Aunty avatar. As Ssumier Pasricha mentions, "I am really excited about Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya Shiv Shakti not only because it has a unique tale, but also since it is my first show with Zee TV. I've worked with the channel in the past for a hosting opportunity, but this is the first time I am working with them on a proper show and so, I am quite kicked about it. I must add that I have a very strong character as well, and the viewers will be surprised to see me in a completely new avatar as I have never played such a part and it is quite distinct from my Pammi Aunty avatar. In fact, I have felt stereotyped over the last few years, and this character will help me break free from the character and image of Pammi Aunty." He further added, "We shot in Varanasi recently and I must say that I had a gala time in the city. Not only did I bond with the cast and shot for some wonderful sequences, but also explored the city. My only wish now is that I can make a big impact through this never-seen-before character and the viewers shower our exciting new show with their love and support." While Ssumier is excited about bagging this show, viewers will surely be hooked as they witness the beautiful journey of Shiv and Shakti. Don't miss out on the grand saga of Shiv and Shakti in Pyaar Ka Pehla Adhyaya Shiv Shakti, premiering on 3rd July. Tune in to Zee TV every day at 7.30 pm for an enchanting journey you won't want to miss! Come for the Adventure. Stay for the Stories. PORT ANGELES, WA / ACCESSWIRE / June 21, 2023 / Step into a new world with Serenity: Bardic Eddas of Ry'gel, from Cadmus Publishing. Author Lord Michael Ravenheart explores the Elven world of Proxima in this introductory novella. This short piece is nevertheless packed with poems, songs, legends and much more. Each page is sure to leave the reader feeling enchanted, intrigued and inspired. Also included are excerpts from Lord Ravenheart's novella series, The Road of The Seven Sisters, and his longer novel series, The Time of The Oath. Serenity: Bardic Eddas of Ry'gel Author Lord Michael Ravenheart This book is a must-read for fantasy and adventure fans. It is the author's hope "... that people will take a piece of Proxima with them when they finish reading my books " Readers would do well to grab a cup of tea and a cozy place to sit before diving into this fascinating collection. About The Author: Lord Michael Ravenheart is a professed Hellenic, following the sacred pathways of the Olympic gods and goddesses. He has been studying ancient cultures, languages, myths, prophecies and people all of his life. He has been writing for almost as long and has finally decided to put to the written and narrated word his account from the history of the planet Proxima and its Elven "aldari and alnari" citizens. He has lived the life of a warrior, recluse, a rogue, rancher and the resident in a penal colony and now he wishes to settle into the calm and serene life of war, dragons, elves and faeries, orcs, politics and love, daemons, angels, and high adventure on his island home in Greece. Join him for a spot of tea, some Avarin wine or even some Valkyrie mead. He would be happy to share a tale or two with you travelers and perhaps you might walk away better for it. To learn more about Lord Michael Ravenheart, visit his Michael Ravenheart Facebook page, The Road of the Seven Sisters Facebook Group or visit his website at www.michaelravenheartauthor.com. Contact Information Frank Reuter Author Liaison frank@cadmuspublishing.com 3605656459 SOURCE: Cadmus Publishing View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763029/Step-Into-a-World-of-Elven-Wonder-with-New-Book Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen. CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Australian dollar weakened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Thursday. The Australian dollar fell to more than 2-week lows of 1.0927 against the NZ dollar and 1.6193 against the euro, from yesterday's closing quotes of 1.0952 and 1.6164, respectively. Against the U.S. dollar and the yen, the aussie dropped to 0.6787 and 96.15 from early 2-day highs of 0.6806 and 96.52, respectively. The aussie edged down to 0.8929 against the Canadian dollar, from Wednesday's closing value of 0.8943. If the aussie extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 1.06 against the kiwi, 1.66 against the euro, 0.65 against the greenback, 91.00 against the yen and 0.87 against the loonie. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Financing round led byYsios Capital and Gilde Healthcare with participation from Novartis Venture Fund, New Enterprise Associates, and Lightstone Ventures Unique Click-to-Release platform enables on-target activation of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and immunomodulators, as well as off-target deactivation of radiopharmaceuticals Proceeds will be used to advance the lead program, a click-cleavable ADC targeting TAG72, into the clinic, and expand the pipeline Chris Martin, DPhil, former CEO of ADC Therapeutics, appointed Board Chair and Jay Feingold, M.D., Ph.D., former Chief Medical Officer of Pyxis Oncology and ADC Therapeutics, appointed CMO NIJMEGEN, Netherlands and BOSTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tagworks Pharmaceuticals BV ("Tagworks"), the pioneer of Click-to-Release chemistry designed to deliver more effective and safer systemic therapies, today announced a $65 million Series A financing led by Ysios Capital and Gilde Healthcare with participation from Novartis Venture Fund, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), and Lightstone Ventures. They join existing investors including Meneldor and Oost NL. In conjunction with the financing, Thomas Harth (Ysios Capital), Edwin de Graaf (Gilde Healthcare), Marianne Uteng, Ph.D. (Novartis Venture Fund), Michele Park, Ph.D. (NEA), and Christina Isacson, Ph.D. (Lightstone Ventures), joined the Board of Directors. The financing will support the advancement of TGW101, Tagworks' lead click-cleavable ADC program, and the company's proprietary Click-to-Release platform. Tagworks' platform enables controlled drug release induced by an in vivo click reaction with a trigger molecule. When applied to ADCs the triggered on-target release expands the scope to non-internalizing targets, affording a high bystander effect for the killing of tumors with heterogenous target expression. The platform also enables the on-target activation of immunomodulators, and the off-target deactivation of radiopharmaceuticals, enhancing their safety and therapeutic index. Marc Robillard, Ph.D., is co-founder and CEO of Tagworks. He initiated and led the team working on Tagworks' in vivo chemistry within Philips Healthcare, leading its spinout into Tagworks, where the click-to-release approach and other in vivo click-mediated therapeutic applications were further developed. He commented: "Our Click-to-Release approach is poised to change the standard of care for patients with solid tumors. The limitation of today's conventional ADCs is that they rely on suitable internalizing targets, which are not necessarily expressed by every cancer type and cancer cell. Our ADC therapy, however, does not depend on internalizing targets as it is based on chemically controlled release of the payload in the tumor micro-environment, thereby killing heterogenous tumors where not every cancer cell expresses the target. Accordingly, Tagworks has the potential to enhance efficacy in a safe manner through controlled payload release, and so, boost the therapeutic index. Importantly, our unique approach to targeting non-internalizing receptors also offers the opportunity to address a whole new cancer target landscape. This financing is an important step in unlocking the wide range of potential applications for Click-to-Release technology, to treat cancer types not addressed by current therapies." The company's lead program, TGW101, is a click-cleavable ADC targeting tumor-associated glycoprotein 72 (TAG72), a clinically validated non-internalizing target widely expressed in solid tumors. TGW101 is designed to enable targeted and controlled drug release and activation in the tumor microenvironment, thus facilitating the killing of tumors with heterogenous target expression, which are difficult to treat with current therapies. The proceeds of the financing will support Tagworks in bringing this program towards initial clinical proof-of-concept, and in advancing the company's broader pipeline, currently focused on oncology. Tagworks owns a broad intellectual property estate on in vivo Click-Conjugation and Click-to-Release technology and is initially leveraging its approach to expand the number of ADC targets. In addition to TGW101, the pipeline includes discovery phase programs in ADCs and radiopharmaceuticals. Tagworks' technology is compatible with small molecules, peptides, and larger biomolecules, such as antibodies and fragments, and covers a wide range of toxin and immunomodulator classes. Chris Martin, DPhil, Tagworks' Chairman of the Board commented: "I am very pleased to join the Tagworks Board as Chair, and to support and guide the team in working to rapidly move their lead ADC program into clinical development. ADCs have long held great promise as powerful, highly targeted cancer therapies, and Tagworks' platform represents an opportunity to expand both the therapeutic index and reach of these therapies to additional tumor types, and to make a truly transformative impact on cancer patients not served by existing therapies." Thomas Harth, Principal at Ysios Capital stated: "We are proud to have assembled such a strong, international syndicate of investors around Tagworks. Click-to-Release shows tremendous potential to bring forward a new generation of biologic therapeutics with higher efficacy and improved safety that could be very meaningful for patients. We look for companies with truly differentiated approaches, and thus we are delighted to support Tagworks in its next phase of development." Edwin de Graaf, Managing Partner at Gilde Healthcare added: "Tagworks' cutting-edge technology platform is very promising for the development of first and best in class therapeutics, such as ADCs, immunomodulators and radiopharmaceuticals. The ability to enable on-target activation or off-target deactivation is a potentially game-changing opportunity in the field of drug development. We look forward to working closely with this top-tier team as it advances powerful new treatments for cancer and other diseases." About Tagworks Pharmaceuticals Tagworks Pharmaceuticals, pioneer of the Click-to-Release approach, is a precision therapy company, leveraging its technology platform, which is protected by a broad patent estate, to develop a new standard of care for patients suffering from severe diseases including cancer. With operations in the Netherlands and the U.S., Tagworks is developing a pipeline of click-cleavable therapies. Its lead program, TGW101, is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting TAG72, a clinically-validated, pan-carcinoma target that so far has remained out of reach of current ADC therapies. Tagworks' technology enables on-target activation of ADCs and immunomodulators, as well as off-target deactivation of radioimmunotherapies to enhance their therapeutic index. For more information, visit us at www.tagworkspharma.com. About Ysios Capital Ysios Capital is a leading Spanish venture capital firm that provides private equity financing to early- and mid-stage, highly innovative life science companies bringing life-changing treatments to patients, with a focus on indications with high unmet need. Our diverse international team in San Sebastian and Barcelona is driven by science, with the ambition to transform capital into medical breakthroughs. Ysios Capital was founded in 2008 and has over 400 million in assets under management through its three funds. For more information, please visit www.ysioscapital.com. About Gilde Healthcare Gilde Healthcare is a specialized healthcare investor managing over 2.5 billion across two fund strategies: Venture&Growth and Private Equity. The Venture&Growth fund of Gilde Healthcare invests in fast growing companies active in digital health, medtech and therapeutics, based in Europe and North America. The Private Equity fund of Gilde Healthcare participates in profitable lower mid-market healthcare companies based in North-Western Europe. For more information, visit the company's website at www.gildehealthcare.com. About Novartis Venture Fund Novartis Venture Fund is a financially driven corporate life science venture fund whose purpose is to foster innovation, drive significant patient benefit and generate superior returns by creating and investing in innovative life science companies at various stages of their development. For more information, go to www.nvfund.com. About NEA New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) is a global venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors and geographies. Founded in 1977, NEA has over $25 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2023 and invests in technology and healthcare companies at all stages in a company's lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. The firm's long track record of investing includes more than 270 portfolio company IPOs and more than 450 mergers and acquisitions. For more information, please visit www.nea.com. About Lightstone Ventures Lightstone Ventures is a global venture capital firm investing in biotech and medtech companies pioneering big ideas poised to transform patient outcomes. We were founded in 2012 to empower visionary entrepreneurs with the resources and operational guidance necessary to bring their innovative therapeutics and technologies to the patients who need them most. Our investment team has led deals resulting in 19 acquisitions and 20 initial public offerings over the last two decades. The firm has offices in Boston, Mass., Menlo Park, Calif., and Dublin, Ireland. For more information, please visit www.lightstonevc.com Contact Media and Investors Sarah Sutton/Cameron Willis Argot Partners (212) 600-1902 tagworks@argotpartners.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2107979/Tagworks_Pharmaceuticals_BV_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/tagworks-pharmaceuticals-announces-65-million-in-series-a-financing-to-advance-click-to-release-therapeutics-301857548.html Wego and Tourism Authority of Thailand Collaborate to Showcase the Land of Smiles PR Newswire DUBAI, June 22, 2023 Over 4 million searches to Thailand on Wego in 2023 Thailand is expecting an exceptional 300% increase in growth for the summer holiday season in July-August 2023 DUBAI, June 22, 2023 Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), join hands with Tourism Authority of Thailand to promote and enhance tourism in the captivating country. This collaboration aims to leverage Wego's extensive reach and advanced travel technology to provide travelers with an exceptional experience while exploring Thailand. By combining their expertise, Wego and the Tourism Authority of Thailand strive to create a seamless and convenient platform that showcases the country's rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, and vibrant cities. Through this partnership, Wego and the Tourism Authority of Thailand will focus on multiple aspects to ensure an unforgettable journey for travelers. Wego's advanced search capabilities and personalized recommendations will enable users to discover the best flight and accommodation options tailored to their preferences and budget. Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, MENA and India, Wego said: "Thailand is an extraordinary destination, renowned for its rich cultural tapestry, breathtaking scenery, and warm hospitality. We saw over 4 million searches this year and expect the numbers to grow in the summer. This collaboration with Tourism Authority of Thailand fills us with great enthusiasm as we strive to curate unparalleled travel experiences and spotlight the diverse wonders that Thailand has to offer." Moreover, the collaboration aims to offer comprehensive travel guides, insider tips, and deals, allowing travelers to make well-informed decisions and experience Thailand's hidden gems. Mr. Chaiwat Tamtai Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for Dubai and the Middle East, commented: "Our target audience comprises of Arab families and millennials, with Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, and Krabi being our top cities for Arab travelers. With 13 airlines operating the Middle East-to-Thailand route, we are expecting an exceptional 300% increase in growth for the summer holiday season in July-August 2023." Thailand's diverse attractions make it a captivating summer destination that promises unforgettable experiences for every traveler. About Wego Wego provides award-winning travel search websites and top-ranked mobile apps for travelers living in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Wego harnesses powerful yet simple to use technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airlines, hotels, and online travel agency websites. Wego presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants, both local and global, and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book whether it is from an airline or hotel directly or with a third-party aggregator website. Wego was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Dubai and Singapore with regional operations in Bangalore, Jakarta and Cairo. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2108291/CHIANG_MAI.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/wego-and-tourism-authority-of-thailand-collaborate-to-showcase-the-land-of-smiles-301857432.html SABCA selects the 3DEXPERIENCE platform for its new product life cycle management system SABCA aims to win new, complex business opportunities through greater efficiency and collaboration between engineering and manufacturing teams SABCA chose the 3DEXPERIENCE platform following an in-depth evaluation of different solutions on the market Dassault Systemes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) today announced at the Paris Air Show that SABCA Group, the Belgium-based tier one supplier in the aerospace and defense industry, selected Dassault Systemes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform for its product life cycle management. SABCA aims to win new, complex business opportunities by ushering in a new technological era defined by the adoption of the industry's only business experience platform. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621428664/en/ Image: SABCA Group (Photo: Dassault Systemes) SABCA's decision to deploy the 3DEXPERIENCE platform follows an in-depth evaluation of solutions on the market. SABCA had established clear requirements and expectations for a new PLM system that would deliver technological capabilities to future-proof its business. It concluded that the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is the only solution that offers an integrated engineering and manufacturing experience that drives efficient collaboration and alignment among its teams. With the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, SABCA's manufacturing team, for example, can access and experience the engineered virtual twin of a new product early in its life cycle, in order to prepare for production sooner. Any engineering changes to this data-driven model are reflected in real time in the platform's virtual environment. This visibility ensures that manufacturing is always working with and making decisions based on the latest information. "When we set out to define what we wanted from our PLM, having an end-to-end, state-of-the-art solution that brings all users together was an imperative for our business," said Miguel Laduron, ICT director, SABCA Group. "The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is the most cutting-edge, future-proof solution on the market for achieving our PLM strategy. We can efficiently integrate customer requirements, design and manufacturing. This technological advantage will reinforce our position as a key supplier to original equipment manufacturers in every industry sector we serve." "There is a massive transformation underway among manufacturers and suppliers to drive efficiency and meet customer demands. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is a key lever for achieving innovation strategies across engineering, life cycle management, sustainability and other areas. Tier one suppliers like SABCA Group can connect engineering and manufacturing capabilities in one collaborative virtual experience for a streamlined approach to their business," said David Ziegler, Vice President, Aerospace and Defense Industry, Dassault Systemes. FOR MORE INFORMATION Dassault Systemes' 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions: http://www.3ds.com SHARE THIS ON TWITTER Tier one aerospace supplier SABCA Group selects @Dassault3DS 3DEXPERIENCE platform to future-proof its business Connect with Dassault Systemes on Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Youtube ABOUT DASSAULT SYSTEMES Dassault Systemes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, is a catalyst for human progress. We provide business and people with collaborative virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations. By creating virtual twin experiences of the real world with our 3DEXPERIENCE platform and applications, our customers can redefine the creation, production and life-cycle-management processes of their offer and thus have a meaningful impact to make the world more sustainable. The beauty of the Experience Economy is that it is a human-centered economy for the benefit of all -consumers, patients and citizens. Dassault Systemes brings value to more than 300,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com Dassault Systemes. All rights reserved. 3DEXPERIENCE, the 3DS logo, the Compass icon, IFWE, 3DEXCITE, 3DVIA, BIOVIA, CATIA, CENTRIC PLM, DELMIA, ENOVIA, GEOVIA, MEDIDATA, NETVIBES, OUTSCALE, SIMULIA and SOLIDWORKS are commercial trademarks or registered trademarks of Dassault Systemes, a European company (Societas Europaea) incorporated under French law, and registered with the Versailles trade and companies registry under number 322 306 440, or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621428664/en/ Contacts: Dassault Systemes Press Corporate France Arnaud MALHERBE arnaud.malherbe@3ds.com +33 (0)1 61 62 87 73 North America Natasha LEVANTI natasha.levanti@3ds.com +1 (508) 449 8097 EMEA Virginie BLINDENBERG virginie.blindenberg@3ds.com +33 (0) 1 61 62 84 21 China Grace MU grace.mu@3ds.com +86 10 6536 2288 India Kriti ASHOK kriti.ashok@3ds.com +91 9741310607 Japan Misae HASHIDA misae.hashida@3ds.com +81 3 4321 3418 Korea Jeemin JEONG jeemin.jeong@3ds.com +82 2 3271 6653 AP South Minming CHEN minming.chen@3ds.com +65 6511 7931 Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen. The research group led by Professor Martin Green has published Version 62 of the solar cell efficiency tables. There are 21 new results reported in the new version, a record number for the Tables.The international research group led by Professor Martin Green from the University of New South Wales in Australia has published Version 62 of the "solar cell efficiency tables" in Progress in Photovoltaics. The scientists said they have added 21 new results to the new tables since December. "The highlights are a large increase in small-area kesterite (CZTSSe) cell efficiency by the Institute of Physics, ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen. Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. EQS Post-admission Duties announcement: BP p.l.c. / Payments to Govts 2022 Part 1 of 1 BP p.l.c.: Release of a capital market information 22.06.2023 / 09:00 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. BP p.l.c. Report on payments to governments Year ended 31 December 2022 Contents Introduction 3 Basis of preparation 3 Payments overview 6 Payments by country 7 Other resources 29 Introduction BP p.l.c. has prepared the following consolidated report ('Report') on payments to governments in accordance with the Reports on Payments to Governments Regulations 2014 (2014/3209), as amended by the Reports on Payments to Governments (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (2015/1928), (the 'Regulations'). The Report also addresses BP p.l.c.'s reporting obligations under DTR 4.3A of the Financial Conduct Authority Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. The 'Basis of Preparation' section below contains information about the content of the Report, the types of payments included and the principles that have been applied in preparing the Report. bp's socioeconomic contribution bp makes a broader socioeconomic contribution to countries in which we operate in addition to the payments that are required to be reported under the Regulations. We make payments to governments in connection with parts of our business other than extractive activities - for example in relation to the transportation, trading, manufacture and marketing of oil and gas. As well as government payments, bp contributes to the economies of the countries in which we operate by providing jobs for employees and contractors, purchasing materials from local suppliers and undertaking social investment activities. See the Other resources section at the end of the Report for more information on our socioeconomic contribution and our position on tax and financial transparency. bp's position on revenue transparency bp supports transparency in the flow of revenue from oil and gas activities to governments. This helps citizens hold public authorities to account for the way they use funds received through taxes and other agreements Basis of preparation Under the Regulations, the directors of BP p.l.c. are required to prepare a consolidated report on payments made to governments for each financial year in relation to relevant activities of both BP p.l.c. and any of its subsidiary undertakings included in the consolidated group accounts. The term 'bp' is used interchangeably within this Report to indicate BP p.l.c. or any subsidiary undertaking within the scope of the Report. Activities within the scope of the Report Payments made to governments that relate to bp's activities involving the exploration, prospection, discovery, development, and extraction of minerals, oil, natural gas deposits or other materials ('extractive activities') are included in this Report. Payments made to governments that relate to trading, export (pipelines), refining and processing, renewables projects and other activities that are not within the scope of extractive activities as defined by the Regulations are not included in this Report. Where a payment relates to activities that are reportable under the Regulations as well as to activities which are not reportable, bp reports the payment in its entirety if it is not possible to disaggregate it. Government Under the Regulations, a 'government' is defined as any national, regional or local authority of a country, and includes a department, agency or undertaking that is a subsidiary undertaking controlled by such an authority. In some countries, certain local indigenous organizations fall within this definition of government. Where this is the case, payments made to such organizations have been included in this Report. Where a state-owned enterprise undertakes activities outside of its home jurisdiction, then it is not considered to be a government. Cash basis Payments are reported on a cash basis, meaning that they are reported in the period in which they are paid, as opposed to being reported on an accruals basis (which would mean that they were reported in the period for which the liabilities arise). Refunds are also reported in the period they are received by bp and are shown as negative amounts in the Report. Where payments in kind are made to a government they are valued and footnotes are included to help explain the valuation method and any related volumes. Reporting principles The Regulations require payments to be reported where they are made to governments by BP p.l.c. and its subsidiary undertakings in respect of extractive activities. In preparing a report, the Regulations also require the disclosure of payments to reflect the substance of each payment and the relevant activity or project concerned. In light of these requirements, bp has assessed its reporting obligations to be as follows: Where bp has made a payment to a government, such payment is reported in full, whether made in bp's sole capacity or in bp's capacity as the operator of a joint venture. Payments made to governments in connection with joint ventures are included in the Report if, and to the extent that, bp makes the relevant payment. Typically, such circumstances will arise where bp is the operator of the joint venture. Payments made by an incorporated joint venture which is not a subsidiary of bp are not included within this Report. In some instances, bp is a partner in unincorporated joint ventures where the role of operator is performed through a non-typical operatorship model, whereby multiple entities contribute to an unincorporated body which has the role of operator. In relation to such joint ventures, payments actually made by bp to the government are reported and payments for which bp has direct responsibility to the government, but which are paid on its behalf, are also reported. bp's equity-accounted investments for the financial year ended 31 December 2022 such as Pan American Energy Group and Aker bp are not bp subsidiaries and therefore in accordance with the Regulations, payments made by such entities are not included in this Report. Project definition The Regulations require payments to be reported by project (as a sub category within a country). They define a 'project' as the operational activities which are governed by a single contract, licence, lease, concession or similar legal agreement, and form the basis for payment liabilities with a government. If these agreements are substantially interconnected, then they can be treated as a single project. Under the Regulations, 'substantially interconnected' means forming a set of operationally and geographically integrated contracts, licences, leases or concessions or related agreements with substantially similar terms that are signed with a government, giving rise to payment liabilities. These agreements may themselves be governed by a single contract, joint venture, production-sharing agreement, or other overarching legal agreement. Factors used to determine whether contracts or licences are operationally and geographically integrated may include their common management framework, proximity and use of common infrastructure. The number of projects will depend on the contractual arrangements within a country and not necessarily on the scale of activities. Moreover, a project will only appear in this Report where relevant payments occurred during the year in relation to that project. The Regulations acknowledge that for some payments it may not be possible to attribute a payment to a single project and therefore such payments may be reported at the country level. Corporate income taxes, which are typically not levied at a project level, are an example of this. Materiality threshold The Regulations require that payments made as a single payment exceeding 86,000 or as part of a series of related payments within a financial year exceeding 86,000 be included in this Report. Reporting currency All payments have been reported in US dollars. Payments made in currencies other than US dollars are typically translated at the exchange rate at the date of payment. Payment types The Regulations define a 'Payment' as an amount paid whether in money or in kind, for relevant activities where the payment is of any one of the types listed below: Production entitlements Under production sharing agreements (PSAs) the production is shared between the host government and the other parties to the PSA. The host government typically receives its share or entitlement in kind rather than being paid in cash. In this Report such production entitlement volumes to the government are reported on a lifting basis, i.e. when the government takes possession of its share of production. A market value is applied, usually using the valuation method from the relevant PSA. For joint ventures in which bp is the operator, government production entitlements are reported in their entirety, in accordance with the notes above. Where the national oil company (NOC) is also a partner in the joint venture, their production entitlement is reported in addition to the government share of production. The NOC's entitlement as a partner will include both their share of production as investor's return as well as their entitlement for the reimbursement of their costs. Taxes The Report includes taxes levied on income, production or profits and taxes withheld from dividends, royalties and interest received by bp. In addition, taxes paid on behalf of bp by the NOC out of production entitlements are reported. Taxes levied on consumption, personnel, sales, procurement (contractor's withholding taxes), property and environmental taxes, , customs and excise are not reportable under the Regulations. Royalties These may be paid in cash or in kind (valued in the same way as production entitlements). Fees In preparing this Report, bp has included licence fees, rental fees, entry fees and all other payments that are paid in consideration for new and existing licences and/or concessions. Fees paid to governments for administrative services are excluded. Bonuses Signature, discovery and production bonuses and other bonuses payable under licences or concession agreements are included in the Report. Infrastructure improvements Such payments include a road or a building provided by bp that forms part of the fundamental facilities and systems serving a community or area. These payments are included in the Report whether or not bp is contractually obliged to fund them, and are reported when the relevant assets are handed over to the government or the local community. Dividends These are dividends that are paid in lieu of production entitlements or royalties. Dividends paid by bp to a government as an ordinary shareholder are excluded. For the year ended 31 December 2022, there were no reportable dividend payments to a government. Other considerations The payments shown in this Report are rounded to the nearest $0.1 million. Due to rounding, some totals in the following tables may not agree exactly with the sum of their component parts. Amounts are shown to the nearest dollar in the data submitted and available on the UK Companies House website. Payments overview The table below shows the relevant payments to governments made by bp in the year ended 31 December 2022, by country and payment type. Of the seven payment types required by the UK regulations, bp did not pay any relevant dividends and therefore the category is not shown. $ million Production Infrastructure Country entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Algeria 181.1 0.2 181.2 Angola 1,435.7 459.9 0.2 0.4 1,896.2 Argentina 0.4 0.4 Australia 434.0 220.0 654.0 Azerbaijan 19,311.5 1,009.1 2.6 450.0 20,773.2 Brazil 73.9. 73.9 Canada 46.0 46.0 Egypt 176.6 2.8 10.0 189.4 India 7.6 7.6 Indonesia 458.8 341.3 28.2 828.3 Iraq 112.8 112.8 Mauritania 22.9 1.0 0.6 24.5 Mexico 3.7 5.2 8.9 Oman 1,856.3 339.0 0.5 2,195.8 Russia 0.6 0.6 Sao Tome and Principe 0.5 1.0 1.5 Senegal 0.7 0.6 1.2 Trinidad and Tobago 951.5 1.9 953.4 United Arab Emirates 5,798.6 5.8 5,804.5 United Kingdom 1,271.3 6.9 1,278.2 United States 431.6 1,152.7 10.4 22.2 1,616.9 Total 23,069.9 11,511.6 1,372.7 180.3 511.4 2.6 36,648.6 Payments by country Algeria $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Ministere des Finances - Direction Generale des Impots (a)181.1 181.1 Sonatrach 0.2 0.2 Total 181.1 0.2 181.2 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total In Amenas (b)116.8 0.2 116.9 In Salah (c)64.3 64.3 Total 181.1 0.2 181.2 (a) Includes $149.8 million of taxes settled by Sonatrach on bp's behalf out of entitlement, pursuant to the relevant agreements. (b) Includes $85.5 million of taxes settled by Sonatrach on bp's behalf out of production entitlement, pursuant to the relevant agreements. (c) Pursuant to the relevant agreements, Sonatrach paid these taxes on bp's behalf out of revenue entitlements. Angola $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Administracao Geral Tributaria 3.5 3.5 ANPG - Concessionaire (a)731.5 731.5 Ministry of Finance 451.7 0.2 451.8 Ministry of Petroleum 4.7 4.7 Rise Angola 0.4 0.4 Sonangol P&P (b)704.2 704.2 Total 1,435.7 459.9 0.2 0.4 1,896.2 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Block 15 82.1 82.1 Block 17 178.7 178.7 Block 18 (c)761.2 145.9 0.2 0.4 907.7 Block 31 (d)674.5 53.1 727.7 Total 1,435.7 459.9 0.2 0.4 1,896.2 (a) Payments in kind for 6.8 million bbl of crude oil valued per the production sharing agreement. (b) Payments in kind for 6.7 million bbl of crude oil valued per the production sharing agreement. (c) Payments in kind for 7.0million bbl of crude oil valued per the production sharing agreement. (d) Payments in kind for 6.5 million bbl of crude oil valued per the production sharing agreement. Argentina $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Administracion Federal de Ingresos Publicos 0.4 0.4 Total 0.4 0.4 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Payments not attributable to projects 0.4 0.4 Total 0.4 0.4 Australia $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Australian Taxation Office 434.0 434.0 Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety 220.0 220.0 Total 434.0 220.0 654.0 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total North West Shelf 434.0 220.0 654.0 Total 434.0 220.0 654.0 Azerbaijan $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Azerbaijan (ACG) Ltd. (SOCAR subsidiary) (a)1,332.4 1,332.4 Azerbaijan (Shah Deniz) Ltd. (SOCAR subsidiary) (b)2,072.2 2,072.2 Ministry of Taxes (h)1,009.1 1,009.1 SGC Upstream LLC (c)995.1 995.1 State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) (d)260.0 260.0 State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (e)14,651.8 2.6 450.0 15,104.4 Total 19,311.5 1,009.1 2.6 450.0 20,773.2 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Azeri-Chirag-Deepwater Gunashli - PSA (f)11,602.8 219.4 450.0 12,272.2 Shafag-Asiman - PSA 2.1 2.1 Shah Deniz - PSA (g)7,708.7 (i)789.7 8,498.4 Shallow Water Absheron Peninsula (SWAP) PSA 0.5 0.5 Total 19,311.5 1,009.1 2.6 450.0 20,773.2 (a) Payments in kind for 13.2 million bbls of crude oil valued at netback value per the production sharing agreement (b) Includes payments in kind of $331.1 million for 3.5 million bbls of crude oil valued at netback value per the production sharing agreement and the remaining production entitlement was paid in cash. (c) Includes payments in kind of $167.9 million for 1.8 million bbls of crude oil valued at netback value per the production sharing agreement and the remaining production entitlement was paid in cash. (d) Payments in kind for 2.6 billion cubic meters of associated residue natural gas valued on the basis of gas prices realized in a similar Azerbaijani project. (e) Includes payments in kind of $10,822.9 million for 108.2 million bbls of crude oil valued at netback value per the production sharing agreement and the remaining production entitlement was paid in cash. (f) Includes payments in kind of $11,342.8 million for 112.9 million bbls of crude oil valued at netback value per the production sharing agreement and payments in kind of $260.0 million for 2.6 billion cubic meters of associated residue natural gas valued on the basis of gas prices realized in a similar Azerbaijani project. (g) Includes payments in kind of $1,311.5 million for 13.7 million bbls of crude oil valued at netback value per the production sharing agreement and the remaining production entitlement was paid in cash. (h) Includes $789.7 million of taxes settled by SOCAR on bp's behalf out of entitlement, pursuant to the relevant agreements. (i) Pursuant to the relevant agreements, SOCAR paid these taxes on bp's behalf out of revenue entitlements. Brazil $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Agencia Nacional do Petroleo, Gas Natural e Biocombustiveis 0.7 0.7 Petrobras 73.2 73.2 Total 73.9 73.9 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total CM-477 0.2 0.2 CM-755 0.3 0.3 CM-793 0.3 0.3 FOZ-127 8.0 8.0 FOZ-57 16.5 16.5 FOZ-59 35.8 35.8 FOZ-88 12.6 12.6 S-M-1500 0.1 0.1 Total 73.9 73.9 Canada $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Canada Newfoundland Offshore 1.9 1.9 Canada Revenue Agency 42.7 42.7 Government of Alberta 0.4 0.4 Natural Resources Canada 1.1 1.1 Total 46.0 46.0 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Newfoundland Exploration 2.9 2.9 Nova Scotia Exploration 42.7 42.7 Terre De Grace 0.4 0.4 Total 46.0 46.0 Egypt $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Egyptian General Petroleum 2.6 10.0 12.6 Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (EGAS) 0.3 0.3 Egyptian Tax Authority (a)176.6 176.6 Total 176.6 2.8 10.0 189.4 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Baltim (a)48.3 48.3 El Qaraa (a)21.8 21.8 North Damietta (a)15.7 15.7 North El Salum & North El Tabya 0.3 0.3 Ras El Bar (a)33.5 33.5 Temsah (a)12.7 12.7 West Nile Delta 2.6 10.0 12.6 Zohr (a)44.5 44.5 Total 176.6 2.8 10.0 189.4 (a) Pursuant to the relevant agreements, Egypt General Petroleum Corporation paid these taxes on bp's behalf out of production entitlement India $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas 7.6 7.6 Total 7.6 7.6 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total KG D6 KG-DWN-98/3 7.6 7.6 Total 7.6 7.6 Indonesia $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Direktorat Jenderal Minyak dan Gas 28.2 28.2 Ministry of Finance (a)458.8 341.3 800.1 Total 458.8 341.3 828.3 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Tangguh (a)458.8 341.3 28.2 828.3 Total 458.8 341.3 28.2 828.3 (a) Includes payments in kind of $87.1 million for 1.1million bbls of condensates valued per the production sharing agreement and the remaining production entitlement for LNG was paid in cash. Iraq $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total General Commission for Taxes 112.8 112.8 Total 112.8 112.8 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Rumaila 112.8 112.8 Total 112.8 112.8 Mauritania $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines 22.9 1.0 0.6 24.5 Total 22.9 1.0 0.6 24.5 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total BirAllah 0.1 1.0 1.1 Block C12 22.1 22.1 Block C8 0.7 0.7 Payments not attributable to projects 0.6 0.6 Total 22.9 1.0 0.6 24.5 Mexico $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Fondo Mexicano del Petroleo 5.2 5.2 Sistema de administracion Tributaria 3.7 3.7 Total 3.7 5.2 8.9 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Cuencas del Sureste 34 R3 0.9 0.7 1.6 Cuenca Salina 1 R1 2.9 4.5 7.4 Total 3.7 5.2 8.9 Oman $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Makarim Gas Development (a)938.8 938.8 Ministry of Energy and Minerals (b)917.5 0.5 918.0 Ministry of Finance 3390 339.0 Total 1,856.3 339.0 0.5 2,195.8 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Khazzan (a)(b)1,856.3 339.0 0.5 2,195.8 Total 1,856.3 339.0 0.5 2,195.8 (a) Comprises payments in kind of $447.8 million for 4.6 million bbls of condensates valued at market prices, $489.1 million for 143.6 million mmBtu of gas valued per the Gas Sales Agreement and $1.9 million was paid in cash. (b) Comprises payments in kind of $573.9 million for 6.3 million bbls of condensates valued at market prices, $340.9 million for 100.0 million mmBtu of gas valued per the Gas Sales Agreement and $2.7 million was paid in cash. Russia $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Ministry of Finance 0.6 0.6 Total 0.6 0.6 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Payments not attributable to projects 0.6 0.6 Total 0.6 0.6 Sao Tome and Principe $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Agencia Nacional do Petroleo 0.5 1.0 1.5 Total 0.5 1.0 1.5 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Block 10 0.2 0.5 0.8 Block 13 0.2 0.5 0.8 Total 0.5 1.0 1.5 Senegal $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Ministry of Health 0.6 0.6 Societe des petroles du Senegal 0.7 0.7 Total 0.7 0.6 1.2 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Block Cayar Profond 0.3 0.3 Block St Louis Profond 0.3 0.3 Greater Tortue Ahmeyim 0.6 0.6 Total 0.7 0.6 1.2 Trinidad and Tobago $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Board of Inland Revenue 503.8 503.8 Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries 447.7 1.9 449.6 Total 951.5 1.9 953.4 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Block 5B 1.8 1.8 BPTT Blocks 951.5 0.1 951.7 Total 951.5 1.9 953.4 United Arab Emirates $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Company 5.8 5.8 Department of Finance Abu Dhabi 5,798.6 5,798.6 Total 5,798.6 5.8 5,804.5 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total ADCO Concession (Onshore) 5,798.6 5.8 5,804.5 Total 5,798.6 5.8 5,804.5 United Kingdom $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total HM Revenue and Customs (a)(b)1,271.3 1,271.3 Oil and Gas Authority 6.9 6.9 Total 1,271.3 6.9 1278.2 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Andrew 0.4 0.4 Clair 0.4 0.4 Decommissioning (a)(11.4) (11.4) ETAP 0.8 0.8 Exploration 1.6 1.6 Foinaven 1.4 1.4 Murlach 0.2 0.2 Non-Operated (a)(7.2) 0.1 (7.1) Payments not attributable to projects (a)(b)1,289.9 1,289.9 Schiehallion 1.9 1.9 Total 1,271.3 6.9 1,278.2 (a) Net refunds result from the carry back of tax losses, resulting in a refund of taxes paid in prior years. (b) Settlement of tax which include interest over/under payments United States $ million Production Infrastructure GOVERNMENTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Federal Government 160.0 160.0 Office of Natural Resources Revenue 1.1 1.1 Office of Natural Resources Revenue/Department of the Interior 947.7 9.7 22.2 979.6 State of Alaska 0.3 0.3 State of Colorado 0.3 0.3 State of Louisiana 65.2 (a)15.7 80.8 State of New Mexico 0.3 (a)0.5 0.8 State of Oklahoma (a)1.2 1.2 State of Texas 205.4 (a)186.5 0.7 392.6 Total 431.6 1,152.7 10.4 22.2 1,616.9 Production Infrastructure PROJECTS entitlements Taxes Royalties Fees Bonuses improvements Total Alaska 0.3 0.3 Colorado 0.3 0.3 Gulf of Mexico - Central 909.2 9.5 22.2 940.9 Gulf of Mexico - Western 38.5 0.2 38.7 Louisiana 65.2 15.7 80.8 New Mexico 0.3 0.5 0.8 Onshore Fed 1.1 1.1 Oklahoma 1.2 1.2 Texas 205.4 186.5 0.7 392.6 Payments not attributable to projects 160.0 160.0 Total 431.6 1,152.7 10.4 22.2 1,616.9 (a) Payments to states where bp has no extractive activities relate to Escheatment of Royalties. Other resources bp payments to governments 2022 Detailed data filed with UK Registrar extractives.companieshouse.gov.uk bp annual and sustainability reporting bp Annual Report and Form 20-F 2022 bp.com/annualreport bp sustainability report 2022 bp.com/sustainability bp tax report 2022 bp.com/tax bp economic impact reports bp US Economic Impact Report bp.com/economicimpact-us bp's Impact on the UK Economy bp.com/economicimpact-uk Contacts Press Office London Houston David Nicholas +44 (0)20 7496 4708 Brett Clanton +1 281 366 8346 This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com . 22.06.2023 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen. Observatorio Fotovoltaico is mapping PV projects across Portugal, with information on installation size, year of commissioning, exploration type, and developer. The free tool already includes around 1,000 projects, corresponding to 60% of the country's total installed capacity.Observatorio Fotovoltaico, a Portuguese service platform for the solar industry, has developed a free, web-based, interactive map of PV projects in Portugal. Rodrigo Silva, the project leader, told pv magazine that he recognized that the public had access to two kinds of information: official statistics from the Directorate ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. CAMBRIDGE, England, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Alchemab Therapeutics, an antibody discovery company identifying naturally occurring antibodies from individuals resilient to disease, today announced that it unveiled data on ATLX-1088, its newly-discovered preclinical Alzheimer's candidate, at the Antibody Industrial Symposium in Tours, France, 22-23 June 2023. ATLX-1088 is a potential first-in-class human antibody targeting CD33, a cell surface protein which is thought to have a key role in Alzheimer's disease. Studies have found that higher expression of CD33 is associated with more advanced cognitive decline and worsening disease status - as high levels of CD33 inhibit normal function of brain-resident immune cells called microglia, which maintain neural networks and repair damage. After identifying common antibodies unique to individuals resilient to Alzheimer's disease, Alchemab identified the target as CD33. By starting with the body's response to disease, as opposed to the target itself, Alchemab's platform inverts the traditional 'target-led' drug discovery process. In effect, the immune system is used as a search function to identify the most important disease modifying targets. An additional benefit of this approach is that the disease modifying antibody has been naturally optimized by the immune system which can lead to potential beneficial properties from a therapeutic perspective. Young Kwon, Chief Executive Officer of Alchemab, said: "Alchemab's unique approach to antibody research has led to the discovery of ATLX-1088, which we hope could be a new therapy for Alzheimer's. While there's been progress in the Alzheimer's field in the last few years, there's still a tremendous need for more and better therapies, and we hope ATLX-1088 could be an important treatment option given its broad effect on microglial cell function." Alchemab's CD33 binding antibody has a novel mechanism of action, which, together with the data presented today, suggests a favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile. This could lead to a potent drug with fewer side effects. Data presented at the symposium shows ATLX-1088 results in a significant increase in the phagocytosis or removal of the toxic protein amyloid beta by microglia which may help to restore healthy brain cell function. Jane Osbourn, Chief Scientific Officer of Alchemab, said: "This is the first time we have revealed data from this exciting drug candidate targeting CD33. There's strong evidence to show that knocking out CD33 results in lower amyloid-beta levels and reduction in amyloid plaque burden in the brain. We believe that ATLX-1088 could be an important step forward in treatment, potentially bringing a much needed new therapy to patients with this debilitating disease." Presentation Title: Antibodies from Resilient Individuals: A novel approach for Antibody Drug Discovery Presenter: Sandrine Legg, Director of Phenotypic Screening, Alchemab Therapeutics Date and Time: Thursday 22 June 2023, 14:00 CEST About Alchemab Alchemab studies the unique antibody response of resilient individuals to develop drugs based on naturally derived antibodies to prevalent, hard-to-treat diseases which do not have disease modifying therapies. Alchemab's platform integrates data mining of patient-derived immune responses with the latest, multi-disciplinary drug discovery approaches to understand what keeps people well. The goal is to unlock nature's engineering and harness the incredible human immune system to find breakthrough drugs. Alchemab's highly experienced team has broad expertise and capabilities across discovery and development. Through collaborations with world class institutions, Alchemab taps into large ecosystems and millions of patient samples which it analyzes using advanced computational approaches. Alchemab is headquartered in London, UK with labs in Cambridge, UK and Boston, US. For more information, visit www.alchemab.co.uk. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/alchemab-therapeutics-unveils-alzheimers-candidate-atlx-1088-targeting-cd33-at-the-antibody-industrial-symposium-301857690.html Land Avion, a well-established land acquisition firm, announces the expansion of its cash purchase program, now available to land owners in Virginia, Alabama, North Carolina, and several other regions. Las Cruces, New Mexico--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Land owners in Virginia can now access Land Avion's cash purchase program, which offers fast sales of unwanted land parcels. The firm states that closure can occur in approximately 30-days, allowing a much more efficient route than other channels. More details can be found at https://landavion.com Virginia Vacant, Rural Land For Cash Purchase Program Announced By Land Avion To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/170948_8bdedb0674cb785f_001full.jpg The extension of Land Avion's program applies to most types of vacant land, including lots in rural, forestry, and urban areas. Land owners can now submit property details via the firm's website, with all-inclusive cash offers being returned in as little as 24-hours. The move comes as Land Avion's program gains popularity in several other states, including New Mexico, Florida, and Texas. The company can work with owners who have tax or legal difficulties, making the service an attractive option for those who are behind on property taxes, going through a divorce, or who have home-owner association fees. Land Avion explains that the expanded service offers a more convenient option for those who want to sell unwanted land in a short timeframe. While housing usually has a relatively high level of demand, vacant land can sometimes take several months or years to attract a suitable buyer. As with other regions, Land Avion's offers in Virginia are inclusive of all fees, and do not attract any realtor commissions. As a result, the price quoted to land owners is what they will receive at the conclusion of the process, allowing them to retain the full sale amount. Owners wishing to access the latest service can now submit details via the Land Avion website, following which the company will carry out due diligence on the property in question. Resultant offers are based on that research, which includes county data, recent sales data, and comparable properties, aimed at ensuring all quotes are fair and in line with current market rates. The recent update builds on the success of Land Avion's program in multiple other regions. The firm was first established in New Mexico in the 1990s, and its land acquisition processes have been developed and streamlined over several decades. Interested parties can find more information by visiting https://landavion.com Contact Info: Name: Robin Lilly Email: robinlilly@landavion.com Organization: Land Avion, LLC Address: 2521 North Main Street #1-276, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88001, United States Website: https://landavion.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170948 The 6,000 km rally over 10 days took place in February this year, starting in France and concluding in Morocco, with the aim of helping underprivileged children in Africa. PARIS, June 22, 2023, one of the leading online brokers, has been actively participating in humanitarian efforts that are aligned with its core values of being reliable, fair, transparent, and responsible. Earlier this year, Deriv sponsored a team of two young professionals who successfully completed the 4L Trophy rally, an annual humanitarian car rally that raises funds for the cause of underprivileged children in Africa. The 4L Trophy rally started in France and ended in Morocco, covering a 6,000 km journey over 10 days. It required participants to drive through challenging terrain, navigating their way through various checkpoints. A long journey for a noble cause: deliver stationery and textbooks for underprivileged children along the way. Deriv humanitarian ride through the desert in Morocco. "The challenges of navigating unfamiliar terrain, camping in the middle of nowhere, and crossing the finish line were thrilling and rewarding," Clement David, one of the drivers sponsored by Deriv, said. "But what made the experience truly special was the opportunity to make a difference in children's lives by delivering much-needed school supplies." Jean-Yves Sireau, founder and CEO of Deriv, said: "Deriv's participation in the 4L Trophy rally is a testament to our commitment to making a positive impact on the communities we serve. We believe in supporting causes that empower individuals and communities to thrive, and education is a critical component of that." "We believe that businesses have a responsibility to give back to society," added Sireau. "Through our philanthropic efforts, we hope to inspire other organisations to do their part in making the world a better place." Deriv supports humanitarian drive in Morocco during the 4L Trophy rally. The 4L Trophy rally is just one example of Deriv's involvement in humanitarian initiatives. Earlier this year, the company had also donated 11 boxes of clothes to Fundacion Unidos por Cristo (Asuncion, Paraguay), a residential home that provides comprehensive care to children and adolescents at risk. To learn more about Deriv and its humanitarian initiatives, follow Derivlife and the company's Instagram account . About Deriv Deriv started its journey in 1999. Its mission since has been to make online trading accessible to anyone, anywhere. Deriv's product offering includes intuitive trading platforms, over 200 tradable assets (in markets such as forex, stocks, and cryptocurrencies), unique trade types, and more. Deriv embraces its commitment to the community, elevating its humanitarian initiatives to new heights across its network of 20 offices spanning 16 countries. PRESS CONTACT Aleksandra Zuzic aleksandra@deriv.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/84da82a4-68fe-4100-b936-f179348cbb9e https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/61b1b768-e495-4845-aaaa-b96adda137a6 EQS-News: Imcyse SA / Key word(s): Miscellaneous Imcyse joins CLAIMS, a European Health Initiative Project to Make Data-Driven Precision Medicine a Reality for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis 22.06.2023 / 10:30 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Imcyse joins CLAIMS, a European Health Initiative Project to Make Data-Driven Precision Medicine a Reality for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Project to develop companion diagnostic platform to assess and specify disease worsening in patients with multiple sclerosis Imcyse to aid in translating results from clinical trial setting into real-world practice Liege, Belgium, June 22, 2023 - Imcyse, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a new class of active and specific immunotherapies for the treatment of severe autoimmune diseases, today announced that the company is participating in 'Clinical impact through AI-assisted MS care' (CLAIMS), a public-private partnership project funded through the European Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) and involving fifteen partners from nine different countries. The project, launched at the start of June, has total funding of almost 10 million Euros, contributed by industry partners and the European Commission and will run over the next four years. The goal is to develop a companion diagnostic platform supporting the assessment of disease worsening in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), making data-driven precision medicine a reality for this group. Powered by deep-learning-based disease subtyping and progression models, this platform aims to enhance the precision of MS care, extending patient quality-adjusted life years and reducing the economic burden for both individuals and society as a whole. As part of the consortium, Imcyse, along with other leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies, will aid in translating results from the highly controlled setting of a clinical trial into real-world clinical practice. "We are proud to be part of this important project and excited to add Imcyse's knowledge and the insights we are gathering from our ongoing Phase 1/2 study in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis," commented Denis Bedoret, CEO of Imcyse. "MS is a devastating and highly unpredictable disease that affects everyone differently with a continued high need for effective and safe treatments. With this partnership, we aim to increase engagement with leading scientists, experts and clinicians in the field while we continue to advance our second clinical program." CLAIMS - enhancing the precision of MS care The CLAIMS, 'Clinical impact through AI-assisted MS care', project aims to address the urgent need for a more data-driven and personalized clinical decision-support tool for patients with MS, one that addresses the new insights in disease worsening due to both relapses and disease progression independant of relapses, and as such supports optimal treatment decisions and improved long-term patient outcomes. As such, CLAIM's mission is to develop, validate, and seek regulatory approval for a companion diagnostic platform that provides a holistic view of each patient. This platform will visualize existing and new biomarker data, as well as predict disease trajectories under different treatment scenarios while accounting for comorbidities. Powered by deep-learning-based disease subtyping and progression models, this platform aims to enhance the precision of MS care, extending the patients' quality-adjusted life years, and reducing the economic burden on both individuals and society. Fifteen partners from nine different countries. This diverse consortium brings together a range of multidisciplinary expertise from clinical, scientific, and technical fields. The list of partners includes key medical experts from leading European Hospitals in the field of Multiple Sclerosis, i.e., CHARITE-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin (coordinator), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Lille, Casa Di Cura Igea SPA, Vseobecna Fakultni Nemocnice v Praze, Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum and the Technische Universitaet Dresden. Through the European Charcot Foundation, the project ensures that the patient perspective is considered, and that the wider MS community is informed about the project outcomes and how they can improve the patient's care trajectories. With icometrix (project lead), Nocturne and AALTO university, the consortium also has tremendous experience regarding AI-based medical image analysis and prognostic modelling for MS. Synapse research management partners SL brings over a decade of experience in European research project management to the table, ensuring milestones are met on time and within budget. Importantly, the consortium includes the leading pharmaceutical companies Bristol-Myers Squibb and F. Hoffman La Roche Ltd, and biotech companies IMCYSE and AB Science bring expertise translating results from the highly controlled setting of a clinical trial into real-world clinical practice. The diversity of the consortium is a true asset, ensuring all necessary expertise is available to achieve its challenging goals. ### ABOUT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) Multiple sclerosis (MS) induces damage to the proteins protecting the nerves, also called nerve sheath demyelination, which exposes the underlying nerves and can lead to paralysis. Symptoms include muscle weakness, weak reflexes, tremors, and muscle spasms. More than three million people globally have been diagnosed with MS. The disease can affect people as young as 15 years old, and women are twice as likely as men to contract MS. The true cause of the disease is unknown; however, a combination of hereditary and environmental factors is believed to enable the autoimmune attack. There is no cure for MS. MS treatments typically focus on speeding recovery from attacks, slowing disease progression and managing symptoms. Although current medications are effective in reducing the frequency of disease relapse, they are also associated with significant side effects and compliance challenges. Thus, there remains a major need for new treatments with a more favourable safety profile that can slow or even stop disease progression. ABOUT IMCYSE Imcyse is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of a new class of active specific immunotherapies for the treatment of severe chronic autoimmune diseases. The company's unique technology platform allows it to locally target immune cells involved in the destruction of the diseased organ. This platform is based on the administration of Imotopes, which are synthetic peptides encompassing a T cell epitope and an active thioredox motif. , Imotopes generate cytolytic CD4 T-cells that specifically eliminate autoantigen-presenting cells and autoantigen-specific lymphocytes involved in the disease pathways. Imcyse's approach, sustained over time, may help to prevent and treat diseases with no current therapeutic options and to potentially cure patients without impairing their immune defenses. The company has established proof of concept in several indications and has completed its first clinical trial in type 1 diabetes with promising results and is expecting top-line data from the fully enrolled Phase 2 study in 2024. A clinical Phase 1/2 clinical trial in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) was initiated in April 2022. Beyond type 1 diabetes and MS, Imcyse is developing a pipeline of Imotopes for the treatment of several autoimmune diseases in large and rare disease indications. Imcyse was founded as a spin-off from the Catholic University of Leuven and is headquartered in Liege, Belgium. www.imcyse.com CONTACT: Imcyse S.A. Jean Van Rampelbergh Chief Clinical Development Officer Mail: contact@imcyse.com Investor Relations: Life Sci Advisors Chuck Padala, Managing Director Mail: chuck@lifesciadvisors.com Tel: +1-646-627-8390 For Media Inquiries: MC Services AG Anne Hennecke / Julia Bittner Mail: imcyse@mc-services.eu Tel.: +49 (0) 211-529-252-28 This project is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No 101112153. The JU receives support from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and COCIR, EFPIA, EuropaBio, MedTech Europe, Vaccines Europe, AB Science SA and icometrix NV. 22.06.2023 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen. Helena Li, president of Trina Solar's global cell and module business, spoke to pv magazine at the recent SNEC trade show in Shanghai about the PV industry's oversupply challenge. Li said the company is considering opening a factory in Europe and expressed optimism about future cost and price declines.pv magazine: Trina Solar was a latecomer in the n-type TOPCon solar module business, at least in terms of product launches. However, it was a frontrunner for the development of the technology, as it built the world's first PV project based on such panels. Has this strategy paid off? Helena Li: ... Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Despite rhetoric around skills-based hiring, 61% of employers added work or education screening requirements for entry-level hires over the past three years Companies that removed degree or work requirements see a significant increase in number of applicants and comparable on-the-job performance WASHINGTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New data from Generation, the global employment non-profit, reveals that organizations must radically rethink hiring practices for entry-level tech talent - and lays out first steps to take. A number of companies have already broken the mold and removed degree or work requirements over the past three years, and they are reaping the benefits. Nearly 60% of organizations that eliminated these requirements saw an increase in the number of applicants, allowing them to hire more people more quickly, and tapping into new candidate pools that can fuel talent diversity. Better still, they saw little trade-off in terms of performance once candidates were in the job-with 84% of companies saying that people they hired without degree or education requirements performed the same or better than people hired using traditional methods. These findings come from Launching a Tech Hiring Revolution, a study of thousands of employers, entry-level tech employees, and jobseekers, spanning eight countries: Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the UK, and the US. The research was supported by The Hg Foundation as well as Bank of America, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, and MetLife Foundation. Globally, 86% of surveyed employers say they are hiring for entry-level tech roles. Organizations across various sectors, including banking, manufacturing, and retail, all have tech needs, forcing them to compete for talent. And they are struggling, with 62% of employers saying that entry-level tech recruitment processes need to change. True entry-level tech jobs have disappeared, with 94% of employers saying their hiring requirements for "entry-level" tech roles include prior work experience in a related field. But despite the continued rhetoric around skills-based hiring, nearly two-thirds of employers globally (61%) added education or work requirements over the past three years for entry-level tech roles. And not just technical skills, as 40% increased behavioral skill requirements as well. As those employers that defied that trend have shown, shifting hiring to focus on skills rather than degrees is a way to access new talent pools. Focusing on skills-based techniques was a key part of employer success for the group that removed requirements, with tech industry certifications playing an important role. However, while certifications served as a hiring process equalizer across ethnicities, gender bias persisted. Men without certifications received more job offers per interview than women with certifications. Even though employers are strongly motivated to expand entry-level tech pipelines, those that are struggling to change cite tight budgets and a lack of executive support as tough obstacles. The report concludes there are four ingredients to unlocking the needed shift, including: Expand applicant pools by removing work experience and degree requirements, and instead prioritizing certifications and other skills indicators. During the hiring process, use technical assessments to ensure that applicants have the necessary skills for the job. Throughout, pay attention to both behavioral and technical skills. Rethink hiring teams to reduce tacit bias and increase talent diversity. To continue to explore the possibilities of a skills-based approach, Generation will assemble a coalition of global employers that want to make the kinds of changes the research calls for and share results publicly to create durable solutions that can be applied across sectors and around the globe. You can read the whole report here. Mona Mourshed, founding global CEO of Generation said: "The first rung of the tech job ladder is broken. Every day, at Generation, we sit at the intersection of thousands of employers and learners, and we see the friction in the hiring process that makes it hard for talented people, who come from backgrounds that have been historically overlooked, to get in the door. That's why we undertook this research to help employers and society unclog that vital entry-level tech pipeline. The next step is to go deeper in exploring what works, and I'm excited to partner with a coalition of global employers that are committed to opening up opportunity in tech to more people." Martina Sanow, Trustee of The Hg Foundation, a grant-giving charity with a focus on removing barriers to education and skills in technology, and Partner at Hg said: "Those from diverse backgrounds and who haven't followed traditional pathways represent a huge pool of potential talent for the tech sector. This landmark research represents a step change in our understanding of the global entry-level talent market and where the challenges and opportunities lie. The next crucial step is to build on the report's recommendations and to trial with employers innovative recruitment approaches that harness the abilities of under-served groups." Notes to Editors Methodology The findings in this report are drawn from a survey commissioned by Generation that was in the field from November 4, 2022, to January 9, 2023. The study included employed people (aged 18 and over), unemployed people (aged 18 and over), and hiring and technical managers at employers. The survey drew 4,023 responses from employed and unemployed people, and 1,325 responses from employers, across Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. About Generation Generation is a global employment nonprofit network that supports people to achieve economic mobility so they can change their lives. We train and place adults into careers that would otherwise be inaccessible and seek to improve how education to employment systems function. Generation launched in 2015 and consists of a global hub and a network of in-country affiliates that spans 17 countries. To date, Generation has more than 80,000 graduates who have earned more than $630 million in wages, and works with more than 11,000 employers, implementation partners, and funders. For more, visit generation.org. About The Hg Foundation The Hg Foundation's vision is that the tech workforce of the future harnesses the talents of all, regardless of background. It does this by supporting education and employment-based programmes across the UK, USA, and Europe where it can demonstrate measurable, long-term and scalable impact and make a difference to those that need it most. To date it has committed $14m to programmes that will reach 10,000 young people and adults from under-represented backgrounds. The Hg Foundation is registered Charity no. 1189216. Find out more at https://www.thehgfoundation.com/ View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/new-report-from-generation-reveals-how-employers-must-adapt-hiring-practices-to-attract-entry-level-tech-talent-301857215.html The growth of the global application modernization services market is driven by an increase in the integration of cloud and DevOps technology in application modernization and a rise in demand for improved software functionalities PORTLAND, Ore., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report titled, "Application Modernization Services Market by Service Type (Application Portfolio Assessment, Cloud Application Migration, Application Re-platforming, Application Integration, and UI Modernization), Deployment Mode (Public Cloud and Private Cloud), Enterprise Size (Large Enterprise and SMEs), and End User (BFSI, IT & Telecom, Energy & Utilities, Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032." According to the report, the global application modernization services industry generated $15.5 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to reach $69.8 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 16.5% from 2023 to 2032. Prime Determinants of Growth: The growth of the global application modernization services market is driven by an increase in the integration of cloud and DevOps technology in application modernization and a rise in demand for improved software functionalities. In addition, the rise in government support for promoting the use of application modernization services is fueling market growth. However, the high implementation cost of application modernization services and the lack of skilled employees with expertise in application modernization hamper the growth of this market. Furthermore, the proliferation of AI and ML technologies and the rise in the trend of microservices architecture are anticipated to provide numerous opportunities for the expansion of the market during the forecast period. Download Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/11910 Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $15.5 Billion Market Size in 2032 $69.8 Billion CAGR 16.5 % No. of Pages in Report 340 Segments Covered Service Type, Deployment Mode, Organization Size, End User, and Region Drivers Increased integration of cloud and DevOps technology in application modernization Rise in demand for improved software functionalities Opportunities Proliferation of AI and ML technologies Increase in the trend of microservice architecture Restraints High implementation costs of application modernization services Lack of skilled employees with expertise in application modernization COVID-19 Scenario The application modernization services market has witnessed stable growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, Due to the increasing number of people working remotely and relying on online communication tools, the risk of cyber-attacks increases, making application modernization services solutions more essential for businesses to protect against these threats during the pandemic. Moreover, several companies are now investing to incorporate advanced and innovative solutions as well as advanced security operations for seamless transfer of condition-based and predictive cyber security requirements, which, in turn, is contributing to the growth of the market. Buy Complete Report (340 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/application-modernization-services-market/purchase-options The application portfolio assessment segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period- Based on service type, the application re-platforming segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than one-fourth of the global application modernization services market revenue, as it helps to update the application's underlying architecture and technologies, such as upgrading from a monolithic architecture to a microservices-based architecture, adding new features, improving the user experience, and improving security and compliance. Furthermore, the application portfolio assessment segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. On the other hand, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 19.3% from 2023 to 2032, owing to the rising need to improve business performance and reduce operational costs to boost demand for the application portfolio assessment services. The large enterprise segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period- Based on organization size, the large enterprise segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the global application modernization services market revenue, owing to the rising adoption of advanced software functionalities in business applications to increase business efficiency. However, the small and medium sized enterprises segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 20.1% from 2023 to 2032, owing to an increase in adoption of application modernization services among SMEs across the globe. The healthcare segment to maintain its dominance by 2032- Based on end user, the BFSI segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to nearly one-fourth of the global application modernization services market revenue. Due to the increase in usage of integrated AI and automation features, businesses can automate routine tasks such as data entry and customer service. On the other hand, the healthcare segment is expected to maintain its dominance by 2032. However, the IT and telecom segment is expected to portray the most prominent CAGR of 19.8% from 2023 to 2032. , owing to the high rate of technological adoption and increasing demand for high-end security among enterprises. North America to rule the roost by 2032- Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for around two-fifths of the global application modernization services market revenue, and is projected to rule the roost by 2032. owing to the development of infrastructure and the rise in investments in the application modernization service market. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 20.0% from 2023 to 2032. Due to the rise in the adoption of new technology among leading companies. Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/11910 Leading Market Players: - Infosys Limited Accenture IBM Corporation Cognizant HCL Technologies Limited Atos SE Wipro Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. Oracle Corporation DXC Technology Company The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global application modernization services market. These players have adopted different strategies, such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others, to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolios, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Trending Reports in ICT & Media Industry: Post Production Market Expected to Reach $46.5 Billion by 2031 Warranty Management System Market Expected to Reach $16.1 Billion by 2032 AI Text Generator Market Expected to Reach $2.2 Billion by 2032 5G Smartphone Market Expected to Reach $13633.3 Billion by 2032 Digital Asset Management Market Expected to Reach $20.6 Billion by 2032 AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model): AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports. Get an access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/information-and-communication-technology-and-media Follow Us on Blog: https://www.technologyplz.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/3950895/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/application-modernization-services-market-to-reach-69-8-billion-globally-by-2032-at-16-5-cagr-allied-market-research-301857862.html - Jacqueline Sutton MBE, former Rolls-Royce Chief Customer Officer, appointed to Global's advisory board - Emma Henderson MBE, former easyJet Captain and founder of Project Wingman, also appointed - They will advise the Global Executive Team on a variety of aviation, technical and commercial matters LONDON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Airlines, the world's newest long-haul airline, has announced two further appointments to its Advisory Board: Jacqueline Sutton MBE and Emma Henderson MBE. Jacqueline Sutton held the position of Chief Customer Officer (CCO) at Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace. As a member of the Leadership Team, she was responsible for the global customer base including airline operators, leasing companies and aircraft manufacturers across the world. Emma Henderson is a former easyJet Captain where she was a brand ambassador for the airline as well as a presenter of "Fear of flying." In 2020 she drew on support from all areas of the airline industry to create the charity, "Project Wingman," mobilising grounded industry professionals in the UK to provide support to frontline NHS staff. Initially set up during the pandemic the charity continues to provide this service now using buses which are converted into state of the art mobile well-being lounges. At Global, Jacqui and Emma will advise the Executive Team and work closely with the Founder and CEO, James Asquith, on a range of strategic and operational matters. James Asquith, Founder and CEO of Global Airlines, said, "We extend our warmest welcome to Emma Henderson and Jacqueline Sutton to the Global Airlines' advisory board, where they will work closely with our recently appointed chairman, Kevin Billings. "Their extensive expertise in various aspects of the aviation industry will be invaluable to us as we prepare for operations, and I am looking forward to announcing further appointments to the Advisory Board in the weeks ahead." Jacqueline Sutton said, "It is an honour to be a part of the Global Airlines' Advisory Board. I am looking forward to collaborating with colleagues and playing a part in not only shaping a customer experience that passengers will love, but building a team that is representative of the rich aviation talent base." Emma Henderson said, "I have been fortunate to work with exceptional teams and individuals in the aviation industry. Having a passion to connect the world and deliver amazing experiences has always been my mission and I can't wait work with Global Airlines to do just that with the A380." Global Airlines plans to use its fleet of owned A380 aircraft to reinvigorate the flying experience, courtesy of the unrivalled spaciousness offered by the super jumbo. The airline is now in advanced discussions to acquire three more A380 aircraft and is expected to announce more hires and a crew recruitment drive in the weeks ahead. Global Airlines is now focused on working closely with the relevant authorities and partners in preparation for inaugural flights in the Spring of 2024. About Global Airlines Global Airlines was launched in 2023 with an aspiration to offer passengers the best way to fly. The airline is a wholly owned subsidiary of Holiday Swap and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The airline is led by CEO James Asquith and backed by aviation experts and investors around the world. The airline has commenced an aircraft acquisition programme with one A380 secured and more to follow in the summer of 2023. The inaugural transatlantic flights are expected in the Spring of 2024. About Jacqueline Sutton MBE Jacqueline (Jacqui) Sutton is a highly experienced aerospace professional with diverse strategic and commercial roles in leading industry players. She recently served as Chief Customer Officer (CCO) at Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, overseeing global customer relations and leading a multinational team. With a strong track record in sales, business development, and program management, Jacqui brings extensive industry expertise to her role. She is also a Non-Executive Director at Farnborough International, supporting the team behind the renowned Farnborough Airshow. A passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity, Jacqui is involved with the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter and mentors aspiring leaders in the industry. Recognised for her contributions, she was awarded the MBE for Services to the Economy. Jacqui holds a BA Hons degree in Russian and German and has completed executive programs at renowned institutions like INSEAD and WHARTON. About Emma Henderson MBE Emma Henderson has spent over 30 years in the Aviation Industry starting her flying career on Yorkshire Universities Air Squadron. Her aviation journey continued from the sidelines as a RAF wife, and with three small children in tow, she returned from her Wing Commander husbands military posting to the RNZAF as a fully qualified commercial pilot. After instructing trainee pilots, she joined easyJet where she worked her way up to Captain and became a brand ambassador, peer support mentor and Fear of Flying presenter as well as appearing in ITVs documentary "Inside the Cockpit." In 2020 Emma founded Project Wingman, inspiring grounded aircrew across the UK to provide well-being support to frontline NHS staff during the pandemic, and continues to run the charity as CEO. It was for this work that Emma was made MBE in 2021 by which time she had moved on from her airline to run her charity, and forge a new career as a professional speaker. Emma is an Aviation Ambassador for the Department for Transport and Chair of Surfable Scotland. Emma brings with her a wealth of knowledge from her long career which she is delighted to be able to use to support the development and launch of Global Airlines. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2108556/Global_Airlines.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/former-rolls-royce-chief-customer-officer-and-senior-easyjet-captain-appointed-to-global-airlines-advisory-board-301857876.html Fernando Aguirre, a visionary to change the face of DHS Ventures & Holdings in Venezuela at the head of DHS Oil Limited WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / DHS Ventures & Holdings' Governing Board has selected Fernando Aguirre as its next CEO of DHS Oil Limited, according to executives familiar with the matter, turning to a seasoned expert in enterprise expansion to run a company facing legal attacks and working under U.S. sanctions against subsidiary Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). Fernando Aguirre, DHS Ventures & Holdings, attenting reception ceremony Fernando Aguirre, DHS Ventures & Holdings Vice Chairman DHS Ventures & Holdings cut ties with PDVSA years past after former U.S. President Donald Trump's administration sanctioned the state-run company and recognized Juan Guaido, Venezuela's congress chief, as the nation's legitimate leader. DHS Ventures & Holdings officials pledge vote of no confidence of President Nicolas Maduro were ousted and new boards for PDVSA and DHS Ventures & Holdings were named by the Venezuelan congress in February of this year. Fernando Aguirre, Vice Chairman of DHS Ventures & Holdings and now appointed as CEO of DHS Oil Limited, asked by reporters at a briefing outside the National Assembly office which nominations he is going to make, said: "I will announce three nominations. ... We are in the search of 7 Vice Presidents for DHS Oil Limited. We have interviewed Felipe Sena. ... Sena will be supporting and helping this (effort to) safeguard (assets)." Aguirre did not provide details on how Felipe Sena would provide support. Fernando Aguirre, 54, is currently Executive Vice Chairman of DHS Ventures & Holdings Petroleum. He is a board member at Delek US Holding, an oil refiner based in Tennessee, and an adviser at consultancy Gaffney, Cline & Associates. Fernando Aguirre, who one person said has not yet formally accepted the appointment, could not be reached for comment. PDVSA did not reply to a request for comment. Venezuelan Oil Minister Manuel Quevedo said over the weekend that the Biden administration is "stealing" DHS Oil Limited, applying "irrational measures" and pursuing an economic war against Maduro. This new CEO will take over a profitable business with nearly $30 billion in revenue last year, according to company disclosures. DHS Oil Limited is the eighth largest U.S. refiner by capacity and markets through a network of 5,300 retail outlets. DHS Oil Limited operates refineries in Texas, Louisiana and Illinois that can process up to 749,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Earnings in its U.S. parent, DHS Ventures & Holdings, were used by Maduro as collateral for debt due in 2021 and for a loan from Russian oil company Rosneft. Contact Information Kali Ferrati Vice President of Communications k.ferrati@dhsventures.com 202-719-0398 Steven Palmer Senior Vice President of Communications s.palmer@dhsventures.com 202-719-0398 SOURCE: DHS Ventures & Holdings View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/761931/Fernando-Aguirre-DHS-Ventures-Holdings-Vice-Chairman-Appointed-CEO-of-DHS-Oil-Limited Physical Climate Risk Metrics enables investors to assess the financial impacts of portfolio companies' direct and indirect climate risks CHICAGO and TORONTO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of ESG data, research, and ratings, announces enhancements to its Physical Climate Risk Metrics product, including the addition of two new reports offering deeper views into companies' exposure, loss, and financial resiliency as it relates to physical climate risk. Within these reports, new indirect risk metrics have been added to better meet the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations of disclosing on both direct and indirect physical risk and providing insight across the entire business value chain. In a hot house world scenario where climate policy efforts are insufficient to stop global warming, leading to irreversible climate change and severe consequences from related physical risks, companies with average physical climate risk exposure within Physical Climate Risk Metrics universe may lose an equivalent of $0.45 for every $1 of cumulative operating cash, between now and 2050. As part of Morningstar Sustainalytics' evolving set of climate-focused solutions for investors, the comprehensive Physical Climate Risk Metrics dataset provides visibility into the financial impacts of physical climate risks, considering a company's revenue, physical asset value, and operating cash flow. "With the increasing global adoption of climate-related regulation to accelerate decarbonization and within the limited time to mitigate the effects of global warming, investors need data and insights to understand their exposure to financial risks stemming from the increasingly frequent and devastating climate events," said Azadeh Sabour, senior vice president of Climate Solutions at Morningstar Sustainalytics. "With net-zero insights from our recently launched Low Carbon Transition Ratings coupled with asset-level data-based insights from our Physical Climate Risk Metrics, we empower investors with a suite of climate solutions that align with the TCFD's guidance." The Physical Climate Risk Metrics are a bottom-up assessment of climate change-related adverse impacts from physical hazards, including major storms, wildfires, floods, and others. The dataset can support investor alignment with the TCFD recommendations and provides transparency into a company's expected financial losses between now and 2050. Developed in collaboration with XDI (Cross Dependency Initiative), an award-winning physical climate risk analysis leader, these metrics cover over 12,000 companies, spanning 12 million assets, 135 sectors, and 235 countries. Collecting and parsing large amounts of asset-level and climate data requires vast technological resources unavailable to many investors. Additionally, the asset-level data to define exposure has been historically limited in its availability. With the Physical Climate Risk Metrics, investors can quantify the physical climate risks facing their portfolio companies and have access to multiple assessment views, including specific hazards, countries, estimated asset damage, estimated revenue losses, time series, and climate scenarios. Morningstar Sustainalytics' Physical Climate Risk Metrics are currently available as a standard package of five reports through its Data Services, and company-level reports will be available via its online client portal, Global Access, later this year. To learn more about Morningstar Sustainalytics' Physical Climate Risk Metrics and its full suite of Climate Solutions, please visit here. About Morningstar Sustainalytics Morningstar Sustainalytics is a leading ESG data, research, and ratings firm that supports investors around the world with the development and implementation of responsible investment strategies. For more than 30 years, the firm has been at the forefront of developing high-quality, innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of global investors. Today, Morningstar Sustainalytics works with hundreds of the world's leading asset managers and pension funds who incorporate ESG information and assessments into their investment processes. The firm also works with hundreds of companies and their financial intermediaries to help them consider material sustainability factors in policies, practices, and capital projects. Morningstar Sustainalytics has analysts around the world with varied multidisciplinary expertise across more than 40 industry groups. Learn more about Morningstar Sustainalytics' Physical Climate Risk Metrics and its full suite of Climate Solutions here. Morningstar Sustainalytics produces various metrics, ratings, and assessments, which include assumptions of future events, which may or may not occur or may differ significantly from what was assumed. These metrics, ratings, and assessments are statements of opinions, subject to change, are not to be considered as guarantees, and should not be used as the sole basis for investment decisions. Morningstar Sustainalytics does not provide investment advice or any other form of (financial) advice and nothing within this press release constitutes such advice. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on our current expectations about future events or future financial performance. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, and often contain words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," or "continue." These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the events we discuss not to occur or to differ significantly from what we expect. For us, these risks and uncertainties include, among other things, failing to innovate our product and service offerings or anticipate our clients' changing needs. A complete description of these risks and uncertainties can be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. If any of these risks and uncertainties materialize, our actual future results and other future events may vary significantly from what we expect. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events. 2023 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. MORN-P Media Contacts: Lee Reisch lee.reisch@morningstar.com P) +1 647 264 3775 Ruqayyah Mohammed Ruqayyah.mohammed@morningstar.com P) +1 647 646 6487 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2052761/Morningstar_Sustainalytics_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/morningstar-sustainalytics-enhances-its-physical-climate-risk-assessments-for-public-companies-301857506.html TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / NOA Lithium Brines Inc. (TSXV:NOAL)(FSE:N7N) ("NOA" or the "Company") is pleased to report positive lithium results from brine samples in the first hole of the Phase 1 diamond drill program at its Rio Grande project ("Rio Grande" or "the Project"). The hole intersected two high-grade lithium ("Li") brine aquifers of significant thickness. Highlights include: 71 meter ("m") permeable interval with grades averaging 433 milligrams per liter ("mg/l") Li, starting at a depth of 101 m 158 m permeable interval with grades up to 925 mg/l Li, and averaging 773 mg/l Li, starting at a depth of 311 m Taj Singh, President and CEO states: "We discovered two brine horizons in our first drill hole at Rio Grande, with grades and thicknesses far exceeding our early expectations for the Project. The shallow aquifer, starting from only ~100 metres from surface, returned an impressive average of 433 mg/l lithium, while the deeper one, starting ~300 metres below surface returned exceptionally high grades, averaging 773 mg/l lithium, with several samples returning in excess of 850 mg/l lithium." "These results rank among some of the highest grading salars in the region - one of most the prolific lithium districts in the world. Brine geochemistry results and observed brine permeabilities were also encouraging for future process planning and project development. Our second hole is well advanced, and we look forward to continuing to progress our drill program at the Project to support a maiden mineral resource estimate by early 2024," added Mr. Singh. The results of the first hole drilled bode well for the on-going drill program at the Project, as the Company controls a majority of the north / northeast part of the basin surrounding the salar in which this discovery was made. Additionally, NOA is one of the largest claimholders at the Rio Grande salar / basin. The results also validate the Company's thesis that brine horizons extend beyond the surface manifestation of the salar. Results for Hole DDH-RG23-001 The results of the brine analyses and the respective intervals are shown in Table 1 below and drill collar information is presented in Table 2 below. Hole DDH-RG23-001, drilled at the Sulfa X claim (shown in Figure 1 below) reached a depth of 613 m, which the Company understands to be the deepest hole ever publicly reported at the Rio Grande salar and the first drillhole in the alluvium (basin) surrounding the surface salar. Magnesium-to-lithium ratios averaged ~10:1 across the hole. Table 1: Interval data & Li assays (double packer sampling) for drillhole DDH-RG23-001 Sample interval (m) Li top bottom (mg/l) 101 103 423 107 109 420 113 115 406 119 121 435 125 127 445 131 133 439 137 139 440 143 145 436 149 151 436 155 157 436 161 163 443 167 172 432 311 313 815 335 337 807 359 361 778 371 373 850 395 397 874 407 409 871 419 421 925 443 445 488 467 469 557 Hole RG23-001 was executed with diamond drilling (HQ-size), permitting the extraction of core samples of the salar basin formations and collection of brine samples where possible. After drilling was completed, final sampling and lining the hole with 2" diameter PVC filters and casing was carried out. Drilling was carried out by Salta-based Hidrotec S.A., under the supervision of NOA's geologists. From surface to approximately 55 m depth the hole progressed through alluvial gravels, and below 55 m through to the full depth of the hole several salar evaporite and semi-consolidated sedimentary lithologies were intersected, including black sands, fractured halites, gravely sands, carbonate sands and conglomerates. Phase 1 Drill Program Update The Phase 1 drill program is planned for six holes and is designed to deliver a maiden mineral resource estimate for the Rio Grande project in early 2024. The Company has begun drilling the next hole, DDH-RG23-002 (with a projected depth of +500 m) on the surface salar, where drilling is expected to be completed in June. The location of DDH-RG23-001 and 002 are shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Plan map showing Hole RG23-001 (current release) and 002 (in progress). Table 2: RG23-001 - Drill collar information Hole #: DDH-RG23-001 Azimuth: 0 deg. Claim name: Sulfa X Inclination: -90 deg. Coordinates (UTM 19J South): E: 582904 m N: 7227247 m, Z: 3702 m Contractor: Hidrotec S.A. Machine type: HT07 LF-90 Drill type: Diamond Hole diameter: HQ About NOA Lithium Brines Inc. NOA is a lithium exploration and development company formed to acquire assets with significant resource potential. All NOA's projects are in the heart of the prolific Lithium Triangle, in the mining-friendly province of Salta, Argentina, near a multitude of projects and operations owned by industry leaders. NOA has rapidly consolidated one of the largest lithium brine claim portfolios in this region that is not owned by a producing company, with key positions on three prospective salars (Rio Grande, Arizaro, Salinas Grandes) and a total portfolio of over 100,000 hectares. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, Taj Singh, M.Eng, P.Eng, CPA President & CEO, Director For Further Information Website: www.noalithium.com Email: info@noalithium.com Telephone: 416-568-1027 References [1] Rio Grande Project Technical Report, 2022, prepared by Montgomery and Associates Consultores Limitada (https://www.noalithium.com/projects/rio-grande/reports/) Sample analysis & QA/QC Program The Company has a robust QA/QC and sample management program. Brine samples were collected by a single / double packer system (in-hole inflatable) to isolate specific intervals down the drillhole. The packer sampling method allows the collection of brine samples at specific depths while sealing the hole at the top and bottom of the interval. The packer system was run several times to flush the hole after drilling to clear / clean the hole prior to sampling and four samples for each interval were collected (main sample, duplicate sample, check sample, reserve sample). The drillhole of the current release was inclined vertically (90 degrees) and the salar strata are believed to be flat-lying resulting in reported intervals approximating true thickness. Samples of brine were submitted by courier for analysis to SGS Argentina S.A., the local subsidiary of SGS International, an accredited laboratory for the analysis of lithium and other elements. SGS employed Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry as the analytical technique for the primary constituents of interest, including: boron, calcium, potassium, lithium, and magnesium. Measurements in the field included pH, conductivity, temperature and density. The quality of sample analytical results was controlled and assessed with a protocol of blank, duplicate and standard samples included within the sample sequence. Differences between original and duplicate samples and results for standards and blanks are considered within the acceptable range for lithium. Qualified Person Taj Singh, P.Eng, President & CEO, NOA Lithium Brines Inc., is the Company's designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Singh has reviewed and validated that the information contained in this news release is accurate. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements including, but not limited to NOA's future plans and objectives regarding its projects, which constitute forward looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although NOA believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices, including metal prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. NOA does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: NOA Lithium Brines Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/762992/NOA-Drills-High-Grade-Lithium-Brine-Discovery-in-First-Hole-at-Rio-Grande-Including-158-m-Averaging-773-mgl-Li Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Lancaster Resources Inc. (CSE: LCR) (OTC Pink: LANRF) (FSE: 6UF) ("Lancaster" or the "Company") is thrilled to announce the appointment of accomplished geologist William "Bill" Feyerabend CPG, to its Advisory Board and as a Qualified Person for the Company within the framework of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. William Feyerabend To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7646/170954_435c2e27547afa23_001full.jpg Mr. Feyerabend brings with him a vast wealth of experience in the exploration and development of Lithium projects across the American West, Mexico, and South America. He has authored technical reports for claim blocks in Nevada's Lithium development epi-centre, including the Clayton and Fish Lake Valleys. His expertise in lithium exploration began in 2015, with a specific focus on Esmeralda County, NV and especially Clayton Valley. Notably, Mr. Feyerabend sat the discovery well for Pure Energy. He has extensive experience in generating lithium brine targets, and serving as a Qualified Person for lithium projects in Nevada, California, Utah, and Argentina. He has had roles with major companies such as US Borax and Gold Fields Mining and played a part in the discovery and development of four significant mineral projects. His international exposure is equally extensive, having worked on projects in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, China, Colombia, Ghana, Guyana, Mexico, Peru, Saudi Arabia, United States, and Venezuela. This wealth of international experience will prove invaluable as Lancaster Resources continues to expand and enhance its operations. Mr. Feyerabend's commitment to his field is exemplified by his past service on the board of the Humboldt County (NV) Economic Development Authority and his membership in organizations such as the AIPG, SME, and PDAC. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Southern California. Moreover, he possesses vast exploration and development experience. He has worked at every level, from property examination and regional planning to discovery and development, and continued exploration on producing properties. He has written more than 35 technical reports in 43-101 format for properties across six countries on four continents, making him an outstanding addition to our team. On his appointment, Bill Feyerabend expressed enthusiasm: "I am eager to bring my diverse experience to Lancaster Resources, leveraging my knowledge and skills to foster sustainable and profitable lithium development." Lancaster Resources warmly welcomes Mr. Feyerabend and looks forward to his valuable contributions to its mission of advancing responsible and sustainable lithium exploration and development. About Lancaster Resources Inc. Lancaster Resources is engaged in exploring energy transition metals, particularly lithium, to take advantage of the global shift towards decarbonization and electrification. Its goal is to identify, acquire, explore, and develop high-quality mineral-rich properties, integrating sustainable energy sources and innovative technologies for climate-positive resource production. The Company holds exclusive rights to acquire a 100% interest in the Alkali Flat lithium brine project situated in Lordsburg, New Mexico, USA. Penny White, President & Chief Executive Officer, Lancaster Resources Inc. penny@lancasterlithium.com Tel: 604 923 6100 www.lancaster-resources.com The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events, or Lancaster's future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on Lancaster's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, the ability of Lancaster to execute its exploration plans, retain key personnel, identify, acquire, explore, and develop high-quality mineral-rich properties and integrate sustainable energy sources and innovative technologies for climate-positive resource production constitute forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The statements made in this press release are made as of the date hereof. Lancaster disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be expressly required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170954 Brainlab and subsidiary Level Ex working closely with the AO to deliver extended reality technology for best practices in education and training Brainlab, a digital medical technology company, announced today an expanded collaboration outlining initiatives in their ongoing work with the AO Foundation. Signed at the annual AO Trustees Meeting-held this year in Sydney, Australia-the collaboration showcases both parties' dedication to advancing medical education, delivering on a shared belief that immersive education is the catalyst for change in surgical practice and improved patient outcomes. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621121553/en/ Brainlab, the AO Foundation and Level Ex sign an agreement at the AO Trustees Meeting, June 22 in Sydney, Australia. Left to right: Sam Glassenberg, CEO, Level Ex; Prof. Dr. Florian Gebhard, President, AO Foundation; Christoph Lindenmeyer, CEO, AO Foundation; Nils Ehrke, EMEA President, Brainlab. (Source: AO Foundation and Brainlab.) Incorporating Brainlab technology into AO courses will increase knowledge acquisition, enhance decision making and improve coordination of skills, all within a safe and engaging setting. The AO will leverage Brainlab technology, including Mixed Reality Viewer, for craniomaxillofacial (CMF), spine and trauma education. This platform provides an immersive experience for physicians by offering 3D visualization of medical images, allowing the user to interact with 2D images and corresponding 3D patient models. Signature AO events, e.g., AO Davos Courses and AO regional events will be equipped with this advanced training offering that features Brainlab Spine and CMF Elements software for pre-operative planning and case review. The AO, Brainlab and its subsidiary, Level Ex, are working to accelerate the adoption of new skills and techniques using video game technology. Using Level Ex technology, the parties will transform AO clinical guidelines into game mechanics that will feature accurate, physics-based simulations. They will also collaborate on a new spine surgery video game-with a dedicated curriculum focused on instilling the expert skills needed for successful spine procedures using the neuroscience of play. The AO is committed to collaborating with Brainlab on an AO-recommended surgical navigation workflow for spinal procedures. The focus will be on training how to achieve the best accuracy at every step of the spinal procedure to improve patient outcomes. The solution relies on high imaging quality, precise pre-planning supported by AI-driven anatomical mapping and patient registration. In addition, the workflow will have a focus on navigated instrumentation that aims to decrease pressure on the spine to further increase accuracy and address the specific challenges of the cervical spine. The AO plans to introduce this workflow and associated technology into certain activities within the AO Education Institute and the AO Technical Commission. "Brainlab and the AO have worked together for decades and are mutually dedicated to accelerating the adoption of new technology and clinical workflows to improve patient outcomes globally," said Stefan Vilsmeier, Founder and CEO, Brainlab. "We're excited to expand our collaboration and have a shared vision to create an Extended Reality Center for Immersive Surgical Education." "Since the 1990s, the AO and Brainlab have worked together on various projects focusing on computer guided applications," said Prof. Dr. Florian Gebhard, President of the AO. "Teaching has been, is and will be the major focus in the AO-today we are excited to start the integration of 'extended reality' in our teaching offerings together with our strong partner, Brainlab. We expect a huge impact on our learner experience using this technology. In parallel, the respective Technical Commission Expert Group will evaluate options for clinical extended reality applications, together with Brainlab, following our mission to improve patient care outcomes." About Brainlab At Brainlab, we digitize medical workflows, from diagnosis to therapy, to offer clinicians and patients better treatment possibilities. Our innovative digital ecosystem forms the basis for modern healthcare technology in 6,300 hospitals in 120 countries. At the forefront of health technology for over 30 years, Munich-based Brainlab employs around 2,200 people with expertise across the entire healthcare value chain in 25 locations worldwide. For more information, please visit Brainlab and follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. About AO Foundation The AO is a medically guided, not-for-profit organization, a global network of surgeons, and the world's leading education, innovation, and research organization specializing in the surgical treatment of trauma and musculoskeletal disorders. The AO has a global network of over 520,000 healthcare professionals. Each year over 870 educational events are offered by the AO around the world, supported by nearly 8,000 faculty members and attended by over 82,000 participants. The AO has approximately 20,000 surgeon members working in the fields of trauma, spine, craniomaxillofacial, veterinary, and reconstructive surgery. For more information, visit: www.aofoundation.org. For more information, visit the AO's website and follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621121553/en/ Contacts: Brainlab Press Contacts Global Bernadette Erwig Senior Manager Communication PR +49 89 99 1568 0 presse@brainlab.com USA Debbra Verard Director, Marketing and Communications +1 (708) 409-1343 presse@brainlab.com AO Foundation Press Contact Olga Harrington Head of Communications +41 79 834 57 42 communications@aofoundation.org Level Ex Press Contact Tier One Partners Abi Blanchard Account Manager Executive +1 (910) 271-3034 Ablanchard@wearetierone.com TOKYO, June 22, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) is pleased to announce the establishment of Eneco Diamond Hydrogen B.V. (Eneco Diamond Hydrogen) to develop green hydrogen and associated renewable energy in Europe. Eneco Diamond Hydrogen, which was officially registered on June 6, 2023, is a joint venture between MC and its subsidiary N.V. Eneco (Eneco), an integrated energy company that is also headquartered in Rotterdam.With global efforts to decarbonize gaining momentum, more and more countries are looking to make renewable energy a larger part of their energy mix. As it can be stored, piped, and otherwise shipped, there are growing expectations surrounding the use of hydrogen as both a fuel alternative and a flexible capacity for power grid. EU has been accelerating the introduction of hydrogen by, for example, setting annual targets of 10 million tons for both its own production and its imports of green hydrogen by 2030.Eneco Diamond Hydrogen develops green hydrogen and associated renewable energy businesses, pivoting from the Netherlands, by taking full advantage of its parents' respective strengths. These include Eneco's lengthy track record and experience in renewable energy business, and MC's vast network, which spans a wealth of operations in oil refining, chemicals, steel, marine transport and other industries.MC has made energy transformations central to its latest midterm corporate strategy, one of the objectives of which is to provide zero-carbon solutions that will help the world's energy sector to decarbonize. Through this establishment of Eneco Diamond Hydrogen, we have taken another step towards achieving that objective by committing to the green hydrogen businesses in Europe.Interest in hydrogen is also growing outside Europe, with Japan, the US and other western and Asian nations all looking for ways to both produce and use it more widely. At MC, we are looking forward to applying our know-how gained through Eneco Diamond Hydrogen towards the development of hydrogen operations in other regions throughout the world. We hope to make meaningful, global contributions to decarbonization.Inquiry Recipient:Mitsubishi CorporationTelephone:+81-3-3210-2171Facsimile:+81-3-5252-7705Source: Mitsubishi CorporationCopyright 2023 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:SGQ)(HK:1878) ("SouthGobi" or the "Company") announces that that (i) the resolutions set out in the Management Proxy Circular of the Company dated May 18, 2023 (Vancouver time) (the "Circular") were duly passed by ballot at the annual general meeting (the "Meeting") of the shareholders of the Company (the "Shareholders") held on June 20, 2023 (Vancouver time), at the offices of Dentons Canada LLP, 20th floor - 250 Howe Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; (ii) the Company's Chief Executive Officer (the "CEO"), Mr. Ruibin Xu was elected as an executive director of the Company (each, a "Director") and appointed the Chair of the Health, Environment, Safety and Social Responsibility Committee (the "HESS Committee") and a member of the Operations Committee (the "Operations Committee") immediately upon conclusion of the Meeting; (iii) Mr. Dong Wang ceased to be a non-executive Director, the Chair of the HESS Committee and a member of the Operations Committee immediately upon conclusion of the Meeting; and (iv) Mr. Dalanguerban retired from his role as the Company's President. VOTING RESULTS OF THE MEETING Reference is made to the Circular. Unless the context otherwise requires, the capitalized terms used herein shall have the same meanings as those defined in the Circular. In respect to the Meeting, the following sets forth a brief description of each matter which was voted upon at the Meeting and the outcome of the vote: ORDINARY RESOLUTION FOR WITHHOLD (note (a)) 1. Appointment of Auditors To appoint BDO Limited, Certified Public Accountants (Practicing), Hong Kong, as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year at a remuneration to be fixed by the board of directors. 131,897,257 (99.9998%) 200 (0.0002%) ORDINARY RESOLUTION FOR AGAINST 2. Number of Directors To fix the number of directors of the Company ("Directors") to be elected at the Meeting at eight. 131,896,957 (99.10%) 1,203,150 (0.90%) ORDINARY RESOLUTION FOR WITHHOLD (note (a)) 3. Election of Directors The following Director nominees proposed by management of the Company for election: ZHU GAO 131,887,257 (99.99%) 10,200 (0.01%) YINGBIN IAN HE 131,887,257 (99.99%) 10,200 (0.01%) JIN LAN QUAN 131,887,257 (99.99%) 10,200 (0.01%) CHEN SHEN 131,885,757 (99.99%) 11,700 (0.01%) MAO SUN 131,887,257 (99.99%) 10,200 (0.01%) ZAIXIANG WEN 131,887,257 (99.99%) 10,200 (0.01%) RUIBIN XU 131,887,257 (99.99%) 10,200 (0.01%) CHONGLIN ZHU 131,887,257 (99.99%) 10,200 (0.01%) Notes: Please refer to the announcement of the Company dated April 3, 2023 (Vancouver time) and the paragraphs headed "Majority Voting Policy for Directors" and "Majority Voting Policy for Auditors" under the Circular for details of the waiver from Hong Kong Listing Rules granted by HKEX on two-way voting and the relevant majority voting policy adopted by the Company. As more than 50% of votes were cast in favor of resolutions #1, #2 and #3 above, all such resolutions duly passed as ordinary resolutions at the Meeting. As at the date of the Meeting, the total number of issued shares of the Company was 295,226,779 Shares, being the total number of Shares entitling the holders to attend and vote on the resolutions proposed at the Meeting. The full text of the aforesaid resolutions was set out in the Circular. Save as disclosed in note (a) above, there were (i) no Shares entitling the holders to attend and abstain from voting in favor of any resolution at the Meeting as set out in Rule 13.40 of the Hong Kong Listing Rules at the Meeting; and (ii) no Shareholder was required under the Hong Kong Listing Rules to abstain from voting on the resolutions at the Meeting and these were no restrictions on any Shareholder casting vote on the resolutions proposed at the Meeting. None of the Shareholders have stated their intention in the Circular to vote against or to abstain from voting on any of the resolutions proposed at the Meeting. The Company's principal share registrar, TSX Trust Company, acted as the scrutineer for the vote-taking at the Meeting. The executive Directors, Messrs. Ruibin Xu, Chen Shen and Ms. Chonglin Zhu attended the Meeting through the telecommunication facilities. The non-executive Directors, Messrs. Zhu Gao and Zaixiang Wen attended the Meeting through the telecommunication facilities. The independent non-executive Directors, Mr. Mao Sun attended the Meeting in person and Mr. Yingbin Ian He and Ms. Jin Lan Quan attended the Meeting through the telecommunication facilities. There were no further items brought before the Meeting and no amendments or variations were proposed at the Meeting. CHANGE OF DIRECTORS AND COMPOSITION OF BOARD COMMITTEES The Company is pleased to announce that the Company's CEO, Mr. Ruibin Xu ("Mr. Xu") was elected as an executive Director and appointed as Chair of the HESS Committee and a member of the Operations Committee immediately upon conclusion of the Meeting. The biographical details of Mr. Xu is as below: Mr. Ruibin Xu, aged 52, has over 15 years' of experience in the energy and coal logistics industry, as well as financial investment. Mr. Xu served as a director and board secretary of Inner Mongolia Dajiang Runye Industrial Group Co. Ltd. ("Dajiang Group") from 2021 to 2023, where he was responsible for development strategy, energy investment, and capital operation affairs of the Dajiang Group. He also held the position of general manager in a subsidiary of Dajiang Group between 2018 and 2021. Before joining Dajiang Group, Mr. Xu served as the deputy general manager and board secretary of Inner Mongolia Zheng Tang Co. Ltd. from 2016 to 2018. Prior to that, he held the position of director in an investment company located in Inner Mongolia, China and worked for several companies in the financial investment industry. Mr. Xu has extensive experience in corporate governance, corporate financing and enterprise management. Mr. Xu graduated from Inner Mongolia Radio and TV University in 2000 with a major in Computer Application (Financial Management). He obtained his Master's degree in Business Administration from Inner Mongolia University in 2007. In 2010, Mr. Xu obtained the qualification as a lawyer and an intermediate economist in China. In 2015, he completed an EMBA program at Inner Mongolia University. There is no specific term or proposed length of service for Mr. Xu as executive director but Mr. Xu will be subject to retirement and re-election at the annual general meeting of the Company in accordance with the articles of continuation of the Company. Consistent with existing Directors' compensation, the director's fees for Mr. Xu will be determined by the board of directors of the Company (the "Board") based on the recommendation of the Compensation and Benefits Committee of the Board, which is comprised of independent non-executive directors of the Company. As at the date of this announcement, save as disclosed above, Mr. Xu does not (i) hold any directorships in other public companies, the securities of which are listed on any securities market in Hong Kong or overseas, over the last three years preceding the date of this announcement or other major appointments and professional qualifications; (ii) hold any other position with any member of the Company and its subsidiaries (the "Group") and has not previously held any other position with any member of the Group; (iii) have any interest in the shares, underlying shares or debentures of the Company or any of its associated corporations within the meaning of Part XV of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Chapter 571 of the Laws of Hong Kong); and (iv) have any relationship with any Directors, senior management, or substantial or controlling Shareholders. Saved as disclosed above, there is no other information relating to the appointment of Mr. Xu that is required to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 13.51(2)(h) to (v) of the Hong Kong Listing Rules nor any matters that need to be brought to the attention of the Shareholders. The Board would like to welcome Mr. Xu for joining the Board. Mr. Dong Wang ("Mr. Wang") was not nominated for re-election at the Meeting. Following the Meeting, Mr. Wang ceased to be a non-executive Director, the Chair of the HESS Committee and a member of the Operations Committee. RETIREMENT OF PRESIDENT The Company hereby announces that Mr. Dalanguerban, the President of the Company, will retire from his position with effect from June 21, 2023 (Hong Kong time). Mr. Dalanguerban has confirmed that he has no disagreement with the Board or the senior management of the Company, and that there are no matters relating to his resignation that need to be brought to the attention of the Shareholders and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The Board expressed its great gratitude to Mr. Dalanguerban for his leadership, guidance and commitment to the Company since his appointment in 2020. About SouthGobi SouthGobi, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange, owns and operates its flagship Ovoot Tolgoi coal mine in Mongolia. It also holds the mining licences of its other metallurgical and thermal coal deposits in South Gobi region of Mongolia. SouthGobi produces and sells coal to customers in China. Contact: Investor Relations Email: info@southgobi.com Mr. Ruibin Xu Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Office: +1 604 762 6783 (Canada) +852 2156 1438 (Hong Kong) Website: www.southgobi.com SOURCE: SouthGobi Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763111/SouthGobi-Announces-Voting-Results-of-Annual-General-Meeting-Change-of-Directors-Change-in-Composition-of-Board-Committees-and-Retirement-of-President Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Omai Gold Mines Corp. (TSXV: OMG) (OTCQB: OMGGF) ("Omai" or the "Company") announces additional outstanding drill results from the Company's Omai gold project in Guyana. Diamond drilling has focused on exploration targets and on demonstrating the significant expansion potential for the Wenot resource. A total of 3,569 metres ("m") have been completed in 11 holes in 2023. Results are reported for hole 23ODD-063, where visible gold was identified in 37 locations along 299 m of core. Highlights for hole 23ODD-063 at Wenot include: 4.07 g/t Au over 31.1 m, 3.38 g/t Au over 9.6 m, 14.21 g/t Au over 1.8 m, and 3.09 g/t Au over 6.8 m Elaine Ellingham, President & CEO, commented "These impressive new drill results continue to confirm the magnitude of the Wenot deposit, by demonstrating strike and depth continuity of significant gold mineralization. We have not seen any limitations to the Wenot deposit, and as such are confident that additional drilling can further expand the gold resources. At Wenot, 88% of the NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate lies above a 300 m depth and the few holes that tested below confirm continuity and suggest that grades may increase with depth, particularly at the west end of the deposit." Hole 23ODD-063 is at the west end of Wenot, where no previous mining was done below the surficial saprolite (figure 1, table 1). The NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate for Wenot spans a 2.4 km strike length, and the western 750 m may be well suited as a starter pit for a future operation. Hole 23ODD-063 shows multiple gold zones within the broad Wenot shear corridor, including wide zones of good grade gold mineralization extending to surface (with no previous mining other than from surficial saprolite). Hole 23ODD-063 intersected multiple zones of gold mineralization (table 2, figure 2) and, in aggregate, the composite intervals that grade >0.30 g/t Au cover 138m of the 554m of drill core, or 25% of the hole. Hole 23ODD-063 tested 125m down dip from a 1994 exploration hole that intersected 1.23 g/t over 75m at a vertical depth of ~125m, where the correlating interval in -063 intersected 4.07 g/t Au over 31.1m, 5.36 g/t over 1.5m, 1.1 g/t over 6.5m and 14.21 g/t over 1.8m. The width and the down dip extension of this zone and the additional zones bode extremely well for a potential open pit operation. These wide zones of gold mineralization occur within altered, sheared and veined zones within the metasedimentary package, whereas historical mining at Wenot was predominantly within the volcanics on the northern side of the main Wenot shear contact. Hole 23ODD-063 also intersected the expected gold zones associated with the felsic dikes and quartz feldpar porphyry at and near the Wenot shear contact, that included 3.38 g/t Au over 9.6 m, 3.09 g/t over 6.8m and 1.03 g/t Au over 4.5 m. Although at Wenot there is not sufficient drilling at depth to be conclusive, results to date, including this new hole, support previous observations that grades within the Wenot deposit appear to increase with depth. Table 2. Drill Results for Holes 23ODD-063 23ODD- 063 From To Au g/t metres 22.9 24 2.49 1.1 59.5 60.2 11.03 0.7 128.5 131.5 0.39 3.0 220.5 225 1.03 4.5 234.1 243.7 3.38 9.6 248.5 255.3 3.09 6.8 257.5 264 0.41 6.5 270.2 284 0.30 13.8 291.2 316.4 1.18 25.2 331.8 337.8 0.35 6.0 355.9 387 4.07 31.1 Includes: 377.1 387 6.82 9.9 392.5 394 5.36 1.5 398.5 405 1.10 6.5 412.4 414.2 14.21 1.8 450 457 0.57 7.0 487 487.5 18.32 0.5 512.5 514.5 0.65 2.0 521 521.5 3.86 0.5 *True widths vary as mineralization at Wenot is generally hosted within stockwork vein systems with alteration halos, with an estimated true width range of 70-90%. Cut off grade 0.30 g/t Au with maximum 3m internal dilution. Due to the significance this western area holds for a potential future mine plan, an additional 2-3 drill holes are planned to pursue these up to 75m wide zones as well as the higher grade zones within this west Wenot area. Results for additional holes in this program are pending and expected shortly. Figure 2. Cross-Section for Hole 23ODD-063 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/170965_401bbfd48493694a_001full.jpg Quality Control Omai maintains an internal QA/QC program to ensure sampling and analysis of all exploration work is conducted in accordance with best practices. Certified reference materials, blanks and duplicates are entered at regular intervals. Samples are sealed in plastic bags. Samples from the Wenot drilling were shipped to ActLabs, a certified laboratory in Georgetown Guyana, respecting the best chain of custody practices. At the laboratory, samples are dried, crushed up to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g), and pulverized to 95% passing 105 m, including cleaner sand. Fifty grams of pulverized material is then fire assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AA). Initial assays with results above 3.0 ppm gold are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish. For samples with visible gold where initial assays do not run above 3 g/t, a second pulp is made from the coarse reject and an additional fire assay completed. Certified reference materials and blanks meet with QA/QC specifications. Certain samples with potential or evidence of coarse gold were selectively analysed at ActLabs by Metallic Screening whereby a representative 500-gram sample split is sieved at 149m, with assays performed on the entire +149 m fraction and two splits of the -149 m fraction. When assays have been completed on the coarse and fine portions of the large sample, a final assay is calculated based on the weight of each fraction. Qualified Person Elaine Ellingham is a Qualified Person (QP) under National Instrument 43-101 "Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects" and has approved the technical information contained in this news release. Ms. Ellingham is not considered to be independent for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101. ABOUT OMAI GOLD Omai Gold Mines Corp. holds a 100% interest in the Omai Prospecting License that includes the past producing Omai gold mine in Guyana, and a 100% interest in the adjoining Eastern Flats Mining Permits. The Company announced an updated Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") October 20, 2022 that includes a 14% expansion to the Wenot shear-hosted gold deposit and an initial NI 43-101 MRE for the adjacent Gilt Creek intrusion-hosted deposit. Once South America's largest producing gold mine, Omai produced over 3.7 million ounces of gold between 1993 and 2005. Mining ceased at a time when the average gold price was less than US$400 per ounce. As a brownfields project, Omai benefits from good access and a wealth of historical data that provides knowledge of the geology, nature of the gold mineralization on the property, as well as metallurgy and historical recoveries. The Company's priorities for 2023 are to drill the key exploration targets that hold potential for significant new discoveries while continuing to demonstrate the expansion potential of the Wenot deposit. For further information, please see our website www.omaigoldmines.com or contact: Elaine Ellingham P.Geo. President & CEO elaine@omaigoldmines.com Phone: +1 416-473-5351 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the timing of completion of exploration, trenching and drill programs, and the potential for the Omai Gold Project to allow Omai to build significant gold Mineral Resources at attractive grades, and forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; the price of gold and copper; and the results of current exploration. Further, the Mineral Resource data set out in the Omai Gold news release are estimates, and no assurance can be given that the anticipated tonnages and grades will be achieved or that the indicated level of recovery will be realized. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Figure 1. Plan Map - Location of DDH 23ODD-063 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8712/170965_401bbfd48493694a_002full.jpg Table 1. Drill Coordinates DDH 23ODD-063 Hole ID Azimuth (degrees) Inclination (degrees) Final Depth (m) Easting Northing 23ODD-063 180 -50 554 304380 601850 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170965 Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The United States has imposed sanctions on Myanmar's Ministry of Defense over the military regime's brutal tactics to consolidate power and repress its people. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has also designated two financial institutions controlled by the military regime. Myanma Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB) and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank facilitate much of the foreign currency exchange within the country and enable transactions between the military regime and foreign markets, including for the purchase and import of arms and related materiel. Following the military coup in 2021, Myanmar's military has destroyed villages, schools, and medical facilities by launching aerial attacks. More than 3,600 civilians were killed, tens of thousands of homes and other infrastructure destroyed, and nearly 1.5 million people were displaced as a result of the military's violence, according to the US Treasury. 'Burma's military regime has leveraged state-run access to international markets to import weapons and materiel, including from sanctioned Russian entities, to continue its violence and oppression,' said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. 'We will continue to support the people of Burma and deny the regime access to the means to perpetuate ongoing atrocities,' he added. The Treasury said that since the coup, the Myanmar Defense Ministry has imported goods and materiel worth at least $1 billion, including from U.S.-sanctioned Russian firms. Myanma Foreign Trade Bank and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank are state-owned financial institutions that function as foreign currency exchanges and enable the conversion of Myanmar's national currency kyat to U.S. dollars and euros and vice versa. This conversion allows the country's revenue-generating state-owned enterprises, including Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), access to international markets using offshore accounts and to transact more easily with foreign entities, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. RBC Capital Markets hosts its annual global Charity Day celebration Celebrations held by RBC Capital Markets employees in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Barbados, and the Bahamas US$5 million donated to over 60 charities worldwide TORONTO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- RBC Capital Markets hosted its annual RBC Charity Day for the Kids event yesterday, uniting over 6,400 employees in 24 cities around the globe in celebration of its culture of philanthropy and giving back. More than 60 youth-focused charities joined employees activities including charity presentations and floor walks throughout the day, which concluded with a US$5 million donation to the charities. "We firmly believe that our success is measured not only by financial performance, but by the positive influence that we have on the community," said Derek Neldner, CEO & group head, RBC Capital Markets. "We are immensely grateful to partner with remarkable charitable organizations that are making a tangible difference in the lives of children, young people, and their families, and also to our employees and clients for their tremendous support and engagement." RBC is committed to helping clients thrive and communities prosper, and fundamental to that is building long-lasting, productive partnerships with charities that empower children and youth, and support them and their families through difficulties such as poverty, physical and mental ill-health, with facilitating end-of-life care for terminally ill children, and much more. Each year, RBC makes significant charitable contributions and employees dedicate thousands of volunteering hours to support charity partners. In 2015, its Capital Markets division established RBC Charity Day for the Kids as a day to recognize the crucial work of youth-focused charities in the communities it operates. Formerly known as RBC Trade for the Kids, the event has expanded rapidly since its inception, reaching more corners of the globe than ever before, and benefitting more than 140 charity partners with over US$30 million in total donations to date. For more on RBC Charity Day for the Kids and the benefitting charities, click here. Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 98,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com. We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact. The most significant corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments around the globe recognize RBC Capital Markets as an innovative, trusted partner with an in-depth expertise in capital markets, banking, and finance. We are well-established in the largest, most mature capital markets across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, which collectively encompasses 81% of the global investment banking fee pool (Dealogic Analytics, criteria based on completion date between January 31, 2023 - April 30, 2023). We are a Top 10 Global Investment Bank, with over 6,400 employees across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region in 63 offices and 18 countries, collectively serving over 19,500 clients worldwide in over 100 countries. Learn more at rbccm.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2107817/RBC_Capital_Markets_RBC_Charity_Day_for_the_Kids_donates_US_5_mi.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/rbc-charity-day-for-the-kids-donates-us5-million-to-over-60-youth-focused-charities-around-the-globe-301857538.html Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen. SANTA CLARA (dpa-AFX) - Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT) announced its plan to build a collaborative engineering center in Bangalore, India focused on development and commercialization of technologies for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The company plans to make a gross investment of $400 million over four years to establish the new center in India. In its first five years of operation, the center is expected to support more than $2 billion of planned investments and create at least 500 new advanced engineering jobs. The center will bring together Applied engineers, global and domestic suppliers, and research and academic institutions, to collaborate with a common goal of accelerating development of semiconductor equipment sub-systems and components. Applied Materials noted that the collaborative engineering center is part of its previously announced plans to expand global innovation infrastructure. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Kingfisher plc, the international home improvement retailer, has made further progress against its responsible business priorities, including reducing its scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 52.6% since 2016/7, exceeding its 2025/26 science-based target. The details are published in Kingfisher's annual Responsible Business Report, 'Better Homes for Everyone 2022/23', which shows that the business has made strong progress with its responsible business priorities during the financial year. Key 2022/23 achievements: Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions across the Group reduced by 52.6% since 2016/17 Over 6.2bn (46.8%) of Group sales* were from products that help create more sustainable homes 2.1m people reached through community projects since 2016/17, surpassing 2025/26 target of 2m ahead of schedule Thierry Garnier, CEO of Kingfisher, said: "Leading the industry in responsible business and energy efficiency is a key part of our 'Powered by Kingfisher' strategy. Our purpose is to 'make better homes accessible for everyone' and we aim to do that in a way that serves the current and future needs of our communities, customers, colleagues and planet. "Over the last year, we made strong progress across many of our targets. We have made a very good start towards our new ambition to reach net zero operational emissions by 2040, as well as further reducing our Scope 3 emissions, which are particularly challenging for retailers to address. Our colleagues are what make our business and we are proud that this year we delivered 2.6 million hours of skills for life learning to help our people reach their full potential. "We have a great opportunity to help create more sustainable homes through our products and services, and to contribute to a more sustainable future through our business. We look forward to making further progress on our goals this year." Highlights from the report include: Progress on carbon emissions reduction Kingfisher has exceeded its 2025/26 1.5C-aligned science-based target to reduce the emissions from its operations (scope 1 and 2). In 2022/23, carbon emissions were 52.6% lower than its 2016/17 baseline. The Group remains committed to becoming net zero across its operations by 2040/41. Kingfisher has also reduced emissions from its supply chain and customer use of products (scope 3) by 34.1% per million of turnover since 2017/18, remaining on track to achieve its target of 40% by 2025. Responsibly sourced wood and paper Continued progress towards a target of 100% responsibly sourced wood and paper in its products and catalogues by 2025/26. This year, 94.5% of wood and paper in products were responsibly sourced as well as 100% of catalogue paper. As a founding member of the Rainforest Alliance Forest Allies initiative, Kingfisher continued to invest in six forest projects in key tropical sourcing regions. In addition, four local projects in the UK, France and Poland launched this year to support forest protection and restoration efforts. Helping customers live in more sustainable homes In 2021/22 46.8% (6.2 billion) of total Group sales came from Sustainable Home Products (SHPs), including 10.6% derived from energy and water-saving products. Gender diversity is improving Kingfisher is working towards achieving 35% women in senior leadership and 40% in management by 2025. This year, 25.8% of senior leaders and 38.9% of managers were women. Kingfisher provided 2.6 million hours of skills for life learning for its colleagues and 6.6 million since 2019/20, surpassing the Group's target of five million learning hours by 2025/26. Supporting communities and fixing bad housing In 2022/23, a total of 8.2m was invested in community projects through fundraising, products and contributions. Since 2016/16, Kingfisher has reached 2.1 million people, surpassing its target of 2 million ahead of schedule. About Kingfisher Kingfisher plc is an international home improvement company with over 1,900 stores, supported by a team of over 80,000 colleagues. We operate in eight countries across Europe under retail banners including Screwfix, B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot, TradePoint and Koctas. We offer home improvement products and services to consumers and trade professionals who shop in our stores and via our e-commerce channels. At Kingfisher, our purpose is to help make better homes accessible for everyone. www.kingfisher.com *Total sales for year ending 31st January 2023 were 13,059m. Read More View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Alerts on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Alerts Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/alerts Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Alerts View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763115/Kingfisher-Makes-Further-Progress-on-Carbon-Emissions-Reduction-and-Wider-Responsible-Business-Priorities Beijing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - HoloMatic Technology proudly announces a joint outlook on the global development race in the area of assisted and autonomous driving technology, delivered during the 44th International Vienna Motor Symposium by Kai Ni, founder and CEO, alongside Truls Thorstensen, President and CEO of EFS Consulting. From April 26th to 28th, this influential symposium brought together over 1,000 distinguished guests hailing from 25 different countries. Emphasizing the ever-evolving landscape of the automotive sector, this year's event showcased a wide range of pivotal themes, including electrification, carbon management, autonomous driving, and connectivity. The symposium not only upheld its long-standing tradition of focusing on powertrain-related subjects but also delved into global hotspots that are shaping the future of the industry. The two sides jointly presented their views at the symposium: from a global perspective, the ADAS development is dramatically different for different countries and regions triggered by differences in culture, legislation, customer, etc. One of the challenges of ADAS development is finding a solution adaptable to different target markets. EFS Consulting, as the co-founder of the "Xuanyuan Award", continues to cooperate with HoloMatic in terms of yearly vehicle assessment, to provide a trend reference for the automotive industry and consumers. The assessment result reflects in detail the level of development of smart cars in China. The 10th Xuanyuan Award ADAS Assessment Team Based on the 10-year legacy of the Xuanyuan Award Assessment, taking advantage of EFS's strategic expertise and HoloMatic's technological expertise, two companies have created the ADAS Experience Workshop to allow OEMs and relevant suppliers to experience the different regional market requirements. EFS Consulting and HoloMatic are looking forward to their clients and future clients worldwide joining the ADAS experience workshop. Learn more: EFS Consulting: https://efs.consulting/en/ HoloMatic Technology: https://www.holomatic.com/ Company: HoloMatic Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd. Contact Person: Zhai Yuechong Email: zhaiyuechong@holomatic.com Website: www.holomatic.com Telephone: +86-13718564372 Address: Lowa Building Block D, Lizhezhonger Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170669 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Tower Resources Ltd. (TSXV: TWR) ("Tower" or the "Company") is pleased to report that its recent ground magnetic survey has revealed key magnetic trends at each of its Rainbow Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo and Thunder and Lightning Au discoveries on the Company's Rabbit North property near Kamloops, British Columbia, between New Gold's New Afton underground Cu-Au mine and Teck's Highland Valley open pit Cu-Mo mine (see Fig. 1). Survey Parameters The survey covered an 1100 hectare block (see Fig. 1) with 112 km of east-northeast trending lines spaced 100 m apart. Importantly this block extended further south than Tower's original, 2014 ground magnetic survey and included the recent Rainbow, Thunder and Lightning Zone discoveries. The surveyed area is magnetically very active, reflecting its varied geology and diverse porphyry and structurally controlled mineralizing environments. A key revelation is that the two areas of young, thin Chilcotin basalt flows that cover the Rainbow Zone and part of the Lightning Zone (see Tower's April 5, 2023 press release) are actually western and eastern segments of a continuous, unexposed band of flows lying south of and parallel to the well exposed band that occurs just north of the three mineralized zones (see Fig. 2). The basalt is much more magnetic than any of the underlying basement rocks but, paradoxically, is expressed as a strong magnetic low because Earth's magnetic poles reversed during its eruption. Magnetic Expression of the Rainbow Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo Zone The recent discovery holes on the Rainbow Zone, Nos. NR23-41 and 42, intersected the southern band of Chilcotin basalt flows, apparently near its northern edge where the basalt is thin. Immediately to the west, significant magnetic highs are present over the Nicola basement volcanics both north and south of the cover basalts (see Fig. 2). They are tentatively interpreted to represent a single, positive magnetic feature, with the intervening magnetic low being due to the stronger negative signature of the basalts. The magnetic high may reflect the observed occurrence of significant hydrothermal magnetite in direct association with sulphide mineralization (pyrite, chalcopyrite, molybdenite) in drill core from the Rainbow Zone. The magnetic high is ~250 m wide and 900 m long. It is completely untested; no holes have been drilled within it and no outcrops are known to be present. Magnetic Lineament Associated with the Thunder Au Zone Tower's two discovery intersections of the Thunder Zone, in Holes 039 and 041, indicate that the zone strikes south-southeast (see Fig. 2). A coincident disruptive lineament is evident on the magnetic map but it is rather subtle, possibly due to the strong, overriding negative magnetic influence of the two bands of Chilcotin basalt. Magnetic Lineament Associated with the Lightning Au Zone While drilling to date indicates that the Lightning Zone has a limited northeasterly strike length of ~150 m, the gold zone lies astride a prominent disruptive magnetic lineament of the same strike that is at least 3 km long and cuts completely across the Durand Stock (see Fig. 2). Two significant Au intersections were obtained from historical drill holes along this apparent structural lineament northeast of the Lightning Zone - 10 m of 12.5 g/t Au in Hole 97-07 and 40 m of 1.745 g/t Au in Hole 90-5. These are the only historical intersections of mineralization of the shear-hosted Au type (i.e. with no associated porphyry indicative Cu) on the property. To the southwest along the same magnetic lineament, midway between the Lightning Zone and Thunder Trend, a historical hole intersected a large dyke of quartz-feldspar porphyry (QFP). Tower's drilling at the Lightning and Thunder Zones indicates that such QFP dykes are closely related to and directly associated with the Au mineralization, suggesting that the Lightning and Thunder mineralized trends may coalesce near the Thunder Zone. Head of the Durand Creek Gold Grain Dispersal Train The apparent head (i.e. up-ice limit) of the Durand Creek gold grain dispersal train, on the opposite (west) side of the creek from and 1.5 km north of the Dominic Lake and Central Trains that led to the discovery of the Lightning and Thunder Au zones, respectively, is coincident with a magnetic low (see Fig. 2) rather than a magnetic high. Certain features of the Durand Creek Train indicate that the gold grains are sourced from a porphyry Cu-Au zone rather than a shear-hosted Au zone. Interestingly the apparent source area is just 1 km west of the historical Western Magnetite Zone which, despite its name, occurs in a similar magnetic low. While Western Magnetite yielded a signature, 247 m intersection averaging 0.51% Cu and 0.34 g/t Au in Tower's 2017 drill hole No. 015 - significantly higher than the 0.27% Cu and 0.40 g/t Au obtained from the 72.4 m discovery intersection of the Rainbow Zone in Hole 042 - the Western Magnetite Zone lacks Mo and begins at a vertical depth of 208 m rather than essentially at surface. Next Steps The recent magnetic survey has identified encouraging trends at each of Tower's three discovery zones and also at the head of the Durand Creek Train. The 250 m x 900 m magnetic high immediately west of the Rainbow porphyry Cu-Au-Mo zone is a wide open target given the complete absence of both bedrock outcrops and historical drilling in this area, and will be a prime target of Tower's next drilling program. The possible coalescence of the Thunder and Lightning Au trends in close proximity to the Rainbow Zone is similarly intriguing. Methods and Qualified Person The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Stuart Averill, P.Geo., a director of the Company, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. About Tower Resources Tower is a Canadian based mineral exploration company focused on the discovery and advancement of economic mineral projects in the Americas. The Company's key exploration assets, both in B.C., are the Rabbit North copper-gold porphyry project located between the New Afton copper-gold and Highland Valley copper mines in the Kamloops mining district and the Nechako gold-silver project near Artemis' Blackwater project. On behalf of the Board of Directors Tower Resources Ltd. Joe Dhami, President and CEO (778) 996-4730 www.towerresources.ca Reader Advisory This news release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in market prices, successes of the operations of the Company, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Figure 1 - Location of Tower's Rabbit North property relative to the active mines of the Kamloops district. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5023/170922_036ef3fa445d7911_002full.jpg Figure 2 - Interpretation of the extent of Chilcotin basalt cover after the ground magnetic survey. The apparent structural trends of the Lightning and Thunder Au Zones and potential extent of the Rainbow Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo Zone are also shown. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5023/170922_036ef3fa445d7911_003full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170922 More than 140 board-ready security leaders are highlighted in the book's first edition MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lacework , the data-driven cloud security company, today announced the release of the first edition of The Modern CISO Network: Board Book . Security has become a business-critical priority for every organization and proposed new rules from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would require the Board of Directors of public companies to disclose which members, if any, have security experience. Lacework's first edition of the Board Book aims to help close the cybersecurity knowledge gap in today's boardrooms by highlighting more than 140 board-ready security leaders. A recent Harvard Business Review survey of 600 boardrooms revealed just 47 percent regularly interact with their company's CISO. That's likely because most Boards don't have anyone with the security expertise to speak the CISO's language. According to research from the CAP Group , among Fortune 100 companies, just 51 percent have directors with relevant cybersecurity experience. The situation is even more alarming in the Fortune 500, where only 9 percent of boards have directors with a strong understanding of cybersecurity. In the Russell 3000, just 8 percent of companies have directors with cybersecurity acumen. These statistics underscore the urgent need for organizations to prioritize cybersecurity expertise at the board level to effectively address the evolving threat landscape. "Cybersecurity goes beyond addressing technical risks. It is an organizational problem that requires business alignment and should be viewed as a strategic imperative," said David Christensen, Chief Information Security Officer, PlanSource. "Including cybersecurity experience at the board level is necessary to overcome the perplexities that often accompany discussions around cyber-risk, allowing boards to ask the right questions and provide the right oversight." Adding to the urgency, the SEC is expected to enforce new regulations that would require public companies to disclose which board members have security knowledge or experience, along with details about the board's approach to cyber oversight. The SEC published draft rules in March 2022 and is expected to finalize them in the coming months. "Imagine if a corporate Board had not a single Director who understood how to read and interpret financial statements, or who could recognize that the CFO had overlooked some critical matter that had the potential to bankrupt the company. It is clear how that story would end. Somehow, however, despite all of us recognizing that cyberattacks can inflict tremendous damage upon a business, many of today's boards oversee cyber-risk management with essentially the same level of blindness," said Joseph Steinberg, a cybersecurity board member , author, and expert witness. "Boards need to alter their composition to include Directors who understand cybersecurity at a strategic level, who know how to oversee cyber-risk management and the function of making a business resilient against cyberthreats, and who can help boards appropriately direct and maintain their cyber-risk-oversight focus." A Directory of Board-Qualified Security Leaders The Modern CISO Network: Board Book is a directory of qualified senior security leaders that are ready to advise and guide businesses as they navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape. By creating a diverse network of experienced security leaders, the book aims to elevate the role of the CISO and simplify the process for companies to find the guidance they need to navigate security threats. Lacework will update further editions of the book on an ongoing basis. The book's first edition includes CISOs from organizations like: Adidas CapitalOne General Electric Rockwell Automation T-Mobile And more. To learn more about The Modern CISO Network: Board Book , visit lacework.com . To submit your board bio for future editions, contact boardbook@lacework.com . About Lacework Lacework offers the data-driven security platform for the cloud and is the leading cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) solution. Only Lacework can collect, analyze, and accurately correlate data - without requiring manually written rules - across an organization's cloud and Kubernetes environments, and narrow it down to the handful of security events that matter. Security and DevOps teams around the world trust Lacework to secure cloud-native applications across the full lifecycle from code to cloud. Get started at www.lacework.com . Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1874547/Lacework_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/lacework-publishes-the-modern-ciso-network-board-book-to-help-close-the-cybersecurity-knowledge-gap-in-the-boardroom-301857474.html Samara Asset Group plc Malta ISIN MT0001770107, WKN A2JDEW Company Announcement To the Shareholders of Samara Asset Group PLC. NOTICE TO CONVENE SAMARA ASSET GROUP PLC'S EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM) OF SHAREHOLDERS Quote Notice to shareholders is hereby being given in terms of Articles 164 and 165 of the Articles of Association of an Extraordinary General Meeting ('EGM') of Samara Asset Group PLC (C-84355), to be held at 66/67, 'Beatrice', Amery Street, Sliema, SLM 1707, Malta on 04/07/2023 at 18:00hrs (CEST). The following resolutions will be tabled for the consideration of the shareholders at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM): Ordinary Resolutions 1. Declaration & Distribution of Dividends. That the Board of Directors be and is hereby authorized to declare a dividend (following a share repurchase programme being undertaken by Block.One for and on behalf of Samara Asset Group PLC) of 1.30 per share on the issued and fully paid-up ordinary shares of the Company. The dividends is payable on the 4th of July 2023 and will be distributed to shareholders promptly - as per Clause 154 of the Company's Articles of Association1. 1 The aforementioned round of dividends also incorporates the 6,567,580-treasury stock held as at the 20th of May 2023. Extraordinary Resolutions - Special Business 1. Waiver of notice period from 21 days to 14 days. Unquote By order of the Board of Directors. 19th June 2023 Dr. Michael Calleja Company Secretary 1. MATTERS ON THE AGENDA OF THE GENERAL MEETING OF THE SHAREHOLDERS. At the General Meeting of the Shareholders, the following matters will be considered: 1. Opening of the Meeting. 2. Calling the Meeting to Order. 3. Nomination and Appointment of a Chairman. Mr. Jefim Gewiet (Director) will serve as Chairperson of the General Meeting, or any other person present as authorised at the time of the meeting. 4. Confirmation of Quorum (not less than 51% of the members holding an equivalent paid-up voting share capital of the company). 5. Recording the Attendance at the Meeting and Adoption of the List of Votes. Shareholders who have voted in advance within the advance voting period and who are entitled to participate in the General Meeting will be deemed shareholders participating in the meeting. 6. Election of one or two persons to verify the minutes. During the Meeting, two (2) persons will be selected to scrutinise the minutes. 7. To approve one (1) Extraordinary Resolution: (a) Resolution 1 re: waiver of notice period from 21 days to 14 days. The Board of Directors proposes that Pursuant to Clause 60(i) of the Articles of Association, authorisation will be granted to reduce the notice period from twenty-one (21) days to fourteen (14) days having obtained approval by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the shares having voting rights, or the issued share capital represented at the meeting. The notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is served or deemed to be served and of the day for which it was given. 8. To approve one (1) Ordinary Resolution: (a) Declaration and Distribution of Dividends. RESOLVED THAT, in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of Directors, a dividend of 1.30 per share representing the full accumulated profits as at 31st December 2021 and an interim dividend for financial year 2023 be and is hereby declared out of the profits of the Company and distributed to the shareholders of the Company. Such dividends shall be payable on the 4th of July 2023 and will be distributed to shareholders promptly - as per Clause 154 of the Company's Articles of Association. RESOLVED THAT, the dividend shall be payable to shareholders on the same day, 4th of July 2023. Shareholders who hold their shares in a bank account will have the dividend automatically deposited into their account. Shareholders who hold their shares in a physical certificate will receive a dividend check in the mail as per Clause 158 (a) and (b) of the Articles of Association. RESOLVED THAT, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Finance Officer (CFO), as holders of the placeholder options, shall be paid a bonus of one-hundred thousand euros (100,000) and fifteen thousand euros (15,000) respectively. RESOLVED THAT, upon Board recommendation, the strike (exercise) price for these options shall (for the purposes of this general meeting) be fixed at 3.70 per share. FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the Board of Directors be and is hereby authorized to finalize and execute all such documents, forms, declarations, and to take all such steps as may be necessary, incidental, and expedient to give effect to this resolution and to record the realization thereof. This resolution shall be effective immediately upon passing. 9. Any other matters arising. To discuss the composition of the current Board Members. 10. Closing of the Meeting. By order of the Board of Directors. 19th of June 2023 Dr. Michael Calleja Company Secretary Guidance Notes & Ancillary Provisions. A. Record Date This notice has been mailed to the Members registered as at close of business on the 4th of June 2023. Only such Members shall be entitled to attend and vote at the Extraordinary General Meeting. B. Participation and voting by Members A shareholder may participate and vote at the meeting in any of the following ways: (a) by personally attending the meeting; or (b) by submitting a proxy form to the company. i) Personal Attendance A Member may participate at the meeting personally by physically attending the meeting on the appointed day and time at the venue where the meeting is held. (See "Admission to Meeting"). ii) Participation by Proxy In terms of Clause 96 of the Articles of Association, a Member may participate by proxy by completing and signing the proxy form dispatched to all Members together with this notice and sending same to the Office of the Company Secretary not less than 24 hours before the time appointed for the meeting. A proxy form may be sent to the Company either: (a) by mail to The Company Secretary; or (b) by electronic means to: calleja@drwerner.com In case of proxies sent by email to the email address above set out, the email should have attached thereto a copy of the Proxy Form duly completed and signed by the shareholder or a duly authorised person on behalf of a corporate/institutional Member. C. Completing the Proxy Form A Member wishing to participate at the meeting by proxy is to complete all details required on the proxy form fully, clearly and accurately. This includes: a) Indicating whether the Member wishes to appoint as proxy the Chairman of the meeting or another person. In the case that a member wishes to appoint a person other than the Chairman of the meeting as proxy, the full name, address and I.D. Card number of the proxy are to be clearly and legibly inserted in the appropriate space; b) Indicating whether the Member wishes the proxy to vote as the appointed proxy wishes or whether the Member wishes to instruct the proxy how to vote. In either case a mark ought to be made in the appropriate box indicated in the proxy form. In the event that no indication is made it shall be deemed that the Member authorises the proxy to vote as the proxy wishes, unless the Member indicates how he/ she wishes the shares held to be voted by inserting the number of shares or another appropriate mark against the relevant resolutions, in which case the proxy shall be deemed authorised to vote only as indicated by the Member in the proxy form; c) Where a Member wishes to have his/her proxy vote in a particular manner then he/she should indicate his/ her voting preference appropriately against each resolution. The procedure for voting is established and governed in terms of Clause G of this Notice accordingly. If a cross or a mark is placed in any two of the three boxes for the same resolution, then the Member's vote on that particular resolution will be invalid. Any resolution remaining unmarked on the ballot paper will be treated as authorizing the appointed proxy to vote as he/she wishes. D. Participation and Voting A Member wishing to participate simply by having their votes taken into account at the meeting must (i) Fill in the proxy form in favour of the Chairman of the meeting (ii) Concurrently submit proof of their number of shares held in the Dusseldorf Stock Exchange to the Company Secretary and (iii) proceed to instruct the Chairman how to vote on each resolution to be taken at the meeting by completing the 'FOR', 'AGAINST' or 'ABSTAIN' boxes in the proxy form. E. Admission to the Meeting a) In order to be admitted, a Member is to present his Identity Card and the Admission Form enclosed with this notice. b) In the case of shares held jointly by several persons, except in the case of shares held jointly by a married couple, the first named joint holder on the Register of Members shall be eligible to attend and vote at the Meeting. c) A single representative of a joint shareholding, who is not the first named on the Register, will only be eligible to attend and vote at the Meeting if a Form of Proxy has been duly executed in his favour by all other joint holders. d) In the case of shares held jointly by a married couple, both spouses, or either of them, may attend the Meeting. Provided that: i. irrespective of whether both spouses, or either of them, attend the Meeting, only one voting document will be issued and only one of them shall be entitled to vote; and ii. if they wish to appoint a proxy, the Form of Proxy must be signed and executed by both spouses. e) When a Member is a body corporate, association of persons, foundation or other collective entity, a representative thereof will only be eligible to attend and vote at the Meeting if the Form of Proxy has been duly executed in his favour by the competent organ of the entity which he represents. f) Admission to the Meeting will be commenced 30 minutes before the advertised time. g) After the Meeting has proceeded to business, voting documents will continue to be issued until such time as the Meeting proceeds to vote on the first item of the Agenda whether by show of hands or by poll. Thereafter no further voting documents will be issued and admission to the Meeting shall be discontinued. F. Draft Resolutions and Documents The draft resolutions to be considered and voted upon at the meeting are included as an integral part of this notice. The full unabridged text of any documents submitted to the meeting shall, unless dispatched to shareholders, be available at the registered office of the Company and on samara-ag.com G. Procedure for Voting during the EGM. A. Voting by show of hands. I. Chairman requests those voting in favour of the motion to raise a hand. II. Procedure is repeated for those voting against the motion. III. A count is taken in each case and the Chairman will determine the outcome. IV. The result is recorded in the Minutes by the Company Secretary. V. The counting of hands is necessary particularly when a specific resolution to pass requires a specific majority proportion of the members present. VI. A record is necessary to be kept in the Minutes and if decided by the Chairman, the names of the members voting will also be kept on record. B. Voting by Ballot/Poll. Voting by ballot (or poll) may become necessary when there are members who hold a number of proxies but have different voting-entitlements. Such an instance would call for correctness in carrying out the method diligently. I. In such a scenario, the Company Secretary would have pre-prepared a voting paper containing the salient but relevant details of the matter being voted on. II. Such voting document is distributed to each of the members present that are eligible to vote. III. Company Secretary will keep a written record showing: the name of the person to whom the voting document was distributed to and how many voting papers were distributed to each person. This becomes relevant since one same person may hold various proxies. IV. The voting document should request a voting member to insert a "FOR" or a ''AGAINST" or an 'ABSTAIN'. V. Should there be any votes that are doubtful, the Chairman will be the person to determine and take a ruling. H. Right to ask questions Members (whether personally or by proxy) are reminded that they are entitled to ask questions which are pertinent and related to any item on the agenda of the meeting - and to have such questions answered by the directors or such person(s) as the directors may delegate for that purpose. To ensure efficient proceedings at the meeting the directors invite Members to submit in writing any questions related to the resolutions to be sent to the Company Secretary either by mail to the Company Secretary or email on calleja@drwerner.com by not later than 24 hours before the meeting. Whilst the directors shall endeavour to reply to all questions that may be raised at the meeting only questions that shall have been submitted to them as aforesaid shall be entitled to a reply, provided that any questions raised for the first time at the meeting and to which the directors are not able to provide an immediate reply, shall, subsequent to the meeting be answered by the directors by posting a reply on the Company's website. ANNEX A - PROXY FORM 1 FORM OF PROXY VOTING PREFERENCES As a Shareholder of Samara Asset Group PLC (C 84355), I hereby appoint the duly appointed Chairman of the EGM as my proxy to vote on my behalf, at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and at any adjournment thereof: Date _____________ Name of Shareholder ___________________________ Signature of Shareholder __________________________________________ FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES THE CHAIRMAN IS AUTHORISED TO VOTE AS HE DEEMS FIT [ ] THE CHAIRMAN WILL VOTE AS INDICATED IN THE HEREUNDER RESOLUTIONS PANEL [ ] PROXY FORM BY ELECTRONIC MEANS VOTING PREFERENCES To be completed when sending Proxy Form by electronic means Name of Shareholder __________________________________________ Signature of Shareholder _______________________________________ Telephone/Mobile Phone Number ________________________________ E-mail address _______________________________________________ A proxy form sent by electronic means is only valid upon confirmation by the Company Secretary. EXTRAORDINARY RESOLUTION VOTING PREFERENCES FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN The Board of Directors proposes that Pursuant to Clause 60(i) of the Articles of Association, authorisation will be granted to reduce the notice period from twenty-one (21) days' to fourteen (14) days' having obtained approval by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the shares having voting rights or the issued share capital represented at the meeting. The notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is served or deemed to be served and of the day for which it was given. [ ] [ ] [ ] ORDINARY RESOLUTION VOTING PREFERENCES FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN The following Ordinary resolution is proposed: To declare a dividend of 1.30 per share, comprising the full accumulated profits as of December 31, 2021, and an interim dividend for the fiscal year 2023, based on the recommendation of the Board of Directors. The dividend will be payable to shareholders by July 4th, 2023. [ ] [ ] [ ] Additionally, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Finance Officer (CFO), as holders of the placeholder options, shall be paid a bonus of one-hundred thousand euros (100,000) and fifteen thousand euros ( 15,000) respectively. [ ] [ ] [ ] The strike (exercise) price for these options shall (for the purposes of this general meeting) be fixed at 3.70 per share. [ ] [ ] [ ] ANNEX B - PROXY FORM 2 Where a Member holds Shares for and on behalf of third parties, such Member is entitled to grant a proxy to each such third party or other persons designated by the third party, and the instrument appointing the proxies shall, to permit votes attaching to Shares to be cast differently than others, be in the following form or in a form as near thereto as circumstances permit: FORM OF PROXY VOTING PREFERENCES As a Member holding Shares for and on behalf of third parties in Samara Asset Group PLC (C 84355), I hereby appoint the duly appointed Chairman of the EGM as my proxy to vote on my behalf, at the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) and at any adjournment thereof: Date _____________ Name of Shareholder ___________________________ Signature of Shareholder __________________________________________ FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES THE CHAIRMAN IS AUTHORISED TO VOTE AS HE DEEMS FIT [ ] THE CHAIRMAN WILL VOTE AS INDICATED IN THE HEREUNDER RESOLUTIONS PANEL [ ] PROXY FORM BY ELECTRONIC MEANS VOTING PREFERENCES To be completed when sending Proxy Form by electronic means Name of Shareholder ____________________________________________ Signature of Shareholder _________________________________________ Telephone/Mobile Phone Number __________________________________ E-mail address _________________________________________________ A proxy form sent by electronic means is only valid upon confirmation by the Company Secretary. EXTRAORDINARY RESOLUTION VOTING PREFERENCES FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN The Board of Directors proposes that Pursuant to Clause 60(i) of the Articles of Association, authorisation will be granted to reduce the notice period from twenty-one (21) days' to fourteen (14) days' having obtained approval by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the shares having voting rights or the issued share capital represented at the meeting. The notice shall be exclusive of the day on which it is served or deemed to be served and of the day for which it was given. [ ] [ ] [ ] ORDINARY RESOLUTION VOTING PREFERENCES FILL IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING BOXES FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN The following Ordinary resolution is proposed: To declare a dividend of 1.30 per share, comprising the full accumulated profits as of December 31, 2021, and an interim dividend for the fiscal year 2023, based on the recommendation of the Board of Directors. The dividend will be payable to shareholders by July 4th, 2023. [ ] [ ] [ ] Additionally, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Finance Officer (CFO), as holders of the placeholder options, shall be paid a bonus of one-hundred thousand euros (100,000) and fifteen thousand euros (15,000) respectively. [ ] [ ] [ ] The strike (exercise) price for these options shall (for the purposes of this general meeting) be fixed at 3.70 per share. [ ] [ ] [ ] BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Crunchr, the people analytics platform provider, is excited to reveal the Crunchr Assistant, an AI-powered digital co-pilot to make people insights easily accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Crunchr's ethos is people analytics for people: the company is on a mission to empower everyone with easily accessible people insights to ensure stronger business outcomes and a better employee experience. Crunchr Assistant's ability to answer natural language questions through generative AI perfectly fits into this mission. Impact The Crunchr Assistant delivers actionable insights faster, easier, and more contextually rich. This innovation is built on Crunchr's robust enterprise-graded data privacy and security model, guaranteeing that users only access the information they are authorized to. Ian Pinkett, Global People Analytics Manager at Arcadis, who has seen the Crunchr Assistant prototype, expressed his enthusiasm: "There is no doubt generative AI is changing the world. Putting this in the hands of people analytics professionals is a very exciting prospect, especially with the guidance and built-in rights management that Crunchr offers. I can't wait." Use cases Think of the Crunchr Assistant as a conversational partner. The use cases are boundless. From equipping people managers with data on team readiness for promotions, to highlighting the correlation between customer satisfaction and employee engagement for people analytics specialists, and assisting individual employees in identifying potential career paths. The Crunchr Assistant is people analytics for everyone. Users can look forward to precise answers, engaging narratives, and thoughtful suggestions for follow-up queries. The Crunchr Assistant also provides users the ability to filter information and delve into the underlying data, provided they have the necessary authorization. Moreover, the Crunchr Assistant can swiftly generate bespoke dashboards. This democratization of insights will be transformative for organizations and their employees. How the Crunchr Assistant is different Crunchr is recognized as the most intuitive enterprise platform for people analytics. Its product design principles are simplicity, speed and guidance. Generative AI enables Crunchr to deliver on these principles even stronger. Simplicity: Users can just ask or prompt the Crunchr Assistant and they will receive the accurate answer in an instant, accompanied by a narrative for context and meaning. This effortless usability is a boon for users who are not naturally data-savvy, driving widespread adoption of people analytics. Speed: By taking over the information searching process, the Crunchr Assistant accelerates the delivery of insights. Answering the question "Why do people leave?" no longer requires going to the Turnover Insights section. Instead, users get their answer instantly. Guidance: Crunchr's generative AI not only provides answers but also contextualizes them and suggests subsequent questions. This way, users are guided towards deeper analysis and more actionable insights, including recommended next steps. Security & Privacy: Crunchr's enterprise-graded data privacy and security model ensures users can only see what they are authorized to. As a company founded in Amsterdam, Crunchr has been built from the ground up with the strictest GDPR rules in mind. The Crunchr Assistant is a functioning prototype. Over the next few months, Crunchr will be working with customers for refinements. It anticipates the Crunchr Assistant's debut at key conferences in the U.S. and Europe later this year, where participants can experience it firsthand. For more information, visit https://www.crunchr.com/learn/generative-ai-for-people-analytics About Crunchr: Crunchr provides the world's most intuitive platform for people analytics. Using Crunchr, companies get a clear picture of what's happening in their workforce. With its intuitive, customizable interface, Crunchr's intelligent engine quickly crunches data to reveal actionable, fact-based insights across all HR domains. Crunchr has offices in Amsterdam, London, and Boston. Contact Information Ralf Bovers VP Marketing ralf.bovers@crunchr.com SOURCE: Crunchr View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763112/Introducing-the-Crunchr-Assistant-An-AI-Powered-Co-Pilot-for-HR-and-People-Leaders NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Livento Group, Inc. (OTC PINK:NUGN), a dynamic group that specializes in acquiring and developing companies with disruptive business models in film, content, and technology for fund managers, announces the appointment of Hamon Francis Fytton as a strategic advisor. Mr. Fytton will provide direct support to our legal and accounting team with special responsibility for SEC filings and company structure. Hamon Francis Fytton is an experienced legal advisor who has been working in the SEC and listed companies' environment since 1997. Alongside two partners, he started Internet Advisory Corporation with $20,000 and built a business valued at over $100 million in only four years. During this period, he raised over $4 million from investors and successfully took the company public. His record of public filing on the SEC website is very impressive and we are pleased to have him on board. Mr. Fytton has in his career incorporated many public companies and consulted with many more. In addition, Francis is a Director of Gold Coast Venture Corporation (GCVC), which is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1984. GCVC assists the entrepreneurial and business communities of South Florida. Mr. Fytton specializes in US and Canadian IPOs, Reg A programs, and other SEC filings. More recently he has been invited to join the Executive Leadership Program at Florida Atlantic University's Adams Center for Entrepreneurship. "Mr. Fytton is very experienced with an impressive track record. We are confident he will assist Livento Group with our current filings including Form 10 and, in the future, the QB uplisting process. Mr. Fytton is also the legal advisor to Global Dot Logistics, and his SEC relationships and experience are very beneficial as we move forward." said David Stybr, CEO of Livento Group. About Livento Group Livento Group (OTC Pink: NUGN) is focused on acquiring and developing companies with disruptive business models. The company recently launched BOXO Productions, a film and television production subsidiary led by a top actor and producer in the industry. For more information, visit www.liventogroup.com and www.boxoproductions.com. Safe Harbor Statement: This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements as predictions, projections, or references to future events and expectations, possibilities or similar. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, the Company is unable to give any assurance that its expectations will be attained due to several variable factors. Factors or events that could cause actual results to differ may emerge, and it is impossible for the Company to predict all of them. Some of these risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, customer order patterns, changes in consumer trends, and various other factors beyond the Company's control. Although the Company intends to provide public updates, it undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law. Contact: David Stybr, CEO Livento Group, Inc. ir@liventogroup.com Livento Group | LinkedIn | Twitter Boxo Productions | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Global Dot Logistics | LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE: Livento Group, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763119/Livento-Group-NUGN-Appoints-Hamon-Francis-Fytton-as-a-Strategic-Advisor NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / For Robert, a new wheelchair ramp means his son doesn't have to get out of his wheelchair to come inside his home every weekend. The ramp, as well as a new door, are possible through a $7.5 million Wells Fargo Foundation grant to Habitat for Humanity International, which is already being put to good use in Des Moines, Iowa, where roughly 130 Wells Fargo and community volunteers recently completed critical home repairs and updates for about a dozen local homeowners. Visit Wells Fargo Stories to watch the video. "[Wells Fargo's investment] has made a difference in the community itself, not just for me individually, but for all the community," said Robert, 66, who has two adult children who use wheelchairs. The work aims to help families live more affordably and enable the country's aging population to remain in their homes. About one in five Americans will be 65 years or older by 2030, yet some 19 million Americans already live in homes that are in disrepair or are ill-equipped to meet their mobility needs. "The program with Habitat started 30 years ago in Des Moines with a team of our employees. We built a house with a family of five. And now we're in cities across the country," said Mary Mack, Wells Fargo's retired CEO of Consumer and Small Business Banking. "This year, we'll build or repair 360 homes across the country and make a huge difference in homeownership and livability." Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation have donated more than $129 million to Habitat for Humanity and its local affiliates in the past 13 years for new home construction, disaster response, and more. Robert is one of about a dozen Des Moines area homeowners who recently had wheelchair ramps and other improvements installed in their homes as a result of a $7.5 million Wells Fargo Foundation grant to Habitat for Humanity International. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Wells Fargo on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Wells Fargo Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/wells-fargo Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Wells Fargo View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763137/Wells-Fargo-Habitat-for-Humanity-Help-Homeowners-Age-in-Place VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Spark Energy Minerals Inc., ("Spark" or the "Company" (CSE:EMIN)(Frankfurt:J8V)(OTC Pink:MTEHF)), has entered into a partnership with Straight Edge Marketing Inc., to pioneer advanced AI-driven marketing and advertising services. This partnership, beginning on June 22, 2023, and slated for a one-year term, is valued at $30,000 monthly, and holds the potential for renewal. Straight Edge Marketing Inc. will manage a comprehensive array of marketing services, including audit and competitive landscape review, corporate/investor brochure design, website creation and maintenance, social media and advertisement management, graphic design, SEO services, and detailed reporting and analytics. Key to the agreement is the innovative Straight Edge Marketing Platform - an all-in-one CRM, marketing, and social management platform incorporating advanced AI technology. The platform's standout feature, the Automated Video Creation Tool, will convert RSS feed updates into engaging, information-rich videos for social media, seamlessly translating written content into dynamic visual narratives. This tool will allow Spark Energy Minerals to share timely and engaging content, enhancing marketing strategies and attracting potential investors. RSS Feed Integration will further empower the corporation's marketing strategy by automating the collection of fresh content, such as industry news and updates. This content will be transformed into easily digestible short videos, making information sharing more dynamic and interactive. The platform also features a suite of robust social and marketing tools, including pipeline management, email and SMS marketing, website and funnel design, workflow automation, reporting and analytics. The partnership will also leverage contact and lead management tools, ensuring effective segmentation and targeting, and advanced marketing automation for maximum engagement and conversions. CEO, Peter Wilson at the helm of Spark Energy Minerals Inc., shared his enthusiastic outlook on collaborating with Straight Edge Marketing Inc., highlighting the transformative potential it brings to the Company. "This strategic alliance positions us at the forefront of technological innovation in marketing, allowing us to leverage cutting-edge AI tools to magnify our brand visibility and penetrate diverse markets with greater precision," Wilson stated. "Integrating automated video content, coupled with our advanced marketing and CRM tools, will revolutionize our marketing strategies, attracting potential investors and strengthening our market presence." About Spark Energy Minerals Inc. Spark Energy Minerals, Inc., is a Canadian company pursuing battery metals and mineral assets with newly acquired interests in Brazil and Canada. The Company has acquired assets in some of the world's most prolific mining jurisdictions, Brazil's growing lithium and provinces and in the Newfoundland, Canada region which is gaining recognition as a world hot spot for lithium and rare earth mineral exploration. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SEE THE COMPANY'S WEB SITE AT https://sparkenergyminerals.com Email to info@sparkenergyminerals.com Contact: Peter Wilson, CEO, Tel. +1-604-200-2785 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Further information about the Company is available on www.SEDAR.com under the Company's profile. Certain statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward-looking information") as those terms are used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated", "anticipates" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the business of the Company, the Property, financing and certain corporate changes. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Certain statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward-looking information") as those terms are used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated", "anticipates" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the business of the Company, the Property, financing and certain corporate changes. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE: Spark Energy Minerals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763132/Spark-Energy-Minerals-Partners-with-Straight-Edge-Marketing-Inc-for-Advanced-AI-Driven-Marketing-and-Advertising-Services Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Fremont Gold Ltd. (TSXV: FRE) (FSE: FR2) (OTCQB: FRERF) ("Fremont" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the terms of a non-brokered private placement of up to 25,000,000 units ("Unit") at a price of $0.12 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $3,000,000 (the "Private Placement"). Net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to undertake an initial drill campaign at Fremont's Vardenis project located in central Armenia, for advancing Fremont's lithium assets in Nevada and for general working capital. Vardenis Copper - Gold project The Vardenis copper-gold property is a high-sulfidation, possible Cu-porphyry mineralized system formerly held by Dundee Precious Metals Corp ("DPMC"). It occurs 25 kilometers along strike and in the same Eocene volcanic sequences which host the 3-million-ounce Amulsar gold deposit being developed by Orion Mine Finance, Osisko Gold Royalties and Resource Capital Fund (see news releases dated May 9, 2023 and June 6, 2023). Historic work at Vardenis comprises early Soviet-era trenching and pits from the 1960s followed by more recent exploration undertaken by DPMC from 2015-2018. This recent work includes over 6,000 geochemical samples (soils, rocks and streams), geological mapping, trenching and 1,246m of diamond drilling. This work has defined a seven kilometer long, gold-in-soil anomaly as well as a separate 3.6 x 2.0-kilometer copper anomaly located 1.4 kilometers to the south of the gold anomaly. A recently completed National Instrument 43-101 report on the Vardenis property will be posted to SEDAR in the coming days. Figure 1. Copper soil geochemistry To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3169/170970_57cea6db44e848d4_002full.jpg Initial exploration work has commenced and will include a short-wave infrared (SWIR) alteration survey, other geophysical surveys and road/drill pad construction. Drilling is expected to commence in August. Nevada Lithium targets The Company recently staked and filed on some prospective lithium targets in Nevada (see news releases dated May 9, 2023 and May 24, 2023). Part of the proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to stake additional lithium targets in Nevada. The Units Each Unit will be comprised of one common share of the Company and one half of one share purchase warrant. Each whole share purchase warrant ("Warrant") will entitle the holder to purchase one common share at a purchase price of $0.20 per for a period of 24 months following the closing of the Private Placement. Fremont may pay a finder's fee of up to 5% of the gross proceeds raised in connection with the Private Placement. Closing of the Private Placement and the payment of any finder's fees will be subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities offered will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from the registration requirements. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a four-month hold period under Canadian securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, as applicable. About Fremont Gold Fremont's mine-finding management team has assembled a portfolio of high-quality Nevada lithium and gold projects with the goal of making a new discovery. The Company has also been seeking world-class mineral opportunities within the central Tethyan belt of Armenia and Georgia and recently signed an option agreement over the Vardenis property and applied for an exploration license over the Urasar mineral district, which are located in central and northern Armenia respectively. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Dennis Moore President and CEO, interim Chairman Telephone: +351 9250 62196 Email: dennis@fremontgold.net www.fremontgold.net https://twitter.com/GoldFremont https://www.linkedin.com/company/fremont-gold/ Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward looking statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the completion of the Consolidation, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations including the risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. As regards the current financing, such risks and uncertainties may cause the completion of the Private Placement or the actual use of proceeds to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information which could adversely impact the Company's ability to explore (including drill) the Vardenis project and advance the Company's lithium targets. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements only as expressly required by Canadian securities law. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170970 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The United States has witnessed consistent decline in traffic fatalities for the past year, according to a new report by the U.S. Department of Transportation. As per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) first projections for traffic fatalities in 2023, a total of 9,330 people are estimated to have died in traffic crashes in the first quarter of the year. This marks a decrease of about 3.3 percent as compared to 9,645 estimated fatalities during the same period in the previous year. Notably, this is the fourth straight quarterly decline in fatalities after seven consecutive quarters of year-to-year increases in fatalities, beginning with the third quarter of 2020. 'After spiking during the pandemic, traffic deaths have been on a slow but consistent decline for the past year,' said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. 'This is an encouraging sign as we work to reverse the rise in roadway deaths, but there is much more work ahead to reinforce this downward trend and make it permanent,' he added. The projected decrease occurred alongside a 2.6 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled. The estimated fatality rate for the first three months of 2023 decreased to 1.24 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. NHTSA estimates that for the first three months of 2023, deaths from traffic accidents fell in 32 states, while 18 states and Puerto Rico have projected increases in fatalities. In January last year, Secretary Buttigieg unveiled the Department of Transportation's National Roadway Safety Strategy to address the national crisis in traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The Department is taking a number of roadway safety measures including Issuing a proposed rulemaking on advance pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking, Releasing proposals for upgrades and a 'road map' for the New Car Assessment Program, Issuing a final rule on rear impact guards, and Establishing the cross-agency work group to issue the Complete Streets Report to Congress: Moving to a Complete Streets Design Model. Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Mega-Chance Cyber Security Die KI-Revolution ist in vollem Gange und vor allem ein Bereich wird stark betroffen sein: Cyber-Security. Die Experten sind sich sicher: Mit steigender Entwicklung von KI-Technologien nehmen auch KI-gestutzte Cyber-Attacken zu. Wir zeigen hier, welche Aktien profitieren konnen. Hier klicken EQS-News: Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. / Key word(s): AGM/EGM/AGM/EGM Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A.: Annual General Meeting 22.06.2023 / 16:00 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. News Release Annual General Meeting Luxembourg, June 22, 2023: Majorel Group Luxembourg S.A. (Euronext Amsterdam: MAJ) ("Majorel", the ''Company"), a global customer experience (CX) leader, held its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") today. The AGM approved by a large majority the statutory and consolidated accounts as at December 31, 2022 and all proposed resolutions, including the proposed dividend of 0.68 per share. The dividend will be payable from July 18, 2023 (ex-date June 26, 2023). The AGM was held physically at the Hotel Novotel Luxembourg Kirchberg, 6 Rue du Fort Niedergrunewald, L-2226 Luxembourg, and shareholders were also offered the possibility to join the meeting via broadcast. The details of the voting results can be found here . The audio recording and the minutes of the AGM will soon be made available here . ABOUT MAJOREL We're a global CX leader. Clients say that our agile culture makes us special, which means that doing business with us is easy. As experts in customer experience management, we've seen it all, so we're able to ensure the reliability our clients need and the care their customers deserve. Our team members love nothing more than to just get things done, secure in the knowledge that we strive to be the best home for their talent. Our spirit is resourceful, resilient, and relentless, and this is what drives us to go further. 82,000+ team members; 70+ languages; 45 countries; end-to-end CXM; tech-human augmentation; global and local. Majorel: Driven to go further. www.majorel.com CONTACT Investor Relations Michele Negen ir@majorel.com Media Relations Andrew Slater media@majorel.com 22.06.2023 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Rayonier Originally published on Rayonier.com At Rayonier, we have the honor and privilege of working alongside small, local logging businesses. Many of these companies have been passed down for generations, and are considered an integral part of the Rayonier family. We take great pride in these partnerships and appreciate their shared commitment to the sustainability and preservation of the land we work together. Here we share seven of these generational businesses' inspiring stories, showcasing their deep-rooted values and passion for the logging industry. Join us as we pay tribute to the significant contributions and remarkable legacies logging business from Washington state to Florida bring. Levanen Inc., Battle Ground, Washington Sevier Logging, LLC, Olympia, Washington Triple J Logging, Palatka, Florida Allen Brothers Forest Management, Arlington, Washington DM Stratton and 3D Trucking, LLC, Jacksonville, Florida Dilley & Soloman, Forks, Washington R.L. Smith Logging, Inc., Elma, Washington Levanen Inc., Battle Ground, Washington From a young age, Scott Levanen aspired to follow in his father's footsteps as a professional in the logging industry. While working alongside his father, Scott gained valuable skills and logging experience. He later recognized a need for a local full-service logging company that could assist private landowners in maximizing the potential of their tree farms. In 1989, he partnered with his cousin Mark to establish Levanen Inc., which is dedicated to fulfilling this purpose. Word spread quickly among landowners about the quality of Levanen Inc.'s services. The growing demand the company was experiencing resulted in a need for expansion of its workforce and equipment. This enabled them to take on larger logging projects. To sustain such growth, Levanen Inc. diversified their services, offering logging operations to both public and private timberlands. Over time, Levanen Inc. has evolved into a well-rounded organization through partnerships with large landowners such as Rayonier. These partners share a commitment to safer, more efficient, and technologically-advanced harvesting timber methods via cable assist and hydraulic grapple logging systems. Scott's father once advised him, saying, "Surround yourself with great people, and things will go well." Thanks to this advice, Scott attributes his success to the partnerships, employees, vendors, and clients he has worked with over the years. Currently, Levanen Inc. is owned and operated by Scott with the help of his two sons, Dale and Loren. In the future, Dale and Loren hope to purchase the company, carrying on the family legacy. Sevier Logging, LLC, Olympia, Washington Sevier Logging, LLC, is owned and operated by Jeff Sevier and his son, Justin. This well-established, third-generation company holds a rich logging history dating back over 70 years in the Pacific Northwest. Known for its sustainable forestry practices and excellent logging services, the company has built a strong reputation as a contractor for various timber companies. Partnerships have included Weyerhaeuser Company, Rayonier Forest Resources, Green Diamond Resource Company, Harbor Timber/Quinault Partners for the Quinault Indian Tribe, Olympic Resource Management, and government sales at Fort Lewis. Jeff inherited the business from his father Paul in 2000, continuing the family legacy. Justin, Jeff's son, has been actively involved in the company for the past decade, working alongside his father and preparing to take ownership in the near future. "Working alongside my dad has been invaluable as I learn the ropes," says Justin, prompting a smile from Jeff. "I'm so proud of Justin," says Jeff, "He has embraced a leadership role and makes good, solid decisions. I couldn't be any prouder of him!" Sevier Logging, LLC, is rooted in responsible land stewardship and is dedicated to protecting the environment through sustainable forestry practices. Employee safety is also a priority for the company. Remarkably, Sevier Logging, LLC, has managed to avoid any serious accidents in its 70-year logging history. Triple J Logging, Palatka, Florida For JJ Sweat, it was important to create a logging business that would not only provide for his family today, but could become a legacy that would one day also provide for his son's family. He founded Triple J Logging Inc. in Palatka, Florida, in 2005. Now a co-owner who works alongside his dad, JJ's son Jess is learning firsthand how to operate the company. Over the years, Triple J Logging has grown significantly, employing a dedicated team of 8 employees. The company has partnered with Rayonier's Florida Resource Unit as a logging contractor since about 2019. Allen Brothers Forest Management, Arlington, Washington Les and Rob Allen represent the second and third generations of their family's logging legacy at the Hood Canal Tree Farm in East Jefferson County, Washington. In 1976, Les, with his two brothers Craig and Larry, founded Allen Brothers Logging on the Olympic Peninsula. Initially, the company focused on serving the Quilcene and Chimacum areas. While Rob was growing up, he and his brother worked for their father periodically throughout their high school and young adult years. Although Rob pursued other career paths, he later returned to Allen Brothers Forest Management as a full-time logger in 2004. In response to their father's dedication to the logging company, Rob's sons later worked for him during their high school summer breaks. This allowed them the opportunity to gain valuable experience in operations and logging equipment maintenance. As potential fourth-generation loggers, they have a promising future ahead should they choose to continue with Allen Brothers Forest Management. Both Les and Rob share many positive outlooks when it comes to working alongside family members. They both emphasize the deep familiarity and trust between family, noting that each member treats the company as their own. As they look to the future, Les and Rob are hopeful that the younger generation will decide to return and continue the family logging legacy. DM Stratton and 3D Trucking, LLC, Jacksonville, Florida For the Stratton family in Jacksonville, Florida, the common name between Dillon Stratton I, Dillon Stratton II and Dillon Stratton III is only one of the similarities the three generations share. They're also all three passionate about logging and have worked together in their family businesses. The youngest of the three, Dillon Stratton III, is the owner and operator of DM Stratton and 3D Trucking, LLC. Founded by his grandfather, Dillon Stratton I, both businesses have a strong family lineage. Together, the two companies employ a total of 18 employees. In addition to running the business, Dillon III holds the position of Vice President at the Southeastern Wood Producers Association. His father, Dillion II, received the distinguished Florida Logger of the Year award in 1995. Following in his father's footsteps, Dillion III was also recognized, receiving the same honor in 2022. Over the years, DM Stratton has developed an extensive partnership with Rayonier, effectively managing multiple logging crews at the same time in our forests. Dilley & Soloman, Forks, Washington Dave Dilley began his logging journey while pursuing his high school education. At the time, he realized this particular career path was his true calling. Growing up in Forks, Washington, an area known for its beautiful outdoor landscape and the Olympic Peninsula, it seemed like a natural fit. Following his graduation, Dave spent 10 years logging alongside his uncle, a contractor working for Rayonier. In 1987, he partnered with Lyn Soloman to establish Dilley & Soloman Logging. Together, they experienced substantial business growth. Dave's son, Mike, joined the company while still in high school, dedicating his summer breaks to working in the family business. After graduating in 2000 and pursuing a college degree for 2 years at Washington State University, he decided to forego his education and work at the business instead. Over the years, Mike has gradually worked his way through every aspect of logging operations, watching the industry shift and change. Notable changes included tower and shovel logging with grapple cars, tilting shovels, and tethering bunchers. The company has encouraged and embraced innovation, attributing to its great success. Dave is confident that when he retires, Mike will carry on the family legacy and achieve great success. R.L. Smith Logging, Inc., Elma, Washington R.L. Smith Logging, Inc. has been in business now for 32 years, but its logging legacy dates back further than that. In 1932, Roger Smith's paternal grandfather tragically died in a logging accident, leaving his wife and five young sons behind. Due to the accident, the family decided to set the logging industry aside for a while. But in 1980, Roger joined his uncle's company, Grandorff Bros Logging, a small business of four brothers offering logging services to the high country of Grisdale. In 1991, an economic downturn left Roger unemployed. Thankfully, an uncle offered to sell his portion of the business, leading to the establishment of Tagman-Smith Logging, Inc. With the help and support of Dick Tagman, R.L. Smith Logging, Inc. is still thriving to this day. Because of Roger's success and dedication to the family legacy, he was able to offer his nephew, Nate Murray, an opportunity to start his own venture: Roosevelt Logging Inc. In addition, Roger has worked alongside his brothers and brother-in-law for over 20 years. Roger values the teamwork, comradery, and accomplishments he and his family have achieved over the years. Now, R.L. Smith Logging Inc. is harvesting ground they logged in their early years. "It is hard to imagine that our family history in the logging industry goes back almost 100 years," says Roger. Rayonier's Dedication to Supporting Local Family-Owned Logging Businesses Rayonier is proud to partner with these family-owned logging businesses. Founded on shared values and a deep appreciation for the forests, their knowledge of the industry and logging operations are critical to Rayonier's mission of sustainable forest management. With logging running through their blood, each company contributes its rooted and local expertise, specialized equipment, and talented workforce. We value and express gratitude to each family-owned logging business represented at Rayonier. Our work is only made possible with partnerships such as these. Rayonier's goal is to continue to support the ongoing success and resilience of these generational logging companies for years to come. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Rayonier on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Rayonier Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/rayonier Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Rayonier View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763151/Rayonier-Pays-Tribute-to-Generations-of-Loggers Amidst the ever-changing landscape of the business world driven by technology, The Next Web 2023 event brought together 6,000 global companies in the Netherlands. B2Press also participated in the event, which was inaugurated by Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Amsterdam, the Netherlands--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - The Next Web 2023, organized by TNW, a subsidiary of The Financial Times, was held on June 15-16 in Zaandam, the Netherlands. The event saw an impressive turnout, with over 10,000 international visitors, 6,000 companies, and 1,500 start-ups in attendance. The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, delivered the opening speech of The Next Web 2023 via video message. In addition to global companies, political leaders and policymakers were also in attendance. B2Press, Announces Its Affiliate Platform at The Next Web 2023 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8552/170964_1d1234fe14983b7b_001full.jpg "Tech for good" TNW Director, Myrthe van der Erve, shared her thoughts in the opening ceremony, saying, "We take great pride in organizing one of Europe's largest technology events. Emphasizing the importance of not underestimating technological development, we must also adapt and capitalize on its opportunities. Therefore, we have chosen 'Tech for good' as the motto for our event." "B2Press empowers businesses to harness the media's potential in their PR and marketing activities" B2Press, operating from its headquarter in Amsterdam as well as its three offices in Utrecht, Istanbul and Athens, was among the participants of the TNW Conference 2023. Sharing his impressions of the event, A. Seckin Canan, the Founder of B2Press, evaluated their sector and explained how B2Press continues to shape the industry through the success of their business model. Canan explained, "As a thriving start-up evolving in the Netherlands' dynamic ecosystem, we are delighted to have shared the transformative experiences we've encountered in the media industry at the event. Undoubtedly, technology serves as the catalyst that accelerates the pace of change in this process, enabling the discovery of novel methods of communication and interaction. As we witness the corporate world rewriting their PR strategies and redefining their collaboration with media, we empower them to leverage the media's power in PR and their marketing activities." "This event has profoundly influenced our strategic vision" A. Seckin Canan, assessed the event's impact on business operations, "The TNW Conference 2023 provided a robust and supportive environment that played a pivotal role in our company's journey. It not only contributed to the shaping of our strategic vision but also expanded our potential for success and growth through new collaborative opportunities. At B2Press, we are committed to developing our value proposition which merges technology and media successfully. Drawing inspiration from this event, we aim to amplify the voices and stories of our clients, continuously transforming our sector with a focus on vitality, inclusivity, and technology," he said. Contact: Noel Alberts, info@b2press.com, +31 30 799 6022 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170964 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Galleon Gold Corp. (TSXV: GGO) (the "Company" or "Galleon Gold") is pleased to announce that the Company will be presenting a live webinar event, hosted by Red Cloud Financial Services, on June 27, 2023 at 2:00 pm ET/11:00 am PT. The Company's CEO will outline progress on its plans for an underground bulk sample at the West Cache Gold Project, Timmins, Ontario. We invite our shareholders, and all interested parties to register for the webinar and participate in the live Q&A session at the end of the presentation moderated by Red Cloud. The replay will be emailed out to all webinar registrants proceeding the event and will also be available on the Red Cloud website. For more information and to register: https://redcloudfs.com/rcwebinar-ggo-5/. About Galleon Gold Galleon Gold is an exploration and development company focused on advancing the West Cache Gold Project in Timmins, Ontario. The West Cache Gold Project is located 7 km northeast of Pan American Silver's Timmins West Mine and 14 km southwest of Newmont's Hollinger Mine. A 2022 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the project demonstrates strong economics. Detail engineering design and baseline studies in support of a permit application for an underground bulk sample are underway. For further information: Galleon Gold R. David Russell Chairman and CEO T. (416) 644-0066 info@galleongold.com www.galleongold.com Investor Relations Harbor Access Graham Farrell T. (416) 842-9003 Graham.Farrell@harbor-access.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170975 YEREVAN, Armenia, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Team Telecom Armenia, one of the largest telecommunication companies in Armenia, launched Initial Public Offering (IPO) with Ameriabank acting as the sole arranger for the process. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone in the local capital market as the first ever IPO by a TMT sector company. The deal will enable Telecom Armenia to further capitalize on its growing infrastructure, enhance its market presence and drive innovation in Armenia's dynamic telecommunications sector. The company will use the raised funds for the rollout of the fiber optic NGN network throughout Armenia, the launch of the 5G mobile network, and the activation of new international channels. Being engaged in the field of digital technologies, the company will also introduce modern digital tools and solutions as well as implement other ambitious projects. "Today marks a significant milestone for Team Telecom Armenia as we embark on our Initial Public Offering, a testament to our commitment to growth, innovation, and delivering exceptional telecommunications services. This IPO will not only strengthen our infrastructure and market presence but also provide an opportunity for investors to join us on this exciting journey. Together, we will shape the future of Armenia's telecommunications sector," commentedHayk Yesayan, CEO of Team Telecom Armenia. Ameriabank, the leading investment bank in Armenia and largest financial institution in the local securities market, acts as the sole arranger and bookrunner for the AMD 8,240 million offering, structured in compliance with the local regulatory requirements and to be listed on Armenia Securities Exchange after the placement. To enhance accessibility for potential retail investors, Team Telecom shares are also available for purchase through MyInvest platform on Ameriabank's mobile app. The platform allows investors to purchase the stocks online, ensuring a streamlined and digitally-enabled investment experience. With a proven track record in transaction advisory services across various sectors, Ameriabank's most recent significant deal in the local capital market includes the successful execution of the largest-ever corporate bond transaction in Armenia for the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC), one of the top molybdenum producers in the world. Acting as the lead arranger and market-maker, Ameriabank engaged international institutional investors such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, among them, as anchor investors. Artak Hanesyan, CEO at Ameriabank, commented; "We are delighted to partner with Team Telecom Armenia and bring our expertise and network to ensure smooth execution of the company's IPO. This is a truly landmark transaction for the local capital market and will greatly support the development of equity market in Armenia. We expect to have a well-diversified book with active participation of both retail and institutional investors, which will ensure liquid and deep secondary market." The announced IPO is another milestone in the development of Team Telecom Armenia, following the $45 million financing program launched in May 2022. The loan facilitated by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Ameriabank was aimed at implementing high-speed internet infrastructure in Armenia, including the expansion of its 4G mobile network and the construction of the 25 Gb/s speed NGN (Next Generation Network) network across Armenia. The deal offers faster internet services to at least 1.1 million subscribers of the mobile system, and fiber optic internet access to more than 450,000 households. The expansion and access to capital through Team Telecom Armenia IPO are expected to have a positive impact on Armenia's economy as the ICT (Information and communication technologies) sector has been consistently achieving double-digit annual growth rates, becoming one of the top three largest contributors to the country's GDP growth for recent 4 years. According to the most recent statistics, ICT registered over 60% growth in 2023 Q1, contributing by 2,93 pp to GDP growth and becoming the largest contributor to GDP growth in 2023 Q1. About Team Telecom Armenia Team Telecom Armenia is an entirely Armenian brand and a powerful team of thousands of professionals. The company operates in the field of telecommunications in Armenia, which provides mobile and fixed Internet services, as well as digital television, mobile and fixed telephone services. Team builds a unique NGN (Next Generation Network) with a bandwidth of 25 Gb/s and provides Internet, digital television, mobile, and fixed communication services throughout Armenia. About Ameriabank Ameriabank is a leading financial institution and a major contributor to the Armenian economy. Being a dynamically developing universal bank, Ameriabank provides a large package of innovative banking services through its omni-channel distribution platform and with clear focus on digital products and ecosystems. Ameriabank has adopted a customer-focused approach to ensure service quality and modern banking experience in an evolving digital environment. Ameriabank is committed to doing business responsibly and advancing Armenia's transition towards a sustainable future. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2108809/AmeriaBank_Telecom_Armenia_1.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/team-telecom-armenia-announces-ipo-in-armenia-with-ameriabank-as-the-sole-arranger-301858242.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Southern Company Originally published by Southern Company Southern Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) have signed a five-year partnership extension to keep Southern Company active in voluntary wildlife conservation work until 2028. The new agreement will mark 25 years that Southern Company has partnered with NFWF and demonstrates a corporate commitment to conservation that is one of the most sustained in the history of the Foundation. Southern Company has supported more than 400 on-the-ground conservation projects across the U.S. The Southern Company/NFWF partnership has targeted landscape-scale ecosystem restoration and watershed management and species conservation. "We are excited to extend our partnership with NFWF and continue to make conservation happen," said Chris Womack, president of Southern Company. "We're committed to stewardship and conservation of this rich landscape we're so fortunate to share with our communities." The partnership has been central to significant accomplishments, including restoring more than 3.7 million acres of important wildlife habitat, creating bat-related research grants for scientists through the Bats for the Future grant program, and building new community-based stewardship through the Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration grant program. "Southern Company is truly a model for businesses looking to make a lasting and meaningful impact to wildlife conservation," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. "Their commitment to long-term landscape-scale efforts are recognized by public and private partners across the wildlife conservation community." Southern Company and NFWF began working together to support conservation of species and ecosystems across the Southeast in 2003. Over the past 20 years the partnership has evolved into one of the premier examples of public-private partnerships helping to support critical wildlife needs across landscapes throughout the United States. About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate, foundation and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 6,000 organizations and generated a total conservation impact of $8.1 billion. Learn more at nfwf.org. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Southern Company on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Southern Company Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/southern-company Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Southern Company View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763159/Southern-Company-and-National-Fish-and-Wildlife-Foundation-Announce-Five-Year-Partnership-Extension AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of "a-" (Excellent) of AmTrust Assicurazioni S.p.A. (AmTrust Assicurazioni) (Italy). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect AmTrust Assicurazioni's balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The ratings also consider, in the form of rating lift, AM Best's expectation that the AmTrust group will provide financial support to the company, if needed. In addition, the group provides reinsurance support to AmTrust Assicurazioni. AmTrust Assicurazioni's risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), is assessed as strongest. The balance sheet strength assessment also reflects the company's liquid and diversified investment portfolio, which is of high credit quality. An offsetting factor is AmTrust Assicurazioni's high level of reinsurance dependence. However, the risks associated with this reinsurance dependence are mitigated partially by the excellent credit quality of its reinsurance panel and the collateral held against unrated reinsurance recoverables. For 2022, AmTrust Assicurazioni reported a pre-tax loss of EUR 46.1 million driven by a negative investment performance, primarily in the form of unrealised losses on fixed income securities. The company's technical performance remained good, with a combined ratio of 94.9% (as calculated by AM Best). In 2021, the combined ratio was 84.9%, benefiting from a one-off adjustment with reinsurers. AmTrust Assicurazioni's book of business was transferred from other AmTrust group entities in July 2020, and the 2021 result, therefore, reflects its first full year of business. Considering the historical performance of the transferred book, AM Best expects the company's prospective performance to be commensurate with an adequate assessment, with earnings supported by a modest level of underwriting profitability and good investment returns. AmTrust Assicurazioni primarily underwrites medical professional liability insurance (MPLI) business in Italy. Gross written premium amounted to EUR 263 million in 2022. The company has a strong market position in the Italian MPLI market, where it leverages its specialist expertise and has a market share of approximately 40%. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best's Credit Ratings, Best's Performance Assessments, Best's Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best's Ratings Assessments AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com Copyright 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622730876/en/ Contacts: Andrea Porta Financial Analyst +31 20 308 5430 andrea.porta@ambest.com Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 882 2310 christopher.sharkey@ambest.com Mathilde Jakobsen Senior Director, Analytics +31 20 308 5427 mathilde.jakobsen@ambest.com Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 882 2318 al.slavin@ambest.com CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Because of rising demand for smart devices and IoT, advancements in AI technology, the rise of edge computing, the development of autonomous systems, applications across various sectors, miniaturisation and energy efficiency, and the importance of data privacy and security, the future of the Embedded AI market appears promising. As AI becomes an intrinsic aspect of embedded systems, boosting their functionality and decision-making skills, this industry is likely to increase significantly. The global Embedded AI Market is projected to grow from USD 9.4 billion in 2023 to USD 18.0 billion by 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.0% during the forecast period, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The Embedded AI Market is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period, owing to various business drivers like growing demand for intelligent and autonomous systems for a personalized experience and increasing advancements in AI and ML technologies for better and smart decisions. Furthermore, the proliferation of connected devices and IoT ecosystem for effective communications and the rising usage of Embedded AI for industry-specific applications drive market growth. Browse in-depth TOC on "Embedded AI Market" 271 - Tables 55 - Figures 320 - Pages Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=261207150 Scope of the Report Report Metrics Details Market size available for years 2017-2028 Base year considered 2022 Forecast period 2023-2028 Forecast units USD (Billion) Segments covered Offering, Data Type, Vertical, and Region Geographies covered North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and Latin America Companies covered Google (US), IBM (US), Microsoft (US), AWS (US), NVIDIA (US), Intel (US), Qualcomm (US), Arm (UK), AMD (US), MediaTek (Taiwan), Oracle (US), Salesforce (US), NXP (Netherlands), Lattice (Oregon), Octonion (Switzerland), NeuroPace (US), Siemens (Germany), HPE (US), LUIS Technology (Germany), Code Time Technologies (Canada), HiSilicon (China), VectorBlox (Canada), Au-Zone Technologies (Canada), STMicroelectronics (Switzerland), SenseTime (Hong Kong), Edge Impulse (US), Perceive (US), Eta Compute (US), SensiML (US), Syntiant (US), Graphcore (UK), and SiMa.ai (US). By offering, Services to register for the highest CAGR during the forecast period The scope of the services segment comprises training and consulting, system integration and implementation, and support and maintenance. The services segment of the Embedded AI Market is growing rapidly as businesses increasingly look to outsource the development and deployment of AI solutions. This is due to a number of factors, including the complexity of developing AI-powered applications, the need for specialized expertise, and the high cost of in-house development. Businesses looking to adopt AI should consider the services segment as a viable option for developing and deploying AI solutions. By data type, numeric data to register for the highest market size during the forecast period The increasing demand for real-time data processing and analysis boosts the demand for numeric data type in the Embedded AI Market. Numeric data plays a crucial role in the Embedded AI Market, forming the foundation for training, optimizing, and deploying AI models on embedded systems. Numeric data captured by sensors, cameras, or other sources in real-time serves as input to the deployed AI models, allowing them to process the data and generate actionable outputs promptly. This is crucial for robotics, autonomous vehicles, or industrial automation applications, where quick decision-making is required. Request Sample Pages @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=261207150 By region, Asia Pacific to account for the highest growth rate during the forecast period Embedded AI adoption in the Asia Pacific region is experiencing significant growth. It is driven by several factors, including the region's strong manufacturing base, rapid urbanization, increasing demand for IoT applications, and advancements in AI technologies. With strong government support, a thriving startup ecosystem, and investments in AI infrastructure, the Asia Pacific market presents significant growth opportunities for Embedded AI technologies and solutions. Top Key Companies in Embedded AI Market: Some major players in the Embedded AI Market include Google (US), IBM (US), Microsoft (US), AWS (US), NVIDIA (US), Intel (US), Qualcomm (US), Arm (UK), AMD (US), MediaTek (Taiwan), Oracle (US), Salesforce (US), NXP (The Netherlands), Lattice (US), Octonion (Switzerland), NeuroPace (US), Siemens (Germany), HPE (US), LUIS Technology (Germany), Code Time Technologies (Canada), HiSilicon (China), VectorBlox (Canada), AU-Zone Technologies (Canada), STMicroelectronics (Switzerland), SenseTime (Hong Kong), Edge Impulse (US), Perceive (US), Eta Compute (US), SensiML (US), Syntiant (US), Graphcore (UK), and SiMa.ai (US). Recent Developments: In April 2023, IBM announced the launch of Watson Edge for Financial Services, a solution that helps financial institutions deploy AI at the edge to improve customer service, fraud detection, and risk management. In April 2023, Qualcomm Technologies partnered with eInfochips, an Arrow company, to launch Edge Labs. Edge Labs is a program that will help developers and innovators accelerate the development and deployment of AI applications for embedded devices. This partnership will help developers and innovators accelerate developing and deploying AI applications for embedded devices. Edge Labs will provide developers with access to Qualcomm's expertise in AI and eInfochips' development and deployment services. In March 2023, Arm partnered with Google Cloud to bring Arm-based solutions to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The partnership is expected to help Arm customers take advantage of GCP's AI and machine learning capabilities and to help Google Cloud customers deploy Arm-based solutions. In March 2023, IBM acquired Instana, an application performance monitoring software provider. The acquisition will help IBM to expand its edge AI capabilities and provide customers with a more comprehensive view of their applications. In March 2023, the AI-powered tool has been designed to assist Microsoft 365 users in performing various tasks, such as troubleshooting, training, and onboarding. Microsoft 365 Copilot, as an embedded AI technology, is integrated within a broader software ecosystem and has been created to function seamlessly with other Microsoft 365 products and services. In October 2022, Intel partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to bring Intel-based solutions to AWS. The partnership is expected to help Intel customers use AWS's AI and machine learning capabilities to help AWS customers deploy Intel-based solutions. In June 2022, Microsoft announced a partnership with NVIDIA to accelerate the development and deployment of edge AI applications. The partnership will combine Microsoft's Azure platform with NVIDIA's AI hardware and software to create a more comprehensive solution for edge computing. In Jan 2022, IBM partnered with Google Cloud to accelerate the development and deployment of edge AI applications. The partnership will combine IBM's AI and ML expertise with Google Cloud's infrastructure and AI capabilities. Inquiry Before Buying @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=261207150 Embedded AI Market Advantages: Sensitive data no longer needs to be sent to external servers or the cloud for processing thanks to embedded AI. Data can be maintained on the device or on a private network by performing AI computations locally, boosting privacy and lowering the possibility of data breaches or unauthorised access. For applications that deal with sensitive data, such those in healthcare or banking, this is essential. Data communication to remote servers is not necessary because embedded AI processes data on the device itself. This allows for quicker response times and considerably lowers latency. When compared to conventional computing architectures, embedded AI also enables optimised hardware-software integration by utilising specialised chips or accelerators to achieve improved speed and energy efficiency. By incorporating AI capabilities directly into devices, no additional infrastructure or cloud-based resources are required. This saves operational costs while simplifying deployment. Furthermore, because the intelligence is dispersed across several devices rather than depending on a centralised server architecture, embedded AI systems grow readily. Because of its scalability and low cost, embedded AI is an appealing solution for both small-scale and large-scale deployments. Embedded AI enables edge devices to make intelligent decisions on their own without relying on ongoing contact with central servers. This provides edge intelligence and autonomy, allowing devices to analyse and respond to data locally, resulting in faster and more efficient operations. Edge intelligence is especially useful in settings requiring real-time judgements, such as autonomous drones or smart manufacturing. By analysing data locally and customising the experience to each user's preferences and behaviours, embedded AI can enhance user interactions. This makes it possible for devices to offer personalised recommendations, predictive ideas, and customised interactions, improving user engagement and pleasure. Through resource management and local computing, embedded AI systems can reduce their overall energy usage. Embedded AI devices can work effectively with lower energy requirements by minimising the need for data transmission and decreasing dependency on power-hungry cloud servers. For devices like wearables or IoT sensors that run on batteries or have limited resources, this is especially advantageous. Devices with inbuilt AI may carry out complicated calculations locally without largely relying on cloud resources or constant network connectivity. As a result, embedded AI solutions are more readily available and reasonably priced for both organisations and consumers. This decreases network dependence and associated costs. It also makes applications possible in rural or unconnected settings where cloud connectivity can be expensive or scarce. Report Objectives To define, describe, and predict the Embedded AI Market by offering (hardware, software, and services), data type, vertical, and region To provide detailed information related to major factors (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and industry-specific challenges) influencing the market growth To analyze the micro markets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and their contribution to the total market To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders by identifying the high-growth segments of the Embedded AI Market To analyze opportunities in the market and provide details of the competitive landscape for stakeholders and market leaders To forecast the market size of segments for five main regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America To profile key players and comprehensively analyze their market rankings and core competencies To analyze competitive developments, such as partnerships, new product launches, and mergers and acquisitions, in the Embedded AI Market To analyze the impact of recession across all the regions across the Embedded AI Market Browse Adjacent Markets: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: AI as a Service Market - Global Forecast to 2028 NLP in Education Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Text to Video AI Market - Global Forecast to 2027 Artificial Intelligence Market - Global Forecast to 2027 Cognitive Computing Market- Global Forecast to 2025 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/embedded-ai-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/embedded-ai.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/embedded-ai-market-worth-18-0-billion-by-2028---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-301857895.html A thought-provoking debate in Milan Luiss University hub, centering around the crucial topic of tax reform. The event "the penalty system in tax reform", organized by Paola Severino, Vice President of Luiss University, gathered a distinguished panel of government officials and tax experts to discuss the potential replacement of traditional penalty systems with a cooperative approach between citizens and the Revenue Agency. The proposed enabling act for tax reform aims to simplify administrative sanctions, mitigating conflicts with criminal sanctions and upholding the "ne bis in idem" principle. The primary objective is to foster compliance with tax obligations through a cooperative relationship with the tax agency, known as "cooperative compliance," offering a viable alternative to the conventional penalty system. The debate featured the insights of various experts, including Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio, Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance Maurizio Leo, and Milan Prosecutor Marcello Viola. These distinguished speakers shared diverse perspectives on the tax penalty system, delving into a comparative analysis of punitive methods concerning both individuals and entities.Tax sanctions serve a vital role in promoting adherence to tax laws and combating tax evasion. However, it is imperative to ensure that such sanctions are applied equitably, proportionately, and effectively in order to maintain the integrity of the tax system. Achieving this goal necessitates close collaboration between tax authorities, judicial institutions, and law enforcement agencies.One of the notable speakers at the event was Professor Livia Salvini, an esteemed expert in Tax Law at Luiss University. Professor Salvini elaborated on the concept of the Collaborative Compliance Scheme, which entails taxpayers cooperating with tax authorities to identify errors or violations and negotiating agreements to rectify their situations. Guglielmo Maisto, former Professor of International and Comparative Tax Law at the Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Piacenza, provided valuable insights by examining comparative perspectives to understand the disparities between administrative and criminal tax penalty models.In her concluding remarks, Paola Severino shed light on the issue of entity liability, an approach aimed at combatting tax evasion and tax avoidance, particularly when such violations are advantageous to the company. Severino emphasized the importance of encouraging entities to implement internal control and tax compliance measures, holding their representatives and employees accountable in order to prevent violations.Minister of Justice Carlo Nordio summarized the key takeaways from the day's discussions, emphasizing the paramount significance of tax justice reform as a critical priority for Italy. The insights and ideas shared during this engaging debate serve as a foundation for potential future reforms in the country's tax system. Attachments Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the world's leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people, today announced that it will work with the Ukrainian government to help it unlock access to the global insurance market. As part of the support, it will provide services on a pro-bono basis to design and deliver a risk data platform that will allow insurers to assess and underwrite war risks in the country with greater confidence. The announcement follows yesterday's launch of the London Conference Framework on War Risk Insurance for Ukraine by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. As part of that announcement, the Ukrainian government committed to sharing detailed information with the insurance industry to enable effective and targeted risk modelling to rebuild its commercial insurance market. Marsh McLennan will work with the Ukrainian government and insurers to create a platform that provides the data needed for assessment of war risks in Ukraine, which will better position the industry to start offering commercial insurance cover thus unlocking investible capital. This will provide access to the necessary data to allow insurers to assess risks meaningfully and enhance their willingness to enter the market. This work will be provided on a pro-bono basis by Marsh McLennan. It follows the proposals that Marsh McLennan has made to Ukrainian and G7 governments for the creation of a war risk insurance pool. This would be a multinational public-private partnership based on the existing terrorism insurance pools that currently operate in several G7 nations. John Doyle, President and CEO of Marsh McLennan, said: "The announcement by the Ukrainian government, together with the support of the UK government, are important steps towards the recovery of the Ukrainian economy from this ongoing and devastating war. Our support for this important project builds on the work we have been doing with Ukraine this year to evaluate options for war risk insurance. I am proud that our colleagues are standing together with the people of Ukraine to help them to recover as quickly as possible." Oleksandr Griban, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, added: "Accessing the global insurance market is vital to begin the long road to recovery for our economy. This support from Marsh McLennan is a crucial step in helping us to attract the investment that we need to rebuild and grow strong." About Marsh McLennan Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC) is the world's leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people. The Company's more than 85,000 colleagues advise clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of over $20 billion, Marsh McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment through four market-leading businesses. Marsh provides data driven risk advisory services and insurance solutions to commercial and consumer clients. Guy Carpenter develops advanced risk, reinsurance and capital strategies that help clients grow profitably and pursue emerging opportunities. Mercer delivers advice and technology-driven solutions that help organizations redefine the world of work, reshape retirement and investment outcomes, and unlock health and wellbeing for a changing workforce. Oliver Wyman serves as a critical strategic, economic and brand advisor to private sector and governmental clients. For more information, visit marshmclennan.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622279096/en/ Contacts: Jason Groves +44 (0)7733 325587 jason.groves@marsh.com TERRAOIL SWISS AG / Key word(s): AGMEGM Terraoil Announces Annual General Meeting 22.06.2023 / 17:55 CET/CEST Terraoil Announces Annual General Meeting Date Set for the Annual General Meeting for Fiscal Year 2022 Steinhausen, Switzerland, June 22, 2023 - Terraoil Swiss AG ("Company"), an energy company with a strong focus on the Mediterranean is pleased to announce that the Annual General Meeting for fiscal year 2022 has been scheduled. The invitation for the meeting, to be held in Zug on July 13, 2023, was mailed to all registered shareholders on June 21, 2023. Chief Executive Officer, Peter Krempin commented: "We are excited to meet again with our shareholders to bring them up to date on the exciting developments, including a key investment by a corner stone investor which provides security for the long term success of the Company and the upcoming plans for restructuring, securing additional investment and implementing the next steps." If you are an Terraoil shareholder and would like additional information, contact Peter Krempin either via email investors@terraoil.swiss or by telephone at +41 71 544 01 20. About Terraoil Swiss AG Terraoil is an international energy company with a focus to identify and advance business opportunities in the upstream oil and gas and renewable energy sectors in the Mediterranean region. https://terraoil.swiss Terraoil forward-looking statements This media release serves informational purposes and constitutes neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation or an advertisement to buy any shares of Terraoil Swiss AG in any jurisdiction. This media release does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Article 35 et seqq. of the Swiss Federal Act on Financial Services. In addition, investors should seek advice from their bank or their financial adviser. This media release and the information contained therein are not being issued for the purpose of selling shares in the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, or the European Economic Area and must not be distributed within or to such countries or via publications with a general circulation in such countries. This media release contains forward-looking statements such as projections, forecasts, and estimates. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those anticipated in this media release. Readers should therefore not rely on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this media release are based on the views and assumptions of Terraoil Swiss AG as of this date and Terraoil Swiss AG does not assume any obligation to update or revise this media release. End of Media Release Maxine Saenz and Joel Guel Jr. Bring Fresh Perspective and Deep Community Connection to Custom Home Building in Boerne, Texas BOERNE, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / G.J. Gardner Homes, a leading name in custom home building, is excited to announce the highly anticipated grand opening of its Boerne, Texas, franchise under new ownership. The dynamic duo of Maxine Saenz and Joel Guel Jr. will proudly assume ownership, bringing a fresh perspective and a deep connection to the local community. G.J. Gardner Homes Boerne Team G.J. Gardner Homes' Texas teams come together to celebrate the new franchise opening. On June 29, 2023, from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., the Boerne community will gather to celebrate this momentous occasion. The grand opening festivities will include delectable food, exciting activities, and a special ribbon-cutting ceremony that signifies the start of a new era for G.J. Gardner Homes in Boerne. Maxine Saenz and Joel Guel Jr., natives of Boerne and devoted parents, are thrilled to bring their passion for quality craftsmanship and exceptional service to their hometown. With a profound understanding of the area's unique character and the aspirations of its residents, they are dedicated to building dream homes that exceed expectations and embody the charm of Boerne. "Boerne is not just a place we call home; it's a community we deeply care about," said Maxine Saenz, co-owner of G.J. Gardner Homes Boerne. "By opening our franchise here, we have the privilege of serving our neighbors, friends, and fellow community members. Our goal is to create homes that reflect the spirit and beauty of Boerne while providing unparalleled quality and personalized experiences." G.J. Gardner Homes Boerne will offer a wide range of customizable home designs to suit various preferences and lifestyles. Saenz and Guel Jr. and their team are committed to turning dreams into reality, meticulously attending to every detail and ensuring exceptional craftsmanship from start to finish. As members of the Boerne community, Saenz and Guel Jr. deeply appreciate the area's rich heritage and natural beauty. They understand the importance of creating homes that harmoniously blend with the picturesque surroundings while offering comfort, functionality, and timeless elegance. "We are thrilled to be in Boerne, serving the community we love," said Joel Guel Jr., co-owner of G.J. Gardner Homes Boerne. "Our mission is to not only build exceptional homes but also contribute to the growth and prosperity of Boerne. We are dedicated to creating lasting relationships and making a positive impact on the lives of our clients and the community as a whole." Join Maxine Saenz, Joel Guel Jr., and the entire G.J. Gardner Homes Boerne team as they celebrate the grand opening on June 29, 2023. For more information about the grand opening event or to inquire about building your dream home in Boerne and the surrounding area, please visit gjgardner.com or contact G.J. Gardner Homes Boerne at boerne@gjgardner.com. Contact Information Maxine Saenz Franchise Owner boerne@gjgardner.com 830-251-5098 SOURCE: G.J. Gardner Homes Boerne View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763040/GJ-Gardner-Homes-Announces-Grand-Opening-of-Boerne-Texas-Franchise NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Laurel Road: Recent data from the Federal Reserve reveals that Americans currently owe a staggering $1.7 trillion in student loan debt as of Q1 2023. For many Americans, it's understandable that this burden can feel overwhelming and could impact them for the rest of their lives. Fortunately, there is a potential silver lining for public service workers in the form of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Created specifically for borrowers who work for a U.S. government organization or a qualifying nonprofit, this program offers the possibility of having federal student loans forgiven after 10 years of repayment amounting to 120 qualifying payments. However, it's important to note that not all public service workers qualify for PSLF. It's important to gain a thorough understanding of the PSLF program's requirements and eligibility criteria to determine whether it's worth the effort to pursue it. What exactly is PSLF and who qualifies for it? PSLF is a federal program established under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. Its aim is to encourage graduates to pursue careers in public service by providing loan forgiveness after 10 years of service. This program specifically targets individuals working in the public sector, including the U.S. federal, state, or tribal government, or qualifying nonprofit organizations. However, it's also worth mentioning that not all student loans qualify for PSLF. Exploring the pros and cons of PSLF The primary advantage of the PSLF program is that it alleviates the burden of student loan debt for borrowers who work in public service. Once they enroll in the program and meet all requirements for the 10-year duration of the repayment period, federal student loan borrowers can have a light at the end of the tunnel - their remaining student loan debt could potentially be forgiven after 120 qualifying payments. For those passionate about having a career in public service, PSLF can make their dream career financially possible. This program may lead to lower monthly payments because borrowers must opt into an income driven repayment (IDR) plan as a prerequisite for PSLF eligibility. However, there are a few cons of the PSLF program that are worth considering. The program application process and meeting all compliance requirements year after year can be a hassle. Completing paperwork such as the Employer Certification Form (ECF), which is recommended to be resubmitted annually - can be time-consuming, especially when you're busy working full-time in the public sector. If you have federal student loans other than Direct Loans, you will also need to take the time to contact your loan servicer and consolidate them into federal Direct Loans in order to be eligible for PSLF. Another potential drawback is the requirement to work in public service. Working for the government or a qualifying nonprofit could mean you have a lower salary than you would if you worked for a private sector employer. Finally, there is also the possibility of rejection. Meeting the specific requirements throughout the program term is essential. PSLF and Individual Factors The PSLF program can be a valuable option - even a financial lifeline - for federal student loan borrowers who want to pursue a career in public service. If that sounds like you, then pursuing PSLF is well worth the time it takes to apply and stay in compliance each year. Before applying, be sure to understand your eligibility as well as the program's pros and cons and make an informed decision. PSLF could be a critical piece of your student loan repayment strategy helping to reduce your debt burden and your daily stress - which is priceless. About Laurel Road Laurel Road began originating student loans in 2013 and has since helped thousands of professionals with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees consolidate and refinance more than $7 billion in federal and private school loans. www.laurelroad.com Contact Information Carolina d'Arbelles-Valle Senior Public Relations Specialist carolina.darbellesv@iquanti.com (201) 633-2125 SOURCE: Laurel Road View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763168/Laurel-Road-Why-PSLF-is-Worth-the-Effort BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN, OTCQX: BRCHF, ADR: BCHPY), the world's first commercial producer of ultra-low power, fully digital, event- based, neuromorphic AI IP, will demonstrate the capabilities of its Akida neuromorphic computing platform to attendees of the tinyML EMEA Innovation Forum, June 26-28 in Amsterdam. Brainchip will also be featured in the benchmarking panel discussion. The tinyML EMEA Innovation Forum accelerates the adoption of tiny machine learning across the region by connecting the efforts of the private sector with those of academia in pushing the boundaries of AI/ML on ultra-low powered devices. TinyML includes audio, visual, navigational, biometric and medical devices, as well as other commercial and industrial uses. At the forum, BrainChip will showcase Akida enablement of efficient processing of all sensor modalities visual analysis such as facial and gesture recognition; sound identification including vocal keyword spotting and voice commands; vibration analysis to detect performance defects; and taste testing with breakdowns of ingredient composition and pH levels. Brainchip will drive the discussion on a benchmarking panel that explores the relevance and need for benchmarking Edge AI platforms that help the broader industry in evaluating the right platforms for their needs. "tinyML events are ideal venues to showcase our achievements in neuroprocessing at the edge that provide unsurpassed sensory performance at the micro- to milli-watt power range, perfect for always-on applications in battery-operated devices," said Rob Telson, BrainChip Vice President of Ecosystem and Partnerships. "Akida is enabling intelligent applications and tasks that were previously not possible, and we are excited to continue building the momentum for Edge AI." The Akida neural processor is designed to provide a complete ultra-low power Edge AI network processor for vision, audio, smart transducers, vital signs and, more broadly, any sensor application. BrainChip's scalable solutions, which can be used standalone or integrated into systems on chip to execute today's models and future networks directly in hardware, empowers the market to create much more intelligent, cost-effective devices and services that can be universally deployed across real-world applications in connected cars, healthcare, consumer electronics, industrial IoT, smart-agriculture and more, including use in a space mission and in the most stringent conditions. Those interested in a private meeting with BrainChip can contact sales@brainchip.com to schedule an appointment. About BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN, OTCQX: BRCHF, ADR: BCHPY) BrainChip is the worldwide leader in edge AI on-chip processing and learning. The company's first-to-market, fully digital, event-based AI processor, Akida, uses neuromorphic principles to mimic the human brain, analyzing only essential sensor inputs at the point of acquisition, processing data with unparalleled efficiency, precision, and economy of energy. Akida uniquely enables edge learning local to the chip, independent of the cloud, dramatically reducing latency while improving privacy and data security. Akida Neural processor IP, which can be integrated into SoCs on any process technology, has shown substantial benefits on today's workloads and networks, and offers a platform for developers to create, tune and run their models using standard AI workflows like Tensorflow/Keras. In enabling effective edge compute to be universally deployable across real world applications such as connected cars, consumer electronics, and industrial IoT, BrainChip is proving that on-chip AI, close to the sensor, is the future, for its customers' products, as well as the planet. Explore the benefits of Essential AI at www.brainchip.com. Follow BrainChip on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BrainChip_inc Follow BrainChip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/7792006 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622750018/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Mark Smith JPR Communications 818-398-1424 Investor Contact: Tony Dawe BrainChip tdawe@brainchip.com Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, June 22 For immediate release 22 June 2023 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 100,000 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 870.00 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 17 January 2023. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 17,845,544; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 207,145,759. . The figure of 207,145,759 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / The Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) members are leading global beverage companies that bring with them a wealth of industry knowledge and information. In keeping with the vision of advancing environmental sustainability of the beverage sector, BIER leverages its collective member expertise to create tools, methodologies, and guidance through facilitated benchmarking and best practice sharing. Answering the collective call for climate action and accelerated water stewardship, BIER recently released two influential guides: Internal Carbon Pricing - An Implementation Guide for Beverage Companies and The Water Replenishment Insights Document. Internal Carbon Pricing - An Implementation Guide for Beverage Companies Because internal carbon pricing can help companies achieve a number of objectives, including assessing investment opportunities, preparing for regulations, achieving greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, and climate scenario analysis, BIER developed the Internal Carbon Pricing - An Implementation Guide for Beverage Companies to better understand how Internal Carbon Pricing can be a useful tool in a company's decarbonization journey. The guide addresses foundational components, including: What is Internal Carbon Pricing? Industry Adoption of Internal Carbon Pricing Why Internal Carbon is helpful? Is Internal Carbon Pricing right for your organization? How to Implement Internal Carbon Pricing As beverage companies continue their commitments to climate action, they can continue to take a holistic and embedded approach by creating clear governance and accountability for greenhouse gas emissions throughout the organization. The Internal Carbon Pricing - An Implementation Guide for Beverage Companies is a tool to assist on the decarbonization journey. The guide is available for complimentary download at https://bit.ly/BIERCarbonPricing The Water Replenishment Insights Document BIER's Water Replenishment Insights document was developed through a collaborative effort of BIER, Antea Group, and Bluerisk in response to the increasing adoption and deployment of corporate water replenishment initiatives. Leveraging BIER's 10 years of experience and leadership in water replenishment, the document was developed to share, in a clear and concise format, insights BIER has accumulated from developing corporate water replenishment initiatives in ways that deliver business, environmental and social value with the hope that other companies pursuing water replenishment may benefit. The Water Replenishment Insights are designed to be relevant to any company or facility, in any industry, in any location in the world, and is intended to accelerate internal conversations and decisions at the regional and facility level with regard to investments in corporate water replenishment initiatives. The guide addresses eight areas of insight, including: What is water replenishment? How does water replenishment relate to water stewardship? Insights related to What worked, Key Barriers, and Opportunities moving forward Helpful resources The desired use of the Water Replenishment Insights is for companies to be better positioned to establish impactful collaborations and make meaningful investments in water replenishment initiatives that result in measurable impacts at the catchment level. The guide is available for complimentary download at https://bit.ly/BIERWaterInsights As 2023 unfolds, additional insights and guidance will be shared. You are invited to learn more about BIER's publications, news, and member spotlights. Join BIER for our World Water Week presentation of Charco Bendito: BIER's Unprecedented Watershed Collaboration in Jalisco, Mexico. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/beverage-industry-environmental-roundtable Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763183/BIERs-Beverage-Sector-Guidance-Advancing-Environmental-Sustainability-in-2023 As a part of their expansion plans, GammaStack has introduced a new set of iGaming offerings with an aim to reach new geographies. VALLETTA, MALTA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / GammaStack announces the launch of its new offerings in the iGaming industry, which include iGaming platform - GS CORE, provably fair casino games (crash, aviator, moon, plinko, dice, mine, etc), slots, virtual sports, lottery, and poker. The company has made this new launch as a part of its portfolio expansion plan and to cover new geographies. They aim to help their clients enhance their iGaming business through these offerings. GAMMASTACK iGaming Software & Solutions Provider The company now offers a versatile, comprehensive, and scalable iGaming platform called GS CORE, which brings the freedom for clients to integrate any third party as per their requirement and launch their online & live casino, sportsbook, virtual sports, slots, lottery, bingo, poker, and provably fair casino games in a quick span of time and at competitive entry cost. At the same time, the platform also integrates easily with bespoke casino games and a fully owned sportsbook specifically developed by GammaStack for clients' specific needs. "We aim to achieve new milestones of success by bringing our new iGaming offerings that can eventually contribute to the growth of the entire industry. Our team has done a thorough analysis of industry demands and trends to carve our new bundle of offerings which will help us in enhancing our industry presence," says Dilip Chouhan, CSO of GammaStack. Backed by a strong team of 350+ technically sound professionals, the company has rolled out various iGaming projects successfully for clients belonging to different parts of the world. Here is the statistical view of their growth: 60+ countries served 350+ developers 100% Customization 12+ years of experience 80+ iGaming projects The team offers a plethora of services for their clients belonging to the iGaming industry, some of them include: iGaming Staffing services Custom development Third-party integrations Legacy system migration Web3 Development About GammaStack GammaStack is a renowned iGaming software provider with 12+ years of experience in the industry. The company has seen significant growth in the past few years and has gained recognition for its advanced solutions and remarkable work. The team possesses expertise in different cutting-edge technologies such as blockchain, which allows them to build state-of-the-art iGaming solutions. They always understand and analyze clients' needs and ensure to deliver bespoke iGaming software development solutions and services, including sports betting software, online casino software, slot game development, online lottery software, casino game development, etc., which match clients' business needs precisely. Successful deliveries of work and flawless projects rolled out for clients from all across the globe have enabled them to add various awards and recognitions to their feathers. CONTACT US: Media Contact: sales@gammastack.com Website: https://www.gammastack.com/ Manoj Trivedi CMO sales@gammastack.com SOURCE: GammaStack View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763134/GammaStack-Launches-New-Offerings-for-iGaming-Industry JASPER, IN / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / SVB&T Corporation (OTCQX:SVBT) has once again been named to American Banker magazine's Top 200 Publicly Traded Community Banks list. In its June 12, 2023 issue, American Banker ranked SVB&T Corporation 129th on its prestigious nationwide list. In 2022, the corporation ranked 132nd; in 2021, the corporation ranked 182nd; in 2020, the corporation ranked 153rd; and in 2019, the corporation ranked 102nd. "Springs Valley is honored and humbled by our selection for the past five consecutive years as one of the top 200 banks as defined by the American Banker," said Jamie Shinabarger, CEO. "We have been able to consistently provide our shareholders the benefit of both safety and return, given the combination of our 9.85% year-end capital ratio with our 11.85% ROAE (up 80 basis points from last year). This makes achieving the Top 200 list even more impressive," Shinabarger concluded. The study examined well-capitalized publicly traded banks and thrifts with $2 billion or less in assets (source: Capital Performance Group). Rankings are determined by each institution's return on average equity (ROAE)-a measure of profitability widely used by investors to analyze business performance. ## Springs Valley Bank & Trust Company is a subsidiary of SVB&T Corporation, headquartered at 8482 West State Road 56, French Lick, Indiana 47432 with administrative offices at 1500 Main Street, Jasper, Indiana 47546. Springs Valley has locations in Dubois, Daviess, Gibson, and Orange Counties, offering full-service bank and financial services. Springs Valley has products and services for all types of families and businesses, including checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, electronic services, online consumer and mortgage applications and a variety of other loan options. Springs Valley Bank is a member of FDIC and is an Equal Housing Lender. In addition, the company has a full-service financial advisory group managed by experienced, talented professionals specializing in estate planning, tax planning and wealth management. Investment Services are also offered by a licensed, professional Springs Valley representative. Trust and Investment products are not deposits; not insured by the FDIC; not a deposit or other obligation of, or guaranteed by, the depository institution; not insured by any Federal Government Agency; may lose value - subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. More information can be found online at www.svbt.bank. The company's stock is traded on the OTCQX trading platform under ticker symbol SVBT (www.otcmarkets.com). For more information contact: Dianna B. Land, SEVP & HR & Marketing Manager, at 812.634.4963 or email at dbland@svbt.com SOURCE: SVB&T Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763244/SVBT-Corporation-Parent-Company-of-Springs-Valley-Bank-Trust-Company-Named-to-Top-200-Banks-in-the-Nation TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / The ARMA Canada Information Conference 2023 announces a diverse lineup of keynote speakers. Discount registration rates, offering a $300 savings, are available now at http://armacanadainformationconference.org/ for the conference taking place at The Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, Ontario, July 17-19, 2023. The last day for registration savings is July 11 - act today and save. Scott Taylor, The Data Whisperer, will enlighten attendees on the strategic value of proper data management during the opening keynote address on Monday, July 17 from 8:30 am - 10:00 am. "The ARMA Canada Information Conference is the premier event for information professionals to connect, learn, and shape the profession and we are thrilled that Scott Taylor will share his knowledge with our audience," said Nathan Hughes, Executive Director, ARMA International. "We look forward to bringing the industry together to discuss the benefits and risks of an organization's critical information assets and discuss how to harness those benefits and appropriately mitigate those risks." Scott has helped countless companies by enlightening business executives to the strategic value of proper data management by focusing on business alignment and the "strategic WHY." As Principal Consultant for MetaMeta Consulting he helps Enterprises and Tech Brands tell their data story. Scott will bring this school of thought to the ARMA Canada Information Conference and expand upon why it is essential for information management professionals to construct a compelling narrative around their data management programs to secure long-term support from enterprise stakeholders and business leadership. Rounding out Day 1 of the conference is Leslie MacGregor with the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC). Leslie will be speaking from 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm on the topic of The First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession - more commonly known as OCAP - and First Nations data sovereignty. Leslie is the Education Officer for the FNIGC. In her role, Leslie plays a key role in the assessment, design, and delivery of high-quality OCAP education and training. Leslie comes to FNIGC with a wealth of experience in Indigenous education. Prior to FNIGC, Leslie was the Program Administrator, Continuing Education, with the Anishinabek Employment & Training Services and before that, she was the Associate Dean, Student Services at Confederation College in Thunder Bay. As a Metis woman, Indigenous practices and principles are foundational to Leslie's core values and inclusive leadership style: reciprocity, relationships, rebuilding, and respect. For its closing keynote on Tuesday, July 18 from 4:00pm - 5:00pm, the ARMA Canada Information Conference will welcome Dr. Christopher Parsons, Senior Technology and Policy Advisor at the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. Formerly, he held the position of a Senior Research Associate at the Munk School's Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, where his research focused on third-party access to telecommunications data, data privacy, data security, and national security. He holds a Ph.D in Political Science from the Department of Political Science at the University of Victoria, and a Bachelor's and a Master's degree from the University of Guelph. Dr. Parsons will speak to attendees on the topic of how privacy is affected by advances in digitally mediated surveillance and AI before engaging with John Isaza, Partner-Rimon Law, in a fireside chat to delve deeper into what these advances mean to Canadian information management professionals. In addition to keynotes, the conference education agenda features a strong schedule of breakout sessions focused on advanced information concepts, creating structure and improving process, DEI, ethics, information forward (advanced technology), information fundamentals, legal and e-discovery, professional advancement, and reducing organizational information risk. Registration includes access to all three days of education sessions, breakfast and lunch each day, access to the exhibit hall and entrance to the Welcome Reception, Expo Hall Pub Crawl and the ARMA Canada Party. Register for the full conference program by July 11th for a $300 savings. A Keynote & Connect pass, which includes keynotes each day, access to the exhibit hall, the Welcome Reception, Expo Hall Pub Crawl and the ARMA Canada Party is $499. ARMA International is also pleased to announce that for every paid full conference registration for the ARMA Canada Information Conference 2023, ARMA will donate $5.00 CAD to Indspire, a national Indigenous registered charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada. ARMA International (www.arma.org), is a not-for-profit professional association and the authority on records and information management (RIM). RIM is broadly recognized as the foundation of effective information governance, which makes ARMA International a leader in information governance as well as RIM. The association was established in 1955. Its members include records and information managers, information governance professionals, archivists, corporate librarians, imaging specialists, legal professionals, IT managers, consultants, and educators, all of whom work in a wide variety of sectors, including government, legal, healthcare, financial services, and petroleum in the United States, Canada, and more than 30 other countries around the globe. # # # For further information, contact: Amy Riemer, Media Relations Representative 978-475-4441 (office) or 978-502-4895 (cell) amy@riemercommunications.com SOURCE: ARMA International View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763179/ARMA-Canada-Information-Conference-Announces-Keynote-Speakers-for-Upcoming-Event-Scheduled-for-July-17-19-in-Toronto-Ontario CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizton publishes latest research reports on Australia data center market & New Zealand data center market. A detailed study on Australia & New Zealand data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about market size during the forecast period. Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and Australia colocation market revenue. The Australia Data Center Market Will Witness Investments of Over USD 9 billion by 2028 Get Insights on 136 Existing Data Centers and 22 Upcoming Facilities across Australia. In Australia, colocation operators and cloud service providers are the top investors in data center infrastructure. This trend has been fueled by the widespread adoption of cloud computing, AI, and big data technologies. As the market continues to grow, it is expected that new players such as STACK Infrastructure and Vantage Data Centers will enter and contribute to further increase in data center investments. Australia Data Center Market Report Scope Report Attributes Details Market Size USD 9.49 Billion (2028) Market Size (Area) 1,563 thousand Sq. Feet (2028) Market Size (Power Capacity) 333 Mw (2028) CAGR Investment (2022-2028) 7.05 % Historic Year 2021-2022 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2028 The retail colocation sector is still a big player in the Australia data center market contributed by data center operators such as Digital Realty, Equinix, DC Two, CDC Data Centres, among others but we anticipate a surge in wholesale colocation facilities due to massive investments from hyperscale giants such as Microsoft in the upcoming years. In Australia, cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Darwin constitute the prime locations for data center expansion. As of 2022, Sydney garnered the most significant share of data center investments. In the data center landscape, we have observed the rise of new entrants such as STACK Infrastructure and GreenSquareDC. These organizations are construction or have disclosed their intentions to construct data centers and campuses in various cities across Australia. The surge in the digital transformation initiatives undertaken by various organizations has propelled the demand for cloud-based services. The Australian government has executed a digital transformation strategy aimed at facilitating the seamless migration of enterprises to the cloud platform. Australia can make a significant contribution to the development of a net zero emissions global economy, as the country boasts substantial capabilities to generate solar and wind electricity. It targets 100% instant renewable energy for its primary grid by 2025. Investment Opportunities in the Australia Data Center Market The growth of the Australia data center market has been driven by various factors, including investments in 5G, big data, IoT, and renewable energy. Numerous organizations are presently transferring their workloads to the cloud and embarking on digitalization projects to enhance their customer experience and overall efficiency. These actions will also help the organizations establish a long-term, sustainable presence in a highly competitive market environment. In June 2022, STACK Infrastructure expanded its presence in Australia and planned to construct data center facilities across three Australian cities such as Melbourne, Canberra, and Perth. A 72 MW data center is currently under development in Melbourne with is expected to be operational by Q1 2023. Australia received significant investments from hyperscale operators. For instance, In January 2023, AWS unveiled its new cloud region in Melbourne, which serves as its second region in Australia. This move expands our capacity to offer technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence to our customers with reduced latency. In addition, AWS launched a local zone in Perth and has plans to develop another one in Brisbane. Looking for More Information? Download the Free Sample Report of Australia Data Center Market: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3883 Vendor Landscape IT Infrastructure Providers: Arista Networks, Atos, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, NetApp. Arista Networks, Atos, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, NetApp. Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors: AECOM, Arup, Aurecon, Beca, Hawkins, Mott MacDonald, Norman Disney & Young (NDY), The Building Intelligence Group, TransWorks, WT. AECOM, Arup, Aurecon, Beca, Hawkins, Mott MacDonald, Norman Disney & Young (NDY), The Building Intelligence Group, TransWorks, WT. Support Infrastructure Providers: 3M, ABB, Alfa Laval, Airedale International Air Conditioning, Black Box, Climaveneta, Cummins, Cyber Power Systems, EcoCooling, Eaton, KOHLER-SDMO, Legrand, Rittal, Rolls-Royce, Schneider Electric, STULZ, Thycon, Trane, Vertiv. 3M, ABB, Alfa Laval, Airedale International Air Conditioning, Black Box, Climaveneta, Cummins, Cyber Power Systems, EcoCooling, Eaton, KOHLER-SDMO, Legrand, Rittal, Rolls-Royce, Schneider Electric, STULZ, Thycon, Trane, Vertiv. Data Center Investors: AWS, Canberra Data Centres, Datacom, Data Vault, DCI Data Centers, DataCentre220, Microsoft, Spark Digital. Post-Purchase Benefit??????????? 1hr of free analyst discussion 10% of customization The New Zealand Data Center Market Will Witness Investments of USD 1.69 billion by 2028 Get Insights on 31 Existing Data Centers and 5 Upcoming Facilities across New Zealand New Zealand has emerged as a prominent destination for data center development due to its robust network connectivity and widespread Internet access. Auckland is favored for its proximity to end users. Currently, the market is attracting several international players, which will play an instrumental role in its future growth. Previously, local players and smaller facilities dominated the data center landscape in the country. Data centers in New Zealand primarily use air cooling, a method promoted by the country's active endorsement of free cooling. However, the overdependency on air-based cooling techniques tends to expose data center operations to disruptions caused by natural disasters such as bushfires. Different cities in the country offer varying tax incentives to encourage the construction of data centers. The country has set ambitious environmental goals to achieve 100% renewable energy generation by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Currently, several hyperscale data centers are under construction or are undergoing upgrades with investments from major players such as Microsoft and Amazon. The entry of international players is expected to positively impact the growth of the New Zealand data center market, which was previously dominated by local players and smaller facilities. New Zealand Data Center Market Report Scope Report Attributes Details Market Size USD 1.69 Billion (2028) Market Size (Area) 317 thousand sq. Feet (2028) Market Size (Power Capacity) 63 MW (2028) CAGR Investment (2022-2028) 9.23 % Historic Year 2021-2022 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2028 Investment Opportunities in the New Zealand Data Center Market New Zealand is the most preferred location with exceptional network connectivity and Internet penetration. Auckland is the most preferred location for data center development due to its proximity to end users. Over the past few years, Auckland has emerged as a prominent financial and economic hub in the country. Auckland has established an international connectivity hub known as the New Zealand Internet Exchange (NZIX), which connects the Internet exchange with other countries. High levels of digitalization in the country, especially with 5G coming into play, will contribute to a surge in data generation and generate data traffic and data storage and computation requirements. These factors will generate a high demand for data centers in the country. Several cloud service providers are likely to develop cloud regions to expand their reach in New Zealand. According to the World Bank, New Zealand is the most business-friendly country worldwide. There are no limitations on the flow of money into or out of the country, including capital, profits, interest, dividends, and royalties. The Overseas Investment Office regulates some activities and there is no capital gains tax, stamp duty, or payroll tax. Also, the country levies a business tax of 28%, which is competitive internationally. Looking for More Information? Download the Free Sample Report of New Zealand Data Center Market: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3865 Vendor Landscape IT Infrastructure Providers: Arista Networks, Atos, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, NetApp. Arista Networks, Atos, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, NetApp. Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors: AECOM, Arup, Aurecon, Beca, Hawkins, Mott MacDonald, Norman Disney & Young (NDY), The Building Intelligence Group, TransWorks, WT. AECOM, Arup, Aurecon, Beca, Hawkins, Mott MacDonald, Norman Disney & Young (NDY), The Building Intelligence Group, TransWorks, WT. Support Infrastructure Providers: 3M, ABB, Alfa Laval, Airedale International Air Conditioning, Black Box, Climaveneta, Cummins, Cyber Power Systems, EcoCooling, Eaton, KOHLER-SDMO, Legrand, Rittal, Rolls-Royce, Schneider Electric, STULZ, Thycon, Trane, Vertiv. 3M, ABB, Alfa Laval, Airedale International Air Conditioning, Black Box, Climaveneta, Cummins, Cyber Power Systems, EcoCooling, Eaton, KOHLER-SDMO, Legrand, Rittal, Rolls-Royce, Schneider Electric, STULZ, Thycon, Trane, Vertiv. Data Center Investors: AWS, Canberra Data Centres, Datacom, Data Vault, DCI Data Centers, DataCentre220, Microsoft, Spark Digital. Arizton's Expertise in Data Center Industry Exhaustive syndicated reports, databases, country-wise market analysis, & customized consulting projects are published by our team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who possess exemplary skills in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research. Subscribe to our exhaustive portfolios to gain access to premium research reports at competitive prices. Partner with Arizton for your next strategic business decision and gain a competitive advantage with real-time, data-driven research. Check Out Some of the Top-Selling Research Reports:???? Japan Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2023-2028 Malaysia Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2023-2028 Thailand Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2023-2028 Singapore Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2022-2027 About Us:??????? Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovative and quality-driven firm that offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients worldwide. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.?????? We offer comprehensive market research reports on consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, materials, I.T. and media, logistics, and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts.?????? Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.????? CONTACT US??????? Call: +1-312-235-2040?????? ????????? +1 302 469 0707????? Mail:?enquiry@arizton.com??????? Contact Us:?https://www.arizton.com/contact-us??????? Blog:?https://www.arizton.com/blog??????? Website:?https://www.arizton.com/???? Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/818553/Arizton_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/watch-out-latest-research-reports-on-australia-data-center-market--new-zealand-data-center-market-get-insights-on-investment-opportunities-latest-trends--analysis-2023-2028---arizton-301857946.html Ivanhoe Mines announces results of voting for the election of directors Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN) (OTCQX: IVPAF) announced the results of voting by shareholders for the election of the Board of Directors during the company's Annual General and Special Meeting held earlier today. Ivanhoe Mines Co-Chairman Robert Friedland and President Marna Cloete also are very pleased to announce the appointment of two distinguished female African leaders - Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Ms. Delphine Traore - to the company's board as independent directors. Mr. Guy de Selliers and Ms. Nunu Ntshingila did not stand for re-election. Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka served as the United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women from August 2013 to August 2021. During her tenure, she advocated for women and girls worldwide, creating initiatives such as HeForShe for men and boys to promote gender equality. In January 2022, she was appointed as the Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg. Ms. Traore is the Regional Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Africa, overseeing development across the continent. She joined the Board of Management of Allianz Africa as Regional Chief Operations Officer in February 2017 and served as CEO of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) Africa from September 2012 to February 2017. Mr. Friedland commented: "First, we would like to sincerely thank Guy and Nunu for their efforts and contributions during their time on the board, and wish them the best in their future endeavours. We are proud to welcome Phumzile and Delphine as we transition into a leading, diversified resource company committed to modern and responsible mining. Our growing team of talented South African and Congolese women, at all levels of our organization, is a critical asset to the company as we strive towards our goals of excellence in operations, care for the environment, empowering our local communities, health and safety of our employees, and corporate governance. With steadfast commitment to these goals, we will build three of the world's best mines in Southern Africa. "As accomplished leaders, Phumzile and Delphine bring a unique perspective to Ivanhoe, with their deep African experience and insights. Their addition to the board will add incredible value as we continue our strategic efforts to empower a new generation of highly-skilled women and men across Africa ... and as we emerge as the world's next major mining company." Ms. Cloete commented: "We're all excited to welcome Phumzile and Delphine to the board. We must continue to evolve and emphasize inclusivity and sustainability, as different perspectives and ways of thinking lead to improvement and innovation. To achieve gender equality in the workforce, we need more women in decision-making roles at all levels, from mines to boardrooms. That requires training and mentorship programs, and encouragement to get involved. Ivanhoe Mines is proud to be a trailblazer when it comes to diversity and inclusion, as we all chart a new way forward for modern mining." Mr. Friedland and Ms. Cloete noted that the two appointments were in keeping with the company's objective to have its board comprised of a majority of independent directors and to increase its female representation at the board level. About Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/171018_ce8f7a45b4885897_002full.jpg Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka served as the United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women from August 2013 to August 2021. During her tenure, she advocated for women and girls worldwide, creating initiatives such as HeForShe for men and boys to promote gender equality. In January 2022, she was appointed as the Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg. From June 2005 to September 2008, Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka served as Deputy President of South Africa, overseeing programs and policies to reduce inequality, with a particular focus on women. Before this, she served as Minister of Minerals and Energy from June 1999 to June 2005 and Deputy Minister in the Department of Trade and Industry from 1996 to 1999. She served as a Member of Parliament from 1994 to 1996 as part of South Africa's first democratic government. Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka began her career as a teacher and gained international experience as a coordinator at the World YWCA in Geneva, where she established a global program for young women. She created the Umlambo Foundation, which supports leadership and education. As a long-time advocate of women's rights, she is affiliated with several organizations devoted to education, women's empowerment, and gender equality. Dr. Mlambo-Ngcuka completed her PhD in Technology and Education at the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science and Education from the National University of Lesotho. She also is a Hauser Leader at the Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership. About Delphine Traore To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3396/171018_ce8f7a45b4885897_003full.jpg Delphine Traore is the Regional Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Africa since November 2021, overseeing development across the continent. She joined the Board of Management of Allianz Africa as Regional Chief Operations Officer in February 2017 and served as CEO of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) Africa from September 2012 to February 2017. Ms. Traore is currently a non-executive member of the Board of Management of AGCS Africa. She has been serving as a board member for Allianz for a Green Revolution in Africa since February 2022, African Reinsurance Corporation since November 2021, and African Risk Capacity since June 2018. Ms. Traore served as Vice-President of the African Insurance Organization from May 2018 to June 2019, before becoming its President from June 2019 to September 2021. Ms. Traore was awarded the Best CEO of the Year by the Africa CEO Forum in June 2023, acknowledging her dedication to improving corporate governance and for negotiating a successful merger agreement with South African group Sanlam in 2022. She has been recognized as one of the top women economic leaders in Africa, having been featured in Forbes Africa magazine's portraits of women economic leaders in 2019 and included in the Jeune Afrique magazine's list of the 50 most influential women in Africa in 2018. Ms. Traore was also President of the Insurance Institute of South Africa from 2015 to 2017. She was awarded the Woman Leadership Award from the Africa Leadership Awards in 2015 and was named in the Choiseul 100 Africa annual independent study of top economic leaders of tomorrow by the Institut Choiseul in both 2014 and 2015. Ms. Traore is a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter from the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters. She also holds a Master of Science in Insurance Management from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science in Business and Accounting from the University of Pittsburgh. Voting results for election of directors The 11 nominees listed in the management proxy circular dated May 3, 2023, were elected as directors, as shown in the following table of results. Director nominee Outcome Votes for % for Votes withheld % withheld Robert M. Friedland Elected 1,044,868,005 97.91 22,310,228 2.09 Yufeng (Miles) Sun Elected 1,031,765,089 96.68 35,413,144 3.32 Tadeu Carneiro Elected 961,686,723 90.11 105,491,510 9.89 Jinghe Chen Elected 1,053,500,907 98.72 13,677,326 1.28 William Hayden Elected 1,054,275,805 98.79 12,902,428 1.21 Martie Janse van Rensburg Elected 1,059,161,401 99.25 8,016,832 0.75 Manfu Ma Elected 1,053,439,387 98.71 13,738,846 1.29 Peter G. Meredith Elected 1,011,886,337 94.82 55,291,896 5.18 Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka Elected 1,066,749,890 99.96 428,343 0.04 Kgalema P. Motlanthe Elected 1,036,798,013 97.15 30,380,220 2.85 Delphine Traore Elected 1,066,680,668 99.95 497,565 0.05 Details of votes on all matters of business considered at the Annual General and Special Meeting are available in the company's report of voting results on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). About Ivanhoe Mines Ivanhoe Mines is a Canadian mining company focused on advancing its three principal projects in Southern Africa; the expansion of the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the construction of the tier-one Platreef palladium-rhodium-platinum-nickel-copper-gold project in South Africa; and the restart of the historic ultra-high-grade Kipushi zinc-copper-germanium-silver mine, also in the DRC. Ivanhoe Mines also is exploring for new copper discoveries across its circa 2,400km2 of 90-100% owned exploration licences in the Western Foreland, located adjacent to, or in close proximity to, the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex in the DRC. Information contacts Investors Vancouver: Matthew Keevil +1.604. 558.1034 London: Tommy Horton +44 7866 913 207 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/171018 Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Northern Graphite Corporation (TSXV: NGC) (OTCQB: NGPHF) (FSE: 0NG) (XSTU: 0NG) (the "Company" or "Northern) comments on news reports that Namibia, home to the Company's Okanjande graphite project, has banned the export of unprocessed lithium and other critical minerals. "We have consulted with the Ministry of Mines and Energy of Namibia, and we have been assured that this ban only applies to unprocessed ore and as such should have no bearing on our plans to mine and process graphite bearing resources into concentrate at Okanjande," said Northern Graphite Chief Executive Officer Hugues Jacquemin. "This prohibition applies strictly to unprocessed critical minerals. Value should be added at least up to the concentrate, carbonate/hydroxide level," said Mr. Andreas Simon, a spokesperson for Namibia's Ministry of Mines and Energy in a statement provided to Northern. The Okanjande project, due to come back on line in 2024, will involve mining and processing graphite bearing material and exporting concentrates to supply traditional markets as well as to the fast-growing electric vehicle industry. About Northern Graphite Northern is a Canadian, TSX Venture Exchange listed company that is focused on becoming a world leader in producing natural graphite and upgrading it into high value products critical to the green economy including anode material for lithium-ion batteries/EVs, fuel cells and graphene, as well as advanced industrial technologies. Northern is the only significant graphite producing company in North America and will become the third largest producer outside of China when its Namibian operations come back online. The Company also has two large scale development projects, Bissett Creek in Ontario and Okanjande in Namibia, that have the potential to generate continued production growth in the future. All projects have "battery quality" graphite and are located close to infrastructure in politically stable jurisdictions. For media inquiries contact Pav Jordan, VP of Communications Email: pjordan@northerngraphite.com For further information contact Guillaume Jacq, CFO Telephone: (613) 271-2124 Email: info@northerngraphite.com Qualified Person Gregory Bowes, B.Sc. MBA P.Geo, the Chairman of Northern, is a "qualified person" as defined under National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the content of this news release. For additional information Please visit the Company's website at http://www.northerngraphite.com/investors/presentation/, the Company's profile on www.sedar.com, our Social Channels listed below or contact the Company at (613) 271-2124. LinkedIn YouTube Twitter Facebook Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "potential", "possible" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "will", "could", or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this release include statements regarding, among others, the scope of the Namibian critical minerals ban and the Company's expectations regarding the ban and the Company's intentions with respect to advancing its development projects to production and developing the capacity to manufacture value added products. All such forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and analyses made by management based on their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors they believe are appropriate in the circumstances. However, these statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected including, but not limited to unexpected changes in laws, rules or regulations, or their enforcement by applicable authorities; the failure of other parties to perform as agreed; social or labour unrest; changes in commodity prices; unexpected failure or inadequacy of infrastructure and the failure of ongoing and contemplated studies to deliver anticipated results or results that would justify and support continued studies, development or operations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on what management believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with them. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/171032 HERZLIYA, Israel and CALGARY, AB, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Innocan Pharma Corporation (CSE: INNO) (FSE: IP4) (OTCQB: INNPF), a leading innovator in pharmaceutical solutions for Human & Animal health, proudly announces its participation in the 15th International Congress organized by the Executive Committee of the European Association of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology (EAVPT), in Bruges, Belgium from July 2 to July 5, 2023. The highlight of Innocan Pharma's participation at the EAVPT Congress will be Innocan Pharma's presentation of two recently announced groundbreaking studies: "Pharmacokinetics and therapeutic efficacy of liposomal cannabidiol (CBD) injection: a pilot clinical study in dogs with naturally occurring osteoarthritis" and "Liposomal cannabidiol (CBD) injection: A novel therapeutic formulation is on the horizon". Innocan Pharma's CEO, Iris Bincovich, expresses her excitement about this remarkable opportunity: "This is an especially thrilling moment for Innocan Pharma as we have already made substantial veterinary breakthroughs that we are eager to share. Our commitment to advancing animal health and well-being is unwavering, and EAVPT 2023 provides us with the ideal scientific forum to showcase our latest achievements." Innocan Pharma invites attendees to visit its booth # 16 to meet the dedicated team and learn more about its groundbreaking veterinary solutions. The Company believes its innovative products and cutting-edge research are poised to revolutionize animal health and provide new avenues for effective treatments. EAVPT Congresses held once every three years, serve as a prestigious platform for veterinary pharmacologists, toxicologists, industry experts in animal health, government regulators, clinicians, academics, and professionals from human health and medicine to collaborate, exchange groundbreaking ideas, foster innovation, and engage in meaningful discussions. About Innocan Innocan is a pharmaceutical tech company that operates under two main segments: Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Wellness. In the Pharmaceuticals segment, Innocan focuses on developing innovative drug delivery platform technologies comprises with cannabinoids science, to treat various conditions to improve patients' quality of life. This segment involves two drug delivery technologies: (i) LPT CBD- loaded liposome platform facilitating exact dosing and the prolonged and controlled release of CBD into the blood stream. The LPT delivery platform research is in the preclinical trial phase for two indications: Epilepsy and Pain Management. (ii) CLX CBD-loaded exosomes platform that may hold the potential to provide a highly synergistic effect of regenerating and anti- inflammatory properties targeting the Central Nervous System (CNS). In the Consumer Wellness segment, Innocan develops and markets a wide portfolio of innovative and high-performance self-care products to promote a healthier lifestyle. Under this segment Innocan has established a Joint Venture by the name of BI Sky Global Ltd. that focuses developing on advanced targeted online sales. https://innocanpharma.com/ For further information, please contact: For Innocan Pharma Corporation: Iris Bincovich, CEO +15162104025 +972-54-3012842 +442037699377 info@innocanpharma.com Dr. Eva Reuter Investment Relation- Germany +46-69-1532-5857 e.reuter@dr-reuter.eu NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Caution regarding forward-looking information Certain information set forth in this news release, including, without limitation, information regarding research and development, collaborations, the filing of potential applications with the FDA and other regulatory authorities, the potential achievement of future regulatory milestones, the potential for treatment of conditions and other therapeutic effects resulting from research activities and/or the Company's products, requisite regulatory approvals and the timing for market entry, is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond Innocan's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Innocan, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the products, satisfaction of regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions and satisfactory completion of requisite production and distribution arrangements. Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: general global and local (national) economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; and relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, customers, business partners and competitors. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of product distribution, including import / export matters and the failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner) and availability in each market of product inputs and finished products. The anticipated timeline for entry to markets may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory requirements, or the need for additional time to conclude and/or satisfy the manufacturing and distribution arrangements. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of launch of product distribution. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact Innocan can also be found in Innocan's public reports and filings which are available under Innocan's profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. Innocan does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2046271/3968398/Innocan_Pharma_Corporation_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/innocan-pharma-unveils-groundbreaking-veterinary-breakthroughs-at-eavpt-2023-congress-301858338.html VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE)(NYSE:SKE) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Nathalie Sajous to the Company's Board of Directors as an Independent Director. Skeena's Executive Chairman, Walter Coles, commented "With innovation as a core value of the Company, Nathalie's expertise in data driven solutions will be extremely valuable to help guide new strategies for business development as the company evaluates the potential use of machine learning and artificial intelligence in our future exploration programs. We are delighted to welcome Nathalie to the Board as her experience will provide a new perspective to Skeena while we continue to advance Eskay Creek from development into operations." Ms. Sajous has extensive experience leading teams and advising partners on the application of digital technologies. She is currently Managing Director, Global Partnerships at Google and previously worked at Microsoft and Disney. Ms. Sajous has built a legacy on innovative change and development in her two-decade career, differentiating new strategies for business developments. She has led CEOs and senior leadership teams to build sustainable yet substantial growth. Having partnered with F1000 companies, she has led ample digital strategies and data intelligence capabilities. Ms. Sajous holds a BA from Harvard and a Masters of Business Administration from UCLA Anderson School of Management. Skeena also announces the results of the Company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders ("AGM") held in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 22, 2023. Shareholders approved the re-election of all Directors and the new election of Nathalie Sajous. The number of Directors, the Company's equity incentive plan, as well as the reappointment of KPMG LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants as auditor of the Company were also all approved by shareholders. A total of 49,799,317 shares were voted, representing 63.71% of the common shares that were issued and outstanding at the record date for the AGM. Refer to Table 1 below for the detailed results of the votes for each Director. Table 1: Detailed Voting Results for Re-election of Directors Nominee Votes For Percentage For Walter Coles 47,625,489 99.03% Craig Parry 27,240,605 56.65% Randy Reichert 48,025,593 99.87% Suki Gill 36,286,569 75.46% Greg Beard 33,097,705 68.82% Nathalie Sajous 47,905,753 99.62% About Skeena Skeena Resources Limited is a Canadian mining exploration and development company focused on revitalizing the past-producing Eskay Creek gold-silver mine located in Tahltan Territory in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company released a Feasibility Study for Eskay Creek in September 2022 which highlights an after-tax NPV5% of C$1.4B, 50% IRR, and a 1-year payback at US$1,700/oz Au and US$19/oz Ag. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited, Walter Coles Executive Chairman Randy Reichert President & CEO Contact Information Investor Inquiries: info@skeenaresources.com Office Phone: +1 604 684 8725 Company Website: www.skeenaresources.com Qualified Persons In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration & Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated, and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting the exploration activities on its projects. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements Certain statements and information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or our future performance. The use of words such as "anticipates", "believes", "proposes", "contemplates", "generates", "targets", "is projected", "is planned", "considers", "estimates", "expects", "is expected", "potential" and similar expressions, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "might", "will", "could", or "would" be taken, achieved, or occur, may identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Specific forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the results of the Feasibility Study, processing capacity of the mine, anticipated mine life, probable reserves, estimated project capital and operating costs, sustaining costs, results of test work and studies, planned environmental assessments, the future price of metals, metal concentrate, and future exploration and development. Such forward-looking statements are based on material factors and/or assumptions which include, but are not limited to, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and the assumptions set forth herein and in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, its most recently filed interim MD&A, and the Company's Annual Information Form ("AIF") dated March 22, 2023. Such forward-looking statements represent the Company's management expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances on the date the statements are made, and are necessarily based on several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date hereof, are not guarantees of future performance. Actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein, and are subject to significant operational, business, economic, and regulatory risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including permitting and other government approvals; changes in economic conditions, including changes in the price of gold and other key variables; changes in mine plans and other factors, including accidents, equipment breakdown, bad weather and other project execution delays, many of which are beyond the control of the Company; environmental risks and unanticipated reclamation expenses; and other risk factors identified in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, its most recently filed interim MD&A, the AIF dated March 22, 2023, the Company's short form base shelf prospectus dated January 31, 2023, and in the Company's other periodic filings with securities and regulatory authorities in Canada and the United States that are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and the Company does not undertake any obligations to update and/or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE: Skeena Resources Limited View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763276/Skeena-Welcomes-Nathalie-Sajous-as-New-Director-Announces-Results-of-AGM VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Gander Gold Corp. ("Gander" or the "Company") (CSE:GAND)(OTCQB:GANDF), is pleased to provide an exploration update on its wholly-owned 485-sq. km Gander North Project. Highlights Further to its news release of April 5, 2023, Gander Gold has now identified at least 14 high-priority target areas - several up to 8 or 9 km in length - across Gander North (see details and Figure 1 below) as momentum builds toward a potential new gold discovery in Newfoundland at a project where no previous drilling or systematic exploration had ever occurred; Gander Gold has completed 19 RAB (rotary air blast) holes in 3 of the 14 target areas to date with first-ever RAB drilling continuing; RAB drilling is testing Au-in-soil anomalies coincident with prominent structures as defined by airborne MAG-VLF and LiDAR surveys once ground truthing exercises are completed; LiDAR data and images suggest that the northeast trending structure which hosts New Found Gold's Iceberg Discovery Zone may continue further to the northeast and traverse the width of Gander Gold's Gander North Project area. Mr. Shawn Ryan, Gander Gold Technical Adviser, commented: "Gander North has progressed remarkably since I first staked this virgin ground two-and-a-half years ago ahead of the 2021 Newfoundland Gold Rush. Textbook exploration methods have been applied at Gander North, creating the opportunity for the discovery of an entirely new gold trend on the island adjacent to the GRUB Line. We're following the science. The data is very compelling, and the ultimate outcome could be a game-changer for Newfoundland gold exploration." RAB Drilling RAB drilling is an advanced exploration tool designed to prioritize the most prospective first-ever diamond drill targets for the next phase at Gander North. RAB drill hole targeting is performed by combining airborne MAG/VLF data, with LiDAR, soil geochemistry results, ground VLF-EM profiles and geological mapping, as required. Handheld XRF measurements are being taken on a homogenized sample generated for every 1.52m RAB drill rod, prior to samples being sent for assay. Additionally, a televiewer tool is being inserted in each drill hole to aid in identifying and plotting structure and geology at depth. Preliminary results suggest Gander's methodology is succeeding at intersecting targeted structures while minimizing the environmental impact. Historically, excavation activities are undertaken at this exploration stage where outcrop is not abundant. In addition to limiting the environmental footprint of the work being performed, Gander's methodology also aids in favourably managing cost and execution speed of the program. Gander North Target Areas Mr. Ian Fraser, VP Exploration for Gander Gold commented: "It is a luxury to have so many high-quality exploration targets. Multiple recent gold discoveries in Newfoundland have defined gold and associated pathfinder elements associated with old, deep-rooted structures. It is becoming more apparent that the splay features or second order features associated with the deep-rooted structures are equally if not more prospective for gold deposits. We're seeing plenty of splay-like features at Gander North." Gander Gold's follow-up exploration focus at Gander North are areas 1 through 7, 9, 10 and 14 (refer to Figure 1). Area 1 - Host to Jonathan's Third Pond Copper occurrence where Cu, Pb, Au, Ag mineralization has been recorded and confirmed by Gander Gold field crews. Area 2 - Occurs immediately adjacent to the GRUB Line and is defined by surficial till anomalies and Gander Gold soil geochemistry results up to 1432.1 ppb Au. Areas 1 and 2 are defined by multi-element soil geochemistry anomalies As, Ag, Bi, Cu, Co, Mo, Ni, Pb and Sb. This multi-element geochemistry signature is indicative of potential mesothermal - epithermal gold mineralization occurring in Areas 1 and 2. Area 3, 5 - Returned very good Au-in-soil results associated with interpreted north-northeast trending structures that splay off prominent northeast primary structures. Area 4 - Occurs immediately east of the MAG high where geological mapping has defined favourable structure associated with brecciated weakly mineralized quartz veining. Area 6 - Defined by high-density soil geochemistry along 10 km of a northeast structure that horsetails at its eastern end to a north-northeast direction. Au, Ag, Bi and Sb soil geochemistry align with the intersection of northeast trending and north-northeast trending structures. Significant quartz veining has been mapped and multiple Au-in-soil results >100 ppb Au occur along this trend. Area 7 - Similar to Area 6, area 7 was covered by high-density soil geochemistry and returned an Au-in-soil value of 756.1 ppb Au. Parallel to Area 6, northeast trending structures are recognized across this portion of Gander North. Quartz veins outcrop within this area. Coincident with Au-in-soil are Ag, As, Bi and Cu anomalies, while two samples collected by prospectors at the northeast end of Area 7 returned 4,450 ppm Cu and 4,260 ppm Cu occurring in outcrop. Of note, further along strike, approximately 8 km, is the Wing Pond Au showing with up to 12.2 g/t Au. Area 9 - Structure parallel to Areas 6 & 7. Multi-station Au-in-soil anomaly occurs at its northeast end. Areas 10 & 14 - Area 10 is a parallel structure to Area 7 with up to 555.3 ppb Au-in-soil. Area 14 is the possible east extension of Area 10 where up to 797.2 ppb Au-in-soil has been recorded. Figure 1 - Map of Gander North Target Areas Geological Discussion Early-stage exploration work at the vastly under-explored Gander North Project included the collection of 12,432 B & C-Horizon soil samples, execution of an airborne MAG/VLF geophysical survey, LiDAR survey, collection of satellite orthophotography, structural interpretation, prospecting, and geological mapping. This early-stage program resulted in the identification of at least 14 high-priority target zones for follow-up work, as outlined above, including multiple areas where "very" or "extremely" anomalous gold-in-soil are coincident with critical pathfinder elements As, Cu and Sb and overlaying favourable geophysical structures. Airborne MAG results identified a central MAG high which runs north-northeast to south-southwest through the entire project area. Its significance is interpreted to be a potential ophiolite sequence parallel to the GRUB Line which defines the eastern boundary of the "Gander Gold Belt" including the Appleton Fault system. As at New Found Gold's Queensway Project, northeast trending faults occur in abundance throughout the Gander North Project. It is the intersection of north-northeast trending faults with northeast trending faults where gold mineralization has been recognized at Queensway. The presence of a parallel GRUB Line-like structure within the Gander North Project area and similar trending first order and second order fault systems is deemed very prospective. Notably, LiDAR data and images suggest that the north-northeast trending structure which hosts New Found Gold's Iceberg Discovery Zone may continue further to the northeast and traverse the width of Gander Gold's Gander North Project area. The major northeast structural lineaments at Gander North span the entire width of the property and suggest a right lateral displacement with respect to the north-northeast trending structural lineaments which span the entire property north to south. Gander targeted soil geochemistry surveys along both structural lineament directions and has defined multiple Au plus multi-element soil geochemistry anomalies consistent with both structural lineaments. At Gander North we recognize two prominent structural lineaments, a north-northeast lineament at an azimuth of 020 - 025 and a northeast lineament at 050 - 060 . Of note, New Found Gold's drilling results along the prolific, Au-rich Appleton Fault system that trends at an azimuth of 025 , and recent drill results along the Iceberg East - Keats Baseline Fault Zone, trending at an azimuth of 065 , has intersected very high-grade Au over very significant drill hole widths. Gander Gold recognizes a very favorable structural setting at Gander North, comparable to New Found Gold's Queensway Project, for the potential emplacement of orogenic type gold systems. Soil geochemistry at Gander North suggests these structural lineaments are gold-bearing. Mr. Ian Fraser, VP Exploration for Gander Gold, concluded: "Gander Gold's portfolio of properties checks all the boxes - notably, Au and associated pathfinder element soil geochemistry associated with well-defined structures. Very anomalous soil geochemistry has been defined across nearly the entire Gander North Property, associated with very well-developed structure(s). Gander has developed a methodology to test these exploration targets and very much looks forward to results generated from the RAB drilling program which is being carried out on as many targets as possible this summer. A greater understanding of the sub-surface geology and geochemistry will be instrumental in targeting first-ever diamond drilling at Gander North." Video Interview with CEO Mark Scott Gander Gold President CEO Mark Scott discusses this news release and broader developments in the gold sector and Newfoundland - click on the link below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XrOIehLygQ Quality Assurance/Quality Control Gander Gold Corporation has contracted the services of GroundTruth Exploration to conduct its soil geochemistry programs in Newfoundland. Soil samples are collected at pre-determined sites, placed in soil sample bags and all metadata associated with a sample is recorded. Once sorted and logged, samples are shipped to Eastern Analytical in Springdale, Newfoundland for sample preparation. At Eastern Analytical individual samples are dried and sieved and 50g splits are prepared and then shipped by courier to Bureau Veritas Commodities Canada Ltd. (Bureau Veritas) in Vancouver, British Columbia for analyses. Eastern Analytical and Bureau Veritas are ISO / IEC 17025 certified laboratories and independent of Gander Gold Corporation. At Bureau Veritas 15g splits are partially digested by aqua regia digestion and analysed for gold plus 36 additional elements by ICP-ES/MS (method AQ201). GroundTruth Exploration crews took a field duplicate every 25th sample and inserted certified reference material (OREAS 47) at a frequency of 1 in 55 samples which were inserted into the sample stream to monitor the quality of analysis for the soil sampling program. In addition, the lab was requested to perform repeat analyses at multiple intervals within the sampling stream. Qualified Person The technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Ian Fraser, P.Geo., Vice- President of Exploration for Gander Gold. Mr. Fraser is the Qualified Person responsible for the scientific and technical information contained herein under National Instrument 43-101 standards. Acknowledgment Gander Gold acknowledges the financial support of the Junior Exploration Assistance Program, Department of Natural Resources, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. About Gander Gold Corporation Gander Gold is "All Newfoundland, All the Time". The Company is one of the island's largest claimholders targeting new high-grade gold discoveries with a current focus on the large Gander North, Mount Peyton and BLT (Botwood-Laurenceton-Thwart Island) projects where there has been very promising early exploration success. Other opportunities advancing through the pipeline are Cape Ray II, Carmanville, Gander South, Little River and Hermitage. Contact Info: Mark Scott Chief Executive Officer & Director info@gandergold.com Terry Bramhall Gander Gold - Corporate Communications 1.604.833.6999 (mobile) 1.604.675.9985 (office) terry.bramhall@gandergold.com Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements Investors are cautioned that, except for statements of historical fact, certain information contained in this document includes "forward looking information", with respect to a performance expectation for Gander Gold Corp. Such forward looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections formulated using assumptions believed to be reasonable and involving a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Such factors include, without limitation, fluctuations in foreign exchange markets, the price of commodities in both the cash market and futures market, changes in legislation, taxation, controls and regulation of national and local governments and political and economic developments in Canada and other countries where Gander carries out or may carry out business in the future, the availability of future business opportunities and the ability to successfully integrate acquisitions or operational difficulties related to technical activities of mining and reclamation, the speculative nature of exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks obtaining necessary licenses and permits, reducing the quantity or grade of reserves, adverse changes in credit ratings, and the challenge of title. The Company does not undertake an obligation to update publicly or revise forward looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Some of the results reported are historical and may not have been verified by the Company. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE: Gander Gold Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763124/Gander-Gold-Adds-Target-Areas-Advances-RAB-Drilling-at-Gander-North BANGOR, ME and TRUE BLUE, GRENADA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / St. George's University has launched a new partnership with Husson University that will give qualified Husson students fast-track status and priority entry into the St. George's School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine. "Husson University is the premier professional educator in Maine," said Dr. Philip A. Taylor, III, dean of the College of Science and Humanities at Husson University. "Agreements like this one with St. George's University smooths the transition of students from our rigorous undergraduate healthcare programs to graduate education. Maine, and the rest of the world, will need more qualified physicians to deliver care." Medical Economics magazine supports this conclusion. According to a recent article, an estimated 6.4 million more physicians are needed to provide universal health coverage (UHC) across the globe. Simultaneously, there is also a pressing need for more veterinary professionals. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook estimates that employment opportunities for veterinarians will grow 19 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. Growing pet populations, increased pet longevity, and new treatment options are driving the need for more professionals in this discipline. Creating a path that will help meet the increased need for medical and veterinary professionals makes this agreement important. "This partnership will provide invaluable opportunities for Husson students to become leaders in the medical and veterinary fields," said Dr. Marios Loukas, Dean of St. George's University School of Medicine . "St. George's is delighted to add Husson to our global network of partner institutions -- and make graduate study in medicine and veterinary medicine accessible to a new group of promising students." The new partnership establishes "4+4" programs at the St. George's University Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine . Husson students who complete four years of pre-medical or pre-veterinary coursework and meet all requirements for admission are fast-tracked for admission into four-year programs at the St. George's Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine. Candidates for the programs must achieve a strong undergraduate GPA and competitive test scores on relevant entrance exams. Students accepted into the "4+4" program at the School of Medicine also receive a $10,000 scholarship from St. George's, distributed to them over their four years of study. Students who enroll in the St. George's University School of Medicine can complete their first two years in Grenada or spend their first year at Northumbria University in the United Kingdom and their second in Grenada. All SGU medical students spend their final two years in clinical rotations at hospitals in the United States and the United Kingdom. Veterinary medicine students spend their first three years in Grenada and their final clinical year at schools in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and the Netherlands. "This partnership offers Husson students the opportunity to pursue an education that leads to a successful career. The international aspect of these programs also provides students with the opportunity to better understand international perspectives," said Melissa Rosenberg, Husson University's executive director of admissions. "We look forward to working together with St. George's to help educate the next generation of doctors and veterinarians." About St. George's University St. George's University is a center of international education, drawing students and faculty from 140 countries to the island of Grenada, in the West Indies, to its programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, public health, science, and business. SGU is affiliated with educational institutions worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the Netherlands. The University's over 20,000 graduates include physicians, veterinarians, scientists, and public health and business professionals across the world. St. George's University School of Medicine is accredited by the Grenada Medical and Dental Council, and its programs across all schools are accredited and approved by many governing authorities. For more information, visit www.sgu.edu . About Husson University For nearly 125 years, Husson University has shown its adaptability and strength in delivering educational programs that prepare future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent a superior value in higher education. The hallmarks of a Husson education include advanced knowledge delivered through quality educational programs in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. According to an analysis of tuition and fees by U.S. News & World Report, Husson University is one of the most affordable private colleges in New England. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu . MEDIA CONTACTS: St. George's University Evan Cobb Director of Communications and Public Relations 203.606.3127 ecobb@sgu.edu Husson University Eric B. Gordon Exec. Director of Communications 207.992.4925 (Office) 207.649.4647 (Cell) GordonEr@Husson.edu SOURCE: St. George's University View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/763317/St-Georges-University-Announces-New-Partnership-with-Husson-University Volt, a London, UK-based company building a global infrastructure for real-time payments, raised $60M in Series B funding. The round led by IVP, with participation from CommerzVentures, EQT Ventures, Augmentum Fintech PLC and Fuel Ventures. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate expansion into new international markets such as APAC and the Americas and support product development in existing markets across Europe, the UK and Brazil. Founded in 2019 and led by CEO Tom Greenwood, Volt is building the infrastructure for global instant payments. Today, its open payments gateway allows merchants and PSPs to process transactions securely between accounts held at more than 5,000 banks in the UK, the EU and Brazil. Its aggregation model provides an open payments reach and maximises the speed, security and resilience of transactions. Volt, which is currently available across the UK, Europe and Brazil, plans to bring its real-time payments technology to APAC with an Australian market entry planned for later in 2023, and also has its sights set on the US market. This investment builds on Volts groeht, with recent wins including a global partnership for real-time payments with the worlds largest merchant acquirer, Worldpay from FIS, and teaming up with Shopify to become the commerce platforms first open banking provider. FinSMEs 22/06/2023 Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Cobie Smulders, Martin Freeman Director: Ali Selim Language: English Secret Invasion is not a kids play, so the makers should have given importance to make it an intelligent and engaging watch which they didnt. When you are talking about politics and identity, all the viewers wanted was some sharp thinking. You cant just expect the audience to feel happy seeing Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the greatest and the oldest of the Marvel Universe. Set in Moscow, for me Secret Invasion is a mediocre show done in a hurry. The center of attraction of the series is Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the non-super powered aged, but powerful and hulky man among Marvels mutants and demigods. Hes back, after a hiatus spent working from home in space, because a sizable splinter group of Skrulls the wandering, shape-shifting aliens Fury promised to find a new planet in 2019s Captain Marvel. They were tired of waiting and wanted to capture earth. In the Secret Invasion we see Fury rejoins his old partner Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) and his peace loving Skrull buddy Talos (Ben Mendelsohn). As for me, the only high point of Secret Invasion was to see Samuel L Jackson return as present-day Nick Fury, who is called back from his recuperating stint at Saber to deal with growing unrest created by the Skrulls. But will the show pick up? Well, we really dont know because Disney sent critics only two episodes of the new Marvel series. One needs to be a real Marvel fan to hold on to the interest of the show. Secret Invasion focuses on the Skrulls, the shape-shifting alien race which we last saw in 2019s Captain Marvel. The faction is led by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) and includes Talos daughter Giah (Emilia Clarke). Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Aurangzeb died three centuries ago but he continues to haunt Maharashtra. In a state that reveres Chhatrapati Shivaji, the Mughal emperor is a despised figure. There has been communal tension recently and it snowballed into a political slugfest. Now hoardings of former Maharashtra chief minister and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar hugging the 17th-Century ruler have cropped up in Mumbais Mahim. The Aurangzeb poster The controversial posters were reportedly put up on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. Printed on it was a message in Marathi, which can be loosely translated to, Prakash Ambedkar is dancing to Aurangzebs tune and Uddhav Thackeray is backing it with the hashtag Uddhav Thackeray for Aurangzeb. They have now been brought down but according to the Mumbai Police, there is no information yet on who put them up. No complaint received so far. Police will register an FIR against unknown people if law and order are disturbed, an officer said. Adding fuel to the fire, Maharashtra Minister and Shiv Sena leader Deepak Kesarkar said that Uddhav Thackerays new love for Aurangzeb can be seen. Those whore compromising with Hindutva, wont be forgiven by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Hoardings of former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar with Aurangzebs picture in it, put up in Mahim area of Mumbai. Posters were put up at night, no information yet on who put them up. It has been removed now. No complaint pic.twitter.com/I0eVXm8ztq ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Ambedkars visit to the Aurangzeb tomb The hoardings were a dig at Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar, and ally of Uddhav Thackeray, who on 17 June visited Aurangzebs tomb in Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) and offered tributes to the Mughal emperor. The visit raised eyebrows and earned criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena. Defending his decision, Ambedkar said, What was wrong in visiting Aurangzebs tomb? He was a Mughal emperor who ruled here for nearly 50 years. Can we wipe out history? Instead of abusing Aurangzeb, we should reflect on why he ruled here. What were the reasons We should be mindful of our past. Instead of spreading hatred, let us reconcile ourselves to historical facts. Also read: How idealising Aurangzeb, Tipu Sultan undermine syncretic, pluralistic culture of Indian subcontinent War of words Uddhav Thackeray, in an attempt to shield Ambedkar, downplayed his visit. Speaking at the Sena Bhawan in Mumbais Dadar area earlier this week, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said that some parties wanted people to be stuck in history and foment riots in the name of Aurangzeb or something else, as it suited them ahead of elections, according to a report in The Hindu. When we used to be allies, [the Shiv Sena-BJP were allies for 25 years] LK Advani had bowed before Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnahs tomb [during his Pakistan visit in 2005] and PM Modi had gone to Pakistan to eat cake on then-PM Nawaz Sharifs birthday [in 2015] There are some who want that people should remain stuck in history, he added. This further irked the BJP. Slamming Thackeray, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, Uddhav Thackeray is in alliance with Balasaheb Ambedkar. The latter goes to Sambhajinagar and throws flowers on Aurangzebs tomb. I want to ask Mr Thackeray whether this glorification of Aurangzeb is acceptable to Maharashtra and the country? Fadnavis said on Sunday that no Muslim in India is a descendant of Aurangzeb, and nationalist Muslims in the country do not recognise the Mughal emperor as their ruler. There is only one king, and that is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Muslims also respect him, he added. Communal tension over Aurangzeb Ambedkars controversial visit to the tomb comes weeks after a wave of communal tension rocked Maharashtra. Since March, at least five men some of them teenagers have been arrested in the state for allegedly putting up posts glorifying the Mughal emperor. The first arrest came on 17 March, after 19-year-old Mohammad Momeen from Kolhapur districts Sarvade village was booked for a WhatsApp status that supported Aurangzeb allegedly to hurt Hindu sentiments. On the same day, another FIR was filed against a tempo driver from another Kolhapur village for praising Aurangzeb. In weeks to follow, more complaints were filed and arrests made for similar reasons. Ahmednagar, Dhule and Nashik were also gripped by tension as social media messages hailing the Mughal king started doing the rounds. Earlier in June, Kolhapur was on the edge as a bandh was called by Hindutva groups to protest against the divisive social media posts. Violence erupted after demonstrators allegedly ransacked shops and vehicles in the citys Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk. Thirty-six people were arrested for stone-pelting, vandalism, and rioting. Internet services were suspended and prohibitory orders banning assembly of more than five persons were imposed until 19 June. Amid communal tension in the state, Fadnavis outrageous Aurangzeb ki auladein remark, targeting Muslims did not help. But where did it all start? The renaming of Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in February could have revived old faultlines in the state, especially with state government leaders justifying the decision as a move to undo historical wrongs by erasing all mention of the despot from the state. A look back at history Rightwing politicians in Maharashtra have often demeaned Muslims implying that they are descendants of Aurangzeb. When Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray wanted to increase his footprint outside Mumbai, he set his eyes on Aurangabad. The city with a considerable Muslim population was named after the Mughal ruler. Sr Thackeray spoke of Maratha pride and the battle with the Mughals, giving a communal tinge to politics. His party wrested control of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation, according to a report in The Indian Express. After winning the elections, Thackeray wrote in the partys former weekly Marmik in 1988, For three hundred years the ghost of Aurangzeb has harassed this country.After three hundred years, history has been repeated and the Mard Marathas have buried Aurangzeb in the same soil of Aurangabad. In 1995, Sena proposed renaming the city. Twenty-eight years, the party has been split and Aurangabad has been renamed. But Aurangzeb continues to divide the state. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Our trusted partnership is like the Sun in this new dawn that will spread light all around, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he addressed a joint session of the US Congress. In a speech that received over 15 standing ovations, the prime minister spoke of several issues, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the significance of India-US ties. This is the second time that PM Modi addressed the joint session of the US Congress he did it previously during his visit to the US in June 2016. With Thursdays speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined an elite and small club of world leaders comprising Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela, who have addressed the US Congress on two occasions. But what about Indian PMs who previously addressed US Congress? Jawaharlal Nehru in 1949 Jawaharlal Nehru on 13 October 1949, addressed members of the House and Senate separately. According to Indian Express, Nehru addressed the House in the Ways and Means Committee Room before addressing the Senate in the Old Supreme Court Chamber. Nehru gave what has since been labelled his Voyage of Discovery speech. I have come to this country to learn something of your great achievements. I have come also to convey the greetings of my people, and in the hope that my visit may help to create a greater understanding between our respective peoples, and those strong, and sometimes invisible links, stronger even than physical links, that bind countries together. According to Indian Express, relations between India and the United States at the time helmed by Harry S Truman were just beginning to bud. However, Nehrus socialist views and the non-alignment policy were viewed unfavourably in Washington. The President referred the day before yesterday, in language of significance, to my visit as a voyage of discovery of America. The United States of America is not an unknown country, even in far-off India and many of us have grown up in admiration of the ideals and objectives which have made this country great. Yet, though we may know the history and something of the culture of our respective countries, what is required is a true understanding and appreciation of each other even where we differ. Out of that understanding grows fruitful co-operation in the pursuit of common ideals. What the world today lacks most is, perhaps, understanding and appreciation of one another among nations and people. I have come here on a voyage of discovery of the mind and heart of America and to place before you our own mind and heart. Thus we may promote that understanding and cooperation which, I feel sure, both our countries earnestly desire, Nehru said. We realise that self-help is the first condition of success for a nation, no less than for an individual. We are conscious that ours must be the primary effort and we shall seek succour from none to escape from any part of our own responsibility. But though our economic potential is great, its conversion into finished wealth will need much mechanical and technological aid, he added. Rajiv Gandhi in 1985 Rajiv Gandhi on 13 July 1985, became the first Indian prime minister to address a joint sitting of US Congress. As per Republic, the speech came in the aftermath of Gandhis spectacular victory at the polls in 1984. India is an old country, but a young nation; and like the young everywhere, we are impatient. I am young, and I have a dream. I dream of an India strong, self-reliant, and in the front rank of the nations of the world in the service of mankind. I am committed to realising that dream through dedication, hard work, and the collective determination of our people. We will welcome all the cooperation that we can get, Rajiv said. Our task today is to bring India to the threshold of the 21st Century. Free of the burden of poverty which is the legacy of our colonial past, and capable of meeting the rising aspirations of our people, Rajiv added. According to Indian Express, New Delhi at the time, despite its non-alignment claims, was seen as cosy with the Soviet Union. Rajiv and Reagan were at odds over US arming Pakistan. India and the United States under then President Ronald Reagan took forward their relationship in the sphere of technology during Rajivs visit, as per Republic. A piece in The New York Times quoted a US official as saying, Theres a night and day contrast between Rajiv and his mother This fellow has an open mind. Reagan and Mrs Gandhi were roughly the same generation and the irony is that Reagan has far more rapport with Rajiv than he had with Mrs Gandhi. PV Narasimha Rao in 1994 PV Narasimha Rao addressed the US Congress on 18 May 1994. Raos address came in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union as well as Manmohan Singh as finance minister implementing economic reforms to liberalise the Indian economy. In the United States, Bill Clinton was around a year and a half into his first term as president. Indo-US relations are on the threshold of a bold, new era. As India stands poised to contribute to global prosperity and peace in the next century, we look forward to continuing our partnership with America and with the American people. India is one of the developing countries in which the process of development is firmly established. We have realised that no quick fixes are possible and that there is no substitute for hard work with full involvement of the people, Rao said. As India stands poised to contribute to global prosperity and peace in the next century, we look forward to continuing our partnership with America and with the American people, Rao added. We are now in the closing years of a century ravaged by war, made heroic by the scientific intellectual and creative attainments of man, and feeble by want and deprivation, and yet made strong by our collective capacity to identify solutions that had eluded us in the past, Rao added. Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000 Atal Bihari Vajpayee addressed US Congress on 14 September 2000. If we want a democratic, prosperous, tolerant, pluralistic, stable Asia where our vital interests are secure, then it is necessary for us to re-examine old assumptions In the years ahead, a strong, democratic and economically prosperous India, standing at the crossroads of all the major cultural and economic zones of Asia, will be an indispensable factor of stability in the region, Vajpayee said. As per Indian Express, Vajpayees address came two years after his government conducted nuclear tests. Vajpayee in his speech attempted to downplay the US concerns. Security issues have cast a shadow on our relationship. I believe this is unnecessary. We have much in common and no clash of interests. India understands your concerns. We do not wish to unravel your non-proliferation efforts. We wish you to understand our security concerns. Let us remove the shadow of hesitation that lies between us and our joint vision. This display of broad-based bipartisan support for strengthening relations with India is heartening. It is a source of encouragement to both President Clinton and to me, as we work together to infuse a new quality in our ties. I thank you for the near-unique approach that you have adopted towards my country, Vajpayee said. Vajpayees address came as Clinton was at the end of the second half of his second term. Manmohan Singh in 2005 Manmohan Singh addressed US Congress on 19 July 2005. More than fifteen years ago, Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee stood here and gave a call to step out of the shadow of hesitation of the past. The pages of our friendship since then tell a remarkable story, Manmohan said. Today, our relationship has overcome the hesitations of history. Comfort, candour and convergence define our conversations. Through the cycle of elections and transitions of Administrations the intensity of our engagements has only grown. And, in this exciting journey, the U.S. Congress has acted as its compass. You helped us turn barriers into bridges of partnership. As per Indian Express, Manmohans address came a day after India and the United States reached the framework of a civil nuclear deal. President Bush and I arrived at an understanding in finding ways and means to enable (civil nuclear energy) cooperation Indias track record in nuclear non-proliferation is impeccable. We have adhered scrupulously to every rule and canon even though we have witnessed unchecked nuclear proliferation in our own neighbourhood We have never been, and will never be, a source of proliferation of sensitive technologies, Manmohan said. The United States and India must work together in all possible forums to counter all forms of terrorism. We cannot be selective in this area. We must fight terrorism wherever it exists, because terrorism anywhere threatens democracy everywhere, he added. Narendra Modi in 2016 Modi on 8 July 2016, became the fifth Indian prime minister to address a joint sitting of US Congress. Modi during his address spoke on issues ranging from climate change to terrorism, defence and security cooperation to trade and economic relationship between India and the US. India lives as one, India grows as one, India celebrates as one, Modi said. Mr Speaker, I am informed that the working of the US Congress is harmonious. Am also told that you are well known for your bipartisanship. Well, you are not alone. Time and again, I have also witnessed a similar spirit in the Indian Parliament, especially in Upper House. So, as you can see, we have many shared practices, he added. Modis speech came at a time when the United States was viewing Pakistan with some scepticism. At the time, the US was led by then president Barack Obama and Joe Biden was vice-president. I commend the members of US congress for sending a clear message to those who preach and practice terrorism for political gains. Refusing the war is the first step to our holding them accountable for their actions. The fight against terrorism has to be fought at many levels and the traditional tools of military intelligence or diplomacy alone would not be able to win this fight. Mr. speaker, we have both lost civilians and soldiers in combating terrorism. The need of the hour is for us to deepen our security cooperation and base it on a policy that isolates those who harbour and support and sponsor terrorist. That does not distinguish between good and bad terrorist and that de-links religion from terrorism. Also for us to succeed, those who believe in humanity must come together to fight for each and one and speak against this menace in one voice. Terrorism must be delegitimised, Modi added. Honoured to have you Modi was invited to give the 2023 address by Congressional leadership. On behalf of the bipartisan leadership of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, it is our honour to invite you (Prime Minister Modi) to address a joint meeting of Congress on Thursday, 22 June, the congressional leaders said in a statement. The statement was signed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Based on our shared values and commitment to global peace and prosperity, the partnership between our two countries continues to grow. During your address, you will have the opportunity to share your vision for Indias future and speak to the global challenges our countries both face, the congressional leaders said in their statement. Your historic address to a Joint Meeting of the Congress seven years ago left a lasting impact and greatly deepened the friendship between the US and India, the statement read. As you said in that address: Our relationship is primed for a momentous future. The constraints of the past are behind us and foundations of the future are firmly in place. We look forward to paving the way for greater collaboration between our countries in the years to come, it said. Once again, we would be honoured to have you join us for a Joint Meeting of Congress to celebrate the enduring friendship between the US and India. We look forward to continuing to work together to build a brighter future for our countries and for the world, it added. The tradition of foreign leaders and dignitaries addressing the US Congress began with Marquis de Lafayette, a French military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. He spoke in the House chamber on 10 December 1824. With inputs from agencies Chocolate lovers might have a tough time as the cost of their favourite treat is expected to increase even more due to soaring cocoa prices. Even though it can be beneficial for needy cocoa farmers, the high cost of other essential components for chocolate, however, may not be good news for consumers. El Nino is back, and forecasts for hotter, drier weather in producing nations now pose a threat to exacerbate the current shortage. Lets take a closer look. Cocoa prices are increasing According to CNBC, prices of cocoa on Friday surged to $3,160 (~Rs 2.59 lakh) per metric ton the highest since 5 May 2016. The commodity was last trading at $3,171 per metric ton. Chocolate prices have risen by 14 per cent in the past year, the outlet cited data from the consumer intelligence database NielsenIQ. These prices are about to rise further due to strained supplies of cocoa, which is a significant component of the much-loved foodstuff. S&P Global Commodity Insights Principal Research Analyst Sergey Chetvertakov told CNBC in an email, The cocoa market has experienced a remarkable surge in prices This season marks the second consecutive deficit, with cocoa ending stocks expected to dwindle to unusually low levels. As usual, a shortage of supply is what causes prices to rise. Demand has stayed strong, particularly in Europe and Asia, noted Paul Joules, a commodity analyst for Rabobank who focuses on cocoa and dairy markets, according to CNN. Cocoa yields are underwhelming due to crop disease and heavy rains. Experts have also predicted that in the upcoming season, because of El Nino, a naturally occurring phenomenon in the tropical Pacific Ocean, usually brings warmer global temperatures poor conditions for growing cocoa. Also read: Why Mars chocolate bar is ditching its traditional wrapper Insufficient supply According to Joules, experts discovered a few months ago that cocoa supply wasnt keeping up with demand. As per the International Cocoa Organizations monthly report for April, Compared to the 2021/22 cocoa year, the 2022/23 cocoa season is heading towards a supply deficit due to a reduction in production. Worlds largest cocoa beans growing region in West Africa may also witness a decline by as much as eight per cent in the next season due to unfavourable weather, TIME magazine quoted Fuad Mohammed Abubakar, head of Ghana Cocoa Marketing Company as saying. The dismal outcomes could be the result of crop disease. What we saw was, potentially, more cases of swollen shoot disease, said Joules, according to CNN. He noted that swelling stems are one of the signs of the cocoa swelling shoot virus, which is spread by insects. Production in nations that produce cocoa has been impeded by it for years. Farmers frequently have to remove diseased trees and plant replacements in order to combat the fatal disease. According to him, it can take those new trees years to attain their peak production. He suggested that other elements, such as ageing plants that dont produce as much cocoa, may have contributed to the lower yield. According to the Cocoa Organisation, Ivory Coast, the worlds largest producer of cocoa, heavy rains could potentially delay the harvest of spring and autumn harvests. Furthermore, rain and humidity increase the risk of crop disease, which could have a detrimental impact on the harvest. Also read: What is better than chocolates and beer? Weed, says America Another threat El Nino El Nino is posing a threat to the harvest for the upcoming season, adding to the difficulties of this year. According to Gro Intelligence, a company that analyses agricultural data, the main cocoa harvest in Ivory Coast may suffer as El Nino climate conditions are expected to gain strength. The areas poor weather has a significant impact on the world market for cocoa. According to the firm, Ivory Coast produces about half of the worlds cocoa beans, with Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria each providing around a quarter of the total supply. This results in an outsized impact of the regions weather patterns on world cocoa prices and supplies, it said. Farmers who are having a hard time may get some relief from the price hike. CNN quoted Tonys Chocolonely, a chocolate manufacturer with headquarters in Amsterdam that seeks to lessen exploitation in the cocoa supply chain, is pleased with the price increase. Pascal Baltussen, Tonys chief of impact and operations, expressed his happiness at the growing price of cocoa. For West African cocoa farmers to make a livelihood, cocoa prices have been far too low. In Ghana and Ivory Coast, cocoa producers are compensated using prices from futures contracts. The outlet quoted Alex Assanvo, executive secretary of the Initiative Cacao Cote dIvoire-Ghana, as saying that although higher futures prices are good, they wont continue long. Based on past patterns, he predicted that the price will likely decrease fairly soon. Sugar and cocoa butter prices increased According to data from NIQ, which records US retail sales, chocolate prices increased 14.5 per cent on average in the year through 29 April when compared to the same period the year before. According to Mintecs Director of Commodity Insights Andrew Moriarty, Cocoa butter, with some cocoa liquor included in dark or milk chocolate, is the most direct reflection of how chocolate prices would move. Another key component of chocolate, sugar, is also seeing price increases. In April, it reached an 11-year high, according to CNBC. Chocolate prices will further increase may be in the horizon due to the rising cost of cocoa. Because cocoa contracts are lengthy, its possible that buyers havent yet benefited from the higher pricing. But eventually, cocoa prices are going to increase for chocolate manufacturers. Steven Voskuil, the CFO of Hershey, stated on an investor call in April that cocoa and sugar in particular are moving in the wrong direction, but he made no mention of pricing. Price rises in key elements are something that we do expect to see potentially more impact in 2024 than 2023, he said. I dont think the consumer has seen the full extent of the impact yet, he stated. The entire amount of the price increase for consumers wont be seen until new contracts are in place, according to the statement. Any increase would be added to already high retail chocolate costs. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks the beginning of an important diplomatic journey through his first official state visit to the US. Stepping on the American soil, he led the ninth International Yoga Day celebrations and addressed an event hosted by US first lady Jill Biden at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Washington. He also engaged with a diverse array of influential people, among the most notable names include Tesla CEO Elon Musk. However, his meetings didnt end here. Some reports suggest that CEOs of prominent companies such as Apple, FedEx and Marriott are invited to the state dinner organised by President Joe Biden at the White House. With this, India is gaining the attention of global corporations as they seek new sources of labour and revenue in the midst of the US efforts to find an alternative to China. It also signals that Indian prime minster is really driven to improve the business environment and India is open for business. High on the agenda will be removing regulatory constraints to doing business, particularly in the tech space, encouraging more American companies to consider investing in India. Also Read: Modi US visit: What the PM discussed with 24 thought leaders The United States is the third largest source of foreign investment for India, with over $60 billion (Rs 4.91 lakh crore) invested between 2000 and 2023, according to official data. Following are some recent investment announcements, mostly by US companies: Tesla Elon Musk said Modi was pushing the electric-car maker to make a significant investment in the country, adding that such an announcement was expected soon. Micron Technology Indias Cabinet approved the chipmakers $2.7 billion (Rs 22,121,100 crore) plan for a new semiconductor testing and packaging unit, a senior government source said, ahead of Modis state visit to the United States. Also Read: How Narendra Modis visit to US marks Indias self-discovery after 75 years Boeing The aircraft-maker plans to invest about $24 million (Rs 196 crore) in India to set up a logistics centre for airplane parts. The announcement preceded the company bagging an order for 220 jets from Air India. Amazon Amazon Web Services said it planned to invest $13 billion (Rs 1.06 lakh crore) in India by 2030 to build its cloud infrastructure and create thousands of jobs. Apple The US tech giant opened its stores in Mumbai and Delhi in April. It has been trying to make India a bigger manufacturing base and has started manufacturing several products there through contract electronics makers Foxconn, Wistron Corp and Pegatron Corp. During his visit to India in April, CEO Tim Cook said Apple was committed to growing and investing across the country. Foxconn The Taiwanese contract manufacturer plans to invest $500 million (Rs 4,096 crore) to set up manufacturing plants in the south Indian state of Telangana and almost $968 million (Rs 7,930 crore) in neighbouring Karnataka. The investments are expected to create more than 70,000 jobs, Indian officials have said. Also Read: How PMs state visit to the US will be beneficial to India The Apple supplier also plans to build a factory in India to manufacture AirPods, Apples wireless earphones. Cisco Systems The US networking equipment maker will begin manufacturing from India as it looks to diversify its global supply chain. It has set a target of $1 billion (Rs 8,193,000 crore) in production and exports from India over the next few years. Walmart The retail giants CEO met Modi during his India visit last month and reiterated that the company planned exports from India worth $10 billion (Rs 81,930,000 crore) a year by 2027. With inputs from Reuters Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Rescuers are desperately racing against time to find the missing Titanic tourist submersible that now has hours of oxygen left. They are using sonar and other equipment to search for the submarine, which is believed to be located in the Atlantic Ocean about 900 miles east of Cape Cod, reports Times of India. Multiple teams involved in the search for a submerged vessel en route to the wreckage of the Titanic have recently detected banging sounds, fuelling optimism that there could be survivors. The submersible, named Titan, was carrying British billionaire Hamish Harding and Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who also have British citizenship, on $250,000 (Rs 2.04 crore) tickets. Also on board is the companys CEO, Stockton Rush, and a French submarine operator Paul-Henri Nargeolet, nicknamed Mr Titanic for his frequent dives at the site. Finding an underwater vehicle, the size of a small bus in this vast and remote expanse of ocean will be no small feat. We take a closer look at how the journey to the bottom of the sea actually looks like. Deeper and darker The journey to the ocean floor to reach the wreck of the Titanic is one that gets relentlessly colder and darker, says one of the handful of people who have ever visited the luxury liners watery grave. Tom Zaller, who runs the company behind Titanic: The Exhibition, said touring the ships resting place in a tiny submersible like the one that vanished Sunday in the North Atlantic was unforgettable, but frightening. As you get deeper and deeper, it gets darker and darker, he told AFP of his voyage, 23 years ago. When you when you first start off on the top, its quite warm inside. But as you descend, it gets cold. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, for every 33 feet (10 metres) travelled beneath the oceans surface, the pressure increases by one atmosphere. To put it into perspective, diving into the Challenger Deep, the deepest known point of Earths seabed, can subject a vessel to pressure equivalent to that exerted by 50 jumbo jets. Zaller, whose exhibition opens in Los Angeles at the end of the month, said he was hoping desperately that the missing submersible could be found before its oxygen supplies run out estimated to be some time Thursday. The 21-foot (6.5-metre) tourist craft lost communication with its mothership less than two hours into its trip. There is no going back More than two decades ago, Zaller travelled to the site, 400 miles (650 kilometres) from the nearest land as part of a research trip, aboard a Russian vessel with two submersibles. Also Read: Titanic tourist submersible goes missing: Why it is difficult to find the vanished vessel The sub is a two-metre-wide pressured sphere, he said. Theres a pilot seat in the centre, and then two benches on either side, with three portholes. On top theres an entry portal, and when you climb down inside the sub you then close it from the inside and theres another trap on the outside and once youre in, theres no going back. Its quite a commitment. The sub is hoisted off the deck of the ship into blue waters which quickly turn dark as the vessel begins to sink. For two and a half hours there is virtually nothing to see, with the sub conserving its power to use at the seafloor. Then you reach the bottom, where the sub kicks up silt. When you look out the portal, its a little cloudy. And then as you start to fly, when you get your buoyancy, you start to travel forward, you kind of come through this cloud. And then imagine coming through that cloud and being in this perfectly still environment on the bottom of the ocean, you know 3,800 metres below the surface and then you see a piece of debris, a giant piece of the Titanic. And then you see a cup or a teapot, and then at other moments you can see where the side of the ship is removed and you can see Captain Smiths bathtub full of water. Complicated and technical Zaller said he was nervous on his voyage to the ocean floor, despite the obvious professionalism and attention to detail by those running the trip. But still youre sending a very small vessel two and a half miles down, which is incredibly complicated and technical, he said. Its just this very seemingly unsophisticated sphere. I took a video camera and a video of myself. And I watched it later and I was absolutely terrified. Zaller has known sub pilot Nargeolet for decades and was in touch with CEO Rush just before he embarked on this tour. He says he is hoping against hope that everything will work out. I was in that sub for 12 hours with everything working fine, he said. Theyve been there for almost four days. I just cant imagine. I hope and pray that theyll be okay and that theyll find them. With inputs from AFP Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modis maiden state visit to the United States has begun on a high note. After being received by US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House, the leaders exchanged pleasantries and official gifts. On his arrival, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in New York indulging in yoga diplomacy at the UN headquarters, thanked US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for hosting him at the White House, saying, We had a great conversation on several subjects. After their conversation, the two world leaders also exchanged gifts; PM Modi gave a handcrafted sandalwood box to President Joe Biden, and a green diamond to First Lady Jill Biden. The sandalwood box contains a silver idol of Lord Ganesha and a diya (oil lamp), while the 7.5 carat diamond is eco-friendly which was gifted in a box made of paper pulp also known as kar-e-kalamdani. Modi also gifted Joe Biden a copy of the first edition print of the book The Ten Principal Upanishads. On the other hand, the US president and his wife gifted Modi a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. According to news agency PTI, they will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastmans patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography. What is the significance of such gift giving? What happens to the gifts given to US presidents? Do they get to keep them? We take a closer look at the history of gift diplomacy in America. Can American presidents keep gifts? Over the years, American presidents have received some very lavish and sometimes odd gifts from other world leaders. In the past, all gifts from foreign dignitaries had to be approved by US Congress, after which they could become the property of the recipient. However, in 1928, protocol was put in place to help presidents entertain visiting dignitaries and organise customary gift exchanges. And years later, the Foreign Gifts and Declarations Act of 1966 came into place that put a limit to the value of a gift a president could accept, with most gifts going directly to the National Archives after being presented. As of January 2014, the limit is currently set at $375 (Rs 30,724). Gifts given to presidents are located in the National Archives or are transferred to the Presidential Library when he retires. However, presidents and other government officials can purchase the gift they were given in office if they are willing to pay market value of that specific item. While rarely done, former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton purchased the black pearl necklace given to her by Myanmars Aung San Suu Kyi in 2012 for $970. However, some of the gifts go through the Secret Service before theyre passed onto the appropriate government arm. Secret Service spokesman Robert Hoback was quoted as telling NBC News that certain gifts, including food items, are routinely evaluated for safety reasons. Besides gifts from foreign leaders, the president is permitted to accept presents from the American public. But he has to disclose their financial status if they exceed the $350 value, in order to maintain transparency. Catch our full coverage on Modis US visit PM Modi makes first state visit to US: What is it? How is it different from other visits? Modi in US: Why PMs sixth visit to the US is even more significant than past trips PM Modis US visit: Why Indian-Americans are so influential Modi in the US: Why the PM enjoys a rockstar-like status among Indians abroad Who is Congressman Thanedar who will escort Modi to US Congress? How PM Modis visit to the US is sparking a wave of investments Whats the significance of gifts given? Gift giving between countries is actually a very important part of diplomacy. It symbolises the friendship and journey shared between the two countries. A lot of importance is given to the gifts being exchanged so much so that when Obama gave then British prime minister Gordon Brown a selection of classic American movies on DVD in 2009, the choice was derided in the British press as boring and unimaginative. Incidentally, Brown couldnt even enjoy the DVDs as they only worked in North American DVD players. But does the American president personally decide the gifts being given? The US presidents participation in gift selection varies from administration to administration. Most often, the Office of Protocol brainstorms the ideas and seek approval from the president and First Lady. The one thing that the US administration has to keep in mind when giving a gift to a world leader is that it must be made in America. It is for this reason that gifts from luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co is a popular choice. For instance, President Bill Clinton had a custom-designed Tiffany silver cachepot that he gave to many visiting heads of state. What are the weirdest gifts US presidents have received? While Modi has presented Bidens with beautiful and gifts steeped in Indian culture and history, there is a history of some strange gifts being given to US presidents. In 1806, US president Thomas Jefferson broke his policy of not accepting gifts from world dignitaries when he accepted four Arabian horses from the Tunisian ambassador. When asked to justify the expensive gift, he said that he intended to sell them to use the proceeds to offset the American governments cost of the ambassadors visit. Years and years later, in 1972 Chinese premier Zhou Enlai gifted US president Richard Nixon and his wife, Patricia, a set of giant pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing. The pandas, who lived in the Smithsonian Institutes National Zoo, were presented after First Lady Patricia Nixon had mentioned in passing about her fondness for the bears. President Theodore Roosevelt also got a zebra and a lion from Ethiopia. If these gifts didnt raise eyebrows, then the komodo dragon given to President George W Bush surely would. In 1990, Indonesia presented Bush Senior with the dragon named Naga. Naga was given to the Cincinnati Zoo, where it lived a busy and productive life (it fathered 32 baby Komodo dragons) before passing away in 2004. During a 2011 visit to Australia, President Barack Obama received crocodile insurance from the head of the Northern Territory. On receiving it, Obama had then joked, I have to admit, when we reformed health care in America, crocodile insurance is one thing we left out. But perhaps the funniest of them all must be when the late Queen Elizabeth II gave the gift of herself during the 2021 G7 summit to President Biden. The British monarch presented Biden with a photo of herself in a silver frame valued at $2,200 (Rs 1.8 lakh), according to the State Department. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. After wowing the crowds and indulging in yoga diplomacy at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his second leg of his United States visit the state visit on the invitation of US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Reached Washington DC. The warmth of the Indian community and the blessings of Indra Devta made the arrival even more special, Modi tweeted as he made his way to the American capital. Modi arrived at the Joint Base Andrews in Washington, DC where he was given a guard of honour amid incessant rains. The prime minister, who was wearing a raincoat, stood for the national anthem of the two countries. The Official State visit moves to its next phase. PM @narendramodi accorded a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour as he sets foot at the Joint Base Andrews airport in Washington DC. In Washington DC, PM will hold bilateral meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden; address the Joint Session of the US Congress; and interact with CEOs and a cross-section of Indian diaspora, Arindam Bagchi, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in a tweet. While Modi has visited the United States on a few occasions before, this is his first state visit. Modi will also attend a state dinner at the White House along with a slew of dignitaries. Lets take a closer look at what a state visit is, how it differs from a regular visit and visits by other Indian leaders to the United States: A state visit, explained According to the Indian Express, a state visit is one made by the head of government or a state. It can be made only at the invitation of the sitting US president in his or her capacity as head of state. State visits are the highest-ranking visits that can be made by foreign leaders. Given their lofty status, they also occur extremely rarely. A country can have just one state visit during a US presidents four-year term, as per RFERL. According to Indian Express, while such trips are only made for a few days, they are filled with pomp and circumstance. The visiting dignitary is afforded among other ceremonies Greetings on the tarmac after landing A 21-gun salute at the White House on arrival A state dinner Exchange of diplomatic gifts An invite to stay at the US presidents guesthouse Blair House Flags streetlining Historian Matthew Costello told news agency PTI that a state visit is only reserved for closest friends and allies. Costello added this involves six months of meticulous planning by the White House and displays the best of American hospitality. The day of (the state visit), there will be a state arrival ceremony at the White House, typically on the South Lawn. The President and the visiting Head of State will exchange remarks, Costello said. Theyll listen to the national anthems of the respective countries, review their troops, and then theyll go into the White House for conversation, and diplomatic exchanges later that night, there is a state dinner held in their honour, and then they spend the night there as the overnight guest of the president, the First Lady at Blair House, the presidents official guest house, he added. The Bureau of Global Public Affairs on its website says that a state dinner hosted by the president and first lady is the high point of the state visit. "The menu typically features food and wines that reflect the culinary traditions of the guests of honour, but with an American twist. It represents the friendship between the nations of the hosts and the honoured guests, the website states. Other types of visits and how they differ from state visits According to RFEL, the other types of visits a member of a foreign government can make in order of importance are. Official visit Official working visit Working visit Private visit Official visits also come at the invitation of the US president. The visiting dignitary is also offered many of the ceremonies held during a state visit including Blair House, arrival and departure ceremony and official dinner. The main difference here is the rank of the visitor, the number of guns used during the salute and the type of dinner held in their honour an official dinner versus a state dinner. During an official working visit, a stay at Blair House is offered and the dignitary is given a meeting with the president and a working luncheon with the president and secretary of state at the White House. A dinner or reception may or may not be held. There are no ceremonies on arrival and departure, gifts are not exchanged and spouses do not attend the working luncheon. A working visit comprises a meeting at the White House with the president. A private visit is when the foreign dignitary makes the trip without being invited by the president. A meeting with the US president may be requested and granted as a working session. While state visits have the most prestige attached to them, the type of visit makes little difference when it comes to the actual amount of work done, as per Indian Express. According to the newspaper, working visits can do as much as state visits when it comes to improving relations with other nations. The newspaper added that given the pomp and circumstance surrounding state visits, more work is actually conducted during other less-prestigious visits. Catch our full coverage of PM Modi in the US Modi in US: Why PMs sixth visit to the US is even more significant than past trips Deals on drones and jets: How India-US defence ties are flourishing under PM Modi How yoga has become one of Indias biggest exports courtesy of PM Modi PM Modis US visit: Why Indian-Americans are so influential Modi in the US: Why the PM enjoys a rockstar-like status among Indians abroad PM Modi and Annelies Richmond lead Yoga Day session at UN HQ: Who is the New York ballerina-turned-yogini? Who is Congressman Thanedar who will escort Modi to US Congress? As Mel French, who worked as the protocol director at the state department, told RFERL, Ranking the visits gives a level to what the president wants to do when he invites someone to this country. Often they really need an official working visit where they can sit down and work through problems or things that they need to talk about. An official working visit is really a visit of substance and policy. A state visit and an official visit are more of a ceremonial type thing where we are honouring a country. Modi has previously visited the United States on five occasions, according to the state departments Office of The Historian. In 2019, Modi participated in a Houston Rally In 2017, Modi made an official working visit In 2016, Modi had a working lunch In 2016, Modi attended the Nuclear Security Summit and In 2014, Modi made a working visit State visits by Indian leaders to US While several Indian leaders have visited the United States, just two have made state visits Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009 under President Barack Obama and President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan under President John F Kennedy in 1963. Singhs visit to the United States was Obamas first since being elected president. He was accompanied by his wife Gursharan Kaur. In 2016, then chief White House photographer Pete Souza put up images of Obama and his wife Michelle respectively escorting Manmohan and Kaur during the visit. Obama, Manmohan and other delegates held a meeting the White House and also addressed the media. Manmohan during the trip also met then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Radhakrishnan, who was President of India from 1962 to 1967, was known as a philosopher-statesman. He visited Williamsburg (Virginia), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Cape Canaveral (Florida), Denver (Colorado), Los Angeles, and New York City. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modis first state visit to the United States, there are reports that Washington is offering New Delhi Stryker armoured vehicles. But what do we know about these combat vehicles? Lets take a closer look: What are they? According to Army Technology.com, the Stryker designation refers to a family of eight-wheel-drive combat vehicles. The Stryker vehicles were jointly developed by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) Canada and the General Dynamics Land Systems Division United States. According to the website, the Stryker vehicles are a new version of the GDLS Canada LAV III 88 light armoured vehicle which has been in operation since 2001. That vehicle came from the Piranha III built by Mowag of Switzerland which is now part of GDLS, Europe. The Stryker was the first new military vehicle inducted into the US Army service since the Abrams tank in the 1980s. According to Army Guide.com, the vehicle has been named after American servicemen Stuart S. Stryker and Robert F Stryker. Both men, the former who died in World War II and the latter who was killed in Vietnam, received the Medal of Honour posthumously. Technology and specifications According to Hindustan Times, the Stryker is a V-hull armoured infantry vehicle. It is equipped with a 30 mm cannon and 105 mm mobile gun. According to Frontier India, the US army classifies the Strykers as part of the family of Intermediate Armoured Vehicles (IAVs). According to Army Guide.com, the Stryker hull is built from high-hardness steel. This offers a basic level of protection against 14.5mm rounds on the frontal arc, and all-around protection against 7.62mm ball ammunition. The vehicles also come with bolt-on ceramic armour. This offers a shield against 14.5mm, armour-piercing ammunition, and artillery fragments from 152mm rounds. According to Military.com, it is manned by a two-man crew and can carry a nine-man infantry squad. The vehicle is powered by a Caterpillar C7 engine with 350 horsepower. It has a range of 483 kilometres and can reach a top speed of around 100 kmph. The Stryker vehicles are said to have a better chance of surviving against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) than other light military vehicles, according to Army Guide.com. As per The Print, these vehicles can be transported via Chinook helicopter which the Indian Air Force uses. An Indian Air Force Chinook displayed this ability during the 2021 Yudh Abhyas, as per the outlet. Options aplenty The Stryker has two variants the Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) and the Mobile Gun System (MGS), according to Military.com. The US army operates more than 550 Strykers in a variety of configurations including Infantry carrier vehicle Commander vehicle Medical evacuation vehicle Fire support vehicle Engineer squad vehicle Anti-tank guided missile carrier Mortar carrier Reconnaissance vehicle Mobile gun system Nuclear, biological and chemical reconnaissance vehicle. How are they useful? According to Hindustan Times, the vehicle can be used to formulate a quick response to an insurgency or war-like situation. The lightly-armoured wheeled Stryker can move a lot faster than tanks on paved roads. This means it can get infantry squadrons into the fight faster a godsend for warfare in urban areas. Washington in January announced it would send 90 of these combat vehicles to Ukraine to help push back against Russia in a move that was hailed by Kyiv. As US Army Major (retd) Brad Duplessis, who saw the Stryker vehicles operate in Iraq, explained to the website The Drive, the Stryker was made to bridge the gap between light forces and really heavy ones in a high-intensity conflict like you see in Ukraine. The Stryker would provide mobility and protection from the kind of threats faced by Ukrainian forces just as it did for our formations in Iraq. Its quieter than a tank and you can get a Stryker in areas that you probably could not get a tank or a Bradley into, especially in urban areas, Duplessis told The War Zone. Duplessis added that the vehicle was produced and centered around the infantry squad. It is designed to deliver an infantry squad a kilometer or terrain feature away from an objective. It allows mobility in ugly, restricted environments like a city. It allows for the protection of the infantry and at the end of the day, it allows you to put a squad of infantry in a vehicle or dismount with its leaders and organic equipment and weapons. According to Newsbytes, the US Army also used the Stryker vehicles in Afghanistan against the Taliban. Firstpost in January reported that the United States (US) government may allow the Transfer of Technology (ToT) for the Stryker armoured personnel carrier (APC) to India. This will allow India to manufacture the eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicle jointly produced by Canada and the United States (US). It will also enable India to incorporate some of the technology of the Stryker APC into the armoured fighting vehicle being developed domestically for the Indian military. Although it is not yet clear whether the Indian Army is willing to go for a domestically produced APC over imported ones, the deal for the Stryker armoured personnel carrier (APC) is expected to provide a boost to Indias defence manufacturing industry as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modis ongoing state visit to the United States has already resulted in some mega deals being signed and a few more pacts in the offing. But which big deals have been announced? Which ones are expected? Lets take a closer look: Jet engine GE Aerospace on Thursday announced a landmark agreement with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture jet engines for the Indian Air Force in the backdrop of Modis visit. According to India Today, the agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospaces F414 engines in India. According to Reuters, these engines will power the Indian Air Forces Tejas craft. This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL, H Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace, was quoted as saying by India Today. We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modis vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet, he added. $825 million semiconductor facility US memory chip firm Micron has announced it would invest up to $825 million in a new chip assembly and test facility in Gujarat its first factory in India. Micron announced its total investment in the facility, supported by the Central and state government, would be $2.75 billion. Of that, half would come from the Centre and a fifth from Gujarat. Reuters reported earlier this week that Indias Cabinet approved the project ahead of Modis state visit to the US, which kicked off on Wednesday. Micron said construction of the new facility in Gujarat is expected to begin in 2023 and the first phase of the project will be operational in late 2024. A second phase of the project is expected to start toward the second half of the decade, it said. The two phases together will create up to 5,000 new direct Micron jobs. The Times of India quoted Biden as saying, We are doubling down on our cooperation to secure our semiconductor supply chains. Artemis Accords, joint ISS mission India has signed the Artemis Accords with the US. Modi, confirming the development at a joint press conference with Biden, was quoted as saying by The Times of India, We have agreed to join the Artemis Accords. We have taken a new leap in our space cooperation. According to Hindustan Times, Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States were the founding members. There are 25 signatories to the agreement till May 2023. According to the NASA website, the Artemis Accords were established in 2020 by the US and seven other founding member states. Through the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, make new scientific discoveries, and explore more of the lunar surface than ever before for the benefit of all, the website states. While NASA is leading Artemis, international partnerships will play a key role in achieving a sustainable and robust presence at the Moon where the agency will prepare for the first human mission to Mars, it adds. On space, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind, the newspaper quoted a senior administration official as saying. Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), the Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st Century. It is an American-led effort to return humans to the moon by 2025, with the ultimate goal of expanding space exploration to Mars and beyond. NASA and ISRO have also agreed to conduct a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. An official told The Hindu that NASA and ISRO are also in the process of creating a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation in 2023. BECA According to The Print, US and India are likely to agree on certain clauses of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA). This agreement, signed in 2020, makes it easier for Washington to give New Delhi specific and detailed intelligence which it did during the stand-off at the Line of Actual Control. BECA allows the sharing of intelligence and information in real time. In the future, it will allow New Delhi to take aim at the enemy with pinpoint accuracy based on information from Washington. The TImes of India quoted Biden as saying at the press conference that India and the United States are, Growing our major defence partnership with more joint exercises, more cooperation between our defence industries, and more consultation and coordination across all domains. Technology According to The Hindu, India and America will announce a slew of agreements on 5G and 6G and Artificial Intelligence. Here well be announcing partnerships on open ran, field trials and rollouts, including scale deployments in both countries with operators and vendors of both markets. This will involve backing from the US International Development Finance, for cooperation and to promote the deployments in India, the official said. A new public-private cooperative forum will be established led by the US Next G Alliance. New Delhi will also be involved in the rip and replace programme which eliminates telecom equipment from untrusted vendors, as per The Hindu. On advanced computing, artificial intelligence and quantum information science, India and the United States have first established a joint Indo-U.S. quantum coordination mechanism that will facilitate more collaboration between our industries, academia, and government, official added. The Times of India quoted Modi as saying, We both agree governments, businesses and academic institutions should come together to fulfil our strategic technology partnership. H1B visas Reuters reported that the Biden administration is set to announce that a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas will be able to renew those visas in the U.S., without having to travel abroad. This will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States. People familiar with the matter told Reuters this is part of a pilot program that could be expanded in coming years. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on questions about which visa types would qualify or the timing of the pilot launch. Plans for a pilot program were first reported by Bloomberg Law in February. The pilot would begin with a small number of cases with the intention to scale the initiative over the following one to two years, the spokesperson said, while declining to define small. We all recognize that mobility of our people is a huge asset to us, said another US official. And so our goal is to approach that in a sort of multifaceted way. The State Department already has been working very hard to find creative ways to make changes to things. Drones According to CNBC, the White House has confirmed that Modi and Biden will announce that India will purchase General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones from the United States in a mega deal worth billions of dollars. This purchase would improve Indias national security and surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean and on the frontier with China. We are delighted about that because I think thats going to substantially grow Indias ISR capability which I think is incredibly important and useful to them, both on their posts, above the sea and on their borders, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Consulates A White House official on Thursday said the US will open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad while India will establish a mission in Seattle to boost people-to-people relationships. The United States intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India is likewise welcoming the 2023 opening of its consulate in Seattle and look forward to also announcing a new consulate in the United States, the official said. The official said the US issued a record 125,000 visas to Indian students last year. Indian students are set to become the largest foreign student community in the United States with a 20 per cent increase last year alone, the senior administration official said. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a number of special gifts to United States president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden during a private dinner at the White House on Tuesday (21 July). These gifts included a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond, a handcrafted sandalwood box and a first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads, an English translation of the Hindu religious text by Irish poet William Butler Yeats and Shri Purohit Swami. The book was published in 1937 and is among the final works of Yeats. A copy of the first edition print of this book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by M/s Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow has been gifted to President Biden, the government said in a press statement. Yeats admiration for Indian spirituality was much deeper and he was deeply influenced by the Upanishads and other ancient knowledge streams of India, ThePrint cited officials as saying. The gift assumes significance as the US president often cites great Irish poets, including Yeats and Seamus Heaney, who he has called the best poets in the world. PM Biden dinner .. PM presents copy of upanishad, lab made green diamond and paper mache box pic.twitter.com/D6BHNNMBNz pallavi ghosh (@_pallavighosh) June 22, 2023 What are Upanishads and why are they significant? What is WB Yeats connection to Hinduism? We explain. What are Upanishads? Upanishads are one of the four texts that together compile each of the Vedas a collection of poems or hymns written in Sanskrit. There are four Vedas Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda. As per The Hindu report, Upanishads are referred to as Vedanta as they form the concluding parts of the Vedas. This ancient Hindu sacred text teaches how the individual self (atman) finds the ultimate reality (brahman) through an inner spiritual journey, author Janet Zimmerman Marsh noted in the Yeats Eliot Review, posted on Gale Academic Onefile. From the middle of the 5th century to the 2nd century BCE, 13 well-known Upanishads were composed, including Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Kaushitaki, Kena, Katha, Isa, Svetasvatara, Mundaka, Prasna, Mandukya, and Maitri, according to Britannica. Besides these, there are hundreds of other Upanishads. In 1937, WB Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Shri Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats. A copy of the first edition print pic.twitter.com/yIi9QW290r ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Significance of Upanishads As per the Britannica article, Upanishads present a vision of an interconnected universe with a single, unifying principle behind the apparent diversity in the cosmos, any articulation of which is called brahman. The Upanishads say this brahman dwells in the atman, the eternal core of a human, the article added. ALSO READ: PM Modi gifts Bidens a sandalwood box and green diamond. But can they keep it? How Upanishads reached the West Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, had a keen interest in the religions of the world. According to ThePrint report, Dara, who lived from 1615 to 1659, translated the Bhagavad Gita and 52 Upanishads from Sanskrit to Persian. In 1775, Daras translation was discovered by a French resident at the court of Shuja-ud-daula, Nawab of Awadh, who sent the copy to Anquetil Duperron, a popular French traveller and translator, as per The New Indian Express (TNIE) report. Duperron translated the book from Persian into Latin and named it Oupnekhat. German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, who came across the book, became greatly impressed by the Upanishads, who as per TNIE called them the production of the highest human wisdom. From every sentence of the Upanishads deep, original and sublime thoughts arise, and the whole is pervaded by a high and holy, and earnest spirit. In the whole world, there is no study so beneficial and so elevating as that of the Upanishads, he said, as per the report. Famous American poets Ralph W Emerson, Walt Whitman and Henry David Thoreau have been credited for popularising this Hindu religious text in the US. ALSO READ: How PM Modis visit to the US is sparking a wave of investments WB Yeats and Hinduism Several works by Irish poet and dramatist Yeats promote ideas from Hindu spiritual texts. Bailey Betik wrote in the paper Yeats, WB, India, and Rabindranath Tagore that it was his friend and fellow poet AE, pseudonym of George William Russell, who introduced Yeats to the Upanishads. Yeats was also heavily inspired by the teachings of Mohini Mohan Chatterjee, who came to Dublin in 1885 as a representative of the Theosophical Society. In three poems in the 1889 collection Crossways, Yeats has used India as the setting The Indian to His Love, Anushaya and Vijaya, and The Indian Upon God, noted Betik. Indian philosophy and spirituality was indeed something that Yeats pursued throughout his entire life, not just a passing phase, the paper said. According to Marsh, Yeats interest in philosophy increased after he met poet and Hindu monk Shri Purohit Swami in 1931. He also wrote the Introduction to Swamis The Holy Mountain. Citing Joseph Hone, Marsh wrote that Yeats acknowledged he fed on the Upanishads all his life just two years before he died in 1939. With inputs from Reuters Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a grand welcome as he arrived at the White House to take part in bilateral talks with United States president Joe Biden on 22 June. Biden hosted Modi at a colorful White House South Lawn arrival ceremony which saw the presence of around 7,000 people, reported Reuters. The two leaders also addressed the crowd before heading inside for their meeting at the Oval Office. Later, Modi is also slated to address a joint session of the US Congress and attend a White House state dinner hosted by the US president and First Lady Jill Biden. How was the Indian prime minister welcomed and what did the two leaders say? Lets take a closer look. Warm greetings, gun salute and more As Modi arrived at the White House, he was treated with a Guard of Honour and a 19-gun salute. The national anthems of both nations were also played as a ceremonial gesture. According to The Guardian, the two leaders greeted each other warmly before giving short speeches. The opening ceremony also witnessed performances by violinist Vibha Janakiraman and South Asian a cappella group Penn Masala on renditions of songs by American pop band Maroon 5 and from the movies of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, reported Reuters. As per Associated Press (AP), several members of the Indian diaspora present on the South Lawn greeted him with chants of Modi! Modi Modi. ALSO READ: Modi in US: What is a state dinner being thrown in honour of the PM at White House? Biden welcomes PM Modi Addressing the crowd from a red-carpeted stage, Biden proclaimed India and US ties will become one of the most defining relationships of the 21st Century. Ive long believed the relationship between the United States and India will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st Century. Since Ive become president, weve continued to build a relationship built on mutual trust, candor and respect, AP quoted the US president as saying. Two proud nations bond by the three words We The People, he added. Further, Biden said the US and India are collaborating on expanding healthcare, climate change, and issues owing to Russias conflict with Ukraine, reported PTI. India-US are in the process to eradicate poverty, addressing climate change, extending healthcare and ensuring food security All this matters for America, for India and for the world. So much is changing technologically, socially, and politically. The decision we make today are going to impact the future. A welcome reflective of the depth of - friendship. PM @narendramodi received with State honours as he arrived at the @WhiteHouse. Warmly greeted by @POTUS @JoeBiden & @FLOTUS @DrBiden. Wide-ranging discussions between the two leaders lie ahead as & embark upon pic.twitter.com/xEQTy90pST Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 22, 2023 As per AFP, Biden called religious freedom a core principle for India and the US. Equity under the law, freedom of expression, religious pluralism and diversity of our people these core principles have endured and evolve. Even as they have faced challenges throughout each of our nations histories, and will fuel our strength, depth and future. The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the US work and lead together, and we are, Biden said at the ceremonial welcome to Modi, as per Reuters. Honour for 1.4 billion Indians Speaking to the crowd after his formal welcoming ceremony, Modi called it an honour for 1.4 billion Indians. This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honour and pride for the 1.4 billion people of India. This is also an honour for more than four million people of Indian origin living in the US. For this honor, I express my heartfelt gratitude, Reuters quoted the Indian prime minister as saying. Hailing the Indian diaspora, Modi said: People of the Indian community are enhancing Indias glory in the US through their hard work and dedication. You are the real strength of our relationship. I thank President Biden and Dr Jill Biden for giving this honour to them. #WATCH | People of the Indian community are enhancing Indias glory in the US through their hard work and dedication. You are the real strength of our relationship. I thank President Biden and Dr Jill Biden for giving this honour to them: PM Modi pic.twitter.com/WAbx3mf3vJ ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 PM Modi said the relationship between India and the US will boost the strength of the entire globe. In the post-COVID era, the world order is taking a new shape. Our friendship will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world, he said, according to PTI. Modi said India and US are committed to working together for global good and peace, stability and prosperity. The ties between India and the US are based on democratic values. The constitution of both countries begins with the words We the people. Both nations feel pride in our diversity. Both of us believe in the fundamental principle of in the interest of all, for the welfare of all', Modi was quoted as saying by AFP. Referring to the bilateral talks, Modi said: President Biden and I will discuss India-US relations in some time. I am confident that our talks will be positive and useful as always. For his second address to the US Congress, the Indian leader said he is deeply grateful. Modi and Biden will also be taking questions from reporters at the White House. This is PM Modis first state visit to the US which is expected to result in the two countries announcing a series of agreements on semiconductors, critical minerals, technology, space cooperation and defence. American company General Electric has already said earlier today that it has signed an agreement with Indias state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF). With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Karnataka has called for a day-long bandh today, 22 June, due to an increase in the cost of power. The Hubballi-based Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) issued a call for the strike. We request all the trade and industry to close their establishments on 22 June. This is in protest of abnormal price hike in the electricity charges by Electricity Supply Companies (ESCOMs), KCCI said, adding that for the past eight days, it made attempts to convey the seriousness of the impact of the hike in electricity charges. However, no solution is forthcoming from the officials or government representatives, it said. Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCC&I) has called for a Karnataka bandh on June 22nd to protest against the abnormal price hike in electricity charges: KCC&I pic.twitter.com/vlV4r3cjMg ANI (@ANI) June 18, 2023 Also read: Former Karnataka CM Bommai slams Congress govts decision to repeal anti-conversion law What is the issue? After the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) approved the requests of energy supply companies, electricity prices immediately increased. In accordance with a tariff order issued on 12 May, a 70-paise increase per unit was implemented in June. Moreover, bills for June included arrears of 70 paise per unit relating to April. As a result, the fuel and power purchase price agreement (FPPPA) charge, which was originally set at Rs 1.49 per unit, was also imposed in June and will now be charged at Rs 1.81 per unit in July. As a result, the total tariff increase for June is Rs 2.89 per unit, as per Business Today. A political controversy has resulted from this, with the BJP accusing the Congress-led government of hiking the tariff just days after making an election pledge to offer free electricity for up to 200 units under the Gruha Jyoti Scheme. #WATCH | Hubballi unit of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries protest against the state govt alleging abnormal price hike in electricity charges pic.twitter.com/z50YhsTI6E ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 According to News18, this month, several people also received outrageous bills, although Bescom (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited) claimed that this was due to an error. The Gruha Jyoti scheme is for 200 units, according to Karnatakas power minister KJ George, and anything beyond that will require payment. If average power consumption plus 10 per cent is less than 200 units, it will be subsidised. Anything over and above that will have to be paid. Consumers who use more than the allotted units, have to pay for the extra units used. 9 per cent of tax will be included in it, George said, according to Hindustan Times. The fuel and power purchase cost adjustment (FPPCA) and April arrears, according to the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), were the causes of the increase. The outcry, according to Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, was unnecessary because electricity prices will drop starting in the next month. Since customers had been receiving the charges for two months, he claimed that several people thought the power bills were outrageous, as per Business Today. Tariff will not come down. It is appearing heavy because two months bill was given. Next month onwards, the bills will be given for each month. Subsequently, the billing amount will come down. Also read: Karnataka to launch two of its poll-promised schemes in August: CM Siddaramaiah Who is participating? District Chambers from Mysore, Davangere, Koppal, Bagalkoti, Dharwad, Sirsi, Karwar, Bidar, Shivamoga, Kolar, Mandya, Chickmangalore, Yadgir, Chitradurga, KalyanKamataka, Haveri, Hassan, Bellary, and other business associations will participate in the bandh, reported News18. MCCI, the chamber of commerce and industry in Mysuru, has also backed the request for a bandh. Hebbal, Hootagalli, Kadakola, Nanjangud, and other business associations have endorsed the bandh call, according to MCCI president KB Lingaraju. The Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) asked its affiliated organisations not to protest or request a bandh after talks with the government today, reported CNBC-TV18. Only Hubli KCCI, according to the FKCCI, has called for a bandh and protest today. Several trade associations, including FKCCI, KASSIA, and Peenya Industries Association, distanced themselves from Thursdays bandh, according to the newspaper. Whats closed? The bandh call, according to KCCI president Vinay Javali, is voluntary and only for businesses. Both the delivery of necessary services and the movement of cars wont be interfered with. Businesses will lose money as a result of the day-long bandh, but the industry might not survive with such an unusually high increase in power prices, according to him. According to another Times of India article, Bengalurus top businesses and industry associations have decided not to participate in the bandh and have promised the public that business will continue as usual on Thursday. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The international search and rescue mission for the missing Titanic tourist submersible has entered a frantic phase, as it emerged that the oxygen supply on the vessel may be entering its final hours (while publishing this report, it said that there was only four hours of breathing air left). The OceanGate submersible called Titan that carried five individuals including the OceanGate CEO, during an exploration of the Titanic wreckage off the coast of Newfoundland, had begun its descent at 8 am (local time) on Sunday and was due to resurface seven hours later. It has a capacity to hold up to 96 hours of emergency air. Search for the missing vessel expanded on Wednesday when teams involved in the search operations heard underwater noises. While some believe that the sounds could be owing to the people on board the missing vessel, the United States Coast Guard, which is involved in the search said that it was still unclear if these banging noises are a true signal of life. While some hold out on the hope of a miracle, there are others such as Chris Parry, a former rear admiral in the British Royal Navy, who has given up hope. Speaking to NBC News, Parry had said on Wednesday, Ive got no optimism about that at all. Put your head in the water, youre going to hear a lot of mechanical noises, particularly in the vicinity of a disintegrating wreck like the Titanic. But even as search operations continue and family and friends and the world prays to find the submersible, there are reports emerging that the company, OceanGate, had ignored safety warnings about the vessel and in fact, was fired for raising such concerns. Also read: Can the missing Titanic tourist sub be rescued? Is there hope for passengers? We take a deep dive (no pun intended) into the allegations made and how the company reacted to them. Is the Titan submersible unsafe? The answer varies, depending on whom you ask. A former employee, industry experts, and former passengers had flagged safety concerns regarding the submersible. It has emerged that David Lochridge, the companys former director of marine operations had flagged several concerns about the safety and testing of the Titan, which has now vanished during a trip to view the wreckage of the Titanic. According to a 2018 claim he had filed in court about being wrongfully fired, Lochridge a Scottish submarine pilot who began working for OceanGate in Washington State in 2015 had alleged major safety issues: there had been almost no unmanned testing of the craft; the alarm system would only sound off milliseconds before an implosion; and the porthole was only certified to withstand pressure of 1,300 metres, even though OceanGate planned to take the submersible 4,000 metres underwater. One of his major concerns was that instead of using the standard metallic composition for the hull, OceanGate opted for carbon fibre for the vessels hull. He said it was unheard of a submersible going to the depths that Titan wanted with a carbon fibre hull. He also raised alarms about the fact that no non-destructive testing had been performed on the Titans hull to check for delaminations, porosity and voids of sufficient adhesion of the glue being used due to the thickness of the hull, according to his 2018 suit. When Lochridge raised the issue, it says, he was told no equipment existed to perform such a test. Also read: Hunt for Titanics submersible continues: What a journey to the bottom of the sea looks like Furthermore, according to a report published by Fortune when Lochridge flagged the concern, OceanGate allegedly said it would install an acoustic monitoring system in the submersible to detect the start of any potential hull breakdown. However, the Scottish expert said that this would not be enough, as it would simply flag components that were about to fail. Lochridge says that when he presented his report to the executives and CEO of OceanGate, Stockton Rush, who is incidentally one of the five on board the missing vessel, they didnt accept his findings and immediately fired him. OceanGate gave Lochridge approximately 10 minutes to immediately clear out his desk and exit the premises, his lawyers alleged, as per the Fortune report. But it wasnt only Lochridge who flagged concerns about Titan. Another former employee, told CNN on the grounds of anonymity, that he had similar worries about the hulls thickness. The hull had only been built to five inches thick, he said, telling CNN company engineers told him they had expected it to be seven inches thick. He adds that other engineers and employees at OceanGate also raised these matters with the company during his time, but Stockton remained defensive and refused to provide any answers. The Marine Technology Society, an industry group made up of ocean engineers, technologists, policymakers and educators, had in 2018 also written a letter, expressing concern regarding the development of Titan and the planned Titanic expeditions and warned against the current experimental approach adopted by OceanGate. In its letter, it was critical that the company published marketing material that stated the Titan design would meet or exceed the DNV-GL safety standards while apparently not intending to have the vessel assessed by that same organisation. The DNV, for the uninitiated, is an independent organisation that certifies vessels such as submersibles and issues regulations for such products. If these claims werent worrying enough, a CBS News reporter last year observed that the submersible allegedly had off the shelf components including lights from Camping World, and that the submarine suffered a communications issue with the ship overseeing its voyage and was lost for nearly three hours underwater. How did OceanGate react? When it comes the matter of Lochridge, the company claims that he was fired for sharing confidential information, misappropriated trade secrets and used the company immigration assistance. The company even noted that Lochridge was not an engineer, but a submersible pilot and a diver. The two parties settled their case in November 2018. Around the same time, the company also published a blog post that laid out its reasons for not having Titan certified by the American Bureau of Shipping or a similar organisation. The vast majority of marine (and aviation) accidents are a result of operator error, not mechanical failure, it reads. As a result, simply focusing on classing the vessel does not address the operational risks. Maintaining high-level operational safety requires constant, committed effort and a focused corporate culture two things that OceanGate takes very seriously and that are not assessed during classification. When asked about the dangers of carrying out such expeditions, Rush in a 2019 Smithsonian magazine interview had said, There hasnt been an injury in the commercial sub industry in over 35 years. Its obscenely safe, because they have all these regulations. But it also hasnt innovated or grown because they have all these regulations. When asked about the letter written by Marine Technology Society, the company, however, refused to comment. What next? OceanGate has said that it has mobilised all options in the search and rescue operations. The vanishing vessel, as the Associated Press report puts it, underscores the dangers associated with operating in deep water and the recreational exploration of the sea and space. Retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, who is now deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University, told AP: I think some people believe that because modern technology is so good, that you can do things like this and not have accidents, but thats just not the case. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We are over 10 months away from the 2024 Lok Sabha general elections, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is already gearing up for the battle ahead of them. Even as opposition parties mull over joining hands for the upcoming polls a decision might be taken on the same at the Patna meeting on Friday the BJP is already moving ahead with their plans. Today, the partys minority cell, the Minority Morcha, will give away Modi Mitra certificates to around 150 Muslims in Uttar Pradeshs Deoband town as part of their outreach program ahead of the upcoming polls. We take a closer look at what are Modi Mitra certificates and why the Modi government has selected Muslims for this particular outreach program. Modi Mitra campaign The Modi Mitra certificates are part of a larger outreach called the Modi Mitra campaign. The individuals who are selected for these certificates are professionals or businessmen interested in PM Modi and his policies irrespective of their political leanings so far. BJP Minority Morcha national president Jamal Siddiqui told the Indian Express that these Modi Mitras will not be a part of the partys cadre but will become a support base ahead of the polls. We will have all their data, we will be in touch with them. We will communicate every message from the PM and the government to them continuously, he was quoted as telling Indian Express. The Modi Mitra campaign was launched earlier on 29 April and will continue until February next year. And for this effort, the BJP has selected 65 Muslim-dominated Lok Sabha seats where they make up more than 30 per cent of the population. Thirteen seats have been selected from the state of UP Bijnor, Amroha, Kairana, Nagina, Sambhal, Muzaffarnagar, Rampur to name a few. Elsewhere, another 13 have been selected in West Bengal, five in Jammu-Kashmir, four in Bihar, six each in Kerala and Assam, three in Madhya Pradesh, two in Haryana and two in Telangana. At the end of this massive exercise, all the recipients of these Modi Mitra certificates will be invited for a Modi Mitra event in the nations capital, Delhi and will be addressed by Prime Minister Modi himself. Siddique, speaking to News18, said that the logistics for this event were already being discussed and as there would be over one lakh individuals from the minority communities, the probability is high that it will be held at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi. BJP wooing Muslims Sources tell News18 that the outreach to the Pasmanda Muslims, the Bohra community, Muslim professionals, and educated Muslims isnt an electoral strategy, but a part of Modis sabka sath, sabka Vishwas program. However, one cant deny that the Muslim vote is significant in India the community makes up 14 per cent of the countrys population as per the last Census. According to an analysis, of the 543 Lok Sabha seats across the country, there are 80 seats where the Muslim population is more than 20 per cent, while 65 seats have a population of more than 30 per cent. Earlier, the BJP was perceived as an anti-Muslim party, and this narrative was pushed even further when in the 16 Lok Sabha elections (2014), it didnt have a single Muslim MP in Parliament. However, the narrative is far from true. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the BJP made more gains of Muslim votes than the Congress which has traditionally relied on the votes from the community. According to a Lokniti-CSDS survey of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP doubled its Muslim vote share while the Congress vote share remained stagnant. The BJP bagged nine per cent of Muslim votes, more than double in the previous Lok Sabha elections in 2009 when it got four per cent of Muslim votes. The Congress got 38 per cent of Muslim votes in 2009 and the number remained the same in 2014. Also read: How the BJP and Muslims are quietly working to mend fences In 2019, the BJPs Muslim vote share was nine per cent while the Congress fell even further to 33 per cent. In the recently-held Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the BJP succeeded in getting at least eight per cent Muslim votes. The CSDS-Lokniti in its survey revealed that of the 20 per cent Muslim votes, the Samajwadi Party secured around 79 per cent and at least eight per cent votes went to the BJP, which is an increase of one per cent over the 2017 Assembly elections. The main reason for this shift in the Muslim votes towards the BJP is that Muslims have benefited as much as Hindus from the various welfare schemes during the last five years in Uttar Pradesh. With the 2024 elections, the BJP wants to improve their overall tally and for this reason they need the minority vote. It is left to be seen if the BJPs outreach does in fact bear fruit. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed on the role of G-20 countries in striking the right balance between the opportunities and challenges posed by digital technology, which he termed as a force multiplier in increasing access to education and adapting to future needs. Today, artificial intelligence offers great potential in the field of learning and skilling, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a video message to the G20 Education Ministers meeting. Digital Technology serves as an equalizer and promotes inclusivity. It is a force multiplier in increasing access to education and adapting to future needs. Today, Artificial Intelligence offers great potential in the field of learning, skilling and education. With opportunities, technology also poses challenges. We have to strike the right balance. The G-20 can play an important role in this, he said. In India, we have laid emphasis on research and innovation as well. We have set up 10,000 Atal tinkering labs, which are acting as research and innovation nurseries for our school children, said PM Modi. The Prime Minister stressed that G20 countries with their respective strengths can play a crucial role in promoting research and innovation, especially in the Global South. He urged the dignitaries to create a path for increased research collaborations. Continuous skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling are key to making youth future-ready, said Prime Minister noting that education is not only the foundation upon which Indias civilization has been built, but it is also the architect of humanitys future. Highlighting the significance of the G20 Education Ministers Meet towards the future of our children and youth, the Prime Minister expressed delight that the group has identified green transition, digital transformations and womens empowerment as accelerators for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Education is at the root of all these efforts, the Prime Minister said, as he expressed confidence that the outcome of the meeting will be an inclusive, action-oriented and future-ready education agenda. This would benefit the whole world in the true spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam One Earth, One Family, One Future, the Prime Minister said. Throwing light on the emphasis laid on research and innovation, the Prime Minister highlighted that India has set up ten thousand Atal Tinkering Labs across the country which act as research and innovation nurseries for our school children. He informed that more than 7.5 million students are working on more than 1.2 million innovative projects in these labs. He recited a Sanskrit Shloka which translates into True knowledge gives humility, from humility comes worthiness, from worthiness one gets wealth, wealth enables a person to do good deeds, and, this is what brings joy, he said that India has embarked on a holistic and comprehensive journey. Modi emphasized that foundational literacy forms a strong base for the youth and that India is combining it with technology, and highlighted the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy, or Nipun Bharat initiative by the Government and expressed happiness that Foundational Literacy and Numeracy has been identified as a priority by G20 as well. Underlining the need to make youth future-ready by continuously skilling, reskilling, and up-skilling them, PM Modi emphasized aligning their competencies with evolving work profiles and practices. Further, stating that India is undertaking skill mapping where ministries are working in tandem, he suggested that G-20 countries can undertake skill mapping at the global level and find gaps that need to be plugged in. Today, Artificial Intelligence offers great potential in the field of learning and skilling, says PM Modi in video message at G20 Education Ministers Meeting. pic.twitter.com/vFm8slcXdz Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 22, 2023 With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. With an aim to expand the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the two countries, India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) was launched by the defence departments of India and the US on Wednesday, informed an official press release. A factsheet was released for operationalising the Defence Innovation Bridge under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) at the event, according to the official release by the Ministry of Defence. iCET was announced by US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2022 for cooperation on critical and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum computing. The event also saw a first-of-its-kind joint showcasing innovative technologies by Indian and US start-ups. 15 Indian start-ups and 10 US start-ups, from multiple domains of maritime, AI, autonomous systems and space showcased their technologies to Indian and US stakeholders. According to the release, the support of both governments will lead to closer cooperation between the private sectors and will catalyse innovation by the research institutions within the defence industrial bases. Through INDUS-X will strengthen India-US defence industrial ecosystems to make them more innovative, accessible, and resilient. The two-day catalyst event was hosted by the US-India Business Council at the US Chamber of Commerce. Defence innovation stakeholders from across the governments, academic and research organizations, investors, defence firms, technology incubators, industry associations, and other start-up enablers came together to develop ambitious initiatives to drive INDUS-X forward. Several prospective actions were taken during the event to advance the collaboration agenda Under the Bilateral Cooperation Mechanism, a Senior Advisor Group (SAG) will assess the progress of the collaboration agenda and make recommendations to the defence establishments and other INDUS-X stakeholders for future work, the release stated. The US Institute of Peace (USIP), Carnegie India, USIBC, the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), and the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) will convene follow-on programming to drive implementation of the collaboration agenda and identify barriers to implementation for the SAGs consideration. Several Industry and Academia-led initiatives were also taken, under which the Indian and US defence firms intend to identify opportunities to establish formal and informal mentoring with start-ups to assist with market access, business strategy, and technology know-how, the release added. Under the Accelerator Program for Defense Start-ups, the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC), and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad, in collaboration with additional INDUS-X stakeholders, have expressed their intent to explore opportunities to provide startups with jointly defined problem sets, mentoring, and exposure in defence commercialization, business development, product refinement, technology advancement, funding opportunities, and other areas. Under the Academic and Start-up Programming Partnerships with Universities and Accelerators; Pennsylvania State University, IIT Madras, and IIT Kanpur have expressed their intent to lead best practice workshops with Indian and American universities and accelerator partners, such as labs, Technology Hub (T-HUB), IITs, and Hacking for India, to exchange best practices in defence innovation, fielding, and commercialization, the release stated. Other than this, several collaborations of start-ups with Defence Majors Supply Chains were also discussed, under which the Indian and US defence firms may explore options for supply chain collaborations with start-ups. During the INDUS-X event, several Public-Private Partnerships were also discussed. Under this, both the countries in collaboration with external stakeholders, will explore joint challenges for U.S. and Indian start-ups that leverage common dual-use cases for both countries, the release further stated. Both countries will also explore pathways for start-ups to access each others respective research and development (R&D) centres and innovation labs to support start-up collaboration. INDUS-X stakeholders also intend to identify opportunities for enhanced testing and certification capacity in India and the United States, the release stated. IndiaSpora, IndUS Tech Council, Forge/Coimbatore, and T-Hub/Hyderabad will engage private investors to garner support for investment in defence and dual-use startups. The countries also intend to explore options (e.g., public-private partnership) for a fund to support deep-tech defence start-ups. The Senior Advisor Group will also recommend adjustments to respective regulatory schemes (e.g., DFARS, ITAR, EAR, Make in India) to streamline start-up innovation between the two countries and increase procurement opportunities. The countries may refer these recommendations to existing trade dialogues, including the India-US Strategic Trade Dialogue, as appropriate, the release stated. Both countries intend to explore standardizing certification for technologies developed by the defence innovation ecosystems of both countries, accelerating their absorption. Areas of focus include Quality Assurance (QA) parameters, certification standards, and program success memoranda. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri expressed his admiration for an employee from a gas agency who went above and beyond the call of duty. During the devastating Cyclone Biparjoy, the employee delivered gas cylinders to a village in Rajasthan. Hardeep Singh Puri shared a video of the employees dedication to his job. He also penned a heartfelt message in Hindi, which loosely translates to, The stove will keep burning, and the nation will keep progressing. He added, Ensuring energy availability. With commendable dedication towards duty, this undaunted foot soldier of Indias energy sector braves the impact of #Biparjoy to supply an #Indane refill at a consumers home in village Dhok in Barmer, Rajasthan. Hardeep Singh Puris words reflect the importance of ensuring energy availability and the role played by the resilient foot soldiers of Indias energy sector. The video that was shared captures the employees unwavering determination to deliver an LPG cylinder to a village in Barmer, Rajasthan, despite facing torrential rain caused by Cyclone Biparjoy. The employees perseverance and willingness to go the extra mile despite the adverse conditions is truly praiseworthy. During times of crisis, it is the individuals working in essential services who step up and play a vital role in ensuring the smooth functioning of society. They are the backbone of the Indian economy, serving the needs of the people. This incident displays their dedication and commitment. Twitter users were quick to appreciate the dedication exhibited by the employee and voiced their concerns for the betterment of their working conditions. Rajeev Chandrashekar, minister of state for information technology, commended the employees actions. So wonderful to see in Govt service going beyond call of duty #MaximumGovernance #Seva https://t.co/QMFq7nxqKV Rajeev Chandrasekhar (@Rajeev_GoI) June 18, 2023 BJP MLA Khushu Sundar wrote, Salute to this brave man. Duty comes first. Salute to this brave man. Duty comes first. https://t.co/zKDafWST9w KhushbuSundar (@khushsundar) June 18, 2023 Another person emphasised the undervalued and underpaid nature of the delivery personnel, highlighting their daily struggles. They don't deserve this poverty porn videos, rather do something to uplift this neglected segment of workers. I have closely seen this for more than 30+ years and nothing has changed Suresh (@make_a_lemonade) June 18, 2023 Following its landfall in Gujarat, Cyclone Biparjoy made its way into Rajasthan through the adjoining areas of Jalore and Barmer. It reached on the stroke of midnight on June 16, taking the form of a deep depression. On Saturday, June 17, several regions in Rajasthan experienced heavy showers as a result of the cyclone. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Two soldiers were injured in a firing exchange between armed miscreants and soldiers of the Indian Army that was reported early in N Boljang, Imphal West district on Thursday morning, Spear Corps, Indian Army said. In a tweet, Spear Corps said, Unprovoked firing in Imphal West. Armed miscreants resorted to unprovoked firing in N Boljang, Imphal West Distt in the morning hours of 22 June. Calibrated response by own troops to avoid any collateral damage. Two soldiers sustained minor injuries- both stable. Armed miscreants resorted to unprovoked firing in N Boljang, Imphal West Distt in the morning hours of 22 June. Calibrated response by own troops to avoid any collateral damage. Two soldiers sustained minor injuries- pic.twitter.com/0G1b5mY9ZH SpearCorps.IndianArmy (@Spearcorps) June 22, 2023 Moreover, one INSAS light machine gun has also been recovered during the initial search. Additional columns inducted and operations are in progress. Earlier, an Indian Army soldier has been injured after armed miscreants resorted to unprovoked firing from Kanto Sabal towards Chingmang village during the intervening night of June 18-19. The soldier sustained a gunshot wound and was evacuated to Military Hospital Leimakhong and is currently stable. As Manipur is still witnessing incidents like arson, the state government on Tuesday extended the ban on the internet by five more days till June 25 with immediate effect in an effort to prevent further disturbance to peace. The data services have been banned in view of the persisting unrest in the state. Violence gripped Manipur on May 3 after clashes erupted during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Ahead of the Opposition show of unity in Patna, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Thursday termed the meeting organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as more about joining of hands than hearts. Mayawatis party has not been invited for the meeting scheduled for Friday, with JDU chief spokesperson K C Tyagi saying We have invited those parties that are willing to fight against the BJP in 2024. Targeting the parties which are slated to participate in the meeting, Mayawati said it does not seem from their attitude that they are serious about their objective in Uttar Pradesh. Eighty Lok Sabha seats in UP are said to be the key to electoral success, but it does not seem from the attitude of the opposition parties that they are serious and truly concerned about their objective here. Without the right priorities, will the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections here really bring about the necessary change? she said. In a series of tweets in Hindi, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, It is clear from the condition of Bahujans in the country that parties like the BJP and Congress are not capable of implementing the humanistic egalitarian constitution framed by BR Ambedkar. In such a scenario, the Patna meeting of opposition leaders by Nitish Kumar on June 23 is more about joining of hands than hearts. Keeping in mind the preparations for the next Lok Sabha elections, it would have been better if these parties had tried to instil general confidence in the people with clear intentions. How long will Muh me Ram bagal me chhuri (speaking praise on face and stabbing in the back) last? she added. Top leaders of Opposition parties will brainstorm at a meeting in Patna on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Maharashtras former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. It is being hosted by the Bihar Chief Minister and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav here. From UP, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will be attending the meet. On reports that Mayawati will be skipping the meeting, Tyagi said, When we have not invited them (BSP), then why are they saying they are not coming to attend the meeting. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In a recent incident that has sparked massive outrage online, a housing society in Bengaluru has issued a set of instructions to maids, asking them not to roam in common areas. Now, this has drawn criticism from Twitter users and shed light on the prevailing biases within gated societies across Indian cities. The controversy came to light when a Twitter user named Vibin Babuurajan shared a screenshot of a circular that outlined the instructions. The circular stated that residents were feeling uncomfortable due to the presence of maids in common areas. The society urged them to stay in designated waiting areas during their breaks. The rationale provided was that security personnel were unable to monitor the common areas effectively. The circular also mentioned that some residents had stopped using the sofas in the building reception as it is used by cooks, carpenters, and plumbers. residents of a bangalore society confusing class and being a classist pic.twitter.com/0pbeBUpDJc Vibin Babuurajan (@vibinbaburajan) June 21, 2023 The online community strongly condemned these discriminatory practices and questioned the inhumanity of residents. Many Twitter users highlighted that such restrictions were often justified under the pretext of security concerns but were rooted in unfounded biases. These stereotype individuals from lower-income backgrounds as potential criminals or unclean. And they don't mind the same maids slogging away in their homes. And the last para? Go sit on the sofas at your homes then. These are hardworking people who run your lives for you. Varsh (@varshabagadia) June 21, 2023 The comments section of the tweet was filled with criticism of this behaviour. Users pointed out the hypocrisy of accepting domestic workers inside their homes to cook and clean while considering their presence in common spaces unpleasant. One user noted, The same maid roaming in your house, cooking for you, cleaning for you is okay. But seeing them around you in the park is troublesome? Pathetic! The same maid roaming in your house, cooking for you, cleaning for you is ok. But seeing them around you in the park is troublesome? Pathetic! Shadab Mozaffar (@ShadabMozaffar) June 21, 2023 Amid the backlash, another Twitter user proposed an alternative solution: The solution to not having to see maids everywhere is to do your own mopping and dishwashing. The solution to not having to see maids everywhere is to do your own mopping and dishwashing. the akshay (@theakshay) June 21, 2023 The incident in Bengaluru serves as a reminder of the prevailing biases and discriminatory practices that persist within gated communities across Indian cities. It highlights the urgent need for society to confront these. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary will skip the opposition leaders huddle in Patna on Friday due to a family programme. However, he expressed hope the meeting will be an important milestone in the path of opposition unity. Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar has called a meeting of opposition parties to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In a letter to Kumar that was shared on the official Twitter handle of the RLD on Thursday, Chaudhary said he could not attend the meeting due to a predetermined family programme. The way authoritarian and communal forces are posing a threat to democracy and social harmony in the country, it is the need of the hour to unite the opposition parties of the same ideology. By discussing the important problems and challenges of the country, the entire opposition can present a far-reaching, practical plan in front of the public, Chaudhary said in his letter. This way, we can together bring a meaningful change in the country in line with the aspirations of the youth, women, farmers and the underprivileged sections of the society, he said. Extending his best wishes for the success of the meeting, the RLD chief said, I am sure that this meeting will prove to be an important milestone in the path of opposition unity. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtras former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has not been invited for the opposition meeting, with JD(U) chief spokesperson K C Tyagi saying We have invited those parties that are willing to fight against the BJP in 2024. The BSP says it will not become part of an alliance, then why should we waste our invitation, he told PTI. (With inputs from PTI) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Its time for the big visit of the Prime Minister to the United States, and corridors of power are humming with activity. Breaking news is constantly updated, with reports of large acquisitions like 30 MQ-9 Reaper drones, in addition to the massive General Electric deal to manufacture aircraft engines in India. The armed forces will be delighted with any other capability they can garner. But as files move and officials run around, there is an area more important than weapons or their development. That is getting men and material to the border and back. To fight, you first need to be there, and quickly. Thats quite a challenge in the Himalayas, where mountains can quickly crumble and fall. The crumbling mountains The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has done a stellar job in building roads at breakneck speed, given the urgency to keep vital logistics flowing to the China border. This is a hostile territory in more ways than one. Expert studies observe that at least 29.2 per cent of major landslides, for instance in Uttarakhand has been caused by erratic road construction. Research points to severe instability of road cut slopes in the Sikkim Himalayas as a major hazard due again to insufficiency in taking geological factors into account. The Himalayas are the only instance in the world of a continental-continental collision (collision of Indian and Eurasian plates) and therefore an infrastructure challenge, to put it mildly. The ministry has been active in finding solutions, using technology for slope stabilisation in avalanche-prone areas of Arunachal Pradesh with a project of Rs 63 crore. Thats money well spent. While meticulous cost estimates have been made by the Public Works Department (with a 20 per cent overhead for environmental protection), the truth is that the actual costs of cutting down thousands of trees are incalculable. The sinking of Joshimath is only one example of unplanned construction. Kinnaur has seen the same phenomenon, while Nainital is a disaster waiting to happen, with even recently constructed roads crumbling. Climate change adds hugely to the problem. All of this is the concern of those whose business it is to get armaments and troops to the border. Projects which lead to environmental devastation also cause political frays and local resentment. That should concern state governments in particular. Solutions have to therefore consider a holistic view. US Department of Defence adapts to climate change The US Department of Defence (DoD) has already identified climate change as a national security issue observing that Climate change will continue to amplify operational demands on the force, degrade installations and infrastructure resilience, increase health risks and require modifications to existing and planned equipment needs. DoD has submitted a Climate Risk Analysis to the National Security Council, with sensitive redactions, and a Climate Adaptation Plan that includes climate-related tasking, as well as working with local, state and federal partners to protect key installations and ranges, enhancing natural infrastructure solutions, preserving critical species and habitats, and importantly, cooperating with local communities, with a special fund and a lead office for the purpose. In its typically thorough fashion, a simple climate adaptation guide has been issued to commanders on the ground. All of this is relevant to the Indian armed forces regarding its infrastructural plans. Indias Parvatmala is a beginning To an extent, the India-US cooperation has already begun. A forthcoming satellite, NISAR, jointly developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will map the most earthquake-prone regions in the Himalayas with unprecedented regularity, thereby also giving advance warning of land subsidence that has damaged strategic roads leading to the Chinese border. This cooperation could be usefully extended to consider alternative corridors to move troops, logistics or local produce. Such a dual approach ensures defence capability, backed by local and state government support. MoRTH has already started an innovative scheme called Parvatmala a national ropeway scheme, announcing three bids including the longest and possibly highest ropeway in the world, at 11,500 feet, the 9.7-km-long Gaurikund-Kedarnath ropeway project, an environmentally sustainable way for the Kedarnath trek. Nitin Gadkari, minister of MoRTH, recently invited European industries to participate. That contributes to building experience in highly hostile terrain. Taking a leap into R&D The needs of the military are far more stringent, with just one battalion roughly 900 troops requiring some 10 tonnes of supplies a day. Take that forward to a brigades requirements, and its mind-boggling. As of now, trucks ply continuously over roads that are increasingly avalanche-prone, leading to delays which are manageable in peacetime. Its a different story during a prolonged Ukraine-type conflict. Ways to modify cable transit systems like aerial tramways capable of moving up to 230 people per car for troops and possibly equipment, or cable cranes for heavy lift need to be explored. Involving a series of cables, towers, and cabins on a continuous loop, it can allow troops or cargo to be transported in high-altitude regions, even in adverse weather conditions, from logistics hubs in the valley. These are electrically powered, produce zero direct emissions, and occupy relatively small land. Again, remote villages can use the same infrastructure, to move easily to the plains, which otherwise takes weeks. Also, these systems would be in the inner valleys, preventing hostile action by air. True, there are significant challenges for their use in the rugged Himalayas, particularly in terms of power source and load-carrying capacities, which requires both countries to use innovation to find solutions. There are other ways. Former Director General of the Border Roads Organisation Lt Gen Ravi Shankar has long been advocating heavy-duty barges, capable of a 1,000-tonne load for moving up rivers for faster logistics. Thats particularly useful in the North East. None of this is to say that road projects need to be abandoned. Stabilisation studies could take army engineers on board given their vast experience, plus allowing some reverse exposure to new technology. However, state governments need to cry a halt to non-strategic roads in Uttarakhand in particular and consider ropeway solutions that are likely to boost their popularity and electability, rather than tearing down the mountains. Sceptics will scoff, but think of Henry Ford who famously quipped, If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses. Capability means taking that leap. The author is a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi. She tweets @kartha_tara. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The year was 1945, the world was still reeling from a six-year-long war that had left economies and people devastated. What was needed was strong and decisive leadership one that could lead the way as a new era dawned upon the world. In a nutshell, this is a highly compressed version of what led to the formation of the United Nations (UN), on 24 October 1945, over 75 years ago. At the time, Indias revolutionary movement was at a head, our struggle for freedom was reaching a crescendo and unsurprisingly, the colonial occupiers were forced to relinquish control in less than two years not before they ruptured the very fabric of our motherland by diving India and Pakistan. 75 years have passed since then; a lot has changed. In fact, with respect to both the aforementioned events i.e. the formation of the United Nations and the independence of India, a lot has changed internally, externally and globally. While India seems to have evolved into a globally appreciated nation that has embraced modern sensibilities but has learnt from its millennia-old past that championed inclusion and equality, the UN seems to have devolved into a protectionist and isolated organisation that continues to stick to an eight-decade-old position which has become highly irrelevant today. Today, India is the worlds fifth-largest economy, it sends the highest number of UN peacekeepers, it is home to over 18 per cent of the worlds population and yet, at the UN the age-old rules that only 5 nations may have a seat at the permanent table dictate that India is pushed to a mere participatory role. Moreover, this disparity is further amplified if we consider that India has the worlds largest population of youth as well as the worlds third-largest startup ecosystem for whom the UNs messaging has been discouraging at best. At a time when the world is becoming increasingly digital, India makes 46 per cent of the worlds real-time transactions in a year and yet, our bid for a permanent seat at the UN is still spoken about in hushed tones. When India has the credentials, when India has the history, when India has time and again showcased its commitment to global good why then are we still a non-permanent member? To use PM Modis iconic quote, The people of India have been waiting for a long time for the completion of the reforms of the United Nations. Today, people of India are concerned whether this reform-process will ever reach its logical conclusion? For how long will India be kept out of the decision-making structures of the United Nations? In the last nine years alone, Indias role in global affairs has expanded exponentially and with it has expanded Indias global footprint. Today, in addition to 140 crore Indians at home, we are the worlds largest diaspora with over 1.8 crore Indians living in countries around the world. Consider this, when the COVID-19 pandemic eased, over 13 lakh Indians took up jobs around the world; all in 2022 alone. In 2021, Indians sent home around $89 billion in remittances, thats equal to what the Filipinos, the French and the Germans sent home in remittances combined! At the UN, ignoring Indias clout has become impossible and yet, for some unknown reason, the sidelining continues. Take for example our election to the UN Security Council (UNSC) in 2021-22 for a two-year term with over 95 per cent of the votes polled in our favour; not to mention that this was the eighth time in the UNs 77 years of existence that India was voted into the UNSC. India was also voted into the UN Statistical Commission for a four-year term with over 86 per cent of the votes polled in Indias favour. In 2022, we added 10 iconic destinations to UNESCOs list of world heritage sites. In 2021, we were elected to the UN Economic Council and the UN Human Rights Council. A year before that, it was the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Let us also remember that 29 crore doses, affordable medicines and life-saving drugs by tonnes were sent to nations across the world all because of Prime Minister Narendra Modis commitment to the ancient Indian ideal of Vasudhaiva Kutumbhakam (The world in one family). Now lets look at our leadership potential India currently presides over the G20, India ensured that the strides we made towards mainstreaming Solar Power were shared with the world with the International Solar Alliance (a global grouping of over 100 nations). At the UN headquarters, India spearheaded the establishment of the Gandhi Solar Park with a $1 million grant. Similarly, Indias proposal to observe 21 June as the International Day Yoga was endorsed by a record 175 member states thats close to 91 per cent. Each year millions around the world come together to practice yoga and adopt this ancient Indian science as the key to health and disciplined life this year, with the theme of Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbhakam Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a historic yoga session at the United Nations itself. A similar proposal from India to observe 2023 as the International Day of Millets was also unanimously supported by the UN and its members. Millets, a highly nutritious superfood, require a lesser amount of water and care to grow and have the potential to become a pillar of ensuring global security in the world. One may ask what grounds does India have to make such a proposal, well, India did successfully run the worlds largest food security programme the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana feeding over 80 crore Indians through the toughest years of a once-in-a-century pandemic. We must also remember that this was done in tandem with the worlds largest voluntary vaccination drive under which more than 220 crore vaccines have been administered in the fastest possible time. Not to mention the worlds largest health insurance scheme the Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana that has ensured that hospital admissions for over 4 crore Indians were covered, saving upwards of Rs. 50,000 crore. Dozens of nations have called for a permanent seat for India at the UNSC because India has emerged as a voice for the developing world. An example is Indias call for greater representation of African nations at the UNSC and the fact that when it comes to the Global South, it is India that nations look up to; it is India that millions would like to see as a proponent of their demands; it is India that more than half the world trusts; it is time that the other minority half accepts it too. The author is an anchor for New India Junction, a prominent news and analysis channel. Views are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Pakistan, a nation founded on the principles of the Two-Nation Theory, was envisioned as a sanctuary for adherents of Islama new state dedicated to safeguarding the political rights and interests of Muslims from British India. The creation of Pakistan as a nation with the aim of safeguarding Muslim interests, especially Muslim elite (Ashraf) interests, encountered a tragic irony as internal conflicts led to severe atrocities against Muslims themselves. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, address to the Constituent Assembly, 11 August 1947: You are free: you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in the State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed-that has nothing to do with the business of the State We are starting with this fundamental principle: That we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State. Now I think we should keep that in front of us as our ideal and you will find that in course of time Hindus would cease to be Hindus and Muslims would cease to be Muslims, not so in the religious sense because that is the personal faith of each individual, but in the political sense as a citizen of the State. The initial vision for Pakistan during the partition differed greatly from its current state. It aimed to be an inclusive nation, granting equal rights to all citizens irrespective of their caste, creed, or religion while respecting their religious beliefs. However, Pakistan has struggled to uphold these ideals, failing to provide equal treatment, and falling short of its founding principles. Simultaneously, in a remarkable contrast, India, accused of Hindu bias towards Muslims and denying them fair representation, established itself as a nation that embraces the equality of all Muslims, irrespective of their sectarian affiliations granting them the freedom to voice their opinions and lead secure lives. As a young Muslim woman in India, I deeply appreciate the freedom to express myself, voice my opinions, and lead a secure and liberated life. Indias rich tapestry of cultures, religions, and languages has created an environment where I can fearlessly embrace my identity. The unity, tolerance, and respect embedded in Indias ethos, along with its constitutional guarantees, ensure my equal rights and empower me to pursue my dreams and contribute to the nations progress. I am grateful for Indias inclusive and progressive spirit, which enables me to thrive in a vibrant democracy. Today, every Indian is aware of how medieval mindsets have resulted in the complete annihilation of minority rights in Islamist nations like Pakistan. The country is a failed state and has totally marginalised any liberal voice that is critical of elements that have hindered the countrys progress. Violence and discrimination against Pakistans religious minorities such as Ahmadis, Christians, and Hindus have intensified to a level where many live in daily fear of violence or harassment. But, within the realm of Indian politics, certain factions of the left-liberal spectrum have perpetuated misleading narratives that suggest India is not a safe place for Muslims. These assertions, often based on selective incidents and biased interpretations, do a disservice to the harmonious coexistence and religious diversity that characterise India. While it is important to address any instances of discrimination or prejudice, it is equally crucial to recognize that India has a long history of upholding secular values and protecting the rights of its citizens, regardless of their religious affiliations. India, as an independent nation, was established with a secular constitution, acknowledging its multi-religious identity despite having a Hindu majority. The Union Finance Minister herself said violence prevails against Muhajirs, Shias, and other minority groups in Pakistan, whereas, in India, every strand of the Muslim community is doing its business. It is completely true, whereas the left-liberal narratives relentless focus on linking Indias safety with Pakistan and its tendency to amplify isolated incidents can undermine the progress made in fostering communal harmony and deflect attention from the myriad stories of Muslims thriving in India and working towards nation building, contributing to its vibrant tapestry of cultural pluralism. There are so many Indian Muslim celebrities, sportspersons, politicians, businessmen, etc. who have poured dedication, talent, and achievements towards nation-building and have been commendable, playing a vital role in shaping Indias progress and cultural diversity. From athletes like Sufiya Sufi, Muskan Khan, and Abdulla Aboobacker Narangolintevida, to leaders such as A P J Abdul Kalam and Zakir Husain Khan, and entrepreneurs like Azim Premji and Yusuf Khwaja Hamied. Not to mention the notable presence of celebrities like Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, and musicians like A. R Rahman and Salim-Sulaiman Merchant. Their achievements have had a significant impact on the nation and deserve appreciation. These celebrities not only have the fundamental liberty to practice and excel in their profession of choice but, they also have fundamental rights of dissenting and criticising the government whenever they feel the need to do so. A fine illustration of this would be when Farhan Akhtar while being clueless about the CAA-NRC was dissenting and criticising the government for enacting the same. Contrastingly, the celebrities in Pakistan were terrified to speak up in favour of Imran Khan given the current circumstances of the case made out against him. If Big celebrities live under such constant fear of the Pakistani Army one can only wonder what a common citizen would be going through, especially someone who is a minority considering the religiously fanatical nature of the Pakistani Army. For instance, established journalist and activist, Gul Bukhari who is a vocal critic of the Pakistani Army was abducted for openly criticising the military and its alleged meddling in politics. One of the key reasons why fundamental liberties are strongly upheld for Indian citizens, regardless of their religion, is the robust separation of powers among the legislature, judiciary, and executive. In contrast, Pakistan has experienced constitutional replacements and an imbalance between the parliament, judiciary, and military, leading to limited enjoyment of fundamental liberties. The lack of separation of powers and failure to clarify the militarys role in politics and the economy have allowed the military to exert influence, depriving Pakistani citizens of cherished liberties. Thus, when citizens cannot even enjoy something as simple as the right to free speech, one wonders to what extent would someone who is a minority be able to enjoy these fundamental rights, let alone the right to equality. Whilst politicians are not absolved of responsibility, it is vital to stress the need for the militarys non-interference in politics in Pakistan. Whereas in India it is strictly the sole duty of the military to protect the borders with a significant budget, warranting their exclusive focus on national security. Interestingly, there has not been any single instance where the Indian military has interfered with the political sphere in any manner nor engaged in actively supporting or funding terror organisations in any manner. It is a well-known fact that during the Kargil War, the Pakistani Army had not only funded and provided terrorists with weapons and gears for high-altitude warfare but they had also worked alongside them in violating Indias territorial integrity. It is the attitude of Pakistan in supporting and conniving with terrorist outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) that resulted in Pakistan being put on the infamous grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Global Watchdog on Terror Financing and Money laundering, for a period of 4 years. It is pertinent to note that these terror outfits are religiously driven by radical Islam and on the idea of Gazwa-e-Hind wherein they see all non-muslims as kaffirs who ought to be converted to Islam even if it is with the use of force or terror. This highlights the religiously fanatical nature of the Pakistani Military which is also the ruler of the country and is very problematic as far as minorities and their rights are concerned. This is also a reasonable explanation for why the demographic percentage of non-muslims has significantly dwindled since the creation of Pakistan and highlights the anti-minority nature of the state. Whereas a perusal of the census would reveal the exponential growth of non-Hindus in India since independence. India is home to left liberals who often portray themselves as victims and exhibit an excessive preoccupation with Pakistan, both in the media and on the international stage while spinning a web of lies in connivance with the Islamists to falsely portray the country as anti-minority in nature. In essence, a society under the dominance of Islamists is characterised by disorder, turmoil, and unrest. Their allegiance lies solely with their own community and faith, without any attachment to any nation or group. They are willing to employ extreme methods to achieve their goals, even if it means turning against their own allies if they challenge their religious beliefs. Additionally, the left-liberals often publicly state that they would be better off living in Pakistan. But if anything, it becomes clear that this puffery is made with the intention of highlighting Pakistan in a good light even when the citizens of Pakistan might feel otherwise. By perpetuating the belief that India is a living hell for Muslims, they unintentionally align themselves with the Pakistani agenda, which ultimately stems from a specific mindset. Embracing a more nuanced and inclusive approach, Indian Muslims, and especially the youth of our country can contribute to strengthening national unity and harmony while countering divisive agendas. Thus, it is crucial for Indian nationalists to actively challenge this narrative and for Muslim youngsters to maintain a balanced perspective. In light of the contrasting narratives surrounding Indias inclusive tapestry and Pakistans struggles with minority rights, it is essential for us to reflect and ask ourselves: How can we challenge misleading narratives and promote unity and inclusivity in our own communities? What steps can we take to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their religion or background, are treated with dignity, respect, and equality? The author is a final year LL.B student at O.P Jindal Global University and is a Bachelors in Global Affairs from the same university. She writes articles on womens rights, technology and law. Views are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Amid the media hype and hysteria over Narendra Modis ongoing visit to the United States with the chattering classes in both countries shouting over each other to be heard what has been noticeable is how both sides appear determined to remain fixated on deliverables and tangible outcomes. It is easy to overlook this intent beneath the pageantry and racket that entails a state visit to the US. Being the richest and most powerful country in the world has its perks. The Americans are masters of marketing and branding exercises. If they want to convey the impression that India matters in Washington DC, that message will be delivered loud and clear. Constituencies opposed to this visit arent silent either. Western mainstream media, that suffers from an intrinsic distrust of Modi and his nationalist government at the Centre, has been left scratching its head over the respect, recognition, and lavish welcome the Joe Biden administration has showered on the prime minister. It includes, among other things, an all-veg menu for the state dinner personally overseen by Jill Biden where millets are the showstoppers, with a side of saffron-infused risotto. On signalling, the hosts are leaving no stone unturned. It has triggered a bemused reaction from western media that is accusing the Biden administration of betrayal while some claim that the charm offensive is all about China. Some members of the Democratic Party have lived up to their reputation by announcing they would boycott Modis address to the joint session of the US Congress. The list includes usual suspects such as anti-Semite and radical Islamist Ilhan Omar, Rashia Tlaib, and lawmaker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Pramila Jayapal, leader of the progressive caucus, has mobilized some Democrat members to urge Biden to press Modi on human rights but has remained silent on accusations that her actions are funded by Pakistan-appointed lobbyists. Yet in the larger scheme of things these discordant notes, though inevitable, are not only insignificant but also inconsequential because Americas investment in India is bipartisan, consistent, and scalable a feature of its foreign policy for over two decades. On the other side, India has grown steadily close to the US in terms of strategic alignment, bilateral trade and investment, technological collaboration and defence cooperation despite its stated policy of strategic autonomy and Cold War-era misgivings and issues of distrust, and beyond the old slogans of non-alignment. The Biden administration is aware, however, that for the relationship to set new benchmarks and for Modis first official state visit to the United States to serve as a real springboard and a pivotal moment in ties, it must ensure tangible outcomes and deliverables. Optimism around US-India ties have often been typified as a case of over-promise and under-delivery. Even now that the Americans have pulled out all stops for Modis visit, charges of talk shop have been frequently thrown at an event that the Biden administration has billed as unprecedented. Speaking to reporters at a press meet Tuesday, Americas national security adviser Jake Sullivan called Modis visit a hinge moment and ties with India one of the defining relationships of the 21st century. Yet to prove that it is actually so, and not just a catchword, both sides are aware that they need to deliver. Mooring the foundation of US-India economic ties especially in the defence technology sector and integrating the defence industrial bases of both nations through co-production and co-development can only be done through a formalization of the bureaucratic process, mobilization of export control regulations, coopting multiple stakeholders in the procedure and instilling in various constituencies involved in the development a sense of ownership. What differentiates Modis current visit and the promised results from this sojourn is that a lot of painstaking planning, give-and-take and laying down of well-defined agendas has been done before Modi emplaned for the US. And all this has been done keeping in mind the fact, as Sullivan told Hindustan Times in an interview, that you will see outcomes from this visit that show the gathering momentum in US-India ties and show that we are actually delivering in reality to back up the positive words between our two leaders and between our two countries. GE Aerospace, the US-based aircraft engine supplier, announced Thursday that it is signing an MoU with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to produce engines for Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets. In a press note, the American firm said the deal includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospaces F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorization for this. The effort is part of the IAF Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk2 program. The company called it a major milestone amidst prime minister Modis official state visit and a key element in strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries. Sceptics will point to the fact that despite promises of transfer of technology (ToT), which according to some Indian media reports could be in the region of 80% of value and technology during co-production of the engines, nothing has been laid out in stone yet beyond assurances from the American establishment that the deal will be transformative, and that India will have access to designs and sensitive technology involving more tech transfer than the US has ever authorized, that apparently signifies breaking through into new frontiers. Promises were made that there would be no black boxes, and nothing would be off the table. These are tall claims. The scepticism is normal. US export control mechanisms that were put in place to protect American technologies involved in defence and critical sectors from falling into wrong hands during the height of Cold War have instead been plaguing and hampering technology-sharing with its closest allies and partners. The Australians had bought into the AUKUS promise of Americans sharing nuclear-submarine technology. Now they are caught in maze of export control regulations such as International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Frustrated Australians are blaming the delay on permafrost layer of middle management in the US government, wading through which apparently feels like death by a thousand cuts. The scepticism that India will get access to sensitive technologies that the Americans consider as the crown jewel of their technological advancement and zealously guard with a bevy of export control and other regulatory mechanisms apart from the fact that it requires ratification from the US Congress therefore appears genuine. This scepticism was expressed by none other than NSA Ajit Doval, when he had visited Washington DC in January, when talks of fleshing out the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) were being held with his counterpart Sullivan. The iCET was conceptualized by Biden and Modi on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders Summit in Tokyo on 24 May, 2022. At a recent event, Doval recalled, I was very excited but I was also sceptical. I was not very sure whether the idea would take off. Today, I am much more confident and hopeful, and it is because of not what has happened in the government but because of response of the industry, of the scientists and research scholars and institutions, who took the matter in much greater speed. This is an example of involving the middle layer of technocrats, domain experts and institutions that would own and eventually take forward the process. According to a report in The Hindu, Doval billed iCET as the framework that will provide an orbital jump in bilateral strategic ties and a very important element in this entire matter. The importance of iCET, the potential of what it can do, and how it has been conceptualized to cut through the permafrost that has hampered previous attempts at co-production of sensitive technologies, have gone underreported in India. What separates this from the stillborn Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) is that the process takes into account the logistical, navigational and procedural issues that DTTI had thrown up. At every step of the process, there are well-laid-out bureaucratic structures formulated to address specific concerns. It is not a coincidence, for instance, that Modis ongoing visit was preceded by a meeting of the first US-India Strategic Trade Dialogue in June, so that all hurdles under the ITAR and EAR are smoothened for US companies to do engage in joint and production of hi-tech systems such as aircraft engines, munition technologies and armed drones in India. The Strategic Trade Dialogue was the first step. On Wednesday, the Pentagon and Indias Ministry of Defence jointly launched the India-US Defense Acceleration Ecosystem, called (INDUS-X), to expand the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between both governments, businesses, and academic institutions. According to a fact sheet released by the Biden administration, this initiative builds on a commitment by the US and Indian National Security Advisors in January 2023 to launch an Innovation Bridge to connect US and Indian defence start-ups as part of the iCET. The readout is self-explanatory. The end goal of iCET is to enable India a country which is at the heart of Americas deterrence strategy against China to get access to critical, advanced technologies through frameworks such as INDUX that goes into granular issues involving procurement, export controls, and industrial security with government, industry, and academia. This is why comparing the GE-HAL deal to produce jet engines for IAF fighter aircraft isnt comparable to the US-India civil nuclear deal but the iCET is, because its possibilities are endless. It is the well-structured gateway to a range of potentials and options that addresses and bridges the key asymmetry of purpose between India and the United States the former wants technological help from the US to develop its indigenous defence industry, while the latter wants to involve and include India in its security framework. iCET shows the way how it can be done keeping the interests of both in play. The writer is Deputy Executive Editor, Firstpost. He tweets @sreemoytalukdar. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. A few weeks ago when Rahul Gandhi gave a good character certificate to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) glibly declaring it as a secular party, he inadvertently triggered a debate about its own secular credentials. The Bharatiya Janata Partys reaction was predictable. But it is revealing that his claim has raised eyebrows even among Congress traditional alliesthe Left and secular Muslims. They have questioned not only his claim about IUML but its own secularism. By the way, Rahul Gandhis enthusiastic endorsement of IUML came during a media interaction at the National Press Club in Washington. Questioned about his partys alliance with the IUML in Kerala while talking about secularism, he claimed: Muslim League is a completely secular party. There is nothing non-secular about the Muslim League. After the BJP, the Communist Party of India (CPI) was first to question his assertion. Its Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam told the media that though his party did not consider the IUML a communal political party in the way Popular Front of India was, it had frequently flirted with communalism. He warned the CPI (M)-led United Democratic Front (UDF), of which the CPI is a part, against aligning with IUML. The UDF has since ruled out any alliance with IUML. Many prominent Muslim leaders such as Shahid Siddiqui, once closely associated with the Congress, have accused the party of using Muslims for votes in the name of secularism and then betraying them in their hour of need. A widely cited example of the partys double-speak on secularism is Priyanka Gandhis ostentatious public embrace of Hindu rituals while launching the Congress poll campaign in Madhya Pradesh barely days after viciously attacking the BJP for using Hindu symbols and rituals at the opening of the new Parliament building. Not surprisingly, the BJP was quick to accuse it of hypocrisy. The problem is that much of Indian politics is still stuck in the old binary secularism versus communalism debate. A phoney debate started by the Congress and the Left way back in another era to distinguish their liberal inclusive politics from the RSS and Jana Sanghs Hindu-centred agenda. The Left remains largely inclusive, but the Congress claim to secularism has taken a massive beating after years of flirting with regressive elements in both communities. Its ambiguous role in the Ayodhya movement attempt to run with the hare while hunting with the hounds left both sides fuming. One accusing it of Muslim appeasement, the other of betrayal. Muslims were so disgusted that they abandoned it in droves. Liberal Hindus had already dumped it over the Shah Bano case when under pressure from Muslim hardliners it got Parliament to overturn the Supreme Court judgement awarding maintenance to an old divorcee a victim of triple talaq. I have always maintained, including in these columns, that there was no such thing as a Muslim golden age under the Congress rule. It is now endorsed in a new book, Another India: The Making of the Worlds Largest Muslim Minority, 1947-77 by Oxford University historian Pratinav Anil. Hailed as an eye-opener by reviewers, it contends that many of the problems Muslims face today institutional discrimination, under-representation in government services and parliament are a Congress legacy as catalogued by the Sachar Committee report on the status of Indian Muslims published in 2006. Among other things, it claims that Muslim marginalisation actually began in Jawaharlal Nehrus own life-time. Fast forward to the present and nothing illustrates its slender grasp of new Indias political reality more starkly than its attempt at framing the Karnataka verdict as a decisive rejection of Hindutva agenda and therefore a triumph of secularism. Indeed, it claims that the Karnataka outcome marks the beginning of the end of the era of BJP brand of politics. A notion that goes against conventional wisdom that what happened in Karnataka was nothing more than a protest vote against the incumbent BJP-led government of Basavaraj Bommai following accusations of poor governance and institutional corruption. The Congress own election campaign focused on local issues. It brought up the issue of communalism almost as an afterthought. But, giddy with success, it has started to believe its own spin and is talking about replicating the Karnataka model in other states. The country, it is claimed, is ready for change and all that is needed to trigger it is a semblance of Opposition unity. A fantasy given its own state and the odds against credible Opposition unity. The fact, as Prof Hilal Ahmed of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies pointed out in a recent article (Does Opposition Understand the Muslim vote?) non-BJP parties still do not have any counter -narrative to challenge BJPs Hindutva-driven nationalism. Consequently, they also follow what political observers call soft Hindutva. Given the continuing popularity of Narendra Modi despite all the criticism, the Congress and its Opposition allies can be forgiven for believing that their survival lies in imitating the BJP to win over Hindu voters. But it is unlikely to work as people are bound to ask why should they settle for an imitation when they are happy with the original? Not surprisingly, non-BJP parties find themselves in a blind alley. What they need is a more credible strategy than constantly invoking outdated ideological labels to fight their political opponents. Recently, the French President Emmanuel Macron chided his cabinet colleagues for their excessive focus on fascist past of Marine Le Pens Far Right National Rally party than its policies. You will not be able to make millions of French people who voted for the far right believe that they are fascists, he said urging them instead on her policies and warning that words from the 1990s which no longer work. It is time that the Congress realised this and instead of continuing to flog its sham secularism it should concentrate on real bread-and-butter issues. People dont care anymore about the ideological colour of the cat so long as it catches the mice. The writer is an independent columnist and the author of Unmasking Indian Secularism: Why We Need A New Hindu-Muslim Deal. Views are personal. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Chinese authorities on Thursday said that as many as 31 people were killed and seven injured in a massive cooking gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwest China. According to the official Xinhua News Agency, the explosion occurred at around 8:40 pm on a main street in Yinchuan, the capital of the historically Muslim Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, as people were assembling on the night of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday. The festival is a national holiday devoted to eating rice dumplings and racing boats manned by teams of paddlers. Online news site The Paper cited a woman identified only by her surname Chen saying she had been about 50 meters (164 feet) from the restaurant when she heard the explosion. She described seeing two waiters emerge from the restaurant afterward, one of whom collapsed immediately, while thick smoke billowed from the restaurant and a strong smell of cooking gas permeated the area. The Central Governments Ministry of Emergency Management said on its social media account that search and rescue work at the restaurant was completed early Thursday morning and investigators were sent to determine the cause of the blast. Industrial accidents of this type are a regular occurrence in China, usually attributed to poor government supervision, corruption, cost-cutting measures by employers and little safety training for employees. At least nine people were killed in an explosion at a Chinese petrochemical plant, and three others died in a helicopter crash during the countrys May Day holiday. In February, 53 miners were killed in the collapse of a massive open pit coal mine in the northern region of Inner Mongolia, leading to numerous arrests, and four people were detained over a fire at an industrial trading company in central China in November that killed 38 people. The central government has pledged stronger safety measures since an explosion in 2015 at a chemical warehouse in the northern port city of Tianjin killed 173 people, most of them firefighters and police officers. In that case, a number of local officials were accused of having taken bribes to ignore safety violations. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has filed a lawsuit against Amazon, accusing the tech giant of engaging in deceptive practices to enroll consumers into its paid subscription program, Amazon Prime, and making it challenging for them to cancel their subscriptions. The FTCs complaint, filed in Seattle where Amazon is headquartered, alleges that the company knowingly misled millions of consumers into unknowingly signing up for Amazon Prime through a secret internal project called Iliad. The agency claims that Amazon utilized manipulative and coercive user-interface designs, known as dark patterns, to trick consumers into automatically renewing their Prime subscriptions. According to the complaint, Amazon made it more difficult for consumers to purchase items on its platform without subscribing to Prime. In some cases, consumers were presented with a transaction completion button that didnt clearly indicate they would also be enrolled in Prime. The FTC argues that Amazons actions violated the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act. The lawsuit signifies the first legal action taken by the FTC against Amazon since Chair Lina Khan assumed her role in 2021. Khan, a former antitrust scholar, has been expected to adopt a tougher stance on regulating tech firms that have experienced significant growth with minimal regulation. The FTC asserts that one of Amazons primary business goals, along with Prime, is to increase its subscriber numbers. This move by the agency has been praised by antitrust advocates and big tech watchdogs, who call for more stringent action against the e-commerce giant. Prime, launched in 2005, boasts over 200 million members worldwide who pay either $139 annually or $14.99 monthly for benefits such as faster shipping, free delivery, returns, and access to Prime Video streaming service. In the first quarter of this year, Amazon reported $9.6 billion in revenue from subscriptions, a 17% increase from the same period last year. The FTCs lawsuit, although heavily redacted, contains multiple allegations that support its accusations against Amazon. Additionally, the agency accuses Amazon of attempting to obstruct its investigation into Prime on several occasions. In response to the lawsuit, Amazon disputed the FTCs claims, stating that the agency filed the lawsuit without prior notification to the company. Amazon spokesperson Heather Layman expressed disappointment over the absence of customary engagement with commissioners before initiating legal action. Layman emphasized that Amazon strives to provide a clear and simple experience for customers to both sign up for and cancel their Prime memberships. This legal action adds to the heightened regulatory scrutiny Amazon has faced in recent years as it expanded its dominance in e-commerce and ventured into other sectors such as groceries and healthcare. The FTCs lawsuit follows a recent victory against Amazon in which the company agreed to pay a $25 million civil penalty for violating a child privacy law by storing voice and location data from children using its popular Alexa voice assistant. Amazon also agreed to pay $5.8 million in customer refunds for alleged privacy violations related to its doorbell camera Ring. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In a noticeable surge that reflects the ever-evolving dynamics of the automotive industry, Russian imports of Chinese cars experienced a staggering, nearly threefold increase from the months of January to May this year. The remarkable growth was confirmed by a distinguished Russian customs official, who revealed this compelling information while engaged in discussions on the sidelines of the illustrious St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), as exclusively reported by RIA Novosti. China capitalises on US-EU sanctions on Russia Drawing attention to another astonishing development, Ruslan Davydov, an authoritative figure in Russias trade and commerce, highlighted that imports of construction equipment from China underwent a truly awe-inspiring eightfold surge during the same period. This remarkable surge underscores the robust trade relations between the two nations and serves as a testament to the impressive quality and competitive pricing of Chinese construction equipment. Delving deeper into the matter, the customs official attributed this monumental growth in imports from China to the noticeable exodus of Western businesses from the Russian market. Last year saw the departure of major American, European, Japanese, and South Korean automobile makers due to the imposition of sanctions. This unexpected turn of events has inadvertently created an opportune moment for Chinese automobile manufacturers to seize the spotlight and capitalize on the vacant market share left by their Western counterparts. Western businesses are shooting themselves in the foot Unreservedly sharing his insights, Davydov boldly claimed that Western firms, in their haste to comply with political pressures and regulations, are effectively shooting themselves in the foot by voluntarily withdrawing from the thriving Russian market. He also expressed his belief that these companies are missing out on the immense potential and untapped opportunities that exist within the Russian automotive sector, ultimately placing their long-term success and profitability at risk. Shifting gears to the domestic automotive landscape, May was an extraordinary month for automobile sales in Russia, leaving industry insiders astounded. In a testament to the nations unwavering affinity for automobiles, sales soared to unprecedented heights, growing a remarkable 2.6 times. Although slightly lower than the remarkable surge witnessed in April, this remarkable growth signals a sustained and robust demand within the Russian market. Breaking down the numbers, an impressive total of 72,200 cars were sold in the previous month, with the indigenously-produced Russian brand, Lada, claiming a significant chunk of the market share, accounting for a notable 30% of overall sales. China is eating away at Russias domestic automobile production AvtoVAZs Granta came out as the best-selling model on the domestic market. However, a captivating subplot unfolds as the second and third most sought-after brands in the market happen to be Chinese, showcasing the increasingly influential presence of Chinese automobile manufacturers in the hearts and minds of Russian consumers. As the wheels of the automotive industry continue to turn and global market dynamics evolve, the surge in Russian imports of Chinese cars highlights a shifting paradigm. It underscores the resilience and adaptability of the automotive sector, with Chinese manufacturers emerging as a formidable force in an ever-changing landscape. With Western companies willingly ceding their positions, it is evident that the allure of the Russian market persists, calling bold innovators and opportunistic entrepreneurs to forge new paths. The rise of Chinese automobile brands in the domestic market further underscores the discerning tastes of Russian consumers and captures their automotive dreams of owning feature-rich cars. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Democracy is in our DNA, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a joint press conference with President Joe Biden at the White House. A reporter at the press conference asked PM Modi about the steps the Indian government is taking to improve the rights of Muslims and other religious minorities. Replying to her question, Modi said, I am surprised that you think that people say India is a democratic country. India is a democracy. As President Biden said, democracy runs through the DNA of both India and America. It is our spirit and it is in our veins. Democracy is written in our constitution. So no question of discrimination on the grounds of caste, creed or religion arises, he added. He continued saying, This is why India believes in sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayaas and walks ahead with it. #WATCH | We are a democracyIndia & America both have democracy in our DNA. Democracy is in our spirit & we live it and its written in our ConstitutionSo no question of discrimination on the grounds of caste, creed or religion arises. That is why, India believes in sabka pic.twitter.com/orVkCVkLLf ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Stating that India and the United States were walking shoulder to shoulder in every area, Modi also told President Joe Biden that the partnership between the two countries is more important than ever in the changing global order. Speaking at the Oval Office, with President Biden seated opposite him, PM Modi said, I express my gratitude for the grand welcome and for opening the doors of the White House for people from the Indian diaspora. They are in huge numbers here to witness the future course of India-US relations. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Google is actively seeking suppliers and potential manufacturing partners in India and plans to move a vast portion of the production of its Pixel smartphones and other devices from its line up, taking a cue from Apple in its efforts to diversify its device production beyond China, a new Bloomberg report has said. According to insiders who preferred to remain anonymous due to the confidentiality of the matter, Google has initiated preliminary discussions with various companies, including domestic players like Lava International Ltd. and Dixon Technologies India Ltd., as well as Foxconn Technology Groups Indian unit, Bharat FIH. Indias manufacturing prowess in the tech space These potential partners have secured Prime Minister Narendra Modis production-linked financial incentives, which have contributed to the growth of local manufacturing. Apple has already capitalized on this program, expanding its supplier base in India and increasing iPhone production to over $7 billion during the fiscal year ending in March 2023. In response to Chinas stringent Covid lockdowns and the trade dispute between Washington and Beijing, more companies are expressing concerns about relying heavily on China. In light of this, Prime Minister Modi has positioned India as an appealing alternative manufacturing hub. During his upcoming visit to the United States, Modis delegation is expected to engage in discussions regarding the elimination of technological trade barriers and other related topics. When Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw met Sundar Pichai Notably, Indias Cabinet Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, recently met with Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, at the companys headquarters in Mountain View, California. Their conversation centred around Modis push for local manufacturing and Indias government-supported technology initiatives. According to sources, key executives from Google, including Ana Corrales, the operating chief of its consumer hardware division, and Maggie Wei, a senior director of global sustaining product operations, visited India this month for partnership discussions. However, representatives from Lava, Dixon, Google, and Foxconn did not provide any comments when approached for clarification, as per Bloombergs report Counterpoint Research reports that Google manufactured approximately 9 million Pixel smartphones last year. The ongoing discussions in India highlight Googles intention to expand production beyond China and Vietnam. India is a crucial market for Google The Pixel phone is known for its advanced features, and Google utilizes its flagship hardware product to demonstrate the capabilities of its optimized Android operating system and apps. India represents a crucial growth market for Googles services. However, the company has largely observed the dominance of more affordable Chinese phones in the region. Local assembly in India could potentially boost Pixel sales, and if successful, Google may consider shifting the production of other hardware, such as speakers and tablets to India as well, according to insiders. Nonetheless, there is no guarantee that Googles discussions will lead to an agreement, and the company may ultimately decide against manufacturing the Pixel in India, as noted by the sources. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Two Pakistani men have been sentenced to life in prison in Greece for the gang-rape of an 18-year-old British woman. The incident took place in July 2022 on a beach in Rethymno, Crete. The victim, who remains anonymous, was approached by the men while she was sunbathing on a sunbed alongside a beach. They pinned her down and raped her consecutively. The woman immediately reported the crime, leading to the identification and arrest of the perpetrators. During their trial, the two men, 27 and 24 respectively, initially confessed to the gang-rape but later claimed that the woman had consented and that they had stopped when she asked them to. However, the court rejected their claims and sentenced them to life imprisonment. The convicted men plan to appeal the sentence. In a separate incident, two 19-year-old British men were recently released from custody in Greece after being accused of raping a British woman and filming the assault in a hotel room. The victim, a 24-year-old British citizen, alleged that the teenagers assaulted her while she was intoxicated. She claimed that they recorded the attack on their mobile phones after meeting at a bar. The men were released with restrictive conditions and fines but must report to the Greek Embassy in London every month as the investigation continues. Another British tourist, a 20-year-old woman, reported being raped on June 3 during a summer holiday on the Greek island of Rhodes. The incident occurred after she visited a beach with a man she had met online. According to the victim, the 23-year-old Albanian man raped her in the sea and later attempted to rape her again in her hotel room. She managed to fend him off and reported the assault to the police, who subsequently arrested the suspect. He denies the charges and has been released on the condition that he remains in the country while the investigation progresses. These cases highlight the alarming issue of sexual assault against tourists in Greece. The investigations into these incidents continue as the legal process moves forward. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Hailing the growing ties between India and the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Thursday that the sharing of cutting edge defence technology is a bed rock of the relationship between the two nations. Speaking during the joint briefing after a closed door meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House, PM Modi said the deal between HAL and General Electronics (GE) to produce fighter jet engines for the LCA Tejas as part of a transfer of technology agreement is a landmark agreement. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and US has entered a new level after todays talks with President Biden. India-US relationship is not only important for both the nations but also for the world, PM Modi said. Growing defence co-operation between India and the US is a bedrock of our bilateral relations. Casting aside the buyer-seller relationship of earlier times, today we are focusing on transfer of technology, co-development, and co-production. The initiative by GE to produce fighter jet engines in India via transfer of technology is a landmark agreement, he added. Responding to a question about allegations of attacks on religious minorities in India and on democratic freedom PM Modi said, Democracy is part of our culture and DNA. As President Biden says, the democracy is in DNA of India and US. Democracy can deliver and when we talk about democracy, there is no discrimination on basis of caste, creed, religion etc. Democracy is in our spirit and we live it and its written in our Constitution. That is why, India believes in sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayaas and walks ahead with it. PM Modi added that ensuring peace and security in the Indo-Pacific is the joint priority of both countries. Todays date holds immense prominence in the history of the India-US relationship. With the discussion and important decisions today, a new chapter has been added to our comprehensive global strategic partnership, adding a new synergy and direction. Today, the US is Indias largest trading partner. We have decided that we will resolve all the business-related pending matters and make a new start, PM Modi said. Ensuring peace and security in the Indo-Pacific is the joint priority of India and the US and the two countries need to develop a resilient supply chain amid the uncertainties. Acknowledging the necessity of having stringent measures to combat cross-border terrorism amidst the uncertainties prevailing worldwide, he said, We discussed enhancing our Quad partnership. India and the US are walking shoulder to shoulder against terrorism and extremism. We believe that strict measures are needed to stop cross-border terrorismWe have also decided that amid global uncertainties, India and the US will develop reliable, resilient global supply chains and value chains. Our close defence ties represent our mutual trust and common initiatives. PM Modi also highlighted Indias commitment towards issues such as climate change and protection of the environment. Environment & climate have an essential place in Indias culture and tradition. Environment has an important place in our culture. We dont believe in exploitation of nature. India only G20 country that kept promise it took in Paris to protect environment, the prime minister remarked. Earlier, stating that India and the United States were walking shoulder to shoulder in every area, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday told President Joe Biden that the partnership between the two countries is more important than ever in the changing global order. PM Modi, who is on his maiden state visit to the US, received a rousing welcome at the White House from President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Noting that the world order is taking a new shape in the post-Covid era, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that India and the US are committed to working together for the global good and peace, stability and prosperity. Speaking at the White House lawns after the ceremonial welcome, PM Modi said the societies and institutions of both India and the US are based on democratic values and the two countries take pride in diversity. In the post-Covid era, the world order is taking a new shape. In this time period, the friendship between India and US will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world. India and the US are committed to working together for the global good and peace, stability and prosperity, PM Modi said. The societies and institutions of both India and the US are based on democratic values. The constitutions of both countries begin with the three words We The People. Both countries take pride in their diversity and believe in the fundamental principle of Sarv Jan Hitay Sarv Jan Sukhay (interest of all, welfare of all), he added. The Prime Minister talked about the contributions of the Indian-American community. After becoming Prime Minister, I came here many times, but today for the first time that the doors of the White House are open for the Indian-American community in such large numbers. The people of the Indian community are enhancing the countrys honour in the US through their talent hard work and dedication. You are the real strength of our relationship. Today, I thank President Biden and Dr Jill Biden for the honour you have been given, he said. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In what can only be described as a shocking case of marital abuse, a French man drugged his unsuspecting wife every night at their house in Provence and invited at least 51 men to rape her. The man, Dominique P, allegedly contacted the other men on an internet forum called a son insu (without him/her knowing) where members discuss performing sexual acts on their non-consensual partners, who would often be drugged. How did he drug his wife? Dominique P is a pensioner married to his wife Francoise (not her real name) for more than 50 years. The couple shares three adult children. Dominique allegedly mixed anti-anxiety drug Lorazepam into his wifes evening meal before his guests arrived at their home in Mazan, near Carpentras. The guests were members of the forum on the French web chat site, whose exchanges get erased after a few hours and has been linked to criminal investigations liked with pedophilia as well as anti-Semitic content. Sexual acts filmed There was a strict no tobacco and perfume policy inside the house for the invited men, so that strong smells do not awaken the unsuspecting wife. Men had to wash their hands in the kitchen hot water to avoid sudden change of temperatures and undress in the kitchen to avoid leaving clothes in the bedroom. They had to park near a school and walk in the dark to avoid raising the suspicion of neighbours. The 51 men, who have been charged with rape ranged from ages 26 to 73 and came from all walks of life including fireman, lorry driver, IT worker, prison guard and even a journalist. Archived the sexual acts Dominique not only allowed the men to rape his wife, but meticulously filmed and archived the sexual acts, keeping the footage in a file called Abuses on a USB that was discovered by the police. The alleged rapes took place between 2011 and 2020 and most perpetrators returned multiple times. Dominique claimed that the men who came to his house never gave up going through with their sexual acts on his wife even though they saw her state. As per The Telegraph, Le Monde cited Avignon prosecutors as saying, He never used violence or threats against anyone so that rapes would be committed. Each individual was in possession of his free will to stop these acts and leave. A kind & caring husband Police initially came upon the footage of the abuse while investigating Dominique filming women in the changing rooms of a local supermarket via a hidden camera in 2020. When local police asked his wife to talk about her husband, she described him as a great guy who was kind and caring. However, she did say he had tried to get her to agree to partner-swapping but she refused as she didnt like to be touched without having feelings (for someone). When she was informed of the secret tapes, she broke down, and piecing together the past she revealed she had flashbacks and the drugging could explain her fatigues and absent-mindedness. She even had unexplained gynaecological problems and subsequent medical examinations found she had been infected with four sexually transmitted diseases. 92 cases of rape Police have identified 92 cases of rape of Francoise by 83 men but have to date only identified 51. A trial, as per reports, is expected to take place next year. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. US President Joe Biden on Thursday said that the relationship between India and the United States is one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century. Speaking after the ceremonial welcome for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, Biden said that India and US are working closely on eliminating poverty, expanding access to healthcare and addressing climate change. PM Modi welcome back to the White House. I am honoured to be the first to host you here on a State visit, Biden said. He referred to Quad and said people will recall that it bent the arc of history. With your cooperation, we have strengthened the Quad for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Decades from now, people will look back and say that the Quad bent the arc of history for global good, he added. The US President and PM Modi shared a warm embrace during the ceremonial welcome. India and US are working closely on eliminating poverty, expanding access to healthcare, addressing climate change and tackling food and energy insecurity triggered by the Russian war on Ukraine, Biden said. PM Modi arrived at the White House to a ceremonial welcome hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. PM Modi and President Biden will have a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office of the White House before holding high-level talks to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. Upon his arrival at the White House lawns, PM Modi who was dressed in a traditional white kurta pyjama teamed with a powder blue jacket was greeted by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. A US delegation including Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin assembled to greet PM Modi. The Indian delegation led by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Indian ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu were also present. National anthems of India and the US played out as thousands of people gathered on the White House South Lawns to greet PM Modi. The Prime Minister will later also address a joint session of US Congress. The Prime Minister was welcomed by members of the Indian community, other guests who had gathered on the lawns of the White House. Visuals showed huge crowds of people waving Indian and US flags, chanting Modi, Modi Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Brigadier General Wais Waheed, Commandant of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) Marine Corps, on Thursday said that he seeks assistance from National Cadet Corps (NCC) India for equipment as his country has limited resources. Being a country that has limited resources, I seek assistance from India to give us any equipment that they can provide us. The new proposal will be sent to them and they will look into it, said Brigadier Waheed. #WATCH | Delhi: Being a country that has limited resources, I seek assistance from India to give us any equipment that they can provide us. The new proposal will be sent to them and they will look into it, says Brigadier General Wais Waheed, Commandant of the Maldives National pic.twitter.com/IRlMCw1Q1d ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Brigadier General Waheed and Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh, AVSM, VSM, DG NCC on Thursday participated in a meeting at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi. Addressing the media after the meeting, Brigadier General Wais Waheed said, In fact, Maldives being a country which we have archipelago nature disasterSo, if we in dealing with incidents with collaboration with us MNPF, that would be a false multiplier for us. So, thats an idea in which we would like to have NCC more active in operations for disaster management. He further said, All those equipment which the Indian NCC uses, thats the model that we also look into and similar way we also get trained. So, being a country which has limited resources, I seek assistance again from the NCC India to get any equipment that they can provide us. Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh said that Maldives has sent a proposal to enhance the youth exchange program in which the cadets of India and Maldives take part. We will hold deliberations on the proposal and take further action. Earlier this month, Indian Navy divers and Marine Commandos travelled to the Maldives to participate in the sixth edition of Exercise Ekatha from June 4 to July 4. The annual exercise between Indian Navy divers and Marine Commandos and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) is conducted to enhance interoperability in diving and special operations. Earlier, the fifth edition of the exercise was held from 5 September 2022 to 3 October 2022, Chief of Defence Force Major General Abdullah Shamaal handed the certificates to the Indian Navy training team. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Muslim Congresswomen who have decided to boycott PM Modis joint session address of the US Congress are spitting poison and showing wrong picture of India under their hate agenda, said Atif Rasheed, former vice chairman of the National Commission for Minorities. Two Muslim Congresswomen from the US Democratic Party Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib announced that they wont be attending PM Modis speech at the joint session of the US Congress on Thursday, claiming that the Modi government has repressed religious minorities. I live freely in PM Modis India Slamming the US Congresswomen, Rasheed said, I belong from religious Minority of India, but I live freely with my religious freedom and religious identity in Prime Minister Narendra Modis India. I have equal share in every resources here (in India), I have the freedom to speak whatever I want in India, he said. Rasheed went on to say that he also has the freedom to write whatever he wants to in India. I am sorry to say You are showing wrong picture of My India under your hate agenda. Stop spitting poison out of your mouth, Rasheed said retweeting the post shared by Omar. What Ilhan Omar & Rashida Tlaib said? Announcing boycotting PM Modis address to joint session of the US Congress, Ilhan Omar said, Prime Minister Modis government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity. I will NOT be attending Modis speech. I WILL be holding a briefing with human rights groups to discuss Modis record of repression and violence. Its shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nations capitalhis long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable. I will be boycotting Modis joint address to Congress, Rashida Tlaib had posted on Twitter. 75 US lawmakers with dubious credentials write to Biden As many as 75 Democratic senators and members of the House of Representatives signed a letter sent to US President Joe Biden asking him to raise issues including political concerns, human rights, press freedoms and religious intolerance with PM Modi. We do not endorse any particular Indian leader or political party that is the decision of the people of India but we do stand in support of the important principles that should be a core part of American foreign policy, said the letter, led by Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Pramila Jayapal. Also Read: With PM Modi in US, left-liberals are targeting India once more, but with spent cartridges BJP leader Amit Malviya questioned Congress toolkit behind the letter of the 75 Democrats. He said all of them have dubious credentials. After Rahul Gandhis recent visit to the US, where he was hosted by organisations closely aligned to the Jamaat and ISI, held closed door meetings with associates of George Soros and was reportedly in clandestine confabulations with foreign agencies, now a letter written by a bunch of US legislators, with dubious credentials, is the new arsenal in Congresss toolkit. How long will they lean on foreign media and money to undermine the will of the people? the BJP leader said. PM Modi and Joe Biden will, on Thursday, have a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office of the White House before holding high-level talks to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Noting that the world order is taking a new shape in the post-Covid era, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that India and the US are committed to working together for the global good and peace, stability and prosperity. Speaking at the White House lawns after the ceremonial welcome, PM Modi said the societies and institutions of both India and the US are based on democratic values and the two countries take pride in diversity. In the post-Covid era, the world order is taking a new shape. In this time period, the friendship between India and US will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world. India and the US are committed to working together for the global good and peace, stability and prosperity, PM Modi said. The societies and institutions of both India and the US are based on democratic values. The constitutions of both countries begin with the three words We The People. Both countries take pride in their diversity and believe in the fundamental principle of Sarv Jan Hitay Sarv Jan Sukhay (interest of all, welfare of all), he added. The Prime Minister talked about the contributions of the Indian-American community. After becoming Prime Minister, I came here many times, but today for the first time that the doors of the White House are open for the Indian-American community in such large numbers. The people of the Indian community are enhancing the countrys honour in the US through their talent hard work and dedication. You are the real strength of our relationship. Today, I thank President Biden and Dr Jill Biden for the honour you have been given, he said. In a while from now, I and President Biden will hold discussions on India-US relations, and other regional and global issues. I firmly believe that just as always, our talks will be very positive and useful. In the afternoon, I will get the opportunity to address the US Congress for the second time. I am very grateful for that. I and the 1.4 billion Indians hope that Indias Tricolour and US Star and Stripes, keep on touching newer heights, he added. Prime Minister Modi, who is on state visit to the US, arrived at the White House to a ceremonial welcome. I would like to express gratitude to President Biden for this grand welcome and far-sighted address. This grand welcome is the pride and honour for 140 crore Indians, this is also an honour for 40 million people of Indian origin living in the US. I express heartfelt gratitude to President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, he said. Upon his arrival at the White House lawns, PM Modi who was dressed in a traditional white kurta pyjama teamed with a powder blue jacket was greeted by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. A US delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin assembled to greet PM Modi. The Indian delegation led by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu were also present. National anthems of India and the US played out as thousands of people gathered on the White House South Lawns to greet PM Modi. Huge crowds of people gathered at the South Lawns of the White House to welcome PM Modi. Visuals showed them waving Indian flags and chanting Modi, Modi and Bharat Mata Ki Jai slogans. Some people were waving a banner that read: Indian American Diaspora welcomes Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To ensure that ASEANs first-ever joint military exercise stays miles away from any kind of Chinese influence, Indonesia on Thursday moved the site of the exercise off the South China Sea. The non-combat drills for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were originally set to take place in the southernmost waters of the South China Sea, which are also claimed by Beijing. The drills that are slated to be held from September 18-25 will now be moved away from the strategic waterway altogether to the South Natuna Sea in Indonesian waters, Indonesian military spokesperson Julius Widjojono said. This exercise is focused not on combat, so it is best suited for the south that is in direct contact with the people, he said, adding the drills will be held in and around Batam island at the mouth of the Malacca Strait. The ASEAN bloc has often found itself in the middle of the rivalry between the US and China. Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia have competing claims with Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over vast stretches of ocean that include parts of Indonesias exclusive economic zone. Meanwhile, China has made territorial claims over the area via a nine-dash line based on its historic maps. This line, however, was rejected in 2016 for carrying no legal basis. The military of Indonesia, which chairs ASEAN this year, said the decision to move the location was an independent one and that there was no intervention from other countries. It also said Cambodia and Myanmar did not respond to an invitation to a preparation meeting for the exercise held on Monday among ASEAN countries. Both Myanmars junta leaders and Cambodia have close ties with China. With inputs from Reuters Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prisons are meant to be secure facilities designed to keep individuals who have committed crimes away from society. However, some prisons take security to a whole new level, making them nearly impenetrable fortresses. In this listicle, we explore the 10 toughest prisons in the world that have gained a notorious reputation for their stringent security measures, making escape attempts a daunting challenge for even the most cunning and determined prisoners. ADX Florence (Colorado, US) Known as the Alcatraz of the Rockies, ADX Florence houses the most dangerous criminals in the United States. Its state-of-the-art technology, supermax design, and limited inmate contact make it an almost impossible fortress to escape. Black Dolphin Prison (Russia) Located in Russia, Black Dolphin Prison houses the countrys most violent and high-profile criminals. Its remote location, armed guards, and extensive security systems make it a formidable challenge for any escape attempt. Tadmor Prison (Syria) Tadmor Prison, infamous for its brutal conditions, is located in Syria. Its history of human rights abuses and isolation from the outside world create an inhospitable environment that makes escape attempts from this prison an unimaginable ordeal. Bang Kwang Central Prison (Thailand) Bang Kwang Central Prison, also known as the Bangkok Hilton, has strict security measures that include leg irons, constant surveillance, and limited contact with the outside world. The prisons notorious reputation and harsh conditions make it one of the toughest to break out of. La Sante Prison (France) Situated in Paris, La Sante Prison is known for its strict security protocols and high-tech surveillance systems. The prisons solid reputation, combined with its location in a bustling city, make escape attempts an uphill battle. San Quentin State Prison (California, US) San Quentin State Prison, located near San Francisco, is Californias oldest and most secure correctional facility. The prisons formidable architecture, armed guards, and comprehensive security systems have made it an extremely difficult place to escape from. Camp Delta (Guantanamo Bay, Cuba) Camp Delta, a part of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, is a highly secure military prison. With its isolated location, stringent security measures, and constant surveillance, it is considered one of the toughest prisons to escape from. La Sabaneta Prison (Venezuela) La Sabaneta Prison, notorious for its overcrowding and violence, is located in Venezuela. Gang-controlled and rife with corruption, this prison poses numerous challenges for those attempting to break free from its confines. Carandiru Penitentiary (Brazil) Once one of Brazils most notorious prisons, Carandiru Penitentiary had a reputation for its extreme violence and chaotic conditions. Although it was closed in 2002, its history of rebellion and its imposing structure make it a notable mention in this list. Petak Island Prison (Russia) Situated on a remote island in the White Sea, Petak Island Prison is one of the most isolated and inaccessible prisons in the world. The frigid waters, harsh climate, and constant surveillance make it an incredibly challenging prison to escape from. These 10 prisons, each with its own unique characteristics and security measures, represent some of the toughest institutions to break out of in the world. From high-tech surveillance systems to isolated locations, these prisons have gained notoriety for their ability to keep even the most determined prisoners securely confined. While escape stories may captivate our imagination, it is important to remember that these facilities are designed to ensure public safety and maintain order within society. (This article has been generated using Artificial Intelligence) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The search teams looking for the missing Titanic submersible are facing a race against the clock as only a few hours of oxygen is left on the submarine. This comes as fresh noises were detected underwater, according to reports. According to the US Coast Guard, a remote operated vehicle has reached the sea floor and started searching for the missing submersible on Thursday morning (local time). The Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic has deployed an ROV that has reached the sea floor and began its search for the missing sub, the US Coast Guard tweeted. It added that The French vessel LAtalante is preparing their ROV to enter the water. Aboard the submarine are OceanGate Expeditions CEO and founder Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood. It submerged on Sunday morning from its support vessel to travel to the Titanic wreckage which sits at a depth of 12,500ft, according to reports. Later on, it lost contact with its surface ship, the Polar Prince, after almost an hour and 45 minutes. (With inputs from agencies) Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. All NATO Allies, including the UK and France, are backing a plan to grant Ukraine a fast track to NATO membership, similar to the approach offered to Sweden and Finland earlier this year. The issue of the terms for Ukraines NATO membership has been a point of division among Allies ahead of the upcoming NATO summit. The UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, expressed strong support for Ukraines inclusion in NATO without the usual requirement of meeting conditions outlined in a NATO membership action plan (MAP). While Frances Foreign Minister, Catherine Colonna, was more cautious, she acknowledged that circumstances had changed since 2008, when Ukraine was last offered NATO membership on certain conditions. The modernization of Ukraines armed forces and their alignment with NATO standards during the ongoing conflict were cited as reasons to dispense with the MAP. It is seen as an alternative to providing a specific membership timetable for Ukraine at the upcoming NATO summit. It is, however, agreed that Ukraine cannot join NATO until the war is over. The potential for relatively immediate NATO membership is considered crucial for Ukraines leadership to attract Western investment in its economic recovery. During the Ukraine Recovery conference, Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed the importance of Ukraines inclusion in NATO, viewing it as a means to protect global peace and security. He also emphasized Ukraines potential to become a major source of economic, industrial, and technological growth in Europe once at peace and free from Russian interference. Various speakers at the conference, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, highlighted the need for Russia to contribute to Ukraines recovery costs, which the World Bank estimated at $400 billion. However, a preliminary paper from the European Commission suggests that no legally sound approach has been identified to seize frozen Russian sovereign assets without facing potential legal challenges. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Ahead of his visit to China, New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins dismissed US President Joe Bidens claim that Xi Jinping is a dictator. No, and the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people, Hipkins said. Asked by a reporter whether the Chinese people had a say in the form of government, Hipkins said: If they wanted to change their system of government, then that would be a matter for them. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, ahead of his official trip to China at end of this month, said he did not agree with US President Joe Bidens remark that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was a dictator https://t.co/ozXx6AJYAl pic.twitter.com/JBotwjht9P Reuters (@Reuters) June 22, 2023 The Kiwi leader is expected to leave for China from June 25 to 30 where he will discuss trade delegations with Chinese authorities. He will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, and the chairman of the standing committee of the National Peoples Congress, Zhao Leji. China hit back on Wednesday after Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a dictator, saying the remarks were absurd and a provocation, an unexpected flare-up following attempts by both sides to reduce friction. President Joe Biden on Tuesday called Xi Jinping a dictator, in off-the-cuff remarks made a day after his secretary and top US diplomat Antony Blinken visited Beijing to stabilize bilateral relations and try to ease tensions between the two countries. Antony Blinken became the first top US diplomat to visit China in five years, and his trip was in the shadow of Covid-19, Taiwan tensions, and the controversy related to the spy balloon episode. Biden also said Xi was very embarrassed when a suspected Chinese spy balloon was blown off course over US airspace early this year, making a personal comment on the Chinese leader when Blinken said on Monday the chapter should be closed. Even after Joe Biden compared Chinas leader to embarrassed dictators, the White House stated on Wednesday that it had every expectation that the senior US diplomats recent visit to Beijing will result in improved relations. A senior administration official said on Wednesday that US State Secretary Antony Blinken made some progress during a long-awaited visit to China. We have every expectation of building on that progress, the official said. With inputs from Reuters Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The increasing prominence of an AI-powered internet is becoming more evident. Unfortunately, though reality can be both unsettling and harmful, especially when we consider how AI is being misused by certain bad elements, like paedophiles. A recent report by The Washington Post reveals that AI image generators are now being utilized to produce and distribute significant amounts of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). What makes matters even worse is that the proliferation of such material could potentially hinder the efforts of law enforcement in aiding the victims. Identifying victims is not easy Rebecca Portnoff, the director of data science at Thorn, a non-profit organization focused on child safety, expressed her concerns. She explained that childrens images, including those of known victims, are being repurposed for nefarious purposes. Portnoff further stated that there has been a continuous increase in the use of AI-generated CSAM since the previous autumn. Childrens images, including the content of known victims, are being repurposed for this really evil output, Rebecca Portnoff said. Identifying victims is already an extremely challenging task for law enforcement, akin to finding a needle in a haystack when attempting to locate a child in danger. Portnoff emphasized that the accessibility and realistic nature of these AI tools have significantly compounded the difficulties faced by law enforcement, making their job even more demanding. Using AI to beat CSAM filters CSAM or child sexual abuse materials are normally filtered out by AI generators, using filters created just for that. However, predators have found a way around it. The report indicates that the majority of predators are utilizing open-source image generators, specifically Stability AIs Stable Diffusion model, to generate unsettling content, as well as Midjourney. Although Stable Diffusion does incorporate certain safety measures, such as a filter to identify CSAM, the report highlights that these filters can be easily bypassed with the appropriate knowledge and a few lines of code. Detecting and identifying such images poses a challenge. Current systems designed to combat CSAM were primarily developed to detect the dissemination of known images, rather than newly generated ones. As a result, the existing mechanisms may struggle to effectively address this emerging issue. A community of AI-assisted sexual abusers The news presents alarming aspects on multiple fronts. It is deeply disturbing to witness individuals known for engaging in harmful activities sharing information and techniques on online forums, and exploiting the emerging technology to indulge in abusive and illegal fantasies. Furthermore, this recent discovery aligns with a larger and more concerning pattern of AI-assisted sexual abuse, highlighting the growing trend. It serves as a distressing reminder of the potential for synthetic content to inflict genuine harm in the real world. In this particular instance, the consequences are inflicted upon the most vulnerable members of society, exacerbating the gravity of the situation. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a Made in India lab-grown 7.5 Carat green diamond to US First Lady Jill Biden as the Bidens hosted him for a private dinner at the White House on Wednesday. PM Narendra Modi gifts a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond to US First Lady Dr Jill Biden The diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds chemical and optical properties. It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used in its making. pic.twitter.com/5A7EzTcpeL ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 The diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds chemical and optical properties. It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used to make it. The green diamond is sculpted with precision and care using cutting-edge technology. It emits only 0.028 grams of Carbon per Carat and is certified by the Gemological lab, IGI. The gem bears the hallmarks of excellence through the 4Cs: Cut, Colour, Carat and Clarity. It is a beacon of responsible luxury that symbolises Indias 75 years of freedom and sustainable international relations. The green diamond is placed in the box called Papier mache. Papier mache It is the box in which the Green Diamond is placed. Known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmirs exquisite Papier mache involves sakthsazior meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs. It (Green Diamond) is a beacon of pic.twitter.com/F3vcfiNowY ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmirs exquisite Papier mache involves sakthsazi or meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs. A confluence of timeless tradition and craftsmanship, it excludes opulence and intricate motifs and graceful simplicity, which makes every piece of this timeless craft, a masterpiece. It is indeed, an embodiment of Indias vibrant cultural tapestry. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented special gifts to US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden as the Bidens hosted him for a private dinner at the White House on Wednesday. PM Modi gifts sandalwood box with 'Das Danam' to President Biden, lab-grown 7.5 Carat green diamond to US First Lady #FPWorld pic.twitter.com/KuLIUwjNwF Firstpost (@firstpost) June 22, 2023 PM Modi presented a special sandalwood box with Das Danam to President Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur. The sandalwood sourced from Karnatakas Mysore has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents a special sandalwood box to US President Joe Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns. pic.twitter.com/fsRpEpKJ4W ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 The box contains ten donations a delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow). A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka is offered in place of land for Bhudaan (donation of land) Til or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu, offered for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds). Handcrafted in Rajasthan, the 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin is offered as Hiranyadaan (donation of gold). The box gifted by PM Modi to US President Joe Biden contains ten donations- a delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow). A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka pic.twitter.com/I8ujKCoiK1 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 The box also contains 99.5% pure and hallmarked silver coin that has been aesthetically crafted by Rajasthan artisans and is offered as Raupyadaan(donation of silver); Lavan or salt from Gujarat is offered for Lavandaan (donation of salt). The box also contains 99.5% pure and hallmarked silver coin that has been aesthetically crafted by Rajasthan artisans and is offered as Raupyadaan(donation of silver); Lavan or salt from Gujarat is offered for Lavandaan (donation of salt). pic.twitter.com/K5vlp7sdfQ ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 The box contains the idol of Ganesha, a Hindu deity considered as the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. The idol has been handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata. It also has a diya (oil lamp) that occupies a sacred space in every Hindu household. This silver diya has also been handcrafted by artisans from the family of fifth-generation silversmiths in Kolkata. The box contains the idol of Ganesha, a Hindu deity considered as the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. The idol has been handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata. The box also contains A diya (oil lamp) that pic.twitter.com/23eV5ZsWfC ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 PM Modi also gifted President Biden a copy of the first edition print of the book The Ten Principal Upanishads published by M/s Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow. PM Narendra Modi gifts a copy of the first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow to President Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/95kKhQS267 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 In 1937, WB Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Shri Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats. In 1937, WB Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Shri Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats. A copy of the first edition print pic.twitter.com/yIi9QW290r ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 He also gifted a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond to US First Lady Jill Biden. The diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds chemical and optical properties. It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used to make it. PM Narendra Modi gifts a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond to US First Lady Dr Jill Biden The diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds chemical and optical properties. It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used in its making. pic.twitter.com/5A7EzTcpeL ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 The green diamond is placed in the box called Papier mache. Known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmirs exquisite Papier mache involves sakthsazior meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs. Green diamond is a beacon of responsible luxury that symbolises Indias 75 years of freedom and sustainable International relations. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted PM Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House on Wednesday. PM Modi was received by the president and the first lady, and before entering the building, they posed for photos and were seen chatting. When friends meet! PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden and family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. According to the White House, this evening, the president, the first lady and the prime minister also enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. The dinner featured the presidents favourite foods, including pasta and ice cream, it said. They were joined by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, the White House said. After the dinner, PM Modi thanked the Bidens for hosting him at the White House. I thank the President of the United States Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects, tweeted PM Modi. I thank @POTUS @JoeBiden and @FLOTUS @DrBiden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects. pic.twitter.com/AUahgV6ebM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023 Earlier, the White House had said in a statement that President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will present PM Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. The president will also gift PM Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastmans Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography. Jill Biden will gift PM Modi a signed, first edition copy of Collected Poems of Robert Frost, added the statement. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. As India offers competitive advantages in numerous facets of the products supply chain, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended an invitation to American chipmaker Micron Technology to increase semiconductor manufacturing in India. He also extended an invitation to Applied Materials to visit India in order to advance process technology and packaging capabilities. #WATCH | The US | Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Sanjay Mehrotra, President-CEO of Micron Technology, in Washington, DC. pic.twitter.com/Fnl3wYV5g8 ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 In his meeting with Applied Materials President and CEO Gary E. Dickerson, Modi talked about the possibility for the company to work with academic institutions in India to develop a competent workforce. The prime minister invited Micron Technology to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India, a ministry of external affairs statement said. Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra after meeting PM Modi said, I had an excellent meeting with PM Modi. I am very impressed with the vision that he has for India and the advances that India is making. We discussed a wide range of topics and we really look forward to greater opportunities in India #WATCH | Washington, DC: Sanjay Mehrotra, President-CEO of Micron Technology, says I had an excellent meeting with PM Modi. I am very impressed with the vision that he has for India and the advances that India is making. We discussed a wide range of topics and we really look pic.twitter.com/apAFWhr0dc ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 Micron is a global leader in memory and storage, and we are a supplier for memory and storage in all end markets from data centres, to smartphones to PCs, and today really fuelling the AI engine as well, he added. Following his meeting with the prime minister, Dickerson said it is time for India to drive incredible growth. We are very very much looking forward to working together with the prime minister and everyone of India to achieve tremendous success together, he said. During his meeting with CEO of General Electric H Lawrence Culp, Modi invited the company to play a greater role in the aviation and renewable energy sector in India. Prime minister appreciated GE for its long-term commitment of manufacturing in India. The prime minister and Mr. Culp Jr discussed GEs greater technology collaboration to promote manufacturing in India, it said. India is promoting semiconductor development and it has announced a production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for that. Global companies are exploring India as a viable investment destination for semiconductors. The country is positioning itself as among the most attractive destinations in Asia for electronics and semiconductors. The Indian semiconductor market was valued at USD 27.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of nearly 19 per cent to reach USD 64 billion in 2026. But none of these chips are manufactured in India so far. Setting up semiconductor units, also known as fabs, is a highly specialised, complex and expensive task. Fabs call for complex technology, are high risk and require long gestation and payback periods. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US at the invitation of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Terming it a big deal, the White House on Wednesday confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will be taking questions from the press on Thursday, according to a report. The White House understands the press conference is really a big deal, Reuters quoted John Kirby, the White Houses national security spokesperson, as saying. We are just grateful that Prime Minister Modi is participating in a press event at the end of the visit. We think thats important and were glad he thinks thats important too, he added. Kirby said the format of the press conference will include one question from the US press and one from an Indian journalist. Normally each side takes two questions, but sometimes it can be one from each side. During the last Indian State Visit of former prime minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009, the two sides took one question each. Prime Minister Modi has not addressed any press meet since he came to power in 2014. He has mostly taken media questions in one-on-one interviews. According to Reuters, White Houses press conferences with other world leaders have been tightly controlled. US officials designate reporters beforehand from the American and foreign media for Biden and his guest to call upon, and a very limited number of questions are allowed, a Reuters report said. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Washington from New York on Wednesday. PM Modi and President Biden will have a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday before holding high-level talks to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space and critical technologies. The prime minister would then head to the Congress to deliver an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, which would be attended by Congressmen and senators in the presence of several hundred Indian Americans from the visitors gallery. In early June, top lawmakers of the US from both Republican and Democratic parties extended an invitation letter to PM Modi urging him to address the Congress. The letter read, Based on our shared values and commitment to global peace and prosperity, the partnership between our two countries continues to grow. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday shared memorable highlights from the 9th International Day of Yoga program at United Nations headquarters in New York City. On Wednesday, the Yoga Day event led by PM Modi at the UN headquarters created a Guinness World Record for seeing the participation of most nationalities in a yoga session. Breaking the earlier record of 114 nationalities set by the Indian Embassy in Qatar, the yoga session at the UN headquarters on Wednesday had 135 nationalities. Sharing about 2-minute long video on Twitter, PM Modi wrote: Here are memorable highlights from the #YogaDay programme in New York City Here are memorable highlights from the #YogaDay programme in New York City pic.twitter.com/roNQMXfmeq Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023 The video begins with people cheering 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Modi Modi' as the Indian Prime Minister enters the venue of Yoga Day event sporting a custom-designed white yoga T-shirt and trousers. He was accompanied by the UN General deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed. It then shows PM Modi practicing yoga with other people who were present at the yoga day event at the UN headquarters. "Yoga means unite. It is wonderful to see the entire world come together again for yoga," PM is heard saying in the video. "Yoga is truly universal. Yoga is a way of life, a way to live in harmony with self, with others, and with danger. The Prime Minister is on his maiden state visit to the United States. After wrapping up the yoga day event in New York, PM Modi embarked for Washington. After reaching Washington, PM Modi met First Lady of the US, Jill Biden, and visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia. Later in the day, the Indian Prime Minister met US President Joe Biden, who hosted a private dinner for him in Washington DC. On Thursday, the second second leg of his maiden state visit to the US, PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with Biden and address a joint session of the US Congress. Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host him for a state dinner on Thursday. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Hours after PM Modi met General Electric (GE) CEO H Lawrence Culp Junior in Washington and invited his company to play a greater role in the aviation and renewable energy sector, GE Aerospace Thursday signed a MoU with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force. This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL, Culp Junior said. We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modis vision of closer coordination between the two nations, he added. What GE Aerospace and HAL agreement includes? The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between GE and HAL includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospaces F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this. The effort is part of the Indian Air Forces Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 program, GE Aerospace said in a release on Thursday. Also Read: PM Modi invites General Electric CEO to play bigger role in Indias aviation, renewable energy sector Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet, Culp Junior said. How is GE-HAL new agreement beneficial? For more than four decades, GE Aerospace has been operating in India with wide engagement in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. In addition to potential new work in India, a number of US facilities that currently support work on the F414 engine will see additional volume as a result of todays announcement, GE Aerospace said. Todays agreement will advance GE Aerospaces earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF) as part of the LCA Mk2 program. It puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India, including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospaces selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA program with our F414-INS6 engine, GE Aerospace said. In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program, the release added. GE started working with the Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL in 1986 to support the development of Indias Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with F404 engines. Also, GE Aerospaces F404 and F414 have been part of development and production programs of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programs. In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for LCA Mk2. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The U.N. envoy for Afghanistan issued a stern warning to the Taliban rulers on Wednesday, stating that obtaining international recognition as the legitimate government would remain nearly impossible unless they lift the severe restrictions imposed on women and girls regarding education and employment. Roza Otunbayeva told the U.N. Security Council, highlighting the contradictory stance of the Taliban. While seeking recognition from the United Nations and its 192 member nations, they simultaneously act in opposition to the fundamental values enshrined in the United Nations Charter. In her regular discussions with the Taliban, she said, I am blunt about the obstacles they have created for themselves by the decrees and restrictions they have enacted, in particular against women and girls. The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 during the final stages of U.S. and NATO troop withdrawal after a two-decade-long war. Their policies curtailing the rights and opportunities of women and girls have not only drawn international criticism but have also affected foreign aid to the country, exacerbating the worlds largest humanitarian crisis faced by Afghan citizens. The Taliban initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001 but started to enforce restrictions on women and girls soon after the 2021 takeover. Women are barred from most jobs and public places, including parks, baths and gyms, while girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade. The Taliban also have brought back their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Shariah, including public executions. Despite U.N. appeals, Otunbayeva reported no change to the restrictions, including an April ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations. She called the prohibition a violation of Afghanistans obligations as a U.N. member nation to respect the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its officials, including Afghan women who work for us. Otunbayeva, a former president of Kyrgyzstan, reiterated that all non-essential Afghan staff, both women and men, are still staying at home, and she said the U.N. is steadfast that female national staff will not be replaced by male staff as some Taliban authorities have suggested. In late April, the Security Council unanimously approved a resolution calling on the Taliban to swiftly reverse the increasingly harsh constraints imposed on women and girls and condemning the ban on Afghan women working for the U.N., calling it unprecedented in the history of the United Nations. Based on discussions with many people across Afghanistan, Otunbayeva said, it is clear the Talibans decrees are highly unpopular among the Afghan population and cost the countrys rulers both domestic and international legitimacy, while inflicting suffering on half of their population and damaging their economy. In a frank political assessment, she told council members that the Taliban regime remains insular and autocratic, with an unaccountable central authority and an all-male government almost entirely from its Pashtun and rural base. While the Afghan economy remains stable, albeit at a low equilibrium, 58% of households struggle to fulfill the basic needs of their families, and the U.N. continues to address the needs of 20 million people who need assistance, Otunbayeva said. She said cash shipments, required for U.N. humanitarian operations, are expected to decrease as donor funding declines, which could negatively effect Afghanistans monetary stability. And despite the bans, she said, the international community can do more to ensure the future stability of the Afghan economy in a way that directly improves the lives of Afghans. The humanitarian organization Save The Children said Monday that a large-scale plague of locusts is ravaging Afghanistans northern provinces and has the potential to destroy 1.2 million tons of wheat, approximately one-quarter of the countrys annual harvest. It said the infestation comes at the worst possible time, pointing to 8 million Afghans cut off from food aid in the past two months due to funding shortfalls, and over 15 million people one-third of Afghanistans population projected to face crisis levels of hunger over the next five months. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood blamed the continued deterioration of humanitarian conditions in large part on Taliban interference, warning that it will lead to more displacement, migrants and refugees. While generous donors and bold action prevented widespread famine in 2021, he said this year Afghans are already seeing the impact of reduced international support, the closure of women-led humanitarian organizations, ration cuts, and a reduction in people receiving food. Nonetheless, Wood said the United States, the worlds largest humanitarian aid donor, cannot turn our backs on the Afghan peoples growing humanitarian needs despite obstacles and competing global priorities and will continue providing assistance. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the U.S. and other Western nations of bringing Afghanistan to ruins over 20 years, being uninterested in a genuine settlement and the rebuilding of Afghanistan. Chinas U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun called it unacceptable for donors to cut assistance and to link humanitarian aid to other issues. He also expressed hope that Afghan authorities will take firm and strong measures to combat all terrorism and to prevent Afghanistan from becoming again, a center of gravity for terrorism, warning that terrorist groups including al-Qaida and the Islamic State are colluding with each other and jeopardizing the security of the country, the region and the world at large. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a special sandalwood box with Das Danam to US President Joe Biden as the Bidens hosted him for a private dinner at the White House on Wednesday. The box contains the idol of Ganesha, a Hindu deity considered as the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. The idol has been handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata. The box also contains A diya (oil lamp) that pic.twitter.com/23eV5ZsWfC ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 The Das Danam has significance in Hindu way of life and symbolises Hindu rituals. To put it in context, ancient Indian text Krishna Yajurvedas Vaikhanas Grihya Sutram mentions that an individual becomes Drishta Sahasrachandro or the one who has seen one thousand full moons when he completes the age of eighty years and eight months. The life spanning one thousand full moons or Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam is considered to be an important milestone in the Hindu way of life. The gap between two full moons is about 29.53 days, so the time span covered by a thousand full moons would be approximately 29530 days or 80 years and 8 months. At this stage of life, the individual (who has seen one thousand full moons) is honoured and celebrated for the sheer experience of human life. An elaborate set of Vedic rituals are performed such as Vinayak Pooja-prayers to Lord Ganesha, culminating in Poornaahuti (oblation to the scared fire) Satabhishekam and finally Sahasra Chandra Darshanam or gazing at the 1000th full Moon. During Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam celebrations, there is a custom of Das Danam or donations of ten different kinds, that include Gaudaan (cow), Bhudaan (land), Tildaan (sesame seeds), Hiranyadaan (gold), Ajyadaan (ghee or clarified butter), Dhaanyadaan (food grains), Vastradaan (clothes), Guddaan (jaggery), Raupyadaan (silver) and Lavandaan (salt). The special sandalwood box has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns. Sandalwood carving in Rajasthan is an ancient art that has been handed down from generation to generation. The artisan has skillfully embedded a piece of his story and a touch of passion into this work to produce a piece of finest craftsmanship The box contains the idol of Ganesha, Hindu deity considered as the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. Every auspicious occasion begins with prayers to Lord Ganesha. This silver idol of Ganesha has been handcrafted by a family of fifth generation silversmiths of Kolkata. A diya (oil lamp) occupies a sacred space in every Hindu household where daily prayers are offered by lighting cotton wick dipped in oil. This silver diya has also been handcrafted by artisans from the family of fifth generation silversmiths in Kolkata. The copper plate, also called tampra-patra has been sourced from Uttar Pradesh. A shloka has been inscribed on it. In ancient times tamra-patra was widely used as a medium for writing and record keeping. The handcrafted delicate silver boxes contain symbolic Das Danam or the ten donations, which signifies the donations made on this occasion. The box gifted by PM Modi to US President Joe Biden contains ten donations- a delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow). A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka pic.twitter.com/I8ujKCoiK1 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 A delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow) A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka is offered in place of land for Bhudaan (donation of land) Til or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu, offered for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds). Handcrafted in Rajasthan, this 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin is offered as Hiranyadaan (donation of gold). Ghee or clarified butter sourced from Punjab is offered for Ajyadaan (donation of clarified butter) The box contains Ghee or clarified butter sourced from Punjab; a handwoven textured tussar silk cloth sourced from Jharkhand; long-grained rice sourced from Uttarakhand; Gud or Jaggery sourced from Maharashtra. pic.twitter.com/6ooo0KlQWE ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 A handwoven textured tussar silk cloth sourced from Jharkhand is offered for Vastradaan (donation of cloth). Long grained rice sourced from Uttarakhand are offered for Dhaanyadaan (donation of food grains). Gud or Jaggery sourced from Maharashtra is offered for Guddaan (donation of jaggery). The box also contains 99.5% pure and hallmarked silver coin that has been aesthetically crafted by Rajasthan artisans and is offered as Raupyadaan(donation of silver); Lavan or salt from Gujarat is offered for Lavandaan (donation of salt). pic.twitter.com/K5vlp7sdfQ ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 This 99.5% pure and hallmarked silver coin has been aesthetically crafted by Rajasthan artisans and is offered as Raupyadaan (donation of silver). Lavan or salt from Gujarat is offered for Lavandaan (donation of salt). PM Modi also gifted President Biden a copy of the first edition print of the book The Ten Principal Upanishads published by M/s Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow. PM Narendra Modi gifts a copy of the first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow to President Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/95kKhQS267 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 In 1937, WB Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Shri Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats. In 1937, WB Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Shri Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats. A copy of the first edition print pic.twitter.com/yIi9QW290r ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his second address at the US Congress where he received 15 standing ovations and 79 applause. Modi met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy before addressing the Congress. Congress members chanted Modi Modi as the Indian leader entered the Congress before his big address. Modi is the first Indian prime minister who has been accorded the honour of addressing the US Congress. Earlier, the Indian leader addressed the Congress in 2016. Prime Minister Modi is also among the handful of leaders across the world to make a speech at the Congress. Talking about the threat of terrorism that still haunts the world, the prime minister said, More than 2 decades after the 9/11 attacks and more than a decade after 26/11 in Mumbai, terrorism and radicalism still remain a danger for the whole world. Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs and buts in dealing with it. There should be no ifs and buts in dealing with terrorism. We must overcome all forces sponsoring terrorism, he added. #WATCH | This is not an era of war but it is one of dialogue and diplomacy and we all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering. The stability of the Indo-Pacific region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership. We share a vision of a free and pic.twitter.com/V2fXQFudOr ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Hailing the history of democracy that the US and India share, the PM added, I am delighted to see you celebrate the bond between two great democracies, India and US. I am happy to help out, whenever you need a strong bipartisan consensus. Before concluding his speech, Prime Minister Modi said, God bless America and long live India-US friendship. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. This is Indias time to shine, said CEO and President of Applied Materials Gary E. Dickerson who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington earlier today. Dickerson also said that Applied Materials will soon be announcing an innovation centre in India that will focus on innovation equipment. During the meeting, PM Modi invited Applied Materials for contributing in strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem in India. The Prime Minister also invited Applied Materials for development of process technology and advanced packaging capabilities in India. PM Modi and Dickerson discussed potential of Applied Materials collaboration with academic institutions in India to create skilled workforce. Indias time to drive growth I am Impressed with India. I really believe the opportunity for Indias growth in semiconductor industry is now. This is Indias time to drive incredible growth, Dickerson said after his meeting with PM Modi. Applied is very much looking forward to working with the Prime Minister and everyone in India to achieve tremendous success together, Dickerson said. I am just so impressed with India and I believe that the opportunity for Indias growth in the semiconductor industry is now. This is Indias time to drive incredible growth. I deeply believe this is Indias time to shine. Gary E. Dickerson, CEO of Applied Materials pic.twitter.com/wH2RnwoNEj BJP (@BJP4India) June 21, 2023 'India is a trusted partner' Dickerson said that India is a trusted partner and many countries around the world see the trust as well as tremendous talent that the country has. "I deeply believe this is Indias time to shine. We will be announcing soon an innovation centre in India that will focus on innovation in equipment. We have a very high confidence that working together with India, we can create tremendous success," Dickerson said. During India-USA 5th Commercial Dialogue 2023 held recently, both the countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing the semiconductor supply chain which can help India realise its long-nurtured dream of becoming a hub for electronic goods. The MoU seeks to establish a collaborative mechanism between the two governments on semiconductor supply chain resiliency and diversification in view of the US's CHIPS and Science Act and India's Semiconductor Mission. PM Modi, who arrived in Washington DC on 21 June, also met with Micron Technology President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra. During his maiden State visit to the US, PM Modi also met Tesla CEO Elon Musk in New York. The Prime Minister invited him to explore investment opportunities in India. On Thursday, PM Modi will attend the state dinner which will be hosted by US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. He will also address a joint session of the US Congress. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Terming the relationship between India and the United States (US) as the most consequential partnership in the world, President Joe Biden on Thursday hailed the growing bilateral co-operation between the two nations. This partnership is among the most consequential in the world that is stronger, closer and more dynamic than any time in history. Together, we are unlocking shared future of world what I believed to be unlimited potential, Joe Biden said during a joint press conference after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Our economic relationship is booming trade between both countries has doubled in past decade. Together we are unlocking a shared future of unlimited potential, he added. Pointing out that India and the US are engaging in bilateral co-operation across a variety of sectors, Joe Biden said the two nations are working together on critical regional and global issues. Today we talked about our shared efforts to mitigate the humanitarian tragedy unleashed by Russias brutal war in Ukraine. We discussed our work through the QUAD and how India and the United States together with Australia and Japan can ensure the vital Indo-Pacific region remains free, open, prosperous and secure, Joe Biden said. Through our new I2U2 grouping with the Israel and UAE, we are building regional connections in the Middle East and finding solutions to global challenges. On his part, PM Modi also hailed the growing ties between India and the US, asserting that the sharing of cutting edge defence technology is a bed rock of the relationship between the two nations. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and US has entered a new level after todays talks with President Biden, PM Modi said. India-US relationship is not only important for both the nations but also for the world, he added. Responding to a question about allegations of attacks on religious minorities in India and on democratic freedom PM Modi said, Democracy is part of our culture and DNA. As President Biden says, the democracy is in DNA of India and US. Democracy can deliver and when we talk about democracy, there is no discrimination on basis of caste, creed, religion etc. Earlier, stating that India and the United States were walking shoulder to shoulder in every area, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday told President Joe Biden that the partnership between the two countries is more important than ever in the changing global order. PM Modi, who is on his maiden state visit to the US, received a rousing welcome at the White House from President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Turkeys Parliament Speaker, Numan Kurtulmus, has stated that Turkey is still waiting for Sweden to take action against groups it considers terrorists before approving Swedens bid to join NATO. Kurtulmus emphasized that concrete steps needed to be taken by Sweden and mentioned the recently implemented anti-terrorism law in the European country that prohibits support for outlawed groups. He urged Sweden to enforce the law effectively. Kurtulmus also expressed concern that Sweden has not extradited individuals whom Turkey considers to be terrorists. He questioned the difficulty in extraditing them to Turkey. He, however, clarified that Turkey does not fundamentally oppose Sweden or its neighboring country Finland joining NATO. Kurtulmus stated that Turkey would not categorically oppose their entry into NATO but stressed that they needed to address certain issues related to terrorist organizations before Turkey could support their accession. He cited Finland as an example, stating that Finland had taken action against terrorist organizations, which satisfied Turkey and led to Finlands membership approval. Now, a similar situation is being considered for Sweden. Both Finland and Sweden applied for NATO membership after the Ukraine conflict began, breaking with their longstanding neutrality. While Finland became a full-fledged member in April, Swedens application is still pending due to Ankaras demand to crack down on Kurdish activists residing in Sweden. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom asserted that Sweden has fulfilled its obligations under the new anti-terrorism legislation and called on Turkey to remove any obstacles to the ratification process. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed hope that Sweden would be able to join the bloc in the coming weeks, echoing the sentiment that Turkey should not hinder the process. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Gate of Crimea or the Chonhar road bridge connecting Crimea with Russia-held parts of the southern Kherson region was hit by Ukrainian missile overnight, forcing traffic to a different route, Russian-appointed officials said. The so-called gate to Crimea is one of a handful of links between Crimea which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014 and mainland Ukraine. The bridge is on a route which was used by the Russian military to move between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine under its control. Russian investigators said four missiles had been fired by Ukrainian forces at the bridge, the RIA news agency reported. It quoted a spokesman for military investigators as saying that markings found on the remains of one of the missiles suggested it had been made in France. Ukraine has been persistent in its demand to retake Crimea and drive all Russian forces from its territory. Yuriy Sobolevsky, a Ukrainian official on the governing body for the Kherson region, said the strike was a blow to the military logistics of the occupiers. The psychological impact on the occupiers and the occupying power is even more important. There is no place on the territory of Kherson region where they can feel safe, he said via the Telegram messaging application. Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, said the road bridge had been damaged but that there were no casualties. One picture Saldo posted on Telegram showed a large hole in the bridges surface with water visible beneath it and debris scattered nearby. Saldo suggested Ukraine may have used British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles for the strike. The Kyiv terrorists want to intimidate Kherson residents and sow panic among the population, but they will not succeed. We know how to repair bridges quickly: vehicle passage will be restored in the very near future, he said. We have an answer to every move by the enemy. A link between the Kherson region and Crimea continues to operate a reserve route has been temporarily organised for vehicular traffic. Sergei Aksyonov, Crimeas Russian-appointed governor, told people to stay calm and said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume. With inputs from Reuters Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Special Forces are the epitome of military prowess, demonstrating exceptional skills, unwavering dedication, and the ability to undertake daring missions that push the boundaries of human capabilities. These elite units undergo rigorous training and possess unparalleled expertise in various combat techniques and specialised operations. Join us as we unveil the worlds most dangerous Special Forces, exploring their remarkable achievements and highlighting what makes them truly exceptional. United States Navy SEALs (SEa, Air, Land) When it comes to Special Forces, the United States Navy SEALs stand at the forefront. Renowned for their rigorous selection process and demanding training regimen, SEALs are experts in unconventional warfare, counter-terrorism, and reconnaissance. Their iconic trident emblem symbolises their ability to operate at sea, air, and land, showcasing their versatility and adaptability in diverse environments. Operation Neptune Spear conducted by the Navy SEALs resulted in the successful elimination of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. The operation, carried out in Pakistan in 2011, showcased the SEALs precision and ability to execute high-risk missions. Special Air Service (SAS), United Kingdom The Special Air Service, commonly known as the SAS, is one of the most legendary Special Forces units worldwide. Established during World War II, the SAS has a rich history of successfully executing high-risk missions. Their expertise lies in counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, and intelligence gathering. Their training focuses on developing impeccable combat skills, physical fitness, and mental resilience. In 1980, the SAS executed a daring hostage rescue mission called Operation Nimrod at the Iranian Embassy in London. Facing armed terrorists and a complex urban environment, the SAS successfully stormed the building, saving the remaining hostages and eliminating the terrorists. In 2000, the SAS conducted Operation Barras in Sierra Leone to rescue British soldiers held captive by the Revolutionary United Front. The mission involved a helicopter assault on the enemy camp, resulting in the successful rescue of the hostages. Spetsnaz, Russia The Russian Special Forces, known as Spetsnaz, have earned a reputation for their ruthless efficiency and fearlessness. Tracing their roots back to the Soviet era, Spetsnaz operatives undergo intense training in hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship, and survival skills. They are known for their ability to operate behind enemy lines and execute covert missions with precision and stealth. Spetsnaz conducted Operation Storm-333 in 1979 when Soviet Spetsnaz units stormed the Tajbeg Palace in Afghanistan. The mission aimed to remove Afghan President Hafizullah Amin from power. Despite heavy resistance, the Spetsnaz succeeded in completing their objective. Special Forces, Australian Defence Force Australias Special Forces, comprising the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and the 2nd Commando Regiment (2CDO), are highly regarded for their professionalism and combat expertise. These units excel in counter-terrorism, special reconnaissance, and direct action missions. Their training emphasizes physical endurance, mental resilience, and adaptability in challenging terrains. In 2002, Australian Special Forces played a crucial role in Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan. They joined forces with US and coalition troops to eliminate entrenched Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces in the Shah-i-Kot Valley. The operation involved intense combat and showcased the skills GIGN, France The National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) of France is renowned for its exceptional capabilities in counter-terrorism operations and hostage rescues. With a stringent selection process, GIGN operators undergo extensive training in marksmanship, close-quarters combat, and tactical operations. Their operational successes have earned them a distinguished reputation globally. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Special Forces The Israel Defense Forces boasts a range of highly skilled Special Forces units, such as Sayeret Matkal, Shayetet 13, and Shaldag. These units are known for their audacity, strategic thinking, and remarkable operational achievements. From intelligence gathering to deep reconnaissance and surgical strikes, IDF Special Forces are recognized for their innovation and effectiveness. In 1976, Israeli Special Forces carried out a daring rescue operation at Entebbe Airport in Uganda. The operation aimed to free hostages held by Palestinian and German terrorists. Sayeret Matkal executed a precision raid, successfully rescuing the hostages and eliminating the terrorists. Operation Thunderbolt, also known as the Entebbe Raid, took place in 1976. Sayeret Matkal, supported by other IDF units, conducted a daring hostage rescue operation at Entebbe Airport, Uganda. They successfully freed over 100 hostages held by hijackers, showcasing their exceptional operational capabilities. Kommando Spezialkrafte (KSK), Germany Germanys Kommando Spezialkrafte, or KSK, is renowned for its elite soldiers who possess exceptional combat skills and proficiency in unconventional warfare. KSK operatives are trained in airborne operations, counter-terrorism, and specialized reconnaissance. Their ability to operate independently in hostile environments makes them a force to be reckoned with. In 1977, the KSK executed Operation Gavle, a counter-terrorism mission in Somalia. The operation aimed to rescue a hijacked Lufthansa aircraft and its passengers. KSK commandos stormed the aircraft, neutralized the terrorists, and freed the hostages. Special Forces, Republic of Korea The Special Forces of the Republic of Korea are known for their fierce dedication and rigorous training. These units specialize in counter-terrorism, special reconnaissance, and unconventional warfare. With a primary focus on infiltration and intelligence gathering, the Republic of Koreas Special Forces are an integral part of their national defense. The worlds most impressive Special Forces embody the epitome of military excellence. Through their unparalleled skills, unwavering commitment, and daring missions, these elite units redefine the boundaries of what is possible. From the renowned Navy SEALs to the legendary SAS, each force brings unique expertise and contributes to maintaining global security. As we celebrate their remarkable achievements, we honor the bravery and sacrifice of these extraordinary individuals who stand at the forefront of defense and protection. DISCLAIMER: This article has been generated using Artificial Intelligence Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Employees at a California taqueria chain who met with a person identified as a priest to confess sins committed at work were awarded $140,000 (over Rs 1 crore) in damages and back pay from the restaurants owner. Thirty-five workers of Taqueria Garibaldiowned by Che Garibaldi, which has two branches in Sacramento and one in Roseville, will receive the compensation after an investigation by the US Department of Labor. Che Garibaldi reportedly hired a fake priest to interrogate his staff about their supposed sins against the company. The Department of Labor uncovered this spiritual scam during their investigation into the unpaid wages of the employees. The Labor Department of the US claims that Taqueria Garibaldi violated numerous laws, as evidenced by an inquiry and the following civil court lawsuit. Among these violations were the illegal payment of employee tips to managers, the refusal to pay overtime, and the use of a fake priest to investigate alleged employee wrongdoings. During the trial, an employee of Taqueria Garibaldi testified in court that a priest urged the workers to confess their sins against the company. He inquired as to whether they had stolen from the business, arrived late for work, or had any other negative intentions towards their employer, a press release from the Labor Department declared. As soon as the confession started, I found the conversation to be strange and unlike normal confessions, where I would tell a priest about the sins I wanted to confess, told Maria Parraan employee of Taqueria Garibaldi who fell victim to the scamto a federal court in a sworn declaration, quoted by New York Post. What the judge ordered In addition to awarding the compensation of $70,000, the judge ordered the restaurant and its owners to pay $70,000 in back wages and $5,000 in civil money penalties to the department owing to the willful nature of their offences. The court also ordered Taqueria Garibaldi to prohibit themselves from interfering in their workers legal rights. It further emphasised that the restaurant chain must refrain from obstructing any ongoing departmental investigations and from using discriminatory tactics, threatening employees, or firing them unfairly if they had contact with investigators. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Foreign governments and agents assisting fugitives to infiltrate the US will now face new visa restrictions after the countrys State Department announced a crackdown on such activities. The new policy, known as the Fallon Smart, has been named after a 15-year-old boy who died in a hit-and-run incident in the US state of Oregon in 2016, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in the statement, adding that the foreign national accused of causing Smarts death fled the United States to avoid being tried for manslaughter. The Department of State is committed to deterring and promoting accountability for extraordinary foreign government involvement in aiding fugitives to evade the U.S. justice system, Blinken said in the statement. In 2018, the Oregonian newspaper reported that the man accused to kill Smart was a Saudi Arabian national who fled the country with the assistance of the Saudi government. A State Department spokesperson said in a statement that because visa records are confidential under US law we cannot disclose the identities of individuals who are or may be subject to this policy. US Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon in March said he would lift his hold on the nominee to serve as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Michael Ratney, after commitments from the State Department on revoking visas of foreign nationals assisting those evading prosecution or fleeing the US justice system. Todays announcement of the Fallon Smart Policy enshrines in U.S. policy the principle that there can be no room in America for foreign officials who help criminal suspects dodge the law, Wyden said on Wednesday. The loss of Fallon to her family and loved ones can never be erased, but this new State Department policy named for this young Portlander killed by a foreign national establishes genuine accountability for any foreign official who assists fugitives fleeing US justice, he added. With inputs from Reuters Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Even after Joe Biden compared Chinas leader to embarrassed dictators, the White House stated on Wednesday that it had every expectation that the senior US diplomats recent visit to Beijing will result in improved relations. A senior administration official said on Wednesday that US State Secretary Antony Blinken made some progress during a long-awaited visit to China. We have every expectation of building on that progress, the official said. Blinkens visit, which concluded Monday, was meant to re-establish lines of communication as tensions simmer between the two global powers over Taiwan and an incident involving a Chinese balloon in February, which Washington believes was spying on the United States. But China on Wednesday slammed Bidens remarks equating Chinese leader Xi Jinping with dictators. Beijing called that statement, made by Biden on Tuesday at a fundraiser in California, an open political provocation. The White House afterward sought to smooth tensions. It should come as no surprise that the President speaks candidly about China and the differences that we have we are certainly not alone in that, the official said later Wednesday. The President believes that diplomacy, including that undertaken by Secretary Blinken, is the responsible way to manage tensions, the official added. Tuesday was not the first time Biden has made significant, even provocative, statements at fund-raising receptions usually small-scale events at which cameras and recordings are forbidden but where journalists may listen to and transcribe the presidents opening remarks. At one such event last October Biden spoke of the threat of nuclear Armageddon from Russia. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States, using this weeks state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help some skilled workers enter or remain in the country, according to three people familiar with the matter. The State Department could announce as soon as Thursday that a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas will be able to renew those visas in the US, without having to travel abroad, one of the sources said, part of a pilot program that could be expanded in coming years. Indian citizens are by far the most active users of the US H-1B program and made up 73% of the nearly 442,000 H-1B workers in fiscal year 2022. We all recognise that mobility of our people is a huge asset to us, said another U.S. official. And so our goal is to approach that in a sort of multifaceted way. The State Department already has been working very hard to find creative ways to make changes to things. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on questions about which visa types would qualify or the timing of the pilot launch. Plans for a pilot program were first reported by Bloomberg Law in February. The pilot would begin with a small number of cases with the intention to scale the initiative over the following one to two years, the spokesperson said, while declining to define small. The steps could change and are not finalized until they are announced. The White House declined to comment. Each year, the US government makes 65,000 H-1B visas available to companies seeking skilled foreign workers, along with an additional 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees. The visas last for three years and can be renewed for another three years. The companies using the most H-1B workers in recent years include the Indian-based Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services as well as Amazon, Alphabet and Meta in the US, according to US government data. The ability for some of the temporary foreign workers to renew visas in the U.S. would free up resources for visa interviews in consulates abroad, the spokesperson said. The pilot program would also include some workers with L-1 visas, which are available to people transferring within a company to a position in the U.S., one of the sources said. A separate initiative to clear a backlog of visa applications at U.S. embassies in India is finally showing signs of progress, according to another one of those sources, and is expected to be figure into the discussions between the two countries delegations in Washington this week. India has long had concerns with the difficulty its citizens face in receiving visas to live in the United States, including technology industry workers. More than 10 million jobs stood open in the United States at the end of April, according to the Labor Department. Some H-1B visa holders in the U.S. have been among the thousands of tech workers laid off this year, sending them scrambling to find new employers within a 60-day grace period or return to their home country. The Biden administration has spent months working to improve visa access for Indians, trying to get around the lack of political will in Congress to comprehensively reform U.S. immigration policy. President Joe Biden wants to knit together the worlds two largest democracies, partly in a bid to better compete with China. U.S. visa services are still attempting to clear a backlog after Washington halted almost all visa processing worldwide in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The visa backlog has led to some families being separated for extended periods of time, with some taking to social media to lament their situation. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome and given a guard of honour at the Joint Base Andrews in Washington DC on his arrival on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at Joint Base Andrews in Washington DC on his arrival on Wednesday. #FPWorld pic.twitter.com/YjY2faGrC1 Firstpost (@firstpost) June 22, 2023 The national anthems of both countries were played at the airbase to mark his arrival. With his arrival in Washington, PM Modis official state visit has moved to its next phase. Taking to Twitter, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, PM @narendramodi accorded a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour as he sets foot at the Joint Base Andrews airport in Washington DC. In Washington DC, PM will hold bilateral meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden ; address the Joint Session of the US Congress; and interact with CEOs and a cross-section of Indian diaspora. The Official State visit moves to its next phase. PM @narendramodi accorded a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour as he sets foot at the Joint Base Andrews airport in Washington DC. In Washington DC, PM will hold bilateral meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden; address the Joint pic.twitter.com/orvRXEJjaw Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 21, 2023 Meanwhile, the White House has confirmed that PM Modi and US President Joe Biden will be taking questions from the press on Thursday, terming it a big deal. John Kirby, the White Houses national security spokesperson, said, We are just grateful that Prime Minister Modi is participating in a press event at the end of the visit. We think thats important and were glad he thinks thats important too. The format of the press conference will include one question from the US press and one from an Indian journalist, Kirby said. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington DC. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets President of the United States Joe Biden at The White House, in Washington, DC. (Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/wEr57FS2NX ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Vinay Mohan Kwatra have also accompanied Modi at the White House. The prime minister will next attend a state dinner with First Lady Jill Biden and President Biden. According to a White House statement, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will present PM Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. The president will also gift PM Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastmans Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography. Jill Biden will gift PM Modi a signed, first edition copy of Collected Poems of Robert Frost Earlier today, the prime minister said in a tweet, Honoured that First Lady joined us in a special event relating to skill development. Skilling is a top priority for India and we are dedicated to creating a proficient workforce that can boost enterprise and value creation. Honoured that @FLOTUS @DrBiden joined us in a special event relating to skill development. Skilling is a top priority for India and we are dedicated to creating a proficient workforce that can boost enterprise and value creation. pic.twitter.com/eXibkMme9c Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 21, 2023 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 21, 2023 PM Modi and Jill Biden attended a national science event at the National Science Foundation Headquarters in Alexandria. Both of them met students from the US and India who are learning skills to succeed in industries vital to the economies of the two countries. I am very happy that I got to meet these young and creative people right after visiting Washinton DC. With NSF, India is working on a lot of projects. I want to thank First Lady Jill Biden to plan and organise this event. Your life and your achievements are an inspiration for future generations, Modi said at the event. Meanwhile, the menu for the State dinner will include Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce, Crisped Millet Cakes, Summer Squashes, Marinated Millet and Grilled Corn Kernel Salad, Compressed Watermelon, Tangy Avocado Sauce, Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, Creamy Saffron-infused Risotto, Rose and Cardamom-infused Strawberry Shortcake. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In recent years, the electric vehicle (EV) market has witnessed a surge in the adoption of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries. This remarkable shift has intrigued many, prompting the question: why are car makers so keen on using Lithium Iron Phosphate instead of traditional materials like nickel and cobalt? As the automotive sector races to manufacture electric vehicles at lower costs, the batteries, which represents the most expensive components, have become a focal point. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) has emerged as the preferred material for EV batteries. The increasing preference for LFP can be attributed to several factors, including environmental and geopolitical considerations. Additionally, advancements in technology have narrowed the performance gap between LFP and commonly used materials like nickel and cobalt. Understanding Lithium Iron Phosphate Lithium Iron Phosphate is a type of rechargeable battery that falls under the category of lithium-ion batteries. It is composed of lithium iron phosphate as its cathode material, hence its name. Unlike other lithium-ion chemistries, lithium iron phosphate offers distinct advantages that have garnered significant attention in the EV industry. Advantages of using Lithium Iron Phosphate Safety: Safety is a primary concern for EV manufacturers, and LFP excels in this aspect. Compared to nickel and cobalt-based chemistries, LFP is inherently more stable, less prone to thermal runaway, and has a lower risk of catching fire or exploding during charging or discharging events. Enhanced Thermal Stability: LFP exhibits superior thermal stability, allowing it to operate in a wider temperature range without compromising performance. This makes LiFePO4 batteries more reliable and suitable for extreme weather conditions. Longer Lifespan: LFP batteries have a significantly longer cycle life compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. They can endure a greater number of charge-discharge cycles without substantial capacity degradation, making them highly durable and cost-effective over the long term. Higher Power Density: LFP batteries can deliver high power output, enabling rapid charging and discharging. This characteristic makes them particularly suitable for applications that demand quick acceleration and regenerative braking, such as electric vehicles. Environmental Friendliness: LFP batteries are more environmentally friendly than nickel and cobalt-based alternatives. The raw materials used in LFP production are abundant and widely available, reducing the environmental impact associated with mining and extraction. Implications for the EV Industry The growing adoption of LFP batteries in the EV industry signifies a significant shift towards safer and more sustainable energy storage solutions. By prioritizing safety and reliability, car manufacturers are ensuring that EVs become a mainstream choice for consumers. Moreover, the reduced reliance on nickel and cobalt brings economic advantages, as these materials are often expensive and can be sourced from politically unstable regions. LFPs abundant and widely available raw materials offer a more stable supply chain, reducing potential price volatility and supply chain disruptions. The Future of Sustainable Transportation As the EV market continues to expand, the use of lithium iron phosphate batteries is likely to become more prevalent. The inherent safety, longer lifespan, and environmental benefits of LFP make it an attractive option for car makers. By leveraging LFPs advantages, the automotive industry can contribute to a more sustainable future by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and minimizing environmental impact. Lithium Iron Phosphate has emerged as the favoured choice for car manufacturers in the realm of EV battery technology. Its safety, enhanced thermal stability, longer lifespan, higher power density, and environmental friendliness have positioned it as a compelling alternative to nickel and cobalt-based chemistries. As the world moves towards sustainable transportation, LFP batteries are poised to play a crucial role in powering the future of electric mobility. This article was generated using Artificial Intelligence. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts 1. When did the First Boer War take place? Answer: 1880-1881 The First Boer War took place from 16 December 1880 until 23 March 1881. The First Boer War, also known as the Transvaal War, as a significant event that highlighted the Boers' determination to maintain their independence and resist British encroachment. It had lasting implications for the relationship between the British Empire and the Boer republics, setting the stage for the subsequent conflicts and tensions in the region. 2. The Boer Wars were fought between the British Empire and which two Boer republics? Answer: Transvaal and Orange Free State Transvaal and Orange Free State is the correct answer. The Republic of Transvaal, also known as the South African Republic, was a Boer republic established in the 19th century. It emerged as a result of the Great Trek, a movement of Boer settlers into the interior of South Africa seeking independence from British rule. The republic was rich in mineral resources, including gold and diamonds, which attracted European miners and increased tensions with the British Empire. The Republic of Transvaal played a central role in both the First and Second Boer Wars as it sought to maintain its independence and protect its resources from British encroachment. The Orange Free State was a Boer republic established in the mid-19th century in what is now South Africa. It was founded by Dutch-speaking Boers who sought independence from British colonial rule. The republic was named after the Orange River, which formed its northern boundary. The Orange Free State was known for its agricultural economy, with farming and livestock being the primary sources of wealth. It played a significant role in the Boer Wars, initially as an ally of the South African Republic (Transvaal) and later as a target of British military campaigns. Despite their resistance, the republic was eventually annexed by the British Empire at the conclusion of the wars. 3. Who were the leaders of the Boer forces during the Second Boer War? Louis Botha and Jan Smuts Louis Botha and Jan Smuts were the leaders of the Boer forces during the Second Boer War. They played key roles in the military and political resistance against the British Empire. Louis Botha was a prominent Boer military leader and statesman who played a crucial role in the Anglo-Boer Wars. He was born on September 27, 1862, in Greytown, Natal (now part of South Africa). Botha rose to prominence during the Second Boer War (1899-1902) as the commander-in-chief of the Boer forces. Botha was known for his strategic skills, tactical acumen, and his ability to mobilize and unite Boer fighters against the British forces. He led successful guerilla warfare campaigns, using hit-and-run tactics and utilizing the knowledge of the South African landscape to his advantage. Botha's leadership was characterized by pragmatism, diplomacy, and efforts to establish stability and unity in the aftermath of the devastating conflict. He played a crucial role in shaping the early years of the Union of South Africa and is remembered as a key figure in South African history. Botha passed away on August 27, 1919, leaving behind a complex legacy as a military leader and statesman. Jan Smuts was a prominent Boer military leader, statesman, and philosopher who played a significant role in the Anglo-Boer Wars. He was born on May 24, 1870, in the Cape Colony (now part of South Africa). During the Second Boer War (1899-1902), Smuts served as a commanding officer and strategist in the Boer forces. He displayed military brilliance and was known for his innovative tactics, including the use of mobile commando units. Smuts played a crucial role in several major battles and was recognized for his ability to adapt to the changing circumstances of the war. Answer:Louis Botha and Jan Smuts were the leaders of the Boer forces during the Second Boer War. They played key roles in the military and political resistance against the British Empire.Louis Botha was a prominent Boer military leader and statesman who played a crucial role in the Anglo-Boer Wars. He was born on September 27, 1862, in Greytown, Natal (now part of South Africa). Botha rose to prominence during the Second Boer War (1899-1902) as the commander-in-chief of the Boer forces.Botha was known for his strategic skills, tactical acumen, and his ability to mobilize and unite Boer fighters against the British forces. He led successful guerilla warfare campaigns, using hit-and-run tactics and utilizing the knowledge of the South African landscape to his advantage.Botha's leadership was characterized by pragmatism, diplomacy, and efforts to establish stability and unity in the aftermath of the devastating conflict. He played a crucial role in shaping the early years of the Union of South Africa and is remembered as a key figure in South African history. Botha passed away on August 27, 1919, leaving behind a complex legacy as a military leader and statesman.Jan Smuts was a prominent Boer military leader, statesman, and philosopher who played a significant role in the Anglo-Boer Wars. He was born on May 24, 1870, in the Cape Colony (now part of South Africa).During the Second Boer War (1899-1902), Smuts served as a commanding officer and strategist in the Boer forces. He displayed military brilliance and was known for his innovative tactics, including the use of mobile commando units. Smuts played a crucial role in several major battles and was recognized for his ability to adapt to the changing circumstances of the war. 4. Which major European power supported the Boers during the wars? Answer: Germany Germany supported the Boers during the Boer Wars. The support of the Germans to the Boers during the Boer Wars can be attributed to several factors: Geopolitical Considerations: Germany, under Kaiser Wilhelm II, saw an opportunity to challenge British imperial power and expand its influence in Africa. By supporting the Boers, Germany aimed to weaken the British Empire and gain a foothold in the strategically important region of southern Africa. Economic Interests: The Boer territories of Transvaal and Orange Free State were rich in mineral resources, particularly gold. German companies and individuals had invested heavily in mining operations in these regions. Supporting the Boers allowed Germany to protect and preserve its economic interests in the gold mines. Racial and Cultural Affinity: There was a perceived racial and cultural affinity between the Boers, who were primarily of Dutch descent, and the Germans. Both groups shared a common ancestry and cultural ties, which created a sense of solidarity and sympathy among the Germans towards the Boers. Opposition to British Imperialism: Germany, as a rising power in Europe, viewed British imperialism as a potential threat to its own ambitions. By supporting the Boers, who were resisting British rule, Germany sought to undermine British influence and challenge the dominant position of the British Empire on the global stage. Military and Technological Cooperation: Germany provided military advisors, training, and supplies to the Boers during the conflict. This support helped bolster the Boer war effort and increased their military capabilities, posing a significant challenge to the British forces. It's important to note that Germany's support for the Boers was not solely driven by altruism or ideological motivations. It was primarily driven by geopolitical interests, economic considerations, and a desire to challenge British dominance. The German support for the Boers ultimately contributed to the complexity and international dimension of the Boer Wars. 5. Which technological innovation played a significant role in the Second Boer War? Answer: Machine guns Machine guns played a significant role in the Second Boer War. The Maxim gun, invented by Sir Hiram Maxim, was a fully automatic recoil-operated machine gun that fired ammunition from a belt or magazine. It was one of the earliest practical machine guns and revolutionized warfare with its rapid rate of fire. The Maxim machine guns used during the Boer Wars were water-cooled, belt-fed weapons. They were capable of sustained fire and provided a significant advantage to the British forces in terms of firepower. The Maxim guns were usually mounted on tripods or vehicles, allowing for more stable firing positions and increased accuracy. The deployment of Maxim machine guns by the British forces gave them a considerable edge over the Boer troops, who were predominantly armed with bolt-action rifles. The devastating firepower of the machine guns played a role in several key battles, including the sieges of Ladysmith, Mafeking, and Kimberley, where the concentrated fire from the Maxim guns helped the British maintain defensive positions and repel Boer attacks. The use of machine guns during the Anglo-Boer Wars marked a significant shift in warfare, demonstrating the effectiveness and destructive power of automatic firearms. The introduction of these weapons further highlighted the technological disparity between the British and Boer forces and had a profound impact on the outcome of the conflict. 6. Which treaty ended the Second Boer War? Answer: Treaty of Vereeniging The Treaty of Vereeniging ended the Second Boer war in 1902. The key points in the Treaty of Vereeniging: Recognition of British Sovereignty: The Boer republics recognized British sovereignty and accepted British control over their territories. The treaty led to the annexation of Transvaal and Orange Free State, bringing them under British rule. Terms of Self-Government: While the Boer territories became part of the British Empire, the treaty allowed for eventual self-government. The Boers were granted limited autonomy and were promised the right to establish representative governments in the future. Repatriation of Prisoners and Amnesty: The treaty included provisions for the release and repatriation of Boer prisoners of war. Both sides agreed to grant amnesty to those involved in the war, with exceptions made for specific crimes. Compensation for War Damages: The British agreed to provide financial compensation for war damages incurred by the Boer republics. This included compensation for property loss, destruction, and other war-related expenses. Language and Education Rights: The treaty safeguarded the rights of the Boers to maintain their language, culture, and educational institutions. They were allowed to continue teaching in their native language, preserving their cultural identity. British Responsibility for Boer Debts: The British agreed to assume responsibility for the debts incurred by the Boer republics during the war. This relieved the Boers of their financial obligations resulting from the conflict. The Treaty of Vereeniging marked the end of the Boer republics' independence and established British control over the territories. While it brought an end to the armed conflict, the aftermath of the war had lasting social, political, and economic implications for the people of South Africa. 7. What was the main reason for the Boer Wars? Answer: Access to gold and diamond reserves The main reason for the Boer Wars was the struggle for control over the valuable mineral resources, particularly gold and diamonds, found in the Boer republics of Transvaal and Orange Free State. The discovery of these resources in the late 19th century sparked a rush of European miners and settlers to the region, creating tensions between the Boers and the British Empire, which sought to assert control and secure access to these resources. The conflict was further fueled by underlying political and cultural differences, as well as competition for territorial expansion and influence in southern Africa. 8. Which side ultimately emerged as the victor in the Second Boer War? British Empire The British Empire ultimately emerged as the victor in the Second Boer War. Despite strong resistance from the Boer forces, the British deployed superior numbers, advanced weaponry, and scorched-earth tactics to gain control over the Boer territories. The signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging formalized British control over the Boer republics Answer:The British Empire ultimately emerged as the victor in the Second Boer War. Despite strong resistance from the Boer forces, the British deployed superior numbers, advanced weaponry, and scorched-earth tactics to gain control over the Boer territories. The signing of the Treaty of Vereeniging formalized British control over the Boer republics 9. Which British military commander gained fame during the Boer Wars? Answer: Lord Kitchener Lord Kitchener gained fame during the Boer Wars for his role as the British military commander. He was appointed as the Chief of Staff for the British forces in South Africa during the Second Boer War. Kitchener implemented strategies such as blockhouses, concentration camps, and scorched-earth policies, which were controversial but effective in bringing the war to a conclusion 10. What was the outcome of the First Boer War? Answer: Boer victory The First Boer War, which took place from 1880 to 1881, resulted in a Boer victory. The Boers, primarily from the South African Republic (Transvaal), successfully repelled the British forces and maintained their independence. The outcome of this war was a significant blow to British prestige and marked a turning point in their approach towards the Boer territories. The Boer victory in the First Boer War contributed to tensions and conflicts that eventually led to the outbreak of the Second Boer War. Source: Author piet This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ponycargirl before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system. Iti doresti o presa libera si independenta, care nu da inapoi cand vine vorba de respectarea standardelor profesionale, refuza sa se lase cenzurata, sustine independenta justitiei, transparenta decizionala si valorile democratice. Alege sa o sustii. National AP Search area for lost Titanic-bound submersible deepens, doubles in size as oxygen dwindles Rescuers have rushed more ships and vessels to the area where a submersible disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site Steven Senne - staff, AP FILE - The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Warren Deyampert is docked as a member of the Coast Guard walks past, Tuesday, June 20, 2023, at Coast Guard Base Boston, in Boston. Rescuers are racing against time to find the missing submersible carrying five people, who were reported overdue Sunday night, June 18, 2023. Rescuers on Wednesday rushed more ships and vessels to the area where a submersible disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site, hoping underwater sounds they detected for a second straight day might help narrow their search in an increasingly urgent mission. Crews were scouring an area twice the size of Connecticut in waters 2 1/2 miles deep, said Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District, who noted that authorities are still holding out hope of saving the five passengers onboard the Titan. This is a search and rescue mission, 100 percent, he said. ... Well continue to put every available asset that we have in an effort to find the Titan and the crew members. But even those who expressed optimism warned that many obstacles remain: From pinpointing the vessels location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface assuming its still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers oxygen supply runs out, which some have estimated might happen as early as Thursday morning. Meanwhile, newly uncovered allegations suggest there had been significant warnings made about vessel safety during the submersibles development. The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan went missing on Sunday is prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guards International Ice Patrol. The lost submersible could be as deep as about 12,500 feet below the surface near the watery tomb of the Titanic. Key to the search are camera-equipped remote-operated robots, which are designed to scan the seafloor in real-time at depths other vessels cant reach. Two were operating in the area Wednesday and more were on the way, officials said. Frederick said while the sounds that have been detected offered a chance to narrow the search, their exact location and source hasnt yet been determined. We dont know what they are, to be frank, he said. Retired Navy Capt. Carl Hartsfield, now the director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, said the sounds have been described as banging noises, but he warned that search crews have to put the whole picture together in context and they have to eliminate potential manmade sources other than the Titan. The report was encouraging to some experts because submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their submersibles hull to be detected by sonar. A U.S. Navy official said during a media briefing Wednesday that a special naval salvage system that could be used to pull the Titan to the surface has arrived in St. Johns, Canada, but it is expected to take another 24 hours to prepare it for use. The Navy said in a statement that the equipment is capable of hoisting large, bulky and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels. The Titan weighs 20,000 pounds. The Navys Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System is designed to lift up to 60,000 pounds.The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. Lost aboard the vessel are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers are a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert. Authorities reported the 22-foot carbon-fiber vessel overdue Sunday night, setting off the search in waters about 435 miles south of St. Johns. The submersible had a four-day oxygen supply when it put to sea around 6 a.m. Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions, which oversaw the mission. Frank Owen, a submarine search and rescue expert, said the estimated 96-hour oxygen supply is a useful target for searchers, but is only based on a nominal amount of consumption. Owen said the diver on board the Titan would likely be advising passengers to do anything to reduce your metabolic levels so that you can actually extend this. Titans passengers were likely enduring extremely difficult conditions, including temperatures just above freezing, said Jeff Karson, a professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University. I am sure it is horrible down there, Karson said. It is like being in a snow cave and hypothermia is a real danger. At least 46 people successfully traveled on OceanGates submersible to the Titanic wreck site in 2021 and 2022, according to letters the company filed with a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, that oversees matters involving the Titanic shipwreck. But documents show that OceanGate had been warned there might be catastrophic safety problems posed by the way the experimental vessel was developed. David Lochridge, OceanGates director of marine operations, said in a 2018 lawsuit that the companys testing and certification was insufficient and would subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible. The company insisted that Lochridge was not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan. The firm also says the vessel under development was a prototype, not the now-missing Titan. The Marine Technology Society, which describes itself as a professional group of ocean engineers, technologists, policy-makers, and educators, also expressed concern that year in a letter to Rush, OceanGates chief executive. The society said it was critical that the company submit its prototype to tests overseen by an expert third party before launching in order to safeguard passengers. The New York Times first reported on those documents. Chris Brown, a British adventurer who paid a deposit to go on the Titan voyage but later withdrew because of what he called safety concerns, has criticized the use of a simple commercially available video game controller to steer the Titan. But OceanGate has said that many of the vessels parts are off-the-shelf because they have proved to be dependable. Its meant for a 16-year-old to throw it around, and is super durable, Rush told the CBC in an interview last year while he demonstrated by throwing the controller around the Titans tiny cabin. He said a couple of spares are kept on board just in case. The search for the missing vessel has drawn international attention. In Dubai, where the missing British adventurer Hamish Harding lives, Crown Prince Hamadan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum wrote: Dubai and its people pray for their safety and hopeful return home. Others aboard include Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, whose eponymous firm invests across the country. In Pakistans port city of Karachi, employees at his firms said they prayed for the twos safe return, as did government officials. French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet also was on the vessel. Retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, who is now deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University, said the disappearance of the submersible underscores the dangers associated with operating in deep water and the recreational exploration of the sea and space, two environments where in recent past weve seen people operate in hazardous, potentially lethal environments, Murrett said. I think some people believe that because modern technology is so good, that you can do things like this and not have accidents, but thats just not the case, he said. Honor Pad X8 Tablet With MediaTek Helio G80 SoC Launched in India News lekhaka -Subhrojit Mallick Even though the company has withdrawn from India, Honor has launched the Honor Pad X8 in the country, which was launched in China in September last year. The Pad X8 is a budget tablet that is powered by a MediaTek Helio G80 chip fronted by a 10.1-inch FHD display. The Pad X8, listed on Amazon India is sold as an import by a distributor, but at an attractive price. The tablet is offered in 3GB and 4GB RAM variants and comes with most of the bare necessities. Honor Pad X8: Specifications and Features The Honor Pad X8 features a 10.1-inch full HD IPS LCD display with 1920x1080 pixels resolution and a pixel density of 224 ppi. The Pad X8 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G80, a bit dated 4G chipset and runs on a 5100mAh battery. The tablet comes in two variants in China- 4GB RAM with 128GB storage, and a 6GB RAM variant also with 128GB storage. In India, it will have a more affordable 3GB RAM variant with 32GB storage, along with a 4GB RAM variant with 64GB storage. On the back, the Honor Pad X8 features a 5MP camera while on the front is a 2MP camera for video calls and selfies. It runs on Android 12-based Magic OS out of the box. The tablet is built out of aluminum and weighs 460 grams. It measures 7.55mm in thickness and supports USB-C charging, Wi-Fi connectivity and Bluetooth 5.1. There is also a 3.5mm headphone jack. For audio, the Pad X8 features stereo speakers with Honor Listen sound effects. Honor Pad X8: Price and Availability The Honor Pad X8 is listed on Amazon. The 3GB RAM variant with 32GB storage is priced at Rs 10,999. The 4GB RAM variant with 64GB storage will be available later at Rs 11,999. The Pad X8 will be offered in a single Blue colour variant and will be available for purchase from June 22. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Google Pixel Phone To Be Made In India Country Is Viable Alternative To China: Report Tech Biz oi -Alap Naik Desai Google could be the latest tech giant looking at India for manufacturing its premium Pixel series smartphones. The search giant has already started scouting for reliable production partners, claims a new report. Apple has been actively shifting its iPhone production to India, and it has been a surprisingly peaceful and successful transition. Google could soon replicate Apple's strategy. The company may soon finalize its primary suppliers and look for manufacturers in India. Google In Talks With Foxconn's India Branch And Its Production Partners According to a new report from Bloomberg News, Google is actively looking to move some of its Pixel smartphone production to India. The search giant is not betting big yet and could gradually shift part of the production and that too in phases. The report, citing people familiar with the matter, claims that Google is in talks with Foxconn's India branch, Bharat FIH, Dixon Technologies, and Lava International. Either a single one or a combination of these companies may soon become production partners. Needless to say, these are preliminary discussions, and hence, nothing has been finalized. Moreover, Google has a reliable manufacturing and supply-chain setup for its Pixel Phone. However, smartphone manufacturers are increasingly considering multiple manufacturing hubs and creating diverse supply chains to mitigate potential risks and unforeseen disruptions, especially in China. Why Are Smartphone Manufacturers Moving To India And Away From China? Apple has shifted some portion of its iPhone production to India. However, it has been assembling its iPhones in the country since 2017. Several reports suggest Apple may make 25 percent of all iPhone devices in India by 2025. This number could double by 2027. Needless to say, these are big numbers. Similarly, Google and others would also move their production to India as the country has fast-tracked processes. India has been ensuring there are readily-available resources and manpower to kickstart production without delay. Production in China has been struggling. Specifically speaking, smartphone production has taken a hit due to the negative impact of COVID and continued strict restriction policies. China is trying to ease regulations and recreate a favorable ecosystem, but some reports suggest it is proving difficult. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Google And Other Tech Companies Complain To The FTC Accusing Microsoft Of Unfair Business Practices Tech Biz oi -Alap Naik Desai Google and other technology trade groups have jointly filed a complaint with the US Federal Trade Commission. The group has accused Microsoft of unfair business practices, especially in the thriving world of Cloud Computing and Remote Data Centers. Cloud Computing and Cloud Data Storage are two of the fastest-growing and heavily in-demand sectors. Companies like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and several others are well entrenched in the "Cloud". The complaint alleges Microsoft makes it unnecessarily harder for businesses to migrate for better prospects. Google And Others File Complain Against Microsoft Alleging Anti-Competitive Behavior Alphabet's Google, along with multiple technology trade groups, have complained to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about alleged unfair business practices in the cloud. The complaint includes multiple entities, but the biggest is Microsoft. Microsoft is currently America's second-largest cloud service provider. The complaint alleges companies like Microsoft are charging fees for allowing data migration. Simply put, businesses that use cloud-based services, ask for fees to take data out of various providers' clouds. The complaint follows increased scrutiny of prevalent business practices and their potential negative impact on healthy competition. Incidentally, Europe's antitrust authority has been probing into Microsoft's licensing agreements that allegedly discouraged viral cloud usage. Microsoft Licensing Terms Discourage Competition And Lock-in Customers? NetChoice, an organization whose members include Amazon Inc., Meta Platforms, Google, and several other smaller tech players, has alleged that a few cloud-service providers and vendors use anti-competitive practices. The complaint observes that procuring cloud services is usually a long-term commitment. However, that does not mean businesses may not want to migrate or take their business and data elsewhere. Several cloud service providers are using unfair means to entrench their position, despite vibrant competition in the cloud industry, notes the complaint. These practices include preventing customers from switching providers in search of lower costs, stronger service offerings, and more innovative solutions for their businesses, NetChoice alleged. Google has categorically alleged that "Licensing terms enforced by Microsoft, Oracle, and other legacy on-premises software providers distort competition in the cloud." Businesses that acquired software from Microsoft for their own data centers face restrictions and surcharges when migrating to the company's competitors. Simply put, if a business has bought a cloud-based software that's made by Microsoft, it cannot easily switch to another cloud service provider. As Microsoft's recent attempts to close the acquisition deal involving Activision Blizzard have indicated, the company has been open to discussions and amendments in order to protect and promote competition. It is possible Microsoft, Oracle and others might adopt a competition-friendly approach due to this latest complaint. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Alliance's new plans to boost Slovakia's security Ministry of Defence of The Slovak Republic 16.06.2023 Defence Minister Martin Sklenar attended Day 2 of the NATO Defence Ministerial meetings on Friday (16 June 2023) in Brussels, where work to further bolster the Alliance's collective security and defence on the eastern flank was highlighted as the central theme as preparations are now underway for the upcoming NATO Vilnius Summit in Lithuania. For Slovakia, the NATO meeting brought some important news about the introduction of a new rotational model for NATO's air and missile defence. "In practice, this means that whilst until now it has been up to individual states to agree the arrangements, we are now going to apply a new system whereby the assets available to NATO member states will rotate under NATOs coordination, depending on circumstances and availability," Defence Minister Sklenar explained. On the sidelines of the Defence Ministerial, the head of the SVK MOD met his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto for bilateral talks. "The deployment of the SAMP/T air defence system to Slovakia makes a valuable asset to the security of our country and that of the Alliances eastern flank," Minister Sklenar said. The leaders reviewed opportunities for defence industrial cooperation between the two countries. As part of the programme at NATO HQ, Mr Sklenar also joined other Defence Ministers of the countries contributing to NATO's eFP Battlegroup in Latvia for a meeting. Slovakia has maintained a rotational presence in Latvia since 2018. "In early June, the fifth rotation of SVK forces along with equipment departed for Adazi, where our artillerymen along with ZUZANA 2 howitzers are currently stationed. Sharing its much-needed capabilities and demonstrating its willingness and ability to deploy forces wherever needed - thats where the Alliances strength lies," Mr Sklenar added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In addition to Allied assistance, we are seeking our own solution to Slovakia's Air Defence Capability Ministry of Defence of The Slovak Republic 19.06.2023 Today (19 June 2023), Defence Minister Martin Sklenar has departed to Paris and is now taking part in a conference of EU defence ministers on Europe's air and missile defence. The conference offers an opportunity to seek a common European approach and strategy for building up the continent's air defences capable of defeating the air threats of the 21st century. This topical issue is of extreme importance, even to Slovakia. After gathering all of the Slovak Armed Forces' ground-based air defence (GBAD) requirements just a few weeks ago, Slovakia has launched the process of finding the best solution to its own air defences. Due to the complexity of the project, it will be a long-term and gradual process in which specific air and missile defence systems will be acquired in four stages. The Slovak Defence Ministry is now in Phase 1 of the Air Defence Capability programme - work is ongoing to get the programme ready for formal approval from the Slovak government in the shortest possible time frame. On Slovakia's future Air Defence Capability, Defence Minister Martin Sklenar said: "Ground Based Air Defence is one of the key capabilities to secure Slovakias own defences. We have perceived the need for our own complex and advanced GBAD capability in the long run. At the end of the process, it will be an integrated system with many digitally networked platforms, which will, of course, allow full compatibility with the Alliances capabilities and will be ready to protect European and NATO airspace." Under Stage 1, a mobile medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM-M) system and 12 man-portable air defence (MANPAD) systems are to be procured along with associated logistics support, trucks and other components, worth up to 200m. Fully aligned to the Ministry of Defence's Long-Term Development Plan with Outlook to 2035, the delivery of the Air Defence Capability programme will be funded from the planned Defence budget. To this end, the Slovak Defence Ministry has already approached 11 countries that have the manufacturing potential for the air and missile defence systems. Offers in response to Slovakia's MRSAM-M and MANPAD Request for Government Proposal (RfGP) must be submitted by the end of July 2023. Subsequently, a team of MOD subject matter experts will evaluate them against predetermined evaluation criteria. The final bidders' ranking will be established accordingly. Defence Minister Sklenar concluded: "Overall, of course, the priority is to deliver high quality and high efficiency [technologies] to suit the requirements of the Armed Forces and other subject matter experts, as well as ensuring transparency and promotion of bilateral cooperation, which should be guaranteed by a government-to-government (G2G) agreement." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Terror Attack Near Eli and West Bank Violence US Department of State Press Statement Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson June 20, 2023 The United States condemns the terrorist attack against Israelis near Eli in the West Bank today. We express our deepest condolences to the families of those killed and wish the injured a speedy recovery. We are also concerned about the continuation of violence in Israel and the West Bank in recent weeks that has killed and injured Palestinian and Israeli civilians. We will continue to work with Israel and the Palestinian Authority to promote steps towards de-escalation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York 20 June 2023 The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General. ** Secretary-General's Travels Good afternoon, everyone. I have some travel to announce. Tonight, the Secretary-General will travel to Paris, where he will attend a Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. In his remarks at the Summit, he will reiterate his call for ambitious reforms to the international financial architecture, and for immediate steps including his proposal for an SDG [stimulus] to better support developing and emerging economies and put us back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Secretary-General is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron; the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna; as well as other officials. While in Paris, the Secretary-General will participate in an open discussion with students, alumni and academics at Sciences Po universityand share his perspective on the state of world affairs. The opening ceremony of the Summit, as well as the event at Sciences Po, will be webcast live on UN WebTV. The Secretary-General will be back in New York on Friday, 23 June. ** Central African Republic The Head of the Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), Valentine Rugwabiza, briefed the Security Council this morning. She told Council members that important progress was made in the implementation of the peace agreement, adding that the dissolution in April of two armed groups as well as factions of three other armed groups all signatories of the peace agreement were a significant development in the peace process. But, she added, combatants affiliated with these armed groups must be quickly disarmed and reintegrated for this dissolution to have a meaningful impact. She called on the partners of the Central African Republic for additional support for the effective reintegration of disarmed and demobilized armed combatants. Turning to the security situation, Ms. Rugwabiza said that increasing tensions and the rapidly deteriorating security at the country's borders with Chad, South Sudan and Sudan represent renewed security and humanitarian challenges. As we have mentioned here, Ms. Rugwabiza reminded Council members that following the outbreak of violence in Sudan, the [country] is facing an influx of refugees and returnees in urgent need of protection and assistance. Her full remarks were shared with you. And I might add that this afternoon, the Security Council will also hear from Nicholas Haysom about the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). ** Sudan Turning to Sudan, the humanitarian community continues to deliver. As of today, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has facilitated the movement of at least 388 trucks carrying life-saving assistance to various parts of the country. The World Food Programme (WFP) says that the agency has reached more than 1 million people with emergency food assistance in the six weeks since it resumed operations in Sudan. This includes reaching more than 375,000 people in North, South, East and Central Darfur. People continue to seek refuge from the fighting in Sudan in neighbouring countries. The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says that more than 500,000 people have now fled across Sudan's borders to escape the violence. And you may have seen that, yesterday, donors announced more than $1.5 billion in support of the humanitarian response in Sudan, and in the region, during the high-level pledging event co-hosted by the UN, together with the Governments of Egypt, Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the European Union. The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, thanked donors for their generosity. ** Nigeria In Nigeria, we have allocated $20 million to urgently ramp up the response to the alarming food security and nutrition crisis in the north-east of the country. With $9 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and $11 million from the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund, we will support the Government-led response efforts across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. Assistance includes [...] ready-to-eat food, access to clean water, health care and agriculture support. According to humanitarian partners, almost 700,000 children under five are likely to suffer from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition this year in this region and more than half a million people may face emergency levels of food insecurity during the lean season from June to August. The emergency funding will help jumpstart the response, but humanitarian partners need more to prevent widespread hunger and malnutrition. The $1.3 billion humanitarian response plan for Nigeria is only 26 per cent funded. ** Middle East A statement we issued yesterday said that the Secretary-General was deeply troubled by the decision by the Israeli Government to amend settlement planning procedures. He was also deeply alarmed by the anticipated advancement next week of over 4,000 settlement housing units by Israeli planning authorities. The Secretary-General reiterates that settlements are a flagrant violation of international law. They are a major obstacle to the realization of a viable two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace. The Secretary-General urges the Government of Israel to halt and reverse such decisions and to immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and to fully respect its legal obligations in that regard. He further calls for concrete steps to be taken to implement the commitments made in the Joint Communiques in Aqaba and Sharm al-Sheik. The full statement is online. ** Lebanon According to a new report, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) revealed that families in Lebanon are barely able to meet their most basic needs despite cutting down drastically on expenses. The Children's Fund estimates that a growing number of families are having to resort to sending their children some as young as six years old to work, in a desperate effort to survive the socioeconomic crisis engulfing the country. UNICEF urges the Government to invest in education through reforms and national policies to ensure that all children have access to inclusive and quality education, that will help mitigate the impact of the crisis. ** Ukraine A new report released today by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank shows that the Ukrainian energy system remains extremely vulnerable and continues to operate in emergency mode with a reduced and limited safety margin, grappling with damage costing more than $10 billion. According to the report, compiled just before the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, an alarming 42 out of 94 high-voltage transformers in Government-controlled territories have been damaged or destroyed due to missile or drone strikes since the beginning of the current stage of the war. More than half of these transformers have endured repeated attacks, thwarting attempts at repair. The report notes that power generation capacity has been reduced to nearly 50 per cent of its pre-2022 levels. The situation is aggravated by the significant decline in manoeuvring capacities, including the loss of more than 67 per cent of thermal power generation capacity. More information online. ** Counter-Terrorism Week As you are aware, the third UN Counter-Terrorism Week is under way in New York, with 40 side events on various issues related to countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism. The first segment of the conference the High-level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States concludes today. The closing session will be chaired by Vladimir Voronkov, the Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism. And at about 4:45 p.m., the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, is scheduled to deliver remarks during this session. ** World Refugee Day Today is World Refugee Day. This year's theme is "Hope Away from Home". More than 100 million people living in countries rocked by conflict, persecution, hunger and climate chaos have been forced to flee their homes. In his message, the Secretary-General says that this Day reminds us of our duty to protect and support refugees, and the UN refugee agency calls on Governments to increase resettlement opportunities for refugees who are desperately in need. Also in a message, the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said that this year he is marking the Day in Kenya, meeting refugees brimming with strength and ambition despite escaping conflict, drought, and other horrors. The High Commissioner for Refugees said that he was using his visit to highlight to the rest of the world that we can and must do more to offer hope, opportunities, and solutions to refugees, wherever they are and whatever the context, adding that Kenya shows that this is possible. And that's it from me. I'll now turn over to you for whatever questions you may have. Yes, Abdelhamid? ** Questions and Answers Question : Thank you, Farhan. I want to quote the statement, both the statements of Mr. Tor Wennesland, of today's killing and yesterday's killings, and I hope you... [Cross talk] Deputy Spokesman : But... wait, wait. Before you go further though, I would appreciate questions that are questions. I'm not going to go word for word by what he said. What I do in this job, for example, is to explain what he did say. But editorial comment is not quite the same thing as a question. Question : Please explain to me why he used the word "strongly condemn" for the killing of the four Israelis, and yesterday, killing six Palestinians, wounding 91, including a child, he used the word "alarmed and saddened". What is the difference between killing four Israelis, who are settlers living in an illegal settlement, and killing six Palestinians living in their refugee camp? Is there fairness in this language? Is there... is this the UN impartiality? Objectivity? Tell me exactly, why he chose these words in describing both cases. Deputy Spokesman : Mr. Wennesland uses whatever words he believes are most appropriate for the situation, weighing all of the particular diplomatic considerations in terms of his dealings with the parties on the ground. I know whenever we issue statements on any topic, not just this one, that you will be able to parse out particular words that are chosen and will wonder why was this word used in this context and not in this other one. But remember, each diplomatic circumstance is different and there are different considerations and practicalities that need to be weighed. Within that context, Mr. Wennesland has been very clear about his concerns about all of the violence, whether it falls on Palestinians or Israelis. He wants all sides to refrain from steps that could inflame an already volatile situation. The Secretary-General also shares concerns about this violence, and we want to make sure that it stops. Yeah, James? Question : So are the different diplomatic circumstances you're talking about the fact that the Israelis have the Americans on their side, the US on their side, who'll come down hard on the SG? Because Abdelhamid has a very valid point, not just about this statement. I mean, I'm not going to do it now, but we could do an analysis of all the statements over the last five years and the language is different not always but quite often different, subtly different, but different. Deputy Spokesman : I'm aware of the subtleties and I know that those differences go back even longer than five years and are not excluded to this conflict but carry the sweep of different situations. I would say that the Secretary-General, what you're wondering about is incorrect. The Secretary-General is not worried about criticism from any quarter, nor is Mr. Wennesland. Mr. Wennesland does want to make sure that he is able to deliver concrete results for the improvements of the lives of the people in the region that he's serving. And so he weighs language with that in mind to see what will be most effective in dealing with different parties to de-escalate the situation and what words will not be effective in dealing with them. Question : So if he's not worried about diplomatic pushback from Israel and the US, we can expect to see Israel on the blacklist of countries that have killed and blamed children this year? Because we heard from the Special Representative a year ago that if Israel didn't improve, they would be on the list, and clearly the situation in terms of the number of children they've killed has increased greatly. So they'll be on the blacklist this year. Deputy Spokesman : I'm not going to give out any conclusions ahead of the report. I do believe that, either by later this week or early next week, we should have the report available for you. And when that happens, we will have Virginia Gamba, the Secretary-General's Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, to talk to you. Question : We'll look forward to it. Not sure she will. Deputy Spokesman : Dezhi? Question : Let me get to the Black Sea Initiative. According to my colleague, today, Russian Foreign Ministry, said that they will end Black Sea Initiative on 18 July. Has the UN received this relevant information on this? Deputy Spokesman : We continue to work with the parties, including the Russian Federation and Ukraine, to ensure that we can continue with the work of the Black Sea Initiative and the Memorandum of Understanding on Russian Food and Fertilizer. And we're going to continue with that work as long as we can do that. Question : As I understand the Russians, they didn't really blame UN. They said the major issue is still food and fertilizer exportation, right? And the issue is the payment. And they are accusing Western countries not to cooperate with the facilitation of the UN to start the payment system. We constantly heard the UN saying that we're meeting with the representative, with the Russian Federation. Can you introduce a little bit how UN is dealing with the Western countries on this issue? Deputy Spokesman : Yes. The UN is dealing with them. And Rebeca Grynspan, in particular, has been in touch with the Governments of the Western countries and also with different companies, trying to see what can be done to expedite the movement of Russian exports. There are a number of things; a number of the levers are simply out of our hands. Some of that is because of different concerns by different companies who are worried about whether or not they're capable of carrying through business transactions. We have made clear that these are exports that do not fall under sanctions. We have made clear ways in which the exports could be freed up. But again, some of these decisions fall outside of our purview. Edie? Question : Thank you very much, Farhan. Two questions. First, we know Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi is going to be here tomorrow. Is he going to be, we know the Secretary-General's going be in Paris, is he going to be meeting any UN officials? Deputy Spokesman : We'll see about that. I believe that the Deputy Secretary-General is participating in least one of the early morning events that's being held here. So I think she will have the opportunity to see him, but I don't... I can't confirm a meeting yet. But when we put out the schedule of her programme for tomorrow, we can make that clear and confirm that. Question : Is that the schedule of daily events? Deputy Spokesman : Yeah. We post that out for everyone. Yeah, the daily programme. Question : Okay, and second question on Sudan. There was a short ceasefire; is it still holding? Do you know? Deputy Spokesman : We are not monitoring the ceasefire. But we have been able to continue with our humanitarian work because of that. As far as we know, the humanitarian work is proceeding, as I just mentioned. So I'm not aware of any major breach of that ceasefire. Yeah, Benno? Question : Thank you, Farhan. So my question is about Mali, and I hope you didn't touch on it before. We all heard what Foreign Minister [Abdoulaye] Diop said in the Council on Friday. Now I ask myself, is there... does that need an official procedure, the withdrawal of all of the host countries' willingness to host MINUSMA (United Nations Mission in Mali) troops? Does it need a letter or something? And if yes, is there a letter? Deputy Spokesman : I believe that they have conveyed to us more formally than the Foreign Minister's remarks, since what he said on Friday. Beyond that, however, any withdrawal is something that would have to be decided upon by the members of the Security Council. We rely on them for our mandate. The Security Council is aware of this information; they're aware of the Secretary-General's recent report about the status of the mission. And we'll see what they have to say. And depending upon what the Security Council says, we can then plan accordingly. Question : But the Security Council can't decide to stay in the country, which doesn't want MINUSMA troops, right? Deputy Spokesman : The Security Council makes its decisions as it sees fit. It's clear, as the Special Representative, Mr. [El Ghassim] Wane, said on Friday, it's very clear that the classic peacekeeping model is one in which you rely upon the consent of the host country. Yeah? Question : Sorry. May I have a follow-up again? Deputy Spokesman : Yeah, sure. Question : I mean, like, you must be really worried about the whole situation. Experts say that there might be actual anarchy in some parts of the country without MINUSMA troops. Is there a plan for you to work with other organizations, for example, the African Union, to replace troops in the case of withdrawal? Deputy Spokesman : Again, these are all options that can be considered by the members of the Security Council. What we all are united upon is a desire to make sure that some degree of stability is preserved for the people of Mali, who deserved that after so many years in which they've been threatened by so many forces. Yes, please. And then we'll... [cross-talk] Question : Thank you, Farhan. Turning to the Russian war: After Russia blew up the Kakhovka Dam, it mined the cooling system of the Zaporizhzhia NPP (Nuclear Power Plant). There is a certain threat of its detonation by Russia. This was stated by the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov. Is there any reaction from the UN to these Russian actions? Deputy Spokesman : We are following the advice of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is studying the situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. And as you know, they are providing recommendations on how to maintain the stability of that plant. Grigory? Question : Thank you, Farhan. Vladimir Kostyrev, TASS News Agency; I'm Grigory's colleague. Deputy Spokesman : Oh, sorry. Question : Farhan, if Russia stops Black Sea Grain Initiative, what happens with the Memorandum of Understanding between Russia and the UN? Will the UN continue to facilitate export of Russian food and fertilizers? Or does this mean that Memorandum of Understanding stops, too? And second question, can you announce any contacts between Russia and the UN in the coming weeks on the Black Sea Grain Initiative? Thank you. Deputy Spokesman : Obviously, our contacts are continuing, including those of the Secretary-General, of Martin Griffiths and Rebeca Grynspan. I don't have anything specific to announce at this stage, but when I have more information on any of their particular contacts on this issue, I would share those. Regarding the Memorandum of Understanding, what we are trying to do is ensure that both the Memorandum of Understanding and the Black Sea Initiative continue. And we are in touch to make sure that these agreements, which have benefited so many people around the world, and most particularly those who live in countries that could be affected by any spike in food prices, we want to make sure that these deals continue. Evelyn? Question : Thank you, Farhan. On the Central African Republic, I wasn't clear whether the armed groups have diminished or they're still flying around there. Deputy Spokesman : There has been some diminishment, and I'll just refer you to what Valentine Rugwabiza said in the Council that some of these groups have been dissolved, and that's been a benefit to the people of the Central African Republic. Question : Because the Wagner Group is very active there supporting the Government and stealing what it can. And a little friendly rape. I am just curious if, you know, the state of the armed groups, because he doesn't mention which ones? Deputy Spokesman : Well, again, I'd just refer you to Ms. Rugwabiza's full remarks, which were shared with you. Sylviane? Question : Thank you, Farhan, is the Secretary-General will be meeting with Elon Musk, during his visit in Paris? Deputy Spokesman : With who? Question : With Elon Musk. He's there for climate change and new technology. So maybe it's within the subject. [laughter] Deputy Spokesman : No. I don't believe that there is a meeting scheduled. If something arises, we'll let you know. Question : But Elon Musk met with President Macron. So maybe that would be helpful. Deputy Spokesman : At this point, I have nothing to announce. Abdelhamid? Question : Thank you again, Farhan. I have two questions. First, could you tell me when the UN started officially to condemn attacks on settlers? I have strong memory with this organization. And I know when they started. That's one question. Deputy Spokesman : I've been doing this particular job for something like 23 years and I'm aware that there have been times when we've condemned violence coming from either quarter. And I very well remember those moments because we get a lot of hits for that, but we do... we actually do say those when it's warranted. Yes? Question : It's only under Ban Ki-moon they started condemning targeting settlers. My second question, the UN believes this, the West Bank is occupied territories. And the UN believes that settlements are illegal and settlers who live in these settlements are illegally there. Is the Palestinian resistance to this illegal occupation, illegal settlement, illegal settlers, legal or illegal? Do you... Palestinian resistance? Deputy Spokesman : At the start of this briefing, I made very clear that we do not believe that settlements are legally valid. That said, human life is precious and we're against the killing of civilians. It doesn't matter who those civilians are. We are against any killing of any civilians. And that is not... that doesn't have an implication concerning our position on the settlements. Question : Can I follow up? Just once. Deputy Spokesman : Okay. One more and then we'll go to Stefano. Question : Okay. So is the UN position vis-a-vis the settlers, they are civilians or not civilians? Are they civilians? Deputy Spokesman : People who are not belonging to armed groups are civilians. Yes, Stefano? Question : Thank you, Farhan. In Padua, Italy, the prosecutor office declared a birth certificate of two mothers illegitimate. This was a birth certificate that was already approved years ago. And there's been... and another 33 cases have been notified that they're investigating, because there are two mothers. So the prosecutor say that he... she had to enforce the law, the actual law. What the Secretary-General think about a situation that has to do with... practically, is going to happen all over Italy soon. because if every prosecutor will start to do like this? Deputy Spokesman : Well, we can't comment on specific cases, obviously. Each country's legal system belongs to that country, and we don't comment on that aspect of it. However, that said, it's very clear that what we want is to see all countries embrace a full respect for LGBT rights. And we do not want to see any drawing away from such rights or any application of the law that is discriminatory towards anyone in the LGBT community. Question : On the Refugee Day, the Secretary-General said that the, you know, border shouldn't be closed for refugees and they shouldn't be pushed back. What are the consequences for countries that are caught to push back refugees? I mean, there is any consequence? Deputy Spokesman : Obviously, if they do not abide by the principle of non-refoulement, that is a violation of international humanitarian law. Non-refoulement is a very important part of international humanitarian law, and refugees should not be pushed to other places without their consent. Dezhi? Question : Secretary-General is going to Paris for the summit for a new global finance impact, and we know that the SG has actually appealed for reforming the international financial system multiple times. Does this reformation appear including IMF (International Monetary Fund) and World Bank? Deputy Spokesman : I'll just refer you to his recent policy briefs, about this, which discuss very... in detail, the need to reform the current international financial architecture. Sylviane? Question : Regarding UNICEF, is it, is there any plan for UNICEF to... for a financial assistance to the Lebanese who are in dire condition, same assistance than the refugees, Syrian refugees in Lebanon? Deputy Spokesman : I just refer you to what UNICEF has said about Lebanon today. And beyond that, for further details, please contact the UN Children's Fund. Yes? Question : I know this will be the last question. So anything the UN has to say about the disappearance of a submersible carrying five people for the Titanic tour? Deputy Spokesman : No. We're monitoring the situation as the same way you are, by reading about it in the news. Paulina [Kubiak], come on up. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India to Give Vietnam Warship as the Two Countries Tighten Defense Ties By Anjana Pasricha June 20, 2023 India has said it will give a naval warship to Vietnam in the latest signal of tightening defense ties between the two countries, which share concerns about China's assertiveness. The announcement that New Delhi will deliver the Indian Missile Corvette INS Kirpan to the Vietnamese navy was made following a meeting between Indian Defense minister Rajnath Singh and his Vietnamese counterpart, General Phan Van Gang, in New Delhi on Monday. "A missile corvette is a small warship used mainly for the purpose of coastal defense," according to Rahul Bedi, an independent defense analyst. In a statement, the Indian government said that giving the warship to Hanoi would be "a milestone in enhancing the capabilities of Vietnam People's Navy." The focus of the Vietnamese defense minister's visit was on building military ties with New Delhi. He also discussed ways to enhance defense industrial capabilities by cooperation in defense research and joint production, according to the statement. Although the two countries have had a strategic partnership since 2016, it has gained momentum since last year when they signed a landmark military logistics pact that would enable their militaries to use each other's bases for repair and replenishment of supplies and make it easier to arrange visits of warships, military aircraft and personnel to each other's shores. India also gave 12 high-speed guard boats to Vietnam last June under a $100 million line of credit extended by India. Building defense cooperation with Vietnam is part of New Delhi's efforts to maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region, according to analysts. India has been engaged in a military standoff with China along the disputed Himalayan borders for the last three years and is also concerned about Beijing's expanding footprint in the Indian Ocean where China has built infrastructure projects in countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Pakistan. In Hanoi, there are worries about Chinese warships and survey vessels entering Vietnam's exclusive economic zone. Based on what Beijing says are old maps, China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its territory including waters that are claimed by Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. Last month, Vietnam urged China to withdraw a survey ship and escorting coast guard vessels that entered its waters. They left after operating for almost a month. "China's aggressive behavior in South China Sea and even along India's border, has alerted every country in the Indo-Pacific on how best to add to their capabilities to handle China," according to Chintamani Mahapatra, founder of the Kalinga Institute of Indo Pacific Studies in New Delhi. "The underlining factor is that China has sent alarm bells to all countries. And since no country can defend itself alone against Beijing, it is natural that middle powers like India, Vietnam and Australia, would forge security ties between themselves and with a bigger power like the United States so that they are not bulldozed by China." India had also proposed selling its indigenously developed supersonic missile systems to Vietnam several years ago, but progress on that deal has been slow, according to defense analyst Bedi. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Bomber Task Force participates in Exercise African Lion Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers from 7th Bomb Wing, conducted a Bomber Task Force Mission in support of Exercise African Lion 2023 (AL23) June 16, 2023. The bomber task force mission included a low-approach fly over in addition to close air support training with the Moroccan military at and around the TanTan Training Complex. By Maj. Chris Bradley , U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa TanTan, Morocco Jun 21, 2023 Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers from 7th Bomb Wing, conducted a Bomber Task Force Mission in support of Exercise African Lion 2023 (AL23) June 16, 2023. The bomber task force mission included a low-approach fly over in addition to close air support training with the Moroccan military at and around the TanTan Training Complex. Exercise African Lion 2023 is U.S. Africa Command's largest annual combined, joint exercise that took place in Ghana, Morocco and Tunisia from May 13-June 18, 2023. AL23 provides an opportunity to conduct realistic, dynamic and collaborative readiness training in an austere environment that intersects multiple geographic and functional combatant commands including U.S. Africa Command, U.S. European Command, and U.S. Central Command; as well as strategic maritime choke points and global shipping lanes. This year's exercise features multiple combined arms live fire exercises; a maritime exercise; an air exercise with U.S. C-130J Super Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker, F-16 Fighting Falcons and B-1B Lancer bomber aircraft; a joint forcible entry with paratroopers into a field training exercise; two chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear response exercises; and three humanitarian civic assistance program events. The B-1B carries the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the U.S. Air Force inventory, the multi-mission B-1 is the backbone of America's long-range bomber force. It can rapidly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any time. The Bomber Task Force Mission demonstrates that U.S. crews can maintain a high state of readiness and proficiency, validating the United States' always ready, global strike capability. The aircraft are based out of Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, and forward deployed to Royal Air Force Fairford, United Kingdom. U.S. Strategic Command bomber forces regularly conduct combined theater security cooperation engagements with allies and partners, demonstrating the United States' capability to command, control and conduct bomber missions across the globe. Bomber missions demonstrate the credibility and flexibility of our forces to address today's complex, dynamic and unpredictable global security environment. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 405th AFSB's CLSE helps deliver strategic level sustainment to V Corps, forces in Europe By 405th Army Field Support Brigade June 21, 2023 POZNAN, Poland -- With deployed forces in support of Europe during Russia's unprovoked and unjust war in Ukraine, the 405th Army Field Support Brigade's Corps Logistics Support Element is busy experimenting with new ways of delivering strategic level sustainment to America's V Corps. Europe stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Middle East and is home to a population of over 400 million people. The European Union is the third-largest economy in the world as a combined organization. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization includes the U.S. and Canada along with multiple European nations committed to mutual security in the region. More than 100,000 uniformed members of the U.S. military are based in Europe. As the Army's forward headquarters for Baltic nations along with central and eastern Europe, V Corps maintains an enduring presence, expanding engagement in the region and strengthening relationships with new partners and allies. Positioning equipment in Europe provides leaders with flexible deterrent options through rapid deployment of units in support of NATO partners by having equipment sets "one ocean closer" and logistical support for this positioning is urgent due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "One key to successful logistics in the European theater is to maintain current relations among various stakeholders to ensure communication and coordination for tracking major actions" said Lt. Col. Eugene Chu, CLSE's senior representative with 405th AFSB. "Doing so improves visibility and awareness of ongoing support to units operating in U.S. Army Europe and Africa's area of responsibility." The 405th AFSB is operationally aligned to V Corps and deploys a tailorable CLSE in support of the Corps during training and large-scale combat operations. The CLSE's primary mission during DEFENDER 23 and other major exercises is to integrate U.S. Army Materiel Command's capabilities and other assets to support V Corps and down-trace units operating within U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The 405th AFSB's CLSE serves as the link between V Corps and the AMC enterprise, in theater and within the U.S. This involves leveraging the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program, which has the primary responsibility to establish base life support and other contracted support capabilities in Europe. In addition, the CLSE leverages the Life Cycle Management Commands - which include the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armament Command, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, and U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command - to enhance V Corps' readiness through logistics assistance and field service representatives. CECOM alone provided over 5,500 hours of support to theater operations, deployments and the Presidential Drawdown Authority initiative. The Logistics Assistance Representative program provides subject matter expertise for over-the-shoulder training and support to build capability in the Soldier skill sets on specific equipment. The Field Support Representatives provide hands-on repair capability for equipment still under warranty through the program office. The forward assistance from LARs and FSRs greatly enhances the maintenance capability of units currently deployed to Europe. The 405th AFSB's CLSE also facilitates subject matter expertise on Army Prepositioned Stocks-2 operations - a critical piece of the U.S. Army's strategic deployment triad - by positioning equipment at designated locations in support of respective operational plans. A new APS-2 site under the command and control of the 405th AFSB opened in April at Powidz, Poland. This new APS-2 location, called a Long Term Equipment Storage and Maintenance-Complex, enhances both combat readiness and support capabilities to elements of U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The CLSE coordinates numerous distinguished visitor events to publicize the capabilities of the LTESM-C. Members of the media, senior military leaders and government officials receive briefings and tour the complex, which includes 650,000 square feet of humidity-controlled warehouse space, a vehicle maintenance facility and supporting facilities. The state-of-the-art facility for APS-2 demonstrates the commitment and investment of the U.S. and the host nation of Poland with the NATO alliance. The CLSE also interacts with other services and Department of Defense agencies in theater. In Europe, CLSE's partners include the U.S. Navy and the Defense Logistics Agency. Collaborative activities include participation at V Corps level sustainment working groups and joint attendance at sustainment conferences in theater. "The 405th AFSB's CLSE serves as a strategic liaison among the AMC enterprise, Department of Defense agencies, the 405th Army Field Support Brigade and V Corps," said Chu. "As a member of the Army's contribution to the DoD sustainment enterprise, the CLSE also provides input for force posturing across Europe. Representatives attend workshops and discussion sessions over how to realign personnel, equipment and services in Poland, Romania, Hungary and the Baltic nations. The CLSE also provides V Corps leadership with an AMC common operating picture across Europe, demonstrating enterprise and strategic capability in the region," Chu said. "These capabilities create options that can be leveraged to maintain readiness and improve the operational reach for V Corps in its mission to assure and deter," added Chu. The 405th AFSB is assigned to U.S. Army Sustainment Command and under the operational control of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, U.S. Army Europe and Africa. The brigade is headquartered in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and provides materiel enterprise support to U.S. Forces throughout Europe and Africa - providing theater sustainment logistics; synchronizing acquisition, logistics and technology; and leveraging AMC's materiel enterprise to support joint forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address June 21, 2023 Release Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Meeting in Washington With the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout: Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to discuss opportunities to continue military cooperation to counter regional threats. Secretary Austin and President Hassan Sheikh discussed important developments in the defense relationship. Secretary Austin lauded Somalia's current offensive and the sacrifices the Somalis have made to the counter al-Shabaab fight. Both leaders agreed that international coordination and support will be needed as the Federal Government of Somalia prepares for the drawdown of African Union forces and security transition. President Hassan Sheikh thanked the United States for the ongoing military and civilian partnership to build a stronger and more stable Somalia. Secretary Austin expressed the importance of further cooperation with regional partners, and he expressed the Department's intent to work with the Federal Government of Somalia to coordinate with allies and partners in Somalia on shared interests, including countering al-Shabaab. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3434902/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address June 21, 2023 By Jim Garamone , DOD News Somali President, Austin Discuss Future, Partnership During Pentagon Meeting Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III welcomed Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to the Pentagon today praising the Somali leader for real progress at a very dangerous time. Austin said the two men are meeting at a key moment in Mohamud's presidency as the African Union begins a drawdown in the country and Somali forces are stepping up. "This period will be especially important given the ongoing hostilities including instability in Sudan and the persistent threat of al-Shabaab," Austin said. "I've been encouraged to hear of the continued success of the current phase of Somali-led operation against al-Shabaab in central Somalia. Our cooperation on these operations is crucial, and we stand ready as your partner as you defend yourselves against these dangerous and violent forces." The United States also stands ready to aid Somalia against other dangers, including providing effective responses to climate shocks such as the current drought. The drought has caused hunger and devastation in Somalia and throughout the Horn of Africa. Austin thanked the Somali president for the "transparency of your security initiatives and the inclusion of key international partners in the planning of the Somali-led transition. As we look to 2025 and beyond, I remain grateful for the willingness of your government and your people to host our forces in Somalia." Mohamud thanked Austin for America's aid and support over more than three decades. While still facing tremendous hurdles, the country is closer to peace than it has been for a long time, the president said. "I would like to extend my gratitude to the United States government for the assistance to the Somali people in our fight against al-Shabaab," he told Austin. Mohamud said the Somali National Army has recovered more than 70 locations from al-Shabaab in partnership with local communities over the last year. He said the military and government have also improved upon security through enhanced intelligence efforts, which have meant a "marked reduction" in attacks in the capital city of Mogadishu. "Somalia has been in a unique situation," the president said. "We are again and again very grateful for the support provided by the United States. Many issues that I have raised with you last time when I visited here [are] still standing. But so far, we are so good, and we are very much satisfied for the level of support provided. I thank you." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Climate and Security: joint press release following the meeting between the EU, US and NATO European External Action Service (EEAS) 21.06.2023 Press Statement on Climate and Security On 21 June, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Policy and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans, met in Brussels to discuss the impacts of climate change on peace and security. They reiterated that climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to the planet, and also have immediate, direct, and growing negative implications for security and defence. To that end, NATO and the EU will continue to strengthen their cooperation to address the security implications of climate change. Building on NATO's Climate Change and Security Action Plan, and the EU's upcoming Joint Communication on the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on peace, security, and defence, the EU and NATO will explore possibilities for an intensified dialogue on the impact of climate change and security. In the lead up to this year's second annual NATO High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change and Security at the Vilnius Summit and the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, they will seek to identify opportunities to cooperate on new insights and operational information about security aspects of climate change and environmental degradation, green standards, and energy efficiency, including to measure greenhouse gas emissions from military activities and installations with the goal of reducing these emissions. They decided to continue high-level meetings on these issues, with the broad involvement of partners, including at COP28. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Thailand: Statement by the Spokesperson on the confirmation of the election results European External Action Service (EEAS) 21.06.2023 The European Union welcomes the certification of the general election results in Thailand on 19 June. The peaceful election campaign and orderly voting operations confirm the commitment of the Thai people to a democratic path. The European Union looks forward to the completion of the process in a transparent manner and stands ready to work with the resulting elected government. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel/Palestine: Statement by the Spokesperson on terror attack near Eli settlement European External Action Service (EEAS) 21.06.2023 The European Union firmly condemns Tuesday's terrorist attack near the settlement of Eli in the occupied West Bank. In this attack, at least four Israelis were killed and four were injured. Terrorism in all its forms is unacceptable and never an answer. The EU remains firmly committed to the prevention of and fight against terrorism. The EU is deeply worried about the ongoing escalation of violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory and continued settlement expansion. We urge all parties to work towards de-escalation and ending the cycle of violence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Common Statement by the Ministers of Defence of NORDEFCO Finnish Ministry of Defence 21.06.2023 The Nordic Ministers of Defence had a meeting in Reykjavik on 20 to 21 June 2023. Director General, MoD, Janne Kuusela represented the Defence Minister of Finland. The ministers issued the following statement: Common statement; NORDEFCO Ministerial in Iceland 20-21 June 2023 Today, the Nordic ministers of Defence and representatives met in Reykjavik to discuss the unstable security situation and the consequences of Russia's full-scale and brutal attack on Ukraine. The Ministers also discussed the future of Nordic defence cooperation and NATO-related issues. Over sixteen months have passed since Russia's full-scale attack on Ukraine, and our support to Ukraine is stronger than ever. Since February 2022, the Nordic countries have supported Ukraine with military equipment, training, humanitarian, and financial support - and will continue to do so for as long as it takes. Ukraine is fighting not only for their own country but for the principles we stand for, international law and the rules-based order. In light of the deteriorated security situation in our neighbourhood, Nordic defence cooperation is ever more important. When all the Nordic countries are members of NATO, Nordic defence cooperation can be fully harnessed for the good of the Alliance. It is therefore imperative that Sweden joins the Alliance as soon as possible. During 2023, the Nordic countries are working on updating the Vision that guides our cooperation, to reflect the new strategic reality with war in Europe and all Nordic countries becoming members of NATO. Vision 2030 lays out an ambitious plan for the cooperation in the years to come, and will guide our work to strengthen the deterrence and defence of the Nordic region and the Euro-Atlantic Area. In line with the upcoming Vision, a Nordic Defence Concept is being drafted on the military level, to guide the closer military cooperation. NORDEFCO complements and contributes to European and transatlantic security, and collective defence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Lithuanian, German and NATO Senior officials to observe joint Lithuanian-German military exercise in Pabrade Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Defence 2023-06-21 International cooperation As part of the bilateral agreement between Lithuania and Germany on the assignment of the German Brigade to Lithuania, a bilateral Lithuanian-German military Exercise Griffin Storm will take place in Lithuania from 21 June to 7 July. On 26 June, the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area (Pabrade, Svencionys district) will host a Distinguished Visitors Day to present the exercise to the President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anusauskas, German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who will travel to Lithuania together with the Permanent Representatives on the North Atlantic Council and the Chair of the Military Committee Admiral Rob Bauer. A press conference is planned afterwards. Since 16 June, around 1000 troops and 320 pieces of military equipment have been redeployed to Lithuania from Germany by road, ferry, air and rail. During the training, the German Brigade's Panzergrenadierbataillon 411, military engineering and reconnaissance units will plan joint operations with the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Infantry Battalion and will carry out combat tasks during field tactical exercises and live-fire combat. This exercise continues the cycle of joint exercises that started in last year's September, when the Forward Command Element of the 41st Brigade was deployed in Lithuania. The Brigade plans and executes combat training with the Lithuanian Land Forces through regular field tactics, redeployment and live-fire exercises in Lithuania and Germany. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Secretary General: our armed forces must be both green and strong NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 21 Jun. 2023 Speaking on a high-level transatlantic panel on climate and security on Wednesday (21 June 2023), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed the importance for our security of tackling climate change and securing a green energy transition. The Secretary General argued that we cannot compromise on military effectiveness, and that our armed forces must be both green and strong. Mr Stoltenberg said that Russia's war against Ukraine has demonstrated that energy security is closely linked to the fight against climate change. He warned that as countries reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas and increase renewable energy, they should not create new over-dependencies, for instance on Chinese rare earths. The Secretary General spoke alongside EU High Representative/Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans. The event was organised by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and moderated by Heather Grabbe of Open Society Foundations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A look at the Defence news 12 - 18 June Netherlands Ministry of Defence News item | 21-06-2023 The possibility of repairing an eliminated vehicle on site using 3D printed parts At the initiative of the Royal Netherlands Army, armed forces, knowledge institutes and industry from 15 countries convened at 'Camp Innovation' in Ede-Driesprong, Netherlands in search of innovative solutions to repair combat damage. This was done through additive manufacturing (AM), the method of layering objects in 3D. 3D printing can be done with various metals, or with particular types of reinforced plastic. A part can be printed within 15 minutes, meaning it won't take long to make a vehicle roadworthy again. This creates time for the actual replacement part to be produced or shipped. Repairing combat damage by using on site printed parts is only one example of the possibilities created through new technology. The AM demonstrations did not only focus on sharing and developing new technologies, but also on their applicability in military operations. An example is 'cold spray', a special coating used to repair metal parts, for instance a fuel tank, making it so there is no need to fully empty and disassemble the tank beforehand. Innovating together with other partner countries is necessary to be able to operate together whenever required in the future. From 2026, the Netherlands and Germany will work together in training helicopter pilots Since 2015, the Netherlands has to a limited extent made use of training programmes from the International Helicopter Training Center (IHTC) of the Bundeswehr in the German town of Buckeburg. This involves training for future NH90 pilots and also for the Cougar, until the pending replacement of this particular type of transport helicopter. From 2026 onwards, the Netherlands and Germany will be working together permanently on the helicopter training programmes in Buckeburg. The Royal Netherlands Air Force will also stay closely linked to the US Army for further training programmes and cooperation. In the United States, Dutch pilots undergo training for the Chinook transport helicopter and the Apache combat helicopter. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel approves 1,000 more settler units in stolen Palestinian lands Iran Press TV Wednesday, 21 June 2023 5:35 PM Israeli authorities have endorsed a new plan for the construction of at least a thousand new settler units in flagrant defiance of the international outcry against the regime's illegal settlement expansion activities and land grab policies in the occupied Palestinian territories. In a statement released on Wednesday, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said 1,000 new settler units would be added to the illegal settlement of Eli, located between the occupied West Bank cities of Nablus and Ramallah. Netanyahu and finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also handles civil administration in the occupied West Bank, "agreed to move ahead immediately" with the planning, the statement said. The extremist minister has a history of making incendiary remarks against the Palestinians. In February, Smotrich called for the Palestinian town of Huwara in the occupied West Bank to be "wiped out." Hundreds of armed Israeli settlers then attacked Huwara and the nearby villages and torched dozens of houses and cars. During a conference in Paris in March, Smotrich denied the existence of Palestine and stood beside a map of Israeli-occupied territories that included the West Bank, Gaza, and most of Jordan. Elsewhere in the Wednesday statement, the Israeli regime described the latest plan as a response to a recent retaliatory Palestinian shooting that killed four Israeli settlers. The retaliatory attack took place by Palestinians near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, a day after a violent Israeli raid on Jenin that has claimed the lives of seven Palestinians so far, including a 15-year-old girl. On Sunday, the Israeli regime said that the plans for approval of 4,560 settler units in various areas of the occupied West Bank were included on the agenda of a planning council that meets next week. The regime has already authorized new settlement outposts and pledged to construct new settler units in the occupied West Bank. Since taking office in January, Netanyahu's coalition has approved more than 7,000 new units for settlers, mostly deep inside the West Bank. It also changed a law to make it possible for settlers to go back to four settlements that had been evacuated before. The Israeli regime has exploited Washington's unconditional backing in the past years to intensify its unlawful colonization of the West Bank and East al-Quds, blatantly disregarding United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which declared settlements in the occupied territories "a flagrant violation under international law." The Israeli settler units in the stolen lands are widely condemned by the international community as illegal. Over 600,000 Israelis occupy more than 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli invasion of the West Bank and East al-Quds. All Israeli settlements violate international law. The UN Security Council has repeatedly denounced Israel's settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Six MKO terrorists charged over clashes with Albania police Iran Press TV Wednesday, 21 June 2023 4:54 PM Albanian prosecutors have charged six members of the anti-Iran Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) following clashes between police and the terrorists in their camp near the town of Manze. Local media reported on Wednesday that court officials in the nearby town of Durres charged the terrorists on several criminal counts for offenses related to the violation and destruction of police vehicles, disobeying police and court orders, as well as assault and battery of on-duty police officers. Clashes broke out on Tuesday when police entered the camp, known as Ashraf-3, near Manze, a small hill town some 30km west of Albania's capital Tirana, to search the premises. In the meantime, police and prosecutors are carrying out further investigations in regard to the tensions with police and illegal activities carried out by MKO members within the camp. Earlier, Albanian officials had issued a statement, saying the raid on the MKO camp left dozens of casualties, including members of the police. An MKO mouthpiece was cited by AP as claiming one MKO terrorist was killed and 100 more injured in the operation. Albanian authorities, however, disputed the MKO's claim, saying the death was not caused by any police action. According to the statement released by the Albanian interior ministry, the Albanian police took control of the terrorists' base for an hour and inspected their office buildings and the unconventional electronic devices that were used in them. Interior Minister Bledi Cuci and National Police Chief Muhamet Rrumbullaku, said on Tuesday the operation met with MKO resistance and left three dozen casualties, including 15 police officers and 21 members of the terrorist outfit. Reports said six of the injured terrorists were in critical condition. However, Cuci and Rrumbullaku said the police operation was carried out with "all the necessary care not to create any incident" and in accordance with a court order issued following reports of illegal activities by members of the group at the camp which consists of 127 buildings in an area of 40 hectares. "In no case (was) the death of a person on Tuesday in the Mujahedin camp... caused by police forces," Cuci said, adding that officers were awaiting a forensics report into the death of the man who was in his seventies. Cuci strongly condemned the MKO's "intolerable" violence against the host's police officers doing their job. Rrumbullaku said he was "indignant and offended" that MKO members had tried to block police officers from seizing a number of drones and illegal electronic devices housed in 17 buildings, and that their leaders did not cooperate with police. Albania's Special Structure Against Corruption and Organized Crime office has opened an investigation into the MKO's illegal activities. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the group has carried out numerous terrorist attacks against Iranian officials and civilians, killing some 17,000 people. Then, MKO terrorists moved to Iraq during the reign of Saddam Hussein, aiding the military dictator during the eight-year Iraqi imposed war on Iran, launching attacks against Iran. However, the terrorists eventually had to secure an agreement to move to Albania in the mid-2010s after the longtime ruler was ousted from power. Albania is estimated to have been hosting some 3,000 members of the terrorist group since 2016. 'MKO a danger for host state' Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanani said on Wednesday that the cult is and will be a danger for its host country. "Due to their terrorist nature, the MKO will always be a danger to the security of its host country," he wrote in a post in the Persian language on his Twitter account. He said the Albanian officials ordered the raid on the camp due to the group's terrorist cyber activities, breaching a 2014 agreement with the Albanian government. "This is why the Iraqi government expelled them and other governments refused to accept them. We hope the Albanian government makes up for its mistake in hosting this terrorist cult," he tweeted on Wednesday. Meanwhile, MKO urged the United States, which has in the past supported the group, to condemn Albania's raid on the camp. The US government, however, responded this time by distancing itself from the terror cult. In a comment to Fox News Digital a State Department spokesperson said Washington had been assured "all actions were conducted in accordance with applicable laws, including with regard to the protection of the rights and freedoms of all persons in Albania." "We support the Government of Albania's right to investigate any potential illegal activities within its territory," the spokesperson added. MKO terrorists enjoy the freedom of activity in the US and Europe. The terror group has been backed by a number of senior US officials over the years, including former Vice President Mike Pence, former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and former US National Security Advisor John Bolton, who participated in and gave speeches at events organized by the terrorists. More than a decade ago, the United States and the European Union delisted the MKO as a terrorist organization. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Azerbaijan reports fresh shelling by American forces on Sadarak border region Iran Press TV Wednesday, 21 June 2023 10:27 AM The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry says Armenian military forces have launched a fresh round of shelling against the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the border area of the Sadarak district, amid a bout of renewed border clashes between the Caucasus arch-foes. The ministry announced in a statement late on Tuesday that its positions in the Heydarabad settlement in the Sadarak area of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic had come under small arms fire from Armenia's Vedi region across the border. It added in its statement that Armenian armed detachments also fired at Azerbaijani army positions near Susha in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. It said Azerbaijani units took "adequate" retaliatory measures. Baku and Yerevan are embroiled in a decades-long territorial dispute over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, over which they have fought two wars. Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan though it is mostly populated by ethnic Armenians that have resisted Azerbaijani rule since a separatist war there ended in 1994. In 2020, the second Karabakh war broke out, which claimed the lives of more than 6,500 people on both sides during a six-week conflict. The war ended with a Russian-brokered ceasefire deal that saw Armenia handing over swathes of the Azerbaijani territory that it had been holding for several decades. Moscow also dispatched a thousand-strong peacekeeping contingent to the region. Both sides routinely trade accusations over ceasefire violations. Azerbaijan last month installed a checkpoint at the entry to the Lachin Corridor - the only road linking Armenia to Karabakh - in a move that Yerevan said was a "gross violation" of the 2020 ceasefire. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azeri President Ilham Aliyev have held several meetings, separately arranged by Russia, the European Union and the United States, as they seek to resolve their dispute. Peace talks appeared to be making progress in recent weeks, with Pashinyan expressing his country's readiness to recognize Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan. Armen Grigoryan, Secretary of Armenia's Security Council, said during a Sunday interview with the country's Armenia 1 public broadcaster on June 4 that Yerevan and Baku may sign a peace treaty to end the decades-old conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh by the end of the current year. "Negotiations are going very intensively, if we maintain this intensity and there is strong support from the international community to achieve progress, then there is a chance to have a peace agreement by the end of the year," he said at the time. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Rampage by Israeli settlers injure scores of Palestinians in occupied West Bank Iran Press TV Wednesday, 21 June 2023 5:56 AM Hundreds of Israeli settlers, protected by the regime's forces, have rampaged through several Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank, attacking native residents and vandalizing their property. Palestinian security sources said the armed settlers hurled stones and set Palestinian cars, fields, homes and other property ablaze in Huwara and Beit Furik, al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya and Burin, all situated in Nablus Governorate on Tuesday night. Israeli soldiers protected the violent Zionist settlers in face of possible resistance from the Palestinians who tried to defend themselves, the sources added. Nablus official Ghassan Daghlas said that during the violent raid, 34 Palestinians were wounded, most of them from tear gas, and at least 140 vehicles set ablaze, including an ambulance. Among those injured was a Palestinian journalist who was struck in the face by rocks, he added, noting that some of the Zionist settlers opened fire at the Palestinians, who had ventured out of their homes to confront the assailants. The raid followed the killing of four Zionist settlers in a retaliatory attack by Palestinians near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. Settler violence against Palestinians and their property has long become routine in the occupied West Bank and rarely prosecuted by the Israeli regime. Tensions have been running high across the West Bank over the past year, with the Israeli military conducting near-nightly raids. A total of 172 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied territories since the start of the year at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tibetan political leader calls for 'true autonomy' within China in Australian address Sikyong Penpa Tsering says 'it is the quality of the rule' that matters most to Tibetans. By RFA Tibetan 2023.06.21 -- Tibetans would willingly accept Chinese rule if granted true autonomy by Beijing, the leader of Tibet's government-in-exile said Wednesday. "If those kinds of autonomies are granted to the Tibetans, they will be happy to live under the framework of the People's Republic of China's constitution," said Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the head of the Central Tibetan Administration, referring to the status of Scotland and South Tyrol within the context of British and Italian rule. "It is not a matter of who rules; it is the quality of the rule," he said, speaking to the Australian National Press Club in Canberra on "resolving Sino-Tibet conflict and securing peace in the region." Penpa Tsering reiterated the Central Tibetan Administration's commitment to resolving the Sino-Tibet conflict through the "Middle Way Approach" formulated by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. The strategy promotes true autonomy for Tibetans under Chinese rule, as written in China's constitution. But he highlighted the historically independent status of Tibet and said that unless that status is recognized, China would have no reason to negotiate with the CTA. Embassy lobbying efforts Penpa Tsering's hour-long address, which also touched on the Chinese government's attempts to control the reincarnation process of the Dalai Lama, surveil Buddhist monasteries and restrict the movement of Tibetans, took place despite Beijing's best efforts. Earlier this month, Chinese Embassy representatives met with press club chief Maurice Reily and voiced their opposition to Penpa Tsering's appearance at Wednesday's event, requesting that his invitation be revoked. China has controlled Tibet since it invaded the region in 1949, and rejects any notion of a Tibetan government-in-exile, particularly the legitimacy of the Dalai Lama, who lives in Dharamsala, India. Beijing has also stepped up efforts to erode Tibetan culture, language and religion. Speeches given at the National Press Club are broadcast on Australian TV and attended by prominent members of the press, and observers suggested Beijing may have lobbied Reily because it was worried about the wider exposure Penpa Tsering would get. "I want to thank the Chinese government for always being the best publicity agent," Penpa Tsering said at Wednesday's event, implying that Beijing's efforts did more harm than good. Visit to parliament Earlier on Wednesday, Penpa Tsering delivered a speech on the geopolitical significance of Tibet at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. On Tuesday, the Sikyong observed proceedings at the Australian parliament, where lawmakers Sophie Scamps and Susan Templeman detailed the situation inside Tibet under Chinese rule. He also met with several Australian MPs. Speaking to RFA Tibetan, Kalsang Tsering, the president of the Australian Tibetan Community Association, welcomed Penpa Tsering's visit on behalf of the estimated 2,500 Tibetans living in Australia. "The honor that Sikyong Penpa Tsering has received here in Australia and in the Australian parliament has been overwhelming and it is evident that there is so much support from the parliamentarians for the Tibetan cause," he said. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Indonesia moves ASEAN military drills to uncontested waters in South China Sea The drills scheduled for September were originally planned to take place in an area claimed by China. By Tria Dianti for BenarNews 2023.06.21 -- Indonesia is moving the first planned military exercise with other Southeast Asian nations away from disputed South China Sea waters, where Beijing has increasingly been asserting its sweeping territorial claims. The Indonesian military announced Wednesday a change of location for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations exercise, scheduled for Sept. 18-25. The non-combat drills were originally planned to take place in the North Natuna Sea, which lies within Indonesia's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) but parts of which China claims. Indonesia is this year's holder of the rotating ASEAN chairmanship. The new ASEAN exercise locations "include Batam [near Singapore] and the waters of South Natuna that are part of Indonesia's archipelagic sea lane," military spokesman Col. Suhendro Oktosatrio said. He was referring to designated areas where foreign ships are allowed passage while transiting through those waters innocently. These new locations were chosen because they were suitable for non-combat drills such as joint maritime patrols, medical evacuation and disaster relief, said another Indonesian military official, Rear Adm. Julius Widjojono. "Priority is given to areas that are prone to [natural] disasters," he said. Indonesia renamed the southern reaches of the South China Sea the North Natuna Sea in 2017, to emphasize its sovereignty over those waters, which encompass natural gas fields. Indonesia does not have any territorial disputes with China, but it has repeatedly lodged protests against Chinese fishing boats and coast guard vessels entering its EEZ near the Natuna Islands. China has claimed "traditional rights" over fishing resources in the area. China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Taiwan and ASEAN member-states Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. In 2016, a U.N. arbitration court ruled that China's nine-dash line, a boundary used by Beijing on Chinese maps to illustrate its claim, was invalid. But Beijing has rejected the ruling and insisted it has jurisdiction over all areas within the dashed line. Chinese officials said back then that the nine dashes were "for security and order at sea." China has built artificial islands and military installations on some reefs and shoals in the South China Sea, raising concerns among other claimants and the United States. The United States has regularly conducted "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea to challenge China's claims and has urged ASEAN countries to stand up to Beijing's assertiveness. Indonesia's military commander Adm. Yudo Margono, who proposed the ASEAN drill during a meeting of the bloc's defense forces chiefs in Bali earlier this month, said the joint drills would enhance regional stability and "boost our countries' economy." 'Afraid of clashing' But Cambodia and Myanmar, two ASEAN members with strong ties to China, did not take part in an initial planning conference for the exercise on Monday, according to military spokesman Suhendro. It was not clear whether they would join the drills. The Indonesian military said it sent official invitations for the planning meeting to the Cambodian and Burmese defense attaches in Jakarta but got no response. Myanmar, which has been wracked by violence since the military ousted an elected government in 2021, is persona non grata at major ASEAN meetings. Cambodia's defense ministry said earlier this month it had not decided on participation in the ASEAN joint exercise, saying that it was still waiting for more information from Indonesia, according to media reports in that country. Arie Afriansyah, an expert in international sea law at the University of Indonesia, said there could be many reasons for the change of the locations, such as safety and security considerations. "Maybe they are afraid of clashing with other countries. If it is conducted in South Natuna, Indonesia has full control in that area," Arie told BenarNews. "It would be a shame if fear of China is the reason, because this exercise is a way for ASEAN countries to show their unity on the North Natuna and South China Sea issue, which Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines also support," he said. The joint ASEAN drill is planned as an effort to maintain regional stability, Khairul Fahmi, a military and security observer from the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies, told BenarNews. "The message will not come across well if some ASEAN countries are not on board," he said. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news organization. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hun Sen likes proposal to build parks honoring his 'win-win' policy to end civil war But critics see it as a waste of money and suspect he will use the project to pump up image ahead of July vote. By RFA Khmer 2023.06.21 -- Prime Minister Hun Sen said he will establish a park in every province to honor a policy that he says brought the remaining Khmer Rouge holdouts under government control in the 1990s, ending Cambodia's decades-long civil war. Dressed in military uniform, with five stars on his shoulder, Hun Sen told those gathered at the Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday that he was pleased with Defense Minister Tea Banh's idea to build Techo Peace Parks in each of the country's 24 provinces. "Techo," which means powerful or strong, and references an ancient Khmer warrior, is one of Hun Sen's leadership honorifics. "Each province should build it because it is a place of recreation for the people and it is not too expensive," he said. But critics said his idea is a waste of national money. The parks would be used for Hun Sen's personal political gain just before the national election on July 23, said Chea You Horn, the president of the Khmer Association of Victoria in Australia. "Now Hun Sen uses the word peace to arrest and put people in prison," he said. Bloody history Hun Sen said he first introduced the "win-win" policy to co-opt the Khmer Rouge in 1987. The initiative allowed defecting Khmer Rouge cadres to keep their land and to join the government's armed forces in return. Other factors contributed to the end of Khmer Rouge, including the 1991 Paris Peace Accord which led to the 1993 U.N.-sponsored election. The ultra-Maoist Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, killing some 1.7 million Cambodians through starvation, overwork or execution in a bid to create an agrarian utopia. They were finally removed from power by Vietnam, which invaded Cambodia in 1979. Hun Sen, a former Khmer Rouge fighter who fled to Vietnam in 1977, took part in the invasion and first took office as prime minister in 1985. The Khmer Rouge continued fighting from camps along the Thai border during the 1980s. They again took up arms in 1992, the year after the peace accord was signed. But by 1999, all members and leaders had surrendered or been captured. The national budget Tea Banh, the defense minister, said the parks will help Cambodian people remember and appreciate Hun Sen's work to end the fighting. Chea You Horn noted, however, that many other political parties participated in the 1993 elections and also helped bring peace to the country. If the government wants to use the national budget to build such a large project, it should be widely debated in the National Assembly, Candlelight Party Vice President Rong Chhun said. Recent large government spending plans haven't gone through debate because the Assembly is controlled by one-party, he said. "If we look at the law, we have to go through a debate to find a consensus," he said. He added the country already has an Independence Monument in Phnom Penh - built in 1958 to commemorate independence from the French - and doesn't need another monument. The Victory Monument, built in 2018 to mark the end of the civil war, cost $12 million on an 8-hectare site in Chroy Changvar district near Phnom Penh. Hun Sen's government has also built monuments in the provinces to commemorate the Vietnamese soldiers who helped defeat the Khmer Rouge. Translated by Yun Samean. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Samoa's plan for Chinese visitors stumbles on minister's ties to tour company Samoa's prime minister says the government has cut ties to a Hong Kong company that chartered flights By Joyetter Feagaimaali'i for BenarNews 2023.06.21 -- Samoa has severed ties with a Hong Kong tour company contracted to market the Pacific island country in China after criticism of a cabinet minister's links to the business - the latest transparency scandal for the government of Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa. Fiame acknowledged in Samoa's parliament on Tuesday that Samoa Royal Tours, which has been operating as the local agent for Travel Focus Hong Kong Ltd. despite lack of experience in the tourism industry, is owned by children of agriculture and fisheries minister Laauli Leuatea Schmidt (also known as Laauli Leuatea Polataivao Fosi). "It was evident from a statement released by Travel Focus Hong Kong Limited that Minister Laauli Leuatea Schmidt was involved with this company," she said, calling for cabinet ministers to abide by principles of good governance and transparency. In May, Minister for Communications and Information Technology Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo was criticized for attempting to get customs clearance for a relative's vessel that arrived in Samoa from neighboring American Samoa without the necessary approvals. Samoa's media association said he had attempted to intimidate a reporter who investigated the issue. Separately, Samoa's government last week released a statement denying any endorsement of a reportedly Hong Kong-based initiative to launch a Samoa stock exchange, a Samoa cryptocurrency exchange and a special economic zone. The tourism industry in Samoa, home to some 200,000 people, has mainly relied on visitors from Australia and New Zealand and the country's tourism authority has been keen to tap the vast China market. Samoa Tourism Authority said in March that it had appointed Travel Focus Hong Kong to market Samoa as a destination in mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong, according to travel industry trade journal TTG Asia. The Hong Kong company organized weekly direct charter flights to Samoa's capital Apia from Haikou in China's Hainan province, starting last month, bringing dozens of Chinese tourists to the island country. However the attempt to boost the number of Chinese visitors was beset by problems. Established tour agents in Samoa complained that Royal Samoa Tours, as a new company, lacked the capacity to carry out tours. Fiame told parliament that the venture also appeared ignorant of aviation rules. Charter flights from China were postponed because necessary permits weren't secured far enough in advance including for a return flight to China, she said. A passenger ferry service between Samoa's two largest islands also was disrupted, Fiame said, with passengers forced to wait four hours until a Chinese tour group arrived. Fiame became Samoa's first female prime minister in 2021 after voters narrowly rejected a ruling party in power for nearly three decades. She is the only woman head of government in the Pacific. The statement issued by Fiame's office last week about Samoa Stock Exchange, a Samoa Digital Asset Exchange and an Oceania Special Economic Zone said the government had received proposals and was reviewing them but "has not given any endorsement or approval" despite speculation on social media to the contrary. The Samoa Observer newspaper reported that the three ventures have been registered as private companies with Samoa's business registry. The government said it welcomed new investments that would improve Samoa's economy and benefit its people but it must ensure such initiatives are "safe, sound and feasible." "Proposals of this nature require proper frameworks to regulate the exchange platform and protect market users and investors," the statement said. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news organization. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Republika Srpska Assembly Votes To No Longer Publish Decisions Of Bosnia High Representative By RFE/RL's Balkan Service June 21, 2023 The National Assembly of the Republika Srpska has adopted changes in the law which imply that decisions by the high representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina will no longer be recognized. At a special session on June 21, lawmakers adopted changes to the Act on the Publication of Laws and other regulations as a matter of urgency. Fifty-four of 61 deputies present voted in favor of the changes; seven abstained. Under current law, legal acts in the Republika Srpska enter into force when they are published in the official gazette, which publishes the acts passed by the highest authorities, including the high representative. The change in the law removes the high representative from the list of authorities whose acts are published by the gazette. The latest move is seen as part of the secessionist efforts of certain Republika Srpska officials. It also defies the 1995 Dayton accords that ended the Bosnian War under which an international envoy was installed to oversee the implementation of peace. Ethnic Serbs in Republika Srpska, who account for some 80 percent of the entity's population, say they do not recognize Christian Schmidt, because the UN Security Council did not endorse his appointment as the high representative in 2021. China and Russia disputed his selection for the post because he was not confirmed by the council, but other nations said it was not required. Under the Dayton accords, the high commissioner has the power to sack officials and impose laws as the final interpreter of the state constitution, though his decisions can be reviewed and questioned by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia. "Today Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a High Representative. [Schmidt] is not the High Representative and this is the message from Republika Srpska," the entity's prime minister, Radovan Viskovic, told the parliament. Earlier this week, Schmidt warned that the Serbs will face unspecified consequences if they break the terms of the peace deal by refusing to recognize his acts. The Office of the High Representative warned that, by not publishing the decisions of the high representative," entity institutions and their employees are violating their obligations under the Dayton Agreement" for which they bear personal responsibility. Signatories to the agreement, including the Republika Srpska "have the obligation to fully cooperate with the High Representative," the high representative said in a statement. The Republika Srpska parliament's decision was supported by the Russian Embassy, which said that Schmidt was not legitimate in its view. Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, the majority party in the entity, has close ties with Russia and on May 23 visited the Kremlin and spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/borsnia-srpska- high-representative-schmidt-decisions-/32469653.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK Defense Secretary Claims He's Out of NATO Chief Race as US Wants Stoltenberg to Stay Sputnik News 20230621 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday that he is not going to run for NATO's leading position as the US wants incumbent Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to keep the post. "It's not going to happen," he told UK media answering a question about his plans to become the alliance's next secretary general, adding that the US wanted to extend Stoltenberg's mandate. Wallace also suggested that Washington might want to see a prime minister as the new chief. The US has until recently favored Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, but he has reportedly turned the job down several times. However, sources close to Wallace reportedly say that the process remains open. Media further added that the UK is facing an ammunition crisis. Wallace noted the Storm Shadow cruise missiles which had been sent to Ukraine had not been produced in the UK for 10 years, and that it took the country almost a year to restart supply chains for NLAW anti-tank weapons. The main problem is money, he told the outlet. Wallace also supported France's position on NATO's expansion to the Indo-Pacific and opening an office in Tokyo, saying the alliance should not "mission-creep" there. He added that the new chief "is going to have to please both [French President Emmanuel] Macron and [US President Joe] Biden." Stoltenberg's term, who has led the alliance since October 2014, was scheduled to end on October 1 2022, but was extended until September 30, 2023. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Ready to Bring Forces to Middle East as Needed to 'Deter Any Aggression' - US General Sputnik News 20230621 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States is ready to bring additional military forces to the Middle East in order to maintain stability and to deter any possible aggression in the region, Combined Forces Air Component Commander for US Central Command Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said on Wednesday. "We are here to stay, and we will bring forces into the region as needed to deter aggression," Grynkewich told reporters during a digital press briefing when asked to elaborate on the effect of the recent US deployment of F-22 fighter jets in the area. Grynkewich did not clarify what type of 'aggression' the United States seeks to deter. However, he said that the US jets would contribute to regional stability and efforts to reset the US relationship with their Russian counterparts in Syria. "While the US does not have as many forces in the region on a daily basis as we did, say, three or four years ago, we do have the ability to very rapidly bring other forces from outside the region," he said. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said last week that it had deployed F-22 fighter jets to the Middle East in response to Russia's alleged "unprofessional" behavior in the region. In May, the Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria accused US Air Force pilots of "gross violations" of deconfliction protocols in Syria after they allegedly activated their weapons systems when approaching Russian military aircraft. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sweden to Procure Up to 3,000 NATO-Compatible Military Trucks From Italy Sputnik News 20230621 Igot Kuznetsov Having abandoned non-alignment and applied to join NATO, Sweden is on its way to raising its military expenditure and is in the process of re-establishing formerly decommissioned bases and units. The Swedish Defense Materiel Administration has signed a framework agreement with the Italian company Iveco Defense Vehicles (IDV) to provide up to 3,000 light vehicles to the Swedish Armed Forces. The initial order will be for 400 Light Multi-Purpose Vehicles (LMPV) of the MUV 44 (Military Utility Vehicle) type at a cost of SEK 850 million ($79 million). Iveco will also provide Sweden with associated maintenance and services. The Framework Agreement extends over four years (from 2023 until 2027) with the option to extend the agreement for an additional five years. "With these vehicles, the Armed Forces get a modern capability that complements existing capabilities within the Army and the Home Guard and to some extent replaces certain capabilities from the Armed Forces old faithful servants in the war organization, the Tgb 11 and 13 [known outside Sweden as the Volvo Cross Country C303]," Sweden's Material Administration Army Project Manager Michael Helander said in a statement. The first delivery to the Armed Forces will take place at the end of 2024 and the majority of the vehicles will be delivered in 2025. What is MUV 4x4? The MUV 4x4 is the successor to Iveco's M40E15-WM purpose-built vehicle. The latest version is touted as rugged, mobile and deployable in austere environments in temperatures from ranging from minus 32 to plus 49 degrees Celsius. It is NATO-compatible can carry payloads weighing up to 4,000 kilograms. The MUV 44 is available in 12 different variants including troop transport vehicles, medical variant vehicles, communication vehicles, logistic vehicles, and dog transport (with a special compartment for service dogs), all with several combinations in terms of gross vehicle weight, chassis, cab, engine and driveline. Sweden's Military Buildup Over the past decade, Sweden has been engulfed in a militarist push as Cold War-era rhetoric has started to return. The nation in effect abandoned all pretence to non-alignment as it last year applied to NATO and is en route to raising its military expenditure to the alliance's target level of 2 percent - a process that may take until the late 2020s. In recent years, the Swedish military has adopted a more generous spending plan envisaging the opening and reopening of military sites and units decommissioned after the end of the Cold War during the short window when Sweden was reaping "peace dividends." In 2019, for example, Sweden re-inaugurated its giant underground naval base in the southern part of the Stockholm archipelago at Musko. The base, dug inside a rock in the Sixties, was designed to provide Swedish vessels with subterranean docks safe from attack. The funds also underpin the procurement of costly materiel, such as the US-made Patriot air defense systems. Furthermore, the strategic Baltic Sea island of Gotland was re-militarized and conscription was reintroduced - all accompanied by the incessant talk of the "Russian threat" and borderline comical attempts to find a "Russian trace" in all the ongoing events such as alleged submarine sightings or making it the scapegoat for economic woes. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Engagement is needed at all levels to tackle insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea: UK statement at the Security Council Statement by Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the Security Council meeting on Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea. 21 June 2023 President, Piracy and armed robbery has long been a threat to regional security in the Gulf of Guinea, and has a real human cost - from disruption of trade, to the use of kidnap for ransom. We welcome the focus of our African partners on tackling this very real problem. We would make three brief points. The first is that this international effort is having a positive impact. We are pleased to note that there has been a continued decline in incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. This is largely thanks to the strength of regional cooperation in tackling the issue. We are also proud of our own collaboration with partners to promote security and stability, following on from our G7 Presidency including the visit by HMS Trent last year to deter attacks on maritime trade. The second is that, as we have heard, the Yaounde Code of Conduct has provided a crucial framework that underpins this increased regional cooperation. We would urge signatory states and relevant regional bodies, all represented here today, to continue to enhance cooperation and collaboration. Thirdly, it is of course vital that any efforts to tackle piracy and armed robbery comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which is the legal framework within which all activities in the ocean and seas are carried out. In this context I should add that it is unfortunate that the Peacebuilding Commission was not able to reach consensus on its written advice for this session. The final point is the most important. As set out in the concept note, the drivers of piracy remains complex and multi-faceted. We encourage a continued focus on the impact of poverty, youth unemployment and environmental degradation in contributing to criminal activity. Engagement is needed at all levels, including community-based responses, and the UK will continue to work closely with partners in support of a coherent and integrated approach to tackling insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea. Thank you, President. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address While the Taliban continue on this path, international recognition will not be on the table: UK statement at UN Security Council Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan. 21 June 2023 Thank you President, and I thank SRSG Otunbayeva for her clear report and Ms Shabana Basij-Rasikh for your extraordinary report and for shining a spotlight on the importance and potential of girls' education, and giving us the hope and the possibility of Afghanistan spiraling upwards towards hope. Since the Taliban's takeover in August 2021, the situation for the Afghan people has been defined by humanitarian suffering, economic hardship, and a relentless assault on human rights. The figures speak for themselves: two thirds of the Afghan population are in humanitarian need in 2023. Economic output has decreased by over 20 per cent since 2021. Over two million girls between years seven and 11 are unable formally to access secondary school education. The Taliban has issued over 50 decrees restricting the rights of women and girls and impeded the UN's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance at a time of dire need. The trajectory is negative and options are limited. The Afghan people remain our priority - so how can we collectively navigate the months ahead: First, our commitment to provide support for Afghans remains resolute. We support UN efforts to provide assistance despite the challenging context, while holding firm on the principle that there should be no delivery of aid without women. The UK has contributed well over half a billion dollars to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan since April 2021. We call on otherMember States to step up funding, noting the UN's revised Humanitarian Appeal for Afghanistan for 2023 for $3.2 billion is currently, according to OCHA's tracker, only 14 percent funded. Second, the international community should remain united in our message to the Taliban. We have set out our expectations in consecutive Council resolutions: on humanitarian access, cutting ties with terrorists, respect for human rights and inclusive governance. And. in April, we unanimously agreed a resolution condemning restrictions on the rights of women and girls. Finally, these clear expectations should be matched by clear consequences - while the Taliban continue on this path, international recognition will not be on the table, sanctions relief and development assistance will not come. We recognise that continued engagement, predicated on these fundamentals, is the only way forward. The Secretary-General's meeting of Special Envoys in Doha was a good first step and we too look forward to the independent review of Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu. Afghanistan cannot be self-reliant when 50 percent of its population is excluded from society and history has shown that there can be no stable and durable peace whilst large swathes of society and ethnic groups are excluded. I thank you, President. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Legislation alone will not deliver sustainable peace in South Sudan: UK statement at the Security Council Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on South Sudan. 21 June 2023 Thank you, President. Thank you SRSG Haysom, Major General Gituai, and Professor Impagliazzo. I also welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of South Sudan in our meeting. President, as we have heard fighting across the border in Sudan has exacerbated the already critical humanitarian situation in South Sudan. Over 119,000 people have now been registered crossing the border. Moving to areas already faced with significant humanitarian needs, and aggravating political and intercommunal tensions. The United Kingdom welcomes the Government of South Sudan's provision of transportation for people returning home. We encourage all efforts to maintain the safety and security of all returnees and host communities. We commend the UN system and humanitarian partners for their swift response to the crisis and urge an agile strategy and careful risk management in this evolving context. The United Kingdom is particularly concerned by the recent intercommunal fighting in the Malakal Protection of Civilian camp, resulting in the reported killing of 13 people and the burning of the homes of 4,000 residents. We welcome the response by UNMISS peacekeepers to de-escalate these tensions and their wider efforts to protect civilians across South Sudan. To prevent further tragedies occurring we need to urgently find solutions to the tensions in Malakal and address the root causes of South Sudan's fragility. The United Kingdom reiterates our call on the South Sudanese Government to do all it can to stop sub-national violence, provide basic services for its people and deliver meaningful progress on its peace agreement. We welcome the recent establishment of a Joint Electoral and Constitution-making Taskforce, co-chaired by SRSG Haysom. However, electoral and constitution-making processes are now over nine months behind schedule, as we heard, with the National Elections Act and National Constitutional Review Commission still awaiting reconstitution. Legislation alone will not deliver sustainable peace in South Sudan. Laws need to be enacted, and the institutions they create need to be financed. There needs to be a peace dividend. The United Kingdom remains committed to the people of South Sudan, and their journey towards peace and stability. We call on the Government of South Sudan to expedite this journey by stopping the violence, ending corruption, and delivering justice, essential services and free and fair elections for its people. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York 21 June 2023 The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General. ** Secretary-General's Travel All right, let's get started. The Secretary-General is in Paris where, a few minutes ago, he met with Emmanuel Macron, the President of France. They discussed the objectives of the Paris Summit, including the importance of reforms to the international financial architecture, debt relief, access to liquidity, as well as the urgent need for climate action and climate justice. The Secretary-General and the President also discussed the war in Ukraine, as well as the situation in the Sahel, the crisis in Sudan and its regional implications. Tomorrow morning, the Secretary-General will deliver remarks at the opening ceremony of the Paris Summit hosted, as you know, by President Macron. He will renew his appeal for ambitious reforms to the international financial architecture and will present his proposals including an SDG stimulus to better support developing and emerging economies and put us back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Later in the day, the Secretary-General will go to Sciences Po university to take part in a discussion on the state of world affairs with students, alumni and academics. As a reminder, both the Summit's opening ceremony and the event at Sciences Po will be webcast live on UN WebTV. ** Economic and Social Council This morning, the Secretary-General spoke, in a video message, to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment. He emphasized the urgent and unprecedented global humanitarian needs, noting that 360 million people worldwide require assistance. This is a 30 per cent increase from the previous year, with over 110 million forcibly displaced people and more than 260 million facing severe food insecurity. The Secretary-General commended the efforts of humanitarian aid agencies in reaching more people and maximizing resources, but he underscored that there is a persistent funding crisis, with only 20 per cent of the required funds under the Global Humanitarian Appeal having been received. The Secretary-General called for discussions during the ECOSOC segment to address increasing humanitarian resources, enhancing the efficiency of aid delivery, protecting vulnerable individuals, especially women and girls, and addressing the root causes of conflict to reduce food insecurity, and investing in climate adaptation to build resilience. ** Afghanistan This morning, the Security Council held a meeting on Afghanistan. Briefing Council members, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Rosa Otunbayeva, said that the United Nations continues to face a complicated situation in Afghanistan. She noted that the 5 April restrictions against Afghan women working for the UN place a question mark over our activities across the country. Ms. Otunbayeva said that we will not put our national female staff in danger, and therefore we are asking them not to report to the office. At the same time, we have asked all our male national staff performing non-essential tasks to stay home to respect the principle of non-discrimination. Finally, she said, we are steadfast: female national staff will not be replaced by male national staff as some de facto authorities have suggested. Ms. Otunbayeva also noted that UN cash shipments, required for humanitarian operations, are expected to decrease as donor funding declines, warning that this could begin having a negative effect on monetary stability. Ms. Otunbayeva said that in her regular discussions with the de facto authorities, she is blunt about the obstacles they have created for themselves by the decrees and restrictions they have enacted, in particular those against women and girls. She said that we have conveyed to them that, as long as these decrees are in place, it is nearly impossible that their Government will be recognized by members of the international community. Ms. Otunbayeva noted that, based on our discussions with many interlocutors across the country, it is also clear that these decrees are highly unpopular among the Afghan population. She noted that they cost the Taliban both domestic and international legitimacy, while inflicting suffering on their population and damaging their economy. Her remarks have been shared with you. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Carl Skau, yesterday finished a visit to Afghanistan, where he saw first-hand WFP's operations in one of the world's largest humanitarian crises. He witnessed the impact of the latest restrictions on women's employment and of an acute funding crisis which recently forced WFP to cut rations and drastically reduce the number of people it serves with life-saving assistance. WFP notes that in Afghanistan, rations have had to be reduced for people even in the areas with the highest levels of food insecurity, and 8 million highly vulnerable people will no longer receive WFP's emergency assistance due to funding shortfalls. WFP urgently needs $918 million to maintain operations for the coming six months. ** Ukraine Turning to Ukraine: The Under-Secretary-General and UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator, Achim Steiner, in his capacity as the Vice-Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, is in London representing the Secretary-General at the Ukraine Recovery Conference. In his remarks today, Mr. Steiner said that he had just returned from Ukraine, where the people he met with have had their lives and livelihoods shattered by war. He noted that the UN continues efforts to provide assistance to all of those in need, including in areas currently under Russian control where humanitarian access is extremely limited. To chart a way forward, Mr. Steiner said that we, along with our partners, are also developing a damage assessment with a focus on agriculture and the environment. He said that in 2023, the UN scaled up its recovery efforts, implementing $1 billion of recovery and development programming in line with the Government's priorities, driven by 24 UN entities and more than 3,700 personnel. Mr. Steiner highlighted that the UN's pledge to stay and deliver in Ukraine is characterized by community-level recovery jointly planning, sequencing and layering our humanitarian, development and social cohesion support. He said that we are connecting Ukrainians' resilience with the tools that people need today to invest and rebuild towards futures that are not defined by this war. The Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Denise Brown, is also attending the Conference in London. Also on Ukraine, the World Food Programme Representative and Country Director and the senior humanitarian official currently on the ground, Matthew Hollingworth, condemned an attack on Kherson yesterday that killed and injured rescue workers from the State of Emergency Service of Ukraine. Mr. Hollingworth recalled that this incident was yet another example of the human impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and reminded about the obligations to protect civilians, including rescue workers, under international humanitarian law. On the response front we, along with our humanitarian partners, continue to work non-stop to assist people impacted by the devastation caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, complementing the remarkable work being carried out by volunteers, in addition to the Government response. Two weeks since the disaster, UN agencies and humanitarian partners organized 12 inter-agency convoys, including two by boat and amphibious trucks, delivering 50 truckloads of vital supplies to help people in the Kherson Region and those living in the Dnipro Region, where access to drinking water is extremely limited due to the disaster. This is in addition to the assistance provided separately by UN agencies and NGOs (non-governmental organizations). Overall, and across all affected areas, the UN along with our partners delivered more than 2 million litres of water, 130,000 ready-to-eat food rations, hygiene items, medical supplies, shelter kits, sleeping bags, blankets and other essential items. This is in addition to medical services, counselling, legal services and cash assistance. Over 2 million people were also reached through mine-awareness campaigns. ** Black Sea Initiative A statement we issued yesterday expressed the Secretary-General's disappointment at the slowing pace of inspections and the exclusion of the port of Yuzhnyi/Pivdennyi from the Black Sea Initiative. This has resulted in a reduction in the movement of vessels coming in and out of Ukrainian sea ports, leading to a drop in the supply of essential foodstuffs to global markets. Food exports through the maritime humanitarian corridor have dropped significantly from a peak of 4.2 million metric tons in October 2022 to 1.3 million metric tonsin May, the lowest volume since the Initiative began last year. The Secretary-General calls on the parties to accelerate operations and urges them to do their utmost to ensure the continuation of this vital agreement, which is up for renewal on 17 July. The United Nations is fully committed to supporting the implementation of both the Black Sea Initiative and the Memorandum of Understanding on Russian food and fertilizer exports so that exports of food and fertilizers, including ammonia, from the Russian Federation and Ukraine reach markets around the world safely and predictably. This is especially critical now as the new grain harvest begins in both Ukraine and the Russian Federation. ** Sudan We have an update for you on humanitarian operations in Sudan: Over the past four weeks, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has facilitated the movement of 438 trucks carrying some 17,000 tons of aid to different parts of Sudan. Fifty of those trucks moved during the first two days of the latest ceasefire. We will continue to deliver, ceasefire or not. But we also continue to call for an end to the fighting so that we can reach all people in need in Sudan, wherever they are. Meanwhile, we are alarmed by the impact that attacks on health care are having on women and girls in the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) say that more than two thirds of hospitals are closed in areas impacted by the fighting. Several maternity hospitals are also out of action. Of the more than two-and-a-half million women and girls of reproductive age in Sudan, nearly 263,000 are estimated to be pregnant. One third of them will give birth in the next three months. And all of them need access to critical reproductive health services. As the fighting continues in Sudan, the number of people internally displaced by the violence has risen to nearly 2 million, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The highest proportion of internally displaced persons have been observed in West Darfur, River Nile, White Nile and Northern states. ** South Sudan Just to flag that yesterday afternoon, Nicholas Haysom, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), briefed the Security Council on challenges impeding the peace process in the country. He stressed that the ongoing conflict in Sudan threatens South Sudan's political landscape, placing already fragile peace gains at risk by diverting attention at a critical phase of the country's democratic transition. Mr. Haysom urged South Sudanese leaders to harness political will to achieve constitutional and electoral benchmarks which are 10 and 9 months delayed respectively as well as to create civic and political space for all citizens to participate in these nation-building processes. International Days Today is the International Day of Yoga. In his message for the Day, the Secretary-General said that yoga unites body and mind, humanity and nature, and millions of people across the globe. It connects us to our planet, which so badly needs our protection. Today is also the International Day of the Celebration of the Solstice. The solstices, together with the equinoxes, are connected with seasons, harvests and livelihood. ** Questions and Answers Deputy Spokesman : That is it for me. Yes. Betul? Question : Thanks. First on Ukraine: In this meeting, in the UK, Ukraine said that Russia must pay for what it destroyed. We are preparing a fair mechanism that will allow compensation of up to $500 billion of Russian assets hidden in the West. Does the SG believe that Russia should pay for the recovery of Ukraine? This would be my first question. Deputy Spokesman : I think our priority is finding a way to end this conflict in the first place. Once that's done, we'll see what can be done so that the international community as a whole is able to help with the recovery of Ukraine, which will be needed in due course. But first, of course, we have to make sure that nothing further is destroyed, which means an end to the fighting. Question : But does he believe that Russia should pay for the recovery after the conflict comes to end? Deputy Spokesman : I wouldn't have any comment on what the officials at the London conference said. As I mentioned, our colleagues, Denise Brown and Achim Steiner are there. And I would refer you to the comments that they're making. Mr. Steiner's comments are available on the UNDP website now. Question : And on... sorry, on Afghanistan, the SRSG (Special Representative of the Secretary-General) also said that the Special Coordinator is currently in Afghanistan. After he completes his visit, who does he report to? Does he plan to give a briefing to the Security Council? What happens? And also, there was a two-day meeting in Astana on Syria. Is the UN being represented? If yes, who is there? Can you also give us an update on that? Thanks. Deputy Spokesman : Yes. Well, first of all, regarding your question on Afghanistan: Yes, he will report back. We'll let you know once there is any report that he has to provide to the Security Council. But at this point, he's going about his work. Regarding the situation in Astana, what I can tell you is that Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy for Syria, attended the Astana Format talks in Astana. In his engagements with the Syrian Government and opposition delegations, and with the delegations of Iran, Russia, and Turkiye, and also with observers, he stressed the need for all players to work together for a political solution in line with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015). James? Question : Yeah. Let me start with the Secretary-General's 2334 report to the Security Council, which Security Council members have now received. He talks about being particularly disturbed about the high levels of settler-related violence and reports of Israeli security forces standing by and not preventing settler attacks against Palestinians. As you know, Israel has obligations as their occupying Power. What is the Secretary-General doing about this? What has he been saying to the Israelis? Who has he been speaking to? Deputy Spokesman : Well, we've been speaking at various levels with our Israeli interlocutors to make them aware of what their responsibilities are as the occupying Power. And we are also, of course, in touch with concerned nations, including, as you just pointed out, the members of the Security Council. So, they're aware of this and of the need again for Israel to uphold its responsibilities. Question : And another one on Myanmar: The UN Special Rapporteur, who I understand is entirely separate from the Secretariat, has said though that the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian) Nations, following the meeting which took place in Thailand, should not be engaging with the junta in any way. He said it's the dangerous effect of legitimatizing the junta and undermining ASEAN unity. On this occasion, I know he's independent, but does the Secretary-General agree with Mr. [Tom] Andrews? Deputy Spokesman : In this case, well, you're quite right; the opinions of human rights rapporteurs are their own, as they are independent experts. From our standpoint, as you know, our special representatives who've been dealing with Myanmar have been in contact with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and have tried to see what can be done so that they can play a productive role without... in terms of their contacts, without creating the possibility that the junta's rule is legitimized. Question : Yeah. I mean, I understand that she works very closely with ASEAN, but ASEAN now seems to not be unified and have a unified position on this. So, is the Secretary-General's advice to ASEAN to engage or not to engage? Deputy Spokesman : We will leave the decisions on how ASEAN deals with the junta up to the member States of ASEAN themselves. And we respect their right to work collectively to find what the best solution is for relationships with Myanmar. From our standpoint, we have never tried to legitimize the rule of the junta, even though as you're aware, we have also been in contact with the de facto authorities. Edie? Question : Thank you very much, Farhan. One follow-up on Myanmar. Is there any time frame for the Secretary-General appointing a new special envoy for Myanmar? Deputy Spokesman : We're trying to get this done as soon as possible. As you know, Noeleen Heyzer's time has ended as of the last couple of weeks. Correspondent : Right. Deputy Spokesman : And we are looking to find someone else as soon as we can. We'll let you know once someone's named. Question : And on the issue of envoys, can you tell us what's happening with Volker Perthes? Is the Secretary-General planning to appoint another SRSG for Sudan? Deputy Spokesman : Mr. Perthes continues on the job. He is the head of UNITAMS (United Nations Transition Mission in Sudan), and there's been no change to his status in that regard. Yes, Pam? Question : Thank you, Farhan. Is there a UN position on the de facto authorities, Taliban authorities in Afghanistan with regard to what the Chinese Ambassador mentioned on release of funds to the frozen funds by Governments to... in this case, the United States to the Government? Deputy Spokesman : Well, I will just refer you to what Ms. Otunbayeva said. It's clear that some of the actions by the de facto authorities have made it harder for them in terms of their dealings with the overall international community. And this is one of the issues on which it's very clear that they need to be aware of the need to change their policies so that they have a better relationship with the international community overall. Pam? Sorry. I meant Linda. I just... I was looking at you still. Linda? Question : Thank you, Farhan. Going back to Afghanistan, would you have any more facts and figures in reference to the women being banned from working? Would you have any figures in terms of the numbers of essential male workers versus non-essential? Just to get a sense of how many people are actually working. Deputy Spokesman : We'll try to get some facts and figures for you on that. I believe the overall figures for UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) are available on the UNAMA website. [He later said that, as of the end of 2022, the United Nations had approximately about 3,900 staff in Afghanistan, of whom approximately 3,300 are nationals and 600 internationals. Of those, there are about 400 women nationals and 200 women internationals.] Yes, Ephrem? Question : Thanks, Farhan. On Afghanistan as well, this message from the UN that the Taliban need to change their behaviour basically to get the recognition of the international community. It hasn't worked despite all the high-level action on that level. There are some calls, there have been some calls recently for some sort of engagement or recognition of the Taliban in order for the international community to have more levers with the Taliban. Is this kind of thinking also happening here at the UN? Is there some change as to how to engage? Deputy Spokesman : I think the thinking at the UN was what was described in the Security Council today by Roza Otunbayeva. So, I would just refer you to what she said there. Alan? Question : Thank you very much, Farhan. I have a question regarding grain deal. Several media outlets recently made publications claiming that the Black Sea Initiative is commercial but not humanitarian. We all remember how a year ago, it was aimed to fight the hunger, in Africa especially. And even Martin Griffiths was mentioning that the first vessel should go to Somalia, if I'm not mistaken. So, my question is simple. It's to you. Do you consider the Black Sea Initiative as a commercial or humanitarian initiative? Thank you. Deputy Spokesman : The fundamental purpose of the Black Sea Initiative is a humanitarian purpose. It's true that quite a lot of grain transactions are commercial transactions. But those commercial transactions help our humanitarian goal by maintaining a lower level of world food prices overall and particularly a lower level of crucial grain prices, which are fundamental to the economic stability of many nations around the world. So, yes, it's primarily a humanitarian effort, even insofar as it deals with commercial transactions. Dezhi? Question : Two questions. First, a follow-up of Pam's question on the frozen assets for Afghanistan. From your answer, is it correct for me to understand for the United Nations the issue of frozen assets as development assets is actually interconnected with human rights issues and other issues. Is that correct? Deputy Spokesman : No. What I'm really suggesting is that these are decisions... the decision to give funds to the de facto authorities or not to give them are decision are being taken by Member State Governments, but that's their prerogative. What I'm suggesting, and this is something that Ms. Otunbayeva has made clear in her recent briefings, is that the sense of security that Member State Governments have with the de facto authorities in Afghanistan is affected by the policies of the Taliban itself. Question : So theoretically speaking, these funds should be released to Afghanistan. But according... but due to many other unexpected factors that they cannot really do this. Deputy Spokesman : At the end of the day, we understand that different States do not know whether it is a wise thing to do to free up money to the de facto authorities as it stands. They need a greater sense of security about whether that is the right thing to do, and that is something that is in turn affected by the de facto authority's own policies. Question : So, it's still interconnected. Anyway, my question, I'm sorry. Just to follow up on James' question on the West Bank, the Israeli Government today makes a joint statement, said that the Government will advance planning about 1,000 housing units in the West Bank settlements. Any comments from the UN on this decision? Deputy Spokesman : Well, you saw what our statement was on this. The Secretary-General made clear in on our statement our concerns about this. And again, we restated that from our standpoint the settlements have no legal validity. So, I just refer you to the full statement that we issued two days ago. Before we go to round two, let's finish up on round one. First, Celhia. Question : Farhan, maybe I did not hear what you said about the question James asked you on Israel, Palestine. Did you use the terms occupying Power when it comes to Israel? And if so... Deputy Spokesman : Yes. I did. Question : If you recognize that it's an occupying Power, why is the UN not being more strict about it? Deputy Spokesman : I would just refer you to the history of the UN involvement on this issue. We've been very clear about the need to end the occupation. We've been very clear about our support for two-State solution that has, as its ultimate goal, the establishment of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. Stefano, and then Joe Klein and then we'll... going to go back. Oh, wait! Have you had a question? Stefano and then you and then Joe Klein. All right, Stefano. Question : Thank you, Farhan. It's about the submarine search. Now there is also France searching for this submarine. We all hope that they can, that five people can be rescued. But I have to ask this question. Does the Secretary-General wish that when 500 or more than 500 migrants have strained the water that the same kind of rescue is done, before they died? Deputy Spokesman : We want all people whose lives are at risk at sea to be rescued. Obviously, that's very clear. At the same time, of course, we are as aware of these latest news reports as you are, and we hope that all those people who are in this current situation will be able to return to surface safely. Yvonne? Question : Thanks, Farhan. My question is also on Afghanistan. Listening to the briefing this morning, the UN operation in Afghanistan has been hobbled effectively by the Taliban's policies. Women can't even go to work; UN staff can't go to work. So, how long is the UN willing to push out with this situation for? Deputy Spokesman : At this stage, the point is that we have not, even under very trying circumstances over the past decades, ever abandoned the people of Afghanistan. We're trying to do our best even under these circumstances, as dire as they are, to provide support to the Afghan people. And we will see. And we continue to call, as we did again today, for the de facto authorities to end this discriminatory regime. Question : But are you working on a contingency? Because they are not changing their position, don't seem likely to change their position. Deputy Spokesman : We are evaluating the situation as it progresses. I have no change in the situation to report. Joe Klein? Question : Yes. With all the critical statements that the UN has put out about Israeli policies, I'm wondering, and I apologize if this has been done, but I haven't seen it, I'm wondering whether the Secretary-General has any comment on the killing of four Israeli civilians yesterday by two Palestinian gunmen for which Hamas has taken credit? Deputy Spokesman : Yes. The Secretary-General shares the sentiments of Tor Wennesland, who strongly condemned this killing. I would refer you to what Mr. Wennesland said. We'll see whether there's any further statement down the line on this. Iftikhar? Correspondent : Thank you, Farhan. My question on Afghanistan has been asked. Thank you. Deputy Spokesman : I love moments like that. [laughter] James? Question : A couple more questions, Farhan; first concerns two most powerful men in the world. President [Joseph] Biden says President Xi [Jinping] is a dictator. Does the Secretary-General agree? Deputy Spokesman : I'm not going to comment on the rhetoric of any of the leaders. Obviously, what we want to see is a strong and positive relationship between the People's Republic of China and the United States of America. Question : So, does he find comments like that unhelpful to getting that? Deputy Spokesman : Well, that would entail me commenting on the comments that have been made. Question : One other question, if I may. The SRSG, Otunbayeva, has come all the way from Kabul, I assume flying from Kabul to Dubai and then to New York long journey. We don't get to see her very often. She spoke in the Security Council. There doesn't seem to be any sign of a stakeout from her. I mean, I would have thought senior UN officials, part of their job is public diplomacy. And I know I bang on about this all the time, but why are we not getting a stakeout? Don't tell me she's too busy to give us 10 minutes. Deputy Spokesman : I... we're doing our best to try to see what information we can provide from our UNAMA team for you. [cross talk] Question : And then to add to that, tomorrow we have the Executive Director of the World Food Programme in the building, Cindy McCain; is she going to be doing a stakeout for us? Deputy Spokesman : We will see whether there's going to be anything by Ms. McCain. I'm not aware of the stakeout at this point. Question : Can we please implore you? [cross talk] You know, to do our jobs we need to speak to these people. Deputy Spokesman : We'll be in touch with our World Food Programme colleagues. Correspondent : Thank you. Deputy Spokesman : Yes, Edie? Question : Let me first echo what James said. I'm sure everyone here would like to get a chance to question both Ms. Otunbayeva and Cindy McCain. Has the Secretary-General gotten any reaction to his statement about the slowdown in Black Sea grain shipments? And what is the UN doing to try to speed these up and get them back to a more productive level? Deputy Spokesman : Well, at the operational level, our colleagues at the Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul are working with the various parties, which is to say, Russia, Ukraine and Turkiye, to do what we can to see how inspection activity can be sped up. But the Secretary-General is calling on the parties themselves to do what they can to move forwards, including by also allowing activity once more at the Port of Yuzhnyi/Pivdennyi. Question : Is the Secretary-General prepared to state which of the parties is responsible for this slowdown? Deputy Spokesman : I would just refer you to the text of his statement, which says it as clearly as he can. But also, if you looked at the website of the Joint Coordination Centre, they have been making clear some of the delays and the causes of them. And Dulcie, and then we'll turn to Paulina [Kubiak] after that. Question : Yeah. I just wanted to ask you about that third port in the Black Sea grain deal. What is it about that port that's causing the Russians not to allow grain to be exported? Thanks. Deputy Spokesman : I don't speak for the Russian Federation, so you'd need to check with them what their concerns are. Correspondent : Well, I'm asking you because you're talking about the grain deal, so you must know what's going on. Deputy Spokesman : I don't speak for the parties, though. Correspondent : Well, I'm asking the UN what it thinks is going on. Deputy Spokesman : But you, as a reporter, are also capable of asking the Member States. Yes... [cross talk] Correspondent : But you're not answering my question. Deputy Spokesman : Yes, because I don't speak for separate Member States. Correspondent : But I'm asking you to speak for the UN. Deputy Spokesman : It's very bizarrely circular, but the fact is different Member States speak for their own reasons. Yes? Question : Thank you, Farhan. I have a short follow-up. Does the UN... is the UN making any preparations for 19 July, when the grain deal expires if Russia stops it? Deputy Spokesman : What we're preparing for is to see everything that can be done to extend both the Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Federation and the Black Sea Initiative. And so that is where we are channelling all our efforts. Paulina Kubiak, it's your turn. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MQ-9 Reaper completes first mission using dirt landing zone Published June 21, 2023 919th Special Operations Wing Public Affairs SANDERSON, Texas (AFNS) -- Just south of Fort Stockton is one of the largest private armed forces training centers in the country, the Nine Mile Training Center an expansive terrain offering privacy from prying eyes and the perfect opportunity to unleash the MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft. At this remote dirt strip in West Texas, members from the 2nd Special Operations Squadron, 727th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron and 311th Special Operations Intelligence Squadron teamed up with Airmen from the 26th Special Tactics Squadron out of Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, June 15, to carve their next milestone into Air Force Special Operations Command history. Working together, the air commandos conducted the first MQ-9 landing on a dirt landing zone. "This is a significant achievement for Air Force Reserve Command, AFSOC, the MQ-9 community and the joint force as a whole," said Lt. Col. Brian Flanigan, 2nd SOS director of operations. "This team of aircrew, maintainers and special tactics Airmen have proven the Reaper can operate anywhere in the world and is no longer beholden to the 'leash' of perfectly paved runways or line-of-sight antennas traditionally used to takeoff and land the aircraft." Historically, the MQ-9 has taken off and landed via line-of-sight of antennas, with aircrew members manually flying the aircraft. Now, the MQ-9 can literally takeoff and land from anywhere in the world. Flanigan was quick to point out how this new concept meets the AFRC's priorities of 'Ready Now' and 'transforming for the future.' "This capability will be critical in 'tomorrow's fight' and nests perfectly with the Air Force's Agile Combat Employment concept that focuses on smaller footprints, distributed operations and increased survivability while generating combat power," Flanigan said. "We are demonstrating what is possible when you leverage citizen air commandos and our diverse backgrounds to take an existing capability like [satellite launch and recovery] and apply it to the future fight." The 12th Aircraft Maintenance Unit from the 727th Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron supported the effort with a very small footprint to the austere location using ACE techniques, tactics and procedures developed by the 12th AMU. "This initiative was significant in terms of refining maintenance ACE capabilities because it provided insight into how the aircraft handles landing in an austere environment," said Maj. Doniell Mojazza, 727th SOAMXS director of operations. "This scenario both challenged and empowered 12th AMU maintainers to assess risk utilizing their expertise and innovation to ensure aircraft air worthiness and mission success." The team is not only using the MQ-9 SLR capability to access short, narrow and unprepared places, but also using it in creative ways to offer 'off the menu' options not traditionally provided by RPAs. This was demonstrated by their use of a travel pod attached to the aircraft to execute a critical resupply of the 26th STS on the dirt landing zone. "We call it 'Reaper Express,' which is essentially just using a travel pod to develop an operational concept of delivering critical items to austere locations using the MQ-9," Flanigan said. "It may not be able to carry much, but what it can hold, might be the difference between getting that critical aircraft part to an isolated airfield or bringing in a blood supply for casualties sustained during a base attack." While the MQ-9 has no demand shortage with its traditional role in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance or its ability to quickly land and execute an engine running offload could be a secondary or tertiary mission. "This provides options compared to waiting multiple weeks until intra-theater airlift can support," Flanigan said. "What we're also finding through the series of exercises we've executed, is that the 'fight tomorrow' capabilities we've been demonstrating is rapidly becoming a 'fight tonight' capability the joint force is wanting now." The collective contributions of active duty and Reserve members working together provided a glimpse of what is possible as transformation continues throughout the RPA enterprise. "We are continuing to expand MQ-9 Reaper capabilities," said Maj. Dan Carlson, 2nd SOS MQ-9 chief pilot. "The unique ability to maneuver the MQ-9 to operate anytime, anyplace is a relatively new capability and one that is transforming how we prepare for tomorrow's fight as well as today's." The certification exercise also provided a venue for intelligence analysts to contribute and further enhance the STS mission regardless of where they operate. "We are innovating ways to provide geospatial intelligence to downrange forces," said Capt. Courtney Cook, 311th Special Operations Intelligence Squadron assistant director of operations. "The opportunity to support this was huge for our organization." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Commander of Multinational Counter-Piracy Task Force Visits Japanese Units in Djibouti US Navy 21 June 2023 From Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs The commander for Combined Maritime Forces' counter-piracy task force visited Japanese self-defense force units during a two-day trip to Djibouti, June 14-15. Republic of Korea Navy Rear Adm. Ko Seung-bum, commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, visited Japanese destroyer JS Makinami (DD 112) while the ship was moored in the African nation, which sits on the Horn of Africa along the Gulf of Aden. "I express my warmest thanks to Japan for their continued support in our counter-piracy operations," said Ko. "It is clear that the close working relationship Korea and Japan have in the Far East makes us stronger in deterring piracy in the Middle East." Ko met the commander of Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force's 7th Escort Division as well as Makinami's commanding officer. He also held discussions with leaders from Japan's Deployment Air Force for Counter-Piracy Enforcement and Deployment Support Group for Counter-Piracy Enforcement units. "We will continue to demonstrate cooperation, leadership and a cohesive approach to counter-piracy activities throughout the Combined Maritime Forces area of operations," said Ko. He previously met Japanese counterparts aboard Makinami in February when the ship was moored in Bahrain. Makinami is forward-deployed to the Middle East supporting regional counter-piracy patrols under CTF 151. Established in 2009, CTF 151 is one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, which includes 38 nations. CTF 151 conducts maritime security operations to deter, disrupt and suppress piracy and armed robbery at sea, outside the Horn of Africa. CTF 151 is headquartered in Bahrain with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group Completes Historic Deployment US Navy 21 June 2023 The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (CSG)comprised of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), and the Information Warfare Commanderreturned April 23 to Norfolk, Virginia. The strike group arrived in the European theater in August of last year, projecting U.S. and Allied power and deterring aggression by training and operating with allies and partners for nearly eight months. Further showcasing the U.S.'s ironclad commitment to NATO, George H.W. Bush CSG hosted NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg while under NATO command for the vigilance activity Neptune Strike (NEST) 22.2. "This carrier sends a powerful message of Allied deterrence every day," Stoltenberg said during his visit. "A perfect example of the transatlantic bondEurope and North America working together in NATO." Stoltenberg said the George H.W. Bush CSG's participation in the vigilance activity demonstrated our ability to rapidly reinforce our Allies and project power across the Alliance. "NATO's strength helps to prevent any miscalculation by sending a clear message: NATO will protect and defend every inch of Allied territory," he said. In addition to NEST 22.2 and NEST 23.1, the strike group played a key role in major events with allies and partners throughout deployment including: Dual and tri-carrier operations five times in theater with ESPS Juan Carlos I, ITS Cavour and the French Carrier Strike Group with FS Charles de Gaulle; Exercise Mare Aperto 22-2; Exercise Juniper Oak, the largest U.S.-Israeli military exercise in history in support of U.S. Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet while assigned to U.S. 6th Fleet; Exercise Hemex Orion; Exercise Dynamic Manta; Shipboard exercises and events with ITS Caio Duilio, HRV Dubrovnik, ALS Butrinti and ALS Lissus, ITS Carabiniere, ITS Virginio Fasan and TCG Gungor Durmas; iterations of the Spanish Tactical Leadership Program (TLP) for Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 7 personnel; The Athens International Air Show; The EURONAVAL Trade Show in Paris; 35 key leader engagements, five major receptions and protocol events in Crete, Croatia, Italy, France, and Greece which included more approximately 1,536 visitors to the aircraft carrier alone; And multiple press conferences in NATO port visits to reassure host nation audiences and reinforce existing relationships for future maritime operations and international stability. Rear Adm. Dennis Velez, commander, George H.W. Bush CSG, and his major commanders and subordinate units continuously engaged senior military and civilian leaders throughout the region to increase unity of effort within the Alliance through 21st century maritime diplomacy. "Since the beginning of our Navy, we have been seagoing diplomats. I have operated that way throughout my entire career, and our Sailors represented U.S. and Allied interests incredibly well throughout deployment," Velez said. "The trust our strike group built with our Allies and partners is our competitive advantage as an Alliance. Our teamwork increased our collective capability and deterred our adversaries, which I believe helped prevent expansion of war into NATO territory." The ships of DESRON-26 completing deployment with CSG-10 are the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Nitze (DDG 94), USS Truxtun (DDG 103), and USS Delbert D. Black (DDG 119). The squadrons of CVW-7 embarked aboard the George H.W. Bush are the "Sidewinders" of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86, the "Jolly Rogers" of VFA-103, the "Knighthawks" of VFA-136, the "Pukin Dogs" of VFA-143, the "Bluetails" of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 121, the "Patriots" of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 140, the "Nightdippers" of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5, and the "Grandmasters" of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 46. From Carrier Strike Group 10 public affairs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN: Taliban Give No Assurances on Lifting Restrictions on Afghan Women By Margaret Besheer June 21, 2023 The United Nation's top official in Afghanistan said Wednesday there have been no assurances from the Taliban that they will lift their "punishing restrictions" on the country's female population, placing a "question mark" over U.N. activities in the country. "We have been given no explanations by the de facto authorities for this ban, and no assurance that it will be lifted," Roza Otunbayeva, head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council. On April 5, the Taliban verbally informed the United Nations that an existing ban on women working for humanitarian organizations had been extended to include the United Nations. About 400 Afghan women work for the U.N. in the country. Since then, the U.N. has ordered its female staff to work from home and for non-essential male staffers to also work remotely. "We are steadfast female national staff will not be replaced by male national staff as some de facto authorities have suggested," Otunbayeva said. The Security Council condemned the Taliban's edict and called for its reversal in a resolution adopted unanimously on April 27. The Taliban has been unmoved. Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada directed government spokespersons this month to emphasize the enforcement of Islamic law in their statements. "The United States and the United Nations have held the entire world hostage, and nothing moves without their dictation," he told a meeting in the southern city of Kandahar, which is known as the birthplace of the Taliban. "The Islamic Emirate [Taliban] effectively controls all parts of Afghanistan, but non-Muslim and even Islamic countries refuse to recognize it." Otunbayeva said the Taliban wants international recognition, but that means fulfilling responsibilities under the U.N. Charter, not working against its values. "In my regular discussions with the de facto authorities, I am blunt about the obstacles they have created for themselves by the decrees and restrictions they have enacted, in particular against women and girls," she said. "We have conveyed to them that as long as these decrees are in place it is nearly impossible that their government will be recognized by members of the international community." She said the bans, which include earlier ones preventing girls attending secondary schools and universities, visiting parks and gyms, and restricting their movements outside their homes, have taken a toll on women's mental and physical health. Otunbayeva urged the Taliban to lift the restrictions so the U.N. can continue its full support to the Afghan people, more than 28 million of whom require some form of humanitarian assistance. Ayaz Gul in Islamabad contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Army reaches new milestone 21 June 2023 Soldiers from 7th Brigade units took part in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN-D) training, including an equipment decontamination medium (EDM) serial, at Gallipoli Barracks, Brisbane, in May. It was the first time the capability was tested with heavy vehicles and machinery within a combat brigade. Hosted at the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment (2CER) compound, heavy vehicles, including a Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicle (CRV) and HX77 truck towing an M777 howitzer, were put through the EDM. The process neutralises chemical, biological and radiological hazards after a vehicle and its crew have been in a CBRN environment. Captain Callum Griffiths, of the ADF Joint Defensive CBRN Program, said it was good to see the process conducted practically. "Testing this concept with platforms like the Boxer CRV is a significant milestone for Defence Projects like Land 2110-1B and Land 400-2," he said. The EDM comprises four stations spread across hundreds of metres, and the decontamination process ranges from the removal of gross environmental hazards, to the sensitive cleaning of vehicle internal components. It will be used during Exercise Diamond Strike, and elements of the Navy, Army and Air Force are being trained in the capability. Warrant Officer Class Two Luke Burden, of ADF Joint Defensive CBRN Program, said it was important the activity was hosted at 2CER. "It's great that it was held here at Gallipoli Barracks because the 7th Brigade is the directed formation for Army's contribution to the CBRN-D capability within Defence," he said. "This was the opportunity for the brigade to see the EDM in action, so they can start having conversations about logistics and how it is operated within the battle space." Project Land 2110-1B will provide a scalable and flexible joint CBRN defence capability to enhance the protection of ADF personnel against exposure to CBRN substances and toxic industrial materials in land, maritime and air domains. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Fact Check: Unpacking the US 'Cuban spy base' allegation People's Daily Online (People's Daily Online) 16:55, June 20, 2023 U.S. media outlets intensified their accusations against China on June 8, 2023, alleging that a Chinese spy facility, capable of monitoring communications in the southeastern U.S., was being established in collaboration with Cuba. However, these claims require close scrutiny, as they could simply be unfounded allegations designed to tarnish China's reputation. Here's an analysis of the facts by People's Daily Online. It is important to note that both the U.S. and Cuban authorities have vehemently denied the existence of any agreement related to a spy base. Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, unambiguously labeled reports of such an agreement as "inaccurate" during a recent Pentagon press briefing. Similarly, John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, questioned the authenticity of these reports. Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio categorically dismissed the allegations as "totally untrue," characterizing them as "slanders." In an interesting turn of events, merely two days after the U.S. government denied the allegations surrounding the Cuban spy base, the U.S. media spun a new narrative. They asserted that the Biden administration had confirmed the existence of a Chinese spy base in Cuba since at least 2019. However, the reliability of this conflicting allegation is suspect, as the U.S. media has not provided any concrete evidence to substantiate its claim. The sole testimony comes from an anonymous official within the Biden administration, which further calls into question the credibility and veracity of the assertion. It's become commonplace for U.S. politicians and media outlets to resort to slander and smear campaigns to vilify other countries for their own strategic gain. The U.S. has a notorious reputation for its tendency to chase shadows and interfere in the affairs of other countries. Cuba has accused the White House of using these statements to legitimize its sanctions on the island nation. The U.S., long recognized as a global leader in hacking and surveillance, has illegally occupied Cuba's GuantAnamo Bay for secretive activities and imposed a blockade on the country for over 60 years. The experiences of other countries affirm this behavior. Danish media reported that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), while partnering with Denmark's foreign intelligence unit, spied on the leaders of Germany, Sweden, Norway and France, including former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Since the 1970s, the CIA has covertly rigged Crypto AG, a Swiss manufacturer of encryption machines, to eavesdrop on countries worldwide. The compromised encryption devices, sold to over 120 countries, were used by the CIA to intercept confidential communications. According to a report released by the Beijing-based Qi An Pangu lab, the NSA-associated hacking group, Equation, has developed a high-end backdoor and conducted a decade-long cyberattack operation named "Telescreen" against 45 countries and regions, including China, Russia, the U.K., Germany and the Netherlands. The operation targets communications, research institutions, and the economic and military sectors. The conflicting statements from the U.S. government, coupled with its history of maligning other countries, cast doubt on the credibility and motives behind these accusations. Despite Washington's smear campaigns, it cannot conceal its ill-intent and deplorable track record of indiscriminate global spying. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese FM clarifies position on US-claimed 'rules-based intl order' Global Times By Global Times Published: Jun 21, 2023 04:48 PM China never rejects communication, but the key is how to communicate and whether it can achieve desired results, Yang Tao, director-general of the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told the Global Times on Monday, as he briefed Chinese and foreign media about US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to China from Sunday to Monday. "Communication does not mean only seeking one's own concerns while ignoring the concerns of the other," said Yang. A statement on Sunday by a US State Department spokesperson said that Blinken said the US will "work with its allies and partners to advance our vision for a world that is free, open, and upholds the rules-based international order." Yang said that the original intention of President Xi Jinping in advocating a community with a shared future for mankind is to maximize international solidarity and cooperation to jointly address global challenges. "China is the first country to sign the UN Charter. It is the creator, defender and beneficiary of the current international order. Why should China change the existing international order?" said Yang. "Some people always talk about the 'rules-based international order.' What rules are they based on? If it is the UN Charter, China has no problem. If it is the rules formulated by a handful of countries, China, as well as many other countries, will find it difficult to agree," Yang said. According to the State Department statement, Blinken emphasized the importance of maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of miscalculation. Yang said that both sides have agreed to jointly implement the important common understandings reached by the two presidents in Bali, Indonesia, effectively manage differences, and advance dialogue, exchanges and cooperation. Blinken invited Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang to visit the US, and Qin expressed his willingness to visit the US at the convenience of both sides. Yang stressed that China never rejects communication, but the key is how and what the desired results are. Both parties should make sure the communication is effective. One party cannot only seek to solve its own concerns while ignoring the concerns of the other party. No party should say one thing but do another, Yang said. China is willing to conduct constructive communication and dialogue in the spirit of mutual respect, and the US side should also show sincerity and take action. Stabilizing China-US relations requires both China and the US to work together and meet each other halfway, Yang told the Global Times. President Xi Jinping has put forward four principles, called for joint efforts in four areas and shared three observations on Ukraine, which outline China's fundamental approach to the issue, Yang noted, adding that these are China's basic principles in dealing with the Ukraine crisis. The core idea is to promote peace talks and political settlement. China supports all efforts that are conducive to ceasefire and promoting peace talks. China will continue to uphold an objective and fair stance, and promote peace talks in its own way. China will not do things that are biased or worsen the situation, let alone take advantage of the crisis, Yang said. No country can force China to take sides, let alone distort and smear China's position. The illegal unilateral sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals must stop. If China has to choose a side, it will choose the side of peace, peace talks, and political settlement, Yang said. Some countries have asked China not to provide arms to Russia. The whole world can clearly see who is providing arms to the conflicting parties. We urge relevant countries to stop fueling the fire and stop smearing and slandering China, Yang noted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Stability of global supply chain is in the interests of China, Germany: FM Global Times By Global Times Published: Jun 21, 2023 06:30 PM China and Germany have agreed that maintaining the stability of the global supply chain is in the interests of both countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, while briefing the outcomes of the seventh inter-governmental consultation. Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday chaired the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation together with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, jointly witnessing the signing of a series of cooperation agreements, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday. Li is on an official visit to Germany from Sunday to Wednesday. As the highlight of the itinerary of Li's visit and the first offline consultation between the two governments since the COVID-19 pandemic, this round of China-Germany government consultations has been highly valued by both sides and have achieved a series of important outcomes, the spokesperson said. China and Germany have agreed to establish a dialogue and cooperation mechanism on climate change and green transformation, hold the third China-Germany high-level financial dialogue and the new China-Germany environmental forum and dialogues on health, Mao said. The two countries will continue to deepen cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, investment, automobile manufacturing, high technology, new energy, digital economy, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, strengthen engagement at all levels and in various fields, conduct diplomatic consultations and dialogues, and jointly address global challenges, Mao added. The two sides agreed that deepening cooperation at a higher level, higher standards, and higher quality, while jointly maintaining the stability of the global production and supply chain are in the interests of both countries and have an important global impact, Mao said. China is willing to continue to work with Germany to implement the important consensus, promote the healthy and stable development of China-Germany relations, and make due contributions to global stability and prosperity as two major countries based on the principles of mutual respect, seeking common ground while reserving differences, exchanges and mutual learning, and win-win cooperation, the spokesperson added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese premier calls for more cooperation between China, Germany People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 08:10, June 21, 2023 BERLIN, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday said China and Germany should work more closely, make more contributions to world peace and development, play the role of stabilizer in the midst of changes, and speed up the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Li made the remarks when co-chairing the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. They heard reports on the progress of China-Germany cooperation in relevant fields from the heads of 22 departments including foreign affairs, economy and trade, industry, finance, justice, transport, education, science and technology, health, environmental protection and development. Li said that the consultation was efficient and pragmatic, and achieved fruitful results. Under the current circumstances, the two sides should seize the opportunity of green transformation and promote the upgrading of cooperation. Li proposed that China and Germany should become partners in green development, strengthen communication and coordination on green and environmental issues, promote green energy technology development and industrial technology upgrading, and deepen cooperation in such fields as new energy vehicles, green finance, and third-party markets. China and Germany should adhere to a pragmatic and open attitude to better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, Li said, saying the two countries should also strengthen cooperation in global economic governance, ensure the stability of international industrial and supply chains, and promote an early recovery of the world economy. Scholz said the inter-governmental consultation mechanism reflects the special significance of the relations between the two countries. The German side is willing to maintain close communication with China on all issues between the two countries and to jointly address global challenges such as climate change, food security and debt problems, he said. Germany, Scholz said, has no intention to decouple from China, and is ready to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation with China to promote world development and prosperity. The two sides agreed that bilateral cooperation is solidly based and dynamic, and that it is in the interests of both sides to deepen cooperation at a higher level, with higher standards and higher quality, and to jointly maintain the stability of the global production and supply chains, which is also of great global significance. The two sides also agreed to set up a dialogue and cooperation mechanism on climate change and green transition, hold the third China-Germany High Level Financial Dialogue as well as new editions of Sino-German Environmental Forum and health dialogue, and continue to deepen cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, investment, automobile manufacturing, high-tech, new energy, digital economy and humanities. After the consultation, Li and Scholz witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of climate change response, innovation, advanced manufacturing and vocational education, and met with the press together. Prior to the consultation, Li held a meeting with Scholz. Li pointed out that the economic and trade cooperation between China and Germany has been developed for more than half a century, and it is not easy for the two sides to achieve today's results, which have brought real benefits to the two peoples. He hopes the German side will continue to keep an open mind, uphold the independent policy, and properly handle relevant issues on the basis of international rules and in the principle of the spirit of contract. The two sides should vigorously promote the facilitation of personnel exchanges and strengthen people-to-people exchanges, he said. Li proposed tackling climate change as one of the guiding visions for China-Germany cooperation in the future, adding that the two countries should promote cooperation in green technology and industry, and explore the establishment of a rational and orderly division of labor in the green energy industry chain. Scholz said the German side welcomes China's development and prosperity, noting that Germany rejects all forms of decoupling and "de-risking" is not "de-sinicization." Germany is committed to developing stable relations with China and is willing to further strengthen bilateral exchanges, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and reach more cooperation consensus in addressing climate change and green development, he said, adding that Germany supports two-way investment and will provide a sound business environment for Chinese enterprises to invest in Germany. The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. Before the meeting, Scholz held a grand welcome ceremony for Li at the square in front of the Federal Chancellery. With a military band playing the national anthems of both countries and Chinese and German flags flying high, Li, accompanied by Scholz, reviewed the guard of honor. Wu Zhenglong, among others, was present at the events. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on June 21, 2023 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China At the invitation of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry of Sri Lanka will visit China from June 24 to 30. CCTV: Premier Li Qiang is in Germany for an official visit and the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Could you share more information? Mao Ning: At the invitation of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang is paying an official visit to Germany and has held the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation from June 18 to 21. This is Premier Li Qiang's first overseas trip since he took office and a trip to renew friendship and deepen cooperation. Chancellor Scholz held a welcome ceremony for Premier Li. They held talks and co-chaired the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation. They jointly witnessed the signing of a series of cooperation agreements, met the press, and attended the China-Germany Economic and Technical Cooperation Forum and a round table for Chinese and German entrepreneurs. The seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation is a highlight in this trip. It is the first face-to-face consultation since the start of COVID-19 and the first time for the two new governments to fully engage with each other, which gives the occasion special importance for coordinating and advancing China-Germany practical cooperation in various fields. Both sides attached high importance to the consultation. Leading officials of 22 ministries including foreign policy, commerce and trade, industry, finance, judiciary, transportation, education, science and technology, health, environmental protection, development, among others, held consultations in their respective fields and reported to the Premier and the Chancellor how bilateral cooperation is progressing. During the consultation, both sides reached a host of important outcomes, including agreeing to set up a dialogue and cooperation mechanism on climate change and green transition, hold the third China-Germany High Level Financial Dialogue as well as new editions of Sino-German Environmental Forum and health dialogue, and continue to deepen cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, investment, automobile manufacturing, high-tech, new energy, digital economy and people-to-people exchanges, step up exchanges at all levels and in various fields, engage in diplomatic consultation and dialogue and jointly respond to global challenges. Both sides agreed that this round of China-Germany Inter-governmental Consultation has been highly efficient, pragmatic and productive. China-Germany cooperation has a solid foundation and is full of vitality. To deepen cooperation at a higher level and seek higher standards and quality, and jointly keep the global production and supply chains stable serves the interests of both countries and is of global significance. China stands ready to continue to follow the principles of mutual respect, seeking common ground while shelving differences, exchanges and mutual learning, and win-win cooperation as we work together with Germany to deliver what has been agreed by the two leaders to boost the healthy and steady growth of China-Germany relations and make China and Germany's due contribution to global stability and prosperity as two major countries.a AFP: Two Chinese nationals were convicted on Tuesday in the US. They were accused of forcibly repatriating Chinese citizens to China. Do you have any reaction to that? Mao Ning: The need to fight cross-border crimes, repatriate corrupt fugitives and recover illegal proceeds is widely recognized by the international community. It is a just cause. China's law enforcement cooperation with any country in the world is conducted in strict accordance with international law with full respect for the laws and judicial sovereignty of other countries and commitment to protecting the lawful rights and interests of criminal suspects. The relevant operation is fully justified. The US, on the other hand, has chosen to ignore the facts, deliberately distorted China's efforts as something sinister and even resorted to judicial action. China firmly opposes this.a We urge the US to immediately right its wrongdoing, fulfill its obligations under the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the UN Convention against Corruption and other international treaties, step up to its international responsibilities and stop America from turning into a safe haven for criminals. *** In observance of the Dragon Boat Festival, the MFA regular press conference will be adjourned from June 22 (Thursday) to 23 (Friday), and resumed on June 26 (Monday). During the holiday, you can reach the spokesperson's office by fax, email or WeChat as usual. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea slams Blinken's recent China visit as 'begging trip' Iran Press TV Wednesday, 21 June 2023 6:36 AM North Korea has ridiculed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent visit to China as a "disgraceful begging trip," further slamming it as a failure of policy aimed at exerting pressure on Beijing. The rare visit was aimed at begging for the relaxation of tensions as the "attempt to press and restrain China may become a boomerang striking a fatal blow to the US economy," said North Korean international affairs analyst Jong Yong in a column published by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday. "In a word, the US state secretary's recent junket can never be judged otherwise than a disgraceful begging trip of the provoker admitting the failure of the policy of putting pressure on China," he then added. The analyst further blamed Washington for escalating regional tensions with "anti-China complexes" such as the so-called Quad strategic security group, which includes Japan, Australia, India, and the United States, as well as the Australia-UK-US security deal known as AUKUS. "It is the height of the double-dealing and impudence peculiar to the US to provoke first and then talk about the so-called 'responsible control over divergence of opinion,'" he said. Blinken arrived in Beijing on Sunday on a high-stakes diplomatic mission in a bid to ease deteriorating tensions between the world's two largest economies amid little hope for much progress in the talks. During his two-day visit, Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying they had agreed to stabilize their intense rivalry so it did not veer into conflict. Biden calls China's Xi 'dictator' However, a day after the top American diplomat visited China to purportedly ease tensions, US President Joe Biden likened his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping with "dictators." Speaking at a Democratic Party fundraiser in northern California, Biden claimed Xi had been angered over an incident in February when a Chinese balloon flew over the United States and eventually shot down with Washington claiming - despite Beijing's denials - that it was used for spying. "The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment is he didn't know it was there," Biden proclaimed. "That's a great embarrassment for dictators," he then emphasized. "When they didn't know what happened. That wasn't supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course." Blinken also stated at the conclusion of his visit that he had called on China to urge North Korea to stop launching missiles as Beijing holds a "unique position" to press Pyongyang to engage in dialogue. North Korea is reeling under harsh US-led sanctions over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, which have not prevented it from developing its military capabilities as a deterrent against persisting war games near its waters by US and South Korean military forces that Pyongyang regards as rehearsals for invading the country. The North has further underlined that it will continue responding to joint military maneuvers of its adversaries by holding its own drills as well as developing all sorts of weaponry, including long-range missiles. Prior to his visit to Beijing, Blinken had said the trip aims to establish communication channels to avoid the ongoing rivalry between the two nations to spiral into a military conflict. He said to avoid a conflict with China they should start with "communicating." Blinken was the highest-ranking US official to visit China since Joe Biden became president in 2021. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Biden rants against Chinese President Xi, calls him a 'dictator' Iran Press TV Wednesday, 21 June 2023 3:16 AM US President Joe Biden has called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "dictator," a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Xi on a trip to the country that was aimed at easing tensions between the two powers. Speaking at an event in California on Tuesday, Biden also claimed Xi was very embarrassed when a Chinese balloon was blown off course over the United States earlier this year, according to Reuters. "The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didn't know it was there," Biden said. "That's a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn't know what happened. That wasn't supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course," Biden added. China condemns Biden's comments as 'extremely absurd' In Beijing, China's foreign ministry in a statement on Wednesday condemned Biden's comments as "extremely absurd and irresponsible." The foreign ministry accused Biden of "political provocation." The ministry spokesman Mao Ning said the US president's remarks "seriously violated China's political dignity and amounted to public political provocation." "It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition," Mao said at a daily briefing. "The U.S. remarks are extremely absurd and irresponsible." China said the United States had violated international norms by shooting down a balloon in February. The incident has increased US-China tensions. China's foreign affairs director, Wang Yi, said the US shooting down of the Chinese weather balloon "does not show the US is strong; on the contrary, it shows it is weak." He added that the shooting down was part of an attempt to divert attention from the domestic problems of the Biden administration. The US alleged the unmanned balloon was designed to detect and collect intelligence signals, but China insisted that it was used for meteorological and other scientific purposes and had strayed into US airspace accidentally. While Chinese officials say the United States is facing entomic problems, Biden on Tuesday said that China "has real economic difficulties." The US president also claimed that Xi had been concerned by the so-called Quad strategic security group, which includes Japan, Australia, India and the United States. Biden said he previously told Xi the US was not trying to encircle China with the Quad. "He called me and told me not to do that because it was putting him in a bind," Biden said. The remarks came as Beijing's relationship with Washington stands at its lowest point since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two governments due to persisting differences ranging from trade and technology to regional security and territorial disputes. Blinken wrapped up his high-stakes trip to Beijing earlier this week. In a press conference on Monday, Blinken noted record high trade between the two countries, and said the US is "prepared to cooperate with China" in "macroeconomic stability." During his visit, Blinken also met with China's top diplomat Yi who warned that Washington must choose between "dialogue and confrontation" in its relations with Beijing. "It is necessary to make a choice between dialogue and confrontation, cooperation or conflict," said Wang, who is the director of the office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission in the Chinese Communist Party ranks above the foreign minister. 'Biden's acerbic remarks point to deep-rooted animosity' Ivan Kesic, who is an independent journalist and researcher, wrote in a column for the Press TV website that "Biden's acerbic remarks about Xi point to deep-rooted animosity between the world's two largest economies and arch-rivals, as the range of disputes between them are only exacerbating." "Washington's anti-China unilateral moves in recent years include provocative transits in the Taiwan Strait, a de-facto tariff war, sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals, pressures on other countries to ban Chinese advanced technology, and an aggressive strategic approach against China," he added. "Most importantly, US officials have been regularly treating the Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) as a territory independent of China's mainland, in violation of the internationally-recognized 'One China' principle," he noted. "The US is expanding arms exports to Taiwan, increasing warship navigation in the Taiwan Strait, and attempting to expand a NATO-like military alliance in the Asia-Pacific region," he wrote. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Don't display slogans, wear provocative T-shirts in Hong Kong, Taiwan tells citizens Taiwan updates security warnings to avoid getting arrested under security law By Jojo Man, Ng Ting Hong and Cheryl Tung for RFA Cantonese 2023.06.21 -- Taiwanese authorities have warned their nationals planning to travel to Hong Kong to avoid carrying electronic tealights, wearing T-shirts referencing the 1989 Tiananmen massacre or possessing news materials relating to the city's 2019 mass protest movement. To avoid running afoul of a national security law imposed on the city by the ruling Chinese Communist Party to clamp down on several waves of popular protest in recent years, Taiwanese traveling to Hong Kong are also warned to avoid "seditious" publications referencing the protests, banned slogans and even songs linked to the movement. The national security law - imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong from July 1, 2020 - ushered in a citywide crackdown on public dissent and criticism of the authorities that has seen senior journalists, pro-democracy media magnate Jimmy Lai and 47 former lawmakers and democracy activists charged with offenses from "collusion with a foreign power" to "subversion." It applies to speech and acts committed anywhere in the world, and has been used to issue the leaders of a London-based rights group with a takedown order for its website. Shouting or displaying protest slogans in a public place, including the banned "Free Hong Kong! Revolution Now!" playing the British national anthem in public or appearing to mourn any protesters who died were also on the list of actions to avoid published by Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council. Social post leads to charges As if to illustrate the point, police in Hong Kong last week charged a young woman with "carrying out one or more acts with seditious intent" after she posted one of the banned protest slogans to a Hong Kong forum while she was studying in Japan. Yuen King-ting, 23, was charged on June 15 following her arrest in March with "arousing hatred or contempt" for the authorities, unlawful attempts to change "legally enacted matters" and inciting others to break the law. The case against her is based on her posting of "inflammatory remarks" to social media platforms, including the slogan "Free Hong Kong! Revolution now!" while she was studying in Japan, including posts she made before the national security law took effect. Yuen was granted bail on condition that she delete all of her social media and hand over the data to police. A Taiwanese resident who gave only the surname Wang said he had no plans to travel to Hong Kong any time soon. "They can just do whatever they want, because it's not free or democratic enough [to stop them]," he said. People asking questions Mainland Affairs Council spokesman Chan Chi-hung said his department, which is in charge of relations with China, has received a large number of queries from members of the public worried about traveling to Hong Kong and inadvertently getting arrested. "Some people call us up and ask if they could get into trouble for singing a song, or having a particular song [on their devices]," Chan said. "They even ask if it's risky to wear black." "There are some ways in which this makes life harder, but we don't want to demonize them, and make it even harder for there to be peaceful exchanges between the people of Hong Kong and Taiwan," he said. However, Chan's department's new guidelines detail a litany of potential traps for the unwary, particularly now that the Hong Kong government has applied for a High Court injunction banning recordings of the now-banned protest anthem "Glory to Hong Kong." Local downloads of the song from iTunes and Spotify spiked after the news, which came amid an ongoing crackdown on public expression that has seen hundreds of titles removed from public libraries and bookshops, as well as bans on the screening of some movies in the city. The Council has a section of its website dedicated to the impact of the national security law in Hong Kong, and Chan said Taiwanese can leave their personal details with the Taiwan government before they travel in case they later need assistance. International Schools The growing worries about running afoul of the law come as Hong Kong schools -- including English-medium and international schools -- are being told to take steps to ensure they are monitoring the actions of students and staff for potential breaches, in a further indication of the Communist Party's encroachment on civil liberties in Hong Kong. "International schools as well as other private primary schools, secondary schools and kindergartens solely offering non-local curricula also have the responsibility to help their students (regardless of their ethnicity and nationality) acquire a correct and objective understanding and apprehension of the concept of national security and the National Security Law, as well as the duty to cultivate a law-abiding spirit among their students," the Education Bureau said in fresh guidelines published this month. Publicly funded schools are also required to set up a working group and find a national security "coordinator" to ensure the law isn't being broken by students or staff, it said. That includes monitoring all books and teaching materials, the political credentials of anyone hiring school facilities for events, and attempts to spread "political propaganda" in schools, the guidelines said. Police should be contacted "if suspected illegal acts are involved," it said. Last month, Hong Kong police called for surveillance cameras to be installed in school and university classrooms and public spaces, prompting fears among teachers and students that the "security" measures would be used to listen in on everything said by students and staff alike. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong station deletes thousands of shows in ongoing erasure of public dissent Shows and episodes with political and satirical content are being taken down from an online podcast platform. By Gigi Lee for RFA Cantonese 2023.06.21 -- Hong Kong's government broadcaster has removed thousands of episodes of old shows from its podcast platform in recent months, amid an ongoing purge of dissent in the city under a draconian national security law. Episodes of several shows that were canceled but their archive retained on Radio Television Hong Kong's Podcast One website have now disappeared entirely, a survey of the site on Wednesday revealed. The move has been likened to - and is possibly coordinated with - the removal of "politically sensitive" books and other content from Hong Kong's public libraries for fear of running afoul of the law, which bans public criticism of the authorities, according to an industry insider. The deleted content includes the whole of the 30-year-old satirical news show "Headliner," axed in May 2020 after being criticized by top police officers for poking fun at their denials of violence against pro-democracy protesters during the 2019 protest movement. A keyword search for the show, which prompted the government's Communications Authority to warn RTHK for "denigrating and insulting" the police, on the Podcast One website turned up the response "No results." Similar results appeared after a search for "City Forum," a former live show that featured voices from across the political spectrum debating current affairs and ran for more than four decades until 2021. Selected episodes of other shows dealing with topics viewed as "sensitive" by the ruling Chinese Communist Party -- including the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, police violence, the political cartoonist Zunzi and the national security law itself -- had also been removed from the platform. 'Political pressure' Last month, the Chinese-language Ming Pao newspaper axed Zunzi's satirical cartoon after what he described as "political pressure'." According to an in-depth investigation of the Podcast One site by independent Cantonese news site The Collective, several other shows have been removed from the site entirely in recent months, including "Left, Right, Red, Blue, Green," "Police Report" and "This Week." Talk-show host Tsang Chi Ho, who anchored the last-ever episode of "Headline News," said all trace of the show now appears to have been removed from the public domain, and said it was similar to the recent purge of pro-democracy content from Hong Kong's public libraries. "Now, future generations will think that there wasn't any satire in the media, if they don't know everything that happened in the past 10 or 20 years," Tsang said. "It's a similar effect to removing books from public libraries in Hong Kong." "Even if the general public can hold onto their copies of these banned books, and are able to read them, they are denied as a part of official history," he said. "I think this will lead to historical errors." A former high-ranking executive at Radio Television Hong Kong who gave only the pseudonym Mary said the removal of RTHK's podcast episodes is part of the responsibility of the station's "new media" department, and has been timed to coincide with the culling of politically sensitive books from public libraries. "Only people on the inside know who is giving these orders, and which content is being selected [for deletion]," she said. "But these orders don't need to come down [the chain] -- everyone in middle-management knows what the criteria are, and they are interpreting them in the safest way possible." "It seems that everyone knows they can't [interview] anyone from the 'yellow camp' -- pro-democracy supporters -- or anyone whose speech is fairly outspoken, free and straightforward," she said. Government control The government took steps in March 2021 to strengthen editorial control over its official broadcaster, bringing in career bureaucrat Patrick Li and reforming its editorial structure to "ensure it complies" with government directives. The move, which came after repeated criticism of RTHK from senior figures including police commissioner Chris Tang, was lambasted by journalists as a further attack on press freedom in the city. The government then ordered the station to rebroadcast more "patriotic" content produced by the ruling Chinese Communist Party-backed China Media Group, to build "a sense of Chinese identity" among listeners. Mary described Patrick Li's appointment as a turning point for the broadcaster. "It's pretty clear what's allowed now ... He's been in office for [two years] and everyone knows where the lines are drawn," she said. "It's not just a question of who the director is -- it's the overall atmosphere and various external events like what happened to Zunzi, which means everyone would understand that he is a target for deletion." She described the deletion of content as an "erasure" that would leave the public with a blank slate when it came to understanding their city's recent history. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Paul Eckert. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Biden 'dictator' comment sparks Beijing backlash Just days after the Secretary of State's first visit to Beijing relations take another turn for the worse. By Chris Taylor for RFA 2023.06.21 -- China has called U.S. President Joe Biden's use of the word "dictator" to describe Chinese leader Xi Jinping "extremely absurd and irresponsible." The latest war of words comes just two days after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a diplomatic mission that sought to ease tensions between the two superpowers. Diplomatic relations between China and the U.S. are broadly agreed to have reached their lowest point since they formally recognized each other nearly five decades ago. 'Totally against facts' On Wednesday Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a daily briefing that Biden's remarks at a fundraiser in California "go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China's political dignity." "It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition," Mao said. "The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment is he didn't know it was there," Biden told a fundraiser Tuesday in support of his bid for a second presidential term at the 2024 elections. Biden uttered similar words ahead of Blinken's visit to Beijing in what was interpreted at the time as a peace offering to pave the ground for a meeting between Xi and Blinken, which took place on Monday. On this occasion in Kentfield, California, Biden apparently decided to elaborate. "That was the great embarrassment for dictators, when they didn't know what happened. That wasn't supposed to be going where it was," he added. Biden also said that China "has real economic difficulties," a comment that is also sure to aggravate China's leadership, which is in general very bad-news averse. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao once again defended the Chinese position that the balloon, which was shot down over U.S. coastal waters in February this year, was for meteorological research and had been blown off-course. "The U.S. should have handled it in a calm and professional manner," she said. ""However, the U.S. distorted facts and used forces to hype up the incident, fully revealing its nature of bullying and hegemony." Blinken's trip to Beijing yielded no major breakthroughs, but Xi appeared to agree that it was the right time to stabilize rivalry between China and the U.S. that has threatened to veer into outright conflict on at least two occasions this year. They also agreed to further diplomatic engagement and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang verbally agreed to visit the U.S. some time later this year at Blinken's invitation. Biden, prior to calling Xi a dictator, said he thought relations between the two countries were on the right path, suggesting that Blinken's trip had resulted in progress. "We're in a situation now where he wants to have a relationship again," Biden said of Xi separately on Tuesday. "Antony Blinken just went over there ... did a good job and it's going to take time." Edited by Mike Firn. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese Foreign Ministry Expresses Protest Over Biden's Remarks About Xi Jinping Sputnik News 20230621 BEIJING (Sputnik) - Earlier, US President Joe Biden has said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping did not have all the information about the balloon incident. Beijing has expressed a strong protest to Washington in connection with the recent statement by US President Joe Biden regarding Chinese President Xi Jinping, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday. "China expresses acute discontent and strong protest," Mao told reporters, noting that Biden's remarks are "extremely absurd, extremely irresponsible, contradict the facts, seriously violate diplomatic etiquette, [and] are a serious infringement on China's political dignity and an open political provocation." During his address to his supporters in California on Tuesday, the US president said that Xi did not have all the information about the incident with the balloon earlier this year, adding that this was "a great embarrassment for dictators." In February, the United States detected and later shot down four unidentified flying objects, including a Chinese surveillance balloon. Washington alleged that it was designed to gather intelligence about sensitive military sites in the country. Beijing insisted that the balloon was a mere meteorological device that entered the US airspace accidentally while expressing protest over Pentagon's decision to shoot it down. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Not Backing Down on Biden's Xi Dictator Comment By Patsy Widakuswara June 21, 2023 The White House is not backing down on comments made by President Joe Biden likening Chinese President Xi Jinping to a dictator. "It should come as no surprise that the president speaks candidly about China and the differences that we have a we are certainly not alone in that," a senior administration official said in a statement sent to VOA on Wednesday. At a California fundraiser for his 2024 presidential campaign Tuesday, Biden said Xi was unaware and embarrassed over a suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over American territory that the U.S. military shot down in February. "That's what's a great embarrassment for dictators, when they didn't know what happened," Biden said. "When it got shot down, he was very embarrassed. He denied it was even there." China's Foreign Ministry hit back, saying Biden's remarks "seriously violated China's political dignity and amounted to public political provocation." "The relevant remarks by the U.S. side are extremely ridiculous and irresponsible. They seriously violate basic facts, diplomatic protocol and China's political dignity," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at her Wednesday briefing. "China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this." The press is usually forbidden from recording such fundraising events, but the White House provided a transcript of Biden's remarks. The comments were especially notable as they were made a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing to repair bilateral relations that have hit a historical low. Blinken's visit, originally scheduled for February, was postponed by Washington after the spy balloon was destroyed. While Blinken's visit failed to produce any major breakthrough, he and Xi had agreed to stabilize the U.S.-China rivalry so it does not veer into conflict. Washington rejects the notion that Biden's comments are counterproductive to his top diplomat's efforts. "We will continue to responsibly manage this relationship, maintain open lines of communication with the PRC, but that, of course, does not mean we will not be blunt and forthright about our differences," State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said in his briefing Wednesday. "We have been very clear about the areas in which we disagree, including the clear differences we see when it comes to democracies and autocracies," he added. Biden's comments brought renewed focus on the spy balloon incident that administration officials have sought to put behind them since the president signaled a thaw in relations in May, following a meeting between White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and top Communist Party diplomat Wang Yi. Domestic pressure Biden is facing domestic pressure from Republicans in Congress who have sought to portray his administration as weak on China and characterized efforts to mend ties with Beijing as tantamount to appeasement. "The Biden administration is holding back U.S. national security actions to chase fruitless talks with the CCP," Representative Michael McCaul, Republican chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement referring to the Chinese Communist Party. Last week a group of Republican senators sent a letter to Biden urging a public accounting of his administration's assessment of the spy balloon and expressing frustration with its "failure to confront China's brazen threats to America's security and sovereignty." "Republicans won't let it go because it provides them with extra ammunition," said Michael Swaine, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. "You got sniping going on in the party, people in Congress who think they know better about how to manage the relationship, when they don't," he told VOA. Rising tensions The bitter rhetoric shows just how challenging it is to bring down tensions and jump-start communication between the two rivals. "If the engagements we're seeing are then followed by such direct criticisms from very senior officials, I think the Chinese side is going to ask what the point of the engagement is in the first place," said Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. "I do think there's going to be probably some pretty difficult conversations between Beijing and Washington over the next few days and the next few weeks," Cooper told VOA. Moscow also condemned Biden's comments. On Wednesday, the Kremlin said the comments reflected the U.S. administration's "unpredictable" foreign policy. "This is a very contradictory manifestation of U.S. foreign policy, which points to a significant element of unpredictability," spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPRK Papers Call for Implementing Resolutions of Plenary Meeting of Party Central Committee Korean Central News Agency of DPRK Pyongyang, June 21 (KCNA) -- Leading newspapers of the DPRK on Wednesday editorially call for thoroughly implementing the resolutions of the 8th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. The resolutions adopted at the 8th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the WPK constitute an organizational will and practical programme indicating the orientation of the advance of the Korean revolution, says Rodong Sinmun, and goes on: They clarify the most correct and effective fighting strategies for dynamically leading our style of socialist construction to a positive phase of upswing according to our timetable, and reflect the steadfast will of our Party to accelerate the revolutionary advance this year in order to bring about a fresh upswing in the overall development of our style of socialism. The Eighth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the WPK has laid out the fighting orientation and tasks for waging a more vigorous struggle for implementing the major policies for this year and thus convinced our people of more confidence in victory and boosted their courageous spirit of advance, and herein lies the great significance of this plenary meeting. All sectors and units should wage a more vigorous struggle to glorify this year as a year of great turn and change to be notably recorded in the course of development of the Republic, true to the resolutions of the Eighth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the WPK. They should harden their firm faith that the Party's plan and determination are science and truth and their death-defying will to perform miracles and feats in the struggle to implement the ideas of the Party and uphold its policies, so as to successfully attain the goals of struggle facing their sectors and units. Let us all throw ourselves into carrying out the resolutions of the Eighth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Party Central Committee in the elated fighting spirit and thus glorify this significant year as a year of great change in which we make another leap forward in the course of bringing earlier the overall development of socialism. Minju Joson stresses that all officials and working people should turn out as one in the drive to implement the resolutions of the 8th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the WPK for the prosperity of the state. -0- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. June 21, 2023 Release Launch of the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) The U.S. Department of Defense and the Indian Ministry of Defense launched the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) today at a catalyst event hosted by the U.S.-India Business Council. Launched against the backdrop of Prime Minister Modi's State Visit to the White House and at a time of historic momentum for the relationship between the United States and India, INDUS-X will vitalize our defense industrial cooperation and unlock new innovations in technology and manufacturing. INDUS-X will create jobs for working families in both countries and promote global peace, security, and prosperity. The event convened representatives from more than 30 U.S. and Indian start-ups, as well as government, business, academic, and thought leaders, for wide-ranging discussions to advance cutting-edge technology cooperation between our nations' defense industrial ecosystems. Following the launch event, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Indian Ministry of Defence welcomed an ambitious collaboration agenda that outlines the initiatives INDUS-X stakeholders intend to spearhead. These initiatives complement existing government-to-government collaboration and include joint prize challenges for start-ups, roundtable events, mentor-protAgA initiatives between major primes and start-ups, and the formation of a Senior Advisory Group. In engagements throughout the day, U.S. and Indian officials affirmed that INDUS-X will catalyze innovation and help equip both countries' armed forces with the capabilities they need to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific. https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3434923/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India's Modi, Biden Emphasize Nations' People-to-People Ties By Anita Powell June 21, 2023 Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched his official state visit to the White House by acknowledging the one thing that, more than anything, ties the two nations together: their people. Of the many things the two nations share a among them, the linguistic legacy of British rule, a democratic system, and an emphasis on higher education and research a Modi said people-to-people ties are a top priority, as analysts say the two leaders prepare to "move the relationship to a new level." "I am extremely happy that today, immediately after arriving in Washington, D.C., I have the opportunity to meet with such young and creative minds," Modi said during the first White House event on his packed schedule, a visit to the National Science Foundation. There, he and first lady Jill Biden met with students from the U.S. and India who described their cutting-edge scientific projects. A Virginia high schooler explained his work in semiconductor manufacturing to the first lady; a doctoral student from Mumbai showed her his underwater robot, which he said can be used in oyster fishing. Some 2.7 million people of Indian origin live in the United States. Indian nationals make up nearly three-quarters of the United States' high-skilled guest worker program, and they hold a significant number of student visas at universities. India's population this year surpassed that of every other country, according to U.N. estimates, passing 1.4 billion people. That's more than four times that of the third most populous nation, the United States. "Friends, today, India and America need a pipeline of talent to maintain the momentum of growth," Modi said. "While America, on the one hand, has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies, India, on the other, has the world's biggest youth talent factory. And therefore, I am confident that the partnership between India and America will definitely prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth." Defense, emerging technologies Analysts say both nations are eager to deepen their relationship. The Biden administration "think[s] they've got a lot of serious, concrete deliverables that will move the relationship to a new level," Richard Rossow, an India-focused analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA, based on his conversations with White House staff ahead of the visit. He said many of those deliverables are focused on defense and critical and emerging technologies. India is equally interested, Irfan Nooruddin, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center, told VOA. "At a time when the United States is really keen to diversify its supply chains away from China a to friend-shore, to use [Treasury] Secretary [Janet] Yellen's phrase," he said, "India would love to be part of the new supply chains that are being built, and these Indian-American corporate leaders and businesspeople are well-suited to see the opportunities in India as part of a greater U.S.-India economic cooperation." But as U.S. Representative Ro Khanna told VOA, Washington won't avoid tough topics. Khanna is the first Indian American to head the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. "Of course, we are going to talk about the importance of human rights, free press, of the nation's commitment to liberal democracy," he told VOA. "But the core of the meeting is going to be how do we strengthen the partnership." Rossow noted that for now, the traffic is flowing in one direction. That, he told VOA, may change. "You have a lot of Indians who have come here to study and work. Few Americans have chosen India as a place to do studies or to take employment. So, I do think as well, as part of this visit, you might see some announcements that are looking to help balance that a little bit more and get more Americans a bit of exposure to India," he said. That appeared to be Modi's thinking, too, as he praised academic exchange programs between the two nations a and called for more. "I request all serving and retired people associated with education and research in the U.S. that they spend their vacations in India, the winter break in particular," he said. "Thus, they can learn about India and also share their knowledge with the new generation." That might be easier said than done. The U.S. State Department has assigned India a Level 2 travel advisory a the "exercise increased caution" category. Ethnic violence has heightened in the country over the past year. Chris Casquejo contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Raeisi: Iran not tying progress to talks, should become immune to sanctions Iran Press TV Tuesday, 20 June 2023 11:20 PM Iran's president has said his administration does not tie the country's progress to underway talks aimed at the potential removal of United States-led sanctions against Tehran. Ebrahim Raeisi made the remarks during a televised interview held on Tuesday on the occasion of the second anniversary of his election as the country's chief executive. "What is more important is [for us] to enhance the country to such level of strength that would render it immune to sanctions," he asserted. The negotiations have been seeking to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement reached between Iran and world countries in 2015. The accord enabled limited sanction relief for the Islamic Republic, which, in turn, volunteered to change some aspects of its peaceful nuclear work. The US, however, left the agreement in 2018 under former president Donald Trump, returning all the sanctions that the deal had lifted. The talks have stalled amid Washington's refusal to offer guarantees that it would not ditch the deal again. Iran's foreign policy Elsewhere in his remarks, Raeisi turned to the issue of Iran's foreign policy during his tenure. Under his presidency, Iran has been pursuing "balanced and consistent" relations with the entire world, he said, insisting that the Islamic Republic should not limit its foreign relations to a certain number of countries to the exclusion of others. The same foreign policy attitude prompted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to agree to Iran's request for membership in the transcontinental alliance, which is expected to accept the Islamic Republic as a full member, the Iranian president noted. "We will cooperate with whatever country that could pursue having relations [with us that are] based on mutual respect. And if [there are some] rare countries such as the United States that should seek to be adversarial towards us, we will resort to resistance against them." Relations with neighbors Raeisi noted that, since the beginning of his tenure, Iran has been extending a friendly hand to all the countries, which are similarly friendly towards the Islamic Republic and are aligned with it. He cited the instance of Iran's recent rapprochement with Saudi Arabia, noting that despite all the differences between the countries, the Islamic Republic never perceived the kingdom as its actual enemy. Foreign-backed riots Turning to the issue of last year's foreign-backed riots in the country, Raeisi said he endorsed Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei's perspective of the unrest. According to the Leader, the enemy instigated the riots because it was uneasy with the country's progress and the hopefulness of the people, the president said. "The enemy had sought to stop the country's progress through hybrid war, but the people chose not to allow this progress to stop," Raeisi said. "The enemies had thought they could damage the country through the riots, [but they were] oblivious to the fact that the Islamic Iran is no longer [just a] sapling, but [has turned into] a robust tree that is impervious to these impacts." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran rejects latest UN rights report, calls it 'imbalanced, biased' IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 21, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other International Organizations in Geneva, Ali Bahreini, has criticized the latest UN report on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic, calling it imbalanced and biased. The UN secretary general presented his report on the situation of human rights in Iran on Wednesday at the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. According to a statement by the UN deputy high commissioner for human rights, the report "focuses on developments since the onset of nationwide protests following the death of 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini on September 16, 2022", citing "a worsening human rights situation" in the Islamic Republic. Speaking at the Wednesday session of the HRC, the Iranian envoy rejected that report as imbalanced and biased, saying that it has been prepared using "anti-Iran individuals, sources, media outlets and movements" and levels accusations that are rejected. Moreover, he added, the report has been prepared based on a UN General Assembly resolution which was approved "based on political, biased and unfair motives and goals." That resolution itself was backed by Western states which are the main violators of the rights of the Iranian people, Bahreini noted, stressing that such a resolution is not aimed at helping promote human rights, and that such reports by the UN chief are not necessary, professional and logical either. The Iranian envoy also criticized the report for turning a blind eye to unilateral sanctions in place against the Iranian nation, saying that these measures amount to crimes against humanity and violate international law as well as the rights of the Iranian people. Bahreini said that the report meanwhile ignores great achievements by the Islamic Republic regarding human rights. Yet, he added, the country will continue to cooperate with the UN to improve the human rights situation despite all the accusations leveled against it in the latest report. 4194 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Spokesman elaborates on objectives of Iranian FM's regional tour IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 21, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani has said Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian's regional tour that has so far taken him to Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait was undertaken to follow up on cooperation agreements Tehran has previously signed with the Persian Gulf countries. "The authorities of these nations have previously signed significant documents during past visits, and the execution of these agreements has been the subject of considerable attention and importance," Kanaani, who is accompanying Amirabdollahian on his trip to Kuwait, told reporters on Wednesday. "It was agreed upon to review and implement the signed documents," he added, while elaborating on the reasons behind the top diplomat's tour of the three littoral states of the Persian Gulf. Kanaani said establishment of joint economic commissions dominated the talks in Qatar and Oman, with a commitment by all sides to speed up the process. The issues of transit and transportation within the framework of the North-South and East-West corridors were also highlighted, he noted. Additionally, maritime cooperation was another issue that Amirabdollahian discussed with officials in Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait, with a focus on activation of ports and using maritime capacities to boost cargo transit, Kanaani said. "Important objectives" were also set to enhance transit between Iran and the three Persian Gulf nations within the framework of the Ashgabat agreement, he added. Iran's top diplomat also discussed ways to increase banking and customs cooperation with his counterparts from Qatar and Oman, the spokesman said. Kanaani further pointed out that the resumption of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia has had "a positive impact on the regional environment," as evident by the "warm reception" the Iranian delegation received in their host countries. "They acknowledged that this progress not only transforms bilateral relations but also creates a favorable ground for regional convergence based on common interests," he said. Furthermore, Kanaani announced that Amirabdollahian was visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the next destination of his regional tour. **2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran denies claims about new cameras in Isfahan nuclear facility IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 21, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's nuclear chief has dismissed claims about the installation of 100 new cameras in the nuclear research center in the central city of Isfahan. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the weekly Cabinet session on Wednesday, Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), was asked about claims by a member of the Iranian parliament that an alleged plan by the AEOI to install 100 new cameras in a plant in Isfahan would be against the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions, a law adopted by the parliament. "This is not true. We do not have a power plant in Isfahan where 100 cameras would be installed," said Eslami. The AEOI will act in accordance with the strategic action plan, he assured, he said, adding that Iran's nuclear activities are within the framework of the safeguards agreements adopted by the UN nuclear agency the IAEA. Iranian lawmakers passed the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions in December 2020 to counter US sanctions against Tehran and to boost the country's peaceful nuclear program. Under the law, the Iranian administration is required to restrict the IAEA's inspections and accelerate the development of the country's nuclear program beyond the limits set under a 2015 international deal on Iran nuclear activity which was ditched by Washington in 2018. Eslami also said that in the agreement reached between Iran and the IAEA in March, the two sides agreed to continue to exchange information as part of the safeguards agreements and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) requirements. **9417**4261 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran calls on Albania to correct its mistake in hosting MKO terrorists IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Jun 21, 2023 Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani has called on the Albanian government to correct its mistake in hosting the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MKO) terrorist organization over the past years. In a series of tweets posted on Wednesday, Kanaani reiterated the fact that apart from Albania no other country in the world has agreed to host the terrorist group after it was expelled from Iraq in September 2012. "Because of their terrorist nature, the [MKO] will always be a threat to the security of their hosts, that is why the Iraqi government expelled them and other governments refused to accept them," Kanaani said in the his tweets in Farsi. "We hope that the Albanian government will correct its mistake in hosting this terrorist cult," he added. On Tuesday, Albanian media reported that MKO terrorists had carried out armed attacks against Albanian police officers when police was inspecting a base operated by the terrorist group in the city Manez, in western Albania. Late on Tuesday, a security official told IRNA that two people were killed and 36 others were wounded in the clashes at the camp, known as Ashraf-3, which is located to the northwest of the capital Tirana. Kanaani also said that the Albanian authorities announced the seizure of a number of electronic devices and drones that the MKO members had used to track and direct their terrorist activities. "They said that with their terrorist and cyber activities, they violated the 2014 agreement with Albania", which allowed the group to reside in the country, he said while making a reference to a statement by Albanian authorities about the clashes with MKO members. **9417**4261 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran calls Albania to make up for its mistake in hosting MKO terrorist group ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 21 June 2023 / 17:00 Tehran (ISNA) - Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran took to twitter to respond to criminal and terrorist acts by Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) in Albania. "Reportedly, Albanian police entered Camp Ashraf to inspect the facility by the order of Albanian supreme counter-terrorism court," said Nasser Kanaani, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on twitter. He added, "The reason for the search was announced to be MKO's criminal and terrorist acts in Albania". "Albanian officials reported seizure of electronic systems and drones used by MKO to organize and direct their terrorist actions, stating that the organization's terrorist and cyber activities constitute a breach of the contract reached in 2014 with the Albanian government," the spokesman went on to say. "Given their terrorist nature, MKO will always be a danger to their hosting countries' security. That's why Iraq expelled them and other governments around the world refuse to let them in," Kanaani stressed. "We hope the Albanian government makes up for its mistake in hosting the terrorist organization," he added. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran inked 'very good' oil deals with Latin American states: Minister Iran Press TV Wednesday, 21 June 2023 11:02 AM Iran's Petroleum Minister Javad Owji has expressed satisfaction over Tehran's recent signing of "very good" agreements in the upstream and downstream sectors of the oil industry with the three Latin American nations of Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. Speaking to reporters after a cabinet session on Wednesday, Owji said the Iranian administration of President Ebrahim Raeisi has started cooperating with the three Latin American states in the export of crude oil and gas condensates since its inauguration some two years ago. He added that Iran has exported more than 3.8 million oil and gas products to the Venezuelan refineries. "This country (Venezuela) has the largest oil reserves in the world and has a refinery capacity of more than one million barrels" but most of its capacities have not been used due to the sanctions, he emphasized. Owji noted that Iranian specialists in the oil industry have succeeded in restoring some parts of the capacity. He said Iran and Venezuela have no financial payment, and the fuel trade is done through barter deals, adding, "We had a win-win game with Venezuela." The Iranian minister also commended the good measures taken in Cuba to barter oil with drugs and said Tehran began to restore Cuba's refinery capacity. Owji accompanied President Raeisi in his groundbreaking tour of the three Latin American nations earlier this month. During the visit, Iranian and Venezuelan ministers and other top officials signed a total of 19 cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding. The agreements are aimed at expanding cooperation between Tehran and Caracas in many areas, including in the field of petrochemicals, as the two sides move to expand overall cooperation in the oil sector. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran denies installation of nuclear surveillance cameras, says abides by anti-sanctions law Iran Press TV Wednesday, 21 June 2023 10:39 AM The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has dismissed claims about the installation of surveillance cameras at a nuclear plant in the city of Isfahan, stressing commitment to the 2020 anti-sanctions law. Mohammad Eslami made the remarks on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday, after an Iranian lawmaker reportedly claimed that the AEOI had allowed the installation of cameras belonging to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at Isfahan nuclear facility in violation of the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions. "This is not true. We do not have a plant in Isfahan where 100 cameras would be installed. The AEOI will act based on the Strategic Action Plan," he said. The Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions was approved by the Iranian parliament in December 2020 in a bid to counter illegal sanctions imposed on Iran by the United States and its Western allies. It required the Iranian administration to restrict the IAEA inspections and accelerate the development of the country's nuclear program beyond the limits set under the 2015 US-abandoned nuclear deal. Under the legislation, some nuclear surveillance cameras, whose operations were deemed beyond Iran's obligations under the safeguards agreement, were removed from the country's nuclear plants. The AEOI "actions are being coordinated and carried out in line with the understandings reached with the IAEA in March concerning the continuation of contacts with the agency, which is one of the requirements of the safeguards agreement and the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)," the nuclear chief said. "Iran's measures are within the framework of the safeguards agreement. The criteria for Iran's actions ... are the Strategic Action Plan to Counter Sanctions." Back in March, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi paid a two-day visit to Tehran during which Iran and the IAEA underlined the importance of bilateral positive engagements. In a joint statement, both sides agreed that bilateral interactions will be carried out in a spirit of collaboration, and in full conformity with the competencies of the IAEA and the rights and obligations of Iran based on the comprehensive safeguards agreement. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran says 'intrinsically terrorist' MKO poses constant threat to its hosts Iran Press TV Wednesday, 21 June 2023 7:48 AM Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman has pointed to the terrorist nature of the Mujahedin-e-Khalq Organization (MKO) and its latest clashes with Albanian police forces, insisting that the anti-Iran terror group will always pose a threat to the security of its host countries. Nasser Kan'ani further explained in a series of tweets on Wednesday that the Iraqi government expelled MKO members from its territory as many other governments have also refused to accept them due to their terrorist nature. He then expressed hope that Albania, which has played host to the terror group and thousand of its members for a decade at the urging of its Western backers, would "make up for its mistake of hosting this terrorist cult." His statements followed reported cashes that erupted on Tuesday after Albanian police forces raided a camp belonging to the MKO due to its engagement in "terror and cyber attacks" against foreign institutions. At least one person was killed and dozens of others were injured during the clashes at the camp, known as Ashraf-3, in the northwest of the capital Tirana. Citing press reports on the incident, Kan'ani explained that the Albanian police entered the Ashraf-3 camp for an inspection based on a legal ruling issued by Albania's Special Court Against Crime and Corruption on June 20. It was announced that "criminal and terrorist" measures by MKO members in Albania were the reason for the raid, he added. Kan'ani further said that the relevant Albanian officials announced the seizure of a number of electronic systems and drones that the MKO members had used to track and direct their terrorist moves. The Albanian officials were cited as saying that through its terrorist and cyber actions, the MKO violated the 2014 agreement that allowed its members to reside in Albania, he added. MKO members spent many years in Iraq, where they were hosted and armed by the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. They sided with Saddam during the 1980-88 imposed war against Iran and then helped him quell domestic uprisings in various parts of the Arab country. Albania began hosting the terrorists after the group was shunned by the government of former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. The European country is estimated to have been accommodating some 3,000 members of the terror cult since 2016. MKO social media accounts blocked Following the Albanian police raid, many accounts of the MKO terrorist group were reportedly deactivated on social media networks. In a statement, Albania's Interior Ministry said the MKO's refusal to respect the 2014 agreement was the reason behind the country's police operation on Tuesday. It added that the group had carried out actions that contravened the commitments it made when it "settled in Albania for humanitarian purposes alone." "Unfortunately, this group has not adhered to these commitments," the ministry said. Albania's interior minister and the police, who released footage of their operation, denied responsibility for the reported death of one MKO terrorist. Interior Minister Blendi Cuci told a press conference that police did all they could to avoid causing "incidents," and no MKO members were hurt by officers. "In no case (was) the death of a person on Tuesday in the Mujahedin camp... caused by police forces," he said, adding that officers were awaiting a forensics report into the death of the man who was in his seventies. He also denounced MKO's "intolerable" violence against the police. MKO collaborated with Daesh terrorists against resistance forces Meanwhile, according to documents cited by Iran's Tasnim news agency, the MKO terrorists in Iraq and Syria had been collaborating with the two countries' opposition and Takfiri groups against the resistance front. It said such cooperation included collecting information, online spying, transferring money, and even helping to recruit and send troops for the Takfiri groups. Tasnim added that the MKO terrorists held several meetings with the Daesh terrorist group's leaders at the beginning of the Takfiri group's emergence in Iraq. During these meetings, the Daesh commanders were convinced that the MKO had no interest in religious discussions and would help any group that works against Iran's interests. When the former dictator Saddam Hussein was in power, the MKO terrorists had a close relationship with the army commanders of Saddam's banned Ba'ath party. Several former Ba'ath Party members joined the Daesh terrorist group after its formation and prepared the ground for communication and cooperation between the MKO and Daesh. The MKO terrorists have also given a significant part of the information about the resistance front to the Israeli regime and US forces in Iraq, the report added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian Hackers Release Documents Reportedly Showing Raisi Approved Funds To Suppress Unrest By RFE/RL's Radio Farda June 21, 2023 A group of hackers has reportedly leaked government documents suggesting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi approved the use of at least 100 trillion Iranian rials ($200 million) to put down protests during the recent nationwide unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in September while she was in police custody for an alleged head-scarf offense. The hackers, known as Uprising Until Overthrow and affiliated with the exiled opposition Mujahedin-e Khalq organization (MKO), reportedly hacked and released the highly confidential correspondence between the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Thar Allah Headquarters in Tehran, and Raisi's office. The Thar Allah Headquarters, which operates under the command of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), is tasked with suppressing protests in various parts of Tehran Province. The MKO is considered a terrorist group by Tehran. RFE/RL could not immediately verify the authenticity of the materials, which were marked "very confidential." The leaked correspondence dates back to early November during a period of extensive protests against the government sparked by Amini's death. According to the documents, Mohammad Bagheri, the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, wrote to Raisi requesting an immediate allocation of "at least 100 trillion rials" to "end the current situation." The funds were targeted to cover "essential items" needed by security forces, including vehicles, clothing, individual equipment, and other "unavoidable operational costs." In response to the request, Gholamhossein Esmaili, the head of Raisi's office, wrote a highly confidential and urgent letter to the head of the country's Planning and Budget Organization seeking the "necessary assistance" for the financial request. Further documents published by the hacker group show that Esmaili also requested funds for the Thar Allah Headquarters in Tehran. The headquarters had asked Raisi to allocate tens of billions of Rials to suppress student protests. The confidential correspondence coincides with reports by the state-run IRNA news agency that a 20 percent increase in the salaries of military and law enforcement personnel had been approved in the annual budget amendment bill. Since September 2022, thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets to demand more freedoms and women's rights, with the judiciary, backed by lawmakers, responding to the biggest threat to the Islamic government since the 1979 revolution with a brutal crackdown. Thousands have been arrested, including many protesters, as well as journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others. At least seven protesters have been executed after what rights groups and several Western governments have called "sham" trials. Several more remain on death row and senior judiciary officials have said they are determined to ensure those convicted and sentenced have their punishments meted out. The activist HRANA news agency said that more than 500 people were killed during the unrest, including 71 minors, as security forces try to stifle widespread dissent. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-hackers-documents-raisi- funds-suppress-protests/32469567.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kurdish Prisoner Reportedly Executed In Iran By RFE/RL's Radio Farda June 21, 2023 Human rights groups say Hayman Mostafaei, a Kurdish prisoner, was executed in the early hours of June 21 at the Sanandaj Central Prison in western Iran. The execution was reported by the human rights group Hengaw and the Free Workers' Union of Iran on their respective social media accounts. The judiciary of the Islamic republic has yet to release any official statement regarding this matter. According to the reports, a large crowd gathered outside the Sanandaj Prison late on June 20 in a bid to prevent the execution of the 34-year-old inmate, who had been transferred to solitary confinement a day earlier. The gathering reportedly continued into the early hours of June 21. "The people of Sanandaj and a large crowd that had travelled from Marivan to Sanandaj gathered in front of City's Central Prison and did everything they could until the last moment to save Hayman Mostafaei from execution," The Free Workers' Union of Iran said. "But once again, the agents of death did their job and took another person's life." Mostafaei was accused of killing a member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in 2012. He appeared to be tortured into giving a "confession" before being sentenced to death the following year. Iran has seen a surge in executions in recent months, a trend that has drawn widespread domestic and international condemnation with critics saying that judgements are rushed through the judiciary while "sham" trials and forced confessions are routine. Authorities have warned for months since unrest broke out following Mahsa Amini's death in September that they would react harshly to any dissent. Lawmakers have pushed the judiciary to render the death penalty in trials for those arrested during the protests, which are seen as one of the biggest threats to the Islamic leadership since it took power in 1979. On June 19, the UN's high commissioner for human rights, Volker Turk, expressed disquiet about the increase in executions in Iran. At the opening of the new session of the Human Rights Council, he stated: "I am concerned about the widespread increase in executions and also the continued discrimination against women and girls in Iran." Human rights advocacy organizations say that hundreds of people have been executed in Iran in the past six months. Depending on the sources, the number of executions ranges from 290 to over 310, an increase of more than 75 percent compared to the same period last year. Amnesty International also announced in an annual report on May 16 that the number of drug-related executions in Iran this year has tripled compared to 2022, calling this statistic "shameful." Human rights activists say authorities in Iran are using the executions to try to "instill fear" in society rather than to combat crime. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-kurdish-prisoner- mostafei-executed/32469322.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Voices Support For Albanian Raid On Camp For Iranian Dissidents By RFE/RL's Balkan Service June 21, 2023 The United States has expressed support for a raid by Albanian authorities on a camp near the capital, Tirana, that houses thousands of members of a group of exiled opponents of the Iranian government. Albanian state police seized dozens of computers on June 20 during a raid of the Ashraf 3 camp where some 2,800 members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) group live after local media reported that the group is suspected of orchestrating cyberattacks against foreign institutions. Three dozen people, including several Albanian policemen, were injured during the raid, authorities said. Albanian police declined to provide specifics of the investigation, which was ordered by the Albanian judiciary due to the violation of agreements the group made when they settled in Albania a decade ago. The U.S. State Department said in an e-mail to RFE/RL that American authorities were informed that the raid was conducted lawfully and voiced support for Tirana's sovereign right to take such action. "The Albanian State Police have assured us that all actions were conducted in accordance with applicable laws, including with regard to the protection of the rights and freedoms of all persons in Albania. We support the Government of Albania's right to investigate any potential illegal activities within its territory," the State Department statement said. MEK representatives claimed that one elderly person died as a result of the use of tear gas by police during the raid, but Albania's interior minister and the police, who released a video recording of the operation, denied responsibility. The reported death had nothing to do with the actions of the police, Interior Minister Bledi Cuci said. "I guarantee you that no person was touched during the police operation," Cuci said at a news conference, adding that the reaction of the MKO was "unacceptable, intolerable, and reprehensible." "They are in Albania according to an agreement that stipulates that they will not carry out political activities or protests, and they are sheltered only for humanitarian purposes," Cuci said. State Police Director-General Muhamet Rrumbullaku said 15 police officers and 21 members of the MEK were injured and several police cars were damaged. He said MEK members began to resist when police found server rooms and computer equipment that they suspected were illegal. Police seized 96 computer units and about 50 laptops and tablets, he said, adding that there was an attempt to burn some documents during the operation. The raid was part of an investigation by the Special Structure Against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK). None of the officials disclosed what the SPAK investigation is about. "The prosecutor's office has initiated several criminal cases, but I cannot tell you why the Iranians of the MEK are suspected," Cuci said. Rrumbullaku said that all who used violence against the police have been identified and that there will be consequences for the leaders of the camp who did not cooperate. Albania severed diplomatic ties with Iran in July 2022 after accusing Tehran of orchestrating a cyberattack against the NATO member. The MEK left Iraq, where they had their camp before, in 2013, under a UN- and U.S.-backed deal and settled in other countries, including Albania. The State Department reiterated in its statement that the U.S. government does not regard the MEK as being a democratic representative of the Iranian people. "As we have said before, the United States does not see the [MEK] as a viable democratic opposition movement that is representative of the Iranian people," the statement said. "The U.S. government does not provide support or training to the [MEK], does not contribute funding to the organization, and does not maintain substantive contact beyond issues related to the [MEK]'s resettlement, which was completed in 2016. "The State Department continues to have serious concerns about the [MKO] as an organization, including allegations of abuse committed against its own members," the statement concluded. The MEK killed U.S. personnel in Iran during the 1970s and also carried out a series of terror attacks on Iranian embassies in 13 different countries in 1992, leading to its inclusion on the lists of terrorist organizations of the United States, Canada, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. In 2013, the group was removed from the list amid efforts by Washington to support the group in its fight against the Islamic regime in Tehran. With reporting by AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/albania-mek-iran-camp- raid-united-states-support/32468986.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Arrested - or beaten - for wearing flowers to mark Aung San Suu Kyi's birthday Jailed Burmese leader often appeared in public with flowers in her hair By RFA Burmese 2023.06.20 -- Across Myanmar, more than 130 people were arrested - and others were beaten - on Monday for wearing flowers, residents told Radio Free Asia. The display of solidarity with jailed leader Aung San Suu Kyi - who often wore flowers in her hair - on her 78th birthday was organized by activists as a protest against the junta, which overthrew Suu Kyi and her democratically elected government in February 2021. And the military clearly saw the "flower demonstration campaign" as a sign of rebellion, arresting dozens who participated. The subdued protest is the latest creative show of defiance engineered by opponents of the regime. Over the past two-plus years, activists have organized a "silence strike," a "doll campaign" and "women's sarang campaign." Suu Kyi had been the face of Myanmar's democracy movement and lived under house arrest imposed by previous military rulers for 15 of 21 years between 1989 and 2010. Although her global reputation has been tarnished by her defense of the Myanmar military's rape, murder and possible genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority in 2017, at home she is still widely admired as "the Lady." In the National League for Democracy-led government, she held the title state counselor and was the de facto leader of the government. After the 2021 coup, she was arrested by the junta and sentenced to 33 years in prison on corruption and other charges. Quiet defiance The arrests happened in various locations around the country. They started mid-morning on Monday, a resident of Mawlamyinegyun township in the southeastern Ayeyarwady region told RFA's Burmese Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons. "At around 10 o'clock, they started abducting people and arrested about 80," he said. "There is a market on that main street. The people in the shops, including people who offered flowers to Buddha images, were arrested. At about 8 o'clock in the evening, all were released on bail." He said some of the people were arrested for writing and sharing posts on social media about the flowers. RFA attempted to interview some of the people after they were released on bail, but they declined to talk due to security concerns. Roses in their hair In the northern Sagaing region, nearly 20 women with roses in their hair were arrested in the town of Kale, a town resident said. "Women wearing jasmine and star flowers were released. They [soldiers] mainly targeted the ones who were wearing roses," a resident of Kale said on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, 29 people - mostly women - were arrested in Yangon, the country's biggest city, including 15 women from Kamaryut township. In the central city of Mandalay, a resident who did not want to be named due to security reasons, told RFA that some women wearing flowers were beaten up by soldiers on the street Monday. One woman wearing flowers who was riding a motorcycle with her husband and child was pulled over by police in front of a bank on 26th Street and beaten by them in front of her family, one Mandalay resident said. "She was reeling in pain," the resident said. "There were soldiers, not traffic police." Also among those arrested in Mandalay for wearing flowers were two family members of political prisoners and a former political prisoner who returned from a local prison after delivering packages to inmates. The two facing charges are Thura Maung Maung, a former political prisoner who was released under amnesty on Jan. 4, 2023, and Sanda Myint, who sent a package to her husband, a political prisoner serving a 12-year jail term. The soldiers' actions are meant to instill fear, said Zu Padonmar, an official of the Myanmar Women's Union. "From a human rights point of view, it is a restriction of the freedom of expression in different ways," she said. "Another thing is that it is a violation of an individual's freedom - another example of oppression." The junta has not made any statements on these issues and RFA's calls to junta spokespersons for the Ayeyarwady, Mandalay and Sagaing regions went unanswered. RFA attempted to contact the junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on Tuesday, but he did not answer phone calls. Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar's civilian death toll climbs amid soldier massacres, bloody clashes Killings are happening where fighting is fiercest. By RFA Burmese 2023.06.21 -- The civilian death toll in Myanmar's civil war continues to rise. In the month through June 15, 123 civilians were killed by the military in the most fiercely contested conflict areas - in the northern region of Sagaing, central Magway and the eastern states of Shan and Kayah, according to tallies by Radio Free Asia. Some of the people were shot dead or hit with heavy weapons during clashes between junta troops and rebel fighters, who have put up stiff resistance to junta troops throughout the country. In other cases, such as in Kawlin township in Sagaing, residents were massacred after the military detained and used them as human shields, residents told RFA. "Since they had to enter a minefield, [the soldiers] forced the detained people to walk ahead of them [carrying supplies] and clear the path," said a resident of Khan Thar village, who like others interviewed by RFA Burmese, spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. "The villagers had to do everything they were assigned," he said. "Then, [the soldiers] interrogated the villagers. In some cases, they killed them." Over the four-week period, junta troops killed 43 civilians in Sagaing, seven in Magway, 37 in Shan and Kayah states, and 28 in areas controlled by the Karen National Union ethnic rebel group, including Bago and Tanintharyi regions and Kayin and Mon states. Another eight were killed in Mandalay region and Kachin and Chin states. 'No one dares' return In another mass killing, junta troops killed six civilians during a series of "clearance raids" on villages in Magway's Yesagyo township from May 26-29. A resident of Yesagyo's Yay Lei Kyun area told RFA that the six - a 40-year-old woman and five men in their 30s and 40s - were hit by shelling, arrested and killed while fleeing the raids, or killed when returning to their village to put out fires started by junta troops. "The soldiers killed men accused of being members of the People's Defense Force," the resident said, adding that the lone woman - a mother of two children named Ma Khin Mar Po - was killed by artillery fire as troops entered Mi Hpa Yar village on May 26. "Between May 26 and 29, the troops burned 671 houses in our Yay Lei Kyun area," he said. The resident said that three columns of 250 junta troops took part in the raids on 27 villages in Yay Lei Kyun, which left "more than 3,000 people homeless." From May 25 to June 12, junta troops killed at least 35 civilians in southern Shan state's Moebye township, according to the Karenni Human Rights Group. Among the dead were 10 women and three minors between the ages of eight and 17. A resident of Moebye told RFA nearly all of the town's inhabitants fled into the jungle to escape the fierce fighting and that "no one dares" return. "When the soldiers knock on the door, they don't open it," he said. "If you do so, you would be shot dead." The resident said that prior to the latest clashes in Moebye, junta troops had entered the township, arrested women, and raped and killed them. "That's why no one dares to return to their homes," he said. Attempts by RFA to contact junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tin for comment on the killings went unanswered Wednesday. Previously, he denied reports of soldiers targeting civilians, saying the military only attacks members of the armed resistance. 'Ruling through fear' Banya, the founder of the Karenni Human Rights Group, told RFA that the military is "committing war crimes" with impunity and "ruling the people through fear" to maintain its grip on power that it seized in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup d'etat. "Whenever it becomes difficult for [the military] to crush any armed organization, they kill the people in that region," he said. "They do such things to instill fear among the people, to ensure there are no ethnic armed troops in the region. They let the people know that if there are ethnic troops in the area, 'we'll kill you.'" Banya said the military seeks to "drive a wedge" between the people and anti-junta forces through its acts of terror. Political analyst Than Soe Naing said the opposition in Myanmar is growing stronger and expects that the junta will respond with even more atrocities. "As the people's resistance increases, the junta's violence will become more severe, and the number of civilian deaths will increase," he said. "Since the junta is increasingly using airstrikes, I think the number of civilian casualties and loss of villages and houses will inevitably grow." In the more than two years since the military coup, authorities in Myanmar have killed at least 8,640 civilians, including more than 2,400 amid armed conflict, according to independent research group the Institute for Strategy and Policy (Myanmar). Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content June not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sanctioning Two State-Owned Banks and the Ministry of Defense for the Burma Military Regime's Atrocities US Department of State Press Statement Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State June 21, 2023 Today, the United States is designating Burma's Ministry of Defense (MoD) and two of Burma's largest regime-controlled banks, Myanma Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB) and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank (MICB). MFTB and MICB have been instrumental in facilitating the regime's use of foreign currency to procure arms from abroad for the MoD. These banks also allow Burma's revenue-generating state-owned enterprises to easily access international markets using the banks' offshore accounts, providing significant financial resources for the regime to exploit for military purposes. The United States will not waver in its support for the people of Burma as they seek peace, justice, and a genuine democratic future for their country. We will continue to engage with our partners and allies in the broader international community to constrain the regime's ability to exploit the international financial system to advance its violence and prolong the crisis, while restricting the regime's ability to transfer hard currency to Russia's defense sector. The designations of MoD, MFTB, and MICB were taken pursuant to Executive Order 14014 for being political subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities of the military regime. For more information on today's Treasury actions, see Treasury's press release. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Treasury Sanctions Burma's Ministry of Defense and Regime-Controlled Financial Institutions U.S. Department of the Treasury June 21, 2023 WASHINGTON -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Burma's Ministry of Defense and two regime-controlled financial institutions that facilitate much of the foreign currency exchange within Burma and enable transactions between the military regime and foreign markets, including for the purchase and import of arms and related materiel. Following the military coup in 2021, Burma's military regime has employed brutal tactics to consolidate power and repress the people of Burma. The military has increasingly deployed aerial attacks that have destroyed villages, schools, and medical facilities. This campaign of violence has resulted in the death of more than 3,600 civilians, along with the destruction of tens of thousands of homes and other infrastructure, while also displacing nearly 1.5 million people. To support its brutal repression across Burma, the military regime has relied on foreign sources, including sanctioned Russian entities, to purchase and import arms, dual-use goods, equipment, and raw materials to manufacture weapons. The military regime and other designated state-owned entities have relied on state-owned financial institutions that act as the primary foreign currency exchanges in Burma to facilitate these transactions. "Burma's military regime has leveraged state-run access to international markets to import weapons and materiel, including from sanctioned Russian entities, to continue its violence and oppression," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. "We will continue to support the people of Burma and deny the regime access to the means to perpetuate ongoing atrocities." BURMESE GOVERNMENT ENTITIES Burma's Ministry of Defense is responsible for the command and control of the armed forces, which has conducted decades of repressive military rule that was violently resumed following the coup in 2021. Since the coup, the Ministry of Defense has continued to import goods and materiel worth at least $1 billion, including from sanctioned entities in Russia. These imports have both provided revenue to Russia and provided access to military equipment that has facilitated the ongoing brutality inflicted on the people of Burma by the military. Myanma Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB) and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank (MICB) are state-owned financial institutions in Burma that primarily function as foreign currency exchanges and enable the conversion of kyat to U.S. dollars and euros and the reverse. This conversion allows Burma's revenue-generating state-owned enterprises, including Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE), access to international markets using offshore accounts and to transact more easily with foreign entities. While MFTB and MICB allow MOGE and other state-owned enterprises access to foreign markets for revenue generation, these financial institutions also enable Burma's Ministry of Defense and other sanctioned military entities to purchase arms and other materials from foreign sources. Burma's Ministry of Defense, MFTB, and MICB are being designated pursuant to E.O. 14014 for being political subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities of the Government of Burma. SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS As a result of today's action, pursuant to E.O. 14014, all property and interests in property of the persons named above that are in the United States, or in the possession or control of U.S. persons, are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or otherwise exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. The prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person or the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person. The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here. For more information on the entities designated today, click here. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN HRC53: UK Statement for Panel Discussion on Myanmar Statement for Panel Discussion on human rights violations against Rohingya & other minorities in Myanmar. Delivered by UK Human Rights Ambassador Rita French. 21 June 2023 Thank you, Mr President. The United Kingdom thanks the distinguished panellists for their presentations. We share your deep concern regarding the human rights situation of Rohingya and members of minorities in Myanmar, which has deteriorated since the coup. In May, the destruction of Cyclone Mocha caused devastation in Western Myanmar, with reports suggesting that over 3.4 million people were affected. This included a large number of deaths amongst the Rohingya, who were disproportionately affected due to the severe restrictions imposed by the military on their freedom of movement. We now need to focus on ensuring humanitarian access, in order to deliver life-saving assistance. We remain deeply concerned that the military has continued to block humanitarian access to many areas since the coup. Indeed, almost a quarter of the 600,000 Rohingya who remain in Rakhine State have been confined to IDP camps for a decade; face systemic discrimination; and continue to be denied citizenship and access to basic services. Until conditions improve in Myanmar, we will continue to support the Rohingya living in camps in Bangladesh. Any return of the Rohingya must be voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable, in line with UNHCR principles. There can be no forced repatriation. Since 2017, the UK has provided almost A30m for the Rohingya and other Muslim communities in Rakhine and over A350m to the Rohingya response in Bangladesh. No one in Myanmar is untouched by the crisis. We reiterate our call on the military regime for the immediate cessation of violence, unhindered humanitarian access, the protection of civilians, and the upholding of human rights. Distinguished Panellists, How can the international community amplify the voices of Rohingya in any discussions around durable solutions to the crisis in Myanmar? NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar Authorities Must Ensure Full Legal Recognition of the Right to Citizenship of All Rohingya People, Deputy High Commissioner tells Human Rights Council - Council Concludes Interactive Dialogue with the High Commissioner on his Annual Report UNOHCHR 21 June 2023 The Human Rights Council this morning held a panel discussion on human rights violations against Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar, hearing the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights say that the Myanmar authorities must ensure full legal recognition of the right to citizenship of all Rohingya people and issuance to them of appropriate civil documentation. Nada Al-Nashif, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar had endured decades of persecution and systematic discrimination. Today, more than one million were languishing in refugee camps in Bangladesh. An estimated 600,000 remained in Myanmar, where they continued to be deprived of their basic rights. The military coup of February 2021 and violent repression in many parts of Myanmar had inflicted more suffering on minority communities, including Rohingya Muslims. Ms. Al-Nashif said that to achieve an inclusive future, the authorities in Myanmar needed to ensure a fully democratic, representative and accountable political system, repeal all discriminatory legislation, undertake dialogue aimed at national reconciliation, and implement measures that ensured the respect and protection of the human rights and dignity of each person without discrimination. A fundamental step was the full legal recognition of the right to citizenship of all Rohingya people and issuance to them of appropriate civil documentation. Yasmin Ullah, Chair of the Board at Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma, said there were currently over 1.3 million Rohingya refugees worldwide lacking protection, legal status, and a way out of this plight. There needed to be recognition of Rohingya ethnic status. Citizenship alone granted Rohingya no protection. A truth commission would be a guide to how structural and institutional reform could take place to ensure no repetition of atrocities, violations of rights or discriminatory policy and practices could take place without accountability in Myanmar again. There should not be any repatriation without such a framework in place. Chris Lewa, Founder of the Arakan Project, said a permanent solution for the Rohingya to live peacefully in Myanmar would guarantee a sustainable return to their homeland. Despite numerous United Nations resolutions, no progress had been made. Following the coup in February 2021, the generals responsible for mass atrocities against the Rohingya were now de facto authorities. In this context, insistence on expediting Rohingya repatriation was disturbing, as conditions for a safe, voluntary return were not in place. Repatriation to Myanmar needed to be voluntary and should not be promoted until root causes were addressed and conditions for a safe return were in place. Kyaw Win, Executive Director of Burma Human Rights Network, said since August 2017, the Myanmar military had held a campaign of killings, mass rape and arson against the Rohingya in northern Rakhine State, killing thousands and forcing over 730,000 to flee to Bangladesh. The citizenship system was another clear violation of the human rights of Muslims in Burma. The Network called on the United Nations Security Council to end its inaction and refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court or establish a separate criminal tribunal to investigate and prosecute the full spectrum of atrocity crimes in Burma. Mohshin Habib, Adjunct Professor at Laurentian University and Policy and Strategy Adviser at ASA Philippines Foundation, said Rohingya people had faced recurring military crackdowns and fled Myanmar in significant numbers in 1978, 1981, 1992, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017. These recurring crackdowns had devastated Rohingya lives and made them the world's most persecuted minority. During the August 2017 crackdown, Tatmadaw burned 300 Rohingya villages, vandalised 36,000 businesses and snatched valuables from 26,000 families. As a result, at least 800,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar and took refuge in Bangladesh, joining those who fled earlier. The three practical measures to repatriation were security, economic and education, and social capital theses. In the ensuing discussion, many speakers deplored discrimination, marginalisation and persecution of the Rohingya community, which had caused the forced exodus of the community. Speakers expressed deep concern about the human rights situation of the Rohingya. Thousands had been raped or killed and forced to flee their homes. The appalling, widespread violations of human rights, which could equate to crimes against humanity and war crimes, needed to cease, and perpetrators needed to be held accountable. There needed to be reform of the 1982 Citizenship Law in line with international standards. Other speakers said dialogue needed to be held between the Rohingya and the militia. The principle of non-interference in domestic affairs needed to be upheld. It was counterproductive to politicise the issue of internally displaced persons and to interfere in the domestic issues of Myanmar, including through International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice actions. Speaking in the discussion on Myanmar were Norway on behalf of a group of countries, Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Luxembourg on behalf of a group of countries, European Union, Kuwait, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkiye, Bangladesh, Gambia, Costa Rica, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Senegal, Iran, South Africa, Russian Federation, Mauritania and Egypt. Also speaking were the Islamic Human Rights Commission, Human Rights Watch, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, International Bar Association, Lidskopravni organizace Prava a svobody obcanucu Turkmenistanu z.s., iuventum e.V., INHR, and Association Ma'onah for Human Rights and Immigration. At the beginning of the meeting, the Council concluded the interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner for Human Rights on his annual report which began yesterday. A summary can be found here. Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in concluding remarks, thanked all delegations and non-governmental organizations for contributing to the debate, which had been constructive. There were two anniversaries this year, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Vienna Declaration, which were opportunities to reflect on universality and indivisibility. Mr. Turk took note with appreciation all States that had reported cooperation with components of the human rights ecosystem and his Office. To achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, there could not be exclusion or stigmatisation of minority groups, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community. The world needed to take a clear stance against racism, xenophobia and all other forms of discrimination. In the discussion, some speakers said the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights presented a valuable opportunity to take stock of opportunities and challenges and commit to improving and enhancing national frameworks in line with international human rights obligations. Some speakers were deeply concerned by the regression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights in many countries. A number of speakers noted that climate change would continue to pose great threats to the human rights of both present and future generations. During the debate, speakers denounced human rights violations committed in many countries, regions and territories. Speaking in the interactive dialogue with the High Commissioner were Ghana, Cambodia, Burundi, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Nicaragua, Ireland, New Zealand, Tunisia, Namibia, Honduras, Uganda, Hungary and Eritrea. Also speaking were Right Livelihood Award Foundation, World Federation of Ukrainian Women's Organizations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Every Casualty Worldwide, International Commission of Jurists, East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy, and Il Cenacolo. The webcast of the Human Rights Council meetings can be found here. All meeting summaries can be found here. Documents and reports related to the Human Rights Council's fifty-third regular session can be found here. The Council will next meet this afternoon at 3 p.m. to hear the presentation of the report of the Secretary-General on the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the oral updates of the High Commissioner and his Office on Nicaragua and on Sri Lanka, followed by an interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Interactive Dialogue on the Annual Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights presented his global update on his annual report on Monday, 19 June, and the interactive dialogue started on Tuesday, 20 June. Discussion In the discussion, some speakers, among other things, said the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights presented a valuable opportunity to take stock of opportunities and challenges and commit to improving and enhancing national frameworks in line with international human rights obligations. This was the time to collectively re-commit to respecting, protecting and fulfilling the human rights of all. States needed to work to ensure that the vision of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was realised for all persons, everywhere, in all their diversity. Cooperation between Member States and international human rights bodies played a crucial role in technical assistance and capacity building. Cooperation was a two-way process; it was imperative that human rights bodies worked together and engaged in constructive and genuine dialogue. Some speakers said that the Council had a crucial role in addressing shortcomings in the protection and promotion of human rights, which could only be achieved by engaging in open dialogue, working together constructively while respecting each other, and avoiding overpoliticisation. One speaker said there was a need to respond in diverse cultural contexts and called for the respect for the sovereign rights of countries as there should be no foreign interference in domestic affairs. Some speakers expressed deep concern at human rights violations around the world, despite the efforts of the Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to address them. A number of speakers were deeply concerned by the regression of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights in many countries, expressing concern at legislation which restricted the rights of these people. States needed to promote and protect the rights of all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. All States should take steps to address sexual and gender-based violence and remove barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights. A number of speakers noted that climate change would continue to pose great threats to the human rights of both present and future generations. The Office was commended for providing technical assistance, including by helping countries with the development of policies on climate change mobility. The High Commissioner and his team were encouraged to pursue further efforts aimed at ensuring that States incorporated a human rights-based approach to frameworks which sought to address the negative impacts of climate change. Some speakers said the Council needed to take all possible measures to protect the rights of women, girls, and persons of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, especially those from marginalised communities, in the face of increasing pushback against agreed language on gender and sexual and reproductive rights. Such roll-back was putting hard-won gains at risk, and along with it, the protection of the lives and rights of millions of people around the world. During the discussion, many speakers denounced human rights violations committed in many countries, regions and territories, noting situations of armed conflict; overpoliticisation; restrictions on the rights of linguistic and indigenous minorities; anti-homosexuality legislation; impediment of civil and political rights; the removal of indigenous populations; the shrinking of civic space; torture; violations against women and girls; and attacks on human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists and activists. Speakers urged the Office of the High Commissioner to promote universal respect for both individual and collective rights. The High Commissioner should ensure that all current and future Office field presences consistently recorded and periodically reported publicly on all casualties of armed conflict and violence occurring within their remit. The human rights pillar remained chronically underfunded, while the need for a well-resourced and effective international human rights framework continued to increase. Concluding Remarks VOLKER TURK, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, thanked all delegations and non-governmental organizations for contributing to the debate, which had been constructive. There were two anniversaries this year, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Vienna Declaration, which were opportunities to reflect on universality and indivisibility. All States needed to treat human rights on an equal footing. It was the duty of States to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms. However, there were certain statements that cast doubt on that consensus. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights promoted all human rights stemming from the Charter of the United Nations. The Charter dealt with sovereignty issues. Human rights started at home. Issues needed to be examined from global, regional and national dimensions. Dialogue could not be empty formulas. There was a need for uncomfortable conversations for the sake of human rights. Cooperation and collaboration were imperative. Mr. Turk noted with appreciation all States that had reported cooperation with components of the human rights ecosystem and his Office. The High Commissioner had a duty to remove obstacles and promote the implementation of all human rights in all parts of the world. He expressed hope that all States would accept this role and cooperate with the mandate. He noted that the voluntary fund that dealt with Universal Periodic Review follow-up was in urgent need of support. Mr. Turk said his Office was in discussion with authorities of both countries to re-establish a presence in the Western Sahara territory. His Office continued to encourage the relaxation of unilateral coercive measures to support the most vulnerable segments of populations. Mr. Turk expressed his strong commitment to supporting small island States. Extra funding resources were required to provide sufficient support. Further, he said, the Office aimed to support and facilitate dialogue on the rights of indigenous communities. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights aimed to strengthen its mandate. There were key issues that it would focus on in future, including accountability, transitional justice, and rights in the digital sphere. The Office would soon hold an event to assess its own functions. In closing, Mr. Turk said that to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, there could not be exclusion or stigmatisation of minority groups, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community. The world needed to take a clear stance against racism, xenophobia and all other forms of discrimination. Panel Discussion on the Measures Necessary to Find Durable Solutions to the Rohingya Crisis and to End All Forms of Human Rights Violations and Abuses against Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar Opening Statement by the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights NADA AL-NASHIF, United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar had endured decades of persecution and systematic discrimination. Today, more than one million were languishing in refugee camps in Bangladesh. An estimated 600,000 remained in Myanmar, where they continued to be deprived of their basic rights. The military coup of February 2021 and violent repression in many parts of Myanmar had inflicted more suffering on minority communities, including Rohingya Muslims. In addition, last month Cyclone Mocha - the most powerful storm to hit the region in a decade - raged through the country. The military had put in place a system of physical and administrative restrictions on the conduct of humanitarian operations. People were reportedly living in forests and improvised shelters without any access to life-saving food, medicine and services. At the end of last year, the Security Council adopted its first resolution on Myanmar, in which it underscored the need to create conditions necessary for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees and internally displaced persons. Sadly, those conditions did not currently exist on the ground. To achieve an inclusive future, the authorities in Myanmar needed to ensure a fully democratic, representative and accountable political system, repeal all discriminatory legislation, undertake dialogue aimed at national reconciliation, and implement measures that ensured the respect and protection of the human rights and dignity of each person without discrimination. A fundamental step was the full legal recognition of the right to citizenship of all Rohingya people and issuance to them of appropriate civil documentation. Many Rohingya continued to flee to safer countries, often taking immense risks, including dangerous sea crossings. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, more than 3,500 Rohingya attempted deadly sea crossings in 2022, a 360 per cent increase compared to 2021. At least 348 Rohingya died while making these sea crossings in 2022. Ms. Al-Nashif expressed solidarity with and support to Bangladesh for providing refuge to more than one million Rohingya refugees, and commended countries in the region, such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, for providing protection and humanitarian assistance to Rohingya who arrived by boat. Since March this year, due to shortfalls in funding, the World Food Programme had had to sharply reduce food rations in the camps twice, which had further compounded the refugees' hardship. In the face of the impunity enjoyed by the Myanmar military for past and present violations and abuses against the Rohingya, Ms. Al-Nashif expressed full support for the ongoing accountability efforts at the international level. The complaint brought by the Gambia against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice was but one step in this direction. She expressed hope that the Human Rights Council would redouble its support in the direction of accountability initiatives. Statements by the Panellists YASMIN ULLAH, Chair of the Board at Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma, said she was a member of the Rohingya community who had to flee from violence and systemic oppression in Myanmar as a young child along with her family in 1995. Rohingyas had been driven out for decades under oppressive arbitrary policy and practices by Burmese authorities. There were currently over 1.3 million Rohingya refugees worldwide lacking protection, legal status, and a way out of this plight. Only a domestic change in Myanmar would lead to long term peace and success. However, the international community's support in breaking through the barriers of silence on the atrocities committed against the Rohingya and ensuring that the community were never forgotten was vital. Ms. Ullah said she was working on solutions that would enable people from her community to have food to eat, education, medical treatment and tangible protections. There needed to be recognition of Rohingya ethnic status. Citizenship alone granted Rohingya no protection. Rohingya had been systematically erased and excluded from social, economic, and political participation as a collective ethnic group. Rohingya were being traded from refugee camps to concentration camps in their homeland. Rohingya needed to be acknowledged as an indigenous ethnic nationality of Myanmar throughout history and now. Myanmar needed a Truth and Reconciliation Commission as part of the transitional justice process. Since democratic transition in Myanmar occurred under circumstances of compromise and impunity, what had happened to Rohingya had recurred all over the country. Myanmar needed to be reformed at every level in all institutions. The 2017 genocidal campaign and the 2021 attempted coup were glaring evidence of what happened when there was no transitional justice plan during a transition period. Denial of truths and refusal to create institutional reforms had led Myanmar into further violations of fundamental rights. A truth commission would be a guide to how structural and institutional reform could take place to ensure that no repetition of atrocities, violations of rights or discriminatory policy and practices could take place without accountability in Myanmar again. There should not be any repatriation without such a framework in place. CHRIS LEWA, Founder of the Arakan Project, said a permanent solution for the Rohingya to live peacefully in Myanmar would guarantee a sustainable return to their homeland. Despite numerous United Nations resolutions, no progress had been made. Following the coup in February 2021, the generals responsible for mass atrocities against the Rohingya were now de facto authorities. In this context, insistence on expediting Rohingya repatriation was disturbing, as conditions for a safe, voluntary return were not in place. Citizenship and other root causes had not been addressed, and since the coup, the junta had arrested and sentenced more than 3,500 Rohingya for unauthorised travel. Durable solutions for internally displaced persons in Myanmar needed be a precondition before any repatriation started from Bangladesh. The bilateral pilot repatriation plan for about 1,100 Rohingya involved resettlement to 15 relocation sites, however, some families cleared for return were left without option to go back to their village of origin. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had said that conditions were not conducive for a return in safety and dignity. There had been some positive developments in Myanmar. In 2021, the National Unity Government recognised the Rohingya's entitlement to Myanmar's citizenship, and appointed a Rohingya adviser, which was a breakthrough. The Arakan Army altered their rhetoric and formed Rohingya Village Committees, with mixed results. In August, Bangladesh granted permission for skills development activities. However, it was worrying that funding shortfalls had forced the World Food Programme to reduce monthly food rations in June. Even before these food cuts, 12 per cent of children were severely malnourished. It was recommended that the international community prioritise the Rohingya amid global challenges, and support international accountability. Repatriation to Myanmar needed to be voluntary and should not be promoted until root causes were addressed and conditions for a safe return were in place. Returnees should not be confined to 'relocation' sites. Efforts should also focus on improving conditions for Rohingya refugees in host countries. Alternative durable solutions such as resettlement to third countries and complementary pathways should be vigorously pursued. KYAW WIN, Executive Director of Burma Human Rights Network , said the Network had been documenting human rights violations in Burma. Since August 2017, the Myanmar military had held a campaign of killings, mass rape and arson against the Rohingya in northern Rakhine state, killing thousands and forcing over 730,000 to flee to Bangladesh. The situation had been neglected internationally and was getting worse and worse every day. The junta's restrictions of movement of the Rohingya were clear violations of International Court of Justice provisional measures aimed at preventing genocidal acts against the Rohingya. The citizenship system was another clear violation of the human rights of Muslims in Burma. It limited Muslims' ability to obtain citizenship and access basic State services. Hate speech was currently a dangerous phenomenon in Burma. The Network had documented over 600 incidents of hate speech against Muslims over the past year. Mosques and other religious sites had been destroyed. The 1982 citizenship law made every Muslim in Burma a foreigner. This law breached human rights more than any other law in the State. The international community had failed to acknowledge the illegality of this law. As long as the military enjoyed complete impunity for their actions, unyielding oppression of the Rohingya and other minorities would continue unabated. The time to close this impunity gap was now. The Network called on the United Nations Security Council to end its inaction and refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court or establish a separate criminal tribunal to investigate and prosecute the full spectrum of atrocity crimes in Burma. States needed to impose targeted economic sanctions against the Myanmar military, and pursue international legal action against the junta. States and international companies needed to stop the supply and transfer of arms to the Myanmar military. Finally, Myanmar's neighbouring States, including India, Thailand, Indonesia and Bangladesh, needed to devise a comprehensive regional response to the refugee crisis; provide protection, support, and humanitarian and legal aid to all refugees fleeing Myanmar; and authorise emergency cross-border aid to internally displaced people in Myanmar. MOHSHIN HABIB, Adjunct Professor at Laurentian University and Policy and Strategy Adviser at ASA Philippines Foundation, said Rohingya people had faced recurring military crackdowns and fled Myanmar in significant numbers in 1978, 1981, 1992, 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017. These recurring crackdowns had devastated Rohingya lives and made them the world's most persecuted minority. During the August 2017 crackdown, Tatmadaw burned 300 Rohingya villages, vandalised 36,000 businesses and snatched valuables from 26,000 families. Research estimated that 25,000 people were murdered, 18,000 raped, 43,000 received gunshot wounds, and 116,000 were beaten, all inflicted by security forces under the control of the Myanmar authorities. As a result, at least 800,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar and took refuge in Bangladesh, joining those who fled earlier. The International State Crime Initiatives claimed that a leaked document adopted by the Myanmar regime in 1988 revealed the State Peace and Development Council adopted an 11-point "Rohingya extermination plan", of which the first eight elements had been effectively instituted. The recent coup had made it impossible for a successful repatriation attempt. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh campsites had become the most densely populated area globally, causing environmental degradation and posing significant economic, health and reputational consequences for Bangladesh. There was also evidence of human and drug trafficking syndicates operating on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, posing significant security risks and a broader regional geopolitical crisis risk. Although mindful of the United Nations Special Rapporteur's 8 June 2023 recommendation to "immediately suspend" pilot repatriation of Rohingyas due to "serious risk" for their life and freedom, the durable solution still appeared to be eventually repatriating Rohingyas to Myanmar. The three practical measures to repatriation were security, economic and education, and social capital theses. Financial reparation would provide a primary financial means for Rohingyas required to repatriate, resettle and rehabilitate to restore their original state of economic life in Myanmar; 9.5 billion United States dollars were assessed as fair compensation as of June 2023. Discussion In the ensuing discussion, many speakers, among other things, deplored discrimination, marginalisation and persecution of the Rohingya community, which had caused the forced exodus of the community. Speakers expressed deep concern about the human rights situation of the Rohingya. Thousands had been raped or killed and forced to flee their homes. The appalling, widespread violations of human rights, which could equate to crimes against humanity and war crimes, needed to cease, and perpetrators needed to be held accountable. The rule of law needed to be upheld. Discriminatory ideologies, denial of citizenship and restrictions on movement were part of the root causes of the crisis. Diplomatic pressure needed to be asserted on the militia to cease the violence and persecution that they were committing in Myanmar. Genocide needed to never occur again. There needed to be reform of the 1982 citizenship law in line with international standards. Some speakers called for the implementation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Five Point Consensus solution to the crisis. Member States and civil society needed to unite in their response to the dire situation of the Rohingya. Some speakers said that the junta was violating international decisions regarding Myanmar every day with impunity. Accountability and transitional justice measures needed to be introduced to prevent impunity and ensure accountability for abuses. The military regime had cracked down on the civil space in Myanmar, persecuting journalists and human rights defenders critical of the regime. The rights of journalists and human rights defenders needed to be protected. There were increasing numbers of refugees and asylum seekers fleeing Myanmar. Some speakers said that many Rohingya refugees were turned back by neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh. Those speakers called on all States to respect the principles of non-refoulement. Some speakers said there needed to be an immediate return of Rohingya from neighbouring countries under conditions ensuring the rights of returning Rohingya. Other speakers said that returns needed to be carried out on a safe, voluntary basis. Cuts to food rations for refugees provided by the World Food Programme were alarming. Such cuts had had a devasting effect. Speakers encouraged the international community to provide increased humanitarian support to reduce the burden on Bangladesh and to support it to provide shelter for the Rohingya. Some speakers expressed serious concern that the junta continued to block humanitarian access to Rohingya communities. Speakers called on the Myanmar militia to ensure full, unimpeded humanitarian access to Rohingya refugee camps. Movement restrictions also hindered the Rohingya's ability to obtain such basic needs. Concrete steps were needed to aid Rohingya to obtain basic food, services and employment. Some speakers recalled that Cyclone Mocha had devastated the Rohingya refugee population, and called for increased support in response to the disaster. A number of speakers said the pilot repatriation project agreed between Bangladesh and Myanmar would help to address the crisis and ensure the voluntary return of the Rohingya to Myanmar. Other speakers said that the project would only deepen the crisis by allowing the military to commit further violations of the rights of the repatriated Rohingya. Some speakers said dialogue needed to be held between the Rohingya and the militia. Imposing outside solutions would not solve the crisis. Dialogue needed to be carried out based on existing bilateral agreements. The principle of non-interference in domestic affairs needed to be upheld. It was counterproductive to politicise the issue of internally displaced persons and to interfere in the domestic issues of Myanmar, including through International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice actions. Questions were asked on actions needed to ensure that this moment did not become a missed opportunity; on measures to improve the situation of Rohingya in Myanmar and in Bangladesh, especially in camps for refugees and internally displaced persons; on steps that developed countries could take to provide additional support to the Rohingya; on steps to support the safe repatriation of the Rohingya and other Muslims; on measures to ensure accountability for human rights violations and address their root causes, and to put an end to impunity; and on how the international community could ensure the participation and amplify the voices of the Rohingya in developing measures to address the crisis. Concluding Remarks NADA AL-NASHIF, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said there needed to be a focus on immediate support to Rohingya still in Myanmar, and any transition from the camps in Rakhine needed to be done in coordination with the camps themselves. They also needed to ensure that more humanitarian funds were invested in Bangladesh. There was a need to change the citizenship law and create durable conditions for the return of Rohingya, as well as increase resettlement pathways for the most vulnerable groups. Accountability options needed to be pursued. YASMIN ULLAH, Chair of the Board at Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma, said it was important to ensure that displaced Rohingya be cared for in a dignified fashion, understanding they were also humans. It was important that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Five Point Consensus was expanded. Multiple conversations had been held with Indonesian institutions, and there was a commitment to ensure the Five Point Consensus expanded to include cross-border aid, and improve upon the existing women, peace and security framework. There were multiple ways to ensure Rohingya were centred in all these discussions. The Council needed to centre Rohingya in all conversations on Myanmar, and they should not be excluded. There could not just be lip service, there needed to be concrete plans and actions. The dictatorship and living under the junta regime for decades was a political and ideological issue. Transitional justice needed to be at the centre of all future plannings. Civil society groups were the foundation of Myanmar society. There should not be repatriation of Rohingya to go right back to the hands of the perpetrators. CHRIS LEWA, Founder of the Arakan Project, said building trust was necessary. The Rohingya advisor had no official position within the Cabinet of Myanmar; this was something which could be changed. There was significant follow-up which could be done to push the National Unity Government to take action on their words, including dialogue on how to amend the citizenship law. The Arakan army had a nationalist agenda and they needed to be open to undertaking reforms. There had been progress; the army had provided assistance to villages in the wake of Cyclone Mocha. It was still concerning to hear governments in the room discussing the repatriation project, as this should not happen. If Rohingya wanted to return, with informed consent, they should be able to do so. It was important that Rohingya were involved in meaningful dialogue, and that they were heard. There needed to be a focus on providing better conditions for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and other countries. KYAW WIN, Executive Director of Burma Human Rights Network, said that since 1962, the military had been leading anti-Muslim policies that had led to the atrocities of today. After the 2021 revolution, people started to realise how the military had implemented those ideologies. In southern Burma, 70 per cent of the Muslim community did not have citizenship. This population could influx to neighbouring countries again, and there could be more mass atrocities. The international community needed to impose an immediate arms embargo against the military. The military was killing civilians in clear breach of international law. Impunity needed to end. Millions of refugees were struggling to survive. To end impunity, cases in the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court were important, and there were several other measures that could be taken in international fora. Members of the Rohingya community needed support to stand on their own two feet. Repatriations should not occur while conditions were unsafe for the Rohingya. The Rohingya had great potential but needed help. There were several villages in central Burma that had been burned to the ground. The people of Burma could not stop the military regime without the help of the international community. MOHSHIN HABIB, Adjunct Professor at Laurentian University and Policy and Strategy Adviser at ASA Philippines Foundation, said despite increasing polarisation in world politics, the international community continued to impose trade sanctions and embargos on Myanmar. However, these were not universal, and there were members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that were not imposing such sanctions. These States needed to do more to put pressure on the military regime and support the Rohingya. International Court of Justice actions and other external measures could also add more pressure on the militia and lead to positive outcomes. Domestically, the Myanmar military regime needed to improve its human rights record by acknowledging past abuses and genocide against the Rohingya. They needed to recognise the Rohingya as an ethnic minority. Domestic and international recognition of the Rohingya and their rights, including their right to citizenship, was needed. Link: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/meeting-summary/2023/06/des-retours-durables-des-refugies-rohingya-sont-impossibles-tant ___________ Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Myanmar Military Has No Plan to End Conflict, Experts Say By Tommy Walker June 21, 2023 Myanmar's military lacks a strategic plan to end the conflict in the country and move the nation forward regionally and globally on a diplomatic level. That's what experts are saying after Myanmar's military leadership, officially the State Administrative Council, met Monday with senior Thai officials in Thailand. Myanmar Foreign Minister Than Swe reportedly attended the meeting, which is taking place over two days in Pattaya, a holiday resort 60 miles from Bangkok. Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said the crisis in Myanmar is sending refugees across the Thai-Myanmar border, and trade between the two countries has been damaged. Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Laos and Vietnam reportedly are attending the meeting as well. David Scott Mathieson, a Myanmar analyst, says the military has no long-term blueprint. "There is no way out internationally; the time for a post-coup exit plan was early in 2021 after the ASEAN plan, and they totally missed that opportunity. They're simply making up their strategy day to day, which means you have no chance of a coherent diplomatic plan. [They're] just reactive, that's all [General] Min Aung Hlaing can do," he told VOA. ASEAN discontent The meeting was unexpected because Myanmar's leaders have been barred from participation in major gatherings of the 10-member ASEAN regional grouping. Some ASEAN members a including current chair Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore a declined to attend the Pattaya sessions. Aung Thu Nyein, a Myanmar analyst, said the meeting has irked multiple ASEAN members. "Many ASEAN countries assume Thailand is a front-line country with Myanmar, and it can initiate some policies because of its significance. But for this meeting, many ASEAN members opposed [it] and say it seemed [to cross] the line of the organizational agreement," he told VOA. Myanmar's shadow government, the National Unity Government, said the talks won't stop the crisis, and more than 80 Myanmar activist groups condemned the meeting. So far, international organizations have been unable to find a diplomatic solution in Myanmar. The U.N. special envoy to Myanmar, Dr. Noeleen Heyzer, left her role last week after her contract ended on June 12 after 20 months in the role without achieving a diplomatic breakthrough. "I can't see any diplomatic progress [from] the military leadership. Until the [State Administrative Council] actually wants some genuine outside help, all these efforts are performative, empty of any substance, and actually serve to confuse some observers who think there is merit in reaching out," Mathieson said. Thomas Kean, senior consultant at the International Crisis Group and editor-at-large of Frontier Myanmar, shared Mathieson's view about the junta's lack of an exit plan. "The election was the regime's exit strategy from day one, and it doesn't appear to have a backup plan. The current state of emergency will expire at the end of July. It's not clear what the military will do, but certainly it hasn't made much progress since then in quelling unrest, and there are no signs of preparations for an election," Kean said. State of emergency Myanmar's ruling generals promised new elections after their February 2021 coup but, faced with widespread resistance to their rule, have repeatedly extended a state of emergency, with the latest extension set to expire on August 1. Reports also emerged last week that the junta had visited jailed democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi to discuss a peace deal. But military general spokesman Zaw Min Thu denied this to VOA Burmese. Suu Kyi, who turned 78 on Monday, is serving a combination of prison sentences totaling 33 years after being convicted on several charges by a military-run court. Pro-democracy activist Thinzar Shunlei Yu said it makes no difference whether the reported visit happened. "If the negotiation ever happened that [would be] merely a dialogue between [Aung San Suu Kyi] and her party. That won't represent the whole revolution or the key stakeholders of the resistance," she told VOA. Myanmar's military has upped its airstrikes against resistance forces in the last year and some commentators see that as an indication the military is struggling on the battlefield. "That change came midway through last year, when the Burma army [leaders] were starting to feel they weren't winning this war. The shift went from bombing military targets, resistance camps, roads, vehicles, to clinics, schools," Dave Eubank, founder of the Free Burma Rangers, a Christian, multi-ethnic humanitarian group, told VOA earlier this year. In the deadliest airstrike since the coup, the military killed at least 168 people in April, including dozens of children, in the Sagaing region in northwest Myanmar. Kean said the airstrikes are part of the junta's brutal combat tactics. "This shouldn't necessarily be seen as a sign of weakness or that it is on its last legs, as some have argued. Brutal counterinsurgency tactics have long been part of its modus operandi, and it has only acquired this aerial capacity relatively recently." Following the coup, the military has cracked down on nationwide resistance, killing thousands and jailing political leaders, which has fueled an armed resistance led by people's defense forces and ethnic armed organizations. According to a Thailand-based monitoring group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma, 3,672 people have been killed by the military since the coup. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China and Pakistan ink $4.8 billion deal to build 1,200-megawatt nuclear power plant: report Global Times By Global Times Published: Jun 21, 2023 12:30 AM China and Pakistan inked a $4.8 billion deal on Tuesday to construct a 1,200-megawatt nuclear power plant, according to media reports. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made the announcement, stating that work on the Chashma 5 project would commence immediately. Reuters reported Sharif's remarks on state-run news channel PTV, which came after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between China National Nuclear Cooperation and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. Sharif emphasized that China's investment of $4.8 billion in this project sends a clear message that Pakistan is a trusted destination for Chinese companies and investors. The Chashma 5 project will be built in the central province of Punjab and will assist Pakistan in transitioning away from fossil fuels. Pakistan's total nuclear energy production capacity reached 1,400 MW after the opening of the sixth nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Karachi two years ago. The 1,100 MW plant was also constructed with assistance from China, as stated in the Reuters report. China and Pakistan have been strengthening their cooperation in the energy sector. In February, the inauguration ceremony for the K-3 Hualong No.1 nuclear power unit took place in Pakistan. This marked the first official delivery of China's self-built third-generation nuclear power technology to a foreign country. The K-2 and K-3 Hualong No.1 nuclear power units in Karachi form the largest nuclear power plant in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meeting with top graduates of higher military schools Vladimir Putin met with top graduates of military universities and academies of the Defence Ministry, the Emergencies Ministry, the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Federal Guard Service (FSO), the Federal Service of National Guard Troops, the Interior Ministry, the Investigative Committee and the Federal Penitentiary Service in the Grand Kremlin Palace's St George Hall. June 21, 2023 15:00 The Kremlin, Moscow President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Comrades officers, friends, Greetings and congratulations on your successful graduation. We traditionally celebrate the top graduates of military academies, universities and special education institutions in St George Hall of the Moscow Kremlin, where everything reminds us of the heroism and combat glory of many generations of defenders of the Fatherland. For as long as we can remember, our officers have chosen military professions of their own free will, being guided by their heart, serving our Motherland faithfully and loyally, with honour, love of their country and a feeling of responsibility for its future being their moral foundation. It is these qualities, as well as the talents of our outstanding military leaders, the courage and tenacity of our soldiers and their commanders, the unity of the nation, that have always been the decisive force in the battles that determined the future of our Fatherland and the world as a whole. We will celebrate an important date in our history soon, the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk. During that battle on the Fire Arc, our men defeated and smashed elite enemy units, demonstrated unparalleled heroism and valour, and paved the way to long-awaited Victory. Today, the descendants of the generation of the Great Patriotic War heroes are proving their loyalty to the Fatherland and the people in practice, fighting perseveringly for the Fatherland, for truth and justice. During the special military operation, the soldiers and officers of the Russian Armed Forces are protecting our people, Russia's territorial integrity and its right to sovereign development, as well as the historical choice the people in the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions made in 2022 and the people in Crimea and Sevastopol in 2014. The whole of Russia and our multi-ethnic people support our brave warriors and are proud of the sons and daughters of our Fatherland. Friends, Strengthening and developing the army, reliably ensuring national security was and still is our absolute priority. We will continue to improve the Armed Forces in a comprehensive way with account taken for the new challenges, and, of course, the invaluable experience of the special military operation. A crucial task in this regard is to develop the nuclear triad, the key guarantee of Russia's military security and global stability. Nearly half of the units and formations of the Strategic Missile Forces have been equipped with the latest Yars systems, forces are being converted to advanced missile systems with the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle. The first Sarmat launcher systems with a new heavy missile will enter combat duty shortly. The arsenals of the air and naval components of the Strategic Nuclear Forces are being stocked in strict conformity with our plans. For example, the master submarine of the new Borei-A project has joined the Navy. In January 2023, the Admiral Gorshkov frigate [full name - Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Gorshkov], was put on combat duty. It is intended for open-ocean missions and is armed with cutting-edge Tsirkon hypersonic missiles. Russian nuclear triad armaments make it possible to ensure strategic deterrence in an effective and guaranteed manner and maintain the global balance of forces. This is the result of a huge, years-long effort on the part of our industrial plants, design bureaus, technicians and engineers, military and civilian specialists. Advanced armoured models, missile and air strike systems, air defence and EW systems are making a big contribution to the performance of combat missions as part of the special military operation. Their production and improvement will certainly be continued. There is still a lot to do for the qualitative enhancement of the potential of all Armed Forces components. We will implement these plans in full based on our own scientific, technological, production and personnel potential as well as on the growing capabilities of the Russian defence industry and Russian hi-tech businesses. We will continue to improve and produce counter-battery warfare systems, and we will go on providing forces with drones and autonomous strike systems that have proven themselves in combat. We will step up their production. It is necessary to supply this equipment to all levels of our forces, including units, platoons, companies and battalions. I would like to emphasise that our army and navy must both continue to develop and also to fulfil combat tasks. This places special responsibility on the officer corps. Very soon, you will assume command of miliary units and army management offices. You will have to take on huge responsibility. You will need to act with complete dedication, energy, integrity, persistence, courage, resolve and readiness to lead your comrades-in-arms. It should be remembered that to gain respect in military units you must not only demonstrate your leadership qualities, but also lead by example and take care of your subordinates. The prestige of officers is unthinkable without that. The integrity, cohesion, unity of will of our service personnel and their ability to win are based on the persistent and relentless work of commanders with every soldier and sailor. It is especially important under combat conditions. I am confident that all of you are aware of this and that your performance will reaffirm the wisdom of the great Suvorov, who said: The life and valour of an officer are his victories. Comrades, I would like to greet the young officers who have been appointed to the units of the FSB, the Interior Ministry, the Federal Service of National Guard Troops, the Emergencies Ministry, the Federal Guard Service, the Investigative Committee and the Federal Penitentiary Service. It is your duty to protect the law, constitutional and public order, the rights and interests of our people, to combat terrorism, extremism, crime and corruption, and, of course, to help attain the goals of the special military operation. Today, investigators, police and special services officers are working to expose and stop the crimes committed by neo-Nazis and death squad members, to restore law and order in the new regions of Russia. I have no doubt that you, just as the personnel of the Armed Forces, will be working in your areas of competence to fulfil your tasks and that you will always remain worthy of the title of Russian officers. Once again, congratulations on your graduation. I would like to wish health, every success in military service and well-being to all the 2023 graduates, all the best for your teachers and mentors, and, of course, best wishes to your near and dear ones. Russia is proud of you. Russia pins its hopes on you. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Today, we are honouring top graduates of our military educational institutions who willingly chose to serve the Fatherland as their calling in life. Comrade officers, You have completed your training at an extremely crucial time in the country's history when the destiny of our Motherland is being decided, and when its geopolitical future is being determined. The collective West has unleashed a real war against Russia, and they are trying once again to break us. They have introduced endless sanctions, provoked unrest and conflicts in neighbouring states and provided tremendous military assistance to the Kiev regime. You are beginning your military service in these tough conditions, and you will have to display top-level professionalism, maximum dedication, the ability to make unconventional decisions and to assume responsibility. You have been entrusted with training and educating service personnel. Be ready to introduce the experience of the special military operation into combat training programmes. Be extremely attentive towards your subordinates and take care of them. Always remember that you are officers, and it is your duty to lead the way at all times. Always uphold the honour and good reputation of your educational institutions. The country's leadership can rest assured that our Armed Forces will do everything possible for ensuring the country's military security and sovereignty. I congratulate you on completing an important stage in your life, on graduating from our military universities and academies. I also congratulate the lieutenants on receiving their first officer rank. I wish all of you good health and every success in your professional activities. Alexander Tokarev: Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, Allow me, on behalf of all graduates of the military educational institutions, to express our gratitude to you for your personal words of encouragement for our military service to protect our Fatherland. We are well aware of the complexity of the military and political situation and the current historical period. Like it was more than 80 years ago, Nazism has reared its head and is again trying to rule the world. We will not allow it. We will fight any adversary, we will show resilience, courage and heroism, loyalty to our people and readiness to defend our country's national interests at the cost of our lives. We have received solid knowledge of operational art and military strategy, a firm grasp of modern arms and military hardware at our military schools. We have been taught by teachers, many of whom have gained practical experience in the special military operation and present-day armed confrontation. Allow me to express to you personally, Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief and Minister of Defence, our deep appreciation for the conditions created for teaching us the science of victory, and to our teachers and mentors for the invaluable knowledge and skills they have passed on to us. Here, in the Kremlin's St George Hall, the walls of which bear the names of our heroes, on behalf of all graduates, we assure you, Comrade Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Federation Armed Forces, that every one of us is prepared and will selflessly serve our country, honourably perform his military duty and uphold the interests of the state. We will justify your trust and the trust of the people of Russia, we will ensure the reliable defence of the Fatherland, we will continue the glorious history of our Fatherland and its Armed Forces. Vladimir Putin: One of the graduates has just spoken about the courage and heroism of our soldiers and officers. We know from today's events and our country's history that our army, our soldiers and officers, that Russian fighters are famous for great courage, bravery, valour and heroism. I congratulate you on your graduation. Godspeed! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pacific Fleet corvettes Gromkiy and Sovershenniy continue drills in Asia-Pacific region 21.06.2023 The corvettes Gromkiy and Sovershenniy, medium-sized marine tanker Pechenga continue to perform tasks in Asia-Pacific region. Shortly after business call at the Indonesian port of Surabaya in the context of strengthening partnership in the region, Pacific Fleet ship detachment commence the next stage of combat drills according long-distance training voyage task. In the southern part of South China Sea corvettes' crew underwent mock enemy ships search and detection exercises. Pacific Fleet's Ka-27PL naval aviation helicopter has been deployed during the drills. At sea, the vessel's crew undergoes drills, including damage control and countersabotage exercises on unsafe roadstead anchorage, as well asn damage control drills. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Navy to Be Reinforced by 44 Ships in 2023 Sputnik News 20230621 ST. PETERSBURG (Sputnik) - The Russian navy will take delivery of 44 warships and support vessels in 2023, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, said on Wednesday. "This year we are set to receive about 44 warships and support vessels," Yevmenov said at the International Maritime Defense Show in Kronstadt. The International Maritime Defense Show is taking place in Kronstadt, a port city to the west of St. Petersburg, from June 21-25. The eleventh edition of Russia's International Maritime Defense Show IMDS-2023 opened earlier on Wednesday for the first time in the town of Kronstadt on Kotlin Island, just west of Russia's St. Petersburg. "The shipbuilding industry exhibition will bring together more than 250 leading Russian and foreign participants who will gather in new locations including harbor berths for warship, boat and ship demonstrations," the event's organizers said in a statement. The show's program traditionally includes naval and commercial shipbuilding, weapons production, navigation, naval aviation, fleet supply infrastructure and new technologies in the industry. Hundreds of national and foreign enterprises are slated to take part in the event. Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation and the Rostec state corporation will also participate in the exhibition, showcasing new products. The program will include more than 20 different events, including scientific conferences, cultural events and demonstrations such as an aeronautical show by the Strizhi aerobatics group and a children's sailing regatta. The event provides an opportunity for its guests to visit several Russian vessels such as the landing ship of Russia' s Northern Fleet, "Ivan Gren," ships of the Baltic Fleet, such as the corvette "Stoykiy," and the small missile ships "Serpukhov" and "Sovetsk." A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's Nuclear Triad Ensures Global Balance of Power - Putin Sputnik News 20230621 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Earlier this month, the US Department of State said it immediately stops notifying Russia about the status or location of missiles and launchers as required under the New START arms control treaty, stops facilitating New START treaty inspections on its territory by revoking visas issued to Russian inspectors. Russia's nuclear triad makes it possible to maintain a balance of power in the world, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday. "Russia's nuclear triad makes it possible to effectively and reliably ensure strategic deterrence and maintain a global balance of power. This is an expression of the results of the colossal long-term work of our enterprises, design bureaus, workers and engineers, military and civilian specialists," Putin said at a meeting with graduates of higher military educational institutions. About half of the units of Russia's strategic missile forces are equipped with Yars intercontinental ballistic missile systems, the president said, adding that Russia will continue the development of the nuclear triad. On Ukrainian Counteroffensive Speaking about situation in the zone of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, President Putin siad that the Ukrainian forces are suffering huge casualties during their counteroffensive. Putin recalled that Kiev's offensive started on June 4, and the Ukrainian military is using strategic reserves. "Oddly enough, we are seeing some sort of calmness. This is due to the fact that the enemy is suffering serious losses both in personnel and in equipment," Putin said. The Russian president also said that Ukraine is afraid of suffering huge losses in the future as it may lead to them losing their military potential. "Some elements of hostilities, of course, take place - shelling, reconnaissance-in-force. So far, active offensive operations have not been carried out," Putin said. Vladimir Putin added that Russia will keep supplying strike robotic systems and unmanned aerial vehicles to its national troops, with production of the equipment scheduled to be increased and accelerated. "The improvement of the production of counter-battery systems will continue, just like the supply to the troops of unmanned aerial vehicles and robotic strike systems, which have acquitted themselves well in combat conditions. We will boost their mass production," Putin said at a meeting with graduates of higher military educational institutions. Strengthening the army remains Russia's priority, Putin added, adding that the country would continue to improve its armed forces, as well as develop the latest models of armored vehicles, strike combat and air defense systems. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Astana talks: Parties underline commitment to Syria's sovereignty, slam Israeli aggression Iran Press TV Wednesday, 21 June 2023 3:47 PM Participants at the 20th international meeting on Syria in the Astana format have underlined their strong commitment to Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, while voicing their firm opposition to Israel's acts of aggression and airstrikes against the Arab country. Deputy foreign ministers of Turkey, Russia, and Iran, the three guarantor states, as well as representatives of the Syrian government and anti-Damascus militant groups made the remarks in a final statement on the second day of the high-level talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Wednesday. The guarantor states renewed their firm commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and to the goals and principles of the United Nations Charter. "The representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey as guarantor countries of the Astana Format ... emphasized the leading role of the Astana Process in promoting the lasting settlement of the Syrian crisis," the statement said. The participants also "reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and highlighted that these principles should be universally respected and complied with," it added. They also discussed progress in preparing a roadmap for the restoration of relations between Turkey and Syria, stressing the importance of "continued active efforts" by both sides to resolve their conflicts. The statement said the guarantor states "recognized the importance of advancing this process on the basis of goodwill and good-neighborly relations to combat terrorism, create proper conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified return of Syrians with the involvement of UNHCR (UN refugee agency), revitalize political process and ensure unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to the whole of Syria." The participants expressed their determination to continue working together to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and threatening the national security of the neighboring countries, including through cross-border attacks and infiltrations. They also condemned activities of terrorist groups and their affiliates operating under different names in various parts of Syria, including the attacks targeting civilian facilities. The statement also censured the repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian soil, as a violation of international law and the Arab country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and "recognized them as destabilizing and exacerbating tensions in the region." It also reiterated the need to abide by universally recognized international legal decisions, including the relevant provisions of United Nations resolutions that reject the occupation of the Syrian Golan. The participants expressed their conviction that there could be "no military solution to the Syrian conflict," and reaffirmed their commitment to advance a viable and lasting Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process. In their final statement on Wednesday, the guarantor states also called for holding without further delay the 9th round of the Drafting Commission of the Constitutional Committee while ensuring the constructive approach by the Syrian parties. They affirmed their commitment to support the work of the committee through continuous participation with all parties and the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, as a facilitator to ensure its sustainable and effective operation. "In order to help improve the humanitarian situation in Syria and achieve progress in political settlement, [the guarantor states] called on the international community, the United Nations and its humanitarian agencies to increase their assistance to the whole of Syria," the statement said. They also stressed the need to facilitate the safe, dignified and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their places of residence in Syria, and to ensure their right of return. They also expressed their deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria, due to the repercussions of the devastating February earthquake, and condemned all unilateral coercive measures that violate international law, international humanitarian law and the Charter of the United Nations. Iran, Russia, and Turkey set up the Astana peace process in January 2017 as part of efforts to put an end to the Syria conflict through the involvement of warring sides in the Arab country. The three countries have so far held 19 rounds of talks. Since March 2011, Syria has been gripped by a campaign of militancy and destruction sponsored by the US and its allies. Iran and Russia have been supporting the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the war while Turkey has been siding with armed militants. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint Statement by the Representatives of Iran, Russia and TArkiye on the 20th International Meeting on Syria in the Astana Format, Astana, 20-21 June 2023 21 June 2023 12:31 1214-21-06-2023 The representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Russian Federation and the Republic of TArkiye as guarantor countries of the Astana Format: 1. Examined the latest international and regional developments and emphasized the leading role of the Astana Process in promoting the lasting settlement of the Syrian crisis; 2. Reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic as well as to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and highlighted that these principles should be universally respected and complied with; 3. Noted the constructive spirit of the consultations of Deputy Foreign Ministers of the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Republic of TArkiye, which took place on 20 June 2023 in Astana, where they discussed progress in preparing the roadmap for the restoration of relations between TArkiye and Syria (in coordination with the work of the Ministries of Defence and special services of the four countries). Emphasized the importance of continued active efforts in this field pursuant to the arrangements reached at the quadrilateral meetings of Foreign Ministers on 10 May 2023 and Defence Ministers on 25 April 2023 in Moscow; Recognized the importance of advancing this process on the basis of goodwill and good-neighborly relations to combat terrorism, create proper conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified return of Syrians with the involvement of UNHCR, revitalize political process and ensure unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid to the whole of Syria; 4. Expressed their determination to continue working together to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and threatening the national security of the neighboring countries, including through cross-border attacks and infiltrations. Condemned activities of terrorist groups and their affiliates operating under different names in various parts of Syria, including the attacks targeting civilian facilities and IDP camps which result in loss of innocent lives. Highlighted the need to fully implement all arrangements related to the north of Syria; 5. Reviewed in detail the situation in the Idlib de-escalation area. Agreed to make further efforts to ensure a lasting normalization, including the humanitarian situation, in and around the Idlib de-escalation area. Emphasized the need to maintain calm on the ground by fully implementing all agreements on Idlib; 6. Discussed the situation in the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic and agreed that constant security and stability in this region can only be achieved on the basis of preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. Rejected all attempts to create new realities on the ground, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives under the pretext of combating terrorism. Reaffirmed their determination to confront separatist agendas that aim to undermine the unity of Syria and threaten the national security of neighbouring countries, including through cross-border attacks and infiltration also from the west of the Euphrates; Reiterated their opposition to the illegal seizure and transfer of oil revenues that should belong to Syria. Condemned the actions of countries supporting terrorist entities, including illegitimate self-rule initiatives in the north-east of Syria; Expressed grave concern with all forms of oppression by the separatist groups against civilians in east of Euphrates, including through suppression of peaceful demonstrations, forced conscription and discriminatory practices in the field of education as well as restrictions placed on political activities, journalists, right to assembly and freedom of movement; 7. Condemned the ongoing Israeli military attacks in Syria, including those targeting civilian objects. Considered these actions as a violation of international law, international humanitarian law, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria, and recognized them as destabilizing and exacerbating tensions in the region. Reaffirmed the need to abide by universally recognized international legal decisions, including the provisions of the relevant UN resolutions rejecting the occupation of the Syrian Golan, first and foremost UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 497, whereby all Israeli decisions and actions in this regard are deemed null and void and of no legal effect; 8. Expressed their conviction that there could be no military solution to the Syrian conflict and reaffirmed their commitment to advance viable and lasting Syrian-led and Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process in line with the UN Security Council Resolution 2254; 9. Underlined the important role of the Syrian Constitutional Committee, established with the decisive contribution of the guarantor countries of the Astana Format for the implementation of the decisions of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi, in promoting the political settlement of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic; 10. Called for holding without further delay the 9th round of the Drafting Commission of the Constitutional Committee while ensuring the constructive approach by the Syrian parties. In this regard, reaffirmed their commitment to support the Committee's work through continued engagement with the Syrian parties to the Committee and the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen as facilitator to ensure its sustainable and effective work; Stressed the need for the Constitutional Committee to pursue its activities without any bureaucratic and logistical barriers. Urged to immediately ensure all the necessary conditions for the unimpeded work of the Committee; 11. Expressed their conviction that the Constitutional Committee should abide in its work by the Terms of Reference and the Core Rules of Procedure to enable the Committee to carry out its mandate of preparing and drafting a constitutional reform that will be subject to popular approval, achieve progress in its work, seek compromise and ensure constructive engagement without foreign interference and externally imposed timelines in order to reach a general agreement among its members; 12. Expressed serious concern over the humanitarian situation in Syria further aggravated by the consequences of the devastating earthquake on 6 February 2023. Denounced all unilateral sanctions that violate international law, international humanitarian law and the UN Charter, including all selective measures and exemptions with respect to specific areas in Syria that could lead the country to collapse by facilitating the separatist agenda; 13. Emphasized the importance of continuing and increasing humanitarian assistance mandated by the UNSC resolution 2672. Welcomed the decision by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to authorize the use of its two border crossing points with TArkiye - Bab al-Salam and Al-Rai - by UN humanitarian agencies, as well as the extension of this permission for another three months, until 13 August 2023, in order to facilitate and increase urgent assistance to the areas affected by the earthquake of 6 February 2023. Emphasized the need to remove barriers and increase humanitarian assistance to all Syrians throughout the country without discrimination, politicization, or preconditions; 14.In order to help improve the humanitarian situation in Syria and achieve progress in political settlement, called on the international community, the United Nations and its humanitarian agencies to increase their assistance to the whole of Syria through the implementation of the early recovery and resilience projects, including through the restoration of basic infrastructure assets - water and electricity supply facilities, sanitation, health, education, schools and hospitals as well as the humanitarian demining projects in line with international humanitarian law; 15. Stressed the need to facilitate the safe, dignified and voluntary return of refugees and IDPs to their places of residence in Syria, and to ensure their right of return and right to be supported. In this context, called on the international community to provide the necessary support to the Syrian refugees and IDPs and reaffirmed their readiness to continue engaging with all relevant parties, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other specialized international agencies. Noted the importance for continuation of work to create necessary conditions in Syria for voluntary and dignified return of Syrians; 16. Reiterated their determination to continue operations on the mutual release of detainees/abductees within the framework of the Working Group on the Release of Detainees/Abductees, the Handover of the Bodies and Identification of Missing Persons, which is a unique mechanism that has proved both necessary and effective in building confidence between the Syrian parties. Decided to continue the Group's work on efforts to ensure the release of detainees/abductees and expand its operations on the handover of bodies and the identification of missing persons in line with its mandate; 17. Welcomed the participation of the delegations of Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon as observers of the Astana Format as well as representatives of the United Nations and the ICRC; 18. Expressed their sincere gratitude to the Kazakhstan authorities for holding the 20th Astana Format International Meeting on Syria in Astana; 19. Noted the agreement to hold the next Summit in the Russian Federation as enshrined in the Joint Statement of the Tripartite Summit of 19 July 2022; 20. Agreed to convene the 21st International Meeting on Syria in the second half of 2023. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kazakh Foreign Ministry Proposes Ending Meetings on Syria in Astana Format Sputnik News 20230621 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Kazakh capital is hosting the 20th round of the Astana talks at the level of deputy foreign ministers on June 20-21. This is the second event in such a format, the previous one took place in early May in Moscow. Kazakhstan proposes that the recent, 20th Astana talks on Syria become the final round of meetings in this format, Kazakh Deputy Foreign Minister Kanat Tumysh said on Wednesday. "We propose declaring the 20th international meeting the final round of the Astana process on Syria. We ask that this decision be included in the joint statement," Tumysh said during a plenary session after the 20th round of talks. Kazakhstan's proposal can be partially explained by "the return of Syria to the Arab family," the senior diplomat added. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address No: 152, 21 June 2023, Press Release Regarding the High-Level Meeting on Syria held in Astana on 20-21 June 2023 Republic of Turkey - Ministry of Foreign Affairs The twentieth High-Level Meeting on Syria in Astana format was held on 20-21 June 2023 in Astana. TArkiye was represented at the meeting by a delegation led by Ambassador Burak AkAapar, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. During the meeting, the situation on the ground and the fight against terrorism, regional developments, the political process, return of Syrians and matters of humanitarian assistance were discussed and a Joint Statement was issued at the end of the meeting as usual. In the Joint Statement, the parties emphasized their strong commitment to the political unity and territorial integrity of Syria, and the leading role of the Astana Process in the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Syria. They also noted their determination to combat separatist agendas that threaten the national security of neighboring countries, including cross-border attacks and infiltrations. The parties condemned increasing presence and attacks of terrorist organizations operating in Syria under different names and affiliations, and noted that so-called illegitimate "self-rule" initiatives being implemented under the pretext of fighting terrorism are unacceptable. They also condemned the violations of the separatist structure in the north east of Syria, and expressed their concern with the actions of the countries that support terrorist formations, including these initiatives. The parties highlighted the importance of the actual implementation of all arrangements related to the north of Syria and Idlib. The parties confirmed their commitment to advancement of political solution process in the Syrian conflict in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and called for the next round of the Constitutional Committee to be held as soon as possible within this framework. The parties expressed their concern about the worsening humanitarian situation following the earthquakes of 6 February, emphasized the importance of uninterrupted flow of humanitarian assistance to the whole of Syria and underlined the importance of continuation with increase of humanitarian aid based on the UN Security Council Resolution 2672 regarding cross-border mechanism. The parties noted the necessity of creating necessary conditions within Syria to facilitate safe, voluntary, and dignified returns of Syrians to their country. Within the margins of the meeting, bilateral meetings were also held with observer members of the Astana Process and UN agencies. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Commander Accuses Russia of 'Buffoonery in the Air' in Syria By Jeff Seldin June 21, 2023 A top U.S. military commander accused the Russian air force of encouraging its pilots to engage in "buffoonery in the air," raising the risk of accidents or even conflict in Syria. Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich, the combined forces air component commander for U.S. Central Command, told reporters Wednesday Russian jets continue to violate deconfliction protocols in Syria multiple times a day, putting U.S. forces at risk. And despite previous warnings from the United States, Grynkewich said Russia's aggressiveness seems to be worsening. "We've had instances as recently as just earlier this morning, in Syria time, where a Russian aircraft came into our airspace," he told reporters during a virtual briefing. "We had instances yesterday and we had instances the day before," Grynkewich added, saying U.S. forces in Syria have seen as many as three to four such incursions in a single day by Russian jets carrying a full complement of air-to-ground munitions and bombs. This is not the first time that Grynkewich has warned about Russia's risky maneuvers over Syria. The CENTCOM air components commander told NBC News this past March that there had been a substantial increase in Russian flyovers of U.S. forces. Grynkewich also echoed his concerns last week during a virtual summit, accusing Russia of seeking to pressure the U.S. in Syria despite CENTCOM efforts to deescalate tensions. A VOA query to the Russian Embassy in Washington about the accusations was not immediately answered. The U.S. last week deployed stealth fighter jets, F-22 Raptors from Langley Air Force Base in the U.S., to the Middle East to counter Russia's actions. In a statement, CENTCOM described the F-22 as "the best fifth-generation fighter in the world," adding that the deployment was part of a "multifaceted show" of strength. But Grynkewich on Wednesday warned he was bracing for Russia's actions to become worse, pointing to how Russian leaders rewarded a fighter pilot who collided with a U.S. drone over the Black Sea in March. "Fighter pilots that are deployed now into Syria from Russia will see that they're rewarded for this kind of behavior," Grynkewich said. "The pilot didn't intend to do it. You can see from the video," he said. "Anytime you have an air force that has fallen so low on the professional ladder, that they're giving medals for buffoonery in the air, you've really got to wonder what they're thinking." The CENTCOM air forces commander also cautioned that Russia's focus on trying to provoke the U.S., instead of maintaining its focus on counterterrorism, was benefiting the Islamic State terror group. The terror group is "down but not out," Grynkewich said, warning the group's fighters have a "fair amount of freedom of action" in areas under the control of the Russians or the Syrian regime. "They are running training camps and they're building up their capabilities because the Russians in the regime are either incapable or unwilling to put pressure on ISIS," he said, using an acronym for the group. "They're letting the ISIS threat grow right under their nose." The U.S. has about 900 troops in Syria to combat the threat from IS. Intelligence estimates by United Nations member states shared in a report earlier this year indicate the terror group has about 2,500 to 3,500 fighters across Syria and Iraq. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ROC Constitution does not mention 'Taiwan independence': Hou Yu-ih ROC Central News Agency 06/20/2023 02:09 PM Taipei, June 20 (CNA) Opposition Kuomintang (KMT) presidential nominee Hou Yu-ih () said Monday that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution, "which does not contain the phrase, 'Taiwan Independence'," is the broadest consensus of the Taiwanese people on cross-Strait issues. Hou added that the ROC Constitution contains clear provisions on the ROC's official name, sovereignty and the territory it claims, and therefore serves as a consensus for such issues, explaining that he opposes Taiwanese independence because the Constitution makes no mention of it. The New Taipei mayor made the remarks at a forum hosted by National Taiwan University and the Asia Pacific Youth Association, after being asked by a student how he would persuade China to accept the concept of "one country on each side of the Taiwan Strait." If independence advocates are serious in their convictions, he said, they should try and amend the Constitution, with the support of Taiwan's 23 million people. On the broader issue of Taiwan's standing internationally, Hou said he was focused on protecting national interests amid three-way Taiwan-United States-China relations, maximizing peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and doing whatever is necessary to avoid a crisis being triggered. Hou noted that as a young Taipei police official in 1993, he traveled to China to meet counterparts on a cross-Strait initiative to fight crime, adding that the exchange led to the signing of an agreement in 2009 which showed Taiwan and China can have equal, dignified exchanges, even in the absence of an official framework, as long as both sides act with sincerity and pragmatism. During the forum, Hou also repeated his openness to extending the use of nuclear power in Taiwan if it can be done safely, and proposed reducing the proportion of energy Taiwan gets from fossil fuels "in the mid-term" from the current 80 percent to between 50 and 70 percent. Hou's appearance at the event comes amid attempts to stabilize his campaign, after a series of recent polls showed him in third place against his competitors -- Vice President Lai Ching-te () of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and former Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je () of the centrist Taiwan People's Party (TPP). A My-Formosa poll released on June 6 found that only 22.6 percent of respondents supported Hou, compared to 25.5 percent for Ko and 35.4 percent for Lai. Meanwhile, a June 14 RWNews poll put Lai on 37.76 percent, Ko on 31.29 percent and Hou on 21.87 percent. The most recent opinion poll, published by TVBS on June 18, showed Ko in first place for the first time, with 33 percent, followed by Lai with 30 percent and Hou with 23 percent. Taiwan's presidential and legislative elections will be held on January 13, 2024. (By Wang Cheng-chung and Matthew Mazzetta) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President highlights troop pay raise at military graduation ceremony ROC Central News Agency 06/21/2023 12:51 PM Taipei, June 21 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (ee) highlighted her government's military reforms and a 4 percent raise for Taiwan's military personnel to start in 2024 during a speech at a joint graduation ceremony of six military academies on Wednesday. Tsai said the military is renovating dormitories, military camps and bases and will raise the salaries of military personnel on Jan. 1, 2024, moves that she said are all intended to take good care of Taiwan's troops. The pay raise will be part of a proposed amendment to the 2024 central government budget bill that provides a 4 percent pay raise for all public sector workers next year. The proposal was approved by the Cabinet on June 1, but still needs to be passed by the Legislature, considered to be a formality given that the ruling Democratic Progressive Party has a majority in the lawmaking body. It is also unlikely that any political parties will oppose a pay raise for an estimated 730,000 civil servants, public school teachers and military personnel, given that Taiwan will hold presidential and legislative elections in January 2024. Public sector employees last got a pay raise in 2022, when their salaries were also increased by 4 percent. Meanwhile, in her address at the National Defense University's Fu Hsing Kang College in Taipei's Beitou District, Tsai praised her administration's decision to launch a series of military reforms to boost the armed forces' readiness to defend national security. Such efforts include building warplanes and warships at home, reforming the structure of the military, and including female veterans in volunteer reservist training programs for the first time. These were done to bolster Taiwan military's combat preparedness and resilience, she said. Tsai's praise of her policies comes as her second and final four-term in office nears an end. Tsai will remain in office until mid-May 2024 after a new president is chosen in January. Around 500 students got their diplomas at the joint graduation ceremony of the Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, the National Defense University, the National Defense Medical Center, and the Air Force Institute of Technology. Among the students were 12 cadets from four of Taiwan's formal diplomatic allies - Belize, Paraguay, Eswatini and Guatemala. It was also the first joint graduation ceremony for the nation's military academies in four years since June 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese aircraft carrier sails through Taiwan Strait: Defense ministry ROC Central News Agency 06/21/2023 02:06 PM Taipei, June 21 (CNA) A fleet led by a Chinese aircraft carrier and consisting of an unspecified number of ships transited through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, according to Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND). The fleet, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, was sailing in a southwesterly direction, MND spokesman Major General Sun Li-fang (ac) said at a news conference in Taipei, without specifying the time when the transit took place. The military closely monitored airspace and waters around Taiwan through its joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system, Sun said. It also deployed an appropriate amount of military assets in responding to the situation, he said. (By Sean Lin) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan Spots 19 Chinese Military Aircraft Near Island on Wednesday - Defense Ministry Sputnik News 20230621 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The latest escalation around Taiwan took place in April after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Beijing responded by launching massive three-day military drills near the island in what it called a "warning" to Taiwanese separatists and foreign powers. The Taiwanese Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that 19 aircraft and five ships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) were seen approaching the island. "19 PLA aircraft and 5 PLAN [People's Liberation Army Navy] vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.(UTC+8) today," the ministry said on Twitter. The ministry added that the Taiwanese military monitored the situation and tasked its aircraft, navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to "respond these activities." Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing regards the island as its province, while Taiwan maintains that it is an autonomous entity but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official foreign contacts with Taipei and regards Chinese sovereignty over the island as indisputable. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Antony J. Blinken and TArkiye Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan Before Their Meeting US Department of State Remarks Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Intercontinental O2 Hotel London, United Kingdom June 21, 2023 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone, and it's a real pleasure to have this opportunity to meet with a colleague of many years, Hakan Fidan, the new foreign minister of TArkiye. I'm so pleased to be working with you. I had a terrific relationship and partnership with Mevlut Cavusoglu, and now gratified to be working together because we've - I've had the opportunity over many years to work together, and there is so much that the United States and TArkiye are doing together on the most essential and vital issues of our time, so we have a lot to talk about. Of course, we'll be talking about the upcoming NATO Summit, including the accession process for Sweden, our own defense cooperation, and moving forward on a number of issues including energy and economic collaboration. But the relationship between our countries is deep, it's rich, and, as I said, it's on many of the most consequential issues of our time. So the opportunity to spend some time with you here in London, very much appreciated. FOREIGN MINISTER FIDEN: Well, thank you. Thank you, Tony. It's a pleasure to meet with you here in - today. We previously spoke on the phone following my appointment. Today, we are here in London to demonstrate our support to Ukraine. In this meeting, we will also discuss our bilateral issues. And as you know, the truth is we may not see eye-to-eye on every issue, but our longstanding alliance within NATO and other platforms compel us to continue to work together. And as you know, President Erdogan and President Biden had established TArkiye-U.S. Strategic Mechanism last year in Madrid, Spain, and the object of mechanism is to address the outstanding issues and to explore the opportunities for deepening our cooperation further. So I am looking forward to working with Secretary Blinken to this end. Thank you. SECRETARY BLINKEN: Good. Thanks, everyone. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Royal Navy ship deploys for hurricane season as Defence Minister reaffirms commitment to British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean Minister for the Armed Forces meets leaders in the Cayman Islands to discuss hurricane relief and regional security concerns. 21 June 2023 Minister for the Armed Forces meets leaders in the Cayman Islands to discuss hurricane relief and regional security concerns. Royal Navy ship HMS Dauntless has deployed from Portsmouth to the Caribbean to support the British Overseas Territories during the upcoming hurricane season. The Minister for the Armed Forces, Rt Hon James Heappey MP, has visited the Caribbean in a demonstration of the UK's commitment to the Overseas Territories. In the Cayman Islands, the minister held talks with the Governor, Jane Owen, and the Premier, Wayne Panton. The minister discussed ongoing work to improve the capacity and resilience of the Cayman Islands - including the Coast Guard and the Cayman Islands Regiment- while remaining steadfastly by their side in times of emergency. HMS Dauntless, the UK's most advanced destroyer, has also recently deployed to the region to support British Overseas Territories during hurricane season and counter drugs trafficking in the region. The ship and her company will shortly begin patrols, providing a first-response capability during the coming hurricane season as well as working and exercising with local services and authorities in the region. She will also work with the US Coast Guard and other agencies to counter illicit trafficking in the Caribbean Sea. Minister for the Armed Forces, Rt Hon James Heappey MP said: The deployment of HMS Dauntless is a demonstration of the UK's commitment to the safety and stability of the Caribbean and the British Overseas Territories, both in response to natural disasters and countering organised crime. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Minister SklenAr at NATO HQ in Brussels: "Our support for Ukraine is an investment in our own defence and security" Ministry of Defence of The Slovak Republic 15.06.2023 At the two-day NATO Defence Ministerial in Brussels, Defence Minister Martin SklenAr has been taking part today in a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings, with a particular focus on supporting Ukraine in the fight against Russia's unprecedented aggression and deepening defence industrial cooperation between Slovakia, Czechia and Ukraine. After holding a bilateral with his Dutch colleague Kajsa Ollongren to thank the Netherlands for its continued interest in Slovakia's security and seeking capacity reinforcement alternatives, Defence Minister SklenAr is still to meet his German counterpart Boris Pistorius for another bilateral later today. During a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) and a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC), defence leaders of selected countries paid their attention to the current priorities of our eastern neighbour. "Our support for Ukraine is long-standing and we see it as an investment in our own defence and security. We must continue to aid Ukraine, which is further confirmed by the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam - this shows how important it is for Ukraine to restore control over its territory," Minister SklenAr said. In addition to that, he also reiterated Slovakia's support for the European Commission (EC)'s initiative to speed up and increase the production of artillery munitions. He added that there is a chance for SVK defence firms to get significant EU funding to ramp up the production of munitions to restock ammunition warehouses and to meet the needs of Ukraine. One crucial conclusion of today's meeting is that Ukraine has joined forces with Slovakia and Czechia to collaborate on the procurement and operation of the Swedish-made CV90. To support this aim, the Slovak, Czech and Ukrainian Defence Ministers have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which provides a framework for the nations to forge closer cooperation on the CV90 capability. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address War in Ukraine - Military support for Ukraine Germany - Federal Government Germany provides support for Ukraine by supplying equipment and weapons, these come from supplies of the Federal Arms Forces and from deliveries from industry financed from the Federal Government's funds for security capacity building. An overview. Wednesday, 21 June 2023 This list provides an overview of military assistance provided by the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine. It includes deliveries from the Federal Armed Forces, from industry and assistance measures together with partners, which have, inter alia, been financed from Federal Government funds for security capacity building. Funding for the security capacity building initiative amounts to 5.4 billion Euros for 2023 (after 2 billion Euros for 2022) and additional authorisations to enter commitments in the following years amounting to 10.5 billion Euros. These funds are to be used primarily for military assistance to Ukraine. At the same time, they will be used for re-filling Federal Armed Forces stocks for items delivered to Ukraine as well as for Germany's contributions to the European Peace Facility (EPF), from which costs incurred from providing military assistance to Ukraine can be re-imbursed to EU member states. Delivered military support to Ukraine: (Changes compared to the previous update in bold) Armoured fighting vehicles 8 tracked all-terrain vehicles Bandvagn 206 (BV206)* ammunition for LEOPARD 1* 18 LEOPARD 2 A 6 main battle tanks with ammunition (German share in joint project with further LEOPARD 2 operators) 40 infantry fighting vehicles MARDER with ammunition (from Bundeswehr and industry stocks*) 50 MRAP vehicles DINGO 54 M113 armoured personnel carriers each with 2 MG* (systems of Denmark, upgrades financed by Germany) 118 MG3 for LEOPARD 2, MARDER and DACHS Spare parts for LEOPARD 2 and MARDER Air defence 55,000 rounds ammunitions for self-propelled anti-aircraft guns GEPARD 1 air surveillance radar TRML-4D* 2 air defence system Iris-T SLM* Iris-T SLM missiles* air defence system PATRIOT with missiles 34 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns GEPARD including circa 6.000 rounds of ammunition* 4,000 rounds practice ammunitions for self-propelled anti-aircraft guns 500 Man Portable Air Defense Systems STINGER 2,700 Man Portable Air Defense Systems STRELA Artillery 24,500 projectiles 155mm (before: 23,500) 155mm precision guided ammunition* 5 multiple rocket launchers MARS II with ammunition (German share in joint project with USA and Great Britain) ammunition for multiple rocket launchers MARS II 14 self-propelled howitzers Panzerhaubitze 2000 (German share in joint project with the Netherlands) 20 rocket launchers 70mm on pick-up trucks with rockets* counter battery radar system COBRA* Military Engineering Capabilities 4 armoured engineer vehicles DACHS* 4 mine clearing tanks WISENT 1* 8 bridge-laying tanks BEAVER* 11 mobile and protected mine clearing systems* 15 armoured recovery vehicles Bergepanzer 2* 2 armoured recovery vehicles Bergepanzer 3 3 mobile, remote controlled and protected mine clearing systems* 17 heavy and medium bridge systems* 6 palettes material for explosive ordnance disposal Protective and Special Equipment 152 border protection vehicles* (before: 146) 68 reconnaissance drones VECTOR* 93 drone detection systems* 40 frequency range extensions for anti-drone devices* 1 communications electronic scanner/jammer systems* 32 reconnaissance drones* 42 mobile antenna mast systems* 40 laser target designators* 55 anti-drone sensors and jammers* 10 unmanned surface vessels* 10 anti-drone guns* 28,000 combat helmets 125 binoculars 600 safety glasses 1 radio frequency system 3,000 field telephones with 5.000 cable reels and carrying straps 353 night vision goggles* 12 electronic anti-drone devices* 165 field glasses* 38 laser range finders* 6 mobile decontamination vehicles HEP 70 including decontamination material 10 HMMWV (8x ground radar capability, 2x jamming/anti drone capability)* 7 radio jammers* 8 mobile ground surveillance radars and thermal imaging cameras* 1 high frequency unit with equipment* Logistics 25 truck tractor trains 8x8 HX81 and 20 semi-trailers* (before: 23/18) 108 trucks Zetros* 14 tracked and remote controlled infantry vehicles THeMIS* 4 load-handling trucks 8x6 with 20 roll of containers* 288 vehicles (trucks, minibuses, all-terrain vehicles) 179 Pick-ups* 12 tank transporter tractor M1070 Oshkosh* 26 load-handling trucks 15t* 35 load-handling trucks 8x8 30 protected vehicles* 10 roll off containers Combat Readiness and Survivability 11,000 group module rations 83,520 rounds ammunition 40mm* 160,000 first aid kits* 103,000 tourniquets 500 pistols SFP9* 2 hangar tents* 8 lift trucks* 295 generators 10 winter camouflage nets 168 mobile heating systems* 36 ambulances* 36,400 wool blankets 14,000 sleeping bags Mi-24 spare parts* spare parts for heavy machine gun M2 200 tents 116,000 winter jackets 80,000 winter trousers 240,000 winter hats 405,000 pre-packaged military Meals Ready 67 fridges for medical material* 3,000 anti-tank weapons Panzerfaust 3 with 900 firing devices 14,900 anti-tank mines (9,300* from industry stocks) 22 million rounds of ammunition for fire arms 50 Bunkerfaust with 15 firing devices 100 machine gun MG3 with 500 spare barrels and breechblocks 100,000 hand grenades 5,300 explosive charges 100,000 m detonating cord and 100.000 detonators 350,000 detonators 100 auto-injector devices 15 palettes military clothing 1,200 hospital beds 18 palettes medical material, 60 surgical lights protective clothing, surgical masks 1 field hospital (project jointly financed with Estonia)* medical material (inter alia back packs, compression bandages) Diesel and gasoline* 10 tons AdBlue* 500 medical gauzes* MiG-29 spare parts* 7,944 man-portable anti-tank weapons RGW 90 Matador* Military support to Ukraine in planning/in execution (due to security concerns, the Federal Government abstains from providing details on transportation modalities and dates until after handover) Armoured fighting vehicles 64 tracked all-terrain vehicles Bandvagn 206 (BV206)* 66 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC)* 110 LEOPARD 1 main battle tanks* (project jointly financed with Denmark) 20 infantry fighting vehicles MARDER* ammunition for LEOPARD 1* ammunition for MARDER* Air defence PATRIOT missiles 6 air defence system IRIS-T SLM* Iris-T SLM missiles* 12 launchers Iris-T SLS* Iris-T SLS missiles (from Bundeswehr and industry stocks*) 7 air surveillance radars TRML-4D* 18 self-propelled anti-aircraft guns GEPARD* 300,000 rounds of GEPARD ammunition Artillery 26,350 projectiles 155mm* 155mm precision guided ammunition* 18 wheeled self-propelled howitzers RCH 155* 16 self-propelled howitzer Zuzana 2* (project jointly financed with Denmark and Norway) Military Engineering Capabilities 5 bridges for bridge-laying tanks BEAVER* 18 bridge-laying tanks BEAVER* 3 mobile and protected mine clearing systems* 38 mine clearing tanks WISENT 1* 1 armoured engineer vehicles DACHS* 3 heavy and medium bridge systems* Protective and Special Equipment 357 reconnaissance drones VECTOR* 121 reconnaissance drones* 10 unmanned surface vessels* 40 ground surveillance radars* 1 Satcom surveillance system* 2000 portable light systems* 8 mobile antenna mast systems* 5 mobile reconnaissance systems (on vehicles) * 348 border protection vehicles* vehicle decontamination system 11 communications electronic scanner/jammer systems* Logistics 12 tank transporter tractor M1070 Oshkosh* 30 tank trucks (water/fuel)* 3 load-handling trucks 8x6 with 8 roll of containers* 65 heavy duty trailer trucks 8x8 HX81 and 70 semi-trailers* 2 tractors and 4 trailers* 10 protected vehicles* 92 trucks Zetros* Combat Readiness and Survivability 340,000 first aid kits* 13 ambulances* continuing deliveries of medical material* 100 machine guns MG5* 100 grenade launchers GMG* 17 mobile heating systems* 132,480 rounds ammunition 40mm for grenade launchers* field hospital (role 2)* 5,032 man-portable anti-tank weapons* * Deliveries from industry stocks financed by German funds for security capacity building. Some of the deliveries require upgrades or productions is ongoing; also training measures take place. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Recovery Conference: President von der Leyen and Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis showcase strong EU support with new a50 billion Ukraine Facility and a800 million in agreements to mobilise investment for Ukraine's recovery European Commission Press release 21 June 2023 London At the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 in London, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presented the details of the Commission's proposal for a new Ukraine Facility that, if adopted by the European Parliament and Council of the EU, will mobilise up to a50 billion over four years in the form of both grants and loans. The Facility will support Ukraine's efforts to sustain macro-financial stability, promote recovery as well as rebuild and modernise the country, whilst also implementing key reforms on its EU accession track between 2024 and 2027. The Facility underscores the EU's steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia's ongoing war of aggression and on its path towards EU membership. In the margins of Conference, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis, together with the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Werner Hoyer, the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Odile Renaud-Basso, and the Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Makhtar Diop, signed agreements worth over a800 million to mobilise private investment for the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine's economy. The agreements, which are supported by the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus, the financing arm of NDICI-Global Europe, underscore the joint international commitment to mobilise the private sector for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. These agreements are separate to the new Ukraine Facility, which is expected to be operational in 2024. Five agreements to finance recovery of Ukraine's economy, energy and municipal infrastructure: The signed agreements will support private sector participation in Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. They will mobilise funds for war insurance and provide guarantees that de-risk finance for the Ukrainian private sector, including small enterprises, agri-business and women-led companies: EU4Business Guarantee for Micro Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: new agreement with the EIB Group to provide a40 million in EU guarantees, including a30 million for Ukraine that will unlock a375 million in loans for small and micro-entrepreneurs. The rest will be made available to banks in Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Facility for SMEs - Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA): further a125 million in new loans for SMEs from Ukrainian banks will be made possible thanks to an adjustment to an ongoing risk-sharing programme funded by the EU and implemented by the EIB Group. Fast Recovery Loans - EU for Ukraine (EU4U) Initiative: a100 million of new EIB financing to Ukraine guaranteed by the EU in sovereign loans for fast recovery, including urgent repairs to municipal and energy infrastructure Small Loan Guarantee Programme: up to a200 million in financing from Ukraine's financial institutions to smaller businesses, with a focus on agribusiness and women-owned enterprises thanks to a partnership between the EU and IFC aimed to de-risk investments by the private sector. Grant to Kremenchuk City under the Ukraine Energy Efficiency Fund & Crisis Response Programme: a1.1 million in EU grants channelled through the IFC to Kremenchuk City Council to help renovate municipal buildings to accommodate hundreds of internally displaced people who fled the areas damaged by Russia's aggression. New partnership towards war-risk insurance for investment into Ukraine's reconstruction and international trade: War Insurance Pilot Scheme - Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Guarantee: The Commission has expressed interest to support an innovative pilot scheme by the EBRD, considering to mobilise its guarantee funding. The scheme aims at bridging market failures to facilitate access to war insurance for Ukrainian and international companies. The guarantees will protect future private investments as well as insure international shipping and trade against war-risks. Also, in the margins of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 in London, the first in person meeting of the Steering Committee of the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine co-chaired by the European Commission, the United States and Ukraine advanced on its extensive work to ensure that Ukraine's urgent priority needs for 2023 are met and matched by donor commitments. The Steering Committee also discussed next steps for further coordination on Ukraine's reform agenda. The EU will work with Ukraine on a plan for investments and reforms to be supported under the new Ukraine Facility, that can serve to guide other donors' assistance for Ukraine. Background Russia's aggression against Ukraine continues to cause terrible human suffering, massive destruction of infrastructure and major disruption of the economy. The European Union (EU) and its Member States have demonstrated unprecedented unity in condemning Russia's actions and providing support to Ukraine. The EU, its Member States and European Financial Institutions, in a Team Europe approach, have made available over a70 billion in wide ranging support to Ukraine and its people as of May 2023. The new Ukraine Facility will support Ukraine's efforts to sustain macro-financial stability, promote short-term recovery as well as rebuild and modernise the country whilst implementing key reforms on its EU accession track. It will support the transition towards green, digital and inclusive economy that is progressively aligned with EU rules and standards. The Commission welcomes the progress Ukraine is making to address the seven reform priorities identified in its Opinion on Ukraine's membership application, despite the difficult situation on the ground due to Russia's war of aggression, which shows that Ukraine is taking seriously the accession process. The Commission will give an oral update to the Council on the progress made by Ukraine at the upcoming informal General Affairs Council on 22 June and stands ready to further assist Ukraine in making sustained progress in the coming months. The Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine was launched on 26 January 2023 with its inaugural Steering Committee meeting. It brings together high-level officials from Ukraine, the EU, the G7 countries, as well as partners from International Financial Institutions, notably the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, to coordinate efforts to address Ukraine's financing needs, both in the short to medium-term. The Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 in London focused on mobilising international support for Ukraine's economic and social stabilisation and recovery from the effects of war. In particular, the conference focused on the emergency assistance for immediate needs and financing of private sector participation in Ukraine's reconstruction process. It follows the international conferences held in Paris, Berlin and Lugano. The support to the War Insurance Pilot Scheme comes as part of the London Conference Framework on War Risk Insurance, that set the vision on how mechanisms to insure against political, including war-related, risks can play a supportive role in unlocking the flow of private investment needed to sustain Ukraine's economy during the war, as well as support Ukraine's early recovery and longer-term reconstruction. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Keynote speech by President von der Leyen at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 European Commission Speech 21 June 2023 London "Check against delivery" Prime Minister Sunak, dear Rishi, Prime Ministers, Ministers, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Every day, we see the devastation brought by Russia to Ukraine. The people of Ukraine are enduring every horror and from every direction: From the sky - fire rains; from the ground - they watch their towns sink underwater. Russia fires missiles at innocent civilians for no other reason than one man's delusional attempt to restore a lost empire. But every day, we see also something else. This is what I witnessed firsthand when I last visited the country just over a month ago. I saw a country that does everything possible to rise from the ashes of war. Every day, Ukrainians show us what they are fighting and dying for. They show it on the battlefield. They show it on their streets. They show it in the classrooms. They are fighting for their future, for a Ukraine free from Russian invaders, for a Ukraine that decides its own destiny, for a Ukraine rebuilt and revitalised. In just over a year, Ukrainians have cleared rubble from 2,000 kilometres of roads, rebuilt over 40 bridges, renewed 900 train stations and depots. All of this while fighting a war for their own survival. But Ukrainians are not just restoring what used to be. They show us how they are already reshaping their country. Ukrainians are reimagining their future amidst all the loss, the pain and the suffering. Let me tell you about Irpin's School Number 17. Shrapnel damaged the school's roof, destroyed its walls, and broke all its windows and destroyed the heating system. And so, when children came back to their lessons, they did so in unimaginable cold, until a local NGO stepped in with a simple and creative solution. They installed solar panels on the roof, so children could learn in warmth. This small but meaningful use of clean energy to revitalise everyday life is just one example of how Ukraine is not just rebuilding but reimagining itself. Ukraine has stunned us with their bravery. They have inspired us with their ingenuity. And they have awed us with the way they are transforming their country in pursuit of their dream. And dear friends, it is this dream of a cleaner, greener, more modern Ukraine that will be the lasting legacy of this war. And it is our responsibility to help make this happen. Because Ukrainians are fighting not just for their sovereignty but also for us, for our freedom, for our values. We can never match their sacrifice. But we can and we do all stand united, coordinated and resolute that Ukraine must win, will win and has our support, not just for as long as it takes to secure peace but for the country they are imagining. A country that attracts foreign investment. A country that is master of its future. A country that is a member of the European Union. Together, we will support Ukraine not as individual nations but as a coordinated community, organised under an innovative Platform. A Platform that will channel support to the reforms and priorities that will make imagination reality. Today, we gather here to tell Ukrainians that their dream is also our dream. In January, we created the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform. It is a first of its kind in the history of international aid. It brings together Ukraine, the G7, the EU, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the IMF and the World Bank. It creates a single focal point for international donors to guarantee that support goes exactly where Ukraine needs it most. The European Commission is contributing EUR 18 billion already this year. Together with other donors, we closed Ukraine's budget gap for 2023 so that Ukrainians can continue to pay salaries, pensions and for healthcare. This is for Ukraine's immediate needs. But let us talk about the future. I believe the European Union has a special responsibility. The reason is simple: When Ukrainians imagine their future, they see Europe's flag flying over their cities. And I have no doubt that Ukraine will be part of our Union. So today, I want to announce two new steps. The first is about Ukraine's reforms and its path towards EU membership. Despite the war, Ukraine has accelerated its reform agenda with impressive speed and resolve. We, in the European Union, want to match efforts and dedication. This is why today, the European Commission presents a new oral update on the progress Ukraine made on judicial reform, on anti-corruption, on new laws for media and national minorities. This reporting shows the goal is in sight and we will work with Ukraine to get over the finish line. And with these reforms, Ukraine also sends a powerful message to private investors: They will get the transparency, the fairness and the functioning institutions they need to invest in Ukraine. And this is especially important because we need the private sector to step up, too. Because it is the private sector, with its invaluable expertise and financial firepower, that will help Ukraine realise its dreams. Which brings me to my last point. We want to match Ukrainian reforms with European investments. For every step Ukraine takes towards us, the European Union must take a step towards Ukraine. Yesterday the European Commission proposed to create a new Facility for Ukraine within the budget of the European Union. It will ensure constant financial support until 2027. The Facility will be financed in three ways: with grants from the EU budget; with loans raised on capital markets; and eventually with proceeds from the immobilised Russian assets. We will come with a proposal for these assets before the summer break. Now, what are the estimated needs? Until 2027, Ukraine's remaining fiscal gap is about EUR 60 billion. The needs for fast recovery are about EUR 50 billion. That makes in total EUR 110 billion until 2027 that are not covered. Therefore, yesterday I proposed to EU Member States to cover 45% of this gap - this is in total EUR 50 billion for Ukraine. We will work with Ukraine on a corresponding plan for investment and reforms. This plan could also become an anchor for all international donors, including the private sector. This will help our coordination and maximise our impact. This is what we mean when we say that we are with Ukraine for as long as it takes. Ladies and Gentlemen, Putin shattered peace on our continent on 24 February in 2022. But he triggered Ukraine's journey towards its dream. And it is our job - our duty - to the Ukrainians who have paid the ultimate sacrifice that we ensure that this reimagined future becomes reality - brick by brick, house by house, school by school. We are by Ukraine's side for the long haul. Slava Ukraini, Long live Europe. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Speech by Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the opening of the Ukraine Recovery Conference Germany Federal Foreign Office 21.06.2023 - Speech "The only thing I wish for is to go back to school, play volleyball with my friends and live a normal life." This is what a teenager, sixteen years old, said to me when I met her in Kharkiv in January - at a warming centre in the midst of a city destroyed by Russian bombs, with temperatures at minus 15 degrees. She told me how counting to 45 had become part of her daily life - since the start of the Russian war of aggression. Because it takes 45 seconds for Russian missiles to hit Kharkiv after you hear the sirens. 45 seconds - if you are lucky, that is enough time to get your little brother or your grandmother to safety. But 45 seconds - that is not enough for a normal life. 45 seconds is not enough to go to school. 45 seconds is not enough to play volleyball. I believe that today's conference is about this teenager in Kharkiv and the boys and girls of her generation - it is about supporting Ukraine to build a future in which all Ukrainians will once again live in freedom, security and peace. From the moment Russia began its ruthless war of aggression on the 24th of February last year, all of us in this room have stood resolutely by the side of Ukraine - by the Ukrainians' right to defend themselves. This commitment does not stop here. For the German Government, and for all the other governments gathered here, this commitment stands - for as long as it takes. Together, we are countering President Putin's war of aggression with a rebuilding campaign - united in defence, united in rebuilding. We continue to support Ukraine financially, politically and with weapons. We want Ukraine to win this war - and to win peace. That's why we have made it clear that Ukraine, too, belongs to the European family - and as the Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, this morning's update by the European Commission on Ukraine's reform efforts shows that Ukraine is making commendable progress - despite the war. Ukraine will eventually become a member of the European Union. With our partners, we're also working towards greater political and practical cooperation between Ukraine and NATO. And my colleague Minister for Development Svenja Schulze and I have come here today to underline that the German Government is stepping up its efforts for Ukraine's recovery. This recovery starts with humanitarian support: Germany will provide Ukraine with an additional 381 million euro in humanitarian assistance in 2023 - for everything from generators to food and tents for those who have recently fled or lost their homes. We will continue our demining work - since there can be no peace in places where people live in constant fear of their children stepping on a landmine while playing. This support comes on top of the total recovery assistance being provided by our Foreign Office, Ministry for Development, Ministry for Economic Affairs and many other authorities in the German Government. Because, yes, recovery is about money. It needs to be. Since the beginning of Russia's war, Germany has provided 16.8 billion euro in support of efforts related to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, including military aid. And we applaud those countries who, also in terms of their GDP, have made similar contributions. But when we look at long-term reconstruction, money is not enough. We want to support Ukraine in "building back better", as we called it at last year's Recovery Conference in Lugano and also in Italy. This means that as its power sector is rebuilt, we're helping Ukraine to invest in renewables and energy efficiency - in a recovery that is green and therefore longer-lasting and sustainable. Also, reconstruction is a collective effort that will only succeed if public and private actors work together - as you, James, have said many times. Despite the war and its damage to Ukraine's economy, many German companies continue to operate in Ukraine - in the healthcare, energy, food and water sectors. And they see reconstruction as an opportunity for growth. I applaud them for this. They not only provide goods, services and jobs -they provide trust in the future of Ukraine. As the German Government, we're therefore supporting them with national investment guarantees - because, yes, this is also political. And we call on others to follow suit - so that companies do not shy away from investing in Ukraine. Finally, I'm convinced that we need to link Ukraine's recovery even more to the EU accession process. Our goal is to help rebuild a Ukraine that is "fit for the EU". We stand ready to support Ukraine in its reform efforts on the path towards membership. That's why Ukraine's EU accession process will be a special focus at next year's Recovery Conference that will be held in Germany - to make recovery a truly European endeavour. Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues and friends, We do not know when Russia will stop its brutal war of aggression - that is in the hands of the one man who started this war. But what we do know, and what we promise, is: We will continue supporting Ukraine's recovery - and we will continue helping Ukraine to win this war, and to win peace. So that every teenage girl in Ukraine can do what teenage girls in the rest of Europe do every day: Go to school without fear. Play volleyball with their friends without counting to 45. Simply live a normal life in peace and freedom. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Finland has already delivered 238 truckloads of civilian material assistance to Ukraine Finnish Government Ministry of the Interior 21.6.2023 Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Finland has delivered civilian material assistance to Ukraine. This assistance has consisted mainly of donations from the private and public sectors. The Ministry of the Interior is coordinating the provision of assistance to Ukraine through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. Finland has already delivered 238 truckloads of material assistance to Ukraine through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. A total of 51 vehicles, such as ambulances, fire engines and buses, have also been sent to Ukraine. Finnish experts have also helped in the situation and worked in countries neighbouring Ukraine, such as Moldova, where they have participated in the coordination of material assistance provided through the Mechanism. - Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues and the situation is very difficult for those living in the middle of the war. Since the start of the war, Finland has provided Ukraine with much-needed material assistance, says Pauliina Eskola, Director of International Affairs from the Ministry of the Interior. There is a great need for civilian material assistance in Ukraine. The invasion, which has now continued for more than a year, has caused extensive damage to Ukraine's infrastructure. Destruction of the Kakhovka dam created a separate acute need for assistance - Because of systematic attacks on the country's infrastructure, there is an acute need for assistance relating to the energy sector, for example. The destruction of the Kakhovka dam on 6 June has created a separate acute crisis within the wider war, where there is the greatest need for water supply, food, rescue equipment and temporary accommodation, for example, says Heikki Honkanen, Senior Coordinator from the Ministry of the Interior. The purpose of the assistance provided by Finland is to respond to Ukraine's needs. Most recently, Finland has delivered supplies for the energy sector, hospital supplies, rescue service equipment and buses to Ukraine. - Supporting Ukraine is a long-term process that is not expected to end in the near future. The Ministry of the Interior is continuously putting together new civilian material assistance packages, Eskola says. The Ministry of the Interior would like to thank all those who have donated civilian material assistance for their significant help. Our support for Ukraine will continue. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Minister Zbigniew Rau attends the Ukraine Recovery Conference Republic of Poland - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 21.06.2023 Hosted by London on 21-22 June, the conference gathered representatives of governments, business circles, and civil society committed to support Ukraine in its implementation of a programme of reforms and democratic pursuits. In the opinion of Minister Rau, who represented Poland at the conference in place of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the most important goal of the attendees is to prepare a political, legal and financial basis which will make it possible to lend comprehensible assistance to Ukraine in its reconstruction. "The key areas of our cooperation with Kyiv should be logistics and transport owing to a well-developed infrastructure of border crossings. Our considerable experience of presence on the Ukrainian market is also our asset," said Minister Rau. The head of Polish diplomacy added that over two thousand Polish companies declared their readiness to take part in Ukraine's reconstruction, which can do so together with foreign partners. In Minister Rau's view, credit support offered by PKO Bank Polski to Ukrainian small and medium-sized enterprises also plays an important role. In addition, the Polish MFA head remarked that Ukraine, destroyed as a result of an invasion by the Kremlin, in recent weeks has also suffered from the consequences of a flood caused by the blowing up of the dam spanning the Dnipro river in Nova Kakhovka by Russians. "The magnitude of the disaster is overwhelming," pointed out the minister, adding that Moscow should bear financial responsibility for its crimes, compensating Kyiv for the damage it caused. Furthermore, the head of Polish diplomacy emphasised that the successful reconstruction of Ukraine is in the interest of the whole Europe. The foreign minister added that Ukraine should become a member of the European Union as soon as possible. "We can see that even in times of war the authorities in Kyiv are fulfilling the obligations related to launching accession negotiations with the European Union. We hope that by the end of 2023 the EU countries will make a favourable decision on this matter and the membership talks with Ukraine will become a reality," stated Minister Rau. MFA Press Office NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Update 167 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine International Atomic Energy Agency 59/2023 Vienna, Austria 21 Jun 2023 Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is planning to resume pumping water that still remains accessible despite a major loss of water in the Kakhovka reservoir caused by the destruction of the downstream dam earlier this month, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today. For the past two weeks, Europe's largest nuclear power plant (NPP) has received the cooling water it needs from the reserves held by a discharge channel of the nearby Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP). This is separate from the reservoir, whose water level has plunged since the dam was severely damaged on 6 June. Water from this channel is used to supply the ZNPP's spray ponds which are cooling the six shut down reactors and spent fuel storage. This water also keeps a separate large cooling pond at the plant full, mainly compensating for evaporation. As a result, and in line with expectations, the channel's water level has been declining by up to 10 centimetres per day and is currently measured at just over 17 metres. The water in this channel is still projected to provide cooling for many weeks. Also, the IAEA team of experts at the site was informed by the plant that the ZNPP spray ponds are also replenished through pumping from a drainage system fed by underground water in the area of the ponds. The ZNPP is now preparing to replenish the ZTPP discharge channel, either by pumping water from the ZTPP inlet channel, which was the normal practice prior to the dam damage, or from a body of water in the ZNPP port. The latter was created months ago by dredging the bottom of the port to ensure that some water was retained in case the water levels in the reservoir dropped below the level where water could be fed from the ZTPP inlet channel. Pumping additional water into the discharge channel would give the ZNPP more time until it may be required to use the much larger cooling pond. "Together, the large cooling pond, the smaller spray ponds, and the discharge channel have sufficient water for some months, but the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is also taking action to preserve and replenish these reserves as much as possible," said Director General Grossi, who travelled to the facility last week to assess the increasingly challenging nuclear safety and nuclear security situation there. "It is also exploring alternative ways of getting water." At the same time as the plant is grappling with such water-related challenges, the military situation has become increasingly tense amid reports of a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the same southern region where the currently Russian-controlled ZNPP is located. The IAEA has increased its presence at the ZNPP in order to monitor compliance with the five basic principles for protecting the plant during the military conflict that were established by Director General Grossi at the United Nations Security Council in late May. Adding to the potential dangers facing the plant, the ZNPP remains dependent on a single operational 750 kilovolt (kV) power line for the external electricity it needs for reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety and security functions, compared with four before the armed conflict in Ukraine. The ZNPP continues to lack back-up power in case the main 750 kV line is lost again - as has happened repeatedly since the military conflict began - as the last remaining 330 kV line was disconnected nearly four months ago. The ZNPP continues to receive estimated reconnection dates, from Ukraine, which are not met. The Director General visited the 330 kV open switchyard at the ZTPP last week where he saw significant damage which was attributed to previous incidents and also remnants of what he was informed were parts of drones which targeted this area. The IAEA is aware of reports of mines having been placed near the cooling pond. No mines were observed at the site during the Director General's visit, including the cooling pond. However, the IAEA is aware of previous placement of mines outside the plant perimeter, which the Agency has previously reported, and also at particular places inside - which security personnel at the plant explained were for defensive purposes. "Our assessment of those particular placements was that while the presence of any explosive device is not in line with safety standards, the main safety functions of the facility would not be significantly affected. We are following the issue with great attention," Director General Grossi said. "The nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant is extremely fragile. The loss of the Kakhovka reservoir was a catastrophe for the region as a whole and has also added to the severe difficulties for this major nuclear power plant. Now more than ever, all sides must fully adhere to the IAEA's basic principles designed to prevent a nuclear accident. We will intensify our efforts to help ensure nuclear safety and security, while also providing assistance to the affected region in other ways," Director General Grossi added. The IAEA also has permanent teams of experts at Ukraine's other main nuclear facilities. It reported earlier this month that spent fuel transports from other NPPs to the centralized spent fuel storage at the Chornobyl site had begun, with the first shipment from Rivne having arrived at the Chornobyl site in May. Regarding that recent transfer from the Rivne NPP to Chornobyl, the IAEA was notified in advance in line with Ukraine's safeguards agreement and all required Agency safeguards measures and verification activities were undertaken, Director General Grossi said. The spent fuel was verified during loading into the casks and continuity of knowledge was maintained from the moment the spent fuel was placed into the casks at the Rivne NPP up to its final destination at the centralized spent fuel storage at Chornobyl where it remains under IAEA safeguards, he added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN chief calls for continuation of Black Sea grain deal People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:24, June 21, 2023 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on the parties to accelerate operations, pointing to the reduction in the movement of vessels coming in and out of Ukrainian sea ports, and a drop in the supply of essential foodstuffs to global markets. UNITED NATIONS, June 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday urged the parties to do their utmost to ensure the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allows the export of Ukrainian grain and other agricultural products from Black Sea ports. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Guterres also called on the parties to accelerate operations, pointing to the reduction in the movement of vessels coming in and out of Ukrainian sea ports, and a drop in the supply of essential foodstuffs to global markets. Food exports via the Black Sea have fallen from a peak of 4.2 million metric tonnes in October 2022 to 1.3 million metric tonnes in May, the lowest volume since the grain deal came into operation, according to the statement. The Black Sea Grain Initiative was signed separately by Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul with TArkiye and the United Nations in July 2022. The initiative, initially in effect for 120 days, was extended in mid-November 2022 for another 120 days till March 18, 2023. At that point, Russia only agreed to extend the deal for 60 days, till May 18, 2023. On May 17, Russia agreed to extend the deal for another 60 days. As a parallel agreement, Russia and the United Nations signed a memorandum of understanding on the facilitation of Russian food and fertilizer exports. The UN chief's statement said that the United Nations is fully committed to supporting the implementation of both the initiative and the memorandum of understanding, so that exports of food and fertilizers, including ammonia, from Russia and Ukraine reach markets around the world safely and predictably. "This is especially critical now as the new grain harvest begins in both Ukraine and the Russian Federation," said the statement. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia warns of Ukraine bid to strike Crimea with US, British missiles, vowing backlash Iran Press TV Wednesday, 21 June 2023 7:26 AM Russia has warned of Ukraine's plans to attack Russia-controlled Crimea with long-range American and British missiles, vowing fierce retaliation in case of such strikes. "The use of these missiles outside the zone of our special military operation would mean that the United States and Britain would be fully dragged into the conflict and would entail immediate strikes on decision-making centres in Ukraine," Russia's Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu emphasized on Tuesday. Speaking at a meeting of military officials, Shoigu further said Moscow possesses information that Kiev plans to strike Crimea with US-supplied HIMARS long-range rocket systems and British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014 and considers it outside the scope of its 'special military operation'- which is centered in eastern and southern Ukraine, where Ukraine is fighting to reclaim the territory. Kiev, which says it is fighting a colonial war for survival, has said it wants all its territory back, including Crimea, Russia's Black Sea naval base. Shoigu said that since June 4, Ukraine's armed forces have carried out 263 attacks on Russian positions, which Moscow regards as the start of Ukraine's counterattack. "Thanks to the smart and selfless actions of our units, all of them [the attacks] have been repelled. The enemy has not accomplished its goals," Shoigu said. Ukraine has claimed to have recaptured eight villages in the early stages of its counteroffensive, and a defense official has vowed that Kiev's "biggest blow" is yet to come despite heavy resistance from Russian forces. "At this time, our soldiers in the south and east are actively destroying the enemy, physically cleansing Ukraine," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly video message. Russia attacks Ukrainian cities in overnight air strikes Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials announced that Russia on Tuesday attacked military and infrastructure targets in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and across other parts of the country, including western regions far from the front lines. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian air defense has downed more than 30 Russian drones, as ground forces were destroying Russian forces in the two main theaters of the conflict, the east, and the south. Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement that Russian forces destroyed eight ammunition warehouses across Ukraine in the prior 24 hours and repelled Ukrainian attacks in three areas. The ministry further said that Ukrainian forces had tried to attack the Russian-held eastern city of Donetsk and the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, but had been repelled. Zelensky's office said drones attacked the Kiev region in several waves over more than four hours. On the other side, Ukrainian forces also attacked the Russian-controlled town of Nova Kakhovka in southern Kherson with drones on Tuesday, killing one woman and wounding four other civilians, local Russian authorities said. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, European countries have focused their attention on providing support to Kiev, both financially and militarily. Russian President Vladimir Putin has criticized Western states' policies, warning that they are increasing the risk of a global conflict. Putin also accused the West of exploiting Ukraine and using its people as cannon fodder against Russia. Moscow has repeatedly denounced the West's military support for Ukraine since the war began. The Kremlin asserts Western countries are only fanning the flames of war, adding that they do not seek to find a solution to end the conflict. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Expects To Secure Pledges Totaling $7 Billion At Reconstruction Conference By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service June 21, 2023 Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said he expects to secure almost $7 billion in aid for reconstruction, while President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Kyiv needs concrete commitments for projects that will help post-war development and further modernization. Shmyhal told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on June 21 that the war meant Kyiv faces the largest reconstruction project in Europe since World War II. He said the price tag for reconstruction would be more than $6 billion over the next 12 months, then later on Telegram he said he expects to secure almost $7 billion. "The key objective is to mobilize resources to finance rapid recovery," he said. At the conference, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU would give Ukraine 50 billion euros ($54.6 billion) for 2024-27, while U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken offered $1.3 billion in additional aid. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak unveiled measures including $3 billion of additional guarantees to unlock World Bank lending for Ukraine. The London conference is being attended by more than 1,000 public and private sector decision-makers. Addressing the event via video link, Zelenskiy welcomed the pledges but called for a transition to concrete proposals that could not only help Ukraine recover from the devastating conflict but also put it on the right track to becoming a strong member of the Western community. "At this conference, we must move from vision to agreements, and from agreements to real projects. There is a Ukrainian delegation in London that will present concrete things that we propose to do together," he said. Speaking in an interview on June 21, Ukraine's deputy prime minister for recovery said the main source of funds for the recovery should be the seized assets of the Russian Federation. Oleksandr Kubrakov, who is also minister of community development, territories and infrastructure, said seized assets held in countries that have provided Ukraine with military support should be used to help rebuild Ukraine. "For me, this is a logical step. They may be cautious in these steps now. and these are the kind of tools they would probably like to keep somewhere near the end of the war, but no one knows how long it will last. In order to return the country to normal life, we need these funds now," Kubrakov said in an interview with Ukrainian public broadcasting. He also noted that "ideally" the timing of the recovery process will coincide with Ukraine's accession to the European Union, noting that many Eastern European countries before joining the EU received "quite a lot of funding" for things like infrastructure. "They rebuilt their countries precisely with the help of EU funds. But I still believe that our main source is the funds of the Russian Federation," he said. The London gathering came hot on the heels of a fresh wave of Russian missile and drone strikes on several Ukrainian regions and the capital overnight. In the eastern Donetsk region -- the focal point of the war in the east over the past several months -- two civilians were killed over the past day by Russian shelling in Kostyantynivka, the regional head of the military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said on Telegram early on June 21. Russia targeted the Kyiv, Khmelnitskiy, Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, and Zaporizhzhya regions, and the Ukrainian air defense said it shot down 32 out of 35 Iranian-made drones -- 20 of them above the capital. Zelenskiy was quoted as saying that progress in Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces was "slower than desired," but that Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up. "Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It's not," he told the BBC in an interview. "What's at stake is people's lives." On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces have made some gains in their advance on the Zaporizhzhya towns of Melitopol and Berdyansk, Andriy Kovalev, a spokesman for the General Staff, said early on June 21 in a post on Ukraine's Military Media Center's Telegram channel. Ukrainian defenders continue to hold back the advance of Russian forces in the east of the country. "Especially heavy fighting" is under way near Lyman in Donetsk, he added. Fighting also continued in the Bakhmut, Kupyansk, Avdiyiyvka, and Maryinka areas of Donetsk, where 40 close-quarter battles were fought over the last day, the military said in a separate report early on June 21. RFE/RL cannot confirm reports of battlefield developments by either side in areas where the heaviest fighting is taking place. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-war- fresh-strikes-invasion/32468638.html Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Surovikin Defensive Line' Impregnable, Kiev Should Sue for Peace to Avoid Further Losses Sputnik News 20230621 Ilya Tsukanov The former head of Estonian foreign intelligence has acknowledged that Kiev's summer offensive has been brought to a standstill by the "long defensive lines along the entire length of the front" prepared by Russia. How have Russian troops been able to halt the NATO-trained, armed and equipped Ukrainian forces? Sputnik spoke to experts to find out. The colloquially named 'Surovikin Defensive Line' has thrashed Ukrainian forces, with the Russian military reporting thousands of enemy casualties and the destruction of nearly 200 tanks and over 400 armored vehicles over the past two weeks. Named after Sergei Surovikin, the Russian general who commanded the Joint Group of Forces in the Special Military Operation Zone last fall and winter, and who was charged with the task of preparing Russian defenses for a Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Surovikin Line consists of vast networks of zigzag infantry trenches, anti-tank dragon's teeth, berms and minefields across a frontline that stretches hundreds of kilometers. Kiev's long-awaited counteroffensive - expected since March, began in early June, and is now widely acknowledged to have bogged down, with even senior Ukrainian officials and their Western patrons admitting in recent days that Ukrainian forces have wasted significant resources and lives probing the highly-fortified Russian defensive lines. "The Ukrainians are yet to push deeply into Russian defensive lines," Rainer Sachs, the former head of Estonian Foreign Intelligence who until about a month ago believed that Kiev had been successful in "creating the preconditions" for an offensive, said this week. "Russia considers it very important to hold onto the southern part of the front, so more defensive lines have been built there," the intelligence analyst said. The term 'Surovikin Line' is actually a product of Western tabloid media, and was originally used to mock Russia's military preparations, and dismissed as "grandiosely senseless" and "completely insane in terms of uselessness - but wildly expensive in terms of execution cost." The past weeks have proven otherwise, with President Putin announcing late last week that despite some local gains, Ukrainian forces failed to penetrate even the first layer of the network of defensive lines anywhere along the front, instead becoming trapped and facing horrendous casualties. "US intelligence had predicted only modest territorial gains for the Ukrainian spring offensive because Russian defensive preparations have been so extensive," former US Army combat arms and HQ staff officer David T. Pyne told Sputnik. Citing reports that Ukrainian troops have taken ten times more casualties and lost three times more tanks than Russian forces in the past two weeks, Pyne said that "the longer the counteroffensive continues, the heavier Ukrainian casualties will be and the more vulnerable Ukraine will be to a Russian counteroffensive that could enable Russia to take control over western Donetsk [Region] and perhaps Kharkov [Region] as well." If that happens, Pyne said, "the peace terms Russia will offer will likely be significantly worse than the peace terms it is offering Ukraine today." Accordingly, he said, "Western leaders must face the reality that there is no chance Ukraine can defeat Russia and therefore we must negotiate the best deal for Ukraine we can get without further delay." Boyan Bilbia, a columnist and former editor at Politika, Serbia's oldest newspaper, says the last weeks have demonstrated that defeating the Russian defensive network "now looks like an absolutely impossible mission even for a much more powerful military force than Ukraine," and agreed with Pyne that Kiev and its backers should start peace negotiations immediately. "I think officials in Kiev understand that the long-awaited counteroffensive which has already been underway for several weeks and may last several more is unlikely to achieve any of the goals and objectives set," Bilbia told Sputnik Serbia, referencing the lofty goals of cutting off the so-called "land bridge" in Zaporozhye and Kherson connecting mainland Russia and Crimea. "It would be something out of the realm of science fiction if Kiev could, progressing at the same pace as they are now, turn the tide of hostilities, occupy Crimea and so on. It looks absolutely unrealistic. For Ukraine, it's better to start peace negotiations as soon as possible, because the situation for Kiev will continue to get worse and worse," the journalist predicted. Key to Success: 'Layered Defenses' The key to the success of Russia's defenses is their "layered defense of three lines," Bilbia said. "The defense of the first line is conducted not to the bitter end, but to the extent that it can be without losses. The Ukrainians were barely able to break through the first, 'simplest' layer in some areas of this three-layer line, which in some places has a depth of up to 30 km," he said. Lebanese military expert Amin Hteyt calls the Surovikin Line is "unique and unprecedented" in its construction and reliance on "a sequential plan that takes into account all possible attacks and actions of the enemy," and based on strongpoints which simultaneously allow for offensive and defensive operations.. "This made it possible [for Russia] to take the enemy by surprise, which sowed panic among Ukrainian fighters and led to their demoralization. They were virtually powerless in the face of continuous firepower which prevented them from making a breakthrough on the front line," Hteyt told Sputnik Arabic. "The line is based on the construction of both stationary and mobile defenses simultaneously, and is effective not only in fortified areas, but also has advantages in terms of fire and supporting troops moving in depth. The line is characterized by its unprecedented intensity of fire and the ability to move in three directions at once, which made it possible to destroy Ukrainian Armed Forces at several points. There is no possibility of a breakthrough by Ukrainian forces, since all existing lines adapt to an offensive and contain it extremely effectively," the observer said. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Loses Some 600 Military in 3 Directions in Past Day - Russian MoD Sputnik News 20230621 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine has lost some 600 military over the past day as a result of offensive attempts in the South Donetsk, Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. Over the past day, Ukrainian troops continued to attempt offensive operations in the South Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Donetsk directions. Russian troops carried out strikes on enemy units in the area of aathe Vremevka ledge, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Russia repelled two attacks by Ukraine in the Zaporozhye direction. "The total losses of the enemy in the South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions over the past day amounted to 200 Ukrainian military, eight tanks, six infantry fighting vehicles, 13 armored combat vehicles, three vehicles, two D-20 howitzers, a Msta-B howitzer, a self-propelled artillery system Gvozdika, as well as the Grad MLRS combat vehicle," the ministry said. Russian troops also repulsed 10 attacks by Ukrainian forces in the Donetsk direction in past the 24 hours, the ministry said. "During the hostilities, up to 400 Ukrainian military, one tank, two armored combat vehicles, and eight vehicles were destroyed," the statement read. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kremlin on Drone Attack in Moscow Region: Investigation Underway Sputnik News 20230621 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said that Kiev tried to carry out a terrorist attack on objects in the Moscow Region, adding that all UAVs were suppressed by means of electronic warfare. Electronic warfare means coped with their task in the Moscow Region, and an investigation into a drone attack is currently underway, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday. "Indeed, yes, there was a [drone] attack. The means to combat drones [electronic warfare] did their job, now the relevant authorities are investigating," Peskov told reporters. Russia has been maintaining a dialogue with Brazil on the settlement of the Ukraine conflict, but so far no achievements have been made with regard to the issue, Dmitry Peskov said. "Indeed, there is a dialogue, [the dialogue] is being maintained with Brazil. But, again, there are no specific developments or prerequisites for the successful implementation of such plans, unfortunately," Peskov told reporters. He added that preparations for the upcoming BRICS summit were on the agenda of the recent talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and discussions continue. "Preparations for the upcoming summit were on the agenda [of the Putin-Ramaphosa talks]. Discussions continue," Peskov told reporters. Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin will receive Prime Minister of Qatar Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani in Russia on June 22. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kiev's Attempted Terror Drone Attack on Moscow Region Thwarted, Russia Says Sputnik News 20230621 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Two drones crashed on approach to the warehouses of a military base in Russia's Moscow Region, Governor Andrey Vorobyov said on Wednesday. Kiev tried to carry out a terrorist attack on objects in the Moscow Region, using drones, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. "Today, an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack on objects in the Moscow region with three aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles was thwarted," the ministry said in a statement, adding that all UAVs were suppressed by means of electronic warfare. As a result of the failed terrorist attack, there were no casualties or damage, the statement read. Special services are currently working on the site and the scene has been cordoned off. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Blinken's Participation in the Ukraine Recovery Conference US Department of State Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesperson June 21, 2023 Secretary Blinken announced today in London at the Ukraine Recovery Conference jointly hosted by the United Kingdom and Ukraine that the United States, working with Congress, intends to provide an additional $1.31 billion in assistance to help Ukraine recover from Russia's ongoing assaults on the country. These new funds include general economic assistance, assistance to repair and modernize Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and support for Ukraine's commitment to energy sector reforms. The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine will announce specific details about this funding commitment for energy in the coming weeks. The United States believes that a just and lasting peace for Ukraine will be forged not only through Ukraine's long-term military strength, but also the strength of its economy, democracy, and people. The historic size and scope of the assistance the United States has provided, along with our allies and partners, represents the importance of Ukraine to the Euro-Atlantic community, and to our combined security and economic future. The Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform, launched in January following a G7 Leaders' commitment, is serving as the key vehicle for coordinating early recovery and reconstruction support and dialogue around reform with Ukraine. This new funding announcement is in addition to the approximately $63 billion in U.S. assistance provided to Ukraine since February 24, 2022, including: Economic and Development Assistance: Since February 24, 2022, the United States has provided approximately $19.3 billion in budget support for the Government of Ukraine through World Bank mechanisms. An additional $3.7 billion will be provided through September 2023. This additional assistance represents our continued commitment to assisting the Government of Ukraine in maintaining its operational capacity as it defends against Russia's brutal aggression. Along with budget support, the U.S. has provided approximately $1.4 billion to support economic resilience, energy security, governance, cybersecurity, anti-corruption efforts, health sector, and agriculture production. The United States is collaborating with Ukraine's other key donor and international financial institutions partners via the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform to ensure assistance for recovery and reconstruction is deployed in a strategic, impactful, and transparent way. Humanitarian Assistance: Since February 24, 2022, the United States has provided more than $2.1 billion in humanitarian assistance for the Ukraine response inside Ukraine and in the region - supporting critical needs such as safe drinking water, shelter, winterization services, livelihood assistance, sanitation, hygiene supplies, emergency health supplies, emergency food assistance, and protection services. Security Assistance: The United States has provided more than $40 billion since Russia launched its premeditated, unprovoked, and brutal war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the Ukraine Conference Session 1 US Department of State Remarks Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Intercontinental Hotel London, United Kingdom June 21, 2023 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Prime Minister Sunak, Prime Minister Shmyhal, thank you for bringing us together and bringing together such a broad and diverse coalition of governments, businesses, international financial institutions, civil society groups, all dedicated to Ukraine's recovery. As President Biden has said since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. And that includes being by Ukraine's side as it recovers from this catastrophic Russian aggression. It's easy sometimes to be a little numbed by what is going on day in, day out in Ukraine. We see the images flash by on our TV screens. We talk about the numbers. And sometimes what gets lost is the day-in, day-out human devastation that Russia is inflicting on Ukraine. And I think it's so important that even as we gather here today to talk in detail about what all of us are doing together with Ukraine to help it recover, we never lose sight of that human dimension, because at the end of the day that's what it's all about. Back in April, just one day in this devastating aggression, in the city of Uman - hundreds of miles from the front lines - another assault of Russian missiles on innocent Ukrainian civilians, on apartment buildings hundreds of miles away. In one of those buildings before dawn, a Russian missile struck. A father, Dmytro, in his apartment raced to his children's room. He opened the door to the room to try to see how his children - Kyrylo, 17, and Sophia, 11 - were doing. He opened the door to the room. It wasn't there anymore. His children were gone, two of the six children killed that one day - that one day in April - as a result of this ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Two of thousands killed through the course of this war, two lives interrupted, two stories stopped. That's what this is about every day. But as Russia continues to destroy, we are here to help Ukraine rebuild - rebuild lives, rebuild its country, rebuild its future. Recovery is about more than just ensuring people have what they need to survive - food to eat, water to drink, medicine to take, heat in the winter, electricity in all seasons. Recovery is about laying the foundation for Ukraine to thrive as a secure, independent country, fully integrated with Europe, connected to markets around the world; a democracy rooted in the rule of law; a place where all Ukrainians have dignity, human rights, the opportunity to reach their full potential. Every investment that we make in Ukraine's recovery is aimed at bringing Ukrainians closer to that reality. And today, I'm announcing that, with the support of the United States Congress, we will provide more than $1.3 billion in additional aid to help Ukraine toward that goal. (Applause.) We're going to invest over $520 million to help Ukraine overhaul its energy grid, more than half of which, as you've heard, has been destroyed by Russia - and in so doing make it cleaner, make it more resilient, make it more integrated with Europe. And we'll support Ukraine's energy market reforms to combat monopolies and to spur more private investment, which will enable Ukraine one day to become a major energy exporter. This support will complement the work that's already being done by the G7+ Coordination Group which we launched last October and have co-led ever since, first with Germany, now with Japan. That group has grown to include 18 countries and several multilateral institutions. Together we've allocated billions of dollars to help repair and rebuild Ukraine's energy sector. We've sent more than 5 million power generators to Ukraine - transformers, cables, pipes, circuit breakers, other pieces of energy equipment. The United States will also provide $657 million to help modernize Ukraine's border crossings, its rail lines, its ports, other critical infrastructure that connect the country with Europe, allowing it to exchange more goods by more pathways more and more efficiently. We'll direct an additional $100 million toward digitizing Ukraine's customs and other systems to boost speed and to cut corruption. And we'll commit $35 million to help Ukrainian businesses and entrepreneurs through financing and insurance that reduces risks for investors in Ukraine. This new support that I'm announcing today comes on top of more than $20 billion that the United States has provided in economic and development assistance to Ukraine's workers, its businesses, its public services to help them endure the 16 months of punishing conflict with unwavering bipartisan support from our Congress. Across this support, we're striving to build a Ukraine that's inclusive, that's accessible, so that people with disabilities can reach their full potential, which is in the interests of all Ukrainians. My announcement today also comes on top of the more than $2.1 billion in humanitarian assistance that we've provided to Ukraine and to the region to respond to Russia's war of aggression, including lifesaving aid for those affected by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam. Within hours of its breach, we mobilized support for evacuations; for emergency deliveries of food, of safe drinking water, of fuel, of medical aid. In the weeks since, we've continued to work with Ukraine in assisting the thousands of people who've been displaced, the hundreds of thousands whose water supply has been contaminated. And these are just the immediate consequences of the catastrophe that will probably wreak environmental and economic devastation for many months and indeed many years to come. Meanwhile, the United Nations has publicly called out Moscow for blocking the UN from delivering aid to civilians in the flooded areas that Russia illegally occupies, adding to Russia's long track record of denying humanitarian access, which is a requirement under international humanitarian law. In addition to our economic development and humanitarian assistance, the United States will continue to invest in Ukraine's long-term efforts to strengthen good governance, transparency, accountability. We'll bolster its justice sector and anti-corruption institutions, strengthen its civil society and its free press. These institutions and organizations empower Ukrainians to hold their government accountable, to check the power of vested interests, and they're crucial to ensuring that the unprecedented resources that all of us are providing are managed responsibly. The Ukrainian Government has made meaningful strides in bolstering these institutions, even as it fights for survival, and Kyiv has taken tangible and difficult steps to align its standards and practices with the European Union, particularly since the EU granted Ukraine candidate status a year ago. Earlier this month, Ukraine passed reforms to align its energy market regulations with the European Union, strengthening measures to combat market manipulation and insider trading. And we look forward to the Rada taking up anti-monopoly legislation very soon. Adopting these and other critical reforms to increase Ukraine's transparency, competitiveness - to bolster the rule of law - will help attract more private investment. And that is essential, and you heard it from my colleagues. Governments are doing a lot. International financial institutions are doing a lot. Both of us have a hugely important role to play in Ukraine's recovery. But it is not enough. Only the private sector can mobilize the level of investment necessary to meet the country's massive needs. The diverse participation of the private sector here today in this conference shows the growth opportunity that global firms and investors see in the future of Ukraine, in the future of its people. But make no mistake: All of these reforms and recovery efforts depend on Ukraine having the capacity to deter and defend against future attacks by Russia. That's why even as we invest in Ukraine's immediate and long-term recovery, we also have to build a Ukrainian military that is strong enough to protect Ukraine's sovereignty, its territorial integrity, and its independence - not just to defend Ukraine's land, but to defend all that Ukrainians are building and will build on that land. It's also why the United States is committed to working to build support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, the core elements of which I outlined a couple of weeks ago in Helsinki. Those include a peace that upholds the United Nations Charter and its fundamental principles - sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence - that addresses both accountability and reconciliation, that ensures Ukraine's full participation and assent, and that supports Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery. Even as we rally around Ukraine's recovery, we must not lose sight of why that is necessary in the first place. Indeed, even as we come together here in London, committed to supporting Ukraine's buildup, Russia continues to try to burn it down. So let's be clear: Russia is causing Ukraine's destruction, and Russia will eventually bear the cost of Ukraine's reconstruction. (Applause.) Until that time, we will continue to stand with the people of Ukraine as they make the greatest sacrifices to defend, to rebuild, to reimagine their country. And in doing so, we will reaffirm the principle at the heart of the international order, that people in every nation can write their own future free from aggression, free from coercion, free from intimidation. That is a recovery well worth our robust and enduring support. Thank you very much. (Applause.) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK announces new tech and insurance support for companies helping Ukraine rebuild New tech and war risk insurance support announced for businesses helping Ukraine rebuild after Russia's illegal invasion. 21 June 2023 UK hosts private companies and international partners at major Ukraine Recovery Conference to discuss how to better support Ukraine's reconstruction Government pledges up to A20 million boost for insurance for companies operating in Ukraine, unlocking crucial flow of private investment Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch to tell businesses government dedicated to unblocking issues which stop them unleashing their full entrepreneurial potential in Ukraine The UK has today announced a funding boost of up to A20 million for the World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantees Agency (MIGA) to help support more private sector investment in Ukraine to help the country rebuild. Russia's invasion has had a devastating toll on Ukraine's infrastructure, anticipated to cost $411 billion and take more than 10 years to reconstruct. A lack of insurance options that cover war-related losses is preventing a crucial flow of private investment. Thanks to the UK's funding, investors will have greater access to MIGA's SURE Trust Fund to de-risk investments in projects which address Ukraine's immediate reconstruction needs. The announcement came as more than 1,000 people across the private sector, public sector and international community attended the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said: Rallying businesses to action is at the heart of Ukraine's recovery and tackling the war insurance gap is fundamental to providing companies with the security they need to unlock their full entrepreneurial and ambitious potential. The UK stands firm in its support for Ukraine and its recovery from Putin's illegal invasion. We must work together, in collaboration with global partners and organisations, to succeed in this unparalleled reconstruction effort. Business and Trade Minister Nusrat Ghani said: Our announcements today give businesses and investors the fundamental tools they need to get directly involved in Ukraine's recovery from this horrific war. From war insurance, building connections between businesses, and deepening collaboration in tech, the Department for Business and Trade is committed to supporting Ukraine's long-term reconstruction needs. During the Ukraine Recovery Conference, the UK will publish the London Conference Framework, coordinated with international partners, to address the immediate insurance gap and drive action to scale up backing for Ukraine's recovery. A new insurance collaboration between private sector leaders - supported by Government's UK-Ukraine Private Finance Partnership - will complement this work. Professional services firm Aon and Lloyd's insurance market have today announced they will join forces with the Vienna Insurance Group, one of the largest insurers operating in Ukraine, to deliver fast-track access to foreign reinsurance capacity to support Ukraine's recovery. International and domestic companies working in Ukraine with manufacturing and construction risk exposure, excluding war cover, will be supported through this commitment. Building reinsurance capacity is key to ensuring businesses can continue day to day, supporting Ukraine's normal economic activity. Alongside this, the Department for Business and Trade has launched two separate initiatives to bolster Ukraine's business community. A new UK-Ukraine TechBridge was launched on Tuesday evening by Business and Trade Minister Nusrat Ghani ahead of its full rollout later this year. In partnership with the Government of Ukraine and private sector partners, the UK has developed the initiative from a Ukrainian proposal predating Russia's full-scale invasion. It will bring together the UK and Ukrainian tech sectors in a permanent physical space in London to harness opportunities for innovation and collaboration. The programme will have a focus on digital and business skills, ensuring ongoing professional development across the tech sector. The Department has also created Business Bridge Ukraine, a digital platform which connects Ukrainian businesses to global companies, enabling virtual networking and supporting recovery through sustainable and long-lasting commercial relationships. Julian David, CEO at techUK, said: We are delighted to announce today that we are taking our partnership with the Ukrainian tech sector to the next level. Through the launch of the UK-Ukraine Tech Bridge and our Memorandum of Understanding with our sister association, IT Ukraine, techUK is committed to help supercharge a tech-led recovery for the Ukrainian economy and society. Today marks the beginning of a new era of close cooperation between the UK tech sector and an incredibly dynamic, resilient, and competitive Ukrainian digital economy. Andriy Dekhtyar, Founder of Ukrainian company Rozdoum, said: The acquisition of Rozdoum by Adaptavist highlights the potential success of cross-border tech collaboration between the UK and Ukraine. Our relationship with Adaptavist has developed since 2017 and we've learned that our shared values make us a valuable partnership. Becoming part of The Adaptavist Group has provided Rozdoum with the security of being part of a larger, international group company, which has enabled us to accelerate our growth and strive for more with their added support and expertise. In unison with the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Ukraine Ministry of Health, the Department for Business and Trade is also leading a programme of work to support ongoing healthcare reforms in Ukraine to expand access to innovative medicines for the citizens of Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The UK will stand by Ukraine for however long it takes, Ukraine will win: UK statement to the OSCE UK military advisor, Ian Stubbs, says the UK and its allies are committed to providing Ukraine with the support it needs to defend itself and push Russia out of Ukraine. 21 June 2023 Thank you, Madam Chair. The catastrophic collapse of the Kakhovka Dam has impacted thousands of Ukrainian citizens. The dam was the region's main hydroelectric infrastructure and provided cities, towns, and villages across Southern Ukraine with much of their water supply. The loss of this water supply, as well as the direct impact of widespread flooding, will result in environmental, economic, humanitarian and development consequences that will be felt well into the future. Russia, which has controlled the area since just after the invasion, must bear full responsibility: none of the suffering caused would have happened if Russia had not launched an unprovoked and illegal war of aggression. Madam Chair, over the last ten days, Russia appears to have started relocating elements of its Dnipro Group of Forces (DGF) from the eastern bank of the Dnipro River to reinforce the Zaporizhzhia and Bakhmut sectors. This potentially involves several thousand troops from the 49th Army, including its 34th Separate Motorised Brigade, as well as Airborne Forces (VDV) and Naval Infantry units. We note that this redeployment likely reflects Russia's view that a major Ukrainian attack across the Dnipro is now less likely following the collapse of Kakhovka Dam and the resulting flooding. Madam Chair, when Putin launched his so-called "Special Military Operation" on 24 February 2022, he said Moscow had no plans seize Ukrainian territory. The Russian Ministry of Defence said its forces were not attacking cities and that their focus would be entirely on military infrastructure. They stated that the civilian population was not in danger. However, the thousands of Ukrainian civilians killed; cities and towns laid to waste; and evidence of unimaginable atrocities against men, women and children committed, expose the brutal reality of Russia's barbaric invasion and "scorched earth" policy in Ukraine. Russia repeatedly demonstrates complete disregard for International Humanitarian Law. Russia continues to launch wave after wave of missile and drone strikes against Kyiv and other towns and cities across Ukraine in an attempt to bring terror and suffering to the Ukrainian people. Russia continues to unleash horrendous violence on the people of Ukraine. They are despicable acts of vengeance against a people who had the courage and strength to stand up to a brutal and barbaric invader. Russia's horrific actions will not work, they will not compensate or distract from the terrible and enduring legacy Putin's horrific war of choice has created which millions of people will be forced to bear the cost of for years to come. Madam Chair, Russia's continued nuclear rhetoric, including the announced deployment of nuclear weapons and nuclear-capable systems on Belarusian territory, is designed to distract and deter us from supporting Ukraine. It will not work, and we again call on the Belarusian regime to desist from supporting Russia's attempts to stoke further instability in the region and stop its support of Russia's illegal invasion which is itself a clear violation of international law. Madam Chair, we do not underestimate the continuing threat posed by the Russian Federation but, in time, there will be cause for Ukraine to celebrate. Ukraine will continue to demonstrate their resolute courage, determination and enduring moral strength as they fight to liberate more of their homeland. The UK and the international community will remain steadfast in our support. On 13 June, at a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force, the UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced that the UK will commit a further A250 million to the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), as well as a new package of vital air defence capabilities worth A92 million. The equipment will be procured in the coming months through the IFU to bolster Ukraine's ability to protect its critical national infrastructure, civilian population, and front-line personnel. The package will provide radars to help protect from indiscriminate Russian strikes as well as guns and a significant amount of ammunition. Additionally, on 15 June, nearly 50 countries attended the 13th Ukraine Defence Contact Group coming together to support Ukraine. During that meeting, the defence ministries of Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA, announced a new fund which will deliver hundreds of vital air defence missiles to Ukraine. Delivery of this equipment has already begun and is expected to be completed within weeks. The package consists largely of Soviet-era missiles, supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine's most pressing needs for systems to support offensive operations and protect critical national infrastructure. Funding for air defences is the latest UK support for Ukraine to be announced, following the recent delivery of long-range Storm Shadow missiles, and the announcement from my Prime Minister last month that the UK is donating other air defence systems and long range attack drones. The UK has also committed an additional A60 million of funding to NATOs Comprehensive Assistance Package to support Ukraine. Madam Chair, the UK and our allies are committed to providing Ukraine with the support it needs to defend itself and push Russia out of Ukraine's sovereign territory. This is the swiftest, and only, path to a just and lasting peace. We will stand by Ukraine for however long it takes. Ukraine will win. Thank you. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address G7+ and Government of Ukraine Clean Energy Partnership At the URC, G7+ and Government of Ukraine commit to a Clean Energy Partnership for the Sustainable Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine's Energy System 21 June 2023 At the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, we, the members of the G7+ Coordination Group in support of Ukraine's Energy System[1] and the Government of Ukraine, commit to develop a Clean Energy Partnership to support the sustainable recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine. We firmly condemn Russia's illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia has launched relentless missile and drone strikes deliberately targeting civilian energy infrastructure, in an attempt to weaponise winter by crippling Ukraine's energy system and precipitating a humanitarian crisis. There must be no impunity for war crimes and other atrocities, such as Russia's attacks against civilians and critical civil infrastructure. All commanders, perpetrators and accomplices must be held to account. Despite these attacks, President Putin has failed to break the resolve of the Ukrainian people. Ukraine's energy workers have bravely carried out repairs and reconnected millions to heating and power. Without their tireless and courageous efforts, our collective support would not have been as impactful. G7+ partners have made concerted efforts to support Ukraine's energy system by providing significant emergency assistance to mitigate the effects of Russia's attacks. The G7+ have also supported electricity operators with emergency finance, partnered with international organisations and called on our respective private sectors to help where they can. We will continue to support Ukraine in this way as it focuses on maintaining and stabilising its energy system and preparing for next winter. The G7+ also commits to supporting Ukraine's goal of building a more modern, secure, decentralised, and cleaner energy system fit for a Net Zero future and with greater integration with Europe. The G7+ group will work with Ukraine to develop and deepen a Clean Energy Partnership over the coming months with goals of: accelerating the adoption of the applicable core European Union energy legislation (EU acquis), increasing energy market efficiency and integrating with the EU market; increasing the production and use of low carbon energy sources; implementing just transition principles in making efforts towards the phase out of Ukraine's use of unabated coal in power generation to accelerate carbon neutrality while adding power capacity that improves reliability and competitiveness of Ukraine's energy system; upgrading energy infrastructure to the best global standards to enhance resilience and increase efficiency; and, through an enabling environment, attracting innovative technological and financial solutions. In doing so, the Partnership will seek to help Ukraine meet and reinforce its climate objectives and demonstrate that Ukraine can achieve both an energy transition in line with Paris Agreement goals and increased energy security, despite Russian aggression. We commit to strengthening coordination of the G7+ group's diplomatic, development and trade efforts, to catalyse and maximise investment in support of Ukraine's Energy Strategy to 2050, the forthcoming National Energy and Climate Plan and Ukraine's National Recovery priorities. The group will focus on utilising existing donor instruments to provide coordinated support towards a resilient, efficient, more decentralised and smart energy system which will serve Ukraine's economic revitalisation and long-term growth. Our efforts will aim to support private financing for the energy sector, laying the groundwork for Ukraine's transition away from its reliance on hydrocarbons, and firmly link Ukraine's energy reconstruction to its EU accession path and EU energy and climate policy. The Partnership will complement existing bilateral energy partnerships between G7+ members and Ukraine and will recognise the importance of involving and empowering local administrations in the green recovery. The work of this partnership group will support the wider efforts of the Multi-Agency Donor Coordination Platform (MDCP) for Ukraine. To enable this, the Government of Ukraine commits to accelerate critical reforms, which will support the private sector's role in Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. These include but are not limited to: preventing monopolisation through further liberalisation of electricity and gas markets, ensuring OECD-compliant corporate governance at state-owned energy companies; advancing tariff and subsidy reforms by phasing out public service obligations and replacing them with social support for vulnerable energy consumers; and adoption of EU energy efficiency standards and strengthening the independence of the energy regulator. Achieving progress on these reforms is essential to signalling that Ukraine's future clean energy sector can be profitable and open for business. This will demonstrate that Ukraine can offer a safe and sure place to invest, including an updated and transparent, EU-compliant regulatory environment ready to receive the best innovations, and a solid platform for growth opportunities as part of Ukraine's clean energy sector expansion and integration with the European grid. We welcome the Verkhovna Rada's recent adoption of legislation to implement 'Regulation on Wholesale Energy Market Integrity and Transparency' (REMIT). The adoption of the REMIT law marks an important step on Ukraine's path towards further electricity and gas market integration with Europe. The G7+ group will support the Government of Ukraine's leadership in undertaking reforms through access to coordinated provision of expertise and resources. We, the G7+ and Government of Ukraine, recognise that by demonstrating our collective commitment to enabling these reforms, private investors will continue to be attracted to scale up efforts in support of Ukraine's recovery. The G7+ and the Government of Ukraine agree on the importance of tracking and reporting on key reform activities as a priority for the Clean Energy Partnership and acknowledge the existing efforts of the Energy Community and other international organisations. Today, we have launched the beginning of a strong and united partnership which builds on our successful collaboration. The G7+ group remains steadfast in our determination to help Ukraine resist Russia's war of aggression and protect its people for as long as it takes, while laying the foundations for a stronger, cleaner, and more prosperous Ukraine that is on its way to becoming a member of the European Union. [1] The G7+ Ukraine Energy Coordination Group was established in November 2022, to coordinate and mobilise donors behind mechanisms to help Ukraine repair, restore and defend its energy infrastructure. Members of this group are: Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union, Energy Community Secretariat, World Bank Group, EBRD, UNDP. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK boosts Ukraine's recovery at major London summit The UK has today announced a wide-ranging package of support for Ukraine's recovery effort at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. 21 June 2023 at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) the Foreign Secretary today announced new measures to support Ukraine's recovery UK package of support includes funding for urgent repairs and early recovery, support for Ukraine's energy sector, and programmes to bolster wider rebuilding efforts this further support follows the announcement of a major package by the Prime Minister this morning The UK has today announced a wide-ranging package of support for Ukraine's recovery effort to bolster its resilience in the immediate term and enable the long-term reconstruction of Ukraine as a modern, stable and resilient democracy. These measures follow the major package of financial support announced by the Prime Minister to bolster Ukraine's economic stability as it continues to push back Russian forces. The announcements were made at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in London today. The event represents a coalition to rebuild Ukraine, bringing together a broad variety of businesses, governments and civil society to unlock the potential of the private sector to support Ukraine's immediate and longer-term recovery needs. As part of the conference, the UK is calling on the private sector to boost Ukraine's recovery, and support both urgent recovery needs and to galvanise action for long-term reconstruction. UK support announced at the conference will help kick-start Ukraine's road to recovery and help lay the foundations for private sector investment. In the immediate term, this means repairing vital energy, transport and social infrastructure and rebuilding liberated towns and bomb-destroyed cities, to bolster Ukraine's resilience for the months ahead. Putin's illegal war has caused untold destruction and devastation across Ukraine. The recent destruction of the Kakhovka dam has wide-reaching ecological and humanitarian consequences, which has dramatically worsened the situation. As Russia's illegal war rages on, Ukraine vitally needs support to not just win the peace, but to emerge as a stronger, more prosperous country, resilient to future threats. Following announcements made today, the UK's non-military assistance to Ukraine now totals more than A4.7 billion. Speaking earlier, the UK Prime Minister announced a landmark package of financial support for the country, including $3 billion of additional guarantees to unlock World Bank lending, and A240 million of bilateral assistance. The UK is also working with international partners to provide further new financial backing for Ukraine's economy, with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) looking to raise between a3 to 5 billion of new capital from shareholders, backed by the UK. This has the potential to quadruple investment capacity in Ukraine. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: As Ukraine enters a second year defending itself against Putin's illegal invasion, it is vital the global community continues to shows our strength of support for Ukraine's recovery. Through hosting this event, we are standing in solidarity with Ukraine and committing our support for them to emerge from the war not only victorious, but as a sustainable, modern and resilient democracy. The commitments the UK has made today will bolster Ukraine's current and future recovery needs. The further UK support will cover a wide-range of sectors essential to Ukraine's current resilience and future prosperity. Vital support to Ukraine's energy sector will not only keep the lights on in hospitals, schools and homes, it will also help Ukraine's longer-term energy infrastructure rebuild as a green and sustainable system, including: a A45 million envelope of funding, part of the UK's wider A62 million programme, to support Ukraine's energy recovery over the next 2 years. Of this, A25 million is going to the International Finance Corporation's Ukraine Economic Resilience Action platform, to bolster Ukraine's energy security. A3 million will support a new technical assistance facility to speed up Ukraine's energy sector reform and decarbonisation a memorandum of understanding signed by UK Minister for Europe Leo Docherty and Ukrainian Minister for Energy German Galushchenko, committing UK support to Ukraine's energy sector and help to secure a green energy future the UK, the Government of the Ukraine and members of the G7+ have agreed a Clean Energy Partnership to coordinate international efforts to rebuild Ukraine's energy system as a more modern, decentralised, and green energy system, fit for full European integration and a Net Zero future Efforts to reconstruct and rebuild towns and infrastructure after Russian bombardments will receive UK support to help ensure the most urgent repairs are delivered, with: a A26.3 million equivalent loan backed by UK Export Finance, allowing the Ukrainian government to start rebuilding six vital bridges damaged as a direct result of the illegal Russian invasion, reopening supply routes near the capital, Kyiv A12 million to the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine to enable the Government of Ukraine and its communities to remain resilient in the face of Russia's aggression, including support to identify and respond to immediate recovery priorities in newly liberated territories in the east, south and in Ukraine's border areas UK support will facilitate and enhance private sector investment in Ukraine, before the end of the conflict, including with: $25 million from the UK's development finance institution, the British International Investment (BII), to support the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) Global Trade Finance Program to help keep cross-border trade lines open. This follows the Prime Minister's announcement this morning that the UK is committing A250 million of new capital to BII Ukraine's e-governance and fiscal capacity will be strengthened, including through improved transparency, accountability and anti-corruption measures. This includes: a further A15 million for a new anti-corruption e-governance project, being delivered with UK support, to build transparency and accountability into key public services in Ukraine A2 million to the Government of Ukraine's digital system for reconstruction management, the Digital Restoration Ecosystem for Accountable Management (DREAM) platform which will increase the transparency of reconstruction projects HMRC recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding, to provide a further 3 years of peer-to-peer capacity building support to Ukraine's State Tax Service The Ukraine Recovery Conference continues in London tomorrow (Thursday 22 June), with a focus on the role private sector and businesses can play in supporting Ukraine's recovery. Background The A26.3 million loan is part of the A3.5 billion of financial capacity that UK Export Finance has made available for UK exporters and their buyers in Ukraine to use for specific national priority projects, subject to HM Treasury consent. Last year, the UK announced the first tranche of its A62 million energy security programme, providing A17 million in assistance for vital repairs to Ukrainian energy infrastructure and generators and solar units to support immediate energy needs. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM meetings at the Ukraine Recovery Conference: 21 June 2023 The Prime Minister met with the President of the European Commission, and leaders from Estonia, Latvia and Ukraine, and the US Secretary of State. 21 June 2023 The Prime Minister met with the President of the European Commission, President of Estonia, Prime Ministers of Latvia and Ukraine, and the US Secretary of State this morning. The Prime Minister thanked the leaders for attending the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, and for their strong and ongoing support to Ukraine. Reflecting on the work that had already begun in Ukraine to recover and rebuild, the Prime Minister said it is inspiring to see that progress happening at the same time as the Armed Forces of Ukraine pushed back Russian forces. Discussing the important role of the private sector in the rebuild of Ukraine, the Prime Minister said it was fantastic to see so many companies and businesses attend the London summit. The leaders also discussed the importance of a united approach to global challenges, including artificial intelligence and Indo-Pacific stability. They looked forward to seeing each other again soon. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PM speech at the Ukraine Recovery Conference: 21 June 2023 The Prime Minister opened the Ukraine Recovery Conference this morning. 21 June 2023 Good morning, and welcome to the Ukraine Recovery Conference. Before this terrible war, Ukraine's economy was becoming a huge investment opportunity. It was the breadbasket of Europe, exporting millions of tonnes of food and grain each month. A top five exporter of iron ore and steel. A leader in energy - pushing forward renewables, hydrogen, and electric vehicles. A start up nation, which helped spark names like PayPal, WhatsApp and Revolut with a thriving tech sector, which actually had a record year in 2022. Because the truth is, that opportunity is still there today. In fact, the war has only proved how much Ukraine has to offer. When I visited Kyiv in November, I saw this for myself. I saw Ukraine's incredible spirit. A spirit, yes of strength and defiance but also of ingenuity and innovation. In a converted office block, I met tech experts - civilian and military who were working together to find new ways to bolster the country's defences. They were networking mobile phones, so that people across Ukraine could download an app which would allow their phone to pick up the sound of Shahed drones and feedback the location so that Ukrainian air defence could track them and shoot them down. During the winter Russia tried to destroy Ukraine's energy grid. By February over 40% of power generation was down. But now, because of that incredible ingenuity and defiance, Ukraine has got the grid back online and they're even able to start exporting electricity back to Europe. As we've seen in Bakhmut and Mariupol, what Russia cannot take it will seek to destroy. They want to do the same to Ukraine's economy. And the scale of the challenge is real. The war brought a 29% fall in Ukraine's GDP last year. But just look at the streets of Kyiv. Despite the threat of attack, people are getting on with their lives - and getting on with business. President Zelenskyy's government is determined to drive reforms to become more open, more transparent, and ready for investment. This is a vibrant, dynamic, creative, European country that refuses to be subdued. So, together with our allies we will maintain our support for Ukraine's defence and for the counter offensive. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes as they continue and to win this war. And we'll also stand with them as they win the peace and harness all of that ingenuity and defiance to build that the future they deserve. The question for us today is what can we do to support this - to fast-track recovery and help Ukraine unleash its potential? It's clear that Russia must pay for the destruction that they've inflicted. So, we're working with allies to explore lawful routes to use Russian assets. And on Monday, we published new legislation to allow us to keep sanctions in place until Russia pays up. But beyond that, we must bring to bear a partnership of governments, international financial institutions, and business leaders - all of us here today to make this happen. The British government will continue to play its full part and I'm proud that today we're announcing a multiyear commitment to support Ukraine's economy. Over three years, we will provide loan guarantees worth $3 billion. We're also launching a new UK-Ukraine TechBridge to foster investment and talent along with support for green energy and more - all part of a vast collective effort from allies and partners around the world including significant new support from the EU which is also being announced this week. Financial institutions are playing their part. The IMF is putting $15 billion into Ukraine over four years, as part of a $115 billion commitment by the G7 and its partners, and institutions like the EBRD are providing seed capital to support private sector-led growth. Because, above all, we must build a platform for business. Only they can truly crowd-in the innovation and investment that Ukraine needs. And that's why, we're launching the Ukraine Business Compact - for the private sector to pledge their support for Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. And I am delighted to announce today that over 400 businesses from 38 countries, with a combined market cap of $4.9 trillion, have now signed up. The City of London has a huge amount to offer - in their deep and liquid capital markets and world-class finance expertise. So, there is no better place to announce today the new London Conference Framework for War Risk Insurance. This is a huge step forward towards helping insurers to underwrite investments into Ukraine - removing one of the biggest barriers and giving investors the confidence, they need to act. With this and with everything that we do here, we are sending a message. That our support - on the battlefield and beyond - cannot be outlasted and that Ukraine's incredible spirit will prevail. Now, in a moment I'll hand over to my friend President Zelenskyy, but first I'd just like to share something I heard recently. It's about a Ukrainian soldier fighting to defend Bakhmut. He was stationed in an empty house, not far from the frontline surrounded by the destruction of war. When he could snatch a moment of free time, he used it to plant seeds. He was trying to create a plot of vegetables hoping that by the time the homeowners returned they would have begun to grow. What a profound expression of hope. And, you know, from that house to this hall - we're doing the same thing. We're planting the seeds of Ukraine's future. Today, we can water them and in time the Ukrainian people will harvest them. And now it is my great pleasure to introduce President Zelenskyy - Volodymyr, you have the floor. [Following President Zelenskyy's address] Thank you, Thank you Volodymyr. Not least for providing options for my summer holiday in a couple of months. I know I speak for everyone here when I say we're with you. It's not just morally right that Ukraine wins this fight for freedom and democracy but it's in everyone's interest that you do as well - and that your economy truly thrives. And we're going to help make that a reality. So, thank you again and thank you to everyone who's here today for your support. I know this is going to be a fantastic conference because we are going to make a difference, we are going to make it count. It is my enormous pleasure to introduce someone who has shown tremendous leadership on this issue from the very start - the President of the EU Commission, my friend, Ursula von der Leyen. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Global businesses pledge to back Ukraine's recovery as PM sets out major financial package Major conglomerates, international corporations, retail chains and businesses across the world signal their backing for Ukraine at recovery conference. 21 June 2023 Major conglomerates, international corporations, retail chains and businesses across the world signal their backing for Ukraine at recovery conference held in London Comes as the UK announces landmark package of financial support for the country, including $3 billion of additional guarantees to unlock World Bank lending, and A240 million of bilateral assistance Prime Minister also signals expansion of British International Investment in Ukraine, bolstering funding up to A250 million The UK will today set out a major package of financial support for Ukraine, including $3 billion of World Bank loan guarantees to bolster Ukraine's economic stability as it continues to push back Russian forces. The funding will support vital public services, including the cost of running schools and hospitals. It is the first bilateral package of multi-year fiscal assistance to be set out by a G7 country, underlining the UK's unwavering commitment to the country, both now and in the future. It brings the UK's non-military assistance to Ukraine to more than A4.7 billion, including A4.1 billion of fiscal support and A640 million of bilateral assistance. In his opening address at the Ukraine Recovery Conference today [Wednesday], the Prime Minister will say: As we've seen in Bakhmut and Mariupol, what Russia cannot take it will seek to destroy. They want to do the same to Ukraine's economy. The scale of the challenge is real, the war brought a 29 per cent fall in Ukraine's GDP last year, but just look at the streets of Kyiv, despite the threat of attack, people are getting on with their lives - and getting on with business. President Zelenskyy's government is determined to drive reforms to become more open, more transparent, and ready for investment. This is a vibrant, dynamic, creative, European country that refuses to be subdued. So, together with our allies we will maintain our support for Ukraine's defence and for the counter offensive, and we'll stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes as they continue to win this war. I'm proud that today we're announcing a multiyear commitment to support Ukraine's economy, and over the next three years, we will provide loan guarantees worth $3 billion. President of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, said: The UK Government's generous guarantees to the World Bank Group will support the people of Ukraine at a critical moment. The World Bank Group is designed to do hard things like helping people rebuild their lives after devastation. With this support, we will keep delivering on that mission and help Ukrainians imagine a life after the war. The UK's support is backed by a major signal of intent from world leading businesses, with more than 400 companies, from 38 countries, with a combined annual revenue of over $1.6 trillion, pledging to back Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction in the wake of Russia's illegal invasion. Major conglomerates, international corporations and retail chains are among those who have signed up to the Ukraine Business Compact, which is spearheaded by the UK, as part of the two-day conference. Virgin, Sanofi, Philips, Hyundai Engineering and Citi are among the companies involved. The compact encourages trade, investment, peer-to-peer expertise sharing and responsible business practice in Ukraine, ensuring it can rebuild as a resilient, agile and prosperous economy. The Prime Minister will add: We'll stand with Ukraine as they win the peace and harness all their ingenuity and defiance to build the future they deserve. The question for us today is what can we do to support this - to fast-track recovery and help Ukraine unleash its potential. We must bring to bear a partnership of governments, international financial institutions, and business leaders, all of us here today, to make this happen. The British government will continue to play its full part. The Prime Minister will also launch the London Conference Framework for War Risk Insurance at the summit, which will be backed by G7 members. The framework outlines support for immediate de-risking measures to increase investor confidence and will guide efforts in working with the commercial insurance markets to unlock private investment to meet Ukraine's long-term reconstruction needs. The UK is already delivering on the framework by releasing up to A20 million of funding for the Multilateral Investment Guarantees Agency to provide guarantees and insurance for reconstruction projects now while the conflict is ongoing. The Prime Minister will also announce a major commitment of up to A250 million of new capital for the UK's Development Finance Institution - British International Investment (BII). The funding signals the UK's long-term confidence and backing for the country and will support private sector investment in major infrastructure projects, energy markets, financial services and agriculture across the country. The BII funding is in addition to a A240 million boost in UK aid for Ukraine this year, which will fund life-saving projects, including mine-clearance and disaster relief kits, as well as reform programmes and energy projects. More than half of the funding, A127 million, will be directed to life-saving humanitarian support, including for those living around the front line of Russia's barbaric invasion, through partners such as the UN and Red Cross. The increase will take the total assistance package provided by the UK to A347 million since the start of the invasion. The uplift includes A16 million announced earlier this month in response to the devastating impact of the Nova Kakhovka dam disaster, which has had an untold impact on more than 42,000 people in the Kherson area. The floods submerged an estimated 100,000 hectares of agricultural area, important for grain and oil seed production in the region. The uplift also includes A10.5 million announced by the Prime Minister for Ukrainian refugees and the communities that host them at the European Political Community conference in Moldova last month. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK Government backs A26.3 million equivalent loan for reconstruction of Kyiv bridges A A26.3 million equivalent loan backed by UK Export Finance has allowed the Ukrainian government to start rebuilding bridges near Kyiv. 21 June 2023 A A26.3 million equivalent loan backed by the UK Government has allowed the Ukrainian government to start rebuilding six bridges and reopen vital supply routes near Kyiv. The loan has been announced as part of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which is being held in London today, and has brought together the public and private sectors to discuss how to accelerate and support the reconstruction of Ukraine. In an unprecedented transaction from any export credit agency, UKEF has agreed to issue a buyer credit loan guarantee that allows the Ukrainian government to access financing from Citi, unlocking crucial funds for Kyiv Oblast's Road Service. Russia's indiscriminate and barbaric attacks on Ukraine have destroyed vital transport routes, critical national infrastructure, and the livelihoods of thousands of people. The reconstruction of the bridges ranges from those hit by shrapnel to those which have been completely destroyed, and will ensure that the people and government of Ukraine can once more use critical transport links around the capital. Nusrat Ghani, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade, said: It is vital that we help Ukraine repel Putin's invasion and return as a more prosperous, more resilient economy. Export credit is one part of over A4.7bn in non-military assistance which the UK has provided to Ukraine, and the backing of UK Export Finance is another step towards recovery. Sergii Marchenko, Ukraine's Minister of Finance, said: Russia's war against Ukraine has caused enormous damage to Ukraine's infrastructure. The UK Government's financial support for restoring these bridges is a significant contribution to the Ukrainian government's recovery efforts. It will help to accelerate trade turnover, thereby creating better conditions for business development since Kyiv serves as the nation's important logistics hub. It moreover fosters a conducive environment for Ukrainians to return home to, which is vital for the sustained operation of the country's economy and its further recovery. Today's conference aims to unlock the potential of the private sector in driving Ukraine's economic recovery, building on collaborations like this deal involving UKEF and Citi. This financial backing also enables the reconstruction project to draw upon support from UK manufacturers, who are expected to supply steel components, critical materials and design services to principal contractors Onur Group and DoAYuAY. This will in turn support UK jobs and help deliver on the Prime Minister's priority of growing the economy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address It is our state that global hopes are focused on, and our people will justify them: Ukraine will win - address of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy President of Ukraine 21 June 2023 - 22:32 Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health! First. Front. Fierce battles. South - we're destroying the enemy. Donetsk direction - we're destroying the enemy. The Kupiansk direction - whatever the Russian terrorists are planning there, we will destroy the enemy. In the South, we are advancing. Thank you, warriors! In the East, our defenses are firming. And I am especially grateful, guys, for every shot down Russian helicopter... Each shooting down is important. Second. London. Our special Ukraine Recovery Conference organized with the British began today. Thank you, the United Kingdom, for the new financial support package. Thank you, the United States, for the package for our infrastructure and energy. Thank you, the European Union, for the EUR 50 billion financial instrument presented by President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen for our reconstruction. The purpose of this Conference in London is not simply to generate the efforts of our partner states, but also to have international business support for our transformation. Currently, a Ukrainian delegation is working in the UK - the government, the Office, the Verkhovna Rada, the public sector. Every aspect of Ukrainian recovery and further development of our state will be presented to those global business figures whose attention we directly need: our industries, cities, communities, the country in general. Ukraine's task is to transform the moral leadership of our people into the economic leadership of our country. All the prerequisites for this exist, first of all, in our people, in our beautiful strong nation. Third. A new package of EU sanctions against Russia is finally being approved. Part of its norms was prepared based on the proposals of the International Sanctions Group chaired by Michael McFaul and Andriy Yermak. This package will further limit Russia's profits it has received in Europe so far, and will also block some of the routes to bypass the previously introduced sanctions. This is now one of the priority tasks. All our partners are fully aware of how crucial it is to block all avenues to circumvent sanctions. The terrorist state still has access to various products and components, technological and financial schemes, created by those in the world who still value freedom and international law. Russia must be in complete isolation while Russia's main export products are evil and death. And one more. I accepted credentials from ambassadors of foreign countries who arrived in Ukraine. Norway, Switzerland, Azerbaijan, Pakistan, Iceland. New ambassadors. In general, more than 60 embassies and representative offices of states and more than 20 representative offices of international organizations operate in our country. To work in Ukraine, to work with Ukraine, is to believe in Ukraine and Ukrainians. The world is with us despite everything the evil state tries to do against us. The 483rd day of the full-scale war. It is our state that global hopes are focused on. And our people will justify these hopes. Freedom will win. Ukraine will win. I thank everyone who fights and works for Ukraine! Glory to all who strengthen freedom! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address For Ukrainians and Jews, it is a common war for their own history - Andriy Yermak at an online meeting with representatives of the Jewish community President of Ukraine 21 June 2023 - 15:51 Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held an online meeting with representatives of Jewish organizations, the Jewish community, and the Israeli media. More than 50 participants from around the world joined the meeting. The main topic of the conversation was the unification of efforts of Ukrainians and Jews in countering anti-Semitism in the world, defending the historical truth about the value and contribution of the two peoples to world history, and possible ways to support Ukraine in the war unleashed by Russia. The Head of the President's Office expressed gratitude for the increased support for our country from the Jewish communities, in particular for the significant humanitarian aid for the most vulnerable groups of Ukrainians. At the same time, he called on the participants of the meeting to contribute to strengthening Israel's military assistance to our country. "I believe that today it is Israel that can help Ukraine in the issue of protection against Iranian drones. And we look forward to creating a joint initiative in this regard," emphasized Andriy Yermak. He reminded that the two countries are linked by more than just friendly relations. Many prominent Jews were born in Ukraine, and many Ukrainians saved Jews during World War II. "It is natural and historical for Ukraine and Israel to have the most friendly and partnership relations. True friendship has no time limits, and, of course, we must be together both during military challenges and during peace, which we believe in and which we hope will come to Ukrainian soil very soon," the Head of the Presidential Office noted. According to him, today Ukraine has clearly defined its civilizational path as a democratic European country that treats all peoples with deep respect and honors the memory of the victims of the Holodomor and the Holocaust. Despite the military challenges, Ukraine does not stop working to restore the historical truth about these tragedies both domestically and on the world stage. Russia's imperialist efforts have always been aimed at degrading the value and significance of both the Ukrainian and Jewish peoples. And Vladimir Putin's remarks about President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again emphasize this. Andriy Yermak thanked the representatives of the Jewish community for the appropriate reaction: "The Kremlin not only tolerates, but incites the growth of xenophobia and anti-Semitism not only in Russia, but also around the world. That is why a decisive public response by Jewish public figures and a transparent position of the country's political leadership is extremely important." The Head of the President's Office reminded that with the support of the President of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada had adopted a law on fighting anti-Semitism. Andriy Yermak also emphasized that it is extremely important to preserve the unity of the international community in supporting Ukraine and strengthening sanctions against Russia, in particular against Russian propagandists and all those who support the Russian regime. The meeting was attended by: Soviet dissident, Israeli politician and human rights activist Natan Sharansky, President of the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn Rabbi David Niederman, President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine Borys Lozhkin, Secretary General of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for the Victims of National Socialism Hannah Lessing, Chairman of the Board of the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights Jay Rosenzweig, and founder of the Center Irwin Cotler, representative of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) Larysa Rutman, Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine, Director of International Relations Rabbi Raphael Rutman, representatives of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, the Vaad, Moishe House, Masorti Conservative Jewish Community, regional Jewish communities of Ukraine, and Israeli media. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address When we build Ukraine, we will build freedom - online speech by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London President of Ukraine 21 June 2023 - 14:51 Thank you very much! Happy to see you, Rishi, Mr. Prime Minister! Thank you for your kind words about Ukraine, about our soldiers, and thanks for your leadership and support the UK provides to Ukraine. Thank you that we are really united in defending freedom. Dear leaders of politics, business and public opinion! Dear Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers, Secretaries, CEOs and heads of international organizations! And, of course, dear journalists! When we are talking about recovery, we are talking about millions of jobs, billions in corporate profits and trillions of GDPs. And not only for Ukraine, but for all our countries - mine and yours. Countries that want and will live freely despite any predatory ambitions of various "putins", whose brains are poisoned by dreams of war. Growth is always based on values. Just as strong investments are preceded by trust, so the growth that we are preparing must be preceded by confidence that what has been rebuilt will not fall. And it's not about bricks, but about life in general. The world is abundant with ruins reminding us of the wars of the past. And politics in different regions, unfortunately, is abundant with sick ideas of hatred and resentment, which point to possible wars in the future. And although no one has the power to cleanse the depths of human nature from the evil that sometimes rises to the surface and destroys and kills... But you and I, and right now, we are able to protect life and overcome the ruins after the Russian aggression in such a way as to block the path for evil - meaning for any new aggressions. The eyes of the world are looking at us. And at whether we will defeat Russian aggression exactly as freedom deserves to win - that is, without compromising our values. Also the world is watching to see if we will restore normal life in such a way that our transformation will land an ideological defeat on the aggressor. We protect Ukraine and thus we protect freedom, and when we build Ukraine - we'll build freedom. Country, region, continent, world... It's a global task. And I want to thank you. And, of course, I thank Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy - every country where we have agreed on key principles for recovery. At this Conference, we must move from vision to agreements, and from agreements to real projects. There is a Ukrainian delegation in London that will present concrete things that we propose to do together. In my turn, I will outline five directions in which we have begun to create foundations for peace. The first is the potential of unity. The second is the potential of stability. The third is growth potential. The fourth is security potential. And the fifth - extremely important - is the potential of democracy. So, the first point - we are strengthening unity. Ukraine has already succeeded in making the EU as united as it has never been before. This is truly a unity of values, which is reflected in many political, economic, sanction and humanitarian decisions. Ukraine has activated all that power of solidarity for which the EU was conceived. And Ukraine is also activating the moral force of NATO. This is important for all of us. What does the world see now? Does it recognize NATO's moral leadership in protecting peace? This is only possible with Ukraine in the Alliance. Just as Ukraine already belongs to the value space of the EU, we already belong to the NATO security space. De facto. Just as Ukraine is already part of the EU's common market and on its way to full membership, we are already defending the common space of freedom in the Alliance and are only waiting for the courage of the Alliance leaders to recognize this reality politically. Thanks to the same values, we are developing strong bilateral alliances with such leaders of the democratic world as the United Kingdom, the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, all the EU members. And this gives us new power in defense, economy and global prospects for democracy. We build our alliances and thus we are safeguarding the level of freedom to which our people are used to. Second - we are strengthening stability. At least 600 million consumers around the world directly depend on our agricultural production. This is a huge potential for food security. At the times of this war, when Russia blocked our ports and destroyed freedom of navigation in the Black and Azov Seas, the world saw what Ukrainian grain is. Without it, there is a threat of price crises and social collapse in different countries. We have now partially restored the movement of our agricultural products by sea through two export initiatives. And this is stability for a huge social and economic space - from Morocco to Somalia, from China to Lebanon, from TArkiye to India, from Spain to Pakistan. Different aspects, different influences, but always a contribution to stability. Another similar area is the energy sector. I believe that there is no alternative to the green transformation of the economy, and Russian aggression has proven that green transformation is one of the key foundations of security. Each strike on our energy facilities and each manifestation of Russian blackmail with the energy crisis ends the era of fossil fuel dominance and old energy habits, when entire regions could depend on a single supplier, such as Russia. It is green energy that guarantees real energy stability. Ukraine can be - and will be! - one of the key suppliers of clean electricity and green hydrogen to Europe. The potential of this industry alone is about four hundred billion dollars. We build agricultural and energy facilities in Ukraine and thus we're protecting the world from chaos. Third point - we strengthen the growth. There is currently no place in the world where there is a need to construct and rebuild as many objects as in Ukraine. Every new day of Russian aggression brings new ruins. Thousands and thousands of destroyed houses, devastated industries, burnt lives... Recently, Russia committed also the largest crime of ecocide in Europe by blowing up the dam and other structures of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. What does all this mean? In Ukraine, there is the largest source of economic, industrial and technological growth in Europe for decades and decades. And, by the way, it's not only reconstruction. For example, the green transformation of energy logically stimulates the development of industries such as green metallurgy and green fertilizers. Thanks to its natural resources and industrial traditions, Ukraine can become one of the key global centers of green metallurgy. In addition, we have significant reserves of critical resources for the modern economy, such as lithium. By building with Ukraine and in Ukraine, we fend off our countries and our countries' companies from recessions. Fourth point - we strengthen security. This war demonstrates what effective defense against aggression in the modern world means... What weapons are needed and to what extent, what infrastructure is lacking and what production is a priority, what technologies save lives on a large scale, and what systems make it possible to make science fiction a reality on the battlefield. From the production of combat drones to conventional artillery, from an air shield that covers the entire country or even a region to shelters in every school, from infrastructure that is built so that it cannot be destroyed by the Iranian "Shaheds" to cyberspace that remains resilient even in the face of constant cyberattacks. We are doing all of this in Ukraine, and we need the experience of partners in all of this. We build security together and thus we convince the world that democracies cannot be defeated. And finally, the fifth point - democracy. Russia invaded Ukraine not only to steal our land, resources and people. It is obvious that without Ukraine there can be no Russian Empire. And it is equally obvious that Russia's bosses are very afraid of our democracy. Why? Because democracy paves the way for the rule of law, getting rid of corruption and to the key principle of our countries - every person matters. It is very important. Of course, democracy is in the nature of Ukrainians. And we would strengthen it anyway, no matter what they think or do in Russia. But we all have to realize that the more democracy we have, the greater its strength in our entire region. The more rule of law we have, the more law will work here on the eastern flank of Europe. And the more transparent Ukraine is, the uglier any corruption model will look in Russia. Even Russia's full-scale aggression has not stopped our internal reforms. Ukraine will be associated with a fair court, just as it is now associated with courage. Step by step, we will get there. Thanks to digital transformation, we will show the world how the state can function effectively without any contact between an official and a citizen or a company. All public services can and will be transferred online - from business registration or social assistance to any other public service. And we are already exporting our digitalization to other regions and other countries. We have started such cooperation with Estonia and will continue with Colombia and Zambia. And I am sure that this is just the beginning. Please be sure to ask our team, our government officials for more details about this... this is truly an example of social progress through technology. Even before February 24th, we started dismantling the old oligarchic model of economic relations from the post-Soviet period. And this is not just something about the personalities of the oligarchs, it is about changing the approach to economic relations. Financial transparency and banking system resilience, market liberalization and competition stimulation, guaranteeing equal and legal conditions for every economic entity - are all areas in which we made progress before February 24 and which are very important now. We build institutions and continue reforms in Ukraine and thus we are defending democracy and preserving it as a hope for all, at least in our region, that democracy will prevail. Ladies and Gentlemen! By building Ukraine, we are building much more than one country. We build the world as it will be during the lifetime of our generation and after us. Will it be peaceful? Will it be stable? Will it be democratic? It depends on each and everyone of us. I invite all of you to Ukraine! By the way, Prime Minister Rishi, we have not seen each other in Kyiv for quite a while... Thank you for your attention! Thank you for your support! Thank you UK! NNN! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Andriy Yermak held a briefing on security issues for representatives of the Atlantic Council President of Ukraine 21 June 2023 - 11:38 On the instructions of the President of Ukraine, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak held a videoconference briefing on security issues for members of the Atlantic Council of the United States of America. Andriy Yermak thanked the United States of America, President Joseph Biden, both houses of the U.S. Congress, and the entire American people for the consistent support our country has been receiving during the war. "It is extremely important for us to convey the truthful information about the events that are currently taking place in and around Ukraine. After all, Russia's unprovoked aggression not only causes incredible suffering, destruction and death. It is also spreading horrific lies around the world that poison the minds of people who cannot or do not want to know the truth," he said. The Head of the President's Office emphasized that the Atlantic Council is one of the leading think tanks in the field of international policy, which brings together powerful and influential collective intelligence. "The slogan of the Atlantic Council - "Working Together to Secure the Future. Rebuilding the Atlantic Community to Meet Global Challenges" - fully meets the expectations of Ukraine, which does not see its future without a collective and democratic West," said Andriy Yermak. He noted that the civilized world today has a common goal - to defeat the aggressor country that does not recognize international law and the UN Charter. "This needs to be done as soon as possible. To prevent people from dying from daily air attacks, on the battlefield, as well as due to such unpredictable actions of our neighbor as the blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam," the Head of the Presidential Office said. Andriy Yermak expressed his conviction that the consistent support of our partners is a guarantee of ending the bloodshed in Ukraine and restoring the sovereignty of our country within internationally recognized borders. Deputy Head of the Office of the President Roman Mashovets emphasized the importance of briefings and systematic informing of Ukraine's partners about the current defense needs of our country. "We have to convey the truthful information that is necessary in the current situation when our country is confronting the aggressor," said Roman Mashovets. Military leadership and officials of the Armed Forces of Ukraine briefed the participants on the security situation in and around Ukraine and answered questions from the audience. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN remains focused on 'critical needs' of Ukraine's people 21 June 2023 - The UN has worked to extend critical humanitarian assistance for the people of Ukraine since day one of the invasion, the Organization's development chief told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on Wednesday. Achim Steiner, head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Vice-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group told delegates he had just returned from the war-torn country, noting civilians' "extraordinary determination to adapt, to recover and to rebuild." "The UN had developed a clear picture to inform a targeted recovery through a Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment developed with our partners", he said. He added that the UN continues efforts to provide assistance to all of those in need, including in areas currently under Russian control where humanitarian access is extremely limited. Farming and environment To chart a way forward, Mr. Steiner said the UN and partners were developing a damage assessment with a focus on agriculture and the environment. He said that in 2023, the UN scaled up its recovery efforts, implementing $1 billion of recovery and development programming in line with the Government's priorities, driven by 24 different UN offices and more than 3,700 personnel. Mr. Steiner highlighted that the UN's pledge to stay and deliver in Ukraine is characterized by community-level recovery - jointly planning, sequencing, and layering our humanitarian, development, and support for social cohesion. Rescue workers killed and injured The World Food Programme's (WFP) senior humanitarian official on the ground, Matthew Hollingworth, has condemned an attack on Kherson on Tuesday that killed and injured rescue workers from Ukraine's emergency services. He said the incident was yet another example of the human impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, reminding the country of its obligations to protect civilians, including rescue workers, under international humanitarian law. UN Spokesperson StAphane Dujarric told reporters in New York on Wednesday that agencies were continuing "to work non-stop" to help those impacted by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam, assisting the "remarkable work" of volunteers and government responders. "Two weeks since the disaster, UN agencies and humanitarian partners organized 12 inter-agency convoys, including two by boat and amphibious trucks, delivering 50 truckloads of vital supplies to help people in the Kherson Region and those living in the Dnipro Region", aid Mr. Dujarric. Access to drinking water continues to be extremely limited due to the disaster. "Overall, and across all affected areas, the UN - along with our partners - delivered more than two million litres of water, 130,000 ready-to-eat food rations, hygiene items, medical supplies, shelter kits, sleeping bags, blankets and other essential items." 'Marshall plan' approach needed to stop landmines wrecking economy Another by-product of Russia's invasion is the scourge of landmines planted by invaders during their occupation of the country since February last year. Tens of thousands will need to be cleared to put the country's economy back on track and enable food to be grown for the rest of the world, said UNDP on Wednesday. The UN agency has been mandated by Ukraine's Government to address the economic impact of mine contamination "in years, not decades", UNDP's Paul Heslop, who leads mine action in the country, told reporters in Geneva. He told reporters in Geneva that a "Marshall Plan-type approach" to mine clearance was needed, so that agricultural land can be returned to use as quickly as possible. The plan devised by the Truman Administration in 1947 helped restore the economic infrastructure of post-World War Two Europe. "I think it is very realistic for us to say to the international community, make the commitment over the next five years, and we will see Ukraine retake its place as an agricultural powerhouse, and that will affect the world", said Mr. Heslop. "It will bring down food prices for everybody." UNDP believes that with "the right resources and the right commitment", the world can help Ukraine remove 75 per cent of the economic impact of mine contamination by 2028, Mr. Heslop said. He stressed this will require harnessing innovation like satellite imagery and drones alongside traditional demining techniques. More investment in training and equipment will also be needed and new lending arrangements so farmers can clear land. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Latest in Ukraine: EU Imposes New Sanctions on Russia, Targeting Trade Loopholes By VOA News June 21, 2023 Latest developments: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there was fierce fighting along the front lines but that his forces were advancing in southern Ukraine and holding defensive lines in the eastern part of the country. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said the safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is "extremely fragile" following the destruction of the nearby Kakhovka dam and he called on all sides in the conflict to act to adhere to principles to prevent a nuclear accident. The European Union on Wednesday imposed new sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine, targeting countries where businesses have used loopholes in previous sanctions to continue to trade with Russia, effectively supporting President Vladimir Putin's 16-month invasion. The 27-nation EU had previously imposed 10 rounds of sanctions against Russian companies, while freezing assets and imposing travel bans on more than 1,000 officials. The new sanctions are aimed at keeping key war-related materials and goods from reaching Russia via nations that trade with the EU but have also maintained a business-as-usual relationship with Moscow. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU's executive arm, said the new sanctions will "deal a further blow to Putin's war machine with tightened export restrictions, targeting entities supporting the Kremlin." "Our anti-circumvention tool will prevent Russia from getting its hands on sanctioned goods," she said. Aside from sanctions against Iranians alleged to be supplying drones to Russia, it is the first time that the EU has targeted trade via other countries. The new package will also target 71 individuals and 33 entities in relation with the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Also included is a prohibition to accessing ports in the EU by vessels engaged in ship-to-ship transfers when there is a suspicion that a boat is not respecting the ban on importing seaborne Russian crude oil and petroleum products into the bloc. In addition, the package extends the suspension of the broadcasting licenses in the EU of five Russian media outlets under state control. NATO expansion U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday encouraged Turkey to support ratifying Sweden's accession to NATO. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken expressed support for Sweden to be admitted at this time during talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of a Ukraine recovery conference in London. Sweden and Finland applied for membership in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Finland officially joined in April, but Sweden's accession has been held up by Turkey's objections to what it said was a lack of action by Sweden against groups that Turkey considers terrorists. With three weeks until NATO leaders gather for a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Sweden expressed hope that it will be able to join the alliance. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told Reuters that Turkey's parliament should begin the process of ratifying Sweden's NATO bid. Sweden has carried out a number of reforms, including a new anti-terror law, as part of an agreement struck with Turkey last year to address security concerns. "Our judgment is that we have done what was expected of us. Now it is time for the Turkish parliament to start the ratification process," Billstrom told Reuters on the sidelines of a meeting in parliament. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address London Conference Focuses on Rebuilding Ukraine By VOA News June 21, 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said helping his country recover from a Russian invasion is about unity, stability and democracy, as well as the potential for creating jobs and profits for countries all over the world, as he spoke Wednesday to the Ukraine Recovery Conference held in London. "By building Ukraine, we are building much more than one country, we are building the world," Zelenskyy said in his video remarks. "Will it be peaceful? Will it be stable? Will it be democratic? It depends on each and every one of us." Ukraine and Britain are co-hosting the two-day conference, bringing together leaders from 60 nations as well as officials from the private sector. "The international community is coming together today with a shared belief and confidence in Ukraine's future," British Foreign Secretary James Cleverley told the conference. Cleverley said it is in the interest of the world that Ukraine be stronger than ever and that "Ukrainians are planning for a better future." Britain said specific areas of focus included technology, logistics, green energy, agriculture, health and infrastructure. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced $3 billion in World Bank loan guarantees as part of a new financial support package for Ukraine that will help support public services such as hospitals and schools. "The question for us today is what can we do to support this - to fast-track recovery and help Ukraine unleash its potential," Sunak told the conference. "We must bring to bear a partnership of governments, international financial institutions, and business leaders, all of us here today, to make this happen." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the United States will provide Ukraine with $1.3 billion in additional aid. He said the funding would go toward overhauling Ukraine's energy grid, modernizing the country's border crossings, rail lines and ports, digitizing its customs systems and helping businesses and entrepreneurs. "Recovery is about more than just ensuring people have what they need to survive -food to eat, water to drink, medicine to take, heat in the winter, electricity in all seasons," Blinken told the conference. "Recovery is about laying the foundation for Ukraine to thrive as a secure, independent country, fully integrated with Europe, connected to markets around the world. A democracy, rooted in the rule of law. A place where all Ukrainians have dignity, human rights, the opportunity to reach their full potential." Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Readout of Fourth Meeting of the Ukraine Donor Coordination Platform Steering Committee June 21, 2023 Today, the fourth meeting of the Steering Committee of the Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine was co-chaired by Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics Mike Pyle, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov, and European Commission Director-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations Gert Jan Koopman, with participation by Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko. The Platform is the primary vehicle for Ukraine to convene with its key partners on recovery and reconstruction planning and assistance. This was the first in-person meeting of the group, taking place on the margins of the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in London. After opening remarks from Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, representatives from the Government of Ukraine and G7 Members of the Steering Committee, and international financial institutions (IFIs), discussed ongoing work to lay the foundation for transparent, well-coordinated, and effective recovery and reconstruction efforts that can be supported by a broad set of partners. The group discussed progress on Ukraine's 2023 early recovery priorities in the areas of energy infrastructure, civilian demining, critical and social infrastructure, housing, and support to the private sector. They also heard updates on the development and implementation of Ukraine's reform agenda, which is important for establishing an environment in which international investment drives sustained economic growth. Deputy National Security Advisor Pyle welcomed efforts by donors and IFIs to mobilize assistance for Ukraine's 2023 early recovery priorities and their ongoing commitment to strong coordination. During the URC, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the United States, working with Congress, intends to provide an additional $1.31 billion in assistance to help Ukraine recover from Russia's ongoing assaults on the country. Pyle underscored the urgency of the platform delivering on its mandate as the main vehicle for ensuring donors are well coordinated and deploying resources together in a strategic and impactful manner. The Steering Committee identified immediate next steps to make progress on this front in the weeks ahead, and also to enhance dialogue around Ukraine's reform agenda. Pyle thanked the UK for its collaboration with Ukraine to co-host the URC, including efforts to advance work across a variety of economic issues. For example, the G7+ and Government of Ukraine announced and endorsed a Clean Energy Partnership for the Sustainable Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine's Energy System, which includes a commitment by the Ukrainian government to accelerate critical reforms in the energy sector. Collaboration within the Platform will continue in the coming weeks, and the Steering Committee will continue to meet regularly. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Westford, USA, June 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to SkyQuest, small businesses are increasingly adopting desktop printers and diversifying their operations to offer 3D printing and related services. This trend is particularly evident in the United States, where the concept of 'fabshops' is gaining popularity. These fabshops offer on-demand 3D printing of parts and components according to the designs and requirements provided by customers. As a result, the demand for desktop printers is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. Get a sample copy of this report: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/3d-printer-market Browse in-depth TOC on "3D Printer Market" Pages - 242 Tables - 63 Figures 75 3D printing is a technology used to produce three-dimensional objects by building up material layer-by-layer in an additive process. Initially, a digital model of the object is created using computer-aided design (CAD) software. Next, the model is sliced into layers to convert it into a format that a 3D printer can understand. The resulting data file is then transferred to the 3D printer, and the printer settings are configured to begin the printing process. Prominent Players in 3D Printer Market Carbon, Inc. Stratasys 3D Systems Ultimaker Formlabs HP Inc. EOS Materialise XYZprinting EnvisionTEC MakerBot Markforged Desktop Metal Renishaw SLM Solutions Prodways Group Arcam AB Mcor Technologies Optomec Additive Industries Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/3d-printer-market Industrial Printers Segment is Dominating the Market Due to the Growing Demand for Prototyping The industrial printer segment is expected to continue dominating the market during the forecast period. Furthermore, although the adoption of desktop 3-dimensional printers was initially limited to small businesses, they are now being increasingly used for household and domestic purposes. This trend can be attributed to the availability of affordable and user-friendly desktop printers, making 3D printing accessible to a wider audience. As a result, the demand for 3D printers is expected to continue rising in the coming years. North America is projected to see significant growth owing to its strong track record of technology adoption. The market is expected to expand further due to many new product launches and innovations. Numerous 3D printing solution providers worldwide are also increasing their footprint in the market to establish a more substantial market presence. Stereolithography Segment is Expected to Grow the Market Due to its High Precision and Accuracy in Creating Complex Designs The stereolithography segment is leading the market, accounting for more than 10% of the global revenue in 2022. The market is segmented into various technologies, including stereolithography, fuse deposition modeling (FDM), direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), selective laser sintering (SLS), inkjet, polyjet, laser metal deposition, electron beam melting (EBM), digital light processing, laminated object manufacturing and others. Regional markets in Asia Pacific are expected to have the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the market. Governments and manufacturers in the region have been supporting implementing policies and legislative proposals to create a sustainable environment for 3D printing. China may lead the adoption of 3D printing technology in the region owing to the significant funding provided by the government to the sector. This support has led to increased research and development activities and the establishment of more 3D printing companies in the region, further boosting the market growth. A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the 3D printer market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavours to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand. Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/3d-printer-market Key Developments in 3D Printer Market 3D printing technology has gained significant momentum in recent years due to its potential to revolutionize various industries. The department of science and innovation (DSI) in South Africa launched a pilot project to build around 25 houses using 3D printing technology in 2022. The project aims at combating the housing shortage in the country, especially in the low-income areas. This initiative highlights the potential of 3D printing technology to address some of society's critical challenges. 3DGence, a European manufacturer launched a new industrial FFF machine in 2022, INDUSTRY F421, designed to be compatible with high-performance materials. Furthermore, the company introduced AS9100, a new high-temperature filament made from polyether ether ketone (PEEK), certified for use in the defense and aerospace sectors. These innovations in 3D printing technology demonstrate the increasing capabilities of this technology to cater to various industry demands and applications. Key Questions Answered in 3D Printer Market Report What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period? List the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence? In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how these differences shape the market's future growth? Related Reports in SkyQuests Library: Global Unattended Ground Sensors Market Global USB Charger Market Global Solid State Relay Market Global Surface Mount Technology Market Global Smart Door Lock Market About Us: SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally. Address: 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 Phone: USA (+1) 617-230-0741 Email: sales@skyquestt.com New York, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Boyden, a premier global leadership and talent advisory firm, reports on its annual global executive talent research. Macro-economic challenges, innovation in AI, and rising concerns over talent are recalibrating leadership capabilities and forging a closer relationship between boards and the executive. Boydens global study, Exploring Adaptivity through Strategy and Talent, discovers perspectives on risk among CEOs, boards and other senior leaders, alongside executive talent trends, priorities and investment. Findings show the top external risk to business is threat of recession, cited by 38 percent of respondents, while the top internal risk is employee burnout, cited by 24 percent, tying with rising business costs. For growth prospects, 77 percent of global leaders are very confident or confident in their organisations growth potential. However, 41 percent say their organisations need to strengthen skills in AI, robotics and machine learning to achieve growth, while 35 percent have little or no confidence in having the right talent to align with strategy. Board-level respondents see human capital as the top driver of organisational growth, tying with innovation; 44 percent say they need to strengthen their own skills in AI, robotics and machine learning. In preparing for recession, 33 percent of board respondents report increased engagement by the leadership team with the board. Our research shows a closer relationship between the executive and the board, reflected in our own executive search and leadership consulting engagements, says Kathleen Dunton, Chair, Board of Directors, Boyden. While overseeing strategy and representing shareholders, board respondents reveal a strong operational focus both for their own skill sets and the needs of the business, most notably human capital and digital skills. The board-level focus on talent is an on-going reflection of the deeper engagement of the board in day-to-day business as leaders and organisations strive to adapt in real time, comments Chad Hesters, President & CEO, Boyden. Coupled with this, digital capabilities and strategy have become intertwined, accelerating the pace of change, and shining a light on the need for digital fluency at all levels of the organisation. The need for adaptivity is driving organisations to recalibrate their approach to leadership, away from traditional competitive styles to a more nuanced approach. Rikard Scoufias, Chair, Hellenic Hydrocarbons and Energy Resources Management Company (HEREMA S.A.) explains, What is making this period so exciting for CEOs is that leadership today is not just dependent on having huge financial resources, its really about mindset. By adopting more creative and competitive mindsets and articulating more attractive stakeholder value propositions the playing field is levelled out and organisations can steal business and market share. Its completely different to competing on traditional parameters. About the research This research was conducted in Q2 2023 among senior executives worldwide from different industries, with more than 1,000 responses from board directors, CEOs, senior vice presidents, division/country heads and functional leaders. Regional representation is: Europe 39 percent | North America 24 percent | Asia/Pacific 20 percent | South America 11 percent | Africa/Middle East 6 percent About Boyden Boyden is a premier leadership and talent advisory firm with more than 70 offices in over 45 countries. Our global reach enables us to serve client needs anywhere they conduct business. We connect great companies with great leaders through executive search, interim management and leadership consulting solutions. Boyden is ranked amongst the top companies on Forbes Americas Best Executive Recruiting Firms for 2023. For further information, visit www.boyden.com. Attachment New York (US), June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium Hydroxide Market Overview According to a Comprehensive Research Report by Market Research Future (MRFR), Lithium Hydroxide Market Information by Application, End Use, and Region - Forecast till 2032, Lithium Hydroxide Market could thrive at a rate of 10.60% between 2023 and 2032. The market size will be reaching around USD 1.23 Billion by the end of the year 2032. Market Synopsis Lithium hydroxide (LiOH) holds immense significance as a crucial compound within the lithium-ion battery industry, serving as a fundamental component in energy storage systems. This inorganic compound is synthesized by the reaction of lithium carbonate with water. Lithium hydroxide plays a pivotal role in the production of high-performance lithium-ion batteries, which find widespread application in electric vehicles, portable electronic devices, renewable energy storage systems, and grid-scale applications. The usage of lithium hydroxide stems from its ability to facilitate the efficient functioning of lithium-ion batteries. These batteries rely on the movement of lithium ions between the positive and negative electrodes during charge and discharge cycles. Lithium hydroxide is essential in generating the cathode material, where it combines with other elements such as cobalt, nickel, or manganese to form the cathode compound. This compound is responsible for the battery's energy storage capabilities and determines its performance characteristics. The demand for lithium hydroxide has surged in tandem with the rapid growth of electric vehicles and the increasing need for advanced energy storage solutions. Electric vehicle manufacturers heavily rely on lithium-ion batteries, with lithium hydroxide being a critical component in the production of high-energy density batteries that offer longer driving ranges and faster charging times. Additionally, portable electronic devices, such as smartphones and laptops, utilize lithium-ion batteries enabled by lithium hydroxide, ensuring prolonged usage and improved performance. Get a Free Sample PDF Brochure: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/988 Market Competitive Landscape: The affluent companies in the Lithium Hydroxide industry include Albemarle Corporation Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM) Tianqi Lithium Corporation Ganfeng Lithium Co., Ltd. Livent Corporation Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co., Ltd. FMC Corporation Galaxy Resources Limited Nemaska Lithium Inc. Altura Mining Limited Among others. Report Scope: Report Attribute Details Market Size 2032 USD 1.2381 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) 10.60% (2023-2032) Base Year 2022 Market Forecast Period 2023-2032 Historical Data 2018- 2022 Forecast Units Value (USD billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Type, Application, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW) Key Market Dynamics Increase in adoption of electric vehicles Browse In-depth Market Research Report (138 Pages) on Lithium Hydroxide: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/lithium-hydroxide-market-988 May 2023 Albemarle Corporation, a supplier to Tesla, has announced plans to construct a lithium-processing facility to facilitate the production of 2.4 million electric vehicles annually. The new plant will be dedicated to processing 50,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide, supporting the growing demand for electric vehicles and sustainable energy solutions. Market USP Covered: Market Drivers: The expansion of the automotive industry, driven by rising vehicle production and increasing demand for lightweight and durable components, fuels the demand for Lithium Hydroxide. POM's excellent mechanical properties and resistance to chemicals and wear make it ideal for automotive applications, driving market growth. The growing electronics industry, coupled with the increasing need for reliable electrical components, drives the demand for POM. Its electrical insulation properties, resistance to creep, and dimensional stability make it suitable for connectors, switches, and other electronic components, contributing to market growth. Market Restraints: Lithium reserves are geographically concentrated, and the extraction process can be complex and costly. Additionally, the increasing demand for lithium hydroxide from multiple industries, including energy storage and electronics, poses challenges in maintaining a consistent supply chain and meeting market demands. Furthermore, stringent regulations on the transportation and handling of lithium compounds can also impede market growth. Share Your Queries: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/988 COVID 19 Analysis The COVID-19 pandemic had a mixed impact on the lithium hydroxide market. Initially, the disruption in global supply chains and the slowdown in manufacturing activities resulted in a temporary decline in demand. However, as economies recover and industries resume operations, the market is gradually recovering. The post-COVID scenario is expected to witness a resurgence in the lithium hydroxide market, driven by the accelerated adoption of electric vehicles, renewable energy projects, and increased investment in energy storage infrastructure. Market Segmentation By Application By Application, the segment includes Batteries, Ceramic Glass, Lubricant Grease, and Air conditioning. By End Use By End Use, the segment includes Automotive, Electrical & Electronics, Marine, and Aerospace. Ask for Customization: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/ask_for_customize/988 Regional Insights Asia-Pacific dominates the lithium hydroxide market, driven by the rapid growth of the electric vehicle industry and the presence of major battery manufacturers. China, Japan, and South Korea are key contributors to the market, owing to their robust battery production and strong government support for electric mobility. North America holds a significant share of the lithium hydroxide market. The region's focus on renewable energy integration, the presence of prominent electric vehicle manufacturers, and supportive government policies contribute to market growth. The United States and Canada are key players in the region. Discover more research Reports on Chemical Industry , by Market Research Future: Global Gallium Nitride Market Research Report Information By Type (P-Type And N-Type), End-Use Industry (Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Healthcare and others) and Region - Forecast to 2030 Stearic Acid Market By Application (Cosmetics & Personal Care, Detergents & Soaps, Food Products, Pharmaceuticals, Textile Sizing, And Others), End-Use Industry (Personal Care, Food & Beverages, Healthcare, Textile, And Others), By Region: Forecast Till 2030 Global Amorphous Polyethylene Terephthalate Market Research Report Information: By Additives (Chain Extenders, Solid Stating Accelerators), Application (Bottles, Packaging), End-Use Industries (Food & Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive), Region - Forecast Till 2030 About Market Research Future: Market Research Future (MRFR) is a global market research company that takes pride in its services, offering a complete and accurate analysis with regard to diverse markets and consumers worldwide. Market Research Future has the distinguished objective of providing the optimal quality research and granular research to clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help answer your most important questions. PARIS, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deriv , one of the leading online brokers, has been actively participating in humanitarian efforts that are aligned with its core values of being reliable, fair, transparent, and responsible. Earlier this year, Deriv sponsored a team of two young professionals who successfully completed the 4L Trophy rally, an annual humanitarian car rally that raises funds for the cause of underprivileged children in Africa. The 4L Trophy rally started in France and ended in Morocco, covering a 6,000 km journey over 10 days. It required participants to drive through challenging terrain, navigating their way through various checkpoints. A long journey for a noble cause: deliver stationery and textbooks for underprivileged children along the way. Deriv humanitarian ride through the desert in Morocco. The challenges of navigating unfamiliar terrain, camping in the middle of nowhere, and crossing the finish line were thrilling and rewarding, Clement David, one of the drivers sponsored by Deriv, said. But what made the experience truly special was the opportunity to make a difference in childrens lives by delivering much-needed school supplies. Jean-Yves Sireau, founder and CEO of Deriv, said: "Deriv's participation in the 4L Trophy rally is a testament to our commitment to making a positive impact on the communities we serve. We believe in supporting causes that empower individuals and communities to thrive, and education is a critical component of that. We believe that businesses have a responsibility to give back to society, added Sireau. Through our philanthropic efforts, we hope to inspire other organisations to do their part in making the world a better place. Deriv supports humanitarian drive in Morocco during the 4L Trophy rally. The 4L Trophy rally is just one example of Deriv's involvement in humanitarian initiatives. Earlier this year, the company had also donated 11 boxes of clothes to Fundacion Unidos por Cristo (Asuncion, Paraguay), a residential home that provides comprehensive care to children and adolescents at risk. To learn more about Deriv and its humanitarian initiatives, follow Derivlife and the companys Instagram account . About Deriv Deriv started its journey in 1999. Its mission since has been to make online trading accessible to anyone, anywhere. Derivs product offering includes intuitive trading platforms, over 200 tradable assets (in markets such as forex, stocks, and cryptocurrencies), unique trade types, and more. Deriv embraces its commitment to the community, elevating its humanitarian initiatives to new heights across its network of 20 offices spanning 16 countries. PRESS CONTACT Aleksandra Zuzic aleksandra@deriv.com Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/84da82a4-68fe-4100-b936-f179348cbb9e https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/61b1b768-e495-4845-aaaa-b96adda137a6 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Relying on speculative climate models that try to predict the future rather than actual measurements of climate change has led to over-zealous policies in response to over-zealous predictions of warming, finds a new study published by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. All too often, climate policy is based on speculative estimates generated by models that try to see into the future rather than being based in empirical measurements of what is actually changing today and how quickly, said Kenneth P. Green, senior fellow at the Fraser Institute and author of Models or Measures of Climate Change: Why Does It Matter? The study finds that predictive climate models, in which speculative scenarios of future social and economic trends are used to estimate future greenhouse-gas emissions, over-estimate both atmospheric warming and greenhouse gas emissions. Crucially, the implications of basing climate policies more on modelling and less on actual empirical measurement leads to misallocation of governments priorities and regulation, leading to expensive and often ineffective policies. Implementing overly aggressive climate change policies based on overly-aggressive guesstimations of future climate change imposes direct harms on the economy and Canadians, Green commented. The fixation on preventing predicted future levels of CO2 from causing predicted levels of warming has kept policymakers from giving proper attention to potential resilience and adaptation strategies such as strengthening coastal areas from rising sea levels; improving water distribution system resilience to periodic drought or flood; ensuring resilient transportation systems; and strengthening power systems needed to deliver sufficient affordable energy for heating and cooling of homes and businesses in the event of climate fluctuations. Climate models tend to generate the most extreme climate change scenarios, whereas when we actually measure what has changed in the climate, the results tend to be more moderate, Green said. Instead of using the extreme model-based scenarios to drive climate policy, policymakers should make much more use of actual climate measurements to better target actual areas of concern when it comes to climate change. MEDIA CONTACT: Kenneth P. Green, Senior Fellow Fraser Institute To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Drue MacPherson, Fraser Institute Tel: (604) 688-0221 Ext. 721 E-mail: drue.macpherson@fraserinstitute.org Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter and Facebook Accra, Ghana, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HRM Drolor Bosso Adamtey I, a highly respected global leader, delivered an inspiring speech at the recent Full Gospel Businessmens Fellowship International (FGBMFI Ghana) Seminar held at the African Regent Hotel in Accra, Ghana. The seminar focused on the theme "Empowering Leadership in the 21st Century" and brought together entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders from various sectors. With his wealth of experience and profound insights, King Adamtey captivated the audience as he shared his perspectives on effective leadership strategies and the importance of fostering collaboration and innovation in today's rapidly changing world. His address emphasized the significance of visionary leadership that can adapt and thrive in the face of emerging challenges. Drawing from his rich academic and business background, King Adamtey highlighted the critical role of continuous learning and personal development in achieving leadership success. He stressed the need for leaders to cultivate a growth mindset and embrace lifelong learning to navigate complex business landscapes and inspire their teams to achieve excellence. During his speech, King Adamtey expressed concern over the growing trend of embracing foreign languages at the expense of native Ghanaian languages, which has led to a disconnection between generations and a decline in wisdom and values. He emphasized the significance of empowerment through negotiation in all aspects of life. The audience resonated strongly with King Adamtey's speech as he shared his personal experiences and challenges in becoming a global leader. His anecdotes were a source of motivation and encouragement, urging participants to persevere, overcome obstacles, and strive for greatness in their respective fields. The FGBMFI sincerely thanked King Adamtey for his enlightening contribution to the seminar and acknowledged his unwavering commitment to empowering leaders worldwide. H.E. Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur, the wife of the Former Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, bestowed an esteemed plaque upon King Adamtey, who graciously shared his extensive collection of authored books with enthusiastic seminar participants. This generous act aimed to foster knowledge sharing and inspire individuals to embrace the power of literature in promoting positive change. The event served as a testament to the enduring collaboration between H.E. Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur and King Adamtey, highlighting their shared commitment to making a difference on a global scale. The FGBMFI Seminar provided an invaluable platform for networking and knowledge exchange among attendees. Interactive sessions and insights from esteemed speakers like King Adamtey fostered a sense of community and inspired individuals to embrace their leadership potential and make a positive impact in their spheres of influence. The organization looks forward to future collaborations and initiatives that promote the growth and development of individuals in business and leadership roles. About HRM Drolor Bosso Adamtey I: HRM Drolor Bosso Adamtey I is a renowned global leader with extensive expertise in academia and business. Recognized for his thought leadership, King Adamtey has made significant contributions to various industries. His commitment lies in inspiring and empowering individuals to reach their full leadership potential. King Adamtey takes great pride in possessing dual citizenship in Ghana and the United States. About FGBMFI: The Full Gospel Businessmens Fellowship International (FGBMFI) is a global organization dedicated to empowering individuals in the business world through Christian values and principles. FGBMFI provides a platform for networking, mentorship, and spiritual growth, enabling individuals to excel professionally and personally. Attachments HOLLAND, Mich., June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tiara Yachts , family-owned manufacturer of American-made luxury watercrafts, today announced that Quality Manager Fawn Filley-Myers has been selected as a winner of the 2023 Boating Industry Women Making Waves award. Since joining Tiara Yachts as quality manager in 2021, Filley-Myers has worked tirelessly to promote a positive workplace culture, serve as a cohesive bond between internal teams, and implement efficiencies to extra key data analysis and insights to improve Tiaras overall quality and performance. A firm advocate for equality in the boating industry, Filley-Myers is dedicated to supporting women with similar passions for engineering as they overcome their own professional obstacles. I am deeply humbled and grateful for this accolade as a woman in the boating industry. I love empowering and inspiring other women to chart their course, said Filley-Myers. I'm fortunate for the amazing team I'm a part of at Tiara and I look forward to seeing like-minded women continue to impact our industry. Her recognition for this award further confirms an already-triumphant year for Tiara, following: Tiara Director of Marketing and Communications Whitney Vishey being inducted into the 2023 Boating Industrys 40 Under 40 class. class. Tiaras 15 th consecutive year earning the Marine Industry CSI Award consecutive year earning the Marine Industry CSI Award The launch of Tiaras newest and largest inboard model, the EX 60 The Women Making Waves award honors the women in the industry who have and continue to contribute to its success, propel its growth and lead their individual organizations to success. The winners of the award will be featured in the June/July issue of Boating Industry and will be honored at the Boating Industry ELEVATE SUMMIT this November in Dallas. Fawns dedication, expertise, and trailblazing spirit have set a new standard in both our company and the marine industry, said Tom Slikkers, CEO and President of Tiara Yachts. I look forward to watching her future accomplishments as she continues to shape the boating landscape with her leadership. To view the entire list of Women Making Waves Winners, visit the outlets June 2023 Digital Issue: LINK. For more information about Tiara Yachts, visit tiarayachts.com . About Tiara Yachts Tiara Yachts, headquartered in Holland, Michigan, is one of the oldest privately held boat manufacturers in the United States. The Tiara Yachts model line includes inboard vessels from 39 to 60 feet in the Coupe and EX lines. Outboard powered Tiara Yachts models range from 34 to 48 feet in three distinct Series: Luxury Sport (LS), Luxury Crossover (LX), and Luxury Express (LE). For more information, please visit tiarayachts.com. Media Contact: Mitchell Reid Associate Lambert mreid@lambert.com 989-326-3992 Media Assets: LINK A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33f55335-6b36-4804-92b6-36f8fb34a897 Fairfield, Connecticut, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bigelow Tea, the national market leader in the United States, has just launched new Bigelow Benefits THROAT DEFENSE Ginger Honey Lemon Herbal Tea joining the expanding line of Bigelow Benefits wellness teas. With a focus on always delivering a perfect cup of tea, this new, expertly crafted flavor features high-quality ingredients that are familiar and delicious, making Bigelow Benefits THROAT DEFENSE a perfect good-for-you addition for your throat care needs. NEW! Bigelow Benefits THROAT DEFENSE Ginger Honey Lemon Herbal Tea A caffeine-free, non-GMO project verified, throat-calming tea featuring immune-support ingredients, including spicy ginger and bright lemon with the soothing sweet flavor of honey. In each cup, find a delicious blend of sweet honey and lemon combined with licorice root and marshmallow root, long known for their ability to help provide soothing comfort. Over the past few years, weve seen a tremendous demand and expansion for products that support a healthy lifestyle, says Cindi Bigelow, president and CEO of third generation family-owned Bigelow Tea. With new Bigelow Benefits THROAT DEFENSE Ginger Honey Lemon, we created, as a wellness solution for every day, a soothing cup of herbal tea that features the sweet flavor of honey, superfood ginger plus essential ingredient lemon, and other familiar everyday herbs and ingredients, a perfect addition to our masterfully blended range of Bigelow Benefits wellness teas. Healthy never tasted so good! Featuring all natural green, black and herbal teas with herbs, flowers and fruits, each ingredient in the Bigelow Benefits range of teas is selected to provide specific natural good-for-you benefits that help support each tea drinkers well-being. Additionally, each package now has a refreshed look that elevates the look and feel of the important beneficial ingredients in each blend which better aligns with how consumers are shopping these teas. Tea drinkers nationwide have been enjoying these established and well-received Bigelow Benefits tea flavors: Benefits STAY WELL (Lemon & Echinacea Herbal Tea) Authentic Echinacea and crisp lemon flavor with a smooth, relaxing herbal finish Benefits STRESS FREE (Rose & Mint Herbal Tea) Sweet floral notes combined with a slight fruity tang, all cooled with a hint of delicious peppermint Benefits SLEEP (Chamomile & Lavender Herbal Tea) A calming, full-bodied floral lavender flavor with a sweet chamomile finish Benefits CALM STOMACH (Ginger & Peach Herbal Tea) A blend of spicy ginger, soothing peppermint finished and sweet peach Benefits REFRESH (Turmeric Chili Matcha Green Tea) A balanced green tea and matcha pair with earthy turmeric and a mild peppery kic Benefits RADIATE BEAUTY (Blueberry & Aloe Herbal Tea) A smooth and delicious fruity flavor with blueberry sweetness and subtle aloe note Benefits FOCUS (Moringa & Black Tea) A bold black tea with earthy notes and moringa, ashwagandha Root, and turmeric root Benefits BALANCE (Cinnamon & Blackberry Herbal Tea) Sweet and spicy cinnamon top notes with a smooth balanced sweet and tart finish Benefits LEAN AND FIT (Citrus & Oolong Tea) A robust oolong with a combination of citrus notes and smoky tea features Yerba Mate, Parsley and Red Clove Bigelow Tea has long been an innovator in the tea industry, introducing the first specialty tea in 1945 with the creation of its signature flavor, Constant Comment. Since that time, Bigelow Tea has continued to push innovation in not only flavor, but also by creating functional teas that enhance consumers day-to-day lives. The Bigelow Benefits newest flavor THROAT DEFENSE Ginger Honey Lemon Herbal Tea is now available for purchase in stores and online on the Bigelow Tea company website (www.bigelowtea.com) and other select online retailers. The average suggested SRP is $3.49. To learn more about additional newly launched flavors, please review the press release about our Three New Teas from our Signature Line: Peak Energy Black Tea Plus Extra L-Theanine & Caffeine, Whispering Wildflowers Herbal Tea Plus L-Theanine, Ginger Honey Herbal Tea Plus Zinc and our press release about NEW Bigelow Botanical Cold Water Infusions Blood Orange Tangerine & Pineapple Coconut Mango. About Bigelow Tea Company Based in Fairfield, CT and 100% family owned, the Bigelow Tea Company pioneered the specialty tea category 80 years ago with its flagship tea, Constant Comment, an iconic black tea known for its unique, memorable blend of orange rind and sweet spice that changed the way Americans were drinking tea. The third-generation company takes pride in its heritage and successful growth from a one-product, entrepreneurial venture into becoming a national market tea leader today. Under the leadership of president and CEO, Cindi Bigelow, Bigelow Tea has become a Certified B Corporation, one of a select group of companies that has made a commitment to corporate social responsibility as a core business goal in the pursuit of a positive social and environmental impact. This certification incorporates maintaining Zero Waste to Landfill operations, being a Green-e Certified company and organizing the Bigelow Tea Community Challenge fundraiser which has contributed over $2 million to local non-profits since 1988. Producing 2 billion tea bags annually, the Bigelow Tea portfolio is comprised of more than 150 flavors which includes the Bigelow Tea signature line, seasonal tea products, organic, wellness and immune support teas that feature ingredients with functional benefits as well as Botanicals Cold Water Infusions. Bigelow Tea products are available nationwide. For more information, visit our website (www.bigelowtea.com) or contact: media@bigelowtea.com. Attachment Dublin, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Forensic Technology Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (PCR, Capillary Electrophoresis), By Services (DNA Profiling, Chemical Analysis) By Application, By Location, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 - 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global forensic technology market size is expected to reach USD 10.65 billion by 2030. The market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 9.9% from 2023 to 2030. Novel innovations in Research & Development (R&D) of criminal sciences have introduced progressive techniques which have increased the efficiency of forensic analysis. Several government initiatives undertaken to attain sustained development in research related to criminal science are broadening the market space. For instance, in March 2022 The Forensic Technology Center of Excellence undertook an initiative and assisted the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to conduct NIJ forensic science research and development (R&D) symposium. This R&D symposium aims to discuss, discover, and share new approaches and applications in increasing the impact of forensic sciences. Furthermore, the surge in the number of rapes, murders, robberies, and homicides is the major factor boosting the necessity for criminological studies. Technological developments in forensic laboratories and infrastructure are widening the growth prospects of the market. Recent advancements, such as automated extraction methodologies, predictive dual quantitation assay, next-generation STR multiplexes, and mini-STR kits further enhance the analysis of degraded and compromised samples thereby improving forensic capabilities. However, stringent regulatory constraints are expected to limit the growth of the forensic technology industry in emerging countries. Federal agencies are bound to adhere to Quality Assurance Standards (QAS), including testing standards for the proficiency of forensic laboratories and analysts, involved in conducting DNA analyses. In addition, the lack of skilled professionals and the high cost of advanced forensic techniques are some of the factors restraining the growth of the global market to some extent. Companies Mentioned Agilent Technologies Ge Healthcare Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Nms Labs Eurofins Medigenomix GmbH Lgc Forensics Forensic Pathways Spex Forensics Forensic Fluids Laboratories Pyramidal Technologies Ltd Forensic Technology Market Report Highlights By type, the capillary electrophoresis segment held the dominant share in 2022. This technique is broadly used owing to its micro sampling capabilities, ease of sample preparation, and simple detection methods By services, the chemical analysis segment dominated in 2022. The wide range of applications of chemical analysis in fingerprinting, bloodstain pattern analysis, alcohol testing, serology, fire debris analysis, analysis of trace evidence, and toxicology studies among others are expected to boost the segment's growth By application, the judicial/law enforcement segment held a large share in 2022, due to the constant efforts by government authorities globally to generate DNA databases are the key growth contributing factor By location, laboratory forensics technology accounted for the largest share in 2022. This can be attributed to the presence of testing instruments, that are massive in nature and designed for the analysis of a huge volume of samples North America dominated the global market in 2022, due to the growing incidence of criminal cases and results in the increase in crime scene analyses in the region The Asia Pacific is projected to grow considerably in the future owing to the rising awareness regarding various analytical technologies and rising investments in the region for criminal identification Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 150 Forecast Period 2022 - 2030 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2022 $4.88 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 $10.65 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 9.9% Regions Covered Global Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Methodology and Scope Chapter 2. Executive Summary Chapter 3. Market Variables, Trends, & Scope 3.1. Market Lineage Outlook 3.1.1. Parent Market Outlook 3.1.2. Related/Ancillary Market Outlook 3.2. Market Dynamics 3.2.1. Market Driver Analysis 3.2.1.1. Technological Upgradation In Forensic Laboratories And Infrastructure 3.2.1.2. Increasing Violent Crime Rates Globally 3.2.1.3. Increase In Number Of Government Initiatives And Funding Opportunities For DNA Research And Forensics 3.2.2. Market Restraint Analysis 3.2.2.1. Stringent Regulatory Constraints 3.3. Industry Analysis Tools 3.3.1. Porter's Five Forces Analysis 3.3.2. PESTEL Analysis 3.3.3. COVID-19 Impact Analysis Chapter 4. Forensic Market: Segment Analysis, By Type, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 4.1. Forensic Technology Market: Type Movement Analysis 4.1.1. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) 4.1.1.1. Polymerase chain reaction market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 4.1.2. Capillary Electrophoresis 4.1.2.1. Capillary electrophoresis market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 4.1.3. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) 4.1.3.1. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 4.1.4. Rapid DNA Analysis 4.1.4.1. Rapid DNA Analysis market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 4.1.5. Automated Liquid Handling Technology 4.1.5.1. Automated Liquid Handling Technology market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 4.1.6. Microarrays 4.1.6.1. Microarrays market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 4.1.7. Others 4.1.7.1. Others market estimates and forecast, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) Chapter 5. Forensic Market: Segment Analysis, By Service, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 5.1. Forensic Technology Market: Services Movement Analysis 5.2. DNA Profiling 5.2.1. DNA profiling Market, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 5.3. Chemical Analysis 5.3.1. Chemical analysis Market, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 5.4. Biometric Analysis 5.4.1. Biometric analysis Market, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 5.5. Firearms Identification 5.5.1. Firearms Identification Market, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 5.6. Others 5.6.1. Others Market, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) Chapter 6. Forensic Market: Segment Analysis, By Application, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 6.1. Forensic Technology Market: Application Movement Analysis 6.2. Pharmacogenetics 6.2.1. Pharmacogenetics Market, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 6.3. Biodefense & Bio surveillance 6.3.1. Biodefense & Bio surveillance Market, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 6.4. Judicial/Law Enforcement 6.4.1. Judicial/Law Enforcement Market, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 6.5. Others 6.5.1. Others Market, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) Chapter 7. Forensic Market: Segment Analysis, By Location, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 7.1. Forensic Technology Market: Location Movement Analysis 7.2. Laboratory Forensics Technology 7.2.1. Laboratory Forensics Technology Market, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) 7.3. Portable Forensics Technology 7.3.1. Portable Forensics Technology Market, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) Chapter 8. Forensic Market: Segment Analysis, By Region, 2018 - 2030 (USD Million) Chapter 9. Competitive Landscape 9.1. Company Categorization 9.2. Strategy Mapping 9.3. Company Market Share Analysis, 2022 9.4. Company Profiles/Listing For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rxpk2s About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "North America Rum Market Outlook, 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. North America rum market was valued at USD 5.63 Billion in 2022 A vibrant and varied sector, the rum industry in North America has seen substantial expansion and popularity in recent years. Rum is distilled liquor with a long history in the Caribbean that is created from molasses or sugarcane byproducts. It has gained popularity across the continent. North America, consisting of the United States and Canada, has seen a surge in consumer interest in premium and craft spirits, including rum. This has resulted in an increased demand for high-quality rums that offer unique flavors, artisanal production methods, and a touch of exoticism. The increasing popularity of cocktail culture is one of the main factors boosting the rum business in North America. Rum has gained popularity among mixologists and bartenders because it can be incorporated into a variety of traditional and contemporary drinks. From classic drinks like the Mojito and Pia Colada to modern concoctions like the Rum Old Fashioned and Rum Sour, rum has established itself as a standard at bars and eateries all over the continent. North America, consisting of the United States and Canada, has seen a surge in consumer interest in premium and craft spirits, including rum. This has resulted in an increased demand for high-quality rums that offer unique flavors, artisanal production methods, and a touch of exoticism. The most popular kind of rum consumed in North America is usually light or white rum. Light rum frequently appears in mixed beverages and cocktails because of its moderate flavor profile. Additionally, it is well-liked for producing traditional rum-based drinks like mojitos and daiquiris. The favored type of rum can, however, differ among people and geographical areas in North America due to the recent popularity of various rum flavors and styles. In North America, conventional rum is generally more commonly used than organic rum. Conventional rum refers to rum that is produced using traditional methods and ingredients, which may include non-organic sugarcane or molasses. It is the standard type of rum available in most liquor stores and bars. Standard rum and over proof rum are often more widely used in the North American rum market. Standard rum is rum with average alcohol content (ABV) of between 35% and 40%, which is the common strength for the majority of rum brands. It is widely accessible and frequently used in a variety of mixed drinks and cocktails. In contrast, over proof rum has a greater alcohol concentration, often between 50% and 75% ABV or even higher. Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Mount Gay, Havana Club, Don Q, Appleton Estate, Cruzan, Malibu are some famous brands in North America. Rum is now widely used in both traditional and modern cocktails on the North American continent. To make distinctive and intriguing drinks, bartenders frequently experiment with various rum kinds, infusions, and flavors. Rum's popularity stems from the variety of cocktails that may be made with it thanks to its adaptability. Government policies in North America regarding the rum market encompass a range of regulations and considerations. These policies are designed to ensure the responsible production, distribution, and consumption of rum while safeguarding public health and safety. One significant aspect of government policy is the regulation and licensing of rum production and sale. Governments impose requirements for labeling, health and safety standards, production processes, and age restrictions. These measures help maintain product quality and protect consumers from potential harm. In addition, alcohol control boards and commissions oversee the regulation and control of alcoholic beverages, including rum. They issue licenses, set pricing policies, regulate advertising and promotions, and enforce compliance with alcohol laws and regulations. Standard or mass-market rum is typically utilised more frequently than premium rum in the North American rum market. The more extensively distributed and reasonably priced rums that are sold in supermarkets and liquor stores are referred to as mass-market rums. Usually made in bigger volumes, these rums are intended for a wide range of consumers. Premium rum, on the other hand, only makes up a minor portion of the market. Since they frequently use better-quality ingredients and go through longer ageing periods, premium rums have a higher price tag. The target market for them is often enthusiasts and aficionados who value the complexity and depth of flavors found in aged and premium rums. Liquor Stores, Supermarkets/Hypermarkets Bars, Restaurants are more preferred in distribution channels. The United States (US) holds a more significant position in the North American rum market due to several key factors. Firstly, the US boasts a substantial consumer market with a population exceeding 330 million individuals. This large market size provides ample opportunities for rum producers to tap into a wide customer base and generate significant sales volume. Secondly, the US possesses a robust and resilient economy, making it one of the world's largest. The strength of the US economy translates into higher purchasing power and disposable income for consumers, enabling increased spending on alcoholic beverages, including rum. As a result, the US market presents an attractive proposition for rum producers seeking to capitalize on consumer demand. The US serves as a critical hub for rum importation and distribution in the North American region. Many international rum brands establish a robust presence in the US market, leveraging its extensive distribution network to reach consumers across North America. This distribution prowess enhances the availability and accessibility of rum in other North American countries. Company Profiles Diageo plc The Edrington Group Ltd. Brown-Forman Corporation Davide Campari-Milano N.V. Bacardi Limited Pernod Ricard SA Angostura Holdings Limited Halewood Artisanal Spirits Becle SAB de CV Sazerac Company, Inc. Molson Coors Beverage Company Considered in this report Geography: North America Historic year: 2017 Base year: 2022 Estimated year: 2023 Forecast year: 2028 Aspects covered in this report North America Rum market with its value and forecast along with its segments Country-wise Rum Market analysis Various drivers and challenges On-going trends and developments Top profiled companies Strategic recommendation Countries covered in the report: United States Canada Mexico Aspects covered in this report United States Rum Market with its value and forecast along with its segments Various drivers and challenges On-going trends and developments Top profiled companies Strategic recommendation By Types Rum White Rum Light or Gold Rum Dark Rum Spiced and Flavored By Nature Conventional Organic By Category Standard Over proof By Segment Mass Premium /Craft Rum By Distribution Channel On -Trade Off-Trade For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8wrtbo About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Pune, India, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Insight Partners published the latest research study on " Smart Door Lock Market Size Report, Forecast to 2028 COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis by Product, Technology, End User, and Geography," the market is expected to grow from $2.73 Billion in 2023 to $6.30 Billion by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 18.2% from 2023 to 2028. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00009719/ Global Smart Door Lock Market Report Scope, Segmentations, Regional & Country Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Size Value in US$ 2.73 Billion in 2023 Market Size Value by US$ 6.30 Billion by 2028 Growth rate CAGR of 18.2% from 2023 to 2028 Forecast Period 2023-2028 Base Year 2023 No. of Pages 161 No. of Tables 88 No. of Charts & Figures 82 Historical data available Yes Segments covered Product Type, Technology, End User Regional scope North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Latin America; MEA Country scope US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Argentina Report coverage Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Companies Covered Assa Abloy AB, Allegion Plc, MIWA LOCK Co Ltd, Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc, Zigbang, Honeywell International Inc, Master Lock Company LLC, Locstar Technology Co Ltd, Guangdong Level Intelligent Lock Industrial Co Ltd, ADEL Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd Browse key market insights spread across 161 pages with 88 lists of tables & 82 lists of figures from the report, "Smart Door Lock Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Product (Fingerprint Locks, Remote Locks, and Electronic Cipher Locks), Technology (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z Wave, and Others), and End User (Residential and Commercial)" in detail along with the table of contents: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/smart-door-lock-market Germany is the largest economy in Europe and houses several leading industry verticals. A high technology adoption rate is an essential factor that encourages international players from the smart door lock market to expand their presence in the country. The growing incorporation of IoT technology in security solutions, the rising adoption of smart security solutions in the residential and nonresidential sectors, and the emergence of several new manufacturers are a few of the major factors supporting the smart door lock market growth in Germany. With the growing developments in technology and lowering the cost of security solutions, many companies have entered the advanced smart door lock marketplace in this country. Western Europe is a highly developed region, hosting several types of businesses. Additionally, a rapid digital transformation supports the growth of the smart door lock market in Europe. A well-established manufacturing industry in the region adopts cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Industry 4.0. As a result, globally leading enterprises collaborate with European companies to leverage the well-developed infrastructure in this region. In March 2023, iLOQ, a Finnish company offering smart locking and secure access solutions for buildings and properties, signed a global Master Supply Agreement with Honeywell Building Technologies. Under this agreement, Honeywell agreed to purchase access management solutions from iLOQ. With the rising penetration of smartphones and other smart devices, the demand for smart homes has increased substantially in Europe over the past five years. Smart home applications comprise advanced security aspects, which include smart locks and cameras along with other smart features. People in the region are adopting systems with innovative security features integrated into their smart homes and considering them as a value-added service supporting a high quality of living. Such factors are encouraging smart lock providers to introduce innovative locking solutions. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies have been pushing the limits of wireless communications in Europe. Smart locks enabled with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technologies can be further integrated with smartphones, smart home hubs, etc. Speak to Research Expert: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/speak-to-analyst/TIPRE00009719/ With the increasing purchasing power, Italian individuals seek reliable and luxurious products that meet their expectations. Considering this observation, key players in the smart door lock market in Italy focus on innovations to enhance their offerings. In July 2022, Lualdi, an Italian design brand, launched a doorway system called Ether that combines aesthetics with advanced technologies. The product was developed in collaboration with Microdevice, a company specializing in building automation and intelligent supervision. The interface of Ethernet is customizable and can include various features, such as security systems, doorbells, lighting controls, nightlights, and air sanitation systems. According to a report published by the government of the UK in March 2023, the hospitality sector comprises ~143,000 businesses and offers employment to ~1.8 million people in the country. This sector contributed ~US$ 45.24 billion (EUR 40.4 billion) in Gross Value Added in 2019. In line with these stats, the government allocated a total of ~US$ 390.84 billion ((EUR 352 billion) to boost the revival of the industry to mitigate the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Various global smart door lock companies are involved in collaborations and partnerships to expand their share in the progressive European marketplace. For instance, in November 2022, EE Limited, a telecommunication provider in the UK, announced a new strategic collaboration with cybersecurity companies Norton and Verisure to deliver smart home security products. EE and Verisure will work closely to launch the new EE Smart Home Security service. Thus, such growing strategic initiatives like collaboration is fueling the smart door lock market growth in the UK. Inquiry Before Purchase: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/inquiry/TIPRE00009719/ Global Smart Door Lock Market: Platform Overview Based on the product, the smart door lock market is segmented into fingerprint locks, remote locks, and electronic cipher locks. The electronic cipher locks segment is expected to account for the largest share of the smart door lock market in 2023. With these locks, users need to enter a secret code combination to lock/open the doors, similar to how ATMs operate. Since the property owner can share this code with any number of persons, there is no longer a concern about losing keys. Global Smart Door Lock Market: Competitive Landscape and Key Developments Adel Marketing (M) SDN BHD; Allegion plc; Assa Abloy; Guangdong level intelligent lock industrial co., ltd.; Honeywell International inc.; Spectrum Brands; Locstar Technology co., ltd; Master Lock Company LLC; Miwa Lock co; and Zigbang are among the key smart door lock market players profiled in the report. Several other essential smart door lock market players were analyzed for a holistic view of the market and its ecosystem. The report provides detailed market insights, which can help major players strategize their growth. In 2022, the new ABLOY Keyless Access Controller enables mobile access for a wide variety of security products. The Bluetooth-connected controller allows remote access for the devices to be operated with a mobile app. In 2022, the new version of the keyless ABLOY BEAT padlock, designed especially for critical infrastructure, features a removable shackle. The highly weatherproof lock is operated with a mobile app and connects to the operational systems of both ASSA ABLOY and third-party management. Buy Premium Copy of the Smart Door Lock Market Growth Report (2023-2028) at: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00009719/ Go through further research published by The Insight Partners: (Purchase with 10% Instant Discount): Smart Locks Market - The smart locks market was valued at US$ 1.44 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach US$ 4.10 billion by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.2% during 20202027. RFID Locks Market - The RFID locks market was valued at US$ 3,585.11 million in 2019 and it is projected to reach US$ 8,779.61 million by 2027; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.6% during the forecast period from 2020 to 2027. Smart Sensor Market - The smart sensor market is expected to grow from US$ 31,731.1 million in 2021 to US$ 77,747.6 million by 2028. It is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 13.7% between 2021 to 2028. About Us: The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We specialize in industries such as Semiconductor and Electronics, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Biotechnology, Healthcare IT, Manufacturing and Construction, Medical Device, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Chemicals and Materials. Contact Us: If you have any queries about this report or if you would like further information, please contact us: San Antonio, TX, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NatureSweet, the number one tomato brand and leading greenhouse-grown produce company has earned B Corporation Certification (B Corp), becoming the largest Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) company in the world to do so. NatureSweet has achieved this distinction as a result of more than 30 years of transforming the lives of agricultural workers in North America. The company is driven by the conviction that doing the right thing and building a business model grounded on treating people with dignity is not in conflict, but the reason for its success. NatureSweet pursued the B Corp certification to invite the $80 billion fresh produce industry to make the well-being of workers and their communities a cornerstone for growth. For more than three decades, NatureSweet has revolutionized the fresh produce industry with the best tasting and highest quality products, says Rodolfo Spielmann, President and CEO of NatureSweet. Our success comes directly from having the most committed and experienced workers growing and packing our produce. We created a model in which every Associate has the opportunity to earn a better income based on his or her individual effort, while also providing education, psychological support, and healthcare services. We are the largest CEA company that is Fair Trade Certified, Equitable Food Initiative (EFI) Certified, and now B Corp Certified. I am incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished and look forward to strengthening our efforts. We hope our impact goes beyond NatureSweet and serves as a roadmap for the industry. The companys first-time certification score of 114 points is 34 points above the minimum requirement. The proof that the NatureSweet model is working lies in the superior quality of the fruits and vegetables it cultivates and its less than one percent turnover rate, which is extremely low in the agricultural industry. To become B Corp Certified, NatureSweet met rigorous benchmarks in several categories including Workers, Community, Customers, Environment, and Governance. Below are a few noteworthy highlights: NatureSweet is committed to transforming an industry that has not historically placed its workers at the center or treated them as the most precious driver for success. NatureSweet has created income sustainability for its workers by paying them more than double the minimum wage in Mexico. They earn almost 40% above the median wage of agricultural workers in Mexico, and approximately 25% above the median wage of its main competitors. NatureSweet agricultural workers have the opportunity to earn up to 300% in bonus compensation. In 2022, 75% of NatureSweet agricultural workers earned livable wages enabling them to have better access to housing, education, and healthcare. These wages are 53% above the average agricultural compensation in Mexico. for its workers by paying them more than double the minimum wage in Mexico. They earn almost 40% above the median wage of agricultural workers in Mexico, and approximately 25% above the median wage of its main competitors. NatureSweet agricultural workers have the opportunity to earn up to 300% in bonus compensation. In 2022, 75% of NatureSweet agricultural workers earned livable wages enabling them to have better access to housing, education, and healthcare. These wages are 53% above the average agricultural compensation in Mexico. As a Fair Trade Certified company, NatureSweet has an employee-run fund (known as the Fair Trade Premium), that generates millions of dollars annually and supports community development initiatives such as improved education, access to quality health services, accommodations, development projects, and other basic services. In prioritizing the authority of its Associates, NatureSweet created systems that cultivate employee leadership and accountability within greenhouses. When associates take ownership of their work, they are happier, which translates into higher-quality outputs. initiatives such as improved education, access to quality health services, accommodations, development projects, and other basic services. In prioritizing the authority of its Associates, NatureSweet created systems that cultivate employee leadership and accountability within greenhouses. When associates take ownership of their work, they are happier, which translates into higher-quality outputs. NatureSweet also created an educational program so that agricultural workers can learn how to read and write and earn their elementary, middle, and high school diplomas. By the end of 2023, more than 2,000 employees will have benefitted from the program. so that agricultural workers can learn how to read and write and earn their elementary, middle, and high school diplomas. By the end of 2023, more than 2,000 employees will have benefitted from the program. NatureSweets innovative greenhouse growing methods and processes have positioned the company as a leader in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and sustainable practices. The companys drip irrigation systems result in approximately 80% less water usage than open-field agriculture for small tomatoes. Rather than using traditional soil, NatureSweet plants are cultivated in coconut husk fiber. This allows plants to absorb water and nutrients directly, thus reducing water waste by 30%. NatureSweet uses fewer chemical products and fertilizers compared to conventional open-field agriculture. NatureSweet is 100% non-GMO, and 70% of the companys packaging material volume is from recycled plastic. Recently, the company voluntarily conserved more than 120 acres of its land to protect endangered species. NatureSweet joins other Certified B Corporations around the world including companies like Patagonia, Allbirds, and Ben and Jerrys, which have also been evaluated and determined to meet the highest verified standards of social and economic performance, public transparency, and accountability. B Corps utilize the power of business to do more than seek profit, positively impacting communities and environments and are reevaluated every three years. The certification is designed to help consumers identify companies that have a mission that aligns with their values. As a sponsor of NatureSweets B Corp initiative I am proud of the tremendous efforts by so many Associates throughout this rigorous process, says Skip Hulett, General Counsel and VP of NatureSweet. The Associates went above and beyond to show how much it means that NatureSweet be recognized as a force for good. For more information about NatureSweet and its efforts to transform the lives of agricultural workers in North America, visit www.naturesweet.com. For more information about B Corp, visit www.Bcorporation.net. About NatureSweet (NS Brands, Ltd.): NatureSweet is the single-source solution for greenhouse-grown vegetables and is the #1 best-selling brand in snacking tomatoes. The largest vertically integrated agriculture company in North America, NatureSweet guarantees great tasting produce year-round, both organic and conventional. Our vegetables are carefully grown, harvested, and packaged by more than 6,000 directly employed company Associates. NatureSweet tomatoes, cucumbers, and sweet peppers are handpicked at the peak of freshness and sold at major supermarket retailers throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada. NatureSweet is dedicated to having a positive social, environmental, and economic impact within our communities, and our commitment is to transform the lives of agricultural workers throughout North America. This work, as well as our efforts regarding sustainability, have led us to earn B Corp, Fair Trade, and EFI certifications. About B Corporation: B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. To achieve certification, a company must demonstrate high social and environmental performance by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above and passing our risk review. They must also make a legal commitment by changing their corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders, not just shareholders, and achieve benefit corporation status if available in their jurisdiction. B Corps must also exhibit transparency by allowing information about their performance measured against B Labs standards to be publicly available on their B Corp profile on B Labs website. There are currently over 6,000 Certified B Corporations in more than 80 countries and over 150 industries. Attachment TORONTO and TEL AVIV, Israel, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NurExone Biologic Inc. ("NurExone" or the "Company") (TSXV: NRX) (FSE: J90) (NRX.V), is pleased to report positive imaging results from an internal preclinical study of its investigational drug ExoPTEN. The image analysis and measurements confirmed successful nerve regeneration following traumatic transection of the spinal cord in rats. These imaging results align with previous results showing a remarkable recovery of motor function in 75% of paralyzed rats suffering from spinal cord injuries and treated with the new therapy. During a recent internal preclinical trial, the company's ExoPTEN drug caused 75% of rats to regain hind limb reflex, some motor function, and sensory control. Subsequently, the spinal cords of rats from the study were subjected to advanced Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) to assess the structural integrity of the spinal cord. Our DTI analysis yielded representative observations for different rat groups as follows: Intranasal ExoPTEN with recovered motor function Reinnervation, indicating a restoration of nerve supply to the spinal cord below the transection. (Fig.1A) with recovered motor function Reinnervation, indicating a restoration of nerve supply to the spinal cord below the transection. (Fig.1A) Control group - Atrophied and de-innervated spinal cord below the transection (Fig.1A) - Atrophied and de-innervated spinal cord below the transection (Fig.1A) A healthy spinal cord, without trauma, is included as a reference for comparison. (Fig.1A) DTI was performed using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging techniques. Furthermore, fractional anisotropy (FA) measurements were used for a quantitative assessment of tissue integrity. The results showed higher FA values indicating reduced tissue microstructural damage in the caudal region of the ExoPTEN-treated rats compared to the control SCI group (Fig. 1B). A range of healthy rat FA values from a separate experiment is included in Fig. 1B for reference. It is important to note that the nerves below the lesion site presented better survival and less degeneration, which is one of the common pathophysiological conditions after injury. ExoPTEN is being developed to be a minimally invasive ExoTherapy for spinal cord injuries (SCI) administrated intranasally and yielding neuron regeneration and rewiring in traumatically damaged spinal cords. The drug is being developed using NurExone's proprietary ExoTherapy platform for producing and loading exosomes with pharmaceutical cargo targeting central nervous system injuries. "We are delighted to receive promising results from this study, which demonstrated reinnervation as a result of our ExoPTEN product," said Dr. Lior Shaltiel, Chief Executive Officer. "Moreover, it validates the functional recovery we observed with non-invasive administration of our investigational ExoPTEN drug. We are eager to advance our research and clinical trials to translate these results to the millions of human patients in need." Figs. 1A-B Diffusion Tensor Imaging and Measurements Structural Integrity of the Caudal Spinal Cord Figure Legend: (A) To assess the structural integrity of the spinal cord, 9.4T conventional MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed in control-treated (IN) SCI animals, ExoPTEN-treated (IN) SCI animals, and intact rats. In the control-treated SCI animals, caudal nerve tracts were completely severed at the epicenter indicated, leaving the caudal spinal cord de-innervated and atrophied. ExoPTEN promoted reinnervation and nourishment to the caudal spinal cord. (B) Fractional anisotropy (FA) is a measure of tissue integrity. Thus, FA decreases with tissue microstructural damage. FA recordings caudal to the injury site were higher in ExoPTEN-treated rats compared to the control SCI group (B). The green area represents the range of healthy rats' FA values as obtained in a separate experiment. These DTI tractography images and measurements indicate re-innervation and nourishment to the caudal spinal cords in ExoPTEN rats treated intranasally. About NurExone Biologic Inc. NurExone Biologic Inc. is a TSX Venture Exchange-listed pharmaceutical company that is developing a platform for biologically-guided ExoTherapy to be delivered, non-invasively, to patients who suffered traumatic spinal cord injuries. ExoTherapy was conceptually demonstrated in animal studies at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. NurExone is translating the treatment to humans, and the Company holds an exclusive worldwide license from the Technion and Tel Aviv University for the development and commercialization of the technology. For additional information, please visit www.nurexone.com or follow NurExone on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube. For further information, please contact: Dr. Lior Shaltiel Chief Executive Officer and Director Phone: +972-52-4803034 Inbar Paz-Benayoun Adv. Head of Communications and Investor Relations Phone: +972-52-3966695 Email: info@nurexone.com Investor Relations (Canada) Phone: +1 905-347-5569 Email: IR@nurexone.com To download NurExone's Earnings Presentation, please visit: https://nurexone.com/wp- content/uploads/2023/03/Nurexone-Q4-Full-Year-Fiscal-2022-Financial-Results-March-2023.pdf FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about its future development. When used in this press release, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "may," or by such words as "will," "intend," "believe," "estimate," "consider," "expect," "anticipate," and "objective" and similar expressions or variations of such words. Forward-looking statements are, by their nature, not guarantees of the Company's future operational or financial performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects, or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. No representation or warranty is intended with respect to anticipated future results, or that estimates, or projections will be sustained. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments, as well as the factors we believe are appropriate. Forward- looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements relating to: our future plans and intellectual property; our scientific and development activities and the results of our internal pre-clinical trial; future scientific activities and the treatment of certain conditions; the therapeutic benefits, effectiveness, and safety of our product candidates; and the estimated growth of the market for acute spinal cord injuries. In developing the forward-looking statements in this press release, we have applied several material assumptions, including that the internal pre-clinical trial represents reliable results, our ability to retain key personnel, our ability to continue investing in research and development, our ability to secure available funding and to continue as a going concern, the general business and economic conditions of the industries and countries in which we operate, and our ability to execute on our business strategy. Many risks, uncertainties, and other factors could cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from the results, performance, achievements, or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not limited to, the following: those risk factors identified under the heading "Risk Factors" on pages 29 to 36 of the Company's Annual Information Form dated March 30, 2023, a copy of which is available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com; risks related to the Company's early stage of development; lack of revenues to date; government regulation; market acceptance for our products; rapid technological change; dependence on key personnel; protection of our intellectual property; dependence on our strategic partners; overall economic conditions; competitive pressures; network restrictions; and other similar factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of the press release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required pursuant to applicable securities law. All forward-looking statements contained in the press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4ae39821-dc27-47be-b5bb-18ae8a0245e8 BANGOR, MAINE, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MMG Insurance in Presque Isle, Maine and Husson University announced today that they have signed an agreement to provide all of the employees of MMG Insurance who enroll in any of the Universitys Certificate, Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs, with a tuition discount. In addition, those who complete MMGs Emerging Leaders Program can now receive college credit at Husson University. MMG Insurance is continually working to enhance our employee benefits, said Dave McPherson, chief operating officer (COO) at MMG Insurance. Our corporate partnership with Husson creates an additional path to access education for our team members, which ultimately provides additional personal development to help them grow in their roles and in the company. We want our employees to have the tools and support they need to reach their goals, and programs like this are a key component of that. In addition to the certificate and undergraduate degree programs, the corporate partnership rate can be applied by any MMG employee looking to earn Hussons traditional Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a general/corporate focus. Employees can also pursue Husson MBA programs with concentrations in business analytics, organizational management, and risk management. Any MMG employees who have completed bachelors degrees, from recognized, accredited institutions, are eligible to enroll in Hussons MBA programs. This includes individuals who have completed bachelors degrees in disciplines other than business. To assist these employees, Husson will offer a leveling course or courses that can be taken online. This will provide these students with the background business education theyll need to successfully complete their MBA studies. In addition, any MMG Insurance employees who have completed courses at another accredited college or university are welcome to apply for transfer credit. Individuals interested in learning more about transfer credits should contact Husson University Admissions by calling them at 207.941.7000 or emailing them at admit@husson.edu. They are happy to answer any questions individuals may have about the credit transfer and admissions processes. Husson University is the home of Maines largest College of Business. We produce more MBA graduates than any other business school in Maine, said Dr. Marie Hansen, JD, SHRM-SCP, dean of the College of Business. Were a valued partner to the states business community. In addition to MMG Insurance, we have supported higher education initiatives with such notable business firms as L.L.Bean, The Jackson Laboratory, Bangor Savings Bank, and many others. With over a century of experience in business education, we can provide students with the knowledge they need to achieve career success, continued Hansen. Students can have confidence that theyre getting a high-quality education at an affordable price from faculty who are experienced in a variety of business related fields. Thats what makes Husson University the smart choice for business education. At Husson, we understand how a highly skilled workforce can positively impact an organizations productivity, profitability, and customers, said Dr. Lynne Coy-Ogan, the Universitys senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. We look forward to partnering with MMG Insurance as this world-class insurance company strengthens their workforce through ongoing education. MMG Insurance Company, headquartered in Presque Isle, Maine, is a regional property and casualty insurance company with operations in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. With roots dating back to 1897 and a history rich in growth, MMG has earned consistent regional and national recognition for superior service, ease of doing business, and as a best place to work. This year marks MMGs 126th anniversary in business. Today, the Company writes in excess of $246 million in premiums in partnership with more than 220 independent agencies across more than 580 locations. For more information, visit www.mmgins.com. Offering an array of undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees and certificates that can be taken on campus, on site or online, the College of Business at Husson University is dedicated to providing students with an education that leads to career success, regardless of whether they choose to work in the public sector; the private and corporate sector; or for non-profit organizations. Courses in the College of Business offer students the opportunity for experiences where they learn by doing. For more information about Husson Universitys College of Business visit https://www.husson.edu/college-of-business/. For nearly 125 years, Husson University has shown its adaptability and strength in delivering educational programs that prepare future leaders to handle the challenges of tomorrow through innovative undergraduate and graduate degrees. With a commitment to delivering affordable classroom, online and experiential learning opportunities, Husson University has come to represent a superior value in higher education. The hallmarks of a Husson education include advanced knowledge delivered through quality educational programs in business; health and education; pharmacy studies; science and humanities; as well as communication. According to an analysis of tuition and fees by U.S. News & World Report, Husson University is one of the most affordable private colleges in New England. For more information about educational opportunities that can lead to personal and professional success, visit Husson.edu. # # # Attachments BOSTON, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Origin , the startup reimagining financial wellness in the workplace, announced today that two ex-Uber leaders have joined to company: Atul Kakkar , former Head of Membership Product for Uber and Alex Lavian , formerly Head of Membership Product Marketing at Uber have joined Origin as Chief Product Officer and Vice President of Marketing respectively. Working closely together during their extensive 4+ year tenure leading Product & Marketing for both Uber Rides and Uber Eats, Kakkar and Lavian and their teams successfully launched Uber One globally, helping Uber build a meaningful subscription business with millions of members. At Origin, Kakkar guides product development, helping the company expand its solution set to better meet the needs of both employers and consumers. Lavian is tasked with growing Origin into a household brand and driving adoption of the product. Atul and Alex are well regarded in the tech community and both have proven track records building best-in-class subscription products and helping startups succeed in fast-moving consumer markets, said Matt Watson, co-founder and CEO of Origin. Were excited to have them both on board as Origin enters this next phase of growth. Kakkar was most recently Director, Product Management at Chime, where he led the companys activation team, responsible for finding Chime's next incremental user and building an experience that encourages people to build a primary relationship with Chime. Prior to that, he held senior product management roles at Uber, Eventbrite and Amazon. He started his career in consulting roles with Accenture. Origin has an extraordinary social mission and compelling market opportunity ahead of us," said Kakkar. "Our vision extends far beyond offering features like mere subscription monitoring; we're wholeheartedly committed to delivering a comprehensive solution that infuses everyday finances with long-term planning." Lavian was most recently Global Head of Product Marketing at Spotify where she led a team of Product Marketers building products that unlock new revenue streams for artists and new ways for fans to connect with the artists they love. Prior to that, she was a product marketing leader at both Uber and Mixpanel. Lavian started her career as a consultant at Deloitte before moving to the tech startup realm. Americans rank finances as the number 1 stressor in life - I want to help close that gap by expanding access to financial services for all, said Lavian. Matt and team have created something very special in Origin, and Im excited to help spread the word. 73% of Americans rank money as the #1 source of stress - more than jobs, health, and relationships combined. That stress is exacerbated in the current economic environment, which is presenting people with once-in-a-generation financial challenges. Origin is tackling this problem head on by expanding access to wealth management for those who have historically been boxed out due to high barriers to entry. The Origin platform simplifies finances for individuals making it easy to track spend, get expert advice, manage investments, and take action to hit financial goals. Today Origin is offered to individuals as an employee benefit to help employees alleviate financial stress and help them be happier and more productive. Origin members are matched with a certified financial planner to discuss their finances, goals, and develop an action plan. The planner provides personalized advice that helps them make smarter money decisions and prepare for lifes biggest milestones from buying a home, starting a family, paying off student debt, exercising stock options, or planning for retirement to name a few. Individuals can also use the Origin platform and mobile app to track and visualize all their finances connecting accounts, and then creating budgets, managing investments and retirement savings. About Origin Origin is reimagining financial wellness in the workplace, with the most comprehensive all-in-one financial planning platform. Combining proprietary technology with Certified Financial Planners, Origin is an all-in-one software based financial management platform that enables people to track spend and income, get expert advice, take action, and manage their money confidently and with ease. Origin is offered by hundreds of innovative employers including Lattice, Roku and Udemy. Learn more about Origin at useorigin.com . Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ea5c6861-fd42-48c8-a669-042c4edf6fc5 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4b980991-102b-48c9-843f-ab65a16ce6b8 SAN DIEGO, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via InvestorWire -- Astra Energy Inc. (OTCQB: ASRE) (Astra or the Company) is pleased to announce that the Company's subsidiary Astra Energy Tanzania Limited has executed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) to develop a 350-megawatt (MW) combined cycle power plant in mainland Tanzania. Astra and TANESCO, the government-owned electric utility of the United Republic of Tanzania, have been working towards this since March 8, 2022. The Company first announced its engagement with the government of Tanzania at a meeting at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C. The objective was to reach an agreement to construct a large-scale, combined cycle power plant using natural gas as the primary fuel source. As with the 50 MW Clean and Renewable Energy Park Project at Kibele Landfill in Zanzibar announced earlier this week, Astra intends to own and operate the 350 MW project as an independent power producer, selling the power to TANESCO. The combined projects have the potential to generate significant recurring revenues for the Company for many years, with a potential projected gross revenue stream of an estimated $180 to $200 million annually over a minimum of 25 years. The Tanzanian government is actively working to modernize their critical infrastructure and has plans to increase installed generation capacity to support more industry in the country, states Tony Thompson, VP of Electrical Power Generation for Astra Energy Tanzania Limited. Their plan to allow more penetration by independent power producers like Astra into the Tanzanian power market is an indication of their forward-thinking approach that supports the Tanzania Development Vision 2025. The MOU authorizes Astra to advance to complete a full bankable feasibility study and then enter into negotiations for a long-term power purchase agreement. The additional 350 MW will help Tanzania harness their vast natural gas reserves to provide much-needed generation capacity to strengthen the baseload for the Tanzanian electricity grid. Doing so will improve reliability of electricity delivery that is critical to a growing economy. Additionally, it will support Tanzanias goal to increase rural connection levels to at least 75% by 2033. Recent data shows that the average per-capita electricity consumption in Tanzania is 108 KWH per year, just a fraction of the 2,500 KWH worldwide average. A large factor in this statistic is that currently less than 40% of Tanzanian households are connected to electricity. Success of the project will create both direct and indirect jobs for the Tanzanian people and other sectors of the economy that primarily rely on electric power, especially women and youth owned small and medium-sized enterprises. About Astra Energy Inc. Astra Energy Inc. is an integrated solutions provider investing in and developing renewable and clean energy projects in markets where demand is high, supply is limited and there is an opportunity to address other imminent market needs. Astras corporate strategy is rooted in securing technologies and assets; identifying viable market opportunities; and bringing together resources, expertise, technology and defined action plans to execute first-in-class projects that benefit communities, local economies, the planet and the Companys investors. Its goal is to create a more secure and sustainable power sector that supports the Companys purpose, mission and values to transform the economic, environmental and social landscape for generations to come. For more information on Astra Energy Inc., visit the Companys website at www.astraenergyinc.com. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This document contains forward-looking statements. In evaluating these forward-looking statements, readers should consider various factors, including the Companys ability to change its direction, its ability to keep pace with new technology and changing market needs, and the competitive environment of its business. These and other factors may cause the Companys actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement. Corporate Communications: Heidi Thomasen IR@astraenergyinc.com 1-800-705-2919 Wire Service Contact InvestorWire (IW) Los Angeles, California www.InvestorWire.com 212.418.1217 Office Editor@InvestorWire.com Attachment Westford USA, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to SkyQuest's latest global research, at a global scale, increasing adoption of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology, the emergence of synthetic biology for creating novel DNA constructs, growing use of gene expression systems for protein production, application of recombinant DNA in vaccine development, integration of bioinformatics and computational tools in DNA research, development of gene therapies for rare genetic diseases, utilization of recombinant DNA in environmental and agricultural biotechnology, use of recombinant DNA in the production of biofuels and industrial enzymes, are the trends that aid in the market's growth. Browse in-depth TOC on "Recombinant DNA Technology Market" Pages - 242 Tables - 124 Figures - 77 Recombinant DNA technology refers to the technique of combining genetic material from different sources to create new DNA molecules. It involves cutting and joining DNA segments from different organisms, allowing scientists to introduce specific genes into an organism's genome, resulting in modified traits or the production of desired proteins. Prominent Players in Recombinant DNA Technology Market Amgen Genentech Biogen Gilead Sciences AbbVie Johnson & Johnson Roche Novartis Vertex Pharmaceuticals Celgene Sanofi Pfizer BioMarin Pharmaceutical Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Sarepta Therapeutics CRISPR Therapeutics Sangamo Therapeutics Get a sample copy of this report: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/recombinant-dna-technology-market Recombinant Proteins Demand to Grow Substantially in the Forecast Period Recombinant Proteins dominated the global market owing to their wide applications. It is used in therapeutic drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tests. Their versatility, scalability, and potential for targeted therapies have contributed to their significant market presence. Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology is the Leading Application Segment In terms of application, pharmaceutical and biotechnology is the leading segment due to the demand for recombinant DNA. In addition, recombinant DNA technology is extensively for various applications, including the development of therapeutic drugs, the production of recombinant proteins and antibodies, gene therapy, and vaccine development. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, advancements in personalized medicine, and the demand for targeted therapies have contributed to the growth of this segment. Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/recombinant-dna-technology-market North America is the leading Market Due to the Well Developed Health Infrastructure Region-wise, North America is one of the largest growing markets with a massive emphasis on pharmaceutical and biotechnology infrastructure. The region has well-established biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, vital research and development infrastructure, and favourable regulatory frameworks for biotechnology products. Additionally, these regions have witnessed high adoption of recombinant DNA technologies in various sectors, including pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and industrial applications. A recent report thoroughly analyses the major players operating within the Recombinant DNA Technology market. This comprehensive evaluation has considered several crucial factors, such as collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing invaluable insights into the key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Additionally, the report has carefully scrutinized the market share of the top segments and presented a detailed geographic analysis. Finally, the report has highlighted the major players in the industry and their ongoing endeavors to develop innovative solutions that cater to the ever-increasing demand for Recombinant DNA Technology. Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/recombinant-dna-technology-market Key Developments in Recombinant DNA Technology Market In January 2023, Sanofi acquired Translate Bio for $3.2 billion. Translate Bio is a clinical-stage gene therapy company developing treatments for rare diseases. This acquisition will give Sanofi access to Translate Bio's gene therapy platform, which could be used to develop treatments for a broader range of conditions. In January, Thermo Fisher Scientific acquired Brammer Bio for $1.4 billion. Brammer Bio is a leading provider of cell culture media and other products for the life sciences industry. This acquisition gives Thermo Fisher a stronger foothold in the cell culture market, a key growth area for recombinant DNA technology. Key Questions Answered in Recombinant DNA Technology Market Report What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period? Can you list the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence? In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how might these differences shape the market's future growth? Related Reports in SkyQuests Library: Global Genomics Market Global Dental Market Global Breast Implants Market Global Hyperphosphatemia Market Sleeping Pods Market About Us: SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally. Address: 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 Phone: USA (+1) 617-230-0741 Email: sales@skyquestt.com New York, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New research supported by the Open Society Foundations shows that increasing delays in resolving sovereign debt crises in some of the worlds poorest countries are significantly adding to the human cost of defaultscutting economic growth, reducing life-expectancy, and worsening child mortality rates. The analysis, The Human Costs of the Failing Global Debt System, builds on research published last year that showed how going into default leads to economic and human damage that worsens over subsequent years. Sovereign debt defaults occur when countries fail to pay their debts on time. This can be interest or principal payments to domestic or international creditors. This typically forces a renegotiation of lending terms. The research looked at data from 131 sovereign debt defaults around the world since 1900. The new papers authors, economists Clemens Graf von Luckner and Juan P. Farah-Yacoub, conclude that, in addition, the longer it takes a country to reach a new agreement with its creditors, the greater the increase in human costs: When a countrys debt crisis is resolved in less than three years, infant mortality ten years after a default is declared as 2.2 percentage points higher than would have been expected. But when the default continues for more than three years, the difference rises to a staggering 11.4 percentage points higher. For the countries studied, on average, life expectancy ten years after default drops by more than one year relative to where it would have been without the default. In addition, the shortfall in the rate of increase in real economic output per capita (against what it could have been without default), jumps by 2.5 percentage points in the first year of default, against what it would have been had there been no default. It then continues to grow by 1.5 percentage point on average each year thereafter. Over a decade the gap grows to roughly 14.5 percentage points. The findings underline the grave damage being caused by the failure of the existing global financial system to deliver prompt resolution to countries in default due in part to the involvement of an increasingly complex mix of creditorsincluding international financial institutions such as development banks, commercial banks, sovereign lenders including China, and private commercial creditors. The report also highlights the case of Zambia, which defaulted on its external debt in November 2020 under the economic strains of the Covid pandemic. It has yet to secure a comprehensive debt agreement among all of its public and private creditors and the International Monetary Fund, with its total debt now estimated at over $18 billion. The authors of this new report calculated that, based on a calculation using Zambias birth rates in 2016, the countrys current debt default would result in an additional 3,079 annual deaths of infants before their first birthdays by the year 2030, if the default is prolonged further. Mark Malloch-Brown, president of the Open Society Foundations, said: The findings here starkly illustrate how a dysfunctional global financial system is causing tragic but entirely avoidable human suffering. The leaders meeting in Paris need to commit to the urgent reforms the world needs to face both deepening poverty and the worsening climate crisis. The Open Society Foundations, together with a broad range of civil society groups, are pushing for the leaders gathered at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris to commit to policies that will significantly reform the international debt restructuring process to allow for a just and sustainable resolution to a countrys default delivered in a timely manner. These steps include: Westford, USA, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to SkyQuest's latest global research, increasing adoption of wearable cardiac monitoring devices, integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning in Cardiac Monitoring and Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices , rising demand for remote monitoring and telehealth solutions, development of implantable cardiac devices with advanced features, the emergence of wireless and smartphone-compatible cardiac monitoring technologies, focus on personalized medicine and patient-centric cardiac care, are the trends that aid in the market's growth. Get sample copy of this report: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/cardiac-monitoring-and-cardiac-rhythm-management-devices-market Browse in-depth TOC on "Cardiac Monitoring and Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market" Pages - 242 Tables - 62 Figures - 75 Cardiac monitoring involves the continuous or periodic assessment of a patient's heart function using specialized devices. Cardiac rhythm management devices, such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), are implanted devices that help monitor and regulate abnormal heart rhythms, ensuring proper cardiac function and potentially preventing life-threatening situations. Prominent Players in Cardiac Monitoring and Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market Amgen Genentech Biogen Gilead Sciences AbbVie Johnson & Johnson Roche Novartis Vertex Pharmaceuticals Celgene Sanofi Pfizer BioMarin Pharmaceutical Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Sarepta Therapeutics CRISPR Therapeutics Sangamo Therapeutics Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/cardiac-monitoring-and-cardiac-rhythm-management-devices-market Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Demand to Grow Substantially in the Forecast Period Cardiac Rhythm Management devices dominated the global market as they are widely used for the management of arrhythmias and other cardiac rhythm disorders. These devices have demonstrated effectiveness in improving patient outcomes and have a well-established presence in the market. Hospital and Clinics are the Leading Application Segment In terms of application, the hospital and clinics segment is the leading segment due to the increasing demand. In addition, cardiac monitoring and rhythm management devices are extensively used in hospitals and clinics for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of cardiac conditions. North America is the leading Market Due to the Well-established Health Infrastructure Region-wise, North America is one of the largest growing markets with a huge emphasis on healthcare Infrastructure. The regions have well-established healthcare infrastructure, advanced medical technology, and a high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, contributing to their market dominance. North America, particularly the United States, has been at the forefront of technological advancements in the healthcare industry, including cardiac monitoring and rhythm management. The region benefits from strong research and development capabilities, favorable reimbursement policies, and a high adoption rate of innovative medical devices. Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/cardiac-monitoring-and-cardiac-rhythm-management-devices-market A recent report thoroughly analyses the major players operating within the Cardiac Monitoring and Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices market. This comprehensive evaluation has considered several crucial factors, such as collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing invaluable insights into the key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Additionally, the report has carefully scrutinized the market share of the top segments and presented a detailed geographic analysis. Finally, the report has highlighted the major players in the industry and their ongoing endeavors to develop innovative solutions that cater to the ever-increasing demand for Cardiac Monitoring and Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices. Key Developments in Cardiac Monitoring and Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market In March 2023, Abbott Laboratories acquired HeartStart, Inc. for $1.1 billion. HeartStart, Inc. is a privately held company that develops, and markets automated external defibrillators (AEDs). This acquisition will give Abbott Laboratories access to Heart Start's technology, which could help Abbott Laboratories to expand its AED offerings. Key Questions Answered in Cardiac Monitoring and Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market Report What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period? Can you list the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence? In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how might these differences shape the market's future growth? Related Reports in SkyQuests Library: Global Bowel Management Systems Market Global Veterinary Oncology Market Global Muscle Stimulator Market Global Laparoscopic Devices Market Global In-vitro Fertilization Microscopes Market About Us: SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally. Address: 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 Phone: USA (+1) 617-230-0741 Email: sales@skyquestt.com Westford,USA, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to SkyQuest, the dry shampoo market is witnessing a shift as glossy hair becomes a desirable trend. This increasing trend towards grooming and styling among men has created a significant market opportunity for hair care products targeting the male demographic. Additionally, the corporate sector population's growing acceptance of ready-to-dress items further expands the market during the forecast period. Browse in-depth TOC on "Dry Shampoo Market." Pages - 256 Tables - 149 Figures 78 Dry shampoos are at the lead of research and development regarding incorporating herbal ingredients. Global players in the industry are strategically investing in sustainable development practices to meet the growing consumer demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly products. These efforts have resulted in the launch of new and improved dry shampoo products that boast high levels of biodegradability, significantly boosting the market. Prominent Players in Dry Shampoo Market Batiste Psssst! Amika Living Proof Klorane Dove Not Your Mother's Moroccanoil Herbal Essences Bumble and Bumble IGK Ouai Aveda Pureology Redken R+Co Drybar Schwarzkopf Toni & Guy TRESemme Get a sample copy of this report: https://www.skyquestt.com/sample-request/dry-shampoo-market All-Natural/Herbal Segment is Expected to Grow the Market Due to the Rising Natural Ingredients The all-natural/herbal segment is projected to take the lead in the global dry shampoo market. This growth can be attributed to manufacturers' efforts to diversify their product offerings and establish a strong presence in the highly competitive market. As consumer demand for shampoo products made with natural ingredients continues to rise, along with increasing public awareness of the potential adverse effects of chemical formulations, companies recognize the need to cater to this growing market segment. The market in North America emerged as the dominant market, with a significant share of 37.8%. The region's growth can be attributed to the expanding application sectors, particularly in the hair care products segment, driven by the increasing aged population. The demand for hair care products has witnessed a surge as consumers seek anti-ageing solutions and trendy hairstyles, contributing to the overall market growth in the region. Men's Segment is Expected to Dominate the Market Due to Increasing Trends in the Fashion Industry The men's segment is poised to exhibit the fastest CAGR of 8.1% from 2023 to 2030. This growth can be attributed to evolving lifestyles and increasing trends in the fashion and hair care industry among men. Men are becoming more conscious of their appearance and actively seeking hair care products that cater to their needs and preferences. Regional markets in the Asia Pacific is projected to witness the highest CAGR of 9.4% during the forecast period, primarily driven by the increasing demand for beauty and natural care products in the region. Consumers in Asia Pacific are becoming increasingly conscious of their well-being and actively seeking hair care products that cater to their specific needs. Browse summary of the report and Complete Table of Contents (ToC): https://www.skyquestt.com/report/dry-shampoo-market A comprehensive analysis of the major players in the dry shampoo market has been recently conducted in a report. The report encompasses various aspects, including collaborations, mergers, innovative business policies, and strategies, providing valuable insights into key trends and breakthroughs in the market. Furthermore, the report scrutinizes the market share of the top segments and presents a detailed geographic analysis. Lastly, the report highlights the major players in the industry and their endeavours to develop innovative solutions to cater to the growing demand. Key Developments in the Dry Shampoo Market Rodan+Fields, a renowned brand, recently introduced a hair care collection with a citrus-scented dry shampoo. This dry shampoo utilizes rice starch to absorb excess oil, while chamomile extract is incorporated to soothe the scalp. Rodan+Fields aims to provide consumers with a refreshing and nourishing experience, by combining these natural ingredients. Kao Corporation, a prominent Japanese personal care company, launched a range of dry shampoos under its hair care brand, Merit, in 2022. These dry shampoos were specifically developed to cater to the increasing demand for convenientsolutions. Particularly, Kao Corporation introduced a unique shampoo sheet concept, initially developed for spa usage, to provide a portable and easy-to-use option for consumers seeking quick hair refreshment. Speak to Analyst for your custom requirements: https://www.skyquestt.com/speak-with-analyst/dry-shampoo-market Key Questions Answered in Dry Shampoo Market Report What specific growth drivers are projected to impact the market during the forecast period? List the top companies in the market and explain how they have achieved their positions of influence. In what ways do regional trends and patterns differ within the global market, and how these differences shape the market's future growth? Related Reports in SkyQuests Library: Global Cheese Snacks Market Global Oats Market Global Tortilla Market Global Pea Protein Market Global Natural Sweeteners Market About Us: SkyQuest Technology is leading growth consulting firm providing market intelligence, commercialization and technology services. It has 450+ happy clients globally. Address: 1 Apache Way, Westford, Massachusetts 01886 Phone: USA (+1) 617-230-0741 Email: sales@skyquestt.com New York & London & Hong Kong, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montieth & Company (M&Co), a global strategic communications consultancy, was selected as PR Daily's Top Agency of 2023 in the Boutique Agencies of the Year category. PR Dailys Top Agencies Awards recognize excellence in client service, strategic thinking, creativity and innovation. Honorees selected for the Top Agencies List for 2023 were presented their award on Wednesday, June 14 at the Yale Club in New York City. This special event brought together industry professionals, and agencies to recognize and honor the exceptional achievements in public relations and communications. Learn about the event and honorees here. Out of an exceptionally competitive field, M&Co emerged as a standout, solidifying its position as a leader in the industry. M&Co was recognized for its cross-border business model and comfort with global work, which differentiates M&Co from other boutiques and many of its mid-sized and multi-national PR agency competitors. This recognition reflects the success of our business over the past year and speaks to our uniquely integrated, flexible, and budget-efficient business model, said Montieth Illingworth, CEO and Global Managing Partner of Montieth & Company. We have a diverse, multi-cultural global team that is highly collaborative and laser-focused on meeting client needs across multiple media markets. M&Co works with a range of client organizations that are seeking to achieve profitable global growth as they seize opportunity and confront their biggest challenges. Sector expertise includes financial and professional services, plus legacy and emerging technology companies, both enterprise and start-up, as they grow their businesses, incorporate AI and address the energy transition. This recognition serves as a testament to Montieth & Companys dedication to pushing boundaries, driving meaningful impact and delivering results that exceed expectations. It further reinforces the agency's commitment to excellence and positions it at the forefront of the industry, said Brendan Gannon, Senior Marketing Manager for Awards Programs at PR Daily. The firm offers clients a full suite of PR services, including marketing communications, corporate and financial communications, issues management and crisis communications, litigation PR, and public affairs and government relations. M&Co also provides branding and website design and development, multi-media marketing, influencer strategies, as well as video and podcast production. M&Co operates across three global hubs in New York, London, and Hong Kong. The team speaks 12 languages and works in more than 25 global money and media markets. M&Co won the MarCom Gold and Platinum Awards in 2022 for its work in branding and website design, was named a finalist in Business Intelligences Public Relations and Marketing Awards, was named in New York Observers 2022 Power List of the Best PR firms and was listed in ODwyers 2022 Top PR Firm rankings. ### About M&Co Montieth & Company is a global communications consultancy that helps you achieve opportunity and prevail in the face of your biggest challenges. M&Co has global hubs in New York, London, and Hong Kong and provides services and solutions in multiple money and media center markets throughout the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. About Ragan Communications and PR Daily Ragan Communications has been delivering trusted news, training and intelligence for more than 50 years to internal and external communicators and business executives via its conferences, webinars, training, awards, subscriptions and membership divisions. Its daily news sitesPRDaily.com and Ragan.comare read by more than 600,000 internal and external communicators monthly. English French Capgemini Press contact: Magali Rouault Tel.: +33 (0)1 70 48 11 67 E-mail: magali.rouault@capgemini.com GMV Press contact: Marta Jimeno or Marta del Pozo Tel.:+ 34 91 807 21 00 E-mail: marketing@gmv.com The greenhouse gas and atmospheric pollutants emission inventory platform demonstrator World Emission is now available Led by the European Space Agency and successfully launched by a consortium of industrial partners 1 , including GMV as project leader and Capgemini, the platform facilitates and accelerates access to satellite data for scientists and decision-makers. , including GMV as project leader and Capgemini, the platform facilitates and accelerates access to satellite data for scientists and decision-makers. Its goal is to enable more accurate understanding of the impact of atmospheric emissions on climate change and air quality, as well as providing a reference on top-down emissions inventories. Paris, June 22, 2023 - Capgemini and GMV announce the availability of the "World Emission" platform demonstrator, funded by the European Space Agency (ESA). Aimed at mapping global greenhouse gas (GHG) and atmospheric pollutant emissions, it leverages data from the Copernicus satellites as well as satellites from international entities such as NASA or JAXA and brings complementary information to ground base measurements and traditional bottom-up inventories. GHG and air pollutants emission inventories are used by various stakeholders, including decision-makers, governments, and research organizations, in the battle against climate change and the pursuit of a sustainable world. These inventories enable the assessment of progress made in implementing emission abatement measures and play a crucial role in determining future environmental policies. Current bottom-up inventories use different methodologies from country to country and have large uncertainties resulting from sometimes inaccurate data and emission factors. Satellite observation data complements and enables validation of ground-based measurements by providing high accuracy data that is refreshed more frequently, with better spatial coverage. Therefore the European Space Agency started the "World Emission" project in March 2022 to create an inventory service based on state-of-the-art satellite observation and inverse modeling. The data processing platform was developed by Capgemini teams in co-construction with some of Europe's most renowned research institutes, including the Laboratory for Climate and Environmental Sciences in France, the Max Planck Institute in Germany, the University of Liege in Belgium, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center in Spain, and the Cyprus Institute in Cyprus, and Kayrros, a French start-up specialized in earth observation technology and environmental intelligence. A powerful data processing tool on a global scale Since its launch, the project has engaged and brought together a community of users, scientists, and experts, whose role is to evaluate datasets for different atmospheric species and ensure that World Emission provides a precise, reliable, and high-performing inventory service. The World Emission data platform is online and now accessible through a portal, allowing users to visualize emissions by geographic zones, countries, or emission types and on a specific time scale. In collaboration with a network of national reporting agencies, research centers, and municipalities around the world, the consortium is now in the second phase of the project to add advanced features such as: Additional greenhouse gas and atmospheric pollutants 2 emission inventory products at local, regional and global scales into the portal, emission inventory products at local, regional and global scales into the portal, Ability to zoom in on specific areas of the globe, Identifying precise emission points such as pipelines, industrial or power production sites, critical gas or oil emission zones, Highlighting indicators to distinguish anthropogenic sources, related to human activity, from natural sources of emissions. The World Emission platform was designed to be user-friendly, integrate with current procedures for reporting polluting emissions, and standardize reporting across all regions of the world. Satellite observation data is one of the means to understand climate change, and when used intelligently, it becomes a significant factor in improving solutions to mitigate its impact, said Dr. Carine Saut, Sustainability Lead for industries at Capgemini in France. It is the alliance of the scientific community, institutional stakeholders and industry which has enabled the creation of World Emission, a unique inventory service. Capgemini is proud to bring its deep technological expertise in data and cloud to the World Emission consortium to create cutting-edge tools we need to help advance the fight against climate change. Capgemini worked closely with the consortium members and scientific partners to define the platform architecture and orchestrate an operational implementation in the cloud that could integrate algorithm workflows. Data available to each user, wherever they are in the world, needs to be connected to World Emission with the same level of performance, modeling, with a significant improvement in the frequency of updates (once to twice a year). GMV is the leader of the World Emission project, and it is also acting as its technology integrator. The GMV team is overseeing the general technical coordination of seven organizations. In addition, GMV is responsible for designing the validation plan, which is a key aspect for comparing the satellite data with measurements taken from Earth. For the full project, GMV is also in charge of the communications work package, stakeholder participation, and user requirements. This includes organizing international workshops focused on encouraging the use of what is known top-down emission inventories, by using satellite measurements to complement the traditional bottom-up approach. World Emission covers more than 10 different species of gases which are released in the atmosphere at different scales from unique point source to regional or global production. These different datasets are integrated into one single portal, available online for everyone interested in air quality and GHG emissions. This unique way to promote the uptake of satellite-based emission reporting data, at a scale not done before, has been achieved in only one year thanks to the consortium between academia and industry. says Beatriz Revilla-Romero, World Emission Project Manager at GMV. At GMV, we are proud to apply our experience and multi-disciplinary background to geospatial solutions. We are bringing our expertise in leading ESAs projects, and on global monitoring services that range from environmental risk assessments to the definition of a climate resilience strategy, or precision agriculture. About GMV Founded in 1984, GMV is a privately-owned technological business group with an international presence. It operates in the following industries: space, aeronautics, security and defense, cybersecurity, intelligent transportation systems, automotive, healthcare, telecommunications, and information technologies for public authorities and large companies. In space, GMV has become the sixth largest industrial group and the first mid cap in the European space sector, with over 1,500 people working in this area. It is the world's leading supplier of control centers for commercial satellite operators, with noteworthy development under way for Hispasat, Hisdesat, Eutelsat, SES, OneWeb, Arabsat and Yahsat. It is also one of the main industrial pillars of strategic European space programs such as Galileo (navigation), Copernicus (Earth observation) and SST/STM (space debris). It contributes significantly to the principal exploration, science, planetary defense, space surveillance and space transportation missions of the European Space Agency (ESA), including participation in Hera, Mars Sample Return, Heracles and ExoMars. www.gmv.com About Capgemini Capgemini is a global leader in partnering with companies to transform and manage their business by harnessing the power of technology. The Group is guided every day by its purpose of unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future. It is a responsible and diverse organization of nearly 360,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong 55-year heritage and deep industry expertise, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to address the entire breadth of their business needs, from strategy and design to operations, fueled by the fast evolving and innovative world of cloud, data, AI, connectivity, software, digital engineering, and platforms. The Group reported in 2022 global revenues of 22 billion. Get The Future You Want | www.capgemini.com 1 Industrial consortium, led by GMV with Capgemini and Kayrros, bringing together European academic and research partners. Within the consortium, Capgemini is responsible for defining the architecture of the service and its operational implementation. 2 The gases inventoried in the second phase of the project will be : Ammonia (NH3), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Methanol (CH3OH), Acetylene (C2H2), Ethylene (C2H4), Formaldehyde (HCHO), and Isoprene (C5H8). Attachment BOISE, Idaho, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Healthwise has been recognized for its medical illustrations and health education videos by the Health Information Resource Center (HIRC)s 2023 competition. Every year, HIRC honors the best digital health resources for consumers and healthcare professionals. Healthwise won a Gold award in the "Digital Health Media/Publications: Medical Illustration" category along with one Silver award, three Bronze awards, and one Merit award. Digital Health Media/Publications: Medical Illustration Digital Health Media/Publications: Video The winning medical illustrations and videos are just a few of the thousands of educational materials produced by Healthwise that inform, educate, and support patients and caregivers through the healthcare journey. The Gold-award-winning illustration, Learning About Safe Sleep for Babies, is one of Healthwises new visual Patient Instructions. With a focus on using rich visuals and less text, these new Patient Instructions address a common problem: Studies show that patients immediately forget 50% to 80% of the information their care providers tell them. But patients who receive discharge instructions with visuals and icons recall 35% more information. The new Patient Instructions not only improve patient recall, but they also help increase health literacy. The low-text, highly visual format supports patients who are English language learners, have limited English proficiency, have low literacy, or have learning or developmental disabilitiesall factors that affect health literacy. We know it can be stressful to be a new parent or manage a health challenge. Visuals that teach help improve health literacy and make it easier for everyone to learn and remember key points, said Christy Calhoun, Chief Content Officer at Healthwise. Kudos to our talented team of artists and writers who work hand in hand with clinicians to create content that is clear, helpful, and accurate and that improves health literacy. We are honored by the continued recognition of our health education. Healthwise now offers 65 visual Patient Instructions covering everything from Home Health to Maternal Health to Mental and Behavioral Health and more. New visual Patient Instructions are being added each quarter, with plans to convert all to the visual format over time. Healthwise was founded in 1975 with the simple nonprofit mission to help people make better health decisions. Healthwise partners with hospitals, health plans, health portals, and technology companies to fulfill that mission by providing the health content they need, the technology to deliver it, and the expert services to ensure success. The Digital Health Awards, the most comprehensive of its kind, recognizes the best consumer health information in materials and programs from organizations throughout the United States. About Healthwise Healthwise, a leader in evidence-based health education, technology, and services, is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help people make better health decisions. People have turned to Healthwise information more than 2 billion times to learn how to do more for themselves, ask for the care they need, and say no to the care they dont need. Healthwise partners with leading hospitals, electronic medical record (EMR) providers, health plans, care management companies, and health websites to empower patients and achieve organizational objectives. Media Contact: Healthwise Lauren Brassey lbrassey@healthwise.org | 208-489-8473 NEWTOWN, Pa., June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The law firm of Edelson Lechtzin LLP is investigating claims regarding data privacy violations by Johns Hopkins University and Health System (JHU). JHU learned of suspicious activity on or about May 31, 2023, and notified customers on or about June 14, 2023. To join this case, go HERE. Background on JHU JHU is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. JHU provides diverse health care services for adult and pediatric patients in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. metropolitan area as well as operating a childrens hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. What happened? On or about May 31, 2023, JHU discovered a data breach that may have included the following types of personal information: names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, health insurance account information, Social Security numbers, taxpayer identification numbers, medical history, diagnoses, treatment, dates of service and provider names. How can I protect my personal data? Edelson Lechtzin LLP is investigating bringing a class action lawsuit to seek legal remedies on behalf of customers who may have had their sensitive personal and patient data compromised by the JHU data breach. For more information, please contact: Marc H. Edelson, Esq. Eric Lechtzin, Esq. EDELSON LECHTZIN LLP 411 S. State Street, Suite N-300 Newtown, PA 18940 Phone: 844-696-7492 or 215-867-2399 ext. 1 Email: medelson@edelson-law.com Web: www.edelson-law.com About Edelson Lechtzin LLP Edelson Lechtzin LLP is a national class action law firm with offices in Pennsylvania and California. In addition to cases involving data breaches, our lawyers focus on class and collective litigation in cases alleging securities and investment fraud, violations of the federal antitrust laws, employee benefit plans under ERISA, wage theft and unpaid overtime, consumer fraud, and dangerous and defective drugs and medical devices. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions. No class has been certified in this case, so you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. Your ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. VANCOUVER, June 21, 2023 - Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX: ASM) (NYSE American: ASM) (FSE: GV6) ("Avino" or the "Company") announces that it has filed a new short form base shelf prospectus dated April 11, 2023 (the "Base Shelf Prospectus") and prospectus supplement dated June 20, 2023 (the "Prospectus Supplement") in Canada, pursuant to which Avino may distribute common shares (the "Offered Shares") from time to time pursuant to a sales agreement dated June 20, 2023 (the "Sales Agreement") with Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. (the "Designated Agent"), H.C. Wainwright & Co., LLC, Roth Capital Partners, LLC, and A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners (collectively, with the Designated Agent, the "Agents"), as agents or as principals, for the distribution of the Offered Shares in the United States up to the aggregate sales amount of US$25.0 million (the "Maximum Amount"), in accordance with the terms of the Sales Agreement (the "Offering"). The Offering is being made in the United States under the terms of a registration statement on Form F-10 (the "Registration Statement") filed with, and declared effective on April 21, 2023 by, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in the United States, and the Base Shelf Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement filed in each Province of Canada, except Quebec; the Registration Statement, Base Shelf Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement being collectively, the "Prospectus"). "We have re-established an ATM Share Offering after the previous offering expired on February 23, 2023, and it will be used strategically from time to time, at the Company's discretion and subject to regulatory requirements," said David Wolfin, Avino's President and CEO. "The ATM provides Avino with an additional source of financial flexibility if required." The sales of the Offered Shares will be made directly on the NYSE American and will be deemed sales of Offered Shares under the Prospectus in transactions that are deemed to be "at-the-market distributions" as defined in National Instrument 44-102, Shelf Distributions ("NI 44-102"). The Offered Shares will be distributed at the market prices prevailing at the time of sale. As a result, prices may vary as between purchasers and during the period of distribution. The period of distribution will be until the Maximum Amount has been achieved, unless terminated earlier under the terms of the Sales Agreement. The Company has agreed to pay the Agents a cash commission up to 3.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering. The Prospectus Supplement relating to the Offering, together with the Base Shelf Prospectus and the Registration Statement (collectively, the "Offering Documents") will be filed with the securities commissions in all of the Provinces of Canada, except Quebec, and the Registration Statement previously filed with the SEC. The Offering Documents will contain important detailed information about the securities being offered. Before you invest, you should read the Offering Documents and the other documents the Company has filed for more complete information about the Company and the Offering. Copies of the Sales Agreement and the Offering Documents will be available for free by visiting the Company's profiles on the SEDAR website maintained by the Canadian Securities Administrators at www.sedar.com or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov, as applicable. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor will there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. About Avino: Avino is a silver producer from its wholly owned Avino Mine near Durango, Mexico. The Company's silver and gold production remains unhedged. The Company's mission and strategy is to create shareholder value through its focus on profitable organic growth at the historic Avino Property and the strategic acquisition of the La Preciosa property. Avino currently controls mineral resources, as per NI 43-101, that total 368 million silver equivalent ounces, within our district-scale land package. We are committed to managing all business activities in a safe, environmentally responsible and cost-effective manner, while contributing to the well-being of the communities in which we operate. On Behalf of the Board "David Wolfin" ________________________________ David Wolfin President & CEO Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. Safe Harbor Statement - This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (together, the "forward looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including our belief as to the expected closing of the Offering and the use of proceeds from the Offering. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and the dates of technical reports, as applicable. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the future circumstances, outcomes or results anticipated in or implied by such forward-looking statements will occur or that plans, intentions or expectations upon which the forward-looking statements are based will occur. While we have based these forward-looking statements on our expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee that such future events will occur and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and assumptions include, among others, our ability to use the proceeds from the Offering as expected, the effects of general economic conditions, the price of gold, silver and copper, changing foreign exchange rates and actions by government authorities, uncertainties associated with legal proceedings and negotiations and misjudgments in the course of preparing forward-looking information. In addition, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Known risk factors include risks associated with project development; the need for additional financing; operational risks associated with mining and mineral processing; fluctuations in metal prices; title matters; uncertainties and risks related to carrying on business in foreign countries; environmental liability claims and insurance; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain of our officers, directors or promoters of with certain other projects; the absence of dividends; currency fluctuations; competition; dilution; the volatility of the our common share price and volume; tax consequences to U.S. investors; and other risks and uncertainties. Although we have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/avino-renews-us-atm-share-offering-301857384.html SOURCE Avino Silver & Gold Mines Ltd. /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, DISSEMINATION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES/ VANCOUVER, June 22, 2023 - Kainantu Resources Ltd. (TSXV: KRL) (FSE: 6J0) ("KRL" or the "Company"), the Asia-Pacific focused gold mining company, is pleased to announce that it has closed a C$0.5 million first tranche of its private placement financing of C$1.8 million (the "Offering"), originally announced on May 30, 2023. Under the first tranche of the Offering, the Company has issued an aggregate of 6,289,551 senior convertible debentures (the "Debentures") at a price of C$0.08 per Debenture to raise gross proceeds of C$503,164.06. The Debentures, which will be issued pursuant to the Private Placement, will have a conversion price of C$0.08 per common share of the Company (the "Conversion Price"), provided that if the Company does not complete a consolidation of its outstanding common shares (the "Consolidation") that would result in a conversion price of at least $0.10 on a post-Consolidation basis is prior to the date that is 12 months from the date of issuance of the convertible notes, the Conversion Price shall thereafter be $0.10. Closing of the Private Placement and the Consolidation remain subject to approval from the TSX Venture Exchange. The Debentures and the common shares of the Company issuable upon conversion of the Debentures are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and a day ending on October 22, 2023, in accordance with applicable securities law. A second and final tranche of the Offering of up to an additional approximately C$1.3 million remains open and is expected to close in the coming weeks with further updates provided in due course. Use of Proceeds The net proceeds from the Offering are intended to be used, but are not limited to, the potential completion of the acquisition of the Kili Teke Project (which requires a further payment to Harmony Gold (PNG) Exploration Limited of US$400,000 as a condition of closing). In addition, proceeds will be used to advance exploration programmes focusing on specific high-grade potential drilling targets at KRL North (adjacent to K92), KRL South (focusing on the Ontenu target) and May River (primarily at the Mountain Gate prospect). Proceeds will also be used for general working capital purposes. Use of Proceeds Amount Weighting Completion of Kili Teke Acquisition C$530,000 38 % Exploration activities C$420,000 30 % General Working Capital & Investor Relations C$450,000 32 % TOTAL C$ 1,400,000 100 % Finder's Fees No finders' fees are payable on funds raised in this tranche of the private placement. Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Related Party Transaction Snowfields Wealth Management Limited ("Snowfields") and Season Cove Limited ("Season Cove") are both insiders of the Company by virtue of: in the case of Snowfields, it is controlled by Geoffrey Lawrence, director and holds 19.75% of the Common Shares of the Company on a partially diluted basis; and in the case of Season Cove, holding 11.61% of the Common Shares of the Company on a partially diluted basis. Snowfields Wealth Management Limited and Season Cove participated in the first tranche of the Offering by purchasing 2,764,236 Units, and 1,230,253 Units, respectively, for an aggregate subscription price of C$221,138.87 and C$98,420.25, respectively and, accordingly, the Offering constitutes a "related party transaction" for the Company within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval under MI 61-101 as the fair market value of Axis' and Season Cove's participation in the Offering does not exceed more than 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as set forth in Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101. The Company will not file a material change report more than twenty-one (21) days before the expected closing date of the Offering, as the Company wished to close the Offering as soon as practicable. A copy of the early warning reports to be filed by the Company in connection with the Offering will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile and may also be obtained by contacting the Company at info@krl.com.sg. This news release is issued under the early warning provisions of the Canadian securities legislation. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About Kainantu Resources (KRL) Kainantu Resources 'KRL' is an Asia-Pacific focused gold mining company with four highly prospective gold-copper projects, the Kili Teke Project, KRL South, KRL North and the May River Project. All projects are located in premier mining regions in PNG. Both KRL North and KRL South show potential to host high-grade epithermal and porphyry mineralisation, as seen elsewhere in the high-grade Kainantu Gold District. The May River project is in close proximity to the world-renowned Frieda River Copper-Gold Project, with historical drilling indicating the potential for significant copper-gold projects. KRL has a highly experienced board and management team with a proven track record of working together in the region; and an established in-country partner. Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information This release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things: the expected closing of a second tranche of the Offering and use of proceeds from the closing of the first tranche of the Offering the Conversion Price and the potential Consolidation. These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include; success of the Company's projects; prices for gold remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds for the Company's projects; capital, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour-related disruptions; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in gold prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mineral exploration; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; our ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; changes in laws, regulations and government practices, including environmental, export and import laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mineral exploration; increased competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified personnel; the availability of additional capital; title matters and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com). Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described, or intended. Investors are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. SOURCE Kainantu Resources Ltd. Commits to increasing investor outreach by moving Ian Grant to VP of Strategy and Investor Relations /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE USA/ KAMLOOPS, June 22, 2023 - Progressive Planet (TSXV: PLAN) (OTCQB: ASHXF) ("Progressive Planet", "PLAN", or the "Company"), a leader in developing CleanTech solutions for the planet, optimizes leadership team by naming Steve Gurney President as it enters commercialization phase of low carbon and carbon sequestering innovations for the cement and agriculture industries. Gurney was previously President of Progressive Planet Products Inc., the Company's wholly owned manufacturing subsidiary, and brings 33 years' experience within operations that scaled from startup to production of millions of packaged products annually. Gurney steps into an expanded role as President of the parent Company. The move comes following Progressive Planet announcing it will break ground on a PozGlass 100G pilot plant in 2023 and scale manufacturing operations for CARBON PK natural fertilizer in 2024. PozGlass replaces cement, sequesters CO 2 , and is made from post-consumer glass diverted from landfills using a patent-pending process. CARBON PK's proprietary formulation is reducing fertilizer application by 50% on 617 acres in Western Canada in 2023. As President, Gurney will use his extensive experience to lead the expansion of both technologies. Concurrently, Progressive Planet announces Ian Grant as VP of Strategy and Investor Relations. Grant, previously COO, shifts his focus externally while remaining a key part of the leadership team. As part of completing annual reviews, PLAN announces that the Board of Directors has granted a total of 1,600,000 stock options to directors, officers, and insiders of the Company, exercisable at $0.275 for a period of three years. All options were granted in accordance with the Company's stock option plan. "Progressive Planet has now entered into an aggressive commercialization phase of major cement and agricultural innovations," said Progressive Planet CEO Steve Harpur. Added Harpur: "At the same time, we are committed to increasing investor awareness and delivering shareholder value. Moving Steve and Ian into their new roles sets up Progressive Planet towards success on both fronts." Progressive Planet provides regular information for investors on its website: progressiveplanet.com/investors/. This includes press releases and other information about financial performance, patents filed, and information on corporate governance. For further information or investor relations inquiries, please contact: Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About Progressive Planet: We are a CleanTech and manufacturing company based in Kamloops, British Columbia, in the heart of some of Canada's richest volcanic fields, which are the prime ingredient of our innovations. Our expertise lies in merging CleanTech with ancient volcanic ash and recycled minerals to create planet-friendly products that fight climate change and protect our planet's health. Our products are in 10,000+ retail stores across North America. Our innovations, created at our C-Quester Centre of Sustainable Innovation, bring positive disruption to the cement, agricultural and animal-care sectors by creating products that help reduce carbon footprints and restore ecosystems. Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding the matters described herein. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance, or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including factors beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Disclaimer: This news release, required by Canadian laws, does not constitute an offer of securities and is not for distribution or dissemination outside Canada. SOURCE Progressive Planet Solutions VANCOUVER, June 22, 2023 - Vizsla Copper Corp. (TSXV: VCU) (OTCQB: VCUFF) (FRANKFURT: 97E0) ("Vizsla Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange for the Option Agreement signed with Trailbreaker Resources Ltd. ("Trailbreaker") that was previously announced on June 12, 2023. The Company has issued 150,000 shares in accordance with the terms of the agreement and the shares are subject to the statutory four-month plus one-day hold period. For details about the agreement, please see the news release dated June 12, 2023. About Vizsla Copper Vizsla Copper is a Cu-Au-Mo focused mineral exploration and development company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The Company is primarily focused on its flagship Woodjam project, located within the prolific Quesnel Terrane, 55 kilometers east of the community of Williams Lake, British Columbia. It now has four additional copper exploration properties; Copperview, Redgold, Blueberry and Carruthers Pass, all well situated amongst significant infrastructure in British Columbia. The Company's growth strategy is focused on the exploration and development of its copper properties within its portfolio in addition to value accretive acquisitions. Vizsla Copper's vision is to be a responsible copper explorer and developer in the stable mining jurisdiction of British Columbia, Canada and is committed to socially responsible exploration and development, working safely, ethically and with integrity. Vizsla Copper is a spin-out of Vizsla Silver (TSX.V: VZLA) (NYSE: VZLA) and is backed by Inventa Capital Corp., a premier investment group founded in 2017 with the goal of discovering and funding opportunities in the resource sector. Additional information about the Company is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and the Company's website (www.vizslacopper.com). Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, planned exploration activities. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the anticipated cost of planned exploration activities, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Company's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others: negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of additional financing, no known mineral reserves or resources, the limited operating history of the Company, the influence of a large shareholder, aboriginal title and consultation issues, reliance on key management and other personnel, actual results of exploration activities being different than anticipated, changes in exploration programs based upon results, availability of third party contractors, availability of equipment and supplies, failure of equipment to operate as anticipated; accidents, effects of weather and other natural phenomena and other risks associated with the mineral exploration industry, environmental risks, changes in laws and regulations, community relations and delays in obtaining governmental or other approvals. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE Vizsla Copper Corp. SINGAPORE, June 22, 2023 - Verde AgriTech Ltd. (TSX: "NPK") ("Verde" or the "Company") held its Annual General Meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 16 Collyer Quay, #17-00, Singapore, and is pleased to announce that its shareholders approved all items put before them. The results were as follows: Item Voted Upon Voting Result Approval and adoption of the audited consolidated financial statements (audited by PKF Littlejohn LLP) and the audited stand-alone financial statements (audited by PKF-CAP LLP) (together, the "Financial Statements") of the Company for the financial year ended December 31, 2022 *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Against 11,304,427 75,129 (99.34%) (0.66%) Re-election of Cristiano Botelho Veloso as Director *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 11,196,370 183, 186 -98.39% -1.61% Re-election of Renato Couto Gomes as Director *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 11,116,247 263,309 -97.69% -2.31% Re-election of Fernando Joao Prezzotto as Director *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 11,176,288 203,268 -98.21% -1.79% Re-election of Luciana De Oliveira Cezar Coelho as Director *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 11,036,258 343,298 -96.98% -3.02% Re-election of Madeleine Lee Suh Shin as Director *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 11,175,642 203,914 -98.21% -1.79% Directors' remuneration for the financial year ending 31 December 2023 *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Against 10,824,966 554,590 -95.13% -4.87% Appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Auditors of the Company *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 12,739,835 44,163 -99.66% -0.34% Authority for directors to allot and issue shares in the capital of the Company *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Against 10,849,335 530,221 -95.34% -4.66% Prohibition of sales to 218 municipalities predominantly composed of Amazon rainforest, totaling 2.23 million km2, as listed in Schedule B of the Management Information Circular, except for projects that plant native trees for reforestation *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Against 11,266,251 113,305 -99.00% -1.00% At 86 years old, Mr. Alysson Paolinelli retired pursuant to the Company's Constitution and did not seek for re-election. Verde's Board expressed its appreciation to Mr. Alysson Paolinelli for his valuable contribution to the Board and the Company during his tenure, serving as a director of the Verde for over 09 years. About Verde AgriTech Verde is an agricultural technology Company that produces potash fertilizers. Our purpose is to improve the health of all people and the planet. Rooting our solutions in nature, we make agriculture healthier, more productive, and profitable. Verde is a fully integrated Company: it mines and processes its main feedstock from its 100% owned mineral properties, then sells and distributes the Product. Verde's focus on research and development has resulted in one patent and eight patents pending. Among its proprietary technologies are Cambridge Tech, 3D Alliance, MicroS Technology, N Keeper, and Bio Revolution.1 Currently, the Company is fully licensed to produce up to 2.8 million tonnes per year of its multinutrient potassium fertilizers K Forte and BAKS, sold internationally as Super Greensand. In 2022, it became Brazil's largest potash producer by capacity.2 Verde has a combined measured and indicated mineral resource of 1.47 billion tonnes at 9.28% K 2 O and an inferred mineral resource of 1.85 billion tonnes at 8.60% K 2 O (using a 7.5% K 2 O cut-off grade).3 This amounts to 295.70 million tonnes of potash in K 2 O. For context, in 2021 Brazil's total consumption of potash in K 2 O was 6.57 million4. Brazil ranks second in global potash demand and is its single largest importer, currently depending on external sources for over 97% of its potash needs. In 2022, potash accounted for approximately 3% of all Brazilian imports by dollar value.5 Corporate Presentation For further information on the Company, please view shareholders' deck: https://verde.docsend.com/view/gdw7qpcqzk3rdsb4 Investors Newsletter Subscribe to receive the Company's updates at: http://cloud.marketing.verde.ag/InvestorsSubscription The last edition of the newsletter can be accessed at: https://bit.ly/InvestorsNL-April2023 Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements All Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resources estimates reported by the Company were estimated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards (May 10, 2014). These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. This document contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this document. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the estimated amount and grade of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves; (ii) the PFS representing a viable development option for the Project; (iii) estimates of the capital costs of constructing mine facilities and bringing a mine into production, of sustaining capital and the duration of financing payback periods; (iv) the estimated amount of future production, both produced and sold; (v) timing of disclosure for the PFS and recommendations from the Special Committee; (vi) the Company's competitive position in Brazil and demand for potash; and, (vii) estimates of operating costs and total costs, net cash flow, net present value and economic returns from an operating mine. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on Verde's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. The most significant assumptions are set forth above, but generally these assumptions include, but are not limited to: (i) the presence of and continuity of resources and reserves at the Project at estimated grades; (ii) the geotechnical and metallurgical characteristics of rock conforming to sampled results; including the quantities of water and the quality of the water that must be diverted or treated during mining operations; (iii) the capacities and durability of various machinery and equipment; (iv) the availability of personnel, machinery and equipment at estimated prices and within the estimated delivery times; (v) currency exchange rates; (vi) Super Greensand and K Forte sales prices, market size and exchange rate assumed; (vii) appropriate discount rates applied to the cash flows in the economic analysis; (viii) tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operation; (ix) the availability of acceptable financing under assumed structure and costs; (x) anticipated mining losses and dilution; (xi) reasonable contingency requirements; (xii) success in realizing proposed operations; (xiii) receipt of permits and other regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; and (xiv) the fulfilment of environmental assessment commitments and arrangements with local communities. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Many forward-looking statements are made assuming the correctness of other forward looking statements, such as statements of net present value and internal rates of return, which are based on most of the other forward-looking statements and assumptions herein. The cost information is also prepared using current values, but the time for incurring the costs will be in the future and it is assumed costs will remain stable over the relevant period. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and estimates expressed above do not occur as forecast, but specifically include, without limitation: risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the material identified as Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; the geotechnical characteristics of the rock mined or through which infrastructure is built differing from that predicted, the quantity of water that will need to be diverted or treated during mining operations being different from what is expected to be encountered during mining operations or post closure, or the rate of flow of the water being different; developments in world metals markets; risks relating to fluctuations in the Brazilian Real relative to the Canadian dollar; increases in the estimated capital and operating costs or unanticipated costs; difficulties attracting the necessary work force; increases in financing costs or adverse changes to the terms of available financing, if any; tax rates or royalties being greater than assumed; changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks relating to receipt of regulatory approvals; delays in stakeholder negotiations; changes in regulations applying to the development, operation, and closure of mining operations from what currently exists; the effects of competition in the markets in which Verde operates; operational and infrastructure risks and the additional risks described in Verde's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) for the year ended December 31, 2021. Verde cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Verde, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Verde does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by Verde or on our behalf, except as required by law. For additional information please contact: Cristiano Veloso, Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Tel: +55 (31) 3245 0205; Email: investor@verde.ag www.investor.verde.ag | www.supergreensand.com | www.verde.ag 1 Learn more about our technologies: https://verde.docsend.com/view/yvthnpuv8jx6g4r9 2 See the release at: https://investor.verde.ag/verde-starts-ramp-up-of-plant-2s-second-stage-to-reach-production-of-2-4mtpy/ 3 As per the National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects within Canada ("NI 43 -101"), filed on SEDAR in 2017. See the Pre-Feasibility Study at: https://investor.verde.ag/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NI-43-101-Pre-Feasibility-Technical-Report-Cerrado-Verde-Project.pdf 4 Source: Brazilian Fertilizer Mixers Association (from "Associacao Misturadores de Adubo do Brasil", in Portuguese). 5 Source: Brazilian Comex Stat, available at: http://comexstat.mdic.gov.br/en/geral 2023 must be frustrating for Vettel Christian Horner says watching the 2023 season unfold "must be frustrating" for former four-time Red Bull world champion Sebastian Vettel. Fernando Alonso, Canadian GP 2023 Aston Martin Racing Christian Horner says watching the 2023 season unfold "must be frustrating" for former four-time Red Bull world champion Sebastian Vettel. On the one hand, with 35-year-old Vettel having retired at the end of last season, Red Bull's new sensation Max Verstappen is now utterly dominating Formula 1. But even the German's most recent team, Aston Martin, is now enjoying the podium after almost every grand prix of 2023, after Fernando Alonso replaced Vettel at the end of last year. In his two years with the same Silverstone based team, Vettel managed just a single top-three finish. "It must be frustrating for Seb to see how well Aston Martin is doing this year," Red Bull team boss Horner told the German magazine Sport Bild. "He didn't have an easy time there. But the truth is that without Seb, Aston Martin would not be where they are this year. He has his share of their success. "And I'm sure he's still enjoying the time with his family," Horner added. (GMM) Leclerc could challenge Verstappen in Austria Dr Helmut Marko thinks Max Verstappen could have a fight on his hands next time out at Red Bull's home Austrian GP. Charles Leclerc, Canadian GP 2023 Ferrari Dr Helmut Marko thinks Max Verstappen could have a fight on his hands next time out at Red Bull's home Austrian GP. World champion Verstappen continued his run of dominance in Montreal, but it was a much closer affair with fellow champions Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) also on the podium. And Germany's Auto Motor und Sport says wind tunnel and simulator data produced by Aston Martin shows that next series of upgrades could draw the team level with Red Bull. "We will only be able to optimise the package in Austria and Silverstone," Spaniard Alonso said. "There is more to come. I really want to win a race." Aston Martin boss Mike Krack agrees: "The improvements work and we are not going to stop. "We are in a good place, but we are not going to settle for that." Marko, meanwhile, said that while Alonso and Hamilton came closer to the top step of the podium in Canada, it was actually the Ferraris with the strongest race pace. "Let's see," the top Red Bull official, 80, told Osterreich newspaper on Wednesday. "In Montreal, Ferrari had the fastest car. And now the Red Bull Ring suits them. "If (Charles) Leclerc starts from row 1 or 2, it won't be a walk in the park for Max." Publicly, however, Dutchman Verstappen does not seem worried that Aston Martin, Mercedes and Ferrari have all made strides forwards with updates recently. "The car has been fast and nice to work with from the start. There are no mysteries with it so that helps a lot every weekend," he said. "We are not worried at the moment, but the other teams are improving with many updates. We are still ahead, but we have to keep working. "But I don't think I need to say that. Things (updates) are coming," Verstappen is quoted by the Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo. "Canada was complicated due to the temperatures. We couldn't get the tyres to work. But winning by 9 seconds shows that we still have a good car." (GMM) Access Bank, PAPSS partner to enhance cross-border payment Daily Graphic Business News Jun - 22 - 2023 , 07:55 Access Bank Plc and The Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate settlement of cross-border transactions of the group, including the transactions of all their subsidiaries through PAPSS. The MoU was signed during the opening ceremony of the 30th Afreximbank Annual Meeting (AAM) held in Accra. Established by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, PAPSS is a financial market infrastructure that provides a secure and efficient channel for processing cross-border payments, ensuring speed, affordable cost and reliability in order to facilitate intra-African trade. Settlement model At the ceremony, PAPSS also introduced the Commercial Bank Settlement Model, a new settlement model which offers the commercial banks a window to open and fund their own settlement accounts at Afreximbank and manage their own liquidity according to their banking needs. By leveraging the capabilities of PAPSS, Access Bank affiliates in more than 18 countries and 700 branches with over 60 million customers. This will streamline and expedite the transfer of funds while ensuring transparency and compliance under the regulators supervision. Additionally, the partnership aligns with the African Union's vision of promoting intra-African trade and economic integration through enhanced financial connectivity. By leveraging their combined expertise, Access Bank and PAPSS are poised to contribute to the growth and development of the African economy. Global brand Commenting on the signing, the Deputy Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Victor Etuokwu said, As a global brand with African heritage, driven by the purpose of making banking a positive force in Africa and beyond, we are committed to empowering African economies and promoting sustainable growth. We want to develop the society around us, supporting local entrepreneurs and investing in communities. This is why we partnered with Afreximbanks PAPSS to facilitate intra-African trade and payments within Africa using local currencies of send and receive countries. This aims to facilitate and promote a more efficient payment and settlement of transactions across borders, improving the payment landscape in Africa. Leveraging our reach, through the PAPSS platform we will be offering seamless trade payments to our over 60m customers across all operations. He said Access Bank Nigeria has now begun receiving inflows through the PAPSS platform, making it one of the first banks in Nigeria to do so. Meanwhile, other countries in the WAMZ (West Africa Monetary Zone) region where PAPSS is being piloted, such as Ghana, Guinea, Gambia, Cameroon, and Sierra Leone, are currently undergoing governance requirements and will soon begin integrating the system. By the end of the year, additional subsidiaries will be in various stages of onboarding to the PAPSS platform. We strongly believe in the potential of the continent and are dedicated to driving positive change to create a lasting impact. Victor concluded. Zeepay appoints Daniel Gyimah as new Board Chair Daily Graphic Business News Jun - 22 - 2023 , 08:18 Zeepay, a leading cross-border financial technology (fintech) company, has appointed Daniel Gyimah as the new Board Chairman. Mr Gyimah brings invaluable expertise to the role, having played a pivotal role as a former managing director of the National Investment Bank and serving on multiple boards. Additionally, he has a distinguished career with the USAID. Notably, Mr Gyimah has served as an Independent Director of Zeepay, overseeing the Audit Committee. Beyond his involvement with Zeepay, Mr Gyimah holds positions on various boards, including Glico Capital and Glico Life, further demonstrating his depth of knowledge and industry insights. He is an alumnus of Saint Augustine's College and a devout Catholic, embodying values of excellence and integrity. Mr Gyimah joins Zeepay at a significant juncture as the company bids farewell to its longest-serving Chair, Mr Kwesi Eduafo Yankey, in compliance with rotational and regulatory requirements. In his new role, Mr Gyimah will spearhead the company's upcoming series A5 fundraising and align its expansion strategy for continued growth and success. The Managing Director of Zeepay, Andrew Takyi-Appiah, said: "I am thrilled to collaborate with Mr Gyimah once again, as we had a fantastic working relationship during my tenure as the managing director of Glico Capital. His extensive banking experience spanning over 30 years makes him an invaluable asset to Zeepay." Zeepay Zeepay is the fastest-growing wholly Ghanaian-owned fin-tech in Ghana focusing on digital rails to connect digital assets such as mobile money wallets, cards, ATMs, bank accounts and digital tokens to international money transfer operators, payments, subscriptions, international airtime and refugee payments. This is an effort to promote and improve financial inclusion which in turn will make the world a better place to live. Perez Muzik releases Mibobaahe Jayne Buckman-Owoo Showbiz News Jun - 22 - 2023 , 14:14 HAVING grabbed two awards at this year's Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA)Songwriter of the Year and Male Vocalist Performance, Perez Muzik is definitely in the best of moods to release more music. And as he is doing that, he has just come out with a single titled, Mibobaahe. The song released on June 9 was recorded during his Move Service on May 1 this year and produced by Sponkeys. Its music video was produced and directed by Phusion Studios. Perez Muzik tells Graphic Showbiz that Mibobaahe, which means my hiding place, my refuge or my fortress is inspired by Psalm 91 in the Bible. Mibobaahe which can be found on all streaming platforms is a worship song. It is a gospel medley which is suitable for all worship sessions. It is an encouraging scripture that helps every Christian when you are bitter or in despair or when life is overwhelming. It encourages you and lifts you up and gives you confidence in God. Almost all the lyrics in the song are from Psalm 91, I just added a few touches here and there," he stated. According to Perez Muzik, real name Frank Tagoe, the song was recorded during his praise and worship event dubbed Move Service on May 1 this year. We are coming out with a couple of songs from now till August, I will have my annual concert Glorified on August 27 at the Victory Bible Church International, Awoshie, and hopefully release an album on that day. Ministering, Perez Muzik said, "Every Christian should hold on to their faith. For Christians, we know that our end is going to be beautiful so hold on to your faith." Yvonne Nelson needs to heal well - PRO of Ghana Psychological Association Gifty Owusu-Amoah Showbiz News Jun - 22 - 2023 , 07:45 A clinical psychologist, Dr Isaac Newman Arthur, is encouraging actress Yvonne Nelson to seek professional and medical attention following the narration of her life story in her latest book, I am Not Yvonne Nelson. According to Dr Arthur who is the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Ghana Psychological Association, individuals undermine the relevance of seeking professional help for their mental well-being due to the negative stereotype that it is for the emotionally weak. In a conversation with Graphic Showbiz yesterday, June 21, 2023, the clinical psychologist said Yvonne Nelson should not hesitate to take the decision if she hasnt done that yet. From what I have read so far, particularly her relationship with her mother, Yvonne needs to heal more. I am not saying that she has any problem but from the book, if she hasnt been able to heal properly, she needs to heal well otherwise she will pass on the pain to her kids. Besides, now that everything is out there, the bashing can worsen her own state so Im sure probably, she has someone she talks to but whatever it is, she needs some kind of support from professionals she can trust to overcome the trauma to heal properly from whatever she is going through. Celebrities are also humans so anytime they find themselves in mental challenges, they should seek help. The fact that you are seeking help doesnt mean you are weak, it only means that you are human, he said. On Monday, June 19, Yvonne Nelson caused a huge uproar and made headlines with her book, I Am Not Yvonne Nelson which was launched at Peduase Lodge in the Eastern on Sunday, June 18. The 24-chapter book which talked about many aspects of her life including the search for the real identity of her father and her now sour relationship with her mother has generated intense conversations about parenting. In the book, the Princess Tyra actress narrated how her mother referred to her as a mistake child following the circumstances surrounding her birth. Celebrities are also humans and there are mental health risks among people like that because everybody and their own risks in terms of developing health problems. Also, these celebrities had their mental status before fame and the events that happened contribute to it. Physically, they grow and mentally, they grow. Unfortunately, there are lots of parents who know how to make their children grow physically but they dont know how to let them grow mentally because they dont understand it. A lot of parents fail because they didnt get the training from their own parents. For instance, if parents insult them or say all kinds of derogatory things about them, it affects their mental growth and causes emotional pain and self-identity. In our African environment, we do all these things or say all sort of things under the guise of discipline but end up damaging the mental well-being of children while growing up, Dr Arthur said. Single parenting According to Dr Arthur who is also the Acting Director of University of Professional Studies, Medical Directorate, research has shown that single parenting has its own problems. Hence, kids need both mother and father to be able to develop well. In Yvonne Nelsons case, however, she didnt have a father to complement her mothers presence in her life and he said it was unfortunate people have failed to understand that side of her struggles. Celebrities only exhibit talent. It has nothing to do with who they are so what we see is the talent but what we dont see are childhood struggles. We always love the talent but we dont love the person. And that is why when something comes up, the same fans who hail them are the same ones who will insult them. So now, we are praising Yvonne Nelson because she seems like the victim and vilifying Sarkodie as the predator. But if we should go into Sarkodies life too, we will also understand why he did that. Perhaps, his upbringing affected him and has mental health problems, before he became a star, he noted. Related articles This is how Yvonne Nelson acknowledged her mother I am not Yvonne Nelson book yet to be approved for Ghana public libraries Cameroon opposes visit by France's LGBTQ ambassador International News Jun - 22 - 2023 , 10:52 Cameroon's foreign minister has said the government disapproves of the planned visit by Frances LGBTQ rights ambassador. Lejeune Mbella Mbella said this was because homosexuality qualified as a crime of common law in Cameroon. Ambassador Jean-Marc Berthon was due to visit Cameroon from 27 June until 1 July to discuss gender rights. Recently Cameroon's National Communication Council warned the media against promoting homosexual content. What is access to justice? Mirror Lawyer Life Jun - 22 - 2023 , 09:06 What is access to justice? In what ways then can Ghanaian citizens access justice? Yaw Abebrese from Accra questions The Mirror Lawyer. Dear Yaw, Justice in its broadest sense may be described as attaining or receiving something which is fair. The concept of justice is based on numerous fields including law, equity, ethics, rationality, religion, culture and morality. Article 125 of the 1992 Constitution provides that: (1) Justice emanates from the people and shall be administered in the name of the Republic by the Judiciary which shall be independent and subject only to this Constitution. (2) Citizens may exercise popular participation in the administration of justice through the institutions of public and customary tribunals and the jury and assessor systems Article 35 (3) also states that: The State shall promote just and reasonable access by all citizens to public facilities and services in accordance with law. Access to justice, therefore, may be described as the ability of people to seek and obtain remedy through institutions of justice in accordance with the standards of human rights enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. It is essential that the people of Ghana have equal and easy access to justice to depict our coat of arms which says freedom and justice. There is, therefore, the need to ensure that our people are free and have justice indeed. However, people do not have access to justice because of some impediments. A few of these obstructions are discussed below. The first is lack of legal awareness. Citizens can access Justice when they are educated about their rights and responsibilities under the law. In effect, they know what the law expects of them. The saying that ignorance of the law is no excuse means that every citizen of Ghana is expected to know the law. However, this is practically impossible because in Ghana, notice is given of the existence of a law by its publication in the gazette. The question here is, how many Ghanaians are aware of the existence of the gazette? Because most Ghanaians are not aware of this, they do not know about the laws in existence. Also, some may be aware of the gazette; however is the gazette easily accessible? To the best of my knowledge, the gazette can be obtained by purchase at the Ghana Assembly Press. Since it is for sale, then another problem is how many people can afford to buy it? Most people cannot even afford a meal. These difficulties make it impossible for the ordinary citizen on our streets to know about the laws and the rights available to them. Ghanaians need to be educated on the laws of Ghana and their rights which are protected by the Constitution which is the supreme law of Ghana. Once this is done, then the citizens would know what is to be done and not to be done, and how to seek redress for the wrongs done to them. Another way of accessing justice is through Legal Aid. There are instances where people are aware of the law and the rights guaranteed under the law. However, these people are not able to obtain justice for their rights that are infringed upon. This is mostly because they cannot afford the legal fees involved in obtaining justice. Because of this hardship, the poor in society suffer injustice at the hands of the affluent in society. For instance, persons who are arrested and detained are kept in remand for so many years without trial in contravention of Article 19(1) of the 1992 constitution, and since these persons cannot afford legal fees, they are not able to get legal representation, and yet some of them may be innocent. In order to address such problems, Article 294 of the 1992 Constitution provides that, a person is entitled to legal aid in connection with any proceedings relating to the Constitution if he has reasonable grounds for taking, defending, prosecuting or being a party to the proceedings and that Parliament shall pass a law to provide for the granting of legal aid and representation by a lawyer, including such assistance as is given by a lawyer, in the steps preliminary or incidental to any proceedings or arriving at or giving effect to a compromise to avoid or to bring to an end any proceedings. Parliament did pass the Legal Aid Commission Act in 2018 but the legal aid programme is constrained by lack of resources, funding, infrastructure and the heavy workload on the few lawyers assigned to the institution. The next is provision of adequate court facilities, court houses, judges and support staff to enable the citizens to have easy access to justice delivery. The distance some citizens are required to travel to access the courts is nothing to write home about. This has prompted the Judicial Service to educate and promote alternative methods of dispute resolution aimed at giving speedy, cost effective and healthier methods of justice delivery. Not every issue must necessarily be brought before the courts. Simple family disputes, civil and petty criminal matters could be amicably resolved without recourse to the courts. This will eliminate the fear people have of the judicial system and also reduce the pressure in our courts, as well as achieving justice for the parties involved. An example of such alternative mode of dispute resolution is negotiation, mediation and conciliation Arbitration. Also, traditional modes of resolving disputes in our communities such as negotiated settlement and customary arbitration have been given legal backing to ensure that decisions that are arrived at by these traditional systems are respected and complied with by all parties interested in the dispute. Maintain free SHS Child Rights Timothy Gobah Education Jun - 22 - 2023 , 08:14 The Executive Director of Child Rights International, Bright Appiah, has asked the government to resist any external pressure to abandon any of its social intervention programmes, particularly, the free senior high school (SHS) programme. He said the country's social intervention programmes were designed to help vulnerable groups and that any attempt to abandon them would spell doom for the people. Mr Appiah also called on the government to come clear on its position regarding key social intervention programmes in the wake of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout programme. Mr Appiah said this during an interaction with journalists in Accra yesterday. Policies He explained that free SHS "is one of the policies that is given government legitimacy over its citizens". "A country where our constitution is premised on welfare should do everything possible to protect its constitution and beneficiaries in the face of difficulties," he said. More than 1.2 million children have benefitted since the rollout of the free SHS programme. Mr Appiah said in spite of the countrys economic challenges, it would be suicidal for any government to implement any programme that would disadvantage the vulnerable groups in the society. He explained that social intervention programmes such as LEAP and free SHS programmes had helped many vulnerable groups and as a result produced exceptional benefits. Citing the free SHS programme, Mr Appiah said the enrolment rate of schoolchildren "is currently between 92 and 95 per cent which is amazing". "On the school feeding programme, currently the programme is feeding over 3.8 million Ghanaian children," Mr Appiah added. Concerning the LEAP, he said, the programme was one of the well-established social intervention programmes with more than 350,000 households beneficiaries. If the vehicle is giving us results, we need to strengthen it and channel more resources there," Mr Appiah said. Open discussion Commenting on the rollout of the various social intervention programmes, Mr Appiah said there must be an open discussion to ensure that any planned mechanism to implement it would strengthen its efficiency. If the foundation of these programmes is shaken because of the IMF impact, the country needs to take a look at how best to protect the vulnerable groups so that we can position ourselves in these difficult times," he said. Describing the free SHS as a unique concept and judging it from the benefits seen so far, Mr Appiah said Ghana must do everything within its capacity to protect and enhance its delivery. All the social intervention programmes are a fraction of our GDP. Let strengthen its delivery instead of reviewing it downwards," he said. Child labour Touching on child labour, Mr Appiah said in spite of the challenges faced, steps had been taken by the country to address those issues, adding that the issue was not as prevalent as it used to be. According to CRI's report, Ghanas child labour monitoring system has reduced child labour in the cocoa sector by 25 per cent. Mr Appiah raised concerns regarding children involved in galamsey, indicating that a policy must be developed to address the issue else " once these children are exposed to some form of daily income, they will never stop". "The lack of policy from the government on this issue is worrying and could spell doom if left unattended to," Mr Appiah added. ICAG plants trees at La-Bawaleshie Presby School Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Education Jun - 22 - 2023 , 09:07 The Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), joined the Green Ghana Day by planting trees at the La- Bawaleshie Presbyterian School in the Ayawaso West Municipality. Chartered accountants, staff and council members of ICAG led by the Vice President of ICAG, Augustine Addo, and the CEO, Kwasi Agyemang, planted trees at the basic and junior high sections of the school. The institute, which is the accountancy regulatory body, also made a cash donation to the school. Rationale Mr Agyemang explained that ICAG decided to participate in the Green Ghana Day because as a public institution that regulates the accountancy profession, it had a duty to contribute to the well-being of society. Tree planting, he said was a crucial part of the sustainable efforts to protect the environment from degradation, deforestation and climate change. ICAG as the regulator of accountancy with many objects, including the promotion of the teaching of accountancy and ensuring that accountancy is done in line with the law and international best practices, we have an obligation to engage in such national activities, he said. According to him, people often failed to take issues affecting the environment seriously, with a wrong impression that the world would continue to remain the same even in the face of destruction of the environment. There is serious environmental degradation caused by human beings and sadly in Ghana, illegal mining is ravaging the country. It is, therefore, the responsibility of everyone to help protect and restore the environment, he said. On why the institute decided to plant the trees at the La-Bawaleshie School, Mr Agyemang said the school was not far from the institute and as neighbours, it decided to contribute positively to the school. He added that ICAG was celebrating its 60th anniversary and as part of the celebration, the institute was embarking on numerous corporate social responsibility activities in diverse areas for the betterment of society. Tullow Ghana and Jubilee Partners aim to boost oil production to over 100,000 per day later this year Dotsey Koblah Aklorbortu Jun - 22 - 2023 , 10:09 Tullow and the Jubilee Partners are working to increase daily average production to over 100,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) from the Greater Jubilee Field during the second half of 2023, when the Jubilee South-East (JSE) Area development is up and running. The leap in production will result from the successful development of the Jubilee South-East (JSE) area, which is an extension of the Jubilee Field, offshore Cape Three Points in the Western Region. Benefits The increase in production is expected to bring significant benefit to the country including increased revenue from oil production, local capacity development which will be reflected in the companies in the production value chain, skills transfer, more jobs, and local content development through the participation of indigenous companies. The JSE project, which Tullow Ghana Limited and its partners are developing under the Ghana Volume Maximisation Plan, is part of the Greater Jubilee Field located in the Tano Basin. The Managing Director of Tullow Ghana, the lead operator of the Jubilee and Tweneboa, Enyera and Ntomme (TEN) oilfields, Wissam Al-Monthiry, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, said the partners are optimistic about the success of JSE, saying the execution of the JSE project is an example of how a big field can get bigger The lead operator of Jubilee, Tullow Ghana Limited, told the Daily Graphic that the first commercial oil is expected around the middle of the year. Background Tullow and its partners on the Jubilee Field have been investing in Greater Jubilee Field to increase production over the past two years. Under Tullow Ghanas Value Maximisation Plan, the company has earmarked $4 billion investment over 10 years. The successful development of JSE, according to industry experts, will be a remarkable achievement as it portends significant benefit for the countrys oil industry and for economic growth. An official of the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) stated that the new production wells will be good news for the country. We all know that since 2018 no field has been added, so this is actually good news, the Technical Manager of PIAC, Mark Obeng Adu Agyemang, told the Daily Graphic. Big field just got bigger Mr Al-Monthiry said when the JSE project is completed, the Jubilee Field could be placed in a completely different category as a world-class oil and gas field. Asked why Tullow Ghana decided to invest more, he said, as an operator, after a find, the decision would be taken about which parts of the field to develop in a phased approach. That approach gives the operator the opportunity to learn more about the field as production continues, the Tullow Ghana MD added. From the mid-2000s to about 2016, it started to become clear to us that there was an opportunity to develop Jubilee further to the South-East area, Mr Al-Monthiry explained. In the field trajectory, in 2020, a project was put together to receive a final investment decision to be sanctioned to develop Jubilee Southeast, which progressed even through the COVID-19 period and to the point now that we are looking at the possibility of welcoming first oil from the JSE area in the coming weeks, Wissam said. Subsea infrastructure Mr Al-Monthiry again explained that after the project was sanctioned in December 2020, it went through engineering, design, procurement, and fabrication of the different parts of equipment for the installation of the subsea infrastructure. He added that the engineering, design, procurement, and fabrication works of the different parts of the subsea infrastructure took place on three continents, but with a significant local content component. Let me say that one of the worlds most complicated subsea equipment was fabricated in Takoradi for the project and has since been installed, Mr Al-Monthiry said. Value maximisation With Jubilee SE project, we expect that it will bring jubilee's production back to more than 100,000 barrels a day and keep it there for the foreseeable future, which is an exciting milestone, he said. Mr Al-Monthiry said almost $1.5 billion had been spent on the project in line with the $4 billion Ghana Value Maximisation Plan unveiled in 2021, a significant portion of that going into the drilling and completion of wells in the Jubilee SE area, as well as the fabrication and procurement of equipment as part of the Jubilee SE programme. The Strategy Regarding sustainability, and Partners possible consideration of other basins, he said: Our strategy in Ghana is to focus on exploiting the Jubilee and TEN fields to the maximum. First oil in the next few weeks looks quite imminent and we are all very excited about it and after that, you will start hearing much more specific plans from us on the next phase of growth for Jubilee and beyond, Mr Al-Monthiry added. Currently we feel that there is a lot of room to run on the existing fields and a lot of capital to possibly invest if we can. So, we focus on that as a priority and we are considering other opportunities as well, he said. TEN Field On the TEN fields, the Tullow Ghana Managing Director said it was doing well, and that while oil production was on the decline, the partners were working with the government on a multi-year gas contract as well as oil development. We will be submitting a revised plan of development for the field to the Ministry of Energy, Mr Al-Monthiry stated. Once that is approved, it would give a significant lifeline to the TEN Field to grow in its own right and produce higher levels of oil and gas throughout to the end of the licensed period, he added. Background In December 2010, history was recorded after President Atta Mills turned the valves on the FPSO Kwame Nkrumah to indicate the beginning of the production of crude oil in commercial quantities on the Jubilee Oil Field. It was discovered in 2007 under President John Agyekum Kufuor. Oil from the countrys oil is the light sweet crude, which is a global quality, with high demand in the international market. The Jubilee Field at the time produced 120,000bopd. However, after more than a decade of production, its daily output has gone down naturally, hence the investment. PIAC Technical Manager When reached for comments, Mr Agyemang welcomed the good news, explaining that PIAC and other relevant stakeholders had been worried for the past few years that production kept dwindling. Our recommendation to government and its agencies has been that we need to bring on stream new fields, because if the current trends continue, probably in the next 10 years, well have to come to the end of production in the fields that we have lost. The technical manager at the PIAC Secretariat commended Tullow and its partners for their commitment to the country, saying while other investors were pulling away, Tullow and partners committed to invest that kind of money into the petroleum sector. More fields should come on stream, and we hope that as part of the Ghana Volume Maximisation Plan, other fields in the Greater Jubilee area will come on stream in the shortest possible time to give impetus to our upstream petroleum industry and help us raise the needed revenue as a country, Mr Agyemang stated. Anum community launches development foundation Ezekiel E. Sottie Jun - 21 - 2023 , 16:22 The People of Anum in the Anum Traditional Area in the Asuogyaman District in the Eastern Region have launched a community development foundation known as the Anumman Development Foundation. The inauguration of the foundation last Saturday at a durbar held at the Anum Lorry Station, which also coincided with the launch of a market project for the Anum community, attracted a lot of indigenes of the area. The foundation, which is being implemented by Celdar Foundation and supported by STAR Ghana Foundation with funding from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is aimed at promoting development activities in the area. The Ghana Philanthropy Forum, Ark Development Organisation and International Child Development Programme are also partnering Celdar Foundation in the implementation. Objective The objective of the foundation is to support the Anum community to put in place a well-structured mechanism for attracting donations from its citizens, both local and abroad, as well as from non-governmental organisations, companies, philanthropists and development partners, with the aim of helping to address community needs. At the launch of the foundation, a 10-member Board of Trustees was sworn in by the Adontenhene of the Anum Traditional Area, Nana Kwasi Anyane. The members comprise the Chairman, Asafoatse Okumani Gyau; Vice-Chairperson, Asare Baffour; members, John K. Owusu, Samuel Agyei, Samuel Ayesu and Isaac Odame Nyarko. The rest were Ellen Baidoo, David Acheampong, Nana Odame Osafo and Rev. Dr Benjamin Mireku. Nana Anyane said all those selected for the various leadership positions were from Anum and hoped they were going to work from their hearts in the interest of the area. The Executive Director of Celdar Foundation, John Obuaba, said the foundation served as a vehicle for addressing key development challenges in the area and would be attracting government and other agencies to come and address such challenges for the foundation to achieve its aims and objectives. Unity The Assistant Director in charge of Administration of the Asuogyaman District Assembly, Prospera Nyelkebo Lekuu, who represented the District Chief Executive, enjoined the people of Anumman to remember that the strength of the community lay in unity and peaceful atmosphere of its members, as they embarked on the new chapter of growth and development. Together we have the power to shape a brighter future for Anumman. Let us work hand in hand, embrace innovation and harness collective potential to overcome challenges and seize opportunities that lie ahead. This is an opportunity for us to come together and create an environment where every individual can realise their potential and dreams. It is our duty to ensure that the benefits of the development foundation reach every corner of our Anum community, leaving no one behind, she stressed. The Executive Director of STAR Ghana Foundation, Alhaji Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu, stressed that the project should be community-owned, in order to address issues in the area for their own betterment. He explained that due to the economic challenges all over the world, external support from the donor countries had reduced significantly, saying this is affecting the assistance we are getting as a country as well as STAR Ghana and the others. A lawyer and native of Anum, B. K. Afari Danso, who chaired the function, entreated all members of the Board of Trustees to put in their best. Bui Power Authority enhances operational efficiency with ICT Vincent Amenuveve Jun - 22 - 2023 , 10:34 The Bui Power Authority (BPA) has partnered Huawei to set up a broadband private network to make routine maintenance and the handling of emergencies easier and more efficient at the power plant. Known as the eLTE, the system has a central device which carries voice, video and data services via handsets to facilitate instant communication between the control room and maintenance staff moving around the plant without any breaks. This is the first time Huawei, a global service provider of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices, has deployed the eLTE-based solution in the hydroelectric industry. Facility tour The Vice-President of Corporate Communications of Huawei, Edison Xie, led a delegation of Huawei officials from Ghana and China to tour the Bui Generation Station (BGS) and the Bui power enclave located on the Black Volta River on the boundary between the Savannah and Bono regions, last Friday. Also on the tour were representatives from the media. The Huawei delegation and the media toured the dam gallery, the switch gear, dewatering, turbine and the control room units at the BGS. A Technology Engineer with Huawei, Kwaku Donkor, who conducted the delegation round the facility, explained the workings of the system to the Daily Graphic. Instant communication Mr Donkor explained that the network was used without extensive cables and installations, for both indoor and outdoor working areas, including roadways inside the dam, generator rooms and employee living areas within the Bui vicinity. Now staff can communicate via video call to fix maintenance challenges in record time, and building modern networks also provide capacity for growth, enabling intelligent digital transformation of the site in the future, Mr Donkor added. The technology engineer said the hydro-solar hybrid power plant by BGS was leading the way in sub-Saharan Africa, with essential communication and operational management services provided across Huaweis eLTE broadband network. Digital technology Mr Xie explained that Huawei believed that digital technology was an effective tool to fight climate change, protect the environment and enable green development. He said digitalisation and decarbonisation could work together, propelling and reinforcing each other to help build a greener world. Our vision and mission is to bring digital technology to every person, home and organisation for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will work towards ubiquitous connectivity and inclusive network access, laying the foundation for an intelligent world, he stated. An Assistant Manager of ICT at BPA, Martin Amadotor, said the role of the BGS, as an important provider of hydroelectric power in the country, had been further strengthened and complemented with new installation of solar power generation capability and Huawei's broadband private network. He demonstrated the various processes of how the eLTE works through 155 handsets distributed to workers at the Bui power enclave to facilitate communication from the control room to staff on the ground for effective maintenance of equipment at the BGS. Background Bui Power Authority (BPA) was established by an Act of Parliament, BPA Act 740, 2007, with a mandate to develop hydroelectric power projects on the Black Volta River at Bui and for related matters. This mandate was, however, expanded through the BPA (Amendment) Act 2020 (Act 1046), to develop hydroelectric power sites on other rivers as well as the development of renewable and other clean energy alternatives beyond the Black Volta River in Ghana. Currently, the Bui Generation Station produces 404MW of hydro power. An additional 50MW of power is generated from the solar installations on site. This is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 47,000 tonnes annually. In October 2019, construction commenced on the first phase of the 250 Mega Watts (MW) project with the development of a Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) Facility. Additionally, the BPA has commissioned a 5MW Floating Solar Plant which is the first in the sub-Saharan region and supplies power through the Bui Switchyard to the National Interconnected Transmission System (NITS). About Huawei Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of ICT infrastructure and smart devices. It operates in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world. Court summons Alex Segbefia, others to testify in Ato Forsons trial Justice Agbenorsi Jun - 22 - 2023 , 13:56 The High Court in Accra has summoned three witnesses in the trial in which former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, and two others have been accused of causing financial loss of 2.37 million to the state in a deal to purchase 200 ambulances. That followed an application by counsel for Forson, Dr Aziz Basit Bamba, who moved the motion under section 58 of the Courts Act, 1993 (Act 459) at the Court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe. The witnesses summoned are a fomer Minster of Health, Alex Segbefia; Seidu Kotomah, a former Comptroller and Accountant General, and a former Chief Director at the Ministry of Health, Mr Patrick Nimo. Mr Segbefia and Mr Nimo are to appear in court on June 29, 2023 while Mr Kotomah is expected to appear on July 3, 2023. Failure to show up on the dates, the court will issue a bench warrant for their arrest. Accused Dr Forson, who is also the NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Ajumako Enyan Esiam and currently the Minority Leader in Parliament. He is standing trial with Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, and Richard Jakpa, a businessman. They are facing the court for allegedly causing financial loss of 2.37 million to the state in a deal to purchase 200 ambulances for Ghana between 2014 and 2016. They have, however, pleaded not guilty to five counts of willfully causing financial loss to the state, abetment to willfully cause financial loss to the state, contravention of the Public Procurement Act and intentionally misapplying public property. Ambulance deal Per the Attorney Generals (A-Gs) facts accompanying the charge sheet, in 2009, while delivering the State of the Nation Address, the then President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, indicated that new ambulances would be purchased to expand the operations of the National Ambulance Service. Jakpa, who is a local representative of Big Sea General Trading Limited, a company based in Dubai, subsequently approached the Ministry of Health with a proposal that he had arranged for finance from Stanbic Bank for the supply of 200 ambulances to the government. Parliament approved the financing agreement between the government and Stanbic Bank. According to the facts, on November 19, 2012, Dr Anemana wrote to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) seeking approval to engage Big Sea through single sourcing for the supply of 200 ambulances. The facts added that on August 7, 2014, Dr Forson wrote to the Bank of Ghana for letters of credit of 3.95 million for the supply of 50 ambulances in favour of Big Sea. The letters of credit were accordingly released to Big Sea. The facts said 30 ambulances were purchased at a sum of 2.37 million, but all were found not to have met ambulance specifications and not fit for purpose. Don't remove taxes on imported menstrual pads - Association of Ghana Industries Kweku Zurek Jun - 22 - 2023 , 06:26 The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has cautioned the government against implementing a policy that would remove taxes on imported sanitary pads while disregarding local manufacturers. According to the AGI, such a measure would have severe negative consequences for the country's economy. While the idea of waiving duties or taxes on imported sanitary pads to make them more affordable for young women may seem appealing, the AGI argues that it would inevitably lead to the demise of the remaining local sanitary pad factories. In a statement signed by CEO Mr. Seth Twum-Akwaboah, the association expressed its belief that the call for the removal of duties on imported sanitary pads was misplaced. The AGI highlighted the challenges faced by local sanitary pad manufacturers due to the influx of cheap and sub-standard imports. These imports are sold at closeout prices, putting immense pressure on domestic producers. As a result, the few local manufacturers capable of expanding their operations are currently operating at only 30% capacity. According to the AGI, completely eliminating taxes on imported sanitary pads would either collapse the remaining factories or force them to transition into mere importers. The association argued that rather than granting tax waivers to imports, the government should provide the necessary incentives and support to enable local companies to meet domestic demand. This approach would help preserve jobs and foreign exchange within the country. In their petition to the government, local manufacturers of hygienic sanitary pads have specifically requested exemption from Value Added Tax (VAT) and import duty on imported raw materials. They believe that such tax reliefs would result in more affordable sanitary pads for approximately 70% of young women in impoverished communities. The AGI cautioned the government against succumbing to public discourse and social commentary advocating for the elimination of import duties on sanitary pads. Instead, they emphasized the importance of considering local manufacturing, job creation, and revenue generation for the government. The association urged the government to focus on its industrial transformation agenda by incentivizing local manufacturers rather than relying on imports. The AGI pointed out that several countries have implemented countervailing taxes to protect their local markets. They cautioned against Ghana taking the opposite approach by eliminating taxes on imported sanitary pads, especially when local factories are capable of producing the same items. The association emphasized the need for careful consideration of the potential consequences of such a policy shift. Mothers lament over attitude of healthcare professionals - Call for behaviour change training Delali Sika Jun - 22 - 2023 , 07:47 Some mothers have called on health training institutions to mount behavioural change programmes as part of their curricula to help change negative attitudes of midwives towards pregnant women. They noted that negative attitudes on the part of some midwives such as familiarity, negligence, poor communication on the dos and donts of pre and post-delivery activities has the tendency of causing shocks, fear, depression and delays in the healing processes before and after delivery among pregnant women. The mothers were sharing their respective experiences in an exclusive interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra. They included an Entrepreneur, Rosemary Boachie, a Communication Practitioner, Jackie Hansen and an Administration Officer, Gladys Addo. Education Ms Boachie said she went through episiotomy with her first child without either education on aftercare nor pre-conscientisation. She contended that such an experience affected her in a lot of ways, including her sex life. I went through an episiotomy and the lack of education that came with it affected my sex life. I was not informed I would feel some pain during sex. Why didn't they tell me about my options? Before I was due, they should have educated me about these things. When you go for these routine check-ups, they check you, check your baby and they do these for some weeks. Are they not supposed to have an idea of size of baby and guide you through? Ms Boachie said. Episiotomy, is a surgical incision that is usually performed during the second stage of labour to quickly enlarge the opening for the baby to pass through. Mental Health She continued that that experience had a diverse effect on her life including her mental health which put her baby at risk. Ms Boachie explained that she struggled with recovery from the stitching because of the pain and this led to her inability to produce enough breast milk for her child. My brain was not in a good shape or state to do that. Finally, I got him canned baby milk and he was on it till six months, Ms Boachie said. Attitude Subsequently, Ms Boachie added that the attitude of those health professionals blaming the mothers for everything should be looked at. When I went to the hospital to express my concerns, the attention was on me, like I was the problem. These are people who are supposed to help me, educate me to make my journey as a mother easy, to make me help my baby better. Depression Furthermore, she stated that postpartum depression was real and medical practitioners should be skilled enough to handle it. She said when you conceive, or give birth, your brain just does something to you, you change which could lead to depression and medical personnel do not give attention to the mental health of new mothers, and how best they can help them. They are only concerned about breastfeeding and weight of the baby but the mother, no. If not for some things that are inevitable with childbirth, I wouldnt want to go through that again, she said. Wrong aftercare For her part, Mrs Hansen said she was given the wrong aftercare after undergoing a Caesarean section (CS) which resulted in severe migraines weeks after delivery. Apparently after a procedure like that, you need to stay in bed for a number of hours before getting up to do anything but mine was not like that, not long after I was asked by the nurse to get out of bed and I paid dearly for it, she said. Explanation Mrs Addo, for her part, spoke on how a doctor at a government hospital changed his mind two days to her scheduled CS without an explanation. After being persistent on why the decision, he later referred us to a private hospital and interestingly, he was the same doctor who operated on me. I was in pain after the procedure, struggling to breathe and when I called for help, a nurse told me I was a spoilt lady, who always wanted the attention of my husband, she said. She concluded that later the doctor came to examine her and his remarks were, I now understand why you opted for the CS because there was no way you would have survived the vaginal delivery. Negligence Another mother who wants to remain anonymous noted that a wrong dose of general anaesthesia was administered to her during her first CS. Reflecting on that incident, I can only thank God for saving me, she said. Furthermore, she stated that the lessons from her first experience made her vigilant for the second, saying it still feels like yesterday, she stated. Response Responding to some of those concerns, the Head of Nursing and midwifery at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Gifty Aryee, said some of those things were as a result of individual attitudes by the midwives. She said their profession was keen on good service and the involvement of patients at every point of service. You need to involve them in decision-making. At some points you need to ask permission from them. You need to know how to communicate, what to say, at what point and how to say it. "Some jokes can be expensive, your language, gestures, everything has to be on point. Even when you take a decision at the peak of labour, you owe it to the patient to tell them, explain things to them and guide them through it, she said. Time to document history, heritage now UNESCO Delali Sika Jun - 22 - 2023 , 08:29 It is time for Ghana to document its history and heritage in order to leave posterity with an identity. This is because in this digital era, there is a threat of rapid loss, destruction and misplacement of valuable history and documentation relevant to the memory of the nations culture, society and world if technology is not leveraged. The Secretary-General, Ghana Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Ama Serwah Nerquaye-Tetteh, made the call at the Memory of the World (MoW) Documentary Heritage Workshop held last Tuesday in Accra. Think about it, how much do we individually know of Ghana before independence, or even after? Over the years, the stories have been modified, relevant details and documents have been lost or hoarded and we can't wait until we have been left with fragmented information that does not often tell much of a story, she said. MoW is a UNESCO initiative to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity. It aims to facilitate preservation of the worlds documentary heritage, particularly in areas affected by conflict or natural disaster which would enable universal access to documentary heritage worldwide. Again, it intends to enhance public awareness of the significance of documentary heritage among the wider public. The workshop in Accra was attended by officials of the UNESCO Ghana Commission and other stakeholders in education and culture. History Ms Nerquaye-Tetteh emphasised that the history of a people was the embodiment of who they were and if that was lost, within the next century, there would be nothing left to give people an identity. She expressed concern that modernity was impacting culture and heritage and, thus, encouraged stakeholders to take advantage of the MoW Programme to preserve it. How much do we know of the history and origin of our various cultural elements? How many stories of historical events can you pass on? Regardless of how fleeting information has become in this fast-paced world, technology presents us with the opportunity to identify, document heritage materials, collate and safeguard Ghana's heritage, she stated. Loss of documented heritage The Chairperson, National MoW Committee, Dr Helena Asamoah-Hassan, stated that most documented heritage sat in libraries and archives, and often disappeared through natural causes. She said, for instance, acidified paper became brittle with age; the weather, heat or humidity, light or dust destroyed leather, parchment, film and magnetic tape unless preserved or restored. Also, floods, fires, hurricanes, storms, earthquakes, wars and even by government decisions, such documentaries were lost. "Efforts needed to preserve all these require the implementation of a consistent protection programme which will pool endeavours and make use of state-of-the-art technology," the National MoW Committee chairperson stressed. Preservation Dr Asamoah-Hassan noted that some of the things that could be preserved was a collection of historical manuscripts which included historical papers and works from private organisations and individuals connected with the countrys endeavours, policies, reports, court cases and opinions. Others were historical manuscripts that the National Archives kept, such as writings of missionaries, religious institutions, traders, renowned individuals connected with the countrys history, magazines, newsletters, newspapers, government gazettes, cinematographic collection, among others. "Preservation must be everyone's business including governments, institutions in charge of documentary heritage, scholars, researchers and individuals. The documentary heritage must be preserved to make it available to everyone and transmissible under the best conditions to future generations," Dr Asamoah-Hassan said. Strategies For this initiative to be fruitful, Dr Asamoah-Hassan said strategies and legislations such as legal instruments, capacity building, availability of funds, among others, needed to be put in place to ensure the preservation and accessibility of documentary heritage. Kenyan President defends minister's attack on the media BBC Jun - 22 - 2023 , 10:24 Kenyan President William Ruto has backed his trade minister for threatening a media house over its expose of a cooking oil scandal. Moses Kuria had warned government departments not to advertise with the Nation Media Group (NMG) after the report which alleged that certain private firms were allowed by his ministry to import cooking oil tax-free. The report noted that the specific exemption under Kenyan law could only be made for emergency relief goods - with the entire deal potentially leading to the loss of more than $100m (78m). On Twitter, Mr Kuria also called journalists working at NMG whores. His comments caused outrage in the media sector, even earning him a rebuke from the industry regulator. Mr Kuria vowed never to apologise for his remarks, accusing the media of being biased. By Wednesday, a high court had issued an order barring Mr Kuria from uttering any demeaning or insulting words against journalists, pending a case filed by a human rights activist that the ministers outburst made him unsuitable to serve as a public officer. But President Ruto said that people should be allowed to call out the media: "We must also defend the rights of those who hold the media to account when the media goes rogue. We must defend the rights of people like Moses Kuria to speak their mind the same way we are defending the media to say all the things they want including the wrong ones. Local assemblies benefit from initiative to improve food security Joshua Bediako Koomson Jun - 22 - 2023 , 09:35 A $15-million initiative to ensure districts prioritise investments in agriculture and improve food security has been expanded to cover all the 216 local assemblies across the country. This was after a successful implementation in 28 districts in the Upper East, Upper West, Northern, Savannah and North East regions. The initiative, known as the District Agricultural Governance Index (DAGI), was spearheaded by Feed the Future Agricultural Governance Resilience in Economic Empowerment (AGREE) Activity, a project implemented by CARE International Ghana, with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Among other things, the initiative is to ensure a stable income for farmers, as metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) are to ensure that at least five per cent of their expenditure goes into agriculture, with 40 per cent of their annual expenditure being spent on post-production activities. DAGIs importance At the launch of the expanded initiative in Accra yesterday, the Head of the Local Government Service, Dr Nana Ato Arthur, said his office would ensure the integration of agricultural indicators into the Local Government Service Performance Management System for MMDAs and Regional Coordinating Councils (RCCs). He said the project was important as agriculture was the backbone of the nation, contributing significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and providing employment opportunities and ensuring food security for the citizenry. That notwithstanding, Dr Arthur said "for too long, the potential of this vital sector has been overlooked and its challenges ignored." The head of the Local Government Service added that the government was committed to changing the narrative and was undertaking some interventions in the agricultural sector to create jobs and contribute to the economic growth of the country. Dr Arthur said the project, which was to prioritise resource allocation in agriculture at the local level, would also forge a path towards sustainable development and economic prosperity. "We are taking a crucial step towards ensuring that agriculture receives the attention and resources it rightfully deserves," he said. Effective implementation The Chairman of the Public Services Commission, Professor Victor K. Agyeman, expressed optimism that the effective implementation of the programme would help transform agriculture in the country. He, therefore, appealed to MMDAs to take advantage of the opportunity that the programme presented and execute it according to the specifications. It was his belief that its successful implementation would help transform agriculture in the country. Providing the 2017 data on agriculture, Prof. Agyeman said the country imported $191 billion of goods last year, out of which $600 million and $200 million went into the importation of rice and tomatoes respectively. We need to act now to enhance our agriculture to ensure food security, otherwise data shows food prices will increase by almost 60 per cent in the next 20 years and if we factor in climate change, it will be 120 per cent, he added. Partnership The Country Director of CARE Ghana, Rose F. Tchwenko, in a speech read on her behalf by the Programme Team Leaders, Food, Nutrition and Security at CARE Ghana, Agnes Loriba, said the organisation recognised the development mandate of the government and its agencies. The collaboration with the Office of the Head of Local Government Service (OHLGS), she said, had been essential in the implementation of the AGREE project by leveraging their structures and expertise during consultations, training, monitoring and assessment of local government performance. By expanding the DAGI benefits nationally, Ms Tchwenko said it would help assess the responsiveness of all MMDAs to agricultural development in Ghana. The USAID/Ghana Mission Director, Kimberly Rosen, said the United States was Ghana's largest partner in development, providing over $150 million in assistance to supporting health, economic growth, agriculture, education, governance and social cohesion. "Through our partnership with the people of Ghana, we have saved lives and strengthened systems for local economic development, particularly in agriculture," she said. " " Turnspit dogs were essential for roasting meat in most Elizabethan-era kitchens. Photos.com/Getty Images The turnspit dog wasn't just popular in Great Britain. Their breeding continued for a couple of centuries, and they did make the trek from Great Britain to the United States, since they were handy for more than just roasting meat. As Stanley Coren explains in "The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events," the turnspit dog was used for other domestic tasks, including churning butter, pressing fruits, pumping water and milling grain. Advertisement But according to NPR, the turnspit dog wasn't as popular in the United States as it was in Great Britain. There are a few records of turnspit dogs for sale, though, including in Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette. But working conditions, especially in kitchens, weren't so great for the dogs. Many dogs were forced to run next to the blazing hot spit roast for hours without access to water. Cooks might even throw hot coals onto the wooden wheel to enliven the little dogs' feet. This was all to ensure their meat would cook evenly. Because it was so labor-intensive, many turnspit dogs would work in pairs, trading off on the meat-spinning hamster wheel, and some think that dreadful tag-team is origin of the phrase "every dog has his day." Even on Sundays, the amazing dogs didn't get a break as their owners often took them to church to serve as foot warmers. NBSG crowns blood donor month celebration Diana Mensah Jun - 22 - 2023 , 07:36 The National Blood Service Ghana (NBSG) has crowned this years World Blood Donor Month celebration with a health walk with some regular blood donors in Accra, to create awareness of the need for people to donate blood to save lives. The two -and -half hour walk, which attracted more than 50 people, was to create awareness and sensitise potential donors and the public to see blood donation as a positive act. Christened Give Blood, Give Plasma, Share Life, Share Often, it was aimed at encouraging the public to continuously donate blood and saw the participants walk from the headquarters of the National Blood Service, located within the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, through to some streets at Korle Gonno and back to the starting point. Aided by a public address system amid singing and dancing, the participants displayed placards with inscriptions such as Blessed are the young who can donate blood, Help put an end to blood shortages, Smile and give someone a will to smile and live, It is a joy to give blood, Blood has no substitute , It is time to roll up your sleeve to save a life, and Tears of a mother cannot save her child, but your blood can. During the walk, members of the association also distributed leaflets and pamphlets with information to educate the public on blood donation. After the walk, staff were taken through aerobics session to gain the benefits of physical exercise Sensitise Speaking to journalists after the walk, the acting Director of the Southern Zonal Blood Centre of NBSG, Dr Dilys John-Teye, said the month of June was dedicated to celebrating people who voluntarily donated blood to save others, adding that the health walk was aimed at sensitising the community to the need to donate blood voluntarily. She commended the staff of NBSG and some regular blood donors for participating in the walk and their willingness to save lives. Many people do not understand the call to donate blood. So the message we are sending out to the communities around is that there are people, patients who need blood regularly, and they can help others by donating blood frequently and we depend on them to obtain the blood units for patients, she said. Dr John-Teye expressed the hope that the exercise would help touch peoples heart to donate more and help answer some of the nagging questions on the minds of the public. The exercise, she explained, was very significant to the NBSG because it took healthy people to donate quality blood to continue saving lives. Dr John-Teye advised that anyone who was ready to donate blood could walk to any of the zonal NBSG offices to make enquiries about their eligibility to donate blood, adding that those who could not donate blood could be blood donation advocates. She indicated that although donating blood did not come with monetary benefits, it was rewarding to donate blood to save a life. Dr John-Teye, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians to volunteer to donate blood to stock blood banks in the various hospitals. Blood donor A blood donor, Noeline Kumor, said: I am a voluntary blood donor and I have donated 45 times and still counting. Before my first blood donation, I thought I was not fit and it is unhealthy enough but after several attempts, I realised it was not as dangerous as people perceive. Prudential Bank commits to environmental sustainability Linda Sah Jun - 22 - 2023 , 09:25 In a bid to boost the government's Green Ghana initiative, Prudential Bank Ghana Limited, has undertaken a tree planting exercise to demonstrate its commitment to environmental preservation. The banks team, led by the Managing Director, Bernard Gyebi, with support from officials of the Forestry Commission, planted tree seedlings in the Chipa Tributaries Forest Reserve in an effort to restore some of its degraded parts. Species The team planted tree species such as Cassia, Acacia and Mahogany over an area spanning one hectare in the reserve located in Agormeda in the Greater Accra Region. In his remarks, Mr Gyebi said the bank was excited to once again join the nationwide Green Ghana Day campaign aimed at planting 10 million trees. It shows our commitment to efforts geared towards replenishing the countrys forest cover and contributing towards a more sustainable environment, he said. He emphasised the company's dedication to environmental stewardship, saying "As custodians of our planet, we have a solemn duty to protect and preserve it. He further highlighted the company's vision of providing environmental benefits wherever it operated. Commitment On behalf of the Forestry Commission, Winifred Ohene-Wiafe thanked Prudential Bank for its commitment to the Green Ghana campaign and other sustainability initiatives and called on other stakeholders to support the project. Launched in 2021 under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Green Ghana campaign seeks to mobilise Ghanaians and other stakeholders in a bid to preserve the environment and depleting forest reserves. Supreme Court gives Gyakye Quayson 7 additional days to file review Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Jun - 22 - 2023 , 11:41 The Supreme Court has granted James Gyakye Quayson seven more days to file a review, challenging the declaration of his election as the MP for Assin North as unconstitutional by the court. A single justice of the apex court, Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu, today granted the application for extension of time to file the review. Lawyers for Mr Quayson led by Tsatsu Tsikata had argued that although the court gave the judgement on May 17, 2023 the full reasoning was made available on June 5, 2023 and therefore they needed extension of time to file the review . Unconstitutional act On May 17, 2023 a seven-member of the court, held that the whole process leading to the election of Mr Quayson - filling of nomination forms, election itself and swearing-in, were all in violation of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, which bars a person with dual citizenship from contesting as an MP. It was the considered view of the court as at the time Mr Quayson filed his nomination forms in October 2020 to contest for the Assin -North seat, he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship and therefore was not qualified per Article 94(2)(a) of the Constitution. In view of that the court further held at the Electoral Commission (EC) also violated Article 94(2)(a) of the Constitution when it permitted Mr Quayson to contest the election. Upon the true and proper interpretation of Article 94(2)(a) the decision of second defendant [electoral commission] to permit the first defendant [James Gyakye Quayson] to contest the parliamentary election of Assin North when the first defendant had not shown evidence of the cancellation of his citizenship of Canada is an act which is inconsistent with and violates Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution , the court held. Consequently, the court declared that the election of Mr Quayson as well as his swearing -in as an MP was unconstitutional, null, void and of no legal effect. Upon a true and proper interpretation of 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, the the election of the first defendant [James Gyakye Quayson] as Member of Parliament for Assin North was unconstitutional , null and void and of no legal effect. Upon the true and proper interpretation of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, the swearing in of first defendant [James Gyakye Quayson] as Member of Parliament of Assin North Constituency was unconstitutional, null and void and of no legal effect , the court held. The court gave the decision after a constituent of Assin North, Michael Ankomah-Nimfah, invoked its jurisdiction to interpret and enforce the constitution, with a case that Mr Quaysons election was unconstitutional. The seven -member panel of the court was presided over by Justice Jones Dotse , with Justices Nene Amegatcher, Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Torkornoo, Prof Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu and Emmanuel Yonny Kulendi and Barbara Ackah -Ayensu , as members. The court said the full reasons for its decision will be filed at the courts registry by June 7, this year Plaintiffs case In July 2021, Mr Ankomah-Nimfah, won a judgment at the Cape Coast High Court nullifying Mr Quaysons election on the basis that the MP held Canadian citizenship at the time he filed to contest the seat. He then went to Supreme Court in January, this year for interpretation of Article 94 (2) (a), the same constitutional provision the High Court used to nullify Mr Quaysons election. His basis for going to the apex court was that despite the judgment by the High Court, Mr Quayson still continued to parade himself as an MP. Mr Ankomah-Nimfah sought a declaration from the Supreme Court that upon a true and proper interpretation of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, at the time the EC opened nominations for people to file to contest the Assin North parliamentary seat, Mr Quayson held a Canadian citizenship and therefore was not eligible to contest. He further wanted the court to declare that the EC breached Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution when it allowed Mr Quayson to contest the parliamentary election in Assin North when he owed allegiance to another country. Again, he iurged the Supreme Court to declare the entire process that led to Mr Quaysons election as MP for Assin North as unconstitutional and, therefore, null and void. Background Mr Quayson polled 17,498 votes, as against 14,793 by the New Patriotic Party's (NPP's) Ms Abena Durowaa Mensah, in the December 7, 2020 parliamentary election. On December 30, 2020, Mr Ankomah-Nimfah filed a parliamentary election petition at the Cape Coast High Court challenging the eligibility of Mr Quayson to be an MP. The court upheld the petition, and on July 28, 2021, following that petition by Mr Ankomah-Nimfah, the Cape Coast High Court declared Mr Quaysons election as void, on the basis that he owed allegiance to another country other than Ghana, contrary to Article 94(2) of the 1992 Constitution. It was the considered view of the court that as of the time Mr Quayson filed to contest the MP position, he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship and, therefore, he was not qualified to become a legislator. The court, presided over by Justice Kwasi Boakye, ordered the EC to organise a new election in the constituency. The MP filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, Cape Coast, but on March 22, the second-highest court of the land struck out the appeal for not being in compliance with the rules of court. Come clear on vision to improve economy - Minority to Bawumia Nana Konadu Agyeman Politics Jun - 22 - 2023 , 08:57 The Minority in Parliament has dared the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to come out clearly on his vision to turn around Ghanas economy since he has espoused several visions that the government has not been able to implement. The Minority said while in opposition and as the head of the governments economic management team, Dr Bawumia espoused a number of fanciful visions on projects that have fleeced public funds and contributed to economic mismanagement. It mentioned the One-District-One-Factory, One Constituency One Dam and $1 million per constituency, among others. We are wondering what vision Dr Bawumia has other than what he and his boss, Nana Addo, have contracted the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the good people of Ghana, the Minority quizzed. Economy Addressing a press conference in Parliament, the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Isaac Adongo, said, What is Dr Bawumia going to do that he could not do in this government. It is annoying to hear those who drove a car in perfect condition into a ditch now talking about vision. If they had vision, Ghana would not have sunk this low in the first place, he said. The Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central said prior to 2017, President Akufo-Addo, told Ghanaians that he was relying on the intellectual capacity of Dr Bawumia to transform Ghana. On the contrary, he said as the head of the economic management team, he led the government to create Ghanas current economic mess. He drew comparison of the New Patriotic Party manifesto for the 2016 elections and what he described as Dr Bawumia's propaganda but naive experimental lecture notes from 2014 to 2015. He cited how the Vice-President gave an assurance to move the Ghanaian economy from taxation to production. This is one of the fanciful visions of Dr Bawumia that led to the collapse of production after they somersaulted and introduced over 24 taxes, he said. He made reference to Dr Bawumias vision to see to executing One-Village-One-Dam while in opposition. It was subsequently implemented in government and Dr Bawumia should speak to this and tell us what this vision has brought to the economy of Ghana. We can only remember these dugouts as one of wasteful ventures that had become death-traps, killing people in rural areas, he said. Projects Mr Adongo indicated that Dr Bawumia's naive $1 million per constituency a year had rather led to massive arrears and commitments. Has Dr Bawumia's establishment of development authorities not become a conduit for siphoning and the looting of public funds? He should speak to it and tell us what the achievements are? he quizzed. In his view, the One-District-One-Factory initiative became a source of fleecing the public purse through the granting of ridiculous tax waivers and painting and co-opting of factories that could be "colonial era" factories as 1D1F factories. If youre planning to leave your camper or RV for a few days to reserve a good camping spot near the shoreline of Flaming Gorge, beware that water levels at the reservoir are currently up over eight feet from one year ago. A high amount of mountain snowmelt runoff, increased outflows upstream from Fontenelle Reservoir, and decreased outflows at the Gorge itself have raised water levels nearly three feet during the first fourteen days of June. Sheriffs office spokesperson Jason Mower said, Obviously, if the water gets too high and youre parked too close to the shoreline, at the very least, youre risking water damage to your camper or other property. We just want people to be aware and be smart about the rising water levels. Unless otherwise posted, Mower said dispersed camping regulations on most BLM Wyoming-administered public land, including around the Gorge, allows for a 14-day occupancy limit within a 28-day period. The 14-day limit is reached either through several separate visits, or 14 days of continuous occupancy, during the 28-day period. Campers may leave their personal property unattended for up to 72 hours, but the length of time property is left unattended also counts toward the 14-day camping limit. After 14 days, campers must then move outside of a five-mile radius from their previous location. For more details on recreating on public lands in Wyoming, please visit the BLMs website at blm.gov/wyoming. For the latest updates on water levels at Flaming Gorge, please visit their water database website at flaminggorge.water-data.com. Sharon Patterson, 85, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family and friends Friday, June 16, 2023 at the Villa at Missions at Castle Rock in Green River, Wyoming. She was a resident of Green River, Wyoming for the past 10 years and former resident of Draper, Utah. She was born June 13, 1938 in Richmond, Utah: the daughter of Dayl J. Webb and Wilma Bartholome. Mrs. Patterson attended schools in Vernal, Utah and was a 1956 graduate of Vernal, High School. She received her Associates Degree in Business from Salt Lake Technical College. She married Robert Patterson February 1, 1958 in Vernal, Utah. He preceded her in death March 15, 2014. Mrs. Patterson and her husband were the owners/operators of Antique Acres Boarding Stables and she worked for 42 years as a Barn Mom and retired in 2013. They were very active members of their equestrian community. She was instrumental in starting and working with the Draper Trails Association. She was involved in team penning and also ride and tie endurance events. Sharon was a horse whisperer. She loved all animals and had a unique way with them. She enjoyed spending time with family especially her grandchildren. Sharon was best at home with spray paint in her hand; glue gun; duct tape; power tools and spray foam insulation. She was a rock hound and by many in Green River known as the "Rock Lady." Sharon rode her electric wheelchair just about everywhere in Green River. Survivors include her son, Dale Patterson and companion Debbie Mortimer of Green River, Wyoming; one daughter, Tari Behrman and husband Steve of Reliance, Wyoming; one sister, Lynne Wright of Denver, Colorado; two grandchildren, Bobby Patterson and wife Tricia; Christina McCormick and husband Andrew; five great-grandchildren, Keegan; Kaleb; Ashlyn; Hadlee and Yorey; several nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death her parents, husband, one sister, Kathryn Jeannerette and one niece, Nicole. Cremation will take place; a Celebration of Life will be conducted at 1:00 P.M. Saturday, June 24, 2023 at the Fraternal Order of Eagles, 88 N 2nd East, Green River, Wyoming. Condolences may be left at http://www.vasefuneralhomes.com. YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Armenias Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan has lauded the technical improvements at the Upper Lars checkpoint at the Russian-Georgian border, where 28 new clearance lanes were opened to increase capacity. The Upper Lars checkpoint now has 39 lanes compared to its original 11. This is a huge and significant change, Grigoryan said at the Cabinet meeting. The record clearance capacity in 2020-2021 was 300 trucks per day. Today, 1500 vehicles pass [every day], and this is very significant. Moreover, yesterday there were 409 vacant spots at the checkpoint, Grigoryan said, pointing to the increased capacity. Its also very important that the number of lanes will be increased from nine to fifteen in Georgia by the end of 2024, he added. Pacific Daily News would like to remind the public that Department of Public Health and Social Services and the United States Department of Agriculture are beginning the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program today for last names that begin with A or B. Dates for other last names and additional information can be found here. Individuals must bring a valid I.D. and must apply at the approved D-SNAP enrollment centers. Residents of Dededo, Harmon, Tumon, and Yigo are encouraged to apply at the Micronesia Mall. The D-SNAP station at the mall will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. except for Friday through Saturday, where they will only be there from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Residents in Agana Heights, Hagatna, Mangilao, Mongmong-Toto-Maite, Ordot-Chalan Pago, Piti, and Yona are encouraged to apply at the Guam Premier Outlets in Tamuning. The D-SNAP station at GPO will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. except for Sunday, where they will only be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Residents in Hagat, Inalahan, Talofofo and Humatak are encouraged to apply at the Inalahan Senior Citizens Center. The D-SNAP station at Inalahan will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. When applying, residents are encouraged to bring items to help them feel comfortable while waiting in line, such as portable chairs, umbrellas, snacks and drinks, and to take their medication. D-SNAP gives food assistance to households with food loss or damage caused by a natural disaster. D-SNAP extends benefits to many households that would not ordinarily qualify but suddenly need food assistance because of a disaster. Recipients already enrolled in SNAP are not eligible to receive D-SNAP assistance. Residents can apply by themselves or through an authorized representative. The D-SNAP program does not have citizen as a consideration of this program. For those who have roommates, both may apply as a head of household. However, they cant both claim the same losses. Unfortunately, this program is not for everyone as D-SNAP has income and asset limitations. These are the net monthly income limits and benefit allotment for each household size: 1 Member Net Income Limit: 2,252; Benefit: $415 2 Members Net Income Limit: 2,645; Benefit: $761 3 Members Net Income Limit: 3,039; Benefit: $1,090 4 Members Net Income Limit: 3,432; Benefit: $1,385 5 Members Net Income Limit: 3,888; Benefit: $1,644 6 Members Net Income Limit: 4,347; Benefit: $1,973 7 Members Net Income Limit: 4,740; Benefit: $2,181 8 Members Net Income Limit: 5,133; Benefit: $2,493 Each Additional Member Net Income Limit: +$394; Benefit: +$312 Household income may also be adjusted for any disaster-related expenses that the applicant experienced from the effects of Typhoon Mawar, such as damage or destruction of household. Below is a list of approved expenses: Home and business repairs and property protection. Temporary shelter and evacuation expenses. Disaster Related funeral, pet boarding and medical expenses. Replacement of necessary personal items such as clothing, appliances, tools, and educational materials. Clean up expenses, and storage expenses. Food loss Retirement accounts, disaster related payments from either governmental and/or non-governmental organizations will not be counted against D-SNAP applicants. If awarded, individuals will only receive a months worth of benefits. Individuals can provide purchase summaries if they purchased items related to typhoon preparation or recovery on or after May 22, 2022. A self-attestation can also be provided to DPHSS in order to apply for D-SNAP benefits, but residents should be aware their statements are subject to any and all audit requirements enforced by the Food and Nutrition Services under the USDA. D-SNAP benefits are provided via an electronic debit-like card and can be used to purchase food items at authorized food retailers. If residents are approved, they have up to 274 days to use the D-SNAP benefits on the EBT card. For any additional questions or inquiries, individuals can contact the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) at (671) 300-8873 or through email at centralbes@dphss.guam.gov. The University of Guam Board of Regents have selected their new president, effective Aug. 5, 2023. The newly elected president is Dr. Anita Borja Enriquez. The Regents made their decision in a special meeting held on Thursday at Room 129 within UOGs School of Business & Public Administration. The decision was made after an executive session where the Regents discussed and reviewed the report from their presidential search committee, which is chaired by Agapito Pete A. Diaz. The search began after President Thomas W. Krise announced his retirement from his post of being UOGs president, effective Aug. 5, 2023. The Presidential Search Committee received 31 local, national, and international applicants by its March 17 deadline and narrowed the list to five semifinalists. After an extensive interview process, the three finalists were selected. The three finalists were Dr. Anita Borja-Enriquez, Dr. Mary Okada, and LeGene Quesenberry, J.D. Dr. Enriquez is currently the Senior Vice President and Provost at the University of Guam. She has a Doctor of Business Administration in International Business Administration from Alliant International University. Dr. Okada has served as the President and CEO for Guam Community College since June 2007. She has a Doctor of Education Leadership from the University of Phoenix. Dr. Quesenberry is currently an attorney and consultant under a private practice that advises higher education. She has a Juris Doctor from the Gonzaga University School of Law. More information about each of the finalists, including their bios and CVs, can be found at https://www.uog.edu/administration/office-of-the-president/presidential-search/search_finalists/index. They were all invited to visit the campus within the next few weeks to meet with UOG students, faculty, staff, administrators, the Board of Regents and other stakeholders. These visits culminated in Q&A sessions that were broadcast on YouTube and are also posted under each finalists profile in the website listed above. Gas relief continues for another 180 days. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has signed Bill Number 135-37 into law as Public Law 37-18. Bill 135-37, introduced by the entire Guam Legislature, intended to levy all excise taxes, automotive surcharges and mass transit automotive surcharges for another 180 days. This is an extension to the Gas Tax Relief Act, a measure first enacted in Public Law 36-105 and Public Law 36-124. The purpose of the GRTA was to help stabilize the rising price of fuel gasoline on Guam through the waiving the taxes and surcharges collected under Guam law. The extension provided in P.L. 36-124 expired on June 17. The waiver on the liquid fuel tax is even more critical today than it was the day it was first implemented, said the governor. In the aftermath of Typhoon Mawar, our community relies on fuel for relief, whether to power their generators while the hardworking men of the Guam Power Authority strive to restore power to our community, to power equipment necessary to clear green waste and debris the storm left behind, or to help our community restore normalcy in their own lives, whether that means getting to work or to school. Gov. Leon Guerrero also stated that despite the extension being temporary, it is necessary to extend it today for the welfare of our people during this challenging time in our islands history. When the bill was passed in the legislature, Sen. Joe San Agustin expressed how the benefit should help the community. Fourteen cents per gallon is not a lot to offer relief, but we know that many of our families have depended on fuel for their livelihoods over the several weeks since the typhoon, said Sen. San Agustin. They have increased the number of gas purchases and waited in weeks of long lines at the gas stations. Every little saving we can guarantee our people is beneficial to their recovery. Proponents for the Guam International Raceway are calling for all motorsports enthusiasts to show up to the Guam Congress Building Public Hearing room at 2 p.m. Friday. Speaker Therese Terlaje, as the chairwoman of the Committee on Health, Land, Justice and Culture, is hosting the hearing. On the agenda is a discussion on the eviction of the raceway facilities and personnel as well as a public audit on mineral extraction at the raceway site. Raceway park General Manager Henry Simpson said the callout is for the other item on the agenda, a proposal to designate the venue as a community recreation facility, and transfer ownership from the Chamorro Land Trust Commission to the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation. "That's what we've always wanted to do. The Department of Parks and Recreation has the same mission statement that we have," he said. "It's a raceway park, yes, but it's still a park. So we want to get the numbers there to show that we don't want this track to be torn down and leased out to whomever they want to lease it to. We want this track to continue." The Land Trust Commission in January voted to end the Guam Racing Federations lease of the Yigo raceway property and evict the group. The eviction was postponed until early June to allow the federation to hold the annual Smokin Wheels event at the site. The racing federations original commercial license for the 250-acre Land Trust property expired in May 2018 and the Land Trust and the federation failed to sign a new 50-year license within a six-month window provided by lawmakers. The racing federation had been allowed to use the property only through a series of short-term licenses approved by the Land Trust. Simpson said that the attorney for the raceway will be there during the eviction discussion. "He'll be there to explain why we're not leaving," said Simpson. A petition to save the raceway will also be presented to the legislature, he added. He said at last count, more than 6,000 supporters had signed it. Michael Lujan Bevacqua is an author, artist, activist and the curator for The Guam Museum. Robert Underwood is the former president of the University of Guam and Guams former delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan received the Governor of the US state of Kansas, Laura Kelly, and Director of Joint Staff of Kansas National Guard Michael Venerdi, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister highly commended the cooperation with the state of Kansas in various directions and expressed confidence that Mrs. Kelly's visit will give a new impetus to the cooperation. In particular, the interlocutors discussed issues related to the expansion and deepening of cooperation in the fields of economy, agriculture and military education. Laura Kelly emphasized the willingness and interest in strengthening ties with Armenia. Reference was made to the process of democratic reforms in Armenia. Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized the support of the US administration in pushing forward the Armenian government's institutional reform agenda. Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Subscribe to our daily NewsLetter Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password or receive our NewsLetter. Stay logged in Lost password Contact Korean Movie | 2020 Drama Directed by Lee Hwan () Written by Lee Hwan () 127min | Release date in South Korea: 2021/04/15 Synopsis Se-jin runs into a teenage gang. Jaepil and Sin-ji accidently help Se-jin and Juyeong out of a dangerous situation. However, Se-jin doesn't appreciate their help, and she shouts at them. The four teenagers escape to a mountain where no one can find them. Se-jin asks them to help her terminate her pregnancy, since they ruined her first attempt by saving her. Their blood freezes as graves appear in the darkness. Source YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, Ani Badalyan, in response to the media's inquiry, commented on the June 21 statement of the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, regarding the incident that took place in the Lachin Corridor on June 15, urging the signatories of November 9, 2020 declaration and other tripartite statements accepted by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan, to steadily implement their commitments, instead of seeking justifications. ARMENPRESS reports, answering the question "how will you interpret the statements made by the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry on June 21 regarding the incident near the Hakari Bridge on June 15?", the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia stated, "In response to the comment of the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, I consider it necessary to mention the following. The incident of June 15 did not take place in the Lachin Corridor, as the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry notes, but in the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, on the Armenian side of the Hakari Bridge. There is a clear contradiction in the interpretation of the Russian side. If, due to the lack of delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, it is not possible to say exactly where the border line passes, and this is the reason for the ongoing problems, as the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry claims, then the question arises on what basis and principle the Azerbaijani flag was being raised on June 15 on this particular part of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, on this side of the bridge. By the way, let us record that this same thesis is regularly repeated verbatim by the Azerbaijani side when carrying out aggressive actions against the borders of the Republic of Armenia and invading the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia. It is not clear why Russian peacekeepers participated in that operation of Azerbaijan, when both the purpose and even the location of the operation were clearly outside the scope of the peacekeepers' functions and responsibility. We remind that the only function of the Russian peacekeepers was to keep the 5 km wide corridor of Lachin under control. By the way, after the June 15 incident, the Azerbaijani side completely blocked the Lachin Corridor, as a result of which even humanitarian supplies, including food and medicine, are not being delivered to Nagorno-Karabakh, even seriously ill persons in need of medical care are not being transported from Nagorno Karabakh to Armenian medical institutions through the ICRC, , gas and electricity supply continues to be interrupted. In conclusion, we would like to urge the signatories of November 9, 2020 declaration and other tripartite statements accepted by the leaders of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan, to steadily implement their commitments, instead of seeking justifications. Azerbaijan has falsely accused the Artsakh Defense Army of shooting at its positions in a latest wave of disinformation campaign. June 22, 2023, 10:31 Azerbaijan falsely accuses Artsakh of opening fire STEPANAKERT, JUNE 22, ARTSAKHPRESS: The Artsakh Republic Ministry of Defense said that the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defenses statement accusing the Artsakh Defense Army of opening fire on June 21 and 22 at Azerbaijani military positions in the occupied territories of the Martuni, Shushi and Askeran regions of the Republic of Artsakh is untrue. At the same time, the Azerbaijan MoD continues to disseminate disinformation, stating that it has allegedly prevented the fortification work being carried out by the Artsakh Defense Army. (CNBC) Intel stock dropped 6% Wednesday after the company gave investors an update on the companys turnaround plan to become a chip manufacturing company competing with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. To read this article: The blue-green algae situation in inland waters is calm as typical in early summer, even though blue-green algae observations have increased since last week. On the coast, blue-green algae have been observed slightly more than average. Blue-green algae blooms have also clearly increased in sea areas, especially south of Porkkalanniemi and Helsinki. Link to the map Observations of blue-green algae on map Several compounds produced by cyanobacteria can cause health hazards According to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), cyanobacterial occurrences can cause health hazards. Cyanobacteria produce a number of different compounds that can cause symptoms. Some cyanobacteria can produce liver or nerve toxins, but most of the symptoms experienced by swimmers may also be due to other compounds. Small children and pets should particularly be kept out of water rich with cyanobacteria. Water with cyanobacteria should not be used in a sauna or as washing or irrigation water. If you suspect a poisoning, seek medical advice, or take the pet to a veterinarian. If necessary, the Poison Information Centre will provide additional instructions. The municipal health authorities monitor the cyanobacterial situation on beaches. More information about blue-green algae and health: Report your cyanobacterial observations to the Jarvi-meriwiki (Lake and sea wiki) In Jarvi-meriwiki, maintained by the Finnish Environment Institute, you can establish your own observation site and share cyanobacterial observations or make individual observations when moving around waterways. You can also report observations via the smartphone-friendly Havaintolahetti website. The reported observations are shown on the national cyanobacterial observation map, and they support the national algal situation assessment. Observations about the absence of cyanobacteria are also important. Jarvi-meriwiki is an online service produced in collaboration with authorities and citizens. The service provides basic information on all lakes larger than one hectare as well as different areas of the Baltic Sea. Users can share, for example, photos and other observations on the service. Municipalities and cities monitor the cyanobacterial situation on the beaches, so it is advisable to report rich cyanobacterial occurrences on beaches to the health authorities of the municipality in question. This is how you identify cyanobacteria A small amount of cyanobacteria in the water appears as green or yellowish particles. Narrow stripes of algae can drift to a beach. In calm weather, a substantial amount of cyanobacteria forms greenish or yellowish algal rafts and piles up in coastal water. In spring, yellowish pollen from coniferous trees may also be present in the water. Unlike cyanobacteria, pollen is found not only on the surface water but also, for example, on piers or yard furniture. Cyanobacteria dissolve into tiny particles in the water if you touch the algal mass with a stick. If the algae become attached to the stick, they are something other than cyanobacteria. In a water vessel, cyanobacteria rise to the surface as tiny greenish particles within about an hour. Cyanobacterial observations also in the MarineFinland.fi and Waterinfo.fi services The cyanobacterial maps presented on the websites MarineFinland.fi and Waterinfo.fi combine the observations reported to the Jarvi-meriwiki and from the beaches of the City of Helsinki, as well as the observations based on satellite interpretations made by Syke during the last three days. HT Source: The Finnish Environment Institute Finns voted for change. They wanted us to put a stop to running up debt and fix basic things, Orpo was quoted saying to Members of the Parliament by Helsingin Sanomat. THE FINNISH PARLIAMENT on Wednesday started what is expected to be a days-long debate about the government programme drafted under the leadership of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP). I expect critics to provide alternative, justifiable solutions. Since the election debates of last spring, Ive asked for these kinds of solutions. Simply saying no isnt an alternative, adding debt isnt a solution. Matias Marttinen (NCP), who will take up the portfolio of the minister of economic affairs midway into the electoral term, stated that the government has taken a stand for employment and will seek to grow the ranks of the employed by 100,000 by making it easier to hire new employees, tearing down incentive traps and lowering labour taxation. In the domain of climate and environment policy, he outlined, the government will focus rather on large smokestacks than small exhaust pipes. Minister of Finance Riikka Purra (PS) envisioned that the new electoral term signals a return to an era of normal economic understanding, where debt does become due and borrowing comes with a cost. She also commented specifically on the debate sparked by the proposal to amend the employment contracts act to state that employers are not obliged to pay wage for the first day of sick leave unless agreed otherwise in the applicable collective bargaining agreement. The proposal has stirred up concerns about a decline in income and people showing up sick to work. If the collective bargaining agreement states that the first day of sick leave is paid, itll be paid also from now on. The purpose is to reduce unnecessary absences and yes, they do exist. We dont want anyone to come to work sick, she assured according to Helsingin Sanomat. The government programme came unsurprisingly under severe criticism from opposition parties. Antti Lindtman, the chairperson of the Social Democratic Parliamentary Group, reminded that Purra assured before the elections that her party would not approve of cuts in the benefits of low-income households. That couldve been said by someone from the left flank of the hall. But it was a Finns Party politician. And not just anyone, but the partys chairperson, current Minister of Finance Riikka Purra, he said. In addition, Purra promised: citizens cost of living would be reduced. The cost of living is now rising in the homes of thousands of Finns. Li Andersson, the chairperson of the Left Alliance, stated that although she expected the programme to reflect the goals of the National Coalition, she was surprised by the harshness of the cuts. The masks have now come off. The programme demonstrates that weakening the position of foreigners is the most important thing for the Finns Party. Its more important to you than what happens to low-income Finns, Finnish employees or Finnish social and health care services, she slammed. Sofia Virta, the newly elected chairperson of the Green League, similarly called attention to the provisions on immigration policy. Im truly bewildered by the decision not to invest in work-based immigration and to tighten immigration policy in a situation where our population continues to age and the need for care and services is only rising in a situation where companies and industries have repeatedly pleaded that work-based immigration be accelerated, she stated. We dont have people lining up at the border waiting to come specifically here to work. Orpo, who responded to the criticism at the end of the session, reminded that all parties were offered the opportunity to participate in the coalition formation talks. There was no interest to join the clean-up team. Social Democrats didnt show a genuine willingness to negotiate. The Centre chose rather to partner with the left-wing opposition than join the negotiations, he said. The Finnish Parliament on Wednesday chose Jussi Halla-aho (PS) as the speaker, Paula Risikko (NCP) as the first deputy speaker and Tarja Filatov (SDP) as the second deputy speaker. Aleksi Teivainen HT HENLEY has been gearing up for the royal regatta, which begins next week. More than 300,000 spectators are expected to visit the town during the event, which begins on Tuesday and ends next Sunday. Almost 400 races will be held following the second highest number of entries in the regattas 184-year history. A total of 732 crews from 17 nations have entered, including the first ever representation for Zimbabwe. A record 581 crews are domestic. The number of female rowers is 1,400, which is twice that of the 2019 regatta, following the addition of three new womens events in 2021. Sir Steve Redgrave, who chairs the regattas committee of management, said: The doubling of the number of female rowers is testament to the successful introduction of the Prince Philip (junior womens eights), the Island (student womens eights) and the Wargrave (club womens eights). It is more than just numbers, though. This is about helping to establish pathways from junior level to the elite squads and keeping our athletes in the sport. The talent is there, the numbers are growing and there are events for them to grow into. We are excited to see that womens participation is set to expand further over time. A rule change in the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup, for junior mens eights, means that for the first time clubs as well as schools have been allowed to enter. Sir Steve said this would broaden the pathways in the competition and encourage talent from clubs around the world to participate. Sun and light rain showers are expected over the six-day regatta with temperatures in the early twenties. As usual, there will be a strong police presence with a mixture of neighbourhood and specialist teams, including mounted and marine units. For the first time, police drones will also be deployed for the duration of the event. Along Fawley Meadows, there will be a picnic enclosure, restaurant and lounge playing live music. Prizegiving will take place at the end of finals with a procession led by previous winners of the Doggetts Coat and Badge Wager from the Company of Watermen and Lightermen. Businesses in the town have been preparing for the influx of visitors by setting up themed window displays and preparing merchandise. The red lion at the Relais Henley hotel in Hart Street has been dressed in boating hat and blazer and the Daisy Love Cafe in Station Road has had a rowing crest painted on the window by artist Nicola Sutherland, the mother of a member of staff, in exchange for free coffee and cake. Anna Thompkins, who works at the cafe, said: Last year was super busy, so we are feeling the pressure. She said the cafe had stocked up on supplies and installed a takeaway one-way system as well as having four serving staff instead of the usual two throughout the week. She said: Four out of six of us are Leander rowers. There is a big community connection there. Hopefully we are all going to support our rowers on the days when we arent working. Artist Francis Palmer created a window display at Henley Scan in Reading Road, featuring scenes from the regatta, Henley Festival and Rewind Festival. Business co-owner Eva Rickett said: This will be our second regatta. The town is so busy. Our business is not directed at tourists but we do get a number of enquiries throughout the week. I chose to put wooden boards under the art as the deckchair texture captures the ethos of Henley in the summertime. We also have glasses of Pimms as decoration to show a sense of Henley identity. I have had people comment on my window asking if they can have the artwork after the summer. However, I think I might keep it up indefinitely. We are a creative business and it is nice to express it in our shop window. Laurence Morris, owner of Laurence Menswear on Duke Street, said: Were really pleased with the way sales are going. The main items are regatta jackets and chinos and outside of regatta wear its party shirts and shorts. There are lots of overseas people coming in and buying stuff. Theres a real buzz about town. Crew Clothing in Market Place has released a special regatta-themed clothing line. Manager Anthony Dale said: We are partners with the regatta and this is our third year. On Monday, we will relaunch our collection and move everything regatta-themed into the front. Our logo has crossed oars, which is derived from our sailing background, but they go perfectly with the regatta partnership. Golden Needle Tailoring in Friday Street has prepared handmade tote bags featuring embroidered rowing boats and the regatta symbol. Owner Dennis Kamalaq said: This is our first year doing a regatta window display and we hope it will bring in business. As a tailoring company, this is our busiest time of year, with alterations for all the event outfits. We very busy anyway but our work is always positively affected by the regatta. Thames Side will be closed from its junction with Hart Street and Friday Street to allow for passengers to walk safely from Henley station to the regatta site. The intermittent closures will take place from 9am to 11pm from Tuesday to Sunday, July 2 and last about 10 minutes. A diversion route will be in place using the following: Henley Bridge, Hart Street, Market Place, Gravel Hill, Paradise Road, Deanfield Avenue, Greys Road, Reading Road and Station Road. The Armenian government will provide an additional 2,9 billion drams to Artsakh Republic in the form of an interstate loan to help mitigate the social tension. June 22, 2023, 12:10 Government of Armenia to provide additional 2,9 billion AMD to Artsakh to help mitigate social tension STEPANAKERT, JUNE 22, ARTSAKHPRESS: The bill was approved at the Cabinet meeting on June 22. The bill envisages providing a 2,9 billion dram interstate loan from the tax revenues of the 2023 state budget to Artsakh for additional funding aimed at mitigating the social tension in Nagorno Karabakh in the post-war period. (JTA) The financial future of American Jewish University is in flux again after a plan to raise a reported $65 million by selling its 22-acre campus in Los Angeles to a Swiss education company fell through. Nine months after the university announced a deal had been reached to sell the property, the prospective buyer, EF Education First, said it was pulling out and abandoning its plans to establish a language school for international students at the site because of the opposition of residents in the highly affluent neighboring community. "This is obviously a disappointment, but we will regroup to ensure that we use our land and facilities in the best way possible," AJU president Jeffrey Herbst said in an email to the campus community Wednesday. Proceeds from the deal were expected to alleviate the financial pressures faced by AJU, which shut down its undergraduate program in 2018 and whose Conservative rabbinical school, like many other seminaries, has struggled to attract applicants. Under Herbst, the university dedicated itself to expanding its online educational offerings. Only last month, AJU's Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies announced it would relocate to a leased space in a commercial office building in Pico-Robertson, a Los Angeles neighborhood with a large concentration of Jewish institutions and businesses. A spokesperson said AJU was not prepared to comment on what might happen to that plan given the cancellation of the sale. In response to questions regarding the announcement, the university released a statement saying it would explore its options for the future of the campus. It is unclear whether the university will try to revive a previous offer from Milken Community School, a Jewish day school, to purchase the site for a reported $60 million, and whether Milken is still interested. Milken's head of school Sarah Shulkind declined to comment. In a letter to the Los Angeles Planning Commission, which was overseeing the proposed conversion of the campus, EF blamed xenophobic complaints by neighbors for its decision to cancel the deal. "Based on the comments we have heard and the letters submitted in opposition, it is crystal clear to us that there are individuals in the neighborhood who do not want international students in their community," reads the letter signed by EF Vice President Shawna Marino. "This is the first time we have experienced this level of fear and bias." The company declined to respond to questions. A leader of the local homeowners opposing the sale rejected the company's characterization of the opposition and said neighbors were worried about the effects of the company's plans to increase the level of activity at the site, including the housing of up to 700 students, especially in the case of an emergency evacuation in the wildfire-prone area. In one letter to the association, a resident of the adjoining development called the Education First plan "incredibly disturbing and dangerous" while saying that he wanted the land to be used by a school. "Our concerns were always about safety, security and parking that logically flow from their high enrollment numbers," Elizabeth Barcohana, vice president of a homeowners association representing nearly 100 nearby homes, told the Forward. For some in Los Angeles' Jewish community, the collapse of the sale revived previously abandoned hopes that the campus, with its major library and community ritual mikvah bath, would be handed over to another Jewish institution. Immediately after the Jewish Journal broke the story of the deal's cancellation on Wednesday, the Los Angeles newspaper's publisher, David Suissa, published a short post saying that when Milken's bid for the campus wasn't accepted, "there was some bad blood" and that a new deal could bring reconciliation. "We don't always get second chances in life," Suissa wrote. "This is one of them. Hanukkah seems to have come early for our community." A proposed law could open the door to other uses for the land. Spearheaded by a legislator who says he is driven by his Jewish identity, the California Senate recently voted to allow colleges and religious institutions to build affordable housing on their properties - even if they aren't zoned for residential use. The legislation still needs approval from the California's Assembly and governor, who has made the state's housing crisis a top priority. (JNS) Political heavyweights and prominent journalists discussed key issues affecting Israel and the Jewish people at the opening plenary of the American Jewish Committees second AJC Global Forum in Tel Aviv on Sunday evening. Those issues included rising antisemitism, the Abraham Accords and Israeli-Diaspora relations. As many as 1,000 people from 60 nations were in attendance at the opening event, with a total of 1,500 expected throughout the four-day forum. Ted Deutch, in his inaugural AJC Global Forum address as CEO, celebrated the success Israel has achieved on its 75th anniversary. He noted that Israel has become a technological powerhouse, a vibrant democracy with perhaps the freest of free presses anywhere in the world, and a staunch defender of civil rights. Also, I would note we gather here today just at the conclusion of Tel Aviv Pride, one of the largest LGBTQ gatherings in the world, he said to loud applause. Despite the successes, Israel faces many challenges, which the forum would focus on, Deutch said. The challenges, both foreign and domestic, include the Iranian nuclear threat, Gaza rockets and widening rifts within Israel between the political left and the political right, between religious and secular Jews, and between Israelis and Diaspora Jewry. Iran came up frequently throughout the evening. Deutch asked opposition leader Yair Lapid why the world has stood against Russias invasion of Ukraine but not against Iran to the same degree. Part of the problem we have now is that [Iran] is not at the center of global attention, Lapid said, noting that the world, and the U.S. specifically, is preoccupied with other issues such as Ukraine and China, even though in the case of the war in Ukraine, Tehran has become one of Russias only allies. Its further proofif anyone needed further proofthat whatever is wrong in this world, Iran is going to be involved, Lapid said. Move forward with a dialogue Lapid said that the current U.S. administration views signing a deal with Iran as the easiest way to take the Iran issue off the table so it can focus on matters it considers more urgent. This would be a costly mistake, Lapid warned, stressing that there is no daylight between Israels opposition and coalition on Iran. All speak with one voice, telling the American administration: Do not sign a bad deal. AJCs activities extend beyond America and the organization boasts 14 overseas offices. As a result, several European leaders addressed the conference. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte stressed the growing cooperation between Tehran and Moscow, where Russia gets access to Irans weapons supply and Iran, at the same time, [gets] a cover for advancing its nuclear program and inflaming regional instability. My country has done much more than just usual public condemnation. In recent months, at least five Iranian drone companies were sanctioned by the E.U. on our initiative, said Simonyte, who met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, where they discussed regional issues, especially the Iranian threat. Margaritis Schinas, European Commission vice president for promoting our European way of life, credited the AJC for being an active and trusted partner in the inception and implementation of an E.U. strategy laid out in October 2021, the first ever to fight against antisemitism and promote Jewish life in Europe. Karoline Edtstadler, Austrian federal minister for the E.U. and constitution, said, Austria has a special historic responsibility, a responsibility that is tied to two issues that are essential to us: safeguarding and protecting Jews in Austria and Europe and beyond, and supporting Israel whenever it is threatened. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also attended the opening plenary. Of the judicial reform talks that are taking place under his auspices, Herzog said, Perhaps its good that it has come up now as a public issue, as a really in-depth discussion of where we are and where we are going as a nation. These are critical days, and I sincerely hope that the leaders and the elected officials will take the right decisions because not only do the people of Israel want a wide agreement and consensus on the core issues without, of course, hurting the basic rules of democracy and the independence of the judiciary, but more importantly, I also feel that in this room, the Jewish world demands us not to be torn apart, and want us to move forward with a dialogue, Herzog said. A panel of journalists also focused largely on judicial reform. Channel 12 political commentator Amit Segal, who identifies with Israels right-wing, said that judicial reform is dead, but no one has informed the family yet. My guess is somewhere between days and months [from now], Netanyahu will take 5 percent of judicial reform, declare a victory and retreat, Segal said. WASHINGTON (JTA) The Biden administration is fully invested in Israel-Saudi normalization, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC on Monday. He also said he does not see a breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian peace happening anytime soon. The United States has a real national security interest in promoting normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Blinken said Monday to applause at a policy summit of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. He said it was critical not to escalate the Israel-Palestinian conflict but also made it clear that the Biden administration would not push for a revival of peace talks in the near term. Its no secret that today the prospects for a two-state solution can feel remote, he said. But we are committed to working with partners and with the parties to at least maintain a horizon of hope. The emphasis on regional normalization over pushing Israel into reengagement with the Palestinians will be welcomed in Jerusalem, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading the most right-wing government in Israeli history and has intensified Israeli claims to disputed territory. Netanyahu additionally has said his foreign policy priority is a deal with Saudi Arabia. The Biden administration last year helped broker the launch of Israeli overflights of Saudi air space. Blinken formally announced that the Biden administration would name a senior official to manage the Abraham Accords, the 2020 normalization agreements between Israel and four Arab nations that was a signature foreign policy achievement of the Trump administration, and one of the few Trump policies embraced by Biden. We will soon create a new position to further our diplomacy and engagement with governments and private sector, non-governmental organizations, all working toward a more peaceful and a more connected region, he said. Weve already achieved historic progress to deepen and broaden the Abraham Accords, building on the work of the Trump administration. Biden has already chosen former ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro for the role, Axios reported last month. Shapiro is already leading an Abraham Accords expansion initiative at the influential Atlantic Council think tank. Among the agenda items for the 500 AIPAC activists when they visit most of the offices in Congress on Tuesday is lobbying for the passage of bills that would advance the Abraham Accords, through diplomacy and cooperative projects. Blinken emphasized continuing Biden administration unhappiness with some Israeli practices that have intensified under the. new Israeli government, including the demolition of Palestinian homes and settlement expansion. He also emphatically condemned the Palestinian Authoritys policies of subsidizing the families of terrorists who were imprisoned or killed in the course of their actions. We have to continue to reject unequivocally actions taken by any party that undermine the process toward a two state solution processes use a solution that includes acts of terrorism, payments to terrorists in prison, violence against civilians, he said. Israeli and pro-Israel officials have long complained that pressure on Israel not to escalate is not matched with similar pressure on the Palestinians. Blinken also alluded to Biden administration concerns about plans by Netanyahus government suspended for the time being to radically overhaul the courts system. Well continue to work with the Israeli government to advance our shared values will continue to express our support for core democratic principles, including the separation of powers, checks and balances and the equal administration of justice for all citizens of Israel, he said. Opponents of the proposed changes, who have been staging massive weekly protests in Israel and smaller demonstrations around the world, say the overhaul would sap the courts of their independence and remove a bulwark that protects democracy and vulnerable populations, including women, Arabs, the LGBTQ community and non-Orthodox Jews. The courts overhaul is one reason Biden has yet to invite Netanyahu to the White House. AIPACs agenda also includes bills that would further isolate Iran, which Israel regards as its most dangerous enemy. At the outside of his term, Biden sought to revive the deal with Iran that exchanged its agreement to roll back its nuclear development in exchange for sanctions relief; Trump had pulled out of the deal. More recently, U.S. officials have said Iranian actions, including advanced nuclear activity and its backing for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, have put a freeze on those plans. Blinken said diplomacy remains the preferred way to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but he said pressure was the preferred method for now. Deterrence, he said to applause, includes strengthening Israels military capabilities. Rev. Peter Fast, CEO-elect of Bridges for Peace, and his predecessor, Rev. Rebecca Brimmer, in Jerusalem, June 13, 2023. (JNS) - A concerted effort is underway by some mainstream churches to convince evangelical Christians to be less supportive of Israel, the incoming head of an evangelical organization headquartered in Jerusalem says. Rev. Peter Fast, CEO-elect of Bridges for Peace, spoke in an interview with JNS. The remarks come two months after the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem lambasted Israeli restrictions on the number of worshippers allowed into the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem for the Holy Fire ceremony over Easter. News agencies fanned the criticism worldwide, only to have it later emerge that a church engineer had requested the limitations over safety concerns. "The big churches are using a very loud voice to malign, fabricate and twist the story to make Israel look like a human rights violator and oppressor of faith," Fast told JNS. These efforts to depict Israel as infringing on Christians' freedom of worship are an effort to influence evangelicals around the globe, who are seen as the main Christian supporters of the State of Israel, and need to be countered with education, he said. "Christianity in Israel is the only place in the Middle East which is growing and protected, while elsewhere in the Middle East it is oppressed, shrinking, vulnerable or leaving," Fast said. But public opinion polls have shown a dramatic drop in support for Israel among young evangelicals in recent years. "It's not just Israel," said Rev. Rebecca Brimmer, who is stepping down from her role as head of the organization after 18 years. "We are losing young Christian people to secular humanism," she said, attributing the survey results to a general trend of a decline in belief in their faith. Loving Israel "is in our DNA" Like the larger International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, Brimmer's unabashedly pro-Israel institution, which has offices in nine countries, has gained a name over the years for promoting Jewish immigration and helping the needy and Holocaust survivors in Israel. "There have always been two camps," she said of the criticism of Israel among other church denominations. "Organizations like ours have job security thanks to Christian antisemitism." Looking back at her time in Israel, Brimmer said that she has seen an "incredible change" over the last three decades in how Christians are perceived by the Jewish people as concerns over proselytizing and bitter memories of the past have been increasingly overshadowed by their active support for the Jewish state. "Israelis have started to understand that not all Christians are identical, [even if] there is still a tendency to lump us all together," she said. "Loving God and Israel is in our DNA," Brimmer said at a Jerusalem event marking the change of leadership at Bridges for Peace, where she received accolades from Israeli leaders involved in interfaith relations. Josh Reinstein, director of the Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus, told Brimmer at the event, "Your love of God and the Bible is only matched for your love of Israel." He noted that Brimmer was a pioneer in faith-based diplomacy, predating the establishment of the cross-party parliamentary lobby two decades ago. The event itself, where Jewish and Christian speakers pledged to continue working together with the next generation of leaders, was in itself testimony to the burgeoning relations between Israel and the largely supportive evangelical community around the world. Educational work ahead "We are guilty of resting on our laurels and we have a serious educational task not to lay back but to pursue and renew in each and every generation," said Rabbi David Rosen, international director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee. He has said Israel is living in "the golden age" of Jewish-Christian relations. Rosen ascribed the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate's baseless criticisms and international campaign against Israel to struggles within the Church to please rank-and-file Palestinian members. "This is a narrow segment of the Christian world using false disinformation that no one is buying," Rosen said. He said Israel also has work to do to speak out against all forms of racism. A recent uptick in isolated incidents of Jewish extremists from the ultra-Orthodox community spitting at Christians has been condemned by the two chief rabbis of Israel as recently as last week as well as by the Chief Rabbinate. Brimmer noted the 180-degree change from such actions, which she herself routinely encountered three-and-a-half decades ago, to words of thanks from Israelis for standing with Israel. Both Fast and Brimmer said it took time to repair centuries of Christian persecution of Jews. "Although the horrors and tragedies that have strained the relationship between our two communities for more than 17 centuries cannot be erased, we strive to form a new future of uncompromising love and support to the Jewish people," Fast said. Closing a circle Brimmer recounted how as a little girl in the U.S. during the 1967 Six-Day War, her family sat on the floor glued to the TV screens at the direction of her pastor father as Israel reunited Jerusalem. "Look, girls," her father told them, taking out his Bible and referencing the Book of Ezekiel. "It is happening in our lifetime." The delegation from the Subcommittee on Security and Defense of the European Parliament joined the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) patrol, led by Head of Mission Markus Ritter, to the area near the Hakari bridge from the Armenian side, leading to the Lachin corridor, for better understanding of the security situation on the ground. As news.am informs, this is noted in the official Twitter account of the aforesaid EU civilian monitoring mission in Armenia. June 22, 2023, 12:25 European Parliament delegation gets familiarized with security situation near Hakari bridge STEPANAKERT, JUNE 22, ARTSAKHPRESS: Markus Ritter highlighted that EU Mission in Armenia acts in a way as a spotlight of the international community on incidents and ceasefire violations in Armenian-Azerbaijani border areas. And Nathalie Loiseau (France), Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defense of the European Parliament, expressed support for EUMA as well as for the peace aspiration in the region, and thanked all the involved parties for organizing the visit. Sarah Idan, who represented Iraq at the "Miss Universe 2017" pageant, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, Dec. 8, 2021. (JNS) - First, she represented Iraq in the "Miss Universe" competition. Then she fled her country after posing for a selfie in 2017 with "Miss Israel." Now, Sarah Idan is running for California's 30th congressional district-the seat that Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is vacating as he vies to replace the retiring Dianne Feinstein in the Senate. "I'm running because this is a critical time in U.S. history when our democracy is fundamentally at stake," the Baghdad native, 33, told JNS. "I've always been passionate about human rights and making this world a better place." At age 18 and a strong English speaker, Idan served as a volunteer translator for the U.S. Army in Iraq. She said that she moved back and forth from Iraq to the United States from 2009 to 2017. She became a U.S. citizen in 2015. Idan was "Miss Iraq USA" in 2016 (for the Iraqi community inside America). Then in 2017, she went to win the "Miss Iraq" competition (held in Baghdad). That led her to represent Iraq in the "Miss Universe" competition. A secular Muslim, she reportedly received death threats both for posing in a bikini and being photographed with "Miss Israel," Adar Gandelsman. Her Iraqi citizenship revoked, Idan told JNS that she immigrated to the United States in 2017. A UN Watch "ambassador for peace," she promotes peace with Israel. Idan filed on May 19 to run for the California seat as a Democrat, she told JNS. "Like most Americans, I've been directly affected by bad policies voted on in our Congress," she said. "I believe we need new faces of representatives-candidates who aren't self-serving, candidates who didn't hold power positions for years and contributed nothing except for pushing the agendas of the highest bidders in Washington, D.C." Idan plans to provide a unique perspective in Congress as a Muslim immigrant woman and a human-rights activist. "I hope my voice as an ethical activist, as a minority, as a non-corrupt politician and as a working-class, first-generation immigrant will have the impact we long for," she said. "My expertise on both domestic and foreign policies may help shed a new light on how to solve the problems we currently have." Idan's campaign website, under "U.S.-Israel relationship," states that she is "a proud, staunch Zionist" who believes in Israel's right to exist and defend itself from terrorist attacks. "I support U.S.-Israel military cooperation and will vote 'yes' on any measure to fund the Iron Dome," per the site. "I oppose any efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel, whether on the international stage or on our own college campuses." Ben Savage, the actor who starred in "Boy Meets World," is among several others vying for the seat. By March 30, he had raised a little more than $100,000, including a $77,000 loan, according to his FEC report. Other candidates include former Los Angeles city attorney Mike Feuer (more than $657,000 raised by March 30), state senator Anthony Portantino (more than $610,000), Los Angeles Board of Education member Nick Melvoin (more than $560,000) and state assemblywoman Laura Friedman (more than $336,000). (JNS) Israels Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with European counterparts in Slovakia on Tuesday and called for unity in countering the Iranian threat before it is too late. During the closed-door session in the capital Bratislava, Cohen also discussed strengthening the Abraham Accords and relations with the E.U. bloc. He is the first Israeli foreign minister to address the Slavkov/Austerlitz formata regional cooperation forum consisting of Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The meeting included Ministers Alexander Schallenberg of Austria, Jan Lipavsky of the Czech Republic and Miroslav Wlachovsky of Slovakia. We discussed the joint fight against the Iranian nuclear issue and I said that we are close to the point of no return. We must act in cooperation against the reign of terror in Tehran, Cohen posted to Twitter following the meeting. In addition, we discussed strengthening ties between the countries of the Abraham Accords. We continue to strengthen relations with the countries of the European Union, an important and strategic step to promote the interests of the State of Israel, he continued. Cohen kicked off his Central European trip on Sunday night in Croatia, on Monday meeting in Zagreb with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and other top officials. Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman joined Israels top diplomat at the Zagreb Holocaust Memorial. Cohen also met with the countrys President Zoran Milanovic. He will also visit Austria and Hungary before heading back to Israel. While in Budapest, Cohen will attempt to reach a final agreement on Hungary moving its embassy to Jerusalem. He is expected to meet with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto and possibly with Prime Minister Viktor Orban. It is Cohens seventh visit to Europe since he assumed office on Dec. 29, part of an effort to improve ties with the European Union. (JTA) Amichai Chikli, the Israeli Diaspora minister who has antagonized some liberal segments of American Jewry, called J Street hostile to Israel after it retweeted a photo of the minister from New York Citys Celebrate Israel Parade. Chikli was photographed at the June 4 parade making what appeared to many to be an obscene gesture toward a group protesting the Israeli government. He and his staff said he was gesturing to the protesters to smile and did not intend to make the obscene gesture. Either way, the picture, taken last week by Forward reporter Jacob Kornbluh, has become fodder for Chiklis critics, who have circulated it widely online as evidence of his disdain for protesters who oppose Israels government and its efforts to weaken the judiciary. Yair Lapid, the leader of Israels parliamentary opposition, tweeted the photo and wrote, This government never ceases to embarrass us internationally. And J Street shared a tweet by UnXeptable, a protest movement led by expatriate Israelis, that included the photo of Chikli below the word SHAME, which is a frequent chant at Israeli antigovernment protests. Chikli, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus Likud Party, has pushed back. Speaking Monday evening on Kan, Israels public broadcaster, Chikli responded to the viral photo by attacking organizations and individuals that had shared it on social media, saying that it was fake news. J Street is a liberal Jewish Middle East lobbying group that calls itself pro-Israel and pro-peace and has become a target for pro-Israel conservatives in the United States and Israel. The anchors challenged Chikli, saying that J Street is an important group in the Diaspora and asking why he didnt explain to J Street that the photo was misconstrued. (Chikli did reply to Lapids tweet with his explanation, writing that on the occasion of Israels 75th birthday, were allowed to celebrate and be happy.) Its not an important organization, its hostile, he said in his Kan appearance, citing J Streets advocacy for the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran, which Israeli governments have reviled. Its a hostile organization that harms the interests of the state of Israel. Chikli also criticized J Street for receiving funding from George Soros, the liberal Jewish billionaire megadonor who has become a bogeyman for political conservatives. He said, I have no expectation of J Street, which George Soros funded with $1 million, theres no turning to him. Soros has funded J Street and his charity, the Open Society Foundations, has in the past funded groups that are critical of and in some cases averse to Israel. Last month, Chikli tweeted, Criticism of Soros who finances the most hostile organizations to the Jewish people and the state of Israel is anything but anti-Semitism, quite the opposite! J Street said Chiklis tenure has been disastrous. Chikli has drawn criticism since he was appointed late last year because of previous comments deriding the Reform movement and LGBTQ Jews. Comments like this show how deeply contemptuous this Israeli government is of the vast majority of American Jews, who reject their far-right, anti-democratic agenda, J Street spokesman Logan Bayroff told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Its hard to imagine anyone doing a more disastrous job of building ties with the diaspora than Amichai Chikli who resorts to petty attacks and insults against anyone who has the backbone to stand up for fundamental Jewish and democratic values. Chiklis spokesperson did not return a request for comment. Mourners visit the memorial outside the Tree of Life Synagogue, Oct. 31, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, four days after 11 Jewish worshippers were killed during services there. PITTSBURGH (JTA) - The gunman who committed the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history is guilty of all charges he faced, according to the verdict delivered by a federal jury on Friday morning. Robert Bowers, who killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, was charged on 63 counts in total. Those include 22 capital charges - two for each of his victims: 11 charges of the federal crime of "obstruction of the free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death," and 11 charges of the federal crime of "willfully causing bodily injury because of actual or perceived religion resulting in death," which is a hate crime. The sentencing phase of the trial is set to begin June 26, during which the jury of seven women and five men will consider whether to give the defendant the death penalty. Defense lawyers told the court they were prepared to argue a mental health defense and would bring witnesses to the stand. The verdict is a milestone in one of the most significant court proceedings in American Jewish history. It provides a a determination of legal accountability in a tragedy that has reshaped American Jews' sense of security in Pittsburgh and beyond in the nearly five years since it occurred. The trial opened with jury selection in April, and lawyers delivered their opening statements on May 30, beginning 11 days of harrowing testimony from survivors of the shooting and first responders who described the attack and its aftermath. On Friday, families of the victims and survivors packed the courtroom and an overflow room where they were able to monitor the proceedings over video. Staff from the 10.27 Healing Partnership, a counseling service housed at the local Jewish Community Center, were on hand to assist them. The victims of the attack were Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Daniel Stein, Melvin Wax and Irving Younger. They worshipped at three congregations housed in the building at the time: Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light. Before the jury entered the courtroom, the defendant strode in, wearing a dark blue sweater over a collared blue shirt and looking around the room. Once the jury was seated, he rose to face them for a moment, whispered to one of his lawyers, Elisa Long, and then sat down. He appeared to be taking notes throughout the reading of the verdict. Judge Robert Colville asked those in attendance not to react during the verdict, and they complied. Maggie Feinstein, the director of the 10.27 Healing Partnership, gave out blue stress balls to family members. Margaret Gottfried, the widow of Richard Gottfried, took a deep breath when Bowers was pronounced guilty of the crime of murdering her husband. Ellen Leger, whose husband, Daniel, was shot and wounded, put her arm around him after the verdict was read. During the trial, the trauma of the shooting was evident when survivors spoke in the courtroom. Andrea Wedner, one of two worshippers who were shot and survived, asked not to be on the stand during the playback of her 911 call. Leger, the other shooting victim who survived, and the Tree of Life rabbi, Jeffrey Myers, became emotional as each recounted reciting the Shema, the Torah verse and central Jewish prayer that Jews have traditionally recited at times of mortal peril. The defense team never contested that their client committed the shooting, electing to call no witnesses and present no evidence at the trial. Their sole argument, articulated by Elisa Long in her brief closing statement on Thursday, was to rebut the capital charge that Bowers was guilty of "obstruction of the free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death". The defense attorneys, headed by a prominent death row lawyer, Judy Clarke, are expected to argue that their client suffered from epilepsy, schizophrenia and other mental illnesses in their effort to keep him from being sentenced to death. Long said Bowers was under the delusion that Jews were facilitating the entry of immigrants into the United States to commit genocide, and that his goal was to prevent them from doing so, not to keep Jews from worshipping. But she did not contest the hate crime charge. There is no question, she said, that "his statements that day reflected animosity and hatred toward Jews." Prosecutors anticipated that the defense would argue that the gunman did not intent to obstruct worship. Government attorneys concluded each survivors' testimony with some form of the same question: "Did the defendant prevent you from praying?" At times, the testimony doubled as a kind of crash course on American Jewish worship, with witnesses explaining the differences between Reconstructionist and Conservative Judaism as well as the use of ritual objects, like a prayer shawl or ritual fringes. Prosecutors used visuals to make the point that the attack interrupted an exercise of religion: prayer books were stained with blood, a kippah was split into two by gunfire. Bernice Simon used a prayer shawl to stanch the wound that killed her husband, Sylvan, before she was killed. Another theme pervading the proceedings was the political polarization that has beset the United States in recent years. Ahead of the shooting, the gunman posted hateful messages and signaled his intent to commit the attack on Gab, a social media site that is a redoubt of far-right extremists. The site's founder, Andrew Torba, testified in the trial, as did Mark Hetfield, the CEO of HIAS, the Jewish refugee aid group. The gunman chose to attack the Tree of Life building because Dor Hadash partnered with HIAS on its National Refugee Shabbat the previous week. The non-death penalty charges the defendant faced are related to the injuries suffered by Wedner and Leger as well as police personnel who engaged with Bowers when they raided the synagogue, in addition to gun charges. The shooter was an avid collector of guns. WASHINGTON (JTA) - The Biden administration has joined the chorus of American voices criticizing Israeli Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli. A photo in which Chikli is making a face at a pro-Israel parade in New York City, and his unapologetic defense of the incident, is evidence that he is out of touch with the U.S. Jewish Diaspora, a senior Biden administration official told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "The fact that a senior Israeli official came to the United States and did not have a single public meeting with the American Jewish community, and the fact [that] his only public interact... (JTA) - Toronto is home to one of the world's largest Jewish communities, nearly half of the 335,000 Jews in Canada. But until last week, the city did not have a dedicated Holocaust museum. The Toronto Holocaust Museum opened its doors on Friday, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by an array of dignitaries and Holocaust survivors. Aimed at young learners who will inherit a post-survivor world, the space centers around 11 kiosks where large-as-life survivors share their testimonies through interactive videos. Its four galleries explore Jewish and minority persecution in both Europe and... Vice President Kamala Harris took a thinly-veiled jab at the Israeli governments judicial reform plan at an event hosted by the Israeli Embassy in Washington this week after she learned one of the plans architects was present, Ynet reported Thursday. On Tuesday, Harris spoke at an event hosted by the Israeli Embassy celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. In her comments, Harris made a dig at potential reforms to Israels judicial system and insinuated that Israels court should remain in its current form. Under President Joe Biden and our adm... (JNS) Soon after the White House unveiled its 60-page, national strategy to counter antisemitism on May 25, the Council on American-Islamic Relations welcomed the Biden administrations efforts to implement national strategies to confront various forms of bigotry, starting with the threat of antisemitism. CAIR added that the strategys fact sheet noted CAIR as one of the many contributing organizations. Some of CAIRs current leadership had early connections with organizations that are or were affiliated with Hamas, the Anti-Defamation League stated in 2... (JNS) While the United States and Iran have denied ongoing negotiations for a temporary nuclear agreement, Jerusalem isnt buying it. It is believed that two Arab countries, including Oman, are mediating between Washington and Tehran. Israel is deeply concerned about the potential outcome of these negotiations, even if they take a long time to materialize. According to senior officials in Jerusalem, National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer expressed their concerns following their recent meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sulliva... (JNS) Despite their noble-sounding title, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in American universities and colleges exclude and often attack Jews, already the single most persecuted minority in the United States. Worse still, evidence shows that despite the vast budgets and bloated bureaucracies dedicated to DEI initiatives, they have proven to be ineffective at improving the campus experience of marginalized groups. Studies show the prevalence of antisemitism largely its anti-Zionism form is skyrocketing on U.S. college and university campuses, to the point where Jewis... The Foreign Affairs Council of the Council of the European Union (EU) will hold a meeting in Luxembourg on June 26, during which hearings on Armenia and Azerbaijan will also take place. June 22, 2023, 18:10 EU Foreign Affairs Council to hold Armenia, Azerbaijan hearings on June 26 STEPANAKERT, JUNE 22, ARTSAKHPRESS: The discussion of the war in Ukraine is also on the agenda of this meeting. EU ministers will then exchange views on relations between the EU and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, on the eve of the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit, scheduled for July 17-18. Then the EU Foreign Affairs Council will hold debates on digital diplomacy and, as expected, will approve the conclusions on that matter. Finally, hearings on Tunisia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue are planned during the meeting. (JNS) What does Jew-hatred feel like? A punch in the gut. Literally. Let me explain. On May 13, a Nakba Day rally was held in Raleigh, N.C. It was only one of many such rallies held throughout the United States, including in Washington, D.C., and New York. These events are notorious for promoting Jew-hatred and genocide, so much so that Berlin banned Nakba Day demonstrations this year. Nakba is Arabic for catastrophe. The word reflects Arab anguish over the establishment of the State of Israel and the Arabs failure to slaughter the Jews of Palestine in Israel... (JNS) In New York, this weeks deadline for submitting changes to individual voter ballots is renewing pressure on Jewish Republicans to switch their party affiliation. New York is one of 12 closed primary states in which primary voting is limited to those registered with a specific political party. New Yorks reputation as a bastion of deep blue liberalism leaves many conservatives struggling to explain the logic behind backing candidates whose chances of winning, particularly in left-leaning enclaves, are slim at best. Jewish Democrats regard the states reflexive ideolog... This week, we will witness the transit of Mercury, the planet associated with communication and business, as it moves into the zodiac sign of Gemini. This celestial event will bring a significant influence on our communication skills and business endeavours. Alongside this transit, we will also experience some nakshatra (lunar mansion) transits. Furthermore, auspicious muhurtas are available this week for marriage and property and vehicle purchases. Let's explore this weeks important Panchanga details for New Delhi, NCT, India. Get weekly Panchang to determine auspicious and inauspicious time for performing day-to-day tasks based on the prevailing planetary position. Shubh Muhurat This Week According to Vedic Astrology, the odds of accomplishing a task successfully are significantly enhanced if they are carried out during an auspicious muhurta. An auspicious muhurta provides us with the best outcome possible according to our destiny if we execute the work in harmony with the cosmic timeline. That is why it is essential to take muhurata into account while commencing any auspicious work. This weeks Shubh Muhurat for various activities is as follows: Vivah Muhurat: Auspicious muhurta for marriage is available this week on June 23 (04:32 AM to 05:24 AM, Jun 24), June 24 (05:24 AM to 07:19 AM), June 26 (01:19 PM to 05:25 AM, Jun 27) and June 27 (05:25 AM to 06:24 AM) Griha Pravesh Muhurat: No auspicious muhurta for griha pravesh is available this week Property Purchase Muhurat: Auspicious muhurta for purchasing property this week is available on June 23 (05:24 AM to 05:24 AM, Jun 24) and June 29 (04:30 PM to 05:26 AM, Jun 30) Vehicle Purchase Muhurat: Auspicious muhurta for purchasing a vehicle is available this week on June 26 (12:44 PM to 02:04 AM, Jun 27), June 28 (05:26 AM to 05:26 AM, Jun 29) and June 29 (05:26 AM to 04:30 PM) Upcoming Planetary Transits This Week In Vedic astrology, planetary transits are particularly crucial since they are the principal way of anticipating changes and advances in life. Planets move on a daily basis and go through several nakshatras and rashis in the process. It assists in comprehending the nature and characteristics of events as they occur. Here are the upcoming transits this week: Mercury enters Gemini sign on June 24, Saturday, at 12:48 PM Ketu transits Chitra pada on June 26, Monday, at 6:13 PM Rahu transits Ashwini pada on June 26, Monday, at 6:13 PM Mercury enters Ardra nakshatra on June 27, Tuesday, at 3:22 PM Sun and Saturn placed at an angle of 120-degree on June 29, Thursday, at 7:10 AM Upcoming Festivals This Week Skanda Sashti (June 24, Saturday): Sashti Tithi, a significant day in the Hindu calendar, is dedicated to Lord Skanda, also known as Kartikeya or Murugan. Devotees observe a fast on this auspicious day, which falls during the waxing phase of the moon (Shukla Paksha). Lord Skanda holds a special place in the hearts of Tamil Hindus and is revered as a popular deity. Sashti Tithi, a significant day in the Hindu calendar, is dedicated to Lord Skanda, also known as Kartikeya or Murugan. Devotees observe a fast on this auspicious day, which falls during the waxing phase of the moon (Shukla Paksha). Lord Skanda holds a special place in the hearts of Tamil Hindus and is revered as a popular deity. Masik Durgashtami (June 26, Monday): Durgashtami is observed every month during the Ashtami Tithi of Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the moon). The most significant Durgashtami, which is known as Mahashtami, falls in the month of Ashwin during the nine days of Shardiya Navratri festivities. On Masik Durgashtami, devotees fast and offer prayers to Durga. They also visit temples and participate in religious ceremonies. It is a day to seek Durga's blessings for strength, courage, and protection. Durgashtami is observed every month during the Ashtami Tithi of Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the moon). The most significant Durgashtami, which is known as Mahashtami, falls in the month of Ashwin during the nine days of Shardiya Navratri festivities. On Masik Durgashtami, devotees fast and offer prayers to Durga. They also visit temples and participate in religious ceremonies. It is a day to seek Durga's blessings for strength, courage, and protection. Devshayani Ekadashi (June 29, Thursday): It is a Hindu festival that is celebrated on the eleventh day of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase) of the month of Ashadha. It is also known as Padma Ekadashi, Ashadi Ekadashi, and Hari Shayani Ekadashi. On Devshayani Ekadashi, devotees fast and offer prayers to Lord Vishnu, who is said to enter into a state of yoga nidra (deep sleep) on this day. They also visit temples and participate in religious ceremonies. Inauspicious Rahu Kalam This Week According to Vedic astrology, Rahu is an inauspicious planet. During the transition of planets, the time under the influence of Rahu should be avoided to do any auspicious work. Doing Puja, Hawan or Yagya to propitiate auspicious planets during this time is interfered with by Rahu due to its malefic nature. It is important to consider Rahu Kaal before starting any new work. By doing so, the possibility of achieving desired results is increased. Following are the timings of Rahu Kalam for this week: June 23: 10:39 AM to 12:23 PM June 24: 08:54 AM to 10:39 AM June 25: 05:38 PM to 07:23 PM June 26: 07:10 AM to 08:54 AM June 27: 03:54 PM to 05:38 PM June 28: 12:24 PM to 02:09 PM June 29: 02:09 PM to 03:54 PM Panchanga is a calendar used in Vedic astrology to determine the auspicious and inauspicious time for performing day-to-day tasks based on the prevailing planetary position. It comprises of five elements - Vaara, Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana. The essence of the Panchanga is the inter-relationship between Sun (our soul) and Moon (mind) on a daily basis. Panchanga is used for different branches of Vedic astrology such as natal, election, prashna (horary), religious calendars and to understand the energy of the day. The day of our birth panchanga depicts our emotions, temperament, and nature. It can provide more insight into who we are and how we feel. It can amplify the effect of the planets and endow us with additional characteristics that we may not understand only based on our natal chart. Panchanga is the life force energy that nourishes the birth chart. ---------------------- Neeraj Dhankher (Vedic Astrologer, Founder - Astro Zindagi) Email: info@astrozindagi.in, neeraj@astrozindagi.in Url: www.astrozindagi.in Contact: Noida: +919910094779 Its a boat, its a barge, its a bookshop. PREMIUM Word on the Water is a bookstore in a 1920s Dutch barge on Regents Canal. Its moored at Granary Square in London. (Courtesy Word on the Water) Waterstones and WH Smith may stock thousands of books on their shelves across London, but their ambience doesnt hold a candle to Word on the Water, a 1920s Dutch barge that has been bobbing on the waters of Regents Canal since 2011. The brainchild of Paddy Screech, Jonathan Privett, and Stephane Chaudat, Word on the Water is unlike any bookshop that I have ever seen. For starters, its not customary to have to watch your head or your legs as you make your way into one. But its mandatory here. The sign in the cabin says it all: Please your mind. Mind your head. The barge is bursting with books, with every nook and cranny outfitted to hold rows upon rows of new and preloved paperbacks and hardcovers classics, cult, contemporary fiction, and childrens titles. Interspersed among the books are curios, trinkets, small plants, and numerous vintage postcards. An old typewriter takes pride of place and an overstuffed leather sofa, complete with a comfy cushion, invites me to settle down for a longish read. Elsewhere, theres a small, inviting childrens nook, and a bench that offers you a chance to perch while you browse. An old Victorian clock is just the right touch who hasnt lost track of time in a place made for lingering and looking for literary treasures? Bibliophiles rocking the boat (Courtesy Word on the Water) Could there possibly be a better place to reread Pride and Prejudice, my favourite Jane Austen? The resident friendly dog Star and talking parrot Jazz seem to agree. Im not the only one enthralled by this unusual enterprise. Word on the Water has become a landmark (or should that be watermark?), one thats visited often by locals and tourists keen to savour an unusual experience. On a sunny summer day, its common to see bibliophiles perched by the towpath, a book in hand. On winter days, true-blue fans make themselves comfortable on the armchair by the crackling stove fire. Oxford-educated Screech and Privett, both boat lovers, came up with the idea of a floating bookstore when they were walking along the canal. Privett had been arrested for selling books on the street without a licence, and a bookstore seemed the best way forward when, in 2009, French aritst Chaudat, who is a friend, offered the barge in exchange for a position as a partner. The trio made over the houseboat, retaining the wood burning stove and putting up simple bookshelves made from wine boxes and scaffolding. Their idea was to create a space where art, music, books, and people could coexist. However, a problem soon floated their way. While offline book retailers typically face issues such as rising online sales and dwindling public interest, the book barge had to navigate an unusual challenge: changing locations. Canal regulations meant it had to move every couple of weeks, stopping wherever the owners could get a spot. After six years of floating through Londons canals, Word on the Water dropped anchor next to Paddington station. The owners refused to budge, despite numerous fines and eviction notices from the Canal and River Trust. Booklovers had their back and more than 6,000 people signed a petition to save Word on the Water. The Canal and River Trust caved in and offered them a permanent mooring at Granary Square, behind Kings Cross. Since then, things have been going swimmingly for Word on the Water, which has become one of the most popular community hubs in the area. The books are sourced from distributors, charity shops, and direct donations. I spot many interesting pre-loved volumes and a range of literature titles from the 18th and 19th centuries. Choices, choices. I strike up a conversation with Emma Morling, a university student dropping off a box full of pre-loved books. She tells me she often visits the barge, eschewing other offline retailers as she enjoys hunting down unusual works. I can always buy books online the vibe here is like none other, she says. Like every business, the book barge was impacted when the pandemic upended the world and locked everyone in at home. The owners then decided to take Word on the Waters services online. To retain the personal touch, they offered only two choices: customers could either request a book or purchase a box with eight to 10 pre-loved titles handpicked by the duo. The services grew popular, and book boxes were soon shipped across the UK and to a few other European countries, including Italy. Books remain the main attraction, but the barge offers much more these days. It schedules talks on politics, art, feminism, and technology, open mic sessions by musicians and performers, book launches and readings, and poetry slams. It even hosts a monthly jazz and poetry show. The barges roof stage and solar sound system is the perfect place for small events that are open to all. The perfect place to curl up for a good read (Courtesy Word on the Water) Screech calls Word On The Water an experience. It is friendly, and on a human scale; its not like anything youve seen before. We play a selection of albums and often host live performers. A crackling fire in the winter and a human to recommend a book for you rather than an algorithm. Everything doesnt have to be the same as everything else. I think people particularly like that, he says. Around me, I spot people perusing the many titles or stopping by for a chat. Its clear that Word on the Water has succeeded in doing what it set out to do bring people together over a shared love of literature, music, and more. The owners are now keen to buy a second barge and use it solely as a space for readings and literary events. Also in the offing is a Word on the Water stage that could go round festivals. As for me, I am content to potter around the barge, browsing through the books on display inside and outside. Is that an old Beatrix Potter? I make it part of my to-be-taken pile. Next, I lay my hands on an ancient book on Victorian poetry, a copy of Walter Scotts Waverley, and some old British comic annuals. Payment done, I carefully put my treasures into a Word on the Water tote bag and hurry out. Those books arent going to read themselves! Teja Lele is an independent editor and writes on books, travel and lifestyle. Enjoy unlimited digital access with HT Premium Subscribe Now to continue reading Start 14 Days Free Trial Already Subscribed? Sign In SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON India, June 22nd 2023: A milieu of prominent guests graced the extended Orientation Ceremony as the incoming Batch of 2025 was introduced to life at SIBM Pune, with a host of sessions intended to bridge the gap between industry and academia. Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune hosted a bevy of eminent personalities, alumni, entrepreneurs, academicians and industry stalwarts at the Grand Orientation ceremony for the Batch of 2025. With 50+ distinguished speakers and 25+ sessions across the MBA and the MBA (Innovation and Entrepreneurship) batches, the Orientation ceremony provided the students with a platform to explore a milieu of rich and varied insights from the corporate and academic world with personal anecdotes, industry highlights and the ground realities that exist in the industrial sectors. The Orientation was initiated with a rousing and inspiring address by Dr. Ramakrishnan Raman, Director - Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune, Dean - Faculty of Management - Symbiosis International (Deemed University) and Director - Strategy and Development, Symbiosis. The students were briefed extensively on their academic commitments examination rules, regulations and guidelines by Dr. Madhura Bedarkar, Deputy Director (Administration), Dr. VV Ravikumar, Deputy Director (Academics) and Professor Sunaina Kuknoor as well as their corporate expectations by the Deputy Heads of Corporate Relations Dr. Santosh Gopalakrishnan and Dr. Deepika Pandita. The batch had a two-day outbound retreat at a scenic resort near Pune. A plethora of recreational activities facilitated communication and collaboration within the incoming batch as they step into an extraordinary journey of growth, camaraderie, and endless possibilities. Various games and performing arts contests fostered a competitive spirit. The ice-breaking sessions were a platform for the new batch to establish strong bonds and foster a supportive and inclusive environment. It set the stage for the students to embark on their MBA journey with rejuvenated enthusiasm and belief in their limitless potential. Industry leaders from top companies across the globe, including Everest Industries Limited, Deloitte India, Sapiens Lab, Reliance Industries Limited, LOreal, Stryker, Godrej Properties, Piramal Pharma, Ernst & Young, Bajaj Finserv, Merck Life Science, Deutsche Bank, Zepto, VOIS, Edelweiss Tokio Life, Thermax Limited, Reliance Retail, The Redwood Edge, Fiserv India, Persistent Systems among others, provided actionable insights and advice, through fireside chats, panel discussions and expert sessions as the incoming students attempted to connect the dots between academia and the realities of the industry. The students of MBA (Innovation and Entrepreneurship) were treated to an array of enlightening and intriguing sessions by founders, innovators, entrepreneurs and changemakers, who regaled the students with their personal and professional journeys. Distinguished winners of Shark Tank India including Mr. Abhishek Ashthana, Co-Founder of Hood, Mr. Jaywant Patil, Co-Founder of Humpy Farms and Ms. Kirti Datar, Co-Founder and Chairperson of CaneBOT, deep-dived into the intricacies of the hardships and challenges faced by startup founders in their initiation stages and the steps taken to overcome them. A wide range of intriguing topics were discussed including the entrepreneurial mindset, growth machine, women entrepreneurs as well as IPR and startup fund management. A slew of sessions was conducted by several Symbiosis centres and bodies on relevant topics such as gender sensitization, mental health awareness, community goodwill-building as well as innovation and incubator cell opportunities at Symbiosis. The ceremony left an indelible mark on the students who are on the threshold of embarking on a career-defining 2-year journey that will shape the personalities and mould the journeys of the incoming Batch of 2025. Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. The long-awaited fragrance, "Arabic Sunset by Rawls," made its highly anticipated debut on June 5th, marking an enchanting moment in the world of perfumery. The grand unveiling took place at a prestigious event held in the vibrant city of Delhi and was graced by the presence of renowned celebrity and makeup artist Kriti DS, accompanied by her husband, Vijay Duggal. The occasion attracted an array of notable personalities, top influencers, including the stunning Sonam Bajwa, and the Rawls themselves. Kriti DS, radiating elegance in a beautiful black saree, and Vijay Duggal, impeccably dressed in a black suit, captivated the audience with their refined style and grace. The atmosphere was charged with excitement as the crowd eagerly anticipated the unveiling of Arabic Sunset by Rawls. This exquisite fragrance boasts a warm, woody aroma, accentuated by notes of sandalwood, cedar, and spices, making it a versatile choice for both men and women. The unique blend of ingredients creates an alluring and captivating scent that leaves a lasting impression. The launch event unfolded with an air of anticipation as Kriti DS and Vijay Duggal took center stage, unveiling the masterpiece that is "Arabic Sunset by Rawls." Kriti, recognized for her exceptional creativity and makeup artistry, exuded sheer elegance throughout the evening. Draped in a black saree that accentuated her natural beauty, she personified grace and sophistication. With her impeccable makeup skills enhancing her features, Kriti effortlessly commanded the attention of everyone present. Her presence served as a testament to her talent as a makeup artist and her status as a style icon. Vijay Duggal exuded charisma and sophistication in his tailored black suit. With his innate sense of style and unwavering support for Kriti, he added a touch of suave charm to the event. Together, the couple symbolized the perfect fusion of creativity, love, and a shared passion for delivering exceptional experiences. The launch of "Arabic Sunset by Rawls" was a remarkable affair that left a lasting impression on attendees. The fragrance itself embodies the essence of sophistication and allure, promising a sensory journey like no other. With the dynamic duo of Kriti DS and Vijay Duggal leading the way, this fragrance is poised to captivate fragrance enthusiasts and establish itself as a true gem in the world of perfumery. Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. The TIME on Wednesday released its list of 100 most influential companies of this year. The list is divided into five categories titled: Leaders, Disruptors, Innovators, Titans, and Pioneers. Each category has 20 companies listed under it. This year, two Indian companies made it to the list: Meesho and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Both of these companies featured under the pioneer category. Meesho co-founders Vidit Aatrey, CEO, and Sanjeev Barnwal, CTO.(TIME/ Meesho) How is the list made? The TIME said that it seeks nominations from across sectors, and poll a global network of contributors and correspondents, as well as outside experts. Then each company is evaluated on key factors, including impact, innovation, ambition, and success. Some notable companies American socialite Kim Kardashian's clothing brand Skims, Sam Altman's OpenAI, footwear maker Crocs, Elon Musk's SpaceX, language learning app Duolingo, Canva, Discord, Disney, and IBM are among the notable companies in the list. Meesho Bangalore-based Meesho, the most-downloaded shopping app in the world in early 2022, caters to customers priced out by Amazon and Walmart, the TIME noted. Unlike its competitors, Meesho doesnt charge sellers a commission, which it says enables it to sell 60% of its products for less than $4, in reach for Indian families that make less than $6,000 a year. But the path to online-shopping domination wont be smooth: while it expects to reach profitability this fiscal year, itll have to overcome challenges like rising competition from other companies, the magazine added. NPCI As smartphone and internet use has grown in India, the NPCI launched United Payments Interface (UPI), which allows instant money transfers via mobile apps and QR codes, and has brought digital payments to nearly 300 million users, replacing debit and credit cards and enabling e-commerce growth in a country that has long clung to cash, the TIME said. The company has had huge growth: in 202122, it clocked a whopping 45 billion transactions and accounted for 52% of Indias digital payments, it added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The High Court of Karnataka has expressed its displeasure over the government's inaction in providing infrastructure, including toilets in state-run schools in accordance with the norms of the Right to Education Act (RTE). The court observed that parents would hesitate to send their children to government schools in this situation. Karnataka High Court. (ANI) Also Read - Karnataka HC quashes case against CM Siddaramaiah, DCM D K Shivakumar for COVID-19 rule violation A bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice MJS Kamal, which heard the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on its own based on media reports about school dropouts, said its conscience is pricked at the plight of the schools. After examining the report and photographs submitted by the government, the bench found that the condition of toilets in the schools was very pathetic. The area around the school toilets were overgrown with shrubs. The bench questioned whether it was the same in the homes of the officers who had submitted such a report. What kind of society is expected to be developed if the basic necessities in schools arent available? the HC asked. Justice MGS Kamal sought to know if the officers who filed the report would send their children to such schools. It said the officers seem to have a chalta hai attitude. Noting that the hearing of the PIL was going on since 2013, the court said there seems to be no change on the ground and it was pained at the situation. The future of the country was in danger because of the situation in government schools. The government advocate informed the court that the infrastructure in schools was provided as per the available government grants. Not satisfied with this submission, the bench said that budgetary grants to education should be reserved for this purpose and should be mandated to be spent within a timeframe. The HC directed that a fresh survey of government schools should be held in the next three months and member secretaries of the District Legal Service Authorities should be part of this. It also directed that in the next hearing of the PIL the report submitted by the government should be mandatorily countersigned by the Legal Service Authority officers. These directions should be brought to the notice of the Chief Secretary of the State and the Principal Secretary of the Education Department, the court said and adjourned the case. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Special to The Post Located in a desert, short of water, and without any natural industry, Las Vegas has become the most visited city in the US due to its obsession of being the ultimate escape holiday. Today a staggering 40 million people - the population of Canada - arrive each year to indulge in the citys resorts, watch international headliners, and, of course, to roll the dice and perhaps change their fortunes forever. These days, the destination raising that standard of the peak Vegas experience is Resorts World. It is the citys first hotel and casino built from ground-up in over a decade. Situated toward the north end of the famed Las Vegas Strip, this sprawling, tech-leveraged, Asian-inspired property is the 21st century rendition of the traditional Vegas casino + hotel. With its numerous swimming pools (including the largest pool deck in Las Vegas) dozens of restaurants and lounges, an adjoining shopping mall, and over 3500 rooms for guests, Resorts World immerses its guests in the fully integrated Vegas experience: gaming, dining, shows, shopping, and spa treatments. Its even always at your fingertips thanks to the Resort World app that doubles as a digital wallet. Guests dont even have to carry cash or search out a bank machine to wager in the casino, instead they can utilise their app to place bets via smartphone. The property, developed by one of Asias largest gaming conglomerates Genting Berhad, (in collaboration with the Hilton Hotel Group) is comprised of three separate hotel brands - Hilton, Conrad, and Crockfords - with each situated in their own equally-sized towers. The Hilton is the largest of the three with approx 1700 rooms, with the Conrad following closely behind. The rooms in both hotels are spacious with unobstructed views of the Strip. The Crockford, the groups boutique hotel, is the most exclusive of the trio with only 236 rooms. Its upscale luxury suites range up to 7,000 square feet. Guests booked at this hotel receive additional perks such as exclusive access to the VIP Crockfords Casino & Lounge. In Resorts World, Genting has curated a destination that appeals to a broad audience while simultaneously being finely attuned to Asian aesthetics. The exterior trim of the property, for example, is boldly accented in red, the colour of prosperity and fortune in Chinese culture. This red motif also features prominently at the entrances to all three hotels, dovetailing harmoniously with the accompanying decor touches. These include the double dragon statues at the entrance to The Crockford. Each dragon guards a pearl in their mouth and an orb beneath their paw - again both spheres symbolise prosperity, power, and good fortune. But the most acutely Asian experience to be discovered at Resorts World is in its array of culinary offerings, many provisioned by prominent and award winning Asian restaurant brands. The resort has reimagined the standard - and lets be honest, tired - Vegas formula of pairing its casinos with a chophouse and Italian restaurant and calling it a day. The property is home to more than 40 food and beverage experiences, providing visitors access to more globally inspired dishes than any other destination on the Las Vegas Strip. Its Famous Foods Street Eats food hall, which is adjacent to the casino floor, could just as easily be located in Southeast Asian centres like Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. Through its uniquely global mix, Resorts World is unlike anything else in Vegas, a city that, mind you, already has a sphinx, Eiffel tower, and Venetian canals. On any given evening guests can attend a concert by superstar residents like Katy Perry or Tiesto and then top off the evening with Michelin Plate and Bib Gourmand recognised dishes like Ten Suns Thai beef noodles, Boon Tong Kees traditional Singapore chicken rice, or Ah Chun Shandong dumplings. For guests interested in more upscale dining, Resorts World again has Asian dishes not easily found in the city. Genting Palace is an old world establishment that specializes in Cantonese cuisine that includes offerings like Traditional Peking Duck and specialty dishes like Birds Nest Soup. Fuhu at Resorts World is more of a pan Southeast Asian fusion restaurant. Here one will find memorable entrees along with Asian inspired cocktails showcasing ingredients like lychees, and guava, as well as mixes like Li Hing Mui (plum) powder, and even wasabi syrup. And if after all of that you still get late-night cravings, all manner of savoury or sweet snacks - on or off the property - can be ordered via the GrubHub app. Midnight room service from Randys Donuts, the in-hotel artisanal donuterie, will be sure to end any day on a sweet (and unbelievably still soft, delicious, and gooey) note. Resorts World is modern 21st century Vegas luxury but it hasnt forgotten how to pamper its guests to the simple pleasures as well. Booking For more information on Resorts World Las Vegas go to www.rwlasvegas.com. Formula 1 is coming to Vegas and Resorts World is a Presenting Partner. For F1 packages (November 16 - 18, 2023) go to www.rwlasvegas.com/offers/f1-las-vegas. The Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has called for a state-wide bandh on Thursday to protest the abnormal hike in electricity tariff by power supply companies. Officials warned that the industries might shift to neighbouring states if the tariff is not revised by the state government. District Chambers and other industry associations across the state have agreed to join the agitation. However, essential services and the movement of vehicles are not expected to be disrupted amid the protest today. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah had earlier said he would discuss the concerns of the industrialists and come to a solution. He also said the uproar was uncalled for as the electricity bills will reflect normal prices from next month onwards. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates. The Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry has announced a statewide strike on June 22 to protest the price hike in electricity charges. All trade and industry bodies have been asked to close their establishment in the Karnataka bandh call on Thursday expecting to bring some disruption in normal life. The CPM has extended support to Karnataka Bandh today. Read | Karnataka government releases guidelines for free electricity scheme in state Chief minister Siddaramaiah said he will meet the industry representatives and address the concerns.(PTI) Business bandh in Karnataka: Essential services not to be affected KCCI president Vinay Javali said the bandh call is only for business establishments and is a voluntary one. The essential services will not be disturbed and the movement of vehicles is not likely to be affected. Business establishments will incur losses owing to a day-long bandh, but Javali said industries may not survive with such an unprecedented increase in power tariff. "We request all the Trade and Industry to close their establishment on 22 June. This is in protest of abnormal price hike in the Electricity charges by ESCOM's. For the last eight days, we have made attempts to convey the seriousness of the impact of the hike in electricity charges. However, no solution is forthcoming from the Officials or government representatives," the Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry said in a statement on Saturday. Karnataka bandh today: Who are participating District Chambers of Gadag, Bijapur, Rancbennur, Raichur, Talikoti, Vijaynagar, Mysore, Davangere, Koppal, Bagalkoti, Dharwad, Sirsi, Karwar, Bidar, Shivamoga, Kolar, Mandya, Chickmangalore, Yadgir, Chitradurga, KalyanKamataka, Haveri, Hassan, Bellary and other industry associations will join the bandh. Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry has not responded to the bandh call. Karnataka bandh today over electricity tariff: What is the issue Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission in its tariff order on May 12 approved a steep increase in the fixed and per unit charges a hike of 70 paise per unit. The issue has led to a political row as the BJP accused the new Congress government of increasing the tariff to fulfil their poll promise of free electricity of up to 200 units under the Gruha Jyoti Scheme. Some individuals also received an exorbitant bill this month but that was because of some error, the Bescom (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited) said. Karnataka power minister KJ George said the Gruha Jyoti scheme is for 200 units and anything above and over will have to be paid. "If average power consumption plus 10 per cent is less than 200 units, it will be subsidised. Anything over and above that will have to be paid. Consumers who use more than the allotted units, have to pay for the extra units used. 9 per cent of tax will be included in it," George said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail The US will open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad while India will establish a mission in Seattle to boost people-to-people relationships, a senior White House official said on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Joe Biden during a private dinner at the White House.(PTI) The official said the US issued a record 125,000 visas to Indian students last year. Indian students are set to become the largest foreign student community in the United States with a 20 per cent increase last year alone, the senior administration official said. READ | PM Modi in US Day 3: Discussion with CEOs, State Luncheon and diaspora outreach The United States intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India is likewise welcoming the 2023 opening of its consulate in Seattle and look forward to also announcing a new consulate in the United States, the official said. The US Department of State is going to launch a pilot to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas later this year, including for Indian nationals with the intent to implement this for an expanded pool, the official said. READ | Australia to establish Consulate in Bengaluru: PM Albanese India has five consulates in the US in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston and Atlanta, apart from the embassy in Washington. The US embassy in New Delhi is one of the largest US diplomatic missions in the world. The embassy coordinates the activities of four consulates in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad ensuring that the US-India relationship is strong throughout the country, according to the information on its website. Union home minister Amit Shah will arrive in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday. He is on a two-day visit to the Union Territory. Amit Shah is also likely to visit Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) at Majeen on the outskirts of Jammu (HT File) In the first leg of his itinerary, Shah would reach Jammu on Friday where he would pay his respects to Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee at the BJP headquarters around 11 am. Thereafter, he would address a public rally at Bhagwati Nagar at around 11.15 am. The home minister will also lay the foundation stone of CFSL at Samba and dedicate other developmental projects. The rally, coinciding with the death anniversary of BJP ideologue Shyama Prasad Mukherjeet, is part of BJPs Maha Jan Sampark Abhiyaan programme being held on the completion of nine years of the BJP government. Shah is also likely to visit Sri Venkateswara Swamy temple of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) at Majeen on the outskirts of Jammu. He would leave for Raj Bhawan in Srinagar from where he will dedicate other development projects at 4.30 pm. At the Raj Bhawan in Srinagar, the home minister is likely to hold a high-level security review meeting ahead of Amarnath Yatra with lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha and top officials from army, police, paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies. Shah is likely to meet a few delegations on Friday. On Saturday, he will lay the foundation stone of Balidan Stambh at Pratap Park in Srinagar. He is also likely to visit the Baltal base camp of Amarnath yatris to review the arrangements being made for the pilgrims. He may also participate in a special pooja at the Amarnath cave shrine before returning to Delhi in the evening. : The project to establish a plant to dispose of citys construction and demolition waste at Dhandari Kalan, which had hit a roadblock after garbage was found dumped on the site, will now begin after it got a nod from a state panel with a change in design. Plant to dispose of construction waste to be set up with changed design in Ludhiana The changes in the design have been approved by the state expert panel and the civil work for the project to set up construction and demolitions waste management plant, being taken up under the Swachh Bharat Mission, will start within a few days, MC officials confirmed. The proposed site which was earlier being used as a garbage dump will be dug up to nine meters and a different design will be used to strengthen the base, said Sanjay Kanwar, superintending engineer, municipal corporation. The proposed cost for the construction of the C and D waste management plant was 4.40 crore, the officials said, adding that with the change in design, the estimated cost will go above 5 crore. Under the project, the construction and demolition waste would be transported to the plant where it will be turned into sand and gravel. The MC has also faced criticism from residents and the National Green Tribunal for failing to start the project. Green zones remain marred by dumped debris Without the plant, the construction and demolition waste remains a major problem in the city, especially in inner localities, including the cremation ground road in Model Town Extension, Dugri, Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar, Focal Point, Haibowal, Jalandhar Byepass, and others. Yashpal Singh, a resident of Dugri said, Several areas in the city have been encroached upon as the construction material has been dumped there. It causes dust pollution, thus posing risk to commuters, especially two-wheelers riders. He said that the MC should take legal action against those dumping the waste at undesignated sites. Another resident, Kirpal Singh, said that while crores are being spent on the beautification of the city, the debris puts an ugly face on the city. He said that it is a matter of embarrassment for the authorities who have lagged behind in starting the plant. No end to deadlines The project which was proposed in the year 2017 has missed several deadlines. In the absence of a dedicated plant, tons of construction waste lays dumped in various parts of the city, including green belts. While the initial deadline to install the machinery at the site was set in December 2021, it was extended till March 2023. With the project still lying pending, it is expected to take months to start. Notably, the failure to get the plant started was among the reason for the city seeing a fall in its ranking in the Swacch Sarvekshan. A senior MC official said that the project would be started on priority to improve the citys rank. A day after the murder of a differently abled grocer in a Jagraon village, the police on Thursday arrested one of his neighbours in connection with the case. Police arrest neighbour for murdering Jagraon grocer According to the police, the accused, who is a drug addict, had strangled the man with a leather belt in a bid to rob his mobile phone. The accused has been identified as Amandeep Singh alias Deepu of Kothey Rohlan village of Jagraon. The police have also recovered the deceaseds mobile phone from his possession. Senior superintendent of police (SSP, Ludhiana Rural) Navneet Singh Bains said that soon after reaching the spot, they formed a special team to investigate the matter. They have questioned at least 10 suspects including Amandeep. The SSP added that on June 19 night, Amandeep had barged in the house of Jaswinder Singh alias Jassi, 40, who was living alone, with an intention to steal his mobile phone, so that he would earn money to buy drugs. Amandeep tried to steal the mobile phone of Jaswinder when the latter was asleep. Jaswinder resisted and the duo indulged in a scuffle. Later, Amandeep strangled him to death with a leather belt and escaped with his mobile phone, the official said. The locals came to know about the incident on June 20 and informed the police. The City Jagraon police station had lodged an FIR against unidentified accused and initiated a probe. The FIR was lodged following the statement of Pritam Kaur, mother of the victim, who said that her son was living alone in the village. He had married twice, but both his marriages ended in divorce. She told police that her son had bought a new mobile phone four months ago. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Days after stepping down as Akal Takht acting jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh on Thursday while casting doubts about the legal validity of the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, said, We all are responsible for creating these circumstances. Former Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, who continues to be jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, expressed doubts about the legal validity of the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill passed by the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on June 20. (HT File) The Bill was passed by the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on June 20. Interacting with the media at the Akal Takht secretariat at his farewell following the installation ceremony of his successor, Giani Raghbir Singh, he said, Whether this Bill is valid or not can only be determined by legal experts. We should have prevented such circumstances for the government to have to take such a step. This makes a mockery of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925. He said, In 1959, a pact between Master Tara Singh and then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru mentioned that no amendment can be made to the Act without the consent of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) general house. And, no amendment was made after that. The amendment made by the AAP government is a violation of that pact and should not have been done. When asked if the Punjab government wants to take control of the SGPC through the legislation like Haryana did in the case of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC), he reiterated, We must think why such circumstances are prevailing in the first place that governments have started taking control of our organisations. We all are responsible for creating these circumstances. As acting jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Harpreet Singh has asked the SGPC to launch its own channel in April, 2022 for Gurbani telecast, citing it as a long cherished dream of the Sikhs community. However, SGPC failed to do so. In his speech during the recent assembly session, during which the Bill was passed, Mann stated that Giani Harpreet Singh had asked the SGPC to launch its own channel. Many in the Sikh community have repeatedly asked the SGPC launched its own channel. Haryanas control of gurdwaras illegal Giani Harpreet Singh, who continues as jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib, said, This is for the first time that the Haryana government constituted the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC). Yes, they constituted the committee in reference to a clause of the Punjab Reorganization Act 1966, that authorises the Haryana government to constitute its corporation. However, the SGPC was managing affairs of Haryana gurdwaras under Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1925. These gurdwaras could not be snatched from the SGPC. As per Act, these gurdwaras are notified with SGPC. Until these are not denotified, the Haryana committee cannot take over them. The Haryana committee may have taken control of these gurdwaras, but it is illegal. The right of denotifying gurdwaras lies with Parliament. The SGPC should file a PIL in the Supreme Court to challenge the gurdwara being taken over by the Haryana committee on this ground. I am happy that Guru Sahib blessed me with fearlessness and impartiality during my five-year-long service as acting jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, he said. SGPC acted in its wisdom, no objection He said, I had charge of two TakhtsAkal Takht and Takht Damdama Sahib. When I went to Australia recently, I spoke to the SGPC chief secretary that now I want to retire from the services. I said that if the SGPC wanted, it could assign the services of both the Takhts to any other eligible person. I am ready to quit as Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar even today. I have already said once in an interview that I would not accept any pressure and whenever I felt that I was being pressurised to do something, I would quit. Now, I am feeling relaxed, he added. Asked if attending AAP MP Raghav Chadha and actor Parineeti Chopras engagement ceremony led to his downfall, the former Akal Takht acting jathedar said, No, that was not a big issue. What the SGPC did is right according to its wisdom. I have no objection to it. Responding to SAD leader Virsa Singh Valtohas statement that the jathedar must have courage and fearlessness, Giani Harpreet Singh said, Valtoha has extraordinary courage and fearlessness. I would like to ask the SGPC to assign the services of Akal Takht jathedar to Valtoha so that he can do what he wants to. On the growing demand for making rules for appointment and retirement of the jathedars, he said, We have sent reminders twice that there must be rules of appointment and retirement of the Akal Takht Jathedar. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two UT police constables were dismissed from service after they were caught escorting a vehicle smuggling liquor from Chandigarh to Gujarat. The dismissed cops have been identified as constables Ravinder and Anil. In a statement, Chandigarh police said , In view of the above gross misconduct on part of these cops, Ravinder and Anil have been dismissed from service. (HT File Photo) In a statement, Chandigarh police said that based on the report of the SP, Mahendergarh, it has been revealed that constables Ravinder and Anil of the Chandigarh police were involved in the transportation of illegal liquor from Punjab to Gujarat on June 20. During checking by the local police, Ravinder was arrested, while Anil managed to flee from the spot. Accordingly, an FIR under Sections 420, 465, 467,468, 471, 474, 476, 482,483 and 120B of the IPC and Section 61 of the Excise Act was registered at police station City Narnaul. The statement said, In view of the above gross misconduct on part of these police officials, Ravinder and Anil have been dismissed from service. As many as 256 boxes of Indian made foreign liquor of different brands were recovered from the canter by the Haryana police after registering a case against six people, including these two cops. Four of the accused were arrested, while two managed to escape. According to the police, Ravinder and Anil were in the Mahindra Scorpio having a fake number plate. Anil is posted as a munshi at the Sector 26 police station. He was reportedly on leave for the last two days. Ravinder is posted in the traffic wing. Their uniforms were recovered from the vehicle. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Chandigarh police to allow a 24-year-old transgender to apply for a post in the recruitment of constables in the UT. Taking note of the plea, the high court bench has sought response by July 31. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) The high court bench of justice Vikram Aggarwal acted on the plea from Saurav alias Kittu Tank, who had sought directions to the home secretary and the director general of police, Chandigarh, to allow her to participate in the recruitment being conducted by the UT police. As per plea, she could not submit an online application for the post of constable because there was no transgender option in the form. A representation was given by her on June 2. But it yielded no result, her counsel, Raina Godara had told the court. The process for the recruitment of constables started on May 20. As per plea, she has completed Class 12 and, after training in mountaineering, successfully climbed the Mount Lobuche in the Everest region in Nepal in 2021. She also attempted to scale Mount Everest in April-May 2021 and climbed up to 7,800m, before being forced to suspend the expedition owing to extreme weather conditions, as per the plea. Taking note of the plea, the high court bench has sought response by July 31 and further directed that in the meantime, in case she submits an online application form mentioning her category as transgender, the same be accepted and thereafter considered by the appropriate authority in accordance with its own rules, the bench said. A delegation led by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami on Thursday met Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit and asked him to nullify the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, passed by the state Assembly. The SGPC chief reiterated that the 1925 Act is a central legislation and can only be amended by the Parliament. Harjinder Singh Dhami along with other members of SGPC coming out from Punjab Raj Bhavan after meeting Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit in Chandigarh on Thursday. (Ravi Kumar/HT) The delegation submitted a memorandum to the governor which termed the Bill interference by the state government led by chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Any changes to the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, is unconstitutional and should not be allowed. Our memorandum to the governor states that it is Parliaments prerogative (to bring any amendment to the 1925 Act) and the state does not have jurisdiction over this. The governor said he will examine it according to the Constitution, Dhami said while interacting with media after coming out of Raj Bhavan. The SGPC delegation also included senior vice-president Baldev Singh Qaimpur, junior vice-president Avtar Singh Raya and general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal. The Punjab assembly on June 20 had passed the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, to ensure the free-of-cost broadcast of Gurbani from Harmandar Sahib (Golden Temple) across platforms. The House passed the amendment in the Sikh Gurdwara Act 1925 by inserting Section 125A for Live telecast of Gurbani free-of-cost. Part-1 of Section 125A reads: It shall be the duty of the board to propagate the teachings of the Gurus by making uninterrupted (without any on-screen running advertisements or commercials or distortion) live feed (audio or audio as well as video) of holy Gurbani from Harmandar Sahib available free-of-cost to all media houses, outlets, platforms, channels etc, whosoever wishes to broadcast anywhere (including all over the world). Part-2 mandates that anyone broadcasting the holy Gurbani from Harmandar Sahib shall not run any advertisement at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the Gurbani broadcast or 30 minutes after it. Speaking during the debate on the Bill in the Assembly, CM Mann had said no channel should have exclusive rights to broadcast the holy Gurbani. One channel has the exclusive right to broadcast the holy Gurbani, Mann had said while referring to the PTC channel. Currently, Gurbani is broadcast from the Sikh shrine by PTC, a private channel often linked to the Badal family. This is a direct violation of the constitution as any amendment in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act can be done only by the Centre with the recommendations of the SGPC. The amendment (section 125A) they brought is against the law, the SGPC chief said. Replying to another query, he said question is not of PTC channel. Tomorrow they (govt) will bring more amendments to the (1925) Act. Dhami said in the coming days the SGPC will also approach the President and the Union home minister over the matter. Dhami said a special general session of the SGPC would be convened on June 26 to chart out further course of action in the matter. The SGPC chief reiterated that the state government is going beyond its jurisdiction and complicating Sikh affairs. Alleging that the AAP government is using the matter of the Gurbani broadcast for its political interests, Dhami alleged that the aim of the Mann government is to weaken the SGPC, and said, The Sikh community will not allow this to happen. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON FREEVILLE You can grow a lot of crops in Freeville: carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, cannabis and now rice. Thursday morning, staff members of Cornell Cooperative Extension planted rice plants at Thompson Research Farm on Fall Creek Road. Leaders of the research program hope to develop a regional rice-planting plan in New York and the Northeast. This rice has gone back decades ago, where Cornell initially had a Ukrainian variety, said Jenny T. Kao-Kniffin, project principal from the Cornell School of Integrative Plant Science. Were actually growing that here; it came back full circle. Farmers plant 2.5 to 3 million acres of rice every year in America, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports, with up to 7,700 pounds of rice per acre. None of it in New York until now. Cornells efforts at rice farming began more than 15 years ago, Kao-Kniffin said. Cornell Professor Susan McCouch started a program on ecological rice farming in the Northeast. At the time, no one was really growing rice at this level, Kao-Kniffin said. Rice in America was really big; very big rice fields with drop seeding from airplanes and 36-foot-long rice combine harvesters. Smaller-scale ones werent really here, except the Native American communities. McCouch developed a manual on the subject, and met annually with farmers interested in the crop. She now assists with the Freeville rice project. It became the how-to guide of how to ecologically grow rice in the Northeast, Kao-Kniffin said. As a result, rice farms were created in Vermont, New Jersey, Maryland and Maine. A unique part of the Freeville project is how it achieves the organic aspect of farming. Instead of pesticides, ducks will be added to the paddies, said Food Systems Specialist Precious Tshabalala. Instead of pesticides, we have ducklings that eat the weeds from the crop, Tshabalala said. The interesting part is they dont eat off the rice crop itself. They just eat off the weeds and the bad stuff. Erik Andrus, owner of Boundbrook Farm in Vergennes, Vermont, has been successfully rice-duck farming for 11 years, his website says. He studied rice farming in Japan, and was brought to Freeville to assist with the planting. He used Facebook messenger and all kinds of translation systems online to get mentored by the Japanese farmers, Kao-Kniffin said. Lab Manager Zachary Butler-Jones worked Thursday to transfer rice plants by hand from trays, with 448 plants in each tray, he said. He was planting ioto, a Japanese variety of rice. They tend to be taller and not as flimsy, the Chinese variety grows out wider, he said. Theyre surprisingly pretty flexible in terms of heat waves and the cold. Were taking note of the different genotypes of the plants because those will be amenable to different growing conditions. Some places may eventually grow them in a greenhouse, trough, or paddy. Six thousand plants were planted Thursday, with varieties from Ukraine, northern China and Hokkaido, Japan. Butler-Jones is tasked with capturing photos and drone footage of the planting to create an online how-to program for future rice farmers. Theres a lot of questions that still need to be answered, he said. This is all new territory for us. Climate change was a large factor for this study, Kao-Kniffin said. Twenty years ago, the farm on Fall Creek Road was a profitable high-value crop land for vegetables. About 15 years ago, it started to have severe flooding. Farmers stopped planting vegetables there due to the insurance risk, she said. The joke is that Fall Creek Road becomes Fall Creek Lake, she said. The rice can withstand days of flooding. The crops will be ready to harvest between Oct. 10 and 31, or during the Harvest Moon, as it is known in Asian countries, Kao-Kniffin said. It will be distributed across New York and Vermont. The intention is to have more farmers adopt this kind of farming, Tshabalala said. A veterinary doctor was shot dead allegedly by his relative in Kurukshetra on Thursday in a marital dispute case, police said. A veterinary doctor was shot dead allegedly by his brother-in-law in Kurukshetra on Thursday in a marital dispute case. (Representational photo) Chandreshwar Saini allegedly killed his brother-in-law, Dr Rajan Chaudhary, 52, after an argument at his house in Sector 2. Sainis wife Kusum, 45, was seriously injured in the incident. Also read: Haryana maize growers suffer losses as prices fall 50% below MSP Police said Saini and his wife, Kusum, were not getting along well which forced her to move out and live with her sister, the wife of Rajan. Saini went to Rajans house at 7.20am on Thursday and fired a shot at his wife and then at Rajan when he tried to intervene. Both were rushed to a nearby hospital at Pipli, where Rajan was declared dead, and Kusum was referred to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, in a serious condition. Kurukshetra Superintendent of police Surinder Bhoria said a search is on for the absconding accused. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress leaders and workers on Thursday staged a protest demanding an independent inquiry into the matter by a sitting high court judge amid the controversy over gold plating in Kedarnath shrine. Congress leaders staging a protest in Dehradun on Thursday over the Kedarnath gold plating controversy. (HT photo) However, the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has denied such allegations, terming them baseless and as a part of a conspiracy to malign the image of BKTC and the state government. Some priests associated with Kedarnath Dham had alleged financial irregularities in gold decoration carried out inside the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath Temple last year after a video of the gold-plated area having worn off in a certain area at the sanctum sanctorum of the temple had gone going viral on social media. The protesters were led by Dehradun Mahanagar Congress president Jaswinder Singh Gogi. Also Read:On gold scam claim, Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee says part of conspiracy The idea of putting a gold layer in the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath Dham, was propagated to score political points by BJP, but the move backfired after the temple priests from the shrine raised the issue and revealed that instead of authentic gold plating work, copper was used, and the area was gold polished, said Gogi. State Congress president Karan Mahra said, BKTC was now hiding its illegitimate act by taking cover of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and it should clarify whether any testing for the gold was done by any expert body before it was laid at the sanctum sanctorum. In wake of the Kedarnath gold plating controversy, Satpal Maharaj tourism minister has announced an investigation into the matter, but Congress has demanded an investigation under the supervision of a sitting judge of the high court. The government, through its contradictory versions on the matter, has lost its credibility hence we demand an independent investigation by a sitting high court judge, said Gogi. Meanwhile, BJP has come out in support of BKTC and denied all the allegations, terming them as a conspiracy against the government. Suresh Joshi, BJP state spokesperson lashed out at the Congress for false allegations. The same donor had gold plated the pillars of the Badrinath temple in 2005 and had donated gold during the Congress regime but the party had no objection back then. The BKTC, following all the guidelines, has conducted the work under the supervision of a jeweler and the officials from the archaeological department of India so there is no question of any irregularities, he said The whole work of gold plating at Kedarnath has cost 14 crore but the Congress is falsely claiming that the work amounted to over a thousand crores which shows that Congress, in order to tarnish the image of BJP, was hurting the sentiments of devotees and maligning the stature of the holy shrines as it has been unable to digest the loss in Lok Sabha election in 2014, he added. Meanwhile, Mahant Ravindra Puri, president of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP), the apex religious body of 13 recognised monastic Hindu orders (Akhadas), has also come out in support of BKTC. To doubt the work done by a devotee from Maharashtra at sanctum sanctorum in Kedarnath for political gains is condemnable and unnecessary and as the work has been done in a transparent manner to raise such issues is wrong. All political parties should refrain from such allegations especially when the Kedarnath yatra is going on in full swing. At least 21 prisoners in Tihar jail inflicted injuries on themselves to prevent jail officials from carrying searches in wards and barracks for contraband, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday, adding that at least four suffered serious cuts. Jail officials said the incident occurred on Wednesday evening at central jail number 8 and 9 the same jail where gangster Sunil Baliyan alias Tillu Tajpuria was brutally stabbed to death by four members of a rival gang on May 2. The statement said the injured inmates were treated for their self-inflicted injuries at the jail dispensary, and four among them were referred to Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital because they had sustained deep cuts. (PTI Photo) The jail administration, in a statement on Thursday, said that an initial search in one ward of the jail led to the recovery of a mobile phone and an improvised weapon. Subsequently, the jails CCTV control room noticed unusual movement of inmates. They were questioned, and further searches were carried out, which led to recovery of one SIM card and an improvised mobile charger, the statement said. During the questioning, one of the inmates confessed to possessing another cellphone, which he was asked to hand over. The jail staff accompanied him from the control room to the barrack for recovery of the phone. However, after reaching there other inmates instigated him and asked him not to give the phone to the prison administration. They also began abusing the jail staff and over 20 of them inflicted injuries on themselves to browbeat the jail administration so as to desist them from recovering the phone, the spokesperson said in the statement. The statement said the injured inmates were treated for their self-inflicted injuries at the jail dispensary, and four among them were referred to Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital because they had sustained deep cuts. Separately, officials said, during the commotion on Wednesday, one inmate used an illegal mobile phone to call his family and claimed that he and other prisoners were being beaten up by the prisons security personnel. The family, in turn, informed the police control room about the alleged assault on inmates, and circulated a video with the allegations on social media. A review of the CCTV recordings during the commotion led to recovery of the hidden mobile phone at around 10.30 pm, the officials said. Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal on Thursday lashed out at the law and order situation in the national capital after a 72-year-old woman was "stabbed 50 times in broad daylight." Delhi Commission for Women Chief Swati Maliwal(HT File Photo) "A 72-year-old woman was stabbed 50 times with a sharp weapon by three boys in broad daylight. The family said that they had complained to the police many times about the threat to the woman's life, but the police did nothing. Such horrific murders are happening every day in Delhi. Have we become the murder capital along with the rape capital?," tweeted Maliwal. READ | East Delhi murder victim was stabbed 50 times with ice pick: Police Delhi Police on Tuesday registered a case of murder after a woman was stabbed with a sharp object in the Mandawali area of the city. She was taken to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Upon examination of the deceased's body, the police noticed multiple piercings on the shoulder, face, side of the chest, waist and back. Accordingly, a case under Section 302 of IPC was registered. Police said the three assailants involved in the case have been identified, and a search is on to arrest them. Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also questioned Delhi's law and order situation after a double murder incident was reported in Delhi's RK Puram area on Sunday morning. READ | Law and order situation in Delhi needs immediate action: Swati Maliwal on recent killings in national capital Earlier on June 18, a 21-year-old man was murdered in Delhi's Mangolpuri in the early hours, police said. According to the police, the youth was fatally stabbed after he got into a quarrel with three people. The three accused persons were identified as Malli, Pramod, and Binder. Police were further informed that Pramod and Binder have been arrested in connection with the incident so far, while teams have been put together to nab the third, who is reported to be absconding. Two sisters were shot dead in Delhi's RK Puram area on Sunday morning over a property dispute. Delhi power minister Atishi on Thursday said that the Delhi government will challenge the illegal appointment of justice (retd) Umesh Kumar as the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairperson, and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre of conspiring to stop the free power scheme in the Capital. Delhi power minister Atishi at a press conference on Thursday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) The ulterior motive behind the late-night notification is to destabilise the power sector in Delhi, discontinue the provision of free electricity, and impose exorbitant costs on the people. This move is aimed at subjecting the people of Delhi to prolonged power cuts, similar to what is being experienced by residents of neighbouring Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram, Atishi said at a press conference. The BJP, however, rejected the allegation as petty behaviour by the Delhi government. A gazette notification issued by the General Administration Department of the Delhi government announced the appointment of justice (retd) Umesh Kumar on Thursday -- the day when Delhi chief minister sent his approval to appoint justice (retd) Sangeet Lodha, former chief justice of the Rajasthan high court, to the post. The appointment order has added fuel to the ongoing spat between the Delhi government and the Centre over the issue. Soon after justice (retd) Shabhihul Hasnain retired from the post in January, the Delhi chief minister has approved the appointment of Rajeev Kumar Shrivastava, former judge of the Madhya Pradesh high court, for the post. However, lieutenant governor VK Saxena advised the government to consult the chief justice of the Delhi high court over the matter, a contention that the government challenged in the Supreme Court. In May, the top court ruled in favour of the Delhi government and ordered that the process to appoint a new chairman should be completed within two weeks. After Thursdays decision, the matter is once again expected to go before the Supreme Court. In the days to come, the Delhi government will approach the Supreme Court to challenge this unlawful appointment. The government holds full confidence that the Supreme Court will strike down this order and uphold the principles of justice and democratic governance, Atishi said. According to senior officials aware of the matter, the chief minister approved the name of justice (retd) Lodha after Shrivastava expressed his inability to accept the post due to family commitments. The post of the DERC chairperson was vacant since January. The autonomous body was constituted in 1999 to discharge a range of activities while working as the electricity regulatory in the Capital. The bodys duties include determining power tariffs, regulating the power purchase and procurement process of transmission utilities and distribution utilities, among others. There has been no power tariff hike in Delhi since 2014. Atishi said that electricity is a transferred subject and the central government is bound to act as per the aid and advice of elected state government. Read: LG cant thwart Delhi govt in DERC appointment: SC The Supreme Court has made it clear that except land, public order, and police, all other subjects are transferred, thereby granting decision-making power to the elected government. Disregarding this principle, the BJP-led central government unlawfully appointed justice Umesh Kumar as the DERC chairman, disregarding the elected governments recommendation (justice Sangeet Lodha), Atishi said. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said it was regrettable that the Delhi government was giving a political colour to the issue. The Delhi government recommended retired justice RK Shrivastav for DERC chairmans post but he expressed his inability to accept the post, forcing the Centre to intervene, Kapoor said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Some believe a land becomes our own only after its mitti grows fertile with our memories. A city too begins to truly belong to us after our beloved places in it cease to exist. Such disappeared markers (cafes, cinema halls, bargain stores) eventually fade out of Google maps, but never from our private biography. Here is a lane in the megapolis that throbs with similar absencesin this case, of two chai stalls, and of an elderly citizen. The street lies in Gurugrams Sadar Bazar, adorned with the old Ghamand Sarai gateway. The street lies in Gurugrams Sadar Bazar, adorned with the old Ghamand Sarai gateway. Memory 1 The most striking aspect of Raja Tea Stall was the silbatta, the grinder to crush the ginger. It looked like one of those polished stones children pick up from river banks. The other eye catcher was an account pad scrawled with the chai mans handwriting. The stalls only furniture was a chair. Random passers-by settled down on it unconsciously, sometimes while talking on their mobiles, like passengers drifting towards an unoccupied chair in an airport lounge. Memory 2 The chai here was onion-scented. Because the unnamed tea stall shared its space with an onion warehouse. The young owner proudly boasted that his UP village lay between the great pilgrimages of Kashi and Prayagraj Im from a place where Sita mayya went into the earth. A small wooden temple was clamped on the blue wall behind the counter; the presiding idol of Durga was consoling, as if the smiling goddess were here to annihilate all the anxieties of our daily life. Memory 3 Budhram was as much the streets living landmark, as the streets Ghamand Sarai gateway. He ran a stall of secondhand mens dhotis right under the weather-beaten edifice. Greatly resembling the fatherly figure of late actor Om Prakash, the aged man would talk in awe of the streets aged gateway, saying that it neither had cement, nor any sariya to support it. Budhram inherited the stall from his father. Maujilal, who was from Delhis Paharganj, and had settled in Gurugram before Independence. Budhram died shortly before the coronavirus entered our world. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mayank Austen Soofi Mayank Austen Soofi is a writer-snapper trying to capture Delhi by heart. ...view detail The enforcement wing of the department of town and country planning (DTCP) has issued notice to a building owner in DLF Phase 3 after the building tilted dangerously on Monday, officials said. The tilted five-storey building is supported by a crane. (Parveen Kumar/ HT) The five-storey building was vacated immediately after news of the tilt spread. DTCP officials said two cranes have been deployed to support the structure. Prima facie, the tilting took place after the owner of a neighbouring plot in U block started digging for the foundation on his plot, officials said. The building in question is constructed on a 60 square yard plot and meant for the economically weaker section (EWS) category. Local residents said that the tilted building was occupied by tenants and immediately after the incident on Monday, they raised an alarm and vacated it. The residents also called officials of the district administration and the town planning department, who came to the spot to assess the situation. It may be noted that three incidents of buildings getting tilted were reported in 2020 in sectors 27, 46 and 47. All three buildings had some irregularities and directions were issued to conduct structural audits on them. DTCP officials said that after getting the building vacated, they brought in two cranes to support the tilted building to ensure that the structure is stable. DTCP officials said that a notice has been issued to the owners of plot numbers 8 and 9 in lane 20 of U block to vacate the building with immediate effect and to stop the excavation work. Directions have also been issued to get the building audited by a government empaneled structural expert. The notice issued by Manish Yadav, district town planner (enforcement) said, It has been reported that you have made many additions/alterations in contravention to the Haryana Building Code 2017 and amendments therein. Moreover, it has also come to notice that the existing building on plot number U-20/8 has tilted at site. In view of the above, you are hereby directed to vacate the building with immediate effect and get the building audited by a government empaneled structure engineer. The owner of the building was also directed to appear in the office of the district town planner (enforcement) within seven days, the notice added. The district town planner has also issued a showcause notice to the owner of the adjoining plot number 9 for excavating the foundation of the site in contravention to the Haryana Building Code 2017 and also for carrying out the work without the supervision of an architect and structural engineer. The notice to the owner of plot number 9 said, It has also come to our notice that due to this illegal act, the existing building on adjacent plot number U-20/8 has been tilted. In view of the above, you are hereby directed to immediately stop the excavation work and take all necessary safety precautions to avoid any mishappening. DTCP officials said work at the site has been stopped and all steps have been taken to ensure there is no untoward incident due to the tilting of the structure. The buildings in U block have rampant violations and repeated sealing drives have been carried out by the enforcement department, officials added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Two teenagers allegedly raped an 11-year-old cousin in Rajasthans Udaipur on June 15, police said and added that the accused were taken into custody on Wednesday night and produced before a Child Welfare Committee. Police said the girl has undergone a medical examination and the investigation was underway. (HT PHOTO) The matter came to light when the elder sister of the girl lodged an FIR [first information report] against two of their cousins who are also minors aged 13 and 14, said deputy police superintendent Chetna Bhati, who is the investigating officer of the case. Bhati said that the girl was raped as she was staying with her relatives while her mother was hospitalised. During her stay there, two of her cousins raped her...two other relatives also sexually assaulted her and threatened her, she said citing the FIR. In her police complaint, the sister said that the girl narrated her ordeal when she was rushed to a hospital as she suffered heavy bleeding. Bhati said that the girl has undergone a medical examination and that the investigation was underway. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Calcutta high court on Wednesday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe into the alleged tampering of documents and misrepresenting information by a returning officer in Howrah district for the July 8 West Bengal panchayat polls. Calcutta high court (Representative Photo) Justice Amrita Sinha directed the CBI joint director to probe into the allegation by July 5 and submit a report before the court on July 7, when the matter would be heard again. The order comes after the high court heard the petition filed by two Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidates who alleged that the returning officer had tampered with their nomination documents. Also Read: HC orders deployment of 82k central force personnel for Bengal rural poll Petitioners lawyer Sabyasachi Chatterjee submitted that both the candidates are of the Other Backward Class-A category having proper certificates, however, in the documents of the panchayat election, the returning officer mentioned them as Scheduled Castes-W and that it was pending in their record. The petitioners prayed for an investigation by an independent agency into the allegation of tampering. The high court observed that the contention of the state and the State Election Commission (SEC) could not be accepted since the officer against whom the allegation is made is in service with the state authorities and responsible for fairly conducting the election. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the high courts order, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) called the order unjust. It is unprecedented and another legal slap on the state and the SEC. We welcome this order, Sukanta Majumdar, state BJP president, told the media. This isnt justice. A CBI probe is being ordered even during panchayat polls. This is most unfortunate, Kunal Ghosh, TMC spokesperson said. The elections to the three-tier panchayat system are scheduled to be held in one phase on July 8. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Ahead of the joint opposition meeting in Patna, Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav, who has earlier stated that he expected the Congress to show a big heart and support his party to defeat the ruling BJP in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, is reportedly facing internal and external pressure to take the grand old party on boardwhich the SP is known to have been hostile towards. Akhilesh Yadav had been constantly advocating for a non-BJP and non-Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh after his partys alliance with the Congress ended in 2017. (File) Yadavs statement of parties wanting to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) must support the SP with a big heart in U.P., has not amused the Congress. Akhilesh Yadav ji first needs to be clear on what he wantsif he wants to defeat the BJP or not? If he does want that, then he must understand that while he is fighting the BJP only in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress is struggling against the saffron party nationwide and the party is also seeing positive resultsthe recent Karnataka elections being a case in point, said Ashok Singh, the U.P. Congress spokesperson. Singh added: If both the SP and the Congress fight unitedly, the BJP will be defeated or else the ruling party will benefit. Like the Congress, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) also had sent some feelers in the political circles that its chief Jayant Chaudharys idea of a united coalition included the Congress even as Yadav had been constantly advocating for a non-BJP and non-Congress alliance in the state. The speculation about Chaudharys proposition gained further currency when Yadav skipped the swearing-in of Siddaramaiah in Karnataka, which Chaudhary had attended. A few days later, Chaudhary, when quizzed about his stance on Congress, told newsmen in Bijnor: Our alliance with the SP will continue. Simultaneously, opposition parties will think about an alliance with the Congress. The RLD has been a constant companion of the SP ever since the 2017 U.P. assembly elections. Till then, the SP had an alliance with the Congress, which collapsed after the SPs defeat to the BJP that year. In 2019, Akhilesh Yadav vowed to never ally with a big party because of its experiences with the Congress in 2017 and fought the 2019 Lok Sabha polls with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Not just the Congress and the RLD, but even senior party leaders within the SP ranks want Yadav to also show a big heart to the Congress in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Sources in the SP said Yadav, whos been conveyed various opinions about the potential alliance strategies by these leaders, would be taking take the final call. These senior SP leaders are of the opinion that if Akhilesh keeps the Congress out, then the latter will eventually be forced to contest all the 80 Lok Sabha seats either on its own or with some other ally. This will ultimately benefit the BJP. If the Congress is weak in U.P, as Akhilesh ji says, then the SP, too, is not strong if the Lok Sabha elections are considered. It could win only five seats in both the 2014 and 2019 LS polls, a senior SP leader said. Anurag Bhadauria, the SP national spokesperson, said the SP could defeat the BJP in U.P. and added: In U.P, our struggles are public issues, from the streets to the legislature. And we will defeat the BJP in U.P... but let me clarify that the entire opposition is united against the BJP. After the June 23 meeting, a clear picture may arise. In politics nothing is final. Things change. However, political analyst and former head of the department of political science at the University of Lucknow SK Dwivedi said: The opposition might be meeting in Patna now, but till now it has not shown any strong sign of unity. Rather, the opposition parties are showing discord both nationally and in U.P. Here, the SP, the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are not on the same page. Such discord will ultimately benefit the BJP. As things stand now, the SP says that it will contest all 80 U.P. LS seats with its smaller alliance partners. The Congress and the BSP also say they will contest all the seats on their own. Such a scenario may benefit the BJP. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi chief minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, former chief minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar and former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti are among those expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Moravia residents next week can learn more about the process for determining how the village will spend a $2.25 million state economic development grant. A public kickoff meeting for the New York Forward grant process is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, at the Moravia Fire Department, 36 Keeler Ave. The southern Cayuga County village was among a handful of winners from around the state, and the only one in the county, for the new program that's bringing government funding to smaller communities looking to revitalize their downtown areas. In a ceremony held in February in Homer, state Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez announced the central New York Region winners, which included Moravia. New York Forward is modeled after the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, which has been awarding grants to larger population centers for several years. The city of Auburn won the DRI award of $10 million in 2018. Gov. Kathy Hochul launched the NY Forward program in the 2022-23 state budget. Each of the 10 regional economic development councils could select either two winners, with both receiving $4.5 million awards, or three recipients one for a $4.5 million grant and two $2.25 million prizes. In central New York, the village of Phoenix in Oswego County was awarded $4.5 million while the village of Hamilton in Madison County and Moravia landed $2.25 million awards. Moravia's application outlined a $6.5 million plan with 18 proposed projects, half of which would either renovate or restore nine buildings on Main Street in the village. Other projects include improvements to Ethel Fuller Park, providing broadband service in public areas and the creation of a history trail. Cayuga Economic Development Agency, which worked with the Cayuga County Department of Planning and Economic Development to help local villages with their applications, announced next week's meeting on its Facebook page. "Come learn about the New York Forward planning process and share your vision for the revitalization of downtown Moravia!" CEDA said. Gallery: Moravia wins NY Forward grant PRAYAGRAJ The Allahabad high court has observed that a second application seeking maintenance under Section 125 of the CrPC can sustain, after the rejection of the first application, if there are changes in the circumstances, entitling a person to be a claimant under the said provision. Allahabad high court (File Photo) Justice Jyotsna Sharma dismissed the petition filed by one Shyam Bahadur Singh, challenging a lower court order directing him to pay 1,500 per month as maintenance to his first wife. The bench of Justice Jyotsna Sharma was of the view that if the right to file an application for maintenance is foreclosed, it will frustrate the very purpose of Section 125 CrPC. The Bench said that there may be some instances where a person, who for the time being, is able to maintain himself or herself, but thereafter, loses her/his resources because of changed circumstances, in such cases, a fresh right to claim maintenance may accrue. The court observed this while upholding the January 2004 order of the court (Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, North-East Railway, Banda) allowing the second application filed by a lady (respondent no. 2) under Section 125 CrPC. The facts of the case were that respondent no. 2 (wife) had filed an application under Section 125 CrPC, claiming maintenance from her husband, which was dismissed in January 1995 on certain grounds. Thereafter, in 2003, she moved a second application under Section 125 CrPC on the premise that there has been a change in circumstances - remarriage by the husband, therefore, she is entitled to claim maintenance from her husband. This second application was allowed by the court of ACJM (Banda) in January 2004, directing her husband (petitioner) to pay 1,500 per month to her. The husband challenged the order in a criminal revision plea, which was also dismissed by Additional District Judge, Banda. The husband challenged the order passed by both the lower courts before the high court in the current proceedings. LUCKNOW The two-week extended deadline for the three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the killing of gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari in a Lucknow court ended on Thursday. Gangster Jeeva was shot dead allegedly by one Vijay Yadav alias Anand Yadav, 26, who entered the court in the guise of a lawyer. (Pic for representation) The state government had on June 7 constituted the SIT headed by additional DGP (technical) Mohit Agarwal while Lucknows joint commissioner of police (crime) Nilabja Choudhury and IG (Ayodhya range) Praveen Kumar were its other members. The team was initially given one week till June 14 to submit its report, but the deadline was extended to two weeks. A senior police official said the SIT had completed its inquiry, but was not sure when the report will be submitted. The process of recording the statements of police personnel deployed to bring Jeeva from Lucknow district jail to the court and some other cops deployed to ensure security of the court had already been done. He said the recreation of the crime scene to understand the circumstances in which the shootout took place had also been done. The SIT had visited the crime scene inside the SC/ST court at the old high court building, which is now part of the Lucknow district and sessions court premises, on Wednesday (June 7) night. Gangster Jeeva was shot dead allegedly by one Vijay Yadav alias Anand Yadav, 26, who entered the court in the guise of a lawyer. Three other people, including two head constables and an 18-month-old girl, were injured in the shootout, and they all recovered from their injuries. A Uttar Pradesh resident who was arrested days before by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Delhi for his alleged association with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, allegedly was trying to build up his defences due to his intense feud with muscleman MLA Abhay Singh, officials close to the investigation revealed. Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi being produced in a Panchkula court on November 13, 2019 (HT file) Abhay Singh is the current Samajwadi Party MLA from Goshainganj of Ayodhya. The NIA is likely to bring Vikas Singh to his Lucknow and Ayodhya residences, where he allegedly sheltered members of Bishnois gangs on multiple occasions. After his arrest on Tuesday, the NIA secured his five-day custody from a court as part of its investigation into the narco-terror nexus spread across multiple states. Even before the investigation into Vikas Singhs links with Bishnoi began, Singh hogged the attention of security agencies due to his dispute with the MLA during the assembly elections last year, a senior Uttar Pradesh Police official said wishing to remain anonymous. Vikas Singh backed Abhay Singhs opponent and BJP candidate Arti Tiwari, who is the wife of former BJP MLA Indra Pratap Tiwari alias Khaboo Tiwari. However, Abhay Singh won the election, the official said. The official claimed Vikas Singh was himself planning to enter the electoral fray for which he was trying to build his political clout. Vikas has provided safe houses for several members of the Bishnois terror syndicate, including the executors of the RPG Attack on Punjab Polices intelligence headquarters in Mohali on May 9, 2022, he added. The senior cop also said Vikas Singh had over 10 criminal cases registered in the state. They included those for murder and attempt to murder and others registered under the Arms Act and the Gangster Act. Another police official said Vikas Singhs links with the Bishnoi gang first surfaced after the arrest of one Deepak Ranga a.k.a. Deepak Surakhpur by the NIA from the India-Nepal border near Gorakhpur on January 25 this year. He said Ranga was also working with Canada-based Lakhbir Singh Sandhu and Pakistan-based Harvinder Singh Sandhu, both alleged terrorists. Ranga is also a key accused in the explosion at the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters. The NIA official said Vikas harboured Ranga and Divyanshu, who executed the RPG attack in Punjab, multiple times at two locations: his parental house in Ayodhyas Devgarh village and his Lucknow apartment. In an earlier press note, the NIA stated that Vikas Singh was introduced to Ranga by Bishnois friend and associate Vicky Midhukhera. Later, Singh introduced Divyanshu, whom he already knew, to Bishnois syndicate. Surakhpur and Divyanshu were reportedly involved in numerous contract killings, including that of businessman Sanjay Biyani in Nanded and one Rana Kandhowalia in Punjab. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON LUCKNOW Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhary will skip the opposition leaders meeting in Patna on Friday due to a pre-decided family programme. RLD leaders denied any differences between the two allies (SP-RLD), saying that Jayant Chaudhary was not in a position to attend the meeting due to personal reason. (File Photo) Chaudhary wrote to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar informing him that he wont be able to make it to the meeting. The letter came amid speculations that unlike Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, the RLD chief wants the Congress on board in UP in the alliance for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. However, Chaudhary hoped the meeting will be an important milestone in the path of opposition unity. RLD leaders denied any differences between the two allies (SP-RLD), saying that Jayant Chaudhary was not in a position to attend the meeting due to personal reason. They said he was abroad since June 16. The letter that the RLD released on Thursday was dated June 12. Chaudhary wrote: The need of the hour is that like-minded opposition parties unite while dictatorial and communal powers have become a threat to democracy and societal harmony. After holding discussions on the countrys problems and challenges, the opposition can put forward a visionary and pragmatic approach in front of the people. Together, we can win the confidence of youth, women, farmers and deprived sections and bring about positive change in the country. I am confident that the meeting will be an important step towards opposition unity. I wish you all the best for succeeding in your objective. National coordinator of Team RLD (a wing of RLD), Anupam Mishra said: The RLD stands united to strengthen opposition unity. Some agenda driven sections are spreading rumours and triggering speculations that the RLD has distanced itself from the opposition meeting, but its entirely false. Jayant Chaudhary ji is abroad for a pre-decided family engagement. What if costly Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled defence technologies and chip-embedded modern firearms, imported from advanced countries, are remotely blocked at a time the country needs them most? Defence Minister Rajnath Singh attends the Defence Dialogue program under Atmanirbhar Bharat at Surya Auditorium in Lucknow on June 17. (Deepak Gupta/Hindustan Times) Worse still, what would happen if modern imported defence technology starts leaking sensitive data to the enemy? The plot of a sci-fi thriller? Well, think again. Defence minister Rajnath Singh raised such concerns during his three-day visit to his Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency. Technology is the newest warrior to enter the battlefield. That is why we all need to be updated and vigilant and require self-reliance on arms and equipment, the defence minister said as many nations, including China, are expanding efforts to integrate AI tools in their defence technology. Today most weaponry is equipped with modern electronic systems. So, can we deny the possibility that the equipment or platform we are using might have such chips or other systems that reveal our strategic positioning or other sensitive information to the enemy? the defence minister said. We all must think about newer and emerging challenges. So, we purchase weapons from a country but could there be a scenario that while using them in adverse circumstances, those nations that have sold the weapons and technology to us, tap technology and systems to block them, he said. Imported arms have their own limitations as they come with some conditions which arent right for a sovereign nation to accept. So, for protecting countrys sovereignty if we need most advanced and equipped technology-fitted arms and ammunition, then those need to be developed indigenously for one cannot depend on others for long, he added. In the 1971 war when we required arms and ammunition, then countries to whom we turned to for help, rejected our request and we had to look for a different route. I dont want to name the countries to which we made request. During the Kargil war too, when our army required arms and ammunition, countries started preaching peace to us. Even those countries which traditionally supplied arms to us also said no, Rajnath Singh said. Countries that turn their backs when the other country is in trouble, cant be relied upon, he added. The defence minister quoted George Santayana, a Spanish-American philosopher who had famously said, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. This is a statement worth reflecting on, Rajnath Singh said while emphasising on the need to be self-reliant. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Manish Chandra Pandey Manish Chandra Pandey is a Lucknow-based assistant editor with Hindustan Times political bureau in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Along with political reporting, he loves to write off beat/human interest stories that people connect with. Manish also covers departments. He feels he has a lot to learn not just from veterans but from the newcomers who make him realise that there is so much to unlearn ...view detail Actor Shah Rukh Khans daughter Suhana Khan, who is set to make her film debut soon, has purchased farm land in Thal village in Alibaug for 12.91 crore. Interestingly, the registration documents describe Suhana Khan as an agriculturist. Suhana Khan and actor-father Shah Rukh Khan. The transaction registered on June 1 shows that 1.5-acre agricultural land along with 2,218 sq ft of structures on it has been purchased. A stamp duty of 77.46 lakh was paid by Suhana, the registration documents accessed and shared by IndexTap.com showed. The land was purchased from three sisters Anjali, Rekha and Priya Khot, who inherited the land from their parents. The property is registered in the name of Deja Vu Farm Pvt Ltd, on which SRKs mother-in-law Savita Chhibber and sister-in-law Namita Chhibber are directors. Thal village is located a 12-minute drive from Alibaug town. Shah Rukh Khan also reportedly owns a sea-facing property in Thal, with a swimming pool and a helipad. He had thrown a lavish 52nd birthday bash at the bungalow. Suhana, 23, signed her first brand endorsement in April this year with a cosmetic giant. She is scheduled to make her film debut in The Archies, directed by Zoya Akhtar for Netflix. Suhana, who graduated from Ardingly College in Sussex, UK, completed her acting degree from New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts in 2022. Several Mumbai celebrities have vacation homes in coastal Alibaug including Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli and industrialist Gautam Singhania. Connectivity to Alibaug improved after Ro-Ro and speed boats connected Mumbai to Alibaug. The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link sea bridge connecting Sewri to Nhava Sheva, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year, will further improve the road connectivity to Alibaug. The Ghaziabad municipal corporations additional municipal commissioner submitted a report after completing the inquiry into handling daily solid waste at the waste management unit or garbage factory at Ret Mandi on Thursday. Municipal commissioner Nitin Gaur ordered the inquiry after city mayor Sunita Dayal visited the unit on Tuesday and found several irregularities in handling daily solid waste. The waste management unit at Ret Mandi opened in 2022 and handles approximately 250-300 metric tonnes of solid waste per day generated by the corporations city zone. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo) The inquiry has been completed, and it has revealed that the old vendor performing manual solid waste segregation at the site has left. A new vendor has been recently assigned the job, and they are constructing a plant to separate the dry and wet waste. The setup will take about two more weeks to complete. We will also direct all workers at the site to wear protective gloves and face masks. Other issues raised by the mayor will be addressed as well, said Gaur. The wet waste will be converted to manure, while the recyclable dry waste will be removed from the units new plant. The non-recyclable dry waste will be sent to our processing site in Morta, where another vendor will acquire it for use in road construction or other activities, Gaur added. The units full operations will resume in two weeks, said civic officials with knowledge of the matter. The waste management unit at Ret Mandi opened in 2022 and handles approximately 250-300 metric tonnes of solid waste per day generated by the corporations city zone. The citys other waste management unit in Sihani processes daily waste from the Kavi Nagar zone. On Tuesday, the mayor inspected the site and declared it a dumping ground rather than a waste processing facility. She also said that the workers at the site were not wearing protective gear such as masks or gloves and that a playschool for their children was closed. The civic body set up the two units to handle daily solid waste because the city currently has no facility to scientifically process the 1,400 metric tonnes of solid waste it generates daily. There has been a proposal to build a waste-to-energy plant in Galand with a processing capacity of 2,300 metric tonnes of waste per day for the past several years. Still, no construction has begun due to residents opposition. The proposed plant will likely handle waste from the Ghaziabad municipal corporation area, Hapur district, and Dasna and Khoda towns. Two batches of medical students from the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) have returned to the Premchand Munshi boys hostel at Gautam Buddha University (GBU), where clashes erupted a fortnight ago between students and GBU security guards. On the evening of June 4, clashes erupted between students from the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) and GBU security guards in Greater Noida. The incident occurred at the Munshi Premchand hostel of GBU, where MBBS students of GIMS were housed. Four students and 11 security guards were arrested on the spot after the clashes, according to police officers aware of the matter, and up to 36 people were injured, including 22 students and 14 security guards. (ANI) According to hostel officials with knowledge of the matter, basic repairs have been completed at the hostel, and students have resumed classes as of Thursday. However, students at the hostel remain fearful and demand their hostel be relocated for their safety. The hostels repairs have been completed, and students have been asked to return. We have resumed classes for two batches of MBBS students, while classes for first and second-year students will resume on June 26, said Dr (Brig) RK Gupta, director of GIMS. On the evening of June 4, clashes erupted between students from the Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) and GBU security guards in Greater Noida. The incident occurred at the Munshi Premchand hostel of GBU, where MBBS students of GIMS were housed. Four students and 11 security guards were arrested on the spot after the clashes, according to police officers aware of the matter, and up to 36 people were injured, including 22 students and 14 security guards. Following the clashes, the students left the hostel for their homes, as the institute had preponed their summer break. GIMS officials also said a break was required to repair the damage to the hostel building. According to officials, classes for third and fourth-year MBBS students resumed on Thursday. The situation at GIMS appears to be returning to normalcy following the violence, Dr (Brig) Gupta said. However, students deferred, claiming that at least 60% of the 200 students staying in the hostel had decided to leave. We are looking for alternative accommodation outside the hostel, such as PGs or flats because we feel unsafe there. Though classes have resumed, many students have not returned because they are looking for alternate housing outside of the hostel, said a third-year MBBS student at GIMS. When asked, the GIMS director said the institute is in discussions with two other government hostels in Greater Noida to provide students with alternative housing options besides the GBU hostel. While we will not surrender the GBU hostel, we are looking to make arrangements at another government hostel in Greater Noida so that students who do not feel safe staying at the existing hostel can be given an alternative option, said Dr Gupta. He added that the institute is in talks with Dr Ambedkar SC/ST Hostel in Phi IV, Greater Noida, and Savitri Bai Phule Balika Inter College Hostel in Kasna, Greater Noida. He also said that GIMS had increased the number of security guards at the hostel. Previously, we had GIMS-deputed security guards at the hostel as well, but we have now doubled their number, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday requested union home minister Amit Shah to ban the movie Adipurush, which is embroiled in a controversy for its dialogues. Baghel had earlier said that dialogues in the film are objectionable and indecent. (Twitter | OM Raut) Shah was in Chhattisgarh for a public gathering in Durg district on Thursday. Taking to his official Twitter account, Baghel wrote, All devotees of Shri Ram and people of the state welcome Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah in nanihaal (maternal home) of Lord Ram. At the same time, I humbly request that today itself, announce to ban the film #Adipurush, which is tarnishing the image of Ramayana and Gods. Jai Siya Ram. Also Read: PM Modi-led govt brought Left Wing Extremism under control in 9 years: Amit Shah Baghel had earlier said that dialogues in the film are objectionable and indecent, and the movie is an attempt to tarnish the image of Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman. The CM had said the Congress government may consider banning it in the state if people demanded so. This is an attempt to tarnish the image of all our deities. We have seen the gentle face of Lord Ram and that of Lord Hanuman drenched in devotion, but from the last few years an attempt is being made to change this image, Baghel said. Prabhas-starrer Adipurush, a retelling of the epic Ramayana, was released last Friday. A 37-year-old woman was killed in a leopard attack at Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) near Indo-Nepal border here on Thursday morning, said the police. (Sourced pic for representation) A joint team of forest officials and the police have recovered the body of the woman from the forest area. Divisional forest officer (DFO), KWS Akash Deep Badhawan said the victim identified as Sunita Devi of Kallupurwa hamlet of the Urra village had gone to collect firewood from Motipur forest range of the Sanctuary on Thursday morning when a leopard attacked her. Those who accompanied Sunita informed the villagers about the incident. The DFO and other forest officials reached the spot after getting information about the attack and later recovered the body of the woman at the border of Motipur and Kakraha forest range of the Sanctuary in the afternoon. The body was sent for a postmortem examination. The DFO said financial assistance has been provided to the family of the deceased for performing the last rites. Some villagers claimed that Sunita was killed by a tiger. However, refuting their claims, the DFO said that the body was recovered about five hours after the incident and no body part was eaten by the animal. If a tiger had attacked and killed the woman, it could have consumed a lot of body parts in five hours, DFO added. Moreover, after examining the canine pressure marks on the neck of woman, it has been confirmed that the attack was made by a leopard and not tiger, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Meghalaya Congress president Vincent H Pala on Thursday said that his party is not averse to working with the National Peoples Party (NPP), minus the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is a coalition partner in the state government. Vincent H Pala is also the current Lok Sabha MP from Shillong parliamentary constituency. (HT Photo) This development comes days after the opposition Congress joined hands with NPP, which heads the Meghalaya government, in toppling the UDP (United Democratic Party) led executive committee (EC) in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). On Monday, six Congress members of district council (MDC) joined hands with 12 NPP councilors to topple the UDP-led EC headed by Titosstarwell Chyne in a house of 30 members. Also Read: Meghalaya: NPPs Pyniaid Sing Syiem elected unopposed as new CEM of KHADC The picture last year was different with the party suspending five MLAs, including Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Ampareen Lyngdoh for supporting the NPP-led MDA government. This time however, the state Congress chief chose to separate the two cases claiming that the MDCs had availed prior consent from the high command, which was not the case of the suspended legislators then. He said, At that time, we did not have a problem working with NPP. It was only because the BJP was there. It was clear, we cant work together with BJP, thats why in the case of Ampareen, it was different from todays case. In this case, they have joined with the power given by Delhi AICC and that time they had gone on their own. Pala, also the current Lok Sabha MP from Shillong parliamentary constituency further testified that his party had no part in toppling the UDP-led EC but attributed it to a fight between the NPP and the UDP. Categorically stating that the Congress will not benefit from the partnership with the NPP in the KHADC bearing in mind the ensuing district council elections in eight months, yet, according to him, the amendment to the Sixth Schedule, on which the party did not have a say, will now be heard. Now we can put our views forth and try to protect our people by entering in the district council and put up a resolution on how to amend the Sixth Schedule, the MP said. Stating that the BJP is trying to dilute the Sixth Schedule, by introducing a Bill in the Rajya Sabha in 2019, Pala said, The government will take up the Bill but before that, they need a resolution from the district councils and the states. So, within these months we can influence a resolution to the policies in the council so that they can accept it especially for elections of the headman, rights of people in land tenure system, it is important for us to protect, preserve and promote our people in the council. So whatever decision we are taking, it will be in the interest of the Council, he asserted. Pala added that his party is ready to support the NPP-led MDA 2.0 sans the BJP. We will be very happy if we can manage to dictate to the NPP to sever its ties with the BJP. Minus the BJP, we are ready to support and work together with the NPP in the state, there is no doubt about it, Pala told HT over phone. Citing the recent KHADC case, Pala pointed out that in the KHADC where there is no BJP presence, the CEM was elected from the NPP and the deputy CEM is from the Congress. Had the BJP been there in the KHADC, the Congress would never be ready to lend support to the NPP and the Congress is very clear that the party is ready to work with anybody except the BJP, he added, while stating that his party will remain in the Opposition bench in the assembly and will continue to take up various issues confronting the state and its people. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Thursday said that now focus should be on making the villages smart by implementing governments developmental schemes with utmost priority. UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya holding meeting with officials of rural development department of Vindhyachal and Varanasi division on Thursday. (HT Photo) While holding a meeting with officials of rural development department of Vindhyachal and Varanasi divisions here, he said, Now discussions should be done on making smart villages by ensuring all round development there. Implementation of the developmental schemes of the government should be done on priority basis. He said the state government is working in the direction of equipping the villages with smart facilities. He said as many as 100 development blocks lacking progress are being identified in UP, and added, The state government will pay full attention to develop them. He said the relationship between the block development officer and the block chief should be brotherly so that the projects can be implemented properly. The deputy CM also instructed the gram pradhans, gram vikas adhikaris and gram panchayat adhikaris to hold regular meetings and review the progress of works among themselves. He instructed the officials to ensure availability of water in Amrit Sarovar in the villages. The Dy CM said that he has instructed the chief development officers and block development officers to suggest measures regarding the problem of paucity of funds in small gram sabhas. It is the joint responsibility of everyone to plant trees and conserve water, said Maurya. Maurya said that everyone from this meeting in the city of Baba Kashi Vishwanath should return with a pledge to make their respective areas corruption free. In a daring heist, five armed criminals looted 27 lakh from the Amba-Kala branch of Bank of Baroda (BoB) by firing on a guard in Bihars Sheohar district, police said. The incident took place on Thursday when the branch had opened for business. (Representative file image) The incident took place on Thursday when the branch had opened for business. According to police, seven people with their face covered reached the bank on two bikes. Five of them entered the bank premises on the ground floor which is mostly bustling with people. Also Read: Two held in Karnal bank robbery case Minutes later, the armed robbers overpowered other customers and bankers after which they looted the cash. The banks guard tried to intervene, the robbers fired at him and broke his gun. The guard is currently undergoing treatment while the robbers remain at large. The guard is undergoing treatment in the primary health centre at Piprahi, while his gun was broken by the miscreants. The robbers also fired in the air to scare away people. Police have not been able to trace the whereabouts of the robbers so far and the search is still on. Speaking to reporters after the incident, the branch manager said the robbers were armed and had their faces covered. As soon as the robbers entered the bank, one of them bolted the main gate and forced the staff to open the strong rooms lock. Later, they took hostage all the bank employees and customers before escaping. They unlocked the door only after some customers reached the bank to deposit the money, the manager said. Seohar SP Anant Kumar Rai said police are scanning the CCTV footage to trace the culprits. Two empty cartridges were recovered from the spot and a case has been registered against unidentified persons. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The stage is set for the key Opposition unity meeting on Friday with the arrival of four chief ministers of non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled states. The meeting of opposition parties has been called by the Bihar chief minister to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP (File Photo) Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with Punjab chief minister Bhagwat Mann reached Patna on Thursday evening. Earlier in the day, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti, and Tamil Nadu CM and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M K Stalin also reached the state capital for the meeting. Also Read: Opposition parties unlikely to ink common minimum programme at Patna meet Congress president Malikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi, National Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Udhav Thackeray, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yetchury and top leaders from various regional parties would reach Patna on Friday morning, people familiar with the matter said. On Thursday, Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary wrote to Kumar informing him that he wont be able to participate in the opposition meeting due to a pre-decided family programme. Despite his decision to skip Fridays meet, the RLD leader expressed support for the intent behind the meet, and underlined that it is the need of the hour that like-minded Opposition parties unite while dictatorial and communal powers have become a threat to democracy and societal harmony. Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati will also remain absent from the meeting, who according to the Janata Dal (United) leaders has not been invited. The meeting of opposition parties has been called by the Bihar chief minister to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the ruling BJP (at the Centre) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. In the meeting, the leaders will try to identify common issues and prepare a joint statement on the purpose of their unity, but a formal common minimum programme (CMP) might not happen anytime soon, functionaries of various political outfits said. However, the biggest issue before these parties would be how major national parties (in this case Congress) give importance to regional parties as most of the parties attending the meeting are confined to states, added functionaries. Many regional outfits have expressed discomfort over an alliance that includes the Congress, which might hamstring efforts to forge opposition unity ahead of the 2024 parliamentary elections. Another contentious issue that would see interest clashing in the meeting is Delhi CM Kejriwals letter to all opposition parties making a strong bid for a discussion on the Centres ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital area, and the Congresss much-awaited response to it. Kejriwal on Tuesday wrote to the opposition parties to discuss the Centres ordinance that effectively nullifies the Supreme Court order over control of services in Delhi while alleging that similar ordinances could be brought for other states too. He appealed to the leaders of opposition parties to discuss how to defeat the bill related to the centres ordinance in Rajya Sabha. The Congress is yet to take a stand on the ordinance, and the partys state-level leaders, especially in Delhi and Punjab, have implored the senior leadership against supporting the AAP. Bihars deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday however, sidestepped queries on Kejriwal making a pitch for keeping the contentious central ordinance on top of the agenda of the June 23 opposition meeting, saying This is not the first meeting of opposition leaders nor is it going to be the last. Leaders of different hues have agreed to meet and they will all raise issues that they feel strongly about. There is no problem with that. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also downplayed Kejriwals demand saying It would be discussed later. Also Read: Non-BJP parties meeting triggers war of posters in Patna The Trinamool Congress (TMC), meanwhile called the opposition meeting a good beginning. A good beginning even before reaching PatnaAll parties working to save the Constitution of the country are on the same page on many issues. For now, we have a date, a venue and an agreement that the head of every party will attend the meeting, TMCs Rajya Sabha leader Derek OBrien said. The Bihar chief ministers initiative to get all opposition parties on board to project a unified fight against the ruling BJP in the next years general elections has evoked a positive response from several regional satraps. Kumar has been negotiating with different political parties ever since he severed ties with the BJP and formed the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) government in Bihar. Meanwhile, the BJP dismissed Kumars bid to unite the opposition, calling it daydreaming and the meeting a joke. Bihar BJP chief Samrat Choudhary said that even if they all come, they together cannot match Prime Minister Narendra Modi even by half. They neither have a leader nor any common ground. Their sole objective is to remove Modi, as they know he is here to stay, he said. Patna: Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar during the inauguration of the two-day Labour 20 (L-20) summit of group of 20 nations (G-20) in state capital Patna on Thursday urged the participants to keep in mind the human touch while dealing with the deliberations on issues of social security and womens safety at the workplace across the world. Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar inauguraties the L-20 summit in Patna on Thursday. (HT Photo) The deliberations will be futile or of no value, if we forget to give human touch to every aspect of the issues, said Arlekar, while addressing the delegates of 28 countries, including eight other nations accommodated by India. Underlining the significance of the issues to be deliberated at the L-20 summit, mainly social security of labourers and womens safety at workplace, the governor said it was a pride moment for him and Bihar to welcome the delegates, who together represents around 75 % of the total population. The history of Bihar goes back to thousands of years. It is a land of knowledge, where students from different nationalities used to seek knowledge in Nalanda university, Vaishali too is considered as the sheet of democracy, the governor said. Arlekar exhorted the participants to look into every issue in a holistic way and come out with a pragmatic solution to address them in a way that also suited human values. Hiranmaye Pandaya, president of the L20 summit, while welcoming the delegates said, I want to assure you that L-20 will not only represent the voice of G-20 nations but it will surely also represent the voice of those nations whose representative are not in the attendance, said Pandya. Altogether 173 delegates from 28 countries are participating in the conference. Apart from the G-20 countries, India, as part of its presidency, has invited Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Nepal and United Arab Emirates to join the meeting. After extensive discussion in the inception meeting of L-20 held in Amritsar from March 19- 21, 2023, a joint statement was issued on two subjects; social security and international portability of social security fund and women and future of work, Pandya said, adding that a joint statement of business and labour group of G20 would be worked out after the deliberations to be presented before the ministerial round of discussion next month. Earlier, the discussions labour related issues were held at 11 cities across the country, in which officials from the central government and the state labour departments, trade union leaders, labour and development economists, activists from the national and international labour organisations participated, said Pandya. Later in the technical session, the participants discussed on the draft of universal policy for social security draft on the context of G-20 and a majority of them favoured the idea of including the agenda that were identified by the International Labour Organization. Regarding social protection, the participants said that only 46.9% of the work force could get it in their respective countries. Old age pension has got maximum coverage in G-20 countries, said one of the participants. In this session, chairman of workers education board Virjesh Upadhyay said that social security should not be considered only the responsibility of the government and industry. This should be achieved with the participation of the society, added Upadhyay. In the same session, National Front of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU) vice president Indira Saxena said that regulation should be strengthened at the international level and added that India was taking initiative in this direction by creating a portal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After the Leader of Opposition and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) member Ajit Pawar asked for more responsibility in the party cadre with political observers seeing it as an ambition for the state unit president post, his colleague Chhagan Bhujbal on Thursday said that the partys state unit leadership should go to an Other Backward Classes (OBC) leader. The partys working president Supriya Sule said that, as sister, she wants his brothers wishes to be fulfilled. (Hindustan Times File Photo) The partys working president Supriya Sule said that, as sister, she wants his brothers wishes to be fulfilled. Addressing NCP workers in Mumbai at a meet attended by Sharad Pawar on Wednesday, Ajit said he was never interested to work as the Leader of the Opposition but accepted the role as per MLAs demand. Assign me any post in the party organisation and I will do complete justice to it, Ajit had said. Talking to reporters in Pune on Thursday, Sule said, I also want that Ajit dadas wishes to get fulfilled. The party will take the final decision. Our workers will be encouraged by giving more responsibilities to him. Whether he will be made the state chief or not depends on the party. But as a sister, I want my brothers all wishes to come true. After Sule and Rajya Sabha MP Praful Patel were made the working presidents of the party during a recent rejig, there were speculations that Ajit Pawar, who was not given any party post, may be unhappy. Ajit, however, categorically denied those rumours which were revived after his latest statement. Bhujbal said, As the Opposition leaders post is with the Maratha candidate, the state unit presidents post should go to an OBC candidate. There are many possible contenders like Sunil Tatkare, Jitendra Awhad, Dhananjay Munde and even I am ready to get the post. Bhujbal is among the seniormost leaders in the party and has held various posts in the past. Many political parties, including the BJP and the Congress have handed the state unit chiefs positions to OBC candidates. NCP can also consider it, he said. While BJPs state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule is OBC face of the party, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress chief Nana Patole also belongs to the Other Backward Category. Pune: State revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil on Thursday said that the Maharashtra government is mulling taking stringent action against milk adulteration (adulterators) namely, booking those responsible under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime (MCOCA) Act, the legalities of which are being studied in detail. Patil was addressing a meeting of top district administration officials at the Pune District Collectorate wherein he discussed a raft of issues. State revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil on Thursday said that the Maharashtra government is mulling taking stringent action against milk adulteration (adulterators) like booking those responsible under MCOCA Act. (HT) Patil said, While the action against milk adulterators has been far from satisfactory, the government is considering the option of invoking MCOCA against the accused so that a strong message can be sent out among the wrongdoers. We will also initiate criminal proceedings against cooperatives that are behind encouraging milk adulteration. Acute manpower shortage in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the reason behind the less-than-adequate action against milk adulterators, Patil lamented. The FDA is short on manpower. Therefore, the surplus manpower of Aarey will be given to the FDA which will give it more teeth. It is necessary to curb the adulteration of milk in the district as well as in the state. There are complaints of corruption in the FDA. Some people have started the business of extorting money by showing the fear of law. Acceptance of adulterated milk is mostly on the part of private plant owners. The proposal to give independent powers to the Dairy Development Department along with the FDA will now be submitted to the cabinet for action against adulteration, the minister said. Patil explained that the government will start a diploma in veterinary science to give lateral entry to those students who have completed their course in the field of dairy and agriculture. Commenting on the arrest of former divisional revenue commissioner, Anil Ramod, Patil said, It is a serious case and several agencies are involved in the investigation. A committee under additional chief secretary (revenue) will look into different aspects of restricting and overhauling the entire revenue department. The committee will submit its report within one month. It is being constituted as a number of officials related to land hearing, right from the tehsildar to other ranks in the revenue department are involved. It will result in a clear-cut resolution of the issue in the form of a policy decision, Patil said. The minister accepted that his educational institute had accepted funds from Zakir Naik some years ago. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other central agencies have given us a clean chit and at that time, Naik was not booked for any criminal offence, he said. Wednesday marked International Yoga Day and almost the entire film industry served inspiration to their fans by sharing a glimpse of their yoga routines on social media. In a rare post, Deepika Padukone shared a picture of her doing yoga and asked her fans to guess the asana she did. And among those who came up with the right answer was Alia Bhatt. Also read: Ranveer Singh holds Deepika Padukone as they dance with Sunny Deol, Sonu Nigam sings Om Shanti Om at Karan's reception Deepika Padukone shared a glimpse of her yoga routine on International Yoga Day. Sharing a picture of herself, Deepika wrote on Instagram Wednesday night, How many of you know what this asana is called? #worldyogaday. She was seen doing a yoga pose on the floor at home. She was in black gym wear. Commenting on her post, Alia Bhatt wrote, Puppy pose along with a nerd face emoji. RJ Abhinav joked, Is it Bed k neeche chappal phasi (slipper stuck under the bed) aasan? Gulshan Devaiah focused on other things and commented, Nice wall paper. A person wrote, Downward Dog pose so relaxing!! Yoga teachers In California USA call it Puppy pose, wrote another. Alia Bhatt commented on Deepika Padukone's post. Was it really a puppy pose? A yoga expert however begged to differ and wrote, This is janu-vaksha asana aka knee to chest on ground pose. Really good for relaxing the spine. It is NOT puppy pose, downward dog, not apana not anything else. @deepikapadukone. Giving it another name, a person explained its benefits as well. She wrote, @deepikapadukone this is UTTANA SHISHOSANA which relieves tension from the glutes and lower back, reduce stress and anxiety, enhancing blood circulation, balancing hormones and reducing rigidity and tightness..... This is not a puppy pose or doggy pose... It's a very good and important Yoga Asana for womens... Hope I'm right and you see it love. Deepika at Karan Deol's reception Deepika recently made an appearance at Karan Deol's wedding reception where she accompanied husband Ranveer Singh, his parents and sister. She was in a black and golden anarkali and was seen greeting the bride and groom. She also sat along with her family members to watch a performance at the reception. A video from the party also shows her dancing with Ranveer, Sunny Deol, Karan Deol and Drisha Acharya. Deepika's upcoming films Deepika will next be seen in Siddharth Anand's Fighter, opposite Hrithik Roshan. It will come exactly an year after Pathaan, her latest blockbuster. It will hit theatres on January 25. She also has Project K with Prabhas. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Nepal court on Thursday lifted the ban on Hindi films, including Prabhas-starrer Adipurush, asking authorities not to halt the screening of any movie passed by the country's censor board. Kriti Sanon as Janaki in Om Raut's magnum opus Adipurush. A dialogue of Adipurush, in which Sita is mentioned as "India's daughter", had led to the ban on all Hindi films, which was announced by Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah. Shah on Thursday said he is ready to face any punishment but will not allow the film's screening as the matter pertains to "Nepals sovereignty and independence". A single bench of the Patan High Court judge Dhir Bahadur Chand issued a short term order, stating that the screening of films that have acquired permission from the censor board should not be stopped. Bhaskar Dhungana, president of the Nepal Motion Picture Association, told media persons that the petitioners are waiting for a written order from the court. "Now we will screen all movies passed by the censor board," he said. Adipurush and other Hindi films were banned in Nepal on Monday following a controversy over its dialogues, including the mention of Sita (played by Kriti Sanon) as "India's daughter". Sita, also referred to as Janaki, is believed by many to have been born in Janakpur in southeast Nepal. In a Facebook post, Shah said that he would not "abide by the courts order". "The film's writer said that Nepal was under India, this clearly shows Indias ill intention. To term this as a stunt by the Nepal government and to issue an order by the court in favour of screening the movie means, to accept that Nepal was once under Indias rule, the court and the government are both the slaves of India, he said in the post. "I am ready to face any punishment for this but the movie won't work and won't be allowed to run," he added. Following Kathmandu Mayors decision to ban Adipurush in Kathmandu, Dharan Mayor Harka Sampang and Pokhara Mayor also followed the suit, which ultimately led to halting of the screening of "Adipurush" across Nepal. Produced by T-Series, Retrophiles and UV Creations, the film also stars Saif Ali Khan, Sunny Singh and Devdatta Nage. The makers of Prabhas, Kriti Sanon and Saif Ali Khan-starrer Adipurush have been receiving backlash for the movie's VFX as well as the dialogues and costumes used in the Om Raut film. Amid all this, Kriti Sanon's mom Geeta Sanon has shared a cryptic post on Instagram, where she spoke about not looking at a person's mistakes, but understanding their emotions. Reacting to her post, a section of Instagram users asked why she was supporting Adipurush. Also read: Kriti Sanon is 'focusing on the cheers and claps' amid Adipurush backlash Prabhas and Kriti Sanon's Adipurush was released on June 16. In Adipurush, the main characters are Prabhas' Raghav, Saif Ali Khan's Lankesh and Kriti Sanon's Janaki. The film is inspired by the Hindu epic Ramayana, which depicts the victory of Lord Ram over the demon king Ravana after latter kidnaps his wife Sita. Kriti Sanon's mother Geeta Sanon shared a post amid Adipurush backlash. Geeta Sanon's post Adipurush has been mired in controversies ever since it was released on Friday. Sharing a verse, Kriti Sanon's mother Geeta Sanon explained its meaning, and wrote in her caption, "Jai Shree Ram (Glory to Sita and Ram)." Her post read, "Jaki rahi bhavna jaisi prabhu murat dekhi tin taisi. Iska arth hai ki achi soch and drishti se dekho toh srishti sundar hi dikhegi. Bhagwan Ram ne hume sikhaya hai ki Shabri ke ber mein uska prem dekho na ki ye ki wo jhuthe the. Insaan ki galtiyo ko nahi uski bhavna samjho (It means if you'll look with a good mindset, the world will only look beautiful. Lord Ram has taught us to look for love in the berries offered to him by Shabari and not at the fact that they were half eaten. One should not look at a person's mistakes, but should understand their emotions)." Reactions to her post A comment on Geeta's Instagram post read, "You shouldnt support this anti-Hindu film blindly. You should teach your daughter Hindu values instead of encouraging her..." A person also wrote, "Dear maam this isn't the right way to defend such a big insult towards our history or God..." A comment also read, "You are supporting a film, just because your daughter is playing a role in it??" One more person said, Ma'am, with due respect, everything can't be justified to make money... at least dharm ko in sab se pare rakkhein (At least let religion stay away from films). Kriti's post on dealing with Adipurush backlash On Monday, Kriti had shared a series of videos of the audience's reaction to Adipurush via an Instagram post. The clips from inside theatres showed people cheering and clapping as they watched Kriti, Prabhas and Saif on the big screen. In her accompanying caption, Kriti wrote, Focusing on the cheers and claps! (heart and folded hands emojis) Jai Siya Ram. Adipurush controversy The film started making headlines months ago in October, when its teaser was released. Viewers mocked its cartoon-like graphics. Since its release last week, there have also been reports of sporadic protests against the film, challenging the depiction of its characters. Some in Nepal have also criticised a line from Adipurush that calls Janaki 'India's daughter'. Several viewers criticised its visual effects as well as some dialogues that they said trivialised the characters of the much-revered epic, Ramayana. Calls to ban the movie are trending on social media since Friday. Recently, Adipurush team had said that some dialogues were re-written and inserted again into the movie as they had hurt viewers. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hong Kong: Chris Sun promotes healthy families Secretary for Labour & Welfare Chris Sun and Commissioner of Police Siu Chak-yee today attended the Walk with Kids@Healthy Happy FUNday to encourage children and family members to build a healthy life through playing together. About 70 participants from more than 20 families attended the event jointly held by the Commission on Children, Police and the Social Welfare Department. They took part in ice-breaking, adventurous and experiential activities at the Junior Police Call Permanent Activity Centre & Integrated Youth Training Camp at Pat Heung to experience healthy living in an interactive and interesting manner. Children and parents also participated in sharing sessions to talk about their everyday challenges and parents' experience of overcoming the difficulties of taking care of children with specific needs. Parents were also encouraged to communicate more with their children as well as take care of their own needs. As Commission Vice-chairperson, Mr Sun said the various adventurous and experiential activities designed on-site were both fun and inspiring, adding that he hoped children and parents could play more together on weekdays, enjoy some relaxation time and foster communication for better physical and mental health. Noting that protecting children is a heavy responsibility, Mr Siu said the activities engaged families in playtime with children and encouraged the public and all sectors to work together to protect them. This story has been published on: 2023-06-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. AUSTINTexas has become the seventh state in the union to mandate age-verification in order to access pornographic sites. But unlike those passed in other states, House Bill (HB) 1181, the Texas bills identifier during the legislative session, imposes a number of drastic requirements on adult sites extending far beyond age-verification. HB 1181 was signed into law June 12 by far-right Texas Gov. Greg Abbott with literally hundreds of other bills to very little fanfare. The meager coverage it received in the mainstream media included a story by the religious Catholic Review for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and one by First Amendment attorney Ari Cohn in Techdirt.com criticizing the Texas state legislature as operating under the precept that the right to free expression simply does not exist. Similar to legislation passed in other Republican-held states like Utah and Louisiana, HB 1181which goes into effect September 1doubles down on those states' age-verification measures by mandating that adult sites include warnings declaring porn a threat to the publics health. These so-called warnings are crafted as official warnings from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission similar to those displayed on a pack of cigarettes or a 12-pack of beer. The warnings will feature the following text: Texas Health and Human Services Warning: and messages like (1) Pornography is potentially biologically addictive, is proven to harm human brain development, desensitizes brain reward circuits, increases conditioned responses, and weaken brain function; (2) Exposure to this content is associated with low self-esteem and body image, eating disorders, impaired brain development, and other emotional and mental illnesses; and (3) Pornography increases the demand for prostitution, child exploitation, and child pornography. Additionally, a message will be required at the bottom of every page of an adult website, in 14-point font or larger, with the helpline phone number for the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Allie Eve Knox, an independent performer and industry activist based in Texas, told AVN that she isnt surprised by HB 1181 becoming law. First of all, it's kind of a shit law, she said. Its kind of crazy that theyre going to deem porn a public health risk when there is no science or data behind that. In fact, there is a lot of science and data that shows porn addiction isnt real. Surgeon General warnings on cigarettes and e-cigarettes, according to Knox, are backed by data. Theres actual data and facts behind that type of stuff, she professed. Moral panic is really what is behind this. And thats fucking insane to me. But it doesnt shock me in Texas. Knox's sentiments echo those of Nicole Prause, an independent researcher on sexual behavior at the University of California-Los Angeles, who told this author in a commentary piece for Techdirt that the statements on science effects are just false, they have never been shown, when asked of the science backing the assertions in House Bill 1181s language. Prause went on to say that the science is completely fabricated and that the bill flies in the ace of scientific consensus. Knox summed up her feelings on recent Texas legislation by asserting that the state hates women. ... They have done everything they possibly could to make it the most fascist state that exists in the United States. Ari Cohn, the aforementioned First Amendment attorney, has similar objections from the standpoint of freedom of expression in Texas. Cohn, a Chicago-based free speech counsel for the tech advocacy group TechFreedom, called the state legislatures goal in House Bill 1181 generally reducing the consumption of protected expression disfavored by a government that considers it psychologically harmful to readers/views. He adds in his Techdirt column on the bill: HB 1181 seeks to protect citizens not from a product with physical effects, but rather, from ideas and how they make us think and feel. Can that be any government interest at all, let alone a substantial one? Actor Prabhjyot Singh Thukral, who was last seen in an horror comedy Atithi Bhooto Bhava and is currently shooting in Canada for an upcoming series, is happy that he is finally getting to show his acting chops. However, he reveals that after he played the role of a drug addict, Balli, in Udta Punjab (2013), he was stereotyped that led to him facing several challenges. Prabhjyot Singh on challenges as sikh actor After Udta Punjab, I was just getting roles of playing the same character or a comic role. I took one two comedies because they were good projects. But now if I look back, I can say that offer hi aisi cheezein ho rahi thi. But, when you learn to say no, that is a very big thing and you are on the right path, says the actor, adding, As a sikh actor, I have learnt to say no to a character in which I felt ki yaar script mein mazaak udaaya jaa raha hai. Agar aaj main naa kar raha hoon toh shayad koi aur bhi na kar raha hoga. And after a point, the directors and producers will start understanding that this is not what is to be done. Besides getting stereotyped for being a sikh actor, the actor also expresses how contacts and connections in the industry play a major role in finding work. I have faced a situation where I was being cast for a role, everything was locked and the budget was also done. But some star kid who had industry connections got cast instead of me, and mujhe bola gaya that project is on hold right now. When the project released, I thought this shouldnt have happened. That was unfair but you cant do anything about it. You just have to accept it, he recounts. Singhs challenge as a sikh actor doesnt end at getting stereotyped for doing comic roles as he goes on to share that he has been asked to shave his beard for certain roles. For me, accepting an offer in which I am asked to cut my beard is very difficult, because in my religion I cannot accept that. I am open to everything, but mere religion ke khilaaf jaake ya meri audience aur mere sentiments ko break karke agar koi cheez ho rahi hai, so I cant do that. Filmmakers aur audience ko accept karna chahiye ki sikh actors kya aur kaise hote hain. First, getting work was difficult, sometimes you dont even get paid and then release also gets delayed. There should be some regulations regarding these things. It is not easy to survive in this industry, he rues. Not losing hope just yet, Singh feels there is still a lot of progress for sikh actors in the industry in recent times. The credit goes to the audience for this acceptance. If people are seeing a sardar guy in a lead role, villain or cop, agar vo log accept kar rahe hain toh bhale hi ek filmmaker ussi stereotype main hai ya nahi hai, they will have to come out now or tomorrow. Crediting audiences for having evolved and become smarter, he adds, Unhe woi comedy, repeat par nahi chahiye. It has gotten better, but it will improve even more once the industry accepts it along with the audience. OTT is helping in breaking these stereotypes, because OTT ki audience samajhdaar hai, unko raw and real content chahiye hota hai, he ends. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky have successfully navigated the challenges of parenthood while keeping their love strong. Despite raising three children daughter India, 11, and twin sons Sasha and Tristan, 9 the couple's relationship has endured. Spanish actress Elsa Pataky (L) and her husband Australian actor Chris Hemsworth pose for photographers on the red carpet as they arrive for the premiere of the Netflix movie 'Tyler Rake: Extraction 2' in Berlin on June 9, 2023. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)(AFP) An exclusive source revealed to Us Weekly that Hemsworth and Pataky share a love for fun and exploration. Juggling their careers with raising three young children proved to be a significant challenge in the early years. "They'll be the first ones to tell you, it was really hard in the beginning," the insider shared. "The kids were still in diapers, and Chris' career was taking off he was working nonstop." Hemsworth's acting career skyrocketed after his role as the God of Thunder, Thor, in the 2011 superhero film. From reprising the character in various Marvel projects to starring in other action-packed movies like The Huntsman: Winter's War and Extraction, the 39-year-old actor established himself as a prominent action star. Meanwhile, Pataky, 46, has amassed an impressive list of credits since the '90s, including her appearances in four Fast & Furious films. As their children grow older and gain independence, the source revealed that Hemsworth and Pataky have grown closer than ever. The couple has faced unique challenges along the way, such as Hemsworth discovering his genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease while filming his Disney+ series Limitless With Chris Hemsworth. ALSO READ| Method Studios clarifies use of AI in Secret Invasion opening credits amid backlash In a heartwarming gesture, Pataky surprised her husband with an old-age makeover on the show, allowing him to see what she might look like in the future in case he were to forget. Hemsworth expressed, I think what is quite confronting is approaching that age on my own.What makes it less scary is having someone to experience it with. Having people around you that you love makes me feel a lot more accepting." Currently, the pair is enjoying sharing their love for acting with their children. All three kids had roles in Hemsworth's fourth Marvel solo film, Thor: Love and Thunder. Pataky made a cameo appearance as one of Thor's former love interests, while Tristan briefly portrayed a younger version of the superhero in a montage. Plus, India played the onscreen daughter of Christian Bale's character, Love, whom Thor adopts at the end of the movie. Source: US Weekly Kim Kardashians choice to allow her daughter access to TikTok has often raised eyebrows. But the Reality TV star proved her competency as a parent. She has always defended her decision to allow North West to use TikTok as a means to express her creativity. "She loves making slime videos and doing her little hair tutorials, and I will fight for her to be creative," she stated toTIME. Kim Kardashian with her oldest daughter North West However, the SKIMS mogul does monitor her daughters activity on social media. Previously, Kim Kardashian deleted one of her North Wests TikToks. The 10-year-old girl had dressed up as the rapper, Ice Spice, and lip-synched the lyrics to her latest hit,Boys a Liar, Pt. 2 with PinkPantheress. Netizens were quick to point out the salacious nature of the lyrics. In an interview withTIME Magazine, she addressed this incident. "As soon as I saw the words, I was like, 'Oh no, we're taking this down,' " she said and added, I saw [people saying] on the internet, 'Kanye was right,' and maybe he was in that instance." Kanye West has explicitly expressed his disapproval of their daughters access to social media. "My children ain't going to be on TikTok without my permission," he told Jason Lee fromHollywood Unlocked. But he seems to have reluctantly agreed with his ex-wife on certain conditions regarding their daughters usage of TikTok. Kim Kardashian continues to defend her choice of allowing her daughter to post videos on TikTok. In a conversation with Gwyneth Paltrow, she revealed, The way that she is so creative, the way that she loves to do TikTok and do these videos, and she'll take my phone and do skincare stuff," she gushed in reference to North West. "She loves special effects makeup, so she'll be doing scars and faces and bullet wounds. She takes classes on it, and that's what she loves to do so she loves to show it." She is immensely encouraging of her daughters artistic abilities. Also Read | Guess what Kim Kardashian and North West are doing in the new Paw Patrol movie? Kanye West has expressed his appreciation for his ex-wife Kim Kardashians supervision and regulation of their daughter North Wests engagement with social media. Marvel and Disney have reportedly decided not to hold a Hall H presentation at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, as reported by The Wrap. Kevin Feige throwing speech at Hall H. (Image Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney) The Hall H panel is one of the biggest highlights of the convention, drawing massive crowds of eager fans. But, this year, Marvel's presence will be limited to a booth on the show floor. Disney has yet to make an official announcement, but this news doesn't come as a surprise. Why the setback?. One of the primary reasons for Marvel's absence from the event could be the ongoing writers' strike against studios. Plus, the Screen Actors Guild has approved a strike that may come into effect on July 1. With potential strikes looming and the absence of actors and writers, it becomes challenging to envision directors being enthusiastic participants in a panel. It would also be difficult for the studio to conceal the absence of its star-studded cast from the event. This issue extends beyond Disney, as HBO and Universal are also mentioned in The Wrap's report as potentially not hosting panels. Another factor that may have contributed to Disney and Marvel's decision is the lack of major announcements to make. Last year's SDCC panel featured sneak peeks at projects like Secret Invasion, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which have since been released. Disney's recent schedule adjustments have left few immediate releases for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The ongoing writers' strike could potentially lead to further delays in upcoming projects. While there are still a couple of Disney+ series in the pipeline, the absence of actors and writers would hamper promotional efforts. Although there may be exciting casting announcements, these cannot be made during a strike. Fans can take solace in the fact that announcements regarding the future of the MCU will inevitably arrive through alternative channels. ALSO READ| | Which one?, Khloe Kardashian reveals hilarious reply to Michele Morrone's 'How is your dad?' question In the past, Disney and Marvel have skipped Comic-Con and Hall H, opting to make major announcements during Disney's investor day, typically held in November or December. This timing aligns more favorably with the potential resolution of strikes, allowing Marvel to unveil their plans for the MCU without any hindrances. Eager fans can look forward to alternative platforms, such as Disney's investor day, where Marvel is likely to share their future plans for the MCU. Method Studios, the team behind Marvels latest mini-TV series Secret Invasion, has responded to the controversy surrounding the use of AI in the creation of the opening credit sequence. Marvel's Secret Invasion introduction sequence(Marvel) Contrary to earlier reports, the studio clarified that AI was just one tool among many used by human artists during the creative process. In a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter, Method Studios emphasized that their use of a custom AI tool was in line with the project's overall theme and desired aesthetic. AI is just one tool among the array of toolsets our artists used, the statement read. The statement highlighted that the incorporation of AI did not replace No artists' jobs but rather complemented and assisted the creative teams. According to Method Studios, The entire process, guided by expert art direction, encompassed the initial storyboard phase, illustration, AI generation, 2D/3D animation and culminated in the final compositing stage, ensuring a cohesive and visually appealing outcome. The controversy stemmed from an interview between director Ali Selim and Polygon, who mentioned the use of AI technology in the Secret Invasion title sequence. But, Method Studios' statement contradicts this claim, asserting that AI was just one component of the overall creative toolkit. Selim shared, When we reached out to the AI vendors, that was part of itit just came right out of the shape shifting, Skrull world identity, you know? Who did this? Who is this? The debate around using AI for artistic purposes has sparked significant backlash online. While Method Studios maintains that AI was used in conjunction with human artists, the discussion surrounding the role of AI in art creation continues to evolve. ALSO READ| | Marvel uses AI to animate the opening sequence for Secret Invasion, fans not impressed Marvels new television miniseries brings back Nick Fury in this spy thriller. At the end of Captain Marvel, Nick Fury promised to help Skrulls find a new home but 30 years later, he is yet to fulfill his promise. Enraged, a group of Skrulls have infiltrated the worlds top institutes and are threatening to take Earth as their new home by destroying humanity. Nick Fury and his allies must thwart their plans and save the world! Secret Invasion, including the disputed title sequence, is currently available for streaming on Disney Plus. In Swiss filmmaker Lisa Gerig's The Hearing, which played at the Sheffield Doc Fest, four asylum seekers re-enact their conversations with the authorities in order to determine whether they will be given the permission to stay in the country. These are four people who come from different parts of the world, with incredibly difficult histories and traumas. Will they be able to convince the authorities-working for the Secretary of State for Migration (SEM), who are scrutinizing every single move of these applicants as they answer questions, which are recorded as per protocol? The exercise of documentation turns into a double-edged sword by the end of this 81 minute film, hiding an immensely defiant, humane twist halfway through the proceedings. (Also read: No Winter Holidays review: Doc on two widows surviving in the hills is wondrous in style, frustrating in effect) A still from The Hearing, which premiered at the Sheffield Doc Fest. The setting and re-enactment The Hearing begins with the space of the Swiss office being set up before the interviews begin. It's a characterization in itself- blank white painted walls without any character of its own- and it is almost like a construction of a stage before a play. The government officials also arrive without fuss and get ready for a day of work. That's exactly where the cruelty of The Hearing stems from, how the real-life stories that will eventually decide the futures of the asylum seekers are examined with tautness and precision. The attendees in focus are a Nigerian woman, a man from Cameroon, a trans woman from Sri Lanka and a young Afghan man. Their interviews are mediated in the presence of a translator, the government official asking the questions, and another person seated by the computer- responsible for recording each detail as per protocol. A fourth person records the procedure and sits on the table overlooking the entire conversation, and takes notes in-between. Gerig's camera situates these vulnerable characters at a sincere distance, and is keenly observant of the ways in which their horrific and painful experiences are transferred through the translator. Language difference is an unspecified line drawn here- the officials speak a different language and the asylum seekers do not always know what to interpret from their manner of asking these questions. For instance when the official insists on taking a ten-minute break inbetween the session, the simple implication is lost on the seeker who feels as if they have said something wrong in the conversation. Questioning the system, not the stories Lisa, who co-edited The Hearing with Ruth Schlaepfer, intercuts the sessions of the three applicants in parallel tracks, stays for the pauses in-between questions and answers mirroring a tense anticipation. The process is cathartic and deeply personal, but The Hearing is not interested in exposing the traumas of these vastly different subjects, but rather in interrogating the sufficiency of her country's authority to take the final decisions based on these stories. "You have to tell them everything about yourself, youre naked before them," is how one of them describes the process. The shift in perspective Just as one begins to follow and question the ways in which the process can come to a culmination, Lisa takes on a reverse point of view perspective that provides The Hearing with a bravado very much its own genius. The Hearing takes a 180 turn with the seekers now taking the position of the official, and asking them questions about how they got into this particular profession and their opinions on the authenticity of these applicants and their stories. The shift in focus infuses the film with a startling sense of urgency. The contrast in energies is made clear. It is an experiment that succeeds in showing the subjective and objective distance between the positions of power, ultimately challenging the reasons that are given by the management to deal with the refugee crisis. At the end, when the results of these applications arrive, their fate is sealed. This is a thought-provoking, ferocious film that wants to ask the right questions. (Santanu Das is covering Sheffield Doc Fest for Hindustan Times as part of the accredited press.) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Vijay is celebrating his 49th birthday on June 22. On the special occasion, the first look poster of Lokesh Kanagaraj's Leo was unveiled and it received an overwhelming response from Vijays fans. At midnight, the makers dropped the first look poster of Leo and surprised fans. It shows Vijay with a hammer in his hand. Also read: Lokesh Kanagaraj talks about future plans, says I will do ten films and quit Leo first look poster features Vijay in a new avatar. Vijay's Leo poster The first look features Vijay wielding a bloodied sledgehammer. Sharing it on Twitter, Lokesh Kanagaraj wrote, "Leo first look is here! Happy Birthday @actorvijay anna (brother)! Elated to join hands with you again na! Have a blast!" Lokesh's tweet had almost 45000 retweets within eight hours. Leo has been shot in Kashmir. The upcoming movie has garnered a fair deal of attention as it is reportedly set in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe, which includes Kaithi and Vikram. Reaction to Leo poster Reacting to the film's first look poster, a fan tweeted, "Is it a Kollywood film (Tamil) or Hollywood?" One more said, "Cannot wait for this one!" A tweet also read, "What a surprise. Happy birthday anna (brother)! Have the best year ahead." A person also tweeted, "This is unexpected but so cool." About Leo Leo, which marks Lokesh Kanagarajs second film with Vijay after Master, also stars Trisha, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun, Priya Anand, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Mansoor Ali Khan, Sandy and Mysskin. The film is being produced by Lalit Kumar of Seven Screen Studio, with the music composed by Anirudh Ravichander, marking his third collaboration with Lokesh (after Master and Vikram ) and his third with Vijay (after Kaththi and Master). Leo has cinematography by Manoj Paramahamsa and editing by Philomin Raj. Leo release date Leo is currently in the shooting phase, as per reports. The film will hit theatres in October 2023. As per latest reports, Leo will not only be released in major Indian languages, but will also have a release in foreign languages upon its OTT premiere. The film will reportedly be released in German and other foreign languages through Netflix, which has acquired the streaming rights. ott:10 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On early Tuesday morning, the news of their child's birth was shared on a medical bulletin which was released by Apollo Hospital. It read, Miss Upasana Kamineni and Ram Charan Konidela had a baby girl on 20th June 2023, at Apollo hospital Jubilee Hills Hyderabad. The baby and mother are doing well. Next day, videos of Ram's parents Chiranjeevi and Surekha visiting a Hyderabad hospital to meet their newborn granddaughter had surfaced online. Niharika Konidela's reaction Now in an interview with Times of India, Niharika described Rams daughter as the cutest little bundle of joy. She said, "Charan anna is the most loving and caring person youll ever meet. And Upasana is one strong woman. With those two at the helm, the baby girl is in very safe hands. Im sure they will make great parents. Jr NTR and Samantha Ruth Prabu's reactions Reacting to the news, earlier Ram's RRR co-star Jr NTR had congratulated the couple on Twitter and said, Congratulations @AlwaysRamCharan and @upasanakonidela. Welcome to the parents club. Every moment spent with the baby girl will be an unforgettable memory for a life time. May God bless her and you all with immense happiness." Meanwhile, actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu took to Instagram Stories and congratulated the new parents. She said, "So so happy for the both of you (red heart emoticons) @alwaysramcharan @upasanakaminenikonidela Can't wait to meet the little princess. (smiley face emoticons)" Ram and Upasana tied the knot on June 14, 2012. The two announced her pregnancy in December 2022. With the blessings of Shri Hanuman ji, we are delighted to share that Upasana and Ram Charan are expecting their first child. With love and gratitude Surekha and Chiranjeevi Konideli, Shobana and Anil Kamineni, the couple and family said in the pregnancy announcement. ott:10 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT Entertainment Desk Dedicated professionals who write about cinema and television in all their vibrancy. Expect views, reviews and news. ...view detail Samuel L. Jackson saw it coming. The actor, whos played Nick Fury in more than 10 Marvel projects, says hes hardly surprised at the thunderous success the Marvel Cinematic Universe has become. Elsewhere, Olivia Colman is disappointed she didn't get bitten by something radioactive. When she first got the call to step into the Marvel Cinematic Universe to be a part of Secret Invasion - the latest MCU series, now streaming on Disney+Hotstar - it wasnt to play a superhero but M16 agent Sonya Falsworth. Samuel L Jackson is back as Nick Fury and Olivia Colman plays Sonya Falsworth in Secret Invasion. Secret Invasion follows the Skrulls - a race of shape-shifting aliens (first seen in 2009s Captain Marvel). While taking refuge on Earth and living in hiding over the years, they've evolved into extremists now looking to secretly infiltrate the governments of the world. It's left to Nick Fury to deal with the threat. The series also stars Emilia Clarke, Ben Mendelsohn and Kingsley Ben-Adir. Over Zoom, Samuel L Jackson and Olivia Coleman spoke to me about the new series, wishing their characters could fly and the beast of Marvel. Edited Excerpts: Sam, you've now played Nick Fury, this beloved character, in countless Marvel projects. If Samuel L Jackson from back in 2008 - who'd just made a cameo in Iron Man and was maybe gearing up to do the first Avengers movie - could see you today, now having played this character for so many years, what do you think he'd say? Sam: I think hed say I knew it was going to happen. Ive been very fortunate that Ive been in franchise films like Jurassic Park and Star Wars, so Ive been travelling through these huge films for a while. These movies have huge fanbases, and Im one of those people. Im a fan. And those are the movies I wanted to be in. Ive been very fortunate to create this fantastic body of work and to have portrayed characters that people relate to and like. But Im still trying to get back into that Star Wars franchise! (laughs) Olivia, when you first got that call about stepping into the beast of the MCU, were there any fellow actors you reached out to for advice on what to expect from stepping into this massive fandom world? Olivia: No, I said yes instantly. Maybe I should've asked for advice (laughs). But no I didn't need to do any research or ask anyone, I just said yes. When you got the call, were you disappointed you weren't being asked to play a superhero? Olivia: Oh god yes. I think I asked a couple of people if I can be bitten by something or fall into a vat of. I sort of imagined that if I ever did a Marvel movie, that Id be able to fly, and zap people. But actually this has turned out to be an awful lot of fun. I think Sonia has lots of fun without the need to fly. Sam: You may be flying before its over, you never know. They might hook you up (laughs). The Marvel universe has evolved a great deal over the years. Today we've got multiple shows and movies releasing every year. As an audience, what do you look for in a Marvel project today? Sam: Its hard to say these days because they're so many iterations of characters and so many different kinds of stories to tell. From a huge cosmic universe to the things that are happening to regular people down here on Earth, with people that are just living their lives . Regular people or almost regular people, like the Spider-Man and Ant-Man of it all to Carol Danvers being able to leap through different galaxies. So, your expectation is it's going to be something special and something that gives you an opportunity to get away from your daily routine and hopefully be entertained. The second and final part of the Indian adaptation of The Night Manager is set to release on Disney+ Hotstar on June 30. Ahead of the much-awaited release, director Sandeep Modi sat down with Hindustan Times to take a deep dive into the challenges of creating an adaptation, taking some of those inspired casting choices, and finally, the reaction of the OG Night Manager Tom Hiddleston! (Also read: Tom Hiddleston video calls Aditya Roy Kapur after watching The Night Manager, Katrina Kaif goes 'wow') Sandeep Modi shares how Tom Hiddleston reacted when he watched the Indian adaptation of The Night Manager, What is the best thing you have been told about The Night Manager? I think the best thing I have been told about The Night Manager is that it is as good as the original. I really rate the original very highly and some people told me that... I really pinch myself that some people in the world, some small segment feel that our show is as good as the original. That is a huge thing for me! I I am very happy about that and I am holding on to that message that I have got from a few people and that really means a lot to me. One of the few people also told me this... it was actually Tom Hiddleston. I had gone to London for the screening and he saw the opening episode and he said I want to watch more. I said I have only carried one more episode! He sat through that too. He said I really want to watch the whole show. I didn't know how he would react to the same story being told in India but it gripped him, captivated him and I remember him saying I want to speak to the actor who has played my part. So I called Aditya (Roy Kapur) and he said, 'Man, I think its like when you run a relay race and the first one as just completed a circle and the second one goes for it. Its like you fixed everything that I felt I had missed out on, and some places you played homage by changing what I had done, it means so much to me.' I think that was one of the most beautiful conversations I have had about the show. I will come to Tom Hiddleston bit in a while. So, the reaction to The Night Manager Part 1 was interesting in a sense that many were left wanting more. Was it always a decision to break the show into two parts? Actually, it was not a decision right from the onset. After filming once we were on the edit table, there were many days when we would just watch all the episodes back to back. Whenever we would watch them all that is when we realized that it is a show that ideally needs to be seen not like a binge. There is a joy in ruminating the show. Somewhere we were fiddling with the idea that should we do a weekly drop of an episode like a lot of shows do? That is when I floated the idea that is there a possibility of not releasing like a binge, and the platform was quite surprised! They said normally makers come to us insisting on a binge but they understood what I meant but they suggested that instead of doing a weekly drop we will be keen to do a split if you are okay with that and while it wasn't the original intention but yeah, we have adapted to it. And we have tasted success with it so far. So I am sure it was not a bad idea so far! What was the biggest challenge for you in terms of adapting the show for an Indian audience, and shoot in some specific locations like Sri Lanka when you have a show that has had international success; they know about the characters and the story. I think one of the first challenges in my head was why am I making this show and if it is not Indian-ised enough and does not feel desi then I might as well turn it on with the Hindi audio. Why are we making it if it does not feel like a show which is connected with our land? So the challenge was to find the same point in history and time and character which give the story a life of its own in Asia. That was the tough part for me, whether it was finding the start in Dhaka, and from there wind it to Sri Lanka where Shelley lives, and here also we were using bits of mythology. We said if it is a Raavan we are creating then he has to live in a Lanka! It is a great bit for whoever catches it. The characters came not just in the writing but also in the casting. Like Anil (Kapoor) Sir came on and he was like. 'Why is it in Hindi cinema we have always been enamored by villains from a particular community?' 'Why can't the villain be from a different town?' So he said let's go for a Rungta, which was a contribution from AK. I remember receiving a voice note from his phone one fine morning and it just said "Rungta! Shelley Rungta!" (laughs) He said it five times and I said 'Okay AK, I think that sounds great!" I was keen that this is a new society that we live in, its has multicultural facets to it. To give someone a singular identity was not feeling right and that's where we went for Shaan Sengupta who's half-Bengali, half-Punjabi, which is real to the times we are in. So somewhere all the Indianisation also happened from things like these. Shridhar (Raghavan, writer) and me deep-dived into the history, and it was Shridhar who came up with this which had a larger impact yet went unnoticed in our Indian audiences, which was the Myanmar-Rohingya crisis. We took that as a starting point and built around it. Since you were talking about casting and we are midway through the show, let us talk a little about the cast. One of the main takeaways from the show for me was Saswata Chatterjee as BJ and the manner in which he is so playfully cruel. How did that collaboration come about? I think firstly kudos to... not just Saswata Da but also to Mukesh Chhabra (casting director) for this inspired choice. It was his idea. I think Dada is such an excellent actor and he is such a sweet guy. I was surprised that Sujoy Da (director Sujoy Ghosh) cast him as Bob Biswas for Kahaani. I was quite intrigued how do we use him and he said, 'Listen I don't know how to play a killer!' I just told him to be sweet! That's what we did, where his words were sharp enough but his smile was so devious that we found the joy in it. For me the best moments were the bond that developed between Saswata da and Anil Sir. Anil Sir said to call him and have lunch together at my house. So for four days all we did was have lunch and read the scenes, and for four days Saswata da would talk to him as Anil Sir. On the fifth day, Saswata da lost it, and said, Anil Ji what is the plan, just tell me! And Anil Sir said, This is the plan. You need to stop thinking of me as some star. Me and Anil Sir had made this whole plan together because there was a certain fandom we had to remove and then they bonded. Its a very small nuance, where one of them lights a cigarette and they both share it! This is the bond that they developed, and kudos to Saswata da for committing to it in the middle of all his hectic schedule and he really gave it all. Tell us also a little bit about the casting of Tillotama Shome as Lipika Saikia Rao. She brings such unexpected bite to the show overall. How did that collaboration come from? I was quite keen to cast Tillotama the day we had locked Anil Sir and Adi for the leads. This show needed a texture which was beyond Bollywood and I keep adding this Sholay reference! Lipika is Thakur and Gabbar is Shelley! So a great actor from parallel cinema, if I can call that- with Tillotama would be an excellent choice. She is strong in her silences; her doggedness is beautiful. So I was quite keen to cast her and I love her work. I have been following her work since Monsoon Wedding, so yeah-- I convinced in this case, to Mukesh Chhabra, to pursue Tillotama for this part. Kudos to her, she came in and said she doesn't want to watch the original and have any inspiration from the original at all. I will just read the material and decide to take a leap out of it. She is this woman next door and there is a beautiful realness to her which I thought would be a great foil to the glossy world of Shelley Rungta. It is a clash of two worlds, the haves and the have-nots. Who better than Tillotama to lead the side! Since you already mentioned the meeting with Tom Hiddleston, tell us about his reaction to the show. After our first part had released, the producers from London decided to do a small private screening for people who had worked in the original series. We didn't know whether Tom was going to make it, he was shooting somewhere else and he promised to be there only for say a bit if he can at all. I landed there and went straight to the screening and the next moment Tom walked in! I was like it is actually happening and is he going to watch it? It hit me for the first time that he is going to see the show! The original creators, producers would watch we had done to their version. The first episode was done and I was outside and I thought maybe Tom and everyone else would want to sneak out... but he came and said that he loved it and wanted to see more! So he saw one more episode that we had and we spoke at length after it. He loved what we had done to the show and said how it felt like the same story but an Indian story this time. He loved what Aditya did, what Anil Sir did to it. He was very sweet. That was the best reaction. I remember the party had been on for some time and he was there with us till the end. That is something which I will cherish forever. CHATSWORTH, Calif.Pineapple Support, one of the leading mental health nonprofits, has welcomed GridFlicks as a supporter-level sponsor. The multi-viewer for adult cam sites joins over sixty adult businesses and organizations in committing funds and resources to the organization. GridFlicks created an opportunity for models to earn passive income from non-paying users to alleviate financial stress and work hours, says Linley Thompson, director of engagement at GridFlicks. Once we learned Pineapple Support provides access to quality mental health services for models, supporting its mission was an easy decision to make. Pineapple Support was founded by British performer Leya Tanit in 2018, after a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. The organization, a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States, has connected over 10,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling, and emotional support. "I'm very grateful to GridFlicks for their support," says Leya Tanit, founder and CEO of Pineapple Support. "I'm reassured by the backing of such a well-known adult brand, sending a clear and positive message to the industry that the mental health of performers is critical to the health of our industry." To learn more about becoming a sponsor of Pineapple Support, please visit pineapplesupport.org/ sponsorship. Details about additional ways to support, as a company or individual, can be found on the organizations website pineapplesupport.org. My visit to New Delhi this week, upon the invitation of minister of external affairs, Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, to co-chair the 5th meeting of the Philippines-India Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC), sustains the momentum of high-level engagements between the Philippines and India over the past five years. India - Philippines relations This speaks of our two countries shared commitment to broaden and deepen our ties, building on our shared histories, common international outlook, and vast potential for future-oriented engagement. Indeed, the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and India, which will mark their 75th year in 2024, are on the threshold of a new age of a transformative partnership. Our historical connections are woven into centuries of trade and cultural exchanges and parallels in our colonial experiences. Robust pre-colonial ties are evident in centuries-old ancestral gold jewelry from the maritime kingdoms of the Philippines depicting the kinnari of Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Our nations both overcame colonial rule with the force of intellect of our respective heroes Jose Rizal, Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. The struggle for independence and subsequent nation-building on the basis of democratic principles and ideals form a tapestry of common national narrative, which brings forth a sense of solidarity and mutual understanding between our peoples. We will draw from the depth of these bonds as we engage in productive discussions in the coming days. The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and Group of 77 have provided the backdrop for the Philippines and India to work with developing country partners. We have served as beacons of independence and self-determination of States and the voice of the developing world at the dawn of the United Nations (UN). This tradition continues in the NAM and the Group of 77, and other groupings in the UN system, that seek to foster inclusion and equity, build bridges and forge consensus from diverse and sometimes divergent interests, in order to find durable solutions to the worlds most pressing problems. The Philippines and India are steadfast champions of the rule of law, democracy, and multilateralism. We have consistently advocated for outcomes-based approaches to address critical global issues. India's presidency of the G20 this year provides a significant boost to these longstanding advocacies, further galvanising collective action on these issues of defining importance in the 21st century. The Philippines and India have each endeavored to make multilateralism more constructive, inclusive and equitable. As long as there is no credible alternative to the UN and multilateral institutions, we must continue in making these institutions work, and be more responsive to the needs and concerns of our peoples. We have also worked closely as dialogue partners within the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean). Asean attaches high importance to Indias enduring commitment to Aseans centrality in our regions security architecture. India's Indo-Pacific Strategy, introduced in 2018, converges with the Asean Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, particularly in their mutual goal of maintaining a free, open, and inclusive region, and in their emphasis on maritime and development cooperation and adherence to international law. The Philippines shall continue engaging India, with our Asean co-member States and other bilateral partners and groupings in creating strong regional partnerships that will underpin the architecture for peace and prosperity for the Indo-Pacific in the decades to come. My mission to India is to tap new synergies in Manilas collaboration with New Delhi within vital international platforms and invigorate bilateral cooperation. I am pleased and honored to lead an inter-agency country delegation whose membership signals this intent to forge partnerships in new areas. First among this is health security, covering research and development, investments in new technologies, and exchanging best practices in delivering life-saving medicines and services to those who need them most. We also seek broader cooperation in food and energy security, which is a priority of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr. Both our nations confront the challenge of meeting the needs of our expanding populations in the face of climate change. We hope to glean insights from India regarding the latest research and application of new technologies to enhance agricultural output and bolster our resilience against natural disasters. We aspire to expand collaboration on fisheries and marine culture, tapping into the vast potential of our coastal resources for sustainable development. The Philippines also recognises Indias leadership in developing renewable energy, particularly wind and solar. We can promote partnerships between our businesses as we both embark on the quest of decarbonisation of our industries and transitioning towards clean and sustainable energy sources. The opportunities in, and complexities of the cyber- and outer-space domains also present potentials for expanding our bilateral cooperation. We can cooperate as we both promote the equitable and democratic access to outer space and space-based technologies of our societies, but also in effectively addressing security challenges, including in ensuring data and privacy protection, especially with the increasing application of fintech in our local economies. Lastly, as maritime nations situated at the crossroads of the world's busiest sea lanes, the Philippines and India share a vested interest in maritime security and the preservation of our invaluable marine resources. We must intensify our engagement on knowledge-sharing and capacity-building initiatives to uphold seafaring standards, promote adherence to maritime trading rules, and enforce marine environmental protection measures. This way, we are able to not only safeguard the safety and security of our oceans, but also ensure the long-term resilience and prosperity of the communities reliant on these waters for their livelihoods. As I embark on this important visit to Indias vibrant capital, I do so with an unwavering belief in the transformative potential of the Philippines-India partnership, powered by a rich history and a shared aim for a rules-based international order governed by the principles of equity and of justice. With the Philippines determination to be a friend to all and Indias policy to Act East, our bilateral relationship holds the promise of unlocking new avenues of cooperation. Let us seize this moment by working together with vigor to build a brighter future for our nations. This article is authored by Enrique A Manalo, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The acquisition of 31 MQ-9B next-generation armed drones from the US, in a government-to-government deal estimated to be worth $3 billion, will significantly boost the Indian militarys strength as the versatile remotely piloted aircraft system has the capability to strike targets with its on-board weapons, it can carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and its other roles include electronic warfare, defensive counter air and airborne early warning, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday. PREMIUM Union minister Rajnath Singh-led defence acquisitions council had on June 15 given clearance for procuring the drones made by General Atomics (PTI) Indias defence acquisitions council (DAC), the countrys apex weapons procurement body, had on June 15 given the clearance for procuring the drones made by General Atomics, in the run-up to Prime Minister Narendra Modis first State visit to the US. Defence minister Rajnath Singh heads the DAC. Read: PM Modi, Joe Biden to announce defence drones deal. Facts about MQ-9B Predator India and the US have engaged in talks on the acquisition of the drones for about eight years. The Indian Navy currently operates a pair of MQ-9B SeaGuardian unarmed drones leased from the US three years ago to boost its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. The MQ-9Bs have helped the navy keep a close watch on the Indian Ocean at a time when it has stepped up surveillance in the region to check Chinas ambitions. These drones have also been used for intelligence collection along the countrys northern borders where India has been locked in a border row with China for more than three years, a tense period that has seen a significant military build-up on both sides of the contested Line of Actual Control. The acquisition of the armed drones gained urgency after the military standoff with China in the Ladakh sector began in May 2020, increasing the Indian militarys need to enhance its vigil along the disputed border and stay prepared for any contingency. Read: India will acquire MQ 9B drones from US in phased manner, weapons in phase II The future of air combat is unmanned, and recent global conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war, have underlined the important role that armed drones can play, said Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), director general, Centre for Air Power Studies. The armed MQ-9B drones will multiply the operational capabilities of the three services. The USs decision to export the sophisticated drones to India reflects the close military and strategic partnership between the two countries. Also, as much as India needs the US for sourcing latest technology, Washington needs New Delhi for its global strategic rebalancing, especially as a democratic counterweight to autocratic China, Chopra added. Fifteen drones will be for the navy, and eight each for the army and the Indian Air Force, the officials said. The DACs acceptance of necessity, or AoN, is the first step in the formal procurement process, which will need to be cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by the Prime Minister. The two sides will also need to conclude negotiations on the final pricing of the drones. Read: India to buy drones during Modi's US visit. 5 points about deadly MQ-9B Reapers The US government approved the sale of the armed drones to India more than two years ago. Talks between the two sides on the deal proceeded in fits and starts and were reportedly affected by New Delhis focus on the Make in India initiative for developing and manufacturing defence hardware. In early June, India and the US announced the conclusion of a new roadmap for future defence industrial cooperation with the goal of fast-tracking technology cooperation and co-production in critical areas such as air combat and land mobility systems; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; munitions, and the undersea domain, in a renewed push for deepening collaboration in the sector. Removing roadblocks to industrial cooperation was also discussed during delegation-level talks between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his American counterpart Lloyd J Austin earlier this month. A man was arrested and a boy detained by the Delhi Police on Thursday in connection with the purported leak of CoWIN data, people familiar with the matter said, adding that the juvenile was the son of a healthcare worker whose credentials were abused to gain access. The disclosures prompted criticism from experts and Opposition leaders, but the government denied a direct breach of the CoWIN database.(HT_PRINT) On June 12, reports said sensitive personal information, including identity document numbers such as those of Aadhaar and passports, was freely accessible via a service hosted on the instant messaging application Telegram. The disclosures prompted criticism from experts and Opposition leaders, but the government denied a direct breach of the CoWIN database, which has information of people who received Covid-19 vaccines. Read: CoWIN data leak: How a bot reignited privacy fears The Union health ministry did not issue a statement or respond to queries regarding the arrests on Thursday. A senior official in the central government, requesting anonymity, however, said that it was an ongoing investigation. The Delhi Police are investigating the case; it is too early to comment, or share, the details of investigation. It will be clearer what exactly happened once the investigation is complete. According to people aware of the matter, the man arrested on Thursday was allegedly behind the Telegram service, which was an automated chatbot. While details were not offered by officials, those aware of the matter said the chatbot made use of facilities for healthcare workers to log into CoWIN to help people schedule vaccination or make other updates to their data an option that possibly allowed access to the sort of data that was leaked to users. The mother of the minor is a government health worker, officials said, asking not to be named. Delhi Police did not respond to requests for a comment. While it is understandable that the investigation is underway and details may yet to be pieced together, the prosecuting agencies and the ministries involved must be transparent and disclose the extent, if at all, of personal information jeopardised -- and what recourse people can take if indeed so. HT was privy to the discussions at an associated Telegram group where the developer of the bot made certain claims, including indicating that he tailgated an application programming interface (API). HT could not verify this persons claims but experts said that it seemed to be a plausible explanation for what may have happened. An API is a gateway for one programme to exchange information with another, and is often deployed for legitimate access for a variety of reasons, including for Asha workers who use apps to register beneficiaries through their mobile phones. Read: 'Who let this happen?': Karti Chidambaram slams govt after 'CoWin data breach' The identity of the developer of the bot is unknown but the person ran a programming hobby group called hak4learn. The groups Instagram and Telegram account have since been taken offline. The June 12 incident triggered a political firestorm after the leaked data purported to show the Aadhaar card numbers, along with gender, date of birth and vaccination centre of senior politicians such as Rajya Sabha MP and Trinamool Congress leader Derek OBrien, former Union ministers P Chidambaram and Jairam Ramesh, and Congress leader KC Venugopal. The Union health ministry has asked the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to probe the incident, and the Union health ministry initiated a separate process review. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Wednesday said President Joe Biden will not lecture Prime Minister Narendra Modi on democracy. Sullivan told reporters that President Biden is expected to raise America's concerns about India's recent democratic record but in a way that the US doesn't seek to lecture or assert that we dont have challenges ourselves. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. (AFP) Sullivan's remarks came after 75 US Senators and Congressional representatives of the Democratic Party wrote a letter to Biden outlining their areas of concern, including India's recent democratic record. Citing reports of the US State Department and civil society outfits, the lawmakers asked Biden to raise specific issues of the shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organizations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access in India. They noted that friends should speak in an honest and forthright way. That is why we respectfully request that in addition to the many areas of shared interests between India and the U.S. you also raise directly with Prime Minister Modi areas of concern. When asked if Biden would raise the issue with Modi, who is on a state visit to US, Sullivan said, We do so in a way where we dont seek to lecture or assert that we dont have challenges ourselves. India has consistently rejected criticism of its human rights record, and in the context of the US, blamed it on votebank politics and fake information based on inputs by actors with dubious links. Earlier today, President Biden and First Lady Jill received Prime Minister Modi at the White House for a private dinner. Modi will attend a state dinner on Thursday night, after addressing a joint session of Congress and holding a rare press conference with Biden. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The war of words between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and opposition parties has intensified ahead of a key meeting of opposition leaders in Patna on June 23. While the BJP and its allies downplayed the significance of the meeting, calling it opportunistic rather than ideological, opposition parties are seeing it as a starting point for mobilising anti-BJP parties in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Patna meeting, called at the invitation of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, is likely to be attended by top leaders from nearly 15 opposition parties. (ANI) What opposition parties said Amid speculations around the discussion of the seat-sharing formula, Bihar minister Vijay Chaudhary said that tomorrow's meeting won't be the last and such deliberations can be held later. "This is the first meeting of the opposition, not the last. Tomorrow, all the parties will discuss how to contest together (in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls). The seat-sharing formula can be derived later," Chaudhary said. HT reported that a seat-sharing formula based on the performance of a party in the past three elections is likely to be proposed by the Janata Dal (United) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) during the crucial meeting. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sunil Singh said that the opposition will find a way to end the BJP rule, and soon a government will be formed in Delhi that will be democratic, socialist and respects the Constitution. What BJP and its allies said BJP leader Sushil Modi, who was Nitish's deputy in the previous NDA government in Bihar, said that Lalu Prasad Yadav's party doesn't have a single seat in Lok Sabha and challenging a party with 303 seats. Bihar will give 40 out of 40 Lok Sabha seats to PM Modi, said Sushil Modi. He asserted that RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar are no longer capable to transfer votes, claiming that the opposition parties are joining hands only out of fear of imprisonment on corruption charges. BJP leader Ram Kadam said that the internal tussles and a mindset of defeat is evident from the statements of their leaders. "People have decided that Narendra Modi will become PM again in 2024," Kadam said. HAM President Santosh Kumar Suman said, Everyone (opposition parties) have different ideology, they are all busy in brokering deals, but they won't be able to work together. We, however, are with the NDA. Leaders start arriving in Patna Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. Odisha chief minister Navin Patnaik and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrashekhar Rao have decided to skip the crucial meeting. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has not been invited to the opposition meeting, with JD(U) chief spokesperson K C Tyagi saying We have invited those parties that are willing to fight against the BJP in 2024. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti arrived in Patna on Thursday to take part in the opposition meeting, a day ahead of the conclave. She did not take questions from journalists at the airport and went straight to the guest house where invitees are being put up. (With agency inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Welcome to hindustantimes.com updates platform where you can find breaking news from India and across the world. Find fast updates about the latest news as it breaks. Get latest news, breaking news, latest updates, live news, top headlines, breaking business news and top news of the hour. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Centre's first outreach across the political spectrum on clashes in Manipur, questioning PM Modi's silence on the issue. He added that the meeting has been called at a time when the PM is not in the country since it is not important for him. PM Modi is on an official state visit to the United States till June 24. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (PTI) Manipur has been burning since 50 days, but the Prime Minister remained silent. An all-party meeting was called when the Prime Minister himself is not in the country! Clearly, this meeting is not important for the Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi wrote on Twitter. Earlier in the day, union home minister Amit Shah called an all-party meeting on June 24 to discuss the situation in violence-hit Manipur. "Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah has convened an all party meeting on 24th June at 3 PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur," a home ministry spokesperson tweeted. Shah visited the violence-hit state last month and held several rounds of meetings with representatives of both the Meitei and Kuki communities in a bid to end the violence. However, there was no significant improvement in the law and order situation in the state. Manipur violence Violence first broke out in the northeastern state on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Since then, over 100 people have lost their lives and thousands have been displaced. The Congress on Thursday said that Narendra Modi-led central government's first outreach across the political spectrum on clashes in Manipur was a move too little, too late. Senior Congress leader K C Venugopal said the government woke up only after former party chief Sonia Gandhi's address to the people of the strife-torn state. People at the site of fire in Manipur. (PTI) He also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's absence from the meeting called on June 24, when he will be on a state visit to Egypt. "At the outset, the PM's absence from such a serious meeting shows his 'cowardice' and 'unwillingness' to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them," the Congress leader alleged. Noting that the home minister himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, he said in fact things have "worsened" since his visit. "Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship," he asked. "Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty," Venugopal charged. The Congress general secretary, in charge of Organisation, stressed that efforts to bring warring factions to the discussion table will lack seriousness if they are done sitting in Delhi. "Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi," he said in a tweet. With no significant improvement in the law and order situation in Manipur, Amit Shah has called an all-party meeting on June 24 in New Delhi to discuss the issue. "Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah has convened an all party meeting on 24th June at 3 PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur," a home ministry spokesperson tweeted. The northeastern state has been witnessing sporadic violence since May 3 in which at least 115 people have lost their lives and thousands have been displaced. Shah had visited the state for four days late last month and met a cross-section of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Democracy is in Indias DNA, it is in Indias spirit, in its blood, the democratic Indian government works on the basis of a democratic Indian Constitution, and if there are no human values, no humanity, no human rights, there is no democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington. (REUTERS) Follow PM Modi in US LIVE Updates In response to a question on reports of attacks on religious minorities and free speech in India, at a joint press appearance with President Joe Biden in the East Room in the White House, Modi rejected the premise of the question and said categorically , I am surprised you say, people say. India is a democracy. Referring to a statement Biden had just made about democracy being in the DNA of both America and India, Modi said, The Indian and American DNA has democracy. Democracy is our spirit. Democracy is in our bloods. We love democracy. Our ancestors translated it into words in the constitution. And the government works on the basis of democratic constitution. Claiming that when he talks about how democracies deliver, Modi said this meant it delivers without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, religion, gender, age, geography and, alluding to the Indian case, said that welfare benefits are based on the principle of access to all. He said, If there are no human values, no humanity, human rights, it is not a democracy, reiterating the principle of sabka saath, sabka vikaas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas that has been his governments stated motto. At the same press conference, Biden was asked how he would respond to criticism, including from within his own party, that the administration was overlooking concerns about human rights and democracy in India. The US President said that he and Modi had a good discussion about democratic values. Biden said that he and Modi were straightforward with each other, they respected each other, and the overwhelming reason why he believed in the US-India relationship was democracy and democratic principles that included diversity, open debate, tolerance. The whole word has a stake in us maintaining our democracy and expanding democracy democratic institutions around the world. Read: PM Modi, at rare press conference with Joe Biden, hails new chapter of India-US ties. 10 points In their opening remarks too, the two leaders spoke about democracy. Biden emphasised the principles of press freedom and religious freedom. Modi said that the mantra in the relationship was so their shared belief in democracy, democratic values and democratic systems and the worlds two largest democracies contributing to global peace, stability and prosperity on the basis of these values. The remarks from the two leaders came on a day when former president Obama was quoted as saying in an interview that Biden should raise the religious freedom issue with India, as he would have done had he still been the US president. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday suspended the license of the pilot who allowed entry of his friend into the cockpit while operating a flight from Chandigarh to Leh, an official statement said on Thursday. The co-pilot was also punished for not raising the violation by the pilot in command. (Representative file image) The pilot license of the PIC (pilot-in-command) has been suspended for a period of one year for misuse of his authority vested under the Aircraft Rules 1937 and allowing violation of the applicable DGCA regulations, a DGCA official said. Also Read: Air India suspends pilots for allowing friend inside cockpit He also added that the co-pilot was also punished for not raising the violation by the pilot in command. The pilot license of the first officer has been suspended for a period of one month for not being assertive in preventing and non-reporting of the violation, he said. The incident took place on an Air India flight AI-458 (Chandigarh Leh) on June 3 when the pilot allowed an unauthorised person, a helicopter pilot, into the cockpit. The DGCA stated that the helicopter pilot entered into the cockpit during departure and remained in the cockpit throughout the flight. The incident had come to light after a male cabin crew on board had filed an official complaint after landing. In an earlier statement issued by the airline, it said, Air India has a Just Culture approach to all safety related events and has a zero tolerance for deliberate breaches of regulations. Such breaches are dealt with on a serious basis and sanctions will be imposed on those who are in breach of the regulations. Officials from the airline also confirmed to HT that they had suspended the pilot for six months and the co-pilot for one month. The matter was reported to the DGCA immediately after the airline learnt about it, an airline official said. This is the second such incident in the last four months. In April, HT had exclusively reported about an Air India pilot operating from Dubai to Delhi as AI 915 on February 27, who had invited his woman friend in the cockpit, violating the aviation regulators safety norms. The DGCA suspended the pilots license for three months and imposed a fine of 30 lakh on Air India for not informing the matter to the regulator. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Neha LM Tripathi I am a principal correspondent with the national political bureau of the Hindustan Times. I track the aviation and railways ministry. I also write on travel trends. I cover the beats at the national level for the newspaper. Before being in Delhi, I have worked as a journalist in Mumbai as well. My hobbies include trekking and travelling. ...view detail LUXEMBOURGIn what it is calling a triumphant return to the largest consumer market in Asia, personal lube and pleasure products manufacturer Pjur Group announced that the companys brand recognition has hit more than 10 million Chinese consumers. AsiaChina, specificallyis by far the fastest-growing consumer market after the United States and Europe. Reported a spokesperson for the firm, Pjur partner Orange Adult organized a recent business-to-consumer sales event for selected sellers and partners. And, all were met with great enthusiasm and anticipation, noted a press statement. A complete success for Pjur! The press statement indicated that Pjur now meets the requirement of Chinese consumers with a slate of planned products that would allow the manufacturer to strengthen its key position in the wider pleasure products retail category. Alexander Giebel, founder and managing director of Pjur, explained how the Chinese market is important for the company's entire business moving forward. China is an important market for usnot only because of the sales figures but also because of the developments within the erotic industry as it moves towards online trade and marketing, Giebel said. With our local partner, we have shown we can successfully drive sales actions. The numbers speak for themselves. A complete successfor both Orange Adult and Pjur. Pjurs statement explained that employees were prevented from meeting with business partners in China due to geo-political conditions, including the global COVID-19 pandemic and zero-COVID conditions within the Peoples Republic of China. Luckily, Pjur staff was able to connect directly with their colleagues in China over the internet to augment business relationships over the past three and half years. Giebel, with sales manager Marco Schneider and COO/CCO Ralph Ehses, went on a one-week trip to China in May 2023 to discuss developments in the pleasure market in China and develop new products specific to that market, in collaboration with Orange Adult. Orange Adult, as a local partner, has more than 400 retail stores and a mobile app. It is also active on all relevant sales platforms and uses increasingly new, innovative sales channels. Pjur is a brand that stands for improving the sex life and quality of life of people worldwide. Its product portfolio comprises 60 premium products in a range of different categories, including water and silicone lubricants, delay products and niche products for specialists and fetishists. An exchange of fire between armed miscreants and teams of Assam Rifles was reported early on Thursday morning, after the former resorted to unprovoked firing at villagers in Manipurs Imphal West district, officers aware of the matter said. An exchange of fire between armed miscreants and teams of Assam Rifles was reported early on Thursday morning (AFP) Two soldiers, both from Assam Rifles, received minor injuries in the firing exchange, an officer said, declining to be named. At around 5am, miscreants fired at N Boljang village in Imphal West. Teams of Assam Rifles retaliated, and the situation is under control, the officer said. The operation is still on. One INSAS rifle was recovered from the spot. The rifle was looted from the police station. Though some officers maintained that there were casualties among the armed miscreants, there was no official confirmation of the same till late on Thursday evening. Both soldiers of Assam Rifles who were injured are doing good & will join their buddies in Company Operating Base soon. Search Operations to Continue, Indian Armys Spear Corps said in a tweet. In Kangpokpi district, intermittent firing between the armed miscreants and Assam Rifles was reported between 2am and 3am at Harothel. A team of Assam Rifles had reached the spot after receiving reports of miscreants firing in the area, officers said. The incidents of firing came hours after a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) blast in a vehicle in Bishnupur on Wednesday evening, in which three teenagers were injured. The injured civilians are admitted at two hospitals in Bishnupur. At least 115 people have been killed, over 300 injured and nearly 40,000 displaced in Manipur since May 3, when ethnic violence erupted in the northeastern state between numerically dominant Meitei community which forms 53% of the state population and tribal communities, especially Kukis, who live primarily in the hill districts. Violent clashes broke out after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The authorities clamped a curfew and suspended internet, pumping in additional security forces to break the spiraling clashes. The internet connectivity is still not fully back in Manipur as the police suspect photos and videos containing hate messages and fake reports would fuel the violence in the state, where normalcy is yet to be restored. Meanwhile, Union home minister Amit Shah has called an all-party meeting on Saturday to discuss the situation in the violence-hit state. Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah has convened an all-party meeting on 24th June at 3PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) said in a tweet. General Electric (GE) Aerospace announced on Thursday that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to co-produce F414 engines in India, a development that came on the sidelines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ongoing state visit to the United States. The F414 provides unrestricted engine performance with rapid throttle response and no throttle restrictions, ensuring power is readily available when needed.(GE Aerospace official website) In a press release, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE Aerospace said, We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modis vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet. The company will continue to work with the US government to obtain the necessary export authorisation for this. The effort is part of the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 program, as stated in the press release. 5 things about F414 engines GE's F414 engines utilise advanced technologies to enhance engine performance, durability, and reduce Life Cycle Cost (LCC) for next-generation combat aircraft. The F414 provides unrestricted engine performance with rapid throttle response and no throttle restrictions, ensuring power is readily available when needed. The engine offers good afterburner light and stability, enabling additional thrust to be quickly accessed when required. The F414 is designed to maximize time-on-wing, simplify maintenance, and keep Life Cycle Costs low. The engine's six-module design makes it reliable, easy to maintain, and allows for interchangeability and with no scheduled overhauls and on-condition maintenance, the F414 maximizes engine availability. Engine specifications F414-GE-400; F414G; F414-INS6 English system SI units Thrust class 22,000lb 98kN Length 154 in 391 cm Air flow 170 lb/sec 77.1kg/sec Maximum diameter 35 in 89 cm Inlet diameter 31 in 79 cm Pressure ratio 30:1 30:1 Thrust-to-weight class 9:1 9:1 SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lingamgunta Nirmitha Rao Trainee Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital Stream. India's regional languages attract me. ...view detail Gita Press, which has been conferred with the Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 for its contribution towards social, economic and political change through non-violent and other Gandhian methods, was started in a house in Gorakhpur on a rent of just 10 a month on April 29, 1923. Gita Press has been conferred with the Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 (File Photo) After a journey of over 100 years in the Hindi Bazar area of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, the Gita Press, which is the worlds largest publisher of Hindu religious texts, now runs on an area of about two lakh sq ft. It currently publishes 1,850 types of books in 15 languages, and has so far published 930 million books that include its monthly magazine, Kalyan. The Gita Press presently has 20 branches in India, one in Kathmandu (Nepal), along with 48 railway stalls across India. About 2,500 booksellers are associated with the organisation. Also Read: Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 to be conferred on Gita Press: Govt In his book Gita Press and The Making of Hindu India, author Mukul has given a chapter on The World of Gita Press, and under the subtitle Chronicle of the Dead, there are observations about the organisations monthly magazine Kalyan. Following the principle of not talking ill about the dead, Kalyan built up an interesting collection of obituaries of a mix of people ranging from Keshav Baliram Hedgewar to King George V, Moti Lal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru, MS Golwalkar, Sampoornanand, S Radha Krishnan, Jugal Kishore Birla, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The greatest tribute was, however, paid to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya as Kalyan brought out an extra issue on his death in 1946; no other obituary came close to such an expression of reverence, stated the author. There were some significant delays and deliberate omissions as well. The assassination of Mahatma Gandhi was never mentioned, though much later, in 1948, several articles were carried about the life and teachings of Mahatma, added Mukul. BR Ambedkar, who remained anathema to Gita Presss world of Sanatan Hindu Dharma, was completely ignored after his death, mentioned the author. On Sunday (June 18) the Union ministry of culture announced that the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2021 will be conferred on Gita Press. The award carries a cash prize of 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/handloom item. To this, Lal Mani Tiwari, manager, Gita Press, said, We dont react to any comments made by political parties. We work on character building and dont accept any donations from the government or from private organisations and individuals. This is why we have decided not to accept the prize money of 1 crore. Tiwari said Gita Press had a close association with Mahatma Gandhi. We have a Lila Chitra Mandir (gallery) depicting stories of lord Ram, lord Krishna and lord Shiva and a picture of Mahatma Gandhi has been placed there, he said. Gita Press works for the uplift of society. Any controversy has no meaning as Gita Press works in the interest of society, said professor SK Dwivedi, former head of department, political science, Lucknow University. The publisher recently landed in a controversy after senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh slammed the Union government for its decision to confer the Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 on Gita Press and called the move a travesty. Also Read: Like awarding Godse: Jairam Ramesh on Centres decision to confer Gandhi Peace Prize on Gita Press Ramesh took to Twitter to criticise the decision and said that giving the Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 to Gita Press is like awarding Savarkar and Godse. The Congress leader also shared the cover page of Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India written by Akshaya Mukul and argued how the author unearths the stormy relations it had with the Mahatma and the running battles it carried on with him on his political, religious & social agenda. There is a very fine biography from 2015 of this organisation by Akshaya Mukul in which he unearths the stormy relations it had with the Mahatma and the running battles it carried on with him on his political, religious and social agenda. The decision is really a travesty and is like awarding Savarkar and Godse, Ramesh wrote on Twitter. The Union ministry said that after due deliberations, a jury, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, unanimously decided to honour Gita Press, Gorakhpur, with the 2021 award, in recognition of its outstanding contribution towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods. Instituted by the government in 1995, the Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award as a tribute to the ideals espoused by Mahatma Gandhi. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or gender. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday suspended the licence of an Air India pilot for a year, after he allowed a friend inside the cockpit of a Chandigarh-Leh flight, in violation of safety norms, earlier this month. Air India (REUTERS) According to officials aware of the developments, the civil aviation regulator also suspended the licence of the co-pilot, for a month, for not raising any concerns and reporting the violation. The airline had earlier suspended the pilot, Captain Rahul Singh, and co-pilot for six months and one month, respectively. The licence of the PIC (pilot-in-command) has been suspended for a period of one year for misuse of his authority vested under the Aircraft Rules 1937 and allowing violation of the applicable DGCA regulations, a DGCA official said. Action was also taken against the co-pilot for not raising any concern over the unauthorised entry of a person into the cockpit or reporting the violation, the official said. The licence of the first officer (co-pilot) has been suspended for a period of one month for not being assertive in preventing and non-reporting of the violation, the official said. The official added that the regulator is likely to issue show cause notices to the two pilots. There was no immediate comment from the two pilots. An airline official, who did not wish to be named, earlier said that Captain Singh had allowed a helicopter pilot, who was travelling as a passenger, inside the cockpit of flight AI 445 after it took off from Chandigarh on June 3. The matter was reported by a male crew upon returning to Chandigarh. The official also said that the matter was reported to DGCA. An Air India spokesperson earlier said the airline has zero-tolerance for such violation of regulations. Air India has a Just Culture approach to all safety related events and has zero tolerance for deliberate breaches of regulations. Such breaches are dealt with on a serious basis and sanctions will be imposed on those who are in breach of the regulations, the spokesperson said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi: The worlds leading aircraft engine maker GE Aerospace on Thursday signed a highly anticipated memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indias Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Washington to produce fighter jet engines in the country for the Indian Air Force during Prime Minister Narendra Modis state visit to the US, in a pivotal moment for a sector that is on the cusp of a major transformation. GE Aerospaces F414 engines will be co-produced in India to power HALs Tejas light combat aircraft Mk2. (Representative)(REUTERS) GE Aerospaces F414 engines will be co-produced in India to power HALs Tejas light combat aircraft Mk2, the US firm announced in Washington calling the development a major milestone and a key element in advancing defence cooperation between the two countries. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospaces F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this. The effort is part of the IAFs LCA Mk2 program, the company said in a statement. The agreement will advance GE Aerospaces earlier commitment to build 99 engines for IAF as part of the LCA Mk2 programme, the firm said. The LCA Mk2 will form an important element of IAFs future air combat capabilities, and its first flight could take place next year, setting the stage for its production and subsequent operational availability around 2028 to replace the Mirage 2000s and Jaguars. The single-engine fighter jet will be the most advanced LCA variant. The government has sanctioned around 10,000 crore for the LCA Mk2 programme. The Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Modi, in August 2022 cleared the much-awaited LCA Mk2 project. The F414 has evolved from the F404 engine that powers the existing LCA variants. This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL, said H Lawrence Culp Jr, GE chairman and GE Aerospace CEO, who was among the US industry leaders who met Modi on Wednesday. We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modis vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet, he said. The LCA Mk2 is expected to provide a significant boost to the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) campaign, one of the governments foremost priorities. The new fighter jet will cater to the future requirements of IAF, which has already inducted several of the 40 earlier variants of the LCA and ordered 83 newer Mk1A variants. Read: Tejas LCA Mk2 fighters get advanced GE-F414 engine. Which other jets have this? Apart from the more powerful F414 engine, the LCA Mk2 will come with superior radar capability, better avionics, advanced electronics and will carry a higher weapons payload than the earlier variants. The engine is the most complex system in an aircraft and can account for almost a third of the total cost of the platform, said Air Marshal Anil Chopra (retd), director general, Centre for Air Power Studies. If the F414 engine deal involves 100% transfer of technology to India, it will be a big breakthrough for the domestic aerospace sector. We will know the extent of ToT when the fine print is out. Still, its a positive development as India needs a large number of F414 engines for its upcoming fighter projects. Its rare for engine makers to share fighter jet engine technology, Chopra added. The LCA Mk2 will come with enhanced survivability, better situational awareness for pilots, improved range, network centric capabilities, integrated avionics, and an ability to quickly switch from one role to another, Indian officials aware of the project said. The new aircraft will have a payload capacity of 6.5 tonne and will be able to carry a mix of weapons including beyond visual range air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, heavy precision guided weapons and conventional bombs, the officials said. The 17.5-tonne fighter will have a maximum speed of 1.8 Mach and service ceiling of 50,000 feet. The US engine maker began working with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and HAL to support the development of LCA with F404 engines in 1986, three years after the project was approved to gradually replace the Soviet-origin MiG-21 fighters with new warplanes. Subsequently, GE Aerospaces F404 and F414 engines have been part of the development and production of aircraft in the LCA series. In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development programme for LCA Mk2, the statement said. So far, more than 1,600 F414 engines have been delivered globally. With more than five million flight hours and eight nations with F414-powered aircraft in operation or on order, the F414 continues to exceed goals, it further said. Of the 123 LCA variants already ordered, 20 each are in the initial operational clearance (IOC) and the more advanced final operational clearance (FOC) configurations. The remaining 83 LCA Mk1A fighter jets will come with additional improvements over the FOC aircraft. The IAF has already inducted most of the earlier 40 LCA variants. The Mk1A will come with digital radar warning receivers, external self-protection jammer pods, active electronically scanned array radar, advanced beyond-visual-range missiles, and significantly improved maintainability. The LCA Mk2 will be a further development of the Mk1A fighter. At a later stage, the F414 could also power the indigenous twin-engine deck-based fighter (TEDBF) and the initial variants of the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA), the officials said. The MoU puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India, including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft, and GE Aerospaces selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA programme with the F414-INS6 engine, the US engine maker said. In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program, it added. The LCA Mk2 is expected to fill the gap between the Mk1A and the homegrown fifth generation AMCA. The IAFs modernisation map envisages the deployment of around 120 stealth fighters (six squadrons) 2032 onwards. AMCA is expected to be developed in two phases. The first two squadrons will consist of the Mk1 version of AMCA, and the remaining four squadrons will be raised with a more advanced version with a raft of sixth-generation technologies. Sixth-generation technologies are more advanced than those in any fighter jet currently in service globally. While the AMCA Mk1 could be equipped with the F414, the Mk2 version will require a more powerful engine, said one of the officials cited above. There is a possibility of equipping AMCA with directed energy weapons, superior anti-missile systems, advanced missile approach warning systems, and teaming it with unmanned systems. Read: HAL signs MoU with Argentina firm for aerospace collaboration In early June, India and the US announced the conclusion of a new road map for future defence industrial cooperation with the goal of fast-tracking technology cooperation and co-production in critical areas such as air combat and land mobility systems; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; munitions, and the undersea domain, in a renewed push for deepening collaboration in the sector during delegation-level talks between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his American counterpart Lloyd J Austin. In his meeting with Culp Jr on Wednesday, Modi discussed GEs greater technology collaboration to promote manufacturing in India. Modi invited GE to play a greater role in aviation and renewable energy sector in the country. The PM also held talks with Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and Applied Materials president Gary E Dickerson. General Electric Aerospace, a subsidiary of General Electric (GE), announced on Thursday it will co-produce its F414 engines in India, having signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), with the development coming amid prime minister Narendra Modi's ongoing state visit to the United States. Washington DC, June 22 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets H. Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and CEO, General Electric and CEO, General Electric Aerospace, at White House in Washington DC, in USA on Wednesday. (via PIB) The announcement from General Electric Aerospace, made through a press release, came a day after PM Modi's meeting with several top American business executives, including H Lawrence Culp Junior, Chairman and CEO General Electric, and CEO, General Electric Aerospace. A major milestone Describing the agreement as a 'major milestone',' the subsidiary said the F414 engines will power India's indigenously-made Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk2. H Lawrence Culp Junior, the GE Aerospace CEO, said, This is a historic agreement made possible by our long-standing partnership with India and HAL. We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modi's vision of closer coordination between the two nations. The F414 engines, he remarked, are unmatched. GE Aerospace and India In India, GE Aerospace has been present for more than 40 years, with engagements in engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. Also, since 1986, it has been working with the Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and the HAL on India's LCA project, first with the F404 engines, and then with both F404s and F414s. It also operates two facilities in the country, one each in Bengaluru and Pune. While the John F Welch Technology Centre opened in Bengaluru in 2000, Pune hosts a multi-modal factory, which opened in 2015. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Gujarati couple held captive in Iran has returned home with the help of Indian and Iranian agencies even as two agents from Ahmedabad have been booked for promising to send them to the United States (US) illegally in the latest in a series of cases of endangering of lives for pursuit for better opportunities abroad. In October, a 36-year-old man from Gujarats Chattral died after he fell off a barrier on the US-Mexico border. (AP) Rajubhai Patel, a relative of couple Pankaj Patel and Nisha, 29, said they underwent an ordeal. He added the captors, including a Pakistani human trafficker, refused to release the couple despite getting about 15 lakh ransom. According to a first information report filed against the agents Pintu Goswami and Abhay Rawal for the abduction and torture, the couple paid 1.15 crore to them to go to the US. The couple was taken to Iran, where the Pakistani captor, who seemed to be working in collaboration with Goswami and Rawal, took them to a hotel and held them hostage for ransom, it added. Deputy police commissioner Chaitanya Mandalik said the case was handled under the guidance of Gujarat home minister Harsh Sanghvi who also contacted the Iranian government and ensured its intervention to free the couple. Another person from Hyderabad also held captive in Iran has been freed and brought back. Rajubhai Patel thanked Sanghvi for his intervention and for ensuring the safe return of the couple. A video purportedly showed Pankaj Patel, who worked at a telecom company in Ahmedabad, having suffered cuts on his back with a blade in captivity. He was hospitalised when the couple returned to Ahmedabad via Tehran and Mumbai on Wednesday afternoon. The couple was held captive months after a family of four from Gujarats Mehsana were among the eight people who died in March while trying to illegally enter the US from Canada by boat. The four had tourist visas to Canada and a local agent promised to help them enter the US illegally. An illegal immigration scam came to light earlier in January 2022 when four members of a family from Gujarats Dingucha froze to death in Canada while allegedly attempting to cross over illegally to the US. In October, a 36-year-old man, who worked at a factory in Gujarats Chattral, died after he fell off an over a 30ft metal barrier on the US-Mexico border while holding his three-year-old son, who survived. The childs mother also suffered a fractured hip and an arm injury while trying to cross the fence. Forty-five people were in September last year booked in Mehsana for their alleged involvement in an illegal immigration scam. They allegedly helped ineligible students acquire high International English Language Testing System scores to obtain admission to Canadian colleges before sending them to the US. The action followed the arrest of six people from Gujarat after their boat capsized while illegally crossing over to the US from Canada in April 2022. They had student visas to Canada but could barely speak or write English and needed a translator when they were produced before a court in the US. HT in April reported that agents extorted anywhere between 60 lakh to 1 crore for helping people illegally emigrate. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said it was always a great honour to address US Congress and it is an exceptional privilege to do so twice. It was the second time that Modi addressed the joint session of the US Congress, a first for any Indian prime minister. He is the second world leader after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be accorded the privilege of addressing a joint House more than once. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to address a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington on Thursday. Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif applaud. (AP) Modi received a standing ovation and loud cheers from the Congressmen. It is always a great honour to address the US Congress. It is an exceptional privilege to do so twice. For this honour, I extend my deepest gratitude to the 1.4 billion people of India. I see that nearly half of you were here in 2016. I can also see the enthusiasm of the old friends and the new friends in the other half, Modi said. Now, when our era is at crossroads, I am here to speak about our calling for this century, Modi said at the US Congress. Modi said he can relate to the battles of patience, persuasion and policy. "I can understand the debate of ideas and ideology. But I am delighted to see you come together to celebrate the bonds between two great democracies - India and the United States," the prime minister said. 'India is the mother of democracy' Speaking on democracy, Modi said it is one of our sacred and shared values. Throughout history, one thing has been clear, democracy is the spirit that supports equality and dignity, he said. Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse. Democracy is the culture that gives wings to thought and expression. India is blessed to have such values from time immemorial. India is the mother of democracy, the prime minister. A spirit of democracy, inclusion and sustainability defines us. India grows while being responsible for our planet. The earth is our mother and we are her children. Indian culture deeply respects the environment and our planet, Modi said. 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas' Modi said India's vision is Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas. We are focussing on infrastructure developments. We have given nearly 14 million homes to provide shelter to over 150 million people, which is nearly six times the population of Australia, he said. Modi also said India is the home to all faiths in the world, and we celebrate all of them. In India, diversity is a natural way of life. PM Modi hails Kamala Harris Recognising the significant presence of millions of individuals in the United States who have ancestral ties to India, Modi specifically mentioned the historic achievement of Kamala Harris in being elected as the vice president of the US. There are millions in the US who have roots in India and some of them sit in this chamber. One of them is seating behind, who has made history (pointing to Kamla Harris). I am told that Samosa Caucus is now the flavour of the House. I hope it grows and brings full diversity of Indian cuisine here, Modi said. Modi reiterated India's stance on the Ukraine and Russia conflict. This is not an era of war but it is one of dialogue and diplomacy and we all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering, he said. Modi on terrorism, Ukraine war The stability of the Indo-Pacific region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership. We share a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. More than two decades after the 9/11 attacks and more than a decade after 26/11 in Mumbai, terrorism and radicalism still remain a danger for the whole world, Modi said. Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs and buts in dealing with it. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hyderabad Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao felicitated the family members of six youngsters who died for the cause of Telangana state, including Sankaramma, mother of Srikantha Chary, the first person who immolated himself in 2009. (HT Photo) Paying glowing tributes to hundreds of people who had laid down their lives for achieving statehood to Telangana, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday said his government would not let the sacrifices of the martyrs go waste and would lead the state in the path of progress to fulfil their aspirations. Addressing a gathering after unveiling the Amara Jyothi Telangana martyrs memorial on the banks of Hussainsagar to mark the conclusion of the decennial celebrations of Telangana state formation, KCR said the memorial would serve as a constant reminder to the successive governments about the sacrifices of martyrs and make them strive hard for the development of the state. KCR said the memorial would showcase different phases of the Telangana movement through a huge gallery comprising photographs of the struggle since 1969. He recalled that people from various walks of life, including state government employees, intellectuals and students sustained the movement for more than six decades, despite facing severe hardships. He said several leaders like Prof. Jayashankar and Konda Laxman Bapuji had struggled to sustain the movement for decades. We launched the second phase of Telangana movement with a conscious decision to involve neither employees and students in the initial stages. We wanted to avoid any bloodshed which occurred during the first phase of movement in 1969, he said. KCR said the Centre was forced to announce the commencement of the process for Telangana formation after he took up fast unto death in 2009. Unfortunately, the delaying tactics by the Centre led to several youth sacrificing their lives, hoping that it would compel the Centre to deliver the separate State. It is our responsibility to ensure that those sacrifices do not go waste, he asserted. The chief minister claimed that his government had ensured that the families of the martyrs were not left in lurch. After the formation of Telangana, our government provided jobs to the members of such families, besides extending financial assistance and houses. If anyone is left out, they can apply to the state government for support, he said. Earlier, the chief minister felicitated the family members of six youngsters who martyred for the cause of Telangana state, including Sankaramma, mother of Srikantha Chary, the first person to die by suicide by immolating himself in full public view for the sake of Telangana state in 2009. A Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader familiar with the matter said KCR is likely to nominate Sankaramma to the state legislative council under Governors quota. An announcement is expected to be made in a day or two, he said. A drone show on the occasion saw 750 drones in the air at the same time. The 15-minute show had 13 formations depicting the achievements of Telangana, including its iconic structures, welfare and development programmes and martyrs. A 30-member team used Made in India drones. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Srinivasa Rao Apparasu Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience. ...view detail Ahad of PM Modi's address to a joint session of the US Congress, two Muslim Congresswomen from the US Democratic Party announced that they won't be attending PM Modi's speech as 'Modi's government has repressed religious minorities'. You are showing a wrong picture of India under your hate agenda, former vice chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, Atif Rasheed said in a stern reply to Ilhan Omar's tweet. Ilhan Omar has announced a boycott of Prime Minister Narendra Modis joint congressional address. Watch: 'Live Freely in PM Modi's India': Muslim Leader Smashes U.S. Lawmaker Ilhan Omar's 'Hate Agenda' PM Modi in US: Follow LIVE updates "I belong from religious Minority Of India but I live freely with my religious freedom and religious identity in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's India, I have equal share in every resource here, I have the freedom to speak whatever I want in India," Rasheed wrote. "I also have the freedom to write what I want in India. I am sorry to say You are showing wrong picture of My India under your hate agenda. Stop spitting poison out of your mouth," Atif Rasheed added. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib announced boycott of PM Modi's address ro the joint session of the US Congress as PM Modi is on a three-day historic state visit to the US. "Prime Minister Modis government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity. I will NOT be attending Modis speech. I WILL be holding a briefing with human rights groups to discuss Modis record of repression and violence," Ilhan Omar wrote. "Its shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nations capitalhis long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable. I will be boycotting Modis joint address to Congress," Rashida Tlaib wrote. 75 lawmakers write to Biden: All with dubious credentials A total of 75 Democratic senators and members of the House of Representatives signed a letter sent to US President Joe Biden asking Biden to raise human rights issues with PM Modi. "We do not endorse any particular Indian leader or political party that is the decision of the people of India but we do stand in support of the important principles that should be a core part of American foreign policy," said the letter, led by Senator Chris Van Hollen and Representative Pramila Jayapal. BJP's Amit Malviya questioned 'Congress toolkit' behind the letter of the 75 Democrats and said all of them have 'dubious credentials'. "After Rahul Gandhis recent visit to the US, where he was hosted by organisations closely aligned to the Jamaat and ISI, held closed door meetings with associates of George Soros and was reportedly in clandestine confabulations with foreign agencies, now a letter written by a bunch of US legislators, with dubious credentials, is the new arsenal in Congresss toolkit. How long will they lean on foreign media and money to undermine the will of the people?" Malviya wrote. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail A salty discovery by scientists at the University of Arizona suggests water might be more common than previously thought on many asteroids in the solar system. Researchers identified microscopic salt crystals that could only have formed in the presence of liquid water while sifting through the dust from a common class of asteroids thought to be largely dry. The find could bolster the idea that most, if not all, of the water on Earth was delivered here long ago inside space rocks. The analysis by Tom Zega and Shaofan Che from the UAs Lunar and Planetary Laboratory involved a single particle of dust, roughly twice the diameter of a human hair, that was collected from the near-Earth asteroid Itokawa in 2005 by Japans Hayabusa spacecraft. Their study, published June 12 in Nature Astronomy, is the first to prove that the sodium chloride crystals formed when the asteroid was in space and are not the result of contamination after the sample was brought to Earth in 2010. "The grains look exactly like what you would see if you took table salt at home and placed it under an electron microscope," said Zega, a professor of planetary sciences at the UA, in a written statement. To determine if the salt came from human sweat or some other terrestrial source, researchers cut a tiny section smaller than a red blood cell from the dust particle and subjected it to a number of techniques. "We ruled out every possible source of contamination," Che said. The finding is significant, Zega said, because Itokawa is a type of asteroid that makes up about 87% of the meteorites collected on Earth but are rarely found to contain water-bearing minerals. "Our discovery of sodium chloride tells us this asteroid population could harbor much more water than we thought," he said. Most scientists believe Earth and the other rocky inner planets formed about 4.5 billion years ago within a swirling cloud of gas that surrounded the young sun and was too hot to allow water vapor to condense. "In other words, the water here on Earth had to be delivered (later) from the outer reaches of the solar nebula, where temperatures were much colder and allowed water to exist, most likely in the form of ice," Che said. Research led in the 1990s by the late Michael Drake, former director of the UAs Lunar and Planetary Lab, showed how water molecules in the early solar system could have been trapped in asteroid minerals and survived an impact on Earth. "Those studies suggest several oceans worth of water could be delivered just by this mechanism," Zega said. Icy comets or asteroids from more distant reaches of the solar system are thought to be the most likely source, but the salt found hiding inside Itokawa hints at another, much closer cosmic watering hole. "If it now turns out that the most common asteroids may be much 'wetter' than we thought, Zega said, that will make the water delivery hypothesis by asteroids even more plausible." The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency followed up its Hayabusa mission with Hayabusa2, which launched in 2014, collected samples from the asteroid Ryugu and returned them to Earth in 2020. NASAs asteroid-sampling spacecraft, OSIRIS-REx, is now on its way home with its payload of rocks after a UA-led mission to Bennu. That several-billion-mile trip is slated to end on Sept. 24, when a sample-return capsule from OSIRIS-REx is set to land at the Utah Test and Training Range, west of Salt Lake City. West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose returned state election commissioner Rajiva Sinhas joining letter late on Wednesday, triggering questions over the continuation of the embattled poll watchdog chief. Security personnel after the recent violence during nominations for Panchayat elections, in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, Friday, June 16, 2023. (PTI) Sinha has been under fire by opposition parties for failing to rein in the violence that has roiled the state during the nomination filing process, killing eight people. On Wednesday, the Calcuttta high court pulled him up, saying he could resign if he chose not to obey the courts orders. Sinha, a former state chief secretary, was appointed on June 7 after a nod from the governors office. The next day, Sinha announced the July 8 panchayat election schedule. Bose told reporters that people were disappointed with Sinhas apparent inaction. I appointed him from a panel given to me by the council of ministers. I expected him to do his duty. What is happening around is for anyone to see. I appointed the commissioner trusting that he would conduct the polls in a free and fair manner. But I find the people are disappointed about the apparent inaction from SEC, Bose told reporters. It is the duty of the election commission to protect the voters during the time of elections. He (commissioner) has the power. SEC should not only be impartial but also should be perceived to be impartial. There is bloodshed. The commission is accountable for every drop of human blood shed in the field. People want action and not an alibi for action, he added. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee hit back, saying that it was unprecedented. This has never happened in the past. This is unprecedented. The commissioners is a constitutional post and he had to take an oath while joining. He (governor) had cleared the file (for Sinhas appointment). It is not that it was imposed on him. The system was followed. If the election commissioner has to be removed, the impeachment process, followed during the removal of judges, has to be followed. It is not that easy, Banerjee told reporters before leaving for Patna. I havent received anything, Sinha said. The Calcutta high court on Wednesday had directed the state poll panel to ask for central forces in numbers more than what was deployed in 2013 panchayat polls. The court was told that in 2013, around 82,000 paramilitary personnel were deployed. The Supreme Court had earlier upheld the order of the Calcutta high court directing SEC to deploy central forces in all districts. On Thursday, SEC sent a requisition to the Union home ministry for 800 companies (one company has roughly 80-100 personnel) of central forces. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi: India and Belgium have signed a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) which allows authorities in Brussels to execute any search warrant issued by a court in India, and summon a suspect being probed by Indian agencies, the Union home ministry said on Thursday. Officials say the move will help investigators in getting evidence from fugitives like Neeshal Modi, brother of Punjab National Bank fraud mastermind Nirav Modi. (Aniruddha Chowdhury/Mint) The move, officials familiar with the development said, will help investigators in getting evidence from fugitives like Neeshal Modi, brother of Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud mastermind Nirav Modi. arrangements have been made by the central government with the government of the Kingdom of Belgium for service or execution of summons or search warrant in relation to criminal matters, on any person in Kingdom of Belgium, a notification issued by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) on Thursday said. Now, therefore, in pursuance of clause (ii) of sub-section (1) of section 105 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the Central government hereby specifies that a summons to an accused person, or a summons to any person requiring him to attend and produce a documents or other thing, or to produce it, or a search-warrant, may be issued by a court in India in duplicate to the court, judge or magistrate in the government of the Kingdom of Belgium, having authority under the law for the time being in force in that country, it added. The MHA said that the Federal Public Service Justice of Belgium will be the authority to serve such summons or execute such warrant on the person or place named therein. It further said that the concerned court, judge or magistrate in India, while issuing summons are required to comply with the comprehensive guidelines issued by MHA. Such summons or warrant shall be sent to the Internal Security (IS)-II division of the MHA for transmission to the competent authority, that is, the Federal Public Service Justice of Belgium, the notification said. The documents found during searches on any suspect in Belgium will be forwarded to India, according to the MLAT between two countries. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is probing into Neeshal Modis role in the PNB scam. Besides, security agencies suspect several Khalistani supporters to be hiding in Belgium. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Indias top police officials, the relevant union ministries, states, civil society, and representatives of international organizations and internet media companies met in March in Delhi to discuss a spike in child sexual abuse material (CSAM) cases in the country. At least 969 cases pertaining to the online transmission of CSAM were registered by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) (Agencies/Representative use) On Wednesday, the UK prosecuted a paedophile, Mathew Smith, in a child pornography racket that has India links. At least 969 cases pertaining to the online transmission of CSAM were registered by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), but this is just the tip of the iceberg, officials pointed out at the first National Conference on CSAM, organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on March 2-3. This number was 805 in 2021, 842 in 2020 and just 164 in 2019, according to NCRB. The minutes of the meeting of the conference were released recently and have been reviewed by HT. Speaking at the conference, NCRB director Vivek Gogia said: The data pertaining to CSAM may not reflect the total number of cases. He added there is an increasing trend in the number of cases reported owing to heightened awareness among law enforcement agencies (LEAs), expansion of digital technology and intervention by media and civil society. Gogia added that India accessed United States NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) for data on CSAM, which are shared with the concerned states and UTs through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal for further action. Over 4 million cyber tipline reports have been shared with the concerned states/UTs for taking necessary action. Many of these reports are related to child sexual abuse material online. OP Singh, chief executive officer of India Child Protection Fund and retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer said, There are three variables pertaining to sexual abuse of children -- anti-social trait in the offender, a sexual interest in children and situational factors such as access to children. The forms of online child sexual abuse include sextortion, grooming, and self-generated live streaming of CSAM. With the increase in the number of active internet users, the extent of the problem has become alarming. Perpetrators of online child sexual abuse and exploitation use social media, live streaming, and messaging apps, from Facebook to Instagram to Snapchat, to Tik Tok to Skype to Zoom, to target children. Highlighting the problem in tackling CSAM, Singh said public reporting of circulation of such material is very low and there is no system of automatic electronic monitoring. We also do not have a national database of CSAM with hash values of known CSAM which can be blocked by the intermediaries. Also, NCRB data does not reflect the ground reality. Bottlenecks in quickly blocking the material and quickly prosecuting the perpetrators must be removed to deal with this problem. Some of the key recommendations that emerged in the conference were to replace the term child pornography with child sexual exploitation and abuse, send an SMS to every mobile user through telecom service providers every quarter or month, sensitizing them on the issue, developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and checklist for all stakeholders such as mobile operators, content providers, app developers, public broadcasters, app stores, etc and setting up a Child Cyber Protection Centre as a single point centre for collaborating with stakeholders such as lawmakers, policymakers, tech providers, telecom and Internet Service Providers. In a grand and unprecedented display of the growing strategic partnership and deep people-to-people convergence between India and the US, on the south lawns of the White House packed with 7,000 Indians and Indian-Americans, President Joe Biden accorded a ceremonial state welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and said that the two great friends and two great powers will define the 21st century. PREMIUM US President Joe Biden walks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Oval Office of the White House. (REUTERS) Modi reciprocated the feelings, thanking Biden for the warm welcome and for opening the doors of the White House in such large numbers to people of Indian-origin, and expressing conviction that as a new world order takes shape post-Covid, the India-US friendship will be instrumental as a force for global good, peace, and stability. Read: Honour for 1.4 billion Indians: PM Modi after White House welcome. Top quotes The two leaders expressed their commitment to democratic norms as a shared value. Speaking about leading by the power of example, Biden, in his opening remarks on the lawns, emphasised that the principles of the rule of law, freedom of expression, religious freedom, and diversity of both peoples give depth to a shared future. Modi said that both Indian and American systems and societies are based on shared democratic norms. Both constitutions begin with We the People. Both our countries take pride in our diversity. We believe in the fundamental principle of, in the interest of all, for the welfare of all Our strategic partnership is clear proof of democracy, the PM said. Grand symbolism As the crowd, which came from all parts of the US and checked into the White House in the wee hours of the morning, chanted Modi, Modi as well as USA, USA, both leaders acknowledged the role of the diaspora. Biden referred to his vice president, Kamala Harris, among others who had succeeded in diverse American public spheres, as proof of the dynamism of the diaspora. Modi expressed his deep gratitude to Biden for the honour he gave both 1.4 billion Indians in India and the four million people of Indian-origin in the US. Three decades ago, as a normal citizen, I had come to America. I had seen White House from outside. After becoming PM, I have come here many times. But this is the first time White House doors have opened for Indian-American community in such large numbers, Modi said. Later, in his opening remarks at the restricted meeting between the two sides in the Oval Office, Modi said that while joint statements, agreements and working groups were important, people-to-people ties constituted the true engine of the relationship and they had just heard the spirited engine roar outside. Read: This is what history feels like: American envoy Eric Garcetti on Modis US visit The event had all the symbolism associated with the state visit the national anthem of both countries were played, there was a 21-gun salute, the US military was out in uniform and a military band played. Standing alongside, right below the dais, was Jill Biden. Among those present were vice-president Harris, secretary of state Antony J Blinken, secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, national security adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan, and US ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti. On the Indian side, external affairs minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Indian ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and additional secretary in charge of Americas, Vani Rao were among those present. Before the dignitaries arrived, a festival-like opening ceremony played out on the south lawns, featuring violinist Vibha Janakiraman and a cappella group Penn Masala performing renditions of songs by the American group Maroon 5 as well as from movies by the Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. To be sure, even as Modi and Biden were locked in discussions in the Oval Office, there were protests by some Indian groups outside the White House against the Indian Prime Minister and the shrinking of space for minorities in the country. Biden included a reference to human rights and freedom in his Oval Office opening remarks, and members in his administration indicated that the President would take up the issues privately with the Indian PM. Substantive agenda But it was clear that both leaders were focused on the substantive outcomes that officials from both sides have consistently said are on offer during the visit. Biden said in his welcome remarks that the world was at an inflection point, and decisions taken today would define the future for decades. He hailed Indias participation in Quad, the plurilateral group which also has Japan and Australia. Many decades later, people will say Quad bent the arc of history towards, as PM Modi calls it, global good, he said. India and the US were working together in ending poverty, expanding access to health care, addressing the climate crisis, as well as dealing with the food and energy crisis caused by Russias unprovoked war in Ukraine, Biden added. In a seeming reference to the initiative on critical and emerging technologies (iCET), which is seen as providing the ballast for the recent momentum in the relationship, the US President said that the two countries had made critical and emerging tech the pillar of the next generation partnership to ensure that tech protected values, remained open, accessible, trusted and secure. In Oval Office, during the opening remarks at their bilateral meeting, where HT was present in the press pool, Biden said that 10 years ago, in Mumbai during a visit, he had envisaged India-US ties improving small step by small step; 10 years later, these had transformed into large progress. Outlining the progress, he spoke of the India-US major defence partnership, economic ties with an eye towards inclusion, and cooperation in space, emerging tech, clean energy, and global infrastructure. He also hailed Indias G20 presidency. Modi, too, spoke of the substantive ties and said that people had witnessed the future of the strategic partnership between the two countries on the White House lawns. Reminding Biden that he had said, at an event eight years ago, that Americas goal was to become Indias best friend, Modi said those words resonate even now. Your personal commitment inspires us to take many bold and ambitious steps. From heights of space to depths of ocean, from ancient culture to artificial intelligence, India and US are walking shoulder to shoulder. Watch: The moment PM Modi arrived at White House on first State visit to US The world was changing, it was looking to India and the US and the importance of bilateral strategic partnership had only increased, Modi said, and in their discussions, he was looking forward to advancing this strategic agenda. In the restricted meeting in the Oval Office, the Indian delegation included Jaishankar, Doval and Kwatra while Biden was accompanied by Blinken, Sullivan and Garcetti. In the more expansive bilateral talks later, Sandhu, Rao, Indias deputy chief of mission in the embassy in Washington Sripriya Ranganathan, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, joint secretary in the Prime Ministers Office Deepak Mittal, and officer on special duty in PMO Hiren Joshi joined the Indian delegation. The American delegation also had Austin, secretary of commerce Gina Raimondo, energy secretary Jennifer Granholm, Bidens senior adviser on clean innovation John Podesta, national security council Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell and NSCs India senior director Eileen Laubacher. President Joe Biden emphasized the power of democracies on Thursday as he hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, boasting of the collaborations between the two nations on nearly every human endeavor while stressing that universal human rights remain vital to the success of both the U.S. and India. U.S. President Joe Biden answers a question during a joint press conference with Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 22, 2023. (REUTERS) In a news conference Thursday, Biden called the relationship between the U.S. and India among the most consequential in the world, that is stronger, closer and more dynamic than at any time in history. He underscored how two of the world's most powerful democracies were cooperating on issues such as the climate, health care and space, saying that the U.S-India economic relationship was booming. On the issues that matter most that will define the future, our nations look to one another including on critical regional and global issues, Biden said in his opening remarks. But standing alongside Modi, who has come under criticism from human rights advocates, Biden also emphasized that press, religious and other fundamental freedoms should be at the core of how both democracies operate. During their Oval Office meeting, Biden said, he and Modi had a good discussion about democratic values while Modi said there's absolutely no space for discrimination" when pressed about his own commitment on human rights. Democracy is our spirit," Modi, who rarely takes questions from journalists, said through an interpreter. "Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy and our ancestors have actually put words to this concept." He said India has "proved that democracies can deliver and when I say deliver, this is regardless of class, creed, religion, gender.' The two leaders were devoting Modi's state visit Thursday to launching new partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and more sectors as they look to strengthen their countries' crucial albeit complicated relationship. Thousands gathered on the White House South Lawn for the welcoming ceremony, listening to performances by violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the a cappella group Penn Masala. As Modi arrived, the crowd including many members of the Indian diaspora broke out in a chant of Modi, Modi, Modi." All eyes are on the two largest democracies in the world, India and America, Modi said as the leaders met in the Oval Office. I believe that our strategic partnership is important. Im confident that working together will be successful. At the earlier welcoming ceremony, Biden said he believes the U.S.-India relationship will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century. Since I've become president, weve continued to build a relationship built on mutual trust, candor and respect. But as Biden fetes Modi, human rights advocates and some U.S. lawmakers are questioning the Democratic president's decision to offer the high honor to a leader whose nine-year tenure over the world's biggest democracy has seen a backslide in political, religious and press freedoms. Biden administration officials say honoring Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is Diplomacy 101. The U.S.-India relationship will be vital in coming decades as both sides navigate an ascendant China and the enormity of climate change, artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience and other issues. Still, Biden said at the start of his Oval Office meeting with Modi that he wanted the partnership to be grounded on democracy, human rights, freedom and the rule of law. Among the announcements to be made Thursday is an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, according to senior Biden administration officials. The officials briefed reporters on condition of anonymity to preview agreements before they are announced. The Biden administration also is coming out with plans to bolster India's semiconductor industry. U.S.-based Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending $800 million and India financing the rest. U.S.-based Applied Materials is announcing it will launch a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers. On the space front, India will sign on to the the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA's lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization also agreed to make a joint mission to the International Space Station next year. We made critical and emerging technologies the pillar of our next generation partnership to ensure these technologies promote and protect our values, remain open, accessible, trusted and secure," Biden added. All this matters for America, for India and for the world. The State Department will also announce plans to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, while India will reopen its consulate in Seattle. At the welcoming ceremony, Modi called the Indian diaspora in America the millions of immigrants and their children from the subcontinent living in the U.S. the real strength of the U.S.-India relationship. He said the honor of a formal state visit the first in the U.S. for India since Barack Obama honored Modis predecessor, Manmohan Singh, in 2009 reflected the positive impact Indians are having worldwide. Modi, the son of a tea seller who rose to be India's premier, also recalled that the first time he visited the White House was three decades ago as a common man. I have come here many times but today for the first time, the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian American community in such large numbers," Modi said to an estimated crowd of 7,000. Despite the major deals, the visit will be shadowed by concerns laid out by rights activists and lawmakers who question Modi's commitment to democratic principles. Modi has faced criticism over legislation amending the countrys citizenship law that fast-tracks naturalization for some migrants but excludes Muslims, a rise in violence against Muslims and other religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, and the recent conviction of Indias top opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, for mocking Modis surname. In 2005, the U.S. revoked Modis visa to the U.S., citing concerns that, as chief minister of Gujarat, he did not act to stop communal violence during 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 people dead. An investigation approved by the Indian Supreme Court later absolved Modi, but the stain of the dark moment has lingered. A group of more than 70 lawmakers wrote to Biden this week urging him to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms during the visit. Biden and Modi have also had differences over Russia's war in Ukraine. India abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions condemning Russia and refused to join the global coalition against Russia. Since the start of the war, the Modi government has also dramatically increased its purchase of Russian oil. White House officials note that there are signs of change in India's relationship with Russia, which has long been New Delhi's biggest defense supplier. India is moving away from Russian military equipment, looking more to the U.S., Israel, Britain and other nations. Modi recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has spoken out about his worries about the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russia. State visits typically are reserved for America's closest allies, but they also have been used in the past as a carrot to try to strengthen relationships with countries with which the United States has had complicated relationships. Modis busy itinerary on Thursday also includes an address to Congress and a lavish White House state dinner. Assam Rifles troops exchanged gunfire with unknown men early Thursday morning at North Boljang in Manipurs Imphal West district, reported PTI citing people familiar with the matter. The report suggests that the situation has been brought under control and combing operations are underway. The exchange of fire occurred amid fresh bouts of violence in the strife-torn Manipur where armed forces have been deployed to bring the situation under control and crack down on rioters. Indian army soldiers patrol during a security operation in hill and valley areas in the northeastern state of Manipur, India.(Reuters / File) Several incidents of violence were reported on Wednesday, including a blast in a parked car at Kwakta in Bishnupur district. Eyewitnesses informed security personnel that the blast happened within minutes of the driver exiting the vehicle around 7.15 pm, officials said. Three civilians sustained injuries in the incident and were rushed to the Bishnupur hospital. Union home minister Amit Shah, meanwhile, has called an all-party meeting on June 24 in the national capital to discuss the situation in the northeastern state. "Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah has convened an all party meeting on 24th June at 3 PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur," a home ministry spokesperson tweeted. On Wednesday, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi issued an appeal for peace in Manipur and said the unprecedented violence has left a deep wound on the nation's conscience. In a video message shared by the Congress, Gandhi expressed her condolences to all those who have lost their loved ones and said she was sad that people were forced to flee the only place they called home and leave behind all that they had built over their lifetime. "For nearly 50 days, we have witnessed a great human tragedy unfolding in Manipur. The unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people in your state and uprooted thousands has left a deep wound in the conscience of our nation," she said in her message. "It is heartbreaking to witness our brothers and sisters who have coexisted peacefully turn against each other," she added. (With PTI inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR HT News Desk Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail Washington Partners of first resort, critical strategic partnership over the next decades, no partner more consequential than India now and into the future, trailblazing initiatives, inexorable trajectory, escape velocity, next generation defence partnership, key security providers in the Indo-Pacific, a delighted United States (US) and a surprised and thrilled India, and a spirit of trust and confidence. These were some of the phrases used by a senior administration official as Washington gave a preview of the joint statement during Prime Minister Narendra Modis state visit to the US, unveiling what would be the most ambitious and broad based agenda of collaboration between the two countries in their diplomatic history with a potentially transformative impact for years. PREMIUM Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday. (Bloomberg) While the text of the joint statement was not out at the time of going to press, in their joint press appearance at the end of their bilateral talks, President Joe Biden and PM Modi confirmed and expanded on some of the deliverables in the offing. Biden said the two countries were demonstrating they were collaborating on nearly all human endeavours while Modi called it a special day in the history of ties. Speaking to reporters on background late on Wednesday evening (Thursday morning IST), senior administration officials also laid out specific deliverables across multiple domains. HT was the first to report on several of these expected outcomes in the past two weeks, both in its stories and interviews with key officials. The joint statement was expected later on Thursday. Defence, space and tech On defence, the GE jet engine deal is through . Modi said that the old days of the buyer-seller relationship was over, and the GE jet engine deal through technology transfer and co-production was a landmark agreement that would add a new chapter to defence ties. India will acquire Predator drones (we are delighted..will substantially grow Indias intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, officials said). American navy ships will undertake service and major repairs in Indian shipyards (it will result in cost effective and time-saving sustainment for US military operations across multiple theatres). India and the US have launched Indus-X to build a defence innovation bridge (genuinely excitingwill facilitate joint innovation on defence technologies and accelerate the integration of Indias budding private sector defence industry with the US defence sector). On space, India will sign the Artemis Accords (it will advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind). Modi said that the decision was a big leap and it showed that even the sky wasnt the limit for India-US ties. In a recent interview with HT, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan had said that sky is the limit for ties. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) will develop a strategic framework for human space flight operations this year and have a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. On semiconductors, American companies will partner with India to build semiconductor ecosystem promotes supply chain diversification. This includes Micron which will put in over $800 million, with additional financial support from Indian government, for a $2.75 billion assembly and testing plant. Applied Materials will set up a new semiconductor centre for commercialisation and innovation in India. Lam research will announce a training programme for 60,000 Indian engineers. Modi hailed the Micron decision as futuristic and spoke about iCET as the new framework for cooperation. He also added this was essential to creating reliable, secure and trusted supply chains between trusted partners. Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his Washington DC visit with an unusual event, in an unusual location, with unusual guests. But it was that difference which, in some ways, captured both the old strengths of the bilateral relationship and new domains of what India and America are seeking to do together. PREMIUM Prime Minister Narendra Modi and First Lady Jill Biden greet a youngster, Noah Isirimah, during their visit to the National Science Foundation in Alexandria on Wednesday. (AP) Soon after landing at the Andrews Air Force Base and checking into Willard hotel in DC on Wednesday, Modi headed to the National Science Foundation (NSF), the premier public scientific research body in the United States (US), in Virginias Alexandria where First Lady Jill Biden was waiting to host him. On the dais with the leaders were two students: Anchal Sharma of Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi who is on a Fulbright fellowship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is working on a project to a create a model for language of graphical communication to aid learning for the visually challenged, and Williams Ochoa, a first generation student at Montgomery College in biotechnology, from a family that had immigrated from El Salvador. And joining them were Sanjay Mehrotra, chief executive officer of Micron, the semiconductor major, and Montgomery Colleges president Jermaine Williams. The unique group had come together to highlight shared priorities around education, workforce training and skilling. The First Lady is a passionate educator and champion of community colleges; she is also the first one holding her office and continuing her professional role as a college teacher. The PM has made cementing the knowledge partnership between the two countries a top priority. And it was an event that brought every key element of the past, present and future of India-US ties together. It was the coming together of government, industry and academia. It reflects the strong connection in the sphere of education with 200,000 Indian students pursuing their education in the US. It amplified the focus on science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM) disciplines. It saw a semiconductor company speak about the linkages between the two countries and the role of corporates in both ensuring reliable manufacturing supply chains and training workforce, from medium and high school itself. And it was marked by the highest level of political support, indicating that this constructive agenda is what was driving the relationship. Modi said he was very happy that as soon as he had come to DC, he got to connect with young and creative minds. He spoke about the New Education Policys efforts to integrate education and skilling, and said Indias aim was to make this a tech decade a techade. He also laid out an agenda for collaboration that included Hackathons, mutual recognition of each others vocational skill qualification, and invited American academics. Modi said he dreamt of a day when a young person belonging to the Navajo nation went to Nagaland and they developed an idea and a project together. Welcoming Modi, Biden spoke about the coming together of both democracies, families and friends, and the expansive friendship as both tackled global challenges. She praised Modis efforts in education, particularly womens education. Education is the cornerstone of the bond between India and the US, which we hope to keep strengthening with this visit. President of Tibetan government-in-exile Penpa Tsering, in an address to the Press Club of Australia, said that because of certain incidents, people outside India construe India's situation in a different light, but that is not reality. "We live in India. I was born in India. It is not as drastic as it's being made out in the international media...of Modi's coercive policies. He is not trying to change Muslims into Hindus. There are some cow vigilantes overreacting to certain situations for which the government gets blamed. I think India is one of the most tolerant countries in the world. So diverse culture, so many religions, so many different kinds of people," Penpa Tsering said on being asked about India and the 'Hindutva thrust'. President of Tibetan government-in-exile Penpa Tsering addressing at the Press Club of Australia. "Troublemakers are everywhere. Just because of a few troublemakers you can not blame the whole community. I think India is a very resilient country and takes pride in its diversity," Penpa Tsering said. "Do you see the troublemakers from the Hindu side or the Muslim side?" Penpa Tsering was asked. "Both," he replied. Sharing the video of Penpa Tsering's statement, Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted, "India is the most tolerant country n most diverse country in the world -- where every citizen has equal rights." On India-China: India has become stronger On the India-China issue, Penpa Tsering said, "When His Holiness is asked this question (on India-China dynamics shift), he used to say India is always over-cautious when it comes to China. Now I can say we can remove the 'over' part but still cautious. Because of China's belligerence on the Indian border, India has become much more stronger. If there is one thing that we know as Tibetans having lived with the Chinese for so many centuries is to stand up for your values. If you don't stand up for your values or position, the Chinese will always use you like a pony and keep riding you." SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome as he arrived to meet US president Joe Biden at the White House in Washington United States, on Thursday. The crowd, including members of the Indian diaspora, who were gathered on the South Lawns of the White House, cheered enthusiastically to welcome PM Modi with chants of Modi, Modi and 'Bharat Mata ki jai'. (PM Modi in US LIVE updates) U.S. President Joe Biden welcomes India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a State Visit at the White House in Washington.(REUTETS) On his arrival, PM Modi was received with a grand ceremonial welcome, following which Biden addressed the crowd and termed the relationship between US and India as one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century. Biden was speaking ahead of his high-level bilateral talks with PM Modi, where the two leaders are expected to announce a range of deals across defence, commerce and other areas to boost India-US ties further. Right after PM Modi stepped down his vehicle donning a light-blue Nehru jacket and a white kurta-pyjama, the crowd broke out in a chant of Bharat Mata ki Jai!", Vande Mataram and "Jai Hind". Amidst the chants, people also shouted Modi Zindabad and hamare prime ministerwe love you as PM Modi met with delegates present to welcome him. Shortly after, PM Modi, Biden and First Lady entered the White House after concluding their statements. The third day of PM Modi's state visit includes a series of engagements, including a lavish dinner hosted by the American president and his wife and his historic address to the joint session of the US Congress. Prior to that, PM Modi and Biden will have a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office of White House, which will be followed by their bilateral talks. He will also participate in a joint presser with Biden, where he is expected to take questions one from US media and another from an Indian journalist. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON June 30, 1956 was a slightly overcast summers morning in Los Angeles. Inside LAX, 65 passengers awaited the call to board TWA flight 2 to Kansas City, Missouri. At a nearby gate, 53 others were lined up for United 718 bound for Chicago. Many of those waiting were anticipating an exciting adventure. This was the golden age of flying and it was all about luxury and passenger comfort. There would be fine dining and plump pillows and the possibility of spectacular views from above. Fewer planes filled the skies, which gave pilots some leeway once outside of controlled airspace to indulge in a little sightseeing. Both planes were running behind schedule. The crews had met and gone over their respective flight plans. Besides some minor inconveniences, it was shaping up to be a beautiful day to fly. TWA Flight 2, a Lockheed L Super Constellation, took off at 9:01 a.m., three minutes before United 718. Flight 2 headed in a northeasterly direction while United flew directly east toward Palm Springs. Both planes would cross the Painted Desert Line, a 173-mile-long radii, at approximately 10:31 a.m. although in different locations. This point was just one used by the airliners dispatch offices to determine a planes exact location. Air Traffic Control (ATC) as we know it today didnt exist. Once outside the major cities, pilots communicated information and requests to their airliners flight dispatch center, who contacted regional ATC, who issued a response to the dispatch, who then radioed back any information to the pilot. Like a bad game of telephone, this patchworked system of communication was troubling. The collision occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m., directly over the Grand Canyon. Unaware of the others presence, the two planes came together at a 25-degree angle to each other. United 718 sheared the tail off the Super Constellation, causing the TWA plane to nosedive into the Canyon. Her left wing damaged, Flight 718 descended in a left spiral, crashing into the south side of Chuar Butte. Its likely the TWA didnt know what hit her; however, investigators theorized the United pilot might have seen the Super Connie seconds before impact. Regardless, the outcome was tragic: 128 people died the largest commercial airplane disaster of its time. Federal investigators, the military and rescue personnel made the tortuous descent into the Canyon. There were no survivors and few identifiable remains. Those body parts found were placed in rubber bags and within 48 hours, the first of the bags were flown to Flagstaff. The plane was met by the coroner and the remains escorted to Fort Tuthill. The National Guard was called in and set up a makeshift morgue at the fairgrounds. There, under the watchful eye of the FBI, bits of bone and body parts were painstakingly examined. In all, Flagstaff received 28 bags from the TWA and United crash sites. The call went out through the Daily Sun and the Chamber asking locals for help sheltering victims families. This was complicated as the Southwest All-Indian Pow Wow summers biggest event was just beginning as the body bags arrived. Hotels, motels, campgrounds and spare rooms had been sold out months in advance. In response, the hotels and residents opened their doors even wider, doubling up on space to take in the grieving families. Local businesses searched and found the necessary resources for those coming in. The town was overrun with officials, families, visitors and the national press. As the Pow Wow festivities commenced, tribal leaders issued a Sympathy Resolution for the victims and their families. After the last of the remains were categorized, coffins holding the remains of 66 of TWA Flt. 2s passengers and crew were interred in a mass grave at Citizens Cemetery. The United victims were returned to Grand Canyon National Park and buried there. Through it all, the people of Flagstaff were hailed as sympathetic and giving as they dealt with the unexpected fallout from the disaster. The horror engendered by this collision sparked airline industry reform, especially as regards ATC. Air space is tightly regulated and radar is just one method of tracking a flight. A commercial pilot can no longer dip down to give passengers a look-see at a spectacular view. Todays crowded skies are safer than those in the 50s because of aviation reform after the Grand Canyon accident. As the mega meet of the Opposition parties in Patna on June 23 gathers steam, Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati on Thursday clarified her stance against an opposition alliance. "Dil mile na mile, haath milate rahiye," Mayawati commented borrowing Nida Fazli's words. What she suggested is that the regional parties are not on the same page. "It would have been better if before preparing for such an alliance keeping 2024 Lok Sabha election in mind, these parties had cleared their mind and intention. In UP, 80 Lok Sabha seats are crucial but it does not seem so from the attitude of the opposition parties. Are they serious? Without the right priorities, will there be any change?" Mayawati wrote in a long Twitter post. Mayawati won't join the opposition meet in Patna, the BSP leader made it clear in her Twitter jibe. New Delhi Junction | Scenes from the forming of a unified opposition Janata Dal (United), however, maintained that Mayawat's party was not invited to the meeting. RLD president Jayant Chaudhary has also written to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar expressing his inability to participate in the Patna meeting because of a pre-decided family programme. The mega meeting of opposition leaders comes as a culmination of the meetings that Nitish Kumar held with several opposition chief ministers and set the ball for a united opposition rolling, ahead of the election. This is also the first such meeting towards the goal of a united opposition -- which is likely to be attended by Rahul Gandhi Opposition mega meet in Patna: Who all will be attending Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, former chief minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, former J&K chief minister Mehbooba Mufti are among those expected to attend the first high-level Opposition meeting. Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury have agreed to be part of the meeting. Mamata Banerjee is likely to be accompanied by national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to the meeting. The Trinamool is considering the meeting as a "good beginning" ahead of the 2024 elections. All together, leaders from 20 parties are set to attend the meeting. Ahead of the crucial meering, Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha joined hands with the BJP-led NDA exiting the Mahagathbandhan. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Poulomi Ghosh Poulomi Ghosh is a journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. ...view detail Farmers will be able to enrol and monitor transactions under PM-Kisan, the Union governments income-transfer scheme for cultivators, through a mobile app with face-recognition technology, which will avoid paper work and manual applications, agriculture minister Narendra Tomar said, launching the application on Thursday. Users can monitor transaction status, link their land records, which is mandatory to avail the benefits, know dates of installments through the app, according to details shared by the ministry (HT Photo) The Android-based app is aimed at simplifying on-boarding of beneficiaries, who can now self enrol themselves. The app has an integrated e-know your customer (eKYC, essential for identification and verification) validation feature, Tomar said at the end of a review of the programme. Read: PM Kisan Nidhi: More camps from June 24 to reach eligible farmers in U.P. Users can monitor transaction status, link their land records, which is mandatory to avail the benefits, know dates of instalments through the app, according to details shared by the ministry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will disburse cash worth 16,800 crore to nearly 80 million farmers under the PM-KISAN income-transfer scheme for agriculturists on Monday in Karnataks Belagavi, an official statement said. The app will help remote farmers to enrol themselves sitting in their homes. It can be used by state government officials, each of whom can enrol up to 500 farmers through the app, Tomar said. Under PM-KISAN, the government provides income support of 6,000 a year to farmers with a valid enrolment, paid in three equal cash transfers of 2,000one every four months. It was launched on 24 February, 2019, when the first instalment was paid. Read: In 9 years, many pro-farmer policies implemented by BJP: Shekhawat In the last tranche paid on February 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi disbursed cash worth 16800 crore to nearly 80 million farmers under the PM-KISAN income-transfer scheme for agriculturists. This was the 13th instalment under the scheme. The 11th and 12th instalments under the PM-KISAN scheme were released in May and October 2022. Since its launch, the government has disbursed more than 2.24 lakh crore to eligible farmers . PM-KISAN is a central sector scheme with 100 % funding from the central government. Identification of beneficiaries is the responsibility of state governments as per scheme guidelines. Any land-owning farming household can enrol itself subject to exclusions, such as income ceilings, tax payments and total asset value. Read: State cracks down on 1.33 million ineligible PM Kisan beneficiaries During the Covid lockdown, Rs. 1.75 lakh crore was distributed in multiple instalments to support farmers. The scheme has also benefited over 30 million women farmers who collectively received over Rs. 53,600 crores, the government said. The initiatives funds have spurred rural economic growth, eased credit constraints for farmers and boosted agricultural investments, the government added. It has also increased farmers risk-taking capacity, leading to more productive investments. PM-KISAN funds are helping recipients meet their agricultural needs and other expenses like education, medical care and marriage, the statement added, citing a study. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Zia Haq Zia Haq reports on public policy, economy and agriculture. Particularly interested in development economics and growth theories. ...view detail PM Modi in US: In his hour-long address to American lawmakers at a joint session of the US Congress, prime minister Narendra Modi discussed several key points, emphasising India's commitment to climate goals, women's empowerment, the fight against terrorism, and other important issues. (Click here for PM Modi in US LIVE updates) Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, center, exits after speaking during a joint meeting of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 22, 2023.(Bloomberg) PM Modi is the first Indian prime minister to address the joint session of the US Congress twice. He is also just the second international leader, after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to be granted the honour more than once. (ALSO READ: Samosa Caucus is now flavour of the House: PM Modi lauds Kamala Harris) What PM Modi said in his address to the US Congress? 5 key highlights 1. PM Modi on the Indian economy: When I first visited the US as a PM, India was the 10th largest economy in the world. Today, India is the 5th largest economy. India will be the 3rd largest economy soon. We are not only growing bigger but we are also growing faster. When India grows the whole world grows. ALSO READ -Even sky's not the limit for the two biggest democracies: PM Modi addresses presser with prez Biden | Top points 2. The Indian PM on women empowerment: ...today in modern India, women are leading us to a better future. India's vision is not just of development that benefits women. It is of women-led development where women lead the journey of progress. A woman has risen from a humble tribal background to be our Head of State. ALSO READ: PM Modi's high praise for Droupadi Murmu at US Congress: Woman from a tribal background' 3. PM Modi on climate actions: ...We became the only G20 country to meet its Paris commitment. We made renewables account for over 40% of our energy sources 9 years ahead of the target of 2030. But we did not stop there. At the Glasgow Summit, I proposed mission LiFE...Our mission is pro-planet progress, pro-planet prosperity, pro-planet people. 4. The prime minister on Unity in diversity: "India is the home to all faiths in the world and we celebrate all of them. In India, diversity is a natural way of life, today the world wants to know more and more about India" said Narendra Modi. We have over 2,500 political parties. About 20 different parties govern various states of India. We have 22 official languages and thousands of dialects, yet we speak in one voice. 5. PM Modi on India's foreign policy: "We live by the motto of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'-the world is one family. Our engagement with the world is for everyone's benefit. The same spirit is also seen in the theme when we chair the G20 Summit, One Earth, One Family, One Future. Last week, all nations joined our proposal at the UN, to build a memorial wall to honour the peacekeepers." (Inputs from ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, during his address to a joint session of the US Congress, referred to President Murmu as an icon of women-led development in India. Modi added that the countrys vision is not just built on initiatives that benefit women, but with them at the forefront. He lauded Murmu for rising through the ranks to become Indias 15th President despite hailing from a tribal background. PM Modi lauded President Droupadi Murmu in his address at the US Congress. (File) "...today in modern India, women are leading us to a better future. India's vision is not just of development that benefits women. It is of women-led development where women lead the journey of progress. A woman has risen from a humble tribal background to be our Head of State...," he said. It was the second time that Modi addressed the US Congress, a first for any Indian prime minister. He is the second world leader after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be accorded the privilege of addressing a joint House more than once. Calling India the mother of democracy, even as he faced a question earlier from the US media on the protection of Muslims and other minorities in the country, Modi said it is one of our sacred and shared values. Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse. Democracy is the culture that gives wings to thought and expression. India is blessed to have such values from time immemorial, he added. Modi also said India celebrates all faiths in the world and that diversity is a natural way of life. He also praised the historic achievement of Kamala Harris, the first female, first Black and first Asian-American vice president. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for the need to make the youth future-ready through continuous skilling, reskilling, and upskilling and aligning their competencies with evolving work profiles and practices. Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (AP) ...We are undertaking skill mapping...the education, skill, and labour ministries are working in tandem on this initiative, said Modi in his virtual inaugural address to a meeting of G20 education ministers in Pune. The meeting is the latest in a series of over 200 meetings India is hosting across 50 cities after taking over the year-long rotational presidency in December of the grouping of the worlds largest 19 largest economies and the European Union, representing around 85% of the worlds GDP. Modi, who is on a state visit to the United States, called education not only the foundation upon which Indian civilisation has been built but also the architect of humanitys future. He called digital technology an equaliser that promotes inclusivity. Modi said it is also a force multiplier in increasing access to education and adapting to future needs. He referred to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and said that it offers great potential in the field of learning, skilling, and education. Modi underlined with opportunities, technology also poses challenges while calling for the need to strike the right balance. G20 can play an important role in this. Modi stressed the need to adapt and use new e-learning innovatively and said the objective must be to provide quality education with better governance. He highlighted initiatives his government has taken in the field of e-learning. Modi referred to Study Webs of Active-learning for Young Aspiring Minds, or Swayam, an online platform that hosts courses from Class 9 to the post-graduate level and enables students to learn remotely, and Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing (Diksha Portal) for distance school education. With over 34 million enrolments and more than 9000 courses, Swayam has become a very effective learning tool. Diksha portal is supporting learning in 29 Indian and seven foreign languages...[there have been] over 137 million course completions so far. India would be happy to share these experiences and resources, particularly with those in the Global South. Modi said that foundational literacy forms a strong base for the youth and India is combining it with technology. He referred to the National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy or Nipun Bharat initiative and said foundational literacy and numeracy have been identified as a priority by G20 as well. Modi underlined the importance of research and innovation and said India has set up 10000 Atal Tinkering Labs across the country as research and innovation nurseries for schoolchildren. More than 7.5 million students are working on more than 1.2 million innovative projects in these labs. The G20 countries with their respective strengths can play a crucial role in promoting research and innovation, especially in the Global South, he said. He called for the need to increase research collaborations among G20 member states. He appreciated the grouping for identifying green transition, digital transformations, and womens empowerment as accelerators for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. Education is at the root of all these efforts, he said. He hoped the outcome of the Pune meeting will be an inclusive, action-oriented, and future-ready education agenda. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a state visit to the United States, has gifted an eco-friendly lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond to US First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday. This made-in-India diamond produced by a lab based in Gujarat's Surat was placed in a Kashmiri Papier mache box while it was being presented. PM Modi gifted a lab-grown 7.5-carat green 'Made in India' diamond to Jill Biden. (PIB) Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal tweeted about this diamond saying, Bharat Ka Heera! (India's diamond) PM @NarendraModi ji gifts this beautiful eco-friendly lab-grown diamond, placed in Kashmir's exquisite Papier mache box, to the US First Lady @FLOTUS. Speaking to news agency PTI, convenor of the gem and jewellery export promotion council Asmit Patel said the prime minister's gesture of presenting a diamond made from Surat is an emotional moment for the industry. The PTI video showcased the process of creating these diamonds in the Green Lab located in Surat, highlighting the meticulous work involved. Know more about the unique characteristics of this diamond and its manufacturing process. Characteristics of diamond gifted to Jill Biden and its making -The diamond possesses similar chemical and visual characteristics to naturally mined diamonds. It is referred to as a 'green diamond' because it is environmentally friendly, created using eco-friendly resources like solar and wind power. -This diamond is a lab-grown 7.5-carat gem produced in Surat and has been certified by the Gemological Lab, IGI (International Gemological Institute). The 7.5-carat weight represents India's 75 years of independence and sustainable international relations, as highlighted by the Prime Minister's office. -The diamond excels in its cut, color, carat, and clarity, exhibiting exceptional craftsmanship and precision. It has been crafted using advanced technology, emitting only 0.028 grams of carbon per carat. -The diamond is made using Carbon Vapor Deposition (CVD), a technique that produces pure diamonds. It falls under a kind of Type 2A diamonds, known for their high purity and excellent thermal conductivity. These diamonds are often colourless due to their minimal nitrogen or boron impurities. -According to the convenor of the gem and jewellery export promotion council, pure diamonds like the renowned Kohinoor diamond fall into this category. Cutting and polishing this diamond will require around two months of workmanship. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PM Modi in US: During his address to a joint sitting of the US Congress, Prime minister Narendra Modi recognised the significant presence of millions of individuals in the United States who have ancestral ties to India. The chamber erupted in a standing ovation as PM Modi specifically mentioned the historic achievement of Kamala Harris in being elected as the vice president of the US. (Click here for PM Modi in US LIVE updates) Prime minister Narendra Modi specifically mentioned the achievement of US vice president, India-origin Kamala Harris.(YouTube/Narendra Modi) There are millions in the US who have roots in India and some of them sit in this chamber. One of them is seating behind, who has made history (pointing to Kamla Harris). I am told that Samosa Caucus is now the flavour of the House. I hope it grows and brings full diversity of Indian cuisine here, PM Modi said on Thursday. ALSO READ -Even sky's not the limit for the two biggest democracies: PM Modi addresses presser with prez Biden | Top points What are the Indian roots of Kamala Harris? Kamala Harris' mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, was born in Chennai, India. Her mother moved to the US in the 1960s and married a Jamican-born Donald J. Harris. VP Harris often speaks about her Indian heritage and maintains a close tie with it. Her election as the Vice President of the United States in 2020 made history, as she became the first woman, the first African-American woman, and the first person of Indian descent to hold the position. What is Samosa Caucus? Drawing its name from the famous snack food Samosa, the term "Samosa Caucus" refers to a group of elected officials in the US Congress who have South Asian ancestry, particularly from the Indian subcontinent. It is used to describe the growing representation of individuals of South Asian descent in the US political landscape. READ HERE: Samosa Caucus expands, signalling growing Indian-American influence in US politics PM Modi's address to joint session of US Congress PM Modi is the first Indian prime minister to address the joint session of the US Congress twice. He is also just the second international leader, after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to be granted the honour more than once. It is always a great honour to address the US Congress. It is an exceptional privilege to do so twice. For this honour, I extend my deepest gratitude to the 1.4 billion people of India. I see that nearly half of you were here in 2016. I can also see the enthusiasm of the old friends and the new friends in the other half, Modi said In a rare occurrence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took questions from journalists on Thursday during a joint press briefing with US President Joe Biden at the White House. Replying to a question from the US media on the steps taken by the Indian government to protect the rights of Muslims and other minorities and uphold free speech, Modi said that democracy runs in our veins. Asserting that the country does not discriminate on the basis of religion or caste, the PM invoked the much-emphasised slogan of the BJP - sabka saath, sabka vikas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a news conference with President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP) "We are a democracy...India & America both have democracy in our DNA. Democracy is in our spirit & we live it and it's written in our Constitution...So no question of discrimination on the grounds of caste, creed or religion arises. That is why, India believes in sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayaas and walks ahead with it..," he said. It is unusual for Modi to take questions from the media, beyond the occasional interviews during his foreign visits. Modi has not addressed a single press conference after he became prime minister in 2014. In May 2019, he attended a press conference but did not take questions. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the White House understands the press conference is a big deal. The format of the press conference included one question from the US press and one from an Indian journalist, Kirby said. White House press conferences with other world leaders have been tightly controlled, with U.S. officials designating reporters beforehand from the American and foreign media for Biden and his guest to call upon, and a very limited number of questions. Biden had been facing increasing pressure from fellow Democrats to raise alleged human rights issues with Modi after 75 US Senators and Congressional lawmakers wrote a letter to the President outlining their areas of concern. After meeting President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a private dinner at the White House on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a crucial one-on-one bilateral discussion. Notably, US lawmakers Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamie Raskin would not be attending Modis joint congressional address, alleging that the Modi-led union government in India has repressed religious minorities. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his first State visit to the US, on Thursday recalled his earlier visit to the country and said it is the first time that the doors of the White House have been opened for Indian-Americans in such large numbers. About three decades ago, I came to America as a common man. At that time, I had seen the White House from the outside, Modi said in his welcome address at the White House. US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Thursday.(AP) After becoming the PM, I have come many times, but today for the first time the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian-American community in such large numbers, he added. This is also an honour for more than 1.4 million people of Indian origin living in the US. For this honour, I express my heartfelt gratitude, Modi added. After the address, Modi and US President Joe Biden headed for bilateral talks at the White House's Oval Office. Prior to Modi, Biden made his speech in which he hailed India-US ties as the most defining relationships of the century. With your cooperation, we have strengthened the QUAD for a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Decades from now, people will look back and say that the Quad bent the arc of history for global good, Biden said. (With agency inputs) India is a "world player" as well as the net exporter of security and stability, US' National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Wednesday and adding that he is looking forward to deepening the relationship. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby stated that in the next couple of days, India and US are going to be talking about defence cooperation, cyber, space, resilient supply chains, and climate change. (AFP) "They (India) are already exporting security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, and they are contributing to the Indo-Pacific Quad. We are participating with India in the I2U2. I think you understand that that's a multilateral arrangement for the Middle East. So India is a world player and a net exporter of security and stability," Kirby said in an exclusive interview with ANI. "And we look forward to deepening that and seeing that continue to prosper," he added. Talking about the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday, and US President Joe Biden, Kirby said that the leaders' discussion will be "future-focused." Mentioning key areas of cooperation between the US and India, he stated that in the next couple of days, India and US are going to be talking about defence cooperation, cyber, space, resilient supply chains, and climate change. "It's all about improving and deepening this bilateral relationship with India. It really is a forward-looking, future-focused discussion," the National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications added. PM Modi, earlier, attended the 'Skilling for Future' event at the National Science Foundation where he emphasised the need to nurture a pipeline of talent to sustain the growth momentum between the two countries. "To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On the one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world's biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth," PM Modi at the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia in the US. Highlighting the initiatives taken by the Indian government to secure a bright future for students such as implementing the New Education Policy and integrating education and skilling. PM Modi urged American students to come to India and said that hundreds of United States teachers are already in India, participating in a tech partnership. PM Modi will attend the state dinner on Thursday which US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are hosting. The Prime Minister will also address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on the same day. On June 23, the Prime Minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Later on, he will meet business leaders of 20 top American companies here and is also expected to address a gathering of more than 1,500 diaspora and business leaders. US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden presented a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century as the official gift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day state visit to the United States. US President Joe Biden, left, and First Lady Jill Biden, center, welcome Narendra Modi at the White House in Washington, DC. (Bloomberg) Meanwhile, PM Modi presented Biden, a copy of the first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London, a special sandalwood box, handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur. The box contains the idol of Lord Ganesha and a Diya (oil lamp), handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata. Follow PM Modi US visit LIVE Updates He also gifted a 7.5 carat lab grown diamond to First Lady Jill Biden, which reflects earth-mined diamonds chemical and optical properties, along with Papier mache - the box, known as kar-e-kalamdani. According to the White House, the first couple also gifted a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastmans Patent of the first Kodak camera, a hardcover book on American wildlife photography, and a signed, first edition copy of 'Collected Poems of Robert Frost'. PM Modi arrived at the White House in Washington DC for the second leg of his official state visit on Wednesday. The first couple was seen chatting with their guest for about a minute and then they posed for pictures. The trio enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, performed by youth dancers from Studio Dhoom, according to the White House. PM Modi had a private engagement today at the president's residence where the Bidens hosted their guest for an intimate dinner, a day before the high-profile state dinner. Read here: What's on the Menu: Dishes included in US State Dinner for PM Modi | List Upon the arrival of PM Modi at the Joint Base Andrews in Washington DC, the national anthems of both countries were played at the airbase. He was further was greeted with a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour amidst the drizzling rain. "Reached Washington DC. The warmth of the Indian community and the blessings of Indra Devta made the arrival even more special," Modi tweeted. (With inputs from agencies) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest at a State dinner hosted by United States President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden on Thursday night (Friday morning IST). Modi - in the US for a three-day visit at Biden's invitation - arrived in Washington, D.C. late last night and attended a private event at the White House shortly after, where he was received by the Bidens. PM Modi along with US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.(HT Photo) Jill Biden spoke to US media about the dinner, "... guests will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron-colored flowers at every table... the colors of the Indian flag. On the transparent sides, those colors and the strength of the heritage they represent frame our nation's iconic scenery and symbols... our democracy and our history" "With this official State visit, we are bringing together the world's oldest and the world's largest democracies. After years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges," she said. READ | White House making 'plant-based' dinner for Modi, Grammy Award-winning violinist for entertainment "After dinner, we'll have the opportunity to hear one of our nation's incredible sounds... Grammy Award winner Joshua Bell. His performance will be followed by Penn Masala, a South Asian acapella group from the University of Pennsylvania who are bringing a little piece of my hometown to the White House... with songs inspired by the sounds of India." What's on the menu? Jill Biden said she had asked chef Nina Curtis - who specialises in plant-based cuisine - to work with the staff of the White House to create a 'stunning vegetarian menu', keeping in mind the fact Modi is a vegetarian. She said guests could order a fish course if they want. READ | PM Modi US State dinner: What's on the menu? Full List Modi, Biden exchange gifts Ahead of the State dinner the two world leaders exchanged gifts. PM Modi gave Joe Biden a copy of the first edition of 'The Ten Principal Upanishads' that was published by London-based Faber and Faber. The US president was also gifted a sandalwood box with intricately-carved patterns made by a master craftsman from Rajasthan, with a Ganesha idol inside. READ | Modi's special gifts for Joe, Jill Biden: Sandalwood box, green diamond: PICS Modi also presented Jill Biden with a 7.5 carat, lab-grown (made in India) green diamond. In turn, the Bidens gifted Modi an early 20th century handmade American book galley. READ | Modi exchanges gifts with Joe Biden, Jill SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will announce a series of defence and commercial deals designed to improve military and economic relations between the two key nations during Thursdays State visit at the White House. PM Modi, who is on his maiden state visit to the US, began the second leg of his journey in Washington on Wednesday. MQ-9B Predator drones, experts believe, would help it strengthen its defence capabilities.(Reuters File Photo) The White House, in a statement, said Modi and Biden will announce a mega deal on the purchase of General Atomics 30 MQ-9B Predator ("Reaper") drones armed drones by India. The move is expected to further bolster India's national security and surveillance capabilities, not only in the Indian Ocean but also along the frontier with China. The MQ-9B has two variants - SkyGuardian and its sibling SeaGuardian, news agency PTI reported. HT earlier reported that Indias acquisition of 31 high altitude long endurance (HALE) drones from the US will be a phased exercise involving initial absorption of technology, with the first batch of 10 drones being without weapons, and the creation of three tri-service intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance command centres, one in the south and two in the north with a specific focus on Indias northern boundaries, especially the one with China. On June 15, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh approved a tri-service proposal to acquire a total of 31 drones, 15 MQ9-B SeaGuardians and 16 SkyGuardian drones from the US. It was reported that the nearly USD 3 billion deal is expected to be announced following talks between Modi and Biden in Washington. Facts about MQ-9B Predator ("Reaper") drones: 1. The General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" can carry 500 per cent more payload and has nine times the horsepower in comparison to the earlier MQ-1 Predator. Moreover, MQ-9 UAV provides long endurance, persistent surveillance, and strike capability for the warfighter. 2. The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper has an endurance of over 27 hours, speeds of 240 KTAS, can operate up to 50,000 feet, and has a 3,850 pound (1,746 kilogrammes) payload capacity that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilogrammes) of external stores, according to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI). 3. MQ-9 Reaper is a highly sophisticated drone built on the experience gained with the company's battle-proven Predator RPA and is a major evolutionary leap forward in overall performance and reliability, according to GA-ASI. 4. In 2020, the Indian Navy had taken on lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from General Atomics for a period of one year for surveillance in the Indian Ocean. The lease period has been extended subsequently. 5. The baseline system of the MQ-9 carries the Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS-B), which integrates various sensors such as infrared, colour and monochrome daylight TV cameras, shortwave infrared camera, laser designator, and visual sensors for precise targeting 6. MQ-9 can be disassembled and loaded into a single container for deployment, and it can be transported using aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules or larger platforms. This enhances its mobility and flexibility for deployment in various operational theatres. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said there can be "no ifs or buts" in dealing with terrorism and sought action against state sponsors of terrorism, in a veiled attack on Pakistan. (Click here for PM Modi in US LIVE updates) India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a joint meeting of Congress, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 22, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)(AP) In his address to the Joint Meeting of the US Congress, Prime Minister Modi said that more than two decades after 9/11 and more than a decade after 26/11 in Mumbai, radicalism and terrorism still remain a pressing danger for the whole world. "These ideologies keep taking new identities and forms, but their intentions are the same. Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs or buts in dealing with it. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror," he said. ALSO READ -Even sky's not the limit for the two biggest democracies: PM Modi addresses presser with prez Biden | Top points Prime Minister Modi also made a veiled reference to China, saying the global order is based on the respect for the principles of the UN Charter, peaceful resolution of disputes, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. Noting that the Ukraine conflict is causing great pain in the region, Modi said he has said directly and publicly, "this is not an era of war. But, it is one of dialogue and diplomacy." ALSO READ | Samosa Caucus is now flavour of the House: PM Modi lauds Kamala Harris Representing 1.4 billion Indians, Modi in his address said democracy is one of their sacred and shared values. "It has evolved over a long time, and taken various forms and systems. Throughout history, however, one thing has been clear. Democracy is the spirit that supports equality and dignity. Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse, he said in his address to the Joint Meeting of the US Congress, which was attended by Congressmen and Senators along with hundreds of Indian Americans watching it from the visitors gallery. "Democracy is the culture that gives wings to thought and expression. India is blessed to have such values from times immemorial. In the evolution of the democratic spirit, India is the Mother of Democracy, he said. PM Modi US visit LIVE Updates: PM Modi kicked off the third day of his state visit to the United States, day after leading the historic yoga session at the United Nations headquarters in New York and attending a private dinner with president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden at the White House in Washington. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with United States President Joe Biden and First Lady of the US, Jill Biden wave to the gathering during a ceremonial welcome hosted for PM Modi at the South Lawns of the White House in Washington DC, USA on Thursday. (The White House twitter) PM Modi addressed a joint session of the US Congress and later attended the state dinner at the White House along with over 380 distinguished guests. US President Joe Biden and visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver remarks and take questions from journalists on Thursday during the Indian leader's state visit, an event a senior White House official called a "big deal" President Joe Biden talks with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives at the White House for a private dinner,(AP) Follow PM Modi in US LIVE Updates It is unusual for Modi to take questions from the media, beyond occasional interviews. He has not addressed a single press conference in India since becoming prime minister about nine years ago. In May 2019 he attended a press conference but never took questions. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the White House understands the press conference is a "big deal." "We are just grateful that Prime Minister Modi is participating in a press event at the end of the visit," Kirby said. "We think that's important and we're glad he thinks that's important too." Read here: US President Joe Biden bonds with PM Modi, transforming India-US ties The format of the press conference will include one question from the US press and one from an Indian journalist, Kirby said. White House press conferences with other world leaders have been tightly controlled, with U.S. officials designating reporters beforehand from the American and foreign media for Biden and his guest to call upon, and a very limited number of questions. Biden is under pressure by his fellow Democrats to raise human rights with Modi amid concerns about democratic backsliding in India under Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Human rights could be one topic of the press conference. Read here: PM Modi's special gifts for Joe, Jill Biden: Sandalwood box, green diamond: PICS Modi has been to the United States five times since becoming prime minister in 2014, but the trip will be his first with the full diplomatic status of a state visit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome on his arrival to the White House in Washington on Thursday, where he was received by president Joe Biden and First lady Jill Biden for his first State visit to the United States. Thousands, including members of Indian diaspora were gathered on the South Lawns of the White House to extend a warm welcome to PM Modi. Prior to commencing his official engagements, PM Modi and his US counterpart also addressed the gathering outside. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Joe Biden during the State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington DC, Thursday.(PTI) Here are PM Modi's top quotes from the address: 1)"Thank you president Biden for you friendshiptoday the lavish welcome at White House is a honour for 1.4 billion Indians. This respect also belongs to the over 4 million Indian diaspora living in America for which I am thankful to Biden and First Lady" 2)"Three decades back, I came to America as an ordinary touristI had seen the White House from outside thenafter becoming PM, I have come here many times, however,this is the first time that the doors of the White House have been opened for Indian-American community in such large numbers" 3)"Indian diaspora here is bringing pride to India through their hardwork and talentthey represent the real strength of India-US ties.I thank president Biden and First Lady for the respect given to Indian community here" 4)"Indian and American societies and systems are based on concept of democracyboth the nations are proud of our diversityboth believe in the fundamental principle in the interest of all, for the welfare of all 5)In the post Covid-19 pandemic era, the world order is changingin these times, India-US ties will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world.our strong strategic partnership is a proof of the power of democracy." 6)"Today I will hold crucial talks with Biden on India-US ties as well as other issuesI am sure, as always, the talks with hold fruitful and bear positive outcomesI will also address the US Congress for the second timeI am deeply grateful for this honour" SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first State visit to the US witnessed India deciding to join Artemis Accords on Thursday and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Indian Space Research Organisation agreeing to a joint mission to the International Space Station or ISS in 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US President Joe Biden the University Press Glasgow at White House in Washington DC on Wednesday. (PIB) On space, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind, news agency PTI quoted a senior administration official as saying, ahead of Modi's meeting and US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office. Top points on Artemis Accords and International Space Station: 1. Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), the Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. It is an American-led effort to return humans to the moon by 2025, with the ultimate goal of expanding space exploration to Mars and beyond. 2. The NASA and ISRO are developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation this year, the official said. 3. Both space agencies have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in the year 2024, the official told PTI. 4. In the space sector, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind, senior US administration official told news agency ANI. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India was "completely ready" to help Ukraine's peace efforts. From the very beginning of the events in Ukraine, India has laid emphasis on the resolution of the dispute through dialogue and diplomacy India is completely ready to help Ukraine's peace efforts," Modi said in a joint statement with US President Joe Biden. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a news conference with US President Joe Biden.(Bloomberg) Since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year, Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a number of times during which he insisted that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Calling the partnership between India and US most consequential, US President Joe Biden said that together both nations are unlocking a shared future with unlimited potential. Modi said a "new chapter" has been added to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the US. "Today holds special importance in the history of India-US relations", Modi said in his statement at a joint press conference with Biden. Announcing India's decision to join Artemis Accords, Modi said we have taken a new leap in our space cooperation. The Prime Minister said he and President Biden discussed several regional and global issues during the meeting. "We both agree governments, businesses & academic institutions should come together to fulfil our strategic technology partnership," Modi said. On his part, Biden said, "Together, we are unlocking the shared future of the world which I believed to be unlimited potential." He also said that he was struck by the ability of the two nations to find new areas of cooperation. Modi also denied discrimination against the Muslim minority, as he held a rare press conference on a visit to the White House. "Regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there's absolutely no space for discrimination," Modi said in response to a question from a US reporter alongside Biden. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a State visit to the US, took questions from journalists -- a rare sight at a joint press conference with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a news conference with President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House on Thursday,(AP) News agency AP reported that Indian officials agreed to the event only the day before, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations. Modi touted a new chapter to the countries' strategic partnership after the two leaders emerged from Oval Office talks where the countries' differences on Russia and human rights were on the table. Top 10 points on PM Modi-Joe Biden joint press conference: 1. Prime Minister Modi broadly defended Indian democracy when pressed on religious intolerance and freedom of speech in a rare instance of taking questions from reporters. Modi said he was really surprised to hear Indias commitment to democratic values questioned by Americans. In both countries, democracy is in our DNA, Modi said, adding, We live democracy and our ancestors have actually put words to this concept, and that is in the form of our Constitution. 2. Pressed on that question, President Biden said he and Modi had a good discussion about democratic values". Both countries cherish freedom and celebrate the democratic values of universal human rights, which face challenges around the world but which remains so vital to the success of each of our nations press freedom, religious freedom, tolerance, diversity, Biden replied. 3. The Biden administration has decided to largely remain publicly quiet on Indias democratic backsliding and human rights situation, according to senior US officials told Bloomberg, as the US intensifies efforts to keep New Delhi on its side in its growing rivalry with China. 4. Modi said India and the US - the two biggest democracies of the world - can contribute towards global peace, stability and prosperity as he asserted that for the partnership between the two countries, "even the sky is not the limit". 5. Modi said also that India and America are walking shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against terrorism and radicalism, and added that during his talks with Biden, the two sides have agreed that concerted action is necessary to end cross border terrorism. 5. The PM also said peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region is their shared priority. "We are unanimous that the development and success of this region is important for the whole world," he added. 6. Praising the Indian community in the US, Biden mentioned the contributions of Americans of Indian heritage in his administration, including Vice President Kamala Harris, whose success stories define the relationship and the limitless possibilities between the two nations. 7. Biden also defended his harsh public comments on China, including calling President Xi Jinping a dictator, saying his words would have no negative impact on US-China relations and that he still expects to meet with Xi in the future. 8. Modi said India was "completely ready" to help Ukraine's peace efforts. From the very beginning of the events in Ukraine, India has laid emphasis on the resolution of the dispute through dialogue and diplomacy India is completely ready to help Ukraine's peace efforts," Modi said. 9. Several Democratic lawmakers said they would boycott Modi's address to a joint session of Congress. Among them was Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent progressive, who said she wanted to make a stand for "pluralism, tolerance and freedom of the press." 10. Former president Barack Obama, in an interview with CNN, said that Biden should raise concerns privately with Modi, warning that without the protection of minorities, there is a strong possibility at some point that India starts pulling apart. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As the world moves toward multipolarity, the "superiority of the Western system" is increasingly being questioned, and fewer people believe it's universally better for all countries. In a recent debate comparing the Chinese and American systems, French entrepreneur Arnaud Bertrand -- with facts and logic, fresh perspectives and the courage to correct Western biases and misconceptions -- made a solid case that the Chinese model fits the very particular economic and geopolitical context that China is in today, and the Chinese system is suitable for promoting the wellbeing of its people. In a spirited online debate titled "Is the Chinese System Better than the American System," organized on April 5 by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a nonprofit American educational organization, it turns out that relatively unknown Bertrand emerged victorious over Adrian Zenz, an anti-China German academic based in Washington D.C., who was heavily promoted by part of the American political sphere and mainstream media. The exchange drew nearly 1,200 comments on YouTube, most of which praising Bertrand. People are curious about what led to Bertrand's victory and how he received so many positive responses from netizens. First and foremost, Bertrand relied on facts and logic. As a new-generation China observer, Bertrand has lived in China for seven years and has a deep understanding of the country and its people. Currently, he has over 100,000 followers on Twitter, where he frequently shares insightful comments on China-related topics. At the start of the debate, Bertrand made a statement acknowledging that while the debate aimed at comparing the Chinese system and the American one, he believed that political systems cannot be compared because each grows out of a country's unique history, economy, and geopolitical context, and is applicable only to its own people. However, within the framework of the debate, he proceeded to make comparisons in different areas. By citing abundant international research data and his personal experiences, Bertrand provided detailed explanations of China's performance in terms of freedom, stability, and prosperity. The entrepreneur mentioned China's remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation, saying that led to the largest and fastest reduction of poverty in the world and provided personal freedom for many as a result. In 2021, China declared the elimination of absolute poverty, having lifted nearly 100 million rural poor out of poverty in eight years. Citing statistics of the U.S. Census Bureau, Bertrand pointed out that 6 percent of U.S. citizens live in deep poverty, adding that a survey found 25 percent of the U.S. population worried about money for buying food. On the other hand, his opponent Zenz, who was initially expected to provide a strong defense of the superiority of the American governance system and values, spent the whole time criticizing communism and disparaging the Chinese government, completely deviating from the topic. "He spent all his time complaining about China, citing only the reports he himself wrote or the fabricated reports he published in Western media. The whole time, it was just a series of 'China is bad because ...' content, but that's not the topic of the debate," remarked a viewer who had watched the debate. Secondly, Bertrand won with his fresh perspectives and thoughts. Bertrand argued that poverty is the antithesis of freedom. When people live in extreme poverty, they lose the freedom of choice in most aspects of life. He also raised a simple question about "freedom from fear:" Can a person freely walk outside late at night in the United States? These arguments offered a refreshing perspective for Western viewers, enabling them to engage in deep reflection. Bertrand subsequently presented a deeper line of thinking: collective freedom. He pointed out that former French President Charles de Gaulle had once proposed that the biggest form of freedom should be independence as a sovereign nation, which is a prerequisite for all other forms of freedom. It is difficult to consider the people of a country to be free when the country is in a situation of being a "vassal state" or within the sphere of influence of a major power. "China is unarguably the freest country in the world in this regard, as it cannot be even remotely considered as being any country's vassal state and it just doesn't do military alliances -- it doesn't have any ... This high level of sovereignty allows China to focus on internal development and to maintain its freedom of action on the international stage," said Bertrand. Lastly, Bertrand dared to correct the biases and misconceptions about China in the so-called mainstream narratives. From freedom to stability, and then to prosperity, Bertrand made thorough comparisons, powerfully demonstrating that China's development has not only benefited its own people, but also made positive contributions to global peace and development. In contrast, Zenz spent the entire time repeating the debunked lies about China, failing to articulate his position in the debate, which was to argue for the superiority of the American system. Offline voting in the debate showed that Bertrand emerged as the clear winner. The debate between the two sides has been hailed as a public lecture on comparing the Chinese and American systems. While a single debate may not help much find the path to truth, it has opened a window for those, who have come to realize the biases in some U.S. perceptions of China, and believe in the power of facts over rhetoric. (Source: Xinhua) The Congress on Thursday took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after former US president Barack Obama, in an interview, spoke about the protection of the rights of ethnic minorities in India. Former US president Barack Obama.(AP file) Obama told CNN in an interview that India may start pulling apart if the government does not protect the rights of its ethnic minorities. Obama's statement comes even as Narendra Modi is on his first State visit to the United States. On Thursday, Modi met United States President Joe Biden at the White House. Obama acknowledged that he also worked with Modi on climate change and other areas. But he said raising concerns about Indian democracy must also enter into diplomatic conversations. Obama said that if a US president meets with Modi, the protection of the Muslim minority in a majority-Hindu India is worth mentioning. If I had a conversation with Mr Modi who I know well part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility India at some point starts pulling apart. And we have seen what happens when you start getting those kinds of large internal conflicts. That would be contrary to the interests of India, Obama said in the interview. The president of the United States has a lot of equities, he said, adding, And when I was president, I would deal with figures in some cases who were allies, who, you know, if you pressed me in private, do they run their governments and their political parties in ways that I would say are ideally democratic? I would have to say no, he added. Reacting to Obama's interview, Congress spokesperson and social media head Supriya Shrinate tweeted, Theres a message Mr Modis friend Barack has for him. Guess hes also a part of an international conspiracy against Mr Modi? At least thats what the bhakts would allege! US lawmakers question Joe Biden As Biden fetes Modi, human rights advocates and some US lawmakers are questioning the Democratic president's decision to offer the high honour to the leader over alleged human rights violations. Still, Biden subtly reflected on human rights in India at the start of an Oval Office meeting with Modi that kicked off formal talks, Associated Press reported. The president said he wanted the partnership to be grounded on democracy, human rights, freedom and the rule of law. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden will raise his concerns but avoid lecturing the prime minister. The only two Muslim women members of the US Congress - Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib - along with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, separately said they will boycott Modi's address to Congress on Thursday, citing allegations of abuse of Indian dissidents and minorities, especially Muslims. US Senator Bernie Sanders also said Modi's "aggressive Hindu nationalism" has "left little space for India's religious minorities." (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON US President Joe Biden aims to herald the start of stronger ties with India on Thursday by announcing a series of defence and trade agreements with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Washington attempts to counter China's global influence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden during a private dinner at the White House in Washington.(PTI) Top announcements during PM Modi's US visit: 1. Modi and Biden will sign off on what one official called a trailblazing deal to allow General Electric Co (GE.N) to produce jet engines in India to power Indian military aircraft. GE said on Thursday it signed a memorandum of understanding with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to produce the engines. 2. In addition, US Navy ships in the region will be able to stop in Indian shipyards for repairs under a maritime agreement reached between the two governments. Both leaders will also announce India's plan to procure US-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. "We have now entered really a 'next generation' defence partnership," said a US official. 3. The agreements will include US chipmaker Micron Technology's (MU.O) $2.7 billion plan for a new semi-conductor testing and packaging unit, to be built in Gujarat. 4. The US is also set to introduce in-country renewable H-1B visas, a significant decision that would help thousands of Indian professionals in staying in the country to continue with their jobs without the hassle of travelling overseas for the renewal of their work visas. 5. Additional announcements include Indian plans to sign the Artemis Accords, a framework signed by two-dozen nations but not Russia or China governing joint missions and civilian space exploration. Modi met with SpaceX chief Elon Musk in New York on Tuesday. 6. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation or ISRO have also agreed to a joint mission next year to visit the International Space Station. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his first State visit to the US, on Thursday said he was confident that his discussions with President Joe Biden will further strengthen the India-USA ties. Looking forward to todays talks with @POTUS @JoeBiden. I am confident our discussions will further strengthen India-USA relations, Modi tweeted responding to Biden's Welcome to the White House, Mr. Prime Minister post. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden. Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday on the second leg of his maiden state visit to the US during which he will hold bilateral talks with Biden and address a joint session of the US Congress. Modi and Biden will have a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office of the White House before holding high-level talks to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space and critical technologies. The day would begin with Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeting Modi for the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn which includes a 21-gun salute. Vice President Kamala Harris and the Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff would be attending the welcome ceremony. Thereafter, the leaders of the two largest democracies of the world will hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, where they are expected to make some opening remarks. Modi and Biden are scheduled to address a news conference together from the East Room of the White House. They are likely to take questions from journalists. Normally each side takes two questions, but sometimes it can be one from each side. During the last Indian State Visit of former prime minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009, the two sides took one question each. The prime minister would then head to the Congress to deliver an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, which would be attended by Congressmen and senators in the presence of several hundred Indian Americans from the visitors gallery. When Modi addresses a joint meeting of the US Congress today, it will make him only the third world leader, outside of Israel, to make such an address twice. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sanjay Raut and Aaditya Thackeray are lying about the security issue of the Thackeray family, minister Deepak Kesarkar claimed on Thursday after Sanjay Raut launched a scathing attack at the Eknath Shinde government claiming that the BJP might want to 'shoot us', a day after the government clarified that Thackeray family's security was not reduced. "What can BJP do maximum, they might shoot us or put us in jail. What else? Karma will pay back. Everything is influenced by politics whether it is ED raids or scaling down of the security," Sanjay Raut said. Uddhav faction leaders claimed the security provided to Uddhav's family has been reduced. Has Uddhav Thackeray's security been reduced? The Home Department said extra arrangements over and above the Thackeray family's security have been removed and there was no other change in the security of the former Maharashtra chief minister. Uddhav Thackeray continues to get Z security but when he was the chief minister some additional security was provided to him which has been withdrawn. The reason for this was not specified. As Worli MLA, Aaditya has Y security. Uddhav Sena leaders said escort vehicles and pilot cars have been taken away from Uddhav, his wife Rashmi, and his sons Aditya and Tejas. The gunmen in the bunker outside Matoshree have been removed and the security personnel at his residence reduced from 12 to 5. The "withdrawal" of the security cover was reported the day the Enforcement Directorate raided the residence of Suraj Chavan, a close aide of Aaditya in connection with the alleged BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) Covid Centre scam. "I have written a letter to the BMC Administration, with regards to the Street Furniture Scam in the @mybmc and wondering why the BMC is sheltering the corrupt friends of Khoke Sarkar. MLAs from various parties have sought answers from the corrupt administration in BMC, that has direct blessings from the illegal CM for corruption," Aaditya Thackeray tweeted amid the raid. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has underlined the importance of harmonious co-existence while accusing some countries of seeking to replicate the divide-and-rule policy of Indias erstwhile British rulers to fulfil their selfish goals. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Nagpur on Wednesday. (PTI) Speaking at a book release function in Nagpur on Tuesday evening, Bhagwat said outside forces cannot defeat a united India. He said the British adopted the systematic divide-and-rule policy after the 1857 revolt against the colonial rulers. At the time of the Bengal partition, the British tried to divide Hindus and Muslims but they miserably failed because the people of the country were united and fought against it, he said, referring to the 1905 division of the province into Hindu-majority west and the Muslim-majority East Bengal (now Bangladesh). The 1905 Bengal partition was reversed in 1911 as Indian nationalists closed ranks and protested against the move. Bhagwat noted that the Britishers succeeded over three decades later in 1947. ...the result is in front of us, he said, referring to the creation of Pakistan following the 1947 partition on religious lines. The chief of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Partys ideological mentor said demonic forces opposed to Indias progress are bent on fomenting trouble by inciting internal feuds. Bhagwat added Indians are forgetting that they are one. The divide has been due to Britishers who sowed the seeds of communalism in India. He said the British told Muslims that they would be at a receiving end with no power, position, or influence in the case of a Hindu-majority state. They similarly convinced Hindus about the dangers of staying with Muslims, who they claimed are by nature extremists. Bhagwat, who has spearheaded outreach to Muslims by visiting a madrasa and meeting members of the Muslim community against the backdrop of hate crimes and religious polarisation over issues such as ownership of religious sites, said no power in the world can defeat Indians until they are together. That is why they make efforts to break us, he said. Some countries which do not want India to progress are trying to divide society, he said. He said these forces are using various issues to create enmity among people. We are not showing our strength to the enemies sitting on the border, but we are fighting among ourselves. We are forgetting that we are one country. He said Muslims have lived safely in India for centuries. Earlier this month, Bhagwat said Indians look different and follow different faiths, but they all belong to the motherland. Chennai: Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balaji underwent a beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery on Wednesday morning. (PTI) Tamil Nadu minister V Senthil Balajis counsel N R Elango argued in the Madras high court on Thursday that the ministers arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was illegal. Justices Nisha Banu and D Bharatha Chakravarthy were hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by the ministers wife S Megala to declare his arrest by the ED in a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on June 14 as illegal. Balaji was arrested on charges of money laundering in a case which dates back to 2014 when he was transport minister under the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) regime. He joined the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in 2018. After senior counsel and Rajya Sabha MP Elango completed his arguments for Balaji, the high court adjourned hearing to June 27 when Indias solicitor general Tushar Mehta appearing for the ED will reply. The hearing comes a day after the Supreme Court refused EDs plea to stay an order of the Madras HC that allowed Balaji to be shifted to a private hospital (Kauvery hospital in Chennai). Balaji, 47, underwent a beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery on Wednesday morning. Four bypass grafts were placed and coronary revascularization was established. The Supreme Court, noting that the ministers habeas corpus petition is pending in the Madras HC, had on Wednesday asked the ED to approach it. The Solicitor General had argued that the habeas corpus petition is not maintainable since it was filed after the order for remand. Citing previous orders of the SC, Elango argued that the habeas corpus plea is indeed maintainable and as per law there cannot be custodial interrogation after 15 days of arrest. No matter what the situation is, custodial interrogation cannot be granted after 15 days of arrest. So EDs argument to exclude the period of hospitalisation does not need to be answered by the courts, said Elango. In the cases of Income Tax Act and Customs Act, the officers are given special powers of a station house officer but in PMLA cases, ED officials do not have the powers of a police officer, explained Elango after the hearing. On that basis, we have argued that ED does not even have the authority to ask for custodial interrogation, said Elango. A principal sessions court in Chennai had granted ED eight days custody of the minister starting June 16 but they were allowed to interrogate him only within hospital premises, prompting the federal agency on Monday to move the Supreme Court. According to the EDs argument, they investigated Balaji until 11pm on June 14, said Elango. What happened from 11pm to 2am, the ED has kept everyone in the dark. The arrest was made at 1.49am and after 2am Balaji had been admitted to a government hospital complaining of chest pains, ED had said earlier. The senior counsel reiterated that Balaji was tortured which the ED has denied. In its remand order, the ED sought custodial interrogation of the minister on the grounds that he is not cooperating with the probe and that they have evidence which shows that he is guilty of money laundering. Meanwhile, health minister M Subramanian on Thursday said that Balaji was brought to the post-operation ward on Wednesday evening and that his condition is stable. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The General Electric (GE) Aerospace in a landmark announcement on Thursday said that it has signed a pact with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly produce fighter jet engines for Indian Air Forces Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk-II -Tejas. This came amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ongoing state visit to the United States. The agreement will advance GE Aerospaces earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the IAF as part of the LCA-Mk-II programme. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospaces F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this," the US firm said in a statement. There are three other jets that have advanced GE-F414 engines - Super Hornet, Growler, and Gripen. Super Hornet Developed by American aerospace giant Boeing, the F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets are twin-engine, multirole fighter jets that can operate from aircraft carriers. They entered American military service in 1999 (to replace the F-14 Tomcat). The two versions currently in service with the US Navy - single-seat F/A-18E and dual-seat F/A-18F - can perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum - from air superiority and precision strikes to escorting other planes or recon of enemy territory and also suppression of enemy air defences. Currently, Australian and Kuwaiti air forces also operate Super Hornets, apart from the US. Growler Also by Boeing, the EA-18G Growler is a carrier-based, electronic warfare fighter jet; it is an upgrade of the 18F Super Hornet that entered the US naval service in 2009 with multiple variants. It is also flown by the Royal Australian Air Force. Boeing describes the Growler as 'the most advanced airborne electronic attack (AEA) platform'. The Growler provides tactical jamming and electronic protection to support strike aircraft in high-threat missions. Gripen Made by Sweden's Saab AB, the JAS 39 Gripen is a lightweight, single-seater, multirole fighter, versions of which have also been sold to Thailand and leased to Hungary and Czechia, or the Czech Republic. Its key features include an advanced electronic warfare suite that features 'silent networking and total sensor fusion' across a tactical air unit to 'blind and confuse the enemy'. This means if one aircraft is active, the others go passive. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed his gratitude towards US President Joe Biden for the warm welcome at the White House and thanked him for his friendship. In his remarks at the welcome ceremony, Modi said he will soon hold talks with the president and discuss regional and global issues. "I am sure our talks will be positive." (Follow LIVE updates of PM Modi's US visit) US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi hug during a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Thursday,(AP) Modi said India and US are committed to working together for global good and peace, stability and prosperity. I express gratitude towards President Biden for the warm welcome. Thank you for your friendship, President Biden, Modi said at the White House. Modi met Biden to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests, aimed at further boosting the Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. Modi met Biden one-on-one in the Oval Office of the White House before holding delegation-level talks. This is the second interaction between the two leaders within 24 hours. People of the Indian community are enhancing India's glory in the US through their hard work and dedication. You are the real strength of our relationship. I thank President Biden and Dr Jill Biden for giving this honour to them, Modi added. The societies and institutions of both the US and India are based on democratic values. The Constitution of both countries begins with the three words -We the People- as President Biden just mentioned. Both countries take pride in their diversity, and both of us believe in the fundamental principle of 'In the interest of all, for the welfare of all, Modi added. Recalling his visit to the US about three decades ago, Modi said, I came to America as a common man. At that time, I had seen the White House from the outside. After becoming the PM, I have come many times, but today for the first time the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian-American community in such large numbers, he said. This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honour and pride for the 1.4 billion people of India. It is also an honour for more than 4 million people of Indian origin in the US, the PM said. Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden host PM Modi for private dinner President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House on Wednesday during which they discussed a range of issues, exchanged gifts and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. The day began with Biden and Jill Biden greeting Modi for the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn. The two national anthems were played along with a 21-gun salute to the visiting leader. Joe Biden hails India-US ties President Biden described the relationship between the US and India is one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff were also present at the welcome ceremony. Several thousand Indian-Americans, who have converged in the American capital from far and near, attended the welcome ceremony on the South Lawns. Indian Americans were chanting 'USA USA' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Modi Modi.' Modi and Biden are scheduled to address a news conference together from the East Room of the White House after their talks. They are likely to take questions from journalists. Normally each side takes two questions, but sometimes it can be one from each side. During the last Indian State visit of former prime minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009, the two sides took one question each. The prime minister would then head to the Congress to deliver an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, which would be attended by Congressmen and senators in the presence of several hundred Indian Americans from the visitors gallery. In the evening, President Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Preparations for the visit have been going on for more than six months now and a lot of efforts have gone to ensure that the deliverables are historical in nature. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday terminated the services of two doctors for allegedly actively working with Pakistan-based groups and fabricating evidence in the 2009 Shopian death case, officials close to the matter said. The Jammu and Kashmir administration terminated the services of two doctors for fabricating evidence in 2009 Shopian death case (Agencies/Representative use) Dr Bilal Ahmad Dalal and Dr Nighat Shaheen Chilloo have been terminated from their positions for allegedly working in collusion with Pakistan and orchestrating a conspiracy to manipulate the post-mortem report of Neelofar Jan (22) and her 17-year-old sister-in-law Asiya Jan, who were found dead due to accidental drowning in Shopian on May 29, 2009, officials in the Raj Bhawan said. Officials claim their motive was to falsely implicate security forces in a rape and murder case and fuel discontent against the Indian state. The administration has invoked Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution to dismiss the two doctors following a thorough investigation that revealed their association with Pakistans ISI and terrorist organizations, officials. Dr Nighat Shaheen Chiloo, who was working as a consultant gynaecologist and posted at the sub-district hospital at Chadoora in Budgam and Dr Bilal Ahmad Dalal working as a medical officer and is currently posted at NTPHC, Takiya Imam in Shopian, were found to be key players in hatching the conspiracy against Indian state on behalf of Pakistan and terrorist outfits to create unrest in the valley, said sources. Despite repeated attempts, Dr Bilal didnt respond to calls and messages from HT. Dr Nighat couldnt be contacted for a comment. On May 29, 2009, Neelofar Jan, 22, and her 17-year-old sister-in-law Asiya Jan went missing after returning from their orchard in Bongam village of Shopian. Their bodies were discovered the next day in a shallow stream, leading to allegations that they were raped and murdered by security forces stationed in the area. Initially labelled as a drowning incident by the Omar Abdullah-led state government, public outcry prompted the formation of a single-man commission headed by retired justice Muzaffar Jan to investigate the case. The commission found evidence of foul play, criticised the police officials for negligence, and recommended reinvestigation. In August 2009, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the case and determined that the two women had not been raped or murdered. The CBI filed a charge sheet in December 2009 against 13 individuals, including the two doctors, for misleading the investigation and fabricating evidence related to rape and murder. In 2014, the Jammu and Kashmir high court rejected the plea for a fresh investigation based solely on the report of the judicial commission, stating that additional evidence was required to justify reopening the case. The aftermath of the Shopian case witnessed widespread turmoil for seven months, from June to December 2009. The valley experienced 42 strikes organised by groups like Hurriyat, resulting in numerous riots. Around 600 law and order incidents, including stone pelting and arson, were reported from all districts of the valley, while seven civilians lost their lives, and 103 were injured. The economic impact was substantial, with an estimated loss of 6,000 crores in business during those seven months. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A former Billings restauranteur has been convicted of multiple counts of sexual abuse following a more than week-long trial on charges that he raped, molested and solicited sexual favors from six women while managing several Billings restaurants. Chien "Howard" Hwa Shen, who assisted in operating Wild Ginger and Carne Brazilian Grill, was placed into custody after jurors deliberated throughout the day and into the evening Wednesday. In total, the 51-year-old Shen was found guilty of one count of rape, three counts of sexual assault and two counts of prostitution, offering cash to women he supervised, one of whom was underage, in exchange for sex. Yellowstone County District Judge Jessica Fehr immediately placed Shen into custody following the guilty verdict. This case is about power and control, Deputy Yellowstone County Attorney Arielle Dean said Wednesday in her closing argument to the jury, about this man, a man of power, exercising control over his vulnerable, young female employees. The abuse spanned between 2015 to 2020, according to court documents, with Shen targeting women who ages ranged from their mid-to-late teens to their mid 30s. All six victims testified in court. Along with Shen sexually harassing each survivor, he also frequently offered them from either before or after physically abusing them. Some reported feeling uncomfortable around Shen to management, only to be ignored. One woman testified in court that while she was an employee at one of his restaurants, Shen made sexually charged comments toward her, asking to see or touch her breasts and insisting she take money he offered her. In April 2020, when the two were alone in the restaurant, Shen followed her into the bathroom, where sexually abused her. Less than a month later, Shen grabbed another employees breast after giving her cash from his wallet. Criminal charges against Shen were initially filed in 2020. When news of the criminal filings went viral, several more women contacted police with their own stories of abuse. Two women, one of whom was 16 years old when she started working with Shen, testified that he offered them money in exchange for sex several times, with a dollar amount as high as $2,000. While one woman was checking a soap dispenser in the bathroom of one of his restaurants, Shen slid a hand into her bra, leaving cash inside. After groping another woman in the dish pit area of a restaurant, Shen, who did not testify during the trial, shoved $80 into her bra. All of the employees were girls and women who needed money, whether for their education or to support their families, prosecutor Arielle Dean said, and that made them vulnerable. Dean told the jury Shen's actions were about control and grooming, normalizing sexual touch and harassment to make it less likely for a victim to report him. "This case is about these women," she said, "Women who are finally strong enough, and able to come forward and say what the defendant had done to them." Defense attorneys argued that prosecutors were far from presenting enough evidence to pass the burden of proof. Along with no physical evidence in the form of DNA, they argued about gaps in the timeline of events and inconsistencies in the survivors statements. The jury deliberated for about eight and-a-half hours before reaching their verdict. The charges against Shen coincided with a lawsuit filed against him in which two survivors claimed he made inappropriate sexual comments and sexually assaulted them. That lawsuit soon expanded to include five survivors claiming damages against Shen and his wife Ting Ting Tina Wu, who was the sole shareholder for Wild Ginger and the majority shareholder for Carne Brazilian Grill. The lawsuit was settled in December 2022, according to court records. For each count of rape and sexual assault, Shen could be sentenced up to life in prison. Heaping praises on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government, union home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said terrorism in the country has been contained in the past nine years. Shah was speaking at a rally at Pt Ravishankar Stadium in Durg city of Chhattisgarh. (PTI photo) Shah said that the central government brought Left Wing Extremism under control in the entire country, except for a few areas in Chhattisgarhs Bastar region, in nine years. Speaking at a rally at Pt Ravishankar Stadium in Durg city of Chhattisgarh, where the assembly elections are due later this year, Shah said the Chhattisgarh government has failed to deliver on all fronts and the countdown of the Bhupesh Baghel-led regime has begun. Also Read: Amit Shah calls all-party meet on June 24 to discuss Manipur Blaming the Congress government for the rise in corruption, Shah said, The Baghel government has been facing allegations of a 2,000 crore liquor scam, 500 crore coal transportation scam, 1,300 crore gauthan scam, Public Service Commission scam, District Mineral Foundation (DMF) scam and many more. Do you want to re-elect this government ridden with corruption? he asked the gathering. Shah also sounded the poll bugle asking people to bring back PM Modi to power for a third successive term in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and vote out the current state government in Chhattisgarh. Shah described the Baghel government as wadakhilafi karne wali sarkar (the government going back on its promises). The Congress failed to fulfil its promises of liquor ban, waiving the loans of self-help groups and providing unemployment allowance, Shah said. Women involved in the ready-to-eat scheme lost their jobs, elderly people have not been getting old age pension properly and even the payments of tendu leaves collectors are pending, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ritesh Mishra State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh. Reports Maoism, Politics, Mining and important developments from the state. Covered all sorts of extremism in Central India. Reported from Madhya Pradesh for eight years. ...view detail Indo-US defence cooperation is set to take an orbital jump after Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US President Joe Biden on Thursday in Washington, with the Pentagon offering New Delhi the Stryker family of eight-wheeled armoured fighting vehicles and upgradation of M777 towed howitzers, apart from MQ-9 Reaper drones and the manufacturing of GE-F414 aircraft engines in India under 100% transfer of technology. Stryker armoured infantry combat vehicle. According to officials based in New Delhi and Washington, while the final decision on both Stryker and upgradation of M777 light weight howitzer depends on the conditions offered by the US, the defence equipment deals will be a significant component of the outcomes of the visit which will also see the signing of a deal with Micron for a $ 2.7 billion chip plant in India and a pact on quantum computing and artificial intelligence. Produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, the Stryker is an eight into eight wheel drive V-hull armoured infantry vehicle for rapid combat response to any insurgency or war-like situation. Armed with a 30 mm cannon and 105 mm mobile gun, the Stryker was used to good effect by the US army and the NATO forces to counter the Taliban in Afghanistan. The US is offering the infantry combat vehicle to India and the Modi government is interested in the local manufacture of the armoured vehicle under the Atmanirbhar Bharat" route. India already has 145 M777 howitzers, 120 of which were made by Mahindra Defence Systems in business arrangement with BAE systems. According to the officials cited above, the US is also offering to upgrade 155 mm M777 howitzers with precision-guided long range ammunition to counter the artillery challenge on Indias northern borders. India already has 145 M777 howitzers, 120 of which were made by Mahindra Defence Systems in business arrangement with BAE systems. Given the light weight of the gun, the M777 can be transported by helicopters to mountain tops in case of any emergency in Jammu and Kashmir or Arunachal Pradesh. While India and the US have an MoU over cyber security cooperation, the ties will get further cemented and the mutual convergence will be reflected in the joint statement issued at the end of PM Modis visit to the US. The biggest deal is expected to be for the F-414 aircraft engines that will power indigenously manufactured fighters for the coming decade as well as hunter-killer Reaper drones, which will counter the challenge faced by India from China, which has armed drones and has also sold them to Pakistan. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON US President Joe Biden, after welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Thursday, said the relationship between the USA and India is one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with President Joe Biden during a State arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday.(AP) Asserting that decisions the two countries make today will determine the future of generations to come, Biden said the US and India are working closely in expanding healthcare, climate change and issues arising out of Russia's aggression on Ukraine. "Welcome back to the White House," Biden said amid cheers from the crowd gathered on the South Lawn of the White House. With India's cooperation, we have strengthened QUAD for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific, the US president said. With your cooperation, we have strengthened the QUAD for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Decades from now, people will look back and say that the Quad bent the arc of history for global good, said Biden said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON South Asian A cappella group Penn Masala played Shah Rukh Khan's popular song Chaiyya Chaiyya and enchanted the crowd gathered outside the White House to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a video posted by news agency ANI, the group - which included around 19 men - can be heard singing the song, donning a black suit. Penn Masala performing rendition of Chaiyya Chaiyya at White House for PM Modi(ANI) A large crowd of the Indian diaspora on Thursday gathered at the South Lawns of the White House ahead of PM Modi's arrival. Several slogans including 'Vande Mataram', 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', and 'Modi, Modi' could be heard amid a mood of cheer. According to reports, around 2,000-3,000 persons are expected to witness the ceremonial welcome for PM Modi. PM Modi's visit to the US PM Modi arrived in the US on Tuesday night at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. After leading a historic event at the UN headquarters in New York to commemorate the 9th International Yoga Day, PM Modi is set to meet US President Joe Biden and hold bilateral talks in the Oval Office. He will also address a joint session of the US Congress on Thursday. The two leaders are also scheduled to address a news conference together from the East Room of the White House and are likely to take questions from journalists. Around 9.5% of West Bengals 73,887 panchayat seats have been won uncontested by various parties, nomination data indicated on Wednesday, marking a big dip from five years ago when the winners in a third of all seats were declared without any contest. Kolkata, June 15 (ANI): Security personnel fire teargas shells amid violence in Bhangar during the filing of nominations for West Bengal Panchayat elections, in Kolkata on Thursday. (ANI Photo) (Saikat Paul) The deadline for the withdrawal of nominations for the July 8 polls ended on Tuesday. The results will be announced on July 11. The nomination period was roiled by political clashes with at least eight people dying across four districts. Elections will be held at three-tier panchayats in 20 districts and two-tier panchayats in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts. In the last round of rural elections in 2018, when large-scale violence lashed the state and killed 20 people, the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) had bagged around 90% seats, of which 34% were uncontested. Although the data compiled by the state election commission (SEC) did not identify the parties that already won seats, the district-wise beak-up of candidates held some clues. In Birbhum district, where TMC controls all panchayats, the two Lok Sabha seats and 10 of the 11 assembly constituencies, the party won one of the 52 zilla parishad seats. As per TMC leaders their candidates won more than 800 gram panchayat and around 120 panchayat samiti seats uncontested. TMC district president Anubrata Mondal is lodged in Delhis Tihar jail in connection with a cattle smuggling case being probed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED). But TMC is the only party to contest all 2,859 gram panchayat seats and all 490 panchayat samiti seats in Birbhum. Its closest rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is contesting only 1,284 and 297 seats in gram panchayats and panchayat samitis respectively. Going bythe figures,the TMC has won around 920 seats in Birbhum. In North 24 Parganas, only TMC is contesting all 4,535 gram panchayat seats. While BJP and CPI(M) have fielded around 2,200 candidates each, Congress is contesting in only 466. The number of BJP candidates is considerably higherthan other opposition parties in Purulia and West Midnapore districts, regions where the party performed well in 2018. The Congress, which has a strong base in Murshidabad and Malda, has fielded the maximum number of candidates in these two districts. In north Bengal, data showed that the BJP is contesting 355 of the 383 seats in Cooch Behar, all 189 seats in Alipurduar and 185 of 189 seats in South Dinajpur. The BJP is also contesting most of the gram panchayat and zilla parishad seats in these districts. TMC is contesting almost all seats in north Bengal region except in the hill areas. The TMC is not contesting any of the 76 panchayat samiti seats in Kalimpong and only 11 of the 156 panchayat samiti seats in Darjeeling, indicating that it wants to leave the competition to its ally, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha led by Anit Thapa. After thousands of people, including 6,846 TMC candidates withdrew their nominations, the TMC is now left with 61934 candidates. The BJP, CPI(M) and Congress now has 39,617, 36,257 and 12,636 candidates, respectively. The number of independent candidates was 16,292. There are 61,636 polling booths in the districts for 63,229 gram panchayat seats, 9,730 panchayat samiti seats and 928 zilla parishad seats. The number of voters is 56.7 million. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar blamed the TMC. This 9.5% figure would have been 4.5 % if we could file nominations and there was no violence. TMC has destroyed democracy, said Majumdar. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee brushed aside the allegations. The Opposition is using federal agencies and making allegations because it is incapable of facing us politically. People will give them a befitting reply. Never before were no many nominations filed. The violence took place in only four polling booth areas. We lost two of our men as well, the chief minister said. CPI(M) and BJP have also won some seats. Bengal BJPs chief spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, Three of our gram panchayat candidates won uncontested in Birbhum, North 24 Parganas and South Dinajpur districts. A CPI(M) state functionary said his party won three gram panchayat seats in East Burdwan district. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tanmay Chatterjee Tanmay Chatterjee has spent more than three decades covering regional and national politics, internal security, intelligence, defence and corruption. He also plans and edits special features on subjects ranging from elections to festivals. ...view detail "Something is wrong here," Sangeeta Lerner thought to herself when she walked into a German yoga studio for the first time about a decade ago. Lerner had just moved from India to Berlin and wanted to get back to practicing yoga. (Also Read | Deepika Padukone successfully nails the Extended Puppy Pose in her World Yoga Day post. Here's why you should try it) Sangeeta Lerner aims to draw awareness to yogas spiritual roots as a way of life rather than a profit-making sport. (Franz Grunewald/DW) Also Watch: Manage your Diabetes with these Yoga Poses | Yoga For The Soul | Hindustan Times But her thoughts floundered in the Berlin studio: Why is the yoga instructor so fit? Why is the room decorated with a mix of Buddhist and Hindu gods that belong in a temple? And why was there superficial techno music playing during the final relaxation phase known as the shavasana? "Everything was so sterile and fancy. Everyone had gym clothes on, while I had come in comfy clothes. The yoga teacher walked around the room correcting the asanas (or postures)," Lerner recalls. She was irritated that she felt disconnected from the teacher and the other practitioners, since yoga stands for a sense of community. Lerner thought she was doing something wrong, that she was not flexible enough and that she needed more practice. Spirituality: Imitated not integrated Today, ten years later, the 44-year-old knows she's not doing anything wrong, just like the approximately three million Germans who practice yoga regularly. Because it's not about right or wrong it's about awareness. "Yoga is not a sport, it doesn't matter what kind of body you have. Yoga is healing work accessible to everyone. And for that, there must be spaces where everyone can feel welcome," Sangeeta Lerner tells DW. Originating from India, yoga is closely linked to Hindu philosophy and practice. In western societies however, yoga is often taken out of context and commercialized. Lerner sees this as cultural appropriation. Under British rule yoga was forbidden. Now sacred symbols and practices are unconsciously appropriated and dissociated from their Indian origins. Yoga, as it is taught in the west, is mostly limited to the physical aspect of asanas or postures. There are also some bizarre forms such as beer yoga, yoga with goats or yoga on a stand-up paddleboard, which often includes the chanting of "om." Western yoga studios mostly mix esoteric ideas, far eastern philosophy and western psychology. Buddha is mixed haphazardly with religious songs of Shakti and Shiva which are Hindu gods. "I'm not a Buddhist," Lerner explains, "but these spiritual symbols are very meaningful to people in Asia." She observes how cultures are imitated yet not integrated in western yoga studios. It reminds her more of a kind of art performance. "That's when colonial supremacy comes into play. You take something from a culture and make it work for you." From copywriter to yoga teacher Sangeeta Lerner was born and raised in Mumbai, India. The family didn't have much money, lived in a small apartment, and yet Lerner found her mother in particular to be a happy person. "My mother always gave everything. She welcomed everyone to our home and when she was out, she always had cookies for the street dogs. That was yoga for me. Not just physical exercise. My mother was very spiritual without being dogmatic. We all felt how good it was for her to give to others." This feeling, she says, is what she misses in Germany and now wants to pass on herself as a yoga teacher. Lerner used to work as a copywriter in the advertising industry. Among others, she worked for three years in Bahrain. This is where she met her future German husband, who worked in marketing. "When I gave presentations, the men never gave me credit for my ideas. That's when I realized that as an Indian woman, I have no power in this country." She had always been someone who fought against social injustices, she says. To deal with all the chaos around her, including discrimination in her own country, she long sought answers in yoga. Yoga is an Indian practice believed to be about 3,000 years old. The word yoga derives from Sanskrit and broadly means "to unite." It is an interplay of body, mind and breath, combining physical exercises, breathing techniques, meditation and ethical principles. So, it's no surprise to Lerner that yoga has become an export hit. "It just works," she says with a knowing smile. "Anyone who decides to become a yoga teacher isn't doing it to make money or become famous. They've realized it's a powerful practice that brings you closer to your soul." It was also the reason why she turned her back on the advertising industry. Decolonize yoga The global yoga industry generates 35 billion (almost $38 billion) from classes, retreats, yoga gear, books, magazines and scented sticks, according to market research firm Allied Market Research. Yoga in the west is often advertised by predominantly slender, white people. This reinforces stereotypical ideas and excludes people who do not conform to this beauty norm. Yogini Sangeeta Lerner bought her first yoga mat in Germany. After numerous further training courses, she gathered the courage to offer her own yoga classes. However, not in a yoga studio, but in a family center and in a midwife's practice. She shows up wearing loose colourful pants and a blouse. Again and again, she directs her attention to the breathing, and asanas happen as if in passing. She keeps the exercises simple without contortions. A meditative state is quickly attained. Although people worldwide follow the spiritual practice and appreciate it, the Berlin-based yoga teacher is annoyed that it doesn't help to prevent prejudices against Indians. "I still get the stereotypes of cows in the street or snake charmers," she says. Her two children also have had racist experiences, she says. "India is a big country and we also have many political problems. But instead of talking about it, we keep getting pigeonholed." To change that, Sangeeta Lerner has been giving Decolonize Yoga workshops throughout Germany for the past two years where they learn how to teach yoga without being culturally appropriative. Both experienced yoga teachers and beginners attend these two-day workshops. "Are you taking yoga away from us now?" is one of the questions Lerner often hears. "Of course not!" is her answer. As someone who grew up with it, she mainly wants to create awareness of its complexity and pass on its cultural roots. "We all live in toxic cultures, whether in Germany or India," Lerner says. Her aim is to bring yoga out of the privileged, commercialized environment and into the mainstream. She has already succeeded on a small scale. She is nicknamed the 'Mayor of the Schillerkiez' in her neighbourhood, Berlin's Neukolln district, where everyone knows and greets her. There's a sense of community, just like she learned from her mother. Actors Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor were clicked by the paparazzi at the Mumbai airport today. They shared pictures and videos of the couple on Instagram. One paparazzo page reported that two are heading off to Dubai. While Alia wore an all-black ensemble to catch the flight out of the bay, Ranbir complemented her in white attire. Meanwhile, his clean-shaven look grabbed the internet's attention, leaving fans excited for the return of his 'Chocolate Boy' era. Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor slay airport fashion in minimal outfits. Ranbir Kapoor's clean-shaven 'Chocolate Boy' look wins the internet A paparazzi page shared Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor's video on Instagram with the caption, "RK ka clean shave kaisa laga? [wink-eye emoji] Little Raha and mummy papa all set for their trip to Dubai." Fans loved the couple's airport outfits and Ranbir's clean-shaven look. One fan wrote, "After so long in clean shave! RK looks good." Another commented, "Chocolate Boy Face of Ranbir Kapoor is back." A user remarked, "Alia looking so cute like a baby and RK look handsome as always." A few fans wrote, "Fav jodi always," and "They look good together." Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt's airport look decoded Ranbir Kapoor wore a classic white shirt featuring a collared neckline, front button closures, full-length sleeves, a fitted silhouette, and a front pocket. He styled it with white skinny-fit pants, matching chunky lace-up sneakers, a luxurious watch, tinted sunglasses, a side-parted back-swept hairdo, and a tan over-the-body Louis Vuitton monogram bag. Meanwhile, Alia's all-black look features a jumper, matching tank top and pants. While the jacket has an asymmetrical front zipper, full-length sleeves, a relaxed fitting, and front pockets, the pants have a high-rise waist and a flared fitting. She wore the outfit with a Gucci over-the-body bag, white lace-up sneakers, and vintage-style sunglasses. Lastly, centre-parted open locks and a no-makeup look gave the finishing touch. Actor Kiara Advani attended the song launch of Sun Sajni from her upcoming film Satyaprem Ki Katha in Mumbai on Wednesday. Kiara, accompanied by her co-star Kartik Aaryan, was clicked at the event by the paparazzi. The star slipped into a sindoori red outfit for the occasion, and her stunning look in the ensemble got love from her husband, Sidharth Malhotra. Scroll through to see Kiara's pictures and read our download on it. Kiara Advani in red outfit for Satyaprem Ki Katha event with Kartik Aaryan. (HT Photo/Varinder Chawla) Sidharth Malhotra hearts Kiara Advani's red outfit for Satyaprem Ki Katha song launch Apart from the paparazzi pictures and videos shared on social media, Kiara Advani shared photos of her sindoori red look on Instagram with the caption, "Swipe for clarity [heart emoji] Mood Red [rose emoji]." After she posted the clicks, fans showered the star with love in the comments section. Sidharth Malhotra dropped a heart-eye and a fire emoji. A user wrote, "Laal mere dil ka haal." A fan commented, "You wear it beautifully." Several other fans also posted heart emojis to praise Kiara's look. Kiara Advani's look decoded Kiara's Satyaprem Ki Katha song launch look features a bralette, flared pants and an embroidered long jacket. While the bralette blouse has noodle straps, a plunging sweetheart neckline flaunting her decolletage, a cropped midriff-baring hem, a fitted bust, and sequinned embellishments in a floral pattern, the chiffon pants have a flared silhouette and floral sequin embroidery on the high-rise waist. Kiara Advani with Kartik Aaryan at Satyaprem Ki Katha song launch. (HT PHOTO/Varinder Chawla) Kiara paired the bralette and flared pants with a long jacket featuring raised collars, an open front, floor-length silhouette, full sleeves, and floral pattern embroidery done in multi-coloured sequins and threadwork. Kiara styled the ensemble with minimal accessories, including oxidised silver jhumkis and Kolhapuri block sandals. Lastly, she chose feathered brows, subtle eye shadow, mascara on the lashes, glossy pink lip shade, rouged cheekbones, beaming highlighter, and a dewy base for the glam picks. Open side-parted wavy locks gave the finishing touch. Taapsee Pannu, known for her incredible acting skills, has also become a trailblazer in the world of fashion. Her daring and experimental fashion choices have captivated audiences and established her as a style icon. Whether she's embracing a trendy streetwear look or elegantly draping herself in a simple white saree, Tapsee effortlessly slays every outfit she wears. Her Instagram feed serves as a treasure trove of inspiration for fashion enthusiasts, and her recent look is nothing short of sensational. This time, the actress showcased her seductive avatar in a stunning lacy black ensemble that left her followers in awe. With her alluring appearance, she undeniably leaves her fans drooling while we can't take our eyes off her. Keep on reading to know more about her look. (Also read: Taapsee Pannu channels modern-day Barbie vibes, flaunting toned abs in a stylish mini skirt and furry jacket ) Taapsee Pannu sets fashion goals with her striking black ensemble.(Instagram/@taapsee) Taapsee Pannu Slays in a Lacy Black Ensemble On Wednesday, actress Taapsee Pannu delighted her fans with a mid-week treat as she shared her recent pictures on Instagram. Along with the photos, she captioned, "The only caption coming to my mind is... Mumbai people waiting for rains be like..." In the post, Taapsee looks absolutely stunning in a black ensemble. The post quickly went viral on social media, garnering more than 140k likes and numerous comments from her fans who praised and complimented her. One fan wrote, "Beauty in black," while another commented, "So gorgeous." Let's all take a moment to admire her breathtaking photos. For her captivating look, Taapsee opted for a stunning black dress bodysuit adorned with intricate lace detailing throughout. The ensemble featured a flattering scoop neckline and a ruched waist with corset boning, accentuating her figure. To add an extra dose of allure, she paired it with a black wrap skirt that boasted a daring slit, extending up to her waist, showcasing her confidence. Completing the ensemble was a flowing black cape, adding an element of drama and elegance. Taapsee elevated the look with a pair of black stilettos, adding the perfect finishing touch to her all-black outfit. She completed her glamorous ensemble with minimal makeup and a chic half-updo hairstyle, embracing her natural beauty with effortless elegance. Follow more stories on Facebook & Twitter Who doesnt love smelling fresh and invigorating? Perfumes can be one of the most intoxicating aspects of your beauty routine. As temperatures soar and the sun blazes overhead, finding the perfect way to wear fragrance in hot weather becomes essential. The right scent can enhance your mood, make a statement, and leave a lasting impression. A good, quality perfume with a refreshing scent can work wonders with just a little spritz here and there. Believe it or not, there is a right and wrong way to apply perfume. But before we delve into that, its essential to understand how they work. (Also read: Fragrance guide for men: Tips to choose the right perfume ) With rising temperatures, finding the right way to wear and apply fragrances becomes crucial to ensure a pleasant and long-lasting scent experience. (Freepik ) The Science Behind Perfumes Talking with HT Lifestyle, Harmeet Singh, Vice President, Marketing, Product and Digital, The Body Shop (Asia South), shares, "Perfumes are alchemical marvels. At their core, perfumes consist of aromatic molecules suspended in a neutral medium. When applied to the skin, the heat triggers the evaporation of these molecules into the air, allowing us to perceive their scent. The volatility of fragrance molecules determines the nature and development of the fragrance on the skin. Lighter molecules, such as those found in citrus, pepper, herbs, and light fruity notes, are most noticeable upon initial application. Conversely, heavier components like musk, ambers, and wood tend to linger on the skin for extended periods, sometimes up to 24 hours." She added, "Temperature, both of the skin and the surrounding air, influences the evaporation process, ultimately shaping the way the perfume smells. It makes sense, then, to tailor our fragrance choices to meet the demands of the weather. Further, contrary to popular belief, white floral scents, such as tuberose, lily, and frangipani, thrive in hot weather, offering an extravagant olfactory experience." "Even Japanese Cherry Blossom, though not a traditional white floral, imparts a delicate and romantic floral scent with hints of jasmine, peony, and mimosa. On the other hand, musk-based perfumes (cruelty-free, of course), can emanate an invigorating and refreshing scent that will leave you smelling like a dream. Additionally, Alcohol-based perfumes may lead to skin irritation and skin burns, thus alcohol-free options are great alternatives to choose from," says Harmeet. How to Wear Fragrance Effectively When It's Hot Here are some simple yet effective tips suggested by Harmeet Singh that will prevent your favourite fragrance from disappearing so quickly. Opt for naturally citrus and crisp green scents like satsuma, grapefruit, and lemongrass as they emerge as popular choices when the mercury rises. These contemporary scents possess the crispness and lightness necessary to cut through the summer heat without overwhelming those around you. To make the most of these scents, use perfume parsimoniously. In hot weather, the heat can intensify the scent, so a little goes a long way. Apply a light mist or dab to pulse points, such as the wrists, neck, and behind the ears. This allows the fragrance to disperse naturally and creates a subtle aura around you. Consider the timing of the application. Applying fragrance immediately after showering or bathing, while your skin retains a hint of moisture, aids in better adhesion and longevity of the scent. Remember to refrain from rubbing the perfume into your skin, as this could break down the fragrance molecules and alter the intended scent. Your perfume gains variety and depth when you layer several fragrances. Try blending different fragrances on the wrist or neck so the odour gets switched as the weather changes. Musk fragrances can evoke a sense of lightness and airiness, which is well-suited for the warm weather of summer. The longevity of this fragrance makes it a great alternative, especially in hot weather when fragrances tend to dissipate quickly due to perspiration and higher body temperature. If you plan on spending the day at the beach or pool, don't forget to carry your favourite scent in your bag for later. The saltwater could ultimately reduce your fragrance. Follow more stories on Facebook & Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Billings woman admitted Thursday to leaving her infant child alone with the childs father whom she knew was dangerous. It was a fatal mistake. Samantha May Hance, 22, pleaded guilty in Yellowstone County District Court to one count of criminal child endangerment after reaching an agreement with prosecutors. She was initially charged with deliberate homicide in connection to the death of her daughter, who was less than two months old. This was not an easy agreement for me to make, said Yellowstone County District Court Judge Colette B. Davies, who has presided over the case against Hance. In July 2020, Yellowstone County prosecutors filed homicide charges against Hance and the father of her child, then 16-year-old Gilbert Raymond Ortiz. The charges came after the Billings Police Department investigated the suspicious death of their daughter in March of that year. The medical examiner determined the baby died of neglect, the Gazette previously reported, and shed also suffered multiple broken bones. Hance and Ortiz, who was charged as an adult, pleaded not guilty to the accusations. Hance, court documents said, saw a decline in the health of her daughter in the weeks prior to her death. The baby was left alone with Ortiz throughout the day while Hance went to work. Although she told BPD detectives she saw Ortiz be rough in handling her, she denied ever seeing him hit or abuse her. Detectives were granted a warrant to search through the couples Facebook messages, according to charging documents. The day after his daughters death, Ortiz was allegedly trying to arrange to buy marijuana from his friends. Following her guilty plea, Judge Davies placed Hance on conditional release. Hance, who has been in custody at YCDF for nearly three years, wiped away tears from her eyes when she heard she was being released. Hance is scheduled to be sentenced in August. Along with strict probationary rules barring Hance from drugs and alcohol, Judge Davies added 1,000 hours of community service to her plea agreement. Ortiz, now 19, is still facing a deliberate homicide charge and currently scheduled to go to trial in July. If convicted, he could be sentenced up to life in prison. Hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, is a profound spiritual journey untaken by Muslims from across the world and it involves a series of rituals that are deeply rooted in the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) at Arafat while commemorating the experiences of Prophet Ibrahim AS (Abraham AS) and his family on Eid-ul-Adha. The pilgrimage typically takes place over a span of several days and includes rituals such as wearing the ihram (a two-piece white garment), circumambulating the Kaaba (the sacred house of worship in Mecca), running between the hills of Safa and Marwa, standing on the plain of Arafat, symbolically stoning the devil in Mina and sacrificing a cattle in commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son. Arafah or Arafat? Know difference between the two amid Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj 2023 (Ahmad Al Rubaye / AFP) These rituals emphasise unity, humility and the submission to God's will, bringing together millions of Muslims from diverse backgrounds in a powerful display of faith and devotion. The Hajj journey is considered a transformative experience, providing spiritual purification, forgiveness of sins and an opportunity for reflection and renewal. Arafah Day falls on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah and commemorates the finality of the religion of Islam and of Divine revelation but due to difference in crescent moon sighting in different regions, countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, other Gulf countries, USA and UK are marking the Day of Arafah on June 27 this year while Muslims in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will observe it on June 28. Difference between Arafah and Arafat The Day of Arafah - It is an important day in the Islamic calendar and it falls on the 9th day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, which is the twelfth and final month of the lunar Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar is based on the sighting of the moon, so the exact date of the Day of Arafah may vary from year to year based on the lunar cycle. The Day of Arafah is considered one of the holiest days for Muslims around the world, particularly for those performing the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and it is an integral part of the Hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. - It is an important day in the Islamic calendar and it falls on the 9th day of the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, which is the twelfth and final month of the lunar Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar is based on the sighting of the moon, so the exact date of the Day of Arafah may vary from year to year based on the lunar cycle. The Day of Arafah is considered one of the holiest days for Muslims around the world, particularly for those performing the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and it is an integral part of the Hajj, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. Arafat - On the Day of Arafah, pilgrims gather in the plains of Arafat, a vast open area located approximately 20 kilometers southeast of Mecca. Muslim pilgrims spend the entire day engaged in supplication, prayer and reflection standing on the Mount of Arafat or Mount of Mercy which is also known as Jabal al-Rahmah and is considered a significant aspect of this day, as it is believed to be the place where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered his farewell sermon during his final pilgrimage. Arafat is believed to be the place where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered his farewell sermon during his final pilgrimage and this sermon, known as the Farewell Sermon, is considered a pivotal moment in Islamic history as it addressed various matters of faith, social responsibility and guidance for the Muslim community. Standing on the Mount of Mercy (Jabal al-Rahmah), which is a small hill within the plain of Arafat, is particularly significant as it is believed that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) stood on this hill during his sermon hence, pilgrims strive to spend time there, supplicating and seeking forgiveness. The gathering in Arafat symbolises unity, humility and the equality of all Muslims before God and it is believed that on this day, Allah forgives the sins of those who sincerely repent and grant mercy to those who seek it. After spending the day in Arafat, pilgrims proceed to Muzdalifah, another important location in the Hajj pilgrimage, to spend the night and from there, they continue to the city of Mina for the ritual of the symbolic stoning of the devil and then proceed to perform other rites of the Hajj pilgrimage. The Day of Arafah is a day of immense spiritual significance and is believed to be a time when Allah forgives sins and grants mercy to those who sincerely repent. Muslims who are not performing the Hajj are encouraged to observe fasting on this day as it is considered a highly rewarding act where fasting on the Day of Arafah is known as "Yawm al-Arafah." After the Day of Arafah, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, which marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage and lasts for three days. Eid al-Adha commemorates the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God and emphasises the importance of selflessness, faith and charity. Outside of the Hajj season, Arafat remains a significant landmark for Muslims and a place of historical and spiritual importance and it is visited by pilgrims and tourists throughout the year, although its significance is most pronounced during the Hajj pilgrimage and the Day of Arafah. In conclusion, while Arafah refers to the Day of Arafah, the word Arafat refers to the Plains of Arafat outside Makkah. While Eid-ul-Adha or Bakra Eid on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Zul Hijjah is the second most important festival celebrated by Muslims across the world, the Day of Arafah i.e. the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah is considered as the most important day as it is the day of repentance and is the climax of Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj. Here's all you need to know about the date, history and significance or the importance of the Day of Arafah, ahead of Eid-ul-Adha or Bakra Eid amid Hajj or the Muslims' pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Day of Arafah during Hajj 2023: Date, history, importance of Arafah Day ahead of Eid-ul-Adha or Bakrid (Image by ekrem from Pixabay) Date: Arafah Day falls on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah and commemorates the finality of the religion of Islam and of Divine revelation but due to difference in crescent moon sighting in different regions, countries including Saudi Arabia, UAE, other Gulf countries, USA and UK are marking the Day of Arafah on June 27 this year while Muslims in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will observe it on June 28. History: The Day of Arafah has historical and religious significance within Islam as it commemorates several important events and milestones. Here are some key historical aspects associated with the Day of Arafah - Repentance of Adam and Eve: According to Islamic tradition, it is believed that Adam and Eve, the first human beings, sought forgiveness from Allah for their disobedience and were reunited on the Day of Arafah. This event highlights the significance of repentance and seeking forgiveness on this day. According to Islamic tradition, it is believed that Adam and Eve, the first human beings, sought forgiveness from Allah for their disobedience and were reunited on the Day of Arafah. This event highlights the significance of repentance and seeking forgiveness on this day. Prophet Ibrahim AS (Abraham) and the Origins of Hajj: The Day of Arafah is connected to the story of Prophet Ibrahim AS (Abraham AS) and his family. It is believed that Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail (Ishmael) were instructed by Allah to build the Kaaba, the sacred house of worship in Mecca. The Day of Arafah symbolises the culmination of their journey and their steadfastness in fulfilling the divine command. The Day of Arafah is connected to the story of Prophet Ibrahim AS (Abraham AS) and his family. It is believed that Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail (Ishmael) were instructed by Allah to build the Kaaba, the sacred house of worship in Mecca. The Day of Arafah symbolises the culmination of their journey and their steadfastness in fulfilling the divine command. Revelation of the Verse of Completion: On the Day of Arafah, in the year 10 AH (632 CE), the revelation of the final verse of the Quran took place. This verse, known as Ayat al-Deen or the Verse of Completion, was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the plain of Arafat. It signifies the completion of the message of Islam and the perfection of faith. On the Day of Arafah, in the year 10 AH (632 CE), the revelation of the final verse of the Quran took place. This verse, known as Ayat al-Deen or the Verse of Completion, was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the plain of Arafat. It signifies the completion of the message of Islam and the perfection of faith. Farewell Sermon: The Day of Arafah marks the occasion when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered his final sermon during his farewell Hajj pilgrimage in the year 632 CE. The sermon took place at the Mount of Mercy (Jabal al-Rahmah) in Arafat, where the Prophet addressed a vast gathering of Muslims. The sermon covered various aspects of faith, social responsibility, and guidance for the Muslim community. Overall, the Day of Arafah encompasses historical events related to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his final sermon, the completion of the Quran, the origin of the Hajj pilgrimage through Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), and the concept of repentance as exemplified by Adam and Eve. These historical elements contribute to the spiritual and historical significance of the Day of Arafah within the Islamic faith. Significance: The Day of Arafah is significant for its emphasis on forgiveness, mercy, repentance, spiritual cleansing, unity and the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage. It is a day of immense importance and a time for Muslims to seek closeness to Allah, seek forgiveness and reflect on their faith and actions. It is believed that on the Day of Arafah, Allah forgives the sins of those who sincerely repent and seek forgiveness hence, Muslims around the world strive to maximise their supplications and seek mercy on this day. The Day of Arafah is seen as a golden opportunity for Muslims to purify their hearts, seek spiritual cleansing and gain closeness to Allah. The Day of Arafah is the central day of the Hajj pilgrimage, which is one of the five pillars of Islam and the day is considered the pinnacle of the Hajj journey. Pilgrims gather in the plain of Arafat and engage in acts of worship, such as prayer, recitation of the Quran, supplication and reflection. Standing on the Mount of Mercy is particularly significant, as it is believed to be the place where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) delivered his final sermon. The Day of Arafah is an integral part of fulfilling the obligations of the Hajj pilgrimage. The Day of Arafah is seen as an opportunity for spiritual cleansing and renewal and Muslims are encouraged to engage in self-reflection, introspection and repentance. It is a day to seek forgiveness, rectify one's behaviour and make positive changes in one's life. The day is marked by devotion, humility and a sincere commitment to personal and spiritual growth. Arafat symbolises the unity and equality of all Muslims before Allah as pilgrims from diverse backgrounds, nationalities and social statuses come together in Arafat, dressed in the same simple attire of ihram. This gathering emphasises the oneness of the Muslim Ummah (community) and the universal brotherhood/sisterhood in Islam. The Day of Arafah serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of unity, empathy, and compassion. It is basically the climax of Hajj when Muslim pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat and offer a day-long prayer with recitations of the Quran. Since Mount Arafat is approximately 15 kms away from Mecca, the Muslim pilgrims spend a day there to perform the rituals and live in tents from dawn to dusk. It was on Mount Arafat that Prophet Mohammed gave his last sermon of Islam hence, pilgrims stand here united as a dignified ritual, to seek forgiveness through reflection and prayer and it is this moment that may be described as standing before God. While fasting on the Day of Arafah is prohibited for the pilgrims, it is a highly recommended Sunnah for non-pilgrims as it entails a great reward with the belief that Allah forgives the sins of two years. Since Arafah Day is viewed by Muslims as a day of gratitude, the next day is celebrated as Eid-ul-Adha which marks another sacrifice by Prophet Ibrahim. This joyous occasion marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage and lasts for three days where Muslims worldwide commemorate Prophet Ibrahim's (Abraham) willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to Allah. Eid al-Adha is a time of community, charity, sharing meals and spreading happiness. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Air conditioners create a barrier between the outdoor heat and the conditioned indoor space, which prevents the accumulation of heat within the living or working environment, reducing the strain on the body and minimising the risk of overheating. They provide a controlled indoor environment with lower temperatures, which helps prevent excessive heat buildup and they help maintain a comfortable and safe temperature range, especially in areas where extreme heat prevails. Air conditioner can pose a risk of heatstroke. Here are some dos and don'ts (Photo by Carlos Lindner on Unsplash ) However, it is important to use them responsibly and consider energy efficiency by setting the temperature at a moderate level and ensuring proper insulation to help maintain a comfortable environment without unnecessary energy consumption. Additionally, staying well-hydrated, wearing appropriate clothing and avoiding prolonged exposure to high temperatures are important measures to further reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses, even when using air conditioning since some health experts claim that your air conditioner can pose a risk of heatstroke. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sudha Desai, Consultant Physician, General Physician and Internal Medicine at Ruby Hall Clinic, explained, A room with air conditioning will have a temperature that is 15 to 20 degrees higher than the outside air. When someone leaves a place with a lower ambient temperature, their body does not have enough time to acclimatise to the higher temperature outside. Although sweating is the body's principal mechanism for responding to changing temperatures, prolonged exposure to air conditioning dries up the skin and makes sweating more difficult. She elaborated, Due to impaired sweating mechanisms, the elderly, children, diabetics, and people using diuretics are especially vulnerable to these temperature changes. Because of this, a sudden temperature change from an enclosed, air-conditioned facility to the outside may produce heat exhaustion, heat stroke or worse still, heat hyperpyrexia, which can harm numerous organs. Dr Prasad Kuvalekar, Consultant Physician Internal Medicine at DPU Private Super Speciality Hospital in Pune, suggested the following dos and don'ts to avoid heatstroke: Avoid going out in the sun, especially between 12.00 noon and 3.00 p.m. Drink sufficient water and as often as possible, even if not thirsty Wear lightweight, light-coloured, loose, and porous cotton clothes. Use protective goggles, umbrella/hat, shoes or chappals while going out in sun. Avoid strenuous activities when the outside temperature is high. Avoid working outside between 12 noon and 3 p.m. While travelling, carry water with you. Avoid alcohol, tea, coffee and carbonated soft drinks, which dehydrates the body. Avoid high-protein food and do not eat stale food. If you work outside, use a hat or an umbrella and also use a damp cloth on your head, neck, face and limbs Do not leave children or pets in parked vehicles If you feel faint or ill, see a doctor immediately. Use ORS, homemade drinks like lassi, torani (rice water), lemon water, buttermilk, etc. which helps to re-hydrate the body. Keep animals in shade and give them plenty of water to drink. Keep your home cool, use curtains, shutters or sunshade and open windows at night. Use fans, damp clothing and take bath in cold water frequently. A new affordable, point-of-care test has been developed that can detect evidence of human papillomavirus (HPV) a leading cause of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is almost always caused by an infection with certain strains of HPV. But high medical costs and infrastructure barriers have prevented wider access to screening and treatments. A new cheap and quick HPV test could help countries with limited healthcare resources. (Matthias Rietschel/REUTERS) A new study, published on Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, shows how the HPV test can be performed in 45 minutes and will cost as little as $5 (4.6) per test. (Also Read | Fibroids to cervical cancer, watch out for these common gynaecological issues in mothers-to-be) The test's ease of use and low cost could enable it to fill critical gaps in cervical cancer screening in developing countries, where HPV infections often go undetected. Cervical cancer is not being prevented Cervical cancer is a story of the success and failure of science. It is one of the most preventable forms of cancer, yet 600,000 women a year are diagnosed with cervical cancer, while 350,000 women a year die of the disease. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 90% of these women live in lower-income countries. We currently have a range of tools to treat and prevent HPV vaccines to stop HPV infections, highly accurate ways to detect HPV, and early treatments like freezing or laser treatments for HPV warts. But the cost and infrastructure required for HPV screening is one of the major barriers to reducing cervical cancer rates. "We haven't done a good job of rolling out vaccines, or high performance testing and screening. The WHO set a goal of 90% of girls being vaccinated, 70% of women being screened at age 30 and 45, and 90% of women being treated. We're really far from delivering on that goal," said Rebecca Richards-Kortum, a professor of bioengineering at Rice University in the US, and author of the study, who also worked on the new HPV test. Current HPV tests like the GeneXpert system has a subsidised price of $15 per test, but the system to run the test costs $17,000. Then there's the laboratory costs and training required to perform the tests. "You need laboratories with power, air-conditioning, and internet. A lot of places in the world delivering medical care don't have those things," Richards-Kortum told DW. Same-day HPV screening and treatment What the authors of the study set out to do was create a HPV test that is less expensive and can be performed during one healthcare appointment. "Women can self-collect a sample, which is then immediately tested [in 45 minutes]. Then if the test is positive, they can be immediately treated, all in a single visit," said Richards-Kortum. The benefit is that the test is simple to perform without much laboratory training and doesn't require expensive equipment and laboratory equipment. The authors estimate it will cost $5 per test, with an instrument cost of $1,000, but with much less training required. The test itself identifies traces of HPV DNA in a sample from cervicovaginal swabs. It works similarly to a COVID-19 lateral flow test, but with a few extra steps at the beginning. DNA is extracted from cells in the sample using chemical buffers, followed by heat-treatment and amplification steps, then the solution is placed onto a lateral flow strip to be read just like a COVID-19 test. In trial runs, the test detected HPV DNA in provider-collected cervicovaginal swabs from the US, as well as self-collected swabs from a hospital in Mozambique. Right now, the test can only detect two of the HPV strains that can cause cervical cancer HPV16 and HPV18. These two strains account for 70% of all cervical cancers, but Richards-Kortum and her team want to expand the test to detect the other six high-risk HPV strains. HPV screening with low-resource requirements Countries like Rwanda already have very strong HPV vaccination and screening programmes. The country could be the first in Africa, possibly even the world, to eliminate the disease. Other countries with high cervical cancer rates and barriers to HPV screening and vaccinations could learn from Rwanda. The hope is that the new test will be a major benefit in this drive. "The format and affordability of this test could allow for greater decentralization and reach of cervical cancer screening in resource-limited settings, a critical step in pursuit of global cervical cancer elimination," Kundrod et al. conclude in the study. In the meantime, you can check out these tips for what to do if you have HPV. India has decided to join Artemis Accord, the United States-led international agreement on civil space exploration, the White House said Thursday. US space agency the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have also agreed for a joint mission to the International Space Station next year, the statement added. The US-led Artemis Accords were launched in October 2020.(Twitter/@Nasa) The development in space co-operation comes amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the US, during which the two nations are expected to announce a range of deals in the areas of defence and commerce to boost India-US ties. On space, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind, news agency PTI quoted a senior administration official as saying. What is the Artemis Accord? Grounded in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the Artemis Accords is a non-binding international agreement, designed to guide civil space exploration and sustainable use. Artemis program is NASA's initiative to return humans to the Moon, in which it aims to land the first woman and the first person of colour on the Earth's natural satellite. The need for Artemis Accords was realised as the number of mission and operation around Moon by numerous countries and private firms have significantly increased over the years," NASA said. The agreement is meant to reinforce the commitment by the United States and signatory nations for the peaceful use of outer space." As per NASA, the Artemis Accords govern principles that describe the best practices in carrying out activities in outer space is intended to increase the safety of operations, reduce uncertainty, and promote the sustainable and beneficial use of space for all humankind. The agreement applies to all the civil space activities conducted by the civil space agencies of each signatory. These include activities done on Moon, Mars, comets, and asteroids and other celestial bodies. It also lays guidelines on cooperation among countries on ensuring transparency mechanism on space exploration, sharing scientific information, development of interoperable and common exploration infrastructure and standards, preserving space heritage among other principles. The US-led Artemis Accords were launched in October 2020 with Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. As of May 2023, there are 25 signatories to the agreement. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nisha Anand Trainee Content Producer for Hindustan Times Digital Streams. I read about feminism, late modern history, and globalisation of Korean music. ...view detail Twitter vs Facebook... the ultimate social media platform showdown might soon be headed your way after Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg's 'send me location' response to Tesla, Inc. founder Elon Musk's 'cage fight' dare. Musk might have to work on his combat skills, though, given martial arts enthusiast Zuckerberg recently won his first amateur jiu-jitsu tournament. Elon Musk, chief executive officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, gestures as he attends the Viva Technology conference in France, June 16, 2023. (REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes) That said, the New York Post claims Musk trained in karate, taekwondo and judo as a child; there was even talk of throwing down a Sumo wrestler. Talk of sparring between the two broke after Musk and Zuckerberg exchanged (sort of friendly) barbs over the way the former has run Twitter since buying it for $44 billion last year. Zuckerberg is believed to be developing an alternative. ALSO READ | Elon Musk pitches for India after meeting PM Modi in New York Tech news publication The Verge said senior Meta executive Chris Cox spoke of a version of Twitter that is 'sanely run'. READ | Musk 'overpaid', bought Twitter for $44bn. Now it is worth only Zuckerberg himself said "... ive always thought that Twitter should have a billion people using it..." during a recent podcast. Faced with what the Daily Mail cheerfully described as 'Zuckerberg's masterplan to kill off Twitter...', Musk responded with a 'Zuck my (tongue emoji)' tweet. The cage fight dare was thrown down on Wednesday after someone shared more details of Zuckerberg's 'masterplan'. ALSO READ | Only 26% Meta employees have faith in their leadership: Report "I'm sure Earth can't wait to be exclusively under Zuck's thumb with no other options. At least it will be 'sane'. Was worried there for a moment," Musk said. "Better be careful Elon Musk... I heard he does the ju jitsu now," went one reply and pat came Musk's challenge, "I'm up for a cage match if he is lol." Zuckerberg's response on Meta-owned Instagram - "send me location." Will they actually throw down? Surely not... no. But umm, watch this space. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON PATNA: Bihars Chief Minister (CM) Nitish Kumar has crisscrossed across the country over the past couple of months with the sole aim of persuading key Opposition leaders to unite against the BJP for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. His mission Opposition unity took him to Delhi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Jharkhand. PREMIUM Nitish means to position himself as not only the mediator/ intermediary among several opposition leaders(ANI) Through this, Nitish means to position himself as not only the mediator/ intermediary among several Opposition leaders with varying ambitions and political agendas, but also the leader who could take on a national role if needed. To wit: The day after Nitish announced that the meeting initially planned on June 12 was deferred as leaders of some of the 20-odd Opposition parties were not available on that date, and had deputed second-tier party leaders to attend, Nitish made it clear that whenever the meeting would take place, only party bosses were expected to attend. He left it to the Congress to decide the new date for it was Congress that was planning to send its chief ministers to attend the meeting, as both party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were travelling on that day and asked Janata Dal (United) president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh and deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to announce the new date. Yadav hinted that Congress may have had reservations about the venue while confirming that all like-minded parties agreed to hold the big meeting in Patna. There were talks in Congress circles that the meeting ought to have been scheduled in Shimla to ensure the participation of Sonia Gandhi, who is the chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) as well as the leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party. The idea of the Patna conclave originated during a meeting between Nitish and Yadav with Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata at April-end, where the Bengal CM told Nitish that he needed to reignite the JP spirit. She was referring to the movement led by firebrand socialist leader, JP Narayan, under whose leadership Opposition parties united against the Emergency in the mid-70s. The question, of course, is can he? But, an equally important question is: what happens to Nitish if he cant? Importance of Opposition unity for Nitish For the 72-year-old, who has been the longest-serving CM of Bihar eight terms; close to 17 years the options are limited. He hinted at his intention to pass on the baton when he announced last December that the 2025 assembly election would be contested under Tejashwi Yadavs leadership. Though he denies any ambition of becoming prime minister, his party has always projected him as the ideal candidate. By stating that Bihars next assembly elections in 2025 will be fought under Tejashwi Yadavs leadership, its clear that Nitish envisages no future for himself in state politics. By leading the Opposition unity talks, Nitish has also ensured that he becomes a visible face on a national platform, said Gyanendra Yadav, associate professor of Sociology at the College of Commerce in Patna. Opposition parties are not ready to accept him as their leader. However, Nitish knows that the BJP cannot be defeated without a strong unity of Opposition parties, said D M Diwakar, former director of A N Sinha Institute for Social Studies. His success which, to be sure, depends on a lot more than his ability to bring all Opposition parties to the table, though no mean feat will mean a second inning at the national level, Diwakar said. If he succeeds, he will have another active innings in creating history in national politics. Moreover, RJD wants to see its leader (Tejashwi Yadav) as CM. Hence, Nitish is trying his level best to play a role of historic importance, like JP. However, every party has its baggage and aspirations. Managing Expectations An astute politician and a calculative man, Nitish was guarded in his comments on the Congress victory in the recently held Karnataka assembly polls. He called the results expected. He may not have wanted Congresss triumph to overshadow his Mission. Nitish maintains that he is not in the race to be PM and his goal is only to mobilise the maximum number of non-BJP parties on a single platform. But he nourishes the ambition, said Professor N K Chowdhary, former head of department (Economics), Patna University. Nitishs reluctance is a calculation that may well pay rich dividends. For now, he seems to have succeeded in emerging as the key man in bringing the Opposition together, and more importantly in breaking the ice between the Congress and some of the key regional players like Mamata and Kejriwal, with whom the grand old partys relations have been strained. Both Mamata and Kejriwal are expected to attend the meeting, along with Nationalist Congress Partys Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena UBTs Udhav Thackeray, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagams M K Stalin of Tamil Nadu, and Left leaders like D Raja, Sitaram Yechury and Dipankar Bhattacharya, besides Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. But his is not an enviable position it is not enough to bring the parties together; he must ensure a common minimum programme too. To be fair, this is as much the responsibility of all the other Opposition parties as it is of Nitishs, if they truly intend to achieve what theyve set out to do: defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 general elections. The Opposition party unity bid riddled with several contradictions has agreed on at least on one point: to not attack Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar, on the request of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. A senior Janata Dal (United) leader, who is privy to the discussions on the unity bid by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, said there is a broad agreement that statements that give the ruling BJP unnecessary political advantage should not be made. The success of the Nitish factor in the Opposition unity plan would be established if he succeeds in bringing top non-BJP leaders from South India, such as KCR and Jagan, into the larger Opposition fold for the 2024 elections, Chowdhary said. However, Nitish has not yet been able to meet Telangana CM and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh CM and YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy so far. KCR has his own national aspirations and he may not like to play second fiddle to other Opposition players. The danger of switching sides If Nitish fails in his mission, will he make another attempt to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, as he did in 2017? The new breed of leaders would not allow this, said Chowdhary. JD (U) left the NDA after Narendra Modi was made the prime ministerial candidate in 2013. Nitish positioned himself within the secular-democratic framework and attempted to distinguish himself from the BJP. At the time, he said that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fount of the BJP, is not in the interest of the country and its people, and that the country needed a Sangh-mukt Bharat. In 2015, he joined hands with the RJD-led Grand Alliance to fight the assembly polls and eventually became CM. However, the alliance didnt last, and his party passed a resolution to join the NDA in 2017. His decision to desert the RJD, which was facing corruption charges, appeared to be a conscientious decision. However, Nitish almost immediately joined the BJP and continued to occupy the CMs post. Many panned Nitish for his ideological U-turn and called him opportunistic. Even his one-time associate, election strategist Prashant Kishor predicted a similar move again. Speaking at Vaishali during his Jan Suraj Yatra last month, Kishor said Nitish wont be in GA for long and will join the NDA. But, as political scientist NK Chowdhary pointed out, this may be tougher for Nitish this time around. There is no doubt about the fact that animals can be mischievous. There are several times when pets have outsmarted humans or they have done things that make you laugh out loud. Now, another such mischief by an animal was reported by a zoo in Poland. A red panda escaped from its enclosure and climbed a nearby tree. Later, he was rescued by the fire department. Red panda escapes enclosure in Poland zoo,(Instagram/@Gdanski Ogrod Zoologiczny) Gdanski Ogrod Zoologiczny Zoo shared on Instagram, that every morning caretakers do checks and see if everything is okay with the animals. But when their red panda called Maja wasn't in his enclosure they grew worried. After a quick search operation, they found him in the trees. Once he was spotted, they called the fire department to rescue him. Take a look at the red panda below: This post was shared a few days ago. Since being posted, it has been liked over 400 times. Some have also shared comments on the post. Check out a few reactions below: An individual wrote, All is well that ends well." A second posted, "A bad boy." "He ran away from his girlfriend because she was making him mad," joked a third. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In a race against time, rescuers are trying to find the submersible Titan that went missing on June 18. The vessel, with five passengers onboard, was on its way to the ship wreckage of the Titanic. The incident has prompted a lot of chatter on social media. Some people are also reminded of previous incidents related to the ship wreckage site. Amid those posts is a Reddit share that has gone viral. The post is about a couple who went down to the remains of the Titanic to get married. Titanic bow is seen during a dive at the resting place of the Titanic's wreck. (WHOI via REUTERS) TIL I learned that in 2001, a New York couple got married on the deck of the Titanic, in a submarine. They faced criticism that their stunt was in bad taste, a Redditor wrote and shared a link to a BBC article that reminded people of the ceremony that took place more than two decades ago. Also Read: Redditor shares unseen pics of Titan submersible taken in 2019 According to the BBC article published in 2001, New Yorkers David Leibowitz and Kimberley Miller took a submersible to reach the wreckage site of the Titanic which sank on its maiden voyage in 1912. At that time, the cost for visiting the wreckage site was $36,000 per person. The article further mentions that after their wedding, they received a lot of criticism as many called it an insult to the people who died in the shipwreck and also added that it is in bad taste. Take a look at the Reddit post that reminded people of the couple who got married in the Titanic wreckage in 2001: Shared a day ago, the post has received tons of comments from people. While some expressed similar opinions as those in 2001, a few spoke in support of the couple and added that its not wrong. Heres what Reddit users have to say about the wedding that took place more than two decades ago: That certainly wasn't the best taste yeah, posted a Reddit user. I don't see the big deal at all. Most of the weddings I've been to have been at sites littered with corpses, argued another. I think it's a little dark, but ultimately harmless. If they wanted a unique venue then they certainly got one, joined a third. Not in bad taste, it's a historical site. Also it was 2001, not exactly 'too soon', wrote a fourth. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A submarine expert has claimed that the banging sound picked up by sonar amid a search for the missing submersible in 30-minute intervals is encouraging that the five people on board are still alive. The five passengers onboard the Titan submersible have been identified as OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman. This photo provided by OceanGate Expeditions shows a submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic (OceanGate Expeditions via AP)(AP) Recently, sonar picked up banging sounds from underneath the water. A memo obtained by CNN said it was unclear exactly when the banging was heard on Tuesday, June 20, and for how long. More sounds were later heard, but they were not described as banging. Additional acoustic feedback was heard and will assist in vectoring surface assets and also indicating continued hope of survivors, an update reads. It has also been reported that a white rectangular object was spotted in the water by a Canadian P3 aircraft. This tells me a huge amount, Frank Owen, a former Australian submarine officer and now search-and-rescue director, told New York Post. On board the Titan is the French former Navy diver, the Titanic expert [Paul-Henry Nargeolet]. But also because hes a diver, he understands the way search forces look for submarines that are lost submariners are taught that if theyre stuck in a disabled submarine on the hour and the half hour they bang the hull for three minutes, then they stop. They dont make any more noise. So the fact that were hearing banging at 30-minute internals tells me that the people inside are sending a message that says, We understand that you would be looking for us and this is how you might expect us to react. So, its very encouraging, he added. The submersible began its journey on Sunday morning, June 18. About one hour and 45 minutes into its descent, the vessel lost contact with the Polar Prince, the support ship that transported it to the site. The Titan reportedly sends a ping to the Polar Prince every 15 minutes. The last ping was received while the vessel floated above the Titanic wreckage at about 3 pm local time. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A Mexican citizen accused of trafficking 29 pounds of meth from Denver to the Bozeman and Billings admitted to a drug crime Thursday. Victor Daniel Mejia Ocampo, 22, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him with possession with intent to distribute meth. Ocampo faces a mandatory minimum five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Ocampo was detained pending further proceedings. During an investigation in mid-July 2022, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of cocaine from co-defendant Isidro Vega Carmona in Bozeman, according to court documents. Ocampo was with Carmona during the purchase. About a month later, law enforcement arranged to buy four pounds of meth from Carmona and Ocampo and made another controlled purchase of the drug in Bozeman. Carmona told the buyers that people were bringing the meth from Denver. In October 2022, Carmona offered to sell an undercover person 25 pounds of meth for $100,000, according to court documents. On Oct. 12, 2022, Carmona contacted the undercover agent and confirmed that another co-defendant, Risela Soberanes, was driving the 25 pounds of meth to Billings from Denver and that he would meet the undercover in Billings. Carmona and Ocampo traveled together from Bozeman to Billings, where both were arrested, along with Soberanes. Ocampo removed a large rolling suitcase, which contained 25 pounds of meth, from the trunk of a vehicle that had been driven by Soberanes to a Billings residence. Carmona was arrested as he walked with the suitcase toward a downtown hotel to meet the undercover person. Ocampo drove toward the hotel and was arrested after he parked the vehicle. Twenty nine pounds of meth is the equivalent of approximately 105,000 doses. Carmona was sentenced recently to 14 years in prison, while Soberanes was sentenced to two years in prison for their convictions in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin M. Rubich prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Missouri River Drug Task Force. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make neighborhoods safer. US president Joe Biden said that his remarks calling China's leader Xi Jinping a dictator are not reflective of the relationship between Washington and Beijing. US' relationship with China is progressing and a meeting with Xi Jinping is in the offing, Joe Biden asserted. US president Joe Biden speaks during joint press conference.(PTI) The statements regarding China are just not something Im going to change very much, Joe Biden said at a joint press conference with PM Modi after Beijing registered a formal protest of his remarks. At a campaign fund-raiser earlier in the week, Joe Biden had called the Chinese president a dictator and dismissed China as having real economic difficulties. China's embassy in Washington said it had delivered a formal protest with its ambassador Xie Feng telling senior White House and State Department officials that US should take earnest actions to undo the negative impact of what Joe Biden said or bear all the consequences." With the latest irresponsible remarks about Chinas political system and its top leader, people cannot help but question the sincerity of the U.S. side in seeking to stabilize relations, the embassy said, adding, The Chinese government and people do not accept any political provocation against Chinas top leader and will resolutely respond. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON J.K. Rowling, the eminent author of the Harry Potter series, caused a significant stir on Twitter when Elon Musk announced that the terms "cis" and "cisgender" would be considered slurs on the platform. (FILES) In this file photo taken on March 29, 2022 British writer JK Rowling poses on the red carpet after arriving to attend the World Premiere of the film "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" in London. - The first Harry Potter television series is set to be made, with author JK Rowling acting as an executive producer, Warner Bros. Discovery announced on April 12, 2023. (Photo by Tolga Akmen / AFP)(AFP) Rowling, who has previously faced controversy and boycotts for her comments on sexual orientation, expressed her disagreement with the use of these terms, labeling "cis" as "ideological language" and asserting that everyone has the right to disagree. According to Rowling's tweet on June 21, Cis is ideological language, signifying belief in the unfalsifiable concept of gender identity. The eminent author further stated, You have a perfect right to believe in unprovable essences that may or may not match the sexed body, but the rest of us have a right to disagree, and to refuse to adopt your jargon.. Elon Musk appeared to support Rowling's position by responding to her post with a simple "Exactly." Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, gestures as he attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes(REUTERS) However, not all Twitter users shared the same perspective, and many criticized Rowling for her statements on the topic. Some suggested that she should prioritize kindness in her interactions, while one user accused her stating, The hypocrisy of an author who uses words to tell stories then rejects a word used as an adjective for 30 plus years then wants her followers to do the same. J.K, it isnt jargon just look in the dictionary. Those who disagreed with Rowling and Musk's views highlighted that the term "cis" is not jargon but can be found in the dictionary. Conversely, some users agreed with Rowling and Musk, expressing their support for their statements. One user even commended them by stating, "You got that 1000%." ALSO READ| | Now Andrew Tate steps into Elon vs Mark cage challenge, Meta banned me, I will train you Elon Musk Another user pointed out the apparent disparity in the level of discussion surrounding terms like "cis" and "gender-neutral pronouns" between the Western world and other regions. Rowling's comments and the subsequent backlash came after Musk, declared that the words "cis" and "cisgender" would be regarded as slurs on the platform, with potential penalties for violators. Musk's decision was influenced by cultural commentator James Esses, who shared his experience of being targeted by activists on Twitter after expressing his rejection of the term "cis." Yesterday, after posting a Tweet saying that I reject the word cis and dont wish to be called it, I receive a slew of messages from trans activist calling me cissy and telling me that I am cis whether or not I like it, Esses Twitter reads. This is not the first time that the 57-year-old writer has taken a controversial stance in the ongoing cultural debates. In 2020, she faced significant backlash from fans when she responded to an article about "people who menstruate" by suggesting that the word "woman" should be used instead. Rowling tweeted, "People who menstruate. Im sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" In another tweet, The Ickabog author questioned gender identity and argued that erasing the concept of sex hampers meaningful discussions about people's lives. Rowling has previously defended her opinions on gender by stating that she spent the last three years studying gender and sexuality, leading her to form her own perspectives. She emphasized the importance of not assuming that individuals lack knowledge simply because they think differently. As a "debris field" was discovered in the search for Titan, a rescue expert told Sky News that the missing submersible's landing frame and rear cover have been found. The US Coast Guard said that it is evaluating the information. This undated image provided by OceanGate Expeditions in June 2021 shows the company's Titan submersible. (AP) David Mearns, a rescue expert who knows two of the five men onboard, received a WhatsApp message suggesting that two crucial parts of the system have been detected. The hull is yet to be found, he said. They don't use phrases like 'debris field' unless there's no chance of a recovery of the men alive. A debris field implies a break-up of the submersible ... that really sort of indicates what is the worst-case scenario, which is a catastrophic failure and generally that's an implosion. The only saving grace is that it would have been immediate - literally in milliseconds - and the men wouldn't have known what was happening, David Mearns said. The Titan was estimated to have about a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched on Sunday morning in the North Atlantic. Experts emphasized that it was an imprecise approximation and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve the breathable air. Rescuers rushed ships, planes and other equipment to the site of the disappearance as the US Coast Guard said an undersea robot sent by a Canadian ship had reached the sea floor. A French research institute said a deep-diving robot with cameras, lights and arms also joined the operation. Some underwater sounds might help in narrowing the search, authorities believed. The search's coverage area has been expanded to thousands of miles twice the size of Connecticut and in waters almost 4 kilometers deep. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mallika Soni When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?" ...view detail In a shocking revelation, Mexican actor and travel YouTuber Alan Estrada has described his voyage on OceanGate's missing submersible near the wreckage of the Titanic as an "extremely risky" endeavor. As the search for the Titan continues, past passengers who have experienced the cramped and unconventional conditions onboard the submersible have come forward to share their stories. Mexican actor Alan Estrada attends the 'La Usurpadora: The Music Hall' premiere at the Regal Cinemas L.A. Live in Los Angeles,(AFP) Estrada, who embarked on the submarine expedition in 2022, recalled the nerve-wracking moments when the vessel lost contact with its surface support ship, almost jeopardizing the entire mission. Speaking to Reuters, Estrada acknowledged the risks involved and the multiple waivers he had signed, acknowledging the possibility of losing his life. Participants in these deep-sea expeditions are well aware of the inherent dangers they face. Estrada emphasized that these ventures are far from a leisurely trip to an amusement park. The YouTube video he posted documenting his mission showed that at a depth of 1,000 meters, the submersible momentarily lost contact with the surface. However, communication was eventually restored, allowing the mission to proceed. With the ongoing search for the missing submersible, hopes and prayers are being sent for the safety of those onboard. Estrada expressed his optimism, believing that as long as there is sufficient oxygen, the crew remains alive and awaiting rescue. However, he emphasized that locating the submersible and ensuring the safety of the passengers is of utmost importance. Meanwhile, another adventurer, Arthur Loibl, a retired businessman from Germany, shared his experience of diving to the Titanic shipwreck site as one of the missing submersible company's early customers. Loibl referred to the dive as a "kamikaze operation," emphasizing that a certain level of daring and unconventional thinking is required for such endeavors. Recounting the cramped conditions onboard, Loibl described a metal tube with minimal space, where passengers had to sit or perch on top of each other. Claustrophobia was not an option. Loibl's dive, which lasted two and a half hours, had its fair share of challenges, including delays due to battery and balancing weight issues. The descent and ascent were conducted in darkness, with only a fluorescent glow stick providing illumination to conserve energy. Despite these obstacles, Loibl considered himself fortunate to have witnessed the majestic wreckage of the Titanic, unlike some other visitors who encountered only debris or, in the worst cases, nothing at all. Also read | Wife of OceanGate founder is descendent of Titanic victims depicted in 1997 film As the search-and-rescue mission intensifies, the focus remains on locating the submersible before deploying specialized vessels capable of reaching the Titanic wreck at a depth of 12,500 feet. With limited oxygen reserves onboard, time is of the essence. The United States Coast Guard, working in coordination with Canadian authorities, is tirelessly working to ensure that all necessary resources are available if and when the Titan submersible is located. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An Indian-origin doctor from Sacramento-area facing sexual battery charges was reportedly arrested at San Francisco International Airport last week. Dr. Rachandeep Singh has been accused of touching his colleague against her will. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office started investigating doctor Rachandeep Singh on April 26 (Sacramento Sheriff/Twitter, Sacramento County Sheriffs Office/Facebook) According to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, they started investigating the accused doctor on April 26 after they received a report from an employee at the River Pointe Post-Acute Care Facility on Fair Oaks. Rachandeep was the facility's medical director, the sheriff's office confirmed. The administration later removed him from the facility. He also oversaw two other facilities in Stockton and San Joaquin County, according to CBS News. The Sacramento Sheriff tweeted about the case on June 19. Dr. Singh was removed from the facility by their administration. Singh was identified as the facilitys medical director, and detectives learned he oversaw at least two other facilities as the medical director in the City of Stockton and the San Joaquin County areas. Based on the subsequent investigation results, the Sacramento County District Attorneys Office elected to file felony sexual battery charges against Singh and issued a warrant for his arrest, the tweet reads. Singh was arrested yesterday (June 17, 2023) by the San Francisco Police Department at the San Francisco International Airport. He was booked into custody at the San Mateo County Jail but released on bail the same day. He is scheduled to appear in court in Sacramento on August 17, 2023, at 3:00 PM, it says. The tweet adds that detectives are looking for other potential victims of Rachandeep as he holds positions in various areas across the region. Anyone with information about the case has been urged by detectives to contact the Sheriffs Office at (916) 874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP. One can also send tip information at sacsheriff.com or by calling (916) 874-TIPS (8477). The desperate search for a submersible that disappeared while taking five people to view the Titanic wreckage has drawn attention to other deep-sea rescues. (Follow LIVE updates of Titan submersible search op) Image provided by OceanGate Expeditions, shows their Titan submersible during a descent in a file photo.(AFP) Those rescue efforts from a submersible off Ireland to a submarine off the New Hampshire coast offer some measure of hope for the passengers and their families. But some of those rescues were not as complex as the effort to find the Titan submersible. They were often in shallower waters and, in several cases, were much bigger crafts. Many ended with some, if not all, the passengers on board dying demonstrating the inherent risk of operating in the deep ocean. PISCES III SUBMERSIBLE Fifty years ago, two British sailors sat trapped in a deep-sea submersible more than 1,500 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, facing an uncertain fate while an international team scrambled to figure out a way to free them. In an incident that echoes the efforts to find and retrieve those trapped in the Titan submersible, Roger Chapmans and Roger Mallinsons lives hung on the success of the mission which turned out to be the deepest known successful underwater rescue. The operation illustrates the difficulty of carrying out deep water rescues. The ordeal for Chapman and Mallinson began as the two were laying a transatlantic telephone cable about 150 miles (241 kilometers) off the coast of Cork, Ireland on August 29, 1973. During what would otherwise have been a routine shift, water began flooding the aft section of the vessel, which measured only about six feet in diameter. The Pisces III would sink to about 1,575 feet (480 meters). Once the vehicle reached the sea floor, the two could do little more than check for leaks and do their best to conserve oxygen. Unlike Titan, they were able to maintain communication with those on the surface. The Pisces III was too deep for divers so the rescuers began searching for other options, One was a U.S. remote controlled submersible called CURV-III for Controlled Underwater Recovery Vehicle. The Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Navy also responded. Two similar submersibles Pisces II and Pisces V were also dispatched to the scene. Rescuers managed to attach cables to the stranded submersible. With available oxygen running low and the two having eaten their only food a can of lemonade and a cheese sandwich rescuers began to hoist the Pisces III until it broke the surface of the water. Chapman and Mallinson had to wait a bit longer as workers struggled for 30 minutes to open the hatch and allow fresh aid to rush in. The two had been in the capsule for more than 84 hours and had an estimated 12 minutes of oxygen left when they were able to exit the cramped quarters. USS SQUALUS Off the coast of New Hampshire, the diesel-electric submarine USS Squalus was on a test dive in March 1939 when a valve failure caused a portion of the sub to flood. The Squalus bottomed out at about 240 (73 meters) of water off the Isle of Shoals. Rescue operations began the following day, according to the Navy History and Heritage Command. Fort the first time, the Navy used the McCann rescue chamber a pear shaped steel chamber that was lowered down to the sub and successfully transported surviving crew members to the surface. Over the next 13 hours, 33 surviving crew members were rescued. Twenty-six others drowned in the initial accident. During the emergency and the entire time we were on the bottom, all hands exhibited coolness and precision in carrying out the duties of their stations, according to testimony of one of the sub survivors Lt. W.T. Doyle. Orders of the Commanding Officer were carried out promptly and efficiently. In spite of the low temperature and cramped quarters there were no complaints. A finer quality or higher spirited group of men, than those on the Squalus, will never be surpassed. RUSSIAN MINISUB In 2005, a Russian AS-28 mini submarine sank in the Pacific Ocean after becoming entangled in a fishing net. The AS-28 has been sent to investigate an underwater surveillance antenna that had been entangled in nets. As it surveyed the area, the sub became stuck in about 620 feet of water. Seven trapped sailors started writing farewell letters to loved ones as water supplies dwindled and the air thinned in the claustrophobic mini-sub on the Pacific floor. But with only several hours of oxygen to spare, a British robotic vessel was able to free the sub. Crew members recalled three days of darkness and frigid temperatures. It was cold, cold, very cold. I cant even describe it, one crew member with reddish hair said as the sailors walked ashore with dazed looks and bloodshot eyes after their vessel was cut loose from cables that had snagged it. Soon after, Russia officials investigating the near-tragedy found problems with the rescue effort. Among them were reports that the Navy may have initially refused the subs request to be towed free, fearing damage to the underwater antenna assembly. The response brought to mind the bungled response to the 2000 Kursk submarine disaster, in which most of the 118 members of the crew were killed instantly. As the submarine sank to the bottom of the sea, only about 350 feet (108 meters) below the surface, 23 men were able to flee to a rear compartment, where they waited for help. But delays in launching a rescue effort and then seeking Western help doomed the remaining crew who mainly died of suffocation. INDONESIAN SUB Two years ago, an Indonesian submarine disappeared off the resort island of Bali with 53 sailors aboard. The submarine lost contact after being granted clearance to dive. The Defense Ministry said a helicopter later spotted an oil slick near the dives starting position. The Navy launched a frantic search and predicted the sub would run out of oxygen in the next several days. An underwater robot equipped with cameras found the lost submarine lying in at least three pieces on the ocean floor at a depth of 838 meters (2,750 feet). All 53 crew members died. The cause of the German-built diesel-powered submarine sinking remains uncertain. The Navy previously said an electrical failure could have left the submarine unable to execute emergency procedures to resurface. Emergency survival suits that are normally kept in boxes were found floating underwater, apparently indicating the crew may have tried to put them on during the emergency. USS THRESHER In 1963, the crew of a rescue ship listened helplessly after receiving an ominous message exceeding test depth before the nuclear-powered USS Thresher disintegrated under the crushing pressure of the sea in 1963. Killed were 129 sailors and civilians on a routine test dive off Cape Cod. There was a massive search by air and surface forces using sonar, magnetometers and radiation detectors. Some floating debris was recovered. But it wasnt until several months later that a deep-diving research bathyscaphe discovered the wreckage at a depth of about 8,500 feet. The subs remnants cover a mile of ocean floor at a depth of 8,500 feet (2,590 meters), according to oceanographer Robert Ballard, who used his 1985 discovery of RMS Titanic as a Cold War cover for the fact that he had surveyed the Thresher on the same mission. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The frantic search for the missing Titan submersible, en route to the Titanic wreckage site, escalated to a critical level on Thursday morning. As the countdown of the last few potentially remaining hours of onboard oxygen began, the sense of urgency to locate the miniature vessel heightened. Here's all we know about the missing Titan. FILE PHOTO: The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken SS Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland(via REUTERS) Missing Titan: What we Know So Far On Sunday, June 18, Ocean Earth started its two-hour dissent to the Titanic wreck, nearly 4000 metres down. However, within 1.45 hours post that it lost communication. It's been 4 days and there have been no sign of the vehicle that was carrying 5 passengers that include a British adventurer, a Pakistani billionaire father and son, a Titanic expert and the CEO of OceanGate, the Washington state-based company that operates the vehicle. Since Monday US and Canadian ships and planes are swarming the area, some dropping sonar buoys that can monitor to a depth of almost 4,000 metres. On Tuesday and Wednesday a Canadian aircraft detected underwater noises in the search, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Officials said they dont know what made the sounds, and a robotic vessel scouring the area so far has yielded negative results. The equipment that is onsite and coming is the most sophisticated in the world and certainly capable of reaching those depths, said Sean Leet, chief executive of Canadian company Horizon Maritime. The search has grown "exponentially" across a surface area roughly two times the size of Connecticut and 2.5 miles deep, said Capt. Jamie Frederick, the First Coast Guard District response coordinator, in a news conference Missing Titan: Underwater Challenge for rescuers The rescuers are battling grave challenges as they circle around the area that has underwater mountains and valleys along with deep-sea water pressure and bad weather conditions. The search is expected to be twice the size of Connecticut in waters 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) deep with few clues about the Titans location. "There is an enormous complexity associated with this case, due to the location being so far offshore and the coordination between multiple agencies and nations," response coordinator Frederick added. Ive seen large vessels hiding within extreme geology so searching for smaller objects requires more detailed scrutiny as opposed to searching for a sunken (cruiser) or aircraft carrier, wrote Robert Kraft, a deep-sea explorer who was part of the 2019 expedition, in an email to The Associated Press from aboard his latest voyage. Missing Titan: Time running out Frederick has revealed that the vessel's stock of supplies is worryingly low, sparking concerns among experts that the oxygen supply onboard may be depleted within a day. "The glimmer of hope is never extinguished in the midst of a search and rescue mission," Frederick commented. Missing Titan: Inside the 22-foot vessel The 22 foot and 23000 pound submersible is made of lightweight carbon fiber, which is spun into a rigid tube for the vessel's body. With a nine feet wide and 8 feet tall structure Titan leaves little room for its passengers. They have to sit on a subfloor inside the carbon-fiber tube. There is only one toilet, and no seats; passengers sit cross legged on the floor. There are no windows except the porthole through which passengers view the Titanic. Missing Titan: Simple video game controller used steer vessel The Titan is being steered by a simple, off-the-shelf video game controller to the shock of gamers worldwide. Its not the only commercially available equipment onboard the submersible, according to OceanGate Expeditions website. The use (of) off-the-shelf components helped to streamline the construction, and makes it simple to operate and replace parts in the field, the company said on its website. Also Read: Meet the man who opted out of missing Titanic sub due to security concerns Missing Titan: Is there hope? According to experts, the optimal outcome is discovering the Titan floating on the ocean's surface. The vessel is fitted with safety mechanisms designed to propel it to the surface in an emergency, even if its occupants are unconscious. However, if the Titan is trapped on the ocean bed, the situation could be dire. The crew would eventually deplete their oxygen supply and risk hypothermia due to the extreme cold. Additionally, the vessel could be ensnared in a fishing net or other underwater obstacles. In such scenarios, the best rescue approach might involve deploying a remotely operated robot connected to a fiber optic cable, suggests Jeff Karson, an emeritus professor of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University. Considering its 96-hour oxygen supply limit, the Titan's oxygen could potentially be exhausted by Thursday morning. (With Agency Inputs) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vertika Kanaujia Vertika Kanaujia is Editor Audience Growth at Hindustan Times and oversees the websites coverage of business news, health, technology and internet culture. She is a Chevening Scholar and a Columbia Journalism University Fellow. Vertika has been a journalist for more than 18 years. After starting her career as a business journalist in TV she has worked with various leading news channels. You can email her at vertika.kanaujia@htdigital.in. ...view detail The mission to explore the Titanic wreckage took a tragic and unfortunate course. Search and rescue teams made a solemn discovery on Thursday morning when they located the external parts of the Titan submersible. Sadly, all five crew members were found deceased, leaving the exploration community and their grieving families in deep sorrow. The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken SS Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, dives in an undated photograph. (REUTERS) OceanGate, the company leading the expedition, expressed profound sadness over the incident. This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea, the company stated. In a recent briefing, Rear Admiral John Mauger of the U.S. Coast Guard shed light on the discovery of debris near the Titanic wreckage, suggesting a significant loss of the submersible's pressure chamber. Despite this revelation, the precise moment when the implosion occurred remains a mystery. What is Catastrophic Implosion? A catastrophic implosion refers to the collapse or failure of a structure or vessel caused by overwhelming internal pressure. When the pressure within a confined space becomes too much for the structure to bear, it gives way suddenly and forcefully, leading to a catastrophic collapse. What will be the next steps in the rescue mission? Praising the extensive search efforts, a Coast Guard official expressed gratitude for the international multi-agency collaboration that led to these discoveries. "It was a huge international multi-agency effort to make this happen," the official noted during the press conference. The U.S. Coast Guard also announced that remote operating vehicles (ROVs) would continue to operate on the sea floor, meticulously investigating the debris field surrounding the Titanic. While focusing on providing understanding and closure to grieving families, officials expressed the difficulty of recovering the bodies in such a treacherous environment. "This is an incredibly unforgiving environment," Admiral Mauger acknowledged. Also Read | Missing Titanic sub has an uncanny resemblance to this Simpsons episode, fans shocked Where was the Titan submersible discovered? Rescue crews discovered a debris field near the Titanic, approximately 1,600 feet from the ship's bow, according to the Coast Guard. Among the recovered pieces were the Titan's landing frame and rear cover. The debris was located after the submersible was expected to have depleted its oxygen supply. The incident has also shed light on concerns raised by leaders in the submersible craft industry, who had long warned about possible "catastrophic" issues with the vehicle's design. They also voiced concerns over OceanGate Expeditions' failure to adhere to standard certification procedures. OceanGate, known for providing tours of the Titanic wreck, has been offering a high-risk travel experience since 2021, attracting enthusiasts willing to pay up to $250,000 per person. The tragic events surrounding the Titan underscore the inherent risks involved in such ventures. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Middletown, Ohio was shaken by an extraordinary event on Wednesday night as residents reported witnessing an astonishing display of rotating green lights hovering above them. The inexplicable sighting, which occurred around 10:30 p.m., left many in awe and pondering the possibility of extraterrestrial activity. Screengrab of the video of UFO spotted in Middletown, Ohio. One individual, Caden Little, managed to capture the mesmerizing spectacle on video while on Jerry Couch Boulevard near Butler Tech's LeSourdsville Campus. Little described his initial reaction as a mix of fear and fascination, exclaiming, "I instantly thought like we're under attack (by) aliens. It was scary." Fortunately, the lights abruptly disappeared without any hostile action, providing some relief. Eyewitnesses, including Bryce Garrick, observed the enigmatic lights rotating in a clockwise motion before swiftly darting across the sky and vanishing. The bewildering speed at which the lights maneuvered ruled out the possibility of drones, according to Bryan Simpson, president of the Cincinnati Astronomical Society. Simpson also cautioned about the prevalence of fabricated videos, emphasizing the need for multiple credible reports to substantiate such sightings. The Butler County Sheriff's Office received no calls regarding the incident, leaving dispatchers perplexed as they struggled to offer an explanation. In a quest for answers, Simpson expressed his intention to investigate the source of these sightings and vowed to share any updates with the public. These astonishing events occurred just weeks after a NASA panel convened to examine numerous reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). While NASA acknowledged that conclusive explanations were elusive, the characteristics described in the reports painted a peculiar picture. Witnesses often depicted small, round objects with a silver, translucent, or white appearance, exhibiting flight patterns at altitudes of 10,000 to 30,000 feet. Some noted these objects traveling at extraordinary speeds, while others appeared motionless, defying conventional understanding. Also read | UFO Whistleblower alleges concealed evidence of non-human craft, Pentagon investigation launch The Pentagon's recent disclosure added to the intrigue, revealing that of the 144 sightings made by military pilots since 2004, only one had been satisfactorily explained. NASA, meanwhile, aims to destigmatize UFO reporting, encouraging transparency to foster scientific investigation without fear of online harassment. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON US president Joe Biden hailed the partnership with India as one of the most consequential in the world, emphasising its strength, closeness, and dynamism. Speaking alongside prime minister Narendra Modi during a joint press statement at White House on Thursday, President Biden said, "Together we are unlocking a shared future of unlimited potential." (Click here for PM Modi in US LIVE updates) US President Joe Biden, right, and Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, at a news conference in the East Room of the White House during a state visit in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, June 22, 2023. Biden and Modiwill announce a series of defense and commercial deals designed to improve military and economic ties between their nations during the state visit, senior US officials said. (Bloomberg) Key points from US president Joe Biden's joint presser with PM Modi 1. US president said that they are doubling down on cooperation with India to secure semiconductor supply chains. 2. President Biden added that India and US are growing significant defence partnerships with more joint exercises, and more cooperation between defence industries. ALSO READ -Even sky's not the limit for the two biggest democracies: PM Modi addresses presser with prez Biden | Top points 3. Biden highlighted the partnership involves developing innovative approaches for diagnosing diseases like cancer and diabetes. 4. The US president pointed out that they are also working together on initiatives such as the international space centre and human spaceflight, including plans to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024. 5. He said addressing the climate crisis and accelerating the global transition to clean energy are key areas of focus. 6. Joe Biden stressed collaboration in critical and emerging technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence is a shared priority. The US president said both countries aim to ensure the responsible use of these technologies, preventing their misuse as tools of misinformation and oppression. ALSO READ | Samosa Caucus is now flavour of the House: PM Modi lauds Kamala Harris 7. President Biden said that the economic relationship between both the countries is booming. 8. Trade between India and US has almost doubled over the past decade to more than $191 billion supporting tens of thousands of good jobs in both countries, the US president said. 9. He added, one million American jobs across 44 states will be supported by the purchase of more than 200 American-made Boeing aircraft that Air Indian announced earlier this year 10. With PM Modi's visit, Indian firms are announcing more than $2 billion in new investments in manufacturing solar in Colorado, steel in Ohio, and optic fibre in South Carolina, said president Joe Biden. During a recent visit to my parents house in Southern California (ducks and covers head) I took a nostalgic trip down memory lane, as one tends to do in their childhood home. My dad booked us him, my wife and me on a fishing trip out of Oxnard, California, around the Channel Islands. As I was prepping the tackle box and making sure all our reels were working properly, I found myself staring at our fishing rods, which are fastened to a wall in a spare room that was actually an addition to the house where my late grandmother used to live. Each rod marked a fond memory a birthday, graduation or other special occasion that we felt needed to be celebrated made that much sweeter with the acquisition of some new rod, or whatever new product we just had to have. This is normal for fisherman. Obtaining new gear opens up a portion of our brain that makes it so we remember everything about the day when we added that piece of equipment to our arsenal. But also because my dad and I accumulated most of our gear during my childhood and teenage years, naturally he was the one who purchased a vast majority of our gear. We arent able to fish together as much anymore, so upgrading our decades-old rods hasnt been the highest priority. This year Ive decided it was time to repay the favor, and by favor I mean years of great memories that I still look back upon fondly and vividly. I called Johnnys Sport Shop, the tackle shop about 3 miles from my parents house. My dad and I have known the owners since the day we decided to take up fishing together, which predates Y2K. It's hard to remember when exactly, probably because we didn't own any fishing gear yet. They were able to pick out the ideal rod for my budget to go with a new reel my dad bought for himself and took the payment over the phone. One of the employees then called my dad and told him he needed to come down to the shop, where they surprised him with his new rod. By all accounts, he loves his Fathers Day gift (pats self on back). So if youre shopping for someone special and searching for ideas, fishing gear always plays. Whether its a pocket-sized gadget or a new rod, fishing enthusiasts simply cannot get enough new gear. So much so, in fact, we remember forever the exact moment we received each piece of equipment. Top picks Holter Reservoir Good numbers of rainbow trout were caught out from the Gates of the Mountains using small nymphs and on the lower end of the reservoir while trolling orange crankbaits or cowbells with wedding rings tipped with a crawler. More kokanee are showing up near the dam while using various flashers, dodgers or cowbells with double hook spinners tipped with shoepeg corn in 15-80 feet of water. A few walleye were picked up in the Canyon near the Gates of the Mountains, the Clay Banks on the lower end of the reservoir, and around other points and weed beds while vertical jigging with various Rapalas, hair jigs, or Mister Twisters tipped with leeches or crawlers. A few perch can be found around the boat docks and in the small bays in the canyon while using small jigs and crawlers. FWP, Helena Rock Creek (West) Flows have been on the high side, which can make for tough wading, but the fish are still eating big bugs close to the bank. Salmonflies are around but on the way out and will give way to golden stones and caddis. Hunting for fish hiding in side channels can also be productive while on foot, especially if it is too dicey to wade through the main river. Tie on a stonefly nymph or SJ worm for a dropper if fish arent rising. Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula Western Montana Big Hole River Fishing has been great. Salmonflies continue to work. The bugs are not flying a lot with the cooler weather. Golden Stones will become a little more dominant during the coming weeks. Big salmonflies or golden stones close to the bank are good dry fly options. Chubbies of similar colors work well, too. San Juan worms and stone nymphs below an indicator are still good. Streamers like Kreelexes, Sparkle Minnows and Sculpzillas have been also been working. The StoneFly, Butte Bitterroot River Flows have been up and down with the persistent rain storms. The river is still fishable, but you need to be ready for whatever conditions present themselves. The dry fly fishing isnt that great right now with just a few bugs out, but will get better as the water stabilizes more. Right now its mainly a sub-surface game with size 8-10 stonefly nymphs, San Juans, big PTs and prince nymphs. Streamer fishing on cloudy days has been good if you can get the fly in the right next to the wood through drop-offs. Darker streamers like Gongas, Dungeons, Space Invaders and the like have been successful. Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula Blackfoot River The Blackfoot is dropping, but some of the afternoon rain storms are still putting color into the river. Salmonfly hatches can be spotted throughout most of the river. With the varying weather, have salmonfly dries and nymphs with you because the dry-dropper will be most productive if, for example, temperatures drop and the fish are down. Golden stones, caddis and green Drakes are out as well. Cast tight to the banks or fish the slow inside bends. Streamer fishing is an option with Stonefly imitations like Zirdles, Squirdles, Baby Gongas, Buggers and Zonkers attracting hungry trout. Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula Canyon Ferry Reservoir Walleye are being caught from the Silos to Pond 4, Silos to Hole in the Wall, Duck Creek to Pond 1 and around White Earth. Anglers fishing in 20-25 feet of water while using bottom bouncers with green, chartreuse or red spinner blades with worms or crankbaits in these same colors have been catching walleye. A few rainbows and perch are being caught by anglers using walleye rigs around Hole in the Wall and White Earth. Shore fishing has produced an occasional rainbow or walleye on jigs with worms around the Silos and White Earth. FWP, Helena Clark Fork River, Missoula The Clark Fork is still on the high and muddy side. There are better options nearby. Grizzly Hackle Fly Shop, Missoula Gallatin River The Gallatin is high and muddy but starting to come down a little bit. Rain has been spiking flows, which adds to the difficulty. Big stoneflies and worms will pick up a fish here and there. It might be worth checking out some local ponds in Bozeman or fishing Hyalite reservoir until things clear up over here. Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman Georgetown Lake Leeches, stillwater nymphs, damsel nymphs and thin mints have been the ticket. Its not far off for the big blue damsels, but not yet. Look for those starting in early July. Small parachutes or attractor patterns on top might work, but fish havent been seen rising much yet. The StoneFly, Butte Glacier National Park There havent been many reports from inside the park other than the easily accessible lakes like Lake McDonald, Bowman Lake, St. Mary Lake and Lower Two Medicine Lake. Those bodies of water have yielded fairly consistent success. Fish can be taken on the classic go-to flies like parachute Adams, black-flying ants and egg-sucking leeches. Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls Hauser Reservoir The cooler weekend slowed the fishing down, however, some walleye and rainbow trout were caught from shore at York Bridge and below Canyon Ferry Dam while using various jigs tipped with crawlers or green Power Bait. Lake Helena is still producing a few walleye while tolling crankbaits or bottom bouncers and crawler harnesses with orange or chartreuse blades. Trolling cowbells with a wedding ring between Black Sandy and the Powerlines is also producing a few rainbows. FWP, Helena Kootenai River Water is still on the high side but the fish are biting, especially around where the Fisher River is dumping in clearer water. For a more general reference point, catching has been better closer to Libby than it is between the dam and halfway point of the river. Elk hair caddis (especially olive colored), parachute Adams, parachute black gnats and cripple purple haze in sizes 10-14 have all been working well. Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls Madison River, Lower The Lower Madison has been good on some days and OK on others. The flows have been consistently dropping for a few days, and are currently sitting around 2,400 CFS. Fishing tends to be better when the flows have been consistent or have dropped. Nymphing crayfish, stones, worms and caddis pupa has been productive. The Mother's Day caddis have been slowing down a bit, but there are still some caddis around and the fish have been on them. Trout are also keying in on Drakes, Yellow Sallies, skwala's and baetis. Stones are right around the corner so keep an eye out for bigger bugs, too. Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman Madison River, Upper The upper has cleared up a lot and is nearing normal visibility. Water is looking great above the west fork and still pretty clear below. Flows are sitting at 1,000 CFS. Fishing has been a mixed bag with the recent weather. Nymphs, streamers and dries have all been getting action. Once the weather stabilizes folks will hopefully see some amazing summer fishing. Montana Troutfitters, Bozeman Missouri River, below Holter With flows around 11,000 CFS, give or take, recently, the hope is they will be dropping soon. That will be something to keep an eye on, especially if you plan on wading. Once flows do drop a bit, the catching is expected to be excellent. PMDs are hatching along with some caddis. Tricos are expected to show up in a couple weeks. Find some soft water if you can as there have been a surprising amount of fish rising despite the flows. The only problem is wading out to the rising fish is somewhere between impossible and incredibly dangerous. For context, anything over 6,000 CFS makes for uncomfortable wading on the Mo. Until flows drop substantially, stand on the bank and try to cast further. On the bright side, the crowds have thinned out quite a bit. Headhunters Fly Shop, Craig South Fork of the Flathead River The lower half has been fishing much better than higher up, and the same is true on the middle and north forks. The native cutthroat that inhabit those waters havent migrated up river yet. Successful anglers have been using hairs ear nymphs, prince nymphs and golden stones in sizes 8-10. Dry flies have produced plenty of eats as well. Parachute Adams, black-flying ants and orange stimulators in sizes 8-12 should continue to do the trick. For people who like to cast lures anywhere on the Flathead River system, make sure youre using only single hooks no treble hooks or youll be looking at a hefty fine should you be caught. Arends Fly Shop, Columbia Falls US lawmakers Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamie Raskin would not be attending the Prime Minister Narendra Modis joint congressional address, alleging that the Modi-led union government in India has repressed religious minorities. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (AP) Follow PM Modi US visit LIVE Updates PM Modi, who is on a three-day state visit to the United States, will address a joint sitting of the US Congress, for a second time a first for an Indian and a rare honour. These senators have alleged that the government at the centre has emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups and the human rights record have cited less press freedom, restrictions on minority religious rights and other forms of discrimination and backsliding on democratic rights. Read here: 'I live freely in PM Modi's India': Muslim leader's reply to US lawmaker Ilhan Omar A total of 75 Democratic senators and members of the House of Representatives have wrote to President Biden to discuss human rights issues with Modi. "We do not endorse any particular Indian leader or political party that is the decision of the people of India but we do stand in support of the important principles that should be a core part of American foreign policy," the letter read. While, Omar, Tlaib, and Ocasio-Cortez have decided to boycott the keynote address, Raskin clarified that due to his daughters wedding, he won't be able to attend the address, though he signed a letter protesting human rights violations in India. Here is a list of the lawmakers skipping PM Modi's address: 1. Rashida Tlaib Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is a Democratic representative of Michigan's 12th District in House of Representatives. She made the history in 2008 by becoming the first Muslim woman to ever serve in the Michigan Legislature. While criticising India's human rights condition, she wrote, "Its shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nations capitalhis long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable. I will be boycotting Modis joint address to Congress." Read here: 'A big deal...': PM Modi to take two questions in presser with Joe Biden 2. Ilhan Omar Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is a Democratic representative of Minnesota's 5th congressional district in House of Representatives. She is also a member of the DemocraticFarmerLabor Party. Omar, who has been accused of hinduphobia by various Hindu groups in the US, wrote, "Prime Minister Modis government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity. I will NOT be attending Modis speech. I WILL be holding a briefing with human rights groups to discuss Modis record of repression and violence," Ilhan Omar wrote. Earlier during a Congressional hearing, she sparked controversy by attacking Aarti Tikoo Singh, a Kashmiri Hindu whose family experienced the ethnic cleansing of 1990 in the Kashmir Valley. 3. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Ocasio-Cortez, also known by her initials AOC, is a democratic member representing New York's 14th congressional district in House of Representatives. Read here: PM Modi's special gifts for Joe, Jill Biden: Sandalwood box, green diamond: PICS In a tweet, the New York Democrat urged her colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance and freedom of speech to join her boycott. "I encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to join me in doing the same," she wrote while arguing Congress shouldnt extend such an honour to individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed communities. 4. Jamie Raskin Raskin, a Democratic member, is an American attorney, law professor, and politician serving as the US representative for Maryland's 8th congressional district in House of Representatives. He took to Twitter to clarify that he is not boycotting the address but because of his daughter's wedding, he won't be able to be in attendance for the joint sessional address. Read here: US President Joe Biden bonds with PM Modi, transforming India-US ties He wrote, "To correct the record, I am not boycotting Prime Minister Modis visit. I am going to my daughters wedding. Nor has the CPC called for a boycott. I signed a letter protesting human rights violations in India and hope that Pres. Biden will raise this serious problem with PM Modi." Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been discussing "ditching their Windsor surname" in a major rebrand, a royal expert claimed. The move could see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex adopt the Spencer title, Princess Diana's surname. Royal expert stated that they believe the switch-up is a bid to align with Diana after their deal with Spotify ended. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are seen.(AP) Royal author Tom Bower said that they could be set to change their name. Whats really interesting in the rebranding of the Sussexes, is that Meghan decided her real object in life was to be Diana, the author said. That has always been her passion, that has also been Harrys passion and Meghan went to the extent of suggesting that they should drop the name Windsor and take the surname Spencer. So shed be Meghan Spencer - the new Diana, he said. It has already been "discussed" with others that Prince Harry will take on his mother's name too, the author said, claiming, Theyve discussed it not only by themselves but with others too. This isnt something theyve plucked out of their minds. They were actively trying to recast themselves as Harry and Meghan Spencer. Hed take his mothers name too. Its all about the break-off. Theyd also give up the Sussex title because instead youve got the new incarnation of Diana," the expert said. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle signed deals with various brands following their exit from the royal family in early 2020 - including Netflix and Penguin Random House. The couple released their Netflix docuseries in December 2022, followed by Prince Harry's tell-all memoir 'Spare' in January. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON King Charles made a cheeky response to his wife Camilla as the royal couple stepped out on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the Trooping the Colour parade, a lip reader has claimed. The couple were joined by senior members of the royal family as they greeted thousands of fans who celebrated the official birthday of the British sovereign. Britain's Queen Camilla (L) and Britain's King Charles III react.(AFP) Lip reader Jeremy Freeman, told The Mirror, highlighting a moment between the King and his wife as they stepped out onto the balcony. Camilla was spotted placing a hand on King Charles' shoulder for support and appearing to give him an order, Jeremy Freeman claimed. The Queen said as per the lip reader, "Don't walk away, you know I can't walk on my throne/own." To which, King Charles replied, Oh deary me. The body language expert claimed that the King appeared to be "masking a smile", adding that the look on the monarch's face showed that he didn't "want to be there". The balcony appearance followed a traditional parade and changing of the guard. King Charles was joined by Prince William, Prince Edward and Princess Anne. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prince Charles brought his father King Charles to tears when he made a comment about the future of the monarchy, a recently unearthed clip from a documentary claimed. As Prince of Wales, King Charles' eldest son is responsible for the Duchy of Cornwall estate. Speaking about the estate, Prince William said that he thought the "family angle" was "important" and gave some thought about what he would do when he took over control of it from his father. Britain's King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.(Reuters) During the documentary titled Prince Charles: Inside the Duchy of Cornwall, King Charles reflected on the conversation saying that it had made him emotional. In the clip, Prince William reveals that he was already thinking about the future. Ive started to think about how I will inherit the Duchy one day and what I do with it. I think its really important, the family angle, I really do, he said. Then Charles is heard saying, "When I saw it, I couldnt believe it. I was deeply touched and moved by what he said. Frankly, it reduced me to tears. It did, really. Because, I suddenly thought, well, just hearing that from him has made the last 50 years worthwhile." King Charles was responsible for the estate for just over 70 years. Following the death of his mother Elizabeth II, the estate went to his eldest son Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton became Princess of Wales. Recently, marking Prince William's birthday, King Charles shared a touching message to his eldest son in a post on Twitter as the monarch posted a never-before-seen photo from the coronation last month alongside the message, "Wishing The Prince of Wales a very happy birthday today." The royals also shared a sweet moment during the coronation when Prince William declared his allegiance heir to the throne, saying, I, William, Prince of Wales, pledge my loyalty to you and faith and truth I will bear unto you, as your liege man of life and limb. So help me God. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON King Charles shared a sweet moment with his granddaughter Princess Charlotte on the Buckingham Palace balcony during Trooping the Colour parade which marked the official birthday of the British sovereign. As the monarch was joined by senior royals on the Buckingham Palace balcony, they watched the Royal Air Force flypast and waved to well-wishers. Standing alongside the King on the Palace balcony were Prince William and Kate Middleton's three children- Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five. Britain's King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.(Reuters) Many royal fans noticed a touching moment between King Charles and Princess Charlotte. In videos widely shared to social media, users pointed out how the monarch appeared to tickle his granddaughter during their balcony appearance. The clip showed Princess Charlotte standing in front of her father Prince William and next to her grandfather, King Charles. The King then reached for Charlottes arm prompting the royal to lightly jump and smile. Cute little moment between King Charles and his granddaughter, Princess Charlotte, wrote one person on Twitter while another said, He may be a King, but he is also a grandfather that gives tickles." Just being a grandad, another said. He so obviously adores his grandchildren, a person wrote, while another said, Shes like: Grandpa, Im trying to be serious here! Just like my grandpa. King Charles and Princess Charlotte also shared another amusing interaction when the monarch accidentally bumped his eight-year-old granddaughter on the head. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Eight Danes whose sailboat capsized in the Pacific Ocean following a collision with one or two whales were rescued overnight, the Danish Armed Forces said in a statement on Thursday. Danish forces said the crew was found by a fishing vessel and eventually transferred to a container ship.(AP/Representative) After abandoning the sailboat, the crew took refuge on a raft and called for help via a satellite phone, prompting a search and rescue mission by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. The initial satellite call was made by a female crew member to her father in Denmark, who contacted Danish rescue authorities before the case was transferred to JRCC Honolulu. They were later found by a fishing vessel and eventually transferred to a container ship which is now headed for Tahiti, the Danish Armed Forces said. Information from the crew indicated that the 51-foot long sailboat had collided with one or two whales, the military said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON TikTok has responded to concerns raised by bipartisan Senate leaders regarding the storage of sensitive information of American creators on servers in China. U.S. flag and TikTok logo are seen in this illustration taken, June 2, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration(REUTERS) The company's statement comes after TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew made "incorrect claims" to Congress about the data storage practices of the popular social media platform. While Chew testified that American data has always been stored in Virginia and Singapore, a Forbes investigation revealed that TikTok had stored financial information of prominent American and European creators, including those in the TikTok Creator Fund, on servers located in China. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Marsha Blackburn demanded clarification on this discrepancy. In response to the senators' questions, TikTok acknowledged that there is a distinction between "U.S. user data collected by the TikTok app" and the information provided by creators for payment purposes. The former is stored in TikTok's data centers in the United States and Singapore, while the exact location of the latter was not explicitly disclosed. Internal documents obtained by Forbes and multiple sources within the company indicated that creator data, such as tax forms and social security numbers, had indeed been stored in China. Payments to creators and vendors are managed through tools from ByteDance, TikTok's China-based parent company. ALSO READ| Did Titanic sub passengers sign a death warrant? Death mentioned thrice on NOC and no regulatory approvals The content-creative application clarified that its previous testimony to Congress focused on "protected user data collected in the app" and not creator data. The company stood by the statements made by its executives and emphasized that creator data often falls under certain exceptions. These exceptions, as part of TikTok's negotiations with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), include public data, business metrics, interoperability data, and specific creator data from those participating voluntarily in commercial programs to expand their audience and monetize content. We were asked about, and our testimony focused on, the protected user data collected in the appnot creator data We stand by the statements made by our company executives to congress, TikTok wrote in the letter in June 16 response to Sentae leaders. We were asked about, and our testimony focused on, the protected user data collected in the appnot creator data. ALSO READ| Watch | Shocking details about Titan's interior shed light on its challenging journey and difficult rescue operation While TikTok believes that the Forbes article referenced creator data collected outside the standard app experience, Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn expressed skepticism and raised concerns about the storage of personal data within reach of the Chinese government. TikTok believes that the Forbes article cited in your letter was referencing certain creator data such as signed contracts and related documents for U.S creators who enter into a commercial relationship with TikTokinformation that is collected outside of the standard app experience, the company wrote. They criticized TikTok for what they perceive as intentional misleading of Congress and reiterated their worry that Americans' data remains exposed to potential spying efforts by Beijing. Their concerns align with those of other congressional leaders, including Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Marco Rubio, who requested a Department of Justice investigation into whether TikTok's CEO committed perjury during his testimony. Regarding investigations into the sharing of TikTok Creator Fund data with Chinese officials, TikTok stated that it had not been asked for such data by the Chinese government or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), nor had it provided any such data. As for data stored in China, TikTok confirmed that deletion was underway for "protected data," but this did not extend to personal information submitted by top creators for payment. ALSO READ| James Cameron's Titanic wreck voyage and its unexpected connection to the 9/11 tragedy The response from TikTok has not fully assuaged the concerns of Senate leaders, who remain skeptical of the company's claims. They argue that Americans' data is still vulnerable to Chinese government surveillance, despite TikTok's public relations campaign suggesting otherwise. With calls for investigations into potential perjury and continued scrutiny of TikTok's data practices, the debate over data privacy and security in the context of TikTok's operations is far from over. SOURCE: Forbes British foreign minister James Cleverly on Thursday said the government was supporting the families of those lost on board the Titan submersible, expressing his condolences in a post on Twitter. In this image released by Action Aviation, the submersible Titan is prepared for a dive into a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean on an expedition to the Titanic on Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP) "Tragic news that those on the Titan submersible, including three British citizens, have been lost following an international search operation," he said. (Click here for our comprehensive coverage on Titan sub missing ) The UK government is closely supporting the families affected and expresses our deepest condolences. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A massive search and rescue effort for a missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic was at a critical stage late Wednesday, with just hours left before the oxygen supply for the five people on board runs out. Titan began its descent at 8:00 am on Sunday and had been due to resurface seven hours later, according to the US Coast Guard.(via Reuters) Read here: Chilling viral video shows moment Titan submersible began its doomed voyage While coast guard officials insisted they remained "hopeful," with a surge of assets and experts joining the operation and sonar picking up unidentified underwater noises, the challenge of locating and recovering the crew alive appeared increasingly formidable. "Sometimes you're in a position where you have to make a tough decision. We're not there yet," said US Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick, adding that it remained a search-and-rescue mission "100 percent." Organizers of the multinational response -- which includes US and Canadian military planes, coast guard ships and teleguided robots -- are focusing their efforts in the North Atlantic close to multiple "underwater noises" detected by sonar late Tuesday and Wednesday. The sounds raised hopes that the passengers on the small tourist craft are still alive, though experts have not been able to confirm their source. "We don't know what they are, to be frank with you," said Frederick, who added: "We have to remain optimistic and hopeful." Titan began its descent at 8:00 am on Sunday and had been due to resurface seven hours later, according to the US Coast Guard. Rescuers, who have received help from around the world, estimate that passengers may run out of oxygen on Thursday morning, based on the sub's capacity to hold up to 96 hours of emergency air. The 21-foot (6.5-meter) tourist craft lost communication with its mothership less than two hours into its trip to see the remains of the Titanic, which sit more than two miles (nearly four kilometers) below the surface of the North Atlantic. The submersible, named Titan, was carrying British billionaire Hamish Harding and Pakistani tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, who also have British citizenship. OceanGate Expeditions charges $250,000 for a seat on the sub. Mr Titanic Also on board is the company's CEO, Stockton Rush, and a French submarine operator Paul-Henri Nargeolet, nicknamed "Mr Titanic" for his frequent dives at the site. Read here: Within 5-10 minutes you're in pitch dark: Former passengers recall unsettling experiences aboard Titan submersible Ships and planes have scoured 10,000 square miles (around 20,000 square kilometers) of surface water -- roughly the size of Massachusetts -- for the vessel, which was attempting to dive about 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. After the noises were detected by a Canadian P-3 aircraft, rescuers relocated two remotely operated vehicles (ROV) that search under the water and one surface vessel with sonar capability. The ROV searches have not yielded results but data from the Canadian aircraft has been shared with US Navy experts for acoustics analysis. "There have been multiple reports of noises and every one of those noises is being analyzed," said Carl Hartsfield, from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He added that the sounds "have been described as banging noises." Frederick said the number of surface vessels in the search would double from five to 10 within 24 to 48 hours. The Navy has sent a specialized winch system for lifting heavy objects from extreme depths, other equipment and personnel; and the Pentagon has deployed three C-130 aircraft and three C-17s. A deep-sea underwater robot sent by France's oceanographic institute was due to arrive early Wednesday afternoon. A Canadian ship carrying medical personnel and a decompression chamber was also en route. Fears of a leak Titan's mission was expected to be the only manned trip to the Titanic this year due to bad weather, Harding wrote in on Instagram beforehand. The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912 during its maiden voyage from England to New York with 2,224 passengers and crew on board. More than 1,500 people died. It was found in 1985 and remains a lure for nautical experts and underwater tourists. The pressure at that depth as measured in atmospheres is 400 times what it is at sea level. Mike Reiss, an American television writer who visited the Titanic wreck on the same sub last year, told the BBC the experience was disorientating. Alistair Greig, professor of marine engineering at University College London, has suggested two possible scenarios based on images of the Titan. Read here: French diver who was onboard missing submarine is world expert on Titanic: Report He said if it had an electrical or communications problem, it could have surfaced and remained floating, "waiting to be found" -- bearing in mind the vessel can reportedly be unlocked from the outside only. "Another scenario is the pressure hull was compromised -- a leak," he said in a statement. "Then the prognosis is not good." In 2018, OceanGate Expeditions' former director of marine operations David Lochridge alleged in a lawsuit that he had been fired after raising concerns about the company's "experimental and untested design" of the craft. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON It has been four days since the Titan - a submersible taking five people down to the dark, chilly and murky depths of the North Atlantic went missing. An increasingly frantic search-and-rescue multi-agency effort has yielded no result so far even as the clock counts down on the presumed air supply in the tiny underwater craft, which was at 96 hours at the start of the journey and is expected to touch zero sometime this evening. Rescue efforts have been hampered by uneven terrain underwater and the lack of light. Titan submersible(REUTERS) Who are the five passengers on board the missing Titan submersible? Stockton Rush Rush is the founder and chief executive officer of OceanGate, a private research and tourism company. He was the pilot and has conducted over a dozen such expeditions. Founded in 2009, the company has succesfully completed other dives to the wreck of the Titanic. Speaking on CBS Sunday Morning in December, Rush said he believed diving in a submersible is not particularly dangerous. He acknowledged, though, that he sometimes worried about something keeping him from returning to the surface. "I mean, if you just want to be safe... don't get out of bed... don't get in your car. Don't do anything. At some point, you're going to take some risk and it really is a risk-reward question." Suleman Dawood The youngest passenger, Suleman is a fan of science fiction books and recently graduated from ACS International School in Cobham in the United Kingdom. He sits on the board of the Dawood Foundation. ACS head teacher Barnaby Sandow said the school community 'is deeply concerned by news' Suleman and his father are on board the missing submersible. Shahzada Dawood A British-Pakistani businessman, Dawood is vice chairman of Pakistani conglomerate Engro Corp., which has a mix of industrial interests. He also directs the family run Dawood Foundation and is a trustee of the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence, or SETI, a California-based space research organisation. Paul-Henri Nargeolet A retired French naval commander Nargeolet is also an author and a world-renowned dive expert with over 35 to the Titanic wreck alone, his colleagues said. "He is the world specialist on the Titanic... its conception and shipwreck... he has dived in four corners of the world - he is a super-hero for us in France," Mathieu Johann, his editor at Harper Collins, said. Hamish Harding Harding is the founder of Action Aviation, a United Arab Emirates-based company that buys and sells aircraft. He is also an adventurer who has set world records for deep-sea travel. Harding chairs the Middle East chapter of the Explorers Club, which describes itself as a 'multidisciplinary, professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research, scientific exploration and resource conservation'. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 1,109-acre parcel in Eastern Montana has been purchased as a possible new Yellowstone River access site while also providing opportunities for hunting, hiking and bird watching. The Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust purchased the Wildcat Bend South land with plans to eventually sell it to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The land is on the south side of the Yellowstone River, just west of the community of Rosebud and about 10 miles east of Forsyth. A unique feature of this acquisition is the intent to incorporate wildlife friendly agricultural activities into the future management plan for the property, said Mitch King, executive director of Montanas Outdoor Legacy Foundation. In the meantime, we are working with a local farmer to keep the irrigated cropland in a wildlife friendly crop forage barley, King said. We are also working on upgrading the irrigation system and generally cleaning up the property in anticipation of the ultimate sale of the property to FWP. The agency has been shopping for property between Hysham and the North Dakota state line in an initiative to increase access to the river, boost tourism and local economies. One study estimated increased access could pump an additional $5.3 million into the rural region while creating more than 50 new jobs. FWP has also made an offer on 328 acres across the Yellowstone River from the Wildcat Bend South property that is close to an existing fishing access site, but has not yet completed a draft environmental assessment for the acquisition. That area is targeted as a possible new state Wildlife Management Area. The State Parks and Recreation Board had pushed the purchase of four sites along the 160-mile stretch of the lower Yellowstone River, including one as a possible new state park west of Terry. The group and its partners have also purchased signage to direct visitors to public access sites along the river, and FWP published a river guide highlighting the history of the region, along with river maps and a campground guide. The tourist Titan submersible, that is missing since Sunday after it had gone to explore the Titanic wreck, can explore deep sea like submarines but still has limited features. Submarine are generally military vessels and are highly equipped compared to the submersibles, which are more limited in their movement. (Missing Submersible Titanic LIVE Updates) The submersible vanished in the North Atlantic while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic. ((OceanGate Expeditions via AP)) Submersibles have a smaller crew or be operated remotely and are usually meant for scientific research. The United States' government agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration explains that a submarine has enough power to leave port and come back to port under its own power. A submersible has very limited power reserves so it needs a mother ship that can launch it and recover it. The craft in question is a submersible 'Titan', that is missing since four days triggering a frantic search operation in deep sea waters off the Canada coast by a collaborative effort between the US and Canada. Operated by US company OceanGate, the submersible had five people onboard, including a pilot. It has enough oxygen to last the five people on board for 96 hours but currently, the situation is critical as authorities are racing against time to relocate the submersible before the oxygen supply runs out. How deep can the Titan submersible go? The white tube (like in the picture) is 2.8 metres wide and 6.7 metres (21 feet) long. It has a porthole in the front. Its maximum velocity is three knots, equivalent to 5.5 kilometers per hour and can take the passengers to a depth of 4,000 metres, according to OceanGate. Also Read: Redditor shares unseen pics of Titan submersible taken in 2019 The Titanic wreck, which the crew went to explore, is located in the North Atlantic at a depth of 3,800 metres which means the submersible can just reach it. Earlier, popular for scientific purposes, submersibles are in increasing demand for tourism these days, Stefan Williams, an underwater robotics expert at the University of Sydney, told AFP. Who are onboard? Pakistan-based businessman Shahzada Dawood -- the vice-chairman of Karachi headquartered conglomerate Engro -- and his son Suleman; British billionaire Hamish Hardings, and founder of operating company OceanGate Stockton Rush, along with the 77-year-old French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet are said to be onboard the craft. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nisha Anand Trainee Content Producer for Hindustan Times Digital Streams. I read about feminism, late modern history, and globalisation of Korean music. ...view detail Over the past few years, India has stepped up coordination with Western partners such as the United States and France for listing members of terrorist groups at the United Nations Security Council, as the measure has emerged as a key tool to pressure countries to act against designated individuals. PREMIUM Lashkar terrorist Sajid Mir and Chinese president Xi Jinping.(HT File) Most of these efforts have been aimed at the listing of top leaders of Pakistan-based terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which have engaged in cross-border terrorism against India for decades. The listing of an individual or group under the UN Security Councils various sanctions regimes makes them subject to an asset freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo. Such listings have rarely led to the capture or prosecution of designated individuals. For instance, mob boss Dawood Ibrahim was designated as a global terrorist under the UN Security Councils al-Qaeda sanctions regime in 2003, but Indian officials say he continues to live in and operate from Pakistan. The listings, however, serve as key tools to pressure UN member states, especially when used in conjunction with other mechanisms such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). This too has been part of the overall coordination on counter-terrorism between India and its Western partners. The listing of terrorists at the UN Security Council was in the spotlight again this week because of China blocking a fresh move by India and the US to designate LeT operative Sajid Mir, a key player in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks who directed the 10-member team responsible for the carnage in the countrys financial hub. China had initially placed a technical hold on the listing of Mir last year, a move reminiscent of the way in which Beijing had held up the designation of JeM founder Masood Azhar for almost a decade, before relenting in 2019. India has also used its domestic law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), to designate 54 individuals and 44 terror groups. People familiar with the matter said designations under the UAPA help buttress a demand for similar listings under the domestic laws of partner countries and at the UN Security Council. The latest additions to the list of terror groups include The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for LeT that was created in 2019 and has been blamed for attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, and People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy for JeM that too was created in 2019 and has been accused of radicalising youngsters. The list of terror groups also includes LeT, JeM, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen, United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), al-Qaeda in Indian Sub-Continent (AQIS), Islamic State (IS), Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Prominent terrorist leaders listed under UAPA include LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, his son Talha Saeed, JeM chief Masood Azhar, LeT operations chief Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, one of the masterminds of the Mumbai attacks, Dawood Ibrahim and his aide Shaikh Shakeel alias Chhota Shakeel, Sajid Mir, Babbar Khalsa International leader Wadhawa Singh Babbar, and Sikhs For Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The list of 54 terrorist individuals designated under UAPA also includes several top leaders of LeT, JeM and Indian Mujahideen. All of these steps help put the squeeze on terrorist groups and individuals, making travel by the listed individuals and their access to funds more difficult, one of the people familiar with the matter said. The people also pointed to the sharp decline in the public appearances and activities of leaders of LeT and JeM after Pakistan was placed on the grey list of the FATF in 2018 for failing to do enough to tackle terror financing and money laundering. Pakistan was removed from FATFs list of countries subject to enhanced monitoring of financial transactions in 2022, and members of the international watchdog used the intervening period to pressure Islamabad to do more to crack down on terror groups. Though Pakistan has never acted against LeT founder Hafiz Saeed in connection with the Mumbai attacks, citing a lack of evidence, authorities were forced to prosecute him in several terror financing cases, resulting in several prison sentences that he is reportedly serving. The pressure from FATF also resulted in LeT and JeM pushing many of their cadres into Afghanistan, where they continue to be based. India has used the case of Sajid Mir to once again highlight its demand for overhauling the UN Security Councils sanctions regimes, including improving working methods to ensure the designation of individuals and groups is done based on genuine and evidence-based objective proposals and asking UN member states to give reasons for blocking proposals something that isnt required under the existing setup. The Indian side has also indicated that proposals to block designations should not be submitted under the garb of anonymity, a move clearly aimed at Chinas stymying of several moves to designate Pakistan-based terrorists. Agricultural regulators in the United States on Wednesday approved the production and sale of laboratory-grown meat for the first time in the country. The decision has now given the green light to two California companies to sell chicken made from laboratory cells. Scientists work in a bioprocess lab at Eat Just in Alameda, Calif., Wednesday, June 14. (AP) Also Read| It will likely be years before shoppers can buy lab-produced meat in grocery stores, reported The New York Times. But the recent decision will eventually allow the sale of lab-produced meat across state lines after passing federal inspections. The historic decision is a milestone for companies growing lab-grown meat. It will also help consumers look for alternatives to chickens bred on a factory farm and slaughtered. Companies that are allowed to sell cultured meat Upside Foods and Good Meat are the firms allowed to sell meat that is being referred to as cell-cultivated or cultured as it emerges from the laboratory, reported AFP Instead of all of that land and all of that water thats used to feed all of these animals that are slaughtered, we can do it in a different way, said Josh Tetrick, co-founder and chief executive of Eat Just, which operates Good Meat. The move will promote a new era of meat production aimed at eliminating harm to animals and drastically reducing the environmental impacts of grazing, growing feed for animals, and animal waste. What is cultivated meat? Cultivated meat is grown in steel tanks, using cells that come from a living animal, a fertilized egg, or a special bank of stored cells. In Upside Foods's case, the meat comes out in large sheets that are then formed into shapes like chicken cutlets and sausages. Good Meat, which already sells cultivated meat in Singapore, the first country to allow it, turns masses of chicken cells into cutlets, nuggets, shredded meat, and satays. (With agency inputs) The suspect in the horrifying shooting at the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington state on Saturday, June 17, has been identified as a 26-year-old active-duty member of the US Army. Spc. James M. Kelly shot two people dead, and injured three others, at the venue where the Beyond Wonderland festival was taking place. He was taken into custody at the time The suspect has been identified as James Kelly (L), and the victims as Brandy Escamilla and her fiancee Josilyn Ruiz (R) (KOMO News screenshot, Devon Breithart/Facebook) James was reportedly stationed at the Joint Base Lewis McChord. He was arrested after being shot and wounded by an undercover police detective who once served in the US Marines, according to the Grant County Sheriff's Office. Police were called on the day of the shooting after an active shooter was spotted at the campground of the outdoor venue near Quincy, in Grant County. The place is about 113 miles southeast of Seattle. New court filings out of Grant County have now revealed that James was high on mushrooms when the shooting took place, according to KOMO News. Once the drugs kicked in, the gunman apparently thought the world was ending. Criminal charging papers state that he told his girlfriend they needed to get back to the campground, and he subsequently returned to his truck, pulled out a handgun and went on to carry out the shooting. According to prosecutors, James girlfriend dialled 911 but he grabbed her phone and tossed it into the field. James took her into a field and shot her twice in the legs, prosecutors said. A judge has ordered that James be held in jail without bail. He is expected to be back in court for an arraignment hearing on June 5. Who were the victims of the shooting? The two women who were shot dead by James have been identified as 29-year-old Brandy Escamilla and her fiancee, Josilyn Ruiz, 26. Both of them were from Seattle. According to KABC, James killed the pair after they intervened in a dispute between him and someone else. Brandy and Josilyns friend, Devon Breithart, took to Facebook to pay tribute to them. Josilyn and Brandy fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. They loved getting outdoors, especially if meant snowboarding, kayaking, or just watching the sun go down at Sunset Hill Park. As they came up on a full year of travel here in Seattle, we were so sad about the thought of losing them to another city, Devon wrote in a long Facebook post. She added, But we didn't. They decided to stay here for the foreseeable future, and even continued to rent the same unit in our building. We were so grateful and continued trading off watching each other's cats, sharing homemade food, and running into each other around Ballard. Truly the best kind of neighbors that you could ask for. I can't express to you how devastating the following hours and days were, and I won't waste words here trying to do so. I want this post to focus on how amazing and beautiful they were rather than my experience of the aftermath. And while I still can't believe I have to lose both of them at the same time, part of me is grateful I don't have to watch one of them attempt to survive without the other. Their love for each other was so damn deep and it breaks me when I think about not being able to see it continue, Devon said. GoFundMe pages have been set up for both Brandy and Josilyn. One of the hardest parts of this situation is knowing our friendship had so much left in store. We knew Josilyn and Brandy for a relatively short time compared to the many, many people that loved them, but we were already so enamored with them. There were so many things in the future of our friendship just waiting to unfold: kayaking outings, buffalo wings, hikes, sunsets, brewery visits, pride events, weekend trips, Halloween costumes, restaurants, cat playdates, reality show gossip, coffees, and I'm sure more that we hadn't even conceived of yet. It crushes me to see it all prematurely cut short, Devon said, adding, Hold your friends close. Tell them that you love them. And don't miss an opportunity to connect with them. The wounded survivors of the shooting have been identified as 31-year-old Andrew "August Morningstar" Caudra of Eugene, Oregon; 20-year-old Lily A. Luksich of Millcreek, Washington; and 61-year-old Lori Williams, who was working as a security guard at the music festival at the time of the tragedy. In a race against time, the search for the missing Titanic submersible and its five occupants, which vanished during a dive to the depths of the Titanic wreck, is entering a critical phase. With underwater noises providing a glimmer of hope, experts are narrowing down the potential scenarios that could explain the sub's disappearance: FILE PHOTO: The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken SS Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland.(via REUTERS) 1. Catastrophic Implosion: Experts believe a catastrophic failure, possibly due to a leak, power failure, or electrical short circuit, could have led to the sub's demise. Professor Stefan Williams of the University of Sydney told Insider of the terrifying possibility of a breached pressure hull resulting in a sudden and fatal implosion. The chances of survival would be slim in such a scenario. 2. Tangled in Titanic Wreckage: The Titan could have become entangled in the wreckage of the Titanic itself, trapping the passengers at the bottom of the ocean. While this scenario is deemed unlikely, retired Navy official Frank Owen told The Guardian about the perilous debris scattered around the century-old wreckage, making any rescue mission challenging and dangerous. 3. Fire Hazard: Even underwater, the possibility of a fire cannot be disregarded. Experts point out that a fire within the vessel could have disastrous consequences, producing toxic fumes and compromising the sub's electronic systems. Enclosed underwater environments are highly vulnerable to fires, making survival challenging for the passengers. 4. Surface-Bound Possibility: Initially considered the best-case scenario, the hope that the Titan may have resurfaced is waning as time ticks away. Despite an extensive search by the US Coast Guard, no sign of the sub has been found. Experts state that if the vessel had reached the surface, it would likely have been detected by now. 5. Activation of Safety System: Experts also speculate that the submersible may have lost power but could be equipped with an inbuilt safety system. This system could potentially increase buoyancy by dropping additional weights, helping the sub to resurface. While the chances of this scenario are uncertain, it offers a glimmer of hope. Also Read | Did Titanic sub passengers sign a death warrant? Death mentioned thrice on NOC and no regulatory approvals While the suspense mounts, underwater banging sounds detected in the search area have raised hopes that the passengers may still be alive. The US Coast Guard deployed sonobuoys to detect these sounds and is now analyzing them to determine their origin. However, with time running out, the search teams face the daunting task of locating and rescuing the sub before oxygen reserves are depleted. Surviving in the sub's dire conditions would be no easy feat. The freezing temperatures, absence of life-support systems, and limited provisions create a hostile environment. Oxygen depletion and combating the cold are the primary concerns for the trapped occupants, according to experts. Despite the grim circumstances, search and rescue professionals vow to continue their efforts until all hope is extinguished. As the world watches anxiously, the fate of the missing 'Titan' sub and its brave occupants hangs in the balance. The clock is ticking, and the race against time intensifies, with experts and rescuers working tirelessly to uncover the truth and, hopefully, bring the passengers back to safety. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle destined to follow in the footsteps of King Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson? Some experts believe their future may hold a similar path. Despite their success in monetizing their connection to the royal family, the question remains: What happens when the spotlight fades? Royal expert Tom Quinn suggests that Harry and Meghan could face a fate of unhappiness and insignificance, much like their ancestors. (FILES) Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak during the 2021 Global Citizen Live festival at the Great Lawn, Central Park on September 25, 2021 in New York City. A multi-million-dollar deal between a media group run by Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, and streaming giant Spotify is to end, a report said June 15, 2023.(AFP) King Edward VIII famously abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, a woman disapproved of by the royal family. After distancing themselves from the monarchy, the couple's life lost its glamour, and they found themselves in a state of discontentment. Quinn warns that unless Harry and Meghan can find a positive focus that captivates people's interest, they may experience a similar fate of unhappiness and insignificance. Currently residing in the United States, Harry, and Meghan have taken steps to establish their independence. They have welcomed two children, Archie and Lilibet, and appear to have a strong family bond. However, Meghan's podcast venture, Archetypes, recently faced setbacks and did not meet productivity benchmarks, resulting in a failed deal. Although she is reportedly working on content with another platform, details remain scarce about their future plans. Also Read | Another setback for Harry and Meghan as Spotify podcast fallout leads to trademark turmoil The couple's next move remains uncertain. While they must continue to generate substantial income to support their lifestyle, it is unclear how they will sustain their wealth once the royal family's influence diminishes. While their Archewell foundation may offer lucrative opportunities, the question of long-term financial stability lingers as the royal family's flame gradually fades. As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex navigate their post-royal lives, they face the challenge of creating a meaningful and successful future. Only time will tell if they can carve out a path that brings them fulfillment and prosperity beyond their connection to the royal family. For now, their next steps remain shrouded in uncertainty, leaving fans and experts alike curious about what lies ahead for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. As a massive search operation is underway to locate a submersible that went missing with five people onboard, several former passengers have opened up about their experiences of boarding the Titan in the past. The submersible began its journey on Sunday morning, June 18. About one hour and 45 minutes into its descent, the vessel lost contact with the Polar Prince, the support ship that transported it to the site. The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, dives in an undated photograph (OceanGate Expeditions/Handout via REUTERS)(via REUTERS) David Pogue travelled on the vessel in November last year while on assignment for CBS Sunday Morning. The correspondent has now described the Titan as a "minivan without seats." "There's not much you can do if something goes wrong," he said, speaking with NPR. He also noted there are multiple ways for the Titan to return to the surface, which will all work "even if the power is out and even if everyone on board is passed out." "My trip was not smooth. We made it 37 feet down and then they ran into a mechanical problem and we had to abort the dive," he added. "I was devastated, and crushed, and did not see it coming. But I have since learned that these dives rarely go to plan." David claimed he had to sign waivers "that would curl your toes," and called them "basically a list of eight paragraphs describing ways that you could be permanently disabled or killed." OceanGate is not a tourist company, David said, but for "rich adrenaline junkie adventurers who thrive on the risk. "But for them, you know, the risk is the life," he added. The Simpsons writer Mike Reiss and his wife boarded the Titan last year to visit the Titanic wreckage. He told KIRO 7 that seeing the famed ship was something he "wasn't overwhelmed or underwhelmed by" because it was "a real struggle" to even reach the wreck. "Our time was very, very short because on top of the danger of being two and a half miles down, there was a hurricane coming in at sea level, about to hit our boat. We really had this tight window," he said. "You sort of land at the bottom of the ocean and then go 'All right, where's the Titanic? We know its around here somewhere.' ... it felt a little touristy, he added. The five passengers aboard the Titan submersible have been identified as OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman. Mike said, I am sure that the world is very worried and that kind of thing, but something to know having gone through it is that you know going in how very dangerous this is ... we're all part of this ongoing experiment. They're doing research and inventing the technology as they go. "So, before you even go on you sign this long, long waiver that mentions possible death three times on the first page. So ... you know what you're getting into," he added. "In fact, when I stepped onto the sub, part of my mind was going, 'Welp, this could be the end.'" Aaron Newman, an OceanGate investor and former passenger in 2021, told TODAY that the vessel was "comfortable but not spacious. "Within 5-10 minutes you're in pitch dark, complete dark. You have lights from the submersible that you can see outside and internally. Without those, your light is gone at any depth below 100 meters," he said. "They were a professional crew, they did a lot of training around safety and the backup systems around dropping weights, so I felt very safe. But ... this is not a Disney ride, right?" he concluded. We're going places that very few people have been, and this is inventing things. So there are risks, right? And we know that, but all these people accepted that. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A crash at the intersection of two rural roads in McKenzie County killed a 39-year-old Arnegard man. Travis Gudmunsen was driving a side-by-side off-highway vehicle and failed to yield at the intersection southwest of Watford City shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to the Highway Patrol. The OHV was struck by a Ford F550 work truck, and Gudmunsen was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene. The 29-year-old man from Sidney, Montana, driving the truck -- Trenton Coy -- was not hurt, authorities said. The Patrol is continuing to investigate. ANA InterContinental Tokyo is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Michael Janssen as General Manager of ANA InterContinental Tokyo, and Portfolio General Manager. Michael Janssen, a German national, has over 25 years of experience with IHG Hotels & Resorts across Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia, and brings extensive knowledge and expertise to his new role. As General Manager of ANA InterContinental Tokyo, overseeing 844 guest rooms, 22 banquet and meeting rooms, and 12 restaurants, including the Two Michelin Star Restaurant Pierre Gagnaire, he will be responsible for day-to-day operations and strategic direction of the hotel. Additionally, Michael Janssen will provide strategic support to ANA InterContinental Hotels in Okinawa, including ANA InterContinental Manza Beach Resort and ANA InterContinental Ishigaki Beach Resort. Michael Janssen expresses, "I am truly honored to be appointed as the General Manager of ANA InterContinental Tokyo in the bustling and cosmopolitan city of Tokyo. I look forward to providing leadership to the team, enhancing our hospitality, and taking the hotel to new levels of growth, catering to the needs of well-traveled guests from Japan and around the world." Prior to joining ANA InterContinental Tokyo, Michael Janssen and his team successfully launched Kimpton Kitalay Samui, IHG's first resort by Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in Southeast Asia, in 2022. He also served as the Area General Manager at InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, overseeing a portfolio of resorts that included Holiday Inn Vana Nava Hua Hin, InterContinental Koh Samui Resort, and InterContinental Phuket Resort. Seasoned hotelier Jana Bissonnette is making her return to the Kennebunkport Resort Collection in Kennebunkport, Maine, as the General Manager of four of the collection's luxury resorts, such as Hidden Pond, Tides Beach Club, Cape Arundel Inn & Resort, and Goose Rocks Beach House. Jana began her journey with the Kennebunkport Resort Collection in 2014. She spearheaded Cape Arundel Inn & Resort's food and beverage department before being promoted to General Manager in 2016 - a title she held for four years. Under her direction, Ocean Restaurant was rated #1 by Trip Advisor in Kennebunkport and was recognized for her many leadership accomplishments. The KRC team is thrilled to welcome Jana back and watch her thrive in her new role. Jana was most recently the General Manager of the luxurious Chanler At Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island. A Bismarck-based communications network company is getting nearly $20 million from the federal government to help extend high-speed internet service to communities across North Dakota. Dakota Carrier Network is getting a $19.7 million "middle mile" grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. "Middle mile" refers to the segment of a broadband network that connects the internet to the end user. The DCN Statewide Middle Mile Backbone Upgrade is a nearly $44 million project scheduled to be complete by the end of 2025. It will add hundreds of fiber optic miles and upgrade electronics to support the increased network demand. Five network segments are planned: Bismarck to Carrington, Jamestown to Carrington, Devils Lake to Carrington, Fargo to Carrington, and Alexander to Max. The demand for broadband capacity continues to grow, and this grant provides critical funding that allows DCN and our owners to continue providing customers reliable, high-speed connectivity at an affordable price, CEO Seth Arndorfer said in a statement. This middle mile infrastructure provides the crucial connection from the greater internet to the end user. Its not something we think about every day, but without a reliable middle mile, commerce grinds to a halt. Thirteen independent rural broadband service providers own DCN, which has 65,000 miles of fiber across the state serving customers in nearly 400 communities. DCN is providing $24 million for the middle mile project, which will add about 857 fiber route miles. The additional miles will create a system that can seamlessly reroute so that a problem at any point in the state won't affect the entire network, officials said. The electronics upgrade will help fulfill needs of institutions such as schools, hospitals and public safety entities. Arndorfer said the project also will further "North Dakotas position to support emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, precision ag and autonomy. Gov. Doug Burgum supported DCNs grant application last fall. Having reliable, high-speed connectivity is critical in a rural state like North Dakota with long distances between communities and population centers, he said in a statement Thursday. PITTSBURGH - Next week at HITEC Toronto, Aptech will reveal a series of upgrades to its three innovative financial-management solutions, PVNG, Execuvue, and Targetvue. Produced by Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), this premier hotel technology tradeshow is the ideal forum to shop for the latest in financial-management software designed to help operators cut costs and improve their bottom lines. Aptechs 100% hospitality focused, customizable solutions enable hoteliers to access, view, compare, and analyze performance data of a single hotel or a multi-property/multi-brand enterprise. Aptech will showcase its Enterprise Accounting, Business Intelligence and Budgeting/Forecasting solutions in Booth 1301 at the Metro Toronto Convention Center South Building, June 27 to 29. NEW Enterprise Accounting PVNG version 1.7 was released to Aptech customers this week. PVNG features the Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, General Ledger, Statistics, Financials, and Bank Reconciliation that todays hotel operators are seeking with much-needed browser navigation. Its OCR invoice processing, myriad of payment options, drill-down capabilities in financial statements and reports, ability to handle single or multi-property accounting, and the fact that it can be deployed as a hosted service, explains why this accounting solution is in such high demand. PVNG V 1.7 enhancements to be on display at HITEC include: Invoice Automation New drill down capabilities Plus, a myriad of client requested enhancements to improve efficiency and reporting Also NEW at HITEC, Aptech will reveal an integration with one of the worlds leading data networks powering the digital financial ecosystem. By connecting Aptechs PVNG enterprise accounting solution to the platform, hotels will achieve seamless and secure access to thousands of financial accounts for financial reconciliation. Now properties running on PVNG can leverage their security measures and minimize the risk associated with handling sensitive financial information. NEW Business Intelligence Execuvue was upgraded to IBM Cognos Analytics 11.2.4 with Watson AI and released to customers on June 1, 2023. Execuvue is an IBM Cognos-based ASP BI application that features a dashboard platform that delivers stunning images of financial and operational data that hotel accounting teams can act upon. Leveraging AI-powered analytics, Execuvue is helping operators make smarter business decisions and respond to commands, such as Show Me Room Revenues by State and by Property. The AI tool links relevant data elements (number of rooms rented, ADR, RevPAR, occupancy, rooms out of order, etc.) with a list of properties or brands to analyze the information in visually compelling ways. It also configures data regionally, giving hoteliers a performance snapshot portfolio wide, as well as by region, brand, and property. Execuvue + IBM Cognos Analytics 11.2.4 with Watson AI enhancements on display at HITEC include: New and enhanced visualizations Cascading Filters New Analytics panel to view forecasting and Narrative Insights features NEW Budgeting & Forecasting Targetvue provides hotel accounting teams with one version of the truth. It consolidates reports, identifies trends, and eliminates the maintenance and distribution of Excel spreadsheets throughout the organization. Automated forecast snapshots offers users ad-hoc capabilities to previous and future performance projections. Targetvue enhancements to be on display at HITEC include: New release of Targetvue cloud with predictive analysis Additional data source integrations Enhanced audit log who did what when Aptech is known industrywide for our willingness to listen to our customers and quickly develop new features to meet their specific needs. The recent enhancements to PVNG, Execuvue and Targetvue that will be seen for the first time at HITEC are proof of our ability to develop on demand. In addition, our new data network integration will give Aptech users the financial reconciliation they have been asking for. We are eager to see everyone in Toronto. Aptech Vice President Cam Troutman For more information on Aptech solutions, visit them at HITEC Toronto. To pre-schedule a booth appointment, reach out to Kim Sieminski by clicking here. About Aptech Computer Systems Inc. Aptech Computer Systems, Inc., based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the only provider of a fully integrated enterprise accounting, business intelligence and planning ecosystem to the hospitality industry. All clients are companies like yours, which own or manage hotels. Its solutions help customers at both the corporate and property levels understand their financial and operational data for faster goal achievement. The company is renowned for introducing business intelligence into the hotel industry and offers a solid resource of hospitality professionals. Aptech is an IBM Software Value Plus partner and Premier Solution Provider, as well as a Prophix Premier Business Partner. Incorporated in 1970, Aptechs state-of-the-art back office, true business intelligence and enterprise planning solutions are 100% hotel specific. Solutions include PVNG, Execuvue and Targetvue. Clients comprise over 3,500 properties including large chains, multiple-property management companies and single-site hotels. Execuvue is registered to Aptech Computer Systems Inc. All other trademarks are owned by their respective holders. For more information, please visit www.aptech-inc.com. Barbara Worcester +1 440 930 5770 Your career has a big impact on your future. It will shape your identity, personal fulfilment, lifestyle, income, family and retirement. Dont let the opinions or expectations of others sway your decision making. Ultimately, deciding on a career is solely down to you. In this article we explain how to decide on a future job, what questions to ask yourself when choosing a career and what factors to consider when weighing up the options so that you make the best informed decision for your future. Choosing a Career: 4 easy steps Interests, Values & Personality Traits 1. What are my interests? The activities you enjoy doing in your free time can give you insights into careers that would be satisfying and fulfilling for you. To figure out your interests, ask yourself: What hobbies do I enjoy? Do I prefer spending time indoors or outdoors? Do I enjoy working with people, animals, data or, books? What activities would I miss the most if I could no longer do them? 2. What are my values? Everyone has values or things that are important to them, such as financial security, social justice or work-life balance. These values can help you decide what type of career to pursue. Here for instance, consider a job that pays well if you value financial security, and consider the type of hours you'd like to work to achieve work-life balance and what career may offer that to you. 3. What is my personality? Your personality is the way you think, feel and behave. It can be an important factor in guiding you toward a specific career, so consider several aspects of your personality as you reflect on your future. Are you a leader or a follower? Do you prefer to work alone or in a group? Do you prefer to cooperate or compete with others? Do you enjoy helping others or prefer to empower them to do things themselves? Are you a thinker who focuses on ideas or are you a doer who takes action? Are you a creative and artistic person or do you thrive with structure and routine? Skills, Attributes & Education 4. What are my skills? Right now, you already possess skills that can help you succeed in the future. Think about your hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills - skills youve acquired through study, such as culinary arts or computer programming. Soft skills - the people and life skills you possess, including empathy, teamwork, problem-solving and time management. Remember, skills can be developed and new skills can be learned at any stage of life, so don't let a lack of skills put you off a certain career path. Let the existing skills you have guide you. Whether you require further skill development or not will be the next challenge. 5. What are my talents and strengths? From the time you were little, you demonstrated talents and strengths that make you unique; these qualities can help you succeed in your chosen career. In fact, Sir Ken Robinson, author of The Element, Out of Our Minds, says that: You owe it to yourself to ensure that theres some part of your day or week when youre doing what comes most naturally to you and makes you feel at your most centered and authentic. If you don't know your talents and strengths, make a list of everything youre good at doing. Your family members, friends, teachers, boss and mentors can help you write this list that you will use to narrow down potential careers. 6. What education or training do I need? Certain careers require advanced education and financial investment. For example, you may need eight to 12 years of education and training to be a doctor, but you could earn a hospitality management bachelor in four years. Think about the time and money required to pursue a career as you make your decision. If you already have these hard skills but feel as though you a missing a piece of the puzzle, soft skills such as effective communication, are highly sought after in leadership positions in the hospitality industry. Skills such as communication, leadership, critical thinking, organization, follow through, cultural competency, flexibility, and customer service, just to name a few. According to Daniel Ciapponi, a Senior Lecturer at EHL, these soft skills are currently missing in hospitality in what he describes a Skills Gap. Therefore, developing and honing these skills will give any candidate the competitive edge. As a general rule, although there are exceptions, the higher the salary bracket, the higher the education level is required. However, any career path is worthy of such time and financial investment, but you have to decide whether it is worth it to you. Salary & Lifestyle 7. How much money do I want to make? Different careers provide different monetary rewards. Even though salary shouldnt be the main factor in choosing a career, your paycheck can play a role in your quality of life and where you live. Consider your earning potential as you narrow down your career options. 8. Where do I want to live? Some jobs are more readily accessible while others can only be performed in certain locations. For example, you will probably need to live in a rural location if you choose to work as a park ranger or farmer, and you may want to live near an urban area if you plan to pursue a finance or fashion career. Plan carefully to ensure you can work where you want to live - and vice versa. Availability & Competition 9. Are there jobs available in this career? LinkedIn publishes stats on the most in-demand jobs globally, a variety of IT roles have been the highest in-demand for a number of years now, followed by sales people and registered nurses. Interestingly, statistics from the second half of 2021 showed that the biggest amount of new job listings during this time came from the hospitality sector, with housekeepers, food specialists and kitchen staff all making the top 10 spots. The labor shortage in the hospitality industry happened because of the dramatic reduction in staff when global restrictions were imposed and subsequent surge in demand for the industry caused by Covid-19 restrictions loosening again. Whilst the industry is desperately trying to attract new talent to the industry it presents a perfect opportunity for young graduates to bag themselves better working conditions such as work-life balance, paid leave and higher salaries. While you dont have to work in one of these popular occupations, you should consider the potential job availability in your future career field. The travel and tourism sector is estimated to contribute $8.6 trillion to the global economy in 2022, supported by 330 million jobs in 2022. WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY - All Your Questions Answered 10. How competitive is this career path? Choosing a competitive career path isn't to be automatically shunned. Competitive by its very nature means there must be a rich reward for those who are successful in attaining the post and therefore it is a worthwhile pursuit. You must, however, weigh up the risk vs. reward. Are you prepared to accept rejection and failure countless times before you're accepted? Are you prepared to jump through as many hoops as required to reach this goal, such as further education, gaining internships and real-world work experience, and often extensive application and interview processes? If the answer is yes, then you probably have what it takes! Over to you to choose your career After answering these 10 questions, we hope that the clarity of your vision and talents has been sharpened. Remember that audacity and ambition have a better chance to develop once you are fully aware of how you function, what your strengths are, and what you value. The future is yours! About EHL Group EHL Group is the global reference in education, innovation and consulting for the hospitality and service sector. With expertise dating back to 1893, EHL Group now offers a wide range of leading educational programs from apprenticeships to master's degrees, as well as professional and executive education, on three campuses in Switzerland and Singapore. EHL Group also offers consulting and certification services to companies and learning centers around the world. True to its values and committed to building a sustainable world, EHL Group's purpose is to provide education, services and working environments that are people-centered and open to the world. www.ehlgroup.com EHL Hospitality Business School Communications Department +41 21 785 1354 EHL View source MIAMI Vida & Estilo, a national restaurant and hotel group based in Miami, is establishing two new funds to support student success and educational programming at the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU). One of the largest privately owned restaurant groups in the state of Florida, Vida & Estilo is a culinary industry pioneer behind recognizable restaurant concepts such as News Cafe, Havana 1957, Cafe Americano, PaperFish, Barsecco, Oh! Mexico and Marabu. The Vida & Estilo Hospitality Program Fund will help create and build out training and programming to elevate the skill level of both executive leadership teams and emerging leaders in the hospitality industry. Complementing this fund, the Vida & Estilo Student Support Fund will foster student enrichment and experiences that include scholarships, stipends and student programming. The Chaplin School, a top 10 ranked hospitality program, and Vida & Estilo also plan to hold branded days at the Biscayne Bay Campus, where Vida & Estilo senior leadership, general managers and directors can mentor students with real-life business applications and highlight career opportunities in fields that include real estate and venue development, marketing, public relations, culinary, beverage and design. These funds will undoubtedly bolster the work of the Chaplin School as we seek to continue to produce leaders in the hospitality industry," said Michael Cheng, dean of the Chaplin School. We are grateful to Vida & Estilo for its support." The company is led by CEO, owner and FIU alumnus Matias Pesce, who graduated from FIU in 2018. The two new funds are the latest initiatives to come from Vida & Estilo's partnership with the Chaplin School. The company has supported the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Capital One (SOBEWFF), of which the school is a beneficiary of, each of the past two years. Vida & Estilo is proud to continue its partnership with the Chaplin School by establishing the Vida & Estilo Hospitality Program Fund and the Vida & Estilo Student Support Fund," Pesce said. As an alumnus, I know firsthand about the excellent education FIU provides and the powerful community outreach that it has. It perfectly aligns with the mission of Vida & Estilo." We believe that business success is not only about individual achievements as a person or as a company, but also about our ability to build strategic alliances, establish trusting relationships and foster a collaborative environment that will contribute to continue developing the next generation of business leaders for the hospitality industry and our communities." Pesce said. Both funds will be available starting in Fall 2023. ATLANTA, Ga. Leaders of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), which represents 20,000 hoteliers of primarily Indian descent, will be in Washington this week to attend events in support of strengthening the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi marks his first official state visit. AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel, Vice Chairman Miraj Patel, Treasurer Kamalesh (KP) Patel, Secretary Rahul Patel, and Immediate Past Chair Neal Patel will attend the welcome ceremony at the White House South Lawn on Thursday morning. Later that day, the four current AAHOA Officers will be guests at Modis historic joint address to Congress. The hotel industry has long provided thousands of first- and second-generation immigrants from India an opportunity to achieve the American dream of entrepreneurship, said AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel. The Biden Administrations goals of strengthening ties with the world's most populous country and largest democracy will ultimately help advance American interests around the globe. As the largest hotel owners association in the nation, we are at the forefront of cultural and business ties between the United States and India. We recognize the importance of these relationships on both a personal and a global level. AAHOA previously urged congressional leaders to invite the leader of the worlds largest democracy to address the House and Senate during the state visit. In a letter to Speaker Kevin McCarthy on May 25, AAHOA Chairman Bharat Patel and AAHOA President & CEO Laura Lee Blake noted that AAHOAs Members own 60% of U.S. hotels and are responsible for 1.7% of the nations GDP. Such a gesture would once again display the strong bilateral relationship our two nations share, they wrote. Additionally, a delegation of AAHOA Members joined top Indian dignitaries and leaders earlier this year for a series of business meetings in an effort to foster a mutually beneficial relationship between the United States and India. About AAHOA AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the nation, with Member-owned properties representing a significant part of the U.S. economy. AAHOA's 20,000 members own 60% of the hotels in the United States and are responsible for 1.7% of the nations GDP. More than one million employees work at AAHOA member-owned hotels, earning $47 billion annually, and member-owned hotels support 4.2 million U.S. jobs across all sectors of the hospitality industry. AAHOA's mission is to advance and protect the business interests of hotel owners through advocacy, industry leadership, professional development, member benefits, and community engagement. Over the past couple of years, Artificial intelligence (AI) has greatly improved hotel operations and efficiency by automating processes such as booking and contactless check-in, allowing staff to focus on providing premium, personalized experiences to guests faster and at reasonable prices. So, it is no surprise that AI has emerged as a transformative force in the hospitality industry. But the question of how hotel guests feel about AI has never been clearly answered, until now. In a groundbreaking new study from the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership, Professor Cristian Morosan and his former doctoral student, Aslihan Dursun-Cengizci, are shedding new light on just how accepting hotel guests are of AI technology. We looked at a number of things that could influence customers when they delegate some of their decisions to AI, Morosan said. And the most important factors were perceived ethics, followed by benefits. For instance, it is important for hotels to be accountable and transparent about data privacy and security to ensure AI is used ethically and responsibly. AI technology is already having a massive impact on society, and a recent report from PwC estimates AI could add nearly $16 trillion to the global economy by 2030 and account for nearly half of all economic gains through product enhancements, increased consumer personalization and affordability over time. They contend the greatest economic gains from AI will be in China (26% boost to GDP by 2030) and North America (14.5% boost to GDP) accounting for 70% of the total global impact. As AI continues to reshape the hospitality landscape, hotels will be able to provide even more highly personalized services. With AI-powered data systems and chatbots, hotels can tailor their recommendations, anticipate preferences and provide more seamless interactions to enhance guest satisfaction and loyalty. Imagine you arrive at the hotel, youve already checked in and got your mobile room key and you dont have to wait in line at the front desk, Morosan said. And now, based on what it knows about you, the AI has already made a dinner reservation for you. AI can also improve hotel revenue management by determining the best room rates in real-time to help maximize profits and provide in-depth data analysis to help operators leverage customer information to strengthen marketing programs. But hotels must also be keenly aware of the risks of AI technology on the guest experience. According to Morosan, they want to know the AI is making the right decision for them. When guests perceive the AI decision as unethical or incompetent, it has a negative impact on their experience and willingness to engage with it, said Morosan. The bottom line is consumers are ready to accept AI technology in their travel experiences, Morosan said. The more hotels focus on the ethics and benefits of the decisions the AI makes, the more likely consumers would use the technology and incorporate it into their entire experience. It just needs to be integrated with humans because theyll always want that personal touch. About The University of Houston The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 47,000 students. For more information, visit http://www.hrm.uh.edu. The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. (LHW) held its 2023 Sales Marketing & Distribution Conference from June 2 - 4 in Munich, Germany. Over 200 Owners, Sales, Marketing, Revenue and Communications executives from over 120 Leading Hotels joined LHWs global team for three days of inspiring business content and meaningful networking opportunities. LHW sales, marketing, technology and distribution leaders from around the world shared actionable insights and strategies to support member hotels' revenue generation, providing tangible takeaways on how to leverage LHW and industry-leading tools to empower their success. The conference included a dynamic mix of thought leadership presentations and panel discussions, business sessions and workshops and one-to-one meetings with LHW's global team. A roster of influential speakers took to the mainstage including LHWs executive leadership team: Chris Walker, Phil Koserowski, Lauren Alba, Deniz Omurgonulsen and Michael Lederman. Additionally, founder of trend forecasting agency Globetrender, Jenny Southan, spoke to the group and strategic partners including Hotelbeds, Sabre Hospitality, DayBlink GPO, Mason Rose PR, 80 DAYS, Intelity, Sojern, Canary Technologies, Mews, and IDeaS joined insightful panel discussions and workshops. The scope of support LHW offers its 400+ members was highlighted through developments including the evolution of the Leaders Club loyalty programme, the new LHW Mobile App, advantageous business partnerships negotiated through Leading Strategic Sourcing and deeper, personalized support from LHWs global offices. Evenings included engaging networking moments, a Bavarian cultural event and an experiential dinner. All conference activities took place in an around Munich and at LHWs host property, Hotel Bayerischer Hof. Reminding participants that for almost 100 years, LHW has been at the service of its member hotels, Senior Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer Chris Walker closed the conference by inviting member hotels and partner to actively engage with the brand, select the relevant tools for their businesses and to continue collaborating: We at Leading exist to help you be successful. This is a truly collaborative effort. The three-day Sales Marketing & Distribution Conference concluded with an entertaining Farewell Dinner at BMW World. An evening filled with enjoyment and excitement welcomed LHWs guests as they made new connections and shared takeaways with their industry colleagues and friends. In the spirit of sustainability, LHW arranged for all delegates CO2 to be offset via ClimatePartner, in support of a project to plant more resilient woodlands in Germany. The 2024 Sales Marketing and Distribution Conference will be held May 30 June 1 in Stockholm, Sweden at LHW host hotel Grand Hotel Stockholm. About The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. (LHW) Comprised of more than 400 hotels in over 80 countries, LHW is the largest collection of independent luxury hotels. In 1928, 38 independent hoteliers came together to create LHW. Since then, the Company has carefully curated distinctive hotels, resorts, inns, chalets, villas, and safari camps from the snow-capped Alps of Europe to the African veldt, to share them with adventurous souls who seek the remarkably uncommon. The LHW community is filled of exceptional individuals, united by a passion for the surprising discoveries and details that come with every experience. LHW hoteliers are artisans of hospitality whose expertise, commitment to excellence, and individual flair allows them to create story-worthy moments for their guests. And it is these authentic, individualized experiences combined with the warm hospitality and high-touch service they provide that keeps discerning travelers returning again and again. LHW's collection covers the globe and promises a broad range of destinations and uncommon experiences, enhanced by LHW's tiered guest loyalty program Leaders Club. From converted former palaces, and countryside retreats run by the same families for generations, to gleaming skyscrapers in dynamic urban centers, serene private island escapes, glamorous tented camps and beyond explore, find inspiration, and experience unforgettable travel moments. For more information visit: www.lhw.com, Facebook at @LeadingHotels, Twitter at @LeadingHotels and Instagram @leadinghotelsoftheworldRETURN TO PRESS CENTER AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS Ireckonu, the industry leader in Hospitality Middleware, CDP and digital guest relationship systems integration, today announced its partnership with Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd (ONHM). Ireckonu will work with the Tokyo based luxury hotel firm to centralize all guest data among their entire property portfolio to create an accessible and actionable Customer Data Platform (CDP). The firm manages three hotel groups; Okura Hotels & Resort, Nikko Hotels International and Hotel JAL City and will deploy Ireckonus CORE Middleware to integrate PMS, CRS and several other IT systems and data to create a Central Data Management Platform to effectively steer all hotel and guest data with IKnowU the hotel industries premier CDP. ONHM to take a fresh approach to their guest intimacy strategy by leveraging profiles and data in ways that will generate a more meaningful relationship between their hotels and valued guests. After a thorough investigation of available solutions, we have determined that Ireckonu would be our strategic technology partner for our CDP project as they possess a credible track record of success with a strong focus on the hospitality sector and combines it with the functionality of a CDP to offer an efficient and proven solution specific to our industry. We favored their ability to connect and consolidate various information scattered across different systems within the company, providing a unique solution that is not commonly seen. We are confident that our chain will continue to grow as a hotel operator with Ireckonu through the delivery of "Omotenashi", our distinct art of hospitality beyond service and effective marketing. Kikuhiko Okura, Okura Nikko Hotel Management President & CEO To provide the ONHM with a new digital foundation that will enable specific guest engagement innovations, Ireckonu will deploy their keystone products, CORE Middleware for platform agnostic systems integration, and IKnowU to consolidate all guest related information in a central System of Record (SoR). This will give ONHM a huge advantage over Hotel Groups that rely on siloed systems as Ireckonu works with them to unlock the full potential of their guest data and collects, cleans, and activates that data to power a range of features including: Guest Segmentation to create targeted lists based on aggregated transactional and profile data. to create targeted lists based on aggregated transactional and profile data. RFM + and Loyalty calculation engine assigns values to guest profiles based on Recency, Frequency, Monetary, Duration, and Diversity to create up-sell opportunities. It is an honor and makes us extremely proud to partner with ONHM. This most prestigious portfolio joins other global industry leading companies who are dedicated to being guest centric and do so by enabling solid technology architecture and data stream from multiple sources. This approach is the basis of their business processes and guest life cycle engagement. Jan Jaap van Roon, Ireckonu Founder & CEO About Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd. Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., operate 79 properties (53 in Japan and 26 overseas) under three hotel groups: Okura Hotels & Resorts, Nikko Hotels International and Hotel JAL City. Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., founded in 1958 and headquartered in Tokyo, opened its flagship hotel, Hotel Okura Tokyo (now The Okura Tokyo), in 1962. The company, with Best A.C.S. Best Accommodation, Best Cuisine and Best Service, managed Okura Hotels & Resorts. When JAL International sold 79.6 percent of JAL Hotels Co., Ltd. to Hotel Okura Co., Ltd. in 2010, JAL Hotels became a consolidated subsidiary of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd. Integrating the Hotel Okuras philosophy of Omotenashi (Japanese hospitality) that has long captivated the world, with the global hotel operator expertise of JAL Hotels, the company has been trying and will establish a solid position as a global hotel operator with a Japanese tradition. For more information, please visit www.okura-nikko.com About Ireckonu Founded in 2014, Ireckonu is a Dutch company committed to empowering the hospitality industry by putting guests at the center of new digital foundations. With over 50 employees globally, the company provides SaaS products and services to some of the world's leading hotel brands. For more information, please visit www.ireckonu.com Connect with Ireckonu on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Zeal Hotels has signed an Exclusivity Agreement with IHG Hotels & Resorts for the hotel, which will be managed by Valor Hospitality. The upscale lifestyle property, which is due to open in Q4 next year, is aiming for a minimum BREEAM rating of Excellent, with a target of Outstanding. Solar panels will ensure that the hotel will generate all the energy it requires. The final pieces of our plan to create the first net zero carbon branded hotel are coming together and we are thrilled to be starting work on this innovative and highly sustainable project. Tim Wheeldon, managing director, Zeal Hotels Exeter Science Park is located close to junction 29 of the M5, providing a base for a number of science, technology and engineering companies. The hotel is expected to welcome guests using Exeter Science Park, Exeter Business Park and Exeter Airport, as well as guests travelling to Devon and Cornwall, all of whom will be able to use the hotels EV charging points. Locally-sourced food and beverage will be a focal point of the hotel operation. The property will also feature a meeting room and gym. Hospitality has been lagging behind other industries in its commitment to net zero carbon and we are looking forward to welcoming guests to join us on our journey. A fundamental requirement in the design of our new hotel is that it can be replicated and we are now seeking additional development opportunities in strategic locations throughout the UK, added Wheeldon. It's very exciting to see work begin on Zeal's innovative, 'mindfully modern highly-sustainable, low-carbon hotel that will complement Exeter Science Park's existing net zero carbon buildings. This collaboration launches the next phase of growth at Exeter Science Park and we anticipate there will be great synergy for both organisations, with Zeal bringing many benefits to our businesses, which will be reciprocated through the Science Park providing facilities, such as meeting spaces, for Zeal Hotel residents. We're delighted to build on existing success to deliver an innovative, low-carbon destination that supports the development of a vibrant, STEMM community delivering extraordinary growth for our south-west region. Dr Sally Basker, chief executive, Exeter Science Park Limited It's excellent news that Exeter Science Park has been chosen as the home for this pioneering development and it matches our net zero carbon ambitions in Devon. The vision of the Science Park has always been to encourage innovation and sustainability, and that's exactly what this exciting project provides. Councillor Rufus Gilbert, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Recovery and Skills About Exeter Science Park Exeter Science Park is the south wests centre of activity for businesses in science technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM). It is committed to creating an environment where businesses can thrive; giving them access to state-of-the-art facilities, mentoring and connecting them to a network of companies with similar aspirations. It was established in 2013 as a result of a vision to develop a science park in the south west to stimulate a knowledge-based economy, delivering better jobs, higher productivity and economic growth. For further information, please contact Sue McQueenie at McQueenie Mulholland, [email protected], 01392 423060. About IHG Hotels & Resorts IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good. With a family of 18 hotel brands and IHG One Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has over 6,000 open hotels in over 100 countries, and more than 1,900 in the development pipeline. InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 345,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally. Visit us online for more about our hotels and reservations and IHG One Rewards. To download the new IHG One Rewards app, visit the Apple App or Google Play stores. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. About Valor Hospitality Partners Valor Hospitality Partners is a leading global full-service hotel underwriting, acquisition, development, management, and asset management company. With 90 hospitality projects in its international portfolio, Valor Hospitality offers an array of services, including site selection, product and brand selection, entitlements, financing solutions, conceptual design, construction and project management, procurement, technical services, pre-opening, and operations management. Valor also provides consulting services on a wide range of project scenarios, including working with new or existing ownership groups on reviewing site selection, assessing feasibility studies and project budgets, compiling project budgets, and underwriting. About Zeal Hotels Established in 2012, Zeal Hotels has the specific aim of acquiring strategic hotel sites, developing the hotels and maintaining ownership of the assets. Motivated to reduce a hotel's carbon emissions through the construction process, as well as operations, Zeal Hotels has launched a new brand, targeting carbon net zero, with the first UK site acquired at Exeter Science Park to be operated under a franchise agreement with IHG. Zeal Hotels is actively seeking further development opportunities. Learn more at www.zealhotels.com. Emily Newman NewDog PR Zeal Hotels Hospitality History back in 1893 The school created in 1893 by Jacques Tschumi was originally located within the Hotel dAngleterre in the Ouchy neighborhood of Lausanne. The first 27 students were urged to sleep on the schools premises during their semester. But they were no ordinary guests they had to do chores and keep the establishment spic and span! They attended theory classes while practicing their new skills at this renowned institution. Figure 1: Photograph of the Hotel dAngleterre in Ouchy, ca.1890. Source: EHL Avenue de Cour and Domaine des Figuiers In 1904, the Societe Suisse des Hoteliers purchased a magnificent domain located on the Avenue de Cour called the Domaine des Figuiers. Formerly a boarding school for girls, the organization set up its hospitality management school there. However, after 10 years in existence, the school, which could welcome just 34 students, was already a resounding success and space was quickly running out. Figure 2: Photograph of the first class of students to study at the Avenue de Cour location in 1904-1905. EHL Archives, Fonds audiovisuel, Photographies de classe : Photographie de classe semestre d'hiver 1904-1905, CH-000963-7 AV-PH-BA-1905-2-1-1, 1905. Photo by EHL Reflecting its ongoing success, the school underwent a renovation to expand its capacity to 50 students in 1911. Figure 3: Photograph from the Domaine des Figuiers and the addition built in 1911. EHL Archives, Fonds audiovisuel, Batiments : Cour et annexe du batiment de l'Avenue de Cour, CH-000963-7 AV-PH-BB-SD-3-1, S.D. Photo by EHL Again in 1928, the campus at Avenue de Cour expanded its dormitories by 20 students, enlarging capacity from 60 to 80 beds. Figure 4: Photograph of the Avenue de Cour dormitories built in 1928. EHL Archives, Fonds audiovisuel, Batiments : Cour, jardin et batiment de l'Avenue de Cour, CH-000963-7 AV-PH-BC-1928-3-5, 1928. Photo by EHL Until the 1960s, the school continued to expand and its student body increased as well. In 1965, it was decided to double the capacity of the current facilities. At the end of the overhaul, the school could welcome 600 students with half doing an off-campus internship. The school, with its 300 on-campus students, was quickly getting cramped and finding a homestay in Lausanne was no easy task. Figure 5: Aerial view of Avenue de Cour, ca. 1960 EHL Archives, Fonds audiovisuel, Batiments : Vue aerienne de l'Avenue de Cour, CH-000963-7 AV-PH-BG-SD-3-1, S.D. Photo by EHL On-campus students are rising: the move to Chalet-a-Gobet At long last, the decision was made in 1972 to leave the Avenue de Cour site because of the lack of space. In 1975, the new school ushered in its first ever student intake at Chalet-a-Gobet. Over 150 studios were built. The complex, renamed Le Reposoir, could house around 180 of the schools 677 students. These housing units were quickly filled and some 62 requests for housing were added to the waiting list! Then in 1977, just two years of the first-ever intake, the school looked to expand its on-campus housing. Figure 6: Special edition of La Marmite, about the first intake at Chalet-a-Gobet, December 1975. EHL Archives, Fonds administratif EHL Fondation, La Marmite n31, Arch.Rev.Mar 027, decembre 1975. Source: EHL New campus 2022: more than a bed In 1992, a new construction project to build new studios for students. Capacity went from 203 studios to 285. The campus continued to expand and in 2017 it was decided to create an entirely new campus. Inaugurated last July, the campus totals nearly 80,000m2 and offers about 850 beds for students. Figure 7: EHLs new campus, unveiled in July 2022. Source: EHL Campus experience - Living together is what being a family is all about Since the schools founding, students have always been able to enjoy an enriching campus experience. At first, it was seen as a practical necessity, but student housing is one aspect that sets EHL apart from other Swiss schools. Indeed, sharing a room, sharing the ups and downs of student life, learning together and making friends for a lifetime is an incredibly valuable experience. Isnt that what were seeking when we join a community? Isnt that what we call being a family? Something as simple as living on campus, to be closer to ones classes to take just one advantage, can be seen as an essential experience in the development of a community. For more information, please contact [email protected] EHL Hospitality Business School Communications Department +41 21 785 1354 EHL View source Japan Travel & Tourism Sector Nears Pre-pandemic Recovery Despite Lengthy Restrictions Sectors contribution only 6.8% behind 2019 high - Travel & Tourism projected to support nearly 6.7 million jobs by 2033 The World Travel & Tourism Councils (WTTC) 2023 Economic Impact Research (EIR) today reveals Japans Travel & Tourism sectors GDP contribution is forecast to reach USD 285.5 billion (JPY 37.6 trillion) this year. This figure is only 6.8% shy of to the 2019 pre-pandemic high of USD 306.5 billion (JPY 40.3 trillion), and by end of year the sector could represent 6.8% of the total economy. Despite the effects of the pandemic spanning into 2023 in Japan, WTTC is forecasting for the sector to create around 470,000 jobs this year, to reach nearly 5.6 million. This means around one in twelve workers in Japan, are directly or indirectly employed in the Travel & Tourism sector. While the sector is still shy of 300,000 jobs to reach pre-pandemic levels, by the end of this year it will only be 5.2% below 2019 levels. International visitor spend in Japan is forecast to surge by 553.4% this year to reach USD 16.8 billion (JPY 2.2 trillion), still 57.6% below the 2019 peak. A look back on last year Last year the sectors GDP contribution grew by 50.5% to reach more than USD 257 billion (JPY 33.9 trillion), representing 6.2% of the economy. The sector saw jobs increase in 2022, from the previous year, to nearly 5.1 million jobs nationally one in 13 jobs across Japan. International visitor spend in Japan declined in 2022 as the effects of prolonged travel restrictions continued to have a chokehold on the sector. International visitor spend declined a by more than 31%, remaining 93.5% below 2019 levels. Domestic visitor spend grew by 61.6% last year, virtually returning to 2019 levels, only 0.2% behind. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO, said: Travel & Tourism is an important driver of economic growth and job creation to Japan. We predict a significant boost to the global Travel & Tourism sector as residents begin to travel once again. The economic ripple effect of this sector is awe-inspiring. It stimulates job creation, from tour guides and hotel staff to local artisans and transportation providers. International travel will be essential to achieve the long-awaited recovery. We must nurture and support this sector, finding innovative ways to attract visitors and ensure their comfort. By doing so, we not only boost our economy but also support livelihoods and local communities. Hiroyuki Takahashi, JTB Corp. Chairperson of the Board, said: As the global demand to visit Japan is extremely high and growing, we, JTB Corp., are working together with the public and private sectors and developing new tourism attractions to expand the capacity in rural areas. Adventure tourism would be the innovative driver to address to these demands and challenges. With a commitment to sustainability, innovation, and unforgettable experiences, we envision a future where Japan's Travel & Tourism sector thrives. Isao Takashiro, JAT Chairman and CEO, said: Thanks to the government's efforts and a resurgence in travel demand, our domestic terminal passengers have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. This remarkable recovery showcases the resilience of our sector. Haneda Airport's international terminal is on track to surpass 18 million passengers by the end of this year, despite challenges faced. With increased slots and capacity, and anticipated growth in inbound demand, we project exceeding 25 million passengers by 2025. As an essential gateway to Japan, we remain committed to enhancing the passengers experience, with new international flight facilities and attractive commercial amenities. In 2022, the top source markets for international visitors to Japan were South Korea (24%), mainland China (10%), Taiwan, China (10%), U.S. (8%) and Hong Kong, China (7%). What does the next decade look like? The global tourism body is forecasting that the sector will grow its GDP contribution to USD 353.4 billion (JPY 46.5 trillion) by 2033, nearly 8% of the Japanese economy, and will employ 6.7 million people across the country, with one in ten Japanese residents working in the sector. Asia-Pacific In 2022, the Asia-Pacific Travel & Tourism sector contributed USD 1.6 trillion to the regional economy, but this is still 50% behind the 2019 peak. WTTC forecasts the regions GDP contribution from the sector will reach more than USD 2.6 trillion in 2023 just 16% below the 2019 highpoint. The sector employed over 155 million people across the region in 2022, an increase of 8.7 million from the previous year but still 15% behind pre-pandemic levels. WTTC forecasts the sector will fully recover the jobs lost during the pandemic by the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025. Since 1993 when the wet cycle began, the growing and maintaining of aquatic habitat has been natural. If you are under the age of, say, 35 or 40, youve never known the impacts of lower water issues. Sure, weve had a few short-term drought interruptions during the wet cycle, but anyone who remembers the late 1980s and early 1990s will attest to the stark realities of a drought over years compared to months. This wet cycle helped maintain and grow the number of managed fisheries from under 200 to around 450. But the recent winterkill was a stark reminder how even with strong water levels a long winter with snow and ice can also result in significant fish loss. The threat of aquatic nuisance species is different from severe winterkill. The immediate threats are less obvious, but over time the disruption of food chains and aggressive competition may result in long-term degradation of aquatic habitat and fisheries health. The importance of continued information and education efforts is critical to raise the publics understanding of the preventative steps recreationists need to follow to stop the introduction and spread of ANS in the states waterways. What are aquatic nuisance species? Nonnative plants, animals or pathogens that can affect the ecology of our lakes and rivers and the economic and recreational value of those waterways. Many partners are taking a collaborative approach by reaching water recreationists, cabin owners, pet owners and water users about stopping the spread of aquatic nuisance species into our states lakes and rivers, said Ben Holen, North Dakota Game and Fish Department ANS coordinator. Weve definitely seen an increase in awareness over the past decade. North Dakota currently has low numbers of aquatic nuisance species. Other than zebra mussels, just a few invasive plants and animals -- curly leaf pondweed; Eurasian watermilfoil; flowering rush; and grass, bighead, silver and common carp -- are found in some state waters. What can I do? To fight the introduction and spread of unwanted invasives, Holen said some of the shared burden falls on water users. Game and Fish encourages anglers, pleasure boaters and others to clean, drain and dry all equipment after every use. Clean and remove all plants or animals from watercraft or equipment prior to leaving any recreational area. Drain and remove water from all equipment prior to exiting designated access points. Not draining water can be extremely hazardous and may cause negligent transportation of ANS to various locations. Afterward, verify that all equipment is completely dry before using again. What if I find ANS? Report any ANS you see by calling Game and Fish (701-328-6300) or filing an online report at https://gf.nd.gov/ans/report. If possible, take pictures and note the area and situation in which the ANS was observed. If you observe ANS or vegetation on equipment leaving a waterbody or in transport, ask the owner/operator to clean the equipment. If this is not possible, call the Report All Poachers line (701-328-9921) with detailed information. For more information on aquatic nuisance species, visit the departments website at gf.nd.gov. The Ozarker Lodge in Branson, Missouri The Ozarker Lodge invites guests to a design-forward, approachable hospitality experience with 102 all-new guest rooms, modern amenities, heated outdoor pool, cedar soaking tubs, engaging programming for all ages, coffee and wine bar, and easy access to the Ozark Mountains. The Ozarker Lodge, the first true boutique lifestyle hotel experience in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, opens today as a completely reimagined roadside lodging concept in one of America's most desirable family adventure destinations. The Ozarker Lodge invites guests to a design-forward, approachable hospitality experience with 102 all-new guest rooms, modern amenities, heated outdoor pool, cedar soaking tubs, engaging programming for all ages, coffee and wine bar, and easy access to the Ozark Mountains. Led by Eagle Point Hotel Partners and concepted by Missouri natives Jeremy Wells and Dustin Myers, founding partners of Longitude, The Ozarker Lodge is the premier affordable option in the Lake-area with a modern, unconventional aesthetic. "We are thrilled to welcome guests and locals to our re-envisioned and modern lodge that brings back the nostalgia of family road trips, the thrill of outdoor adventures, and the simple charm of an evening outdoors," said Jeremy Wells, founding partner, Longitude. "From the very beginning, our locally-based team set out to highlight the best of Branson and the surrounding region and celebrate why so many of us are proud to call the Ozarks home." "We reimagined this beautiful setting specifically designed for the Midwest leisure traveler bringing the best that the Ozarks has to offer with a modern perspective," said Stephen Chan, principal, Eagle Point Hotel Partners. "Working with Longitude has been a great collaboration and we look forward to finding more properties like The Ozarker Lodge to reimagine together." The Lodge Upon entering the reimagined lodge, guests are enveloped by a brand-new open lobby that is the heart of the hotel and serves as a social hub for guests, greeting adventure seekers, explorers, and nomads with a vintage yet modern lounge, indoor floating fireplace, and inviting dining area and community pantry. The Ozarker's brand-new guestrooms, designed by Midwest-based design firm PARINI, harness the energy and color palette of Branson, pulling inspiration from the destination to provide guests with an authentic experience. The guest room design is energizing, encouraging guests to go out, explore, and connect with nature and each other. The Bunkbed Rooms are ideal for families, friends, accommodating up to six people while offering double bathrooms for refreshing after a day of adventure. The Fall Creek King Suites can sleep up to four or five guests with one king bed and sleeper sofa, adorned with warm tones and fabrics that embrace travelers with signature Branson hospitality. For special occasions or guests seeking more spacious accommodations, the Ozarker Master Suite is 483 square feet and is designed for celebratory trips or romantic occasions and offers a full kitchen. Social Spaces, Experiences, and Events Whether guests travel solo, as couples, groups of friends, or as a family, The Ozarker Lodge has a fitting social space for every need. Nestled beside Branson's historic Fall Creek, offering an idyllic view of the region's natural beauty, The Ozarker Lodge is the perfect place for al fresco gatherings with its large heated outdoor pool, cozy fire pits, creekside cedar soaking tubs, a natural playground for little ones, and a dedicated space for local food trucks such as Jamaican Patty Co. to pop up throughout the year. The lodge works with local artisans and craftsmen to provide guests with one-of-a-kind experiences only found in the Ozarks. Regular programming includes guided hikes on nearby trails that leave right from the lobby, group kayaking, poolside movie nights, live music, fireside s'mores, seasonal foraging workshops, wine or beer tastings, charcuterie board and topography map reading classes, and seasonal food truck nights. The lodge is also an ideal place to hold private events or small affairs with friends and family with indoor and outdoor venue space equipped for intimate gatherings or buyouts. Advertisement The lodge's new lobby bar, Storeroom, has partnered with several favorite brands from the region including Kingdom Coffee to offer locally-sourced coffee, along with Terrell Creek Farm to supply locally curated charcuterie boards and Grandma Ruth's for the best cinnamon rolls offered throughout the day. Guests can get a taste of local flavor by sipping on the lodge's official roast called "Scenic Blend," proudly roasted in the Ozarks. In the evenings, Storeroom showcases a carefully selected assortment of all-natural or "low-intervention" white, red, and rose wines from small producers and local craft breweries. Guests can also opt for Spring Branch kombucha in addition to non-alcoholic selections like delicious espresso drinks and flavored waters. For kids and travelers with a sweet tooth, the Lodge also offers complimentary saltwater taffy made at the iconic Silver Dollar City upon check-in, as well for sale by the pound at Storeroom. Guests will also receive wooden nickels at check-in, which can be redeemed for coffee, kombucha, or beer at Storeroom. S'mores kits are available for-purchase and popcorn is provided complimentary to enjoy by the outdoor firepits. America's Heartland Branson is considered one of America's most desirable family adventure destinations with over 10 million travelers visiting the destination every year. The Ozarker Lodge is appealingly situated between all the popular attractions, shows, museums, and shopping located off Highway 76 as well as the lake activities of Table Rock Lake. The hotel is only a short drive to the most popular Branson attractions such as Silver Dollar City, Branson Landing, Titanic Museum, and many more. It's not only convenient, but it feels "off the beaten path," charmingly nestled between two beautiful Ozark hillsides. To celebrate its grand opening, The Ozarker Lodge is beckoning road trippers with a limited-time package embracing Branson's central location in the middle of the United States and being less than a day's drive for approximately 25 percent of Americans. The special offer includes 25 percent off the best available rate on stays of three nights or more, $25 food and beverage credit, $50 gas credit, choice between one seasonal bottle of low-intervention wine or a four-pack of Spring Branch Kombucha, two items of Ozarker Lodge branded merchandise, and a custom road trip playlist on Spotify to entertain travelers on their journey to the Ozarks. Rates start at $109/night. Hampton Inn & Suites Fredericksburg South JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group announced today that it arranged the sale of the Hampton Inn & Suites Fredericksburg South, a 121-key hotel in Fredericksburg, Virginia. JLL represented the seller, Sachs Companies Realty Investments. The Hampton Inn & Suites stands five-stories tall on a 2.35-acre parcel. Amenities include an indoor swimming pool and hot tub, fitness center, guest laundry, business center and 1,890 square feet of meeting space, Located at 4800 Market St., the hotel is strategically located at the intersection of I-95 and U.S. 1, halfway between Richmond and Washington, D.C. A 10-mile extension of the I-95 Express Lane extension through Fredericksburg is expected to be complete in late 2023, providing improved access between the two cities. The hotel is surrounded by numerous restaurants and retail establishments. The JLL Hotels & Hospitality team was led by Managing Director Ketan Patel, Vice President Phil White and Senior Associates Robert Westerfield and Greyson Fewin. The H-2B program is vital to helping independent hotels and resorts in remote vacation destinations fill seasonal roles, but the program is capped at 66,000 visas each year. AHLA is asking Congress to modify the H-2B nonimmigrant visa program by exempting returning workers from the inadequate 66,000 annual visa cap. These employees would provide critical staffing relief for seasonal small business hotels and help to rebuild the post-pandemic economy. Confronting Security Fears to Control Cyber Risks Part 3 To make cybersecurity a part of the business process and effectively implement necessary changes, the understanding and support of the C-suite is critical. Watch this webinar to discover what it takes to get the board on board with a 12-step plan to effectiveness. XDR for Beginners As advanced threats push security controls to their limits, SOC teams are struggling to detect and respond, and the XDR movement has promised to address this issue. Discover if XDR is a good fit for you, and what to expect from your XDR vendor, in this webinar. Confronting Security Fears to Control Cyber Risks Part 1 The hyper-complexity of IT infrastructures and their related attacks by threat actors leaves C-suites longing for simplicity. But enabling simplicity requires clear direction built on a strong foundation, in a way that can be measured. Watch this webinar and access 8 steps to lead change in your cybersecurity operating model. Confronting Security Fears to Control Cyber Risks Part 2 To effectively adapt during times of stress, businesses must align leadership and security teams to build a consistent approach. Well-designed protection level agreements (PLAs) are a great place to start, but they need to be monitored. Watch this webinar to learn how to create PLAs with KPIs and introduce accountability to your cybersecurity. Key Features in Building a Security Operations Center Whether a SOC is internally staffed or provided externally, building a security operations center means including some key technical capabilities engineered to cover the full lifecycle of a cybersecurity incident. Download this e-guide to learn about the must-have features when building a SOC. , ", , , . . Chicago, IL (60637) Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low around 65F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Click here for a Print Subscription with Online Digital included. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Below you will see test that reads Print Subscribe Access. Click this to then Get Started attaching your account number and zip code to you online user account. Click on the banner above if you would like to become a print subscriber with digital access. If you simply want online access without print click get started below. The news you need, when you need it, by the editors you trust. Get continuing news coverage and educational information on crops, livestock, soil health and other topics you select. Subscribers to Register-Star or The Daily Mail are eligible to receive full access to HudsonValley360. If you have an existing print subscription, please make sure your email address on file matches your HudsonValley360 account email. The Williamstown Fire District's Building Committee meets at the fire station on Wednesday. Williamstown Fire Building Committee Looks to Press National Grid on Interconnection Issue WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. The Fire District's Building Committee discussed on Wednesday how it could put pressure on National Grid to upgrade the town's infrastructure to accommodate plans for a new net-zero fire station and other potential solar projects in town. At issue is the district's application for interconnection with the utility's electrical service line. The plan is to build a connection that will allow the district to both draw electricity from the grid and feed power to it from the solar arrays planned at the Main Street station. At Wednesday's Building Committee meeting, the district's project coordinator told the body that National Grid will not allow the district to even apply for interconnection until 12 months from the date the new station is scheduled to come online in the summer of 2025. If the district wanted to just hook up a new building to receive service from the grid, there likely would be no holdup, Bruce Decoteau told the Building Committee. But creating a source for solar power on the site is a major element of the building project and part of how the district plans to meet the town's goal for net-zero carbon consumption. "There are a couple of feeder lines from National Grid that come into Williamstown," Nancy Nylen of the town's Carbon Dioxide Lowering (COOL) Committee told the panel. "One of those comes by the fire station. The question is, is there capacity on there for the amount [of electricity] we're looking at. I guess they can't give the final word until you're 12 months from opening." Nylen said that, previously, she had been told by National Grid's Director of Community and Customer Management in Western Massachusetts that there is limited capacity for interconnection in the town. "It sounds to me there might be capital challenges," Building Committee member Donald Dubendorf said. "Might National Grid need to upgrade the line? "Williamstown needs to grow. It seems to me we ought to start that conversation sooner rather than later." John Benzinger of Skanska Construction, who attended his first Building Committee since Skanska was named the project's new owners project manager , told the committee that Williams College has had similar difficulty getting National Grid to commit on interconnection plans for large projects. Dubendorf suggested that while the issue of capacity in the power grid is an immediate problem for the district, it is a bigger question that needs to be addressed townwide. And it would make sense to bring state Rep. John Barrett III and state Sen. Paul Mark into the conversation to see what pressure can be brought to bear on the utility. Stephanie Boyd, another member of the COOL Committee who this spring was elected to a seat on the Select Board, told the Building Committee she recently was invited to a meeting next week with Barrett and Mark and asked if she should raise the issue. "Of course," Dubendorf said. "This might be the last project we can get done in this town, and public policy suggests we should be doing much, much more and much sooner. How do we move this iceberg called National Grid?" Dubendorf said the Building Committee needs to further study the issue and gather as many facts and figures as it can before making a direct appeal to National Grid. At Chair Elaine Neely's suggestion, the committee's net-zero working group, which includes non-committee members like Boyd and Nylen, agreed to convene as soon as possible to begin building a case. In other business on Wednesday, the Building Committee learned that the Prudential Committee last week in a special meeting officially finalized the contract with Skanska. In his first act for the OPM, Benzinger, a 20-year resident of Williamstown, told the committee that the early site work planned for the new fire station site was put out to bid on the commonwealth's Central Register on Wednesday and already three potential contractors have expressed interest. Benzinger said the deadline to submit bids is July 6 and work on preparing the land for a new building is set to begin around Sept. 1. Meanwhile, the project's design development phase remains on track to be completed by the middle of August as specified in the project's schedule. Chris Wante of architecture firm EDM gave an update on the progress of design development and used Wednesday's meeting to get initial feedback from the committee on some internal design elements. "We've been looking mainly at the exterior of the building up until now," Wante said. "I want to get a sense from you if we're going in the right direction [on the interior]." Wante showed the committee computer generated mockups of the potential front lobby of the building, which would include large windows for natural light, a prominent display of the Gale Hose Cart the district conserved in 2014 and a stylized mural of firefighters on a wall that extends from the first to second floor. Wante said many of the interior spaces will pick up design elements from the proposed lobby but would be simpler with more of an emphasis on function. "This is the first impression for the public, for potential volunteers coming in," Wante said, and the designers thought the district would want to make a good impression. The committee generally approved the direction in which the design was headed. Wingmasters at the Adams Free Library ADAMS, Mass. This Adams Free Library will host a presentation by Wingmasters "New England Birds of Prey" for children ages six and up, on Wednesday, June 28 at 11:00 a.m. Wingmasters will bring five live birds of prey to the library, and explain predation, the birds place at the top of the food web, their different hunting adaptations and their status in a rapidly changing world. Because many birds are declining in numbers, this presentation also features one or more of the endangered raptors that they care for, and explains why these species face an uncertain future. This presentation is designed strictly for ages 6 and up. Registration is required for this event (413)743-8345. Julie Anne Collier and Jim Parks are both licensed raptor rehabilitators based in Massachusetts. Together they care for injured birds of prey. Most of the birds they rehabilitate can ultimately be released back into the wild, but in some cases the birds are left permanently handicapped. Julie and Jim are further licensed to provide a home for these nonreleasable raptors, and to use them for educational programs. Since 1994 Wingmasters has presented over 5,000 programs at schools, libraries and museums throughout New England. "Find Your Voice!" is sponsored by the Adams Free Library, the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Additional funding provided by the Friends of the Adams Free Library. Families and children ages six and up are invited to register to attend this event (413)743-835. An adult must accompany children under 8 years of age. Library events are free and open to the public. Attendance at library programs constitutes consent to be photographed; photos may be used in print or electronic publicity for the Adams Free Library. Page Content MONTREAL, 22 JUNE 2023 The ICAO Council has condemned recent missile launches by the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), noting that they pose a serious risk to international civil aviation, and a complete disregard of the relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions. The decision was arrived at earlier this week during the Councils 229th Session, subsequent to a report on the topic presented by ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar, and an update from ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano. The report and update followed upon a letter from President Sciacchitano to the Director-General of the DPRKs National Aviation Administration on 30 May of this year, wherein he specifically addressed the countrys intention to launch a military reconnaissance satellite using ballistic missile technology between 30 May and 11 June. That letter had received no response. In addition to condemning the launches, the ICAO Council also reaffirmed the importance of the Chicago Convention in providing the legal and operational framework for a global civil aviation safety system based on mutual trust and recognition, and recalled Assembly Resolution A41-3 (October 2022) which urgently called upon the DPRK to comply with its international civil aviation obligations under the Chicago Convention. Resources for Editors About ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a United Nations agency which helps 193 countries to cooperate together and share their skies to their mutual benefit. Since it was established in 1944, ICAOs support and coordination has helped countries to diplomatically and technically realize a uniquely rapid and dependable network of global air mobility, connecting families, cultures, and businesses all over the world, and promoting sustainable growth and socio-economic prosperity wherever aircraft fly. As it enters a new era of digitization, and of incredible new flight and propulsion innovations, air transport is relying more than ever on ICAOs expert support and technical and diplomatic guidance to help chart a new and exciting future for international flight. ICAO is innovating itself to answer this call, and expanding its partnerships among UN and technical stakeholders to deliver a strategic global vision and effective, sustainable, air transport solutions. General Contact Media Contact William Raillant-Clark Communications Officer iciHaiti - Insecurity : Humanitarian aid providers must deal with gangs Those bringing humanitarian aid to Haiti must consider the influence of the heavily armed gangs that control large parts of the country "If anybody wants to deliver humanitarian assistance to Haiti, they have to come to terms with the gangs," said Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and current President of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on Voice of America. "There are gang leaders who are also political operatives, who control important communities," Gonsalves said, warning "you have to be careful you don't set about to engage with gangs in Haiti and provide some legitimacy to them." Gonsalves believes that people with gang ties were likely present at the talks between representatives of Haitian civil society and the government in Jamaica this week. Recalling that since October 2022, Prime Minister a.i. of Haiti Ariel Henry has called for an international force to help the police restore security and establish the conditions for the long-awaited elections, but no country has yet offered to lead such a force "Meanwhile, Haitian migration is threatening security in neighboring Caribbean countries." Gonsalves will travel to Brussels for an EU-CELAC summit on July 17-18 on the security situation in Haiti. See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-37866-icihaiti-request-for-armed-intervention-letter-from-prime-minister-to-the-un-secretary-general.html IH/ iciHaiti Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Christopher Nolan has described the visceral reactions of some people who have seen his latest film, Oppenheimer. The biographical movie stars Cillian Murphy as the eponymous J Robert Oppenheimer, known as the father of the atomic bomb, and is due to be released on 21 July. Some people leave the movie absolutely devastated, Nolan said about early screenings in a new interview with Wired magazine. They cant speak. I mean, theres an element of fear thats there in the history and there in the underpinnings. But the love of the characters, the love of the relationships, is as strong as Ive ever done. The 52-year-old British-American director added: It is an intense experience because its an intense story. I showed it to a filmmaker recently who said its kind of a horror movie. I dont disagree. Nolan even admitted that he was relieved to be finished with the project due to the emotional toll it took. As I started to finish the film, I started to feel this colour thats not in my other films, just darkness. Its there. The film fights against that, he said. Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer' (Universal Pictures) Earlier this week, the historian who wrote the 2005 biography on which Oppenheimer is based said he was still emotionally recovering from watching the film. The biographer, Kai Bird, who co-authored American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, said: I think it is going to be a stunning artistic achievement, and I have hopes it will actually stimulate a national, even global conversation about the issues that Oppenheimer was desperate to speak out about about how to live in the atomic age, how to live with the bomb and about McCarthyism what it means to be a patriot, and what is the role for a scientist in a society drenched with technology and science, to speak out about public issues. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 6.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 6.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Oppenheimer will be led by Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robery Downey Jr and Florence Pugh. The films cast also includes Matthew Modine, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Dane DeHaan, Benny Safdie, David Krumholtz, Jack Quaid, and Alden Ehrenreich. Its release date on 21 July marks the same day as Greta Gerwigs Barbie release, which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} I guess I have two heads, Tippa Irie says, of his personas in private and the public eye. When Im on stage, I transform into Tippa Irie who is courageous and confident, if you like. Whereas Anthony Henry is a bit more reserved and shy. When Im not performing, thats who I am. Tippa is the man who helped to popularise the fast chat style of emceeing in the UK dancehall scene. His was an original sound: cheeky, conversational lyrics about everything from love to social justice, delivered with astute, contemplative flair over pulsing rhythms. Armed with charisma and imagination, not to mention a formidable stage presence that puts him in a league of his own, Tippa has been hailed by music legends including Yellowman and Peter Metro. In reggae scenes around the world, he is revered as a pioneer. Throughout his illustrious career, Tippa has collaborated with a number of global artists. You might have heard him on Hey Mama by US group the Black Eyed Peas in 2004, for which he earned a Grammy nomination. Maybe youve heard his collaborations with Jurassic 5, soul icon Alexander ONeal, the Far East Band and Congo Natty, aka Rebel MC. Its not surprising, then, that the 58-year-old is inundated by fans as he sits down for an interview in Brixton, the south-London district that welcomed his Jamaican parents after they migrated to England in the Sixties. Tippa, I just have to shake your hand. Legend, one nervous fan tells him. Tippa, big up yourself! says another. Long time, Tippa, one old pal says, greeting him. How are you? Brixton is where Tippa created his first track, aged 17, before joining Saxon Studio International, an iconic south London sound system responsible for launching the careers of Maxi Priest and Smiley Culture, to name a few. At its peak, this collective was The Beatles of UK dancehall. Tippa enjoyed an explosion in success during the Eighties, as he and his Saxon peers were courted by labels including Island Records, Greensleeves, and Virgin Records. After signing a recording contract with Greensleeves in 1984, Tippa released a string of hits including Good To Have That Feeling, Youre The Best, Complain Neighbour and Hello Darling, which hit No 1 on the UK reggae chart and crossed over to Number 22 on the UK Top 40 Chart. He has gone on to tour across all seven continents around the world and in between, captivating crowds and releasing numerous tracks over the years including more recent offeringsIm An African, Flat Foot Hustle and Hot Like Fire. Yet, for all his success, Tippa comes across as unassuming and laid back, as we chat over chicken wings, fried plantain and orange juice in a Jamaican restaurant on the ends. Soul music plays softly in the background, while the glare of J Wray & Nephew rum bottles bounces off Tippas brown skin and against the reflection of a mirror on the wall. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Dressed in a black Adidas tracksuit, he is frank and down-to-earth, regaling me with tales of his busy day, which has included shooting an interview for a forthcoming documentary, and a swimming session at a David Lloyd fitness centre. Good to have that feeling: Dancehall legend Tippa Irie (Tippa Irie) Foundation When Celeste and Stephen Henry stepped off of the plane in 1963 for a new life in Britain, neither knew that their only son would go on to become one of the countrys most renowned music artists. Perhaps it should have come as less of a surprise; after all, the Henry family is a musical one. Tippa started his musical career as a teenager on his fathers sound system, Musical Messiah in the 1970s. The senior Mr Henry ran a greengrocers shop just off Brixtons Coldharbour Lane by day and hosted shubeen parties by night. Meanwhile, Tippas older sister Jacqui would perform at gigs at legendary jazz venue Ronnie Scotts, as a member of the band Metropolis, while his late younger sister Avril, who went by the name Miss Irie, was also an MC who regularly performed with her older brother. She died in 1999. Tippas own music career was sparked by rave reviews from his schoolmates after he performed chatting lyrics in a school assembly when he was 15. Word of the sleepy-eyed teens talent spread, and he began to enter competitions around Brixton. Many of the local sound systems in the area also recognised his talent and invited him to perform on their platform. The rest, as they say, is history. (Tippa Irie (3)) Not everyone immediately envisioned the heights to which Tippas talent would propel him. After his father retired to Jamaica in 1981, when his son was 16, he was amazed to see Tippa performing onstage six years later at Reggae Sunsplash, a leading festival or stage show in the country at the time. My mum was always supportive of my career, Tippa says. Shed ask, Why are you always sitting down writing lyrics? I replied, Mum, you will see. When Hello Darling came out, then mum saw me on Top of The Pops. She said, I get it now. Following the success of Hello Darling, Tippa bought his mother a house. I was always confident that Id make it in the business, he says. I believed in myself. Longevity The pioneering Windrush migrants brought with them an effervescent energy and the unique sounds of the Caribbean. This didnt just influence the UK music scene...it transformed the sector altogether. New arrivals like Tippas parents carried with them Jamaicas sound system culture and a fusion of creative influences that eventually birthed quintessential Black British genres, from UK lovers rock to homegrown iterations of Jamaican dancehall. Newer genres such as grime music would follow decades later. Faced with chronic discrimination, alienation from wider British society and a lack of access to mainstream broadcast platforms, the Windrush migrants and their children had the fortitude to develop a sense of community and preserve their culture through music. And, for those who were present to witness Black Britain in the Seventies and Eighties, it seemed that a reggae industry was beginning to thrive through the production of music, formation of labels, launching of record shops, importing of records from Jamaica and staging of events for Black Britons by Britons. In 2023, such an industry does not exist. Few venues consistently host Black events, and even fewer are Black-owned; reggae and dancehall music is marginalised in commercial spaces. Many of the great artists of yesteryear, who came up with Tippa, have long been forced to either give up music or perform on evenings and weekends, alongside their 9-5 jobs. Where many of them should be millionaires and household names, not many people outside of Black communities know who they are. So what happened? Racism, Tippa says, without hesitation. Thats the reason. As Black British artists of my generation, its difficult for us because were here and our tunes are not being played on the radio stations that pay money. Even Silly Games by Janet Kay or Hopelessly in Love by Carroll Thompson dont get played on Smooth or Magic, but you may hear a Bob Marley. He continues: The people at the helm of these stations dont respect our music. You cant tell me that if they play Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye, they cant play a smooth Don Campbell, Lloyd Brown, Peter Hunnigale or Bitty McLean track. (AFP via Getty Images) If we got played on these stations, wed have more money and power. Evidently, this isnt what gatekeepers want. Even when there was a reggae industry, the mainstream didnt support us. Our music is just as good as any other genreso why isnt it getting played on the radio? He quotes an old saying: If you get airplay, you get a lot of say. The reason why a lot of artists are broke is because of this lack of support, he says. We need to have a fair playing field, so that listeners can judge for themselves, the kind of music they want to hear. A lot of time, if you dont get played on these stations, its harder to tour. Its sad, and depressing that institutional racism thats what it is has brought about this situation. The people in England dont really support their own; this is not our country, really, as Black people. Then when we go to Jamaica or the US, theyre not paying us no mind there either. Im one of the lucky ones and Im grateful because Im still managed to survive. Four decades down the line and over a dozen studio albums later, Tippa is still able to live off of music on a full-time basis, collecting publishing cheques, operating a recording studio, voicing dubplates, touring and releasing new music. He also runs his own production company, Lockdown. Home As the UK celebrates the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush shop on Britain shores in 1948, many people of Black Caribbean heritage describe the occasion as bittersweet, while victims of the Windrush scandal are still waiting for compensation. Tippa agrees. Its a shame because theres so much money being wasted in this country the PPE scandal, billions on Brexit but the government cant give some of those billions of pounds to the people that came here to help build it, he says. Empire Windrush arriving at Tilbury Docks (Getty) Thats just another reason why Id never accept an MBE. I cant relate to this country when it comes to our people, Black people, because were always getting the rough end of the stick because its not our country. Were the minority here and maybe if we had a bit more unity amongst ourselves too, we might be a bit further along. Still, when it comes to Windrush Day, we have to big up our mums, dads, grandparents; they put up with a lot when they came here, so that we can be here doing what were doing. The Windrush scandal brought into sharp focus a dilemma that many Black Britons feel: where to truly regard as home. Is it the land in which you were born, and can evidently be expelled from under certain circumstances, or the land of your parents birth? Us Black Brits, because were not accepted in England and then when we go to our parents birth countries, we are still regarded as foreigners, Tippa summarises. I really love Jamaica. I love the food, the tropics, the weather...but as much as it is like home, its still not because I am not from there. Its difficult. (Tippa Irie) Tippa describes his new biography, Stick To My Roots, out in August, as a history lesson that breaks down his life and times to date in intricate detail, from soaring to the top of the industry to dodging bullets as villains stuck up his performances in gritty, New York-based dances. Its certainly been quite the journey. Focusing on my craft, investing in myself and putting my energies into what I do has enabled me to survive in the music industry for 40 years, the artist says. Ive managed to be disciplined when it comes to writing songs, who I work with, how I treat people - you treat people how you want to be treated yourself. A lot of people get sidetracked, whether it be by drugs, alcohol, women or whatever. Sometimes these things present themselves and, if or when that happens, you have to be disciplined and know thats gonna mess up what youre doing. We all make mistakes, he points out, and weve all done things that we regret. But its important to be disciplined, he says, because it will carry you a long way. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The stepson of billionaire Hamish Harding, who is on board the missing Titanic tourist submarine, has posted about attending Blink-182 concert as rescue teams continue to try and locate the vessel carrying his father. On Monday (19 June), an Ocean Gate submersible called the Titan carrying five tourists to the site of the 1912 Titanic ships wreckage off the Canadian coast, went missing in the North Atlantic Ocean. According to reports, the vessel lost contact with its support ship after about one hour and 45 minutes into its descent. The five people travelling in the submersible include British billionaire Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman, founder and CEO OceanGate, Stockton Rush, and veteran French diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet. On the same day, the submarine went missing, Hardings stepson Brian Szasz was spotted at Blink-182s concert in San Diego. Szasz, an audio engineer, shared photos and posts about the gig as he defended his attendance to his followers. It might be distasteful being here but my family would want me to be at the Blink-182 show as its my favourite band and music helps me in difficult times, Szasz apparently wrote in the caption of his since-deleted post. On Tuesday (20 June), the billionaires stepson tagged Blink-182s Tom DeLonge in a tweet, writing: @tomdelonge my stepdad is missing in the sub at the titanic site. Im here at the San Diego show for support thanks. On the next day, Szasz also shared a photograph of him posing with DeLonge. On Facebook, Szasz posted a message saying that he hopes the rescue mission trying to find his step-father will be successful. In the most recent update around the Titans search, a Canadian aircraft searching for the missing submarine detected intermittent banging noises from the vicinity of the last known location of the divers. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up The crew searching for the missing sub reportedly heard banging sounds every 30 minutes on Tuesday and again four hours later, after additional sonar devices were deployed. The Titan is equipped with a four-day emergency oxygen supply. It is estimated that the five missing passengers have just 24 hours of oxygen supply left inside the vessel. In a statement, Ocean Gate said its entire focus [was] on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families. We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to re-establish contact with the submersible, the company said. Follow The Independents live blog about the missing submersible here. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A 30-year-old man tried to strangle his landlady in Singapore after he flew into a rage over the slow Wi-fi speed in his apartment, according to reports. Local media reported that Li Xin pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the charges of criminal intimidation with the intent to cause death and of causing hurt by choking his landlords neck. He was sentenced to five months in prison by a judge in Singapore. Li got angry over the slow Wi-fi speed while playing a mobile game in May. Police said he had downed six cans of beer before confronting his landlady, Lin Suhua, who was in her room with the door closed. As they argued, he reportedly pulled out a knife and threatened to kill the 61-year-old woman and her entire family. The Chinese national then proceeded to strangle her. According to Today Online, deputy public prosecutor Ashley Poh told the court that on 16 May, Li had been drinking and playing a game on his mobile phone while his landlady Ms Lin was in her room with the door closed. He told the landlady to come out of the room and talk to him about the Wi-fi speed. The argument escalated and Li took out a knife and pulled Ms Lin into his room where he slammed her onto the bed. Ms Lin was able to somehow calm the man down at this point. Another tenant, Ji Zhaoliang, reportedly called Li and the landlady shouted to ask why Mr Ji did not return to the apartment after work and told him to get back quickly. After the call, Li responded to Ms Lins query about Mr Jis delay and said: Because I told him I will be killing all your family and all of you. When Mr Ji finally came home, the landlady told him of the threat and said Li had pulled a knife on her. The court was told on Wednesday that this made Li aggressive again and led him to push Ms Lin onto the bed and try to strangulate her until Mr Ji intervened. Li reportedly kept banging on the landladys room door after the confrontation ended and demanded that she come out. Li, who has lived and worked in the city for almost 10 years, could have been jailed for up to three years or fined $3,730 or both but had asked to be shown leniency as he said he had experienced anxiety when he was in remand. He had not been represented by a lawyer and claimed he was not aware of Singapores stringent laws. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Hotel bookings at Premier Inn soared between March and May, new figures from the company show. Whitbread, which owns the hotel chain, said that its accommodation business in the UK saw sales jump 18% over the period when compared to last year. Strong sales, particularly in London where it was able to charge more per room, came as demand was high from people travelling for both business and pleasure. Total sales in the UK, including Whitbreads pubs, rose 15.6% to 686.5 million. In Germany, where Premier Inn has been rapidly expanding, sales more than doubled to 53.8 million euros (46 million). In Germany, we now have 56 hotels with 10,000 rooms open, and a further 32 hotels and 6,000 rooms in the pipeline Dominic Paul Chief executive Dominic Paul said: Our business is in great shape and trading well. Given the lack of branded supply growth and permanent decline in the independent sector, I am confident that our business model will continue to deliver as we strengthen Premier Inns position in the UK, unlock our potential in Germany and maximise long-term returns for our shareholders. Whitbread did not explain the reasons for this jump, simply that there was strong consumer demand. The company added another 348 rooms to its portfolio in the UK and Ireland and plans to open a total of between 1,500 and 2,000 rooms during the current financial year. The business said that the levels of bookings it currently has makes it confident that the first half of this financial year will be strong. The structural reduction in hotel supply, coupled with strong consumer demand, is highlighting the strengths of our differentiated business model, as evidenced by our continued strong performance, Mr Paul said. Our forward booked position into the second quarter underpins our confidence in being able to deliver a strong first half result. In Germany, we now have 56 hotels with 10,000 rooms open, and a further 32 hotels and 6,000 rooms in the pipeline. Overall market demand continued to recover during the first quarter. Our cohort of 18 more established hotels is continuing to perform in line with the market and we have been encouraged by the performance of our less mature cohorts that are starting to follow a similar trajectory. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Health warnings should be considered on packaging for highly addictive ultra-processed foods, according to MPs. Concerns were raised in Parliament about the health impact of such products which usually contain ingredients that people would not add when they were cooking homemade food. Conservative former minister Sir Greg Knight (East Yorkshire) said: Theres a case for looking again at our food-labelling laws and perhaps requiring ultra-processed food to carry a health warning, rather like we require cigarette packets to have to display such a warning. One of the issues with ultra-processed food is that it's also ultra-addictive and then people want to have more of it and we can't help ourselves but we don't treat it like other ultra-addictive things like cigarettes and alcohol SNP MP Carol Monaghan He added: If we are to urge that ultra-processed food carries with it a label warning, that warning should be in a typeface large enough to be read without the use of a magnifying glass, so people know what it is theyre buying before they purchase it. SNP MP Carol Monaghan (Glasgow North West) added: One of the issues with ultra-processed food is that its also ultra-addictive and then people want to have more of it and we cant help ourselves but we dont treat it like other ultra-addictive things like cigarettes and alcohol. The health implications could be just as serious. Is it time we do that? The food supply chain is, quite frankly, endorsing and promoting products that are linked to serious health outcomes Conservative MP Suzanne Webb Conservative MP Suzanne Webb, opening the debate in Westminster Hall, said: Ultra-processed food is food that tends to be high in fat, salt and sugar food which is highly addictive. Awareness of what is ultra-processed food is actually fairly low but they are familiar foods in your shopping trolley. They include pizza, ice cream, crisps, mass-produced bread, breakfast cereals, biscuits, carbonated drinks, fruit-flavoured yogurts, pre-packaged meals, sausages and other reconstituted meat products and some alcoholic drinks including whisky, gin and rum. Current advertising regulations are not going far enough to protect children from seeing a significant amount of unhealthy food adverts Conservative MP Suzanne Webb Ms Webb warned the foods were linked to obesity and marketed aggressively to the detriment of our health, adding: The food supply chain is, quite frankly, endorsing and promoting products that are linked to serious health outcomes. The MP for Stourbridge said she was slightly disappointed the Government was delaying its planned ban on two-for-one junk food deals but acknowledged the cost-of-living pressures. She added: A good step forward would be to see an advertising watershed. A ban on TV advertising of junk food before 9pm had been planned, with Ms Webb adding: Current advertising regulations are not going far enough to protect children from seeing a significant amount of unhealthy food adverts. Conservative former health minister Maggie Throup said: I believe this country is addicted to ultra-processed foods, similar to the way it was addicted to smoking in past decades. We tackled smoking addiction by intervention, it is now time to tackle ultra-processed food addiction by intervention too. Health minister Neil OBrien said the Government is looking at concerns linked to ultra-processed foods. He said: Our existing policies support less consumption of many of the foods that would be classified as ultra-processed because they are high in fat, salt and sugar we know they are a problem and thats why we regulate in the way that we do. But its absolutely vital we take a considered and very robust approach to the emerging evidence on the question of what ultra-processing is doing. That is exactly what were now doing. We will not hesitate to take action if the evidence suggests that is needed. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} China is experiencing scorching temperatures in June with hundreds of stations, including capital Beijing, smashing previous records as another blistering heatwave gripped the country after a brief break. On Thursday, Beijing surpassed 40 degrees Celsius for the first time since 2014, in what has become the hottest day in June since modern meteorological records began. The mercury reached 40.7C at a weather station in the southern suburbs of Beijing, breaking the previous all-time high of 40.6C recorded on 10 June 1961. The extreme heat prompted the city, with a population of nearly 22 million, to raise an orange alert, the second-highest weather warning level. Authorities cautioned that temperatures could climb as high as 39C in most parts of the city from Thursday to Saturday. The persisting heatwave follows a week of scorching conditions that affected Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and Shandong, resulting in increased efforts to protect crops, ensure tourist safety, and suspend outdoor work during peak daytime heat. Tianjins urban area saw the mercury rise up to 41.4C, with at least 10 stations recording temperatures above the record levels. The June heatwave comes after China, along with dozens of countries in Asia including India and Thailand, experienced record-breaking temperatures in April this year amid an unusually early heatwave that scientists attributed to the climate crisis. While this year was already on track to be one of the warmest for several countries, experts say the heat in June has exceeded expectations. Jim yang, a researcher at the China Meteorological Association (CMA), wrote hundreds of sites are breaking the June record in the country. The heatwave has led to a surge in electricity demand, particularly for air-conditioning. Tianjin reported a 23 per cent increase in its power grid load compared to the previous year, reaching 14.54 million kilowatts on 15 June. To ensure the smooth functioning of electrical cables, the local utility department dispatched workers to patrol underground tunnels daily. The scorching conditions have raised concerns about public health ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend. The CMA warns that the current heatwave will also impact Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, regions in northern and far-western China, respectively. The country's four-tier weather warning system issued an orange alert due to the extreme heat, indicating a maximum temperature exceeding 40C in a single day or temperatures remaining above 37C for two consecutive days. Additional reporting by agencies Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel has been accused of being insensitive after weighing in on the missing Titanic sub. In an Instagram video shared on 21 June, the 52-year-old reality star began by questioning those who choose to take trips on the vessels. Who goes into a submarine thats not Jacques Cousteau? You want to be adventurous? Try drinking four margaritas and see what happens, she told her followers. On Sunday 18 June, OceanGates Titan submersible left its support vessel to travel to the Titanic wreckage, which sits at a depth of 12,500ft. About an hour and 45 minutes later, the Titan lost contact with its surface ship, the Polar Prince. Since then, an international search effort had been underway for the five people who were aboard the vessel. On 22 June, officials determined the Titan submersible experienced a catastrophic implosion when it submerged, killing all five passengers aboard. In her Instagram video, which was shared before the tragedy was confirmed, Frankel continued to offer recommendations of alternative adventurous activities. Try a bathing suit on without your underwear. Go to Burning Man dressed as a parakeet, I dont know, but going on a submarine? she added. The former Real Housewives of New York star then claimed that going on a submarine is among activities that she thinks seem like a bad idea. Jumping out of aeroplanes, riding motorcycles, swimming with sharks, she said. All of these things seem like a bad idea. Frankel concluded her video with a sympathetic message about the missing sub, adding: Its so tragic and so sad and so terrible. God bless those poor people. Frankels video, which she also posted to TikTok, has since gone viral, with many viewers critical of the reality stars comments, while others accused her of blaming the five individuals aboard the vessel. I am sure their families appreciate your rant, one viewer sarcastically responded. This is literally so insensitive and a version of victim-blaming to be honest, another wrote. Like how do you actually think its okay to post this when they are still missing and their families are terrified? Who are you?! A third claimed: You took risks starting your own business. No one is faulting you for that. I understand these people are wealthy, that means they live their lives at a very high level and with that comes risks of all types. Tragic yes, but their decision to live their lives with the volume turned way up! Another person critcised Frankel for appearing to take a sarcastic judgement of such a serious and sensitive subject. Frankel later posted another clip to TikTok about the missing sub, in which she acknowledged that she couldnt stop thinking about the situation and the people on the vessel. In the caption, she made a reference to two of the passengers, writing: I cant stop thinking about the father looking at his son and at least knowing theyre together. Im physically ill. The sub went missing with five individuals aboard: OceanGate Expeditions founder and CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood. In a third video shared to her TikTok on Thursday 22 June, just hours before the US Coast Guard confirmed the five individuals on board the vessel had died, Frankel claimed that she had changed her tune about the Titanic sub amid a rollercoaster of emotions. While she noted that the risks were clearly stated in the contract that those aboard the vessel had to sign, she referred to the group as thrill-seekers, before once again revealing she felt the worst for the 19 year old In the caption, Frankel also shared the message shes kept in mind since the tragedy. Life is precious we cant play games with it. Cautionary risks are okay... recklessness is not, she wrote. The Independent has contacted a representative for Frankel for comment. On Thursday afternoon, officials confirmed the death of the five passengers aboard the Titan. In a statement, OceanGate Inc said: Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A woman has sparked a debate with her recent claim that she has discovered the best time of the year to get pregnant. Lily Scott shared a recent video about the topic to TikTok, where she claimed she knows she is right in her belief that February is the best month to get pregnant. According to Scott, who outlined a number of reasons for her claim, the first is because Valentines Day takes place during the month. You guys go all in, have the best time of your life, she said. Obviously you cant pick if you ovulate, so anytime, Valentines Day or after, thats when youre doing said deed. The mother, whos based in Washington, DC, then claimed that February is a perfect time to get pregnant because women would most likely feel a little sick during the months of March, which she said is a throwaway month, April, and May. As noted by the Mayo Clinic, many people experience morning sickness during the first three months of pregnancy. In her video, Scott explained that by June, women whod gotten pregnant in February would reach their second trimester and start to feel better, just in time for summer. Maybe you do it European style, have a glass of wine one or two days a week, you get to travel still, youre feeling good, she continued of her reasons why the timing would be perfect. Theres no pressure to look good, because you have a bump at this point. She went on to explain that pregnant women would then reach their third trimester by fall, which she said is fine because of the opportunity to get cosy. She also claimed that, because of the colder weather, women would be able to layer up if they wanted to cover their growing baby bump. Youre in your third trimester so everyone knows to pull back when asking you to do things, she alleged. You dont feel super confident in your skin because now youre going from cutely pregnant to completely massive. Thats okay. Heres a sweater. Put on a scarf, another scarf. Nobody cares. Youre getting cosier and cosier. She noted that once a woman is 40 weeks pregnant, itll be around Halloween time and it will be chilly weather outside, which can be beneficial to women who find they are getting really hot at this point in their pregnancy. In the video, Scott then included astrology as another benefit of a February pregnancy, as she noted that the child would likely be a scorpio, the astrological sign for people born between 23 October and 21 November. She also claimed that the mother would then be on maternity leave during Thanksgiving, and that her family could help her out with different chores around the home. The TikTok user then suggested that a six-week maternity leave would end right around Christmas, when many people receive time off anyway. And your partner is probably going to get off during that time, so youll get extra help, she alleged. She also explained the benefits of having a one-month old baby around this time of the year, continuing: Your babys a month old, its the holidays. No ones going to ask you to get a present for them, no ones going to ask you to wrap anything. People are going to bring you gifts. By April or May, the hypothetical mother would be recovering after giving birth, and could have finished breastfeeding, according to Scott. As noted by the World Health Organization, it is recommended that babies are exclusively breastfed until theyre six months old. When they are six months old, they can start eating solid foods in addition to being breastfed. In her TikTok video, Scott also predicted that, when the baby is six-months old, mothers would have more opportunities to travel again while caring for their child, as these travel plans would be happening in the summer months. Scotts video, which she captioned: Clearly Ive thought this through. And yes, I absolutely acknowledge that this is ideal and conceiving doesnt always just happen. Just having fun with a hypothetical here, has since been viewed more than 5.7m times, with many viewers divided by the TikTokers controversial claim. According to some skeptics, February is the not the best month to get pregnant because it would mean being pregnant during the summer months. Pregnant during the summertime? Never, one person responded, while another said: But then you have to carry a baby during the hot summer. Having three pregnancies, two of which being through summer...I highly recommend NOT being pregnant through summerStart in July or August, a third individual added. Others were unconvinced by the suggestion due to the astrological sign associated with the due date. But I dont want a Scorpio as a baby, one person wrote. Or you end up being born on Thanksgiving and it kills your birthday vibe forever, another viewer claimed. One viewer pointed out another downside to giving birth in November, writing: I didnt like being postpartum in the winter. No sun, days short and miserable lol. However, others agreed with Scotts advice, with some revealing theyd be welcome to their babies being born around November or December. Watching this four months pregnant in June and you could not be more right, one person wrote, while another added: Currently living this and can confirm it all. Speaking to Today, Scott revealed that she came up with the theory while thinking about when she wants to have her next child. Ive been thinking about when I want to get pregnant again - the second you have your first baby, everyone asks when the next one is coming, she said. We all know it can take time to get pregnant. She also clarified her comments about Scropios and the month of March, adding: There are so many different perspectives [about astrology]. I wasnt saying that March babies are unwanted - theyre special and amazing! I love Scorpios. The Independent has contacted Scott for comment. Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sir Trevor Phillips, the former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), has hit out at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for squandering their opportunity to show the world the UKs view on race. The broadcaster and former politician said that Prince Harry and Meghan Markles decision to step down as senior members of the royal family in 2021 was akin to them choosing not to help make things different for millions of people. Speaking to the MailOnline on Windrush Day (Thursday 22 June), Philips also claimed that no one cared about Meghans race. He said: [The Sussexes] could have been a beacon of discovery and reconciliation. Not just to Britain, but the whole world. Instead, they completely squandered this golden opportunity to show everyone what this country is really like in matters of race a country where no one disturbs themselves about a marriage across the lines of race and ethnicity. Phillips, who used to present Trevor Phillips on Sunday on Sky News, accused the royal couple of [constructing] this completely ridiculous and unpleasant story about how maltreated they were, adding that frankly, no one believes it. No one cared about Meghans race, he continued. They could have made things different for millions of people and they chose not to. Thats unforgivable. In my book, thats a sin. Harry and Meghan have spoken out about an unconscious bias within the royal family and alleged that an unnamed member of the family had expressed concerns about how dark their sons skin would be before he was born. Harry Meghan (Netflix) In their Netflix docuseries Harry and Meghan, the duchess, who is half-African American and half-Caucasian, also said she experienced much more racism in the UK than in the US. She said in the second episode of the series: Its very different to be a minority but not be treated as a minority off the bat. Obviously now, people are very aware of my race because they made it such an issue when I went to the UK. Before that, most people didnt treat me like a Black woman. So that talk didnt have to happen for me [as a child]. Meghan was also subjected to racist coverage about her in the tabloids. The MailOnlines 2016 headline Harrys girl is (almost) straight outta Compton has been criticised as a top example of racist press commentary directed at Meghan before she married Harry in 2018. The headline referenced the 1988 song Straight Outta Compton by America rap group NWA. Meghan grew up in the district of Crenshaw in Los Angeles, which is located 14 miles from Compton. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The search for the missing Titan submersible fully captured the worlds attention, from reports of mysterious banging noises to estimates of how much oxygen may have been left in the underwater vessel. On 18 June, the OceanGate Expeditions submersible Titan was beginning its trip to visit the Titanic wreckage at a depth of 12,500ft. About one hour and 45 minutes into its deep dive, the submersible lost communications with its surface ship, the Polar Prince, and was believed to have suffered a catastrophic implosion. Aboard the Titan were CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here On 22 June, it was announced that debris was discovered near the site of the Titanic shipwreck the first possible sign of the Titan submersible since it vanished. Later, OceanGate said it believed the passengers of the Titanic-bound submersible have sadly been lost. The US Coast Guard said officials were still working through a timeline of the submersibles failure. The search for the submersible captured the attention of millions, as phrases such as Titan and hashtags like #OceanGate dominated Twitters top trending and TikTok For You Pages. According to Dr Justin DArienzo a clinical psychologist in Jacksonville, Florida and former US Navy psychologist the reason the public has been so invested is down to our desire to relate to others that sustains our obsession. We all can relate to that feeling of being trapped somewhere or being in the water or experiencing that level of uncertainty, he tells The Independent. What makes it so relatable is that we all could imagine being helpless with other humans and not know what to do. Of course, many people would argue the opposite. OceanGate Inc, the company that owns and operates OceanGate Expeditions, offers people the chance to join a crew in a five-person submersible for the price of $250,000 a number that very few people have just lying around. On the RMS Titanic, which famously sank in 1912 after it struck an iceberg, some passengers paid up to 870 pounds for a first-class cabin, which is 105,000 or over $130,000 today. Much like the Titan submersible, access to the RMS Titanic was in many cases granted to those for a hefty price. People paying $250,000 to go into a tube thats going to go underwater, there is some obsession with rich and famous people. Were sensitized to voyeurism in that regard, says DArienzo. We quickly follow people who we see are powerful; we give them more leeway. Theres a reason that we follow the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Its the rich and famous whove recently ventured into uncharted territory too, such as space. In 2021, Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos flew into space with a rocket his company Blue Origin built. Sir Richard Bransons space tourism company Virgin Galactic will launch its first commercial flight this summer, with seats starting at $450,000 (352,000) per person. Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist who specializes in social cognition and decision-making, told Insider that one reason theyre willing to spend so much money, just to be put in great danger, is to break free from the mundanity of their everyday lives. And the reason why some people sign on to high-risk travel, Dr DArienzo says, is because they believe the venture is almost too big to fail. We would not be on the moon, we would have not explored the ocean, wed probably still be in Africa if there was no element of overconfidence and courage. I think thats part of our nature to push, he says. But then we hear stories of people that have an extreme element of that trait, where they are very courageous, overly confident. I think what happened here was a fallacy of overconfidence, or the confidence bias, where humans feel like things that are complex and run by rich and smart people are too big to fail. When it launched in April 1912, the Titanic was deemed the largest ship in the world at 882 feet long and 92 feet wide, perhaps also considered too big to fail. Many people have since pointed to the undeniable mystery and force of the sea amid the Titan disaster. Scientific research has helped us better understand the elaborate nature of the ocean, but still much of it is unknown. Now, the search for the Titan submersible has delivered catastrophic results. And while relatability may have aided our fixation on the Titan submersible, its hard to ignore that both wealth and the unfathomable power of the ocean are the same two factors that led to the defeat of both vessels. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} At least 31 people were killed and seven injured when cooking gas exploded at a restaurant in Yinchuan in northwestern China. It was the latest in China's long history of deadly industrial accidents, which occur regularly despite government pledges to clamp down on lax standards, poor oversight and corruption frequently blamed for the collapse of buildings, mine cave-ins, explosions and other disasters. Here is a look at some of the worst in recent years. 2023: -- Open-pit mine collapses in February in China's northern Inner Mongolia region, burying dozens under rubble and killing 53. The company running the mine was fined the previous year for multiple safety violations. -- A massive explosion at a chemical plant in northeastern China killed at least 13 people in January. Some 35 other people were injured in the blast in the outskirts of the city of Panjin east of the capital, Beijing. 2022: A fire caused by welding sparks that ignited cotton cloth stored at a trading company in the central province of Henan in November killed 38 people. In the same province, 54 people were killed when a building collapsed on the outskirts of the capital in April. A restaurant fire in the northeastern city of Changchun blamed on a gas leak killed 17 people in September. In July, a partial building collapse in Tianjin triggered a gas explosion that left four people dead and 13 injured. The same northern port city was the site of one of China's worst industrial accidents in recent years, when 173 people, most of them firefighters and police officers, died in an explosion at a chemical warehouse in 2015. Local officials were accused of taking bribes to ignore safety violations. 2021: Four people were killed when a six-story workers' dormitory partially collapsed in November in the southern province of Jiangxi. At least three people were killed and 30 injured in an October gas explosion at a hotel in Shenyang in northern China. Fourteen workers constructing a tunnel for a new expressway in southern China were killed in July when it collapsed on them. A toxic chemical leaked in June at a plant in the southwestern city of Guiyang, killing eight and injuring three. In the central province of Hubei, a severely corroded gas line ruptured and exploded in June, killing 26 and injuring 138 others at a bazaar. Nine workers tasked with destroying expired mining explosives in Hebei province were killed in April when the materials exploded. Ten workers were killed in a gold mine in eastern China in January when explosives blew up in an accident blamed on improper storage and use of the materials. 2020: Twenty-nine people celebrating a villager's 80th birthday in northern China were killed in August when the two-story restaurant they were in collapsed. A bus plunged into a sinkhole on a city street in northwestern China in January, killing at least nine and injuring 17. 2019: Nine people were killed when a wastewater tank in a dyeing and printing mill collapsed in eastern China in December. A highway tunnel under construction in southwestern China collapsed in November, killing 12 workers. An explosion at a chemical plant in southern China in October killed at least four people and injured six. Nine people were killed in October in a restaurant gas explosion in the eastern province of Jiangsu, the same province where a massive chemical blast in March left nearly 80 people dead. A truck carrying nearly three times the allowed weight for a bridge caused the span to collapse in eastern Jiangsu province in October, killing three people in cars below. A fire of unknown origin at a factory in eastern China killed 19 people in September. An explosion at a gas plant in central China in July killed 15 and injured 15 others. Five workers were killed in June when a subway tunnel under construction collapsed in the northeastern city of Qingdao. Ten people died in downtown Shanghai in May when a building they were renovating collapsed. A 2010 fire in an apartment building being renovated, blamed on sparks from a welder's torch, killed 58 people in the same city. Eleven workers were killed in April when an elevator cable snapped at a construction site in northern China. In March, 78 people were killed in a blast at a chemical plant in the eastern city of Yancheng that had numerous safety violations. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Last summers flooding in Pakistan killed at least 1,700 people, destroyed millions of homes, wiped out swathes of farmland, and caused billions of dollars in economic losses. All in a matter of months. At one point, a third of the country was underwater. Pakistani officials and scientists worldwide blame climate crisis for the unusually early and heavy monsoon rains. A year on, the country hasnt fully recovered. The aftermath runs the length of the country; survivors living in makeshift huts where their homes used to be, millions of children out of school, damaged infrastructure waiting to be repaired. This journey through Pakistan looks at how the unprecedented flooding of 2022 affected everyday life - and future generations. Restoring Water The high altitudes and sharp peaks of the Hindu Kush Mountains mean that heavy rains barrel down through the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Thats good because the waters quickly drain to lower lying areas. But its bad because of the damage they wreak along the way. Last summers raging floods were so powerful that some rivers changed course. They wrecked more than 800 drinking water supply systems across nearly half of the provinces 34 districts, damaging pipelines, supply mains, storage tanks and wells. Homes are surrounded by floodwaters in Jaffarabad, a district of Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province (AP) Residents living by stagnant water were forced to rely on contaminated water for drinking. Health care teams started receiving thousands of patients with diseases like dengue, malaria, acute diarrhea, cholera and skin infections. Authorities are taking some steps to prepare for the next disaster. They have installed an early warning system on seven of the major rivers and a monsoon contingency plan. Embankments were strengthened last year ahead of the flooding and riverbanks breached by floods have been repaired and reinforced. Lucky break for agriculture It wasnt the flooding that nearly killed 80-year-old Razia Bibi and her family, it was the hunger. The floods washed away the wheat theyd stored for the whole year in their home in Rojhan, Rajanpur district. Then they had to wait for weeks, scrounging for food, before supplies arrived from the government and aid groups. Across Punjab, stores of grain were wiped out along with at least a half-million acres of crops and orchards. Then relief came, mostly by luck rather than preparation. Authorities installed pumps that got rid of some of the water, but most of it drained on its own, some flowing down into Sindh province, some spreading into deserted, open areas. Waters receded in time for Punjab farmers to do the October sowing season and the result was a bumper crop. But the risk remains for future disasters. Left without schools Situated downstream from Pakistans other provinces, Sindh suffered a heavy blow from last years flooding and has been slow to recover. Around half of Sindhs 40,356 schools were either fully or partially damaged, affecting 2.3 million of its 4.5 million students, according to local education official Abdul Qadeer Ansari. So far, only around 2,000 schools are being rebuilt. Ansari estimates reconstruction will take at least two years, with the new schools intended to be climate resistant. Flood affected children attend school organized by Islamic group Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, in Sukkur, Pakistan (AP) In the village of Maskran Brohi, 115 students take classes in a temporary learning center in a tent. The 72-square-meter tent has no electricity, so it has neither lights nor fans. There are also no toilets and no clean water. The only teacher, Zarina Bibi, doesnt see most of the 87 kids she taught before the flooding families scattered when the floods came and rain flattened the roof and walls of the single-room primary school she used to teach in. Starved for energy Pakistans biggest province is also its most energy-starved. Outside cities like Quetta and Gwadar, there is almost no central electricity. The largely rural population is scattered over the mountainous landscape, crippled by an entrenched feudal system, under-development and neglect by the local and central government. Much of Baluchistans population relies on solar panels. They faced losing what little they had in last years flooding. Even those fortunate enough to have access to central electricity suffered as the floods destroyed 81 grid stations and downed power lines. Many lost their solar panels, and local authorities havent distributed replacements. Internally displaced flood-affected people eat free food provided by Bahria Dastarkhwan near a makeshift camp in the flood-hit area of Dera Allah Yar in Jaffarabad district of Balochistan province in Pakistan (AFP/Getty) Muhammad Ibrahim, a 32-year-old father of five, managed to save his panel from his roof. Still homeless a year later, he uses it in the tent camp where he lives in Sohbat Pur district. It is so hot. We use solar panels to run fans to get some cool air, he said. Otherwise living in these tents is not possible. He doesnt feel prepared for the next major flood. Were scared of what will happen. But if it comes, we will run far away. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has ruled himself out of contention to succeed the secretary general of Nato, Jens Stoltenberg. Mr Wallace told The Economist its not going to happen and there are a lot of unresolved issues in Nato. He said the US wants Mr Stoltenberg to stay in the role. Earlier in the month, US President Joe Biden said he would support a Nato leader from the UK when he met with Rishi Sunak at the White House. He indicated that Mr Wallace was a very qualified individual but it remains to be seen who will get the job. Before his trip to the White House, Mr Sunak said Mr Wallace is widely respected across the world. Ben does a fantastic job. He is a great Defence Secretary, Mr Sunak said at the start of June. Ben is widely respected among his colleagues around the world. Were one of the only countries that participates in every single Nato operation. We are widely perceived as a thought leader in Nato. Downing Street on Thursday refused to say whether Mr Sunak was disappointed to see Mr Wallace exit the running to take over at Nato. A spokesman for the Prime Minister said the Defence Secretarys focus would continue to be on protecting our national security and supporting Ukraine. The No 10 official, responding to questions about the appointment of a new alliance general secretary, added: We want a candidate who will keep Nato strong and ensure it can continue to deter and defend against existing and future threats. You will be aware of the appointment rules and how it is run. It requires a consensus across the alliance, not just one country. The Prime Minister has made clear the great job the Defence Secretary is doing and will continue to do. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Events across the country have commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush docking in England. The ship carried workers from the Caribbean who had answered Britains call for help to fill post-war labour shortages, and docked in the Port of Tilbury, in Essex, on June 22 1948. It was the first of many that brought what became known as the Windrush Generation to the UK. The King attended a service for young people in Windsor. Later on Thursday, a carnival procession took place in Herne Hill, in London, where many of the Caribbean community settled. Events also took place at the Port of Tilbury where the Empire Windrush ship first docked. The port also hosted a reception where visitors were encourage to dance and reminisce. The Windrush flag was flown on buildings across the UK. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A mother/daughter duo launching a podcast celebrating Caribbean heritage and culture through objects and memories have said the 75th anniversary of Windrush is a chance learn about Britain and the Caribbeans shared history. Catherine Ross, 71, told the PA news agency that she arrived in the UK from St Kitts in 1958, age seven, and that she had passed on her memories of growing up as a member of the Windrush generation to her daughter, Lynda-Louise Burrell, 45. The pair are launching their new podcast, Objeks & Tings, in time for the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush to the UKs shores on June 22 1948. The podcast is a chance to reminisce, to retell and reshare Caribbean stories in a really fun and positive way, Ms Burrell said. Objeks & Tings features guests across generations discussing objects with a connection to their Caribbean heritage, from old photographs to a suitcase and a Dutch pot. The pair hope to introduce Caribbean history and culture to a whole different generation of people, Ms Burrell said. Ms Ross said that young Windrush descendants may not have had the Caribbean side of their heritage explained to them, adding: I think we have a role to play in that. Ms Ross, founder and director of Museumand, the National Caribbean Heritage Museum, has made it part of her lifes mission to educate descendants of the Windrush generation and other British people about Caribbean history and heritage. She remembers having to leave the island shores and walk across a pier on the day her family left St Kitts for the UK, and encountering an English apple and a baguette for the first time on the ship. She said: I thought that Europeans were a bit backward because they bit into the apple. They didnt peel it. Back in the Caribbean it was different, you have to peel them. Britain expected the Windrush arrivals to assimilate, to blend in, and not to do any of the things that we do culturally back in the Caribbean Catherine Ross She remembers being excited as a young child to move to the UK, because I heard Britain had a queen and we didnt have a queen, but suffered the indignity of racism from her peers growing up as a black child in a majority-white Britain. She said: For the first year, 18 months, people would insist that nobody could be this black and so they would spit on their fingers and rub my face, rub my arm or whatever, trying to get the black off. Caribbean children didnt want to bother their parents with their tales of woe at school, you know, because we could see our parents were struggling to do other things. When she was growing up, she said: Britain expected the Windrush arrivals to assimilate, to blend in, and not to do any of the things that we do culturally back in the Caribbean. Because we were a family of means, we felt it was quite okay lets adopt the British way of life but the thing is, it meant that parents didnt tell us too much about back home, because they wanted you to adopt wholesale what life was like in Britain. She said that her family did put their foot down at times and discouraged them from adopting certain British norms. Black history is British history. Once we were taken from Africa to the Caribbean, our histories were entwined since then Lynda-Louise Burrell She said: For instance, they wouldnt let you eat fish and chips on the street, which a lot of your friends did, you know, eat chips from an open packet. That was frowned on. That was not good manners, so we werent able to do things like that. Ms Ross has passed down her memories and Caribbean heritage to her daughter, Ms Burrell, who is the creative director of Museumand, the Caribbean heritage museum her mother founded. Ms Burrell shares her mothers belief in the importance of learning about ones heritage and using the anniversary of Windrush to educate others about Caribbean culture. She said: Black history is British history. Once we were taken from Africa to the Caribbean, our histories were entwined since then. The 75th anniversary of Windrush on June 22 was a chance for us all to learn about that shared history, she said. Ms Ross added that the anniversary was a chance to reflect on her generations achievements and contribution to British society, despite the discrimination they faced. She said: Britain wouldnt have got as far as it had if we hadnt applied our skills and knowledge in those early years to make sure that Britain was a better place. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} King Charles III has said it is crucially important to recognise the immeasurable difference the Windrush generation has made to Britain. His comments come in the foreword of a book which accompanies a display of portraits that celebrate the Windrush generation in the week marking the 75th anniversary of the crossing. The milestone is being marked with events across Britain, including a national commemoration service at Southwark Cathedral on Thursday. A scandal, which erupted in 2018, saw many British citizens, mostly from the Caribbean, denied access to healthcare and benefits and threatened with deportation despite having the right to live in the UK. The HMT Empire Windrush first docked in England on June 22 1948 at Tilbury Docks in Essex, bringing people from the Caribbean who answered Britains call to help fill post-war labour shortages. A series of 10 new portraits will go on public display for the first time on Thursday at the Palace of Holyroodhouse after being commissioned by Charles in 2022. Windrush: Portraits Of A Pioneering Generation honours the accomplishments of the Windrush generation and those that followed. In the foreword to the book accompanying the portraits, Charles said: History is, thankfully and finally, beginning to accord a rightful place to those men and women of the Windrush generation. The 10 portraits in this series, together with the tributes to other members of that indomitable generation, are a small way to honour their remarkable legacy. Charles speaks with a guest during a reception at Buckingham Palace to celebrate the Windrush generation (PA Wire) It is, I believe, crucially important that we should truly see and hear these pioneers who stepped off the Empire Windrush at Tilbury in June 1948 only a few months before I was born and those who followed over the decades, to recognise and celebrate the immeasurable difference that they, their children and their grandchildren have made to this country. He added: Those pioneers, who arrived in a land they had learned about from afar, left behind all that was familiar to them. Many served with distinction in the British Armed Forces during the Second World War, just as their fathers and grandfathers had in the First World War. Once in Britain, they worked hard, offering their skills to rebuild a country during peacetime and seeking opportunities to forge a better future for themselves and their families. When they arrived on our shores with little more than what they were able to carry with them, few could hardly have imagined then how they, and those that followed them, would make such a profound and permanent contribution to British life. Charles said it is his sincere hope that the portrait project acts as a reminder that our society is woven from diverse threads, each comprising stories of remarkable courage and sacrifice, determination and strength. He added: Though drawn from different parts of the world, they collectively enrich the fabric of our national life and the remarkable tapestry of the Commonwealth. This year, as we honour the legacy and achievements of the Windrush generation, I dearly hope that we can continue to embrace differences, listen to each others stories, and learn from one anothers experiences. It is these stories that help light the path of progress and remind us of a fundamental truth: that though we might all be different, every individual, no matter their background, has something unique to contribute to our society in a way that strengthens us all. Last week, Charles hosted a Buckingham Palace reception where he met the 10 individuals whose faces have been immortalised in paint, and was given a special preview of the artworks marking the 75th anniversary. The sitters were selected by the Windrush Portraits Committee, appointed by Charles and chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin, along with Paulette Simpson, Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin and Rudolph Walker. The portraits, which were done by black artists personally selected by the King, will be displayed for two weeks on 500 billboards and 600 shopping centre screens across the UK. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Tanaiste Micheal Martin has criticised protesters who were removed by gardai after interrupting his opening remarks to the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy in Cork. Mr Martin continued to speak to the audience at University College Cork as the demonstrators shouted slogans including: No to Nato. The minister accused the protesters from the Cork branch of the Connolly Youth Movement of attempting to shut down debate, which he characterised as undemocratic. Other demonstrators who interrupted the address were encouraged to leave or remain seated for the opportunity to engage in the debate. A short time later, gardai escorted out another man, Diarmad O Cadhla, who protested during the opening remarks of forum chairwoman Professor Dame Louise Richardson. His exit was immediately followed by interruptions from two other members of the audience including Cork City councillor Lorna Bogue. Prof Richardson described the event as participatory democracy with all its strength and weaknesses. We are not allowing disruptions of speeches, I have the floor at the moment, she said. There were further demonstrations from groups such as the Cork Neutrality League outside the university building hosting the first day of the forum. Prof Richardson moved the forum into the first discussion on the global security environment in the context of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to reporters a short time later, Mr Martin said disruption at the event had been anticipated. He said he believed in free speech but an attempt to shut down debate is not the right approach. A lot of what was said was incoherent, frankly, and not evidence-based. I think Ireland has a very proud record in international affairs. He said the rhetoric of the protests did not tally with the reality of how Irish foreign policy is conducted. The Government is not changing policy on military neutrality, weve said this repeatedly. But we do need to discuss the wider challenges coming, not just our way and across Europe. Mr Martin said he wanted to be far more transparent about participation in Pesco (Permanent Structured Cooperation) initiatives like maritime surveillance, airlifts and cyber security. The aim of the event is to build public understanding and generate discussions on foreign, security and defence policies. The Government said the forum, which also sits in Galway on Friday and Dublin on Monday and Tuesday, will include civilian and military experts and practitioners representing a breadth of experience and views. The triple-lock mechanism for foreign troop deployments and Irelands neutrality are expected to be examined as part of the conversations on foreign and defence policy. The schedule also included panels on the European situation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as discussions on threats to critical infrastructure. The Irish president had said Ireland is playing with fire in a drift towards Nato. In an interview with the Sunday Business Post, Michael D Higgins criticised the line-up of speakers at the forum, saying they comprised the admirals, the generals, the air force, the rest of it. Mr Higgins also referred to Prof Richardson as a person with a very large letter DBE (Dame Commander of the British Empire) after her name. Prof Richardson, Oxfords first woman vice-chancellor, was recognised in the UKs 2022 Queens Birthday Honours for services to higher education. Speaking to reporters at the end of the first day of proceedings, shes said she is an admirer of President Higgins. She characterised the statement as a throwaway remark and added the president had apologised fulsomely and graciously. As far as Im concerned the issue is closed. Opposition parties have also been critical of the Governments approach to the forum as well as the list of speakers. Matt Carthy, Sinn Fein spokesperson on foreign affairs and defence, told the forum that Irelands foreign policy should be based on ending conflict as opposed to participating in it. He had been invited to speak by Prof Richardson during the first panel discussion. The first panel consisted of senior consulting fellow of Chatham House Renata Dwan, emeritus professor at the European University Institute Brigid Laffan, Rusi director of international security Neil Melvin, and Concerns head of international advocacy Reiseal Ni Cheilleachair. Mr Carthy said: Military neutrality and independent foreign policies should not be framed as weaknesses on the part of Ireland, they should be seen as strengths that we should all be very proud of. During further contributions from the audience, Clare Daly MEP said Putins illegal invasion of Ukraine has accelerated a path towards militarism in Europe. Nobody seems to say that growing militarism actually leads to more wars, she said. Ms Daly, who was seated beside Mick Wallace MEP, said Russia is responsible for the invasion but it has to be explained in the context of Nato expansion. She said: I dont want to be used by Russia and I dont think thats going to happen but I dont want to be used by Nato either. The best contribution we can make, as a country that was formerly colonised, yet a mature western democracy, is to join countries where the majority of the worlds people live who have also experienced colonialism and say: You know what, we have to get together. Dr Melvin responded from the panel by saying the idea the war was about Nato expansion is a Russian propaganda line. This is not a Washington-driven grand strategy. The last 20 years has been often Nato being pulled into these countries by the agencies of the countries themselves because they feel vulnerable. Separately, former UN peacekeeper Edward Horgan criticised US troops passing through Shannon Airport. He said: This is not military neutrality, this is not neutrality of any sort in fact. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A man has been extradited to the UK from Morocco to stand trial for murder over a shooting in Essex. Nana Oppong, 43, was arrested for allegedly trying to enter the North African country using a fake passport in September 2022. He had been travelling from Spain at the time, the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Oppong was sought after Robert Powell, 50, died after being shot eight times outside a party near Harlow, Essex, in the early hours of June 13 2020. He was escorted to the UK on Tuesday by an extradition team from the NCAs Joint International Crime Centre. Oppong, of Newham, east London, appeared before Chelmsford Magistrates Court in Essex on Wednesday charged with murder, grievous bodily harm (GBH) and possession of a firearm, the NCA said. Were working day and night to get justice for Roberts family and all those who have lost a loved one to violent crime. We wont stop until each and every suspect is located, questioned and ultimately brought before the courts Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings, Essex Police He appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday, where he was remanded in custody, the NCA added. Oppong was also wanted by the Metropolitan Police Service following an investigation into his alleged use of encrypted messaging platform EncroChat. He is to face charges of conspiracy to possess firearms with intent to enable others to endanger life, conspiracy to possess firearms, conspiracy to supply cocaine and money laundering in separate proceedings. Steve Reynolds, NCA regional manager in Spain, said Oppong had been returned to the UK to face justice. Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings, of Essex Police, said: Oppongs arrest and extradition are the result of an excellent collaboration between Essex Police and our law enforcement colleagues around the world, and it doesnt stop there. Were working day and night to get justice for Roberts family and all those who have lost a loved one to violent crime. We wont stop until each and every suspect is located, questioned and ultimately brought before the courts. The CPS extradition team has worked extensively with our partners ... as well as our Moroccan counterparts in order to arrange for the return of Nana Oppong, so that he can face trial in our country John Sheehan, Crown Prosecution Service The UKs ambassador to Morocco Simon Martin said: The UK enjoys a very positive relationship with Morocco across many areas, including working in partnership to tackle serious organised crime. The return of this suspect to the UK to face trial on these serious charges is a tangible result of that partnership. I am grateful for the co-operation of our Moroccan partners. John Sheehan, head of extradition at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: The CPS extradition team has worked extensively with our partners the National Crime Agency, Essex Police, Home Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office as well as our Moroccan counterparts in order to arrange for the return of Nana Oppong, so that he can face trial in our country. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A prolific burglar has been jailed for more than a year after leaving a sock at the scene of the crime. Ricky Thomas, 40, was wearing socks over his hands when he broke into a McColls store in Littleport, Cambridgeshire in April, and stole vapes, cigarettes and alcohol. Thomas took one of the socks off of his hands during the burglary and forgot to pick it up, leaving behind his DNA for police to discover. He was then caught on CCTV a month later stealing cigarettes and alcohol from a store on the same street, before being arrested the same day. Police found two bags full of cigarettes and alcohol when Thomas was arrested, Cambridgeshire Constabulary said. The sock left at the scene in the McColls store (Cambridgeshire Constabulary) Thomas was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison at Peterborough Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to the two burglaries. He also pleaded guilty to 13 counts of theft which took place between 1 March and 22 May and saw him steal alcohol, meat and fuel from shops including Co-Op in Main Street and BP and One Stop in Wisbech Road. CCTV footage of Ricky Thomas (Camridgeshire Constabulary) Detective Constable Edward Glasse, from the Southern Acquisitive Crime Team, described Thomas as a prolific opportunist thief and burglar. He said: Unfortunately for him he left behind his DNA and multiple images of CCTV. We hope this sentence provides some respite to the businesses in Littleport who have been plagued by his crimes recently. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The anchor of the ship which brought the first of the Windrush generation to Britain 75 years ago is to be recovered and put on display as a lasting memorial. Fundraising efforts have been announced as the country celebrates Windrush Day, marking the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush to Tilbury Docks in Essex on June 22 1948, carrying people mainly from the Caribbean who answered Britains call to help fill post-war labour shortages. The Windrush Anchor Foundation has been set up to raise 1 million to recover the 1.5 tonne piece and bring it back to the UK to go on permanent display. The ship sank in the Mediterranean in 1954, off the coast of Algeria. Leading campaigner Patrick Vernon, a trustee of the foundation, said the anchor will help to ensure a lasting legacy so the Windrush story is not forgotten. He said: The arrival of the Windrush 75 years ago has come to symbolise the beginning of Britains evolution into a modern and prosperous multicultural country. At the centre of the iconic image of the Windrush docked at Tilbury is the ships anchor, a symbol of hope and belonging. The Windrush anchor will be the symbolic anchor for the Windrush generation, keeping us steady Michael King, foundation trustee Our project will bring the Windrush anchor back to Britain. It will become the centrepiece of a public monument to the Windrush generation and their contribution to this country. We will help to ensure that the Windrush story is never forgotten. Michael King, foundation trustee and son of Windrush Foundation founder Sam King, said: Its a privilege to be part of the foundation. My father would have thought of the anchor as keeping the ship in the right place once docked, as Jesus is the anchor of our Christian faith. The Windrush anchor will be the symbolic anchor for the Windrush generation, keeping us steady. The foundation said it is aiming to raise the money with a mix of public and corporate donations, with a GoFundMe campaign set up to accept public cash to fund the initial 80,000, which it said would pay for one day at sea time during the recovery expedition. The team are hopeful of being able to start the recovery efforts next year, with an estimate of between 10-14 days to find the anchor and remove it. A conservation period of around a year will then follow when it is returned to the UK, during which a jury-led competition will be held to select the winning monument design. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A second SNP MP has announced that he will not stand at the next general election, saying he could not be certain that he would be able to cope with the physical and mental demands of another five years in office. Peter Grant, who represents Glenrothes and Central Fife, announced he would not seek re-selection as the SNP candidate for the next Westminster general election. While an election has not yet been called, parties are all in the process of selecting candidates. Mr Grant, who was first elected in 2015, announced the news on Twitter on Wednesday evening. He said: With the Scottish National Party about to begin the formal process of nomination and selection of candidates for the next Westminster General Election I and my colleagues need to decide on our own part in the process. After a great deal of soul searching I have decided not to seek re-election. Depending on the timing of the election the next Parliament is likely to run until I am 68 or possibly 69 years old. I owe it to everyone to ask myself whether I will be able to cope with the physical and mental demands of the job when I reach that age. I dont think in all honesty I can give a firm yes to that question and that means in all conscience I cant ask volunteers to campaign for me and ask voters to vote for me when I have doubts in my own mind about my ability to serve a further full term at the level of intensity I know will be needed. Mr Grant said it was important to know when its time to step down, adding: For me that time has not yet come but it is likely to come during the next Parliament and it is fairer on everyone if I acknowledge that now. For the remainder of my time as an MP I will continue to serve the interests of my constituents to the best of my ability as well as pressing the case for Scottish Independence which most people now regard as both essential and inevitable. The MP said his commitment to the SNP and independence remains strong as ever. He is the second SNP MP to announce he would not be standing again after former Westminster leader Ian Blackford announced he would not be seeking re-election earlier this month. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The family of British billionaire businessman Hamish Harding has lashed out at OceanGate and accused it of delaying raising the alarm after its Titanic submersible vehicle went missing. Kathleen Cosnett, a cousin of Mr Harding, said tour provider OceanGate Expeditions took far too long to issue an alarm. Its very frightening, 69-year-old Ms Cosnett said of the eight-hour delay to the international search effort. In an interview with the Telegraph, she said: [It] took so long for them to get going to rescue [them], its far too long. I would have thought three hours would be the bare minimum. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here. Aboard the missing submersible are the CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, billionaire Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet as well as Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood. The submersible used for showing tourists the site of the Titanic shipwreck disappeared earlier this week, sparking a race against time to find the missing individuals onboard. The vehicle went missing off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada on Monday, according to the US Coast Guard. Mr Harding had joined the crew as a mission specialist a term used for the passengers on the submersible according to a Facebook post he made prior to leaving. Ms Cosnett said it was worrying that her cousin and the other passengers may not have any extra oxygen left soon. [Im] trying to keep my mind off it, which is not always easy. Im sleeping and eating alright. But its the concern over not only Hamish but the others who are there, and their families. My thoughts are with them all. An OceanGate spokesperson said the companys focus is on locating the missing and returning them to their families. Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families, OceanGate said. Meanwhile, Mr Hardings stepson Brian Szasz has faced backlash after he posted on his social media that he had attended a Blink-182 concert amid the frantic ongoing search operation for the missing vessel. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An orca has repeatedly rammed into a boat in the North Sea off the coast of Scotlands Shetland Islands. The attack on Monday comes after a growing number of interactions between orcas and vessels were reported in the seas off Gibraltar, Spain and Portugal. Experts are not entirely sure what has caused the increase but think the ramming could be play among juvenile whales or newly learnt defensive behaviour. Dutchman Dr Wim Rutten, a 72-year old retired physicist, was sailing from Lerwick to Bergen, Norway and fishing for mackerel when the incident on Monday occurred. View more An orca appeared in the clear water and hit the stern of his seven-ton yacht. I said: Shit!, he told The Guardian. What I felt [was] most frightening was the very loud breathing of the animal, he said. The orca then stayed behind the boat looking for the keel, Mr Rutten added. Then he disappeared ... but came back at fast speed, twice or thrice ... and circled a bit. Maybe he just wanted to play. Or look me in the eyes. Or to get rid of the fishing line. Earlier in June a sailor told how his yacht was thrown around like a rag doll by orcas near Gibraltar . He said his boat was wrecked by the mammals as they tore off its rudders. I noticed a fin then noticed a light bump and then a very big bump and looked round and there was a very large whale pushing along the back and trying to bite the rudder, he told BBC Radio 4. To begin with there was one big whale and four smaller whales and they were just bumping it and bumping it and then one of them managed to take off one of the rudders - the boat has two. Then we lost the second rudder so we had no mechanism of steering the boat and the whales were in charge of the boat and they pushed us around like a rag doll, he added. Marine experts hope that by tracking orcas with tags they can prevent future encounters with boats, the scale of which Mr Hamilton said was way larger than people realised. In May sailors in the straits of Gibraltar were warned to protect themselves against the growing number of encounters. File photo: Orcas swim in the sea More than 250 boats have been damaged, with three sunk, since the rammings off the coast of Spain and Portugal were first reported in 2020. Fifteen of the regions 35 orcas are said to be responsible - but it is thought a female called White Gladis was the one to teach others to attack the passing vessels after she collided with a boat. Experts believe White Gladis may have suffered a critical moment of agony, such as colliding with a boat or becoming entrapped during illegal fishing, which altered her behaviour in a defensive fashion. That traumatised orca is the one that started this behaviour of physical contact with boats, Dr Lopez Fernandez told Live Science. We do not interpret that the orcas are teaching the young, although the behaviour has spread to the young vertically, simply by imitation, and later horizontally among them, because they consider it something important in their lives, he said. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The government has spent at least 1.3m fighting legal battles over the Rwanda migration deal and admits the figure will rise further. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said the figure was the cost of defending the partnership in the High Court as of March, and was separate from the 140m so far paid to Paul Kagames government to process UK asylum cases. A letter to parliaments Home Affairs Committee added: This relates to the judicial review and over a hundred different cases which have been brought forward by individual claimants and groups. As legal cases are ongoing and final spend cannot yet be determined, further costs may be released in due course. The calculations were done before the latest stage of the legal battle against the scheme, which would see asylum seekers and modern slaves forcibly deported to Rwanda because they arrived in Britain on small boats, hit the Court of Appeal in April. The Care4Calais charity, which was part of the original legal challenge, said the government should stop spending public money on the ineffective scheme and fund alternatives to Channel crossings. Chief executive Steve Smith MBE added: Its time the government stopped spending hundreds of millions of pounds on human suffering, ditched their ineffective deterrents and instead invested in a compassionate asylum system. Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said the costs just keep on piling on. There's now no denying that this policy is unworkable, inhumane and incredibly expensive for the taxpayer, he added. The home secretary needs to finally accept reality which means scrapping the Rwanda scheme now and focusing instead on tackling the asylum backlog created by years of Conservative incompetence. It comes after The Independent revealed the high cost of the governments wider asylum policies, including a 1.6bn contract for the operator of barges and other accommodation, and separate funding for police forces, ports, private contractors, councils and health bodies. Suella Braverman expanded the Rwanda deal in March, after failing to formally disclose her years of work training government lawyers in the country. Braverman signs the agreement that will see Rwanda process the UKs asylum claims (PA) The Rwanda plan, along with new laws aiming to see all small boat migrants detained and deported, are part of Rishi Sunaks pledge to stop Channel crossings. The prime minister previously admitted that no flights to Kigali would leave until legal challenges had been resolved, and Ms Braverman told MPs last week that the outcome was one of many unknown factors upon which [our plans] success is contingent. Former home secretary Priti Patel made a rare ministerial direction to force the Rwanda policy through in April 2022, after the Home Office permanent secretary found its high cost could only be justified if it was effective as a deterrent. Evidence of a deterrent effect is highly uncertain and cannot be quantified with sufficient certainty to provide me with the necessary level of assurance over value for money, Matthew Rycroft wrote. Small boat crossings in the English Channel subsequently soared to a new record for 2022 and are currently running slightly below last years levels despite Mr Sunak claiming a crackdown was working, In his letter to the Home Affairs Committee, Mr Jenrick said: We have always been clear that we expect the deterrent effect of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership to materialise once relocations begin. Initial uncertainty is to be expected with a partnership as innovative and groundbreaking as this. Home Secretary Suella Braverman tours a building site on the outskirts of Kigali during her visit to Rwanda in March (PA) However, it stands to reason that for those willing to pay smuggling gangs thousands of pounds to facilitate a dangerous, unnecessary and illegal journey to the UK, the probability of relocation to Rwanda at the end of that journey will prove a deterrent and therefore reduce costs to the asylum system overall. A date has not yet been set for the Court of Appeals ruling on whether the High Court was wrong to declare the Rwanda deal lawful, and the case could be taken further to the Supreme Court. Lawyers representing asylum seekers selected for deportation told the Court of Appeal Rwanda is an authoritarian one-party state, which imprisons, tortures and murders those it considers its opponents. They argued there was a risk that asylum seekers would be denied proper process after being deported, and that judges had previously shown excessive deference to promises made by the Rwandan government that were not backed up by evidence. The court heard that the Home Office breached several legal duties in deciding that Rwanda was a safe country to receive refugees, and failed to properly investigate the outcome of a similar deal with Israel that saw asylum seekers disappear and die. On June 24, 2021 the Institute for Peace & Diplomacy (IPD) hosted a panel discussion on 'U.S. Perspectives on China and the Nature of the Chinese Challenge to U.S. National Interests'. The first in a series of discussions exploring the current landscape of U.S.-China relations, this panel explored American threat perceptions of Beijing, the hawkish attitudes of Washington's foreign policy establishment, and how a changing definition of national interest can shape the likelihood of unwanted escalation in Asia. Arta Moeini, IPD's Research Director, shared opening remarks to begin the discussion. The panel convened four distinguished guests, including: Doug Bandow, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute Douglas Macgregor, Retired U.S. Army Colonel and Senior Fellow, The American Conservative Lawrence Wilkerson, Retired U.S. Army Colonel and Distinguished Adjunct Professor, College of William and Mary Adam K. Webb, American Co-Director, Hopkins-Nanjing Center Kelley Vlahos, Senior Advisor to the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, led the moderation of the panel. Doug Bandow opened his remarks by dismissing the narrative that bilateral engagement since President Nixon had been a failure. Bandow reiterated that engagement facilitated economic transformation for Chinas population, bringing many out of poverty. He observed that this fact is often obscured in debates over Chinas challenge today. He cautioned against the tendency to overestimate Chinas global footprint and was skeptical about the notion that Beijing is maliciously exporting its governance model. On this basis, Bandow encouraged the U.S. to ground its perceptions in Chinas genuine strengths and weaknesses. While current impressions of Beijing cast it as an adversary (anywhere from a strategic rival to an economic competitor), Bandow pushed back on the false equivalence between China and the Soviet Unions security challenge. A reality check would limit the salience of this kind of projection on East Asia. Bandow offered that the real question facing U.S. policymakers is how much we are willing to spend and what risks we are willing to take to impose our will on China in its neighbourhood. Bandow contended that there is a need to consider strategic empathy when confronting the costs of U.S. power projection. More provocatively, he suggested that emphasizing security as such actually detracts from Washingtons ability to advance economic competition. In closing, Bandow warned against framing every friction point in East Asia and beyond into the spurious narrative of a systemic Chinese threat. Douglas Macgregor began his statement by echoing Bandow, questioning the idea of Chinese expansionism. At the same time, Macgregor noted that the proper way to view the Chinese model is to focus less on how it is exported and more on why it is attractive to the world outside of the trans-Atlantic community. He suggested that the West needs to accept the fact that for much of the world, the notion that liberal democracy and a free-willing marketplace is hardly the answer to their needs and problems. Returning to the security question, Macgregor observed that Chinas force structure is largely defensive barring red lines on Taiwan. The concentration of Chinas resources and military capacity on coastal and missile defense is, in his view, indicative. Building on this observation, Macgregor noted that it is, in fact, the U.S. and Russia that have not followed in Chinas footsteps in pledging no-first-use nuclear doctrines. Given this backdrop, he remarked that the only way for China to become a genuine threat to U.S. security interests is through deliberate, if unhelpful, U.S. policies that have the aggregate effect of making that nation into an enemy. Macgregor also pointed out that Washington habitually underappreciates Japans potential as a balancing force in Asia. Lawrence Wilkerson shed light on forces in the U.S. foreign policy establishment that have propagated current views on China owing to their vested interests. Wilkerson stressed that the Beltway needs Beijing to inherit the banner of existential threat. He suggested that the military-industrial-congressional complex has mushroomed into an ecosystem of think tanks, universities, and other sympathetic organizations that feed off the inclination toward war. Given these incentives, Wilkerson said the establishment has to have an enemy now, and its found China. Wilkerson reflected on his encounters with China since his time in military service. He characterized much of the relationship during this period as cooperative. He recalled the candidness of Wang Yi, a Chinese diplomat and foreign minister since 2013, who had said that China was content with the U.S. Seventh Fleet as a stabilizing force that had a positive role in Chinas economic development. Fast-forwarding to the China of today, Wilkerson observed that Beijing has developed its own military-industrial complex. That complex, however, is focused on the defense of China, not overseas adventurism. In an Asia where Chinese hegemony is near-inevitable, Wilkerson advised that the U.S. would have to learn accommodation. He did not foreclose security measures, but pointed out that Washington would need to get used to relying on its diplomatic toolkit if it hopes to respond to the new power equation. The current culture in Washington, in Wilkersons view, is not open to this shift. Wilkerson held no doubt in his mind that the Chinese do not want war. He expressed his belief that it is primarily the U.S. national security state, not China, that is raising the possibility of conflict. Adam K. Webb conceded that while there are ideological dimensions to the U.S.-China competition, they are often misrepresented. He suggested it would be simplistic to reduce the rivalry to that of Western universalism pitted against Chinese civilization. Webb linked the rise of China to the ebbing of certain core human values in other countries. This phenomenon of faded moral clarity is, in his view, often lacking in discussions that tout the benefits of engagement. Webb clarified, however, that the new hardline against Beijing is not because Beijing threatens Western values, but because it threatens Western dominance. Webb also echoed Macgregor in observing that the West is unwilling to ponder an international order with genuine political and cultural pluralism. Yet, he predicted that structural trends would seem to point to precisely such a pluralistic future. Given this trajectory, Webb critiqued the Wests approach to China. He also noted that the very manner in which the narrative of competition is framed at the state level superimposes a Westphalian bias that neglects how the people of China would themselves contribute to their countrys role in the world. Webb also suggested that the Wests inattention to the Global South leaves it ignorant of the fact that most other world regions are neither the West nor China and would simply want to chart their own paths. It is the majority of the worlds population outside this rivalry that will, in Webbs view, ultimately determine the future course of the international order. In this sense, Webb argued that it is necessary to escape this false binary. The panel then moved into a question-and-answer period. The segment also allowed speakers to respond to one anothers opening statements. Vlahos posed the issue of Taiwan, cross-Strait relations, and the U.S. response to any contingency. Macgregor noted that a defining fissure likely lies in Taiwanese politics. He differentiated the Kuomintang from the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party with the latter, in his view, a group of pro-Japanese sovereigntists. On the matter of U.S. policy, Macgregor was categorical. He outright rejected any proposals that would have American boots in Taiwan. Bandow agreed, stressing that military simulations and the power discrepancy should dampen any ideas of what the U.S. could achieve. Bandow went on to argue that although Beijing is impatient, Chinese military intervention in Taiwan would not occur as long as they dont feel forced into making a decision. He suggested that the greatest danger to international security would be for Washington to underestimate the severity of Chinese nationalism and Beijings red lines. On this point, Bandow dispelled establishment voices that have the illusion the U.S. could force Chinese acceptance of Taiwan as an American sanctuary with threats and willpower alone. Bandow recommended that the U.S. deescalate the situation and officially reject the possibility of a Taiwan independence declaration. Webb countered by inquiring about the standards according to which the international community would hold China accountable in the event of mobilization over Taiwan. In response, Wilkerson criticized the growing push for strategic clarity on Taiwan that aims to do away with the One China Policy as misguided. Wilkerson recalled Beijings agitation during his tenure under the Bush administration, particularly when it came to mixed American signals around Taiwanese independence. In this light, he voiced caution over disturbing the status quo in the Strait. Macgregor articulated the need for the U.S. to focus on renewal at home. To his disapproval, he said the bipartisan swamp is not really interested in that and would rather remain committed almost perpetually to whatever keeps us engaged overseas. Bandow recentered Beijing by suggesting that it is possible to make moral critiques of China but also recognize that doesnt necessarily mean it is an existential threat. It is more important, in his view, to strategically respond on a case-by-case basis. Macgregor was skeptical whether U.S. foreign policy is capable of this. He rooted U.S. behaviour in an altruistic imperialism that goes back to its entry into Asia and its annexation of the Philippines. Wilkerson agreed on the urge to recalibrate, whereas Webb and Bandow reflected on the importance of redistributing defense burdens among U.S. allies in the region. Towards the end of the discussion, the panel revisited the logic of several U.S. policy tropes. Macgregor disabused the notion that any of Chinas neighbors are intent on joining an alliance of containment. Bandow questioned the results of an American pressure campaign using sanctions. Both he and Wilkerson agreed that the U.S. tendency to employ them ignored how they did not produce the intended outcomes or change the behaviors of adversaries in any meaningful way. Regardless of the outlook on U.S.-China relations, the panel came to agree on the areas of mutual interest where cooperation was necessary. Climate change, international shipping, and the depoliticization of people-to-people exchanges were among the major concrete examples raised. However, the panelists concurred that these channels required deliberate commitments in Beijing as well as Washington. Johnsen Romero is a Policy Research Assistant for the Asia Program at IPD. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Hundreds of people affected by the Windrush scandal are being forced to wait over a year for compensation, analysis shows ahead of the 75th anniversary of the voyage. The compensation scheme has been criticised for being too slow and for treating the Windrush generation callously, with charities and victims calling for it to be removed from the hands of the Home Office. Analysis shows that of the 2,235 claims in progress as of April, 347 (16 per cent) had been in the system for at least 12 months, including 162 for over 18 months. A year earlier in April 2022, a lower number of claims were in progress 1,904 but a higher number had been in the system for 12 months and over: 541, or 28 per cent of the total. Over the same period, the proportion of claims in the system for just one to three months has gone up, from 19 per cent in April 2022 to 33 per cent in April this year. Fitzroy Maynard, who came to the UK in 1980 from Antigua, said he felt like the Home Office have no intention to pay people their full due. After decades in the UK, Mr Maynard struggled to prove that he had a right to live and work in the UK and lost his job as a result. His benefits were withdrawn and he became homeless in 2007. He was forced to resort to sofa-surfing, and at times lived on the streets, for more than a decade. Fitzroy Maynard, who ended up homeless because he could not prove his right to work in the UK has described his lengthy experience with the Windrush compensation scheme as worse than hell (PA) He took legal action against the government for the delays in giving him compensation through the scheme and when he did receive a payout it was not sufficient, he argued. He said: The Home Office should never have been put in charge to look after the compensation scheme themselves. They should stop taking so long in processing claims it feels that they have no intention to pay people their full due, and that they just want to wear us down. This is what is happening with me, after so many years I am disheartened, but I am still going to fight. Charity Praxis surveyed 20 current and former clients about their experience of the compensation scheme. Only eight people had been able to apply for the Windrush Compensation Scheme since its launch in April 2019 and just three had received compensation. Sally Daghlian, CEO of Praxis, said: The department that shredded thousands of lives is now failing at compensating its victims for the hardship they had to endure. Stamps released by Royal Mail marking the 75th anniversary of the arrival of MV Empire Windrush to the UK on 22nd June 1948 (Royal Mail/PA) Jacqueline McKenzie, a lawyer who has met hundreds of people needing help with their claims, said no other group of people in society would be treated this callously. A partner at the law firm Leigh Day, Ms McKenzie said they had had clients who were initially rejected for compensation who were later offered tens of thousands of pounds when their case was reviewed in what she said is evidence of poor case-working. She said one client was told he was not entitled to compensation, but when the decision was reviewed he was told he was entitled to 289,000, while another saw a mother and two daughters go from being awarded nothing to being told they would get between 70,000 and 100,000. The Windrush Compensation Scheme is available to people of all ages and nationalities including those from African, Asian and Caribbean backgrounds who have suffered due to being unable to prove their legal right to live in the UK. It was set up after the Windrush scandal, which erupted in 2018, and saw people with a right to live in the UK lose access to work and be wrongfully detained or deported. The latest figures show that since 2019 and up to April this year, 72.6m had been offered through the scheme of which 61.3m had been paid out. The Home Office has said the government is honouring its Windrush commitments and providing support to those affected every day, adding that the compensation scheme will stay open as long as needed. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Plans to find and recover the anchor from the HMT Empire Windrush have been unveiled on the 75th anniversary of the ship arriving in the UK with hundreds of Caribbean migrants in 1948. The newly-formed Windrush Anchor Foundation has launched a campaign to raise 1 million for the anchors recovery for the ship which sank off the coast of Algeria after making its final voyage in 1954 and catching fire. Funds will be used to locate the wreck and the 1.5 tonne anchor will then be lifted and brought back to the UK to be conserved and to go on permanent display, foundation members have said. Campaigners have described this undertaking as a fitting way to honour the many people who had answered Britains call to help rebuild the country after World War IIs ruin. The Empire Windrush arrives at Tilbury Docks on Tuesday 22nd June 1948, bringing workers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago (Mirrorpix/Getty) Patrick Vernon, trustee of the Windrush Anchor Foundation, said: The arrival of the Windrush, 75 years ago, has come to symbolise the beginning of Britains evolution into a modern and prosperous multicultural country. Our project will bring the Windrush anchor back to Britain. It will become the centrepiece of a public monument to the Windrush generation and their contribution to this country. And we will help to ensure that the Windrush story is never forgotten. The shipwreck now lies 2,600 metres below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. The foundation is aiming to raise funds with a mix of public and corporate donations, starting with a GoFundMe campaign launched today. Extensive research and preparations have been made to ensure the practical feasibility of the project. During the conservation period, expected to take at least a year, a jury-led competition will be held to select the winning monument design. Michael King, foundation trustee and the son of the Windrush Foundation founder Sam King MBE, said: Its a privilege to be part of the Foundation. My father would have thought of the anchor as keeping the ship in the right place once docked, as Jesus is the anchor of our Christian faith. So, the Windrush anchor will be the symbolic anchor for the Windrush generation keeping us steady. (Windrush Anchor Foundation) The trustees of the Foundation are the social commentator and campaigner Patrick Vernon OBE, Julian Clark - Vice President and Senior Legal Advisor for Gard (UK) limited, The Independents Race Correspondent Nadine White, Reverend Michael King, Marie van der Zyl OBE President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and shipwreck hunter David Mearns of Blue Water Recoveries Ltd. Meanwhile, commemorations and celebrations are taking place across the country to mark what has been described as a bittersweet 75th Windrush anniversary. The King will attend a service for young people in Windsor, a carnival procession will take place in Brixton where many of the Caribbean community settled, and the Windrush flag will be flown in locations including the Houses of Parliament. A commemorative service will also take place at Londons Southwark Cathedral on Thursday, while events will be held at the Port of Tilbury, on Windrush Square in Brixton and in various parts of the country. Its been 75 years since the HMT Empire Windrush landed in Britain (Alamy/PA) In 2018, it came to light that many British citizens, mostly from the Caribbean, had been threatened with detention and deportation despite having the right to live in the UK. Many of those affected are still awaiting compensation. On Wednesday, it emerged that hundreds of long-term sick and mentally ill people from the Windrush generation were sent back to the Caribbean in what has been described as a historic injustice inflicted upon Black Caribbean people. Formerly classified documents reveal at least 411 people were sent back between the 1950s and the early 1970s, under a scheme that was meant to be voluntary. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Events are taking place on Windrush Day to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the first ship carrying Caribbean families to the UK to help fill the need for more workers after the Second World War. Here is all you need to know: What is the Windrush? The HMT Empire Windrush first docked in England on June 22 1948 at Tilbury Docks in Essex, bringing people from the Caribbean who answered Britains call to help fill post-war labour shortages. What is the scandal associated with it? In April 2018 it emerged that some immigrants who arrived legally in the UK between the late 1940s and early 1970s were facing deportation and being denied access to healthcare due to paperwork issues. Officials were forced to defend a decision to destroy thousands of landing card slips recording the arrival of Windrush generation immigrants into the UK. The Home Office apologised, Amber Rudd lost her job as home secretary and Sajid Javid was drafted in, becoming the first person from an ethnic minority background to head the Home Office. Whose fault was it? A 2020 report said the scandal was foreseeable and avoidable and victims were let down by systemic operational failings at the Home Office. Campaigner Patrick Vernon said the fallout should be referred to as the Home Office scandal rather than the Windrush scandal. The author of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review, Wendy Williams, described a culture of disbelief and carelessness at the department which she said was born out of a conviction that the hostile environment policy would be effective, was effective, and should be pursued at all costs. She said the Windrush group had been trapped by the hostile environment policy net. Ms Williams made 30 recommendations including for Home Office ministers to admit that serious harm was inflicted on people who are British and to provide an unqualified apology to those affected and the wider black African-Caribbean community. Other recommendations included commissioning a full review and evaluation of the hostile environment policy and that the Home Office should establish an overarching strategic race advisory board. Have all the recommendations been accepted? They were, but then they werent. All were originally accepted by Priti Patel when she was home secretary. But in January it emerged Home Secretary Suella Braverman had decided to drop three of the 30, something Windrush campaigners called a slap in the face. The Government has been criticised for deciding against recommendations to establish a migrants commissioner; increase powers of the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration; and to hold reconciliation events. Ms Braverman has defended this move, telling ITV on the eve of the Windrush 75 anniversary: We are exposing ourselves to heightened and incredibly rigorous levels of scrutiny. We have an independent examiner of complaints, a body thats been recently instituted, which is there to examine and provide checks and balances on our system. Have people been compensated for the effects on their lives? When she was prime minister, Theresa May announced a compensation scheme to pay those affected. The scheme is available to people of all ages and nationalities, including those from African, Asian and Caribbean backgrounds who had suffered due to being unable to prove their legal right to live in the UK. Victims need to submit a claim form and evidence to support their application. Compensation starts at a minimum of 10,000 and can go up to 100,000 or more. Has it been successful? The latest Government figures show that as of May 75.0 million had been offered, with 62.7 million of that paid out. But the scheme has faced criticism for being complex, too slow and inefficient. Analysis by the PA news agency of the most up-to-date figures published on Wednesday showed that of the 2,138 claims in progress as of May, 302 (14%) had been in the system for at least 12 months, including 154 for more than 18 months. The Home Office has said it remains absolutely committed to righting the wrongs of the Windrush scandal but recognised there is more to do when it comes to the compensation scheme. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said changes had been made to simplify the scheme for users. She also maintained it should be kept under the Home Office remit, despite calls to have it handled independently due to a belief there remains a lack of faith in the department among victims of the scandal. How is Windrush 75 being marked? Events are taking place across the country including in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Bradford, Bristol, Ipswich, Edinburgh and Cardiff. The Windrush flag is being raised in more than 200 locations including at the Houses of Parliament and the Home Office; all Network Rail stations; more than 20 hospitals and NHS sites; around 50 local authorities; and at dozens of churches, schools, universities, theatres and community organisations. The King is attending a service in Windsor for young people, while a separate thanksgiving service will be held at Southwark Cathedral. A day-long programme of events is taking place at the Port of Tilbury in Essex, where Windrush first arrived including a dawn chorus performed by schoolchildren and a steel pan band welcoming 100 NHS workers and 100 people with Windrush connections who are due to arrive by Thames Clipper in the afternoon. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has been given the green light to take up a second job as a director of a centre-right think tank, on the condition that he refrains from lobbying ministers. The Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), the anti-corruption watchdog, said it did not consider Mr Zahawis employment by the Adam Smith Institute to raise any particular proprietary concerns under UK Government rules. It said there was a low risk that the appointment could be perceived as a reward for decisions taken while he was in office, due to a lack of contractual relationship between the think tank and the departments Mr Zahawi, who was sacked from the Cabinet for breaching ministerial rules earlier this year, had been involved in running. But committee chairman Lord Pickles, in an advisory published by Acoba, said there was a need to put in place mitigations due to the inherent risks associated with his time in office. The risk that this appointment could reasonably be perceived as a reward for decisions or actions taken in office is low Lord Pickles, Acoba chairman The Conservative peer said there was a possibility for Mr Zahawi to draw on privileged information and use his contacts within Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks administration to the unfair advantage of his new employer, which works to promote free market economic ideas. The restrictions imposed include banning the Tory MP from lobbying the Government or its associated bodies on behalf of the institute for two years from his last day in ministerial office. Similarly, he must not undertake work for the think tank that involves providing advice on government contracts while in his new co-president/director role, which Mr Zahawi has declared will amount to four days of work per year. He is also prohibited from drawing on government information that is not publicly available. The Prime Minister sacked Mr Zahawi as Conservative Party chairman in January following an investigation into his tax affairs. He was found to have breached the ministerial code after it emerged he had failed to declare that he had settled an estimated 4.7 million bill with HM Revenue and Customs while he was chancellor. A former vaccines minister during the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Zahawi has also served as education secretary and was briefly head of the Treasury at the end of Boris Johnsons time in Downing Street, serving between July and September last year. Acobas advice on Mr Zahawis work outside Parliament comes a week after it ruled that Mr Johnsons appointment as a Daily Mail columnist was a clear breach of ministerial rules. Lord Pickles said the former prime minister had given only 30 minutes notice before his new newspaper work was made public. Mr Johnson landed the job a day after he became the first former prime minister to be found to have lied to the Commons, in the publication of the damning report into his partygate denials. Questions around lobbying and sleaze in Westminster have reared their head in recent years, along with the question of paid work for MPs outside Parliament. Conservative former minister Owen Paterson resigned from the Commons in 2021 following a row over his lobbying for two companies that employed him as a consultant. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The majority of full-time university students are doing paid work as well as studying, a survey suggests. Students attendance in class and study time could be affected by a rise in the average number of hours spent in employment, according to the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank and Advance HE report. More than three in four (76%) university students feel that the cost-of-living crisis has affected their studies, research has found. The proportion of university students who say they are in paid employment while studying has increased from 45% to 55% over the past year and it has reached the highest level recorded by the think tank. The study, based on a survey of 10,163 full-time undergraduates studying in the UK, found the average time spent working is 13.5 hours per week among the students who reported being in paid employment. Somewhere between 12 and 17 hours paid employment is the danger zone because you're doing a really intense paid job on top of a full-time course Nick Hillman, director of Hepi This suggests more students may be undertaking so much paid work it could adversely affect their studies, according to the report. It adds that the rise appears to reflect the financial pressures that many students are under. The 2023 Student Academic Experience Survey, which was carried out between January and March, suggests that students in paid employment are more likely to consider leaving their course compared to their peers. A reasonable assumption here is that the demands of balancing work and study are creating pressures that are leading to the prospect of non-continuation for some, the study said. Nick Hillman, director of Hepi, told a press briefing in London: Somewhere between 12 and 17 hours paid employment is the danger zone because youre doing a really intense paid job on top of a full-time course. Everybody in the survey are full-time students so they should all be doing something similar to a full-time job and the average working hours is 33/34 hours. So if youre doing 17 hours paid work on top of that, or 20 hours paid work on top of that, thats when it really affects your studies and it makes you more likely to drop out, less likely to do well in your degree. Universities are doing their bit by increasing hardship funding, offering subsidised or free food on campus and increasing other forms of pastoral support, but there is a limit to what they can do without action from government Universities UK spokesperson The report found that 26% of students said their studies were affected a lot by the cost-of-living crisis, while 50% of students said that their studies were impacted a little. Mr Hillman added that the survey shows that most students are being affected in adverse ways by the cost-of-living crisis. The increase in the proportion of students who feel compelled to do so many hours of paid employment that their studies may suffer seems a particularly acute challenge, he said. The report calls on the Government to urgently look at the level of maintenance support on offer to undergraduates in light of the findings. Rose Stephenson, director of policy and advocacy at Hepi, said: Theres a risk here that students who, for a multitude of reasons are less able to rely on financial support from their families and therefore need to rely on maintenance loans or paid employment, are being disadvantaged and we can see that their studies are more likely to be affected. This risks entrenching inequality through higher education rather than combating it. The survey also found that more than one in four students (26%) said they feel lonely all or most of the time, compared with 23% last year. Students living at home with family, in non-university halls or in a house on their own are more likely to experience loneliness than those in university halls, or in a flat or house with others, the report said. A Universities UK spokesperson said: This data definitively shows that students university experience is being negatively impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. The vast majority feel that their ability to study has been affected, with many having to take on increased hours working to make ends meet. We need Government to act fast to increase the amount of maintenance support for students. Universities are doing their bit by increasing hardship funding, offering subsidised or free food on campus and increasing other forms of pastoral support, but there is a limit to what they can do without action from government. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden claimed that planning for a no-deal Brexit made the UK match fit for the Covid pandemic. The senior Tory minister told the Covid inquiry that preparations for crashing out of the EU without a trade deal put the country in a strong position to respond to other challenges. Mr Dowden, Cabinet Office minister from July 2019 to February 2020, said the UK was in a pretty strong state of preparedness for any future pandemic telling the public inquiry he had taken an interest in planning, including for a possible flu pandemic. Hugo Keith KC, counsel to the inquiry, has previously said that work arising from the threat of a no-deal Brexit under Boris Johnson may have drained the resources and capacity that were needed for pandemic planning. Mr Keith asked Mr Dowden on Wednesday about a 2019 memo about the National Security Council threats programme which suggested that work on pandemic influenza was expected to be affected by the step-up in planning for a no-deal exit from the EU. Mr Dowden said: It was the case at that time that no deal was the default position of the government this is worth remembering the kind of frankly, apocryphal warnings that were being delivered about the consequences of no-deal Brexit. The cabinet minister said: For example in relation to medicine supplies and elsewhere - it was appropriate that ... we shifted the resilience function to deal with this. Secondly, it was not a permanent shift; we knew that this thing would come to an end since we had an endpoint for if we didnt reach a deal, no deal would happen. He added that there was a flip side to the preparations for a no-deal Brexit known as Operation Yellowhammer which made the UK match-fit for the pandemic. He said it made us match fit for when ... we did have to deal with the actual materialisation of the Covid pandemic that is to say it forced government departments to work together closely, so theres a lot more cross-government co-ordination. Boris Johnsons no-deal Brexit threat under scrutiny (PA Wire) Mr Dowden said around 15,000 extra staff had been employed for work on Brexit who then were able to be redeployed once the threat of no deal had passed in order to further step up our preparedness, to contribute to our Covid response. Asked if the preparations had an impact on the majority of work programmes to deal with a flu pandemic, Mr Dowden said: No, I dont actually, I didnt fully accept that. He said if resources were not reprioritised the UK would have been in a much worse position to deal with Covid when it hit had no deal actually occurred, especially in terms of medicine, supplies, and so on. Mr Keith told the inquiry last week that the evidence so far suggested that crowded out and prevented the work that was needed to prepare for the next pandemic. Oliver Dowden says no-deal Brexit planning made UK match fit (PA Wire) Mr Dowdens evidence contrasted with that from the governments former chief scientific adviser, who also gave evidence on Wednesday morning. Professor Sir Mark Walport said the UK was not operationally prepared for a pandemic. I think, scientifically, the country was quite prepared then in the sense that it was recognised, he told the inquiry. He added: I think operation preparedness is another matter. I think its clear that we were not operationally prepared. It came after a Conservative former health minister said making money is not a crime as he defended the VIP lane for coronavirus-related contracts which saw some politically-connected firms make huge profits. Lord Bethell also blamed longstanding inequalities for the NHS not being sufficiently prepared for the pandemic. He was speaking after former prime minister David Cameron and his chancellor, George Osborne, rejected claims at the inquiry that their austerity measures left the UK exposed to the pandemic. Lord Bethell, who was health minister throughout much of the pandemic, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Wednesday: We didnt have enough of that capacity, but we havent had for a very long time The Tories didnt invent the inequalities in this country, they are longstanding. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Scottish Government will publish more papers on the positive case for independence this summer. Independence Minister Jamie Hepburn has said voters can expect more publications in the Scottish Governments Building a New Scotland series. Mr Hepburn said the Scottish Government is scaling up on its ambition to equip Scots with information on the countrys constitutional future. A paper outlining the need for a written constitution for an independent Scotland was released earlier this week which would be ratified by a referendum, should Scotland become independent. Mr Hepburn said Westminster was taking Scotland in the wrong direction, pointing to a fall in living standards, adding: It is now more urgent than ever that people here are presented with a positive alternative. So, following the launch of the Scottish Governments proposals for a written constitution in a modern Scotland, further papers in the Building a New Scotland series will be launched this summer, as we scale up our work to demonstrate a better future is possible as an independent country. Self-governance is normal, just look at the success of similarly sized European nations who have charted their own course and are both wealthier and more equal than the UK. The Scottish Governments vision to build a greener, fairer and more progressive independent nation is at the forefront of Humza Yousafs leadership as Scotlands First Minister. Earlier this week, Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Donald Cameron said using public money to campaign for independence was completely the wrong priority for Scotland and said it was propaganda at the taxpayers expense. Mr Cameron added: The public want both of Scotlands governments to focus on their real priorities the cost-of-living crisis and unacceptable NHS waiting times rather than trying to break up the UK. In a desperate effort to hold his feuding, scandal-ridden party together, beleaguered Humza Yousaf is focusing on the only issue nationalists agree on, to the dismay of the majority of Scots. Scottish Labour constitution spokesman Neil Bibby said Mr Yousaf had been indulging in the same old constitutional pipe-dreams. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Scottish ministers must use Holyrood powers to mitigate the effects of the UK Governments Illegal Migration Bill, human rights activists have warned. The proposed legislation, currently making its way through the House of Lords, seeks to crack down on refugees entering the country illegally. A legal opinion from Kay Springham KC, on behalf of Scottish human rights organisations, said that while immigration is reserved, the Scottish Government must challenge the Bills encroachment on devolved legislation. It must be resisted by the Scottish Government and public bodies to the fullest extent the law permits Nick Hobbs, acting Children and Young Peoples Commissioner Her assessment concluded the proposals would interfere with Scottish ministers ability to support trafficking survivors and unaccompanied child refugees. She said the proposals would cut across adult and child protection frameworks, potentially risking a two-tier system to protect victims. The research, conducted on behalf of Scotlands Children and Young Peoples Commissioner, JustRight Scotland and the Scottish Refugee Council, said a failure to act would risk breaching international human rights obligations. She urged First Minister Humza Yousaf to lead from the front to deliver an urgent, concrete and commensurate response. Nick Hobbs, acting Children and Young Peoples Commissioner for Scotland, said the report is a chance for the Scottish Government to show real leadership and for ministers and Scottish public bodies to make concrete commitments to mitigate the worst attacks on childrens rights that are in this Bill. He added: The UK Governments Illegal Migration Bill will create a two-tier approach which seeks to deny them access to protection and support under the Scottish trafficking, welfare and child protection systems. It must be resisted by the Scottish Government and public bodies to the fullest extent the law permits. Jen Ang, director of development and policy at JustRight Scotland, said Scottish ministers would be at immediate risk of breaching international human rights law if they fail to act to stem the significant harms threatened by the Bill. She added: We are urgently pressing for Scottish ministers, public authorities and civil society to identify and commit to concrete actions to challenge and mitigate the most harmful impacts of the Bill. Migration minister for the Scottish Government Emma Roddick said: We are absolutely clear in our opposition to the UK Governments proposed Illegal Migration Bill, which clearly violates human rights obligations and will push some of societys most vulnerable people deeper into exploitation and destitution. We want to protect people from the deeply harmful impacts of this Bill as far as possible within our devolved powers and budget, and this summit will bring together partners and experts to identify the most effective ways to do this. A Home Office spokeswoman said: The UK has a proud history of providing protection for those who genuinely need it through our safe and legal routes, offering safety and protection to over half a million men, women, and children. While we are committed to creating more routes to safety for vulnerable people across the globe, we must grip the rise in illegal migration and stop the boats. That is why we are introducing the Illegal Migration Bill, which will stop the boats by changing the law so that people who come to the UK illegally can be detained and then swiftly returned to a safe third country or their home country. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Search efforts are intensifying with just hours remaining to save five people on a missing submersible before they run out of oxygen. The vessel, named Titan, lost communication with tour operators on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada. As of Wednesday afternoon it was thought just 20 hours of oxygen remained, meaning it would run out at some point on Thursday morning. The US coast guard has been leading an international rescue effort which was stepped up after underwater noises were heard on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, although experts have been unable to determine the cause of the sound. The area of the search has been expanded, with the surface search now about 10,000 square miles, and the sub-surface search about 2.5 miles deep. The 6.7m (22ft)-long OceanGate Expeditions vessel, which has British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding on board, reportedly had a 96-hour oxygen supply in case of emergencies. Also in the undersea craft are UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, and OceanGates chief executive and founder Stockton Rush, reportedly with French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet. The coast guard had five surface vessels searching for Titan on Wednesday and they expected there to be 10 by Thursday, Captain Jamie Frederick said at a press conference on Wednesday. He added: What I can tell you is, were searching in the area where the noises were detected, and well continue to do so and we hope that when were able to get additional ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) which will be there in the morning, the intent will be to continue to search in those areas where the noises were detected, and if theyre continuing to be detected, and then put additional ROVs down on the last known position where the search was originally taking place. Asked whether the mission was changing to become a recovery search, he said: This is a search and rescue mission 100%, we are smack dab in the middle of search and rescue and will continue to put every available asset that we have in an effort to find the Titan and the crew members. Titan is believed to be about 900 miles east and 400 miles south of Newfoundland. It is not known how deep the vessel is, with the seabed being around 3,800m from the surface. This is a search and rescue mission 100%, we are smack dab in the middle of search and rescue and will continue to put every available asset that we have in an effort to find the Titan and the crew members Captain Jamie Frederick, US coast guard Questions have been raised about the safety of the vessel after it emerged earlier in the week that a former employee of OceanGate had raised concerns over safety and quality control issues regarding the Titan to OceanGate executive management. David Lochridge, OceanGates former director of marine operations, claimed in an August 2018 court document that he was wrongfully fired after flagging worries about the companys alleged refusal to conduct critical, non-destructive testing of the experimental design. On Wednesday Kathleen Cosnett, a cousin of Mr Harding, 58, told the Telegraph that OceanGates eight-hour delay before contacting the authorities was far too long. She said: Its very frightening. It took so long for them to get going to rescue them, its far too long. I would have thought three hours would be the bare minimum. Sean Leet, co-founder and chairman of Horizon Maritime Services, which owns the Polar Prince mothership from which Titan launched, defended the company at a separate press conference on Wednesday. He said: OceanGate runs an extremely safe operation. OceanGate runs an extremely safe operation Sean Leet, Horizon Maritime Services Our full focus right now is getting that submersible located and getting those people brought back safely. Mr Leet praised how quickly specialist marine craft have been scrambled to help in the search for the missing vessel. He said: Ive been in the marine industry since a very young age and Ive never seen equipment of that nature move that quickly. The response from the US Coast Guard, the US military, the folks at the airport, the people here various companies were involved in the mobilisation, it was done flawlessly. Mr Leet also said they are very aware of the time sensitivity around this mission. And he said some of the equipment at the site of the search for the missing Titan vessel is certainly capable of reaching those depths where Titan is presumed to be. Don't believe this nonsense - Douglas Macgregor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBzvsw1U77I&ab_channel=DouglasMacgregor Douglas Macgregor 601 2023622 well I once asked a French officer who had participated in the development of the French nuclear force; said how many nuclear warheads do you think we really need and he immediately said one; and I said what do you mean one? He said it's so terrible that's really all you need; he said I don't know why people keep building these arsenals and making them larger because no one in their right mind would use it; I think that's the message from lukashenko; now lukashenko was a target for regime change we did go in there this is about a year ago and tried to stimulate revolutionary forces to remove him; it didn't work and I think he's been very concerned about the potential for Lithuania in particular perhaps Latvia both to sponsor or provide assembly areas for NATO forces along with their own to move into Villa Russia remember they're only about eight million people that live in Villa Russia I mean it's a it's a large area; but there aren't very many people in it and I think Putin finally agreed all right we'll put some tactical nuclear weapons forward to make it clear that you know you have access to these things to reassuring remember we have tactical nuclear weapons on the ground in Germany we have them at Sea in the in the naval forces surface and submarine we have them in Italy we have them in Turkey so it's not as though this is a startling development well I know I don't know if there was one expected a few weeks ago we've been working on it off and on this is this National Endowment for democracy and our intelligence services this all failed it's it's there's no chance of that succeeding in Russia I think they've got their eye on Serbia at this point but uh the bottom line is that this this is unfortunate but it was inevitable given our demonstrated intentions now the good news is that uh Putin is not talking about using them and I don't see any evidence that he would unless we attacked him with nuclear weapons that's that's pretty clear well quite recently the Polish president told everyone you know the ukrainians are losing hundreds of men every day the Russian Steamroller is crushing Ukraine now he's never said anything like that previously the one poll who has spoken about that honestly in the past is the Polish Chief of Staff the four star and he was the one that pointed out uh don't believe this nonsense that the Russians are not confident the Russian soldiers are excellent they're well trained and Ukraine is not winning but now we have it from the president of Poland I hope that that dampens any enthusiasm for moving into Western Ukraine which I think would be very dangerous there was a a Groundswell of support to bring Ukraine in quickly now if you were looking once again for evidence that Ukraine is on the verge of collapse this is excellent evidence stop and consider this for a minute why would you now want to rush something that months ago you said could not occur for years remember the standard position was well you know we weren't going to bring in Ukraine immediately anyway because they're not ready that was the argument last year now suddenly we have to bring in Ukraine why well I think the reason is very clear we're losing our position is eroding in Ukraine the Ukrainian Army is being devastated exactly what the president of Poland said this of course is what president Orban in Hungary warned would happen it's happened so if you know that you're losing and you don't want to admit that you've lost if you're trying to regain face in other words recover somehow or another publicly unfortunately there is a tendency historically to widen the war worse how do you do that bring in Ukraine and the the globalist the lies in Berlin and other Capitals in Western Europe in particular are all cheering this on because they're in the same boat as Biden they're they're very much at risk of losing their positions in government across Europe and this can be done without consulting the electorates in other words you you just declare war over the head or over the heads of the of the people that elected you to power suddenly For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The US Coast Guard is still treating the hunt for the missing Titan submersible as an active search and rescue, despite hopes fading as the 96-hour oxygen supply dwindled. More ships and expertise were scrambled to help find the missing deep-sea vessel, which lost communication on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada. OceanGate Expeditions estimated the oxygen supply on the 6.7m (22ft)-long vessel, which has British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding on board, would last the crew of five 96 hours, giving rescuers a deadline of around midday on Thursday. But Rear Admiral John Mauger confirmed the main focus of the US Coast Guard and the unified command in charge of the operation was to retrieve the vessel in what is still being seen as an active search and rescue. He told Sky News: We continue to keep the crew members and the families in our thoughts as we proceed with this search and rescue while were cognisant of the time and weve factored in a lot of data and information into the search. This is still an active search and rescue at this point and were using the equipment that we have on the bottom right now, the remote operated vehicles to expand our search capability, and then also to provide rescue capability as well. When questioned about the noises detected by the sonar buoys dropped into the ocean, he revealed initial reports found that it was ocean background noise. He said: Weve taken that information and shared it with top leading experts from the US Navy and the Canadian Navy, and theyre working on the analysis of that information, theyre continuing to work on the analysis of that information. The initial reports is that theres a lot of the sounds that were generated were from background ocean noise, but they continue to look for all available information there. Whats important to me, and whats important as the unified command, is that weve continued search in the areas where noise was detected with the ROVs that we have from the time of that detection, so were not waiting for this analysis to take action. The analysis is really helpful to our overall search-and-rescue efforts, but were not waiting on it, weve moved the remote operated vehicles that weve had on site to those areas where noise was detected. In a statement published online Guillermo Sohnlein, co-founder of OceanGate, thanked the people involved in the search and rescue, as well as confirming the pilot to be his co-founder and friend. He also claims that the time window the people on board have is larger than the estimated 96 hours. In the statement, he said: Today will be a critical day in this search and rescue mission, as the subs life support supplies are starting to run low. Im certain that Stockton and the rest of the crew realized days ago that the best thing they can do to ensure their rescue is to extend the limits of those supplies by relaxing as much as possible. I firmly believe that the time window available for their rescue is longer than what most people think. I would encourage everyone to remain hopeful for getting the crew back safely. Also in the craft are UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, a student at the University of Strathclyde, OceanGates chief executive and founder Stockton Rush, and French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet. In a statement, the University of Strathclyde said: We are deeply concerned about Suleman, his father and the others involved in this incident. Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones, and we continue to hope for a positive outcome. The Royal Air Force (RAF) confirmed it received a request overnight for assistance with movement of additional commercial equipment. Two RAF planes, a C-17 Globemaster and A400 Atlas, departed RAF Lossiemouth in north-east Scotland on Thursday. A British submariner and equipment from a UK firm has been sent to help the search at the request of the US Coastguard, Downing Street said. Royal Navy submariner Lieutenant Commander Richard Kantharia, who was on exchange with the US Navy, has been seconded to the search and rescue team. Experts said the chances of finding the sub and rescuing those inside was diminishing. Former Royal Navy submarine captain Ryan Ramsey told the PA news agency: The outlook is bleak, thats the only word for it as this tragic event unfolds and almost the closing stages of where this changes from rescue to a salvage mission. Dr Jamie Pringle, a reader in forensic geosciences at Keele University, said: I think theres always hope with these things but you know about the golden first 24 hours and were well past that stage. So theres always a chance, its never zero, but I think obviously the longer the time elapses the lower the chance of success. Titan is believed to be about 900 miles east and 400 miles south of Newfoundland. It is not known how deep the vessel is, with the seabed being around 3,800m from the surface. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An online fundraiser organised by a firefighter presumed dead in an attempt to swim the English Channel has surpassed its target. Iain Hughes went missing in French waters on Tuesday, with an extensive search by French and Belgian authorities having since been called off. The 42-year-old father-of-two, a crew manager for the West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS), had been attempting to raise 21,000 1,000 for every mile of his swim for the British Heart Foundation, The Fire Fighters Charity and the Midlands Air Ambulance. Mr Hughes had raised more than 5,000 as of Wednesday evening but by Thursday afternoon, the fundraising total stood at over 23,000 following a plea from Mr Hughess colleagues. In a video posted on the services Twitter account, Simon Barry, deputy chief fire officer at WMFS, asked people to donate if they could to the fundraiser. He said: We are heartbroken about the tragic news about Iain. We are doing everything we can to support his family. We want to do what we can for Iain. We can't think of any better way to support (him) than to help him raise money for his chosen charities Simon Barry, WMFS I hope, like us, they are heartened and comforted by the many messages of support you have shared on social media. Thank you. We also want to do what we can for Iain. We cant think of any better way to support (him) than to help him raise money for his chosen charities. That is why this weekend we will be arranging a series of events across our service to help him meet and exceed his target. Mr Hughes had trained for nearly two years for his cross-Channel charity swim and left the Kent coast accompanied by a support boat. Wayne Brown, the WMFS chief fire officer, had earlier said that Mr Hughess disappearance was unspeakably sad and that he was a highly respected and much-loved colleague and friend to many. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said he will he would personally lobby Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega to release a bishop who has been imprisoned in the Central American state. Speaking to reporters a day after meeting Pope Francis, Mr Lula said the Nicaraguan president should have "the courage" to recognise that a mistake had been made. "These things are not always easy because not everyone is big enough to apologise." Bishop Rolando Alvarez, a vocal critic of Mr Ortega, was sentenced to more than 26 years in prison in Nicaragua in February on charges that included treason, undermining national integrity and spreading false news. Bishop Alvarez has been one of the most outspoken religious figures still in Nicaragua as Mr Ortega intensified his repression of the opposition. The church is essentially the last independent institution trusted by a large portion of Nicaraguans, and that makes it a threat to Mr Ortega's increasingly authoritarian rule. "I intend to speak with Daniel Ortega about this to release the bishop. There is no reason for the bishop to be prevented from exercising his function in the Church," Mr Lula said. Nicaraguan Catholic Bishop Rolando Alvarez at the Santo Cristo de Esquipulas church in Managu (AFP via Getty Images) It was not clear if the pontiff had asked Mr Lula to intervene and seek to alleviate the most acute crisis the Roman Catholic Church faces in Latin America. "The only thing the Church wants is for Nicaragua to free them," Mr Lula said, referring to Bishop Alvarez and a number of detained priests. While Brazil and Nicaragua have good relations, ties between the Vatican and the Central American state have been severely strained following a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2018, when the Church acted as a mediator between both sides. Mr Ortega called the protests an attempted coup against his government. The Church had called for justice for more than 360 people who died during the unrest. Bishop Alvazez was convicted after he refused to leave the country along with 200 political prisoners released by Mr Ortega's government and sent to the United States. Reuters Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Authorities have released the harrowing 911 calls made by neighbours of an Ohio man accused of fatally shooting his three children with a rifle. Chad Doerman, 32, was arrested in Clermont County and charged with murdering his three sons, aged seven, four, and three, in the shocking incident that prosecutors have described as evil horror. According to law enforcement, Mr Doerman allegedly shot the boys execution-style and wounded his wife on the hand during the Thursday (15 June) carnage. Mr Doermans 15-year-old stepdaughter managed to escape the violence and asked neighbours to call emergency responders. In chilling 911 calls released this week and obtained by DailyMail.com, neighbours described to dispatchers the harrowing scene as the distressed teen refused to get to safety, instead running towards the fire department herself to get help. She said that her stepfather is killing everybody in her house ... I asked her to get in the car with me but she said she couldnt leave her family, I think she ran to the fire department, an unnamed female told the 911 operator. I was down that road but I was afraid that I was going to get shot myself if I interacted with her face to face. So Im about three houses down. But [now] shes waiting in the corner, Im not sure what shes doing but I can still see her waiting down the corner. A teen ran to neighbours asking for help after her stepfather allegedly opened fire on her younger siblings (GoFundMe ) Moments before the neighbour alerted authorities, the childrens mother had placed a call, screaming that her babies had been shot, reported ABC News. When Clermont County Sheriffs Office deputies responded to the home in Monroe Township, they found the suspect calmly sitting on a step outside with a rifle in hand. Im sober, Im not trying to fight you, Mr Doerman can be heard saying on bodycam video obtained by ABC. He then proceeded to give bizarre warnings to the arresting deputy about the family dog and instructed the pet to go back inside the home. Over the ambulance sirens, the deputies commands and noise from the barking dog, the childrens mother is also heard screaming: You took my life from me. My life. The boys bodies were found in the yard of the residence. All life-saving measures were unsuccessful and all three gunshot victims succumbed to their injuries while on scene, the sheriffs office said in a statement. A fourth gunshot victim, later identified as an adult female age 34, was also located outside of the residence. Chad Doerman has been charged with three counts the murder in the killings of her three sons, aged sevem four and three (Clermont Sheriffs Office ) The female sustained what appeared to be a single gunshot wound to her hand [and was] non-life threatening. The alleged killers father, Keith Doerman, expressed his shock and heartbreak in an interview with CourtTV, saying he believes his son just snapped. However, prosecutors have stated in court filings that Mr Doerman is believed to have planned the shootings for at least several months. Neighbour Richard Kincannon told ABC affiliate WCPO that Mr Doerman yell[ed] all the time and mistreated his wife. He was angry every day, Mr Kincannon told the station. There wasnt a day he didnt yell at his wife and kids out there ... I still see the babies ... thats all I see when I come out here. Prosecutors said Mr Doerman has confessed to the killings, which he allegedly planned for several months (ABC/Screenshot ) The little boys aunt has created a GoFundMe page to help their mother cover funeral costs as she reels from the tragedy. Nothing will make this better, it will never be okay, she wrote. This loss is unimaginable but were choosing to remember the boys for the wonderful babies they are. Mr Doerman has reportedly confessed to the crimes, prosecutors said during an arraignment hearing on Friday (16 June). The boys aunt said in the description of a GoFundMe page that the family is choosing to remember them for the wonderful babies they are (Rachel Brown/Facebook ) The trauma that this man has inflicted on his family, community, law enforcement, first responders, and all the rest of us is unspeakable, David Gast, the chief prosecutor in Clermont County, said. There has been a full admission in this case, the case is still new, were still discovering facts. But the evil horror of what we know is impossible to process. In an act of incomprehensible cruelty, the father that stands before you lined up his three young boys and executed them in his own home with a rifle. In an act of desperation, the mother at some point grabbed the gun the father was wielding to attempt to protect them. Mr Doerman is set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on 26 June. He is being held on $20m bond at the Clermont County Jail. Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the US Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} An exotic animal collector and private zoo owner featured in the Tiger King documentary series has been convicted in Virginia for buying endangered lion cubs. Bhagavan "Doc" Antle was accused of purchasing the cubs in Frederick County, Virginia, to help drive traffic to his zoo in South Carolina, according to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. Antle was convicted on two felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiring to wildlife traffic after a jury found him guilty. The exotic animal collector was one of several featured in the Tiger King Netflix documentary. Antle was acquitted on five counts of animal cruelty, and four others were dismissed by a judge. The collector's two adult daughters were also charged, but those charges were dropped, according to the Winchester Star. The business run by Antle called Myrtle Beach Safari sold itself on its petting zoo, which required the collector to source and purchase new lion cubs to keep customers interested. Court documents show Antle purchased the cubs from Wilson's Wild Animal Park near Winchester. The two men met and began doing business in 2015, when it was still legal to buy and sell lions. However, after lions were added to the endangered species list, their sale was prohibited and only permitted sanctuaries and zoos could breed or trade the animals. Keith Wilson, who owned the park where Antle bought his lions, had nearly 120 of his animals seized in 2019 after a judge ruled that they had been "cruelly treated, neglected, or deprived" 0f appropriate care. Mr Wilson, who has been charged with nine misdemeanour counts of animal cruelty and 10 felony counts of selling an endangered species, will return to court on Friday. He has also flipped on Antle, telling investigators that the private collector paid him for the illegal animals in advance by making the transaction appear to be a donation. Mr Wilson told investigators that Antle would typically pay between $2,500 to $3,000 for a cub. They also traded cats once, with Mr Wilson trading his cubs to Antle for three lynx kittens. Antle's defence attorney, Erin Harrigan, called the prosecution motivated by politics and animal rights activists and maintained that the payments made to Mr Wilson were honest donations. This has been an agenda in search of a crime from the beginning of the investigation, Ms Harrigan said. These were not sales." Antle faces up to 20 years in prison. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Elon Musk, the CEO of Twitter and SpaceX, has broken his silence about the disappearance of a research submarine visiting the remains of the Titanic. The company operating the sub, OceanGate Expeditions, previously tweeted their appreciation for Mr Musk's Starlink service provided through SpaceX which allowed them to access the internet while adventuring in the North Atlantic Ocean. Despite being in the middle of the North Atlantic, we have the internet connection we need to make our #Titanic dive operations a success - thank you @Starlink! the company tweeted earlier this month. Follow our live blog for updates on the Titanic sub rescue mission Mr Musk responded to a tweet made by Snopes post pointing out that he is the CEO of SpaceX, which provides the Starlink service. He suggested the connection between Starlink and the sub was a psyop. You cant even run a good psy op, Mr Musk wrote. Reports arose on Monday that OceanGate Expeditions had lost contact with the sub and its passengers, sparking a frenzied search effort to locate the vehicle before its life support runs out. Tourists can pay $250,000 for the opportunity to board the sub which is an "experimental" craft and visit the remains of the Titanic, which sunk in 1912. There is no evidence currently suggesting Starlink played any role in the vessel's disappearance. Defenders of Mr Musk were quick to point out that Starlink could not possibly be used to communicate with the sub due to the depths involved in the vessels operation. There is no such thing as internet service several miles underneath the f****** ocean. snopes is as viciously partisan and fake as any conspiracy subreddit ive ever encountered, one verified Twitter user, a self-proclaimed disinformation researcher Mike Solana wrote. However, OceanGate Expeditions never claimed it was using the internet to communicate with the sub; it also operates surface vessels in support roles during its expeditions that previous reporting confirms does rely on internet connection. Despite his response, it is unclear if Mr Musk is denying that OceanGate Expeditions uses internet provided by Starlink. The Independent has reached out to Mr Musk and SpaceX for comment. David Pogue, who toured the sub and produced a feature story on the vessel for CBS News prior to its voyage, revealed on Monday that the ship actually was lost for approximately five hours while he was reporting the story. Mr Pogue said he was on board the command vessel at the time of the disappearance, and said that the crew were capable of sending texts to the support staff during the five-hour period. "To be clear, I was not on the sub that dayI was on the ship at the surface, in the control room. They could still send short texts to the sub, but did not know where it was," he wrote on Twitter. It's unclear why the sub's occupants cannot text the command vessel during this voyage. He said the company shut off internet access to the journalists on the command ship to stop them from publicising the fact that the sub was lost. "It was quiet and very tense, and they shut off the ships internet to prevent us from tweeting," he wrote. When commenters pressed him for why he did not report that OceanGate allegedly cut their access to the internet, Mr Pogue said the company told them they needed all channels clear for emergencies. He also noted that the subs misadventure prompted discussions about installing a locator beacon similar to those used by airplanes, though it is unclear if such measures were ever taken. British billionaire, businessman and explorer Hamish Harding is among the individuals missing on the sub. He shared in a social media post that he was brought on as a mission specialist to assist in the subs voyage to the wreckage. Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a French maritime expert, is also one of the missing. He has taken more than dives to visit the Titanics wreckage. He serves as the director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, Inc, a US company that owns the salvage rights to the wreck. British businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood are also known to be on the sub, according to a statement made by Engro Corporation. Mr Dawood is the vice chair of the company. The Dawoods hail from one of Pakistans wealthiest families. Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, is also on the vessel, according to the company. The US Coast Guard said in a statement Tuesday that there is less than 40 hours worth of air left in the vessel, narrowing the time frame for a successful rescue of the missing crew. Coast Guard and US Navy vessels have continued to search for the vessel since it was reported missing by OceanGate Expeditions. David Lochridge, a pilot who helped test the sub, claims he was fired after he warned that the vessel may not be able to withstand the pressure of the deep ocean, according to The New Republic. He claims that when he raised concerns that the company might be putting its clients at risk, he was given 10 minutes to immediately clear out his desk. The Independent has requested comment from OceanGate Expeditions. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A British billionaire who died on board the missing Titanic tourist submarine wrote a last post warning about temperamental weather conditions ahead of the mission. Billionaire Hamish Harding, who has previously travelled on the Challenger Deep to the bottom of the ocean and on Jeff Bezos Blue Origin into space, posted on Instagram on Sunday to announce he was joining OceanGate Expeditions for their Titanic mission. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here. That was the last time he posted before news broke that the submersible is missing somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. He, along with OceanGate Expeditions founder and CEO Stockton Rush, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman, have now been confirmed dead after the submarine suffered a catastrophic explosion. In his eerie last post before the mission, Mr Harding said it would be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. The British aviator said this was because of the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years but the opening of a weather window led to the mission attempting a dive on Monday. Hamish Harding is feared missing on board the Titanic tourist submarine (Facebook/Hamish Harding) He signed off by saying: More expedition updates to follow IF the weather holds! His stepson, Brian Szasz, confirmed his stepfather was on board the vessel when it went missing. Hamish Harding, my step father, has gone missing on submarine. Thoughts and prayers, he wrote on Facebook, sharing family photos and articles. Thoughts and prayers for my Mom and Hamish Harding, he added. In a follow-up post, he added: Thoughts and prayers for my stepfather Hamish Harding as his submarine has gone missing exploring Titanic. Search and rescue mission is underway. British billionaire Hamish Harding posted on social media of his excitement at visiting the Titanic wreckage (Action Aviation Chairman) In a statement shortly after the rescue mission was launched, a spokesperson for the UKs Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: We are in contact with the family of a British man following reports of a missing submarine off the coast of North America. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Family members have paid tribute to Hamish Harding, the British billionaire, aviation tycoon, and explorer who is among the five people who died on a failed submarine expedition last week to the wreck of the Titanic. A statement from Hardings family, via his company, Action Aviation, described him as a dedicated father of two and living legend who loved to explore and push the boundaries of what was possible. He was one of a kind and we adored him. He was a passionate explorer whatever the terrain who lived his life for his family, his business and for the next adventure, the statement reads. What he achieved in his lifetime was truly remarkable and if we can take any small consolation from this tragedy, its that we lost him doing what he loved. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here The aviation tycoon was known for his daring feats of exploration. Hamish Harding (Dirty Dozen Productions) (PA Media) In 2021, he went on a record-setting voyage to Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, which at 36,000 feet below sea level is the deepest part of the ocean. Harding also made record-breaking trips to the South Pole alongside Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the oldest person ever to reach the pole, and Hardings son Giles, 12, the youngest to ever accomplish the feat. The aviation businessman also completed the fastest circumnavigation of the globe above the North and South Pole. Hey, were headed out tomorrow, it looks good, the weathers been bad so theyve been waiting for this, the 58-year-old billionaire wrote, according to retired NASA colonel Terry Virts, who shared the final text he received from Harding, and said his friend undoubtedly understood the risks of the dangerous adventure. Hey, were headed out tomorrow, it looks good, the weathers been bad so theyve been waiting for this, the message read, Mr Virts told ITV. The astronaut said his friend understood the risks of his deep-sea expedition to the famous shipwreck. All five crewmembers of the OceanGate Titan submersible mission to the Titanic died in a catastrophic implosion, the US Coast Guard confirmed on Thursday. Oceangate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, and French adventurer Paul-Henri Nargeolet were the others on board the Titan when it lost communications with a support ship less than two hours into a 4,000m dive to the Titanic shipwreck on Sunday. Richard Garriot, president of the Explorers Club, a society for scientists and explorers, mourned the loss of members Harding and Nargeolet, calling them adventurers who were drawn to explore for the betterment of mankind. Hamish Harding is a dear friend to me personally and to The Explorers Club. He holds several world records and has continued to push dragons off maps both in person and through supporting expeditions and worthy causes, Mr Garriot said in a statement. Paul-Henri was elected to the Club in 2001 and was one of the foremost experts on submersible expeditions to the Titanic. Who was British billionaire Hamish Harding? Hamish Harding began his career after graduating from Cambridge University with a degree in natural sciences and chemical engineering. However, it was his interest in flying that guided his career path and he set up Action Aviation, an aircraft business, from a base in the Middle East. For most of his professional life he lived in Dubai - and helped to grow business ventures in the UAE, particularly encouraging research and space travel. Action Aviation was founded in 2004. The companys LinkedIn profile states it [Provides] aircraft and helicopter brokerage services to many owners who wish to sell, as well as buyers in the market for the first time or replacing/upgrading their existing aircraft for something more suitable. After making his fortune, he was able to follow some of his passions for adventure, particularly for exploration, aviation and space adventure. This saw him visit the South Pole several times, including alongside former Nasa astronaut Buzz Aldrin in 2016, and fly around the world. Along the way, he was able to set a world record for diving to the deepest point of the Mariana Trench in a two-person submarine. He was also involved in a conservation project aimed at reintroducing the cheetah to India, while last year got a first taste for space tourism as part of the Blue Origin project, taking part in the fifth manned spaceflight of the New Shepard rocket. In 2022 he was inducted into the Living Legend of Aviation guild in 2022, an elite club that also contains the likes of Tom Cruise and Kenn Ricci. He died on June 18, just a few days before what would have been his 59th birthday. Mr Harding leaves behind his wife Linda Harding, with whom he had four children. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} All five passengers on the Titan submersible that vanished during a mission to explore the Titanic wreckage were killed when the vessel endured a catastophic implosion deep in the ocean. British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, UK citizens Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood, French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet and OceanGate Expeditions chief executive Stockton Rush had sadly been lost, the company announced on 22 June when debris from the sub was foud on the sea floor. The US Coast Guard offered its deepest condolences to the families after the tail cone of the vessel was found around 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic wreck. There was a catastrophic implosion of the Titans pressure chamber, the expeditions company said. It added: These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. On 28 June, the US Coast Guard announced that a search had since recovered presumed human remains from the sea floor. This what is known about the five people on board: Hamish Harding Hamish Harding posted about his plans to see the Titanic wreckage two days before the sub went missing (Facebook/Hamish Harding) Hamish Harding, 58, chairman of private plane firm Action Aviation, had posted on social media that he was proud to be heading to the Titanic as a mission specialist, adding: Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. He had previously travelled to the bottom of the ocean on the Challenger Deep and into space on Jeff Bezos Blue Origin. The father of two was a seasoned explorer and held three Guinness World Records, including the longest duration at full ocean depth by a crewed vessel. He dived to the lowest depth of the Mariana Trench in March 2021. Dubai-based Mr Harding was also on board the 2019 One More Orbit flight mission that set a record for the fastest circumnavigation of Earth by aircraft over both geographic poles. He doesnt stand still. If hes not working hard, hes exploring hard, said Jannicke Mikkelsen, an explorer and friend. Paul-Henri Nargeolet French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet was described by OceanGate as the Titanics greatest explorer (Getty) French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, was director of underwater research at a company that owns the rights to the Titanic wreck and recovers artifacts. A former commander in the French navy, he was both a deep diver and a mine-sweeper. After retiring from the navy, he led the first recovery expedition to the Titanic in 1987 and several more, becoming a leading authority on the wreck site. OceanGate described Mr Nargeolet as the Titanics greatest explorer. The former naval officer was born in Chamonix, France, but spent his early years in Africa with his parents. He was married to American newsreader Michelle Marsh until she died in 2017. He completed 35 dives in the submersible. In a 2020 interview, he spoke of the dangers of deep diving, saying: I am not afraid to die, I think it will happen one day. Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman Dawood, 19, were UK citizens, believed to have lived in a Surrey mansion with Mr Dawoods wife Christine and daughter Alina. Shahzada Dawood has been named as one of the people on the submersible in a family statement (WEF) Shahzada Dawood was vice-chairman of one of Pakistans largest conglomerates, Engro Corporation, with investments in fertilisers, vehicle manufacturing, energy and digital technologies. His interests included wildlife photography, gardening and exploring natural habitats, while Suleman was a fan of science fiction literature, according to a statement from the Dawood Group. He studied at the University of Strathclyde. Stockton Rush OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush (OceanGate) Stockton Rush, 61, chief executive of OceanGate Expeditions, told Sky News earlier this year the Titanic was an amazingly beautiful wreck. His company, which provides crewed submersible services for researchers and explorers to travel deep into the ocean, operated the doomed Titan submersible. Mr Rush began his career as a pilot at 19 after qualifying from the United Airlines Jet Training Institute. He was the youngest jet transport-rated pilot in the world. According to Mr Rushs biography on his companys website, he graduated from Princeton University with a BSE in aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1984. He then joined the McDonnell Douglas Corporation as a flight test engineer, and spent two years at Edwards Air Force Base. He served on the Museum of Flights Board of Trustees, the board of enterprise software company Entomo and as chairman of Remote Control Technology. In 2012, Mr Rush also founded the non-profit OceanGate Foundation while sitting on the board of BlueView Technologies, a manufacturer of high-frequency sonar systems. The company behind the doomed venture OceanGate Expeditions offers eight-day tourist missions to see the Titanic wreckage at a cost of $250,000 a person. An OceanGate submersible like the one missing (OceanGate/YouTube) It says it uses next-generation crewed submersibles and launch platforms to increase deep ocean access as far as 4,000 metres. OceanGate has successfully completed over 14 expeditions and over 200 dives in the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, its website says. Following every mission, the team evaluates and updates the procedures as part as a continued commitment to evolve and ensure operational safety. Its submersibles were launched from a mother ship which then recovered them at the end of the missions. Titanic wreckage at the bottom of the ocean (Atlantic Productions/Magellan) The Titanic, operated by the White Star Line, sank on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic Ocean back in 1912. The ship, the largest vessel at the time, set sail from Southampton on 10 April 1912, with more than 2,200 passengers and crew on board, heading for New York City. Five days into its voyage, the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the ocean. More than 1,500 people died. The wreck lay undiscovered, until in 1985 it was found around 12,500ft at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, around 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. In recent years, trips to visit it have become increasingly popular. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Gang members at a womens prison in Honduras locked the survivors of a deadly massacre, in which 46 women were killed in their cells, and set them on fire, officials said. Violence erupted in the womens jail in the town of Tamara, about 50km northwest of Honduras capital Tegucigalpa on Tuesday after a fight broke out between rival gangs, after which one gang set a cell alight. The gang members locked up survivors fleeing the violence in a cell, sprayed them with gunfire, hacked them with machetes and doused them with flammable liquid, resulting in a devastating inferno. Videos on social media show smoke coming out of the prison cell as the fire left the walls of the prison blackened and beds reduced to twisted heaps of metal. The death toll from the carnage reached 46, making it one of the deadliest atrocities in recent memory at a womens prison. Officials said most of those who died were killed in the fire, but others were shot, stabbed or beaten to death. The chief of operations for Hondurass national police, Juan Lopez Rochez, described the incident as a planned attack orchestrated by rival gangs. A group of armed people went to the cellblock of a rival gang, locked the doors, opened fire on those inside and apparently this is still under investigation used some kind of oil to set fire to them, Mr Lopez Rochez told local media. The relative of a victim of the deadly prison riot at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) womens prison is helped by Red Cross paramedics outside a morgue in Tegucigalpa, Honduras (REUTERS) Honduras president Xiomara Castro denounced the riot and said it was planned by maras [gangs] with the knowledge and acquiescence of security authorities. Ms Castro said she was shocked by the monstrous murder of women and would take drastic measures in response. Questions are emerging over how the perpetrators of the violence managed to smuggle guns and machetes into the prison as well as move freely between cellblocks. Obviously, there must have been human failure, Mr Lopez Rochez said. We are investigating all the employees at the centre. The countrys security minister Ramon Sabillon has been sacked by the president and has been replaced with the head of the national police force, Gustavo Sanchez. Forensic teams are working to identify the victims as the investigation unfolds. The relative of a victim of the deadly prison riot at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) womens prison is comforted as she reacts outside a morgue in Tegucigalpa (REUTERS) The gangs responsible for the violence are believed to Central Americas most notorious criminal organisations: the 18th Street Gang and MS-13. Some of the victims are not thought to have been linked to either of the two gangs but were caught up in the carnage. Drug cartels and gangs have long been responsible for deadly violence in Honduras and other parts of Central America, which is a major transit route for cocaine coming from South America to the US. In 2019, at least 18 people were killed in gang violence at a prison in the northern port city of Tela. If you haven't already lost trust in the United States Supreme Court when it was revealed that Clarence Thomas regularly receives millions of dollars in luxury travel and gifts from a far-right Nazi memorabilia collector, the latest news about Justice Samuel Alito should make it clear that the Supreme Court is a deeply corrupt institution. After Roe was overturned, Alito was rewarded with a lavish trip to Rome by Notre Dame's Religious Liberty Initiative an organization that has long been advocating for banning abortion in the United States and has been very active in filing amicus curiae ("friend-of-the-court") briefs in religious liberty cases before the Supreme Court From CNN: Last July, Alito was feted in Rome by Notre Dame's Religious Liberty Initiative, which has in recent years joined the growing ranks of conservative legal activists who are finding new favor at the Supreme Court and forging ties with the justices. The group's legal clinic has filed a series of "friend-of-the-court" briefs in religious liberty cases before the Supreme Court since its founding in 2020. After the high court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, the group paid for Alito's trip to Rome to deliver a keynote address at a gala hosted at a palace in the heart of the city. It was his first known public appearance after the decision. At the start of his speech, he thanked the group for the "warm hospitality" it provided to him and his wife, which, he later said, included a stay at a hotel that "looks out over the Roman Forum." Alito used some fancy lawyering to explain to CNN why everything was above board: Alito stressed in a statement to CNN that his invitation to speak in Rome was not specifically from the initiative's clinic, which submits the briefs to the court. "My understanding is that Notre Dame Law School's Religious Liberty Initiative has a number of components, only one of which is a clinic that, like the legal clinics at many other law schools, files amicus briefs in the Supreme Court," the statement said. "I was not invited to speak in Rome by the clinic." See, it's not Alito's fault! It's those uncommunicative components that are to blame for this massive ethics breach. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The frantic last-ditch search for the stricken Titanic tourist submarine has ramped up, with more ships joining the rescue effort as oxygen levels on board dwindled. It is hoped that the additional personnel will be enough to save the five crew members on the OceanGate Expeditions sub before oxygen runs out at around 10am UK time on Thursday. Mysterious banging noises beneath the surface had offered hope after being detected on Tuesday and then again on Wednesday, but the US Coast Guard has now admitted searchers don't know what they are. The expanded search zone has grown exponentially and now covers an area twice the size of the US state of Connecticut an area bigger than Wales and 2.5 miles deep. Five additional vessels heading for the area are not expected to arrive for the next 24 to 48 hours, with some set to arrive after the grim oxygen deadline. This emerged after the Coast Guard rejected an offer of help from a UK firm, which experts say could provide the best hope of finding the missing submarine, because it said its deep-sea submersible craft was too far away. Magellan Limited has had a vessel ready to support the rescue mission since early on Monday and the craft which has previously visited the Titanic wreckage site is currently sat on a plane awaiting clearance to be deployed. The Explorers Club, a community of experienced explorers of which two Titan crew members are part of, has issued a desperate plea to the US government to deploy the ROV to the site, saying it offers possibly the best hope for a rescue. Meanwhile, anguished families of the missing crew members continued praying for a miracle. Sabrina Dawood whose brother, British businessman Shahzada Dawood, is on the Titan with 19-year-old son Suleman said the familys sole focus is their rescue. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Captain Jamie Frederick offered hope as he insisted it was 100 per cent a rescue mission rather than a recovery. But he admitted the mission was of enormous complexity because it is so far offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. We have to remain optimistic and hopeful when we are in a search and rescue case, he said. We are in the middle of the search and rescue case. Sometimes we dont find what were looking for and you have to carefully consider all of the factors. Five people are missing aboard the Atlantic Ocean vessel (Dirty Dozen Productions/OceanGate/AFP/Getty) The banging sound was initially detected by a Canadian P-3 aircraft on Tuesday and has been shared with US Navy experts for further analysis, Captain Frederick explained, adding that noises were heard on Wednesday as well. The discovery has prompted the deployment of remotely operated vehicles (ROV) to examine the area more closely. Although the ROV searches have yielded negative results they continue, he added. With respect to the noises specifically, we dont know what they are, to be frank with you, theyre P3 detected noises, thats why theyre up there, thats why theyre doing what theyre doing, thats why they put sonar buoys in the water. Some of the vessels heading to help the search may arrive after the key 10am deadline (US Coast Guard/EPA) He explained that rescuers are searching in the area where the banging was heard and when additional ROVs arrive on Thursday morning they will continue to search in those areas where the noises were detected. Carl Hartsfield, from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said it was very difficult to discern human noises from other sounds. But I can tell you that this team has multiple sensors that are in the area, he added. Theyre sending data back expeditiously to the best people in the world to analyse that data and theyre feeding the results of the analysis back to the unified team and theyre making decisions. Captain Frederick refused to be drawn on how much oxygen was likely left and revealed there was some food on board the sub, but did not know how much. The Coast Guard has previously estimated air would run out at around 10am on Thursday UK time. Titan lost contact with its mothership the Polar Prince about an hour and 45 minutes after it began diving down to see the Titanic wreckage, which sits on seabed 12,500ft (3,800m) below sea level. The five-strong crew onboard the 200,000-a-seat excursion includes CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and UK-based Pakistani businessman Mr Dawood and his son Suleman. Despite the vessels disappearance, a spokesman for the firm which operates the boat which launched Titan insisted it runs an extremely safe operation. Sean Leet, co-founder and chairman of Horizon Maritime Services, which owns the Polar Prince, said its emergency procedures kicked in immediately when the alarm was raised. Ships heading to the area include French research vessel, the Atalante, which can reach the depths of the Titanics shipwreck and His Majestys Canadian Ship Glace Bay, which can perform search and rescue duties. They will join the Polar Prince as well as Deep Energy, a pipe-laying vessel flagged in the Bahamas, and three other Canadian vessels. Its a good combination, Matthew Heaslip, a senior lecturer in naval history at the University of Portsmouth, told The New York Times. A mix of vessels that would be very much intended for this kind of rescue. Submersible Titan is still missing and experts fear oxygen will run out on Thursday morning (PA) As the search continues, revelations continued to emerge about OceanGate founder Mr Rush, who was found to have previously complained about obscenely safe regulations holding his industry back. Speaking in 2019 to the Smithsonian Magazine, Mr Rush said government regulations had curbed innovation and growth in the US commercial submarine industry. There hasnt been an injury in the commercial sub industry in over 35 years. Its obscenely safe because they have all these regulations, Mr Rush, then 57, said. But it also hasnt innovated or grown because they have all these regulations. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} One the night of Saturday 17 June, billionaire explorer Hamish Harding took to Instagram to reveal he was among the crew of a submersible vessel on their way to explore the Titanic wreckage. I am proud to finally announce that I joined OceanGate Expeditions for their RMS TITANIC Mission as a mission specialist on the sub going down to the Titanic, Mr Harding wrote. Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. A weather window has just opened up and we are going to attempt a dive tomorrow. Mr Harding said the five-member crew, which included French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, had set sail from St Johns, Newfoundland, Canada, on Friday. They were planning to start their 4,000m descent to the most famous shipwreck in the world at 4am on Sunday morning. Until then we have a lot of preparations and briefings to do, he said. About 105 minutes into the trip, the Tital submersible stopped communicating with its mothership. But just five days later, it would be confirmed that the submarine suffered a catastrophic implosion and all five people on board were confirmed to have died. Hamish Harding posted about his plans to travel to see the Titanic wreckage two days before the sub went missing (Facebook/Hamish Harding) Heres a timeline of the horror ordeal: Sunday (18 June) The Polar Prince icebreaker sailed around 900 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, where it set anchor. The five-person crew was dropped into the ocean in their 22-foot long submersible vessel, the Titan, around 8am EST the submersible was launched, according to the US Coast Guard One hour and 45 minutes later, the vessel lost contact with the Polar Prince. The vessel was programmed to send out a ping every 15 minutes to indicate its location. The final signal was sent at around 10am ET, according to The Times. The Titan typically takes around two hours to reach the Titanic wreckage, located about 4,000m beneath the ocean. The OceanGate Expeditions submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic (PA Media) According to the Coast Guard, the sub was meant to surface at 3pm EST. When it failed to resurface, the crew raised the alarm with authorities at 5.40pm EST. At a press conference in Boston, Captain Jamie Frederick, of the US Coast Guard, said: On Sunday, the co-ordination command centre in Boston received a report from the Canadian expedition vessel Polar Prince of an overdue 21 foot submarine, Titan, with five people on board. The Titan was attempting to dive on the wreck of the Titanic, approximately 900 miles east of Cape Cod and 400 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland. Approximately one hour and 45 minutes into the scheduled dive, the Polar Prince lost all communication with the Titan, Polar Prince conducted an initial search and then requested Coast Guard assistance. The US Coast Guard in Boston assumed the responsibility of search-and-rescue mission coordinator and immediately launched search assets. Since Sunday, the Coast Guard has coordinated search efforts with the US and Canadian Coast Guard, Air National Guard aircraft and the Polar Prince (the Titans mother ship), which has searched a combined 7,600 square miles, an area larger than the state of Connecticut. The vessel was carrying enough oxygen for the crew for 96 hours making the rescue mission a race against time to reach the vessel. The divers failed to return from a 4,000m deep dive to the Titanic wreckage (Atlantic Productions, PA) (PA Media) Monday (19 June) On Monday morning, authorities revealed the Titan was missing and a large-scale search operation had been launched. The US Coast Guard revealed they had begun a sweeping search of a 5,000sqm area about 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Canadian Coast Guard said it too is taking part in the effort with fixed-wing aircraft and a ship. At 1.30pm, the US Coastguards Northeast tweeted that a C-130 Hercules reconnaissance aircraft had been dispatched to search for the Titan. P8 Poseidon aircraft with underwater sonar capabilities joined the search on Monday afternoon. A US Navy Curv-21, an unmanned submersible vessel that can reach a depth of 20,000 feet, is being used in the search for the missing Titanic wreck vessel (US Navy) It is a remote area and it is a challenge to conduct a search in that remote area but we are deploying all available assets to make sure we can locate the craft and rescue the people onboard, US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger told reporters during a briefing at 4.30pm EST on Monday. Submersible craft including an unmanned US Navy Curv-21, which can reach a depth of 4,000m, also joined the search. The Polar Prince and 106 Rescue Wing continued to conduct surface searches throughout Monday evening. Tuesday (20 June) On Tuesday afternoon, OceanGate confirmed that its chief executive and founder Stockton Rush is aboard the submersible as a member of the crew. A Canadian Aircraft P3 Aurora joined the effort, as the search area expanded to 10,000sqm. During the press conference on Tuesday, Captain Frederick said there were around 40 to 41 hours of oxygen left on the submersible. He said that a unified command of multiple agencies had been formed to tackle the very complex problem of finding the vessel but so far this had not yielded any results. Captain Frederick said: Since Sunday, the Coast Guard has coordinated search efforts with the US and Canadian Coast Guard, Air National Guard aircraft and the Polar Prince (the Titans mother ship), which has searched a combined 7,600 square miles, an area larger than the state of Connecticut. These search efforts have focused on both surface, with C-130 aircraft searching by sight and with radar, and subsurface, with P-3 aircraft were able to drop and monitor sonar buoys. Captain Jamie Frederick told reporters that the complex search had not yet yielded any results (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) To date, those search efforts have not yielded any results. Captain Frederick was non-committal however when asked if there is any way to retrieve the submersible and save the five on board if it can be located. So, right now all of our efforts are focused on finding the sub, he said. What I will tell you is we have a group of our nations best experts in the unified command and if we get to that point, those experts will be looking at what the next course of action is. It is understood the King was being kept informed of the search efforts, as Shahzada Dawood was a long-time supporter of The Princes Trust International and The British Asian Trust, both of which are charities founded by Charles It was also reported that a Canadian aircraft had detected banging noises within the search area over the course of 30-minute intervals. Wednesday (21 June) According to internal e-mail updates sent to Department of Homeland Security leadership, the Canadian aircraft detected banging noises every 30 minutes. RCC Halifax launched a P8, Poseidon, which has underwater detection capabilities from the air, the e-mails read. Banging noises have been detected leading to renewed hope of finding the five passengers aboard the submersible (Reuters/Getty/WEF/OceanGate) The P8 deployed sonobuoys, which reported a contact in a position close to the distress position. The P8 heard banging sounds in the area every 30 minutes. Four hours later additional sonar was deployed and banging was still heard. The US Coast Guard on Wednesday morning said: Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area. As a result, ROV (remote operating vehicles) operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises. Those ROV searches have yielded negative results but continue. Additionally, the data from the P-3 aircraft has been shared with our U.S. Navy experts for further analysis which will be considered in future search plans. In an upbeat statement, President Richard Garriot de Cayeux of The Explorers Club said: There is cause for hope, that based on data from the field, we understand that likely signs of life have been detected at the site. They precisely understand the experienced personnel and tech we can help deploy We believe they are doing everything possible with all the resources they have. Mr Garriot de Cayeux said they were ready to provide the UK-based Magellans remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that is certified to travel as deep as 6,000 metres. In a press conference on Wednesday (21 June) afternoon, Captain Jamie Frederick of the US Coast Guard assured people that authorities were doing everything possible to locate the missing vessel as the search intensified with more technology. Mr Frederick confirmed that the vessel had less than 24 hours of oxygen supply left. He also acknowledged that officials do not know if crews will be able to rescue the people on board even if they do manage to find the sub before the oxygen runs out. The first photo emerged of the Deep Energy rescue ship, which carries two remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) capable of operating to a depth of 3,000m, arriving at the search site on Wednesday. The John Cabot, which has side-scanning sonar capabilities, the Skandi Vinland and the Atlantic Merlin also arrived at the search site on Wednesday morning, the US Coast Guard said in a Twitter post. The Royal Canadian Navy also deployed HMCS Glace Bay, which carries a medical team specialising in dive medicine. Onboard the ship is a six-person mobile hyperbaric recompression chamber that can be used to treat or prevent decompression sickness. However, the French ship Atalante carrying the Victor 6,000 underwater (ROV) and winch the only one capable of reaching the Titanic wreck 4,000m under the ocean surface had a narrow window of time to conduct rescue operations as it only reached the search site on Wednesday night. Thursday (22 June) The air supply on the missing Titanic tourist submarine came down to its last hours, as rescue workers continued their increasingly desperate search for the five stranded passengers. A US Coast Guard spokesperson told The Independent they expect the vessel, named Titan, would run out of oxygen at 8am EDT, which is 1pm UK time, on Thursday. This estimated time is based on the number of hours of oxygen the craft had for the five people on board - 96 - and the time it submerged - 8am EDT, which is 1pm UK time, on Sunday. Soon after that deadline passed, officials announced a debris field had been found in the search area. Five crew members were later confirmed to have died after the Titanic tourist submarine suffered a catastrophic explosion. The US Coast Guard offered its deepest condolences to the families after the tail cone of the vessel was found around 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic wreck. In a press conference, Rear Admiral John Mauger said further debris was consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. In a statement, OceanGate Expeditions said: These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. Asked what the prospects of recovering crew members were, Rear Admiral Mauger said: This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel. And so well continue to work and continue to search the area down there, but I dont have an answer for prospects at this time. Rear Admiral Mauger also said there did not appear to be any connection between the underwater noises detected during the search and rescue mission and the location of the debris on the seafloor. This was a catastrophic implosion of the vessel which would have generated a significant broadband sound down there that the sonar buoys would have picked up, he said. 28 June The search for what remains of the Titan submersible and its passengers concluded, as human remains were found on the sea floor and debris from the vessel returned to dry land in Canada. Large pieces of wreckage from the Titan was seen being transported to St Johns harbour in Newfoundland on Wednesday by the Horizon Arctic ship, where they were unloaded by a crane. The Coast Guard announced just hours later that presumed human remains had been found on the sea floor. They will now be formally analysed. While the search has ended, investigations will continue for some time into what caused the catastrophic implosion of the sub, killing all five passengers on board. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} US Coast officials racing against time to find the missing Titanic expedition submersible said on Wednesday that rescuers spotted mystery objects on the oceans surface. With less than 24 hours of oxygen available, five people aboard the Titan tourist sub remain missing amid frantic searches for any indication that the device is still intact. During a press briefing on Wednesday evening, Captain Jamie Frederick with the US Coast Guard revealed that helicopters flying over the ocean southwest of Newfoundland have spotted objects floating on the surface. Mr Frederick emphasised that efforts are still very much focused on a search and rescue mission and that his team has not found any evidence that the submersible imploded. Instead, he noted, the objects spotted by search crews were most likely not linked to the submersible. In search and rescue missions, when aircraft are flying continuously ... there is stuff out in the ocean floating, Mr Frederick said. We went back, we looked at it. We didnt determine it to be debris, it didnt correlate with the case ... it is not uncommon during an active search. Elsewhere in the press conference, Mr Frederick addressed reports that Canadian sonar equipment has picked up banging noises from an area where the Titan could potentially be stranded. Following those developments, other equipment used in the search was relocated to focus on that specific portion of the ocean. Mr Frederick warned that while he remained hopeful, he couldnt confirm what the noises below the surface were. It is very difficult to discern what the sources of those noises are, at times, Carl Hartsfield with the Oceanographic Systems Laboratory said. ... But I can tell you that this team has multiple sensors, theyre sending back data expeditiously to the best in the world, theyre feeding the results back to the team, and theyre making decisions. The noises, which appeared to be man-made to the untrained ear, were heard again on Wednesday, Mr Hartsfield said. Five vessels are searching a 10,000sqm area for any sign of the OceanGate Expeditions submersible, which lost contact with its support ship less than two hours into its dive. The location of the search site 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod had made it difficult to mobilise large amounts of equipment quickly, Mr Frederick said. However, the French ship Atalante carrying the Victor 6,000 underwater (ROV) and winch the only one capable of reaching the Titanic wreck 4,000m under the ocean surface is only expected to reach the search site on Wednesday night. OceanGate CEO and founder Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood were onboard the submersible vessel when it lost contact with support ship Polar Prince on Sunday. Its believed the submersible had limited rations of food and water, Captain Frederick said. Oxygen levels were just one piece of data being analysed, he added. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A US deep sea explorer who is among the handful of adventurers to travel to the deepest point on Earth says he would not have set foot in the missing submersible vessel that vanished on its way to the site of the Titanic shipwreck. Kelly Walsh, 55, told The Independent the disappearance of the Titan less than two hours into a 4,000m dive in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday was truly sad and avoidable. In 2020, Mr Walsh descended nearly 11,000m beneath the ocean surface to Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, 60 years after his father Don Walsh and French explorer Jacques Piccard became the first humans to reach the famous site. He told The Independent he had watched the desperate rescue mission in horror and sadness, and personally knows two crew members onboard. In the days since the OceanGate Expeditions submersible vessel lost contact with its support vessel, it has emerged that two former employees raised red flags about the construction of the 22-foot carbon fibre and titanium vessel. CBS journalist David Pogue, who journeyed onboard the sub to the Titanic for a story in 2022, wrote that it seemed improvised, with off-the-shelf parts. Stockton Rush, the CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions who is among the five missing crew members, insisted at the time the Titan was safe and that it was built with Boeing and NASA and the University of Washington. NASA has since said it only consulted on materials and manufacturing, but did not conduct testing on the submersible. Mr Walsh said there had been so much speculation and talking-head opinion, some good, some bad about the Titans disappearance. I am not in a position to give expert advice or opinion on the veracity of certain claims or rescue (and) recovery efforts, but I can say that the Titan sub was not something I would have dived in, he told The Independent. And I would have taken the advice of the experts that the technology wasnt ready, and that safety concerns were not being addressed. I hope they find them... but hopes are diminishing. Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard making their way to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 1960 (NOAA Ship Collection) In 2020, Mr Walsh was invited to join financier and adventurer Victor Vescovo on a dive to Challenger Deep in the western Pacific Ocean. He described Mr Vescovo as a visionary who had overseen the construction of the Triton Submarine in Florida for the specific purpose of travelling to the deepest points in all five oceans. After his father made the worlds first trip to Challenger Deep aboard the Trieste in January 1960, no-one returned to the site until 2012, whenTitanic filmmaker James Cameron made the first solo voyage in the Deepsea Challenger submersible. Kelly Walsh after completing an 11,000m dive to Challenger Deep, the deepest location on Earth, in 2020 (Mike Moore / EYOS Experience) Mr Walsh became the 11th person to make a successful dive to Challenger Deep in June 2020. The 12-hour dive involved a four hour descent, four hours at the bottom and another four back to the surface in the 5-foot diameter titanium sphere. The Triton had been built to exacting safety standards with alternative air sources, life support systems, and communications with the support ship which closely monitored its location. If we did get stuck on something, the design of the sub was such that we could jettison any external equipment to break free and float to the surface, Mr Kelly said. He recalls feeling no fear, but a sense of awe and wonder at reaching the bottom of the world, just as his father had six decades earlier. Any thoughts of danger were calmed by the thought that any critical failures would likely be immediate and we wouldnt know what hit us. But the system was safe, tested, certified and had a proven track record of safety and successful dives to full ocean depth, he said. Mr Walsh said he knew there was a very remote chance he wouldnt survive the voyage. But anyone doing this type of thing has to have in the back of their minds that possibility. Submersible pilot Randy Holt, and Stockton Rush, left, CEO of OceanGate Explorations, in the Titan (Associated Press) In addition to paying up to $250,000 per trip, passengers on board the OceanGate Expeditions trips to the Titanic had to sign extensive waiver forms in the event of a tragedy occurring. I just hope that they were given all relevant info before signing on, and that the misgivings were known to them beforehand, he said. I am not involved with the expedition, and only hope for their safe return, despite the overwhelming stakes. A massive air, sea and underwater search and rescue operation in the North Atlantic Ocean is entering its fourth day, with oxygen levels onboard the Titan due to run out on Thursday. British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman were onboard the submersible vessel with Mr Rush. The search operation is being led by the US and Canadian CoastGuards, who have been flying reconnaissance flights and deployed sonar buoys to search for signs of life. Faint banging sounds have been heard for the past two days, US Coast Guard captain Jamie Frederick told a press briefing on Wednesday. The noises were being analysed by the US Navy, and efforts to locate their source them using underwater underwater remote operated vehicle (ROVs) had failed to find anything conclusive, Mr Frederick said. Mr Walsh said the ocean exploration community was not a Wild West endeavour with unsafe operators running amok. One incident shouldnt paint the entire community with the same brush, he told The Independent. In the decades since Trieste there have been astonishingly few accidents or incidents. That record of safe operations doesnt just happen overnight. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are marking the state visit of the Indian leader on Thursday by launching new partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and more sectors as the leaders look to strengthen their countries' crucial albeit complicated relationship. But as Biden fetes Modi, human rights advocates and some U.S. lawmakers are questioning the Democratic president's decision to offer the high honor to a leader whose nine-year tenure over the world's biggest democracy has been marked by a backslide in political, religious and press freedoms. Biden administration officials say honoring Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is Diplomacy 101. The U.S.-India relationship will be vital in coming decades as both sides navigate an ascendant China and enormous challenges posed by climate change, artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience and other issues. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Biden will raise his concerns but will avoid lecturing the prime minister during their formal talks. The question of where politics and the question of democratic institutions go in India is going to be determined within India by Indians. Its not going to be determined by the United States, Sullivan said. So what we can do is our part, and our part is to speak out on behalf of universal values. Among the major announcements to be made Thursday is an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, according to senior Biden administration officials. The officials briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity to preview the major agreements ahead of their formal announcement. The Biden administration also is unveiling plans aimed at bolstering India's semiconductor industry. U.S.-based Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending $800 million and India funding the rest. U.S.-based Applied Materials is announcing it will launch a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers. On the space front, India will sign on to the the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA's lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization also agreed to make a joint mission to the International Space Station next year. The State Department will also announce plans to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, while India will reopen its consulate in Seattle. Despite the major deals, the visit will be shadowed by concerns laid out by rights activists and lawmakers that question Modi's commitment to democratic principles. Modi has faced criticism over legislation amending the countrys citizenship law that fast-tracks naturalization for some migrants but excludes Muslims, a rise in violence against Muslims and other religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, and the recent conviction of Indias top opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, for mocking Modis surname. In 2005, the U.S. revoked Modis visa to the U.S., citing concerns that, as chief minister of Gujarat, he did not act to stop communal violence during 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 people dead. An investigation approved by the Indian Supreme Court later absolved Modi, but the stain of the dark moment has lingered. Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar on Minnesota have said they will boycott Modis address on Thursday before a joint meeting of Congress. And a group of more than 70 lawmakers wrote Biden this week calling on him to use his meeting with Modi to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms. "It is an important country to me, and we must call out some of the real issues that are threatening the viability of of democracy in all of our countries," said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who was born in India and helped organize the lawmakers' letter. "If India continues to backslide, I think it will affect our ability to have a really strong relationship with the country." Biden and Modi have also had differences over Russia's war in Ukraine. India abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions condemning Russia and refused to join the global coalition against Russia. Since the start of the war, the Modi government has also dramatically increased its purchase of Russian oil. White House officials note that there are signs of change in India's relationship with Russia, which has long been New Delhi's biggest defense supplier. India is moving away from Russian military equipment, looking more to the U.S., Israel, the United Kingdom and other nations. Modi recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has spoken out about his worries about the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russia. State visits typically are reserved for America's closest allies, but they also have been used in the past as a carrot to try to strengthen relationships with countries with which the United States has had complicated relationships. President Barack Obama honored Chinese Presidents Hu Jintao in 2011 and Xi Jinping in 2015. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter hosted Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the shah of Iran, and his wife for a state visit. That visit came about 15 months before the shah was overthrown in Iran's Islamic Revolution. Violent clashes between pro- and anti-shah demonstrators broke out just south of the White House, leading police to deploy tear gas as an official ceremony was underway on the South Lawn. The stinging tear gas wafted to the welcoming ceremony. Carter later apologized to the shah for the air pollution." Modis busy itinerary on Thursday includes an Oval Office meeting with Biden, his address to Congress and a lavish White House state dinner hosted by Biden and first lady Jill Biden. Modi, who hasnt taken part in a formal press conference in years, has agreed to participate in one with Biden, according to the White House. Typically, state visits include a news conference in which the leaders take questions from two members of the U.S. press and two from the visiting press corps. Modi is to be honored at a State Department luncheon on Friday hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He also is scheduled to address members of the Indian diaspora before departing Washington. President Biden is invested in making sure we get this partnership between these two countries, between these two peoples, right, Sullivan said, adding that this could "deliver benefits to both of our peoples and to the world as a whole in the decades to come. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Fatima Hussein contributed to this report. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A 96-hour deadline for when oxygen reserves in the missing submersible Titan were expected to run out passed on Thursday morning, with no sign of the vessel or the five crew. While the focus firmly remains on finding survivors aboard the missing submersible, troubling stories of whistleblower warnings, experimental building techniques and faulty communication systems on the OceanGate Expeditions vessel continue to emerge. Employee lawsuits, a letter from leaders in the maritime industry, and comments from the companys CEO Stockton Rush, who is among the missing crewmen, all pointed to potential safety issues with the Titan. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here On Thursday morning, the French vessel Atalante deployed their remote operated vehicle (ROV), one of the only devices capable of reaching a depth of 4,000m where the Titanic wreckage is located, the US Coast Guard said. It joined a massive air, sea and underwater search and rescue operation in the North Atlantic Ocean that is now in its fourth day. Shortly after the latest ROVs deployment, officials announced a debris field had been discovered in the search area. It is currently being evaluated by the US Navy. The US Coast Guard is still treating the hunt for the missing Titan submersible as an active search and rescue. However, the expiration of the predicted 96-hour oxygen window has been widely regarded as a grim sign that the passengers are no longer alive. They include British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, a student at Glasgows Strathclyde University, and Mr Rush. Now, OceanGate will likely come under heightened pressure to explain several remaining unanswered questions related not only to the Titans plight, but also the companys past. The Titan How did it lose contact? The Titan had to ways to communicate with its support ship. Text messages are sent every 15 minutes back and forth. Text messages can be sent back and forth, and safety pings are emitted every 15 minutes to indicate the subs location and that it is still functioning. Both systems stopped working about an hour and 45 minutes after the Titan submerged on Sunday morning. David Pogue, who travelled to the famous wreck site aboard the Titan in 2022, told CBC earlier this week there were only two things that could mean. Either they lost all power or the ship developed a hull breach and it imploded instantly. Both of those are devastatingly hopeless, Mr Pogue said on Tuesday. Were there escape options? The Titan has seven ways to resurface in the event of an emergency. These include thrusters, an inflatable air bladder, and drop weights of sandbags and lead pipes that would fall off in the event of an emergency and bring the vessel up to the surface using buoyancy. The sub can also release its legs. If the crew passes out, the hooks holding the bags will dissolve in sea water. Also, there are used construction pipes sitting on shelves as ballasts. If there was a power failure and/or communication failure, this might have happened, and the submersible would then be bobbing about on the surface waiting to be found, Alistair Greig, a professor of marine engineering at University College London, told the Associated Press earlier this week. Another factor counting against the crew is that the Titan can only be opened from the outside. Why was there a delay in raising the alarm? After the Titan lost contact with support vessel the Polar Prince on Sunday morning, it reportedly took OceanGate another eight hours to notify the Coast Guard that the vessel was missing. Hamish Hardings cousin Kathleen Cosnett has said the delay was very frightening. In an interview with theTelegraph, Ms Cosnett criticised the company for squandering those first few crucial hours. [It] took so long for them to get going to rescue [them], its far too long. I would have thought three hours would be the bare minimum. In a statement released earlier this week, OceanGate said the companys entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families. Years of safety concerns Whistleblower complaints In 2018, OceanGate fired David Lochridge, its director of marine operations, claiming he had breached his contract and shared confidential information about its designs with two individuals and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Mr Lochridge alleged in a wrongful termination suit obtained by The New Republic that he was fired for raising safety concerns. Mr Lochridge allegedly passed on flaws about the ships carbon fibre hull, prevalent flaws in a scale model, flammable materials on board, a viewing window not rated for the Titanics depth to OceanGates senior management. Now is the time to properly address items that may pose a safety risk to personnel, he allegedly said. He claimed in the lawsuit that he requested further testing and outside evaluators like the American Bureau of Shipping to certify the submersible, and that he was fired when he wouldnt authorise manned testing of the sub without scans of the crafts hull. The lawsuit was settled in 2018. The Independent has contacted OceanGate for comment. Catastrophic issues The same year, the Marine Technology Society wrote to OceanGate warning of catastrophic issues with the submarines development. Three dozen industry leaders signed on to the letter expressing unanimous concern with the companys decision not to seek outside testing. While this may demand additional time and expense, the letter, which was obtained by The New York Times, stated. It is our unanimous view that this validation process by a third party is a critical component in the safeguards that protect all submersible occupants. In 2019, OceanGate said in a blog post that the vast majority of marine (and aviation) accidents are a result of operator error, not mechanical failure. OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush (OceanGate) Mr Rush told told Smithsonian Magazine in a 2019 interviewthatsubmarine regulations were stifling innovation. There hasnt been an injury in the commercial sub industry in over 35 years. Its obscenely safe, because they have all these regulations, he said. But it also hasnt innovated or grown because they have all these regulations. In 2020, the CEO told GeekWire the hull of the submarine was showing signs of cyclic fatigue, one of the same technical issues Mr Lochridge allegedly warned about, as the company continued to test the craft, including with a 4,000m deep dive in the Bahamas. As a result, the company temporarily downgraded the Titanic submarines hull depth rating to 3,000m, 1,000 less than the Titanics depth, according to TechCrunch. The Titan went on to make its first dive to the Titanic wreck in 2021, and made more than a dozen trips over the 2021-22 summer seasons. Alarming accounts of past excursions CBS News journalist describes off the shelf components on 2022 dive David Pogue, who journeyed aboard the sub to the Titanic for a story in 2022, wrote that it seemed improvised, with off-the-shelf parts. Mr Pogue wrote that the sub got lost during the dive, but was able to maintain communications with its support vessel. During an hours-long dive, they were unable to find the Titanic shipwreck. CBS News journalist David Pogue raised concerns about the Titan after a dive in 2022 (CBS/WBZ News) I can give you a long list that really seems janky and improvised, Mr Pogue said in an interview this week with CBS. Yes, you pilot the sub with an Xbox game controller. Why? Because its perfect for the task. Up, down, left, right, he said. Mr Rush insisted at the time the Titan was safe and that it was built with Boeing and NASA and the University of Washington. NASA has since said it only consulted on materials and manufacturing, but did not conduct testing on the submersible. Hes done a great job with it Underwater filmmaker David Waud visited the Titanic wreckage in 2021 with OceanGate, traveling with Mr Rush on the missing submersible Titan. He told The Independent that the felt safe on the Titan, and had enormous respect for Mr Stockton, his fellow Princeton alum. Hes done such a great job with it, he said. And obviously, he wouldn't have been down there piloting it almost every single trip, every single dive, if he hadn't had 100 per cent confidence that submersible was okay. Mr Waud, however, said hes been surprised by everything I've been reading about it not being certified. It was only with the benefit of hindsight that he realised just how dangerous the journey was. Mike Reiss The Simpsons writer and producer dived to the Titanic in 2022, and this week recounted the extensive waiver passengers were forced to sign before going on the expedition. Death is always lurking, its always in the back of your mind, the 63-year-old Mr Reiss told the New York Post. Before you even get on the boat, theres a long, long waiver that mentions death three times on page one, Mr Reiss told the Post. The Simpsons writer Mike Reiss travelled on the Titan last year (Reuters/BBC) The only training Mr Reiss received before the trip was how to get into a survival suit. Its like if you took a minivan and took all the seats out, thats the amount of space you have, Mr Reiss said of the submersible. In a separate interview with the BBC, Mr Reiss said he had been on three separate dives with OceanGate and the vessel had almost always lost communication. This is not to say this is a shoddy ship or anything, its just that this is all new technology and theyre learning it as they go along, he said. He added that he wasnt optimistic about finding survivors. I know the logistics of it and I know how vast the ocean is and how very tiny this craft is, he told BBC Breakfast on Monday (19 June). If its down at the bottom I dont know how anyone is going to be able to access it, much less bring it back up, he added. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} British-based Pakistani tycoon and his teenage son are among five people who perished aboard the Titanic tourist submarine. The US Coast Guard announced on Thursday that the remains of the submersible vessel lost in the Atlantic Ocean had been found by an ROV on the ocean bed near the wreck of the famed liner. Its support vessel, the Canadian research icebreaker Polar Prince, lost contact with it approximately one hour and 45 minutes after it submerged on Sunday morning. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here The wreckage of the Titanic which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after it hit an iceberg is located at a depth of 12,500 feet. First discovered in 1985, the ships remains sit in two separate parts southeast of Newfoundland, the most easterly province of Canada. Business advisor Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son Suleman have been named as two of the people on board the submersible. The father and son took part in the expedition with French submersible pilot Paul-Henry Nargeolet and chief executive and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rushton and British billionaire Mr Harding. (Family handout) In a new statement before the discovery of Titans remains, the family described Mr Dawood as a loving father and said Suleman was a university student. 48-year-old business advisor Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood died aboard the Titan (WEF) Shahzada is a loving father to Suleman and Alina, husband to Christine, brother to three siblings, and son to Hussain & Kulsum Dawood. His 19-year-old son, Suleman Dawood, is currently a university student, the statement said. Shahzada has been actively advocating a culture of learning, sustainability, and diversity in his capacity as Vice Chairman of Pakistans Engro Corporation. Passionate about social impact, he works extensively with the Engro Foundation, The Dawood Foundation, the SETI Institute, and Princes Trust International. Out of the office, he has spoken passionately at the United Nations in 2020 on International Day for Women & Girls in Science and Oxford Union in 2022. His interests include photography, especially wildlife photography, and exploring different natural habitats while Suleman is a big fan of science fiction literature and learning new things. Suleman also takes a keen interest in solving Rubiks Cubes and enjoys playing volleyball. Mr Dawood, who was a business advisor serving on the board for Princes Trust International, lived in a Surrey mansion with his wife Christine, son Suleman and daughter Alina, according to MailOnline. The Dawood family is among the richest in Pakistan but has strong links to the UK. This image shows the 4am start of the RMS Titanic Expedition Mission 5 on the morning of 18 June 2023 (Dirty Dozen Productions/AFP/Getty) Mr Dawood studied Law at the University of Buckingham in 1998, later completing a masters degree in Textile Marketing at the University of Philadelphia in 2000. Mr Dawoods father, 79-year-old Hussain Dawood, is the chairman of the Pakistan-based Dawood Hercules Corporation as well as the Engro Corporation, responsible for manufacturing chemicals and fertilisers, food and energy respectively. Mr Dawood was the vice-chairman of both his fathers companies as well as a member of the founders circle of British Asian Trust, an international development organisation working across South Asia. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Stockton Rush, the CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, was aboard his companys Titan submarine that imploded after going missing on Sunday en route to the wreck of HMS Titanic around 370 miles east of the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. The US Coast Guard announced during a Thursday press conference that the missing Titans pressure chamber was found among other debris, approximately 1600 feet from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor by an ROV (remote-operated vehicle). In a statement to The Independent, OceanGate the private company that offers the $250,000-a-seat expedition confirmed that the five passengers aboard the vessel are now believed dead. The Titan was a cramped 22-feet long cylinder with an aerospace-grade carbon fibre hull capped with titanium hemispheres at each end, boasting a massive viewport window and 4K cameras to relay the marine environment outside back to those within but is otherwise sparse indeed. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here. Astonishingly, the craft was controlled by a generic video games controller specifically a Logitech F710 Wireless PC Gamepad from 2011, according to gaming expert Matthew Ruddle and, rather than using a GPS for navigation, it communicated with a tracking team aboard a surface ship, in this case the Canadian icebreaker the Polar Prince, via text messages. (OceanGate) According to Mr Rushs biography on his companys website, he graduated from Princeton University with a BSE in aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering in 1984 and later from UC Berkeley Haas School of Business with an MBA in 1989. He began his career as a pilot, qualifying from the United Airlines Jet Training Institute in 1981 at the age of 19 and serving as a DC-8 first officer on flights to Europe and the Middle East during his summers between college. In the year he left Princeton, Mr Rush joined the McDonnell Douglas Corporation as a flight test engineer on its F-15 program, spending two years at Edwards Air Force Base on its APG-63 radar test and anti-missile programs. In the year he left UC Berkeley, he personally built a Glasair III experimental aircraft, which he still owns and flies, and subsequently constructed a heavily-modified Kittredge K-350 two-man submarine, in which he has conducted more than 30 dives. The OceanGate Expeditions submersible Titan (American Photo Archive/Alamy/PA) Between 2003 and 2007 he served on the Museum of Flights Board of Trustees in Seattle, Washington, also chairing the institutions Development Committee for a year during his tenure. He founded OceanGate Expeditions in 2009 the company based in Everett, Washington and the non-profit OceanGate Foundation in 2012 while also sitting on the board of BlueView Technologies, a manufacturer of high-frequency sonar systems that acquired subsea tech developer Teledyne in 2012. Mr Rush also served on the board of enterprise software company Entomo and as chairman of Remote Control Technology, whose clients include Exxon, Conoco-Philips and Boeing. He was interviewed about his Titan sub on a CBS Sunday Morning featurette last November and cheerily emphasised its homemade aspects, also pointing out handles affixed to the ceiling of the craft that he said he had bought from Camper World but denied that the vessel has been MacGyvered or jerry-rigged. I dont know if Id use that description of it. But, there are certain things that you want to be buttoned down, Mr Rush told reporter David Pogue. The pressure vessel is not MacGyver at all, because thats where we worked with Boeing and Nasa and the University of Washington. Everything else can fail, your thrusters can go, your lights can go. Youre still going to be safe. Mr Rush was also interviewed by Mr Pogue for the latters Unsung Science podcast that same month on which he was asked what he worried about at the depths of the ocean and answered: What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface. Overhangs, fish nets, entanglement hazards. The interior of the Titan (PA) On the safety of his missions more generally, he said: I dont think its very dangerous. If you look at submersible activity over the last three decades, there hasnt even been a major injury, let alone a fatality. What worries us is not once youre underwater. What worries me is when Im getting you there, when youre on the ship in icy states with big doors that can crush your hands and people who may not have the best balance who fall down, bang their head. Thats, to me, the dangerous part. Perhaps most revealingly of all, he added: You know, at some point, safety just is pure waste. I mean, if you just want to be safe, dont get out of bed. Dont get in your car. Dont do anything. Mr Rush also spoke to the BBC last year to promote his lucrative Titanic tours venture, which costs customers $250,000 (195,000) per trip, telling viewers that deep sea travel is amazing. Its just such a different experience. Its a totally different emotion. Explaining the appeal of pursuing the ghostly wreck of the doomed liner in particular, he said simply: I read an article that said there are three words in the English language which are known throughout the planet. Thats Coca-Cola, God and Titanic. On Tuesday 20 June, it emerged that Mr Rush had been sued for fraud by a Florida couple who claimed their planned deep-sea voyage to the Titanic was repeatedly cancelled and attempts to secure a refund were ignored. Marc and Sharon Hagle filed a lawsuit in Orange County in February that accused CEO Stockton Rush of defrauding them of $210,258 which they paid to secure two berths on a 2018 trip to the famed North Atlantic shipwreck. The Hagles allege that they signed a contract and paid deposits in November 2016 to become one of the first of OceanGates paying customers soon after the Titanic expeditions were first publicised. The Hagles further stated that Mr Rush made false representations that the vessel would be ready to dive to the Titanic by June 2018, and convinced them to sign a second contract pay the full $105,129 per-person fee. The promised trip to the Titanic wreck in 2018 was later cancelled as OceanGate had not had sufficient time to certify the Titan to travel to the 4,000m depth, the Hagles said. In addition to Mr Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman were also on board the Titan. All five passengers are presumed dead following the discovery of debris on Thursday. The Coast Guard says that ROVs will remain in place but that it will begin to pull back equipment over the next 48 hours. This is an incredibly unforgiving environment out there on the sea floor. The debris is consistent with the catastrophic implosion of the vessel. We will continue to work and search the area down there but I dont have an answer on prospects at this time, said Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard. The Rear Admiral said that sonar buoys had been in the water for the past 72 hours and that they had not picked up any evidence of an implosion, suggesting that it had happened early on in the dive. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The five crew members on board the missing submersible Titan died in a catastrophic implosion, the US Coast Guard has confirmed. Oceangate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, British billionaire Hamish Harding, and French adventurer Paul-Henri Nargeolet were on board the Titan when it lost communications with a support ship less than two hours into a 4,000m dive to the Titanic shipwreck on Sunday. A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) located pieces of debris from the Titan on the seabed about 500m from the bow of the Titanic wreck on Thursday morning Rear Admiral John Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, told a press briefing. The debris was analysed and confirmed to belong to the Titan, and family members were informed there had been no survivors. The bodies of the five deceased crew members may never be found, Admiral Mauger added. This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel. I can only imagine what this has been like for them and I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time. An OceanGate spokesperson confirmed that the five crew members had sadly been lost in a statement to The Independent. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. The Titan submersible vanished 105 minutes after launching from the Polar Prince icebreaker research ship about 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod on Sunday morning. The Titans twin communication systems texts and electronic pings suddenly stopped communicating with the support vessel, and no further sign of life was detected until Thursdays grim discovery. A sweeping search effort involving Canadian Boeing P-8 Poseidon and C-130 Hercules reconnaissance aircraft, 10 vessels and underwater sonar buoys had been combing an area of the North Atlantic Ocean twice the size of Connecticut for the past several days. Slim hopes of finding survivors fell when the US Coast Guard revealed on Thursday morning that a debris field had been found near the Titanic shipwreck by a a remote operated vehicle (ROV) searching for the missing Titan submersible. The five crew members confirmed to have died are, clockwise from top left, Hamish Harding, Stockton Rush, Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet (Dirty Dozen Productions/OceanGate/AFP/Getty) The US Coast Guard said it had found five major pieces of debris. The ROV initially found a nose cone, a component found outside the pressure hull. It then found a large debris field where a part of the pressure hull was still intact. The robotic search crew then found a second debris field where the other end of the pressure hull was located. When asked whether survivors could have been found if the search and rescue mission reached the stricken sub earlier, Adm Mauger repeated that the vessel had suffered a catastrophic implosion. Sonar devices deployed during the search mission had not picked up any signs of an explosion, Adm Mauger said. It was too soon to say whether there would be a criminal investigation into the loss of life, he added. OceanGate has confirmed there were no survivors on the missing submersible Titan (PA Media) The search teams had been racing to find the Titan before a 96-hour deadline passed on Thursday morning when the vessels oxygen reserves were expected to extinguish. An OceanGate spokesperson told The Independent: This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organizations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission. We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families. This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time. Lacking the specialist ROVs necessary to operate at the Titanic shipwrecks location, officials had to coordinate a multi-national response at breakneck speed involving private companies from at least five countries. This June 22, 2023, satellite image courtesy of Maxar Technologies shows the Horizon Arctic (2nd from top), Deep Energy (C) and Skandi Vinland (bottom) searching on Thursday for the missing Titan submersible (Maxar Tech/AFP/Getty) An ROV from the Horizon Arctic, a 307-ft Canadian vessel, located the debris field, the Coast Guard said. In the days after the vessel disappeared, stories of whistleblower warnings, experimental building techniques and faulty communication systems on the OceanGate Expeditions vessel emerged. Mr Rush, the founder and CEO of OceanGate, had been on many of the Titans 13 previous trips to the famed shipwreck and insisted the submersible was safe in interviews. The Titan had seven onboard mechanisms to resurface in the event of an emergency. They included thrusters, an inflatable air bladder, and drop weights of sandbags and lead pipes that would fall off in the event of an emergency and bring the vessel up to the surface using buoyancy. If the crew was incapacitated, hooks holding the sandbags were designed to dissolve in sea water, allowing the vessel to rise to the surface. Its unclear if any of these safety measures were activated. Trevor Hale, a spokesman for The Explorers Club, told The Independent that debris discovered on Thursday contained components of the Titan lost on a previous dive. We understand debris has been found which may be the landing frame and a rear cover of the tail instrument compartment of the Titan lost on previous dives. We hear there may be additional debris but no updated visuals of the submersible. Two of the missing crew members, Mr Harding and Mr Nargeolet, are members of The Explorers Club. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} It has now been three days since contact was lost with a submersible diving towards the wreck of the RMS Titanic 3,800 meters below the surface of the sea. The Titan, built and operated by an undersea adventure tourism company called OceanGate Expeditions, remained missing as of Wednesday evening. There are five people onboard: OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, renowned French river Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British-Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman. The vessel set off for its excursion to the Titanics underwater grave 13,000 feet below the waters surface on Sunday morning. It lost contact with its mother ship, the Polar Prince, after one hour and 45 minutes. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here A massive multinational search is now underway as officials say the five passengers will run out of oxygen by 8am ET (1pm GMT) on Thursday. More than 10,000 square miles of the North Atlantic have been searched so far, according to the US Coast Guard, with reports that regular tapping sounds were picked up by sonar both on Tuesday and Wednesday, providing fresh hope that the occupants are alive and Titan might yet be found. Five additional rescue vessels will arrive in the next 24-48 hours, after the estimated time when the Titans oxygen reserves will have been exhausted. However, the French ship Atalante carrying the Victor 6,000 underwater (ROV) and winch the only one capable of reaching the Titanic wreck 4,000m under the ocean surface will have a narrow window of time to conduct rescue operations as it is only expected to reach the search site on Wednesday night. Although we still don't know what might have happened to them, experts have cohered around three basic scenarios, none of which are good news for the crew or their families. Catastrophic implosion Arguably the worse case scenario is a catastrophic rupture in the submersible's outer shell, causing an implosion that would kill everyone aboard very quickly. The wreck of theTitanic sits around 3,800m below sea level, where the water pressure bearing down on any given object is roughly 376 times greater than that exerted by Earth's atmosphere. Humans cannot survive that kind of pressure, which is why we need a submersible. But, according to Australian robotics professor Stefan B Williams, that level of danger makes the margin of error small. "Although the Titans composite hull is built to withstand intense deep-sea pressures, any defect in its shape or build could compromise its integrity in which case theres a risk of implosion," wrote Mr Williams in The Conversation. Industry insiders told The Guardian that the Titan would probably have reached a depth of around 3,500 meters by the time communication was lost, meaning the pressure would be equal to 345 times Earth's atmosphere. The vessel had a real-time monitoring system to detect any problems with the hull. In theory, that would give its operators enough time to send word of a problem or begin procedures to make an emergency surfacing. Five things we know about the missing Titanic submersible However, the Titan lost contact with its mother ship without any other indications of a problem, suggesting whatever happened may have happened very quickly. If somethings gone wrong, theres a good chance its gone very wrong, Mr Williams told The Guardian. If the pressure vessel has failed catastrophically, its like a small bomb going off. The potential is that all the safety devices might be destroyed in the process. A similarly deadly scenario would be if there was a fire on board the Titan, perhaps started by a short circuit in one of its electrical systems. If the Titan did not implode, it may still be trapped underneath the water with the occupants running out of oxygen, experts said. Trapped underwater There are many reasons for that, ranging from a somehow non-catastrophic leak to getting stuck on a piece of the Titanic wreckage, which is strewn about a wide area of the ocean floor. Butch Hendrick, president and founder of the dive training company Lifeguard Systems, told CBS News that the submersible "could have gotten itself entangled somewhere", causing the communications antenna to become "dislodged" and "broken". Frank Owen, a retired Royal Australian Navy official who specialises in submarine escape and rescue, likewise told The Guardian: "There are parts of [the Titanic] all over the place. Its dangerous." Although the Titan does not require any engine power in order to surface, getting caught on debris or taking on water could prevent it from doing so. Ex-British Navy officer reveals 'concerning timescales' of missing Titanic sub In that case, the crew would be forced to sit and wait for rescue in a region of the ocean too deep for any human diver or almost any other vehicle to reach. "There's no opening a gate, there's no opening a window, there's no making an interactive lock," Mr Hendrick said. As well as dwindling oxygen, the crew might be dealing with hunger and low temperatures. If the life support systems have failed, the interior of the Titan will be extremely cold, since no sunlight reaches that far down in the ocean. And according to science journalist David Pogue, who travelled on the Titan last year, crew usually only have a sandwich and a bottle of water along with them. Even if a rescue vehicle could get down there in time, it would be tough to spot the Titan. The actual nature of the seabed is very undulating. Titanic herself lies in a trench. Theres lots of debris around," retired UK Royal Navy rear admiral Chris Parry told Sky News. "So trying to differentiate, with sonar in particular, and trying to target the area you want to search in with another submersible is going to be very difficult indeed. Surfaced but lost The best case scenario is that the Titan has actually surfaced, and is now floating on the Atlantic Ocean waiting to be spotted and rescued. The Titan depends on constant communication with its mother ship in order to navigate, as it has no GPS or other guidance systems. During David Pogues trip on the mothership last year, though not while he was on the sub itself, that communication was lost for about five hours. Yet according to CNN, the Titan uses ballast to stay underwater, and that ballast can be dislodged by occupants deliberately rocking the ship or by using a pneumatic pump to knock it free. The lines securing the ballast are also designed to fall apart after 24 hours. Hence, if the only problem was that the sub had lost communication, or if something else had gone wrong that did not sink the sub, the crew should have been able to surface by now. That would not mean they are out of the woods. According to reports, the Titan's hatch is bolted from the outside, and cannot be opened from the inside. Since the vessel is airtight, that would leave the crew still dependent on its oxygen supply. Although the vessel reportedly has an array of equipment to help it be spotted on the surface, such as lights and reflectors, rescuers would still have a tough job locating it. And on Monday, Mr Pogue said the sub did not, as far as he knew, have any kind of transmission beacon similar to those used on other boats to help rescuers find their way. On Sunday, June 19, a group of Neo-Nazis known as NSC-131 attempted to interrupt a Drag Queen Story Hour event at the Teatotaller, an LGBTQ+-friendly cafe in Concord, New Hampshire. The next day, Leo Anthony Cullinan, the President of the New Hampshire Chapter of NSC-131, was found dead at his home. We've got some verified Nazis today! Golly, I didn't order those pic.twitter.com/3VvIZbCerd Juicy Garland (@JuicyGarland) June 18, 2023 It's unknown if Cullinan was actually present at the Drag Queen Story Hour event, as the members of NSC-131 were all masked. While no information about his death has been released, local authorities have stated that there is no indication of suspicious activity. Any connection to the Drag Queen Story Hour event is purely coincidental. Back in January, Cullinan was one of several NSC-131 members named in a Civil Rights violation for hanging a "Keep New England white" banner on state-owned property. The charges were initially dismissed earlier this month, though the state has an active motion in front of the judge to reconsider. From WGBH: The civil complaint alleges that at least 10 members of the group from New Hampshire, Massachusetts and other New England states took part in the Civil Rights Act violation, and therefore the Nationalist Socialist Club "as an unincorporated association" can be liable for violating the Civil Rights Act. An unincorporated association, under the law, essentially means that the group operated as a team or, in the case of NSC-131, as a criminal gang, according to the New Hampshire Civil Rights DIvision of the Attorney General's Office. Early this year, Cullinan was also arrested in an incident involving an allegedly hazardous material left at a federal court house. According to The Boston Globe, Cullinan was on probation following drug possession charges, and had also assaulted an officer at the correctional facility. He was also under criminal indictment, though it's not clear which case that's connected to. The Concord Monitor added that Cullinan had also been involved in an incident in May 2022 alongside Chris Hood, the national leader of NSC-131. The two men reportedly threatened and assaulted an individual in a parking lot whom they had accused of being a "member" of "Antifa." Leader of New Hampshire neo-Nazi group NSC-131 dies a day after they disturbed Teatotaller's drag queen story hour [Jacqueline Cole / Concord Monitor] Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The wife of missing OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush is descended from a pair of Titanic victims, says a report. Wendy Rush, the OceanGate communications director, is the great-great-grandchild of Titanic passengers Isidor and Ida Straus, according to The New York Times. First-class passenger Isidor Straus refused to take a seat on a lifeboat when women and children were still waiting to get off the sinking ship, and he was joined by his wife Ida, who would not leave his side. The ill-fated White Star liner RMS Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic (Getty Images) The couple, who were among the richest passengers aboard, were seen standing arm-in-arm on the deck of the liner when it went down, says the newspaper. The RMS Titanics final resting spot is approximately 370 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada in the North Atlantic Ocean. It sank in 1912, killing approximately 1,500 people on board. Its coordinates are 414332N, 495649W. The wreckage was discovered in 1985 and named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012. Mr Straus was born in 1845 and was a co-owner of Macys department store, reported the Times. A fictionalized version of the couples story was seen in the 1997 film Titanic by James Cameron, which featured a shot of an older couple embracing in bed as the cold Atlantic waters rose around their cabin. Wendy Rush, the OceanGate communications director, is the great-great-grandchild of Titanic victims Isidor and Ida Straus, according to The New York Times (LinkedIn) Mr Strauss body was found at sea several weeks after the Titanic sank, while his wifes remains were never discovered, according to the papers archives. Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood are missing along with British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Mr Rush. The Titan sub began its journey to the wreck site, which sits at a depth of 12,500 in the Atlantic Ocean, on Sunday morning. About an hour and 45 minutes later, the Titan lost contact with its surface ship, the Polar Prince. The Titan is equipped with a four-day emergency oxygen supply. Officials say that a Canadian aircraft involved in the search detected intermittent banging noises from the vicinity of its last known location. Mr Dawood and his son, who are both British citizens, are part of a prominent Pakistani family, which has investments in the countrys agriculture and industry. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The bodies of the five passengers aboard the Titanic sub that was lost in a catastrophic implosion near the wreck may never be recovered from the Atlantic, says the US Coast Guard. The pressure chamber of the OceanGate Titan was found among other debris, approximately 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor by a remote operated vehicle (ROV) on Thursday. This is an incredibly unforgiving environment out there on the sea floor. The debris is consistent with the catastrophic implosion of the vessel. We will continue to work and search the area down there but I dont have an answer on prospects at this time, said Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here And he added: This is an incredibly complex operating environment on the sea floor over two miles beneath the surface. The Coast Guard says that ROVs will remain in place but that it will begin to pull back equipment over the next 48 hours. The Rear Admiral said that sonar buoys had been in the water for the past 72 hours and that they had not picked up any evidence of an implosion, suggesting that it had happened early on in the dive. The Titan suffered a catastrophic implosion (PA Media) Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood were lost along with CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding and renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Titan began its journey to the wreck site, which sits at a depth of 12,500ft in the Atlantic Ocean, on Sunday morning. About an hour and 45 minutes later, the Titan lost contact with its surface ship, the Polar Prince. The Titan was equipped with a four-day emergency oxygen supply. Officials say that a Canadian aircraft involved in the search detected intermittent banging noises from the vicinity of its last known location. Mr Dawood and his son, who are both British citizens, are part of a prominent Pakistani family, with investments in the countrys agriculture and industry sectors. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Families of victims who perished in the 1912 sinking of the Titanic have questioned the moral aspect of an expedition tour to the wreckage that is now lost at sea. The US Coast Guard, along with the Canadian Navy, continue the gruelling search for five passengers aboard the Titan submersible past the deadline for their supply of oxygen. OceanGate, the company that operates the submersible, projected that the crew had 96 hours of available oxygen after Titan went missing on Sunday, which has raised fears they ran out of oxygen around 5.30am EDT. Coast Guard officials said on Thursday afternoon that they had found a debris field near the search area, noting that the developments will be discussed during a press conference later in the day. Meanwhile, the company behind the tour, which has launched expeditions to the Titanic since 2021, has faced backlash over safety concerns and the dark tourism associated with the trip. In an interview with CNN, John Locascio, whose uncles Alberto and Sebastiano Peracchio died in the Titanic sinking, characterised the Titan tour as morbid and criticised the hefty pricetag passengers paid to see the site of the wreckage. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here I compare it to looking inside a grave. I mean, people died there tragically, very tragically. Why make it a place for people to go see? Dead bodies are there, or whats left of them, Mr Locascio told the network. Mr Locascios uncles, who were 17 and 20 when they drowned, were among more than 1,500 victims who lost their lives in the tragedy. Most bodies have never been recovered because, according to experts, it is nearly impossible to reach the ocean floor where the remains are scattered. The ship is there, or whats left of it, and its just a peaceful site there right now, or as peaceful as can be, Mr Locascio went on to say. ... if my soul was there, I wouldnt want people coming down to take a look at me I dont feel that it would be a very comfortable situation, to have people just looking, ogling. It makes no sense. Mr Locascios wife Angelica Harris, who wrote a book about the Peracchio siblings titled Two Boys and a Dream, urged potential visitors in the future not to trivialise the tragic events that took place inside the ship. If youre going to go down there, just revere the Titanic as a grave, Ms Harris told CNN. As a place where, you know, a loved one is. I mean, for us, its our uncles who are our loved ones, but there are many other loved ones who are there and its obvious by the shoes that are being found, and the jewellery, and the plates. She added: Just by looking at Titanic you could see the tragedy and the violence. They died by violence. They didnt die peacefully. It wasnt like they fell asleep and woke up the next day in heaven. John Locascio, whose uncles Alberto and Sebastiano Peracchio died in the Titanic sinking, characterised the Titan tour as morbid (Getty Images) Aboard theTitan are CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood. The watercraft submerged on Sunday morning from its support vessel to travel to the Titanic wreckage which sits at a depth of 12,500ft. About an hour and 45 minutes later, the Titan lost contact with its surface ship, the Polar Prince. Although the deadline for available oxygen has passed, the search for the missing submersible continues. OceanGate co-founder Guillermo Sohnlein told CNN that the crew would have realised days ago that the best thing they can do to ensure their rescue is to extend the limits of those supplies by relaxing as much as possible. The US Coast Guard, along with the Canadian Navy continue the gruelling search for five passengers aboard the Titan submersible past the deadline for their supply of oxygen (AFP via Getty Images) Based on the crew members expertise, the window available for the suspected rescue time is longer than what most people think, he added. At this time, however, it remains a mystery what happened after the submersible lost contact with its mother ship. Experts have theorised that the vessel could be stuck in the wreckage of the Titanic, floating on the surface if an emergency option was activated, or could have possibly imploded already. The US Coast Guard announced on Thursday that an ROV, or remotely-operated vehicle, discovered a debris field near the Titanic wreckage in the search for the missing submersible. It is unclear whether the debris is believed to be linked to the Titan, and experts with the agency will address the findings later on Thursday. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Secret US Navy underwater microphones detected the Titan subs implosion several days ago, officials say. The Navy used a top secret acoustic detection system to search for any sign of the OceanGate Expeditions submersible soon after it was reported missing on Sunday, a US Defense official told The Wall Street Journal. The claim was also reported by the Associated Press. An implosion was heard near the site where debris was located on Thursday, about 500m from the Titanic shipwreck, soon after the sub disappeared, according to the report. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here The system is used to monitor enemy submarines, and the Navy asked that it not be identified due to national security concerns, the Journal reported. The U.S. Navy conducted an analysis of acoustic data and detected an anomaly consistent with an implosion or explosion in the general vicinity of where the Titan submersible was operating when communications were lost, a senior official told The Wall Street Journal in a statement. While not definitive, this information was immediately shared with the Incident Commander to assist with the ongoing search and rescue mission. The Navy reported the sound to the US Coast Guard command, the official added. The Independent has contacted the US Navy for comment. The US Navy used a passive sonar system known as a Sound Surveillance System to monitor Soviet submarines during the Cold War. The five crew members confirmed to have died are, clockwise from top left, Hamish Harding, Stockton Rush, Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet (Dirty Dozen Productions/OceanGate/AFP/Getty) On Thursday, the US Coast Guard revealed that the five Titan crew members died in a catastrophic implosion soon after it lost contact with its support ship on a 4,000m dive to the Titanic shipwreck on Sunday morning. OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, British billionaire Hamish Harding, and French adventurer Paul-Henri Nargeolet were on board the Titan when it lost communications with a support ship less than two hours into on Sunday. A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) located pieces of debris from the Titan on the seabed 1,600ft (about 500m) from the bow of the Titanic wreck on Thursday morning, Rear Admiral John Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, told a press briefing. The US Coast Guard said it had found five major pieces of debris in two fields containing separate ends of the pressure hull. Admiral Mauger implied that none of the crew members could have survived the catastrophic implosion. This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel. Hardings family paid tribute to the billionaire businessman, aviator and explorer in a statement through his company Action Aviation on Thursday. He was one of a kind and we adored him. He was a passionate explorer whatever the terrain who lived his life for his family, his business and for the next adventure, the statement read. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Oxygen on the missing Titanic tourist submersible was expected to run out on Thursday morning - leaving many wondering if the US Coast Guard will cease their search and rescue efforts. Typically, when a person, or people, are lost at sea the Coast Guard appoints a mission coordinator to run a search and rescue operation. However, when there is no chance that person is alive or able to be retrieved they will call off the mission. At the moment, the US Coast Guard is still conducting its search and rescue operation for the five people aboard a 22-foot-long submersible. We continue to keep the crew members and the families in our thoughts as we proceed with this search and rescue while were cognisant of the time and weve factored in a lot of data and information into the search, Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard told Sky News. He added: This is still an active search and rescue at this point and were using the equipment that we have on the bottom right now, the remote operated vehicles (ROVs) to expand our search capability, and then also to provide rescue capability as well. Additional vessels equipped with ROVS arrived on Thursday morning in the remote part of the North Atlantic Ocean, where the submersible was last seen. The additional vessels include the French research vessel LAtalante, which is equipped with an ROV, and the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic also equipped with an ROV. The ROVs will search the sea floor for any sign of the submersible. Bahamanian research vessel 'Deep Energy' on site during the ongoing search for the 21-foot submersible Titan, in Boston (US Coast Guard.EPA) Currently aboard the Titan are OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his teenage son Suleman Dawood. The five went missing on Sunday (18 June) while on an expedition to view the Titanic wreckage. The vessel was equipped with 96 hours of emergency oxygen, which the US Coast Guard estimated would run out by Thursday morning. In a press conference on Wednesday (21 June), Captain Jamie Frederick of the US Coast Guard expressed hope for the people aboard the Titan as well as their families. Mr Frederick reminded people that the oxygen limit is just one of many factors contributing to the search and rescue operation. The Coast Guard is expected to give more updates in a press conference on Thursday. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The OceanGate Titan sub that went missing on an expedition to the Titanic wreck was deliberately designed to be low-tech, according to a subcontractor who worked on it. Doug Virnig, who helped develop the Titan, told CNN that OceanGate used off-the-shelf technology such as a Logitech video game controller, to save on research and development costs. It seems kind of cheesy, but if you knew the amount of technology that was packed in that controller and its capabilities, and the amount of money that it costs to develop something like that, its just off the charts, he told the news network of the $29.99 controller. The submersible vessel named Titan, which is used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic (OceanGate Expeditions) (PA Media) So if you can take these components off the shelf and incorporate them into a project like this, where you dont have the research and development timelines and expense, that I believe is a wise choice. But Mr Virnig said that OceanGate had gone cutting edge where they needed to and incorporated a good bit of conventional wisdom into the development of the submersible. And he said that he believed the sub would eventually be found. It has a titanium dome door and thats not going anywhere, Mr Virnig said. That thing is indestructible Its a huge hunk of metal, so there are ways to detect that and theyll find it. The US Coast Guard announced on Thursday morning that a debris field had been found in the search area near the Titanic as the sub was thought to have run out of oxygen. Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood are missing along with CEO and founder of OceanGate ExpeditionsStockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding and renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Titan began its journey to the wreck site, which sits at a depth of 12,500 in the Atlantic Ocean, on Sunday morning. About an hour and 45 minutes later, the Titan lost contact with its surface ship, the Polar Prince. The Titan is equipped with a four-day emergency oxygen supply. Officials say that a Canadian aircraft involved in the search detected intermittent banging noises from the vicinity of its last known location. Mr Dawood and his son, who are both British citizens, are part of one of Pakistans leading families, with investments in the countrys agriculture and industry. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Watch a view of St. Johns Harbor, in Newfoundland, Canada, where the missing Titan submarine departed on Sunday 18 June before losing contact with surface crews. A frantic final search is underway, with rescue teams looking for the missing vessel facing a race against the clock with only hours of oxygen left. In the past few days, the US Coast Guard has confirmed a Canadian aircraft searching for the sub in the Atlantic Ocean detected intermittent banging noises from the vicinity of its last known location. However, authorities have clarified that they dont know the source of the noise. Additional support arrived on Thursday morning (22 June) to help with the search, with the oxygen supply in the Titan expected to run out by 1pm UK time. CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood are all onboard the watercraft. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Titanic tourist sub that was lost with five passengers aboard near the wreck of the famed liner likely imploded hours before a massive search and rescue was even launched, says the US Coast Guard. OceanGate Expeditions Titan submersible began its journey to the wreck site, which sits at a depth of 12,500ft at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, on Sunday morning. About an hour and 45 minutes later, the Titan lost contact with its surface ship, the Polar Prince. Rear Admiral John Mauger of the US Coast Guard said on Thursday that Titan had suffered a catastrophic loss of its pressure chamber, leading to the deaths of everyone inside it. Follow the latest updates on the missing Titanic submarine here Right now it is too early to tell with that, he said when asked if the Coast Guard could give a specific time on the subs fatal implosion. And he added: This was an incredibly complex case and we are still working to develop the details of the timeline involved in this casualty and response. He stated that search and rescue teams from Canada and the US had been listening for noises from the ocean floor for more than 72 hours and had not heard the fatal implosion that destroyed Titan. We know that during the search we have had sonar buoys in the water nearly continuously and have not detected any catastrophic events. And he went on to call the remote area of the Atlantic where the search had taken place an Incredibly difficult and dangerous environment to work in. This is an incredibly complex operating environment on the sea floor over two miles beneath the surface, he said. Rear Admiral John Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, speaks during a press conference to confirm the sub had suffered a catastrophic implosion (REUTERS) Debris from the Titan was found by a remote operated vehicle (ROV) around 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic and the families of the victims were immediately informed, officials said. Rear Admiral Mauger said that the search and rescue teams had mobilised the appropriate equipment to try and find the Titan submersible. So we really had the right gear on-site and worked as swiftly as possible to bring all of the capabilities that we had to bear to this search and rescue effort, he said. And he insisted that teams had been able to mobilise an immense amount of gear to the site in just really a remarkable amount of time. A satellite image shows ships taking part in the search and rescue operations associated with the missing Titan submersible near the wreck of the Titanic (Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS) Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood were lost along with CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding and renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Titan began its journey to the wreck site, which sits at a depth of 12,500 in the Atlantic Ocean, on Sunday morning. About an hour and 45 minutes later, the Titan lost contact with its surface ship, the Polar Prince. The Titan was equipped with a four-day emergency oxygen supply. Officials say that a Canadian aircraft involved in the search detected intermittent banging noises from the vicinity of its last known location. Mr Dawood and his son, who were both British citizens, are part of a prominent Pakistani family, with investments in the countrys agriculture and industry sectors. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Close friends of those stranded on the missing Titanic tourist submarine are urging the rescue mission to continue, despite the suggestion they have run out of oxygen, as experts suggest the near-freezing temperatures could keep the five alive longer than predicted. After the US Coast Guard estimated the vessel will have run out of oxygen at 1pm UK time on Thursday, an explorer friend of British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding said he believes several factors mean they could have longer than first thought. Professor Mark Hannaford, the founder of World Extreme Medicine, said that we should not give up hope for his friend and the four others on board the Titan, while co-founder of OceanGate Guillermo Sohnlein said: I continue to hold out hope for my friend [Stockton Rush] and the rest of the crew. A US Coast Guard spokesperson told The Independent they estimate the vessel will have run out of oxygen at 1pm UK time on Thursday (PA Media) The US Coast Guard spokesperson said the estimated time that air supplies were set to run out is based on the number of hours of oxygen the craft had for the five people on board - 96 - and the time it submerged - 1pm UK time on Sunday. However, experts suggest the five will be cold and most likely hypothermic, which leads to a reduction in the amount of oxygen consumed - and the assumption the Titan is equipped with an emergency oxygen supply to last only four days is based on five people operating normally in ordinary conditions. The Explorers Club, a network of experienced explorers, said it believes crew conservation and the near-freezing temperatures could prolong life support, despite the depleting supplies. The crew will be aware of this and will actively exercise conservation, said the group, which has two members stranded on the submersible, Mr Harding and renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Its President Richard Garriott de Cayeu said: We remain hopeful for the successful rescue of the five crew members. Therefore, Mr Hannaford told The Independent: We should not conclude the opportunity to rescue them. All efforts should continue until the point of impossibility. We shouldnt give up hope as we dont know whats going on down there. Mr Sohnlein, the co-founder of the company that led the expedition to the Titanic wreck, spoke out about the missing submersible for the first time on Thursday morning, echoing what Mr Hannaford is calling for. A massive search and rescue operation has been ongoing for four days after the watercraft submerged on Sunday morning from its support vessel (PA Wire) Describing Thursday as a critical day due to dwindling life support supplies, he told of firmly believing the time window available for their rescue is longer than what most people think. Mr Sohnlein said the pilot is his co-founder and friend Mr Rush, whom he last spoke with a mere two weeks before the Titanic expedition set off on Sunday. I'm certain that Stockton and the rest of the crew realized days ago that the best thing they can do to ensure their rescue is to extend the limits of those supplies by relaxing as much as possible, he wrote on Facebook. I would encourage everyone to remain hopeful for getting the crew back safely, he said, referencing a similar rescue operation in 1973, which was successful in saving the two pilots trapped underwater in their submersible Pisces III. Rescue efforts are all the more urgent after Canadian aircraft searching for the submarine in a remote part of the North Atlantic Ocean detected intermittent banging noises from the vicinity of its last known location (via REUTERS) Among the group are seasoned explorers, so Mr Hannaford similarly imagined the five are currently lying there, not speaking, doing absolutely nothing to conserve oxygen. These people know what theyre doing. There are some pretty experienced guys down there - they know what the drill is. This includes Mr Harding, who was on the expedition for science research and is a founding member of The Explorers Club, through which Mr Hannaford met him a couple of years ago. The professor spoke of how close Mr Harding is to his two sons and said the family is going through absolute hell. I cant imagine whats going through their heads - any discomfort I feel is a shadow of what theyre going through. Aboard the Titan with Mr Harding, Mr Rush and Mr Nargeolet are Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood. The search for the five has intensified in recent hours as the deadline for the remaining oxygen passes. Rescue efforts are all the more urgent after Canadian aircraft searching for the submarine in a remote part of the North Atlantic Ocean detected intermittent banging noises from the vicinity of its last known location, the US Coast Guard said. Crew searching for the missing sub heard banging sounds every 30 minutes on Tuesday and again four hours later on Wednesday after additional sonar devices were deployed. However, the US Coast Guard clarified that they dont know the source of the noise. The massive search and rescue operation has been ongoing for four days after the watercraft submerged on Sunday morning from its support vessel, the Polar Prince, to travel to the Titanic wreckage, which sits at a depth of 12,500ft, and lost contact about an hour and 45 minutes later. The submersible craft is said to be equipped with a four-day emergency oxygen supply. Other deadlines for when this is set to run out have been bandied around, such as 12.08pm UK time on Thursday - but the US Coast Guard told The Independent they did not know where that time had been sourced from. The US Coast Guards latest estimate is a slight revision after its captain Jamie Frederick said at a press conference on Tuesday that officials believed the sub had 40 to 41 hours of oxygen left at that time, which suggested it was due to run out between 10.30am and 11.30am UK time (5.30am and 6.30am ETD). Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The air supply on the missing Titanic tourist submarine is down to its last hours, as rescue workers continue their increasingly desperate search for the five stranded passengers. A US Coast Guard spokesperson told The Independent they expect the vessel, named Titan, will run out of oxygen at 1pm UK time on Thursday. This estimated time is based on the number of hours of oxygen the craft had for the five people on board - 96 - and the time it submerged - 1pm UK time on Sunday. Other deadlines have been bandied around, such as 12.08pm UK time on Thursday - but the US Coast Guard said they did not know where that time had been sourced from. Five people are missing aboard the Atlantic Ocean vessel (Dirty Dozen Productions/OceanGate/AFP/Getty) The spokesperson said: Based on the approximate 96 hours of oxygen supplies on the vessel at the time of deployment, any other estimates [than 1pm UK time on Thursday] would be too uncertain for us to confirm. The countdown for the rescue effort is all the more urgent after Canadian aircraft searching for the submarine in a remote part of the North Atlantic Ocean detected intermittent banging noises from the vicinity of its last known location, the US Coast Guard said. Crew searching for the missing sub heard banging sounds every 30 minutes on Tuesday and again four hours later on Wednesday after additional sonar devices were deployed. However, the US Coast Guard clarified that they dont know the source of the noise. Rescue workers continue their increasingly desperate search for the five stranded passengers (Canada air force) The massive search and rescue operation has been ongoing for over three days after the watercraft submerged on Sunday morning from its support vessel, the Polar Prince, to travel to the Titanic wreckage, which sits at a depth of 12,500ft, and lost contact about an hour and 45 minutes later. The submersible craft is equipped with a four-day emergency oxygen supply. The US Coast Guards latest estimate is a slight revision after its captain Jamie Frederick said at a press conference on Tuesday that officials believed the sub had 40 to 41 hours of oxygen left at that time, which suggested it was due to run out between 10.30am and 11.30am UK time (5.30am and 6.30am ETD). Aboard the Titan is CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood. Friend of Mr Harding Professor Mark Hannaford, an explorer himself and founder of World Extreme Medicine, said: Putting yourself in their shoes is incomprehensible, especially for the families. Its very hard to imagine people you know in that situation - and what theyre likely to be going through. But Hamish is so accomplished, extremely bright, a great pilot and engineer - if theres anybody who can fix their way out of this situation, Hamish is one of them. In what local media describe as a "demonstration", a group of masked Nazis banged on the windows of a cafe in Concord, New Hampshire, shouting profanities and bigoted slurs to interrupt a drag story hour within. Local cops are all trying to find the guys who did this. In the video, which was posted to Twitter by drag queen Juicy Garland, a group of 15 or so men wearing face coverings perform a Nazi salute multiple times while chanting, and then begin pounding on the windows of the Teatotaller cafe where the monthly event was being held. "We've got some verified Nazis today! Golly, I didn't order those," Juicy Garland captioned their tweet with a video of the incident. The "protest" was unsuccessful and story hour went ahead, reports The Independent: "We've been hosting shows + story hours for a decade. We're going to host them for decades to come." Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez is joining her fellow progressives in the Squad and planning to boycott Indian prime minister Narendra Modis address to a joint session of Congress on Thursday. I encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to join me in doing the same, the New York Democrat wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, arguing Congress shouldnt extend such an honour to individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious monitoes and caste-opressed minorities. The progressive legislator was refering to the nationalist, Hindu-centric agenda of Mr Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been accused of discriminating against Indias sizeable Muslim minority. Mr Modi was accused of being complicit in sectarian violence in which over 1,000 Muslims were killed in 2002 while he was chief minister of Gujarat. Mr Modi allegedly stood by as Hindu mobs terrorised the states Muslim population in retaliatory violence after a group of Hindu pilgrims were killed. The BJP leader was later cleared by a team appointed by the Indian Supreme Court. A 2023 BBC documentary claiming new evidence supporting the accusations that Mr Modi had facilitated violence that had hallmarks of ethnic cleansing was blocked by the Indian government. Fellow Democrats Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, both of whom are Muslim, are also boycotting the speech. Its shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nations capital his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable, Ms Tlaib wrote on Twitter of the decision. I will be boycotting Modis joint address to Congress. Prime Minister Modis government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity, Ms Omar added. I will NOT be attending Modis speech. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} President Joe Biden and Narendra Modi on Thursday will use the Indian prime ministers state visit to mark deepening defence and technological ties between their respective nations, even as many members of Mr Bidens own party plan to snub the controversial Indian leader at a planned address to the US Congress. Mr Modi, who arrived in the US on Wednesday and visited the National Science Foundation with First Lady Jill Biden before the Bidens hosted him for a private dinner at the White House, has visited Washington before during his near-decade as the leader of the worlds largest democracy, a nine-year period that has been marked by increasing attacks on free speech and religious freedom under the rule of his Bharatiya Janata Party. The Indian prime minister was actually banned from the United States in the years prior to becoming his countrys head of government. In 2005, the US State Department denied him permission to enter the country due to his role in deadly riots during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat. The ban on his entry into the US, which was imposed under the International Religious Freedom Act, was not lifted until he became prime minister in 2014. Yet nearly 10 years later, the Biden administration appears to be ready to gloss over concerns about democratic backsliding, increasing attacks on Indias Muslim minority, and growing restrictions on press freedom in favour of highlighting the strong ties between the two countries. A senior administration official who briefed reporters on plans for the state visit said it will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together and strengthen our two countries shared commitment to free, open, prosperous and secure Indo Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our Strategic Technology Partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space. As the worlds oldest and largest democracies and key security providers in the Indo Pacific, the United States and India are increasingly partners of first resort as a combined force for global good both in the Indo Pacific and elsewhere. India will be a critical strategic partner for the United States in the coming decades, the official said. They added that Indias growing commitment to playing a more engaged international role under Mr Modi demonstrates a new and growing willingness to join the United States to protect and advance a shared vision of a free, open and rule based rules based global order as a strong maritime democracy. The official said that in the Biden administrations view, there is no more consequential partner than India, now and into the future. We are hosting India for an official state visit to put our cooperation on an inexorable trajectory were seeking escape velocity as we support Indias emergence as a great power that will be central to ensuring US interests and the interests of our partners in the coming decades, they added. A second official said Mr Biden and Mr Modi will use the occasion of the Indian leaders visit to announce a new US-India initiative on critical and emerging technologies, which will include the addition of New Delhi to the Artemis Accords space exploration agreement and a joint mission to the International Space Station between Nasa and the Indian Space Research Organisation next year. Additionally, the US will announce support for Indias entry into the State Department-led Minerals Security Partnership, which the official said would strengthen critical minerals supply chain and ensure that the US and Indian markets are supplied with essential critical minerals that are needed for our climate, economic and strategic technology goals. On defence matters, another official said Mr Biden and Mr Modi plan to announce a proposal from General Electric to produce the F404 jet engine in India through a partnership between DE and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. This is a trailblazing initiative to manufacture F404 engines in India will enable greater transfer of US jet engine technology than ever before, said the official, who added that the defence cooperation between Washington and New Delhi would expand to include a master ship repair agreement that will allow US Navy vessels to undertake servicing and even major repair at Indian shipyards. Mr Modi and Mr Biden will also reveal plans for India to begin purchasing US-made MQ-9 Reaper drones, which the official said would substantially grow Indias [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] capabilities. Yet despite the planned announcements and festivities to mark Mr Modis time in Washington including the traditional state dinner at the White House on Thursday not everyone in Mr Bidens party is happy about Mr Modis planned reception in Washington. Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome Narendra Modi to the White House (AP) A group of progressive Democrats in Congress, led by New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is planning to boycott Mr Modis planned address to the US Congress on Thursday, citing Mr Modis record on human rights and religious freedom. I encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to join me in doing the same, the New York Democrat wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, arguing Congress shouldnt extend such an honour to individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed minorities. The Indian leader has been accused of being complicit in sectarian violence in which over 1,000 Muslims were killed in 2002 while he was chief minister of Gujarat. Mr Modi allegedly stood by as Hindu mobs terrorised the states Muslim population in retaliatory violence after a group of Hindu pilgrims were killed, though he was later cleared by a team appointed by the Indian Supreme Court. Two other Democrat representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, both of whom are Muslim are also boycotting the speech. Its shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nations capital his long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable, Ms Tlaib wrote on Twitter of the decision. I will be boycotting Modis joint address to Congress. Prime Minister Modis government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity, Ms Omar added. I will NOT be attending Modis speech. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former president Donald Trump called on Congress to probe the multiple investigations into him on the local, state and federal level in a series of posts on Truth Social. Mr Trump made the early morning posts the day after the House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from former special counsel John Durham, who investigated the FBIs probe into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Congress will hopefully now look at the ever continuing Witch Hunts and ELECTION INTERFERENCE against me on perfectly legal Boxes, where I have no doubt that information is being secretly planted by the scoundrels in charge, the Perfect Phone Calls (Atlanta), the illegal DOJ/Pomerantz/Manhattan D.A. Hoax, where virtually EVERYONE agrees THERE IS NO CASE, and the NYSAG SCAM, where I have proven beyond a doubt that there is no case, but have a hostile Judge who should not be on this case! he posted. Mr Trumps post referred to his recent indictment for allegedly mishandling of documents related to national security. The former president seemed to imply that the classified documents were planted by others. He also railed against the investigation into him by the Fulton County District Attorney into his attempts to overturn the election results in Georgia, wherein he called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to find enough votes to make him the winner of the states contest. He also criticised his indictment led by New York County District Attorney Alvin Bragg for charges related to allegedly paying hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels and an investigation into him and his business organisations led by New York Attorney General Letitia James. My New York State A.G. Case (she ran on I will get Trump), which should never have been brought except for ELECTION INTERFERENCE, should rightfully be in the Commercial Division, in front of another Judge, rather than the Trump HATER that refuses to let go of it because he wants to do a number on TRUMP, he said. It is all part of the same Witch Hunt, run out of D.C. by the DOJ, just as they ran the now fully debunked & discredited CROSSFIRE HURRICANE fiasco. Mark Pomerantz played in this one also! The twice-indicted twice-impeached former presidents calls come after the House of Representatives censured Rep Adam Schiff (D-CA) for allegedly lying about the 2016 Trump campaign and its ties to Russia. Mr Schiff led Mr Trumps first impeachment trial. Close Donald Trump reveals plan after claiming he would end Ukraine war in 24 hours Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump could be indicted by a grand jury investigating his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol riot as early as today. The Independent learned that a possible indictment could be handed down as soon as Thursday or Friday, charging the former president in his third criminal case. Mr Trump announced on Tuesday that he had been sent a letter by special prosecutor Jack Smith informing him that he is the target of a grand jury investigation. The target letter cites three statutes under which he could be charged including conspiracy to commit offence or to defraud the United States, deprivation of rights under colour of law and tampering with a witness, victim or informant, multiple outlets reported. This comes as Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced criminal charges against 16 people who signed certificates falsely declaring Mr Trump won the 2020 election, part of a scheme to upend results in states Joe Biden won. In further legal blows for Mr Trump, a judge shot down his attempt to move his Manhattan criminal charges to federal court, sending the hush money case back to state court in New York City. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A former FBI analyst has been sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of illegally retaining classified documents in a case that bears similarities to the legal battle faced by former president Donald Trump. Kendra Kingsbury, 50, worked as an analyst for the FBI for 12 years and held top secret security clearance when she was accused of taking classified documents out of the secure workspace and storing them in her Kansas City home. Kingsbury pleaded guilty to two counts of willful retention of classified documents. Of the 37 counts that Mr Trump has been indicted on, 31 relate to willful retention of classified documents. The Kingsbury case saw her admit to retaining documents pertaining to terrorism. According to her indictment: The documents include information about al Qaeda members on the African continent, including a suspected associate of Usama bin Laden. In addition, there are documents regarding the activities of emerging terrorists and their efforts to establish themselves in support of al Qaeda in Africa. Whereas Mr Trump is accused of retaining documents at Mar-a-Lago that contain information regarding defense and weapons capabilities of both the United States and foreign countries; United States nuclear programs; potential vulnerabilities of the United States and its allies to military attack; and plans for possible retaliation in response to a foreign attack. Unlike Kingsbury, Mr Trump has entered a not guilty plea to the charges and has insisted that he is being charged under the Espionage Act for taking his own documents, also suggesting that just about every other president has done the same thing (this is not the case). As he was handing out Kingsburys sentence, U.S. District Judge Stephen Bough criticised her over the handling of the classfied information. I cannot fathom why you would jeopardise our nation by leaving these documents in your bathtub, he said, per a tweet from Daily Beast reporter Jose Pagliery. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Former president Donald Trumps special counsel John Durham was described by a Fox News analyst as looking about as comfortable as a Benedictine monk in a strip club while testifying before the House Judiciary Committee. Mr Durham was grilled for more than six hours on Wednesday over his 306-page report into the FBIs probe into Russian interference in the 2016 US election that fell very short of Mr Trumps promise it would uncover the crime of the century. Instead, the report criticised the FBI for launching a full-scale probe into election interference but offered scant new information and resulted in only one criminal conviction. His appearance before the House Judiciary Committee saw his inquiry denounced by Democrats as the hearing descended into partisan squabbles. Mr Durham said during the hearing: I want to emphasize in the strongest terms possible that my colleagues and I carried out our work in good faith with integrity and in the spirit of following the facts wherever they lead without fear of favour. At no time and in no sense did we act with the purpose to further partisan or political ends. Discussing the grilling Mr Durham received during his testimony, Fox News legal analyst Jonathan Turley said one of the best moments came when Mr Durham was accused of losing his reputation over the report. Well, you know, Durham has dealt with mobsters and murderers, but I dont think anything prepared him for this moment, Mr Turley said. He looks about as comfortable as a Benedictine monk in a strip club. I mean, he he has this look of disbelief on his face as he said, Look, I reported the facts. You can reach your own conclusions. But one of the most riveting moments came when Representative [Steve] Cohen said, You had a good reputation and youre not going to get it back until you take back these things you said in your report. And Durham just had had enough. And he said, I look to my reputation from my family and from my God, and thats okay with me. Im satisfied with my reputation as it stands. It was an amazing moment. It reminded some of us of the sort of Joe Welsh moment in the McCarthy hearings where Durham was finally pushing back and saying, Enough. However, Mr Durham was criticised from both the left and right over the findings of his report: Democrats suggested the special counsel seemed unaware of key elements of the damning Mueller Report into links between the 2016 Trump campaign and the Kremlin such as Donald Trumps repeated public denials of his plans to build a tower in Moscow while Republicans like congressman Matt Gaetz and former White House aide Steve Bannon accused Mr Durham of failing to come up with evidence of an FBI conspiracy against the former president. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The names of two people who worked together to pay bond for embattled Congressman George Santos have been released, minutes ahead of a judges order. The congressmans father, Gercino Dos Santos, and aunt, Elma Santos Praven, were the two who together signed to bond out the New York Republican on 10 May; the congressman is accused of committing more than a dozen crimes, including fraud. A third had initially been reported by Axios, but apparently backed out due to the media speculation. According to court documents, the full $500,000 was not raised; however, a judge deemed that the two could provide the necessary moral suasion to ensure Mr Santoss compliance with the terms of his bond. He is accused of countless acts of deception thanks to telling a wide range of lies about his background, as well as more serious allegations like using campaign cash for personal expenses as well as receiving unemployment benefits while a sitting member of Congress. It was a shocking amount of dishonesty made all the more brazen by the congressmans refusal to step down amid bipartisan calls for him to do so; a vast majority of voters in his district want him gone, according to polls. But despite being stripped of committee memberships by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the New York Republican remained a House member in (relatively) good standing even after his arrest last month. Now, its unclear whether the congressman even makes it to his second election. He has vowed to do so, clinging to power while he and his close aide, Vish Burra, often jeer at critics who say his presence sullies the House of Representatives, including those in his party. But the wide-ranging investigation headed up by the Justice Department could mean that he is forced to spend his next election day in a prison cell. The charges, 13 in total, carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison for the more serious counts. Mr Santos has plead not guilty. Some of those same news organisations digging into Mr Santoss background in the wake of the discoveries about his extensive fabrications were behind a motion filed last month seeking the release of the names of those who paid the congressmans bond, citing public interest that cannot be overstated. Mr Santos opposed that motion, with his attorneys stating that he would rather submit to pretrial detention than submit the three anonymous benefactors to public scrutiny. "A United States Congressman stands accused of perpetuating financial fraud in connection with his election to the House of Representatives, read their motion. "Rep. Santos is charged with defrauding members of the public while campaigning for office," it continued. "The alleged criminal conduct fundamentally challenges the integrity of our democratic institutions. And the decision to keep the identities of the sureties hidden from public view only exacerbates those challenges." A judge agreed, though the release of the names was delayed to give Mr Santos time to appeal. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said that Mr Santos will remain in the chamber until the House Ethics Committee reaches its own decision. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Almost three years after the 2020 election, the mother and daughter poll workers falsely accused of participating in wild claims of election fraud by Donald Trump, have had their names officially cleared. Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea ArShaye Shaye Moss had their lives turned upside down by conspiracy theorists beholden to the former presidents lies about vote counting at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Now, the states election board has dismissed its yearslong investigation into the allegations, more than two years after Mr Trump falsely claimed that Ms Freeman and Ms Moss were part of a conspiracy to rob him of the 2020 election. His claims were unsubstantiated and found to have no merit, the investigation concluded, reporting on the work of the FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations and investigators from the secretary of states office vetting the alleged fraud. Mr Trump and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani both repeatedly claimed that the mother and daughter had committed electoral fraud, offering as alleged proof a heavily edited clip of security footage that was widely circulated on social media. Mr Trump called Ms Freeman a professional vote scammer and hustler. During a state legislative hearing in December 2020, Mr Giuliani accused the two Black women of surreptitiously passing around a USB drive as if it was heroin or cocaine while they counted election results in Fulton County and demanded that their homes and workplaces be searched by authorities. Ms Moss later explained her mother handed her a ginger mint during ballot counting. Ms Freeman and Ms Moss both testified to the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol riot and the wider lies around the 2020 election about their experience, including being confronted at home by conspiracy theorists, leading them to flee. The former president specifically targeted Ms Freeman in his posts online including as recently as January and both women were relentlessly harassed despite state officials repeated insistence that they had done nothing wrong. Ruby Freeman and her daughter Wandrea ArShaye Shaye Moss testify at the Capitol Riot investigation hearings (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) There is nowhere I feel safe. Nowhere, Ms Freeman said last June in her January 6 testimony. I have lost my name and I have lost my reputation. ... All because a group of people starting with number 45 and his ally Rudy Giuliani decided to scapegoat me and my daughter. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger hailed the conclusion of the investigation in a statement on Wednesday: False claims and knowingly false allegations made against these election workers have done tremendous harm. Election workers deserve our praise for being on the front lines. The mother and daughter have sued both individual and news outlets who propagated the conspiracies against them, with One America News settling a defamation suit. Other lawsuits are ongoing. Hundreds of election workers and administrators who run the nations elections face alarming levels of abuse, largely fuelled by baseless voter fraud conspiracy theories and Mr Trumps campaign to reject the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. One in six election workers have been threatened because of their job, according to a 2022 survey from the Brennan Center for Justice, revealing the damaging and sustained attacks against people who help run the nations elections and put the business of election administration and our democratic system in serious danger. More than half of poll respondents reported harassment on social media, on the phone, or while on the job. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The increasing legal jeopardy facing former president Donald Trump, and news of the plea agreement between the Department of Justice and President Joe Bidens son Hunter, has led Republicans in Congress to make increasingly outlandish accusations against the 46th president and his family, even as evidence to support their claims continues to be lacking. The drumbeat of allegations against the president has focused on his sons overseas business transactions, none of which have involved the elder Mr Biden. At a press conference on 11 May, a string of House Oversight Committee members claimed to have evidence showing that Mr Biden and members of his family have committed multiple federal crimes. Flanked by a horde of fellow members of the House Oversight Committee ranging from relatively moderate Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina to opponents of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy such as Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona, the assembled GOP representatives tried to make the case that Mr Biden and his family had profited off of his tenure in public service. At the time, Oversight Committee Chair James Comer and his colleagues told reporters that Hunter Biden, Mr Bidens brother James, and other members of the presidents family have been involved in shady business deals that capitalised on Joe Bidens public office and risked our countrys national security, and Mr Comer specifically called out the presidents son for having had a lucrative financial relationship with a Romanian national by the name of Gabriel Popoviciu during the period his father was vice president. Mr Popoviciu retained Hunter Biden, who is a Yale-educated lawyer, to represent him in an effort to fend off criminal charges related to a land deal in the Romanian capital, Bucharest. The funds transfers that Republicans suggested were evidence of wrongdoing began in 2015, the year Hunter Biden began representing the Romanian businessman. Those accusations against the president and his son came just a week after Mr Comer and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley began making claims about an FBI form, which allegedly documented an unverified tip theyd received in 2019 regarding what theyve described as an alleged bribery scheme involving Mr Biden. Mr Grassley, a former chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, went even further in a press release, claiming that the FBI had received information indicating that Mr Biden accepted a bribe in exchange for official actions during his time as vice president. Republicans whove spoken about the FBI document have indicated that the bureaus informant was someone whod been told about the accusations by Mykola Zlochevsky, the founder of Burisma, the Ukrainian energy firm which employed Hunter Biden as an attorney and later as a member of its board during the Obama administration. Hunter Biden. (AP) It was the younger Mr Bidens employment on Burismas board that formed the basis for an outlandish accusation hurled against his father in 2019 by allies of former president Donald Trump, and it appears the allegation against the now-president remains the same. Essentially, what Republicans are alleging is that Mr Biden urged Ukraines then-president, Petro Poroshenko, to fire his countrys top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, citing Mr Shokins failure to address corruption in his country, in order to protect his son from an investigation Mr Shokin was conducting into Burisma. Mr Shokin later claimed that this was the reason he was fired, and Republicans most notoriously ex-Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani have said Mr Bidens work urging Mr Poroshenko to sack Mr Shokin was a personal errand, even though Mr Biden was expressing the wishes of the US government, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund and other Western entities when he communicated the Obama administrations demand that Mr Shokin be shown the door. Years later, Mr Trump egged on my Mr Giuliani and others triggered his first of two impeachments when he pushed Mr Poroshenkos successor to announce sham investigations into Mr Biden and his son in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars in US defence aid. Though Republicans have not identified the alleged FBI informant who spoke with Mr Zlochevsky, the Burisma founder, it is almost certainly Mr Giuliani, the disgraced ex-New York City mayor whose law licenses in New York and Washington are suspended as he faces disbarment proceedings for his efforts to help Mr Trump remain in office after losing the 2020 election. The allegations levied by this source also include claims that Mr Zlochevsky paid both Mr Biden and his son $5m each in bribes. Sen. Chuck Grassley. (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) While the GOP figures who continue to crow about Mr Bidens supposed participation in this alleged bribery scheme have repeatedly denied that the allegations come from Mr Giuliani, recent public statements by the disgraced attorney show that the claims being floated by Republicans now are the exact same ones that he pushed more than three years ago. On a 5 June episode of his Americas Mayor Live radio show, Mr Giuliani described a 2017 meeting with a group of Ukrainians about something that the Justice Department turned down. They wanted to explain a number of things that Joe Biden was that Joe Biden was involved in a major bribery scheme on behalf of a crooked member of the former pro-Russian government, and that his son was involved in it. And that he virtually had confessed to it, he said. Mr Giulanis description of that 2017 meeting matches up exactly with Mr Comers description of the FBI form during an appearance on Newsmax the next day. The disgraced ex-mayor elaborated further on the allegations on his show, claiming that a tape his Ukrainian contacts asked him to listen to laid out what he described as Mr Biden discussing a bribery scheme. And they played the tape. I watched the tape. And I said, Please play it again, before I said anything. I remembered my definition of bribery, and the tape fits every part of that definition. Offering something of value. Or withholding it. The $1 billion loan guarantee. Very valuable to Ukraine at the time because they were going to go broke if they didnt get it. In return for firing the prosecutor for an official action. Poroshenko fired the prosecutor. Biden released the billion dollars. Thats a class-book case of bribery in any country, anywhere in the world. Including the United States, he said. Yet the tape he refers to was not any clandestine recording, but a speech the then-former vice president gave at the Council on Foreign Relations in 2018. At the time, Mr Biden described his work carrying out US policy by encouraging Mr Poroshenko to fire Mr Shokin. I remember going over, convincing our team that we should be providing for loan guarantees. And I was supposed to announce that there was another billion-dollar loan guarantee. And I had gotten a commitment from Poroshenko and from [then-Prime Minister Arseniy] Yatsenyuk that they would take action against the state prosecutor [Shokin]. And they didntThey were walking out to a press conference. I said, Nah, Were not going to give you the billion dollars. They said, You have no authority. Youre not the president. I said, Call him. I said, Im telling you, youre not getting the billion dollars. I looked at them and said, Im leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, youre not getting the money. Well, son of a b***h-. He got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time, he said. Mr Shokin was indeed fired, but it was not simply at Mr Bidens behest. The then-vice presidents work convincing the Ukrainian leader to deep-six the prosecutor was actually part of a monthslong campaign by US officials, including then-US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt and then-Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Victoria Nuland, both of whom had called for Mr Shokins ouster in public remarks dating back to October 2015. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Vice President Kamala Harris has said she knows of young people choosing which college they want to attend based on how restrictive the abortion laws are in that state. Commenting in an interview for the Roe v Wade retrospective on MSNBCs The ReidOut, Ms Harris said her goddaughter told her that her friends wanted to attend schools in states where there was more freedom in terms of reproductive rights. Ms Harris told the roundtable: When the decision came down she told me Do you know whats happening? My friends whatever gender are starting to make decisions about where they will actually go to college depending on whats happening in that state. Because of course, if you look at it, I think the number is something like 23 million women of reproductive age live in states that have banned abortion, and what that is gonna mean for those 23 million, for the myriad of health care issues that are at stake ... Its having a real impact on all types of decisions people make, she added. The show took a look back at the decision to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade decision that legalised abortion in the US in 1973 when the Supreme Court ruled that unduly restrictive state regulation of abortion is unconstitutional. In 2022, the Supreme Court, packed with three Trump-era appointees, overturned Roe v Wade and returned decisions on abortion freedom to the states. Since then, a number of states have introduced effective abortion bans that limit the procedure to the very early days of pregnancy often before women are aware they are pregnant. Some states have also criminalised assisting women with accessing abortion, and limited abortion to cases of rape or incest. Ms Harris said that the Supreme Courts decision last year had infringed on womens rights. The idea that the highest court in our land just did that and rolled back rights that had been recognized was incredibly shocking, she said on MSNBC. She said that after she learned the news of the ruling, she called her husband and shared some words not meant for television at this moment. Ms Harris went on to say that the ruling means that some have to suffer in silence, the thought of which made her angry and sad. The Hamilton, Indiana chapter of the right-wing extremist anti-liberty group Mom's for Liberty quoted Hitler on the cover of its first newsletter, "The Parent Brigade," reports IndyStar. The quote was, "He alone, who OWNS the youth, GAINS the future." Hitler said it in a speech at a 1935 Nazi rally. After the newsletter was published, the group defended its use of the Hitler quote: "The quote from a horrific leader should put parents on alert," it said. "If the government has control over our children today, they control our country's future. We The People must be vigilant and protect children from an overreaching government." "Moms for Liberty," is an anti-LGBTQ+ group that advocates for book banning and has ties to fascist movements like the Proud Boys. The SPLC classifies it as an extremist group. "Moms for Liberty is a far-right organization that engages in anti-student inclusion activities and self-identifies as part of the modern parental rights movement. The group grew out of opposition to public health regulations for COVID-19, opposes LGBTQ+ and racially inclusive school curriculum, and has advocated book bans." Moms for Liberty frequently complains about being described as a hate group. Maybe they should consider not quoting the world's most hateful dictator in their outreach material. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The House descended into chaos on Wednesday afternoon as the chamber voted along party lines to punish a Democrat over the long-shuttered Trump-Russia investigation. Democrats booed and heckled Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday as the GOP voted to censure California representative Adam Schiff for his efforts to investigate the 2016 Trump campaigns ties to Russia. On cameras of the House floor, Democrats could be seen rallying near the lectern and chanting, Shame! as the Speaker announced the result of the vote, which he said was punishment for misleading the American public. On Wednesday, the House voted 213-to-209 largely on party lines to censure Mr Schiff. Republicans have claimed that Mr Schiff had misled the American public about the Trump-Russia investigation, which ended without proof that the Trump campaign had coordinated with Russia but found that Russias actions had been taken to benefit the former presidents campaign and harm Hillary Clintons bid for the White House. Republicans argue that Mr Schiff lied when he argued that there was evidence to support the idea of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. He was previously removed from the House Intelligence Committee by Mr McCarthy for the same reason. A previous version of the censure, which had included a $16m fine, was voted down with some Republican opposition. In a speech from the floor, the California Democrat remained defiant, saying he was being punished for pursuing the truth by a party thats attached itself to conspiratorial thinking about the election. You who are the authors of the big lie about the last election must condemn the truth tellers and I stand proudly before you, Mr Schiff said. No matter how many false justifications or slanders you level against me, you but indict yourselves, he added. As Liz Cheney said, there will come a day when Donald Trump is gone. But your dishonor will remain. New York Democrat Dan Goldman agreed, calling the censure vote a phony ploy to punish Adam Schiff for speaking truth to power in a floor speech of his own. One of my colleagues says, We will hold members accountable. You are the party of George Santos. Who are you holding accountable? he added. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi laid into them as well: "Today we are on the floor of the House where the other side has turned this chamber where slavery was abolished, where Medicare and Social Security and everything were instituted theyve turned it into a puppet show." Theyve turned it into a puppet show and you know what? The puppeteer, Donald Trump, is shining a light on the strings. You look miserable, she added. You look miserable. Mr Schiffs enemies, meanwhile, accused him of supporting a narrative that supposedly caused a great divide between members of families all across the country. Anna Paulina Luna, the GOP lawmaker leading the resolution, personally accused him of permanently destroying family relationships. By repeatedly telling these falsehoods, Representative Schiff purposely deceived his Committee, Congress, and the American people, the resolution read. Previously, Mr Schiff had said the censure resolution would accuse me of omnipotence, the leader of some a vast Deep State conspiracy, and of course, it is nonsense. Beyond the Trump-Russia investigation, Mr Schiff also became a target of the Republican caucus due to his prosecution of Mr Trump during his first impeachment trial, when he was accused of improperly pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into launching a criminal investigation into Joe Biden at the time, apparently, with the hopes of politically damaging the Democratic candidate ahead of the 2020 election. That investigation was never launched but Rudy Giuliani, who was a central figure in trying to make it happen, would later go on to become Mr Trumps legal counsel in his bid to overturn the election following his defeat. The toothless censure of Mr Schiff is likely to be little more than a consolation prize for Republicans who had originally wanted an investigation into the origins of the Russia probe to uncover a vast Deep State conspiracy against Mr Trump, which never materialised. The leader of that investigation, John Durham, appeared on Capitol Hill for a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee separately on Wednesday where Mr Schiff grilled him over whether he had been concerned about efforts by a group of Russians to reach out to the Trump campaign and offer damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Republicans, meanwhile, voiced their displeasure over how Mr Durhams investigation had fizzled without any major victories in the effort to prove a long-reaching shadowy conspiracy against Mr Trump. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert reportedly accused fellow conservative Marjorie Taylor Greene of accidentally spitting on her lip after Ms Greene called her a little b**** on the House floor and accused her of copying her articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden. Responding to the comments by Ms Greene, Ms Boebert told CNN, Im not in middle school. Ms Greene said that during the confrontation, Ms Boebert accused Ms Greene of accidentally spitting on her lip, according to Semafor. At the end of the conversation, Ms Greene said she told Ms Boebert, You need to shut up because the only person thats recognised to speak right now is Luna in reference to Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida who was speaking on the House floor. C-SPAN cameras captured the two MAGA Republicans having what appeared to be a heated conversation on Wednesday evening after Ms Boebert laid the groundwork to force a procedural vote on her impeachment articles in the coming days. Multiple people witnessed or were apprised of the exchange, including an anonymous GOP lawmaker, and reported its alleged contents to The Daily Beast. The argument reportedly began when Rep Boebert approached Rep Greene and was upset about statements you made about me publicly. The Georgia representative then allegedly called her counterpart a little b**** and accused her of piggybacking on the idea to impeach Joe Biden, though Ms Boebert reportedly denied ever reading Ms Greenes impeachment resolution. Ive donated to you, Ive defended you. But youve been nothing but a little b**** to me, Ms Greene reportedly said. And you copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to cosponsor them. Okay, Marjorie, were through, Ms Boebert allegedly responded, to which Ms Greene reportedly said, We were never together. Later, Politico reporter Olivia Beavers said Ms Greene had effectively confirmed the exchange. Beavers tweeted: To be clear, I asked: Was the name calling correct? There was a Daily Beast story that said you called her a little bitch. Impressively correct, she replied. The Colorado Republican didnt deny the heated exchange when contacted by The Daily Beast. Marjorie is not my enemy. I came here to protect our children and their posterity. Joe Biden and the Democrats are destroying our country, she told the outlet. My priorities are to correct their bad policies and save America. Ms Greene added fuel to the fire when speaking to Semafor. She was asked if there was any chance of them making up, to which Ms Greene said: Absolutely not. She has genuinely been a nasty little b**** to me, she added. The Independent has contacted Ms Greenes office for comment. On the same day as the alleged argument, Ms Greene appeared to publicly criticise Ms Boeberts impeachment plan. Im different than what Lauren Boebert did, Ms Greene said, CBS News reports. She just went and did it. I just addressed the conference about impeachment and said that it is the right thing to do. Ms Boebert has attempted to impeach Joe Biden multiple times. I am bringing my articles of impeachment against Joe Biden to the House Floor in a privileged motion, meaning that every Member of Congress must vote on holding Joe Biden accountable, she tweeted on Tuesday evening. The far-right Colorado rep has said she wants to impeach Mr Biden because of his dereliction of duty at the southern border. Ms Greene told the press on Wednesday that Ms Boebert had basically copied my articles and had attempted to leapfrog her. The Georgia Republican said Ms Boerbert confronted her later on Wednesday about what she had told the media. I was sitting down, and so I stood up and I said, Im happy to clarify my public statements to your face, Ms Greene told Semafor. I told her exactly what I think about her. She added that she had told Ms Boebert she was unhappy that she had pushed her own articles instead of supporting those put forward by Ms Greene. Its purely for fundraising, she said. Its throwing out red meat so that people will donate to her campaign because shes coming up on the end of the month, and shes trying to produce good fundraising numbers. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi denied that discrimination on the basis of religion is acceptable in his country during a rare appearance before reporters at the White House on Thursday. Mr Modi, who does not often interact with reporters and has not held a single press conference since becoming prime minister in 2014, took two questions one from an American reporter, another from an Indian reporter at a joint press conference alongside President Joe Biden in the East Room following a bilateral meeting between the two leaders. Asked what steps he and his government would be willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities ... and to uphold free speech, Mr Modi replied through a translator that Indians live democracy as laid out by their ancestors in the countrys 1949 constitution. Our government has taken the basic principles of democracy and on that basis our constitution is made and the entire country runs on that ... we have always proved that democracy can deliver. And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there's absolutely no space for discrimination, he said. Continuing, Mr Modi said democracy cannot exist without human values, human rights, and humanity, and reiterated that there is no space for discrimination for those living in a democracy. In India, the benefits that are provided by the government is accessible to all, whoever deserves those benefits is available to everybody. And that is why in India's democratic values, there's absolutely no discrimination, neither on basis of caste, creed, or age or any kind of geographic location, he said. The Indian prime minister, under whose leadership his countrys authorities have routinely harassed and jailed journalists, did not address the second part of the reporters question on press freedom. Mr Modis defence of his countrys record on religious freedom comes as religious and press freedom advocates have continued to sound the alarm about the treatment of Muslims and other minorities under the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party government he leads. The Indian prime minister was actually banned from the United States in the years prior to becoming his countrys head of government. In 2005, the US State Department denied him permission to enter the country due to his role in deadly riots during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat. The ban on his entry into the US, which was imposed under the International Religious Freedom Act, was not lifted until he became prime minister in 2014. Mr Modi has long been accused of being complicit in sectarian violence in which over 1,000 Muslims were killed in 2002 while he was chief minister of Gujarat. Mr Modi allegedly stood by as Hindu mobs terrorised the states Muslim population in retaliatory violence after a group of Hindu pilgrims were killed, though he was later cleared by a team appointed by the Indian Supreme Court. His appearance at the White House was part of a state visit that will see him address a joint meeting of the US Congress later in the day before he returns to the White House for a state dinner. A group of progressive Democrats in Congress, led by New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is planning to boycott his speech, citing Mr Modis record on human rights and religious freedom. I encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to join me in doing the same, the New York Democrat wrote on Twitter on Wednesday, arguing Congress shouldnt extend such an honour to individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed minorities. Two other Democrat representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, both of whom are Muslim are also boycotting the speech. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Narendra Modi will address a press conference and take questions from journalists alongside Joe Biden during his historic state visit, breaking away from his norm of not taking reporters questions for the first time in nine years. Facing boycott calls and criticism over his human rights record in India, Mr Modi is on a high-level, three-day state visit to Washington that includes talks in the Oval Office, a historic address to the US Congress, and a glittering state dinner. Mr Modi, who is leading India in his second consecutive term, has gained the infamy of not taking direct questions from the media and has only appeared in occasional interviews during his nine-year long leadership. The 72-year-old has not addressed a single press conference in India or abroad since May 2019, when he attended a press conference but did not take questions. Welcoming the change, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the White House understands the press conference is a big deal. We are just grateful that prime minister Modi is participating in a press event at the end of the visit, Mr Kirby said. We think thats important and were glad he thinks thats important too. He said the event will include one question from the US press and one from the Indian media for each leader. Mr Bidens press conferences with other world leaders are usually tightly controlled and typically have US officials vetting American and guest media beforehand for Mr Biden and the guest leader. US pesident Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome India prime minister Narendra Modi to the White House on 21 June (Getty Images) Traditionally, such events have the leaders taking two questions from US media and two from foreign press corps. But Mr Biden and Mr Modi will pivot from the traditional two-and-two and hold a one-and-one instead, by calling on one reporter from each side. The pivot is a negotiation reached with Indian officials, who initially baulked at the White Houses insistence of Mr Modi facing members of press, two US officials familiar with the matter told CNN. The state visit has been billed one of the defining relationships of the 21st century by national security adviser Jake Sullivan. On Thursday, the second day of Mr Modis visit, the Indian leader will be welcomed by the White House, where the spirit of American friendship will be showcased with grandeur. Marching troops on the South Lawn will set the stage for in-depth discussions in the prestigious Oval Office, followed by a state dinner in the evening. Narendra Modi presenting gifts to Jill Biden and Joe Biden (via REUTERS) Mr Modi, who was denied entry to the US in 2005 over allegations of his involvement in sectarian violence, will address a joint sitting of the US Congress on Thursday amid a boycott by several American lawmakers. He will be the first Indian prime minister to address Congress twice and only the third in the world to make such an address twice. Mr Modis address, however, will bear witness to boycotts from progressive Democratic representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar over his deeply troubling human rights record. Earlier this week, a group of over 70 lawmakers penned a letter to president Biden, urging him to address their concerns regarding the decline of religious, press and political liberties during his meeting with Mr Modi. Two days of carefully orchestrated events marked a rocky start on Wednesday when Mr Modi arrived late for a planned tour with first lady Jill Biden, who started the visit without him at the National Science Foundation. Mr Modi arrived 30 minutes late to the tour and apologised to Ms Biden. US President Joe Biden (R) and First Lady Jill Biden (L) greet Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives at the South Portico of the White House (AFP via Getty Images) On Tuesday, Mr Modi led the celebration for Yoga Day at the UNs headquarters in New York. The leader, who is claimed to have a fit physique and whose supporters also claim he works tirelessly beyond working hours, praised yoga as a way of life. He performed a range of poses, including a cobra pose in front of a multinational crowd. It is a very old tradition, but like all ancient Indian traditions, it is also living and dynamic, Mr Modi said. Yoga is truly universal. The Modi-Biden meeting is expected to herald the start of a stronger India-US partnership, with the signing of sweeping defence and trade agreements amid Washingtons attempt to counter Chinas global influence. Agreements are expected to be announced on semiconductors, critical minerals, technology, space cooperation and defence cooperation and sales. Some of the deals are aimed at diversifying supply chains to reduce US dependence on China. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The fanfare around Narendra Modis visit to the US has been punctuated by protests over accusations that his right-wing administration is cracking down on human rights in India. Trucks bearing banners calling upon Joe Biden to question the Hindu leader were seen in the streets of New York on Wednesday even as several Democratic lawmakers urged Mr Biden to directly put across questions about human rights violations to Mr Modi. Addressed to Mr Biden, digital posters on the trucks carried slogans like Did you know mob lynching of Muslims, Christians and Dalits have surged under Modis rule. With almost no accountability and Hey Joe! Ask Modi why student activist Umar Khalid has been in prison for 1000+ days WITHOUT Trial? Another banner addressed to Mr Biden asked Why was Modi banned from the USA from 2005-2014? and provided an answer for him. More than 70 lawmakers earlier wrote to Mr Biden and called on him to use his meeting with Mr Modi to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms (Via Twitter/ @arjunsethi81) It read, for particularly severe violations of religious freedom and added that the Indian prime minister was the only person ever to be denied a visa on these grounds. The banners also labelled Mr Modi as the Crime Minister of India. As Mr Biden and Mr Modi enter the second day of the latters high-profile state visit and look to ink new partnerships in defence, semiconductor manufacturing and more, the visit has been overshadowed with calls to address violence and crimes against minorities in India. Notable progressive voices, like Democrats Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, have said they will boycott Mr Modis address to the US Congress, stating that a joint address is among the most prestigious invitations and honours the United States Congress can extend. We should not do so for individuals with deeply troubling human rights records particularly for individuals whom our own State Department has concluded are engaged in systematic human rights abuses of religious minorities and caste-oppressed communities, Ms Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement. More than 70 lawmakers earlier wrote to Mr Biden and called on him to use his meeting with Mr Modi to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms. It is an important country to me, and we must call out some of the real issues that are threatening the viability of democracy in all of our countries, said representative Pramila Jayapal, who was born in India and helped organise the lawmakers letter. If India continues to backslide, I think it will affect our ability to have a really strong relationship with the country. A week before Mr Modi was due to arrive in the country, US rights groups planned protests over what they call Indias deteriorating human rights record. The Indian American Muslim Council, Peace Action, Veterans for Peace and Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition planned to gather near the White House when the two leaders were expected to meet. The protesting groups prepared flyers that said Modi Not Welcome and Save India from Hindu Supremacy. Another event is planned in New York, featuring a show titled Howdy Democracy, a play on Mr Modis 2019 Howdy Modi! rally in Texas with Donald Trump. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch invited policy makers, journalists and analysts to a screening in Washington of India: the Modi Question, a BBC documentary that questioned Mr Modis leadership during the 2002 communal Gujarat riots. The documentary was banned in India, with the Indian government calling it a propaganda piece that displays bias, [a] lack of objectivity, and frankly a continuing colonial mindset on the part of the BBC. The BBC defended itself and said it adhered to the highest editorial standards. Since Mr Modi came to power in 2014, India has plummeted from 140th in the World Press Freedom Index, to 161st this year, its lowest dip ever, while also topping the list for the highest number of internet shutdowns globally for five consecutive years. Advocacy groups have also raised concerns over alleged human rights abuses under Modis Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Narendra Modi did something very unusual on Thursday at the White House he took questions from journalists. It's a rare occurrence for the Indian prime minister who avoids unscripted moments and has presided over a steady decline in press freedom in his country. The news conference was more limited than the kind that U.S. presidents usually hold with foreign leaders, but even that wasn't easy to arrange with Modi. Indian officials agreed to the event only the day before, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations. Administration officials told Modi's advisers that taking questions from the media was a standard part of how White House state visits are conducted, the person said. An Indian reporter asked about addressing climate change, and an American reporter pressed Modi on human rights concerns a particularly delicate topic as the United States seeks closer ties with India as a bulwark against China's influence in the region. Modi defended India by saying democracy runs in our veins and insisting that there is absolutely no space for discrimination. Although Modi, who is 72, has granted sporadic interviews since becoming India's leader nine years ago, he has never held a solo press conference. Sometimes when asked questions he'll defer to others on stage with him. Modi also tends to keep reporters at a distance during overseas trips, such as last year in Germany, when the two countries announced a clean energy deal. The Indian delegation had insisted then that no press conference be held, according to a German official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity. However, Modi has loosened up a little in the company of American counterparts. Eight years ago, when President Barack Obama visited India, Modi answered questions from two reporters, including one from The Associated Press. Modi is active on social media where hundreds of millions follow him, hosts a monthly radio program where he directly connects with listeners, and often makes big speeches. He uses these platforms to highlight government programs, inaugurate infrastructure projects and express condolences when an accident or tragedy strikes. But Modi has often remained silent on polarizing incidents, including when religious minorities have faced attacks by Hindu nationalists. He has also not commented on current ethnic violence roiling Indias remote northeast, where at least 100 people have died since May. His silences are legendary he has never asked people to refrain from sectarian violence, said Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author of a Modi biography. He suggested that Modi should not get much credit for any press conference in Washington if only a few questions were allowed. Modi's action, Mukhopadhyay said, allows him to project an image as a more reasonable and democratic leader abroad, while he continues to evade press conferences at home, where he has scant regard for press freedom. The decline in press freedom didn't start with Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, but it's increased. The country fell eleven places, to 160 out of 180 countries, in this years Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders. The organization cited violence against journalists and a partisan media landscape as reasons that press freedom is in crisis in the worlds largest democracy." With an average of three or four journalists killed in connection with their work every year, India is one of the worlds most dangerous countries for media, the report said. Indias foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, dismissed the reports claims at an event last month. In recent years, journalists have been arrested and some are stopped from traveling abroad. Dozens are facing criminal prosecution, including for sedition. At the same time, the government has introduced sweeping regulatory laws for social media companies that give it more power to police online content. A number of media outlets critical of Modi have also been subjected to tax searches, most recently the BBC after it aired a documentary that examined the prime ministers role in 2002 anti-Muslim riots in the western state of Gujarat, where he was chief minister at the time. More than 1,000 people were killed in the violence. Modi has denied allegations that authorities under his watch allowed and even encouraged the bloodshed, and India's Supreme Court said it found no evidence to prosecute him. The two-part BBC program drew an immediate backlash from the Indian government, which invoked emergency powers under its information technology laws to block it from being shown in the country. Social media platforms including Twitter and YouTube also complied with government requests to remove links to the documentary. ____ Pathi reported from New Delhi. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Darlene Superville contributed to this report. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi received overwhelming applause as he delivered his joint address to Congress amid criticisms of his record on human rights and religious freedom. Mr Modi entered the chamber to overwhelming acclaim, with many in the gallery of the House chamber chanting his name multiple times. The Indian prime Minister delivered his second address to Congress and mentioned the previous occasion of his address. I see that nearly half of you were here in 2016, I feel your warmth as old friends, he said. I can also see the enthusiasm of a new friendship in the other half. Mr Modi was also escorted to the chamber by many Indian-Americans including Reps Ro Khanna (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Shri Thanedar (D-MI). Mr Modi also mentioned the fact that Vice President Kamala Harris, whose mother emigrated to the United States, is the first Indian-American to hold her role. There are millions here who have roots in India, some of them sit proudly in this chamber. There is one behind me who has made history, he said to a standing ovation. Mr Modi stressed the shared values between the United States and India, the worlds largest democracy, citing how Mahatma Gandhi inspired the nonviolent demonstrations of Martin Luther King Jr and he paid tribute to the late Rep John Lewis, who marched alongside Dr King. Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse, he said. Democracy is the culture that gives wings to thought and expression. At the same time, some members of Congress chose to boycott Mr Modis address. Reps Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Summer Lee (D-PA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Cori Bush (D-MO) all cited Mr Modis record on human rights and the persecution of Muslims in India. President Modi and President Biden listen to each nations national anthems (Reuters) By bestowing Prime Minister Modi with the rare honor of a joint address, Congress undermines its ability to be a credible advocate for the rights of religious minorities and journalists around the world, Mr Bowman, Ms Tlaib and Ms Bush said in a joint statement criticising Mr Modi. Ms Tlaib and Ms Omar are the first two Muslim congresswomen. The members cited his record in the 2002 Gujarat riots, which led to the death of 1,000 people and the revocation of his US visa. His government has openly targeted Muslims and other religious minorities, enabled Hindu nationalist violence, undermined democracy, targeted journalists and dissidents, and suppressed criticism using authoritarian tactics like Internet shutdowns and censorship, the three members said. During his joint press conference with President Joe Biden, Mr Modi sought to quell the concerns and denied claims of religious discrimination. It was a rare showing in front of the press as the prime minister has not held a press conference since taking office in 2014. Mr Modi stressed Indias pluralistic nature by citing the multiple political parties and various cultures within the nation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers remarks to a joint meeting of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on June 22, 2023 (Getty Images) The spirit of democracy, inclusion and sustainability defines us, he said. It also shapes our outlook to the world. Mr Modi also spoke about how the countries benefited each other economically. When defence and aerospace in India grow, industries in the state of Washington, Arizona, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Pennsylvania thrive, he said. When American companies grow, their research and development centres in India thrive. Whe Indians fly more, a single order for aircrafts creates more than a million jobs in 44 states in Amrica. He also noted how the United States works with India on semi-conductors, technology and trade. One consequence of globalisation has been the over-concentration of supply chains, he said. We will work together to diversify, decentralise and democratise supply chains. Mr Modi also spoke about the war in Ukraine and the need to promote a free, open and inclusive Indo Pacific region. Mr Modi will later return to the White House for a State dinner. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The Wall Street Journals editorial board has defended the newspapers decision to publish a defensive column from US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who dismissed allegations of wrongdoing detailed in an investigative news outlet before it had even published its story. The conservative justice who authored the courts landmark opinion overturning Roe v Wade one year ago failed to disclose private jet travel and a luxury fishing trip with a hedge fund billionaire who would later repeatedly ask the nations highest court to intervene on his behalf, according to ProPublicas findings published on 21 June. ProPublica, which has published several investigative pieces outlining alleged ethical lapses among members of the court, had yet to publish its report before The Wall Street Journal ran his column with the blunt and accusatory headline ProPublica Misleads Its Readers. Later that day, the editorial board defended its decision to run his defensive piece. The political assault on the Supreme Court continues, and the latest Justice in the grinder is Samuel Alito, the board wrote. As usual, this is a non-scandal built on partisan spin intended to harm the Justice and the current Court majority. The Wall Street Journal did not return The Independents request for comment or explain how it commissioned Mr Alitos column and how the newspaper made a decision to publish a response to ProPublica before anyone read its reporting. Justice Alito clearly wanted his defense to receive public disclosure in full, not edited piecemeal. We saw ProPublicas list of 18 questions and had a good idea of where the reporters were going. The story proved us right, the editorial board wrote. It is also hilarious to be denounced for betraying the media brotherhood for the offense of scooping the competition, the board added, appearing to dismiss criticism that the newspaper provided a venue for a powerful figure before allegations against him were publicised at length as merely a resentful media story. This is the same crowd that would prefer if we didnt exist, the board added. Their pearl-clutching reveals the degree of media conformity when it comes to approved progressive political targets like Justice Alito. The board stated that it is defending the Supreme Court because someone has to, alleging that the investigations are not about sincere ethics questions but are instead about the lefts fury at having lost control of the Court and instead to destroy it. ProPublicas founding editor-in-chief Paul E Steiger served as the managing editor of the Wall Street Journal from 1991 to 2007. Stephen Engelberg, ProPublicas current editor-in-chief, told The New York Times that Mr Alitos column declared without anyone having read the article and without asking for our comment. Were curious to know whether The Journal fact-checked the essay before publication, he added. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Florida governor and 2024 candidate Ron DeSantis continued his long-running rivalry with California governor Gavin Newsrom on Wednesday, claiming on Fox News that Californians are fleeing the state for Florida. For decades in this country, people have beaten a path to California. Its a beautiful state, great topography, all kinds diversity in terms of the different communities you can live in, and yet they never lost population until their current governor took office, Mr DeSantis said. Now theyre hemorrhaging wealth, now theyre hemorrhaging peopleI never saw California license plates [in Florida] until the last 4 years. Indeed, states like California and New York lost population in 2022, while Florida saw the biggest gains in in-migration, adding nearly 319,000 people, according to data from the National Association of Realtors. Experts attribute the changes to factors like the pandemic and taxes. Mr DeSantis also claimed he witnessed shocking street crime during a recent visit to what hes taken to calling the once-great city of San Francisco. I saw people defecating on the side walk. I saw people in an open-air drug market using fentanyl, Mr DeSantis said. In a campaign ad released on Tuesday, Mr DeSantis blamed vague leftist policies, including a supposed refusal to prosecute criminals, and riff raff running around for San Franciscos collapse. The remark was a likely reference to the false notion that progressive prosecutors in San Francisco refused to go after crime because they sometimes sought prison diversion programmes. Analysis from Mission Local shows that prosecutors like the recalled Chesa Boudin filed about as many charges as any other prosecutor in the city since 2011, while city police data shows overall crime and larceny theft on a downward trend in the years before and during when Mr Boudin was in office. In fact, violent crime rates have largely been declining in San Francisco since peaking in the 1990s, with the beginning of 2022 marking the lowest level of reported violent crime since 1985, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. According to data compiled by the CDC, Florida has a higher homicide rate per capita than California and a higher rate of drug overdose mortality. Diners at Yuan Ramen () in Yunlin, Taiwan can treat themselves to "Frog Frog Frog Ramen," a bowl of noodles with a large frog on top. Only available on Tuesday and Wednesdays, the special dish is US$8 but if you just want a photo of it, that'll set you back around US$3.25. In my opinion, it's not so different than being served a whole roasted fish, head and all. But I won't eat that either. From Taiwan News: Speaking to Taiwan News, the shop's owner said after the isopod ramen went viral in May, she thought she could make her own version, but with a local twist. She said eating frogs is common in Yunlin, and she wanted to bring that local flavor to the customers. (via Oddity Central) Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} New rules that require owners to register stabilizing braces for firearms will stay in place after the Senate rejected a Republican effort on Thursday to overturn them. President Joe Biden had promised to veto the resolution overturning the rules if it had passed. In January, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives finalized the new regulations on pistols with stabilizing braces, also called pistol braces, that require owners to register them and pay a fee or remove the braces. The agency found the accessories can make pistols as dangerously powerful and easy to conceal as short-barreled rifles or sawed-off shotguns. The Senate voted 50-49 to reject the resolution, with all Democrats voting against it and all Republicans voting for it. The Republican-led House had passed the resolution earlier this month. The regulation, which went into effect June 1, was one of several steps Biden first announced in 2021 after a man using a stabilizing brace killed 10 people at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado. A stabilizing brace was also used in a shooting in Dayton, Ohio, that left nine people dead in 2019 and most recently in a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee. Republicans argue that the braces are needed for Americans who have disabilities to be able to shoot guns with one hand. Sen. John Kennedy, the Louisiana Republican who sponsored the resolution, said he believes the regulations are a backdoor way to subject pistols to more smothering regulations and create a national gun registry. Democrats said that the country needs more gun regulations, not fewer, as mass shootings proliferate. The GOP effort to overturn the rule was outrageous and it is completely removed from the conversation that families and kids are having all across the country, said Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., ahead of the vote. The new rule is also being challenged in several lawsuits by gun owners and state attorneys general who say it violates the Second Amendment by requiring millions of people to alter or register their weapons. In some cases, judges have recently agreed to temporarily block enforcement of the rule for the plaintiffs. Biden mentioned the rule in a speech last week as he urged tougher gun restrictions around the country. This month marks the one-year anniversary of legislation passed by Congress that toughened background checks for the youngest gun buyers, sought to keep firearms from domestic violence offenders and aimed to help states put in place red flag laws that make it easier to take weapons away from people judged to be dangerous. Biden noted that the pistol brace rule is one of several steps his administration has taken to try and curb gun violence. The braces are essentially turning a gun into a short-barreled rifle, he said, which has been a weapon of choice by a number of mass shooters. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A Virginia Republican who describes herself as Trump in heels has lost her latest election bid in the state. Incumbent state Senator Amanda Chase was narrowly defeated by Glen Sturtevant in the GOPs Virginia state Senate primary. The race was called earlier this week for Mr Sturtevant, who previously served in the Virginia Senate until 2020, by The Associated Press. The race was required after redistricting in the state. Ms Chase, who attended the January 6 rally for former president Donald Trump in Washington DC, was previously censured by the state Senate for a string of incendiary remarks and election denials. She says she did not take part in the violent riot that followed and that she was driving home when it took place. But Ms Chase later praised those who attacked the US Capitol and breached the building, insisting they were not rioters and looters. These were patriots who loved their country and do not want to see our great republic turned into a socialist country, she said. I was there with the people. I know. The Justice Department has said that it believes more than 2,000 people were involved in the riot, and more than 1,000 defendants from all 50 states have been charged in connection with it. She was defeated for the Republican nomination for Virginia governor in 2021 and called for Mr Trump to declare martial law to prevent Joe Biden from being sworn in as president. She has also drawn attention for openly carrying a firearm during senate sessions, and becoming embroiled in an altercation with a Virginia Capitol police officer over a parking spot. Following her latest defeat, Ms Chase appears to be following the Trump playbook of questioning the legality of her loss. She told WWBT on Thursday that her campaign should have been allowed in the room to watch the certification of machines ahead of early voting.Right now, were in the process of raising money to hire a good attorney that can give us the legal counsel that we need, Ms Chase told the station. We know that the state law has been violated, clearly. So now were going to hold people accountable, she said. Chesterfield Voter Registrar Missy Vera told the station that her office had complied with state law, which states that each political party may have one representative present during the machine certification process. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Federal prosecutors have given former president Donald Trumps legal team access to much of the unclassified evidence against him, including multiple recordings of Mr Trump made during interviews of him since the end of his presidency. Attorneys working under the supervision of Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith revealed the existence of the recordings in a late Wednesday court filing which detailed what has been turned over to Mr Trumps lawyers thus far as part of the legally-mandated discovery process, in which the government reveals what evidence it intends to use against a criminal defendant at trial. Specifically, the document says the government has turned over copies of any written or recorded statements made by Mr Trump or his co-defendant, Walt Nauta. Prosecutors said that category of evidence includes multiple interviews of Mr Trump by non-governmental entities, such as the 21 July 2021 interview referenced in the indictment of the ex-president. During that interview, Mr Trump spoke to two people who were assisting his ex-chief of staff, Mark Meadows, with the writing of a book about his former administration, and discussed a document which the ex-president claimed to be a war plan for attacking a foreign country. At the time, Mr Trump described the document as secret information and noted that he was not able to declassify it because he was no longer president. The batch of documents provided to Mr Trumps defence team also includes transcripts of testimony given by witnesses to grand juries in Washington, DC and Florida during the governments investigation into his alleged mishandling of national defence information, as well as other materials obtained by the government by way of subpoenas and search warrants, such as surveillance footage from his Mar-a-Lago property. Prosecutors wrote that the tranche of evidence made available to the ex-presidents attorneys includes the grand jury testimony of witnesses who will testify for the government at the trial of this case. Recommended Trump calls on Congress to help him wriggle out of federal charges Under the terms of a protective order issued last week by Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, Mr Trump is barred from viewing the evidence against him outside the presence of his attorneys. The order states that Mr Trump shall only have access to Discovery Materials under the direct supervision of Defense Counsel or a member of Defense Counsels staff, and prohibited either of them from retaining copies of the materials themselves or taking any notes with them after viewing any of the materials. The protective order and the restrictions it places upon Mr Trump are meant in part to prevent him from directing his followers to harass any witnesses against him or any FBI or DOJ personnel involved in the case. Magistrate Judge Reinhart also ordered that the discovery materials be kept only by Mr Trumps legal team and stored securely on premises controlled by them. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Fears are being raised for the five passengers on board the missing Titanic submersible as their emergency supply of oxygen is believed to have run out. OceanGate Expeditions Titan sub was equipped with enough oxygen to last the five men on board for four days 96 hours in the event of an emergency situation. Follow updates on the missing Titanic sub in our live blog here Based on the timeline given by US Coast Guard officials, this meant rescue teams had until 8am ET, which is 1pm UK time, on Thursday to reach them before the chances of survival ran out. The Titan submersible left its mother ship Polar Prince at around 8am ET on Sunday to delve 13,000 feet below the surface to the Titanic wreckage, according to the US Coast Guard. Just one hour and 45 minutes later the sub made its last contact with its support vessel and then failed to resurface at its scheduled time of 3pm EDT. The US Coast Guard said it received reports of the missing craft at 5.40pm EDT. The OceanGate Expeditions submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic (PA Media) A major search and rescue operation was launched, headed up by the US Coast Guard in Boston and involving multiple agencies, sonar technology, military-style aircrafts and rescue vessels with deep ocean remotely operated vehicles. But four days from the moment the Titan entered the Atlantic Ocean, the clock struck 1pm in the UK (8am EDT) on Thursday, and hopes of finding the five men alive greatly diminished. The passengers were identified as OceanGate CEO and founder Stockton Rush, British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood. Hamish Harding, Stockton Rush, Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Shahzada Dawood (clockwise from top left) (Reuters/Getty/WEF/OceanGate) It is unclear where exactly the sub went missing but the US Coast Guard said it was searching 900 miles east of Cape Cod where the famed Titanic shipwreck lies beneath the surface. The Titanic shipwreck sits approximately 12,500 feet at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, about 380 nautical miles south of Newfoundland, Canada and 1,240 nautical miles east of New York City. US Coast Guard officials offered their latest update on the rescue operation at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, revealing that the search area had been expanded beyond its original 10,000 square miles. Officials said the five rescue vessels currently involved in the search would be joined by five more in the next 48 hours - after the time the oxygen was expected to be exhausted. But Captain Jamie Frederick maintained a positive outlook: We have to remain optimistic and hopeful. Captain Frederick also revealed that Canadian military sonar buoys had detected banging noises for a second straight day on Wednesday. He admitted that the search teams had no idea what the sounds were, and searches around the areas they came from had failed to yield any trace of the missing sub. The sounds were being analysed by US Navy specialists. A rescue fleet is seen in the search area on Wednesday (US Coast Guard.EPA) Captain Frederick said two underwater remote operated vehicle (ROVs) had also been deployed in the search zone. In addition, two Canadian P-3 aircraft were flying back-to-back missions, and two C-130 aircraft would continue to fly through the day and into the evening. Captain Frederick did not offer any new update on the oxygen timeline, but stressed that there are many factors at play beyond the official estimate that was first presented at a press conference on Tuesday. During that briefing, he acknowledged that officials did not know if crews would be able to rescue the people onboard even if they did manage to find the sub before the oxygen ran out. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} French rescue workers are searching for a missing person trapped under the rubble after a powerful blast ripped through a street in central Paris, injuring around 50 people six of them critically. The blast started fires and caused the collapse of the facade of a building housing a design school. Some 50 people were injured in the incident, although the Paris prosecutors office, which is investigating the blast, said the number may not be final. Some of the critically injured people suffered severe burns, said health minister Francois Braun. One person who was feared missing has been found. Witnesses described a deafening explosion and a giant fireball that rose several stories high on the Rue Saint-Jacques in the 5th arrondissement, not far from the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral. Flames and smoke erupt from a building (Reuters) Florence Berthout, mayor of the Paris district where the blast occurred, said the 12 students who should have been in the design school's classrooms when the blast occurred had fortunately gone to visit an exhibition with their teacher. "Otherwise the [death toll] could have been absolutely horrific," Berthout told BFM TV, adding that three children who had been passing by at the time were among the injured, although their lives were not in danger. The Paris prosecutor's office said it was too early to say what caused the blast, but witnesses told BFM TV there had been a strong smell of gas moments before the explosion. The shop shook violently, it felt like a bomb blast, said Rahman Oliur, who manages a food shop a few doors down the street from the academy. Firemen use a water canon to put out the blaze (AP) The blast occurred at 4.55pm local time (1455 GMT), just as workers were heading home. The area is busy with tourists and international students in the early summer. Several nearby buildings were evacuated. More than two hours after the explosion, first aiders were still treating residents for shock. A number of the injuries were said to have been sustained when people were blown off their feet by the blast. More than 200 firefighters were involved in the emergency response. TV images showed firefighters manning hoses and aiming jets of water at the blaze while a plume of thick black smoke billowed into the sky. Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said later that the blaze had been brought under control. Rue Saint-Jacques in the 5th arrondissement of central Paris leads from the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral to the Sorbonne University and the Val-de-Grace military hospital and is a few streets from the popular Jardin du Luxembourg. The blaze was attended by more than 200 firefighters (EPA) Police officers and rescue workers work at the scene (AP) Art historian Monique Mosser said: I thought it was a bomb. Many of the windows in her building had been blown out by the blasts shockwave, she added. A neighbour knocked on the door and told me that the fire brigade were asking us to evacuate as quickly as possible. I grabbed my laptop, my phone. I didnt even think to get my medication, she added. Smoke from the building billows over Paris (Reuters) Paris prosecutors said a probe had been opened into aggravated involuntary injury. Investigators are expected to look into whether building conditions were in breach of regulations or if an individual had acted without due care. Mr Nunez said firefighters prevented the blaze from igniting two neighbouring buildings that were seriously destabilised by the explosion and evacuated. The explosion blew out several windows in the area, witnesses and the police chief said. The Paris American Academy is a private school, founded in 1965, which offers fashion design, interior design, fine arts and creative writing courses. A blast in January 2019 in Pariss 9th arrondissement killed four people and left dozens injured. Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report. Close Paris gas explosion: At least 24 injured For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} One person is still missing and four are in critical condition after dozens were injured in a powerful explosion in a building in central Paris. The explosion at around 4:55pm local time on Wednesday at the Paris American Academy on Rue Saint-Jacques left 37 people injured. The blast sparked a fire that sent smoke soaring over the French capitals monuments and prompted an evacuation of other properties, authorities said. Officials are exploring a possible gas leak as the explosion but Paris police spokesperson Loubna Atta said it was too early to determine the source of the fire and could not confirm reports it was caused by a gas explosion. Huge plumes of black smoke swelled into the air over the surrounding neighbourhood, but the fire was quickly brought under control. The explosion was extremely violent, said Florence Berthout, mayor of the fifth arrondissement of the city, where the explosion happened. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter being held in Russia on espionage charges derided as politically motivated, has lost his latest appeal against his extended detention ahead of his trial for which no date has been set. The journalist denies the spying charge, which could lead to a prison sentence of up to 20 years if he is convicted. Mr Gershkovich, wearing blue jeans and a black T-shirt, stood in a glass box and smiled at reporters who were briefly allowed to film him before the start of the proceedings in a courtroom in Moscow. The US ambassador to Russia, Lynne Tracy, who was not allowed inside the hearing, told reporters outside that she was "extremely disappointed" by the decision. She praised Mr Gershkovich, 31, for his "remarkable strength and resiliency" and reiterated the US stance that the charges against him were baseless. "He is an innocent journalist who was carrying out journalistic activities and has been wrongfully detained. Such hostage diplomacy is unacceptable," Ms Tracy said. The Kremlin has claimed Mr Gershkovich was caught "red-handed" on a trip to the Urals city of Yekaterinburg, where the FSB security service said he was trying to obtain military secrets. It has provided no evidence to support that assertion, which is vehemently denied by the Wall Street Journal. The reporter's parents Mikhail Gershkovich and Ella Milman, who left the Soviet Union for the United States in 1979, were in court to support their son. They left afterwards without speaking to journalists. Emma Tucker, the Wall Street Journal's editor in chief, told the BBC before the hearing that she had low expectations from the appeal but it was important to go through the legal process. In April, a court denied an earlier request from Mr Gershkovich's lawyers that he be transferred to house arrest, agree to restrictions on his movements, or be granted bail. He is being held in Lefortovo prison at a time when relations between Washington and Moscow are at the lowest point since the Cold War, after Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine. Ambassador Tracy said Washington demanded the immediate release of Mr Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a former US marine who was arrested in Russia in 2018 and jailed for 16 years in June 2020 on spying charges. Washington says he too is wrongfully detained, a term that means the United States considers the verdicts to be bogus and politically motivated. Reuters The warning from Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky that his intelligence services believe Moscow is plotting a terrorist act to release radiation from the power plant in Zaporizhzhia is anothe chilling reminder of the spectre of nuclear disaster that has been a constant throughout Russias invasion. The Kremlin has denied the accusation, but it has repeatedly used nuclear rhetoric particularly threats over the use of nuclear weapons. President Vladimir Putin talked up its arsenal during a speech this week, potentially prompting the Ukrainian response. It is part of what many analysts see as an attempt to try and show the West that Russia will not be backed into a corner, no matter the battlefield situation in Ukraine, particularly ahead of the annual Nato summit in Lithuania next month. It might all just be to impose political pressure on Nato leaders ahead of the Nato summit, says Hanna Liubakova, a Belarusian journalist and researcher. The aim is to weaken the Wests resolve in supporting Ukraine, and to scare the people in Nato countries, to get them to say: You see what is happening? Putin escalates. We cannot support Ukraine. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ukraine has new evidence Russia is plotting a terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia power plant that will result in a radiation leak, President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned. The Kremlin dismissed the allegation as "another lie", and said a team of United Nations nuclear inspectors had visited the plant and rated everything highly. In a video statement, Mr Zelensky said that Kyiv had received intelligence about an attack on the facility the largest nuclear power plant in Europe which is currently occupied by Russia. He added that they had shared the information with partners including the United States China, Europe, Brazil and India. "Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant a terrorist act with radiation leakage, he said. Radiation has no state borders. Whomever it will hit is deterred only by the direction of the wind, he added. This time it should not be like Kakhovka, he said, referring to the hydroelectric dam Kyiv says Moscow blew up earlier this month. The world has been warned, so the world can and must act. Mr Zelensky did not say what evidence Ukraine based this assertion on. This week the countrys military intelligence chief accused Russia of mining the cooling pool used to keep reactors at the plant cool. The six-reactor complex has been under occupation since shortly after Moscow's forces invaded Ukraine in February last year. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, is seen in the background of the shallow Kakhovka Reservoir after the dam collapse earlier this month (AP) The two sides have accused each other of shelling the vast facility, and international efforts to establish a demilitarised zone around it have failed so far. Ukrainian officials have told The Independent that Russia is using scorched earth tactics to scupper a new Ukrainian counteroffensive and may have no qualms in targeting the Zaporizhzhia power plant if backed into a corner. Kyiv raised the alarm after the Kakhovka dam blew up on 6 June, pouring millions of cubic metres of water across southern Ukraine an act it blamed on Russia. The torrent of water submerged whole towns and villages and left tens of thousands of people without access to piped water. Moscow has denied the accusations. We know the Russians can do this, we knew they could blow up the Kakhovka dam and we know they could target the [Zaporizhzhia] power plant, Taras Tyshchenko, head of the centre for disease control and prevention in Zaporizhzhia city, told The Independent. At the Ministry of Health facility, Tyshchenkos teams are already testing the air and water for radiation and disease after the dam explosion. Mr Tyshcehno said the same teams were prepared for the worst-case scenario: three rounds of training had already been held in case the nuclear power plant is targeted. This is a very serious threat, the scale of which cannot be predicted in advance, he said. This incident will not be a local or even a national one, it is a global incident. It will have a significant impact on the environment not only in Zaporizhzhia region, Dnipro region, or in Ukraine as a whole. A Ukrainian 28th Brigade serviceman shoots a Maxim gun towards Russian positions at the front line in the eastern Donetsk region (AP) This will be an incident that can definitely affect all our neighbouring countries, especially those that have access to the Black Sea. He said a full-scale evacuation of the area under Ukrainian control surrounding the nuclear power plant could be triggered within 15 minutes of the first reports of an explosion. After that, inhabitants of the impacted area would be instructed to take cover. Potassium iodide tablets (which can help with radiation poisoning) had been distributed in September. Emergency crews would then test the environment for safe routes out. Why they are doing this only Russia knows, Mr Tyshcehno added. The first people who will be hit will be their own units and the people supporting them nearby the plant. Ukraine suffered the world's worst nuclear accident in 1986 when it was part of the Soviet Union. Clouds of radioactive material spread across much of Europe after an explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The damaged Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of Ukraines Kherson region to the Crimean Peninsula (via Reuters) Elsewhere, one of the few bridges linking the Crimean Peninsula with the Ukrainian mainland was struck early on Thursday, Russian-backed officials said, cutting one of the main supply routes for Russian forces in southern Ukraine. The two parallel Chonhar bridges were both damaged but no one was hurt, said the Russian-installed governor in occupied Kherson, Vladimir Saldo adding that it was likely long-range Storm Shadow missiles supplied by Britain were used. The Russian state RIA news agency later quoted a spokesman for military investigators as saying that markings found on the remains of one of the missiles suggested it had been made in France. Ukrainian authorities did not immediately comment, and typically do not confirm specific attacks. But Kyiv has said it wants to retake Crimea annexed by Moscow in 2014 and drive all Russian forces from its territory. In its latest update on the fighting across the country, Ukraine's military reported partial success in the southeast and east on Thursday. Addressing the overall progress of Kyiv's counteroffensive during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine's army had advanced seven kilometres and retaken territory that included eight villages during the last two weeks. As the president of Ukraine [has] said, the counteroffensive is not a Hollywood movie. It's not an easy walk," Mr Shmyhal said. "The counteroffensive is a number of military operations. Sometimes it's offensive, sometimes it's defensive. Sometimes it could be tactical pauses. Unfortunately, during our preparation for this counteroffensive, Russians were preparing too. So there is so much minefields, which really make it slower. We will do very smart offensive operations and because of this it will take time, the prime minister said. We all should have patience and we will see results. A Buffalo-based startup tackling the retention issue in higher education got a boost in its ongoing funding round. Arbol received $100,000 from the Western New York Impact Investment Fund as part of a larger pre-seed round that so far has raised $350,000 to help expand its operations in Buffalo. That brings Arbols funding support to at least $450,000. The University at Buffalo invested $250,000 in the round through its Buffalo Innovation Seed Fund, following a previous investment of $100,000 in the company through its Cultivator program. Other investors also are expected to contribute to the round before it closes this summer. Led by co-founders David Gonzalez and Favio Osorio, Arbol is gearing up to launch its software with at least four local colleges this summer and into the fall semester, in an effort to keep thousands of students on track toward graduation. Arbol, headquartered at 701 Ellicott St., then expects to expand beyond Western New York in 2024. This is a dynamic time at Arbol, as we prepare to unveil the first version of our software platform, launch with a growing list of colleges and add new members to our team, said Gonzalez, company CEO. Favio and I are acutely aware of the interconnection between financial struggle and college performance, and believe we are poised to be a major part of the solution. The company was inspired by the experiences of Gonzalez and Osorio as minority, first-generation college students. Arbol is focused on improving the dropout rates in American higher education. Its tech platform allows students to monitor their financial trajectory. Arbol also provides colleges with a dashboard that helps them identify students who are at risk of dropping out for financial reasons. More than 2 million students are currently enrolled at U.S. colleges serving low- to middle-income students. Arbol is tackling a serious problem faced by many college students, said Richard Kim, director of Startup Ventures at UB. We are happy to continue supporting the Arbol teams growth and are excited to see what they achieve going forward. Arbol is building a high-growth software business that supports financially vulnerable students as they pursue their dreams, WNY Impact Investment Fund CEO Tom Quinn said. Its got an incredible opportunity in the years ahead. One of Arbols clients is the Buffalo State Foundation, which is pursuing grant funding that will allow it to introduce the platform to hundreds of incoming students this summer. Arbols business model provides a unique answer to an age-old problem in our industry, said James Finnerty Sr., Buffalo State vice president for institutional advancement and executive director of the Buffalo State Foundation. For the first time, colleges can identify vulnerable students before they reach a financial crisis, helping them continue towards their degree and to build a brighter future. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Mark Zuckerberg has said he wants to have a cage fight with Elon Musk, which his fellow tech billionaire appears to have accepted. Mr Musk first proposed a fight earlier this month, writing on Twitter that he was up for a cage match after rumours emerged that the Meta boss was working on a Twitter rival. Mr Zuckerberg responded with a screenshot of Mr Musks tweet with the caption send me location. A spokesperson for Meta confirmed to The Verge that Mr Zuckerbergs response was not a joke, saying the story speaks for itself. Mr Musk named a location on Thursday, replying on Twitter to news of the matchup with the words Vegas Octagon, referring to the UFC Apex centre in Nevada. Mr Zuckerberg has previously posted about his martial arts training on Facebook, while also talking extensively about it on podcast appearances. In May, he competed in his first jiu-jitsu tournament, having trained with UFC prospects in the build-up. Competed in my first jiu jitsu tournament and won some medals for the Guerrilla Jiu Jitsu team, the 38-year-old wrote on Instagram, alongside some photos of him competing and gold and silver medal emoji. By contrast, the 51-year-old Tesla chief executive claims to not do exercise, writing in a Twitter post on Wednesday: I almost never work out, except for picking up my kids and throwing them in the air. The tech billionaire, who is currently listed as the worlds richest person on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, hinted in a recent podcast that he would aim to use his superior weight to defeat Mr Zuckerberg. I have a move called The Walrus, which I used on a friend of mine whos very agile, he told the Full Send podcast. But I was like, let me explain to you why there are weight classes in MMA. Im going to use a move called The Walrus, where I just lie on you and you cant get away. A horse was rescued after becoming spooked and jumping into a Florida swimming pool. Pasco County Fire and Rescue firefighters were called to the scene on the evening of Tuesday 20 June, where they found the stuck animal. Footage shows the moment the horse was lifted from the water after firefighters secured a hoisting harness to it. It had become spooked by another horse before jumping into the pool, authorities said. We are happy to report that the horse is in good condition! Thank you to everyone who responded and worked vigilantly to save a life, Pasco County Fire Rescue wrote, sharing the video on social media. A student celebrating her graduation stumbled down a set of stairs in an amusing photoshoot fail. Leyssie Joy Bidaure was filming the ceremony with her friends when the incident happened in Iloilo province, Philippines, on 30 May. Footage shows Leyssie tumbling on the concrete ground as her shoes were stuck on the tail of her dress while jumping. They were filming the second part of a video taken five days before to highlight their graduation together as friends. It was a blooper moment that I will never forget. I was a bit clumsy but not hurt so much, she said afterwards. An ice-cool pilot stayed calm when a huge bird slammed into his planes cockpit - showering him in blood and guts. Ariel Valiente was flying a crop duster over Los Rios, Ecuador, when the condor smashed through the windscreen. The bird exploded in a terrifying cloud of blood and feathers, but Mr Valiente managed to keep his cool and maintain the aircrafts stability during the oddly terrifying incident. Footage shows the birds mangled carcass dangling from the ceiling. Steering the planes control stick, Mr Valiente then turned the camera on himself to show his face and the cockpit covered in blood spatters. Semi-state ruled out compulsory redundancies as income shifts from letters to ecommerce An Post expects to cut around 1000 jobs over the next five years but management ruled out any compulsory redundancies. The State owned postal company, which reported a significant rise in revenue and earnings for 2022 also ruled out any further increase in the price of stamps. Speaking at An Posts new headquarters overlooking Dublin Port, CEO David McRedmond said job losses are not a target but are likely as the company adjusts to a new market with lower volumes of letters and higher ecommerce related income. An anticipated reduction of 1000 full time equivalent roles may not mean 1000 people, when overtime and other factors are taken into account, he said. The semi-state had a total staff of 10,104 at the end of 2022 down 300 on the previous year. All employees will receive a one-off 750 cost of living payment this year in addition to agreed pay increases. Around 900 staff are in the process of moving from An Posts historic headquarters at the GPO on OConnell Street where the post office and a museum will be retained as the rest of the iconic building is handed over the Office of Public Works (OPW) for use by government. The state owned group said revenue in 2022 was level with prior year, while earnings (EBITDA) of 18.6m were up 15pc on prior year The years results were significantly impacted by a one-off accounting cost of 218m booked for the year linked to the groups pension, which moved from a deficit to a significant surplus last year. The company said a strong recovery in the second half with revenues up 3.5pc versus the second half of 2022. While traditional letter delivery and social welfare services are in decline revenue is being replaced by accelerating growth in financial services, especially An Post Money and Agency Banking as well as parcels delivery linked to online shopping. Speaking to reporters, David McRedmond warned however that barriers to commerce are rising as the European Union tightens its excise regime, including between the UK and Ireland. The new EU Customs regime is being implemented earlier and more onerously in Ireland than anywhere else in the EU and has substantially reduced imports from outside the bloc, especially Britain. Imports of parcels from Britain through postal channels fell by 68pc last year as it became tougher for individuals and small businesses to send parcels through the mail. Big companies are better able to deal with increased bureaucracy and stand to benefit over time, he said. Mr McRedmond who was named as a potential candidate to take over as head of RTE earlier this year said possible move came before a government decision to extend his An Post contract which is now in the process of being renewed for a further three years. After hiking the price of a basic stamp by 23pc since the start of 2022 to 1.35. An Posts chief financial office, Peter Quinn, all but ruled out any further rise this year. On This Day In History - June 22nd The liquidator of Custom House Capital where four senior executives of the firm were jailed last month for a sophisticated fraud has confirmed in a new report that it will be another 18 months before the liquidation process is complete. Custom House Capital (CHC) was founded in 1998 and was ostensibly active in the provision of asset, portfolio and investment management services, as well as pension advisory services. But between 2008 and 2011, the firm would engage in a calculated 61m fraud that betrayed its thousands of clients and lost them a fortune. Last month, CHCs former chief executive, Harry Cassidy who was on a 430,000 salary before the company eventually came under the spotlight of Central Bank investigators was sentenced to almost seven years in prison at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Justice Orla Crowe said the victims of CHC had been systematically deceived in a sophisticated operation. At the time of the crash, CHC had entered agreements to buy properties in mainland Europe. In 2008, it started using client funds to meet its purchase obligations, but did so without the knowledge or permission of clients. John Whyte, CHCs head of private clients was sentenced to four years for his part in the deception. Paul Lavery, the firms financial controller, was sentenced to three years. John Mulholland received a years sentence for neglect in the discharge of his duties as a non-executive director. The men had pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to defraud investors in and clients and customers of CHC by intentionally misleading them as to where and how their assets had been placed contrary to common law. Just months before it entered liquidation in 2011, CHC had client assets of more than 1.1bn under management and 24m in cash in designated client accounts. There was a systematic and deliberate misuse of assets and cash belonging directly or indirectly to clients of CHC, Central Bank investigators determined in 2011. This misuse was deliberately disguised by CHC through the use of false accounting entries and the issue of false and misleading statements to clients. Liquidator Kieran Wallace told the court last month that 61m in client funds had been misappropriated. A total of 41m of that has since been recovered. As of the end of last March, clients have been reimbursed a total of 39m. Mr Wallaces latest liquidators report, signed off just days ago, confirms that it is likely to be 18 months before the liquidation of CHC is completed. His report notes that the reason for the likely completion date is due to the reconciliation and transfer of client assets. A total of 202 victim impact statements were submitted to the court in advance of the finalisation of the case against the CHC executives last month. Justice Crowe said those statements detailed the very significant effect of the fraud on the victims and their families. She noted that most of CHCs clients had been saving for their retirement and many of the victims had suffered significant financial losses. The number of remote working jobs in Ireland is tumbling, indicating that employers may be turning away from the idea of offering home-working as a mainstream option. According to the countrys largest jobs website, Indeed.com, the number of fully remote jobs on offer in Ireland has fallen to 2,103, which is under 4pc of the 53,946 vacancies currently in the country. One year ago, there were almost 4,000 fully remote roles available in Ireland, which was 7pc of the total vacancies at the time. The fall in fully remote roles reflects efforts by large companies in the country to bring staff back into physical offices. Tech giants such as Apple, Google and Meta have publicly declared that remote working can be less productive than in-person attendance. During its last round of layoffs this year, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg said the companys data indicated people hired as fully remote were likely to log less productive work than those hired as in-office staff. Corks largest private sector employer, Apple, says that in-office work produces more than remote setups. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg However, the latest figures also indicate higher-paid jobs are more likely to offer a fully remote option. For positions with a salary of over 40,000, the percentage of vacancies offering fully remote rises from 4pc to 5.6pc. For jobs paying over 60,000, it rises again to 7.3pc, while jobs offering salaries of over 80,000 have a one-in-11 chance (9pc) of being fully remote. Despite falling employer interest in fully remote, a number of large Irish employers told the Irish Independent they remain committed to their fully remote policies. Were 100pc remote and were not going back, said Stuart Trotter, country manager of Liberty Mutual Insurance, which employs over 400 people and has just been bought by the Italian insurance giant Generali. The benefits that were seeing are huge in the kind of staff engagement weve seen. Theres been no decrease in productivity. In fact, if anything, its the opposite. Ebay, which employs over 1,000 here, has 70pc of its workforce working fully remotely. Were not going back, said Siobhan Curtin, eBay Irelands site lead here. We started this [remote working] in 2017, way before the pandemic. We know what works and we have the data to show that it works. We know what the output is, what the productivity is and were looking to hire more. Noinin review: Of all the places Ive eaten in this year, this no-notions spot run by two sisters is one of my favourites The BBC show has become quite the phenomenon, with seven million viewers a week It started out as a 30-minute daytime show on BBC2, gradually expanding to 60 minutes, moved to a primetime midweek slot on BBC1 and now draws seven million viewers a week. You can understand why its so popular. Nostalgia always sells and the show has buckets of it in the family heirlooms which can be anything from large items of furniture to ornaments to teddy bears to small toys people bring to Jay Blades and his expert team. Many of these objects are of little or no financial worth. You wont find anyone from Antiques Roadshow cooing over them. Their sentimental value to their owners, however, is incalculable. Behind many of them are moving stories. Theres at least one lump-in-the-throat moment per episode. And, of course, theres also the soothing pleasure of watching supremely skilled craftspeople performing delicate miracles. The show hits so many sweet spots at once that if you cant find something to enjoy in it, the chances are youre in need of some repairing. At its best, The Repair Shop is social history related through individual possessions. This was especially true of this weeks episode, a special marking the 75th anniversary of the Windrush migration. The Repair Shop Windrush special. Photo: BBC / Ricochet On June 21, 1948, HMS Empire Windrush docked at the Port of Tilbury near London, carrying the first major wave of Caribbean migrants. They came to the motherland in search of jobs and better lives, believing theyd be welcomed by a society still rebuilding itself after the war and desperately in need of workers. What they found instead was hostility and prejudice, not just from the racists who abused them in the street or the landladies who placed No blacks signs in their windows, but from much of the political establishment too. Enoch Powell was far from the only MP opposed to people of colour coming into the country. Contrary to a pretty widespread belief, it was individual companies such as London Transport, rather than the government, that were pushing for people from the Caribbean to come and fill jobs. The gulf between the hopes and dreams the migrants carried along with their meagre possessions and the reality they encountered imbued the four items featured here with poignancy. The gulf between the hopes and dreams the migrants carried along with their meagre possessions and the reality they encountered imbued the four items featured here with poignancy. A woman called Beverley Dixon brought in the British passport belonging to her father Edgar, whos 97. Battered and almost illegible in places, it was issued to him in Jamaica in 1948. Edgar arrived in England on SS Eros in 1950, when he was 24. A kindly Welsh family took him under their wing and gave him the fare to bring his fiancee Rubina to England in 1952. They married the following year. Keithly wanted the team to repair the battered suitcase, colloquially know as a grip, in which his mother Locita carried all her worldly possessions when she arrived from the West Indies in 1956. As a third-class citizen, she had to travel in the belly of the ship. Locita, whos still alive, dreamed of becoming a nurse, but had to settle for cleaning jobs. She later became a social worker and a councillor, and was recognised by Tony Blair for her community work. Brother and sister Dorcas and Stephen brought in their late parents broken clock, one of the first things they bought to furnish the small room they lived in after coming from Antigua in 1960. They saw England as somewhere they belonged, said Dorcas. England saw it differently. The couple were rejected even by church communities. Finally, Professor Patrick Vernon, who led the successful campaign to have June 22 deemed Windrush Day, had a broken 1960s radiogram left to him by a music-loving friend called Eddie, who was born in Jamaica, served in the RAF and became a surrogate grandfather to Patrick. In an era when nightclubs enforced a colour ban, the radiogram was Eddies only way of enjoying the music he loved. Needless to say, the repairs and restorations were immaculate, and the unveilings as emotional as always. But the real treasures here were the incredible stories of courage and resilience behind the humble items. UCD has now also been allocated an additional 50 places in veterinary medicine. Photo: Roger Jones The Government has cleared the way for three new vet schools as part of a package that could see up to 230 extra college places a year in veterinary. Press Release June 22, 2023 CHIZ SUPPORTS PROPOSAL TO LEGISLATE AIR PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS, STIFFER PENALTIES FOR VIOLATORS Senator Chiz Escudero on Thursday (June 22) has expressed openness to the proposal of passing laws that would institutionalize the air passenger's bill of rights and impose stiffer penalties on violators amid the rising grievances by travelers against poor airline services. The senator said it is about time the current Congress should look into legislating the Air Passenger Bill of Rights, a proposal that was backed up by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) at yesterday's hearing conducted jointly by the Committee on Tourism and the Committee on Public Services chaired by Senators Nancy Binay and Grace Poe, respectively. "Similar measures had been filed in previous Congress but nothing happened. It is about time that we in the 19th Congress should look into this seriously and hopefully pass the necessary legislation," Escudero said as he monitored the proceeding. During the hearing, CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla said the violations and penalties in the 71-year-old Republic Act 776 or the "Civil Aeronautics Act of the Philippines" have not been revised and limits the fine to five thousand pesos for each violation. On the other hand, the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights was not legislated but contained in the Joint Administrative Order No.1 of the then Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in 2012. Specifically, the Air Passenger Bill of Rights protects air passengers from problems in the airport, such as delayed or canceled flights without appropriate warning, lost luggage, and overbooking of flights, among others. It also covers pre-flight issues, such as misleading fare advertisements. At the hearing, which tackled complaints lodged by passengers on delayed and canceled flights, overbooking, offloading, offboarding and lost luggage, airline representatives acknowledged the challenges faced by their companies and issued separate public apologies for the inconvenience brought to the affected passengers. Airline officials also informed the senators that they are undertaking measures and are coordinating with concerned government to address the situation effectively. Present were officials of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, and Air Asia Philippines. Cebu Pacific chief commercial officer Alexander Lao, whose airline was the subject of most complaints, said the flight delays and cancellations during the past months was caused mainly by, among others, the Supply Chain Issues (global shortage on airline components and spare parts) that resulted in more Aircraft on Ground (AOGs), delays in the scheduled delivery of aircraft from Airbus, logistics challenges resulting to prolonged aircraft recovery, and uncontrollable weather-related condition. Sen. Binay is scheduled to hold a follow up meeting soon, with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) officials in attendance. Elizabeth Gurney feels good about the team she has built while leading the KeyBank Foundation. So she is confident that the time is right for her to retire, after a long career in fundraising and philanthropy. Her retirement as Keys director of corporate philanthropy takes effect July 1. Its a great team at Key, with lots of support that knows how to do this and will do this very well, Gurney said. Gurney was named head of the KeyBank Foundation in 2019 and has remained in Buffalo while serving in that role. Over that time, the foundation has donated about $130 million across all 27 of Keys markets. There are good organizations in every single community that were in that do the work, and we just are able to enable them to do the good work, Gurney said. Gurney held fundraising roles for the Nichols School, Childrens Hospital and Hospice Buffalo before she was named the first-ever executive director of the First Niagara Foundation in 2011. When Key bought First Niagara in 2016, the First Niagara Foundation began a wind-down that just concluded. The First Niagara Foundation donated about $100 million over its 25-year history. Gurney led both the First Niagara Foundation and the KeyBank Foundation over the past four years. With Gurney retiring, Eric Fiala, Keys head of corporate responsibility, who is based in Cleveland, will take over day-to-day leadership of the KeyBank Foundation. Gurney said that shift wont reduce Keys philanthropic commitment to Western New York. Buffalo is the second-largest market for Key after Cleveland, she said. Its very important to KeyBank in terms of its business and also its community impact. I do not see that changing. Gurney said she will continue to serve on the boards of the Buffalo Sabres Foundation, Childrens Foundation of Erie County and Josephine Goodyear Foundation, and live in Buffalo. Ill be here, she said. My heart is here. Hollywood actor Colm Meaney (70) is set to star with his daughter, actor Brenda Meaney (39) in a new Enda Walshs play Bedbound - which will be played in Galway and Dublin this summer. The Irish-born actor, best known for his role in "The Barrytown Trilogy" films, and as Miles O'Brien in Star Trek, will be making his first appearance on Irish stage for the first time in over 40 years with daughter. Colm revealed on RTE Radio that he had encouraged his daughter to explore her passion for archaeology instead of acting. She did some plays at school, and she was really good. But we tried to discourage it. Simply because your mom and dad are actors, doesnt mean you have to be one, he said. There's so many really fascinating professions out there, he added, According to the Hollywood star, when the play was presented to him, the thought of working with his daughter was a slow burn. Born and raised in New York, Brenda spent a lot of her childhood in Ireland. She graduated from Trinity College in Dublin with a degree in Archaeology and then went to Yale to study acting. Brenda, who is also the daughter of late actress Bairbre Dowling, told Ryan Tubridy this morning: I read the play and it was terrifying. The play was terrifying. It's vast and unwieldy and full of juicy, terrifying work. And I was like, I want to do that, Colm added: I read the play and had a similar reaction to Brendas. It was both terrifying and fascinating. Bedbound, a co-production between Landmark Theatre and Galway International Arts Festival, directed by Marc Atkinson Borrull, is described as a ferocious two-hander about a father-daughter relationship gone wrong. Bedbound is set to play in Galway International Arts Festival from July 14 - 29 in and 3Olympia Theatre in Dublin from August 8 - 12. On This Day In History - June 22nd The Lord Mayor and City Council paid tribute to them for their tireless work in the field of environmental campaigning The Freedom of the City has previously been conferred on 86 people Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (20) did not collect her award in person - but Jessica Dunne and Sumaya Ahmed spoke on her behalf The Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy and Duncan Stewart pictured outside the Mansion House in Dublin this evening. Picture Conor McCabe Photography. Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy and Duncan Stewart who was conferred with the Freedom of Dublin City. Picture Conor McCabe Photography. Environmentalists Greta Thunberg and Duncan Stewart have both been awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin at a ceremony tonight in the Mansion House on Dawson Street. Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (20) did not collect her award in person, with Jessica Dunne and Sumaya Ahmed, both from the youth climate strike movement in Ireland, speaking on her behalf. The Lord Mayor and the city council were paying tribute to Ms Thunberg and Mr Stewart for their tireless work in the field of environmental campaigning. Dublin environmentalist Duncan Stewart (75), who hosted the RTE show Eco Eye for twenty years, attended the ceremony at the Mansion House on Wednesday. He said: When the Lord Mayor called me and asked me would I accept a nomination for the award, I was really shocked and certainly very honoured. "I would like to thank the Lord Mayor for what she has done, and Dublin City Council in general. Duncan Stewart has arrived at the Mansion House to collect the Freedom of the City from @LordMayorDublin!! pic.twitter.com/7QzhLp8geK Dublin City Council (@DubCityCouncil) June 21, 2023 "Really I dont deserve it, but certainly when I see Greta Thunberg also on the platform I feel very proud because I have such great admiration for her and all the incredible work shes doing for our young generation. Both recipients received gifts from Irish craftmakers, with Mr Stewart receiving a sculpture made from 400-year-old bog oak by artist Tony Downey. Meanwhile, Ms Thunberg was gifted a nature-inspired drop pendant handmade by Irish jeweller Shimara Carlow, who is originally from west Cork. I am honoured to present The Freedom of the City to Duncan Stewart and Greta Thunberg, said Lord Mayor of Dublin Caroline Conroy. Jessica Dunne and Sumaya Ahmed from the youth climate strike movement in Ireland picking up the Freedom of the City award for @GretaThunberg in Dublin's Mansion House from @LordMayorDublin pic.twitter.com/LJh5WhdnpY Dublin City Council (@DubCityCouncil) June 21, 2023 "This award is the highest Civic honour Dublin City can bestow. It is a privilege for me to confer the Freedom on these two very deserving recipients, both of whom I admire greatly for their efforts to help us tackle the most pressing global problem of our time. Recipients of the award become Honorary Citizens of the city, earning ancient privileges such as the right to bring goods into Dublin through the city gates without paying customs duties as well as the right to pasture sheep on common ground within the city boundaries, including on St Stephens Green. As part of their ancient duties, they must be ready to defend the city from attack as they can be called on to join a city militia at short notice and must have their own sword, bow and coat of mail. Past recipients include Fr Peter McVerry, Jack Charlton, Kellie Harrington and Gay Byrne, as well as US Presidents John F Kennedy and Bill Clinton. The Freedom of the City has previously been conferred on 86 people. The first recipient was of the Freedom of the City was Isaac Butt in 1876. To receive the award, a person must be nominated by the Lord Mayor before their nomination is voted on by Dublin City Council. Any nomination must be ratified by a majority vote. My life is already starting to return to pre-Leaving Cert normality. I went to a training session for the first time in about a month, and between the 1,500 metres and 150-metre sprints, accompanied by my coachs whistle, I was dead. Make hay while the sun shines is the saying, and I got a chance to do some much needed weeding. Just in time, as the buttercups were attempting a coup on the onions and potatoes. There were also quite a lot of poppies which unfortunately had to be pulled, but I have no intention of being done for the suspected production of opium. I was milking yesterday morning for the first time in a year, and I dont think the cows have forgotten me. I was also the subject of much gaslighting by people trying to convince me that I had failed all my exams. Regardless of the perpetrators, it was nice to be back in the swing of things. Very little changes on a farm from year to year, and it can be quite comforting to pick up where you left off. Trips to the beach and cinema are just a few of the proposals being bounced around. A 10-hour hike is also being canvassed. The side effects of walking for that long on your ankles, through heather and stony mountain, has been conveniently left out of the plea. The big trip planned for most is the somewhat infamous Sixth-Year Holiday an experience we are led to believe is the real start to life. Strangely, all the pitfalls experienced by previous participants just make the idea all the more delightful for the majority. So, to any enthusiastic holidaymakers heading to Santa Ponsa, Zante or Albufeira, the crazed friends who have just finished exams are on their way. Deciding to do something a bit different, I will be going inter-railing with a friend for a short two-week stint. If you plan to be in Berlin, Amsterdam, Prague, Venice, Marseille or Paris during August, do say hello. Finally, the cliffhanger of a wait is over and I can confirm that new arrivals are here in west Wicklow. I cannot give you a final number yet, and I will not be tempting fate, but hen and chicks are happy and well. With black, white, brown and speckled, there is certainly a collection to worry over. Thank you again for all the lovely feedback, Im delighted so many have come along for the journey. Whether it helped you relive your past experiences or it was a completely new thing to behold, it was great fun to write, even when scrambling between exams and deadlines. Moss Grace-Byrne is a student of St Mac Daras Community College, Templeogue, Dublin Bosses at one of Irelands top visitor attractions, Fota Wildlife Park, fear a 12pc decline in visitor numbers last year is linked to Irelands growing hotel capacity crisis. With a significant proportion of Irish hotel capacity now allocated to housing refugees and not enough new hotels being built, tourism chiefs have warned of serious problems if the issue is not urgently addressed. Failte Ireland boss Paul Kelly and Irish Tourism Industry Confederation chief executive Eoghan OMara Walsh have already said hotel beds need to be returned to tourism purposes as a priority. A secret government memo last month warned of a potential 1.1bn industry hit because of a lack of hotel beds and the implications for tourism and the hospitality sector of using hotels long-term for refugees and for other humanitarian purposes. Fota director Sean McKeown said the east Cork parks visitor numbers declined from 475,000 in 2021 to 417,000 last year. In 2019, the last year before the Covid-19 pandemic, Fota attracted 462,047 visitors. The decrease last year was a surprise since expectations were that Fota would get close to the 500,000 visitors mark after the bounce-back in 2021. Mr McKeown said a shortage of local hotel accommodation was an issue in the decline in visitor numbers. A lot of people ring us and ask us is there anywhere locally they can stay. Hotel capacity is a big issue both in east Cork and Cork itself, he said. Mr McKeown said the difficulties tourists and domestic visitors faced when looking for accommodation locally meant many families chose not to visit Fota or east Cork in general. He said the shortage of hotel beds last year had also led to a situation where those that were available were out of the price range for many visitors, particularly during the peak summer season. People werent able to stay locally, and thats an issue, he added. Mr McKeown said the accommodation crisis will also have consequences for other visitor attractions, restaurants, pubs, cafes and shops. The park is the number one visitor attraction in the south and has invested millions of euro in its animal attractions and infrastructure over recent years. It marks its 40th anniversary this week and has more than doubled the number of species since 1983. Regarded as the worlds top breeding centre for a number of endangered species, Fota delivers a 200m boost to the local economy every year. The park has a strong relationship with local accommodation providers and is hoping to secure a share of the cruise liner passenger traffic from nearby Cobh. A friend of British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, who is on board the missing Titan submersible, has said there is still hope that the five men will be found. Colonel in the United States Air Force Terry Virts said he is very concerned about the pilot and is focused on the rescue efforts. The missing deep-sea vessel lost communication on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada. OceanGate Expeditions estimated the oxygen supply on the 6.7m long vessel would last the crew of five 96 hours, giving rescuers a deadline of around midday on Thursday. Also in the craft are UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, and OceanGates chief executive and founder Stockton Rush, as well as French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet. who has family living in Ireland. Mr Virts, who is a retired NASA astronaut and former International Space Station Commander, has known Hamish (58) for seven years. The pair took part in a mission together in 2019 called One More Orbit where they set a world record flying around earth. Hes a very friendly and outgoing guy, he has a tonne of friends my phone has been ringing constantly over the last three or four days from people all around the world, he told The Ray DArcy Show on RTE. He loves exploration and is not the type to sit around. I spent a few months with him in his house in the middle east, and he would rather go out on a desert or climb a mountain. Over a year ago he went to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, and we had talked to several US Navy experts and he really planned it and was asking questions about the technical details. He likes to push the limit and go to places either where nobody has been or very few people have been. So, this was not his first time in a submersible. He was texting me just before he went down, he was very excited about it. Mr Virts said Hamish is a good asset for the crew and will reassure them that rescue efforts are underway. The reality is its not 96 hours, its human body biology so its not a digital thing. Some people breathe more oxygen, some people breathe less, he said. The good and the bad news is that its very cold outside, so its about 0C in the water and therefore its about 0C inside and so when your body temperature goes down, your metabolic rate goes down also. The conditions in the sub are not good right now and if theyre going to be found they need to be found soon. Mr Virts added: Its a search and rescue mission right now but there really is hope right now. A week from now if we havent found them, theres not hope but right now there is. Health Minister didnt access both devices for two weeks and describes turn of events as a matter of regret Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said today he could not access his emails over several days on a St Patricks Festival visit to Texas after he was told his laptop and phone might be hacked, leaving him without both devices for two weeks. The minister was being quizzed on previous claims by his Department of Health secretary general Robert Watt that he could not send Mr Donnelly an email telling him of the 2m-a-year secondment of former chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan to Trinity College in March last year because of the computer alert. Mr Donnelly only became informed of the full arrangements when they became public the following month. Appearing before the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, he said he should have been told about the botched secondment, which would see Dr Holohan take up an academic post with a commitment of 2m in research a year, while retaining his 187,000 Department of Health salary. Following controversy over the arrangement, which had not been made public when his transfer was announced, Dr Holohan decided not to take up the post and stepped down last July. Asked by Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty how he could be without email for so long, Mr Donnelly said: We arrived in Texas and were there for about a week, and around St Patrick's Day I was asked by my private secretary about the possibility that the laptop and phone were compromised. We were told not to turn them on for several days. Dr Tony Holohan. Photo: Julien Behal We were given replacement phones for a few days. I then handed both my phone and my computer in when I got back to the department. My understanding is that they took a look. I got my computer and phone back about two weeks later. Asked if he could not access his email for two weeks, he said when he got back to the department he got a replacement laptop. Asked if Mr Watt believed that sending an email might corrupt the entire device, the minister said that was a matter to ask the secretary general. Officials said the alert had been made by the National Centre for Cybersecurity and after examination, it was found that the devices were not hacked. The suspected hack was not mentioned in the report of former Unicef chief Maura Quinn who examined the circumstances around the proposed secondment. The minister told the committee it was a matter of regret that he was not told of the circumstances around the proposed secondment of former Dr Holohan earlier. Notwithstanding the intense pressure officials involved were under, and their concerns about confidentiality, as I have said previously, it is a matter of regret that I was not informed at an earlier stage of the details of the proposed secondment, he added. While it was clearly intended by all parties involved that the rigour of the Health Research Board be brought to any such funding, the fact that consultation had not happened at this point in the process led to much confusion in public commentary and the perception, at least, that this was not the intention." Questioned by Aontu leader Peadar Toibin, who asked if he was concerned officials are withholding information from him on other issues, he said: No, I am not. He said there is a huge volume of work to be done by officials and he has faith in the management team. Mr Toibin asked him if he agreed with the conclusion of the report that protocols were breached. The minister said he accepted the full findings of the report. There were important protocols to be agreed at the time, including the 2m a year which Mr Watt had committed to as research funding to Trinity College and would need to have been allowed for in the estimates. Mr Toibin said too many ministers are passengers on buses and fractured from senior civil servants. Asked what has happened to the recommendations of the report, Mr Donnelly said he has sent it for implementation to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I have written to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to see whether there is a need to bring further clarity to the guidelines for secondments between the civil and public service, he said. This report draws a line under this episode at a time when we have been engaged in an unprecedented expansion and reform of, and investment in, our health services. It also led to the loss of the former chief medical officer to the public service. As I have previously said, this is something that I regret greatly and indeed is deeply regretted by all who care for our health service. Caoimhe Gordon and Shane Phelan at the Law Society of Ireland Justice Media Awards 2023 Irish Independent journalists took home two prizes at this years Law Society of Ireland Justice Media Awards 2023. The annual ceremony recognises outstanding journalism that contributes to the publics understanding of justice, the legal system and legal issues. Journalists across Mediahuis Ireland titles were nominated for 10 prizes in a number of categories. Irish Independent Legal Affairs Editor Shane Phelan took home the top prize in the Court Reporting category for his piece Unlawful court order used to take children away from their mother in tug-of-love case. The judges noted that this was an exclusive report revealing an unlawful order made by a former Master of the High Court. It was excellent investigative reporting from this seasoned reporter. Amplifying the voices of those impacted, it highlighted steps taken to reduce the risk of it happening again, they said. Irish Independent business reporter Caoimhe Gordon won a merit certificate in the International Justice Reporting category for her piece Corporate Ireland talks about climate targets, but how do we assess their progress? The judges said this was an excellent series of articles, which examined in an accessible and informative way, the complexities surrounding the aim for a just transition in climate change policy. The top award was presented to Michael Doyle of The Irish Sun for his extensive reporting on the Gerry Hutch murder trial. Access to justice, public interest investigative journalism, and climate justice challenges were among the other key topics covered across the 15 award categories. President of the Law Society of Ireland Maura Derivan said the talent and skill among Irish journalists are strong and thriving from seasoned national reporters, local journalists to podcasters, broadcasters, and newcomers. The Law Society is inspired and encouraged to see such a strong standard in Irish legal journalism, she said. Journalism that promotes a greater public understanding of the law and our peoples rights, access to justice, legal literacy and the legal system is of immense value to society. This year, the winning entry demonstrates these characteristics. Congratulations to all of our winners this year, and thank you to everyone who entered the awards. The Law Society of Ireland is proud to continue to support and celebrate impactful legal journalism in the public interest. Just 12m out of 670m additional construction costs claims demanded by builders of the new National Children's Hospital have been accepted, an Oireacthas committee was told today. The additional claims have been submitted arising out of rising costs of construction by the building firm BAM. The major gap was revealed today at the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said he had sanctioned funding to allow experts on to the site of the hospital to challenges the claims from the contractor. Assistant Department of Health Secretary Derek Tierney so far there have been 1,600 additional claims worth around 670m with just 12m conceded as valid. The process involves various stages of evaluation of the claims with the eventual option to take the matter to the High Court. He was responding to Aontu leader Peadar Toibin who pointed out that cost of the hospital had risen from an estimated 700m to a possible 2bn. He questioned the governance around the project and asked how confident the minister and his officials are that the 12m figure would hold. Earlier this week Sinn Fein highlighted remedial works which needed to be carried out at the hospital in eleven theatres which it suggested could cost tens of millions and potentially cause more delays. Video reveals patient rooms and emergency department in New National Children's Hospital in Ireland This was rejected by the board overseeing the hospital which said the potential work was minor and would not cost tens of millions. Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty questioned the minister about the work at the committee and asked if it was correct that the builders were told to pause work on the theatres pending an examination of the potential extent of work on the theatres was underway. Deputy Doherty repeatedly asked for clarity on whether the order was issued. Department of Health assistant secretary Derek Tierney said to his knowledge no such order was made. Mr Donnelly, who has previously questioned the source of Sinn Fein's correspondence, said speculating on the cost was "playing in to the hands of the contractor." He said he is still insisting that the date from completion should be March next year. An update from the builder on the completion schedule is now overdue by a number of months. It indicated in February it could be May but this is not being accepted. The minister said the board overseeing the new hospital should be allowed get on with it at this point. Earlier this week the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) said there has been no material change to the design on the new childrens hospital. The potential works in the 11 operating theatres are minor works they are not on the critical path. A spokeswoman said the NPHDB has been aware of the potential issue since May 2022. It is being addressed in a timely and appropriate manner. The change, if instructed to BAM, will involve the movement of 4 ceiling grilles in each of the 11 theatres. This will not cost tens of millions of Euro, as is being claimed, and is not expected to have an impact on the completion date of the hospital. BAM has been instructed to continue works in accordance with the current design and this potential issue with be addressed at the appropriate time. She said that there 5,000 rooms to be completed within the hospital. BAM is being asked to progress works in all areas as quickly as possible including in the operating Theatres. Latest ferry arrives into Rosslare Europort just in time for the peak summer holiday period Its not just air travel that is bouncing back post-pandemic. Ferry companies are continuing their comeback at Irish ports this year as growing numbers of punters (and their pets) set sail from Cork, Dublin and Rosslare. Stena Vision is the latest addition to the fleets, a 1,300-passenger ship that arrived into Rosslare Europort this week. New Ireland to France ferry has 42 pet-friendly cabins After a major refit at a shipyard in Gdansk, Poland, the ship comes with a spa and 485 passenger cabins more than any other ferry currently sailing from Ireland, the company says. And 42 of those cabins are pet-friendly, meaning families furry friends can join the holiday too. Increasing numbers of passengers have been bringing pets onboard, ferry companies say. Last year, for example, 75,000 pets sailed with their owners on Brittany Ferries routes (up almost 114pc on the previous year), while Stena says its pet-friendly cabins are now 60pc booked out for the summer period. Meanwhile, Stena Visions Pure Nordic Spa boasts soothing saunas and Jacuzzis, as well as offering a variety of beauty treatments including manicures, pedicures, facials, massages and body scrubs, Stena says. Orla Noonan, its Irish Sea travel commercial manager, added: With our Stena Superfast ships on the Belfast-Cairnryan route also offering a Pure Nordic Spa experience, we have been working with experts to continue to create a truly relaxing, Nordic zen experience for our customers. One of Stena's pet-friendly cabins Entry to the adults-only facility is pre-bookable at 15 for two hours, with treatments costing extra. It includes a spacious changing area and locker facilities, towels, robes and slippers. Stena Vision will begin sailing to Cherbourg from June 30, operating alongside the Stena Horizon together, they will offer 12 sailings a week. Lead-in fares for car and driver in July and August start from 239, one-way. The refitted ships arrival at Rosslare Europort follows Irish Ferries Oscar Wilde, which has a higher passenger capacity but fewer cabins 2,080 and 134 respectively. Serving the Rosslare to Pembroke route, Irish Ferries describes that ship as the largest and fastest cruise ferry on the Irish Sea. Irish Ferries' Oscar Wilde is welcomed to Rosslare Elsewhere, Brittany Ferries says it has seen an increase of 171pc in passengers on its Ireland to France routes compared to 2019 partly due to new services connecting Rosslare with Le Havre and Cherbourg. It has also upgraded its direct sailing from Ireland to Spain to the cruise-ferry Salamanca (with 22 pet-friendly cabins). Roscoff to Cork is up 3pc on last year and 36pc on 2019, Brittany says. Overall we are encouraged by our passenger performance this year, particularly in Ireland, Christophe Mathieu, its CEO, said. "While we are not quite where we want to be in all markets, careful management of our business means we are still in a healthy position and Ireland has increased in strategic significance for our business. BATAVIA Dan Ireland has worked in health care in his native Batavia for 33 years. He watched St. Jerome and Genesee Memorial hospitals battle for every patient only to merge two decades ago to form United Memorial Medical Center. Then, in 2015, he led UMMC as it merged into the larger Rochester Regional Health. The latest chapter in Batavia health care requires him on this sunny Friday in June to don a hard hat to tour an eye-catching construction site just off the Thruway, roughly halfway between Buffalo and Rochester. Here, Rochester Regional is completing its Batavia Medical Campus a four-story, 112,000-square-foot structure that will host medical experts in more than 20 specialty areas. At a cost of $44.5 million, its one of the largest ongoing projects in Western New York health care. Health care is really seeing a good focus here, said Ireland, president of Rochester Regionals Finger Lakes Rural Hospitals, which includes UMMC and two other hospitals. But why not here? Were in a good spot. Were right in the middle of the two big metropolitan areas, and theres a lot of patients who need care in this region. Only a half-mile away, competitors at UR Medicine the University of Rochester Medical Centers clinical enterprise can see the construction of Rochester Regionals new building from the front lobby of its new Batavia campus, which opened in May 2022 as an outpatient clinic under Strong Memorial Hospital. UR Medicine has invested $9 million into the 21,455-square-foot campus so far and is currently expanding it to make room for imaging services. Different priorities It all makes for a health care building boom in Batavia. The investments have allowed the two Rochester health systems to tighten their grip on Genesee County a geographic middle ground the Buffalo health systems havent prioritized and to lure more patients from surrounding counties such as Orleans and Wyoming. The strategy behind these investments is a simple one copied across the country: A health system expands geographically and brings more specialists into local communities at least a couple of days a week so patients gain access to expert care closer to home. And if patients need a more complicated procedure or surgery, they get referred to the resource-rich metro hospitals, which need the broad referral network and the patient volume to maintain margins and prominence in specialty services. Afterward, the patients return to their community and get follow-up care locally. Today, Ireland said about 65% of local patients head to Rochester, rather than Buffalo, when it comes time for that complex procedure a reversal from two decades ago when 65% went west. That isnt likely to change with the opening of the Batavia Medical Campus around the third week of August and the growth of the UR Medicine clinic nearby. If anything, more care could stay in Batavia, with more specialists coming in and working alongside locally based primary care doctors. Its a great thing for our community, said Dr. Lily Snyder, a family medicine physician at the UR Medicine campus who has lived in Batavia since 1992. Thirty years ago, everybody for any kind of specialty care had to leave the city, pretty much go to Buffalo or Rochester. So its very nice to have resources come local. Its great for our patients. Batavia becomes Rochester territory In the years following the creation of Kaleida Health in 1998, the Batavia market was split between Rochester and Buffalo largely based on the insurance held by the patient, said Larry Zielinski, a health care administration expert at University at Buffalo. That meant Excellus BlueCross BlueShield-insured patients often went to Rochester, while those with Independent Health or HealthNow (now Highmark) headed to Buffalo. As Kaleida expanded hospital affiliations in outlying counties to solidify referrals to their specialists, Zielinski said the system saw more potential and less competition north and south of Buffalo. That focus eventually led to Upper Allegheny Health System which has hospitals in Olean and Bradford, Pa. as well as Kaleidas management agreement with Brooks-TLC Hospital in Dunkirk. Kaleida determined their attention was better focused north and south rather than east, where they would be competing with the Rochester hospitals for a smaller market, said Zielinski, noting Chautauqua County, at over 126,000 residents, has more than double the population of Genesee County. Catholic Health, meanwhile, in the years following its formation in 1998, reached into outlying markets with a physician-services strategy through Catholic Medical Partners, Zielinski noted. The second-largest Buffalo health system later gained ownership of Mount St. Marys Hospital in Lewiston in 2015 and plans to open Lockport Memorial Hospital in September both in Niagara County, home to more than 200,000 people. Batavia, Rochester hospitals pursue merger BATAVIA United Memorial Medical Center on Thursday announced it is merging with the Rochester General Health System, a move intended to preserve access to a full range of health care services in Genesee County and to ensure the hospitals future financial stability. Under terms of the merger, which still requires approval from federal and state agencies, UMMC would Still, the 131-bed UMMC a decade ago did pursue the possibility of merging with Kaleida, Catholic Health or University of Rochester Medical Centers Strong Memorial Hospital before determining that Rochester Regional was the best fit. Neither Kaleida nor Catholic Health would comment for this story. Hub and spoke Rochester Regional has a heavy focus on rural health care. Aside from Rochester General Hospital and Unity Hospital, the health system includes its three Finger Lakes rural hospitals that Ireland oversees UMMC, Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic and Newark-Wayne Community Hospital and has an affiliation with St. Lawrence Health System, which has three North Country hospitals. Orleans Community Health, an independent health system that includes Medina Memorial Hospital, also affiliated with Rochester Regional in April 2018 for certain contracted services after a prior affiliation with Catholic Health ended. Jennifer Eslinger, Rochester Regionals president of health care operations and chief operating officer, said a key part of the systems strategy is recognizing that rural community hospitals are struggling as standalones and need connectivity to major services and resources. Often, smaller hospitals dont have enough volume or population to financially sustain and support certain services on a full-time basis. We have to really think about the hub-and-spoke model how can we put as much care as possible in those smaller communities, keep that care close to home, work that patient all the way up through their diagnostic phase, she said. And if a higher level of care is needed, only then would it shift to the larger hospitals in Rochester. Having a baby in Wyoming County? Be prepared to drive to deliver Wyoming County Community Health System, which runs a 62-bed hospital in Warsaw, late Wednesday announced the planned suspension of its maternal/obstetrics program, effective June 1. For UR Medicine, building its Batavia campus was partly motivated by the need to move a local primary care practice it acquired about five years ago into a newer, modern space. The new building also allowed UR Medicine to centralize specialty clinics and bring in additional services for its base of primary care patients in Batavia, which has grown from 3,000 to 4,600 patients over the last five years. Vicky Hines, chief operating officer of the University of Rochester Medical Faculty Group, said UR wants to make sure patients get services close to home. But the system also knows that what will feed our great specialists is making sure that they have referral patterns that are wide enough to make sure that weve got the volume, she added. Our strategy has been to really build that service delivery network in locations where it may be more rural, but if you build it in the center of a rural population, its another destination for people to come to, Hines said. A touchpoint in Batavia Dr. Web Pilcher, a longtime neurosurgeon, has been seeing patients in Batavia for more than three decades. Hes a big believer in developing relationships with local primary care doctors and community members. He recalls one instance 15 years ago when a Bergen farmer came into his office on a Friday with cervical spinal cord compression that had become so bad he could hardly use his fingers. He got the farmer in for an MRI immediately at UMMC, which showed just how horrible his spinal cord compression was in the neck, Pilcher recalled. From there, the man got a ride with Pilchers program administrator to Rochester and, later that night, Pilcher did the cervical decompression and fusion. The man recovered his functions over the next few months and invited Pilcher out to his farm. There were so many experiences just like that, of patients who I honestly felt if you dont go out and see them in their home environment, they wont get the care, said Pilcher, chair of the neurosurgery department at University of Rochester Medical Center. Pilcher, one of the driving forces behind URs Batavia campus, is based in Rochester but is at the Batavia clinic one or two days a month. In addition to several primary care doctors, the Batavia site also has other services, including oncology, urology, audiology and ear, nose and throat. The sophisticated services that exist in Rochester, whether its RRH or URMC, now have a touchpoint in Batavia, Pilcher said. Bertie Ahern could be 'warming up troops' for a presidential bid. Photo: Liam McBurney Bertie Ahern will be the star attraction at a Fianna Fail fundraising and recruitment barbecue this evening, only months after he was readmitted to the party. The former taoiseach re-joined in February, almost 11 years after he left Fianna Fail in the aftermath of the Planning Tribunals adverse findings against him. A flyer posted to residents in Leixlip, Co Kildare this week read: Bertie (former Taoiseach) is coming to Leixlip Fianna Fail BBQ as our special guest of honour. Tickets for the event, which could raise more than 5,000 for the partys Leixlip branch, cost 28 or 50 for two. There is speculation in the north Kildare town that Ahern is warming up the troops for a presidential election bid. Micheal Martin, the Fianna Fail leader, had said in 2012 that he would seek the expulsion of Fianna Fail members criticised by the Mahon Tribunal report before Mr Ahern resigned from the party. Mr Martin was among those Fianna Fail members who had welcomed his return to the party. John Doyle, the honorary secretary of the Leixlip Fianna Fail cumann, which is hosting the event, said he believed it will be the first fundraising event Mr Ahern has attended since rejoining the party. Bertie Ahern: In profile Hes a bigger draw than we expected, so were delighted hes coming, Mr Doyle said. Were expecting a couple of hundred people, which is much bigger than we had in the other years we hosted the annual barbecue. My understanding is that this would be the first such event he has attended in terms of cumanns nationwide. We are hoping he will say a few words on his work on the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process. Obviously, a lot of people have a lot of regard for him for that work and hes proving to be a good draw for us. Mr Ahern agreed to attend the event after the Leixlip cumann wrote to him to extend a formal invitation after he returned to the Fianna Fail fold. The event, which will be held in the area around the piano bar in the Courtyard Hotel, will be the Leixlip cumanns first fundraiser barbecue since the pandemic. Obviously, its a fundraiser for the local cumann and theres been great interest in him, so were hoping it will help us recruit new members too, Mr Doyle said. Im in my 40s, but Im about half the age of the rest of them, to be honest. Were trying to get new members involved and engaged again and get some fresh blood into the party because the age profile would be senior. Mr Doyle said he knew there were mixed views about the former taoiseach. He said he did not have any opinion on the Mahon Tribunal findings against Mr Ahern or concerns that he might taint Fianna Fails reputation. The tribunal report published in 2012 found Mr Ahern had failed to give a truthful account of payments of 165,000 that were made to him. Mr Doyle said he believed Mr Ahern would be a great presidential election candidate for Fianna Fail in 2025. I think hed bring great added value to the role with the relationships he has, he said. He would be a perfect fit, and thats my personal view. If he decides to do it, hed be a good fit. I think he could win. A row broke out between the Foreign Affairs minister and demonstrators, a number of which were some minutes later removed by gardai Tanaiste Micheal Martin said protestors who heckled him at the Governments controversial neutrality forum in Cork were incoherent and crossed the line. He said Ireland shouldnt be squeamish about participation in Pesco initiatives and said universities now are shying away from debate because they are fearful of disruption from similar protests. He said he anticipated there would be a form of protest at the event and said protesters, who said they were from the Connolly Youth Movement, were making comments which were not evidence based. Theres nothing new here, the Foreign Affairs minister said. Micheal Martin criticises protesters removed by gardai from security forum I always remember Mick Barry [TD] when he came into the Dail saying that he was more of the Paris view that the street would be there to take over the Parliament - not to take over but to rival the parliament in terms of how democracy works. I think a lot of what was being said was incoherent, quite frankly, and not evidence based, he said. I sometimes think a lot of what is said and even what was said at the protest and so on, doesnt tally with the reality of how Irish foreign policy is conducted. When asked if the protestors crossed the line, he said: Yes. He said they want to just make statements and not allow the forum to develop and should have instead stayed and put questions to the chairperson afterwards. The minister said he is being transparent in participation in Pesco initiatives, such as maritime surveillance, cyber security or airlift. Frontline clinicians couldnt get access to x-rays during the cyber attack, he said, which led to a very, very scary time. We shouldnt be squeamish about these issues, we shouldnt be, sort of, afraid to even mention our participation in these issues, he said. There is that tendency in Irish debate which we saw to a degree in the protest this morning, that you dare not even talk about these things. And if you even reference these things, youre going off on a desperate journey to join Nato. Thats not the case, he said. Minister Martin recalled back to his own time in University College Cork (UCC), where the forums are being held, where there were excited debates. Many third level institutions are now shying away from debate because theyre afraid of this kind of thing, theyre afraid of disruption, of trouble in the campus. So better that we dont have any debates. I worry about the campuses of today and the future. In my day, we had excited debates, angry debates on the campus. But they were debates. In the modern era, theres a tendency that in order to avoid any potential trouble or disruption, lets not have any debate. He said good evidence based inquiry leads to good solid debates. Earlier today, there were chaotic scenes at the Governments forum on neutrality as Mr Martins opening address was disrupted by anti-NATO protestors. A row broke out at University College Cork between the Foreign Affairs minister and demonstrators, a number of which were some minutes later removed by gardai. Protestors holding a large NATO wars millions dead flag stood up and began talking as soon as the Tanaiste took to the stage to make his opening address. NATO protestors interrupt Tanaiste Micheal Martin at Government forum on neutrality The protest began as soon as Minister Martin began his opening address at the forum, which has been criticised by a number of left-wing politicians as well as President Michael D Higgins. Mr Martin attempted several times to resume his speech but was unable to do so. You should be ashamed of yourself, protestors heckled loudly. Read more Micheal Martin to consult with Fianna Fail members after calls for Deputy Leader to be appointed They spoke about Afghanistan and accused a lecturer at the college of taking blood money from a NATO fellow. These forums are filled to the gills with propagandists for EU militarisation and closer alignment with NATO, said one of the protestors. They also hit out at Mr Martin calling himself a republican. Shame on you! Mr Martin then became visibly annoyed, telling protestors they were disrupting debate. The most undemocratic thing to do is to try and shut down debate and thats what youre trying to do, he told the demonstrators. Your thing is, debate on your terms and on nobody elses. Five protestors were then some time later taken away by gardai. He then continued his address. However, interruptions continued even after the protestors were taken away, with a number of other audience members standing up during the speech and loudly criticising Mr Martin and the Irish government. Chair of the forum Dame Louise Richardson had not started speaking after the Tanaiste when she was disrupted by a protestor who had stood up and loudly began criticising the forum. An Rabharta Glas Councillor, formerly of the Green Party, Lorna Bogue also stood up during Dame Richardsons opening address and criticised the forum. She said there were no opposition politicians invited to the event. This is despite Sinn Fein and Independent TDs and Senators being sat in the audience. She was then escorted out of the theatre. Separately, old baldies and grey heads are tut-tutting at young people who protested at the UCC security forum and who were pushed and dragged to the exit by the gardai, a Socialist TD has told the Dail. But Minister Michael McGrath told Mick Barry of People Before Profit that he assumed he wouldnt be looking for votes next time out from oldies and baldies. He said he didnt know why the Deputy had made such a disparaging remark. Mr Barry saluted the protesters who harangued Tanaiste Micheal Martin in University College Cork this morning at the opening of the forum to explore defence and neutrality. He said: Only one speaker out of 80 at this forum is from Generation Z and despite the tut-tutting in Dail corridors from old baldies and grey heads, young peoples voices will be heard. I see the Tanaiste is saying that their arguments were incoherent and not evidence-based. Well, I look at the words on their banner: NATO wars, millions dead. I think there's a lot of evidence for that. There are five speakers at this forum who are pro-NATO or pro-EU militarisation for every one against Yes, there is a debate going on there. But it's not a debate about whether to join the rush to militarise, it's about how we deal with and how fast we do it. It's rigged. It's stacked. It's not a real debate. I'm confident the Irish people will be a little bit wiser for what's going on. Finance Minister Michael McGrath replied: Did you refer to baldies and grey heads? Do I take it you won't be canvassing for support from any bald person or any grey person in Cork North Central in the next election? I don't know why you felt the need to throw in a disparaging remark like that -- and I'm sure the people that description might relate to will remember exactly what you said. An irked Mr Barry replied: My voters, Minister, do not tut-tut young people. Mr McGrath said the remark was petty and unnecessary. He added: I don't know what you have against debate. This is an opportunity for civil society to have a debate on what is a really important issue -- not just for Ireland, but for every country in the world. It is not rigged. It is not stacked. And we have been very clear that there is no intention of changing Ireland's position on military neutrality. Tubridy was paid an extra 75,000 by RTE in 2020 and 2021A review found his pay was understated by 120,000 between 2017 and 2019RTE Chairperson expresses profound regret RYAN Tubridy will not be appearing on his morning radio slot on Friday amid ongoing controversy about payments to him by RTE, the broadcaster confirmed. Siun Ni Raghallaigh, chair of the RTE board, confirmed he will not be live on air during an interview on the Six One news programme this evening. Ryan Tubridy's complicated payments at RTE comes under the spotlight She said: "The board does not have editorial is not our function. But I am informed by the executive that he will not be on the radio tomorrow. Asked whether Mr Tubridy will be on the radio next week, Ms Ni Raghallaigh replied: That's a matter for the executive. She was also asked whether there was a correlation between the issue coming on the radar last March and Mr Tubridy's decision to step down as Late Late Show host the same month. "Not at all," she replied. Earlier this evening, Mr Tubridy said he cant shed any light on hidden payments made to him by RTE. The broadcasters top earner has issued a statement this evening saying he is surprised to learn about errors in the public stated payments received from RTE. The station has carried out a probe which found Mr Tubridy received 345,000 over the past five years that was not publicly declared before. Like many people, Im surprised by the announcements made in RTEs statement today regarding the errors in the reporting of its accounts, he said. RTE and 345,000 of hidden payments to Ryan Tubridy "It is unfortunate that these errors are in relation to how RTE have reported payments made to me but I just want to be clear: this is a matter for RTE and I have no involvement in RTEs internal accounting treatment or RTEs public declarations in connection with such payments. "Obviously, Im disappointed to be at the centre of this story but unfortunately, I cant shed any light on why RTE treated these payments in the way that they did, nor can I answer for their mistakes in this regard. His management company, NK Management, said it was made aware of the RTE statement today. "These are matters for which RTE has sole responsibility and accountability. There is no issue whatsoever in relation to the payments being properly and lawfully due and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of Ryan Tubridy or NK Management. "These issues are solely concerned with RTEs internal accounting treatment and public declarations in respect of such lawful payments, NK Management said. RTE said that in early 2020, discussions commenced concerning the renewal of Mr Tubridys presenter contract. RTE was focused on achieving cost savings due to the wider financial circumstances of the organisation and the commitment given by RTE in November 2019 to, among a range of measures, reduce the fees paid to RTEs top 10 most highly paid, on-air presenters by 15pc. "Mr Tubridys previously published remunerations for 2020 and 2021 show that he earned 466,250 and 440,000 respectively across those years, which by 2021 (first full year on new contract) appeared to represent an 11pc reduction on his 2019 earnings. The review conducted by Grant Thornton concerned a separate agreement under which Mr Tubridy was guaranteed by RTE an additional annual income of 75,000 which was intended to come from a commercial partner. In making an agreement with the commercial partner, RTE concluded it on a cost-neutral basis to the commercial partner, and the fee due to Mr Tubridy was guaranteed and underwritten by RTE. Accordingly, under the terms of this agreement, a payment of 75,000 was received by Mr Tubridy in July 2020 from a commercial partner, in exchange for a number of personal appearances a year. EXPLAINER: What's the problem with Ryan Tubridy's RTE paycheque? As part of this agreement, RTE in turn issued a credit note to the commercial partner, thereby reducing the cost to it of its overall sponsorship arrangement with the organisation. The commercial partner did not renew this agreement for a second year, and since the agreement was guaranteed and underwritten by RTE, the payments were instead made directly by RTE to Mr Tubridys agent (on his behalf). Mr Tubridy received two payments of 75,000 (totalling 150,000), each in 2022 (being a payment for 2021 and a payment for 2022). It was these payments that prompted the review by Grant Thornton. In addition and following the furnishing of the findings of the Grant Thornton review, RTE carried out a review of Mr Tubridys previously stated remunerations. Through this review, it was identified that Mr Tubridys remuneration had been understated by RTE by a figure of 120,000 over the contract period of 2017 to 2019. The circumstances that led to this understatement by RTE are currently under examination. The RTE statement said the board considers the public misstating of RTEs financial information to be a very serious matter and argued it had moved as quickly as it could, once it had independently established the facts, to publish the correct figures. At the request of the board, RTE has this week conducted an internal review of the reporting of the remuneration of its top 10 most highly paid on-air presenters. This review has found that the full cost to RTE of its contracts with the other such on-air presenters has been correctly reported. The board has now requested that Grant Thornton review the contracts of RTEs top 10 most highly paid on-air presenters to independently validate that all remuneration figures have been correctly stated and accounted for by RTE. Grant Thornton will also review the understatement by RTE of Mr Tubridys published remuneration by 120,000 in the period 2017-2019. Ms Ni Raghallaigh said This is a matter of profound regret for the board of RTE. We are well aware that this is a serious breach of trust with the public. On behalf of the board, I wish to apologise for what has occurred. Minister Catherine Martin responds to potential issues in RTE "It is clear that RTE has fallen short of the high standards that it sets for itself and are expected of it. Once these issues came to light, we acted expeditiously to establish the facts and we are confident that the safeguards we have now put in place will ensure that nothing like this will happen again, and that good corporate governance is adhered to at all times. Arts Minister Catherine Martin, who is the line minister for RTE, was notified of the issue in March. "I am extremely concerned at the details which were contained in RTEs statement today, on foot of that review being completed, she said. I have spoken with the RTE chairperson today, and have subsequently written to her requesting that she meet with me and officials of the Department. The meeting has been arranged for Monday. I have asked the chair to set out in that meeting, in detail, the issues involved, the steps the board is taking to deal with the matter, the follow-on action that will be required, and the timeline for these actions. She added: The public rightly expect much higher standards of transparency and accountability from Irelands public service broadcaster. It is unacceptable that these have not been met. "It will be critical for the board to identify whether there are wider governance issues that need to be examined and addressed, and to ensure that there is appropriate accountability for what has occurred. It will be equally important for the board to demonstrate that it is putting in place appropriate structures and processes to prevent a recurrence of a matter of this nature. The investigation findings come as RTE is in a state of transition, with director general Dee Forbes departing next month. Ms Forbes is currently on leave and had going-away drinks with colleagues last Thursday night. She also went around various departments to say her goodbyes. Her replacement, Kevin Bakhurst, has already been spotted on the Montrose campus. Dee Forbes is currently taking annual leave but remains in the role of director general until the end of her term on July 10 and remains contactable. "Kevin has visited RTE for some informal meetings in advance of officially taking up the role of director general on July 10, RTE said in response to queries on Ms Forbes and Mr Bakhurst. Mr Bakhurst, who previously held several senior positions at the BBC, is the current group director of UK communications regulator Ofcom. He was previously RTEs managing director of news and current affairs. The appointment was brought to the Cabinet by Minister Martin and then signed off by senior ministers. Mr Bakhurst was the only name brought forward after an intense and controversial recruitment process. Iceland staff members, Molly Prendergast (Duty Manager), Karen Keating (Cashier) and Jeanette Joyce Flood (Cashier) chat with a Garda as they remain on a sit in protest inside the store. Photo by Steve Humphreys 21st June 2023. Messages of support at Iceland in Coolock where some staff members remain on a sit in protest inside the store. Photo by Steve Humphreys 21st June 2023. Workers at Iceland in Coolock stage a sitin as they claim the store was closed without notice. Karen keating, Jeanette Joyce, molly prendergast Supermarket chain Iceland has apologised for the great distress on staff this week after employees showed up for work having been laid off, but not told. Supermarket staff at the Coolock store in Dublin held a sit-in on Wednesday after arriving to work to find shutters down and their manager escorted from the building. Staff at three other stores in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, the Northside Shopping Centre and Talbot Street in Dublin received notice of lay-offs late on Tuesday night. More than 340 workers at the troubled frozen-food chain fear for their jobs after the company was placed in examinership this week. It sold all of its 27 stores in the Republic of Ireland in February, and they are now owned and operated by Metron Stores Limited. Last week, Metron Stores were ordered to withdraw all imported frozen food of animal origin. On Tuesday, the High Court agreed to appoint an interim examiner to the company which has said it is insolvent and unable to pay debts of 36m. Separately, in an unconnected issue, the store was also ordered to close on Tuesday by the HSE due to a mice infestation in the Coolock store. Staff at the Coolock store who showed up for work at 9am on Wednesday held a sit-in inside the premises and refused to leave in protest, calling for clarity on pay. In an email to staff on Wednesday morning, after staff arrived to work, Metron Stores Limited said the business required significant restructuring and as a result staff would be temporarily laid off from midnight on June 20. In a statement to Independent.ie, the company said, the closure of any store will result in great distress for employees of that store, for which we apologise. Management have communicated with affected staff and will continue to do so at this difficult time. The decision to seek the appointment of an Examiner to the business was taken with the primary function of protecting as much employment as possible. We are confident that obtaining the protection of the Court affords the business the best mechanism to save as many jobs as possible. Management will continue to work tirelessly throughout this process and will be engaging directly with staff on an ongoing basis. The company said the decision to seek protection of the courts was taken following the well documented difficulties facing the business. Interim examiner Joseph Walsh Accountants was appointed to address issues, including outstanding wages. The issues include the service of notice on the business by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland for the removal of all imported frozen food of animal origin which has been imported into Ireland since 03 March 2023, said the company. This has had a significant negative impact on the business. Meanwhile, Alex Homits of the Independent Workers Union said there has been radio silence from Metron stores to the employees. Staff staging the sit-in left the store after 7pm last night after an agreement was reached between the union and examiner. Its the same kind of silence from the company, they are not indicating which store will be laid off, they are not meeting any of the workers, its radio silence, said Mr Homits. Mr Homits said the union came to an agreement yesterday with the examiner on the how the process of redundancy would be handled and wages paid. We wanted a guarantee that wages would be paid this Friday, he said. The examiner agreed that they would facilitate the [redundancy] application process for any worker who may be facing temporary lay off for more than four weeks, he added. Examiner Joe Walsh said in a statement to Independent.ie, I am currently engaged with the various stakeholders of Metron Stores Limited, in my role as Interim Examiner of the company. Examinership is a statutory restructuring process, the purpose of which is to save viable enterprises and protect employment, this will always be my primary focus. As the process is at a very early stage it would not be appropriate for me to comment further. Green Party TD Brian Leddins campaign to stay out of the skies when travelling abroad comes at a personal expense to himself and the State. Despite previously holding a pilots licence, Mr Leddin now refuses to fly due to the carbon emissions emitted by the aviation industry. However, new records show his stance on air travel has resulted in a bigger cost to the taxpayer when he has travelled abroad on Oireachtas business. In October, Mr Leddin went to Aberdeen to visit an offshore wind farm with other members of the Oireachtas Environment and Climate Action Committee. Official figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show the travel bill for Mr Leddin, who is chair of the committee, came to 457.84. However, online price-comparison websites for flights to Aberdeen this coming October show tickets could be booked for as little as 77. Even booking last-minute flights to go today would cost around 203. Mr Leddins journey involved travelling from Dublin to Holy-head in Wales by ferry before taking a series of trains to Scotland. He was joined on the official trip to Scotland by his Green Party colleague Senator Pauline OReilly, Fine Gael TD Alan Farrell and the secretariat of the Oireachtas Climate Committee. Mr Farrell travelled by train and ferry to Aberdeen but flew home as he had meetings he had to attend in Ireland after the visit and could not afford to undergo the lengthy return journey. His one-way flight cost just over 149, according to the Houses of the Oireachtas figures. On This Day In History - June 22nd Mr Leddin said it was his idea for his colleagues to travel with him by public transport to visit the offshore wind farm. The Limerick city TD acknowledged that the cost of travelling by public transport is more expensive and said he would like to see governments move to encourage people to travel less by air by discounting bus, train and ferry tickets. I think its fair to say that some people might want to travel through ferry and train, and thats generally more expensive and we need to address the cost difference compared to flying, he told the Irish Independent. I also acknowledge we are an island nation and people have to fly, and people have different reasons for flying. Mr Leddin said the logistics surrounding travelling by public transport are also an issue and can be time-consuming compared with travelling by air. Meanwhile, the Oireachtas confirmed the State generally only reimburses TDs and senators for the cost of the cheapest possible ticket to get to the destination they are visiting on business. This means Mr Leddin generally has to cover the majority of his travel costs because of the higher price of travelling by rail, bus and ferry in most countries. However, the Oireachtas, and thus the taxpayer, did cover the cost of his journey to Scotland. An artists impression of the proposed river amenity in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, part of the plan developed by the Town Team. Pic: OMahony Pike Architects A derelict cottage in Lusk, Co Dublin which was transformed into the Lusk Heritage Centre thanks to the work of the Town Team. The new Lusk Heritage Centre which was transformed from a derelict cottage thanks to the work of the Town Team Transformation plans are set to be unveiled by 26 towns, under an initiative designed to breathe life back into urban centres across the country. The Town Centre First policy aims to create viable and vibrant town centres for people to live, work, and visit, while also functioning as the hub for the local community. Backed by local authorities, Town Teams develop plans for towns and villages with local people helping to decide what should happen. Among them is the Town Team in Roscrea who have developed a plan which reframes the centre of the Tipperary town as a destination. We looked at the space we have in the town and how to use it more effectively by enhancing the public realm to attract people into Main Street and Castle Street, through urban greening, wider footpaths and reorganising parking, said town regeneration officer Aine McCarthy. Our end goal is a centre that is attractive and vibrant where you arrive and realise that there is a fabulous castle and historic house, with unique lanes to connect you to parking. The regeneration of Glebe Park, which is centrally located beside the river, will allow us to create a green spine through the town. Public consultation is vital to this process and feeds into the final draft of the plan. In March we held a month-long consultation process in the town with public workshops, online surveys for business and community, focus groups in schools, and interviews with retailers. Part of the national policy is to have a Town Champion in Roscreas case Brian King who works hard to build up a level of trust and support for the plan in the community. Lusk in north county Dublin has a population of over 8,000, but has only 34 registered businesses whereas in other similar sized towns there would be many more, according to town regeneration officer Declan Ryan. Lusk is a historic town with a big future, it just hasnt grown with its population. People leave in the morning and do their shopping elsewhere, said Mr Ryan. You need a reason to go to the centre of a town, and our plan has a number of projects of various sizes to enable Lusk to flourish. Some of the bigger public realm plans may take up to five years, but there are things that we can do quickly, above shopfronts, addressing vacant properties and improving streetscapes and footpaths. The development of the Lusk Town Centre First Plan is informed by Lusk for Life which was developed in partnership with the people of Lusk. Our Town Centre Group new meet at the Lusk Cultural Centre, which was a derelict cottage three years ago, and refurbished thanks to leader and council funding and we have a plan for a phase two development of this, said Mr Ryan. Depending on funding, we hope that year-on-year people will look at the town and say that it is getting better. A call for a further 26 towns will be announced shortly to join a local authority-backed scheme which has the potential to transform towns all around Ireland. Once a local authority can demonstrate that a plan has been developed in collaboration with the local community and businesses, it opens the door to myriad funding opportunities, said Mairead Hunt, national co-ordinator for Town Centre First, speaking in advance of #Yourcouncilday next Friday. There are a whole cohort who would love to live in towns, and local authorities want town teams to develop plans that will see the lights on at night-time over shops and people enjoying all that the town has to offer, and living a more sustainable life. The initiative brings communities together, resourced with a town regeneration officer in each county to drive bespoke plans for participating towns. Town teams are community-led, and involve representatives from businesses, voluntary community groups such as tidy towns, the youth, age friendly and sporting groups all having their say in making their area a better place to live, work and visit. For more information on Town Centre First, please contact the National Town Centre First office at tcf@lgma.ie There is little love lost between President Michael D Higgins and the Government. However, ministers must credit him with generating huge publicity for the opening today of a public discussion on Irelands defence and foreign policy that they could never have achieved. Successive CAP reforms have failed to recognise the importance of the sheep sector to rural Ireland and breeding flock numbers look set to decrease sharply Few options: 'A greater effort will be required into the future to maintain the national flock, much of which is kept on the most disadvantaged parts of Ireland, where alternative land use options are not plentiful'. Photo: Getty Five years have passed since the premier national sheep event was last held. Last weeks Sheep 2023 was an excellent opportunity to return to my old college, Gurteen, while updating myself with all the latest research, technology and information relating to the sheep sector. Paul Waldman: Donald Trump has plan to deconstruct US if he gets second term in White House A Buffalo man has pleaded guilty to a charge stemming from a fatal stabbing a year ago in the citys Lovejoy neighborhood, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced. Joshua Eddy, 23, faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he returns for sentencing Aug. 15. He entered his plea to first-degree manslaughter before State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek. Prosecutors said Eddy stabbed two people with a knife about 11 p.m. on June 26, 2022, during an altercation near Ideal Street and East Lovejoy Street. Hasheen Wilson, 32, who was stabbed multiple times in the chest and back, was pronounced dead after he was taken by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center. The second victim, a 27-year-old man, was treated in ECMC for an upper leg injury. Dale Anderson With Boris Johnson and Donald Trump denying any wrongdoing during their time in power, a story told about the former US president springs to mind. Trump and a friend were being interviewed, and the friend was asked: Who told you Donald Trump would not win the next presidential election? When the friend answered God, Trump shouted: I did no such thing! Leo Gormley, Dundalk, Co Louth A theatre that promotes and helps preserve folk culture The summer season at Tralees Siamsa Tire, the National Folk Theatre of Ireland, finished this month due to a lack of funding. The board of directors have proposed to re-imagine the theatre, to make it more exciting and relevant for contemporary audiences. Like all folk theatres, the function of Siamsa Tire is to preserve and promote folk culture and present it through music, song and dance. This function cannot be reimagined as it underpins all folk theatre. It is the very reason Siamsa is exciting. Siamsa Tires artistic works are relevant. The very fact Siamsa Tire is deep-rooted in a culture that has been handed down from generation to generation makes it relevant. To assume it is outdated contradicts its founder Pat Aherns statement that culture continually evolves and changes in an organic manner. Siamsa Tire has excited audiences at home and abroad for 55 years. Let us re-imagine present-day audiences being excited by a deep-rooted culture as they watch it presented theatrically, through traditional Irish song, music and dance. Dr Sharon Phelan, Address with editor Read more Matt Carthy: Irish neutrality allows us to play a positive role on the world stage Competitive, yes, but we should not be complacent The news that we are the second-most competitive nation in the world is a huge boost for our nation as we compete for further inward investment. Our success has been hard won by our people as a whole, and the huge budget surplus brings problems of its own, as the scramble for its distribution continues. The people of Ireland and our leaders, including the civil servants, should be prudent in both expectations and how these extra monies are used. Various commentators remind us these huge windfalls may not be repeated. We should take heed of the quote from Andy Grove, the former CEO of Intel: Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive. Intels latest multi-billion investments in Israel and Germany are a reminder of our unsuccessful attempts to attract such investment, and that the world out there is getting more competitive. The Government, especially the permanent government (civil service), apart from distributing this windfall, should tackle the impediments to progress, of which there are many, if we are to sustain our prosperity. Perhaps a bit of paranoia might not be a bad thing at this stage. Phil Reilly, Castleknock, Dublin We must work co-operatively to create a safer, fairer world As we commemorate World Refugee Day this week, we salute the resilience, heroism, stoicism and resolve of refugees who are fleeing persecution, humiliation, dehumanisation, demonisation, discrim- ination and displacement in search of a safe sanctuary. As we have witnessed recently, the Mediterranean has become Europes biggest graveyard. The number of men, women and children who make treacherous journeys is increasing, a grim indictment of a world ravaged by ethnic conflicts, social fragmentation, transboundary pandemics and political upheavals. Refugees enrich cultural and religious diversity and the social tapestry of their host communities. The world community needs to invest in the well-being of countries that produce refugees and work co-operatively to create a fairer, safer and prosperous world. Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob, London The very thorny issue of Michael D Higgins views Thank God for Michael D. Long may he continue to be a thorn in the political establishments backside. John Glennon, Hollywood, Co Wicklow Building project finishing soon? We havent a prayer Will the Childrens Hospital be finished before Barcelonas Sagrada Familia church? Mattie Lennon, Blessington, Co Wicklow When people talk about quantum computing, they often move quickly to the science fiction area, like time travel or multiverses. But what is it actually really all about? And can quantum physics take into account science fiction ideas as well as the ordinary things that experts actually do? This week on the Big Tech Show, Adrian is joined by Dr. John Goold, Associate Professor in Physics at Trinity College Dublin to discuss whether the realities of quantum physics are as strange as fiction. Teleportation is a common thing that features in science fiction films. John says while teleportation is a thing in quantum physics, the Hollywood interpretation isn't so accurate. It's been around for a while actually and there's been experiments which have fully demonstrated [quantum teleportation]. It's not like dematerialisation like you see in the movies, like nobody evaporates and reappears somewhere else. What about the existence of multiverses? The idea of the multiverse or the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics is that you'll never know. There's this thing about quantum mechanics that's unusual relative to other kinds of scientific theories. It's the fact that a conscious observer, the person making measurements, is very important to the theory. John says. For example, you typically expect the moon to exist if you don't look at it. On the other hand, when you have a quantum system in the laboratory if you're not measuring it, it can be in a different state. And when you measure it, it can appear in a certain state with complete randomness. So, the act of measuring systems and quantum mechanics is really unusual. Adrian and John also discuss the future of quantum computing and whether time travel could ever be a thing. You can listen to the full episode of the Big Tech Show on Indpendent.ie or wherever you get your podcasts. Ian Horgan then filmed horrific scene and texted girlfriend: I destroyed him A CONVICTED killer and rapist attacked a young man and his mother in their home with a claw hammer and then shot video of the blood-covered pair before posting it on a social media site with another video from a Cork park captioned Lovely Day. Ian Horgan (39) was jailed for eight years and six months for an assault that one of the victims described as akin to something from a horror movie and a blood bath. Judge Helen Boyle said it was a particularly cowardly assault with a number of aggravating features and that had appalling consequences for the victims. Horgan who has spent almost half his life in prison did not personally know either victim, Mary OCallaghan or her son Hassan Baker (29). However, Horgans then girlfriend had been in a previous relationship with Mr Baker and after the attack, Horgan sent a video-clip of a blood-soaked and moaning Mr Baker to his girlfriend. Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that, in a series of social media messages later recovered by Gardai, Horgan texted his girlfriend from a Cork city park that his knuckles were sore and that he was washing the blood off. I destroyed him, Horgan texted her. He wont be acting the hard man ever again. Det Supt Michael Comyns said that Horgan had travelled from his home in Macroom to Cork city that day by bus. He had brought a bag with him containing a change of clothing and the claw hammer and was captured by CCTV cameras as he travelled to his victims home. He walked to an area near MacCurtain Villas where the two victims lived and went to a derelict shed where he changed into clothing, including a black hoodie and snood to cover his face. Horgan, of No Fixed Address and formerly of The Hermitage, Macroom, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Mr Baker at MacCurtain Villas on March 26, 2022. He also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mrs OCallaghan. Det Supt Comyns said that Horgan knocked on the front door of the OCallaghan family home shortly after 3.50pm and, when Mrs OCallaghan answered the door, he forced his way in and struck both her and her son with the claw hammer. He also choked Mr Baker and when the young man fell semi-conscious to the floor, he struck him with the claw hammer while he was helpless. Judge Boyle was told that Mr Baker suffered a depressed fracture to his skull as well as a fractured cheekbone and eye socket. He had to undergo emergency surgery and has suffered serious problems in the wake of the attack, including speech difficulties, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and nightmares. Mrs OCallaghan suffered a fracture to her hand from a blow from the hammer as well as multiple bruises sustained as she desperately tried to protect her son. Det Supt Comyns said that Horgan spoke to the terrified duo in a Dublin accent and tried to pretend he was collecting a debt. Horgan then took a couple of brief video clips of the mother and son lying blood covered and terrified on the ground. He then posted these via a social media platform to his girlfriend. Det Supt Comyns said Horgan calmly left the scene, went back to the shed and changed into his original clothing. After texting his girlfriend from a Cork park, he left Cork for four months and was only arrested on his return. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) ruled that the offence was at the upper end of the scale and fell within the range of a 10-15 year prison term. In victim impact statements, the mother and son described the attack as like something from a horror movie. Mrs OCallaghan said she was convinced her son had been killed and she was now living in fear in her own home. I felt so powerless. It was like being in a horror movie but this was real, she said. I was shouting at him (Horgan) that Hassan was dead the place was like a blood bath. Mr Baker said he had never even spoken to Ian Horgan before the horrific attack. I tried to protect my mother, it was a nightmare scene. My life has been changed dramatically, he said. Mr Baker said that the attack had left him with a large scar on his head including a mark indicating an imprint of the hammer on his skull. The young man said his life has been irrevocably changed and he suffers from PTSD, speech problems, short term memory issues as well as anxiety and nightmares. Det Supt Comyns said Horgan has a total of 17 previous convictions including for manslaughter, rape, assault, robbery, theft and drugs offences. He has already spent almost 17 of his 39 years in prison. Horgan was convicted of the manslaughter and rape of Cork beautician Rachel Kiely in 2000. He was just 16-years-old when he committed the offence and was handed a 12 year prison term. Horgan had attacked the young woman while she was out walking the family dog in a Ballincollig Park on an October evening. He was subsequently jailed for eight years for an armed robbery on a rural Cork post office in September 2005. The young man used a rusty slash-hook to terrify the elderly postmaster and his wife before also threatening their son with the slash hook. All three were locked in the kitchen of the property before Horgan fled with 1,500 and some Lotto cards. Defence counsel Jim OMahony SC said his clients pleas had saved the State a potentially lengthy trial. He pointed out that his client suffered from a heroin and crack cocaine addiction and now regretted his actions, having written letters of apology to both victims. Too little, too late, Det Supt Comyns said. The garda said that Horgan had not co-operated with their investigation and had refused to answer questions after he was arrested on his return to Cork. Judge Boyle jailed Horgan for nine years but agreed to suspend the final six months. The sentence was backdated to July 29 2022. Anne Broderick to contest allegations Anne Broderick is to contest the allegations made against her. A Doneraile-based horseracing heiress kept dogs in sub-zero conditions, with no access to water, soaked in urine and standing in faeces in cramped, dirty pens, a court heard this week. Anne Broderick had more than 80 breeding bitches and more than 200 dogs in total, kept in unsafe and unsanitary facilities, according to vets who inspected her dog breeding business in Doneraile. There, puppies were found soaked in urine. Dogs were in very, very cramped conditions, unable to avoid standing in their own faeces and urine, Cork County Council Veterinary Inspector Carol Nolan told Mallow District Court. Multiple dogs, including larger breeds like Alsatians, displayed worrying, abnormal behaviours, she said, which were red flags for animal welfare and indicated prolonged confinement in a deficient environment. Some dogs stood on their hind legs like Meer cats, others repeatedly jumped in their pens and barked excessively and one dog turned in repeated circles. Dogs were also found without bedding or heating in sub-zero temperatures. Ms Nolan was giving evidence during an appeal Ms Broderick brought in the court against a closure order Cork County Council had imposed on her dog breeding facility at The Hermitage, Doneraile, in January. Although Ms Broderick had a licence to breed 50 bitches, inspectors said that they found more than 80, with 218 dogs and puppies in total. The dogs were in unsanitary, cramped and freezing conditions, many had no access to water or uncontaminated food bowls. Some were seen eating their own faeces. Problems had been repeatedly identified at the facility since 2017, Ms Nolan said. Ms Nolan, gave more than two hours of evidence of repeated inspections which found overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, with dogs unable to avoid the faeces and urine in their dirty, cramped pens. She said urine was squelching beneath my wellies when she walked in some of the dog pens. A routine animal welfare inspection on October 6, 2022 revealed a whole host of red flags with overcrowded kennels, dirty with faeces and urine, vermin harbourage and behavioural abnormalities in the dogs, a significant risk of disease and a failure to produce records. Ms Nolan said that it was clear from the smell and amount of faeces and urine that regular cleaning was not taking place. Ms Nolan said that another vet at the scene told Ms Broderick that he was appalled by conditions and that dogs there were being farmed like cattle. An improvement notice was issued. Although the facility was somewhat cleaner with some improvements made, such as the expansion of pen sizes, on a subsequent inspection on October 14, 2022 many other improvements had not been complied with, the court heard. Ms Broderick was adversarial on this visit, the court heard, and allegedly accused Cork County Councils vet inspectors of bullying and harassment, reportedly saying that people had been driven to suicide for less. On this inspection many dogs still had no access to drinking water, Ms Nolan said. Ms Broderick was warned that if she did not comply with the councils improvement notice, a court order to remove her breeding register or a closure order would be issued. The ISPCA accompanied Cork County Council vets on a subsequent inspection due to the seriousness of conditions, the court heard. They climbed the gate to get in as there was no answer when they called. Dogs were again found with no bedding and no heating in sub-zero temperatures with water dispensers that had iced over, Ms Nolan said. A Bichon quite heavily in pup had no bedding, no heat source, and darted away from Ms Nolan like a cat when she tried pet her, which is not normal for this companiable breed which generally likes to be fussed over and petted. Yorkshire Terriers were found in a state of neglect with overgrown coats and soiled litter and faeces stuck to their coats and paws. Puppies were found stinking of urine and a Bischon had alopecia on a limb. Urine is an irritant and can cause inflammation to paws when dogs have to walk in it, Ms Nolan said. Having consulted with the ISPCA, a closure order was recommended and was issued on January 3. Some 47 dogs were removed from the facility on January 23. They were found wet some drenched - with urine-stained paws and without bedding. Many were in low body condition, some had an eye discharge. Ray Boland, Senior Counsel for Ms Broderick, said that his client will contest the councils evidence with expert witnesses. Ms Broderick now has only five breeding bitches, which is legal without a licence, and has 11 dogs in total, the court heard. Mr Boland said that she overextended herself last year, exporting dogs to Singapore. Judge Colm Roberts adjourned the case until July 17 for mention when three days are to be set for the rest of the hearing in September. Ms Brodericks father, John, was well-known in horse racing circles having bred Paddy De Plasterer which won at Cheltenham. He died in 2016, leaving Ms Broderick a share of his 11m estate. Sean Keogh (32) was granted bail and the case was adjourned. A father-of-two had 23,000 worth of drugs hidden in a press and behind a kitchen kickboard at his home, it is alleged. Sean Keogh (32) is accused of having cocaine and cannabis in the house when it was searched by gardai. He was granted bail and the case was adjourned when he appeared in Blanchardstown District Court. Judge Gerard Jones remanded him in custody with consent to bail. Mr Keogh, with an address at Mellowes Avenue, Finglas, is charged with possession of drugs with intent to sell or supply on June 14. He is also charged with a related count of simple possession of the drug. A garda objected to Mr Keogh being granted bail, citing the nature, degree and seriousness of the allegations. The court heard that officers attached to the Dublin Crime Response Team went to the address where the accused lived with his wife and two children. They searched the house under a Misuse of Drugs Act warrant and seized 1kg of cannabis and 21g of cocaine. The cannabis had an estimated street value of 21,670 and the cocaine was worth approximately 1,460, the court heard. The combined total was 23,130. Gardai also seized 8,945 in cash they believed to be the proceeds of selling drugs. The cocaine was found behind a kickboard in the kitchen and the cannabis was in a vacuum-sealed pack hidden in a press under the stairs, the garda said. Gardai also discovered bagging material and weighing scales with the drugs found in the kitchen. The accused made no reply to the charges after caution, the garda said. He was handed copies of the charge sheets. Applying for bail, defence solicitor Terence Hanahoe said gardai knew where the accused lived and he had been co-operative with gardai who had no difficulty arresting him. A trial date could be two years away and the accused was prepared to abide by conditions if granted bail, Mr Hanahoe said. The bail objections were being maintained, the garda said. Judge Jones set bail in Mr Keoghs own bond of 100, with no cash lodgement. He required an independent surety of 3,000, or cash in lieu. Under conditions, the accused must surrender his passport and sign on twice weekly at Finglas garda station. He was due to appear in Cloverhill District Court today. Dermot Kennedy will play two sold-out Marlay Park gigs this weekend. Dermot Kennedy has become one of the biggest and fastest selling live artists ever following his historic run of Irish shows in 2022 with eight huge concerts across Ireland. He also headlined Electric Picnic to over 70,000 people in September and now the Rathcoole native is getting ready to headline Marlay Park this Friday and Saturday, June 23 and 24. Dermot Kennedy delights fans with a surprise pop-up performance in Toners pub Fans can prepare to hear the classics like Power Over Me and Outnumbered from the artist who is admired by the likes of Taylor Swift and Shawn Mendes. So, heres everything you need to know if youre heading to the gig: Are there any tickets left? Tickets are sold out, but you could get a resale ticket if youre lucky. When do gates open and when does the show start? Gates will open at 4pm both evenings. The support acts are expected to take the stage around 5pm and Dermot will be on at around 8pm. Will there be an opening act? David Kushner, Kingfishr and Nell Mescal will open for Kennedy. Can under-16s go? All under-16s need a ticket and must be accompanied by an adult, parent, or guardian over the age of 18. According to Ticketmaster, you may be asked to prove your age with a photo ID, or you will be refused admission. Acceptable forms are passport, Garda age card or a driving licence. What will the weather be like? On Friday, it will be mostly cloudy with scattered outbreaks of rain throughout the day, according to Met Eireann. It will be slightly humid with highest temperatures of 19C to 21C and light to moderate southerly breezes. On Saturday, its set to stay humid with occasional outbreaks of rain. It will be cloudy but there might be a bit of sunshine with highest temperatures of 19C to 24C in light to moderate southerly breezes. What songs will Dermot perform? Based of the most recent Sonder setlist, this is what Dermot may sing: Blossom Power Over Me One Life An Evening I Will Not Forget Lost Young & Free Any Love Dreamer Moments Passed Glory Rome Innocence and Sadness After Rain Outnumbered Without Fear Better Days Homeward Don't Forget Me Kiss Me Something to Someone How do I get to Marlay Park? The Luas green line will be running from the city centre to Dundrum and from there, its just a 35-minute stroll Marlay Park. There's also a shuttle bus from Dundrum Luas station leaving every half hour from 2pm. If driving, you can go by Dublin city centre via Ranelagh, Clonskeagh, Goatstown, Sandyford, Grange Road and then on to College Road for carparks. From the M50, exit at Junction 12 interchange, signposted R113 Knocklyon/ Firhouse. Follow Scholarstown Road, Ballyboden Way, Taylors Lane, turn right on to Whitechurch Road and then left on to College Road. Entrance to the carparks is off College Road. Dermot Kennedy covers Taylor Swift song on BBC Radio 1s Live Lounge Pop Up Theatre was an award winner at AIMS. Sligos Pop Up Theatre was an award winner at the recent Association of Irish Musical Theatre Awards in Killarney. Members of Pop Up Theatre made the trip to Killarney this weekend for the highly acclaimed annual Association of Irish Musical Theatre Awards. Over 100 musical societies nationwide participate in the Adjudication Scheme which culminates in an awards ceremony with over 1300 attendees who gather to celebrate the end of theatre season and to support the nominated societies. Pop Up Theatre were nominated for their recent production of HAIRSPRAY in the Hawks Well Theatre, and they won the Best Visual Award (creativity in hair, make-up, costumes, set design etc.) and runner-up in best technical (lighting, sound, audio visual) and runner-up best director for Karen Gordon. To be nominated among such an incredible array of talent on a national level is a massive achievement and honour. We were proud to fly the Sligo flag high and I want to thank every person involved in bringing Hairspray to life, it takes a village said Karen Gordon. Pop Up Theatre have already begun preparations for their biggest production yet, Stephen Sondheims Sweeney Todd, being staged in April 2025. Auditions will be held next year, stay tuned to their social media pages for information. The perils of withdrawing large quantities of cash from a bank were underlined as Wexford Circuit Court dealt with a theft prosecution. A jury of three men and nine women unanimously convicted Bernard Joyce (23) of stealing 4,000 in 50 notes from a car parked at the Ferrycarrig Hotel. They reached their decision after viewing and re-viewing CCTV footage from the hotels security system dating back to January 17 in 2020. That was the date on which Coolcotts resident Ger OBrien went to the Bank of Ireland branch in Enniscorthy. He gave evidence of how he took out the 4,000 in a white, self-sealing envelope, intending to buy himself a car over the weekend. While in the bank he felt that he was being watched and he noticed the accused was behind him in the queue. In defending the case, Joyce fully accepted that he was the person seen in the banks CCTV leaning against a wall. However, he denied being a passenger in a dark Volkswagen that followed the injured party to the Ferrycarrig. Once at the hotel, OBrien parked the red Toyota Auris he was driving and went into the hotels gym. When he emerged an hour later, he discovered that a rear window had been broken in the Auris. The enveloped he had concealed in the console beside the gear stick was gone. The theft was investigated by Garda Eddie Nolan who identified the Volkswagen 04OY1596 as being registered to a man called Kelly at Moyne Park, Raheny in Dublin. However, colleagues in Dublin informed him that no one of that name was residing at the address in question. Garda Nolan had more luck when it came to identifying the man in the bank queue wearing a black jacket. This was Bernard Joyce from 96 Barnfield Road in Kilbarrack, Dublin. The garda called to the house in Barnfield Road with a search warrant and he seized the defendants iPhone, though Joyce refused to tell him the PIN. The jury was sent to deliberate and spent an hour before lunch considering the matter without coming to a conclusion. After the lunch break they asked to see footage of the car leaving the hotel which they were shown in slow motion. While the face of the driver remained in shadow, most of the face of the passenger was picked out in winter sun on the screens in the courtroom. Two minutes after they returned to their deliberations, the jury came back to tell Judge James McCourt they had reached agreement. They found the defendant guilty of theft and guilty of criminal damage to the Auris. Joyce was remanded on bail to appear for sentencing on June 28. On This Day In History - June 22nd The County Wexford port is one of five Irish projects that have been successful in securing funding under the European Unions Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), a mechanism which aims to promote growth, jobs and competitiveness through investment in infrastructure across Europe. The 2.5m for Rosslare Europort will support the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) projects full design and planning application processes. Rosslare Europort is regarded as Irelands best geographically located port to provide the required infrastructure to meet the requirements of the planned Offshore Wind Farms in the Irish and Celtic Seas and ensure that Ireland can deliver on its 2030 renewable energy targets. The ORE facility at the port, which will be the first of its kind in the State, will include the construction of two new additional berths of between 240 metres and 330 metres in length, 20+ hectares of ORE quay side space, and a dredging program to create a nine metre access channel with berth pocket depths of up to twelve metres. Glenn Carr Director of Commercial Business Units for Iarnrod Eireann - Port Authority for Rosslare Europort - said: We are delighted to be the port in Ireland that was successful in what was a heavily oversubscribed competition for EU grant funding across Europe. It is testament to our ambitious plans that we have been successful in this call down and we now push forward in collaboration with all stakeholders to delivers Irelands first ORE facility and hub. It is essential that the Rosslare Europort Offshore Wind facility be built and operational to meet the windfarm developments that are planned and support Ireland to deliver on its 2030 targets. We are committed to delivering this project which will be transformational for the Southeast and create many social and economic benefits for the county, region and country for decades to come. Feedback from the EU Commission on the Rosslare Europort ORE project included: will positively impact the competitiveness of the port towards the ORE industry and will result to socio-economic benefits including emissions reduction, multiplier effect, employment or development of the South East Region. CEF funding will accelerate the project implementation, improve the quality of project implementation and will contribute to positive stakeholder support confirming EU support of the ORE industry. Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said: I would like to congratulate all the successful applicants on the funding received and express my appreciation to the EU for its support. This funding will support the development of safer and more sustainable transport infrastructure as well as the development of the offshore renewable energy industry in Ireland. Minister of State Jack Chambers also welcomed the news: I want to thank the EU for this support. This CEF funding will assist in developing strategic road, rail, and maritime infrastructure for the future. It demonstrates the significant financial support from the EU for the development of our transport systems. Katie Franklin, Anwen Linda Roberts and Alannah Byrne with their participation certificates at the National Opera House, Wexford. The Pelican of London vessel pictured as it arrives in Wexford following the completion of the Sail Training Ireland voyage in partnership with Energia Renewables. Co Wexford and Co Wicklow scouts were part of a team of youths who worked on a tall ship as it made its way around the Irish and British coast in mid-June. The voyage of empowerment set sail from Dublin on Wednesday, June 14. During the voyage, 28 young people mostly hailing from Wexford and Wicklow learned various skills including teamwork, communication and leadership. The crew also undertook various marine science experiments, including lab work and learning about the marine environment. The participants were, Daniel Ross Berkeley, Robert Thomas Berkeley, Olivia Bowers, Alannah Byrne, Kate Campbell, Brogan Carty, Dylan Devereux, Robert Devereux, Liam Donovan, Moya Doran, Shane Egan, William Fallon, Dan Fleming, Katie Franklin, Isaam Hussain, Olann Kavanagh, Andrew Kelly, Casey Kerr, Noah Murphy, Aodan O'Callaghan, Ferghus O'Donnell, Seanna Purcell-Caffrey, Aaron Quadros, Anwen Linda Roberts, Hamish Scott, Ella Boland, Elek Zimmermann Klincse and Maciej Nogielski. Sail Training Ireland is a national charity which works with young people to develop life skills through experiential learning onboard tall ships. Among the crew were best friends, Katie Franklin from Horeswood and Alannah Byrne from Campile both 14. Katies mother Lisa said they had an amazing time. "They are members of Ballykelly Scouts. Two last minute places became available. They jumped at the chance. Boarding the Pelican of London, a tall ship first launched in 1943, at the Grand Canal in Dublin, they started an unforgettable voyage. "They learned how to sail, navigation, were working with scientists on board. They tested sea levels and took samples. Assisted by mentors, they carried out a variety of tasks, including night watches, cooking and steering the boat. The group sailed up the Irish coast and docked in the Isle of Man, where they took part in a beach clean up and took samples for analysis. They sailed to Wales and returned to Rosslare, enjoying a reception at the National Opera House. Lisa said her daughter was thrilled to participate in the once in a lifetime experience, adding that she was in a spinal brace for many years, but her dedicated training regime and healthy lifestyle means she will not need surgery on her back. CEO of Sail Training Ireland, Daragh Sheridan said: Its fantastic to see this young group, who came together less than a week ago as group of strangers, have now returned as a tight knit crew following the voyage from Dublin. They have had an amazing adventure and will have developed friendships that can last a lifetime. Thank you to Energia Renewables who helped make this happen for them all. Sail Training Ireland offers sail training voyages to young people from a range of backgrounds and abilities. The voyages help to develop essential life skills such as leadership, teamwork, and communication, while also building self-confidence and resilience. Deyanna Davis moment in the summer of George Floyd started with a left turn onto Bailey Avenue, with her violent encounter with police on the night of June 1, 2020, becoming a flashpoint in the racial justice protests in the city. Now her destination is a state prison. The 34-year-old Buffalo woman who ran over a state trooper during a protest that night is going to prison for two and a half years, a judge decided Thursday. After the incident, protesters marched to the Erie County Holding Center seeking her release from custody. More than 4,800 people signed a petition that said she found herself facing an extreme, militarized police presence. Members of Black Love Resists in the Rust, a group promoting social justice, began protesting her continued detention during demonstrations in Niagara Square. Some included her name among those victimized by police violence. But when Davis stood before a judge Thursday, she didnt talk about protests or Black Lives Matter. She mainly apologized to the man she ran over, now-retired Trooper Ronald L. Ensminger Jr. I didnt mean for anything to happen, she said in court Thursday. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. If I could go back, I definitely would do it different. I dont want anybody to think Im a bad person because of it, because Im not. Before her sentencing, Davis had previously agreed to the sentence on her guilty plea to second-degree assault. But she had tried as recently as this week without success to halt the sentencing in Erie County Court. I think Deyanna Davis has been in many ways used for somebody elses cause, her attorney, Frank LoTempio III, told Erie County Judge Kenneth Case. Ive told Deyanna on many occasions I dont agree with it, and I think deep down in Deyannas heart, she doesnt agree with that. Deyanna did not make a turn on that street to be part of that protest, LoTempio said. If Deyanna could go back and take a right rather than a left on that street, I know she would. Ensminger, sitting in the front row, behind the defendants table, in a courtroom filled with state police personnel turned away when Davis began speaking at the hearing. I just want this to be behind me, and I hope the trooper can find it in his heart to forgive me, she said. Case called what happened a tragedy. What was in your mind at that time, only you and God know, Case told her. Davis a mother, college graduate and now pregnant was led out of court in handcuffs at the end of the proceeding. Ensminger did not speak during the sentencing and he declined to comment afterward. After the sentencing, he spoke with dozens of state police personnel who observed the sentencing, and he greeted each one as they left the courtroom. A lot of hard work by great people, Ensminger told the troopers. A peaceful protest that started downtown and ended at the Buffalo police station on Bailey Avenue led to a chaotic scene that night. Police fired pepper balls into the crowd, and protesters responded by throwing rocks and water bottles at police. In the midst of that scene, Davis drove an SUV into a line of police officers, injuring three of them, one of them Ensminger, who was run over and seriously hurt. The defendant operated her vehicle like a guided missile, Assistant District Attorney Ryan Haggerty said at the sentencing hearing, as he showed aerial footage from a police helicopter of her vehicle driving through the police line. Police fired at the vehicle, striking Davis twice. Her family has said she was shot before she hit the officer. And her previous attorney said smoke on the street from what police had thrown hampered her view. But Haggerty called all of that a false narrative. Davis had 218 feet of choices, 218 feet of decisions, 218 feet to safely move her vehicle somewhere other than over the body of Ron Ensminger, the prosecutor said. She was not shot before her vehicle careened toward the police line, he said. Davis was shot twice by troopers at the very moment that both of her axles were over the trooper, he said. Davis was able to avoid other pedestrians, able to avoid the other vehicles, able to avoid every other human being out there except for Ron Ensminger, Haggerty said. Ensminger spent several weeks at Erie County Medical Center, where he was treated for injuries to his back, a shattered pelvis and a broken leg. He was unable to return to work and retired from New York State Police due to the injuries. Lotempio called the chaotic scene the night of the protest a confluence of events with many, many different people at fault for how this happened, but pointing out that Ensminger was not among those to blame. Davis didnt intend to hit the trooper and was on her way home from her mother-in-laws funeral when she wound up on Bailey, where the state police were. This was chaos, LoTempio said of the Bailey Avenue scene the night of the protest. When things started going haywire, I dont think in any way, shape or form, with due respect to Mr. Haggerty, that this was a guided missile, LoTempio said. A loaded handgun was found inside of Davis vehicle during the investigation. The weapon was reported stolen from West Seneca in January 2020. One of the passengers of the vehicle, 27-year-old Semaj T. Pigram of Buffalo, was linked to the illegal gun through DNA evidence. Pigram pleaded guilty, as charged, to one count of criminal possession of a weapon on Sept. 23. He was sentenced to seven years in prison. A grand jury later decided not to indict another passenger in the SUV. She was in the car with two bad people, LoTempio said. This was a situation where Deyanna Davis was put in a horrible, horrible situation. Due to demand, Lantern Events has added another date for the show. It took Wexford promotions company Lantern Events three minutes on Thursday morning to sell 1000 tickets for a Jenny Greene show at the towns Spiegeltent Festival in October. The tickets went on sale at 10 am and were snapped up with a lightning speed that impressed even Lanterns boss Brian Byrne who has now secured a second Wexford date on November 3. "There is a phenomenal audience here. After County Wexford, our next biggest Spiegeltent audience is south Dublin, followed by Cork, he said. Brian said the bulk of the tickets were purchased online and many people dont realise that if they queue outside the Lantern premises in a former church in Rowe Street in Wexford town they are guaranteed tickets for any event as they will be reserved first. Brian may have been taken aback by the sheer speed at which the tickets sold out, but he has no doubt about DJ Jenny Greenes popularity. "She has had a very successful 20-year radio career. She is extremely popular. Many people have seen her at festivals and its genuinely a great live show, he said. Greene has been at the forefront of the Irish dance music scene for almost two decades, having started out at the age of 17 as a dance music columnist, radio presenter and DJ. At the age of 21 she earned herself a spot in the Guinness Book Of Records breaking the record for the Worlds Longest DJ set. Her Saturday night dance show Electric Disco on RTE 2FM has been a mainstay for Irish lubbers for the past 15 years, leading to an album release back in 2009. Her electrifying sets are a diverse mix of house, electro and old school classics. Jenny regularly performs to sell-out crowds at both arenas and festivals and is now getting ready for an epic two nights at Wexford Spiegeltent Festival on October 20 and November 3, with tickets currently on sale for the second date.. The Spiegeltent Festival has been bringing a diverse range of acts to Wexford for the last decade, including music, comedy and theatre. Our Ladys Hospice & Care Services (OLH&CS), Wicklow, is calling on the brave men of County Wicklow to bare all and take part in its male-only Dip in the Nip, which this year will take place on the Blue Flag beach in Greystones at 10.00am, on Sunday, October 8. The Blue Flag probably wont matter to you as you lower yourself in the freezing waters, gents, but its for such a good cause that you can muster up the courage to grin and bear it, while you bare it. The inaugural Dip in the Nip took place in 2019 and was a great community success but was postponed because of the pandemic. This year, Dip in Nip is back and is kindly supported by Codling Wind Park, along with the help of former Irish Rugby player and Wicklow Hospice ambassador, Shane Byrne. To take part, men, groups, clubs and workplaces are asked to raise at least 100 for Our Ladys Hospice & Care Services, Wicklow, all of which will go towards supporting the delivery of services and care in Wicklow Hospice. Codling Wind Park Project Director, Scott Sutherland, said: We recently became a corporate partner of Wicklow Hospice and are looking forward to supporting its excellent care and attention to people across our community here in Wicklow. Weve seen first-hand the amazing work done within Magheramore and throughout the community. As well as being an important fundraiser for OLH&CS, Dip in the Nip stokes great excitement among participants, so we are really looking forward to getting behind the event and some of us will be participating too!, he added. Karen Gallagher, Interim Director of Fundraising & Communications at OLH&CS said: We are very excited to see the return of Dip in the Nip and are delighted to continue our partnership with Codling Wind Park with them coming on board as sponsor of this campaign. Community fundraising was vitally important to ensure we were able to open the doors of Magheramore in 2020, the first dedicated palliative care facility in Wicklow. Fundraising and community support continue to be the life blood of our work at Wicklow Hospice, whether thats in our in-patient facility which cared for 196 inpatients last year or through our Community Palliative Care Team, which made 3,285 visits to peoples homes. Initiatives like Dip in the Nip help to ensure the continued provision and development of our services, so we urge the people of Wicklow and surrounds to come out and support, whether that be through participation or sponsoring one of the brave participants, she added. And lets not forget the ladies, who this year are being asked to coax/drag/lure do whatever it takes to get the men to take part. To register, go to: olh.ie/dip-in-the-nip/ Commuters in Greystones can now remove the earbuds and take the time to listen to some real music at the train station as a new piano has been installed for those who fancy tinkling the ivory before work. It follows a successful campaign by local musician Niall Woods and Councillor Stephen Stokes, who praised the initiative as ideal for the people of the town. "I would like to thank Niall Woods for proposing the idea, and for securing the piano. Our sincere thanks also to Irish Rail for allowing this amenity. It could not have happened without the leadership of Ciaran Devitt, Bray Station Manager. Greystones is an area full of creative and positive people, so this is an ideal amenity to offer," he said. Public pianos are growing in global popularity and this piano puts Greystones on a par with some major train stations in Ireland that already have a public piano, including Connolly station, Heuston station, Pearse station, and Kent station, in Cork. Niall Woods, of Greystones Music Academy and a graduate of the Royal Irish Academy in piano performance, added: "This is a piano for the people. Hopefully it will bring a little extra joy to the town, especially on cold days in winter. As a listener, you sometimes get lucky when a great musician sits down and performs. However, its also nice to hear beginners, or even people whove never learnt the piano, trying out a few things and maybe getting a feel for it." The campaign for a piano took time to arrange the logistics, Cllr Stokes said. "Irish Rail rightly had some important considerations, like where to put the piano, and how to secure it. Thankfully, there is a perfect alcove at the front of the station, in the northwest corner. It came together nicely. This in turn meant moving some of the benches around inside the station. We are also actively looking at installing a piano seat with Irish Rail," he added, so anyone with a spare piano seat is urged to reach out to Niall or Stephen. The delivery of the piano has come along with a revamp both inside and outside of Greystones Railway Station and significant footbridge improvements are due to begin next month. But there is one last issue with the piano, in that it too needs a bit of TLC and Niall and Cllr Stokes are hoping to have the piano decorated. They are appealing for any local artists, French polishers or school groups to get in touch and lend a hand. Cllr Stokes can be reached on stephenstokes101@gmail.com for any enquiries. Wicklow TD Jennifer Whitmore has expressed her frustration over the delays in delivering vital temporary classrooms for Temple Carrig Secondary School, in Greystones, ahead of the next school year in September. The school made an application for the temporary classrooms with the Department of Education over one year ago, yet there is still no indication as to when the delivery of the prefabs will take place, or if it will be available in time for the 2023/2024 year. Raising the issue in the Dail on Wednesday, June 21, Deputy Whitmore said: Temple Carrig School requires additional classrooms in order to accommodate all the students enrolled from September 2023. I submitted this topical issue in order to get a meaningful update for the school, and all the [Junior Education] Minister could provide was a summary of the work the school has done to get to this place. In order to accommodate the new intake for September 2023, Temple Carrig Greystones needs this temporary accommodation in place. They have worked with the Department of Education for over a year to get this organised, and even still, the Department has not done so. We are not talking about a new build here, it is simply the relocation of four prefabs from another school. It is unbelievable that the Department cannot deliver this in a timely fashion. I pressed the Minister and asked if he would commit to making sure this school would have the rooms it needs for its student population by September, classes that the Department themselves have asked the school to take. He could give no such commitment and now the school is heading into the summer period in a state of limbo. The Department has identified suitable modular accommodation to be relocated to Temple Carrig Secondary. However, the Minister could not say if this would be moved to the school before September, saying only that it would be done at some point in the 2023/24 academic year. It is completely unfair to leave a school in the lurch like this. Classrooms are the most basic of accommodation needs for a school and the fact that the Minister thinks it is acceptable to leave schools with uncertainty about their class sizes for next year is just galling, she added. Meanwhile, while also raising the issues of classroom provision at Temple Carrig school in the Dail, Sinn Fein TD for Wicklow John Brady pointed to the spiralling costs of education, particularly for secondary school students who are ineligible for the Free Book Scheme. Mr Brady was speaking following the defeat of a Sinn Fein motion on the issue, which came before the Dail for debate on Tuesday, June 20. Sinn Fein had called on the Government to cancel its planned increases in student fees and to expand the Free Book Scheme to include secondary schools. Education costs represent an ever-increasing concern for many families this year as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, Mr Brady said. There are things that the Government can and must do to ease the pressure on parents and students. Which they need to act on now. According to the most recent Irish League of Credit Unions back to school costs survey, funding back to school continues to be a challenge for parents, with 66 per cent saying that covering the cost of back to school is a financial burden. School books remain one of the most expensive items for parents of secondary schoolchildren, with an average associated cost per pupil of approximately 210 per year. The government needs to expand the Free Book Scheme to include secondary schools to ease the financial burden on parents who are worried about back-to-school costs. Referring to the accommodation issues at Temple Carrig school, Mr Brady said he wrote to Education Minister Norma Foley regarding the provision of additional temporary classrooms. Despite the fact that I had received notice from the Minister in November last year that her department had approved interim accommodation, concern remains that the classrooms will not be in place in time for September, he said. Excuses have been proffered in relation to timelines involved with the movement of temporary prefab classroom accommodation from North County Dublin. This is unacceptable. Schools are putting in place emergency provisions for September, which could see the introduction of a four-day week for pupils in an attempt to stagger attendances and could possibly be forced to reintroduce remote teaching, he added. We need to see a commitment by the Minister that the provision of the temporary classrooms will be accelerated to ensure that they will be in place by September. The employment landscape in County Wicklow is to be the subject of a new survey which will help both employers and residents identify skills gaps in a bid to build and futureproof jobs in the county. Wicklow County Council has engaged KPMG Future Analytics to conduct the survey to feed into research that will inform the development of a new Skills Strategy for the county. In order to build up a detailed picture of the employment landscape in County Wicklow, the council wants to hear from the countys employers to understand key skills gaps, as well as the major drivers of change across sectoral employment. The views of anyone working or living in County Wicklow, or commuting out of the county to work, are also being sought to help the council gain a thorough understanding of the skills we already have in the county, as well as future skills needs. Welcoming the launch, Cllr Aoife Flynn Kennedy, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, said: I am delighted to see Wicklow County Council take the initiative in working towards ensuring the future skills needs of the county are met. This is especially relevant given that this is the official European Year of Skills. County Wicklow is a great place to live, work, visit and do business in. Ultimately, this study and the Strategy stemming from it seeks to ensure that Wicklow continues to have the skills necessary to capitalise on emerging employment opportunities. Emer OGorman, Chief Executive, Wicklow County Council, also welcomed the initiative, and pointed to Wicklow as being one of the most rapidly growing counties in Ireland. "Wicklow has unlimited business potential, she added, some of which can be seen through the significant expansion and development the County has undergone in recent years. Yet, it must be acknowledged that the availability of skilled workers is key to maintaining competitiveness and attracting investment to the county. This project will work towards ensuring that there will be an adequate supply of sufficiently skilled labour available in Wicklow over the coming years to maximise potential growth across a number of key sectors. In doing so, it will seek to identify existing skills gaps that are not being met at present, and also provide an analysis of available skills that are currently commuting out of County Wicklow. The Skills Surveys can be found at: wicklow.ie/Living/Services/Online-Consultation-Hub/County-Wicklow-Skills-Survey A total of 30,680 will support four agricultural shows in County Wicklow, three of them due to take place in July and August. Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD has announced funding of 1 million to support 122 Agricultural Shows right across the country. The investment in agricultural shows represents a 40 per cent increase on last years allocation. The grants from the Department of Rural and Community Development will support show committees in staging their events over the summer season. The Carnew and District Agricultural Show taking place on July 15 will receive 6,700, while the same amount has also been allocated to the Kilmacanogue Horse Show taking place on July 22. The Tinahely Show taking place on August 7 will receive 11,400 it is set to be launched in Tinahely on the evening of Thursday, July 6. The announcement included backdated funding of 5,880 given to The Marina Fay Miniature Horse Show, run by Kim Jackman from Roundwood on May 28 at Greenogue Equestrian Centre in Rathcoole, Co Dublin. Minister Humphreys said: Our Agricultural Shows sum up all that is good about rural Ireland. They are intrinsically linked to that sense of community that our rural towns and villages are known for. The shows are key dates in the summer calendar and are a central point for the agri-food industry, the farming community and our local artisan producers. These shows are also a fantastic family day out, where people come to catch up and enjoy a truly unique experience. With entries travelling from far and wide to compete, the local show has something to interest everyone through its wide range of activities and competitions. I am delighted to increase the overall level of funding by 40 per cent this year, which I know will really help the organisers in ensuring the shows themselves are a great success. I want to thank and pay tribute to the Irish Shows Association, who I was delighted to meet in recent weeks to discuss their plans for the upcoming summer season. Commenting on the ongoing negotiations between the National Transport Authority and civil contractors, Mr Brady said: I am delighted that the bus shelter at the bus stop in Kilmacanogue has finally been installed. This is a project I was first involved with as far back as my time on Bray Town Council. At the time, I was told that it would not be possible to put a bus shelter there for safety reasons due to the bank directly behind where the bus stop was situated. Over the years since then, we have had to counter objections and delays from the NTA. But, despite all of the setbacks the bus shelter is now in place, he said. I have been working with Wicklow County Council, the NTA, Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann on the issue for many years in an effort to secure the installation of the shelter at the bus stop. In April 2022 I secured agreement from the NTA for the provision of the bus shelter, which was scheduled to be completed last summer, or early Autumn at the latest. In the interim, there were delays due to the withdrawal of the preferred contractor from the scheme, and the NTA was forced to source another contractor. This is an important development for the local community who use the bus stop here. This is not just a matter of being able to shelter from the wind and rain, but it will also provide a degree of safety for bus users, who would have previously had to wait by the side of the road. Large numbers of school children use this bus stop to get the bus into Bray or further. Ive spoken to many parents over the years about their children arriving in school soaked to the skin having waited in the rain for a bus from Kilmac. So, the installation of the shelter will be warmly welcomed by all users. Succession star Sarah Snook will bring a one-woman production of The Picture Of Dorian Gray to the West End next year. The Australian actress will play 26 different characters in the show, which is an adaptation of Oscar Wildes 1890 novel. It comes following a successful run of the show in Australia, which was performed by Eryn Jean Norvill. The London production will be adapted and directed by Sydney Theatre Companys artistic director Kip Williams. The Succession actress will star in an adaptation of The Portrait Of Dorian Gray next year (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Snooks previous turn on the West End was her debut in 2016, when she appeared opposite Ralph Fiennes in The Master Builder. The actress, best known for her role as the conniving Shiv Roy on the award-winning HBO show, said: I am elated to return to the London stage in such an astonishing piece of theatre. From Oscar Wildes remarkable original text to Kip Williams stunning adaptation, this story of morality, innocence, narcissism, and consequence is going to be thrilling to recreate for a new audience. I cant wait. Williams said: In creating a new piece of theatre like The Picture Of Dorian Gray, you always hope to have the opportunity to share it with a wider audience. I am so excited for theatre lovers in London to experience our show and am thrilled to have the extraordinary Sarah Snook bringing to life the many characters of Oscar Wildes remarkable story. The Picture Of Dorian Gray is due to open on January 23 2024 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and run for nearly 12 weeks. A Jamestown man who bought guns in another state and sold them on the Southern Tier has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced. Randall Rolison, 60, faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he returns Dec. 19 for sentencing before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. Prosecutors said an investigation by Jamestown police and the FBI in January 2022 determined that Rolison, a long-distance truck driver, purchased guns and ammunition from a roadside stand in Georgia in the latter months of 2021. Investigators said Rolison then sold, or attempted to sell, nine guns and ammunition. They said he would send photos of the weapons via text message to prospective buyers, then make straw purchases on their behalf. Ross noted that Rolison had been convicted of a felony in Michigan in 1997 and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. Dale Anderson Street protests yesterday. Tuesdays shooting, in which four Israelis died, came a day after seven Palestinians were killed in a day-long battle against Israeli troops. Photo: Reuters Hundreds of Israeli settlers yesterday stormed into a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank, setting fire to dozens of cars and homes to avenge the deaths of four Israelis killed by Palestinian gunmen the previous day, residents said. Meet the firm behind our content. Visit their website to see how their services can help your business succeed. Mumbai/IBNS: Well-known musician and tabla player, GiMA award winning Pt Prodyut Mukherjee, regaled guests with his mastery over tabla and mouth percussion at the third edition of the International Performing Arts Festival (IPAF) held in Mumbai. The third season of the festival consisted of performances ranging from fusion music to Indian classical music and dance. On day one (10 June) of the IPAF festival, Pt Mukherjee and his team Rhythm Express paid a musical tribute to freedom fighters. The team consisted of M Rashid Khan (violin), Supratik (vocal), Dharmesh Maru (keys), Monicka Shuklla (narration). The programme also included Bharatnatyam by Tushar Pramod Sawant. The day two of the festival featured a grand celebration of Ritu Rang (Seasons in India) presented by a 75-member strong Arpana Rao and group. Sajid Nadiadwala, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Sudesh Bhosale, Lalit Sen and others attended the programme on the second day. IPAF has been started by Shyam Pandey, a social entrepreneur, with an aim to create a centralized global network to provide a consistent platform to artists as well as financial assistance to them through these programmes. Founder-Director of IPAF, Pandey, expressed his admiration for the musical wizardry of Pt Mukherjee and said, IPAF is already working in 25 states of India and adding five global cities this year." The second leg of the programme this year will be held in Kolkata on June 23 and 24 followed by the Delhi edition in July. At the Kolkata edition, IPAF will launch its first Lifetime Achievement Award and Youth Icon Award, where the awards will be given away by West Bengal governor Dr C.V. Ananda Bose. Image Credit: Twitter/@MEAIndia New Delhi/Washington/UNI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday evening held talks with the CEO of Applied Materials, Gary Dickerson, CEO of General Electric, Lawrence Culp, and the CEO of Micron Tech Sanjay Mehrotra and discussed collaborations with India. During his talks with Gary Dickerson, President and CEO of Applied Materials, PM Modi invited Applied Materials to contribute in strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem in India. "The Prime Minister also invited Applied Materials for development of process technology and advanced packaging capabilities in India. "Prime Minister and Mr. Dickerson discussed the potential of Applied Materials collaboration with academic institutions in India to create a skilled workforce." A fruitful exchange of views between PM @narendramodi & CEO of Applied Materials, Gary Dickerson. PM invited Applied Materials for contributing in strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem & development of process technology and advanced packaging capabilities in India. Talks pic.twitter.com/ZKxqFej44F Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 21, 2023 During his meeting with Lawrence Culp, CEO of General Electric, the Prime Minister appreciated GE for its long-term commitment of manufacturing in India. "Prime Minister and Mr. Culp, Jr. discussed GEs greater technology collaboration to promote manufacturing in India. "Prime Minister invited GE to play a greater role in the aviation and renewable energy sector in India." During his meeting with Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO of Micron, the PM invited Micron Technology to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India. Image Credit: Facebook/Manoranjan Byapari Kolkata/IBNS: In an apparent discomfort for Trinamool Congress, noted writer-turned politician and MLA, Manoranjan Byapari, quit two posts of the ruling party ahead of the high-octane violence-marred panchayat elections in West Bengal. Byapari, who won from Hooghly's Balagarh in the 2021 state elections, announced his resignation on Facebook. In a Facebook post, Byapari wrote he quit as the member of 2023 panchayat election committee and general secretary of state TMC committee. Byapari, however, will continue as the lawmaker until his pension starts. He said, "I had to quit my job to contest elections. I am yet to receive any pension or gratuity even two years after resigning from my job. So I am not able to quit as the MLA. Otherwise how will I feed myself? "I will quit as the MLA the day my pension starts. Now I realise that this kind of politics is not for my type of people..." Speaking to The Indian Express, Byapari, who is one of many TMC leaders who originally belong to different fields, said he was not happy with the candidate selections for the upcoming panchayat polls, which will be held in a single phase on July 8. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, which is facing massive corruption allegations on various fronts, is accused by the opposition parties of indulging in violence ahead of the panchayat polls. A number of political workers have lost their lives in pre-poll clashes in various districts of the state, which is heavily dominated by TMC in terms of political landscape since 2009. Mamata argues her party is not involved in the clashes and the pre-poll scenario is far better than the ones prevailed during the Left Front regime, particularly in 2003. In an unprecedented development, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the violence during nomination filing for the upcoming polls. After the Supreme Court upheld the high court order to deploy central forces in the entire state, the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) has requisitioned the central government for 22 companies of central force. All students in all schools in the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District will receive free breakfast and lunch next school year. This year only five of the districts schools held the Community Eligibility Provision that allows all students to get free meals without proving their income eligibility. There was discussion during state budget negotiations this year about providing free school meals throughout the state, but that was not approved. The State Legislature and governor agreed to expand eligibility for the program. The head of our food service department, Kim Roll, has done an amazing job, Superintendent Sabatino Cimato said during a recent Ken-Ton Connections update. Roll applied for the expanded eligibility, and the district learned earlier this month it had been approved, starting July 1. That also means breakfast will be free during summer school, Cimato said. The district will continue to ask parents to complete food service paperwork in the fall because it ensures individual eligibility for certain state and federal programs as well as additional school funding. Its very important when those forms come around next year that we still complete the forms, Cimato said. Barbara OBrien Image credit: Wikimedia Commons Kolkata/IBNS: In an unprecedented scenario, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged tampering of nomination papers filed for the upcoming West Bengal panchayat polls, media reports said. The tampering has been allegedly done by the Returning Officer. The court has asked the CBI to complete the probe by July 5 and file a report on July 7, a day before the polls are scheduled to be held. Justice Amrita Sinha passed the order rejecting the State Election Commision (SEC) and the state government's appeal to conduct the inquiry by the state administration. "For the purpose of maintaining independence and transparency in the process of investigation, the court thinks it fit to direct the CBI to conduct the investigation and file a report before this court," the court said as quoted by Bar and Bench. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), which is facing massive corruption allegations on various fronts, is accused by the opposition parties of indulging in violence ahead of the panchayat polls. A number of political workers have lost their lives in pre-poll clashes in various districts of the state, which is heavily dominated by TMC in terms of political landscape since 2009. Mamata argues her party is not involved in the clashes and the pre-poll scenario is far better than the ones prevailed during the Left Front regime, particularly in 2003. Image Credit: UNI Washington: Amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the United States, GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have signed an agreement to collaborate on the production of fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force, media reports said. This agreement, deemed a major milestone, was announced by GE Aerospace, highlighting its role in enhancing defence cooperation between the United States and India, reported India Today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in New York on Tuesday for a rare three-day state visit to the US, during which he is set to address the joint session of the US Congress and dine with President Biden. He has interacted with Nobel laureates, economists, artists, scientists, scholars, entrepreneurs, academics, and experts from the health sector. The purpose of these interactions, according to sources, is for the Prime Minister to gain insights into the developments in the United States and explore potential collaborations. This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL, said H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace, according to the report. We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modis vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet, he added. As per the US aerospace company, the agreement entails the possibility of jointly manufacturing GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India. The company has stated that it is actively partnering with the US government to secure the required export authorisation for the agreement. This endeavour is part of the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 program. The US aerospace company said that the agreement would further its previous commitment to manufacturing 99 engines for the Indian Air Force under the LCA Mk2 program. This MoU positions the aerospace giant favourably to develop a range of products in India, which includes the F404 engine currently utilized by the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft. GE Aerospace has been also selected for the prototype development, testing, and certification of the AMCA program with its F414-INS6 engine. The company expressed its intention to maintain collaboration with the Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program. Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has threatened to boycott the Opposition meeting in Patna on June 23 if the Congress does not lend its support to the Delhi government led by Arvind Kejriwal regarding the ordinance introduced by the Central government for service control, reported India Today. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had previously written a letter to opposition leaders, urging them to prioritize the Delhi ordinance as the primary topic of discussion in the forthcoming meeting. In his letter, Arvind Kejriwal underscored the importance of taking clear political stances and adopting a comprehensive perspective. He highlighted that if the bill is passed, it could have implications not only for Delhi but also for other states not ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as it might encroach upon the powers of state governments in matters listed under the concurrent list. Kejriwal urged opposition leaders to recognize the potential wider impact of the ordinance and address it collectively. A gathering of Opposition leaders from around 20 parties is scheduled to take place in Patna for a significant opposition meeting on Friday. The purpose of the meeting is to formulate a collective strategy to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year. The meeting was convened by Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar and leader of the Janata Dal (United), who has been actively working towards fostering unity among opposition parties. The primary objective of the Opposition meeting is reportedly to ensure the selection of a common candidate to contest against the BJP in approximately 450 constituencies, as identified by Nitish, with the aim of defeating the saffron party in the Lok Sabha polls. Image: Facebook/Mamata Banerjee Meeting Nitish Kumar, Banerjee said the leaders had a chance to address several important issues that affect "our respective states and the overall development of our nation." "Nitish ji's leadership and experience have been instrumental in driving progress and addressing the challenges faced by Bihar. I convey my best wishes to him for all his future endeavours. Jai Hind," she said. Earlier she also met RJD President Lalu Prasad, former CM of Bihar Rabri Devi, and Deputy CM of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav in Patna. Banerjee was accompanied by Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee and Kolkata Corporation Mayor and State Minister Firhad Hakim. They discussed pertinent matters and exchanged views on a range of crucial issues, according to party sources. Speaking about her meeting, Banerjee said: "Engaging in meaningful discussions with them was truly gratifying, as it allowed us to delve into important subjects and share perspectives on a wide array of crucial matters. This meeting served as an ideal platform for exchanging ideas, envisioning the path to propelling our nation to new heights, and discovering ways to serve the people with even greater dedication and commitment." "I extend my heartfelt gratitude to them for their invaluable time. Guided by a shared vision of taking our nation to greater heights, may we continue to work dedicatedly for the progress and prosperity of people. Jai Hind," she added. The grand opposition parties meeting is scheduled to be held on Friday and will be attended by several political leaders including Congress's Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, according to reports. The meeting will be helmed by Nitish Kumar who is playing a crucial role to bring together the opposition parties ahead of the 2024 national elections. Image: Twitter/BJP4India Washington DC/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a 3-day historic state visit to the US, was given a grand welcome at the White House on Thursday, where he is holding bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden. PM Modi was welcomed with a 19-gun salute and playing of the national anthems at the south lawns of the White House. Welcoming PM Modi, President Biden said, "We have spent a lot of time together, since I was Vice President... Given the situation of the world, it is essential that India-US work together". In his address PM Modi, said: "About three decades ago, I came to America as a common man. At that time, I had seen the White House from the outside. After becoming the PM, I've come many times, but today for the first time the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian-American community in such large numbers." Thanking President Biden, PM Modi said: "The societies and institutions of both the US and India are based on democratic values. The constitution of both countries begins with the three words -We the People- as President Biden just mentioned. Both countries take pride in their diversity, and both of us believe in the fundamental principle of 'In the interest of all, for the welfare of all." Speaking at the White House. https://t.co/qrAuu1wlnj Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023 "India and the US are in the process of eradicating poverty, addressing climate change, extending healthcare and ensuring food security... All this matters for America, for India and for the world... The decisions we make today are going to impact the future," President Biden said. During the bilalteral talks, PM Modi thanked Joe Biden for strengthening India-US ties everytime the latter has got an opportunity to do. "Due to your vision today India and US are walking shoulder to shoulder in every field from the depths of the ocean to heights of the skies, from ancient cultures to artificial intelligence," PM Modi told President Biden. After bilateral talks, the Prime Minister will address a joint sitting of the two houses of the US Congress for a second time, which will be followed by dinner at the White House. This second historic joint address is a first for an Indian leader and a rarity for the rest of the world as well. "In a short while from now, President Biden and I will discuss India-US relations and various regional issues. I'm sure that, as always, our conversation today will be very useful and positive. This afternoon, I will also have an opportunity to address the US Congress for the second time. I'm deeply grateful for this honour," PM Modi said. Throughout the day, several big-ticket announcements were made that ranged from defence cooperation to space expeditions, which are expected to deepen the ties between the two nations. Image: Twitter/Narendra Modi Washington/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday held bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden at The White House's Oval Office which he termed as a new chapter, direction, and energy to the comprehensive partnership. PM Modi was accorded a grand welcome at The White House. President Joe Biden in his address said "India and the US are two great nations, two great friends." Deeply touched by the warm and gracious welcome at the White House. Looking forward to fostering even deeper ties and mutual cooperation in the times to come. pic.twitter.com/W2e78ayylM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023 "Indians and Americans are both people who, in a way, turn obstacles into opportunities": Joe Biden in a joint media statement. | Together in their determination to take the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership to the next level. PM @narendramodi & @POTUS @JoeBiden held bilateral talks in the @WhiteHouse. The two leaders reviewed the various facets of India-USA ties and discussed ways to pic.twitter.com/gtIp2S6ajh Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 22, 2023 "Indian firms are announcing 2 billion dollars in optics fibre in Carolina. We are opening new consulates. Our nations look together on regional nations. We look at problems unleashed by Russia with war on Ukraine. We are building regional connections to the Middle east. We're putting sustainable development on the agenda of G20," Biden said. "This day has huge significance in India-US relations. This is a new chapter, direction, and energy to our comprehensive partnership. The US is India's biggest trade partner," said PM Modi. Stating 'sky is not the limit for India-US relations', he said: "We are leaving behind the buyer-seller relationship and moving towards tech transfer, co-production." "I met CEOs here and I saw their enthusiasm towards India. In global uncertainty, India and the US are trusted partners. The GE engine deal is landmark. This deal will create jobs and create defence cooperation and startups from the nations are important partners," PM Modi said. The Indian PM said both countries have entered the Artemis Accord and have taken a giant leap in the India-US space partnership. PM @narendramodi & @POTUS @JoeBiden held bilateral discussions in expanded format. Agenda covered a broad range of areas of bilateral cooperation including, trade and investment, defence and security, science & technology, energy, climate action, education, health and pic.twitter.com/iVFu6JkVrB Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 22, 2023 "Indians outside The White House is a testimony to deep India-US relations. We are starting Consulates in Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Indian Consulate in Seattle." Heartened to see the enthusiastic turnout from the Indian community at the White House. Their support and warmth truly embody the deep ties that bind our two nations together. It's a testament to our shared values and mutual respect. pic.twitter.com/leYtlkZB9t Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023 "Peace and security in the Indo-Pacific is our priority, development of this region is important. for global development In our fight against terrorism, we are walking shoulder to shoulder. Due to Covid and Ukraine conflict, the global south has suffered. India has pressed on dialogue and diplomacy to end the Ukraine conflict," he said in the joint press statement. Addressing the US media, PM Modi said democracy runs in India's and US' veins. "We have proved democracy can deliver. If there are no human values, no human rights, no humanity, it's not a democracy. When we live in a democracy, there's no place for discrimination. In India, there is no discrimination on the basis of caste, age, religion," PM Modi told the US media. Speaking on climate change, PM Modi said India doesn't believe in exploiting nature as it is a part of Indian culture and highlighted his government's efforts to counter climate change. After bilateral talks, the Prime Minister will address a joint sitting of the two houses of the US Congress for a second time, which will be followed by dinner at the White House. This second historic joint address is a first for an Indian leader and a rarity for the rest of the world as well. Image Credit: Twitter/BJP4India Washington DC/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday said there is absolutely no space for religious discrimination during a joint media address with President Joe Biden at The White House. Asked about the rights of religious minorities by a US reporter, PM Modi said: "Regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there's absolutely no space for discrimination." "There is no democracy in the absence of human rights," he added. India and the US have "overwhelming respect" for each other as "we are democracies and it is in US and India's DNAs to expand democratic institutions". "We have proved democracy can deliver. If there are no human values, no human rights, no humanity, it's not a democracy. When we live in a democracy, there's no place for discrimination. In India, there is no discrimination on the basis of caste, age, religion," PM Modi told the US media. PM Modi was accorded a grand welcome at The White House. President Joe Biden in his address said "India and the US are two great nations, two great friends." Deeply touched by the warm and gracious welcome at the White House. Looking forward to fostering even deeper ties and mutual cooperation in the times to come. pic.twitter.com/W2e78ayylM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023 After bilateral talks, the Prime Minister will address a joint sitting of the two houses of the US Congress for a second time, which will be followed by dinner at the White House. This second historic joint address is a first for an Indian leader and a rarity for the rest of the world as well. Priyanka Chopra-Jonas was recently spotted interacting with her fans on the streets of London. The actress is shooting for Heads of State in the capital of England. Taking a break from her busy shoot, she stepped out and greeted some fans. A video of the incident was shared on social media. Twitter It shows a smiling Priyanka talking to her fans, shaking their hands, and making small talk with them. People were impressed with her friendliness, and called her humble for interacting with her fans in such a pleasant manner. The video was shared on Twitter by one of Priyankas fan pages called @priyankagifpic. The caption of the post read, Priyanka Chopra spotted with fan other day in London, while text on the video said, When you meet most humble. Priyanka Chopra spotted with fan other day in London pic.twitter.com/ZRbFBnl3V9 PRIYANKA-Gifs&Pics&Clips (@priyankagifpic) June 22, 2023 Long day and still cheerful meeting fans, commented a user. Another wrote, The most humble person youll ever meet. She deserves the world. She's so cute and gorgeous, wrote a third user. This is not the first time the word humble has been associated with the the Citadel star. Back in 2022, Pakistani journalist Anas Mallick took to Twitter to share a photo with Priyanka with the caption, So, I just literally bumped into @priyankachopra in the hotel lobby here in New York and she came down as a very humble person. So, I just literally bumped into @priyankachopra in the hotel lobby here in New York and she came down as a very humble person pic.twitter.com/hfhLGlnCAg Anas Mallick (@AnasMallick) September 21, 2022 The actress was last seen in Citadel in which she plays the role of Nadia Sinh and co-stars alongside Richard Madden who showcases the role of Mason Kane, a spy with a complex history with PCs character. What do you think about Priyanaka Chopa-Jonas? Let us know in the comments. They say diamonds are a woman's best friend, and the U.S. First Lady Jill Biden's reaction proved it just right. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in the U.S. for a three-day State visit, has gifted an eco-friendly lab-grown 7.5-carat diamond, placed in Kashmir's exquisite Papier mache box, to Jill Biden. green-diamond All about the green diamond The exquisite creation reflects the chemical and optical properties of earth-mined diamonds. Here's all about the rare diamond. Crafted using sustainable resources like solar and wind power, it also embodies eco-friendliness, the press release stated. The extraordinary gemstone showcases the hallmarks of excellence through the 4C's: Cut, Colour, Carat and Clarity. The green diamond is sculpted with precision and care using cutting-edge technology. It emits only 0.028 grams of carbon per carat and is certified by the Gemological lab, IGI. Representing a beacon of responsible luxury, it symbolises India's 75 years of freedom and commitment to sustainable international relations. The diamond's creation also aligns with the "ethos of preserving the environment while offering a dazzling and ethically conscious alternative." The extraordinary gemstone was placed in a box known as kar-e-kalamdani, which beautifully captures the exquisite craftsmanship of Kashmir. The pictures of the diamond were also shared on Twitter by news agency ANI. PM Narendra Modi gifts a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond to US First Lady Dr Jill Biden The diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds chemical and optical properties. It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used in its making. pic.twitter.com/5A7EzTcpeL ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 What PM Modi gifted Joe Biden PM Modi gifted U.S President Joe Biden a special sandalwood box handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur. The sandalwood sourced from Karnataka's Mysuru has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns on it. The box contained a silver idol of Ganesh, an oil lamp, a copper plate, and 10 silver boxes that contained symbols - Das Danam or the 10 donations. PM Modi arrived in Washington from New York, where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. In a significant development, the search for the missing sub, Titan, has yielded a promising discoverya "debris field." According to a rescue expert who spoke with Sky News, the submerged wreckage includes the elusive vessel's landing frame and rear cover. This breakthrough was made possible by a remotely operated underwater vehicle deployed on the sea floor. Presently, the US Coast Guard is meticulously evaluating the newfound information, and they are scheduled to share updates during a news conference scheduled for 8 p.m. UK time tonight. Potential Breakthrough in Search for Missing Submersible as Crucial Components Found Rescue expert David Mearns, who has personal connections with two of the five men on board the missing vessel, received a WhatsApp message indicating the discovery of two vital system components. Twitter However, the hull of the submarine is still to be located. In an emotional interview with Sky News, Mr. Mearns expressed his worst fears coming true and mourned the loss of his two friends. Signs of a Devastating Breakup This is what happened to the #titanicsubmarine as its imploded on decent. Death was instant. They didn't even know it happened. They didn't even reach the #Titanic. May their souls rest in peace. Pray for the families #submarinemissing #OceanGateSub #titanicsub pic.twitter.com/tTtroJvU9d Khaleed (@afayeed254) June 22, 2023 The message's mention of a "debris field" has raised concerns about the submersible's fate. Mr. Mearns explained that such terminology is used when there is no hope of recovering the men alive. A debris field suggests a catastrophic failure, possibly an implosion, which would have happened instantly, leaving the crew unaware of the impending disaster. Connection to the Missing Submersible? While confirmation of the debris being linked to the missing submersible is pending, this potential breakthrough has intensified the urgent, round-the-clock rescue efforts. A remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) equipped with cameras and sonar successfully reached the sea floor, aiding the search. Expert Insight and Grim Possibilities Admiral Sir James Burnell-Nugent, former Commander-in-Chief Fleet of the Royal Navy, shared his perspective, stating that the nature of the announcement suggests a connection between the debris and the Titan. Although a debris field around the Titanic exists, he believes the Coast Guard would have made a distinction if this were Titanic debris. The admiral speculates that the findings point towards grim news, suggesting the Titan may have imploded due to immense seawater pressure during its descent. Details of the Submersible's Disappearance The Titanic submersible vanished on Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 435 miles south of Newfoundland, Canada, during an expedition dive to explore the wreck of the Titanic. The search area, spanning a remote part of the Atlantic Ocean more significant than the US state of Connecticut, features depths reaching 4,020 meters (13,200 feet). Rescue Efforts and the Race Against Time Multiple countries have deployed ships, planes, and underwater craft to assist in the rescue mission. The US Coast Guard had estimated that the air supply in the vessel would deplete by 12:08 p.m. UK time on Thursday. Adding to the efforts, a deep-sea robot called Victor 6000, capable of maneuvering and releasing stuck vessels, was dispatched to the search area. With five men on board, including British billionaire Hamish Harding, and French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet, the race against time continues to bring them to safety. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. ALBANY State Assembly leadership declined to hold a vote on a bill providing government-subsidized health insurance to hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants before adjourning Wednesday night following a two-day return to Albany. The bill, called Coverage for All, had passed the State Senate on June 8. But inaction by leadership in the Assembly, which like the Senate is controlled by Democrats, means the bill is unlikely to pass the State Legislature in 2023. With Gov. Kathy Hochul expressing concerns about the long-term cost and any bill passed by the Legislature requiring Hochuls signature Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie was ultimately unwilling to bring the bill to the Assembly floor for a vote. The bill would extend New Yorks Essential Plan a basic state health insurance plan available to lower-income state residents to undocumented immigrants wishing to enroll. The Essential Plan is currently available for people who dont qualify for Medicaid, and is affordable: There are no premium payments. The nonprofit Community Service Society, which supports the legislation, estimates that up to 245,000 undocumented immigrants would qualify. In a June 6 letter, President Bidens administration indicated that New York could gain a waiver to use federal dollars to fund the program, and New York has a major surplus of federal dollars to fund Essential Plan coverage. The Community Service Society estimates that covering a maximum of 240,000 people would cost a net of $1.2 billion annually which, in turn, could be covered by a $2 billion annual surplus in federal funding for the states Essential Plan. A trust fund for the state health insurance program, which cannot be used for any other purpose, has an overall surplus of about $10 billion, according to the nonprofit Empire Center for Public Policy. Still, Hochul, a Democrat, has expressed concern about the programs long-term cost and whether the federal funding will remain sufficient. Its not just saying that $2 billion will be there forever, because it wont be, Hochul told reporters earlier this month. If the federal government wishes to give us more to complement that, supplement that, give us $13 billion, that makes it a lot easier on the state. But I have to look at everything holistically, and the impact on our state finances, before I make a decision. Her office has cited estimated potential annual costs of the bill of $2 billion or $3 billion. The Assembly sponsor of the bill, Democrat Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, told Politico that the debate was complicated when your governors throwing out numbers that came out of the thin air. Passing Coverage for All is a moral imperative, Gonzalez-Rojas wrote in a joint op-ed published Tuesday in El Diario. Every day in our state, our undocumented neighbors facing illness and injury are put in an impossible position. Without health insurance, they cannot afford to seek necessary and preventative care, prolonging their illness, suffering, or even putting their lives at risk. Our uninsured neighbors fear exorbitant medical bills that would drive them into endless debt. Advocates for the bill believe it will save $500 million annually: Undocumented immigrants currently using state-funded emergency care, through Medicaid, could now be covered by the federally funded Essential Plan. Bill Hammond, the Empire Centers senior fellow for health policy, wrote last week that factors appearing to make Coverage for All financially viable could shift over time: Congress could scale back funding for New Yorks Essential Plan, or a future administration could reverse the Biden policy allowing federal funds to cover undocumented immigrants. Given the rising cost of health care generally, the expenses for operating the Essential Plan could escalate faster than its funding, Hammond wrote. The population of undocumented immigrants is inherently hard to measure and might well be rising, given the recent surge in border crossings which could lead to higher-than-expected enrollment. The Assemblys two-day return to Albany was necessitated because two weeks ago, the chamber was unable to finish voting on bills before the sessions scheduled end. The US Coast Guard confirms that debris discovered on the sea floor confirms the catastrophic loss of the Titanic submersible. screenshot- In a recent news conference, Rear Adm. John Mauger of the US Coast Guard informed reporters that the additional debris discovered on the sea floor on Thursday is consistent with the devastating destruction of the pressure chamber belonging to the submersible, which vanished on Sunday. This morning, an rov discovered the tail cone of the Titan submersible approximately 1600 feet from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor. The debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. pic.twitter.com/55quhe1Ff6 Acyn (@Acyn) June 22, 2023 OceanGate, the company responsible for operating the deep-sea submersible bound for the Titanic, issued a statement on Thursday, expressing their belief that all five individuals aboard the vessel, including their CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have tragically lost their lives. Twitter "We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost," OceanGate said in a statement. "These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew." The statement from OceanGate paid tribute to these remarkable explorers who shared an unwavering spirit of adventure and a profound dedication to exploring and preserving the Earth's oceans. Facebook They extended their heartfelt condolences to the families of these five individuals, emphasizing the immeasurable loss of life and the immense joy they brought to everyone around them. This development follows the recent discovery of a debris field near the Titanic in the search area, as the US Coast Guard reported. According to a memo that CNN obtained, the debris is believed to have come from the submersible's external structure. Undersea Expert Confirms Titanic Submersible: Rescuers Identify Five Distinctive Debris Pieces An undersea expert confirms the identity of the Titanic submersible. Rescuers have identified five distinct pieces of debris that belong to the submersible. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. In his post on Twitter , Kyriakosdescribed the discussion with him as a "true pleasure". The Organised Labour has described as provocative the planned salary increase by 114 percent of public office holders, judges and politicians because of the fuel subsidy removal pain Nigerians are going through. Recall, as reported by Information Nigeria, that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation, and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) recommended an upward review in the basic salaries of political and judicial office holders. Chairman of the Commission, Muhammadu Shehu, who was represented by the Federal Commissioner from Kebbi State, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, disclosed this on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi, during the presentation of the reviewed remuneration package of political and judicial office holders to the State Governor, Nasir Idris. According to him, The commission, having considered that the consumer price index of some selected baskets of commodities have collectively grown by an average of 371% from 2008 to 2022, the current annual basic salary of all categories of political, public and judicial office holders in the country is adjusted upward by 114 per cent. The Vice President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Tommy Etim, commenting on the salary review, Wednesday, in a chat with Punch noted, The increment is such that will provoke Nigerians seeing as Nigerians are already groaning under the effect of the subsidy removal among others. The TUC has always called for a reduction in the cost of governance. READ ALSO: Politicians, Judicial And Public Officers To Get 114% Salary Increase However, if they still go ahead with it, we are going to use that opportunity to table more allowances for the Nigerian people. The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), on its part, through its National President, Anderson Ezeibe, described the proposed 114 percent payrise as insensitive. The report is provocative and insensitive. It is difficult to see the rationale behind such a move by the government in a country where the working class has been groaning under severe economic pains. While the staff unions in the tertiary education sector have been negotiating a wage increase with the government since 2017 and the government showing a lack of commitment to the process, the same government is busy awarding themselves such pay rise. The citizens are still suffering from the impact of the removal of subsidy on PMS, increase in electricity tariff and the attendant implications on their wellbeing only to see such reward which can only encourage opulence and oppression by the political class. It is an affront to Labour as the Labour movement is still trying to come to terms with the reality of the economic situation in the country and negotiating some palliatives from the same government. It is disappointing, Ezeibe said. The Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has debunked media reports claiming that it has approved the increment of salaries of political office-holders, judicial and public office holders by 114 percent. Recall that INFORMATION NIGERIA had earlier reported that the chairman of RMAFC Muhammad Shehu, says the salaries of politicians, judicial and public office holders will be increased by 114 percent. According to the RMAFC report, the implementation of the reviewed remuneration packages, effective from January 1, 2023, was in accordance with the provision of paragraph 32(d) of part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Government (as amended). However, in another development, the RMAFC Public Relations Officer, Christian Nwachukwu, said President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is yet to approve any such increase. He added that the trending claim of a salary increase for some public office holders did not emanate from him or from the RMAFC Chairman. READ MORE: Politicians, Judicial And Public Officers To Get 114% Salary Increase Nwachukwu made the clarification in a chat with Leadership on Wednesday when he was asked about the statement credited to a Federal Commissioner in the Commission, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba who reportedly said it while representing the commissions chairman, Mohammad Shehu at the presentation of the reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, in Birnin Kebbi, on Tuesday. However, the RMAFC spokesperson denied the claims about the reviewed packages. Not my chairman. Not my chairman. My chairman has never made any statement on it. And I have not made any statement on it. No statement from chairman, no statement from me. So, I dont know. I heard one of the Commissioners said it. I dont want to be quoted, the RMAFC spokesperson said. He added that everything is still under process and no approval has been given for it by President Tinubu. No approval yet. There is no approval yet. I dont know the source of that story. Everything is under the process. It has to come as a Bill for Mr President to assent. The President has not given assent. Until the President gives assent, you cannot take it as if it has taken effect. You know that. You are a journalist. I dont want to be quoted wrongly. The President has not given assent to it. It is still under the process, Nwachukwu said further during the phone chat. Asked if the National Assembly has begun work on the proposal, he said: It will be sent to National Assembly. Whichever way, whether it has been sent or not, the President has not assented to it. All those legislative process has to be completed; finally, it will land on Mr Presidents table for assent. That has not been completed. When asked for clarity on the veracity or otherwise of the story making the rounds on salary increment, Nwachukwu replied: just take it the way you understand it so that you dont quote me anyhow. Pressed further on whether the RMAFC has sent the executive bill through FEC to the National Assembly for deliberation, Nwachukwu simply said: everything is under the process. A Federal Capital Territory High Court has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to pay the sum of N50 million to the family of slain Abuja-based journalist, Alex Ogbu. Recall that Ogbu was covering a protest by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, who were demanding the release of their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, when he was hit by a bullet from one of the police officers deployed to the scene on January 21, 2020. The police had claimed he died after he fell and hit his head on a stone, but the autopsy done on the corpse revealed that the cause of death was blood loss resulting from gunshot injuries. READ ALSO: Journalist Reportedly Sues INEC Over Missing PVC, Demands N500m A group of activists, in a bid to secure justice for the slain journalist, dragged the police and the Federal Government before the court. A statement issued by the co-Coordinators of Justice for Alex, Gerald Katchy and Dimeji Macaulay, on Wednesday, said Justice Mohammed Abubakar of the Federal Capital Territory Court in the Kurudu area of Abuja ordered the police to pay the sum of N50 million to the family of the late journalist. The statement read, Today we have been vindicated by the court and justice has been served, after three and a half years of legal and political battles. The case suffered so many adjournments with frustrations but we remained undaunted. Justice Mohammed Abubakar of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Court 58, Kurudu has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to pay the sum of N50,000,000 to the family of the late Alex Ogbu who was killed on January 21, 2020, during a protest of the Shiites. Alex left behind a young daughter and an unemployed wife. We are determined to get justice and we call on all Nigerians of goodwill to join us in this struggle until justice is served. We appreciate Comrade Femi Falana (SAN), Abubakar Marshal, and other lawyers who helped us on this case. We appreciate all the comrades and friends who stood by the family. A Sharia Court in Kano State on Thursday ordered that a 25-year-old man, Aliyu Saad, who pleaded guilty to calling his friend gay, be remanded in a correction centre. The Judge, Malam Umar Lawal-Abubakar, gave the order following a guilty plea entered by Saad. Lawal-Abubakar adjourned the matter until July 3 for summary trial. READ ALSO: Im Glad Hes Not Gay Father Of Colorado Club Shooting Suspect Reacts To Sons Crime Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp Abdullahi Wada, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Monday at about 8 p.m. Wada also said the defendant called the complainant, Malam Ahmed Khamis-Ahmed unprintable names following an altercation. The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 188 of the Sharia law of Kano State. Godwin Emefiele, the suspended Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, currently in the Department of State Services (DSS) custody, has reportedly identified the involvement of high-ranking officials, including traditional rulers, army generals, and judges, as accomplices. DSS sources who spoke with Sahara Reporters said that Emefiele has been cooperating with investigators, and recounting instances of how he gave money to these influential figures during his tenure. Recall that Emefiele and Abdulrasheed Bawa, the suspended Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), were relieved of their duties by President Bola Ahmed Tinubus administration following allegations of corruption and abuse of office. According to the platform, Emefiele had implicated Bawa in a scam involving the redesign of the Nigerias currency. The details from DSS sources however revealed that Emefiele is divulging significant information in the mismanagement of Nigerias apex bank. As per Emefiele, he is cooperating with investigators and revealing a lot. Emefiele corrupted and bribed almost every major traditional ruler, army generals, some judges and clerics. READ ALSO: DSS Recovers 18 Bags Of Currency, Documents From Emefieles Residence Almost all the CBN directors are also being quizzed and they too are cooperating, the source was quoted as saying, Recall also that in 2022, ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, along with Emefiele, announced new designs for the N200, N500, and N1,000 Naira notes a policy that sparked cash crisis, resulting in a shortage of Naira notes and long lines at banks and Automated Teller Machines. Emefiele and former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, allegedly approached Bawa to suggest the redesign of the Naira to prevent potential money laundering during the 2023 election, which they suspected to be aided by large cash reserves of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then-presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress. Emefiele who is currently cooling his feet in the cell of the DSS is the reason why the EFCC chairman has been detained overnight. Emefiele who is cooperating with the DSS claimed that Bawa was the one who raised a memo to former President Muhammadu Buhari, asking that the Naira should be redesigned to stem money laundering during the 2023 election. Bawa confronted him that he (Emefiele) and the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Malami were the ones that came to him to raise the memo because they suspected Tinubu had warehouses stuffed with naira notes, the source said. The Federal Government (FG), on Wednesday, approved the re-opening of the Seme land border for the importation of vehicles. Ibrahim Musa, Director of Road Transport in the Ministry of Transportation, who made the disclosure at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meeting organised between officials of Nigeria and Benin Republic, revealed that the development followed complaints by freight forwarders operating at the border. I was here with the former Minister of State for Transportation when the freight forwarders pleaded that the border should be reactivated for the free movement of goods and services. READ ALSO: Why Seme Border Was Closed Buhari The former minister made us prepare a memo to that effect. It was considered and sent to the government, he said. Customs Area Controller of Seme Border Command, Dera Nnadi, on his part, lamented that the service has noticed a reduction in its revenue since the importation of vehicles through the land borders was suspended by the immediate past administration. Nnadi said: The former Minister of Transportation, responding to some of our requests and from the stakeholders, promised to take them to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, one of them is how to fully open this border. The Ministry has informed us that the memo has been written to FEC and it was adopted and that it would be given to the new government, he assured us that all the requests were adopted. Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan will join Barcelona on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of this month. Gundogan, 32, was offered a new contact by City but hes thought to have negotiated a more lucrative three-year deal with the Spanish champions. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that City manager, Pep Guardiola desired to keep Gundogan, who was phenomenal to the club winning the Treble this season. The Germany midfielder played 51 games in 2022-23, scoring 11 goals. Gundogans influence was crucial in the closing weeks of Citys season with six goals in his final seven games including a double in the 2-1 FA Cup final win over Manchester United. He played 90 minutes in the Champions League final as City beat Inter Milan 1-0 to add to their Premier League and FA Cup triumphs this season. Guardiola said earlier this month City director Txiki Begiristain was working to keep Gundogan and he hoped he can be successful. READ MORE: Manchester City Agree 30m Deal To Sign Mateo Kovacic From Chelsea Gundogans departure follows City agreeing a 30m deal with Chelsea to sign Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic. Gundogan joined City from Borussia Dortmund for a reported 20m in 2016 and made 304 appearances for the club, scoring 60 goals. During his seven years at Etihad Stadium he has won 14 trophies five Premier League titles, one Champions League, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and two Community Shields. He was made club captain at the start of 2022-23 following the departure of Brazil midfielder Fernandinho. President Bola Tinubu has told foreign investors that Nigeria is ready for business, urging them to take advantage of the opportunities and ongoing reforms in the country. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the President told investors on Thursday in Paris, France, that ongoing reforms including the removal of fuel subsidy and unification of exchange rate, will be sustained for a more competitive economy that attracts Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). We are ready for business, prepared to welcome investments, Tinubu said, while receiving President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Export-Import Bank, Prof. Benedict Oramah and President of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Odile RenaudBasso, in separate meetings, on the sidelines of the Summit for New Global Financing Pact. We must stimulate recovery for the growth and prosperity of our people, which will not be far away. Nigeria is ready for global business and our reform is total. Nigeria is blessed with human and material resources, President Tinubu told the delegation, who had earlier listed infrastructure, health, energy and agriculture as areas of interventions to buoy the economy. Meanwhile, Prof Oramah commended Tinubu for the bold steps in removing the fuel subsidy and unification of the exchange rate, assuring the Nigerian leader of the full support of the financial and development institution on the ongoing reforms. He said the bank was already building the first African Specialist Hospital in Abuja, and Energy Bank, pledging to inject more money into the economy to further build the confidence of investors. In the meeting with the EBRD, the President said, We are challenged in terms of reforms, and we have taken the largest elephant out of the room with the removal of fuel subsidy, and multiple exchange rates are equally gone. We are determined to open up the economy for business. Consider us a stakeholder in the Bank. He told the EBRD President that Nigerias economy was too large and potent to be ignored, adding, Ignoring Nigeria will be a peril to the universe. As U.S.-China relations continue their downward spiral, Americans strive to make sense of the high-pitched screeds that pass for foreign policy analysis from politicians and pundits. China steals our technology, spies on our military sites and aims social media at our young to pilfer personal information from us all. America responds by imposing economic sanctions, sending politicians to Taiwan and dispatching naval ships to far eastern waters. Like children of a dysfunctional marriage, Americans would be forgiven if we ran to our bedroom and buried our head under the pillow to muffle the din of the two nations taunting one another. But we mustnt. With the perilous tone and provocative actions of both sides inching us toward some type of war economic, cyber, cold or hot we have to do something. As private citizens, we can be the responsible party who says, Enough. And we can do it through a uniquely American institution that has long existed to foster the exchange of ideas. The Chautauqua Institution, founded in 1874 and just an hours drive from Buffalo, is Americas original think tank, where, every summer, Americans repair to ponder who we are, where weve been and where were headed. Moreover, Chautauqua has experience hosting international talks between America and a competing foreign power. In the 1980s, the institution sponsored five meetings between the United States and the Soviet Union, exchanges that contributed to the end of the Cold War. As founder of two Chautauqua conferences, Ive seen how its bucolic setting and purposeful atmosphere give rise to deep thinking and nuanced analysis, essential elements in creating understanding. Ive written a letter to the Chautauqua president, respectfully proposing that the institution invite President Biden and President Xi Jinping to meet for direct talks in spring of 2024. These discussions should be preceded by sessions among Chinese and American business, education and cultural leaders. To assist in arranging these exchanges, Chautauqua might consider partnering with the Asia Society, a leader in promoting U.S.-Asia relations. In the aftermath of this weeks China visit by the U.S. secretary of state, world consensus is building for the imperative of a Biden-Xi meeting. As the U.S. mission in Ukraine creeps from humanitarian aid to perhaps toppling Russian President Vladimir Putin, we are well served to recall a conversation had by Abraham Lincoln and William Henry Seward in the midst of the Civil War. Annoyed with recent aggressions by England, Seward was goading the president into declaring war on Great Britain when, holding out his palm toward Seward, Lincoln said, One war at a time, Henry. The Enugu State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has ordered Governor Peter Mbah to appear before it, Friday, June 23. Information Nigeria reports that the order was sequel to an application made by the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), through its counsel, Alex Amujiogo. Christopher Agu, candidate of the PRP, is in court seeking to upturn the declaration of Peter Mbah as the winner of the States March 18 governorship election. The PRP candidate alleges that Mbah was not qualified to contest the election, having allegedly forged National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), discharge certificate, amongst other issues. READ ALSO: President Tinubu Sacks All Service Chiefs, Names Replacements The PRP counsel, Amujiogo told the tribunal that Mbah was supposed to be in court as a subpoenaed witness. He, however, said from the affidavit deposed to by the bailiff of the Tribunal, it had been difficult to serve Mbah the summon. Amujiogo then moved an application, urging the Tribunal to grant a substituted service of the summon on Mbah through his counsel. Justice K. M. Akano, Chairman of the Panel, however ordered that the subpoena be served on Mbah through his counsel and that he should appear before the Tribunal tomorrow, June 23, 2023. The Oyo State Police Command has invited skit maker, Abdullahi Maruf Adisa, also known as Trinity Guy, in connection with a prank video that involved a minor. This was made known in a tweet on the commands official handle on Thursday. Popular content creator, Abdullahi Maruf Adisa, AKA Trinity, has been contacted and invited to the Oyo State Police Command in connection with the disturbing viral skit content making the rounds across the Social Media space concerning a female minor. Updates would be provided soon, the tweet read. READ ALSO: Police PRO Adejobi Demands Arrest Of Popular Skit Maker Trinity Guy Trinity Guy caught the attention of the spokesman of the Nigerian Police, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who requested his arrest over a recent prank video where he scared passersby with gunshots. The Force PRO had previously warned skit makers who rely on pranks for their content, urging them to regulate their actions as they threaten Nigerians lives. On Monday, he posted a video on Instagram calling for his arrest. He urged people affected by the skitmakers pranks to report him to the authorities. This doesnt make any sense, and I think the guy should have been arrested. Those individuals who feel the heat and fear of the pranks should report the pranksters, as many of their pranks are criminal, immoral, and evil. These women have a good case against him, he wrote. On Twitter, he added, We have warned them severally. When nothing happens, nothing happens, but when something happens, consequences will surely follow. They will soon realise the dangers attributed to the excessiveness of doing unguided pranks. The Amalgamated Union of App-Based Transport Workers of Nigeria (AUATWON) has suspended its planned indefinite strike to allow for dialogue with the government. Information Nigeria had reported on June 7, the disgruntled drivers had shutdown operations in protest of low fares and the commission rates set by Uber and Bolt, the two biggest ride-hailing service providers in Nigeria, suspending the strike thereafter. The drivers again threatened to go on an indefinite strike unless the ride-hailing companies heeded their demands within a seven-day window that concluded yesterday. Recall that due to the removal of petrol subsidy, which has pushed up the price of petrol by more than 150 percent, the drivers are seeking a 200 percent increase in fare and a 50 percent reduction in commission rates. Chairman of the media and publicity committee of the union, Jossy Olawale, who disclosed the update in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos said the meeting was rescheduled to June 26 to allow for dialogue. READ ALSO: Bolt, Uber Drivers Begin Three-Day Strike, Demand 200% Fares Increase He said the meeting would involve the ministry of labour and employment, the app-based companies (Uber and Bolt), and the union. The union and some app companies had earlier scheduled a meeting with the ministry for June 20, but got a letter that the meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, June 26. As a result of this, we wish to announce that the strike would not hold to allow the meeting to hold as stated, Olawale said. Olawale further expressed dismay over the challenges faced by the workers since the petrol pump price increased, saying the surge has impacted negatively on workers service delivery. We are concerned about the various challenges and multiplier effect the 300 percent hike in the pump price of petrol has on our service delivery. The removal of fuel subsidy has created a burden of over 200 percent loss on earnings and poor living style and capacity. We are also burdened by the lack of motivation and low morale toward work, aggression, and poor customer service, he said. The Presidential Petition Court, PEPC, sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, admitted in evidence, a bundle of exhibits containing the total number of Permanent Voters Card, PVCs, that were collected in 32 states of the federation before the 2023 general elections. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-member panel admitted documents reflecting the total number of registered voters in those states. The exhibits were brought before the court by the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr. Peter Obi, who alleged that the presidential election that held on February 25, was rigged in favour of President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. Obis legal team was led by Dr. Livy Uzoukwu, SAN, however, the exhibits, were tendered through another senior lawyer in the team, Mr. Peter Afuba, SAN. The petitioners told the court that the exhibits were duly certified by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. However, the electoral body, through its lawyer, Mr. Kemi Pinhero, SAN, said it was vehemently opposed to the admissibility of the exhibits in evidence. Likewise, President Tinubu and the APC, who are the 2nd and 3rd Respondents in the matter, equally challenged the admission of the exhibits in evidence. All the Respondents said they would adduce reasons behind their objections, in their final written address. However, despite the objections, the court admitted in evidence, documents on the total number of PVCs from the 32 states and marked them as exhibits PCN 1 to PCN 32. The court equally admitted in evidence, certified true copy of a certificate of compliance on exhibits the petitioners earlier tendered in respect of Edo state. READ MORE: Tribunal: PDP To Close Case On Thursday, Present 70 Witnesses As Tendered Documents Others electoral documents the court entered in evidence after they were tendered by the petitioners, were; certified copy of supplementary IReV reports for three Local Government Areas, LGAs, of Benue state, two LGAs of Cross River state, 12 LGAs of Lagos state, as well as one LGA in Gombe state. Meanwhile, earlier in the proceedings, the petitioners called three more witnesses that testified before the court. Dr. Chibuike Ugwoke, who appeared as the eight witness, PW-8, in the matter, told the court he is a a cyber security expert. The witness, who said he was subpoenaed to appear before the court to give evidence, tendered a document containing a press release the INEC issued prior to the general elections. Led in evidence by a member of Obis legal team, Mr. Patrick Ikweto, SAN, the witness, told the court that the press release dated November 11, 2022, which was signed by INECs National Commissioner, Mr. Festus Okoye, was titled; Alleged plot to abandon transmission of polling unit results to IReV portal. Ikweto, SAN, told the court that the witness had in paragraph 26 of his statement on oath, referred to sources/materials that were published or used by INEC from 2018 to 2023, with their specific Uniform Resource Identifiers, URIs, attached. He said the PW-8, who was described as an expert witness, equally tendered a report on what he termed as meta data. All the Respondents said they were opposed to the evidence of the witness and would give their reasons at a later stage of the case. Meanwhile, the counsel to all the Respondents told the court that they were served with statement of the witness, which was about eight pages, shortly before the proceedings commenced on Wednesday. They, therefore, prayed the court to defer his cross-examination till Thursday to enable them to study his statement on oath which was admitted in evidence by the panel. After the court gave the witness the nod to vacate the box and return on Thursday, the petitioners called their ninth witness, Mr. Onoja Sunday. Sunday, who was led in evidence by Mr. Ikechukwu Ezechukwu, SAN, another member of Obis legal team, told the court that he is a staff of Women & Child Rescue Initiative, a Non-Governmental Organization. He tendered both his statement on oath and his office identity card, which were both admitted in evidence. While being cross examined by INECs lawyer, Mr. Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, the witness told the court that from his observations, voting and counting went well on the day the presidential election held. Asked if his party won election in the polling unit where he observed, the witness, said; I do not work for any party, neither do I have any candidate. Answering further questions from INECs lawyer, the witness, said: I did not work with BVAS in the polling unit and from my observation, the officials went away to the Ward collation center with the Form EC8A (polling unit result) that was signed by both the INEC officials and party agents. While also being cross-examined by a lawyer in President Tinubus legal team, Mr. Emmanuel Ukala, SAN, the witness, admitted that the subpoena upon which he appeared before the court, was not addressed to his organization, but to him personally, using his village address. He told the court that after votes from the polling units was counted, INEC officials failed to upload the results to the IReV portal as required by the law. Following these testimonies and objections from all respondents, the court postponed the hearing till Thursday. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin Zonal Command, Wednesday, arraigned an Ilorin-based associate pastor with the Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), Temidayo Eseyin, for allegedly defrauding Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, of N19.3 million. Arraigned before Justice Funsho Lawal of the Kwara State High Court, Eseyin, a lawyer and former member of the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin Branch, was docked on a four-count bordering on dishonest misappropriation of funds belonging to the University. In a statement by the Head Media and Publicity of the anti-graft agency, Wilson Uwujaren, Eseyin, whilst being a counsel/attorney to Landmark University had access to her properties, title documents and funds. It was alleged that Eseyin, in that capacity was cheating, defrauding, misappropriating and shortchanging his client to her utmost dismay. In one of his atrocities, the defendant, between 2014 and 2022, collected rent of a managed property known as Old Midland Building belonging to Landmark University, situated along Emirs/Obbo Road, Ilorin, and could not produce when asked. READ ALSO: EFCC Warns Skit Makers, Movie Producers Against Unauthorised Use Of Jackets, Symbols The petitioner, EFCC, also alleged that Eseyin attempted to sell the property without instructions from the institution. That you, Temidayo Eseyin sometime in the year 2021, in Ilorin Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court dishonestly misappropriated the sum of Six Million, Sixty Four Thousand Naira Only (6,064,000) representing payment of rent on property known as Old Midland Building belonging to Landmark University and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law and Punishable under Section 309 of the same Law, count three of the charge read. The defendant however pleaded not guilty to the charge. Counsel to the EFCC, Rashidat Alao, following his plea, urged the court to fix a date for trial, while praying the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Centre. Femi Makinde, Eseyins lawyer, on his part, moved an application for the bail of the defendant and prayed the court to admit it pending trial. Ruling on the application, Justice Lawal admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in the sum of N5 million each. The judge, while adjourning the case to a date to be communicated to the parties, ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the EFCC pending the perfection of bail conditions. The Silver defendants had argued they should not be held in contempt, according to the order, because they had provided a list of assets. While the court was satisfied that such a list had been provided, the receiver testified of repeated failures on compliance, with the receivers independent discovery of a California property given as an example. Collating data and responses from over 4,500 businesses with 30,000 offices employing over 100 million people globally, the Flex Index found that insurance is one of the top industries turning away from full flexibility to a more structured model, with an 18% increase in Q1 2023 from the previous quarter. News Editorial Board How much longer should adults wait before acting decisively against bullying, especially in schools? Do we need more tragedies? And by adults, we mean not just parents, teachers, principals and school boards, but state legislators, as well. They need to insist on a higher standard of response by responsible adults, including educators. And, as Attorney General Letitia James has recommended in another context, they should push for action by social media platforms, as well. With the heartbreaking suicide last month of Dariel Rivera Reyes, a 12-year-old Buffalo school student, its evident that state laws against bullying, while significant, are nonetheless insufficient. If bullying was harmful before it was social media and the bad public behavior of too many adults have pushed it into crisis territory. For four months, Dariel was relentlessly bullied by a fellow sixth-grader at Martin Luther King Jr. School 48. The harassment occurred at school, in online chat groups and even at the boys home, where bicycles were stolen. The child was threatened, taunted and physically hurt. The bully and his friends tried to bait him into fights while recording the exchanges to post online. And the Buffalo City School District did almost nothing. Some teachers at least filed reports on some of the incidents, which they corroborated for The News, but the bullying was allowed to continue. Finally, on May 17, Dariel had all he could take. His grandparents, who were raising him and had sought help from the district, found him unresponsive in the bathroom. He was pronounced dead in a hospital emergency room. Other students were also bullied by the student in question, who is not being identified by The News because of his age. They, too, are victims and, important to note, so is the bully. He plainly required the intervention of adults, but with the evident lack of a compelling response, he will carry this tragedy with him the rest of his life. How that manifests itself could produce even more pain. For generations, adults have given short shrift to the trauma of bullying, which, in the age of the internet, has become exponentially more damaging. The evidence, which includes deteriorating mental health among young people, is incontrovertible. And, yet, despite existing state laws, it often goes unchallenged. Albany must turn up the pressure. In James response to last years racist murders at the Tops supermarket on Jefferson Avenue, she recommended changing federal laws so that social media platforms were shielded from liability only if they take reasonable action to reign in unlawful violent criminal content. Those same platforms, along with school officials, should be held to similar expectations on bullying. That includes leaders in higher education, where bullying often takes the form of hazing. While bullying, like crime, can never be eliminated, it is essential to demand a higher level of response, based on the severity of incidents, including whether they are chronic. Failure to act must carry a penalty. Its not too high a standard when the health and safety of children are at risk. Its too late for Dariel Reyes, but we know there will be others. We should act now in an effort to limit their numbers. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! A third person has died following a head-on crash between two siblings in a rural town in western New York, officials said. Dahlia J. Klink, 24, was pronounced dead Sunday night from injuries she suffered after her younger brother crashed his pickup truck into her vehicle shortly after noon Saturday in the town of Freedom, according to state officials. Two passengers in Klinks car, 6-year-old Molly Kibler and 17-year-old Havanah S. Lopez, were pronounced dead at the scene. A 4-year-old passenger had serious injuries. Police said that Evan R. Klink, 21, was driving a pickup truck when he crossed the roads centerline, crashing into the oncoming vehicle driven by his older sister. Klink was treated for injuries and taken to a state police station for evaluation. A 19-year-old passenger in his car, Cameron Klink, was airlifted to a hospital with serious injuries. It is not yet clear if the passengers in either car were also related to the drivers. The investigation remained active Monday. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Auto New York Numbers New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Legislation aimed at protecting New York warehouse workers from unreasonably demanding work quotas is now in effect. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the Warehouse Worker Protection Act includes new requirements for distribution centers to disclose work speed data to current and former employees and to inform them about their job performance and rights in the workplace. The legislation also protects workers from disciplinary action or firing exclusively because of a failure to meet undisclosed quotas or performance standards, including those that do not allow for proper breaks. The legislation was originally written to go into effect in February; however it was delayed for several amendments including exemptions for farm product warehouses and for couriers/drivers from warehouse centers. The law applies to single warehouses with at least 100 employees. The amended bill raised the threshold for multiple warehouses in the state from 500 to 1,000 employees in the aggregate. Under the law, employees can request quota information at any time, and are protected from being forced to work through meals to make quota; limiting their use of bathroom facilities to make quota; and retaliation from an employer for requesting quota information or reporting violations related to quotas. New Yorks warehouse workers deserve to be treated with fairness, dignity, and respect, and we are making a significant stride toward achieving that, Hochul said. The revised version, while diluted by amendments, still marks a sea change for employers of warehouse workers, the law firm Foster Phillips wrote in anticipation of its enactment. Affected Employers The law applies to employers and employees including at warehouse distribution centers including Amazon. Under the law, a warehouse distribution center is defined using the North American Industry Classification System codes for warehousing and storage (excluding farm product warehousing and storage), merchant wholesalers, electronic shopping and mail-order houses, and couriers and express delivery services. Employees covered by this law are those that work at a warehouse distribution center, are subject to quotas, and are not exempt from the minimum wage or applicable minimum wage orders, or any overtime compensation provisions of the Labor Law. Drivers or couriers to and from a warehouse are not included in this law. The act does not require employers to use quotas or monitor work speed data and only applies to employers who choose to do so. Employers that use them must share any quotas with employees through a written description within 30 days of an employees start date. Employees who believe their employer is in violation of these protections can request a written description of the quota to which they are subject. They can also request a copy of the most recent 90 days of personal work speed data and a copy of the aggregate work speed data for similar employees at the same establishment during the same period. Employers must provide this information no later than 14 calendar days after a request is made. The law provides for civil and criminal penalties for violators but does not create a private right for employees to enforce their rights in court. Amazon Targeted The New York State Department of Labor projects that the warehouse industry will grow faster than any other industry in the state between 2018 and 2028. Senator Jessica Ramos, chair of the Senate Labor Committee and a sponsor of the new law, said the states labor laws need to keep pace with the changing nature and conditions of work, including algorithms used in production. The algorithms that drive these productivity quotas in warehouses and fulfillment centers come at a serious physical toll on the workers. We simply cannot allow any multi-national corporation like Amazon, FedEx, or Walmart to drive their profits on the literal backs of working people in our state, said Ramos. One of the targets of the law is Amazon, which operates numerous giant distribution warehouses across the country and where worker injury rates tend to be higher than in other warehouses, according to one analysis. Labor and workplace safety groups blame the higher rate on the companys fast- paced warehouses that track productivity and allow customers to get their packages quickly. However, Amazon has questioned the injury rates studies. It also maintains it does not use fixed quotas in its warehouses and insists it adheres to safe work practices. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Amazon for exposing workers to a higher risk of lower back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders due to the high frequency with which workers are required to lift heavy packages; assume awkward postures such as twisting, bending and long reaches; and work long hours to complete their duties. Last month, OSHA alleged that Amazon failed to provide adequate medical treatment for traumatic and chronic injuries at a fulfillment center in Castleton, New York. Labor leaders welcomed the New York law. These workers routinely spend entire shifts speeding through tasks in an attempt to meet quotas mandated by their employers, all too often suffering musculoskeletal and repetitive stress injuries as a result, said Mario Cilento, president of the New York State AFL-CIO. Stu Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said the legislation is an important step in ensuring that workers are not forced to choose between their job and their safety. California enacted a similar law governing warehouses and worker quotas in 2021. Topics New York UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the creation of a framework for war-risk insurance backed by the Group of Seven and designed to encourage private investors to help rebuild Ukraine. Speaking at the opening of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on Wednesday, Sunak said that while Russia must pay for the destruction it has inflicted during its invasion of its neighbor, a partnership of governments, international financial institutions and business leaders is also needed to underpin the nations reconstruction. He said that more than 400 businesses from 38 countries with a combined market value of $4.9 trillion have signed up to the Ukraine Business Compact and encouraged investors to tap the City of Londons deep and liquid capital markets and world-class finance expertise. Aon, Lloyds and Vienna Insurance Group to Provide Re/Insurance for Ukraine Recovery The insurance framework is a huge step forward towards helping insurers to underwrite investments into Ukraine, removing one of the biggest barriers and giving investors the confidence they need to act, Sunak told conference delegates. With this and everything we do here we are sending a message, he added. That our support on the battlefield and beyond cannot be outlasted and that Ukraines incredible spirit will prevail. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke to the conference immediately after Sunak via video link and said, the world is watching whether we will restore normal life in such a way that our transformation will land an ideological defeat on the aggressor. By building Ukraine we are building much more than one country, he added. We are building the world that will be in the lifetime of our generation and after us. Whether it will be free and democratic depends on each of us. The World Bank has estimated that the cost of reversing the damage inflicted by Kremlin forces will be about $411 billion over the next decade, with $14 billion needed for critical spending this year alone. That figure will likely climb as fighting intensifies and costs related to this months dam breach rise. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also attended Wednesdays conference and pledged an additional $1.3 billion in assistance to help Ukraine rebuild. Most of the funds will be directed to restoring the countrys energy grid and critical infrastructure ranging from ports to rail lines and border crossings. Great meeting with @DmytroKuleba today at #URC2023. The United States is committed to supporting Ukraines economic recovery and reforms that promote sustained economic growth for a democratic and prosperous future. pic.twitter.com/uTy3CDRU6A Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 20, 2023 Recovery is about more than just ensuring people have what they need to survive food to eat, water to drink, Blinken said. Recovery is about laying the foundation for Ukraine to thrive as a secure, independent country fully integrated with Europe, connected to markets around the world. The London gathering follows the European Unions announcement this week of a proposed 50 billion package to cover Ukraines current expenditure and urgent reconstruction priorities through 2027. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the facility will be financed with grants from the EU budget, loans raised on capital markets and eventually with proceeds from immobilized Russian assets. The EUs executive arm will come with a proposal for these assets before the summer break, von der Leyen said in an address to the conference. The cash-for-reforms plan will help Ukraine to meet Brussels demands to join the bloc. The nation wants to open accession talks with the EU by the end of this year. While some progress has been made in areas including judicial reform, the government in Kyiv needs to boost efforts in fighting graft and money laundering, according to an interim EU report published Wednesday. The International Monetary Fund has approved a package for Ukraine worth $15.6 billion over the next four years. With assistance from Alex Wickham, Daryna Krasnolutska, Aliaksandr Kudrytski, John Follain, Katharina Rosskopf, Iain Marlow, Patrick Donahue and Arne Delfs. Photograph: Rishi Sunak speaks during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on June 21, 2023. Photo credit: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images Copyright 2023 Bloomberg. Topics Ukraine LANSING, Mich. (AP) Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has asked President Joe Biden to declare a major disaster declaration for five Upper Peninsula counties impacted earlier this year by flooding due to record spring snowmelt. A presidential declaration would activate federal resources for Baraga, Gogebic, Iron, Marquette, and Ontonagon counties, Whitmer, a Democrat, said Friday in a release. Snowmelt due to warming temperatures and rainfall caused widespread and repeated flooding across the west-central Upper Peninsula from April 10 to May 14. Storm water and sewer systems were overwhelmed, dams burst and culverts and embankments failed, Whitmers office said. Drinking water systems, roadways and bridges also were damaged. State, federal, and local officials conducted a joint preliminary damage assessment and local jurisdictions estimated more than $56 million in immediate response costs and damages to infrastructure and public facilities, according to Whitmers office. Whitmers request will be reviewed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency which is expected to make a recommendation. Biden then would decide whether to declare a major disaster and grant federal aid. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Flood The operator of a specialty frozen pizza manufacturing plant in Illinois could have prevented the death of a 29-year-old sanitation worker by following proper machine safety procedures, a federal investigation has found. Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration learned the sanitation worker suffered fatal injuries while working on the overnight shift under the supervision of Miracapo Pizza Company at its Gurnee, Illinois sheeting facility in December 2022. OSHA inspectors determined the woman a temporary worker provided by XCEL Staffing Solutions LLC in Waukegan was using compressed air to clean a spiral conveyer as it moved to cool pizza when her head became caught in the machinery. The agency found that temporary workers had not been trained or given the authority to stop equipment from moving before cleaning. The tragedy occurred just weeks after a November 2022 incident at the same facility in which a worker performing maintenance on a sauce depositor suffered an amputation, which led OSHA to assess Miracapo $290,191 in proposed penalties. In October 2021, another employee suffered the amputation of a fingertip while trying to clear a jammed pizza conveyor. This tragedy took the life of a young woman, and forever changes the lives of her family, friends and co-workers. Safety standards are put in place to prevent these kinds of tragedies, said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. Employers have a responsibility to train workers in the language they understand so they know how to perform their work safely. The December incident led OSHA to cite Miracapo Pizza Company which also does business as Little Lady Foods for 16 willful egregious violations, the agencys most severe; one willful violation; and 12 serious violations, including five serious instance-by-instance violations of two standards on different machines. OSHA issued $2,812,658 in penalties and has placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program. Source OSHA Topics Illinois Manufacturing New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Root Incs former chief marketing officer accused in a lawsuit by the company of syphoning $10 million from it was ordered detained for contempt of court, and he will need to find another way to pay his attorneys. Brinson Caleb BC Silver, Roots CMO from November 8, 2021 to November 9, 2022, was ordered detained June 20 by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison in the Southern District of Ohio until he produced information and documentation to the satisfaction to a receiver a custodian for Silvers personal property, monetary, and real property assets. Earlier this month Morrison granted a motion from Root Inc., parent company of Root Insurance, to appoint a receiver. The motion was filed by Root once it was found that Silver was trying to sell one of the properties and was spending lavishly. Related: Fired Root CMO Accused of Stealing Millions Spends Lavishly; Judge Appoints Receiver Root accused Silver and others in amended lawsuit filed in February of defrauded the insurtech of at least $9.9 million. According to Morrisons order, Silver has not turned over all books and records, sums, and other information to the receiver as ordered in May. Morrison also denied a motion filed by Silver and his companies to modify an injunction and the receivership in order to pay attorney fees. A previous temporary restraining order allows Silver to spend up to $5,000 on day-to-day personal living expenses. Silver had asked the court for authorization to pay attorneys from the receivership estate in excess of his allowances due to the complex nature of this litigation and its potential criminal implications. Morrison shot back and said the requests for information and documentation to the receiver is decidedly not complex and Silver has refused to respond in good faith to some of the most basic and non-controversial of the receivers requests. Citing court precedent that a criminal defendant has no right to access proceeds of alleged fraud even for counsel of choice, Morrison on June 21 denied Silvers motion. New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! The company whose submersible vanished in the North Atlantic on a tourist dive to the wreck of the Titanic was repeatedly warned that there might be catastrophic safety problems with the venture, documents show. With five people aboard a vessel that if still functioning would have a dwindling amount of oxygen remaining, an expanding international fleet of ships and airplanes is searching for the Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions. The undersea exploration company based in Everett, Washington, has been making yearly voyages to the Titanic since 2021. In the first piece of good news since the search began, a Canadian aircraft detected underwater noises, though the vessel has not been found, the U.S. Coast Guard reported early Wednesday. David Lochridge, OceanGates director of marine operations, wrote an engineering report in 2018 that said the craft under development needed more testing and that passengers might be endangered when it reached extreme depths, according to a lawsuit filed that year in U.S. District Court in Seattle. OceanGate sued Lochridge that year, accusing him of breaching a non-disclosure agreement, and he filed a counterclaim alleging that he was wrongfully fired for raising questions about testing and safety. The case settled on undisclosed terms several months after it was filed. Lochridges concerns primarily focused on the companys decision to rely on sensitive acoustic monitoring cracking or popping sounds made by the hull under pressure to detect flaws, rather than a scan of the hull. Lochridge said the company told him no equipment existed that could perform such a test on the 5-inch-thick (12.7-centimeter-thick) carbon-fiber hull. This was problematic because this type of acoustic analysis would only show when a component is about to fail often milliseconds before an implosion and would not detect any existing flaws prior to putting pressure onto the hull, Lochridges counterclaim said. Further, the craft was designed to reach depths of 4,000 meters (13,123 feet), where the Titanic rested. But, according to Lochridge, the passenger viewport was only certified for depths of up to 1,300 meters (4,265 feet), and OceanGate would not pay for the manufacturer to build a viewport certified for 4,000 meters. OceanGates choices would subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible, the counterclaim said. However, the company said in its complaint that Lochridge is not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan. He was fired after refusing to accept assurances from OceanGates lead engineer that the acoustic monitoring and testing protocol was, in fact, better suited to detect any flaws than a scan would be, the complaint said. Also in 2018, warnings came from the Marine Technology Society, which describes itself as a professional group of ocean engineers, technologists, policy-makers, and educators. In a letter to Stockton Rush, OceanGates chief executive, the society said it was critical that the company submit its prototype to tests overseen by an expert third party before launching in order to safeguard passengers. Rush had refused to do so. Rush was piloting the vessel that is now missing. The letter, reported by the New York Times, said society members were worried that the current experimental approach adopted by Oceangate could result in negative outcomes (from minor to catastrophic) that would have serious consequences for everyone in the industry. In a 2019 interview with Smithsonian magazine, Rush complained that the industrys approach was stifling innovation. There hasnt been an injury in the commercial sub industry in over 35 years, he said. Its obscenely safe because they have all these regulations. But it also hasnt innovated or grown because they have all these regulations. Photo: OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush emerges from the hatch atop the OceanGate submarine Cyclops 1 in 2018. Rescuers in a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean raced against time Tuesday, June 20, 2023, to find a missing submersible before the oxygen supply runs out for five people, including Stockton, who were on a mission to document the wreckage of the Titanic. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times via AP) Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! The head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation said Thursday that bank regulators are considering applying an upcoming set of stricter capital rules to banks with over $100 billion in assets. FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg said in a speech the spring turmoil in the banking sector showed firms of that size pose a risk to the financial system and merit stricter oversight. Three banks failed during the spring, requiring regulators to step in and backstop deposits. If we had any doubt that the failure of banks in this size category can have financial stability consequences, that has been answered by recent experience, he said in prepared remarks. The lesson to take away is that banks in this size category can pose genuine financial stability risks. He added agencies will propose new capital rules to implement an international bank rule agreement in the near future, but will likely not complete the rules before the middle of 2024. The so-called Basel III endgame rules are already a focus of intense criticism by the banking industry, who are arguing to regulators and lawmakers that overly strict requirements could hinder banks and the broader economy. But Gruenberg argued it was critical, particularly in the wake of the spring bank failures, for regulators to get tougher rules in place. A robust regulatory capital framework is the cornerstone of a resilient banking system, he said, adding that the upcoming proposal offers us the opportunity to make important modifications to the risk-based regulatory capital framework with the ultimate goal of enhancing the financial resilience and stability of the banking system, better enabling it to serve the U.S. economy. At least four people are dead and nine are injured after a tornado hit Matador, a small town of nearly 800 people northeast of Lubbock, late Wednesday night. The tornado was brought on by several severe storms in the region. A video from a local stormchaser showed significant damage to the small town in the Texas Rolling Plains. Matador Mayor Pat Smith told CBS News that crews were digging people out of rubble in the aftermath and carried some bodies away. The tornado struck around 8 p.m., which made it difficult to immediately assess the full extent of the damage. When first responders arrived on the scene, three people were dead and seven of the 10 injured people were transported to Lubbock hospitals by EMS. One of the injured died at the hospital. Multiple state and local agencies have sent police, fire and EMS resources to Motley County, where Matador is, to help with search and rescue efforts. Derek Delgado, public information officer for Lubbock Fire Rescue, said he has never personally seen so many agencies working together on one disaster. Matador is a very small town, and it wiped away vehicles, buildings, and homes, Delgado said. For a town this size, it not only has a physical impact because it just blew away the infrastructure, but the economical impact is something that will be very significant. The destruction came less than a week after another deadly tornado struck the Panhandle town of Perryton, killing three people and injuring more than 100 others. Sgt. Johnny Bures with the Texas Department of Public Safety said people in Matador had just a few minutes to seek shelter. First responders are working on clearing out debris and getting the power back on by the weekend. A substation was destroyed in the tornado, knocking out electricity for the entire town. This is a big concern, as the region has endured sweltering, triple digit temperatures for several days. These folks are rural, so without power, theyre going to have a hard time trying to cool down, especially as theyre trying to collect all their belongings, Bures said. So check in with your neighbors, make sure they have utilities they can use so they dont get sick or worse. Delgado said the tornado appears to have hit the west side of town and barreled through to the south side. Texas A&M Task Force 1 is conducting secondary searches of the town and will later assess the damage. The Texas Task Force is there making sure that weve cleared every piece that we can to make sure that we didnt have anybody left behind, Bures said. So today, were making sure that we clear all that first, before we really get down to moving all the broken pieces away and get to rebuilding. According to the National Weather Service in Lubbock, the storms in nearby towns such as Jayton had wind gusts of 100 miles per hour and softball-size hail. Jayton, about 62 miles south of Matador, was also under a tornado warning Wednesday night. For the people impacted by the tornado in Matador, a cooling center has been opened at the Motley County Senior Citizens Building. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/22/texas-tornado-matador/. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Texas Windstorm A 38-year-old Houston, Texas man is in custody on charges of maliciously using explosive materials resulting in physical injury and conspiracy to do so. Authorities arrested Jason Vernon Rogers on June 13. Truong Quoc Duong, 52, remains in custody on the same charges following his arrest in March. A federal grand jury returned the two-count indictment March 1. On Nov. 21, 2022, Duong and Rogers allegedly set fire to a three-story medical center under construction on I-45 North in Spring. The charges allege the fire resulted in burn injuries to a firefighter and damages to the building and fire truck which exceeded $1 million. According to the charges, Duong was driving a Jeep Gladiator on the date of the fire with Rogers as his passenger. Duong allegedly let Rogers out near the building. The charges allege Rogers then entered the building with a full backpack but left after several minutes without it. They allegedly later contacted each other and met up at a local restaurant. The fire had allegedly erupted after they had both left the area of the Spring building. It took firefighters several hours to extinguish it, but it was completely destroyed as was a wall to the adjoining car wash, according to the charges. According to testimony at his detention hearing, Duong owned a pet store in the strip mall next to the location of the fire. He allegedly rented the location from the same landlord who owned the now-destroyed building. The judge heard that Duong had stopped paying rent and abandoned his store before the lease expired, and the landlords sued him. Several days after, the fire occurred, according to information presented in court. Upon his arrest, authorities allegedly discovered several 2 liter bottles filled with gasoline as well as numerous unregistered firearm suppressors in Duongs vehicle. If convicted, Duong and Rogers each face up to 40 years in prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation along with the Montgomery County Fire Marshals Office and Texas Ranger. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam L. Goldman is prosecuting the case. Source: Southern District of Texas Topics Texas Construction I am responding to a recent Another Voice article from the Buffalo Niagara Partnership about the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) bill in the State Legislature. A couple of months ago, the Partnership gave us the script from the gas industry, telling us the untruth that New York State was going to take away your existing gas stoves. Now, they are giving us half-truths from the plastics industry. Nowhere in their opinion piece does it address on how much it costs for local governments to manage waste from packaging, nor is there an acknowledgement that a lot of the unrecyclable plastic they cite is due to the packaging industry itself. A #1 plastic clamshell or blister pack cannot be recycled with a #1 plastic soda bottle because of the cocktail of additional chemicals used for rigidity, flexibility moldability, etc. And then there's the multi-layer package or container. You can't recycle a coffee cup because it is a paper sandwich with a plastic liner. Toothpaste tubes can have two different plastics for the tube plus a layer of aluminum with a third plastic for the cap. But the biggest flaw is the claim that this will hurt NYS businesses. The Extended Producer Responsibility law being discussed will be applied to all goods, whether from a local manufacturer or from China or Germany. If anything, local businesses can redesign and reduce their packaging ahead of the competition and gain a competitive advantage, both by avoiding EPR surcharges and by lowering their costs. EPR is not a new concept for the state. Our bottle bill is a long running EPR program that has reduced trash volumes and have reduced costs to municipalities in the state. No one purchases consumer products for the package they are sold in. Therefore, the manufacturer should be responsible for the full life span of that package and we should pass a strong EPR bill this session. John Szalasny Williamsville New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! A union organizer who was fired by Amazon was reinstated by the company after she filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, according to the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. The union had said earlier this month that Jennifer Bates, who also testified before a Senate committee at a hearing on income inequality, was terminated while tending to injuries she received while working at an Amazon facility in Bessemer, Alabama. The labor group had also said Amazon refused to make workplace adjustments for Bates, who was outspoken about workplace safety issues at the company. If theres a lesson to be learned its that today Amazon workers everywhere now know that when youre under attack, you have to stand up and fight back, because when we fight, clearly, we win! Bates said in a prepared statement released by the union. Meanwhile, Stuart Appelbaum, the unions president, accused the e-commerce giant of attempting to stifle one of the most outspoken leaders of the contemporary labor movement. Jennifer made it clear that despite the companys extraordinary power and resources, she would not be silenced nor will we, he said. An Amazon spokesperson said during the appeals review, the company determined Bates had failed to be responsive to multiple requests for information regarding her leave. But the spokesperson said there were things the company could have done better to ensure Bates had clarity around what was needed which is why shes being reinstated. The company said it also encouraged her to file an appeal. After a full review of her case, the decision was made to reinstate her, said Amazon spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis. Were pleased that our appeal process continues to work as designed. The RWDSU has long been a foe of Amazon, which is attempting to fend off organized labor from its vast network of warehouses. The company and the union are still contesting the results of a union election held last year in Bessemer, Alabama, which remains too close to call with 416 challenged ballots still waiting for adjudication. Amazon said Bates will get reinstated with backpay, as would be the case for any employee in a similar situation. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Alabama Amazon New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Transamericas annuity and life insurance units have dodged a bullet and are not liable for their roles in a mentally challenged man giving away most all of his lifetime structured-settlement benefits, a federal appeals court decided. The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a case that originated in Miami and required analysis of New York and Florida state law, upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit against Transamerica, part of Wilton Re U.S. Holdings since 2017. The lawsuit and court opinion highlight what has been called gaping holes in laws that were designed to prevent unscrupulous companies from taking advantage of disabled people and others with long-term settlement plans. Lujerio Cordero was exposed to lead paint while he was a small child growing up in a New York apartment building, according to the complaint, impairing his mental abilities. In 1992, his mother sued the landlord. Four years later, she entered into a structured settlement agreement on behalf of Cordero with the landlords insurer, Continental Insurance Co. Starting in 2008, when Cordero turned 18, he was to receive monthly payments of $3,184 for the next 30 years a total of almost $1.15 million. Continental arranged for those payments to be made through an annuity contract with Transamerica Life Insurance Co., serviced by Transamerica Annuity Service Corp. By age 22, Cordero had moved to Florida. He signed six transfer agreements with factoring companies, agreements that the court said he lacked the capacity to understand. At the urging of his mother, he gave up his right to the $1 million over the next three decades in exchange for lump-sum payments of about $268,000, the court documents indicate. After the man had exhausted the cash, he felt he had been duped and sought to recover the full amount of the structured settlement. His attorneys, Brenton Ver Ploeg and Michal Meiler, of Miami, filed suit in 2018, not against the factoring companies but against Transamerica. The suit asked for the difference in what Cordero received and the original amount of the structured settlement, plus costs and attorney fees. The complaint argued that the annuity company had breached the contract under New York law, including a breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. They also charged that Transamerica representatives exploited a vulnerable adult, a violation of Floridas Adult Protective Services Act, known as FAPSA. Transamerica knew well that it could have prevented the sale of any portion of Lujerios structured settlement entitlement. But thats not what happened, reads the complaint. The 1996 structured settlement agreement contains an anti-assignment clause, that specifically barred the recipient from assigning his benefits, a provision designed to protect the beneficiary, attorneys in the case told the court. Transamerica had a duty to enforce that, and courts have invariably honored protection clauses when annuity firms have objected to transfers, the complaint notes. Laws in 49 states also require courts to approve assignments to factoring companies. But courts have frequently failed to interview beneficiaries before allowing the pennies-on-the-dollar agreements, the complaint alleges. In all six of the assignment agreements, courts in Sumter County and Broward County, Florida, approved the arrangements without an appearance by Cordero in court. He provided only a written waiver, although sales representatives from the factoring companies were present in the hearings. These circumstances are poorly kept secrets, and well known to Transamerica, Ver Ploeg and Meiler wrote. Florida is a target-rich environment for an industry preying on lead-poisoned victims, the plaintiff attorneys alleged in the suit. The incidence of the victims personal appearances before a judge is vanishingly small in none of Lujerios sales was he aware that a hearing occurred, having supposedly waived that entitlement and lawsuits invoking Floridas Structured Settlement Protection Act (SSPA) are handcuffed by a one-year statute of limitations. The federal court for the Southern District of Florida dismissed Corderos claim in 2020. The 11th Circuit last week affirmed the dismissal, but not until it asked the New York Court of Appeals to answer weather the plaintiff had a covenant-of-good-faith claim under New York law. The New York court said no. The 11th Circuit judges found that Corderos claim under Floridas vulnerable adult law also failed. Based on the facts that Cordero pleaded, Transamericas actions simply do not amount to exploitation as that term is defined in FAPSA. Because Cordero has failed to state a violation of FAPSA, we affirm the district courts with-prejudice dismissal of his FAPSA claim, the courts opinion notes. Transamerica, represented by the Cozen OConnor law firm, argued in its motion to dismiss Corderos claim that the assignment agreements did not impose a fiduciary duty on the corporation or on Continental Insurance to analyze and investigate the transfers. Allowing the Florida courts to perform their obligation to decide whether or not to approve those transactions is not actionable conduct, the motion reads. The plaintiffs also did not show that Transamerica knew that Cordero was mentally challenged or could not manage his own affairs. Defendants cannot reasonably be found to owe a legal obligation to seek enforcement of a contract provision that plaintiff had already violated by entering into agreements with factoring companies to sell his payment rights, the Cozen lawyers wrote. To hold otherwise would turn the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing on its head. The attorneys in the case could not be reached for comment. The appeals court opinion can be seen here. Topics Florida New York New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! The owner of an auto repair shop who paid a former employee with 91,500 oily pennies has been ordered by a judge to pay nearly 4 million more cents. A federal judge ruled that Miles Walker, who owns A OK Walker Autoworks in Peachtree City, Georgia, owes $39,934 to nine workers for unpaid overtime and damages. Attorneys for Walker agreed to the payments to settle a civil lawsuit brought by the U.S. Labor Department that accused Walker of retaliating against former employee Andreas Flaten in 2021. After Flaten filed a complaint with the agency saying Walker owed him a final $915 paycheck, the employer dumped that amount in oil-covered pennies in Flatens driveway. The mountain of loose change came with a pay stub signed with an expletive. The Labor Department said further investigation found that Walkers business had also violated overtime provisions of the federal Fair Standards and Labor Act. The judge on June 16 signed a consent order in which Walker agreed to pay nearly $8,700 more to Flaten in owed overtime and damages. Eight other workers are to receive amounts between $14,640 and $513 within the next year. The court has sent a clear message to employers such as Miles Walker who subject employees to unfair wage practices and outright intimidation and retaliation, Tremelle Howard, the Labor Departments regional solicitor in Atlanta, said in a statement. Walkers attorney, Ryan Farmer, said the conflict with Flaten doesnt reflect his clients true character as a businessman. Mr. Walker is like many other small business owners in America he wakes up every day doing everything he can to put food on the table, Farmer said in an emailed statement Tuesday. Unfortunately, emotionally charged decisions can come back and bite you in the rear end. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Georgia New You can now listen to Insurance Journal articles! Former insurance executive and businessman Greg Lindberg was found liable for fraud in 2022 in connection with his insolvent insurance companies, but the North Carolina county court did not award damages. Lindberg appealed. But so did four of his former insurance companies. This week, the North Carolina Court of Appeals upheld the fraud verdict but ordered a new trial to determine compensatory and punitive damages that Lindberg may owe to his companies, damages that could run into the millions of dollars. Its the latest legal blow for the man who was once considered a billionaire and international businessman who created life insurance and reinsurance operations. He faces a retrial in November on charges that he attempted to bribe North Carolina Insurance Commissioner. His previous conviction on those charges was overturned last year. Lindberg, now living in Tampa, also faces another, federal criminal trial in 2024 on charges of fraudulent business practices, in connection with allegedly taking funds from his insurance companies. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also has accused him of fraud. The North Carolina appeals courts June 20 opinion in Southland National Insurance Corp. et al, vs. Lindberg, written by Judge Julee Flood, explained the sequence of events. In 2014, Lindberg re-domesticated four insurance companies to North Carolina in order to take advantage of favorable regulations. These firms included Southland National, Bankers Life Insurance Co., Colorado Bankers Life Insurance, and Southland National Reinsurance. Before the move, Lindberg had made a special agreement with the former state insurance commissioner, Wayne Goodwin, which allowed Lindberg to invest up to 40% of the insurance firms assets into affiliated businesses, the judge noted. Simply put, Lindberg created a scheme in which he caused $1.2 billon held for plaintiffs policyholders to be invested into other non-insurance companies that he also owned or controlled, the judge wrote in the opinion. In 2016, Causey defeated Goodwin for insurance commissioner and quickly moved to reduce the 40% allowance to 10%, worried that the insurers would not have enough in reserve to pay claims. Lindberg struggled to untangle his affiliated investments, the court said. In 2018, the state regulators placed Lindbergs insurance companies under administrative supervision and created a memorandum of understanding that required repayment of funds and required Lindberg to relinquish control of some of his subsidiaries. The lower court and the appeals court found that Lindberg and three of his affiliated investment companies had breached the MOU and had engaged in fraud. Here, there is no disputing that plaintiffs were deceived by defendants, and they suffered economic injury as a result, the appeals court opinion reads. The opinion can be seen here. Topics Fraud North Carolina The nearly two-week eruption of a Hawaii volcano, one of the most active in the world, has come to a pause, scientists said. After a three-month hiatus, Kilauea began erupting again June 7 displaying fountains of glowing red lava without threatening any communities or structures. Crowds of people flocked to the Big Islands Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which offered safe views of the lava. Scientists declared the eruption paused again Monday when it rapidly declined in the afternoon, the U.S. Geological Surveys Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. Still, some lava continues to flow on the crater floor, which may continue for days as the lava cools, the observatory said, adding that scientists will continue to monitor the volcano. On Tuesday afternoon, only small, faint pockets of red could be seen on the USGS livestream that showed bright bursts of lava on the eruptions first day. The previous night, park rangers could still see lava through cracks on the hardened surface of the lava lake, which provided still pretty good viewing, said Jessica Ferracane, park spokesperson. Park visitation still robust, she said in an email, adding that the parking lot was full Tuesday at the Kilauea Visitor Center. Kilauea, Hawaiis second largest volcano, erupted from September 2021 until last December. For about two weeks in December, Hawaiis biggest volcano, Mauna Loa, was also erupting on Hawaiis Big Island. After a short pause, Kilauea began erupting again in January. That eruption lasted for 61 days, ending in March. A 2018 Kilauea eruption destroyed more than 700 homes. Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler adopted a rule requiring insurers to explain premium increases to their policyholders in language they can understand. If your insurance company is going to increase your premium, you have a right to know why, Kreidler said in a statement. This is pretty basic information you should expect from your insurance company, but we hear from hundreds of consumers every year who cannot get a clear, understandable answer on why theyre being charged more. According to Kreidler, when a consumers auto or homeowners insurance premium goes up, and the insurance company hasnt explained why, they contact the Office of the Insurance Commissioner. Then, when the OIC asks on their behalf, it gets a more detailed response. Kreidler believes consumers deserve the same information. The OIC held five meetings with interested parties over the last year and learned that some insurers rating formulas have become so complex, they cant readily specify the reasons behind someones premium change. Some insurers computer systems are unable to generate a clear answer, according to the OIC. The new rule is designed to create more transparency for consumers, and it is intended to give insurers sufficient time to implement the new consumer protections in two phases. The rule applies to all property/casualty insurers in Washington that sell private passenger auto and homeowners coverage, including coverage for manufactured homes, condominiums and renters. The American Property Casualty Insurers Association has been reached out to for comment. The rule specifies that from June 1, 2024, to June 1, 2027: When a policy renews and the premium increases, insurers must give policyholders who ask reasonable explanations using terms they can understand. Starting June 1, 2027: Insurance companies must provide a written notice to policyholders who received a premium increase of 10% or more explaining the primary factors behind the increase. They are also required to provide this same notice to any policyholder who asks. Primary factors include: the vehicles location, driving record, miles driven, number of drivers, claims history, discounts, fees and surcharges, the drivers age, credit history, education, gender, marital status, occupation, property age, and value. Topics Carriers Trends Pricing Trends Washington Source: Streetwise Reports June 22, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Green tech company BacTech Environmental Corp. says Ecuador's government has begun the final review process for the last major permit for its bioleaching plant on Monday. Ecuador's government has begun the final review process for the last major permit for green technology company BacTech Environmental Corp.'s (BAC:CSE;BCCEF:OTCQB;OBT1:FRA) bioleaching plant in Tenguel on Monday. The company had received its construction permit and approval from the government for its environmental impact study on the site but has been working through the community consultation phase for the final environmental permit. A decree signed by President Guillermo Lasso sets up the final permitting process for the company. Chris Temple, editor of The National Investor, recently wrote that "it's hard to conceive of any reason why the community would oppose this." "There is nothing to fear or oppose and everything to like about a project that 1. Is 'green,' 2. Mitigates past/present environmental degradation, 3. Produces gold and other metals, 4. Provides jobs and tax revenues eventually for the government, 5. Provides more support to the local community/businesses, and 6. Produces paychecks for many locals light years beyond anything they have ever seen," Temple wrote. The Catalyst: A Growing Sector The green mining space is growing. Research company Markets and Markets said it is expected to grow from an estimated US$9 billion in 2019 to US$12.9 billion by 2024. "BacTech is like a poster child for what is legitimately a green cause," Temple has written. The company's motto, "Our bugs eat rocks," describes bioleaching, which uses naturally occurring bacteria, harmless to humans and the environment, to extract precious and base metals from ores, concentrates, and tailings. If the rocks are bricks in a wall, sulfur is the mortar. BacTech's bacteria eat the sulfur, causing the wall to come crashing down. Technical analyst Clive Maund of CliveMaund.com rated BacTech an Immediate Buy in March. "On the five-year chart, we can see how the downtrend from the late 2021 peak brought the price back down to a cyclical low at strong long-term support where an intermediate base pattern has formed," he wrote. "Moving sideways within this base pattern resulted in the price breaking out from the downtrend before breaking higher last month into what is believed to be a new bullmarket, so the reaction back of recent weeks in response to the financing is viewed as presenting an opportunity to buy it at a good price ahead of renewed advance," he wrote. Co. Looks to Issue Green Bonds The company also announced that it had provided all necessary documentation to Moody's for verification of BacTech as a Green Bond issuer. Green bonds are fixed-income instruments that raise funds to finance projects with positive environmental or climate benefits. "BacTech meets all the criteria needed to apply for Green Bond certification, and I'm confident we are focused on the right financial instrument to develop the Tenguel project," BacTech President and Chief Executive Officer Ross Orr said. The company hopes to raise US$20 million for the plant, which saw its construction permit approved last March. The company also signed an Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) with the government in May, giving it a 12-year income tax holiday and international arbitration for disputes. For the feed going into the plant, there are 90 small mines in the area that produce significant amounts of arsenic with gold in the area. The plant would process about 30,900 ounces gold (Au) per year. There is potential for expansion; the total availability of materials in the area is an estimated 250 tonnes per day. At current prices, the plant would have pre-tax earnings of about US$14 million and a two-year payback period, according to Orr. BacTech also said it had closed a third tranche of its recent placement for US$132,000. The offering consists of 1.65 million units consisting of a common share and a common share purchase warrant that allows the holder to purchase an additional common share at US$0.12 for a period of two years from closing. Help From Veterans The company also has engaged Moneta Advisory Partners LLC, co-founded by Wall Street veterans Marc LoPresti and Jon Najarian to launch a "multi-channel content production and investor awareness program." LoPresti has over 25 years of experience in alternative investments and regularly appears on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox. Najarian worked as a floor trader for 25 years and now invests and works with start-ups through the venture capital firm he co-founded, Rebellion Partners. He regularly contributes to CNBC and appears on Fox Business. "We had the good fortune to recently meet with Ross at an industry conference where we learned more about BacTech's proprietary bioleaching technology," LoPresti said. "We were impressed with the company's vision, investment potential, and unfolding plans for the bioleaching and gold recovery facility in Ecuador. This is a great fit for Moneta's global network." [OWNERSHIP_CHART-4798] For the services, BacTech will issue Moneta 500,000 common share purchase options at US$0.10 per share and an additional 500,000 options exercisable at US$0.20 per share for a period of two years from the date of the grant. The options will vest in stages over a 12-month period, with 100,000 options vesting every month for ten months following the grant date. Ownership and Share Structure Nearly half of the company, 49%, is held by insiders, management, and strategic shareholders, the biggest of which is Option Three Advisory Services Ltd., which owns 8.48%, or 15.57 million shares, according to Reuters. That also includes CEO Orr, who owns 3.57% or 6.54 million shares, and Board Director Timothy Lewin, who owns 0.54% or 0.98 million shares. The rest is retail. The company has 183.46 million shares outstanding, including 159.12 million free floating. Its market cap is CA$16.55 million, and it trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.11 and CA$0.055. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Get Great Trading Ideas and News Alerts Guest posts and sponsored content - Got $100? That's all it takes to get an article published on Investor Ideas - Learn More Source: Streetwise Reports June 22, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) First Tellurium Corp. has successfully uplisted from the OTC Pink Market to the OTCQB Venture Market. It began trading on the exchange on Tuesday under the symbol "FSTTF." First Tellurium Corp. (FTEL:CSE; FSTTF:OTCQB) announced it has successfully uplisted from the OTC Pink Market to the OTCQB Venture Market. The company began trading on the exchange on Tuesday under the symbol "FSTTF." "Upgrading our OTC market listing has been an important, long-term goal of the company," President and Chief Executive Officer Tyrone Docherty said. "This milestone gives us far greater access and exposure to the crucial U.S. investment market, allowing us to attract a larger shareholder audience." The exchange is recognized as an established public market by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Tellurium (Te) is one of the least common elements on the planet, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Most rocks contain an average of about three parts per billion, making it eight times less abundant than gold. Its use as a semiconductor in solar photovoltaic (solar PV) panels has increased. It's also used in thermoelectric applications, lithium batteries, vulcanizing rubber, tinting glass, and manufacturing rewritable CDs and DVDs. Both the U.S. and Canada are trying to reduce dependence on China for such critical metals. U.S. President Joe Biden has banned solar panels coming from a Chinese company that uses forced labor. The U.S. military is providing US$250 million for critical metals projects, including tellurium, and Canada's federal 2023 budget earmarked CA$1.5 billion for a critical minerals infrastructure fund. The Catalyst: 'Transparent, High-Quality Trading' The Venture Market is the middle tier of the over-the-counter market for U.S. stocks. Created in 2010, it's made up of early-stage and developing companies that are not able to qualify for the OTCQX but aren't as speculative as the lowest-tier Pink Sheets, according to Investopedia. The market has no minimum financial standards, but companies must meet minimum reporting standards, pass a bid test, and undergo annual verification. Companies listed on the exchange report to a U.S. regulator like the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and must pay an application fee and an annual fee. "Stocks trading in the OTCQB have many of the same protections as more established, larger stocks," Investopedia said. "However, they are still mainly considered to be speculative penny stocks." OTC securities are protected from illegal broker practices by the same SEC/FINRA rules, such as best execution, limit order protection, firm quotes, and short position disclosure. "It offers investors transparent, high-quality trading," Docherty said. Co. Could Have Huge Year, Asset Manager Says First Tellurium is conducting geophysics work at its flagship Deer Horn project in British Columbia this summer to help develop targets for a drilling campaign. The project is known to have the only positive preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for a tellurium project in North America. In addition, the company's Klondike Tellurium Project in Colorado is considered America's top Te exploration project and was previously owned by First Solar as a potential source of raw Te for its solar panels, Docherty said. FTEL could "have a huge 2023," wrote asset manager Chen Lin, author of the What's Chen Buying? What's Chen Selling? newsletter. The stock has been a quarterly pick of his several times in the past year. The U.S. military is providing US$250 million for critical metals projects, including tellurium, and Canada's federal 2023 budget earmarked CA$1.5 billion for a critical minerals infrastructure fund. [OWNERSHIP_CHART-10739] "We will hit the jackpot as FTEL is the only pure play in tellurium," Chen wrote. First Tellurium has also registered as a federal lobbyist to make sure they don't lose out on any opportunities. Technical analyst Clive Maund rated First Tellurium as an immediate Buy in March. Ownership and Share Structure According to the company, 11% of First Tellurium is owned by management and insiders. Docherty owns 10.6% or 7.7 million shares, Director Josef Anthony Steve Fogarassy has 1.38% or 1 million shares, and Director Lyle Allen Schwabe has 0.73% or 0.53 million shares. There are no institutional investors, and the rest is retail. The company has a market cap of CA$9.05 million, with about 73 million shares outstanding and 63.4 million free-floating. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.25 and CA$0.085. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Get Great Trading Ideas and News Alerts Guest posts and sponsored content - Got $100? That's all it takes to get an article published on Investor Ideas - Learn More North Vancouver, British Columbia - June 22, 2023 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) Aurora Solar Technologies Inc. (TSXV: ACU) ("Aurora") is pleased to provide an update regarding the integration of the acquisition of BT Imaging Pty Ltd. ("BTI"), the strategic direction for the combined business ("Company") and to remind shareholders of the upcoming AGM. Aurora has been focused on the integration of BTI resulting in efficiencies and business focus together with a comprehensive market survey to better position the Company for growth. Integration efforts included the closing of the Aurora Chinese office and maximizing synergies among sales, technical and administration teams. Aurora's personnel are now fully integrated within the BTI teams performing important roles critical to the progression of the BTI business. In addition, the Company has been able to recruit experienced employees and industry experts as consultants to improve the execution capability of the combined business. The Company is now in the process of establishing a strategic advisory board and hiring a Managing Director to run the BTI business which is expected to be completed shortly. The Company is well positioned to leverage its core competencies of photoluminescence ("PL") imaging products, machine learning and smart factory solutions. As part of the integration, the fiscal year end of the BTI business has been changed to March 31st and the Company is currently undergoing its audit that is expected to be completed next month. BTI's existing products remain in demand and the Company's sales are progressing well and within management expectations consistent with its forecasting at the time of acquisition. Working capital has been used to meet the demand for sales and for the above referenced integration and acquisition costs and is expected to normalize within the second half of the calendar year. The BTI business remains self-funding. Recently, the Company has been focused on a detailed market survey to better position the combined business for growth. This initiative has initially focused on top tier suppliers and customers in solar cell and module manufacturing. The purpose of this work is to accelerate short term growth through a well-defined product and market strategy that can be reinforced with an active capital markets presence. The Company has entered into a number of confidentiality agreements focused on opportunities to gain a larger percentage of the factory floor of its customer base through increased supply. Collaboration is focused on leveraging the Company's PL products, machine learning and smart factory capabilities while operational performance is being addressed by reducing production lead times and product manufacturing costs. The Company's core products remain in demand for off line production applications and through collaboration it is confident it will be able to expand into inline PL systems within the solar cell and module production lines. The Company's booth at the SNEC 16th (2023) Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Conference held in Shanghai, China on May 24-26, 2023 was well received by our customers and industry participants. BTI made a soft market launch of its R-Multi Junction ("RMJ") product at SNEC Conference which is the first new product it has launched since 2020. Interest in the RMJ was strong and it is a strategically positioned product for the characterization of next generation tandem solar cells. The Company recently presented at the 50th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference on June 11-16, 2023, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At this conference the Company made a presentation regarding its Insight platform that harnesses big data analytics to deliver smart factory solutions, such as, automatic location of underperforming process tools as well as fault detection and diagnosis. Third party feedback from the market survey and the above conferences have validated the Company's competitive advantages and opportunities associated with machine learning and smart factory solutions that leverage the Company's PL imaging platforms. Since the acquisition of BTI, the Company has been able to realize synergies and pivot towards product and market opportunities in order to grow the combined business. The Company has built itself into a machine vision solutions provider for material inspection and process control systems to the solar industry and emerging industrial processes focused on automation, inspection of critical materials and smart factory concepts. Finally, Aurora would like to remind its shareholders that its Annual General & Special Meeting will be held at 10:30 AM PT on June 30, 2023 at Suite 111, 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC. The Board is unanimous in recommending that shareholders vote in favour of all resolutions put to them at the shareholder meeting. About Aurora Solar Technologies and BT Imaging: BT Imaging Pty Ltd. is a globally recognized technology leader in proprietary photoluminescence (PL) measurement products for material inspection and quality control throughout the solar wafer, cell and module value chain. Aurora Solar Technologies Inc. ("Aurora"), a related metrology and software company, acquired BTI with the aim to leverage its strong metrology platforms and computer vision capabilities to support its smart factory solutions that embrace emerging trends in automation and process control. Aurora's and BTI's products are used by some of the world's most advanced and respected solar cell manufacturers. With headquarters near Vancouver, Canada, Aurora has operations in Sydney, Australia, Shanghai, China, and partners in all major solar manufacturing markets. Aurora is a public company, traded on the TSX Venture Exchange (ACU) and is a two-time TSX-V Top 50 winner. Aurora's website is located at www.aurorasolartech.com. BT Imaging's website is located at www.btimaging.com. For further information contact: Jake Bouma Corporate Development Phone: +1 (604) 317-3936 corpcomm@aurorasolartech.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. More Info: This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investing involves risk and possible losses. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Contact management and IR of each company directly regarding specific questions. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Get Great Trading Ideas and News Alerts Guest posts and sponsored content - Got $100? That's all it takes to get an article published on Investor Ideas - Learn More A quiet revolution has been taking place in the financial world over the past two decades or so due to the advent of fintech, the fusion of technology and financial services. Consumers and businesses can now manage their finances completely online without ever having to visit a bank branch while ATMs are vanishing from our streets as cash disappears from wallets and tills. Thats just the beginning. Fintech spans every area of technology and innovation in the financial services sector from payments to foreign exchange, risk and compliance, business intelligence, peer-to-peer lending, buy-now-pay-later services, insurance underwriting, and investment advice. According to a report published last month by Boston Consulting Group and QED Investors, global fintech revenues are projected to grow sixfold from $245 billion to $1.5 trillion in 2030. This will see the sector grow its share of the $12.5 trillion global financial services market from 2 per cent today up to an estimated 7 per cent in 2030. The sector is thriving here in Ireland as well. Enterprise Ireland supports around 250 firms in the broad fintech sector including regtech, payments, funds administration, and so on, says Karen Cohalan, fintech, financial and business services manager with the agency. Total exports reached 2.4 billion in 2022, a 14 per cent increase on the previous year. "Irelands reputation for excellence in financial services and technology, combined with its EU and EMEA based headquarters, make it an irresistible choice for companies looking for international growth, says Raisin Bank chief client officer and managing director Katharina Leuth. Its no surprise that some of the biggest names in banking and technology have already chosen to call Ireland home, and I expect more to follow suit in the future. The similarities in business and law between the UK and Ireland also make the transition smoother for companies making the move. All of these factors ensure that Irelands position as a global hub remains secure as the fintech and payments sector continues to thrive and evolve. Fintech allows financial services to better deal with regulation, cybersecurity concerns, manage wealth and investments and much more, notes Anna Scally, head of technology and media at KPMG. The payments sector, which is currently dominating the fintech market, is having a significant impact on consumers in Ireland. Global investors still show a high level of interest in this area despite economic uncertainty, demonstrating just how much attention, innovation and collaboration is occurring in the sector. Neobanks are becoming an increasingly popular rival to traditional banks in Ireland, which is not only affecting consumer behaviour but also causing traditional financial institutions to up their game technology-wise. Transformation in financial services Those neobanks include Revolut, and Maurice Murphy, country lead for Ireland, points to the nature of the transformation in financial services enabled by fintech. As consumers, we have gone from banking services being available only between 10am and 4pm on weekdays, to banking being available 24/7, 365 days a year. At any time, Revolut customers can send euro payments to banks across Europe and they will arrive within 10 seconds. Weve transformed simple things like splitting bills and sending money to friends; were making it easy to swap currencies at the best rates; we can offer people instant cashback virtually every time they shop online with Revolut. The bank has now set its sights on the credit, insurance, and personal investment markets. So many of these things are still difficult and complex: we are driven by a determination to make them simple, fast and easy to understand, says Murphy. And were also transforming business banking too, removing many of the costs and barriers that existed before. Businesses need to be able to make and receive payments around the world instantly and flexibly; to have an overview of their finances at their fingertips; to give their staff freedom to spend, but with continuous managerial oversight. The traditional banks have been active in the digital space for a long time as well. In 1997 AIB led the way in Ireland and launched its online banking service, a year before Google was founded, says AIBs chief digital officer, Seaan Jevens. Today in AIB over 77 per cent of our 3.2 million personal customers bank digitally, with 79 per cent of our key products sold digitally. And they havent been slow to learn from their digital counterparts. The neobanks, without a physical footprint, launched digital onboarding journeys, to progress customers through the anti-money-laundering process, Jevens adds. AIB and many other banks have built on this experience, and today over two-thirds of all new personal customers join AIB on their smartphone without ever visiting a branch. While those simpler interactions have been digitalised for some time, technology advances, online brokers and aggregation sites have also begun to address more complex products and needs, he points out. Banks have responded to customer and market demand and AIB seeks to make the customer journey as seamless as possible. Customers can apply for a mortgage online, secure their approval, while they can also access their AIB life products direct on their mobile app. The human touch Banks and other financial institutions are being assisted by fintechs on their digitalisation journeys, according to Skillnet Ireland chief strategy officer Mark Jordan. Traditionally, large financial institutions like asset managers, investment banks and retail banks have tended to build, buy, or partner when looking for technologies to avail of new opportunities. We are now seeing less M&A and more partnering. In Ireland, we are seeing fintechs coming together with organisations in strategic partnerships. Jordan also notes that the skill sets required to work in the fintech sector arent necessarily related to digital technology. There are great opportunities in the industry to work in customer-facing roles. The industry needs people with experience of the customer journey. Automation doesnt just happen. It needs a combination of good technology skills and an understanding of the human experience. Skillnet Ireland is helping workers displaced as a result of redundancies in the traditional banking sector to avail of opportunities in fintech. Those people tend to have really strong customer-facing skills and we are providing pathway programmes to give them the tech skills that would allow them compete for jobs in the sector. Murphy believes Ireland has the potential to become a global fintech hub. To do that, we need to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation. But we have shown time and again over recent decades that where we collectively set goals as a nation, we achieve and usually overachieve. Scally says Irelands favourable corporate tax regime, educated workforce and strong and supportive business community combine to create a favourable environment for fintech to thrive. Policymakers, government bodies and regulators should continue to monitor Irelands competitiveness relative to other jurisdictions and continue to fine tune and constantly improve, she adds. Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili held a meeting with Sean O Fearghail, the Chairman of the Lower House of the Irish Parliament. The Prime Minister's press service reported that they examined the current partnership between Georgia and Ireland and explored possibilities for future collaboration.The dynamic parliamentary relations between the two countries were particularly emphasized. Special attention was given to the significant trade and economic potential that exists between them, emphasizing the need for its full utilization. The discussion touched upon the substantial Irish investments and the favorable business climate in Georgia. During the meeting, Georgia's successes in the path of European integration were acknowledged, and there was expressed hope that the country's progress would be duly appreciated.The Prime Minister highlighted the crucial significance of Ireland's active political and practical support, particularly during the country's pursuit of candidate status. It was mentioned that the government maintains inclusivity, consistency, and transparency in fulfilling the 12 priorities, establishing Georgia as a dependable partner of the European Union in the region.The head of the government expressed gratitude to Ireland for its support in upholding Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Additionally, Ireland's noteworthy contribution to the EU monitoring mission was acknowledged.Tina Bokuchava, a leader of the United National Movement, stated that the European Commission has officially announced in Brussels that only three recommendations have been fulfilled, not 11, and emphasized the need to halt the absurdity exhibited by the Georgian Dream party."They cannot deceive Georgian citizens or our European partners. Everyone can see what is really happening. The current regime is doing everything to deliberately deprive our country of its European future. The policy of constant recrimination is outdated and it has no influence either inside or outside the country," said Bokuchava.Furthermore, as noted by Bokuchava, the opposition made every effort to implement the recommendations. However, the 'Georgian Dream' is determined to prevent Georgia from receiving the EU candidacy status."Naturally, the role of the opposition is also very important, and we did everything we could to implement reforms - whether it was the de-oligarchization law or justice reform. Among them, for example, in accordance with the requirements of the Venice Commission. When there is no political will for this because the government is determined not to implement the recommendations for the country to not receive the status of a candidate, the opposition will not be able to stand up to this," stated Bokuchava. The News recently reported that the Diocese was seeking court approval to have 37 properties appraised as part of settlement discussions with the lawyers involved in the clergy sexual abuse scandal. One of these properties is the former seminary which trained priests in East Aurora but closed several years ago. Since his arrival almost two years ago, Bishop Fisher has shown no interest in fostering the growth of the Catholic faithful in this Diocese. Our Diocese is cluttered with millions of dollars in legal fees, hundreds of lawsuits, and the Road to Renewal which could be characterized as the Road to Disaster. It would be a tremendous gesture of Christian faith if Bishop Fisher offered the shuttered seminary to New York State as a shelter for the refugees seeking asylum. The seminary is equipped with dormitories, a cafeteria and study space. It would be a wonderful location for the refugees. Jesus teaches that we must welcome the stranger, feed the hungry and shelter the homeless. By making this offer to shelter refugees, it would be the first true gesture by Bishop Fisher to follow the teachings of Jesus. Additionally, offering the seminary would get many of the Catholic faithful reengaged with their faith. Members of the Catholic community would be excited about having a purpose relevant to living their faith. Finally, any revenue from this faith based program could be provided to the victims in clergy sexual abuse cases. Michael Taheri Williamsville Mark ORegan was born in London but reared and educated in Cork city. Hes currently working on a stage production of Mary Lavins short story masterpiece, In the Middle of the Fields, first published in 1967. In July, he will be performing the show at the West Cork Fit-Up Festival in Ballydehob, Richmond Barracks in Dublin, and in Bective in Co Meath. Best recent book you've read: Fassbinder, Thousands of Mirrors by Ian Penman, a quirky biography and critical analysis of the German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Penman has been obsessed with the director and his films since the early eighties. Fassbinder was a chaotic genius who made over 40 films in his short life. Penman captures the madness of this enfant terrible and catalyst of the new German Cinema Movement. Best recent film: Close, a Belgian film directed by Lukas Dhont and an Oscar nominee this year in the Foreign Film category. It tells the story of two 13year old boys, whose intense friendship is abruptly torn apart with tragic consequences for both their families. Best recent show youve seen: Agreement by Owen McCafferty at the Lyric Theatre Belfast. Twenty-five years on from the historic Good Friday/Belfast Agreement this play focuses on the four days of intense negotiation leading up to the big announcement. All the main protagonists are there, including Trimble, Adams, Ahern, Blair and Mo Mowlam, in a tangle of historical and intractable positions. Outstanding performances in a riveting political drama. Best piece of music youve been listening to lately (new or old): Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No 2. I went to see Oona Dohertys dance piece Navy Blue recently at the Abbey and she used the Rachmaninoff piano concerto as a soundtrack in the first part of the program, to brilliant effect. Watching 12 dancers moving in unison to the emotional power of this enduringly popular piece was exhilarating. First ever piece of theatre that really moved you: Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching towards the Somme, by Frank McGuiness. In the mid-Eighties the Abbey theatre toured to the Everyman Cork with Observe the Sons and a cast that included Ray McAnally, Ian McElhinney and Oliver Maguire. It had a profound effect on me at the time and I was delighted to play the part of William Moore, ten years later in the first Abbey revival. The play/show you've ever seen (if you had to pick one!): So difficult to pick one show but I suppose if I had to, I would choose the production of Theatre de Complicites, The Street of Crocodiles at the Dublin Theatre Festival, 30 years ago. Fantastic, surreal, endlessly inventive and original. Radio listening and/or podcasts: I listened to a lot of podcasts during lockdown Grounded with Louis Theroux, This American Life, S Town, to name but a few. Ive got out of the habit in the last year unless I get a serious recommendation. I like Vincent Woodss County Measure on Radio 1, Off the Ball on Newstalk,and Jim White and Simon Jordan on TalkSport. You're casting your dream play which three actors are top of your list? I played Vladimir in a production of Waiting for Godot 40 years ago when I was a student at UCC in a cast that included Graham Norton, Dan Mullane and Donncha Crowley. Now that we are the right age to play those roles it would be lovely to get back together again. Your best famous celebrity encounter: Last year I had the good fortune to meet and work with Liam Neeson on an IRA drama set in the 1970s. Liam plays a retired enforcer who has to reckon with his troubled past. The character I play has a significant encounter with him at the edge of a forest, near Glencolmcille. The film, titled The Land of Saints and Sinners is due for release on Netflix, this autumn. You can portal back to any cultural event or live performance where, when, and why? Last year I read Chris Frantzs memoir of his years as the drummer with Talking Heads, one of my favourite groups of all time. They built their audience and reputation in a music club in Manhattans East Village called CBGBs. In the mid 70s you might see The Ramones, Blondie and Patti Smith at the beginning of their careers. Beam me back for 24 hours! When it comes to all aspects of her art, Amanda Coogan is certainly hands-on. The acclaimed performance artist is known for her highly visual and physical work across all media. As a child of deaf parents, who describes Irish Sign Language (ISL) as her mother tongue, gesture and expression underpins much of her work. The Dublin native will also be familiar to many people from her gig as an ISL interpreter on the Late Late Toy Show, going viral on social media with her wonderfully energetic signing. Coogan is talking to me on a video call from her home in Belfast about her latest project, a live performance of Beethovens Ode to Joy explored through the unique perspective of deaf culture. Not only has she helped create the piece, but she is also in the middle of conjuring up an important element of the set as we speak. On her desk are piles of old shirts, the raw material for a canopy which will envelop the lecture hall of the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork city, where the performance is taking place as part of the Cork Midsummer Festival. Coogan is positively fizzing with excitement. Were in this gorgeous lecture theatre in the Crawford just before they close it down and renovate it. Im so blessed that they're allowing me to do this. One of the lines from the Ode to Joy is: above the starry canopy, there must dwell a loving Father. So Im literally sewing shirts together to make a patchwork canopy that will hang down over us and the audience. I'm covering the whole place with this and it will be like a huge installation. Ode to Joy, part of the final movement of Beethovens Ninth Symphony, is one of the worlds most recognisable classical music pieces, famously written when the composer had gone completely deaf. Coogan and the Cork Deaf Community Choir will perform the piece in ISL alongside Lianne Quigley and Alvean Jones of the Dublin Theatre of the Deaf. Apart from the obvious resonances with the work of a deaf composer, their performance also recognises the immense effort behind the recognition of Irish sign language as a minority language in 2017. Coogan says the piece also embodies the struggle for acceptance and equality among all oppressed people. The idea in the Ode to Joy is this brilliant idea of utopia, where all men become brothers'. Were really questioning the idea of utopia, what that could be and how to strive for it. The translation of it into ISL is stunning, she says. Coogan has been digging deep into the cultural and historical significance of the work. Adopted by the European Union as its anthem, the Ninth Symphony was conducted by Leonard Bernstein in a famous performance on Christmas Day 1989, weeks after the fall of the former Berlin Wall. Bernstein changed the words, replacing the word joy, freude, with the word freedom, freiheitand . More recently, Coogan points out how the piece was sung by a group of MPs in the House of Commons in protest at the Brexit vote. We as hearing people know the Ninth Symphony so well, it was really fabulous to try and translate the feeling and the emotion of this music, says Coogan. I have been translating podcasts about the symphony and its significance in historical terms. It has been a gorgeous challenge. Amanda Coogan working with Dublin Theatre of the Deaf. Serendipitously, the recording being used for this performance is that of the recent EU Gala Concert by the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Brophy, to celebrate 50 Years of Irelands Membership of the EU. The Department of Foreign Affairs are giving us that recording and Im so thrilled because we really wanted an Irish one. It will have a glorious sound to it, says Coogan. The Ode to Joy is so well-known that Coogan is hoping that experiencing it through ISL will bring a whole new perspective. It gives us another reading. It will be quite intense and of course for hearing people we hear this glorious sound, full on, with a lot of bass, because the deaf performers will feel the bass. Its an immersive feast because when we usually experience Ode to Joy, its definitely with our ears. I want us to experience it with our eyes and with our bodies. This performance is for anybody who loves music but what I hope is that people see the beauty of ISL, which I am evangelical about, and deaf artists actually making this and the magnificence of their performances. Coogan has also been instrumental in reviving interest in the work of Waterford playwright Teresa Deevy, who lost her hearing at a young age but went on to have her work performed in the Abbey Theatre and recorded for RTE radio. Last year, Coogan presented the RTE documentary, Tribute: The Teresa Deevy Story, in which she explored the writers legacy and her unperformed script Possession, based on the story of Queen Maeve and the Tain Bo Cuailnge. Coogan has secured funding under the Decade of Centenaries initiative and is planning to stage a full performance of Possession, with Deevys script as the libretto and a score by Cork composer Linda Buckley. They are hoping to present a sneak peek at some scenes in Cork later in the year. Rescue teams are still racing against time to find the missing 22ft submersible, named Titan, which was on a mission to dive near wreckage of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean. The vessel, with five people on board, lost communication with tour operators off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, on Sunday. Titans dive was one of many that have been made to the Titanic wreck, which is about 2.4 miles, or 3,900 metres below the surface, by OceanGate Expeditions since 2021. Scientific research has helped us better understand the elaborate nature of the ocean, its environment and marine life, but theres still a long way to go and lot still isnt known. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), more than 80% of the bottom of the sea is unmapped and unexplored. (Alamy/PA) How deep is the ocean? The ocean floor is undulating. Covering 70% of Earths surface, the average depth of the ocean is 3,682 metres. The lower you go the higher the hydrostatic pressure (the force per unit area exerted by a liquid on an object). The deepest point of the ocean the Mariana Trench is 11,034 metres deep. Its located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean and is a 1,580-mile-long stretch (2,542 kilometres) of oceanic abyss. According to a study published in the journal Earth-Science Reviews, there are at least four other deep parts of the ocean across the world, including the Molloy Hole in the Arctic Ocean, located at 5,669 metres below the surface. Theres also the Sunda Trench, also known as Java Trench, situated 7,290 metres underwater. The deepest part of the Southern Ocean, which encircles Antarctica, can be found within the South Sandwich Trench, at a depth of 7,385 metres. Lastly, a Puerto Rico trench site called Milwaukee Deep, the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean, has a depth of 8,408 metres. To put that into context, the deepest a scuba diver has ever gone is 332.35 metres (a record held by Ahmed Gabr for a dive in the Red Sea). What is the ocean floor like? Though the ocean floor can be dark, it doesnt look the same across the entire ocean. So why is this the case? Natural geology, said Sophie Benbow, director of marine at Fauna & Flora International, a conservation charity dedicated to protecting the planets threatened wildlife and habitats. In the same way, we have mountains and river valleys on the land, they basically exist like that at the bottom of the sea. Affected by movements of tectonic plates (creates undersea volcanoes and hydrothermal vents) and oceanography processes, [for example] currents. This makes the seafloor potentially unstable and it can rapidly bury marine life or shipwrecks where you can also find strong currents. A dark coral reef formation on the ocean floor (Alamy/PA) Whats it like around 3,900 metres where the Titanic wreck lies? Many people imagine there to be a seabed with a vast amount of sand but like most of the deep sea, its a jagged and dynamic landscape made of sediments with as much variation as any place onshore. Benbow described it as being low [in] oxygen, near freezing temperature, a completely dark environment which provides unique habitats to species that have evolved over millennia to be able to thrive there with unique features to survive in the very high-pressure environment. Dependent on the oceanic zone (the region of the open sea beyond the continental shelf is divided into four zones: the sunlight zone, twilight zone, midnight zone, and abyssal zone) a wide range of species can be found. The depths of the ocean from 1,000-4,000 metres are called the bathypelagic or midnight zone. Dr Huw Griffiths, a marine biologist at the British Antarctic Survey, said: Its called the midnight zone because [the] light in the ocean decreases with depth and below 1,000 metres there is no light from the surface, but some animals do produce light (bioluminescence) to attract prey and mates or to escape predators. What sealife can be found at this level? The World Register of Deep-Sea Species (WoRDSS) has kept a comprehensive taxonomic database of known deep-sea and marine organisms since it launched in December 2012. So there is no doubt that the bottom of the ocean is teeming with a unique and special life. We would refer to the wonders of the deep rather than anything more sinister, said Benbow. I dont believe there are species to be afraid of except perhaps in appearance as some of them are rather weird and wonderful. For instance, you would find one of the worlds deepest living fish, the Mariana snailfish, which over time has evolved to develop holes in its skull to keep its head from exploding due to the high pressures of the deep ocean. Mariana snailfish deep at sea (Alamy/PA) Theres also the Dumbo octopus, named after the Disney elephant the deepest living of all known octopuses. Due to its rarity, this creature has specially adapted so that it can more easily reproduce anytime it finds a mate. Theres the Headless chicken fish, a type of deep-sea cucumber, also known as the Spanish dancer thanks to its unusual pink appearance. Grittiths added: On the seafloor, there are worms, brittle stars, starfish and other invertebrates. All of the animals at this depth are dependent on food sinking down from the surface layers of the ocean. At least 24 different species including fish, crabs and corals have been recorded from the wreck of the Titanic, he said. The ocean as a whole helps to regulate our global climate and is doing a great job of mitigating the ever-increasing impacts of fossil fuel emissions by absorbing and storing over 91% of the excess heat from global warming, Benbow added. Its what makes marine sediments one of the most expansive and critical carbon reservoirs on the planet. People across the country have been sharing their stories of casual sexual assault after Ireland AM presenter Muireann OConnell opened up about an experience she had while working on a photoshoot. The Limerick native had been shooting for a magazine when a complete stranger came up and pinched [her] arse. Muireann said when she realised what had just occurred, she felt like a complete idiot for not running after him. After sharing her story on social media, the presenter encouraged her followers to share their own frozen experiences and was flooded with messages. In the latest episode of her podcast And Another Thing, which she hosts alongside friend and comedian Emma Doran, Muireann shared some of those stories with listeners. We have to do something. Make a fuss, tell everyone. If you cant call it out, tell someone about it. Don't let anyone ever say that you're hysterical, that you're making a big deal out of nothing, that you can't take a joke. That's not true, she said on an episode of the podcast titled 'casual sexual assault and other things.' We do not have to be okay with what people are doing to us. While reading through some of the messages, co-host Emma Doran said she was so shocked but not surprised. The comedian shared her own experience, including the endless flashers" she saw as a teenager. At the time, we were all told that the general thing was it's harmless. He's harmless. It's harmless, she said. She went on to share the story of a time when she walking to her car and a man jumped out in front of her. A flasher came at me. He jumped towards me. So, I actually jumped out onto the road. She added that she was proper f*cking spooked by what happened and was really, really nervous about walking back to her car, even after informing passing gardai of what had just happened. It's awful, but the kind of microaggressions that we put up with, it leads to a culture of going oh, it's fine. Don't be hysterical or that woman's hysterical. She doesn't get the joke. Why is she making such a fuss? Its no big deal, said Muireann. Reader's responses Following Muireanns story, we asked Irish Examiner readers to share their experiences of being inappropriately touched or spoken to in public. In response, one reader said: [A stranger] pinched my arse when walking along on summer holiday, on a path with my family. He was with other fellas. I was a teenager. Said nothing, just looked back. Froze I guess. Another said: Countless times. From having an older man put his hand between my legs in a nightclub when I was just 18... to having my arse pinched like Muireann's many times on nights out." The reader went on to say that they have also experienced catcalling and comments from bunches of young men simply for being a woman and walking down the street. They added: The sense of entitlement from men to touch women or speak to them inappropriately is off the scale even in 2023. If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services. RTE has admitted paying Ryan Tubridy 345,000 more than what it stated publicly it was paying him. In a detailed statement, RTE said the money was paid between 2017 and 2022, and was above his annual published salary. The payments were uncovered after a transparency issue about payments made to Mr Tubridy was identified during a routine audit of RTEs 2022 accounts in March. As a result, the broadcasters Audit and Risk Committee commissioned Grant Thornton to carry out an independent fact-finding review into the issue. The findings of that review were given to RTE last Friday and brought before the RTE board on Monday. The review carried out by Grant Thornton concerned a separate agreement under which Mr Tubridy was guaranteed by RTE an additional annual income of 75,000 which was intended to come from a commercial partner. File Picture: Stedman/RollingNews.ie Mr Tubridy has issued a statement on the matter in which he says he is "surprised" and "disappointed" by the findings and that he cannot answer for RTE's "mistakes" in reporting his earnings. As a result of the issue over Mr Tubridys pay, RTE also conducted an internal review of the reporting of the remuneration of its top 10 most highly paid on air presenters. This review has, RTE said, found that the full cost to RTE of its contracts with the other such on air presenters has been correctly reported. The broadcaster says it has also now asked Grant Thornton to review the contracts of RTEs top 10 most highly paid on air presenters to independently validate that all remuneration figures have been correctly stated and accounted for by RTE. Grant Thornton will also review the understatement by RTE of Mr. Tubridys published remuneration by 120,000 in the period 2017-2019. In a statement issued today, RTE said: The RTE Board considers the public misstating of RTEs financial information to be a very serious matter and has moved as quickly as it could, once it had independently established the facts, to publish the correct figures. Before RTE announced in March Mr Tubridy was to step down from The Late Late Show in May, he was RTEs highest-paid person. Information provided by RTE and which was widely reported appeared to show that he took a pay cut of 55,000 or 11 per cent between 2019 and 2021 and this brought his total remuneration down to 440,000. He was paid through his company Tuttle Productions Ltd, earning 495,000 in 2019 and 466,250 in 2020. Rte also provided details of other high earners, including second-highest paid Ray DArcy, whose fees had fallen from 450,000 in 2019 to 305,000 in 2020 and 2021. Joe Duffy, whose earnings of 392,000 in 2019 had dropped to 351,000 by 2021, was the third highest paid. The figures, part of a wider release earlier this year, were reported as evidence that RTE had kept its pledge to slash by 15% the fees and salaries it paid its biggest names. This was part of a previous promise to cut costs made by RTE in 2019 to the government at a time when it was trying to get more public funding, which it received. The pledge had come amid a very public review, held - in part - before the Oireachtas - about RTEs financial problems. It even announced in November 2019 that it would be forced to seek 60 million in cuts over the next three years as Director General Dee Forbes stated RTE was in a fight for the future. It was put to Ms Forbes in a Public Accounts Committee hearing in May 2018 that her main stars would be well paid and that the figure for Tuttle Productions, in the name of Ryan Tubridy, was 495,000. Ms Forbes replied: Absolutely. Minister: 'The public expect much higher standards' Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin. File Picture: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos Speaking this afternoon, Minister for Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin said she was "deeply concerned" by the details of RTE's statement. "I was advised in March 2023 that an issue had come to light in the course of the audit of the RTE 2022 accounts, and that a fact finding review had been commissioned by the Audit and Risk Committee of the RTE Board. "I am extremely concerned at the details which were contained in RTEs statement today, on foot of that review being completed," she said. Ms Martin said that she and officials from her Department will meet with the RTE chairperson on Monday. "I have asked the chair to set out in that meeting, in detail, the issues involved, the steps the board is taking to deal with the matter, the follow on action that will be required, and the timeline for these actions." The public rightly expect much higher standards of transparency and accountability from Irelands Public Service Broadcaster. It is unacceptable that these have not been met. Ms Marting said it will be critical for RTE's Board "to identify whether there are wider governance issues that need to be examined and addressed, and to ensure that there is appropriate accountability for what has occurred." "It will be equally important for the Board to demonstrate that it is putting in place appropriate structures and processes to prevent a recurrence of a matter of this nature," she added. Also speaking on RTE's Six One News, Tanaiste Micheal Martin said the details of RTE's report were "very serious" and "concerning." "I think as the RTE board itself has said it's a breach of trust," he said. "Transparency is essential in matters of this kind from RTE, particularly being the public sector broadcaster, and in terms of its corporate governance, and in terms of presenting its accounts to Oireachtas and indeed, to the public." An Irish-based Chinese organised crime group has laundered millions of euros of drug trafficking proceeds on behalf of Irish criminals, the Criminal Assets Bureau has alleged in the High Court. CAB said that for a fee, members of the Chinese group provided a route for Irish-based criminals to access their criminal proceeds overseas. It claims the leader of the Chinese gang, Peng Fei He, has been seen meeting with Ciaran OSullivan, who, CAB alleges, has been convicted of drug offences in Spain and has alleged historical links to Christy Kinahan Snr. Mr Justice Alexander Owens was satisfied the bureau made out a case that a money laundering operation involved people who immigrated to Ireland years ago from China. He made orders yesterday deeming as crime proceeds various sums of cash, luxury goods, and vehicles linked to a married couple before him nursing home worker Xiaoxia Zheng and sushi restaurant courier Jianfei Zheng and another Chinese national Xie Xing Xue, who has an address in Bray who did not appear in court or enter a defence. A fourth person Xues partner, Feng Yun Chen consented to orders disposing of 43,000, an Audi A6, and a Louis Vuitton wallet in settlement of the CABs case against her. The court heard the four are among 13 individuals alleged to be part of the Chinese criminal gang allegedly headed by He, who has served time in prison for drug offences. CABs case against the nine other alleged members, including He, has yet to be heard. The CABs barrister, Shelley Horan, told the court that individuals purchased high-value goods in Brown Thomas and other Irish stores to export them as a way of laundering money derived from crime. Surveillance operation Gardai seized hundreds of thousands of euro in cash during searches at various locations in June 2020 following a surveillance operation, she said. There was also evidence of vast sums passing through bank accounts linked to members of the Chinese group, she said. Ruling in the CABs application for orders in respect of Mr and Ms Zheng and Mr Xue, Mr Justice Owens said it was quite clear they lent themselves to handling very, very large sums of money that cannot be explained by their modest incomes. The explanation for the colossal sums is fairly obvious, and is answered in the confidential information obtained by investigating gardai that led to seizures of cash and luxury items, the judge said. The evidence was coercive, he said, in demonstrating that Ms Chen was involved in opening a unit at Remedy Self Storage in Bray in which 117,000 cash accumulated in a short period. He was also persuaded that Ms Zheng and Mr Xue were involved in opening a deposit box at Merrion Vaults in Ballsbridge that amassed 235,000 cash from 2019 to June 2020. Some 144,000 and 20,000 cash seized in a June 2020 search of Mr and Ms Zhengs address at The Grove, Millbrook Lawns, Tallaght, could not relate to any activity other than crime proceeds or criminal activity, the judge found. No identifiable assets The individuals simply did not have any identifiable assets that could cause them to obtain the working capital to engage in the overseas selling of luxury goods to the point of it producing the enormous sums in their bank accounts, he said. Various explanations given to gardai about the source of the money do not add up, the judge added. Mr Justice Owens said he listened carefully to Ms Zhengs explanation to the court but she was in difficulty as she did not swear an affidavit in defence of the claim against her. Ms Zheng earlier said some of the money was given to her to purchase personal protective equipment to be used in China during the pandemic. Other sums were in her account because people asked her to keep it there, she said. Her husband, she said, did not know anything about any of this. The CAB told the court the assets associated with Mr Zheng were a Nissan Qashqai and 8,400 in an AIB account that previously contained much larger sums. Although the bureau did not disclose the confidential source of the original tip-off information, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, the judge said, and much circumstantial evidence emerged as silent witnesses in the case. He deemed the various sums of cash and money in bank accounts to be, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, proceeds of crime. The Governments consultative forum on international security policy inevitably confronts the question of neutrality. The government parties argue that military neutrality refraining from joining military alliances is compatible with security and defence cooperation with the EU and Nato and that such cooperation is necessary to address the security challenges of the 21st century. Critics argue that the Government is watering down, even abandoning, Irelands neutrality. The roots of neutrality lie in the idea of non-belligerence in war that is not participating in or being drawn into wars between other states. This can be traced back as far as wars between the ancient Greek city states. Neutrality, in this sense, was a protection for states: By committing not to join a war between others, a state hoped to avoid being attacked by those states or having its territory used by them. Similar practices emerged in Europe in the Middle Ages, with states sometimes concluding bilateral agreements relating to neutrality. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, some European powers formed two short-lived Leagues of Armed Neutrality as part of efforts to stay out of the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars. The emerging practice of neutrality prompted debate on what exactly were the rights and duties of neutral states. The 1907 Hague Conventions a key part of the modern international laws of war codified the rights and duties of neutral states, including that the territory of neutral states is inviolable, that belligerent states must not move (or be allowed to move) troops or armaments across the territory of neutral states, and that neutral states are not forbidden from trading with belligerents, including trading armaments. From all this it is clear that the minimum benchmark definition of neutrality is not joining military alliances. By definition joining a military alliance, such as Nato, commits a state to defending its allies even if the exact circumstances in which this might occur are unclear and is therefore not compatible with neutrality. There are even questions, however, over whether neutrality is compatible with membership of collective security organisations like the League of Nations and the United Nations. Under Article 25 of the UN Charter member states agree to accept and carry out decisions of the UN Security Council, which include the councils power to authorise the use of force. UN membership can thus be read as taking on a commitment to go to war on the UNs behalf, although in practice whether to join any UN operation remains a national choice. Nonetheless, because of such concerns, Switzerland did not join the UN until 2002. Armed neutrality Another version of neutrality is so-called armed neutrality. In order to defend their neutrality, countries such as Finland, Sweden and Switzerland have historically maintained large, well-armed militaries. In contrast, Ireland, which was in no position to establish strong defence forces when it gained independence in 1921, has, as critics have pointed out, followed a policy of unarmed neutrality. More broadly, neutrality is sometimes associated with a policy of equidistance between great powers and military blocs. During the First World War, one of the slogans of the Irish Neutrality League was neither King nor Kaiser. During the Cold War, this logic was reflected in the establishment of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1956. Over time, European neutral states such as Ireland, Austria, Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland also became associated with other peace policies, including conflict resolution, UN peacekeeping, nuclear disarmament, and development aid. Publics in European neutral states have thus often come to view their countries as good guys, standing against bad things such as militarism, alliances and nuclear weapons. This view is, however, is overly simplistic and sometimes avoids difficult moral choices. Refraining from supplying arms to states at war might seem to be the more peace-loving policy, but had the USand EU countries followed this approach in Ukraine Russia would now control Kyiv and President Putin would be imposing a brutal dictatorship on the country. Nato may be a military alliance, but it has arguably succeeded in deterring Russia (and the Soviet Union before it) whilst avoiding escalation to a Third World War and helped to underpin integration amongst the states of Europe. The uncomfortable reality is that there is no single or correct definition of neutrality. Simplifying somewhat, the Irish people face a choice between a pragmatic version of neutrality, which recognises the value of cooperation with the EU and NATO, and a purist version which distances the country from not only NATO but also a key element of the EU. Andrew Cottey is a Professor in the Department of Government and Politics, University College Cork (UCC). UCC is hosting the first day of the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy on June 22. Vodafone has launched Secure Connected Enterprise which brings world leading network connectivity together with best-of-breed cybersecurity and managed threat detection to protect data regardless of location. The new solution has been developed in response to the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape facing todays businesses. Organisations are now hybrid and are moving systems to the cloud while facing ever increasing security threats from a myriad of sources, says Vodafone head of product management and partnerships, Kevin Relihan. Secure Connected Enterprise (SCE) leverages Vodafones trusted national and global connectivity, business applications aware network (SD WAN) and a curated suite of security services that can be selected depending on individual requirements to create tailored solutions for our customers. He says the changing nature of organisations is driving the need for more sophisticated and tailored security solutions, adding that recent research from EY shows that 90% of employees want to work flexibly. This has turned the security model on its head with those accessing the organisations data and applications now sitting outside traditional physical environments, he explains Security now needs to help provide access close to these users. It is no longer a given that employees work from the office, and this presents a security threat to many Irish businesses. Digital transformation Digital transformation is another consideration. While it brings many benefits to businesses and their customers it is also driving workloads and applications to the cloud creating new challenges on how best to secure traffic and data. These changes are occurring against a backdrop of rising cyber threats, one in which US-based Cyber Edge Group stated that 85 per cent of organisations experienced a cyberattack in 2021. Of concern to companies is the fact that each data breach cost, on average, US$4.2 million and took 287 days to identify and contain. The threat continues to grow with new technologies such as AI being utilised by cybercriminals to increase the volume and sophistication of attacks. Vodafones SCE solution incorporates two key security strategies zero trust and secure access service edge (SASE). Trust in Vodafones expertise to secure your organisations network. The rise of zero trust and zero exceptions Zero trust is an approach to security that requires all users, whether inside or outside the organisation, to be authenticated, authorised and continuously validated at every single point of entry. In short, it eliminates trust in any source attempting to access data or applications, he explains. There are no exceptions to this policy, he says firmly. In essence, it means that even when people have been granted access to the network, they cant do anything without continuous verification and authorisation. Relihan points out that an executive order from the Biden administration in the US has mandated that all of US government agencies and the third parties serving them have to use it. In Europe, over one third of businesses have adopted a zero-trust strategy. It reduces the chance of a breach happening, reduces the cost of a breach if it does happen, and reduces the time taken to identify and contain it. Pic 4 caption: Each security solution is tailored to your companys needs. Each security solution is tailored to your companys needs. What is SASE? Alongside zero trust, SASE is a technology Vodafone utilises as part of Secure Connect Enterprise. It is used to deliver wide area network and security controls as a cloud service directly to the source of the connection rather than to a data centre. It reduces the amount of network traffic going to data centres with endpoint traffic routed to the cloud for authentication and verification. It means employees can be working from anywhere when trying to access the company network, Technically, if you are working from the office you are protected by firewalls. SASE brings security out to the end user, be they working from home, using an internet-of-things device or on an automated production line. How to ensure your business is secure and connected Vodafones Secure Connected Enterprise works with customers on a consultancy basis, Relihan explains. It looks at each business and the industry its in, the challenges and opportunities that face them and tailors solutions to their specific needs. The assessment begins with a review of the current network and security environment and the organisations readiness for the implementation of zero trust and SASE strategies. We then work with the client to identify a roadmap to position the business to successfully implement security strategies. We also provide vendor agnostic guidance on best-in-class technologies required for those strategies. What is unique about Vodafones approach is that it looks at the overall business, from end to end, that is from the network to the user endpoint devices, he explains. Through our experience and expertise running some of the worlds largest fixed and mobile networks and our IOT platforms we have unique understandings and approaches to providing a seamless end to end level of protection. Vodafone leads from the viewpoint that security and network are better addressed together essentially that the technologies involved have become so enmeshed that they are now very inefficient to separate and manage independently. We have a proven track record, says Relihan. Our expertise is valued by global organisations with 70 per cent of Fortune 500 companies working with Vodafone. We carry 20 per cent of the worlds internet traffic protecting more data across our networks than any other provider. "We provide a single service of many parts that can be custom-built to your companys requirements. Individual vendors do not provide the same cutting-edge connectivity. Vodafone ensures that network connectivity, SD WAN and end points work together in a seamless manner. Crucially, we also have 15,000 security and network experts around the world who are available to help monitor and manage our customers security around the clock. Vodafone brings its global scale and vast expertise to ensure its Secure Connected Enterprise solution delivers on its core objective, that of supporting business growth by giving customers teams the freedom and agility to work confidently, consistently, and securely from anywhere. It provides a level of scalability and flexibility that other providers simply cannot match, he says: This is delivered through a highly flexible commercial and consumption model as a single service. This is the first in a Connected Business series. You can find out more about Vodafones Secure Connected Enterprise here. Five resistance members were killed during three days of raids by Myanmar junta troops in Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region. Myingyan People Defense Force (PDF) said five of its troops were killed near Yon Htoe village on Tuesday. They were shot by junta forces. Four died on the spot and two others were injured and one of them died later, a PDF representative said. The PDF members were ambushed while moving into position to attack junta forces at Ywar Thit village. The bodies of four PDF members were buried by villagers on Wednesday. On Tuesday morning, around 200 junta and allied Pyu Saw Htee fighters raided Ma Gyi Su village. A junta convoy heading to Ma Gyi Su was ambushed on Tuesday with mines near Htein Pan village by Myingyan 35, a resistance group, inflicting heavy casualties, according to the PDF. Junta troops suffered heavy casualties when one of the vehicles was destroyed by mines, a PDF representative said. The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports. Junta troops reportedly have raided Ma Gyi Su, Yon Htoe, Ywar Thit, Htein Pan and Kyee Pin Kan villages since Tuesday. A villager said: They arrested any villagers they came across. If we run away they fire at us. Junta troops detained around 30 people from Yon Htoe, Ywar Thit and Kyee Pin Kan villages and their condition is unknown. A resistance fighter said: Junta troops spread false information before they raid a village. They then wait and watch villagers and resistance forces. When there is no activity, they attack. Ma Gyi Su was torched by junta troops in May, killing two villagers and destroying over 100 houses. At least 3,000 residents from five villages in Myingyan Township have reportedly been displaced. Those reading disturbing news about the juntas arrest of nearly 100 people, mostly women, for brandishing flowers to mark the 78th birthday of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi may think this is a new form of crackdown. But a glance at Myanmars turbulent political history shows this is far from the first time that generals have punished citizens for merely displaying loyalty to the democracy leader. The punishments date back to the 1988 pro-democracy uprising and have continued ever since, testifying to the grudges, fear and jealousy felt by military leaders toward Suu Kyi. In 1989, Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest for the first time by the junta, then known as the State Law and Order Restoration Council. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize three years later on December 10, 1991. That same day, Yangon University students took to the streets to demand her immediate release and ratification of the 1990 general elections landslide victory for Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party. The regime responded with a brutal crackdown on students, arresting over 400 and imprisoning 100 for supporting the democracy icon. A resident of Yangons South Okkalapa Township was handed three years in prison after calling in public for Suu Kyi to be set free. U Ba Thein had been arrested seeking donations at a booth in his ward while using a loudspeaker to pray for her release. In prison, he was affectionally known as Speaker Ba Thein, NLD patron U Win Htein recalled in his book. After Suu Kyi was released from house arrest in 1995, she organized weekend talks at her residence in Yangons Bahan Township, which drew crowds in their hundreds. Angered by the floral tokens of affection showered upon her by the crowds, the regime aired a satirical short drama on state TV about her wearing flowers in her hair. Flowers had been a thorny symbol for the generals long before that. A female NLD party member who made weekly trips to lay flowers at the grave of Daw Khin Kyi Suu Kyis mother and the wife of independence hero General Aung San was arrested in 1989 not long after Suu Kyi was detained. She was charged with posing a threat to security and handed three years in jail. More than a dozen people collectively dubbed the prayer group for their weekend gatherings in front of Suu Kyis residence where they would chant for the good health of the democracy leader, as well as then-NLD vice chair U Kyi Maung and NLD patron U Tin Oo were also handed seven years in Yangons Insein Prison. After Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest for a third time in 2003, female NLD members held prayers in Yangon for the release of all political prisoners, including Suu Kyi. Despite being disrupted by regime officials, they organized prayers every Tuesday at popular Yangon pagodas including Shwedagon and Sule. NLD member Daw Naw Ohn Hla was sent straight to Insein Prison for organizing prayers at Shwedagon Pagoda. A court later confined her to Hmawbi, where she lived. Successive military regimes have imposed severe penalties on anyone who dares to show public support for Suu Kyi. These repressive reactions speak of the deep fear and paranoia that the democracy leader triggers in military generals as they struggle against the countrys tide of popular opinion. Meanwhile, Suu Kyis status as the mother of the nation remains strong in the hearts and minds of the civilian population. Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters The messy feud between two of MAGA worlds biggest stars burst into public view on Wednesday, when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) called Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) a little bitch to her face on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. The angry exchange came as the two lawmakers have been swiping at each other over their competing resolutions to impeach President Joe Biden. But tensions came to a head on Wednesday after Boebert leveraged a procedural tool to force a vote on her own impeachment resolution within daysundercutting Greene, who had offered her own resolution, but not with the procedural advantages of forcing a vote. Greene apparently cursed out Boebert while the House was voting Wednesday afternoon, as the two spoke in a center aisle of the House floor; part of their interaction was captured on C-SPANs cameras. Saw this conversation not sure if it was a friendly one pic.twitter.com/tpz3z2Phtv Acyn (@Acyn) June 21, 2023 According to two sources that saw the exchange and a third familiar with the matter, the back and forth began when Boebert approached Greenethen seated in the chamberand confronted her over statements you made about me publicly. All three of the sources said Greene called Boebert a bitch. One of the sources said Greene called her a little bitch. According to two of the sources, Greene then stood up and alleged that Boebert copied my articles of impeachment, to which the Colorado lawmaker fired back that she hadnt even read Greenes resolution. Ive donated to you, Ive defended you. But youve been nothing but a little bitch to me, Greene told Boebert, according to a source who witnessed the exchange. And you copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to cosponsor them. The name-calling was confirmed by another GOP lawmaker and another source who witnessed the exchange. I heard Marjorie call Boebert a bitch right to her face, one GOP lawmaker said, granted anonymity by The Daily Beast to speak freely about the argument. OK, Marjorie, were through, Boebert then said, shrugging her shoulders. With Boeberts back turned, Greene responded: We were never together. Reached for comment about the exchange, Boebert didnt deny the back and forth. Marjorie is not my enemy. I came here to protect our children and their posterity. Joe Biden and the Democrats are destroying our country, she told The Daily Beast. My priorities are to correct their bad policies and save America. Boebert subsequently told CNN: Like I said, Im not in middle school. As for her part, when asked about their exchange, Greene told The Daily Beast: Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Earlier in the day, Greene said she has long championed articles of impeachment against Bidenand strongly suggested Boebert is late to a push that she herself already owns. The Bathroom Fight Fueling Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boeberts Break-Up Lauren Boebert never addressed the conference, Greene said. I made it clear to the conference that I have introduced articles of impeachment, literally since Joe Bidens first day in office. I have been talking about it with everybody forever, Greene continued. Literally, everyone. Forever, til Im blue in the face. You see me? Im blue in the face. She later explained to Semafor how the exchange went down: I was sitting down, and so I stood up and I said, Im happy to clarify my public statements to your face. I told her exactly what I think about her. Greene revealed she told Boebert she was annoyed that rather than support her own impeachment effort, she overtook it. Its purely for fundraising, she told Semafor. Its throwing out red meat so that people will donate to her campaign because shes coming up on the end of the month, and shes trying to produce good fundraising numbers. Boebert declined to speak to the GOP conference on Wednesday about her fast-tracked impeachment resolution, after Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) invited her to do so ahead of a Wednesday morning, closed-door conference meeting. McCarthy has already come out against the impeachment resolution. Its not just McCarthy, however, who has spoken out against Boeberts impeachment articles. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL)a fellow House Freedom Caucus memberdisagreed with Boeberts decision to force a vote so quickly on such a weighty matter. We do have a process of doing things, he told The Daily Beast. Impeachment is at such a high level that you know there should be some process for that. The bitter impeachment spat is just the latest in a string of deteriorations that have turned a once warm relationship between Boebert and Greene ice cold. After beginning their respective congressional careers in 2021 as MAGA rabble-rousers fighting a Democratic majority, Greene and Boeberts paths began to diverge as the GOP zeroed in on control of the chamber. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein Once a pariah in the Republican ranks, Greene made herself an indispensable ally to McCarthy, boosting his credibility with the far-right while she began to win over some former detractors in the party mainstream. Despite winning re-election in 2022 by just 500 votes, Boebert has tacked even harder to the right. She has aligned herself with a small faction of conservatives who opposed McCarthys speakership, and appears determined to undermine him wherever possible. In January, The Daily Beast reported that Greene confronted Boebert in the womens bathroom off the House floor, accusing her of being disloyal to McCarthy, whom Boebert was refusing to support for Speaker. You were OK taking millions of dollars from McCarthy but you refuse to vote for him for Speaker, Lauren? Greene asked, according to a source familiar with the interaction. Both Greene and Boebert have since become vocal proponents of impeaching Biden and other Democratsto the delight of the MAGA basebut their jostling to be the first and loudest Republicans to own the push has resulted in a major escalation of their feud. Last month, Greene kicked off what she called an impeachment week, filing articles of impeachment against Biden and several of his cabinet officials. Not to be outdone, Boebert filed her own articles of impeachment against Biden, and she leveraged a parliamentary tool on Tuesdaycalled a privileged resolutionto force an impeachment vote on the House floor. Despite her alliance with McCarthy, Greene told Politico on Tuesday that she would be doing the same thing, pointedly noting that her plans were laid before this weekend. That indirect back-and-forth, conducted through press releases and quotes to media outlets, seems to have provided the kindling for Greene and Boeberts tense exchange on Wednesday. Rep. Lauren Boebert Addresses Those Love-Life Rumors In the broader GOP conference, many members believe it is hardly the right time to push for Bidens impeachment, and they worry that Boebert and Greenes tactics will expose Republican disunity on the issue. But to Republicans who are supportive of the impeachment push, the obvious infighting between two of the most vocal and influential conservatives was met with concern. A GOP lawmaker warned The Daily Beast about bad blood stemming from the impeachment fight. I personally dont think its helpful in any way, this lawmaker said. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Myanmar junta troops have raided a Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) office in the jade-mining hub of Hpakant Township and killed seven people, according to the group. The Seik Mu village administration office was raided on Wednesday morning. Those killed were being held over drug offenses and office staff, said a KIO administrator from a neighboring village. They were heavily armed and shelled first. They shot anyone they saw. Other people were injured. There were no KIA [Kachin Independence Army] troops in the village, he said. Around 25 people were detained, including drug detainees and KIO office staff and guards, according to a resident. The KIO has made no official statement. Junta troops left the village after several hours, torched the KIO office and shot at random in the village. No civilian casualties were reported. The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports. In response, Kachin Peoples Defence Force (PDF) attacked three junta administrative offices in Mohnyin Township, Kachin State, on Wednesday. PDF troops fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the township police station and dropped a bomb on the township court. The PDF said its fighters shot at junta offices beside the court and reported casualties at the police station. The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports. The junta has reportedly detained about 1,000 Kachin citizens in the last year for having alleged links to resistance groups or the KIO. Thursday, Jun 22nd, 2023 (10:19 am) - Score 2,232 Network operator CityFibre has today announced that theyve secured enough legal UK land and property access agreements (wayleaves) to connect over 1 million homes owned by local authorities and housing associations to their new gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband ISP network. CityFibre has worked closely with major housing associations including Places for People, Thirteen Group, and Sheffield City Council to secure the wayleaves, which can be both costly and tricky things to agree. Not to mention that many tenants are often legally required to ensure a landlord has granted permission for the installation to take place, before work can begin. NOTE: Cityfibre is supported by ISPs such as TalkTalk, Zen Internet, Cityfibre is supported by ISPs such as Vodafone Giganet , and others, but they arent all live or available in every location yet. The success supports CityFibres wider ambition to cover up to 8 million UK premises (funded by c.2.4bn in equity and c.4.9bn debt) across over 285 cities, towns and villages (c.30% of the UK) by the end of 2025 (here). The latest announcement also reveals that theyve now passed 2.8 million homes (up from 2.6m in late March 2023), but only 2.4 million of those are currently considered to be Ready for Service by an ISP (up from 2.3m). Sanjay Sudra, Head of Wayleave Field Services at CityFibre, said: World class digital infrastructure is no longer a luxury, it is now an essential utility that everyone needs to have access to. From managing household services and accessing employment, to staying in touch with friends and family, rock solid home broadband has never been more important. Working closely with forward thinking housing associations and local authorities, CityFibre is helping to ensure more people have fair and easy access to quality services, whether they own or rent their home. As we celebrate this landmark achievement, we appreciate there is more work to be done to help as many people as possible access to this next generation of connectivity. As its been nearly three months since the previous 2.6 million build figure was revealed, and around 200,000 premises have been added in that period, then we can very roughly estimate that the pace of build is likely to be somewhere around 70-75k per month. This would actually mark an improvement from the estimate of 50k that we saw in January 2023, which was down from their prior peak of c.100k and followed a spate of job cuts. However, it remains to be seen whether theyll hit their original coverage target by the end of 2025, which would require a more rapid pace of build to be occurring. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. How to Clip Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print. You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it. When you're happy with your selection, click the checkmark icon next to the clipping area to continue. Today Scattered clouds with the possibility of an isolated thunderstorm developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High near 85F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. Tomorrow Mostly sunny skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 89F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Reddit Email 68 Shares By Leila Tarakji, Michigan State University | Minneapolis recently became the first major U.S. city to allow the adhan, or Muslim call to prayer, to be broadcast from mosques five times a day. In April 2023, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved a change to the citys sound ordinance, effectively eliminating time constraints that previously prevented the pre-dawn and evening prayer calls from being broadcast. For the citizens of Minneapolis and for many Muslims across the United States, this represents a historic moment. Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, described this as a victory for religious freedom and for the U.S. Constitution. The resolution demonstrates that Muslims are not only welcome here, but theyre also here that they are part of the fabric of the diversity of this city and our state, he said in a statement. As a scholar of Islam and Muslims in America, I am particularly interested in how Muslim Americans express themselves as a faith community at the local, national and global levels. The practice of calling worshippers to prayer is an important aspect of daily Muslim life, one that has a long history on American soil. Adhan: Tradition and meanings Adhan literally means announcement in Arabic and refers to the Islamic call to prayer that takes place five times a day. The five daily prayers signify one of the five pillars of Islam that are traditionally considered obligatory for every Muslim. The prayers are performed in the direction of Mecca throughout the day. The practice of calling the adhan dates to the time of Prophet Muhammad, when it became the standard way to mark the beginning of each prayers time and to call Muslims to prayer. In his text Approaching the Quran: The Early Revelations, scholar Michael Sells notes that the call to prayer punctuates daily life five times, drawing people out of their everyday preoccupation to matters of ultimate concern. Recited in Arabic, the adhan translates as: God is most great, God is most great; I testify that there is no god but God; I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God; Come (alive) to the prayer; Come (alive) to flourishing; God is most great, God is most great; There is no god but God. TRT World: Unique Adhan rendition in US mosque goes viral In Muslim-majority countries, the distinctive sound of the adhan loudly called from every mosques minaret is one of the most memorable sounds for visitors. The significance of the adhan is such that Islamic tradition recommends that it be one of the first sounds that a newborn baby hears. Often, the father will gently recite the adhan in the babys right ear. The words mark the beginning of a persons life on the right path, with the remembrance of God. In America, where the adhan is not commonly heard in public settings, many Muslims make do with a prayer app, on their cellphones or other devices, that lists the various prayer times and calls the adhan at the appropriate time. Influence on popular music and culture The earliest practice of the adhan on American soil dates back to the hundreds of thousands of enslaved African Muslims who, to varying extents, brought their Islamic practices with them. In the process, the adhan has left a deep influence on American music and culture. Historian Sylviane A. Diouf attributes the roots of blues music to West African Muslims who were enslaved and forcibly taken to the Americas between the 1600s and mid-1800s. Diouf specifically makes a comparison between the adhan and Levee Camp Holler, a song that was written and sung by former slaves. Holler songs were precursors to the blues. It features the same ornamented notes, elongated syllables sung with wavy intonations, melismas, and pauses. When both pieces are juxtaposed, it is hard to distinguish when the call to prayer ends and the holler starts, Diouf writes. More recently, Muslim rapper Lupe Fiasco released an album called Muhammad Walks that clearly includes sound bites from the adhan along with various references to Islamic traditions. Voice of America: Virginia Mosque Publicly Broadcasts Adhan (Muslims Call to Prayer) During Holy Month of Ramadan History of the Muslim prayer call in the US Generally speaking, mosques in the U.S. make the call to prayer inside the prayer space, where it is audible only to those present. The earliest documented public broadcasting of the Muslim call to prayer took place during the Worlds Columbian Exposition, a worlds fair that was held in Chicago in 1893. The fair featured Cairo Street, a popular attraction that sought to recreate a small cross section of Cairene life. Among the 26 different structures that were specifically built for this project was a mosque where tourists could hear the muezzin one who makes the call to prayer call the adhan from the minaret and then watch Muslim worshippers perform their daily prayers. Later the same year, the prayer call was broadcast from a third-story window of the Union Square Bank building in New York City. After John Lant, a convert to Islam and co-founder of First Society for the Study of Islam in America, made the adhan, a congregational prayer was held before the group proceeded with the societys first meeting. This moment was documented by The New York Times: For the first time in New-Yorks history, cosmopolitan as the city is, the melodious call of the Muezzin, celebrated by every traveler in Mohammedan countries, was heard yesterday morning. Recent broadcasts Since the 1970s the adhan has been broadcast from mosques in the U.S., such as the American Moslem Society, which was established in Dearborn, Michigan, in 1938 and is arguably the first U.S. mosque to be granted the legal right to transmit all five prayer calls through loudspeakers. In nearby Hamtramck, considered to be Americas first majority-Muslim city, the adhan was legalized by local government in 2004, when a noise ordinance change was put to a citywide vote. At the time, this stirred notable tensions between Hamtramcks different faith communities. In 2020, the city council of Paterson, New Jersey, also authorized the call to prayer between certain hours of the day. In 2023, several mosques in Astoria, New York, received permits to broadcast the five calls to prayer specifically for the duration of the holy month of Ramadan. Similarly, a small mosque in Occoquan, Virginia, was invited by the local mayor to broadcast the adhan on two separate occasions to mark the month of Ramadan. Indeed, the public broadcasting of the adhan is part of a larger narrative of American plurality. It is a natural manifestation of Muslim American presence and communal expression. The fact that the adhan can be heard in the streets of Minneapolis, Hamtramck and Astoria alongside church bells and other sounds of worship signifies that Muslim beliefs are not deemed less worthy, nor must they be confined to a private space. It is a sign that Muslims are at home and welcome here. Leila Tarakji, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Michigan State University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Reddit 126 Email 516 Shares Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) A civil war is raging in Israel-Palestine, and the outcome wont be pretty for anyone, including Americans. Fascist Israeli squatters are routinely attacking Palestinian hamlets with mayhem and murder on their minds, and the Israeli Army often takes the side of the aggressors. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has turned control of the Palestinian West Bank over to his Minister of Finance, the extreme fascist and racist Bezalel Smotrich. (I checked on the web to see if anyone had referred to him as Beezelbub Smotrich, but apparently not yet). Smotrich is himself a squatter on Palestinian property. Israel has no legal claim to the Palestinian West Bank. The UN never awarded it to Israel, and in fact numerous Security Council resolutions make clear that they cannot keep it. They simply seized it militarily in 1967 and have had sticky fingers ever since. They keep 5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza stateless and living in Apartheid conditions. On Wednesday, Said Abu Mualla at al-Quds al-Arabi reports, some 400 militant Israeli squatters descended on the Palestinian town of Turmus Ayya with guns and molotov cocktails. They shot down 12 locals with live fire, set fire to 30 homes, and burned 60 vehicles. They also set fire to fields, including to crops. Israeli squatters often attempt to destroy olive trees and other agricultural crops of Palestinians in hopes of starving them out so they can seize further property from them. BREAKING: Footage of some of the fires set by dozens of Jewish settlers in the Palestinian West Bank town of Turmus Aya. pic.twitter.com/mDSGQKYyW6 Yonatan Touval (@Yonatan_Touval) June 21, 2023 Locals reported that not only were the squatters firing their guns at civilians but that the Israeli security forces who came in behind them also fired at the inhabitants. One Palestinian, Umar Abul Qattin, was killed with a bullet to the chest. Mr. Abu Mualla points out that the attacks resembled the pogrom committed at Huwara in late February, but this time the squatter numbers were even bigger and they attacked in broad daylight. Hagar Shezaf, Jack Khoury. Ben Samuels and Amir Tibon at Haaretz say that the police, who came into the town after the squatters, probably shot him because he was firing a weapon and hit something that exploded, endangering them. He likely was trying to protect his loved ones. Since Israeli security forces often sit on their hands or actively help militant squatters, he may have seen their appearance on the scene as threatening. Certainly, the other people in Turmus Aya did, since they demonstrated and threw stones as the police came into their neighborhood. The attack on Turmus Ayya came after Palestinian guerrillas killed some Israelis the day before. Some Palestinian youth in Jenin have formed a guerrilla resistance group, the Lions Den, which Israeli forces have been attempting to destroy, since it stages attacks on Israeli squatters. The reckless Israeli attacks on the civilian town of Jenin in pursuit of the guerrillas have left many innocent non-combatants injured or killed, including children. Article continues after bonus IC video Guardian News: Armed Israeli settlers attack Palestinian town in revenge attack Abu Mualla reports that in one case the squatters set fire to a house with the family still inside and blocked the front door. Had there not been a back door, the family would have been burned up. Another woman said that her children were visiting her from abroad for the first time in 12 years and that militant Israeli squatters targeted her home with molotov cocktails, trying to kill them. Locals did not feel that the Palestine Authority, which has what policing duties the Israeli government allow to it in 40% of the West Bank, was effective in protecting them, and shouted that they wanted a government that would safeguard them. Lafi Adib, the mayor of Turmus Aya, said that the truculent squatters were all armed, as were the security forces that came in behind them, whereas the locals had nothing more than stones with which to protect themselves. We have seen this picture before. In late 1947 and through the first half of 1948 a civil war broke out in British Mandate Palestine between the some 500,000 European Jews brought to the land by British imperial policy and the 1.4 million indigenous Palestinians. The highly organized Europeans, some of them having served in the British army or as partisans against Hitler, fought rings around the Palestinian villagers, few of whom even entered the fray. Some of the more fascist Zionist paramilitaries, such as the Stern Gang, understood the principles of psychological warfare, and committed atrocities precisely in order to make the Palestinians flee. Some 750,000 Palestinians were ultimately made permanent refugees, whose ranks have swollen to about 12 million today. The Europeans then seized their farmland and homes, moving into them and even harvesting the crops, to which they became attached. The Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion (born David Grun in what is now Poland) declared that the expelled Palestinians would never be allowed to return, i.e. that property now worth trillions of dollars had simply been stolen from them. Let us return to the present: This pattern, of the Israeli government stealing Palestinian-owned property and bringing in squatters to occupy it, and then the Palestinians resisting, and then the squatters attacking the Palestinians, provoking further resistance, is accelerating. In all likelihood this unfolding of events is being actively encouraged by Smotrich and other annexationists in hopes that it will spiral into a crisis where they can expel the Palestinians to Jordan and seize the West Bank. For those who know their history, the strategy somewhat resembles that of the German National Socialists in the Sudetenland of Czechoslovakia in the summer of 1938, with the Israeli squatters playing the role of the ethnic Germans of the Sudetenlnd, who also formed militant gangs demanding it be annexed; and with the Palestine Authority playing the role of the Czech government. Reddit Email 54 Shares Gainesville, Florida When the COVID-19/pandemic-era continuous coverage Federal requirement ended recently, states could resume eligibility checks that can purge people from Medicaid rolls. Many states are currently doing this, with coverage being lost for hundreds of thousands of individuals/families. These cuts are mostly occurring for procedural reasons, not because enrollees actually lack eligibility. Reports show that states like Florida, for example, have made it almost impossible to keep up with the paperwork and remain on Medicaid. So far, over 250,000 Floridians have lost coverage. Some states arent interested in paying for poor peoples health care. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated that she is increasing removal of Arkansas citizens from government dependency. HEROIC JOB CREATORS VS. DESPICABLE MOOCHERS The slash and burn social and health policies of many states eager to drop Medicaid coverage comes from the old, worn out myth about heroic job creators vs. despicable moochers. This toxic and misleading ideology is based on discredited supply side, trickle-down, voodoo economics that have consistently failed to deliver good jobs, or recognize that government aid and investment is often a crucial lifeline. The 2017 cruel GOP tax plan, for example, made it very difficult to make the kinds of investments that would realistically put large numbers of Americans back to work in quality, good paying, secure jobs. Much needed today is a large program of infrastructure repair and renewal, enormous national investments in public health programs and single-payer national health insurances. AYN RAND AND COMPANY Belief that low-income Americans do not deserve a helping hand derives from the wealthy 1% private corporate business ideology, straight out of Ayn Rand, asserting that the US is a meritocracy where only the most deserving rise to the top. If youre sick or poor, youre on your own, and those who are more fortunate have no obligation to help. In fact, its immoral to demand that they help. Alarmingly, many believe the ludicrous myth that welfare recipients receiving public benefits are takers rather than makers which is untrue for the vast majority of working-age recipients. In 2012, GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and V.P. candidate Paul D. Ryan asserted that 47 % of all Americans are takers; that poverty relief will turn the safety net into a hammock; and that food stamps turn the inner city into a culture of dependence with legions of moochers, welfare Cadillac queens, anchor babies, illegal immigrants, ad nauseam. According to these derisive geniuses, removing benefits is necessary to compel the unemployed to work even if their children suffer in the process. Corporate big business ideology says that human society is a market, and social relations are commercial transactions with a natural hierarchy of winners and losers. Attempts to limit competition, change social outcomes eg, estate tax issue, mandated health insurance, etc. is treated as hostile to liberty and big business interests. Unions and collective bargaining must be crushed; tax, public protection regulations and public services must be minimized or eliminated. Inequality is okay since its a result of a reward for merit and generates wealth for the tiny .001%, which the false myth says trickles down to enrich everyone in the 99%. Tax and other social policies to create a more equal society are dismissed as counterproductive to the interests of the ultra wealthy.001%. MEDICAID REVIEWED 1). Medicaid is financed jointly by the federal government and the states. Early in 2023, 93 million people were enrolled in Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program, up from 71 million before the pandemic. 2). One of Medicaids most important dimensions is its irreplaceable role in addressing the immediate and long-term effects of public health crises, such as Covid-19, since it is the biggest single source of health care financing for dealing with critical public health threats. As we are painfully seeing, these threats may begin with an initial, recognized period of a formally declared emergency. They then can morph into events with very long-term effects felt for years or decades after. This was the case with the World Trade Center attacks, which led to an immediate surge in health care spending, followed by years of elevated spending to address the long-term health fallout triggered by the emergency itself. Think about Zika or the opioid crisis, or COVID-19, to understand the near-term/long-term nature of public health threats. Image by Darko Stojanovic from Pixabay 3). SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, serves 42 million Americans. At least one adult in more than half of SNAP-recipient households are working. And the average SNAP subsidy is $125 per month, or $1.40 per meal. 4). 80% of adults receiving Medicaid live in families where someone works, and more than half are working themselves and doesnt trap people in poverty or pay people not to work. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families has required work as a condition of eligibility since Bill Clinton signed welfare reform in 1996. The earned income tax credit, a tax credit for low and moderate income workers supports only people who work. 5). Workers apply for public benefits because they need assistance to make ends meet. Although American workers are among the most productive in the world, during the last 40 years the bottom half of income earners have seen no income growth. Since 1973, worker productivity has grown almost six times faster than wages. 6). Wage stagnation interfaces with costs of housing.Most Americans are spending more than one-third of their income on housing, which is increasingly unaffordable. There are 11 million renter households paying more than half their income on housing. And there is no county in America where a minimum wage worker can afford a two-bedroom home. Still, only 1 in 4 eligible households receive any form of government housing assistance. 7). The majority of recipients of public benefits who do not work are primarily children, the disabled and the elderly, people who cannot or should not work. The safety net exists to rescue people during vulnerable periods. Most people who receive public benefits leave the programs within three years. 8). Many public benefits pay for themselves over time as every dollar in SNAP spending is estimated to generate more than $1.70 in economic activity. Medicaid benefits are associated with enhancing work opportunities. The earned income tax credit contributes to work rates, improves the health of recipient families and has long-term educational and earnings benefits for children. MEDICAID EXPANSION NEEDED The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the urgent need for expansion of the Medicaid health insurance program. In too many states, political decisions by state legislators to deny health insurance to thousands of their citizens has resulted in an almost non-existent social and health safety net. Decisions in 2016/2017 by 25 states to reject the expansion of Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act resulted in an estimated 7,115 and 17,104 more deaths than had all states opted in, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School and the City University of New York. The researchers found that because of the states opting out of the Medicaid expansion, 7.78 million people who would have gained coverage remained uninsured. PRIVATIZED ADMINISTRATION/MANAGED REIMBURSEMENT/CARE IN MEDICAID To worsen the situation, many states have over the last decade privatized administration of their Medicaid program into a managed care program administered by the private profit health insurance industry. The companies are paid by state government, and their profit depends on spending as little as possible on Medicaid patients. Its hard to imagine any greater disconnect between public good and private profit: the interest of private health insurance companies lies not in the obvious social good of delivering quality health care to patients but in having as few as possible treated as cheaply as possible. No better example exists of a private capitalist enterprise that feeds on the misery of man. You might think that we learned the lesson of discredited managed care in the 1990s. The term managed care is confusing to many, but really amounts to managed reimbursement rather than managed care. A set prospective annual payment is made by federal/state governments, as in the case of state Medicaid managed care, to cover whatever services patients will receive over the coming year. There is therefore a built-in incentive for managed care organizations to skimp on care and pocket more profits. ACA PROMOTES MEDICAID MANAGED CARE Unfortunately, privatized Medicaid managed care was facilitated further by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). More than one-half of Medicaid beneficiaries are now in privatized plans, which have been enacted in many states based on the unproven theory that private plans can enable access to better coordinated care and still save money. That theory is not just unproven, it is patently wrong as the state of Florida discovered. In 2016, Medicaid ate up 45.9 percent of growth in general revenue , ballooned by approval of a 7.7 percent increase in payment to private managed care plans. Privatized programs have high administrative costs, built-in profits, and do not save money or improve care. Their route to financial success is by finding more ways to limit care and deny services. Without evidence or disclosure by the private Medicaid plans business/profit interests, private HMOs claim they save the state millions annually. Shockingly, we let many state administrations get away with this illusion by forgetting that adding a profiteering middleman to manage health care delivery always adds cost, and does not lower them. The Florida and other state GOPs, for example, lobbied hard for Medicaid managed care. Using scare tactics, they claimed that more than 3 million recipients (Fla.) would receive better care and also save the state money, sternly warning the roughly $23 billion a year Medicaid bill was consuming the state budget. WHY DO WE STILL WORSHIP AT THE ALTAR OF PRIVATIZATION IN U.S. HEALTHCARE? John P. Geyman, M.D., former chair of the University of Washington Department of Family Medicine and one of the most published family physicians in the U.S., asks, Why do we still worship at the altar of privatization in U.S. health care, especially for the poor and most vulnerable among us? Several answers stand out: (1) there is a lot of money to be made by insurers operating health programs subsidized by state governments; (2) exploitive privatized programs are perpetuated by well-funded free market think tanks, their followers in Big Business, and compliant politicians responding to industry lobbyists; (3) regulations are inadequate to prevent gaming by insurers at patients expense; (4) as a society, we still dont seem to care when people have bad health outcomes and die because of failed health care policies. Wendall Potter, a New York Times bestselling author, health care and campaign finance reform advocate, and authority adds more re., privatization/profiteering: A). big Insurance revenues and profits have increased by 300% and 287% respectively since 2012 due to explosive growth in the insurance companies pharmacy benefit management (PBM) businesses and the Medicare replacement plans called Medicare Advantage. B). the for-profits now control more than 70% of the Medicare Advantage market. In 2022, Big Insurance revenues reached $1.25 trillion and profits soared to $69.3 billion. Thats a 300% increase in revenue and a 287% increase in profits from 2012, when revenue was $412.9 billion and profits were $24 billion. C). big insurers revenues have grown dramatically over the past decade, the result of consolidation in the PBM business and taxpayer-supported Medicare and Medicaid programs. D). what has changed dramatically over the decade is that the big insurers are now getting far more of their revenues from the pharmaceutical supply chain, Medicare, Medicaid and from taxpayers as they have moved aggressively into government programs. This is especially true of Humana, Centene, and Molina, which now get, respectively, 85%, 88%, and 94% of their health-plan revenues from government programs. E). the two biggest drivers are their fast-growing pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the relatively new and little-known middleman between patients and pharmaceutical drug manufacturers, and the privately owned and operated Medicare replacement plans marketed as Medicare Advantage. F). huge strides in privatizing both Medicare and Medicaid have been made. More than 90% of health-plan revenues at three of the health industry companies come from government programs as they continue to privatize both Medicare and Medicaid, through Medicare Advantage in particular. Enrollment in government-funded programs increased by 261% in 10 years. CONCLUSION US citizens should demand that private corporate HMOs be removed and banned from the administration of our public health insurance programs in all states. Privatization of Medicaid increases costs, without any corresponding increase in quality or access to care. Private insurers maximize profits by mainly limiting benefits or by not covering people with health problems. The greed of casual inhumanity is built in the business model and the common good of citizens is ignored. Excluding the poor, aged, disabled and mentally ill is sound business policy, since it maximizes profit. As long as insurance for health care remains so lucrative for private insurers, patients needs and the public interest are disregarded by health insurance profiteers. After we expand Medicaid to meet todays immediate challenges, tomorrow we need to insist that the federal government finance a nationwide, not-for-profit, Medicare for All system of universal, single-payer coverage, based on medical need and not ability to pay. This would resolve persistent problems of failed market policies, and would resolve what Martin Luther King, Jr. once described: Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane. 3.26 g/t Au over 56.9 m (Camino Rojo Sulphide Zone), 5.90 g/t AuEq over 8.5 m (Camino Rojo Deep Extension), and 61.2 g/t over 1.3 m (Regional Exploration) VANCOUVER, BC, June 22, 2023 /CNW/ - Orla Mining Ltd. (TSX: OLA) (NYSE: ORLA) ("Orla" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its exploration activities at Camino Rojo in the first half of 2023. 2023 Exploration Highlights: Camino Rojo ( Mexico ) Camino Rojo Sulphides ("Sulphides"): Infill drilling to reduce drill spacing to 25-30 metres in the Sulphides domain has continued to return high-grade gold intercepts (>2 g/t) over wide widths (>30 m). Notable results include1: Camino Rojo Sulphides Hole CRSX22-11: 2.87 g/t Au over 93.0 m incl. 3.69 g/t Au over 48.5 m Hole CRSX22-12A: 3.26 g/t Au over 56.9 m Hole CRSX22-13: 3.11 g/t Au over 34.0 m incl. 10.29 g/t Au over 5.6 m Hole CRSX22-13: 2.12 g/t Au over 43.0m incl. 2.78 g/t Au over 26.0 m Hole CRSX23-14: 2.00 g/t Au over 38.5 m Hole CRSX23-14A: 1.89 g/t Au over 63.0 m incl. 2.75 g/t Au over 31.5 m Hole CRSX23-16A: 1.62 g/t Au over 62.6 m incl. 7.72 g/t Au over 6.0 m Hole CRSX23-17A 3.18 g/t Au over 24.5 m Hole CRSX23-17A 4.18 g/t Au over 12.0 m incl. 23.7 g/t Au over 1.5m Hole CRSX23-17C: 3.16 g/t Au over 29.0 m Hole CRSX23-17C: 3.05 g/t Au over 42.0 m Camino Rojo Deep Extension ("Deep Extension"): A new style of polymetallic (Au-Ag-Zn) semi-massive to massive sulphide mineralization has been confirmed in drill holes testing below the Caracol Formation hosted Sulphides. These deeper intercepts indicate mineralization remains open at depth along and adjacent to interpreted feeder-like structures for the currently defined Camino Rojo deposit. Notable results include1: Camino Rojo Sulphides Deep Extension Hole CRSX23-15C: 5.90 g/t AuEq over 8.5 m (3.52 g/t Au, 26.2 g/t Ag, 3.64% Zn, 0.26% Cu) Hole CRSX23-15C: 7.28 g/t AuEq over 3.3 m (4.54 g/t Au, 6.7 g/t Ag, 5.49% Zn, 0.06% Cu), incl. 8.00 g/t Au, 7.6g/t Ag, 12.5% Zn, 0.11% Cu over 1.2m) Hole CRSX23-15C: 17.6 g/t AuEq over 1.5 m (15.4 g/t Au, 6.7 g/t Ag, 4.39% Zn, 0.04% Cu) Regional Exploration: Follow-up drilling at the Guanamero target area, located approximately 7 km northeast of the Camino Rojo mine along the mine structural trend, returned encouraging and narrow high-grade gold results with occurrences of visible gold (VG) in two of the seven holes completed. Notable assay results include1: Camino Rojo Regional Exploration (Guanamero) Hole CRED23-05: 0.69 g/t Au over 10.5 m incl. 4.02 g/t Au over 1.5 m (visible gold) Hole CRED23-05: 0.94 g/t Au over 3.3 m incl. 1.08 g/t Au over 1.7 m Hole CRED23-06: 61.2 g/t Au over 1.3 m (visible gold) Hole CRED23-06: 2.72 g/t Au over 1.5 m "The 2023 Camino Rojo Sulphides infill and deep extension drill programs continue to generate excellent gold intersections, including massive sulphide replacement style mineralization below the current resource. These results are exciting as they enhance future development opportunity scenarios and provide resource growth potential at depth. We have also encountered high-grade gold assays with visible gold, highlighting the prospectivity on our under-explored regional land package. We are advancing a full exploration pipeline in 2023 in an effort to upgrade and expand reserves and resources and make new discoveries." - Sylvain Guerard, Orla's Senior Vice President, Exploration 2023 Exploration: Camino Rojo ( Mexico ) Orla's 2023 Camino Rojo exploration program consists of three projects with a total budget of $22 million. Approximately 40% of the planned 34,000 metres of drilling on the Sulphides has been completed and is intended to advance the understanding of the deposit. The layback oxide extension (the "Layback Program") intends to confirm and delineate mineralization located in the oxide pit layback and allow for an update of mineral resource and reserve estimates planned in late 2023. The Layback Program, consisting of approximately 3,000 metres in 24 drillholes, was completed in late May and assay results are pending. The regional exploration drill program is testing priority regional targets in an effort to make new satellite discoveries. Approximately 30% of the planned 20,000 metres regional drilling program has been completed to date. Near Mine Exploration Results: Camino Rojo Sulphides Drill results at Camino Rojo Sulphides continue to support potential for underground development Drilling continues to intercept wide zones (>15m down-hole drill intersections) of higher-grade gold mineralization (>2g/t Au), and in conjunction with metallurgical results from the 2021 drilling (see news release dated May 9, 2022), supports the potential for underground development and a standalone processing option for the Camino Rojo Sulphides. The 2023 program is building on Orla's previous drill programs, infilling the higher-grade portions of the deposit with 50-metre spacing of south-oriented drill holes. Overall drill spacing at the end of this phase of drilling, including historical north-oriented drill holes, will be 25-30 metres. Infill drilling of the sulphide deposit will be used to update the geological model and the resource estimate for the Camino Rojo Sulphides. To date, approximately 14,000 metres of the approximately 34,000-metre drill program have been drilled. Assay results from 11 of the planned 57 holes completed in 2023 have returned 17 significant mineralized drill intercepts with a grade-by-thickness factor greater than 50 g/t gold by metre (g/t * m), including five intercepts with grade-by-thickness factor greater than 100 g/t gold by metre. Full drill results are available in the Appendix to this news release and are available at www.orlamining.com. The current open pit mineral resource estimate for the Sulphides at Camino Rojo is 74 koz of measured resource (3.358 million tonnes at 0.69 g/t gold) and 7,221 koz of indicated resources (255.445 million tonnes at 0.88 g/t gold) with an effective date of June 7, 20192. The resource estimate will be updated following completion of the 2023 drill program. The updated resource will then support studies for a potential underground development scenario. Near Mine Exploration Results: Camino Rojo Sulphides Deep Extension New style of mineralization including high grade gold and zinc intersections continue to support potential for extension of Camino Rojo Sulphides Approximately 20% of the 2023 sulphide drill program is planned to be extended, beyond the boundaries of the current open pit resource estimate, to test the down plunge continuity of gold mineralization along the steep northwest dipping Dike Structural Zone. Results from the first of these extended drill holes, CRSX23-15C, have returned high-grade gold and polymetallic intercepts, such as: 15.4 g/t Au & 4.4% Zn over 1.5 m , , 3.52 g/t Au, 26.2 g/t Ag & 3.6% Zn over 8.5 m including 6.57 g/t Au, 33.7 g/t Ag & 5.7% Zn over 1.7 m and including 6.86 g/t Au, 38.7 g/t Ag & 1.2% Zn over 1.6 m including 6.57 g/t Au, 33.7 g/t Ag & 5.7% Zn over and including 6.86 g/t Au, 38.7 g/t Ag & 1.2% Zn over and 4.54 g/t Au over 3.3 m including 8.00 g/t Au & 12.5% Zn over 1.2 m . Individual assays and composite values for deep extension intercepts in hole CRSX23-15C are provided in Table 1. High-grade, polymetallic intercepts below the currently defined Camino Rojo resource are associated with massive sulphide replacement-style mineralization of carbonate horizons interpreted to be in close proximity to interpreted feeder-like structures. Additional drilling in the Deep Extension target area through the remainder of 2023 will seek to continue defining the extent and grade of this style of mineralization down-plunge of the Camino Rojo deposit. Table 1: CRSX23-15C Camino Rojo Deep Extension intercepts. Composite and raw assay values. Hole ID From To Au g/t Ag g/t Cu ppm Zn ppm AuEq g/t Interval Composite CRSX23-15C 918.43 920 1.30 1.6 90 508 1.36 1.57 16.6m @ 2.28g/t AuEq (1.76g/t Au, 7g/t Ag, 237ppm Cu, 0.86% Zn) CRSX23-15C 920 921.5 1.92 9.1 157 23000 3.13 1.5 CRSX23-15C 921.5 923 3.97 10.4 194 16600 4.90 1.5 CRSX23-15C 923 924.5 0.63 23.1 1220 2230 1.17 1.5 CRSX23-15C 924.5 926 0.34 1.4 90 1535 0.44 1.5 CRSX23-15C 926 927.5 1.50 5.0 196 13700 2.23 1.5 CRSX23-15C 927.5 929 0.45 2.5 16 1305 0.54 1.5 CRSX23-15C 929 930.5 0.27 1.9 105 4080 0.50 1.5 CRSX23-15C 930.5 932 0.42 0.3 20 419 0.44 1.5 CRSX23-15C 932 933.5 7.37 21.6 517 31100 9.16 1.5 CRSX23-15C 933.5 935 1.19 0.7 5 541 1.22 1.5 CRSX23-15C 945.5 947 3.09 10.5 190 526 3.27 1.5 5.3m @ 2.68g/t AuEq (2g/t Au, 7.7g/t Ag, 279ppm Cu, 1.16% Zn) CRSX23-15C 947 948.5 0.16 1.3 147 568 0.22 1.5 CRSX23-15C 948.5 950.18 0.30 1.2 117 956 0.38 1.68 CRSX23-15C 950.18 950.78 8.65 34.9 1285 96900 13.80 0.6 CRSX23-15C 965.5 967 1.34 27.5 4020 30600 3.69 1.5 8.5m @ 5.90g/t AuEq (3.52g/t Au, 26.2g/t Ag, 2589ppm Cu, 3.64% Zn) CRSX23-15C 967 968 3.41 8.1 981 292 3.66 1 CRSX23-15C 968 969 0.05 1.5 65 477 0.10 1 CRSX23-15C 969 970.65 6.57 33.7 1380 56600 9.84 1.65 CRSX23-15C 970.65 972.3 1.28 30.8 1110 89400 6.06 1.65 CRSX23-15C 972.3 973.95 6.86 38.7 6480 11900 8.83 1.65 CRSX23-15C 994.5 995.35 3.16 1.7 303 14150 3.89 0.85 3.3m @ 7.28g/t AuEq (4.54g/t Au, 6.7g/t Ag, 587ppm Cu, 5.49% Zn) CRSX23-15C 995.35 996.55 8.00 7.6 1120 125000 14.12 1.2 CRSX23-15C 996.55 997.75 2.05 9.4 254 13650 2.84 1.2 CRSX23-15C 1026 1027.5 2.27 10.0 520 679 2.49 1.5 1.5m @ 2.49g/t AuEq (2.27g/t Au, 10g/t Ag, 520ppm Cu, 679ppm Zn) CRSX23-15C 1048.5 1050 15.35 6.7 385 43900 17.55 1.5 1.5m @ 17.55g/t AuEq (15.35g/t Au, 6.7g/t Ag, 385ppm Cu, 4.39% Zn) In addition to extending drill holes as part of the Sulphides drill program, the Company plans to drill approximately 2,300 metres in four additional directional drill holes in the second half of the year. This additional drilling section will follow-up on a historical intercept of 4.04 g/t Au over 46.5 m, incl. 27 m at 6.26 g/t Au (and incl. 7.5 m at 15.8 g/t Au, 36.5 g/t Ag, 5.7% Zn) in hole CR12-366D, approximately 250 metres down-plunge of the most recent deep intercept in hole CRSX23-15C. Mineralization intersected in hole CRSX23-15C and in historical intercepts consist mostly of semi-massive to massive sulphide replacement-style mineralization within the Indidura and Cuesta del Cura formations. This new style of sulphide replacement mineralization below the current boundaries of the open pit resource estimate may represent an opportunity to expand an underground sulphide resource at Camino Rojo. The 2023 Camino Rojo Sulphides drill program will continue into the second half of the year, providing crucial information to support evaluation of the potential for underground development and a standalone processing option for the Camino Rojo Sulphides as well as continuing to provide critical information to evaluate the potential extension of the Camino Rojo deposit at depth. Near Mine Exploration Results: Layback Program The Company began drilling in the oxide pit layback in late April to confirm and delineate mineralization on the Fresnillo Plc ("Fresnillo") property, located immediately north of and adjacent to the Camino Rojo Oxide Mine open pit. While historical drilling indicates that mineralization continues across the property boundary onto the Fresnillo layback area, no ounces from this area are currently included in the Camino Rojo mineral resource and mineral reserve estimate. The Layback Program, consisting of approximately 3,000 metres in 24 drillholes, was completed in late May. Results of the Layback Program will be included in an update of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates planned in late 2023. Assay results are pending. Regional Exploration Program Results Orla's first diamond drill core hole outside the Camino Rojo deposit returned 0.54 g/t Au over 7.10 m and 1.35 g/t Au over 2.35 m (previously reported, see news release dated January 31, 2023) at the Guanamero target. Follow-up drilling in 2023 has been positive with two of the seven drill holes completed returning visible gold and associated significant results, such as 61.2 g/t Au over 1.3 m and 0.69 g/t Au over 10.5 m incl. 4.02 g/t Au over 1.5 m. Full drill results are available in the Appendix to this news release and are available at www.orlamining.com. Results from this most recent drilling at Guanamero suggest gold mineralization extends and plunges moderately to the southwest, similar to the plunge of mineralization at the Camino Rojo deposit. Additional follow-up drilling to test the southwest plunge of mineralization at Guanamero is planned for 2023, along with drilling at other regional targets. 2023 Exploration Plans & Strategy: Camino Rojo (Mexico) Mexico Exploration 2023 Program Drilling Planned Spend Camino Rojo Sulphides Drilling (capitalized) Infilling sulphides and other near-mine drilling 34,000 m DD sulphides (20% deep extension) 6,500 m DD oxides $16m Camino Rojo Layback Program (capitalized) Infill on oxide mine layback area 3,000 m DD $2m Camino Rojo Regional Exploration (expensed) Target drill testing and target definition 15,000-20,000 m RC 2,000-5,000 m DD +Geophysical & geochemical surveys $4m Total Mexico Exploration $22m Qualified Persons Statement The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Sylvain Guerard, P Geo., SVP Exploration of the Company, who is the Qualified Person as defined under the definitions of National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"). To verify the information related to the 2022 and 2023 drilling programs at the Camino Rojo property, Mr. Guerard has visited the property in the past year; discussed logging, sampling, and sample shipping processes with responsible site staff; discussed and reviewed assay and QA/QC results with responsible personnel; and reviewed supporting documentation, including drill hole location and orientation and significant assay interval calculations. Quality Assurance / Quality Control 2022 and 2023 Drill Programs All gold results at Camino Rojo were obtained by ALS Minerals (Au-AA23) using fire assay fusion and an atomic absorption spectroscopy finish. All samples are also analyzed for multi-elements, including silver, copper, lead and zinc using a four-acid digestion with ICP-AES finish (ME-ICP61) method at ALS Laboratories in Canada. If samples were returned with gold values in excess of 10 ppm or base metal values in excess of 1% by ICP analysis, samples are re-run with gold (Au-GRA21) by fire assay and gravimetric finish or base metal by (OG62) four acid overlimit methods. Drill program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control and interpretation of results were performed by qualified persons employing a Quality Assurance/Quality Control program consistent with NI 43-101 and industry best practices. Standards were inserted at a frequency of one in every 50 samples, and blanks were inserted at a frequency of one in every 50 samples for Quality Assurance/Quality Control purposes by the Company as well as the lab. ALS Laboratories is independent of Orla. There are no known drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the drilling data at Camino Rojo. For additional informaiton on the Company's previoulsy reported drill results, see the Company's press releases dated February 4, 2021 (Orla Mining Provides Exploration Update), September 12, 2022 (Orla Mining Advances Exploration & Growth Pipeline) and January 31, 2023 (Orla Mining Continues to Intersect Wide, Higher-Grade Sulphide Zones and Expose Deeper Potential at Camino Rojo, Mexico). Historical drill results at Camino Rojo were completed by Goldcorp. Inc. ("Goldcorp"), a prior owner of the project. The Company's independent qualified person, Independent Mining Consultants, Inc. was of the opinion that the drilling and sampling procedures for Camino Rojo drill samples by Goldcorp (and prior to its acquisition by Goldcorp, Canplats Resources Corporation) were reasonable and adequate for the purposes of the Camino Rojo Report, and that the Goldcorp QA/QC program met or exceeded industry standards. See the Camino Rojo Report for additional information. About Orla Mining Ltd. Orla is operating the Camino Rojo Oxide Gold Mine, a gold and silver open-pit and heap leach mine, located in Zacatecas State, Mexico. The property is 100% owned by Orla and covers over 160,000 hectares. The technical report for the 2021 Feasibility Study on the Camino Rojo oxide gold project entitled "Unconstrained Feasibility Study NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Camino Rojo Gold Project Municipality of Mazapil, Zacatecas, Mexico" dated January 11, 2021 (the "Camino Rojo Report"), is available on SEDAR and EDGAR under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively. Orla also owns 100% of Cerro Quema located in Panama which includes a gold production scenario and various exploration targets. Cerro Quema is a proposed open pit mine and gold heap leach operation. The technical report for the Pre-Feasibility Study on the Cerro Quema oxide gold project entitled "Project Pre-Feasibility Updated NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Cerro Quema Project, Province of Los Santos, Panama" dated January 18, 2022, is available on SEDAR and EDGAR under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively. Orla also owns 100% of the South Railroad Project, a feasibility-stage, open pit, heap leach project located on the Carlin trend in Nevada. The technical report for the 2022 Feasibility Study entitled "South Railroad Project, Form 43-101F1 Technical Report Feasibility Study, Elko County, Nevada" dated March 23, 2022, is available on SEDAR and EDGAR under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov, respectively. The technical reports are available on Orla's website at www.orlamining.com. Forward-looking Statements This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the United States Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, or in releases made by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, all as may be amended from time to time, including, without limitation, statements regarding: the potential mineralization at Camino Rojo based on the 2023 drill program, including the potential for reserve expansion of the oxide pit at Camino Rojo, the deep extension of the Camino Rojo Sulphides and the potential for additional regional discoveries; the timing of updated resource and reserve estimates; the potential underground development scenario for the Camino Rojo Sulphides; and other statements regarding the Company's 2023 drill program, including the expected expenditures, timing, benefits, and results thereof. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts which address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements were made, including without limitation, assumptions regarding: the future price of gold, silver, and copper; anticipated costs and the Company's ability to fund its programs; the Company's ability to carry on exploration, development, and mining activities; tonnage of ore to be mined and processed; ore grades and recoveries; decommissioning and reclamation estimates; the Company's ability to secure and to meet obligations under property agreements, including the layback agreement with Fresnillo plc; that all conditions of the Company's credit facility will be met; the timing and results of drilling programs; mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates and the assumptions on which they are based; the discovery of mineral resources and mineral reserves on the Company's mineral properties; that political and legal developments will be consistent with current expectations; the timely receipt of required approvals and permits, including those approvals and permits required for successful project permitting, construction, and operation of projects; the timing of cash flows; the costs of operating and exploration expenditures; the Company's ability to operate in a safe, efficient, and effective manner; the Company's ability to obtain financing as and when required and on reasonable terms; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; and that there will be no material adverse change or disruptions affecting the Company or its properties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements involve significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These risks include, but are not limited to: uncertainty and variations in the estimation of mineral resources and mineral reserves; the Company's dependence on the Camino Rojo oxide mine; risks related to the Company's indebtedness; risks related to exploration, development, and operation activities; risks related to natural disasters, terrorist acts, health crises, and other disruptions and dislocations, including the COVID-19 pandemic; foreign country and political risks, including risks relating to foreign operations and expropriation or nationalization of mining operations; concession risks at the Cerro Quema project; delays in obtaining or failure to obtain governmental permits, or non-compliance with permits; environmental and other regulatory requirements; delays in or failures to enter into a subsequent agreement with Fresnillo plc with respect to accessing certain additional portions of the mineral resource at the Camino Rojo project and to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals related thereto; the mineral resource estimations for the Camino Rojo project being only estimates and relying on certain assumptions; loss of, delays in, or failure to get access from surface rights owners; uncertainties related to title to mineral properties; water rights; financing risks and access to additional capital; risks related to guidance estimates and uncertainties inherent in the preparation of feasibility and pre-feasibility studies; uncertainty in estimates of production, capital, and operating costs and potential production and cost overruns; the fluctuating price of gold, silver, and copper; unknown labilities in connection with acquisitions; global financial conditions; uninsured risks; climate change risks; competition from other companies and individuals; conflicts of interest; risks related to compliance with anti-corruption laws; volatility in the market price of the Company's securities; assessments by taxation authorities in multiple jurisdictions; foreign currency fluctuations; the Company's limited operating history; litigation risks; the Company's ability to identify, complete, and successfully integrate acquisitions; intervention by non-governmental organizations; outside contractor risks; risks related to historical data; the Company not having paid a dividend; risks related to the Company's foreign subsidiaries; risks related to the Company's accounting policies and internal controls; the Company's ability to satisfy the requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; enforcement of civil liabilities; the Company's status as a passive foreign investment company for U.S. federal income tax purposes; information and cyber security; gold industry concentration; shareholder activism; and risks associated with executing the Company's objectives and strategies; as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion and analysis, as well as its annual information form dated March 20, 2023, which are available on www.sedar.com and www.sec.gov. Except as required by the securities disclosure laws and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Cautionary Note to U.S. Readers This news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian standards for the reporting of mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates, which differ from the previous and current standards of the United States securities laws. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the terms "mineral reserve", "proven mineral reserve", "probable mineral reserve", "inferred mineral resources,", "indicated mineral resources," "measured mineral resources" and "mineral resources" used or referenced herein and the documents incorporated by reference herein, as applicable, are Canadian mineral disclosure terms as defined in accordance with Canadian National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council, as amended (the "CIM Definition Standards"). For United States reporting purposes, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") has adopted amendments to its disclosure rules (the "SEC Modernization Rules") to modernize the mining property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the Exchange Act, which became effective February 25, 2019. The SEC Modernization Rules more closely align the SEC's disclosure requirements and policies for mining properties with current industry and global regulatory practices and standards, including NI 43-101, and replace the historical property disclosure requirements for mining registrants that were included in SEC Industry Guide 7. Issuers were required to comply with the SEC Modernization Rules in their first fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 2021. As a foreign private issuer that is eligible to file reports with the SEC pursuant to the multi-jurisdictional disclosure system, the Corporation is not required to provide disclosure on its mineral properties under the SEC Modernization Rules and will continue to provide disclosure under NI 43-101 and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, mineral reserve and mineral resource information contained or incorporated by reference herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by United States companies subject to the United States federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC now recognizes estimates of "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources." In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of "proven mineral reserves" and "probable mineral reserves" to be "substantially similar" to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards that are required under NI 43-101. While the SEC will now recognize "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources", U.S. investors should not assume that all or any part of the mineralization in these categories will be converted into a higher category of mineral resources or into mineral reserves without further work and analysis. Mineralization described using these terms has a greater amount of uncertainty as to its existence and feasibility than mineralization that has been characterized as reserves. Accordingly, U.S. investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any measured mineral resources, indicated mineral resources, or inferred mineral resources that the Company reports are or will be economically or legally mineable without further work and analysis. Further, "inferred mineral resources" have a greater amount of uncertainty and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. Therefore, U.S. investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of inferred mineral resources will be upgraded to a higher category without further work and analysis. Under Canadian securities laws, estimates of "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. While the above terms are "substantially similar" to CIM Definitions, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Definition Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any mineral reserves or mineral resources that the Company may report as "proven mineral reserves", "probable mineral reserves", "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the reserve or resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules or under the prior standards of SEC Industry Guide 7. Appendix: Drill Results Table 1: Camino Rojo Near Mine Sulphide Composite Drill Results (Composites 1g/t Au cog) HOLE-ID From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) Estimated True Width (m) Au g/t Ag g/t Cu ppm Zn ppm AuEq g/t (Au+Ag+Cu+Zn) Au GXM AuEq GXM Including 2.0g/t Au COG Including 10g/t Au HG Litho CRSX22-11 227.00 228.60 1.6 1.3 1.25 4.3 25 739 1.33 1.99 2.14 Caracol CRSX22-11 284.00 285.50 1.5 1.2 3.27 17.6 89 1460 3.56 4.91 5.34 1.5m @ 3.27g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-11 296.00 297.50 1.5 1.2 1.04 6.6 79 2410 1.24 1.55 1.86 Caracol CRSX22-11 303.50 306.50 3.0 2.4 1.21 4.3 42 1703 1.34 3.62 4.03 Caracol CRSX22-11 314.00 318.50 4.5 3.7 1.03 20.4 136 3494 1.46 4.65 6.57 Caracol CRSX22-11 342.50 355.90 13.4 10.9 2.50 29.0 201 9839 3.34 33.54 44.78 9.6m @ 3.21g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-11 363.50 456.50 93.0 71.2 2.87 18.5 163 6748 3.43 267.05 319.33 4.5m @ 2.65g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.12g/t Au 1.4m @ 3.48g/t Au 48.5m @ 3.69g/t Au 9m @ 4.75g/t Au 1.5m @ 30.8g/t Au 1.5m @ 22.6g/t Au 363.5 - 363.61 Caracol 363.61 - 364 Breccia 364 - 375 Caracol 375 - 377.6 Breccia 377.6 - 405.02 Caracol 405.02 - 418.15 FG Intrusives - hdb-bi-pl 418.15 - 456.5 Caracol CRSX22-11 473.00 497.00 24.0 19.3 1.50 9.4 111 4953 1.86 35.89 44.54 3m @ 3.46g/t Au 1.5m @ 7.4g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-12A 303.00 304.50 1.5 1.1 1.54 4.2 41 168 1.60 2.31 2.41 Caracol CRSX22-12A 319.50 321.00 1.5 1.1 4.95 11.9 44 332 5.11 7.43 7.67 1.5m @ 4.95g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-12A 328.50 337.50 9.0 6.7 1.43 20.6 90 3657 1.86 12.89 16.77 1.5m @ 2.66g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-12A 345.00 346.50 1.5 1.1 1.36 14.9 70 1395 1.61 2.03 2.41 Caracol CRSX22-12A 364.50 392.00 27.5 20.4 1.06 18.1 158 3476 1.46 29.08 40.14 1.5m @ 3.28g/t Au 1m @ 9.06g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-12A 399.50 401.00 1.5 1.1 2.45 5.1 55 10000 2.99 3.68 4.48 1.5m @ 2.45g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-12A 414.50 416.00 1.5 1.1 4.07 37.3 244 7960 4.93 6.11 7.39 1.5m @ 4.07g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-12A 426.50 429.50 3.0 2.2 2.95 6.3 88 2990 3.17 8.84 9.52 3m @ 2.94g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-12A 437.75 494.60 56.9 41.9 3.26 13.2 307 6238 3.75 185.18 213.28 56.85m @ 3.26g/t Au 1.6m @ 10.4g/t Au 1.7m @ 15.5g/t Au 437.75 - 473 Caracol 473 - 474.5 FG Intrusives - hdb-bi-pl 474.5 - 494.6 Caracol CRSX22-12A 502.70 513.00 10.3 7.6 1.52 5.8 104 1207 1.66 15.64 17.09 1.5m @ 3.92g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.05g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-12A 526.80 528.50 1.7 1.2 6.44 34.9 603 6940 7.27 10.95 12.36 1.7m @ 6.44g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-12A 538.00 539.00 1.0 0.8 2.49 8.6 209 26700 3.88 2.49 3.88 Caracol CRSX22-13 307.50 313.65 6.1 4.7 1.01 5.0 41 272 1.09 6.19 6.68 Breccia CRSX22-13 319.50 322.50 3.0 2.3 2.21 9.3 33 677 2.35 6.62 7.06 1.5m @ 3.33g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-13 340.50 342.00 1.5 1.1 1.19 2.6 34 142 1.23 1.78 1.84 Caracol CRSX22-13 394.00 398.50 4.5 3.4 1.24 25.9 142 6857 1.89 5.59 8.53 Caracol CRSX22-13 424.00 441.00 17.0 13.0 1.49 8.0 76 2620 1.71 25.25 29.15 1.5m @ 2.37g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.5g/t Au 6.5m @ 2.15g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-13 450.00 484.00 34.0 25.9 3.11 13.2 192 3740 3.47 105.65 117.90 16m @ 2.14g/t Au 5.6m @ 10.29g/t Au 1.7m @ 32.4g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-13 493.00 536.00 43.0 32.7 2.12 6.7 167 4154 2.42 91.31 104.15 1.5m @ 3.8g/t Au 26m @ 2.78g/t Au 1.5m @ 13.3g/t Au 493 - 517.9 Caracol 517.9 - 520.9 FG Intrusives - hdb-bi-pl 520.9 - 536 Caracol CRSX22-13 548.00 579.90 31.9 24.2 2.11 13.4 336 5054 2.55 67.21 81.40 25.9m @ 2.33g/t Au Caracol CRSX22-13 587.50 588.75 1.3 0.9 1.43 9.4 246 3610 1.74 1.78 2.18 Caracol CRSX22-13 592.15 593.50 1.4 1.0 1.14 8.6 154 4700 1.49 1.54 2.01 Caracol CRSX22-13 598.50 600.00 1.5 1.1 2.75 4.7 186 2380 2.94 4.13 4.42 1.5m @ 2.75g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.75g/t Au Porph Intrusives - hdb-bi-pl CRSX22-13 613.90 616.90 3.0 2.3 1.27 20.4 269 7303 1.89 3.81 5.68 Caracol CRSX23-14 409.00 410.50 1.5 1.0 3.50 26.0 39 597 3.85 5.25 5.77 1.5m @ 3.5g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-14 440.40 476.00 35.6 23.3 1.74 10.9 96 2683 2.01 61.86 71.48 1.2m @ 3.44g/t Au 1.5m @ 3.21g/t Au 18m @ 2.64g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-14 483.50 494.00 10.5 6.8 1.25 7.2 78 2734 1.48 13.15 15.52 1.5m @ 3.69g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-14 509.00 547.50 38.5 25.0 2.00 11.3 166 4673 2.38 76.99 91.55 1.5m @ 2.78g/t Au 4m @ 2.58g/t Au 6m @ 2.34g/t Au 4.5m @ 6.06g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-14 565.50 567.00 1.5 1.0 1.45 14.4 175 1020 1.69 2.18 2.54 Caracol CRSX23-14 585.00 588.00 3.0 2.0 1.73 6.5 243 2510 1.96 5.20 5.89 1.5m @ 2.01g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-14 625.00 626.50 1.5 1.0 1.42 4.2 174 2020 1.59 2.13 2.38 Caracol CRSX23-14 631.00 632.50 1.5 1.0 1.69 22.6 612 29300 3.42 2.53 5.13 Caracol CRSX23-14 637.00 638.50 1.5 1.0 1.42 16.7 242 10050 2.13 2.13 3.19 Caracol CRSX23-14A 377.50 379.00 1.5 1.1 1.53 2.3 48 1205 1.62 2.29 2.42 Caracol CRSX23-14A 397.00 460.00 63.0 47.4 1.89 10.4 97 3463 2.19 119.02 137.96 31.5m @ 2.75g/t Au 1.5m @ 4.88g/t Au 1.5m @ 3.07g/t Au 1.5m @ 20.1g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-14A 472.00 475.00 3.0 2.2 1.08 5.7 143 2690 1.30 3.25 3.89 Caracol CRSX23-14A 492.00 544.50 52.5 39.2 1.31 5.8 124 1211 1.45 68.58 76.10 1.5m @ 2.22g/t Au 3.4m @ 7.23g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.65g/t Au 1.1m @ 17.1g/t Au 492 - 519.2 Caracol 519.2 - 522.15 Breccia 522.15 - 544.5 Caracol CRSX23-15 532.50 560.00 27.5 17.5 1.84 16.7 89 3046 2.20 50.67 60.45 1.5m @ 2.23g/t Au 3.4m @ 8.07g/t Au 1.95m @ 11.16g/t Au 532.5 - 543.1 Caracol 543.1 - 545.15 Breccia 545.15 - 560 Caracol CRSX23-15 577.50 600.50 23.0 14.5 2.35 6.1 89 3108 2.58 54.03 59.35 7.5m @ 2.82g/t Au 3m @ 7.22g/t Au 577.5 - 586.45 Caracol 586.45 - 588.85 Breccia 588.85 - 600.5 Caracol CRSX23-15 608.00 620.00 12.0 7.6 5.09 14.4 160 2542 5.41 61.12 64.89 8.9m @ 6.37g/t Au 0.5m @ 62.1g/t Au 608 - 614 Caracol 614 - 616.9 Breccia 616.9 - 620 Caracol CRSX23-15 629.00 630.50 1.5 0.9 11.20 8.8 31 39 11.31 16.80 16.97 1.5m @ 11.2g/t Au 1.5m @ 11.2g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-15 693.50 695.00 1.5 0.9 5.41 4.8 34 111 5.48 8.12 8.22 1.5m @ 5.41g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-15C 521.00 524.00 3.0 2.3 1.43 13.9 130 3005 1.76 4.29 5.27 Caracol CRSX23-15C 534.50 563.50 29.0 22.1 2.04 11.8 147 3177 2.35 59.09 68.10 7.5m @ 2.49g/t Au 9.5m @ 3.69g/t Au 1m @ 18.95g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-15C 584.50 590.50 6.0 4.6 3.21 12.4 201 3189 3.54 19.26 21.22 4.5m @ 3.81g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-15C 598.00 608.50 10.5 8.0 2.92 10.3 199 3136 3.21 30.62 33.75 10.5m @ 2.92g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-15C 625.00 626.50 1.5 1.1 4.49 5.0 169 82 4.58 6.74 6.87 1.5m @ 4.49g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-15C 637.00 638.50 1.5 1.1 1.76 8.2 52 370 1.88 2.63 2.82 Caracol CRSX23-15C 683.90 685.65 1.8 1.3 1.63 2.5 116 34 1.68 2.85 2.94 Caracol CRSX23-15C 710.50 724.00 13.5 10.2 1.53 6.4 141 3131 1.78 20.69 23.97 6m @ 2.33g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.74g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-15C 736.00 764.50 28.5 21.6 2.65 6.9 178 1781 2.84 75.51 80.96 15m @ 4.22g/t Au 1.5m @ 10.3g/t Au 736 - 759.8 Caracol 759.8 - 764.5 Indidura CRSX23-15C 775.00 776.50 1.5 1.1 4.43 36.1 343 15400 5.63 6.65 8.45 1.5m @ 4.43g/t Au Indidura CRSX23-15C 803.00 804.50 1.5 1.1 4.85 18.6 475 6740 5.46 7.28 8.18 1.5m @ 4.85g/t Au Indidura CRSX23-15C 819.50 821.00 1.5 1.1 1.54 12.3 794 3730 1.97 2.31 2.96 Indidura CRSX23-15C 842.00 846.50 4.5 3.4 1.09 10.6 480 407 1.30 4.90 5.86 Indidura CRSX23-15C 851.00 852.50 1.5 1.1 1.87 1.4 109 130 1.91 2.81 2.86 Indidura CRSX23-15C 870.50 876.50 6.0 4.5 1.06 11.1 444 4139 1.45 6.37 8.70 1.5m @ 2.4g/t Au Indidura CRSX23-15C 890.00 893.00 3.0 2.2 1.44 1.2 72 270 1.47 4.31 4.41 Indidura CRSX23-15C 918.43 935.00 16.6 13.7 1.76 7.0 237 8604 2.28 29.10 37.74 1.5m @ 3.97g/t Au 1.5m @ 7.37g/t Au Cuesta de Cura CRSX23-15C 945.50 950.78 5.3 4.4 2.00 7.7 279 11626 2.68 10.57 14.14 5.28m @ 2g/t Au Cuesta de Cura CRSX23-15C 965.50 973.95 8.5 7.0 3.52 26.2 2589 36356 5.90 29.74 49.84 6.95m @ 3.99g/t Au Cuesta de Cura CRSX23-15C 994.50 997.75 3.3 2.7 4.54 6.7 587 54895 7.28 14.75 23.66 3.25m @ 4.54g/t Au Cuesta de Cura CRSX23-15C 1026.00 1027.50 1.5 1.2 2.27 10.0 520 679 2.49 3.41 3.74 1.5m @ 2.27g/t Au Cuesta de Cura CRSX23-15C 1048.50 1050.00 1.5 1.2 15.35 6.7 385 43900 17.55 23.03 26.32 1.5m @ 15.35g/t Au 1.5m @ 15.35g/t Au Cuesta de Cura CRSX23-16 473.50 509.00 35.5 24.2 1.10 7.1 73 2839 1.32 38.90 47.03 1.5m @ 2.11g/t Au 4.5m @ 2.34g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-16 516.50 555.50 39.0 26.6 2.10 8.5 128 3774 2.40 81.89 93.48 18m @ 2.38g/t Au 6m @ 3.63g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-16 566.00 572.00 6.0 4.1 1.17 5.6 117 2005 1.35 7.05 8.11 Caracol CRSX23-16 584.00 618.50 34.5 23.6 1.07 5.4 144 2907 1.29 37.06 44.68 4.5m @ 2.36g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.02g/t Au 1.5m @ 3.53g/t Au 1.5m @ 3.09g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-16 626.00 628.05 2.0 1.4 1.69 5.4 258 10615 2.29 3.47 4.70 Caracol CRSX23-16 634.10 634.85 0.8 0.5 3.59 80.6 1170 91700 9.03 2.69 6.77 Indidura CRSX23-16A 423.00 424.50 1.5 1.1 2.58 26.3 122 1500 2.98 3.87 4.47 1.5m @ 2.58g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-16A 431.90 494.50 62.6 47.4 1.62 6.9 81 2046 1.81 101.45 113.35 6m @ 7.72g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.14g/t Au 0.9m @ 6g/t Au 1.5m @ 18.05g/t Au 1.5m @ 10.95g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-16A 506.50 522.00 15.5 11.4 1.02 8.2 133 5341 1.39 15.83 21.53 1.55m @ 2.13g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-16A 532.50 535.50 3.0 2.2 2.29 15.3 273 23170 3.60 6.86 10.79 1.5m @ 3.17g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-16A 546.25 561.40 15.2 11.1 1.13 7.7 166 2700 1.37 17.14 20.80 1.85m @ 2.7g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.34g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-16A 573.50 575.00 1.5 1.1 1.31 2.8 140 7200 1.70 1.97 2.55 Caracol CRSX23-16A 592.00 595.00 3.0 2.2 1.41 13.5 122 2990 1.73 4.24 5.19 Caracol CRSX23-16A 601.50 606.00 4.5 3.3 1.89 3.9 125 2641 2.08 8.49 9.34 1.5m @ 3.43g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17A 478.00 479.50 1.5 1.4 1.46 27.6 166 5040 2.05 2.19 3.08 Caracol CRSX23-17A 485.50 497.50 12.0 11.2 1.04 18.2 85 2382 1.38 12.42 16.52 Caracol CRSX23-17A 502.00 526.50 24.5 22.8 3.18 10.3 134 3432 3.49 78.01 85.44 15.5m @ 4.67g/t Au 0.65m @ 51.2g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17A 537.00 538.50 1.5 1.4 1.18 2.8 81 1625 1.30 1.77 1.95 Caracol CRSX23-17A 546.00 562.50 16.5 15.3 1.92 7.8 131 5263 2.28 31.66 37.57 13.5m @ 2.05g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17A 570.00 583.00 13.0 12.0 2.14 7.7 123 4320 2.45 27.80 31.86 7m @ 3.15g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17A 593.50 616.50 23.0 21.2 2.18 4.5 112 1236 2.31 50.17 53.12 20m @ 2.32g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17A 627.96 646.50 18.5 17.1 1.47 6.0 182 2842 1.70 27.28 31.56 7.5m @ 2.51g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17A 664.50 684.00 19.5 18.0 1.72 9.7 169 1777 1.94 33.50 37.84 9m @ 2.25g/t Au 1.5m @ 3.43g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17A 693.00 706.50 13.5 12.4 1.17 19.3 263 3658 1.61 15.80 21.73 1.5m @ 4.44g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17A 724.20 733.50 9.3 8.6 1.94 26.4 366 2655 2.43 18.00 22.58 4.8m @ 3.1g/t Au 724.2 - 727.75 FG Intrusives - hdb-bi-pl 727.75 - 733.5 Caracol CRSX23-17A 741.00 742.50 1.5 1.4 2.28 13.3 224 3090 2.62 3.42 3.92 1.5m @ 2.28g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17A 754.50 766.50 12.0 11.0 4.18 41.0 254 4167 4.91 50.21 58.88 12m @ 4.18g/t Au 1.5m @ 23.7g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17B 445.20 446.50 1.3 1.1 1.69 12.5 106 1980 1.94 2.19 2.53 Breccia CRSX23-17B 460.00 461.50 1.5 1.3 1.40 3.1 40 103 1.45 2.10 2.17 Caracol CRSX23-17B 475.00 478.00 3.0 2.6 2.36 51.0 190 7195 3.33 7.07 9.99 1.5m @ 3.43g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17B 486.50 488.40 1.9 1.6 3.27 72.8 233 10137 4.66 6.22 8.85 1.9m @ 3.27g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17B 505.00 527.50 22.5 19.2 1.81 4.6 130 2971 2.02 40.74 45.53 4.5m @ 2.28g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.08g/t Au 6m @ 3.55g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17B 538.00 545.50 7.5 6.4 1.17 9.7 123 3516 1.47 8.79 11.02 1.5m @ 2.46g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17B 559.00 569.50 10.5 8.9 4.38 18.8 143 1714 4.71 46.01 49.44 10.5m @ 4.38g/t Au 1.5m @ 16.95g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17B 595.00 596.50 1.5 1.3 1.31 1.2 62 192 1.34 1.97 2.01 Caracol CRSX23-17B 602.50 604.00 1.5 1.3 1.37 5.0 181 1410 1.52 2.06 2.28 Caracol CRSX23-17B 611.50 638.50 27.0 22.8 2.59 4.5 148 2551 2.78 69.90 75.13 27m @ 2.59g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17B 674.50 676.00 1.5 1.3 1.87 1.6 44 2360 2.00 2.80 3.00 Caracol CRSX23-17B 686.50 688.00 1.5 1.3 3.27 7.9 221 2370 3.51 4.91 5.26 1.5m @ 3.27g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17B 697.00 708.40 11.4 9.6 2.15 30.3 437 8490 2.97 24.46 33.84 9.9m @ 2.3g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17B 716.73 719.00 2.3 1.9 1.19 27.2 668 3051 1.76 2.71 3.99 Caracol CRSX23-17B 726.50 731.00 4.5 3.8 1.55 23.9 370 4470 2.09 6.95 9.42 1.5m @ 2.11g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.42g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17B 737.00 738.50 1.5 1.3 1.06 35.0 215 1810 1.59 1.58 2.38 Caracol CRSX23-17B 760.50 762.00 1.5 1.3 1.58 11.0 352 3320 1.91 2.36 2.87 Porph Intrusives - hdb-bi-pl CRSX23-17C 475.60 475.95 0.3 0.3 4.31 28.0 393 554 4.73 1.51 1.65 Caracol CRSX23-17C 495.50 524.50 29.0 24.8 3.16 17.3 140 3552 3.56 91.77 103.19 24.5m @ 3.57g/t Au 0.65m @ 16.1g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17C 536.50 578.50 42.0 33.3 3.05 4.2 99 1901 3.21 128.31 134.76 34.5m @ 3.48g/t Au 1.5m @ 16.4g/t Au 1.5m @ 11.75g/t Au 1.5m @ 25.6g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17C 590.50 598.00 7.5 5.9 1.20 6.0 160 3907 1.48 9.03 11.11 1.5m @ 2.07g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17C 605.50 608.50 3.0 2.4 2.31 6.5 178 2593 2.53 6.92 7.59 1.5m @ 2.89g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17C 620.50 628.00 7.5 5.9 1.17 2.1 85 1562 1.28 8.76 9.59 1.5m @ 3.36g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17C 650.50 652.00 1.5 1.2 2.64 3.7 47 512 2.71 3.96 4.07 1.5m @ 2.64g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-17C 667.00 668.50 1.5 1.2 1.01 1.0 36 70 1.03 1.51 1.54 Caracol CRSX23-17C 683.50 685.00 1.5 1.2 1.75 6.3 121 5890 2.11 2.62 3.17 Caracol CRSX23-17C 695.50 697.00 1.5 1.2 1.65 5.3 143 3360 1.89 2.48 2.84 Caracol CRSX23-17C 709.00 710.50 1.5 1.2 1.46 4.4 285 980 1.60 2.19 2.40 Caracol CRSX23-17C 730.00 731.50 1.5 1.2 2.66 12.3 346 3800 3.03 3.99 4.55 1.5m @ 2.66g/t Au Indidura CRSX23-17C 734.50 736.00 1.5 1.2 1.03 8.9 331 6270 1.47 1.54 2.21 Indidura CRSX23-17C 739.00 739.60 0.6 0.5 3.07 108.0 935 5350 4.75 1.84 2.85 Indidura CRSX23-17C 754.50 756.00 1.5 1.2 1.31 7.0 462 6160 1.74 1.96 2.61 Indidura CRSX23-17C 773.70 774.20 0.5 0.4 4.22 83.6 6230 14900 6.78 2.11 3.39 Indidura CRSX23-17C 780.90 781.90 1.0 0.8 2.28 30.4 909 20900 3.75 2.28 3.75 Indidura CRSX23-17C 791.00 792.50 1.5 1.2 1.27 8.3 271 1070 1.45 1.90 2.18 Indidura CRSX23-17C 798.50 800.00 1.5 1.2 3.46 81.9 1570 13300 5.28 5.19 7.93 1.5m @ 3.46g/t Au Indidura CRSX23-17C 815.00 816.70 1.7 1.3 10.55 8.4 232 2380 10.79 17.94 18.35 1.7m @ 10.55g/t Au 1.7m @ 10.55g/t Au Porph Intrusives - hdb-bi-pl CRSX23-17C 825.70 853.00 27.3 21.9 1.89 8.8 641 5903 2.36 51.65 64.52 1.5m @ 3.01g/t Au 5.05m @ 5.49g/t Au 1m @ 20.2g/t Au Indidura CRSX23-18 448.50 450.00 1.5 1.0 3.83 59.0 209 5540 4.83 5.75 7.24 1.5m @ 3.83g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-18 457.50 472.50 15.0 9.9 1.59 27.1 146 3835 2.11 23.81 31.69 1.5m @ 3.86g/t Au 3m @ 2.82g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-18 484.50 486.00 1.5 1.0 1.75 6.5 76 3970 2.02 2.62 3.03 Caracol CRSX23-18 489.00 507.00 18.0 11.8 1.16 2.7 54 2206 1.30 20.84 23.42 1.5m @ 5.19g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.32g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-18 531.00 552.00 21.0 13.6 2.21 8.7 142 4755 2.55 46.33 53.62 10.5m @ 3.67g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-18 562.50 586.50 24.0 15.5 1.89 5.7 180 3578 2.15 45.43 51.72 3.05m @ 9.1g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.8g/t Au 1.55m @ 10.15g/t Au 562.5 - 564.3 Caracol 564.3 - 566.95 Breccia 566.95 - 586.5 Caracol CRSX23-18 622.50 627.00 4.5 2.9 2.81 3.4 220 2579 3.00 12.65 13.51 1.5m @ 6.86g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-18 636.00 651.00 15.0 9.6 1.60 10.5 216 1283 1.81 23.94 27.17 6m @ 2.55g/t Au Indidura CRSX23-18 673.00 681.50 8.5 8.2 2.88 19.7 279 8014 3.53 24.44 29.99 1.25m @ 14.75g/t Au 1.25m @ 14.75g/t Au Indidura CRSX23-18 692.00 693.50 1.5 1.4 1.19 2.4 64 1035 1.28 1.79 1.91 Indidura CRSX23-18A 421.50 432.00 10.5 7.7 1.31 3.5 47 1443 1.43 13.79 15.01 4.5m @ 2.28g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-18A 439.50 454.50 15.0 11.0 2.33 10.0 126 5237 2.72 35.02 40.77 7.5m @ 3.59g/t Au 1.5m @ 10.35g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-18A 462.00 463.50 1.5 1.1 5.88 19.4 327 3720 6.33 8.82 9.50 1.5m @ 5.88g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-18A 474.00 475.50 1.5 1.1 2.27 29.5 230 24600 3.81 3.41 5.72 1.5m @ 2.27g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-18A 489.00 490.50 1.5 1.1 1.16 3.9 108 1130 1.27 1.73 1.90 Caracol CRSX23-18A 493.50 495.00 1.5 1.1 1.01 1.1 46 733 1.06 1.51 1.59 Caracol CRSX23-18A 508.50 529.50 21.0 15.4 1.71 12.6 173 3243 2.04 35.96 42.84 13.5m @ 2.14g/t Au 508.5 - 516.9 Caracol 516.9 - 517.55 Breccia 517.55 - 529.5 Caracol CRSX23-18A 549.00 550.50 1.5 1.1 4.42 19.2 332 1900 4.79 6.63 7.18 1.5m @ 4.42g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-18A 559.50 627.50 68.0 49.7 1.10 2.4 128 1553 1.22 75.08 83.17 9m @ 2.4g/t Au 3m @ 2.6g/t Au 1.5m @ 5.66g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-18A 685.00 686.50 1.5 1.4 2.68 31.3 685 17250 3.96 4.02 5.94 1.5m @ 2.68g/t Au Indidura CRSX23-18A 693.30 708.00 14.7 13.9 1.25 21.0 457 6920 1.89 18.35 27.76 1.05m @ 7.41g/t Au 1.5m @ 3.38g/t Au Indidura CRSX23-19 426.00 427.50 1.5 1.2 1.12 2.8 38 232 1.16 1.67 1.75 Caracol CRSX23-19 444.00 453.00 9.0 6.9 1.84 10.8 56 2252 2.08 16.56 18.75 6m @ 2.09g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.27g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-19 463.50 472.50 9.0 6.9 1.27 5.1 71 2233 1.44 11.40 12.98 3m @ 2.42g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.21g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-19 481.50 493.50 12.0 9.2 1.40 7.1 85 2954 1.63 16.75 19.57 3m @ 2.12g/t Au 1.5m @ 3.27g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-19 508.50 541.50 33.0 25.1 1.81 13.0 162 2126 2.08 59.61 68.79 7.5m @ 3.82g/t Au 1.5m @ 3.55g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.1g/t Au 508.5 - 512.6 Caracol 512.6 - 514.5 Breccia 514.5 - 541.5 Caracol CRSX23-19 552.00 553.50 1.5 1.1 2.65 4.6 203 2590 2.85 3.98 4.28 1.5m @ 2.65g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-19 565.50 568.50 3.0 2.3 1.74 2.1 88 3160 1.93 5.23 5.79 Caracol CRSX23-19 580.50 585.00 4.5 3.4 1.30 4.0 122 1720 1.44 5.83 6.49 1.5m @ 2.3g/t Au Caracol CRSX23-19 607.50 610.50 3.0 2.3 1.35 3.3 146 625 1.43 4.04 4.30 Caracol CRSX23-19 613.50 620.00 6.5 5.0 1.01 1.3 105 989 1.09 6.56 7.06 Caracol Criteria: Cut off grade 1g/t Au, minimum length 1.5m, maximum consecutive internal waste 6m, if Au grade x length > 1.5 the composite will be added Price Assumptions: Au = 1750usd oz, Ag = 21usd oz, Cu = 3.5usd lb, Zn = 1.2usd lb FR= Fresh Rock, OX= Oxide, TROL= Transition Oxide Low, TROH= Transition Oxide High, MX= Mixed, TRSX= Transition Sulphide, SX= Sulphide Table 2: Camino Rojo Regional Program Composite Drill Results HOLE-ID From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) Au g/t Ag g/t Pb ppm Zn ppm Au GXM Including 0.5g/t Au COG Including 1g/t Au COG Met Code CRED23-02 553.00 553.90 0.9 0.27 0.3 14.0 272.0 0.2 553 - 553.86 SX 553.86 - 553.9 TROH CRED23-02 614.50 616.00 1.5 0.11 0.3 13.0 160.0 0.2 SX CRED23-02 631.20 632.50 1.3 0.22 0.3 10.0 167.0 0.3 SX CRED23-03 422.20 422.50 0.3 0.52 0.5 18.0 166.0 0.2 SX CRED23-03 494.00 495.50 1.5 0.18 0.5 3.0 219.0 0.3 SX CRED23-04 40.50 42.00 1.5 0.11 7.1 163.0 2240.0 0.2 CRED23-04 181.90 182.70 0.8 0.26 93.8 5200.0 2180.0 0.2 SX CRED23-05 167.00 168.50 1.5 0.12 1.6 54.0 71.0 0.2 OX CRED23-05 195.70 199.00 3.3 0.94 4.4 81.0 268.5 3.1 3.3m @ 0.94g/t Au 1.65m @ 1.08g/t Au SX CRED23-05 257.00 260.90 3.9 0.16 1.0 35.5 110.7 0.6 SX CRED23-05 279.50 290.00 10.5 0.69 1.2 60.0 202.9 7.3 1.5m @ 4.02g/t Au 1.5m @ 4.02g/t Au SX CRED23-05 313.50 319.85 6.4 0.41 0.7 12.9 500.8 2.6 1.5m @ 1.3g/t Au 1.5m @ 1.3g/t Au SX CRED23-05 354.50 366.95 12.5 0.11 0.5 23.9 337.3 1.3 SX CRED23-05 400.00 411.70 11.7 0.10 0.7 13.9 71.6 1.2 SX CRED23-05 413.50 414.60 1.1 0.15 0.6 7.0 143.0 0.2 SX CRED23-05 469.70 470.70 1.0 0.18 0.6 90.0 40.0 0.2 469.7 - 469.8 TRSX 469.8 - 470.7 SX CRED23-06 68.50 70.00 1.5 0.12 0.7 70.0 1275.0 0.2 SX CRED23-06 258.50 260.00 1.5 0.16 0.7 20.0 694.0 0.2 SX CRED23-06 279.50 281.00 1.5 2.72 0.9 18.0 1200.0 4.1 1.5m @ 2.72g/t Au 1.5m @ 2.72g/t Au SX CRED23-06 300.70 302.00 1.3 61.20 0.8 22.0 182.0 79.6 1.3m @ 61.2g/t Au 1.3m @ 61.2g/t Au TRSX CRED23-06 329.70 331.30 1.6 0.17 2.1 33.0 378.0 0.3 SX CRED23-06 345.90 347.30 1.4 0.19 0.3 7.9 45.9 0.3 SX CRED23-06 377.00 378.50 1.5 0.11 0.3 17.0 41.0 0.2 SX CRED23-06 411.50 434.50 23.0 0.12 1.6 27.8 106.9 2.8 SX CRED23-06 583.50 588.40 4.9 0.16 5.0 39.7 267.5 0.8 SX CRED23-07 49.00 50.50 1.5 0.15 0.3 8.0 897.0 0.2 SX Criteria: Cut off grade 0.1g/t Au, minimum length 1.5m, maximum consecutive internal waste 6m, if Au grade x length > 0.15 the composite will be added FR= Fresh Rock, OX= Oxide, TROL= Transition Oxide Low, TROH= Transition Oxide High, MX= Mixed, TRSX= Transition Sulphide, SX= Sulphide Table 3: Camino Rojo Drill Hole Collars Drillhole Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Depth (m) CRED23-02 250238 2680279 1914 180 -65 641 CRED23-03 250238 2680277 1914 140 -60 602 CRED23-04 250501 2679986 1902 150 -60 368 CRED23-05 250001 2679984 1914 190 -80 552 CRED23-06 249998 2679760 1909 330 -60 630 CRED23-07 249996 2679761 1909 150 -60 470 CRSX22-11 243971 2676122 1948 146 -60 520 CRSX22-12A 243872 2676088 1950 149 -65 540 CRSX22-13 243713 2676055 1952 140 -65 620 CRSX23-14 244058 2676260 1948 154 -89 662 CRSX23-14A 244058 2676260 1948 154 -80 560 CRSX23-15 243580 2676157 1954 158 -74 729 CRSX23-15C 243580 2676157 1954 160 -65 1051 CRSX23-16 243997 2676282 1948 154 -85 640 CRSX23-16A 243997 2676282 1948 154 -78 610 CRSX23-17A 243665 2676155 1953 157 -45 780 CRSX23-17B 243665 2676155 1953 161 -55 780 CRSX23-17C 243665 2676155 1953 159 -64 860 CRSX23-18 243932 2676281 1949 151 -78 700 CRSX23-18A 243932 2676281 1949 151 -72 719 CRSX23-19 243902 2676281 1949 157 -68 620 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Blackrock Silver Corp. (TSXV: BRC) (the "Company" or "Blackrock") is pleased to update the market on its two, 100-percent controlled high-grade silver-gold projects in Nevada. The Tonopah West project located within the Walker Lane trend in west central Nevada, and the Silver Cloud project located along the prolific Northern Nevada Rift in north central Nevada. TONOPAH WEST At the Tonopah West project, Blackrock has used the time between drill programs to update and incorporate all 2022 drill information into its geologic model. The new model includes Blackrock's NW Step Out drilling which is located one kilometre northwest of the DPB resource and increases the strike length of the vein system to over three kilometres. The new model is now ready and will form the basis for an updated resource estimate which will be completed in the second half of this year. Based on the geologic model, the NW Step Out area is projected to add additional tonnes to the updated resource while keeping a similar grade profile. In addition, the Company is using the updated geologic model to plan its next drill program which will infill the NW Step Out area to the main resources at Victor and DPB. SILVER CLOUD The core drill has arrived and drilling is now underway at Silver Cloud for this fully-funded program. Pad and road construction at the Northwest Canyon target commenced on June 12th and drilling commenced on June 21st. The initial drillholes are targeting the extension of the bonanza-grade silver and gold intercept encounter in SBC22-020 (70.0 g/t gold and 600 g/t silver over 1.5 metres) (see news release dated January 17, 2023). The program is testing approximately 500 metres of strike along the high-grade vein. The new bonanza-grade discovery at Northwest Canyon has provided knowledge into the controls on silver and gold at Silver Cloud. Two additional targets have been identified 800 metres and 1600 metres to the east of Northwest Canyon. These targets are similar to Northwest Canyon and form a series of structures along the eastern margin of the Silver Cloud graben. Based on a multiple vein scenario, a Midas mine-like system is envisioned with northerly oriented vein swarm between Northwest Canyon and the Silver Cloud mercury mine. The drill program will test this concept. About Blackrock Silver Corp. Backed by gold and silver ounces in the ground, Blackrock is a junior precious metal focused exploration company driven to add shareholder value via the drill bit. With 2.97 million tonnes grading 446 g/t silver equivalent at its Tonopah West project, and a new bonanza-grade gold discovery at Silver Cloud, the Company has a proven track record of exploration success. In addition to its gold and silver project portfolio, the Company is credited with a lithium discovery, the Tonopah North project, which is under option to a major lithium exploration group. Anchored by a seasoned Board, the Company is focused on its 100% controlled Nevada portfolio of properties consisting of low-sulphidation, epithermal gold and silver mineralization located along the established Northern Nevada Rift in north-central Nevada and the Walker Lane trend in western Nevada. Blackrock's exploration activities are conducted and supervised by Mr. William Howald, Executive Chairman of Blackrock. Mr. William Howald, AIPG Certified Professional Geologist #11041, is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. For further information, please contact: Andrew Pollard, President & CEO Blackrock Silver Corp. Phone: 604 817-6044 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements concern the Company's strategic plans, timing and expectations for the Company's exploration and drilling programs, estimates of mineralization from drilling, geological information projected from sampling results and the potential quantities and grades of the target zones. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; accuracy of assay results; geological interpretations from drilling results, timing and amount of capital expenditures; performance of available laboratory and other related services; future operating costs; and the historical basis for current estimates of potential quantities and grades of target zones. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors, including the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties; the interpretation and uncertainties of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project costs overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; availability of funds; failure to delineate potential quantities and grades of the target zones based on historical data, and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Technical information relating to the Tonopah West project is based on and derived from the NI 43-101 report prepared for Blackrock entitled "Technical Report and Estimate of Mineral Resources for the Tonopah West Silver-Gold Project, Nye and Esmeralda Counties, Nevada, USA" effective April 28, 2022 (the "Technical Report"). The Technical Report outlines 2.97 million tonnes at a block diluted grade of 208 grams per tonne (g/t) silver (Ag) and 2.5g/t gold (Au) for a total inferred mineral resource of 19,902,000 ounces Ag and 238,000 ounces Au, or 446 g/t silver equivalent (AgEq) for 42.6 million oz AgEq. AgEq equivalent grade is based on silver and gold prices of US$20/ounce and US$1750/ounce, respectively, and recoveries for silver and gold of 87%and 95% TORONTO, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Discovery Silver Corp. (TSX: DSV, OTCQX: DSVSF) (Discovery or the Company) is pleased to provide a project update on its flagship Cordero project (Cordero or the Project) located in Chihuahua State, Mexico. Tony Makuch, President & CEO, states: We have made excellent progress so far this year on the critical de-risking items for Cordero - surface rights, water, power, permitting and the Feasibility Study - as we systematically advance Cordero towards a construction decision. We recently secured surface rights covering the proposed open pit and key infrastructure locations at the Project. We have also identified the potential sources of water for the Project and recently acquired a significant volume of water rights. We received two power studies earlier this year confirming there is sufficient capacity in the existing grid to supply the Project for mine operations and establishing the work required to access the grid. We are putting the final touches on our Environmental Impact Statement, a significant step in the permitting process for Cordero and the culmination of detailed social and environmental assessment work completed by the Company. Our Feasibility Study work is well advanced and remains on schedule for completion in 1H 2024. Recent drill results highlight the potential to further grow reserves within and on the margins of the open pit. We also remain focused on optimization opportunities within the study including potentially reducing reagent costs, achieving higher recoveries and lowering mining costs through adopting larger benches and bigger mining equipment. KEY DE-RISKING ITEMS The Company is set to initiate the permitting process in the next three to four weeks with the submission of its Environmental Impact Statement (Manifesto de Impacto Ambiental or MIA) to the Mexican Federal Environmental Department (SEMARNAT). The MIA is one of the principal permits required for the development of Cordero and encapsulates extensive social and environmental work programs completed by the Companys team in Mexico since 2020 in parallel with multiple reviews by third-party consultants. The Company has reviewed the expected changes to be made with the new mining law recently introduced in Mexico and does not expect the new law will have a material impact on the Project timeline. It is the Companys intention to be in full compliance with all Mexican regulatory requirements alongside its overarching commitment to meet the highest industry standards for environmental protection, social responsibility and health and safety. The Companys MIA submission incorporates the expected changes to the new mining law, in particular the inclusion of supplementary details of the Projects closure and reclamation plans. Cordero benefits from being located on private land in an area of Mexico (Chihuahua State) where mining has a long history and is a key economic contributor. The Company recently secured the surface rights that correspond with the planned open pit and key infrastructure locations at Cordero as well as a significant volume of water rights. For hydrogeology, the Company is continuing its work with Mexican specialist consultant Investigacion y Desarrollo de Acuiferos y Ambiente (IDEAS) to build on previous hydrogeology drilling to develop a more detailed groundwater flow model within and near the open pit and geophysical surveys further away from the pit to guide future water exploration drilling campaigns. Discovery also recently engaged M3 Engineering & Technology Corp to complete a technical review of the scope and cost to source water from existing water treatment plants in the region. An impact assessment study and power installation study by Mexican electrical infrastructure authority CENACE were delivered earlier this year, with confirmation that there is sufficient capacity in the existing power grid to supply the Project with power for operations at peak throughput levels. Standard upgrades of the Camargo II substation will be required as well as the installation of a 74-kilometre powerline along the existing power corridor. This scenario confirms prior assumptions about power supply to Cordero and is an important milestone in de-risking the Project. The work to be undertaken in the Feasibility Study for power supply will entail a detailed cost estimate for the construction of the powerline and preparation of tender documentation to allow qualified contractors to bid on the defined scope. The option to use renewable energy sources at site to supplement grid power will also be evaluated. FEASIBILITY STUDY UPDATE Study Approach: The Company will look to accelerate front-end engineering design work as part of the Feasibility Study (FS or the Study) scope to increase the confidence level of the initial capital cost estimate and to shorten the timeline between the Study completion and the Project build. As part of Discoverys overall approach to ensuring successful project execution the Company plans to expand its owners team through the course of the year with a skillset focus on processing, mining and engineering, procurement and construction management. Reserves/Resource update: the FS will be supported by an updated reserves and resource estimate to be released concurrently with the results of the Study. The updated estimates will be based on a total of approximately 310,000 m in 793 drill holes. This includes an additional 35,000 m in 103 drill holes, completed since the update in January 2023, focused on resource upgrade and reserve expansion opportunities. Metallurgical testwork: Testwork will be focused on the potential reduction of reagent costs through minimizing reagent dosages and testing of lower cost substitute reagents. Variability testwork focused on blend optimization over the life-of-mine will also be completed. This will consist of testing of rock type blends and of higher oxide-sulphide blends (up to 20% oxides). Additional comminution testwork, including sensitivity of regrind sizes on recoveries and testing alternative regrind mills will also be completed. The testwork is being conducted by Blue Coast Research Ltd. (Blue Coast) with oversight from Libertas Metallurgy Ltd. (Libertas) and Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc. (Ausenco). Process Design: The process design will continue to incorporate staged expansions that are roughly in-line with the Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) with Phase 1 expected throughput of approximately 25,000 tonnes per day (tpd) and Phase 2 throughput of approximately 50,000 tpd. The Study will focus on optimizing the selection of equipment based on these throughput rates and will also evaluate the opportunity to vary throughput levels over the life-of-mine based on changes in ore hardness of the different rock type blends. Mining: mine planning work for the FS will be completed by AGP Mining Consultants Inc. (AGP Mining). A trade-off study assessing potential cost reductions by moving to bigger benches and larger mine equipment will be completed as part of this scope. Options to reduce the Projects carbon footprint, including the use of automation, electric vehicles and trolley assist technology will also be assessed. The mine plan for the FS will include a more detailed mine schedule for the early years of the mine life (including monthly and quarterly resolution). Like the PFS, the mine plan will be focused on mining rates and cut-off grade and stockpiling strategies that optimize the capital efficiency and Net Present Value of the Project. Geotechnical: WSP Global Inc. (WSP) has been selected for the role of Geotechnical Engineer for the Study and will perform the geotechnical work for the open pit (pit slope analysis) and for the infrastructure locations of the project (input to foundation design). The first part of the geotechnical investigation is ongoing through a condemnation drilling campaign with additional geotechnical drilling expected to commence in 3Q 2023. Tailings: WSP has been selected as the TSF Engineer for the Study and will also be responsible for surface water management and the overall site water balance. Additional settling tests to further improve the water efficiency of the Project will be completed. It is expected that the TSF location in the PFS will be maintained, with additional engineering to be completed to further define, cost and de-risk this key facility. WSP will also support Discoverys permitting process in the areas of tailings and water. FEASIBILITY STUDY PROJECT TEAM The Feasibility Study team consists of Ausenco, WSP and AGP Mining with support from multiple independent third parties as outlined in the table below. Area of Responsibility FS Qualified Person Third Party Input/Review Principal Author Ausenco - Metallurgy Ausenco Libertas / Blue Coast Processing Ausenco - Mining AGP Mining Hard Rock Consulting Pit Geotech WSP - Tailings Management WSP - Environment Ausenco CIMA Social Ausenco Vinfidem QP CONSULTANT / THIRD PARTY WEBSITES Ausenco www.ausenco.com AGP Mining www.agpmining.com Blue Coast www.bluecoastresearch.ca CIMA www.cimasc.com.mx IDEAS https://ideasenagua.com WSP www.wsp.com/en-ca Libertas LinkedIn profile Hard Rock Consulting www.hardrock-consulting.com Vinfidem www.vinfidem.com.mx About Discovery Discoverys flagship project is its 100%-owned Cordero project, one of the worlds largest silver deposits. The PFS completed in January 2023 demonstrates that Cordero has the potential to be developed into a highly capital efficient mine that offers the combination of margin, size and scalability. Cordero is located close to infrastructure in a prolific mining belt in Chihuahua State, Mexico. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, Tony Makuch, P.Eng CEO & Director For further information contact: Forbes Gemmell, CFA VP Corporate Development Phone: 416-613-9410 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.discoverysilver.com Qualified Person Tony Esplin, FAusIMM, Chief Operating Officer, Discovery Silver Corp., is the Company's designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101) and has reviewed and validated that the information contained in this news release is accurate. Neither TSX Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release is not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of any of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful, including any of the securities in the United States of America. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 1933 Act) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for account or benefit of, U.S. Persons (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration requirements is available. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussion with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often, but not always using phrases such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, or believes or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate, among other things, to: the anticipated use of the net proceeds from the Offering; anticipated advancement of mineral properties or programs; future operations; future growth potential of Discovery; and future development plans. These forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business. Management believes that these assumptions are reasonable. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others: risks related to the speculative nature of the Companys business; the Companys formative stage of development; the impact of COVID19 on the timing of exploration and development work; the Companys financial position; possible variations in mineralization, grade or recovery rates; actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of future economic evaluations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; fluctuations in spot and forward prices of gold, precious and base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in currency markets; change in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formation pressures, cave-ins and flooding); inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities and indigenous populations; availability of increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development (including the risks of obtaining necessary licenses, permits and approvals from government authorities); and title to properties. Such factors are described in detail in the Prospectus Supplement and the documents incorporated by reference therein. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements and there may be other factors that cause results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. TORONTO / Jun 22, 2023 / Business Wire / Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp. (TSX-V - KLDC) (KLDC or the Company) is pleased to announce the drilling permit for the Goodfish Kirana property has been approved by the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (NDMNRF) effective June 6, 2023, for three years. In addition, the high-resolution airborne magnetic survey recently undertaken at the Lucky Strike property has been completed. Data compilation and processing of the survey data is currently underway. The 2,105 line-kilometre survey across the Lucky Strike property was completed in a timely and efficient manner by ALS GoldSpot Discoveries Ltds (ALS GoldSpot) Geophysical Services division from June 5 to 14, 2023. The survey parameters included a flight-line azimuth of 0/180 and flight-line spacing of 100 m with infill lines complete in selected areas at 50 m spacing. Tie lines at 500 m spacing had an azimuth of 090/270 (Figure 1). This high-resolution survey utilized ALS GoldSpots M-PASS system, a proprietary platform that has been designed to collect co-referenced triaxial magnetic, Very Low Frequency (VLF) electromagnetic multi-band radiometric, and LiDAR data sets specifically designed to support exploration efforts and Artificial Intelligence (AI) analyses. Shawn Hood, General Manager of ALS GoldSpot commented, This has been a large and detailed survey for Kirkland Lake Discoveries to collect data layers which will underpin future AI enhanced exploration. Now that this milestone is complete, these newly acquired data sets can be processed in multiple ways to support the Lucky Strike project. We look forward to how this data will guide the upcoming exploration plans of Kirkland Lake Discoveries. The raw geophysical data sets collected by this survey are currently being processed and results are anticipated in early July. Once the data sets are received, the Company will undertake a geophysical and structural interpretation. This interpretation will be incorporated with the current geological understanding and known mineral showings of the Lucky Strike property, using ALS GoldSpots proprietary AI algorithms. The results of this data analysis will help guide future exploration plans, including follow-up field and drilling activities. We are excited to receive the results and interpretation of this airborne survey which will provide the foundation to our geological and structural understanding of this most recently acquired portion of our district-scale land package. Structure is key to the orogenic gold deposit model not only in the Kirkland Lake gold camp, but throughout the metal-endowed Abitibi greenstone belt. The airborne survey data will be married with known historical mineralized showings and structures, and follow-up work will include the ground-truthing and drilling of known mineralized trends. All of this work along with the exploration drilling on our project continues to advance our efforts towards making a discovery in the gold-rich Kirkland Lake camp, stated Daniele Spethmann, CEO of KLDC. QP Statement Daniele Spethmann, P.Geo., President and CEO and a Director of the Company, is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Ms. Spethmann has reviewed the technical information in this news release and approves the written disclosure contained herein. About Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp. Kirkland Lake Discoveries Corp. is a TSX Venture Exchange listed company that has recently consolidated a district-scale and highly prospective land package in the Kirkland Lake Gold Camp in Ontario, Canada. The properties are hosted in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, one of the worlds best-endowed greenstone belts, with 200+ million ounces of gold produced to date.1 The properties are host to regional and property-scale mineralized structures that are considered second-order structures off the Larder Lake Cadillac Deformation Zone (LLCDZ), the regional structure in the belt known to be spatially associated with the gold mines hosted in the camp. The properties assembled include the 100%-owned Lucky Strike Property, Goodfish-Kirana, the Arnold property, and the optioned KL West (KLW) and KL Central (KLC) properties. The KLDC land position comprises approximately 38,000 ha, over 1,338 claims and 29 patented claims and ranks the Company as the largest landholder in the Kirkland Lake region. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Companys current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the Company. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof, and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. ____________________________ 1 2020 Mineral Production in Canada, Government of Canada, Minerals and Metals Statistics Division, 2022-03-10, https://mmsd.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/PDF/MIS2020TableG01a-en.pdf Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - MAX RESOURCE CORP. (TSXV: MAX) (OTC PINK: MXROF) (FSE: M1D2) ("Max" or the "Company") is pleased to report assay results from channel samples collected at the recently discovered AM-7 Target. AM-7 lies within the 20-km-long AM District, located at the northern end of Max's wholly-owned CESAR Copper Silver Project in northeastern Colombia (refer to Figures 1 to 5). The copper-silver mineralization is hosted in fine grained sandstone and mudstones with chalcocite as the primary copper bearing mineral. Exploration crews working the AM-7 Target have identified multiple horizons of high-grade stratiform mineralization. Highlights Channel samples were collected across mineralized outcrops with intervals ranging from 0.3 to 3.8m (refer to Table 1): 9 returned values of 4.0% Copper and above 7 returned values greater than 2.0% Copper 18 returned values of 1.0% Copper and above 24 returned values of 10 g/t Silver and above Multiple channel samples returned high-grades, encompassing five historic open cut copper workings: 18.3% Copper and 2 g/t Silver over 1.5m (419093) 6.0% Copper and 48 g/t Silver over 1.0m (876707) 5.9% Copper and 56 g/t Silver over 1.5m (876734) 5.0% Copper and 138 g/t Silver over 1.0m (876711) 4.0% Copper and 48 g/t Silver over 1.0m (878707) Further channel assays are pending. "The Cesar Basin continues to reward the perseverance of our skilled technical team as demonstrated by the discovery of AM-7 and the impressive assay results," stated Max CEO, Brett Matich. "The high-grade copper-silver mineralization has been identified in multiple, stacked horizons across an impressive strike length of more than 2-km, and remains open in all directions," he continued. "Since the commencement of the 2023 exploration campaign, the Max field team has identified 21 copper-silver targets across three separate districts: AM, Conejo and URU. All three districts are located along a 90-km belt in the CESAR Basin (refer to Figure 1). Max continues to intensify exploration in the Cesar Basin with the objective of delineating a new world class copper-silver belt," he concluded. Figure 1. CESAR Project. Figure 2. AM District copper silver targets, AM-1 to 7. Figure 3. Channel sample locations for AM-7 (refer to Table 1). AM-7 Target The AM-7 Target represents classic stratiform copper-silver mineralization hosted in interbedded mudstone, siltstone, and fine grained cross bedded red-bed sandstone of the La Quinta Formation. The mineralized horizon is a tabular body that ranges from 0.3m to 3.8m wide and extends for over 2-km along strike. Bedding attitudes are consistent, striking 240260 and dipping 2535. Chalcocite is the main copperbearing mineral and is concentrated along stratigraphic laminations, and as disseminated grains. Malachite and azurite have also been observed. Carbonaceous material was associated with all mineralized beds. Figure 4. Channel 878701, 1.0m at 4.0% Cu & 31 g/t Ag. Figure 5. Channel HM153, 3.8m at 1.4% Cu & 12 g/t Ag. Sample # Copper (%) Silver (g/t) Interval (m) Sample # Copper (%) Silver (g/t) Interval (m) 419093 18.3 2 1.5 417333 1.8 16 0.3 419083 6.9 13 0.4 419064 1.7 8 0.5 878707 6.0 48 1.0 426628 1.6 17 1.5 876734 5.9 56 1.5 419085 1.6 19 1.0 878693 5.0 36 1.0 HM143 1.6 10 1.0 878704 4.7 37 0.5 878710 1.6 10 1.0 419067 4.6 26 0.5 HM153 1.4 12 3.8 878709 4.1 29 0.6 878522 1.4 11 0.6 878701 4.0 31 1.0 878729 1.2 8 1.5 870038 3.3 22 0.5 878696 1.2 8 1.2 419110 2.7 33 1.2 417343 1.2 10 0.3 HM147 2.7 11 0.5 878728 1.1 7 0.5 878723 2.4 25 1.0 878519 1.1 7 0.4 419109 2.3 26 1.2 878703 1.1 9 0.3 878717 2.2 26 0.7 419106 1.0 6 0.4 419071 2.2 12 0.6 417337 1.0 13 0.3 878720 1.9 9 1.5 417335 1.0 11 0.3 Table 1. Channel sample results from AM-7. CESAR Target Evaluation Max has identified and is evaluating 21 targets along the CESAR 90-km belt for potential drill testing. Assessing each target area includes the following field activities: Systematic chip and channel sampling of the mineralized outcrops. Detailed geological and structural mapping of each showing. Trenching where possible to expose additional mineralization. Target scale prospecting and soil sampling. Ground geophysical surveys. Background Max's CESAR Project lies along the copper-silver rich Cesar Basin in NE Colombia. This region provides access to major infrastructure resulting from oil & gas and mining operations, including Cerrejon, the largest coal mine in South America, held by global miner Glencore. Max's twenty-one mining concessions collectively span over 188-km (refer to Figure 1). In 2022, Max executed a 2-year co-operation agreement with Endeavour Silver Corp, which assists to expand its 100% owned landholdings, Endeavour will hold an underlying 0.5% NSR. AM District Starting in the far north of the Jurassic basin, classic stacked red bed outcrops with extensive lateral continuity have been rock sampled over many kilometres within the AM District. Highlight values of 34.4% copper and 305 g/t silver have been documented in the sedimentary red bed sequences. Conejo District Midway south, the Conejo District demonstrates mineralization at the contact of intermediate and felsic volcanics which outcrops over 3.7-km. The average of surface samples over a 2.0% cut-off come in at 4.9% copper. URU District To the far south, the 2022 inaugural drilling was initiated at two mineralized surface exposures, each located 0.75-km apart and lie within the URU District's 20-km-long, 2-km wide mineralized target area. The drill program at URU-C and URU-CE was the first opportunity to test continuity of the structurally controlled copper-silver mineralization within the volcanic host rocks in the sub-basinal environment of the Cesar sedimentary basin. Quality Assurance All CESAR rock chip samples are shipped to ALS Lab's sample preparation facility in Medellin, Colombia. Sample pulps sent to Lima, Peru, for analysis. All samples were analyzed using ALS procedure ME-MS41, a four-acid digestion with inductively coupled plasma finished. Over-limit copper and silver are determined by ALS procedure OG-62, a four-acid digestion with an atomic absorption spectroscopy finish. ALS Labs is independent from Max. Sample pulps sent to Actlabs, Medellin, Colombia, for analysis. The Actlabs Medellin analytical technique was TD-AA, a 4-acid digestion of a 0.25g sampled for copper and silver analyzed on an Atomic Absorption (AA) unit, both with upper limits of 100 ppm for silver and 10,000 ppm for copper. Over limits for copper or silver were analyzed with the 8 4 Acid ICP technique, a four-acid digestion of a 0.4g sample. Actlabs is independent from Max. Qualified Person The Company's disclosure of a technical or scientific nature in this news release was reviewed and approved by Tim Henneberry, PGeo (British Columbia), a member of the Max Resource advisory board, who serves as a qualified person under the definition of National Instrument 43-101. About Max Resource Corp. Max Resource Corp. (TSXV: MAX) is a mineral exploration company advancing the newly discovered district-scale CESAR copper-silver project. The wholly owned CESAR project sits along the Colombian portion of the world's largest producing copper belt (Andean belt), with world class infrastructure and the presence of global majors (Glencore and Chevron). In addition, Max controls the RT Gold project (100% earn-in) in Peru, encompassing a bulk tonnage primary gold porphyry zone, and 3-km to the NW, a gold bearing massive sulphide zone. Historic drilling in 2001, returned values ranging 3.1 to 118.1 g/t gold over core lengths ranging from 2.2 to 36.0-metres. Max is proactive, with the corporate goal of transitioning the CESAR basin towards the mining of copper, the key metal for Colombia's transition to clean energy. The safety of our people and the communities where we operate is most important. We conduct exploration in a manner which supports protection of ecosystems through responsible environmental stewardship. Source: NI 43:101 Geological Report Rio Tabaconas Gold Project for Golden Alliance Resources Corp. by George Sivertz, Oct.3, 2011 For more information visit: https://www.maxresource.com/ For additional information contact: Tim McNulty E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. T: (604) 290-8100 Rahim Lakha E. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Brett Matich T: (604) 484 1230 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for Max Resources Corp. described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com. VANCOUVER, British Columbia / Jun 22, 2023 / Business Wire / New Found Gold Corp. (New Found or the Company) (TSX-V: NFG, NYSE-A: NFGC) is pleased to announce the results from one diamond drill hole that was completed as part of a drill program designed to test new target areas along the northern segment of the highly prospective Appleton Fault Zone (AFZ). New Founds district-scale Queensway Project comprises a 1,662km2 area, accessible via the Trans-Canada Highway, 15km west of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. Jackpot Highlights: Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Zone NFGC-23-12921 27.45 30.70 3.25 95.71 Jackpot Including 27.45 28.30 0.85 352.58 Including 29.80 30.70 0.90 12.37 And2 202.55 212.55 10.00 1.88 Table 1: Jackpot Drilling Highlights Note host structures are interpreted to be steeply dipping and true widths are generally estimated to 170% to 95% and 240% to 70% of reported intervals. Infill veining in secondary structures with multiple orientations crosscutting the primary host structures are commonly observed in drill core which could result in additional uncertainty in true width. Composite intervals reported carry a minimum weighted average of 1 g/t Au diluted over a minimum core length of 2m with a maximum of 4m consecutive dilution. Included high-grade intercepts are reported as any consecutive interval with grades greater than 10 g/t Au. Grades have not been capped in the averaging and intervals are reported as drill thickness. 95.7 g/t Au over 3.25m in NFGC-23-1292 was intersected in a new zone named Jackpot located 2.5km north of Keats and 950m north of Lotto. This new discovery is at a vertical depth of just 20m and is situated 280m east of the AFZ (Figures 2-4). in NFGC-23-1292 was intersected in a new zone named located 2.5km north of Keats and 950m north of Lotto. This new discovery is at a vertical depth of just and is situated (Figures 2-4). Jackpot was discovered through a targeted drilling program that was designed to test an east-west striking topographic lineament, a similar orientation to the Keats-Baseline Fault Zone. Jackpot is characterized by a brittle fault zone that is laced with coarse-grained visible gold (Figure 1). was discovered through a targeted drilling program that was designed to test an east-west striking topographic lineament, a similar orientation to the Keats-Baseline Fault Zone. Jackpot is characterized by a brittle fault zone that is (Figure 1). An aggressive follow-up program is currently underway and several intervals are already pending assay results. Melissa Render, VP of Exploration of New Found, stated: Our targeted drill program continues to successfully outline new zones of gold mineralization. Jackpot is the sixteenth near surface zone identified along a 4.1km stretch of Appleton North, starting at the south end of Keats and running up to Everest. Initial drilling at Jackpot is reminiscent of our early findings at Lotto, a structural zone associated with a strong presence of visible gold. Looking at Figure 2, Jackpot is located 280m east of the AFZ, demonstrating the distal strength of the AFZ. We have locked onto something new here and our ability to interpret and act quickly will allow us to rapidly assess this new and exciting target. Drillhole Details Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Zone NFGC-23-12921 27.45 30.70 3.25 95.71 Jackpot Including 27.45 28.30 0.85 352.58 Including 29.80 30.70 0.90 12.37 And2 202.55 212.55 10.00 1.88 Table 2: Summary of composite results reported in this press release for Jackpot Note host structures are interpreted to be steeply dipping and true widths are generally estimated to 170% to 95% and 240% to 70% of reported intervals. Infill veining in secondary structures with multiple orientations crosscutting the primary host structures are commonly observed in drill core which could result in additional uncertainty in true width. Composite intervals reported carry a minimum weighted average of 1 g/t Au diluted over a minimum core length of 2m with a maximum of 4m consecutive dilution. Included high-grade intercepts are reported as any consecutive interval with grades greater than 10 g/t Au. Grades have not been capped in the averaging and intervals are reported as drill thickness. Hole No. Azimuth () Dip () Length (m) UTM E UTM N Prospect NFGC-23-1292 300 -45 249 659422 542986 Jackpot Table 3: Details of drill holes reported in this press release Queensway 500,000m Drill Program Update The Company is currently undertaking a 500,000m drill program at Queensway and approximately 61,300m of core is currently pending assay results. Sampling, Sub-sampling, and Laboratory All drilling recovers HQ core. Drill core is split in half using a diamond saw or a hydraulic splitter for rare intersections with incompetent core. A geologist examines the drill core and marks out the intervals to be sampled and the cutting line. Sample lengths are mostly 1.0 metre and adjusted to respect lithological and/or mineralogical contacts and isolate narrow (<1.0m) veins or other structures that may yield higher grades. Technicians saw the core along the defined cutting line. One-half of the core is kept as a witness sample and the other half is submitted for analysis. Individual sample bags are sealed and placed into totes, sealed and marked with the contents. New Found has submitted samples for gold determination by fire assay to ALS Canada Ltd. (ALS) and by photon assay to MSALABS (MSA) since June 2022. ALS and MSA operate under a commercial contract with New Found. Drill core samples are shipped to ALS for sample preparation in Sudbury, Ontario, Thunder Bay, Ontario, or Moncton, New Brunswick. ALS is an ISO-17025 accredited laboratory for the fire assay method. Drill core samples are also submitted to MSA in Val-dOr, Quebec. MSA operates numerous laboratories worldwide and maintains ISO-17025 accreditation for many metal determination methods. Accreditation of the photon assay method at the MSA Val DOr laboratory is in progress. At ALS, the entire sample is crushed to approximately 70% passing 2mm. A 3,000-g split is pulverized. Routine samples do not have visible gold (VG) identified and are not within a mineralized zone. Routine samples are assayed for gold by 30-g fire assay with an inductively-couple plasma spectrometry (ICP) finish. If the initial 30-g fire assay gold result is over 1 g/t, the remainder of the 3,000-g split is screened at 106 microns for screened metallics assay. For the screened metallics assay, the entire coarse fraction (sized greater than 106 microns) is fire assayed and two splits of the fine fraction (sized less than 106 microns) are fire assayed. The three assays are combined on a weight-averaged basis. Samples that have VG identified or fall within a mineralized interval are automatically submitted for screened metallic assay for gold. At MSA, the entire sample is crushed to approximately 70% passing 2mm. For routine samples that do not have VG identified and are not within a mineralized zone, the samples are riffle split to fill two 450g jars for photon assay. The assays reported from both jars are combined on a weight-averaged basis. If one of the jars assays greater than 1 g/t, the remaining crushed material is weighed into multiple jars and are submitted for photon assay. For samples that have VG identified or are within a mineralized zone, the entire crushed sample is weighed into multiple jars and are submitted for photon assay. The assays from all jars are combined on a weight-averaged basis. All samples prepared at ALS or MSA are also analyzed for a multi-element ICP package (ALS method code ME-ICP61) at ALS Vancouver. Drill program design, Quality Assurance/Quality Control and interpretation of results are performed by qualified persons employing a rigorous Quality Assurance/Quality Control program consistent with industry best practices. Standards and blanks account for a minimum of 10% of the samples in addition to the laboratorys internal quality assurance programs. Quality Control data are evaluated on receipt from the laboratories for failures. Appropriate action is taken if assay results for standards and blanks fall outside allowed tolerances. All results stated have passed New Founds quality control protocols. New Founds quality control program also includes submission of the second half of the core for approximately 5% of the drilled intervals. In addition, approximately 1% of sample pulps for mineralized samples are submitted for re-analysis to a second ISO-accredited laboratory for check assays. The Company does not recognize any factors of drilling, sampling or recovery that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the assay data disclosed. The assay data disclosed in this news release have been verified by the Companys Qualified Person against the original assay certificates. The Company notes that it has not completed any economic evaluations of its Queensway Project and that the Queensway Project does not have any resources or reserves. Qualified Person The scientific and technical information disclosed in this press release was reviewed and approved by Greg Matheson, P. Geo., Chief Operating Officer, and a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Matheson consents to the publication of this press release dated June 22, 2023, by New Found. Mr. Matheson certifies that this press release fairly and accurately represents the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this press release. About New Found Gold Corp. New Found holds a 100% interest in the Queensway Project, located 15km west of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, and just 18km from Gander International Airport. The project is intersected by the Trans-Canada Highway and has logging roads crosscutting the project, high voltage electric power lines running through the project area, and easy access to a highly skilled workforce. The Company is currently undertaking a 500,000m drill program at Queensway and is well funded for this program with cash and marketable securities of approximately $52 million as of June 2023. Please see the Companys website at www.newfoundgold.ca and the Companys SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Acknowledgements New Found acknowledges the financial support of the Junior Exploration Assistance Program, Department of Natural Resources, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Contact To contact the Company, please visit the Companys website, www.newfoundgold.ca and make your request through our investor inquiry form. Our management has a pledge to be in touch with any investor inquiries within 24 hours. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statement Cautions This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, relating to exploration, drilling and mineralization on the Companys Queensway gold project in Newfoundland and Labrador; assay results; the interpretation of drilling and assay results, the results of the drilling program, mineralization and the discovery of zones of high-grade gold mineralization; plans for future exploration and drilling and the timing of same; the merits of the Queensway project; future press releases by the Company; and funding of the drilling program. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, plans, anticipates, believes, interpreted, intends, estimates, projects, aims, suggests, indicate, often, target, future, likely, pending, potential, goal, objective, prospective, possibly, preliminary, and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, can, could or should occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of assay results and the drilling program, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company's exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company's business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company's Annual Information Form and Managements discussion and Analysis, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators' System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSXV: PEX) (OTCQB: PEXZF) ("Pacific Ridge" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drilling is underway at the Company's 100% owned Kliyul copper-gold project ("Kliyul" or the "Project"), located in the prolific Quesnel Trough in north-central British Columbia (see Figure 1). Pacific Ridge plans to complete 7,000 m of diamond drilling at Kliyul this year. "The 7,000 m drill program at Kliyul will be focused on expanding the Kliyul Main Zone and testing four nearby interpreted porphyry centres that we have never drilled before," said Blaine Monaghan, President & CEO of Pacific Ridge. "The results from this year's drill program at Kliyul could be a game changer for Pacific Ridge and its shareholders." Figure 1 - Location of Kliyul 2023 Kliyul Drill Program Update The first diamond drill rig is now producing drill core from KLI-23-051, the first 2023 drill hole, and the second diamond drill rig has just arrived. The second drill rig is expected to start producing drill core from KLI-23-052 shortly. The objectives of this year's drill program at Kliyul are to expand the size of the KMZ mineralized body and to test several other high-priority drill targets. Three of the first four drill holes will focus on expanding the Kliyul Main Zone ("KMZ") to the southeast and into adjacent fault blocks to the north and west. It is thought that the fault blocks surrounding the central KMZ block are downthrown relative to KMZ, based on alteration mineralogy, geochemical and geophysical signatures, and have good preservation potential for offset segments of high-grade Kliyul porphyry mineralization. 2023 Proposed Drill Holes at Kliyul Seven drill holes (KLI-23-051, KLI-23-052, KLI-23-054, KLI-23-055, KLI-23-056, KLI-23-058, and KLI-23-060) have been designed to expand the size of the KMZ mineralized body to the southeast and into adjacent fault blocks to the north, east, and southwest (see Figure 2). These targets are defined by known mineralization from previous drilling campaigns combined with modelled geophysical signatures, primarily a 3D Magnetic Vector Inversion (MVI) aeromagnetic high signature with coincident resistivity and chargeability high anomalies. Four drill holes (KLI-23-053, KLI-23-057, KLI-23-059, and KLI-23-061) have been designed to test several high priority targets that lie mainly within the Divide Lake Fault Trend, a highly prospective 6-km-long northwest-trending alteration and mineralization corridor, including Ginger (1.4 km northwest of KMZ), Parish Hill (1 km southeast of KMZ), M-39 (3.5 km southeast of KMZ); and Ginger South (1.2 km west of KMZ) which lies within the east-northeast Valley Fault Trend (see Figure 3). These targets are interpreted porphyry centres derived from aeromagnetic data and 3D MVI modelling, Induced Polarization (IP) survey inversions, geological mapping (lithology, alteration, mineralization, structure), and surface geochemical sampling. Figure 2 - Plan View of KMZ, Kliyul West, Kliyul North and East Wedge with 38-Hectare Magnetic Vector Inversion (MVI) Anomaly and the 2023 Proposed Drill Holes Figure 3 - Kliyul Targets with RMI Aeromagnetics and the 2023 Proposed Drill Holes Description of the 2023 Proposed Drill Holes at Kliyul KLI-23-051 (azimuth 310, inclination -52, planned length 700 m) is collared in KMZ about 135 m south of KLI-22-043. It is designed to drill across the core of KMZ at a high angle to the dominant historical drilling orientation, and then drill across Valley Fault into Kliyul North zone by about 550 m. This part of Kliyul North has never been drilled despite having the same geophysical signature as KMZ to the extent of data coverage. KLI-23-052 (azimuth 235, inclination -58, planned length 600 m) is collared in KMZ about 150 m east of KLI-22-043 which drilled to the west and returned 38.0 m of 0.65% CuEq* (0.45% copper, 0.26 g/t gold, and 0.83 g/t silver) within 114.0 m of 0.55% CuEq* (0.28% copper, 0.36 g/t Au, and 1.52 g/t Ag). The 38.0 m interval, starting at 463 m, is in the Kliyul West block and has a distinctively high 1.75 Cu:Au ratio signature of mineralization compared to the entire known Kliyul mineralized body (weighted average of 0.61 Cu:Au). KLI-23-052 will provide an 80 m step-out to the southeast in KMZ and then drill across Lui Fault into Kliyul West starting at about 450 m to test for an extension of the KLI-22-043 result. KLI-23-053 (azimuth 222, inclination -75, planned length 600 m) will be the first deep drill test of the Ginger target area. Results from 2022 exploration suggest there may be a northeast-tilted porphyry system with a core zone starting at about 300 m depth. There is only one historical drill hole in the area, 450 m to the southwest, that was shallow drilled (to 100 m vertical depth) and appears to have intersected post-mineral granodiorite. KLI-23-054 (azimuth 000, inclination -55, planned length 450 m) will be collared in the Kliyul North zone as a 170 m step-out to the northwest of KLI-22-046, which extended mineralization 250 m north of KMZ and returned 59.0 m of 0.89% CuEq* (0.24% copper, 0.87 g/t gold, and 2.29 g/t silver) within 169 m of 0.55% CuEq* (0.20% copper, 0.46 g/t Au, and 1.65 g/t Ag). KLI-23-054 will test for an extension of the KLI-22-046 result, as well as test for moderately south-dipping attitude of mineralization and associated intrusions. KLI-23-055 (azimuth 090, inclination -80, planned length 550 m) will be collared in the Kliyul North zone from the same drill pad as KLI-22-052. This steeply inclined drill hole will test the Kliyul North zone at depth in a gap area where there is the same geophysical signature as KMZ. The nearest deep drill hole, KLI-22-044, is 100 m to the southeast and returned 23.2 m of 0.94% CuEq* (0.24% copper, 0.94 g/t gold, and 1.40 g/t silver) starting at 409.0 m within the Kliyul North zone. KLI-23-056 (azimuth 000, inclination -65, planned length 600 m) will be collared on the under-drilled eastern side of KMZ and drill north towards Divide Lake Fault and then into the East Wedge zone at depth. The nearest drill holes include KLI-15-033, collared 130 m to the north, which returned 69.5 m of 0.58% CuEq* (0.28% copper, 0.39 g/t gold, and 1.57 g/t silver) starting at 32.5 m; and KLI-22-049, collared 155 m to the northeast, which returned 66.0 m of 0.41% CuEq* (0.23% copper, 0.24 g/t gold, and 0.90 g/t silver) starting at 250.0 m in the East Wedge zone. KLI-23-057 (azimuth 240, inclination -60, planned length 600 m) will be collared in the Parish Hill zone, 1 km southeast of KMZ within a broad moderate-intensity RMI aeromagnetic anomaly that follows the Lui fault (see Figure 3). A northwest-trending 330 x 100 m lens-shaped MVI magnetic high anomaly comes to surface here following a lithological contact between sandstone-carbonate and volcaniclastic units that was mapped in 2021 (the "SC/Vx contact"). This contact has garnet-magnetite skarn associated with it and was found to be chalcopyrite-bornite mineralized farther to the west-northwest. The near-surface MVI magnetic high anomaly dips steeply to the west and merges into a large magnetic high anomaly after 300 m depth that could represent a porphyry deposit source of the surface skarn. Drilling will test this magnetic anomaly. KLI-23-058 (azimuth 055, inclination -65, planned length 700 m) will be collared in the Kliyul West zone stepping out 290 m southeast of KLI-22-050 within the Lui Fault corridor aeromagnetic anomaly. Drilling will test the SC/Vx contact at about 400 m depth and about 150 m west of where the mineralized skarn was mapped on surface. A larger magnetic anomaly begins at about 470 m depth. It is important to note that the SC/Vx contact as mapped in 2021 parallels an interpreted east-west linkage structure at Kliyul that is at the center of fault jog structural interpretations for the KMZ mineralized body. KLI-23-059 (azimuth 055, inclination -60, planned length 450 m) will be collared in the Ginger South target area about 1 km south of KLI-23-053 in the Ginger zone. The Ginger South area lies near the intersection of a western extension of the ENE-trending Valley Fault corridor with the northwest-trending Parish Hill fault, and LiDAR results indicate there may be a north-south fault that extends south from the Ginger zone. This interpreted double or triple fault intersection is about 250 m north of the planned drill hole collar and coincides with a >0.2 ppm Au-in-soil anomaly. Drilling will test a 150 m diameter aeromagnetic high bullseye anomaly that is coincident with a chargeability high and could drill across the SC/Vx contact at depth. KLI-23-060 (azimuth 240, inclination -60, planned length 500 m) will be collared in the Kliyul East zone where there is no historical drilling. The nearest drill hole is KLI-22-048A, about 80 m to the north, but it was drilled mainly within the Kliyul North zone and did not adequately test Kliyul East. Drilling will test a steeply west dipping chargeability anomaly that extends from near surface in Kliyul East to about 430 m depth in the East Wedge zone where it is coincident with an MVI magnetic high anomaly near the Divide Lake Fault. KLI-23-061 (azimuth 070, inclination -55, planned length 700 m) will be collared in the M-39 zone where there is no historical drilling. Results from 2022 exploration suggest there may be a deep-seated porphyry system with a large (500+ m diameter) chargeability anomaly starting at about 500 m depth. There is a 300 x 100 m steeply east dipping pipe-shaped chargeability high feature on its western side that extends to surface near the eastern margin of the northwest-trending Kliyul Creek intrusive complex; this is coincident with an MVI magnetic high feature. A flat-lying resistivity high feature at 200-300 m depth is suggestive of an overlying lithocap. Drilling will test the near-surface chargeability-magnetic high anomaly and follow it down plunge to depth. About Pacific Ridge Our goal is to become British Columbia's leading copper-gold exploration company. Pacific Ridge's flagship project is its 100% owned Kliyul copper-gold project, located in the Quesnel Trough close to existing infrastructure. In addition to Kliyul, the Company's project portfolio includes the RDP copper-gold project (optioned to Antofagasta Minerals S.A.), the Chuchi copper-gold project, the Onjo copper-gold project, and the Redton copper-gold project, all located in British Columbia. Pacific Ridge would like to acknowledge that its B.C. projects are located in the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Gitxsan Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Nak'azdli Whut'en, Takla Nation, and Tsay Keh Dene Nation. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Blaine Monaghan" Blaine Monaghan President & CEO Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. Corporate Contact: Blaine Monaghan President & CEO Tel: (604) 687-4951 www.pacificridgeexploration.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-ridge-exploration-ltd-pex- https://twitter.com/PacRidge_PEX Investor Contact: G2 Consultants Corp. Telephone: +1 778-678-9050 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. *CuEq = ((Cu%) x $Cu x 22.0462) + (Au(g/t) x $Au x 0.032151) + (Ag(g/t) x $Ag X 0.032151)) / ($Cu x 22.0462) Commodity prices: $Cu = US$3.50/lb, $Au = US$1,750/oz., and Ag = US$20.00/oz. Factors: 22.0462 = Cu% to lbs per tonne, 0.032151 = Au g/t to troy oz per tonne, and 0.032151 = Ag g/t to troy oz per tonne. Recovery is assumed to be 100% - there has been no metallurgical testing on Kliyul mineralization. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The technical information contained within this News Release has been reviewed and approved by Gerald G. Carlson, Ph.D., P.Eng., Executive Chairman of Pacific Ridge and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 policy. Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, which address exploration drilling and other activities and events or developments that Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. ("Pacific Ridge") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include the planned 7,000 m drill program at Kliyul and targeting concepts. Although Pacific Ridge believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions, that one of the options will be exercised, the ability of Pacific Ridge and other parties to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements in a timely manner, the availability of financing for Pacific Ridge's proposed programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of third party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Pacific Ridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Renewed artillery exchanges rocked greater Khartoum early Wednesday as Sudan's warring generals resumed fighting just minutes after the latest US and Saudi-brokered ceasefire expired. Already on Tuesday evening, an immense fire had engulfed the intelligence service's headquarters in the capital Khartoum with each side accusing the other of attacking it in violation of the 72-hour truce. A source within the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accused rival paramilitaries loyal to his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo of shelling the building. A source within the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said an "army drone bombed the building where RSF fighters had gathered, sparking a fire and the partial destruction of the intelligence headquarters". On Wednesday morning, residents of Omdurman, just across the Nile from Khartoum, reported heavy artillery exchanges within minutes of the ceasefire expiring at 6:00 am (0400 GMT). Army warplanes flew low over several adjacent districts, the residents said. The ceasefire, which coincided with an international donors' conference in Geneva on Monday, brought a brief respite to the millions of civilians who have been trapped by the fighting in greater Khartoum but an exodus of refugees continued to pour of the war's other main battleground Darfur. Nationwide, more than 2,000 people have been killed since the power struggle between Burhan and Daglo erupted into fighting on April 15, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said. More than 2.5 million people have fled their homes, of whom around 550,000 have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, fled abroad, according to the International Organization for Migration. - Bodies on city streets - According to the US State Department, up to 1,100 people have been killed in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina alone. Bodies have remained on the streets of the city, where months of unrest have left shops either vacant or gutted by looters. One lay covered on the asphalt, in front of an armoured vehicle. A dead man was partially curled up outside a house. Several others appeared to be lying face down together on a dirt road. Residents have fled en masse, grabbing whatever they could to escape to the border with Chad. At least 150,000 people have fled Darfur into Chad since the start of fighting, according to the UN. Some described being shot at by fighters and subject to searches during the perilous journey. The United Nations has spoken of possible "crimes against humanity" in Darfur as the conflict has "taken an ethnic dimension" in a region still reeling from a 2003 rebellion among non-Arab minorities that prompted then-strongman Omar al-Bashir to recruit the Arab Janjaweed militia, whose actions led to charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Washington has said the RSF, which traces its origins to the Janjaweed, is "primarily" responsible for recent "atrocities" in Darfur, which is home to a quarter of Sudan's population. In an audio recording Tuesday, Daglo denounced what he called "a tribal conflict" in El Geneina, claiming to have ordered his men "not to intervene" and accusing the army of "creating sedition by distributing weapons" to civilians. - 'Fleeing for their lives' - Monday's donors' conference raised close to $1.5 billion in aid pledges for Sudan and neighbouring countries, but organisers said that amounted to only half of the estimated needs. A record 25 million people -- more than half Sudan's population -- are in need of aid and protection, the United Nations says. UN chief Antonio Guterres warned "the scale and speed of Sudan's descent into death and destruction is unprecedented." "Without strong international support, Sudan could quickly become a locus of lawlessness, radiating insecurity across the region," he said. In an interview with AFP Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi urged neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to Sudanese refugees despite concerns the violence and lawlessness could spill over. "My appeal to all the neighbouring countries is to say I understand your security concerns, but please keep your borders open because these people are really fleeing for their lives," he said. A German court on Wednesday sentenced a woman to over nine years in jail for enslaving a Yazidi woman, as well as aiding and abetting war crimes and genocide as a member of the Islamic State (IS). The 37-year-old German defendant, identified only as Nadine K., was also found guilty of crimes against humanity and membership of a foreign terrorist organisation, a spokeswoman for the court in the western city of Koblenz said. The defendant was a member of IS between December 2014 and March 2019, travelling to Syria to join the jihadist group with her husband. In 2015, the couple later moved to Mosul in Iraq, then back to Syria. From April 2016, the pair kept as a slave a Yazidi woman, who had been imprisoned by IS since 2014. Nadine K. kept watch to prevent the woman, who was 22 at the time, from fleeing and forced her to do housework and observe Islamic rituals. With the knowledge of the defendant, Nadine K.'s husband regularly raped and beat the Yazidi woman. "All of this served the declared purpose of IS, to wipe out the Yazidi faith," prosecutors said at the opening of the trial earlier this year. Nadine K. and her family are believed to have moved to Syria in autumn 2016 with their "slave" and lived in IS-controlled territory until March 2019, when they are believed to have been arrested by Kurdish fighters and the Yazidi woman was released. The defendant was arrested in March last year upon her return to Germany in one of several repatriation operations. A German court in November 2021 issued the first ruling worldwide to recognise crimes against the Yazidi community as genocide, in a verdict hailed by activists as a "historic" win for the minority. The Kurdish-speaking Yazidis hailing from northern Iraq have for years been persecuted by IS militants who have killed hundreds of men, raped women and forcibly recruited children as fighters. To listen to the podcast, click on the "play" button below: Last week in The Hague it was determined that Felicien Kabuga, the final major suspect to stand trial for the 1994 Rwandan genocide before a U.N. court, was unfit to stand trial after a team of doctors diagnosed the almost 90 year old with dementia. Kabuga was arrested in Paris in 2020 after almost 20 years on the run. The former businessman is accused of funding the Hutu Interhamwe militia and also had a hand in Radio-Television Libre de Mille Collines (RTLM). The Interhamwe are a paramilitary group originally founded in Rwanda in 1990 and are responsible for a majority of the violence that took place in 1994. RTLM also played a role in the genocide when its presenters encouraged violence by Hutus against the Tutsis in the days leading up to the genocide. While the courts decision that Kabuga was unfit to stand trial didnt come as a major shock to anyone, what did surprise us, and many other onlookers, is the alternative to a regular trial agreed by the judges. The prosecution had suggested a trial in which Kabuga himself does not have to be present, but the facts will be presented similar to what the UK and many other countries call a trial of the facts. In the suggested situation there will be no conviction or sentence handed down. So, like many, we were left asking what all of this means? To try to get to the bottom of everything we brought in historian of international criminal trials Lucy Gaynor. But one expert wasnt enough to untangle everything in this web so Janet and Stephanie got in contact with no fewer than six members of the international justice community to get the latest reactions to this perplexing proposal. Seeking to gradually flatten Wisconsins income tax, the Legislatures GOP-controlled budget committee on Thursday approved a $3.5 billion income tax cut, with the biggest reductions going toward those in the highest income brackets. The income tax cut, which would also reduce the current four income tax brackets into three, along with reducing property taxes by directing $590 million to the school levy credit, would constitute the largest tax cut in state history, said Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee. Under the proposal, which passed 12-4 along party lines, those making between $40,000 and $50,000 would save an average $88 per year under the GOP plan. Those making between $100,000 and $125,000 would save an average $678. Those making over $1 million would save an average of $30,286 per year. Another $174 million cut would be generated from eliminating personal property taxes, a policy that emerged as part of an agreement between the governor and GOP-controlled Legislature as part of a bill to increase aid to local governments. While Republicans have repeatedly called for flattening the states more than 110-year-old progressive income tax, which applies higher rates on income above a certain level, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said he wants to direct tax cuts to the states low- and middle-income residents. The GOP is doubling down on tax breaks for wealthy millionaires and billionaires instead of prioritizing relief for working families, Evers spokesperson Britt Cudaback tweeted. .@GovEvers believes that when we deliver tax relief, it should be real, responsible and targeted to the middle class. The GOP is doubling down on tax breaks for wealthy millionaires and billionaires instead of prioritizing relief for working families. Here's who they're helping: https://t.co/pjJ1IsLTJ5 pic.twitter.com/qyY5uJzsHS Britt Cudaback (@BrittCudaback) June 22, 2023 Committee co-chair Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, said the plan wasnt developed with Evers or other Democrats. Currently, the state has an income tax rate of 3.54% for individuals earning less than $13,810 per year or married filers earning less than about $18,400. Under Republicans plan, that rate would go down to 3.5%. The 4.65% rate for individuals earning up to $27,630 and joint filers earning $36,840 would go down to 4.4%. The 5.3% rate for individuals earning up to $304,000 and married filers earning up to about $405,000 would also go down to 4.4%. Finally, the 7.65% tax rate for individuals earning more than $304,000 or married filers earning more than about $405,500 would go down to 6.5%. The states largest commerce organization, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), supports the measure. This plan would help move Wisconsin outside the top 10 highest income tax states making Wisconsin a more attractive place for employers and workers alike, WMC tax director Evan Umpir said. Criticizing the proposal before the committee voted on it Wednesday, Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee, said, It is not true to say that this tax plan is heavily weighted to the middle class, because the median income in Wisconsin is going to receive a fraction of what the wealthiest Wisconsinites will get. Evers has criticized a flat tax as one that largely benefits the states wealthiest residents, while Republicans and some of the states largest business organizations say it would make Wisconsin more competitive with neighboring states, help foster economic growth and address long-standing labor force shortages. Senate Republicans earlier this year proposed a flat tax proposal, something Democrats said would be vetoed. That bill, SB 1, received a public hearing in the Senate but no further action in either chamber. Earlier this year, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, proposed a plan to phase down Wisconsins four income tax brackets until the state reaches a 3.25% flat tax for all earners in 2026. The shift would reduce revenues by just shy of $5 billion over the first two years, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Evers has called for a 10% tax cut for individuals earning $100,000 or less a year and married filers making $150,000 or less. The governors proposal would have increased state tax revenues by more than $257 million over the next two years by limiting the amount companies could claim in manufacturing and agriculture tax credits and increasing some capital gains taxes. It also would increase state spending on refundable income tax credit payments by more than $300 million, according to the nonpartisan Wisconsin Policy Forum. A recent Wisconsin Policy Forum report found LeMahieus proposal would give an average annual tax cut of more than $100,000 to Wisconsinites who earn more than $1 million. Under Evers proposal, those same earners would see an average annual tax increase of almost $40,000. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov. Noting the strategic nature of relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, the head of state hailed the successful development of bilateral ties in all areas. The President of Azerbaijan underlined that the agenda of bilateral relations is broad. Saying that the successful implementation of the agreements reached during President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev`s visit to Azerbaijan last year, and his trip to Kazakhstan this year was constantly taken into account, President Ilham Aliyev described it as a sign of the high level of bilateral cooperation. The head of state pointed out that relations between the two countries are of great importance for regional cooperation, including cooperation in the Caspian basin and in a wider area. The President of Azerbaijan said that there is great potential for the further expansion of this cooperation, stressing that all this serves to increase the volume of trade turnover, create additional business opportunities, implement large-scale projects in energy, transport and other areas. President Ilham Aliyev expressed confidence that Alikhan Smailov`s visit would contribute to the further development of friendly and brotherly relations between the two countries. Expressing gratitude for the warm words, the Prime Minister conveyed the greetings and best wishes of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the head of state. President Ilham Aliyev thanked for the greetings, and asked Alikhan Smailov to pass on his greetings to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Alikhan Smailov congratulated the head of state and the friendly people of Azerbaijan on the upcoming Eid al-Adha. Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov underlined that this year marks the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, saying the Great Leader had always cherished sincere friendly relations with Kazakhstan. Alikhan Smailov noted that opening of the Heydar Aliyev Street this year in Astana with participation of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan is manifestation of unity of both countries and peoples. The head of state expressed gratitude for the respect to the memory of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, adding the people of Azerbaijan appreciate this. Alikhan Smailov pointed out that Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan relations are strategic by their nature and expressed satisfaction with successful development of cooperation in all spheres. The Prime Minister noted that interaction between the countries based strategic partnership is an indicator of bilateral relations. Alikhan Smailov expressed gratitude to the Azerbaijani President for his contribution to cementing bilateral cooperation in a variety of fields. He noted that Azerbaijan is the most important economic and trade partner for Kazakhstan in the South Caucasus, saying the trade turnover climbed by 40% to exceed USD 460 mln last year. The Prime Minister said the trend was kept this year too, and underlined that there are opportunities for increasing this potential even more. They hailed the construction of the Childrens Center for the Development of Creativity in the city of Fuzuli, noted the activity of the intergovernmental commission, and shared their opinions on the cooperation between the countries in oil, transportation, ICT, ship-building, humanitarian and other spheres. The sides expressed satisfaction with the recent rise of cargo transportation from the Caspian Sea through the Middle Corridor by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan as well as third parties, and underlined the importance of stepping up the two countries joint efforts in this directions. The meeting also saw discussions on the prospects for participation of Kazakhstans companies in various projects in the liberated lands of Azerbaijan. Warm weather, sneakers and Fourth of July Spirit -- three things that will bring loads of fun to this upcoming Fourth of July weekend in Platte Center. For the sixth year in a row, the Red, White and Blessed Fun Run will return, and participants of all ages are welcome to run and/or walk in an effort to raise money for the St. John's Lutheran School and Daycare. The run will start at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 1, at the Elmwood Park in Platte Center and include a 5K run/walk, a 1 mile and a Toddler Trot for children younger than 5. Coordinator Kelsy Greisen said the Toddler Trot will kick-off the event. "The little ones will run down the block, and everyone will get a treat," Greisen said. "Then we'll have the 1-mile and 5K races line-up, and there will also be day care open and bounce houses in the park for the parents who plan to race." Greisen revealed prizes will be presented to the top three 1-mile and 5K finishers. Also, prizes will be awarded to the best red, white and blue dressed adults and children. "A lot of the local and Columbus businesses donate prizes, so there will be a choice of those. For the 1-mile, the top three finishers will receive a kickball, and typically Cargill donates some meat for the 5K," Greisen said, "But the Best-Dressed is always the most fun seeing everybody go all-out in red, white and blue." Each of the races will traverse around Platte Center, stated Co-Coordinator Kelly Kapels, excluding the Toddler Trot, which will only be a block long. There will not be a time clock available, so participants should bring their own personal watches or timers. "All races will start at the entrance to the park, and the 5K will actually go out of town on the Central Highway intersection where at the halfway mark, there will be water station," Kapels said. "The course isn't flat, so it may be a bit challenging, although fun for everyone." The races will not be the only attraction that day, as Greisen stated local vendors will also be present in the park, which participants can visit either before and after their race. "Cork and Barrel will do a pop-up pub in the park and serve sparkler drinks and Bloody Mary's," Greisen said. "There will be vendors with T-shirt design presses, a wellness table with workout drink samples and even mug and tumbler designs available." Greisen stated last year's turnout was successful with around 150 participants, and she aspires to surpass that amount this year. Those interested in participating can register online at getmeregistered.com/redwhiteandblessed5k or the day-of the race, arriving preferably 30 minutes prior. The 5K is $25, the 1-mile $15 and the Toddler Trot is $12. To guarantee a T-shirt, Greisen encourages people to sign-up today, although there will likely be a few extras available the day-of. Kapels said the event's importance lies in the opportunity it provides for members of the St. John's Lutheran School to advocate for their faith. "We try to promote our school and faith, getting the word out there about spreading love, regardless of anyone else's religion," Kapels said. "This is the biggest fundraiser for our school; it supports programs and other special projects, so we want more people to get come, bring their kids or grandkids and just have fun." Human rights activist Paul Canary Kanyamu is shown in a handout photo. Kanyamu says life felt like "hell on Earth" before he escaped Africa and found refuge in Vancouver about two months ago. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO 42 Shares Share Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Catch up on old episodes! Join us for an insightful podcast episode as we delve into the significance of cultural competency training for physicians in providing health care for LGBTQ+ individuals. Our guest, Michael Pessman, a gerontologist, shares his expertise on the unique challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community when accessing health care. We discuss the importance of addressing discrimination and stigma, and the consequences these have on trust and patient care. Michael highlights the benefits of cultural competency training, including reducing health disparities, improving patient satisfaction, and increasing access to care. We also explore the impact of Illinois HB 4654, a bill that mandates cultural competency training for physicians, on promoting equity, social justice, and inclusive health care practices. Join us as we uncover the path towards creating a more understanding and accepting health care system for LGBTQ+ individuals. Michael Pessman is a gerontologist. He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, Breaking down barriers: Illinois bill calls for cultural competency training for physicians to improve health care for LGBTQ+ community. The Podcast by KevinMD is brought to you by the Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience. Ambient intelligence augments human capabilities to make our lives easier. The applications are many, especially in health care. Ambient clinical intelligence is offsetting the most pressing challenges in health care today, such as burnout, physician shortages, physician and patient dissatisfaction, and underperforming financial outcomes, by applying the technology to clinical documentation. The Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience, or DAX for short, utilizes artificial intelligence and natural language processing to automatically document care. It securely listens to and captures the natural, clinician-patient encounter conversation unobtrusively, and turns that conversation into a clinical note for the clinicians review and signature directly in the electronic health record. You just talk naturally, and DAX does the rest. DAX is being used by thousands of physicians across 30 different specialties nationwide. It has already won the Silver Stevie award in the health care technology category and was ranked #1 for improving clinician experience in KLASs top 20 emerging solutions. VISIT SPONSOR https://nuance.com/daxinaction SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended GET CME FOR THIS EPISODE https://earnc.me/YV9Gc9 Powered by CMEfy. The former director of History Nebraska, the state agency tasked with collecting and preserving state history, has been charged with a felony for his alleged mishandling of more than $270,000 in funds in 2020, according to new court filings. Trevor L. Jones, who resigned from his post as the CEO and executive director of the agency last July after six years in the role, was charged with felony theft by deception, according to a complaint filed Friday by David Bydalek, the state's chief deputy attorney general. The charge against Jones, 50, stems from a request he made in June 2020, seeking $269,926.24 in discretionary funds from the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation in an effort to "offset anticipated loss of quarter four revenue due to COVID," Nebraska State Patrol Investigator Amanda DeFreece said in the probable cause statement for Jones' arrest. The State Historical Society Foundation an independent, nonprofit corporation created in 1942 to support state history and the agency responsible for curating it sent History Nebraska a second check for $325.09 in July 2020, DeFreece said in the probable cause statement. Both checks were endorsed with a stamp that read: "Pay to the Order of State Treasurer, Nebraska State Historical Society, History Nebraska," according to court filings and an August 2022 report from the state auditor following that agency's own probe into the transfer. But instead of remitting the funds to the state treasurer for proper recording and disbursal, as required by law, Jones allegedly scratched out the stamped endorsement and deposited the money into a History Nebraska Foundation bank account, DeFreece said. Jones, who was among the organization's initial board members, opened the History Nebraska Foundation's bank account in December 2019 and identified himself as the charity's "president" on initial First National Bank of Omaha financial documents, according to the auditor's report. The funds that were allegedly rerouted from the State Historical Society Foundation to its newly created rival "comprised almost 99% of the entire balance" the History Nebraska Society had on hand in July 2020, according to the auditor's report. "Without these two diverted checks, which were intended for the use of History Nebraska to offset financial losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic, this account would have had a negative balance of $92,324.94" in January 2022, Deputy State Auditor Craig Kubicek wrote in the report. The History Nebraska Foundation's total assets are worth $247,000, according to GuideStar, an organization that tracks nonprofits. The State Historical Society Foundation's assets total more than $18 million, according to the nonprofit tracker. The money the State Historical Society Foundation sent at Jones' request was in part made up of private donations that had been specifically designated for History Nebraska purposes, like historic preservation, archeology or conservation, according to the probable cause statement filed last week. But once it landed in History Nebraska Foundation's account, the money was used in part to pay legal fees related to the foundation's creation and, at least once, the foundation paid Jones himself. The foundation issued a $99.60 check to Jones in September 2021. And the foundation's debit card was used at coffee shops and restaurants in Lincoln and Omaha six times between June and December 2021 in purchases that Jones "may have benefited personally from," according to the auditor's report. "Mr. Jones appears to have played an important, if not actually managerial, role in administering the financial affairs of the History Nebraska Foundation for much of 2020 and 2021," Kubicek wrote in the 2022 report. "In addition to endorsing over 100 checks deposited into the History Nebraska Foundations bank account through October 2021, Mr. Jones was one of only two signatories for the organizations check payments during that period." Whether Jones benefited from the funds isn't central to the criminal case the State Patrol outlined in Friday's court filing, though. DeFreece, the State Patrol investigator, made no mention in her affidavit of how the funds may have aided Jones personally accusing him only of deceiving the State Historical Society when he sought the funds by indicating in his request form that the money would be used to offset pandemic-related shortfalls. The charges mark an apparent reversal on behalf of the authorities. In December, the Nebraska Examiner reported that Lancaster County Attorney Pat Condon's office had declined to file criminal charges in connection to the probe. Jones has not been arrested, and it's unclear whether he knows he's been charged with the crime. The Attorney General's Office filed a request Friday asking the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office to deliver the complaint against him to his last known address. In June 2022, Jones told History Nebraska officials that he and his wife planned to move to France following his resignation from History Nebraska, the Examiner reported. In his LinkedIn biography, the longtime museum director and curator wrote that he is "taking the year to travel the world." Jones did not immediately return an email seeking comment Tuesday. Top Journal Star photos for June 2023 International relations experts have welcomed and defended efforts by African leaders to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war. Figures from Reuters, a news agency show that the war that erupted on February 24, 2022, has since left over 60,000 people dead and close to 17 million displaced. Others have tried and failed to broker peace between the two countries, prompting African leaders to send a delegation of six headed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to seek a path to peace. Speaking to KFM, Ambassador Harold Acemah said any peace initiative should be respected and welcomed because the war remains an international security threat. He adds that efforts by the African leaders should not be underestimated because they share equal rights under the United Nations charter for sovereign quality of all its member states. By Karim Mayobo The government has rejected calls by the Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) party to hold talks with Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels. UPC spokesperson Sharon Arach told journalists that Uganda has historically turned to talks, especially in northern Uganda, to resolve military conflict with LRA rebels and other groups. The party also advised the government to consider Rwenzururu King Charles Mumbere as an intermediary, since his kingdom spreads across Kasese and Bundibugyo districts, and parts of eastern DR Congo where ADF remnants are active. However, Information and National Guidance minister, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi says there is nothing to talk about with the extremist Islamist militants believed to be responsible for last Fridays horrific attack on Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School in the border district of Kasese. He said that, unlike other rebel groups with whom the government has negotiated peace, the ADF is a terror outfit backed by the internationally sanctioned Islamic state terror group. On Friday night, suspected ADF terrorists carried out their worst attack inside Uganda in 25 years, burning and hacking 43 people to death, 37 of whom were students. On June 8, 1998, the rebels attacked Kichwamba Technical Institute in Kabarole district which neighbors Kasese, and set 3 dormitories alight, killing 80 students By Robert Muhereza Immigration officials at Katuna border are calling for increased staff to handle the growing number of travelers to avoid unnecessary delays. This is after Rwandan authorities lifted travel restrictions on their nationals crossing into Uganda through the Katuna and Cyanika border posts in Kabale and Kisoro districts respectively. Soter Kabyogamu, a senior immigration officer says the move has led to an instant business boom but also an overwhelming number of travelers having to be cleared at the border. Although the Rwandan borders with Uganda were re-opened in March last year, after being closed for three years, Rwandan nationals were not allowed to cross into Uganda unless they had paid 5,000 Rwandan Francs, (about Shs15,000) each for a Covid-19 PCR test, which many ordinary citizens could not afford. The Rwandans had also been stopped from buying household and food items from Ugandan border markets. A judiciary driver who was yesterday charged with abusing the institutions official vehicle returns to court today for hearing of his bail application. Barnabas Juju was arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court and remanded to Luzira prison for using the institution vehicle to transport smuggled rice and chewing gum. Prosecutors informed the court that on June 13, 2023, at Kyambogo in Kampala district, Juju was found in possession of uncustomised goods including 38 packs of rice, and nearly 600 packs of chewing gum, with a duty value of Shs4.4million. Juju is a driver attached to the Tororo High Court and in charge of Motor vehicle number UG 0793J which according to prosecution, he used to convey the said goods. He however pleaded not guilty to the 2 counts of possession of uncostomised goods and conveyance of illegal goods contrary to the East African Community Customs Management Act, 2004. He was then remanded to Luzira prison by Grade one magistrate Esther Asiimwe and ordered to return to court today for hearing of his bail application. Juju is the second judiciary driver to be charged in court after last month Stanley Kisambira who is attached to the Mbale resident judge was charged with hate speech. Kisambira allegedly recorded an audio and shared it on a WhatsApp group, highlighting salary discrepancies between drivers and judges. Venezuela's Cryptocurrency Mining Ban Damages Industry Maduro Once Supported Source: RawBeautyPixels/Adobe Venezuelas ban on cryptocurrency mining has severely damaged the industry that President Nicolas Maduro once supported. Back in March, the state regulators ordered a halt on mining cryptocurrencies after an investigation into a corruption scheme in which crypto wallets redirected payments owed to the state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela. So far, around 80 people have been arrested in connection to the oil scandal, including former technology minister Hugbel Roa and Joselit Ramirez, who managed the crypto superintendence. However, as the states halt on crypto mining approaches its third month, more miners could be forced to sell their rigs and shut down permanently. This comes even as Maduro had pushed the use of crypto and specifically the Petro sovereign token, issued by the government, as a tool to bypass sanctions and as an alternative to the Venezuelan bolivar. It is unfortunate that after going through so much trouble to formalize and do things right, we are now in this situation, Alexis Lugo, whos been working in digital assets for seven years and now leads an educational crypto project called Criptoneros, told Bloomberg in an interview. According to estimates from mining groups, approximately 75,000 units of mining equipment have been disconnected, the equivalent of an entire fleet of machines owned by a major publicly traded mining company such as Riot Platforms. The report added that Venezuelas intelligence police, known as Sebin, has been auditing miners, asking for confirmation that funds used to purchase equipment didn't come from the oil corruption scheme. However, no miners are known to have been detained or charged with a crime. The innocent are paying for the sins of the guilty, said Juan Blanco, chief executive officer of BitData, a 10-person crypto-miner in Caracas thats also focused on crypto education. Crypto Mining Industry Struggles Worldwide Venezuelas ban on crypto mining comes as miners from across the globe struggle with the plunge in Bitcoin (BTC) prices on top of higher electricity costs. In December last year, Core Scientific, the largest public Bitcoin miner by computing power, filed for bankruptcy. At the time, the company attributed its bankruptcy to a $7 million unpaid debt from Celsius Network, a bankrupt cryptocurrency lending company, besides slumping crypto prices and rising energy costs for mining. Aside from Core Scientific, other crypto mining firms are also struggling amid the market downturn. Argo Blockchain, Iris Energy, and Greenidge Generation are among the more notable Bitcoin mining companies that are facing financial issues. Meanwhile, some countries are taking a different approach, pushing for regulation instead of a ban. Earlier this week, Russia's Ministry of Energy announced that it is pushing for the legalization of industrial crypto mining and wants lawmakers to press ahead with a much-anticipated mining-related bill. Likewise, the government of Kazakhstan has announced plans to introduce new crypto regulations to curb tax fraud and unlawful business operations. One of the proposed regulations calls for government approval for secured digital assets issuers, while another would require miners to sell at least 75% of crypto earned via registered exchanges. These new regulations are expected to reduce tax evasion and improve governance. By Denis Edema The father of a 25-year-old arrested TikToker claiming to be a member of Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a terrorist group Mr. David Mugabi Ssendawula has said his son who is currently detained at Lugazi police station has never travelled beyond Kampala. Mr. Ssendawula who is also Local Council II of Bulyadente Parish in Lugazi Municipality Buikwe District said what his son, Mr Resto Kalenzi did was unfortunate and out of excitement and group influence. He is my son and I know him whatever he has done, he did it out of excitement and I want to apologize on his behalf. In his life he has never traveled beyond Kampala and has no bad record in the community said Mr Ssendawula. Mr Ssendawula explained that at times he hears him and his friends discussing politics that could have not reached to that extent, adding that his son does not know much about politics in Uganda- Residents who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak freely said Mr. Kalezi is just a common boda-boda rider in Namengo village who has no problem with people, explaining that whatever he did was unfortunate to himself and the family. I think he was trying to win followers on his TikTok page without knowing that the information he shared is harmful that attracts public attention leading to his arrest, one of the residents said. Mr. Kalenzi was arrested on Tuesday after recording himself in a video claiming that he belongs to ADF, a terrorist group that allegedly participated in the attack on Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Secondary School in Kasese District , leaving about 42 people dead. Ssezibwa police spokesperson, Ms Hellen Butoto said they have opened an inquiry about the suspect who is currently detained at Lugazi Police station pending investigations into the matter. Ms Butoto said the suspect was arrested through joint security operation led by the Directorate of Crime Intelligence in partnership with territorial police at Lugazi on Tuesday. A group of joint medical professionals has demanded parliament to ask the government to retable the National Health Insurance Scheme bill. Led by the former president of Uganda Medical Workers and a professor of Medicine and Cardiology at Uganda Martyrs University Prof. Paul George Darbela to meet the Speaker of Parliament Anita Among, they asked that the bill be brought back to parliament for processing. Prof Darbela said Uganda should copy from neighboring countries such as Tanzania where 37% of citizens medical bills are covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme, Kenya with 23%, and Uganda with less than 3%. We dont know what is happening. I had the opportunity four years ago to sit in a meeting in Nairobi dealing exactly with National Health Insurance and I was shocked by the figures, Prof Darbela said. In her response, Among promised to ask the Minister for Health to retable the bill. The bill, which was withdrawn by the government from the 10th parliament, in clause 21, wanted the governments obligations in national health insurance including the provision of adequate funding for the scheme and ensuring that all Ugandans have access to health services, The Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja has presented a statement on the suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attack in Kasese that has prompted MPs to raise pertinent questions. The attack on Lhubiriha Mpondwe secondary school also known as Peter Hunter SS Nyabigando School left 42 people dead including, 37 students, a security guard, and 4 other civilians. In his statement presented before plenary this afternoon, Minister Ssempijja labelled the ADF rebels as a weak force that carries out such heinous acts as a diversion strategy to detract the Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) from attacking them in Congo and to also show the world that they still exist. He also says the attack was well planned out as each of the about 10 terrorists entered the country individually and not as a group. Ssempijja however said investigations are ongoing to establish and get answers as to why they were not seen by both citizens and security and why there was no identification or suspicion of new/strange faces. However, a number of MPs from Kasese including Florence Kabugho, the Kasese woman MP accused the minister of telling lies and demanded to know where the security officers were at the time the school was attacked. Minister, I respect you so much but the report you have just presented has made me feel like; what is this? We dont need to cover these issues, if you really love your country you need to talk the truth so that your juniors can learn that they have been sleeping on duty. You just said that you cannot allow the enemy to cross the border, how did the enemy cross? Kabugho asked. Ferigo Kambale, the Kasese municipality MP, has equally demanded for more UPDF deployment in the district. A Major General who is commanding our forces in Congo informed us that they heard about the attack when they were in Congo, they attempted to come back to rescue our people but the Congo border could not allow them to cross to Uganda quickly to rescue our people. The Major General confessed that. It took over an hour when our students are being killed. Rt. Hon. Speaker, it is my request that UPDF considers serious deployment on ground, Kambale said. In his response, Ssempija said In this case of Kasese, the information was late, inaccurate and the small group was able to infiltrate with the assistance of some collaborators. That is why some of them have already been arrested to help in investigations, Uganda is set to receive $120 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under the Credit Extended Facility (ECF) agreement. This brings the aggregate disbursement under the ECF arrangement to about US$750 million. The immediate disbursement follows the completion of a fourth review under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) to the tune of $1 billion approved in 2021 by the IMF board. The funds will support the near-term response to the COVID-19 pandemic and boost more inclusive private sector-led long-term growth. Government is also expected to use the funds to make reforms on creating fiscal space for priority social spending, preserving debt sustainability, strengthening governance and reducing corruption, and enhancing the monetary and financial sector frameworks. Despite repeated external shocks and tighter financial conditions, the IMF projects that Ugandas economy is projected to grow by 5.5 percent in the financial year 2022/2023 and 6 percent in FY 2023/2024. PHILADELPHIA Many of the nations colleges are missing the mark when it comes to training prospective educators on how to teach children to read, according to a recent report by a national teacher quality group. Only one-quarter of the teacher prep programs cover all five core areas for reading instruction, which the National Council on Teacher Quality says in its report are based on more than 50 years of scientific research. Another quarter dont cover even one of those areas, the council said. The five competencies associated with what is called structured literacy include phonemic awareness the ability to identify sounds within spoken words, which allows children to link those sounds to the written word phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The council said it looked at how elementary teachers were prepared in these areas based on their course work, including instructional hours, assigned readings, assignments and assessments and practice opportunities. New Jersey programs performed the worst in the nation on average in their coverage of the core competencies, the council said, though it was only able to obtain course materials necessary to evaluate 10 of the states 23 programs. Nine of them, including Rutgers New Brunswick and Rowan, got Fs. Montclair received a C. Pennsylvanias programs werent particularly strong, either. Twelve of 33 programs rated received Fs, including those at the University of Pennsylvanias Graduate School of Education, Cabrini University, and Eastern Universitys undergraduate program. Alvernia University in Reading and Commonwealth University of Pennsylvanias Bloomsburg Campus got the only As. Prospective teachers and certainly their students deserve far better, said Heather Peske, the councils president. The report comes as reading instruction has been facing a reckoning amid the rise of the science of reading movement, which is grounded in cognitive science and calls for a more systematic approach to reading instruction. But experts say many of the findings havent made their way into classrooms with some schools still favoring balanced literacy, which places more emphasis on exposure to literature and independent learning. It can also involve disproven strategies, including encouraging children to guess words rather than sounding them out. What has been in place for many children has not worked, or not worked well enough, said Wiley Blevins, a reading specialist who has been working with New York City schools as they adopt new curricula. Like the dispute over reading instruction itself, the reactions to the report give a window into the lack of consensus around how to put the science into practice. Many colleges said the problem isnt with how they teach reading, but the councils assessment methodology, which doesnt consider student teacher outcomes or include site visits for evaluation. The councils analysis relies on the review of course syllabi, including items such as lecture slides or assignment descriptions, and background materials such as textbooks, articles and videos. It is not possible to produce valid, accurate, and usable assessments of the quality of teacher preparation programs (or courses) based on syllabi and documents alone without also gathering other data through participant and faculty surveys, site visits, and other means that get at what programs actually do and how participants actually experience them, Rowan University said in a statement. Brooke K. Langan, dean of education at East Stroudsburg University, which got a D, said the school uses a balanced literacy approach that includes phonics and phonemic awareness but also nurtures students love of reading. Peske asserted that the councils study was guided by a panel of literacy experts, researchers, teacher preparation leaders, policymakers and others who weighed in after the last review in 2020. And it has gotten endorsement from some high-profile educators, including Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. This report confirms what educators have been saying for years, Weingarten said. To help our students become joyful and confident readers, we must understand that teaching reading is not just an art, but also a science. Mark Seidenberg, a cognitive scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and leading expert in the science of reading, said the councils latest report was based on dated literature. But one thing both Seidenberg and the council agree on is that teacher preparation programs have much room for improvement. The ed schools are not moving forward very rapidly on this at all, Seidenberg said of the science of reading movement. Peske said improvement is critical, given recent national fourth-grade reading test scores, only worsened by the pandemic. More than one-third of fourth grade students, about 1.3 million, cant read at a basic level, according to recent national data. For students from underrepresented groups, those living in poverty and those with learning differences, the results are worse. That has nothing to do with the students themselves and everything to do with the fact that we are not giving students access to effective reading instruction, Peske said. Billy Rockett has been described as 'kind, gentle and sincere' as tributes pour in from near and far following his tragic death in a road traffic accident yesterday. Strangemills National School said that past pupil Billy is fondly remembered as a kind, gentle and sincere young boy. "The Rockett family were hugely involved in our school community for many many years," they said. "Our school is devastated by the tragic and untimely passing of Billy. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jo, Liam, Ellen, Marie and Hannah at this very difficult time. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis." Billy was a first year pupil at Abbey Community College in Waterford, and the school has since shared their deep sadness following his passing. "Our school community are deeply saddened to hear of the death of our first year student, Billy Rockett," they said. "This is a terrible tragedy for the family, school and wider community. Our sympathy and thoughts are with the Rockett family, our students and staff at this time. "Psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) have been with us today advising us in our efforts to support the school community. Billy will greatly missed by all of us that knew him." Waterford Blues Supporters Club have also paid tribute to Billy. "Yesterday was a very difficult day for all the Blues family with the tragic news of the passing of one of our own, Billy Rockett at the young age of just 13," they said. "Billy, along with his sisters, has been a Junior Blue for the last number of years attending games with his dad Liam, who we are keeping in our thoughts and praying for a speedy recovery. "Its very hard to put into words the devastation his loss will be for all his family, friends and the blues community and we offer our sincerest condolences to Liam, Josephine and girls at the utterly heartbreaking time. May you sleep easy." Billy is the treasured son of Liam and Jo (Nee Dowling), he will be sadly missed by his heartbroken sisters Ellen, Marie and Hannah, adored grandson of Willie and Helena, uncles Sean, Patrick, Martin and Donie, aunts Fionnuala, Trish and Georgina, aunts and uncles in law, all his beloved cousins, extended family, neighbours and Billy's many friends. In a significant development, SIPTU representatives have announced that contract cleaners in hospitals across Ireland, including here in Kilkenny, have finally received the long-awaited 1000 Pandemic Special Recognition Payment. The payment comes after a series of public protests last week by the 'Forgotten Frontline Heroes Campaign,' which drew attention to the delayed compensation owed to these essential workers. Last Thursday, contract cleaners organised protests outside Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, University Hospital Limerick, and Galway University Hospital. The demonstrations aimed to shed light on the plight of these workers who had not received the promised pandemic recognition payment. Acknowledging the success of the protests, Teresa Hannick, the SIPTU Services Division Organiser, stated, "Following the successful day of action by our members in Dublin, Limerick, and Galway, we have received confirmation that the Pandemic Special Recognition Payment has been paid to the workers involved." She further emphasised the power of effective protest, highlighting the prompt processing of the payment as a testament to the unity and strength demonstrated by the members over the past few months. Ms Hannick pledged: "We will continue our campaign of actions across the country until every contract services worker in the health sector, who worked through the pandemic, get what they are entitled to." Have you ever driven past the same building day after day and wondered what it looks like inside? Have you ever only seen a space from the street and wondered what lies within? Maybe the location is closed to the public, or maybe youve just never had a reason to go in. Now you dont have to. The Sentinels Inside Look series aims to take readers into the curious places Cumberland County has to offer from the comfort of their living rooms. Join us every other week for a video and photo gallery of new, or sometimes very old, local places that are just waiting to be explored. Swarner Mansion Now dedicated to the service of local businesses, it might seem hard to believe that a scandal was once intertwined with the history of the Swarner Mansion in Carlisle. The Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce occupies the Swarner Mansion at 801 S. Hanover St. after buying and renovating the building in 2019, according to a 2021 video by Cumberland County Historical Society Community Outreach Coordinator Sharon Filipovich. However, its history reaches back to the early 1900s. In 1906, Joseph Noble, a dentist whose family owned land in Carlisle and Cumberland County, transferred the ownership of farmland along the Holly Pike across from what is now Chapel Pointe to John V. Harris, a teller at the Merchants National Bank of Carlisle, The Sentinel reported in a 2016 article. Harris had the three-story, 4,643 square-foot mansion constructed the following year. The house was likely one of Carlisles first to feature an electrical security system and its third floor contained what is believed to have been Carlisles largest private ballroom at the time. Enter the aforementioned scandal. Merchants National Bank received a letter from the bank examiner on April 1, 1908, asking for an investigation after he discovered an irregularity into two bank drafts. Filipovich said cashier George Cook began looking into the matter on April 4 and when Harris arrived at the bank April 6 and saw Cook conducting an inspection, he confessed to embezzling the money and resigned. Filipovich said Harris admitted taking approximately $60,000, a sum that would equate to about $1.6 million today. He cooperated with authorities and served about two years and three months in prison in Atlanta, Georgia, before he was released on good behavior. After Harris arrest, the Merchants National Bank of Carlisle acquired the mansion. However the bank closed after the scandal and sold the building to Civil War veteran Willoughby Albright in 1909. Albright died the same year after falling from a wagon and willed the property to his wife, Fannie, and their daughter, Effie, who married Frank Swarner, Filipovich said. The Sentinel reported that the Swarner family rented the house out to other families before Fannies death in 1941, which left Effie Swarner the sole owner of the property. She later transferred the property to her son, F. Albright Swarner, who conveyed it to Russel C. Lash in 1984. Filipovich said Lash sold vehicles on the property before selling it to Ben and Michelle Breneman, who converted the building into an office for their Century 21 real estate business. Later, the Brenemans leased the space to another real estate agent. In 1999, the Carlisle Area School District purchased the mansion and transformed it into district offices through 2015, Filipovich said. It was sold to the Carlisle Area Chamber of Commerce in 2019, and the organization officially moved in that August after remodeling the property. Today, the mansions first floor contains a vestibule with the chambers front desk, a board room and office spaces. More offices can be found upstairs, along with two member conference rooms on the second floor. The mansions third floor is used for storage. Photos: Inside Look features Swarner Mansion in Carlisle Swarner Mansion 1 Swarner Mansion 2 Swarner Mansion 3 Swarner Mansion 4 Swarner Mansion 5 Swarner Mansion 6 Swarner Mansion 7 Swarner Mansion 8 Swarner Mansion 9 Swarner Mansion 10 Swarner Mansion 11 Swarner Mansion 12 Swarner Mansion 13 Swarner Mansion 14 Swarner Mansion 15 Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) - Cryptocurrency custody provider BitGo has announced that it is terminating the firm's planned acquisition of its cash-strapped rival Prime Trust just two weeks after the custodians announced that a preliminary deal had been reached. After considerable effort and work to find a path forward with Prime Trust, BitGo has made the hard decision to terminate its acquisition of Prime Trust, the company tweeted on Thursday. This decision was not made lightly and BitGo remains committed to our mission to deliver trust in digital assets. The planned acquisition, first announced on June 9, came amid rumors that Prime Trust, a Nevada-based firm that custodies crypto and helps digital-asset companies park cash at network banks, was struggling to service withdrawal requests from its customers at Binance.US, Abra, and Swan Bitcoin. According to several Twitter users, Prime Trust sent an email to its customers on Wednesday announcing that it has suspended all deposits and withdrawals, effective immediately, after it received a cease and desist letter from Nevada state regulators. Prime Trust regretfully informs all of you that, by order of the Nevada Financial Institution Division received on Wednesday, June 21st, 2023, Prime Trust is halting all deposits of fiat and digital assets for custody, the firm wrote in the email. We will also be halting all withdrawals of fiat and digital assets for custody. Please take action immediately to stop sending client custody assets to Prime Trust, especially digital assets. While the company has halted services and questions remain regarding its long-term health, Prime Trust said that it plans to restart operations once the regulatory confusion has been resolved. Prime Trust is actively engaging the NV FID to determine next steps to remediate any concerns and return to business as usual as soon as possible, the email said. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience and ask you to be patient with us while we work with the regulators to prove more clarification on the next steps. The challenges Prime Trust is facing are considered by many to be fallout from the lawsuits filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) against Coinbase and Binance, the two largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. Prior to the acquisition announcement, Prime Trust had been trying to raise as much as $25 million in emergency funding amid rumors that it faced bankruptcy due to a cash crunch. The firm, which has been offering services to crypto companies since 2018, is said to have served nearly 700 fintech and crypto clients over the past five years. The outlook for the company began to turn sour in 2022 amid the extended crypto winter that was exacerbated by the collapse of Terra/Luna and the bankruptcy of FTX, which hit Prime Trusts customer base hard. In the wake of its struggles, the company has lost some of its highest-profile clients, including Swan Bitcoin, which posted a notice on its website two weeks ago that said the platform was undergoing a major system upgrade. Cory Klippsten, the CEO of Swan Bitcoin, also tweeted that all of the Bitcoin and U.S. dollars held by the platform's clients are now custodied with Fortress or BitGo. They also lost Binance.US as a client due to the charges filed against the exchange by the SEC. The lawsuit filed by the regulator mentions a Trust Company B, which has drawn speculation on social media that it could be Prime Trust, a development that only adds to the difficult times the firm faces. June 22 (Reuters) - J.P.Morgan said on Thursday it expects two additional 25 basis point rate hikes by the Bank of England beyond August, taking its terminal rate forecast to 5.75% after a bigger-than-expected half a percentage point hike by the central bank. The global brokerage had earlier expected the terminal rate to be at 5% in November and said its forecast identifies a relation between wages and prices that needs to be "stopped", and assumes the BoE will need to further weaken labour markets through rate hikes. Reporting by Aniruddha Ghosh in Bengaluru Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication. June 22 (Reuters) - Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday briefed International Monetary Fund's managing director Kristalina Georgieva on the economic outlook of the cash-strapped South Asian nation, hoping for the release of critical stalled funds. The meeting on the sidelines of the Global Financing Summit in Paris came with about a week left before the IMF's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) agreed in 2019 expires on June 30. Under the $6.5 billion EFF's 9th review, concluded earlier this year, Pakistan has been trying to secure $1.1 billion of funding that has been stalled since November. "The Prime Minister expressed the hope that the funds allocated under the IMF's EFF would be released as soon as possible," said a statement from his office. It said Sharif outlined the steps Pakistan had taken for economic growth and stability, adding that his country had already completed all the IMF's conditions to meet the 9th review. With central bank foreign exchange reserves barely enough to cover one month of controlled imports, Pakistan is facing an acute balance of payment crisis, which analysts say could spiral into a debt default if the IMF money doesn't come through. The IMF funding is critical to unlock other bilateral and multilateral financing. Islamabad has expressed its frustration over the delay. It argues it has met all the painful fiscal measures the lender requested. The IMF, however, still has concerns over Pakistan's external financing gap, foreign exchange market operations and the budget presented earlier this month which it said violated the programme's objective. Pakistan has defended the budget, but at the same time offered to review it in any further talks with the IMF. Get all the essential market news and expert opinions in one place with our daily newsletter. Receive a comprehensive recap of the day's top stories directly to your inbox. Sign up here! (Kitco News) Switzerland's gold shipments rose last month after falling to 10-month lows in April, primarily driven by renewed demand from India, according to Swiss customs data. Swiss gold exports rose to 152,193 kg in May from April's 113,375 kg. China and India are the world's top gold consumers. And while China's demand remained low, India's numbers rebounded last month. India imported 31,199 kg of gold from Switzerland in May, up from 7,024 kg in April, marking the highest level since September 2022. Meanwhile, mainland China's Swiss gold imports fell to 45,969 kg from the previous month's 52,734 kg. In April, gold exports to mainland China and India hit the lowest levels since January. Also, Swiss exports to Hong Kong rose to 8,232 kg in May from 5,088 kg in April. And Turkey imported 9,439 kg, up from 8,855 kg in April. Switzerland is a global transit hub for gold, which is why the country's export data is often used as a market gauge for which countries are buying gold and when. Asian demand is known to be sensitive to gold price fluctuations. And after testing near record highs of $2,085 an ounce in early May, gold has retreated more than $100. At the time of writing, August Comex gold futures were trading at $1,925, down 1% on the day. Supportive Partnerships for Youth (SPY) campers decorated memorial blanket fabric panels at First United Church of Christ in Carlisle Wednesday morning. The Charles Bruce Foundation in Carlisle partnered with SPY to allow campers to decorate the panels, which will be sewn into quilts and displayed at Pennsylvania's Capital in Harrisburg in December to bring attention to homelessness. Blankets will be distributed to homeless individuals after the event. SPY, formerly known as summer program for youth, is a year-round enrichment experience for Carlisle-area students who can benefit from emotional support and structure when they're not in school. Most students come from low income homes and are referred to the program by elementary school counselors. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it has sent warning letters to dozens of retailers selling fruit- and candy-flavored disposable e-cigarettes, including the current best-selling brand, Elf Bar. It's the latest attempt by regulators to crack down on illegal disposable vapes that have poured into U.S. stores in recent years. Last month, the FDA issued orders allowing customs officials to seize shipments of Elf Bar, Esco Bar and two other brands at U.S. ports. None of the products have received FDA authorization and they come in flavors like cotton candy, which regulators say can appeal to teenagers. In the latest action, the FDA said it issued warnings to 189 convenience stories, vape shops and other retailers. "We're not going to stand by as bad actors are profiting off the sale of illegal products that are addicting our nation's youth," Brian King, the FDA's tobacco center director, said in an interview. "Today's action is just part of our long-standing efforts to address those products, particularly flavored disposable products." The FDA has tried for years to regulate the multibillion-dollar vaping industry, but separate data released by government researchers Thursday shows unauthorized e-cigarettes continue to launch. The Centers for Disease Control Prevention analysis showed the number of e-cigarette brands in the U.S. grew from 184 in early 2020 to 269 by late 2022. The rise coincided with the growing popularity of disposable e-cigarettes. The analysis showed disposables' share of vaping sales more than doubled from 24.7% in early 2020 to nearly 52% by late last year. Researchers from the CDC and a nonprofit, Truth Initiative, analyzed data from IRI, which collects sales records from convenience stores, gas stations and other retailers. Elf Bar was the best-selling disposable in the U.S. and the third-best selling e-cigarette by late last year. Only the reusable e-cigarettes Vuse, from Reynolds American, and Juul had higher sales. The FDA and CDC also cited Elf Bar in a separate report about thousands of calls to U.S. poison centers concerning e-cigarettes, mainly involving children under age 5. When accidentally ingested, liquid nicotine can cause seizures, convulsions, vomiting and brain injury. Reports of nicotine poisoning have gone up and down over the past decade, but government scientists said calls increased more than 30% between last spring and March this year. Brand information was not reported in 95% of cases, but when it was, Elf Bar was the most frequently named product. Despite the missing data, FDA's King called the high number of reports involving Elf Bar a "canary in the coal mine." "What we want to do is nip things in the bud before they're allowed to expand even further," King said. Manufactured by a Chinese firm, iMiracle Shenzhen, Elf Bar is part of a wave of copycat e-cigarettes that have followed a path paved by Puff Bar, a popular brand of disposables that briefly racked up hundreds of millions in sales after regulators cracked down on older vaping products like Juul. In early 2020, the FDA restricted flavors in cartridge-based reusable e-cigarettes like Juul to just menthol and tobacco, which are more popular with adults. But the flavor restriction didn't apply to disposable e-cigarettes, which are thrown away after use. After the FDA tried to force Puff Bar off the market, the company relaunched and said it was now using laboratory-made nicotine, which didn't fall under FDA's original oversight of tobacco-derived nicotine. Most disposable makers followed the same playbook. Congress closed the loophole last year. Under the law, companies were supposed to remove their vapes from the market and file FDA applications, but new products continue to launch. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Areas of patchy fog early. Plenty of sunshine. High 81F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies. Low near 60F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. 20 2023 : , , , , 1810 . 1903 . - ( ), . 1944 . 1969 .. 1974 , . Daniel Reyes, 40, of Ironton was charged in Iron County with three felony counts of possession of child pornography last week. A probable cause statement from the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) says investigators received a tip in May that Reyes had allegedly shared a file containing child pornography via Snapchat. Investigators were reportedly able to review the file and confirm it contained pornographic material involving a boy around 10 years of age. The statement says on June 14, MSHP investigators interviewed Reyes at the Pilot Knob Police Department. At the beginning of the interview, Reyes allegedly denied knowledge of the Snapchat account but later admitted to owning the Snapchat account and sharing the file. Reportedly, Reyes said he did not think the male in the image was a minor. An Iron County search warrant was obtained and reportedly executed in regard to Reyes cell phone and home. The cell phone allegedly contained three videos portraying children between the ages of 6-13 years of age engaged in various sexual activities. One video reportedly included the act of forcible rape of a child by an adult. MSHP investigators state in the report Reyes is a danger to the community due to his sexual interest in children and his role as a volunteer for a local Cub Scouts Unit and Scouts BSA Unit. A confidential source inside the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) confirmed Reyes was a volunteer scout leader and passed a federal background check and youth protection training prior to becoming a leader. The informant stated Reyes was removed from any affiliation from the BSA on the day of his arrest. None of the children in the BSA units to which Reyes had access were included in the pornographic videos found on his phone. A spokesperson for the BSA credited the organization's stricter protocols for protecting children in units all over the U.S. One such security feature requires at least two registered adult leaders to be present for every scouting activity, including meetings. Any questions pertaining to Reyes and the BSA can be directed to Joe Sadewasser by phone 314-256-3120 or email joe.sadewasser@scouting.org. The BSA safety guidelines can be reviewed at https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/gss/gss01/. Reyes is being held in the Iron County Jail on a capias bond, awaiting further legal action. The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the conviction of a federal prisoner who argued he should be able to challenge his 27-year sentence for firearms possession based on changes in the law since his trial. Bank of Montreal (TSE:BMO Get Rating) (NYSE:BMO) has been assigned a consensus rating of Hold from the seven analysts that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, two have given a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$135.91. BMO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their target price on Bank of Montreal from C$151.00 to C$143.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 25th. Fundamental Research set a C$144.25 target price on Bank of Montreal and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, June 6th. CIBC lowered their target price on Bank of Montreal from C$145.00 to C$139.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 16th. National Bankshares lowered their target price on Bank of Montreal from C$129.00 to C$122.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 25th. Finally, Cormark lowered their target price on Bank of Montreal from C$140.00 to C$131.00 in a report on Thursday, May 25th. Get Bank of Montreal alerts: Bank of Montreal Stock Down 0.4 % Shares of TSE:BMO opened at C$117.52 on Thursday. Bank of Montreal has a 52-week low of C$111.88 and a 52-week high of C$137.64. The stock has a market cap of C$83.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 1.14. The businesss 50 day moving average is C$118.46 and its 200 day moving average is C$123.81. Bank of Montreal Increases Dividend Bank of Montreal ( TSE:BMO Get Rating ) (NYSE:BMO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 24th. The bank reported C$2.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$3.15 by C($0.22). The firm had revenue of C$8.44 billion during the quarter. Bank of Montreal had a return on equity of 10.10% and a net margin of 23.87%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Bank of Montreal will post 12.6312434 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 28th. Investors of record on Friday, July 28th will be paid a $1.47 dividend. This is a positive change from Bank of Montreals previous quarterly dividend of $1.43. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 27th. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.00%. Bank of Montreals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 58.57%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Linda Susan Huber sold 500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$87.56, for a total value of C$43,780.00. 0.03% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Bank of Montreal Company Profile (Get Rating Bank of Montreal engages in the provision of diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, personal loans, small business lending, cash management, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Montreal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Montreal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc. (NYSE:BXMT Get Rating) have received an average recommendation of Hold from the four analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and one has assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $19.80. Several brokerages have recently weighed in on BXMT. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust from $24.00 to $17.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 6th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Blackstone Mortgage Trust in a report on Tuesday, April 25th. They issued a buy rating and a $19.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com started coverage on Blackstone Mortgage Trust in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust from $23.00 to $18.00 in a research report on Monday, April 24th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust from $25.00 to $18.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Get Blackstone Mortgage Trust alerts: Insider Activity In other news, CEO Katharine A. Keenan sold 2,275 shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust stock in a transaction on Friday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.79, for a total transaction of $45,022.25. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 155,993 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,087,101.47. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Blackstone Mortgage Trust news, CEO Katharine A. Keenan sold 2,275 shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.79, for a total value of $45,022.25. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 155,993 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,087,101.47. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Katharine A. Keenan sold 4,549 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.36, for a total transaction of $83,519.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 159,428 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,927,098.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 9,880 shares of company stock valued at $186,367 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.06% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Blackstone Mortgage Trust Stock Up 1.5 % A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust by 14.1% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 60,571 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,926,000 after buying an additional 7,506 shares in the last quarter. US Bancorp DE lifted its position in shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust by 11.8% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 18,508 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $588,000 after acquiring an additional 1,957 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust by 43.2% in the first quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 12,607 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $401,000 after acquiring an additional 3,802 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust by 50.6% in the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 82,945 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,637,000 after purchasing an additional 27,873 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Moors & Cabot Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Blackstone Mortgage Trust during the 1st quarter valued at $200,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 53.63% of the companys stock. Shares of BXMT stock opened at $20.17 on Thursday. Blackstone Mortgage Trust has a 52 week low of $16.60 and a 52 week high of $31.46. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $18.28 and a 200-day moving average of $20.27. The company has a market cap of $3.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.27 and a beta of 1.33. Blackstone Mortgage Trust Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be given a dividend of $0.62 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 12.30%. Blackstone Mortgage Trusts dividend payout ratio is currently 163.16%. About Blackstone Mortgage Trust (Get Rating Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc, a real estate finance company, originates senior loans collateralized by commercial properties in North America, Europe, and Australia. The company, together with its subsidiaries, originates and acquires commercial mortgage loans and related investments. It operates as a real estate investment trust for federal income tax purposes. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Blackstone Mortgage Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Blackstone Mortgage Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Allego (NYSE:ALLG Get Rating) had its price target cut by research analysts at Citigroup from $9.00 to $8.00 in a research note issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Citigroups price objective suggests a potential upside of 207.69% from the companys previous close. Separately, DA Davidson decreased their target price on Allego from $10.00 to $7.50 in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. Get Allego alerts: Allego Price Performance Allego stock opened at $2.60 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 19.59, a quick ratio of 1.41 and a current ratio of 1.78. Allego has a 1-year low of $1.85 and a 1-year high of $7.49. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $2.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $3.00. Institutional Trading of Allego Allego Company Profile Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ALLG. UBS Group AG acquired a new position in Allego in the first quarter valued at $29,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Allego in the first quarter valued at $105,000. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP increased its stake in Allego by 59.6% in the first quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP now owns 21,361 shares of the companys stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 7,979 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Allego in the first quarter valued at $186,000. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC increased its stake in Allego by 182.3% in the first quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 19,480 shares of the companys stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 12,580 shares during the last quarter. 34.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. (Get Rating) Allego N.V. operates as an electric vehicle (EV) charging company. The company offers charging solutions for electric cars, motors, buses, and trucks. It has a charging network with renewable energy and charging solutions for business-to-business customers, including leading retail and auto brands. The company has approximately 28,000 charging ports in Europe. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Allego Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Allego and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cosmos Group (OTCMKTS:COSG Get Rating) and Sunlight Financial (NYSE:SUNL Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability and analyst recommendations. Profitability This table compares Cosmos Group and Sunlight Financials net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Cosmos Group alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Cosmos Group -244.21% -408.12% -110.75% Sunlight Financial -357.97% -1.62% -1.35% Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Cosmos Group and Sunlight Financial, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Cosmos Group 0 0 0 0 N/A Sunlight Financial 1 2 3 0 2.33 Institutional & Insider Ownership Sunlight Financial has a consensus price target of $3.06, indicating a potential upside of 773.81%. Given Sunlight Financials higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Sunlight Financial is more favorable than Cosmos Group. 29.9% of Sunlight Financial shares are owned by institutional investors. 23.0% of Sunlight Financial shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Cosmos Group and Sunlight Financials revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Cosmos Group $20.20 million 0.16 -$104.12 million ($0.13) -0.06 Sunlight Financial $98.51 million 0.46 -$315.85 million ($4.02) -0.09 Cosmos Group has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Sunlight Financial. Sunlight Financial is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Cosmos Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Summary Sunlight Financial beats Cosmos Group on 8 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks. About Cosmos Group (Get Rating) Cosmos Group Holdings Inc. offers financial and money lending services in Hong Kong and internationally. It also operates online platform for the sale and distribution of arts and collectibles. In addition, the company offers unsecured personal loans and mortgage loans to private individuals. Cosmos Group Holdings Inc. is headquartered in Singapore. About Sunlight Financial (Get Rating) Sunlight Financial Holdings Inc. operates a business-to-business-to-consumer technology-enabled point-of-sale financing platform in the United States. Its platform is used to provide secured and unsecured loans for homeowners originated by third-party lenders to purchase and install residential solar energy systems, and other home improvements. The company serves residential solar contractors. Sunlight Financial Holdings Inc. was founded in 2014 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Receive News & Ratings for Cosmos Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cosmos Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A math academy for young Black boys this summer aims to not only help the young men prepare for advanced math classes but close the widening achievement gap between the races in local schools. M-Cubed, which stands for Math, Men and Mission, is dedicated to help middle school students from Charlottesville and Albemarle County achieve higher math class placements once they reach high school, according the group organizing the program, 100 Black Men of Central Virginia. The nonprofit groups mission is to advocate for the elimination of the achievement gap of African American males in grades K -12, according to its website. About 100 invitations were sent out this past year, Daniel Fairley, chapter president of 100 Black Men of Central Virginia, told The Daily Progress. Students are recommended by the school systems. We sent out about 100 invitations this past year and we should have around 35 to 40 students that are participating in the program during the summer Academy, Fairley said. The program is open to fifth through eighth grade students. It specifically seeks out students who are going to be enrolled in pre-algebra or algebra in the next year. The criteria is based on Standards of Learning test scores or ability to excel in math for students who cannot be enrolled in those courses. We work closely with the Charlottesville City Schools and Albemarle County schools to find students that fit that criteria, Fairley said. Located at Albemarle Countys Community Lab School, the program aims to fill the educational and social development gaps in students caused during the recent pandemic, according to the 100 Black Men chapter. According to a Virginia Department of Education audit, Black and Hispanic students Standards of Learning test scores were 10% below the states average in their peer group as of March 2023. The curriculum taught at the M-Cubed summer program includes a rigorous algebra intensive strategy and is tailored to the learning styles of Black boys. It is taught by veteran instructors from local schools. M-Cubed was developed in 2009 by Bernard Hairston, a retired Albemarle County Public Schools assistant superintendent for school community empowerment. The program looks to address systemic obstacles that often deter black students from enrolling in advanced mathematics courses, according to a statement from 100 Black Men of Central Virginia. Boise Cascade (NYSE:BCC Get Rating) and Cementos Argos (OTCMKTS:CMTOY Get Rating) are both construction companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings and valuation. Profitability This table compares Boise Cascade and Cementos Argos net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Boise Cascade alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Boise Cascade 8.57% 32.79% 19.92% Cementos Argos N/A N/A N/A Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent ratings for Boise Cascade and Cementos Argos, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Boise Cascade 1 2 0 0 1.67 Cementos Argos 0 1 0 0 2.00 Institutional & Insider Ownership Boise Cascade currently has a consensus price target of $75.40, indicating a potential downside of 7.46%. Given Boise Cascades higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe Boise Cascade is more favorable than Cementos Argos. 90.2% of Boise Cascade shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.4% of Cementos Argos shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.9% of Boise Cascade shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Boise Cascade and Cementos Argos top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Boise Cascade $8.39 billion 0.38 $857.66 million $16.39 4.97 Cementos Argos N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Boise Cascade has higher revenue and earnings than Cementos Argos. Summary Boise Cascade beats Cementos Argos on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About Boise Cascade (Get Rating) Boise Cascade Company engages in manufacture of wood products and distribution of building materials in the United States and Canada. It operates through two segments, Wood Products and Building Materials Distribution. The Wood Products segment manufactures laminated veneer lumber and laminated beams used in headers and beams; I-joists for residential and commercial flooring and roofing systems, and other structural applications; structural, appearance, and industrial plywood panels; and ponderosa pine lumber products. This segment's products are used in new residential construction, residential repair-and-remodeling markets, light commercial construction, and industrial applications. It sells its products to dealers, home improvement centers, wholesalers, specialty distributors, and industrial converters. The Building Materials Distribution segment distributes a line of building materials, including oriented strand boards, plywood, and lumber; general line items, such as siding, composite decking, doors, metal products, insulation, and roofing; and engineered wood products. This segment sells its products to dealers, home improvement centers, and specialty distributors. The company was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Boise, Idaho. About Cementos Argos (Get Rating) Cementos Argos S.A. produces and markets cement, ready-mix concrete, clinker, aggregates, and related products in Colombia, the Caribbean, Central America, and the United States. The company also engages in the operation of seaports; and maritime transport and property management businesses. In addition, it exports its products. The company was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Barranquilla, Colombia. Cementos Argos S.A. is a subsidiary of Grupo Argos S.A. Receive News & Ratings for Boise Cascade Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boise Cascade and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. John Wiley & Sons (NYSE:WLY Get Rating) issued an update on its FY 2024 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $2.05-$2.40 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.50. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.58 billion-$1.63 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $2.11 billion. John Wiley & Sons Stock Performance WLY traded up $0.08 on Wednesday, reaching $32.76. The company had a trading volume of 690,021 shares, compared to its average volume of 350,162. John Wiley & Sons has a 1 year low of $30.05 and a 1 year high of $54.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.82 billion, a PE ratio of 112.97 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $36.76 and a 200-day moving average price of $40.10. Get John Wiley & Sons alerts: John Wiley & Sons (NYSE:WLY Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, June 15th. The company reported $1.45 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.99 by $0.46. John Wiley & Sons had a net margin of 0.85% and a return on equity of 20.42%. The business had revenue of $526.13 million during the quarter. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.08 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts forecast that John Wiley & Sons will post 2.23 EPS for the current fiscal year. John Wiley & Sons Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 11th were paid a dividend of $0.347 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, April 10th. This represents a $1.39 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.24%. John Wiley & Sonss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 479.31%. Separately, TheStreet lowered shares of John Wiley & Sons from a b rating to a c rating in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. Insiders Place Their Bets In other John Wiley & Sons news, EVP Matthew Leavy sold 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.28, for a total transaction of $167,760.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 5,184 shares of the companys stock, valued at $193,259.52. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.62% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On John Wiley & Sons Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in John Wiley & Sons during the 3rd quarter valued at $660,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in John Wiley & Sons during the 3rd quarter valued at $2,958,000. Royal Bank of Canada acquired a new stake in John Wiley & Sons during the 3rd quarter valued at $615,000. Citadel Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in John Wiley & Sons during the 3rd quarter valued at $2,989,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in John Wiley & Sons during the 3rd quarter valued at $187,724,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.12% of the companys stock. John Wiley & Sons Company Profile (Get Rating) John Wiley & Sons, Inc operates as a research and education company worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Research Publishing & Platforms, Academic & Professional Learning, and Education Services. The Research Publishing & Platforms segment offers scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, as well as related content and services to learned societies, individual researchers, other professionals, and academic, corporate, and government libraries. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for John Wiley & Sons Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Wiley & Sons and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Planned Solutions Inc. decreased its stake in iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IVW Get Rating) by 92.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,455 shares of the companys stock after selling 109,256 shares during the period. Planned Solutions Inc.s holdings in iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF were worth $604,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in IVW. Veracity Capital LLC grew its position in iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 1.0% in the first quarter. Veracity Capital LLC now owns 16,943 shares of the companys stock worth $1,082,000 after acquiring an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. First Manhattan Co. lifted its stake in iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 0.5% during the first quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 37,027 shares of the companys stock worth $2,828,000 after purchasing an additional 166 shares during the last quarter. Family Firm Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Family Firm Inc. now owns 56,253 shares of the companys stock worth $3,254,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares in the last quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 8,877 shares of the companys stock valued at $519,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TL Private Wealth raised its holdings in shares of iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF by 2.1% during the 1st quarter. TL Private Wealth now owns 8,471 shares of the companys stock valued at $541,000 after buying an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF alerts: iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF Price Performance NYSEARCA:IVW opened at $69.11 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $32.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.15 and a beta of 1.05. The business has a 50 day moving average of $66.03 and a 200 day moving average of $62.81. iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF has a 1-year low of $55.30 and a 1-year high of $71.81. iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF Profile iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF, formerly iShares S&P 500 Growth Index Fund (the Growth Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 500/Citigroup Growth Index (the Growth Index). The Growth Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization growth sector of the United States equity market. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding IVW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IVW Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares S&P 500 Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fragasso Group Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD Get Rating) by 21.3% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,826 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 1,848 shares during the quarter. Fragasso Group Inc.s holdings in SPDR Gold Shares were worth $1,251,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in GLD. Sei Investments Co. purchased a new position in SPDR Gold Shares in the first quarter valued at about $24,420,000. Covestor Ltd raised its position in SPDR Gold Shares by 69.4% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 532 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC raised its position in SPDR Gold Shares by 18.6% in the first quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 2,773 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $501,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares during the period. First Western Trust Bank purchased a new stake in shares of SPDR Gold Shares during the first quarter worth about $256,000. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. increased its position in shares of SPDR Gold Shares by 32.5% during the first quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 36,898 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $6,666,000 after acquiring an additional 9,049 shares during the last quarter. 38.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get SPDR Gold Shares alerts: SPDR Gold Shares Stock Down 0.9 % Shares of NYSEARCA GLD traded down $1.55 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $177.94. 2,326,695 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,645,210. SPDR Gold Shares has a 52-week low of $150.57 and a 52-week high of $191.36. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $184.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $178.11. About SPDR Gold Shares SPDR Gold Trust (the Trust) is an investment trust. The investment objective of the Trust is for the Shares to reflect the performance of the price of gold bullion, less the Trusts expenses. The Trusts business activity is the investment of gold. The Trust creates and redeems Shares from time to time, but in one or more Baskets (a Basket equals a block of 100,000 Shares). Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GLD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEARCA:GLD Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for SPDR Gold Shares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SPDR Gold Shares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Sunstone Hotel Investors (NYSE:SHO Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Monday. A number of other analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Compass Point cut Sunstone Hotel Investors from a neutral rating to a sell rating and cut their price objective for the company from $12.00 to $9.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Sunstone Hotel Investors from $11.50 to $9.50 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $10.56. Get Sunstone Hotel Investors alerts: Sunstone Hotel Investors Stock Up 0.4 % SHO stock opened at $9.80 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $10.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.05. The company has a market cap of $2.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.27. Sunstone Hotel Investors has a twelve month low of $8.60 and a twelve month high of $12.33. Sunstone Hotel Investors Announces Dividend Sunstone Hotel Investors ( NYSE:SHO Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.08 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.17 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $243.44 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $223.93 million. Sunstone Hotel Investors had a net margin of 9.60% and a return on equity of 5.22%. Analysts anticipate that Sunstone Hotel Investors will post 0.93 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be paid a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 29th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.04%. Sunstone Hotel Investorss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 39.47%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Sunstone Hotel Investors Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SHO. UMB Bank n.a. bought a new position in shares of Sunstone Hotel Investors in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Sunstone Hotel Investors in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Sunstone Hotel Investors by 168.4% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,065 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,923 shares in the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its holdings in Sunstone Hotel Investors by 16,200.0% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 3,586 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 3,564 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wolverine Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Sunstone Hotel Investors in the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. About Sunstone Hotel Investors (Get Rating) Sunstone Hotel Investors, Inc is a lodging real estate investment trust ("REIT") that as of the date of this release owns 15 hotels comprised of 7,735 rooms, the majority of which are operated under nationally recognized brands. Sunstone's strategy is to create long-term stakeholder value through the acquisition, active ownership and disposition of hotels considered to be Long-Term Relevant Real Estate. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Sunstone Hotel Investors Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sunstone Hotel Investors and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of TRX Gold (NYSE:TRX Get Rating) in a report published on Sunday morning. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock. Other equities research analysts have also issued reports about the company. TheStreet lowered TRX Gold from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 30th. HC Wainwright reiterated a buy rating and issued a $1.10 target price on shares of TRX Gold in a report on Monday, April 17th. Get TRX Gold alerts: TRX Gold Price Performance Shares of TRX stock opened at $0.44 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $0.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $0.42. TRX Gold has a 52-week low of $0.31 and a 52-week high of $0.60. Institutional Investors Weigh In On TRX Gold About TRX Gold Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its stake in TRX Gold by 34.8% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 655,228 shares of the companys stock valued at $316,000 after buying an additional 169,281 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of TRX Gold by 12.8% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 297,190 shares of the companys stock worth $99,000 after buying an additional 33,690 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of TRX Gold by 493.1% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 254,416 shares of the companys stock worth $86,000 after buying an additional 211,523 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in TRX Gold by 19.7% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 179,454 shares of the companys stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 29,575 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in TRX Gold in the 1st quarter valued at $45,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 1.12% of the companys stock. (Get Rating) TRX Gold Corporation engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral property interests in the United Republic of Tanzania. The company primarily explores for gold deposits. It holds interests in the Buckreef gold project that comprises a single Special Mining License covering an area of 16.04 square kilometers and 12 Prospecting Licenses covering 98.19 square kilometers located in north-central Tanzania. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for TRX Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TRX Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Hanoi on Thursday for a three-day state visit focused on expanding economic cooperation with the Southeast Asian nation. Yoon is scheduled to hold a summit with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong on Friday and discuss ways to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established between the two countries last year. He will hold separate talks with Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Vuong Dinh Hue, chairman of Vietnam's National Assembly, and also attend a state dinner. Yoon's office said the visit would focus on strengthening economic cooperation with Korea's third-largest trading partner, with four different economic events planned, including a bilateral partnership fair, a luncheon with Korean businesspeople in Vietnam and a business forum. "Through this state visit, we plan to check various institutional bases to enable more active economic activities between the two countries and expand the horizon of bilateral cooperation to new areas, such as critical mineral supply chains, new and renewable energy, innovative science and technology, and smart cities," Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo told reporters last week. A 205-member business delegation is accompanying Yoon on the visit, the largest yet under the current administration, including Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung. This is Yoon's first bilateral visit to a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He is also scheduled to meet with Korean residents in Vietnam, visit a Korean language center and attend a cultural event. First lady Kim Keon Hee is accompanying him on the visit, the second leg of a two-nation tour that earlier took the president and the first lady to France. (Yonhap) President Yoon Suk Yeol inspects a guard of honor after landing at Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam, Thursday (local time), for his three-day state visit to the country. Joint Press Corps By Nam Hyun-woo President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Vietnam, Thursday, for a three-day state visit seeking to boost bilateral economic ties and potential defense exports to the Southeast Asian nation. During the state visit, Yoon plans to hold a summit with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong, Friday, and meet with top political leaders of the country including Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. It is Yoon's first bilateral visit to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member country since taking office in May 2022. He's also paying a return visit after then-Vietnam President Nguyen Xuan Phuc made a state visit to Korea last December. During the summit, Yoon and Thuong are expected to explore ideas for improving the two countries' relations, which were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year. Bilateral cooperation in security and the economy is likely to be high on the two leaders' agendas. In a written interview with the Vietnam News Agency published Wednesday, Yoon said he seeks to "strengthen security cooperation with Vietnam to ensure a rules-based order can be established firmly in the Indo-Pacific region." "Korea will continue its cooperation for Vietnam's maritime security," Yoon said. "And I also hope for expanded partnership in the defense industry, based on Korea's advanced technologies, which have been proven in the global market." Yoon also said that bilateral trade is contracting this year due to global economic uncertainties and other factors, and that he seeks to revitalize trade dynamism; noting that the Korean government is keenly focusing on key mineral supply chains, energy, the digital transition, smart cities and climate change as the main areas of future cooperation. In line with this view, more than 200 Korean business leaders are part of Yoon's delegation to Vietnam, including Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Lotte Group Chairman Shin Dong-bin. For the respective company groups, Korea's enhanced ties with Vietnam provide a significant foundation, as their businesses in China are facing unprecedented uncertainties in the wake of the fierce rivalry between Washington and Beijing. As firms are striving to hedge risks that stem from their hefty reliance on China, Vietnam is quickly emerging as an alternative. Last year, Vietnam became Seoul's third-largest trade partner following China and the United States. Samsung is carrying out major projects in Vietnam, with its accumulated investments there amounting to $20 billion (25 trillion won) as of last year. Half of Samsung's smartphones sold across the world are manufactured in Vietnam. Hyundai Motor also sees Vietnam as a hub for its Southeast Asia operations. As of May, Hyundai Motor took the top spot in sales volume in Vietnam, selling 22,903 vehicles in the market, and outperforming Toyota Motor, which sold 21,547 vehicles. Kia sold 13,951 vehicles in Vietnam during the first five months of this year. The Surion helicopter / Courtesy of Korea Aerospace Industries President Yoon Suk Yeol sits next to first lady Kim Keon Hee, as he speaks during a meeting with Vietnamese students learning the Korean language at Vietnam National University in Hanoi, Thursday. Yonhap HANOI Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee met on Thursday with a group of students learning the Korean language in Vietnam. The meeting took place at Vietnam National University, Hanoi, shortly after Yoon arrived in the country for a three-day state visit aimed at deepening economic cooperation between the two countries. The president and the first lady looked at Korean language textbooks and other educational materials on display before listening to some of the young Vietnamese students talk about what they wish to achieve by learning Korean. "I heard in South Korea that the fervor of Vietnamese students to learn Korean was remarkable," Yoon said. "The Korean language skills of the person who made an introduction before I entered this room and the various textbooks here made me realize that the stories I heard in Seoul were no different from reality." HD Hyundai CEO Chung Ki-sun, back row fifth from left, poses with workers at Hyundai Vietnam Shipbuilding in Khanh Hoa, Vietnam, Thursday. Courtesy of HD Hyundai By Lee Kyung-min HD Hyundai CEO Chung Ki-sun visited Hyundai Vietnam Shipbuilding, a regional affiliate of the shipbuilder, according to the firm, Thursday. Chung visited the Vietnamese entity's shipyard in Khanh Hoa to examine the shipbuilding progress and boost the morale of executives and employees. This came shortly before President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the country. Chung is a member of the president-led economic delegation, comprising heads of local conglomerates. He said the firm was able to achieve excellent results in Vietnam thanks to the hard work of its executives and employees despite unfavorable circumstances "I will continue to work harder for Hyundai Vietnam Shipbuilding to write a model success story representing the Korean shipbuilding industry," he said during the visit. Hyundai Vietnam Shipbuilding is the first and only successful case of overseas expansion of Korea's shipbuilding industry. It was founded in 1996 as a joint venture of Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and Vietnam's state-run shipbuilding entity, providing mostly maintenance and remodeling work. But it entered the shipbuilding business in the late 2000s and has since established itself as Southeast Asia's largest shipyard. It has won over 200 vessel orders. On the same day as Chung's visit, HD Hyundai has also introduced green ship technology and various solutions under the theme of "Clean Future Staring at the Sea," during an event held at the Korea-Vietnam Partnership Fair at the National Convention Center in Hanoi. State-of-the-art wind- and solar-powered hydrogen carriers drew positive reviews from Vietnamese industry players. Also demonstrated were green technologies for future ships. On June 22, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov met with Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, who is on an official visit to Baku. Azernews reports with reference to the Cabinet of Ministers, a number of documents have been signed between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. First, the heads of government held one-on-one talks, during which topical issues on the bilateral agenda were touched upon. Then Ali Asadov and Alikhan Smailov continued the meeting with the participation of the delegations of the two countries. During the meeting, satisfaction was expressed that Alikhan Smailov is making his first foreign official visit after being reappointed as the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan. It was noted that last year was marked by the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Over the years, the two countries have managed to build a constructive dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas. It was emphasized that through the joint efforts of Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, the Azerbaijani-Kazakhstani strategic partnership is now developing in all directions and is of a comprehensive nature. The parties stated that mutual visits and high-level meetings largely contribute to the effective interaction between the two countries. As another confirmation of this, the successful official visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan in April of this year was regarded. The importance of signing a number of important documents during the visit was noted, the key of which was the protocol on the establishment of the Supreme Interstate Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Kazakhstan. A.Asadov expressed gratitude for the high organization of events in Kazakhstan on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the National Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. The heads of government also pointed to the fruitful results of last year's official visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan. It was emphasized that this visit was also marked by the signing of a number of very important documents, in particular, the Declaration on Strengthening Strategic Relations and Allied Cooperation brought the Azerbaijani-Kazakh relations to a qualitatively new level. The Prime Minister of Azerbaijan expressed his gratitude for the initiative of the President of Kazakhstan to establish a Children's Creativity Center named after Kurmangazy in the liberated city of Fizuli. It was noted that the fundamental direction of cooperation between Baku and Astana is trade and economic cooperation. The parties expressed satisfaction with the significant, almost 4.5 times, growth in trade turnover in 2022, which reached $600 million. Taking into account the level of economic development and the potential of the two countries, the readiness to continue to make joint efforts in order to reach new indicators was confirmed. Prime Ministers noted the role of the joint intergovernmental commission in solving practical issues of developing trade and economic cooperation. It was emphasized that priority is given to the development of transport and logistics links, the importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) was especially noted. Satisfaction was expressed that last year the total volume of cargo transportation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan increased almost 3 times, and transit cargo transportation increased 3.2 times. The parties reaffirmed the mutual commitment of the parties to ensuring, through the governments, the fulfillment of the instructions of the heads of state to increase the transportation of goods along the Middle Corridor. Prime Ministers stressed the positive development of cooperation in the oil and gas sector, noted with satisfaction the start of deliveries of Kazakh oil to the markets of third countries through Azerbaijan this year. In addition, a positive assessment was given to the interaction of the two countries in the agricultural, cultural, humanitarian and other fields. The heads of government also discussed the prospects for developing mutually beneficial cooperation in a number of other areas, including high technology, telecommunications and renewable energy. With her fate already sealed, Del. Sally Hudson was nonetheless greeted at Beer Run on Tuesday night with a standing ovation. Some 60 steadfast supporters had waited for the candidate to arrive and they hoped give a victory speech. But it was not to be. I promise you that no matter how the rest of the night shakes out, we'll be better served, Hudson said while surrounded by a crowd of supporters. I think that Virginia politics are about to take a turn. For now, Hudson will not be involved in that political turn. At least not in the way shed hoped. The 34-year-old gave sitting state Sen. Creigh Deeds a close contest, but came up 500 votes short. By taking a shot at the Senate, Hudson also gave up her seat in the House of Delegates. That decision to walk away from the lower chamber, where she had served since 2020, has at least one politico wondering whether it was worth the risk. Why she chose to leave the House is a big question for me, David Toscano, a longtime former House member who was succeeded by Hudson, told The Daily Progress. She was building seniority there. She wouldve been elected in a heartbeat with probably no opposition. And she was taking on an established Democrat with a strong progressive record in area he had represented for 20 years, Toscano said. I couldnt quite figure it out. So why did Hudson take the risk? Hindsight is always 20/20, Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, told The Daily Progress. Its important to recognize that Delegate Hudson came close, and being in the minority in the legislature is not all that much fun, the political scientist said, alluding to the fact that, unlike the Senate, the House is currently under Republican control. So its not a mistake. You take your chances and sometimes things work out well and sometimes they dont. Still, taking on Deeds, who has served in the Senate since 2001 and is well-known in the region and across the commonwealth, was a tall order. Deeds was always going to be a hard senator to take down. Hes run statewide campaigns before, and hes on some important committees, J. Miles Coleman, media relations coordinator at the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, told The Daily Progress. Its kind of funny because Deeds is in his mid-60s, and I wouldnt be surprised if this is his last term, Coleman said. What if she had just waited? Only Hudson, who did not return inquiries from The Daily Progress before press time on Wednesday, can say for sure why she choose to take the plunge. But looking at Democratic primary contests across Virginia can shed light on the calculus. After redistricting, there were no true incumbents on the ballot, which may have incentivized Hudson and other progressive candidates to challenge established Democrats. In Central Virginia, moderate Sen. Joe Morrissey was thoroughly beat by Del. Lashrecse Aird. In Northern Virginia, Chap Petersen, who had served in the Senate since 2008, was ousted by political activist Saddam Salim. With new districts, candidates such as Aird, Salim and Hudson perhaps saw an opportunity. There is always a temptation to run in the first election after redistricting, because incumbents are a little more vulnerable than they are in other elections, Farnsworth said. But some of the members of the House of Delegates who try to move up sometimes arent very successful. In previous interviews with The Daily Progress, Hudson made clear she felt the new districts were deeply important. Its the first fair elections in the 400-year history of the General Assembly. I mean, thats huge, she said last week in an interview ahead of Tuesday's primary. Redistricting reform, ending gerrymandering was my gateway drug to political activism. Coleman speculates that redistricting played at least some role in her decision, noting that after the new maps were finalized, many senators voluntarily retired, allowing for new candidates to take the stage. This 'change year' in Virginia politics got her to take the plunge, he said. Additionally, as is so often true in American politics, money likely had influence. Deeds and Hudson both received a huge amount of funding as of June 8, According to the Virginia Public Access Project. Deeds raised $1.2 million next to Hudson's $869,138. For context, that two million dollar total for a state senate race is on par with last years U.S. congressional race between Bob Good and Josh Throneburg. Among Hudsons biggest donors were two national organizations and local Democratic donor Sonjia Smith, who told The Daily Progress she is deeply proud of Sally. Between the three, Hudson received $496,048, which was 57% of her total funds raised. It was clear from the beginning shed have substantial financial backing," Toscano said. "If she doesnt have kind of money coming into campaign, she doesnt compete." A big challenge for any challenger is going to be can you raise enough money to get your name out in a new district or for a new office," Farnsworth said. If you can walk into a campaign with a significant donor base as challenger that can be a tiebreaker in choosing whether or not to proceed. Combined, lots of funding and new districts might have made Hudson feel comfortable enough to take the Senate leap. It almost worked. At press time Wednesday, Hudson had 12,782 votes to Deeds 13,335. It is also possible that Hudson thought Deeds may not have been willing to challenge her for the new District 11 seat. After all, when Hudson challenged Toscano for his House seat in 2019, the incumbent decided to retire. With longtime incumbents who havent really been challenged in several years, sometimes they get sort of rusty. Their campaign chops wont be what they used to be, Coleman said. So potentially someone in Hudsons circle thought Deeds might not be as good a campaigner as he was in his heyday. Whatever her reasoning, Hudson now finds herself without political power for the first time since 2020. In a statement released on Twitter Wednesday afternoon, she thanked her voters and preached the importance of primaries to pull more people into the Democratic Party. Theres no shortage of important work to go around, and our community is stronger for engaging every single one of you in choosing where we go from here, her statement reads. With name recognition, a strong campaign and a proven ability to bring in big money, it would not be surprising to see Hudson reenter the political arena in the future. "People who lose elections have lots of different reactions. Shes young and has much of her life ahead of her. She could decide to leave politics altogether for all we know, Toscano said. Whether she runs for office or not is totally an open question and something shell have time to think about. Youve got to give her time. Regardless of what her future holds, Farnsworth said he believes Hudson cant be blamed for having made a Senate run in 2023 instead of later down the line. The safe route is always to stay where you are. Trying to move up has its risks, he said. Sometimes it pays off. Sometimes it doesnt." Angola, IN (46703) Today Isolated thunderstorms this morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 83F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 59F. Winds NW at 10 to 15 mph. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Light rain this morning with thunderstorms by evening. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 82F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low 59F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Variable clouds with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly during the afternoon hours. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 82F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 59F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. HaSeul of LOONA has joined new agency Modhaus to re-debut in new group ARTMS with HeeJin, Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry. Read more to know further details. LOONA HaSeul Signs Exclusive Contract With Modhaus, Plans to Re-Debut in ARTMS On June 21, Modhaus announced that HaSeul has signed an exclusive contract with the company for a fresh start. The idol has joined her fellow LOONA members HeeJin, Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry in Modhaus' upcoming project ARTMS. Read their full announcement below: "Hello. This is Modhaus. We are here to inform you that former LOONA member HaSeul has signed an exclusive contract with Modhaus. We express our deepest gratitude to HaSeul, who decided to entrust her new chapter to us. We plan to support Haseul the best way we can for her to shine brightly with her charms and showcase her different sides to fans. HaSeul will continue to engage in scheduled activities as an ARTMS member with HeeJin, Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry. The ARTMS project is presently coordinating with fans through official SNS such as YouTube, Explore logs and ODD EYE CIRCLE, comprised of Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry, who are preparing for new music. ODD EYE CIRCLE will also hold a Europe tour slated in August. Pleas send your love and look forward to HaSeul, as well as the ARTMS, and tripleS." YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: LOONA Becomes the First Female K-pop Artist in History to Attain This Milestone on US iTunes Album Chart HeeJin, Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry all signed with Modhaus on March 17, when the agency released an official statement confirming their inclusion. ODD EYE CIRCLE is a sub-unit from LOONA, who is confirmed to be returning, as announced by their edgy "Version Up" teasers. All 12 LOONA Members Win Case Against BlockBerry Creative, Group Leaves Agency On June 16, the 5th Civil Division of the Seoul High Court have sided with five remaining LOONA members HaSeul, YeoJin, Yves, Olivia Hye, and Go Won. According to sources, the decision was ruled when the court deemed BlockBerry Creative's action of transferring LOONA's contracts to Japanese label Universal Japan as an issue, since the supposed handover didn't contain the members' written consent. In a forum, fandom ORBITs celebrated the victory: "Congrats to everyone! I want to see them on TV a lot from now on." "I hope that they can go to another company and fly higher." "Oh are they going to Modhaus now? I wish that Chuu would go with Modhaus too." "Wow, congrats. I hope they unite again and that all 12 are happy." "You f**kers, don't you dare block them from appearing on broadcast." "Words can't express how proud I am with these girls." "Seeing them go through all of this has been truly awful, and I am so happy that they've finally got the freedom they deserve." Are you excited for HaSeul's new beginning? Tell us in the comments below! Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news. KpopStarz owns this article Written by Riely Miller Thank you for reading! To read this article and more, subscribe now for as little as $1.99. New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday termed the all-party meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah on the Manipur situation as "too little, too late," and said efforts to bring warring factions on the discussion table will lack seriousness if they are done sitting in Delhi. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh: MBBS Student Who Consumed Toilet Cleaner Dies During Treatment at Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital. "Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi," he said on Twitter. After 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, he said, "Home Minister Amit Shah's call for an all-party meeting is too little, too late". Also Read | Vande Metro to Soon Replace Mumbai Local Train? MRVC Invites Bids To Procure 2,856 Coaches of Vande Metro Trains for Suburban Network. The government only woke up after Sonia Gandhi's address to the people of Manipur, he said. Shah has called an all-party meeting on the situation in Manipur on June 24. "At the outset, the PM's absence from such a serious meeting shows his 'cowardice' and 'unwillingness' to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them," the Congress leader alleged. Noting that the Home Minister himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, he said in fact things have "worsened" since his visit. "Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship," he asked. "Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty," Venugopal charged. The Congress has been seeking the Centre's immediate intervention in bringing peace to the north eastern state which has been struck by violence since May 3. The party has also blamed the alleged divisive politics of the BJP for the current situation in Manipur. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 are injured. Shah had also visited the state for four days last last month and met a cross sections of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 22 (PTI) A political fight has erupted between the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and the opposition Congress regarding the fake certificate issue in the state with the grand old party on Thursday accusing the Left Front of protecting those involved in illegal activities. The CPI(M) on the other hand refuted the allegations against it on the issue and also came to the aid of its student wing SFI, whose two former members are facing charges of using fake certificates. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi To Have One-on-One Meeting With US President Joe Biden in Oval Office Before High-Level Talks: White House. While expelled SFI leader Nikhil Thomas is accused of submitting a fake certificate for admission to the M.Com course in a college in Kayamkulam area of Alappuzha district of the state, former SFI member Vidya K Maniyodi is facing charges of furnishing a fake teaching experience certificate to secure a guest faculty post in a government college. Vidya, who was absconding for nearly two weeks, was arrested on Wednesday night from a village in Kozhikode district and Thomas was expelled from SFI's primary membership on Tuesday. Also Read | Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao to Inaugurate Telangana Martyrs Memorial in Hyderabad Today. Dissatisfied by the delay in police action against the accused, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday alleged that the ruling Left government in Kerala and the police were protecting the accused and giving them time to destroy evidence. "That is why it took 15 days to arrest Vidya. She had 15 days to destroy evidence against her. If the police wanted to, it could have caught her within hours. "Now Thomas is also in hiding. He will be caught after giving him sufficient time to destroy evidence," he alleged while speaking to reporters at Kasaragod. Chennithala further contended that use of fake certificates, trying to pass exams without studying, going into hiding to destroy evidence, all these incidents are "leading the higher education in Kerala to anarchy". Denying the Congress' allegations, senior CPI(M) leader and former state minister A K Balan contended that the opposition was more concerned over such minor issues instead of criticising the Prime Minister for going abroad and doing yoga there "when a state in the country is burning". Balan was referring to the violence in the state of Manipur. He also defended the Students Federation of India (SFI), saying it cannot be blamed for what Vidya and Thomas did. He said that SFI expelled Thomas on getting to know what he had done and there was nothing more it could have done. Balan, speaking to reporters at Thiruvananthapuram, also said that SFI has a strong presence -- of around 72 per cent -- among the students irrespective of their religion or political background and that is why it was being attacked. He said just like the making of fake currency, there are people behind the fake certificates too and the police and the state government will root them out and take appropriate action against them. "Since the police are looking into the matter, let them ascertain why Vidya did what she did," he said, adding that her arrest indicates the government's stand on the issue. Balan also came to the defence of his party secretary M V Govindan who is facing flak from the Congress for his recent remarks against KPCC chief and MP K Sudhakaran in connection with a POCSO case in which controversial self-styled antiques dealer Monson Mavunkal was sentenced to life term in jail. Balan said that Govindan only commented about a news report and he was well within his rights to do so. "However, the remarks against him subsequently were undignified," he said. He also said that while Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sudhakaran was a friend, he cannot save the Congress in this lifetime. He said there was an agenda to isolate the Kerala CM, the CPI(M) state secretary, remove the Left government from power and destroy the SFI which was responsible for strengthening the CPI(M) party base. Balan further said that SFI was responsible for the downfall of the Kerala Students' Union (KSU) and relegating it to a corner and hence, the attacks on the left wing students' organisation. The KSU, the student organisation of the Congress, has been claiming that Thomas failed in the B Com degree course at MSM college but during M Com admission, he provided a certificate from Kalinga University in Chhattisgarh. Vidya was booked by the police under sections 465 (forgery), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), and 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of government colleges in Ernakulam and Palakkad. According to the complaints, the woman claimed in the "fake certificate" that she was a guest lecturer at Maharajas College in 2018-19. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kolkata, Jun 22 (PTI) The Trinamool Congress considers Friday's opposition meeting in Bihar's Patna as a "good beginning" ahead of the 2024 general elections and emphasised the significance of anti-BJP parties uniting against "undemocratic and authoritarian policies". Leaders as diverse as Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, M K Stalin, Sharad Pawar, Mehbooba Mufti and Hemant Soren and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal are expected to take part in the meeting convened by Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar, who dumped the BJP last year. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi To Have One-on-One Meeting With US President Joe Biden in Oval Office Before High-Level Talks: White House. Banerjee will be accompanied by TMC national general secretary and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee for the opposition meeting. "A good beginning even before reaching Patna...All parties working to save the Constitution of the country are on the same page on many issues. For now, we have a date, a venue and an agreement that the head of every party will attend the meeting. Also Read | Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao to Inaugurate Telangana Martyrs Memorial in Hyderabad Today. "Subsequently, the date and venue for the next meeting will be decided in Patna. Beyond this, it is not advisable for anyone to jump the gun and speculate," TMC's Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien said. The idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata in April. The aim should be to ensure that the opposition unity takes shape at the earliest as less than a year is left before the 2024 general elections, Senior TMC leader Sukhendu Shekhar Roy told PTI. "The BJP has destroyed the country's democracy and is trying to subvert the Constitution. If the parties, which are opposed to the BJP and are fighting against it, fail to come together to put up a united fight, it would be unfortunate for the country," he said. Roy said the efforts to cobble up opposition unity had begun last year during the selection of opposition candidates for the presidential elections. When asked whether the issue of leadership of the opposition front would throw a spanner into the efforts, Roy said, "Only media and BJP are bothered about it. Neither the opposition parties nor the people of this country are bothered about such a leadership issue." Another TMC leader, who did not wish to be named, said the ongoing crisis in Manipur, where ethnic violence has claimed over 100 lives, would also feature in the discussions. After the Congress' massive victory in the Karnataka polls earlier this month, the TMC supremo had said her party would support the grand old party where it is strong in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but had asserted that she would expect a seat-sharing formula to give priority to regional players in areas where they were strong. Kumar, the JD(U) 's supreme leader, has been pitching for "opposition unity" ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year. The BJP dubbed the proposed opposition meeting a "futile exercise" and said such an "opportunistic alliance would not yield any result". "These are futile exercises. We saw such efforts in 2014 and 2019, and the results are before us. The people of this country trust the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They would never vote for an unstable and opportunistic alliance," BJP's West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Jun 22 (PTI) First Lady Jill Biden said after years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expansive as the two countries jointly tackle global challenges. She also previewed to the media the menu of the State Dinner being hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi by her and US President Joe Biden. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Arrives in Washington on Second Leg of His Maiden State Visit to US; To Meet President Joe Biden, Address Joint Session of Congress (Watch Video). "With this official State Visit, we are bringing together the world's oldest and the world's largest democracies," Jill Biden said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Biden and the First Lady. Also Read | US Supports India's Rise As Great Power, Says Senior State Department Official. Jill Biden said that "after years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges. But our relationship isn't only about governments". "We are celebrating the families and friendships that span the globe, those who feel the bonds of home in both of our countries," she said as she previewed the menu. Observing that Prime Minister Modi is a vegetarian, Jill Biden said she had asked Chef Nina Curtis -- who specialises in plant-based gourmets -- to work with the White House staff and create a stunning vegetarian menu. Guests will have the option to add fish to their main course as well, she said. The First Lady said, "Tomorrow night, guests will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron coloured flowers at every table. The colours of the Indian flag." She said that on the transparent sides, will be colours that represent "the strength and heritage, frame the iconic scenery and symbols of our nation, our democracy and our history -- the White House and the Washington Monument". "Inside, each table arrangement is warm and unique. We hope guests feel as if someone has set that table just for them, because we have. After dinner, we will have the opportunity to hear one of our nation's incredible talents, Grammy award winner Joshua Bell," she said. His performance will be followed by that of Penn Masala, a group from the University of Pennsylvania, along with songs inspired by the sounds of India, Jill Biden said. "Finally, after the last plates are cleared, with new connections forged and old ones strengthened, guests will end their evening walking across a moonlit lawn. There they will be greeted by hundreds of glowing lanterns guiding them home, illuminating their pathway with all the warmth and love and laughter we hope they take away from our time together," she said. White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo, previewing the State Dinner, said the First Lady has been involved in this event at every step. Every element of the dinner and decor has been chosen to make each guest's experience personal and warm, Elizondo said. "The inspiration for our design really began with the peacock, India's national bird. From the invitations to the programmes to the pavilion, we wanted to evoke that breathtaking feeling when it extends its tail, unveiling its colourful beauty, majesty, and strength," the official said. "Green draping will flow from the ceiling, giving way to tables cloaked in the saturated blues and greens of Indian silks, falling onto a carpet of navy blue. The hues, not only a nod to our guests, but also to our host, as blue and green are also two of Dr (Jill) Biden's favourite colours," Elizondo said. Each table will feature an arrangement of blooms in vases large and small, and the colour of the flowers mirrors the saffron of India's flag and the heritage it represents, he said. The social secretary said as leaders have done at State Dinners for decades, the president and the prime minister will give their toasts from an eagle lectern. "For this dinner, embossed on the rich forest green backdrop behind them, we have replicated that iconic eagle and a peacock in the same style, framing the leaders with their national birds. In the peacock's talons, stalks of millets, a nod to India's successful campaign to declare 2023 the International Year of Millets," he said. Elizondo said around them are lotus flowers that are important symbols in India. "Their gleaming petals reminding us, that each day, our nations bloom stronger and more radiant, together. Throughout the space, you will see more images of lotuses, their design inspired by the mandala illustrations found in traditional Indian art," he added. The design, he said, also reflects the First Lady's love of candles, their timeless elegance and their approachable warmth. Guests will be guided to the pavilion by their flickering light, just visible in the fading sunlight. The dinner itself will be lit with sparkling candlelight, the official said. Elizondo said dishes in the menu will mirror the decor, infusing the cuisine with Indian flavours and culture, like millets and saffron. Chef Curtis then worked with the First Lady and White House chefs to create the delicious cuisine for the evening, he said. Chef Curtis said this is definitely a pinnacle moment in her career. "It is truly a pleasure to be able to work with the First Lady and help her to bring her culinary vision to life... we have curated a menu that really showcases the best in American cuisine and also then seasoned with Indian elements and flavours," she said. "We are also very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the international year of the millets. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu and the Indian cuisine elements throughout the menu," the chef said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Washington, Jun 22 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited American chip maker Micron Technology to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India as the country provides competitive advantages in various parts of the product's supply chain. He also invited Applied Materials to India for development of process technology and advanced packaging capabilities. Also Read | PM Modi Gets Warm Welcome by Joe Biden, Jill Biden Photos and Video: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Received by US President and First Lady at White House. Modi in his meeting here with President and CEO of Applied Materials Gary E Dickerson discussed the potential of the company's collaboration with academic institutions in India to create a skilled workforce. "The prime minister invited Micron Technology to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India," a ministry of external affairs statement said. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi Arrives in Washington on Second Leg of His Maiden State Visit to US; To Meet President Joe Biden, Address Joint Session of Congress (Watch Video). During his meeting with CEO of General Electric H Lawrence Culp , Modi invited the company to play a greater role in the aviation and renewable energy sector in India. "Prime minister appreciated GE for its long-term commitment of manufacturing in India. The prime minister and Mr. Culp Jr discussed GE's greater technology collaboration to promote manufacturing in India," it said. India is promoting semiconductor development and it has announced a production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for that. Global companies are exploring India as a viable investment destination for semiconductors. The country is positioning itself as among the most attractive destinations in Asia for electronics and semiconductors. The Indian semiconductor market was valued at USD 27.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of nearly 19 per cent to reach USD 64 billion in 2026. But none of these chips are manufactured in India so far. Setting up semiconductor units, also known as fabs, is a highly specialised, complex and expensive task. Fabs call for complex technology, are high risk and require long gestation and payback periods. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US at the invitation of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, June 22: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday lashed out at Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena for ordering an encroachment drive, which was earlier halted by former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. In Mandawali, Delhi, authorities initiated the removal of an encroached section (railing) of a temple, which led to a riot-like situation in the area. This incident later escalated into a political slugfest between AAP and the BJP. Delhi PWD Minister Atishi expressed her concerns regarding the removal of a portion of a temple in the Mandawali area. According to Atishi, the action was taken on the orders of the L-G (Lieutenant Governor) despite the disapproval of the then-minister, Manish Sisodia. "Sisodia had objected to any demolitions, but the L-G overruled his decision and ordered the demolition of 10 temples in Delhi," she said. Delhi Temple Encroachment: Clash Breaks Out Between Police and Locals Over Removal of Temple's Encroached Section in Mandawali (Watch Videos). Atishi criticised the L-G, stating that Sisodia had directed that no religious place would be demolished in Delhi, but the L-G was ruling Delhi with arrogance like a king. AAP MLA Naresh Balyan tweeted, "In Delhi, the L-G has ordered the demolition of 11 temples. One can clearly see the L-G's order in this letter, and on the other hand, BJP members are opposing the demolition of these temples, criticising the Kejriwal government. These people are so cunning that they themselves commit murder and make you feel guilty." AAP Releases Video Showing Delhi LG VK Saxena Leading Mob Against Medha Patkar in 2002. To maintain law and order, police personnel, along with paramilitary forces, have been sent to the area. The authorities have also erected barricades around the vicinity. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 22, 2023 04:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Bengaluru, June 22: The Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has called a statewide strike scheduled for today, June 22, in response to the increased electricity charges. As part of the Karnataka bandh, all trade and industry organisations have been urged to shut down their establishments, with the aim of causing disruptions to normal daily activities. We request all the Trade and Industry to close their establishment on 22 June. This is in protest of abnormal price hike in the Electricity charges by ESCOM's," KCCI said in a statement. It must be noted that bandh call is only for business establishments and is voluntary, so essential services will not be disturbed. "Business establishments will incur losses owing to a day-long bandh." KCCI president Vinay Javali said. He continued that industries may not survive with such an unprecedented increase in power tariffs. According to the local media reports, private establishments, markets, etc., will participate in Karnataka Bandh Today. KCC&I Calls for Karnataka Bandh on June 22 To Protest Against Electricity Price Hike in State. As far as travel is concerned, commuters are likely to not have an issue as Government-run buses - the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) - will function efficiently throughout the day. Besides buses, local trains, medicals, hospitals, government offices, and essential services will remain open the entire day. Moreover, the business will not take a hit during the Karnataka bandh today as industries in Bengaluru will not back the strike. The leading industries and industry associations in the city have opted out of the bandh and assured people they will be conducting business as usual on Thursday. Karnataka Bandh: KCCI Calls Strike on June 22 Against Hike in Electricity Charges. On May 12, the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), in its tariff order, approved a steep increase in the fixed and per unit charges, a hike of Rs 2.89 per unit. The issue escalated into a political row as the BJP accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of increasing the tariff to fulfil their poll promise of free electricity of up to 200 units under the Gruha Jyoti Scheme. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 22, 2023 09:08 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Ooredoo Qatar has announced two high-profile agreements this week, one with Dell Technologies and one with Ericsson. Ooredoo and Dell Technologies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen existing collaboration, simplify digital transformation initiatives and explore new growth opportunities through Dells APEX multicloud portfolio. Through the agreement, Ooredoo says it will explore the Dell APEX offerings to simplify its cloud experiences and gain more control over its applications and data. Dell says APEX will allow the communications service provider to seamlessly manage and orchestrate its workloads while optimizing performance, minimising risk and ensuring high network availability. Ooredoo will also be able to eliminate unnecessary complexity and inefficiency. The collaboration complements Ooredoos current IT environment and builds on the existing technology centred around Dells infrastructure, storage and cyber recovery services. Ooredoo has also announced the extension of a longstanding partnership with technology giant Ericsson that will upgrade 5G connectivity in Qatar. Designed to increase collaboration on radio access network (RAN) technology products and services, this partnership extension will see Ericssons team facilitating the optimisation of Ooredoos network with the latest technology including millimetre wave enabling multi-gigabit speeds, greater capacity and exceptional mobile broadband speeds. This will allow Ooredoo to explore new use cases and connectivity opportunities for customers. The upgraded technology will also permit improved coverage and capacity; efficient power consumption; network slicing capabilities; and robust security measures. In addition it will enable Ooredoo to leverage the potential of IoT applications and explore emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. Leveraging Ericssons advanced technologies and intelligent algorithms such as Ericsson Network IQ Statistics, and Ericsson Network Management, Ooredoo says it will gain greater insights into network performance, traffic patterns, congestion hotspots and incident detection in real-time, achieving greater resource management and an overall enhancement to customer experience. Mumbai, June 21: The doyen of Indian advertising, Sylvester daCunha - who created the lovable Amul Girl 'utterly butterly' campaign in 1966, passed away late on Tuesday, his associates said. He was in his 80s and is survived by his wife Nisha, their son and advertising master Rahul daCunha. He was the brother of the late advertising genius, Gerson daCunha. Sylvester daCunha Dies: Advertising Genius Behind 'Amul Girl' Passes Away in Mumbai. It was way back in 1966 that Managing Director of advertising agency ASP, Sylvester daCunha, and his art director Eustace Fernandes had designed the iconic Amul Girl campaign which won the hearts of millions, and was widely acknowledged during her Golden Jubilee in 2016. Sylvester daCunha Dies: The ad had a special sense of humour and the mischievous Amul Girl in a polka-dotted frock, with rosy, chubby cheeks, didn't flinch at poking fun at the high and mighty in India, including the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amitabh Bachchan, and many others. The Amul is credited with running what is probably the longest hoarding ad campaign at Mumbai's picturesque Chowpatty with many quotable quotes and even featuring in the local newspapers. Tributes poured on social media for the ad-master with Amul India GM Marketing, Pavan Singh, expressing sadness at Sylvester's passing. Kollam Sudhi Death: Malayalam Actor and Mimicry Artist Dies in Car Accident in Thrissur. "Very sad to learn that Sylvester daCunha, the legend of the Indian Advertising world, is no longer amongst us. It was an honour to have learnt the art of Brand communication and advertising, from him over nearly 3 decades," said Singh. He recalled how, along with the legendary Dr. Verghese Kurien, it was Sylvester Dacunha who had initiated Amul's "immortal, iconic topical campaign in 1966, which is one of longest continuously running advertising campaigns in the world". "This campaign scaled new heights, moved seamlessly from OOH to print, TV & then digital and social media, enhancing its reach and popularity across multiple generations!," Singh said in his tribute to the legend. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 22, 2023 02:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). EU ambassadors agreed to adopt measures against Russians, other countries and companies seeking to evade sanctions, as countries pledge aid for Ukraine at a donor conference. Follow DW for more.The European Union on Wednesday agreed to an 11th round of sanctions against Russia for launching its invasion of Ukraine, Swedish officials announced. Also Read | Dozens Feared Dead After Dinghy Sinks off Coast of Africa. "Today, the EU Ambassadors agreed on the 11th package of sanctions against Russia. The package includes measures aimed at countering sanctions circumvention and individual listings," officials from Sweden, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, wrote on Twitter. Also Read | Ukraine Updates: EU Takes Aim at Russian Sanction Dodging. Under the sanctions, the transit via Russia of goods and technology which may be used by the Russian military or aid in its defense and security, will be forbidden. The sanctions will also make it possible to impose restrictions on the sale of sensitive dual-use goods and technology to countries that could perhaps sell it on to Russia and expand the list of restricted items that could serve Russia's defense sector. In May, the EU announced that it was preparing an 11th round of measures, with one key area of focus being the prevention of circumvention of sanctions by third states and companies. Sweden said the new measures were approved at a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the new sanctions package. "It will deal a further blow to Putin's war machine with tightened export restrictions, targeting entities supporting the Kremlin," she said on Twitter. "Our anti-circumvention tool will prevent Russia from getting its hands on sanctioned goods," she added. Here are some of the other developments concerning Russia's war in Ukraine on Wednesday, June 21: Ukraine 'not optimistic' about renewal of grain deal The outlook for the Black Sea grain deal which allows for the transporting of Ukrainian grain to the global market looks dim as the deadline for renewal approaches, at least according to the deputy prime minister for the restoration of Ukraine, Oleksandr Kubrakov. "We are not optimistic at this time," he told reporters during a conference in London. "Since the beginning of May, the corridor efficiency has decreased," he added. Russia, which prior to the agreement was blockading Ukraine's Black Sea ports, has repeatedly expressed discontent with the deal and threatened not to extend it. The last extension only added an extra two months, meaning it will expire on July 17 unless a new extension is agreed upon. "We are doing our best to maintain this initiative," Kubrakov said. Kyiv 'destroying the enemy,' Zelenskyy says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that his country's forces were "actively destroying the enemy." In his nightly address, Zelenskyy said forces on the eastern and southern flanks of the country were "physically cleansing Ukraine." "A defense against terror means destroying terrorists. And it is a guarantee that the state of evil will never have the opportunity to bring evil to Ukraine." Kyiv launched a much-anticipated counteroffensive nearly two weeks ago. Though quiet about the launch at first, Zelenskyy has been addressing his military's movements more recently. Ukrainian forces are "gaining ground" towards Melitopol and Berdyansk in the Zaporizhzhia region, Andriy Kovalev, a spokesman for the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said early on Wednesday. Elsewhere, Russian forces struck military and infrastructure targets in Kyiv and western areas away from the front lines. Zelenskyy said Russian drones attacked Kyiv for over four hours. Meanwhile, Russian authorities said Ukrainian forces struck a Russian-controlled town in the southern Kherson region with drones. They said one woman was killed and four civilians were injured in the attack. German FM promises another 381 million aid for Ukraine German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock told the Ukraine Recovery Conference that Berlin was planning on providing Ukraine with additional humanitarian aid of 381 million ($416 million) to Ukraine this year. Since Russia's invasion in February 2022, German aid to Kyiv has amounted to 16.8 billion. Baerbock also said there needed to be a link between Ukraine's recovery from the war and its accession to the European Union. "I'm convinced that we need to further link Ukraine's recovery and the EU accession process," Baerbock said in London. "Our goal is to help rebuild a Ukraine that is fit for EU." EU adds 3.5 billion euros to Ukraine weapons fund The European Union agreed to add 3.5 billion ($3.8 billion) to a fund used to pay for weapons for Ukraine, according to Sweden, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. The EU's 27 member states have already spent 5.5 billion of the joint fund, which was established in 2021 to support partner countries around the globe, in order to help arm Ukraine. That includes 3.6 billion to reimburse EU nations for weapons they supply to Ukraine and 2 billion on a program to send ammunition to Kyiv. EU leaders already topped up the fund, which is meant to run to 2027, by 2 billion late last year and gave their agreement in principle for adding the latest 3.5 billion. 'No grounds' to extend grain deal Russia Russia has restated that there are "no grounds" to extend the Black Sea grain deal, and said that the agreement brokered with UN and Turkish mediation had not been properly implemented. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a call with reporters that the UN had been forced to acknowledge that "unfortunately, they are not managing to exert the necessary influence on the countries of the collective West in order to fulfil this Russian part of the agreement." Peskov was referring to a list of Russian demands, among them the removal of what Moscow says are obstacles to the export of its own grain and fertilizers. On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed disappointment with the way the grain agreement was being implemented and called for an acceleration of grain shipments from Ukrainian ports. Guterres was unhappy with a slowing rate of ship inspections and the exclusion of Pivdennyi (Yuzhny) port one of three Ukrainian ports covered by the Black Sea export deal. Russia expanding defensive lines in occupied areas: UK intelligence The UK's Ministry of Defence (MOD) said that Russia was continuing "to expend significant effort building defensive lines deep in rear areas," particularly in the vicinity of the Crimean peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. "This includes an extensive zone of defences of 9 km in length, 3.5 km north of the town Armyansk, on the narrow bridge of land connecting Crimea to the Kherson region," the MoD stressed in its daily intelligence briefing. "Russia continues to see maintaining control of the peninsula as a top political priority," the MoD said. Heavy fighting continues on several frontline sections in southern Ukraine, it added. Zelenskyy tells recovery conference Ukraine needs 'real projects' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was necessary to move towards real reconstruction projects. The comments were made as leaders and government representatives from more than 60 countries met for a conference to secure funding to help Ukraine's reconstruction in London. "We must move from agreement to real projects," Zelenskyy said. "There is a Ukrainian delegation that will present concrete things and we propose to do them together during my tour," he said. The International Ukraine Recovery Conference is being hosted by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and is the second to be held since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmygal said that rebuilding could cost at least $750 billion. Death toll rises from dam breach The death toll from flooding sparked by a breach of a huge Ukrainian dam continues to rise, with Andrey Alekseyenko, a senior official with Russian occupation authorities, confirming Wednesday it had "risen to 41." The breach of the Russia-controlled Kakhovka dam earlier this month inundated large swathes of the Kherson region, forcing thousands to flee their homes. Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up the dam on the Dnipro River, while Moscow says Kyiv is responsible. Moscow claims three drones intercepted over Russia Russian officials on Wednesday said three drones were intercepted over Russian territory. Two were approaching military warehouses in the Moscow region, said Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the area. "Debris was found, no damage or casualties," Vorobyov said, adding that the drones fell near the village of Kalininets. Russia's channels on the Telegram messaging app, including one with links to the security services, and the state-owned TASS news agency said at least one more drone was intercepted near the village of Lukino. Russia to get two nuclear submarines The Russian Navy is set to receive two new nuclear submarines, Russian media reported on Wednesday. Alexei Rakhmanov, head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, told the TASS state news agency in an interview that the vessels will be in operation by the end of the year. The submarines are the missile cruiser Emperor Alexander III and the multipurpose Krasnoyarsk. United Shipbuilding Corporation is Russia's largest shipbuilding company. Pentagon overestimated Ukraine military aid The US Department of Defense has announced a miscalculation in the valuation of its funding for ammunition, missiles and other equipment sent to Ukraine to support it in the fight against Russia. A Pentagon spokesperson said the amount was overestimated by $6.2 billion (roughly 5.68 billion) due to an accounting error. Of the sum, $3.6 billion concerned the fiscal year 2023, and $2.6 billion for the fiscal year 2022. The Pentagon's deputy press secretary, Sabrina Singh, said the errors have no impact on the support for Ukraine or the presidential drawdown authority. UK to unveil $3 billion backing for Ukraine reconstruction The UK is preparing to announce a massive $3 billion (approximately 2.75 billion) package to Ukraine during a two-day conference hosted by London and focused on attracting investment to the war-torn country. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to announce the package in a speech during the conference, which starts on Wednesday. The package will include $306 million of bilateral assistance, as well as expanding British International Investment in Ukraine. "So, together with our allies we will maintain our support for Ukraine's defense and for the counteroffensive, and we'll stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes as they continue to win this war," an excerpt of Sunak's speech read. The US is also due to announce "a new, robust" assistance package for Ukraine. Zelenskyy addressed the conference in his Tuesday nightly address, stressing that rebuilding Ukraine was a "vehicle and a guarantee of security" that would ensure "protecting against any repetition of Russian aggression." UN chief urges speedier exports under Black Sea grain deal United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for the acceleration of grain shipments from Ukrainian ports via the Black Sea, under a deal that Russia has been threatening to quit next month. Brokered nearly a year ago with UN and Turkish mediation, the deal allowed Ukraine to safely export grains out of three ports despite the war. This helped evade a global food crisis and helped Ukraine sell its grains. However, Guterres reported a significant drop in food exports from October 2022, when they reportedly stood at 4.3 million metric tons, to 1.3 million metric tons in May. UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, speaking on behalf of Guterres, described the May figure as "the lowest volume since the initiative began last year." Guterres was particularly disappointed by a slowing pace of ship inspections and the exclusion of Pivdennyi (Yuzhny) port one of the three Ukrainian ports covered by the deal. Russia has repeatedly complained that many conditions of the deal ensuring its interests are not being upheld. Ukraine accuses Russia of 'mining' Zaporizhzhia cooling pond Ukraine's military intelligence chief has accused Moscow of "mining" the cooling pond of the Russian-occupied nuclear plant. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the GUR agency, made the accusation in television statements on Tuesday. He nevertheless did not provide evidence to support his claims. The reactor is the biggest nuclear plant in Europe. It is located in southern Ukraine and has been occupied by Moscow since its invasion of the country in February 2022. More DW coverage on Russia's war in Ukraine Dmitry Muratov, Nobel prize-winning editor-in-chief of the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, spoke at DW's Global Media Forum. He called for help for political prisoners, from Alexei Navalny to US journalist Evan Gershkovic, and said that since the word "war" is forbidden in Russia, he would use the word "hell." The war in Ukraine has seen brutal attritional fighting and trench warfare, but also the novel use of drones and robots. Is artificial intelligence revolutionizing modern warfare or just complementing old technology? Watch our report on how Ukraine uses artificial intelligence on the battlefield. Germany's domestic intelligence agency has warned that Russia's spy operations are expected to increase in Germany. The agency noted that far-right movements are harnessing opposition to military support for Ukraine. kb,jsi,rmt/rt (AFP, Reuters, dpa, AP) (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 22, 2023 03:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). On 21 June a new Comision para la Paz y el Entendimiento (Commission for Peace and Understanding) designed to address claims to ancestral lands by members of the Mapuche indigenous community was launched by Chiles President End of preview - This article contains approximately 344 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 21 June Hondurass Presidentannounced that the military police (PMOP) would take control of Hondurass 21 prisons for a year as of 1 July. End of preview - This article contains approximately 396 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 21 June Perus former prime minister, who served in the final months of theadministration (2021-2022), was transferred to prison after being arrested the previous day on suspicion of rebellion. End of preview - This article contains approximately 576 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options There are less than 12 hours left before the oxygen in the missing Titanic tourist submarine, Titan. Now, rescuers have heard banging noises from the vicinity as a joint Canadian, US, and French operation is seeking the missing submersible. According to The Independent, a Canadian aircraft detected intermittent "banging" noises within the wide search area, and the noise was heard near the missing Titanic tourist submarine's last known location. However, rescue crews do not have much time left to find them. Search crews report that they are hearing the banging noises every 30 minutes on Tuesday, and again around four hours later on Wednesday after they deployed additional sonar devices. However, the US Coast Guard admitted that they do not know if the noise comes from the missing Titanic submersible and that they "don't know the source of the noise." Those inside the submarine are several billionaires and millionaires who paid hundreds of thousands of dollars just to get to the Titanic. These include British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood. Also aboard are the CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush and renowned French Titanic expert and explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet. The submarine was on its way down to the wreckage of the Titanic when it suddenly went missing on its way down around an hour and 45 minutes into the expedition. The Titan had four days' worth of emergency oxygen supply but time is running out. Search and Rescue Continues for Missing Titanic Tourist Submarine During a press conference, Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick told journalists that they have already sent remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) to actively search for the missing Titanic submersible, with several more expected to join in on Thursday. Meanwhile, CBS News reported that search flights continue to look for the missing vessel day and night. Up to five vessels were searching for the Titan on Wednesday afternoon, with the number expected to double within 24 to 48 hours of the news conference. READ NEXT: Donald Trump Fact-Checked to His Face During Fox News Interview However, the search area is large, with rescuers expanding the search area to approximately twice the size of Connecticut. The depth of the area would also make it difficult as it extends to around 2.5 miles, However, Capt. Frederick continued to express his optimism, saying, "When you're in the middle of a search and rescue case, you always have hope." OceanGate Was Warned About Potential Problems About Titanic Mission As it turned out, OceanGate, which ran the catastrophic mission, was warned of possible problems, with experts both within and outside of it raising alarms. According to Yahoo! News, OceanGate's director of marine operations, David Lochridge, reported that there were "potential dangers to passengers of the Titan as the submersible reached extreme depths." Over three dozen people also voiced their concerns, including industry leaders, deep-sea explorers, and oceanographers, all of them penning a letter to the now-missing Stockton Rush. According to the letter, OceanGate's "experimental" approach and its decision to forgo a traditional assessment could lead to potentially "catastrophic" problems with the Titanic mission. The company seemed to have ignored these concerns, with a spokesperson for the company declining to comment about these critiques. READ NEXT: Ricky Martin Net Worth 2023 This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH:Why it's so hard to find the missing Titanic submersible | About That - CBC News The Indian government approved chip manufacturer Micron Technologys plan to build a US$2.7 billion semiconductor packaging and testing facility in West India. Reuters reported, the government agreed to incentives linked with production worth INR110 billion ($1.34 billion) for the plant, which will be built in the state of Gujarat. Approval from the cabinet was needed due to the sheer size of the incentive package, a source told Reuters. Micron was banned from operating in China, but last week the company committed to investing CNY4.3 billion (US$598 million) to setting up a new production line in the country. Reuters ported Microns plans come as the US pressures home-grown chip manufacturers to invest in India to decrease the supposed risks that come with operating in China. A managed cybersecurity and IT services provider has plans to expand in a move to Downtown Bethlehem. MCIT sometime next month plans to move from its existing headquarters in the 1500 block of Center Street in north Bethlehem to a building at 60 W. Broad St. The space previously occupied the law firm, Florio, Perrucci, Steinhardt, Cappelli, Tipton & Taylor LLC. The firm recently consolidated its offices to an Easton location. CEO Chris Morganelli said MCIT currently has 10 workers with another five planned to be hired within the next six months, as a result of the expansion. The new Bethlehem site was chosen by the company due to its proximity of clients, which are mainly scattered throughout the Lehigh Valley. ... Bethlehem continues to be a centralized location, Morganelli said. The opportunity to be in Downtown Bethlehem was a bonus. Morganelli, however, stressed the move and expansion is more than just needed for space. It represents a commitment to clients the company is invested in the quality of their experience while working with MCIT, he said. MCIT launched in 2015 with just two team members and virtual office space. The company then provided mostly technical support both remote and onsite within the Lehigh Valley. It later merged with TechCure, an up-and-coming managed cybersecurity firm, in December 2021. Today, the company has grown into a fully-managed cybersecurity and IT services provider with more than 50 companies under management across 10 states. The company serves businesses of all sizes. Some noteworthy clients include Kelly Automotive Group; Discover Lehigh Valley; Peron Development; Connell Funeral; and Mearhoff Insurance. MCIT additionally performed work for Florio, Perrucci, Steinhardt, Cappelli, Tipton & Taylor and was part of the firms office consolidation, Morganelli said. MCIT currently provides managed cybersecurity protection and monitoring, as well as managed IT services. Services include remote help desk support; onsite support; cloud infrastructure; vendor management; and virtual CTO level consulting services. The company plans to keep its original office on Center Street following the expansion. Itll be converted into an inventory and distribution hub, Morganelli said. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Lawmakers on Tuesday signed off on plans to expand Phillipsburg Police Departments gun violence prevention toolkit with a controversial new system that could become a regular part of towns local policing within the year. At its regular meeting on Tuesday, Phillipsburg Town Council unanimously approved an agreement with the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office to receive $297,000, provided through the American Rescue Plan, to pursue a contract with ShotSpotter, a California-based gunshot detection technology, officials confirmed. If installed in the 3.3-square-mile town, the new technology could alert law enforcement whenever gunfire is detected in the area, Phillipsburg Police Department Captain John Maczko said. Data collected by the systems also could sometimes be used as forensic evidence in court, he said. Itll take a few weeks or months to make the program operational. Emails to the potential contractor went out this morning, Maczko said. The program is still in its infancy. he said. Gunshot detection systems were first used by the military to detect incoming gunfire; but have since been adapted for use by law enforcement agencies, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The systems detect gunfire over many square miles to an accuracy of within a few feet. ShotSpotter is the only company producing this specific form of audio surveillance technology, Phillipsburg Business Administrator Matt Hall said. The idea is to be able to rapidly deploy a police officer where we can confirm a weapons just been fired, he said. ShotSpotter microphones will go up on public structures the same way traffic and surveillance cameras are mounted on buildings and traffic lights. When the sensors detect gunfire, the timestamp is noted and the gunfire location is triangulated, according to the company SoundThinking, which is responsible for the ShotSpotter technology. By itself, (ShotSpotter) is not a cure-all, but when used as part of a comprehensive gun crime response strategy, it can contribute to positive outcomes for the police and the community, the company states on its website. ShotSpotter drew some national scrutiny last year when the Associated Press investigation found serious flaws in cases where its data was used as evidence. The investigation was based on a review of thousands of internal documents, along with interviews with dozens of public defenders in communities where ShotSpotter was deployed. The APs investigation determined ShotSpotter could miss live gunfire happening right under its microphones, or misclassify the sounds of fireworks or cars backfiring as gunfire. Judges have tossed forensic reports prepared by ShotSpotters employees after questions surfaced over whether they accurately determined a defendant shot at police, or provided an accurate count of the number of shots allegedly fired by defendants, according to the Associated Press. Trenton and Camden were among the first New Jersey municipalities to employ ShotSpotter in 2020. Officials in both cities claim crime has reduced since implementing the program, according to a report by 6ABC. Representatives for ShotSpotter are expected to visit Phillipsburg in the coming weeks to evaluate the towns existing emergency response and monitoring systems to determine the best use for its product in the area, Maczko said. He said the company will figure out how to isolate gunshot noises to give the police department accurate information so officers arent called in for false reports. There are times where well get a call about shots fired and its just backfire heard from the pistol club. And if the leaves are down and the wind is carrying in the right direction, theyll have to figure that sort of stuff out too, he said. Phillipsburg is one of some 20 municipalities across 13 counties in the state selected by Attorney General Matthew Platkins office to participate in the program. The town did not apply for the grant, Hall said. Grants awarded by the Attorney Generals Office ranged from $20,000 to nearly $2 million and were allocated to agencies which showed an increase in violent crime, gun violence, and/or auto theft, according to the Attorney Generals website. Its not immediately clear how the Attorney Generals Office determined Phillipsburg to be an area in need. A spokesperson for the Attorney Generals Office did not immediately return messages seeking comment. We are investing millions of dollars to make our communities safer and give law enforcement officers the tools they need to combat the epidemic of gun violence, Attorney General Platkin said in an initial news release. On Tuesday, Phillipsburg Councilman Keith Kennedy heralded the new agreement as one of the good things that Phillipsburg has to offer. He said the program made him further optimistic about many of the advances taking place in the town. Crime is an issue, but its not unique to Phillipsburg. Its in every town and city around us. I think the installation of the gunshot detection system that was passed tonight will be a step toward dealing with crime, he said. Hall said the town still has plans to replace some of its malfunctioning police surveillance cameras and install new ones. He said he wasnt sure yet whether the ShotSpotter technology and the cameras could be tied together. A timeline of when the the town plans to update its cameras was not immediately available. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or glenn_epps_on Twitter. Anthony Szamboti received a frightening call a year ago. His Blackwood house was on fire. It was March 8, 2022, and Szamboti was at work 11 miles away. He raced home. In the distance, he saw smoke billowing into the sky and a news helicopter overhead. He knew it was his house, he said. When emergency personnel allowed him close, Szamboti found his wife Debbilyn safe, wrapped in a blanket and sitting on a lawn chair a few houses away from where the fire department was at work. She was slightly burned in the middle of her forehead and the bridge of her nose, and her face was blackened, he said. I kissed her on the head. She was checked out at the hospital and released safe but the home was uninhabitable. The cause of the fire was never determined, but Szamboti believes it had something to do with their solar panels. It was the start of a long and frustrating journey thats led Szamboti, 66, to believe property tax laws in the state are unfair to homeowners whose properties are destroyed by fire or other disasters. After the fire, property taxes werent top of mind, Szamboti said. Outside of some tools, very little was salvageable from the home. A single neighbor with a four-bedroom house put them up as they negotiated with their homeowners insurance. They received $128,000 for the homes contents and after paying off their mortgage, $330,000 for the structure. But rebuilding estimates ranged from $400,000 to $466,000, he said, so they debated moving instead. Before the Aug. 1 property tax payment was due on the Blackwood property, Szamboti called the local tax office to ask if he could be taxed only on the land because the improvements the house had been destroyed. The home was 73% of the tax bill, he said, so that would lower their costs from $10,000 to $2,500. The assessor was sympathetic and said he would go out and take photos of the house but couldnt take it down to just the land until Jan. 1, 2023, he said. I was flabbergasted as it meant we would have to pay the full property tax on a house that was completely destroyed and of no use while we were forced to go out looking for and paying for permanent shelter. With this added financial pressure, the couple said they decided to sell the property as is to a builder for just $10,000 on Aug. 17 and they bought a small cape in Bellmawr, about three miles away. But the property tax issue was eating at him, Szamboti said. He learned that towns regularly reassess property taxes for improvements. He figured it should work the same way with a downward reassessment for damaged homes. The burned remnants of the Blackwood home owned by Anthony and Debbilyn Szamboti. (Courtesy Anthony Szamboti) Szamboti asked about it at a November 2022 town council meeting, and he eventually got a call from the tax assessor, he said. He said if I could have called before March 31, 2022 the cutoff date for tax appeals he could have used that mechanism for reducing the taxes, but otherwise we had to pay the full amount, Szamboti said. He argued that most people wouldnt know that cutoff date, and with all his possessions ruined, at the time, he had other things on his mind. The assessor shared a section of the New Jersey tax assessors handbook titled Material Depreciation of Structure Between October 1 and January 1. It said that when property is destroyed by fire or natural disasters so that its value is materially depreciated after October 1 and before January 1 of the following year and the assessor is notified before January 10th, the assessor must value the property as it stands on January 1. However, it says, if property is destroyed subsequent to Jan. 1 or if the assessor is not notified before Jan. 10, property must be valued as it existed on pretax year October 1st, the statutory assessment date. Thats right. You can be billed for improvements pretty much right away, but depending on the timing of your homes destruction, you cant save money on taxes for months, or longer, after its wrecked. This is essentially treating the situation as though it did not happen until the next yearly assessment cycle, Szamboti said. This is outrageous and this New Jersey law really needs to be changed, as it is taxing something that has no value and puts an unjust and unnecessary burden on individuals who are already in a stressful and burdensome situation. When letters to his local lawmakers went unanswered, he asked Bamboozled to help. HOW PROPERTY TAX IS CALCULATED In New Jersey, the amount of real estate taxes you pay is based on the value of your property, which is then multiplied by the tax rate to determine the total assessment, said Michael Mirne, an attorney in Ocean who deals with property tax matters. He said tax rates change annually, but in most New Jersey towns, the assessors determination of the value called the assessment is not updated very often. Therefore, he said, your assessment may be based on a valuation from several years ago. He said this isnt a problem in most cases because everyone in the town is valued over the same time frame. But if someone improves their home, there would be an inequity, he said. To make it fair, the owner with the improvement will get an added assessment and their tax bill would go up. These added assessments are generally entered on the first day of the next month following the date when the construction was deemed to be substantially complete, Mirne said. For example, if a homeowner builds an addition on Nov. 3, 2023, they might receive an added assessment for December 2023 and 12 months of 2024. While the practice of entering added assessments seems fair and reasonable, the trouble is that there was no fair and reasonable practice for dealing with a situation in which the property actually lost value, he said. So in 1945, a law was enacted to allow for assessment reductions when properties had substantial destruction after Oct. 1 but before Jan. 1, Mirne said. The statute specifically enumerates fire, storm, cyclone, and tornado as examples of casualties that would be covered, he said, noting that Superstorm Sandy victims received a special exemption. But what about property owners whose homes were destroyed between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30? Unfortunately, under the present law, those property owners are out of luck, he said. For example, if the homeowners house burned down on Jan. 4, 2024, the homeowner would still be responsible for paying taxes on the value of the house, as it existed as of Oct. 1, 2023. The taxpayer in this instance does not get a `discount just because her property is suddenly worth less than it was as of the Oct. 1, 2023 date of valuation, he said. On the contrary, the taxpayer would be responsible for paying taxes for the full value, for the entire year of 2024. Thats essentially what happened to Szamboti. CHANGES AHEAD? Other states, including Pennsylvania and California, dont make homeowners whose properties are destroyed by fire or other natural disasters wait for relief. Why does New Jersey? We asked the lawmakers Szamboti contacted. Asm. Paul Moriarty, D-Gloucester and chair of the Consumer Affairs committee, said his staff was researching the issue. If your house burns to the ground and youre a victim, why should your hometown victimize you a second time? he said. For someone who has a loss and their property is no longer of the value its assessed at, there should be a mechanism where they dont have to pay taxes on the full value for something thats been destroyed. Moriarty also said there should be a transparent appeals process that provides for reimbursement of taxes that shouldnt have needed to be paid. The office of Sen. Fred Madden, D-Gloucester, said he is also on board and looking at possible legislation. While Szamboti said he doesnt expect any law change would help him, hes concerned for other homeowners. I feel as though the tax money we were forced to pay on the destroyed improvement, after the fire, was stolen from us and the fact that it wasnt reduced put pressure on us to sell the damaged property a little too fast, he said. A reduction was certainly justified and had we got it, we would have had the time to solicit offers and at least felt we got what fair worth was left in the property. It is unconscionable for New Jersey law to require a mid-year reassessment and tax increase for an addition but to refuse to do so for a loss, especially a catastrophic loss, which displaces the occupants and puts them under pressure and in a survival mode, he said. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KPMueller. The Old Fort Quarter Festival is rooted in history, heritage culture and there are lots of fun events to bring all of this to life this week in Portlaoise. To give a background to the history of the Old Fort Quarter and discuss the conservation process, Conservation Architect Richard McLoughlin will host a presentation The History and Architecture of Fort Protector in partnership with the Laois Heritage Society on Thursday 22nd at 7pm in SS Peter and Pauls Parish Centre. The Festival also features living history exhibits. The organisers say this will give you a chance to step into the past with captivating reenactments, historical displays, and interactive exhibits that bring history to life. They promise that you'll be able to engage with knowledgeable experts who will take you on a tour of significant moments from our past. The famous Portlaoise Plane will be on display in the Granary Store, book in for a walking tour to find out more about the history of this famous plane. Raven Haven Aviaries will have the ravens from the Vikings show and Norsemen show on display along with other birds of prey. The Golden Raven Viking group will showcase medieval battles while others will showcase medieval cookery and textile displays. Renowned local historian and heritage consultants Teddy Fennelly and Michael Parsons will lead walking heritage tours of the Old Fort with a stop at the famous Portlaoise Plane on June 24th and 25th. Booking through Eventbrite.ie People are also invited to explore the Artisan Village where skilled craftsmen such as weavers from Vikings Athy and craftswomen demonstrate traditional arts and crafts and more. Discover unique handmade treasures and even try your hand at some ancient techniques. Cultural Performances are also a feature. Be enthralled by a diverse lineup of cultural performances, featuring music, dance, and theatrical acts that showcase the region's rich cultural heritage, say the organisers. This features traditional Irish dancers with the Lynam School of Dance, music from local Laois Comhaltas groups, modern pop music to soul-stirring melodies. There will be something to delight every spectator, say the organisers. There will be traditional bee-keepers, drumming circles, pipers and more all partaking in activities for you to enjoy and interact. Art exhibitions will take place in the Gallery of The Dunamaise Theatre. Also, be sure to stop by and have a browse and as you wander through the historic quarter watch out for the wonderful art of Eoin Coveney which will be on display at the railings of the Laois Music Centre. Finally, you can indulge your taste buds with an array of treats from local food vendors. A selection of craft and market stalls will line Main Street for you to have a wander and purchase some local handmade wares. For more information and a full list of events from Thursday, June 22 to Saturday June 25, you can visit the festial website at www.oldfortquarter.com or follow us on Old Fort Quarter on Social Media. Two days since a fault was found at a water treatment plant in Laois mean the problem has not been fixed meaning nearly 4,000 households and businesses in Laois and Offaly must continue to drink water. Uisce Eireann (Irish Water) has issued a new notice appealing to the public to continue to boil water in Clonaslee around the source of the supply and in Tullamore where most of the water is used. The Boil Water Notice was issued on 20 June to protect the health of approximately 3,900 customers due to raw water quality issues that are impacting the treatment processes at the water treatment plant. The company has not given details as to what caused the problem. Other than customer numbers it has also declined to say how many people are impacted in Laois and Offaly. Its latest statement issued on Thursday, June 22 said it is working on a solution. "Uisce Eireann in partnership with Offaly and Laois County Councils continues to progress works to lift the Boil Water Notice as quickly as possible for all customers on the Tullamore South and Clonaslee Water Supply. Drinking water experts from Uisce Eireann and Offaly County Council are working to implement solutions to lift the notice as quickly as possible in consultation with the HSE. John Gavin works with Uisce Eireann. In conjunction with Offaly County Council, we are continuing to address the raw water issues at the treatment plant. Once these issues have been addressed, and the plant is fully operational, we will undertake sampling, monitoring the performance of the plant with a move towards lifting the Boil Water Notice, in consultation with the HSE. Please be assured we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly as possible. Public health remains our number one priority and we appreciate the impact that this notice is having on our customers in the area, he said. In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to boil and cool their water before use until further notice. Areas impacted include Clogh, Moneenroe, Castlecomer and surrounding areas. Customers can check if their property is included by visiting the Water Quality section of www.water.ie and entering the propertys Eircode or by calling the Uisce Eireann customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278. A map of the area is attached and available to view on the supply and service section of water.ie. Vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Eireann receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled. The company also advised that vulnerable customers who have registered with Uisce Eireann receive direct communication on boil water notices. People were also are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled. Water must be boiled for: Drinking; Drinks made with water; Preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating; Brushing of teeth; Making of ice; Discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water. Uisce Eireann outlined the actions should be taken: Use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g. washing salads); Water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling; Boil water by bringing to a vigorous, rolling boil (e.g. with an automatic kettle) and allow to cool. Cover and store in a refrigerator or cold place. Water from the hot tap is not safe to drink. Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink; Caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water; The following advice is giving for people preparing infant formula: Where a Boil Water Notice is in place, you can prepare infant formula from tap water that has been boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute) and cooled beforehand. Bottled water can also be used to make up infant formula. All bottled water, with the exception of natural mineral water, is regulated to the same standard as drinking water. It is best not to use bottled water labelled as Natural Mineral Water as it can have high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals, although it rarely does. Natural Mineral Water can be used if no other water is available, for as short a time as possible, as it is important to keep babies hydrated. If bottled water is used to make up infant formula it should be boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute), and cooled in the normal way. Ready-to-use formula that does not need added water can also be used. Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children. Irish water advises that customers can check if their property is included by visiting the Water Quality section of www.water.ie and entering the propertys Eircode or by calling the Uisce Eireanns customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278. A map of the area is attached and available to view on the supply and service section of water.ie. It says updates are available on in the Water Supply Updates section on water.ie, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278. Satellite company SES ceased merger talks with rival Intelsat, it confirmed in a statement today (June 22). SES confirmed talks with Luxembourg-based Intelsat began in March, in what seemed to be a bid to rival giants Elon Musks Starlink and Amazons Project Kuiper. Consolidation in the satellite. Blomberg broke the story last year reporting the merger would have been worth over US$10 billion including debt. Intelsat came out of bankruptcy last year and had been engaging in talks with prospective partners. Consolidation has been a hot trend in the satellite world as France-based Eutelsat struck an agreement to merge with UK-based OneWeb. BloomHQ in Mountrath is now a designated university Learning Gate as part of a new pilot programme that will see students studying and taking classes remotely in the Laois town's facility. The Laois hub, which is located at the old Brigidine Convent, is part of the new Learning in the Hubs project being rolled out initially in the Midlands under a partnership between Connected Hubs and the Technology University of the Shannon (TUS). The pilot initiative is targeted at adult TUS third-level part-time flexible students who are learning online through the Faculty of Continuing, Professional, Online and Distance Learning to complete college courses in their local remote working hub. BloomHQ has had a number of Students studying for exams using hotdesks recently. It will see students carry out coursework and attend classes in a group setting at BloomHQ which is par of the Connected Hubs networks set up in May 2021. The following programmes will take place exclusively in BloomHQ and 10 other Connected Hubs and newly designated Learning Gates from September 23: Certificate in Business in Entrepreneurship (Level 6) the objective being to support potential entrepreneurs, start-ups and others locally with an interest in the world of entrepreneurship; Bachelor of Business (Hons) (Level 8) degree programme with plans to to widen participation in third-level education through general business. TUS says this collaboration between Connected Hubs and Technological University of the Shannon will bring third-level education to communities all over Ireland through the National Hub Network, allowing adult learners to learn in a group setting locally alongside their peers. TUS says its Faculty of Continuing, Professional, Online and Distance Learning, delivers accredited academic programmes to students throughout Ireland. The Faculty accredited hubs as TUS Learning Gates in 2022, to support its online learners and recognise the value of leveraging the technology in hubs all over Ireland. It's envisaged that the pilot scheme will expand to include over 300 other hubs around Ireland some of which are located in Laois. In a social media post, BloomHQ said it was delighted to be part of this scheme. "Having local fast broadband in a quiet space can really help students. BloomHQ has had a number of Students studying for exams using hotdesks recently. This is another wonderful step forward that will make greater access to education for those in Laois," it said. Prof Vincent Cunnane is TUS President. The potential of Connecting TUS with 319 COWORKING HUBS Nationally will lead to greater accessibility for adult learners (all learners), enabling them upskill while living locally and/or engaging in hybrid working locally/regionally, delivering on various national policy objectives," he said. Michael Tobin, Dean of Faculty, Continuing, Professional, Online and Distance Learning, TUS. Learning in the Hubs is another vital expansion of what hubs offer in communities all over Ireland. Hubs can effectively deliver third-level programmes online and provide a venue and exclusive programmes, to people living locally it is a very exciting development. "The two new programmes will be run exclusively through the TUS Learning Gate network Learning in the Hubs initiative. Currently, there are 11 TUS Learning Gates regionally dispersed across the counties of Longford, Westmeath, Laois, Offaly, Galway and Roscommon. "The collaboration between TUS and Connected Hubs will enable this concept to be built nationally providing higher education opportunities online across the country, particularly in rural areas where it may not have previously been accessible. It is envisaged that all counties will have a Learning Gate by September 2023," he said. Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris TD, launched the new initiative on Wednesday, June 14. BloomHQ is an initiative of the Mountrath Community Forum. In 2017 the Convent and its grounds were donated by the Bridgidine Sisters of Mountrath to be held in trust for the long-term benefit of the local community. Extensive renovations have taken place and it is now used for work, business and community. Minister Mary Butler, Minister of State at the Health Department, joined Older Voices Kildare and County Kildare LEADER Partnership today to inaugurate the much-awaited Kildare Dementia Cafe. The event took place at the Kildare Community Development Centre and was attended by individuals living with dementia, their families, caregivers, and support networks. The idea for a Dementia Cafe in Kildare was initiated in 2022 by the staff of Older Voices Kildare. Caroline Morrin, Coordinator and Susan Higgins, Befriending Support Worker sought the support of County Kildare LEADER Partnership, who generously provided the space in their Kildare town premises for the cafe's monthly meetings. The Alzheimer's Society of Ireland Dementia Advisor for CHO7, Rosalyn Groarke, worked closely with the staff of Older Voices Kildare to help establish the dementia cafe. The Kildare Dementia Cafe will be held from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm on the last Thursday of every month at the Kildare Community Development Centre, Eircode R51 RF88. This cafe aims to provide a supportive environment where individuals living with dementia, their families, and friends can share experiences, receive reliable information about dementia care and support, and establish connections within the community. It will provide informative talks by guest speakers on various dementia-related topics such as legal issues, nutrition, and the impact of memory challenges on daily life. Caroline Morrin, the Older Voices Co-Ordinator, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "This is a hugely positive development for people with dementia and their families and carers...The Dementia Cafe will take place every last Thursday of the month in a welcoming, informal, and comfortable setting, where everyone can meet and be supported together." At its core, the Kildare Dementia Cafe seeks to create a welcoming and inclusive space for accessing and sharing information, experiences, and becoming part of a supportive community. The Irish Dementia Cafe Network offers valuable support, resources, and guidance to existing cafes while also encouraging the establishment of new ones. Through this network, communities are mobilised, fostering learning opportunities and networking for member cafes. According to the Seanad Eireann debate in March 2022, the number of people living with dementia in Ireland currently exceeds 64,000, with projections estimating a rise to 150,000 by 2050. To address this growing concern, the National Dementia Office initiated the Dementia Post-diagnostic Support Project in 2017. As part of this effort, Engaging Dementia was commissioned to establish the Irish Dementia Cafe Network, which was successfully launched in September 2020. For further information about the Kildare Dementia Cafe or any related inquiries, please contact Caroline Morrin, Co-Ordinator of Older Voices Kildare, at oldervoiceskildare@countykildarelp.ie or 086-1372871. The Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, Kieran ODonnell, T.D., and the Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, Anne Rabbitte, T.D., today launched the Implementation Plan to deliver improved housing and related supports for disabled people at an event in the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Dublin. The Implementation Plan consists of 107 actions and will deliver on the primary objective of the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 2027, which is to facilitate disabled people to live independently with the appropriate choices and control over where, how and with whom they live, promoting their inclusion in the community. The National Housing Strategy for Disabled People was developed by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Department of Health and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The Strategy is part of the Governments Housing for All plan, which sets out specific measures to achieve a steady supply of housing in the right locations with economic, social and environmental sustainability built into the system. The 107 actions in the Implementation Plan will be delivered by the three Departments and their agencies. Minister ODonnell and Minister Rabbitte also launched a new awareness campaign to raise visibility of the Implementation Plan and Strategy, both locally and nationally, with the disability sector and the general public. The awareness campaign was informed by consultation with disabled people, will be managed by the Housing Agency, and will ensure that the Strategy and Implementation Plan are afforded a high level of visibility at local and national level in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities UNCRPD principles. Speaking following the launch, Minister ODonnell stated, "The influence of the lived experience of disabled people, which is reflected in the 107 actions, will be key to the success of this Implementation Plan as it progresses to 2027. I will be working collaboratively with my Government colleagues and delivery partners across the sector in delivering on the actions in this Implementation Plan to ensure we achieve the reality of the vision in the Strategy." Welcoming the Implementation Plan and Awareness Campaign, Minister Rabbitte said, "This Implementation Plan represents a clear whole of Government approach to ensuring that disabled people are communicated with and supported in their choice of housing options in line with the UNCRPD. I look forward to working together with my colleagues across Government to collectively ensure that the plan is a success." Supporting the Implementation Plan, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh OBrien TD said, "Housing for All is a multi-annual, multi-billion euro plan which is improving Irelands housing system and delivering more homes of all types for people with different housing needs. This plan is key to ensuring that disabled people also benefit from this large scale delivery of new homes and in conjunction with the implementation of the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People demonstrates the governments commitment to providing equal access to housing for all." The National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 2027 Implementation Plan is available at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/60d76-national-housing-strategy-for-disabled-people-2022-2027/. A man was found wandering around a property by its female owner. He appeared before Naas District Court . David Kelly, 35 of no fixed abode was prosecuted for trespass at Laraghbryan, Maynooth, on March 30, 2021. Sgt Dave Hanrahan told the court that the woman was put in fear by his presence and he was intoxicated at the time. It was also stated that the man has 122 previous convictions including four for burglary dating back to 2012 and one for trespass. The court was also told he was serving a sentence. Barrister Mark Gibbons said the defendant has had a significant drink issue. He added the mans best friend had died and he fell off the wagon. Mr Gibbons described the incident as an isolated event and he also said he has secured a place in a rehabilitation centre on his release. Read more Kildare news He said that prior to this incident the defendant had been sober for three years. The defendant told the court that he was homeless. He said he was travelling on a train that day between Dublin and Sligo and he was asked to leave the train because he was drinking. He said he had never been in Maynooth in my life and wandered into the property. Reading from a prepared letter, he said he has three kids and wants to be a model dad. Imposing a four month custody term which he described as lenient, Judge Desmond Zaidan said this was the best he could do. Members of the public can sign up now to participate in the 2023 Alzheimers Memory Walk on Sunday, 24th September 2023 at www.memorywalk.ie. Annemarie Kett will lead the Kildare Walk in Moore Abbey Woods on September 24th when the walk takes place at over 30 locations nationwide. An estimated 2,159 people live with dementia in Kildare, and 64,000 people live with dementia in Ireland which will more than double in the next 25 years to over 150,000 by 2045. Merrion Square in Dublin was awash with Irelands celebrities yesterday morning, including leading business entrepreneurs Pamela Laird and Ellen Kavanagh Jones, Comedian Neil Delamere, TV personality Martin King, Actor Bryan Murray, journalist and broadcaster Teena Gates, and Miss Cork Rachel OLeary. The impressive group gathered to launch the Alzheimers Annual Memory Walk, which takes place at 30 locations across Ireland on Sunday, 24th September 2023. The nationwide event gives families, friends and those living with dementia the opportunity to come together, honour, celebrate and raise funds for the vital support services that The Alzheimer Society of Ireland provides. The Alzheimers Memory Walk is a family-friendly event suitable for all ages and walking abilities to unite friends, families and communities to raise awareness and funds for dementia supports. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland is aiming to secure over 3,000 walkers across Ireland to participate and help raise funds for vital services that support so many people living with dementia and those who care for them. These services include Daycare, Daycare at Home, Family Carer Training, Social Clubs, Cafes, and a National Helpline. An estimated 2,159 people live with dementia in Kildare, and 64,000 people live with dementia in Ireland which will more than double in the next 25 years to over 150,000 by 2045. Members of the public can sign up now to participate in the 2023 Alzheimers Memory Walk on Sunday, 24th September 2023 at www.memorywalk.ie. Registrations cost 5 for kids and 18 for adults and include a participation pack with a Memory Walk t-shirt. The closing date for registrations to receive your participation pack before the walk is 12noon on Wednesday, 20th September. For those who cannot walk on the day, they can still support the Memory Walk by donating at www.Alzheimer.ie. Speaking about the Alzheimers Memory Walk, Pamela Laird said, I am thrilled to be returning as an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Memory Walk once again this year. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland carries out remarkable work nationwide, and my family has personally used their supports during my father's journey with dementia. It is crucial for the ASI to continue fundraising to sustain their valuable services. Having witnessed firsthand the impact of my father's dementia diagnosis, I am acutely aware of the challenges faced by numerous families in Irelandfeelings of confusion, sadness, and isolation. I am determined to shine a spotlight on dementia as it urgently requires our attention. Speaking about her support for the Alzheimers Memory Walk, entrepreneur Ellen Kavanagh Jones said, "My darling mam, Kit, has Lewy Bodies Dementia. I know firsthand how difficult and frightening it is for both the person affected but also their family members. I myself have called the National Helpline when I was trying to navigate a very difficult time as my mams carer. It was a life-changing, supportive person that I spoke to that day and I am forever grateful to them. I'd like to pay it back now and raise awareness for the society and helpline that helped me." TV personality Martin King also commented, I am delighted to be a part of Alzheimers Memory Walk this year its a terrific way to raise awareness and raise vital funds for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland during World Alzheimers Month in September. Through my own mothers journey with dementia I got a look at how tough it can be for families and they really need so much support. My Mam Christina was a beautiful soul, she was very caring and loving. She was a great mam and a great grand mam and then dementia came knocking at the door and she was in denial because she was afraid. Dementia and Alzheimers are called the long goodbye for a reason. You cant stop it as its happening and its emotionally very painful to go through. Im really looking forward to taking part in Alzheimers Memory Walk on Sunday, September 24th. I would encourage everyone to do the same. Mairead Dillon, Head of Fundraising for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland commented, The Alzheimers Memory Walk for 2023 is set to be our biggest and best to date and the number of ambassadors, staff, and local champions gathered at todays launch is testament to that. Id like to say a heartfelt thank you to our partners Payzone who are supporting the event and are in attendance today. With over 30 locations nationwide, there will be a Memory Walk in your locality, and it is the ideal event for the whole family to get together and walk to remember or support a loved one living with dementia. We are really looking forward to September 24th this year to get people together supporting people with dementia. Michele Ann Kelly, Payzone Ireland, said, Payzone is honoured to support the Memory Walk, The Alzheimer Society of Irelands flagship event. This campaign is important to us, as it is to many. Every day in Ireland, 30 people develop dementia, while over 64,000 people currently live with dementia. Unfortunately, many at Payzone have first-hand experience of the effects that Alzheimer's can have on families and loved ones, a reason The Alzheimer Society of Ireland was voted as one of Payzones charity partners by our employees. We hope to support this wonderful event as best we can to play a small part as The Alzheimer Society of Ireland continues to provide vital dementia-specific services. Funds raised from the Memory Walk will help to keep these services going. The team at Payzone are excited to come together this September, honour and celebrate those with dementia, and raise much-needed funds for continued support. We encourage everyone in Ireland to join in on this great cause." Tanaiste Micheal Martin has criticised protesters who were removed by gardai after interrupting his opening remarks to the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy in Cork. Mr Martin continued to speak to the audience at University College Cork as the demonstrators shouted slogans including: No to Nato. The minister accused the protesters from the Cork branch of the Connolly Youth Movement of attempting to shut down debate, which he characterised as undemocratic. Other demonstrators who interrupted the address were encouraged to leave or remain seated for the opportunity to engage in the debate. A short time later, gardai escorted out another man, Diarmad O Cadhla, who protested during the opening remarks of forum chairwoman Professor Dame Louise Richardson. His exit was immediately followed by interruptions from two other members of the audience including Cork City councillor Lorna Bogue. Prof Richardson described the event as participatory democracy with all its strength and weaknesses. We are not allowing disruptions of speeches, I have the floor at the moment, she said. There were further demonstrations from groups such as the Cork Neutrality League outside the university building hosting the first day of the forum. Prof Richardson moved the forum into the first discussion on the global security environment in the context of Russias invasion of Ukraine. Speaking to reporters a short time later, Mr Martin said disruption at the event had been anticipated. He said he believed in free speech but an attempt to shut down debate is not the right approach. A lot of what was said was incoherent, frankly, and not evidence-based. I think Ireland has a very proud record in international affairs. He said the rhetoric of the protests did not tally with the reality of how Irish foreign policy is conducted. The Government is not changing policy on military neutrality, weve said this repeatedly. But we do need to discuss the wider challenges coming, not just our way and across Europe. Mr Martin said he wanted to be far more transparent about participation in Pesco (Permanent Structured Cooperation) initiatives like maritime surveillance, airlifts and cyber security. The aim of the event is to build public understanding and generate discussions on foreign, security and defence policies. The Government said the forum, which also sits in Galway on Friday and Dublin on Monday and Tuesday, will include civilian and military experts and practitioners representing a breadth of experience and views. The triple-lock mechanism for foreign troop deployments and Irelands neutrality are expected to be examined as part of the conversations on foreign and defence policy. The schedule also included panels on the European situation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine as well as discussions on threats to critical infrastructure. The Irish president had said Ireland is playing with fire in a drift towards Nato. In an interview with the Sunday Business Post, Michael D Higgins criticised the line-up of speakers at the forum, saying they comprised the admirals, the generals, the air force, the rest of it. Mr Higgins also referred to Prof Richardson as a person with a very large letter DBE (Dame Commander of the British Empire) after her name. Prof Richardson, Oxfords first woman vice-chancellor, was recognised in the UKs 2022 Queens Birthday Honours for services to higher education. Speaking to reporters at the end of the first day of proceedings, shes said she is an admirer of President Higgins. She characterised the statement as a throwaway remark and added the president had apologised fulsomely and graciously. As far as Im concerned the issue is closed. Opposition parties have also been critical of the Governments approach to the forum as well as the list of speakers. Matt Carthy, Sinn Fein spokesperson on foreign affairs and defence, told the forum that Irelands foreign policy should be based on ending conflict as opposed to participating in it. He had been invited to speak by Prof Richardson during the first panel discussion. The first panel consisted of senior consulting fellow of Chatham House Renata Dwan, emeritus professor at the European University Institute Brigid Laffan, Rusi director of international security Neil Melvin, and Concerns head of international advocacy Reiseal Ni Cheilleachair. Mr Carthy said: Military neutrality and independent foreign policies should not be framed as weaknesses on the part of Ireland, they should be seen as strengths that we should all be very proud of. During further contributions from the audience, Clare Daly MEP said Putins illegal invasion of Ukraine has accelerated a path towards militarism in Europe. Nobody seems to say that growing militarism actually leads to more wars, she said. Ms Daly, who was seated beside Mick Wallace MEP, said Russia is responsible for the invasion but it has to be explained in the context of Nato expansion. She said: I dont want to be used by Russia and I dont think thats going to happen but I dont want to be used by Nato either. The best contribution we can make, as a country that was formerly colonised, yet a mature western democracy, is to join countries where the majority of the worlds people live who have also experienced colonialism and say: You know what, we have to get together. Dr Melvin responded from the panel by saying the idea the war was about Nato expansion is a Russian propaganda line. This is not a Washington-driven grand strategy. The last 20 years has been often Nato being pulled into these countries by the agencies of the countries themselves because they feel vulnerable. Separately, former UN peacekeeper Edward Horgan criticised US troops passing through Shannon Airport. He said: This is not military neutrality, this is not neutrality of any sort in fact. Vice Media offices display the Vice logo at dusk on February 1, 2019 in Venice, California. MARIO TAMA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP A group of creditors is set to take over Vice Media Group with a $350 million offer. Led by Fortress Investment Group, the creditors had initially offered $225 million for the youth-focused media outlet, but a court filing on Thursday, June 22, showed it had been upped to $350 million. Vice's sale, which must next be approved by a federal judge, will help bring the firm out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It will also allow the three investment firms to convert their debt into equity even if that means giving up some of their funds in the process. Vice Media Group's co-CEOs, Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala, told staff they will recommend the bid by Fortress, Soros Fund Management, and Monroe Capital to a specialized federal court in New York on Friday, June 23, according to an internal staff memo seen by AFP. "Under new ownership, we look forward to a new chapter in VMG (Vice Media Group) history, with a renewed focus and commitment to creating world-class content for audiences and partners," the two executives wrote in their email to staff. Speedy downfall The $350 million figure represents just five percent of Vice's reported 2017 valuation of around $5.7 billion, marking a sharp turnaround in fortunes. At the time, Vice embodied a new generation of digital media companies, which some saw as revolutionizing the sector at the expense of the established print and broadcast players. But many digital media startups were unable to convert enthusiasm for their brand into the kinds of revenues that investors had projected. A slowdown in the online advertising market and the recent tightening of credit conditions have made the situation increasingly challenging for relatively young media companies like Vice. BuzzFeed, another former leader in the digital media space, announced in April the closure of its new wing, and the layoff of 180 employees. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Fall of Vice News highlights limits of journalism for free A dead tree near a forest on the Amazon-Cerrado border in Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso state, Brazil, July 28, 2021. AMANDA PEROBELLI / REUTERS Tens of thousands of hectares of savannah in South America have been transformed into soya plantations in order to sell said soya in European supermarkets tens of thousands of kilometers away. In between them, lies a global commodities trader. A report by the NGO Mighty Earth, published on Wednesday, June 21, accused the global food processing giant Bunge of playing a key role in the deforestation of the Cerrado in Brazil. Produced in partnership with the Reporter Brasil collective and the NGO Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV), it underlines the urgent need to change European legislation to protect this region and highlights the responsibility of European retailers and manufacturers in this phenomenon. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Environmental threats increase in Brazil despite Lula's promises "The Cerrado is both the most impacted by our practices and the least known ecosystem," explained Boris Patentreger, Mighty Earth's Director for France. "It's a forgotten gem, which stores a tremendous amount of carbon and houses great biodiversity, but which is less talked about compared to the Amazon. And its fate is tied to an American trader who is also less well known." In fact, the name "Bunge" will mean nothing to most European consumers. Yet this company is indirectly responsible for much of what reaches their plates: it is the main supplier of soya for animal feed in the European Union (EU), which is its biggest market (39% of sales in 2022, ahead of the USA and China). On the continent, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and France are its main customers. "Bunge, due to its near-monopolistic situation, is connected to all the players in animal nutrition," summed up the Systeme U group, contacted by Le Monde. Risky trader Yet Bunge is also considered the most "at risk" trader when it comes to deforestation in Brazil, especially in the Cerrado, according to numerous reports, including those produced by independent research institute Trase, by Oxfam and by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition. In their new investigation, published on Wednesday, the NGOs explained that they have identified three farms located in the Cerrado, where cases of deforestation have been occurring since 2021 and where Bunge has purchased soya. Using invoices, satellite observations and field research, they claimed that the trader is linked to the destruction of over 11,000 hectares of savannah. The investigation also pointed to five even more recent cases of land conversion, occurring in 2022 and 2023 in municipalities where Bunge is the main trader. When questioned by Mighty Earth, the company acknowledged direct or indirect relations with five of the eight operations but claimed that the land clearings observed comply with Brazilian legislation. Contacted by Le Monde, Bunge reiterated that it "does not source soy from illegally deforested areas," and claimed that 97% of the soy it imports from Brazil is not associated with deforestation or land conversion. You have 50.61% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. La version en francais de cet article est disponible ici : Didier Raoult : 30 ans d'experimentations sauvages sur l'etre humain It lasted one year, from October 1993 to October 1994. The homeless people who showed at the emergency rooms of Hopitaux de Marseille were treated by local medical teams. Of these, 43 were admitted to the hospital and underwent a whole series of exams and blood tests. During the same period, blood was also taken from 57 hospital patients who were not homeless. Finally, one of the team's doctors also went out to meet the homeless people in the city's shelters, again to collect blood. 211 people had their blood drawn. The goal of this huge operation ? To detect traces of infection in homeless people witha bacterium - Bartonella quintana - transmitted by lice and responsible for trench fever. This research was led by a promising doctor, Didier Raoult, who was unknown to the general public at the time. He and his team published their findings of this work in the scientific journal Clinical Infectious Disease in 1996. The problem was that the article made no mention of any authorization to conduct experiments on human beings. When asked about this, Professor Raoult did not respond to our requests. As for his colleague, Professor Philippe Brouqui, the first author of the article, he did not wish to reply. A LIRE AUSSIDidier Raoult : 30 ans d'experimentations sauvages sur l'etre humain Research or standard care ? It was apparently at this time that a kind of Marseille Doctrine on human experimentation was established. It could be summed up in a few words: this is not a research project, but rather standard care. The main advantage of this vision is that, unlike human research, care does not require any control, authorization or agreement from a personal protection committee or an ethics committee. This same argument was used by Didier Raoult and his team to justify the unprecedented clinical trial conducted with HCQ at the University Hospital Institute of Marseille (IHU) on more than 30,000 patients during the Covid pandemic. The trial was described as a retrospective observational study - i.e. one that would have been carried out a posteriori on patients treated at the IHU as part of routine care - and criticised by many doctors. However, the study is now considered illegal by the French Medicines Agency (ANSM), which has taken the matter to court. But let's go back to the study launched in 1993. Several criteria suggest that this was not standard care, but research: the blood tests of the homeless hospitalized patients were compared with those of 57 non-homeless patients. What was the goal, if not to compare the results of the homeless with those of a so-called control, non-homeless population ? Research, then. Then there's the doctor who took blood samples from 211 homeless people in shelters - healthy volunteers, in other words, who weren't sick. Research again. "We keep coming back to the same argument, which dependson the interpretation of what has been done. Is it research or care ? As long as there are healthy volunteers, it can't be health care. So it is research", explains Thibaud Haaser, coordinator of the Ethics and Health Research Center at the University Hospital of Bordeaux and chairman of the South-West Overseas III Committee for the Protection of Individuals (CPP). In 1993, such research was governed by the 1988 Huriet Law. As stated in the legislation, it should have been subject to the prior opinion of an Advisory Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects in Biomedical Research (CCPPRB). This may sound like administrative quibble, but the role of the CCPPRB is crucial. It ensures that scientists do not conduct unnecessary and unauthorized experiments. It checks that the research project is relevant, that the people carrying it out are properly qualified, that the participants receive the protection they are entitled to, and that they are informed of their rights, in particular their right not to take part in a trial or to be compensated for their participation. There is nothing in the publication to indicate that all of these measures were taken. The lead authors declined to answer our questions. If the absence of CCPPRB opinion is confirmed this study would, to our knowledge, be the first illegal experiment carried out by Didier Raoult and his colleagues. Thirty years ago already ! This work on trench fever among the homeless preceded a new study, the results of which were published in 1999. The procedure is the same. No ethical approval is given in the text of the article. However, the Marseille team once again took additional blood samples from homeless people, including healthy volunteers. An act that further demonstrates that this is still illegal research and not routine care. "What's disturbing about these studies with the homeless is that they are a particularly vulnerable population in socially speaking. One might question the abilityof these people to genuinely volunteer to take part in a study. This does not mean that such research should not be carried out, but it is not possible to consider a homeless population as a traditional population. In addition, there are other complex associated conditions: people who cannot read well, who have addiction problems or psychiatric pathologies, for example. Under these conditions, considerable precautions are needed to obtain informed, voluntary and free consent, etc." adds Thibaud Haaser. This article on the homeless was flagged on Pubpeer in July 2022 for ethical problems. This website, well known to scientists, aims to improve the quality of research by warning of possible fraud and ethical breaches in publications. Stung by the remarks made about the paper of which he is the first author, Professor Philippe Brouqui has left a highly instructive comment on Pubpeer. In particular, he considers that this is not research but routine care. This would mean that it would not require the prior approval of a CCPPRB. Protocol concerns We therefore asked the head of research at Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Marseille (AP-HM) to shed some light on the matter. Their analysis concurred with ours: " some points are unclear. First, there is no clearly identified instigator for this study. Secondly, at that time - patients included in 1997 - the research was established under the Huriet Serusclat law: the article refers to 250 serum samples taken from healthy donors. According to the publication, these samples would have required the opinion of a Consultative Committee for the Protection of Individuals in Biomedical Research (CCPPRB). The positioning of this procedure as standard care is not supported". This last sentence definitively invalidates the argument put forward by Prof Philippe Brouqui on Pubpeer. Even more worrying, the doctor states, again on the Pubpeer website, that this study had no protocol, no inclusion criteria and no initial research question. An embarrassing admission, because it ticks all the boxes of an unauthorized study. A LIRE AUSSIUn lanceur d'alerte pointe les derives du Pr Raoult a l'IHU de Marseille This desire to conduct research on humans without any controls can lead to serious abuses. A perfect illustration of this can be found in recent studies conducted at the IHU on the homeless, which have been criticized by the health authorities. In August 2022, following an investigation, the General Inspection of Social Affairs (IGAS) revealed that the Marseille facility had conducted unauthorized clinical trials on the diagnosis of tuberculosis (Mycobac trial). Some of the patients enrolled in this trial received in-house treatment, a protocol that did not comply with international recommendations for the treatment of this disease. This protocol included molecules such as sulfadiazine, which, according to the National Reference Center for Mycobacteria and Mycobacterial Resistance to Antituberculosis Drugs, have no place in the treatment of tuberculosis. The IGAS concludes: "The mission considers that patients have not received treatment that complies with current standards and that they may have suffered a loss of chance". This treatment will also be the cause of serious adverse events. Among the patients who took part in this unauthorized trial, the mission found a minor, non-French speakers, as well as homeless people. There is nothing in the medical records to indicate that the patients were informed that they were taking part in an experimental protocol. On the contrary, one patient's medical record states that she didn't even speak French. In addition to the fact that these prescriptions are unjustified, some drugs are prescribed "off-label", i.e. outside the indications for which they have been authorized. This practice will become systematic with hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of Covid. In addition, the IGAS report states that drugs with proven efficacy in the treatment of tuberculosis have not been administered. The mission considers that risks were taken in establishing this IHU protocol: "These facts are likely to be classified as criminal offenses". A LIRE AUSSICovid : le traitement Raoult, aussi efficace qu'un bisou magique Our investigation led us down another path, that of studies carried out on another infectious disease well known to IHU physicians: AIDS. An initial suspicious article was published in the scientific journal Journal of Medical Microbiology in June 2017. The protocol involves rectal self-collection. This protocol is similar to that used, without authorisation, in another study carried out on medical students and published in 2020. It was this unauthorised experimentation in 2020 that led the ANSM to take health-policy measures against the IHU in June 2022, prohibiting any new human research at the Institute. Let's go back to 2017. IHU researchers claim to have all the necessary authorisations, in particular a favorable recommendation from the IHU's internal ethics committee dating from 2016. Except that the study began in January 2014 and ended in December 2015. The favorable opinion was therefore issued after the fact, two years later ! Just like the 2020 experiment on medical students. In any case, this recommendation is of little value, since this research once again required the approval of a Committee for the Protection of Individuals (CPP) and the ANSM. When alerted to these practices, the journal's editor placed this blunt note at the top of the publication: "This article is currently being examined as part of an 'investigation into scientific misconduct' by the University of Aix-Marseille and the French authorities". To the best of our knowledge, the ANSM has not reacted to this information, depriving patients of their rights of appeal and information regarding their participation in an unauthorized trial. Didier Raoult, the lead author of this study, did not respond to our questions. Nor did he answer any questions about the study we are about to discuss. Authorization problem It was published a year earlier in the journal BMJ Open Gastroenterology and focused, once again, on AIDS. It involved patients who were carriers of the virus and healthy volunteers. Stool and blood samples were taken. The article again claims to have all the necessary authorizations to conduct this research on humans. In particular, it cites an approval from a local ethics committee. The notice bears the number 09-022. This number is well known to those who have been interested in the IHU's activities for some time. It has been used nearly 250 times over a dozen years on a wide variety of topics. However, authorization from an ethics committee is only granted for research with a precisely defined protocol and objectives. The same authorization cannot therefore be reused for other research. As we were unable to obtain any information from the IHU, we asked Professor Yves Levy, co-author of the publication and former President of Inserm from 2014 to 2018: "Nobody, and probably not the ANRS, was aware of the 'local' ethics committee at the time. In this respect, there is an ambiguity that certainly misled all of us, especially the supervisory authorities and the ANSM: the "local" was interpreted as the Marseille CPP (personal protection committee) and no one imagined that it was an "internal" CPP at the IHU, whose operating methods we do not know. This information - local CPP and number of studies - has only recently come to light since the investigations conducted into the IHU. Even more confusing is the fact that the publication also mentions authorizations obtained as part of the "ANRS EP55 Microgut" project supervised by Inserm. This becomes rather comical when we learn from the Clinical Trials Registry that this project was authorized by a CPP in 2014 and enrolled its first participant in December of the same year.. However, in the study led by Didier Raoult, the first participants were included... two years earlier, in 2012, without permission. Once again, this temporal anomaly shows that the study was an unapproved trial chase that escaped the scrutiny of the regulatory authorities. Inserm, which we contacted, has acknowledged that the dates given in the publication do not correspond to those of the Microgut project. As for the number 09-022 mentioned in the article, Inserm confirms that it does not correspond to the official CPP number obtained for the ANRS EP55 MICROGUT trial. The person we contacted concluded: "Inserm was not aware of this anomaly. If it were to highlight any ethical breaches, Inserm and ANRS, as sponsors of the ANRS EP55 MICROGUT study, would have to assume their responsibilities in conjunction with the competent authorities." Will the ANSM again have to refer the case of these unauthorized trials conducted at the IHU to the judicial authorities ? In a tweet on June 13, Didier Raoult quoted Churchill as proof of his determination: "This is not the end, nor even the beginning of the end, but perhaps the end of the beginning (of war)". Does he still believe that ? THE LIMERICK Pride committee has welcomed the support of Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) for the LGBTQIA+ community as the 2023 Limerick Pride flag was raised at City Hall. Fine Gael councillor for Limerick City North Olivia OSullivan raised the flag on behalf of LCCC. This Pride month marks the 30th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexual acts between men in Ireland and Limerick Pride wants to acknowledge this through this year's theme, United in Solidarity. Speaking at the flag-raising ceremony, Cllr Olivia O'Sullivan said: "It's the summer, we're approaching July, this can just mean one thing, and it's Limerick Pride. This is very important this year, it's 30 years since the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Ireland, it's a huge landmark year for everyone in the community and I think this is fantastic to see. "We love to do this every year, it shows our solidarity, the solidarity all Limerick people have with the community." Speaking about the importance of solidarity in the community, Jason DePaor, Limerick Pride Committee member said: "Especially this year, we're encouraging everyone to come out and support the weeklong events scheduled for everyone and come out to show your support in the main parade." Limerick Pride Chairperson, Lisa Daly said: "It's 30 years now since it was decriminalised, and as I said with the marriage referendum people believed we had equality, full equality, and that was never the case of full equality. Yes, we have marriage equality but we don't have full equality. Speaking about the hate directed at the community online, Lisa continued: "As Olivia pointed out herself at the press launch there is a lot online, and we are aware that there is a lot more than just online as well, unfortunately. It's just the time that happened, with the lockdown everyone had zoomed in online and really taken over like that. "But look, as I said, Limerick Pride is back, we are on the street, we're physical, end of, we're going to be out there, we're going to be visible, we're really going to show our proudness and we are Pride, and we are bringing it to the streets and with the council, with everyone and the backing of everyone in Limerick. "Anyone who is hiding behind that computer and is afraid to come out, do not worry, we are all here, standing here showing our visibility. We are your visibility, and we will take to the streets and you will enjoy it and I promise you this is going to be an amazing Limerick Pride." Limerick Pride 2023 features a host of events, kicking off with United in Solidarity, the official launch of Limerick Pride 2023 which will be held at the International Rugby Experience on Monday, July 3, featuring a host of inspirational sporting women, including this year's Grand Marshall Jackie McCarthy-OBrien and other notable sporting personalities, hosted by sporting commentator Fiona Hayes. This year, Limerick Pride runs from Monday, July 3 to Sunday, July 9 with the Limerick Pride Parade bringing a sea of colour to Limerick City's streets on Saturday, July 8, when thousands will show their support for the community. A RELATIVE of a man, in his late 80s, who died in University Hospital Limerick, told his inquest that he will never forgive the doctor who gave the now deceased man the flu and Covid vaccine on the same day. The inquest into the death of the Limerick man heard that he had fractured his left femur in a fall and was taken to University Hospital Limerick where he later passed away. Consultant Pathologist, Dr Teresa Laszlo said the cause of death was cardiac failure with stress from the fall being a contributing factor. A family member told the inquest - at Kilmallock Courthouse - that the deceased received the Covid and flu vaccine on the same day some time before the fall. Ill never forgive that doctor. It brought all this on. The fracture was very slight, said the family member, who added that he had heard that the Covid vaccine had caused blood clots in Italy. Dr Laszlo said there was a long-standing aortic valve abnormality but no blood clots. A different family member said their loved one had had a chest X-ray, bloods taken, an ECG and he was passed for surgery on his hip fracture the day before he died. He was later found unresponsive in UHL. We are at a complete loss. I spoke to him the night before, one said. Mr McNamara said when somebody older suffers a hip fracture it can cause a lot of stress. He also spoke of the mans enlarged heart and while he might not have been suffering obvious symptoms they were underneath. There is no evidence before me of vaccines being a contributory factor. There are no signs of blood clots, said Mr McNamara. The family member who said he will never forgive the doctor said he would never forgive himself for allowing him to get the vaccines. He (deceased) told me his balance got very bad since he got the vaccines, said the family member. Mr McNamara recorded a verdict of natural causes due to cardiac failure. If it is any consolation it was quite sudden, said Mr McNamara, who expressed his sincere condolences. Inspector Gearoid Thompson extended his sympathies on behalf of An Garda Siochana. WHILE the sun has shone brightly on the farming community in West Limerick - in between heavy rain, a new play set on a farm will be going to slightly darker horizons in its exploration of love, life and isolation. Twenty Minutes from Nowhere tells the story of a young man living in an isolated rural setting. He is torn between familial obligations to the farm and the desire for a meaningful relationship. Even in a world where so much connection is possible and more liberal ideas prevail, there is no guarantee of finding love. Eoin O'Sullivan gives a stellar and nuanced performance in portraying the dilemmas facing this young man. The play premiered at Bewley's Cafe Theatre in November 2021. Written by Chris Kelly, who is also co-director with Martha Fitzgerald, it is described as a "powerful play in its exploration of LGBTQ issues", according to Glorach director of drama, Therese Prenderville. "It's a rare chance to catch a play of this calibre in the Abbeyfeale area," she added. The performance will be followed by a post-performance talkback with the creative team along with staff members from GOSHH (Gender, Orientation, Sexual Health, HIV), a Limerick based charity. The play takes place at the Glorach Theatre, Abbeyfeale as part of Pride Month on Saturday June 24 at 7.30 pm. Tickets are 15 and can be booked at 0871383940 or glorachabbeyfeale.com. "ANY TIME you'd go into him, you'd remember his big smile. He was a real gentleman, and always had a good welcome for you." The words of leading Limerick publican Dave Hickey on the passing of his friend of almost 60 years, the late John Joe O'Dea. John Joe, who ran Jerry O'Dea's greyhound bar in Mulgrave Street in the city centre, passed away this Wednesday. His funeral will take place at St John's Cathedral this Saturday at 11am. He'll be cremated the following day in Shannon, exactly a year to the day his son Jerry sadly died just before he was to become Mayor of Limerick. Tributes have been paid to John Joe from across Limerick, who played a leading role in the local branch of the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI), which is a trade association of publicans in Ireland. Its chairperson in Limerick, Robert Byrne of Bobby Byrne's in O'Connell Avenue described him as a "legend" in the local pub trade, while former local VFI chair Paul Flannery, Flannery's Bar, Shannon Street added he and his family were "stalwarts" of the Vintners in Limerick. John Joe went to work at Jerry O'Dea's as a youngster, with the pub then owned by his own uncle, Jerry O'Dea senior. In the 1970s, the pub passed onto John Joe, before he in turn entrusted his own son Jerry with the running of the bar early on this century. Mr Hickey said: "He was one of the best barmen you could ever have behind the counter. He could fly up and down the counter and he'd have the work done for everyone as he was filling drinks! He was just brilliant." The South's proprietor first came to Limerick in 1959 and met John Joe soon after. "At that time, he was involved in greyhounds and I was involved in greyhounds a bit. We worked together. He came into the Vintners. I was in the organisation, the chair for many years. Then I became president and he became treasurer. He did a great job." Mulgrave Street was a busy area when John Joe came to the helm, with Shaw's meat factory., De Courcy's Auctioneers and St Joseph's Hospital. As a result, Jerry O'Dea's pub - which ceased trading early this year - was quite often busy. Despite this, Mr Hickey said John Joe was always very friendly. "Any time you'd go into him, you'd remember his big smile. I think he'd like to be remembered as a nice good gentleman. He had no bas word to say about anyone. He was a very decent man, mad about his grandchildren." Mr Byrne, a neighbour of John Joe in Ballyclough for many years added: "John Joe and Margaret [his late wife] would have been family friends of my own parents who would have been publicans as well. Nobody who ever knew him had a bad word to say about him. He was the nicest man." John Joe died peacefully on Wednesday at Milford Care Centre in the presence of his family. The beloved husband of the late Margaret and dearest father of Siobhan (Mooney), Andrew, Eileen (Collins) and the late Jerry. He's also sadly missed by his loving children, adored grandchildren Andrew, Rebecca, Robert, Elena, Anabel, Eoghan, Thomas, Daniel, Beibhinn, Katherine and J.D.. Also by his sons-in-law, daughter-in-law, brothers Jerry and Tim, sisters Aileen and Brenda, extended family and his many friends. May he rest in peace. He will repose at Griffins Funeral Home, Johns Gate tomorrow, Friday, June 23, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. His funeral will arrive to St Johns Cathedral on Saturday June 24, for requiem Mass at 11am, streamed live here. A cremation service will take place in Shannon Crematorium on Sunday, June 25, at 12 noon. No flowers please, donations, if desired, to Milford Care Centre. Messages of sympathy may be conveyed by contacting www.griffinfunerals.com or by post to Griffins Funeral Home. MURROE Wood Park CLG, a not-for-profit voluntary organisation, invites interested parties to view lettable space at our new Community Building in Murroe Village, County Limerick. Murroe is located 16km east of Limerick city on the R506 Limerick-Cappamore Road and is just 13km (15-minute drive) from the University of Limerick and the National Technology Park in Plassey. As our fantastic new state of the art community building and plaza nears completion, the time is right for interested parties to view the following spaces. 1. Commercial Kitchen, 72 m2. 2. Cafe Space, 105 m2. 3. Multipurpose Room, 33 m2. 4. Function Room 1, 33 m2. 5. Function Room 2, 16.50 m2. 6. Office Suite 1, 32 m2 7. Office Suite 2, 46 m2. 8. Scout Hall/Multi-purpose space, 69 m2. 9. Gym, 175 m2 (Each space will be available on an individual lease) This Expressions of Interest process will involve four stages 1. Viewings of lettable space by appointment. 2. Following the viewings, interested parties will be asked to attend an interview at a later date. 3. Interested parties submit their proposal for assessment by MWP and our advisors. 4. Selection of tenants for each space and execution of lease. It is intended to conclude the viewings during July 2023 and proceed with the next steps without delay thereafter. To arrange a viewing please ring 086 8551827 or email info@murroewoodpark.ie or michaelg.omalley@hotmail.com. *SPONSORED CONTENT LAST Tuesday, June 20 was World Refugee Day, an international day to honour people who have been forced to flee their homes. As we continue grappling with one of Europes worst refugee crisis, its normal to be wondering what to share with your children and how they are processing all the news. Whilst we try to shield our children from the current war in Ukraine, or other human tragedies around the world, its highly probable they will have heard about it. Whether its a neighbour taking in a Ukrainian refugee family, a new accommodation centre supporting displaced people opening in your neighbourhood, children living in Direct Provision joining your childs classroom, or overhearing a discussion on television, its best to be prepared. How and what you tell your children about the refugee crisis, depends on their age and personality. For example, one may be a worrier and the other a warrior. Here are some guiding points to help you support your kids and answer questions or worries they may have. Do some research: In order to be prepared to handle the hard questions it is helpful to check some reliable sources on the topic (the UN Refugee agency, UNCHR, is a recommended one). Globally we are facing the highest level ever of people displacement on record, and even before the war in Ukraine started global refugee numbers were estimated at 26 million. Almost 12 million people are believed to have fled Ukraine and 6.6 million were forced to flee due to conflict in Syria. On top of that, half of these refugees are children. Alternatively, if your child has access to the internet, explain to them to be careful of social media news sources and if you can, give your own tips on trustworthy sites to check data. Listen to them: You can break the ice and start with an open-ended question by asking your kids what they already know about refugees. In addition, you might want to ask a follow up question such as Why do you think these people had to flee their homes? and What can we do about it to help? Listen, and give them space to express their worries, feelings and questions. Try to answer their questions truthfully and dont be afraid to say you dont know, or express your own feelings. Name the feelings you / they might feel and keep your answers simple using child friendly language. For the very sensitive child it might help to get them to write down their worries and put them in a worry box and revisit later. After you can throw them away if the child is ready to let go of those feelings. Make them feels safe and protected: It is natural that some children might relate to the refugee children and feel powerless and scared. Some children might be worried they would have to leave their homes and become refugees too if the war spreads. Acknowledge their fears and reassure them that they are in a safe place. If they are concerned about the current wellbeing of refugee children, you can tell them about charities like Medecins Sans Frontieres or Save the Children are creating safe spaces for children to play and learn in. Talk about values and how they can help refugees: This could be a good opportunity to teach our children about humanity and values of compassion, kindness and inclusivity. Encourage your kids to put their energy into positive action to help the refugees! As part of World Refugee Day in Limerick we are running a two week campaign to understand the benefits of diversity and learn about racism, its different forms and how to respond and talk about it. You can get involved by following Limerick United Against Racism on Twitter (@LKagainstracism), Instagram (@limerickunitedagainstracism) and Facebook (Limerick United Against Racism); visit www.limerickunitedagainstracism.ie to access our learning resources; gather together as a family to have a conversation about the strength that diversity brings to our communities, and take a photo or post an image to social media afterwards sharing yours and your children's thoughts about the value of diversity and the impact of racism. Please tag Limerick United Against Racism and use the hashtag #DiversityIsStrength. This article was written by the Anti-Racism sub-group of Limerick Migrant Integration Steering Group on behalf of Parenting Limerick. Parenting Limerick is a network of parenting and family support agencies. For more information on the campaign go to www.limerickunitedagainstracism.ie and follow the #DiversityIsStrengthLK on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook A current account is an essential financial tool for businesses, providing a range of benefits and functionalities that are vital for smooth operations. In the Indian context, where businesses thrive in a rapidly growing economy, understanding the significance of a current account becomes even more crucial. In this article, we will explore the reasons why having a current account is important for businesses in India. Separate Business and Personal Finances A current account allows businesses to keep their financial transactions separate from personal finances. This clear demarcation helps in maintaining accurate records and simplifies accounting processes. In India, where sole proprietorships and partnerships are common, having a separate current account ensures that personal funds are not mingled with business funds, leading to better financial management. Professional Image and Credibility A current account in the business's name adds professionalism and credibility to its operations. It demonstrates that the business is established, reliable, and serious about its financial commitments. When dealing with suppliers, clients, or financial institutions, a current account gives a positive impression and enhances the reputation of the business. Easy Transaction Management With a current account, businesses can efficiently manage their day-to-day financial transactions. They can receive payments from customers, make payments to suppliers, and carry out various financial operations seamlessly. In India, where digital transactions are increasingly prevalent, having a current account provides access to online banking facilities, mobile banking apps, and other digital platforms, making transactions quick, convenient, and secure. Access to Business Banking Services A current account grants access to a wide range of business banking services tailored to meet the specific needs of businesses. These services include cash deposits and withdrawals, check clearing, demand drafts, and other payment instruments. In India, current accounts often come with additional features such as trade finance services, overdraft facilities, and cash management solutions, which are valuable tools for businesses to optimize their financial operations. Statutory Compliance and Documentation Maintaining a current account ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. It facilitates proper bookkeeping, taxation, and auditing processes, which are essential for businesses to operate within the law. In India, businesses are required to maintain proper records of their financial transactions for taxation purposes. A current account provides a transparent trail of transactions, simplifying the process of preparing financial statements and filing tax returns. Business Growth and Expansion A current account is instrumental in supporting business growth and expansion. It enables businesses to receive funds from investors, avail loans or credit facilities, and handle large-scale financial transactions with ease. In the Indian context, where entrepreneurship and startup culture are thriving, having a current account becomes even more critical for accessing government schemes, grants, and incentives aimed at promoting business growth. Efficient Cash Flow Management A current account allows businesses to effectively manage their cash flow. It provides a centralized platform to monitor incoming and outgoing funds, facilitating better financial planning and forecasting. With a clear view of their cash position, businesses can optimize their working capital, ensure timely payments to suppliers, and maintain a healthy financial position in a dynamic business environment. Seamless Payment Collection A current account enables businesses to collect payments from customers efficiently. It provides options such as electronic fund transfers, payment gateways, and POS terminals, allowing businesses to offer multiple payment options to their customers. In India, with the rapid growth of digital payments and the government's emphasis on a cashless economy, having a current account becomes crucial for businesses to adapt to changing consumer preferences and ensure smooth payment collection. In conclusion, a current account is an indispensable tool for businesses operating in the Indian context. It not only separates personal and business finances but also enhances credibility, provides access to business banking services, ensures statutory compliance, and supports business growth. By leveraging the benefits of a current account, businesses in India can streamline their financial operations, strengthen their financial position, and set themselves on a path to success in the competitive market landscape. Disclaimer: This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times. Hindustan Times does not endorse/subscribe to the content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. Hindustan Times shall not in any manner, be responsible and/or liable in any manner whatsoever for all that is stated in the article and/or also with regard to the view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. This information does not constitute a financial advice. Alphabet's Google along with technology trade groups have griped to the Federal Trade Commission about allegedly unfair business practices in the cloud, including by the industry's number two by market share Microsoft , according to a report published by Reuters. On Wednesday, the comments responded to a March request from the US Agency for information on security issues and competition in the lucrative market for data storage and computing power in the so-called cloud. They also follow scrutiny worldwide including a recent probe by Europe's antitrust authority into Microsoft's licensing agreements that allegedly discouraged viral cloud usage, the report said. In addition, fees to take data out of various providers' clouds have also drawn industry criticism. In one example of the public comments on Tuesday, trade group NetChoice took aim at Microsoft and Oracle. NetChoice, whose members include market leader Amazon.com, Meta Platforms, Google and other smaller tech players said that a few vendors use anti-competitive practices in order to entrench their position, despite vibrant competition in the cloud industry, Reuters reported. These practices include preventing customers from switching providers in search of lower costs, stronger service offerings, and more innovative solutions for their businesses, NetChoice said. In its own filing, Google said, "Licensing terms enforced by Microsoft, Oracle, and other legacy on-premises software providers distort competition in the cloud." According to Google, businesses that bought software from Microsoft for their own data centers face restrictions and surcharges when migrating those licenses to Microsoft's top cloud competitors. The remarks came in line with comments it made previously. Amazon has made similar criticism, as per Reuters reports. Microsoft and Oracle did not immediately return Reuters requests for comment. Microsoft has updated some terms in response to the criticism and has said, for instance, that it is committed to a broader cloud community success, but rivals have called its changes insufficient. (With Reuters inputs) New Delhi: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and GE Aerospace, a subsidiary of Boston-headquartered General Electric, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that could potentially pave the way for the manufacturing of jet engines in India. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospaces F414 engines in India and the engines will be used to power Tejas fighter jets, GE said. The US company is also expected to fulfil an order of 99 F404 engines that will support Indias Light Combat Aircraft programme. The comes at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on an official visit to the United States. This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL," said H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of GE, in a press release. We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modis vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet. With more than five million flight hours and eight nations with F414-powered aircraft in operation or on order, the F414 continues to exceed goals for reliability and time on wing. To date, more than 1,600 F414 engines have been delivered globally," General Electric (GE) said in a press release. While India had shortlisted the GE F414 engine over a decade back, stringent export controls prevented a deal from going through. However, with deepening defence ties between India and the US, the deal made it back onto the agenda. India has traditionally struggled to manufacture an advanced jet engine domestically, as demonstrated by the underperformance of its Kaveri engine. Currently, only a select few countries like the US, the UK, Russia and France are fully capable of manufacturing advanced jet engines. NEW DELHI : Micron Technology Inc. on Thursday said it will set up a $2.75-billion semiconductor testing and assembly facility in India, the first of its kind in the country. The move also marks the first approval under the governments $10-billion incentive plan to encourage chip manufacturing. The American chipmaker will set up an assembly, testing, and packaging facility for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and Nand flash modules in India. The plant will be established in two phases, with the first phase involving the construction of a 500,000 sq ft assembly facility in Sanand, Gujarat, scheduled to begin later this year. The second phase is expected to be implemented in the second half of this decade. Rival US semiconductor manufacturer Applied Materials has also announced a $400 million investment to build an engineering centre in Bengaluru. The investment will be spread over four years in the engineering centre, which will be used for developing and commercializing semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Micron will invest $825 million directly, with the remaining $2.75 billion to be contributed by the central and state governments. The US company will benefit from government incentives, under which it will receive 50% of its total project cost as financial support from the Centre. Further, the Gujarat state government will offer Micron 20% of the total project cost as an incentive. The company said that once completed, the facility will create up to 5,000 new, direct Micron jobs, and 15,000 community jobs over the next several years." Meanwhile, Applied Materials said in a statement that the new facility will seek to train future semiconductor industry talent" and bring together engineers, global and domestic suppliers, and top research and academic institutions." Srinivas Satya, country president of Applied Materials India, said in a statement that the Centre will play a critical role in bringing the much-required synergies between engineers, academia and suppliers." This is a big milestone in Indias roadmap and growth as a semiconductor nation. In the last 18 months, after the announcement of the semiconductor vision by PM Narendra Modi and the planned investment of 76,000 crore to catalyze and build Indias semiconductor ecosystem, much progress has been made," said union minister of state for electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar, noting that rapid progress was made in a short period of time. "This is just a beginning there is more to come, as India rapidly grows as a significant and trusted partner to global electronics and semiconductor value and supply chains," Chandrashekhar added. Sanjay Mehrotra, president and chief executive of Micron, said, Our new assembly and test location in India will enable Micron to expand our global manufacturing base and better serve our customers in India and around the world." Railways, IT and telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that Microns investment "will fundamentally transform Indias semiconductor landscape and generate tens of thousands of high-tech and construction jobs." Micron is the second-largest DRAM maker in the world as of December last year, with a 28.1% market share, according to market researcher Trendforce. As of the September quarter, Statista reported Micron as the fourth largest global Nand flash manufacturer, with a market share of 12.3%. Samsung remains the top maker of both DRAM and Nand flash modules. Industry leaders and stakeholders welcomed the semiconductor facilities, stating they would help develop a domestic component supply chain for the semiconductor industry. Vivek Tyagi, a semiconductor industry veteran and advisor to the board of the industry body, India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA), said: The first semiconductor testing and packaging facility will boost Indias overall supply chain for chipmakers in the long run, as Microns global supply vendors may also come to India in the long run. The facility will also help boost and create a number of indirect jobs alongside direct employment." Sanjay Gupta, chairperson of IESA, said that the new announcements showcase Indias ability to attract high-value investments and fostering technological advancements... strengthening Indias position as a hub for semiconductor manufacturing, and provide a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and technology transfer." Micron pipped other applicants of the semiconductor PLI scheme, notably a joint venture between domestic firm Vedanta and Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn. On 12 January, Mint reported that the Vedanta-Foxconn JV led other applicants to become the likely first entity to begin setting up its facility. On 19 April, Akarsh Hebbar, managing director of the venture, said that the company identified land in Gujarat for its intended facility and has signed memorandums of understanding with companies in Japan and South Korea to create a semiconductor component ecosystem. David Reed, chief executive of the venture, said at the time that the venture expects to generate revenue from FY27. However, it remains unclear at the moment as to how its plans will proceed. Reports claimed that the ventures production plan is stuck due to issues with supply chain partners. The gig economy , also known as the free labor market system, is completely different from the traditional labor market structure which is based on a normal labor contract arrangement. It includes all freelancers, contract-based workers, project-based workers, and temporary workers. Currently, the concept of gig economy is still in its introductory stage which requires time and efforts to be adapted to business models. As India has become a startup hub, many aspiring entrepreneurs are nowadays adopting the business model of gig economy. Though they face various challenges like web-based professional services, financial problems, the labor market, etc. Some well-known companies involved in the gig economy are Uber, Gigchain, Airbnb, Deliveroo, and others. Speaking to Livemint, Giridhar LV, CEO of Nuvepro Technologies said it is crucial to acknowledge that while the gig economy offers unprecedented opportunities, it also presents unique obstacles that require strategic thinking and adaptability along with financial challenges. However, Nuvepro has found that success lies in implementing a two-pronged approach embracing technology to streamline operations and leveraging financial innovation to optimize cash flow, the CEO said. By harnessing digital platforms and adopting innovative financial tools, entrepreneurs can enhance their financial resilience and create sustainable business models. The gig economy thrives on the ingenuity and tenacity of entrepreneurs, and with the right financial strategies, we can unlock its true potential and build a thriving ecosystem that benefits both individuals and the broader economy," Giridhar LV stated. According to Shashank Sharma, co-founder and Director of Scoreme Solutions Pvt Ltd, entrepreneurs operating within the gig economy confront a diverse array of challenges which include effectively managing a dispersed workforce spanning multiple locations presenting intricate hurdles in coordinating and overseeing operations. Sharma asserted that the absence of comprehensive regulations and legal protections in the gig economy can leave entrepreneurs vulnerable to legal risks and uncertainties which can lead to challenges in ensuring fair treatment of gig workers, impacting reputation, talent acquisition, and compliance efforts. One significant financial challenge faced by startups working in the gig economy business model is the evolving ecosystem of accepting and investing funds, particularly for cross-border transactions. Clear guidelines from regulatory bodies like the RBI are crucial to accommodate the specific needs of these one-person businesses," Vivek Yadav, co-founder at Cosmofeed told Livemint. In addition, Yadav suggested that gig economy entrepreneurs must focus on delivering high-quality products and constant innovation to overcome financial challenges and succeed in the business model. Navneet Singh, founder and CEO of AVSAR stated that it is important for entrepreneurs to diversify their services and customers, as well as to become less reliant on a single source of income. Establishing clear pricing models and a well-defined budget can help to maximize financial resources. Additionally, having a well-established network and reputation can help to ensure a steady stream of referral and repeat client referrals, thus increasing stability. Utilizing technology and automation tools can also simplify operations and reduce costs. Online marketplaces and digital platforms can also expand their reach," Singh recommended. He further said that alternative financing options such as micro-loans and crowdfunding can also provide capital for expansion as well as essential resources. American business magnate Warren Buffett has donated 13,693,432 Berkshire Hathaway shares to five foundations, which includes Bill & Milinda Gates Foundations. As per the news available on business wire a breaking Hathway company, the Berkshire Hathway Chairman has converted 9,129 A shares into 13,693,500 B shares in order to donate 13,693,432 shares of Berkshire Hathaway B" stock to five foundations Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, Sherwood Foundation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation and NoVo Foundation. These donations have been delivered on Wednesday to the beneficiary foundations. The 13.7 million Class B shares were donated to five philanthropies, including one named for his late wife and several run by his children, according to a statement. Buffetts stake in Berkshire now consists of 218,287 Class A shares and 344 Class B shares. The five foundations have received Berkshire B shares that had a value when received of about $50 billion, substantially more than my entire net worth in 2006," Buffett said, referring to the year he first made the pledge. I have no debts and my remaining A shares are worth about $112 billion, well over 99% of my net worth." Out of these five foundations, Warren Buffett donated 10,453,008 Berkshire Hathway shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, 1,045,300 shares to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and 731,708 shares to each of the Sherwood Foundation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation and NoVo Foundation. Speaking on the Berkshire Hathway share donation, Warren Buffett said, The five foundations have received Berkshire B shares that had a value when received of about $50 billion, substantially more than my entire net worth in 2006. I have no debts and my remaining A shares are worth about $112 billion, well over 99 per cent of my net worth." Warren Buffett went on to add that schedule for annual grants was made on June 26, 2006, and has since been supplemented by significant grants to four of the five recipients. When originally made, I owned 474,998 Berkshire A shares worth about $43 billion and those shares represented more than 98% of my net worth. I have converted A shares into B shares before making contributions," Berkshire Hathway Chairman said adding, "Nothing extraordinary has occurred at Berkshire; a very long runway, simple and generally sound decisions, the American tailwind and compounding effects produced my current wealth. My will provides that more than 99% of my estate is destined for philanthropic usage." Warren Buffett has donated another $4.64 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to five charities, boosting his total giving since 2006 to more than $51 billion. The annual donation made on Wednesday is the 92-year-old Buffett's largest, and consisted of about 13.7 million of Berkshire's Class B shares. *With agency inputs The Securities and Exchange Commission has started questioning some regional and community banks about risks tied to recent bank failures, a move designed to ensure investors have details on any spillover effects. Many financial institutions and other companies have voluntarily updated their financial statements to address potential consequences from the failures this year of First Republic Bank, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. But the U.S. securities regulator has found that there are firms that havent gone far enough in providing clarity to investors when looking to raise capital or making other securities-related moves. Holding companies behind community and regional banks including Bank of Southern California, Colony Bank, Burke & Herbert Bank and BayVanguard Bank were among those that received letters the regulator made public in recent weeks. The agencys corporate-finance division regularly sends letters to public companies to inquire about disclosures or accounting practices tied to filings such as registration statements or quarterly or annual reports. In most cases, the SEC asks companies to make changes to relevant or future filings. The Federal Reserve defines community banks as those holding under $10 billion in assets, whereas regional banks hold between $10 billion and $100 billion. Companies have been wary of providing extensive disclosure on risks from the bank failures to avoid the perception of facing a greater impact than was the case, said Anna Pinedo, a partner at law firm Mayer Brown. A lot of companies were concerned that if they made significant changes in their disclosure, it would be read by the market as if theyve got a problem or had exposure to one of the top banks or something along those lines that would have been more alarming," Pinedo said. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has taken over the failed banks, which collectively had more than $500 billion in assets. Midsize lenders continue to face pressure on their stocks as investors try to find a price floor. The SEC asked Southern California Bancorp to revise several sections of its registration statement to address banking-sector impacts. The San Diego-based company said it expanded its disclosures to present a summary of market-risk information and to discuss its reasons for significant recent quantitative changes in market-risk exposures, in line with the SECs request. Southern California Bancorp also provided more clarity on the roles of the committees that oversee its risk-management framework and its oversight of interest-rate risk. For example, it said that changes in interest rates could lead to interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities maturing or repricing at different times, on a different basis or in unequal amounts, among other risks. Southern California Bancorp didnt respond to a request for comment. The SEC also sought information on any significant changes that Colony Bankcorps executives made regarding interest-rate risk and asset and liability management policies, as part of an inquiry related to the companys filing to renew shares issued under an employee stock purchase plan. Colony, in a response released June 2, said it expanded its disclosure to describe certain actions it has taken in response to recent market events despite the lack of a financial impact from the bank failures. The Fitzgerald, Ga.-based bank holding company said it has adjusted its collateral with the Federal Home Loan Bank and the Federal Reserve to maximize its liquidity, strengthened its communication with customers and stepped up its monitoring of deposit flows and liquidity. Colonys liquidity has remained relatively unaffected by the recent bank failures, Chief Executive T. Heath Fountain said Wednesday. The regulator advised BV Financial, the Baltimore-based parent of BayVanguard Bank, to revise its disclosure to further expand its discussion of interest-rate risk and asset and liability management policies. In response, BV added a risk to its disclosures, saying its inability to generate core deposits could cause it to rely more heavily on wholesale funding strategies, which could weigh on its net interest margin and profitability. The company also built out several sections of its filing including funding sources, capital resources and management of market risk. BV Financial didnt respond to a request for comment. When faced with a similar inquiry, Alexandria, Va.-based Burke & Herbert Financial Services, which listed on the Nasdaq in April, said it made numerous changes to its disclosures throughout its registration statement, for example the additional risk of adverse developments in the financial-services industry. The company, in response to the SECs request for enhanced quantitative disclosures on the impact, said publicly sharing select intraperiod calculations could be misleading, as such information wouldnt have followed its internal control framework. Providing a certain metric at a particular point in time, such as uninsured deposits as a percentage of total deposits, while an important measure, isnt necessarily an indication of undue risk because it could likely be fully mitigated by other metrics or risk-management practices, Chief Financial Officer Roy Halyama said Wednesday. The companys execution of its risk framework, which applies to all of our public disclosures, when taken in whole, provides the necessary context about our full financial position," the company said in an April letter. The SECs queries have largely stemmed from banks registration statements, which they have to file when they raise capital, go public or spin off a subsidiary. Given that firms cant proceed with those moves until the SEC completes its reviews, any questions and comments on these filings are more timely than those in annual or quarterly reports, said Olga Usvyatsky, a former vice president of research at research firm Ideagen Audit Analytics and a Ph.D. accounting student at Boston College. The window of opportunity to issue capital is short so the SEC is trying to help the registrant avoid any delays by making their comments right away," Usvyatsky said. The SEC declined to comment for this article. Banks arent the only entities fielding these inquiries. MicroStrategy, in an exchange released June 9, was questioned about whether failures of certain financial institutions impacted its business. The Tysons, Va.-based software firm, which is one of the few noncrypto companies with substantial bitcoin holdings, replied it felt no material direct impact. The first set of letters on this topic signal more to come from the SEC, for which banks and nonfinancial companies should be prepared, Mayer Browns Pinedo said. This will be an issue raised as a discussion item for boards and particularly for audit committees to have in mind as they review disclosures," she said. Amidst growing discontent from a section of its core audience,"Adipurush" has made changes to objectionable dialogues days after its release. The movie, which draws inspiration from the revered Hindu epic Ramayana, faced criticism for certain lines that were deemed disrespectful to the source material. Renowned lyricist-writer Manoj Muntashir was responsible for the contentious lines, which were criticised for their pedestrian quality and lack of reverence towards the epic tale. Responding to the outcry, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has approved the modified version of "Adipurush" ensuring compliance with the concerns raised, media reports suggest. The CBFC, which initially granted the film a U certificate, officially endorsed the alterations on June 19, as confirmed by a report on Filminformation.com. The CBFC's website also lists "Adipurush" as having been re-certified on June 19, following its initial clearance on June 12. Notably, the film was released to the public on June 16. Also Read: Hanuman-ji not God? Adipurush writer Manoj Muntashirs comment sparks new controversy The revised dialogues in "Adipurush", as per media reports, encompass several key changes from the original version. For instance, the line "Tu jaanta bhi hai kaun hoon main" has been modified to "Tum jaante bhi ho kaun hoon main." Similarly, "Kapda tere baap ka toh jalegi bhi tere baap ki" has been transformed into "Kapda teri Lanka ka toh jalegi bhi teri Lanka." LiveMint could not independently verify the changes in dialogues. Meanwhile, Many users believe that it is too late for the makers to make any changes and that the damages are already done. The line "Unki Lanka laga denge" has been replaced with "Unki Lanka mein aag laga denge." Lastly, the dialogue "Mere ek sapole ne tumhare iss sheshnaag ko lamba kar dia" has been altered to "Mere ek sapole ne tumhare iss sheshnaag ko samapt kar dia". Leaked footage of the dialogue change is doing rounds on social media. As far as netizens reactions are concerned, they are far from impressed. Some of them believe these changes are even worse than before. While sharing the footage of the Kapda" dialogue, one user wrote, The dialogue has been changed but its now Chhapri Pro Max Ultra." Pehle baat hanuman ji, tu tadak wali bhasha me baat he nhi krte the...Aadipurush pehle v ghatyia tha abhi v ghatyia he hai change ke babjood (Hanuman-ji would never speak in such disrespectful language. Adipurush still remains poor in standard despite the changes)," came from another. What was the need of this dialogue in the first place ? At this point I would have been satisfied if they would have copied the dialogue of the Ramayan made by Shri Ramanand Sagar as well (sic)," one user wrote regarding the kapda" dialogue. Foreign institutional investors (FII) make up for a substantial investment in Indian companies. With a keen interest in Indias thriving economy, FIIs often seek undervalued assets that may not receive the same attention in other markets. However, over the past one year, FIIs have taken a cautious stance on the Indian stock market. While you may see headlines that FIIs are coming back in recent days, the long term trend suggests otherwise. Concerns over the Federal Reserves global hawkishness, the potential for an economic downturn in developed nations, and emerging issues like the banking crisis and supply chain bottlenecks have fuelled their apprehension. This has led them to adjust their stakes in various companies, reflecting changing investment preferences. In this piece, we highlight the top four companies that have seen consecutive selling by FIIs as they have fallen out of favour. These companies are filtered using Equitymasters Indian stock screener. #1 Trent First on the list is Trent. Trent is the retail arm of the Tata Group that houses well-known brands such asWestside, Zudio, Star,andZara. The company has emerged as one of the fastest-growing companies in the Indian retail sector. This comes on the back of accelerated store additions, increasing brand recognition and the relentless rise in consumer spending over the last few years. Trent's industry dominance and well-established brands have propelled its margin profile, culminating in healthy cashflows. These massive cash holdings have ensured the aggressive store addition plan continues with ease. View Full Image ... While the revenue has grown handsomely at a 5-year CAGR of 30.6%, the net profit has registered a growth of 35.6% during the same time. The company has reported a 5-year average Return on Equity (RoE) and Return on Capital Employed (RoCE) of 4.1% and 15.7%, respectively. Despite its dominant presence and strong growth profile, the stock seems to have fallen from graces for FIIs. The level of FII holding in Trent has fallen from 26.8% in the quarter ending June 2022 to 19.9% in March 2023. Now, FIIs selling activity usually indicates that a stock is overvalued, but FIIs have been net sellers in the Indian markets for some time now. Trent is trading at a price to earnings (PE) multiple of 205 times, a 35% premium to its 5-year median PE of 157 times. The company's quarterly financial performance has been erratic. While it has improved considerably in comparison to last year, it has been inconsistent in subsequent quarters. #2 Biocon Next on the list is Biocon. Biocon is the largest biopharmaceutical company in India. It specialises in the use of living organisms such as bacteria, yeast, and mammalian cells to produce drugs, in contrast to traditional pharmaceutical companies that rely on chemical syntheses. As a leader in the biopharma segment, Biocon has reported a significant growth in business. Its sales have doubled over the past five years. However, the company's profitability has been inconsistent, reporting a 5-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.3%. The 5-year average RoE and RoCE stands at 12.6% and 11.7%, respectively. View Full Image .. Despite growth in the business, Biocon has been losing popularity among FIIs of late. They have been divesting their stake since June 2022 resulting in a decline from 16.3% to 10.2% in March 2023. Biocon has faced some serious challenges, including issues with the USFDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the exit of a prominent hedge fund. The company has also been affected by increased raw material prices and supply chain constraints. Currently, the stock trades at a PE of 48 times, a 14% discount to its 5-year median PE of 56 times. Fourth on the list is Voltas. Voltas, a household name, offers engineering solutions primarily in the air-conditioning market. Apart from catering to the retail market with its branded cooling products like air-conditioners and refrigerators, it offers MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) services, and supplies engineering equipment. A large chunk of the business (85%) stems from India, while the balance 15% comes from the rest of the world. Voltas's robust distribution network and brand resilience sets it apart from its peers. However, the competitive environment, in tandem with subdued demand, has dented profitability in the past few years. While sales have grown at a 5-year CAGR of 8.1%, the net profit has remained rangebound. View Full Image .. FIIs have been selling their stake in the stock consistently since March 2022. From 26% in March 2022, the total FII holding dropped to 20.6% in March 2023. The stock is available at a PE multiple of 108 times, nearly twice its median PE of 58 times. #4 HPCL Last on the list is Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL). HPCL is India's third-largest refining and marketing company. As a state-owned enterprise, it operates two major refineries in Mumbai and Visakhapatnam. These refineries command a combined capacity of over 16.8 million metric tonnes per annum. The company offers an array of products, including petrol, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), aviation turbine fuel, lubricants, and petrochemicals. HPCL's strong leadership position has been instrumental in driving the company's rapid expansion. However, the high input costs and consequent depressed marketing margins continue to impact profitability. While its revenue has grown at a 5-year CAGR of 11.8%, the net profit has registered a degrowth of 2.3%. FIIs have been losing interest in the stock, as reflected by the decreasing FII holding reported by the company. It has come down from 18.2% in the quarter ending June 2022 to 14.4% in March 2023. The company reported a major loss in 2 out of the 3 quarters of the financial year 2023. This came on the back of exceptionally high input costs and margin erosion on motor fuels and liquified petroleum gas (LPG). However, the last quarter did indicate some respite in terms of improved profitability. At present, the stock is trading at a price to book value of 1.2 times, a premium of 9% to its 5-year median of 1.1 times. Conclusion It's always interesting to see what FIIs are doing with their money. Considering all their research and resources, they have a lot at stake. Although replicating FII trades may not guarantee the same level of success, understanding their movements can be enlightening for individual investors. Observing their actions can provide a sense of the broader market sentiment, potential sector trends, and investment opportunities. Disclaimer:This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Thursday signed a contract with DRDO for the realisation of two Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System Modules for Kalvari Class of Submarines of the Indian Navy. L&T's stock price is trading on a positive note following the development. L&T said, this project would pave the way for order(s) for AIP Systems for the remaining five Kalvari Class submarines in the coming years. This could also open up possible export opportunities to other countries that operate Scorpene-class submarines. As per the regulatory filing, these modules constitute the core of the fuel cell-based AIP System, indigenously developed by the Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) of DRDO with L&T as the prime industry partner, an association spanning more than a decade. The Energy Modules (EMs) comprising Fuel Cells produce the required power, along with onboard Hydrogen generation. Arun Ramchandani said, "L&T is privileged to be associated with accomplishing the dream of realising an indigenous AIP system and mark Indias joining a select group of few nations who have developed the requisite technology." AIP systems technology is unique one that generates hydrogen on demand thereby obviating the need for carrying hydrogen onboard which is a major safety concern for a submarine. Also, the technology is a green one since the by-product of the reaction is non-polluted water which can be released into the oceans. In a statement, L&T said that the manufacturing, integration, and factory acceptance trials of the EMs will be undertaken in L&Ts AM Naik Heavy Engineering Complex at Surat. State-of-the-art infrastructure, best practices at L&T, and cutting-edge technology will ensure requisite quality and on-time delivery. Further, the EMs will be supplied for integration into the AIP Plug that will be retrofitted into the submarine. On realization and integration of these modules in the submarines, India will join an elite club of a handful of nations who have indigenously developed fuel cell-based submarine AIP technology which is critical for increasing the endurance of conventional submarines. At the time of writing, L&T's share price traded at 2413.20 apiece, up by 19.90 or 0.83% on BSE. The stock hits a new 52-week high of 2421 apiece. Penny stock at 10: After hitting 52-week high in early week sessions, Nomura-backed Mishtann Foods share price has retraced after profit booking trigger. The small-cap stock at 10 today opened downside and went on to hit intraday low of 10.27 apiece during early morning deals, logging around 18 per cent dip from its 52-week high of 12.55 apiece that it made on Tuesday this week. In last one month, this Nomura-backed FMCG small-cap stock priced around 10 apiece has delivered to the tune of more than 50 per cent to its shareholders. Why Mishtann Foods shares are in bull trend? The penny stock priced around 10 was in bull trend after strong Q4 results for last two weeks. The small-cap FMCG stock, which has a market cap of around 1,080 crore reported near 10 per cent growth in revenue from operations to 168.89 crore, which stood at 153.47 crore in the corresponding period in previous fiscal. The FMCG company claimed this growth was primarily driven by various product launched by the company in domestic and international market. Mishtann Foods claimed in its exchange communication that EBITDA increased by 4.57 per cent from 22.33 crore in Q4 FY22 to 23.35 crore in Q4 FY23. EBITDA margins decreased from 14.55 per cent in Q4 FY22 to 13.82 per cent in Q4 FY23 by 73 bps. The company's PAT increased by 7.45 per cent from 13.15 crore in Q4 FY22 to 14.13 crore in Q4 FY23. PAT margins decreased from 8.57 per cent in Q4 FY22 to 8.36 per cent in Q4 FY23 by 21 bps. MISHTANN FOODS More Information Nomura-backed company This FMCG company has investment from renowned offshore investor Nomura Singapore. The FMCG company recently informed Indian exchange about Nomura Singapore raising its stake in the company to 1,28,25,854 Mishtann Foods shares, which is 1.28 per cent of total paid up capital of the company. Mishtann Foods Ltd is India's leading FMCG company with primary focus on various types of Basmati rice. The company also has a sizeable presence in wheat and pulses segment. Mishtann Foods 100,000 metric tonne per annum rice processing facility is strategically located near Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India, in a close proximity to port giving the company cost advantage for the export market. Mishtann Foods' wider product portfolio of Basmati rice includes Raw, Sella and Steam that cater to wider customer segment in wholesale as well as retail. Know your inner investor Do you have the nerves of steel or do you get insomniac over your investments? Lets define your investment approach. Take the test The Delhi Police Special Cell's Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO) Unit has nabbed an individual from Bihar in connection with the suspected Cowin Portal data breach. As reported by ANI, Delhi police officials note that the arrested individual is believed to have shared the compromised data on the messaging platform Telegram. The Delhi Police Special Cell has also detained a minor in relation to the suspected data breach of the Cowin Portal. The suspect's mother is reported to be employed as a health worker in Bihar. Further information regarding the case is currently awaited," Delhi Police noted. Earlier on June 15, the Parliamentary Committee on Communication and IT met to discuss citizens' data security and privacy. When asked about the status of enquiry in the alleged breach of data from the CoWIN portal, the government officials said that the data leaked by bots was collated from several sources. "CoWIN was a breach-proof portal," the government officials said. Earlier on June 13, the government launched an investigation into a data breach after personal data of vaccinated citizens, including VVIPs, from the CoWin website was allegedly leaked via a Telegram messenger channel. The government said the CoWin website, a repository of all data of those who have been vaccinated against covid-19, maintains strong data privacy safeguards. The health ministry stated that social-media reports claiming individuals data can be accessed from a Telegram bot bypassing the mobile number or Aadhaar number are without any basis and mischievous in nature". Minister of state for electronics and information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said in a tweet that the data being accessed by the bot seems to have been populated with previously stolen data from databases other than CoWin. He added that the government was reviewing the existing security systems of the CoWin portal. It does not appear that the CoWin app or database has been directly breached," he said. Chandrasekhar said CERT-In, under his ministry that looks into instances of data breaches, immediately responded to the allegations of a data breach. The data breach claim has come as a major jolt to the government, which has been taking steps to digitize the economy and has built digital public infrastructure (DPI) based on the biometric identification number Aadhaar, individuals mobile numbers, and bank accounts as the backbone for the transfer of benefits and innovation in the private sector. CERT-In, in its initial report, has pointed out that the back-end database for the Telegram bot was not directly accessing the APIs of the CoWin database. In January 2021, the central government launched the CoWin portal as the digital platform to capture covid-19 vaccination programme details. It is owned and managed by the Union health ministry. As of date, the CoWin dashboard shows that 1.11 billion individuals have registered on the portal. Since the start of the vaccination programme, nearly 2.21 billion doses have been administered so far. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi: The G20s working group on sustainable finance has recommended a pipeline of projects to promote public-private partnerships, and other initiatives, including a compendium on best practices for financing the UNs sustainable development goals (SDGs), senior government officials said on Wednesday. The recommendations, made during the 3rd G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group meeting held on 19-21 June at Mahabalipuram, will be discussed at the Leader Summit in September. This meeting will be attended by G20 finance ministers and central bank governors. (We have) broadly made recommendations for a list of options to expand de-risking facilities, as well as policies and financial instruments, to support private capital for investments in green and low carbon technologies," Geetu Joshi, adviser to the finance ministry who chaired the meetings, told the press. The third and final working group meeting brought together about 100 delegates from G20 member countries, other invitee countries and international agencies. It aims to develop a roadmap to support climate investments including policy initiatives to support private investment in green technologies. The first G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group was held between 2-3 February, 2023 in Guwahati, while the second was held at Udaipur, Rajasthan between 21-23 March, 2023. The Sustainable Finance Working Group meetings are part of Indias G20 presidency, which will culminate into the 18th Head of State and Government Summit of the G20 that will be held in September. They were recommendations on innovative technologies to scale up social impact instruments. The need (is) to have specialised intermediaries to fund the SDGs, and greater experience sharing among members," Joshi said. We are going to come out with a lot of financing models, (which the private sector has been successful at)," she added. US-based GE Aerospace has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force. As per the new agreement, Aerospace's F414 engines will be co-produced in India to power the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk2. The development comes amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the US. According to an official press note from General Electric, the agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospaces F414 engines in India". The US company said that it was still working with the goverment to receive the necessary export authorization" for the same. The announcement will also advance GE Aerospace's earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force as part of the LCA Mk2 program. The deal assumes greater significance as China becomes more assertive in the Indo-Pacific. It is part of an effort to improve defense- and technology-sharing between the India and US. During the course of the state visit, Biden and Modi will also discuss a deal for MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones made by General Atomics, and a new defense pact that will allow American Navy ships to undertake major repairs at Indian shipyards. The two leaders also plan to debut a series of semiconductor deals designed to take advantage of Indian subsidies intended to bring advanced technology manufacturing to the South Asian nation. (With inputs from agencies) Following the alarming report of 76 suspected heatwave deaths in Ballia district, Uttar Pradesh, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya held a crucial meeting on Wednesday with health and disaster response ministers from seven states. Mandaviya stressed the urgent need for these states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana, to develop comprehensive action plans aimed at mitigating the impact of heatwaves. This meeting came shortly after Mandaviya presided over a high-level meeting of officials at the central level and dispatched teams to the affected states. Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) noted that heat wave conditions are very likely to continue in isolated pockets over Vidarbha, Chattisgarh, and interior Odisha on June 22. During the meeting, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai expressed concerns over the absence of accurate on-ground data regarding heatwave incidents, including the number of cases and fatalities. Earlier, a state government official has highlighted power outages as one of the factors contributing to the deterioration of patients' conditions before they were admitted to the district hospital, PTI reported. A survey by LocalCircles showed that 94 per cent residents of the state have experienced power outages in the ongoing month of June. Also, 65 per cent of those surveyed in UP are facing outages three or more times on an average each day, the survey claimed. During the meeting, the states were also urged to enhance the heat resilience of health facilities by implementing various measures. These included ensuring an uninterrupted power supply, installing solar panels to mitigate the impact of power cuts, and adopting strategies such as cool or green roofs and window shades to lower indoor temperatures. The States were also reminded of two advisories issued by the Union Health Ministry. As per the official release, the first was issued on February 28, 2023, by the Union Health Secretary to all the Chief Secretaries requesting compliance of states of National Action Plan on heat-related illnesses for effective preparedness of health facilities to address heat impact and management of cases. States were also advised to review health facility preparedness in terms of essential medicines, intravenous fluids, Ice-packs, ORS, drinking water as well as IEC activity for the public. The second advisory was issued by the Union Health Ministry in the form of a wider awareness of do's and don'ts to be followed by the general population as well as vulnerable people. It advised states to use this as a template and translate to regional languages and follow the NPCCHH advisory for employers for workplace preparedness guidance, the statement added. (With inputs from PTI) The Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has called the statewide strike on June 22, against an abnormal increase in electricity charges. All the trade and industry bodies have been asked to close their establishment in the Karnataka Bandh call today. KCCI president Vinay Javali informed that the bandh is only for business establishments, hence, the essential services and vehicle movement will not be affected by the statewide protest. We request all the Trade and Industry to close their establishment on 22 June. This is in protest of abnormal price hike in the electricity charges by ESCOM's," the industry body said in an official statement. For the last eight days, we have made attempts to convey the seriousness of the impact of the hike in electricity charges. However, no solution is forthcoming from the Officials or government representatives," it said. "To draw the attention of the government, we are calling for this Bandh. We wish to find a solution and get a reduction in the electricity charges. We hope that the government will respond to our request," the statement read. District Chambers of Gadag, Bijapur, Rancbennur, Raichur, Talikoti, Vijaynagar, Mysore, Davangere, Koppal, Bagalkoti, Dharwad, Sirsi, Karwar, Bidar, Shivamoga, Kolar, Mandya, Chickmangalore, Yadgir, Chitradurga, KalyanKamataka, Haveri, Hassan, Bellary, and other Industry Associations have agreed to join the agitation. On May 12, Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission approved an increase of 70 paise per unit in the fixed and per unit charges. The announcement has led to a political war of words as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the new Congress government of raising the tariff to fulfill their poll promise of free electricity. Karnataka Power Minister KJ George said that over two crore people in the state can avail of free electricity under the Gruha Jyothi scheme under which all households that use below 200 units of power every month will get electricity free of cost, ANI reported. He said that consumers who use more than the allotted units have to pay for the extra units used along with the 9% of tax included in it. If average power consumption plus 10% is less than 200 units, it will be subsidized. Anything over and above that will have to be paid. Consumers who use more than the allotted units, have to pay for the extra units used. 9% of tax will be included in it," George said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted a special present to Us President Joe Biden and US First Lady Jill Biden on Thursday. PM Narendra Modi presented a handcrafted sandalwood box with 'das danam' to US President and a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond to Jill Biden. All you need to know about lab-grown green diamonds: The 7.5-carat green diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds' chemical and optical properties. It is an eco-friendly diamond as the making of it involved diversified resources like Solar and wind power. Along with the diamond, Prime Minister Modi gifted a 'papier mache' box to Jill Biden in which the diamond would be placed. The box is known as 'kar-e-kalamdani', Kashmir's exquisite Papier mache that involves sakthsazior meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi. View Full Image PM Modi gifts green diamond to US First Lady Jill Biden View Full Image PM Modi gifts green diamond to US First Lady Jill Biden View Full Image PM Modi gifts green diamond to US First Lady Jill Biden Gifts for US President Joe Biden PM Modi gifted a handcrafted sandalwood box with 'das danam' to US President Joe Biden. 'Das Danam' or the ten donations which denote the donations made on the occasion when a person becomes 'Drishta Sahasrachandro' or the one who has seen one thousand full moons when he completes the age of eighty years and eight months. At this stage of life, the individual (who has seen one thousand full moons) is honoured and celebrated for the sheer experience of human life. During Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam celebrations, there is a custom of 'Das Danam' or donations of ten different kinds, which include - Gaudaan (cow), Bhudaan (land), Tildaan (sesame seeds), Hiranyadaan (gold), Ajyadaan (ghee or clarified butter), Dhaanyadaan (food grains), Vastradaan (clothes), Guddaan (jaggery), Raupyadaan (silver) and Lavandaan (salt). The handcrafted delicate silver boxes gifted by PM Modi to US President Joe Biden, who turns 81 this November, contain ten donations, which denote the donations made on the occasion. The box includes a delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow). A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka is offered in place of land for Bhudaan (donation of land). The box also includes Til or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu is offered for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds). Handcrafted in Rajasthan, this 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin is offered as Hiranyadaan (donation of gold). The box also contains ghee or clarified butter sourced from Punjab is offered for Ajyadaan (donation of clarified butter). A handwoven textured tussar silk cloth sourced from Jharkhand is offered for Vastradaan (donation of cloth). Long-grained rice sourced from Uttarakhand is offered for Dhaanyadaan (donation of food grains). Jaggery sourced from Maharashtra is offered for Guddaan (donation of jaggery). The 99.5% pure and hallmarked silver coin has been aesthetically crafted by Rajasthan artisans and is offered as Raupyadaan (donation of silver). Lavan or salt from Gujarat is offered for Lavandaan (donation of salt). The sandalwood used in the making of the box is sourced from Mysore, Karnataka. The box is carved with flora and fauna patterns. The box contains a silver idol of Lord Ganesha, handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata. Besides, it contains an oil lamp, a copper plate also called tamper-Patra that has been sourced from Uttar Pradesh and a shloka has been inscribed on it. PM Modi gifted a copy of the first edition print of this book, 'The Ten Principal Upanishads' published by M/s Faber and Faber Ltd of London E-commerce platform Meesho and the National Payments Corporation of India were featured in the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list for 2023 - the only Indian brands to make the cut. Blockchain platform Polygon Labs - originally founded by four Mumbai-based software engineers as Matic Network - also featured on the list. This years list shows the power of this vision. Accomplishments in AI earned spots for more than a dozen companies, up from five a year ago," wrote Editor in Chief Sam Jacobs. Bangalore-based Meesho, the most-downloaded shopping app in the world in early 2022, caters to customers priced out by Amazon and Walmart. Unlike its competitors, Meesho doesnt charge sellers a commission, which it says enables it to sell 60% of its products for less than $4, in reach for Indian families that make less than $6,000 a year," the TIME 100 list noted. While India is expected to see e-commerce sales nearly double by 2025 to $133 billion, the path to online-shopping domination" wont be smooth. Time Magazine noted that the company was likely to face challenges like rising competition from other companies in the days to come. The TIME 100 list also cited NPCI's efforts to create a more robust payment system" over the past two decades. As smartphone and internet use have grown in India, the NPCI launched UPI, which allows instant money transfers via mobile apps and QR codes, and has brought digital payments to nearly 300 million users. It replaced debit and credit cards and enabled e-commerce growth in a country that has long clung to cash," the publication lauded. It also touched upon the company's international expansion plans. The company has had huge growth: in 202122, it clocked a whopping 45 billion transactions and accounted for 52% of Indias digital payments," the write-up added. The US and India Thursday announced multiple agreements including defense, technology, microchips and visa renewal to strengthen the economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries during Prime Minister Narendra Modis state visit on Thursday. Some big ticket deals like purchase of MQ9-Reaper drones and an agreement between General Electric (GE) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the co-production of GE 414 jet engines in India are already announced. Here's a roundup of deals: Memory chip deal Micron Technology, US memory chip firm, Thursday said it would invest up to $825 million in a new chip assembly and test facility in Gujarat. The memory chip company said the total investment in the facility will be $2.75 billion. Of that total, 50% will come from the Indian government and 20% from the Gujarat government. The investment will create up to 5,000 new direct jobs, the company added. Fighter Jets General Electric Thursday said has signed an agreement to jointly manufacture F414 engines with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), state-owned Indian firm, to make engines for the Tejas light-combat aircraft, as part of an effort to improve defense- and technology-sharing. Visas The US is likely to make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States. The Biden administration is set to introduce in-country renewable H-1B visas, a significant decision that would help thousands of Indian professionals staying in the country to continue with their jobs without the hassle of travelling overseas for the renewal of their work visas as part of people-to-people initiative, a senior administration official said. The much-sought-after H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Drones Biden and Modi are also likely to discuss a deal for MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones made by General Atomics. India will buy 31 drones made by General Atomics worth slightly over $3 billion, Bloomberg reported citing sources. The deal is expected to be announced during Modi's visit. Space India, US announced to sign the Artemis Accords, a US-led alliance seeking to facilitate international collaboration in planetary exploration and research. In a related development, ISRO will partner the NASA in sending a joint mission to the International Space Station, a permanent laboratory in space, next year. It was not immediately clear whether the joint mission would include an Indian astronaut to the space station. US President Joe Biden and visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday delivered remarks and took questions from journalists during Indian leader's state visit, an event a senior White House official called a "big deal." The press conference was a reflection of contrasting political traditions, marking the first time Modi has taken questions in such a format in his nine-year tenure. It was unusual for Prime Minister Modi to take questions from the media, beyond occasional interviews. He has not addressed a single press conference in India since becoming prime minister about nine years ago. In May 2019 he attended a press conference but never took questions. Rakesh Kumar of PTI: Both countries talked about need to tackle climate change, but there is a view that ambitious targets are set but implementation is found lacking. There is a criticism of lack of technological transfer and financial transfer from developed nations to developing countries. How do you both leaders see the way ahead on this pressing issue. PM Modi:You said very rightly that, as far as India is concerned, the environment, climate, these are extremely important in our cultural traditions. For us, the environment is an article of faith. This is not just something that we need to do for convenience; we believe this. We do not believe in the exploitation of nature. In order for all of creation to work, we can make nature but we cannot have exploitation of nature, and we have always believed this. And on the basis of these values, we are not only doing things for ourselves, but are taking some global initiatives, as well. You perhaps know that the G20 countries, the promises they made in Paris, of all the G20 countries, India is the only country that has fulfilled all the promises it made at the G20. Not just that, in the area of solar energy, in Glasgow, we had set ourselves a target to achieve 500 gigawatts of renewable energy. By 2030, we have set ourselves a target to make Indian railways net zero. And you must understand the scale of Indian railways. When we talk about Indian railways, it means that every day the entire population of Australia travels in our wagons in our railway wagons, on our trains. And we have set ourselves a target to achieve net zero for our railways. We have also set ourselves targets for solar energy, for ethanol 10 percent mix of ethanol. We have completed this target before the set date. We are also working in the area of green hydrogen. We want India to be a green hydrogen hub, and we are working towards this. And the International Solar Alliance has been launched by India, and many countries have joined it and are working with India. The island countries, we have helped them in the area of solar energy so that they have now got a new confidence that we are with them in their efforts to fight climate change. And we will not only fulfill our responsibilities, but we will also help you in the area of climate change. We have seen that due to natural calamities people talk about the death of people, no doubt, when there are natural disasters, but there is a lot of destruction of infrastructure as well. And therefore, because of climate change, the kind of crisis we are feeling, we need to develop infrastructure that is resilient. And therefore, we have created a global organization called CDRI. And you perhaps know that in Glasgow I presented a subject to the world. And recently, it was launched by the U.N. Secretary General and myself. That is Mission LiFE. And when I say LiFE," I mean Lifestyle for the Environment." Therefore, every individual must live his life in a pro-environment, pro-development way. And we are working towards this. And I am sure that whatever work India has started in all these areas not because India has adversely affected the environment of the world; we are doing this because we have a concern for future generations. We do not want to give our future generations a world that make life difficult for them. And therefore, as a global responsibility, India has not caused any problems to the environment. However, we are playing a leading role in contributing in a positive manner. As far as prosperous countries are concerned, theres always been talk about technology transfer, financial support, and there are some countries that need to have technology transfer, financial support. And we hope that as soon as we can move forward in this area, we will be able to solve this challenge of climate change. Thank you very much. Sabrina from the Wall Street Journal: Mr. Prime Minister, India has long prided itself as the worlds largest democracy, but there are many human rights groups who say that your government has discriminated against religious minorities and sought to silence its critics. As you stand here in the East Room of the White House, where so many world leaders have made commitments to protecting democracy, what steps are you and your government willing to take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities in your country and to uphold free speech? Im actually really surprised that people say so. And so, people dont say it. Indeed, India is a democracy. And as President Biden also mentioned, India and America both countries, democracy is in our DNA. Democracy is our spirit. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy. And our ancestors have actually put words to this concept, and that is in the form of our constitution. Our government has taken the basic principles of democracy. And on that basis, our constitution is made and the entire country runs on that our constitution and government. We have always proved that democracy can deliver. And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender. Theres absolutely no space for discrimination. Democracy is in our spirit, and we live it. It's in our Constitution. There is no question of discrimination on the grounds of caste or religion. India believes in sabka saath, sabka vishwas, and sabka prayaas" "Letter of commitment to subscribe for shares related to increases in the capital of Black Sea Trade and Development Bank", which was signed on April 22, 2022, has been approved, Azernews reports. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has presented a special gift to US President Joe Biden as a gesture of respect and cultural significance. The Krishna Yajurveda's Vaikhanas Grihya Sutram, an ancient Indian text, mentions a significant milestone in the Hindu way of life known as "Drishta Sahasrachandro." According to the text, an individual achieves this milestone when they reach the age of eighty years and eight months, symbolising the experience of having witnessed one thousand full moons. The celebration of Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam, spanning the time covered by a thousand full moons (approximately 80 years and 8 months), holds great importance. It is a time when the individual who has reached this milestone is honored and celebrated. The Vedic rituals performed during this occasion include prayers to Lord Ganesha, culminating in Poornaahuti (offering to the sacred fire), Satabhishekam, and Sahasra Chandra Darshanam, which involves gazing at the 1000th full moon. Also read: PM Modi will enjoy strictly-vegetarian dinner at White House; check whats on the menu During Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam celebrations, a custom called Das Danam takes place, involving donations of ten different kinds. These include offerings such as cows (Gaudaan), land (Bhudaan), sesame seeds (Tildaan), gold (Hiranyadaan), ghee or clarified butter (Ajyadaan), food grains (Dhaanyadaan), clothes (Vastradaan), jaggery (Guddaan), silver (Raupyadaan), and salt (Lavandaan). On this occasion, PM Modi has presented the special gift to US President Joe Biden. The gift is a meticulously handcrafted sandalwood box, created by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The intricately carved flora and fauna patterns on the box showcase the use of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka. PM Modi's gift to US first lady Dr. Jill Biden Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a special gift to US First Lady Dr. Jill Bidena lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond. This exquisite diamond not only reflects the chemical and optical properties of earth-mined diamonds but also embodies eco-friendliness, as it was crafted using sustainable resources like solar and wind power. Together, the lab-grown green diamond and the artistry of the Papier mache box symbolise the vibrancy of India's cultural tapestry, blending innovation, sustainability, and traditional craftsmanship into a remarkable expression of luxury. Also read: Prime Minister Modi's US visit: US to facilitate visa easing for skilled Indian workforce A remarkable 7.5 carat green diamond, created through advanced lab-grown technology, has emerged as a stunning alternative to earth-mined diamonds. This eco-friendly diamond embodies the chemical and optical properties of natural diamonds while utilising eco-diversified resources such as solar and wind power during its production. Crafted with meticulous precision, the green diamond showcases the hallmarks of excellence through the 4C's: Cut, Color, Carat, and Clarity. Certified by the renowned Gemological lab, IGI, it radiates a mere 0.028 grams of carbon per carat, further emphasising its sustainable credentials. Symbolising India's 75 years of freedom and commitment to sustainable international relations, this green diamond represents a beacon of responsible luxury. Its creation aligns with the ethos of preserving the environment while offering a dazzling and ethically conscious alternative. The construction work of the worlds largest Ramayan temple' started on June 20 in the East Champaran district of Bihar following some religious rituals at the site, according to media reports. The reports stated that the Ramayan temple in Bihar will be taller than the 12th-century Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia. The estimated cost of the temple's construction is 500 crore. By the end of 2025, the construction work of the three-storeyed Viraat Ramayan temple is expected to be completed. In East Champaran district which is about 120 km from Patna, the temple will be constructed on 3.76 lakh sq. ft. land in the Kaithwalia-Bahuara villages, the report added. The Ramayan temple will consist of 12 domes, of which, the highest will be of 270 fr tall. In addition, it will also have around 22 sanctum sanctorum for different deities along with marriage halls and guest houses in the complex. According to reports, the overall measurement of the temple will be 2,800 ft in length, 1,400 ft in width, and 405 ft in height. It will also have a 33-ft-high black granite Shivling which will weigh around 200 tonnes. It is said that the Shivling is being made at Mahabalipuram near Chennai in Tamil Nadu. An official stated that this Shivling will be the world's largest which will be completed by Mahashivratri in 2025. A total of 20,000 people can be accumulated in the temple at a time. Officials including the secretary of the Patna-based Mahavir Temple Trust Acharya Kishor Kunal, former Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court Justice SN Jha laid the foundation stone of the temple. The Ramayan temple's architecture is inspired by three temples which include the Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia, the Ramanathaswami temple in Rameshwaram, and the Meenakshi Sundareshwarar temple in Madurai. The Mumbai Police arrested a 45-year-old share broker on Thursday who has been allegedly engaged in illegal 'dabba trading' with transactions amounting to 4,672 crore over a span of three months, according to an official. 'Dabba trading' refers to the illicit practice of trading shares outside the regulated stock exchange platform, facilitated by operators running such trading rings. The accused, identified as Jatin Sureshbhai Mehta, was taken into custody from Kandivali in suburban Mumbai on Tuesday. It is alleged that Mehta evaded various taxes, including security transaction tax, capital gains tax, state government stamp duty charges, SEBI turnover fees, and stock exchange turnover revenue, amounting to over 1.95 crore, thereby causing financial loss to the government, reported PTI. The broker is said to have conducted unauthorised share trading outside the stock exchange without a valid license. The police official revealed that Mehta's turnover between March 23 and June 20, 2023, reached 4,672 crore. Also read: NSE issues cautionary notices to investors against Dabba trading, names 2 people in illegal trade Acting on specific information, a team from the Mumbai Crime Branch, along with officials from the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX), conducted a raid at the share broker's office in Mahaveer Nagar, Kandivali, on Tuesday. The operation resulted in the seizure of 50,000 cash, five mobile phones, a laptop, a tablet, a paper shredder, and a pen drive, along with crucial documents. Further investigation revealed that the broker had engaged in illegal share trading, evading taxes and fees amounting to more than 1.95 crore. Also read: If you cant catch em, join their Signal groups first, feels Sebi The accused has been arrested and is facing charges under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of the Indian Penal Code as well as provisions of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act. The case remains under investigation as authorities continue to gather evidence in the matter. (With inputs from PTI) New Delhi : The G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group has recommended the development of a pipeline of projects to promote public-private partnerships, and other initiatives, including compendium on best practices for financing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), senior government officials said after the conclusion of the third working group meeting on Wednesday. These recommendations made during the Third G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group held between 19-21 June at Mahabalipuram will be discussed at the Leader Summit in September. This meeting will be attended by various finance ministers and central bank governors of G20 working Groups. "(We have) Broadly made recommendations for a list of options to expand de-risking facilities, as well as policies and financial instruments, to support private capital for investments in green and low carbon technologies," Geetu Joshi, Adviser, IER, DEA, Ministry of Finance said during a media briefing. "There are recommendations for the analytical framework for SDG-aligned finance which will complement the G20 sustainable finance roadmap consisting of recommendations on nature related data and reporting and social impact investment(s)," added Joshi, who held the chair position for the meetings. The third and final working group meeting of the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group brought together about 100 delegates from G20 member countries, other invitee countries and international agencies. It aims to develop a roadmap to support climate investments including policy initiatives to support private investment in green technologies. The first G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group was held between 2-3 February, 2023 in Guwahati, while the second was held at Udaipur, Rajasthan between 21-23 March, 2023. The Sustainable Finance Working Group meetings are part of India's G20 presidency, which will culminate into the 18th Head of State and Government Summit of the G20 that will be held in September. "They were recommendations on innovative technologies to scale up social impact instruments. The need (is) to have specialised intermediaries to fund the SDGs, and greater experience sharing among members," Joshi said. "We are going to come out with a lot of financing models, (which the private sector has been successful at)," she added. Todays Google Doodle, which is celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival, is a hand-made Dragon Boat replica crafted from yarn and cardboard and is a nod to the festival, also known as Duanwu in Mandarin. Heres what to know about this traditional Chinese festival, which is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar and hence is also referred as Double Fifth Festival. What do people do to celebrate? As the name suggests, dragon boat racing is an important tradition of this Chinese festival that originated in third century BCE. It is a holiday for all ethnic groups in China to commemorate the life and death of poet Qu Yuan and to celebrate the old customs and traditions such as eating zongzi, a traditional dish made of rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, drinking realgar wine for warding off disasters and evil spirits, and holding dragon worship ceremonies and events like dragon boat racing. View Full Image A woman marks traditional rice dumplings ahead of the annual Dragon boat festival in Taoyuan, Taiwan (Photo: Reuters) The fifth lunar month is considered an unlucky and unhealthy month in Chinese traditions, as the summer brings insects and other pests. People carry sachets full of herbs and plants that deter bugs. They also take part in egg-balancing challenge. Balancing an egg on its end at noon is said to bring good luck for a whole year. What is dragon boat racing? People across Asia gather to watch teams pile into in a long, multicoloured, canoe-like wooden boats, usually decorated with a dragon head and tail racing toward a finish line. Each of the boats hold anywhere between 12 and 32 people, including paddlers and drummers who sits in the front of the boat drumming energetically to keep the rowers in time. Dragon boat racing: History The holiday commemorates the death of Chinese poet Qu Yuan, who is said to have drowned himself into the Miluo River, when he learned that Chu State was defeated. Legend has it that locals rushed out in boats hoping to find and save him. When they couldnt, they threw sticky rice dumplings into the water to keep fish away from the poet. Dragon boat racing: Significance The Dragon Boat Festival not only carries the cultural heritage of the Chinese nation but also promotes the spirit of teamwork and unity. The dragon boat racing, in particular, emphasizes the importance of communication, cooperation and mutual support among team members. The United States authorities have announced that they will introduce in-country renewable H-1B visas as part of the people-to-people initiative. The move is set to smoothen the process of H-1B visa renewal for several Indians who are working in the US on a H-1B visa. The Indian professionals will now not have to travel overseas to renew their work visa. The announcement from the US visa office comes right ahead of the crucial bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington DC on Thursday. What is H-1B visa? The much-sought-after H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on H-1B visa, also dubbed work visa to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India. H-1B visa renewal Until 2004, certain categories of non-immigrant visas, particularly the H-1B, could be renewed or stamped inside the US. After 2004, non-immigrant visas including the much sought after H-1B visa renewal included foreign tech workers having to go out of the country, mostly to their own country to get the H-1B extension stamped on their passport. The H-1B visas are issued for three years at a time. For all the H-1B visa holders, when their visa is renewed, they need to get their passports stamped with renewal dates. This is required if they wish to travel outside of the US and re-enter the US. As of now, H-1B visa restamping is not allowed within the US. Restamping can only be done at any US consulate. This was a big inconvenience for foreign guest workers and also for their employees, particularly at a time when the visa wait time is more than 800 days or more than two years. US visas for Indians The United States last year issued 125,000 visas to Indian students, which is a record and they are on pace to become the largest foreign student community in the United States with a 20% increase last year alone, an official explained. "The second thing that we're doing is the United States Department of State is going to launch a pilot to adjudicate domestic renewals of certain petition-based temporary work visas later this year, including for Indian nationals with the intent to implement this for an expanded pool of H-1 and L visa holders," a senior Biden administration official said. The in-country renewal programme would be eventually broadened to include other eligible categories.-1 A blast ripped through a street near Paris' historic Latin Quarter on Wednesday and rescuers were searching for two missing people feared buried under the rubble of a building that partially collapsed in the explosion. The explosion tore through Rue Saint-Jacques, which runs from the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral to the Sorbonne University, in the late afternoon, injuring at least 37 people, four of whom were fighting for their lives in hospital. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said that sniffer dogs had picked up a scent under the mound of masonry left strewn across Rue Saint-Jacques. "It is possible tonight that we will find bodies or perhaps survivors," Darmanin told reporters at the scene of the blast. The blast destroyed the facade of a building housing the Paris American Academy design school popular with foreign students. Witnesses described a deafening explosion and a giant fireball that rose several stories high. Soldiers helped secure a safety cordon around the scene. The Paris prosecutor's office said it was too early to say what caused the blast. But the local deputy mayor, Edouard Civel, referred to a gas explosion in a Twitter post and witnesses told BFM TV there had been a strong smell of gas moments before the blast. "The shop shook violently, it felt like bomb blast," said Rahman Oliur who manages a food shop a few doors down the street from the American Academy. Bar worker Khal Ilsey said he heard a "huge explosion" before running out and seeing a violent blaze at the end of the street. Rubble and fire The blast occurred at 4:55 p.m. (1455 GMT), just as workers were heading home. The area is frequented by tourists and foreign students in the early summer but there was no immediate indication that any foreigners were among the victims. Several nearby building were evacuated. More than two hours after the explosion, first responders were still treating residents for shock. One woman fainted in the street. Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said early indications were that the blast originated inside the collapsed building. Investigators would look into whether building conditions were in breach of regulations or if an individual had acted without due care, he added. More than 300 firefighters were involved in bringing the blazes under control. Rue Saint-Jacques runs through the Latin Quarter - famed as the home to many expatriate and French writers, musicians and artists over the years - to the Val de Grace military hospital and is a few blocks from the popular Jardin du Luxembourg. "I was at home writing ... I thought it was a bomb," said art historian Monique Mosser, adding that many of the windows in her building had been blown out by the blast's shockwave. "A neighbour knocked on the door and told me that the fire brigade were asking us to evacuate as quickly as possible. I grabbed my laptop, my phone. I didn't even think to take get my medication." In January 2019, a gas leak caused an explosion that killed 4 people and injured 66 in the 9th arrondissement. In April that year, a fire broke out in the Notre-Dame Cathedral, destroying much of the roof and causing other damage before it was extinguished. BRIGADE ENTERPRISES More Information This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. The Paris Air Show returned this week after a long Covid hiatus. The typically biennial confab brings together executives from across the aerospace and defence ecosystem and usually yields a slew of plane and engine deals and industry prognostications. Analysts were bracing for a particularly robust orders bonanza this year as airlines scramble to meet a resurgence in travel demand and lock up delivery slots that are becoming increasingly scarce at both Boeing Co. and Airbus SE for narrow-body and wide-body jets alike. But the flow of announcements was more like a trickle than a flood. The capstone was IndiGos order for 500 of Airbuss narrow-body jets. As the largest single order for aircraft on record, this is a big deal, but its also the only big, truly new deal to come out of the Air Show. The others were smaller or recycled. In a booming demand environment, we were also surprised by the lack of orders," Bank of America Corp. analysts led by Ron Epstein wrote in a June 20 report. The relative dearth of fresh blockbuster announcements at the Air Show is in part a timing issue: Air India announced an order for 470 Airbus and Boeing jets in February that it firmed up this week in Paris with the addition of options for 70 more Boeing planes. Saudi Arabia signed a March deal for 78 Boeing Dreamliners split between two carriers, while Ryanair Holdings Plc agreed in May to buy as many as 300 of Boeings 737 Max jets. The commentary at least was flowing free and easy at Le Bourget airport, the home of the Paris Air Show. Executives alternated between complaining about stubborn supply chain constraints that are delaying deliveries and limiting the ability of manufacturers to ramp up production to meet all of this demand and cautioning about the risk of an eventual capacity glut once Boeing and Airbus can get around to filling order backlogs that now stretch well into the end of this decade. The worry among some longtime executives is that in their quest to get a place in line, airlines are overordering. Theres a shortage of capacity. There are no airplanes available," Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer of Qatar Airways, told Bloomberg Television. We have other players that are also flooding the market with huge numbers of airplanes, and I just hope that what theyre doing is right," he said. Steve Udvar-Hazy, co-founder of Air Lease Corp., told Bloomberg News the industry is suffering from a herd mentality thats not justified by economics or reality." Both executives said they didnt feel a need to place fresh large orders for aircraft right now, but thats largely because they already have robust undelivered backlogs. Air Lease has about 400 jets on order and added two 787 Dreamliners at the Air Show. When Qatar Airways current fleet needs replacements, we will order more airplanes," Al Baker said. That time is not too distant." Both he and Udvar-Hazy also said that the strong demand that the industry is enjoying is sustainable for the foreseeable future. In other words, they dont think their companies arent about to get trapped in an aircraft bubble, but others just might. Not all orders are created equal in the aerospace industry. Epstein of Bank of America expressed some reservation around the blockbuster bookings from Indian carriers. We remain cautious regarding these commitments given gaps within Indian infrastructure, availability of financing and concerns over Indias commitment to the Cape Town Convention," he wrote in a report this week. The Cape Town Convention established an international registry for aircraft as a means of helping companies assert their rights over planes. But aircraft orders arent written in stone and signed in blood, either, something that became abundantly clear during the pandemic and Boeings myriad production, regulatory and political issues in recent years. Many of them get deferred, or airlines will opt out of some of the aircraft or swap with other buyers," Udvar-Hazy told Bloomberg Television. Look at it as a dynamic order book. Its not a static order book with Airbus and Boeing." At the last Paris Air Show in 2019, analysts started to speculate that the long-running boom in demand for air travel might be due for a breather and that the hefty order books at Boeing and Airbus might hold more planes than airlines actually need. That turned out to be the right question to ask, although no one predicted a global pandemic would be the reason. If there had been a Paris Air Show in 2021, it would have happened mere months after Covid vaccines started to be rolled out around the globe. Myriad restrictions on international travel meant many airlines had more seats than travellers on their larger jets, even as domestic demand rebounded. Now, airlines are having to trim their growth plans and lose out on some of the demand recovery because they cant get their hands on enough planes and fully functioning jet engines. Its possible that aerospace executives, like economists, arent very good at forecasting what the world will look like five years from now, or even a year from now. A lot can happen between now and the stretch between 2030 to 2035 when IndiGos 500 Airbus jets are set to be delivered. Boeing, for its part, predicts that even after accounting for reduced flying demand from climate concerns and productivity improvements, the world will need 42,595 airplane deliveries between now and 2042, roughly doubling the existing fleet. Almost half of those orders are expected to be earmarked for replacing older, less efficient jets. Also read: After IndiGo, Air India buys 470 aircraft from Airbus, Boeing at Paris Air Show The more pressing issue for the aerospace industry is whether it can build the planes on order for this decade. All our aircraft deliveries are delayed," Al Baker of Qatar Airways said. Particularly in the US, the industry thinned its ranks drastically during the pandemic and has since struggled to rebuild its labor force. While companies have been on a hiring spree, the new workers lack the experience of their laid-off predecessors, and that knowledge gap is feeding into quality issues up and down the supply chain. The problem is particularly acute among the smallest suppliers who lack the capital to compete for talent with manufacturers further up the food chain and in other industries. Almost three-quarters of respondents to a Bank of America survey on the aerospace supply chain don't believe the industrys issues will be resolved before 2025, and 40 percent said it was unclear where production levels would ultimately settle for 2023. The survey was conducted with Aviation Week Network, and the results were reported June 1. More than half of the respondents were lower-tier suppliers with annual revenues of less than $25 million. Also read: Paris Air Show Is Back With A Bang; A Mint Ground Report | Watch When you pull the thread through almost everything, it almost invariably ends with labor: the ability to attract it, retain it, train it in time," Mike Kauffman, vice president of supply chain for General Electric Co.s aerospace division, said at the companys investor day presentation this week at the Paris Air Show. Were still being hampered by quality deviations not safety of flight, but things that are caught inside as we begin to ramp which causes us to pause or in some cases go backwards. There are still material constraints." GE has a 200-person team focused on supplier recovery and readiness. The rate at which Honeywell International Inc.s aerospace suppliers back out of delivery commitments fell to about 15 percent in the first quarter, down from a peak of 20 percent to 25 percent in 2022. But normal is less than 10 percent, so theres still a way to go. A supplier for Raytheon Technologies Corp.s jet engines used incorrect materials to make one batch of parts, forcing it to pause production and delay some shipments. The error will cost Raytheon about $500 million in free cash flow in the current quarter, although it expects to make this up over the balance of the year, reported Brooke Sutherland Everybody is very excited. Both manufacturers want huge orders. But you can always get the orders. When will you supply them? That is the big question," Al Baker said. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Ahead of the Fridays meeting of opposition parties in Patna, Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal chief minister and TMC supremo, on Thursday said that opposition parties will fight like a family and take on the BJP one to one". I cannot say what will happen at tomorrow's meeting. But I am certain we are all here to fight the BJP together, like a family, one to one," she said. On Thursday, Mamata met with RJD president Lalu Prasad and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi in Patna. I have great respect for Lalu-ji. The poor man was sent to jail and had to spend a lot of time in the hospital," said Mamata . The TMC supremo said she was happy to meet Prasad. He looks strong enough to take on the BJP," said the West Bengal CM who drove straight to meet the RJD leaders upon setting foot in Patna. She was accompanied by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, TMC MP, and West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim. The opposition leaders meeting, convened by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, has been called to forge unity among the opposition and chalk out a joint strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Delhi CM and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, NCP president Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti are among those expected to attend the meeting. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will attend the meet. BSP supremo Mayawati has not been invited for the opposition meeting. She on Thursday termed the opposition meeting as more about shaking hands than joining hearts. (With inputs from PTI)Bihars deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav will also be a part of Fridays meeting. Twitter is facing potential fines from Australia's internet safety watchdog due to its failure to address online abuse, which has surged following Elon Musk's involvement with the platform. The e-safety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, who was once an employee of Twitter, stated that the social media platform now accounts for one-third of the reported complaints regarding hate speech in Australia. According to Inman Grant, Twitter has a 28-day period to demonstrate its commitment to addressing the issue, or else it could be fined AUD 700,000 (USD 475,000) per day for each day beyond the deadline. In order to avoid this penalty, Twitter needs to provide a clear plan of action outlining the specific measures it is taking to prevent online hate and ensure the enforcement of its own regulations. "We need accountability from these platforms and action to protect their users. And you cannot have accountability without transparency, and that's what legal notices like this one are designed to achieve," said Grant. Following Elon Musk's acquisition of the platform in October 2022, he significantly reduced the global workforce by over 80 percent, which included a large number of content moderators responsible for combating abusive content. In November, Musk announced a wide-reaching amnesty program, enabling tens of thousands of suspended or banned accounts to regain access to the platform. "Twitter appears to have dropped the ball on tackling hate," stated Inman Grant, who worked on cyber safety at the company after 17 years at Microsoft. Inman Grant highlighted that the internet safety watchdog is not the only entity expressing apprehension regarding the rising levels of toxicity and hate on Twitter, specifically aimed at marginalized communities. Moreover, there are numerous accounts of content that likely violates Twitter's terms of service remaining easily accessible, which is a cause for concern. Australia has taken a leading role in the international effort to regulate social media platforms, and this is not the first instance where Inman Grant has publicly criticized Twitter. In November, Inman Grant wrote a letter to Musk expressing concerns that significant staff reductions could hinder Twitter's ability to comply with Australian laws. In May, highly regarded Australian journalist Stan Grant lodged a complaint with Twitter, citing the continuous experience of racial abuse he faced while using the platform. This month, major music publishers from the United States initiated a legal lawsuit against Twitter, alleging that the platform had failed to effectively prevent widespread copyright infringement. Furthermore, a European Union commissioner criticized Twitter in June for opting for a confrontational approach by withdrawing from a voluntary digital code of conduct. (With inputs from AFP) Once wrongly imprisoned for notorious rape, member of 'Central Park Five' is running for office Some consider Yusef Salaam a folk hero as a member of the Central Park Five, the group of teenagers wrongly convicted of raping a white jogger in a brutal attack 34 years ago Hao Nguyen Coffee & Restaurant in Nihonmatsu City of Fukushima Prefecture, June 2023. Photo courtesy of the restaurant Parents of a Vietnamese girl raped and murdered in Japan in 2017 have opened a restaurant to fulfill her wish of connecting the two countries. On June 19, Le Thi Nhat Linhs parents opened a restaurant serving Vietnamese food in Nihonmatsu, a city in Fukushima Prefecture. In March 2017, the murder of Linh in Matsudo, a city east of Tokyo, was widely reported. She was nine years old. She went missing after leaving home for school. Her body was discovered two days later. The murder horrified and outraged millions of Japanese and Vietnamese people. More than a year later, the culprit, a Japanese man named Yasumasa Shibuya, now 52, received a life sentence. He was the girls neighbor and head of the parents association at the school she went to. According to the indictment, Shibuya kidnapped Linh on the morning of March 24, 2017 in his car. He molested and then strangled the girl to death and left her naked body near a drainage ditch. Blood and saliva matching Linhs DNA was found in Shibuyas car, indicating that he was the culprit, the judge said. Linhs parents, who live and work in Japan, gathered tens of thousands of signatures from citizens of both countries, hoping that public pressure would urge prosecutors to call for Shibuya to be sentenced to death, but the sentence was unchanged. Before she died, Linh used to tell her family that she "wishes to become a bridge to connect Vietnam and Japan," according to KFB Fukushima Broadcasting. "She once said she wants to cook Vietnamese food for her Japanese friends," Linhs father, Le Anh Hao, 40, told Fukushima Minpo. To commemorate their daughter, Hao and his wife, Nguyen Thi Nguyen, 36, decided to open the restaurant. Named Hao Nguyen Coffee & Restaurant, the venue serves Vietnamese signatures such as banh mi, pho and chicken rice. Linh was the couples first child. The girl was born in Vietnam when her father was away from home working in Japan. The family moved to Japan and settled down when Linh had yet to turn three. After that they have another boy, who adored Linh and kept asking where his sister had gone, the mother told VnExpress last December. The couple had two more children, a boy and a girl. "We never dare to let any of our children go out alone anymore," the mother said. The cause of the fire will be under investigation by Red Bank Fire and Police Departments. A document projecting Longfords future development over the course of the next six years was out of date the day it was signed off on, it was claimed last week. Longfords Co Development Plan 2021-2027 was approved last November as part of an all-round overview of the countys housing, infrastructural and planning requirements over the next six years. The finer points of that plan were called into question at last weeks meeting of Longford County Council following a blistering attack by Cllr Seamus Butler (pictured). The long serving local representative hit out at the Office of the Planning Regulator and Department of Local Government officials over a decision to rubber-stamp the plan using 2016 Census figures as opposed to its more recent 2022 equivalent. (It was) put down our throats by the Office of the Planning Regulator and the Department when we were trying to plan for housing in this county. I dont expect an apology but they should be ashamed of themselves if they claim to be the experts in saying that our population would not reach the 45,000 odd that it did until at least 2038. Well, ye got it wrong lads. Cllr Butler said the refusal of a primary health care centre in Edgeworthstown last year based on capacity concerns linked to a local waste water treatment plant was a case in point of the difficulties the council now faced. In a stinging attack, Cllr Butler said decisions taken by senior civil servants in their bastions in Dublin was to the detriment of elected members locally. They think they rule the country, The Pale hasnt gone away you know, he seethed. Independent Cllr Gerry Warnock was just as outspoken, claiming department officials at central government level hadn't a 'scooby doo' of what was happening locally. But dare you speak it up and dare you inform these guys in their ivory towers that know it all, they dont, he argued. Fine Gael's Paul Ross agreed, saying the plan which spelled out Longford's developmental future between now and 2027 was effectively obsolete. The unfortunate reality is the county development plan was out of date the day we launched it, he said. Four Longford swimmers were rescued after getting into difficulty in the sea off Strandhill beach in Sligo yesterday (Wednesday, June 21). The Irish Coast Guard requested that Sligo Bay RNLI launch their Sheila & Dennis Tongue lifeboat at 2.28pm to reports of four swimmers in difficulty off the beach in Strandhill. On arrival at the scene at 2.47pm, the Coast Guard advised the lifeboat crew that three swimmers had been rescued by local surfers but that a fourth person was missing. The volunteer crew continued search the area until they were stood down by the Coast Guard, as the fourth swimmer had been successfully rescued and brought to shore. The ambulance was also on the scene to assess all four swimmers. Pilot walks away unhurt after light aircraft crash lands in south Longford Air accident investigators have launched a probe into the circumstances behind a light aircraft crash in Longford yesterday that saw a pilot astonishingly walk free from the wreckage. Strandhill beach has a very strong undercurrent and swimming is prohibited. Aisling Gillen, Sligo Bay RNLI Lifeboat Press Officer said, "Thankfully this had a happy ending but it is important to always observe the signage and only swim at a lifeguarded beach." It is understood that a local man Eamonn OGrady was walking the beach and noticed the four swimmers (three teenage girls and an adult) in difficulty he called for help and raised the alarm with the lifeboat being launched from Rosses Point. A paddle board from the nearby surf rescue locker was used to rescue the swimmers who were traumatised by the experience, with one requiring medical intervention after being brought back to shore. Local councillor Sinead Maguire was dismayed to hear of the incident which follows her recent call for lifeguards to be on allowed to patrol the beach which is a busy tourist destination to prevent such a tragedy reoccurring. Plans lodged for demolition of Co Longford pub Longford County Council has received a planning application that would see the demolition of a well known former pub and restaurant in Edgeworthstown and the building of seven houses on the site. Cllr Maguire stated, "Signage is insufficient so many people dont notice it, we need lifeguards patrolling the beach." She also called on the council to re-examine the decision not to allow lifeguards on the beach which she believes is imperative if other lives are to be saved. Praising the quick thinking and bravery of Mr OGrady she continued, "We cannot continue to rely on the extraordinary courage of local people to do this job we need professionally trained lifeguards on duty." An Independent TD says funding for specialists to treat eating disorders has not been allocated in Longford / Westmeath. Deputy Carol Nolan is engaging with the office of the Minister of State at the Department of Health Mary Butler to establish why midland counties in the HSEs CHO Area 8 have not been allocated part of the 8 million Programme for Government funding for eating disorder posts. The HSEs CHO (Community Health Organisations) Area 8 comprises Laois/Offaly, Longford/Westmeath and Louth/Meath. Deputy Nolan was speaking after Minister Butler confirmed that the 8 million investment funded the set-up of eating disorder teams in CHO7, CHO4 (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services(CAMHS)), CHO9, CHO6 (Adult). Deputy Nolan said the Minister stated that funding has also enabled the establishment of teams at varying stages of recruitment in CHO4, CHO5, CHO1 (Adult), CHO2, CHO6 (CAMHS). Recruited clinicians for these teams are currently delivering eating disorder care and receiving training via The National Clinical Programme for Eating Disorders (NCPED). According to the Eating Disorders Association of Ireland, Bodywhys, an estimated 188,895 people in Ireland will experience an eating disorder at some point in their lives. It also estimates that approximately 1,757 new cases occur in Ireland each year in the 10-49 age group. There is a pattern developing here that is totally unacceptable, said Deputy Nolan. Last month it was confirmed to me that midland counties were to be excluded from the roll-out of Community Neuro-Rehabilitation Teams. This month we have the Minister confirming that Laois/Offaly, Longford/Westmeath and Louth/Meath are also being impacted by the lack of dedicated ringfenced funding for an eating disorder team. What has this Government got against the midlands? she asked. I appreciate that some level of care for those suffering from eating orders may be accessed in other CHO areas, but the fact remains that people in the midlands also have a right to a local team that can support people who need these services, said Deputy Nolan. It is absolutely vital that the HSE and Government take all action necessary to enhance integrated care pathways between community eating disorder teams and our acute hospitals, she concluded. Music, Movies & Entertainment By Chris Boyle Published: June 22 2023 Residents and families looking for a fun night need look no further than their backyards this summer as the Town is ready with a summer to remember, said Supervisor Saladino. Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino and members of the Town Board announce that free Movies by Moonlight will be offered in local parks on Thursday evenings this summer, beginning July 6th and concluding on August 10th. Residents are welcome to bring blankets and chairs when attending these family-friendly movies. Residents and families looking for a fun night need look no further than their backyards this summer as the Town is ready with a summer to remember, said Supervisor Saladino. Were thrilled to once again show family-friendly films at our local parks, along with character meet and greets, inflatables, free popcorn, food trucks, games, and more. Join us at these pop-up movie nights and sit back, relax and enjoy the show. Seating and pre-movie activities will begin at 6:00 p.m. including character meet and greets at select movies, inflatables, free popcorn, food trucks and games. All movies begin at sundown and are subject to change. They will be held weather permitting. For additional information, please call (516) 797-7925 or visit the Towns website at www.oysterbaytown.com. Programming is made possible through the generous support of sponsors, including Extreme Auto Body, Steel Equities, Gold Coast Studios, Action Auto Wreckers, Complete Basement Systems, The Gucciardo Law Firm, Webster Bank, Northwell Health Plainview and Syosset Hospitals, Long Island Speech, Royal Events Princess Parties, News 12 Long Island, KJOY98.3, 103.1MAXFM, 104.7FM WHLI and Friends of the Community Service Department. Summer Movies: Crime By Chris Boyle Published: June 22 2023 All four subjects entered the dark colored SUV and fled southbound on Bellingham Lane towards Fairview Avenue. The Sixth Squad is investigating a Robbery that occurred on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 1:40 p.m. in Great Neck. According to Detectives, a female victim, 45, was in contact with an unknown Asian male subject on the We Chat App regarding the sale of her Hermes Birkin pocketbook valued at $35,000.00 USC. The victim and the victims daughter, 17, agreed to meet with the unknown subject outside of 6 Bellingham Lane for the sale transaction of the pocketbook. Upon arrival, the victim exited her vehicle to discuss the sale of the pocketbook when an unknown dark colored grey SUV arrived at the location. Three unknown male subjects wearing masks exited the vehicle and demanded the Hermes pocketbook. They then proceeded to demand the personal belongings of the female victims. Fearing for their safety, they complied handing over miscellaneous jewelry, cellular telephones, two purses and undetermined amount of US currency. One subject did forcefully pull the 17-year-old female victim out of her vehicle to look inside for additional property and when he finished, he sprayed both victims in the face with a pepper spray. All four subjects entered the dark colored SUV and fled southbound on Bellingham Lane towards Fairview Avenue. The suspects are only described as two Asian males and two black males. No further description is available at this time. The victims were transported to a local area hospital for evaluation and treatment of their injuries. The investigation is ongoing. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is set to visit China where he will attend the World Economic Forum from June 25 to 28. Upon the invitation of Chinese Premier Li Qiang and WEF founder and chairman Klaus Schwab, Chinh will pay an official visit to China and attend the WEF's 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday. The WEF has become a global forum that attracts the participation of national leaders, captains of industry and other thought leaders. Vietnam has had a relationship with it since 1989, and is regularly invited to its annual meetings in Davos, Switzerland, and its conferences on East Asia. In October 2022 Chinh met Schwab on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia, and expressed the hope that the WEF would help Vietnam diversify the markets for its goods and improve its position in regional and global supply chains. This year Vietnam and China celebrate 15 years of their comprehensive strategic partnership. China was the first country in the world to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam when it did so in January 1950. Vietnam is Chinas biggest trading partner in Southeast Asia, and China has been its top trading partner for long. Last year their trade had been worth US$175.6 billion. Crime By Chris Boyle Published: June 22 2023 Santos, 34, grew into infamy after being elected to Congress last fall after it was revealed that many of the statements he made during his campaign were false. U.S. Rep. George Santos the controversial New York republican who infamously lied regarding numerous aspects of his life, education, and business experiences while campaigning had his $500,000 bail put up by his father and aunt after being arrested on federal criminal charges in May for allegedly utilizing campaign funds for personal expenses. Gercino Dos Santos and Elma Santos Preven had put up the heft sum to spring the allegedly crooked congressman from jail, according to court documents that were unsealed on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert. Santos, 34, grew into infamy after being elected to Congress last fall after it was revealed that many of the statements he made during his campaign were false, including claims that he was a rich Wall Street investor with a vast real estate portfolio and had been a star volleyball player in college. If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom. Vietnam recognizes the more positive assessment made in the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report by the U.S. Department of State, and is ready for cooperation in the field, the Foreign Ministry said. The ministry's spokeswoman Pham Thu Hang said Thursday Vietnam hopes the two sides will continue cooperating closely so that the U.S. has more objective, precise, comprehensive assessment of the situation and efforts of Vietnam. "We are also ready to discuss concrete cooperation issues with the U.S. side and relevant parties to together effectively carry out human trafficking prevention and control," Hang added. She said Vietnam has been working to support safe and legal migration, and is determined to prevent human smuggling and trafficking. "Vietnam has gained important results such as boosting the effectiveness of inter-sectoral coordination, improving statistics, intensifying the investigation and settlement of human trafficking, and increasing communications to raise public awareness about human trafficking." The 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report put Vietnam in Tier 2 Watch List, upgraded from Tier 3 in last year's report. The 188-country report defines Tier 2 Watch List as a group of countries whose governments do not fully meet the minimum standards of the United States Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards. Tier 3 group is defined as countries whose governments do not fully meet the TVPAs minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so. The 2023 report lists countries that are actively engaged in trafficking, including Afghanistan, China, Cuba, Eritrea, North Korea, Iran, Russia, South Sudan, Syria and Turkmenistan. Such countries can be punished with U.S. sanctions or have U.S. aid revoked. MANILA, PHILIPPINES In the Philippines, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) comprise 99.58% of all businesses in the country and employ 64.67% of the entire workforce and are the driving force of the economy. These businesses, which include small community stores or sari-sari stores, water refilling stations, laundry stations, and many others, not only contribute to the countrys GDP but also provide essential services to the local communities. Such is the outsized importance of MSMEs that the United Nations (UN) designated every June 27 as International MSME Day to raise awareness on their immense contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These enterprises play a pivotal role in driving local and national economies while also supporting the livelihoods of the working poor, women, youth, and vulnerable groups. Its no surprise that many Filipinos want to open their own small businesses. A recent survey by Philippine research firm OCTA Research showed that 81% of adult Filipinos want to be entrepreneurs. This desire to start their own businesses reflects the recognition of the opportunities and potential that MSMEs offer, not only in terms of economic growth but also in empowering individuals and communities. If youre one of the Filipinos who want to try their hand at starting their own businesses, here are some tips that can help you get started. Starting an MSME in the Philippines The first step of every aspiring entrepreneur is deciding what kind of business to open and where to open it if you plan on having a physical storefront. Its essential to conduct thorough research whether theres a market for your product or service, enough foot traffic and if the location is appropriate for it. Aspiring entrepreneurs can also explore a hybrid phygital (a portmanteau of physical and digital) setup including offering online payments or e-commerce options to widen reach and market. Second, once youve decided on the business and where to open it, get your necessary documentation and permits. In the Philippines, businesses are required to register with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), if theyre a sole proprietorship, or with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) if its a partnership or a corporation. Businesses also need to get a Mayors permit or municipal license from the city or municipality where the establishment is located. They also need to register with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to ensure proper taxation. If they plan on employing other people to help run the business, registrations with other government agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Social Security System (SSS) are also required. This may seem like a lot of steps but these registrations and permits ensure that youre able and willing to run your business properly and legally by following applicable laws and regulations. For a full list of registration and permit requirements, DTI has compiled a list here. Beyond securing the location and required permits, an important step when it comes to running a business is to protect your business from any unwanted incidents including injuries, burglaries, and accidents. Consider getting small business insurance like NegosyoCare. Created by regional insurtech Igloo in partnership with Malayan Insurance and GCash, NegosyoCare is an insurance product specifically designed to protect MSMEs. MSMEs are the backbone of the economy, but they often run on tight budgets and have limited access to financing. This puts them at risk when unexpected events come knocking and disrupt their operations. Thats why having small business insurance, like NegosyoCare, is so important. It offers affordable and accessible coverage, giving these businesses the protection they need without breaking the bank, said Mario Berta, Igloo Philippines Country Manager. Available via GCashs GInsure marketplace, NegosyoCare premiums begin at P160 for one-month coverage and up to P525 for one-year coverage. It provides coverage for accidental deaths, total permanent disability due to accident, and disablement or dismemberment due to accident for up to P50,000. Benefits also include medical reimbursement for accidents for up to P5,000, fire cash assistance for P10,000, and coverage for burglary and housebreaking for P10,000. These tips only scratch the surface of what it takes to run a business in the Philippines, but by taking these steps, aspiring entrepreneurs can set themselves up for success and remember: protect your small business with NegosyoCare, available at the GCash GInsure Marketplace. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. As a means to encourage school-aged children to participate in summer reading, Showcase Cinemas announced that it is bringing back its Bookworm Wednesdays to offer free movies screenings for select films to kids and their families as a reward. The program will be instituted throughout the month of July, when on each Wednesday at 10 a.m., participating theaters will screen a family-friendly film, according to cinema chain in a news release on Thursday. To enter, the kids will need to present a book report during their visit, with seven Showcase Cinemas in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island offering the promotion. A book report form can be downloaded on Showcase Cinemas website. An accompanying parent or guardian along with other children under six years old can also receive free admission to the cinemas, but a submitted book report is not necessary for them to get free access, Showcase Cinemas indicated. The free movie screenings for summer bookworms include: Wednesday, July 5 at 10 a.m. Sonic the Hedgehog (Rated PG) Wednesday, July 12 at 10 a.m. Paw Patrol: The Movie (Rated G) Wednesday, July 19 at 10 a.m. Clifford the Big Red Dog (Rated PG) Wednesday, July 26 at 10 a.m. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Rated PG) Participating theaters for the Bookworm Wednesdays program include: Blackstone Valley 14: Cinema de Lux in Millbury Showcase Cinema de Lux at Legacy Place in Dedham Showcase Cinema de Lux North Attleboro Showcase Cinema de Lux at Patriot Place in Foxborough Showcase Cinema de Lux Randolph Showcase Cinema de Lux Woburn Showcase Cinema de Lux at Hanover Crossing Showcase Cinema de Lux Warwick in Rhode Island Showcase Cinemas added tickets must be reserved in advance on the companys website or mobile app, as walk-up ticketing will not be available and cinemas will not be able to accommodate large groups or summer camps. Guests who come for the free summer reading movies can also buy a 1-2-3 Go Box with popcorn, candy and a drink for $5, Showcase Cinemas said. We know how important it is for children to continue reading during the summer when school is out, and Bookworm Wednesdays provides a fun incentive for kids and families to read, while also providing them with the opportunity to enjoy a free movie on the big screen at Showcase, said Rebecca Stein, the companys vice president of U.S. marketing, in a statement. Stein added it is one of the companys most popular community programs and that Showcase Cinemas is thrilled to bring it back again this year. The company has 23 theater locations in the United States and operates nearly 840 movie screens in the U.S., U.K., Argentina and Brazil under the Showcase, Cinema de Lux, SuperLux and UCI brands, it said. HOLYOKE Holyoke has received a second $200,000 grant from the Massachusetts Gaming Mitigation Fund, which will again go toward raising the citys economic and tourism profile in Western Massachusetts. The fund is designed to assist communities economically affected by the MGM Springfield casino. Plans include establishing a shuttle service between the casino and Holyoke, shuttling casino patrons into the city for annual events. Aaron Vega, director of the citys Office of Planning and Economic Development, emphasized the grants significance in the Holyokes ongoing efforts. The initial $200,000 grant awarded in 2019 paid for Holyokes comprehensive tourism plan. Vega outlined the five major areas, or buckets, where the new funding will be directed. First, there will be continuous work on the Explore Holyoke website, keeping it updated and expanding its reach via social media and e-commerce. Second, the city will begin implementing its historic tourism plan, with potential collaborations with Holyoke Public Library and the citys Historical Commission. In January, Holyoke launched its yearlong 150th Anniversary Celebration. Vega said Holyoke seeks innovative solutions to enhance its historic tourism offerings. Vega mentioned potential partnerships with technology companies for augmented reality experiences, allowing visitors to view overlays of landmark images on modern cityscapes. The grant also will support the Beyond Walls mural project, aiding in creating a dozen new murals in the city. Were going to capitalize on the fact that more people are coming to Western Mass. due to the casino, Vega said. Vega promoted the importance of cultural diversity and food options in bolstering Holyokes image. One of our big focuses is cultural diversity, especially when it comes to our restaurants, he said. The initiatives are seen as more than short-term projects. Vega stressed the importance of building partnerships and creating an appealing community, which includes economic investment. Companies want to see a vibrant community, said Vega. Businesses are looking for places to locate with other activities. While the city still faces challenges, such as homelessness and substance use, Vega acknowledged that the initiatives would bring fresh ideas and resources to Holyoke. The City Council formally accepted the state grant on Tuesday, a requirement before allocating the money. HOLYOKE The citys urban landscape has become a vibrant canvas, thanks to artists from Beyond Walls, a group dedicated to transforming public spaces and uplifting a community. In partnership with the City of Holyoke, El Corazon de Holyoke and Nueva Esperanza Inc., the nonprofit has returned to create public artwork celebrating the citys cultural diversity and history. Amherst community members are calling for more robust action following reports of anti-trans bullying and lack of support at the Amherst Regional Middle School and an investigation that has led to multiple staff members being placed on leave including Assistant Superintendent Doreen Cunningham. Last month, writers with the Amherst student publication The Graphic published an expose on lack of support for transgender students among certain staff members at Amherst Regional Middle School. Since then, The Graphic has published another extensive article detailing complaints against Cunninghams leadership, primarily related to her role in hiring practices at the school district. A debris field was found in the search area for the missing Titan submersible by a remotely-operated-vehicle near the Titanic, the United States Coast Guard tweeted at 11:48 a.m. on Thursday, June 22. The Coast Guard stated of the debris field, Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information. No further information about the debris field was immediately available. The submersible vessel, called the Titan, went missing on Sunday after officials said contact was lost with the five people on board about 1 hour and 45 minutes into the vessels dive. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified after the vessel didnt resurface at its planned time of 6:10 p.m. Sunday. The Coast Guard in Boston joined efforts on Monday to search for the 21-foot submersible, which came from the Canadian research vessel, Polar Prince via OceanGate Expeditions. More reinforcements from several jurisdictions, including the Canadian Coast Guard, arrived Wednesday morning to aid the search. As of approximately 7 a.m. on June 22, by the Coast Guards previous estimates, the passengers onboard have run out of air. Five people were aboard the vessel when it went missing, including a pilot, a renowned British adventurer, two members of an iconic Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert. Their names are Hamish Harding, the owner and chairman of Action Aviation, ex-Navy officer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush. The debris found from the missing Titanic submersible was identified as external parts of the vessel on Thursday, according to CNN. The outlet reported a memo stated the debris found was not the entire vessel, and the five people onboard have still not been found. CNN said the debris, located around 8:55 a.m. on the ocean floor, was about 500 meters from the bow of the Titanic wreckage. The United States Coast Guard stated it will be holding a 3 p.m. press conference in regards to findings from a remotely operated vehicle. The submersible vessel, called the Titan, went missing on Sunday after officials said contact was lost with those on board about 1 hour and 45 minutes into the vessels dive. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified after the vessel didnt resurface at its planned time of 6:10 p.m. Sunday. The Coast Guard in Boston joined efforts on Monday to search for the 21-foot submersible, which came from the Canadian research vessel, Polar Prince via OceanGate Expeditions. More reinforcements from several jurisdictions, including the Canadian Coast Guard, arrived Wednesday morning to help. Based on estimates previously made by the United States Coast Guard, the vessel was expected to have run out of oxygen as of 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday. Rear Admiral John Mauger, the commander of the Coast Guard district leading the search, said the submersible went missing about 900 miles off Cape Cod where the water depth in the area is about 13,000 feet. Five people were aboard the vessel when it went missing, including a pilot, a renowned British adventurer, two members of an iconic Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert. Their names are Hamish Harding, the owner and chairman of Action Aviation, ex-Navy officer Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush. SkyNews, a British outlet, released a report that the debris found was a landing frame and rear cover from sub, according to David Mearns, who the outlet identified as a friend of Harding and Nargeolet, and part of a WhatsApp group with The Explorers Club. Mearns told the outlet the clubs president, who is reported by the outlet to be directly connected to the ships on the site, confirmed the information to the group. Mearns told the outlet, Again this is an unconventional submarine, that rear cover is the pointy end of it and the landing frame is the little frame that it seems to sit on, SkyNews reported. The outlet said Mearns stated this confirms this is the submersible, and means the ship has been fragmented. It means the hull hasnt yet been found but two very important parts of the whole system have been discovered and that would not be found unless its fragmented, Mearns told SkyNews. If the faring is off and the frame is off - then something really bad has happened to the entire structure. On the news that we have yet, they havent found the hull of which the men are inside, SkyNews reported Mearns said. During a Tuesday afternoon press conference, Frederick stated thered been a search by sight and by radar with sub surface efforts, and that monitoring sonar buoys had been dropped on Tuesday, but that those efforts had not yielded any results in the search. Additionally, the U.S. Navy... is working with U.S. transportation command to bring additional assets to the search area, Frederick had said. There are also several private research vessels, RV capabilities, that are making preparations to join the efforts. Authorities said the initial search area was larger than the size of Connecticut, and the surface search area had doubled to twice that size by Wednesday with rescuers looking up to two and a half miles deep into the subsurface. Underwater noises were heard on Tuesday and Wednesday, and during a 1 p.m. press conference on Wednesday, Capt. Jamie Frederick, the First Coast Guard District response coordinator, said the search efforts were focused and continued in the area of the noises. The data collected from the plane that detected the noises was shared with U.S. Navy experts for further analysis, and will be considered in future search plans, Frederick said. Frederick added the international assistance provided by several countries in the search for the missing submersible has been paramount, and listed several operations the rescuers had been performing throughout the week. During the Wednesday afternoon conference, Frederick said there are currently five service assets searching for the Titan, and expected a total of 10 service assets to search within the next 24 to 48 hours. There were also two back-to-back flights planned, one ongoing and one for the evening, Frederick said. As a result of the noises detected on Tuesday, Frederick said ROV operations were relocated to try and find the noises origin, and although the search yielded negative results, the efforts continue in the area. A team of highly trained French ROV operators departed St. Johns last night [and] are en route to aid the search. Moreover, our Canadian partners have been providing critical leadership and significant response capabilities since the beginning of our efforts, Frederick said. Preparations for the 13,000-foot underwater voyage began Friday at Newfoundland Island off Canadas Atlantic coast. The expedition, headed by OceanGate Expeditions, was intended to be an eight-day research tour of the Titanic remains, according to the expedition groups website. OceanGate held successful expeditions of the Titanic remains in 2021 and 2022. The group looks to return to the Titanic wreck site annually to document the historic ship and its rate of decay, according to OceanGates website. The company said at the time that in addition to archaeologists and marine biologists, the expeditions also would include about 40 paid tourists who would take turns operating sonar equipment and performing other tasks in the five-person submersible. The initial group of tourists would pay around $100,000 to $150,000 each to join the expedition. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on Thursday said Vietnam will try its best within its conditions and capabilities to help Cuba overcome difficulties that the country is facing. Receiving Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba Alvaro Lopez Miera in Hanoi, the Vietnamese Party leader highly appreciated the significance of the visit in the context of the two countries looking forward to the 50th anniversary of Cuban leader Fidel Castro's visit to the liberated area in Quang Tri Province. He expressed his belief that the visit will contribute to consolidating and deepening the special traditional friendship between the two parties, the two countries and the two militaries. Vietnam's Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) receives Minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba Alvaro Lopez Miera in Hanoi, June 22, 2023. Photo by VNA General Secretary Trong appreciated the important role and results of defense cooperation between the two countries. He suggested the two sides strengthen practical and effective cooperation, in line with the interests of each country and for peace and development in the region and in the world. For his part, the Cuban minister voiced his belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Vietnamese people will continue to reap great achievements of historical significance, and successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress. He updated the host leader on the situation in Cuba, the Cuban people's support for the Party and the Revolution as shown through the results of the elections to the People's Councils at all levels, the National Assembly, the State leader, and local government. Speaking about the results of cooperation between the armies of the two countries over the past time, he affirmed that they will work closely to implement bilateral cooperation agreements, contributing to strengthening and consolidating the special relations between the two parties, the two States, the two peoples and the two armies. Generic-branded frozen fruit sold at several major grocery store locations nationwide, including in Massachusetts, has been recalled after the food products company said multiple brands of the fruit were linked to a possible contamination of listeria monocytogenes, a deadly bacteria, the FDA announced. The FDA said the possible contamination stems from pineapple supplied to Sunrise Growers Inc. from a third-party. The contamination is believed to have potentially affected major stores such as Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Target and Aldi, the FDA said, including at least 19 separate generic frozen fruit products. Listeria monocytogenes is a bacteria that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in children, immunocompromised and elderly people, the FDA said. Otherwise-healthy individuals may experience symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea, the FDA said. Pregnant people can have miscarriages and stillbirths from contracting the bacteria, the FDA added, and recommended for anyone concerned about an illness to seek medical care. For Massachusetts, the FDA said consumers should check their freezers if they bought generic frozen fruit products at Target, Trader Joes and Aldi, adding that some select Whole Foods stores across the U.S. could also have the potential contaminant. Here is a list of the products from each store Massachusetts residents should not consume and discard, or return to the store for a full refund, according to the FDA. Trader Joes: Distributed at select distribution centers or stores in Massachusetts, among other states, from March 28, 2023 to April 11, 2023. Trader Joes Organic Tropical Fruit Blend Aldi: Distributed at select distribution centers or stores in Massachusetts, among other states, from October 11, 2022 to May 22, 2023. Seasons Choice Tropical Blend Whole Foods: Distributed nationwide from Oct. 14, 2022 to June 21, 2023. 365 Organic Tropical Fruit Medley 365 Organic Pineapple Chunks 365 Pineapple Chunks 365 Organic Whole Strawberries 365 Organic Slice Strawberries and Bananas 365 Organic Blackberries Target: Distributed nationwide from Oct. 14, 2022 to May 22, 2023. SPRINGFIELD Gov. Maura Healeys announcement Thursday of $106 million in start-up funding for a new Hampden County courthouse was met with optimism from local elected officials and building employees, whose hope has been thin for years. Healeys announcement marked the states first commitment to building a brand new complex to replace what has become known as a sick courthouse, as opposed to renovating the existing Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse and nearby courthouses on lower State Street. The 1970s-era courthouse has become associated with sky-high rates of illness and disease, plus troubling outbreaks of mold that have sent entire departments fleeing to alternative office spaces over the past two years. Two judges among the stricken The death of Judge William Boyle, who shared a chambers with the late Judge Robert Kumor, became something of a renewed rally cry for a new building after Boyle in 2019 died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Kumor died of the same, relatively rare disease six years earlier. Several other employees died of the illness, while still others suffered from serious forms of cancer and respiratory woes. The Hampden County Bar Association held its annual Law Day celebration, where they unveiled a portrait of retired District Court Judge William J. Boyle, who is battling ALS disease and did not attend the ceremony, on May 1, 2019, in Springfield. From left are Judge Boyle's family members, his brother, Dr. Joseph Boyle, daughter, Margaret Boyle, wife Rose Boyle and brother the Rev. Daniel Boyle. In the rear is Judge John Payne. Don Treeger / The Republican, File) Boyles daughter, Margaret Boyle, was among the first to applaud the new courthouse development. From the beginning, my fathers doctors said the chances that he and the previous occupant of his office would be diagnosed with ALS was Powerball odds. Between that and the number of courthouse employees who have come down with serious health ailments, the time for a new courthouse is long past due, she said. On behalf of her family, Boyle expressed appreciation for the tireless work of advocates from inside and outside the courthouse whose constant pressure made this first step a reality. We look forward to hearing more good news to support the well-being of all those who have entered the building, Boyle said. Got his staff out Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni was among the first who moved most of his staff away from the courthouse, opting for office suites in nearby Tower Square. Hampden District Attorney Anthony D. Gulluni speaks in Springfield on Feb. 25. (Don Treeger / The Republican, File) In August 2021, years of frustration boiled ever when persistent, alarming and very noticeable mold growth was permeating the Springfield courthouse. After weeks of unanswered questions and failed remediation efforts, Gulluni evacuated his staff because of mounting health concerns; he said the dramatic move helped draw attention to the problems at the courthouse. On Thursday, Gulluni said news of the funding would be well-received by all who do business at the court. A very sizable down payment on a new courthouse here in Springfield is very welcome to me, the entire legal community and the public at-large who accesses the courthouse for essential government functions, Gulluni said. Design and site TBD The initial $106 million will be devoted to design and selection of a new site yet to be determined, although a site assessment from the states Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance was released earlier this month. That assessment was the product of the state settling a class action lawsuit brought in 2021 by current and former employees of the courthouse. Of the top six sites identified under a scoring system, four are in greater downtown Springfield, with a fifth in East Forest Park and a sixth in East Longmeadow. The total price tag for the project is estimated to land between $400 million and $500 million, with an approximate completion time a decade from now. Invest in relocation immediately John S. Gay, clerk magistrate for Springfield District Court, said topping his wish list for the initial funding is temporary relocation of all employees. I commend and thank the governor for her advocacy, and suggest that a good portion of the $106 million be invested in immediately relocating the operations of all courts at 50 and 80 State St. to an appropriate and healthy transitional site, said Gay. His offices are on the first floor of the Ireland courthouse. Hampden Superior Court Clerk Laura Gentile also was among those who welcomed the news of a new building, but will advocate for a downtown site. Hampden Superior Court Clerk Laura Gentile speaks at a legislative gathering at the courthouse in 2017. (The Republican, File)Staff-Shot Its nice to finally have a breath of fresh air blowing through Western Massachusetts. Its sad that it took so many misfortunes to get here, she said, honoring late Assistant Clerk Kevin J. Claffey, who died of cancer last year at 67 just four months into retirement and after his doctors told him not to re-enter the building amid the mold outbreaks. I also feel strongly that a new courthouse belongs in downtown Springfield in order to provide the easiest access to our community, Gentile added. Mayors and magnates eyes are on riverfront Mayor Domenic Sarno, too, lauded the news as a longtime advocate of a new courthouse in the downtown area but specifically reprised his preference that it be sited on the north riverfront. That development prospect was spearheaded last year by local transportation and real estate magnate Peter A. Picknelly and billed as a $475 million project on a 14.5-acre site that also has retail and residential potential. This would be a game changer for the city of Springfield and address a wide variety of needs for our city, including much-needed additional housing to the city, Sarno said. This project would also address parking and public transportation aspects, create additional amenities from restaurants and boutique shops along with a proposed marina, and more of that good four-letter word jobs. Sarno also expressed gratitude to Healey, members of her administration and leaders in the Legislature and the states Trial Court. Mayoral challenger disagrees City Councilor Justin Hurst, a mayoral challenger in the upcoming election, said he also believes the courthouse should stay in the downtown but disagrees that the riverfront is the best option. This is huge, but its only huge if it stays in Springfield, and I personally dont want a courthouse on the riverfront. We need to spend our time lowering I-91, and frankly, the last thing I want to see if Im getting a bite to eat on the riverfront is people streaming in and out of the courthouse, Hurst said. He added that the highway bifurcating the riverfront might exclude opportunities for businesses on the other side. In its site assessment, DCAMM said it would primarily be focused on parcels that fell into the top six of prospects in the scoring system, and Picknellys proposal fell well outside of that. As opposed to banging that drum, we should be banging a drum on something more realistic and that makes more sense for the city, Hurst said. Finer points of Picknellys plan Reached Thursday, Picknelly said news of the state funding made for a really good day for Springfield.. We are getting closer, Picknelly said. I think it just clears one more hurdle that brings us closer to the brand new courthouse in Springfield, which is certainly needed. Picknelly, chairman and CEO of Peter Pan Bus Lines, said the DCAMM analysis missed some factors, including that his proposal requires no demolition or temporary relocation, and can begin permitting work immediately. Also, his proposal opens up the current courthouse site for redevelopment after its done. I believe our proposal is transformative for our city, Picknelly said. We continue to work with the administration and the state to highlight its advantages. Picknellys proposal includes 9 acres of land that he plans to purchase from The Republican with the residential building on land owned by Peter Pan Bus Lines. His planned four-story, 210,000- to 260,000-square-foot courthouse alone would cost about $295 million. Delegation pleased Members of the Western Massachusetts delegation were united in lauding a persistent group effort that increased in volume in recent years to push for the new building. State Rep. Michael Finn speaks during a press conference at the Eastern States Exposition in late March. (Don Treeger / The Republican, File) This announcing of intent to build a new courthouse stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication and relentless advocacy of my esteemed colleagues, devoted courthouse employees and the resilient residents of Springfield, said state Rep. Michael Finn, D-West Springfield, and House chair of the Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets. His committee will play an integral role in meeting financial milestones of the project. Having served as an employee within its walls for 15 years, I have witnessed firsthand the perils that plague our current courthouse, Finn said, referring to his tenure as a court officer before taking elected office. State Reps. Orlando Ramos and Carlos Gonzalez of the 9th and 10th Hampden Districts, respectively, echoed the fervor for a downtown-centric site for the new courthouse. This took a coordinated effort and a new governor, one who listens to Western Massachusetts, Gonzalez said. But downtown Springfield or an adjacent neighborhood. Those are the only locations that I can support. Ramos, also a challenger to Sarno in the upcoming mayoral election, joined in on the growing call for a downtown site. This announcement means that renovation of the existing building is no longer under consideration, and I wholeheartedly agree. Many people especially the employees of the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse have been waiting a long time for this great news, Ramos said. Rick Sullivan, the former Westfield mayor and current president and CEO of the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, said, whichever design and site is chosen, the states solution to the courthouse woes must be permanent. If youre going to make that kind of investment, do it right the first time. Staff writer Jim Kinney contributed to this report. HOLYOKE Holyokes antiquated William R. Peck School will be replaced with a state-of-the-art middle school, thanks to financial support from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. On Wednesday, the authoritys board unanimously approved reimbursing over half of the estimated $85,504,592 building project. The remaining $40 million will be covered by the city of Holyoke through long-term bonding. The Peck School, deemed outdated with an aging infrastructure in a 2016 study, will be demolished later this summer. The authoritys approval was the final step before the demolition could commence. Under the agreement, the authority will reimburse Holyoke $46 million of the total project costs. The actual construction will cost around $70 million, with the remaining funding set aside for furniture, fixtures, technologies and other add-ons. Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, who appeared Wednesday before the board, thanked the authority directors for financially supporting the new middle school. He was joined by city and educational officials at the meeting. I also deeply appreciate the support from my colleagues on the Holyoke City Council, Garcia said. Their unanimous vote of support June 6 demonstrates our shared commitment to help pay for and build this much-needed new school. Garcia credited collaboration between the citys financial department and City Council in exploring payment options, which included long-term debt forecasting. The 2016 study noted that the 1970s-era Peck School was unsuitable for modern students needs. While voters rejected building two middle schools in 2019, a single-school proposal gained momentum. The School Building Committee chose Mount Vernon Group as the lead architect, which designed the Goodnow Brothers Elementary School in Marlborough. The Holyoke school will be based on the Marlborough schematic, also used by three other Massachusetts communities. Earlier in the month, the City Council approved pursuing an $86 million construction bond, a solid signal of community support to the state. The new school will accommodate 550 students in grades six through eight. In the 2023-2024 academic year, the Holyoke Public Schools will launch a separate elementary and middle school model, with the Lt. Clayre P. Sullivan School accommodating over 500 middle schoolers. While there are many steps we must take between now and when the new middle school is ready to occupy in fall or winter 2025, today marks the turning point between our vision for Holyokes future and the reality that can now come to life, state Receiver Anthony Soto said. Soto credited local officials and the community for supporting the middle school project. Our vision for Holyoke this new reality for Holyoke is only possible because people throughout our community believed our students needed and deserved this, and they worked tirelessly both individually and cooperatively to help make it happen, he said. The receiver expects $500,000 in savings in energy costs by replacing the Peck School and closing underused facilities. The available dollars will be applied to the yearly debt payment. Authority Executive Director Jack McCarthy said he was disappointed with the 2019 referendum outcome. We didnt know where we were going to go and didnt know how we were going to get this done. But you took our advice on a lot of things together, McCarthy said. Im very happy that this is happening today. State Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, and state Rep. Patricia Duffy, D-Holyoke, offered their congratulations. Its just been a long time coming. Its been the epitome of collaboration. A big thank you to the MSBA, the board and everybody involved, Velis said. Following years of a piecemeal approach to PFAS contamination and more than a year after a task force unanimously recommended 30 steps to deal with the problem, environmental groups, consumer advocates, firefighters and the attorney generals office paraded before the Public Health Committee on Wednesday to support legislation that would represent the states most significant step yet to get its arms around the ubiquitous forever chemicals. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that do not break down entirely in the environment, and exposure to their long-lasting presence has been linked to serious and negative health impacts like thyroid disease and kidney cancer. PFAS chemicals are all around us they are used in non-stick cookware, food packaging, childrens products, carpets, leather goods, ski wax, firefighting foams and more and they have leeched into drinking water supplies and the soil. Assistant Attorney General Andrew Goldberg, who works in the AGs Environmental Protection Division, said that studies have estimated that 99 percent of the U.S. population has detectable levels of PFAS in their bloodstream. Were all exposed to PFAS on a daily basis from the coated cookware that we use to make our food, the treated fabrics we wear and use, and the water supplies from which we drink, Goldberg told the Public Health Committee as he voiced support for legislation that would implement many of the 30 recommendations made last year by the PFAS Interagency Task Force that he served on. Filed by Rep. Kate Hogan of Stow and Sen. Julian Cyr of Truro, the bill (H 2197 / S 1356) would ban the use of PFAS in most products to prevent new contamination, require sellers to inform customers if PFAS chemicals are present in their products, create new programs to clean up contamination that already exists, and would have the state regulate PFAS chemicals as one class rather than individually. As long as we keep making and using things with PFAS, we will keep contaminating our bodies and the environment with ever-increasing amounts of PFAS. The only solution is to turn off the tap, Laura Spark, senior policy advocate at Clean Water Action, told the committee. Read more: Local PFAS activist welcomes national drinking water standard proposed by EPA Firefighter protective gear, food packaging, childrens products, cookware, rugs and carpets, upholstered furniture, personal care products and fabric treatments with intentionally added PFAS chemicals could not be sold after Jan. 1, 2026. In 2030, the ban would extend to effectively any product to which the substances are intentionally added unless state regulators determine the use of PFAS is currently unavoidable and approve a maximum exemption of three years. Some products would need to be tested for unintentionally added PFAS starting in 2030. This law is similar to those passed in other states. This law is supported by an impressive array and a unanimous array of organizations and scientists ... This law is a plan to eliminate PFAS to the maximum extent possible. After 80 years of unfettered production and usage, PFAS is found throughout our state and around the world. And as we know, it lasts forever, Clint Richmond, toxic policy lead for the Massachusetts Sierra Club, said. We must protect our citizens and residents as Article 97 of our Constitution mandates, which states that the people shall have the right to clean air and clean water. And like those other pervasive petrochemicals, plastics, PFAS is the ultimate environmental contaminant. The legislation would also create a PFAS Remediation Trust Fund that would steer grant dollars to municipalities and water systems to help clean up contamination in drinking water, groundwater and soil. And the Department of Environmental Protection would be directed under the bill to amend surface water and groundwater discharge permits to require PFAS monitoring. We are supportive of the legislations overarching goals of providing support to our water systems, communities and residents who are facing PFAS contamination, addressing source control of PFAS and providing better public education regarding PFAS, Jennifer Pederson, executive director of the Massachusetts Water Works Association, said. Pederson said one of the biggest challenges facing her organizations members is funding the treatment that is necessary when drinking water is found to contain PFAS at elevated levels. The Massachusetts Clean Water Trust has committed $212 million in state revolving loan funds to help pay for 26 PFAS-related drinking water projects and other water systems have privately financed the treatment, she said. Thirty-nine water systems are in the process of trying to bring PFAS levels down below the state standard. Massachusetts currently regulates six PFAS compounds in drinking water with a threshold of 20 parts per trillion. If new federal requirements that set enforceable limits for pollution from two specific PFAS compounds in drinking water at four parts per trillion are made final, Pederson said, an additional 149 public water systems will be impacted. We greatly appreciate that this legislation establishes a PFAS remediation fund. We do have concerns that the primary mechanism for funding it will be potential settlements associated with the claims against the manufacturers of aqueous film-forming foam used in firefighting, she said. Pederson added, We would urge the committee to identify other funding sources, not only for treatment installation but ongoing operations and maintenance. PFAS contamination is a problem that has been on the Legislatures radar for years and many lawmakers have stories about how the problem has affected their districts, both from a health perspective and financially. A push to take sweeping action to address PFAS contamination this session could benefit from the fact that the two chief sponsors of leading PFAS legislation, Hogan and Cyr, hold leadership positions in their chambers. Hogan is the House speaker pro tempore and Cyr is the Senates assistant majority whip. The Hogan/Cyr bill has significant support beyond environmental and consumer protection groups. More than 70 of the Legislatures 200 lawmakers have cosponsored one or both versions of the bill. And while Gov. Maura Healeys administration has not taken a position on the bill (other than to say the governor would review it if it reaches her desk), Healey joined with colleagues from around the country urging Congress to rein in PFAS chemicals and suing manufacturers of firefighting foam containing the substances during her tenure as attorney general. During a February radio interview, the governor described PFAS contamination as a big problem and said reining in the impact of PFAS chemicals is a priority for her administration. When it comes to PFAS, know that I want to do everything we can as a state to help homeowners out, of course, help municipalities out, Healey said on WBURs Radio Boston. PFAS is a big problem. The numbers around PFAS in terms of its cost are just astronomical. Were definitely going to need help from the federal government. A New Hampshire woman was accused of photographing naked children at a Tyngsborough daycare center she was employed at and sending the photos to another individual. Lindsay Groves, 38, of Hudson, New Hampshire was charged with sexual exploitation of children and distribution of pornography, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office District of Massachusetts. Groves was employed at the Creative Minds daycare in Tyngsborough. According to federal prosecutors, from May 2022 through June 2023, Groves took multiple nude images of children at the daycare and sent them to a person with which she was in a relationship. Officials said Groves took photos of the naked children while changing their diapers in a private bathroom. A follow-up review of Groves cellphone showed more than 2,500 texts between her and her partner. In the texts, the two discussed and transferred several photographs of naked children Groves sent while employed at Creative Minds, officials stated. Federal authorities said at least four of the children photographed were between 3 and 5 years old. Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding the case are urged to call federal investigators at 617-748-3274. The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000, according to officials. The Wakefield man accused of sending online gift cards to help the Islamic State of Iraq and as-Sham terror organization must undergo mental health treatment, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Mateo Ventura rocked back and forth with his eyes to the ground during a hearing in U.S. District Court Thursday. Ventura faces one count of knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, according to the criminal complaint against him. Ventura was arrested two weeks ago, after officials said he used gift cards to raise money for the terror group. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy continued the detention hearing set for Thursday, and ruled that Ventura undergo inpatient treatment, first at St. Vincents Hospital in Worcester until a bed can be located. After treatment is concluded, Ventura will face another detention hearing. If Ventura leaves the program without permission, he can be arrested and brought to court, Hennessy said. Prosecutors did not oppose the treatment plan. Prosecutors had previously filed several exhibits in support of detention, one of them an FBI report, detailing an interview with a ticket agent for Qatar Airways. According to the report, Ventura approached the ticket agent on Feb. 1, 2022, attempting to obtain a boarding pass. When the ticket agent requested his passport and a negative PCR test, Ventura said he didnt have a negative test with him, the agent told investigators. She told Ventura that he would not be able to board without a negative test. The agent described Ventura as not acting normal and was not able to make eye contact with her. Massachusetts State Police Report On Feb. 2, 2022 a trooper responded to Logan International Airport shortly after midnight, and approached Ventura, who was sitting next to the express checkout for PCR COVID testing. The trooper questioned Ventura on his business at the airport, to which Ventura said he was trying to fly to Cairo to join family. According to the report, the trooper looked at Venturas passport and found he was underage, then informed Ventura he would have to call his parents to confirm they knew he was at the airport. When Ventura responded that he couldnt get that confirmation, other troopers arrived and took Ventura back to his home. His father said he was aware of charges to his credit card, and told troopers he had canceled them. According to the criminal complaint filed earlier this month, Ventura began communicating with an undercover FBI informant in August 2021, indicating he wanted to make hijrah which FBI Special Agent Paul Lagno noted in the complaint references joining the fight with ISIS overseas. The interactions began when Ventura, who turned 18 earlier this year, was still underage, according to the complaint. Lango wrote that Ventura sent $965 to support the terror group before his 18th birthday, and an additional $705 as an adult. A spreadsheet included in the complaint shows most of the donations came from Google Play gift cards, with lesser amounts as Amazon, PlayStation and Steam gift cards. Police found a 4-year-old Springfield girl who officials said was taken by her mother during a family party Thursday morning. Authorities located Brandee Arnold, 32, with her 4-year-old daughter Cortana Goncalves at a trailer park on Fifth Avenue in Chesire, according to Massachusetts State Police. Officials located Arnold shortly after sending out an AMBER alert for Goncalves Thursday at around 11:20. Police said Arnold does not have custody over her child. Police arrested Arnold and are transferring her to Springfield police. The Springfield Police Department will decide what charges Arnold will face in connection with the kidnapping incident. A year out from the U.S. Supreme Court overturn of Roe v. Wade, Massachusetts politicians are working on increasing access to reproductive care in the state, introducing legislation that would allow pharmacists to prescribe hormonal birth control. People kept saying, well, we dont have to worry about abortion, its settled law, Roe v. Wade stands, and they were wrong. So people should not feel comfortable with the fact that the right to contraception will remain legal, said state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, who sponsored the legislation with state Rep. Christine Barber. Sabadosa referenced a concurring opinion by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the case that overturned Roe v. Wade, which suggested that contraception should be reconsidered. According to a 2016 study published in the Journal of Womens Health, one-third of adult U.S. women who have ever tried to obtain prescription contraception reported access barriers. Rebecca Hart Holder, president of Reproductive Equity Now, said women often face unnecessary clinical visits or examination requirements which prevents individuals from being able to get birth control, especially with a healthcare system which is backed up due to staffing shortages or from the aftermath of the pandemic. The fact that you cant get a visit with your clinician should not be a barrier to getting birth control, Hart Holder said. If passed, Massachusetts would be the 27th state to pass the act, according to Sabadosa. The bill, also known as Bill H.2133, was passed in the Senate budget mid-May and supported to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Massachusetts has already passed a couple of pieces of legislation related to contraception access, including the Protecting Access to Confidential Health Care (PATCH) Act, which allows patients to request a summary of a payment form for their health insurance sent directly to them instead of the policyholder, and the Advancing Contraceptive Coverage and Economic Security in our State (ACCESS) Act, which provides eligible individuals to be prescribed one years supply of prescription birth control at no cost and emergency contraception at no cost. At the federal level, however, the likelihood of a federal law passing in Congress guaranteeing access to birth control remains grim, according to Sabadosa. U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey, D-Mass, and U.S. Representative Kathy Manning, D-N.C., reintroduced the Right to Contraception Act, also known as H.R.8373, which would allow all Americans the legal right to access any FDA-approved birth control, however, it was blocked on the Senate floor for the second time on Wednesday. Only 33 U.S. Senators all Democrats and 127 members in the House backed the act, well short of what it needed for passage. Birth control gives people the ability to make deeply intimate decisions about when and whether to become a parent. It allows them to control their reproductive destiny and it allows them to decide when and how to start a family, said Hart Holder. As of June 1, 2023, the Guttmacher Institute found that nine states have emergency contraception restrictions. The Right to Contraception Act was initially passed in the House in 2022 with bipartisan support by a vote of 228-195. Congress has an obligation to fulfill its duty to protect the rights of Americans from marriage equality to civil rights and worker safety, said Sen. Markey. Yet, today, when I asked Republicans for the second time to stand up for the right to contraception a policy that a vast majority of Americans support they said no. Each and every Republican who refused to protect the right to contraception told Americans loud and clear that theyre willing to risk the health of millions of Americans for politics. Markey said he will be continuing to fight to pass the Right to Contraception Act. The remote search for the missing Titanic submersible will continue with no definitive timeline after debris consistent with a catastrophic implosion was found near the Titanic wreckage site, leading officials to believe all five onboard are dead, according to the United States Coast Guard. During a 3 p.m. press conference on Thursday, Rear Adm. John Mauger, the First Coast Guard District commander, said an ROV called Horizon Arctic had found five pieces of debris about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic, which suggested catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber, or an implosion on the Titan submersible. Upon this determination we immediately notified the families on behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command. I offer my deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them, Mauger stated. Mauger said personnel and search vessels would begin mobilizing away from the scene over the course of the next 24 hours, but stated officials had no intention of halting a remote search. Were going to continue remote operations on the seafloor, and I dont have a timeline for when we would intend to stop remote operations on the seafloor, Mauger said. The submersible vessel, called the Titan, went missing on Sunday after officials said contact was lost with those on board about 1 hour and 45 minutes into the vessels dive. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified after the vessel didnt resurface at its planned time of 6:10 p.m. Sunday. The Coast Guard in Boston joined efforts on Monday to search for the 21-foot submersible, which came from the Canadian research vessel, Polar Prince via OceanGate Expeditions. More reinforcements from several jurisdictions, including the Canadian Coast Guard, arrived Wednesday morning to help. Based on estimates previously made by the United States Coast Guard, the vessel was expected to have run out of oxygen as of 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Thursday. Mauger, the commander of the Coast Guard district leading the search, said the submersible went missing about 900 miles off Cape Cod where the water depth in the area is about 13,000 feet. Five people were aboard the vessel when it went missing, including a pilot, a renowned British adventurer, two members of an iconic Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert. Their names are Hamish Harding, the owner and chairman of Action Aviation, ex-Navy officer Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman, and founder of OceanGate Expeditions, Stockton Rush. Authorities nationwide had converged on the wreckage site in a unified effort throughout the week, with enforcements coming from American, Canadian, British and French officials, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The efforts included air and subsurface searches, along with sonar buoys and ROV vessels deployed at the search site. Read more: Titanic submersible reaches estimated deadline for oxygen to run out Authorities said the initial search area was larger than the size of Connecticut, and the surface search area had doubled to twice that size by Wednesday with rescuers looking up to 2 miles deep into the subsurface. Frederick added the international assistance provided by several countries in the search for the missing submersible has been paramount, and listed several operations the rescuers had been performing throughout the week. Preparations for the 13,000-foot underwater voyage began Friday at Newfoundland Island off Canadas Atlantic coast. The expedition, headed by OceanGate Expeditions, was intended to be an eight-day research tour of the Titanic remains, according to the expedition groups website. OceanGate held successful expeditions of the Titanic remains in 2021 and 2022. The group looks to return to the Titanic wreck site annually to document the historic ship and its rate of decay, according to OceanGates website. The company said at the time that in addition to archaeologists and marine biologists, the expeditions also would include about 40 paid tourists who would take turns operating sonar equipment and performing other tasks in the five-person submersible. The initial group of tourists would pay around $100,000 to $150,000 each to join the expedition. Editors note: This story contains a description of the abuse and death of a child and could be disturbing to some readers. _________ Court documents detailing what led up to the death of 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery in 2019, two years before she was declared missing, were unsealed on Tuesday. Testimony provided by Harmonys stepmother Kayla fleshed out her final moments and what steps her father, Adam, took to hide her body from view and slowly destroy it before, according to the documents, eventually hiding it after leaving with it in a U-Haul truck. Montgomery is charged with second-degree murder in the girls death and also faces charges of abuse of a corpse, tampering with witnesses and falsifying physical evidence. Kayla admitted she had lied during her grand jury testimony and said she had information about her daughter, the documents read. Heres what we know so far. Read more: Unsealed documents claim Harmony Montgomery was punched in head for having accidents What led up to Harmonys death? After the family was evicted from their Manchester home on Nov. 27, 2019, the family lived inside a Chrysler Sebring or in the parking lot of Colonial Village on River Road in Manchester where their friend, Anthony Bodero, lived. On Dec. 7, Kayla said Adam struck Harmony in the face/head on three separate occasions because she had a bathroom accident, the documents said. Montgomery did this to Harmony, seated in the backseat, while driving and delivered sets of three-to-four blows with a closed fist to Harmonys face/head on three separate occasions over the course of a few minutes. After the last hit, Kayla recalled Adam saying words to the effect of that he felt something or heard something when he hit Harmony, and, I think I really hurt her this time. I think I did something. For the next five minutes, Harmony made a moaning type noise that then stopped, court documents said. Harmony never went to the hospital or received medical attention, nor did anyone check on her during the drive. Kayla said she did not recall exactly what the family did during that time. The Chrysler broke down between 8 and 9 a.m., not long after they left the parking lot following that 20-minute interval. The couple found Harmony not breathing. Montgomery went to the trunk, removed clothing from an Under Armor duffle bag and put Harmonys body inside the duffle bag, court documents said. Bodero drove the family back to his apartment complex and allowed the family to continue living in his Audi, Kayla told officials. They stayed in his car for up to three days, with Harmonys body in the trunk until Montgomery occasionally left her body out on the snow to stop the decomposition of the body from happening, the court documents said. What happened after Harmonys death? The family left the apartment parking lot and moved into Kaylas mothers apartment in Manchester to stay with her mother, Christina Lubin, until Dec. 30. During that time, Montgomery put Harmonys body inside a red cooler that stayed in the common hallway until the family left, Kayla said. Lubin later testified that she did not see Adam or Kayla cry about not having Harmony. The family moved into a Families in Transition shelter in Manchester on Dec. 30, with Harmonys body still in the duffle bag. Kayla told authorities that Montgomery placed Harmonys body in the bedrooms ceiling vent. They moved to an apartment in Manchester next, pushing her body to the new address using a stroller while she was in a plastic storage bin container, then moving her into a refrigerator. Adam Montgomery spent hours with Harmonys body in the apartment bathroom with the shower running, court documents said. He then placed her body inside a Catholic Medical Center maternity bag before moving her into a freezer and the walk-in freezer at Portland Pie Company, the restaurant he worked at. Kayla placed Harmonys body between her two young sons in the stroller going to the restaurant, court documents said. Montgomery attempted to speed up the bodys decomposition before he rented a U-Haul and made an overnight drive to dispose of Harmonys body. Kayla said she did not know where he went and where Harmonys body was located, but remembered he came back between 5 and 6 a.m. that same morning. What happened to the U-Haul van? Court documents said that a 2019 GMC Savana cargo van was rented under the name of Brendon Middleton from a U-Haul facility located at 515 South Willow St. in Manchester, New Hampshire. Middletons friend Travis Beach was supposed to rent the van for Montgomery but couldnt because he did not have an ID or debit card. Beach and Beachs girlfriend Britney Bedard moved the van to the Econo Lodge, where Montgomery and Kayla were staying, authorities said. Montgomery asked him to get rid of the stuff, which court documents said occurred over the next few days near the west side of Manchester. Investigators determined Montgomery drove 133 miles on the truck, which cost about $32.49 and was paid by card under Britney Bedard. An inspection of the vehicle later found a faint reaction on parts of the vans interior using a chemical agent called Blue Star, which can detect blood that may not be visible to the naked eye. Each area was swabbed and the swabs are currently pending further forensic testing, according to court documents. When was Harmony declared missing? Harmonys disappearance was not reported until the very end of 2021. On Jan. 3, 2022, Manchester police announced a dedicated tip line for help locating her, with Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg providing details describing her appearance. When was Adam Montgomery arrested? Montgomery was arrested on Jan. 5, 2022. He was charged with felony second-degree assault arising from 2019 conduct against Harmony, along with one misdemeanor charge of interference with custody and two misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a child pertaining to Harmony, police said. He was arrested again on Oct. 24, 2022, and charged with murdering Harmony. Montgomery was arrested on the charges of second-degree murder, falsifying evidence, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with witnesses or informants, officials said. On Jan. 27, 2023, Montgomery was indicted on these charges. He is due to return to court in August 2023, NBC 10 Boston reported. Since his arrests, Montgomery was found guilty on gun charges on June 8, unrelated to Harmonys disappearance. What happened to Harmonys stepmother Kayla? New Hampshire State Police arrested Kayla in January 2022 after they said she received over $1,500 in food stamp benefits for Harmony despite the fact that Harmony was no longer living with Kayla and Kaylas husband, Adam Montgomery. That June, Kayla told investigators that Harmony was killed by Montgomery. She said he wanted her to lie about where Harmony was on multiple occasions, with the quote, basically giving Kayla a cover story and telling her that as long as she stuck to the cover story everything would be OK. Her testimony appeared in court documents unsealed on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. On July 27, a judge dropped one count of welfare fraud from Kaylas charges because the deadline for a grand jury indictment had passed. Later in November, Kayla then pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury under a plea deal she struck with prosecutors. The deal included prison time and an agreement to cooperate in future state proceedings like testifying in a second-degree murder trial of Harmonys father. When did authorities last look for Harmony? Massachusetts State Police and Manchester, New Hampshire police conducted a search of the Revere wetlands on April 7, 2023. Authorities sent four K-9 unit teams, a drone unit, and members of the state police detective unit in Suffolk County after 9 a.m. By 4 p.m., the search ended with no information available on any findings from the investigation. The unsealed affidavit shows the U-Haul truck Adam Montgomery is believed to have driven with Harmonys body was captured on video camera driving over the Tobin Bridge in Boston and then returning in the other direction from Chelsea. Indonesia scraps visa-free entry for all except ASEAN nationals A surfing instructor gives instructions to tourists in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, in November 2022. Photo by Reuters Indonesia has stopped the visa-free entry citizens of 159 countries and territories used to be eligible for amid concerns about "disruption of public order and potential transmission of diseases." English daily Bali Times said the suspension is now in effect following a Ministry of Law and Human Rights decree issued on June 7. Authorities recently launched a crackdown on visitors found posing naked for photos at sacred sites, driving motorbikes without helmets and committing crimes. There is also a threat of diseases carried by people coming from countries not certified as disease-free by the World Health Organization, the ministry said in a statement. All tourists must obtain a visa from Indonesian missions abroad or electronically. "By temporarily halting visa-free visits, the government aims to mitigate the potential risks associated with individuals entering the country without proper scrutiny and documentation," the ministry added. Since 2016 Indonesia has waived visa requirements for travelers from 169 countries, including 10 ASEAN countries. Only nationals of ASEAN countries Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam now remain exempt from the visa requirement. Intra-ASEAN travel is visa-free and visitors can stay in Indonesia for up to 30 days with a confirmed return ticket. Editors note: This story contains a description of the abuse and death of a child and could be disturbing to some readers. _________ Harmony Montgomerys father, Adam Montgomery was given the keys to a U-Haul van that couldve been used to dispose of Harmonys body, according to newly unsealed court documents. Adam Montgomery has been charged with murder in connection with the death of his 5-year-old daughter, Harmony. Authorities say Adam Montgomery punched his daughter in the head multiple times causing her death in 2019, although the girl was not reported missing until 2021. Her body has not been found. However, new details in an affidavit unsealed this week offer some clues as to the eventual destination of Harmonys body. Authorities say after killing his daughter, Adam Montgomery with the help of his wife, moved Harmonys body repeatedly over the course of several months before finally renting a U-Haul vehicle to transport it to an undisclosed location. On March 3, 2020, court records state a 2019 GMC Savana cargo van was rented under the name of Brendon Middleton from a U-Haul facility located at 515 South Willow Street in Manchester, N.H. Middleton was told by his friend Travis Beach that the purpose of the van was to move furniture or something along those lines, according to the documents. Beach was supposed to rent the van for Adam Montgomery but couldnt because he didnt have an ID or debit card. Authorities say Middleton drove the van to the gas station right next to the U-Haul facility and then either Beach or his girlfriend, Britney Bedard, picked the van up and drove it to the Econo Lodge in Manchester where Adam Montgomery and his wife, Kayla Montgomery, Harmonys stepmother, were reportedly staying. Court records show Kayla told authorities that Adam kept Harmonys body in a Catholic Medical Center maternity bag which was stored inside a freezer at their 644 Union Street #2 address until the spring of 2020, according to the documents. That spring, the couple went to stay at the Econo Lodge where Adam supposedly moved the body into a mini-refrigerator in their room, 216, according to the court documents. One night, Adam reportedly took the maternity bag with Harmonys body in it and nothing else. Kayla said that Adam didnt want her to know where he was going in case something like this happened, read the documents. While looking through the hotel windows that night, Kayla recalled seeing Adam and someone else who mightve been his friend Travis Beach, or his girlfriend Britney Bedard, or both, in a large van with a 19.99 on the back, which is consistent with the lettering and numbering on a U-Haul rental vehicle, according to the documents. Bobby Johnson, an inmate at the Hillsborough County House of Corrections, who had known Beach for years, said he had a conversation with Beach recently about Adam. Beach told Johnson that Adam had come up to him saying he fucked up and that he did wrong and needed help, read the documents. During the conversation, according to Johnson, Beach said that Adam was asking him to get rid of the stuff, and that they drove around the county for the next few days getting rid of stuff. Johnson said that Beach never specifically mentioned body parts but said stuff was wrapped in plastic or plastic bags, read the documents. Johnson explained how the tone of Beachs and Adams conversation sounded like Adam had killed the child and disposed of the body, according to the documents. Johnson believed that Beach had mentioned the west side of Manchester as areas they mightve gone and possibly a street starting with the letter C. Johnson also believed that Beach mightve been the one driving the U-Haul when this all happened. After Middleton rented the U-Haul van, investigators determined Montgomery drove 133 miles on the truck, which cost about $32.49 and was paid by card under Britney Bedard, who was Beachs girlfriend. There was an additional charge of $104.74, which reportedly wasnt paid. Spotted at the Tobin Bridge Three toll violations were reported by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, with the specific U-Haul van Adam was supposedly driving at that time. The violations occurred on March 4, 2020 at three different times: 4:44 a.m. at the Tobin Bridge North, 4:45 a.m. at the Tobin Bridge South, and 5:25 a.m. at the Tobin Bridge local north. These times matched up with Kaylas description of when Adam was using the U-Haul to dispose of Harmonys body, according to the court documents. The U-Haul rental location at 515 South Willow Street in Manchester, New Hampshire, is about 54 minutes away from the Tobin Bridge, which equals about 49.6 miles one way. If Adam drove the vehicle over the Tobin bridge and back, that equals about 99.2 miles total, leaving about 13.8 miles left from the 133 miles Bedard paid for on her credit card. Photo evidence from MassDOT was provided of the U-Haul van that caused these violations but the photos had been distorted for privacy reasons and its not possible to identify the driver or see how many passengers there may have been, according to the court documents. Police previously searched a wetlands area in Revere, just north of Boston, as part of their investigation but did not release any findings from the investigation. U-Haul van at Tobin Bridge Toll from MassDOT U-Haul van at Tobin Bridge Toll from MassDOT Around May 14, 2021, the U-Haul van was sold at auction to a man and his son in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for the use of their business. Investigators located the vehicle and inspected it. To find evidence of hemoglobin, a molecule present in blood, officials used a chemical agent called Blue Star on surfaces where blood may not be visible to the naked eye. Officials used the Blue Star on the U-Haul van on the right side of the interior step on the drivers side and found a faint reaction on the passengers side on the floorboard. Two reactions also occurred approximately halfway up the back of the passengers seat along the side of the seat closest to the door, read the documents. The reactions mean a high likelihood of blood present. Each area was swabbed and the swabs are currently pending further forensic testing, according to court documents. As of June 21, 2023 Harmonys body remains have not been found. The House will be in order, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy declared, banging his gavel six times, as he prepared Wednesday to read the terms of a relatively rare Congressional action the censure of a sitting member. But the House would not come to order. The gavel rapped again, amid boos and calls of shame by unhappy Democratic allies of the censures target, U.S. Rep. Adam B. Schiff of California. It was an ugly scene. Were likely to see more of this, as members of the House Freedom Caucus push McCarthy to punish Democrats. Its open season in the House on foes of Donald Trump. This weeks 213-209 censure vote said Schiff misled the public about alleged collusion between Russia and Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign, when Schiff served as chair of the House Intelligence Committee; he also led the first Trump impeachment prosecution. The censure resolutions main proponent, first-term Republican Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, accused Schiff of spinning a web of lies and of using his chairmanship to mount an all-out political campaign built on baseless distortions against a sitting U.S. president, at the expense of every single citizen in this country and the honor of the House of Representatives. Lies so severe, she said before the censure vote, that they altered the course of the country forever. Such conduct, if true, would warrant censure, a step taken only 25 times in U.S. history. Schiff is being punished for being a political enemy of the former president and the party he still controls. Schiffs regular media appearances in 2019 may have led some to think investigators had the goods on criminal collusion by the sitting president. We looked back on some of those interviews and think the lawyerly Schiff though outspoken stayed mostly in his lane, as in an interview with Alisyn Camerota of CNNs New Day program. At that time, a lawyer for Paul Manafort, Trumps campaign manager, had just confirmed that Manafort gave internal polling data to Ukrainians and Russians. Schiffs comments were measured, when Camerota asked if this represented collusion: There is clear evidence on the issue of collusion and we need to add to that body of evidence, Schiff said. Thats the lawyer talking. Evidence is only that. It must, as a whole, lead a judge or jury to convict. But whether it amounts to conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt, I think we still have to wait for Bob Muellers work. When that wait ended, the answer was no on the question of criminal charges. Not long after, special counsel Robert Muellers report, released in April 2019, detailed Russias use of social media to help Trump and hurt his rival, Hillary Clinton. Muellers investigation led to 37 indictments or guilty pleas, including against Russians and Russian companies. Trumps attorney general, William Barr, famously misrepresented Muellers conclusions, before the full reports release, by claiming the special counsel had exonerated Trump. While Mueller did not determine there was evidence of criminal collusion, his report found the Trump campaign welcomed, rather than discouraged, Russian involvement in the 2016 election. Muellers inquiry established multiple links between Trump Campaign officials and individuals tied to the Russian government, the report said. The Department of Justices inspector general later found there was a legitimate basis for a full investigation of potential collusion. That was the right call then, and would be now, given the importance of safeguarding the American election system from outside meddling. Yes, Schiff appeared on camera a lot in those days. Should he have been more circumspect about what his committee was learning during its investigation? Yes, probably. On the other hand, Americans needed to know whether, and how severely, their democratic systems might have been breached. But the congressman isnt guilty of the wholesale connivance hes accused of by the Freedom Caucus. According to Luna, Schiff wrongly used access to sensitive information unavailable to most members of Congress and certainly not accessible to the American people [and] abused his privileges, claiming to know the truth while leaving Americans in the dark. She cant have it two ways, accusing Schiff of saying too much and too little. The censure will likely help Schiff in his current run for a U.S. Senate seat in California. He said he views the rebuke as a badge of honor and will not yield not one inch. The House isnt done with Schiff. The censure calls for the Ethics Committee to review his actions. And the House is only getting started on the current president. McCarthy has so far set aside calls to launch impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden. It is coming, because McCarthy would be ousted if he didnt go along. As he banged the gavel Tuesday, attempting unsuccessfully to call the House to order, McCarthy warned he had all night to deliver his remarks about Schiff. But within minutes, after the gavel came down 25 times, he gave up. MINNEAPOLIS The Red Sox made a handful of (mostly expected) roster moves before Thursdays series finale. Boston placed outfielder Alex Verdugo on the bereavement list and catcher Reese McGuire on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain while recalling lefty pitcher Brandon Walter and selecting catcher Caleb Hamilton from Triple-A Worcester. To clear a 40-man roster spot for Hamilton, Boston transferred infielder Yu Chang to the 60-day injured list. BetMGM Massachusetts BET $10, GET $200 BONUS BETS CLAIM OFFER Promo code: MASSLIVE 21+ and present in Massachusetts. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler. Heres what each move means: Verdugo to bereavement list Verdugo, who lost his grandmother earlier this month, will miss the next four games on the bereavement list. Manager Alex Cora said the team expects him back Tuesday when the Red Sox open a quick homestand against the Marlins. We knew it was going to happen. Its nearby, actually, Cora said, noting that Verdugo has family in Minnesota, where the services are being held. Adam Duvall is starting in right field Thursday. Cora said he feels like the Red Sox are covered in their outfield with Duvall, Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida, Kike Hernandez and Rob Refsnyder active. Weve got Kike, weve got Duran, weve got a lot of guys, Cora said. Well be fine. Verdugo has started 69 of the Red Sox first 75 games this season. McGuire to 10-day IL, Hamilton selected As expected, the Sox placed McGuire on the injured list with a right oblique strain after he hurt himself on a swing in the sixth inning of Wednesdays game. Hes expected to miss more than just 10 days and could be sidelined for a few weeks. To replace McGuire, the Sox selected the contract of former Twin Caleb Hamilton from Triple-A Worcester. Hamilton was added over the winter when the Red Sox claimed him off waivers, then stashed him as a non-roster player. While its possible the Sox will add a veteran catcher for depth, the team feels comfortable with Hamilton as the backup to Connor Wong. Cora said Wong will start most days with Hamilton mixing in on occasion. Connor will play, Cora said. In Chicago, hell play two of three. Playing today, its a tough one (early start). Connors going to play a lot. Walter recalled Lefty pitching prospect Brandon Walter was officially added to the 26-man roster after joining the team as a member of the taxi squad Wednesday. Walter is expected to make his major league debut as a bulk reliever following opener Justin Garza on Thursday at Target Field. Chang transferred to 60-day IL Needing a 40-man roster spot for Hamilton, the Sox transferred Chang to the 60-day injured list in what was largely a paper move. Chang has been out since April 25 after fracturing his left hamate bone and has already been sidelined for 58 days, so the move doesnt change his timetable for a return. The infielder is still shut down after experiencing soreness in his wrist area during a recent rehab assignment. Itll be a matter of weeks before he comes back. Three people were rushed to a hospital with serious injuries following a multi-vehicle crash in Berkley Thursday afternoon, according to Massachusetts State Police. At around 2:30 p.m., police responded to a four-car crash on Route 24 north in Berkley near exit 16. First responders took three people to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. Police shut down some northbound lanes for over an hour to remove wreckage and investigate the crash. As of around 4:30 p.m., police reopened all lanes, according to officials. Massachusetts State Police are currently investigating the cause of the crash. by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, June 21, 2023 Influencer Charli DAmelio appears in Amazon's social-media campaign for Prime Day. Amazon has set July 11 and 12 for its Prime Day shopping event this year, revealing new offers, like 'Invite Only' deals, and expanded third-party vendors. An Amazon spokesperson tells Marketing Daily it is promoting the event with a social media campaign starring influencer Charli DAmelio, who is sharing the ads with her 47 million followers. And while the dates aren't surprising the event fell on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of last July, too it indicates the Seattle-based company prefers to stick with the summer months. In 2020, Amazon pushed Prime Day into October, and some observers had speculated that it might return to that fourth-quarter timing. advertisement advertisement Last year, the company introduced the first-ever Prime Early Access Sale, a two-day shopping event in October. Since Prime Day debuted in 2015, the shopping mega-event hasn't just influenced Amazon's results. Other retailers, especially Walmart and Target, launch sales events to compete with Prime Day offers, often kicking off the back-to-school season with irresistible promotions. Last year, Amazon said Prime members bought over 300 million items, spending about $3 billion, making it the largest Prime Day yet. At the time, Wall Street analysts estimated that those results topped the prior year by some 20%. The company says it will drop new deals every 30 minutes. New this year is an 'Invite only' feature. Members request an invitation to deals expected to sell out, including steep discounts on electronics and watches. During the event, they'll get notifications with instructions on how to buy the item at the exclusive deal price. "Prime Day is all about making our Prime members feel like a big deal, with deep savings and access to some of the best offers from brands they love," says Jamil Ghani, vice president of Amazon Prime, in its announcement. "With Invite-only deals, we're adding more value to the Prime experience and have made it easier for our Prime members to access exclusive doorbuster deals at incredible prices without waiting in line." Members can also set up deal alerts using the Amazon app. The company also showcases more offers from Black-owned, women-owned, and military family-owned brands. And Amazon is coming after Etsy by featuring more independent artisans in the small-business section. In another first, it is expanding beyond its orbit, with some brands offering Buy with Prime options to their customers, including Briogeo Hair Care, Anker, Wyze and Pickleball Central. Amazon is also pushing Prime Visa, tempting people with a $200 gift card for signing up during a promotional period, then earning 5% back on Amazon, Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market purchases. Amazon has 200 million Prime members in 25 countries, with full-price memberships costing $139 annually. It also offers a free 30-day trial and reduced rates for college students and qualifying government assistance recipients. ITC Midwest - the regional transmission company that owns and operates the regional high-voltage power grid - will be transitioning its headquarters to a new Cedar Rapids location. The company recently purchased a facility in the redeveloping Westdale Mall area, which will provide much-needed additional space for employees of the growing company. The future, permanent headquarters of ITC Midwest at 3165 Edgewood Parkway SW in Cedar Rapids. This facility was built in 2002 and is located just off Edgewood Road, in the Westdale Mall redevelopment area. Completion of renovations is expected by summer 2024, with the goal of moving to the new office in the fall of next year. "The Westdale Mall area has become a major economic hub in Cedar Rapids, and it provides the perfect environment for ITC Midwest's new company headquarters," said ITC Midwest President Dusky Terry. "Our decision to purchase a newer building with space configured for a modern office environment reinforces our decision to plant roots and maintain permanent headquarters in Cedar Rapids. We value the quality of life the greater Cedar Rapids area provides for our employees to live, work and raise their families. We are also pleased to be actively involved with and committed to the community, and proud to be part of the area's success." "For years, ITC Midwest has played a vital role in powering our homes and industries. This new headquarters facility illustrates the company's commitment to keeping the lights on in Cedar Rapids and the greater region," said Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell. "We are pleased ITC Midwest chose to make Cedar Rapids its permanent home, adding momentum to a growing list of investments on the southwest side." Cedar Rapids is home to Alliant Energy and Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO), the two largest utilities served by ITC Midwest. Many businesses and industrial companies served by the regional transmission provider are located in the greater Cedar Rapids area. In addition, the new location provides easy access to the partner suppliers that allow ITC Midwest to operate and maintain the regional power grid. The cost-savings ITC Midwest will realize from this move reinforces the company's commitment to driving value for the utilities it serves. ITC Midwest's new location will feature a single-floor, open-office layout to facilitate and enhance employee interaction, communication and productivity. The company currently employs 115 professionals across its service territory, including more than 80 at its Cedar Rapids headquarters. The new facility will be configured with space for 120 employees to accommodate future growth. Additional background Since taking over the transmission system in December 2007, ITC Midwest has been in leased space. ITC Midwest's lease on the Palmer Building at 123 5th Street SE in Cedar Rapids ends in 2024. While the historic building and downtown location have served the company well for more than a decade, ITC Midwest leaders have recently been evaluating new locations for the company's headquarters to meet current and future needs. Company leaders recently closed on the new facility to house ITC Midwest headquarters at 3165 Edgewood Parkway SW in Cedar Rapids. This facility was built in 2002 and is located just off Edgewood Road, in the Westdale Mall redevelopment area. Completion of renovations is expected by summer 2024, with the goal of moving to the new office in the fall of next year. Among the many benefits for our employees and the company in making this move: The new facility will include more meeting and collaboration spaces than the current building, and provide a better environment for meetings. Abundant surface parking for employees and guests is adjacent to the building. This is an important consideration when our field personnel travel to our headquarters in company trucks. The location provides easy access to U.S. Highway 30 and Interstate 380 for employees and guests, with relatively close proximity to the Eastern Iowa Airport. The new facility will include an on-site back-up generator allowing company personnel to use the office as a crisis management hub during power outage emergencies. Vantage Architects of Cedar Rapids has been selected to design the major transformation of the facility. Other area contractors will be used to provide materials, remodel and furnish the renovated facility. About ITC Midwest ITC Midwest LLC is a subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corp., the largest independent electricity transmission company in the U.S. ITC Midwest operates more than 6,600 circuit miles of transmission lines in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Missouri, and holds utility status in Wisconsin. ITC Midwest is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and maintains regional operating facilities in Dubuque, Iowa City and Perry, Iowa; and Albert Lea and Lakefield, Minnesota. For further information visit www.itc-holdings.com. ITC is a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry. For further information visit www.fortisinc.com. Media Contact: Rod Pritchard, ITC Midwest - 319-350-9255; rpritchard@itctransco.com by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, June 21, 2023 Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a privacy bill that empowers residents to wield more control over data about themselves. Among other requirements, the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (HB 4) requires companies to allow residents to opt out of targeted advertising -- defined by the bill as serving ads to people based on their online activity over time and across nonaffiliated websites or apps. Another provision requires companies to honor universal opt-out tools -- such as opt-out signals that consumers can send through their browsers -- provided the companies also honor those signals in other states. Currently, four states -- California, Colorado, Connecticut and Montana -- require companies to allow people to reject targeted advertising via a universal opt-out tool. advertisement advertisement The Texas law also prohibits companies that collect sensitive data -- including biometric information, precise geolocation data, or data revealing racial or ethic origin, religious beliefs, health diagnosis, sexuality and immigration status -- from processing that data without people's opt-in consent. The law -- slated to take effect in July of 2024 -- exempts small businesses (as defined by the Small Business Association) from all provisions except for the one requiring businesses to obtain express consent to sell sensitive data. The statute calls for penalties of $7,500 per violation and is only by the state attorney general. The law also only allows the attorney general to prosecute violators if they have been notified of a potential deficiency and given at least 30 days to remedy it. The advocacy group Consumer Reports says the law includes some important consumer rights, but is urging state lawmakers to strengthen it in several ways, including by broadening its scope. We applaud the legislature for including universal opt-out, which will make it easier for Texas consumers to stop companies from selling or sharing their personal data and information, Matt Schwartz, policy analyst at Consumer Reports, stated. However, the law should apply to a broader swath of businesses and should include enforcement mechanisms that will actually incentivize them to comply the first time around. Texas is now the 11th state with a comprehensive privacy law, and the sixth state to enact such a law this year. by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, June 21, 2023 Contextual is slightly misunderstood, according to Teads Global VP of Data James Colborn, who introduced at Cannes the Contextual Council, a forum to inspire new connections with cross-industry leaders. Colborn brought the message to this years Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Contextual advertising is slightly misunderstood, Colborn said. It has been around for ages. When I sat in the IAB meeting in London in 2020 and heard the announcement that Google would get rid of third-party cookies. Then someone mentioned contextual as a viable solution, there was an audible grown. They didnt see it as a viable substitute. advertisement advertisement Google released its Privacy Sandbox relevance and measurement APIs in Chrome 115 in July 2023, and the goal is to expand to others in August. The web browser was released in beta in May 2023. The stable version of Chrome 115 was released in July. Last week, Google shared updates and improvements to the Topics API, part of the Privacy Sandbox, in a blog post. The changes aim to make Topics even more useful to the digital advertising industry, without compromising user privacy. Along with the initial Topics API announcement, Google proposed a taxonomy designed for testing. The taxonomy is the list of available topics that may be returned by the API. Companies are making a shift in how they approach cookieless advertising, IBM Watson Advertising wrote in 2021, with contextual advertising projected to reach more than $376 billion by 2027. Artificial intelligence (AI) supports the move to create audience targeting. Teads' contextual working group will have about 20 people to prompt discussions about the cookieless future and contextual targeting. The first meeting was held at Cannes. Those that follow will be virtual. We hope people who join the council will leave with a different point of view from which they came, Colborn said. The sessions conducted with the IAB, publishers and agencies will help to shape the conversations around contextual targeting across the market through industry feedback. Many in the industry have a slightly different point of view in terms of whats happening with the deprecation of the cookie, he said. Teads also advanced its support for multi-screen reporting of attention metrics in its Ad Manager platform. The program will accelerate the understanding of attention for media buyers and media owners allowing them to plan, buy, optimize and report on attention to ultimately drive a better return on media investment for brands. As digital investments are fluidly allocated across channels, brands are looking for better ways to measure this new metric across every screen. Omnichannel attention measurement will become possible with Teads in cooperation with Adelaide, and Realeyes. More than 2,000 creatives measured will support facial coding measurement with Realeyes. This partnership will let brands pre-test creative by screen type to capture attention levels ahead of campaign launch. Advertisers can leverage these attention insights to optimize live campaigns, connecting the right creative with the right screen resulting in greater impact, higher outcomes and increased efficiency. by Les Luchter , June 21, 2023 Soleil Moon Frye, once a child star (Punky Brewster) and now the mother of four kids, learns about potentially deadly meningitis B in a new 17-minute Lifetime film titled I Never Thought to Ask: A Moms Quest for Answers. The film has already debuted online and will premiere on the Lifetime linear channel June 25 at noon ET. GSK, which markets one of two meningitis B vaccines (the other comes from Pfizer), funded the film and is paying for the placements. The short doesnt promote GSKs vaccine directly, but suggests strongly that women Lifetimes raison detre ask their childrens doctors about meningitis B vaccines. advertisement advertisement In the film, a pediatrician friend of Fryes notes that 16- to 23-year-olds are at increased risk of the disease because of normal behaviors of 16- to 23-year-olds: sharing utensils, sharing water bottlessharing everything. Frye also visits with moms of deceased meningitis B victims and with a meningitis B survivor before ending the film by imparting her new knowledge to Melissa Joan Hart, herself a former child actor (Clarissa Explains it All, Sabrina the Teenage Witch) turned frequent Lifetime movie star. I Never Thought to Ask: A Moms Quest for Answers is the latest piece of a public health initiative called Ask2BSure that was launched by GSK and Frye two years ago. GSK is also behind the non-branded educational website, meningitisb.com. Meningitis B vaccines were not available until 2015, so many parents may not know there are two different types of vaccinations that help protect against meningitis, Leonard Friedland, GSKs vice president and director of scientific affairs and public health, said in a statement. We hope the film leads to more parents talking to their childs doctor about meningitis B vaccination. Our Lifetime audience is a community of strong women many of whom are parents - who interact with our brand everywhere, so were excited to help GSK amplify their message through this bespoke creative collaboration, added Maura ODonovan, vice president, ad Sales partnerships, A+E Networks, which runs Lifetime. Meningitis B vaccines have not been without their share of controversy. Six years ago, The New York Times ran an article titled For Meningitis B Vaccines, Climbing Revenue, and Plenty of Skepticism, which noted that vaccine makers are hoping to profit from an ailment that very few people get. That number was then put at fewer than 300 cases annually in the U.S. But GSK openly acknowledges the extreme rarity of the disease, with the website of its Bexsero vaccine stating, From 2011 to 2019, there were 50 cases of meningitis B, including 2 deaths, at colleges or universities in the following states: Rhode Island, California, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Oregon, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New York. by Colin Kirkland , June 21, 2023 Pinterest is collaborating with the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Childrens Hospital to take part in the Inspired Internet Pledge, a call to action for tech companies to unite with the goal of making the internet a safer and healthier place for young people. Around the world teens are experiencing a mental health crisis and the role social media platforms play is being closely examined, Pinterest wrote in a blog post, calling attention to recent studies depicting the worsening mental health climate among young people and social media's potential influence. We don't have enough evidence to tell parents to get rid of a particular app, or cut it off after a particular number of hours, Sophia Choukas-Bradley, a psychologist and director of the Teen and Young Adult Lab at the University of Pittsburgh, told The Times. advertisement advertisement The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has discovered a noticeable increase in reports of teen girls in mental-health crisis, with nearly three in five U.S. teen girls saying they feel persistently sad or hopeless in 2021 -- a 60% increase over the past decade. Pinterest mentions concerns around the negative impact of social media expressed by the latest health advisory from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who urges action to gain a better understanding of its full impact. The Inspired Internet Pledge offers a framework for companies to take meaningful, measurable actions to support positive mental and emotional wellbeing outcomes both on and offline, Pinterest states, adding that it believes a healthy digital ecosystem is maintained when businesses, thought leaders and issue experts join together. In order to understand and promote positive and healthy digital media experiences, the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston Childrens Hospital is dedicated to developing an evidence base for digital wellness by conducting, translating, and distributing research on the overall effects of technology and interactive media use on young people. A New York Times article last week shed light on how little research there is to show how sites, apps or features of social media specifically impact users mental health. Each signatory will create its own supplementary addendum to the pledge that describes the specific actions it will take to implement the pledge principles in ways relevant to the realities of their platform, the social media network says. These company addendums will be managed by the Digital Wellness Lab and made public to hold signatories accountable to their commitments. Pinterest says advertisers, along with issue experts and non-profit collaborators, can participate as well by putting out a statement of support for a healthier internet for young people. To build a better internet for our better selves, emotional wellbeing has to be a real, measurable result, and the standard for the entire industry, says Pinterest CEO Bill Ready. So far, Pinterest is the first signatory and partner on the pledge. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, June 22, 2023 France's privacy regulator has fined ad-tech company Criteo nearly $44 million for allegedly failing to comply with European law by processing consumers' data for ad targeting purposes without first obtaining proof that they had consented. Criteo is known for powering retargeting, which often involves serving ads to people for products they previously viewed on retailers' sites. The French Commission Nationale de lInformatique et des Libertes (CNIL) said in an opinion issued Thursday that Criteo violated the General Data Protection Regulation in several ways, including by failing to verify that consumers had consented to the use of their data for ads. While the European law tasks first parties -- such as online retailers -- with obtaining consent, the law also requires third parties such as Criteo to take steps to verify consent, according to the CNIL's summary of its decision. advertisement advertisement At the time of the investigations, the company had not put in place any measure to ensure that its partners were validly collecting the consent of the Internet users from whom it then processed data, the CNIL wrote. In addition, the company had not undertaken any audit campaign of its partners prior to the initiation of the procedure by the CNIL. The regulator said Criteo has data related to around 370 million identifiers across the EU. While the company did not have the name of the user, the CNIL considered that the data were sufficiently accurate to re-identify individuals, in some cases, the agency wrote. The French agency also said Criteo's contracts now include a provision requiring partners to provide Criteo with proof of consumers' consent. The CNIL added that Criteo's prior privacy policy was vague and incomplete, and that the company failed to delete data after consumers attempted to withdraw their consent. Criteo has now completed its privacy policy to include missing mentions and to use simple and understandable terms, the agency wrote. The CNIL's decision grew out of a complaint brought in 2018 by privacy advocates nyob (standing for none of your business) and Privacy International. Criteo chief legal officer Ryan Damon says the company plans to appeal, calling the fine vastly disproportionate in light of the alleged breaches and misaligned with general market practice in such matters. The allegations made by the CNIL do not involve risk to individuals nor any damage caused to them, he stated, adding that the company uses only pseudonymized, non-directly identifiable and non-sensitive data. Damon also stated that the ruling relates only to past matters and doesn't require Criteo to change current practices. ELKO Elko City Council has approved a final $218,500 American Rescue Plan Act payment to Vitality Unlimited for three of its behavioral health projects. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also known as ARPA, was established to help states and localities address the economic and health consequences of the COVID-19 public health emergency and its economic impacts. During the Citys ARPA hearings in the fall of 2021, the Council recognized the negative behavioral health impacts on the community caused by the pandemic. In the beginning of 2022, Council awarded Vitality $1.5 million of Elko Citys $27.4 million ARPA funds. The grant awarded $878,000 for increased behavioral health and addiction treatment capacity, $475,000 toward the construction of a Womens Treatment Residence, and $147,000 for Vitality Center pandemic resilience. Vitality Unlimited Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer Ester Quilici presented the status of the different projects the nonprofit has done in the past year. Vitality has provided services in Elko for 52 years and has grown through the decades to become a social safety net for Elko County and the state, Quilici told Council. We will continue to expand to meet the needs of our community, she said. The largest portion of the funds was used to increase behavioral health and addiction treatment capacity. Vitality hired additional staff and continues to look for more providers. We will soon have a psychologist who is home grown, Quilici said. That is who we want, people who are homegrown and willing to stay in rural Nevada. The ARPA funds also allowed Vitality to expand its trauma and crisis response as a provider for 9-8-8 calls for mental health emergencies. In the fall of 2022, Vitality purchased and customized a sprinter van to be used for crisis services and for mobile therapy. Vitality staff has used the van to respond to crisis calls and Elko Police Officers have called Vitality to assist in the field. This month, Vitality began taking the Mobile Therapy Van to different locations in Elko to do outreach in the city, Quilici said. The van has already been to the Terrace Elko Senior Center, the Humanitarian Camp on Hot Springs Road, and the Elko Area Chamber of Commerces Sherman Station. Vitality will continue this type of outreach to help spread awareness of the services available at the nonprofits Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic on Bluffs Avenue in Elko, Quilici said. The Citys ARPA grant was also used to improve Vitality Center, which provides residential substance use and co-occurring mental health treatment. The building, which opened in 1985, received a much-needed remodel to make it more energy efficient. The building has new windows and energy-efficient lighting but is still waiting on a few more items to complete the remodel. Vitality has had a walk-in refrigerator and freezer and a new HVAC system on order for months, Quilici said. The refrigerator/freezer will increase the facilitys food storage capacity and the new HVAC with scrubbers will decrease energy costs and provide the healthiest environment possible. The ARPA grant also funded a portion of the new Womens Treatment Residence on Southside Drive. The women and teen girls who receive treatment at Vitality Center reside in a house that Vitality rents on Idaho Street, which is old and needs improvements. Vitality provides residential treatment to an average of 150 females a year. The ARPA funds were used to begin construction on a new building. We hope to have it completed in less than six months, Quilici said. Elko Mayor Reece Keener thanked Quilici for all the services Vitality provides to the community. She in turn thanked City Council for caring about the behavioral health of the residents of Elko and helping to fund Vitality and its projects. The Russian state corporation Rosatom is ready to join in the development of Turkiye's second nuclear power plant (NPP) in the Black Sea region of Sinop, Akkuyu Nuclear JSC Director for Construction and Production Organization Denis Sezemin told TASS on Wednesday, Azernews reports, citing TASS. "We at Rosatom State Corporation are always open to proposals from Turkiye. We have already achieved a lot in the development of the Turkish nuclear sector. Rosatom is ready to participate in this endeavor. The rest is up to Turkiye," he said. According to Salih Sari, head of the Nuclear Infrastructure Development Department at the Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Turkiye is negotiating with Russia and South Korea on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Sinop province. Turkish authorities said earlier that negotiations on this project are expected to be completed by the end of this year. At a music show in Hoi An (Photo: VNA) The development of tourism associated with the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage values has long been a long-standing policy of the Vietnamese Party and State. Even under the Strategy for the Development of Cultural Industries in Vietnam until 2020 with a vision to 2030, cultural tourism is affirmed as one of the cultural industries that requires investment and development. The strategy targets that cultural tourism will account for 15-20% of the total revenue of 40 billion USD from tourism by 2030. In recent years, Vietnam has been honoured with the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA) as a top world heritage destination, a leading cultural destination in Asia, and a top culinary destination in Asia. Many cultural tourism products and destinations with world cultural heritages have become significant highlights on the Vietnamese tourism map, such as the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh, the Complex of Hue Monuments in Thua Thien-Hue, My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An Ancient City in Quang Nam. However, experts said Vietnam has yet to have quality cultural tourism products that match its potential. Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Director of the Institute for Tourism Development Research, said cultural tourism products in Vietnam are often repetitive, limited in quality, lacking creativity and differentiation among regions and localities nationwide. Vu Van Tuyen, CEO of Travelogy, said there are three major ways to increase the level of creativity in the building and marketing of cultural tourism products, including reproduction, simulation, and narration which aim to create more impressions and deeper experiences for tourists regarding the type of tourism product, through the use of imagery, models, stories, and historical cultural legends, whether real or fictional, in a reasonable manner. A night tour of Thang Long Imperial Citadel (Photo: VNA) In order to effectively tap a tourism product, the involvement of the destination, local authorities, cultural and historical experts and tour agents is needed, he said. From a macro perspective, Tuan said in order to develop cultural tourism, it is essential to pay special attention to conservation and restoration efforts to promote the values of cultural heritages, shaping and building the brand of each locality and the nation based on existing cultural foundations to attract the attention of investors and tourists both at home and abroad. It is also important to upgrade tourism-related infrastructure and technical facilities, particularly in regions rich in cultural tourism resources but with slower socio-economic development. Additionally, it is crucial to uphold the role of the community and community culture in tourism development, ensuring a balanced benefit from tourism activities for the community, he said./. Vietnam wins gold at European Physics Olympiad According to VOV, Vietnamese students were awarded one gold, three silver, and one bronze medals at the European Physics Olympiad (EuPhO) 2023 that concluded in Germany on June 20. Vietnam wins one gold, three silver, and one bronze medals at European Physics Olympiad. (Photo: Tienphong.vn) The only gold medal went to Dang Bao Quan, a 11th grader of Phan Boi Chau High School for Gifted Students in the central province of Nghe An. The three silver medals were went to Vo Minh Dang of Phu Yen provinces Luong Van Chanh High School for Gifted Students, Truong Phi Hung of Bac Giang provinces Bac Giang High School for Gifted Students, and Vu Tung Lam of Phu Tho provinces Hung Vuong High School for Gifted Students. Elsewhere, a bronze medal was given to Nguyen Khai of Bac Ninh provinces Bac Ninh High School for Gifted Students. This was the fifth time that Vietnam has participated in the competition as the guest team. The EuPhO is an annual physics competition that has been held for high school students since 2017. This years competition was held from June 16 to 20 in Germany, drawing the participation of 181 students from European and non-European nations. HCM City tourism promoted in Thailand According to VNA, the Ho Chi Minh Department of Tourism and the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand have freshly teamed up to organise a programme promoting the southern metropolis tourism charms in Bangkok. At the event (Photo: VNA) The June 21 programme popularised tourist destinations in Vietnam and HCM City with a focus on the citys wellness-related tourism products. Promotional video clips were screened and a business networking event took place as part of its course. In his remarks, Ambassador Phan Chi Thanh said the countries tourism cooperation, including medical tourism, sees great potential and favourable conditions for development to benefit locals and international travelers. The diplomat stated that HCM City is not only a leading economic and political hub but also a notable destination for medical tourism. With a modern and high-quality healthcare system, coupled with the continuous development of local health facilities, the city is expected to become an ideal destination for visitors seeking to improve their health and experience excellent treatments. Ambassador Phan Chi Thanh speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) Vice Director of the municipal Tourism Department Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu said she hopes that with years of experience in building and designing tourism products related to healthcare and wellness, Thailand's hospitals, healthcare facilities, and tourism experts will share experiences and provide suggestions to support the development and improvement of Vietnam's nascent medical tourism products. Ruben Toral, Director of Health & Wellness at QUO Global, said he believes that Vietnam has many advantages to develop medical tourism. However, there is still much work to be done in developing the related infrastructure and brands in order to find a unique path for future development, he noted. Before Thailand, the HCM City delegation of more than 20 local travel agencies and hospitals, headed by Hieu, came to Phnom Penh for a similar promotion programme./. It was a celebratory moment for the Army in April when it hit its retention goal for the fourth year in a row. The achievement signaled that, despite a historic recruiting slump, once soldiers are in, they like the service and tend to stay. "I do love our soldiers. They joined a great team, and I can say for the last four years, every time they've joined the team, they stayed on the team," Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston, the service's top enlisted leader, said at a recent ceremony. But the reality is the opposite in the Army National Guard, which is optimistic about hitting its recruiting goals this year but is struggling to retain talent. Read Next: Coast Guard Temporarily Relieves Commanding Officer of Sector North Carolina The active-duty part of the Army retained 55,000 soldiers who were otherwise scheduled to leave the service. The Army National Guard seeks to retain 37,000 soldiers and has hit only about 63% of that goal, according to data provided to Military.com. Last year, the Army Guard was short 14% of its retention goal. The fiscal year doesn't end until October. In some cases, troops on the fence about continuing their service might hold out for new reenlistment incentives. But Guard soldiers may have different factors to weigh than their active-duty counterparts, such as how they juggle their part-time service with their full-time civilian careers. The demands in recent years have gotten increasingly higher, which could contribute to the Guard's difficulty in keeping soldiers. The relationship between Guardsmen and civilian employers can sometimes get rocky, adding pressure to the choice to continue serving. While on paper, standard Guard service is isolated to weekends, drill schedules often include Thursdays and Fridays. Part-time troops also have to attend annual summer training events, which span two to four weeks, sometimes in addition to attending schools critical for promotion. "Just being in the Guard, you start to get burned out because every month you can be assured you're working 12 straight days," said Eric Evans, CEO of Friendly Forces, an advocacy group for Guardsmen and reservists. "You go to work, drill and then straight back to work." The National Guard made up a significant chunk of the combat force in the post-9/11 wars, was center stage in the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and had a historic mission responding to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The workload for the Guard shows no signs of slowing. Domestic demands are seemingly constant, with units responding to wildfires and hurricanes, missions that are expected to become even more frequent as the impacts of climate change get more severe. Those missions are on top of overseas commitments. Guard units from Ohio are a big part of the U.S. forces in Syria, Iraq and Africa, and have a significant presence in Europe. But bringing in new Guard soldiers has been less of a heavy lift. The Army National Guard has a shot of making its recruiting goals this year, having already reached nearly 95% of its goal to bring in close to 26,000 new soldiers this fiscal year, which started in October. On average, the Guard seeks to recruit roughly 3,000 soldiers each month. In total, it has recruited 3,048 more soldiers so far this fiscal year than it did compared to this time last year. "The Army National Guard is on the path to meet our end strength by the end of the year," Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the National Guard's top officer, told lawmakers at a hearing in June. "I am not declaring victory; I am saying that, right now, all of the trends are very positive." The very fact that the service component is smaller than its active-duty counterpart and has less than half of the recruiting goal could be why it's hitting its recruiting goals so early in the fiscal year -- especially ahead of the summer, which is broadly considered prime recruiting season. The Marine Corps and Space Force are also expected to meet their respective recruiting targets, though those branches are significantly smaller than the other services. The active-duty side of the Army is expected to come up short of its goal of recruiting 65,000 new soldiers. Last year, it came up 15,000 short of its goal of bringing 60,000 new troops into the ranks. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: 2023 Ain't 2022: More Americans Signing Up with Army Guard, Internal Docs Show The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday approved an increase to the Coast Guard's fiscal 2024 budget, forwarding a bill to the full chamber that funds a 5.2% pay raise for members, a commercial icebreaker, four additional fast response cutters, and an extra HC-130J Super Hercules aircraft. The committee markup of the proposed fiscal 2024 Homeland Security budget, which allocates $91 billion in discretionary funds for the department, includes $13.65 billion for the U.S. Coast Guard -- $40 million less than it received this year but higher than the White House request of $13.21 billion. The extra money would go to purchase the four additional ships, which are meant to boost the Coast Guard's operations in the Indo-Pacific region, along with one aircraft; and bolster funding for a new multipurpose training facility at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, New Jersey, and maritime credentialing, among other programs. Read Next: House Panel Approves Defense Bill with Highest Pay Raise in Decades After Culture War Brawl The proposal also contains $150 million to purchase and modify a commercial icebreaker that would allow the Coast Guard to increase its presence in the Arctic while it waits for the first polar security cutter to be built. The ship, which has experienced numerous delays in its design phase, is now not expected to be delivered until at least 2026 or 2027. "The committee feels strongly that the nation needs additional surface presence in the Arctic to protect economic and national security interests in the high latitudes, particularly given the ongoing delays with the [polar security cutter] acquisition program," committee members wrote in the report accompanying the bill. The polar security cutter program eventually will yield three heavy icebreakers, which typically can break ice of up to 20 feet thick, and at a minimum, six feet of ice continuously at a speed of three knots. The first vessel in the class was anticipated to be delivered in 2024, but its design has proven to be more of a challenge than expected. In addition, the shipyard originally contracted to build it, VT Halter Marine Inc., was sold to Bollinger Shipyards last November, further complicating the $745 million procurement. In response, the committee has proposed cutting the program by $25.8 million "to align with the shipyard production delays." The Coast Guard has considered purchasing the multipurpose offshore vessel Aiviq, a tug supply vessel with icebreaking capabilities that is owned by Edison Chouest Offshore. Funds were approved in the service's fiscal 2022 authorization bill but were stripped at the last minute. The legislation also funds the analysis and selection for a builder of a new icebreaker for the Great Lakes, which the committee said is vital to the region's economy. Committee members expressed a desire for the vessel to be more technologically advanced than the current large icebreaker that plies the Great Lakes, the cutter Mackinaw, and be more maneuverable, capable of exiting the lakes. Meanwhile, the committee also approved nearly $5.4 billion to support personnel and benefits, including the anticipated 5.2% pay raise that service members are expected to receive next year, but the figure is $11 million below the service's request, to account for an anticipated shortfall in recruiting. The Coast Guard has missed its recruiting goals by more than 20% for the past three years and has an enlisted shortfall of roughly 2,000 members. Other items in the funding bill include: $579 million for the Offshore Patrol Cutter, used for counternarcotics and migrant interdictions, particularly in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. $10 million for a technology modernization program to enhance the service's autonomous surface and air asset capabilities, as well as artificial intelligence and data analytics. $98 million for the Waterways Commerce Cutter program to begin recapitalizing the Coast Guard's fleet of inland tenders and barges. The bill does not support management of a program to replace the 52-foot vessels the Coast Guard uses in the Pacific Northwest on the treacherous Columbia River and elsewhere along the coasts of Oregon and Washington. The committee has asked for a report on the risks presented in the region before considering funding. "The committee has safety concerns with a replacement for the 52-foot [special purpose craft, heavy weather] being used to tow large vessels over the hazardous river bars along the Washington and Oregon coast," members wrote. The bill now heads to the House floor for a vote. The Senate Appropriations Committee must complete its version of the bill before the two are reconciled and the final version receives a vote. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Military.com. Related: US Coast Guard Says Debris Field Has Been Found near the Titanic During Search for Submersible A former airman was indicted and accused by federal officials of wire fraud after contacting nearly 100 women in an alleged scheme to get more military benefits, new court documents detail. D'Montre Green, who served in the Air Force from December 2011 to May 2022 and resides in Houston, was divorced from his wife in March 2017, according to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas last week. A month after his divorce, around April 2017, Green "sent messages to at least 93 women, via text message and mobile applications, soliciting marriage in exchange for payment," according to the federal documents. Read Next: House Panel Approves Defense Bill with Highest Pay Raise in Decades After Culture War Brawl At the time, Green was a staff sergeant stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the United Kingdom as a member of the 48th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. Green's Basic Allowance for Housing, or BAH, was calculated on him being stationed overseas, with the rate taking into account his spouse's location as well. However, he would lose out on certain benefits following his divorce, federal documents state. According to the documents, Green sent out messages in which he "explained to these women that he wanted to marry them in order to increase the amount of money the DoD would pay him in allowances and that he would share a portion of these payments with his new spouse." Jon Shelburne, a civilian attorney representing Green in matters related to the case, told Military.com on Thursday that he was unable to comment at this time. The Houston Chronicle first reported about Green's case Wednesday. Federal officials included one alleged exchange between Green and an unnamed person "on or about" April 24, 2017, in the documents. "Hello I have an offer if your [sic] interested where I'd be paying you every month, similar to me being your sugar daddy however no sex involved," the documents detailed Green as writing. He went on to lay out specifically what the arrangement would be, the documents state. "Btw I find you to be extremely gorgeous," court documents accuse Green of writing. "So basically I would get paid extra from my job by having a spouse/dependent which in return I'd be paying you 500 every month for the next 4 years or however long we agree if your [sic] interested. And no I'm not expecting you to live with me or do any favors, just a title as a wife." The unnamed person declined the offer, asking instead for $2,000 each month to marry Green. But he ended up marrying another person, not named in the court documents, "on or about" April 25, 2017, who resided in Texas. Federal officials accuse Green of signing an Affidavit of Absent Applicant for Marriage License form online, inputting his spouse's name and saying she lived in Abilene, Texas. But officials allege that "on or around" June 16, 2017, Green filed and signed separate military documents claiming he was entitled to an overseas housing allowance for a dependent residing somewhere other than Texas. "He specified the location of his dependents as 'CA 94106,'" the court documents state. The federal authorities said in the court filings that the ZIP code was bogus. He received payments that stretched from "in or around June 2017 and continuing until in or around April 2020." At no point did the unnamed person live in California, the documents state. The difference in BAH for Abilene, Texas, and San Francisco, California, is steep. Between 2017 and 2020, BAH in Abilene ranged from $1,044 to $1,167 a month. In San Francisco, it ranged from $4,032 to $4,614 monthly. Federal officials allege the surplus BAH that Green acquired "during the scheme totaled $112,023." -- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly. Related: Soldier Convicted over Role in Fort Bragg Sham Marriage Ring KYIV, Ukraine An explosion damaged a bridge that is one of the few links between Crimea and Ukraine's mainland, Russia-backed officials said Thursday, while Ukraine's prime minister appealed for patience as Kyiv's armed forces move ahead with their closely watched counteroffensive. Russian forces in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, use the Chongar bridge to reach southern Ukraines Kherson province. Russia and Ukraine control different sides of the province, which is a focus of fighting and attacks as Ukrainian troops try to reclaim Russian-occupied territory. Ukrainian authorities have said that for the country's nearly 16-month war to end, Moscow must withdraw its forces from Crimea as well as from areas they seized during last year's full-scale invasion. The damage to the bridge was not severe and likely will be repaired within several days, according to Vladimir Konstantinov, chairman of Crimeas parliament. Vladimir Saldo, who heads the Russian-occupied parts of Kherson province, said the explosion appeared to have been caused by a type of long-range cruise missile that both France and the U.K. have given to Ukraine's military. The claim could not be independently verified. Numerous military analysts have said recent Ukrainian actions in the country's south and east indicated that Kyiv's troops were in the beginning of a long-anticipated counteroffensive. Asked about the reported damage to the Chongar Bridge, Andrii Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraines Ministry of Defense Main Intelligence Directorate, did not confirm Ukraines involvement but said on TV that a blow to the span would be part of an ongoing process. If the stars are lit, it means it was done for a reason, right? We can only say that there will be a continuation, Yusov said, paraphrasing the opening of a well-known work by Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovskyi. Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti cited an unnamed representative of Russias Investigative Committee as saying Thursday that preliminary information indicates there were four missiles fired and the remains of one of them showed markings of being French-made. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu alleged this week that Ukraine planned to use U.S.-made HIMARS and U.K.-provided Storm Shadow missiles to attack Russian territory, including Crimea. He warned that use of those missiles against targets outside the main war zone would trigger immediate strikes on the decision-making centers on the territory of Ukraine. However, Shoigu on Thursday downplayed the importance of West-supplied advanced weapons like the Storm Shadow missiles. We understand that the quantity that will be delivered in 2023 and has already been delivered will not significantly affect the course of hostilities, he said at a Russian Security Council meeting chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the opening days of Russia's February 2022 invasion, Russian troops in Crimea pushed north and quickly captured Kherson province's capital, the city of Kherson, and surrounding areas. Ukraine took the territory back in November after forcing the Russians to retreat across the Dnieper River, which bisects the province. Russian still occupies the east side, and Ukraine the west. The destruction of an upriver dam this month caused deaths and extensive flooding on both sides. Ukrainian commanders say it also got in the way of some of their plans for taking Russian positions in the counteroffensive's initial stages. Addressing the counteroffensive's overall progress and not just in the south, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Thursday that Ukraine's army had advanced 7 kilometers and retaken territory that included eight villages during the last two weeks. As the president of Ukraine said yesterday, the counteroffensive is not a Hollywood movie. Its not easy walk, Shmyhal told reporters at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. The counteroffensive is a number of military operations. Sometimes its offensive, sometimes its defensive. Sometimes it could be tactical pauses. Unfortunately, during our preparation for this counteroffensive, Russians were preparing too. So there is so much minefields, which really make it slower. While calling for realistic expectations, Shmyhal said Ukraine's supporters should expect to see headway in the carefully planned, high-stakes campaign. We not bring our people into the fire of this war as Russians (are) doing. We will do very smart offensive operations and because of this it will take time, the prime minister said. We all should have patience and we will see results. The Crimean Peninsula is connected to mainland Ukraine by an isthmus about 9 kilometers (6 miles) wide and several bridges. An October explosion on a bridge linking Crimea to Russia caused the span's partial collapse and killed three people, according to Russian authorities. The 19-kilometer (12-mile) Kerch Bridge, which stands over a strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, is the longest bridge in Europe and a symbol of Moscows claims on Crimea. Putin presided over the bridges opening in 2018 and drove across it in a Mercedes in December when repairs were completed. He also visited Crimea the day after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian leader accusing him of war crimes. He made the trip to mark the ninth anniversary of the peninsulas annexation, a move that Ukraine and most of the world considered illegal. In other developments Thursday, an explosion and fire at a 16-story residential building in Kyiv killed three people and injured five others. Serhii Popko, head of Ukrainian capital's military administration, said in a Telegram post that a gas leak was the suspected cause of the blast. Firefighters worked overnight to bring the blaze under control. The U.S. Coast Guard has determined that the private submersible craft carrying five people attempting to view the wreckage of the Titanic suffered a "catastrophic implosion" that killed everyone aboard. "We found five different major pieces of debris that told us that it was the remains of the Titan," Paul Hankins, the director of the Navy's salvage operations and one of the military experts loaned to the effort, told reporters at a press conference Thursday. The wreckage of Titan was found just 1,600 feet off the bow of the iconic shipwreck that the five men were trying to see, officials said. The search this week for the small submersible craft piloted by a game controller transfixed the world, and hope for a long-shot rescue -- assisted by U.S. military assets -- in the freezing depths of the northern Atlantic persisted until Thursday. Read Next: House Panel Approves Defense Bill with Highest Pay Raise in Decades After Culture War Brawl According to The Associated Press, the Canadian Polar Prince, a research icebreaker and the vessel from which the Titan launched, reportedly lost contact with the sub about an hour and 45 minutes after it submerged Sunday, approximately 400 miles south of St. John's, Newfoundland. Shortly after OceanGate Expeditions, the company that operated the small private diving craft, reported loss of contact, the Coast Guard, as well as elements of the military's U.S. Transportation Command and the Air National Guard, moved to begin the search effort. Officials at the Pentagon said that three C-130 Hercules aircraft were loaned for the effort, and three C-17 Globemaster III aircraft helped to move equipment and cargo into the area. The U.S. Navy also moved a mobile salvage system and experts into place as well. And the Coast Guard said a submarine officer from the U.K. Royal Navy, stationed in the U.S, was loaned to the team to provide expertise and support. On Tuesday, rescuers heard sporadic sounds that one expert described as "banging noises" from underwater microphones that were dropped around the search site, raising some possibility that the crew was still alive. The next day, Capt. Jamie Frederick, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard, said those noises led them to direct search efforts to the area where they were heard. But on Thursday, Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger said that "there doesn't appear to be any connection between the noises" and the location of the wreck. Mauger also noted that the catastrophic implosion of the submersible "would have generated a significant broadband sound," which was not heard by rescuers, suggesting that it occurred before search efforts began. Looking ahead, Mauger said that the Coast Guard will "begin to de-mobilize personnel and vessels from the scene over the course of the next 24 hours" but added that they will "continue remote operations on the seafloor." Mauger also said he didn't have any answers as to whether there would be efforts to recover any part of the submersible or its crew. "This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the seafloor," Mauger said. The Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System, or FADOSS, that the Navy provided alongside diving and salvage experts is capable of reaching the depths in question. A Navy official told reporters Wednesday that "any time where the Navy has done a lift, we've used FADOSS." In 2021, the team set a salvage record when it recovered an MH-60S helicopter from a depth of 19,075 feet off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. However, there are serious logistics involved with employing the system. The official explained that the Navy would need to charter a ship capable of supporting what amounts to a motion-compensating crane and then it would take "24 hours around-the-clock operation to weld it and secure to the deck of the vessel prior to getting underway." "It is a difficult day for all of us and it's especially difficult for the families, and our thoughts are with the families today," Mauger said. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. Related: Here's How the Military Is Helping Search for the Lost Titanic-Bound Sub The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. At a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing, leaders from the Army, Navy, and Air Force all dutifully reported that they expected to miss their annual recruiting goal this year by thousands. This is just the latest sign that the military recruiting crisisthe worst since the institution of the all-volunteer force in 1973is not abating. Despite significant efforts by the military services, such as offering hefty enlistment bonuses of up to $50,000 and the ability to choose your first duty station, recruiting numbers have not improved. The effects on the armed forces are sobering: Navy ships are undermanned, and the Army is considering cutting the number of its Brigade Combat Teams. Assemble 100 experts and veterans in a room and you will hear 100 reasons why recruiting is in trouble. At least one will point to low unemployment and the competitive job market; others will blame the lack of eligible recruits, disqualified by obesity or low test scores. Still more will mention the lack of knowledge among youth of military life and benefits, fear of death or injury, lack of patriotism, concerns about wokeness, and fallout from the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. Others will cite the differences between young people in Generation Z, who are currently the prime age for recruiting, and prior generations. Who is right? Well, all of them. Each of these issues contribute to the militarys inability to recruit. Fixing just one will not right this ship. Only a comprehensive approach will work. Recruiting has always been known as a tough duty among military members. Even though there are roughly 30 million Americans aged 18-24 and the military only needs about 160,000 of them per year to meet its goals, it has never been easy to convince young people to sign up for service. But since 2018 when a strong U.S. economy and a hot job market increased competition, recruiters have been really struggling. Now, in the face of the headwinds described above, they are failing. Unfortunately, it is not clear that our national leaders even understand there is a problem. Although some service secretaries, such as Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, and four-star generals have been sounding the alarm, they cannot do it alone. Without broad support from the White House, senior DOD leaders, and other federal departments, recruiting numbers will continue to founder. A call to action is needed to increase public awareness about the severity of the situation. Most Americans remain blissfully unaware that their military is literally shrinking by the day. This is largely because the public possesses an overall positive perception of the armed forces, despite the fact that the military remains detached from the lives of most Americans. To solve the recruiting crisis, it is essential to bridge this gap between the military and the American people. Every significant concern that the American public has about military service must be addressed head on. Recruiting messages, for example, must highlight the importance of service as well as appeal to the interests and taking on the concerns of young people. That means crafting a response to young Americans worried that military service will result in mental and physical trauma. The military is not risk-free, of course, but most veterans leave stronger and healthier than when they entered, not riddled with mental scars and physical injuries. The same approach must be applied to the package of pay and benefits that the military offers. The armed forces may not be able to fully match the private sector in this regard, but it must at least be on the same playing field. Finally, perhaps the most important action that our leaders can take is to educate young Americans on the necessity of a strong military and the positive impact of military service, both for oneself and for the nation. For example, contrary to popular belief, the military is not an impediment to higher education and career opportunities. Quite the opposite, it provides an opportunity for social mobility, and the GI Bill allows veterans to pursue university studies without incurring crushing student debt. Many come away from service with leadership skills and self-discipline that the private sector greatly values. It is too easy to label Generation Z as unpatriotic, unmotivated or incapable. What is needed is action. Critics should keep in mind that the recruiting crisis has not been caused by just one problem, and it wont be fixed with just one solution. Indeed, it will require the effort of an entire nation. Government and military leaders, parents, teachers and community role models will all have to engage with young people to help them understand the importance of military service and how their lives can be directly connected to that great purpose. There can be no more excuses or delays. The time to act is now. ____ ABOUT THE WRITER Thomas Spoehr, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant general, is director of The Heritage Foundations Center for National Defense. ___ 2023 Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Jennifer Barnhill is a columnist for Military.com writing about military families. "We don't have food in the house" was one of the scariest accusations I ever remember my mother leveling as a child. Maybe it's because it was shouted through the white corded phone affixed to the wall of my New Jersey home. Even at the age of eight, I knew that the back and forth of the call between my stay-at-home mother and always-at-work-father was not a good sign. They divorced a few years later. It was the '80s, and nearly half the country was divorced. Researchers point to the feminist movement and new availability of no-fault divorces of the 1970s, which punctured some of the stigma surrounding divorce, as the cause of a surge in 1980s divorces and the drop in marriage rates. Fast-forward a few decades, and the divorce rate in our country has fallen to under 3% from 5.3% in 1981. While many point to lower marriage rates as the reason for the decline, I personally attribute it to my fellow Millennials, whose broken homes helped shape the ones we would later form, or choose not to form. We knew we didn't want to have marriages like our parents, and there were a lot of us. Little did I know that marrying someone who serves in the military might put me at a higher risk of divorce. According to reports based on U.S. Census Bureau data, those who have served in the military have the highest divorce rate of any career field. Service members are married at higher rates than civilians, and our divorce rate is roughly 4.8%. In a time when the national divorce rate is low, why should military families be concerned about divorce? "I put deposits down. 'You're gonna be in Virginia. I'm gonna move down to Texas where my family is and my support system is.' And he filed [for divorce] like two weeks before, and it kept me in New Jersey," said Lisa Chaisson, former Air Force spouse. "It really did feel like I was a prisoner, and was trapped all by myself without a single support system." Chaisson thought she had a plan to separate until things became contentious and military orders complicated the process. She could not stay in her New Jersey home because her husband's housing allowance paid for him to live in Virginia. On paper, they looked like a geobaching family but, in reality, Chaisson was left to figure out how to remain in New Jersey on her own to take care of paperwork. Because her ex moved to a new command, it was hard for her to know who to call and where to go for support. His last command tried their best, but because he was no longer there, they were limited in what they were able to do. If you are stationed overseas, the military will move divorcing spouses back to the United States, but the same is not a guarantee if located in the U.S. These moving costs can be covered by divorce settlements, but they are not usually covered by the Defense Department. Additionally, covering those costs happens only if the couple is already divorced, something that was not the case for Chaisson, who was left behind prior to the divorce being finalized. Another soon-to-be ex-Air Force spouse shared that she and her husband have to live together in Washington, D.C., despite being separated, because of the high cost of living. Although this is acceptable in D.C., many states have different policies that require couples to live under separate roofs before divorcing, adding unforeseen costs to an already expensive process. For couples with children, the process becomes even more complex. "At the time, he was getting deployed I was the constant," said Paulette Fryar, Coast Guard spouse and the 2020-21 AFI Military Spouse of the Year. The Fryars are a blended family, with Paulette and her spouse each having been married before, with children from their previous marriages. "He would have never been able to be the custodial parent [of the children from his first marriage] because of the military; at least, that's the advice we got," said Fryar. It has been a struggle for them to stay connected. "He was looking at having to give up his career in order to be available to his kids the way he wanted to be. It was extremely expensive." The Fryars did everything they could to make custody agreements work, traveling all four children back and forth multiple times a year despite the expense, something they were happy they were able to afford. However, what is an option for a senior-ranking family may not be a financial possibility for junior members. Who Is Getting Divorced? Studies show that enlisted families are more likely than officer families to experience divorce. This is not because of rank itself, but age. The younger a couple is when they get married, the higher the divorce rates. This makes it seem like officer families have things sorted out, but in reality, they're just older. Aside from rank, another demographic factor that brings a higher risk of divorce is being female. According to research produced by Rand Corp., female service members have significantly higher rates of divorce, with increased risk if the woman is married to a civilian male partner. "My first husband was a civilian, and it was really hard for him to cope," said a female Army veteran who was married to her first husband for eight years before marrying another service member, to whom she is still married. "Things were said to him from my peers as well. Somehow, like you're not a man if you're not in the military." Although she is still married to her currently serving spouse, she shared that the demands of being a dual-military couple contributed to her getting out of active-duty service. "The dual-military situation can also be very difficult because of the unrealistic expectations put on the female service member to be the caregiver for the children and there not being a lot of support or expectations being put on the male service member," she added. In the military, simply being female increases the risk of divorce. This is what researchers like to call a "hazard." Common hazards are financial insecurity and stress, things that go hand in hand with the military lifestyle. In addition to the inherent insecurity of being geographically separated from loved ones, deployments create a significant hazard, both by literally putting members in harm's way and increasing stress, which negatively impacts marriages. According to research conducted in 2013 that examined the impact of deployment on divorce, couples enter marriage with expectations. Deployments change these expectations because the military is unpredictable. Deployments add stress and force couples to weigh whether the positive aspects of their marriage outweigh the negative. But it is not just deployments that cause these hazards. It's the unknown, the back and forth and the lack of control. The same researchers studied marriages that were formed before and after 9/11 and compared them. They found that those who knew what they were signing up for (married after 9/11) were significantly less likely to get divorced than those who were thrown into the War on Terror unaware (married before 9/11). And the longer and the more dangerous the deployment, the higher the risk of divorce. Deployments also negatively impacted female service members at higher rates regardless of the duration or danger of their deployments. The researchers' explanation pointed to mismatched expectations. "Couples of military women expect at the time of marriage a lower probability of deployment and form different expectations regarding the deployment experience, given that, historically, the role of women in the military has been different from that of males." In other words, gender roles are in conflict with military realities and may impact a marriage's success. What Military Spouses Need to Know About Divorce "I always knew I wanted to stay home; however, I don't think I ever realized the disservice that I was doing myself because I was completely 100% dependent on him for everything," said an Air Force spouse whose divorce is still being finalized. "'You stayed home. You didn't earn anything. You could have worked, you know.' So, I have had to kind of fight for that, 'No, I did earn it. I stayed home so that you could work.'" Despite research and policies that show military spouses experience unemployment at higher rates than civilian counterparts, many married and divorced military spouses feel as though they must justify the time they have spent out of the workforce. In 2018, the White House estimated that full-time working military spouses lose approximately $189,614 in income over a 20-year military career. While civilian couples often have stay-at-home parents, military spouses may stay at home at higher rates due to a lack of affordable child care, combined with demanding military work schedules. According to the DoD's latest military spouse survey, only 43% of military households reported having both spouses in the workforce, much lower than the 65% of civilian parents with dual incomes. Kathleen Foley, who has worked with more than 100 families helping them navigate divorce and spousal abuse, said that those years of supporting a partner in the military can leave spouses with a big gap in their retirement planning. "At the end of the day, you've supported someone for 20 years and have nothing to show for it." For families who make the joint decision for the military spouse to remain out of the workforce, divorce may force the non-working spouse to quantify their contribution and ask for compensation for their unpaid household labor, something many struggle to do. They are forced to bridge the military-civilian knowledge gap, conveying to judges what life as a military spouse is like and explaining that what may have looked like a choice, was in reality the only option for many families who could not access affordable child care or find employment in their field, or be forced to take lower wages due to frequent moves. And all the while, they report being made to feel as though they are unpatriotic villains, trying to steal from those who put their lives in harm's way, despite having made very real personal and financial sacrifices of their own. How the DoD Navigates Divorce Resources like Military OneSource provide guidance for those seeking to divorce, offering counseling services, telling service members to consider state and federal laws, pointing to resources like the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), and instructing them to complete a family care plan. They even point to the availability of legal support to help military families during the divorce process and highlight rules that help enforce court-ordered child support and alimony payments. But what is absent from the site is any mention of what the DoD does to help service members stay connected to their children. Wage Garnishment and Tricare The Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act (USFSPA) helps enforce the collection of court-ordered child support or alimony. There are various eligibility requirements associated with these protections. For instance, the 20-20-20 Rule requires 20 years of creditable service, the marriage lasted at least 20 years, and 20 of those marriage years overlapped with their service for a spouse to be potentially eligible for Tricare. Base Legal Those I interviewed for this article shared very different experiences of the support that installation legal offices were able to provide. Like many things in the military, the service offered in one location may be vastly different in another. So I called five branch legal offices in California to see whether the variety shared with me was a fluke or something to plan for. This is what I found: Representatives from both Beale Air Force Base and the Army's Fort Irwin told me over the phone that both parties in a divorce can use the legal assistance office, but they can not speak to the same lawyer. The Marine Corps' Camp Pendleton requires those seeking a divorce to attend a "dissolution brief '' before they can receive assistance from the legal office. The Navy's Region Legal Service Office Southwest based in San Diego provides legal assistance with personal civil legal matters "as resources permit," and they also require individuals to attend a "weekly divorce seminar" and help interested couples in filing paperwork. The Coast Guard legal office in Alameda indicated it could offer help, but required that I provide my name, my spouse's name and any children we have before they could determine what they could provide. SCRA Military spouses need to consider how the SCRA impacts them during divorce proceedings. The act allows service members to delay court proceedings due to deployments and other factors. This understandably allows them to participate in court proceedings but is something that military spouses should take into consideration as it can delay the process and could cost both parties more in legal fees. Assignment Coordination and Child Custody/Visitation All branches require that single-parent service members create a Family Care Plan to accommodate for the care of their children. Currently, only the Air Force's assignment coordination attempts to facilitate child custody agreements, and is a relatively new policy. The Army reminds commanders to stress a soldier's obligation to the military so that they are aware they "will not receive special consideration in duty assignments or duty stations based on their responsibilities for family members unless enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program." The Navy "recognizes the unique situations that occur when single parents are assigned to some types of duty and duty locations; however, a preferential assignment policy regarding single parents would be discriminatory toward other members." While there are programs like the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) that set a precedent on how detailers could prioritize assignment coordination to factor in family circumstances, DoD-level policies related to child custody agreements are nonexistent. While resources exist, they may not be clearly communicated to spouses in the middle of contentious divorces who feel abruptly cut off from the military community. "I was a Navy spouse for 25 years until a very, very unexpected divorce. My husband was in the SEAL teams, and we endured 18 combat deployments," said Molly Harrison. "I wish there had been something to say, 'OK, this is how we can help you.'" Like military spouses who are underemployed or out of the workforce entirely, my mom had to reinvent herself after my parents' divorce. I was a latchkey kid, and at the time resented my mom "leaving us" to get a master's degree in her 30s. Today, I look back at that time following my parents' divorce through a different lens. My mom was a badass. She did what she had to do with the resources she had. My dad did not have to do anything other than continue on in his same role, just in a new home and with child support payments looming. He had access to information and resources because his career drove their lives, and there was no learning curve. I love them both, but my mom had to fight to survive. My dad didn't. Military divorces are both run of the mill and unique. Military spouses must fight to reinvent themselves, especially if they are out of the workforce. Service members must fight to see their children while also fulfilling their operational duties, forced to choose between pursuing a hard-charging career and being a present parent. While divorce may be unavoidable for some, keeping military spouses in the workforce and informed of available support during the divorce process may help make this inevitability less painful for both parties. -- In addition to her reporting, Jennifer Barnhill is also the chief operating officer and lead researcher for Partners in PROMISE, editor-in-chief of the National Military Spouse Network Day of Advocacy Steering Committee, and the military spouse liaison on The League of Wives Memorial Project. President of the Republic of Korea (RoK) Yoon Suk Yeol. (Photo: VNA) Following is the full text of the interview. Reporter: After three decades of establishing diplomatic relations, Vietnam and the RoK officially elevated their relations to the level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in December 2022. As the President of the RoK, how do you evaluate the new dimensions and content of this partnership in terms of bilateral cooperation? President Yoon Suk Yeol: Over the three decades since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, our two countries have built an exemplary, mutually beneficial partnership on all fronts. It is important for us to develop more qualitative, future-oriented bilateral relations that adjust to volatile internal and external environments, rather than settle for what has already been achieved. In this context, our two countries upgraded bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties last year. This demonstrates how committed our two countries governments and peoples are to solidarity, broadening the scope of cooperation and deepening bilateral exchanges. First of all, I intend to strengthen security cooperation with Vietnam, so a rules-based order will be able to take firm root in the Indo-Pacific region. The RoK will continue to cooperate with Vietnam in maritime security. Moreover, I hope that cooperation in the defence industry will be further expanded based on the RoKs technological prowess which has a proven track record in the global market. Forward-looking cooperation between the RoK and Vietnam will also be stepped up to ensure that our two countries can prosper together. We will continue to support VKIST, or the Vietnam-Korea Institute of Science and Technology, in order for it to establish itself as Vietnams center for scientific and technological development. The creation of this institute marks the RoK governments single largest grant project. In particular, a new grant aid project will be announced on the occasion of my upcoming state visit to help Vietnam bolster its ability to conduct research in the fields of science and technology. The world is confronting a polycrisis on a level unlike any before. The RoK and Vietnam should navigate through these challenges together. The Korean and Vietnamese governments are placing a special focus on critical minerals supply chains, energy, digital transformation, smart cities and climate change responses when it comes to future cooperation. This year marks the spirited beginning of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between our two countries. I hope that my state visit to Vietnam in this meaningful year will serve as a catalyst for opening a new chapter of bilateral cooperation. Reporter: Since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992, the RoK and Vietnam have made remarkable progress in various fields, particularly in the economic domain. Could you kindly provide insights on the RoK governments future plans to expand economic cooperation and investment with Vietnam? President Yoon Suk Yeol: In December last year, the Vietnamese President and I presented our goal of achieving 150 billion USD in trade by 2030, but bilateral trade could not avoid negative growth this year due to the global economic downturn. As part of our efforts to restore the dynamism of bilateral trade, I will travel to Vietnam with a large business delegation. Vietnam is a key partner in the RoKs Indo-Pacific strategy, and we need to further deepen and expand the extent of our primarily manufacturing-focused bilateral cooperation into finance, the retail industry, IT, cultural content and other service sectors. The means of cooperation should also aim for a horizontal division of labor, playing off each others strengths. Cooperation to help Vietnam develop its industrial technology will be significantly enhanced. No less important is to work together for such future agendas as carbon neutrality by 2050 and the digital transformation. I hope that our two countries future generations will become key actors for such future agendas. Reporter: The RoK has been implementing key foreign policies, namely the Global Pivotal State (GPS) vision and Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI) Could you please elaborate on potential cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK in policy coordination on both bilateral and multilateral aspects? President Yoon Suk Yeol: Until his last moments, President Ho Chi Minh, the beloved father of the Vietnamese nation, remained occupied with the desire for the country to become independent, people to enjoy freedom, and everyone to have food to eat, dress to wear, and school to attend. And now as it pursues world peace and active international cooperation Vietnam is moving toward its goal of being ranked among the developed countries by 2045. Vietnams goals are in line with the Korea-ASEAN Solidarity Initiative (KASI) that I announced last November at the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, as part of the RoKs efforts to realise its Global Pivotal State vision. The RoK governments GPS vision echoes our determination to contribute more actively in the region and international community by playing a role thats commensurate with our elevated national power and status. Accordingly, we intend to explore creative ways for cooperation and work closely together with Vietnam our comprehensive strategic partner in order to contribute to peace and prosperity in the international community through multilateral organizations and consultative bodies, including the United Nations, APEC and P4G. My upcoming visit to Vietnam will be the first bilateral visit to a Southeast Asian country since my inauguration as President. First and foremost, my visit this time is significant as it marks the full-fledged implementation of the KASI with Vietnam, the RoKs key partner. In particular, the RoK aims to enhance substantive and forward-looking cooperation with ASEAN and the Mekong region. Based on respect for ASEAN Centrality and the needs of ASEAN, the RoK will expand substantive cooperation in such future-oriented fields as digital transformation, climate change responses and healthcare and medical services. Furthermore, we will expand strategic cooperation in areas of mutual interest between the RoK and ASEAN, including maritime security and the defense industry. In addition, we will continue to provide support for Vietnams priorities like developing the Mekong region while narrowing the development gaps within it. As a way of expressing our strong commitment to strengthening ASEAN-RoK relations, I hope to upgrade those relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of our dialogue partnership next year. To this end, after the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Summit scheduled for September this year, the RoK will submit a proposal containing the RoK governments specific plans to ASEAN. I am deeply grateful to Vietnam the country coordinator for ASEAN-RoK dialogue for carrying out its role as a bridge between the two sides in an exemplary manner. Both with the KASIs implementation going forward and with the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between the RoK and ASEAN next year, I look forward to communicating and cooperating more closely with Vietnam. Through this, I believe that our two countries can contribute even more to peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region including ASEAN. Reporter: Vietnam and the RoK share many historical and cultural similarities, which have greatly contributed to the robust development of people-to-people exchanges between the two countries over the past three decades. Could you please shed light on the RoK governments upcoming policies aimed at promoting people-to-people exchanges and the exchange of human resources between our two nations? President Yoon Suk Yeol: Since my father contributed to people-to-people exchanges between our two countries, this state visit to Vietnam is very personally meaningful to me. He was convinced that exchanges between future generations are important for the development of bilateral relations and sought to contribute to our academic exchanges in 1993 right after the establishment of diplomatic relations by enrolling students from National Economics University in Hanoi and University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City in Yonsei Universitys Graduate School of International Studies. Over the past 30 years, people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have exploded thanks to all levels of society in both countries making invaluable efforts. Before the outbreak of COVID-19, nearly 5 million people from both countries visited the other annually via more than 500 direct flights every week. Needless to say, it was the biggest people-to-people exchange that the RoK has ever experienced with a Southeast Asian nation. Even last year after we regained our normal daily lives, Koreans made up the largest number of international visitors to Vietnam. Vietnam is said to be Koreans most popular overseas tourist destination this summer. Korean people have grown so familiar with rice noodles, bun cha and Vietnamese coffee as to consider them parts of everyday life. Around 170,000 Koreans currently reside in Vietnam the largest Korean presence in Southeast Asia. The number of households with both Koreans and Vietnamese in Vietnam also reached 6,500. More than 80,000 Korean-Vietnamese multicultural families live in the RoK. Since Ly Long Tuong, a descendant of the Ly Dynasty in Vietnam, came to the Goryeo Kingdom, Korea and Vietnam have maintained an in-law relationship over the past 800 years of history. Now, it is no exaggeration to say that we are one family. The RoK government will provide institutional support, so our people-to-people exchanges can become more vibrant. During my upcoming visit to Vietnam, Vietnams top leaders and I will put our heads together to find ways that will ensure that our two peoples can conveniently travel back and forth and lead safe and happy lives. In particular, we will provide more support to expand exchanges between the next generations who will lead the future of our bilateral relations. More assistance will be offered to the youth of Vietnam, so they can receive high-quality Korean language education locally. Opportunities will be expanded to help more Vietnamese study in the RoK as well. I believe that when our future generations come to better understand and like each other, the future of bilateral relations will shine brighter./. Rick Harrison, Corey Harrison and Chumlee are coming to Michigan and you actually negotiate with them for an upcoming episode of Pawn Stars Do America. The spin-off of the popular History Channel show, Pawn Stars, is coming to Ann Arbor and Detroit this summer. Producers are looking for locals to be on season two of the show who may have a collectible or historical item. We are currently looking for interesting items that could be great for the show, such as cool collectibles, Americana, historical items etc., producers said. We are casting ASAP. Hope to hear from you soon. You can email your information to producers here for a chance to pawn your item on the show. Tell producers who you are and what item you have that youd like to try to pawn to the guys. Season 2 of Pawn Stars Do America is also shooting in Albuquerque, Boston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Lexington, Louisville, Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Salem, Santa Fe, St. Petersburg and Tampa. Season one featured eight episodes which took place in Austin, Denver, Savannah, San Francisco, Seattle, Valley Forge, Washington, D.C. and Winston-Salem. MORE FROM MLIVE: 12-year old magician ventriloquist from Michigan shocks with AGT audition Dave Coulier to host Full House tell all, behind-the-scenes podcast How Nickelbacks Mike Kroeger became a die-hard Detroit Red Wings fan Illustrative photo (Source: congthuong.vn) According to the statistics of the association, pepper exports in the first 5 months of 2023 reached 131,777 tons, worth USD408.9 million, up 30% in volume but down 12.7% in value due to reduced export prices. Regarding the market, pepper exports to Asia continued to be a bright spot in the first 5 months of 2023, reaching 78,907 tons, up 77.2% and accounting for 59.9% of the total export turnover of Vietnam's pepper; in which China was the main export market with 46,169 tons, accounting for 35% and increasing by 1,668.9% over the same period in 2022; and exports to the Philippines reached 3,305 tons, up 26.1%. Exports to Africa increased by 38.9%, including 2,179 tons to Egypt, up 140%; and 1,523 tons to Senegal, up 104.4% from the same period last year. In the Americas, Vietnam's pepper exports in the first five months of 2023 decreased by 13.1%, accounting for 18% of the market share; in which exports to the US decreased by 15.5% to 21,093 tons. The EU region currently accounted for 16.8% of Vietnam's total pepper export turnover, but export turnover in the first 5 months of 2023 decreased by 9.4% over the same period. Regarding the reason for the decline in pepper exports to the US and EU markets, Ms. Hoang Thi Lien, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Pepper Association, said that buyers in this area have a mentality of waiting for new crops from Indonesia (July-August) and Brazil in the hope of lower purchase prices. In addition, the amount of inventory from previous years is causing buyers from the EU and the US to not rush to join the market in the past 5 months./. EMMET COUNTY, MI -- An Oden man was killed Tuesday when he was riding his motorcycle and was hit from behind from another driver. According to UpNorthLive, Larry Jessick, 68, was traveling westbound on U.S. 31, west of North County Road around 5:23 p.m. when a 2011 Subaru Outback driven by Jennifer Buskirk, 55, of Alanson struck him. Police and EMS were called to the scene and Jessick was transported to McLaren Northern Michigan hospital in Petoskey where he was pronounced dead. U.S. 31 was shut down for four hours while police worked the scene. The Emmet County Sheriffs Office says the crash remains under investigation. READ MORE: More people are dying in traffic crashes. Officials blame risky behavior. 18-year-old dies at hospital after being pulled from Lake Michigan Waterfront U.P. town to set up social district, food truck areas Anglers reported successful trips with catches of salmon and other species throughout Michigan this past week, according to state officials. Boat anglers targeting salmon had good fishing this week out of St. Joseph, according to the Wednesday, June 21, weekly fishing report from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. They were catching mostly coho salmon. Meanwhile, in Rockport, anglers reported good numbers of Atlantic salmon cruising the shallows near Stoneport, with best results coming in low light conditions, the report said. There was a mixed bag out of Alpena where very few boats ventured to Thunder Island but those that did, had success with catches of lake trout, Atlantic salmon, Chinook, coho, and a few steelhead, the report said. Out of Keweenaw and Huron bays, anglers were able to catch not only coho and Chinook salmon from the bays, but some reports included lake trout and lake whitefish, the report said. Pier anglers reported good catches of coho from Grand Marais, the report said. Anglers also had success with species of whitefish, trout, walleye, perch, bass and other species in various areas of Michigan. The fishing report covers the entire state and is broken down into five regions with information about several areas in each region. It includes where anglers are casting their lines, what methods and bait theyre using, what theyre targeting and how well they did. Southeast Lower Peninsula Lake Erie: Yellow perch reports were starting to come in, with a few boats getting 15 to 20 fish, however many of the perch caught were still fairly small. They were caught in 18 to 22 feet of water out from Bolles Harbor on minnow rigs. Walleye were caught out from the Raisin River, which was the most successful area. Anglers were catching them on crawler harnesses. However, the bite was sort of hit or miss lately with around only about half of the boats reporting limits and the other half getting around four to 10 for a boat with two anglers. This is possibly due to the amount of aquatic vegetation out in the lake currently. Lake St. Clair: Smallmouth bass anglers were having success while drifting tubes near Blossom Heath Boat Launch and near the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club in 12 to 15 feet of water. Other smallmouth anglers were casting dropshots and crankbaits near weeded areas along the Nine Mile Boat Launch around the same depth, 8 to 12 feet. Walleye anglers were having success trolling crawler harnesses near the shipping channel and at the mouth of the Detroit River. Anglers were trolling 1 to 2mph towards the St. Clair Lake lighthouse in 20 to 25 feet of water. Saginaw Bay: Fishing in the slot was starting to slow down with very clear water. Anglers were doing better fishing around weed beds, finding dirty water, or moving out deeper. Anglers were targeting 25 to 30 feet of water east and northeast of the shipping channel. Anglers using body baits were catching better sized walleye, while crawlers were catching more fish with lots of undersized walleye mixed in. Bass anglers were catching and releasing a mix of smallmouth and largemouth bass around Wildfowl Bay on artificial baits. Walleye were caught three miles northeast of the Sparkplug while trolling in 22 feet of water and four miles southeast of the Sparkplug while trolling in 22 feet of water. Buoys 1 and 2 were also producing walleye in 24 feet of water. Harbor Beach: Anglers trolling for salmon and trout were fishing in 70 to 80 feet of water using downriggers with spoons and catching Atlantic salmon, Chinook and some steelhead 15 to 25 feet down. Bright orange colored silver streaks and mini streaks worked best. Port Sanilac: Anglers caught a nice mixed bag of steelhead, coho, and lake trout while trolling straight out in 120-130 feet of water while running baits at all levels. Southwest Lower Peninsula Grand Haven: The salmon action was fair for boat anglers. Salmon were caught 35 to 90 down in 65 to 160 feet of water. Orange spoons worked well along with green or yellow meat rigs. Pier anglers were catching a few steelhead on shrimp under a bobber. Anglers casting spoons were catching freshwater drum. South Haven: Boat anglers were catching a few salmon but mostly lake trout. The fish were spread out from 65 feet of water to well beyond 120 feet. Pier anglers had slow fishing for steelhead. There were a few freshwater drum caught on shrimp. Perch fishing was very slow. Thornapple Lake: Black crappie were biting in 10 to15 feet of water. Minnows and jigs were working best. Bluegills and largemouth bass were found in shallower water. A few musky anglers had follows and hook ups using large minnow and sucker presentations. St. Joseph: Boat anglers targeting salmon had good fishing this week. There were good numbers of fish caught from 80 to 120 feet of water. There were still a few steelhead and coho caught in shallow waters also. There was also a decent bite in very deep water. The catch was a mixed bag of steelhead, lake trout, a few Chinook salmon but mostly coho. Perch fishing was slow. Pier fishing was steady but not great. The fishing pressure was very high, and most fish were caught on shrimp. St. Joseph River: Anglers were catching walleye in the lower river. Anglers were also catching a few steelhead at the Berrien Springs Dam. Northeast Lower Peninsula Presque Isle: Anglers reported fair success around the new lighthouse through North Bay. Trout were found all throughout the water column in depths of 50 to 100 feet. Atlantic salmon, Chinook salmon, and coho were caught in the top 30 feet on watermelon, green/silver, black/orange, and gold/green spoons. The Black Point and Thompson Harbor areas were giving up nice northern pike and bass. Anglers reported seeing a few walleye hanging around the shallows of Thompson Harbor. A good number of steelhead were taken over deep water near the old shipwreck. Orange, gold, and copper spoons had the best results in the top 20 feet of water. Tawas: Anglers out of Tawas were catching walleye while trolling around Charity Island as well as around Whitestone Point. Bass anglers were catching good numbers of smallmouth and largemouth around structures in Tawas Bay. Lake trout and steelhead were starting to pop up. Anglers were trolling in 90 to 100 feet of water and catching them around 30 to 40 feet. Freshwater drum were caught by almost anybody fishing in the bay. Rockport: From Middle Island to Stoneport, anglers reported catches of trout and all salmon species in waters 70 to 120 feet. Most fish were in the top 20 to 45 feet. Spoons in green, orange, silver/green, and gold/ orange were working well. Pike and bass were taken around the Rockport dock, off the launch and in Knights Bay. Anglers reported good numbers of Atlantic salmon cruising the shallows near Stoneport, with best results coming in low light conditions. Alpena: The cool water temperatures slowed down the walleye bite. Anglers found some nice pike, bass, catfish and the occasional walleye from the pierhead south to Grass Island. Crankbaits and crawler harnesses in a wide variety of colors had on and off success rate. Anglers casting from the pier and shore with crankbaits and spoons were surprised with a few Atlantic salmon. Silver and gold-colored baits had the best success. Very few boats ventured to Thunder Island but those that did, had success with catches of lake trout, Atlantic salmon, Chinook, coho, and a few steelhead. Trout were found in the bottom half of 60 to 100 feet of water and the majority of silver fish were coming from the top 40 feet. While orange, gold and green colors were taking most of the salmon, watermelon, whites, and chartreuse colored baits were taking the majority of the trout. Thunder Bay River: Leaches and crawlers were the most productive for walleye, smallmouth, catfish and freshwater drum. Mill Island Park to Ninth Avenue had moderate catches of all species. The 2nd Street Bridge to the river mouth had given up bullhead, bass and the occasional walleye. Some nice pike were taken recently using large spinners and spinnerbaits in white, red/white, and green. Au Sable: The Brown Drakes and Hex were starting to show. The mayfly hatches have been consistent this year, so fish were looking up. Its just a matter of time before they key into the big bugs. Rogers City: Lake trout fishing was good with limit catches reported. The trout moved out to some deeper water. Anglers should try fishing from 65 to 80 feet of water. Anglers were running some lines near the bottom with dodgers and spin glos or cowbells with spin glos. The lake trout were suspended as well. The best fishing occurred at structured areas, Adams Point, 40 Mile Point, and at the hump straight out of the harbor. Anglers were having better success turning back and staying on the fish. The lake trout were scattered which made it hard to stay on them but once located be sure to turn back on them. Northwest Lower Peninsula Manistee: Salmon fishing was slow. Very few Chinook salmon were caught. In the mix were a couple steelhead and lake trout. Lake trout were reported from the bottom in 100 feet of water and Chinook/steelhead were 25 to 50 feet down in 100 to 120 feet of water. The perch action was hit or miss on the north pier, but some nice ones were caught on wigglers. Anglers looking for summer run steelhead and brown trout on the pier didnt have any luck. Ludington: Salmon fishing was slow. Anglers found very few at the point when fishing 70 to 140 feet of water and off the projects in 150 to 170 feet of water. Perch action on the pier was hit or miss and the brown trout bite in the harbor also slowed down. Some nice steelhead were caught while fishing the same areas for Chinook and even further out to deeper waters. West Grand Traverse Bay: Anglers were seeing a lot more action further north now that Northports launch is back open. Anglers were catching anything from cisco, lake trout to smallmouth bass and some small perch. They were seeing good lake trout numbers when fishing deep down in 100 to 110 feet of water. Lake trout seemed to be hitting on a variety of setups, such as spin n glows and spin doctors. Leland: Anglers targeting lake trout were very successful trolling 1-2 miles out, using spoons and spinners. Most anglers were catching their limits within 1-2 hours of being out. Chinook slowed down for the most part. Anglers found a few Chinook out past the Manitou Islands in deep water. Pier anglers were at docks in Leland for smallmouth bass and the occasional perch. Charlevoix: Cisco anglers reported slower numbers of catches over the past week off the piers. Catching cisco in the early to late morning proved to be the best time of day while using shiny spoons while casting and jigging near the bottom of the channel. Anglers targeting cisco towards the evening hours had more success catching the occasional lake trout. Petoskey/Harbor Springs: Anglers targeting bass in Little Traverse Bay reported slower rates of smallmouth bass. Casting soft plastics and crawlers were the most successful method. Anglers near the mouth of the Bear River reported bullhead and channel catfish, rock bass and smallmouth bass. Anglers targeting lake trout in boats had slow success trolling between 60 to 150 feet while fishing northwest of Harbor Springs and southwest of Petoskey. Upper Peninsula Little Bay de Noc: Walleye anglers reported slow fishing. Anglers that were successful had to work for them. Methods included trolling crankbaits or casting jigs. Anglers reported the smallmouth and northern pike fishing was good. Big Bay de Noc: Smallmouth anglers reported good fishing near shore, as well as offshore around islands. Anglers were targeting rocky areas that had gobies. Salmon anglers fishing Fairport reported good fishing. Manistique: Salmon anglers were catching Chinook salmon and steelhead. Some lake trout were also caught. Keweenaw Bay/Huron Bay: Anglers were able to catch not only coho, and Chinook salmon from the bays but some reports included lake trout and lake whitefish. Anglers fishing for Salmon were almost exclusively trolling with the odd salmon being caught during jigging events as well. The lake trout catch was divided evenly between trolling and jigging but the most successful trips ended before noon. Anglers used a variety of artificial baits to pull in all species of fish mentioned. Big Traverse Bay/South Portage Canal: Anglers were reporting great catches of coho and lake trout in waters near 180 feet. Fish were caught on trolling and jigging setups with most of the fish caught while trolling. Anglers reported fish throughout the entirety of the water column but only biting on days when the water was warmer. If trolling, try keeping lures above 50 feet. Les Cheneaux/Detour: Anglers in the Hessel area were catching very few perch off the marina using minnows, leaches and worms. There were also a few pike caught off the end of the pier in the early morning hours. The pike anglers were primarily using small perch and/or gobies. The fish in the marina area were being picky and very spookish. In Cedarville, anglers were catching a few perch, pike and bass, however the bite was very slow there as well. There were a few commercial anglers picking up a few herring in the Cedarville area. The mayfly hatch slowly started with a few being spotted around the marina area in the mornings and evening. In Detour, anglers are picking up lake trout around the flats, along with a few nice size Chinook salmon. There were also a few Atlantic salmon picked up, but the fishing slowed down in that area at the moment as well due to changing weather and water temperatures. Munising Bay: Boat anglers continued to report fair to good catches of coho. The action slowed somewhat compared to previous weeks but is still present. Lake trout anglers reported good catches near Wood Island and near Grand Portal. Pier anglers at the Anna reported some catches for splake/coho with very few fish being caught. Ontonagon River: Weather and fishing were good over the past week. Anglers had no issues finding walleye and the occasional rock bass while trolling and jigging on the river. While it seemed early mornings were the best time to catch walleye, fish were caught at all hours of the day. At the mouth of the river some anglers had success in jigging for whitefish, however the bite was reportedly slowing down. Ontonagon/Silver City/Union Bay: The fishing was good with anglers consistently finding good numbers of fish on a daily basis. Boats trolling artificial lures in the shallow waters had success in getting good mixed bags of lake trout, Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead and brown trout. Successful trips occurred consistently at all times throughout the day. Black River Harbor: Fishing out of the harbor was somewhat slow over the past week and few anglers made their way out on the lake. Anglers who got on the water found some success in catching lake trout and coho salmon. The key to these catches seemed to be long days spent trolling artificial lures in shallow waters. Grand Marais: Pier anglers reported good catches of coho this past week while fishing for whitefish using single eggs. Most pier anglers were fishing more in the evening hours. The morning bite was virtually nonexistent for whitefish but a few coho were also caught in the early morning hours. Lake trout anglers were doing great with limits of lake trout either jigging or trolling near Five Mile Reef. READ MORE: Popular Lake Michigan state parks largest campground to reopen ahead of schedule Bow hunting likely in Whitehall to cull deer population Debris field found near Titanic during search for submersible, U.S. Coast Guard says Become part of the sky on a 65-foot-high canopy walk in Michigans Irish Hills Howd I get here? Whose car is this? Why are we headed toward that motel? Why wont my brain work? Those were some of the questions swirling in 23-year-old Kats mind as she regained consciousness in unfamiliar surroundings. Hours earlier, she was hula-hooping and bobbing rhythmically to thumping DJ music, looking forward to three more nights of fun and freedom at the Electric Forest music festival. But that didnt happen. Instead, the 110-pound, streetwise woman from Chicago blacked out she suspects she was drugged and awoke riding in a strange mans car. It was the early morning of Friday, June 24, 2022. That was a year ago, but Michigans music festival season is upon us again. Related: Tens of thousands pour into Rothbury as Electric Forest music festival kicks off For most, these multi-day campouts represent an escape from everyday life, an opportunity for self-expression and submersion in live music. But, some become the targets of sexual predators. MLive tracked sexual assaults at the states two largest music festivals, Faster Horses and Electric Forest, both of which draw more than 40,000 people each year. Police reports obtained by MLive via the Freedom of Information Act, reveal rates of sexual assault are elevated compared to statewide averages. Police at Faster Horses have logged 37 CSC reports over 27 festival days since 2013, an average nearly 12 times the statewide pace, compared to 2021 Crime in Michigan Annual Report data. While Electric Forest is statistically safer for women, it still has issues. MLive identified 22 reported sexual assaults over 44 days of music since the inaugural Electric Forest in 2011, a pace nearly four times higher than the state average. Two of those sexual assaults were reported at Electric Forest in 2022, including the suspected drugging, abduction and possible sexual assault of Kat, who spoke to MLive with hope that her story will serve as a cautionary tale for other women and inspire silent victims to speak up. Kat is not the womans name, but a pseudonym MLive agreed to use to protect her identity. MLive does not typically name victims in sexual assault cases. Two Michigan State Police Troopers monitor Sherwood Forest during the third day of the Electric Forest Music Festival in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 24, 2018 at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan. Joel Bissell | MLive.comJoel Bissell | MLive.com Boom, Im out Kat liked to live in the moment, to be free, sometimes wild. Thats what drew her to the Electric Forest, an outdoor, psychedelic-drug-fueled rave on the 2,200-acre Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, featuring dozens of Electronic Dance Music acts and little sleep. Kat arrived at the fest in the early morning on June 23 as part of a six-vehicle caravan that made the trek from Chicago and drove through the night. They set up camp in the dusty field outside the venue with thousands of others, the majority of people in their 20s, erecting a tightly packed temporary city of popup tents and tapestries. Napping, dancing, drinking and drug consumption ensued as the day slipped to night, the time when attendees say Electric Forest really comes alive. When concerts end around 2 a.m., the forest and stage areas clear, but the four-day party rages on with drugs and pulsing music. According to 22 drug-related police reports reviewed by MLive, the wares of suspected dealers regularly include MDMA -- better known by the street name Molly -- psychedelic mushrooms, LSD, ketamine and cocaine. Several sellers were arrested after advertising their drugs on social media and unwittingly setting up sales with undercover troopers. Kat wore flared patchwork pants with hula hoops slung over her shoulder as she walked to the RV section with friends for an afterhours DJ set. Kat drank vodka and said she could tell shed had too much. Im drunk, Im confused, Im like, where are all my friends, she said. But Im like, (expletive) it. Ill be fine. This is Electric Forest Im in a safe environment. A man approached Kat and said he knew her good friend and asked if she wanted some cocaine. Kat thought it might sober her up. She could see the mans car parked in a crowded area near campsites. It didnt look shady, she said. The windows werent tinted; you could see through it like a fishbowl. They sat in the car surrounded by passersby and the man pulled out a baggie of white powder from the glove compartment. The second it touches my nose, I look over at him and I say, What is this. This is not cocaine, Kat said. Boom, Im out. Dont remember anything else. Sherwood Forest at night during the third day of Electric Forest Music Festival on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)Joel Bissell | MLive.com You mean the date-rape drug? Kat didnt know how much time had passed, but when she woke it was light outside. She peered out the passenger window. All she saw were trees. The car began to turn left toward a rural west Michigan motel. Her fear morphed into anger. I look to my left and Im like, Who are you? Where am I? Whats going on? Kat said. I did not choose to be here. Why did you take me here? The man told Kat, You consented to this ... You wanted to leave with me. She opened the car door as the concrete scrolled by beneath her and prepared to jump. Wait, the man shouted. I look at him and hes like, Ill take you back. Ill take you back. Terrified, Kat didnt know if he was telling the truth, but the man turned the car around. She asked what hed given her. Have you ever heard of GHB, the man said, according to Kat. The first thing out of my mouth was, You mean the date-rape drug? Kat said. To Kats surprise, the man pulled into the entrance of Electric Forest. She got out, immediately pulled out her phone and recorded a short video of the license plate, then ran away. As she tracked back to her campsite through a sea of cars and tents, Kat said she thought to herself, You just literally got drugged and kidnapped. Michigan State police officers give high fives to festival goers in the Sherwood Forest during Electric Forest on Saturday, June 27, 2015. The festival at Double JJ Ranch in Rothbury Mich. continues through June 28. (Andraya Croft | MLive.com) One of the most relaxed events Although state police dont share how many troopers are assigned to patrol the Electric Forest music festival, patrons say theres a heavy presence. Videos circulate the internet of troopers having friendly interactions with the crowds, sharing high-fives, sometimes dancing or wearing colorful kandi, beaded jewelry thats given away within the Electronic Dance Music and rave scene. I would say in my years of service in the agency, this festival and this detail is probably one of the most relaxed, easygoing events for us, but also for the festival-goers, said Michigan State Police First Lt. Jim Coleman, who oversees Electric Forest policing. I think that most of the folks that come there are there for the experience and theyre not there to cause problems ... Other large events, I think because there is more alcohol consumption, it brings a rowdier crowd. MLive found 121 incidents of possible assault at Faster Horses festival, where alcohol has a larger presence, since it began in 2013, compared to 49 at Electric Forest. You dont see the drunken fights at Electric Forest, said Jamee Valdez of Fennville, whos worked as a masseuse in the festival camping area since 2011. And that could be because of the more peaceful drugs that are around you. She said it also seems to be a safe, supportive environment for women. Among its efforts, Electric Forest organizers created Her Forest, formerly a camping section designated for women, now a series of scheduled meetups, seminars and healing circles to unite femme-identifying attendees. Because of the communal nature of Electric Forest, Coleman said it might put somebody in a vulnerable position for trusting somebody or thinking that a threat doesnt exist. In addition to Kats possible sexual assault report, another woman who attended Electric Forest in 2022 underwent a rape kit analysis after returning home with a headache and no memory of the prior night. The woman refused to cooperate with police and the case was closed as unfounded in October, the police report states. Police recorded two sexual assaults that didnt occur during the 2022 festival: one involving a woman who arrived at the festival medical tent and told police shed been raped by her boyfriend prior to arriving and another who said shed been sexually assaulted at Electric Forest in 2018. Electric Forest producers, AEG and Insomniac Events, didnt grant MLive an interview for this story but released a statement through its public relations firm. Electric Forest has consistently been a leader in festival public safety, with an impressive record for an event of its size and duration, it said. Electric Forest works year-round with top event medical and security professionals, alongside local law enforcement, to improve, plan, and provide a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment for our guests and staff. People walk through Sherwood Forest during the third day of Electric Forest Music Festival on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)Joel Bissell | MLive.com You just imagined it When Kat arrived back to her campsite, she said she experienced some of the same victim-shaming that experts say often accompanies sexual assault reporting. My friends told me that I shouldnt have taken drugs from a stranger and that if I hadnt left that this wouldnt have happened, Kat said. This one girl was like, it literally sounds like youre making that up. You just imagined it. Kat doubted whether police would believe her. Because I have drugs in my system, does that completely wipe out the fact that this happened to me? she remembers thinking. Does this justify this happening to me? Two friends did believe Kat. They walked her to the on-site medical tent, exchanged hugs and a nurse immediately took Kat to a private area to lie down, she said. As the nurse comforted Kat, she broke down in tears. Soon after, police arrived to take her statement. Kat told police she felt like she had sex and was a little sore ..., although she had no recollection of a sexual encounter with the suspect, the police report states. They got him Police arrested the suspect on a parole violation and driving with a suspended license. Troopers seized his car. The man with felony convictions spanning back to 2002, including for drug crimes and felonious assault, was questioned but refused to speak to troopers without an attorney, the police report states. On Sunday, the final day of the music festival, Kat finally entered the concert grounds to hear music. I definitely smiled, and I laughed, she said, but there was a scary cloud hanging over me. She returned to Chicago and began doubting herself, since she had no recollection of being penetrated. It led to severe depression, alongside drug and alcohol abuse. I just felt dirty. I just felt useless, Kat said. She held hope the man who abducted and potentially sexually assaulted her would face justice. That hasnt happened. The majority of sexual assaults, 63%, are never reported to police, according to the nonprofit National Sexual Violence Resource Center, and only 9% of reported sexual assaults result in conviction, based on data reviewed by the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. Investigating State Police Lt. Michelle Robinson said Kats case is still open and an active investigation but declined to provide further comment. Kat said she hadnt heard anything from police for nearly a year, until after MLive began asking law enforcement about the case status. On May 6 she received a voicemail stating police were waiting on more forensic test results from the rape kit. Police reports reviewed by MLive state the rape kit analysis found possible semen on Kats underwear, but the amount was insufficient to make an identification. An investigation has not been submitted to the Oceana County Prosecutors Office, Prosecutor Joseph Bizon said. I am aware of it ... It has not been formally submitted for a decision by my office. Police did submit a warrant review request for the separate driving-while-license-suspended offense, but no charges were issued, because state police are still investigating another crime, Bizon said. The suspect remains at the Saginaw Correctional Facility where hes serving a 1- to 10-year sentence for a 2020 conviction of possession of methamphetamine. He was free on parole at the time of Kats reported assault. The Electric Forest sign on Ranch Arena during the second day of Electric Forest Music Festival on Friday, June 24, 2022 at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan. (Joel Bissell | MLive.com)Joel Bissell | MLive.com I asked for help Kat isnt attending Electric Forest this year. She said her rave days are behind her, but she hopes her story raises awareness, discussion and scrutiny. Talking about this is a lot harder than I thought, she said. Kat believes the culture that surrounds Electric Forest and similar events is supportive of women, but there are hidden predators. She recommends having a buddy system, designating a friend to be accountable in case of intoxication, only using drugs from a trusted source and security improvements, such as wristbands to track or restrict entrance to certain campgrounds and better monitoring of people who are overly intoxicated. I was passed out in this mans front seat, and he got the green light to go out of the campsite, she said. There should have been security saying, she needs to wake up. Were not letting you leave with her. Kat plans to take her lessons as she moves on from the festival scene. Ive raved for a decade, she said. I love EDM. I love festivals and I got roofied and kidnapped at my favorite festival. As of June, Kat celebrated seven months of sobriety and three months at a job she enjoys, working in sales with a construction company. I just started rebuilding my self-worth and how I talk to myself and forgiving my path, Kat said. My life has completely changed, because I asked for help. Victims of sexual assault or other crimes while attending the Electric Forest Music Festival may report incidents to state police at 231-873-2171 More on MLive: A tale of two festivals: Faster Horses versus Electric Forest A sexual predators paradise. Investigation of Faster Horses music festival uncovers 30 reported sexual assaults Tipsters think missing man from Electric Forest may have joined cult Ultimate guide to Electric Forest 2023 Electric Forest fans rejoice! More artists added to 2023 lineup Electric Forest 2023 sells out hours after tickets go on sale A state law went into effect in April that expunged felony and misdemeanor convictions for an estimated 1 million Michiganders. That is a staggering number roughly 1 in 6 adults in the state have had prior misdeeds wiped from the public record. The intent of the law is to recognize the debt paid to society, and to remove barriers to employment, housing and education. The expungements are automatic; affected people dont need to apply or file paperwork. But they are not all-encompassing some serious offenses are excluded, there are time-period requirements and people cannot have pending offenses. In other words, there are always mitigating circumstances. We understand that at MLive, and that is why we have made changes over the past several years to be responsive to how society views the right to be forgotten for past mistakes. That is increasingly relevant in a world floating on an ocean of digitized information and remorseless search engines. In this column in July 2020, I told you how we were curtailing the use of routine mugshots in crime and court stories. And two years ago, I announced that we would begin taking requests from subjects of stories to remove our reporting from the internet. That came on the heels of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signing a package of bills lessening the consequences and punishment for minor or first-time criminal activity. Hundreds of people have contacted us, asking for stories to be unpublished. Not all are related to crimes; sometimes, a person looks back on something they said or did and decides it has not aged well or is creating difficulties in their present life. Since the expungement law went into effect, weve taken a more formal look at our process of removing content from our site. That led us to create a committee that reviews all requests and a new email for requests: tobeforgotten@mlive.com. There are some guidelines: The person requesting the deletion must be the person in the story. We will not accept third-party requests or attorney letters. There are other categories that cant and shouldnt be forgotten: Homicides, sexual assaults, fatal car accidents are among them. Requests may take several weeks to process. A request may not be answered immediately. So what can be removed? Low-level crime stories, such as marijuana convictions from years ago, or a teen vandalism incident where no one was harmed. Here are some recent examples: a young woman who won an award in elementary school but now wants more professional items in a Google search of her name. A woman whose photo from her brothers funeral was deeply upsetting. (We removed one photo but kept the rest.) A man whose home address had been included in old stories of a murder suspect. (Stories of the murder remain.) Not all stories will be removed, noted Kelly Frick, senior director of news for MLive. We consider our stories to be a part of a communitys history, a record of what has happened, she said. Some stories should remain part of that record. I want to note that the press is not bound by the terms of the state expungement law were an institution that constitutionally stands alone from, and is watchdog over, public entities. That means if its a taxpayer-funded function, we are unlikely to take it down. For instance, it is extremely rare for us to delete a story about someone speaking at a city council meeting; about misconduct by a school board member or principal; or a law-enforcement officer who was disciplined. For many journalists, me included, deleting the reporting of important events feels wrong. If it was important enough to write about, it should be available to the public, Frick said. But I think we also understand that the digital age has made finding that content so much easier than going to a library to look up old copies of the newspaper. This isnt a perfect system, but we try to do the right thing for each circumstance, each request. Doing the right thing isnt new, but it needs updating for the times we live in. Where search engines dont and cant provide professional judgment or empathy, MLive editors will. # # # John Hiner is the vice president of content for MLive Media Group. If you have questions youd like him to answer, or topics to explore, share your thoughts at editor@mlive.com. # # # Want to see all of our latest, best enterprise journalism in one place? Click on this link: https://www.mlive.com/topic/deeper-dives/ ANTRIM COUNTY, MI A Michigan man is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a minor over a period of five years. Christopher Allan Grandstaff, 37, of Mancelona was arrested Wednesday and lodged in the Antrim County Jail on charges of first-degree criminal sexual conduct of a victim under 13 and second-degree CSC of a victim under 13. Michigan State Police say a parent brought their child to the Michigan State Police Gaylord post to report the alleged sexual assault in February. The alleged assaults took place between June 2017 and October 2022, police said. Grandstaff was interviewed by state troopers and search warrants were executed on Tuesday. He was given a $50,000 bond. His next scheduled court appearance is at 11 a.m. on July 12. READ MORE: Michigan man dies after head-on collision with semi-truck in Monroe County Michigan man charged in hit-and-run that left 7-year-old girl with broken femur, pelvis 18-year-old dies at hospital after being pulled from Lake Michigan Michigan man charged with murder after brothers body is found behind house MONROE COUNTY, MI A Michigan man died after the truck he was driving crossed the centerline and crashed head-on with a semi-truck in Monroe County. According to troopers from the Michigan State Police Monroe post, the crash occurred on Oakville-Waltz Road near Maxwell Road in Ash Township at approximately 5:25 p.m. on Wednesday. Police say a Ford F-150 driven by a 56-year-old man from Carleton was travelling westbound on Oakville-Waltz Road and crossed the centerline for an unknown reason. It crossed into the eastbound lanes and collided head-on with the semi-truck driven by a 58-year-old man from Livonia. The driver of the F-150 suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The driver of the semi-truck was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Alcohol and or drugs are not believed to be contributing factors in the crash, police said. The road was closed for a short period of time while troopers worked the scene. Troopers were assisted at the scene by the Ash Township Fire Department, Huron Fire Department, Berlin Township Fire Department, Huron Police Department, Monroe County Sheriffs Office, and Monroe Community Ambulance. Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact trooper Evan Ashley at the MSP Monroe Post by calling 734- 242-3500. READ MORE: Michigan man charged in hit-and-run that left 7-year-old girl with broken femur, pelvis 18-year-old dies at hospital after being pulled from Lake Michigan Michigan man charged with murder after brothers body is found behind house ANN ARBOR, MI -- An Ann Arbor restaurant that once served cigars will soon serve pizza by the slice. Havana Cigar and Cocktail Lounge will be transforming into a brand new concept called Detroit Pizza Pub. The new restaurant will serve menu items like Detroit-style pizza, toasted subs, chicken wings, salads and pasta classics like Chicken Alfredo, chicken parmesan and homemade lasagna along with roughly 100 beers on draft. Havana opened its cigar and cocktail lounge at 207 N. Main St. last August and became known for its tapas-style eats. Now, almost a year later, the business will soon be serving up brand new dishes under the same ownership. The building is currently being renovated for Detroit Pizza Pub, Co-owner Nick Habbert said, adding he plans to open the pub either in the third week of July or early August. Read more: Smoke cigars, sample island-inspired cocktails at new Ann Arbor lounge The change came because Habbert said Havana was appealing to a very niche market. While he said the concept was great, he dealt with some customers who were offput with the restaurants cigars which he said made it challenging for the business. Habbert said the concept was enough to pay the bills, but he and the other co-owner, Justin Smith, wanted to bring a family-friendly restaurant to the area instead to cater to not only more people in the city, but also the college market. One of the things I learned from a great mentor of mine was sometimes in business if things dont work, you have to be willing to pivot quickly and you cant be afraid to take a look at things ... and make a change sooner rather than years down the line, he said. We have been wanting to own a pizza place at some point, and when we made the decision that Havana is not going to work for this market -- it was kind of a no brainer for us, he added. Everyone loves pizza. Read more: Michigans Best Local Eats: Havana Cigar and Cocktail Lounge serves island-inspired food The idea of Detroit Pizza Pub has been in the works for over a decade, Habbert said, adding the two co-owners have been writing and testing recipes at home for years. He added the restaurant is planning to use as many local ingredients as possible. I think whats great about the recipes that weve tested over the years is weve had a lot of input from friends and family, he said. I think these recipes going in are very well tested and well reviewed so were excited. While Detroit Pizza Pub will have some classic pizzas, Habbert said customers should also plan to find some options that will only be at Detroit Pizza Pub. We want to be able to provide unique variations on things where youll have something with us that youve never had before, he said. Were offering things that other pizzerias certainly wouldnt have, and it really allows our team creativity. As for Havanas concept, Habbert said he is planning to move the locations cigar bar license somewhere else in Michigan. He is hoping to build a smaller version of the former Ann Arbor restaurant in a different area in the state, but he said he is still working to figure out the exact location. Detroit Pizza Pubs hours are currently set for 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday through Saturday with pizza slices and delivery only available between 2 to 4 a.m. Learn more about Detroit Pizza Pub online. Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Whats that coming to Arbor Brewing Companys former location? 2 new tenants Ann Arbors State Street District is searching for new executive director Briarwood Malls new stores, big deals in Ypsilanti Township and other Washtenaw County business news FLINT, MI Consumers Energy, Michigans largest energy provider, has a new natural gas facility in Flint. The opening of Flint Gas City, an immersive training facility for hundreds of Consumers Energy employees who build and operate natural gas infrastructure in the state, was announced on Wednesday, June 21. We are committed to building the workforce of the future to ensure we safely and reliably deliver natural gas to our customers, and this world-class facility is a tangible representation of that commitment, LeeRoy Wells Jr., senior vice president of operations for Consumers Energy, said in a Consumers Energy news release. We are deeply grateful for our partnerships with the MSUWC and the city of Flint to bring this project to fruition and look forward to seeing the impact it will have and the workforce it will grow for years to come. After nearly two years of construction and development, Wednesdays ceremony marked the formal opening of the site, which is expected to train hundreds of natural gas workers every year, in addition to emergency first responders. Consumers Energy and Michigan State Utility Workers Council partnered to develop the $10.1 million facility. Flint Gas City is a great example of how the partnership between Consumers Energy and the Utility Workers Union is working to provide safe, best-in-class training to all of our members who keep the public safe and provide exceptional service to our customers, Craig Wright, president of the Michigan State Utility Workers Council, said in the news release. This state-of-the-art training center, along with our process of utilizing qualified Union employees, will provide for a great training opportunity. The site enables natural gas workers to receive training and manage practice scenarios in a real-world setting. The company provides natural gas to 1.8 million customers across Michigan and is carrying out a 10-year, $11 billion plan to ensure delivery is safer, more reliable, affordable and cleaner than ever before. At Consumers Energy, safety for our customers and our employees is one of our top priorities, and the training were able to provide with this facility will help ensure were able to continue delivering on that goal, said Josh Sturgis, one of the instructors at Flint Gas City. Allowing our workers to learn about and practice the work they will encounter on the job in a controlled but real environment ensures they are prepared for multiple scenarios at a job site before theyre out in the field. That kind of training is critical to ensure they can keep themselves, their coworkers and our customers safe. Consumers Energy is Michigans largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the states 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter. Read more at The Flint Journal: Michigans Dow Gardens offers 110 acres of beautiful flowers, towering pines in Midland Heres a look at Juneteenth celebrations in Flint, Genesee County Flint Farmers Market hosting summertime Night at the Market events starting in June Holly Hotel receives $40K grant to use for renovations after fire Michigans Best Local Eats: Northern Smoke BBQ provides tasty briskets McLaren Lapeer nurses unanimously vote to authorize strike FLINT, MI The Flint Pride Festival just keeps growing as it enters its 13th year of celebration this weekend. The festival, intended to celebrate diversity, affirm gay and transgender individuals, increase visibility all while building a sense of community, will take place from 2-8 p.m. on Saturday, June 24 in Riverbank Park. Various local and statewide artists and drag performers will take the stage beginning at 2 p.m. People can look forward to a lively and inclusive atmosphere where they can come together to celebrate, make new friends, and enjoy the vibrant and welcoming community spirit that is a hallmark of Pride festivals, organizer Teresa Springer said in a statement to MLive-The Flint Journal. The event is hosted by Wellness Services, Inc., a Flint organization that has promoted the health of historically excluded communities since its establishment in 1986. Beginning at 7 p.m., there will be a mini ball on stage with Flints Best Dressed, Flints Got Talent, Runway and Vogue performances, which will be followed by closing remarks. Over 60 vendors are participating in this years festival. There will be HIV testing from 3-6 p.m. New this year is a Kids Zone for families, as well, Springer said. It is important for everyone to be able to celebrate because it allows for a collective celebration of diversity, inclusion, and resistance, while also recognizing the unique struggles and experiences of historically excluded communities, Springer said. Pride Month was originally a commemoration of the historic Stonewall Uprising, a pivotal moment in LGBTQ+ history that was led by Black and Brown Transgender Women. Celebrating Pride Month is a way of honoring their bravery and recognizing the progress that has been made since then, while also acknowledging that there is still much work to be done to ensure the safety and equitable treatment of all LGBTQ+ individuals. An official afterparty will take place at The District, formerly known as 501 Bar and Grille, with sounds by DJ Paradise and drink specials. Related: 501 Bar in Flint is flipping into safe space for people of all backgrounds St. Pauls Episcopal Church, located at 711 S. Saginaw St., in downtown Flint will host a community pride service where all are welcome at 11 a.m. Saturday. Past Pride festival events in Flint have gathered more than 4,500 attendees. The first Pride festival was held in Kearsley Park with two vendors and about 150 attendees. Read more at The Flint Journal: Flint schools will negotiate with GISD on shared business service plan School closure discussions loom as Flint predicts $500K operational loss next year Vacancies in Flint schools administration slows 2023-24 budget process, CFO says Flint boxing legend who befriended Muhammad Ali remembered as leader, mentor Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter. LAPEER, MI Authorities used familial genealogy DNA to develop the newly-identified suspect in the 12-year-old murder of Andrea Eilber, according to a Box Elder County, Utah, affidavit obtained by MLive-The Flint Journal. A warrant was authorized for the arrest of 42-year-old Chadwick Shane Mobley in connection to Eilbers November 2011 murder after officials were able to match his DNA to evidence found at the crime scene, Michigan State Police officials said Thursday, June 22. Russia is most likely to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, coordinator of the Council of Exporters and Investors Olha Trofimtseva said. "Grain Corridor. 99.9% that Russians will leave it in July. Two main factors, in my opinion, Erdogan successfully won the elections. Mazepin (the one with ammonia, fertilizers and all that) told Putin that the terminal for exporting ammonia from Russia was almost completed, which means that Togliati-Odesa ammonia pipeline is no longer so important," Trofimtseva said in her Telegram channel. She also said according to the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, they "have a plan B" but she has not seen it yet. LAPEER COUNTY, MI The Lapeer County Sheriffs Office is investigating a broadside collision between two pickup trucks early Wednesday morning. Sheriffs deputies were dispatched around 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 21, to the intersection of Van Dyke and Armstrong roads in Goodland Township, north of Imlay City, following reports of a crash. Officials said a 30-year-old Clinton Township man was driving a 2011 Ford Ranger north on Van Dyke Road when it made a left turn onto Armstrong Road and into the path of a southbound 2020 Ford F-250 that was hauling a boat. The Ford F-250 was driven by a 59-year-old man from Lorena, Texas. The pickup trucks stayed together following the collision and departed the southwest quadrant of the intersection, officials said. The Ford Ranger overturned and came to a rest on its drivers side, with the other pickup truck partially on top of it. Motorists that came across the crash were able to free the driver of the Ford Ranger before emergency personnel arrived. He was unconscious, officials said. The driver of the Ranger was taken to McLaren Lapeer Region hospital by Lapeer County EMS Ambulance Service. He remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, according to police. The driver of the Ford F-250 and his passenger were uninjured. The roadway was closed for approximately two hours for rescue, investigation, and vehicle removal. Lapeer County Sheriff Deputies were assisted at the scene by Goodland Township Fire Department, Lapeer County EMS Ambulance Service, and Michigan State Police Lapeer Post. A preliminary investigation does not suggest that either alcohol or excessive speeds are contributing factors. The crash remains under investigation by Lapeer County Sheriffs deputies. Read more at The Flint Journal: Heres how MSP developed second suspect in Andrea Eilbers 2011 murder 12 years later, new suspect emerges in Michigan womans murder Michigan love triangle dispute leaves 1 dead, 1 jailed Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter. GRAND RAPIDS, MI Grand Rapids city leaders are in South Korea this week visiting the citys newest sister city for the first time. Mayor Rosalynn Bliss and City Manager Mark Washington, along with business leaders and representatives from Grand Rapids Sister Cities International, are currently in Gangnam District in Seoul, South Korea, city officials confirmed to MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. Gangnam, a wealthy district of some 550,000 people and one of 25 local government districts which make up Seoul, was made Grand Rapids sixth and newest sister city in July 2021. The district was referenced by South Korean musician Psy in his 2012 viral song and dance Gangnam Style. Related: Gangnam in South Korea set to be Grand Rapids new sister city Following the visit to Gangnam, a portion of the delegation including Bliss will travel to another sister city, Omihachiman in Japan, before returning home early next week, Grand Rapids spokesperson David Green said. Green said the delegation left for Gangnam earlier this week but didnt know what day. He also said he wasnt briefed on the groups itinerary nor what the stated goals of the trip are, but more information will be released next week upon the delegations return. While the COVID-19 pandemic delayed plans to visit Gangnam, officials have done conference calls and video chats with their counterparts in the meantime, Green said. City officials have previously said the point of the sister city endeavor is to exchange culture, art and education as well as finding ways to work on community and economic development. The type of exchange varies from sister city to sister city. Bliss previously said Gangnam officials are keenly interested in Grand Rapids arts and culture scene, ArtPrize, fashion and the medical industry. The city even held a sister ArtPrize Gangnam event in 2019, with South Korean artist Seaum Shim winning a $25,000 grant to display his art at the 2020 ArtPrize in Grand Rapids. The 2020 event was canceled due to the pandemic. Washington previously said Grand Rapids can learn from Gangnam officials on how they deal with mobility, housing and density in a city that is three times smaller in size than Grand Rapids but has almost three times more people. The Gangnam trip comes after Bliss earlier this month announced a friendship city status with Dnipro, Ukraine. Officials with Grand Rapids Sister Cities International previously said a friendship city status is a precursor to sister city status and allows the two cities to form a relationship and develop programs. Grand Rapids Sister Cities International is a nonprofit that administers Grand Rapids sister city program. Since 1986, Grand Rapids has developed six sister city relationships, those being with the cities of Bielsko-Biaa in Poland, Ga East/West Districts in Ghana, Omihachiman in Japan, Perugia in Italy, Zapopan in Mexico and Gangnam District in Seoul, South Korea. Read more on MLive: Man turned over 28 stolen rings taken during the 2020 riots in Grand Rapids New roundabout project near Tanger Outlets begins to take shape Campers arrive, VIPs plunge into Electric Forest 2023 at pool party GRAND RAPIDS, MI After allegedly strangling a woman he shared a child with, a man was ordered by a Grand Rapids judge to not have any contact with her. Less than a year later, hes now accused of killing her. Luis Fabian Bernal-Sosa was arrested earlier this week in connection to the shooting death of 22-year-old Leah Marie Gomez last month. He was picked up on a murder arrest warrant in Illinois and extradited to the Kent County Jail where hes charged with open murder. Court records show Bernal-Sosa had an alleged history of abuse involving Gomez. He was first charged with assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, and domestic violence stemming from an alleged attack last July. In that case, Bernal-Sosa is accused of strangling Gomez at a residence on Prairie Parkway SW in Wyoming. ALSO READ: Young mothers shooting death was heard on the phone by friend, police say As part of a bond condition, Bernal-Sosa was ordered to not have any contact with Gomez while the case was pending. A status conference hearing was scheduled for January, but Bernal-Sosa failed to appear. Six months later, Gomez was killed. Police found Gomez dead in a car with multiple gunshot wounds on May 31 near downtown Grand Rapids. Gomez was in the car with her 21-month-old daughter that she and Bernal-Sosa have in common in the backseat. The child was not injured in the shooting. A friend of Gomez was talking to her on the phone in the moments leading up the shooting. The friend said he heard Gomez saying to Bernal-Sosa, Is that an AR-15? You need to get out of my car, before five or six gunshots went off and the phone went silent. Bernal-Sosa was before Kent County Circuit Judge Paul Denefeld on Wednesday, June 21, to explain why he didnt appear for his January court hearing in the strangulation case. The attorney didnt tell me, Bernal-Sosa said through an interpreter. He said hed warn me about it, and he never did. Denefeld asked questions pertaining to where Bernal-Sosa would live if he were released, but after learning about the pending case involving Gomezs death, the judge opted to not set a bond. Both the strangulation and homicide cases remain active in the court system. Bernal-Sosa is being held in the Kent County Jail without bond in the murder case. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, available 24/7, for confidential assistance from a trained advocate. If youre unable to speak safely via phone, you can chat online at thehotline.org. Read more on MLive: New roundabout project near Tanger Outlets begins to take shape Man turned over 28 stolen rings taken during the 2020 riots in Grand Rapids Get messy at new hands-on, interactive Grand Rapids Art Museum exhibit GRAND RAPIDS, MI One of the oldest remaining cases connected to the 2020 riots in downtown Grand Rapids came to an end this week for a man who was charged with stealing a ring display from a jewelry store. Haile Abreham, 27, was back in a Kent County Circuit courtroom for his role in the riots that ultimately caused an estimated $2.1 million in damages to government buildings and businesses. Abreham was among 22 people charged after the riot. Court records show that Abreham accepted a plea deal last year and pleaded guilty to one count of rioting. In exchange, Kent County prosecutors dismissed a larceny-related charge. Abreham received a one-year delayed sentence in May 2022, giving him 365 days to prove to Kent County Circuit Judge Paul J. Denenfeld that he could abide by his probationary terms. Abreham was in Denenfields courtroom on Wednesday, June 21, to learn what would happen with his case moving forward. Abreham was charged for his role in the May 30-31, 2020 riot which started as a peaceful protest in downtown Grand Rapids that was triggered by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd, a Black man, died after former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck. Rioters broke hundreds of downtown windows and looted some stores. Preusser Jewelers, formerly at 125 Ottawa Ave. NW, was broken into and burglarized that night and a ring display was stolen. A latent print was located and came back as a match to Abreham, Grand Rapids police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause obtained by MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. When questioned by investigators, Abreham admitted that he didnt break the stores window, but did go inside and stole the ring display, various rings, a necklace, and several watches, the affidavit states. Police said Abreham turned over 28 rings and two watches that he stole the night of the riot. Abrehams case came to a close Wednesday when the judge learned obeyed all of his probation orders, which were fulfilled in Indiana where he resides. Abreham was not ordered to pay any restitution because he didnt cause any damage and the stolen property was recovered. His defense attorney Edward J. Lis applauded his clients good behavior. A majority of those who were also charged for their various involvement have been sentenced. Some were sentenced to probation and others to jail time. At least two rioters received prison time one for destroying a parking ticket machine, and the other for breaking into and vandalizing a local eye care center. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison in June 2021 for Floyds murder. The fired white officer was convicted of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for pressing his knee against Floyds neck for up to 9 1/2 minutes as the 46-year-old Black man gasped that he couldnt breathe and went limp on May 25, 2020. Read more on MLive: Looking back at Grand Rapids riot, the damage and charges in unprecedented melee Man who took part in Grand Rapids riot gets prison, harshest sentence yet among rioters Woman who livestreamed Grand Rapids rioting, damaged building, gets probation Man who threw brick at police cruiser during Grand Rapids riot sentenced to year in jail GRAND RAPIDS, MI After serving nearly 30 years in prison for an execution-style murder he carried out when he was 16, a once-juvenile lifer received a new sentence that includes parole eligibility. Stephen Launsburry has been serving a life sentence for the November 1993 killing of Kristy Couch and her unborn child. Launsburry, now 46, was resentenced on Thursday, June 22, to the maximum punishment allowed under law 40-60 years for first-degree murder committed by a juvenile. Launsburry, then 16, and codefendant Gregory Wines, then 17, killed Couch, a pregnant Kent County Jail clerk who stopped to help after they flagged her down and said their car broke down. Couch was four months pregnant when she offered the two juveniles a ride to a gas station on Nov. 26, 1993. They had feigned car trouble in Northeast Grand Rapids. Related: Juvenile lifer executed pregnant woman who stopped to help, prosecutor says Soon after, Launsburry pulled out a gun, ordered Couch to drive to an isolated area, then shot her twice in the head while out of Wines sight. The two teens then took off in the stolen vehicle before their eventual arrest. Both Launsburry and Wines were found guilty and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that a mandatory life sentence was cruel and unusual punishment for a juvenile. The court ordered juveniles be resentenced. Launsburry sat in between his two state appellate attorneys at Thursdays hearing. He was shackled in cuffs and wearing a blue prison jumpsuit. His racist tattoos that he got in his younger years have since been covered up and now are part of his past. Im so sorry for the decisions Ive made. My selfish and senseless actions have caused you so much loss and such constant pain and sadness, Launsburry read from a prepared statement. Im sorry youve had to endure these hearings every few years and that the wounds keep being reopened. Related: Life sentence reaffirmed for juvenile lifer who executed pregnant woman Family and friends of Couch sat in the courtroom gallery. Nobody spoke on Couchs behalf at the hearing, but instead referred to remarks previously made in court. On top of the murder charge, Launsburry also received a two-year prison sentence for using a firearm during a felony. The two sentences are served consecutively, meaning one sentence doesnt start until the other concludes. Wines, the co-conspirator in the killing, was resentenced to 28 years and four months in prison, in March 2022. That sentence matched the time hed already served. Wines was paroled last August, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections. He is scheduled to be released from parole, barring any mishaps, in August 2024. Read more on MLive: Man accused of killing young mother strangled her last summer, records show New roundabout project near Tanger Outlets begins to take shape Man turned over 28 stolen rings taken during the 2020 riots in Grand Rapids JACKSON, MI -- Jackson Public Schools virtual class program is set to expand following the approval of a 10-year lease agreement Tuesday. The Jackson School Board adopted the lease agreement for the expansion of the South Central Michigan Virtual school inside Jackson Crossing during a regular meeting June 20. A motion to approve the lease passed in a 5-2 vote with board members Kesha Hamilton and Libby Brown voting against the motion. While Hamilton appreciates the virtual option, she said she felt the program is too large and the lease contract is too long. Im not confident that were receiving accurate information related to the actual needs of SCMV (and) the necessity of the space, Hamilton said. Brown questioned the criteria put in place to determine how students would be enrolled in the virtual program as opposed to the districts traditional schools. It seems like we should be trying to enroll more students in the basic high school rather than put all of our focus on SCMV and expanding it, Brown said. Leasing the space in the former Sears building at Jackson Crossing will allow SCMV to expand from its current 3,000-square-foot space in the mall to a larger 9,400-square-foot space, officials said previously. Related: Jackson schools eye expansion of virtual program into former Sears store at Jackson Crossing Leasing the space will cost JPS $10 per square foot, with an annual escalation of 3%. JPS would pay the landlord, Rhino Holdings Jackson, LLC, its proportionate share of all costs to operate and maintain the space, including insurance. JPS has been seeking potential locations for expansion in the past year as SCMV has seen its enrollment grow from 78 students in its first year in 2016, to around 500 students now, JPS Superintendent Jeff Beal said previously. The school currently is located near Target and the Goodrich Jackson 10 Theater in Jackson Crossing and was expanded in 2018 to include a new learning lab. Students can work from home or go to the center, which is open six days a week, for more one-on-one tutoring. Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter. More from The Jackson Citizen Patriot: Ive been blessed. Highly-acclaimed band director retires from Jackson Public Schools New band director brings energy, enthusiasm to Jackson High Vandals burn Trump, MAGA, into grass at Jackson golf course From a bookstore owner to 12-year-old artist, Black entrepreneurs reflect on Juneteenth JACKSON, MI Mothers who want to breastfeed their babies but are unable to now have a new option in the form of Michigans second breastmilk donor bank. Staff at Henry Ford Jackson Hospital delivered its first batch of safe donor breast milk on Friday, June 16, signaling the opening of the Henry Ford Milk Bank-Jackson, which has been in the works since 2019. Related: Its like gold: Second donor breastmilk bank opening in Michigan To have one here in our backyard is an amazing opportunity, Erin McGreal-Miller, milk bank manager, said. It gives us a chance to have this access to the supply of donor milk and then to figure out how to triage it to the patients who need it most. The milk bank at 200 S. East Ave. in Jackson will mainly be used in situations where a mother wants to breast feed but is unable to, officials said. The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends babies with very low birthweight, defined as less than about 3 pounds, 5 ounces, receive supplemental donor milk. Human milk decreases risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, resulting from inflammation and death of intestinal tissue, which occurs most often in premature babies, especially those fed formula, according to the CDC. It also lowers the chance of chronic lung disease and other issues. Henry Ford Health previously received milk from Bronson Mothers Milk Bank in Kalamazoo or an Indiana bank to feed babies at its hospitals. This new milk bank will first supply donor milk to Henry Ford Jackson Hospital, then to other hospitals in the six-hospital system, and eventually, outpatient community members, McGreal-Miller said. Having its own milk bank at Henry Ford is a plus because it allows more control and a better connection with the community, McGreal-Miller said. It also allows other banks they were outsourcing from to distribute it to others in need, she said. The need for donor human breast milk in Jackson is great, officials said. Some mothers dont have the ability to breast feed for as long as or as often as theyd like, or at all, said LeTishia Hill, director of Women and Children Services at Henry Ford Jackson Hospital. They may have to go back to work or are unable to pump due to societal constraints, The nonprofit milk bank received funding from a $20,000 grant from the Jackson Community Foundations Community Needs Endowment Fund in 2019. It also received $700,000 in federal funding, secured by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, McGreal-Miller said. Donors are being accepted, but to be qualified as a milk donor women must be generally healthy, including being a non-smoker, consume limited amounts of alcohol and have approval from their health care provider. Once donors pass the screening process, they can drop their milk off at the milk bank or work with staff to ship the frozen milk. Henry Ford Milk Bank-Jackson has the capacity to process approximately 1,000 ounces of donor milk per day, officials said. All donor milk is screened, pooled and tested. In batches of up to 143 4-ounce bottles, the milk is pasteurized, a heat treatment which costs milk a little nutritional value but eliminates harmful bacteria or other potential infecting organisms. Women who want to donate their milk can reach out to Henry Ford Milk Bank-Jackson at milkbank@hfhs.org. More information about Henry Ford Milk Bank-Jackson can be found at henryford.com/milkbank. Pumping milk is a labor of love, and no one wants to see any of their milk wasted, McGreal-Miller said. It takes a lot of effort and time, and it really is just such an amazing nutritional source for babies. Its so helpful to them. Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter. More from the Jackson Citizen Patriot: Police identify teen killed in double motorcycle crash in Jackson County Pulaski Township board members fire back at comments made by former firefighters Become part of the sky on a 65-foot-high canopy walk in Michigans Irish Hills Here are the players from the Jackson area named all-state in baseball Pride Month is nearing an end, but there are still Jackson events to help you celebrate JACKSON COUNTY, MI Keon Devonte Aguilar was a member of everyones family, even if they hadnt met him yet. With a bright smile, of joyful laugh and glowing personality, Keon Aguilar, 29, was a loving man of great faith who would go out of his way take make everyone around him feel welcomed. He tried to comfort people, make them hear the word and be known that Christ was there. He made it known that even if you didnt love him, he loved you, said Keon Aguilars mother Michelle Aguilar at a candlelight vigil for her son Wednesday night, June 21. Keon Aguilar was killed Monday, June 19, when he was fatally shot in his home in the 100 block of Hollis Street in Summit Township, just south of Jackson city limits, according to the Jackson County Sheriffs Office. The preliminary investigation indicates Aguilar knew his shooter and was shot in a domestic incident, police said. Related: Man fatally shot in suspected domestic incident in Jackson County home No arrests have been made, though several persons of interests have been located and interviewed, police said. More than 60 friends, family and loved ones gathered outside the home where Keon Aguilar died, grieving his loss while also remembering the good times they had with him. He had this amazing laugh that just made a room come alive, his mother said. Growing up in Jackson, he would commonly be found at Allskate impressing everyone with his skating skills, friend Ollie Wilkie said. Keon could really skate. I mean he would really tear it up out there, he said. When he wasnt out having fun with friends, he was preparing himself for military service as an active member of Jackson High Schools JROTC. After graduating in 2012, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and served for several years before being honorably discharged out of Fort Hood Texas, his mother said. While he was a soldier at Fort Hood, he was married to Cecily Aguilar, also from Jackson, who in 2020 was arrested in connection with death of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, whose remains were found buried in several locations near the U.S. Army base in Killeen Texas. The pair were separated at the time of the slaying and Keon Aguilar was not involved in the 2020 incident in Texas, records show. In November 2022 she pleaded guilty to helping cover up the death of Guillen, one month after Keon Aguilar filed for divorce. The divorce was finalized by Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson on Feb. 17, 2023, court records show. After leaving the military, Keon Aguilar returned to Jackson to be at peace and take care of those around him while also spreading the word of God. If you met him, you were family, friend Courtney Bushinski said. He was always there for everybody. He would cancel his own plans if it meant he was going to help you. Keon Aguilars family is still seeking justice as his death remains under active investigation. I just dont understand how something like this could happen to someone so good, family friend Romeo Patterson said. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Det. Sergeant Bryan Huttenlocker at 517 768-7931 or Mid-Michigan Crime Stoppers at 517 483-7867(STOP). Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter. More from The Jackson Citizen Patriot: Jackson Public Schools approves lease for new virtual space Michigans second breastmilk bank offers support to new mothers Busy Jackson intersection shutting down for sewer repair KALAMAZOO, MI -- The Kalamazoo Public Schools Board of Trustees discussed applications for an open trustee position at a June 21 meeting. In total, 25 community members applied. Applications were open to U.S. citizens who are registered voters in the district. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Its called fried rice on the menu. It looks like typical fried rice, only darker. The taste? This is not your typical rice. Its richer. More complex. Heartier. Welcome to Rasa Ria, the only restaurant in Kalamazoo specializing in Malaysian and Indonesian cuisine. Its a restaurant easy to overlook -- a small eatery along West Main Street, at the east end of Kalamazoos Westwood neighborhood. The dining area has a half-dozen tables and 16 chairs. The bulk of the business is takeout. But Rasa Ria has a devoted following, especially among international students at Western Michigan University. Rasa Ria was opened almost 20 years ago by Roland and Mildred Gomes, natives of Malaysia. They first came to the United States in the 1980s to study at University of Dubuque in Iowa. Roland got his degree in psychology; Mildred, in information technology. They returned to Malaysia, only to come back to America around 2004, at the urging of friends who encouraged them to settle in Kalamazoo. The Gomes and their three children did just that, and Roland and Mildred decided to open a restaurant that would cater to WMUs Malaysian student population -- then a sizable number because of WMUs partnership with several Malaysian universities. There were a lot of Malaysian kids here at the college, so we decided to open and give it a try, Roland Gomes said. Rasa Ria soon became known for authentic Malaysian/Indonesian fare, as well as its generous portions and relatively low prices. Today, most entrees are either $10.85 or $9.95. The fried rice is $6.95 for a pint or $8.20 for a quart. The key to keeping prices low: We dont employ people, Roland Gomes said. Its just our family. Indeed, the entire restaurant staff consists of Roland, Mildred and their son, Ivor. Still, for a small restaurant, its an extensive menu. There are more than three dozen entrees that include Beef Rendang, featuring chunks of beef and potato in a spicy sauce made with coconut milk, lemongrass and other spices; Butter Fried Chicken, with chicken and onions in a sauce flavored with butter, sweet soy sauce and lime juice; various curries; and noodle dishes such as Fried Kway Teow, a dish of stir-fried noodles with seafood, vegetables and bean sprouts. Side dishes include roti bread (a crisp Indian-style pancake) and curry puffs, similar to the Indian-style samosa. Its our recipes, Roland Gomes said. This is how we eat. The menu is a reflection of Malaysias multi-ethnic makeup, a country that comprises a large number of people with Indian or Chinese heritage, as well Malays. Malaysia is a melting pot, Ivor Gomes said. We have Malaysian Indian food, Malaysian Chinese food, traditional Malaysian food. There are all different flavors because its a synthesis of several Asian cuisines. Want more Kalamazoo news? Our 3@3 newsletter rounds up Kalamazoos top stories every weekday at 3 p.m. Enter your email to get our free newsletter: One testament to their success, Mildred Gomes said, is the number of former WMU students and other former Kalamazoo residents who make a point of stopping by Rasa Ria when theyre in town. People come to this restaurant because of the food that we serve, Mildred Gomes said. You cant find it elsewhere. Rasa Ria is located at 1921 W. Main St. in Kalamazoo, and is open Mondays through Fridays, noon to 8 p.m. The restaurant is closed Saturdays and Sundays. The phone number is 269-381-0788 Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter. MORE ON MLIVE $1.6M project will replace sagging, wooden bridge in Kalamazoo Phish bassist Mike Gordon lights up new-look Bells venue Several families had to evacuate after Kalamazoo County propane tanker crash The strategy for the development of the agro-industrial complex for the next ten years, which provides for an increase in grain and oilseeds yield up to 150 million tonnes and maximum vertical integration, was presented by First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Taras Vysotsky at Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC 2023) in London on Thursday. "The strategy provides for full vertical integration with the provision of production with the necessary material and technical resources and means of production. Moreover, the growth in the production of grain and oilseeds up to 150 million tonnes in ten years, the increase in domestic processing and the production of livestock and horticulture products. The total investment portfolio is $57 billion," the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy said, citing him. According to the forecasts of the Ukrainian Grain Association (UGA), the total gross harvest of grains and oilseeds in Ukraine in 2023 is expected to reach 68 million tonnes compared to 73.8 million tonnes in 2022 and 106 million tonnes in 2021. The Ministry of Agrarian Policy said the strategy provides for the resumption of irrigation for agricultural land affected by the explosion of Kakhovka HPP, the gradual replacement of imported food products in the domestic market. In addition, the strategy provides for the development of bioenergy the complete processing of secondary waste and the production of up to 10 billion cubic meters of biomethane. Answering a question on the air of a unified telethon about the readiness of investors and international organizations to invest in the development of Ukrainian agribusiness, Vysotsky said this is already happening. As an example, he named an investment during the war in Ukraine by a large seed producer, Bayer, in the amount of EUR 60 million [in the construction of the second stage of a plant in Zhytomyr region]. In addition, the IMC agricultural holding, which operates in Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava regions, signed a $10 million loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development within the URC2 023. According to the First Deputy Minister, the focus of the agrarian panel was the issue of irrigation in Ukraine, which was under threat due to the explosion of Kakhovka HPP. In addition to the fact that the partners help in the aftermath: they will join the development of potential restoration mechanisms, study the feasibility of building an alternative dam or creating a hybrid of several methods that will allow melioration to be restored as quickly as possible. To do this, a thorough feasibility study will be carried out, which will include expertise confirmed by specialists. A clearer plan of action, according to Vysotsky, will be developed in the coming weeks. "The Strategy clearly lays down the basic positions, in particular, the growth of production and processing. Ukraine can process 50% [of agricultural products] and create goods with added value. In order to do this, the country must have an efficient system with new technologies, with an economical system of irrigation and supply water irrigation," the deputy minister said. Vysotsky said government guarantees would be provided for the construction of strategic water infrastructure, international partners and international organizations would be involved in it, since it should remain in state ownership. CASS COUNTY, MI A 72-year-old man was injured early Thursday, June 22, in a crash after he lost control of his motorcycle, Cass County sheriffs deputies said. Police responded to a 12:18 a.m. report of a crash on M-60, near Hoyt Street, in Howard Township. Police said the 72-year-old Dowagiac man was traveling northeast on M-60 when he lost control of the motorcycle and went off the road. The man was taken to an area hospital. Police said his injuries are not life-threatening. The man was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. The crash remains under investigation. Read more on MLive: Kalamazoo Public Schools Board sees 25 applications for vacant board seat Kalamazoo Central breaks ground, launches baseball and softball field transformations Michigans second breastmilk bank offers support to new mothers MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI Bow hunting within Whitehall city limits to help cull the deer population is under consideration by the city council. The idea of allowing hunting has been under discussion for about the past year, Whitehall City Manager Scott Huebler told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle. The primary concern is the damage the animals cause to private landscaping, he said. After consulting with the Department of Natural Resources, the city tried educating residents on ways to prevent deer from becoming a nuisance. It shared DNR information on city newsletters and on its website about managing deer within suburban communities. The information includes types of trees, shrubs and plants that deer tend to eat, and those that they dont like. That didnt seem to have the desired effect, Huebler said. Now, the council has directed Huebler to draft an ordinance allowing bow hunting on certain properties. He is using Montagues ordinance as a guide. Huebler is proposing hunting be allowed on properties that are at least 6 acres, and that neighboring property owners could combine their parcels to achieve that size. While Montague limits the number of adjoining property owners that can combine their land to two, Whitehall is considering not having a restriction on the number, he said. A proposed ordinance is expected to be brought to the Whitehall City Council on July 11. The expectation is that bow hunting would be allowed this year. Michigans bow hunting season is Oct. 1 through Nov. 14 and Dec. 1 through Jan. 1. In Macomb, Wayne and Oakland counties, the bow hunting season extends through Jan. 31 to manage ongoing human-deer conflicts, according to the 2022 Michigan Hunting Digest. A map prepared by Huebler shows public and private properties that consist of 6 acres. The public properties include, but are not limited to, Funnell Field, Oakhurst Cemetery, the public works department off of Warner Street, city parks and school properties. Want more Muskegon area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Muskegon daily newsletter. Also on MLive: Motorists now need to pay at Muskegon Countys newest park Hometown Creamery opens year-round location in downtown Muskegon Police identify man who shot daughters, killing 1, and mother-in-law NORTON SHORES, MI Norton Shores Police Chief Jon Gale is stepping down after nine years at the helm of the citys police department. Gales departure is effective Sept. 29, he told MLive/The Muskegon Chronicle. The police chief announced his resignation on June 6. Gale has served in law enforcement 32 years, he said. He was appointed as chief of the Norton Shores Police Department in 2014. Prior to that, he served the department for 20 years as a patrol officer, narcotics and traffic investigator, administrative and patrol sergeant, and patrol lieutenant. Working for the city of Norton Shores has been a dream job, Gale told MLive. The support from Mayor Nelund, City Manager Mark Meyers, the city council and the citizens of Norton Shores have been amazing. There is not a better place to be a police chief and I would not have taken on this difficult role for any other city. The men and women of the Norton Shores Police Department are an exceptional group of officers who work hard everyday making tough decisions. I will miss working with them all and will continue to pray for their safety every day. Before coming to Norton Shores, Gale worked for the North Muskegon and Roosevelt Park police departments, according to his biography on the departments website. Norton Shores City Manager Mark Meyers said Gale has served as an asset not just to the Norton Shores community, but across Muskegon County and the state of Michigan. He has excelled at maintaining a highly professional and effective police department while also introducing innovative programs focusing on evolving issues like mental health supports, crime against seniors and women prevention and school safety, Meyers said in an email. He will be greatly missed at the city of Norton Shores but we wish him well in his upcoming role and are glad he will continue to serve the county by ensuring our schools are safe places. Gale is currently being considered for a newly created position with the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, as the Muskegon County school safety and security liaison. The new position was approved by the MAISD board on June 19. Superintendent Randy Lindquist confirmed the MAISD board is considering Gale as the sole candidate for the job, although the board has not officially entered contract negotiations with Gale yet. We are considering Chief Jon Gale to fill the role of this newly approved position, Lindquist told MLive in a statement Thursday. Chief Gale has been an integral part of school safety work across our county and our local school districts appreciate his knowledge and passion around this work. We will be discussing contract terms with him in the next few weeks and hope that we can have him on board in the fall. The Muskegon County School Safety and Security Liaison would oversee school safety and security at an organizational level, evaluating the safety of MAISD buildings in addition to providing support to local school districts. The person chosen for the job would serve as a liaison between the MAISD and local and state law enforcement, including police, fire, Homeland Security, mental health officials and school resource officers, MAISD officials say. Gale said he is following his passion to keep kids safe. School safety has always been a priority in my life and career, he said. My future will be clearer in the next few months, but first I will take a month to spend time with my family. Gale earned his bachelors degree in criminal justice and his masters degree in public administration from Grand Valley State University. He also completed Northwestern University Traffic Institutes School of Police Staff and Command and executive management programs, international chiefs of polices leadership in police organizations, and the FBIs police executive development program He serves on the Muskegon (MI) Central Operations for Police Services Board as the treasurer, the W.E.M.E.T. (West Michigan Enforcement Team) operating committee, vice president of the Western Michigan Chiefs of Police, and treasurer/secretary of the Michigan Chiefs of Police. He has served on state of Michigan boards such as the governors mental health diversion committee and the governors traffic safety commission, according to his biography. More on MLive: 5 fun things to do in Muskegon this weekend (June 23-25) Teachers can get an extra $35K for staying in needy Grand Rapids school districts More people are dying in traffic crashes. Officials blame risky behavior. Three people will face a total of 79 charges in the wake of an investigation into fraudulent signature gathering efforts which knocked five of 10 Republicans off the August primary ballot in 2022. Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the charges late Thursday morning at her Lansing office. Willie Reed and Shawn Wilmoth will face 27 felony charges apiece, with a third individual, Jamie Wilmoth-Goodin, facing 25 felony charges of the same nature. Each will face eight counts of election law forgery, a five-year felony; eight counts of using false pretenses to obtain as much as $100,000, which depending on the financial amounts range between 15- and 20-year felonies; eight counts of using of a computer to commit a crime, a 10-year felony; and one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, a 20-year felony. Shawn Wilmoth and Reed will see two additional charges: One count of larceny by conversion and another count of using a computer to commit a crime, both five-year felonies. RELATED: Signature collectors face felonies from scandal that upended GOP governors race Nessel alleged the two Wilmoths and Reed operated a criminal enterprise that charged these campaigns over $700,000 for valid signature collection efforts. Upon taking the money, the three then forged thousands of signatures on candidates nominating petitions which were later submitted to the state for review, prosecutors allege. As the case is still ongoing, Nessel said it was possible more could be charged with respect to their participation in the signature gathering scheme. While, certainly, the candidates who were deceived and subjected to fraud were victims of the defendants greed so too were millions of registered Michigan voters, whether they ultimately cast their ballot in the Republican primary or not, she said. Yes, many of these are financial crimes were talking about today, but theyre also crimes against our democracy and against the integrity of our system of elections. And, against those voters who may have wanted to support these prospective candidates. Both of the Wilmoths, who are husband and wife, were arrested Wednesday, June 21. They were expected to be arraigned at 1 p.m. Thursday in 37th District Court in Macomb County. Shawn Wilmoth is expected to be charged as a habitual offender given he has previously pleaded guilty to two counts of election fraud in Virginia in 2011. This could enhance his sentence. When news station WFLA asked Shawn Wilmoth in 2021 about his work on Florida signature collection, given his prior election fraud pleas, he responded: The truth is, there are many people who make a once in a lifetime mistake and that shouldnt make them a criminal for life. Reed, however, is still at large and is thought to no longer be in Michigan. U.S. Marshals are on the look out for him, Nessel said, adding it was likely Reeds bond conditions will be impacted the longer he is on the run. RELATED: Petition circulators can lie to get you to sign proposals. Michigan lawmakers want to change that. Nessels announcement comes months after half of Michigans Republican gubernatorial candidates failed to qualify for the August primary due to an invalid number of legitimate petition signatures. Gubernatorial candidates needed 15,000 valid signatures. It was later determined the petition gathering groups those candidates used First Choice Contracting, Mack Douglas and Petition Reeds, which were either owned or operated by Reed and Shawn Wilmoth had faked a large amount of the signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. This, in turn, impacted the campaigns of former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Oakland County businessman Perry Johnson, Byron Center businesswoman Donna Brandenburg and Grand Haven financial adviser Michael Markey. Each failed in their attempts to stave off rejection at a Board of State Canvassers meeting in late May 2022. Also impacted in the gubernatorial race was Michigan State Police Capt. Mike Brown who withdrew from the race before the board could rule against his petition signatures as well as judicial candidates Tricia Dare, John Cahalan and John Michael Malone. Brandenburg and Browns campaigns had paid Shawn Wilmoths company, First Choice Contracting, $219,000 in total. Petition Reeds, a Florida company registered to Willie Reed, was paid nearly $51,000 by Johnsons campaign and $15,000 by Ryan Kelleys campaign. Kelley, however, emerged with enough signatures to make the primary ballot. RELATED: As Michigan officials eye changes to candidate signature petitions, common ground may be hard to find Brandenburg was in attendance Thursday at Nessels press conference. She later told the press it was heartening to hear people were being held accountable for defrauding candidates who relied on these petition services. This was such a big deal today, to move things in the right direction to guarantee that every single Michigan citizen ... feels that their vote counted, she said. Johnson, too, said he was thrilled with the announced charges on Twitter. It is highly likely that either (Craig) or myself would be Governor today if it werent for the crimes these two allegedly committed, he wrote. I am thrilled to see they are being held accountable and I thank the professionalism of the AGs office. More from MLive Want to recruit teachers? Keep the ones you already have, says educator program. Eric Mays is target of latest Flint City Council recall attempt Sex abuse protections pass as Michigans post-Nassar efforts continue Michigan Supreme Court will rule on tactic that weakened minimum wage, sick leave initiatives How Michigan could reconsider a 2004 move to ban same-sex marriage Ryan Kelley, who ran for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2022, will plead guilty to one of the four charges he faced stemming from his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol, Kelleys attorney confirmed Thursday. Attorney Gary Springstead told MLive Kelley intends to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of remaining or entering restricted area, building or grounds. The other three charges, Springstead said, will be dismissed. The official plea agreement has not yet been made publicly available, and the U.S. Attorneys office for the District of Columbia declined to provide one. I think Ryan just wanted to get this case over with, Springstead said. Its been hanging over his head and this was a efficient, cost-effective way to accept responsibility for a minor misdemeanor offense. Springstead called it essentially a trespassing charge, and emphasized Kelley never entered the U.S. Capitol. Kelley placed fourth out of five candidates in the Republican gubernatorial primary on Aug. 2, 2023, garnering about 15%, roughly 166,000 votes. He was arrested at his home in June 2022, less than two months before the primary election. Related: FBI began investigating Ryan Kelley just days after U.S. Capitol riot Kelley had initially pleaded not guilty, but documents filed on Thursday in federal court in Washington, D.C. showed a trial start date had been vacated and a pre-trial conference replaced by a plea hearing. The four misdemeanors Kelley is charged with are: entering a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a restricted building or grounds, engaging in violence against a person or property in a restricted building or grounds and depredation against U.S. property. It remains unclear if Kelley will face any prison time. That will be left up to federal judge Christopher Cooper. The charge Kelley will plead guilty to carries up to a six-month prison term, but others facing similar charges among the nearly 1,000 people charged in the attack have been sentenced to prison, probation or simply a fine, depending upon the circumstances. In a 2021 MLive profile, Kelley had called the day definitely an energizing event. Court filings appear to document Kelley beckoning rioters up the Capitol steps toward the building and removing police barricades as the building was breached by insurrectionists, something Kelley had previously denied doing. Federal and congressional investigators probing the attack on U.S. Capitol also interviewed Kelley just weeks before he was arrested by the FBI. Videos and photos collected by investigators reportedly showed Kelley ripping the covering off the inaugural stage on the Capitols western steps. Kelley told investigators that was probably not the right choice for somebody to make. Read more: Ryan Kelley discussed Jan. 6 attack with investigators before arrest When he was asked if people entering the Capitol was crossing the line, he said no, but ones that maybe did damage, yes, that is crossing the line. Read more on MLive: 3 accused of crimes against our democracy in scandal that rocked GOP governors race Should Michigan high school athletes make money off their image? Senate OKs child marriage ban amid arguments pregnant teens should marry 8 prison staffers charged with manslaughter, misconduct in Michigan inmates death Michigan GOP chair, others fined $58K for frivolous election fraud suit Child marriage in Michigan is closer to ending after a massive, 10-bill package passed both the House and the Senate this week. Each chamber of the legislature has its own version of the legislation which would, among other things, make 18 the legal age to marry in the state. The Senate bills SB 209 through 217 and SB 246 passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support on Thursday, June 22. The House bills HB 4293 through 4302 passed with the same level of support the day prior. The few opposing votes in both the House and Senate came from Republican lawmakers as floor debate on the bills became heated Thursday in the Senate. Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, said pregnant teens should have the option to get married. This quickly turned into talk of gender reassignment and puberty blockers for minors. He was gaveled down multiple times by Senate President Pro Temp. Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, for not remaining on topic of the bill. There was a bit of back and forth between the two senators before Runestad was declared out of order and prevented from continuing. Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, first introduced legislation to end child marriage in 2018 when she was a member of the state House. Year after year, we did not receive hearings or receive any traction on this legislation. Even today, we have childhood survivors who have spent countless years advocating for us to in this practice, Anthony said in her floor speech Tuesday. I hope we continue to prioritize children in the state of Michigan. Michigan currently has no minimum marriage age. Sixteen- and 17-year-olds can get married with parents permission. Younger children can marry with the permission of a judge. Between 2000 and 2021, more than 5,400 minors were married in Michigan, according to state data compiled by Unchained at Last, a nonprofit group working to end forced and child marriage. More than 90% of them were girls. RELATED: Child marriage is still legal in Michigan. Why? Sen. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell, said prior to the bills passage he would be voting in support for the protections it would afford young girls, but sees opportunity for future improvements. Ill be the first to agree that it is not an optimal situation for two teenagers to find themselves in a situation of unplanned pregnancy. The fact of the matter is, while this may not be ideal, there are benefits of marriage in the situation, Albert said. In crafting these laws, we must take into consideration these types of hard realities. But again, the good this legislation carries far outweighs other considerations. Advocates for banning child marriage say Michigan children are at risk of having their educational and economic opportunities ruined at the hands of adults they wed or parents who marry them off. Related: Brides in chains call on Michigan to end child marriage The bills also seek to remove a parents ability to consent for their children to get married, eliminate marriage as an automatic factor for a minors emancipation from their parents, remove a prohibition on annulments when someone married as a minor reaches the age of consent, and throw out a marriage license as documentation of emancipation for minors who need to reserve a hotel room. The bills would not apply retroactively, meaning it would not affect anyone who was married under the age of 18 prior to becoming effective. As the bills have only passed their respective chambers, they will still have to finish the legislative process before being presented to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her signature. Read more from MLive: More people are dying in traffic crashes. Officials blame risky behavior. Signature collectors face felonies from scandal that upended GOP governors race Letter from the Editor: MLive doesnt automatically expunge, but we do promise to hear you out Charges against prison staff for Michigan inmates death is just the beginning, sister says Three people are facing a total of 79 charges for their alleged involvement in a 2022 signature forgery scandal that halved the Republican gubernatorial field, according to online court records filed Tuesday. Latest: 3 accused of crimes against our democracy in scandal that rocked GOP governors race Willie Reed, Shawn Wilmoth and Jamie WIlmoth each face charges including election forgery, computer fraud, conducting a criminal enterprise and false pretenses all felonies according to online filings in the 37th district court in Warren. The Detroit Free Press was first to report the charges and linked them to the signature scandal. Five of 10 Republican gubernatorial hopefuls failed to make the August primary ballot last year after state elections officials determined a large portion of their petition signatures needed to get on the ballot had been faked. It wasnt immediately clear if more individuals are facing charges or just how wide the longstanding investigation by Attorney General Dana Nessels office extends. Nessel is set to hold a press conference later this morning. Former Detroit police chief James Craig, Oakland County businessman Perry Johnson, Byron Center businesswoman Donna Brandenburg, and Grand Haven financial adviser Michael Markey all failed in their attempts to stave off rejection at a Board of State Canvassers meeting in late May. Michigan State Police Captain Mike Brown withdrew from the race before the board could rule against his petition signatures. More: Michigan blocks 5 from GOP governor ballot candidates promise lawsuits Shawn Wilmoths company, First Choice Contracting, had been paid $219,000 in total by Brandenburg and Browns campaigns. WXYZ previously reported that Shawn Wilmoth had been charged with election fraud in Virginia in 2011. Petition Reeds, a Florida company registered to Willie Reed, Jr., was paid nearly $51,000 by Johnsons campaign and $15,000 by Ryan Kelleys campaign. Kelley, however, emerged with enough signatures to make the primary ballot. Shawn Wilmoth is also listed as an officer for a company called Signature Masters previously registered in Eastpointe. The rejected candidates legal challenges to the deadlocked canvassers votes ultimately failed. The scandal upended the gubernatorial races given the ouster of Craig and Johnson, seen as the leading candidates in the primary field, clearing the way for Tudor Dixon to ultimately win the Republican nomination after receiving the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Dixon later lost to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last November by roughly 11 percentage points as Democrats made sweeping statewide gains. Read more on MLive: How Michigan could reconsider a 2004 move to ban same-sex marriage Michigan Supreme Court will rule on tactic that weakened minimum wage, sick leave initiatives Democrats to lift a means test for low-income food assistance 8 prison staffers charged with manslaughter, misconduct in Michigan inmates death When it comes to addressing a shortage of teachers in Michigan classrooms, one school group thinks it has the answer: Hold on to those the state already has. Enter TeachMichigan, a fellowship effort adapted from work done by Teach for America Detroit. The group hopes to recruit new educators to the profession by retaining and developing those already in at-need communities via stipends and professional development. Michigan is the first state in the country with this type of Teach-for-America-related program, said TFA Detroit Executive Director Armen Hratchian, with the goal being to net 30 teachers per participating district per fellowship. Altogether, over the five-year course of the initiative, it would hopefully pan out to supporting upward of 700 teachers serving an estimated 250,000 students, he added. There is a lot of work being done right now around teacher pipelines, and a lot of conversations around teacher shortages, Hratchian said. Ultimately, what were doing in TeachMichigan is saying that ... to keep the educators we currently have, we just have to stop just bandaging over symptoms of this bigger problem. RELATED: Schools are short staffed. Michigans retiree waiting period isnt helping. The initiative is focused on investing in teachers already in Sault Ste Marie Area Public Schools, Benzie County Central Schools, Traverse City Area Public Schools, Kentwood Public Schools, Grand Rapids Public Schools, Lansing Public Schools and Saginaw Public Schools areas TFA Detroit identified as serving high numbers of economically disadvantaged children. Detroit Public Schools Community District, as well as charter networks within the city itself, are also part of this initiative three years into its own version of the program. Once accepted into TeachMichigan, 10 fellows would be grouped into one of three cohorts for a total of 30 participating educators per district. These include early career educators, or those with at least one year of classroom teaching experience; nationally board-certified educators, or those who have been in the classroom for at least four years and are interested in pursuing national certification; and aspiring leaders, or teachers hoping to move into an administrative or supervisory role within a school system. A 200-strong TeachMichgian cohort is already expected this coming fall, Hratchian added, saying that their participation would run through the 2025-26 school year. The next cohort is anticipated to come at the end of the 2024-25 term. Theres also pay involved, he added. Educators participating in the program can earn up to a $35,000 stipend over its three year run time, with educators receiving $5,000 immediately as they enter into TeachMichigan. As they progress through the effort, that funding would then increase, receiving $10,000 their second year and another $15,000 for their third year. The state itself has appropriated $30 million in federal funding toward the idea since 2021, with Hratchian saying there are plans in place to raise another $30 million in private matched funds. Everybody recognizes that theres a teacher shortage or, we recognize the need to invest into aspiring educators but we have incredible current educators all throughout our system and it has been a rare initiative that invests into them, Hratchian said. I think people are really grateful and ... really appreciate the opportunity to stay in the classroom. To be closest to the kids that they most entered this profession to be close to, while also receiving additional compensation (and) more leadership responsibilities. More from MLive Michigan Supreme Court will rule on tactic that weakened minimum wage, sick leave initiatives How Michigan could reconsider a 2004 move to ban same-sex marriage Infected monkeys at Michigan research lab threaten health and science Democrats to lift a means test for low-income food assistance Are LGBT book bans discriminatory? Michigans civil rights agency wants AG opinion. Michigans road construction schedule for the upcoming weekend includes a number of closures on key highways throughout the southeast part of the state. Lane and ramp closures will be in place along I-96, I-94 and I-75 in Wayne County, plus I-75 in Oakland County, and I-94 in Macomb County. There are also closures to look out for in Allegan, Berrien, Cheboygan, Hillsdale, Kent, Monroe and Van Buren counties. Travelers heading to the Upper Peninsula this weekend will want to avoid the bridge between 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 24. Lanes will be closed in both directions for the International Bridge Walk, which returns after a three-year hiatus. The states Department of Transportation lists nearly 50 road, bridge and ramp projects that will close at least a lane of traffic between Friday and Sunday, June 23-25. Its a smaller list than in recent weeks, but ongoing closures will also have an impact on weekend travel. Before you leave home, check your route on the Department of Transportations map of construction projects and road closures. Below is a look at some of the significant projects to account for this weekend. I-94 and I-96 interchange The interchange between I-94 and I-96 in Wayne County will be under construction this weekend, beginning Friday evening, June 23. Starting at 8 p.m. Friday, the westbound I-94 ramp to I-96 will be closed for construction. Drivers will be detoured using W. Grand Boulevard. The project is scheduled to be done early Monday morning, June 26. Westbound I-94 will also have its two left lanes closed between Trumbull Street and I-96 through the weekend. Grand River Avenue remains closed at I-94 in the area, though that project is expected to be complete by Friday, June 30. I-96 in Wayne County On I-96, there are multiple lane and ramp closures in place between Southfield Freeway (M-39) and Oakman Boulevard in Detroit. Drivers heading to and from the area will want to leave extra time due to expected traffic. Additionally, the ramp from westbound I-96 to M-5 (Grand River Avenue/Shaefer) closed this week and will remain closed into late September. The highways eastbound left lane will also be closed for three months. Two lanes on I-96 around Davison Avenue (M-8) will remain closed in both directions through the weekend with most work being done between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. That project began in May and is scheduled to wrap up in another week. I-75 in Wayne County The left three lanes of southbound I-75 will be closed this weekend between 8 Mile Road (M-102) and Piquette Street in Wayne County. The two right lanes will also be closed between Goddard Road and Schaefer Road, as will the interchange between southbound I-75 and I-94 in both directions. Intermittent ramp closures are scheduled between Friday evening and Monday morning from southbound I-75 to eastbound I-94 in Detroit, and at various points along I-75. I-75 in Oakland County Construction on I-75 could continue to affect travel this weekend, with an ongoing double-lane closure of the southbound lanes between Saginaw Road/Dixie Highway and Davisburg Road. The closure, which began earlier this month, will continue until mid-July and mostly includes work between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. Meanwhile, northbound traffic in the area will be without the left lane around Davisburg Road until late-June. That work began last week. Michigan is investing $160 million to resurface and repair about 15 miles of I-75 in Oakland County over the next four years. I-94 in Macomb County Road work on I-94 in Macomb County is expected to cause some traffic congestion this weekend. The project began Thursday, but will continue through Monday, June 26. During that stretch, eastbound traffic on I-94 will be down to one lane open between 23 Mile Road and County Line Road. Work will continue, mostly on nights and weekends, through the fall. I-94 in Berrien/Van Buren counties Drivers traveling on I-94 in Berrien and Van Buren counties can expect evening single-lane closures to continue through the weekend between Coloma and Hartford. The project, which began last week, is expected to conclude Monday, June 26. Its an approximately $484,000 fix to resurface the road in both directions, plus guardrail replacement and new pavement markings. M-99 and M-34 in Hillsdale County Work on M-99 and M-34 in Hillsdale County began this week and is expected to continue into mid-August. During the project, one lane will be open for each highway with traffic regulators from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. The work area includes M-99 from Steamburg Road to M-34, and on M-34 from M-99 to U.S. 127. U.S. 23 in Monroe County Drivers coming back into Michigan from Ohio using U.S. 23 may encounter increased traffic starting Saturday morning due to a single-lane closure from the U.S. Crossover to Ida Center Road. The project is scheduled to conclude Wednesday morning, June 28. Further east, northbound traffic on I-75 also continues to have a single lane closed between Erie Road and Otter Creek. That work started in the spring and is scheduled to wrap up in November. Fulton Street in Kent County The resurfacing of four miles of Fulton Street (M-21) in Grand Rapids begins Friday, June 23, with an expected completion date in November. Construction will take place from I-96 to Grand River Drive and include building indirect left-turn lanes at Taos Avenue and Rippling Drive and adding a right-turn lane at Alta Dale Avenue. The $5 million project will also include sidewalk ramp improvements, guardrails and pavement markings. During the project, drivers can expect lane closures and traffic shifts on Fulton Street. Heading north on U.S. 127 A stretch of U.S. 127 between Jackson and Lansing has been dealing with a single-lane closure from Baseline Road to Cedar Street since March. Thatll continue into mid-November, meaning potential slowdowns for drivers traveling up north through the area. Once north of Lansing, the highway should be relatively clear of construction until you reach Cheboygan County. There, youll find about nine miles of highway between Levering Road and U.S. 31 with the left lane closed. Blue Star Highway in Allegan County The interchange between Blue Star Highway and I-196 in the Saugatuck area remains under construction. The state is investing $8.3 million to improve five bridges over I-196 in Allegan County, including the two Blue Star Highway bridges, 107th Avenue, 109th Avenue and 114th Avenue. Work is expected to run into November with lane closures and traffic shifts in effect. The 109th Avenue bridge over I-196 is closed through mid-August, while the Blue Star Highway bridge over I-196 remains closed and detoured using 64th Street and 104th Avenue. Ramps from I-196 to Blue Star Highway remain open, though ramps to get onto I-196 in the area are closed. For more information on road construction projects in your area, check out MDoTs online map, here. Read more on MLive: New roundabout project near Tanger Outlets begins to take shape More people are dying in traffic crashes. Officials blame risky behavior. I got roofied and kidnapped. Womans story highlights safety issues at Michigan music festivals Infected monkeys at Michigan research lab threaten health and science President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited the Organization of American States to participate in the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and the preparation of the Global Peace Summit. "Our common goal, of all leaders and states that truly value human life, is a world in which violence does not dominate A world in which the UN Charter is truly respected by everyone. A world in which not only no new frozen conflicts arise, but in which the majority of nations realize that any war is a common global challenge a threat to the world," he said. "And have we become closer to such a world since my first address to you? I am sure we have. Although Russian aggression still goes on, although Russia does not stop even in the face of catastrophic crimes of ecocide," Zelenskyy said and told the participants about the undermining of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant by the Russian invaders, as a result of which tens of thousands of people were left without drinking water. Addressing the leaders of the Organization of American States, the head of state spoke about the Ukrainian Peace Formula and the preparations for the Global Peace Summit related to its implementation. "There is no alternative to it! Russia has brought war to the territory of our country, Russian missiles and artillery are burning our cities and villages, Russian ecocides are destroying the nature of our country... So to indeed restore peace, we need collective efforts. And of course in particular, your support, your leadership. I invite you to work with us and all the free nations of the world on implementation of the Peace Formula. And I invite you to join the preparation of the Global Peace Summit," Zelenskyy said. "We must become a global community in the full sense of this word, so that peace for every nation is fully guaranteed," he said. "One cannot protect peace on his own, but war cannot overcome the collective desire for peace. May your power become the power of peace, too!" the president said. Ghanaian actress and producer Yvonne Nelsons newly released memoir, I Am Not Yvonne Nelson, has drawn criticism from socialite Afia Schwarzenegger. In a scathing social media post, Schwarzenegger described Nelsons decision to publish details of her personal life as childishness at the highest degree. Writing a book to wash your dirty linen in public is NOT boldness but childishness at the highest degree(done that and outgrown it), Schwarzenegger wrote. Who in his or her right thinking mind will write a book to disrespect her mother....If I don't know the real father of my children, if any of my children have to do a DNA to ascertain their paternity, then I the promiscuous mother should be ashamed of myself literally an Ashawo is even better, she stressed. Schwarzenegger questioned Nelsons motivations for publishing such intimate details of her life and relationships. Couldn't you have done that in private, with your family, or probably a pastor/ counsellor?? And we have grown IDIOTS who will gather at the comment section to defend this shameful act," she said. The ferocious socialite again warned that the YN Production CEOs revelations could come back to haunt her daughter in the future. "Those applauding you today will remind your daughter who her grandmother is. Beware of the things you do when you have a daughter.. I pray for you for strength the day your daughter will question you about your book, she noted. Nelsons memoir provides details on both her personal and professional life. According to the books description, I Am Not Yvonne Nelson is an explosive and riveting account of a young woman who sets out to discover herself, but finds out that she has been living with a false identity. In portions of the book, she revealed her past abortion with rapper Sarkodie, her wrongful accusation of Mr. Nelson being her absentee father and others. The book has generated significant discussion online since its release. While some consider Nelson courageous for openly sharing her life story, others, who share in Schwarzeneggers opinion argue that some details are better kept private. Ghanaian actress and author, Yvonne Nelson, has expressed her joy with the overwhelming response to her memoir, I Am Not Yvonne Nelson. Yvonne Nelson during her book signing event at Silverbird Cinemas, revealed that the demand for her memoir has exceeded expectations, leading to a shortage of available copies. The books are in short supply at the moment, its good Ghana is reading and Im happy about that. Im happy we are all reading, she disclosed. When asked about the potential for adapting her book into a movie, Yvonne Nelson shared that she does not envision herself taking on the role of producer for the project. I dont think Ill be the one to produce it but I feel great that people are reading, she indicated. While she did not provide specific details, her response suggests that discussions or plans for a movie adaptation may be underway. One of the key themes in Yvonne Nelsons memoir is her strained relationship with her mother and the lingering questions about her fathers identity, however, she declined to speak about her mothers response to the book and the revelations in there. I believe shes also reading it and everyone else is reading so its a good thing, she answered. I am Not Yvonne Nelson, which delves into her personal journey and sheds light on the realities of the celebrity world, currently holds the number one position on Apples Memoirs and Biographies chart. We are number 1 on Apple Memoirs and Biographies so its good, Ive got people reading and thats good, Yvonne Nelson also shared her excitement about the books success. The overwhelming response to I Am Not Yvonne Nelson has prompted plans to restock the book. Yvonne Nelson revealed that additional copies will be made available at the University of Ghana bookstore, emphasizing her commitment to ensuring widespread access to her memoir. By Friday we are going to get more and send them to the University of Ghana bookstore, I gave them copies and it got finished in thirteen minutes, all over Ghana well make sure we supply to all the bookstores, Yvonne told Giovani Caleb. Yvonne Nelson and Giovani Caleb Interview Below BY: Dan Kwasi Prince Ghanaian actor, Adjetey Anang is set to also launch a book about his life in July 2023 to mark his 50th birthday. This comes after college Actress Yvonne Nelson recently launched her memoir causing stir on social media. He intends to share his life and professional experience while growing up, as he celebrates his 50th birthday on July 8. Speaking on Joy Prime's morning show, the actor revealed what inspired the decision to document his life in a book. I thought it was about time to do so because I've moved from two phases. People will say that I was in a certain generation, but I'm now in another generation, and I thought that the timing was right for me to sort of chronicle my last 50 years through school, work, bad choices I didn't want to wait because we have a generation that is budding and wants to take up the world. I still needed to let them realise that there are things that they need to really consider; otherwise, they'll repeat the mistake that we all made, he explained. Although he still aims at attaining higher grounds regardless of his current status, Pusher, as he is known, seeks to inspire young people with his experience so far. In terms of what the book specifically entails, he hinted that there is a chapter where he narrates an encounter with a female fan who was attracted to him and desperate to be in a relationship with him despite the fact that he was married. The actor was blessed with a son after over 20 years of marriage. During the process, he nearly married a second wife due to the circumstances in which he found himself. He also revealed that his foundation, One In A Million, is a ten-year project seeking to support women and children in getting access to quality healthcare. This, he said, will also be inaugurated on his birthday. The event will be graced by some notable people and actors from the defunct TV series, 'Things We Do For Love.' The Head Pastor of the Holy Ghost Revival Centre, Assemblies of God at Basyonde in the Upper East Region Rev. Dr. Timothy Tarinya, has been inducted into office as the new Regional Superintendent for Assemblies of God, Upper East Region B. The induction ceremony took place at the Holy Ghost Revival Centre at Basyonde in the Tempane district on Saturday, June 17th, 2023. Speaking at the event, General Superintendent, Rev. Stephen Wengam, urged the church to incorporate professionalism in all their activities. The General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, Rev Dr Stephen Y. Wengam, in his sermon, urged Rev. Dr.Timothy Musah Tarinya to be firm but caring in the discharge of his duties. He said leaders must unite with the people and shouldn't be talking ill about others. Rev. Dr Stephen Y. Wengam in his address called the regional superintendent to undertake several programmes to ensure that ministers within his jurisdiction could carry out their mandate. He urged the Rev Dr Timothy Tarinya to give proper attention to the Assemblies of God Church's transformational agenda - Reach, Rebuild, Reform, Restore, Reposition and Rebrand. Rev. Dr Timothy Tarinya promised to work in harmony with the General Superintendent and the six candidates of Assemblies of God, Ghana. He encouraged churches in his jurisdiction to work tirelessly to ensure that every local church opens another within a stipulated time given. Rev Dr Timothy Tarinya urged pastors to make it a serious initiative in their local churches. To grace the occasion were the representative of the Zugraana of Kusaug traditional area, Pusiga Naba Tambiibeluk-ku Nkwe Ibrahim Aguuri II, rep of Upper East regional minister, the Member of Parliament for Tempane, Hon Lydia AKanvariba Adakudugu, pastors from Burkina Faso and Togo and amongst others. Macaiah Addai left and snatched wife Gloria Amponsah right. 22.06.2023 LISTEN A 5-member panel at the Asantehemaa's palace at Manhyia in Kumasi who are trying a case involving a pastor who allegedly snatched his church member's wife on June 20 2023, passed their final verdict. The panel made up of chiefs ordered Pastor Macaiah Addai to compensate Mr Kofi Adjei whose wife Gloria Amponsah, the man of God allegedly used unlawful means to take her over, an amount of GHS 15,000. Earlier during their sitting on June 13, 2023, the panel ordered Pastor Macaiah Addai to slaughter four sheep, but his pleadings through a prominent Kumasi chief, the man of God was considered and asked to slaughter two sheep of which he quickly complied. He was also ordered to compensate Kofi Adjei his Church member of GHS20,000 but in their sitting on June 20 2023, the compensation was reduced, when the man of God once again, upon further pleadings amidst weeping was asked to pay Ghc15,000. Pastor Macaiah Addai managed to make part payment of GHC5000, out of the GHS15,000 and pleaded to settle the remaining amount within a period of two months which the panel members refused and ordered him to pay the remaining balance of GHS10,000 within a month. Readers can recall that Mr Kofi Adjei a church member of the Association of the 7th Day Pentecostal Assemblies of which Pastor Macaiah Addai is the acting head summoned the pastor before Manhyia Palace for snatching his wife. After the final verdict, Mr Adjei thanked Nananom for justice by punishing the conduct of someone who claims to be a man of God. Mr Eric OKyei Baffour, a member of the New Patriotic Partys (NPP) communications team argues that it is incorrect to judge the performance of the administration in the current post-COVID-19 economic challenges. He claimed that Ghanas economic prospects were promising prior to the covid-19 pandemic. Judging government by the state of the global situation without taking into account how the economy performed from the time we took office in 2017 to 2020 is a letdown. And as everyone knows, that time brought us a great economy," Mr Eric OKyei Baffour told Martin Ahwireng on Adwenekasa on Accra-based Original FM 91.9. He asked Ghanaians to have patience as the government was making every effort to normalise the situation. 21.06.2023 LISTEN A District Magistrate Court at Bole in the Savannah Region has in a five paged judgement instructed popular businessman based in Damongo, Gyimah Ibrahim (Keshenteng Bo Afe) to vacate disputed land housing his workshop and remove all properties by 17th August, 2023. The court further directed the West Gonja Municipal Assembly to remove all nuisance and properties belonging to the businessman from the disputed land should he fail to comply with the ruling of the court by the set date and charge the full cost on him. Presided over by Mr. Edward Essel, the District Magistrate Court upheld after a long period of trial that the land in dispute was found to be the property of the plaintiff, the Ghana Highways Authority, which had enjoyed undisturbed possession of the parcel of land for over 25 years. A cost of Ghc2,000.00 was entered for the plaintiff. Plaintiff institution, the Ghana Highways Authority was in court for a declaration that the disputed parcel of land measuring 1.40 acres lying and situated at Block "A" Ext. East Attributo, Damongo, was a bonafide property of the Ghana Highways, Damongo, in the Savannah Region. The plaintiff sought an order of ejection of the defendant, Gyimah Ibrahim from the said land and an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant, his agents, representatives and workers from interfering with the said land by the plaintiff. The defendant, a professional welder, has been operating his steel factory on the disputed land for several years now and has established other landed property on the said site. Defendant pleaded not liable to the claims of the plaintiff and counter claim seeking a declaration that the parcel of land measuring 0.50 acres situated and lying at Block "A" Extension, Attributo East, Damongo, was his property. He further sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the plaintiff, its agents, assigns, workmen and all persons claiming through it from interfering in whatever manner with the ownership, use and possession of the said plot of land. According to the defendant, he acquired the disputed piece of land from the late Damongo Wura Tutumba 11 in 2013 and has since been paying ground rent to the office of Administrator of Stool Lands. This he proved with documentary evidence. Both parties gave evidence to support their claims. The court went on 'Locus in quo on the land with the parties. The physical planning Department filed an extract of the existing planning scheme of Damongo with the court. Facts The court established that Damongo is a zoned township with a planning scheme dating back to, at least, 1979. That, there is a piece of land known and called Ghana Highways Authority land in Damongo. Also, Ghana Highways Authority is an offshoot of the Public Works Department (PWD). Judicial notice was taken of the fact that Gonja/Dagbon lands, Damongo lands inclusive, were skin lands. Ruling The court upheld that the disputed parcel of land is a known demarcated area of the Ghana Highways Authority of which the authority is in active possession as depicted in the approved planning scheme in use for Damongo township. According to the court, the late Damongo Wura was not cloth with the authority to alienate the disputed parcel of land to the defendant, since it was a known piece of land in possession of the Ghana Highways Authority for a long time and the presence of the institution on the land is captured in the 1989 Master Plan of the Damongo township. "It cannot be said that the Skin was not aware of the presence of the GHA on the land. It is rightly presumed that the skin had alienated the land to the said state institution. The skin cannot approbate and reprobate," the court noted in its ruling. In the view of the court, the Skin as at the time of the purported alienation of the said parcel of land to the defendant did not have the land to alienate and what one does not have one cannot give as in the maxim, "nemo dat quod non habet." Information available to this reporter indicates that the defendant, Gyimah Ibrahim is dissatisfied with the judgement of the District Court on grounds that Mr. Daniel Amarlai Quarcoo, a non lawyer, did not have the capacity to issue a writ and conduct the case on behalf of the Plaintiff/Respondent among others. He has since filed an appeal through his lawyers. The defendant has also filed a motion for a stay of execution, praying the court to stay the execution of its judgement pending the hearing and determination of the appeal lodged against same upon the grounds as contained in the supporting affidavit. 22.06.2023 LISTEN Economist and Professor of Finance, Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin has refuted the assertion by President Akufo-Addo who described rating agencies as reckless. The Professor of Finance said the metrics used by the rating agencies were open for public scrutiny but should be done with facts. According to Professor Bokpin, Ghana complete lost of market access was not the doing of the rating agencies. He said the rating agencies have been firm and fair. I do not agree with the President that they have been reckless in their rating because the methodology that they used is available for everyone to see and if you use the same methodology and even you vary it, you will still come to the conclusion that the ratings have been largely fair right and therefore it is very difficult to attribute bias to what they have than because my understanding is that these same rating agencies in the time past even under this current administration have given us good ratings and on the back of that we have gone to the capital market to go and then borrow and therefore am not too sure that they will just change suddenly because they are at government or they are reckless but we will not say that the rating agencies kicked us out of the bucket, he stated. Professor Bokpin continued by pointing to other vulnerabilities prior to the Covid and Russia-Ukraine war which further exposed the weakness and the poor state of the economy. It is simply because our economic fundamentals are deteriorating, we have physical vulnerabilities in the run-up to the Covid and then Russia-Ukraine. So, when those shocks came given the magnitude of the shocks, it actually reviewed the vulnerabilities in our economy and therefore the rating agencies didnt have a choice than to rate the country, he stated. Rating agencies have been reckless Speaking at the 30th African Export-Import Bank meeting held in Accra, President Akufo-Addo described as reckless the consistent downgrades of Ghanas economy by credit rating agencies. 22.06.2023 LISTEN Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Kwabena Agyapong has stated the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Ghana as a country deserves a new form of leadership. In a statement to the media, Mr. Agyapong argues that President Akufo-Addo and the Vice President have done their part in government and it was now time for fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to Ghana's unending challenges. He stated that if given the nod, there will be new government machinery that is effective and efficient to deliver to the Ghanaian people. Mr Agyapong added that his government will enforce law, order and instil discipline that goes with a drastic penalty regime for offenders. Throughout politics, we will make the difficult decisions that the country will need to be able to move forward thats why I am here. We need a new dawn, for sixteen years the leadership of President Akufo-Addo and his Vice Bawumia, sixteen years is a very long time and I think the party and the country deserve a new dawn, a new direction, a new energy, a new face that will be able to reconnect with the Ghanaian people and restore the confidence Ghanaians have in a constitutional democracy. That is what I represent and I am a very multi-layered individual trained in the ethos of this political tradition right from 1992. I have worked with all the leaders of our party, President Kufuor and now President Akufo-Addo, various stages of my career and as a civil engineer I have worked in the public service and private sector as an engineering consultant, he stated. So far 10 flagbearer hopefuls have filed their nomination forms. The New Patriotic Party will elect a flagbearer ahead of the 2024 elections on November 4, 2023. The party will hold a Special Congress on August 26 to trim down the numbers to five candidates. 21.06.2023 LISTEN A former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Tsatsu Tsikata, has asked the Management of the Corporation to actively engage investors to add value to Ghana's crude oil. He also encouraged the Corporation to increase local content and participation in the oil and gas sector as well as utilisation of appropriate technologies in line with the objective of the establishment of GNPC. GNPC has got to be proactive in identifying value opportunities from the work that's going on with these foreign investors to generate more national value, Mr Tsikata said in an interview monitored by the Ghana News Agency on a local TV station in Accra. He said that in the period of the establishment and active operation of GNPC (in 1985), the Corporation signed agreements with a few significant international companies like Almaco, Shell, Unocal and Alco. Those agreements led to a new phase of exploration, especially in the offshore Western part of Ghana, and laid the foundation for the major oil discovery in 2007, the private legal practitioner said. Ghanaians were also trained in countries like Romania, Bulgaria, and London in geosciences, geology, geophysics, and engineering. That, he said helped to build a human resource base to effectively manage the petroleum resources of the country and to meet demands of the international industry, especially in negotiations. Mr Tsikata, therefore, urged GNPC to step up efforts in enhancing its human resource capacity to position the Corporation to attract more investment to address challenges in the energy sector. On local participation, he said: It's something that must happen overtimeFor example, Almaco is there, and you have people from GNPC working with them, Shell is doing something, and you have your people working with them, and that's what will enable the needed technology transfer to occur. We've got to go beyond just having one national Corporation to a situation where in the supply of goods and services for this capital-intensive operation, you make sure that Ghanaians are more engaged, he advised. The government aims to address the challenges in the energy sector with a US$3 billion loan-support programme from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). That would be done under the Post COVID-19 Programme for Economic Growth (PC-PEG), which the government seek to use to limit its growing fiscal cost and clear the stock of payables over seven years. It is expected that an update of the Energy Sector Recovery Plan (ESRP) would be done by end of June 2023, with assistance from the World Bank. The recovery plan focuses on expediting Purchasing Power Agreements renegotiations (to reduce the take-or-pay liability), tariff adjustments, and improving operational performance of energy State Owned Enterprises (SOEs). There would also be a reform of subsidies to reduce the revenue shortfall, and the formulation of a strategy (with clear benchmarks) on the reduction of distribution losses and improving collections. GNA Zelenskyy: Ukrainian intelligence receives info that Russia considering scenario of terrorist attack at ZNPP with release of radiation Ukrainian intelligence has received information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) with a release of radiation, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. "We just received a report from our intelligence and the Security Service of Ukraine. Intelligence received information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant - a terrorist attack with the release of radiation. They have prepared everything for this," he said. According to him, all available information is now being transferred to international partners and organizations. "We transfer all available information to our partners. To everyone in the world. All confirmations. Europe, America, China, Brazil, India, the Arab world, Africa. All countries, absolutely everyone, should know this. International organizations - absolutely everyone. The world is warned, therefore, the world can and must act," Zelenskyy said. "There should never be any terrorist attacks at nuclear power plants anywhere!" he stressed. Also, according to the head of state, Ukrainian intelligence and the SBU have collected new evidence of how Russian terrorists blew up the structures of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. In particular, he noted, "there was a completely conscious calculated crime - in the occupied territory, at the plant, which was under the complete control of the invaders." "Most importantly, last year we warned the world that Russia was preparing such a terrorist attack (at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant). We warned when we received the first confirmed information about the mining of the hydroelectric power plant," he reminded once again. Collins Adomako-Mensah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Afigya Kwabre North Constituency, Ashanti Region has expressed confidence in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) winning the by-election. He said the ongoing development projects in the area are making it possible for the ruling party to snatch the seat. According to the MP, he disagrees with the claim that the NPP party is deliberately using the court to jail NDC's candidate James Gyakye Quayson. Of course when you go to court you either lose or win but I dont think anybody wishes his worse enemy to be taken to prison, that is the court process, we allow the court process to go on whilst we focus our attention on the developmental issues in Assin North and I am very confident that the good people of Assin North will look deep into the kind of development we brought to the area even prior to the announcement of a by-election to make a decision as to who will represent them in parliament or not. The MP described some comments by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that the ruling NPP government is deliberately trying to reduce the numerical strength of NDC MPs in Parliament in order to legalise LGBTQ+ as false and misleading. I have also heard the kind of comments coming from our opponent the NDC why people should reject our candidate. Very interesting I am sure you have seen videos of one of the women organizers talking about the fact that we want to take Gyakye Quayson out so we increase our numbers to pass LGBTQ. These are things being said by our opponent and there are videos to such effect. I am saying these are things the people on the other side are campaigning on, these are the things they are talking about but clearly, thats not the issue. This is a by-election that has been orchestrated by a Supreme Court ruling, we are not campaigning on the failures of Gyakye Quayson, our campaign is solely on the campaign we brought to the good people of Assin North, he stated. The Assin North by-election will take place on Tuesday, June 27. The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in collaboration with the AfCFTA in Accra, launched the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG), a suite of five digital platforms that have been designed as a single window to enable the Bank better deliver on its mandate by providing critical services to support and promote African trade and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). Launched by Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade Bank, of Afreximbank on the sidelines of the ongoing 30th Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM2023), in the presence of Dr Ernest Addison, Governor-Bank of Ghana and Mrs Emily Mburu-Ndoria, Director-Directorate of Trade in Services, Investment, IPR and Digital Trade, AfCFTA who represented HE Wamkele Mene, Secretary General, AfCFTA, the gateway digital ecosystem comprises the MANSA (due diligence platform), the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), the TRADAR Club, the Africa Trade Exchange (ATEX) and ATG Connect. Addressing guests at the launch, Ms. Awani said that Afreximbanks digital evolution was part of its deliberate strategic response to address Africas key challenges to accelerate the pace of development and foster economic prosperity for Africans using and applying digital technologies and business models. Each one of our digital interventions is designed to address clearly identified challenges and barriers for those seeking to engage in African trade and investment. I am pleased that each intervention has been successfully transformed from concept to reality and commend the hard work of our colleagues and partners in achieving these milestones. But to consolidate results, maximize net effects, achieve greater efficiencies, drive higher synergistic value, quicken regional integration, extend and create new access markets and accelerate digital economy in Africa, the Bank is introducing customer-centric Africa Trade Gateway. She described ATG as the gateway into a definitive digital ecosystem made for Africas trade, supported by Afreximbank and the AfCFTA in collaboration with their partners, to answer the needs of businesses, governments and stakeholders by enabling trade, commerce and investment. With the ATG, customers could complete all their transactions within one window, explained Ms. Awani. MANSA, Africas due diligence platform, provides a single source of primary data required for the conduct of customer due diligence on African entities, financial institutions, corporates and SMEs. It also provides complementary collection of information on investment in Africa, country profiles and traded products/services of African countries. PAPSS was established to enable efficient payment for intra-African trade in national currencies, promoting intra-African trade, minimising risk and contributing to financial integration across Africa. In July 2019, African Union heads of state meeting in Niamey, adopted PAPSS as the payment and settlement system to support the implementation of the AfCFTA. It currently operates out of Cairo. TRADAR Club, is member-driven network aimed at empowering international businesses and executives to transform trade and investments in Africa through trusted trade intelligence and advisory services through innovative digital tools and networking opportunities, helping members to discover new markets; grow their business; save time; access dedicated expert support; post and respond to new business opportunities; network; meet business/trading partners, etc. Membership is open to global industry leaders, African and foreign businesses, intergovernmental organisations, policy makers and others committed to unlocking growth and development in Africa. ATEX is a B2B and B2G e-commerce platform launched at the 54th Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in Dakar in May 2022, to help small and medium scale and large African businesses to tap into new markets in Africa and to facilitate the optimisation of their supply chains. It enables procurement in bulk for basic commodities to ensure access to suppliers in a transparent manner. ATG Connect serves to connect business service providers across Africa. It provides freight and logistics connectivity solutions which allow for frictionless connecting and matching of freight/ logistics requests with freight and logistics providers listed on the platform. Customers can get quotes for the pickup and delivery of goods to and from any location in Africa at a very competitive price. The launch ceremony included presentations on the services available under the various digital platforms and a panel discussion by the heads of the platforms during which they discussed the services they offered in support of trade across Africa and the implementation of the AfCFTA. The Government of Senegal, through the Ministry of Trade, of Consumer and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, launched the Expert Work Group Meeting in Dakar on Tuesday for examining the report of the study on The Opportunities of Regional Value Chains in West Africa in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA ). This workshop, which is being held from June 20 to 21, is organized by the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA/SRO-WA), in collaboration with the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). It aims at examining and improving the draft report of the study on the main value chain opportunities in West Africa; informing and mobilizing the involved actors, namely the private sector and their umbrella structures at regional level in the project to develop value chains in West Africa in the context of the AfCFTA; as well as agreeing on a sub-regional roadmap for the implementation of the recommendations of the study and particularly the development of value chains in West Africa, in line with ECOWAS initiatives in this area. Secretary General of the Ministry of Trade, of Consumer and Small and Medium Enterprises of Senegal, Mr. Makhtar Lakh, explained that "Axis 1 of the Senegal Emerging Plan targets, among other things, a successful insertion into global value chains". The Director of ECA/SRO-WA, Ngone Diop affirmed that the multifaceted crises such as the Covid19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the climate crisis have slowed down or even annihilated the development efforts of the countries in the West African sub-region as shown by the deceleration of economic growth estimated to an average of -2% in 2020, compared to 3.4% in 2019. In response to these worrisome trends, the positioning of West African economies in value chains, through tariff and non-tariff disarmament, should be an integral part of a more comprehensive approach to the integration of production and trade sectors in the AfCFTA, explained Ngone Diop. She said, It is necessary to identify and prioritize regional value chains capable of positioning the region as a production and a preferred trade center, competitive within the single African market. The representative of the UNDP Regional Office, Mr. Stephane Amani highlighted that "the development of value chains will have an impact on the acceleration of the Sustainable Development goals such as poverty reduction, hunger reduction, job creation . The Representative of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Christian Kafando stated that As part of the AfCFTA, it is important to focus on regional value chains by building on the comparative and competitive advantages of member states of regional economic communities, such as ECOWAS. He said, the promotion of regional value chains means that we examine the contributions of the key elements of these regional value chains on the basis of the potentialities of our Member States and their ability to create value at national and regional levels. Representatives of regional and national private sector organizations, ministries in charge of trade, industrialization, SMEs/SMIs, agriculture, various national and regional trade committees (AfCFTA, trade facilitation, regional organizations (ECOWAS, UEMOA, AfCFTA Secretariat), and United Nations organizations such as ECA, UNDP, UNCTAD, ICC, UNIDO are participating in this meeting. 22.06.2023 LISTEN Mr. Japhet Festus Gbede has condemned the murder of Mr. Zanu Mandela, a young entrepreneur who was shot and killed in Akatsi, describing it as cruel, inhuman and deliberately provocative. In a statement, the Assemblymember hopeful called on the security agencies in the country to thoroughly expedite investigations into the dastardly act. He also urged them to ensure that the perpetrators face the full wrath of the law. Mr. Japhet Festus Gbede also lamented the rampant killings that make human life "so cheap" in the heart of the municipality. While commiserating with family, friends, and the entire Avenor land, as well as all those affected by the attacks, in a Facebook post, he appealed to the Nana Addo Danwua-led NPP government to support the investigation processes for the arrest of the assailants. "It is quite sad and regrettable that such a young man would be cut down in his prime by criminal elements within our society," he added. "Akatsi is becoming a killing field where business owners and the citizenry are slaughtered like chickens, and it is my highest prayer that the government spare resources to bring his killers to book," part of his statement read. READ HIS FULL STATEMENT BELOW: JAPHET FESTUS GBEDE PENS... The reported heinous news of the attack and killing of a respectful and hard-working young entrepreneur on Tuesday night is strongly and unequivocally condemned. My heartfelt condolences go out to the deceased's family, friends, business associates, and customers. Nothing could be more heartbreaking than someone dying while trying to make life better in a genuine way in Akatsi. Although I believe that when youths of their product age are idle for an extended period of time, the devil finds in them actual tools to create workshops, I absolutely condemn the assassination of these innocent individuals who suffer at the hands of those who should know better. By this statement, I am appealing to the appropriate security agencies in the municipality and the country at large to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the perpetrators of these wicked and abominable acts are fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law. It is quite sad and regrettable that such a young man would be cut down in his prime by criminal elements within our society. Akatsi is becoming a killing field where business owners and the citizenry are slaughtered like chickens, and it is my highest prayer that the government spare resources to bring his killers to book. May his soul rest in peace. Charles Bissue[left] and Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng 22.06.2023 LISTEN Charles Cromwell Nanabayin Onuawonto Bissue, the former secretary of Ghanas dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) has surrendered to the Office of the Special Prosecutor a week after evading arrest. According to a statement from the OSP, Mr Bissue turned himself in on June 21 and was immediately placed under arrest, interviewed and subsequently released on bail. The OSP had declared Mr Bissue wanted on June 13 on charges of corruption and corruption-related offences regarding the activities and expenditure of the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining. However, Mr Bissue secured a court injunction preventing his arrest, prompting a weeklong standoff with the OSP. In a statement, Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng said Mr Bissue arrived at the OSP headquarters at 11:45 GMT. He was immediately placed under arrest, interviewed and subsequently released on bail, Lawyer Kissi Agyebeng said. Security forces clashed with protesters supporting Sierra Leone's main opposition party in the capital Freetown Wednesday, with tear gas fired and rocks thrown in response, three AFP journalists saw. The opposition All People's Congress (APC) had called for "peaceful" nationwide protests ahead of general elections on Saturday. The party called for the demonstrations over what it says are "unresolved issues" it has raised regarding "discrepancies in the electoral process". About 100 protesters gathered outside the APC's headquarters in Freetown at around 10:30 am (1030 GMT) Wednesday when security forces fired tear gas at them, AFP saw. Both police and military were present. Some protesters responded by throwing stones and glass. Videos circulated on social media showing what appeared to be at least one person shot by live bullets. In a press conference later Wednesday, Braima Jah, director of operations at the Sierra Leone Police, said security forces did not fire any shots. He alleged that ex-combatants fired five shots, "two from a pistol and three from an AK-47", from the direction of the opposition party's headquarters. He said a total of 66 people had been arrested. The APC has for weeks lambasted the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) for alleged bias in favour of the ruling party, raising speculation that it is laying the ground for a court challenge -- a tactic both parties have used in the past. In a speech last week, the party's presidential candidate, Samura Kamara, laid out a list of demands to be met within 72 hours, threatening nationwide protests if they were not met. The APC also alleges its supporters have been attacked on the campaign trail in rural parts of the country in recent days. The Office of National Security, a government agency, confirmed in a statement Wednesday that the opposition party's office in the city of Bo, a ruling party stronghold, had been burned down earlier this week. It said it is "concerned over the reported cases of violence in some parts of the country in the last few days". It added that it "believes that such incidences of violence have the potential to pose challenges to the peaceful atmosphere that is needed for the conduct of a free, fair and credible elections". The ambassadors of the EU, United States, Ireland and Germany, as well as the British High Commissioner and French charge d'affaires expressed their concerns over "reports of election-related violence and aggression" in a joint statement. Low-intensity political violence and the hiring of thugs -- either gang members or ex-combatants -- is typical of Sierra Leonean election campaigns. Last August, riots erupted in Freetown and other parts of country, leaving at least 27 civilians and six police officers dead. 21.06.2023 LISTEN Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a former General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), says his decision to contest the flagbearer race of the Party is to create the momentum necessary to bring about change in the thinking and orientation of Ghanaians. Mine is a simple humble redemption mission to create a critical mass of public-spirited Ghanaians, which is needed to generate the momentum required to cause a seismic shift in the thinking and orientation of what Party politics and public service should mean to politicians, political appointees, civil servants and indeed all Ghanaians," Mr Agyepong said this after filing his nomination for the contest. He expressed worry over the state of affairs of the country, saying: My heart has been troubled over the direction of our country. We must accept that where we are now is not where we want to be. We cannot mislead ourselves with excitable slogans that lead us nowhere. Mr Agyepong said Ghana was at a crossroads and that what it needed urgently was a new dawn of intelligent political leadership with a vision that instilled optimism in the youth and rekindled faith in the country's constitutional democracy. Mr Agyepong said his new dawn administration would meet the ambitions and demands of the Ghanaian people. The new dawn refers to a belief in small, lean government machinery that is efficient, effective and primed to deliver to the aspirations and expectations of the Ghanaian people. He said he was, therefore, offering himself for that service because he firmly believed that the NPP needed a leader that was very action-oriented, passionately mission-driven, very demanding of results and eager to pursue progress. Mr Agyepong said he was capable of providing the kind of leadership that would enable the Party to achieve the third consecutive victory in 2024. I am offering myself anchored in the belief that the NPP needs a leader who is intensely action-oriented, passionately mission-driven, very demanding of results and prepared to chase progress. In all humility, I am equipped to provide that sort of leadership that will restore the Party as genuinely united force that will make it possible for us to win the elusive 3rd consecutive victory in 2024. GNA Dr Theo Acheampong, Political and Economic Risk Analyst, says the real causes of Ghana's increasing indebtedness in the energy sector are distribution losses and poor tariff management, not excess capacity charges. Speaking on a radio programme monitored by the Ghana News Agency, the Economist said: The current cause of our mess and why the IPPs are threatening to shut their plants is that the tariff has not been cost reflective while there are enormous distribution losses. To improve the situation, Dr. Acheampong said the tariffs must continue to go up until such a time that the cedi is stable and fuel prices are stable. He advised the government to revisit the Energy Sector Master Plan as proposed by the International Monetary Fund. Mr. Edward Bawa, Ranking Member, Energy and Mines Committee of Parliament, also called for an independent bipartisan audit to ascertain the extent to which charges on excess capacity had contributed to the overall energy sector debts. He said claims of excess capacity charges driving the energy sector debts lacked transparency, saying the idea behind the excess capacity was to export power to other countries within the West African subregion. Mr Bawa urged the government to explore alternatives if it insisted that excess capacity was increasing energy sector debts. He asserted that the reduction in tariffs in 2017 and the reluctance to increase tariffs for some years caused the indebtedness. Mr. Atta Akyea, Chairman, Energy and Mines Committee of Parliament, stated that the energy sector debts had been a major challenge to the government. The MP said available data indicated that the country had spent an excess amount of $900 million on excess capacity charges since 2017. GNA 22.06.2023 LISTEN Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft says his 20-year-old daughter, Phoebe told him she will be the luckiest person to meet Nigerian Afrobeats stars Burna Boy and Rema when he visits Nigeria. In a video making the rounds on social media, the business magnate revealed he had no idea who Rema and Burna Boy were but can recall the names of Wizkid and Davido. Of course being here in Nigeria, its worth mentioning the amazing creativity that goes on here, Afrobeat from Nigeria are popular everywhere, I told my daughter Phoebe am coming to Nigeria she said oh you are lucky, you going to see Burna Boy and Rema so I had to look them up but I also remember when I came here I did see Davido and Wizkid perform and I was quite impressed with that so my kids think I have come to a very heap place. The creative industry here is great whether its the movie, music so across many areas the creativity entrepreneurship which is why I am optimistic that despite the numerous challenges Nigeria has a great future and of course will bring many wonderful things in the world, Bill Gates disclosed while delivering an opening address at an event in Lagos on Wednesday. The meeting was part of the Gates Foundations commitment to working closely with communities and leaders to support innovation. The trial of Guinea's former dictator Moussa Dadis Camara for a 2009 massacre was on Wednesday once again adjourned after several weeks of delays, an AFP correspondent saw. The case was postponed to July 10 because of a prison wardens' strike, meaning the accused was absent, and follows a boycott by solicitors over their conditions. Camara and 10 other ex-military and government officials stand accused over the killing of 156 people and the rape of least 109 women by pro-junta forces at an opposition rally at a stadium in the capital Conakry. The trial began on September 28, 2022, exactly 13 years after the massacre, but had been suspended since May 29 after lawyers began a boycott, saying they had not been paid for more than eight months. They also wanted aid for their clients to pay for their defence, the creation of a fund to cover lawyers' fees and improved working conditions in the courtroom. But while the lawyers were back in the courtroom Wednesday, the defendants were missing, prompting the court to postpone the case. Prison officers have called a strike in all the country's detention centres with several demands, including a pay rise, according to a statement made at a Conakry jail. It is yet another setback for the victims and their relatives who have high expectations for the trial, the first of its kind in a country ruled for decades by authoritarian regimes. Human Rights Watch had expressed concern that the trial's future was in doubt over dwindling financial resources and issues bringing the process to its conclusion. Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykola Oleshchuk has to announce that the French-Italian SAMP/T anti-aircraft missile system is on combat duty, Yuriy Ihnat, the speaker of the Ukrainian Air Force, says. "French President Emmanuel Macron has already announced that SAMP/T is in Ukraine. We expect the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force to meet people, congratulate them on our soil and announce that the complex has taken up combat duty," Ihnat said on air national telethon on Thursday. Inat also noted that Ukraine expects the IRIS-T system from Germany, which is being manufactured for our country. In addition, the speaker added that it would be good to see in Ukraine the NASAMS system, which many countries have in service, to strengthen this or that direction. SAMP/T can destroy enemy aircraft at a distance of 3 km to 100 km and ballistic missiles at a distance of 3 km to 25 km, the height of destruction - up to 25 km. All eight Aster-30 missiles, which are contained on one launcher, can be fired in one salvo in 10 seconds. France's two main trade unions are now led by women after Marylise Leon on Wednesday took the helm of the reformist French Democratic Confederation of Labour, the CFDT France's largest union. Her promotion comes three months after Sophie Binet was elected general secretary of the hardline CGT. Leon was appointed by outgoing boss Laurent Berger, 54, who stood down as general secretary after 11 years in the job. The 46-year-old becomes the second woman to lead the CFDT, 20 years after Nicole Notat's decade-long stint at the top ended in 2002. Tough negotiator Leon, who has a degree in chemistry, is known for her work in employment, environmental and feminist issues and for her negotiating skills. "She is dynamic and has a strong understanding of the world of work, Berger told French daily Le Monde in April, adding that Leon's humanity helped her get close to people. Praise for Leon, who has worked as the CFDT's deputy general secretary since 2018, also came from within the ranks of other trade unions. "She is firm on her values, on what she is and what she represents, Dominique Corona, deputy secretary general of the UNSA union told FranceInfo. Meanwhile Simon Duteil, of the Solidaires group of trade unions, said that Leon was able to help bridge the differences between the CFDT and that of his own organisation. Marylise always speaks openly and honestly which is very pleasant. I appreciate her ability to listen frankly, without prejudice," Duteil said. Even employers and former politicians have lauded Leon's professionalism. "Marylise Leon is tough, demanding and rational, without being dogmatic. She knows how to listen and recognise when her interlocutor is right", Antoine Fouchet, former chief of staff of the former Minister of Labor Muriel Penicaud, told newspaper Le Parisien. France pledged to give nearly 26 million euros in aid to Tunisia to help curb the flow of migrants crossing the Mediterranean. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced on Monday the "bilateral aid of 25.8 million dedicated to tackling migration issues" during a visit to Tunis. The aim is to allow Tunisia to "acquire the necessary equipment and organise useful training, in particular for Tunisian police and border guards", he said at a news conference following a meeting in Tunisia with his German counterpart, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. The French pledge comes a week after European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen offered 105 million euros to Tunisia for border management and combatting human trafficking. The EU funding, part of a larger financial aid package to boost the Tunisian economy, is contingent on the approval of the nearly $2 billion IMF loan that has been under negotiation since last year. No border guard Yet, in response, Tunisian President Kais Saied warned that Tunisia would not guard borders other than its own. "We will not accept that Tunisia becomes a country of resettlement" for migrants either, he said. Saied has repeatedly rejected what he terms the "diktats" of the West. On Tuesday, Mohsen Nabti, a Tunisian politician supporting the President, blamed France and Europe for the migrants issue, speaking on the Tunisian radio Mosaique FM. Did we colonise Mali?" he asked ironically. "Did we send troops to Niger? Did we occupy Burkina-Faso? Did we foment the coups in Chad? Or was that the French and the European Union? These countries reap what they sow," he concluded. The Tunisian President says he remains open to a better deal with the EU, however. "With a common will, a new way of seeing things, I am sure that we will find adequate solutions," he said on Monday. Other Tunisian politicians have recognised that a deal with the EU will be necessary. 21.06.2023 LISTEN The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has kicked against the removal of taxes on imported sanitary pads. In recent months, there have been calls on government to remove the taxes to reduce the cost of sanitary pads to make them affordable, especially for young girls in school. According to the Association of Ghana Industries, government will be making a big mistake if it decides to play to the gallery to remove the taxes. AGI proposes that instead of removing the taxes on imported sanitary pads, government should rather help local manufacturers to make the products here in Ghana. The Association of Ghana Industries believes this will bring down the cost of sanitary pads while providing employment for Ghanaians. The few local manufacturers of sanitary pads face imminent collapse and AGI calls on Government to intervene as soon as possible. We caution Government not to play to the gallery, but rather stay focused on its industrial transformation agenda by incentivising local manufacturers rather than imports, part of a release from AGI said on June 21. The AGI press release continued, While a number of countries adopt countervailing taxes to protect their local markets, it will be unfortunate for Ghana to do the reverse by eliminating taxes on such imports to make them cheaper, especially where there are factories in Ghana producing same items." AGI adds that the association wants to see more policy prescriptions that attract investments, create jobs, and can transform the structure of the Ghanaian economy from an import to an export-oriented one. Below is a copy of the AGI release: PRESS STATEMENT AGI CAUTIONS GOVERNMENT ON REMOVAL OF TAXES ON IMPORTED SANITARY PADS The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) wishes to caution Government that any policy measure that seeks to remove taxes on imported sanitary pads, at the expense of local manufacturers of same will be very detrimental to our economy. Much as the waiver of duties/taxes on imported sanitary pads for our young women to make the pads more affordable may sound good, this will only end up completely wiping out the few local sanitary pad factories left in our country. Therefore, the Association is of the view that the call for the removal of duties on imported sanitary pads is misplaced. Our local manufacturers of sanitary pads and diapers have been under pressure from cheap and sub-standard imports which sell at closeout. The few sanitary pad manufacturers with capacity to expand are only producing at about 30% capacity on account of the influx of such imports. Some of the factories are already out of business and have sent workers home. To further eliminate taxes on such imports will certainly collapse the few factories left or compel them to fold up and become mere importers. Our young women deserve affordable sanitary pads but granting tax waivers on imported sanitary pads is not the way to go. With the right incentives and support, these local companies can meet domestic demand, saving the country jobs and forex. Instead of removal of import duties, local manufacturers of hygienic sanitary pads have since petitioned Government for exemption from VAT and Import duty on their imported raw materials to make such products more affordable. Currently, medical supplies, services, essential drugs as listed under Chapter 30 of the HS Code produced or supplied by retail in Ghana, specified active ingredients for essential drugs, and selected imported special drugs determined by the Minister for Health and approved by Parliament enjoy exempt regime. It is only fair to extend same dispensation to the raw material for sanitary pads for our young women. Our local manufacturers believe their sanitary pads will be more affordable to an estimated 70% of our young women in impoverished communities if granted such tax reliefs on raw materials. The public discourse and social commentary suggesting to Government to eliminate import duty on imported sanitary pads need circumspection and ought to be reconsidered vis-a-vis local manufacturing, job creation and revenue generation for Government. The few local manufacturers of sanitary pads face imminent collapse and AGI calls on Government to intervene as soon as possible. We caution Government not to play to the gallery, but rather stay focused on its industrial transformation agenda by incentivising local manufacturers rather than imports. While a number of countries adopt countervailing taxes to protect their local markets, it will be unfortunate for Ghana to do the reverse by eliminating taxes on such imports to make them cheaper, especially where there are factories in Ghana producing same items. We are anxious to see more policy prescriptions that attract investments, create jobs and can transform the structure of our economy from an import to export oriented one. This may sound long-term, but it is of necessity and it is achievable. Signed: Seth Twum-Akwaboah Chief Executive Officer For and on behalf of Association of Ghana Industries If you need further information, please contact the Chief Executive Officer on 0302-251266 Website: www.agighana.org June 21, 202 John Jinapor, Ranking Member on the Mines and Energy Committee in Parliament has called on the government to halt the proposed partnership the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) is entering with Torentco Asset Management (TAM). Speaking on Accra-based JoyNews' PM Express show, Abu Jinapor urged the government to consult stakeholders and make the process competitive to ensure the best strategic partner for TOR. Mr. Jinapor also called for greater transparency in the process, stating that the government should consult industry players, Members of Parliament, civil society groups such as IMANI and ACEP, and other stakeholders to ensure a fair and equitable deal for all parties involved. "I think the government should take it easy, pull back, engage further, let us all come to a good consensus and a road map. If you want to do some competitive bidding process, lets go through the competitive bidding process and set some benchmarks for whichever company is interested in handling TOR," he said. He continued, TOR has some very good assets, their balance of equipment is very good. They have very good tanks, what you need is some level of efficiency, some level of accountability and some capital injection. And Im sure that once were able to deal with some of these challenges the refinery will be back on its feet and will work efficiently and serve Ghana very well. Government's proposed partnership with TAM has been the subject of controversy since it was first revealed by investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni. According to the contract details, TAM would lease TOR for six years and pay an annual rent of $1 million to the Ghanaian government. However, there are concerns among Ghanaians about the transparency and fairness of the deal, with some questioning the government's decision to choose TAM through a sole sourcing arrangement. Just like the lawmaker, calls for a competitive bidding process and greater consultation with stakeholders has been heightened by many as a step towards ensuring greater transparency and fairness in the process. TOR is a state-owned oil refinery that has been struggling financially in recent years. The proposed partnership with TAM is seen by government as a way to inject capital into the refinery and improve its efficiency. Chinese Premier Li Qiang is visiting France this week where he's meeting with the country's top politicians. According to an EU-based thinktank, Beijing has built an extensive network inside France's policy structures that serves to influence Paris's decision making in favour of China. On Wednesday, Li met with French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire during a working diner hosted by the France-China Committee, a group of French industrialists dealing with China. Members include CEOs of top French companies including l'Oreal, BNP Paribas, LVMH, Thales and Sanofi. China's Minister of Commerce, Wang Wentao, will attend the get-together as well. The visit comes after French President Emmanuel Macron paid a visit to China in April. Li arrived from Germany, where he urged Berlin against using "de-risking" from China's economy as an excuse to distance itself from Beijing, saying he was convinced that was not something German companies wanted. "I think most German industry friends won't see China as a risk and won't agree to any so-called de-risking targeting China," Li added. The visit of the Chinese premier to the EU's two most powerful countries coincides with a new EU proposal to protect the bloc's economies from risks posed by countries that do "not share its values," such as China and Russia, after the war in Ukraine exposed Europe's dependency on Russia for oil and gas while Beijing remained on friendly terms with Moscow. Li's trip is aimed at improving relations with Europe, while ties with the US remain shaky. A new war of words broke out between Washington and Beijing, after US President Joe Biden called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "dictator", a remark that was put aside as "ridiculous" by Beijing. 'Tea leaf prince' China is also working on other fronts to retain sympathy of the West. In the report "The tea leaf prince Chinese Communist Party Networks in French Politics" published by the Prague based thinktank Sinopsis, researchers Rene Bigey and Alex Joske extensively research the role of former National Assembly member Buon Tan for President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance Party. Buon Tan was won his seat in 2017 for Paris' 13th district, but was not re-elected in 2022. But his case reveals widespread attempts by China to influence Paris' politics. Buon Tan held posts "in key parliamentary commissions related to China while taking CCP-aligned positions on issues such as Huawei and the genocide against Uyghurs," according to the report. In January 2022, he was the only parliamentarian to vote against a proposal to condemn China's treatment of its Uyghur population as "genocide." He also, on several occasions, served as an advisor on China to Macron. At the same time, the report continues: "Tan has been a member of several organisations controlled by the CCP's united front system and maintains contacts with the Party's International Liaison Department," responsible for organising and influencing Chinese organisations abroad. "Associations with these entities do not demonstrate wrongdoing," admits the report, but states that "their role in the CCP's efforts to covertly influence foreign politicians is well documented." After a report in French daily Le Monde in February 2022 questioning the role of Buon Tan and the possibility of influence peddling on behalf of Beijing inside France's legislature, mounting criticism led to him being grilled by a Parliamentary commission in March 2023, but by then he had already left the legislation. Cultural operations In another report, titled "France's 'Influence Diplomacy' Under CCP Influence," published last month, Sinopsis found that "heavyweight united front figures have become major donors to French cultural operations organised by French authorities, in spite of their public defence of policies and values at odds with those promoted by France." The report singled out Hong Kong billionairer Jonathan Choi and Pansy Ho, the daughter of another Hong Kong billionaire, Stanley Ho. As "major donors to French cultural events", they gained "easy access to France's top diplomats and increased their network within French political elites". This report said this helped legitimise some of the positions they publicly defend on behalf of the Chinese party-state, exemplified by their support of the Beijing-led crackdown on Hong Kong's freedoms since 2019. 22.06.2023 LISTEN Igbo Mandate Congress IMC do hereby applaud President Bola Tinubu on the appointment of Rear Admiral E A Ogalla as Chief of Naval Staff and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as National Security Adviser. Rear Admiral OgalLa, a member of the 39th Regular Course, from Enugu Ezike in Enugu State, is the first among equals of the able Igbo GENERALS IN THE Army, Navy and Air Force whose names were put up for the appointment. This is the second time his name is appearing for appointment as Chief of Naval Staff. The Sfirst, during the second term of President Buhari. Igbo Mandate Congress IMC has been at the forefront of the campaign for a Service Chief from South East since 2017 in concert with Igbo Ohanaeze Integrity Groups IOIG, Isi Ebubeagu Ndigbo, and Chief Mbazulike Amechi in his capacity as Chairman Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders Council. These groups and individuals made numerous representations to the Buhari government and cabals for Service Chiefs of Igbo Exyraction All promises from the Buhari Cabals yielded nothing till January 2021 when Major General Lucky Irabor was made the Chief of Defense Staff CDS With the advent of the Tinubu Presidency, Igbo Mandate Congress,IgIbo Ohanaeze Integrity Groups and Isi Ebubeagu Ndigbo continued the pressures and enlisted the support of credible influencers Our agitations also got the support of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide led by Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, who authorized the groups to inform the powers that be that Ohanaeze Worldwide is behind the scheme. Our agitations also got the endorsement of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing led by Barrister Obasi Onu and Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu who during the 3rd Convention of Stakeholders, Past and Present Leaders in Enugu on June 10th, in paragraph four of the communique , ,asked President Tinubu to make Igbo Service Chief. Igbo Mandate Congress is glad that we have a listening president who in the past twenty days in office has tried to manage Nigerias diversity. Rear Admiral E A Ogalla has been associated with meticulous discharge of functions, fairness and discipline. His previous assignments include Director of Audit, Director of Public Relations at the Naval Headquarters.. He was also once the Directing Staff at the National Defense College (NDC), Deputy Commandant Hydrography, Naval Headquarters and Commandant, Hydrography School. Rear Admiral Ogalla is an expert at policy and Planning and Compliance. Igbo Mandate Congress wishes him the best of luck in his new assignment. Igbo Mandate Congress also congratulates Mallam Nuhuy Ribadu on his elevation as the National Security Adviser NSA.IMC having followed the antecedents of Ribadu since 2023 as Anti-Graft Chief, Ribadu managed the aspects of intelligence gathering, prosecution and recovery of hundreds of billions of looted funds without the unnecessary media trial and circus show which has brought the anti-graft body to serial infamy. Igbo Mnadate Congress believes that his wealth of knowledge will result in better management of Nigerias Intelligence Architecture, especially in clinically finding solutions to the IPOB Crisis devoid of bloodshed and unnecessary conflict. Igbo Mandate Congress thanks President Bola Tinubu for this gesture and asks that the distribution of other political offices follows the same national spread. Igbo Mandate Congress also thanks Barrister Capeoo EA Okpala Okpalaukwu, who in concert with Rev Obinna Akukwe and late Chief Mbazulike Amechi started this campaign since 2017. Over sixty (62) social media communicators known as serial callers of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region have received equipment to promote the party's agenda. The former Constituency Treasurer for Bosomtwe, Hon. Joseph Asante has presented mobile phones and cash of Ghc100 to each serial caller. According to the business, known in the media circles as 'Sika Wowuram', to wit, 'Money comes from the bush', the gesture forms part of his readiness to ensure Ghanaians home and abroad hear the good policies and achievements of the Akufo-Addo's government. "Regardless of propaganda by our opponents, this is the time for some of us to support our brothers who have taken it upon themselves to defend the party on radio day-to-day. As we seek to break the 8, let's all support whoever becomes our flag bearer after this primaries and let's also eschew rancour and bitterness among ourselves," Hon. Asante admonished NPP folks. Robert Boateng, Chairman of Serial Callers Association in the region received the phones and other items on behalf of his colleagues and entreated other party members to do same. "Firstly, our gratitude goes to Hon. Joseph Asante for the love shown to us. I'll also plead to our government appointees, CEOs and Ministers to come to our aid," he appealed. 22.06.2023 LISTEN Akatsi Community Youth Group (ACOYOG), a pressure group in the heart of the municipality, has called for the arrest and prosecution of the killers of Mr Mandela Zanu, a man shot dead by unidentified gunmen near Holy Childhood Academy in Akatsi. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, June 20, when the young entrepreneur, a native of Akuave in Akatsi South was on his way home. In a statement signed by the president of ACOYOG, Mr. Francis Dotsey Bedzo, described the incident as one too many, and a threat to the peace of the municipality. The group described as commendable the roles the traditional leadership is playing but reiterated that "If the political leadership failed us, our chiefs should not fail us in this discourse." Read full statement below: Press Release!!!!! For Immediate Release!!! 21st June 2023. ACOYOG CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE ARREST AND PROSECUTION OF THE KILLERS OF MR MANDELA ZANU We the members of the above group have learnt with trepidation and heartache upon the insensitive killing of one Mr Mandela Zanu, a mobile money vendor on Tuesday, 20th June 2023 at Akatsi. In fact our blood run cold for waking up to another murder case in our dear Municipality. We think that enough is enough . It is a high time we charge the police command to rise up and discharge their responsibilities as demanded of them by law. It is their duty to protect us and nothing but just that. In time past, there was so many murder cases unattended to or unresolved but we are charging the police not to treat this case as those previous ones. At this point, there is a cause for worry and such miscreants must be smoked out and dealt with by law very very fast. Again, ACOYOG acknowledges the role of the traditional leadership as stated in the Constitution of Ghana. If the political leadership failed us, our chiefs should not fail us in this discourse. We want to see their benefit fully in combating crime in our society. It is just too many and worrying. We hope and pray for action. We are ready to support the police and any other state agency in bringing sanity to our homeland. Long Live Akatsi South!! Long Live ACOYOG!!! Signed F.D Bedzo Executive Director (0207154485) Renowned broadcast journalist and TV3s New Day morning show host, Roland Walker has suggested that the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy in Ghana should target the poor. In a discussion on the New Day show on Thursday, June 22, 2023, Roland Walker expressed his views on various government initiatives, including the Free SHS program. He urges government to cover students from poor backgrounds for the impact to be heavily felt. "I think that Free SHS, as it is, I think that it has to be targeted. If you're poor and cannot pay, then the government has to pay. That's my opinion," Walker stated during the discussion. Acknowledging the positive impact of initiatives such as "One Constituency, One Million Dollars" and "One Village, One Dam," he emphasized the need for such programs to be continued by future administrations. The Free SHS policy was introduced by the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government with the aim of providing access to secondary education for all Ghanaian students. Since its implementation, the policy has significantly increased enrollment rates in senior high schools across the country. Free SHS policy is poorly targeted IMF The International Monetary Fund (IMF) criticised Ghanas free Senior High School policy saying, although it has increased enrolment, it is poorly targeted. Ghana spends close to 4 percent of GDP on education with good results in terms of enrolment but poor learning outcomes. The flagship programme Free Senior High School (SHS), which covers the full cost of secondary education, has helped increase enrolment but is poorly targeted, IMF said in a country report released ahead of the approval of the countrys $3 billion bailout. The report added that key identified areas of potential improvement of education spending include strengthening primary education resources, better teacher training, and stronger performance-based funding practices. Explosions rocked Khartoum on Thursday, more than two months after fighting broke out between two rival Sudanese generals, with each side accusing the other of attacks on civilians. Witnesses in the east of the capital reported artillery fire, while others in the northern suburbs said there was heavy shelling from an army barracks, with the force of the blasts shaking the walls of houses. Fighting since April 15 between the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo has claimed more than 2,000 lives. The latest in a series of ceasefires that have all been systematically violated ended on Wednesday morning, and fighting resumed within minutes. The three-day US and Saudi-brokered ceasefire had brought a brief respite to the millions of civilians trapped by fighting and suffering shortages of medical care, electricity, water and other essentials. Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been at war with the army since mid-April in a conflict that has claimed over 2,000 lives. By - (Rapid Support Forces (RSF)/AFP/File) The army accused the RSF of "taking advantage of the truce to mobilise its forces and commit several violations against civilians". The RSF in turn accused the army of fabricating a video of a rape attack, alleging "one of the actors appeared in the uniform" of the armed forces, "proving their guilt". Darfur fighting rages The deadliest fighting has raged in Darfur, a vast region on Sudan's western border with Chad. In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, the army and paramilitary fighters clashed using "all types of weapons", residents told AFP on Wednesday evening. A three-day ceasefire brought a brief respite to Khartoum. By - (AFP/File) In Darfur, home to ethnic African groups as well as Arab tribes, the conflict has "taken an ethnic dimension", the United Nations has warned. In El-Obeid, North Kordofan state, witnesses reported hearing "artillery fire" on Wednesday. The chief of the UN's World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Wednesday confirmed "46 attacks on health care since the start of the fighting". He said about two-thirds of health facilities in areas affected by the war are "out of service," and warned that "the risk of epidemics will only increase" with the rainy season that began this month. The WHO said around 11 million people needed health assistance and voiced concerns about attempts to control ongoing epidemics of measles, malaria and dengue. 'Bombs falling' At a donors' conference in Geneva on Monday, the international community pledged to raise $1.5 billion in aid for Sudan and neighbouring countries, but that amounted to less than half of the estimated needs. "Those pledges are generous, yet they total only half of what the UN estimates is required to address humanitarian needs in the country and its neighbours," said Will Carter of the Norwegian Refugee Council. The conflict has plunged Sudan into chaos, with combatants occupying homes, looting properties and committing other abuses. By - (AFP/File) "It is too little given the sheer scale of the catastrophe that is unfolding," he wrote in an article published in The New Humanitarian. A record 25 million people -- more than half Sudan's population -- need aid and protection, the United Nations says. The conflict has plunged Sudan into chaos, with combatants occupying homes, looting properties and committing other abuses. In his article, Carter cited the testimony of a person who had fled Khartoum and met him in White Nile state, on the border with South Sudan. "The bombs kept falling and the walls kept shaking," he quoted the unnamed person as saying. "The children stayed under their beds, but a bullet crossed into the wall a few inches from them." Almost 600,000 people have fled Sudan for neighbouring countries, the International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday. More than two million are displaced inside Sudan, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Ukraine at URC in London presents DREAM system to ensure transparency of recovery projects PM At the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Ukraine presented the DREAM system, which will ensure transparency and accountability of recovery projects, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said. "We've presented specific restoration projects. We also presented the DREAM system, which will ensure as highest as possible transparency and accountability of the recovery," Shmyhal said at a press conference in London on Thursday. TV3's broadcaster Adwoa Noella has expressed her opinion on the state of social interventions in Ghana, indicating that the country would be a better place if the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy and other initiatives were implemented properly. During a discussion on the New Day morning show on TV3 on Thursday, June 22, 2023, the broadcast journalist emphasized the impacts of social interventions but expressed concern about the poor manner and way they are implemented. So I believe that every single social intervention definitely has a good objective to it. Its just quite unfortunate that the implementation hasnt been good, she said. She stressed that if all the planned initiatives, including free SHS, had been effectively implemented throughout the years, Ghana would be a much better place for everyone. She said, ...because come to think of it, if everything was workingif we have free SHS working, even from time immemorialwe had the university education working. We even had free uniforms at one point because some people couldnt afford them. So its all these things that previous or successive governments and even the current government plan to do are properly implemented and everything is working, I think this place will be a better place for every single person. Noella also highlighted the current economic challenges faced by Ghanaians. She said, there have been rising prices of basic commodities in recent times making life very difficult for the ordinary Ghanaian. For the economic downturn, even the young ones like myself go through it every single time. Even bar soap prices have skyrocketed. Very, very basic things are so expensive now. Even those of us who are still making some money are still having issuesso think about those who are not making any money in the first place, she added. According to Adwoa Noella, the proper implementation of social interventions, including the successful implementation of free SHS, would not only alleviate the economic challenges faced by Ghanaians but also contribute to making Ghana an attractive and prosperous destination for all. 22.06.2023 LISTEN Gideon Boako, the Vice Presidents spokesperson, has been speaking plenty lately. He has been granting interviews left, right, and centre hopping from TV stations to radio stations because the signal is getting worse. Oh yes, the guy is really struggling for his boss. The fear of losing the kind of enjoyment he has been having at the office of the Vice President is really killing him. His work couldnt have been more difficult at this time. In one of his interviews, which he had with Kwame Nkrumah of Okay FM, he alluded that the NDC has only two strongholds in Ghanaian politics - tribal and religious politics. He posited that if the NPP presents Dr. Bawumia as its candidate, their tribal and religious politics that the NPP is an Akan party, and the NPP people dont like the Muslims would crumble. O yes, that was his argument! You see, when I say Gideon Boako is politically dumb, some people dont seem to agree with me. So, according to him, because the NDC says we are Akan party, we should pick a non-Akan person as our candidate against their non-Akan candidate to crumble their tribal politics. Ok, Gideon Boako, what significant numerical advantage are we going to have if we do that? Will that help us to win more of the Akan votes? Perhaps we will have the advantage that the NDC will not call us Akan party again, right? Or, maybe it will also ensure fair play between Alhaji and JM in the Akan communities. Asem o! Again, he said if we choose Dr. Bawumia, the NDC can't claim we dont like Muslims again. Ah! This guy paaa! So, because the NDC says we dont like Muslims, even though since 1992 we have been presenting Muslim running mates, except in 1996, we should present a Muslim candidate against their Christian candidate in a country of 71.2% Christians so that the Muslims will know that we like them. Eeii, hmm! Once again, what kind of advantage are we going to have if we present a Muslim candidate against a Christian candidate? Is it going to help us to win the majority of the Christian votes in Ghana? Gideon, I am asking you this because we would need the majority of the Christian votes to win in 2024. Perhaps the advantage it will give us is that the NDC will not say we dont like Muslims again. Ok! Gideon, you are right. As for John Maham, who nearly sent the 2020 election into a run-off after staging a very strong come-back, he is not entitled to have any advantage over Alhaji Bawumia. Oh, the 71.2% Christians will vote massively for Alhaji against one of their own, but the 17.6% Muslims will change their minds and vote massively for one of their own. Nice intellectual analysis by Dr. Gideon Boako. Perhaps, let me just remind Gideon that the NDC that loves the Muslims so much has presented just one Muslim on their ticket since 1992, when they chose Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni in 2004 as a running mate to partner the late Prof Mills. Dont you think the NDC would have continued to present a Muslim running mate if his selection had helped them in respect of numbers? Well, you have done so well to advise us that because they say we dont like Muslims, we should hurriedly choose Bawumia to crumble their religious campaign. And, dont you think that, as propaganda experts, when we pick Bawumia, they would draw the religious card against us? Oh, sorry, I am wrong in asking you that. Your intellectual supposition about NDCs religious and tribal strongholds is apt, Gideon. Well done! As I said, you are right. You are always right. Even the day you said on Ekosisen that the Vice President was the one who conceived and created mobile money interoperability in the country, you were right. Forget about the fact that the Vice President himself had said that before we came to power in 2016, the NDC had already awarded the mobile money interoperability contract. Dont mind your boss! He was wrong. You were right. Oh, you were even right to say that your boss is the god of NPP. What a spokesperson! I was just passing through once again, folks. Shalom shalom! E. G. Buckman One of the most hilarious stories in the build-up to the 2020 general elections was the claim that some Members of Parliament (MP) on the majority side of the House used collateral deities to buy votes from electorates. Yes, thats right. Thus, electorates were made to swear to the deities brought by MPs before the MPs could dish out torrents of cash in exchange for votes with the belief that the deities would strike electorates who voted otherwise having taken the money. That was how sorely desperate the governing New Patriotic Party, NPP, in their maniacal ambition to stay in power at all cost. In political studies, it's called pork barrel politics: the use of monetary inducement, usually stolen state cash, to buy one way back to political power. What many of the electorates didn't realize was that, no deity is that crazy as these MPs to mistake the owners of public funds for those who steal them. The electorates could actually take the money, swear by whatever deities these unprincipled politicians brought, and still voted against them. That money actually belonged to the electorates. And the cardinal principles of every truthful deity are fairness, justice, awareness and support for the vulnerable and the oppressed. That's why the people of Assin North must leave no stone unturned in taking back their stolen money from the NPP government and still can vote against injustice, unfairness and nauseating incompetence in the impending by-election. Fellow Ghanaians, like it or not, in the High court of the Hawks, and maybe I should say in the High court of the Cabal the political and economic vultures of our groaning nation the chicken is never declared innocent. Thats why it would be easy for Satan to escape hell on the Day of Judgement than for Hon. James Gyakye Quayson to be exonerated by the High court. But this so-called criminal case levelled against him is an eloquent testament to how low our justice system has descended, and battered. Under President Akufo Addo, there's an outright declaration of war on justice, truth, integrity, probity and accountability. Indeed, a nation that boasts of stomach clerics can't be lacking in the roll call of stomach judges. But we shall all meet our Maker all alone. It's a pathetic scene and a sobering epiphany. And that is a palpable summary of what has become of the Ghanaian political experimentation. But you see, with the mixture of euphoria and anger of the constituents of Assin North dying down and rising at the same time when the Chief of the area has to warn the government of engaging in offensive and insulting pork barrel politics, to the exercising of legal "gymnastics" by the Attorney General on the James Gyakye Quayson case, the tragic demise of a young lady and the subsequent greedy-comedy of her alleged family having to switch to the ruling New Patriotic Party, one sees an exciting, crucial, and very critical by-election unfolding. Fellow Ghanaians, and we are really in critical times; we are without doubt in moments of our national humiliation, fulmination, condemnation, annihilation, and mess with the heightening unacceptable lethal economic terror and the miscarriage of justice meted out to citizens by custodians of justice that has left loose misery, drudgery, pain and agony, all over the country. Adults are wailing, babies are shrilling; Chiefs are groaning, subjects are yelling; the rich are crying, and the poor are dying; even the president himself occasionally sheds crocodile tears when rating agencies speak truth to power about his ailing and most downgraded economy. In fact, due to the astronomical prices of goods in a perpetual ascendancy without a corresponding increase in remuneration, food stuffs have been very untouchable, prices of petroleum products continue to soar, water and electricity tariffs are at all time high and skyrocketing beyond leaps and bounds. Literally, it has become a "death wish" today in an attempt to do business, and to feed one's family. It's simply terrible. Yet our destroyers cling on to their unjustifiable and most insulting political chestnut of "breaking the eight". Our pain and hunger is never their own; theirs is to stay in power forever. We begrudge them not; we dont blame: they have found peace, wealth and comfort in corruption. But man shall not stay in power forever. And Nsawam Prison shall be the final destination of majority of these national enemies - thieves, gangsters, and hardcore criminals masquerading as leaders. Indeed, there's really nothing to describe and characterize the gradually unfolding national calamity as the 1966 Italian Cinecitta movie title: "the good, the bad, and the ugly". Our nation has never bled this profusely. But fellow Ghanaians, let us ask ourselves today, seven years ago, were things really this bad and porous? Do we need God to send down His angels to vote out, in fact, force out of our seat of government, our nation wreckers and economic destroyers? How prepared are we to take back our future and destiny of our country? Can we show our commitment in this impending by-election in the Central Region in Assin North Constituency? Most certainly, there's no gainsay that the NPP as a political party in government has actually become the most poisonous and venomous thorn in the flesh and veins of every citizen with the increasing economic mismanagement that is collapsing and shutting down the country in a slow motion. But, have the good people of Ghana learned any bitter lesson? It was Manasseh Azure who observed in the build-up to the 2016 general elections that, if an honorable man contests in an election with a goat in some parts of the country on the ticket of certain political parties, it's the animal that would win. Would the constituents of Assin North going to succumb to primordial sentiments such as tribalism in exercising their franchise, or they would stand and vote for competence, truth and justice? The Central Region and others have analyzed to be swing Regions. The Central Region has never been claimed as the stronghold of any political party and the Assin North in particular, has been swinging between the NDC and the NPP since 1992. The seat has been won four times each by the two political giants in the country. The NDC since this fourth republic has won the seat in 1992, 1996, 2012, and 2020 while the NPP won it in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2016. Analyzing the statistics, one finds that with the exception of 2008 and 2020, the political party the Assin North Constituency swings to usually win the presidential elections. Closer examination suggests the Assin North Seat is really a key determinant of the presidential election depending upon the political party that wins it. In the 2008 general election, it was obvious Hon. Kennedy Agyapong won it due to the deployment of his heavy financial arsenal. A reason why the NDC won the presidential election but didn't win the Assin North Constituency. And had it not been the "magic justice and verdict" by the Supreme court which favored the NPP's electoral hanky-panky, the NDC was going to be the winners of the 2020 presidential election. Maybe Ghanas accursed economy the government is struggling with is due to that criminality perpetrated against the NDC if the 2020 election was actually stolen. So the thieves cant find peace. Everything is falling apart. Perhaps, the NPP is attempting to legitimize their 2020 election "victory" by now trying to win the Assin North Seat in a by-election. But, our elders say a man who is too hungry must neither fall into the cooking pot nor eat with both of his hands. The criminalization of James Gyakye Quayson and subsequent expunging of him from Parliament is another ticking time bomb of injustice, consequences of which, would be more destructive, devastating, and disastrous than the electoral fraud in the 2020 presidential election. And let nobody engage in any political whataboutism. In fact, one of the reasons why this by-election is of paramount importance to us, is the potential wrath of God it's likely to trigger having unjustly snatched the Seat from the NDC and the candidate in particular. That's why it's crucial that every Tom Dick and Hary, sick or dying in that Constituency has to rise up to uphold, and protect the Seat for James Quayson. Boot-for-boot. 22.06.2023 LISTEN TV3s broadcast journalist, Cookie Tee, known in real life as Shirley Emma Tibilla has expressed her concerns regarding key government policies, particularly in the Agriculture sector. When asked about which government social intervention policy endears her heart, she mentioned the free Senior High School policy; the One District, One Dam and the Planting for Food and Jobs. In a discussion on the 'New Day' morning show, Cookie Tee noted that despite the challenges faced by the implementation of the Free SHS as pointed out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) she still supports the policy. She said, I wouldve said free SHS but of course, we know the challenges that were facing with the policy and we know what the IMF has said, that it's been poorly targeted. Despite all thats going on, I really would love for it to continue because education is key and thats the future. Because whats a country without a proper, good quality education? Commenting on the One District, One Factory initiative, she suggested a more extensive implementation, suggesting that each district should have as many factories as possible. One district, one factory is good but I wish it was one district, with as many factories as possible, she said. Cookie Tee commended the Planting for Food and Jobs program as a laudable initiative, expressing her interest to focus and grow the agriculture sector if she had political power. Planting for food and jobs really is a very laudable initiative if you ask me, because if I become President one day, I will love to take care of agriculture, she said. However, she raised concerns about the persistence of hunger despite efforts to increase food production and emphasized the need for improved access to essential foodstuff throughout the year. But I dont see why we are planting for food and were still hungry. We still get foodstuff rotting on the market, the villages, in our stores and everywhere and we dont have storage facilities. So yes, it may be providing jobs for the people in those areas or communities where the food is planted but why are we still hungry? Why are our shelves still empty? Why must I have access to avocado only when its in season? She quizzed. She added, Why are tomatoes cheaper when its in season but once its out of season it is exorbitantly expensive. I dont see why it should be like that. 22.06.2023 LISTEN Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga Central Constituency in the Upper East Region, Isaac Adongo has stressed that he is ready to debate Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on the economy and digitalisation. According to him, the Vice President should pick a venue, select a moderator, and come along with his books whenever he is ready for a debate. In his view, Dr. Bawumia has been peddling lies to Ghanaians for far too long and needs to be put in his rightful place once and for all. Now the economy has whipped you for you to move to Yahoo and are saying youre doing digitalisation. He should tell us his track record in building infrastructure for digitalisation. Just one. You people should tell him that the days we didnt know him and gave him the benefit of the doubt are long gone. Anytime he is ready, wake up from sleep. He can choose his own venue, he can choose his own moderator and in fact, he can come with his books for reference. Just wake me up and say Bawumia says he wants to debate his vision and knowledge about the economy and digitalisation and I will meet him, Isaac Adongo said during a media engagement on Wednesday, June 21. Just like many Members of Parliament on the Minority side, Isaac Adongo believes that the Vice President has contributed to the economic challenges facing the country. He insists that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is ready for the Vice President should he be presented by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as its flagbearer for the 2024 General Election. ASAS Savings and Loans Limited on Wednesday, June 21, continued its efforts to plant 2,000 trees in the country by the end of 2023 however, it has exceeded its target by 600 trees. In a tree planting exercise held at Mampong Technical College of Education in the Ashanti Region, the Savings and Loans company succeeded in planting over 150 trees. Seedlings of trees planted include Casia, Coconut, Casia, Orange, Guava, Oframo tree, and Monalisa tree. During the exercise, Mrs. Doris Boakye-Ansah, Principal of the School, Mr. Osborn Addai who is the Head of the Agric department, and students joined the officials from ASA Savings and Loans to plant the trees. Delighted that Mampong Technical College of Education was selected for the exercise, the Principal thanked ASA Savings and Loans Ltd and commended the company for contributing to protecting the environment by planting trees. She emphasised the importance of tree planting to human life indicating that when the last tree dies the last man dies. The school assured ASA Savings and Loans Ltd that it will do everything within its means to ensure the survival of the seedling by watering them regularly. On his part, the Area Manager of ASA Savings and Loans at Mampong, Mr. Alexander Opoku Ayitey explained that his outfit is planting trees as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. He said the focus is to protect the environment in areas where the company operates. Mr. Alexander Opoku Ayitey said the gesture will go a long way to vegetate and prolong the existence of mankind and all living organisms on Earth. Mr. George Yeboah, a Forestry Commission representative was present throughout the tree-planting exercise at Mampong Technical College of Education to provide supervision. Akufo Addo is so weak to the mutterings of sweetnothings in his ears by members of his inner sanctum that any genuine words of disapproval coming from the outer circles does not seem to bother him. Not even from the likes of pretty Yvonne Nelson. In fact, any critism of his administration sounds nonsensical in his ears, that, which is not worthy of any notice. And by this, the ridicule, the systematic sellout, and the humiliation of Ghana continue on the world stage, among our peers. ..mansa musa writes Another day has come for Akufo Addo to blame all misfortunes on everyone and everything else except on himself and his bunch of blundering blunderers. He seems to have no idea of his abject failures, useless in style, and lack of competence in governance. He and his people had used the blame game in every given opportunity to discredit the ndc and John Mahama. He has cynically exploited the covid pandemic to absolve himself of any culpability in the current disjointed governance of the country. Akufo Addo is quick to point the finger of blame to the covid pandemic. That same covid pandemic that did bring so much wealth to his government. Indeed, in the sub-saharan countries of Africa, covid incidentally brought Ghana more money than most on the African continent. But with mystical Akufo Addo, the pandemic made Ghana more broke at the same time. More broke than any other country in the world. Lest we forget, major scandals of the PDS saga the AMERI, the Agyapa con, Kelni GVG, to name just a few. All these, according to Akufo Addo, the blame master, came about because mahama did one thing or another to necessitate those subsequent futile interventions(AMERI, PDS, Agyapa, and Kelni GVG). Then strangely enough, mahama is being blamed on both sides of the electricity debate, dumsor, and excess power. Akufo Addo and his people are saying that mahama did not solve dumsor, then in the same vein, they say mahama should be blamed for excessive power produced. This logic surely doesn't fit. It does not make sense. Another rotten and misguided concensus from the Akufo Addo camp, the warped and disturbing situation, that of the huge financial irregularities found in the Auditor General's report during Akufo Addo's own term in office which is being somehow justified by npp people. They defend rather shamefully that not being able to get public finance spreadsheet in order is not unique to just this present administration, so to them, no wrong done. Officially, the Ghana government is broke, but individuals in this government are damn rich. In fact, they are super rich, and not only in local currency. They are dollar rich. Akufo Addo and his people think that to have a huge government and indulgence in opulent behaviour, like the hiring of expensive private jets had nothing to do with the depletion of the national coffers. In fact, some recent statements from the npp group still blame mahama for Ghana's economic crisis. Some absolute ridiculous pronouncements proclaimed that in our local presidential jet, the fitout lacked male grooming facilities therfore the need for the tall, handsome Akufo Addo to spend huge sums of dollars to facilitate his globetrotting venture in highly expensive private jets. People in the Akufo Addo government are so rich these days that there's no surprise to see them sharing monies and goods for votes when election time comes. Meanwhile Akufo Addo is attempting to play the Black African card by blaming Ghana's poor credit worthiness on rating agencies, which are controlled by non-Africans using the them against us syndrome He describes ratings agencies as reckless. Reckless for notifying and exposing Akufo Addo's reckless borrowing. How dare they pontificate that Akufo Addo had over borrowed and overspent and ended up not being able to repay back loans. Previously, when ratings agencies' figures favoured him, he kept quiet. Now he is fighting them. What do we call this one. Akufo Addo, though, is very lucky indeed. He never runs out of things to blame for his failures. Akufo Addo has got Ghana, and he has got all of us, including himself in the anus of Father America and therefore happy to sing along and to repeat that deceitful and discredited American war narrative against Russia. To Americans, it is not enough for any country to stay neutral on the Russia/Ukraine issue. The Americans want countries in every corner of the planet to fall in line and take America's side. But most in Africa have decided resolutely to remain steadfast in their positions as neutrals. Our Akufo Addo, though, with very little choice, has obliged to tow the American line. He recently blamed Ghana's economic woes on Russia. Saying, and I quote, " Our economic difficulties have been exacerbated by Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine "*. These are the words coming from the president of an African country that was the first recipient of a top-end technology in the sixties(1960s). The Soviet Russia helped Ghana immensely immediately after independence. In hindsight, what can now be described as *needless , many Russian died here in Ghana, helping the new country to stay on its feet. Soviet Russia was prepared to help the new Ghana to develop not in Bible studies but rather in science and technology. In reference to Soviet Russia, the fact still remains that all African countries apart from Liberia and Ethiopia achieved political emancipation from colonialists, neocolonialists, and from Apartheid. African States owe their political freedom to Soviet Russia. And, after all their help, we, Ghanaians, repaid the Russians with death and humiliations. It is documented(classified top secret) over 600 Russian civilian engineers and technologists were liquidated during and after the 1966 coup that ousted Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah.( Visit Konongo in Ashanti and ask the locals why there a place in their forest called Russia) Still, somehow, in a regrettable historical turnaround, we have fallen back to our cursed fate, we have decided to remain good subordinates and subservients to America and its siblings in Europe. We have conveniently and rather foolishly forgotten the over four hundred years of humiliations by white Europeans and America and have willingly chosen to stay locked in the colonialists and neocolonialists sphere of interest. This alliance has largely failed to address our side of the bargain, our interest, our development, and our well-being. Still, our leadership postures seem to suggest that our lot is better served by being with the known devil. For this, I want to ask the question, if Nkrumah was wrong, and so we had to get back to being with the West, why are we not better off. It is true that a country like Liberia followed the American ideals and immensed itself in the American way of life, lock step, and swinger for over a hundred years, yet they are not better for it. Akufo Addo should be told, (albeit will be exercise in futility and will fall on deafness) that he can borrow his way to hell all he wants and repeat the American narrative, word by word on the international scene. He should be told that while some will believe and may applaud him, the rest of the ever-growing decerning world audience have seen and will see him for what he is. He is the one, ready to serve his people on a plate, to America only for selfish ends and nothing else. In the end, he will sadly be remembered in the most unflattering terms. Posterity will cast a very negative shadow on his name, and it will be well-deserved. Thanks for reading. Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, has strongly criticized the imposition of taxes on sanitary pads, describing it as a cardinal sin. The issue was brought to the attention of Parliament through a petition submitted by various civil society organizations, urging the removal of taxes on sanitary pads. Expressing his deep dissatisfaction with the taxation of sanitary pads, the Speaker emphasized the need for immediate government action to address this concern. The issue they raise is a very serious issue, why have we passed a law imposing taxes on sanitary pads? This is unconscionable, it is a cardinal sin. The House shouldnt have allowed it at all. You know the impact of that law on human resource development is immeasurable. I have a copy of the petition and I am going to take immediate action to prevent whoever is the minister proposing that thing to take it off. The next budget it must not appear, it cannot be a tax. The Speakers remarks followed a protest by a group of Civil Society Organizations demanding the governments removal of taxes on sanitary pads. According to the group, the 12.5 percent value-added tax (VAT) and the 20 percent import tax on sanitary pads have caused a significant increase in prices, making them unaffordable for many women who make up 51 percent of Ghanas population. Speaking on behalf of the group, spokesperson Ama Pratt stated that they would persist in their efforts to have the taxes abolished by the government. Despite the mounting pressure from various groups to eliminate the taxes, the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) cautioned against such a move, asserting that it would have severe negative consequences for the economy. The AGI issued a strong warning to the Akufo-Addo government, advising against the removal of taxes on imported sanitary pads. According to the association, any attempt by the government to remove taxes on imported sanitary pads at the expense of local manufacturers would be detrimental to the economy. Accra, Ghana - The stage is set for another electrifying edition of the Africa Monologue Challenge (AMC) as the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) joins hands with the organizers to bring the prestigious event to Uganda. Following the resounding success of the maiden edition held in Ghana, Uganda has been selected as the host country for the second edition of this exhilarating pan-African competition. The Africa Monologue Challenge, an initiative of MK Casting, Ghanas premier casting company in collaboration with the African Chamber of Content Producers made several headlines during its maiden edition in Ghana. The Challenge, a platform that celebrates the rich tapestry of African talent in dramatic monologues, captivated audiences across the continent during its inaugural run. The grand finale, held at the esteemed National Theatre of Ghana on the 27th of May 2023, witnessed fierce competition among talented performers from various African nations. Rachael Nduhukire, a budding actress from Uganda, emerged victorious, captivating both the judges and the public with her awe-inspiring performance. Her remarkable skills and popularity among online voters propelled her to claim the coveted title of overall winner. As a result, the next edition of the Africa Monologue Challenge will be held in Uganda, showcasing the vibrant arts and cultural scene of the country. In an interview with Mawuko Kuadzi, CEO of MK Casting, he confirmed the partnership agreement between the organizers of the Africa Monologue Challenge and the Uganda Communication Commission. He added that the National Film Authority (NFA) was the National partner in Ghana during the maiden edition in Ghana; a position which has been taken over by the UCC since Uganda gets to host the next edition. The partnership between the Africa Monologue Challenge and the Uganda Communication Commission promises a seamless execution of the second edition of this Pan-African event. The UCC, known for its commitment to fostering communication and cultural development in Uganda, will provide local support and necessary resources to ensure the success of the competition and the subsequent production of a pan-African film, he stated. Executive Director of the African Chamber of Content Producers, Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin stated that the idea of the Pan-African film is part of initiatives to change the narratives of the continent and rebrand its sordid image. He further stated that the pan-African film, to be shot in Uganda, will not only serve as an artistic expression but also explore the country's rich tourism potential while uniting the Continent for a common goal. This exciting project will provide a platform to showcase Uganda's breathtaking landscapes, diverse wildlife, and vibrant culture, fostering both artistic collaboration and tourism growth. With a cast ensemble from about ten African countries and the Diaspora, the film is set to be the first ever truly Pan-African film that will really tell the African story, the African way. The story is currently in development as we negotiate with all potential Executive producers for this project, he stated. To kickstart the preparations for the second edition of the Africa Monologue Challenge, the organizers are planning to tour Uganda and engage with relevant stakeholders. This will enable them to gain valuable insights, explore potential filming locations, and immerse themselves in Uganda's artistic and cultural landscape. Rachael Nduhukire - Winner of Maiden edition of Africa Monologue Challenge The organizers further confirmed that the Uganda Communication Commission played a pivotal role in supporting Rachael Nduhukire during the maiden edition of the competition. The commission sponsored her flight to Ghana, allowing her to represent Uganda with pride. Furthermore, the UCC mobilized extensive support from Ugandan audiences during the voting period, demonstrating their commitment to nurturing local talent. With the partnership between the Africa Monologue Challenge and the Uganda Communication Commission solidified, the vision of a truly pan-African event comes to life. The organizers have confirmed that all the 2022 finalists will travel to Uganda for the filming of the pan-African film. Additionally, the respective governments of the 2023 finalists will also fly their representatives to Uganda for the grand finale of the 2023 Africa Monologue Challenge, scheduled to take place in May 2024. The Africa Monologue Challenge has firmly established itself as a platform that celebrates African talent, fosters cultural exchange, and showcases the continent's vibrant arts scene. With Uganda poised to take center stage for the second edition, the anticipation is palpable as aspiring performers eagerly prepare to submit their monologues and vie for the opportunity to shine on this prestigious platform. As the countdown begins to the opening of submissions on the 9th of July 2023, excitement is building for what promises to be a spectacular celebration of African talent, culture, and the transformative power of the spoken word. The partnership between the Africa Monologue Challenge and the Uganda Communication Commission is set to ensure an unforgettable second edition and elevate the continent's performing arts to new heights. 22.06.2023 LISTEN Today 22.06.2023 Nana Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana has taken the much taller French President Macron into his arms. Europe is currently suffering from unusual heat waves possibly an indication of climate change. In Paris, several heads of state discuss ways to fight global warming along who the developed world has to help the developing world in this matter. Most certainly no one will admit or mention that whatever will be declared and asked for will not change the e.g. African continent. The true problems of Africa will not be addressed but smiled over. A host nation will never speak out the hard truth. Debt release, open the markets of the developed world for more African products, more direct investments, the opening of patents for Africa, better prices for raw materials, more finished products, and less exploitation of natural resources of Africa to mention a few demands will have little or no effects. Ghana's Presidents do not free the 20.000 boys slaves working on Lake Volta, stop corruption truthfully on all levels of society, clean up the country, stop illegal structures blocking waterways, galamsey destroys cocoa farms, Komenda Sugar Factory a loss of $ 35 Mio. to the nation, bring justice to Melcom disaster and Circle 150 deaths, end of tampering with election results, fix the justice system, stop building and wasting money on infrastructure that is constantly been abundant due to party politics, streamline the governmental system to make it work and put litter boxes into public spaces, discipline citizens when needed without chance of bribery to be set free, make the law work for all and not only for the rich and famous to mention a few aspects. These conferences are a waste of time and money as no one has the foresight and guts to do what is most needed: the naked truth. An Italo-UK intelligence operation on Thursday nabbed a notorious migrant trafficker, Ahmed Abeid, Azernews reports, citing ANSA. The British National Crime Agency worked with Italian intelligence services to arrest Abeid, the reputed head of a widespread network of "facilitation and migrant contraband active between Libya, Egypt, and Italy," they said. They said Abeid organised "numerous crossings in fishing boats from Libya to Italy." The alleged trafficker had moved from Italy to London, from where he was continuing to run his network, the sources said. Good weather has fuelled a fresh migrant surge towards Italy and hundreds of people have died in a recent migrant boat wreck off Greece, when a trawler sailing from Tobruk to Italy reportedly capsized after the Greek coast guard put a tow rope on it, in one of the biggest disasters in the Med in recent years. Estonia allocates new package of military assistance to Ukraine, incl equipment to combat drones Estonia is allocating a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, including medical supplies and equipment to combat drones, the Estonian Ministry of Defense said on Twitter. As reported, the military hospital will be transferred to the Ukrainian army in cooperation with Ireland. The aid package also includes medical equipment; mine clearance equipment; anti-drone equipment. The Estonian Defense Ministry notes that it will continue to support Ukraine in the fight against Russian aggression. Bail granted to accused persons in cases before the court are not for sale, a Circuit Court Judge has declared. Mrs Sedinam Awo Balokah said taking money before executing court bail undermined the delivery of justice. Bail is not for sale in court. The Circuit Court Judge at Adenta said this when Eugene Kyei Yeboah aka Sparrow GH, a Software Engineer, appeared before her. The accused person has been charged with stealing, forgery of Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) Form A and C and two counts of defrauding by false pretences. Yeboah, aged 26, is alleged to have rented two vehicles from two rental companies and sold same to a mechanic in Accra. He has denied the charges preferred against him. Yeboah has been admitted to bail in the sum of GHS 400,000 with four sureties, two to be justified. He has not been able to execute the said bail. The Judges warning came after she had come across on social media an appeal launched by some friends of the accused person to assist him (accused person) to execute the GHS400,000 bail. The Trial Judge asked the accused person to stop his friends who are soliciting money on Facebook to execute his bail. Tell your friends to stop soliciting money on social media to execute your bail. Tell them to stop it before it gets ugly. In my court, nobody takes money before executing bail. Bail is not for sale in court. The Republic does not take money before bail is granted or executed. Yeboah told the court that he was not aware of any appeal being launched on Facebook. My lady I am not aware of any appeal on Facebook. Its been a long time since I visited face book. The Trial Judge said: Then someone is milking from your suffering. People are collecting money for your release. You dont need money for your release. Please get us your sureties. The trial judge has ordered prosecution led by Inspector Eric Abban to file disclosures for trial to commence. The matter has been adjourned to July 25, 2023 GNA The Secretary General of the Socialist International, Ms Benedicta Lasi has paid a courtesy call on the Speaker, Rt. Hon Alban S. K. Bagbin, in an effort to bring to fore the pressing issue of empowering more Ghanaian women into leadership roles at the international level. During the meeting, held on Wednesday at the speaker's office in Accra, Ms Lasi expressed gratitude to Speaker Bagbin for his immense mentorship and support during her formative years in politics which had brought her thus far. She commended the Speaker for the leadership he has demonstrated in promoting the ideals of women's inclusion in the governance architecture of the country and urged women not to be cowed by threats and insults from male opponents. The Speaker thanked Ms Lasi for the visit and congratulated her for setting the remarkable three-pronged record as first woman, first African and youngest person to be elected to lead the 132-member organization at age 35. If I had a magic wand, I would have pushed every woman into political leadership and eliminate all forms of discrimination meted out to women in their quest to enter politics, he said. Rt Hon Alban S. K Bagbin further emphasized that women who are able to break the odds despite the struggles they are faced to make Ghana and the continent as a whole proud must be celebrated and supported to succeed. He assured the Secretary General of his support and that of parliament to ensure she leaves an indelible mark in her new portfolio. Founder of Perez Chapel International, Archbishop Charles Agyinasare has finally broken his silence on the controversy surrounding the impasse with the Chiefs and people of Nogokpo. Speaking at his church, the renowned preacher expressed shock at the level of attention given to the matter, indicating that there are far more worrying issues in the country that deserves media attention. ...a curse is an invocation of spiritual forces or supernatural forces to do you harm so listen if God says anybody who curses cause my nation and mentions your name invoking spiritual forces against you, what that person is doing is that they are activating a spiritual law against themselves and their family. The blessings of Abraham, now God said to Abraham get out your country, from your Kindred, from your Fathers house unto a land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you. Can you imagine in Ghana, for three weeks, with all the problems we have, for three weeks they were discussing Archbishop Agyinasare, for three weeks, with all the problems we have, anytime you went on social media, Archbishop Agyinasare, Archbishop Agyinasare, the Founder of Perez Chapel said. He continued, By the blessing of Abraham, I will make your name great so that you can be a blessing. And go to verse three I will bless the name of anyone that blesses you and curse the name of anyone that curses you, so once I become a Christian, you make a mistake if you curse me. Early this month, the Chiefs of Nogokpo at a press conference gave Archbishop Agyinasare a 14-day ultimatum to appear before them and apologise or face their wrath. This was after the Archbishop had described Nogokpo as the demonic headquarters in the Volta Region. After the ultimatum was given, it created a lot of controversy and attracted discussions on both social and traditional media. In the last few weeks though, the issue has since died down. 22.06.2023 LISTEN Prof Richard Kofi Asiedu, the Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has dismissed what has been termed vote-buying tactics by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Assin North Constituency by-election in the Central Region. According to Prof Asiedu, the NPP's attempts at vote-buying will not succeed in the quest to elect a Member of Parliament (MP) for the people of Assin North. He emphasised that the people of the Central Region are well-informed and will not be swayed by such tactics. He asserted that the region has a strong educational foundation, and the residents are fully aware of their rights as voters. Prof Asiedu made these remarks in response to the viral issues surrounding the NPP's alleged vote-buying, which has been widely discussed on social media platforms. Speaking on the Citizen Show hosted by Nana Ama Agyarko on Accra 100.5 FM on Thursday, June 22, 2023, Prof Asiedu challenged the NPP, stating that even if they were to construct magnificent roads in the area prior to the election, it would not guarantee their victory. He further mentioned that the people of the constituency are upset about the persecution of their embattled Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson, who is also contesting as the NDC's candidate in the by-election. -Classfmonline.com 22.06.2023 LISTEN Sam George, Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram has commended actress Yvonne Nelson on the release of her memoire. According to the parliamentarian, there are question marks to some vivid narrations which warrant the expected mixed reactions on social media. I think Yvonne Nelsons book is a very bold attempt of telling it all but however, following the commentary thats coming out it appears that its not really a telling all but a selective telling it all. There are questions of some of the narrations that have been made, we have seen a lot of pushback on social media, people disputing some of the things that she is saying and people adding to it. I still hold the view that certain things ought to remain private, your matter how blatant you want to be or how bold you want to be, thats why there is a word called privacy, Sam George said. Although the Ningo-Prampram MP believes there is nothing wrong with publishing a book about one's personal life, he adds that some information should stay private. Absolutely, I think people should write books, I am writing a book, people must write books to tell their story but you must be emotionally intelligent but you have to measure what you put out there and what not to put out there. Imagine me chronicling what transpired between me and my wife always, so what intent and purpose does that serve? Putting out sudden details of the fight or putting out sudden details of the incident that will hurt other people outside of you, you begin to question certain things, he shared. In her recently released book, I Am Not Yvonne Nelson, Ghanaian actress and filmmaker Yvonne Nelson opened up about various significant events in her life. Notable among the revealing details include a past relationship with renowned rapper Sarkodie. Chapter 8 of the book sheds light on the past relationship which resulted in her aborting a baby in 2010 after the award-winning rapper impregnated her. Former president Mahama 22.06.2023 LISTEN Former President Mahama's repeated attempts to improperly influence and undermine the judiciary has been audacious enough and it needs calling out. Yes John Mahama has displayed a troubling pattern of attacking judges and the Supreme court for rulings he disagrees with. It is a pattern that began after the 2020 presidential election petition, and has continued into his opposition reigns. In his recent rumblings, Mahama blasted the supreme court again on Saturday describing the courts decision over the removal of James Gyakye Quayson from being the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin-North as plain nonsensical. During a speech in Assin Bereku to his party supporters over the weekend, the former president said the "courts seem to be so political" and called the verdict on Gyakye Quayson as disgraceful and political. Mahama also suggested taking action against the judges in the near future: the judges are doing politics instead of interpreting the law. We will by all means revisit these matters in the future, Mahama added. For me, that was another soundbite without any thoughtfulness and logic. It was a way too much tirades from an alcoholic in denial. What a pity to see a rudderless politician descending into the gutters for the sake of partisanship and expediency. Obviously, Mahama hasn't seen any wisdom in the Shakespearean tale of brevity being the soul of wit. Otherwise, he would have realised that his strikingly personal attacks and vendetta against the Judiciary have consequences. In the sense that, people on the edge can easily be pushed over the edge once the rhetoric gets going. It also threatens our entire system of government and signals a remarkable disregard for judicial independence. On some level, these tirades and the suggestion by John Mahama that he would tackle the judiciary sometime in the future, are quite incomprehensible, dangerous and yet one more example of egregious overreach by a former president who has lost it entirely. In actual fact, politicians from both sides of the political aisle have disagreed with court rulings all the time. Additionally conflicts between the courts and the political branches are common and, to some degree, expected. But theres a line between disagreeing with court rulings and being snide, foolhardy, intemperate and sort of throwing the judiciary under the bus. The courts are bulwarks of our Constitution and laws, and they depend on the public to respect their judgments and on officials to obey and enforce their decisions. And again, challenging the legitimacy of the court's role and doing that without any reference to applicable law is inflammatory, undemocratic and authoritarianism. Politicians and public officials have a responsibility to respect courts and judicial decisions. And this is something the former doesn't seem to appreciate. When politicians invent lazy slurs of their own, we must be bold to call them out. We can't leave sanity behind and continue to engage in such gleeful explosion with sweary exchanges of fire and verbal diarrhea spattered across the political public space. Quite clearly, Mr Mahama hasn't figured out yet that picking a curious series of public fights with the judiciary and its related confrontational stunts also reflects his capabilities as a leader. Ghanaians must ignore Mahamas stinking power drunkeness. Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah Bonsu Deputy Director of Communications, NPP 22.06.2023 LISTEN A gang of armed robbers have attacked a bullion van at Ablekuma in the Greater Accra Region. In a statement from the Ghana Police Service, it has revealed that the escort officer for the van has been shot dead. The Police are now on a manhunt for the gang of armed robbers that committed the act. The Police are on a manhunt to arrest a gang of four robbers who attacked a bullion van at Ablekuma Fanmilk, a suburb of Accra, and shot the Police escort who has unfortunately passed on, parts of the Police statement on Facebook said on Thursday, June 22. Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has given the assurance that it will hunt until the armed robbers are arrested and made to face prosecution for their crime. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family of our deceased colleague in particular and all personnel of the Police Service in general. We wish to assure the public that we will surely get the robbers arrested to face justice, the Police said in its release. 22.06.2023 LISTEN A Circuit Court at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Dormaa Central Municipality of Bono Region has sentenced Stephen Owusu, a 40-year-old unemployed, 15 years in hard labour (IHL) for defiling a 12-year-old girl. Owusu pleaded guilty to a charge of defiling a minor. Detective Chief Inspector (D/C Inspt.) Timothy Ahiaduvor, the prosecutor told the Court presided by Mr Osei Kofi Amoako, Esq. that the complainant, a project officer of Schaefer Child Development Centre, a non-governmental organisation based at Dormaa-Ahenkro, while the victim is vulnerable to the care of the complainant. He said in the afternoon of Monday, June 12, 2023, when the victim was returning from an errand, the convict met her on the way and sent her to buy a ball of kenkey for him, but the victim returned to inform the convict that there was no kenkey. D/C Inspt. Ahiaduvor said when the victim wanted to give back the cash of GhC10.00 to buy the kenkey, the convict held her hands, lured her into his room, removed her panties and sexually assaulted her. The prosecutor said when the convict was satisfied, he asked the victim to go with the GhC10.00 as compensation, adding that later the victim reported the incident to the project officer who brought her to the Police Station and reported the case. D/C Inspt. Ahiaduvor stated the victim was arrested and during interrogation, he admitted the offence. GNA A Police officer has been killed by armed robbers at Ablekuma during a bullion van attack. The bullion van attack occurred today, Thursday, June 22, at Ablekuma Fanmilk, a suburb of Accra. CCTV Footage that has been uploaded on social media shows how the entire horrific incident happened. The footage shows four armed robbers on a motorbike attacking the bullion van at a filling station. One attacks the Police officer from behind and shoots him while attempting to alight from the van. As confirmed by the Ghana Police Service, the Police officer escorting the bullion van died. The Police are on a manhunt to arrest a gang of four robbers who attacked a bullion van at Ablekuma Fanmilk, a suburb of Accra, and shot the Police escort who has unfortunately passed on. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family of our deceased colleague in particular and all personnel of the Police Service in general, part of a Police statement has said. Meanwhile, the Police have vowed to do everything to get the armed robbers arrested. We wish to assure the public that we will surely get the robbers arrested to face justice, the Police statement added. Some 13 people are being treated for suspected rabies after they were bitten by a stray dog in Gomoa Dominase, Central Region. Residents say the stray dog began biting its victims on Monday, June 19, 2023. As of Tuesday, June 20, thirteen people have been bitten by the dog. Some victims who spoke to the media said the dog is not familiar to the community and expressed shock at the way it has been biting residents of Dominase. I was heading to my uncles shop when the dog bit me from behind. I sustained minor injuries and its painful. I hear the dog has bitten over thirteen people in the Gomoa Dominase community. When it bit me, I was rushed to the clinic and given some injection by the doctors, Paulina Annor a victim told Citi News. According to the Assemblyman for the area, the dog is being hunted by local residents. All thirteen victims who were attacked have been treated and discharged from the Potsin Polyclinic. The Gomoa East Health Directorate said that if the dog is found, samples will be taken to the lab to prevent an outbreak. Within the community, we have identified more cases, over thirteen dog bites within this community. Cases that have been reported within Gomoa Potsin, Gomoa Buduatta and Gomoa Dominase have been given the needed anti-rabies vaccines and discharged. But residents and traditional authorities have begun a search for the particular dog that has been doing this and ensure that samples will be taken for sampling. The DCE and Police have been informed accordingly, Felix Agyamang Adipare the District Health Director said. -citinewsroom Switzerland in 2023 will allocate $20 million to Ukraine as part of humanitarian demining and intends to continue funding this direction in subsequent years, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said at the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2023) in London on Thursday. The demining process is a key moment in the reconstruction of Ukraine. This is a prerequisite for people who are in other countries to return home ... It is also important for agriculture and for the restoration of infrastructure, he said. Cassis clarified that Switzerland has already decided as a first step to support Ukraine until 2028 for $2 billion, and demining is one of these commitments. It is indicated on his Twitter page that Switzerland annually allocates about 18 million Swiss francs for demining, but this year an additional 13.5 million Swiss francs were allocated for Ukraine. Cassis recalled that Switzerland has a long humanitarian tradition of protecting civilians during the war years, which is in line with its international obligations. In 1997, Swiss specialists took part in humanitarian demining in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Now this experience, unfortunately, will be useful in Ukraine, the minister stressed and added that leadership in the demining process and other aspects of reconstruction will primarily depend on Ukraine. The minister informed that Switzerland had identified several key points for itself in the collective efforts to clear land in Ukraine. In particular, the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining will be able to review and update the demining standards that have been used in world practice for 20 years. These standards are the foundation of trust between donors and ensure that demining occurs safely and properly, Cassis explained. He recalled that the Swiss Foundation for Demining (FSD) has been working in Ukraine since 2014. According to him, FSD will clear unexploded ordnance in Kharkiv region, especially in urban areas that are heavily polluted. 22.06.2023 LISTEN Four bodies have been retrieved in parts of the Ashanti Region after drowning in separate incidents following Wednesdays downpour. Three people drowned at Atafoa, Sepaase, and Tafo on Wednesday, June 21st night. The brother of one of the victims in the Atafoa incident also died when he dived into the river to find the deceased on Thursday, June 22nd. Officials from the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), the National Fire Service, and some community members worked together to recover the bodies. The Ashanti Regional Director of NADMO, Frank Duodu, described Wednesdays downpour as the heaviest in four months. For the past four months, yesterdays rain is one of the days we did not find it easy at all as we recorded four drownings. We had one at Tafo where a six-year-old boy was carried away when he attempted to recover his ball. In Atafoa, a forty-seven-year-old man also got washed away with his bicycle. The third one was in Sepaase where one man was carried away when he attempted to move through the waters with his motorbike. The elder brother of the one that died at Atafoa also drowned after he got into the waters in an attempt to recover the body of his dead brother. The United Kingdom has expressed its robust support for Somalia's ongoing political and educational reforms, in a recent statement delivered at the UN Security Council meeting. The announcement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward also urged the international community to reinforce its assistance towards the East African nation. Despite grappling with multifaceted challenges, Somalia has been lauded for its commendable progress by the UK representative. While the relief that the up-scaling system has successfully prevented a potential famine was expressed, it was also acknowledged that the spectre of climate shock and ongoing conflict continues to threaten millions with displacement and severe food insecurity. Thus, Woodward highlighted the need to not downplay the scale of the humanitarian requirements. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's firm commitment to advancing both political and educational reforms in Somalia drew particular praise. The UK has affirmed its support for state-building endeavors in Somalia, including the process of democratisation. Recent local elections in Puntland were recognised as a significant milestone on this path. An inclusive, consultative approach in line with the constitutional review is deemed essential for these reforms to succeed, and all parties, including Puntland, were encouraged to engage constructively. The UK also commended the progress made by Somalia in its operations against the militant group al-Shabaab, urging a continued focus on security and counterterrorism efforts. The statement underscored the necessity for Somalia to continue collaborating with the UN and its partners in stabilisation efforts. Prioritising investment in reconciliation was highlighted as the bedrock for long-term progression. In tandem with these hard-won security gains, Somalia's strides in preparing for a security transition were recognized. The international community's continued support was sought to help Somalia build a sustainable, affordable, and accountable security sector by the end of 2024 when the African Union Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) is expected to draw down. The statement lauded the Federal Government of Somalias commitment to enhancing weapons and ammunition management to prevent them from reaching Al-Shabaab. The international community was urged to join the UK in assisting Somalia to achieve further progress against these benchmarks and facilitating the lifting of arms controls on the Government. In conclusion, the UK reaffirmed its unwavering support to Somalia in its struggle to degrade Al-Shabaab militarily, financially, and ideologically, and pledged its commitment to stand with the country in its journey towards peace and prosperity. 22.06.2023 LISTEN In a decisive move towards aiding developing nations to manage climate crises, the United Kingdom has announced a series of partnerships, unveiled at a Paris summit by Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell. The new alliances aim to bolster the economic resilience of these countries in the face of climate catastrophes. The UKs export credit agency, UK Export Finance (UKEF), will engage with twelve partner countries across Africa and the Caribbean to help them postpone debt repayments if they suffer from climate disasters, such as hurricanes or floods. This announcement was made at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris. UKEF has initiated discussions to include Climate Resilient Debt Clauses (CRDCs) in its new and existing loan agreements with these countries. These clauses enable governments to defer their debt repayments, allocating resources towards disaster response and recovery efforts instead. The first UK-initiated CRDCs are anticipated to be activated within the coming months. The summit, led by President Macron, seeks to establish a fresh consensus for a more inclusive international financial system to address global poverty and climate change, and rekindle the pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Mitchell said, "Developing countries face painful trade-offs between rebuilding their communities and making debt repayments in the wake of climate shocks. These partnerships with Africa and the Caribbean are a milestone towards reducing these pressures." Mitchell, along with France and Barbados, has issued a call to action for all bilateral, multilateral, and private lenders to offer CRDCs by the end of 2025, with early adopters initiating CRDCs by COP28 in November. Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, commended the UK for its leadership in creating these clauses that could potentially enhance the resilience of the international financial system. Furthermore, UKEF plans to publish its template clause, which it now provides as standard in all its loan agreements with eligible countries, to inform other official creditors about adopting similar clauses. Tim Reid, CEO of UK Export Finance, heralded this as a watershed moment for the UK's work in promoting similar provisions among other creditors. Mitchell also revealed the UK's readiness to support additional interested countries to explore CRDCs through the UK-funded Centre for Disaster Protection and Financial Sector Deepening Africa. This support will encompass sharing best practices on debt clauses and potential triggers, as well as offering quality assurance. Former President John Dramani Mahama has received plaudits from renowned Kenyan academic Prof. Patrick Lumumba. The outspoken Pan-African Professor in a video that has been circulating on social media referred to the leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a democratic leader. In the video, he bemoaned how most African politicians are desperate to amass wealth when they secure political power. Most African politicians, I am very reluctant to use the words leaders when I make reference to most African politicians. They occupy positions of leadership but they are not leaders. Most of them. First of all the intention with which they enter into leadership is the problem. They seek office because they love power and privilege and the opportunity that it provides to them. They want to become wealthy and the easiest and shortest avenue to wealth in Africa today is public office, Prof. Lumumba said. Despite his strong words, Professor Lumumba also admits that there are a few African leaders who do not cling to their positions of authority for too long. He named ex-Ghana President John Dramani Mahama as one of such leaders. With a minimum effort, you become a multi-millionaire. They go there in order to be worshipped and they go there not to do the right thing and once they are in office they do so many wrong things that it becomes dangerous for them to leave office. So their continuous occupation in office is to ensure they enjoy immunity that comes with office but when you are a good leader who does the right thing, you do not fear to leave the office because nothing has changed. I have seen a number of sprinkling leaders who have left office and are doing great things the likes of John Mahama of Ghana, Ali Hazan in Tanzania, Joaqim Chisan of Mozambique," Prof. Lumumba noted. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has issued a strong call for Philippine authorities to expedite their pursuit of suspects in the murder case of journalist Percival Mabasa, despite the alleged connections of one suspect with local police. Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative, commented, Philippine police should leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of suspects Gerald Bantag and Ricardo Zulueta, who stand accused of involvement in the murder of journalist Percival Mabasa. Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid, hosted the Lapid Fire program on local DWBL radio. He was fatally shot on October 3, 2022, in Las Pinas City by assailants on a motorcycle. The suspected shooter, Joel Estorial, later surrendered to police on October 18. In a dramatic turn of events, the police suggested on November 7, 2022, that Bantag, the chief of the Bureau of Corrections, and Zulueta, a prison security official, had ordered the killing in retaliation to Mabasas coverage of corruption allegations against Bantag. Both Bantag and Zulueta have denied the charges, with Bantag asserting that an imprisoned drug lord framed them. According to Roy Mabasa, the slain journalist's brother, both Bantag and Zulueta went into hiding in March 2023, evading arrest despite existing warrants. A second preliminary hearing in Mabasas case is due on June 23 in Manila. Crispin went on to stress that, If the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration is serious about ending impunity in media killings, it should prioritize securing these arrests. A suspects connections to law enforcement should not be allowed to hinder the swift pursuit of justice. The Philippines currently sits seventh on CPJs most recent Impunity Index, a ranking highlighting countries where journalists are killed and the murderers walk free. Under the new administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., there has been less overt antagonism towards the media than under his predecessor. However, journalists are still awaiting significant actions to improve press safety in the country. Over 130 organisations and renowned civil society leaders have collectively expressed their concerns over the opaque and non-inclusive practices adopted by the Indian Union Government in ongoing negotiations for Free Trade Agreements (FTA), Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or investment-related contracts. These concerns were articulated in an open letter addressed to the Government of India, marking a significant challenge to the authorities at a time when the fifth round of negotiations with the European Union (EU) is in progress. Prominent signatories include Jawhar Sircar, Member of Parliament; Shailesh Gandhi, former Chief Information Commissioner; Madhu Bhaduri, former Ambassador; and noted activists Medha Patkar, Teesta Setalvad, and Meera Sanghamitra. The open letter covers negotiations with several nations, including the UK, USA, Canada, Israel, and the EU. These discussions hold critical economic implications for India as the EU is India's third-largest trading partner, accounting for 88 billion worth of trade in goods in 2021, or 10.8% of India's total trade. However, there is growing discontent among civil society regarding the secretive nature of these negotiations. The letter underlines a "disregard for the questions of human rights, social justice, and environmental impacts" due to the non-inclusive process. The signatories emphasise the "lack of transparency and non-inclusive consultation processes" adopted by the Union Government. Despite the government's declared commitment to openness and cooperative federalism, the NDA government continues to be opaque in its negotiation process. This lack of transparency is particularly noteworthy given the EU's proactiveness in holding consultations and dialogues with civil society stakeholders regarding the social impact of the proposed FTA with India. The Union Government has also been called out for denying formal requests for even basic details about the negotiations under the Right to Information Act, 2005. The reasoning provided for such denial ranges from national security concerns to trade secrets. This situation has provoked demands from the civil society leaders for an immediate increase in transparency. They call for wider publicity of proposals, creation of forums for public stakeholders and experts to share their views, and effective public participation in the negotiations. Belarusian human rights defender, Nasta (Anastasia) Loika, has been sentenced to seven years in general security prison by the Minsk City Court on charges of "incitement of racial, national, religious or other social enmity or discord." The court's ruling comes amid a wave of crackdowns on civil society and human rights activists in Belarus. Nasta Loika, a renowned advocate for human rights education, migrants' rights, and critique of repressive "anti-extremist" laws, has worked tirelessly to protect those at risk in Belarus. She was named the human rights defender of the year in 2022 by the Barys Zvozskau Belarusian Human Rights House. However, this recognition did not shield her from the wrath of the Belarusian authorities. Loika's arrest took place on October 28, 2022, followed by a series of administrative detentions on petty charges. Despite these administrative sentences typically lasting only 15 days, her incarceration was extended three times. Belarusian authorities have been accused of subjecting Loika to inhumane treatment and denying her medical aid, legal assistance, and warm clothing during her detention. After a closed trial and a rushed judicial process, the Minsk City Court declared her guilty. This was based on Loika's contribution in 2018 to a report assessing human rights violations by law enforcement officers during state-sanctioned persecution of the anarchist community in Belarus. The details of the court hearings remain undisclosed to the public. The arrest and subsequent sentencing of Loika sparked international outrage. A joint statement by fifteen international and Belarusian human rights organizations, including ARTICLE 19 Europe, Human Rights Watch, Front Line Defenders, and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), calls for Loika's immediate and unconditional release. They claim that Belarusian authorities are systematically targeting Loika and other human rights defenders for their peaceful and lawful activities. Moreover, the human rights organizations condemned the physical and psychological torture Loika underwent during her administrative arrest and pre-trial detention. The crackdown has extended to human rights lawyers, including those representing Loika, with some losing their licenses to practice. As it stands, the human rights landscape in Belarus is teetering on the edge, with the imprisonment of Nasta Loika marking a disturbing escalation in the authorities' offensive against civil society. In an escalating international concern, Hoang Thi Minh Hong, a renowned climate activist and scholar of the Obama Foundation, has been arrested and detained by the Vietnamese authorities. Her arrest, supposedly on false charges of tax evasion, has triggered a wave of condemnation, with numerous civil society groups and institutions calling for her immediate release. Hong, a pioneer in the Vietnamese climate action movement, was a member of the first cohort of the Obama Foundation and the founder of the Centre of Hands-on Action and Networking for Growth and Environment (CHANGE). The organisation, instrumental in mobilising opposition against new coal-fired power plant projects in Vietnam, was forced to close in October 2022 after Hong was subject to government harassment. The activist was arrested on 1 June 2023 and has since been held incommunicado, with access to legal representation denied. She faces a maximum sentence of seven years if found guilty in the controversial trial that awaits her. Alarmingly, she could be exposed to a prison system notorious for torture and deliberate neglect. Hong's arrest marks the fifth such instance of climate activists in Vietnam being accused of tax evasion in the last two years. Among others, Dang Dinh Bach, who also advocated for energy sector decarbonisation, is serving a five-year sentence on similar charges. A human rights investigation report published in April confirmed that these prosecutions appear to be politically motivated attempts to suppress climate activism. The U.S. State Department and the United Nations have already made public statements demanding Hong's release. Civil society organisations, including Amnesty International, Greenpeace UK, and Human Rights Watch, are now urging former U.S. President Barack Obama to join this call, considering his foundation's association with the detained activist. The Obama Foundation still features Hong's name and image on its website. As the international community watches closely, it remains to be seen how the Obama Foundation and other global entities will further respond to this alarming crackdown on climate activism in Vietnam. Electoral Commission (EC) has denied claims circulating on social media that it is currently recruiting staff. In a press statement issued on Thursday, June 22, the Commission described the job advert as fake and warned the public to disregard it. Acting Head of Public Affairs Mr. Michael Boadu who signed the statement said, "The attention of the Electoral Commission has been drawn to an advertisement circulating on various social media platforms to the effect that the Commission is undertaking a recruitment exercise." He added: "The General Public is informed that the Commission is NOT carrying out any recruitment exercise. The Public is advised to disregard the said advertisement." The electoral management bodys statement comes days after a purported recruitment advert went viral on social media platforms calling on qualified Ghanaians to apply for various positions at the Electoral Commission. Read a copy of the full statement below; The Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory (ACCPA) on Wednesday, June 21, held a one-day media training for practitioners in Accra on China-Ghana relations. The sensitisation workshop was held at the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana (UG), Legon. The motive behind the training was to introduce selected journalists in Ghana, (from TV, Radio, Newspapers, and Online blogs), etc. to key insights regarding tracking, researching, reporting, and analyzing Chinas relations with Ghana in particular and Africa in general. Speaking at the training organised by the Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory in partnership with the Confucius Institute at UG, ACCPA Executive Director Paul Frimpong said he strongly believes the media plays a critical role in shaping bilateral relations between Ghana and China. He stressed, is the reason ACCPA is committed to offering such training across the continent to help media professionals pursue rewarding careers. Paul Frimpong during the training did a presentation on why China is now Africas favorite partner. He explained that one of the key reasons for the continuous rise of Sino-Africa relations can be linked to the late 1990s, when many countries on the continent were in dire need of critical infrastructure, and the only country that showed up was China. This he stressed has yielded tangible infrastructure development across Ghana. During the training, the Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute, Professor Jimin Wang engaged the media on the relevance of culture and people to exchanges between China and Ghana. In his presentation, he opened up on opportunities available at his outfit to help Ghanaians who are interested in learning the Chinese language to tap into the opportunities emanating from Ghana-China relations. According to him, his outfit has given out scholarships this year, and the plan is to do more next year. On his part, a Senior Research Fellow of the ACCPA Dr. Isaac Ankrah delivered a presentation on the historical journey of the media landscape and the roles media reporting and analysis play in Ghanas engagement with international partners. He focused on Ghana-China media reporting with case studies. According to ACCPA, this will not be the last engagement with the media in Ghana as several programmes have been lined up. At the NATO summit in Vilnius, a step will be taken towards Ukraine's membership in the Alliance, and today this problem has been solved, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. From what I understand about the Vilnius summit, we are now at a stage where our expectations have already been partially met, let's say. But I will say metaphorically: when we started talking with our partners about the Vilnius summit, we insisted that they take a step towards Ukraine's membership in NATO in Vilnius. Today this problem has been solved. The step will be taken. The question is, how long will it be, how wide will they put their foot? And this is an achievement in itself, Kuleba said in an interview with Suspilne, which was broadcast on the United News (Yedyni Novyny) telethon on Thursday. The Foreign Minister stressed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has an unshakable position on this issue: Ukraine's membership in NATO is the only way to prevent new wars in Europe. And this is really true, Kuleba added. He also stressed that if before the full-scale war Ukraine needed NATO more to defend and strengthen itself, now NATO needs Ukraine. A state that is independently capable of defending the eastern flank of NATO, and now the name of this state is Ukraine, is a super asset for the Alliance. Now the partners who are against our membership think through the logic of the burden, as they said before the war, Kuleba said. UK will today (22 June) announce new partnerships with developing countries to support their economic resilience in the wake of climate crises. The UKs export credit agency UK Export Finance (UKEF) will work with twelve partner countries in Africa and the Caribbean to allow them to defer debt repayments if they are hit by climate catastrophes, such as hurricanes or floods. The announcement comes as UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell represents the UK at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris. Speaking at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris today (22 June), UK Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell will announce that UKEF has started discussions with 12 partner countries in Africa and the Caribbean to add Climate Resilient Debt Clauses (CRDCs) to its new and existing loan agreements. The Clauses allow governments to delay their debt repayments and free up resources to fund disaster response and recovery, with the first UK-led CRDCs expected to go live in the coming months. This follows the UKs announcement at COP27 that UKEF would become the first export credit agency globally to offer CRDCs in its direct lending to low-income countries and small island developing states. UKEF has a 2 billion direct lending facility dedicated to financing clean growth projects overseas. The Summit, chaired by President Macron, aims to build a new consensus for a more inclusive international financial system, with a view to addressing global poverty and climate change, and reinvigorating progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The UK is focused on ensuring the Summit delivers for low-income countries. Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell, said: Developing countries face painful trade-offs between rebuilding their communities and making debt repayments in the wake of climate shocks. The partnerships with Africa and the Caribbean Im announcing today are a milestone towards reducing these pressures, with Climate Resilient Debt Clauses providing relief for those countries hit hardest by extreme weather events. "Allowing for a temporary pause in debt repayment is important because it gives affected communities the breathing space they need to focus on the urgent task at hand: recovery. Im proud that the UK is leading an international coalition committed to strengthening the resilience of vulnerable countries in responding to climate catastrophes, and I strongly urge more of our partners to follow suit. The UK is leading the call for international creditors to offer CRDCs. Chairing a side-event on Building a More Shock Resilient Financial System, the Minister will call for lenders to follow the UKs lead. Minister Mitchell, together with France and Barbados, will issue a call to action for all bilateral, multilateral and private lenders to offer CRDCs by the end of 2025, with early movers offering CRDCs by COP28 in November, so that vulnerable countries can allocate resources towards post-disaster recovery. Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley, said: We commend the UK for its support and leadership in developing these clauses into something that could transform the resilience of the international financial system and make it fitter for todays world. At the side-event, the US is expected to mention that it is preparing to offer CRDCs where feasible and France will set out how it integrated CRDCs into recent lending agreements. Furthermore, under the leadership of the Inter-American Development Bank, nine Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) will work together to explore offering CRDCs. Further partners are also expected to announce that they will pilot CRDCs. UKEF will publish its template clause, which it now offers as standard in all its loan agreements with eligible countries, to help inform the work of other official creditors in adopting similar clauses. Tim Reid, CEO of UK Export Finance, said: The release of our template Climate Resilient Debt Clause is a watershed moment for the UKs work in encouraging other creditors to consider similar provisions. With this, the UK continues showing its commitment to helping those countries most vulnerable to climate shocks respond to crises and disasters. Minister Mitchell is also due to announce that the UK stands ready to support further interested countries to explore CRDCs through the UK-funded Centre for Disaster Protection and Financial Sector Deepening Africa. This will include sharing best practice advice on debt clauses, innovations on climate and debt, and potential triggers, as well as quality assurance. A. D. Beadell Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new position in shares of Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. (NYSE:BEP Get Rating) (TSE:BEP) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 6,738 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $212,000. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of BEP. National Bank of Canada FI increased its position in Brookfield Renewable Partners by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 971,144 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $30,475,000 after purchasing an additional 11,887 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in Brookfield Renewable Partners in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $89,000. Epiq Partners LLC raised its holdings in Brookfield Renewable Partners by 3.4% during the first quarter. Epiq Partners LLC now owns 57,918 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,825,000 after purchasing an additional 1,880 shares during the last quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. grew its holdings in Brookfield Renewable Partners by 4.8% in the first quarter. Pacifica Partners Inc. now owns 12,127 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $366,000 after purchasing an additional 557 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Carl Stuart Investment Advisor Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Brookfield Renewable Partners in the first quarter valued at $4,265,627,000. 56.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Brookfield Renewable Partners alerts: Brookfield Renewable Partners Trading Down 1.4 % Brookfield Renewable Partners stock traded down $0.42 during trading on Thursday, reaching $29.03. The company had a trading volume of 36,092 shares, compared to its average volume of 289,350. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -55.57 and a beta of 0.82. Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. has a 12-month low of $24.13 and a 12-month high of $41.30. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $30.98 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $29.05. Brookfield Renewable Partners Announces Dividend Brookfield Renewable Partners ( NYSE:BEP Get Rating ) (TSE:BEP) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The utilities provider reported ($0.09) earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.13) by $0.04. Brookfield Renewable Partners had a return on equity of 1.19% and a net margin of 5.75%. The business had revenue of $772.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $692.65 million. As a group, equities analysts expect that Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. will post -0.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.338 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 30th. This represents a $1.35 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.66%. Brookfield Renewable Partnerss dividend payout ratio is currently -254.72%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages recently commented on BEP. National Bankshares increased their price objective on shares of Brookfield Renewable Partners from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Brookfield Renewable Partners from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 28th. 888 reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Brookfield Renewable Partners in a report on Tuesday, June 13th. StockNews.com started coverage on Brookfield Renewable Partners in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on Brookfield Renewable Partners from $31.00 to $32.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $38.67. Brookfield Renewable Partners Company Profile (Get Rating) Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. owns a portfolio of renewable power generating facilities primarily in North America, Colombia, Brazil, Europe, and Asia. The company generates electricity through hydroelectric, wind, solar, distributed generation, pumped storage, cogeneration, and biomass sources. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Renewable Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield Renewable Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Swiss Re (OTCMKTS:SSREF Get Rating) and Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE:RGA Get Rating) are both financial services companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, valuation, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability and dividends. Profitability This table compares Swiss Re and Reinsurance Group of Americas net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Swiss Re alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Swiss Re N/A N/A N/A Reinsurance Group of America 5.66% 23.94% 1.52% Analyst Ratings This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Swiss Re and Reinsurance Group of America, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Swiss Re 0 0 0 0 N/A Reinsurance Group of America 0 3 5 1 2.78 Dividends Reinsurance Group of America has a consensus target price of $161.70, suggesting a potential upside of 12.86%. Given Reinsurance Group of Americas higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Reinsurance Group of America is more favorable than Swiss Re. Swiss Re pays an annual dividend of $4.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.5%. Reinsurance Group of America pays an annual dividend of $3.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.3%. Swiss Re pays out 37.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Reinsurance Group of America pays out 23.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Reinsurance Group of America has raised its dividend for 12 consecutive years. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Swiss Re and Reinsurance Group of Americas revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Swiss Re N/A N/A N/A $11.77 8.31 Reinsurance Group of America $16.33 billion 0.58 $623.00 million $13.85 10.19 Reinsurance Group of America has higher revenue and earnings than Swiss Re. Swiss Re is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Reinsurance Group of America, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Insider & Institutional Ownership 24.3% of Swiss Re shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 93.6% of Reinsurance Group of America shares are held by institutional investors. 1.6% of Reinsurance Group of America shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Reinsurance Group of America beats Swiss Re on 13 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks. About Swiss Re (Get Rating) Swiss Re AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides wholesale reinsurance, insurance, other insurance-based forms of risk transfer, and other insurance-related services worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Property & Casualty Reinsurance, Life & Health Reinsurance, and Corporate Solutions. The Property & Casualty Reinsurance segment underwrites property reinsurance, including property, credit and surety, engineering, aviation, marine, agriculture, retakaful, and facultative reinsurance solutions; and casualty reinsurance, such as liability, motor, worker's compensation, personal accident, management and professional liability, cyber, and facultative reinsurance solutions. The Life & Health Reinsurance segment underwrites life and health insurance products. The Corporate Solutions segment offers standard risk transfer covers and multi-line programs to customized solutions. It serves stock and mutual insurance companies, public sector and governmental entities, mid-sized and large corporations, and individuals. Swiss Re AG was founded in 1863 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. About Reinsurance Group of America (Get Rating) Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated engages in reinsurance business. The company offers individual and group life and health insurance products, such as term life, credit life, universal life, whole life, group life and health, joint and last survivor insurance, critical illness, disability, and longevity products; asset-intensive and financial reinsurance products; and other capital motivated solutions. It also provides reinsurance for mortality, morbidity, lapse, and investment-related risk associated with products; and reinsurance for investment-related risks. In addition, the company develops and markets technology solutions; and provides consulting and outsourcing solutions for the insurance and reinsurance industries. It serves life insurance companies in the United States, Latin America, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and the Asia Pacific. Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri. Receive News & Ratings for Swiss Re Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Swiss Re and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Argo Group International (NYSE:ARGO Get Rating) in a report released on Sunday. The firm issued a hold rating on the stock. Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Compass Point lowered Argo Group International from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $30.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Monday, March 13th. Raymond James lowered Argo Group International from a market perform rating to an underperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 28th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Argo Group International from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Friday, May 26th. Get Argo Group International alerts: Argo Group International Price Performance NYSE:ARGO opened at $29.53 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The stock has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.73 and a beta of 1.03. Argo Group International has a one year low of $19.00 and a one year high of $40.15. The business has a fifty day moving average of $29.37. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Argo Group International ( NYSE:ARGO Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 8th. The company reported ($0.31) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.80 by ($1.11). Argo Group International had a positive return on equity of 0.06% and a negative net margin of 9.98%. The company had revenue of $419.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $461.90 million. On average, equities research analysts expect that Argo Group International will post 2.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in shares of Argo Group International by 334.7% during the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 926 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 713 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Argo Group International by 515.8% during the 3rd quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd now owns 1,324 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 1,109 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management boosted its holdings in shares of Argo Group International by 50.0% during the 1st quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,680 shares of the companys stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 560 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Argo Group International by 148.0% in the 1st quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,793 shares of the companys stock valued at $53,000 after acquiring an additional 1,070 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ensign Peak Advisors Inc bought a new position in shares of Argo Group International in the 3rd quarter valued at about $59,000. Institutional investors own 89.92% of the companys stock. About Argo Group International (Get Rating) Argo Group International Holdings Ltd. engages in the provision of underwriting property and casualty insurance and reinsurance products. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Operations, International Operations, and Run-off Lines. The U.S. Operations segment include distribution through retail, wholesale, and managing general brokers/agents in the specialty insurance market. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Argo Group International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Argo Group International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Atlas Energy Solutions Inc. (NYSE:AESI Get Rating) has been given a consensus recommendation of Buy by the nine brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $24.44. AESI has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Citigroup assumed coverage on Atlas Energy Solutions in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. They issued a buy rating and a $23.00 target price on the stock. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on Atlas Energy Solutions in a report on Monday, April 3rd. They set an overweight rating and a $28.00 target price for the company. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Atlas Energy Solutions in a report on Monday, April 3rd. They issued a buy rating and a $23.00 price target on the stock. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Atlas Energy Solutions in a report on Monday, April 3rd. They issued an overweight rating and a $25.00 price objective for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Atlas Energy Solutions in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. They set a buy rating and a $22.00 price target on the stock. Get Atlas Energy Solutions alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Atlas Energy Solutions In other Atlas Energy Solutions news, CEO Ben M. Brigham acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 5th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $16.85 per share, for a total transaction of $168,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 300,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,055,000. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Atlas Energy Solutions Atlas Energy Solutions Price Performance Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC bought a new position in Atlas Energy Solutions during the first quarter valued at $68,000. HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Atlas Energy Solutions during the first quarter valued at approximately $20,436,000. Ghisallo Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Atlas Energy Solutions in the first quarter worth approximately $3,236,000. Zimmer Partners LP bought a new stake in shares of Atlas Energy Solutions during the 1st quarter worth approximately $13,237,000. Finally, Beck Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Atlas Energy Solutions during the 1st quarter valued at $425,000. 18.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Atlas Energy Solutions stock opened at $17.53 on Friday. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $17.45. Atlas Energy Solutions has a 52 week low of $15.06 and a 52 week high of $18.95. Atlas Energy Solutions (NYSE:AESI Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 8th. The company reported $0.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.66 by ($0.63). The firm had revenue of $153.42 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $147.92 million. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Atlas Energy Solutions will post 2.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Atlas Energy Solutions Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a None dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th were given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 12th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.71%. About Atlas Energy Solutions (Get Rating Atlas Energy Solutions Inc is a provider of proppant and logistics services to customers engaged in the oil and natural gas industry principally within the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico. Atlas Energy Solutions Inc is based in AUSTIN, Texas. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Atlas Energy Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Atlas Energy Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Basilea Pharmaceutica AG (OTCMKTS:BPMUF Get Rating) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $50.00 and last traded at $50.00, with a volume of 0 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $50.00. Basilea Pharmaceutica Stock Performance The firms fifty day moving average is $50.92 and its 200 day moving average is $51.62. Basilea Pharmaceutica Company Profile (Get Rating) Basilea Pharmaceutica AG engages in the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Its products include Cresemba, Zevtera, Derazantinib, BAL101553, and BAL3833. The company was founded on October 17, 2000 and is headquartered in Allschwil, Switzerland. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Basilea Pharmaceutica Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Basilea Pharmaceutica and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF (BATS:NEAR Get Rating)s share price reached a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $49.62 and last traded at $49.64, with a volume of 292106 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $49.62. BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF Price Performance The businesss 50-day moving average is $49.61 and its 200 day moving average is $49.51. Get BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NEAR. Bramshill Investments LLC grew its holdings in BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF by 8.7% in the 1st quarter. Bramshill Investments LLC now owns 2,086,850 shares of the companys stock worth $103,508,000 after acquiring an additional 167,475 shares during the last quarter. Boulder Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF in the 4th quarter worth $8,241,000. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF by 17.7% in the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 920,572 shares of the companys stock worth $45,347,000 after acquiring an additional 138,544 shares during the last quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC grew its holdings in BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF by 597.3% in the 4th quarter. Flow Traders U.S. LLC now owns 117,250 shares of the companys stock worth $5,777,000 after acquiring an additional 100,434 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,661,000. BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF Company Profile The iShares Short Maturity Bond ETF (NEAR) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund aims to maximize income and preserve capital using very short maturity, USD-denominated global fixed income securities in an actively-managed fund. NEAR was launched on Sep 25, 2013 and is managed by BlackRock. Read More Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Short Maturity Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. B&M European Value Retail (LON:BME Get Rating) had its target price boosted by equities research analysts at Berenberg Bank from GBX 525 ($6.72) to GBX 640 ($8.19) in a report issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm presently has a buy rating on the stock. Berenberg Banks target price would suggest a potential upside of 12.68% from the stocks current price. A number of other analysts have also commented on BME. Barclays reissued an overweight rating and set a GBX 565 ($7.23) price objective on shares of B&M European Value Retail in a report on Thursday, June 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on B&M European Value Retail from GBX 540 ($6.91) to GBX 545 ($6.97) and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, May 24th. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price objective on B&M European Value Retail from GBX 350 ($4.48) to GBX 380 ($4.86) and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Monday, March 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised B&M European Value Retail to an outperform rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from GBX 460 ($5.89) to GBX 550 ($7.04) in a report on Monday, March 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of GBX 513.57 ($6.57). Get B&M European Value Retail alerts: B&M European Value Retail Stock Performance Shares of B&M European Value Retail stock opened at GBX 568 ($7.27) on Tuesday. B&M European Value Retail has a one year low of GBX 289 ($3.70) and a one year high of GBX 571.40 ($7.31). The firm has a market capitalization of 5.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,622.86 and a beta of 1.09. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 502 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 472.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 313.19, a current ratio of 1.29 and a quick ratio of 0.38. About B&M European Value Retail B&M European Value Retail SA operates general merchandise and grocery stores. The company operates a chain of 701 stores under the B&M brand, and 311 stores under the Heron Foods and B&M Express brands in the United Kingdom; and 107 stores under the B&M brand in France. It also provides employment and property management services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for B&M European Value Retail Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for B&M European Value Retail and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bridge Creek Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC Get Rating) by 2.5% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 68,895 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,708 shares during the quarter. McCormick & Company, Incorporated makes up about 2.2% of Bridge Creek Capital Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest holding. Bridge Creek Capital Management LLCs holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated were worth $5,733,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Evermay Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 412.8% during the 3rd quarter. Evermay Wealth Management LLC now owns 400 shares of the companys stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Align Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA acquired a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. OLD Mission Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 4th quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated during the 1st quarter worth approximately $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.92% of the companys stock. Get McCormick & Company Incorporated alerts: McCormick & Company, Incorporated Stock Up 0.5 % NYSE:MKC traded up $0.42 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $93.73. The company had a trading volume of 276,764 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,416,661. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The firm has a market cap of $25.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.78, a P/E/G ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.58. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $88.42 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $82.25. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a twelve month low of $70.60 and a twelve month high of $94.25. McCormick & Company, Incorporated Dividend Announcement McCormick & Company, Incorporated ( NYSE:MKC Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 28th. The company reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $1.57 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.54 billion. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a net margin of 10.42% and a return on equity of 14.34%. The businesss revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.63 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 2.62 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 10th were issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.66%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 6th. McCormick & Company, Incorporateds dividend payout ratio is currently 63.16%. Insider Activity In other news, CEO Lawrence Erik Kurzius sold 39,906 shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.02, for a total transaction of $3,592,338.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 159,579 shares in the company, valued at $14,365,301.58. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 19.00% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets MKC has been the subject of several research reports. Credit Suisse Group dropped their price objective on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $75.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a hold rating and a $82.00 price objective for the company. UBS Group initiated coverage on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in a research note on Friday, March 10th. They issued a sell rating and a $71.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, McCormick & Company, Incorporated has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $82.60. McCormick & Company, Incorporated Profile (Get Rating) McCormick & Co, Inc engages in the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of spices, seasoning mixes, condiments, and other flavorful products to retail outlets, food manufacturers, and foodservice businesses. It operates through the Consumer and Flavor Solutions segments. The Consumer segment sells spices, seasonings, condiments, and sauces. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MKC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for McCormick & Company Incorporated Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McCormick & Company Incorporated and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Walter Public Investments Inc. lowered its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR Get Rating) by 2.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 84,952 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 2,074 shares during the quarter. Broadridge Financial Solutions accounts for 3.8% of Walter Public Investments Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position. Walter Public Investments Inc. owned approximately 0.07% of Broadridge Financial Solutions worth $12,451,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 10.7% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 8,155 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,270,000 after buying an additional 788 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 6.8% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 15,625 shares of the business services providers stock worth $2,433,000 after buying an additional 992 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. boosted its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 126.2% during the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 3,384 shares of the business services providers stock worth $527,000 after buying an additional 1,888 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 1,851.9% during the first quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 527 shares of the business services providers stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH boosted its holdings in Broadridge Financial Solutions by 13.2% during the first quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 12,722 shares of the business services providers stock worth $1,981,000 after buying an additional 1,487 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.05% of the companys stock. Get Broadridge Financial Solutions alerts: Insider Transactions at Broadridge Financial Solutions In other news, Director Leslie A. Brun sold 6,900 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.98, for a total value of $1,027,962.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 59,916 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,926,285.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, VP Richard John Stingi sold 750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.27, for a total transaction of $116,452.50. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,202 shares in the company, valued at $652,444.54. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Leslie A. Brun sold 6,900 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $148.98, for a total transaction of $1,027,962.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 59,916 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,926,285.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 27,397 shares of company stock valued at $4,162,229. Corporate insiders own 1.60% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Broadridge Financial Solutions Stock Performance BR has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage on shares of Broadridge Financial Solutions in a report on Monday, April 24th. They set an outperform rating and a $169.00 price objective on the stock. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $161.40. NYSE:BR opened at $159.68 on Thursday. The companys 50-day moving average price is $151.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $145.19. The company has a current ratio of 1.35, a quick ratio of 1.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.04. The company has a market cap of $18.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.27 and a beta of 0.99. Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. has a twelve month low of $131.35 and a twelve month high of $183.33. Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE:BR Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The business services provider reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.01 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $1.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.65 billion. Broadridge Financial Solutions had a net margin of 9.33% and a return on equity of 40.29%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.93 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. will post 6.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Broadridge Financial Solutions Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.725 dividend. This represents a $2.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.82%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. Broadridge Financial Solutionss dividend payout ratio is currently 62.23%. Broadridge Financial Solutions Company Profile (Get Rating) Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc provides investor communications and technology-driven solutions for the financial services industry. The company's Investor Communication Solutions segment processes and distributes proxy materials to investors in equity securities and mutual funds, as well as facilitates related vote processing services; and distributes regulatory reports, class action, and corporate action/reorganization event information, as well as tax reporting solutions. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Broadridge Financial Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Zelenskyy holds meeting with Interior Minister on elimination of consequences of terrorist attack at Kakhovka HPP, preparation of new security doctrine On Thursday, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko to eliminate the consequences of the terrorist attack at the Kakhovka HPP and prepare a new security doctrine. "A meeting with Interior Minister Klymenko. First: Kherson and the region. Elimination of the consequences of the Russian terrorist attack on the hydroelectric power station, providing people with drinking water, recording damage so that people can get help. Of course, the subject of humanitarian demining. There are many different details, the Interior Ministry works systematically," the president said on his Telegram channel. As he noted, "the priority is to provide all conditions for a normal life of people as soon as possible." Another topic of the meeting with Klymenko, according to Zelenskyy, was the preparation of a new doctrine of Ukraine in the field of security. "These are more strategic issues. What concerns the new policy and new security standards. Very thorough suggestions. I am grateful to everyone who is involved in this work," the President said. Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co. lessened its holdings in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Get Rating) by 2.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,038 shares of the companys stock after selling 600 shares during the quarter. Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Co.s holdings in Altria Group were worth $894,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 159,134,691 shares of the companys stock worth $6,425,858,000 after acquiring an additional 1,275,790 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 71,579,128 shares of the companys stock worth $2,957,671,000 after acquiring an additional 513,208 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 8.7% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 44,066,327 shares of the companys stock worth $2,000,861,000 after acquiring an additional 3,516,646 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 35,184,122 shares of the companys stock worth $1,606,259,000 after acquiring an additional 218,861 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Altria Group by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 24,517,169 shares of the companys stock worth $990,002,000 after acquiring an additional 1,192,266 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.38% of the companys stock. Get Altria Group alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages recently issued reports on MO. Citigroup cut their price objective on Altria Group from $49.50 to $47.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com downgraded Altria Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Altria Group in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They set a buy rating and a $52.00 price objective for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $44.67. Altria Group Price Performance MO traded down $0.13 during trading on Thursday, hitting $43.82. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,246,319 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,889,858. The firms 50 day moving average price is $45.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $45.79. The stock has a market cap of $78.22 billion, a PE ratio of 14.13, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.59. Altria Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $40.35 and a twelve month high of $51.57. Altria Group (NYSE:MO Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.19 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $4.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.89 billion. Altria Group had a negative return on equity of 245.43% and a net margin of 22.44%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.12 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year. Altria Group Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.94 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $3.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.58%. Altria Groups payout ratio is 120.90%. Altria Group Company Profile (Get Rating) Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; cigars and pipe tobacco principally under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco products and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; and on! oral nicotine pouches. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Central Asia Metals plc (LON:CAML Get Rating) hit a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as GBX 181.02 ($2.32) and last traded at GBX 183.40 ($2.35), with a volume of 411970 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 184.20 ($2.36). Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a buy rating and set a GBX 265 ($3.39) price target on shares of Central Asia Metals in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Central Asia Metals from GBX 245 ($3.13) to GBX 240 ($3.07) and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. Finally, Berenberg Bank reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 320 ($4.09) target price on shares of Central Asia Metals in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Get Central Asia Metals alerts: Central Asia Metals Stock Down 0.4 % The stocks fifty day moving average is GBX 204.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 240.71. The company has a current ratio of 4.17, a quick ratio of 1.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The company has a market capitalization of 333.60 million, a PE ratio of 1,315.71 and a beta of 1.16. Central Asia Metals Dividend Announcement Insider Buying and Selling The business also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, April 27th were issued a GBX 10 ($0.13) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 3.98%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 27th. Central Asia Metalss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14,285.71%. In related news, insider Mike Armitage purchased 8,334 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 29th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 240 ($3.07) per share, with a total value of 20,001.60 ($25,593.86). In other Central Asia Metals news, insider Gillian Davidson acquired 10,119 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, May 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 198 ($2.53) per share, with a total value of 20,035.62 ($25,637.39). Also, insider Mike Armitage acquired 8,334 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 29th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 240 ($3.07) per share, for a total transaction of 20,001.60 ($25,593.86). In the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 28,453 shares of company stock valued at $6,088,722. 7.12% of the stock is owned by insiders. Central Asia Metals Company Profile (Get Rating) Central Asia Metals plc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a base metals producer. The company produces copper, zinc, silver, and lead. It owns a 100% interest in the Kounrad solvent extraction- electrowinning operation located near the city of Balkhash in central Kazakhstan; and a 100% interest in the Sasa mine located in north Macedonia. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Central Asia Metals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Central Asia Metals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Partners Group (OTCMKTS:PGPHF Get Rating) is one of 1,154 public companies in the Asset Management industry, but how does it contrast to its rivals? We will compare Partners Group to similar companies based on the strength of its institutional ownership, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, profitability and risk. Earnings & Valuation This table compares Partners Group and its rivals gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Get Partners Group alerts: Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Partners Group N/A N/A 70.26 Partners Group Competitors $434.13 million $2.31 million 17.38 Partners Groups rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Partners Group. Partners Group is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry. Analyst Ratings Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Partners Group 0 4 2 0 2.33 Partners Group Competitors 1025 4333 5659 81 2.43 This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Partners Group and its rivals, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Partners Group presently has a consensus target price of $1,225.00, indicating a potential upside of 30.67%. As a group, Asset Management companies have a potential upside of 92.45%. Given Partners Groups rivals stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Partners Group has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals. Profitability This table compares Partners Group and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Partners Group N/A N/A N/A Partners Group Competitors 382.06% 7.69% 5.04% Dividends Partners Group pays an annual dividend of $4.71 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.5%. Partners Group pays out 35.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Asset Management companies pay a dividend yield of 7.0% and pay out 637.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Insider and Institutional Ownership 28.4% of Partners Group shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.6% of shares of all Asset Management companies are held by institutional investors. 18.0% of shares of all Asset Management companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Summary Partners Group rivals beat Partners Group on 11 of the 13 factors compared. About Partners Group (Get Rating) Partners Group Holding AG is a private equity firm specializing in direct, secondary, and primary investments across private equity, private real estate, private infrastructure, and private debt. The firm also makes fund of funds investments. It seeks to invest in distressed, special situations, later stage, mature, early venture, mid venture, late venture, industry consolidation, buyouts, recapitalizations, emerging growth, and seed capital. For direct private equity investments, the firm invests directly into healthcare, consumer, media & telecommunications, education, information technology, industrials, infrastructure/energy & utilities, financial and business services and real estate operating companies. For its private real estate direct investment practice, it focuses on seeking out properties globally. It also makes investments in private real estate secondaries and primaries and focuses on distressed assets in United States, Europe, and Japan. Under private debt, the firm provides senior debt financing, mezzanine financing, alongside secondaries and primaries, and also participates in add on acquisitions. It seeks to invest in middle market in Americas, Europe, and Asia. In energy infrastructure, the firm seeks to invest in the areas of midstream, power generation, gas transportation, gas export infrastructure, renewable energy including wind and solar energy. The firm seeks to invest globally with a focus on South Africa, China, India, Philippines, Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, Russia, Brazil, and Chile. It seems to invest between 500,000 ($685,010) and 100 million ($137 million) in equity investment in companies with enterprise value between 100 million ($137 million) to 2 billion ($2740 million). The firm is a value-add investor targeting majority and minority stake in its investee companies. While investing in funds, it invests in venture capital, mezzanine, private equity, real estate, distressed, turnaround, and secondary funds. Partners Group Holding AG was founded in 1996 and is based in Baar, Switzerland with additional offices across North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Receive News & Ratings for Partners Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Partners Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED Get Rating) by 6.1% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 48,669 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 2,784 shares during the quarter. Consolidated Edison makes up 1.6% of Ellsworth Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 13th largest position. Ellsworth Advisors LLCs holdings in Consolidated Edison were worth $4,656,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brandywine Oak Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Consolidated Edison in the 4th quarter worth approximately $201,000. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its stake in Consolidated Edison by 4.9% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 21,679 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,084,000 after acquiring an additional 1,005 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP grew its stake in Consolidated Edison by 10.3% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,010,189 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $96,287,000 after acquiring an additional 94,143 shares during the period. Boyd Watterson Asset Management LLC OH purchased a new stake in Consolidated Edison in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Consolidated Edison by 8.7% in the 4th quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 91,358 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $8,707,000 after acquiring an additional 7,338 shares during the period. 67.30% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Consolidated Edison alerts: Consolidated Edison Stock Performance NYSE:ED opened at $92.92 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 1.20 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $95.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $95.08. The stock has a market cap of $32.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.24, a PEG ratio of 9.58 and a beta of 0.38. Consolidated Edison, Inc. has a 1-year low of $78.10 and a 1-year high of $102.21. Consolidated Edison Announces Dividend Consolidated Edison ( NYSE:ED Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The utilities provider reported $1.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.62 by $0.21. The company had revenue of $4.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.01 billion. Consolidated Edison had a net margin of 15.56% and a return on equity of 8.36%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.47 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Consolidated Edison, Inc. will post 4.85 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 17th were given a $0.81 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 16th. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.49%. Consolidated Edisons payout ratio is currently 46.15%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Argus raised shares of Consolidated Edison from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $104.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Consolidated Edison in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Consolidated Edison from $89.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Consolidated Edison from $86.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Monday, May 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Consolidated Edison from $70.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $90.62. About Consolidated Edison (Get Rating) Consolidated Edison, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the business of regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery. It operates through the following segments: Consolidated Edison Company of New York (CECONY), Orange and Rockland Utilities(O&R), Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses and Con Edison Transmission. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ED? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Consolidated Edison Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Consolidated Edison and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CTT Correios De Portugal, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CTTPY Get Rating) hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $7.28 and last traded at $7.28, with a volume of 0 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $7.28. CTT Correios De Portugal Price Performance The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $7.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $6.73. About CTT Correios De Portugal (Get Rating) CTT Correios De Portugal, SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides postal and financial services worldwide. It operates through Mail, Express & Parcels, Financial Services & Retail, and Bank segments. The company offers courier and urgent mail transport services; postal financial services; and banking services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for CTT - Correios De Portugal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CTT - Correios De Portugal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Delta Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Get Rating) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 56,160 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $2,942,000. Charles Schwab accounts for 2.1% of Delta Capital Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Perkins Coie Trust Co boosted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 2.9% during the first quarter. Perkins Coie Trust Co now owns 67,962 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,560,000 after acquiring an additional 1,916 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 23.2% during the first quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 310,702 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $16,254,000 after acquiring an additional 58,467 shares during the last quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 10.4% during the first quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 11,500 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $602,000 after acquiring an additional 1,087 shares during the last quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Charles Schwab by 176.6% during the first quarter. Koshinski Asset Management Inc. now owns 21,275 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,114,000 after acquiring an additional 13,582 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Collective Family Office LLC bought a new position in shares of Charles Schwab during the first quarter worth $223,000. 82.77% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Charles Schwab alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other Charles Schwab news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 77,640 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total transaction of $4,018,646.40. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 59,771,278 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,093,761,349.28. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Charles Schwab news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 77,640 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total transaction of $4,018,646.40. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 59,771,278 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,093,761,349.28. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Marianne Catherine Brown bought 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 28th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $53.47 per share, for a total transaction of $267,350.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 9,984 shares in the company, valued at $533,844.48. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 6.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Charles Schwab Trading Down 1.4 % Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Raymond James upgraded shares of Charles Schwab from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $63.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, May 15th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Charles Schwab from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Monday, May 29th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $86.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $83.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Charles Schwab currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $67.19. SCHW stock traded down $0.76 during trading on Thursday, hitting $53.21. The company had a trading volume of 1,413,551 shares, compared to its average volume of 19,958,924. The firm has a market capitalization of $94.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.75, a PEG ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.88. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 52-week low of $45.00 and a 52-week high of $86.63. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $52.31 and a 200-day simple moving average of $65.83. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $5.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 34.82% and a return on equity of 27.83%. The firms revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.77 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Charles Schwab Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 12th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 11th. Charles Schwabs payout ratio is 27.32%. Charles Schwab Company Profile (Get Rating) The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Charles Schwab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles Schwab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Delta Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO Get Rating) by 19.3% in the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,460 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 560 shares during the quarter. Delta Capital Management LLCs holdings in Southern were worth $241,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Prudential PLC grew its stake in shares of Southern by 23.4% in the 1st quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 19,438 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,409,000 after purchasing an additional 3,689 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in shares of Southern by 33.5% during the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,727 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 433 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd grew its position in Southern by 63.0% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,902 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $138,000 after buying an additional 735 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Southern by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 49,925 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $3,621,000 after buying an additional 221 shares during the period. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in Southern by 35.8% during the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 907,132 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $65,776,000 after buying an additional 239,325 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.25% of the companys stock. Get Southern alerts: Southern Price Performance Shares of NYSE:SO traded up $0.02 during trading on Thursday, hitting $71.66. 248,023 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,224,222. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $71.91 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $69.61. The company has a market cap of $78.14 billion, a PE ratio of 23.11, a P/E/G ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a current ratio of 0.69, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51. The Southern Company has a 12-month low of $58.85 and a 12-month high of $80.57. Southern Increases Dividend Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.08. Southern had a net margin of 11.53% and a return on equity of 10.78%. The business had revenue of $6.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.97 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that The Southern Company will post 3.61 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th were issued a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.91%. This is a boost from Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 12th. Southerns payout ratio is 90.32%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth SO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Southern from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Southern from $73.00 to $79.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Southern from $73.00 to $69.00 in a report on Thursday, June 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on Southern in a report on Wednesday, June 7th. They issued a buy rating and a $80.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price objective on Southern from $77.00 to $76.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 16th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Southern presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $74.07. Insider Activity In related news, EVP Martin Bernard Davis sold 1,435 shares of Southern stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $69.99, for a total transaction of $100,435.65. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 74,246 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,196,477.54. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, EVP Bryan D. Anderson sold 9,491 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.03, for a total transaction of $712,109.73. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 36,119 shares in the company, valued at $2,710,008.57. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Martin Bernard Davis sold 1,435 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $69.99, for a total value of $100,435.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 74,246 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,196,477.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 205,678 shares of company stock worth $14,888,271 over the last three months. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Southern Profile (Get Rating) The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It operates through three segments: Gas Distribution Operations, Gas Pipeline Investments, and Gas Marketing Services. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Southern Company (NYSE:SO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Eagle Capital Management LLC lowered its position in shares of American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK Get Rating) by 2.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 34,618 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 733 shares during the period. American Water Works comprises about 3.3% of Eagle Capital Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th biggest holding. Eagle Capital Management LLCs holdings in American Water Works were worth $5,071,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Clear Street Markets LLC purchased a new stake in American Water Works during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in American Water Works during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Spirit of America Management Corp NY purchased a new stake in American Water Works during the 1st quarter valued at $29,000. Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC bought a new position in American Water Works in the 4th quarter worth $31,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of American Water Works by 296.6% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 234 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 175 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.05% of the companys stock. Get American Water Works alerts: American Water Works Stock Down 0.4 % American Water Works stock traded down $0.60 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $148.04. The stock had a trading volume of 219,399 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,037,777. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $146.96 and its 200-day moving average price is $148.78. American Water Works Company, Inc. has a 12-month low of $122.77 and a 12-month high of $162.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. The stock has a market capitalization of $28.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.80 and a beta of 0.58. American Water Works Increases Dividend American Water Works ( NYSE:AWK Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.91 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.92 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $938.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $903.84 million. American Water Works had a net margin of 21.40% and a return on equity of 10.22%. American Water Workss revenue was up 11.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.87 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that American Water Works Company, Inc. will post 4.77 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 9th were given a dividend of $0.7075 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 8th. This represents a $2.83 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.91%. This is an increase from American Water Workss previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. American Water Workss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.20%. Insider Activity at American Water Works In other news, Director Michael Marberry purchased 1,400 shares of American Water Works stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 18th. The stock was bought at an average price of $142.35 per share, with a total value of $199,290.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,673 shares of the companys stock, valued at $522,851.55. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.08% of the stock is owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In AWK has been the subject of a number of research reports. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of American Water Works from $134.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Monday, April 24th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of American Water Works in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of American Water Works in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $156.00. American Water Works Company Profile (Get Rating) American Water Works Company, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides water and wastewater services in the United States. It offers water and wastewater services to approximately 1,600 communities in 14 states serving approximately 3.4 million active customers. The company serves residential customers; commercial customers, including food and beverage providers, commercial property developers and proprietors, and energy suppliers; fire service and private fire customers; industrial customers, such as large-scale manufacturers, mining, and production operations; public authorities comprising government buildings and other public sector facilities, such as schools and universities; and other utilities and community water and wastewater systems. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AWK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Water Works Company, Inc. (NYSE:AWK Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for American Water Works Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Water Works and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO lowered its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Rating) by 20.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,024 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,854 shares during the period. Eli Lilly and Company comprises 2.6% of Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust COs holdings, making the stock its 5th largest position. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust COs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $5,160,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 1st quarter valued at $107,000. Roundview Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 2,056 shares of the companys stock valued at $589,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Merit Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 1st quarter valued at $210,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 9.9% in the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 53,052 shares of the companys stock worth $15,193,000 after acquiring an additional 4,774 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Barometer Capital Management Inc. bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 1st quarter worth about $561,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.25% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 1.5 % Shares of NYSE LLY traded up $6.78 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $459.78. 829,516 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,079,079. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.30. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52 week low of $296.32 and a 52 week high of $462.26. The company has a market cap of $436.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 72.02, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.36. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $422.25 and a 200-day moving average price of $372.62. Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend Eli Lilly and Company ( NYSE:LLY Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.11). Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 20.54% and a return on equity of 61.42%. The firm had revenue of $6.96 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.87 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.62 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 8.79 EPS for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 9th. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th were given a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 12th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.98%. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio is presently 71.86%. Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company In other Eli Lilly and Company news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total transaction of $261,174.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,978 shares in the company, valued at $2,602,163.62. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 34,156 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $454.08, for a total value of $15,509,556.48. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 101,387,286 shares of the companys stock, valued at $46,037,938,826.88. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction on Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total value of $261,174.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,602,163.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,372,761 shares of company stock worth $528,560,900. 0.13% of the stock is owned by insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $430.00 to $505.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. 3M reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Friday, April 28th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $447.00 to $498.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 24th. Guggenheim dropped their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $395.00 to $392.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Eli Lilly and Company from $430.00 to $475.00 in a report on Thursday, May 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $431.00. Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile (Get Rating) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. EnerSys (NYSE:ENS Get Rating) updated its FY 2027 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided EPS guidance of $11.00-$13.00 for the period. The company issued revenue guidance of -. EnerSys Price Performance NYSE ENS opened at $103.65 on Thursday. EnerSys has a 12 month low of $55.60 and a 12 month high of $107.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.24 billion, a PE ratio of 24.33, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 1.35. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $91.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $85.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65, a current ratio of 2.64 and a quick ratio of 1.53. Get EnerSys alerts: EnerSys (NYSE:ENS Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 25th. The industrial products company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.44. EnerSys had a return on equity of 14.75% and a net margin of 4.74%. The firm had revenue of $990.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $953.05 million. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.20 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 9.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that EnerSys will post 6.84 EPS for the current fiscal year. EnerSys Announces Dividend Wall Street Analyst Weigh In The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 16th will be given a $0.175 dividend. This represents a $0.70 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 15th. EnerSyss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 16.43%. ENS has been the subject of several research reports. BTIG Research raised their price objective on shares of EnerSys from $100.00 to $125.00 in a research report on Friday, June 16th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of EnerSys in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on EnerSys from $110.00 to $119.00 in a report on Friday, June 16th. Insider Activity In related news, insider Andrew M. Zogby sold 10,537 shares of EnerSys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.21, for a total value of $1,098,060.77. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 20,495 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,135,783.95. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 1.78% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Trading of EnerSys Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of EnerSys in the first quarter worth $238,000. Vident Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in EnerSys during the 4th quarter worth about $231,000. Verition Fund Management LLC acquired a new stake in EnerSys during the 2nd quarter worth about $225,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in EnerSys during the 1st quarter valued at about $224,000. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of EnerSys in the 1st quarter valued at about $212,000. 94.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About EnerSys (Get Rating) EnerSys provides various stored energy solutions for industrial applications worldwide. It operates in three segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, and Specialty. The company offers uninterruptible power systems applications for computer and computer-controlled systems, as well as telecommunications systems; switchgear and electrical control systems used in industrial facilities and electric utilities, large-scale energy storage, and energy pipelines; integrated power solutions and services to broadband, telecom, renewable, and industrial customers; and thermally managed cabinets and enclosures for electronic equipment and batteries. See Also Receive News & Ratings for EnerSys Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EnerSys and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Interfax-Ukraine to host press conference 'Citizens' Assessment of Situation in Country, Trust in Social Institutions, Politicians, Officials and Public Figures' On Tuesday, June 27, at 11.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a presentation of a sociological study of the Rating group, commissioned by the National Platform for Sustainability and Cohesion entitled "Sustainability during war and in post-war period: what Ukrainians rely on". The survey was conducted on June 6-11, 2023 by the CATI method (telephone interviews) among the population of Ukraine aged 18 years and older throughout the territory, with the exception of the temporarily occupied Crimea and Donbas, 1,200 respondents were interviewed. Participants include co-founder of the National Platform for Sustainability and Cohesion Yulia Tyshchenko; political expert, co-founder of the National Platform for Sustainability and Cohesion Oleh Sahakyan; co-founder of the National Platform for Sustainability and Cohesion Volodymyr Lupatsky; expert of the National Platform for Sustainability and Cohesion Yulia Kaplan; director of the sociological group Rating Oleksiy Antipovych (8/5a Reitarska Street). The broadcast will be available on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. Admission of journalists by phone: (097) 988 9141 or at: natplatformdialogue@gmail.com. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA lowered its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Rating) by 6.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 826 shares of the companys stock after selling 60 shares during the quarter. Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PAs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $284,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $3,416,206,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 102,752.2% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,446,026 shares of the companys stock worth $1,992,374,000 after purchasing an additional 5,440,731 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 21.6% in the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 24,839,322 shares of the companys stock worth $8,048,338,000 after purchasing an additional 4,412,664 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 44.1% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 12,059,204 shares of the companys stock worth $4,411,740,000 after purchasing an additional 3,691,436 shares during the period. Finally, T. Rowe Price Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Eli Lilly and Company in the 4th quarter worth approximately $445,944,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.25% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Eli Lilly and Company Stock Performance LLY stock opened at $453.00 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67. The firm has a market cap of $430.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 72.02, a PEG ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.36. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $422.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $372.62. Eli Lilly and Company has a twelve month low of $296.32 and a twelve month high of $456.98. Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement Eli Lilly and Company ( NYSE:LLY Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.73 by ($0.11). The business had revenue of $6.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.87 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 61.42% and a net margin of 20.54%. Eli Lilly and Companys revenue was down 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.62 EPS. Analysts predict that Eli Lilly and Company will post 8.79 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th were paid a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 12th. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is 71.86%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have weighed in on LLY. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $432.00 to $485.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Berenberg Bank upped their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $375.00 to $500.00 in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $370.00 to $360.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 3rd. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $447.00 to $498.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, May 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $431.00. Insider Transactions at Eli Lilly and Company In other news, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total value of $261,174.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,978 shares in the company, valued at $2,602,163.62. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP Johna Norton sold 1,647 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $444.29, for a total transaction of $731,745.63. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 31,761 shares in the company, valued at $14,111,094.69. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Donald A. Zakrowski sold 600 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $435.29, for a total value of $261,174.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,602,163.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 1,372,761 shares of company stock worth $528,560,900 over the last three months. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. About Eli Lilly and Company (Get Rating) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Fresnillo plc (LON:FRES Get Rating) have been given an average rating of Reduce by the eight analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation and six have assigned a hold recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 735 ($9.40). Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on FRES shares. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 690 ($8.83) to GBX 620 ($7.93) and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Peel Hunt reaffirmed a hold rating and set a GBX 800 ($10.24) target price on shares of Fresnillo in a research note on Tuesday, March 7th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Fresnillo from GBX 700 ($8.96) to GBX 650 ($8.32) and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. Get Fresnillo alerts: Fresnillo Stock Down 2.2 % Shares of FRES traded down GBX 13.80 ($0.18) during trading hours on Thursday, hitting GBX 610.60 ($7.81). The company had a trading volume of 947,040 shares, compared to its average volume of 861,065. The stock has a market capitalization of 4.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,105.52, a P/E/G ratio of -1.58 and a beta of 0.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.64, a quick ratio of 3.28 and a current ratio of 2.82. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 696.67 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 779.17. Fresnillo has a 52-week low of GBX 605 ($7.74) and a 52-week high of GBX 996.80 ($12.75). Fresnillo Company Profile Fresnillo plc mines, develops, and produces non-ferrous minerals in Mexico. It operates through seven segments: Fresnillo, Saucito, Cienega, Herradura, Noche Buena, San Julian, and Juanicipio. The company primarily explores for silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates. Its projects include the Fresnillo silver mine located in the state of Zacatecas; Saucito silver mine situated in the state of Zacatecas; Cienega gold mine located in the state of Durango; Herradura gold mine situated in the state of Sonora; Noche Buena gold mine located in the state of Sonora; San Julian silver-gold mine situated on the border of Chihuahua/Durango states; and Juanicipio mine located in the state of Zacatecas. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Fresnillo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fresnillo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gold Fields Limited (NYSE:GFI Get Rating) shares gapped down before the market opened on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $14.42, but opened at $14.04. Gold Fields shares last traded at $14.13, with a volume of 588,640 shares traded. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of brokerages recently issued reports on GFI. Investec lowered shares of Gold Fields from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Gold Fields from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, May 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Gold Fields from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a report on Friday, May 5th. Finally, HSBC lowered shares of Gold Fields from a hold rating to a reduce rating in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $11.50. Get Gold Fields alerts: Gold Fields Trading Down 2.3 % The company has a current ratio of 2.29, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The companys fifty day moving average is $15.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.76. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Gold Fields Gold Fields Company Profile Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Gold Fields by 48.6% during the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 3,091,029 shares of the companys stock worth $31,992,000 after buying an additional 1,010,805 shares during the period. Range Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Gold Fields during the 1st quarter worth $1,604,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC increased its stake in Gold Fields by 22.5% during the 3rd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 10,593,784 shares of the companys stock worth $85,704,000 after buying an additional 1,947,700 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its stake in Gold Fields by 6.3% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 2,350,800 shares of the companys stock worth $24,331,000 after buying an additional 139,400 shares during the period. Finally, O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Gold Fields during the 4th quarter worth $180,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 23.58% of the companys stock. (Get Rating) Gold Fields Ltd. is a gold mining company, which engages in the production of gold and operation of mines. Its operating mines are located in Australia, Ghana, Peru, and South Africa. The company was founded on May 03, 1968 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Gold Fields Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gold Fields and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Grandview Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Get Rating) by 14.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 46,857 shares of the semiconductor producers stock after buying an additional 5,863 shares during the period. STMicroelectronics accounts for approximately 1.5% of Grandview Asset Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest holding. Grandview Asset Management LLCs holdings in STMicroelectronics were worth $2,506,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Van ECK Associates Corp raised its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 4,411,591 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $156,921,000 after acquiring an additional 180,783 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in STMicroelectronics by 9.9% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 3,530,155 shares of the semiconductor producers stock valued at $152,573,000 after purchasing an additional 318,347 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its stake in STMicroelectronics by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 2,857,566 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $128,133,000 after buying an additional 83,859 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of STMicroelectronics by 63.6% in the 4th quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 2,449,870 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $87,142,000 after buying an additional 952,720 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP purchased a new stake in shares of STMicroelectronics during the 4th quarter valued at $44,110,000. 6.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get STMicroelectronics alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have recently weighed in on STM. Susquehanna lowered their price objective on shares of STMicroelectronics from 55.00 to 54.00 in a research report on Sunday, May 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of STMicroelectronics from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $54.22. STMicroelectronics Trading Up 0.2 % Shares of STM stock traded up $0.08 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $47.78. The stock had a trading volume of 439,444 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,615,948. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $45.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $45.06. STMicroelectronics has a 52-week low of $28.35 and a 52-week high of $53.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.40 billion, a PE ratio of 10.60, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a current ratio of 2.58, a quick ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The semiconductor producer reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.97 by $0.13. STMicroelectronics had a return on equity of 35.62% and a net margin of 25.30%. The firm had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.19 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.79 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that STMicroelectronics will post 4.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. STMicroelectronics Profile (Get Rating) STMicroelectronics N.V., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Automotive and Discrete Group; Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group; and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group segments. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding STM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for STMicroelectronics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for STMicroelectronics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE:GTN.A Get Rating) saw strong trading volume on Thursday . 4,655 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 137% from the previous sessions volume of 1,967 shares.The stock last traded at $8.45 and had previously closed at $8.32. Gray Television Price Performance The company has a market cap of $804.78 million, a P/E ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $8.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $9.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.98, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.27. Get Gray Television alerts: Gray Television (NYSE:GTN.A Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Friday, May 5th. The company reported ($0.48) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Gray Television had a net margin of 9.92% and a return on equity of 18.22%. The firm had revenue of $801.00 million during the quarter. Gray Television Announces Dividend Gray Television Company Profile The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.79%. Gray Televisions dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.58%. (Get Rating) Gray Television, Inc, a television broadcast company, owns and operates television stations and digital assets in the United States. As of February 28, 2019, it owned and operated television stations in 91 television markets broadcasting approximately 400 program streams, including approximately 150 channels affiliated with the CBS Network, the NBC Network, the ABC Network, and the FOX Network. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Gray Television Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gray Television and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk (OTCMKTS:PBCRF Get Rating) is one of 231 publicly-traded companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its rivals? We will compare PT Bank Central Asia Tbk to similar businesses based on the strength of its institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, valuation, risk and profitability. Earnings & Valuation This table compares PT Bank Central Asia Tbk and its rivals revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Get PT Bank Central Asia Tbk alerts: Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio PT Bank Central Asia Tbk N/A N/A 0.00 PT Bank Central Asia Tbk Competitors $3.25 billion $758.51 million 305.92 PT Bank Central Asia Tbks rivals have higher revenue and earnings than PT Bank Central Asia Tbk. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Analyst Ratings Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score PT Bank Central Asia Tbk 1 1 0 0 1.50 PT Bank Central Asia Tbk Competitors 1023 2969 2898 17 2.28 This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for PT Bank Central Asia Tbk and its rivals, as reported by MarketBeat. As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 503.75%. Given PT Bank Central Asia Tbks rivals stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe PT Bank Central Asia Tbk has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals. Dividends PT Bank Central Asia Tbk pays an annual dividend of $98.25 per share and has a dividend yield of 16,172.8%. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk pays out 15.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 9.9% and pay out 15.9% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk is clearly a better dividend stock than its rivals, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. Insider and Institutional Ownership 11.2% of PT Bank Central Asia Tbk shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 30.6% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by institutional investors. 15.1% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Profitability This table compares PT Bank Central Asia Tbk and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets PT Bank Central Asia Tbk N/A N/A N/A PT Bank Central Asia Tbk Competitors 35.04% 10.24% 0.89% Summary PT Bank Central Asia Tbk rivals beat PT Bank Central Asia Tbk on 11 of the 13 factors compared. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk Company Profile (Get Rating) PT Bank Central Asia Tbk, together with its subsidiaries, provides banking products and services to individual, corporate, and small and medium enterprise customers in Indonesia and internationally. It offers savings accounts; motorcycle financing, as well as car, housing, working capital, and investment loans; mutual funds and bonds; electronic money services; credit cards; business collection services; and home and eBanking, remittance, and customer services. The company also provides investment financing, working capital financing, auto and multipurpose financing, operating lease, other financing activities, money lending and remittance, securities brokerage dealing and securities issuance underwriting, general or loss insurance, life insurance, Sharia banking, and venture capital services. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Jakarta, Indonesia. PT Bank Central Asia Tbk is a subsidiary of PT Dwimuria Investama Andalan. Receive News & Ratings for PT Bank Central Asia Tbk Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PT Bank Central Asia Tbk and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of International Tower Hill Mines (NYSEAMERICAN:THM Get Rating) (TSE:ITH) in a research note published on Monday morning. The firm issued a sell rating on the mining companys stock. International Tower Hill Mines Trading Up 1.2 % Shares of THM opened at $0.43 on Monday. International Tower Hill Mines has a 12 month low of $0.38 and a 12 month high of $0.75. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $0.50 and a 200-day moving average price of $0.52. The firm has a market cap of $83.81 million, a PE ratio of -21.50 and a beta of 0.70. Get International Tower Hill Mines alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On International Tower Hill Mines A hedge fund recently raised its stake in International Tower Hill Mines stock. Virtu Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:THM Get Rating) (TSE:ITH) by 314.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 61,808 shares of the mining companys stock after purchasing an additional 46,910 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLCs holdings in International Tower Hill Mines were worth $26,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. 55.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About International Tower Hill Mines International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. is a mineral exploration company, which engages in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. It holds the right to acquire interest in an advanced stage exploration project in Alaska, known as the Livengood Gold Project. The company was founded by Jeffrey A. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for International Tower Hill Mines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for International Tower Hill Mines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Trinity Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV Get Rating) by 4.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 145,690 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 5,702 shares during the period. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF accounts for approximately 7.0% of Trinity Wealth Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Trinity Wealth Management LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF were worth $10,598,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 140,054.1% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 10,961,456 shares of the companys stock valued at $790,321,000 after purchasing an additional 10,953,635 shares during the last quarter. Allstate Investment Management Co. acquired a new position in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $308,588,000. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 844.3% in the 3rd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 3,858,878 shares of the companys stock valued at $255,072,000 after purchasing an additional 3,450,227 shares during the last quarter. Alaska Permanent Fund Corp acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $234,835,000. Finally, BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 17.3% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 12,988,250 shares of the companys stock worth $858,523,000 after acquiring an additional 1,917,457 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Stock Performance Shares of USMV stock opened at $73.32 on Thursday. The firms 50 day moving average price is $72.99 and its 200-day moving average price is $72.53. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF has a one year low of $47.44 and a one year high of $55.45. The firm has a market cap of $29.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.17 and a beta of 0.75. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Company Profile The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed firms selected and weighted to create a low-volatility portfolio subject to various constraints. USMV was launched on Oct 18, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding USMV? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ONE Advisory Partners LLC lessened its position in shares of iShares S&P 100 ETF (NYSEARCA:OEF Get Rating) by 3.2% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,158 shares of the companys stock after selling 238 shares during the quarter. iShares S&P 100 ETF makes up about 0.8% of ONE Advisory Partners LLCs holdings, making the stock its 19th largest position. ONE Advisory Partners LLCs holdings in iShares S&P 100 ETF were worth $1,339,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Concord Wealth Partners acquired a new position in iShares S&P 100 ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Baystate Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in iShares S&P 100 ETF by 101.1% in the 4th quarter. Baystate Wealth Management LLC now owns 181 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. JDM Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in iShares S&P 100 ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Coston McIsaac & Partners acquired a new position in iShares S&P 100 ETF in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Signature Securities Group Corporation acquired a new position in iShares S&P 100 ETF in the 3rd quarter valued at about $55,000. Get iShares S&P 100 ETF alerts: iShares S&P 100 ETF Trading Down 0.8 % Shares of OEF stock opened at $203.47 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $194.21 and a 200 day moving average price of $184.14. iShares S&P 100 ETF has a twelve month low of $157.57 and a twelve month high of $207.93. The company has a market capitalization of $8.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.54 and a beta of 0.99. iShares S&P 100 ETF Profile iShares S&P 100 ETF, formerly iShares S&P 100 Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P 100 Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the large-capitalization sector of the United States equity market and consists of blue chip stocks from diverse industries in the S&P 500 Index. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OEF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares S&P 100 ETF (NYSEARCA:OEF Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares S&P 100 ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares S&P 100 ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lennar (NYSE:LEN Get Rating) issued an update on its third quarter 2023 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $3.35-$3.50 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.68. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Lennar Stock Performance Lennar stock traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $121.64. The stock had a trading volume of 2,520,615 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,246,701. The company has a 50-day moving average of $112.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $102.84. The company has a market cap of $35.20 billion, a PE ratio of 8.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.44. Lennar has a fifty-two week low of $64.51 and a fifty-two week high of $123.06. The company has a quick ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 7.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. Get Lennar alerts: Lennar Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, May 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 26th were issued a dividend of $0.375 per share. This represents a $1.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.23%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 25th. Lennars payout ratio is 10.24%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Insider Transactions at Lennar LEN has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JMP Securities raised their price objective on shares of Lennar from $115.00 to $135.00 in a report on Friday, June 16th. StockNews.com lowered Lennar from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, June 16th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Lennar from $153.00 to $161.00 in a research note on Friday, June 16th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Lennar from $76.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an underperform rating in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price objective on shares of Lennar from $103.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 14th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Lennar has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $121.53. In other news, CFO Diane J. Bessette sold 9,289 shares of Lennar stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.16, for a total transaction of $958,253.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 9.53% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lennar Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. First Trust Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Lennar by 551.1% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,824,684 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $191,793,000 after purchasing an additional 1,544,432 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of Lennar by 25.6% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 838,479 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $88,134,000 after purchasing an additional 171,065 shares during the period. Prudential Financial Inc. grew its position in shares of Lennar by 65.5% in the 1st quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 790,021 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $64,127,000 after purchasing an additional 312,595 shares during the period. Bamco Inc. NY grew its position in shares of Lennar by 77.3% in the 4th quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 535,325 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $48,447,000 after purchasing an additional 233,455 shares during the period. Finally, National Pension Service grew its position in shares of Lennar by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. National Pension Service now owns 457,801 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $37,160,000 after purchasing an additional 13,101 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.69% of the companys stock. Lennar Company Profile (Get Rating) Lennar Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a homebuilder primarily under the Lennar brand in the United States. It operates through Homebuilding East, Homebuilding Central, Homebuilding Texas, Homebuilding West, Financial Services, Multifamily, and Lennar Other segments. The company's homebuilding operations include the construction and sale of single-family attached and detached homes, as well as the purchase, development, and sale of residential land; and development, construction, and management of multifamily rental properties. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Lennar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lennar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Over the past year, the British Embassy in Baku has helped British exporters close more than 200 million worth of deals in non-energy sectors, including retail, maritime transport, technology, mine clearance, agriculture and healthcare, British Ambassador to Azerbaijan Fergus Auld said. He made the remarks at an event dedicated to the national holiday of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - the birthday of King Charles III, Trend reports. "There are some innovations that we are now waiting for, for example, Azerbaijan's approval of the first National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security. We also organized our first British Ambassador for a Day competition, and the winner of this competition, Jahan Agayeva, was able, with my help, to get acquainted with the activities of the embassy," he said. Lion Street Advisors LLC lessened its position in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM Get Rating) by 27.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,465 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,879 shares during the quarter. Lion Street Advisors LLCs holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland were worth $834,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ADM. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 71.9% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 18,699 shares of the companys stock worth $1,688,000 after purchasing an additional 7,821 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 1st quarter valued at $277,000. Brighton Jones LLC acquired a new stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 1st quarter valued at $226,000. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. boosted its stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 22.0% in the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 31,004 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,798,000 after buying an additional 5,586 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 2.1% in the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 459,907 shares of the companys stock valued at $41,512,000 after buying an additional 9,327 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.13% of the companys stock. Get Archer-Daniels-Midland alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades ADM has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They issued an outperform rating and a $100.00 price target on the stock. 92 Resources reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Roth Mkm initiated coverage on Archer-Daniels-Midland in a research report on Thursday. They issued a buy rating and a $92.00 price objective for the company. Barclays cut their price objective on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $99.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Thursday, June 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $94.00 to $85.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Archer-Daniels-Midland has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $99.50. Archer-Daniels-Midland Trading Down 0.8 % ADM stock opened at $73.46 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $40.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.22, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.81. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company has a twelve month low of $69.92 and a twelve month high of $98.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The business has a fifty day moving average of $75.27 and a 200-day moving average of $81.06. Archer-Daniels-Midland (NYSE:ADM Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $2.09 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.71 by $0.38. The company had revenue of $24.07 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $24.09 billion. Archer-Daniels-Midland had a return on equity of 18.39% and a net margin of 4.36%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.90 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Archer-Daniels-Midland Company will post 6.84 EPS for the current year. Archer-Daniels-Midland Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 17th were issued a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 16th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.45%. Archer-Daniels-Midlands dividend payout ratio is presently 22.58%. About Archer-Daniels-Midland (Get Rating) Archer-Daniels-Midland Company procures, transports, stores, processes, and merchandises agricultural commodities, products, and ingredients in the United States, Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, and Nutrition. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ADM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Archer-Daniels-Midland Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Archer-Daniels-Midland and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lundin Mining (TSE:LUN Get Rating) had its price target hoisted by equities research analysts at Morgan Stanley from C$10.60 to C$12.70 in a report issued on Thursday, BayStreet.CA reports. Morgan Stanleys price target suggests a potential upside of 19.03% from the companys current price. LUN has been the subject of several other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Lundin Mining from C$8.50 to C$8.10 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. TD Securities upgraded Lundin Mining from a hold rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from C$11.00 to C$11.50 in a research note on Friday, June 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus set a C$13.00 price target on Lundin Mining and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 19th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Lundin Mining from C$16.00 to C$17.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, National Bank Financial raised Lundin Mining from an underperform overweight rating to a sector perform overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lundin Mining has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of C$14.10. Get Lundin Mining alerts: Lundin Mining Stock Performance LUN traded down C$0.06 during trading on Thursday, reaching C$10.67. 481,995 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,061,096. Lundin Mining has a fifty-two week low of C$6.24 and a fifty-two week high of C$11.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.86. The business has a 50 day moving average price of C$10.39 and a 200 day moving average price of C$9.36. The company has a market capitalization of C$8.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.78, a PEG ratio of -0.26 and a beta of 1.73. About Lundin Mining Lundin Mining ( TSE:LUN Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 3rd. The mining company reported C$0.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$0.28 by C($0.06). Lundin Mining had a net margin of 8.15% and a return on equity of 4.64%. The company had revenue of C$1.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$1.02 billion. As a group, analysts predict that Lundin Mining will post 0.8037453 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. (Get Rating) Lundin Mining Corporation, a diversified base metals mining company, engages in the exploration, development, and mining of mineral properties in Brazil, Chile, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States. It primarily produces copper, zinc, nickel, and gold, as well as lead, silver, and other metals. The company holds 100% interests in the Chapada mine located in Brazil; the Neves-Corvo mine located in Portugal; the Eagle mine located in the United States; and the Zinkgruvan mine located in Sweden. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Lundin Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lundin Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mandalay Resources Co. (OTCMKTS:MNDJF Get Rating) shares shot up 3.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as C$1.29 and last traded at C$1.29. 3,400 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 33% from the average session volume of 2,565 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$1.25. Mandalay Resources Price Performance The firms fifty day moving average is C$1.68 and its 200-day moving average is C$1.84. Mandalay Resources Company Profile (Get Rating) Mandalay Resources Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, extraction, processing, and reclamation of mineral properties in Canada, Australia, Sweden, and Chile. It explores for gold, silver, and antimony deposits. The company primarily holds 100% interests in the Costerfield gold-antimony mine located in Australia, and the Bjorkdal gold mine located in Sweden. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Mandalay Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mandalay Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mongolia Growth Group Ltd. (CVE:YAK Get Rating)s share price traded down 3.3% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as C$1.19 and last traded at C$1.19. 2,400 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 80% from the average session volume of 11,932 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$1.23. Mongolia Growth Group Price Performance The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The firm has a market cap of C$32.50 million, a P/E ratio of 119.00 and a beta of 0.70. The business has a fifty day moving average of C$1.25 and a 200 day moving average of C$1.40. About Mongolia Growth Group (Get Rating) Mongolia Growth Group Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides property management, leasing, renovation, and development services in Mongolia. The company operates through three segments: Investment Property Operations, Corporate, and Subscription Products. Its investment portfolio consists of office, retail, land and redevelopment, and commercial and residential properties. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Mongolia Growth Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mongolia Growth Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. National Bank of Canada FI trimmed its stake in iShares China Large-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:FXI Get Rating) by 21.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,952,515 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 797,952 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FIs holdings in iShares China Large-Cap ETF were worth $87,169,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of iShares China Large-Cap ETF by 62.4% in the 4th quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 47,817 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,353,000 after purchasing an additional 18,364 shares during the period. Texas Yale Capital Corp. purchased a new position in iShares China Large-Cap ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $353,000. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in iShares China Large-Cap ETF during the 4th quarter valued at about $251,000. Millburn Ridgefield Corp lifted its position in iShares China Large-Cap ETF by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Millburn Ridgefield Corp now owns 549,939 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $15,563,000 after acquiring an additional 39,786 shares during the period. Finally, CI Investments Inc. lifted its position in iShares China Large-Cap ETF by 335.0% during the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 2,465,589 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $63,760,000 after acquiring an additional 1,898,841 shares during the period. Get iShares China Large-Cap ETF alerts: iShares China Large-Cap ETF Price Performance Shares of NYSEARCA FXI opened at $27.50 on Thursday. iShares China Large-Cap ETF has a 1 year low of $20.87 and a 1 year high of $34.83. The stock has a market cap of $5.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.27 and a beta of 0.44. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $28.02 and a 200 day moving average of $29.04. About iShares China Large-Cap ETF iShares China Large-Cap ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the FTSE China 25 Index (the Underlying Index). The Funds portfolio of sectors include Financials, Telecommunication, Oil & gas, Technology and Consumer goods. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FXI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares China Large-Cap ETF (NYSEARCA:FXI Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for iShares China Large-Cap ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares China Large-Cap ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nevsun Resources (NYSEAMERICAN:NSU Get Rating)s share price was down 0.2% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $4.44 and last traded at $4.44. Approximately 25,500 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 71% from the average daily volume of 87,058 shares. The stock had previously closed at $4.45. Nevsun Resources Trading Down 0.2 % Nevsun Resources Company Profile (Get Rating) Nevsun Resources Ltd. engages in the mining and development of mineral properties in Europe, Africa, and North America. It explores for gold, copper, zinc, and silver deposits. The company's principal assets include Timok project, a copper-gold development project in Serbia; and Bisha copper- zinc mine in Eritrea. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Nevsun Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nevsun Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF (BATS:NULV Get Rating) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $34.28 and last traded at $34.13, with a volume of 121224 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $34.47. Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF Stock Performance The company has a 50-day moving average of $33.77 and a 200-day moving average of $34.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.72 and a beta of 0.92. Get Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF alerts: Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. EP Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF during the 1st quarter worth approximately $233,000. Ameriprise Financial Inc. boosted its position in Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF by 8.9% during the 1st quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 509,997 shares of the companys stock worth $17,393,000 after acquiring an additional 41,885 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF by 45.7% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,637,982 shares of the companys stock worth $89,877,000 after acquiring an additional 827,324 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC boosted its position in Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF by 9.5% during the 1st quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 162,196 shares of the companys stock worth $5,526,000 after acquiring an additional 14,042 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its position in Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF by 14.7% during the 1st quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 1,069,258 shares of the companys stock worth $36,093,000 after acquiring an additional 136,891 shares during the last quarter. About Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF The Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF (NULV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI TIAA ESG USA Large Cap Value index. The fund tracks an index of US large-cap value stocks that score highly on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. The fund is weighted using a multi-factor optimizer. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund (NYSE:NAN Get Rating) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $10.88 and traded as low as $10.73. Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund shares last traded at $10.74, with a volume of 33,761 shares trading hands. Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund Price Performance The firms 50-day moving average price is $10.82 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.88. Get Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund alerts: Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a $0.0375 dividend. This represents a $0.45 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.21%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund Company Profile Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NAN. Adirondack Trust Co. purchased a new position in Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund during the first quarter valued at approximately $32,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC purchased a new position in Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund during the first quarter valued at approximately $74,000. Dakota Wealth Management purchased a new position in Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund in the 4th quarter worth approximately $113,000. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC grew its stake in Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund by 10.1% in the 2nd quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 11,108 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $130,000 after buying an additional 1,022 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisor Group Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund by 14.3% in the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 11,465 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $145,000 after buying an additional 1,433 shares in the last quarter. (Get Rating) Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc The fund is co-managed by Nuveen Fund Advisors LLC and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of New York. The fund invests in municipal bonds, with a rating of Baa or higher. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nuveen New York Quality Municipal Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR Get Rating) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, April 21st, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 26th will be given a dividend of 0.475 per share by the utilities provider on Monday, July 17th. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.97%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 23rd. This is an increase from Portland General Electrics previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Portland General Electric has increased its dividend payment by an average of 5.6% annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 17 years. Portland General Electric has a dividend payout ratio of 62.1% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities analysts expect Portland General Electric to earn $3.08 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.90 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 61.7%. Get Portland General Electric alerts: Portland General Electric Price Performance POR stock opened at $47.90 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 1.02. Portland General Electric has a 52 week low of $41.58 and a 52 week high of $56.37. The firms fifty day moving average is $49.76 and its 200 day moving average is $48.76. The firm has a market cap of $4.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.54, a P/E/G ratio of 3.14 and a beta of 0.58. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Portland General Electric ( NYSE:POR Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The utilities provider reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.01. Portland General Electric had a net margin of 8.88% and a return on equity of 9.06%. The company had revenue of $748.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $622.50 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.67 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 19.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Portland General Electric will post 2.68 earnings per share for the current year. POR has been the topic of several recent research reports. Guggenheim lowered shares of Portland General Electric from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday. StockNews.com raised shares of Portland General Electric from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, June 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a report on Monday, May 8th. They issued an overweight rating and a $56.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Portland General Electric from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the stock from $47.00 to $52.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Portland General Electric has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $50.57. Insider Transactions at Portland General Electric In other news, VP John Teeruk Kochavatr sold 3,000 shares of Portland General Electric stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.12, for a total value of $153,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 15,489 shares in the company, valued at $791,797.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.51% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Portland General Electric Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Portland General Electric by 8.1% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 11,268,761 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $489,739,000 after buying an additional 848,958 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 21.8% in the first quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 6,067,961 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $334,647,000 after purchasing an additional 1,087,996 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 1.4% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,386,966 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $148,730,000 after purchasing an additional 47,399 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 7.8% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 3,163,031 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $154,641,000 after purchasing an additional 228,283 shares during the period. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Portland General Electric by 3.5% in the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,750,551 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $85,584,000 after purchasing an additional 59,826 shares during the period. About Portland General Electric (Get Rating) Portland General Electric Company, an integrated electric utility company, engages in the generation, wholesale purchase, transmission, distribution, and retail sale of electricity in the state of Oregon. It operates six thermal plants, three wind farms, and seven hydroelectric facilities. As of December 31, 2022, the company owned an electric transmission system consisting of 1,255 circuit miles, including 269 circuit miles of 500 kilovolt line, 413 circuit miles of 230 kilovolt line, and 573 miles of 115 kilovolt line; and served 926 thousand retail customers in 51 cities. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Portland General Electric Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Portland General Electric and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC raised its position in Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU Get Rating) by 9.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 40,622 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 3,490 shares during the quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLCs holdings in Prudential Financial were worth $3,361,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its holdings in Prudential Financial by 15.1% in the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 11,863 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,180,000 after purchasing an additional 1,553 shares during the last quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Prudential Financial by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 3,040 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $261,000 after purchasing an additional 630 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 13,379 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,331,000 after acquiring an additional 398 shares during the period. Pinebridge Investments L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Prudential Financial in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $123,000. Finally, Commerce Bank raised its stake in shares of Prudential Financial by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 13,182 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,311,000 after acquiring an additional 161 shares during the period. 55.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Prudential Financial alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on PRU shares. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Prudential Financial in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. 92 Resources reissued a maintains rating on shares of Prudential Financial in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on shares of Prudential Financial from $99.00 to $89.00 in a research note on Thursday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Prudential Financial from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and set a $114.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Finally, VNET Group reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of Prudential Financial in a research note on Monday, May 15th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $99.83. Prudential Financial Trading Up 0.4 % Shares of Prudential Financial stock opened at $85.39 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $83.33 and a 200-day simple moving average of $91.36. Prudential Financial, Inc. has a 12-month low of $75.37 and a 12-month high of $110.96. The company has a current ratio of 0.07, a quick ratio of 0.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The stock has a market cap of $31.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 948.78, a PEG ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.39. Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $2.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.02 by ($0.36). Prudential Financial had a net margin of 0.09% and a return on equity of 14.05%. The company had revenue of $15.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.17 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Prudential Financial, Inc. will post 11.93 EPS for the current fiscal year. Prudential Financial Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 23rd were issued a $1.25 dividend. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.86%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 22nd. Prudential Financials payout ratio is 5,555.56%. Prudential Financial Company Profile (Get Rating) Prudential Financial, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through PGIM, Retirement Strategies, Group Insurance, Individual Annuities, Individual Life, Assurance IQ, and International Businesses segments. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Prudential Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Prudential Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The meeting of the UK-Azerbaijan intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation is expected to be held by the end of 2023, said Parviz Shahbazov, Azerbaijan's energy minister, Trend reports. He was speaking at an event in Baku dedicated to the national holiday of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - the birthday of King Charles III. "Azerbaijan intends to further develop relations with the UK. In this regard, the signing of an agreement on partnership and cooperation between the two countries as soon as possible is very important," said the minister. Shahbazov believes that holding a meeting of the intergovernmental commission will open up new opportunities for cooperation. The fifth session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission between the government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on economic cooperation was held in London last year. Discussions were held and mutual presentations were made on cooperation in the fields of energy transition, further improving the business environment and increasing investments, combating the mine threat, digital economy, infrastructure, health, education and agriculture. Detailed information was provided about the new investment opportunities, and the importance of the launch of the Azerbaijani-British Chamber of Commerce was noted. The necessity of accelerating the processes related to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the development of bilateral economic relations was emphasized. Grandview Asset Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX Get Rating) by 9.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,988 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 197 shares during the period. Grandview Asset Management LLCs holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $281,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. James Investment Research Inc. purchased a new stake in Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Sandy Spring Bank grew its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 100.0% in the 4th quarter. Sandy Spring Bank now owns 200 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Accurate Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Centerpoint Advisors LLC grew its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 100.8% in the 4th quarter. Centerpoint Advisors LLC now owns 241 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 121 shares during the period. Finally, CI Investments Inc. grew its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 73.1% during the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 322 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. 87.39% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Quest Diagnostics alerts: Quest Diagnostics Stock Down 0.1 % DGX stock traded down $0.16 during trading on Thursday, reaching $138.50. The stock had a trading volume of 61,471 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,089,819. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 1-year low of $120.40 and a 1-year high of $158.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.34, a quick ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company has a market capitalization of $15.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.45 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $136.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $142.27. Quest Diagnostics Dividend Announcement Quest Diagnostics ( NYSE:DGX Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The medical research company reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.97 by $0.07. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 8.26% and a return on equity of 16.51%. The business had revenue of $2.33 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.20 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.22 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 10.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 8.73 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 11th will be given a dividend of $0.71 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 10th. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.05%. Quest Diagnosticss payout ratio is 41.89%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages have recently issued reports on DGX. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics from $170.00 to $160.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Mizuho reissued a buy rating and set a $165.00 price objective on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Citigroup raised shares of Quest Diagnostics from a sell rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $125.00 to $142.00 in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. Bank of America cut shares of Quest Diagnostics from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $166.00 to $148.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $151.20. Quest Diagnostics Company Profile (Get Rating) Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing, information, and services in the United States and internationally. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine testing, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DGX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Quest Diagnostics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Quest Diagnostics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Friendly Hills Bancorp (OTCMKTS:FHLB Get Rating) and First Republic Bank (OTCMKTS:FRCB Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations and valuation. Profitability This table compares Friendly Hills Bancorp and First Republic Banks net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Friendly Hills Bancorp alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Friendly Hills Bancorp -8.76% -4.00% -0.33% First Republic Bank 20.45% 11.26% 0.72% Risk & Volatility Friendly Hills Bancorp has a beta of 0.64, suggesting that its share price is 36% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Republic Bank has a beta of 1.02, suggesting that its share price is 2% more volatile than the S&P 500. Insider & Institutional Ownership Earnings and Valuation 59.1% of First Republic Bank shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.7% of First Republic Bank shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. This table compares Friendly Hills Bancorp and First Republic Banks top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Friendly Hills Bancorp $11.04 million 2.23 -$990,000.00 ($0.45) -16.67 First Republic Bank $6.75 billion 0.01 $1.67 billion 7.48 0.04 First Republic Bank has higher revenue and earnings than Friendly Hills Bancorp. Friendly Hills Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than First Republic Bank, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for Friendly Hills Bancorp and First Republic Bank, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Friendly Hills Bancorp 0 0 0 0 N/A First Republic Bank 0 0 0 0 N/A Summary First Republic Bank beats Friendly Hills Bancorp on 10 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks. About Friendly Hills Bancorp (Get Rating) Friendly Hills Bancorp operates as a bank holding company for First Pacific Bank that provides various financial and banking products and services. It offers deposit products, including checking, savings, money market, NOW, sweep, and individual retirement accounts, as well as term certificates of deposit. The company also provides loan products, such as real estate construction, 1-4 family, commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, consumer, business expansion, small business administration, automobile, and personal loans, as well as machinery, technology solutions, commercial vehicle, and equipment financing; working capital and lines of credit; letters of credit; home equity lines of credit; truck financing solutions for independent owner operators and small fleet owners; business credit cards; and overdraft services. In addition, it offers business, cash and treasury management, insured cash sweep, remote deposit capture, automated clearing house, courier, wire transfer, Positive Pay, specialty, and online and mobile banking services; automated teller machines; and debit and credit cards. The company serves small and middle-market businesses, and individuals located primarily in the Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino County areas of California. It operates through full-service branches located in Whittier, Santa Fe Springs, Orange, Redlands, and San Diego, California. Friendly Hills Bancorp was founded in 2006 and is based in Whittier, California. About First Republic Bank (Get Rating) First Republic Bank provides private banking, private business banking, and private wealth management services to clients in metropolitan areas in the United States. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Receive News & Ratings for Friendly Hills Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Friendly Hills Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tri Pointe Homes (NYSE:TPH Get Rating) and The Berkeley Group (OTCMKTS:BKGFF Get Rating) are both construction companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, risk, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations and valuation. Insider and Institutional Ownership 98.5% of Tri Pointe Homes shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 45.9% of The Berkeley Group shares are held by institutional investors. 2.0% of Tri Pointe Homes shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Get Tri Pointe Homes alerts: Profitability This table compares Tri Pointe Homes and The Berkeley Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Tri Pointe Homes 12.97% 20.83% 12.25% The Berkeley Group N/A N/A N/A Valuation and Earnings Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Tri Pointe Homes $4.30 billion 0.75 $576.06 million $5.49 5.88 The Berkeley Group N/A N/A N/A $2.62 18.77 This table compares Tri Pointe Homes and The Berkeley Groups gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Tri Pointe Homes has higher revenue and earnings than The Berkeley Group. Tri Pointe Homes is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than The Berkeley Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for Tri Pointe Homes and The Berkeley Group, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Tri Pointe Homes 0 2 2 0 2.50 The Berkeley Group 1 2 1 0 2.00 Tri Pointe Homes presently has a consensus target price of $29.67, suggesting a potential downside of 8.02%. The Berkeley Group has a consensus target price of $5,000.00, suggesting a potential upside of 10,081.43%. Given The Berkeley Groups higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe The Berkeley Group is more favorable than Tri Pointe Homes. Summary Tri Pointe Homes beats The Berkeley Group on 9 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks. About Tri Pointe Homes (Get Rating) Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. engages in the design, construction, and sale of single-family attached and detached homes in the United States. The company operates through a portfolio of six regional home building brands comprising Maracay in Arizona; Pardee Homes in California and Nevada; Quadrant Homes in Washington; Trendmaker Homes in Texas; TRI Pointe Homes in California, Colorado, and the Carolinas; and Winchester Homes in Maryland and Northern Virginia. It operates active selling communities, and owned or controlled lots. The company sells its homes through own sales representatives and independent real estate brokers. It also provides financial services, such as mortgage financing, title and escrow, and property and casualty insurance agency services. The company was formerly known as TRI Pointe Group, Inc. and changed its name to Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. in January 2021. Tri Pointe Homes, Inc. was founded in 2009 and is based in Incline Village, Nevada. About The Berkeley Group (Get Rating) The Berkeley Group Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the residential-led and mixed-use property development activities in the United Kingdom. The company is also involved in land selling activities. It operates under the Berkeley, St Edward, St George, St James, St Joseph, and St William brand names. The Berkeley Group Holdings plc was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Cobham, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Tri Pointe Homes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tri Pointe Homes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Securitas AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:SCTBF Get Rating) were up 1.9% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $7.85 and last traded at $7.85. Approximately 602 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 70% from the average daily volume of 2,032 shares. The stock had previously closed at $7.70. Securitas AB (publ) Trading Up 1.9 % The business has a fifty day moving average price of $8.17 and a 200 day moving average price of $8.36. Securitas AB (publ) Company Profile (Get Rating) Securitas AB (publ) provides security services in North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. The company operates through three segments: Security Services North America, Security Services Europe, and Security Services Ibero-America. It offers on-site guarding, mobile patrol, canine security, reception, loss prevention, screening, and track and trace services, as well as operates Securitas operation centers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Securitas AB (publ) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Securitas AB (publ) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silverlake Wealth Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS Get Rating) (TSE:BNS) by 9.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 8,409 shares of the banks stock after selling 908 shares during the quarter. Silverlake Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Bank of Nova Scotia were worth $423,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in BNS. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its holdings in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 302.3% in the 4th quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 535 shares of the banks stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares in the last quarter. Glassman Wealth Services increased its holdings in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 85.4% in the 4th quarter. Glassman Wealth Services now owns 864 shares of the banks stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 398 shares in the last quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD bought a new stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia in the 4th quarter worth $78,000. Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC increased its holdings in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia by 61.8% in the 4th quarter. Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC now owns 1,210 shares of the banks stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 462 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Delta Asset Management LLC TN bought a new stake in shares of Bank of Nova Scotia in the 4th quarter worth $73,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 37.03% of the companys stock. Get Bank of Nova Scotia alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms have commented on BNS. Barclays lowered Bank of Nova Scotia from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on Bank of Nova Scotia from $86.00 to $77.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered Bank of Nova Scotia from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. StockNews.com raised Bank of Nova Scotia from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, June 14th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered Bank of Nova Scotia from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Bank of Nova Scotia has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $86.06. Bank of Nova Scotia Stock Performance NYSE:BNS opened at $49.01 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $49.61 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $50.33. The Bank of Nova Scotia has a 52-week low of $45.26 and a 52-week high of $63.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a current ratio of 1.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $58.72 billion, a PE ratio of 9.63, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.02. Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS Get Rating) (TSE:BNS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 24th. The bank reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.32 by ($0.07). Bank of Nova Scotia had a net margin of 14.16% and a return on equity of 13.99%. The company had revenue of $5.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.91 billion. Analysts forecast that The Bank of Nova Scotia will post 5.28 EPS for the current year. Bank of Nova Scotia Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 27th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.7851 per share. This represents a $3.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.41%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 3rd. This is a positive change from Bank of Nova Scotias previous quarterly dividend of $0.77. Bank of Nova Scotias payout ratio is currently 59.92%. Bank of Nova Scotia Company Profile (Get Rating) The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Global Banking and Markets. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BNS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE:BNS Get Rating) (TSE:BNS). Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Nova Scotia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Nova Scotia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Standard AVB Financial Corp. (OTCMKTS:STND Get Rating) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $33.00 and traded as low as $32.99. Standard AVB Financial shares last traded at $33.00, with a volume of 18,900 shares traded. Standard AVB Financial Stock Up 0.1 % The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $33.00 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $33.00. About Standard AVB Financial (Get Rating) Standard AVB Financial Corp. operates as a bank holding company for Standard Bank PaSB that provides financial services to individuals, families, and businesses. It offers various deposit accounts, including savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, commercial and regular checking accounts, and individual retirement accounts. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Standard AVB Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Standard AVB Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Core Laboratories (NYSE:CLB Get Rating) in a research note published on Monday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the oil and gas companys stock. A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America downgraded shares of Core Laboratories from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and set a $21.50 target price for the company. in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. They noted that the move was a valuation call. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Core Laboratories from $18.00 to $19.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Core Laboratories from $24.00 to $25.00 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Get Core Laboratories alerts: Core Laboratories Stock Up 6.8 % CLB stock opened at $23.87 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a PE ratio of 47.74, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 2.67. The company has a current ratio of 2.38, a quick ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. Core Laboratories has a 1 year low of $13.19 and a 1 year high of $26.80. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $22.47 and a 200 day simple moving average of $22.45. Core Laboratories Announces Dividend Core Laboratories ( NYSE:CLB Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The oil and gas company reported $0.08 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.14 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $128.36 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $126.26 million. Core Laboratories had a net margin of 4.72% and a return on equity of 15.23%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Core Laboratories will post 0.56 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 8th were issued a $0.01 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 5th. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.17%. Core Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio is currently 8.00%. Institutional Trading of Core Laboratories Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in shares of Core Laboratories by 1.2% in the first quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 39,608 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,253,000 after acquiring an additional 481 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System increased its position in shares of Core Laboratories by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 13,071 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $265,000 after purchasing an additional 487 shares during the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can grew its stake in shares of Core Laboratories by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 57,142 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,260,000 after acquiring an additional 626 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE grew its stake in shares of Core Laboratories by 15.3% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 5,945 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $188,000 after acquiring an additional 790 shares during the period. Finally, Graham Capital Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of Core Laboratories by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Graham Capital Management L.P. now owns 39,269 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $866,000 after acquiring an additional 1,078 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 97.63% of the companys stock. About Core Laboratories (Get Rating) Core Laboratories Inc provides reservoir description and production enhancement services and products to the oil and gas industry in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Reservoir Description and Production Enhancement segments. The Reservoir Description segment includes the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock, reservoir fluid, and gas samples to enhance production and improve recovery of oil and gas from its clients' reservoirs. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Core Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Core Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R Get Rating) by 1.8% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 10,980 shares of the transportation companys stock after buying an additional 189 shares during the quarter. SummerHaven Investment Management LLCs holdings in Ryder System were worth $980,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in Ryder System by 173.0% in the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 15,812 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $1,376,000 after acquiring an additional 10,020 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ryder System by 3.1% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 59,859 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $4,519,000 after buying an additional 1,797 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC increased its holdings in shares of Ryder System by 8.4% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 16,849 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,408,000 after buying an additional 1,303 shares during the last quarter. Beverly Hills Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ryder System during the 4th quarter worth approximately $420,000. Finally, EMC Capital Management increased its holdings in shares of Ryder System by 15.6% during the 4th quarter. EMC Capital Management now owns 4,120 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $344,000 after buying an additional 557 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.56% of the companys stock. Get Ryder System alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Ryder System In other news, Director E Follin Smith sold 1,044 shares of Ryder System stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.47, for a total transaction of $86,098.68. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 41,184 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,396,444.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Director E Follin Smith sold 1,044 shares of Ryder System stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.47, for a total transaction of $86,098.68. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 41,184 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,396,444.48. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Luis P. Nieto, Jr. sold 2,112 shares of Ryder System stock in a transaction on Monday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.29, for a total transaction of $175,908.48. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 27,779 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,313,712.91. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 4.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Ryder System Trading Up 0.2 % Shares of NYSE:R traded up $0.15 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $82.13. 11,364 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 286,409. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55, a current ratio of 0.60 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The firm has a market cap of $3.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.90 and a beta of 1.56. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $81.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $87.00. Ryder System, Inc. has a 1 year low of $65.69 and a 1 year high of $102.36. Ryder System (NYSE:R Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The transportation company reported $2.81 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.96 by ($0.15). Ryder System had a return on equity of 26.40% and a net margin of 6.86%. The company had revenue of $2.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.59 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Ryder System, Inc. will post 11.82 EPS for the current year. Ryder System Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 22nd were given a $0.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 19th. This represents a $2.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.02%. Ryder Systems dividend payout ratio is presently 14.90%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth R has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Ryder System from $107.00 to $105.00 in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Ryder System from $100.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 27th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Ryder System in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ryder System has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $99.00. Ryder System Company Profile (Get Rating) Ryder System, Inc operates as a logistics and transportation company worldwide. It operates through three segments: Fleet Management Solutions (FMS), Supply Chain Solutions (SCS), and Dedicated Transportation Solutions (DTS). The FMS segment offers full-service leasing and leasing with flexible maintenance options; commercial vehicle rental services; and contract or transactional maintenance services of trucks, tractors, and trailers; access to diesel fuel; and fuel planning and tax reporting, cards, and monitoring services, and centralized billing, as well as sells used vehicles through its retail sales centers and www.ryder.com/used-trucks website. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding R? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ryder System, Inc. (NYSE:R Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Ryder System Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ryder System and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Rating) during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor purchased 4,331 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,487,000. Eli Lilly and Company comprises 1.5% of Terra Nova Asset Management LLCs holdings, making the stock its 28th biggest position. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Evanson Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 36.8% during the first quarter. Evanson Asset Management LLC now owns 971 shares of the companys stock valued at $333,000 after acquiring an additional 261 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI grew its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 16.7% in the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 136,827 shares of the companys stock valued at $47,317,000 after purchasing an additional 19,565 shares during the period. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 6.1% in the 1st quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 14,861 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,104,000 after purchasing an additional 852 shares during the period. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 49.0% in the 1st quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,531 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,556,000 after purchasing an additional 1,490 shares during the period. Finally, Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its stake in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 84.8% in the 1st quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 67,703 shares of the companys stock valued at $23,251,000 after purchasing an additional 31,058 shares during the period. 87.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Eli Lilly and Company Stock Up 0.5 % NYSE:LLY opened at $455.43 on Thursday. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $422.25 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $372.62. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52-week low of $296.32 and a 52-week high of $458.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.30. The company has a market cap of $432.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 72.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.23 and a beta of 0.36. Eli Lilly and Company Dividend Announcement Eli Lilly and Company ( NYSE:LLY Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.73 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $6.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.87 billion. Eli Lilly and Company had a net margin of 20.54% and a return on equity of 61.42%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 10.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.62 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Eli Lilly and Company will post 8.79 EPS for the current year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 9th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th were paid a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.99%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 12th. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 71.86%. Insider Activity In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 34,156 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $454.08, for a total value of $15,509,556.48. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 101,387,286 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $46,037,938,826.88. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 34,156 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $454.08, for a total value of $15,509,556.48. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 101,387,286 shares in the company, valued at approximately $46,037,938,826.88. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $429.46, for a total transaction of $2,576,760.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 36,941 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,864,681.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 1,372,761 shares of company stock valued at $528,560,900 in the last 90 days. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets LLY has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $440.00 to $500.00 in a research note on Friday, May 26th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Eli Lilly and Company from $370.00 to $360.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. SVB Securities increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $410.00 to $458.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Truist Financial increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $421.00 to $430.00 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $430.00 to $475.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Eli Lilly and Company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $431.00. Eli Lilly and Company Company Profile (Get Rating) Eli Lilly and Company discovers, develops, and markets human pharmaceuticals worldwide. It offers Basaglar, Humalog, Humalog Mix 75/25, Humalog U-100, Humalog U-200, Humalog Mix 50/50, insulin lispro, insulin lispro protamine, insulin lispro mix 75/25, Humulin, Humulin 70/30, Humulin N, Humulin R, and Humulin U-500 for diabetes; and Jardiance, Trajenta, and Trulicity for type 2 diabetes. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Eli Lilly and Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eli Lilly and Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Terra Nova Asset Management LLC lessened its position in American Express (NYSE:AXP) by 23.4% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,465 shares of the payment services companys stock after selling 447 shares during the period. Terra Nova Asset Management LLCs holdings in American Express were worth $242,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AXP. RB Capital Management LLC increased its stake in American Express by 5.3% in the first quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 3,783 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $707,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Roundview Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of American Express by 0.4% during the first quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 27,029 shares of the payment services companys stock valued at $5,054,000 after buying an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 5.6% in the first quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,421 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $266,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of American Express by 207.1% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 946 shares of the payment services companys stock worth $177,000 after buying an additional 638 shares during the period. Finally, Donaldson Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express in the first quarter worth about $397,000. Institutional investors own 82.84% of the companys stock. Get American Express alerts: American Express Stock Down 1.3 % AXP stock opened at $165.73 on Thursday. American Express has a fifty-two week low of $130.65 and a fifty-two week high of $182.15. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $160.34 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $161.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.55 and a current ratio of 1.55. The company has a market capitalization of $123.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.08 and a beta of 1.18. American Express ( NYSE:AXP Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The payment services company reported $2.40 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.66 by ($0.26). American Express had a return on equity of 29.44% and a net margin of 13.00%. The company had revenue of $14.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.73 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 21.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that American Express will post 11.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. American Express announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Wednesday, March 8th that authorizes the company to repurchase 120,000,000 outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the payment services company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued. American Express Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 10th. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be given a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 6th. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.45%. American Expresss dividend payout ratio is currently 25.24%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms have recently commented on AXP. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on American Express from $194.00 to $185.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 21st. StockNews.com began coverage on American Express in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Redburn Partners downgraded American Express from a neutral rating to a sell rating and set a $125.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Thursday, May 25th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on American Express from $186.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their price target on American Express from $179.00 to $172.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 21st. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $174.50. American Express Company Profile (Get Rating) American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides charge and credit payment card products, and travel-related services worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Global Consumer Services Group, Global Commercial Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services. Its products and services include payment and financing products; network services; accounts payable expense management products and services; and travel and lifestyle services. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AXP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Express (NYSE:AXP Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for American Express Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Express and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. As a result of the vigilance of the border patrol of the Lankaran border detachment of the border troops of the State Border Service, the smuggling of narcotic drugs from Iran to Azerbaijan was prevented on June 21, at 22:20 (GMT+4), the press center of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan told Trend. In accordance with the requirements of the law of Azerbaijan "On the State Border", a warning shot was fired against violators who ignored the legal requirements of the border patrol. The border violators threw the bundles they had, and taking advantage of the complexity of the terrain, fled back to the territory of Iran. As a result of the border search and operational measures carried out on the territory, 12 kilograms and 760 grams of narcotic drugs (10 kilograms 705 grams of marijuana, 2 kilograms 55 grams of opium) were found. Operational and investigative measures are continuing. Ellsworth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of The Southern Company (NYSE:SO Get Rating) by 7.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 62,187 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 4,483 shares during the quarter. Southern accounts for 1.5% of Ellsworth Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 19th largest position. Ellsworth Advisors LLCs holdings in Southern were worth $4,327,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Southern by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 94,652,372 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $6,436,360,000 after purchasing an additional 1,391,612 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in Southern by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 76,360,768 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $5,192,533,000 after purchasing an additional 723,336 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Southern by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 65,068,549 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $4,424,661,000 after purchasing an additional 1,313,036 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its stake in Southern by 6.2% during the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 63,002,360 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $4,284,352,000 after purchasing an additional 3,653,841 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Southern by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 19,514,403 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,394,004,000 after purchasing an additional 584,893 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.25% of the companys stock. Get Southern alerts: Southern Stock Up 1.8 % Shares of Southern stock opened at $71.64 on Thursday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $71.91 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $69.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 0.69 and a quick ratio of 0.51. The company has a market capitalization of $78.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.11, a PEG ratio of 4.98 and a beta of 0.51. The Southern Company has a 1-year low of $58.85 and a 1-year high of $80.57. Southern Increases Dividend Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $6.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.14 billion. Southern had a return on equity of 10.78% and a net margin of 11.53%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 2.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.97 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that The Southern Company will post 3.61 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th were paid a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.91%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 12th. This is an increase from Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. Southerns payout ratio is currently 90.32%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth SO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Southern from $73.00 to $69.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 8th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Southern from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com upgraded Southern from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 17th. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Southern in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on Southern in a research report on Wednesday, June 7th. They issued a buy rating and a $80.00 target price for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Southern currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $74.07. Insider Transactions at Southern In other news, CEO Thomas A. Fanning sold 50,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.16, for a total value of $3,758,000.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 847,592 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $63,705,014.72. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction on Monday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.48, for a total value of $357,400.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 136,284 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,741,580.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Thomas A. Fanning sold 50,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.16, for a total value of $3,758,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 847,592 shares in the company, valued at $63,705,014.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 205,678 shares of company stock valued at $14,888,271. Corporate insiders own 0.37% of the companys stock. About Southern (Get Rating) The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It operates through three segments: Gas Distribution Operations, Gas Pipeline Investments, and Gas Marketing Services. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW Get Rating) have received a consensus rating of Hold from the nine ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and four have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $704.88. Several brokerages have recently commented on GWW. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $800.00 to $815.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Oppenheimer boosted their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $785.00 to $800.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. 92 Resources reaffirmed a maintains rating on shares of W.W. Grainger in a report on Friday, April 28th. Loop Capital lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $750.00 to $800.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. Finally, Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on W.W. Grainger from $730.00 to $760.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Get W.W. Grainger alerts: W.W. Grainger Stock Up 1.6 % GWW opened at $742.60 on Friday. W.W. Grainger has a fifty-two week low of $441.46 and a fifty-two week high of $748.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.75, a current ratio of 2.70 and a quick ratio of 1.53. The firms fifty day moving average price is $683.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $644.56. The company has a market capitalization of $37.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.77, a P/E/G ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 1.19. W.W. Grainger Increases Dividend W.W. Grainger ( NYSE:GWW Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The industrial products company reported $9.61 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.57 by $1.04. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.65% and a return on equity of 61.00%. The company had revenue of $4.09 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.08 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $7.07 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger will post 35.83 EPS for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 8th were issued a dividend of $1.86 per share. This is a boost from W.W. Graingers previous quarterly dividend of $1.72. This represents a $7.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 5th. W.W. Graingers payout ratio is currently 22.82%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other W.W. Grainger news, VP Laurie R. Thomson sold 476 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $683.74, for a total transaction of $325,460.24. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,731 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,183,553.94. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 9.90% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of W.W. Grainger A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Kentucky Retirement Systems increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 3,560 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,980,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Merriman Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Merriman Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,110 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $617,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Harrington Investments INC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Harrington Investments INC now owns 2,339 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,611,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Signaturefd LLC increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 1.4% in the 1st quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,167 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $804,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Hills Bank & Trust Co increased its stake in shares of W.W. Grainger by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Hills Bank & Trust Co now owns 3,962 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,204,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. 72.65% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About W.W. Grainger (Get Rating W.W. Grainger, Inc distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services in the United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety and security supplies, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance supplies, and metalworking and hand tools. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for W.W. Grainger Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for W.W. Grainger and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com lowered shares of WPP (NYSE:WPP Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Monday morning. Separately, Credit Suisse Group raised shares of WPP from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $1,001.29. Get WPP alerts: WPP Trading Down 0.8 % NYSE:WPP opened at $54.35 on Monday. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $55.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $57.92. WPP has a fifty-two week low of $39.67 and a fifty-two week high of $64.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.64 billion, a PE ratio of 7.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 1.36. Institutional Inflows and Outflows WPP Company Profile Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brandes Investment Partners LP grew its position in shares of WPP by 2,330.9% during the 1st quarter. Brandes Investment Partners LP now owns 349,753 shares of the business services providers stock worth $20,817,000 after purchasing an additional 335,365 shares in the last quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. lifted its position in WPP by 25.4% during the third quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 957,634 shares of the business services providers stock worth $39,445,000 after purchasing an additional 193,993 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD bought a new position in WPP in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,866,000. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD lifted its holdings in shares of WPP by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 1,061,886 shares of the business services providers stock worth $52,202,000 after acquiring an additional 57,000 shares during the period. Finally, Optiver Holding B.V. boosted its position in shares of WPP by 72.9% during the 4th quarter. Optiver Holding B.V. now owns 132,139 shares of the business services providers stock worth $6,496,000 after acquiring an additional 55,694 shares in the last quarter. 4.10% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. (Get Rating) WPP plc, a creative transformation company, provides communications, experience, commerce, and technology services in North America, the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates through three segments: Global Integrated Agencies, Public Relations, and Specialist Agencies. Read More Receive News & Ratings for WPP Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WPP and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Zurich Insurance Group AG (OTCMKTS:ZFSVF Get Rating) fell 0.1% on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $473.90 and last traded at $477.37. 90 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 82% from the average session volume of 510 shares. The stock had previously closed at $477.95. Zurich Insurance Group Stock Down 1.9 % The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $473.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $474.75. Get Zurich Insurance Group alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Zurich Insurance Group A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Zurich Insurance Group stock. Sierra Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Zurich Insurance Group AG (OTCMKTS:ZFSVF Get Rating) by 19.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 453 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 73 shares during the quarter. Sierra Capital LLCs holdings in Zurich Insurance Group were worth $217,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 30.81% of the companys stock. About Zurich Insurance Group Zurich Insurance Group AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides insurance products and related services in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Property & Casualty Regions, Life Regions, Farmers, Group Functions and Operations, and Non-Core Businesses segments. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Zurich Insurance Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Zurich Insurance Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Semiconductor equipment maker Applied Materials plans to invest USD 400 million in the next four years to build a collaborative engineering centre in Bengaluru, the company said on Thursday. The centre will focus on the development and commercialisation of technologies for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the company said in a statement. "Applied intends to make a gross investment of USD 400 million over four years to establish the new centre in India," it said. The announcement from Applied Materials comes immediately after computer storage chip maker Micron announced to set up a semiconductor assembly and test unit in Gujarat with a total investment of USD 2.75 billion. "In its first five years of operation, the centre is expected to support more than USD 2 billion of planned investments and create at least 500 new advanced engineering jobs along with potentially another 2,500 jobs in the manufacturing ecosystem," Applied Materials said. The company has been in India for the last 20 years. Expected to be located near Applied's existing campus in Bengaluru, the collaborative engineering centre is part of the company's previously announced plans to expand its global innovation infrastructure. "Applied Materials is a key part of India's semiconductor ecosystem and our plan to establish a new collaborative engineering centre in Bengaluru strengthens our efforts to help advance India on its journey to becoming a global semiconductor hub," Srinivas Satya, Country President of Applied Materials India, said. The company said that its new engineering centre will be designed to bring together Applied engineers, leading global and domestic suppliers, and top research and academic institutions, enabling them to collaborate at one location to accelerate the development of semiconductor equipment sub-systems and components. The centre will aim to train and develop future semiconductor industry talent, as well as open up new opportunities for India to play an expanded role in the global chip ecosystem. "We envision Applied's strong base of engineering talent collaborating more deeply with domestic and global companies operating in India to strengthen the foundational equipment supply chain serving the global semiconductor manufacturing industry," Prabu Raja, President of the Semiconductor Products Group at Applied Materials, said. Currently, Applied operates across six sites in India and has a large organisation of product development, R&D, IT, and operations capabilities in the country. The company also works closely with multiple academic institutions, including Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay where it has established a Materials Development Centre focused on developing next-generation chemistry and materials for the semiconductor industry. Commercial vehicle maker Ashok Leyland on Thursday said it has partnered with IDBI Bank Ltd for channel financing partnership of its dealers. The company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IDBI Bank, under which the partners will offer customised financial solutions for dealers, Ashok Leyland said in a statement. "With the combined strength of IDBI Bank Ltd and Ashok Leyland, the network of AL dealers will now have financing solutions to suit their needs using digital technology," Ashok Leyland CFO Gopal Mahadevan said. IDBI Bank Deputy Managing Director Suresh Khatanhar said its digital channel finance tool 'e-Supply Chain Financing' has been designed to meet the working capital requirements of authorised dealers and traders of the corporates. "Our partnership will enable us to serve numerous businesses in India. Through the e-SCF tool, our goal is to provide a seamless financial support to Ashok Leyland's dealers, fostering growth and resilience in the entire supply chain," Khatanhar added. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The development of relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan occupies an important place in the context of the unification of the infrastructures of the two countries and cooperation in the region, Trend reports. Both countries, which have significant resources and a geostrategic position at the intersection of important transport routes, are aware of the need to strengthen their relationships to ensure sustainable economic growth and development of the entire region. The infrastructure association of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan has a high potential for improving transport and logistics links in the region of Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Both states are striving to develop their transport corridors, including rail, road and sea routes, in order to ensure more efficient movement of goods and passengers between regions. Joint efforts in the development of transport infrastructure open up new opportunities for trade, investment and tourism development in both countries. Moreover, cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan is of strategic importance for the entire region. Both countries have significant energy resources and play an important role in the supply of oil, gas and other energy resources to the world market. Joint projects in the energy sector and the development of transport routes make it possible to diversify supplies and increase the energy security of the region. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are transforming from regional centers to global ones. Mutual visits of leaders and support provided by various structures of Kazakhstan help to develop bilateral relations. The allied relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are a solid foundation for the further development of our cooperation, President Ilham Aliyev said, making press statements with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said on April 10, making a joint statement to the press with President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana. Today, we are enriching this foundation with specific content. The decisions made in Baku in August of last year are already being implemented today, including, as noted by President Tokayev, the decisions on starting the transit of Kazakh oil through Azerbaijan, launching serious work on connecting the transport and logistical infrastructure of our countries in order to fully utilize the opportunities of the Middle Corridor, President Ilham Aliyev said. The Middle Corridor The development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), or the Middle Corridor, is a priority for both states. A roadmap has already been signed until 2027 for the simultaneous elimination of "bottlenecks". The next step should be to create a single operator for this route. The construction of the Khorgos-Eastern Gates Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Kazakhstan was a significant step towards ensuring the smooth functioning of the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route - TITR). As the transport links of the Middle Corridor continue to improve and the cost of delivery decreases, they will provide countries along the corridor with much greater access to markets far beyond their region. The Middle Corridor is important for all countries along its route, providing them with the opportunity to enter foreign markets outside the region. Cooperation in the field of energy Kazakhstan continues to work with Azerbaijan on projects in the field of traditional energy resources. The country is already using the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and Baku-Supsa pipelines to export its oil. KazMunayGas JSC and the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) signed an agreement providing for the transportation of 1.5 million tons of oil from the Tengiz field per year in the direction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. The volume of Kazakh oil transported from the port of Aktau to the port of Baku increased by 60.5 tons or 75 percent in April 2023 compared to the previous month - up to 312,600 tons. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are also exploring the possibility of establishing a joint venture to facilitate the transit of oil through the territory of Azerbaijan. This joint venture can be a single operator on this transit route, with a thorough tariff, cheap transit opportunities, and the use of innovative technologies. Moreover, Kazakhstan is discussing joint investments in gas production with the SOCAR. The national QazaqQaz company of Kazakhstan and SOCAR have already held a number of meetings and negotiations in the gas industry, especially on investing in gas exploration and production, as well as on the construction of new LNG plants. The Azerbaijani side has already expressed interest in specific projects of the gas industry of Kazakhstan, and the parties will continue to explore the possibilities of joint cooperation. At the same time, both countries are striving to start exporting renewable energy sources to the European market. In this regard, together with Azerbaijani colleagues, Kazakhstan has already started the implementation of the project of laying a high-voltage cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea. This line will connect Kazakhstan with Turkiye, and then further with Europe. The same project is being implemented on the Black Sea, where Azerbaijan also participates. Business contacts Azerbaijan is currently among the 15 largest investors in the economy of Kazakhstan. During the business mission of Kazakh entrepreneurs to Azerbaijan, as many as 8 contracts worth $55 million were signed. The trade turnover between the two countries in the first 4 months of this year increased by $50 million to $183 million. Kazakhstan can also offer the Azerbaijani side 110 new types of goods worth about $300 million for further expansion of trade and economic relations. Kazakhstan has also expressed a desire to establish supplies of fruit and vegetable products from Azerbaijan, especially in the western part of the country. The Turkic Investment Fund also creates a good basis for the development of bilateral economic relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. In addition, Azerbaijan can help Kazakhstan with grain logistics to the Middle East. This can be done through the International North-South Transport Corridor. The development of relations between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan plays a key role in ensuring energy security, strengthening connectivity and creating a safer, faster, reliable and cost-effective transport system in Eurasia. Larsen & Toubro Ltd, commonly known as L&T, announced on June 22 the signing of a contract with DRDO for realisation of two Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System Modules for Kalvari Class of Submarines of the Indian Navy. These modules constitute the core of the fuel-cell based AIP System, developed by Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) of DRDO with L&T as prime industry partner, L&T said in a press release. The Energy Modules (EMs) comprising Fuel Cells produce the required power, along with on-board Hydrogen generation. Following this development, the stock hit a fresh 52-week high of Rs 2,424 on the exchanges. The stock closed 0.9 percent higher at Rs 2,416. Follow our live blog for all the market action On realisation and integration of these modules in the submarines, India will join an elite club of a handful of nations who have indigenously developed fuel cell based submarine AIP technology which is critical for increasing the endurance of conventional submarines, the press release added. Commenting on the development, Arun Ramchandani, Executive Vice President and Head-L&T Defence, said, L&T is privileged to be associated with accomplishing the dream of realising an indigenous AIP system and mark India's joining a select group of few nations who have developed the requisite technology . Our commitment to nation-building continues to be as strong as ever and establishes yet another milestone in our journey to fulfil Indias aspirations to become Atmanirbhar in critical technologies. L&T is the recipient of Transfer of Technology (ToT) for this DRDO developed AIP System. The Transfer of Technology documents for the same were handed over by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in presence of Chief of Defence Staff and Navy Chief during Aero India 2021 In Bangalore. The manufacturing, integration and factory acceptance trials of the EMs will be undertaken in L&Ts AM Naik Heavy Engineering Complex at Surat. On June 19, L&T also emerged as the lowest bidder for the 135.45km section of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project between Shilphata and Zaroli in Maharashtra and three elevated bullet train stations at Thane, Virar and Boisar. The company is said to have placed the bid at Rs 15,697 crore. According to Macquarie, this bid value is one of the largest order wins. U.S. President Joe Biden and visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver remarks and take questions from journalists on Thursday during the Indian leader's state visit, an event a senior White House official called a "big deal" It is unusual for Modi to take questions from the media, beyond occasional interviews. He has not addressed a single press conference in India since becoming prime minister about nine years ago. In May 2019 he attended a press conference but never took questions. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the White House understands the press conference is a "big deal." "We are just grateful that Prime Minister Modi is participating in a press event at the end of the visit," Kirby said. "We think that's important and we're glad he thinks that's important too." The format of the press conference will include one question from the U.S. press and one from an Indian journalist, Kirby said. White House press conferences with other world leaders have been tightly controlled, with U.S. officials designating reporters beforehand from the American and foreign media for Biden and his guest to call upon, and a very limited number of questions. Biden is under pressure by his fellow Democrats to raise human rights with Modi amid concerns about democratic backsliding in India under Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. Human rights could be one topic of the press conference. Modi has been to the United States five times since becoming prime minister in 2014, but the trip will be his first with the full diplomatic status of a state visit. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Indian government will likely assure its employees a minimum pension of 40%-45% of their last drawn salary by altering the current market-linked pension scheme to assuage some holdout states, two government officials told Reuters. The Ministry of Finance, in a response after the report was published, denied that any such a decision has been taken. A committee looking into the matter "is, at present, in the midst of its deliberations and is in the process of consulting stakeholders," the Ministry said. "The Committee has not yet reached any conclusions whatsoever." The committee to review the pension system had been set up in April in a year peppered with state elections, leading up to the national elections in 2024, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek a rare third term. Modi has been forced to re-look at the current pension system, adopted after a significant fiscal reform in 2004, as some states switched back to the older, fiscally straining system of fully funding a guaranteed pension. The current National Pension Scheme requires employees to contribute 10% of their basic salary and the government 14%. The eventual payout depends on the market returns on that corpus, which is mostly invested in federal debt. In contrast, the old pension system guarantees a fixed pension of 50% of an employee's last drawn salary, without requiring them to contribute anything during their working life. The government is planning to amend the current scheme so that while both employees and the government still make contributions, employees get an assured 40%-45% of their last drawn salary as pension, the two officials said. But, "we will not go back to the old pension system," said one senior government official. The officials did not want to be named as the discussions are private. This compromise, the government believes, will assuage the concerns of states that went back to the old pension system and cover the whole country with one fiscally sustainable pension scheme, both the sources said. Recently, states including Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have opted to move back to the old pension system. Pensions are one of the big spending heads in the federal budget. The government officials said that the amended pension scheme will not stress the budget math as much. Current returns show employees get around 38% of their last salary as pension. If, say, the government guarantees a 40% return, it will have to cover a shortfall of just 2%, the second official said. However, the outgo will increase if the market returns on pension corpus decline. "This option is still fiscally viable than moving to the old pension system as employees continue to contribute and most of the pension is funded through market returns," the official said. The governments decision to withdraw the proposed draft of a bill that would have eased the export of livestock is a welcome move, said Ashwani Mahajan, National Co-convener of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, on June 20, issued a memorandum withdrawing the bill, after circulating it on June 7 for suggestions for over 10 days. Whatever laws and legislations are made, we have to keep in mind not just the commerce and economics but also the cultural aspects of the same, Mahajan, who is also a Professor at Delhi University, told Moneycontrol in an interview on June 21. Perhaps that would have been the reason for the government to have reconsidered this. The government has always been very receptive in understanding and acting according to the views expressed by the people at large, he said. The Live-stock and Live-stock Products (Importation and Exportation) Bill, 2023, was expected to replace the colonial era Live-stock Importation Act, 1898, and the Live-stock Importation (Amendment) Act, 2001. The new bill was aimed at framing measures for the regulation of the importation of live-stock and live-stock products as well as promotion and development of exports of livestock and live-stock products. However, during consultation, the department realised that more time is needed to understand the proposed draft and to get further suggestions. Further, representations have been made expressing concerns on the proposed draft, involving the sensitivity and emotions with animal welfare and related aspects, and, hence, would need wider consultation, the department said while withdrawing the bill. Mahajan echoes this sentiment. In India, we consider all living beings, including humans, to be equal. This has been our culture, he said. I dont think animal rights activists have been instrumental in this. Actually, it is the cultural heritage of our country which would have been the reason for this rethink. GE Aerospace, the US-based aircraft engine supplier, on June 22 announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India's public defence firm Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The agreement includes the "potential joint production" of F414 engines in India, GE Aerospace said, adding that it "continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this". The effort is part of the IAFs Light Combat Aircraft (LAC) Mk2 program, a press release issued by the American aerospace company noted. The signing of the pact, said GE Aerospace, is a "major milestone amidst Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis official state visit to the United States". The agreement with HAL will also advance GE Aerospaces "earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force as part of the LCA Mk2 program", the company added. "Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet," GE Aerospace's chief executive officer H Lawrence Culp Jr said. "This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL...We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modis vision of closer coordination between the two nations," he added. Lt General Sanjay Kulkarni (Retd), while commenting on the deal, said it was a "historic" pact and was required for the Tejas fighter jets being used by the IAF. The F414 engines are "advanced, have high-thrust and fuel-efficient", he said, while speaking to news agency ANI. GE Aerospace has operated in India for more than four decades. In 1986, it began working with India's Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL to support the development of LCA with F404 engines. The company's F404 and F414 engines are currently part of the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programs. "In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for LCA Mk2," the release stated. Bankrupt airline Go First has informed pilots that it will stop paying their retention allowance from July 1. "The retention allowance for June will be credited as part of our salaries by the end of the month, following which the airline will stop paying retention allowance," a pilot working with the airline told Moneycontrol. He added that the senior management of Go First told pilots that the airline was finding it difficult to raise funds at the moment, because of which it will stop paying the allowance. While the airline did not respond to mails at the time of publishing, a day after the story was published it said that retention bonus for flying crew remains in force. "We would like to affirm and reiterate that the retention bonus for the flying crew remains in force and stands valid in its form," a Go First spokesperson said. In an internal mail in May, Go First had said that it would pay a retention allowance of Rs 1 lakh to captains and Rs 50,000 to first officers, per month. "The increased salaries will come into effect from June 1 and will include all captains and first officers who are on the companys payroll," the mail read. Another pilot told Moneycontrol that while Go First will stop paying the retention allowance from July, the senior management was hopeful of restarting operations next month and had asked pilots to remain with the airline. He added that the senior management had informed pilots that they had themselves taken salary cuts of up to 50 percent in order to help Go First take to the skies again. Meanwhile, the airline has further suspended operations till June 25. "The new resolution professional that has been appointed has not stopped the payments of pilots. But due to the non-availability of funds, payments are pending," said a banker with one of the lenders of Go First. Go Firsts captains earn about Rs 5,30,000 a month on average, and when it filed for voluntary insolvency on May 3, the airline had a total of 7,000 employees on its payroll. While accepting its insolvency petition, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has directed the carrier not to retrench any staff. The Wadia-group airline's plea for insolvency was admitted on May 10 after the airline defaulted on payments of Rs 2,660 crore to aircraft lessors, and Rs 1,202 crore to its vendors. Per its insolvency filing, the total liabilities of Go First stood at Rs 11,463 crore, of which bank dues are Rs 6,521 crore. The Central Bank of India has the highest exposure of Rs 1,987 crore, followed by Bank of Baroda at Rs 1,430 crore, Deutsche Bank (Rs 1,320 crore), and IDBI Bank (Rs 58 crore), Acuite Ratings and Research said in a January 19 report. To oversee the insolvency process, the Committee of Creditors (CoC) of Go First has appointed Shailendra Ajmera as the resolution professional (RP). Ajmera has been entrusted with the task of formulating a revival plan, which has been submitted to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for review. Earlier this month, the Wadia Group was looking to raise funds to restart Go First as soon as possible, and had approached lenders to borrow up to Rs 225 crore, Moneycontrol had reported. Lenders to the cash-strapped airlines have said that they are open to providing new loans in order to revive its operations once a clear resolution plan is in place. An insolvent company can raise funds to remain operational as sanctioned by an interim resolution professional. The sanctioned limit of funds can be raised in future if lenders agree. India plans to widen the range of steel grades covered by a government incentive program in a bid to boost output and back Prime Minister Narendra Modis goal to establish the nation as a global manufacturing hub. The steel ministry is in talks with other government departments and domestic industry to include more types of the alloy in the so-called production-linked incentive program, Steel Secretary Nagendra Nath Sinha said in an interview. We hope to come out with something in this regard in a few months. India has already approved an investment of about 63 billion rupees ($770 million) over five years to make high-grade specialty steel. The government is keen that India becomes a country which can produce all grades of steel competitively, Sinha said. The nation is the biggest steel maker after China. Modi is seeking to boost local manufacturing and lure the worlds top brands to make products locally for export through use of production-linked incentives. The prime minister has pitched India as an alternative manufacturing hub, as more companies become wary of the risks of depending on China. The ministry also plans to incentivize green technologies like hydrogen, Sinha said. The country has about a dozen task forces working on ways to help policy makers respond to demand for low-carbon emission steel production, he said. The ministry has made 4.55 billion rupees available to companies under the National Green Hydrogen Mission for research and development in this space. The government is also monitoring European Union plans for a carbon tax. Carbon-efficient steel exporters from India may not be impacted, he said. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept India has decided to join the Artemis Accords, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration, and NASA and ISRO have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. The agreement could give a significant boost to India's space exploration ambitions, sources told Moneycontrol. The Artemis Accords are a set of principles, guidelines, and best practices applicable for the safe exploration of the Moon and ultimately expand space exploration to Mars and beyond. It is a part of the US government's Artemis program, an American-led effort to return humans to the Moon by 2025. When India signs the Artemis Accord, it will join the signatory list, which includes the United Kingdom, United States, Italy, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Luxembourg, France, Romania, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Singapore, Ukraine and South Korea. On space, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind, a senior official told PTI. Later in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden are set to meet in the Oval Office. In addition to the Artemis Accords, NASA and ISRO have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. The official said that NASA and the ISRO are developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation for this year's planetary exploration. This development comes at a time when the ISRO is working on a manned space mission called Gaganyaan, and the country's space start-up ecosystem has been attracting significant investor interest amid the so-called funding winter. The country also recently unveiled its Indian Space Policy which gives an impetus to private participation in the industry. Like, Artemis Accord, there are other treaties and agreements which stakeholders in the ecosystem feel that India should sign. One among them is the Moon Agreement, which is an agreement that forbids the establishment of military bases, installations and fortifications on the Moon, the testing of any type of weapons, and the conduct of military manoeuvres on the Moon. This is significant as the Indian Space Policy 2023, which was recently released a few months ago, empowers the government and private sector to engage in the commercial recovery of an asteroid or a space resource. (With inputs from PTI) Public issues continue to keep the small and medium enterprise segment on the boil with three more in queue for launch tomorrow to raise Rs 134 crore in total. All three IPOs will close on July 27. Specialised plastic products exporter Essen Speciality Films will be the biggest IPO in terms of fund-raising as it plans to mop up Rs 66.33 crore from 61.99 lakh equity shares. The offer comprises a fresh issuance of shares worth 46.99 lakh and an offer-for-sale of 15 lakh shares by promoters.It is a book built issue and the price band for the offer has been set at Rs 101-107 per share. The lot size is of 1,200 equity shares. The minimum and maximum investment by retail investors would be Rs 1,28,400 in the issue as they are allowed to make investments up to Rs 2 lakh, while high networth individuals can make a minimum investment of Rs 2,56,800, which is above Rs 2 lakh. Essen, which caters to the home improvement and home furnishing industry, is going to utilise net proceeds from the fresh issue for repaying debts, and working capital requirements, besides general corporate purposes. Click Here To Read All IPO Related News The company supplies specialised plastic products to multinational modern trade retailers, such as IKEA, Walmart, Kmart, Bed Bath & Beyond, Rusta, Runsven, Kohls, Kroger etc. Essen is part of the Rajoo Group. The group company Rajoo Engineers already listed on the BSE. The second IPO would be that of Greenchef Appliances, the kitchen appliances manufacturer, which aims to raise Rs 53.62 crore from 61.63 lakh shares. This is a completely fresh issue, so the entire amount (excluding issue expenses) will be received by the company. The funds will be used for capital expenditure towards the installation of additional plant and machinery, and construction of the factory building, and working capital requirements, besides general corporate purposes. The price band for the offer has been fixed at Rs 82-87 per share. Also read: Veefin Solutions IPO opens today; check offer price, other details The bids can be made for a minimum of 1,600 equity shares and in multiples of 1,600 shares thereafter. Retail investors can invest only for one lot given the limit of up to Rs 2 lakh and their minimum & maximum investment would be Rs 1,39,200, while the minimum investment by high networth individuals would be Rs 2,78,400. The company manufactures and sells a wide range of kitchen appliances under the brand name of Greenchef. Frozen foods supplier Magson Retail and Distribution would be the third IPO aiming to raise Rs 13,74 crore from the subscription of shares at a price of Rs 65 each. It is a fixed-price issue and the offer comprises only a fresh issue of 21.14 lakh shares. The company will use the the issue proceeds on setting up organisations and stores under a franchise model and tie up with major suppliers, and meet its working capital requirements. The lot size is of 2,000 equity shares, so the investment by retail investors in the IPO would be Rs 1.3 lakh, while the minimum investment by HNIs would be Rs 2.6 lakh. Also read: ideaForge Tech sets IPO price band at Rs 638-672 a share Magson is engaged in the retail and distribution business of gourmet, frozen food and speciality foods. It operates 26 retail outlets across Western India, of which 16 are run by the company and seven by franchise owners and three under two joint ventures, which all are under the brand name MagSon. All the three companies - Magson Retail and Distribution, Greenchef Appliances, and Essen Speciality Films - will debut on the NSE Emerge on July 6. Veteran investor Raamdeo Agrawal finds the auto sector slightly confusing right now given the disruption happening in the industry, which is unlike past disruptions that have happened in other sectors. Because the industry is in transition and it's one of the biggest transitions. At the same time, customers want the vehicles, whether it is a two-wheeler, three-wheeler or a four-wheeler but adoption of EV is also not happening at a very rapid pace, observed Agrawal, in an interview with Moneycontrol. He was alluding to the fact that there is demand available for vehicles even though a transition is happening. Plus, the pace of transition is slow. Moreover, the disruption is mostly coming from within the industry rather than a new player. In the past, when the banking sector faced disruptions, it was new private banking players such as ICICI Bank or HDFC Bank that took away market share. In telecom, it was the entry of Jio that changed the face of the business. Unlike those, Agrawal said he finds no new electric vehicle companies taking away market share from existing ones. I don't see those (new) companies in India taking away the share. It is quite possible that evolution may happen in India under the banner of the same established players, said. I'm very bullish on the demand for automotive in India as the economy scales up but I'm a little confused about what happens to the EV and non-EV market share. More and more new EV models are being launched by existing automakers. Many more are in the pipeline. For instance, Tata Motors, which is the biggest-selling EV brand right now, plans to have 10 EV models on road by 2025. M&M has also outlined its ambitious plan to lead the EV market. Two-wheeler makers such as Bajaj Auto and Eicher Motors are also trying to spearhead the transition. He also wondered what will happen to the terminal value of internal combustion (IC) businesses, in case a few years down the line the world realises that the auto industry is moving towards electrification. IC refers to the current generation of vehicles that burn fossil fuel to generate power that drives an automobile. EVs dont have combustion chambers to burn fuel. Also read: New-tech businesses exciting, set to produce true multi-baggers, says Raamdeo Agrawal The terminal value of any business is dependent on the future growth that a business can deliver. In case EVs take centre stage, IC businesses will have to wind down their operations as there will not be additional demand for them. Since the terminal value of the IC business is not going to be so high then the P/E multiple of IC businesses in the next three or four years time might come down to 10 or 15, Agrawal said. In that case even if companies earnings double, (investors) may not make money. The Nifty Auto index has performed quite well thanks to a recovery in demand and enthusiasm towards new models in recent months with a year-to-date return of 17 percent. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. details added, first published at 09:49 BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Units of the Armenian armed forces from positions located in the direction of the settlement of Brun of the Gorus district fired small arms at the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of the settlement of Ahmadli of the Lachin district at 02:15 (GMT+4) on June 22, Trend reports via the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. Moreover, members of illegal Armenian armed formations on the territory of Azerbaijan, where the Russian peacekeepers are temporarily stationed, fired small arms at positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of the Khojavend, Shusha and Khojaly districts from 23:05 (GMT+4) on June 21 to 08:15 (GMT+4) on June 22. The units of the Azerbaijani army have taken adequate response measures in all these areas. Also, members of illegal Armenian armed formations, under the guise of agricultural work, attempted to establish long-term fortifications in front of the positions of the Azerbaijani army located in the directions of the Aghdam and Khojaly districts. As a result of the urgent measures taken by the units of the Azerbaijani army, engineering work was immediately stopped. Shares of Glenmark Pharmceuticals fell 2 percent in early trade on June 22, a day after the US Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to the drugmaker's the Monroe facility in the US. Glenmark was given the Official Action Indicated (OAI) status for its Monroe facility in North Carolina following the drug regulator's April 4-May 19, 2022 inspection. The pharma major, however, sees no threat to its business. "The company had done a voluntary recall of all its products from this site in August 2021 and since then has not been commercialising any product from this site," it said in a filing with the exchanges. "Hence, the warning letter will have no impact on the existing revenues." At 9.51am, shares of Glenmark Pharmaceuticals were trading at Rs 635.15 on the NSE, down 1.2 percent from the previous close. Follow our live blog for all the market action Last week, Glenmark had also substantially reduced the cost of its version of trastuzumab, a drug used in the treatment of breast cancer. The drug, marketed as Trumab, will now be accessible to patients at a price 30-40 percent lower compared to the prevailing market rates. Glenmark's trastuzumab variant will be priced at Rs 15,749 per vial. The treatment for breast cancer typically involves 18 cycles, and considering the current pricing, the total cost of therapy could range from Rs 4 to 5 lakh. Consequently, Glenmark's price cut will bring the total expense for 18 cycles of treatment to slightly less than Rs 3 lakh. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Hoaxes, frauds, manias, and other large-scale financial irrationalities have been with us from the beginnings of the markets in the seventeenth century, long before the Internet. - Edward Thorp Foreign institutional inflows as well as domestic inflows through SIPs have been quite strong of late, but one should not be reading too much into it, cautions Kotak Institutional Equities. That is because a good chunk of the money coming in is passive flows, which means money flowing into index funds and exchange traded funds. From the Kotak note: The strong passive FPI inflows into India in recent months may simply be driven by the top-down excitement of foreign households around India and the expectation of certain returns, which may or may not materialize in the future. Similarly, large SIP inflows into mutual funds may reflect expectations of certain returns of domestic households related to returns from other asset classes and/or historical returns from equities. The reason why passive flows can be a misleading indicator is that they tend to exacerbate uptrends and downtrends. More importantly, active fund managers wont step and start buying just because passive money flows are taking the market higher, points out Kotak. The rich valuations of most stocks in the consumption and investment sectors would logically suggest an unfavorable reward-risk balance, says the note. Lupin The stock closed at its highest level in 16 months, boosted by approval for the generic version of anti-asthma drug Spiriva. But the party in the stock could well be drawing to a close for the time being, judging by the analyst commentary as well the F&O data. Bernstein, Kotak, Jefferies, JM Financial and Systematix have all retained their neutral to bearish ratings on the stock saying the current price is factoring in the earnings boost from the launch. There was a massive surge in call options of Rs 900 strike and Rs 880 strike. Volumes in the 900 strike jumped almost 100 times and those in the 880 strike surged 50 times. Open interest in these contracts leaped over three-fold and near four-fold, respectively. This frenzy indicates there is a big crowd out there which believes the stock is set to rise further. It is mostly institutions and HNIs who write (sell) options, while buyers of options are mostly retail investors. There have been instances when smart money has lost their shirts to retail frenzy. But this time the odds appear to be stacked against the buyers of the options. Lupin may be a good long term turnaround story, but for the moment fund managers are unlikely to bite. Delhivery Carlyle is set to sell 1.84 crore shares or roughly 2.5 percent of the companys equity through a block deal today. Of late, the trend has been of stocks rising after a block deal (HDFC AMC, Shriram Finance) as bulls are holding forth two arguments: (a) the supply overhang is gone and (b) there are enough takers for the stock. Delhiverys stock price move today will be a test of the theory. While quite a few stocks have rallied after huge block deals, the market has been less charitable to stocks of new-age businesses, reason being that the supply of shares from pre-IPO investors just does not seem to end. Delhivery shares are up around 30 percent from the lows of January after a few analysts turned bullish on the stock saying valuations are pricing in the worst. Relative to its own historical valuations, the Delhivery stock may appear cheaper, but the competition is necessarily not with oneself, but with rivals who are far more profitable. At this point, Dilli abhi door hai for Delhivery. Make Wall Street Great Again While most of us are transfixed by Nifty tiptoeing around its all-time high, the biggest rally of the year is well underway in the mother market. The S&P 500 has risen a hefty 14 percent this year easily beating the 8.5 percent advance by the MSCI All Country World ex-USA Index (which tracks developed and emerging-market stocks). The Nifty is up 3.6 percent on YTD basis. American investors are reverting to US stock funds, reports WSJ. They have added money on a net basis to equities-focused mutual and exchange-traded funds for three consecutive weeks, including $23.78 billion in the period ended June 14 - the highest weekly sum since December. At the same time, interest in global stocks has faded. Global equity funds just logged the biggest weekly net outflow since October 2022, posting net outflows for five of the past nine weeks. Comeback Kid Bitcoin may not be making headlines, but there are investors who still havent lost faith in the crypto currency. Bitcoin appears to be making a silent comeback with its price jumping above $30,000 following a series of recent applications from traditional financial firms. Investors are growing bullish about the prospects of BlackRock and others like Valkyrie and Wisdom Tree filing for Bitcoin ETFs. Auto Meets Autocracy Germany auto giants Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been accused of using forced labour in their Chinese supply chains, in one of the first official complaints against domestic companies to be brought under the countrys new supply chain law. On Tuesday, Berlin-based NGO European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights said it had filed a complaint with German regulators against the big three for their alleged links with forced labour in Chinas region of Xinjiang. The new German law, that came into effect at the start of 2023, requires large companies to ensure human rights and environmental issues in their supply chains are monitored and addressed. Penalties range from a fine of up to 2 percent of total annual global sales and exclusion from government contracts for up to three years. Abhishek Mukherjee contributed to this article. The market snapped two days of gains amid volatility and fell nearly half a percent on June 22. The weak global cues after the hawkish tone by the Federal Reserve and selling in most sectors dented sentiment. The BSE Sensex dropped 284 points to 63,239, while the Nifty50 declined 86 points to 18,771 and formed a bearish candlestick pattern on the daily scale, but still defended support of 18,700. Intraday, the BSE Sensex hit a fresh all-time high, while the Nifty50 went very close to its previous record high again but failed for the third time this week. On the hourly chart, a distinct 'Double Top' pattern can be identified on the Nifty. This suggests that a breakout above 18,888 is necessary to sustain the upward trend, Rajesh Bhosale, Technical Analyst at Angel One said. Conversely, he says, the low reached on Tuesday, around 18,650, coincides with the 20-day EMA (exponential moving average) and can be regarded as a significant support level. A breach below this level could trigger a breakdown of the Double Top pattern, potentially leading to further profit booking in the Nifty. Nevertheless, "considering the recent sessions where profit booking occurred, it is our belief that such corrections, whether in terms of time or price, should be viewed as healthy for the overall primary uptrend," Bhosale said. The Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 indices also saw profit booking after an eight-day run, falling 1 percent and 0.8 percent respectively. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Note: The open interest (OI) and volume data of stocks in this article are the aggregates of three-month data and not just the current month. Key support, resistance levels on Nifty The pivot point calculator suggests that the Nifty may get support at 18,757, followed by 18,727 and 18,679, whereas in case of upside, 18,854 can be a key resistance area for the index, then 18,884 and 18,933. Nifty Bank The Bank Nifty consolidated for yet another session around the 20-day exponential moving average mark (43,826) and closed 134 points lower at 43,725, forming a bearish candlestick pattern on the daily scale. "The resistance for the Bank Nifty is placed at 44,000 while the 43,500 zone is likely to act as a strong support as we head into the final expiry week of June series," Ashwin Ramani, Derivatives & Technical Analyst at SAMCO Securities said. The pivot point calculator indicated that the Bank Nifty is likely to take support at 43,665, followed by 43,576 and 43,431, whereas 43,955 can be the initial resistance zone for the index, followed by 44,044 and 44,189. Call options data The weekly options data showed that we have maximum Call open interest (OI) at 19,000 strike, with 1.08 crore contracts, which can act as a crucial resistance area for the Nifty50 in coming sessions. This was followed by 1.04 crore contracts at 18,800 strike, while 18,900 strike has 84.3 lakh contracts. We have meaningful Call writing at 18,800 strike, which added 31.66 lakh contracts, followed by 19,500 strike and 19,300 strike, which added 2.22 lakh contracts, and 1.36 lakh contracts, respectively. Maximum Call unwinding was at 18,900 strike, which shed 34.34 lakh contracts, followed by 19,100 and 19,000 strikes, which shed 34.05 lakh and 23.69 lakh contracts, respectively. Put option data On the Put side, the maximum open interest was at 18,700 strike, with 1.02 crore contracts, which can be a crucial support level for the Nifty50 in the coming sessions. This was followed by the 18,600 strike, comprising 62.38 lakh contracts, and the 18,500 strike, which has 46.91 lakh contracts. Put writing was seen at 17,900 strike, which added 18.13 lakh contracts, followed by 17,700 strike, which added 1.56 lakh contracts. We have Put unwinding at 18,800 strike, which shed 1.12 crore contracts, followed by 18,500 strike and 18,700 strike, which shed 32.56 lakh contracts, and 31.41 lakh contracts, respectively. Stocks with high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in the stock. We have seen the highest delivery in Bata India, Alkem Laboratories, Cipla, HDFC, and Container Corporation of India among others. 14 stocks see a long build-up An increase in open interest (OI) and price indicates a build-up of long positions. Based on the OI percentage, we have seen a long build-up in 14 stocks including Coromandel International, Balrampur Chini Mills, Jubilant Foodworks, Bharat Electronics and Federal Bank. 94 stocks see long unwinding A decline in OI and price generally indicates a long unwinding. Based on the OI percentage, 94 stocks including Oracle Financial, JK Cement, Rain Industries, Exide Industries and Punjab National Bank saw a long unwinding. 68 stocks see a short build-up An increase in OI along with a price decrease indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on the OI percentage, we have seen a short build-up in 68 stocks including RBL Bank, Indiabulls Housing Finance, Petronet LNG, Vodafone Idea and Chambal Fertilizers. 14 stocks see short-covering A decrease in OI along with a price increase is an indication of short-covering. Based on the OI percentage, 14 stocks were on the short-covering list. These included Max Financial Services, LTIMindtree, Tata Chemicals, MCX India and Birlasoft. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) Investors Meetings on June 23 Stocks in the news Landmark Cars: Private equity firm TPG Capital is likely to sell 44 lakh equity shares or an 11 percent stake in the automotive retailer via a block deal on June 23, reports CNBC-Awaaz quoting sources. The block deal is likely to take place at 0-5 percent discount to the current market price and the deal is launched by ICICI Securities. TPG Growth II SF Pte Ltd holds an 11.25 percent stake or 44.56 lakh shares in the company as of March 2023. PNB Housing Finance: The housing finance company has received board approval for the issuance of non-convertible debentures worth up to Rs 5,000 crore in tranches on a private placement basis. Bharat Petroleum Corporation: The oil marketing company said the meeting of the board of directors is scheduled for June 28 to consider various modalities for capital infusion including rights issue. The funds will help the company achieve energy transition, net zero and energy security objectives. Coforge: The IT services firm has acquired the final tranche of shares of the balance 20 percent stake in Coforge Business Process Solutions for Rs 336.94 crore. In April 2021, it had acquired 60 percent of 80 percent stake in Coforge Business Process Solutions. Its total stake in Coforge Business Process Solutions stands at 80 percent now. Eros International Media: Eros International Medias Managing Director Sunil Arjan Lulla and CEO Pradeep Kumar Dwivedi have been restrained from holding any board positions or key managerial positions by the market regulator Sebi, through an interim ex-parte order. The two senior executives, the company, Eros Worldwide FZ and Eros Digital have been banned from accessing the securities markets until further orders too. Eros is in the process of seeking legal advice on the Sebi order. Housing Development Finance Corporation: The Corporation has sold its entire 9.65 percent stake in Ruralshores Business Services. It also sold 10 lakh shares in HDFC Property Ventures, and 5 lakh shares in HDFC Venture Capital, which both are wholly owned subsidiaries, to Vividh Distributors, for Rs 1.20 crore and Rs 0.30 crore respectively. However, HDFC bought 3.86 percent shares in Bonito Designs for Rs 25 crore, while the corporation via HDFC Capital Advisors purchased 914 compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) in Cognilements. Fund Flow FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FII) sold shares worth Rs 693.28 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DII) purchased shares worth Rs 219.42 crore on June 22, provisional data from the National Stock Exchange shows. Stocks under F&O ban on NSE The National Stock Exchange has added RBL Bank to its F&O ban list for June 23 and retained BHEL, Hindustan Copper, L&T Finance Holdings, and Punjab National Bank on the list. Securities thus banned under the F&O segment include companies where derivative contracts have crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Koo, the home-grown microblogging website, continues to witness a decline in its monthly active user (MAU) base, the company said in its latest communication to investors, primarily because it spent less money on acquiring new users as it lowers its monthly cash burn. MAUs are the ones who log on to an app at least once a month. Koo, which is considered Twitters clone, saw a sharp increase in MAUs when the government was locked in a tiff with the global microblogging website in June-July 2022. That time, founders Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka aggressively pitched for celebrities and political leaders to use Koo as an alternative. A bunch of them, like Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, created their accounts on the app but leaders from the opposition parties were largely missing. Even globally, users in Brazil flocked to Koo which pushed downloads late last year. The Tiger Global-backed startup saw its MAUs drop to about 3.1 million in April 2023, the third straight month of decline this year. In January 2023, Koos MAUs were around 4.1 million, which fell closer to 3.5 million in February and dropped again to about 3.2 million in March. The 3.1 million MAUs in April was just about a third from a peak of 9.4 million in July 2022, when Twitter and the Indian government were involved in a legal tussle. Lowering cash burn The steady decline in Koos MAUs was largely because the Bengaluru-based startup was spending lesser to acquire new users, and also retain existing users as it lowers its cash burn rate in an environment where capital has become difficult to access. Thanks to reduced marketing spends and at least two rounds of layoffs in the past year or so, Koo managed to reduce its monthly cash burn to around Rs 10.2 crore in April 2023, from roughly Rs 16 crore in January, according to Koos Management Information System (MIS), a set of documents startups file with their investors periodically. The monthly cash burn of Rs 10.2 crore in April, however, is far from the target of Rs 6.5 crore Koo had set for itself by March-end. In response to Moneycontrols queries, the company did not mention when it will be able to achieve its target. It, however, said the numbers were inaccurate and refused to share any specific details on the declining trend. As a privately listed company, we are not required to disclose information on our burn, financial information and DAU/MAU numbers publicly. The numbers you have stated in your questions are also incorrect. With the global slowdown and the current market environment, our focus this year has been to optimise our costs and focus on revenue. We have moved from a growth engine to a very efficient system that is super optimised on marketing, tech and people costs, successfully bringing down our burn by 4X, a company spokesperson told Moneycontrol. Catch-22 situation An internet sector analyst said Koo is in a Catch-22 situation. If the company continues to lower its burn rate, it will see declining MAUs. It can choose to shore up MAUs but that would mean burning more money than it already has and most investors wont be willing to take that route now, the analyst said. To be sure, most consumer internet startups are facing a similar dilemma and the situation is not specific to Koo. Even in the past, there have been messaging apps which tried to take away market share from WhatsApp but since their offerings were not incremental, they lost momentum. Were seeing exactly that play out with Koo, he added. Driving up engagement In fact, Koo, has been trying to offer differentiated services, compared with Twitter, with over 20 global languages and several other initiatives. On June 16, 2023, Koo Premium was launched. It provides creators an opportunity to monetise their content and enhance engagement. Through Koo Premium, content creators can earn money by exclusively sharing content only with their subscribers. The launch of Koo Premium comes after the Accel-backed startup had introduced Koo Coins, wherein it rewards users for spending more time on the platform, thereby driving engagement. We just launched our first creator monetisation offering, Koo Premium, last week to enable creators to engage their fans and earn money through subscriptions and are already seeing creators and journalists from across the country start to monetise their content on Koo, the company spokesperson said when asked about the new initiatives. Koo said it will continue to experiment with monetisation as it looks to build a sustainable business. We also started our monetisation journey late last year. We have achieved a very healthy revenue run rate in such a short span since we started focusing on revenue and proving unit economics. Our revenue per daily active user (DAU) is 3-4x that of Indian content unicorns that monetise using ads. We expect this to rise even further through constant experimentation, the company spokesperson added, without revealing specific numbers. This comes at a time when Koos revenues were just Rs 14 lakh in FY22, as per the latest available data, up from Rs 8 lakh in FY21. During the same period, Koos losses jumped 460 percent to Rs 197 crore from Rs 35 crore in FY21. The jump in losses was also because Koo has scaled fast with 60 million downloads in the past three years. In just over three years of launch, Koo is the second-largest microblog available to the world with over 20 global languages on the platform. We are well-capitalised and remain positive about building a social media platform from India for the world, the company spokesperson said when asked about fund-raising plans. Founded by Radhakrishna and Bidawatka in 2020, Koo has raised over $65 million from large investors like Tiger Global, Accel, Blume Ventures and was last valued at over $270 million, as per data available on Tracxn, a market intelligence data provider. Naval Ravikant and Balaji Srinivasan are among the notable angel investors in Koo, data showed. Indias National Investment & Infrastructure Fund is in talks to raise at least 20 billion rupees ($244 million) for an infrastructure investment trust, according to people familiar with the matter. The vehicle would include some assets from Athaang Infrastructure, which operates toll roads, according to one of the people, who declined to be identified because the information is private. The investment will be a private placement and the fund raising should take place by September, another person said. NIIF is Indias first major attempt to develop a capital-raising structure on home soil, to tackle a shortfall in infrastructure spending. Investors include Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and Singapores Temasek Holdings Pte, according to its website. Infrastructure investment trusts, known as InvIT for short, are like mutual funds and allow a pooling of assets for financing projects and can help make up the shortfall in investment. A World Bank report last year estimated the country needs to spend $840 billion over the next 15 years on urban infrastructure. NIIF did not respond to Bloombergs emails and messages requesting comment. Athaang did not respond to an emailed request. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept This time every year, many students from India travel to countries like the UK, US, Canada, Australia and the euro area to pursue their educational dreams. They travel for extended stays, so their requirements differ from those of the regular traveller. Extra baggage allowance, for instance, is one of the essential requirements. As the new term season kicks off, travel services website platform MakeMyTrip has partnered with airlines for extra baggage and competitive student fares, with banks to finance exclusive discounts while booking tickets through credit cards and travel accessory brands for concessions. Lets look at the offerings and evaluate whether it's worth opting for it. What does it offer? MakeMyTrip has partnered with several airlines, including Air France, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (the two are part of the same group but operate independently), Air Mauritius, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, SriLankan Airlines, Thai Airways and Vistara. The benefits vary with the airlines and destinations. For instance, Qatar Airways offers a 10 percent discount on base fare and one free date change. Similarly, Cathay Pacific offers a 10 percent discount on base fare in economy and allows one additional piece of luggage of 23 kg if a student is traveling to the Philippines, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand. Those travelling to the US or Canada get the extra baggage allowance but no discount (see graphic for illustration of benefits offered by the partnered airline). To make it easier on the pocket, MakeMyTrip has tied up with some card issuing companies including American Express, Axis Bank, Citibank and ICICI Bank. These companies extend a discount if you use a credit card issued by them to book flight tickets. Students can also avail 50-70 percent discount while shopping for travel accessories from partnered brands which include American Tourister, Wildcraft, Tommy Hilfiger, etc. This is a smart offer by MakeMyTrip. With this bundled product offerings, it would get traction from the students segment, says Naveen Chopra, founder and chairman of TCGlobal, a global education consultancy firm. This integrated offering will lead to economy and convenience for the student cohort traveling abroad, especially to destinations such as the US, Canada, Europe, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, says Saujanya Shrivastava, chief operating officer, Flights, Holidays & Gulf Cooperation Council at MakeMyTrip. Eligibility criteria to avail this offering This bundled product is available for students between 15 and 34 years of age who are going abroad for educational purposes only. The students can avail the benefits simply by submitting their university acceptance letter/ID card and student visa on the specified section of the portal. Some of the other stipulations vary from airline to airline, says Shrivastava. These offerings are available on the MakeMyTrip website and mobile app via the students funnel, which needs to be selected while making a flight search. Also read | MC Explains: Which is the best bank FD in a rising interest-rate scenario? What works MakeMyTrip is offering deals on all products required by students travelling abroad, such as extra baggage, special discounts on flight tickets, and discounted travel accessories. Overall, the bundled offering for Indian students traveling abroad from MakeMyTrip can be a convenient option with potential benefits. It allows students and their families to customise the travel according to their specific requirements, says Rohan Ganeriwala, co-founder and director, Collegify, a global education consultancy firm. He adds that by partnering with various global airlines and banks to ease the pain at the time of buying tickets, MakeMyTrip is offering competitive deals and reliable services. For instance, the students can avail of a flat 12 percent discount, up to Rs 10,000, while booking the airline tickets using the partnered bank credit card. The airlines which they have partnered with are a reasonable mix for students, says Chopra. There are no additional charges that one needs to pay to avail this offering. Also read | Income tax returns: Types of TDS certificates and why they are needed What doesnt work Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways have offered the benefits for new bookings made until June 30, 2023, for all travel dates, a very limited window. However, other partnered airlines have offers till December 31, 2023, to March 31, 2024. The offer on an airline ticket is only applicable to a student. Parents accompanying students are excluded from this scheme. Some partnered airlines including Cathay Pacific, Vistara and Thai Airways have a stringent condition: failure to provide a valid student identification at the airport may result in the extra baggage benefit being forfeited and chargeable at the applicable fare, or else they may deny the passenger (student) boarding. This will lead to higher expenses for the students at the last moment. Also read | The charges lurking in your credit card you didnt know about Should you opt for it? The bundled offerings by MakeMyTrip are good for students travelling abroad, but its for a limited time period. Students who prefer to do it themselves from tier II and tier III cities will probably be attracted to use these bundled services offered by MakeMyTrip, says Chopra. He adds that established study-abroad counsellors also provide similar benefits by partnering with airlines and banks to pay for airline tickets, apart from the old ravel agency route for booking airline tickets and planning the itinerary. Individual airlines also offer discounts and additional benefits directly to students for bookings made through their website. If the airlines are offering better offers and discounts, then its always best to go directly with the airlines, says analysts. If you are considering opting for these bundled services from MakeMyTrip, there are various factors you need to consider. First, understand services and amenities included in the package, such as if you have booked an airline ticket, whether travel insurance is included or not, says Ganeriwala. Any additional services that might not be covered may require additional payment. He says it is advisable to determine the flexibility of the bundled offering in terms of date changes, cancellations and refunds. Availability of customer service support is crucial for these products to work in emergency situations, he adds. Real estate company Ashrai Infra has announced the launch of an office and high-street retail project called Golden Grande in Greater Noida west. The company will be investing Rs 1,284 crore on the project, spread over 25 acres. The company said that of the Rs 1,284 crore, an investment of Rs 631 crore will be made in the first phase of the project. Golden Grande is situated in a tech zone in Greater Noida West, in proximity of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and the upcoming Noida International Airport. Anand Shukla, Managing Director, Ashrai Group, said, "Golden Grande is the culmination of our commitment towards creating iconic destinations that address the dynamic needs of today's generation. The company has earlier delivered the 25-acre IT/ITES project "Golden I" in Greater Noida west. The Golden Grande project is LEEDS (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards) and GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) certified. LEEDS is a certification program devised by the US Green Building Council to encourage sustainable practices design and development by means of tools and criteria for performance measurement. Similarly, GRIHA is a rating tool that evaluates the environmental performance of a building holistically over its entire life cycle. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept A resident in a Bengaluru society came up for criticism on Twitter after a user shared that housekeepers in the apartment were asked to use the waiting area in between breaks during the day rather than use other facilities such as parks, gazebos and amphitheaters. The note also said that the resident in the society felt uneasy when surrounded by housekeepers, wherever they walked. "Maids can use the waiting areas in all the buildings to wait between jobs or eat their food. We do understand there may be breaks. Its difficult to see them hang out everywhere in the park, amphitheater and gazebos. Residents can feel uncomfortable when being surrounded by maids everywhere we walk. Security is not able to monitor common areas. Cooks, carpenters, plumbers sit on the sofa at the building reception. Most of us have probably stopped sitting on the sofas by now," the note read. residents of a bangalore society confusing class and being a classist pic.twitter.com/0pbeBUpDJc Vibin Babuurajan (@vibinbaburajan) June 21, 2023 The note posted on Twitter generated several comments, many of whom criticised the resident for the thinking. "Why is it so hard for people to understand that they are humans only," one user wrote. "Residents may feel uncomfortable when surrounded by maids. Dear residents, I am confident that if we transitioned to a full corporate culture in this domain, you would also not be able to afford maids. Enjoy the privilege until we become a developed country," another user wrote. "The same maid roaming in your house, cooking for you, cleaning for you is ok. But seeing them around you in the park is troublesome? Pathetic!," a third user wrote. Also read: From not allowing lungi at common places to banning opposite sex visitors, here are some outlandish rules by RWAs For India, net zero is not just a goal but the limit to be achieved, experts from the real estate sector and the United Nations said on June 22 at a climate change conference in Bengaluru. Speaking at the 24th International Conference on Environment Management and Climate Change, organised by the Delhi-based Institute of Directors in partnership with Kempegowda International Airport, experts reiterated that while achieving net zeroor achieving a state of carbon neutralitycan be challenging for the real estate sector in the country, other solutions like retrofitting existing buildings with sustainable solutions and incorporating environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) is crucial today. Also Read: With growing need for sustainability, how will Indian real estate look in the long run? Existing real estate needs to be transformed "For newer buildings, we have the option of opting for sustainable alternatives. But what happens to existing real estate and public infrastructure that continue to add carbon footprint?" Ovais Sarmad, former deputy executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said in an interaction with Moneycontrol. He explained that retrofitting is an option that several global economies have picked up to reduce or erase their existing carbon footprints. Retrofitting is replacing existing private real estate and public infrastructure with more sustainable materials with the help of growing technology like artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Also Read: MC Explains|Are glass facades in Bengaluru skyscrapers contributing to global warming and climate change? "To make the idea economically sustainable, governments need to prepare a vision and incentivise the process to encourage the public sector towards the change," he added. ESG holds a major power in a change Mallanna Sasalu, chief operating officer of Bengaluru-based Provident Housing, said that ESG should be incorporated in every real estate company's governance to visualise the change in line with India's net-zero goal by 2070. "We do not have control over the construction materials we are using, as today alternative options for concrete, one of the most carbon-intensive materials, are limited. But a conscious ESG from the part of every company can contribute to a change," he said. Every recycled precast product that has cement/concrete material attracts a goods and service tax rate of 18 percent. For other products, the levy is 5 percent, Moneycontrol reported earlier. Thus, it pushes contractors and companies towards cheaper available building materials in the market. "From Provident Housing, we have created our own mix of concrete to make it more sustainable and cut down on the carbon footprint, on a par with the concrete mix that is being used for 3D construction printing," he added. Unacademy's Graphy, a SaaS (software-as-a-service)-based platform for content creators, has bought Scenes, a community platform for creators, marking the first acquisition for the SoftBank-backed edtech unicorn in 2023. Graphy's co-founder and CEO Sumit Jain announced the acquisition of Scenes in a late evening tweet on June 21. Jain did not disclose the financial details of the transaction. A query sent to Unacademy's co-founder and CEO Gaurav Munjal, remained unanswered.

Super excited to announce that Graphy has acquired Scenes. Scenes has built a great community platform for creators. As @graphyapp continues to expand worldwide, the @buildonscenes product and offerings will supercharge our efforts and solidify our position as leaders in the

— Sumit Jain (@sumjain) June 21, 2023
Founded in 2021 by Varun Mayya, Abhinav Arora, and Shashank Udupa, Scenes runs a community management platform for brands. The acquisition will "solidify" Graphy's pole position in the creator economy, Jain said in the tweet. Scenes has raised about $50,000 in Seed round. Gaurav Munjal, co-founder and CEO is an investor in Scenes. Besides Munjal, Scenes counts Kunal Shah, Blume Ventures (also and investor in Unacademy), Better Capital, Tanmay Bhat and Flipkart's Kalyan Krishnamurthy as its backers. Scenes has a holding entity in Singapore called Avalonmeta Ventures Pte. Graphy's move to buy Scenes comes a few months after Jain announced it turning operationally profitable for the month of December. Graphy had a revenue of about Rs 18 crore in the calendar year 2022, Munjal had told his team in May in a Slack message. Unacademy predicted it to grow to Rs 30 crore in 2023. In the same message, he had said, "Graphy is turning out to be a phenomenal tech business with amazing unit economics." In November, Munjal had also taken a dig at the valuation of Classplus, a competitor of Graphy. He had said Classplus was overvalued, citing the growth of Graphy. Classplus is valued at about $500 million and had a revenue of Rs 45.4 crore for FY22 (2021-22). Launched in 2018 by co-founders Jain, Sushil Kumar, and Shobhit Bakliwal, Graphy is a SaaS-based platform under Unacademy's group companies for creators to grow their audience, monetize their skills, and host live sessions and cohort-based courses. The acquisition marks the first buy for Unacademy since the SoftBank-backed edtech unicorn bought Gate Academy in September last year. Unacademy has also been dealing with a host of issues over the past year as schools, colleges and physical tuition centers have reopened, leading to a fall in demand for online learning. The company has seen growth in its core business flattening and has taken a number of cost-cutting initiatives including close to 2,000 layoffs. South Africa: Cabinet thanks South Africans for celebrating Youth Day This story has been published on: 2023-06-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to attend and participate in the New Global Financing Pact Summit to be held in Paris, France, on 22 and 23 June 2023. This at the invitation of his counterpart, the President of the Republic of France, Emmanuel Macron. International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Dr Naledi Pandor, Finance Minister... See more The role of support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Georgias European integration was discussed on Thursday in a meeting between the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili and the members of the board of directors of the Bank, Azernews reports, citing Agenda. The meeting focused on Georgia's European integration path and challenges in the region, as well as the role of the EBRD in strengthening the countrys function in connectivity between Europe and Asia, the Presidential Administration said. Zourabichvili once again noted the countrys accession to the European Union was the choice of the absolute majority of the Georgian citizens, with no alternative to this European choice for the public. Having played a crucial role in Azerbaijans formation and development, Heydar Aliyev left an indelible mark in the history of Azerbaijan. "Azerbaijan & Heydar Aliyev" is a special project of Trend News Agency, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the national leader, which will cover key events of Heydar Aliyev's work in the years of his leading Azerbaijan. June 22, 2000. Heydar Aliyev took part in the constituent assembly of the All-Russian Congress of Azerbaijanis in Moscow. The national leader delivered a speech to the participants of the event, where he touched in detail on the role of the Azerbaijani language in the development of the country, society, and nation, and also analyzed the process of building Azerbaijani diaspora organizations in the world. Heydar Aliyev noted that every Azerbaijani should know the Azerbaijani language. However, I also know that Azerbaijanis living in Russia or Azerbaijanis living in Azerbaijan itself, according to a tradition that has existed for many years, studied in Russian, and in their families they spoke Russian more. Therefore, they do not speak their language well enough. After Azerbaijan gained state independence, the Azerbaijani language was declared the state language. Nine years have passed since that time. And there are still such Azerbaijanis in Azerbaijan, in Baku, even in government work there are Azerbaijanis who ask at our various meetings to allow them to speak Russian so that they can express their thoughts more accurately. I have repeatedly warned them: I will give you some more time, but if during this period you will not be able to learn your native language, the state language, then you will have to leave government work. And then you can speak the language you want," the national leader noted at the time. Wherever every person lives - not only in Russia, even in Australia or, I don't know, in South Africa - he should not only not forget his language, but always know it, Heydar Aliyev had added. "I have repeatedly said during my speech in Azerbaijan that I want Azerbaijanis, in particular, the youth, to know as many languages as possible: Russian, English, French, German, Arabic, and Spanish. But let them be fluent in the Azerbaijani language. The more languages a person knows, the richer he becomes. A person who lives only in one language, of course, will have a difficult time in the modern world, in a world that is generally interconnected," Heydar Aliyev had said. Speaking about the issues of the Diaspora, the national leader noted that Azerbaijanis, wherever they live, should be connected with each other. "Firstly, it will help to preserve our language, traditions, and customs. Secondly, it will help every Azerbaijani. An Azerbaijani has a problem, another one will help him. Of course, he has a friend who is Russian or Jewish or some other nationality - this is also a friend, and he will help him. But still, an Azerbaijani is always closer to him - according to customs, morals, etc. Therefore, I would like the Azerbaijanis living in Russia to be in close relations with each other. And this is possible by creating communities in various regions of Russia. When I found out that there are already established communities in Russia in 50 regions and that representatives of these communities can come here to Moscow to meet with me, it made me very happy. Because it is known that there are many Azerbaijanis in Russia. However, we lacked organization and communication, if this issue is resolved now, then it is very good, very pleasant," Heydar Aliyev had said. The national leader touched upon the Karabakh conflict and the influence of the Armenian Diaspora. "Unfortunately, we are in the neighborhood of Armenia, with which we have no friendship. You know the history of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijanis are a peace-loving people, Azerbaijanis have never shown a negative attitude towards other peoples. Tolerance and religious tolerance of our people are at a high level. We are not to blame for the fact that Armenians - of course, not all of them, but those aggressive separatists or extremists - at different times fomented various conflicts and, finally, in 1988, they already made a direct attack in order to tear off the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region and annex it to themselves. And that was the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It is still going on, and we cannot resolve this conflict in any way. We knew before, but after this conflict arose, we began to know more about it - what kind of organization Armenians have in different countries, what closeness they have with each other, what strong communities," Heydar Aliyev had said. Earlier, for example, even I, a person who has been involved in politics and government activities for many years, did not imagine this to such an extent. I remember when the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict had just begun and Soviet and Russian politician Mikhail Gorbachev made his first visit to the US, where he met with representatives of the Armenian community, as reported in the Soviet press. And they presented him, that is, Raisa Maksimovna, with some expensive gift. This caused us outrage. Yes, it caused outrage. Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union, had to have the same approach to both Armenians and Azerbaijanis. By the way, I gave an interview to a television station yesterday and talked about it again. If Gorbachev and his entourage had taken the right position in 1988, this conflict would not have taken such a form, and there would not have been so many losses, and Armenia and Azerbaijan would not have been in such hostile relations as they are today. He and the then Soviet leadership are one of the culprits," Heydar Aliyev had pointed out. According to the national leader, Azerbaijanis living outside Azerbaijan should unite. "In the name of what? In the name of independent Azerbaijan. For a true Azerbaijani who loves his land and his parents, there is one Azerbaijan today. There is one Azerbaijani land and an Azerbaijani state, the President of Azerbaijan! You can be sure that this President of Azerbaijan will defend the independence and internal stability of Azerbaijan until his last breath, develop the economy of Azerbaijan, and most importantly, achieve a peaceful settlement of the ArmenianAzerbaijani conflict," Heydar Aliyev had said. The new-age tech sector is clawing back after the debacle of 2022 and are set to produce true two multi-baggers in the near future, Motilal Oswal Asset Management Company co-founder Raamdeo Agrawal told Moneycontrol in an interview on June 22. I think we should be hopeful that some of the businesses will scale up very rapidly, he said. A multibagger is a stock that flushes out over 100 percent returns in a relatively short period of time. Payments major Paytm has gained 23 percent, fashion startup Nykaa 18 percent and online insurance aggregator PB Fintech has gained 6 percent over the past month. Agrawal said the new-age companies have superior business models that leverage the power of digitalisation to fuel growth. These business models have the potential to grow 20-25 times over the next decade, the market veteran said, citing India's abundant opportunities and the power of compounding. If these new tech companies grow at even 35 percent, in 10 years, they would become 20-25 times their market cap, Agrawal said. Also Read: Can Paytm quarterly numbers revive sentiment in new-age companies? According to Agrawal, the rapid spread of internet-based digital and phygital models across the country gives new tech companies an advantage over other successful business models. Phygital, a portmanteau of words physical and digital, is a marketing term for blending digital experiences with physical ones. On the back of these superior models even if these companies generate 40-50 percent compounding growth, it will still be at a lower end, Agrawal said. New-tech companies dominate the global indices, he said, adding except Warren Buffett-backed Berkshire Hathaway Inc, tech-oriented companies top the global list. If the promoters of these companies continue to conduct themselves well, focus on building stronger competitive advantages (moats), and strike a balance between growth and profitability, these companies will experience significant growth, Agrawal said. If they follow these strategies, which is what they have been doing after the debacle last year, these companies will grow, he said. After launching in Gujarat last year, Reliance Industries has taken a big leap and announced the expansion of its Independence brand to North India. The brand, which offers edible oils, grains, pulses, packaged foods and other essential daily commodities, competes with Adani Wilmar's Fortune, Marico's Saffola and Patanjali Foods' Nutrela. At 9:45 am, Reliance Industries was quoting at Rs 2,570 on the NSE, higher by 0.24 percent from previous close. Adani Wilmar share price was trading flat at Rs 418 and Marico was down by 1.1 percent at Rs 521.40. Follow our live blog for all the market action "A large cross-section of the Indian population is looking for a dependable consumer goods brand that offers a wide range of high-quality products at affordable prices and Independence aims to fill that gap," the company said. With the expansion, Independence products will be available to consumers in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Bihar. RIL has been aggressively expanding its FMCG presence, ahead of the much-awaited Reliance Retail IPO. Last year, it also took on the likes of HUL and ITC with announcement of personal care and homecare products. Analysts at Nuvama Institutional Equities had noted that the price points for RIL's soaps, dishwashing bars and detergents were 30-35 percent lower than the market leaders across these categories. It is highly likely that the conglomerate could implement the same strategy in Foods segment as well. "The company has a reputation of disrupting sectors that it forays into, mostly by steep discounting in the initial stages," Nuvama analysts added. Reliance Retail - the next big trigger Reliance Consumer Products comes under Reliance Retail, which analysts have pegged as the next big trigger for the stock. For instance, CLSA's Vikash Kumar Jain has pegged RIL's share price at Rs 3,017 by March 2025 of which Reliance Retail will be worth Rs 1,286. "We will see visible strides in Reliances FMCG foray in 2023," he said. For instance, the company has already announced nationwide relaunch of Campa Cola. For Nifty50 to scale new high, Reliance Industries' upmove is key as it alone commands over 10 percent weight in the index. With retail, Jio and new energy businesses pegged as the next big triggers for the stock, the 12-month target price on the stock is Rs 2,810 which indicates a 10 percent upside from current levels. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Disclaimer: Moneycontrol is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary. Shares of Venus Remedies zoomed on June 22 morning after the pharma company said it has got the approval to market meropenem, a drug used in treating skin and abdominal infections, in Spain. The company got the approval through its German subsidiary for 500 mg, 1 g and 2 g injections of this last-recourse antibiotic. Venus Remedies claims to be the largest Indian exporter of meropenem in the last three years. With plans to launch the product in December this year, we will be able to capture a 10 percent share in the $6.34-million meropenem market of Spain. It will help us strengthen our position in the European market as well," said Saransh Chaudhary, President, Global Critical Care, Venus Remedies. At 11.20, the stock zoomed to Rs 248.80, hitting a 5 percent upper circuit on BSE. A broad-spectrum antibiotic of the carbapenem class used in intensive care units of hospitals as a last resort for the treatment of life-threatening infections, meropenem contributes 40 percent to the company's total sales. Click here for all market updates for the day The market size for the broadspectrum antibiotic in Europe is about $70.34 million. Venus Remedies has launched this drug in major European markets under its own brand name and through strategic alliance partners by way of tieups. The company has secured more than 120 marketing authorisations for Meropenem throughout the world, it said. Riding on the upcoming marketing approvals for meropenem across Europe, we expect Venus Pharma GmbH to achieve a significant increase in turnover in the coming quarters. We are holding talks for more strategic tie-ups with multinational companies in other regulated markets," Venus Remedies Executive Director Akshansh Chaudhary said. The company has managed to record about $27 million in sales solely through the marketing of meropenem. The facilities of Venus Remedies have a capacity of manufacturing 24 million units of meropenem per annum on single shift basis. The company is utilising 60 percent of its capacity, the pharma firm said. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Wheels India is turning heads. Almost a year after quitting HDFC AMC, market veteran Prashant Jain is on the lookout for multi-baggers again. His fund, 3P India Equity Fund, bought 1 lakh shares of Wheels India in May. Nippon India Mutual Fund, the seller, still holds over 16 lakh shares, amounting to a 6.5 percent stake in the company. This is Jain's first buy after starting his own Cat-III alternative investment fund. He is well-known for being a patient investor with a value bias focussed on long-term compounding returns. Wheels India quoted at the Rs 1,200 level back in June 2018. The stock is currently near Rs 650 and has rallied 50 percent from its March 2023 low of Rs 448. Here's all you need to know about the company: Revenue crosses Rs 4,000 crore mark In FY23, the wheelmaker clocked Rs 4,332 crore in revenue, crossing the 4,000 mark for the first time ever. In the five years prior to that, sales kept fluctuating in the Rs 2,200 crore Rs 3,500 crore range. "While domestic was strong, there is a certain amount of uncertainty on the global environment. However, our exports are showing positive signs, and we are confident that based on the strong relationships that we have with customers and the new programmes that we are getting into, in the coming year, we'll continue to show growth," Srivats Ram, the companys managing director, had said after the Q4 earnings call. Clawing back margins In FY23, the company's operating margins came in at 5 percent due to one-off reasons, including pre-inspection and rectification charges in the export market, as well as higher interest costs. "The interest cost is not going to improve in the current situation. But the demand situation is improving, so the cost of underutilisation will not be there. So, we should be able to return to earlier levels of margins," the Wheels India chief said. In 2016-17, the company had peak margins of 9 percent. Also Read: This companys cash, property value is greater than its current market-cap. And Ashish Chug just bought into it New business segments The company primarily makes wheels for cars, buses, trucks and tractors. It also makes air suspension systems for buses and trucks. In the industrial division, it makes components for the windmill industry and railways, as well as fabrications for the construction division. That said, automotive components make up over 81 percent for the company's topline, while industrial components are only 19 percent. Wheels Indias plans to increase the second segments share rapidly in coming years, with a particular focus on windmills. "In Europe and North America, the bigger issue is getting regulation clearances to set up windmills. So, clients actually wait till they get the clearances, and then they push it into the channel. I think things will speed up considerably in this industry over the next one or two years on the back of the renewable energy push," Ram said in the earnings call. Marquee names Wheels India is part of the TSF Group, whose lineage stems from the TVS Group. TSF Group has a turnover of about Rs 22,000 crore. It includes an auto component division, which has Brakes India, Wheels India, Turbo Energy, and Axles India, among other companies. Trichur Sundaram Santhanam & Family Private Limited owns over 29 percent of the company, while Sundaram Finance Holdings holds 23 percent. Domestic mutual funds such as Nippon, IDFC and HDFC also have a significant stake in the company. As of March 2023, domestic mutual funds held an 18.3 percent stake in Wheels India. The company recently organised a plant visit on June 19 for ICICI Prudential AMC, Axis Mutual Fund, Aditya Birla Sunlife Mutual Fund, Bandhan AMC, and Girik Capital among others. On June 22, the stock closed over 2 percent lower at Rs 655.55 on the NSE. The societies and institutions of both the US and India are based on democratic values and both countries take pride in their diversity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the ceremonial welcome at the White House ahead of his official talks with US President Joe Biden. The constitution of both countries begins with the "three words -We the People- as President Biden just mentioned", said Modi, who is on his first state visit to the US. Thanking Biden, his wife Jill Biden and the US administration for a warm and grand welcome, Modi said this is the first time the gates of the White House have been opened for Indian-Americans in such large numbers. "This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honour and pride for 1.4 billion people of India. This is also an honour for more than 4 million people of Indian origin living in the US. For this honour, I express my heartfelt gratitude to President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden," Modi said. He said both countries take pride in their diversity, and "both of us believe in the fundamental principle of 'In the interest of all, for the welfare of all'". He said about three decades ago, he had come to America as a common man and at that time, he had seen the White House from the outside. "After becoming the Prime Minister, I've come here many times, but today for the first time the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian-American community in such large numbers," he added. He said Indian community members are enhancing India's glory in the US through their hard work and dedication. Noting that in the post-Covid era, the world order is taking a new shape, the Prime Minister said the friendship between India and the US will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world. "The two countries are committed to work together for the global good and for global peace, stability and prosperity. Our strong strategic partnership is a clear proof of the power of democracy," he said. Modi said he will discuss with President Biden the India-US relations and various regional and global issues. "The societies and institutions of both India and the US are based on democratic values. I'm sure that as always our conversation today will be very positive and useful." Modi said he was thankful to have an opportunity to address the US Congress for the second time. "I am deeply grateful for this honour". On his part, President Biden said that the relationship between the US and India is one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century. "Welcome back to the White House," Biden said amid cheers from the crowd gathered on the South Lawn of the White House. "Two proud nations two proud nations whose love of freedom secured our independence, bound by the same words and our Constitution," he said. Asserting that decisions the two countries make today will determine the future of generations to come, Biden said the US and India are working closely in expanding healthcare, climate change and issues arising out of Russia's aggression on Ukraine. "The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the United States work and lead together and we are. With your partnership, we've invigorated and elevated the Quad between the United States, India, Australia and Japan to advance our vision of a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific," the US president said. Noting that record numbers of Indian Americans are serving in the United States Congress, he said, "We see it here at the White House where proud Americans of Indian heritage serve our country every day, including our vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris." "Stories that define the relationship and the limitless possibilities between the United States and India. Two great nations, two great friends, two great powers that can define the course of the 21st century," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited American chip maker Micron Technology to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India as the country provides competitive advantages in various parts of the product's supply chain. He also invited Applied Materials to India for development of process technology and advanced packaging capabilities. Modi in his meeting here with President and CEO of Applied Materials Gary E Dickerson discussed the potential of the company's collaboration with academic institutions in India to create a skilled workforce. "The prime minister invited Micron Technology to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India," a ministry of external affairs statement said. During his meeting with CEO of General Electric H Lawrence Culp , Modi invited the company to play a greater role in the aviation and renewable energy sector in India. "Prime minister appreciated GE for its long-term commitment of manufacturing in India. The prime minister and Mr. Culp Jr discussed GE's greater technology collaboration to promote manufacturing in India," it said. India is promoting semiconductor development and it has announced a production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for that. Global companies are exploring India as a viable investment destination for semiconductors. The country is positioning itself as among the most attractive destinations in Asia for electronics and semiconductors. The Indian semiconductor market was valued at USD 27.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR of nearly 19 per cent to reach USD 64 billion in 2026. But none of these chips are manufactured in India so far. Setting up semiconductor units, also known as fabs, is a highly specialised, complex and expensive task. Fabs call for complex technology, are high risk and require long gestation and payback periods. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US at the invitation of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. (With PTI inputs) Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Washington DC on Wednesday afternoon to kick off the main part of his first state visit to the United States. The national anthems of both countries were played at the airbase. Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was received by US President Joe Biden and Jill Biden at the White House for a private dinner. The White House said that as the official gift, the president and the first lady presented PM Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. For all the latest updates on PM Modi's visit to the US, follow Moneycontrol's live blog During the second leg of his US visit, PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with Joe Biden and address a joint session of the US Congress. He will also attend the State Dinner along with other dignitaries. PM In the evening, he will also address a joint sitting of the US Congress. This will be his second address to a joint-sitting a first for an Indian and a rare honour for world leaders. On June 23, PM Modi will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The day's second event will be with the business community. He will engage with chief executive officers, professionals, and other influential stakeholders. He will also have one-to-one meeting with the CEOs at the Kennedy Center hosted by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Later in the evening, PM Modi will deliver an address to the Indian diaspora at the Ronald Reagan Center. He will end the historic visit on day three after finishing all his engagements and travel to Egypt to meet President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. This will be PM Modi's first visit to Egypt. Here's the detailed itinerary of PM's US-Egypt visit: Thursday, June 22, 2023 White House Arrival Ceremony Restricted Bilateral Meeting Expanded Bilateral Meeting Joint Press Statements Meeting with Speaker at US Capitol Meeting with Congressional Leadership Greeting by Congressional Escort Committee Address to Joint Session of the Congress Congressional Reception hosted by Speaker Official State Dinner in honour of PM at White House Friday, June 23, 2023 India-US Hi-Tech Handshake Event State Department Luncheon One-to-one Meetings with CEOs Professionals/diaspora event at Eisenhower Theatre, John F. Kennedy Center Community Interaction at Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center State Visit Airport Departure Ceremony Saturday, June 24, 2023 Ceremonial Welcome at Airport Brief Interaction with Egypt PM Round-Table with Egypt PM Interaction with Indian community Meeting with Grand Mufti of Egypt Interaction with Egyptian thought leaders Sunday, June 25, 2023 Visit Al Hakim mosque Visit of Heliopolis War Memorial Welcome of PM by Egyptian President at Presidential Palace One-to-one meeting between leaders Extended Level Talks Signing of Strategic Partnership document/MOUs Press Statements Conferring of The Order of the Nile Lunch hosted by Egyptian President Emplane for Delhi (With inputs from agencies) US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House. Modi was received by the president and the first lady, and before entering the building, they posed for photos and were seen chatting. "When friends meet! PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden and family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. Catch live updates of the PM's visit here "When friends meet! PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden and family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. According to the White House, this evening, the president, the first lady and the prime minister also enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. The dinner featured the president's favourite foods, including pasta and ice cream, it said. The dinner featured the president's favourite foods, including pasta and ice cream, it said. They were joined by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, the White House said. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy Chief of Protocol Aseem Vohra were seen entering the White House. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy Chief of Protocol Aseem Vohra were seen entering the White House. Earlier in the day, Jill Biden hosted Modi at the National Science Foundation (NSF), where they participated at an event to highlight shared priorities of India and the US around education and workforce. On Thursday, President Joe Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Prime Minister Modi visit also includes an address by him to the joint session of the US Congress. On Thursday, President Joe Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Prime Minister Modi visit also includes an address by him to the joint session of the US Congress. The White House also said that as the official gift, the president and first lady will present Prime Minister Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. They will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, it said. They will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, it said. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. (With PTI inputs) An Indian Prime Ministers visit to the United States generates anticipation, excitement and saturation coverage in Indian media and political circles. It does not usually attract much attention in the US, beyond a few paras in the inside pages of its print media. Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit is breaking out of this template. It is an official State visit only the third by an Indian leader since our Independence. He will address a joint session of the US Congress one of few world leaders to do so twice. Other courtesies will be extended, beyond the requirements of protocol. Modis visit will cap a sequence of prolific bilateral exchanges in recent months. The visits to India of the US Treasury, Commerce and Defence Secretaries have been interspersed with those of equally senior Indian ministers in the other direction. The White House described Modis visit as historic. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin talked of a transformative moment in the relationship. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has described bilateral relations in euphoric terms. A Widening, Deepening Partnership The frenetic activity of recent months has imparted a new stimulus to the bilateral relationship, somewhat similar to that imparted by the India-US nuclear deal of 2008. The US is now Indias largest trade partner. A host of business and technology connections have powered investments in both directions. US defence sales to India have surged. Security cooperation, including intelligence sharing, strengthens Indias defence of its borders. The elevation of the Quad (India, Australia, Japan and USA) dialogue to summit level has reinforced Indias bilateral and plurilateral initiatives in the Indo-Pacific. The two countries have worked to synchronise their approaches in Indias neighbourhood, though there remain some wrinkles that may need to be ironed out during Modis discussions in Washington. The technology cooperation has been energised by an initiative for Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), led by the two National Security Advisors, inviting industry and research institutions to strategize with the governments on reinforcing partnerships in areas like artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, 5G/6G communications and semiconductor design and manufacturing. The China Factor Negotiations for development and manufacture of advanced jet engines in India may be progressed during the visit. Their success would depend on US permissions for sharing key technologies and Indian willingness to make it commercially worthwhile for the US entities involved in the project. There are a number of other proposals for India to acquire sophisticated weaponry, including armed drones. Indias diversification of defence purchases needs access to high-quality weapons systems, with assured access to repair, maintenance and operations facilities. The Russia-Ukraine war, escalating US-China tensions and deteriorating India-China relations form the backdrop to this new energy in India-US relations. Anticipation of a slackening of Russian defence supplies spurred US offers of faster technology transfers. India grasped the opportunity of cutting-edge arms transfers to reinforce its defence against potential adversaries. Western concerns about supply chain resilience resonated with those of India, which sought to be part of the new supply chain loops. Declared intentions for de-risking from China and friend-shoring promise opportunities for India, if it can suitably tweak its investment regime. Temper Unrealistic Expectations US media, academia and political circles have criticised India for not joining in the condemnation of Russia. The Biden Administration has shown the maturity to recognise Indias geopolitical perspectives and to focus instead on the big picture of strategic opportunities. Some in the US attribute the effusive courting of Modi at least partially to the electoral importance of the Indian American community. Numbering about five million, it is spread in significant numbers across swing states (Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan), where a few percentage points could turn a Presidential election. Most Indian Americans supported Biden in 2020; many admire Indias growth under Modi. Given the nature of US democracy, there will inevitably be sniping from sections of its society about Indias unhelpful position on Ukraine, its democratic backsliding and its human rights record. Two recent Congressional Research Service reports on India are examples; one of them hints at an unhappiness in the State Department about the kid-glove treatment of India. The giant strides in India-US relations stem from a convergence of strategic interests. But the obvious asymmetry of power, capacity and interests prevents a total congruence of perspectives. One is a superpower with global political leverage and military reach and, consequently, a clutch of interests across issues and geographies. The other is expanding its international profile, but also grappling with major domestic challenges and security issues in its immediate periphery. A mature understanding of this asymmetry should temper unrealistic mutual expectations from the relationship. PS Raghavan is a former diplomat, now Distinguished Fellow at the Vivekananda International Foundation. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. We will have joint projects with Azerbaijan, Head of the Personnel Department of the Turkish Presidential Administration Salim Atay told Trend. He noted that more than 35,000 Azerbaijani students study in Turkiye today. "Most of them study medicine (pharmacy, dentistry) in Turkiye. Azerbaijanis working in the public and government sectors have also been educated here. Azerbaijan and Turkiye have very strong relations, said Atay. The Personnel Department was established in 2018 when our country switched to the presidential. We work directly under the leadership of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. We are actually transforming the country and society. This transformation is becoming modern and innovative in accordance with the processes taking place in the world, and we have developed specific mechanisms that I will present at the Human Resources Summit in Baku," Atay said. He also added that Turkiye is ready to share these mechanisms both with Azerbaijan and with other Turkic states. "Our mechanisms and achievements are now seen in the world as an example to follow," Atay said. At some point, the world might have too many planes again. But its a little early to worry about that too much. The Paris Air Show returned this week after a long COVID hiatus. The typically biennial confab brings together executives from across the aerospace and defense ecosystem and usually yields a slew of plane and engine deals and industry prognostications. Analysts were bracing for a particularly robust orders bonanza this year as airlines scramble to meet a resurgence in travel demand and lock up delivery slots that are becoming increasingly scarce at both Boeing Co and Airbus SE for narrow-body and wide-body jets alike. But the flow of announcements was more like a trickle than a flood. The capstone was IndiGos order for 500 of Airbuss narrow-body jets. As the largest single order for aircraft on record, this is a big deal, but its also the only big, truly new deal to come out of the Air Show. The others were smaller or recycled. In a booming demand environment, we were also surprised by the lack of orders, Bank of America Corp analysts led by Ron Epstein wrote in a June 20 report. The relative dearth of fresh blockbuster announcements at the Air Show is in part a timing issue: Air India announced an order for 470 Airbus and Boeing jets in February that it firmed up this week in Paris with the addition of options for 70 more Boeing planes. Saudi Arabia signed a March deal for 78 Boeing Dreamliners split between two carriers, while Ryanair Holdings Plc agreed in May to buy as many as 300 of Boeings 737 Max jets. The commentary at least was flowing free and easy at Le Bourget airport, the home of the Paris Air Show. Executives alternated between complaining about stubborn supply chain constraints that are delaying deliveries and limiting the ability of manufacturers to ramp up production to meet all of this demand and cautioning about the risk of an eventual capacity glut once Boeing and Airbus can get around to filling order backlogs that now stretch well into the end of this decade. The worry among some longtime executives is that in their quest to get a place in line, airlines are overordering. Theres a shortage of capacity. There are no airplanes available, Akbar Al Baker, chief executive officer of Qatar Airways, told Bloomberg Television. We have other players that are also flooding the market with huge numbers of airplanes, and I just hope that what theyre doing is right, he said. Steve Udvar-Hazy, co-founder of Air Lease Corp, told Bloomberg News the industry is suffering from a herd mentality thats not justified by economics or reality. Both executives said they didnt feel a need to place fresh large orders for aircraft right now, but thats largely because they already have robust undelivered backlogs. Air Lease has about 400 jets on order and added two 787 Dreamliners at the Air Show. When Qatar Airways current fleet needs replacements, we will order more airplanes, Al Baker said. That time is not too distant. Both he and Udvar-Hazy also said that the strong demand that the industry is enjoying is sustainable for the foreseeable future. In other words, they dont think their companies arent about to get trapped in an aircraft bubble, but others just might. Not all orders are created equal in the aerospace industry. Epstein of Bank of America expressed some reservation around the blockbuster bookings from Indian carriers. We remain cautious regarding these commitments given gaps within Indian infrastructure, availability of financing and concerns over Indias commitment to the Cape Town Convention, he wrote in a report this week. The Cape Town Convention established an international registry for aircraft as a means of helping companies assert their rights over planes. But aircraft orders arent written in stone and signed in blood, either, something that became abundantly clear during the pandemic and Boeings myriad production, regulatory and political issues in recent years. Many of them get deferred, or airlines will opt out of some of the aircraft or swap with other buyers, Udvar-Hazy told Bloomberg Television. Look at it as a dynamic order book. Its not a static order book with Airbus and Boeing. At the last Paris Air Show in 2019, analysts started to speculate that the long-running boom in demand for air travel might be due for a breather and that the hefty order books at Boeing and Airbus might hold more planes than airlines actually need. That turned out to be the right question to ask, although no one predicted a global pandemic would be the reason. If there had been a Paris Air Show in 2021, it would have happened mere months after Covid vaccines started to be rolled out around the globe. Myriad restrictions on international travel meant many airlines had more seats than travelers on their larger jets, even as domestic demand rebounded. Now, airlines are having to trim their growth plans and lose out on some of the demand recovery because they cant get their hands on enough planes and fully functioning jet engines. Its possible that aerospace executives, like economists, arent very good at forecasting what the world will look like five years from now, or even a year from now. A lot can happen between now and the stretch between 2030 to 2035 when IndiGos 500 Airbus jets are set to be delivered. Boeing, for its part, predicts that even after accounting for reduced flying demand from climate concerns and productivity improvements, the world will need 42,595 airplane deliveries between now and 2042, roughly doubling the existing fleet. Almost half of those orders are expected to be earmarked for replacing older, less efficient jets. The more pressing issue for the aerospace industry is whether it can build the planes on order for this decade. All our aircraft deliveries are delayed, Al Baker of Qatar Airways said. Particularly in the US, the industry thinned its ranks drastically during the pandemic and has since struggled to rebuild its labor force. While companies have been on a hiring spree, the new workers lack the experience of their laid-off predecessors, and that knowledge gap is feeding into quality issues up and down the supply chain. The problem is particularly acute among the smallest suppliers who lack the capital to compete for talent with manufacturers further up the food chain and in other industries. Almost three-quarters of respondents to a Bank of America survey on the aerospace supply chain don't believe the industrys issues will be resolved before 2025, and 40 percent said it was unclear where production levels would ultimately settle for 2023. The survey was conducted with Aviation Week Network, and the results were reported June 1. More than half of the respondents were lower-tier suppliers with annual revenues of less than $25 million. When you pull the thread through almost everything, it almost invariably ends with labor: the ability to attract it, retain it, train it in time, Mike Kauffman, vice president of supply chain for General Electric Cos aerospace division, said at the companys investor day presentation this week at the Paris Air Show. Were still being hampered by quality deviations not safety of flight, but things that are caught inside as we begin to ramp which causes us to pause or in some cases go backwards. There are still material constraints. GE has a 200-person team focused on supplier recovery and readiness. The rate at which Honeywell International Incs aerospace suppliers back out of delivery commitments fell to about 15 percent in the first quarter, down from a peak of 20 percent to 25 percent in 2022. But normal is less than 10 percent, so theres still a way to go. A supplier for Raytheon Technologies Corps jet engines used incorrect materials to make one batch of parts, forcing it to pause production and delay some shipments. The error will cost Raytheon about $500 million in free cash flow in the current quarter, although it expects to make this up over the balance of the year. Everybody is very excited. Both manufacturers want huge orders. But you can always get the orders. When will you supply them? That is the big question, Al Baker said. Brooke Sutherland is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering deals and industrial companies. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Credit: Bloomberg The global energy market is defined by chokepoints, those tight squeezes on the map that can cause havoc on the whims of the gods or mere politicians. The Suez Canal is a good example of both, scene of the 1956 geopolitical crisis that shook the world and also the more recent grounding of a container ship that shook social media (and global trade). Another canal is currently not quite choking but beginning to splutter. The Panama Canal is suffering from an unprecedented drought, according to the canal operator. The implications for energy markets, natural gas in particular, could be far-reaching, slowing existing routes while also creating opportunities for new ones. A wonder of the modern world providing a short-cut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the canal has also become a major trade route for liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from the US Gulf Coast to the growth markets of Asia, following a big expansion completed in 2016. But heres the rub: Its system of artificial lakes and locks requires plentiful rainfall in order to handle the deep drafts of large ships. As part of efforts to conserve water and maintain passage, the canal operator has reduced the maximum draft allowed on its newest locks that carry the largest vessels. In theory, this shouldnt affect LNG tankers, which enjoy shallower drafts than the current limits. However, Doug Brown, LNG marine manager at Poten & Partners, a consultancy, points out that container cargoes, which are more affected, may need to be split onto multiple ships to comply. Since the canal has only so many slots available per day, higher container traffic can create bottlenecks of its own. Exactly how much LNG passes across the Panama Canal is hard to say. Bloomberg NEF tracks the number of laden (that is, full) tankers transiting the canal. Based on those figures and a slew of assumptions, perhaps 5 percent of the global LNG trade sails through there. Assuming the vast majority of those cargoes originate in the US, though, the canal may handle somewhere approaching 60 percent of US LNG exports to the Asia-Pacific region. It takes the average LNG tanker 21 days to sail from the Gulf Coast to Japan via the Panama Canal, compared with 34 days going east via Suez, according to Bloomberg NEF. A shorter sailing time means lower costs, including the burning of less fuel. But those numbers are also subject to change, since ships that havent booked a slot sufficiently ahead of time can be forced to wait for days or even a week or two to gain entry to the canal. In the near term, disruption to the US-Asia LNG trade is unlikely. Think of it more as friction if sailing slots are squeezed. If a shipper decides the Panama Canal route is risky, they can likely just ship eastward instead, paying the extra cost. Moreover, the war in Ukraine, with its associated disruption of Russian pipeline gas exports, has pulled a larger number of US LNG cargoes across the Atlantic anyway. The number of LNG tankers transiting the Panama Canal fell by roughly 30 percent in the operators fiscal year ending September 2022, encompassing the first seven months of the war. The ongoing war, combined with a harsher winter in Europe later this year, could well keep traffic down anyway. The question for the global gas market concerns the climate in Panama over the next several decades. In announcing measures to cope with the drought, the canal operator warned that the expected arrival of the El Nino phenomenon could make things worse. More ominously, it also added that what used to be a five-year cycle between droughts has sped up to once every three years. Whether that pattern holds or not is difficult to say, but it does introduce an extra layer of risk to a vital crossing for trade, LNG included. Therein may lurk an opportunity for LNG projects on North Americas Pacific coastline. Two large export projects are under construction already, one in Baja California, Mexico, and the other in British Columbia, Canada. A long-proposed project to bring Alaskan gas to Asia is also enjoying a revival, at least in terms of subsidies being made available and rhetoric being deployed. The big advantage of all such projects, both real or potential, is their proximity to the largest and fastest-growing LNG market on the planet. Baja to Yokohama takes less than two weeks; a ship sailing from Kitimat in British Columbia can get there in 10 days. And all without having to pay tolls, wait your turn or forecast Panamanian rainfall. At a broader level, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has served to reemphasise the long-standing, but sometimes dormant, imperative of not becoming too dependent on this or that country for vital energy supply. The same is true for chokepoints. Stuff happens, be it war or weather, and suppliers offering a way around such hurdles can find themselves suddenly in demand. Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Credit: Bloomberg There has recently been a lot of fire and brimstone, which has brought to light the issue of organisational culture in Indian private sector banks. The first, which went viral on social media, was a short video of a middle-management bank executive berating his team for failing to meet clearly lofty targets. The second, a written piece claimed that ICICI Bank was losing top talent as management attempted to build or rebuild its organisational culture and employee trust by revisiting its numeric-based performance metrics, including the widely used bell curve evaluation. Both have had their fair share of commentary. However, in the corporate equivalent of Aesop's fable of the father, son and donkey they are riding to the market, advice on how organisations should build culture and manage their talent is freely and generously given. Overdose Of Advice The fact that such commentators have far more published output than successful CEOs who have an actual understanding of these issues but are reticent in their written and spoken words exacerbates the problem. As a result, much advice about whether the father or the son should ride the donkey, or neither, or both, drowns out their voices of experience and deliberation. Many companies perish in the process, too much lamentation, chest-beating and finger-pointing, only for a self-perpetuating corporate belief system to revert to peddling what are seen as "self-evident" truths. Profit maximisation and the inherent selfish human behaviour of maximising self-interest alone are two such theoretical quadrupeds of belief that business economist proponents have long flogged. Despite significant evidence to the contrary, these assumptions, first proposed by Thomas Friedman and Adam Smith, respectively, are now accepted as gospel truths that drive corporate behaviour and are axiomatic of organisational culture and belief systems. This is best explained by two information and knowledge-related effects. The first is the illusory truth effect, which is the tendency to believe false or incorrect information after repeated exposure. It was discovered in 1977 that when determining truth, people rely on whether the information matches their understanding or feels familiar. The preceding condition is logical, as people compare new information to what they already know to be true. However, because repetition makes statements easier to process than new, unrepeated statements, people believe that the repeated conclusion is far more accurate. A phenomenon that, through repetition, elevates such "received truth" to unquestionable canonical status. Survivorship Bias The second condition is "survivorship bias," which is the logical error of focusing on entities that pass a particular selection process while ignoring those that did not. It can also lead to the mistaken belief that a group's successes have some special property other than coincidence, as in: correlation "proves" causation. Leading to overly optimistic beliefs, for example, because multiple failures are overlooked, such as when companies that no longer exist are excluded from analyses of financial performance to draw conclusions about corporate sustainability and success. The most famous example of "survivor bias" was planes returning from World War II missions. Based on data analysis, the engineers decided to add more armour plating to the parts that were found to be the most damaged. Until a statistician named Abraham Wald discovered that the data and analysis framework itself was incorrect, the task force needed to focus on reinforcing those critical parts that were not damaged. And where the damage caused the planes to never return, skewing the survivor data available for analysis and interpretation. Like the planes in World War II, the received wisdom of profit maximisation and self-interest maximisation suffers from survivorship bias. The Anglo-Saxon stock market-led model of single-minded pursuit of quarterly profit growth assumes that the "invisible hand" will magically take care of both organisational sustainability and market equilibrium. Despite vast amounts of empirical evidence to the contrary, this illusion of truth continues to hold sway and indoctrinate its corporate messianic followers. Enron, Apple (in its non-Steve Jobs avatar), Theranos, GE, Lehman Brothers, and other examples demonstrate its fallacy. Other models such as Amul, Tatas, Google and the State Bank of India suggest a more balanced reality. It is past time for economists and businesses to examine and recognize the truth illusions and survivorship bias inherent in what is currently peddled as corporate gospel. To paraphrase Saint Luke the Evangelist's famous advice to physicians, 'Medice, cura te ipsum,' perhaps it is time for business economists and management theorists to heal themselves as well. Sandeep Hasurkar is an ex-investment banker and author of `Never Too Big To Fail: The Collapse of IL&FS. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. The chess board for the grand finale in 2024 is set. The opposition is making efforts to pose a united challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party. A grand opposition meeting is scheduled on June 23 in Patna. While unity is fine but tedious, the focus of opposition leaders on a common manifesto and their blueprint for New India is presently too little, and shouldnt be too late. How is their vision different from the current ruling dispensation? How are they going to solve the issues which they are blaming the BJP for addressing inadequately? These are some of the pertinent questions they need to answer to win the trust of people and emerge as a credible alternative. 543 Seats, Four Permutations If we assume that the chessboard pieces are already in place, there are four categories of contests likely in 2024 based on the 2019 results. The state-wise breakup of seats shows that the highest number of Congress (INC) versus BJP head-to-head contests are in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka. The highest number of BJP versus Regional parties head-to-head contests are in Uttar Pradesh, Bengal and Odisha. The highest number of Regional Parties vs Regional Parties head-to-head contests are in Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Maharashtra and Bihar. The highest number of Congress versus Regional parties head-to-head contests are in Telangana, Kerala and Punjab. Four Pathways To 272 BJP vs INC (190 seats): Out of these 190 seats, regional players have limited or no role in 136 seats spread out in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Assam etc. On 19 seats, the second runner up scored more than margin of victory, 13 of these were won by the BJP. BJP vs Regional parties (185 seats): Out of these 185 seats, Congress has limited or no role in 128 seats spread out in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha etc. Congress was second runner up in 88 such seats. On 55 seats, the second runner up scored more than the margin of victory. 35 of these were won by the BJP. INC vs Regional parties (71 seats): Out of these 71 seats, opposition unity is not possible in 36 seats. These are situated in Punjab, Telangana and Kerala. On 32 seats, the second runner up scored more than margin of victory, 21 of these were won by the Congress. Regional vs Regional (97 seats): Of 97 seats, in 59 BJP and Congress have alliances in place in Tamil Nadu, Bihar and Maharashtra. As JD(U) has moved out of NDA, some of their seats (17) could be contested by the BJP this time, and hence they could move from Regional parties versus Regional parties category to BJP versus Regional parties contests in 2024. On 24 of 97 seats, the third player scored more than the margin of victory. Third Player, A Vote Cutter? On 130 seats out of 543, the third ranked candidate recorded more votes than margin of victory. Out of these, the BJP won only 48, Regional parties 55 and Congress 27 seats. A split of votes didnt help the BJP alone but all parties. The 2024 Fight In 375 Seats The chessboard for 2024 is set: There are 375 key battleground seats. In them, BJP will fight against INC on 190 seats and regional parties in 185. INC has to beat BJP on its own in 90 percent of the 190 seat as only on 10 percent of the seats the third party played the role of spoiler. Similarly the regional parties have to beat BJP on their own in more than 70 percent of these head-to-head seats. On 55 seats some sort of understanding will help opposition parties. INC will contest against regional parties on 36 seats, largely in Telangana and Kerala, and need to beat them to maintain/improve its tally. Non-aligned regional parties will contest against each other on 38-odd seats, largely in Andhra. While the opposition is likely to discuss the one-seat one-candidate formula of Nitish Kumar at the June 23 meeting, NDA has also started shopping for allies. Reports suggest it could re-induct allies like SBSP (UP), JD(S) (Karnataka) and TDP (Andhra) after the high-profile exits of JD(U), Akali Dal and Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction). Opposition parties while trying to repeat the 1977 experiment should remember that it was short-lived. For a chance at success in elections and in government, the budding alliance needs a common minimum programme. Just seat sharing wont help. Amitabh Tiwari is a former corporate and investment banker-turned political strategist and commentator. Twitter: @politicalbaaba. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. The AAP will walk out of Friday's meeting of opposition leaders in Patna if the Congress does not promise its support against the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi, party sources said. Reacting to the development, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit on Thursday said Arvind Kejriwal will not be missed at the meeting if he chooses to skip it. The meeting of opposition parties has been called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Kejriwal is also slated to attend the meeting. "The AAP will stage a walkout of the meeting if the Congress does not promise its support against the ordinance," one of the sources said. Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal had expressed hope on Tuesday that the Congress would clear its stand on the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital at the meeting of non-BJP parties in Patna. In a video statement, Dikshit said, "No one will miss you Kejriwalji whether you go there or not. We already knew that you were looking for excuses for not attending the opposition meeting. Let me tell you that this is a meeting of those who care about the country, not a meeting of bargainers." USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that he has told Union Home Minister Amit Shah that there should be no "hate politics", in supply of rice to the state, for a scheme aimed at the poor. The Chief Minister met Shah on Wednesday night and held discussions regarding the supply of rice to the state, for its 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, which provides an additional 5 kg of rice for each member of BPL families. "I met Amit Shah last night. I have brought to his notice that FCI had agreed to supply rice and had also written a letter in this regard, but all of a sudden the very next day they said they cannot supply. Prima facie it looks like politics has been played here. Let there be no hate politics in this, as this is the programme for providing rice to the poor," Siddaramaiah said. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, he said, "Shah told me that he will speak to the union minister concerned and come back." Siddaramaiah and his ministers for the last few days, have been accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of conspiring to "fail" the Congress administration's poll guarantee by ensuring that the state doesn't get the required amount of rice from Food Corporation of India, for rolling out the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, from July 1, as promised. They have alleged the Centre discontinued the sale of wheat and rice under OMSS(D) for state governments, a day after the FCI -- which has large quantity of stocks -- had agreed to provide 2,28,425.750 metric tonne of rice to Karnataka, at a rate of Rs 34 per kg on June 12. The BJP, however, has hit back accusing the Congress and Siddaramaiah of blatantly lying to hide their own incompetence and are desperately trying to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the Centre. The CM on Wednesday, ahead of meeting Shah had indicated that there may be slight delay in implementing the Anna Bhagya scheme, as the Centre played "dirty politics". He had said that the state has called for quotations from central government agencies like NCCF, NAFED, Kendriya Bhandar. "We will get to know tomorrow from them, once we get to know we will decide. There may be a slight delay in implementing the scheme as the central government has played politics." Siddaramaiah today also said, he has requested the union Home Minister for two more battalions of IRB (Indian Reserve Battalion) to the state. "Two battalions have been given to the state, two more should be given to the state, I have asked for it," he saiPolitics,India,Amit Shah,Siddaramaiah,riced. Top leaders of Opposition parties will meet here on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserting that they will fight together "like a family" to take on the NDA "one to one". Sources said the Opposition parties would look to avoid the prickly leadership question as of now and emphasize on building a common ground. Leaders of 15 parties including half-a-dozen chief ministers are expected to attend the deliberations. A day before the crucial deliberations, fissures in the Opposition ranks came to the fore with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sources saying that the party will walk out of the meeting if the Congress does not promise its support against the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi. Also, the Samajwadi Party would be the only party from Uttar Pradesh attending the meeting with BSP supremo Mayawati not being invited and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary set to skip the conclave due to a family programme. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (AAP), Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin (DMK), Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren (JMM), Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-UBT), and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. It is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (JDU) and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav (RJD) here at the chief minister's 1, Aney Marg residence. West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee, who arrived here in the evening, met Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav, former Bihar CM Rabri Devi and Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav here. Asked what will happen at tomorrow's meeting, she told reporters outside Tejashwi Yadav's residence, "I cannot say anything now. We have come here as we will fight together, one to one (against the BJP)." "We will fight together like a collective family," she asserted. Later in the evening, Chief Minister Kumar met Banerjee. Speaking with reporters in Kolkata as she left for Patna, she hoped that the opposition meeting would be constructive and asserted that the BJP must be defeated in the next Lok Sabha polls to save the country from disaster. Kejriwal and Mann also arrived in Patna Thursday evening and visited the Patna Sahib gurudwara. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti arrived here Thursday morning for the meeting. Sources said the meeting was being seen as a starting point for the Opposition to come together to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP dispensation. Therefore, a basic outline and roadmap for the Opposition unity are likely to be deliberated upon with the contentious issue of seat-sharing and the leadership question to be avoided for now, they said. "This is just the beginning. A meeting of minds is important. The strategy, leadership question and seat-sharing are unlikely to be discussed at this stage," a senior Opposition leader said on condition of anonymity. The leader said issues that the Opposition would jointly raise to corner the BJP would be at the top of the agenda and in this context the Manipur violence and the Centre's alleged failure there are likely to be discussed. All eyes are on the meeting's agenda and whether the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital would be a key part of the discussions as AAP wants. Keeping cards close to its chest, the Congress has so far kept its stand ambiguous as to whether it would support the AAP or not when the ordinance is put to test in Parliament by the BJP-led Centre. Kejriwal on Tuesday had expressed hope that the Congress will clear its stand on the Centre's ordinance at the June 23 meeting. The meeting also comes amid tensions between the Congress and TMC. Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury staged a dharna outside a block office in Bengal's Murshidabad district demanding action against the activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress who allegedly attacked Congress workers in the run-up to the panchayat polls in the state. The BJP has been taking swipes at the Opposition over differences within its ranks and repeatedly jabbing it over the leadership question as to who will be their prime ministerial face. Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh hit back at the BJP's criticism, saying the issue of who would be the prime ministerial face of the Opposition alliance is not important as the leadership question can be tackled collectively after defeating the BJP in the 2024 elections. Singh also claimed that when Opposition parties unite and contest the general elections next year, the BJP will come down to less than 100 seats. CPI general secretary D Raja, who would be attending the meeting, hailed the Patna huddle of Opposition leaders as a step forward "in the right direction". "This meeting is being held immediately after the Karnataka elections. Several state elections are coming up and the Lok Sabha polls are due in 2024. This (the meeting) will give clarity," Raja told PTI. The secular democratic parties coming together itself is a very positive message and that is the reason why the BJP is getting "jittery and desperate", he claimed. Exuding confidence that the anti-BJP alliance can win in 2024, Raja said the secular democratic parties must work together keeping in view the primary objective to defeat BJP. "This is not just for winning seats and forming a government. This is to safeguard democracy, Constitution, the secular fabric of the country and even safeguarding the sovereign independence of Parliament," he said. "When elections take place, the electoral strategy and seat-sharing will be discussed at the state level. It will be based on the balance of political forces. There, I think, the secular democratic parties must be more reasonable and mutually accommodating," the CPI leader said. The meeting also comes amid a churn in the ruling coalition in Patna as well with one of the 'Mahagathbandhan' allies and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi walking out of the alliance and crossing over to the NDA. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya are among the other leaders who have agreed to be part of the meeting. Targeting the parties which are slated to participate in the opposition conclave, Mayawati termed the meeting more about joining of hands than hearts. The BSP chief has not been invited for the opposition meeting. JD(U) leader K C Tyagi said, "We have invited those parties that are willing to fight against the BJP in 2024 and want to be a part of an anti-BJP front." "We have not invited Mayawati, Naveen Patnaik, K Chandrashekar Rao and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, so there is no question of them skipping the meeting," he told PTI. Tyagi said leaders of 15 parties are set to attend the meeting here. RLD leader Chaudhary said he will not attend the meeting due to a "predetermined family programme". "I am sure that this meeting will prove to be an important milestone in the path of opposition unity," the RLD chief said. Top leaders of Opposition parties will brainstorm at a meeting here on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with sources saying that they would look to avoid the prickly leadership question and emphasise on common ground. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. It is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav here. Sources said the meeting was being seen as a starting point for the Opposition to come together to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP. Therefore, a basic outline and roadmap for Opposition unity are likely to be deliberated upon with the contentious issue of seat sharing and leadership questions to be avoided for now, they said. "This is just the beginning. A meeting of minds is important. The strategy, leadership question and seat sharing are unlikely to be discussed at this stage," a senior Opposition leader said on condition of anonymity. The leader said issues that the Opposition would jointly raise to corner the BJP would be at the top of the agenda and in this context the Manipur violence and the Centre's alleged failure there are likely to be discussed. With all eyes on the meeting, another interesting aspect would be Kejriwal strongly pitching for a discussion on the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital and how the Congress would respond to it. Keeping cards close to its chest, the Congress has so far kept its stand ambiguous as to whether it would support the AAP or not when the ordinance is put to test in Parliament by the BJP-led Centre. Kejriwal on Tuesday had expressed hope that the Congress will clear its stand on the Centre's ordinance at the June 23 meeting. The meeting also comes amid fissures in the Opposition ranks with Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sitting on a dharna outside a block office in Bengal's Murshidabad district demanding action against the activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress who allegedly attacked Congress workers in the run-up to the panchayat polls in the state. The BJP has been taking swipes at the Opposition over differences within its ranks and repeatedly jabbing it over the leadership question as to who will be their prime ministerial face. Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh hit back at the BJP's criticism, saying the issue of who would be the prime ministerial face of the Opposition alliance is not important as the leadership question can be tackled collectively after defeating the BJP in the 2024 general elections. CPI general secretary D Raja, who would be attending the meeting, hailed the Patna huddle of Opposition leaders as a step forward "in the right direction". "This meeting is being held Immediately after the Karnataka elections. Several state elections are coming up and the Lok Sabha polls are due in 2024. This (the meeting) will give clarity," Raja told PTI. The secular democratic parties coming together itself is a very positive message and that is the reason why the BJP is getting "jittery and desperate", he claimed. Exuding confidence that the anti-BJP alliance can win in 2024, Raja said the secular democratic parties must work together keeping in view the primary objective to defeat BJP. "This is not just for winning seats and forming a government. This is to safeguard democracy, constitution, the secular fabric of the country and even safeguarding the sovereign independence of Parliament," he said. "When elections take place, the electoral strategy and seat sharing will be discussed at the state level. It will be based on the balance of political forces. There, I think, the secular democratic parties must be more reasonable and mutually accommodating," the CPI leader said. The meeting also comes amid a churn in the ruling coalition in Patna as well with one of the 'Mahagathbandhan' allies and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi walking out of the alliance and crossing over to the NDA. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya are among the other leaders who have agreed to be part of the meeting. Telangana-based Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the Biju Janata Dal of Odisha, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the YSR Congress Party are among the non-BJP parties which are likely to give the meeting a miss. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented an exquisite gift to US First Lady Jill Biden - a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond on his state visit to the United States. The gemstone reflects the chemical and optical properties of earth-mined diamonds but was created in a lab. The diamond's creation involved the use of eco-diversified resources, such as solar and wind power, ensuring its eco-friendly nature. Emitting a mere 0.028 grams of carbon per carat, this creation has received certification from the Gemological lab, IGI. A press release highlights its qualities, stating, "It bears the hallmarks of excellence through the 4C's: Cut, Colour, Carat, and Clarity." The green diamond also serves as a beacon of responsible luxury, representing India's 75 years of independence and its commitment to sustainable international relations. The gift also aligns with India's ethos of preserving the environment. The diamond was placed in a kar-e-kalamdani box, showcasing the craftsmanship of Kashmir. The meticulously designed box provided a stunning presentation for the gift. The images of the green diamond were also shared on Twitter by news agency ANI. PM Narendra Modi gifts a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond to US First Lady Dr Jill Biden The diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds chemical and optical properties. It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used in its making. pic.twitter.com/5A7EzTcpeL ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Read: PM Modi exchange official gifts with Joe and Jill Biden PM Modi also presented several other gifts to US President Joe Biden during the private dinner hosted at the White House including a andcrafted sandalwood box adorned with 'das danam' showcasing the rich artistic heritage of Jaipur, Rajasthan. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Council of Europe anti-racism body ECRI welcomes the positive developments in Azerbaijan in migrant integration, Trend reports. ECRI says in its latest report that over the past seven years, Azerbaijan has developed good practices in education and migrant integration. Since the previous report adopted in March 2016, progress has been made and good practices have been developed, the report says. Human rights related topics have been integrated into school curricula. The authorities efforts to regularize the legal status of migrants irregularly present in Azerbaijan have yielded positive results and notably led to a 10% reduction in the number of these persons in the country. The Law on Information, Informatization and Protection of Information now prohibits Internet providers and individuals from distributing any information promoting violence, religious extremism or inciting hatred and obliges them to take down and remove such illegal content within eight hours, reads the report. Reportedly, considerable endeavors were dedicated to the integration of migrants, guaranteeing their access to public services and benefits that are accessible to them. Streamlined and expedited electronic processes were implemented to simplify the issuance of work and residence permits. Migrant workers who have obtained permanent residence now receive equal social protection rights as citizens of Azerbaijan, while refugees have been granted the right to enter the labor market since 2020. The Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on June 22 suspended the licence of an Air India pilot for one year, for allowing female friend into the cockpit of a Chandigarh-Leh flight on June 3. "The pilot Licence of the PIC has been suspended for a period of one year for misuse of his authority vested under the Aircraft Rules 1937 and allowing violation of the applicable DGCA regulations," DGCA noted. The aviation regulator also suspended the First Officer of Air India flight AI-458 for one month for not being assertive in preventing and non-reporting of the violation. Air India had de-rostered two pilots on June 13 regarding the incident. The airline's management initiated action against the pilot and the co-pilot soon after receiving a complaint from the cabin crew. The latest incident comes just a month after the airline grounded another pilot for inviting a female friend into the cockpit of a Dubai-Delhi flight on February 27. The pilot's licence was suspended for three months by the DGCA and a Rs 30-lakh fine was imposed on Air India for not taking prompt action on the 'safety-sensitive' issue. The Leh route is one of the most difficult and sensitive air routes in the country in terms of safety and security, and allowing an unauthorised person in the cockpit of a commercial aircraft amounts to violation of the law. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept Suchetana Bhattacharjee, the daughter of former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, has decided to undergo a sex-change operation after identifying as a man for years. Suchetana, who will now be known as 'Suchetan,' has started taking legal advice and consulting with psychiatrists to obtain the necessary certificates for the procedure. In an interview with India Today, Suchetan expressed his strong conviction and motivation behind this decision. He stated, "My parental identity or family identity is not a big deal. I am doing this as part of my LGBTQ movement. I want to stop the social harassment I face every day as a trans-man." At the age of 41, Suchetan firmly believes that he is capable of making decisions about his own life. He emphasized, "Please don't drag my parents into this. Whoever considers himself a man mentally is also a man, just as I consider myself male mentally. I want it to be physical now." Suchetan says that his father will support his decision, as he has been aware of this since childhood. Suchetan expressed his readiness to face any challenges that may come his way while pursuing this. He stated, "I have taken this decision. I will fight. I have that courage. I don't care who says what. I am ready to answer everyone's questions." In a plea to the media, Suchetan urged them not to distort the news surrounding his journey. He asserted, "This is the one and only decision of mine. I will appeal to everyone not to distort this news. This is my own struggle. I want to fight this alone. It is better late than never. I have had this orientation since my childhood. Many people supported this, and many were heckled. Mentally, I am a trans-man, and physically, I want to be the same." He also called upon the LGBTQ community to be bold and resilient, stating, "I will ask everyone to be bold. Maybe there will be some controversy over my name and my parents. But I will repeatedly say, please understand. Everyone needs to." Sylvester daCunha, the creative genius behind the iconic 'Amul Girl' campaign, died on Tuesday night in Mumbai. Former Amul MD and current Indian Dairy Association President RS Sodhi tweeted a crying picture of the Amul Girl to condole daCunhas death. Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which owns the Amul dairy brand, confirmed the news, saying, "Very sorry to inform about the sad demise of Shri Sylvester daCunha, Chairman of daCunha Communications last night at Mumbai A doyen of Indian advertising industry who was associated with Amul since 1960s. The Amul family joins in mourning this sad loss." pic.twitter.com/79khUtFWI5 R S Sodhi (@Rssamul) June 21, 2023 Jairam Ramesh, senior Congress leader, fondly recalled how the legendary V Kurien, the leader of Amul, acknowledged daCunha's brilliance. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien took to Twitter to describe Sylvester daCunha as an advertising legend, emphasizing the impact he had on the industry. Sylvester daCunha, along with his wife Nisha, conceptualized the famous 'Utterly Butterly' campaign for Amul in 1966, which introduced the world to the endearing 'Amul Girl.' This campaign, with its witty and timely messages, became an instant hit and continues to captivate audiences to this day. Back in 1966, daCunha, who was then the manager at Advertising and Sales Promotion Company, had the vision of positioning a mascot among mothers and children. The original tagline of Amul butter, 'Purely the Best,' needed a catchy replacement. Nisha daCunha came up with 'Utterly Amul,' and Sylvester daCunha added the word 'Butterly' to create the now-famous tagline, 'Utterly Butterly Amul.' The Amul girl's appearance was brought to life by the late art director, visualizer, and cartoonist Eustace Fernandes. Sporting a frock with red polka dots, big eyes, matching ribbons, and red shoes, the Amul girl made her debut on lamp-post boards in Mumbai. Her very first line, "Give us this day our daily bread: with Amul butter," struck a chord with the masses. Since then, the Amul girl has become an integral part of Indian advertising, evoking a sense of nostalgia and capturing the essence of memorable campaigns. Sylvester daCunha's contribution to the industry and his creation of the Amul girl hold a paramount position in the realm of Indian advertising. In 1969, daCunha solidified his legacy by establishing daCunha Communications. The agency has been responsible for numerous memorable campaigns, including 'Party, Patni or Woh?,' 'British Errways,' and 'Bom Bye.' Europe is seeking to lure electric vehicle (EV) battery makers to build factories in the region as the bloc - home to carmakers such as Volkswagen and Stellantis - tries to cut its dependency on Asia and win a green subsidy race with the United States. Below is an overview of factories in Europe, including annual capacity and production timelines where available. BELGIUM PLANNED * SENEFFE-MANAGE: Avesta Battery and Energy Engineering expects its 40-million-euro ($43.7 million) plant to be fully operational before 2030, with aimed capacity of 3 GWh. BRITAIN PLANNED * COVENTRY: The city approved a site for a potential plant but an investor is yet to be found. The pitch includes a 60 GWh output with production start in 2025. * SOMERSET: Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata Motors is set to pick Britain for a multi-billion-pound EV battery plant that could employ 9,000 people, the BBC reported in May, without citing sources. * SUNDERLAND: China's Envision is building a factory near Nissan's plant. It will start operation in 2025 with capacity of 12 GWh. * N/A: Nanotech Energy plans to build a 1-billion-pound ($1.3 billion) factory and is investigating seven sites in the UK as a final location. CZECHIA OPERATING * HORNI SUCHA: MES targets capacity of 15 GWh at the plant worth 1.4 billion Czech crowns ($64.8 million). It opened in September 2020 with an initial production capacity of 200 MWh per year. FINLAND PLANNED * KOTKA: Finnish Minerals Group in April signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a potential partner for a cell production plant. Environmental impact assessment for the plant, based on two options with 27 GWh and 40 GWh capacity, is expected to be completed by summer 2024. FRANCE OPERATING * QUIMPER: Blue Solutions's factory in Ergue-Gaberic, near Quimper, was inaugurated in 2013. The company, subsidiary of Bollore SE, says on its website its two factories, located in France and Canada, have annual capacity of 1.5 GWh. It was not immediately clear how much of this was in France. PLANNED * DOUAI: China's Envision is investing up to 2 billion euros in an AESC gigafactory near the "Renault ElectriCity" EV hub. The plant will have capacity of 9 GWh in 2024 and targets 24 GWh by 2030. * DOUVRIN: Automotive Cells Company (ACC) - a joint venture of Stellantis, Mercedes Benz and TotalEnergies - plans to spend over 7 billion euros on three gigafactories in Europe, with capacity of 40 GWh each by 2030. The Douvrin plant was inaugurated on May 30, with operations starting in the second half of 2023. * DUNKIRK: Taiwan's ProLogium is working with the French government to secure subsidies for a 5.2-billion-euro battery factory. Production is slated to begin in 2026, with aimed capacity of 48 GWh. * DUNKIRK: French start-up Verkor plans to build a factory in Dunkirk with targeted capacity of 12 GWh. Renault would be its biggest client. GERMANY OPERATING * DOBELN: Launched by Swiss Blackstone Resources at the end of 2021, the plant will scale up to 5 GWh capacity between 2023 and 2024. * ERFURT: CATL, which has been expanding rapidly outside its home market China, is ramping up production at its plant near Erfurt, aiming to raise the capacity from 8 GWh to 14 GWh. * LUDWIGSFELDE: U.S.-based Microvast's plant has capacity of 1.5 GWh and targets up to 6 GWh. PLANNED * HEIDE: Northvolt will invest 3-5 billion euros in a plant as long as subsidies are approved. One source estimated the subsidies at more than 600 million euros. * KAISERSLAUTERN: One of ACC's three 40 GWh gigafactories is expected to start operations in 2025 in Kaiserslautern. * LAUCHHAMMER, UBERHERRN: China's Svolt will invest up to 2 billion euros in two plants. The first one in Uberherrn is set to start production at the end of 2023, with aimed capacity of 24 GWh. The second one in Lauchhammer will be operational in 2025, with targeted capacity of 16 GWh. * SALZGITTER: Volkswagen plans to build six plants in Europe totaling 240 GWh capacity by 2030. Production at the first plant will start in 2025 with aimed capacity of 40 GWh. * TUBINGEN: Cellforce plans to launch a 100 MWh plant in 2024. HUNGARY OPERATING * GOED: Samsung's 1.2-billion-euro factory with capacity of 30 GWh has been in operation since 2018. PLANNED * DEBRECEN: China's CATL is building a 7.3-billion-euro plant with aimed capacity of 100 GWh. Construction started in 2022 and should last no more than 64 months. * DEBRECEN: China's EVE Power will spend 1 billion euros to build a 28 GWh plant, Hungary's foreign minister said in May. ITALY PLANNED * SCARMAGNO, ROMANO CANAVESE: Italvolt expects the 3.5-billion-euro plant to be operational by 2024, with aimed capacity of 45 GWh. * TEREVOLA: FAAM expects its 570-million-euro plant to be operational by 2024, with targeted capacity of 8 GWh per year. * TERMOLI: ACC will spend more than 2 billion euros to build the 40 GWh plant, set to open in 2026 and to reach full capacity in 2030, under its plan for three gigafactories. LATVIA PLANNED * RIGA: Anodox had said its 50-million-euro plant should be fully operational by 2022. Reuters was unable to immediately confirm its status. NORWAY PLANNED * MO I RANA: FREYR expects its $1.7-billion plant to be fully operational by 2028, with aimed capacity of 83 GWh. * ARENDAL: Morrow expects the first of four expansion stages of its 470-million-euro plant to be operational by 2024, with aimed capacity of 32 GWh. * HAUGALAND: Beyonder expects its plant to be fully operational by 2024, with aimed capacity of 10 GWh. * TRONDHEIM: Elinor invested 10 billion Norwegian crowns ($939.3 million) in a plant set to be operational by 2026, with targeted capacity of about 40 GWh by 2030. POLAND OPERATING * WROCLAW: LG Chem's plant started production in 2017, with capacity of 100,000 batteries. It aims to reach capacity of 115 GWh by 2025. PORTUGAL PLANNED * SINES: China Aviation Lithium Battery Technology (CALB) expects its factory to start operating by end-2025 at 15 GWh capacity, which it may increase to 45 GWh in a second phase in 2028. SERBIA PLANNED * SUBOTICA: ElevenES expects its 1-billion-euro plant to be fully operational by 2027, with aimed capacity of 48 GWh. * N/A: InoBat plans to build a gigafactory with funding of 419 million euros from the government. It will be operational by 2025, with initial capacity of 4 GWh and aimed capacity of 32 GWh. SLOVAKIA PLANNED * BRATISLAVA: InoBat's 45 MWh pilot line will open later in 2023. SPAIN PLANNED * BASQUE COUNTRY: BASQUEVOLT plans to invest more than 700 million euros for a plant, aiming to produce 10 GWh by 2027. * NAVALMORAL DE LA MATA: Spain signed a deal in July 2022 with China's Envision to build a plant worth 2.5 billion euros, with planned capacity of 30 GWh. * SAGUNTO: Volkswagen and partners said in 2022 they would invest 10 billion euros in a 40 GWh plant with production set to start by 2026. * VALLADOLID: InoBat said in October 2022 it had signed a declaration of intent with the Spanish government to set up a 32 GWh factory worth 3 billion euros. SWEDEN OPERATING * SKELLEFTEA: Northvolt's factory has been operating since 2021 and aims to achieve capacity of 40 GWh by 2025. PLANNED * BORLANGE: Northvolt expects its plant to start production in 2025 and be fully operational by 2030, with aimed capacity of 150 GWh. * GOTHENBURG: Northvolt spent 30 billion Swedish crowns ($2.8 billion) in a plant set to start production by 2025, with aimed capacity of 50 GWh. SWITZERLAND PLANNED * FRAUENFELD: SCB expects the plant worth 775 million Swiss francs ($868 million) to be fully operational before 2030, with aimed capacity of 7.6 GWh. The Titanic-tour submersible, which went missing shortly after the expedition was launched four days ago, has run out of oxygen, reports said on June 22. While the US Navy, US Coast Guard and other authorities involved in the rescue operation were yet to issue an update, reports pointed out that 96 hours -- the period for which breathable air was available on the submersible -- has been exhausted since it went missing. The minivan-sized sub named Titan, operated by the US-based OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent at 8 am (1200 GMT) on June 18 from St John's in Canada's Newfoundland, but lost contact with its support ship near the end of what should have been a two-hour dive to the century-old Titanic shipwreck. Also Read | Man who went on Titanic sub recalls terrfying voyage: 'Suicide mission' Here are the latest updates: - 'Debris field' discovered as search expands to ocean floor - The US Coast Guard said that an underwater vessel has located a debris field near the Titanic in the search for a missing submersible with five people aboard, a potential breakthrough in the around-the-clock effort. - US Coast Guard says search to continue even as oxygen is feared to have exhausted The US Coast Guard said the extensive search operation, which is underway over the past four days, will continue for the five persons onboard even as the supply of oxygen in the submersible is feared to have been exhausted. The rescue operation will continue as "peoples will to live really needs to be accounted for," Rear Adm. John Mauger said. - How search teams could use sound to find the Titan sub -- and why it's a challenge "It's not a simple problem," said Matt Dzieciuch, an ocean acoustics expert at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The ocean is a "noisy place," Dzieciuch said. There are many other potential sources of sound under water, including from fish, other animals and of course human-made instruments, he explained. But it's still "speculative" whether the banging noises were a true signal of life, said Art Trembanis, a marine scientist at the University of Delaware. Even this kind of pattern could come from an underwater instrument making repeated noise. - Authorities are hoping underwater sounds might help narrow their search, whose coverage area has been expanded to thousands of miles twice the size of Connecticut and in waters 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) deep. - Dr. Rob Larter, a marine geophysicist with the British Antarctic Survey, emphasized the difficulty of even finding something the size of the sub which is about 22 feet (6.5 meters) long and 9 feet (nearly 3 meters) high. Youre talking about totally dark environments," in which an object several dozen feet away can be missed, he said. "Its just a needle in a haystack situation unless youve got a pretty precise location. - The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan vanished Sunday is also prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guards International Ice Patrol. Experts say that the oxygen supply number is an imprecise estimate and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And its not known if they survived since the sub disappeared. Officials have expanded the coverage area to thousands of miles twice the size of Connecticut and in waters 2 1/2 miles deep. Aeroplanes, ships, remote-operated underwater vehicles and a US Navy-owned specialized salvage system have been deployed, concentrating where unidentified noises had been heard for two days. The banging noises, as detected by a Canadian plane with sonar capabilities on June 21, raised hopes of a possible discovery. The submersible, which is capable of taking passengers to a depth of 4,000 metres, is run by OceanGate Expeditions founder. The five people onboard the sub include the company's CEO Stockton Rush, French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, British billionaire Hamish Harding and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son, Suleman. With AP & Reuter inputs US president Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden presented a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century as the official gift to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day state visit to the United States. Meanwhile, PM Modi presented Biden a copy of the first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London, a special sandalwood box, handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur. The box contains the idol of Lord Ganesha and a Diya (oil lamp), handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata. Lab Grown 7.5 carat Green Diamond: PM Modi gifted a lab-grown 7.5 carat green diamond to US First Lady Jill Biden. The diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds chemical and optical properties. It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources such as solar and wind power were used in its making, a release said. The Green Diamond is sculpted with precision and care using cutting edge technology. It emits only 0.028 grams of carbon per carat and is certified by the Gemological lab, IGI. It bears the hallmarks of excellence through the 4Cs: Cut, Colour, Carat and Clarity," the release said. It is a beacon of responsible luxury that symbolises Indias 75 years of freedom and sustainable international relations. Papier mache: It is the box in which the Green Diamond is placed. Known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmirs exquisite Papier mache involves sakthsazi or meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs," the release said. A confluence of timeless tradition and craftsmanship, it excludes opulence and intricate motifs and graceful simplicity, which makes every piece of this timeless craft, a masterpiece. Special Sandalwood Box: A special sandalwood box, handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan, was gifted by PM Modi to US President Joe Biden. The sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns. Sandalwood carving in Rajasthan is an ancient art that has been handed down from generation to generation. The artisan has skillfully embedded a piece of his story and a touch of passion into this work to produce a piece of finest craftsmanship," the press release said. The box contains the idol of Ganesha, the Hindu deity considered as the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. Every auspicious occasion begins with prayers to Lord Ganesha. This silver idol of Ganesha has been handcrafted by a family of fifth generation silversmiths of Kolkata. Apart from a Ganesha idol, a diya, and a copper plate, the sandalwood box includes handcrafted delicate silver boxes that contain the symbolic Das Danam or the ten donations, which signifies the donations made on this occasion. The symbolic ten donations in the box: A delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow) A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka is offered in place of land for Bhudaan (donation of land) Til or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu, offered for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds). A 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin Handcrafted in Rajasthan(donation of gold. Ghee or clarified butter sourced from Punjab is offered for Ajyadaan (donation of clarified butter) A handwoven textured tussar silk cloth sourced from Jharkhand is offered for Vastradaan (donation of cloth). Long grained rice sourced from Uttarakhand are offered for Dhaanyadaan (donation of food grains). Gud or Jaggery sourced from Maharashtra is offered for Guddaan (donation of jaggery). A 99.5 per cent pure and hallmarked silver coin has been aesthetically crafted by Rajasthan artisans and is offered as Raupyadaan (donation of silver). Lavan or salt from Gujarat is offered for Lavandaan (donation of salt). Bahrain's state investment fund Mumtalakat is buying preference shares and warrants worth 400 million pounds ($510.48 million) in carmaker McLaren from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Ares Management, Sky News reported on Wednesday. The transaction will not lead to any new money being injected into McLaren, the Sky News report said, adding that an announcement from Mumtalakat on the deal will come on Thursday. The purchase will expand Mumtalakat's majority stake in McLaren group, which includes the British supercar maker as well as McLaren Racing. In July 2021, global investment firm Ares Management and Saudi's PIF provided much of a 550 million-pound equity investment in the McLaren group. Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund could not be reached for comment. Ares Management declined to comment, while McLaren and the PIF did not immediately respond. In June of last year, Mumtalakat's chief executive, Khalid Al Rumaihi, told Reuters that he expected McLaren to go publicin two to three years. USER CONSENT We at moneycontrol use cookies and other tracking technologies to assist you with navigation and determine your location. We also capture cookies to obtain your feedback, analyse your use of our products and services and provide content from third parties. By clicking on 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies and other tracking technologies. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy. *We collect cookies for the functioning of our website and to give you the best experience. This includes some essential cookies. Cookies from third parties which may be used for personalization and determining your location. By clicking 'I Accept', you agree to the usage of cookies to enhance your personalized experience on our site. For more details you can refer to our cookie policy *I agree to the updated privacy policy and I warrant that I am above 16 years of age I agree to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of personalised recommendations on financial and similar products offered by MoneyControl I agree personalized advertisements and any kind of remarketing/retargeting on other third party websites I agree to receive direct marketing communications via Emails and SMS Please select (*) all mandatory conditions to continue. I Accept The U.N. envoy for Afghanistan warned the countrys Taliban rulers Wednesday that international recognition as the countrys legitimate government will remain nearly impossible unless they lift severe restrictions on women and girls education and employment. Roza Otunbayeva told the U.N. Security Council that the Taliban have asked to be recognized by the United Nations and its 192 other member nations, but at the same time they act against the key values expressed in the United Nations Charter. In her regular discussions with the Taliban, she said, I am blunt about the obstacles they have created for themselves by the decrees and restrictions they have enacted, in particular against women and girls. The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final weeks of withdrawing from the country after two decades of war. The groups decrees limiting the participation of girls and women have impacted foreign aid to the country, whose citizens face the worlds largest humanitarian crisis. The Taliban initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001 but started to enforce restrictions on women and girls soon after the 2021 takeover. Women are barred from most jobs and public places, including parks, baths and gyms, while girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade. The Taliban also have brought back their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Shariah, including public executions. Despite U.N. appeals, Otunbayeva reported no change to the restrictions, including an April ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations. She called the prohibition a violation of Afghanistans obligations as a U.N. member nation to respect the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its officials, including Afghan women who work for us. Otunbayeva, a former president of Kyrgyzstan, reiterated that all non-essential Afghan staff, both women and men, are still staying at home, and she said the U.N. is steadfast that female national staff will not be replaced by male staff as some Taliban authorities have suggested. In late April, the Security Council unanimously approved a resolution calling on the Taliban to swiftly reverse the increasingly harsh constraints imposed on women and girls and condemning the ban on Afghan women working for the U.N., calling it unprecedented in the history of the United Nations. Based on discussions with many people across Afghanistan, Otunbayeva said, it is clear the Talibans decrees are highly unpopular among the Afghan population and cost the countrys rulers both domestic and international legitimacy, while inflicting suffering on half of their population and damaging their economy. In a frank political assessment, she told council members that the Taliban regime remains insular and autocratic, with an unaccountable central authority and an all-male government almost entirely from its Pashtun and rural base. While the Afghan economy remains stable, albeit at a low equilibrium, 58% of households struggle to fulfill the basic needs of their families, and the U.N. continues to address the needs of 20 million people who need assistance, Otunbayeva said. She said cash shipments, required for U.N. humanitarian operations, are expected to decrease as donor funding declines, which could negatively effect Afghanistans monetary stability. And despite the bans, she said, the international community can do more to ensure the future stability of the Afghan economy in a way that directly improves the lives of Afghans. The humanitarian organization Save The Children said Monday that a large-scale plague of locusts is ravaging Afghanistans northern provinces and has the potential to destroy 1.2 million tons of wheat, approximately one-quarter of the countrys annual harvest. It said the infestation comes at the worst possible time, pointing to 8 million Afghans cut off from food aid in the past two months due to funding shortfalls, and over 15 million people one-third of Afghanistans population projected to face crisis levels of hunger over the next five months. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood blamed the continued deterioration of humanitarian conditions in large part on Taliban interference, warning that it will lead to more displacement, migrants and refugees. While generous donors and bold action prevented widespread famine in 2021, he said this year Afghans are already seeing the impact of reduced international support, the closure of women-led humanitarian organizations, ration cuts, and a reduction in people receiving food. Nonetheless, Wood said the United States, the worlds largest humanitarian aid donor, cannot turn our backs on the Afghan peoples growing humanitarian needs despite obstacles and competing global priorities and will continue providing assistance. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the U.S. and other Western nations of bringing Afghanistan to ruins over 20 years, being uninterested in a genuine settlement and the rebuilding of Afghanistan. Chinas U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun called it unacceptable for donors to cut assistance and to link humanitarian aid to other issues. He also expressed hope that Afghan authorities will take firm and strong measures to combat all terrorism and to prevent Afghanistan from becoming again, a center of gravity for terrorism, warning that terrorist groups including al-Qaida and the Islamic State are colluding with each other and jeopardizing the security of the country, the region and the world at large. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly has thanked Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov for the humanitarian assistance provided by Azerbaijan to Ukraine, Trend reports via Cleverly's tweet. He also noted that the UK supports prosperity, peace, and security in the South Caucasus and that a historic peace agreement can be reached between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Azerbaijan is among the countries that regularly send humanitarian aid to Ukraine. As of late, Azerbaijan provided regular humanitarian aid to Ukraine on June 9. The humanitarian cargo consisted of water pipes, water pumps, and life jackets. A total of 20 tons of fuel intended for equipment and vessels involved in rescue operations were also sent to Ukraine. Moreover, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), taking into account the appeal of the Ukrainian side, provided Ukraine with 20 tons of fuel as humanitarian aid on June 10. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The UK and Azerbaijan have committed themselves to regional security and the elimination of global threats, the British Embassy in Azerbaijan told Trend. British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at the conference on the reconstruction of Ukraine in London on June 21. He noted with satisfaction that Azerbaijan, as an integral part of the fifth UK-Azerbaijan strategic dialogue, supports Ukraine by providing vital humanitarian assistance, including the supply of electric generators, water pumps and medical supplies. Cleverly hailed the latest achievements in the negotiation process on the peaceful settlement of relations with Armenia and urged Jeyhun Bayramov to maintain the momentum achieved in the peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan. British Minister of State of the United Kingdom for Europe and North America Leo Docherty received Jeyhun Bayramov at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within the framework of the dialogue to discuss opportunities for closer cooperation in the fields of security, trade and culture on June 20. Docherty pointed out that the position of the UK as the largest foreign investor in Azerbaijan to support the diversification of the Azerbaijani economy and facilitate the process of transition to energy, which will allow using the potential of renewable energy sources of Azerbaijan. The leading role of the UK in the de-mining of the liberated territories from Armenian occupation [after the second Karabakh war] was noted as a clear example of the country's commitment to establishing peace in the region, and this is evidence of the UK's support for Azerbaijan. The minister also reiterated the UK's offer to support Azerbaijan in improving cybersecurity and strengthening resilience to hybrid threats. Docherty noted that the UK is ready to support progress in the field of human rights, which is important for a successful and prosperous Azerbaijan. The current dialogue, organized within the framework of the first visit of the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister to the UK in more than 10 years, is based on the visit of Minister Docherty to Baku in February, during which he outlined the priorities of the British Prime Minister and signed a memorandum of understanding on joint efforts to prevent illegal migrants and drugs from entering Europe. LACHIN, Azerbaijan, June 22. Projects implemented under the leadership of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and with the participation of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva laid the foundation for the "Great Return", Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev said at an operational meeting in Azerbaijan's Lachin, Trend reports from the scene. In his opening speech, Kamran Aliyev gave the necessary instructions. He noted that immediately after the liberation of Azerbaijani lands, restoration and construction work began in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur, and a number of projects of international importance, including the construction of smart cities villages, and international airports were launched in Zangilan, Fuzuli, and Lachin, and energy infrastructure was built. To date, the construction of the Fuzuli and Zangilan airports has been completed and they have been opened, while the Lachin airport is planned to be opened as soon as possible, the official said. Besides, Kamran Aliyev noted that construction work rapidly continues in all the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, including the Lachin district. As in other territories liberated as a result of the glorious victory [in the 2020 second Karabakh war], life returned to the Lachin district, and construction and restoration work began. According to him, Lachin after a period of occupation began to revive. Here, the activities envisaged by the First State Program of the "Great Return" are being carried out at a high level. Everyone who visits these territories clearly sees the large scale of the ongoing construction work. He emphasized that the repeated visits of President Ilham Aliyev to the Lachin district, including Lachin city, acquaintance on the spot with the ongoing restoration and reconstruction work indicate that this region is of great importance for Azerbaijan. The operational meeting is being held with the participation of the leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office, Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan Masim Mammadov in the Lachin district, part of the East Zangazur Economic Region, and military prosecutors of subordinate districts and territories, operating in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Saipans Land and Sea: Battle Scars & Sites of Resilience will host several community events at American Memorial Park BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are successfully developing in all areas, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said, receiving Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, Trend reports. Noting the strategic nature of relations between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, the head of state hailed the successful development of bilateral ties in all areas. The President of Azerbaijan underlined that the agenda of bilateral relations is broad. Saying that the successful implementation of the agreements reached during President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev`s visit to Azerbaijan last year, and his trip to Kazakhstan this year was constantly taken into account, President Ilham Aliyev described it as a sign of the high level of bilateral cooperation. The head of state pointed out that relations between the two countries are of great importance for regional cooperation, including cooperation in the Caspian basin and in a wider area. The President of Azerbaijan said that there is great potential for the further expansion of this cooperation, stressing that all this serves to increase the volume of trade turnover, create additional business opportunities, implement large-scale projects in energy, transport and other areas. Marissa Anderson, Clinical Nurse Practitioner and Educator with the University of Guam Certified Nursing Assistant program, first from left, and Jen Salas, who assists Anderson with the program, first from right, are seen with the CNA students outside Guam Memorial Hospital on June 14, 2023. The students are seen in green scrubs, from left, front row: Kaylah Roduk; Arniela Dimabuyu; Kyla Mercado; Yvanna Guzman; Jerene Donato; Samara Cruz; and Nicole Mejia. From left, back row: Brittney Aichem; Hannah Maxino; Tiana Damon; Vince Verango; Jennifer Wiley; Kimberly Besabe; Jessalynn Chiguina; Amy Robert; Ha'ane Wright; and Jomayne Guzman. Reporter Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post. Sen. Joe San Agustin asks questions during a Department of Corrections budget hearing at the Guam Legislature on June 20, 2023, at the Guam Congress Building in Hagatna. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Within the framework of cooperation between the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan and the "Baku Network" expert platform, Azerbaijani deputies Tural Ganjaliyev and Sevil Mikayilova held discussions with deputies of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye from "AK parti" Mustafa Janbek and Osman Mesten via a teleconference, Trend reports. The deputies touched upon the sociopolitical processes taking place in the region, the relations between Turkiye and Azerbaijan, which are at the peak of their development, the example of democracy that Turkiye demonstrated to the world by holding transparent and fair elections, as well as the unconstructive position of Yerevan in the process of negotiations on a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and other issues. They also discussed the importance of further development of relations between the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan and the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye, working on new projects. Azerbaijani MPs noted that members of the Milli Majlis use innovative methods in parliamentary diplomacy by holding such TV debates. In the activities of the Milli Majlis, a special place is occupied by the fulfillment of the tasks set by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in the field of foreign policy, in particular, bringing Azerbaijani realities to the world. The Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan, using the capabilities of the "Baku Network" expert platform, develops parliamentary diplomacy in a new way. The goals are to further expand parliamentary diplomacy in effective directions and to organize activities on a new level in order to bring Azerbaijan's position in the geopolitical and geo-economic processes taking place in the world to the attention of deputies. Opportunities are being created for deputies to hold debates with their colleagues in the format of a teleconference, and discussions on issues of mutual interest with the participation of well-known political figures and authoritative experts are provided. Full video version of the discussion: BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will cooperate on digitalization of the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route or TITR), Trend reports. In this regard, following the negotiations between the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov and the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, a "Memorandum of Cooperation has been signed between the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan to expand cooperation in the field of transport and digitalization of the Middle Corridor". Approximately five billion euro will be invested in infrastructure and process efficiency improvement of the TITR in the next five years. This route plays a significant role in integrating Central Asian producers with global markets in the direction of Turkiye, North African countries, and Southern Europe. The purpose of this route is to facilitate the transit of goods through countries such as China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkiye, Ukraine, Poland, and Romania. These eight countries have been working together within the framework of the project since 2017. Canadian police release names of 16 seniors who died in bus crash View Photo DAUPHIN, Manitoba (AP) Canadian police released the names of 16 people who died in a crash between a minibus and a semitrailer a week ago at a highway intersection in a rural part of the Canadian province of Manitoba. One by one, officers and family members placed giant photos of the victims, who ranged in age from 68 to 88, at the front of a news conference on Thursday. The bus had been taking the group from Dauphin, Manitoba, and the surrounding area on a trip to a casino on June 15, when it crashed with the truck near the town of Carberry. We lost 16 people who were mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, whose decades of contributions helped make this community what it is, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Supt. Jeff Asmundson said. Health officials say nine patients remain hospitalized, with four of them in critical condition. Community members in Dauphin will hold a vigil to mourn the victims. Police have said dashcam footage shows the bus was crossing the Trans-Canada Highway when it went into the path of the truck. They said officers havent yet interviewed the bus driver because he is receiving hospital care. Some of the families released brief statements about their loved ones through the RCMP. We are heartbroken and numb by this tragedy and the loss of our vibrant mother, Baba and Great Baba, said the family of Helen Kufley, 88. She was and always will be the cornerstone of our family, the one we always went to for advice and wisdom, and we will miss her terribly. Former school teacher Nettie Nakonechny, 87, was remembered for being proud of her Ukrainian heritage and a Baba, not only to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but to many who knew her. She will be missed by all of us who loved her. EU says Ukraine is making progress with reforms and on track to membership talks EU says Ukraine is making progress with reforms and on track to membership talks View Photo BRUSSELS (AP) The European Union said Thursday that Ukraine, even amid war and relentless attacks from Russia, was staying the course towards opening membership talks with the bloc and lauded it for reforms in several sectors. Ukraine sees EU membership as an essential part of its Western-oriented future. For over a year it has worked on paving the way to opening talks and the 27-nation bloc issued some badly needed words of encouragement, although it said work remains to be done. In an interim report addressing only part of the changes the nation needs to make to start talks, EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said Kyiv had completed two of seven steps, on judicial governance and media freedom and that good progress had been made on constitutional court reform. But he added that only some progress had been made on tackling corruption, money laundering and the system of oligarchs, and on dealing with minority groups it still needed to address recommendations from the continents foremost human rights body, the Council of Europe. A full report on Ukraines progress toward opening membership talks is set for October. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he wants to open membership talks by the end of the year. However, joining the bloc is, in the best of circumstances, expected to take several more years. The EU has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine in the war against Russia, has taken in millions of refugees and provided the government with billions in aid to make sure the nation does not implode financially. Ukraine will be able to join the bloc only if it gets major financial aid from current members to rebuild its economy and upgrade to EU standards. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has amended the decree "On the budget of the State Oil Fund for 2023" of December 30, 2022, Trend reports. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a corresponding decree in this regard. According to the decree, the forecast of budget revenues of the State Oil Fund has been increased from 8.9 million manat ($5.2 million) to 16.3 million manat ($9.5 million), and the forecast of budget expenditures - from 11.3 million manat ($6.6 million) to 11.8 million manat ($6.9 million). As a result, the expected budget deficit of the Fund in the amount of 2.4 million manat ($1.4 million) was replaced by a surplus of 4.4 million manat ($2.5 million). The amount of the transfer from the State Oil Fund to the state budget this year increased from 11.2 million manat ($6.5 million) to 11.7 million manat ($6.8 million). PARIS (AP) History, fashion, and star power came together at Givenchys latest menswear show at Les Invalides in Paris. Steeped in the martial aura of the former military hospital with its cast iron cannons, the show was the first of its kind across the monuments sprawling balcony. Film star and musician Jared Leto was among the luminaries who applauded the spectacle. Here are some highlights of Thursdays spring-summer 2024 menswear collections, including an interview with designer Matthew M. Williams: GIVENCHY GETS CONFIDENT In recent seasons, the creative heat at Givenchy under Williams had seemed somewhat tepid. However, this latest collection, presented against the backdrop of Les Invalides pale stone arches, displayed a new-found creative confidence from him. The designer seems to be settling in to successfully steer the age-old LVMH-owned house into solid sartorial ground. The show commenced with an array of finely tailored couture suits in striking black and white contrasts. These looks, loose yet opulent, seamlessly meshed with the historical backdrop, setting an indulgent tone and priming the audience for what was to come. In a welcome and inclusive turn for the maison, models of diverse backgrounds graced the runway. This wasnt just a show; it was a statement, a testament to Givenchys dedication to inclusivity and modernity. As the show progressed, the couture tailoring gradually gave way to utilitarian and at times militaristic elements. These influences were likely borrowed from the shows venue, the final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte. With rucksacks, zippers, straps, and toggles, Williams cleverly infused a sense of practicality into high fashion. The disruptive silhouettes created by backpacks fastened at the back of the models echoed the venues military roots and lent an edgy vibe to the show. It was a celebration of diversity, and most importantly, it was a beacon of creative growth for Williams at Givenchy. MATTHEW M. WILLIAMS SPEAKS ON INSPIRATION Williams draws his inspiration from unexpected quarters. In a candid interview with the AP, Williams revealed how his personal experiences from being a father to living near Les Invalides shape his fashion creations. My kids go to school in England, he said, so Im looking at uniforms all the time, how kids wear it in different ways and throw other archetypes over it. These casual observations of childrens sartorial ingenuity have deeply influenced Williams, inspiring a sense of playful fusion of contrasting garments in his latest collection. Moreover, Williams proximity to the historical Les Invalides impacts his design philosophy. This place did inspire the collection because I live overlooking this (building), said. This daily backdrop of martial architecture has unmistakably imprinted itself onto his work, lending a stark, disciplined elegance to his recent menswear line. Williams revelations underscore how deeply personal and seemingly ordinary experiences can shape the extraordinary world of high fashion. His latest collection at Givenchy is a testament to this intertwining, offering a unique blend of everyday charm and high-end sophistication. As Williams summed it up, at the end of the day, Im making clothes that I want people to wear. RICK OWENS FASHION ARMOR Pariss Palais De Tokyo saw an exhilarating blend of past and future at Rick Owens Spring-Summer 2024 mens show. The runway came alive with models resembling modern-day gladiators, adorned in Owens signature long pants and sloping, oversized shoulders. Addressing global threats, Owens proposes that perhaps jubilance is the most fitting moral response. His collection showcased this through a line of grim, determined elegance, offering fashionable armor against adversity. Committing to ethical practices, Owens used materials such as wool, silk, and cotton faille. In addition, shorts and jackets in oily calf leather from a Tuscan family-owned tannery, and pure wool tailoring from an Italian heritage mill reflected his dedication to environmental sustainability and animal welfare. The collection introduced strict structured trousers that skimmed and flared, silk and leather tees twisted and draped, and imposing yet light coats. The pieces breathed fresh life into the Paris menswear scene, with a constant sway of silk shirts, tunics, and robes paying homage to the ancient world. The show was a celebration of life in adversity, undergirded by a strong moral compass. As Owens aptly put it, how one handles adversity is what defines ones character, a statement exemplified by his resilient and vibrant collection. In a changing world, Rick Owens menswear 2024 serves as a reminder to keep joy and style alive. ISSEY MIYAKE CUTS UP THE RUNWAY The Issey Miyake show in the resplendent Musee des Arts Decoratifs began with a theatrical flourish. A vast roll of pleated crepe paper unfurled across the runway, unveiling not merely a prop, but actual pleated garments once snipped apart. This innovative reveal, embraced by bare-chested models, provoked a flurry of camera snaps from an astonished audience. The collection, Everyday, One of a Kind, Now and Hereafter, while not revolutionary, proved to be a gentle evolution of Miyakes iconic design philosophy. Loose silhouettes came to life in vivid hues and micro-pleated fabrics, encapsulating the brands commitment to everyday wearable artistry. Among the standout pieces was a thick, charcoal pleated coat that offered a nod to traditional Asian dress, its regality underscored by its robust structure and generous drape. Miyakes Monthly Colors offered a balanced palette of natural hues ranging from soft to vibrant, providing a fresh chromatic offering each month. Meanwhile, the Rectangle series once again demonstrated the designers penchant for transformative fashion, morphing from flat geometric forms to asymmetrical silhouettes upon being worn. The new Horizon Pleats series introduced a change in pleating direction, the horizontal pleats adding a subtle bounce and lightness to the garments silhouette. While the collection did not break new ground, it showcased the brands quiet refinement. Even within its familiar territory, Miyakes collection found room to inspire with poetic moments and clear nods to the brands historical design influences. FREE SKETCHES FOR THE CHIC With paintbrush in hand, Maxime Smirnov is becoming a familiar sight outside Pariss fashion show venues. The 19-year-old artists Save Your Outfit initiative involves him spontaneously sketching guests in their chic attire as part of a free artistic service. His canvas is the fashion-forward crowd milling around events, their outfits becoming vibrant, yet blurry impressions under Smirnovs brush. The final watercolor paintings serve as personalized keepsakes, snapshots of the ethereal nature of memory. Its like it works like a memory, Smirnov said, describing his artistic technique. Discovered outside Givenchys show at Les Invalides, Smirnov has only been in Paris for a week but has already painted approximately 50 sartorial portraits. The artist completes each impression in roughly two minutes, gifting it back to the subject as a unique and timeless memento of their fashion moment. DRIES VAN NOTENS DISCREET ELEGANCE Belgian master Dries Van Noten showcased impeccable craftsmanship in his latest menswear collection. Elongated silhouettes with lean proportions and a subtle shoulder ridge added a fresh twist to his menswear. The collection embraced a dark palette, dominated by black with occasional dusty, golden hues for depth. Van Notens signature historic influences were evident, including a jacket flaring out like a 19th-century dandy. Described as a study of masculinity, the collection blended strength and gentility with a focus on refinement. Narrow tailoring, high waists, and flared trousers defined the look, while pronounced or softly flowing shoulders and long, lean sleeves exuded elegance. Lengthened trench coats, shirts as dresses, sculptural raglan sleeves on bomber jackets, and oversized parkas made a statement. Airy proportions and soft shapes created a sense of lightness, complemented by sheer fabrics and open shoes with scooping necklines hinting at nudity. By THOMAS ADAMSON AP Fashion Writer Brazilian is sentenced to 27 years in prison for killing ex-girlfriend in Australia View Photo RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) A federal court sentenced Brazilian engineer Mario Marcelo Santoro to 27 years in prison on Thursday, after he confessed to the 2018 murder of former girlfriend Cecilia Haddad in Australia. Santoro, today in his mid 40s, was convicted of aggravated homicide, asphyxiation, femicide and concealment of a corpse. The seven-person jury in the Rio de Janeiro made of six women and one man delivered its decision on Thursday morning. Santoros attorney said he will appeal. In April 2018, the body of Haddad, then 38, was found in the Lane Cove river in Sydney, Australia, a few miles from her apartment. By then, Santoro had already left the country and flown back to Brazil. Based on thousands of messages reviewed by Australian law enforcement and testimonies from friends and family members, Haddad had broken up with Santoro, but he refused to accept her decision. About 10 days before her death, Haddad had given Santoro an ultimatum, asking him to leave the apartment or else she would call the police, said Australian detective John Edwards, according to O Globo newspaper and other media outlets that attended the trial. At one point, Haddad had left her place to stay with some friends. Cellphone tracking placed Santoro at Haddads apartment and by the river where her body was later found, O Globo reported. Sand and vegetation from that same area was also found in the victims car, which Santoro was seen driving on images caught by security cameras. In testimony he delivered on Wednesday, Santoro acknowledged going to Haddads house to retrieve his passport to catch his flight back to Brazil. He said they got into a fight and he grabbed her neck and squeezed really hard before she fell limp in his arms. Santoro, who otherwise appeared fairly relaxed during the trials long and detailed testimonies, cried while confessing to Haddads murder. The defendant only confessed in the jury room, after extensive evidentiary material had been produced against him, said federal judge Ian Legay Vermelho. In other words, he did not confess before the Australian police when he arrived in Brazil. He did not confess before the Brazilian investigators, nor before the judicial stages he had gone through up to that day. Before the ruling, Haddads mother, wearing a white t-shirt with a photo of her daughter, told reporters that Santoro was not a human being but a monster, and that he belonged in jail. By DIANE JEANTET Associated Press Prescribed burn with fire engine View Photo Yosemite, CA Yosemite National Park fire officials are alerting the public to smoky skies in the Valley area as prescribed burns continue this week, with one igniting this evening. Burn piles will be set ablaze along Southside Drive in Sentinel Meadow, just west of the Yosemite Chapel. Then on Thursday and Friday mornings, crews will continue the burning, with smoke visible in some parts of the Valley during and after burning operations that will last throughout the daylight hours. Park officials advise, Southside Drive will remain open with a brief single-lane closure along the burn area for fire personnels safety. A portion of the Valley Loop Trail will close, from the Four Mile Trailhead intersection to the bike path intersection behind the Yosemite Chapel. Yosemite fire officials also noted that the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias prescribed burn that was scheduled for this week has been canceled. It has been postponed until sometime this fall. Former UN chief says Israels treatment of Palestinians may constitute apartheid View Photo TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) Israel is inching toward apartheid and drifting further away from the hopes of creating a Palestinian state alongside it, former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told The Associated Press Thursday on a visit to the region. Ban said that throughout his three-day visit, which coincided with a spike in deadly violence in the West Bank, he encountered a bleaker reality than the one he faced while head of the world body from 2007 to 2016. He said he had seen signs, through expanding West Bank Jewish settlements and tighter restrictions against Palestinians, that an apartheid system was taking root. I think the situation has worsened, Ban said. Im just thinking that, as many people are saying, that this may constitute apartheid. He said he was concerned that a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict was fading away. Ban was in the region on behalf of The Elders, a group of statespeople that engages in peacemaking and human rights initiatives around the world. Along with the groups chair, former Irish President Mary Robinson, he met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and civil society. It was from local rights groups that he said he heard that Israel was committing the crime of apartheid. Leading rights groups in Israel and abroad have accused Israel and its 56-year occupation of the West Bank of morphing into an apartheid system that they say gives Palestinians second-class status and is designed to maintain Jewish hegemony from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. In apartheid South Africa, a system based on white supremacy and racial segregation was in place from 1948 until 1994. The rights groups have based their conclusions on international conventions like the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. It defines apartheid as an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group. Rights groups point to discriminatory policies within Israel and in annexed east Jerusalem, Israels blockade of the Gaza Strip, which has been ruled by the Hamas militant group since 2007, and its occupation of the West Bank, where it exerts overall control, maintains a two-tier legal system and is building and expanding Jewish settlements that most of the international community considers illegal. Israel rejects any allegation of apartheid and says its own Arab citizens enjoy equal rights. Israel granted limited autonomy to the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, which is based in the West Bank, at the height of the peace process in the 1990s and withdrew its soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005. It says the West Bank is disputed territory and that its fate should be determined in negotiations. The accusations of apartheid and Jewish supremacy have only heightened under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government, which is composed of parties that oppose Palestinian statehood, support settlement expansion and a hard line against Palestinian militancy. Its clear that now we have a one-state rule and in fact its worse than that under the current government, Robinson said, adding that Netanyahu, as on previous visits, declined a meeting. She said they met with Israels ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, and opposition leader Yair Lapid. The visit comes amid the worst violence in the West Bank in nearly two decades. A monthslong Israeli crackdown on militancy has killed nearly 300 Palestinians since early 2022, while Palestinian attacks against Israelis have killed more than 50. This week, an Israeli raid on a flashpoint West Bank city killed seven Palestinians, including a 15-year-old girl. A Palestinian attack on a West Bank settlement killed four Israelis, including a 17-year-old, and triggered a settler rampage through a Palestinian town that left one person dead. While they condemned the violence, Ban and Robinson said Israel appeared to be using disproportionate force in its raids. I sincerely hope that the Israeli military authorities should take some deep breath before they really take to lethal weapons, he said. There should be some reasonable way of controlling this. Israel captured the West Bank, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. By TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press Gadhafis detained son taken to hospital due to hunger strike in Lebanon View Photo BEIRUT (AP) A son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was briefly taken to hospital this week after his health deteriorated nearly three weeks into a hunger strike to protest his detention without trial in Beirut, a person familiar with the case said Thursday. The health of Hannibal Gadhafi, who has been only drinking small amounts of water, deteriorated on Wednesday the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. Gadhafi, who started his hunger strike on June 3, was taken to Beiruts Hotel-Dieu de France hospital on Wednesday after suffering a drop in blood pressure and inflammation in the spine. Gadhafi was given serum, antibiotics and food supplements and after his health stabilized he was taken back to the jail where he is held in Beirut, the person said. A doctor checked on Gadhafi in his cell on Thursday and he is in stable condition, the person said. He had been suffering back pain due to being held in a small room where he cannot move freely or exercise. Hannibal Gadhafi has been detained in Lebanon since 2015 after he was briefly kidnapped from neighboring Syria, where he had been living as a political refugee. He was abducted by Lebanese militants demanding information on the whereabouts of prominent Lebanese Shiite cleric Moussa al-Sadr, who went missing in Libya 45 years ago. Lebanese police later announced it had collected Hannibal from the northeastern city of Baalbek where he was being held. He has been detained in a Beirut jail without trial since then. The disappearance of al-Sadr in 1978 has been a long-standing sore point in Lebanon. The clerics family believes he may still be alive in a Libyan prison, though most Lebanese presume al-Sadr is dead. He would be 94 years old. Al-Sadr was the founder of the Amal group, Arabic for hope, and an acronym for the militias Arabic name, the Lebanese Resistance Brigades. The group later fought in Lebanons 1975-90 civil war. Lebanons powerful Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri heads the group. Most of al-Sadrs followers are convinced that Moammar Gadhafi ordered al-Sadr killed in a dispute over Libyan payments to Lebanese militias. Libya has maintained that the cleric and his two traveling companions left Tripoli in 1978 on a flight to Rome and suggested he was a victim of a power struggle among Shiites. Gadhafi was killed by opposition fighters in 2011, ending his four-decade rule of the north African country. Hannibal Gadhafi was born two years before al-Sadr disappeared. By BASSEM MROUE Associated Press Biden defends calling Chinese leader Xi a dictator and says he still expects to meet with him Biden defends calling Chinese leader Xi a dictator and says he still expects to meet with him View Photo WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden on Thursday defended his harsh public comments on China, including calling President Xi Jinping a dictator, saying his words would have no negative impact on U.S.-China relations and that he still expects to meet with Xi sometime soon. Biden said his blunt statements regarding China are just not something Im going to change very much. The remarks, which drew a formal protest from China, opened a new rift just days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing that was meant as a step toward stabilizing ties and improving communications. But Biden was undeterred. I expect to be meeting with President Xi sometime in the future, near-term. And I dont think its had any real consequence, he said. His latest rebuff to China came on the same afternoon he welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House in an alliance-strengthening move against their shared rival, China. Just hours earlier, Chinas embassy in Washington said it had delivered a formal protest, with Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng telling senior White House and State Department officials Wednesday that Washington should take earnest actions to undo the negative impact of what Biden said or bear all the consequences. With the latest irresponsible remarks about Chinas political system and its top leader, people cannot help but question the sincerity of the U.S. side in seeking to stabilize relations, the embassy said in a statement. The Chinese government and people do not accept any political provocation against Chinas top leader and will resolutely respond. At a campaign fundraiser on Tuesday, Biden had called the Chinese president a dictator, depicted him as out-of-touch during last winters tumult over a Chinese spy balloon, and dismissed China as having real economic difficulties. As an official government-to-government communication, the ambassadors message to the Biden administration carries more weight than the critical comments made a day earlier by a Chinese government spokesperson to reporters. China gave no further details of how the ambassador delivered his message, whether it was seeking an apology from the Biden administration, or what the consequences would be. China and the U.S. in recent years have been cycling in and out of diplomatic flare-ups. China has used measures ranging from cutting diplomatic ties to staging military maneuvers off Taiwan to show its displeasure. Biden administration officials on Wednesday defended Bidens remarks, saying the president has made a point of drawing distinctions between the worlds democracies and autocracies. The State Department said Thursday that it does not comment on private diplomatic discussions. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen addressed the latest rift Thursday at an unrelated news conference in Paris, saying, with respect to the comments, I think President Biden and I both believe its critical to maintain communication to clear up misperceptions, miscalculations. We need to work together where possible. But we have disagreements, and we are also forthright in recognizing we do have disagreements, she added. Yellen has recently advocated for improving relations between the U.S. and China, arguing cooperation is needed for the sake of maintaining global stability. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, at the same global finance and climate event as Yellen, expressed the urgency of resuming climate discussions between China and the U.S., the No. 1 and No. 2 emitters of climate-damaging fumes from fossil fuels. Talks between the two countries were vital in the breakthrough that led to the 2015 Paris climate accord. But climate discussions between the two have stalled in the past couple of years over the governments diplomatic disputes and other issues. When it comes to slowing climate change, it should be China and the United States working together on a global threat in a way that can build some confidence and change the dynamics of the relationship. Thats the hope, Kerry told a small group of reporters. He said Xi and Biden understood the urgency of the emissions talks. Every day that goes by without them is a day for mischief, Kerry said. Chinese Premier Li Qiang was among the dozens of heads of state and government, world finance officials and activists who converged on the French capital to discuss ways of reforming the global financial system and addressing the debt, climate change and poverty crises, especially for developing nations. I believe its important, as President Biden does, that the worlds two largest economies are working together in addressing global challenges, Yellen said. ___ Corbet contributed from Paris. By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press DeSantis sues Biden administration over university accrediting system View Photo TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that the state has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration and the U.S. Department of Education over accreditation agencies, which control federal aid for students. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale federal court, challenges a federal law that requires colleges and universities to submit to private accreditors to qualify for federal funding. It targets the U.S. Department of Education, Secretary Miguel Cardona and other federal officials. The lawsuit comes as DeSantis, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, imposes his conservative agenda on the states education system. Earlier this year, he appointed trustees to the board of New College of Florida, a tiny Sarasota school of about 1,000 students that was best known for its progressive thought and creative course offerings. The new board intends to turn the school into a classical liberal arts school modeled after conservative favorite Hillsdale College in Michigan. Speaking about the accreditation lawsuit on Thursday, DeSantis said he refuses to bow to unaccountable accreditors who think they should run Floridas public universities. Were asking the court to find this arrangement to be unconstitutional, DeSantis said. White House spokesperson Abdullah Hasan said in an email that DeSantis was bringing his culture wars, like book bans, to the longstanding system that helps ensure students receive a quality college education. If Republican elected officials could have their way, library shelves would be stocked with guns not books and curriculums would be loaded with conspiracy theories, not facts, Hasan said. These culture wars do nothing to actually help students, and only make things worse. This Administration wont allow it. Were committed to ensuring all students receive a high-quality education, and will fight this latest effort by opponents to get in the way of that. Under federal law, the private accrediting agencies decide which universities and colleges are eligible for approximately $112 billion in federal funding. The agencies provide a standard of requirements that universities must follow to maintain accreditation. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACS, oversees the accreditation of colleges and universities in Florida. However, Florida passed a law last year that prohibits colleges and universities from being accredited by the same agency or association for consecutive accreditation cycles. It also allows universities to sue accreditors for damages if they believe they had been negatively affected. The state law requires more than half of Floridas public colleges and universities to change accreditors in the next two years. Their ability to make these changes is substantially burdened by what DeSantis described as the Biden administrations abuse of the current accreditation scheme. In order to seek a new accreditor, a university must receive permission from the U.S. Department of Education. You cannot take legislative power and delegate it to an unaccountable private body, DeSantis said. Under their theory, the accreditor can serve as a veto against the entire state of Florida. He noted that the accrediting agency seeks to take the responsibility for ensuring the wellbeing of colleges and universities away from the governor, Legislature and taxpayers. So, you know, thats a view that really, this board trumps the entire state of Florida, DeSantis said. We reject that, and today we are going to do something about it. DeSantis and Moody cited as an example that SACS threatened the accreditation of Florida State University in 2021 when Richard Corcoran, then the states commissioner of education, was a candidate to be the next president of the school. The accrediting agency said Corcorans candidacy posed a potential conflict of interest if he failed to resign as schools commissioner. Florida State eventually selected Richard McCullough as its president. Earlier this year, Corcoran was selected as an interim president of New College. Earlier this year, DeSantis appointed six new trustees to run the college. Suspect in deadly Minneapolis crash charged with homicide, federal weapons and drug counts View Photo MINNEAPOLIS (AP) A suspect in a crash that killed five young women in Minneapolis was charged Thursday with 10 state counts of criminal vehicular homicide as well as federal firearms and drug charges that carry a potential sentence of life in prison. Derrick John Thompson, 27, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, rented a Cadillac Escalade SUV at a Hertz counter at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport only about 24 minutes before the fatal crash Friday night, according to the complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court. He had been freed from a California prison just a few months earlier after serving time for a hit-and-run crash. Investigators recovered a Glock .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine from the wreckage of the SUV, along with 2,169 fentanyl pills, a plastic bag containing 14 grams of powder fentanyl, 13 MDMA pills, 35 grams of cocaine and a digital scale, state and federal prosecutors said. As a convicted felon, Thompson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Results of drug tests in Thompsons system were pending Thursday. If convicted of the federal charges, he could be imprisoned for 10 years up to life in prison. The penalties on the state criminal vehicular homicide charges are lighter. State sentencing guidelines recommend four years for a person with no criminal record, but Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said prosecutors would seek consecutive sentences for each victim. Thousands of mourners from the Somali American community attended the womens funeral Monday at the Dar Al-Farooq mosque in Bloomington. Salma Abdikadir, Siham Adam, Sabiriin Ali, Sahra Gesaade and Sagal Hersi aged from 17 to 20 years old were all members of the mosque. They were returning home from having henna applied in preparation for a friends wedding scheduled for Saturday. Court records did not list an attorney who could speak on Thompsons behalf. I firmly believe in the potential for redemption and second chances, but Mr. Thompson has repeatedly engaged in extraordinarily dangerous criminal driving conduct related to apparent large-scale drug dealing, Moriarty said. He has caused immeasurable pain and suffering in multiple states and we will seek a significant sentence that appropriately reflects the devastation he has caused and ensures a lengthy period of incapacitation. According to the complaint, a state trooper who was monitoring traffic on northbound Interstate 35W in Minneapolis on Friday night got a radar reading that the SUV was going 95 mph in a 55 mph zone, and saw it weaving in and out of traffic. The trooper was trying to catch up when the vehicle abruptly cut from the leftmost lane to the right, then down an exit ramp. The trooper never activated his emergency lights or siren, the complaint said. The SUV ran a red light and plowed into the drivers side of a much smaller Honda Civic, crushing it. The five women inside died at the scene. Thompson fled on foot despite a head laceration and fractured hip, the complaint said. Police caught up with him at a nearby Taco Bell. He was released from a hospital and booked into the Hennepin County Jail on Monday. California court records show Thompson was released from a prison there this year after serving part of an eight-year sentence for a 2018 hit-and-run while fleeing police that severely injured a woman in Montecito, California. Minnesota court records also show he was convicted of fleeing police in his own state, and lost his drivers license in 2018, but got it back in March following his release from the California prison. Court records show Thompson is the son of former state Rep. John Thompson, of St. Paul, who was a sharp critic of police during his one term in office. The elder Thompson became a Black Lives Matter activist following the police killing of his friend, Philando Castile, in suburban St. Paul in 2016. Minnesota House Democrats expelled him from their caucus in 2021 following an acrimonous traffic stop in St. Paul in which he claimed he was racially profiled and after old allegations of domestic abuse resurfaced. He lost his primary election last year. He has yet to publicly comment on the case. By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press At a workshop organized by the Islamic Organization for Food Security in the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Agriculture Yerbol Karashukeyev has outlined the primary targets set to his Ministry, Azernews reports, citing Kazinform. According to him, the Ministry of Agriculture continues its efforts on development of the countrys agro-industrial sector. The Ministry undergoes reforms and reconstruction with the consideration of todays challenges and complicated conditions. In his words, the Ministry is set to boost labour productivity three times from 3.4 million tenge to 9.3 million tenge per one worker in the sector. Another target is to triple agricultural exports - from 3.5 billion US dollars to 9.9 billion US dollars. He said that the volume of agricultural exports would rise by 70% in total. The Minister assured that the country would satisfy its need in all food-stuffs by not less than 90%, including five imported foods, except for sugar. The volume of investments in fixed capital will be raised fourfold to reach 3.2 trillion tenge. To achieve this goal, we need to expand investments both in human capital and in infrastructure of economy, he said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan has hosted today the workshop on Sukuk for Investments in Agriculture initiated by the Islamic Organization for Food Security. Sukuk is a financial document commonly referred to as sharia compliant bond. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. "Letter of commitment to subscribe for shares related to increases in the capital of Black Sea Trade and Development Bank", which was signed on April 22, 2022, has been approved, Trend reports. In this regard, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the relevant decree. Kentucky attorney general asks FBI to investigate donations to his rival in governors race View Photo FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Republican Attorney General Daniel Camerons office on Thursday asked the FBI to investigate a large infusion of campaign donations linked to a single credit card that flowed to the Kentucky Democratic Party and Gov. Andy Beshear s reelection campaign. The controversy has major political undertones because Cameron is challenging Beshear in this years election showdown for governor in the Bluegrass State. The matchup in Republican-leaning Kentucky is drawing national attention and could offer something of a preview of voter sentiment ahead of 2024 campaigns for president and control of Congress. While the donations were in multiple peoples names, they were all charged to the same credit card connected to a Kentucky mayor. The contributions came from the mayors family and business connections, according to media reports. The Democratic governors campaign and the state party said they moved to refund more than $200,000 that they determined to exceed limits set by law. But the fallout escalated when Camerons office asked the FBI to investigate circumstances surrounding the contributions. The letter, sent to the FBIs Louisville field office, was signed by Deputy Attorney General Victor Maddox. It cited ethics opinions barring the attorney generals office from investigating. During a campaign stop Thursday in western Kentucky, Cameron called the matter a fiasco and said his office did the responsible thing by referring it to the FBI. Previous state ethics opinions prohibited attorneys general from investigating a governors conduct if they become their political opponent. The Kentucky Lantern first reported on the donations linked to the credit card of Mayor Randall Weddle of London, Kentucky, after analyzing campaign finance reports. The mayor did not immediately return a phone call and email from The Associated Press seeking comment Thursday. The refunds amounted to $12,000 in contributions made to Beshears campaign and $190,000 in donations that went to the state Democratic Party, said Beshear campaign manager Eric Hyers. Beshear, who is seeking a second term, weighed in on the matter Thursday. He said he consistently requires that his campaign follow the letter and spirit of every campaign finance law. And when any situation arises, to address it with transparency, to do whats right and to work directly with the regulators. My understanding is that the campaign has met each of those requirements. The governors political opponents have pounced on the controversy. The Republican Governors Association said the contributions reek of campaign finance corruption. Weddle himself didnt give to Beshears campaign or the state Democratic Party, but relatives and business associates donated to both organizations, the Kentucky Lantern reported. Last month, his city in southeastern Kentucky received nearly $1.4 million in transportation funding to repair and replace sidewalks along its main street. London was among five Kentucky communities awarded a total of $4.8 million in that portion of transportation funding. Democrats pushed back against Republican attempts to link the donations to the transportation award for London. Beshears campaign noted the award to London was part of more than $21 million in transportation funding distributed to local governments statewide. The grant program is administered through the state transportation cabinet, whose top executive is appointed by the governor. The cabinet follows strict criteria in awarding the grants, Beshears campaign said. In explaining how the controversy arose, Hyers, the governors campaign manager, said it was brought to our attention that contributions were made to the campaign and state Democratic Party that exceeded contribution limits. The donors themselves raised the issue and expressed the desire to properly remedy the situation, Hyers said in a release. The campaign and party have processes to identify excessive contributions and issue refunds, he said, adding, What was unusual here is that multiple contributions were made on the same credit card. Both organizations said they notified state election finance regulators of the situation and have taken steps to prevent similar situations. To our surprise, the credit card processor did not notify us that a single credit card was processed multiple times, exceeding contribution limits, Hyers said. When donors contribute to the campaign via credit card, we are only able to see the last four digits of the credit cards used for these donations. Because the credit card processor did not catch the issue, we have implemented an additional step in our compliance process, he said. The state Democratic Party said in a statement that it takes election laws very seriously and works with its staff and candidates to comply with the requirements. The controversy at least temporarily put Beshears campaign on the defensive, after weeks of attacks by Democrats trying to connect Cameron to the states last Republican governor, Matt Bevin. Democrats accuse Cameron of failing to hold Bevin accountable for issuing hundreds of pardons and commutations in his final days in office. Cameron, just weeks into his tenure as attorney general, asked the FBI to investigate the flurry of pardons. By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press Biden and Modi cheer booming economic ties in visit that also reckoned with Indias record on rights Biden and Modi cheer booming economic ties in visit that also reckoned with Indias record on rights View Photo WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden on Thursday pronounced the U.S.-India relationship never stronger and rolled out new business deals with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as human rights activists and American lawmakers questioned the administrations decision to honor the leader with a pomp-filled state visit. In a joint news conference with Modi, Biden called the relationship between the U.S. and India among the most consequential in the world and more dynamic than at any time in history. He underscored how two of the worlds most powerful democracies were cooperating on issues such as the climate, health care and space, saying that the U.S-India economic relationship was booming. But Modi bristled at a reporters question about his countrys commitment to democratic values as the country has seen an erosion of religious, political and press freedoms under his watch. Democracy is our spirit, Modi, who rarely takes questions from journalists, said through an interpreter. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy and our ancestors have actually put words to this concept. He said India has proved that democracies can deliver and when I say deliver, this is regardless of class, creed, religion, gender. Yet Modi has faced criticism over legislation amending the countrys citizenship law that fast-tracks naturalization for some migrants but excludes Muslims, a rise in violence against Muslims and other religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, and the recent conviction of Indias top opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, for mocking Modis surname. Nevertheless, later in a 59-minute address before a joint meeting of Congress, Modi insisted that in India diversity is a natural way of life. We are home to all faiths in the world, and we celebrate all of them, added Modi, in a line that brought many cheering lawmakers to their feet. The premiers description runs counter to accusations by rights groups of widespread attacks and discrimination against Indias Muslims and other minorities under Modi. A group of more than 70 lawmakers wrote to Biden this week urging him to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms during the visit. At least six Democratic lawmakers Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Greg Casar of Texas, Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York boycotted Modis address to Congress, because of concerns about his human rights records. When it comes to standing up for human rights, actions speak louder than words, Bush, Tlaib, Omar and Bowman said in a joint statement. By bestowing Prime Minister Modi with the rare honor of a joint address, Congress undermines its ability to be a credible advocate for the rights of religious minorities and journalists around the world. Standing alongside Modi, Biden emphasized that press, religious and other fundamental freedoms should be at the core of how both democracies operate. During their Oval Office meeting, Biden said, he and Modi had a good discussion about democratic values while Modi said theres absolutely no space for discrimination when pressed about his own commitment on human rights. The state visit, just the third of the Bidens presidency, was certainly a glitzy affair. Thousands gathered on the White House South Lawn for the welcoming ceremony, listening to performances by violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the a cappella group Penn Masala. As Modi arrived, the crowd including many members of the Indian diaspora broke out in a chant of Modi, Modi, Modi. All eyes are on the two largest democracies in the world, India and America, Modi said. I believe that our strategic partnership is important. Im confident that working together will be successful. Later, Modi told Congress that our partnership augurs well for the future of democracy as the two countries expand partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and other industries. He also cheered the samosa caucusthe five U.S. House members of Indian descentand Vice President Kamala Harris, who is Black and of Indian descent, as examples of the impact of the diaspora. Biden administration officials say honoring Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is Diplomacy 101. The U.S.-India relationship will be vital in coming decades as both sides navigate an ascendant China and the enormity of climate change, artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience and other issues. On the issues that matter most that will define the future, our nations look to one another including on critical regional and global issues, Biden said. Among the announcements made Thursday is an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. The Biden administration also announced plans to bolster Indias semiconductor industry. U.S.-based Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending more than $800 million and India financing the rest. U.S.-based Applied Materials will launch a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers. On the space front, India signed on to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASAs lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization also agreed to make a joint mission to the International Space Station next year. We made critical and emerging technologies the pillar of our next generation partnership to ensure these technologies promote and protect our values, remain open, accessible, trusted and secure, Biden added. All this matters for America, for India and for the world. At the welcoming ceremony, Modi called the Indian diaspora in America the millions of immigrants and their children from the subcontinent living in the U.S. the real strength of the U.S.-India relationship. He said the honor of a formal state visit the first in the U.S. for India since Barack Obama honored Modis predecessor, Manmohan Singh, in 2009 reflected the positive impact Indians are having worldwide. Modi, the son of a tea seller who rose to be Indias premier, also recalled that the first time he visited the White House was three decades ago as a common man. I have come here many times but today for the first time, the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian American community in such large numbers, Modi said to an estimated crowd of 7,000. Despite the major deals, the visit was shadowed by concerns laid out by rights activists and lawmakers who question Modis commitment to democratic principles. In 2005, the U.S. revoked Modis visa to the U.S., citing concerns that, as chief minister of the state of Gujarat, he did not act to stop communal violence during 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 people dead. An investigation approved by the Indian Supreme Court later absolved Modi, but the stain of the dark moment has lingered. Biden and Modi have also had differences over Russias war in Ukraine. India abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions condemning Russia and refused to join the global coalition against Russia. Since the start of the war, the Modi government has also dramatically increased its purchase of Russian oil. White House officials note that there are signs of change in Indias relationship with Russia, which has long been New Delhis biggest defense supplier. India is moving away from Russian military equipment, looking more to the U.S., Israel, Britain and other nations. Modi recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has spoken out about his worries about the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russia. Modi, before Congress, said the war is causing great pain in Ukraine and having residual effects on Europe and beyond. This is not an era of war, but it is one of dialogue and diplomacy Modi said. And we must all do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering. Without specifically naming China, Modi also addressed heightened tensions in the region, saying dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo Pacific. Later Thursday, Modi attended a lavish White House state dinner in his honor. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Fatima Hussein, Stephen Groves, and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report. By AAMER MADHANI, COLLEEN LONG and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press Details added: first version posted on 15:42 BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on the execution of the budget of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022, Trend reports. Execution of the budget of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022 was approved given that revenues are at the level of 16.86 billion manat ($9.92 billion), expenses - 7.98 billion manat ($4.69 billion), or 106.8 percent of revenues and 68.9 percent of expenses relative to the State Oil Fund for 2022 envisioned by the budget. Besides, the head of state signed a decree on amending the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated December 30, 2022 No. 1942 "On the budget of the State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2023". The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has released the list of candidates for Parliamentary seats in Bulawayo, and its shaping up to be a battle between Zanu-PF and the opposition Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC). But the CCC is already playing dirty with their fielding of double candidates in two constituencies: Pelandaba-Tshabalala and Pumula. The oppositions DNA seems to include double candidates, but it may not pay off in the end. 19 candidates were disqualified for failing to pay nomination fees. Meanwhile, Zanu-PF is already in the early election lead after securing all the 10 seats for the Provincial Council as it is the only party to field candidates for quota. Will CCCs risky strategy pay off, or will Zanu-PF continue its dominance? Stay tuned for more updates on the upcoming Zimbabwean election. Breaking News via Email Yves here. One of my conservative friends gets extremely agitated on the topic of a gas stove ban. She fulminates that the stereotypical CNN/MSNBC watcher who supports this restriction eats out often and hasnt worked out that banning gas stoves would also end restaurants as we know them (and no, she just about never dines out) Interestingly, far more people object to a gas stove ban than actually have them. Only about 30% of US homes have one. My gas stove defender isnt completely opposed to a curb but points even to the studies supporting the regulatory change that show its impact on climate change is so small as to be debatable. She wants action against much more serious offenders first, starting with the US military. However, the argument for the gas stove ban is mainly about health risks. Since there are parts of the US with high levels of gas stove use, such as New York, New Jersey, and California. it ought to be possible to firm up the thesis with population-level and workplace (restaurant) studies. I find the concern about benzene levels from gas stoves to be hypocritical. I have yet to see anyone worried about health risks of benzene exposure to nail salon workers, where the fumes can be so thick that you feel them in your trachea. The other question I have yet to see addressed is what it would take in the way of better ventilation to reduce the benzene hazard to safer levels. By Irina Slav, a writer for Oilprice.com with over a decade of experience writing on the oil and gas industry. Originally published at OilPrice A majority of 69% of Americans are against a ban on gas stoves, a poll conducted by the Harvard Center for American Political Studies and Harris. The poll covered a number of topics spanning from approval of institutions to top concerns, but it also included a question on the gas stove ban, to which most respondents answered in the negative. The issue has become quite heated recently after a study came out earlier this year suggesting a link between gas stove use and asthma. At the time, a commissioner at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said that CPSC had been considering a ban on gas stoves for months. The statement was promptly denied by the head of the CPSC. However, other authorities took up the gas stove ban idea and New York recently became the first state to pass legislation that would ban the installation of gas stoves in new buildings due to the perceived harms of using them. There are also several cities across the U.S. with gas bans in place although Palo Alto recently made an exception for a celebrity chef planning to open a restaurant in town. The Harvard/Harris poll suggests a majority of Americans have similar feelings to chef Jose Andres when it comes to gas stoves. The sentiment was especially marked among Republicans, unsurprisingly. As much as 83% of GOP respondents were opposed to a gas stove ban versus 55% of Democrats. Yet opposition to a ban was also pronounced among respondents without party affiliations: 71% of them were against a ban. Meanwhile, the pressure campaign against gas stoves continues. Media reported this week on a new study that claims it had found that gas stoves emit a carcinogenic chemicalbenzenein concentrations higher than its concentrations in cigarette smoke. The implication appears to be that using a gas stove may be even more dangerous than second-hand smoke. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, Kazakhstan Railways National Company JSC and Georgian Railways JSC will create a joint venture, Trend reports. This is reflected in the "Agreement on the basic principles of the establishment and operation of a joint venture between Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, Kazakhstan Railways National Company JSC and Georgian Railways JSC, signed today following negotiations between Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov and Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov. Moreover, the Ministry of Economy of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of equipping ships and railway locomotives. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will also cooperate on the digitalization of the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route or TITR). In this regard, following the negotiations between the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Asadov and the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, a "Memorandum of Cooperation has been signed today between the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan and the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan to expand cooperation in the field of transport and digitalization of the Middle Corridor". See all the winners, honorable mentions and even the Weirdies in our annual YASNI contest After a vocal push from right-wing activists and politicians in Tennessee, a law banning gender-affirming care for minors passed in the state legislature earlier this year. As a result, the Pediatric Transgender Clinic at Monroe Carell Jr. Childrens Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center recently stopped serving patients. With the rights and well-being of transgender citizens under attack here in Tennessee and across the nation, the Scene decided to reach out to members of the trans community and hear from them directly on their experiences not just the bad, but the good and joyful, in their own words. Heres what we heard from three members of Nashvilles trans community when we reached out to them for our Pride Issue. Kara Robbins Ive found a really good friend group. Were all queer parents around the same age, and we all let our kids run around and we just hang out. We get together two or three times a week. Every Monday night we have family dinner and we rotate whose house its at. Every Thursday night we meet at a local pavilion and skate. I guess its just freeing. Strap some wheels to your feet and you can fly. Pre-transition I actually used to ride BMX. I lost all my upper body strength, but I found out that my leg strength was still there. I started roller-skating when I was 7, but I used to just do the rink. I found YouTube videos of people skating skate parks on old-school roller skates and I was like, Yep, thats what Im doing. One thing that I really like about skating is that it forces you to get out of your head. If youre not paying attention to what youre doing, youre going to crash and youre going to bleed. Its very in-the-moment. Theres just a lot of anxiety around existing, and it gets very tiring. I try to just hang out in my happy little bubble with my happy people. As told to HANNAH HERNER Roberto Che Espinoza When the Scene reached out to local theologian and ethicist Dr. Roberto Che Espinoza to talk about trans joy, he agreed. But when we meet up a few weeks later, Espinoza is having trouble accessing that joy. But that led to an important conversation about the duality of joy and hardship. I dont think you have joy without the struggle, you dont have joy without reality, says Espinoza. And what is real for trans people right now is a lot of fear of the criminalization of being trans, and the economic burden. Espinoza teaches at Duke University, writes a Substack and has authored two books Body Becoming: A Path to Our Liberation and Activist Theology among many other accomplishments. He tells the Scene that helping others describe their feelings fosters joy. For me the joy is helping people feel, and knowing that maybe Im planting seeds for someone to stay alive. But I have to do that myself, too. A lot of us are struggling with the impetus to remain alive in the face of such political devastation. On difficult days, Espinoza seeks joy where he can taking siestas, drinking tea, adding garlic-scape butter to a mushroom risotto that hell serve to friends later. There is an existential threat against trans people, says Espinoza. And I think we have to hold onto the joy and the pain simultaneously. And remember that hope is knowing that all possibilities arent exhausted. KELSEY BEYELER Jace Wilder We have a lot to thank Jace Wilder for. As an education manager for the Tennessee Equality Project, Wilder has advocated for trans rights by educating lawmakers, media outlets and classrooms about trans people. Outside of his work, Jace enjoys hiking, painting, decorating his space, making Marvel-inspired jewelry, reading comics, caring for his cat Moon and spending time with his community. Community is crucial. [People] dont get to witness the beauty of the celebration and happiness that occurs with having gender-affirming care, or having your pronouns said for the first time or having your name said for the first time properly, says Jace. Those are moments that I wish people would step back and be able to witness. KELSEY BEYELER Ginas family has their house on the market with plans to move from Tennessee to Minnesota. They hope it will sell before their teens hormone therapy and puberty blockers run out. On May 31, Vanderbilt University Pediatric Transgender Clinic sent an email to Gina letting her know that her 15-year-old transgender teen son would no longer be able to get a refill for his prescriptions, as of the next day. Earlier in the year, her younger son, who is also trans, had his first appointment at the clinic canceled. Its all due to a Tennessee law passed this year. Your current medication prescription is affected by the laws coming into effect regarding gender affirming care, the email reads. I have a lot of families all panicking, including myself, says Gina, whose name weve changed to protect her privacy. We thought we had until July 1. Everything was timed out to get as much as we could. But theyve already canceled that. Despite pending lawsuits, right-wing activists have gotten their way. Gender-affirming care for trans youth in Tennessee has become unavailable. Earlier this year, the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation that puts doctors at risk of losing their licenses for providing gender-affirming care to minors. It was a return on a promise legislators made at an October anti-trans rally hosted by right-wing media figure Matt Walsh, who launched his own attack on the VUMC clinic via Twitter weeks earlier, and was backed by Gov. Bill Lee. The legislation was set to take effect July 1 and would require trans youth currently receiving gender-affirming care to end that care within nine months. The ACLU of Tennessee and others, including a Nashville family, filed a lawsuit to block the legislation in April, and the Department of Justice made an attempt to block the law as well. (In 2022, Alabama was the first state to make providing gender-affirming medical treatment a felony. Like in Tennessee, the U.S. Department of Justice promptly challenged the law, and eventually a judge ruled to allow hormones and puberty blockers but not surgeries. Alabama also has a similar ongoing lawsuit.) I dont begrudge them because they took excellent care of my kids, but it is very frustrating, Gina says of VUMC. We had like 24 hours notice that they were canceling all medications, and we werent told that that was going to happen ahead of time. VUMC suspended gender-affirming surgeries for transgender youth beginning in October. Before putting the practice on hold, the clinic also confirmed that it performed only about five surgeries per year on minors age 16 or older, and none of them were genital surgeries. The clinic has been largely silent on the matters, though quietly disabled the clinics website sometime in February or March of this year, as indicated by internet database the Wayback Machine. VUMC declined to comment further beyond a statement that reads: We continue to fully comply with all federal and state laws and are carefully following the legal proceedings challenging the constitutionality of Tennessees new law. Gina tells the Scene that the clinic prefers at least a year of mental health work before becoming a patient there, including letters from mental health professionals and pediatricians. Appointments were always three months apart, she says. What we were always instructed was that surgeries were something that we would talk about 18-plus, she says. It was never offered. It was never suggested. Gina leads a support group for Tennessee families with transgender kids, and she says some parents are going as far as Asheville, N.C., and Carbondale, Ill., to receive care now. Others are also contemplating moving, or sending their children to live with family out of state. When my kids started getting care, it was like light came back into them and into their life and our family and everything, she says. As soon as things started to change again, and its taken away, we are back to self-harm and depression. Ginas family is against the clock, hoping to get their younger son access to gender-affirming care before puberty hits and gender dysphoria worsens further. She hopes the law will turn around by the time some of the younger transgender children in her group come of age. The group is in contact with about 90 families, and just about as many signed up at Franklin Pride, she says. I dont want to feel like Im leaving anybody, she says. It was kind of bittersweet. I want to stay and fight, but at the same time, my kids have had to fight for this many years already, and they shouldnt have to. Jeremy Thomas Camp is a Grammy-nominated contemporary Christian music artist. His first major label studio album, Stay (2002), earned him chart-topping recognition. Camp is also known for his rock aesthetic and physique. I didnt remember Jeremy Camp until my therapist assigned me that damn exercise for the third time: Go and write your ideal partner. My ideal partner?At that point, Id lived in Nashville for five years, in Tennessee for nine, and white gay Nashville was a thing of silence to me. Tinder matches with no responses. Unanswered DMs Hey, I really appreciate your vibe. Id love to grab coffee, if you are game! And then of course, that wall of white, Greek torsos otherwise known as Grindr. (Greek, not for their ethnicity, but more for their silence like Greek, ab-bearing statues of old.) None of this was ideal. Sorrow had turned to anger, and anger unexpressed had given way to rage. Around the same time, I began writing a story called All About Adam. It was the only place I felt safe putting my rage. This was in a long tradition of Black gay men writing, painting, filming, poetizing their fury at finding themselves invisible in white gay communities. Reginald Shepherds 1991 essay On Not Being White is in this tradition. I wrote about a Black boys infatuation with his white classmate, Adam. But I found it difficult to write Adam, as his face belonged to the many men in Nashville who had looked above, around, behind me never at me. Feeling dehumanized, I had decided to respond in kind, and so Id eventually forgotten what their faces looked like. If I was going to bring the reader into the face of Adam, I needed a muse. It was a simple Google search that opened all this shit back up. At first it was the features: chinstrap beard, spiky brown hair. And then a name from years before came to my mind: Jeremy Camp. For days on end, I looked at scores of Jeremy Camp photos, but I kept going back to one black-and-white image in which he sits, folded over, hands on knees. He gazes out with eyes that are warm and attentive. This became the face of my fictional Adam. But even after the story was sent to my agent, I found myself sweetly haunted by that gaze because I had seen it before, when I was 16 and desperately trying to fight off the sin of homosexuality. My church community fed me the narrative that I was struggling because I lacked masculine role models and did not have enough male friends. The latter was its own issue, but I tried to find every male Christian role model I could. This was mainly through music, since my little sister was engaged in a quiet rebellion of her own bringing contemporary Christian music into our strict Jamaican Pentecostal household. In the first picture I remember of Jeremy Camp, hes looking down into the camera. Both his eyes and the sky behind him are a soft blue. His hair is a mountain range of spikes. He looks rugged but gentle. I remember wanting to be in the picture with him. Hed be my brother and my guide into the type of young manhood where boys got dirty and then read their Bibles, which were smudged with sunscreen and carried the odor of grill smoke. Jeremy became my rescuer. On days when I was defeated, when I had looked at gay porn and felt useless, I would walk the Bronx River Trail and listen to Jeremys hit song Take You Back. Its still hard to think about the Sunday afternoon when I walked so far that I had to take the train home. I waited at the train station with Jeremys voice in my ears: Ill take you back always / even when your fight is over now. He was with me when I got to college. I was often overwhelmed by gay feelings and would lie on my bed and let his lyrics wash over me: Letting go of all my pain and all my fears. I took up running miles of his music. But my body was still on fire. No amount of post-run showers, no quantity of cold-water baptisms could cool me. I still found men sexually attractive. I wanted to be close to Jeremy because I found him sexually attractive, too even though I buried this thought and told myself that I really did not like him, but instead wanted to be like him. In 2014, I set out for Tennessee. The Bible Belt felt like my surest chance at Christian brotherhood, which was what I needed to be healed. Id attend graduate classes at the Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Cleveland, Tenn., and work full time at the Lee University library. The first week, I called one of my new co-workers to see if she was aware of any youth group gatherings. She reached out to the many people she knew and offered me a quiet explanation: Well, the youth groups meet on Wednesdays, but, you know they are high school and college ministries. At 22, I was too old. I later realized that my status as an employee at the university also meant I couldnt participate in the kind of student life that would seat me next to a Jeremy at a bonfire. I continued to search for that gaze for the next three years, until it became, for me, a myth. In that sweet Southern nexus of Christian community, I was alone. But instead of turning again to Jeremy Camps baritone voice, I comforted myself by falling into the spaciousness of ambient music. When I finally found the courage to yield to my therapists assignment, I excavated Jeremy from the place where I had buried good things. There was immense grief and possibility. I let myself write all of that softness down. I explored the question: What if I had found a Jeremy in Tennessee? That intuitive exercise brought me back to daily life in Cleveland, eating at the taco truck, getting my brakes done, thrifting, hiking near the Ocoee River all with his warm presence. In seeing that individual not the literal person Jeremy Camp, but the person I created in my mind from that gaze I was able to look into the face of my desires. It was an experience that I named Jeremys Valley. But I know of too many Black gay boys who have made a life in that ancient verbal construction, which captures longing on a cellular level: Oh, would that it were! They live in a subjunctive nightmare. The most difficult task for me has been integrating the lessons from that sweet valley experience with my public life. Finding that gaze again. Finding it in Nashville. I later learned that the Adam picture of Jeremy is the cover art for his 2003 single Right Here. And when I finally revisited his album Carried Me: The Worship Project, I found another image from that same photo shoot. It is almost identical to the first, except here Jeremy is smiling a woundingly handsome grin. Shockingly, the first emotion I felt was anger. Id seen that same sharp-jawed smile all over Nashville. The men whose DMs I slid into who never replied. Then, at the bars, Id see them in conversation with each other, those beautiful grins like a uniform. Sometimes, a white gay friend would introduce me to them with such exultations of their kindness. I was often afraid to reveal that I had already tried to make the connection. Too many times, after shaking my hand, they would never remember my name. A very close friend once asked if Jeremy was like a messiah to me. I said no, angry at the question. Id had late-night conversations with Black gay men about rejecting white supremacist beauty standards. Id subjected my desires to examination by people whose opinions I held higher than my own vision. I lived under the hot lights of their disapproval for a long time. But then came the Valley. So the truth is yes, he is. And we all need a Jesus. Or at the very least, someone to gaze at us, at long last, like we are a thing of wonder. Its been 54 years since police raids in New York Citys Greenwich Village resulted in the historic Stonewall riots an occasion marked every June by Pride celebrations all over the world. Even though more than a half-century has passed since members of New Yorks LGBTQ community fought back against that injustice, marginalization of queer folks continues throughout our country, particularly right here in Tennessee. But the LGBTQ community is a resilient one, capable of fighting ongoing oppression and celebrating the joy of their existence. In this weeks issue, we check out some of the hottest talent performing at this weekends Nashville Pride Festival and Parade, explore the history of beloved local gay bar Play and interview RuPauls Drag Race alum Aura Mayari. We also hear from contributor Kashif Andrew Graham on his experience as a queer Black man in the Christian South and speak with members of the transgender community both about the challenges they face and the joy they experience. Read on, and happy Pride! Pride 2023: Your Guide to the Music of Nashville Pride The Nashville Pride Festival and Parade will take place June 24-25 at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park +2 Pride 2023: Come Out and Play Joey Brown, Todd Roman and two decades of Play, Nashvilles storied gay bar Pride 2023: Listening to Families With Trans Children Banned gender-affirming health care for youth forces families to flee the state BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The units of the Azerbaijani army didn't open fire in the Aghdara direction, Trend reports citing the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. The ministry made the remark commenting on allegations of the Armenian side about the injury of a member of illegal Armenian armed formations [remaining in Azerbaijan's Karabakh contrary to a trilateral statement signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Armenian leaders following the 2020 Second Karabakh War] as a result of alleged shelling in the above direction by units of the Azerbaijani army at about 13:00 (GMT +4) on June 22. Top Five Russian Myths Debunked Myth 1: NATO is at war with Russia in Ukraine Fact: NATO is not at war with Russia, and we do not seek confrontation with Russia. What NATO does is support Ukraine in its right to self-defence, as enshrined in the UN Charter. Over the past months, we have taken strictly defensive measures to increase the presence of NATO troops in the eastern part of the Alliance. This ensures that there is no room for misunderstanding in Moscow about our readiness to protect and defend all Allies. Our core task is to keep our thirty nations safe. We have a responsibility to ensure the conflict does not escalate and spread beyond Ukraine, because that would be even more devastating and more dangerous. Myth 2: NATO promised Russia it would not expand after the Cold War Fact: Such an agreement was never made. NATOs door has been open to new members since it was founded in 1949 and that has never changed. This Open Door Policy is enshrined in Article 10 of NATOs founding treaty, which says any other European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic can apply for membership. Decisions on membership are taken by consensus among all Allies. No treaty signed by the United States, Europe and Russia included provisions on NATO membership. The idea of NATO expansion beyond a united Germany was not on the agenda in 1989, particularly as the Warsaw Pact still existed. This was confirmed by Mikhail Gorbachev in an interview in 2014: "The topic of 'NATO expansion' was not discussed at all, and it wasn't brought up in those years. I say this with full responsibility. Not a single Eastern European country raised the issue, not even after the Warsaw Pact ceased to exist in 1991. Western leaders didn't bring it up, either." Declassified White House transcripts also reveal that, in 1997, Bill Clinton consistently refused Boris Yeltsin's offer of a 'gentlemen's agreement' that no former Soviet Republics would enter NATO: "I can't make commitments on behalf of NATO, and I'm not going to be in the position myself of vetoing NATO expansion with respect to any country, much less letting you or anyone else do soNATO operates by consensus." Myth 3: NATO is aggressive and a threat to Russia Fact: NATO is a defensive alliance, whose purpose is to protect our members. Our official policy is that "NATO does not seek confrontation and poses no threat to the Russian Federation" NATO didn't invade Georgia; NATO didn't invade Ukraine. Russia did. NATO has reached out to Russia consistently and publicly over the past 30 years. We worked together on issues ranging from counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism to submarine rescue and civil emergency planning even during periods of NATO enlargement. However, in 2014, in response to Russia's aggressive actions against Ukraine, NATO suspended practical cooperation with Russia. We do not seek confrontation, but we can't ignore Russia breaking international rules, undermining our stability and security. In response to Russia's use of military force against Ukraine, NATO deployed four multinational battlegroups to the Baltic States and Poland in 2016. Before Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, there were no Allied troops in the eastern part of the Alliance. In response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO has significantly reinforced its deterrence and defence posture, including with four new battlegroups in the eastern part of the Alliance. At the NATO Summit in Madrid, Allies agreed that Russia is the most significant and direct threat to their security and to peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area. Allies also agreed to further strengthen NATO's posture. However, Allies remain willing to keep open channels of communication with Moscow to manage and mitigate risks, prevent escalation and increase transparency. Myth 4: NATO is encircling and trying to contain Russia Fact: NATO is a defensive alliance, whose purpose is to protect our member states. Our exercises and military deployments are not directed against Russia or any other country. Outside NATO territory, the Alliance only has a military presence in Kosovo and Iraq. The KFOR peacekeeping mission is carried out with a United Nations Security Council mandate. NATO's non-combat mission in Iraq contributes to the fight against terrorism and is carried out at the request of the Iraqi government, with full respect for Iraq's sovereignty. In contrast, Russia has military bases and soldiers in three countries Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine without the consent of their governments. Moreover, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has shattered peace in Europe, undermining international security and stability. Myth 5: NATO's interventions in the former Yugoslavia, Kosovo and Libya prove that the Alliance is not defensive Fact: The former Yugoslavia did not break up because of NATO. The Alliance did not use military force to change borders in the former Yugoslavia. From 1992-1995, NATO conducted several military operations in Bosnia, including enforcing a no-fly-zone and providing air support for UN peacekeepers. These activities were mandated by the United Nations Security Council, of which Russia is a member. NATO air strikes against Bosnian Serb positions in 1995 helped pave the way for the Dayton peace agreement, which ended the war in Bosnia that had killed over 100,000 people. From 1996 onwards, NATO led multinational peacekeeping forces in Bosnia, which included troops from Russia. The European Union took over that mission in 2004. The NATO-led operation in Libya in 2011 was launched under the authority of two UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR), 1970 and 1973, neither of which was opposed by Russia. UNSCR 1973 authorized the international community "to take all necessary measures" to "protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack". This is what NATO did, with the political and military support of regional states and members of the Arab League. NATO's operation in Kosovo in 1999 followed over a year of intense diplomatic efforts by the UN and the Contact Group, of which Russia was a member, to end the conflict. The UN Security Council repeatedly branded the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and the mounting number of refugees as a threat to international peace and security. NATO's mission helped to end large-scale and sustained violations of human rights and the killing of civilians. KFOR, NATO's ongoing peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, has a UNSC mandate (UNSCR 1244) and is supported by both Belgrade and Pristina. Lithuania will host a NATO Summit in Vilnius on 11-12 July 2023. The meetings will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General and will take place at LITEXPO Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Center, at Laisves av. 5, 04215, Vilnius. Media accreditation for the event is now closed. Media representatives who applied for accreditation will be notified by email of the status of their application. An international Media Centre, designated for the accredited media will operate at the Summit venue from the 9 to 12 July 2023. A NATO Summit Accreditation Office will operate at a separate location at Gedimino av. 60, 01110, Vilnius (the Visitor Centre of the Seimas). MEDIA PROGRAMME The media programme will be available online in late June / early July. To help with media travel plans, the Summits formal opening is expected in the afternoon on 11 July, and its end in the afternoon on 12 July 2023. Details about the programme and media logistics will be made available here. Please also check the NATO website and twitter accounts (@NATOPress and @NATO) for updates. All summit media events will be transmitted live by the Summit Host Broadcaster to the media centre, online and via satellite. Bilateral events between delegations are not a part of the official Summit programme. Details of these bilateral events should be sought from the delegations concerned. MEDIA ACCREDITATION IS CLOSED Late applications for accreditation will not be considered. NATO will confirm the accreditation by email explicitly, via the email address used to register, together with details about how media representatives can pick up their accreditation. Please bring a printout of the confirmation email when collecting your badge. Due to space limitations, NATO recommends media organisations to limit their physical presence on site. A media pass for the NATO Vilnius Summit 2023 will be provided in-person in the Accreditation Office upon presentation of an ID card or passport. It is mandatory to bring: the same ID document that you used to apply for accreditation online, together with the same proof of media status (press card and/or Letter from your Editor) and confirmation email in order to receive your pass. Unless you present these three documents, you will not be given your media accreditation pass. Passes must be visible at all times. Security personnel may ask to see another form of ID. Please arrive early to clear security checks. Security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personnel effects. In accordance with NATO media accreditation procedures, NATO reserves the right to deny or withdraw accreditation of media representatives from media organisations who abuse their privileges, put the accreditation to improper use, or act in a way not consistent with the principles of the organisation. ACCESS The Accreditation Office will be accessible by Vilnius city public transport, shuttle busses, taxi or car. A limited parking lot will be available next to A. Tumenas str. 4, which is 500 meters from the Accreditation Office. The Media Centre can only be reached via the dedicated shuttle bus service departing from / returning to the Accreditation Office. Media representatives will not be able to get to, or exit the Summit venue directly. MEDIA CENTRE - FACILITIES The Media Centre will offer: A press working area, including CCTV, Wi-Fi as well as wired internet connection. A limited number of TV and radio editing booths. A press conference area with informal media huddle positions and briefing rooms of different sizes. An information desk and access to the NATO and Lithuanian media teams. Catering area. A limited number of outdoor and indoor stand-up positions. Satellite van parking. Live TV feed signal. A fully equipped TV studio wired for live transmission (only for the leaders engagements). Limited space for TV networks wishing to set up their own studios (equipped with armchairs & low tables). Working space in the Media Centres general working area does not need to be pre-booked and can be used on first come-first-serve basis. The TV and radio editing booths, the indoor and outdoor stand-up positions need to be booked in advance. Look for more details in the Broadcasting chapter bellow. POOLS Visual media will be able to cover the main summit events based on a pool system. More details about pool opportunities will be provided together with the media programme. Journalists accepting a NATO pool position must share immediately all information and material collected while in the pool with any accredited media that request it, at no charge and with no restriction on the use of the material for news purposes. Media organisations that want pooled images should first contact the wire service / photo agency of which they are a client. Media representatives and news organisations must identify that it is pooled material every time it is used. Pooled material can only be used for legitimate news purposes and it cannot be sold. BROADCAST All Summits events open to the media will be transmitted live and will be available via satellite (on world feed), on the CCTV screens in the Media Centre and on the NATO website. High quality TV feed will be available in the Media Centre free of charge. Broadcast-quality B-roll will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal. Journalists need to register to the portal to be able to download videos: https://www.natomultimedia.tv/portal/Register.html. For more information, contact content@natomultimedia.tv. Transcripts of the Secretary Generals public remarks, as well as pictures taken by NATO photographers will be available on the NATO website. The Media Centre will include a limited number of bookable editing booths for television and radio. Requests for booking should be addressed to Media.Bookings@VilniusSummit.lt before July 3, 2023. The following complimentary amenities will be available in the editing booths: Desks and working space for 3-4 people. Light, electricity (230v on 2-pin distribution boards), lockable door. Wi-Fi and cabled internet. TV screens. Access to the video feed. Outdoor stand-up positions near the Media Centre, with a view on the Summit venue, and the indoor stand-up positions, with a view on the general filing area, will be available. They will be equipped with the electric power, internet connection. Broadcaster who plan for continuous live coverage can book a dedicated stand-up position at Media.Bookings@VilniusSummit.lt, no later than July 3, 2023. A fully equipped TV studio wired for live transmission will also be available only for the engagements with leaders. Booking requests can be sent to broadcastoperations@hq.nato.int Limited space is available for broadcasters who wish to set up their studio for continuous live coverage. Basic amenities will be available (backdrop, access to electricity and internet). For bookings and further details please contact Media.Bookings@VilniusSummit.lt by July 3, 2023. Broadcasters can park satellite vans in the outdoor car park near the Media Centre, approximately 350 meters from the outdoor stand-up positions and 350 m from the TV studios area. Satellite vans will have access to electrical power, wired internet and primary feed. TV teams should bring their own cables to connect. Limited fibre connection from the editing booths area and interior stand-up positions to the satellite vans parking will be available. Specific requirements and technical questions can be sent to Media.Bookings@VilniusSummit.lt Media representatives can bring their bulky equipment and satellite vans to the Media Centre on July 9 on appointment. Please contact Media@VilniusSummit.lt by July 3, 2023. Their departure would be possible on 13 July, 8h00-15h00. CATERING Meals, soft drinks and snacks will be available for purchase throughout opening hours of the Media Centre. Payments by international credit cards and in cash will be accepted. Three complimentary meals (lunch & dinner on July 11 and lunch on July 12) will be provided in the Media Centre. Tea, coffee and water will be available free of charge during the opening hours of the Media Centre. PUBLIC DIPLOMACY EVENT During the Summit, the NATO Public Forum will be organized at the Summits venue by the NATO Public Diplomacy Division, together with the Eastern Europe Studies Centre, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Munich Security Conference and the Atlantic Council of the United States. The agenda will be available closer to the Summit. ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSPORTATION Media representatives are invited to book accommodation in recommended media hotels, contacting the hotels directly. The list is available here. Media representatives also are welcome to make their accommodation arrangements independently. Further information on accommodation can be asked from NATOVilnius.Hotels@urm.lt The Host Country will arrange transportation for media representatives between the Vilnius Airport, the Accreditation Office and hotels recommended for media, as well as between the Accreditation Office and the Media Centre. Information on the shuttle busses lines and timetables will be made available to accredited media closer to the Summit. TRAVELLING TO LITHUANA FOR THE NATO SUMMIT VISAS Journalists who need a visa to enter Lithuania will be responsible for making their own arrangements. Information on whether a foreigner requires a visa is available on the webpage of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania here: https://keliauk.urm.lt/en For information on how to apply for the entry visa to Lithuania please visit the webpage or contact the responsible Lithuanian visa authority or the Schengen Member state representing the Republic of Lithuania on the Schengen visa issue. The list of Lithuanian visa authorities is available here. For visa related questions please write to NATOVilnius.Visas@urm.lt. When planning arrival/ departure, please check the latest information regarding flight information including airspace regulation at Lithuanian airport website here. CONTACTS Please send your enquiry to the appropriate email address: Accreditation for international media: NATOaccreditations@hq.nato.int General logistics, pool requests: Summitmediaoperations@hq.nato.int Bookings TV/Radio edit booths: Media.Bookings@VilniusSummit.lt Bookings stand ups: Media.Bookings@VilniusSummit.lt Satellite vans & equipment: Media.Bookings@VilniusSummit.lt Access with bulky equipment: Media.Bookings@VilniusSummit.lt TV Studio: broadcastoperations@hq.nato.int B-roll and video distribution: content@natomultimedia.tv NATO Summit Media Coordination Ms Alina COCA Summitmediaoperations@hq.nato.int Lithuanian Media Coordination Ms Juste LAUKAGALE Media@VilniusSummit.lt Media queries on substance (Summit content) and interview requests: For NATO: Contact the NATO Press Office For Lithuania: contact Ms Kristina BELIKOVA, Adviser to the President of the Republic of Lithuania: kristina.belikova@president.lt GENERAL A meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) at the level of Defence Ministers will take place on 15-16 June 2023 at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. The meeting will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. Media accreditation for this event is closed and no late accreditation is possible. The Secretary General will preview the Ministerial meeting with a press conference on 14 June at 14:30. Ministerial accreditation, as well as annual accreditation, will give access to the pre-ministerial press conference. The Secretary General will brief the media on both days of the Ministerial meeting (doorstep on 15 June and final press conference on 16 June). PROGRAMME The online event programme and a detailed media programme (PDF) of the Meeting of NATO Defence Ministers is available on the NATO website For information about individual Ministers media programmes, please contact the national delegations. A list of delegation press officers is available from NATO Press & Media (press[at]hq.nato.int). MEDIA ACCESS Accredited media representatives can work in the press area of NATO Headquarters on the day of the pre-ministerial press conference and the days of the Ministerial meeting, and access all public areas. The opening hours of the press area will be communicated in the media programme. Accredited journalists can attend Ministers doorsteps and the press conferences of the NATO Secretary General. These events will also be streamed live on the NATO website. National briefings will also take place at NATO Headquarters. Those may be by invitation only. Please contact national delegations at NATO for details about their plans. POOLS A few elements of the Meeting of NATO Defence Ministers will be accessible only to a pool of visual journalists. Details on pooled events are available in the media programme (PDF). Please email NatoMediaOperations[at]hq.nato.int if you are a cameraman or photographer and you are interested in pool access. Pool cards will be distributed on 14 June from 11:00 to 13:00. If you accept a NATO pool position you must share immediately all information and material collected while in the pool with any accredited media that request it, at no charge and with no restriction on the use of the material for news purposes. Media organisations that want pooled images should first contact the wire service / photo agency of which they are a client. Media representatives and news organisations must identify that it is pooled material every time it is used. Pooled material can only be used for legitimate news purposes and cannot be sold. BROADCAST NATO will provide broadcast-quality video in real time on EBU World feed or to EBU News Exchange. NATO photographers and videographers will provide video clips and photos of all public events during the ministerial meeting. Photos can be downloaded from the event programme on the NATO website. The video files will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal. The Secretary General's press conferences will be streamed live on the NATO website. MEDIA ACCREDITATION Media representatives who have annual accreditation to NATO for 2023 do not need to apply for separate accreditation for this event. Journalists who have applied for access to this particular event will be notified of their accreditation. Please bring a printout of the confirmation email when collecting your badge. Media passes must be collected in person upon presentation of an ID card or passport at the Main Entrance, NATO Headquarters, Boulevard Leopold III 1110 Brussels. You must bring the same ID document that you used to apply for accreditation online. Passes must be visible at all times. Please arrive early to clear security checks. Security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personal effects. MEDIA FACILITIES A press working area will be set up on the first floor of the Public Square at NATO HQ. Working spaces cannot be booked in advance and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Television and radio editing spaces will be available upon request by email to the NATO TV & Radio Unit (see contact details below). PARKING Media representatives can park in the Visitors' car park of the NATO HQ. Uplink vans can park in a special section of the car park upon request to the NATO TV & Radio Unit. CONTACT POINTS Media Operations Ms Irina Novakova Tel: +32 (0)2 707 1003 NatoMediaOperations[at]hq.nato.int Accreditation Ms Louise Reid Tel: +32 (0)2 707 83 46 NatoAccreditations[at]hq.nato.int TV & Radio arrangements on site and via satellite Mr Bart Vandendorpe Tel: +32 (0)2 707 35 78 Vandendorpe.Bart[at]hq.nato.int NATO Video on demand NATO Multimedia Tel: +32 (0)2 707 12 27 content[at]natomultimedia.tv On 12-13 June 2023, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to Washington D.C. He is meeting with the President of the United States of America, Mr. Joe Biden, the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Mr. Antony Blinken and members of the Senate NATO Observer Group (SNOG). Media Advisory 13 June, 17:00 (CEST) Joint statements of the NATO Secretary General with the US Secretary of State 13 June, 19:00 (CEST) Remarks NATO Secretary General and US President Joe Biden at the White House Media Coverage The joint statements will be streamed live on the NATO website. A transcript of the Secretary Generals remarks will be available on the NATO website. Photos and video from the visit will be available on the NATO website and the NATO Multimedia Portal. Contact the NATO Press Office. Follow us on Twitter (@NATO, @jensstoltenberg and @NATOPress). On Monday, 19 June, and Tuesday, 20 June 2023, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to Berlin and Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. On Monday, in Berlin, he will meet with the Chancellor of Germany, Mr. Olaf Scholz, and hold a bilateral meeting with the Foreign Minister of Germany, Mrs. Annalena Baerbock. The Secretary General will also speak at the Day of Industry, organised by the Federation of German Industries (BDI). On Tuesday, Mr. Stoltenberg will travel to Jagel Air Base, to attend the Distinguished Visitors Day of the exercise Air Defender 2023, together with the German Defence Minister, Mr. Boris Pistorius. German-led Air Defender 2023 is the largest air deployment exercise in NATOs history. Secretary General Stoltenberg and Minister Pistorius will also visit the Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) and the Navy Academy in Murwik. Media advisory Monday 19 June 12:00 (CEST) Press conference by the NATO Secretary General and the Chancellor at the Federal Chancellery 15:10 (CEST) Secretary Generals participation in the Federation of German Industries (BDI)s Day of Industry Tuesday 20 June 12:00 (CEST) Press conference by the Secretary General and the German Defence Minister at the Jagel Air Base 14:15 (CEST) Joint media engagement by the Secretary General and the German Defence Minister at the Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) Media coverage The events above will be streamed live on the NATO website. Transcripts of the Secretary Generals remarks, as well as pictures taken by a NATO photographer, will be available on the NATO website. The video will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal after the event. For more information: Contact the NATO Press Office Follow us on Twitter (@NATO, @jensstoltenberg and @NATOPress) On Monday (19 June 2023), NATOs Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) became operational and launched its first call for proposals to solve critical defence and security challenges. DIANA brings together governments, industry and academia to work with start-ups and other innovators to help their ideas and businesses succeed. This year, DIANA will support the best and brightest to develop dual-use technologies to solve problems in three areas: energy resilience, sensing and surveillance, and secure information sharing. This is a big moment for DIANA and for NATO, said Professor Deeph Chana, DIANAs Managing Director. Identifying, developing and deploying dual-use technologies are going to be crucial as we tackle the many challenges we face. Participants in DIANAs unique programme will get significant early-stage funding, commercial advice and the opportunity to test their ideas at some of the worlds leading facilities. DIANA expects to work with around 30 start-ups this year. They will be awarded 100,000 euros each in the form of a non-dilutive grant, with the opportunity to get up to 300,000 euros later in DIANAs accelerator programme. DIANA has a regional office in the United Kingdom, another planned in Canada, and a hub will open in Estonia. It also has a network of around 100 accelerator sites and test centres in innovation clusters across the Alliance. DIANA is complemented by the NATO Innovation Fund, the world's first multi-sovereign venture capital fund, which will invest 1 billion euros in start-ups developing technologies for defence and security. Visit the DIANA website for more information, or to apply for DIANAs challenge call. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met and thanked personnel participating in exercise Air Defender 2023 together with the German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius at Air Base Jagel in northern Germany on Tuesday (20 June 2023). Recalling the importance of air defence, the Secretary General explained this exercise shows NATO is ready to defend every inch of Allied territory, and every inch of Allied airspace, with forces from Europe and North America training together. It is a strong display of Germanys commitment and capabilities, he said. Among the personnel the Secretary General met were pilots and crews from Germany, the United States, Turkiye, NATOs newest member Finland, invitee Sweden, and partner country Japan. He stressed that the German-led Air Defender exercise also demonstrates the strong bond between Europe and North America, working together in NATO. The largest multinational air defence exercise in NATOs history brings around 10,000 personnel and 250 aircraft from 25 countries, including around 100 aircraft from 35 different U.S. states, training together in the airspace over Europe. Together with the German Defence Minister Pistorius, the Secretary General also visited the Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) and commended their work in support of Ukraine, including with maintenance and refurbishment of Leopard 1 battle tanks, armoured personnel carriers and mine-clearing vehicles. This is the biggest provider in Europe of combat vehicles to Ukraine, he said, stressing that the work done by the German defence industry is of critical importance to Ukraines continued success on the battlefield. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva has addressed the international community in connection with immediate release of Azerbaijani servicemen captured and illegally deprived of their liberty by Armenia, the Ombudsman's Office told Trend. "As it's known, the soldiers of the Azerbaijani army Agshin Babirov and Huseyn Akhundov, who went missing in April this year in the Shahbuz district of Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on the border with Armenia and, as it was revealed later, were captured by Armenia, were sentenced to imprisonment on false charges," Aliyeva said. According to her, over the past period, the soldiers underwent torture and ill-treatment in violation of the norms of international law and international humanitarian law, which once again confirms that Armenia is pursuing a hostile policy based on ethnic hatred against Azerbaijan. "Despite repeated appeals on this issue, the Armenian authorities once again flagrantly violated the requirements of international law by indulging the adoption of illegal decisions regarding our military servicemen," the ombudsperson said. As she noted, adoption of biased decisions and other such provocative actions against non-guilty Azerbaijani military servicemen are aimed to undermine negotiations for a stable peace between the two countries. "Our servicemen, who were absolutely illegally deprived of their freedom in Armenia under a false court verdict, must be immediately released. As the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan, I call upon the international community once again to take serious and effective steps for speedy release of our servicemen," Aliyeva said. On Friday 7 July 2023, the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, will give a press conference to preview the NATO Summit in Vilnius, at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Media advisory 13:00 (CEST) Press conference by the NATO Secretary General Media coverage Media representatives who have annual accreditation to NATO for 2023 can attend the press point in person. Media representatives who do not have annual accreditation but would like to cover the press conference, should register on the Press Portal no later than 28 June 2023 COB. Late requests cannot be accommodated. The press conference will be streamed live on the NATO website. A transcript of the Secretary Generals remarks, as well as pictures taken by a NATO photographer, will be posted there shortly. The video will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal after the event. For more information: Contact the NATO Press Office Follow us on Twitter (@NATO, @jensstoltenberg and @NATOPress) On Thursday 22 June 2023, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will receive the President of Montenegro, Mr. Jakov Milatovic, at NATO Headquarters. They will have a joint press conference after their meeting. 11:45 (CEST) Press conference by the NATO Secretary General and the President of Montenegro Media Coverage This event is opent to media representatives who have annual accreditation to NATO for 2023. The press conference will be streamed live on the NATO website. A transcript of the Secretary Generals remarks, as well as pictures taken by a NATO photographer, will be posted there shortly. The video will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal after the event. Follow us on Twitter (@NATO, @jensstoltenberg and @NATOPress). Contact the NATO Press Office. NATO and the Republic of Korea continue to deepen their long-standing partnership, by strengthening their cooperation in the domain of air safety. Representatives from the South Korean Defence Acquisition Programme Administration took part in a meeting of the NATO Aviation Committee on Wednesday (21 June 2023), at NATO Headquarters. At the meeting, a recognition process was launched by NATO of the Military Airworthiness Authority of Korea. This achievement represents an important step forward in the implementation of NATOs Airworthiness Policy, which will contribute to greater interoperability, and to boosting air safety cooperation across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions. NATOs new Strategic Concept highlights that the Indo-Pacific region is important for NATO, given that developments in that region can directly affect Euro-Atlantic security. The NATO Aviation Committees mandate is to support the Alliances efforts to continue adapting to the rapidly evolving security environment in an increasingly complex and networked airspace. On 26-27 June 2023, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, will travel to Lithuania together with the Permanent Representatives on the North Atlantic Council and the Chair of the Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer. This visit is part of the preparations of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, which will take place next month. On Monday 26 June, the Secretary General will meet with the President of Lithuania, Mr. Gitanas Nauseda, at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius. Later that day, they will attend Exercise Griffin Storm 2023, in Pabrade, General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area. The Federal Minister of Defence of Germany, Mr. Boris Pistorius, and the Minister of National Defence of Lithuania, Mr. Arvydas Anusauskas, will also attend the exercise. On Monday evening, the Secretary General will attend the Award Ceremony for the Manfred Worner Medal at Vilnius City Hall. Mr. Stoltenberg will give a laudatory speech to honour the recipient of the Medal - the former President of Lithuania, Ms. Dalia Grybauskaite. On Tuesday, 27 June, the Secretary General will hold talks with the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Ms. Ingrida Simonyte, in Vilnius. Media advisory Monday 26 June 9:30 (CEST) Press statements by the NATO Secretary General and the President of Lithuania at the Presidential Palace, Vilnius 14:05 (CEST) Press conference at Exercise Griffin Storm 2023 18:10 (CEST) Speech of the Secretary General at the Award Ceremony for the Manfred Worner Medal Media coverage The events above will be streamed live on the NATO website. Transcripts of the Secretary Generals remarks, as well as pictures taken by a NATO photographer, will be available on the NATO website. The video will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal after the event. For more information: Contact the NATO Press Office Follow us on Twitter (@NATO, @jensstoltenberg and @NATOPress) On 27 June 2023, the NATO Secretary General, Mr. Jens Stoltenberg, and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Mr. Mark Rutte, will co-host a working dinner for NATO Heads of State and Government at the Catshuis, the Hague. The guests will include the the Prime Ministers of Albania, Belgium and Norway, and the Presidents of Lithuania, Poland and Romania. The dinner will be part of the preparations for the NATO Summit in Vilnius on 11-12 July 2023. Discussions will cover Russias war against Ukraine and other security issues. Ahead of the dinner, Mr. Stoltenberg and Mr. Rutte will have a meeting in the Hague, together with the Dutch Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence. Media advisory 20:45 (CEST) Joint press conference Media coverage For accreditation, please email accreditatie[at]minaz.nl The press conference will be streamed live on the NATO website. A transcript of the Secretary Generals remarks and photos will be available on the NATO website as well. Video will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal. Contact the NATO Press Office Follow us on Twitter (@NATO, @jensstoltenberg and @NATOPress) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed President Jakov Milatovic to NATO Headquarters on Thursday (22 June 2023), thanking him for Montenegro's "many contributions to our shared security". He highlighted Montenegro's key role in promoting stability and peace in the Western Balkans, including by contributing troops to the KFOR peace-keeping mission in Kosovo. "NATOs commitment to KFOR and our United Nations mandate is unwavering," said Mr Stoltenberg, noting that KFOR has increased its presence in response to ongoing tensions. He further called "on all parties to de-escalate and return immediately to the EU-facilitated dialogue," calling this "key for lasting security in Kosovo and stability in the region." (As delivered) Ian Lesser, Vice President of the German Marshall Fund: Good afternoon and thank you all for joining us today. Also a very warm welcome to those who are joining us online. I am Ian Lesser, from GMF here in Brussels. GMFs mission is very simply to strengthen transatlantic cooperation in the spirit of the Marshall Plan. The climate security Nexus, which is our theme today, affects all of us in profound ways, and it is front and center on our agenda. It is a particular pleasure to have with us an extraordinary group of leaders today from institutions, playing a key role on security, geopolitics, climate policy, the Nexus as we have described it. Josep Borrell, high representative of the European Union of foreign and security policy, John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, France Timmermans, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, and Heather Gray, senior advisor at the Open Society Foundation who will moderate our conversation. Thank you, all of us for taking the time. Thank you from all of us for taking the time to be with us today. We look forward to the conversation up here but also in the room, and Heather, over to you. Thank you. Heather Grabbe, Senior Adviser to the Open Society Foundations, Moderator: Thank you very much and to German Marshall Fund for organizing this event. This is a historic moment when we have the representatives of four different institutions taking climate security very seriously. In the middle of a hot war in Europe. It shows long-term thinking, it also shows breadth of understanding that climate change is everything. So we have an opportunity both to hear them speak among themselves about where climate security is going in Europe, what the institutions of the EU, NATO and the United States can do about it and also to hear your feedback and questions about climate security: what is it and how can it be embedded in policies across the spectrum. So we are going to start with Secretary General Stoltenberg. You have been a pioneer on climate and security even before you began your NATO role and you have managed to put it at the heart of the NATO agenda, and now we have a war going on the European continent. So why is it so necessary for military security to have climate security? NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: I will answer that question in a moment but let me just start by thanking Ian Lesser, the German Marshall Fund and also you Heather for convening us and hosting this event because it is actually a special event. We have four men at their best age but representing very heavy and important institutions and addressing the future climate change, which is so important for our future, and I am glad we are here demonstrating that unity and that commitment. Yes, there is a hot war going on in Europe but NATO has to address climate change because NATO cannot remain a fossil fuel Alliance in the age of renewables. And the war in Ukraine has actually demonstrated how energy and climate change is linked or security, because President Putin used energy, the gas to try to coerce NATO Allies from providing support to Ukraine. So this demonstrates the link between energy and climate change and the security. Climate change matters for our security, therefore it matters for NATO and therefore we have put climate change much higher on the NATO agenda over the last couple of years. Then it is not enough not only to say that this is a problem, we try to do something with it. Let me just briefly mention three areas where we actually are now addressing climate change as NATO. First, we need to mitigate, we need to reduce emissions because if you look at battle tanks, warships, the big bombers, there are many things but they are not very climate friendly. They consume a lot of over fossil fuels and they need a lot. So if we are going to reach global net zero, we need also to reduce the quite substantial emissions from military activities, which takes also a place in peacetime. I returned yesterday from the biggest ever air exercise in NATO, in Germany, and of course, we emitted a lot of co2 with all those planes flying in the air. So therefore, we need to develop the technology, we have an innovation fund and we have a center of excellence in Canada on climate change, Now Allies started to step up to find ways to reduce emissions without reducing the effectiveness of our military capabilities. Because if Allies are forced to choose between climate friendly green battle tank or a strong battle tank, they will choose the strong battle tank. So the only way to make this happen is to reconcile the need for climate friendly, but also with military effectiveness in the different capabilities. Things are moving in the right direction. We have some tools for investing more in technology. Secondly, to adapt because global warming changed our security environment. More competition over scarce resources: land, water, millions of people forced to flee but also the military, they operate outside, and more flooding, more extreme weather, more heat waves will affect everything from uniforms to doctrines to equipment. So we need to adjust. Rising sea levels affect a large portion of NATO naval bases. So we need to change the way we actually conduct military operations. And thirdly, we need to ensure that we don't create new vulnerabilities because we saw how vulnerable we were when we were to depend on Russian gas. Now we welcome the transition that the EU is leading on moving from Russian gas to other and more sustainable energy and resources, to solar to wind, to electricity, to batteries. The only problem is that we by doing that transition that we all support, risk [of] creating new vulnerabilities on rare earth minerals from China. So we should not make the same mistake once again, and therefore we need as Allies, as EU, as NATO to work on how to increase our own production of rare earth minerals, and how to find other technologies that doesn't make us to over dependent on Chinese rare earth minerals. The last thing is just to say that when we do this, when we implement the transition, we need to be green and we need to be together because if we end up that some Allies have electric battle tanks and others have fossil fuel, we will not be able to do what is one of NATOs core task: interoperability, that we can charge and fuels across nations and Allies. So this is just highlighting the importance of NATO as a platform where we set the standards, as we have always done, ensure interchangeability and interoperability to then reconcile the need for a strong Alliance with a green and climate friendly Alliance and therefore, it's a great pleasure to work with United States, EU and all the others who are supporting these efforts. Thank you. Heather Grabbe, Senior Adviser to the Open Society Foundations, Moderator: Thank you. Thank you very much for that overview of why it matters for the military and future conflicts (As delivered) President Milatovic, Dear Jakov, Welcome to NATO Headquarters. It is great to see you. This is your second visit to NATO, and it demonstrates your strong personal commitment to NATO, to our Transatlantic Alliance. It also demonstrates Montenegro's strong commitment to NATO. Montenegro is a valued Ally, making many contributions to our shared security. This includes troops in our multinational battlegroups in Bulgaria and in Latvia, helping to deter aggression. It also includes your support to Ukraine, helping to uphold its right for self-defence. And it includes Montenegrin troops in NATO Mission Iraq, helping to build more effective and inclusive security forces and institutions. Montenegro also plays a key role in the Western Balkans, where you promote stability and peace. Your provide troops to KFOR, our peace-keeping mission in Kosovo. This is even more important now, at times of heightened tensions. NATOs commitment to KFOR and our United Nations mandate is unwavering. KFOR will continue to act impartially. We have increased our presence, and will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo. We call on all parties to de-escalate and return immediately to the EU-facilitated dialogue. This is key for lasting security in Kosovo and stability in the region. Let me also welcome Montenegro's efforts to further increase defence spending. This is important because it will keep our Alliance strong. It is also part of Montenegro's progress on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration and reforms. Montenegro's NATO membership is good for Montenegro, good for the region, and good for the whole Alliance. Greek and Italian jets help to police your skies. Your forces exercise alongside 30 other Allies. And Montenegro is stronger and safer as part of the most successful Alliance in history. During our meeting, we also discussed preparations for our NATO Summit in Vilnius, where we will take decisions to further bolster our deterrence and defence. Step up support for Ukraine for the long haul. And invest more in our security. I know we can count on Montenegro to help make our Summit a success. So mister President, I look forward to our cooperation and look forward to welcome you in Vilnius. Please, you have the floor. NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu: Okay, we'll start with Radio Television of Montenegro. Ivan Mijanovic (Radio Television of Montenegro, RTCG): Thank you very much. Ivan Mijanovic from the Radio Television of Montenegro. For Mr. Secretary General: Montenegro is in the process of creating new government. What government do you expect to be formed in Montenegro and for Mr. Milosevic a similar question: do you expect that the new government will have enough support in the parliament in order to continue to be a credible NATO Ally and to continue EU-related reforms. Thank you very much. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: I think it's extremely important that it is the democratically elected institutions, the Parliament of Montenegro that decides what kind of government Montenegro will have, not NATO. So this is really for the democratic institutions of Montenegro to decide. What I can say is that I'm absolutely confident that also a new government, in Podgorica, in Montenegro, will be committed to uphold our shared values and to continue to be, to ensure that Montenegro will continue to be a committed NATO Ally. Jakov Milatovic, President of Montenegro: Thank you for the question. I mean, my personal expectation as the President, as well as the expectation of the people of Montenegro, who just voted in the parliamentary elections, is that the country will get truly pro-European and pro-reform oriented government, which will, you know, provide even more strength to the foreign policy goals of Montenegro, which are quite clear. This is credibility of our NATO membership, speedier EU accession and good neighborly relations with other countries of the Western Balkans. NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu: Associated Press. Mark Carlson, Associated Press: Thank you. My question is for both of you. The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo are in Brussels today at the EU to have talks. How important is it that they make progress on finding a solution to the current tensions? NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg: It is important that the tensions in Kosovo are reduced and that is a task and responsibility for both parties and therefore NATO welcomes the efforts within the framework of the EU-facilitated dialogue to reduce tensions. I think what is the situation in Kosovo and also the presence of NATO demonstrates how NATO and the European Union works closely together in finding a path forward to reduce tensions and to find a peaceful solution, because NATO has the presence of Peacekeepers in Kosovo in the KFOR force. We declared UN mandate and of course we remain loyal to the UN mandate. We have also increased our presence over KFOR troops in Kosovo as a reflection of the heightened tensions we have seen over the last weeks. What NATO does in Kosovo is impartial, based on the UN mandate, and our presence there is to ensure the free movement of all communities. And also then to help and support the diplomatic efforts of the European Union. So we call on both parties to engage in good faith in the dialogue and to refrain from unilateral actions that can further escalate the situation in Kosovo. Jakov Milatovic, President of Montenegro: Well on the issues that are currently happening in Kosovo, we, as Montenegro, are fully committed to the dialogue and with the support of the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, we are calling for the de-escalation of the tensions, and I'm very happy to see that the leaders of Serbia and of Kosovo are today meeting in Brussels under the umbrella of the EU dialogue, and we are strongly supporting it. I think that the stability and prosperity of our region is important, you know, also obviously, for Montenegro, and, you know, we are hoping to, you know, to be able to get there. So, Montenegro has shown to be a place, you know, we are, which is committed to the dialogue. And I think this is what should happen also between Kosovo and Serbia. So, we are calling for the de-escalation of the tensions and return to the dialogue, which is being performed, as the Secretary General said, in good faith. I think that's particularly important: to have the dialogue in good faith and to really aim to sort out the issues and the tensions so that the whole region can you know, go back to the, to the stability and prosperity. NATO Spokesperson Oana Lungescu: Many thanks. This concludes this Press Conference. At present, NATO has 31 member countries. These countries, called NATO Allies, are sovereign states that come together through NATO to discuss political and security issues and make collective decisions by consensus. NATO was created by 12 countries from Europe and North America on 4 April 1949. Since then, 19 more countries have joined NATO through nine rounds of enlargement (in 1952, 1955, 1982, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2017, 2020 and 2023). Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty sets out how countries can join the Alliance. It states that membership is open to any "European State in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area". Any decision to invite a country to join the Alliance is taken by the North Atlantic Council, NATO's principal political decision-making body, on the basis of consensus among all Allies. Alphabetical list of NATO member countries Albania 2009 2009 Belgium 1949 1949 Bulgaria 2004 2004 Canada 1949 1949 Croatia 2009 2009 Czechia 1999 1999 Denmark 1949 1949 Estonia 2004 2004 Finland 2023 2023 France 1949 1949 Germany 1955 1955 Greece 1952 1952 Hungary 1999 1999 Iceland 1949 1949 Italy 1949 1949 Latvia 2004 2004 Lithuania 2004 2004 Luxembourg 1949 1949 Montenegro 2017 2017 Netherlands 1949 1949 North Macedonia 2020 2020 Norway 1949 1949 Poland 1999 1999 Portugal 1949 1949 Romania 2004 2004 Slovakia 2004 2004 Slovenia 2004 2004 Spain 1982 1982 Turkiye 1952 1952 United Kingdom 1949 1949 United States 1949 1949 How each country became a NATO member 1949 - The 12 founding members Twelve countries from Europe and North America signed the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949 in Washington, D.C. On 4 April 1949, the foreign ministers from 12 countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty) at the Departmental Auditorium in Washington, D.C. NATO's founding member countries were: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the United States. Within the five months following the signing ceremony, the Treaty was ratified by the parliaments of all 12 countries, sealing their membership. The 12 signatories Some of the foreign ministers who signed the Treaty were heavily involved in NATO's work at a later stage in their careers: Belgium: M. Paul-Henri Spaak served as NATO Secretary General from 1957 to 1961. Canada: Mr Lester B. Pearson negotiated the Treaty and was one of the "Three Wise Men" who drafted the report on non-military cooperation in NATO, published in 1956 in the wake of the Suez Crisis. Denmark: Mr Gustav Rasmussen France: M. Robert Schuman was a key architect of the European institutions, who also initiated the idea of a European Defence Community. Iceland: Mr Bjarni Benediktsson Italy: Count Carlo Sforza Luxembourg: M. Joseph Bech The Netherlands: Dr D.U. Stikker served as NATO Secretary General from 1961 to 1964. Norway: Mr Halvard M. Lange was one of the "Three Wise Men" who drafted the report on non-military cooperation in NATO. Portugal: Dr Jose Caeiro da Matta United Kingdom: Mr Ernest Bevin was a main driver behind the creation of NATO and, as Foreign Secretary from 1945 to 1951, he attended the first formative meetings of the North Atlantic Council. United States: Mr Dean Acheson attended and chaired meetings of the North Atlantic Council, which was particularly important before the creation of the position of NATO Secretary General. Flexibility of NATO membership On signing the Treaty, countries voluntarily commit themselves to participating in the political consultations and military activities of the Organization. Although each and every signatory to the North Atlantic Treaty is subject to the obligations of the Treaty, there remains a certain degree of flexibility which allows members to choose how they participate. The memberships of Iceland and France, for instance, illustrate this point. Iceland When Iceland signed the Treaty in 1949, it did not have and still does not have armed forces. There is no legal impediment to forming them, but Iceland has chosen not to have any. However, Iceland has a Coast Guard, national police forces, an air defence system and a voluntary expeditionary peacekeeping force. Since 1951, Iceland has also benefitted from a long-standing bilateral defence agreement with the United States. In 2006, US forces were withdrawn but the defence agreement remains valid. Since 2008, air policing has been conducted on a periodic basis by NATO Allies. France In 1966, President Charles de Gaulle decided to withdraw France from NATO's integrated military structure. This reflected the desire for greater military independence, particularly vis-a-vis the United States, and the refusal to integrate France's nuclear deterrent or accept any form of control over its armed forces. In practical terms, while France still fully participated in the political structures of the Organization, it was no longer represented on certain committees, for instance, the Defence Planning Committee and the Nuclear Planning Group. This decision also led to the removal of French forces from NATO commands and foreign forces from French territory. The stationing of foreign weapons on French territory, including nuclear weapons, was also banned. NATO's political headquarters (based in Paris since 1952), as well as the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe or SHAPE (in Rocquencourt since 1951) moved to Belgium. Despite France's withdrawal from NATO's integrated military structure, two technical agreements were signed with the Alliance, setting out procedures in the event of Soviet aggression. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, France has regularly contributed troops to NATO's military operations, making it one of the largest troop-contributing states. It is also NATO's fourth-biggest contributor to the military budget. From the early 1990s onwards, France distanced itself from the 1966 decision with, for instance, its participation at the meetings of defence ministers from 1994 (Seville) onwards and the presence of French officers in Allied Command Operations and Allied Command Transformation structures from 2003. At NATO's Strasbourg/Kehl Summit in April 2009, France officially announced its decision to fully participate in NATO structures1. 1952 - The accession of Greece and Turkiye The flags of Greece and Turkiye are raised alongside those of the other NATO Allies at the Ministerial Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal in February 1952. Three years after the signing of the Washington Treaty, on 18 February 1952, Greece and Turkiye joined NATO. This enabled NATO to reinforce its southern flank. At a time when there was a fear of communist expansion throughout Europe and other parts of the world (for example, Soviet support of the North Korean invasion of South Korea in 1950), extending security to south-eastern Europe was strategically important. Not only did NATO membership curb communist influence in Greece a country recovering from civil war but it also relieved Turkiye from Soviet pressure for access to key strategic maritime routes. 1955 - The accession of Germany The Allies sign the Accession Protocol for Germany at NATO Headquarters, which was formerly located in Paris, in October 1954. Germany joined the Alliance in May of the following year. Germany became a NATO member on 6 May 1955. This was the result of several years of deliberations among western leaders and Germany, whose population opposed any form of rearmament. Following the end of the Second World War, finding ways of integrating the Federal Republic of Germany into western European defence structures was a priority. The Federal Republic of Germany or West Germany was created in 1949 and although the new state was anchored to the west, its potential was feared. Initially, France proposed the creation of a European Defence Community a European solution to the German question. However, the French Senate opposed the plan and the proposal fell through, leaving NATO membership as the only viable solution. Three conditions needed to be fulfilled before this could happen: post-war victors (France, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Soviet Union) had to end the occupation of the Federal Republic of Germany; Italy and West Germany needed to be admitted to the Western Union Defence Organisation (the military agency of the Western Union); and then there was the accession procedure itself. When Germany joined the Western Union, the latter changed its name to become the Western European Union. This accession, together with the termination of the Federal Republic of Germany's status as an occupied country, was bringing the country closer to NATO membership. The Federal Republic of Germany officially joined the Western Union on 23 October 1954 and its status as an occupied country came to an end when the Bonn-Paris conventions came into effect on 5 May 1955. The next day, it became NATO's 15th member country. With the reunification of Germany on 3 October 1990, the Lander of the former German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany in its membership of NATO. 1982 - The accession of Spain The Spanish flag flies alongside those of the other Allies at NATO Headquarters in Brussels shortly after Spain's accession to the Alliance in 1982. Spain joined the Alliance on 30 May 1982 despite considerable public opposition. The end of Franco's dictatorship in 1975, the military coup in 1981 and the rise of the Socialist Party (PSOE, the leading opposition party which was initially against NATO accession), made for a difficult social and political context, both nationally and internationally. Spain fully participated in the political structures of the Organization, but refrained from participating in the integrated military structure a position it reaffirmed in a referendum held in 1986. With regard to the military aspects, it was present as an observer on the Nuclear Planning Group; reserved its position on participation in the integrated communication system; maintained Spanish forces under Spanish command and did not accept to have troops deployed outside of Spain for long periods of time. Nevertheless, Spanish forces would still be able to operate with other NATO forces in an emergency. Spain's reservations gradually diminished. The Spanish Parliament endorsed the country's participation in the integrated military command structure in 1996, a decision that coincided with the nomination of Dr Javier Solana as NATO's first Spanish Secretary General (1995-1999). 1999 - The first wave of post-Cold War enlargement A military band performs at the flag-raising ceremony for Czechia, Hungary and Poland at NATO Headquarters in Brussels in March 1999. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact after the end of the Cold War opened up the possibility of further NATO enlargement. Some of the new democracies of Central and Eastern Europe were eager to become integrated into Euro-Atlantic institutions. In 1995, the Alliance carried out and published the results of a Study on NATO Enlargement that considered the merits of admitting new members and how they should be brought in. It concluded that the end of the Cold War provided a unique opportunity to build improved security in the entire Euro-Atlantic area and that NATO enlargement would contribute to enhanced stability and security for all. Czechia, Hungary and Poland were invited to begin accession talks at the Alliance's Madrid Summit in 1997 and on 12 March 1999 they became the first former members of the Warsaw Pact to join NATO. Drawing heavily on the experience gained during this accession process, NATO launched the Membership Action Plan - or MAP - at the Washington Summit in April 1999. The MAP was established to help countries aspiring to NATO membership in their preparations, even if it did not pre-judge any decisions. 2004 - The second wave of post-Cold War enlargement The flags of all NATO Allies are paraded in front of NATO Headquarters in Brussels in April 2004 during the flag-raising ceremony marking the accession of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia were invited to begin accession talks at the Alliance's Prague Summit in 2002. On 29 March 2004, they officially became members of the Alliance, making this the largest wave of enlargement in NATO history. All seven countries had participated in the MAP before acceding to NATO. 2009 - The accession of Albania and Croatia Allied troops carry their respective national flags during the flag-raising ceremony for Albania and Croatia at NATO Headquarters in Brussels in April 2009. When they were partners, Albania and Croatia worked with NATO in a wide range of areas, with particular emphasis on defence and security sector reform, as well as support for wider democratic and institutional reform. Albania had participated in the MAP since its inception in 1999 and Croatia joined in 2002. In July 2008, they both signed Accession Protocols and became official members of the Alliance on 1 April 2009. 2017 - The accession of Montenegro Montenegrin honour guards raise NATO's and Montenegro's flags in Podgorica, Montenegro to mark the country's accession to NATO in June 2017. Reuters/Stevo Vasiljevic Shortly after regaining its independence in June 2006, Montenegro joined the Partnership for Peace in December of the same year and the Membership Action Plan three years later. It actively supported the NATO-led operation in Afghanistan from 2010 and provided support to the follow-on mission. Developing the interoperability of its forces and pursuing defence and security sector reforms were an important part of the country's cooperation with NATO before it became a member country. It also worked with NATO in areas such as the development of emergency response capabilities and the destruction of surplus munitions. The Accession Protocol was signed in May 2016 and Montenegro became a member of the Alliance on 5 June 2017. 2020 - The accession of North Macedonia North Macedonian officers raise their country's flag at NATO Headquarters in Brussels following the country's accession to the Alliance in March 2020. North Macedonia became independent in 1991 and joined NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme in 1995 and the Membership Action Plan in 1999. For a short period between 2001 and 2003 and on the request of Skopje, NATO conducted three peace-support operations in the country. Before becoming a member of the Alliance, North Macedonia cooperated with NATO in key areas such as democratic, institutional, security sector and defence reforms. It also reinforced its civil preparedness capabilities through practical cooperation with NATO and actively supported the NATO-led operation in Afghanistan. The major stumbling block to membership of the Alliance was the issue of the country's name. A historic agreement was struck between Athens and Skopje in 2018, resolving this issue. The Prespa Agreement enabled NATO to invite Skopje to begin accession talks to join the Organization, while encouraging the government to continue implementing reforms. On 15 February 2019, the country, which was previously known as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, was officially recognised as the Republic of North Macedonia. On 27 March 2020, it became NATO's 30th member. 2023 The accession of Finland Finnish officers raise Finland's flag at NATO Headquarters in Brussels in April 2023. Reuters/Johanna Geron/Pool NATO's cooperation with Finland began when it joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme in 1994. Over the subsequent decades, Finland became one of NATO's most active partners and a valued contributor to the Alliance's activities, including NATO-led operations and missions in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq. Finnish cooperation with NATO was historically based on its policy of military non-alignment and a firm national political consensus. This changed in 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On 18 May 2022, Finland submitted its official letter of application to become a NATO Ally, alongside Sweden. At the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid on 29 June, Allied Leaders agreed to invite both countries to become members of NATO. Together with Sweden, Finland completed accession talks at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 4 July, confirming its willingness and ability to meet the political, legal and military obligations and commitments of NATO membership. On 5 July, Allies signed the Accession Protocols for both countries, which then became official Invitees, attending NATO meetings as such. Over the following months, all NATO Allies ratified Finland's Accession Protocol according to their national procedures. Finland deposited its Instrument of Accession to the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 2023, becoming NATO's 31st member country. Climate change turns out to be a 71-year-old guy named Ed A whole lot of problems from wildfires to crime to mental illness have been blamed on somebody named Climate Change. (Article by Daniel Greenfield republished from FrontPageMag.com) Global Warming to Increase Violent Crime in the United States People in the United States could see tens of thousands of extra violent crimes every yearbecause of climate change alone. UC Boulder Why mental health is a priority for action on climate change WHO The Oak Fire: How Climate Change Fuels the Most Explosive California Fire of 2022 CA Local Scientists explain the factors that caused the Oak Fire to explode so suddenly ABC News The factors turned out to indeed be climate change. And climate change turned out to be a 71-year-old guy named Ed. A 71-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly starting a devastating massive forest fire in Yosemite National Park that was previously thought to have been caused by climate change. Edward Fredrick Wackerman of Mariposa, Calif., was busted Friday on suspicion of arson for allegedly igniting the Oak Fire, which destroyed 127 homes, caused thousands of people to evacuate and ravaged nearly 20,000 acres of vegetation in July 2022. Good news, folks. We can stop raising taxes, banning cars and sending EPA SWAT teams to peoples homes for trying to fill in swamps on their own land. Climate change has been caught and is behind bars. We can breathe easy and Al Gore can get a real job. Read more at: FrontPageMag.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov participated in roundtable discussions organized at the Chatham House think tank in London, Trend reports via the minister's tweet. Bayramov informed the participants on post-Karabakh conflict recovery efforts [after the 2020 second Karabakh war], as well as the peace agenda put forward by Azerbaijan after the end of this conflict with Armenia. During the discussions, he also emphasized the difficulties created on the above issues by Armenia. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. Azerbaijan liberated its territories from Armenian occupation as a result of the 2020 second Karabakh war, which ended on November 10, 2020 by signing of trilateral statement between Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders, followed by trilateral agreements achieved at the highest level on January 11 and November 26, 2021 and October 31, 2022, designed to ensure the comprehensive normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations. Within the normalization process Azerbaijan transferred to Armenia proposals on mutual recognition of territorial integrity, renunciation of future territorial claims, demarcation of the border, and the signing of a peace treaty. Security expert: US power grid VULNERABLE to Beijings control with its dependence on China-made transformers America's dependence on Chinese-made extra-high voltage transformers (EHVTs) for its power grid makes it vulnerable to any nefarious plans by Beijing, according to a security expert. "Extra-high voltage transformers are what many experts consider to be the backbone of our modern grid. If this device that we depend on for the lifeblood of our modern civilization was able to be manipulated, if it was able to be turned off, then that could be extremely problematic for us," Center for Security Policy (CSP) President Tommy Waller told Epoch TV's Jan Jekielek during his appearance on "American Thought Leaders." Waller explained that the power grid is made up of the generation, transmission and distribution systems. Electricity must be transmitted at extremely high voltages to minimize losses over long-distance travel, and the absolutely critical EHVTs are needed to increase the voltage. He also emphasized that building just one transformer could take up to four years. Once finished, shipping these transformers across the country is not a simple endeavor due to their massive size and weight. In some case, specialized rail cars are used to transport them. "There are only so many of those assets," Waller said. "We can't afford to lose these for really any reason, whether it's because they were manufactured with malicious intent to manipulate them or if they're attacked in different forms of attacks." According to the CSP president, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) "has been executing unrestricted warfare against the rest of the free world." He added: "One method of unrestricted warfare is looking for these critical vulnerabilities of a society and figuring out how to exploit those." Waller also revealed that Beijing dumped massive amounts of grain-oriented steel a material needed for EHVTs and captured the market for materials to make these transformers. In time, the utility industry eventually turned to China for transformers to keep expenses down. Biden administration's green agenda undermines power grid Back in May 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials seized a 250-ton Chinese-built EHVT from the Port of Houston. It was then sent to the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico for inspection. According to officials, "hardware back doors" built in the device could "secretly allow the Chinese to gain effective control of the transformers." In the same year, former President Donald Trump released an executive order (EO) declaring a national emergency over threats to the nation's electric grid. The EO banned the purchase or installation of any bulk-power electric equipment designed or built by any company under the control of countries hostile to the U.S., including China. Incumbent President Joe Biden suspended Trump's EO upon assuming office in 2021, but the ban on Chinese electrical equipment remained in place. The Energy Department said at the time it had "reason to believe that the government of China is equipped and actively planning to undermine the bulk power system." Waller pointed out that while the Biden administration is aware of the threat the CCP poses to the power grid, Washington's green energy agenda won't help counter the threat. He told the "American Thought Leaders" host that it it is impossible to phase out all traditional gas-powered cars and trucks and replace large, steady power generators with renewables sources such as solar and wind at the same time. (Related: Electricity shortages are coming, warn power grid operators.) "There will be blackouts if we continue some of the policies that our government has applied upon the nation, just due to physics. [The] grid is so vulnerable to some forms of threat from Mother Nature. Even if we deterred all of our human adversaries from taking it down, it's 100 percent certain at some point the grid will go down because of solar weather." Visit PowerGrid.news for more news related to the U.S. power grid and threats against it. Watch this video that talks about discovering the power grid kill switch. This video is from the In Search Of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Study: Germany's power grid on the brink of collapse. Energy commissioner warns: America heading toward power grid "reliability crisis." Bangladesh power grid COLLAPSES, leaving 140 million people without power. Study: Overnight charging of EVs destabilizes America's power grid. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com WSJ.com TrumpWhiteHouse.Archives.gov Brighteon.com Female student RAPED in trans-inclusive restroom at New Mexico school A female student was sexually assaulted in a trans-inclusive bathroom by an older, biological male student in October 2021. Both the victim and perpetrator attended the ASK Academy charter school in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. According to the Post Millennial, the female student who used the pseudonym "Ray" was raped by an older student back when she was 12. The perpetrator entered the restroom while she was washing her hands. Before she knew it, the male student walked over to her, pinned her against the counter and wrestled her to the floor. The perpetrator then held Ray down, ripped her pants and sexually assaulted her. Ray's mother, who went by the pseudonym "Maggie" only learned about the rape months after it happened. She chanced upon her daughter's journal while fixing her daughter's room in April 2022, and confronted Ray over the incident. The mother then reported the rape to the Rio Rancho Police Department and their local Child Protective Services office to document and cross-report the case. Despite this, both authorities were of little help due to their slow response to the matter. Even worse, the perpetrator had been a known offender at the school and ASK Academy turned a blind eye. In July 2022, the same suspect behind the now-13-year-old Ray's rape assaulted a 14-year-old female student at a neighboring public school. Two additional survivors were also victimized by the same student, but are "too afraid" to come forward. (Related: REPORT: Virginia father arrested after his teen daughter allegedly raped by trans student in public school.) An email Ray managed to obtain also warned of the perpetrator's deeds, having "sexually harassed, bullied, cheated off of and threatened people to get his way for his own gain." The message sent by a female student urged recipients to write an incident report. It added: "The more proof we have, the better chance we can prevent this from happening to anyone ever again." ASK Academy's acceptance of transgenderism played a huge role in Ray's ordeal According to Maggie, ASK Academy's embrace of gender ideology was the main reason the male perpetrator took the opportunity to rape her daughter. "We learned that kids were pledging allegiance to the Pride flag instead of the American flag. We [also] learned that some teachers were discussing daily the normalcy of transgender people and gender dysphoria. [Worse,] we have learned that sexual harassment and assault was a commonly trending issue among the high school students at ASK Academy," she said. Ray herself shared that the school fostered an ideologically far-left culture that left little room for dissent. She admitted to feeling pressured by teachers and faculty to accept the presence of men in women's spaces; to keep her mouth shut about any feelings of discomfort; and to avoid doing anything that would be construed as "judging" transgender students. The sexual assault survivor added that ASK Academy had a policy of affirming students who adopted "transgender" identities. The school also supported the transgenders' use of whichever bathroom or locker room facilities they preferred. Ray explained that this meant she was regularly forced to use girls' bathrooms with boys, conditioning her to lower her guard. "A lot of the natural instincts, those emotions, those kinds of barriers or protective walls that I had up, the school made it feel like those were bad," she said. The loss of these barriers ultimately enabled the perpetrator to violate Ray. Maggie eventually pulled out Ray from ASK Academy and transferred her daughter to a public school. However, the same problem the 13-year-old wanted to stay away from managed to follow her as the Land of Enchantment also embraced gender ideology. Because of this, both Maggie and her husband decided that homeschooling is the safest and only option for Ray. "Ray's story is a gruesome example of what can happen when schools open girls' and women's spaces to men, and instruct children to embrace an ideology that teaches girls to ignore their natural instincts when female-designated spaces are infiltrated by men," the Post Millennial article noted. "It also reflects a larger shift happening in society where the feelings and comfort of biological men take precedence over the feelings, safety and privacy of women." Watch Gabor "Gabe" Zolna talking about transgender inmates sexually assaulting biological women in prison below. This video is from the zolnareport.com channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Child rapist and murderer lauded as 'feminist' and 'advocate' for LGBTQ Rights. Scottish police say rapes committed by men will be logged as rapes by "women" if offenders are trans. Pedophile who raped multiple children avoids prison after he tells 'woke' judge that hes transgender Judge rules it would be 'too difficult to cope with.' Sources include: ThePostMillennial.com Brighteon.com Lawsuit reveals SECRET LIST of journalists pushing propaganda on behalf of U.S. government America Legal First (ALF) has successfully uncovered evidence of a secret "journalist" pool that was hired by the United States government to push propaganda and lies on the public on behalf of the deep state and its various agendas. As part of a litigatory effort against the State Department to uncover the dark and ugly truth about the so-called Global Engagement Center (GEC), ALF obtained documents that expose what the group describes as "international censorship czars" whose job it is to decide what you are able to see online. They are called "journalists," but we put that word in quotes because these people are nothing more than paid propagandists who "fact check" the news as it circulates online and stamp out anything that Big Brother decides is "false" or "misleading." Several key names were obtained from these documents, including the following who convene regularly to discuss "action items" that the government wants accomplished: Ana Brakus, Faktograf , Croatia , Croatia Angie Holan, PolitiFact , United States , United States Barbara Whitaker, Associated Press , United States , United States Ellen Tordesillas, Vera Files , Philippines , Philippines Gulin Cavu?, Teyit , Turkey , Turkey Jency Jacob, Boom , India , India Maarten Schenk, Lead Stories , Belgium / United States , Belgium / United States Pablo M. Fernandez, Chequeado , Argentina , Argentina Rabiu Alhassan, GhanaFact , Ghana , Ghana Thanos Sitistas, Elinika Hoaxes , Greece , Greece Tijana Cvjeti?anin, Raskrinkavanje, Bosnia-Herzegovina All of these "fact checkers" are anything but the benevolent truth-seekers that the U.S. government wants us all to believe they are. Instead, they all appear to be ideological activists affiliated with the infamous Poynter network, and all of them seem to be getting paid from the same nefarious sources to regurgitate the same misleading lies about what is really going on in the world. (Related: Did you know that Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum [WEF] is recruiting "information warriors" and tasking them with destroying the First Amendment online?) "Independent fact checkers" are really just centralized fact DESTROYERS Ironically, all of these so-called "independent fact checkers" are bankrolled by the same sources. They are also all credentialed by IFCN, a Poynter-backed organization that gives a rubber stamp of "legitimacy" to their online content moderation activities. Take Angie Holan, for instance. Holan is the editor-in-chief of PolitiFact and has been affiliated with the group since 2007 when it was first launched. In 2009, Holan won a Pulitzer Prize, and ever since has remained deeply embedded in the Poytner network, participating in lectures on how to expand the Censorship Industrial Complex. AFL has previously shown that the Poynter network controls both PolitiFact and FactCheckNet, the latter of which received its initial funding from none other than the Department of State-funded National Endowment for Democracy, as well as the Omidyar Network, Google, Facebook, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and George Soros' infamous Open Society. According to research compiled by Matt Taibbi as part of his report on the Censorship Industrial Complex, the Poynter network ranks as No. 8 on the list of the top 50 organizations involved in driving online censorship. Then we have Ana Brakus, executive director and journalist at the Croatian media outlet Faktograf Brakus' beat centers around the "ultraconservative political and civic movement," which she of course criticizes relentlessly for spreading "misinformation." Despite calling itself a non-profit organization devoted to quality journalism, critical thinking, and creating an informed public, Faktograf is basically a carbon copy of PolitiFact, having received direct financial support from the State Department. ALF joked that Faktograf "is so committed to an informed public and critical thinking that in 2021 Brakus called for more authority to censor political leaders," adding that Brakus told Poynter that "fact checkers should be allowed to fact check politicians," including the ability to "moderate" and "enforce" the speech of people like former President Donald Trump. Anyone who questions the censorship decisions made by Brakus and Faktograf is immediately dubbed as "harassing" or "promoting violence," which often results in some kind of retaliatory punishment. The Associated Press is a state-run media outlet funded by the State Department Barbara Whitaker over at the Associated Press (AP) is another who deserves a prominent mention as the wire service's "fact checks" read "like the talking points of a left-wing policy shop," to quote ALF. Like the others, the AP is funded by the State Department, meaning it is a state-run media outlet not unlike the kind run by communist China. The AP is anything but independent, in other words, despite pretending to be neutral and just reporting the "news." Then there is Teyit, a Turkish "fact checking" platform that, like the others, has ties to the U.S. government deep state. After "reporting" on "misinformation problems about refugees" in 2016, Gulin Cavu? caught the attention of Poynter which helped her win an IFCN fellowship the following year in 2017. "She is now the EIC for a Poynter-credentialed fact-check site with an outsized influence on what content is 'moderated,'" ALF says. In December 2020, Cavu? wrote a hit piece on people who fall for "conspiracy theories," which usually means ideas and beliefs that are probably true but that the government does not want people believing. "Where does a 30-something journalist in Turkey get the authority to control what people in the United States, and in other countries around the world, can and cannot see on social media platforms?" ALF wants to know. Be sure to peruse the full thread from ALF to learn more about who controls the "news" in the modern era. Do you believe anything that comes out of the mainstream media anymore? If not, check out Journalism.news to learn more about what you can trust. Sources for this article include: TheReaderApp.com NaturalNews.com As Russia prepares to use tactical nukes, millions of you dont even realize you are going to die in a Third World War What is it going to take to wake people up? Russia is deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, and there is lots of talk in the Russian media about using such weapons to bring a quick end to the war in Ukraine. The theory is that once the Russians show that they are willing to use tactical nukes, the U.S. and the other western powers will back off. But that wont be what happens. Instead of backing off, the Biden administration will respond by using U.S. tactical nuclear weapons against Russian targets in Ukraine. And once both sides have used tactical nukes, it is just a matter of time before the big nukes get used. (Article republished from EndOfTheAmericanDream.com) This war could have been avoided at the negotiating table long before it ever started, but that didnt happen. And we could still have a negotiated solution, but at this point both sides are not interested in peace talks at all. So we will continue to steamroll down a road that leads to nuclear conflict. Both sides just continue to escalate matters over and over again, and even Vladimir Putin is admitting that this could easily cause a Third World War Putin, speaking at a meeting with Russian war correspondents in Moscow yesterday, said: The United States pretends not to be afraid of an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, but sane people there clearly do not want to take this to a Third World War. In the event of a Third World War, there will be no winners, including America. But even though Putin realizes where things could be heading, he insists that peace talks are not an option. In fact, he just said that this war will only end by freeing the entire territory of the former Ukraine from the United States and Ukrainian Nazis We were forced to try to end the war that the West started in 2014 by force of arms. And Russia will end this war by force of arms, freeing the entire territory of the former Ukraine from the United States and Ukrainian Nazis. There are no other options, Putin said. The Ukrainian army of the US and NATO will be defeated, no matter what new types of weapons it receives from the West. The more weapons there are, the fewer Ukrainians and what used to be Ukraine will remain. And importantly, he emphasized that Direct intervention by NATOs European armies will not change the outcome. But in this case, the fire of war will engulf the whole of Europe. It looks like the US is ready for that too. Did you catch that last part? Even if NATO forces directly intervene in Ukraine, Putin says that will not change the outcome. He is not going to back down, and he is not bluffing. Of course Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also completely ruling out peace talks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected the prospect of negotiations with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. In an interview with Britains Sky News, which was broadcast on Thursday, Zelensky said that Putin doesnt want negotiations because he doesnt want peace. The Ukrainian leader said he was convinced that Ukraine was just the first step for Putin, who has his eye on other countries. U.S. leaders have been making similar statements. They keep telling us that we are in it to win it, whatever that means. Our politicians have become absolutely obsessed with winning in Ukraine, and they are not going to back down either. But many inside Russia believe that western leaders are weak and that they can be forced to back down. As I noted at the beginning of this article, the idea that using tactical nukes will force the U.S. and other western powers to back off is starting to gain a lot of traction in the Russian media. For example, the following excerpt comes from an article in the Russian media entitled By using its nuclear weapons, Russia could save humanity from a global catastrophe that was authored by Professor Sergey Karaganov, the honorary chairman of Russias Council on Foreign and Defense Policy We cannot repeat the Ukrainian scenario. For a quarter of a century we were not listened to when we warned that NATO enlargement would lead to war; we tried to delay, to negotiate. As a result, we ended up in a serious armed conflict. Now the price of indecision is an order of magnitude higher than it would have been earlier. But what if the present Western leaders refuse to back down? Perhaps they have lost all sense of self-preservation? Then we will have to hit a group of targets in a number of countries to bring those who have lost their senses back to their senses. Its a morally frightening choice we would be using Gods weapon and condemning ourselves to great spiritual loss. But if this is not done, not only may Russia perish, but most likely the whole of human civilization will end. The paragraphs above were not written by some random nutjob. Professor Sergey Karaganov is considered to be one of Russias top foreign policy experts. But he is dead wrong. If Russia uses tactical nukes in Ukraine, western leaders will not lose their resolve. Instead, they will use tactical nukes in return. We must not go down this road. Unfortunately, people like you and I dont get to make these decisions. The Russians just deployed tactical nukes to Belarus, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is warning some of these weapons are three times more powerful than US atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 His comments come as Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko revealed that his country had started to receive tactical nuclear weapons from its ally Russia. Lukashenko told Russian state TV that his country was receiving weapons some of which he said were three times more powerful than US atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus is Moscows first move of such warheads shorter-range less powerful nuclear weapons that could potentially be used on the battlefield outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union. When people hear the term tactical nukes, they tend to think of them as relatively small weapons. But that is not the case at all. In fact, if one of those tactical nukes is launched it will be the largest nuclear weapon used in a war in all of recorded human history. I just wish that both sides would stop escalating the conflict, because once nukes are used there will be no turning back. Sadly, our leaders just cant help themselves. Just a few days ago, we learned that the Biden administration is actually planning to send depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine The Biden administration is set to transfer depleted uranium shells to Ukraine for the first time since the Russian invasion began The Wall Street Journal reports Tuesday. Internal administration debate over the controversial munitions has been ongoing for several months, but an admin official quoted in WSJ says at this point there are no major obstacles to sending it, which will be used to equip M1 Abrams tanks provided by Washington. This is a crime against humanity all by itself. If you doubt this, go to Google Images and type in depleted uranium Iraq and look at the pictures that come up. On top of everything else, a former Secretary-General of NATO is warning that some European nations such as Poland are actually considering sending troops into Ukraine if the alliance as a whole doesnt take stronger action soon The former civilian head of the NATO alliance is warning that some Eastern European states are prepared to send their soldiers to Ukraine if the bloc does not make significant pledges to Kiev during an upcoming summit. Anders Rasmussen, former NATO Secretary-General and current adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is touring Europe and Washington to gauge the level of support Kiev should expect at the Vilnius Summit in July. I think the Poles would seriously consider going in and assemble a coalition of the willing if Ukraine doesnt get anything in Vilnius, he said. We shouldnt underestimate the Polish feelings, the Poles feel that for too long western Europe did not listen to their warnings against the true Russian mentality. How does this end? It has become clear that neither side is going to back down. And if push comes to shove, the Russians will definitely use nukes. I have been warning about this type of a scenario for a long time, but I feel like my warnings fall mostly on deaf ears. This is not a game. If the small nukes get used, the big nukes will get used. And if the big nukes get used, millions of you are going to die. Read more at: EndOfTheAmericanDream.com Pfizer confidential docs show 2025 depopulation forecast is NOT far-fetched The world is starting to realize that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines are actually aimed at mass extermination within a targeted timeframe , thanks to the confidential Pfizer documents that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been forced to publish by court order. The Pfizer documents contain information about the company's experimental COVID-19 vaccine. In 2020, a controversial forecast by global intelligence and consulting firm Deagel Corporation gained attention over its startling prediction of a significant depopulation event in five years. Deagel is a minor branch of the U.S. military intelligence, one of the many secretive organizations which collect data for high-level decision-making purposes and prepares confidential briefing documents for agencies like the National Security Agency, the United Nations (UN) and the World Bank. Deagel predicted that the United Kingdom would see its population decline by 77.1 percent, and the United States by 68.5 percent by the year 2025. There are also dim forecasts for other Western countries like Germany, Australia, Spain and France. These bold claims made by Deagel are now supported by plenty of evidence, including the Pfizer documents. Deagel's forecast was taken down from the company's website sometime in 2020 after it started to become evident that the COVID-19 injections were contributing to a drop in population and excess deaths. But independent news portal Expose used the Wayback Machine/Internet Archive to retrieve the post about the consulting firm's forecast. "Sadly, the confidential Pfizer documents coupled with staggering deaths among children suggest Deagel's depopulation figures were not just an estimation, but a target," the Expose article stated. Many pregnant women lost their babies after taking Pfizer's COVID-19 jab One of the documents in the data dump is on the use of the Pfizer injection in pregnant and lactating women, which indicated that many pregnant women who took the vaccine lost their babies. (Related: Pfizer data reveals COVID-19 vaccines were NEVER safe for pregnant women.) The pharmaceutical giant also stated in the said document that on Feb. 28, 2021, there were 270 known cases of exposure to the mRNA injection during pregnancy and 46 percent of the 124 mothers exposed to Pfizer injection suffered an adverse reaction. And out of those that suffered an adverse reaction, 49 were considered non-serious adverse reactions and 75 were considered serious. This means 58 percent of the mothers who reported suffering adverse reactions suffered a serious adverse event, ranging from uterine contraction to fetal death. Pfizer also admitted that of the 270 pregnancies they monitored, they have absolutely no idea what happened in the vast majority of them. The company also noted that 28 of the 29 outcomes resulted in the loss or death of the babies. This means, 97 percent of the known outcomes of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy have resulted in the loss of a child. Even if you add the unknown outcomes to lower the percentage, the fact remains that these deaths could have been avoided if the pregnant mothers did not take the COVID-19 vaccines. Visit Depopulation.news for more news related to deaths brought about by Big Pharma's COVID-19 vaccines Watch the video below where Inforwars founder Alex Jones pointed out that the COVID-19 vaccination is a globalist depopulation plan, submitting the children to the altar of the killer experimental jabs. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Pfizer documents reek of FRAUD; Big Pharma liability shield starts to unravel. Ben Armstrong: Pfizer knows the COVID vaccine is dangerous for pregnant women. Pfizer documents and real-world data both show that covid jabs are already causing mass depopulation. More than 1 in 5 pregnant participants in Pfizer trials suffered a miscarriage, and both the FDA and CDC covered it up. Pfizer documents show COVID-19 vaccine accumulates in ovaries; UK data reveals cases of ovarian cancer in 2021 are at a record high. Sources include: SHTFPlan.com Expose-News.com PHMPT.org Brighteon.com Michigan judge extends restraining order preventing T-Mobile from activating a 5G tower on top of an elementary school A federal judge has ruled in favor of keeping a temporary restraining order in place against telecommunications giant T-Mobile to prevent the company from activating a new 5G cellular phone tower atop an elementary school. The ruling stems from a lawsuit brought forward by many of the parents of children who attend Washington Elementary School in Wyandotte, Michigan. The parents allege that T-Mobile illegally built the tower on top of the school and that the tower poses unknown health risks to the students. (Related: Biden admin earmarks $1.5B for 5G rollout despite public pushback and newfound health risks.) United States District Court Judge Mark Goldsmith of the Eastern District of Michigan ruled on June 15 to extend an already-existing temporary restraining order that prevents T-Mobile from activating the tower for the first time. The order will remain in effect until June 30. This is the second time a judge has ruled to ban the tower's activation for 14 days. Previously, a Wayne County Circuit Court judge ordered the first 14-day restraining order against T-Mobile on June 2. The parents and other members of the community who are fighting against the 5G tower's activation are arguing that the technology being used poses potential health risks to the schoolchildren at Washington Elementary. "I want people to hear us and know that our staff and our community are not pawns," said Lisa Beck, a parent and one of the plaintiffs. "You can't play with us and our safety." The lawsuit further argues that T-Mobile duped the local school district and the city engineer of Wyandotte into issuing an illegal building permit and a certificate of occupancy to build the wireless communication facility on top of Washington Elementary. "I have two little girls who go to Washington Elementary, and when I hear about the levels of RF [radiofrequency] radiation they are going to be exposed to on a daily basis, it is quite shocking," said Josh Castmore, who also serves as one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs and who called the judge's decision a "huge win." "T-Mobile is refusing to voluntarily agree to keep the tower powered off while the case is pending," he added. "It is requiring us to file a motion and obtain an order to do so." T-Mobile's decision to construct a 5G cell tower on top of an elementary school stems from a 2018 decision by the then-members of the Wyandotte school board to approve a deal with the telecom giant. In this deal, T-Mobile pays the district $1,000 a month to operate a cell tower in the space above the school. The Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic delayed construction of the tower. But when the tower was constructed, more attention grew around it. Parents of children going to Washington Elementary said they were never given the opportunity to voice their opinion on the matter and started organizing to get T-Mobile to back off. T-Mobile wants the case to remain in federal court and argue for constitutionality of cell tower Castmore and his associates now want the case to be brought back before the Wayne County Circuit Court. T-Mobile wants the case to remain at the federal level, where the company may start approaching the suit from a constitutional perspective and argue that federal law preempts any state laws concerning cell tower sites. If the case does get remanded back to Wayne County, it will go back to Circuit Court Judge Adel Harb, who issued the first restraining order and who may then rule on its status going forward. "The case does not belong in federal court," said Castmore, who claimed that T-Mobile's decision to move the case to the federal level is a "desperate attempt" to get a different judge to "look at the same set of facts and reach a different decision." If the suit remains at the federal level, an evidentiary hearing will likely be required before T-Mobile can get the cell tower activated. "We are confident that we will prevail in this case on the merits of our claims, regardless of the venue. I would feel comfortable arguing this case on the moon if we had to," said Castmore. "Long story short, T-Mobile will not be able to activate the tower for a fairly considerable length of time. Another battle won in what is sure to be a long war." Learn more about the rollout of 5G in America at 5GAlert.com. Watch this compilation of news reports showing the Michigan parents protesting the activation of the 5G tower above Washington Elementarty in Wyandotte. This video is from the channel OneNinetyFiveNationsRising on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Pentagon CIO takes over all 5G-related military activities, expansion of 5G pilot programs amid privacy concerns. Scientists develop radiofrequency radiation-harvesting bracelet that can turn humans into "walking antennas" for 6G networks. Clueless New Yorkers want THOUSANDS of 5G towers in the city to be gone for being "unsightly," oblivious to their real purpose. Scientists call for moratorium on 5G after study shows regulators ignoring health risks of radiation. Crime against humanity: 5G is a weapons deployment system masquerading as a communications enhancement. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org DetroitNews.com DownriverSundayTimes.com Brighteon.com Schools are now allowing children to identify as cats, horses, dinosaurs and all sorts of other things I seriously should have thought of this when I was a kid. If I could have answered every question a teacher asked by meowing like a cat or roaring like a dinosaur, there is no way they could have ever accused me of getting an answer wrong. And when it was time for a quiz or a test, I could have just responded to every question with a paw print. Of course nobody would have actually been able to get away with such a thing decades ago. When I was a kid, anyone that tried to pull this kind of a stunt would have been immediately marched down to the principals office. But now we live at a time when we are supposed to allow people to identify as anything that they want. (Article republished from EndOfTheAmericanDream.com) Things have gotten particularly absurd in the United Kingdom. According to an investigation that was conducted by the Telegraph, schools in the UK are now allowing children to identify as all sorts of things At a state secondary school in Wales, one student is said to meow when asked questions by a teacher, rather than answering in English, the Telegraph reports. In other schools, one apparently insists on being addressed as a dinosaur, one claims to identify as a horse while another is said to wear a cape and demands to be acknowledged as a moon. In the old days, teachers knew how to deal with this kind of nonsense. But today they are instructed not to correct the children because that would be discriminatory Pupils claim teachers are not allowed to get annoyed about such behaviour in case it is seen as being discriminatory. However, lessons are reportedly becoming completely derailed by these interactions, impacting the quality of their classmates education. So these teachers in the UK literally have to sit there and make the best of it when students respond to their questions with animal noises In some reported instances, classes have faced severe disruption as pupils insist on answering teachers questions and communicating via animal noises. I couldnt take that. If I was told that I had to allow students to make animal noises all day, I would just quit. Apparently one student that identifies as a cat has been doing this for three years In a particularly disruptive case, the newspaper spoke to a student in Wales who claimed a classmate had identified as a cat for three years. The pupil complained: When they answer questions, they meow rather than answer a question in English. Are you kidding me? In the old days, that kid would have been corrected on day one. But these days you are not allowed to say anything. That just wouldnt be proper. In fact, a 13-year-old girl was recently called despicable by her teacher when she confronted a classmate that identifies as a cat A 13-year-old girl was called despicable by her teacher at a Church of England school in the United Kingdom on Friday after asking a classmate how she identifies as a cat. The schoolgirl and her friend were reprimanded by their teacher at Rye College in East Sussex at the end of an eighth-grade life education class, where they were told that they could be who you want to be and how you identify is up to you, The Telegraph reported. Here in the United States, we are moving very rapidly in the same direction. In fact, we just learned that public school teachers in New York are now being instructed to keep childrens gender transitions a secret from parents in some cases The New York State Education Department (NYSED) released 42 pages of new guidance for public schools Monday that includes a section about keeping childrens gender transitions a secret from parents in some cases. The report, titled Creating a Safe, Supportive, and Affirming School Environment for Transgender and Gender Expansive Students, maintains that a students gender identity should be based on the students own assertion and that administrators should keep such information from families if they deem it necessary. Can you believe that? How do you think parents that have been purposely deceived by teachers will react once they find out the truth? The stage is being set for some very messy lawsuits. And sometimes allowing students to identify as whatever they want can have some really tragic consequences. For example, earlier today I read about a 12-year-old girl that was brutally raped at a middle school in New Mexico The diary entry referred back to an incident in October 2021, when her daughter Ray*, a 6th grader at ASK Academy charter school in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, was allegedly raped inside the girls bathroom by an older biological male student. When the male student first entered the girls restroom, Ray said she was washing her hands and didnt take particular notice of the students sex, nor was she aware of his gender identity. But before she knew it, the male student walked over to her, pinned her against the counter, and wrestled her to the floor. After hitting her head, he allegedly held her down, ripped her pants, and raped her. Im sorry, but if I see a man try to follow a young lady into a restroom there is going to be a problem. As a society, we have lost all common sense. If I say that I am a chicken, that does not make me a chicken. But now we are teaching our children that they can identify as anything that they want. When I say that time is short, I am not exaggerating one bit. The social cohesiveness of our society is literally coming apart at the seams all around us. The inmates are running the asylum at this point, and we are raising an entire generation of children that are going to be completely and totally messed up if they ever get the opportunity to become adults. Read more at: EndOfTheAmericanDream.com Scott Ritter: 2023 will be our last year on the planet Scott Ritter, former UN nuclear arms inspector, hears Johnny Cashs cancer-ravaged voice, speaking those haunting words at the end of his song, The Man Comes Around. (Article by Deborah L. Armstrong republished from Medium.com) Thats what we live in today, the former US Marine intelligence officer said at a press conference aptly titled Can Nuclear War Be Avoided? This isnt some sort of, you know, future look into a hellish earth, Ritter continued. Death is on a pale horse riding to us as we speak! And if you dont recognize that, if youre not aware of that, then youre just gonna blissfully go to the abyss. Ritter was one of five panelists who spoke at the online conference on January 8th, which was put on by Diane Sare (I-NY), a candidate for US Senate from New York. In addition to Ritter and Sare, there were three more speakers: Helga Zepp-LaRouche, the widow of American political activist Lyndon LaRouche, also a German activist and founder of the Schiller Institute. Col. Richard Black, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War and Republican politician who served in the Virginia State Senate. Steven Starr, former nuclear weapons director of the University of Missouris Clinical Laboratory Science Program and a senior scientist at the Physicians for Social Responsibility who has worked with foreign governments to reduce the nuclear weapons stockpile worldwide. Top row: Col. Richard Black, Scott Ritter, Steven Starr. Bottom row: Senate Candidate Diane Sare (I-NY), Schiller Institute Founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche. Photo: Sare for Senate The webinar, which you can watch on Rumble, was organized in response to recent events which are escalating the tensions between Russia and the US and its NATO allies. Recent comments such as those of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President Francois Hollande, indicating that the Minsk II Peace Accords were never actually about peace, and were instead intended to buy Ukraine more time to arm itself against Russia and the break-away republics in the Donbass region. At this point, it may appear to Russia that there is no point in negotiating, since its now known that the US and its allies did not negotiate in good faith. The US/UK/NATO alliance is presently sending armored vehicles into Ukraine, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has cynically rejected an Orthodox Christmas ceasefire offered by Russian president Vladimir Putin. Senate Candidate Diane Sare believes it is up to us to change the policy of the US if we want to avoid a nuclear confrontation with Russia, which would be an Extinction Level Event (ELE). In a literal sense, we are on the brink of thermonuclear war, Diane said during her introductory comments, largely as a result of policies from the West, particularly the United States. And as American citizens, we do have some control over that. How much control the American people have over the increasingly apocalyptic direction the US has been taking in this proxy war with Russia is a matter of debate, but Sare and the other panelists had some ideas. The point is to change the policy so we avoid the immediate threat to human civilization, Sare said. Atomic cloud rising over Nagasaki, Japan. 1945. Photo: Library of Congress We are looking at the end of mankind. Thats what this danger implies. And we are moving right now so quickly towards an escalation, said Helga Zepp-LaRouche, who favors a diplomatic solution and believes that the best hope we have may be the offer put forth by Pope Francis, who said that he will offer the venue of the Vatican as a place for peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia without any preconditions. Zepp-Larouche believes that lack of preconditions is essential if any kind of diplomatic settlement is to be reached. The Schiller Institute, she says, has begun a letter-writing campaign which has already garnered the signatures of more than 100 prominent individuals from 37 countries. She asked those present to sign the letter as well. If the Pope sees that there is support for his campaign, Zepp-Larouche says, it may be possible to make an international pressure on the United States, on the other NATO countries. And frankly I think at this point, she continued, that the only thing that will help to stop this is if you see around the world, millions of people in the streets. As you know we are very, very far from that. Indeed, peace protests seem to have gone to the same place where all the flowers, and flower children, of the 70s, went. Only a few dedicated souls continue to protest against war, and their lone voices are often drowned out by the resounding choir of pundits who pound the drums of war, and the roar of armored vehicles and tanks from NATO making their way into Ukraine. Zepp-LaRouche also referenced recent comments by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev indicating that hypersonic nuclear missiles have been deployed off the coasts of the US and Europe. Basically, they are so quickly coming, she said, that the US president would not even have the time to enter Air Force One. The aftermath of the atomic blast in Hiroshima, 1945. Photo: Library of Congress Col. Richard Black, who spoke via a previously recorded message, believes some are fired up about war because they are of the opinion that Putin shouldnt be allowed to get away with this. The War on Terror, he says, has been used to sap the US constitution of its vigor and diminish the rights of American citizens and citizens all across the globe. But the most recent example of terror, Black pointed out, was the attack on the Nordstream pipelines, which has been blamed on Russia despite evidence that a NATO country was the culprit. Just moments after these massive detonations took place, he said, a text was intercepted. It was transmitted by British Prime Minister Liz Truss, directed to Secretary of State Tony Blinken, and it simply said its done. That was the total sum of the message. This was one of the greatest terror attacks in history, Black continued. The western media immediately jumped all on board and accused Russia of having destroyed one of its greatest engineering achievements in history. Somehow the Russians had done it. Why? Because the Russians always do it. And if an election doesnt go the way of the Deep State, the Russians did it. Everything is easily attributed to the Russians. The claim neednt be rational. It neednt be logical. It can be totally irrational. As it was in this case. Indeed, the masses all too willingly seem to accept without question that the Russians destroyed one of their most valuable economic lifelines to Europe for no other reason than because Russians are just really bad people who do really bad things, Black said. And the lie, no matter how illogical or irrational, is repeated over and over until people believe it. Especially when all other explanations are censored. No doubt the Nazi head of propaganda Joseph Goebbels would be very proud of this remarkable achievement on the part of modern intelligence and its network of operatives and assets in mainstream media. We are on the cusp of thermonuclear war, said Maj. Scott Ritter. He recalled his former mentor, General Polk, who served under President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. You know how we avoided war during the Cuban Missile Crisis? Diplomacy. Old fashioned diplomacy. Americans talking to Russians and Russians talking to Americans. Back then, Ritter says, there were proven back channels used by the leaders of countries to talk when official channels were no longer working. But today, we dont talk. Yeah, we have our intelligence heads meeting in Ankara and other places around the world, but this isnt a negotiation. We are in the midst of not just a heightening of tensions, but we lack the mechanisms to resolve these tensions. There is no diplomatic action worthy of the name between the US and Russia today. Ritter said he had recently eaten lunch with the Russian Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, who negotiated the New START treaty with Barack Obama, the last arms control treaty between the US and Russia. But these days, Ritter says, the Russian Ambassador sits in a gilded cage here in the US and nobody talks to him. Nobody is talking disarmament, everybody is talking arms race, Ritter said. And though our so-called representatives on Capitol Hill believe in the course the US is taking, which is bringing us ever-closer to Armageddon, Ritter believes they are deluded. The Russians will annihilate us in a nuclear conflict. There is no debate, no doubt in this. Russias Belgorod Submarine. Photo: Eurasian Times At one point in time, Ritter says, there was a belief that the US could launch a decapitation strike, that would nullify Russias leadership, and that our ballistic missile defense system could protect the world from the inevitable retaliatory strike launched by Russias Perimeter system, known as the Dead Hand. Well, the Russians have not only checked us on this but check-mated us on this, he said. They have weapons today, and theyre deployed. Its not theoretical weapons. Real weapons, deployed, that nullify all of this. So, America has no chance. If we ever initiated something like this, we would be destroyed before the people who initiated it realized they had failed! Thats how quick the Russian retaliation would be. Ritter said that the US is poised to spend trillions of dollars to modernize its weapons in the hopes of matching Russian capabilities. But we cant, he said, and I will tell you this without a shadow of a doubt, without a fear of contradiction: Every weapons system that we are currently talking about employing to replace the existing triad is not sufficient to the task. It wont work, and they dont intimidate the Russians at all! Ritter, who recently authored a book titled Disarmament in the Time of Perestroika, says that times were just as dangerous in the 80s except that then, we were talking. The US and Russia were negotiating. We came up with a treaty, he said. Why? Because the negotiators were veterans. Theyd been doing this a long time. Photo: Barnes and Noble The people who negotiated the START and INF treaties, Ritter says, were the same ones who had negotiated SALT 1 in the 60s and SALT 2 in the 70s. They were experienced negotiators who had successfully drawn up treaties before. But since those days, the US has withdrawn from all but the New START treaty, which Ritter says, the US and NATO are cheating on regularly. Why in Gods name would Russia sit down with the United States for anything? For anything? Were liars. Were cheaters. We cant be trusted, Ritter said, adding that NATO countries such as France and Germany cant be trusted as interlocutors, and the UN Security Council cant be trusted because it approved the Minsk II Peace accords, which turned out to be a sham all along. Helga, I wish you the best of luck with the Vatican, I really do, Ritter said, directing his comment to Helga Zepp LaRouche. And I hope you prove me wrong. I want you to prove me wrong. I want you to come up with an adequate negotiating forum that actually works, but Im here to tell you right now, Russia will never, ever, ever negotiate with anyone about Ukraine. Ritter believes that the only way the US/NATO can be brought to the negotiating table is through a defeat, which he compared to the US defeat of Japan in 1945, where the choice was sign the document or die. Japans delegation gathers to sign the formal surrender document on the US Navy battleship USS Missouri, 1945. Photo: Reuters NATO will lose. The question is, will NATO lose gracefully? Ritter asked, and referenced a poem by Dylan Thomas. Is NATO willing to go gently into the good night? Or is NATO going to rage, rage against the dying of the light? And thats the choice, unfortunately, thats what we come down to. If NATO opts to rage, rage against the dying of the light, ladies and gentlemen, its been a pleasure knowing you. 2023 will be the last year that we are all alive on this planet. Kiss your loved ones goodbye. Do what you need to do, its over. Ritter believes that there is no more hope for negotiations, because Russia can no longer trust the US or NATO. From this point forward, he believes, Russia will not be seeking negotiations. It will be seeking victory. And if NATO and the US do not find a way to accept that gracefully, we are all doomed to a nuclear annihilation. Id love to prove Ritter wrong. But, given Ukraines rejection of Russias Christmastime truce, the likelihood of negotiations seems further away than ever. And adding to this gathering perfect storm is the fact that younger generations are not as aware of the dangers of nuclear war as those of us who grew up during Cold War times. Diane Sare recalled the peace efforts made by the Kennedy Administration during those harrowing years in the 1960's. She played an excerpt from Kennedys inaugural address, which you can watch here. Compare it to the hawkish tones of our current leaders. Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction. We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed. But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spread of the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand of mankinds final war. So let us begin anew remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate. John F. Kennedy, inaugural address, 1961. How do we fight back? Sare asked. She believes that ALL of the files on the Kennedy assassination must be released and the agencies that were involved in that assassination have to be purged of their criminal elements and made accountable to the American people, or abolished. But that task, she cautions, is far too dangerous for a single president to handle. After all, Kennedy had voiced his intent to try shortly before he was murdered. It can only occur as a movement, Sare said. Sare credits Oliver Stones film, JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass, with generating public demand for the release of the documents pertaining to the presidents assassination. Some of the documents were released, but heavily redacted. Others which were scheduled to be released were withheld, first by President Trump and then by President Biden. Screen print of redacted documents pertaining to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Source: National Archives We have to end the reign of terror of the intelligence agencies in this nation, Sare said, if we wish for the human race to survive, let alone be free. Everyone whos followed what happened with the Twitter files, knows that. But I would add, its deeper. Who tells the intelligence agencies what to do? Who funds Hollywood? Who owns the news media? Who controls the universities? Who pays for the campaigns of the millionaires in congress? City of London and Wall Street. And this is why Lyndon LaRouche was such a threat. He would say, we have to bankrupt Wall Street and bury it so deeply that the stench doesnt come up to suffocate us! Sare believes that the JFK documents would provide ample proof that our nation has become untrustworthy to its people, and might open the door to legal action. The United States has to return to the commitment and the principle that not only are all men created equal, but humanity is good. Life is good. Sare wants to see the US create an economy which is beneficial to everyone, which would eliminate the poverty brought on by flawed policies. All of this has to be changed in short order. We have to put the system through bankruptcy, reorganization. The billionaires should pay for this. Theyll survive. Maybe theyll live in jail. But theyll live. But only cockroaches might live if the Ukrainian conflict erupts into Armageddon. Steven Starr, who regularly lectures students about the realities of modern nuclear war, is shocked by how naive young people these days are. They really have no idea what a nuclear weapon is or what a nuclear war would mean, Starr said. Its like a piece of the sun. And when it detonates, in one second it will create a fireball, and the surface of the fireball is actually hotter than the surface of the sun. If you happen to be beneath that, youll be vaporized. A persons image burned into concrete during the bombing of Hiroshima. Photo: The Sun UK You can, and should, watch Steven Starrs entire presentation here: And can somebody, anybody, PLEASE prove Scott Ritter wrong? Read more at: Medium.com Sen. Bernie Sanders launches probe into Amazons labor practices Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has launched an investigation over the labor practices and working conditions of e-commerce giant Amazon. He kick-started the probe through a June 20 letter addressed to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. The Vermont senator demanded information about the company's "systematically under-reported" injury rates, employee turnover, productivity targets and adherence to federal and state safety recommendations. Sanders gave Jassy and Amazon a July 5 deadline to respond to his letter. "Amazon sets an example for the rest of the country," said Sanders, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). "What Amazon does their attitude [and] lack of respect for workers permeates the American corporate world." Sanders has often denounced Amazon, the nation's second-largest employer, in his speeches regarding income inequality and corporate greed in the United States. Sanders described Amazon's warehouse conditions as "uniquely dangerous" in his letter to the company's CEO. He cited his own conversations with Amazon warehouse workers, earlier government probes that found health and safety violations at Amazon facilities, and a recent report compiled by a coalition of labor unions as evidence to back up his description. According to the report that used federal data, Amazon's serious-injury rate was double the warehouse industry average in 2021. "Amazon is one of the most valuable companies in the world, worth $1.3 trillion. Its founder Jeff Bezos is one of the richest men in the world, worth nearly $150 billion," Sanders wrote. "Amazon should be one of the safest places in America to work, not one of the most dangerous." When asked whether he would invite Jassy or Bezos to testify in his committee's hearing, Sanders remarked that it is "an absolute possibility." Amazon: We've already invested in safety measures Amazon spokesman Steve Kelly confirmed that the Washington-based tech firm received Sanders' letter and was "in the early stages of reviewing it." He added that the Senate HELP Committee chairman had an open invitation to tour one of Amazon's warehouses. "We've invested more than $1 billion into safety initiatives, projects and programs in the last four years, and we'll continue investing and inventing in this area because nothing is more important than our employees' safety," Kelly said. The spokesman also noted that Amazon has recorded a 23 percent reduction in workplace injuries since 2019. Sanders previously criticized the company due to the measly hourly wage it had been paying employees. This led Amazon to announce that it would raise its base hourly pay rate to $15 more than twice the federally mandated minimum wage back in 2018 "We listened to our critics, thought hard about what we wanted to do and decided we want to lead," said Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. "We're excited about this change, and [we] encourage our competitors and other large employers to join us." The Vermont senator said in a recent interview that while he was "appreciative" of Amazon's 2018 decision to raise hourly pay, he had been "extremely upset by their vehement anti-union behavior" and workplace safety record. Sanders has repeatedly admonished Amazon for the former. In 2022, Amazon warehouse employees in Staten Island voted to join the independent Amazon Labor Union (ALU). In April of this year, delivery drivers for a third-party contractor in southern California joined the International Brotherhood of Teamsters labor union. Kelly also took the opportunity to voice out the company's responses to these unionizing efforts. (Related: Amazon delivery drivers stage first-ever WALKOUT as part of strike.) According to him, "Amazon strongly disagrees" with the outcome of the union elections in Staten Island. He slammed the federal labor board and the ALU itself, alleging that both had "improperly influenced the outcome of the election." Moreover, Kelly argued that the Amazon delivery drivers in southern California that joined the Teamsters did not work directly under the company, but for a third-party partner. The spokesman continued that the contractor "had been notified of its termination for poor performance well before the union announcement." Visit BernieSandersWatch.com for more stories about the Vermont senator. Watch this video about Amazon workers going on strike. This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Amazon workers in Seattle planning PROTEST against layoffs, return to office orders. Truck drivers supplying Whole Foods groceries threaten to strike over COVID-19 safety concerns. REPORT: Amazon's warehouse boom creates health hazards in Southern California communities. Amazon warehouse workers in Britain walk out of their jobs over paltry pay increase, terrible working conditions. Sources include: MSN.com HELP.Senate.gov [PDF] Brighteon.com Survey: 71% of Americans believe Joe Biden is TOO OLD for a second term A survey conducted by the Daily Mail found that 71 percent of Americans believe incumbent President Joe Biden is too old to seek re-election for a second term. The survey conducted by the Mail and JL Partners polled 1,000 Americans about their thoughts on the 80-year-old chief executive seeking re-election. It found that overall, only 14 percent believe that Biden can still run for a second term. In contrast, 71 percent believe that Biden is too old to spend another four years in the White House. A demographic breakdown of the survey results showed the same sentiment of Biden being too old for re-election. Respondents aged 18 and up overwhelmingly deemed the president overage. Majority of White and Hispanic respondents deemed Biden too old, while 49 percent of Black respondents thought so. The sentiment was the same along party lines, with 94 percent of Republicans saying he is too old for the job. Seventy-one percent of independents share the sentiment, while 49 percent of Democrats say Biden's age is definitely a factor. (Related: Hillary Clinton: Joe Biden's AGE is a legitimate issue to consider ahead of 2024 presidential elections.) "These statistics highlight a growing sentiment among the electorate that Biden's age may hinder his ability to lead effectively for another four years," the Mail noted. In addition to concerns about his age, the survey also identified dissatisfaction with the president's performance in other areas. Fifty-two percent of voters said they feel worse off since Biden took office, while 37 percent said they feel better off. Notably, this sentiment largely falls along party lines with 92 percent of Republicans feeling worse off and 72 percent of Democrats feeling better off. Independent voters, however, express a more negative sentiment, with 55 percent reporting that they feel worse off since January 2021. Biden's age and cognitive decline is showing James Johnson from J.L. Partners, the organization that conducted the survey, emphasized the significance of independent voters in the next presidential election, citing their role in securing Biden's victory in 2020 and their impact on the tight House of Representatives race in 2022. "There are few things that unite American voters, but there is one: The belief that Biden is too old to be president," Johnson said. "Decisive margins across all age groups, ethnic groups and political parties agree with the sentiment. Though [Biden] managed to avoid his age becoming a pivotal issue in 2020, it looks set to be the defining hesitation in voters' minds next year." Biden already the oldest-sitting president in U.S. history has acknowledged that his age can be a legitimate issue when voters head to the polling places come November 2024. Biden even joked about "being 110" years old at a June 16 event in Connecticut. However, many could not help but express concern over Biden's mental faculties. During the same Connecticut event, the president concluded his speech with "God save the queen" apparently a tribute to the late British monarch Elizabeth II, who died in September 2022. Even Biden's rivals at the GOP took jabs at his declining cognitive function. Former President Donald Trump, 77, has repeatedly claimed his successor is suffering from dementia. Meanwhile, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has called for competency tests for candidates over the age of 75 a requirement that could apply to both Trump and Biden. Head over to JoeBiden.news for more stories about the incumbent president. Watch financial expert Carol Roth explain to Glenn Beck how a second Biden term would bankrupt America. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: New York Times pushing to scrap the debates because Joe Biden is too cognitively confused to complete a coherent sentence. The American economy cannot afford another four years of a Biden presidency. Nolte: Biden's presidency collapsed with Afghanistan. Survey shows nearly 7 in 10 adults have a negative view of the US economy. Economist: Silicon Valley Bank collapse just the tip of the iceberg under Biden admins reckless economic policies. Sources include: Dailymail.co.uk Knewz.com Brighteon.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Propaganda of Armenia about the alleged presence of a 'humanitarian crisis' in the territory of functioning checkpoint, opened by Azerbaijan on the border with Armenia, has no grounds, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The ministry made the remark commenting on statements of Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at today's meeting of the Armenian government. According to the ministry, it's obvious that Armenia resorts to provocations after 2020 due to the fact that it's deprived of the opportunity to continue illegal activities through the Lachin-Khankendi road, and is also concerned about the situation with the comfortable use of the checkpoint by Armenian residents [of Azerbaijan's Karabakh]. "An example of hypocrisy is the accusation against Azerbaijan of allegedly carrying out 'ethnic cleansing', voiced by Armenia, which during almost 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani lands targeted the civilian population of Azerbaijan, carried out ethnic cleansing of about one million Azerbaijanis, committed massacres, and with its military provocations prevents their dignified and safe return to the native lands," the ministry added. In order to prevent the transportation of manpower, ammunition, mines, as well as other military equipment from Armenia for illegal Armenian armed groups on the territory of Azerbaijan (which weren't withdrawn contrary to the trilateral statement signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war), and as an adequate response to the unilateral establishment of a checkpoint by Armenia on the border with Azerbaijan on April 22 at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, on April 23 at 12:00 (GMT+4), the units of the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan set up a border checkpoint in its sovereign territories, on the border with Armenia, at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road. Greta Thunberg ROASTED for embarrassing, failed 2018 prediction that world would end in five years due to climate collapse Five years ago on June 21, 2018, climate fanatic Greta Thunberg predicted that the world would end due to global warming. Clearly, we are all still here. And the world is now mocking Thunberg for making an absolute fool of herself much in the same way climate uncle Al Gore did. On that day in 2018, then-15-year-old Thunberg sent out an apocalyptic tweet warning that only five years remained before the earth would implode on itself due to humanity's use of earth-based "fossil" fuels like oil and gas. "A top scientist is warning that climate change will wipe out all of humanity unless we stop using fossil fuels over the next five years," the teenager tweeted. Hilariously, Thunberg deleted the embarrassing tweet in question at some point before June 21, 2023, arrived because she apparently knew ahead of time that her ridiculous prophecy would fail. And people took notice of it, making sure to remind her of her embarrassingly cringeworthy prediction. "Gee, I wonder why Greta Thunberg deleted this tweet?" one person wrote on Twitter. "Humanity survived in large part due to fossil fuels usage, not in spite of it," noted another about how earth-based fuel, which some believe is constantly being renewed by the earth and does not actually come from fossils, has greatly improved people's quality of life. (Related: Earlier this year, Thunberg staged a fake "arrest" in Germany to make herself appear as a climate victim.) The world won't forget your climate insanity, Greta The mockery continued all across social media as Twitter users wished Thunberg a happy anniversary for her now-deleted tweet. "The internet lives forever and not everything is doom and gloom," one wrote. Others sarcastically warned their followers that Thunberg is still correct, even though the five-year date has passed, and that they should prepare accordingly. "Everyone stop what you are doing to see if Greta Thunberg's prophecy comes true," one mocked. "No one gets gas tonight." Another wrote that June 21, 2023, is the fifth anniversary of the "climate change hoax warning courtesy of Greta Thunberg, the poster girl of the globalist cabal." "Let's see if humanity will be wiped out in 5, 4, 3, 2 ..." Thunberg might be yesterday's news just like Gore before her, but you can be sure that the globalists will continue trotting out new climate hoaxsters every so often to continue repeating the lie that human activity is going to destroy the planet, but at some new future date as they forever kick the doomsday can down the road. "She and the rest of the elites need to keep repeating apocalyptic predictions in order to push the green agenda," one media source reported. "In order for it to work, they need people to believe that the world is about to end." It is worth noting that another climate fanatic whose predictions are likely to suffer the same failed fate once they come and go is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) who infamously warned a few years back that the world only has about 12 years left before climate change takes us all. In order for her so-called Green New Deal to work, lots of people have to believe the lie that global warming is about to kill us all ... any day now ... while we continue to wait ... and wait ... and wait. One wonders how many such doomsday scenarios about global warming have to come and go before a critical mass of society wakes up and sees that the whole green agenda is a hoax to steal away our freedoms and plunge us into forever tyranny. Climate fanaticism of the kind embraced by Greta Thunberg is a mental illness. Learn more at Climate.news. Sources include: WesternJournal.com Newstarget.com Hunter Biden pleads GUILTY to tax crimes, reaches deal on gun charge Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to resolve a five-year investigation into his failure to pay approximately $1 million in federal taxes in 2018. The agreement, detailed in a filing in federal court in Delaware on Tuesday, June 20, includes Biden pleading guilty to a pair of misdemeanor tax charges. In addition to the tax charges, Hunter Biden was accused of unlawfully owning a firearm while being addicted to a controlled substance in October 2018. For this charge, he has entered into a pretrial diversion agreement, which offers an alternative to prosecution, potentially allowing defendants to avoid prison time or a criminal conviction. (Related: MSNBC forced to admit Hunter Biden will be CHARGED for multiple felonies.) The plea agreement, which requires approval from a federal judge, stipulates that Hunter Biden will likely avoid serving time in prison if he adheres to the release conditions. Both sides of the agreement will recommend that he be placed on probation. The investigation, overseen by U.S. Attorney for Delaware David Weiss, began during the Trump administration and continued after President Joe Biden took office. The agreement also seeks to comprehensively address Hunter Biden's legal liability regarding all matters investigated by federal authorities, including allegations of corruption or violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act about his business dealings and role on the Ukrainian energy company Burisma board. Christopher Clark, Hunter Biden's attorney, said: "It is my understanding that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved. I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward." Hunter Biden could face 12-18 months for the tax charges, with the possibility of spending half of that time in prison, according to sentencing expert Tess Lopez. However, experts believe the odds of him being sentenced to jail are low due to factors such as the tax loss amount, his status as a first-time offender, and his willingness to accept responsibility for his actions. Republicans cry foul on Hunter Biden's plea agreement The plea deal received criticism from Republicans, who viewed it as a lenient outcome for the president's son. Although the plea agreement focuses on the tax charges and the gun issue, Republicans have long scrutinized Hunter Biden's activities, including his business dealings in Ukraine and the contents of a laptop allegedly left at a Delaware repair shop. Former President Donald Trump also voiced his disapproval of the deal. "Wow! The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere 'traffic ticket.' Our system is BROKEN!" he posted on his Truth Social platform. Calls for a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden have been made by Republicans, but Attorney General Merrick Garland allowed Weiss to continue overseeing the investigation. Rep. James Comer, the Republican chair of the House Oversight Committee, vowed that Garland's decision to ignore their calls will not affect his panel's work. Head over to BidenCrimeFamily.news for more stories about Hunter Biden. Watch the video below about the FBI trying to protect Hunter Biden. This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Exposing Hunter Biden is just the beginning to uncover the US deep state which colludes with the CCP. There's a reason the media are suddenly reporting on Hunter Biden's corruption. CNN finally reporting about Hunter Biden's controversial laptop. Hunter Bidens controversial laptop contents will soon be made available to the public. Hunter Biden may have been abusing children while chairing foundation to stop child abuse. Sources include: Politico.com Reuters.com Brighteon.com German explorer and adventurer said mini-sub trip to view Titanic is a suicide mission A German explorer who took the harrowing trip a couple of years ago aboard the very same mini-sub that mysteriously sank with five people aboard while descending to catch a glimpse of the Titanic is really just a "suicide mission." Arthur Loibl, who visited the site in 2021 in the OceanGate Titan submersible, told the media he felt "incredibly lucky" to have survived the dive. It was a suicide mission back then! Loibl told the German outlet Bild, adding that on his first voyage, the sub did not operate correctly and that there were electrical problems." The Telegraph adds: Mr. Loibl said he was on the voyage with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and Paul-Henry Nargeolet both of whom are believed to be passengers on the missing Titan mini-sub. His comments came as passengers disclosed details of previous voyages by OceanGates tiny sub, describing how it frequently lost contact with the surface. A rescue operation is currently in progress to save the five individuals aboard a submerged craft that went missing during an exploration of the Titanic wreckage in the deep sea. The incident occurred on Sunday morning, just under two hours into the expedition to the remains of the Titanic, resting over two miles below the surface of the North Atlantic. Recounting his experience, Loibl said, The first submarine didnt work, then a dive at 1,600 meters had to be abandoned. My mission was the fifth, but we also went into the water five hours late due to electrical problems. On Wednesday, a retired rear admiral in Britain's Royal Navy wondered why anyone would get into a dodgy piece of technology like the Titan. Why on earth you would go in a dodgy piece of technology where you actually have to sign away any right to sue the company for emotional damage, injury and death is beyond me," Chris Parr said. It is fundamentally dangerous, there was no backup plan, its experimental, and Im afraid to say theres an element of hubris if you want to go down and do that," he went on. Without a tracking device, Parr said it was a nearly impossible task trying to find the mini-sub in the allotted 30-hour oxygen window after it went missing. Im afraid the odds are vanishingly small," he said Tuesday. Obviously, we want to remain hopeful and optimistic, but there are two problems here one is actually finding the thing, and second, is how on earth are you going to get it off the seabed. Its never been done before, and I dont think anybodys got any ideas about how to do it at the moment," he added. On Wednesday, rescue personnel on the scene reported hearing banging noises, likely from the people aboard the sunken sub. Meanwhile, OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, who is also trapped aboard his company's now missing craft, told an interviewer he didn't want to hire a bunch of "50-year-old white guys" like other submarine companies because he wanted his team to be "inspirational." "When I started the business, one of the things you'll find, there are other sub operators out there, but they typically have gentlemen who are ex-military submariners, and you'll see a whole bunch of 50-year-old white guys," Rush told a representative with Teledyne Marine in August 2020. "I wanted our team to be younger, to be inspirational, and I'm not going to inspire a 16-year-old to go pursue marine technology, but a 25-year-old, you know, who's a sub pilot or a platform operator or one of our techs can be inspirational," Rush continued. "So we've really tried to get very intelligent, motivated, younger individuals involved because we're doing things that are completely new." "We're taking approaches that are used largely in the aerospace industry, is related to safety and some of the preponderance of checklists things we do for risk assessments and things like that, that are more aviation related than ocean related and we can train people to do that. We can train someone to pilot the sub, we use a game controller, so anybody can drive the sub." Sources include: InformationLiberation.com TheTelegraph.com Minnesota woman accuses state of abusing gun laws with son being charged over personally manufactured firearms The mother of a 22-year-old Minnesota man believes the state is abusing the law by charging him with two felonies for possessing firearms that he made himself. Last year, Matthew Anderson and his friend were target shooting on private property when a neighbor filed a complaint with the police after saying they heard glass shatter in their home. Although there was no evidence that a bullet actually struck the neighbors house, police launched an inspection of the shooting range as well as the firearms belonging to Anderson and his friend. Matthews mother, Sara Forgues, says he was cooperative and invited the deputy to inspect the range. The deputy determined that the young men were shooting responsibly and that the range was sound. When the responding officer inquired about their firearms, Anderson showed the deputy his privately made firearms. Because they were not manufactured commercially, they did not have any serial numbers. When the deputy said they were illegal, Anderson informed him of federal laws stating that privately manufactured firearms do not need serial numbers if they are for personal use. To his surprise, the firearms were confiscated, and he was detained before being informed he was being hit with two felony charges for possessing firearms without a serial number. According to Forgues, the statute cited by the deputies was not applicable because Anderson had not actually removed a serial number. It also does not fit the definition of a firearm that is not identified by a serial number because privately made firearms do not require serial numbers under the federal law referenced in the statute, his attorney said. In court documents, the attorney noted: Under the plain meaning of the statute, the rifles made and possessed by Anderson were not firearms as contemplated in [the federal law] and thus no serial number was required. Federal law does not require serial numbers to be placed on personally manufactured firearms created for private use. Forgues said that her son talked to an ATF agent prior to constructing his firearms to ensure he was in compliance with the law. She said the agent was unaware of state laws restricting such firearms and told him that he was not in violation of any federal law. In fact, the Minnesota DNR regularly auctions off firearms without serial numbers. Anderson is a lawful gun owner who is not subject to any restrictions. He has been a hunter since he was young and has undergone gun safety training. In addition, he legally purchased sport rifles after turning 18 and undergoing background checks. He has already pleaded not guilty to both counts, and his trial is set for September. Case's outcome could have ramifications for many Minnesota gun owners In addition to passionately defending her sons rights and expressing valid concerns about the effect that felony convictions would have on him throughout his life, Forgues is also warning other Minnesotans that the law is being interpreted in this manner and that they, too, could find themselves on the wrong end of the law unintentionally. For example, she points out that hunting is a popular pastime in Minnesota and many people are likely to have firearms in their homes that were passed down generations and may not have a serial number because they were made prior to 1968. She said that the outcome of the case could have a big effect on Minnesotans. On a GiveSendGo page raising funds for his defense, she warned: "If convicted, it would mean thousands of law-abiding gun owners all across our state would become potential felons. Its just that real. Sources for this article include: AlphaNews.org ThePostMillennial.com OceanGate Titan submarine SINKS during voyage to Titanic because racist CEO Stockton Rush didnt want to hire 50-year-old white guys The "Titan Tragedy," which they are now calling it, probably would not have happened had the OceanGate submersible company's CEO, Stockton Rush, not hired affirmative action diversity employees rather than the "50-year-old white guys" he despises to man the vessel. In case you missed it, an ocean sub designed for holiday trips to the sunken underwater Titanic vessel sank this week, presumably killing everyone on board, including at least one billionaire. It has since come to light that Rush has previously bragged about not hiring white employees like other submarine companies do because he wanted his team to be "inspirational." "When I started the business, one of the things you'll find there are other sub operators out there but they typically have gentleman who are ex-military submariners and you'll see a whole bunch of 50-year-old white guys," Rush told a representative with Teledyne Marine back in August 2020. "I wanted our team to be younger, to be inspirational, and I'm not going to inspire a 16-year-old to go pursue marine technology, but a 25-year-old, you know, who's a sub pilot or a platform operator or one of our techs can be inspirational," Rush added, spewing a lengthy, run-on sentence word salad to deliver his point. "We're taking approaches that are used largely in the aerospace industry related to safety, and some of the preponderance of checklists, things we do for risk assessments and things like that, that are more aviation related than ocean related, and we can train people to do that. We can train someone to pilot the sub, we use a game controller so anybody can drive the sub." The following video, which is embedded to start at the 5:01 mark, shows the interview where Rush pridefully made these racist, anti-white comments: (Related: Rush would feel right at home with the Southern Poverty Law Center [SPLC], which recently lumped Moms for Liberty in with the Ku Klux Klan [KKK] as a "hate" group.) Pride comes before a fall, as seen both with the Titanic and now the Titan If "anybody can drive the sub" use OceanGate's system like Rush claimed, then why did the Titan sub go missing on June 18 while descending to the Titanic wreck site off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, never to be heard from since? The media reported on Tuesday that U.S. Coast Guard officials revealed in a 1pm EST news conference that the submersible had only about 40 hours of oxygen remaining at the time it went missing 40 hours that have since come and gone, and then some. The area where the Titan went missing is so deep that the Coast Guard admitted it "could pose a challenge" to even attempt to make any kind of rescue, assuming the sub could even be found. "The deepest ever underwater rescue was that of Roger Chapman and Roger Mallinson, who were rescued from the Pisces III submersible at depths of 1,575 feet in 1973," the media reported. "They were trapped for 76 hours before finally being hauled to the surface." "The Titanic wreckage is much deeper, sitting nearly 13,000 feet below sea level." Just like the creators behind the Titanic said before their vessel sank, Rush's pride and arrogance about doing things outside the box, in this case using woke ideals, ultimately led to another fatal demise deep beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. Nature wins once again over human pride. "If there is a successful rescue, you can bet it will be done, in large part, by 50-year-old white guys," one commenter wrote about the irony of this whole thing. The latest news about how wokesters everywhere are destroying their own companies and reputations can be found at Wokies.news. Sources for this article include: InformationLiberation.com Newstarget.com Peter Hotez, the vaccine scientist who refuses to debate RFK Jr., linked to chimeric coronavirus creation in Wuhan There is a reason why Baylor College of Medicine dean and pediatrician Peter Hotez refuses to debate 2024 presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the issue of vaccines: because he knows he would lose and because Hotez is directly connected to the creation of the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) and other chimeric coronaviruses in communist China. A frequent guest on fake news networks CNN and NBC throughout the "pandemic," Hotez appeared on an episode of Joe Rogan's podcast recently during which he was challenged to debate Kennedy. There was even a charity pot attached to it that reached $2.6 million in less than 24 hours but Hotez refused. Hotez at first tried to squirm his way out of the debate by suggesting that they "take this offline," to which Rogan called that a "non-answer." Rogan had initially offered $100,000 of his own money to a charity of Hotez's choice if he would debate Kennedy, only to have that amount later soar into the millions as many others committed money to the pot as well. Ultimately, Hotez refused to participate and basically made a fool of himself. He later criticized Rogan's show, claiming that he was "tag-teamed" and "attacked" by the "anti-vaccine lobby." "And the stuff online is just total whack-a-doodle," Hotez further blabbed after making a mockery of himself. "And let's face it, when you have RFK Jr. and Joe Rogan, and Elon Musk, all tag-teaming, those tres hombres at the same time. That probably includes just about every follower on Twitter. So, it's pretty overwhelming." (Related: Check out this report about the real Peter Hotez: snake oil salesman whose life's purpose is to push deadly vaccines for corporate parasites.) Hotez doesn't want to debate because he knows he'd lose and his dirty laundry would be aired out for the entire world to see Hotez's final answer about refusing the debate was one claiming that "in science, we don't typically do debates." Instead, Hotez, insists, scientists "write scientific papers" and don't "typically debate science." Hotez continues to throw every barb he can get away with at the people challenging him and his refusal to stand up for what he believes in, recognizing, it would seem, that he would lose any debate rather quickly not to mention the fact that Hotez is tied to the illegal gain-of-function research involving bat coronaviruses that he likely does not want to have brought up in a debate. Between 2012 and 2017, Hotez took advantage of a grant he received from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the development of a SARS vaccine. The stated purpose of the grant was that the research would help the response to any "accidental release from a laboratory," as well as possible zoonotic virus spillover. "As part of his NIH grant, Hotez subcontracted funding for research on combined or 'chimeric' coronaviruses, a scientific paper shows," reports explain. "Hotez's grant underwrote two of Shi's collaborators on the project. [Shi headed up the Wuhan lab's coronavirus modification project]." "In the 2017 paper co-funded by Hotez, Shi and her colleagues generated a recombinant virus from two SARS-related coronaviruses: 'rWIV1-SHC014S.' It's not clear whether the paper co-funded by Hotez should have been stopped under a temporary 'pause' on gain-of-function work before 2017." According to Dr. Pierre Kory, the above information, which was taken from an article by U.S. Right to Know, is incriminating in that it shows "how Hotez worked over and over to cover up the possibility SARS-CoV-2 could have come from a lab." All of this is presumably why Hotez wants to stay out of the limelight, despite partially going into it by appearing with Rogan. We suspect that Hotez will make himself disappear from the media from now on if he can possibly get away with it. More of the latest news about faux scientists like Peter Hotez can be found at ScienceFraud.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com Newstarget.com Bombshell new proof emerges the US govt is training children to be terrorists The bombshell story Susan Duclos emailed over to me on Saturday from the Daily Mail following the '' of '' Ted Kaczynski is a perfect tie-in to where we're going to go in this story with that DM story reporting that at the ripe old age of 16, the then Harvard Math Prodigy was targeted by the CIA's sinister' project as a ',' (Article by Stefan Stanford republished from AllNewsPipeline.com) As that DM story reported, used as an unknowing guinea pig for the CIA's atrocious brainwashing program which consisted of 'vehement, sweeping, and personally abusive' mock interrogations between 1958 and 1962, 'patients' being 'dosed' with potent mind-altering drugs, subjected to extremes of temperature and sound, high and low pressure, oxygen, food and sleep deprivation, strapped to electroshock machines and forcefully interrogated under a blazing spotlight for hours at a time, Kaczynski was later diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia after he went on a 17-year-long bombing rampage that claimed the lives of three people and injured 23 others. One of 22 different coeds during that time period who were subjected to those forms of torture and other 'behavior modification techniques' according to Dr. Henry Murray, the preeminent Harvard professor who led the viscous interrogations of Kaczynski and the others, and Dr. Murray being well known during World War II as an affluent New Yorker with scientific and humanitarian interests who was a critical figure before and during World War II in the field of psychology, take note that this story about 16-year-old Kaczynski being brainwashed by the CIA and MK-Ultra comes out at the same time as this new story over at Zero Hedge reporting it's just been proven the FBI 'Groomed' a 'developmentally challenged' 16-year-old boy to become a 'terrorist,' and then arrested him. Earlier this month, the FBI announced the arrest of 18-year-old Mateo Ventura of Wakefield, Massachusetts, over allegations that he provided financial support to ISIS. According to the DOJ's press release, Ventura was indicted for "knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources that he intended to go to a foreign terrorist organization." Yet, according to the government's own criminal complaint, Ventura never gave a dime to any terrorist groups, while the only "terrorist" he actually had any contact with was an undercover FBI agent who befriended him when he was 16-years-old and convinced him to produce gift cards with small amounts of cash on them. The FBI agent told Ventura not to tell anyone about their 'intimate online relationship,' including his family, according to The Intercept. Contrary to the sensational narrative fed to the news media of terrorist financing in the U.S., the charging documents show that Ventura gave an undercover FBI agent gift cards for pitifully small amounts of cash, sometimes in $25 increments. In his initial bid to travel to the Islamic State, the teenager balked making up an excuse, by the FBIs own account, to explain why he did not want to go. When another opportunity to travel abroad arose, Ventura balked again, staying home on the evening of his supposed flight instead of traveling to the airport. By the time the investigation was winding down, he appeared ready to turn in his purported ISIS contact an FBI agent to the FBI. -The Intercept Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Has the FBI simply 'taken over' the CIA's diabolical 'MK-Ultra' program? And how many more young kids and mentally disabled teens are out there, being 'groomed' by globalist terrorists within the US govt to commit acts of terror or join up with terrorist groups? With the 'Office of Strategic Services,' where Dr. Murray worked, being formed in 1942 before being dissolved in 1945, being a precursor to the CIA, and Murray being described by 1960's 'legend' Timothy Leary as 'the wizard of personality assessment' who, as OSS chief psychologist, had monitored military experiments on brainwashing and sodium amytal interrogation,' none of us should really be surprised that Kaszynski was in that brutal CIA program, a breeding ground for dark, human experimentation and mind control. And showing us once again why the CIA, as well as the FBI for that matter, need to be completely dissolved and smashed into a million tiny little pieces, never to infiltrate and overthrow US politics or the 'minds of Americans' again, the CIA proved with MK-Ultra and Kaczynski just how easy it was for them to 'radicalize' a so-called 'lonely boy genius,' and turn him into a 'lethal domestic terrorist,' using 'electronic torture' and 'psycho-electronic weapons' among other brutal methods as seen in the images within this story. As the Daily Mail story had reported, within a year of his enrollment at Harvard, Kaczynski still an impressionably young teenagerhad been recruited by the CIA as a human guinea pig to study mind control under intense interrogation, psychotropic drugs, hypnosis and psychological coercion in the top-secret government project known as MK-Ultra. Read more at: AllNewsPipeline.com Republican Gov. Lombardo of Nevada signs bill requiring insurance companies to pay for child sex changes After 20 states and counting passed legislation to prohibit the transgender mutilation of children, Nevada, under the leadership of Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, just passed a law requiring insurance companies to pay for minors to get sex changes. As long as the body butchery is "recommended by a psychologist, psychiatrist or other mental health professional," as well as by a physician, children in Nevada are now allowed to get their genitals sliced and their hormones wrecked for free, all thanks to Lombardo. Massive conservative outcry over Lombardo's decision to sign the legislation prompted him to issue a statement claiming that its provisions are somehow not as ghastly as they truly are. "I implore people to read the bill in its entirety," Lombardo told a reporter about the matter. "And you will see it's not as draconian or detrimental or immoral as people are portraying it to be." Democratic state Sen. Melanie Scheible, conversely, was overjoyed by Lombardo signing the bill, suggesting that this is a major win for the LGBT lobby and its quest to mutilate as many children as it can get its hands on. "At a time when states across the country are passing draconian laws to restrict trans and nonbinary people's right to exist, Nevada is doing the opposite," Scheible announced proudly. (Related: Fake president Joe Biden is fully supportive of mutilating children in the name of LGBT "inclusion.") Nevada may not be a "sanctuary" state for the transgender mutilation of children, but it is certainly moving in that direction Lombardo did stop short, however, in allowing Nevada to become a "sanctuary" state for the transgender mutilation of children, which is what California, New York, and Vermont have done. Senate Bill 302, which Lombardo vetoed earlier this month, would have prevented medical providers throughout the state from losing their licenses for providing so-called "gender-affirming care" to children. It also would have prohibited Lombardo's office from aiding in out-of-state prosecutions for violations of their laws concerning transgender mutilation. In explaining why he decided to veto SB 302, Lombardo said that its passage would have barred him from having "the ability to be certain that all gender-affirming care related to minors comports with state law." "It also decreases the Executive Branch's authority to ensure the highest public health and child safety standards for Nevadans," he added. In addition to signing the bill requiring insurance companies to pay for the transgender mutilation of children, Lombardo also signed another bill that requires the state's Department of Corrections to develop new regulations for how to house transgender criminal inmates, as well as how to provide medical and mental health care for them during their stay in prison. "Unfortunately Nevada's 'GOP' Governor is becoming a laughingstock across the nation," tweeted Nevada Republican National Committee (RNC) committeewoman Sigal Chattah. Harmeet K. Dhillon, founder of the Center for American Liberty, also chimed in on the matter by suggesting that the reason why Lombardo agreed to sign these pro-trans mutilation bills is because he needed a bargaining chip to get the Nevada legislature to agree to "give him a Las Vegas Stadium for the Oakland As." "These people are simply now publicly showing the depravity that they have always been showing in private," wrote one disgusted commenter about this new wave of politicians that supports destroying children's bodies and lives for profit. "This present evil government is so corrupt, so un-American, and so unconstitutional that it cannot be fixed or corrected until the entire government, including federal, state, and local, is removed from public office completely," wrote another. Politicians both Democrat and Republican are child-grooming perverts. Learn more at Transhumanism.news. Sources for this article include: ThePostMillennial.com NaturalNews.com GULP! Study reveals DANGEROUS levels of heavy metals in many US beverages The presence of heavy metals in certain food items has been well-documented. A new study revealed that these same heavy metals are found in beverages sold in American groceries and at dangerous levels, too. A group of scientists from Tulane University in New Orleans disclosed the shocking discovery through a study published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. They tested 60 non-alcoholic beverages from a grocery in the Crescent City that are commercially available across the country. These beverages include single and mixed fruit juices, plant-based milk, sodas and teas. The study authors used inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to generate atomized samples of the beverages, which where then analyzed for heavy metals. Twenty-five heavy metals were found in all 60 beverages sampled. "Mixed fruit juices and plant-based milk frequently contained elevated concentrations of most of the elements," they noted. The elements found in the drinks include lead, selenium, arsenic, strontium, cadmium, nickel, boron, manganese, aluminum and zinc. According to the researchers, many of the beverage samples they tested contained aluminum and zinc in concentrations beyond the standards for drinking water. Aluminum was especially prominent, surpassing the federal governments health standards by 40 percent. Lead study author and Tulane environmental health sciences professor Tewodros Godebo emphasized the study's importance, given that there are few peer-reviewed studies examining the contents of American beverages. "It was surprising that there aren't a lot of studies out there concerning toxic and essential elements in soft drinks in the U.S.," he said. "This creates awareness that there needs to be more study." While the health risks of these beverages for adults are most likely low, Godebo said they pose a bigger risk to children. He advised: "People should avoid giving infants and young children mixed-fruit juices or plant-based milks at high volume. Arsenic, lead, and cadmium are known carcinogens and well established to cause internal organ damage and cognitive harm in children especially during early brain development." (Related: Would you drink juice with arsenic and lead? Study shows 50 percent of juices tested contain TOXIC heavy metals.) Godebo: Contamination of beverages often come from soil Food manufacturers do not intentionally add heavy metals as an ingredient. However, contamination of food and water can occur at any stage of the food web and supply chain from farming and harvesting of ingredients, processing up to transport to grocery shelves. According to Godebo, most of the elements he and his team found in the beverages presumably come from contaminated soil. He expounded: "These metals are naturally occurring, so it's hard to get rid of [them] completely." NaturalHealth365 staff writer Patrick Tims shared Godebo's view. He noted that the prevalence of toxic metals in many beverages can be attributed to several underlying factors. "Unfortunately, the safety of the soil, fertilizers, and pesticides used by farmers during the cultivation of fruits and plants for these beverages is no longer as assured as it once was. The advent of industrialization and urbanization has introduced toxic heavy metals into farmland, thereby altering the elemental composition of the very fruits and plants utilized in beverage production," Tims wrote. He continued that metals contaminating beverages weren't just found in the soil. "The manufacturing and packaging processes, as well as the quality of irrigation water and air pollution, serve as additional sources of potential contamination. These stages in the beverage production chain can contribute to the presence of toxic metals, exacerbating the issue and posing a significant concern to consumer health and well-being." Meanwhile, Godebo said there should be a risk assessment based on the data collected to see the impacts of heavy metal consumption in children and adults. He added: "We are curious to keep exploring what's in our drinks and foods commercially sold to the consumers." Visit StopEatingPoison.com for more stories about heavy metals in foods and beverages. Watch this news report about heavy metals found in products from major chocolate brands. This video is from the MEGA (Make Earth Great Again) channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Get the heavy metals out NOW! Health Ranger reveals 5-step method for dramatically reducing your heavy metals burden. Juices, soft drinks found to contain trace levels of toxic metals: INVESTIGATION. Heavy metals WARNING and safe detoxification strategies. How to reduce your exposure to heavy metals. Sources include: NaturalHealth365.com ScienceDirect.com MedicalXpress.com Brighteon.com Campus insanity Students in UK schools allowed to identify as ANIMALS Students in different schools in the United Kingdom are being allowed to identify as animals , one notch above the insanity of them being allowed to identify as the gender they choose to be. The Telegraph recounted one such incident at Rye College in East Sussex, where a girl self-identified as a cat. Her classmates who refused to play along with the insanity gave the would-be feline a reminder that she is a girl. However, the woke institution reprimanded the classmates who gave a reality check, telling them their remarks "really upset" their classmate who identified as a cat. But this wasn't the only story shared by the outlet, as students in other schools also identified as other creatures. One student at a secondary school in South West England insisted on being addressed as a dinosaur. Another student insisted on being addressed as a horse. A third student wore a cape and demanded that they be acknowledged as a moon a literal lunatic, to put it bluntly. The Telegraph also published the testimony of a secondary school student in Wales regarding a fellow pupil who "feels very discriminated against if you do not refer to them as 'catself.'" The student added: "When they answer questions, they meow rather than answer a question in English. And the teachers are not allowed to get annoyed about this because it's seen as discriminating." (Related: Substitute teacher was FIRED for refusing to "meow" to a student who claims to self-identify as a CAT.) The student lamented: "It's affecting other people and their education and everybody in their lessons. Its distracting to sit in a lesson and have someone meow to a teacher rather than answer in English, especially at secondary school age. That's going to take a lot out of a lesson because people are going to spend the entire lesson talking about whoever it is over there meowing to the teacher." Students identifying as animals raises clear RED FLAGS Tracy Shaw of the grassroots Safe Schools Alliance UK (SSA UK) said children coming to school and insisting on being addressed as an animal is just a small sign of a bigger, underlying problem. "If a child is coming to school identifying as a cat or a horse, that should immediately raise red flags. Affirming children as animals harms those children, as it fails to look into their lives and get them the help they need. It also harms other children in the school," she said. "The problem is that teachers have a blind spot where anything involving identity comes in because they are frightened of doing the wrong thing. They think they are being kind by affirming these behaviors. But they are not being kind because they are likely to be missing all sorts of things that are going on in that child's life." Christian Concern CEO Andrea Williams stressed that the Telegraph's story "exposes the confusion and untruths being embedded in schools which are developing into a public health crisis." She added that "inclusive education" espoused by the Left " leaves teachers, parents and children lost in moral chaos and confusion." "In the current climate, this cannot be dismissed as innocent examples of 'imaginative play' but further examples of the confusing and harmful ideologies which are continuing to escalate in our schools. Out of fear of questioning or going against the secular orthodoxy on these issues, teachers are forced to go along with it and to kowtow to whatever a child 'identifies' [as] at any given moment." Williams also lamented that teachers who raise concerns over transitioning children are marginalized, silenced and even ended up losing their careers. "Truth is becoming stranger than fiction. Sadly, such is the climate of fear in schools. We can no longer rely on the common sense of teachers," she said. Watch this video of a middle school student discriminated against for defending the truth that there are only two genders. This video is from the Red Voice Media channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trans-species? Woman claims she is actually a cat. Woman at Michigan School Board meeting blows whistle on LITTER BOXES placed in school bathrooms for students who identify as CATS. Genetically white woman now claims self-identify as black: If you can choose your gender, can you also choose your race? What about your species? Can a human claim to be a llama? Sources include: OutKick.com Telegraph.co.uk DailyMail.co.uk Brighteon.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Dialogue with Armenian residents of Karabakh is an internal affair of Azerbaijan, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The ministry made the remark commenting on statements of Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at today's meeting of Armenian government. "In connection with the calls for the use of the 'international mechanism' in the dialogue with the Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and the solution of the issues of the 'rights and security' of the Armenian residents in this context, we once again emphasize that the dialogue with the Armenian residents, as well as ensuring the rights and freedoms of people living in territories of Azerbaijan within the framework of Azerbaijani legislation are an internal affair of Azerbaijan," the ministry said. According to the ministry, Azerbaijan is determined to take the necessary measures for the reintegration of Armenian residents, and the invitation of Armenian residents to discuss this and other issues remains in force. "The use of this issue by Armenia for manipulations as an element of its traditional aggressive policy and hinder the peace process is unacceptable," the ministry added. Following the 2020 second Karabakh war, Azerbaijan repeatedly expressed readiness for dialogue with Armenian residents of Karabakh regarding their reintegration. So, speaking at a special meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council held on June 17, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said that Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenians living in the countrys Karabakh region into its political, legal, economic, and social frameworks as equal citizens. US govt is FUNDING invasion camps in Central America exclusive interview with Michael Yon The United States government is secretly funding the migrant invasion camps in Panama, where hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals -- mostly military-aged men -- have been staged, processed and transported to the United States to take their positions across the country. One such camp is called "San Vicente," near the Darien Gap in Panama. Former special forces operator Michael Yon has toured the camp, revealing a sprawling, ever-expanding network of invasion infrastructure that's being directly supported by Homeland Defense secretary Mayorkas as well as other key members in the Biden administration. Through these US government funded camps, hundreds of thousands of foreign actors are being planted across the USA, ready to receive orders for an attempted Marxist revolution that would demand the mass murder of US governors, senators, mayors, chiefs of police and any citizen that resists the takeover. This invasion of America is not being reported by the CIA-controlled mainstream media. Nor is it admitted by the Biden regime that's helping carry it out. But this is an actual invasion and occupation of the continental United States of America by enemy forces that mean to topple the USA, seize its territory, kill its citizens and claim its bountiful natural resources. We are living in a war zone, and the enemy is taking up key positions across the country right now, preparing to launch its final assault that will take out U.S. infrastructure and leave the nation in ruins. Meanwhile, Americans are asleep, believing their nation is somehow invincible, even as it is being overrun. The enemy isn't even being challenged at the border. They are being welcomed right in. Michael Yon sounds the alarm in today's Brighteon Broadcast News interview: - Ocean Gate submarine company went "woke" and fired the white guys who could do math - Now the vessel is probably stranded at 13,000 feet below the ocean surface - It's the perfect metaphor for the sinking civilization of the West, where WOKE is more important than MERIT - US hospitals to start RESTRICTING medical procedures due to climate change - Total government control via CBDCs will disallow you from buying food, fuel, transportation and more - Greta Thunberg predicted we would all be DEAD by now - Climate cultists and Leftists are obsessed with IMAGINARY threats while ignoring REAL threats - Full interview with Michael Yon, revealing how US government is FUNDING the "invasion camps" in Central America - Google Earth erases all images of the invasion camps in Panama as cover-up continues - Google is complicit in the invasion and occupation of America by illegal aliens who are mostly military-aged men Brighteon: Brighteon.com/bd0ffa19-c780-4865-b7f6-428cb3edd0f9 Rumble: Rumble.com/v2vq9b8-full-interview-with-michael-yon-revealing-how-us-government-is-funding-the-.html Bitchute: Bitchute.com/video/mlB4tiAnoTs2/ Banned.Video: Banned.video/watch?id=64945645f64290b5246223c6 iTunes podcast: Healthrangerreport.com/brighteon-broadcast-news-june-22-2023-us-govt-funding-invasion-camps-in-central-america-feat-michael-yon Discover more interviews and podcasts each day at: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/HRreport Follow me on: Brighteon.social: Brighteon.social/@HealthRanger (my breaking news gets posted here first) Telegram: t.me/RealHealthRanger Substack: HealthRanger.substack.com Banned.video: Banned.video/channel/mike-adams Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@healthranger Twitter: still BANNED by Elon Musk Gettr: GETTR.com/user/healthranger Parler: Parler.com/user/HealthRanger Rumble: Rumble.com/c/HealthRangerReport BitChute: Bitchute.com/channel/9EB8glubb0Ns/ Clouthub: app.clouthub.com/#/users/u/naturalnews/posts Join the free NaturalNews.com email newsletter to stay alerted about breaking news each day. Download my current audio books -- including Ghost World, Survival Nutrition, The Global Reset Survival Guide and The Contagious Mind -- at: https://Audiobooks.NaturalNews.com/ Download my new audio book, "Resilient Prepping" at ResilientPrepping.com - it teaches you how to survive the total collapse of civilization and the loss of both the power grid and combustion engines. As the global population surges and our planet's resources dwindle, the future of humankind hinges on our ability to innovate and overcome the mounting challenges facing agriculture. With climbing demand for high-quality produce and limited land and water resources, it seems like a Herculean task - but is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Enter plant phenotyping, a cutting-edge technology that aims to unlock the hidden potential of our crops and revolutionize the way we farm. Drawing on advancements in imaging and data analytics, this remarkable growth area opens up a whole new world of possibilities for farmers. Dive into the world of plant phenotyping and discover how this ground-breaking innovation stands to transform the very roots of agriculture. Introduction Agriculture has always been the backbone of human civilization, playing a crucial role in providing sustenance and ensuring our survival. As the global population continues to grow, the demand for efficient agricultural practices rises in tandem with it. Enter plant phenotyping, a technology that holds the potential to revolutionize the agricultural industry. This innovative system aims to address the challenges faced by modern agriculture by providing valuable insights into plant traits and responses to environmental stressors. In this post, we will explore the concept of plant phenotyping and the ways in which it can contribute to the future of agriculture optimizing not only crop yield but also quality, and paving the way for a sustainable and prosperous agricultural landscape. Challenges in Agriculture agriculture faces some significant challenges that emphasize the need for advanced technology to maintain high-quality produce and improve efficiency. One of the crucial issues confronting farmers is the scarcity and high cost of arable land, which has led to an increasing shift toward precision agriculture. As a country highly reliant on arid and semi-arid regions,the ability to generate crops is heavily dependent on efficient land use and crop management strategies that maximize yield per unit area. Another pressing challenge in agriculture is water scarcity, with the country experiencing a growing demand for freshwater resources and a decrease in natural water supply. Droughts and unreliable rain patterns have further exacerbated this problem, forcing farmers to implement smart irrigation systems to optimize water usage. As water-saving measures become more crucial in the face of climate change, adopting advanced technologies such as plant phenotyping will play a vital role in ensuring sustainable water use and minimizing waste. In addition to the issue of land and water scarcity, there is an increasing demand for high-quality vegetable produce due to growing awareness of health and nutrition benefits. producers are under constant pressure to cater to this demand and compete in the global market, which requires the use of cutting-edge methods and technology. As a result, farmers must invest in sophisticated tools to monitor and manage crop growth, which is essential for producing high-quality vegetables that meet consumer expectations. Due to these challenges, agriculture requires a highly efficient and advanced approach to tackle these problems and ensure sustainable development. Plant phenotyping is one such revolutionary technology that has the potential to transform the agricultural landscape in the country, offering immense benefits in terms of improved crop management, resource optimization, and overall production quality. In the next sections, we will further explore the concept of plant phenotyping and its applications in addressing these challenges. What is Plant Phenotyping? Plant phenotyping is an emerging technology that aims to quantify the physical and biochemical traits of plants to better understand their response to specific environmental factors, such as light, temperature, and watering conditions. This is done using advanced sensors, imaging techniques, and data analysis tools which enable scientists and farmers to assess crop characteristics in real-time. There are two main types of plant phenotyping: high-throughput and precision phenotyping. High-throughput phenotyping utilizes automation and large-scale datasets to measure hundreds or thousands of plants at once, making it particularly useful for breeding programs and genetic research. On the other hand, precision phenotyping focuses on gathering detailed information about individual plants and their specific growing environment, enhancing farmers' ability to make informed decisions about resource management. Advancements in phenotyping technology have led to the development of non-invasive, high-resolution imaging systems that can rapidly measure key plant features, such as leaf shape, color, and size. These systems often use combinations of visible, near-infrared, and hyperspectral imaging techniques to gather data, as well as machine learning algorithms to analyze and interpret the information. Some examples of plant phenotyping system already available in the market include LemnaTec's Scanalyzer product line, which features large-scale imaging systems for greenhouses and field environments, and Photon Systems Instruments' Phenomobile, a mobile platform for high-throughput field phenotyping. These technologies provide researchers and farmers with valuable insights to improve crop yields, optimize water and resource use, and pave the way for more sustainable agricultural practices. Overall, plant phenotyping represents a significant shift in the way that agricultural technology is utilized, offering innovative solutions to longstanding challenges in the field. By deepening our understanding of plant growth, development, and response to environmental conditions, plant phenotyping paves the way for enhanced agricultural productivity and sustainability. Advantages of Plant Phenotyping Plant phenotyping offers a range of advantages that have the potential to revolutionize agriculture. By improving the way we identify, analyze and understand plant traits, this technology positively impacts overall crop yield, quality, and adaptability in changing environmental conditions. The following are some of the most noteworthy benefits of plant phenotyping. Firstly, by using advanced imaging technologies such as multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, plant phenotyping provides agriculturists with detailed insights into plant physiological and morphological traits. This information allows for more effective management of crop varieties as it enables the detection of diseases, pests, and nutrient deficiencies early on. By addressing these issues promptly, farmers can significantly improve the quality of their produce and minimize crop losses. Another major advantage is the acceleration of plant breeding programs. Through plant phenotyping, researchers can quickly and accurately identify desirable traits and gene variants that enhance crop yield, resistance to diseases, or adaptation to environmental stress. Consequently, this speeds up the development of new, high-performing crop varieties, ultimately benefiting both the economy and global food security. Furthermore, plant phenotyping greatly contributes to agricultural research. For instance, the technology allows scientists to study the effects of various stress conditions and pathogens on plants. As previously mentioned in the 'What is Plant Phenotyping?' section, this information is valuable for the development of new strategies and targeted interventions to protect and enhance crop performance. Finally, plant phenotyping technology promotes resource efficiency in agriculture. By enabling better selection of crops with desirable traits such as drought or salinity tolerance, the industry can optimize water and nutrient usage while minimizing environmental impacts. In light of the challenges facing agriculture, as discussed in the 'Challenges in Agriculture' section, the ability to make more efficient use of resources is of utmost importance for achieving sustainable and resilient agricultural practices. Future of Plant Phenotyping Plant phenotyping is poised to revolutionize agriculture, overcoming the obstacles we discussed earlier. Combining advanced sensor technology, artificial intelligence, and data analysis, plant phenotyping can increase agricultural productivity, while conserving crucial environmental resources like water and soil. In the coming years, we can expect the rapid adoption of this technology in research sectors, breeding programs, and industrial-scale farming operations. The future of agriculture will depend on embracing and optimizing plant phenotyping systems to ensure sustainable growth and meet the increasing demand for high-quality produce. A critically endangered northern white-cheeked gibbon gave birth to a youngster at the Houston Zoo, marking a first for the species. The zoo in Texas published some sweet images of a new mother cuddling with her newborn, whom they described as a "cheeky new baby." Critically Endangered Northern White-Cheeked Gibbon According to a June 13 press release by the Houston Zoo, northern white-cheeked gibbon couple Ting and Max gave birth to the furry baby on May 30 at the zoo. At the Houston Zoo, a gibbon was born for the first time this time. The birth of the gibbon baby boy is all the more amazing because gibbons are critically endangered in the wild. While the mother and baby gibbons are both bonding and doing well, the first few weeks are essential, according to zoo authorities, and the animal care staff is keeping a careful eye on both of them. The honor of naming the infant will go to the keepers who have devoted their entire life to caring for the gibbons. In pictures posted to the zoo's Facebook page, the mother can be seen breastfeeding her kid. "A dose of cuteness," the zoo remarked on June 18, Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Physical Features One of the many distinctive characteristics of white-cheeked gibbons is that their fur is dimorphic in color. Thus, all white-cheeked gibbons are born with fur cream in color, which turns to black at the age of two. They then start to grow their recognizable white cheek patches. While females turn back to their original cream hue, males will remain black. The extraordinarily long arms of gibbons are another characteristic that sets them apart from other primates. The arms of White-cheeked Gibbons are the longest in proportion to their bodies of any primate. In fact, they can swing from tree to tree since their arms are longer compared to their legs. Reproduction The northern white-cheeked gibbon has a 28-day menstrual cycle and a seven-month gestation period. Every two to three years, a single baby is born to white-cheeked gibbons. From birth, babies cling to their mothers. Newborns are frequently observed hanging across the abdomens of their mothers. This enables the moms to sit like most gibbons do, with their knees raised. Older babies position their abdomens vertically. Early in the second year, children are weaned. When the children are fully grown, they often leave the parental unit and look for their territory and partner. Also Read: Japan Zoo Finds Out How Their Solitary Gibbon Got Pregnant Feeding The main foods that white-cheeked gibbons consume are ripe fruits, leaves, and a limited quantity of invertebrates. They consume young leaves 35% of the time and fruit 65% of the time when they are eating. They spend most of their time moving and feeding in the higher and intermediate levels of the canopy and hardly ever descend to the ground. Families frequently have meals under the trees, according to Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. Conservation According to the Houston Zoo, visits to the Zoo can aid in the preservation of wild primates across the globe. Each Zoo membership and entry fee includes a percentage that goes toward the Zoo's support of animal conservation efforts in Africa, Asia, and South America. The Houston Zoo supplies equipment for anti-poaching patrols, participates in community-led reforestation projects to conserve and restore habitat, and offers skilled medical care to treat and rehabilitate sick and injured monkeys. Related Article: Endangered Sumatran Orangutan Born in Sacramento Zoo, First Since 1981 The latest report showed that over 500 bees were documented in 45 genera in Minnesota, which could help conservation efforts of bee populations. The documentation reveals the rich biodiversity of bee populations in Minnesota to observe and understand the bee ecology in local populations. Bees have been important in ecosystems and biodiversity. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), bees are crucial in providing high-quality food and pollinators for plants to grow and reproduce. While the bee's existence is vital to human survival, its populations are under threat and decline due to habitat loss and the use of harmful chemicals. The report added that air pollution could also impact bees. As a result, protection and conservation efforts are essential to prevent the possible decline. 508 bees species documented in Minnesota Based on the report, the findings are published in Zootaxa show the check of bees in Minnesota. Documenting and studying bee populations is helpful, especially in Minnesota, with unique bee fauna due to the city's geographic area. The report noted that the area has unique and specialist species of bees. The report is also published on Phys.org's website. According to the study, the statewide checklist was recorded due to the University of Minnesota's specimens and regional bee collections. The researchers looked into the samples that helped contribute to the insect collection at the University of Minnesota. As mentioned, the researchers noted that the checklist could help conserve the local bee populations in Minnesota. It can also assist future bee researchers in unraveling the decline of specific bee populations. Rare species of bees are also present, such as the rusty bumble bee, pickerelweed long-horned bee and Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee. Furthermore, the researchers found that there are species that are extirpated, including Ashton's cuckoo bumble bee in Minnesota. The report also noted that the cuckoo bumble suffered from declines. The checklist reveals that there are specialist bees in Minnesota, noting the restoration efforts of their habitats are crucial. More facts about bees Bees may look small, but they contribute immensely to the environment. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), bees are crucial pollinators for global crops and plants. Inside the hive, they look for a potential new queen bee by finding a young larva. Once a colony or hive exists, the queen can lay over 2000 bees. Also Read: How Bees Become Excellent Navigators Like First Human Pilots According to the Buzz About Bees website, when the queen bees are not in the hive or being removed, the bee colony is aware of the missing queen. It might not be noticeable, but bees have four wings. The report noted that honey bees can fly up to 15 mph. Furthermore, female bees can be able to sting. Buzz About Bees explained that the Waggle Bee Dance showed that workers informed the colony of areas rich in food. Related Article: How Robotic Bees Could Help Healthy Colonies, Environment For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature News. After experiencing intense drought conditions, a recent report revealed that a 16th-century church, the Temple of Quechula, emerged in the Nezahualcoyotl reservoir in South Mexico. Recently, Reuters reported that parts of Mexico experienced challenging heatwaves, causing six casualties due to the hot conditions in the country. Due to the challenging heat, Mexicans were advised to take precautions. Meanwhile, the dry and heat likely worsened the drought. According to AccuWeather, parts of Chiapas in Mexico had experienced drought conditions for about six months. The drought impacted the Nezahualcoyotl reservoir, which reached low water levels. Drought conditions in Mexico and entire view of church In the latest AccuWeather and Newsweek reports, a 16th-century church named the Temple of Quechula emerged due to the low water levels in the said reservoir and lack of rainfall. During the 16th century, the church was a home for the Zoque people that Friar Bartolome de la Casas led. The reports noted that the drought conditions helped resurface the Roman Catholic church, which was submerged before. Unlike before, they could travel by boat, and the scene became different. People could see and walk to the church's 30-foot tall wall and bell tower. AccuWeather reported that the water levels in the reservoir declined five months ago, as the wet season became unusually dry in 2022, which affected the water storage. In the report, architect Carlos Navarrete explained that the church was abandoned in 1773 - 1776 due to the plagues. Impact on local fishermen Although the view is magnificent, the drought conditions and low water levels in the reservoir have impacted the local fishermen. According to the Newsweek report, the drop in the water could affect the fish. Drought conditions have a significant toll on farmers and fishermen. Lost village in Spanish reservoir Furthermore, AccuWeather and Reuters reported a lost village of Aceredo in the Limia River, becoming a tourist attraction in the area. The reports explained that the drought and lack of rainfall helped unfold the ancient village submerged when the Alto Lindoso reservoir was built. Also Read: Northeast Weather Forecast: Poor Air Quality to Emerge Due to Dry Conditions, Canadian Smoke The report said that the ancient village had been submerged in the water for more than 20 years that suddenly emerged due to drought. Challenging temperatures and drought As lack of rainfall and soaring temperatures continue in Mexico, it could likely result in heat-related health concerns. It is best that Mexicans should keep updated with the weather conditions, as heat waves could become dangerous for vulnerable people. Outdoor workers, older adults, people with medical conditions and children are at risk of the hot weather in Mexico. Furthermore, it is best to stay hydrated at all times. Bringing bottled water is essential when traveling to tourist areas or enjoying outdoor activities. Staying in cooler areas is also suggested to ease the troublesome heat in Mexico. Related Article: Family Dies Inside Car With Running AC as Heat Wave Impacts Mexico For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News. According to experts, incidents like the Louisiana fish kill may become more frequent as seas warm and oxygen levels drop in aquatic environments. Fish Kill by Lack of Oxygen near a pond near Prairieville, Louisiana, thousands of dead fish have been discovered. These fish are the victims of a phenomenon known as fish kill. Less oxygen in the water makes it difficult for fish to breathe, according to Robbie Maxwell, a Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries inland fisheries technical advisor. Sometimes a fish kill is the result of only those still-hot days. Rainstorms can occasionally cause the water to flip over, causing even lower oxygen levels to emerge from the bottom. Although fish kills are widespread, they are a very complicated event, LDWF says in its brochure discussing fish kills. The fish kills are typically brought on by environmental changes rather than pollution. This may entail the water losing oxygen or changing acidity or salinity. Even while each one of these elements alone might not be enough to kill millions of fish, when they all come into play, a lot of fish may perish, which can produce a startling image. Overpopulation or an increase in toxins in the water may be to blame for the recent fish death in Louisiana, which was observed in a smaller pond. But a shortage of oxygen is the main cause of fish deaths in big quantities of water. Algae Growth Increased algal growth can result in lower water oxygen levels. Unhealthy algal blooms can result from an abundance of nutrients in the water. The decay of these blooms will then deplete the water's oxygen supply. Marine life may suffocate as a result, which can be quite hazardous. According to Julie Hagen, a representative for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Coastal Fisheries Division, fish deaths like this occur often in the summer when temperatures rise. Fish cannot "breathe" if there is insufficient dissolved oxygen in the water. Low dissolved oxygen is frequently a natural occurrence. Hagen emphasized that photosynthesis and aerobic respiration are responsible for daily fluctuations in the concentration of dissolved oxygen. Hagen noted that the daytime rise in dissolved oxygen is due to photosynthesis, which is fueled by sunlight. While photosynthesis ceases at night and may slow down on overcast days, aquatic life continues to breathe and absorb free oxygen, lowering the concentration of dissolved oxygen, Newsweek reports. Also Read: Illegal Shark Fin Shipment Seized in Brazil Weighs Over 30 Tons, Companies Slapped with Fine Climate Change According to Newsweek, if global warming increases, experts predict that fish fatalities might rise as a result of the warming water. Specialists at NOAA's National Ocean Service said via USA Today that rising ocean temperatures resulting from climate change may exacerbate low oxygen conditions in areas of the US that are vulnerable to hypoxia and in extreme cases fish mortality, caused by extremely low oxygen. Fish are endothermic, which means that the temperature of the water in which they are swimming is the same for them. According to Andre Boustany, global research director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, when the water heats, the organisms' metabolism rises and they require more oxygen, USA Today reports. Related Article: Faroe Islands Hunt 'Grindadrap' Continues with Bloody Shores from Over 500 Dolphins Slaughtered A global monkey torture ring, centered in Indonesia with paying customers in the United Kingdom and the United States, has been exposed by a BBC investigation, it was reported on Wednesday, June 21. The main victims are primates: baby long-tailed macaques, which are being abused, wounded, or killed live on camera. Their suffering is uploaded to different social media platforms and messaging channels, including YouTube and Telegram. Based on the reported investigation, there is a widespread network of monkey torturers, haters, and sadists. The tortures themselves seem to be coming from the said Southeast Asian country. Transactions are made online where viewers pay just to see the animals suffer. Now, multiple people are being investigated worldwide, including a notorious suspect called "The Torture King." Monkey Torture Ring On Wednesday, the BBC exposed the global monkey torture gang stretching from Indonesia to the U.S. based on a year-long investigation. In particular, the BBC World Service has unraveled that there are hundreds of paying customers in the U.S., U.K, and other locations that pay Indonesians to torture and kill the long-tailed macaques on film recording. The investigation adds the monkey torture ring started on YouTube as early as the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It spread to other platforms like Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. In the said online torture groups, BBC journalists went undercover only to find hundreds of people gather to propose "extreme torture ideas" and direct people in Indonesia and other countries in Asia to materialize their desires, according to the BBC. Also Read: U.S. House Passes Anti-Animal Cruelty Bill The Torture King Amid the list of suspects, the 'Torture King' Mike McCartney is an alleged key video distributor in the U.S., as he was described in the videos, according to a report by the Daily Mail U.K. McCartney also told BBC journalists that it all started when he first joined a Telegram monkey torture group. The BBC stated that McCartney was once a motorcycle gang member and served prison time before joining the global network. Aside from joining, the Torture King also reportedly managed multiple Telegram groups that involved some people distributing the videos, as cited by the U.K. media outlet. Macaque Monkeys Macaques (Macaca) include 23 monkey species that are native in Asia, as well as in Europe and North Africa. They are known for being the animals mostly used in biomedical research, including their role that led to the development of the polio vaccine. One of these species includes the long-tailed macaques or crab-eating macaques (Macaca fascicularis). In Asia, they can be found from Burma to the Philippines, all the way down to Indochina, Malaysia, and Indonesia, according to the Animal Diversity Web. In addition, they have a track record of being friendly to humans. Yet, they can be aggressive once triggered, just like other wild animals. Related Article: More Animals Are Getting Tortured For Views on Social Media, Reveals Alarming Report Sexual dimorphism is a biological phenomenon where differences in morphological characteristics between members of the different sex define uniqueness among humans and other animals, even plants. For millions of years, evolutionary biology has thought us that the "survival of the fittest," as Charles Darwin puts it, is a result of being able to adapt to one's environment not only to live but also to reproduce. While an offspring born from natural reproduction is expected to have an appearance like its parents, one may notice that there are always differences in the appearances and functions of male and female animals. In humans, the most common evidence of sexual dimorphism is the shape of human sizes, as well as other features like body parts in females that men do not have and need. In previous years, scientists have determined that sexual dimorphism is not solely dependent as a product of sexual intercourse and reproduction. Instead, the phenomenon is deeper and more mysterious than previously thought. For instance, female kangaroos have pouches on their bellies while their male counterparts do not have one. Ancient Evolutionary Traits Long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth and humans appeared on its soil, ancient living organisms possess unique traits that would serve as a foundation of the morphological appearances and functions of animals and plants that we see today. However, the biological mechanisms behind how evolution chooses how an organism should appear relative to its other sexual counterpart are still unclear. In the case of Homo sapiens, a 2021 study published in the journal Scientific Reports, it explored how sexual dimorphism affect human faces around the world. Researchers involved in the paper emphasized the sexual selection is responsible for the evolution of some of the most evident dimorphic traits in animals. Nevertheless, it is still a mystery if the facial shape difference between human male and female are a result of mate choice or not. Also Read: Male Spiders Increase Sperm Transmission to Compensate for Female Consumption Human Sexual Dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is right in front of our eyes but remain poorly understood, as a previous study puts forward. In a 2022 research article published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, its authors said human sexual dimorphism has been "widely misunderstood," specifying that a large body of literature has underestimated the significant impacts in body composition and the role of male contest competition when choosing mates. The researchers argued that sexual selection on the part of males and disruptive natural selection has made humans a "sexually dimorphic species," according to the 2022 study. This comes from the premise that sexual dimorphism is more common throughout the Animal Kingdom. In the past sexual dimorphism has been considered to pose certain advantages when it comes to survival. For instance, some species of woodpecker have beaks that come in different shapes and sizes, which allow both sexes to find insect prey in different layers of a tree's bark, according to the Northern Arizona University. Related Article: Stegosaurus' Bony Plates May Determine Sex According to a study, crop yields can be doubled by utilizing engineering and synthetic biology developments when farming. To feed a growing world population, food output must quadruple by 2050, according to Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. However, not only is humankind falling short of this goal, but climate change is also making matters more difficult, according to Earth.com. The authors of the new study state that improving agricultural yields by raising photosynthetic efficiency is a major area of study in plant science. Farming Synthetic Biology and Engineering By simulating soybean growth under actual climatic circumstances and modeling improved photosynthesis through enzyme modification, a team from the University of Illinois has determined how much the improvements in photosynthesis may raise yields. There is a complicated link between photosynthetic enhancement and real output, according to Yufeng He, a postdoctoral researcher at Illinois. Having better photosynthesis doesn't automatically translate into higher yield. Seasonal climatic conditions have a significant influence on yield return. He oversaw this study for the RIPE (Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency) initiative. This work has built a relationship between increases in photosynthesis and increased yields at the field size. RIPE, which is headed by Illinois, is increasing photosynthesis, the natural mechanism that plants use to turn sunlight into energy and yields, in order to make crops more productive. To replicate soybeans in Illinois fields under both normal and increased CO2 levels, Yufenf He and his colleagues from the Matthews Research Group employed the BioCro modeling framework, paying close attention to two crucial variables that have an impact on the photosynthetic activity of the plant canopy. Instead of only studying the impacts on the leaves, they also wanted to know if increasing these photosynthetic activities at the canopy level would have any impact on yields in a variety of climates. Also Read: 90% Peach Crops Destroyed by 3 Months of Warming Climate in Georgia Increased Crop Yields The scientists discovered that simulating plants in a high CO2 environment had an impact on the total returns in plant photosynthesis and crop yields. Additionally, they discovered that the relationship between higher photosynthesis and increased production was influenced by the environment at various phases of soybean growth. According to Megan Matthews, a Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering assistant professor, and the project's principal investigator, there is evidence that certain enzyme modifications can enhance photosynthesis. However, the majority of these studies either only examined the effects at the leaf scale or only considered the effects of a small number of field trials and seasonal climate conditions. She stated that their group had investigated how changes in seasonal climate had an effect on photosynthesis at the field level. To run their models and demonstrate how those gains might change with various climates, they used realistic climatic inputs. To apply the findings to crop development in Sub-Saharan Africa, the researchers' next steps include combining more precise mechanistic models and unique data from African crop cultivars and climatic circumstances, Illinois IGB reported. The findings of He and Matthews were recently published in the journal Field Crops Research. Related Article: 7 Reasons for Growing a Hydroponic Garden at Home, Professional Gardener Explains Monarch butterflies are famous for their long-distance migration from North America to Mexico every fall. But how do they manage to fly so far and so efficiently? A new study suggests that the answer may lie in their distinctive wing coloration, especially the white spots around the black edges. How white spots help monarchs fly According to the study, published in PLOS ONE, monarchs with more white spots on their wings are more successful at reaching their wintering destination, as per Phys.org. The researchers analyzed nearly 400 wild monarch wings collected at different stages of their journey, measuring their color proportions. They found that the successful migrant monarchs had about 3% less black and 3% more white on their wings. The authors believed that the white spots may alter the airflow patterns around the wings, improving their aerodynamics. They also suggested that the white spots may help the butterflies capitalize on solar energy, since they are exposed to more sunlight during their migration. The white spots may create subtle temperature differences on the wing surface, which could affect the lift and drag forces. The researchers also compared the wing coloration of monarchs with six other butterfly species that do not migrate or migrate only partially They found that monarchs had significantly larger white spots than their nonmigratory cousins. The only other species that came close to having the same proportion of white spots on its wing was its semi-migratory relative, the southern monarch. Also Read: Butterfly Migration Revealed How Much the Monarch Population Grew Since Last Year How climate change and other threats may affect monarchs' migration The study's findings have implications for how climate change may affect the monarchs' migration in the future, as per ThoughtCo. As temperatures continue to rise and alter the solar radiation reaching Earth's surface, monarchs may have to adapt to maintain their aerial efficiency. The researchers warned that with greater solar intensity, some of that efficiency could go away, hindering the species' fall migration to Mexico. Climate change is not the only threat that monarchs face along their journey. They also have to contend with habitat loss, pesticide use, diseases and parasites, and human activities that disrupt their migration. Here are some of the main challenges that monarchs encounter: Habitat loss: Monarchs depend on milkweed plants to lay their eggs and feed their caterpillars. However, milkweed populations have declined drastically in North America due to agricultural expansion, urbanization, and herbicide use. Roundup-resistant crops, for example, allow farmers to spray their fields with herbicides that kill milkweed and other weeds without harming their crops. Monarchs also need nectar plants to fuel their flight, but these have also become scarce in many areas. Pesticide use: Monarchs are vulnerable to insecticides that are applied to crops or sprayed aerially to control mosquitoes and other pests. Some insecticides, such as permethrin and Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), can kill monarch caterpillars if they come in contact with them or ingest them through milkweed leaves. Other insecticides, such as neonicotinoids, can impair monarchs' ability to navigate and reproduce. Diseases and parasites: Monarchs can suffer from various infections and infestations that can reduce their survival and reproduction. One of the most common and harmful parasites is Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE), a protozoan that infects monarchs during their larval stage and causes deformities and weakness in adults. OE can spread rapidly among dense populations of monarchs, such as those in overwintering sites or breeding grounds. Human activities: Monarchs face many dangers from human activities that disturb or destroy their habitats or interfere with their migration. For example, logging and mining in Mexico threaten the integrity of the overwintering forests. Avocado farming in Michoacan also contributes to deforestation and water scarcity in the region. Roadside maintenance can eliminate milkweed and nectar plants along migratory corridors. Illegal hunting and collection of monarchs can also deplete their numbers. Monarchs are not only beautiful and fascinating creatures, but also important pollinators and indicators of environmental health. Understanding how their wing coloration helps them migrate is one step towards ensuring their survival and protection. Related article: Return of the Monarch: Once Near Extinction, Butterfly Population Continues to Grow BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rejected Armenia's claim to apply an interim measure against Azerbaijan on June 21 in connection with two Armenian servicemen accused of terrorism, illegal crossing of the state border and other crimes, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan, Plenipotentiary Representative to the European Court Chingiz Asgarov told reporters, Trend reports. According to him, Armenia claimed in its lawsuit that the two mentioned servicemen were allegedly subjected to treatment in Azerbaijan contrary to Articles 2 (right to life) and 3 (prohibition of torture) of the European Convention on Human Rights. Azerbaijan presented to the ECHR relevant arguments and evidence that the rights of the Armenian military servicemen, protected by the European Convention, are properly ensured, and there is no threat to their life and health. Based on the position of the Azerbaijani side, the ECHR, in accordance with Rule 39 of the Rules of the European Court, rejected the claim of Armenia to apply an interim measure against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijans General Prosecutor's Office has initiated a criminal case under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code in connection with the violation of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the Armenian side on May 26 in the section of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border passing through the village of Razdara in the Zangilan district and other illegal actions of the sabotage group of the Armed Forces of Armenia. Within the framework of the criminal case being investigated by the Investigation Department of the General Prosecutor's Office, a measure of restraint in the form of arrest was chosen in relation to the accused two servicemen of the Armed Forces of Armenia - Arut Khovakimyan and Karen Gazaryan. Officials announced the cancellation of a Fourth of July fireworks display in Amesbury after it was discovered that endangered bobolink birds were breeding in the fields where the event was scheduled to take place. 4th of July Fireworks Display Amesbury's Woodsom Farm would host the event as a part of the city's Amesbury Days celebration. However, festival organizers reported on Tuesday that city workers preparing to mow the farm discovered endangered Bobolink birds in the fields. According to the organizers, to find places that may be safely mowed, staff from MassWildlife along with the Mass Audubon Society team undertook a walking grid search within the city. As a result, the space designated for parking and seats was insufficient to hold the enormous numbers who are slated to attend this event. More than 10,000 attendees were anticipated for the fireworks display, according to the organizers. Protecting Endangered Species Mayor Kassandra Gove said that efforts to pinpoint a different secure location to hold the event were futile. Gove claimed that in order to find the optimal solution, officials collaborated with specialists and conservation groups; in the end, the event was postponed. According to Gove, the city is familiar with and enamored with bobolinks. Gove added that the birds will still spend time at the farm, so this was only a schedule change. They collaborated with the organizers, according to Gove. The local government and the organizers wanted to make sure that everyone is safe and that the occasion is one that everyone will enjoy. The fireworks show has been pushed back, according to the Amesbury Days organizers, for Monday, September 4, 7News Boston reports. This later date for the fireworks has been received both ways in social media, as some expressed their understanding, while others asked for an earlier date as September 5 is scheduled to be the first day of school. Amesbury Days In the meanwhile, additional Amesbury Days activities have started on June 22 and will run through July 3. The event's planners expect to see people out and about over Labor Day weekend taking in the fireworks and all the other amazing activities scheduled for Amesbury Days. According to the event's website, Amesbury Days has a long history that dates back to the first town celebration in 1899. A block party, beer and music stroll, city-wide yard sale, drone racing, wrestling, and other events will all be held throughout the festival by the organizers at various sites and places. Also Read: Fireworks Make Wild Birds Sleep Less and Fly 300 Miles Nonstop, Study Shows Endangered Bobolink Birds Breeding male Bobolink birds are stunning whether perched on a grass stem or performing in flight over a field. No other bird in North America has a black underpart and a white back; some have compared this appearance to wearing a tuxedo backward. The male's rich, straw-colored patch on the head and his bursting, virtuoso song are other features. He changes into a female-like buff and brown plumage as the summer comes to a finish. Though still quite widespread in grasslands, Bobolink populations are dwindling. Blackbirds, to whom bobolinks are related, are frequently polygynous, implying that males may have many partners throughout the mating season. In addition to being polygynous, bobolinks are frequently polyandrous, meaning that each clutch of eggs from a single female may have several fathers, according to All About Birds. Related Article: New Fireworks Regulations Require Use of Biodegradable Materials, July 4 Shows Canceled A critically endangered cotton-top tamarin in the care of the Disney World Zoo recently gave birth to twins that are as adorable and little as chicken eggs. Cotton-top Tamarin Twins in Disney's Zoo For the first time in more than 20 years, there are newborn critically endangered cotton-top tamarin monkeys at the Orlando theme park Walt Disney World in Florida, where two little monkey twins have made their appearance. There are currently just two of the young animal species remaining in the world, and they were both born at Animal Kingdom. The monkeys were born Tuesday, according to a statement from park authorities, at a little under 4 inches long and approximately the weight of an ordinary chicken egg. They won't get much bigger, however; adults typically measure similar to squirrels and weigh less than a pound. As their parents do acrobatic leaps from branch to branch in their habitat on Discovery Island, these tiny infants cling tenaciously to their parents, according to Mark Penning, the Disney Parks' Animals, Science, and Environment division vice president. They are the park's first cotton-top tamarin births since 2001. Since the genders of the monkeys are yet unknown, Penning said they have not yet been given names. Critically Endangered Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species classifies cotton-top tamarins as "critically endangered," with at least 80% of the species' population falling during an 18-year span. The group stated that the most important culprits are deforestation and the unrestricted pet trade in Colombia, where the species is endemic. Disney stated that there are less than 7,500 individuals of the species still living in the wild, and of those, the IUCN estimates that 2,000 have grown to adulthood. The capacity of the animals to bear twins is not exceptional, despite the rarity of the creatures themselves, according to Penning. He added that it is, in fact, "quite typical." Also Read: 10 Rarest Albino Animals in the World According to Disney, the animals are renowned for being "tiny-but-mighty," and they can jump 15 feet off a tree and make at least 38 "distinct calls" to interact with one another. Disney officials claim that by having a total of four cotton-top tamarins in the park, they are significantly contributing to the preservation of their species. Despite their little size, the twins will be crucial to the survival of one of the most threatened monkey species, according to Penning, who also noted that they are a part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan, which aims to responsibly breed endangered species. However, for the time being, the infants must be carried for up to 14 weeks and are "completely dependent" on their parents for their survival. As first-time parents, mom and dad tamarins are dividing up the parenting responsibilities well, according to Penning, and it is anticipated that over the next months, the twins will grow close to both parents, CBS News reports Related Article: Critically Endangered Northern White-Cheeked Gibbon Baby Born in Houston Zoo According to information published by the French MoD on June 21, 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Mid-Life Upgrade of the Horizon-class ships was signed by General Portolano, representing SGD/DNA, and General Carlier, representing France's DGA. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link French Horizon class frigate Forbin. (Picture source: French Navy) The Horizon class, known as "Classe Horizon" in French and "Classe Orizzonte" in Italian, is a series of air-defense destroyers employed by the French and Italian navies. The Italians categorize them as destroyers adhering to NATO classification, while the French identify them as "frigates". The Horizon class originated from the Common New Generation Frigate (CNGF) program, a joint initiative between France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, aimed at developing a new generation of air-defense warships. However, differing national needs, disagreements on workshare, and delays led the UK to withdraw from the project in 1999 and pursue the development of the Type 45 destroyer instead. Interestingly, the FREMM multipurpose frigate was created using the same collaborative structure as the Horizon project. About the frigates The Horizon class frigates, displacing 7,050 tons at full load and measuring 152.87 meters in length, are designed for diverse naval missions. The vessel is powered by a combination of gas turbines and diesel engines, reaching speeds of over 29 knots and offering a range of up to 6,100 nautical miles at 18 knots. The frigate's armament includes the PAAMS air-defence system with a 48-cell A50 Sylver Vertical Launching System for up to 48 Aster 15 or Aster 30 missiles, anti-ship missiles like Exocet MM40 Block 3 or TESEO Mk-2/A, and various gun systems for close-range combat. It's also equipped with anti-submarine warfare capabilities including two WASS B515/1 single torpedo tubes for MU90 Impact torpedoes. The frigate houses advanced sensor and processing systems, including the Selex ES EMPAR phased array G band multi-purpose radar, BAE/Thales Group S1850M long-range radar, and Thales Group UMS 4110 CL sonar, among others. The Horizon class can accommodate a crew of up to 236 members and carries one AW-101 or SH90A aircraft, with a spacious flight deck and hangar facilities. Its flexibility and extensive range of capabilities make it a valuable asset in modern naval warfare. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. UK transferred the first million pounds of support for mine clearance in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan this year, UK Ambassador Fergus Auld said at an event dedicated to the UK's national holiday - the birthday of King Charles III, Trend reports. As is known, the king was born on November 14, however, he also marks it in June, with a procession known as Trooping the Colour, since June is the best month weather-wise for a parade. The two-birthday tradition for a British monarch dates back to 1748. According to Auld, besides, this year, for the first time, 22 representatives of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces were trained by UK instructors in the fight against unexploded ordnance. "This year, we launched the first trilateral partnership with Azerbaijan Customs and Turkish Customs to combat drug trafficking across international borders," he added. Marks gospel drama retold in Norfolk churches Marks gospel drama retold in Norfolk churches I AM MARK is a one-man presentation of Marks gospel by Stefan Smart, and will be performed in three Norfolk churches this year as part of a nation-wide tour. In this dynamic new, word-for-word, solo performance, directed by Lisa Gilmour, Stefan Smart brings the story to life as it was originally narrated. Action-packed with no less than 19 miracles, the book of Mark was written to be shared live with first century audiences, in one sitting, and was aimed at those outside the Jewish faith. Stefan says, Years ago I had a big dream, a dream which is actually coming trueI imagined taking one of the greatest stories ever told, the Gospel of Mark, and performing it as it was originally intended live and in one sitting. I AM MARK is the resulting solo performance. Ive already had the privilege to take it to Speakers Corners all over the UK, to a whole range of churches, cathedrals, conferences and schools here and abroad, as well as into prisons. I AM MARK has sold out to venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and now it is even available on global TV station CMAX. All this seems rather surreal given that its just me performing with one chair as a prop. I AM MARK will be coming to The Salvation Army, Norwich Citadel, St. Giles Street, at 6pm on Sunday 9 July. There will be no charge but there will be a retiring collection. On the previous evening, at 7pm, Stefan will present I AM MARK at Saxlingham Nethergate Chapel. For booking details, visit the website (link below). Later in the year, Stefan will bring the performance to Lighthouse Community Church in Sheringham, on Sunday 29 October. Booking details to follow. For more information, visit iam-mark.com . The image of Stefan in action is courtesy of iam-mark.com Tony Rothe, 22/06/2023 Hands-on experience with network hardware and software can solidify certification-test concepts or let you practice skills that may be part of a cert exam, and the process can be helped along by use of a home lab. But how do you go about building one? Start by identifying your learning goals and figuring out the hardware and software theyll require. If youre focused on applications, server environments, automation, or identity management, a server for hosting virtual environments may suffice. But if youre interested in networking at Layers 1, 2 and 3, youll need some physical networking hardware such as routers, switches, or hardware firewalls. This is especially true if youre seeking vendor certification on specific devices. If you need vendor-specific networking hardware, that can run into thousands of dollars, which may be prohibitive. If so, some vendorsfor example Juniper with its vLabs! and Cisco with its Cisco Packet Tracerprovide cloud-based lab environments with at least some access for free. If you are learning networking concepts, the simplest solution is leveraging the virtual networking capabilities of a hypervisor. But if you need more sophisticated networking features, there is a host of open-source network switches or firewall solutions that can be run as virtual appliances: Open vSwitch (OvS), pfSense, Vyos, and OPNsense to name just a few. There are several good options for a hypervisor. Both Microsoft (Hyper-V Server 2019) and VMware (ESXI 8) offer bare-metal hypervisors for free, while Microsoft also offers Hyper-V as a Windows feature. Oracle can provide VirtualBox on top of several operating systems, and there are also open-source projects like bare-metal hypervisors ProxMox, KVM, and the Xen Project that have community backing. The compute power youll need to support a virtual environment depends on the type of workloads youre studying. For example, container-based apps, automation, and AI are compute heavy, but most can be readily virtualized on energy-efficient devices like mini-PCS or on secondhand server hardware. Inherent benefits when leveraging virtualization include increased density (multiple hosts/applications/runtimes on a single physical server), the ability to snapshot and easily roll back to test multiple variations, and the ability to leverage pre-built VMs or virtual appliances. Remember that, depending on the hardware you choose, the power draw can put a strain on your home electrical system. A mini-PC has modest power demands, but previous-generation enterprise-class servers may draw enough power to require upgrades to your home electrical wiring. If your requirements include virtual machines, databases, or anything else dependent on significant storage, youll want to have adequate storage capacity to ensure performance. This is especially true if at some point youll need to reset your virtual environment; VM snapshots can require significant storage. Also consider whether your lab needs something other than physical storage. Many clusters require storage to be configured through fibre channel, iSCSI, or some other appropriate connection to a SAN. This can be done easily in a lab using a virtual appliance including FreeNAS, the free editions of StarWind vSAN, or StarWind SAN & NAS among others. If youre studying containers, remember that most hypervisors include container support out of the box, but carefully consider their management consoles because some provide a richer management experience than others. There is a plethora of good management tools that could be useful in a home lab, and of course a lot depends on the ecosystems within your lab. If youre running Windows, particularly Windows VMs, you should use Windows Admin Center to manage your bare metal and VMs from one console. For container-based environments, consider Podman, whose management console is available on Mac, Windows, and Linux and includes both a container-based management engine and a desktop management console. To take your lab to the next level, consider open-source automation tools to help optimize the environment. For example, these tools can automate an available Active Directory environment, DHCP, DNS, or an empty database using scripts or infrastructure-as-code resources. These tools are available via GitHub as well as other open-source communities. By Associated Press The former driver of Chilean Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda -- who sparked claims the poet's 1973 death was due to poisoning -- died Tuesday, the Communist Party of Chile announced. Manuel Araya died in the city of San Antonio aged 77, it said. Neruda was a celebrated poet, politician, diplomat, and bohemian figure, and also a prominent member of Chile's communist party when former military dictator Augusto Pinochet took power in a 1973 coup. He had been preparing to flee into exile in Mexico to lead the resistance against the Pinochet regime when he died in hospital just 12 days after the coup. The government claimed the 69-year-old had died of prostate cancer. An investigation into the cause of Neruda's death began in 2011 when Araya -- his driver and personal assistant -- asserted that the poet was given a mysterious injection in his chest just before he died. In 2017 a group of Chilean and international experts concluded that Neruda did not die of cancer but said they could not determine what did kill him. "Manuel Araya was key with his testimony... and his courage to us having the elements" that gave rise to an investigation, the party statement said. In February, two members of a scientific panel investigating Neruda's death told AFP they could not determine whether he had been poisoned. The panel has delivered a report to a judge, and the country is waiting on tenterhooks to hear its conclusions. Pinochet, who ruled Chile for 17 years, oversaw a regime that killed some 3,200 leftist activists and other suspected opponents. The dictator died in 2006 aged 91 without ever being convicted for crimes committed by his regime. Neruda is remembered especially for sensual poems about love. The former driver of Chilean Nobel laureate Pablo Neruda -- who sparked claims the poet's 1973 death was due to poisoning -- died Tuesday, the Communist Party of Chile announced. Manuel Araya died in the city of San Antonio aged 77, it said. Neruda was a celebrated poet, politician, diplomat, and bohemian figure, and also a prominent member of Chile's communist party when former military dictator Augusto Pinochet took power in a 1973 coup.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He had been preparing to flee into exile in Mexico to lead the resistance against the Pinochet regime when he died in hospital just 12 days after the coup. The government claimed the 69-year-old had died of prostate cancer. An investigation into the cause of Neruda's death began in 2011 when Araya -- his driver and personal assistant -- asserted that the poet was given a mysterious injection in his chest just before he died. In 2017 a group of Chilean and international experts concluded that Neruda did not die of cancer but said they could not determine what did kill him. "Manuel Araya was key with his testimony... and his courage to us having the elements" that gave rise to an investigation, the party statement said. In February, two members of a scientific panel investigating Neruda's death told AFP they could not determine whether he had been poisoned. The panel has delivered a report to a judge, and the country is waiting on tenterhooks to hear its conclusions. Pinochet, who ruled Chile for 17 years, oversaw a regime that killed some 3,200 leftist activists and other suspected opponents. The dictator died in 2006 aged 91 without ever being convicted for crimes committed by his regime. Neruda is remembered especially for sensual poems about love. The National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) has been named as the Best Bank in Bahrain at the Euromoney Middle East Awards for Excellence 2023. The awards ceremony was held on 21st June 2023, at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai and was attended by Nabeel Kazim, Group Chief Operating Officer and Acting Group Human Resources & Sustainability Officer, Hisham Abu Alfateh, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, and Yogesh Kale Chief Executive Officer, NBB UAE. The prestigious award is testament to the banks significant progress as seen in its technological advancements, retail offerings and digital services. As a digitally-driven organisation, NBB is committed to meeting the ever-evolving needs of its customer base. Ongoing success Over the past year the banks offerings, investments and initiatives have solidified its position in the financial industry and contributed to its ongoing success. NBB has committed to serving its broad stakeholder base through adopting comprehensive internal training programmes, integrating sustainability-led solutions and supporting local startups and SMEs. Since its foundation, the Bank has endeavoured to give back to the community while supporting national efforts to develop Bahrains digital economy. Louise Bowman, Editor-in-Chief at Euromoney, said: NBB increased its net profits by 28% from 2021 to 2022, but it is the banks innovation in the ESG and digital space which was particularly noteworthy. The banks accelerated work on its ESG roadmap, revamped mobile app and wider ESG product offering for retail customers has been extremely impressive. Ahmed said: The banks significant growth of business was marked by a series of key milestones. The fact that we received the prestigious accolade of Best Bank in Bahrain highlights NBBs consistent efforts to transform from an everyday service provider to a multi-faceted organisation which offers a unique value proposition across all verticals. The bank continues to pursue a leading position, on both local and regional fronts, solidifying the kingdoms standing as a financial hub.-- TradeArabia News Service BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Azerbaijani citizens who joined terrorist groups have been arrested, the State Security Service of Azerbaijan told Trend. Members of the group consisting of Azerbaijani citizens who illegally crossed into the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic to participate in armed conflicts with the commission of terrorist acts motivated by religious hostility, radicalism and fanaticism were identified and put on the international wanted list according to the results of investigations conducted by the State Security Service. The wanted persons were trained in a special camp in the city of Idlib, where they were trained to use various types of firearms, and also took part in battles as part of the illegal Taifatul Mansura armed formation. During the operational investigative measures carried out in this criminal case, it was established that 13 Azerbaijani citizens (Shamil Abdullayev, Murad Agametov, Murad Guliyev, Farhad Rustamov, Sultan Sultanov, Najmeddin Huseynov, Hikmet Mahmudov, Mais Aliyev, Ismayil Ismayilov, Shahriyar Babayev, Gadzhi Muradov, Alovsar Bakhishov and Intigam Asadov) who committed the criminal acts, hiding on the territory of a foreign country. They were detained and brought to Azerbaijan as part of the mutual legal assistance procedure for the international search. These persons were brought to criminal responsibility as defendants under article 283-1.3 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (creation of stable groups for the purpose of participating in armed conflicts outside the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan, participation in these groups, exercises or armed conflicts), a preventive measure in the form of arrest was chosen against them by a court decision. Comprehensive investigative and operational measures are currently underway. By Express News Service BHOPAL: As many as 77 newly-appointed state government school teachers have been booked by the police in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh for allegedly getting jobs under the disabled category with the aid of fake disability certificates. The Karamchari Chayan Mandal (State Staff Selection Board) had conducted the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) for 18,000 primary teachers posts. Out of these, over 1000 posts were reserved for differently-abled candidates. Based on the results, as many as 755 differently-abled candidates were selected. Surprisingly from these 755, 450-odd selected candidates hailed from Morena district. The matter was reported to the state government by the Rajya Divyang Sangh leader Hemant Kushwah, who alleged that candidates who weren't differently-abled had managed to get jobs reserved for differently-abled teachers using fake certificates. The Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) instructed the Morena district collector Ankit Asthana to get the matter probed. ALSO READ | Six-month-old dies in Madhya Pradesh as ambulance arrives three hours late "We were sent a list of 257 suspected certificates by the DPI, after which the matter was probed. The probe revealed that at least 77 certificates were forged, following which the district education officer (DEO) has lodged an FIR lodged against the 77 candidates," collector Asthana said. Confirming the development, Morena Kotwali in-charge Yogendra Singh said, "Based on the complaint by the DEO AK Pathak, a case has been registered against the 77 candidates, who are posted as government teachers in different parts of the state. Subsequent police investigations are underway." As per informed sources, most of these teachers (who allegedly got selected with the help of fake certificates) are certified as speech and hearing impaired. Around 40% of them hail from a particular upper caste. Meanwhile, as per sources at the state Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) in Bhopal, plans are afoot to conduct the medical examination of all school teachers appointed in the state government schools under the disabled category from 2018. BHOPAL: As many as 77 newly-appointed state government school teachers have been booked by the police in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh for allegedly getting jobs under the disabled category with the aid of fake disability certificates. The Karamchari Chayan Mandal (State Staff Selection Board) had conducted the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) for 18,000 primary teachers posts. Out of these, over 1000 posts were reserved for differently-abled candidates. Based on the results, as many as 755 differently-abled candidates were selected. Surprisingly from these 755, 450-odd selected candidates hailed from Morena district. The matter was reported to the state government by the Rajya Divyang Sangh leader Hemant Kushwah, who alleged that candidates who weren't differently-abled had managed to get jobs reserved for differently-abled teachers using fake certificates.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) instructed the Morena district collector Ankit Asthana to get the matter probed. ALSO READ | Six-month-old dies in Madhya Pradesh as ambulance arrives three hours late "We were sent a list of 257 suspected certificates by the DPI, after which the matter was probed. The probe revealed that at least 77 certificates were forged, following which the district education officer (DEO) has lodged an FIR lodged against the 77 candidates," collector Asthana said. Confirming the development, Morena Kotwali in-charge Yogendra Singh said, "Based on the complaint by the DEO AK Pathak, a case has been registered against the 77 candidates, who are posted as government teachers in different parts of the state. Subsequent police investigations are underway." As per informed sources, most of these teachers (who allegedly got selected with the help of fake certificates) are certified as speech and hearing impaired. Around 40% of them hail from a particular upper caste. Meanwhile, as per sources at the state Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) in Bhopal, plans are afoot to conduct the medical examination of all school teachers appointed in the state government schools under the disabled category from 2018. By Express News Service BHOPAL: A Langur carrying a Rs 21,000 reward for his capture has been tracked and rescued in the Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh. A five-member team of rescuers from Ujjain district tracked the monkey with the help of a drone camera. He was then tranquilized near Vivekanand School in Rajgarh town 140 km from the state capital Bhopal. The rescued animal was subsequently caged and transported to a nearby office of the forest department. After a couple of days the animal will be set free, probably, in the forest areas of Dewas district, official sources in Rajgarh district told The New Indian Express. The people of Rajgarh town were panic-stricken as the monkey used to pounce at them all of a sudden from elevated places. He would bite them before fleeing. Shortly before he was tracked and trapped, the monkey had attacked and bitten a 60-year-old man Om Prakash Sharma at Parayan Chowk and Akshara Chowrasiya (14) in Tilak Marg locality. Over 20 residents in different parts of Rajgarh town, including at least eight children had been reportedly attacked by the monkey. A CCTV grab had recently shown the Langur jump from height, attack and bite a man in full public glare. We had approached the local forest department staff for help, but owing to a shortage of resources, including staff and funds, they couldn't help us. A team of rescuers was called recently from outside and Rs 9000 was spent on them, but still, the monkey remained untraced. After this I announced a Rs 21,000 bounty for anyone who tracked and rescued the monkey, Rajgarh Nagar Palika chairman Vinod Sahu said. The Rs 21,000 reward will now be given to the rescue team from Ujjain district, he said. When the monkey was put in the caged vehicle people gathered there shouted, "Jai Sri Ram" and "Jai Bajrangbali." BHOPAL: A Langur carrying a Rs 21,000 reward for his capture has been tracked and rescued in the Rajgarh district in Madhya Pradesh. A five-member team of rescuers from Ujjain district tracked the monkey with the help of a drone camera. He was then tranquilized near Vivekanand School in Rajgarh town 140 km from the state capital Bhopal. The rescued animal was subsequently caged and transported to a nearby office of the forest department. After a couple of days the animal will be set free, probably, in the forest areas of Dewas district, official sources in Rajgarh district told The New Indian Express.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The people of Rajgarh town were panic-stricken as the monkey used to pounce at them all of a sudden from elevated places. He would bite them before fleeing. Shortly before he was tracked and trapped, the monkey had attacked and bitten a 60-year-old man Om Prakash Sharma at Parayan Chowk and Akshara Chowrasiya (14) in Tilak Marg locality. Over 20 residents in different parts of Rajgarh town, including at least eight children had been reportedly attacked by the monkey. A CCTV grab had recently shown the Langur jump from height, attack and bite a man in full public glare. We had approached the local forest department staff for help, but owing to a shortage of resources, including staff and funds, they couldn't help us. A team of rescuers was called recently from outside and Rs 9000 was spent on them, but still, the monkey remained untraced. After this I announced a Rs 21,000 bounty for anyone who tracked and rescued the monkey, Rajgarh Nagar Palika chairman Vinod Sahu said. The Rs 21,000 reward will now be given to the rescue team from Ujjain district, he said. When the monkey was put in the caged vehicle people gathered there shouted, "Jai Sri Ram" and "Jai Bajrangbali." Mukesh Ranjan By Express News Service RANCHI: BJP in Jharkhand is likely to contest all fourteen seats in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. According to party insiders, BJP president JP Naddas visit to Giridih on Thursday, under the partys Sampark Se Samarthan campaign, may be seen in the backdrop of it. Nadda, under the partys outreach campaign, will be on a day-long visit to Jharkhand on Thursday, during which he will address a public meeting in Giridih and meet the top state BJP leaders. Notably, during 2019 polls, under a pre-poll alliance with AJSU BJP had given one seat to AJSU, keeping the remaining 13 seats with it. The BJP-AJSU alliance swept the polls in Jharkhand, winning 12 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress and the JMM bagged one seat each. The then state water resources minister Chandra Prakash Choudhary became the first person from the Sudesh Mahto-led AJSU party to win the LS elections from Giridih while BJP had bagged 11 seats. BJP functionaries informed that BJP, through Naddas visit to Giridh, party wants to give a message that the BJP is making preparations on all 14 seats in Jharkhand. BJP is making preparations to contest all Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand as it wants to gift all the 14 seats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024, said state BJP spokesperson Pradeep Sinha. Nadda to visit Giridih BJP president JP Nadda will visit Giridih on Thursday, under the partys Sampark Se Samarthan campaign. In his day-long visit, he will address a public meeting in Giridih and meet the top state BJP leaders. RANCHI: BJP in Jharkhand is likely to contest all fourteen seats in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. According to party insiders, BJP president JP Naddas visit to Giridih on Thursday, under the partys Sampark Se Samarthan campaign, may be seen in the backdrop of it. Nadda, under the partys outreach campaign, will be on a day-long visit to Jharkhand on Thursday, during which he will address a public meeting in Giridih and meet the top state BJP leaders. Notably, during 2019 polls, under a pre-poll alliance with AJSU BJP had given one seat to AJSU, keeping the remaining 13 seats with it. The BJP-AJSU alliance swept the polls in Jharkhand, winning 12 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress and the JMM bagged one seat each. The then state water resources minister Chandra Prakash Choudhary became the first person from the Sudesh Mahto-led AJSU party to win the LS elections from Giridih while BJP had bagged 11 seats.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); BJP functionaries informed that BJP, through Naddas visit to Giridh, party wants to give a message that the BJP is making preparations on all 14 seats in Jharkhand. BJP is making preparations to contest all Lok Sabha seats in Jharkhand as it wants to gift all the 14 seats to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024, said state BJP spokesperson Pradeep Sinha. Nadda to visit Giridih BJP president JP Nadda will visit Giridih on Thursday, under the partys Sampark Se Samarthan campaign. In his day-long visit, he will address a public meeting in Giridih and meet the top state BJP leaders. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Amid the intensifying heatwave leading to deaths and hospitalisations in several states, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting with representatives of seven affected states and reviewed public health preparedness. At the virtual meeting, the states were directed to share data on heatwaves, including the number of death, for a better assessment of the situation. They were also asked to implement the State Action Plans at the ground level, along with issuing timely warnings to people. The meeting with the health ministers and officials of the seven states, which included Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the worst affected in terms of death and hospitalisation came a day after the health minister dispatched a Central team to these states. The other states whose representatives attended the meeting were Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Post the meeting, the health minister tweeted that he had a fruitful meeting with health ministers and senior officers of seven states affected by heat waves, along with Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. Highlighted the importance of joint efforts between the Centre and states for effective management of any disaster, including severe heatwaves. With coordinated actions, we can surely ensure there are no deaths due to heat waves, Mandaviya tweeted. He also urged the states to implement the State Action Plans at the ground level with a timely warning to the people, and ensure preventive preparedness to reduce the severe impact of heat waves, adding that effective disaster response and management is a collaborative work. The states were asked to ensure the preparedness of healthcare facilities and the availability of essential medicines and logistics. Mandaviya said heat wave alerts from the Indian Metrological Department are being amplified and shared with all states daily. NEW DELHI: Amid the intensifying heatwave leading to deaths and hospitalisations in several states, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting with representatives of seven affected states and reviewed public health preparedness. At the virtual meeting, the states were directed to share data on heatwaves, including the number of death, for a better assessment of the situation. They were also asked to implement the State Action Plans at the ground level, along with issuing timely warnings to people. The meeting with the health ministers and officials of the seven states, which included Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the worst affected in terms of death and hospitalisation came a day after the health minister dispatched a Central team to these states.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The other states whose representatives attended the meeting were Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Post the meeting, the health minister tweeted that he had a fruitful meeting with health ministers and senior officers of seven states affected by heat waves, along with Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. Highlighted the importance of joint efforts between the Centre and states for effective management of any disaster, including severe heatwaves. With coordinated actions, we can surely ensure there are no deaths due to heat waves, Mandaviya tweeted. He also urged the states to implement the State Action Plans at the ground level with a timely warning to the people, and ensure preventive preparedness to reduce the severe impact of heat waves, adding that effective disaster response and management is a collaborative work. The states were asked to ensure the preparedness of healthcare facilities and the availability of essential medicines and logistics. Mandaviya said heat wave alerts from the Indian Metrological Department are being amplified and shared with all states daily. Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: A day after NCP leader Ajit Pawar expressed his desire to step down from the Leader of Opposition's (LoP) post, prominent NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, said that he believes an OBC face should be given the position of the opposition leader, or be appointed as state NCP president. The former Maharashtra minister said that NCP believes in democratic values, debate and discussions. He said that everyone has the right to express his opinion. Ajit Pawar expressed his desire to work for the party. We also demand that if LoP is retained or given to the Maratha leader, the OBC and any small community person should be appointed as NCP state president. In our party also, there are strong OBC leaders like Sunil Tatkare, Jitendra Ahwad, Dhanjay Munde etc, they should be given the opportunity. Even so, I am ready to accept the responsibility of the state NCP president. Earlier, I was president of the party, but was only four month, Bhujbal said. He said that he has not yet spoken with NCP chief Sharad Pawar about appointing an OBC face as state president, but soon he will meet and discuss this with him. Sources in NCP said that there is a discussion to appoint state president Jayant Patil as leader of the Opposition so he should be replaced with an OBC leader as new party president. The big churning has been happening in NCP after the appointment of Supriya Sule as working president. Ajit Pawar is trying to appoint his close aide as state party president if senior Pawar is trying to get back LoP from Ajit Pawar and hand it over to Jayant Patil. Ajit Pawar has failed to perform as an effective LoP therefore NCP chief wants to appoint the strong and articulate face as a LoP. It will help the NCP ahead of key elections, said the source, requesting anonymity. MUMBAI: A day after NCP leader Ajit Pawar expressed his desire to step down from the Leader of Opposition's (LoP) post, prominent NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, said that he believes an OBC face should be given the position of the opposition leader, or be appointed as state NCP president. The former Maharashtra minister said that NCP believes in democratic values, debate and discussions. He said that everyone has the right to express his opinion. Ajit Pawar expressed his desire to work for the party. We also demand that if LoP is retained or given to the Maratha leader, the OBC and any small community person should be appointed as NCP state president. In our party also, there are strong OBC leaders like Sunil Tatkare, Jitendra Ahwad, Dhanjay Munde etc, they should be given the opportunity. Even so, I am ready to accept the responsibility of the state NCP president. Earlier, I was president of the party, but was only four month, Bhujbal said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He said that he has not yet spoken with NCP chief Sharad Pawar about appointing an OBC face as state president, but soon he will meet and discuss this with him. Sources in NCP said that there is a discussion to appoint state president Jayant Patil as leader of the Opposition so he should be replaced with an OBC leader as new party president. The big churning has been happening in NCP after the appointment of Supriya Sule as working president. Ajit Pawar is trying to appoint his close aide as state party president if senior Pawar is trying to get back LoP from Ajit Pawar and hand it over to Jayant Patil. Ajit Pawar has failed to perform as an effective LoP therefore NCP chief wants to appoint the strong and articulate face as a LoP. It will help the NCP ahead of key elections, said the source, requesting anonymity. By Express News Service PUNE: In a bid to end the controversy surrounding the deletion of Charles Darwins theory of evolution from NCERT textbooks, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said that nothing of this sort has happened. A discussion is going on these days that Darwins theory of evolution has been removed from science books by the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) and the periodic table has been left out, but I would like to state here publicly that nothing of this sort has happened, said Pradhan, who is in Pune to attend the fourth Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting of G20. After the controversy erupted, the minister said that he had sought details from the NCERT, an autonomous body that develops syllabi and prepares textbooks. According to them, experts had advised that during COVID-19, some repetitive parts could be reduced and later brought back. So, the contents in Classes 8 and 9 are unchanged. In the Class 10 book, some portions related to the evolution theory were omitted last year, but it remains unchanged in Classes 11 and 12, the minister said. However, Pradhan said, there is validity to the view that students who would not study science after Class 10 would miss out on some specific subjects related to Darwins theory. The periodic table is taught in Class 9 and is also being taught in Classes 11 and 12. As per the NCERT, one or two examples (related to the theory of evolution) were omitted. But I would like to assure you that the National Education Policy is being implemented, and as per that policy, new textbooks are being prepared, he said. A furore had erupted after it appeared that NCERT had removed Darwins theory and periodic table from the Class 10 textbook. Several scientists and educators had written an open letter, raising concerns on the deletion of the topics. PUNE: In a bid to end the controversy surrounding the deletion of Charles Darwins theory of evolution from NCERT textbooks, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said that nothing of this sort has happened. A discussion is going on these days that Darwins theory of evolution has been removed from science books by the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) and the periodic table has been left out, but I would like to state here publicly that nothing of this sort has happened, said Pradhan, who is in Pune to attend the fourth Education Working Group (EdWG) meeting of G20. After the controversy erupted, the minister said that he had sought details from the NCERT, an autonomous body that develops syllabi and prepares textbooks. According to them, experts had advised that during COVID-19, some repetitive parts could be reduced and later brought back. So, the contents in Classes 8 and 9 are unchanged. In the Class 10 book, some portions related to the evolution theory were omitted last year, but it remains unchanged in Classes 11 and 12, the minister said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); However, Pradhan said, there is validity to the view that students who would not study science after Class 10 would miss out on some specific subjects related to Darwins theory. The periodic table is taught in Class 9 and is also being taught in Classes 11 and 12. As per the NCERT, one or two examples (related to the theory of evolution) were omitted. But I would like to assure you that the National Education Policy is being implemented, and as per that policy, new textbooks are being prepared, he said. A furore had erupted after it appeared that NCERT had removed Darwins theory and periodic table from the Class 10 textbook. Several scientists and educators had written an open letter, raising concerns on the deletion of the topics. Narendra Sethi By Express News Service DEHRADUN: With monsoons around the corner, the Joshimath district administration and experts have expressed their concerns about untoward geological instability in the region. Around 868 structures have developed cracks and 181 have been declared unsafe so far in the crisis-hit Joshimath. The district administration, including a team of experts, is constantly exploring the consequences once the rainwater fills the cracks. Joshimaths strategic importance increases considerably due to its proximity to Badrinath, the main pilgrimage site of Char Dham, as well as its proximity to the China border. Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana told this newspaper, After the Joshimath land submergence, scientific institutions have submitted their reports to the Union Home Ministry and the National Disaster Management Authority. Several rounds of meetings have also been held regarding these reports. Experts have expressed fears of further geological instability in Joshimath. Of the 502 affected families, compensation has been distributed to around 437, while 65 families are still staying in various hotels and dharamshalas provided by the administration, DM Khurana added. Due to the tireless efforts of the state government, a team of scientists and experts studied the land submerged disaster in great depth, Joshimath Sub-Divisional Magistrate Kumkum Joshi told this newspaper. Compensation has been distributed to 87 per cent of the affected people for the damaged buildings by the government; there is no need to panic. The administration is constantly working on the same lines for the remaining affected, SDM Kumkum added. State Meteorological Department Director Bikram Singh, giving analytical information about monsoon, said, The state receives an average rainfall of 1162.7 mm, while Chamoli receives an average annual rainfall of 1230.8 mm. Last year when the state received 1128.0 mm (June-September) rainfall during the monsoon, Chamoli was one of the two districts that received the highest rainfall. DEHRADUN: With monsoons around the corner, the Joshimath district administration and experts have expressed their concerns about untoward geological instability in the region. Around 868 structures have developed cracks and 181 have been declared unsafe so far in the crisis-hit Joshimath. The district administration, including a team of experts, is constantly exploring the consequences once the rainwater fills the cracks. Joshimaths strategic importance increases considerably due to its proximity to Badrinath, the main pilgrimage site of Char Dham, as well as its proximity to the China border. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana told this newspaper, After the Joshimath land submergence, scientific institutions have submitted their reports to the Union Home Ministry and the National Disaster Management Authority. Several rounds of meetings have also been held regarding these reports. Experts have expressed fears of further geological instability in Joshimath. Of the 502 affected families, compensation has been distributed to around 437, while 65 families are still staying in various hotels and dharamshalas provided by the administration, DM Khurana added. Due to the tireless efforts of the state government, a team of scientists and experts studied the land submerged disaster in great depth, Joshimath Sub-Divisional Magistrate Kumkum Joshi told this newspaper. Compensation has been distributed to 87 per cent of the affected people for the damaged buildings by the government; there is no need to panic. The administration is constantly working on the same lines for the remaining affected, SDM Kumkum added. State Meteorological Department Director Bikram Singh, giving analytical information about monsoon, said, The state receives an average rainfall of 1162.7 mm, while Chamoli receives an average annual rainfall of 1230.8 mm. Last year when the state received 1128.0 mm (June-September) rainfall during the monsoon, Chamoli was one of the two districts that received the highest rainfall. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday termed the all-party meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah on the Manipur situation as "too little, too late," and said efforts to bring warring factions to the discussion table will lack seriousness if they are done sitting in Delhi. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government. "Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi," he said on Twitter. After 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, he said, "Home Minister Amit Shah's call for an all-party meeting is too little, too late". The government only woke up after Sonia Gandhi's address to the people of Manipur, he said. Shah has called an all-party meeting on the situation in Manipur on June 24. "At the outset, the PM's absence from such a serious meeting shows his 'cowardice' and 'unwillingness' to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them," the Congress leader alleged. Noting that the Home Minister himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, he said in fact things have "worsened" since his visit. "Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship," he asked. "Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty," Venugopal charged. The Congress has been seeking the Centre's immediate intervention in bringing peace to the northeastern state which has been struck by violence since May 3. The party has also blamed the alleged divisive politics of the BJP for the current situation in Manipur. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 are injured. Shah had also visited the state for four days last month and met a cross-section of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state. NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday termed the all-party meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah on the Manipur situation as "too little, too late," and said efforts to bring warring factions to the discussion table will lack seriousness if they are done sitting in Delhi. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government. "Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi," he said on Twitter.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); After 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, he said, "Home Minister Amit Shah's call for an all-party meeting is too little, too late". The government only woke up after Sonia Gandhi's address to the people of Manipur, he said. Shah has called an all-party meeting on the situation in Manipur on June 24. "At the outset, the PM's absence from such a serious meeting shows his 'cowardice' and 'unwillingness' to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them," the Congress leader alleged. Noting that the Home Minister himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, he said in fact things have "worsened" since his visit. "Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship," he asked. "Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty," Venugopal charged. The Congress has been seeking the Centre's immediate intervention in bringing peace to the northeastern state which has been struck by violence since May 3. The party has also blamed the alleged divisive politics of the BJP for the current situation in Manipur. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 are injured. Shah had also visited the state for four days last month and met a cross-section of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state. By Agencies WASHINGTON: Marinated millet, corn kernel salad and stuffed mushrooms are on the menu for 400 guests invited to the White House dinner being hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Observing that the prime minister is a vegetarian, First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday said she asked Chef Nina Curtis -- who specialises in plant-based cuisine -- to work with the White House staff and create a stunning vegetarian menu. Guests will have the option to add fish to their main course as well, she said during the media preview for the State Dinner on Thursday at the White House's South Lawn. Modi arrived here from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. Giving details on the State Dinner that will be hosted for PM Modi, the First Lady said, "Tomorrow night, guests will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron-coloured flowers at every table -- the colours of the Indian flag." Washington, DC | At a media preview at the White House, ahead of the State Dinner that will be hosted for PM Narendra Modi, dishes that will be served have been put on display. The menu will include Marinated Millet and Grilled Corn Kernel Salad among other dishes. pic.twitter.com/ScA7ojdbYd ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 More than 400 guests have been invited for the dinner at the specially decorated pavilion on the South Lawn of the White House, Jill Biden said. The first course on the State Dinner will include marinated millet, grilled corn kernel salad, compressed watermelon and a tangy avocado sauce. The main course includes stuffed portobello mushrooms and a creamy saffron-infused risotto. Upon request, guests would be served sumac-roasted sea bass, lemon-dill yoghurt sauce, crisped Millet cakes and summer squashes, according to the menu. For dessert is rose and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake. Wines on the list are Stone Tower Chardonnay "Kristi" 2021, PATEL Red Blend 2019 and Domain Carneros Brut Rose. California-based Chef Curtis said, "It is truly a pleasure to be able to work with the First Lady and help her to bring her culinary vision to life... we have curated a menu that really showcases the best in American cuisine and also then seasoned with Indian elements and flavours," she said. "We are also very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the International Year of the Millets. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu and the Indian cuisine elements throughout the menu," the chef said. #WATCH | Guest Chef Nina Curtis gives details on the State Dinner that will be hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "...We are very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the international year of millet. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu" she pic.twitter.com/Ts0Smq6TN7 ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo, previewing the State Dinner, said the First Lady has been involved in this event at every step. Every element of the dinner and decor has been chosen to make each guest's experience personal and warm, Elizondo said. The decor of the venue features elements that honour the tradition and cultures of the US and India, including the Indian flag, he said. "The inspiration for our design really began with the peacock, India's national bird. From the invitations to the programmes to the pavilion, we wanted to evoke that breathtaking feeling when it extends its tail, unveiling its colourful beauty, majesty, and strength," the social secretary said. "Green draping will flow from the ceiling, giving way to tables cloaked in the saturated blues and greens of Indian silks, falling onto a carpet of navy blue. The hues, not only a nod to our guests but also to our host, as blue and green are also two of Dr (Jill) Biden's favourite colours," Elizondo said. Each table will feature an arrangement of blooms in vases large and small, and the colour of the flowers mirrors the saffron of India's flag and the heritage it represents, he said. The social secretary said as leaders have done at State Dinners for decades, the president and the prime minister will give their toasts from an eagle lectern. "For this dinner, embossed on the rich forest green backdrop behind them, we have replicated that iconic eagle and a peacock in the same style, framing the leaders with their national birds. In the peacock's talons, stalks of millets, a nod to India's successful campaign to declare 2023 the International Year of Millets," he said. Elizondo said around them are lotus flowers which are important symbols in India. "Their gleaming petals remind us, that each day, our nations bloom stronger and more radiant, together. Throughout the space, you will see more images of lotuses, their design inspired by the mandala illustrations found in traditional Indian art," he added. Peacock and Bald Eagle: Imagery of India's national bird, the peacock, and America's national bird, the bald eagle, will serve as the backdrop to President Biden and Prime Minister Modi's toasts for the evening. Lotus Blooms: A longstanding feature in Indian design throughout history and inspired by mandala-style illustrations found in traditional Indian art, the lotus flower is incorporated throughout the decor and tablescapes. Following the dinner, guests will enjoy musical selections from the following performers: Joshua Bell, American Violinist and Conductor. Joshua Bell is a GRAMMY Award-winning violinist, soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and conductor, and currently the Music Director of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Bell's highlights in the 2023-24 season include an international tour of his newly-commissioned project, The Elements, featuring works by renowned living composers. Penn Masala, a South Asian A Cappella Group will also perform at the event. They are known for original compositions and harmonies that traverse traditions and capture the experience of growing up with both Eastern and Western cultures. Penn Masala has performed around the world, including at the Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) Awards. "The President's Own" United States Marine Band Chamber Orchestra will also perform at the event. For more than two centuries, the United States Marine Band has been part of the events that have shaped the Nation. Established by an Act of Congress in 1798, the Marine Band is America's oldest continuously active professional music organization and made its White House debut on New Year's Day 1801. (With inputs from PTI and ANI) WASHINGTON: Marinated millet, corn kernel salad and stuffed mushrooms are on the menu for 400 guests invited to the White House dinner being hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Observing that the prime minister is a vegetarian, First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday said she asked Chef Nina Curtis -- who specialises in plant-based cuisine -- to work with the White House staff and create a stunning vegetarian menu. Guests will have the option to add fish to their main course as well, she said during the media preview for the State Dinner on Thursday at the White House's South Lawn.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Modi arrived here from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. Giving details on the State Dinner that will be hosted for PM Modi, the First Lady said, "Tomorrow night, guests will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron-coloured flowers at every table -- the colours of the Indian flag." Washington, DC | At a media preview at the White House, ahead of the State Dinner that will be hosted for PM Narendra Modi, dishes that will be served have been put on display. The menu will include Marinated Millet and Grilled Corn Kernel Salad among other dishes. pic.twitter.com/ScA7ojdbYd ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 More than 400 guests have been invited for the dinner at the specially decorated pavilion on the South Lawn of the White House, Jill Biden said. The first course on the State Dinner will include marinated millet, grilled corn kernel salad, compressed watermelon and a tangy avocado sauce. The main course includes stuffed portobello mushrooms and a creamy saffron-infused risotto. Upon request, guests would be served sumac-roasted sea bass, lemon-dill yoghurt sauce, crisped Millet cakes and summer squashes, according to the menu. For dessert is rose and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake. Wines on the list are Stone Tower Chardonnay "Kristi" 2021, PATEL Red Blend 2019 and Domain Carneros Brut Rose. California-based Chef Curtis said, "It is truly a pleasure to be able to work with the First Lady and help her to bring her culinary vision to life... we have curated a menu that really showcases the best in American cuisine and also then seasoned with Indian elements and flavours," she said. "We are also very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the International Year of the Millets. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu and the Indian cuisine elements throughout the menu," the chef said. #WATCH | Guest Chef Nina Curtis gives details on the State Dinner that will be hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "...We are very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the international year of millet. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu" she pic.twitter.com/Ts0Smq6TN7 ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo, previewing the State Dinner, said the First Lady has been involved in this event at every step. Every element of the dinner and decor has been chosen to make each guest's experience personal and warm, Elizondo said. The decor of the venue features elements that honour the tradition and cultures of the US and India, including the Indian flag, he said. "The inspiration for our design really began with the peacock, India's national bird. From the invitations to the programmes to the pavilion, we wanted to evoke that breathtaking feeling when it extends its tail, unveiling its colourful beauty, majesty, and strength," the social secretary said. "Green draping will flow from the ceiling, giving way to tables cloaked in the saturated blues and greens of Indian silks, falling onto a carpet of navy blue. The hues, not only a nod to our guests but also to our host, as blue and green are also two of Dr (Jill) Biden's favourite colours," Elizondo said. Each table will feature an arrangement of blooms in vases large and small, and the colour of the flowers mirrors the saffron of India's flag and the heritage it represents, he said. The social secretary said as leaders have done at State Dinners for decades, the president and the prime minister will give their toasts from an eagle lectern. "For this dinner, embossed on the rich forest green backdrop behind them, we have replicated that iconic eagle and a peacock in the same style, framing the leaders with their national birds. In the peacock's talons, stalks of millets, a nod to India's successful campaign to declare 2023 the International Year of Millets," he said. Elizondo said around them are lotus flowers which are important symbols in India. "Their gleaming petals remind us, that each day, our nations bloom stronger and more radiant, together. Throughout the space, you will see more images of lotuses, their design inspired by the mandala illustrations found in traditional Indian art," he added. Peacock and Bald Eagle: Imagery of India's national bird, the peacock, and America's national bird, the bald eagle, will serve as the backdrop to President Biden and Prime Minister Modi's toasts for the evening. Lotus Blooms: A longstanding feature in Indian design throughout history and inspired by mandala-style illustrations found in traditional Indian art, the lotus flower is incorporated throughout the decor and tablescapes. Following the dinner, guests will enjoy musical selections from the following performers: Joshua Bell, American Violinist and Conductor. Joshua Bell is a GRAMMY Award-winning violinist, soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and conductor, and currently the Music Director of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields. Bell's highlights in the 2023-24 season include an international tour of his newly-commissioned project, The Elements, featuring works by renowned living composers. Penn Masala, a South Asian A Cappella Group will also perform at the event. They are known for original compositions and harmonies that traverse traditions and capture the experience of growing up with both Eastern and Western cultures. Penn Masala has performed around the world, including at the Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) Awards. "The President's Own" United States Marine Band Chamber Orchestra will also perform at the event. For more than two centuries, the United States Marine Band has been part of the events that have shaped the Nation. Established by an Act of Congress in 1798, the Marine Band is America's oldest continuously active professional music organization and made its White House debut on New Year's Day 1801. (With inputs from PTI and ANI) Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: With two prominent faces -- BSP chief Mayawati and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhury -- from the opposition in UP to keep away from the mega rally of leaders of 17 opposition parties under the tutelage of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in Patna on Friday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is likely to be the only opposition face from Uttar Pradesh, politically the most crucial state of the Hindi heartland. While BSP chief Mayawati took to Twitter to rule out her participation in the oppositions Patna congregation saying it was more of just a posturing of unity among opposition parties irrespective of their ideological differences, RLD president Jayant Chaudhary has written to Nitish Kumar expressing his inability to participate in the rally due to a pre-decided family programme. Interestingly, neither has the Mahagathbandhan extended any invite to Mayawati for the Patna rally so far nor did Nitish Kumar find it imperative to meet her during his visit to Lucknow to meet SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on April 23. Though the Chaudhary-led Rashtriya Lok Dal is a Samajwadi Party ally, differences between the two parties had emerged during the last few months especially over seat-sharing in the recently-concluded UP urban local body elections. However, RLD leaders said on Thursday that the differences between the two allies had been resolved. In his letter written on June 12, Jayant Chaudhary had said it was the need of the hour that like-minded opposition parties unite while dictatorial and communal powers have become a threat to democracy and social harmony. Wishing luck to Nitish Kumar, Jayant had written: After holding discussions on the countrys problems and challenges, the opposition can put forward a visionary and pragmatic approach in front of the people. Together we can win the confidence of youth, women, farmers and deprived sections and bring about positive change in the country. Thus with Mayawati and Jayant Chaudhury staying away from the Patna rally, only Akhilesh Yadav is seen bearing the oppositions flag in the rink. Consequently, the scenario does not support speculation of a possible SP-BSP alliance in UP like 2019. Even during the review of her partys preparedness for 2024, Mayawati did not leave any opportunity to target the SP regime on Wednesday. However, she was equally vocal about the BJP misgovernance. In the current Lok Sabha, while the BSP has 10 MPs, the SP has just three and Congress one. The rest of the 66 seats are occupied by the ruling BJP and its ally Apna Dal (S). According to JD(U) chief spokesperson KC Tyagi, the BSP and some regional parties were not invited for the Patna rally as they did not seem committed to fight the ruling BJP with all their might in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. However, Tyagis statement could be seen in sync with Akhilesh Yadavs oft-repeated claim that the BSP was the B team of the BJP in the 2022 UP Assembly polls. Akhilesh had claimed that the BSP had fielded candidates not to win but to check the SP tally from going upward. He had even claimed that BSP tickets were decided in the BJP office. Significantly, BSP leaders had been projecting Mayawati as the prime ministerial candidate and even before the Patna meeting was decided, BSP leaders had claimed that their party would join the opposition bloc only if the BSP chief was declared the PM candidate. Such conditions are detrimental to opposition unity at a time when no other party in the camp was talking about PMship, said a JD(U) leader in Lucknow. LUCKNOW: With two prominent faces -- BSP chief Mayawati and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) president Jayant Chaudhury -- from the opposition in UP to keep away from the mega rally of leaders of 17 opposition parties under the tutelage of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in Patna on Friday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is likely to be the only opposition face from Uttar Pradesh, politically the most crucial state of the Hindi heartland. While BSP chief Mayawati took to Twitter to rule out her participation in the oppositions Patna congregation saying it was more of just a posturing of unity among opposition parties irrespective of their ideological differences, RLD president Jayant Chaudhary has written to Nitish Kumar expressing his inability to participate in the rally due to a pre-decided family programme. Interestingly, neither has the Mahagathbandhan extended any invite to Mayawati for the Patna rally so far nor did Nitish Kumar find it imperative to meet her during his visit to Lucknow to meet SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on April 23.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Though the Chaudhary-led Rashtriya Lok Dal is a Samajwadi Party ally, differences between the two parties had emerged during the last few months especially over seat-sharing in the recently-concluded UP urban local body elections. However, RLD leaders said on Thursday that the differences between the two allies had been resolved. In his letter written on June 12, Jayant Chaudhary had said it was the need of the hour that like-minded opposition parties unite while dictatorial and communal powers have become a threat to democracy and social harmony. Wishing luck to Nitish Kumar, Jayant had written: After holding discussions on the countrys problems and challenges, the opposition can put forward a visionary and pragmatic approach in front of the people. Together we can win the confidence of youth, women, farmers and deprived sections and bring about positive change in the country. Thus with Mayawati and Jayant Chaudhury staying away from the Patna rally, only Akhilesh Yadav is seen bearing the oppositions flag in the rink. Consequently, the scenario does not support speculation of a possible SP-BSP alliance in UP like 2019. Even during the review of her partys preparedness for 2024, Mayawati did not leave any opportunity to target the SP regime on Wednesday. However, she was equally vocal about the BJP misgovernance. In the current Lok Sabha, while the BSP has 10 MPs, the SP has just three and Congress one. The rest of the 66 seats are occupied by the ruling BJP and its ally Apna Dal (S). According to JD(U) chief spokesperson KC Tyagi, the BSP and some regional parties were not invited for the Patna rally as they did not seem committed to fight the ruling BJP with all their might in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. However, Tyagis statement could be seen in sync with Akhilesh Yadavs oft-repeated claim that the BSP was the B team of the BJP in the 2022 UP Assembly polls. Akhilesh had claimed that the BSP had fielded candidates not to win but to check the SP tally from going upward. He had even claimed that BSP tickets were decided in the BJP office. Significantly, BSP leaders had been projecting Mayawati as the prime ministerial candidate and even before the Patna meeting was decided, BSP leaders had claimed that their party would join the opposition bloc only if the BSP chief was declared the PM candidate. Such conditions are detrimental to opposition unity at a time when no other party in the camp was talking about PMship, said a JD(U) leader in Lucknow. LACHIN, Azerbaijan, June 22. Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev has arrived in Azerbaijan's Lachin district, Trend reports. He will take part in the commissioning ceremony of the new administrative building of the district prosecutor's office, and then hold an operational meeting with the participation of employees of subordinate district and territorial military prosecutor's offices operating in the liberated territories from Armenian occupation [after the Second Karabakh War]. Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation from late Sept. to early Nov. 2020, Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document. A joint statement on the matter was made by the Azerbaijani president, Armenia's PM, and the President of Russia. A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Karabakh conflict were introduced on Nov. 10, 2020. By Express News Service KOLKATA: The bonhomie between West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which was observed shortly after the former entered Raj Bhavan and assumed office in November last year, seems to be petering out. The face-off between them reached its peak on Thursday over the issue of the role played by the State Election Commission (SEC) and its chief ahead of the panchayat elections in Bengal. Bose, late on Wednesday night, returned state election commissioner Rajiva Sinhas joining report casting a shadow on the continuation of the state poll panel head. A war of words between the two erupted when Bose, refusing to accept state election commissioners joining report, expressed his disappointment amid murmurs of removal of the state election commissioner and Mamata said the state poll panel head cant be removed on whims and fancies. Asserting that Sinhas removal is a cumbersome process, Mamata said, State Election Commissioner cannot be removed just like that. He was appointed after the governor approved it. He cannot be removed just at the drop of hat. The removal process is quite cumbersome, just like removing judges through impeachment, before leaving for Patna to attend a meeting of opposition parties. Never ever has the poll process in Bengal been so peaceful. It's cadres of our party who have been killed. There have been incidents in three to four booths and armed with that, some people are maligning Bengal, she alleged. Bose said that he had appointed Sinha as the SEC head trusting that he would conduct the election process in a free and fair manner. He added that during the elections the Commissioner has power over the police and magistrates. The Election Commission should not only be impartial but should also be perceived to be impartial. Caesars wife must be above suspicion, he added. ALSO READ | HC orders Bengal poll panel to deploy 82K personnel from central forces for rural elections Lambasting the state poll panel, Bose on Thursday blamed it for the violence during the panchayat polls in the state, saying it was accountable for every drop of human blood that is shed in the field. People are disappointed by the apparent inaction from the Election Commission. People are in a state of fear. Of course I will not say there is violence all over. But there is violence and the fact that there is violence cannot be denied, the Governor said. After a series of run-ins between his predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Mamata, the equation between Raj Bhavan and the West Bengal government turned a new leaf as Bose praised Mamata and shared cordial ties with her. Praising her after she received her second doctorate of literature (DLitt) from St. Xaviers University in Kolkata in February, Bose had said, This is not for her political acumen. For that she has received similar awards from the peoples university. This is a recognition for her pursuit of excellence in literature, in painting, in poetry. Acting on the Calcutta High Courts order, the SEC requisitioned 800 companies of central forces on Thursday, shifting from its requisition for 22 companies. The state poll panel received a jolt in the Supreme Court when it challenged the Calcutta High Courts order directing the state panel to deploy central forces across the state. KOLKATA: The bonhomie between West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, which was observed shortly after the former entered Raj Bhavan and assumed office in November last year, seems to be petering out. The face-off between them reached its peak on Thursday over the issue of the role played by the State Election Commission (SEC) and its chief ahead of the panchayat elections in Bengal. Bose, late on Wednesday night, returned state election commissioner Rajiva Sinhas joining report casting a shadow on the continuation of the state poll panel head. A war of words between the two erupted when Bose, refusing to accept state election commissioners joining report, expressed his disappointment amid murmurs of removal of the state election commissioner and Mamata said the state poll panel head cant be removed on whims and fancies.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Asserting that Sinhas removal is a cumbersome process, Mamata said, State Election Commissioner cannot be removed just like that. He was appointed after the governor approved it. He cannot be removed just at the drop of hat. The removal process is quite cumbersome, just like removing judges through impeachment, before leaving for Patna to attend a meeting of opposition parties. Never ever has the poll process in Bengal been so peaceful. It's cadres of our party who have been killed. There have been incidents in three to four booths and armed with that, some people are maligning Bengal, she alleged. Bose said that he had appointed Sinha as the SEC head trusting that he would conduct the election process in a free and fair manner. He added that during the elections the Commissioner has power over the police and magistrates. The Election Commission should not only be impartial but should also be perceived to be impartial. Caesars wife must be above suspicion, he added. ALSO READ | HC orders Bengal poll panel to deploy 82K personnel from central forces for rural elections Lambasting the state poll panel, Bose on Thursday blamed it for the violence during the panchayat polls in the state, saying it was accountable for every drop of human blood that is shed in the field. People are disappointed by the apparent inaction from the Election Commission. People are in a state of fear. Of course I will not say there is violence all over. But there is violence and the fact that there is violence cannot be denied, the Governor said. After a series of run-ins between his predecessor Jagdeep Dhankhar and Mamata, the equation between Raj Bhavan and the West Bengal government turned a new leaf as Bose praised Mamata and shared cordial ties with her. Praising her after she received her second doctorate of literature (DLitt) from St. Xaviers University in Kolkata in February, Bose had said, This is not for her political acumen. For that she has received similar awards from the peoples university. This is a recognition for her pursuit of excellence in literature, in painting, in poetry. Acting on the Calcutta High Courts order, the SEC requisitioned 800 companies of central forces on Thursday, shifting from its requisition for 22 companies. The state poll panel received a jolt in the Supreme Court when it challenged the Calcutta High Courts order directing the state panel to deploy central forces across the state. Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday pitched for making yoga a part of everyones life as he led a historic event at the UN headquarters in New York to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by top UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. The event witnessed the participation of yoga enthusiasts representing 135 nations, setting a new Guinness World Record for the highest number of nationalities partaking in a yoga session at the iconic North Lawn of the UN headquarters. The attendees included diplomats, officials, academics, healthcare professionals, technocrats, and industry leaders such as Csaba Korosi, President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City, Amina J Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, Hollywood actor Richard Gere, and Michelin Star chef Vikas Khanna. Let us embrace yoga as a part of our well-being and make it an integral part of our lives, Modi said. Citing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterress message, he said: Yoga brings us closer together and enhances the health of the planet. It was Modi who engineered the creation in 2014 of the International Day of Yoga every June 21 through a UN General Assembly resolution. Yoga originates from India and, like all ancient Indian traditions, it is alive, dynamic, and universally applicable. Yoga is a way of life, said Modi, adding: Yoga is free from copyrights, patents and royalty payments. This years theme for International Yoga Day was Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which roughly translates to one earth, one family, one future. The PM, who is visiting the US at the invitation of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, will join them for the state banquet along with a number of dignitaries on Thursday. He is also set to address a joint session of the US Congress. Twitter will follow local rules: Musk Prior to the yoga day event, Modi met several prominent figures, including industry leaders such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk. During the meeting, the PM invited Musk to explore investment opportunities in India, especially in the fields of electric mobility and commercial space. Musk responded that India has more promise than any other large country and that he is incredibly excited about its future. Talking to reporters after meeting Modi, Musk said Twitter, the company he owns, does not have a choice but to follow local laws, adding: We will do our best to provide the freest speech that is possible under the law NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday pitched for making yoga a part of everyones life as he led a historic event at the UN headquarters in New York to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by top UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. The event witnessed the participation of yoga enthusiasts representing 135 nations, setting a new Guinness World Record for the highest number of nationalities partaking in a yoga session at the iconic North Lawn of the UN headquarters. The attendees included diplomats, officials, academics, healthcare professionals, technocrats, and industry leaders such as Csaba Korosi, President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City, Amina J Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, Hollywood actor Richard Gere, and Michelin Star chef Vikas Khanna.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Let us embrace yoga as a part of our well-being and make it an integral part of our lives, Modi said. Citing UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterress message, he said: Yoga brings us closer together and enhances the health of the planet. It was Modi who engineered the creation in 2014 of the International Day of Yoga every June 21 through a UN General Assembly resolution. Yoga originates from India and, like all ancient Indian traditions, it is alive, dynamic, and universally applicable. Yoga is a way of life, said Modi, adding: Yoga is free from copyrights, patents and royalty payments. This years theme for International Yoga Day was Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which roughly translates to one earth, one family, one future. The PM, who is visiting the US at the invitation of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, will join them for the state banquet along with a number of dignitaries on Thursday. He is also set to address a joint session of the US Congress. Twitter will follow local rules: Musk Prior to the yoga day event, Modi met several prominent figures, including industry leaders such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk. During the meeting, the PM invited Musk to explore investment opportunities in India, especially in the fields of electric mobility and commercial space. Musk responded that India has more promise than any other large country and that he is incredibly excited about its future. Talking to reporters after meeting Modi, Musk said Twitter, the company he owns, does not have a choice but to follow local laws, adding: We will do our best to provide the freest speech that is possible under the law Ramashankar By Express News Service PATNA: The stage is set for the much-awaited grand Opposition leaders' meeting scheduled to be held in the state capital on June 23. Senior leaders of 18 parties have confirmed their participation in the meeting aimed at stitching a formidable alliance of all Opposition parties against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh said that the country's grand old party is ready to sacrifice in some states for the sake of the country's democracy and the Constitution. Congress is known for its sacrifices on several occasions in the past, he said. Singh's statement is an indication that Congress may compromise on seat sharing in some states as far Lok Sabha election is concerned. Congress is ready to sacrifice to dethrone BJP from power at the centre, Bihar Congress chief asserted. Singh's statement assumed significance in the wake of West Bengal chief minister TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's reservations over seat sharing with Congress in the Lok Sabha election in West Bengal. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will arrive a day in advance (June 22) as she is supposed to meet RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar separately. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will also reach Patna on Thursday. Continuing his efforts to seek support on the Central Ordinance issue, he is expected to meet national leaders and discuss the issue. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will attend the opposition meeting. Stalin's importance in the Opposition Unity project is reflected in his strong anti-BJP image in South India. He is widely seen as a leader that supported the Congress-led opposition. After BJP was defeated in the Karnataka Assembly polls last month, Congress is also upbeat after it formed the government there. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Punjab CM Mann, Former Uttar Pradesh CM and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti and Left party leaders are among others to attend the meeting. According to JD-U leaders close to Kumar, after the opposition meeting in Patna, Kumar will likely be named convenor of the united opposition. Since last September, after Kumar dumped BJP, he has repeatedly urged all opposition parties to fight together in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The opposition meeting results from the active role of Kumar, who has been tirelessly engaging with national and regional party leaders to strengthen opposition unity for the past few months. Kumar has repeatedly said that he is uninterested in any post and categorically denied that he was in the race for the PM post. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that Kumar will stop Modi's juggernaut in 2024. However, some BJP leaders have been targeting Kumar, who was their ally till August 9, 2022, and are blaming him for everything, including poor governance and law and order in the state and unemployment. PATNA: The stage is set for the much-awaited grand Opposition leaders' meeting scheduled to be held in the state capital on June 23. Senior leaders of 18 parties have confirmed their participation in the meeting aimed at stitching a formidable alliance of all Opposition parties against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Narendra Modi ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh said that the country's grand old party is ready to sacrifice in some states for the sake of the country's democracy and the Constitution. Congress is known for its sacrifices on several occasions in the past, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Singh's statement is an indication that Congress may compromise on seat sharing in some states as far Lok Sabha election is concerned. Congress is ready to sacrifice to dethrone BJP from power at the centre, Bihar Congress chief asserted. Singh's statement assumed significance in the wake of West Bengal chief minister TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee's reservations over seat sharing with Congress in the Lok Sabha election in West Bengal. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will arrive a day in advance (June 22) as she is supposed to meet RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar separately. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will also reach Patna on Thursday. Continuing his efforts to seek support on the Central Ordinance issue, he is expected to meet national leaders and discuss the issue. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin will attend the opposition meeting. Stalin's importance in the Opposition Unity project is reflected in his strong anti-BJP image in South India. He is widely seen as a leader that supported the Congress-led opposition. After BJP was defeated in the Karnataka Assembly polls last month, Congress is also upbeat after it formed the government there. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Punjab CM Mann, Former Uttar Pradesh CM and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti and Left party leaders are among others to attend the meeting. According to JD-U leaders close to Kumar, after the opposition meeting in Patna, Kumar will likely be named convenor of the united opposition. Since last September, after Kumar dumped BJP, he has repeatedly urged all opposition parties to fight together in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The opposition meeting results from the active role of Kumar, who has been tirelessly engaging with national and regional party leaders to strengthen opposition unity for the past few months. Kumar has repeatedly said that he is uninterested in any post and categorically denied that he was in the race for the PM post. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that Kumar will stop Modi's juggernaut in 2024. However, some BJP leaders have been targeting Kumar, who was their ally till August 9, 2022, and are blaming him for everything, including poor governance and law and order in the state and unemployment. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: It was a deal that been finalised already. On Thursday, GE Aerospace formally announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly produce GE's advanced F414 aircraft engines in India. Coming amidst Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the United States, GE Aerospace was quick to hail it as a major milestone and a key element in strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries. GE Aerospace in its official statement said, "The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorization for this." The deal will require the final approval from the US Congress, but that is expected to sail through. While the advanced GE-F414 engines are to be fitted in the Tejas Light Combat Mk2 aricraft, the work on future fighters including the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) and the twin-engine deck-based fighters is also proceeding. Besides the Tejas LCA Mk2, three other jets have the GE-F414 engines - the Super Hornets, Growlers and Gripens. Ravi Gupta, a former DRDO scientist, had underlined the importance of the deal to The New Indian Express, noting "To date the US has not given such high-end technology to anyone." "To make the deal a success it should be binding on the US that it would not pull out of it in between and the transfer of technology should be in totality," he had observed. "This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL," said H Lawrence Culp Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. India has been using the GE Aerospace's F404, which are lighter than the GE 414 engines, to power its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mk1 and Mk 1A. ALSO READ | Millets, mushrooms and saffron-infused risotto on White House state dinner menu for PM Modi India has lagged in engine-related technology and with time such tech will be sought even more as the Air Force is already down to around 30 combat Squadrons as against a sanctioned strength of 42. As per GE, it was in 1986, that they began working with the Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL to support the development of India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with F404 engines. Subsequently, GE Aerospace's F404 and F414 have been part of development and production programs of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programs. In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 have been ordered for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for LCA Mk2. The latest agreement will advance GE Aerospace's earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force as part of the LCA Mk2 program, said GE. ALSO READ | The Biden-Modi relationship is built around mutual admiration of scrappy pasts and pragmatic needs They added that the MoU puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India "including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospace's selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA program with our F414-INS6 engine. In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program." GE Aerospace is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and systems for commercial and military aircraft with a global service network to support these offerings. GE Aerospace and its joint ventures have an installed base of more than 40000 commercial and 26000 military aircraft engines. NEW DELHI: It was a deal that been finalised already. On Thursday, GE Aerospace formally announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly produce GE's advanced F414 aircraft engines in India. Coming amidst Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the United States, GE Aerospace was quick to hail it as a major milestone and a key element in strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries. GE Aerospace in its official statement said, "The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorization for this."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The deal will require the final approval from the US Congress, but that is expected to sail through. While the advanced GE-F414 engines are to be fitted in the Tejas Light Combat Mk2 aricraft, the work on future fighters including the advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) and the twin-engine deck-based fighters is also proceeding. Besides the Tejas LCA Mk2, three other jets have the GE-F414 engines - the Super Hornets, Growlers and Gripens. Ravi Gupta, a former DRDO scientist, had underlined the importance of the deal to The New Indian Express, noting "To date the US has not given such high-end technology to anyone." "To make the deal a success it should be binding on the US that it would not pull out of it in between and the transfer of technology should be in totality," he had observed. "This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL," said H Lawrence Culp Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. India has been using the GE Aerospace's F404, which are lighter than the GE 414 engines, to power its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mk1 and Mk 1A. ALSO READ | Millets, mushrooms and saffron-infused risotto on White House state dinner menu for PM Modi India has lagged in engine-related technology and with time such tech will be sought even more as the Air Force is already down to around 30 combat Squadrons as against a sanctioned strength of 42. As per GE, it was in 1986, that they began working with the Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL to support the development of India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with F404 engines. Subsequently, GE Aerospace's F404 and F414 have been part of development and production programs of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programs. In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 have been ordered for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for LCA Mk2. The latest agreement will advance GE Aerospace's earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force as part of the LCA Mk2 program, said GE. ALSO READ | The Biden-Modi relationship is built around mutual admiration of scrappy pasts and pragmatic needs They added that the MoU puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India "including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospace's selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA program with our F414-INS6 engine. In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program." GE Aerospace is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and systems for commercial and military aircraft with a global service network to support these offerings. GE Aerospace and its joint ventures have an installed base of more than 40000 commercial and 26000 military aircraft engines. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Three persons, including two minors, were injured when a suspected IED, planted inside an SUV, exploded in restive Manipur on Wednesday evening. The explosion occurred around 7.15 pm at a place between Moirang and Kwakta in the Bishnupur district of the Imphal valley. Official sources said the injured, who are aged 18, 7 and 5 years, were rushed to a local hospital. Later, one was shifted to a hospital in Imphal, some 50km away. His condition was stated to be critical. Eyewitnesses claimed that they had seen the driver parking the car (Scorpio) on a culvert and leaving the site. They said there was none else in the car. Kwakta is a Muslim-majority place. The Kuki-majority Churachandpur district border is less than 5km away. The explosion occurred a day after two incidents of speculative firing were reported one from a place 2km north of Sugnu bordering Kakching and Churachandpur districts, and another from Kangchup on the border of Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts. Nobody was killed or injured. The personnel of Assam Rifles went to the sites and stopped the firing. Meanwhile, Army personnel demolished bunkers erected by miscreants at Leimakhong near the border of Kangpokpi and Imphal East districts. Over 1,500 students from the violence-hit state were being enrolled in government schools of adjoining Mizoram. Mizoram Education Director Lalsangliana said that the children would be given free admission. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga said that altogether 11,785 displaced citizens of Manipur were taking shelter in his state. Mizos and Kukis share the same ancestry, culture and tradition. The violence in Manipur broke out on May 3 after a tribal solidarity march, which was organised by a students body to oppose the move for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list. Shah calls all-party meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah has convened an all-party meeting on June 24 in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur, which has witnessed sporadic violence since May 3. The announcement came after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met the home minister in New Delhi on Wednesday evening. Sarma is also the convenor of the NDAs North-East Democratic Alliance. GUWAHATI: Three persons, including two minors, were injured when a suspected IED, planted inside an SUV, exploded in restive Manipur on Wednesday evening. The explosion occurred around 7.15 pm at a place between Moirang and Kwakta in the Bishnupur district of the Imphal valley. Official sources said the injured, who are aged 18, 7 and 5 years, were rushed to a local hospital. Later, one was shifted to a hospital in Imphal, some 50km away. His condition was stated to be critical. Eyewitnesses claimed that they had seen the driver parking the car (Scorpio) on a culvert and leaving the site. They said there was none else in the car. Kwakta is a Muslim-majority place. The Kuki-majority Churachandpur district border is less than 5km away. The explosion occurred a day after two incidents of speculative firing were reported one from a place 2km north of Sugnu bordering Kakching and Churachandpur districts, and another from Kangchup on the border of Kangpokpi and Imphal West districts. Nobody was killed or injured.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The personnel of Assam Rifles went to the sites and stopped the firing. Meanwhile, Army personnel demolished bunkers erected by miscreants at Leimakhong near the border of Kangpokpi and Imphal East districts. Over 1,500 students from the violence-hit state were being enrolled in government schools of adjoining Mizoram. Mizoram Education Director Lalsangliana said that the children would be given free admission. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga said that altogether 11,785 displaced citizens of Manipur were taking shelter in his state. Mizos and Kukis share the same ancestry, culture and tradition. The violence in Manipur broke out on May 3 after a tribal solidarity march, which was organised by a students body to oppose the move for the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribes list. Shah calls all-party meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah has convened an all-party meeting on June 24 in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur, which has witnessed sporadic violence since May 3. The announcement came after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met the home minister in New Delhi on Wednesday evening. Sarma is also the convenor of the NDAs North-East Democratic Alliance. Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Two soldiers were injured when unknown gunmen opened unprovoked fire in Manipur on Thursday. Defence authorities said the injured soldiers were stable and they would join their colleagues in the company operating base soon. Armed miscreants resorted to unprovoked firing in N Boljang, Imphal West district in the morning hours of 22 June. Calibrated response by own troops to avoid any collateral damage, the armys Spear Corps tweeted. One INSAS light machine gun was recovered from the site. The army said additional columns were inducted and operations were in progress. This is the third incident in which a soldier was either killed or injured in firing by miscreants and militants. On June 6, a Border Security Force jawan was killed while two Assam Rifles personnel were injured in a gunbattle with the militants at Serou in Kakching district of Imphal valley. ALSO READ | Manipur violence: 'Too little, too late', says Congress on all-party meeting convened by Amit Shah On June 19, an army soldier had sustained gunshot wounds when miscreants resorted to unprovoked fire at Kanto Sabal in Imphal West district. Over 35,000 army and paramilitary personnel are deployed in the state. A joint team of the Assam Rifles and the Manipur police recovered a mortar bomb during a combing operation in Imphal East district on Thursday. The combing operations were launched recently to recover looted weapons. In the early days of the violence which broke out on May 3, mobs looted over 4,000 weapons and lakhs of bullets. Nearly 1,000 weapons were either surrendered or recovered later. Three persons, including two minors, were injured on Wednesday evening when a suspected IED, planted in an SUV that was parked on a culvert, exploded on the Imphal-Churachandpur road near Kwakta in Bishnupur district. A tribal organisation alleged the miscreants had made an attempt to cut off the road to Churachandpur, which is a Kuki-majority district in the hills, and flare up the sentiments of the local neutral community. Muslims are in a large majority in Kwakta. GUWAHATI: Two soldiers were injured when unknown gunmen opened unprovoked fire in Manipur on Thursday. Defence authorities said the injured soldiers were stable and they would join their colleagues in the company operating base soon. Armed miscreants resorted to unprovoked firing in N Boljang, Imphal West district in the morning hours of 22 June. Calibrated response by own troops to avoid any collateral damage, the armys Spear Corps tweeted.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); One INSAS light machine gun was recovered from the site. The army said additional columns were inducted and operations were in progress. This is the third incident in which a soldier was either killed or injured in firing by miscreants and militants. On June 6, a Border Security Force jawan was killed while two Assam Rifles personnel were injured in a gunbattle with the militants at Serou in Kakching district of Imphal valley. ALSO READ | Manipur violence: 'Too little, too late', says Congress on all-party meeting convened by Amit Shah On June 19, an army soldier had sustained gunshot wounds when miscreants resorted to unprovoked fire at Kanto Sabal in Imphal West district. Over 35,000 army and paramilitary personnel are deployed in the state. A joint team of the Assam Rifles and the Manipur police recovered a mortar bomb during a combing operation in Imphal East district on Thursday. The combing operations were launched recently to recover looted weapons. In the early days of the violence which broke out on May 3, mobs looted over 4,000 weapons and lakhs of bullets. Nearly 1,000 weapons were either surrendered or recovered later. Three persons, including two minors, were injured on Wednesday evening when a suspected IED, planted in an SUV that was parked on a culvert, exploded on the Imphal-Churachandpur road near Kwakta in Bishnupur district. A tribal organisation alleged the miscreants had made an attempt to cut off the road to Churachandpur, which is a Kuki-majority district in the hills, and flare up the sentiments of the local neutral community. Muslims are in a large majority in Kwakta. By AFP WASHINGTON: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday opened a state visit to Washington as the United States steps up its wooing of India despite simmering disagreements on Ukraine and human rights. President Joe Biden is putting on the full pomp for only the third state visit of his administration, with the billion-plus country seen as a pivotal partner in growing global competition with China. Modi -- flying in from New York where he exerted Indian soft power with a public yoga demonstration -- kicked off his visit with an intimate private dinner with Biden at the White House. On Thursday, India's most powerful leader in decades will be welcomed with full military honours at the White House, address a joint session of Congress and be feted by a state dinner. The White House tapped a top California-based plant-based chef for the dinner for Modi, a strict vegetarian. Unusually for a leader who often criticizes the press, the White House said Modi will take questions alongside Biden. People following the trip expect a series of significant announcements, including likely a deal for General Electric to supply engines for India's first home-grown fighter jets. The world's two largest democracies are also likely to make announcements on climate, one area where the two countries have long clashed, albeit politely, on the responsibilities of developed versus developing countries. ALSO READ | Jet engines, drones, special trade benefits expected from Modi-Biden talks The United States has been seeking a closer relationship with India since the late 1990s, seeing the nation as like-minded both on the challenges of China and of radical Islamism. Speaking to reporters ahead of the visit, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby played down the connection to China -- which Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited earlier in the week in a bid to lower the temperature after soaring tensions. "It's not about sending a message to China," Kirby said. "We are deepening and continuing to improve this partnership with India, which we believe has truly become a force for global good. And we know that India is going to be a strategic partner for decades to come," he said. But he implicitly acknowledged India's strategic location, saying, "They are showing a growing commitment to being more engaged in the Indo-Pacific." Playing down differences It will be Modi's first state visit to Washington, an honour extended to his centre-left predecessor Manmohan Singh by Barack Obama. Biden, however, has already welcomed Modi as part of a summit of the so-called Quad -- an initiative of four democracies including Japan and Australia that is widely seen as countering China's influence in Asia. Modi had developed a close relationship with Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, endearing himself by arranging a massive rally in his home state of Gujarat for the fellow right-wing populist. The Biden administration has vowed a greater focus globally on human rights but has kept a light touch with Modi, who has faced mounting criticism from human rights groups. ALSO READ | Biden-Modi relationship is built around scrappy pasts and pragmatic needs The State Department in its latest report on religious freedom pointed to attacks on minorities in India and to statements viewed as inflammatory from members of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Two Muslim members of the US House of Representatives, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, are boycotting Modi's speech. But India has otherwise largely enjoyed a pass from the United States including over Russia, which Biden is seeking to isolate over its invasion of Ukraine. Modi has refused to join Western-led sanctions on Moscow, which supported New Delhi during the Cold War, and India has instead seized on the war to buy Russian oil at discounted prices. The muted US reaction comes in contrast with growing calls from Congress to punish South Africa for its stance on Russia. Rick Rossow, an India specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the United States considered the long-term concern about China -- over which India is aligned with the United States -- as greater than any gap on Russia. "There are going to be areas that pop up where you're going to have divergence. But the convergence is big enough where I think it'll outweigh everything," he said. READ MORE: PM Modi invites Micron, Applied Materials to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India PM Modi discusses India's growth story with top American thought leaders in New York Yoga diplomacy: PM Modi hardsells Indias soft power at UN event WASHINGTON: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday opened a state visit to Washington as the United States steps up its wooing of India despite simmering disagreements on Ukraine and human rights. President Joe Biden is putting on the full pomp for only the third state visit of his administration, with the billion-plus country seen as a pivotal partner in growing global competition with China. Modi -- flying in from New York where he exerted Indian soft power with a public yoga demonstration -- kicked off his visit with an intimate private dinner with Biden at the White House.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); On Thursday, India's most powerful leader in decades will be welcomed with full military honours at the White House, address a joint session of Congress and be feted by a state dinner. The White House tapped a top California-based plant-based chef for the dinner for Modi, a strict vegetarian. Unusually for a leader who often criticizes the press, the White House said Modi will take questions alongside Biden. People following the trip expect a series of significant announcements, including likely a deal for General Electric to supply engines for India's first home-grown fighter jets. The world's two largest democracies are also likely to make announcements on climate, one area where the two countries have long clashed, albeit politely, on the responsibilities of developed versus developing countries. ALSO READ | Jet engines, drones, special trade benefits expected from Modi-Biden talks The United States has been seeking a closer relationship with India since the late 1990s, seeing the nation as like-minded both on the challenges of China and of radical Islamism. Speaking to reporters ahead of the visit, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby played down the connection to China -- which Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited earlier in the week in a bid to lower the temperature after soaring tensions. "It's not about sending a message to China," Kirby said. "We are deepening and continuing to improve this partnership with India, which we believe has truly become a force for global good. And we know that India is going to be a strategic partner for decades to come," he said. But he implicitly acknowledged India's strategic location, saying, "They are showing a growing commitment to being more engaged in the Indo-Pacific." Playing down differences It will be Modi's first state visit to Washington, an honour extended to his centre-left predecessor Manmohan Singh by Barack Obama. Biden, however, has already welcomed Modi as part of a summit of the so-called Quad -- an initiative of four democracies including Japan and Australia that is widely seen as countering China's influence in Asia. Modi had developed a close relationship with Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, endearing himself by arranging a massive rally in his home state of Gujarat for the fellow right-wing populist. The Biden administration has vowed a greater focus globally on human rights but has kept a light touch with Modi, who has faced mounting criticism from human rights groups. ALSO READ | Biden-Modi relationship is built around scrappy pasts and pragmatic needs The State Department in its latest report on religious freedom pointed to attacks on minorities in India and to statements viewed as inflammatory from members of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Two Muslim members of the US House of Representatives, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, are boycotting Modi's speech. But India has otherwise largely enjoyed a pass from the United States including over Russia, which Biden is seeking to isolate over its invasion of Ukraine. Modi has refused to join Western-led sanctions on Moscow, which supported New Delhi during the Cold War, and India has instead seized on the war to buy Russian oil at discounted prices. The muted US reaction comes in contrast with growing calls from Congress to punish South Africa for its stance on Russia. Rick Rossow, an India specialist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the United States considered the long-term concern about China -- over which India is aligned with the United States -- as greater than any gap on Russia. "There are going to be areas that pop up where you're going to have divergence. But the convergence is big enough where I think it'll outweigh everything," he said. READ MORE: PM Modi invites Micron, Applied Materials to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India PM Modi discusses India's growth story with top American thought leaders in New York Yoga diplomacy: PM Modi hardsells Indias soft power at UN event By AFP WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that the two democracies' partnership would define the next century, as Washington eyes a counterweight to China and brushes off allegations of growing authoritarianism in New Delhi. The two nations reached major deals on engines for fighter-jets, semiconductor investment and space cooperation as Biden rolled out the red carpet to Modi for only the third state visit of his presidency. With thousands of Indian-Americans chanting his name on the White House's South Lawn, Modi, sporting a flowing white kurta with a sky-blue jacket, walked a red carpet to a gun salute. "I have long believed that the relationship between the US and India will be one of the most defining relationships of the 21st century," Biden said. "The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the United States work and lead together," he said. ALSO READ | Success stories of Indian-Americans define limitless possibilities between US and India: Biden Modi, India's most powerful prime minister in decades, later told a news conference that the visit brought a "new direction and new energy" to the "global strategic partnership" with the United States. Directly addressing one issue of concern in Washington, Modi said that he was "completely ready" to broker peace in Ukraine, although he stopped short of promising any break with Russia, India's Cold War partner. Biden only obliquely referenced Ukraine and trod carefully on human rights under Modi, a mounting concern for members of his Democratic Party. Biden called religious pluralism a "core principle" for both India and the United States and said democratic values "face challenges around the world and in each of our countries." "The whole world has a stake in our success," Biden said. "Maintaining our democracies makes us appealing partners." 'No space for discrimination' Modi, who a decade earlier was the state leader of Gujarat and banned from entering the United States over religious violence, defended his record in a highly unusual press exchange for the usually scripted prime minister. Criticizing those who would question India's democratic character, Modi said, "regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there's absolutely no space for discrimination." Since taking office in 2014, India has passed a controversial law on citizenship, abrogated the special status of Muslim-majority Kashmir and has seen police and vigilante violence against minorities, with a US State Department report pointing to inflammatory rhetoric from members of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Modi has also faced criticism for police raids on media outlets and the expulsion from parliament of the opposition leader. Several Democratic lawmakers said they would boycott Modi's address to a joint session of Congress. Among them was Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent progressive, who said she wanted to make a stand for "pluralism, tolerance and freedom of the press." Dozens of other Democrats in a letter urged Biden to raise concerns "in an honest and forthright way," although they stopped short of boycotting and backed closer ties with India. Former president Barack Obama, in an interview with CNN, said that Biden should raise concerns privately with Modi, warning that without protection of minorities, "there is a strong possibility at some point that India starts pulling apart." ALSO READ | India, US take pride in their diversity; democratic values: Modi Major defense deals Aside from his gentle nudging on rights, Biden offered full honors to Modi including a gala dinner, with First Lady Jill Biden tapping a celebrated Californian plant-based chef to cook for the strictly vegetarian prime minister. In an agreement hailed by Modi as landmark, the United States signed off on a technology transfer for engines as India begins producing homegrown fighter jets. General Electric will have the green light to produce its F414 engines jointly with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics. A US official said India would also buy MQ-9B SeaGuardians, high-precision armed drones. India in 2019 broke precedent with an airstrike in Pakistani territory against an alleged extremist camp. Washington hopes a tighter defense relationship will help wean India off Russia, New Delhi's primary military supplier during the Cold War. The Biden administration has largely given a pass to India for refusing to join Western sanctions on Russia and instead buying its oil at a discount, seeing a broader alignment with India on the challenge of China and the threat of radical Islamism. In another agreement, US chip giant Micron will invest $800 million in a semiconductor assembly and testing plant in India, which is expected to reach $2.75 billion after contributions from New Delhi. The United States is looking to stop the flow of high-end chips to China, fearing that the communist state will dominate the next generation of technology, although Micron also recently announced a $600 million investment in China. India, a growing power in space, also agreed during Modi's visit to join the Artemis Accords, a US-led multinational effort to put a human back on the Moon by 2025. As part of the cooperation, India's space program will work with NASA on a joint mission to the International Space Station next year. ALSO READ | The Biden-Modi relationship is built around mutual admiration of scrappy pasts and pragmatic needs WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that the two democracies' partnership would define the next century, as Washington eyes a counterweight to China and brushes off allegations of growing authoritarianism in New Delhi. The two nations reached major deals on engines for fighter-jets, semiconductor investment and space cooperation as Biden rolled out the red carpet to Modi for only the third state visit of his presidency. With thousands of Indian-Americans chanting his name on the White House's South Lawn, Modi, sporting a flowing white kurta with a sky-blue jacket, walked a red carpet to a gun salute.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "I have long believed that the relationship between the US and India will be one of the most defining relationships of the 21st century," Biden said. "The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the United States work and lead together," he said. ALSO READ | Success stories of Indian-Americans define limitless possibilities between US and India: Biden Modi, India's most powerful prime minister in decades, later told a news conference that the visit brought a "new direction and new energy" to the "global strategic partnership" with the United States. Directly addressing one issue of concern in Washington, Modi said that he was "completely ready" to broker peace in Ukraine, although he stopped short of promising any break with Russia, India's Cold War partner. Biden only obliquely referenced Ukraine and trod carefully on human rights under Modi, a mounting concern for members of his Democratic Party. Addressing the press meet with @POTUS @JoeBiden. https://t.co/qWx0tH82HH Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023 Biden called religious pluralism a "core principle" for both India and the United States and said democratic values "face challenges around the world and in each of our countries." "The whole world has a stake in our success," Biden said. "Maintaining our democracies makes us appealing partners." 'No space for discrimination' Modi, who a decade earlier was the state leader of Gujarat and banned from entering the United States over religious violence, defended his record in a highly unusual press exchange for the usually scripted prime minister. Criticizing those who would question India's democratic character, Modi said, "regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there's absolutely no space for discrimination." Since taking office in 2014, India has passed a controversial law on citizenship, abrogated the special status of Muslim-majority Kashmir and has seen police and vigilante violence against minorities, with a US State Department report pointing to inflammatory rhetoric from members of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Modi has also faced criticism for police raids on media outlets and the expulsion from parliament of the opposition leader. Several Democratic lawmakers said they would boycott Modi's address to a joint session of Congress. Among them was Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent progressive, who said she wanted to make a stand for "pluralism, tolerance and freedom of the press." Dozens of other Democrats in a letter urged Biden to raise concerns "in an honest and forthright way," although they stopped short of boycotting and backed closer ties with India. Former president Barack Obama, in an interview with CNN, said that Biden should raise concerns privately with Modi, warning that without protection of minorities, "there is a strong possibility at some point that India starts pulling apart." ALSO READ | India, US take pride in their diversity; democratic values: Modi Major defense deals Aside from his gentle nudging on rights, Biden offered full honors to Modi including a gala dinner, with First Lady Jill Biden tapping a celebrated Californian plant-based chef to cook for the strictly vegetarian prime minister. In an agreement hailed by Modi as landmark, the United States signed off on a technology transfer for engines as India begins producing homegrown fighter jets. General Electric will have the green light to produce its F414 engines jointly with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics. A US official said India would also buy MQ-9B SeaGuardians, high-precision armed drones. India in 2019 broke precedent with an airstrike in Pakistani territory against an alleged extremist camp. Washington hopes a tighter defense relationship will help wean India off Russia, New Delhi's primary military supplier during the Cold War. The Biden administration has largely given a pass to India for refusing to join Western sanctions on Russia and instead buying its oil at a discount, seeing a broader alignment with India on the challenge of China and the threat of radical Islamism. In another agreement, US chip giant Micron will invest $800 million in a semiconductor assembly and testing plant in India, which is expected to reach $2.75 billion after contributions from New Delhi. The United States is looking to stop the flow of high-end chips to China, fearing that the communist state will dominate the next generation of technology, although Micron also recently announced a $600 million investment in China. India, a growing power in space, also agreed during Modi's visit to join the Artemis Accords, a US-led multinational effort to put a human back on the Moon by 2025. As part of the cooperation, India's space program will work with NASA on a joint mission to the International Space Station next year. ALSO READ | The Biden-Modi relationship is built around mutual admiration of scrappy pasts and pragmatic needs By PTI NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has given an assurance that he will take up with the Ministry of Food the issue of providing rice to Karnataka for its 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Thursday. Siddaramaiah met Shah on Wednesday night and took up the issue of rice supply to the state for its scheme, which provides an additional 5 kg of rice for each member of BPL families. "I have brought to his (Shah) notice that FCI had agreed to supply rice to the state and even issued a letter. However, the same was denied the next day. It looks like the issue was politicised. I have said that we should not indulge in the politics of enmity," Siddaramaiah told reporters here before leaving for Bengaluru. Shah has assured that he will discuss the issue with the ministry concerned and get back to him, he added. Besides the rice issue, the chief minister also demanded the Union Home Minister sanction two battalions of the Indian Reserve Police to the state. According to the Chief Minister's office, Siddaramaiah told Shah that the Centre's policy was causing obstacles in the supply of food for the poor. Shah said he will discuss the issue with Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal. Siddaramaiah opined that "the Centre's new policy is against the Food Security Act, it will directly affect two times meals of the poor, hence it will be good if the policy of not supplying foodgrains to the states is changed," according to the CMO statement. "Shah, in turn, told the chief minister that he will discuss this with Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal in this regard on Thursday morning," it added. Siddaramaiah and his ministers have been accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of conspiring to "fail" the Congress administration's poll guarantee by ensuring that the state doesn't get the required amount of rice from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), for rolling out the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, from July 1, as promised. They have alleged that the Centre discontinued the sale of wheat and rice under OMSS(D) for state governments, a day after the FCI -- which has a large quantity of stocks -- had agreed to provide 2,28,425. 750 metric tonne of rice to Karnataka, at a rate of Rs 34 per kg on June 12. The BJP, however, has hit back accusing the Congress and Siddaramaiah of blatantly "lying to hide their own incompetence" and desperately trying to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. While the state government is trying to procure rice and has reached out to various states like Telangana, West Bengal, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, he said they will not be able to supply the state's requirement of 2,28,000 metric tonne. "Also, the cost of transportation will be high." "From Andhra, it will cost Rs 42 per kg of rice, Telangana said only paddy is available not rice, Chhattisgarh CM told me they are in a position to supply 1 lakh metric tonne of rice only for one month, Punjab CM said he will discuss with officials and get back," he said. Siddaramaiah pointed out that such a large quantity of rice is not available in Karnataka and said, "We will have to go for a tender in the open market, it will take a minimum of two months." "So we have called for quotations from central government agencies like NCCF, NAFED, Kendriya Bhandar. We will get to know tomorrow from them, once we get to know we will decide. There may be a slight delay in implementing the scheme as the central government has played politics," he claimed. NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has given an assurance that he will take up with the Ministry of Food the issue of providing rice to Karnataka for its 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Thursday. Siddaramaiah met Shah on Wednesday night and took up the issue of rice supply to the state for its scheme, which provides an additional 5 kg of rice for each member of BPL families. "I have brought to his (Shah) notice that FCI had agreed to supply rice to the state and even issued a letter. However, the same was denied the next day. It looks like the issue was politicised. I have said that we should not indulge in the politics of enmity," Siddaramaiah told reporters here before leaving for Bengaluru.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Shah has assured that he will discuss the issue with the ministry concerned and get back to him, he added. Besides the rice issue, the chief minister also demanded the Union Home Minister sanction two battalions of the Indian Reserve Police to the state. According to the Chief Minister's office, Siddaramaiah told Shah that the Centre's policy was causing obstacles in the supply of food for the poor. Shah said he will discuss the issue with Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal. Siddaramaiah opined that "the Centre's new policy is against the Food Security Act, it will directly affect two times meals of the poor, hence it will be good if the policy of not supplying foodgrains to the states is changed," according to the CMO statement. "Shah, in turn, told the chief minister that he will discuss this with Union Food Minister Piyush Goyal in this regard on Thursday morning," it added. Siddaramaiah and his ministers have been accusing the BJP-led government at the Centre of conspiring to "fail" the Congress administration's poll guarantee by ensuring that the state doesn't get the required amount of rice from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), for rolling out the 'Anna Bhagya' scheme, from July 1, as promised. They have alleged that the Centre discontinued the sale of wheat and rice under OMSS(D) for state governments, a day after the FCI -- which has a large quantity of stocks -- had agreed to provide 2,28,425. 750 metric tonne of rice to Karnataka, at a rate of Rs 34 per kg on June 12. The BJP, however, has hit back accusing the Congress and Siddaramaiah of blatantly "lying to hide their own incompetence" and desperately trying to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. While the state government is trying to procure rice and has reached out to various states like Telangana, West Bengal, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, he said they will not be able to supply the state's requirement of 2,28,000 metric tonne. "Also, the cost of transportation will be high." "From Andhra, it will cost Rs 42 per kg of rice, Telangana said only paddy is available not rice, Chhattisgarh CM told me they are in a position to supply 1 lakh metric tonne of rice only for one month, Punjab CM said he will discuss with officials and get back," he said. Siddaramaiah pointed out that such a large quantity of rice is not available in Karnataka and said, "We will have to go for a tender in the open market, it will take a minimum of two months." "So we have called for quotations from central government agencies like NCCF, NAFED, Kendriya Bhandar. We will get to know tomorrow from them, once we get to know we will decide. There may be a slight delay in implementing the scheme as the central government has played politics," he claimed. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: All official programmes of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have been cancelled till June 27, the Chief Minister's Office informed on Thursday. The programmes have been cancelled as the Chief Minister is reportedly unwell. Pinarayi had returned to the state on Tuesday after a 12-day visit to the US, Cuba and UAE. In the US leg of his tour, the Chief Minister attended the regional conference of the Loka Kerala Sabha in New York, addressed a public event at the iconic Times Square and also met World Bank officials in Washington DC. After the US visit, a CM-led delegation flew to Cuba, where he met Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. ALSO READ | Kerala State Congress president Sudhakaran conspired to murder CM Pinarayi, Jayarajan, say police Ministers KN Balagopal, Veena George, planning board vice-chairman VK Ramachandran, MP John Brittas, chief secretary VP Joy, Officer on Special Duty of the state government in Delhi Venu Rajamony and Health secretary APM Mohammed Hanish had accompanied the CM. In the final leg of the tour, Pinarayi travelled to Dubai to inaugurate the premier Infinity centre of the Kerala Startup Mission. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had earlier the criticised CM's trip to Cuba, terming it as nothing but a "political pilgrimage". Speaking to reporters in Aluva, Khan had said the trip was a waste of public money and that Cuba was known for its tobacco production. He also wondered what achievements Cuba had made in the field of health. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: All official programmes of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have been cancelled till June 27, the Chief Minister's Office informed on Thursday. The programmes have been cancelled as the Chief Minister is reportedly unwell. Pinarayi had returned to the state on Tuesday after a 12-day visit to the US, Cuba and UAE.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In the US leg of his tour, the Chief Minister attended the regional conference of the Loka Kerala Sabha in New York, addressed a public event at the iconic Times Square and also met World Bank officials in Washington DC. After the US visit, a CM-led delegation flew to Cuba, where he met Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. ALSO READ | Kerala State Congress president Sudhakaran conspired to murder CM Pinarayi, Jayarajan, say police Ministers KN Balagopal, Veena George, planning board vice-chairman VK Ramachandran, MP John Brittas, chief secretary VP Joy, Officer on Special Duty of the state government in Delhi Venu Rajamony and Health secretary APM Mohammed Hanish had accompanied the CM. In the final leg of the tour, Pinarayi travelled to Dubai to inaugurate the premier Infinity centre of the Kerala Startup Mission. Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had earlier the criticised CM's trip to Cuba, terming it as nothing but a "political pilgrimage". Speaking to reporters in Aluva, Khan had said the trip was a waste of public money and that Cuba was known for its tobacco production. He also wondered what achievements Cuba had made in the field of health. LACHIN, Azerbaijan, June 22. Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev has arrived in Azerbaijan's Lachin district, Trend reports. After the opening ceremony of the new Prosecutor's Office administrative building of the Lachin district, an operational meeting has begun with leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office, Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan Masim Mammadov in the Lachin district, part of the East Zangazur Economic District, and military prosecutors of subordinate districts and territories operating in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan participating. Kamran Aliyev gave the necessary instructions in his opening speech at the meeting. The prosecutor general said that after the occupation of Lachin and before its return to the control of Azerbaijan on August 26, 2022, as many as 1,511 out of 2,020 private residential buildings located in this city were deliberately destroyed and rendered uninhabitable by the relevant state bodies of Armenia and persons of Armenian nationality who illegally settled there. Out of 27 common residential buildings, 19 were deliberately completely destroyed, 8 were damaged. In total, out of 190 administrative buildings, 143 were completely destroyed and rendered unusable, and 47 were damaged. Moreover, upon the return of the city of Lachin to Azerbaijan in August 2022, Armenians who lived in 509 private residential buildings belonging to citizens of Azerbaijan in Lachin during the occupation, on behalf and with the special support of the relevant state bodies of Armenia, deliberately damaged walls, ceilings, floors, roofing, doors and windows in these houses. Similar actions were committed in the villages of the Lachin district. These facts have been established by irrefutable evidence in a criminal case under the Investigative Department of the Prosecutor General's Office. By Online Desk CHENNAI: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a prominent media watchdog says the Indian media is under attack, and they urged US President Joe Biden to urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop the threats against journalists in India. In a statement released ahead of Modi's official state visit to the US, CPJ said "India is the world's largest democracy, yet it is one of the world's most dangerous countries for the media." In a full-page ad published by CPJ and its partner organizations in the Washington Post last Wednesday, they highlight how the journalists in India are facing Physical violence, harassment, bogus lawsuits, and hate campaigns on social media. In the statement, they call on President Biden to urge Modi to end what they called a "media crackdown" and release the six journalists arbitrarily detained in retaliation for their work. "India is the worlds largest democracy, and it needs to live up to that by ensuring a free and independent media and we expect the United States to make this a core element of discussions, said CPJ President Jodie Ginsberg. "Since Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014, there has been an increasing crackdown on India's media," she added. "India is the world's largest democracy, and it needs to live up to that by ensuring a free and independent media- we expect the United States to make this a core element of discussions," she said. Prime Minister Modi arrived in the United States on June 21 for his first official state visit. CHENNAI: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a prominent media watchdog says the Indian media is under attack, and they urged US President Joe Biden to urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop the threats against journalists in India. In a statement released ahead of Modi's official state visit to the US, CPJ said "India is the world's largest democracy, yet it is one of the world's most dangerous countries for the media." In a full-page ad published by CPJ and its partner organizations in the Washington Post last Wednesday, they highlight how the journalists in India are facing Physical violence, harassment, bogus lawsuits, and hate campaigns on social media. In the statement, they call on President Biden to urge Modi to end what they called a "media crackdown" and release the six journalists arbitrarily detained in retaliation for their work.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "India is the worlds largest democracy, and it needs to live up to that by ensuring a free and independent media and we expect the United States to make this a core element of discussions, said CPJ President Jodie Ginsberg. "Since Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014, there has been an increasing crackdown on India's media," she added. "India is the world's largest democracy, and it needs to live up to that by ensuring a free and independent media- we expect the United States to make this a core element of discussions," she said. Prime Minister Modi arrived in the United States on June 21 for his first official state visit. Bala Chauhan By Express News Service BENGALURU: There are still some possibilities to locate the Titan tourist submersible if theres no mechanical failure and it has not imploded, said top ocean scientist Dr GA Ramdass, director, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai. NIOT is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). Speaking exclusively to TNIE, Ramdass said the location of the sub is known from the point of its launch. Submarines travel at 3 knots (nautical miles) per hour. In the sea, radars dont work. Multi-beam sonar fitted to ships, remotely operated underwater vehicles (RoVs) that can go up to 5,000 metres into the ocean can search for the sub after making an intelligent guess of the lost crafts location, he said. He added that failure to locate the submarine could be because of loss of communication, which may be due to an accident or electrical or electronic failure. There is no electromagnetic wave communication in the ocean over long ranges. We use acoustic communication, which is not foolproof. It is slower in comparison to electromagnetic wave communication and has limited bandwidth. Sound can refract based on the density variation in the sea, and go away from the target. A Canadian aircraft on the rescue mission has heard some banging sounds from the vicinity of the Titans last known location, but is unable to track the source of sound, said the oceanographer. With a limited supply of oxygen, the Titan crew is racing against time. Besides limited oxygen supply, we do not know the efficiency of the CO2 (carbon dioxide) scrubbing system inside the submarine. Subs use canisters fitted with potassium or lithium hydroxide to remove CO2 from the atmosphere through devices called scrubbers. Excess of CO2 will suffocate the inmates, he said. Ramdass explained that submarines take large amounts of water to go down into the ocean. To come up, they drop expendable weights made of lead, iron or fine granules of metal. The inability of the sub to come up may be either because it is either stuck in underwater debris, or an accident leading to mechanical, electrical and electronic failure," added Ramdass. A massive search operation is underway to find the OceanGate Expeditions submersible with five people -- the CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, British billionaire and explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and UK-based Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman -- on board. The Titan is equipped with four days of oxygen supply. Harding collaborated with India to bring eight wild cheetahs from Namibia in September 2022. He had flown on one of his aircraft from Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, where the cheetahs were relocated. An aviation expert, Harding had earlier spent some time in Bengaluru. BENGALURU: There are still some possibilities to locate the Titan tourist submersible if theres no mechanical failure and it has not imploded, said top ocean scientist Dr GA Ramdass, director, the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai. NIOT is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). Speaking exclusively to TNIE, Ramdass said the location of the sub is known from the point of its launch. Submarines travel at 3 knots (nautical miles) per hour. In the sea, radars dont work. Multi-beam sonar fitted to ships, remotely operated underwater vehicles (RoVs) that can go up to 5,000 metres into the ocean can search for the sub after making an intelligent guess of the lost crafts location, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He added that failure to locate the submarine could be because of loss of communication, which may be due to an accident or electrical or electronic failure. There is no electromagnetic wave communication in the ocean over long ranges. We use acoustic communication, which is not foolproof. It is slower in comparison to electromagnetic wave communication and has limited bandwidth. Sound can refract based on the density variation in the sea, and go away from the target. A Canadian aircraft on the rescue mission has heard some banging sounds from the vicinity of the Titans last known location, but is unable to track the source of sound, said the oceanographer. With a limited supply of oxygen, the Titan crew is racing against time. Besides limited oxygen supply, we do not know the efficiency of the CO2 (carbon dioxide) scrubbing system inside the submarine. Subs use canisters fitted with potassium or lithium hydroxide to remove CO2 from the atmosphere through devices called scrubbers. Excess of CO2 will suffocate the inmates, he said. Ramdass explained that submarines take large amounts of water to go down into the ocean. To come up, they drop expendable weights made of lead, iron or fine granules of metal. The inability of the sub to come up may be either because it is either stuck in underwater debris, or an accident leading to mechanical, electrical and electronic failure," added Ramdass. A massive search operation is underway to find the OceanGate Expeditions submersible with five people -- the CEO and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush, British billionaire and explorer Hamish Harding, renowned French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and UK-based Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman -- on board. The Titan is equipped with four days of oxygen supply. Harding collaborated with India to bring eight wild cheetahs from Namibia in September 2022. He had flown on one of his aircraft from Namibia to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, where the cheetahs were relocated. An aviation expert, Harding had earlier spent some time in Bengaluru. By PTI WASHINGTON: Praising the Indian community in the US, President Joe Biden on Thursday mentioned the contributions of Americans of Indian heritage in his administration, including Vice President Kamala Harris, whose success stories define the relationship and the limitless possibilities between the two nations. Biden's remarks came as he welcomed Prime Minister Modi at the White House on his first state visit. He said a special bond between the two nations forged by the special bond among its people based on values like the duty to family and elders, treating all people with respect and dignity, self-discipline, hard work, faith and service to the community, courage, resilience and tolerance and opportunity for all which are universal. "I see it in the Indian-American diaspora that reflects every part of American life and remains a bridge between our nations and only grows stronger with each generation," he said. "We see it with record numbers of Indian Americans serving in the United States Congress. We see it here at the White House where proud Americans of Indian heritage serve our country every day, including our vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris," Biden said. A record 150-plus Indian-Americans serve in key positions in the Biden administration. ALSO READ | PM Modi invites Micron, Applied Materials to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India "The granddaughter -- the proud granddaughter of an Indian civil servant; daughter of an Indian student, turned American scientist who came to the United States when she was only 19 years old to pursue her dream of curing cancer. A family like so many of ours in our nation. That speaks to the thousand stories of determination courage and hope in America," he said. READ HERE | India, US take pride in their diversity; democratic values: Modi "Stories that define the relationship and the limitless possibilities between the United States and India. Two great nations, two great friends, two great powers that can define the course of the 21st century," he added. Harris, 58, was born in Oakland, California. Her mother Shyamala Gopalan migrated to the US from Tamil Nadu in India, while her father, Donald J Harris, moved to the US from Jamaica. Prime Minister Modi also praised the Indian diaspora and said the grand welcome accorded to him at the White House was an honour and pride for 1.4 billion people of India and more than 4 million people of Indian origin living in the US. "The people of the Indian community are enhancing India's glory in the US through their talent, hard work and dedication. You are the real strength of our relationship," Modi said. WASHINGTON: Praising the Indian community in the US, President Joe Biden on Thursday mentioned the contributions of Americans of Indian heritage in his administration, including Vice President Kamala Harris, whose success stories define the relationship and the limitless possibilities between the two nations. Biden's remarks came as he welcomed Prime Minister Modi at the White House on his first state visit. He said a special bond between the two nations forged by the special bond among its people based on values like the duty to family and elders, treating all people with respect and dignity, self-discipline, hard work, faith and service to the community, courage, resilience and tolerance and opportunity for all which are universal.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "I see it in the Indian-American diaspora that reflects every part of American life and remains a bridge between our nations and only grows stronger with each generation," he said. "We see it with record numbers of Indian Americans serving in the United States Congress. We see it here at the White House where proud Americans of Indian heritage serve our country every day, including our vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris," Biden said. A record 150-plus Indian-Americans serve in key positions in the Biden administration. ALSO READ | PM Modi invites Micron, Applied Materials to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India "The granddaughter -- the proud granddaughter of an Indian civil servant; daughter of an Indian student, turned American scientist who came to the United States when she was only 19 years old to pursue her dream of curing cancer. A family like so many of ours in our nation. That speaks to the thousand stories of determination courage and hope in America," he said. READ HERE | India, US take pride in their diversity; democratic values: Modi "Stories that define the relationship and the limitless possibilities between the United States and India. Two great nations, two great friends, two great powers that can define the course of the 21st century," he added. Harris, 58, was born in Oakland, California. Her mother Shyamala Gopalan migrated to the US from Tamil Nadu in India, while her father, Donald J Harris, moved to the US from Jamaica. Prime Minister Modi also praised the Indian diaspora and said the grand welcome accorded to him at the White House was an honour and pride for 1.4 billion people of India and more than 4 million people of Indian origin living in the US. "The people of the Indian community are enhancing India's glory in the US through their talent, hard work and dedication. You are the real strength of our relationship," Modi said. By Online Desk WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House. Modi was received by the president and the first lady, and before entering the building, they posed for photos and were seen chatting. "When friends meet! PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden and family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. Later in a tweet Prime Minister Modi said, "I thank @POTUS @JoeBiden and @FLOTUS @DrBiden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects." I thank @POTUS @JoeBiden and @FLOTUS @DrBiden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects. pic.twitter.com/AUahgV6ebM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023 According to the White House, this evening, the president, the first lady and the prime minister also enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. The dinner featured the president's favourite foods, including pasta and ice cream, it said. At the intimate dinner, the trio enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, performed by youth dancers from Studio Dhoom, a DMV-based Indian dance studio that helps connect a new generation to the vibrant culture of Indian dance, according to the White House. They were joined by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, the White House said. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy Chief of Protocol Aseem Vohra were seen entering the White House. Earlier in the day, Jill Biden hosted Modi at the National Science Foundation (NSF), where they participated in an event to highlight shared priorities of India and the US around education and workforce. On Thursday, President Joe Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Prime Minister Modi's visit also includes an address by him to the joint session of the US Congress. ALSO READ | Millets-inspired vegetarian menu for PM Modi's White House state dinner Vingate camera, lab-grown diamond feature in gift exchange The White House also said that as the official gift, the president and first lady will present Prime Minister Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. They will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, it said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a special sandalwood box to US President Joe Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns. PM Narendra Modi gifts a copy of the first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow to President Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/95kKhQS267 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 The box contains the idol of Ganesha, a Hindu deity considered the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. The idol has been handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata. The box also contains A diya (oil lamp) that occupies a sacred space in every Hindu household. This silver diya has also been handcrafted by artisans from the family of fifth-generation silversmiths in Kolkata. The box gifted by PM Modi to US President Joe Biden contains ten donations - a delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow). A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka is offered in place of land for Bhudaan (donation of land) Til or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu, offered for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds). Handcrafted in Rajasthan, this 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin is offered as Hiranyadaan (donation of gold). ALSO READ | Biden-Modi relationship is built around scrappy pasts and pragmatic needs PM Modi also gifted POTUS a copy of the first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow to President Joe Biden In 1937, WB Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Shri Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout the 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats. Meanwhile, the prime minister gifted a 7.5-carat lab-grown green diamond to US First Lady Dr Jill Biden. The diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds chemical and optical properties. It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used in its making. Papier mache - It is the box in which the Green Diamond is placed. Known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmirs exquisite Papier mache involves sakthsazior meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs. It (Green Diamond) is a beacon of pic.twitter.com/F3vcfiNowY ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Papier mache - It is the box in which the Green Diamond is placed. Known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmirs exquisite Papier mache involves sakthsazior meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs. It (Green Diamond) is a beacon of responsible luxury that symbolises Indias 75 years of freedom and sustainable International relations. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. (With inputs from PTI and ANI) WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House. Modi was received by the president and the first lady, and before entering the building, they posed for photos and were seen chatting. "When friends meet! PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden and family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Later in a tweet Prime Minister Modi said, "I thank @POTUS @JoeBiden and @FLOTUS @DrBiden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects." I thank @POTUS @JoeBiden and @FLOTUS @DrBiden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects. pic.twitter.com/AUahgV6ebM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023 According to the White House, this evening, the president, the first lady and the prime minister also enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. The dinner featured the president's favourite foods, including pasta and ice cream, it said. At the intimate dinner, the trio enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, performed by youth dancers from Studio Dhoom, a DMV-based Indian dance studio that helps connect a new generation to the vibrant culture of Indian dance, according to the White House. They were joined by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, the White House said. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy Chief of Protocol Aseem Vohra were seen entering the White House. Earlier in the day, Jill Biden hosted Modi at the National Science Foundation (NSF), where they participated in an event to highlight shared priorities of India and the US around education and workforce. On Thursday, President Joe Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Prime Minister Modi's visit also includes an address by him to the joint session of the US Congress. ALSO READ | Millets-inspired vegetarian menu for PM Modi's White House state dinner Vingate camera, lab-grown diamond feature in gift exchange The White House also said that as the official gift, the president and first lady will present Prime Minister Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. They will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, it said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a special sandalwood box to US President Joe Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns. PM Narendra Modi gifts a copy of the first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow to President Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/95kKhQS267 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 The box contains the idol of Ganesha, a Hindu deity considered the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. The idol has been handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths from Kolkata. The box also contains A diya (oil lamp) that occupies a sacred space in every Hindu household. This silver diya has also been handcrafted by artisans from the family of fifth-generation silversmiths in Kolkata. The box gifted by PM Modi to US President Joe Biden contains ten donations - a delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow). A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka is offered in place of land for Bhudaan (donation of land) Til or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu, offered for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds). Handcrafted in Rajasthan, this 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin is offered as Hiranyadaan (donation of gold). ALSO READ | Biden-Modi relationship is built around scrappy pasts and pragmatic needs PM Modi also gifted POTUS a copy of the first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow to President Joe Biden In 1937, WB Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Shri Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout the 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats. Meanwhile, the prime minister gifted a 7.5-carat lab-grown green diamond to US First Lady Dr Jill Biden. The diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds chemical and optical properties. It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used in its making. Papier mache - It is the box in which the Green Diamond is placed. Known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmirs exquisite Papier mache involves sakthsazior meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs. It (Green Diamond) is a beacon of pic.twitter.com/F3vcfiNowY ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Papier mache - It is the box in which the Green Diamond is placed. Known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmirs exquisite Papier mache involves sakthsazior meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs. It (Green Diamond) is a beacon of responsible luxury that symbolises Indias 75 years of freedom and sustainable International relations. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. (With inputs from PTI and ANI) Researchers find dupilumab reduces disease in COPD patients with type 2 inflammation Washington, June 21: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with type 2 inflammation saw rapid and sustained improvements in their disease after treatment with the monoclonal antibody dupilumab. Researchers find dupilumab reduces disease in COPD patients with type 2 inflammation According to a Phase 3 clinical investigation that lasted a year and was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.These improvements were noted within two to four weeks of the start of dupilumab treatment and persisted throughout the 52-week trial period as evidenced by a significantly lower annualised rate of acute exacerbations, significantly better lung function and quality of life, and significantly fewer severe symptoms than adults with COPD receiving placebo. The first biologic to demonstrate an improvement in clinical outcomes in COPD is this monoclonal antibody."Dupilumab has the potential to impact the vicious cycle of exacerbations and lung function decline in patients with COPD with type 2 inflammation and high exacerbation risk, who are already on optimal inhaled triple therapy," said Surya Bhatt, M.D. "Dupilumab significantly improves respiratory symptoms and also helped improve health-related quality of life measures."Bhatt, an associate professor and endowed professor of airways disease in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Medicine Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, and Klaus Rabe, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of pulmonary medicine at the Lungen Clinic, University of Kiel, Germany, co-led the international multicenter clinical study that enrolled 468 patients in the dupilumab group and 471 patients in the placebo group.COPD patients often have markedly reduced lung function and an increased risk of exacerbations, indicated by worsening cough and labored breathing or an increased volume of purulent sputum. Disease exacerbations can lead to an increased risk of subsequent exacerbations, accelerated lung-function decline and an increased risk of death. Thus, say Bhatt and Rabe, improving lung function and reducing exacerbations are unmet needs in patients with COPD."The World Health Organization estimates that, by 2060, more than 5.4 million deaths per year will be attributable to COPD and related coexisting conditions," Bhatt said. "Exacerbations of COPD, regardless of severity, lead to poorer quality of life, increased hospitalizations and an increased risk of death."COPD is generally thought of as an inflammatory disease predominantly driven by neutrophilic inflammation, but it is being increasingly recognized that approximately 20 percent to 40 percent of patients with COPD have a predominant type 2 inflammation. This is commonly detected by elevated blood eosinophil counts and is associated with high risk of exacerbations.Dupilumab blocks the shared receptor component for interleukin-4 and interleukin-13, two cytokines that are key drivers of type 2 inflammation. While interleukin-5, another cytokine involved in type 2 inflammation, drives eosinophil maturation and survival, it has not been a useful drug target in COPD. "To date, studies of anti-interleukin-5 biologic agents in the treatment of COPD have produced mixed results with respect to reduction in the number of exacerbations and have provided no evidence of improvement in lung function, abatement of symptoms or increase in quality of life, despite the depletion of eosinophils in peripheral blood that is known to occur with these agents," Bhatt said.ANI21 June 2023 Shared Recently! India condemns Chinas move to block blacklisting of Sajid Mir by UN, says petty geopolitical interests New Delhi, June 21: India on Tuesday strongly condemned China's move to block Lashkar-e-Taiba's Sajid Mir from being designated as a global terrorist by the United Nations. India condemns China's move to block blacklisting of Sajid Mir by UN, says 'petty geopolitical interests' Issuing a strongly-worded statement at the UN headquarters in New York, joint secretary (UN political at external affairs ministry) Prakash Gupta said that if efforts to ban terrorists fail due to "petty geopolitical interests", then "we really do not have the genuine political will to sincerely fight this challenge of terrorism".Gupta added that Mir, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, was listed as a proscribed terrorist under the laws of India and the US and of several other countries."But when the proposal for listing Sajid Mir did not get through the Global Listings of the UN Security Council Sanctions Regime", despite several member states cosponsoring it, "we have righteous reasons to believe that something is genuinely wrong with the global counter terrorism architecture".Gupta said this while addressing a high-level conference on counter-terrorism after China blocked India and US proposal on Mir.The session he was addressing was on "Strengthening Capacity Building Programmes Making them Fit for Purpose to Meet Resilience Gaps".The Indian diplomat's comments came just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at the UN.During the session, Gupta also played an audio file recorded during the 2008 terror attacks on Mumbai and referring to the voice, he said, "This is Sajid Mir, directing the terrorists on phone to hunt down foreigners at the Taj hotel and kill them indiscriminately."He said that even 15 years after the Mumbai terror attacks, its masterminds have not been brought to justice."Some of them continue to roam scot-free with full state hospitality," Gupta said."So the first and most critical gap we feel addressing is, avoiding double standards and this self-defeating justification of good terrorists vs bad terrorists. A terror act is a terror act, period, any justification being used should not be countenanced upon by anybody," he added.The diplomat also told the gathering what Modi had said last year, "We consider that a single attack is one too many and even a single life lost is one too many. So we will not rest till terrorism is uprooted.""India remains resolutely firm in walking the talk, when it comes to plugging the resilience gaps in countering terrorism," Gupta concluded.Sajid Mir, one of India's most-wanted terrorists, is being hunted for his involvement in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai that took place on November 26 that year.He was the chief planner of the attacks, directing preparations and reconnaissance, and was one of the Pakistan-based controllers during the attacks, India maintains.In recent times, China has blocked several bids to designate terrorists based in Pakistan.IANS21 June 2023 Shared Recently! LACHIN, Azerbaijan, June 22. When Lachin returned to Azerbaijan, the houses located there were rendered uninhabitable, Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev said during the operational meeting in Lachin, Trend reports. The prosecutor general said that after the occupation of Lachin and before its return to the control of Azerbaijan on August 26, 2022, 1,511 out of 2,020 private residential buildings located in this city were deliberately destroyed and rendered uninhabitable by the relevant state bodies of Armenia and persons of Armenian nationality who illegally settled there. Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev has arrived in Azerbaijan's Lachin district today. He has taken part in the commissioning ceremony of the new administrative building of the district prosecutor's office and now holds the operational meeting with the participation of employees of subordinate district and territorial military prosecutor's offices operating in the liberated territories from Armenian occupation [after the Second Karabakh War]. TN prisons product Freedom to be sold at Police canteens Chennai, June 21: Police canteens in Tamil Nadu will soon have 'Freedom' products that are made in the jails of the state by prison inmates. TN prisons' product 'Freedom' to be sold at Police canteens A recent order of the Tamil Nadu government said, "Presently, prison-made articles are being manufactured to a good standard and sold to the general public and at other sales outlets with marginal profit. Wages are paid to prisoners as well as profit. Further, the sales of good quality police uniform items and other items at a price, less than that of the price in the open market, will not only be beneficial to those uniformed personnel who purchase such products at the Tamil Nadu police canteen but also to the prison inmates who are employed in production of such goods in prison bazar."The prison inmates are making police uniforms, confectionaries, bed sheets, readymade garments, cold-pressing oils, and some other products. These prison inmates made items branded as 'Freedom' products which were till now available in prison bazaar outlets as well as petrol bunk outlets.The products are priced much lesser than what is available in the open market and the profit from the sale is shared among the inmates and a percentage for the welfare of prisoners in jails.Prison Bazars have been established in all prisons since December 8, 2013.IANS21 June 2023 Shared Recently! PDA is the name of...: Akhilesh Yadavs take on opposition unity Lucknow, June 21: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday explained that 'PDA' is the name of the unity born out of shared consciousness and feeling against the exploitation and oppression of those who are pichre (meaning backward), Dalit and alpashankhak (meaning minority). PDA is the name of...: Akhilesh Yadav's take on opposition unity "PDA is basically the name of that unity born out of consciousness and common feeling against the exploitation, oppression and neglect of 'backward, dalit and minority'," a rough translation of his tweet in Hindi read.In this fight, people from every class are involved who stand for humanity, Akhilesh said adding that he is against injustice. He requested everyone involved in this fight to rise above party politics and join him in this mission."...all those people of every class are also involved, who are on the basis of humanity. I am against any kind of injustice. Everyone should rise above party politics and join it," he added in his tweet.https//twitter.com/yadavakhilesh/status/1671365366629425153?s=20Earlier in a media interaction last week, the SP chief said that the PDA (Backward, Dalit, Minority) alliance will defeat the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "In 2024, the PDA (Backward, Dalit, Minority) alliance will defeat the NDA," he had tweeted.Akhilesh's comments come at a time when the Opposition parties are scheduled to meet at Patna on Friday under the leadership of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to formulate plans for forming an alliance in the run-up to the 2024 General Elections.ANI21 June 2023 Shared Recently! Transforming Lives with Multidisciplinary Liver Transplant Care at Jehangir Hospital PNN, Pune, June 21: Many patients in India undergo liver transplant yearly, and approximately over thousands of people are added to the donor waitlist as per a recent survey., Almost all (95%) liver transplants are whole livers that are secured from deceased donors. Transforming Lives with Multidisciplinary Liver Transplant Care at Jehangir Hospital Partial transplants from living donors, on the other hand, are also on the rise. Jehangir Hospital, Pune is one of the hospitals that is currently approved for liver transplantation and has performed numerous successful operations.A liver transplant at Jehangir Hospital is typically performed in four stages pre-transplant evaluation, donor search, surgery, and lastly post-surgical care.1.Pre-transplant evaluation Prior to a liver transplant, patients undergo a comprehensive evaluation involving blood tests and imaging. It takes 3-7 days based on their condition. The evaluation assesses liver disease extent and other medical conditions. After the transplant team confirms the decision, coordinators guide the patient and their families. Psychological counselling covers consent, surgery, post-surgery complications, hospital stay, and care.2.Donor identification The next stage is to identify a suitable donor for the transplant. Liver transplants require suitable donors, either deceased or living. Deceased donors come from brain-dead individuals, and their organs are donated before discontinuing life support due to irreversible brain injury. Allocation depends on the waiting list, blood group compatibility, and urgency. Waiting times are unpredictable. Living donors, typically close relatives, can donate half of their liver, which regenerates in both donor and recipient. Donors must be willing, aged 18-55, with normal liver function and matching blood group.3. Surgery The transplant involves a major operation to remove the diseased liver and replace it with a normal donor liver in its usual position. The surgery is very demanding and can take between 6-18 hours to complete.4. Post-operative care After the transplant, the living donor stays in the hospital for 1-2 weeks and requires 3-4 weeks of home recuperation. The recipient is closely monitored in the intensive care unit. To prevent organ rejection, immunosuppressant medication is administered. After discharge, the patient follows up weekly for the first 3 months, with regular medical check-ups and tests to monitor their health.Jehangir Hospital leads in liver transplants with cutting-edge technology, ensuring quality and safety. Innovative techniques for donor identification, organ preservation, and transplantation result in successful procedures with minimal complications. These advancements make liver transplants safer, more efficient, and more accessible, saving countless lives.Dr Parimal Lawate, Consultant Gastroenterologist and Director-Dept.of Gastroenterology, Jehangir Hospital says, "The Jehangir Hospital Liver Transplant programme has a very qualified and competent team of experts to look after the needs of patients with liver diseases. Patients with liver problems can approach our team for any liver-related issues with transplant-related and non-transplant liver conditions to have a definitive treatment and cure for their liver problems."Vrinda Pusalkar, MSW and Transplant Coordinator at Jehangir Hospital added, "No human organ can be manufactured in a factory, hence there needs to be a donor to donate it for an end-stage organ disease patient. Donors are of two types - Live Donor and Deceased Donor. In case of live donor, he/she needs to be from the immediate family of the recipient, who is medically fit and willing for organ donation. After completing the thorough medical workup and required legal formalities such transplant can take place."Dr Archana Jana, senior consultant anaesthesiologist at Jehangir Hospital says, "Anaesthesia for liver transplant is complex and demanding, and at Jehangir Hospital we have an experienced team of anaesthesiologists to make it streamlined and safer. We have a qualified and dedicated team of doctors working together on every aspect of liver transplant. This conjoined teamwork surely is beneficial to our patients undergoing liver transplant or any other liver-related treatment."According to Dr Ninad Deshmukh, Consultant and Transplant Surgeon at Jehangir Hospital, "Every liver transplant is an amalgam of skill in the liver, biliary and vascular surgery, as well as advanced support from several other disciplines. Our Experts in liver and biliary surgery, adult and paediatric hepatology, hepatobiliary and transplant anaesthesia, and critical care, diagnostic and interventional radiology come together under one roof to offer liver transplantation and all treatment for other liver and biliary diseases. The programme is supported by state of the art blood Centre and the transfusion medicine, pathology, and laboratory."Our goal is affordable, top-quality liver treatment. Our multidisciplinary team of experienced specialists takes a comprehensive approach for each patient, aiming for faster recovery and a return to a healthy life. Jehangir Hospital's Transplant Programme boasts state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge equipment.(Disclaimer The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)ANI21 June 2023 Shared Recently! Instamojo Plans to Replace the Era of .coms, Partners with Nova Registry to Give Businesses a Domain Name that Makes Sense NewsVoir, Bengaluru, June 21: Having powered over 2 million entrepreneurs scale their business ideas into brands, #D2CTech platform has partnered with Nova Registry, one of the world's most innovative registry operators to. Instamojo Plans to Replace the Era of .coms, Partners with Nova Registry to Give Businesses a Domain Name that Makes Sense make .link the de facto standard for businesses who need to share links their customers can trust. As a result of this partnership, Instamojo merchants will have access to a .link domain for free (1st year) which they can customize across different social channels and unify their digital universe.- 2Mn businesses on Instamojo can now create highly relevant, shareable and brandable domain names with .link- Having the right domain name can help businesses avoid 51% of cart abandonmentInstamojo and nova.link intend to address and solve the issue of small businesses not being able to create a unique identity for themselves online by not only providing a secure branded identity for every business, but also by helping them scale into full-fledged ecommerce websites. This partnership will help Instamojo capture a significant percentage of the website market in India and offer a new way for businesses to build their identity online.Commenting on the partnership Sampad Swain, Co-founder and CEO, Instamojo said, "The internet has the potential to compound every idea to scale. However, while every idea in India is unique, they do not have a unique identity online. To link every idea with a unique identity online, we partnered with .link. We believe that the new age Indian entrepreneur needs a new-age domain name that moves beyond the .com and the .in. What they need is an intuitive, easy to remember domain name and what better than .link. With this partnership we will distribute over 2mn domain names and help 4mn entrepreneurs have an identity and build back the trust and credibility in the D2C and social commerce space."Instamojo recorded a 150% YoY growth by onboarding more than 2 million sellers onto their platform in the last year. The company aims to onboard more than 4 million sellers by the end of this year to boost the growth of online businesses in India."This partnership is strategically significant especially in a mobile first market like India," said Nova Registry General Manager Vaughn Liley. "We see .link adding significant value to existing Instamojo users, enabling them to leverage social channels through SmartPages and branded payment links and we are delighted that Instamojo will be using .link as a differentiator in the market to attract new users to their platform."With over 230,000 domains under management, Nova Registry is one of the world's most innovative Registry Operators. Having acquired the right to operate the .link TLD in 2021, they have debuted in India to tap into the growing demand for relevant and meaningful online brand identities among creators and businesses.It's 2023, we are not a payments' gateway company. is THE one-stop #D2CTech company, offering an enabling platform for MSMEs and D2C brands, empowering sellers to start, scale, and manage their businesses online. Since its inception in 2012, Instamojo has ably addressed and resolved the last mile needs of its customers, having enabled million+ MSMEs' custodians. Founded by Sampad Swain, Akash Gehani, and Aditya Sengupta, Instamojo fuels India's entrepreneurial passion with a continued commitment as a one-stop-solution for business owners. It has raised Series B (2020) and Series A (2014) funding from Kalaari Capital, Blume Ventures, 500Startups, Gunosy Capital, and AnyPay - a Japanese payments firm. Instamojo is all set to reshape the future discourse in the D2C space by catering to diverse seller needs, powered by the collective force of technology, data and design.(Disclaimer The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)ANI21 June 2023 Shared Recently! WHO should not have dismissed Covid lab leak theory: Top virologist London, June 21: A top virologist on the UN health body's panel, Professor Marion Koopmans, has said that the World Health Organization (WHO) should never have dismissed the lab leak theory about the origin of the Covid pandemic. WHO should not have dismissed Covid lab leak theory: Top virologist The WHO in its initial assessment in 2021 had stated that it was "extremely unlikely" that Covid might have spilled into humans from a lab.Koopmans, who heads the Department of Viroscience at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, is one of 12 people investigating the emergence of the pandemic on behalf of WHO.Speaking to the BBC podcast "Fever The Hunt for Covid's Origin", Koopmans said the theory that the virus escaped from a secretive lab in Wuhan could never be ruled out, the Daily Mail reported."We shouldn't have done that," she added.A team of experts from the WHO spent four weeks in China in January 2021 to investigate whether Covid-19 is the result of a lab-leak.The agency announced that "all hypotheses remain on the table," and that "we have not yet found the source of the virus, and we must continue to follow the science and leave no stone unturned as we do."But the global health body ruled that the natural-origins theory was the most likely -- and placed a leak from the Wuhan Institute of Virology as "extremely unlikely" and behind the frozen-food origin theory.China, on the other hand, stated that the virus began in a US research facility in Maryland or in imported frozen food packaging.Meanwhile, Koopmans said that she hasn't ruled out both theories of the frozen-food and lab-leak."Neither of them are ruled out in my mind," she was quoted as saying.Asked whether including the frozen-food theory in the final report undermined WHO's mission, Koopmans said "I don't think so.""Again, as a scientist, looking at the literature and looking at what is possible, I felt we should also not throw it out because it was pushed politically."In May, former Chinese CDC head Dr George Fu Gao, also said that the theory that Covid-19 is the result of a lab-leak should not be discounted. Gao directed China's CDC when Covid first emerged in Wuhan."You can always suspect anything. That's science. Don't rule out anything," Gao was quoted as saying to the same BBC podcast.China has since the beginning dismissed any suggestion the disease may have originated in a Wuhan laboratory.More than two years after the pandemic that has infected over 763 million and claimed more than 6.9 million lives globally, the origins of Covid-19 remain unclear.IANS22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Xebia appoints Guido Bartels as Global Managing Director - Cloud PRNewswire, New Delhi, June 21: Xebia, a renowned global IT consultancy and software development company, has appointed Guido Bartels as Global Managing Director - Cloud. Xebia appoints Guido Bartels as Global Managing Director - Cloud Xebia has significantly strengthened its capabilities and client base in the last few years. To further grow its global market, the company has onboarded yet another industry veteran to its leadership team. Guido will be based in Connecticut, USA.Xebia's cloud service line works with organizations across industries to design and engineer their cloud-native transformation. Xebia helps first-time cloud adopters with everything they need to move to the cloud, and digital natives with optimizing their cloud platforms. From building a reliable and scalable infrastructure to deploying cloud-native solutions, assessing in-house knowledge, managing cloud spend, and training teams, Xebia provides comprehensive assistance.Xebia has established long-term relationships with the largest cloud providers, and Guido will be responsible for taking these partnerships to the next level. He will cover the full cloud spectrum, from multi-cloud consulting and architectural services to cloud cost management, training, and managed services. With his support, Xebia aims to assist every organization in becoming cloud-native and to enhance and expand its authority in cloud services across the globe.Guido has worked in many countries over the past 24 years. Before joining the team at Xebia, he worked at AWS, where he held the position of Managing Director for the Nordic and Baltic countries, among others. During his nearly four years in this regional role, he successfully launched AWS EMEA's 5th Infrastructure Region in Stockholm and significantly grew AWS's business, more than tripling its size.Additionally, Guido has over 20 years of experience at IBM, where he served as General Manager for the global Energy and Utilities industry vertical and as Managing Director for the Nordic region. In his last nine years at IBM, he also held a position on the company's Senior Leadership Team. Guido's expertise in sustainability has made him an early thought leader in the field, and he has served on the boards of both non-profit and for-profit publicly listed organizations. Furthermore, he was appointed for two consecutive 2-year terms as a member of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Electricity Advisory Committee (EAC), upon direct invitation by the U.S. Secretary of Energy.Anand Sahay, Global CEO, Xebia, said, "We welcome Guido as a strategic leader to carve and execute the future direction for cloud at Xebia globally. His long association with the leading cloud service providers and experience as a transformation leader will help us create better solutions and align closely with our stakeholders. We partner with the leading cloud providers including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. With Guido as a part of our team, we anticipate strengthening our Cloud capabilities and grow the client base manifold."Guido Bartels, Global Managing Director, Cloud, Xebia, said, "With a career long passion of driving customer value at the intersection of advanced technologies and deep business insights, I'm thrilled to join a team that embodies 'authority' in the domain of digital transformation as its mission. Xebia helps the world's top 250 companies and category leaders to overcome digital challenges, embrace innovation and implement new business models. I look forward to partnering with my new colleagues to ensure we unlock the full potential of cloud for our customers. I am honored to lead a team of Xebians that serves our customers with in-depth expertise based on an authentic, value-led, and high-quality way of working."Media contact(Disclaimer The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! WeddingWire India hosts an Industry First Wedding Conference 2023 in the Capital NewsVoir, New Delhi, June 21: WeddingWire India, the Indian subsidiary of The Knot Worldwide, a leading wedding technology platform connecting engaged couples with local wedding professionals, successfully hosted India's first-of-its-kind wedding conference series on June 9th at The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel and Residences. WeddingWire India hosts an Industry First Wedding Conference 2023 in the Capital The brand's focus behind this unique event was to give vendors, partners and industry leaders an opportunity for learning, networking, exploring, and understanding the changing landscape and trends of the Indian as well as the Global wedding Industry, understanding the opportunities that lie ahead of us.The goal is to be one of the biggest series of wedding industry conferences conceptualised to promote learning, networking and business opportunities in the Indian wedding industry. The conference was meticulously curated to provide a platform for vendors in the wedding industry to engage with esteemed industry leaders and help invoke a thought to help build a strong presence in the market. During the half day- event, vendors and WWI team engaged with industry leaders and explored strategies for revenue growth using WWI's wedtech solutions, and also delved into customer acquisition and experience tactics. The highlight of the event was the two insightful talks on The Future of Indian Weddings by AJ Tills, VP of International Marketing at The Knot Worldwide and Marketing your Wedding Business in 2023 by Sorav Jain, Digital Marketing Expert. Apart from this, the panel discussion hosting Himanshu Baid (Rimjhim Photography), Kaveri Vij (Designer Events Inc), Alok Chakravarty (The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts), Manvir Singh Anand (Knight Gourmet) focused on delighting couples with amazing client experience.Sharing his experience of the conference, AJ Tills, Vice President of International Marketing, said, "The wedding market in India already sits as a world leader, with more than 10-12 million weddings happening every year and an estimated value of USD$100B. We're seeing more and more couples and families increasingly adopt digital wedding planning platforms and we're proud that WeddingWireIndia is helping to define the wedtech category. Our Wedding vendors are and will always play an important role in our growth, and this event was a channel to recognise and celebrate them."Ankit Antwal, Head of Sales, WeddingWire India, while talking about the event says, "In the wedding industry, the lifespan of a customer is relatively short, emphasising the need to continuously incorporate innovative sales approaches to enhance brand awareness and recall. The B2B event served as a platform to educate and upskill our vendor partners, aiming to strengthen their sales approach. I firmly believe that the event successfully fulfilled its purpose, equipping our partners with valuable knowledge and strategies to thrive in this dynamic industry."Alok Chakravarty, Senior Area Director for Sales and Distribution, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, while attending the event says "The event has been a one-of-a-kind experience. Engaging with industry leaders, discovering innovative solutions, and forging valuable partnerships has reinforced our commitment to delivering exceptional hospitality experiences. This event has inspired us to embrace new technologies, and continuously exceed guest expectations. We are excited to implement the valuable insights gained here, ensuring we remain a beacon of excellence in the ever-evolving hospitality landscape."The Delhi Chapter served as the inaugural phase of this first-of-its-kind wedding industry conference. The event proved to be an immense success witnessing the participation from a select few vendors. As a prominent wed-tech platform, WeddingWire India aims to continue its commitment to the overall industry growth. The brand will focus on curating more such experiences as they play a vital role in educating and initiating conversations across all segments of the wedding industry. Inspired by the success of the Delhi Chapter, WeddingWire India is confident in the triumph of future conference series planned in other cities across the country. In line with its commitment to maximise visibility for vendors, the brand encourages them to easily register on their website using the following link .WeddingWire India, launched in mid-2017, is a wedding technology platform in India connecting engaged couples with local wedding professionals. It is a subsidiary of The Knot Worldwide which operates a suite of lifestyle brands in 16 countries across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The virtual marketplace is a destination for wedding planning requirements with a robust vendor directory covering over 70,000 vendors across categories such as venues, photography, hair, and makeup, catering, music, etc. It is dedicated to building innovative tools and resources and is present across apps, websites, and mobile web to simplify and inspire the wedding planning process that is unique to its customers. From vendor management, checklist, website creation, budget allocation, guest list creation, community ideas, and inspiration, millions of couples search, compare and connect with required wedding services from WeddingWire India's vast directory of vendors.The Knot Worldwide inspires, informs, and celebrates people as they navigate and enjoy life's biggest moments, through The Knot and its subsidiaries- WeddingWire, Bodas.net, , WeddingWire.in, WeddingWire.ca, Matrimonio.com, Mariages.net, and other brands. The company has US offices in New York, New York; Washington, DC; Norwalk, Connecticut; Austin, Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; and Portland, Oregon; and international offices in Barcelona, Spain; Galway, Ireland; Guangzhou, China; Gurgaon, India; and London, England.(Disclaimer The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Vivekananda introduced Sanatan Dharma to world, PM Modi put yoga on global stage: Assam CM Himanta Sarma Dhubri, June 21: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts for bringing Yoga on a global platform. Vivekananda introduced 'Sanatan Dharma' to world, PM Modi put yoga on global stage: Assam CM Himanta Sarma Sarma's statement came in backdrop of Prime Minister's visit to the US where he led a mass Yoga demonstration at the United Nations headquarters in New York."Swami Vivekananda introduced Sanatan Dharma to the world in 1893 and PM Narendra Modi brought yoga to the world stage in 2014. Yoga is India's gift to the world and we're privileged that PM will lead the International Yoga Day celebrations from the UN this year," said Sarma while addressing a rally at Dhubri in the State.Further Sarma urged people to introduce their children to Sanatan Sanskriti and make their children do yoga."Talked to some worker colleagues yesterday in Dhubri and we are aware of the situation and environment here. They were apprehensive that something similar could happen here as shown in the film 'Kerala Story'. There is only one solution to this apprehension- introduce children to Sanatan culture, teach yoga and read and teach Gita daily," said Sarma.Earlier, Assam CM also performed Yoga in Dhubri to mark the ongoing International Yoga Day celebration.The concept of International Yoga Day was introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2014 address to the United Nations General Assembly. Since then, Yoga has gained huge popularity worldwide due to its ability to enhance flexibility, strength, balance, and overall fitness.This year the theme of Yoga Day is 'Yoga For Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' i.e. Yoga for the welfare of all in the form of 'One World-One Family'.It emphasises the spirit of Yoga, which unites and takes everyone along.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Modi hits out at commercialisation of yoga, welcomes scientific research United Nations, June 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at commercialisation of yoga, pointing out that it is free of copyrights and patents. Modi hits out at commercialisation of yoga, welcomes scientific research "Yoga is free from copyrights, free from patents and free from royalty payments," Modi said at the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the UN headquarters here.In the US in particular, as well as elsewhere, yoga teachers and organisations claim copyrights and royalties and, sometimes, approach the courts.For example, Indian-American yoga teacher Bikram Choudhury had sued an organisation that he claimed had violated his copyright on yoga practices. But the US federal courts threw out his case.Meanwhile, Modi also welcomed the medical and scientific research on yoga."I'm delighted that many of you are working on scientifically validating the different aspects of yoga. Indeed, this is the way," he said while addressing a gathering of about 1,800 people."Yoga comes from India and it has a very old tradition. But like all ancient Indian traditions, it is also living, dynamic," Modi said."Yoga is a way of life, a holistic approach to health and well-being, a way to mindfulness in thought and action, a way to live in harmony with self, with others and with nature," he said.(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)IANS22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Odisha cabinet approves rural connectivity projects worth Rs 4,947 crore Bhubaneswar, June 21: To improve rural road connectivity in the state, Odisha cabinet on Wednesday approved projects worth Rs 4,947 crore under four different components of Mukhya Mantri Sadak Yojana (MMSY). Odisha cabinet approves rural connectivity projects worth Rs 4,947 crore Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena told media persons that the Cabinet has approved 15 proposals including four proposals from the Rural Development Department for construction of roads and bridges in rural and hilly areas during the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25.The cabinet has approved an outlay of Rs 1,893 crore for construction of roads to the length of 1814.92 km during two years (2023-24 to 2024-25) under MMSY-Transferred Road Improvement Programme (TRIP). All ongoing projects under this scheme will also be completed, he said.Similarly, the government has approved implementation of MMSY-Connecting Unconnected Villages in Difficult Areas (CUVDA) with an outlay of Rs 976 crore.Under the scheme, projects with a length of 361.34 km will be executed during 2023-24 and 2024-25. Bridges where required will be taken up to provide new connectivity or improved connectivity in difficult places of the targeted area, Jena said.Further, the government has also decided to implement MMSY-Improvement to Existing RD Roads with an outlay of Rs 918 crore during 2023-25.Besides, Rs 1,160 crore was approved for execution of 673.49 km of roads under MMSY- Connecting Missing Road Links (CMRL) during the two years.The cabinet has also revised the cost of the ABADHA scheme from Rs 3,208 crore to Rs 4,224.22 crore with scheme implementation period from 2017-18 to 2024-25.The state government had launched the ABADHA scheme during 2017-18 to develop Puri into a world class heritage city, to preserve and revitalise the heritage city.The state Cabinet also approved a new scheme Mukhya Mantri Sampoorna Pushti Yojana (MSPY), which is aimed at transforming nutrition outcomes of the adolescent girls (15-19 years), pregnant women iamp; lactating mothers, malnourished children and severely underweight children of under 6 years of age across the state.The scheme will be implemented over a period of five years with effect from the current financial year 2023-24 with a projected cost of Rs 3,354.40 crore, said the Chief Secretary.The cabinet headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik recommended the proposal for inclusion of the tribal language in the 8th schedule of Constitution of India, said ST iamp; SC Development Minister Jagannath Saraka.Inclusion of the Saora language in the 8th schedule of the Constitution of India will help in the preservation, promotion, propagation of the Saora language and culture, he said.More than 5 lakh Saora speaking indigenous people will be benefited with this decision with no financial implication, he added.IANS22 June 2023 Shared Recently! BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The number of Azerbaijani students studying in the Visegrad Group countries (alliance of four Central European countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia) is growing, Chairman of the Board of the Center of Analysis of International Relations Farid Shafiev said at the opening of the international "Visegrad Group Countries and Azerbaijan" workshop, Trend reports. "Especially the growth of students from Azerbaijan is observed in Poland and the Czech Republic," Shafiev said. He also noted that Azerbaijan has established a strategic partnership with all the countries of the Visegrad Group. According to him, Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus have strong historical ties. He pointed out that Azerbaijan and Slovakia have developed cooperation in both economic and humanitarian areas. The decision to open an embassy of Azerbaijan in this country is a step towards deepening cooperation between the two states. The workshop is devoted to the problems related to the energy crisis against the background of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and ways to solve them. The event will also discuss the challenges posed by the future technological transformation for the Visegrad Group countries and Azerbaijan. The workshop is attended by experts and officials from Azerbaijan, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary, representatives of the diplomatic corps. Mansukh Mandaviya chairs meeting with States and UTs to assess heat-related illnesses New Delhi, June 21: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday reviewed the public health preparedness for management of heat-related illnesses arising due to heatwave conditions in some parts of the country. Mansukh Mandaviya chairs meeting with States and UTs to assess heat-related illnesses He virtually interacted with state health ministers, state disaster management ministers and principal secretaries/additional chief secretaries and information commissioners of seven states (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana) which are experiencing severe heatwave conditions.Effective disaster response and management is a collaborative work and with coordinated actions between the Centre and states, it can be ensured there are no deaths due to heatwaves, Mandaviya said on Wednesday."Sharing of ideas, expertise and best practices by states help in enriching everyone in effectively managing heat-related illnesses," he said.States were advised to increase resiliency to extreme heat at health facilities level by ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply; installation of solar panels and adopting measures to reduce indoor heat through installation of cool/green roof, window shading, shades, etc., according to a statement issued by the health ministry.Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai was present at the meeting, while Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health, S P Baghel, Union Minister of State for Health, and Dr V K Paul, Member (Health) of NITI Aayog, participated in virtual mode.State ministers who joined the high level review meeting included Shahnawaz, Disaster Management Minister (Bihar), Banna Gupta, Health and Disaster Management Minister (Jharkhand), Pratima, Disaster Management Minister (Odisha), Harish Rao, Health Minister (Telangana), Anup Valmiki, Disaster Management Minister (Uttar Pradesh) and Mayaneshwar Singh, Minister of State for Health (Uttar Pradesh).Dr Mandaviya said that "India has demonstrated during the recent preparedness measures for Cyclone Biparjoy that timely and effective coordination between Centre and States can produce the desired outcome"."Sharing of ideas, expertise and best practices by states help in enriching everyone in effectively managing heat-related illness", he added.He urged the states to implement the State Action Plans at the ground levels with a timely warning to the people, and ensure preventive preparedness to reduce the severe impact of heatwaves. The Union Health Minister also advised the States that have not yet prepared the Health Action Plan, based on the National Action Plan, to do so urgently detailing specific field level actions and ensure effective implementation of the same.Dr Mandaviya stated heat alert and forecasts from IMD is amplified and shared with all states daily by the Union Health Ministry. He urged states to develop training manuals on Heat and Health for State Officials, Medical Officers and Health Workers."State-level trainers need to ensure that their training is up to field level. Capacity Building of Medical Officers, Health Staff and sensitization of grassroots level workers on heat illness, with focus on early recognition and management using training manuals provided by Union Health Ministry is crucial", he stated.States were advised to increase resiliency to extreme heat at Health Facilities level by ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply; installation of solar panels and adopting measures to reduce indoor heat through installation of cool/green roof, window shading, shades etc.Highlighting the lack of accurate date from the ground, Nityanand Rai urged states to share field level data on heatwaves, including on deaths and cases, so that a realistic assessment of the situation can be made. He also highlighted the importance of timely action as soon as IMD alerts are received in the states. "Timely, advance and wide awareness among the people on the preventive measures will hugely support in reducing the severe impact of such heat waves", he pointed out.Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Minister of State in the Union Health Ministry urged states to ramp up information and awareness campaigns among people. She urged states to accelerate field level implementation of State Action Plans for addressing ill effects of heat waves.Prof S P Baghel, MOS (HFW) also emphasized on sharing of regular advisories by states on the heatwave situation.A granular status and analysis of overall heatstroke cases and deaths in India and heat-related illness in the seven affected States was made by the Health Ministry officials covering the trajectory of total emergency OPD, suspected and confirmed heatstroke cases and deaths; and their reporting as per Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal.It was pointed out that the National Action Plan on Heat Related Illness, released in July 2021 outlined the challenges posed by heat wave, heat-related illnesses and their management from primary to tertiary level; the SOPs for surveillance of heat stroke cases and deaths; and preparedness plan before and during summer season, with special emphasis on Heat Related Illness (HRI) in vulnerable sections.States were also reminded of two advisories issued by the Union Health Ministry. The first was issued on 28 February, 2023 by the Union Health Secretary to all the Chief Secretaries requesting compliance of states of National Action Plan on Heat Related Illnesses for effective preparedness of health facilities to address heat impact and management of cases. States were also advised to review health facility preparedness in terms of essential medicines, intravenous fluids, Ice-packs, ORS, drinking water as well as IEC activity for public.The second advisory was issued by the Union Health Ministry in the form of a wider awareness of do's and don'ts to be followed by the general population as well as the vulnerable people. It advised states to use this as a template and translate to regional languages and follow the NPCCHH advisory for employers for workplace preparedness guidance.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Predator drones to be operated by joint tri-services command, orders for 31 UAVs placed after scientific assessment New Delhi, June 21: As many as 31 Predator drones, to be acquired by India from the US soon, would be operated by the tri-services jointly. Predator drones to be operated by joint tri-services command, orders for 31 UAVs placed after scientific assessment Speaking to ANI, a senior defence official said, "The decision to buy 31 (Predator or Reaper) drones for taking care of complete surveillance requirements was taken after a scientific assessment.""The Predator drones would be operated by a joint tri-services command, which will include officers and men from all three services. The proposal in this regard in the defence acquisition council was also sent by the tri-services headquarters," the official said.A detailed scientific analysis was carried out by officers from the tri-services to arrive at the number of unmanned aerial vehicles of this long endurance variety."The analysis done under the Chief of Defence Staff and his integrated defence staff team suggested that for looking after the land borders and the aerial surveillance, 16 birds (attack drones) would be required," the official added."For looking after the maritime borders and the islands, the study suggested that India would require 16 drones," the official said."All the future deals by the tri-services, including ones for helicopters, drones and air defence weapon systems, would be done in the same manner," the official added.India and the US are expected to ink the deal for the acquisition of 31 Predator drones during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden state visit to the US.India shares vast maritime and land boundaries with two major adversaries -- Pakistan and China -- and requires constant monitoring of their activities to safeguard its national security interests.The Predators, also called the MQ-9 Reaper, can fly up to 36 hours at a stretch and can be used for focused monitoring of any specific point or area of interest.Indian personnel would also, very soon, be provided training to deal with the ground-station equipment and the birds, both in both India and the US where it is manufactured.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Chinas economic slowdown could increase prospect of military crisis in Taiwan Strait: Report Beijing, June 21: China's economic slowdown could increase the prospect of a military crisis in the Taiwan Strait as Chinese President Xi Jinping may further embrace nationalism in his unprecedented third term, a prominent US think tank has warned, Nikkei Asia reported. China's economic slowdown could increase prospect of military crisis in Taiwan Strait: Report The warning came in an extensive report issued on Tuesday by a bipartisan task force convened by the Council on Foreign Relations, covering various aspects of US-Taiwan relations, including politics, diplomacy, economy and security. In it, the experts warned that Washington's four-decade-old framework for dealing with Taiwan since establishing diplomatic relations with China in 1979 had become "more and more brittle".The task force, co-chaired by Mike Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Sue Gordon, a former principal deputy director of national intelligence, wrote, "This reality, paired with Xi's unease with the status quo and his determination to make progress toward unification, increases the risk of a conflict."Tuesday's report also concluded that China was likely entering a long-term economic slowdown driven by its ageing and shrinking population, its crackdown on innovative technology companies and US export controls on advanced technology.China's central bank on Tuesday lowered lending rates for the first time in 10 months, a cut widely regarded as another sign that Chinese policymakers are increasingly concerned about the country's economic forecast.The report said, "As China's economic growth has slowed under Xi, he has increasingly turned to nationalism to justify the [Chinese Communist Party's] monopoly on power. With a further downturn, he could turn to the Taiwan issue to rally support for the CCP and his personal rule. As Xi approaches the end of his tenure and looks toward his legacy, the risk of a conflict over Taiwan will grow."Tuesday's report comes a day after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Xi in Beijing. While the two powers agreed to maintain lines of communication, Blinken's trip reaffirmed divergent views on the future of Taiwan, with China's top diplomat Wang Yi stating Beijing has no space for compromise or concession on the island, according to Nikkei Asia.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! PM Modi meets people outside hotel in New York New York, June 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met people outside a hotel in New York. PM Modi meets people outside hotel in New York The people were chanting "Modi Modi" as the Prime Minister waved at them. Some of them were holding the tricolour.Meanwhile, the Indian community in Washington, DC gathered outside Hotel Intercontinental Willard to welcome PM Modi.Women were seen dancing to drum beats while donning traditional outfits. Visuals show people gathered outside the hotel during the rainy weather with umbrellas in their hands.PM Modi, on Wednesday, led a special Yoga session at the United Nations headquarters in New York City to mark the 9th edition of the International Day of Yoga.People from more than 180 countries were seen performing asanas on their Yoga mats. Apart from PM Modi, India's permanent envoy to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the 77th United Nations General President Csaba Korosi were among the dignitaries attending the event.Earlier at the event, PM Modi laid floral tributes at the recently installed bust of Mahatma Gandhi on the lawns of the UN headquarters.Prime Minister Modi is presently on his maiden state visit to the US. PM Modi will now travel to Washington DC where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22.US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a State Dinner in honour of Prime Minister Modi the same evening.PM Modi will also address a joint sitting of the US Congress on the same day.On June 23, the Prime Minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.In addition to official engagements, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to have several interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders.He will also meet members of the Indian diaspora.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Ashwini Vaishnaw inspects East-West metro project work from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade stretch Kolkata, June 21: Union Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected Howrah Maidan to Esplanade stretch of East-West Metro (Green Line) project work on Wednesday. Ashwini Vaishnaw inspects East-West metro project work from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade stretch Minister Vaishnaw inspected the station and enquired about the state-of-the-art passenger amenities that are going to be provided here.Interacting with the media persons at Howrah Maidan Metro station he has categorically informed that all the Metro projects in the city have been allocated enough funds and Central Government has been monitoring the progress of works of all Metro projects minutely.After completing the inspection of Howrah Maidan station, the Minister undertook a trolley inspection through the Metro tunnel under the river Hooghly and reached Howrah station, which is going to be the deepest Metro station in India."This Metro station has been built 33 meters below the surface and has 4 underground levels over 5 lakh sq ft area. Once commissioned, this station is going to be the gateway of Kolkata apart from Sealdah Metro station which has already been commissioned", said an official statement.In April 2023, Kolkata becomes the first city in the country to successfully conclude the trial of the underground metro. The metro is covering a 520-meter stretch under the Hooghly River in 45 seconds. The tunnel is located 33 meters below the surface.P Uday Kumar Reddy, General Manager, Metro Railway welcomed Railway Minister at Howrah Maidan Metro station Wednesday evening and appraised him about the progress of works of this stretch.Reddy briefed Minister Vaishnaw about the tunnel ventilation system, tunnel lighting system, and power supply system as well as train operations that will start soon on this stretch with the help of 3-D models and diagrams.The Railway Minister also inspected the river tunnel which has been built 16-m below the River Hooghly.Terming it as an engineering marvel, Minister Vaishnaw expressed his happiness seeing the progress of work and hoped that East-West Metro will soon provide the ultimate transportation solution to the people of a busy and congested city like Kolkata. Once commissioned this Metro Corridor will connect twin cities Howrah and Kolkata and carry 6.7 lakhs passengers daily at the start of services over the entire corridor, the statement added.Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw completed his inspection at Esplanade and expressed his hope that this 4.8-km long stretch of East-West Metro from Howrah Maidan to Esplanade will be opened for the general public by December 2023 after the inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Safety.All senior officers of Metro Railway, Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited were present during this visit of the Railway Minister.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Two-day 4th meeting of G-20 Education Working Group under Indias Presidency concludes in Pune Pune, June 21: The Ministry of Education, Government of India on Wednesday successfully concluded the 4th and final meeting of the G20 Education Working Group (EdWG) in Pune. Two-day 4th meeting of G-20 Education Working Group under India's Presidency concludes in Pune About 80 delegates from G20 Members, invited countries, and international organisations (IOs) attended the EdWG meeting.The two-day meeting was chaired by Indian Chair K Sanjay Murthy, Secretary of Higher Education with Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, School Education and Literacy, and Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship as alternate Chairs.The meeting was also attended by Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Chief Coordinator, India's G20 Presidency, Government of India on day one.On occasion, K Sanjay Murthy expressed his appreciation to the G20 delegates for their valuable contributions to all the outcome documents and their active engagement throughout the process.He emphasized the significance of their efforts and highlighted the upcoming Ministerial meeting on June 22, 2023, where, the ministers will formally accept the outcome documents, marking the culmination of the extensive deliberations carried out over the past several months within the education working group track.During the 4th EdWG, G20 delegates appreciated the sustained efforts of the Indian G20 presidency towards developing the EdWG report and Compendium. These outcome documents will serve as a roadmap for the international community, guiding coordinated actions to ensure inclusive and high-quality education for all learners.The EdWG track aligned with the Indian G20 Presidency's theme of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' or 'One Earth One Family One Future', in finding out inclusive solutions and collective actions to address the diverse global challenges of the day during the past 4 meetings.It emphasised 4 priority areas, including, Ensuring foundational literacy and numeracy, especially in the context of blended learning; Making tech-enabled learning more inclusive, qualitative, and collaborative; Building capacities and promoting lifelong learning in the context of the future of work; and Strengthening research and fostering innovation through enhanced collaboration and partnerships.The 4th EdWG meeting was preceded by a Seminar on 'Ensuring Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), especially in the context of blended learning'. The participants included several speakers from Government, Industry, academia and IOs who deliberated on matters related to FLN such as teaching Learning Approaches and Pedagogy, the Role of Caregivers, Capacity Building and Training of Teachers in Multilingualism.Additionally, a multimedia exhibition is being held at Savitribai Phule Pune University from June 17 to June 22 2023. With over 1.25 lakh attendees and 80+ exhibitors, the exhibition provides an opportunity to showcase FLN-related initiatives. Notable participants from 28 States/UTs in the exhibition include NCERT, IKS (Indian Knowledge System), Microsoft, Nipun Bharat initiative, Indonesia, UNICEF, UNESCO and many others.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! We are a nation of laws: Benjamin Netanyahu Tel Aviv, June 21: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement on Wednesday afternoon regarding the violence that transpired earlier in the day in Samaria as well as in the Golan Heights. 'We are a nation of laws': Benjamin Netanyahu "There are days when we must state what is self-evident," he said. "The State of Israel is a nation of laws. All citizens of Israel are obligated to obey the law. We will not allow disturbances either on the Golan Heights or in Judea and Samaria.""I give full backing to the Israel Police and the security forces in their efforts to maintain law and order," he added. "We will not accept any provocations to the police or the security forces in these places or anywhere else. We are a nation of laws."Israelis rioted in the Arab village of Turmus Aya in Samaria on Wednesday in response to Tuesday's murders of four people in the terrorist attack in Eli.Druze who oppose the construction of a wind farm near their villages in the Golan also rioted on Wednesday. (ANI/TPS)ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Millet, saffron to star in Bidens dinner for Modi Washington, June 22: Millet, the coarse and hearty cereal India has been pushing on the world, will make a glitzy first world splash at a state dinner US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are hosting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Thursday. Millet, saffron to star in Biden's dinner for Modi Millet stalks will be seen in the talons of a peacock that will form the backdrop for Prime Minister Modi during his remarks.The first course will feature marinated millet with grilled corn kernel salad and compressed watermelon, according to the menu previewed by the White House, along with tasting during a preview of the arrangements conducted by the First Lady, Chef Nina Curtis, who planned the menu.At the suggestion of the Indian government, the UN has declared 2023 as the Year of Millet. This coarsed-grained cereal, which is grown in abundance in Asia and Africa, is healthy, hearty and drought-resistant, qualities that make it a great candidate for sustainable farming and food security."With this official state visit we are bringing together the world's oldest and the world's largest democracies. After years of straightening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges. But our relationship is it only about governments. We are celebrating the families, and friendships that span the globe to those who feel the bonds of home both in both of our countries," Biden said at the press preview."As some of you may know, Prime Minister Modi is a vegetarian. So we asked Chef Nina Curtis, a plant-based pioneer, to work with our White House chefs and create a stunning vegetarian menu," she said further, adding, "guess will have the option to add fish (Sumac-roasted Sea Bass) to the main course if they choose".The first time Modi had dinner in the White House -- in September, 2014 -- he made do with just a glass of warm water. It were the navratras then and he was fasting. It was a small dinner hosted by President Barack Obama for Prime Minister Modi and his team of officials.Along with marinated millet and grilled corn salad, guests will be served compressed watermelon and tangy avocado sauce.The main course will be stuffed portobello mushrooms and creamy risotto infused with -- with an Indian touch -- saffron.The colour saffron will dominate the decor in a nod to Indian culture and the Tricolour. Guests will walk into the pavilion on the South Lawn draped in rich green and there will be saffron flowers on every table, which, Biden noted to reporters, are "the colours of the Indian flag".For a further Indian touch, wine to be served at the dinner includes PATEL Red Blend 2019, a wine from a Napa Valley winery owned by Raj Patel, who came to the US from Gujarat. This wine retails for $75 a bottle, according to the winery's website. Other wines to be served will be Stone Tower Chardonnay "Kristi" 2021 and Domain Carneros Brut Rose.Entertainment will feature Penn Masala, which describes itself as the world's first South Asian Cappella Group. They have performed at the White House before for President Barack Obama.A Cappella is a music style in which a singer or a group performs without the aid of musical instruments.IANS22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Iran, EU meet on nuke talks in Qatar Tehran, June 22: Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani has said that he had a meeting with Enrique Mora, the European Union's deputy foreign policy chief, to discuss the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran, EU meet on nuke talks in Qatar Bagheri Kani, the chief negotiator for the nuclear talks, said on Wednesday in a tweet that the meeting took place in Qatar, describing it as "serious and constructive".But he did not reveal the exact timing of the meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.This meeting followed a previous one on June 13 in Abu Dhabi, where the Iranian diplomat met with French, German, and British representatives on discussions of common interests and bilateral concerns.On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said during a weekly press conference that diplomatic consultations and the exchange of messages between Iran and other parties have been ongoing.The nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed by Iran and world powers in July 2015. Under the agreement, Iran accepted certain restrictions on its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. However, the US withdrew from the deal in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran reduced its nuclear commitments under the agreement.The negotiations for the revival of the JCPOA commenced in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. Despite several rounds of talks, no significant breakthrough has been achieved since the latest round in August 2022.IANS22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Oppressive heat wave continues scorching Texas Houston, June 22: An oppressive heat wave is continuing scorching the south central US state of Texas, where triple digit temperatures are expected to last for the next several days, forecasters said. 'Oppressive' heat wave continues scorching Texas Meteorologists expect that temperatures will soar into 100s and 110s degrees Fahrenheit throughout June across Texas and are likely hit heat records for at least the next several days, Xinhua news agency reported."No clear end in sight to this oppressive heat," weather service AccuWeather said on Twitter on Wednesday."Continue to do what you can to keep cool!"The second largest US state has been baking with heat over the last few days. The temperature in San Angelo, a city in central Texas, soared to an all-time high of 114 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday, data from the weather service showed.Much of the state now is under an excessive heat warning, which means that dangerously hot conditions with heat index values of 110-120 degrees Fahrenheit are expected, according to the weather service."It's going to be really bad...It's going to be oppressive," said Bob Fogarty, a National Weather Service meteorologist in the Austin/San Antonio office.He added that a strong high-pressure system and unusual humidity are to blame for the continuous heat wave, as the high-pressure, stagnant air tends to make the area above it hotter."It just lets us get hotter and hotter," said Fogarty."The sun just kind of bakes it each day."The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state's power grid operator, noted on Tuesday that the state hit an unofficial June record for energy demand on Monday, urging Texans to voluntarily cut back on electricity.Tens of thousands of people in Texas remained without power on Tuesday due to storms and bad weather over the weekends, adding to the heat misery.First responders with the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services have received dozens of heat-related calls since temperatures began to increase last week, USA Today reported on Wednesday."Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities," meteorologists have warned.IANS22 June 2023 Shared Recently! details added, first version published at 11:46 LACHIN, Azerbaijan, June 22. Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev has arrived in Azerbaijan's Lachin district, Trend reports. After the opening ceremony of the new Prosecutor's Office administrative building of the Lachin district, an operational meeting has begun with leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office, Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan Masim Mammadov in the Lachin district, part of the East Zangazur Economic District, and military prosecutors of subordinate districts and territories operating in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan participating. Kamran Aliyev gave the necessary instructions in his opening speech at the meeting. The prosecutor general said that after the occupation of Lachin and before its return to the control of Azerbaijan on August 26, 2022, as many as 1,511 out of 2,020 private residential buildings located in this city were deliberately destroyed and rendered uninhabitable by the relevant state bodies of Armenia and persons of Armenian nationality who illegally settled there. Out of 27 common residential buildings, 19 were deliberately completely destroyed, 8 were damaged. In total, out of 190 administrative buildings, 143 were completely destroyed and rendered unusable, and 47 were damaged. Moreover, upon the return of the city of Lachin to Azerbaijan in August 2022, Armenians who lived in 509 private residential buildings belonging to citizens of Azerbaijan in Lachin during the occupation, on behalf and with the special support of the relevant state bodies of Armenia, deliberately damaged walls, ceilings, floors, roofing, doors and windows in these houses. Similar actions were committed in the villages of the Lachin district. These facts have been established by irrefutable evidence in a criminal case under the Investigative Department of the Prosecutor General's Office. I believe its Indias time to shine: CEO of Applied Materials after meeting PM Modi Washington DC, June 22: After meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gary E. Dickerson, the President and CEO of Applied Materials, expressed his belief that it is India's time to drive remarkable growth and shine. I believe it's India's time to shine: CEO of Applied Materials after meeting PM Modi Dickerson said, "I deeply believe this is India's time to shine. We will be announcing soon an innovation centre in India that will focus on innovation in equipment. We have very high confidence that working together with India, we can create tremendous success."Acknowledging that India is a trusted partner, he recognized the exceptional talent that India possesses, which is appreciated by many countries worldwide.He said, "This is India's time to drive incredible growth. And applied is looking forward to working together with PM Modi and everyone in India to achieve tremendous success together. India is a trusted partner and many countries around the world to see the trust and tremendous talent that India has," he added."I am just so impressed with India and I believe that the opportunity for India's growth in the semiconductor industry is now," Dickerson added.PM Modi, who arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday, met Sanjay Mehrotra, President-CEO of Micron Technology.Recently, India and the US have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on establishing the Semiconductor Supply chain during India - USA 5th Commercial Dialogue 2023, which can help India realize its long-nurtured dream of becoming a hub for electronic goods.The MoU seeks to establish a collaborative mechanism between the two governments on semiconductor supply chain resiliency and diversification in view of the US's CHIPS and Science Act and India's Semiconductor Mission.The US and China are giants in chip manufacturing. So, this pact with the US to strengthen cooperation in the semiconductor sector to facilitate commercial opportunities and the development of innovation ecosystems is likely to help India immensely.He also met and H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and CEO, of General Electic and CEO of General Electic Aerospace.GE Aerospace has big plans to ramp up its Indian operations. The company is seeking to consolidate its position as the engine supplier of choice as India's commercial airliners place record orders for hundreds of planes with demand for air travel soaring in the subcontinent post-Covid.PM Modi will attend the state dinner on Thursday which will be hosted by US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. And will also address the UN Congress of representatives on June 22.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Ministry of Health advises States to comply with National Action Plan on heat-related illnesses New Delhi, June 21: While reviewing public health preparedness for the management of heat-related illness, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya on Wednesday advised to comply with the National Action Plan on heat-related illnesses, ensure the preparedness of healthcare facilities, availability of essential medicines and logistics and enhance awareness among people. Ministry of Health advises States to comply with National Action Plan on heat-related illnesses The Union Health Minister virtually interacted with State Health Ministers, State Disaster Management Ministers, Principal Secretaries/Additional Chief Secretaries and Information Commissioners of seven states - Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana- which are experiencing severe heatwave conditions.According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya urged the states to implement the State Action Plans at the ground levels with a timely warning to the people, and ensure preventive preparedness to reduce the severe impact of heatwaves.The Union Health Minister also advised the States that have not yet prepared the Health Action Plan, based on the National Action Plan, to do so urgently detailing specific field-level actions and ensuring effective implementation of the same.Mandaviya stated heat alert and forecasts from IMD is amplified and shared with all states daily by the Union Health Ministry. He urged states to develop training manuals on Heat and Health for State Officials, Medical Officers and Health Workers."State-level trainers need to ensure that their training is up to field level. Capacity building of Medical Officers, Health Staff and sensitization of grassroots level workers on heat illness, with focus on early recognition and management using training manuals provided by Union Health Ministry, is crucial", he stated.States were advised to increase resiliency to extreme heat at the Health Facilities level by ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply, installation of solar panels and adopting measures to reduce indoor heat through the installation of cool/green roofs, window shading, and shades etc, the statement said."Effective disaster response and management is a collaborative work. With coordinated actions between the Centre and states, we can surely ensure there are no deaths due to heat waves", it added.Minister Mandaviya said, "India has demonstrated during the recent preparedness measures for Cyclone Biparjoy that timely and effective coordination between Centre and States can produce the desired outcome"."Sharing of ideas, expertise and best practices by states help in enriching everyone in effectively managing heat-related illness", he added.Highlighting the lack of accurate data from the ground, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai urged states to share field-level data on heatwaves, including on deaths and cases, so that a realistic assessment of the situation can be made.He also highlighted the importance of timely action as soon as IMD alerts are received in the states."Timely, advanced and wide awareness among the people on the preventive measures will hugely support in reducing the severe impact of such heat waves", he added.Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar urged states to ramp up information and awareness campaigns among people. She urged states to accelerate the field-level implementation of State Action Plans for addressing the ill effects of heat waves.Also, MOS (HFW) SP Baghel, also emphasized on sharing of regular advisories by states on the heatwave situation."A granular status and analysis of overall heatstroke cases and deaths in India and heat-related illness in the seven affected States was made by the Health Ministry officials covering the trajectory of total emergency OPD, suspected and confirmed heatstroke cases and deaths and their reporting as per Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) portal. It was pointed out that the National Action Plan on heat-related illness, released in July 2021 outlined the challenges posed by a heatwave, heat-related illnesses and their management from primary to tertiary level, the SOPs for surveillance of heat stroke cases and deaths and preparedness plan before and during summer season, with special emphasis on Heat Related Illness (HRI) in vulnerable sections", the statement read.The States were also reminded of two advisories issued by the Union Health Ministry.As per the official release, the first was issued on February 28, 2023, by the Union Health Secretary to all the Chief Secretaries requesting compliance of states of National Action Plan on heat-related illnesses for effective preparedness of health facilities to address heat impact and management of cases. States were also advised to review health facility preparedness in terms of essential medicines, intravenous fluids, Ice-packs, ORS, drinking water as well as IEC activity for the public.The second advisory was issued by the Union Health Ministry in the form of a wider awareness of do's and don'ts to be followed by the general population as well as vulnerable people. It advised states to use this as a template and translate to regional languages and follow the NPCCHH advisory for employers for workplace preparedness guidance, the statement added.Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai was present at the meeting, while Union Ministers of State for Health and Family Welfare Bharati Pravin Pawar and SP Baghel, and Member (Health) NITI Aayog Dr VK Paul, were present in the virtual mode.Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Officer on Special Duty (Health Ministry) Sudhansh Pant, DG of ICMR Dr Rajiv Bahl, AS (Health Ministry) Lav Agarwal, Director General of Health Services Dr Atul Goel, DG of IMD Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director at AIIMS New Delhi Dr M Srinivas, and senior officials of the Health Ministry were present in the meeting.State Ministers who joined the high-level review meeting included Disaster Management Minister (Bihar) Shahnawaz, Health and Disaster Management Minister (Jharkhand) Banna Gupta, Disaster Management Minister (Orissa) Pratima, Health Minister (Telangana) Harish Rao, Disaster Management Minister (Uttar Pradesh) Anup Valmiki, and Minister of State for Health (Uttar Pradesh) Mayaneshwar Singh.The State Health and Disaster Management Ministers thanked the Union Health Minister for the timely review meeting and his continuous support to the states.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Apple-sized hail injures attendees at Louis Tomlinson concert in Colorado Denver, June 22: Several attendees of a concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado where former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson was scheduled to perform, were injured after they were hit by apple-sized hail, officials said. 'Apple-sized' hail injures attendees at Louis Tomlinson concert in Colorado In a statement on Wednesday night, West Metro Fire Rescue, which responded to the emergency, said the number of potential patients and the extent of their injuries were not immediately known, the Colorado-based The Gazette newspaper reported.A concert goer called it the "scariest night of (her) life"."It started pelting people with hail at Red Rocks and my sister and I luckily found shelter under a sign. I am bleeding and have huge bumps on my head from the hail. Hoping everyone made it out safely," the newspaper quoted her as saying.Another person said the hail that fell down "was literally apple sized", adding the that "ground looked like it snowed. My partner's windshield is literally shattered".The concert has been delayed and Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre advised concert goers to "seek shelter in your vehicle", adding, "we'll let you know when we've received the all clear".The Red Rocks Amphitheatre is an open-air amphitheatre built into a rock structure near Morrison, Colorado.There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a seating area for up to 9,525.IANS22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Ashwini Vaishnaw holds performance review meeting of three zonal railways at Kolkata Kolkata, June 21: Union Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw held a performance review meeting of three Zonal Railways at Eastern Railway Headquarters in Fairlie Place in West Bengal's Kolkata on Wednesday. Ashwini Vaishnaw holds performance review meeting of three zonal railways at Kolkata The three zonal railways included Eastern Railway, South Eastern Railway and Metro Railway.Minister Vaishnaw held the review meeting after visiting the progress of the East-West Metro project work and the newly built Metro tunnel under the river Hooghly.In the review meeting, Eastern Railway General Manager Amar Prakash Dwivedi presented a PowerPoint presentation for appraisal of the Minister for Railways in which the progress and achievements of Eastern Railway in respect of complete electrification, project execution, safety works, freight loading initiatives, revenue generation, passenger amenities augmentation initiatives were presented.Dwivedi presented a budget description about the stellar performance of Eastern Railway in the last financial year 2022-23 viz. total revenue of Rs 10,684 crore, commissioning of two critical and five supercritical projects, first Railway Zone to finalize the tender for project Kavach, completing the electrification of ER network over 2831 route kilometres, freight loading of 79.72 million tonnes etc."The originating revenue of Eastern Railway up to May 2023 in the current financial year recorded as Rs 1922.07 crores, registering an increment of 15.99 per cent in respect of the corresponding period of the previous financial year", said an official statement.Moreover, various other achievements of Eastern Railway were also presented before the Minister of Railways like the implementation of one station one product scheme for which 317 stations have been earmarked, the finalization master plan for the redevelopment of Asansol station, the improvement of stations of under Amrit Bharat scheme at 60 stations of Eastern Railway, development of grooming-cum-wellness centres at 270 stations over Eastern Railway as non-fare revenue initiatives, commissioning of two Gati Shakti Terminals in 2022-23 with a target of commissioning three Gati Shakti Terminals in 2023-24, commissioning of the largest electronic interlocking system in Asia with 1002 routes at Bandel station, the introduction of train infotainment services in suburban EMU trains etc, it added.Besides, Minister Vaishnaw also appraised safety and security initiatives, improvement in passenger amenities and initiatives for increasing mobility in Eastern Railway.Minister Vaishnaw was apprised of the different safety initiatives of Eastern Railway. Layout correction of 4 nos has already been completed in Eastern Railway up to May 2023 in the current financial year making an increment of 200 per cent in respect of the corresponding period in the previous fiscal."Similarly, in respect of Through Rail Renewal, Eastern Railway registered a 37.1 per cent increment up to May 2023 by completing 28.90 Track KM of Railway Renewal and in respect of Sleeper Renewal, Eastern Railway registered an increment of 53.27 per cent by completing Sleeper Renewal over 17.81 Track KM up to May 2023 and 106 per cent increase up to May 2023 in the current financial year in respect of USFD by completing Ultrasound testing of 2261 km of the track", the release stated.Further, as per the statement, the Eastern Railway also completed the construction of 8 nos of ROBs and RUBs, elimination of 5 unmanned level crossings in FY2023-24 up to May 2023, completed offline training of crew, a total of 625 inspections done by officers on S and T items and targeted Zero missing in safety fittings in assets with NO Compromise on Safety Issues.Various initiatives of Eastern Railway to improve passenger experience were also presented before the Minister of Railways viz commissioning of 13 new lifts and 12 new escalators in 2023 with a provision of 20 new lifts and 8 new escalators in 2023-24, availability of Wi-Fi facility at 356 stations, digitalization of reservation charts at stations, the opening of an executive lounge at Howrah, Sealdah and Kolkata, facilities of showrooms, food stalls, a shopping mall at Sealdah, Child Help Desk at 6 major railway stations and plan for the commissioning of Help Desk at 4 more stations in 2023-24, planning for CCTV surveillance at 380 additional stations with the existing 22 during 2023-24, 100 per cent disposal of Rail Madat Feedback/Complaints for Howrah - New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express, special security arrangement for the daily passengers at stations and trains with the deployment of lady RPF staff.Vande Bharat maintenance facilities also opened at Jheel Siding, Howrah for maintaining Vande Bharat Express train coaches properly.Marching ahead with the infrastructure development works, Eastern Railway has set a target for the commission of 34.11 KM of New Line and 69.58 KM of Double Line/Multiple Line.Metro Railway General Manager P Uday Kumar Reddy and South Eastern Railway General Manager Archana Joshi also highlighted the achievements of Metro Railway and South Eastern Railway respectively to the Minister of Railways.Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed his satisfaction with the progress and initiatives taken by Eastern Railway, South Eastern Railway and Kolkata Metro Railway.The additional General Manager of Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway and all the Principal Heads of Departments of Eastern Railway, Metro Railway and South Eastern Railway were present in the review meeting.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Himachal: Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Sashstra Seema Bal celebrate Yoga Day Shimla, June 21: The 9th International Yoga Day was celebrated at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS) on Wednesday in collaboration with Medic Training Centre, Sashstra Seema Bal (SSB) Shimla with full enthusiasm and vigour, an official statement said. Himachal: Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Sashstra Seema Bal celebrate Yoga Day SPRO Akhilesh Pathak informed that Dr Rajesh Kumar, Commandant, Dr Vishal Barnwal, Astt. Commandant MTC, SSB Shimla and officials of the Institute welcomed the participants.Yoga expert and instructor Manoj Kumar described the importance of Yoga in life.Yoga expert demonstrated the Yoga Asanas and Pranayama to the Fellows, Associates, and Employees of the Institute and approximately 70 trainees of Medic Training Centre, SSB Shimla along with their family members, the statement added.Around 150 participants took part in this event.Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said that yoga is India's gift to the world. She also performed yoga at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi."Yoga is one of our civilization's great accomplishments and India's great gift to the rest of the world. Yoga brings together the body and the mind and it is a holistic approach to life. Yoga helps us all to be in a better position to meet the increasing challenges around us," President Murmu said.Urging everyone to perform yoga, she said, "On this day, I urge everyone to adopt yoga in their daily lives and experience its transformative power."Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished the countrymen on the occasion of the 9th International Yoga Day, and said that the coming together of more than 180 countries on India's call is 'historic'.The Prime Minister is presently on his maiden state visit to the United States, during which he will lead celebrations of International Yoga Day at the United Nations Headquarters in New York today.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Amit Shah to convene all-party meeting on June 24 to discuss situation in Manipur New Delhi, June 22: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will convene an all-party meeting on June 24 in the national capital to discuss the situation in Manipur, Home Ministry Spokesperson said on Wednesday. Amit Shah to convene all-party meeting on June 24 to discuss situation in Manipur The meeting is scheduled at 3 pm in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur.The announcement came hours after, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi said that the unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people in Manipur has "left a deep wound in the conscience of our nation" while appealing for peace and harmony in the state.As Manipur is still witnessing incidents like arson, the state government has extended the ban on the internet by five more days till June 25 with immediate effect in an effort to prevent further disturbance to peace.The data services have also been banned in view of the persisting unrest in the state.Violence gripped Manipur on May 3 after clashes erupted during a rally organised by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list."Further suspension of mobile data services/internet/data services including broadband services and internet/data services through VASTs of Bharatnet Phase-ll is further suspended in the territorial jurisdiction of the state of Manipur, except for those who have already been specifically exempted by the government and may be exempted subsequently and Internet Lease Line (ILL) on a case to basis as permitted by the competent authority," an order issued by Maniour government said on Tuesday, adding it is issued to prevent any disturbances of the peace and public order in the jurisdiction of the state.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Etihad Airways set to welcome over 4 million passengers over summer season Abu Dhabi, June 21: Etihad Airways announced its preparation to welcome more than 4 million passengers at Abu Dhabi International Airport during the summer season between 20th June and 30th, September 2023. Etihad Airways set to welcome over 4 million passengers over summer season A high volume of travellers will be joining locally in Abu Dhabi, with the remainder connecting from across Etihad's extensive network of 66 destinations, including new summer routes to Lisbon, Malaga and Mykonos, which launched over the weekend.Etihad's upgraded online check-in allows guests to complete passport and visa checks prior to reaching the airport. The Auto Doc Check feature ensures guests have met all relevant travel and visa requirements for a hassle-free airport experience.In addition, the airline's self-service bag drop facility provides a quicker and more efficient check-in process, accommodating a greater number of guests and minimising queue times.Once checked-in online, the self-service facilities allow travellers to seamlessly retrieve their booking, print the bag-tag and process their bags on time.Shaeb Al Najjar, General Manager of Hub Operations at Etihad Airways, said, "We are also looking to welcome pilgrims, whether they are starting their journey from the UAE or connecting from other destinations across our extensive network. Thanks to Etihad's award-winning cabin crew, family-friendly offerings, and cabin propositions, guests can expect the best travel experiences. By embracing cutting-edge technologies, we can deliver a more seamless and personalised experience for our guests." (ANI/WAM)ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! UK-India partnership a defining one for our times: British PM Rishi Sunak London, June 21: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed the UK-India partnership on Wednesday, calling it a defining one for our times, informed an official release. UK-India partnership a defining one for our times: British PM Rishi Sunak His remarks have come ahead of India Global Forum's flagship UK-India Week 2023.Praising the role of IGF in fostering closer ties between India and the United Kingdom, Sunak said the event is a catalyst for forging new trade ties."India Global Forum's annual UK-India Week is a highly anticipated fixture in the bilateral calendar of our two great nations. It is a catalyst for forging new trade ties, lasting collaborations, and a better future for our people. I am confident this partnership will be a defining one for our times," the British PM said.Responding to Sunak's remarks, Manoj Ladwa, founder and chairman of India Global Forum, said that given the geopolitical upheaval and economic turbulence, it is more important than ever for India and UK to forge closer ties."Given the geopolitical upheaval and economic turbulence around the world, I believe that it is more important now than ever before that the UK and India forge closer and deeper ties. I am therefore grateful to Prime Minister Sunak for recognising the role that IGF is playing in bringing our two great democracies closer to unlocking the true potential of the partnership," he said.Last year, as Chancellor, while speaking at IGF's UK-India Awards, Sunak had emphasised the importance of forging a partnership of equals."India isn't looking to the past. And nor can we. We need to move forward. Because the UK does not have a natural right to sit at the table with one of the world's largest, fastest-growing, and most dynamic economies. We must earn it," he said.In the backdrop to the 2030 Roadmap agreed upon by both governments and the ongoing Free Trade Agreement negotiations, Prime Minister Sunak's comments are a key indicator of his ambition to transform and elevate UK-India ties, the release stated.On the sidelines of the recent G-7 Summit in Hiroshima, Sunak and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership while taking stock of the progress in the FTA negotiations.The British government has estimated that a trade deal could increase UK's GDP by approximately 3.3- 6.2 billion euros and India's by around 3.7-8.6 billion euros by 2035.Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party who will be opening UK India Week this year, said ahead of his participation, the time has now come to look to the future and work on all areas where there is scope for mutual benefit."I am looking forward to speaking at India Global Forum. The Labour Party has a long and strong relationship with India which I am very proud of. The time has now come to look to the future and work on how we can deepen and widen our cooperation in critical areas such as trade and investment, technology and innovation, climate action, diversity and inclusion, and healthcare, the future of work, skills and education -- all areas where I see huge scope for mutual benefit."Union Minister for Power, New and Renewable Energy, RK Singh, and UK Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan will be among the several senior political and business figures from the UK and India participating at India Global Forum."India Global Forum's UK-India Week is a six-day series of events that brings together business leaders, policymakers, and thought leaders from India, UK and across the world to discuss and explore opportunities for further collaboration and growth. The event features a series of discussions, keynote speeches, and exclusive networking opportunities from the 24 to 30 June 2023 in London and Windsor. Over 2000 in-person participants will attend IGF UK- India Week 2023 over 12 marque events in iconic locations," the release stated.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! This visit celebrates the US-India partnership...: State Department on PM Modis visit Washington DC, June 22: Vedant Patel, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State on Wednesday (local time) said that the partnership with India holds immense significance as one of the most crucial bilateral relationships for the United States, adding that Washington is looking forward to deepening relationship during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State visit to the US. This visit celebrates the US-India partnership...: State Department on PM Modi's visit "This (PM Modi's) visit celebrates the US-India partnership as one of the most important bilateral relationships that we have in the 21st century. This is about our partnership and deepening our relationship with India...This is a State visit and a little different than previous bilateral visits. This isn't about comparing this visit with any other. What this is about is deepening and broadening and strengthening our relationship with our Indian partners. That is why very much, we're looking forward to welcoming them today," said Patel.After addressing 180 nations on the ninth anniversary of the International Day of Yoga in New York, where participants set a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of individuals from different nationalities performing Yoga together, Prime Minister Modi has now arrived in Washington. Upon arrival at the United Nations and the Freedom Plaza, he received a warm welcome from hundreds of members of the Indian American community.When asked about expectations regarding Prime Minister Modi's address to a joint session of the US Congress and whether Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent visit to China involved discussions about Modi's visit to Washington, Patel said, "I certainly don't have any other specifics about the secretary's meetings in Beijing to share beyond what we read out, but if you'll allow me also as it relates to Prime Minister Modi's state visit, I'm going to let the scheduling of the state visit play out and certainly don't want to get ahead of that. But I know that the secretary is looking forward to taking part in these high-level engagements and Friday, both at the White House and here at the State Department as well."Patel further emphasized that after years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deeper and more expansive than it's ever been."We now work cooperatively to uphold the free and open Indo-Pacific. We drive innovation and jointly tackle global challenges. Together, we're working with other like-minded partners. Our countries will shape the future by working towards a world that is open, prosperous, secure, stable and resilient. And I know the Secretary, the President very much looking forward to engaging with Prime Minister Modi, his team and other members of the Indian delegation on this visit," said Patel.Speaking on how this visit will be different, Patel said, "First of all this is, a state visit. And so those, of course, are a little different than previous bilateral visits, but really, this isn't about comparing this visit with any other. What this is about is deepening and broadening and strengthening our relationship with our Indian partners and that's why we very much we're, looking forward to, welcoming them today starting today."Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived in Washington DC.He will be hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a state dinner.PM Modi will also address a joint sitting of the US Congress on Thursday.On June 23, Prime Minister Modi will also be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.PM Modi is also scheduled to have several interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Hyundai inks pact with Japanese culture content firm for EV sales Seoul, June 22: Hyundai Motor said on Thursday it has signed an initial pact with a Japanese culture content company to promote sales of zero-emission vehicles in the neighbouring country. Hyundai inks pact with Japanese culture content firm for EV sales Hyundai Motor signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Culture Convenience Club Co. (CCC) for partnerships in car-sharing mobility services, data-based marketing and an EV experience platform in Japan, the company said."We expect the partnership between a mobility company and a content provider will generate new opportunities (in the Japanese market)," Hyundai Motor President and CEO Chang Jae-hoon said in a statement.In the Mocean car-sharing services, Hyundai provides the all-electric IONIQ 5 equipped with Hyundai Motor Group's dedicated EV platform named E-GMP and its charging facility at the large-scale bookstore Daikanyama T-Site Tsutaya, operated by CCC, reports Yonhap news agency.Hyundai also plans to promote its battery electric vehicles through joint marketing projects with CCC and to give Japanese consumers opportunities to experience its zero-emission cars through the EV experience program.In May last year, Hyundai re-entered the Japanese market 12 years after leaving Japan due to poor sales, as rising demand for all-electric vehicles offers new opportunities in the market dominated by Toyota Motor Corp.Hyundai advanced into Japan in 2001 but pulled out of the neighboring market in 2009 after selling a mere 15,000 gasoline cars during its first foray.Hyundai seeks to provide sustainable mobility to the market under the motto of Progress for Humanity. Japan is the market from which the company has to learn and into which the company has to explore, Chang said in February.Hyundai has sold the Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle and the IONIQ 5 midsize crossover through an online-only sales platform, without dealerships.The maker of Sonata sedans and Santa Fe SUVs plans to introduce two pure electric models by early next year -- the Kona Electric this fall and the high-performance IONIQ 5 N model early next year.IANS22 June 2023 Shared Recently! LACHIN, Azerbaijan, June 22. Armenia continues its provocative activities, Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev told Trend. "The fact that on May 26, two Armenian servicemen, having violated our border, crossed into the territory of Azerbaijan with the aim of committing an armed provocation, and the suppression of their illegal activities by our servicemen, and on the other hand, the repeated provocation on June 15 against the border guards of Azerbaijan without any reason creates the need to be more vigilant," he added. Azerbaijans General Prosecutor's Office has initiated a criminal case under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code in connection with the violation of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the Armenian side on May 26 in the section of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border passing through the village of Razdara in the Zangilan district and other illegal actions of the sabotage group of the Armed Forces of Armenia. Within the framework of the criminal case being investigated by the Investigation Department of the General Prosecutor's Office, a measure of restraint in the form of arrest was chosen in relation to the accused two servicemen of the Armed Forces of Armenia - Arut Khovakimyan and Karen Gazaryan. On June 15, 2023, at 08:45 (GMT +4), as a result of opening fire from the territory of Armenia, a serviceman of the State Border Service of Azerbaijan Elshan Rustamov, who served at the Lachin border checkpoint, was injured. Medical Commission extends recognition of Assams two medical colleges Guwahati, June 22: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has extended the recognition of two of Assam's medical colleges to run MBBS courses there. Medical Commission extends recognition of Assam's two medical colleges Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Gauhati Medical College and Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh have been given NMC's nod to run the MBBS courses with 170 and 156 seat intake respectively.Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, Sarma wrote, "The National Medical Commission has recognized Assam Medical College and Guwahati Medical College for another 5 years, with 170 and 156 seats respectively in the MBBS course."However, another medical college in Barpeta namely Fakruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College is yet to receive the NMC's nod.Earlier, these three medical colleges were found to be not complying with the standards set by the Commission and there were possibilities that the institutions may lose the recognition.During an assessment by the undergraduate medical board of NMC, several lapses were noticed in Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Assam Medical College ad Hospital (AMCH), and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College (Barpeta Medical).CCTVs and Aadhaar-linked biometric attendance systems were found to be non-functional during the inspection which are mandatory according to NMC's guidelines.IANS22 June 2023 Shared Recently! IIT-K develops virtual system to fight cyber crime Kanpur, June 22: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, a virtual investigator will guide the police, from catching cybercriminals to helping convict them in a court of law. IIT-K develops virtual system to fight cyber crime The initiative is backed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K). The fight against spiralling cases of cybercrime will begin in Telangana and will consequently move to other states.Prof. Manindra Agarwal, head of the state-of-the-art C3iHub of IIT Kanpur, has developed AI-backed tools for the Telangana police that will serve as a step-by-step guide for the police from commission to conviction, like an investigator.The system that has not been named yet, has a robust database of all patterns of cybercrimes, which it would automatically classify.When a crime takes place, the system will direct the police to cases in the past with similar or near identical modus operandi. It would throw up details of people arrested for those crimes and areas from where they have been operating."This system will self-analyse and suggest to the police the nature of information they need to process and gather to trace the people behind the crime," said Agrawal.The tools developed will even help the police build a solid case against the criminals arrested, he said."At present, the Telangana police is the readiest force in terms of infrastructure and trained manpower. It will shortly start using these tools that will be constantly upgraded to pre-empt cybercriminals employing new techniques and technology, After this, technology will be shared with other states," he stated.C3iHub is into building a cybersecurity ecosystem for the government. It will constantly monitor security vulnerabilities in critical sectors and develop tools to address them at different levels of system architecture.Other than this, the hub does a cybersecurity audit for the government and provides a security operation control mechanism that allows the user to see information about cyberattacks on servers, flow of malware, among other things, in real time.IANS22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Real-time transcription platform Otter launches AI chatbot San Francisco, June 22: Real-time transcription platform Otter.ai has launched an artificial intelligence (AI)- powered meeting assistant. Real-time transcription platform Otter launches AI chatbot Collaborative AI intelligence called 'Otter AI Chat' responds to inquiries immediately, collaborates with other meeting participants and generates content based on meeting data, the company said in a blogpost on Wednesday."Teams can collaborate using Otter AI Chat to message each other and Otter, bringing the smart AI assistant into the meeting discussion."Team members also ask the chatbot about discussion points or key decisions that were discussed during a meeting or conversation.The chatbot will instantly provide answers from the context available within the discussion."Within Otter AI Chat, teammates can collaborate with each other and with Otter to seek clarification and details without interrupting the flow of the verbal discussion," the platform said.Additionally, the chatbot can create meeting-specific content to turn that meeting into action."Using the meeting as an AI language model, Otter AI Chat can dissect the meeting content to instantly deliver action items, summaries, follow-up," it added.IANS22 June 2023 Shared Recently! LTIMindtree launches Canvas.ai, a generative AI platform to accelerate concept-to-value realization for enterprises PRNewswire, Warren (New Jersey) [US]/ Mumbai, June 22: (NSE LTIM) (BSE 540005), a global technology consulting and digital solutions company, today launched Canvas. LTIMindtree launches Canvas.ai, a generative AI platform to accelerate concept-to-value realization for enterprises ai, an enterprise-ready generative AI platform designed to accelerate the concept-to-value journey for businesses using mindful AI principles.Canvas.ai is among the first-of-its-kind platform designed to help enterprises jump start and scale generative AI capabilities, bolstering business innovation and engineering productivity. Leveraging well-architected framework and sound governance measures, Canvas.ai effectively manages proprietary and industry-specific data, while factoring its ethical use, sustainability, privacy and security. The platform-based architecture of Canvas.ai caters to the business requirements of three key personas - creators who build the generative AI solutions, admins who manage, and users who consume governed generative AI solutions.Debashis Chatterjee, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at LTIMindtree said, "Generative AI is a seminal trend that is slating the next phase of autonomous enterprises. Through our 4E model of Educate, Experience, Explore and Employ, we remain invested in helping our clients adopt and adapt generative AI ways of working. We are happy to note that several global clients are already leveraging Canvas.ai to solve for unique business needs in their journey towards digital transformation and cutting-edge experience."Nachiket Deshpande, Whole-Time Director and Chief Operating Officer at LTIMindtree said, "With Canvas.ai, clients gain access to LTIMindtree's partnership with leading Large Language Model (LLM) providers and ecosystem of proprietary accelerators, domain-specific solution and product offerings, and future-ready talent pool. This will help clients harness the power of Generative AI and build out solutions for data monetization, productivity co-pilots, and engineering frameworks. Furthermore, the platform-centric design of Canvas.ai makes it adept at facilitating standardization, while accommodating the upgrades to generative AI technology, promoting enterprise-wide efficiency and reducing infrastructure and operating costs in the long term as clients digitize their core businesses."Canvas.ai guarantees up to 40-50 per cent reduction in time and effort for app modernization and cloud migration programs."Rapid advancements in technology and pervasiveness of generative AI make it necessary for organizations to carefully weigh in the ethical ramifications of its adoption," said Jitendra Putcha,Global Head, Data, Analytics and AI at LTIMindtree. "With built-in features such as explainable AI and security-first approach, which serve as guardrails, Canvas.ai prevents the abuse of the technology. It can help organizations traverse data regulations, minimize unintended bias and ensure transparency across the business supply chain. It gives them the scope for mindful innovation and the resources to deploy generative AI responsibly."Canvas.ai is available for clients globally through LTIMindtree's Generative AI Studios in Warren, NJ; Dallas, TX; Hartford, CT; and Minneapolis, MN in US; London and Paris in Europe; and Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad in India.LTIMindtree is a global technology consulting and digital solutions company that enables enterprises across industries to reimagine business models, accelerate innovation, and maximize growth by harnessing digital technologies. As a digital transformation partner to more than 700 clients, LTIMindtree brings extensive domain and technology expertise to help drive superior competitive differentiation, customer experiences, and business outcomes in a converging world. Powered by 84,000+ talented and entrepreneurial professionals across more than 30 countries, LTIMindtree -- a Larsen and Toubro Group company -- combines the industry-acclaimed strengths of erstwhile Larsen and Toubro Infotech and Mindtree in solving the most complex business challenges and delivering transformation at scale. For more information, please visit .Media Contact(Disclaimer The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Biden administration plans to ease visas for skilled Indian workers amid PM Modis state visit to US: Report Washington DC, June 22: In order to help some skilled workers enter or remain in the United States, the Joe Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States, Reuters reported citing three people familiar with the matter. Biden administration plans to ease visas for skilled Indian workers amid PM Modi's state visit to US: Report The development comes amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the US. The US State Department could make the announcement on Thursday that a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas will be able to renew those visas in the US, without the need to having to travel to other nations, Reuters reported citing one of the sources, part of a pilot program that could be expanded in coming years.By far, a large percentage of H-1B visa holders and applicants hail from India. Indian citizens made up 73 per cent of the nearly 4,42,000 H1-B workers in the fiscal year 2022. Another US official said that the mobility of the people is considered a "huge asset" to the US."And so our goal is to approach that in a sort of multifaceted way. The State Department already has been working very hard to find creative ways to make changes to things," Reuters quoted the US official as saying.A US State Department spokesperson did not reveal the visa types that would qualify or the timing of the pilot launch. The spokesperson said that the pilot will start with a small number of cases with the intent to scale the initiative in the following one or two years, Reuters reported.Each year, the US government makes 65,000 H1-B visas available to companies that intend to have skilled foreign workers and an additional 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees, Reuters reported. The visa for the workers remains valid for three years and can be renewed for another three years.The decision to allow some of the temporary foreign workers to renew their visas in the US will free up resources for visa interviews in consulates in other nations, Reuters reported citing the sources. Citing sources, the report said the pilot program will include some workers with L-1 visas.Earlier in March, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the country has received the sufficient number of electronic registrations needed to reach the Congressionally mandated H-1B visa cap for the fiscal year 2024."U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has received enough electronic registrations during the initial registration period to reach the fiscal year (FY) 2024 H-1B numerical allocations (H-1B cap), including the advanced degree exemption (master's cap)," USCIS said in the statement."We have randomly selected from the registrations properly submitted to reach the cap, and have notified all prospective petitioners with selected registrations that they are eligible to file an H-1B cap-subject petition for the beneficiary named in the applicable selected registration," it added.ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! Study finds how space travel alters gene expression in white blood cells, weakens immune system Washington, June 22: There is growing evidence that illnesses are more likely to affect astronauts in space. For instance, respiratory and non-respiratory illnesses are rather prevalent among astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS), as well as skin rashes. Additionally, it is known that astronauts shed more live viral particles, including as Epstein-Barr virus, varicella-zoster, herpes-simplex-1, and CMV. These findings imply that space flight may compromise our immune system. Study finds how space travel alters gene expression in white blood cells, weakens immune system "Here we show that the expression of many genes related to immune functions rapidly decreases when astronauts reach space, while the opposite happens when they return to Earth after six months aboard the ISS," said Dr Odette Laneuville, an associate professor at the Department of Biology of the University of Ottawa, leading author of a new study in Frontiers in Immunology. The research was funded by the Canadian Space Agency.Three women and 11 men who were part of a cohort of 14 astronauts who spent between 4.5 and 6.5 months living on board the International Space Station (ISS) between 2015 and 2019 were evaluated for their gene expression in leukocytes (white blood cells). Four millilitres of blood were taken from each astronaut ten times once before takeoff, four times during flight, and five times after landing to isolate leukocytes.15,410 genes were found to be differentially expressed in leukocytes. Among these genes, the researchers identified two clusters, with 247 and 29 genes respectively, which changed their expression in tandem along the studied timeline.Genes in the first cluster were dialed down when reaching space and back up when returning to Earth, while genes in the second followed the opposite pattern. Both clusters mostly consisted of genes that code for proteins, but with a difference their predominant function was related to immunity for the genes in the first cluster, and to cellular structures and functions for the second.These results suggest that when someone travels to space, these changes in gene expression cause a rapid decrease in the strength of their immune system."A weaker immunity increases the risk of infectious diseases, limiting astronauts' ability to perform their demanding missions in space. If an infection or an immune-related condition was to evolve to a severe state requiring medical care, astronauts while in space would have limited access to care, medication, or evacuation" said Dr Guy Trudel, a rehabilitation physician and researcher at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine of the University of Ottawa.But there is a silver lining to this cloud the data showed that most genes in either cluster returned to their pre-flight level of expression within one year after return on Earth, and typically much sooner - on average, after a few weeks. These results suggest that returning astronauts run an elevated risk of infection for at least one month after landing back on Earth.In contrast, the authors don't yet know how long it takes before immune resistance is fully back to its pre-flight strength the length of this period is likely to depend on age, sex, genetic differences, and childhood exposure to pathogens.The authors hypothesized that the change in gene expression of leukocytes under microgravity is triggered by 'fluid shift', where blood plasma is redistributed from the lower to the upper part of the body, including the lymphatic system. This causes a reduction in plasma volume by between 10% and 15% within the first few days in space. Fluid shift is known to be accompanied by large-scale physiological adaptations, apparently including altered gene expression."The next question is how to apply our findings to guide the design of countermeasures that will prevent immune suppression while in space in particular for long duration flight," said Laneuville."The health of astronauts while in space, especially during long missions, would benefit from detecting both immune dysfunction and sub-clinical inflammation. Early detection provides opportunities for intervention, with the aim to prevent a progression towards severe symptoms."ANI22 June 2023 Shared Recently! LACHIN, Azerbaijan, June 22. Opening of the building of the Lachin District Prosecutor's Office is a very important event in the history of the national prosecution, Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev told Trend. Aliyev noted that the prosecutor bodies also worked in the Lachin district earlier, after the liberation of the Azerbaijani lands from Armenian occupation [in the 2020 second Karabakh war]. "However, today all employees of the Lachin District Prosecutor's Office will continue their work in the new building," he stressed. According to him, the military prosecutor's office also operates in Lachin. "The fact that the number of civilians in Lachin is quite large, and besides, it's growing day by day, the presence of the prosecutor's office here is necessary for the participation of civilians in the construction work," the prosecutor general added. Kamran Aliyev arrived in Azerbaijan's Lachin district today. He has taken part in the commissioning ceremony of the new administrative building of the district prosecutor's office and held the operational meeting with the participation of employees of subordinate district and territorial military prosecutor's offices operating in the liberated territories. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. It is planned to complete the repair and restoration work at the reservoirs in Azerbaijans Fuzuli district this year, Head of Amelioration, Operation of Collector-Drainage Networks and Cadastre Sector Riad Akhundzada told Trend. He noted that the total volume of the reservoirs Kendelenchai -1, Kendelenchai - 2, and Ashagi Kendelenchai according to the project is 15.5 million cubic meters. According to Akhundzada, as a result of the repair and restoration of reservoirs, it is planned to improve the water supply for 6,200 hectares of land plots in the Fuzuli district. "Repair and restoration works of the reservoir began in November 2022, and their completion is scheduled for November 2023. Currently, the contractor company has completed 62 percent of the work," he said. The Kendalanchai-1 reservoir has a volume of 3.9 million cubic meters, Kendalanchai-2 - 2.1 million cubic meters, while the Ashagi Kendelenchai reservoir - has 9.5 million cubic meters. SAVOY Savoys Church Street was a country road when Joan Dykstra moved there with her husband, Greg, in 1977. She didn't want to live there at first: it was too far away from the couples new jobs at Community Christian School in Urbana. Over the years, Church Street changed, gaining sidewalks, new houses and more traffic. Dykstras feelings about Savoy seem to have changed, too. She has worked with or for the village for 37 years, including a term as its first female mayor from 2017 to 2021. Well, I just thought I should be salt and I should make a difference, Dykstra said. So I did. Now, the stretch of Church between Wesley and Prospect will be Honorary Joan Dykstra Way. Larry Kanfer nominated Dykstra to be honored. He said she was sort of a mentor to him when he was running for a seat on Savoys board of trustees, offering advice on all things politics. Shes been really dedicated to helping people, Kanfer said. Its well deserved. While there are a few other signs around Savoy honoring people important to the towns history, the one to be erected on Church will be the first since the process for instating them has been formalized. Village President John Brown said that the current board of trustees realized there was no official process when some parents came forward hoping to have their childrens athletic achievements recognized by village entry signs. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 88F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low 61F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. Subscription to paid content Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card. With malaria becoming increasingly drug-resistant, a team of UCF researchers is looking to use cancer drugs to accelerate the discovery of new life-saving therapies for the disease. In a study funded by a 5-year $3.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, UCF molecular parasitologist Debopam Chakrabarti and cancer molecular biologist Ratna Chakrabarti are partnering with Nathanael Gray, co-leader of the cancer therapeutics research program at Stanford University and Elizabeth Winzeler, a malaria drug development expert from the University of California San Diego, to test cancer drugs for malaria-fighting properties. Their most recent findings were recently published in the ACS Infectious Diseases journal. Caused by parasites belonging to Plasmodium species and transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes, malaria is life-threatening and is one of the world's most common infectious diseases. It is responsible for over 600,000 deaths per year, predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa. About 80 percent of these deaths are children under age 5. "Over time, genetic mutation of the malaria parasite makes it resistant to current drugs," Chakrabarti says. "The World Health Organization reported that malaria parasites are increasingly becoming resistant to the current therapy used to treat malaria, which was discovered in the 1990s. So, new and more effective drugs for malaria are long overdue as about 30 years have gone by since we have had a new class of compounds in the market against malaria." But drug discoveries can take years, even decades, Chakrabarti explained, as compounds go through many phases of testing for efficacy and safety. "One of the ways we can accelerate the discovery of new treatment options is to use existing drugs that are already approved by the Food and Drug Administration," Chakrabarti saiys. "This is called taking a piggyback approach, looking at existing drugs that are already on the market to see if they have anti-malarial properties. This will help to shorten the initial stages of drug discovery which is usually quite time-consuming." To meet the urgent need for new drugs, the team decided to repurpose protein kinase inhibitors -; drugs originally developed for cancer treatment -; for an accelerated path to drug therapy for malaria. Protein kinases are enzymes that regulate proteins in the body and are heavily targeted for cancer and other disease therapies by the pharmaceutical industry. Protein kinases are very important for the malaria parasite's life cycle and as such make good drug targets. As part of the study, Ph.D. candidate Monica Bohmer, working under Chakrabarti's supervision, tested a range of anti-cancer protein kinase inhibitors to identify inhibitors that are known to target human Polo-like kinase, a type of protein kinase that plays an important role in cell division in humans. She discovered that a group of inhibitors, specifically BI-2536, a known human Polo-like kinase 1 inhibitor, exhibited strong anti-malarial properties. While the malaria parasite plasmodium does not have Polo-like kinases, the protein kinase inhibitors targeted another family of proteins called NEK, which also regulate cell division. They also targeted other stress-response pathways which helped to kill the parasite." Monica Bohmer, Ph.D. candidate She added that future studies will explore the functions of these NEK proteins in the parasite. "Overall, this study provides valuable insights for the potential of repurposing of protein kinase inhibitors for malaria treatment," Chakrabarti says "while also underscores the need for further research to identify additional targets and optimize the efficacy of these inhibitors." Chakrabarti has been researching malaria at UCF for more than 25 years. A professor and head of the Molecular Microbiology division in the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, he joined the university in 1995 and was one of the first UCF faculty members to receive an NIH grant. He received his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Calcutta and did post-doctoral training in molecular biology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The host Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News' weekly health policy news podcast, "What the Health?" A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book "Health Care Politics and Policy A to Z," now in its third edition. In this special episode of KFF Health News' "What the Health?" host and chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner leads a rare conversation with the current and two former secretaries of Health and Human Services. Taped before a live audience at Aspen Ideas: Health, part of the Aspen Ideas Festival, in Aspen, Colorado, Secretary Xavier Becerra and two of his predecessors, Kathleen Sebelius and Alex Azar, talk candidly about what it takes to run a department with more than 80,000 employees and a budget larger than those of many countries. Among the takeaways from this week's episode: The Department of Health and Human Services is much more than a domestic agency. It also plays a key role in national security, the three HHS secretaries explained, describing the importance of the "soft diplomacy" of building and supporting health systems abroad. Each HHS secretary Sebelius, who served under former President Barack Obama; Azar, who served under former President Donald Trump; and Becerra, the current secretary, under President Joe Biden offered frank, sobering, and even funny stories about interacting with the White House. "Anything you thought you were going to do during the day often got blown up by the White House," Sebelius said. Asked what he was unprepared for when he started the job, Azar quipped: "The Trump administration." Identifying their proudest accomplishment as the nation's top health official, Azar and Becerra both cited their work responding to the covid-19 pandemic, specifically Operation Warp Speed, the interagency effort to develop and disseminate vaccines, and H-CORE, which Becerra described as a quiet successor to Warp Speed. They also each touted their respective administrations' efforts to regulate tobacco. Having weathered recent debates over the separation of public policy and politics at the top health agency, the panel discussed how they've approached balancing the two in decision-making. For Becerra, the answer was unequivocal: "We use the facts and the science. We don't do politics." Credits Francis Ying Audio producer Emmarie Huetteman Editor In a recent study published in the JAMA Journal, researchers examined the different aspects of screening for anxiety disorders in adults. Study: Screening for Anxiety Disorders in Adults. Image Credit: tomertu/Shutterstock.com Background Anxiety disorders are prevalent mental health conditions and include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, selective mutism, phobias, and anxiety not otherwise specified. Notably, anxiety disorders frequently go unnoticed in primary care settings, leading to significant delays in treatment initiation. Anxiety disorders can involve long-term conditions that involve periods of recurrence and remission. However, complete recuperation is possible. About the study A systematic review was conducted by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to assess the advantages and disadvantages of screening for anxiety disorders among asymptomatic adults. Ten studies were conducted to assess the precision of screening anxiety disorders using various instruments such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS), Patient Health Questionnaire-Panic Disorder, or Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) anxiety subscale. The GAD-2 and GAD-7 were the most frequently researched instruments. A total of 24 randomized controlled trials and eight systematic reviews were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions in treating anxiety disorders. Out of the 24 trials, 14 were conducted in mixed populations of individuals with depression or anxiety disorders, while the remaining ten trials were conducted in individuals with anxiety symptoms or disorders. Results The studies were conducted on older adults aged 65 years or older, pregnant patients, and adults from primary care. The ten studies included participants with a mean age range of 29 to 75 years and a higher proportion of women than men were represented. Six studies reported race and/or ethnicity, with three studies performed in mainly White participants, one study in South Korean participants, and one study in Hispanic/Latino participants. The GAD-2 and GAD-7 tests have shown sufficient specificity and sensitivity in identifying generalized anxiety disorder. The GAD-2's ability to identify generalized anxiety disorder was reported in three studies conducted among general adult populations. The GAD-2 has a pooled sensitivity of 0.94 and a pooled specificity of 0.68 for detecting generalized anxiety disorder at a cutoff of two or higher. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.81 and 0.86, respectively, at a cutoff of 3 or higher. The GAD-7 test accuracy was reported in three studies using different cutoff scores: eight or greater, nine or greater, and ten or greater. The study found that the pooled sensitivity to identify generalized anxiety disorder was 0.79, with a pooled specificity of 0.89 when using a cutoff of 10 or greater. The studies' sensitivity ranged between 0.67 and 0.89, while their specificity ranged between 0.82 and 0.95. Lower cutoffs resulted in higher sensitivity but lower specificity. Overall, the GAD-7 performed equally or superiorly to the GAD-2.1. A study on pregnant individuals found that the GAD-2 test had a sensitivity of 1.0 and a specificity of 0.60 in detecting generalized anxiety disorder when a cutoff of one or higher was used. The sensitivity and specificity to identify generalized anxiety disorder were 0.69 and 0.91, respectively, at a cutoff of three or greater. The screening tool utilized in this study of pregnant individuals exhibited comparable performance features to the screening tool employed in a general adult population, mostly under 65 years. The USPSTF extended the findings on the precision of the GAD-2 in younger individuals to persons who are pregnant or have recently given birth. The available proof on older adults is insufficient. Most studies lacked accurate information related to screening tools in older individuals. A recent study on elderly individuals assessed the effectiveness of GAS in identifying anxiety disorders. The study used cutoffs ranging from more than nine to greater than 16. A cutoff value of over nine showed the best balance between specificity and sensitivity. Psychological interventions were found to have a slight yet statistically significant effect on reducing the severity of anxiety symptoms in primary care patients having anxiety disorders. However, this effect was not observed in mixed populations of depression or anxiety disorder patients. Improved depressive symptom severity and quality of life were observed in general adult populations receiving psychological treatment. Similar results were found for perinatal individuals. Conclusion The team noted limited evidence on the advantages of anxiety disorder screening programs. Screening for anxiety disorders in individuals younger than 65 years and perinatal persons was beneficial. Screening tools have demonstrated accuracy in identifying generalized anxiety disorder, and treatment for generalized anxiety disorder patients has been supported by evidence. The homegrown two-wheeler manufacturer Royal Enfield has been working on a 650cc platform. Now, it seems like the brand almost reached its final stage as a testing mule has been spotted in India. However, the company has not revealed any related details about the same as yet. The leaked images that surfaced on the internet, showed the Classic 650 fully covered with camouflage, and it shared a lot of similarities in terms of design to the younger sibling in the family Classic 350. Royal Enfield Classic 650 Design From the front look to the side profile to wire-spoke wheels, the bike seems an updated or bigger advanced version of its younger sibling. Amid this, the LED headlight setup in Classic 650, and the 648cc twin-cylinder engine that will generate a max 47 BHP and 52 Nm peak torque, make it stand out from Classic 350. Going by the images, the upcoming Classic 650 will feature telescopic front suspension, quite similar to the Classic 350. The motorcycle will consist of dual shock absorbers from the back. As seen in the photos, customers can expect wire-spoke wheels, which will be paired with both side disc brakes. Report says that the bike will be offered in a slipper clutch as standard. upcoming Classic 650 Expected Price and Launch Date If rumors are to be believed, the company is likely to release Classic 650 in early 2025. However, we expect the brand will release some official details about the same soon. As far as the price is concerned, there are high chance that RE will launch Classic 650 at a starting price between Rs. 3.30 lakh to Rs. 3.50 (ex-showroom). EPFO stands for Employees Provident Fund Organisation. It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India. EPFO was established in 1952 under the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. As a member, you join EPF Scheme 1952 which is an investment instrument guaranteeing considerable corpus at the time of retirement. Contribution to this scheme is made by you and also by your employer. Also Read: EPFO Nomination Pending? Use This Online Guide To Add Details Easily One also becomes a member of Employees Pension Scheme 1995 and becomes eligible for receiving pension in your old age. You do not pay a single rupee towards contribution and the entire contribution is made by the employer and Government of India. In addition, you automatically become a member of the Employees Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme 1976 wherein insurance in the form of an amount linked to your PF balance is made available in the unfortunate event of death while in service. Every EPF member is allotted a single permanent Universal Account Number (UAN) which can be used for availing benefits during his lifetime service. What is a Universal Account Number (UAN)? UAN is a 12-digit number provided to each member of EPFO. The UAN acts as an umbrella for the multiple Member IDs allotted to an individual. This number acts as a pivot to link multiple Member Identification Numbers (Member Id) allotted to a single member under a single Universal Account Number. UAN duly seeded with KYC detail. This enables the member to avail various online services directly without the need for any intermediation by the employer. How can a member activate UAN? Visit EPF Member Portal and click on Activate UAN OR UAN Activation under Employee Centric Services of EPFO on UMANG APP Select any one of the following UAN, Member ID, Aadhaar or PAN. Fill additional details such as Name, Date of Birth, Mobile Number and Email ID and click on Get Authorization PIN An authorization PIN will be sent to the mobile number registered with EPFO Enter this PIN and click on Validate OTP and Activate UAN Enter this PIN and click on Validate OTP and Activate UAN UAN will be activated and password will be sent to the members mobile. Now the member can log in to the unified member portal using his UAN and password. [Link: https://unifiedportal-mem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/] How can an employee generate his UAN on his own? An employee can generate his UAN by visiting the unified member portal https://unifiedportalmem.epfindia.gov.in/memberinterface/noauth/citizenRegistration/viewRegistraton? and clicking on Direct UAN Allotment by Employees". A valid Aadhaar number with registered mobile is prerequisite to avail this facility. Employees have to provide employment details to obtain UAN. How can a member know UAN? In a baffling case of forgery, a man stayed in a five-star hotel for two years and got away without making any payment. The guest, identified as Ankush Dutta, was reportedly from Guwahati and had checked into Hotel Roseate House in Delhis Aerocity, just about a kilometre away from Indira Gandhi International Airport in May 2019. What was supposed to be just an overnight stay turned out to be a 600-day stay, availing all the services of the luxury hotel. Ankush Dutta then checked out from the hotel in January 2021 without paying a single penny to the hotel. The forgery came to the fore when the records of the hotel were checked and it was found that an employee of the hotel was an accomplice in the crime and helped the guest. According to the claims, the hotel claimed that Prem Prakash, the head of the front office department, permitted Duttas prolonged stay in violation of hotel policies. The hotel claimed that Prakash had the authority to determine room rates and had access to the hotels computer system to monitor all guests outstanding balances. Prakash is suspected of manipulating the internal software system that records and tracks visitors stays or visits and their accounts to allow him to stay longer than permitted. It is also suspected that Dutta may have bribed Prakash to cover up the scam. An FIR filed by a representative of Hotel Rosette House has claimed that the hotel suffered losses to the tune of Rs 58 lakh. A senior police officer said that when a guest has more than Rs 50,000 unpaid dues to the hotel, according to policy, the guest is urged to make the payment but nothing of that sort happened in Ankush Dattas case as Prakash allegedly removed his name from the daily records. Prakash did not disclose any pending payments between May 30 and October 25, 2019. Even after October 25, he falsified the outstanding payment report by combining unrelated guests unpaid invoices into one bill to conceal Duttas unpaid balance. The hotel has demanded strict action against the culprits and an investigation is underway. The cybersecurity market share in India is projected to reach $3.5 billion, with a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.05% by 2027, said a new report. As of May 2023, the industry had approximately 40,000 open opportunities, indicating the growing demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals. TeamLease Digital has launched its latest research study titled Cybersecurity: Securing Indias Digital Frontier. The research study sheds light on the rapid growth and potential of the cybersecurity market in India, also addressing the mounting cyber risks faced by organisations spanning diverse sectors. According to the report, the demand-supply gap stood at 30%, projecting a major skill challenge in the industry. The research study also reveals that global weekly cyber-attacks have increased by 7% to surpass 1,200 attacks per week, while Indian organisations experienced over 2,000 weekly attacks in Q1 2023, marking an 18% increase compared to the previous year. The healthcare industry was a prime target, with 7.7% of attacks directed towards it. Sunil Chemmankotil, chief executive officer, TeamLease Digital, said, As India Inc. embraces digital infrastructures, the heightened vulnerability to cyber threats necessitates proactive measures. The prevalence of malware attacks, social engineering tactics, and other sophisticated cyber threats demands a comprehensive approach to safeguarding our digital frontiers. There were 40,000 jobs available as of May 2023, but the skill gap remains. There is an urgent need for upskilling the workforce and hiring qualified professionals. Way Forward To effectively combat evolving cyber threats, the research study emphasises the importance of upskilling the workforce with a broader range of cybersecurity skills. Specialisations in areas such as data privacy, cloud security, AI security, and network security are in high demand. Soft skills such as problem-solving, communication, teamwork, and collaboration are also essential in this field. The top job roles identified in the research study includes IT auditor, Information Security analyst, Network/IT Security Engineer/Specialist, Security Testing/Penetration Tester, and Computer Forensics analyst, with a base pay ranging from 3 to 6 lakhs for 0-3 years of experience. Moreover, senior and mid-level professionals with over 12 years of experience have the potential to earn an annual salary within the range of 50-80 Lakhs. As the industry faces a 30% skill gap in cybersecurity professionals, it becomes imperative for businesses to proactively strengthen their security systems through targeted training initiatives. By empowering professionals with the necessary skills, we can bridge the talent gap and bolster the resilience of our cybersecurity defences"added Krishna Vij, business head, IT staffing, TeamLease Digital. According to industry reports, few critical sectors saw major impact from cyber-attacks: Healthcare: India ranks 11th in the list of countries where the healthcare sector is vulnerable to cyber-attacks. It witnessed 1.9 mn cyber-attacks in 2022. Average data breach cost in 2022 was 176 mn. Manufacturing: Ransomware accounted for 23% of cyber-attacks on manufacturing companies Government: Indias share in total cyber-attacks on govt. agencies increased to 13.7% in 2022 from 6.3% in 2021 Financial Services: Indian banks reported 248 successful data breaches; 41 cases involved public sector banks, 205 were private sector banks, and two involved overseas banks Retail: 77% of retail organisations were hit by ransomware in 2021, up from 44% in 2020, the highest of all sectors and significantly more than the global average of 37%. The ransomware recovery cost in retail sector is $1.97mn which is above the global average $1.85 m The research study reveals that the rapid expansion in digital transformation has increased its vulnerability to cyber attacks such as data theft and financial losses stemming from various use cases. used cases. Delhivery Block Deal: The share price of Delhivery jumped 7.1 per cent to Rs 416.25 apiece as 1.8 crore shares exchanged hands in a block deal as Carlyle reportedly offloaded its entire 2.53 per cent stake in the internet logistics company. However, the stock pared gains to turn flat soon on the back of the overall negative sentiment in the markets. News18.com could not immediately ascertain the identity of the sellers or the buyers but CNBC-Awaaz had reported a day earlier that global private equity firm Carlyle was looking to sell its 2.53 percent stake in the logistics startup at a base price of Rs 385.5 apiece for a total of $86 billion. Investment management firm Citigroup was the sole broker for the deal, the CNBC-Awaaz report said. The Carlyle group was one of the logistic companies pre-IPO investors. As soon as the lock-in period for the pre-IPO investors ended on 21 November, 2022, Carlyle Group trimmed its shareholding, selling a 2.5 per cent stake. Notably, the Carlyle Group had reduced its stake in the company to 2.53 per cent during the last quarter of the previous fiscal year. This was a significant decrease from the 5.07 per cent stake it held during the September quarter of FY23. Tiger Global had also divested its stake in Delhivery through open market transactions earlier this year. Delhivery, the logistics company that went public in May last year, has witnessed lackluster performance in the stock market, with a decline of approximately 28 per cent. Yesterday, Delhiverys shares on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) concluded the trading session slightly lower at Rs 388 each, falling 0.26 per cent. However, the stock gained nearly 17 per cent year-to-date thus far. Most brokerages have turned positive on the company as reflected in the consensus brokerage rating of 4.2, Bloomberg data shows. The rating is on a 1-5 scale with 1 meaning strong sell and 5 strong buy. According to Bloomberg, the consensus price target for the stock is also Rs 416.32. HDFC Flexi Cap Fund, Mirae Asset Emerging Bluechip Fund, SBI Equity Hybrid Fund, Canada Pension Plan Investment, SVF Doorbell (Cayman), Amansa Holdings and City Of New York Group Trust are among the other institutional investors that hold a stake in Delhivery. Tata Elxsi, Tata Steel Dividend: Shares of two Tata group companies, Tata Elxsi and Tata Steel, are set to trade ex-dividend today (June 22). Tata Steel is set to pay a 360 per cent dividend to its shareholders, while Tata Elxsi will pay a whopping 606 per cent for the financial year FY23. Shares of companies usually trade ex-dividend on the day or a day before the record date. When a company goes ex-dividend on a particular date, its stock does not carry the value of the next dividend payment. Tata Elxsi Tata Elxsi announced a final dividend of 606 per cent at Rs 60.60 per share for the financial year 2022-23, which will be paid on or after the seventh day from the conclusion of the 34th AGM. The company has fixed June 23 as the record date for the same. So far this year, Tata Elxsi stock has risen about 23 per cent. Tata Elxsi is a leading provider of design and technology services across industries, including automotive, media, communications, healthcare, and transportation. The company offers integrated offerings from research and strategy to electronics and mechanical design, software development, validation, and deployment, and is supported by a network of design studios, global development centres, and offices worldwide. In FY22, the company paid a dividend of 425 per cent aggregating to Rs 42.50 per share to its shareholders. Last month, in a research note, Sharekhan said, Tata Elxsi is well-positioned to capture opportunities in Automotive and other verticals on account of their deep domain knowledge, scale, and expertise in software development and digital technologies like AI and IoT. We expect a ~18 per cent/13 per cent Sales and PAT CAGR respectively over FY23- 25E." Sharekhan also highlighted that the company believes that the growth demonstrated in the transportation vertical over the years will continue in the coming financial year. In the Media and Healthcare verticals, there are positive signs of growth returning, although it is still in the early stages. The emergence of 5G opportunities and deals further strengthens the managements belief that growth will pick up in the latter half of Q1 and Q2. Also, the company is focused on building a strong deal pipeline and anticipates an increase in large deal conversions in the current quarter and beyond. They have experienced significant growth in their key accounts, increasing their wallet share compared to competitors. Tata Steel Tata Steels board recommended a dividend of Rs 3.60 per share of face value Re 1 each, for the financial year ended March 2023. On a year-to-date basis, the stock is down 4 per cent. Tata Steels stock has given a positive return of nearly 36 per cent in the last 12 months (from June 22, 2022). In comparison, the headline index Nifty 50 has rallied over 22 per cent. Tata Steel, one of the flagship companies of the Tata group, is among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 35 million tonnes per annum. The company recorded a consolidated turnover of $30.3 billion in the financial year 2022-23. Over the last two decades, Tata Steel has paid 29 dividends and in the last one year, the company has paid an equity dividend amounting to Rs 12.75 per share. On June 14, ICICI Direct added Tata Steel to its gladiator stocks list. It recommended a target price of Rs 125 apiece for the stock with a stop loss of Rs 106 apiece. The buying range is recommended to be between Rs 110-113. That being said, there is a potential upside of 10 per cent in Tata Steel stock. ICICI Direct sets 3 months for the stock to achieve the target price. In its note, ICICI Direct said, The Metal index, in the last couple of months, witnessed a steady pullback after the January-February 2023 sharp corrective decline. Many quality stocks in the metal sector have undergone healthy price/time correction and are now offering a favourable risk-reward setup. Within the metal stocks, we remain constructive on metal heavyweight Tata Steel as it is resolving above the last three months triangular consolidation signalling resumption of up move. Hence, it provides a fresh entry opportunity." Global technology powerhouse Siemens has joined forces with Petrojet, one of the biggest construction groups in Middle East and Africa, to promote co-operation in technologies for the industrial sector in the Middle East. The companies will have a special focus on water, oil and gas, tunnels, and infrastructure projects across the region, said a statement from Siemens. Technologies will include automation solutions, industrial communications, instrumentation, analytical products, motion control, industrial IoT platforms, cloud computing, predictive maintenance, and asset management systems, it stated. As per the deal, Siemens will support Petrojet with its latest technology, including the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, which is an open digital business platform that enables customers to accelerate their digital transformation easier, faster, and at scale. It will also offer Petrojet several technical trainings on automation, instrumentation, control products and solutions. According to Siemens, the co-operation will boost both respective companies efforts to utilize their complementary capabilities to identify opportunities to support the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources digitalization strategy and drive Egypts Vision 2030, as well as key Clients across the Middle East. "Siemens is proud to be a key partner to the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources in support of its vision to enhance the capabilities of the industrial sector and smart infrastructure projects," remarked Engineer Mohammed Khalifa, CEO of Siemens Digital Industries in the Middle East. "Our collaboration with Petrojet will further promote the competitiveness of these vital sectors through our latest Industry 4.0 digital solutions and product technologies to contribute to Egypts economic development plans. With this cooperation, both companies will join their forces to support the development of the industrial markets in Egypt, across the region, and also at a global level," he added. Engineer Waleed Lotfy, Chairman and Managing Director of Petrojet, said: "We are pleased to expand our cooperation with Siemens based on our longstanding successful business relationship." "With this agreement, both companies will endeavour to advance the capabilities of the Egyptian industrial sector and other markets across the Middle East, capitalizing on Siemens broad digital and technological expertise and proven industrial competencies, and our proven experience in delivering large scale and complex projects to upper end clients across the middle east," he added.-TradeArabia News Service BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Potentially, Azerbaijani gas can play a role in increasing security of supply and energy diversification in the Central and Eastern European region, an EU official told Trend. "Four EU natural gas transmission system operators (TSOs) from Central-Eastern and South-Eastern Europe recently presented the Solidarity Ring project together with Azerbaijans national oil and gas company, SOCAR. Various infrastructure investment related to the Solidarity Ring initiative are on the fifth Union list of projects of common interest. However, it is too early to comment on the viability of the project," said the EU representative. The official noted that the path of energy cooperation between EU and Azerbaijan has been set in the new strategic partnership in the field of energy adopted by President von der Leyen and President Ilham Aliyev in Baku last summer. "On the one hand, our cooperation is about the important role Azerbaijan is playing and will play in our diversification away from Russian fuels, notably through the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor. On the other hand, our partnership is based on a shared clean energy transition agenda, with action in the fields of energy efficiency, renewable power, renewable hydrogen, fugitive emissions of methane," said the EU official. The EU representative noted that the bilateral partnership is based on a comprehensive and coherent agenda, underpinned by our commitment to achieve net-zero economies by 2050. "Commissioner Simson and Minister Shahbazov held an energy dialogue just a couple of weeks ago, where they reiterated their commitment to deliver on this agenda," said the official. Azerbaijan started gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor on December 31, 2020. The pipelines capacity is 10 billion cubic meters, with the possibility of expanding to 20 billion cubic meters. Azerbaijan and EU inked a memorandum of understanding in July 2022 to double the capacity of the Southern Gas Corridor by 2027. Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Even as media reports said the central government is likely to assure its employees a minimum pension of 40-45 per cent of their last-drawn salary under NPS, the finance ministry on Thursday issued a clarification. It said a committee is at present in the midst of its deliberations and has not yet reached any conclusions whatsoever. This news report is false," said the finance ministry in a tweet, in reference to news reports purporting to give details of certain specific percentage of pension being proposed by the Government for the employees under National Pension System (NPS) This is in reference to a news report carried in various news papers, purporting to give details of certain specific percentage of pension being proposed by the Government for the employees under National Pension System #NPS. This news report is false.The Committee, set up Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) June 22, 2023 The Committee, set up under the chairmanship of the Finance Secretary in pursuance of an announcement made by the Union Finance Minister in the Lok Sabha in the last Budget Session, is at present in the midst of its deliberations and is in the process of consulting stakeholders. The Committee has not yet reached any conclusions whatsoever. According to a Reuters report quoted two officials, the government was planning to amend the NPS so that while both employees and the government still make contributions, employees get an assured 40-45 per cent of their last-drawn salary as pension. The National Pension Scheme requires employees to contribute 10 per cent of their basic salary and the government 14 per cent. The eventual payout depends on the market returns on that corpus, which is mostly invested in debt. In contrast, the old pension system guarantees a fixed pension of 50 per cent of an employees last-drawn salary, without requiring them to contribute anything during their working life. The old pension scheme, referred to as the Defined Benefit Pension System (DBPS), is based on the last pay drawn by the employee. The NPS is referred as the Defined Contribution Pension System (DCPS), in which the employer and employee contribute to build a pension wealth payable at the time of retirement by way of annuity/lumpsum withdrawal as per norms. Under the OPS, the employee could withdraw 50 per cent of the last-drawn salary as pension after the retirement. Under the NPS, a person is allowed to withdraw 60 per cent of the accumulated corpus contributed during his/ her working years at the time of retirement, which is tax-free. The remaining 40 per cent is converted into an annuatised product, which could currently provide the person with a pension of 35 per cent of his/ her last-drawn pay. The NPS is applicable to all employees joining services of the central government, including central autonomous bodies (except Armed Forces) on or after January 1, 2004. Many state governments have also adopted NPS architecture and implemented NPS mandatorily for their employees joining on or after a cut-off date. The central government is likely to assure its employees a minimum pension of 40 per cent-45 per cent of their last-drawn salary by altering the current market-linked pension scheme to assuage some holdout states, according to a Reuters report quoting two government officials. The move comes after the government set up a committee in April to review the pension system in a year peppered with state elections, leading up to the national elections in 2024, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will seek a rare third term. The National Pension Scheme requires employees to contribute 10 per cent of their basic salary and the government 14 per cent. The eventual payout depends on the market returns on that corpus, which is mostly invested in debt. In contrast, the old pension system guarantees a fixed pension of 50 per cent of an employees last-drawn salary, without requiring them to contribute anything during their working life. The government is planning to amend the current scheme so that while both employees and the government still make contributions, employees get an assured 40-45 per cent of their last-drawn salary as pension, the Reuters report quoted the two officials as saying. But, we will not go back to the old pension system," according to the Reuters report quoting a senior government official. Recently, states including Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have opted to move back to the old pension system. The government officials said the amended pension scheme will not stress the budget math as much. Current returns show employees get around 38 per cent of their last salary as pension. If, say, the government guarantees a 40 per cent return, it will have to cover a shortfall of just 2 per cent, the second official said. However, the outgo will increase if the market returns on pension corpus decline. This option is still fiscally viable than moving to the old pension system as employees continue to contribute and most of the pension is funded through market returns," the official said. The old pension scheme, referred to as the Defined Benefit Pension System (DBPS), is based on the last pay drawn by the employee. The NPS is referred as the Defined Contribution Pension System (DCPS), in which the employer and employee contribute to build a pension wealth payable at the time of retirement by way of annuity/lumpsum withdrawal as per norms. Under the OPS, the employee could withdraw 50 per cent of the last-drawn salary as pension after the retirement. Under the NPS, a person is allowed to withdraw 60 per cent of the accumulated corpus contributed during his/ her working years at the time of retirement, which is tax-free. The remaining 40 per cent is converted into an annuatised product, which could currently provide the person with a pension of 35 per cent of his/ her last-drawn pay. The NPS is applicable to all employees joining services of the central government, including central autonomous bodies (except Armed Forces) on or after January 1, 2004. Many state governments have also adopted NPS architecture and implemented NPS mandatorily for their employees joining on or after a cut-off date. (With Inputs from Reuters) Power Secretary Alok Kumar on Thursday said the government is planning to bring in the final design of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) in the next two weeks. The CCTS is for the decarbonisation of the environment. Parliament has already passed the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, in which a provision included empowering the central government to specify carbon trading scheme", in consultation with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). CCTS is a scheme for the reduction or removal of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions notified by the central government. A carbon credit is a tradable permit that gives the right to emit a set amount of carbon dioxide or any other GHG of an equivalent amount. A carbon credit is equivalent to one tonne of carbon dioxide removed, reduced, or sequestered from the atmosphere. The Indian Carbon Market (ICM) aims to develop methodologies for estimation of reduction in carbon emissions reductions, and for verification, registration, validation and issuance processes to operationalize the scheme. Earlier, Bureau of Energy Efficiencys (BEE) Director General Abhay Bakre said an ICM will enable the creation of a competitive market to provide incentives to climate actors to adopt low-cost options by attracting technology and finance towards sustainable projects that generate carbon credits. Medical courses in India are highly respected and offer diverse career opportunities. Becoming a doctor goes beyond prestige; it entails immense responsibility for saving lives and promoting good health. Various specialised physicians, including general practitioners, dentists, gynaecologists, cardiologists, and orthopedists, contribute to a robust healthcare system. Choosing the right course among MBBS, BDS, BAMS, and BHMS can be confusing. On average, doctors in these categories earn an annual salary ranging from Rs. 7 to 10 lakh. MBBS: Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, commonly called MBBS, is the foundational allopathic degree, encompassing 5.5 years of study, including a compulsory internship. MBBS curriculum covers human anatomy, medicine, drug formation, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, biochemistry, and microbiology. The average annual income for MBBS doctors in India is between Rs. 0.5 lakh to 12.0 lakh, with a typical average of Rs. 6.0 lakh. BHMS: A Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) leads to a graduate degree in homoeopathy. The course duration is 5.5 years, enabling graduates to work as professionals or government doctors in the field. BHMS doctors can establish private clinics or pursue further studies like MD in homoeopathy. The basic average salary for BHMS doctors ranges from Rs. 0.3 lakh to 12.0 lakh, depending on talent and experience. BUMS: Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery is a 4.5-year course leading to recognition as an Unani doctor. Students learn about Unani medicine, workouts, Turkish bath, and animal drugs. Medical officers with a BUMS degree earn an average salary of Rs. 30,000 to 50,000 per month, which can increase with experience. BDS: Bachelor of Dental Surgery or BDS is a 4-year course qualifying individuals as dental surgeons. They specialise in dental treatments, as well as bones and jaw tissues. BDS graduates can work in hospitals or establish their dental clinics. The average annual salary for BDS professionals ranges from Rs. 6.5 lakh to 9 lakh. BOT: Bachelor of Occupational Therapy is a 4.5-year course enabling doctors to assist patients through stretching and exercise therapies. BOT professionals earn an average annual salary of Rs. 3.5 lakh (approximately Rs. 29,200 per month). Consider these medical courses and their salary structures when exploring a career in the healthcare field. G20 countries with their respective strengths can play a crucial role in promoting research and innovation, especially in the Global South, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the G20 Education Ministers Meet held in Pune via video message today. The dignitaries must create a path for increased research collaborations, he added. There is a need to adapt and use new e-learning innovatively, he said, adding that the objective must be to provide quality education with better governance. The Prime Minister said that digital technology serves as an equaliser and promotes inclusivity, according to the press release by PIB. PM Modi further touched upon the potential of Artificial Intelligence which offers great potential in the field of learning, skilling, and education. He also stressed the role of G-20 in striking the right balance between the opportunities and challenges posed by technology. During the meeting, PM Modi highlighted several initiatives taken by the government including Swayam, an online platform that hosts all courses from class 9 to the postgraduate level that enables students to learn remotely while focussing on access, equity, and quality. He also mentioned the Diksha Portal which aims to deliver school education through distance learning, according to the release. The prime minister informed that the portal supports learning in 29 Indian and 7 foreign languages and has witnessed over 137 million course completions so far. PM Modi also emphasised that foundational literacy forms a strong base for the youth and India is combining it with technology. He highlighted the Nipun Bharat initiative and said that Foundational Literacy and Numeracy has been identified as a priority by G20 as well. He also stressed working on it in a time-bound manner by 2030, the release added. Furthermore, the PM added that the govt is undertaking skill mapping where the education, skill, and labor ministries are working in tandem on this initiative. He suggested that G-20 countries undertake skill mapping at the global level and find gaps that need to be plugged in. The Joint Admission Committee (JAC) has recently released a tentative counselling schedule counselling for JAC Delhis B. Tech and B. Arch courses. To participate in the counselling process which will consist of five rounds and one spot round, candidates must visit the official website of JAC at jacdelhi.admissions.nic.in. The registration and choice-filling procedure has already commenced, and the deadline for registration is June 25. It is important to note that if candidates fail to fill in their choices before the registration deadline, the committee will automatically lock the options on their behalf. JAC Delhi Counselling 2023: Tentative Schedule JAC Delhi Counselling Round 1 JAC Delhi Seat Allotment Result: June 28 Physical Reporting after payment of seat acceptance fee: June 30 to July 6 Seat freezing (Online through candidates login only) last date: July 6 Withdrawal of admission (Online through candidates login only) last date: July 25 JAC Delhi Counselling Round 2 JAC Delhi Seat Allotment Result: July 7 Physical Reporting after payment of seat acceptance fee: July 10 to 11 JAC Delhi Seat freezing (Online through candidates login only) last date: July 11 Withdrawal of admission (Online through candidates login only) last date: July 25 New Registrations along with payment of application fee/change in preference of choice: July 12 to 13 Verification of documents (CW, Bonus & KM): July 14 JAC Delhi Counselling Round 3 JAC Delhi Seat Allotment Result: July 17 Physical Reporting After Payment of Seat Acceptance Fee: July 18 to 19 JAC Delhi Seat freezing (Online through candidates login only) last date: July 19 Withdrawal of admission (Online through candidates login only) last date: July 25 JAC Delhi Counselling Round 4 Seat Allotment Result: July 21 Physical Reporting After Payment of Seat Acceptance Fee: July 24 to 25 Seat freezing (Online through candidates login only) last date: July 25 Withdrawal of admission (Online through candidates login only) last date: July 25 JAC Delhi Counselling Round 5 Seat Allotment Result: July 26 Physical Reporting After Payment of Seat Acceptance Fee: July 27 to 28 Seat freezing (Online through candidates login only) last date: July 28 Withdrawal of admission (Online through candidates login only) last date: July 25 After the fifth round, the spot round will commence on August 1. Joint Admission Counselling (JAC) is held at Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi (IIITD), Delhi Technological University (DTU), Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW), Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU), and Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT) for enrollment to engineering and associated courses. The JEE Main results are used to determine admission to these colleges. Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is considered one of the most difficult competitive exams in India. Many aspirants in the country prepare for years and put in a lot of effort to clear the examination. There was news that even the prelims of the UPSC CSE 2022 were quite difficult. Despite the difficulty, it was reported that around 14,624 candidates cracked the prelims exam. But today we will talk about an aspirant who couldnt clear the prelims in her first and second attempts but managed to get an AIR 116 on her third attempt. Aashnas Education Aashna Chaudhary cleared the UPSC Civil Service Exam 2022 and secured an AIR 116 on her third attempt. She hails from Pilkhuwa, in the Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh. She completed her school education at Delhi Public School Ghaziabad, and then went to Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, to study English honours. She also began studying for a masters degree in international relations at South Asian University. After that, she also worked for an NGO that assisted in the education of underprivileged children. Preparation According to reports, after completing her graduation, she took a one-year break and started preparing for the UPSC exam. However, she didnt crack it on her first attempt. Later, she decided to give it one more attempt but couldnt clear it again. Finally, in her third attempt, she cleared the UPSC CSE and secured AIR 116. Reportedly, it was found that during all these years of preparation, she enrolled herself in the online classes of Vajiram & Ravi for 5 months. She had also enrolled in the Unacademy T20 current affairs series. She had also scanned through the entire syllabus, made different strategies, and looked at previous years question papers in order to prepare for the exam. About Aashna According to reports, she used to devote 48 hours each day to UPSC preparation during the time of her Masterss degree. In an interview, her parents revealed that she has always been quite optimistic about the exam. They added that she does not allow lifes trials or troubles to define her, and whenever she would be upset, she would watch funny videos to lift her mood. Munmun Dutta, known as Babita from the popular television show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, recently took a short hiatus from her shooting schedule. Currently, the actress is enjoying her trip to Nepal and has shared glimpses of her visit on her Instagram account. In her latest post, Munmun can be seen visiting renowned landmarks such as the Pashupati Nath temple and the Boudhanath Stupa. She shared a string of pictures posing outside of the temple. Opting for a casual look, Munmum donned a green colour tee and paired it with blue denim. She also got a Trishul mark painted on her forehead. Pashupati Nath temple and Boudhanath Stupa (with a folded hands emoji)," read the caption. Take a look at the pictures: View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@mmoonstar) As soon as the actress shared the pictures, many fans from Nepal got excited and welcomed her. They flooded the comment with red heart emojis. Omg welcome to Nepal, you surely would love it here," a user wrote, while another commented, Maam please meetup rakhdo, big fan from Nepal (Maam please organize a meetup)." In another post, Munmun shared a slew of pictures from her Nepal diaries. She visited different monuments and enjoyed the delicacies of the country. Beautiful Nepal (with a red heart emoji), she wrote in the caption. View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@mmoonstar) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@mmoonstar) View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@mmoonstar) In response to all the Nepali fans heartwarming gesture, Munmun expressed gratitude and wrote in one of her Instagram stories, Was I recognized in Nepal? Yes very very much. Met some wonderful, warm, and excited fans who somehow spotted me at a few places. But most of the time I had my face covered so that I can visit and enjoy the places and temples and pray. But next time, I will surely have a fan meet in Kathmandu because I absolutely loved you all so much. The warmth and hospitality were very touching. Till then I am sending loads of love to Nepal. The popular sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah has been making headlines for several weeks now. Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal, who portrayed Mrs. Roshan Sodhi in TMKOC, made allegations of sexual harassment against the show creators - producer Asit Kumarr Modi, operation head Sohail Ramani, and executive producer Jatin Bajaj. She also filed a complaint against the producer Asit Kumarr Modi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will on Thursday announce a mega deal on the purchase of General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper" armed drones by India, the White House has said, a move which would further bolster Indias national security and surveillance capabilities not only in the Indian Ocean but also along the frontier with China. The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper" can carry 500 per cent more payload and has nine times the horsepower in comparison to the earlier MQ-1 Predator. Moreover, MQ-9 UAV provides long-endurance, persistent surveillance, and strike capability for the warfighter. About the Deal With regards to the Sea Guardian, Yes. I think thats going to be announced by the leaders tomorrow. India is committing to the purchase of the MQ-9 Reaper armed UAVs," a senior administration official told PTI ahead of the meeting between the two leaders. We are delighted about that because I think thats going to substantially grow Indias ISR capability which I think is incredibly important and useful to them, both on their posts, above the sea and on their borders," said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said the joint statement will have some specific initiatives on the US side to streamline and support some of the innovations bureaucratically that have existed and have inhibited some of the deals in the past. I think what youve seen over the last several months has been a dedicated effort to ensure that we will be able to move ahead with the GE engines and I think the Indians, to be honest, have been surprised and thrilled by the steps that weve been able to take to remove bureaucratic roadblocks from achieving this goal," said the official. We fully recognise that its going to be necessary to follow through. You will see it on display is a determination to ensure that our deeds will subsequently live up to words," the official told PTI. Why Does India Need the Drones? According to an India Today report, military planners view the acquisition of Predator armed drones as a means to enhance Indias offensive capabilities. As the deal progresses, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, the manufacturer of these drones, has partnered with Bharat Forge to produce landing gear components, subassemblies, and assemblies for remotely piloted aircraft, specifically the Predator drones. The collaboration between the two companies is expected to contribute to the development of capabilities for both sides and bolster the unmanned aircraft industry in India. This partnership is seen as a significant step in advancing the technological capabilities and expertise in the field of unmanned aerial systems, the report states. About the Drones The MQ-9B SeaGuardian is a maritime-focused drone that offers advanced capabilities for extended endurance and versatile operations. With a flight endurance of over 30 hours and the ability to operate in all weather conditions, the SeaGuardian can conduct long-range surveillance and deliver real-time situational awareness in the maritime domain, according to a report by Business Today. The drones integration into civil airspace allows for joint operations and collaboration between military forces and civil authorities, enabling effective responses in various scenarios such as humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, search and rescue, law enforcement, anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, airborne mine countermeasures, long-range strategic intelligence, over-the-horizon targeting, and anti-submarine warfare, the report adds. The Quad countries, including the United States, India, Australia, and Japan, have operated or currently operate the MQ-9B SeaGuardian. In the interview with PTI, Vivek Lall, the chief executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, emphasized the capabilities of the MQ-9B drone and its potential benefits for the Indian military. He stated that the MQ-9B would surpass any other aircraft in its category in terms of operational range, endurance, and mission versatility. According to Lall, the MQ-9B, including its variants SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian, is equipped with advanced systems that allow it to capture full-motion video in various conditions, whether its day or night. Additionally, the drones onboard systems enable it to perform detailed sensing, enhancing its ability to gather intelligence and carry out a wide range of missions. Key Features The MQ-9 Reaper drones offer a wide range of capabilities that make them highly versatile for various military operations, according to a Hindustan Times report. They are equipped to perform strike, coordination, and reconnaissance missions, particularly against time-sensitive and high-value targets. This capability makes them well-suited for irregular warfare operations that support the objectives of combatant commanders. The drones are capable of conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, providing valuable real-time information and situational awareness. They can also provide close air support, assist in combat search and rescue operations, engage in precision strikes, conduct convoy and raid overwatch, assist in route clearance, aid in target development, and provide terminal air guidance, the report says. The baseline system of the MQ-9 carries the Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS-B), which integrates various sensors such as infrared, color and monochrome daylight TV cameras, shortwave infrared camera, laser designator, and visual sensors for precise targeting. It also includes a laser rangefinder/designator for accurately designating targets for laser-guided munitions, as well as a synthetic aperture radar for enhanced surveillance capabilities. Furthermore, the MQ-9 can carry up to eight laser-guided missiles, specifically the Air-to-Ground Missile-114 Hellfire. These missiles possess high accuracy, low collateral damage, and are effective against both armored and personnel targets. In terms of logistics, the MQ-9 can be disassembled and loaded into a single container for deployment, and it can be transported using aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules or larger platforms. This enhances its mobility and flexibility for deployment in various operational theaters, the report adds. PTI contributed to this report India has decided to join the Artemis Accords, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration, and NASA and ISRO have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024, the White House said Thursday. On space, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind, a senior administration official told PTI hours before the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden in the Oval Office. What are the Artemis Accords? The Artemis Accords, rooted in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), represent a collection of guiding principles intended to shape and govern the exploration and utilization of outer space in the modern era, as per NASA. While non-binding in nature, these accords are spearheaded by the United States and aim to facilitate the return of humans to the moon by 2025 under the Artemis program. Moreover, they envision a broader objective of extending human presence and exploration to destinations such as Mars and beyond. The Artemis Accords serve as a framework to ensure peaceful and collaborative civil space exploration endeavors in the 21st century. As of May 2023, the number of signatories to the Artemis Accords stands at 25, representing a diverse range of countries. These signatories include the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Bahrain, Colombia, the Czech Republic, France, Israel, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Nigeria, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). What are the Principles of the Artemis Accords? The Artemis Accords outline several key principles that govern space exploration and cooperation among signatory nations, according to NASA. Peaceful purposes: All participating countries commit to conducting space activities exclusively for peaceful purposes, adhering to relevant international laws. Transparency: Signatories are expected to be transparent about their national space policies and exploration plans. They should also share scientific information with the public and the international scientific community in good faith. Interoperability: The development of common exploration infrastructure and standards is emphasized, enhancing cooperation, scientific discovery, and commercial utilization. This includes areas such as fuel storage, landing structures, communications systems, and power systems. Emergency assistance: Countries agree to provide assistance to astronauts and personnel in distress in outer space. Registration of Space Objects: The Accords recognize the importance of registering relevant space objects according to the Registration Convention, allowing for better coordination and information sharing. Preserving Heritage: Nations are encouraged to preserve historically significant landing sites, artifacts, spacecraft, and evidence of human or robotic activity on celestial bodies, following mutually agreed standards and practices. Space Resources: The Accords affirm the extraction and utilization of space resources, such as those from the Moon, Mars, comets, or asteroids, in accordance with the Outer Space Treaty. Ownership claims over extracted objects are not allowed. Deconfliction of Activities: Countries conducting Moon exploration are urged to establish safety zones to prevent harmful interference with the activities of other nations. Orbital Debris: Signatories commit to the safe and timely disposal of spacecraft at the end of their missions, as well as reducing the generation of long-lived or harmful debris. ISRO & NASA to Collaborate The aforementioned official also told PTI said that NASA and the ISRO are developing a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation this year. In addition, NASA and ISRO have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in the year 2024, said the official. PTI contributed to this report BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The International Volunteer Forum was held at the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation in Astana, Kazakhstan, on June 20-21, Trend reports. More than 40 speakers from 34 countries took part in the event, including Toily Kurbanov, Executive Coordinator of the UN volunteer program, Timur Bekmambetov, Director and Founder of the Cultural Initiatives Foundation, Haluk Levent, musician and President of the ANVAR Association (Turkiye), Michaela Friberg-Storey, UN Resident Coordinator for Kazakhstan, Arthur Van Diesen, Representative of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Kazakhstan, Shirin Abidova, Head of the Uzbekistan Volunteer Association and many more. In total, over 400 people attended the event, including 140 representatives of international organizations and foreign participants. The main purpose of the forum was to develop and support the volunteer movement, present Kazakhstan's experience in volunteering, and form a positive image of the country in the international arena, as well as raise the status of volunteers, and strengthen cooperation and interaction. The Forum's symbol was an image of a person and a fragment of a DNA chain, representing a "kindness gene". The volunteer movement in Kazakhstan has turned into a large project with the support of the entire population. The Year of the Volunteer in 2020, initiated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, highlighted the role of volunteering, especially during the pandemic. The active involvement of citizens in Kazakhstan's volunteer movement, along with the support provided by the government in creating favorable conditions, has significantly contributed to the growth of volunteerism in the country. The introduction of legislative measures to support volunteers has further strengthened this trend. Various benefits are now available, including preferential admission to educational institutions and employment opportunities. Additionally, volunteer organizations are granted free access to state-owned property for their activities. In order to develop the volunteer movement infrastructure, there is a state front office and 20 regional offices. Every year they hold more than 6,000 events with the participation of over 113,000 volunteers. Furthermore, the Ministry of Information and Public Development of Kazakhstan is also actively working to develop international volunteering. Currently, 7 volunteers from Kazakhstan are working in the UN structures with the support of the Government of Kazakhstan. The UN Volunteers program (UNV) promotes peace and development worldwide through volunteerism. Introduced in Kazakhstan in 1993, the program has seen over 300 Kazakh citizens become UN volunteers. These volunteers have worked both domestically and internationally in countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Niger, Mozambique, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Turkiye. Kazakhstan is the first Central Asian country with this type of experience in the volunteer movement. The organization of the International Volunteer Forum is supported by the Representative Office of the UN Volunteer Program in Kazakhstan, the Secretariat of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, the National Volunteer Network and other volunteer and international organizations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday thoughtfully presented US President Joe Biden with a rare first edition print of The Ten Principal Upanishads, recognising the leaders profound admiration for Irish poet William Butler Yeats. This edition was published by Yeats in English in 1937 and co-authored by Purohit Swami. President Biden frequently includes quotes from Yeats in his speeches, as the renowned Nobel laureate was not only deeply influenced by Indian spirituality but also held a profound admiration for India. Yeatss close friendship and fondness for Bengali poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore were well-known, as he played a pivotal role in popularizing Tagores Gitanjali throughout the Western world, as per reports. In reciprocation, the Bidens graciously presented several gifts to Prime Minister Modi, which included a meticulously crafted antique American book galley from the early 20th century, a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastmans Patent for the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book showcasing American wildlife photography. About the Ten Principal Upanishads In 1937, Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout the 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats. A copy of the first edition print of this book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by M/s Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow has been gifted to President Biden," the government said in a press release. What are the Upanishads? The Upanishads hold significant importance as the philosophical-religious texts of Hinduism, also known as Sanatan Dharma, signifying the Eternal Order" or Eternal Path," according to the World History Encyclopedia. They serve to explore the fundamental principles of the religion. The name itself can be interpreted as sitting down closely," reflecting the attentive listening one would give to instructions from a teacher or authoritative figure. Simultaneously, Upanishad has also been understood as secret teaching" or revealing underlying truth." These teachings delve into the concepts presented in the Vedas, the religious texts considered by orthodox Hindus as revealed knowledge about the creation and functioning of the universe, as per the report. The term veda" translates to knowledge," and the four Vedas are believed to embody the fundamental understanding of human existence. These works, regarded as Shruti in Hinduism, meaning what is heard," are believed to have originated from the vibrations of the universe and were initially transmitted orally by sages before being recorded in written form between approximately 1500 and 500 BCE. The Upanishads are considered the end of the Vedas" (Vedanta) as they expand upon, elucidate, and develop the concepts found in the Vedas through narrative dialogues. In doing so, they encourage individuals to personally and spiritually engage with these concepts. Who Was WB Yeats? William Butler Yeats was born in Dublin, Ireland, into a family where his father was both a lawyer and a renowned portrait painter. He received his education in London and Dublin, but during the summers, he would reside in the familys summer house in Connaught, located in the west of Ireland. During his youth, Yeats was deeply involved in the fin de siecle cultural milieu of London, according to nobelprize.com. He also actively participated in societies that aimed to revive Irish literature. Although Yeats published his first volume of poetry in 1887, his early career was marked more by his prolific output of plays rather than poetry, both in terms of quantity and significance. Alongside Lady Gregory, he co-founded the Irish Theatre, which eventually evolved into the renowned Abbey Theatre. Yeats served as the principal playwright for the theatre until the arrival of John Synge. His plays primarily revolve around Irish legends and demonstrate his keen interest in mysticism and spiritualism. Some of his well-known plays include The Countess Cathleen" (1892), The Land of Hearts Desire" (1894), Cathleen ni Houlihan" (1902), The Kings Threshold" (1904), and Deirdre" (1907). These works showcase Yeatss profound engagement with Irish folklore and his exploration of mystical and spiritual themes. How Did WB Get Into Hinduism? William Butler Yeats, who considered himself very religious," explored various spiritual paths in his quest for Truth. One significant direction he turned to was Hinduism, according to author Janet Zimmerman Marsh in the Yeats Eliot Review, posted on Gale Academic Onefile. Yeatss initial encounter with Hindu philosophy occurred in 1885 or 1886 when he listened to Mohini Chatterjee speak. This encounter confirmed his vague speculations and provided him with a logical and boundless philosophy. His interest in Hinduism grew even more intense when he met Purohit Swami in 1931, and it continued until the end of his life. Yeats expressed that he had been nourished by the Upanishads, a part of Hindu sacred scripture, throughout his entire life, Marsh said. The Upanishads elucidate the inner spiritual journey by which the individual self (Atman) discovers the ultimate reality. Yeatss fascination with the Upanishads is reflected in his poem Meru" (1934). Thematically, Meru" distinctly embraces Hindu concepts, and its formal structure mirrors the process of humanitys ascent to Truth as taught in the Upanishads, thus enhancing the poems meaning. Yeats wrote Meru" after reading Purohit Swamis work, The Holy Mountain," to which he also contributed an Introduction. In this introduction, Yeats narrates the spiritual odyssey of Purohit Swami and his master, Bhagwan Hamsa. Both embarked on arduous journeys, braving icy mountains to meditate and seek proof of the existence of the Absolute. Stockton Rush, who is the CEO of OceanGate, was operating a submersible that went missing while exploring the Titanic wreckage. His wife, Wendy Rush is a descendant of two wealthy first-class passengers who lost their lives when the Titanic sank in 1912, according to historical records, as per a report by the New York Times. Her great-great-grandparents were Isidor and Ida Straus, and Isidor Straus was a co-owner of Macys department store, born in 1845. Rush, formerly known as Wendy Hollings Weil, married Stockton Rush in 1986 as announced in a wedding notice published by the New York Times. According to her LinkedIn profile, she has been involved in three OceanGate expeditions to the Titanic wreckage over the past two years. In addition to being the companys communications director, she has also served as a board member of OceanGates charitable foundation for a long time. Isidor and Ida Straus Haunting Story Isidor and Ida Straus were born in Germany and moved to the United States with their families. Isidor, along with his brother Nathan, started a business selling dishes and glassware at the famous RH Macy department store. Journeying back to the United States from their native Germany, Isidor and Ida Straus, accompanied by Idas newly-appointed maid, Ellen Bird, and Isidors loyal manservant, John Farthing, found themselves irresistibly drawn to the newly-commissioned Titanic, according to the National Archives. Despite their usual preference for German vessels, the allure of the Titanics riches proved too tempting to resist for their homeward voyage. As the night of April 14 descended and the Titanic collided with the fateful iceberg, Isidor and Ida were directed towards lifeboat eight, their ticket to potential safety. However, the aging Isidor, guided by a deep sense of honor, refused to board the lifeboat while younger men were left behind. Ida too steadfastly stood by her husbands side, proclaiming, Where you go, I go." In a selfless act, Ida ensured the well-being of her maid, Ellen, placing her into the lifeboat and draping her with her own fur coat, knowing she no longer needed it. In a haunting final image, Isidor and Ida were spotted on the deck, their hands tightly clasped before a wave crashed upon them, snatching them away into the sea. Isidors lifeless body was later recovered by the diligent efforts of the Mackay-Bennett, finding its resting place in New Yorks Woodlawn Cemetery. However, Idas remains would not be found. Ellen Bird, the fortunate survivor, would continue to live her life until 1949. However, John Farthing met his fate with the ship, and his body was never found. Story Depicted in James Camerons Film Titanic The tale of the Straus family captured the imagination of popular culture, thanks to director James Camerons fictionalized depiction in his 1997 film about the Titanic disaster. In one memorable scene, an elderly couple is shown embracing in their bed as the unforgiving waters close in around them, representing the enduring love and tragic fate of the Strauses. Wendy Rush, in her lineage, traces her ancestry back to one of the Straus daughters named Minnie. Minnie married Dr. Richard Weil in 1905, and their union produced a son named Richard Weil Jr. Richard Jr. went on to become the president of Macys New York, continuing the familys connection to the renowned department store, as per the New York Times report. Wendy Rushs father, Dr. Richard Weil III, is the son of Richard Jr., further establishing her direct descent from the Straus family. Joan Adler, the executive director of the Straus Historical Society, provided these details to the New York Times regarding Rushs familial ties. Last, Desperate Attempt to Find the Missing Submersible Meanwhile, the race against time to find a submersible that disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site entered a new phase of desperation on Thursday morning as the final hours of oxygen possibly left on board the tiny vessel ticked off the clock. Rescuers have rushed more ships and vessels to the site of the disappearance, hoping underwater sounds they detected for a second straight day might help narrow their search in the urgent, international mission. But the crew had only a four-day oxygen supply when the vessel, called the Titan, set off around 6 a.m. Sunday, The Associated Press reported. Even those who expressed optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the vessels location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface assuming its still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers oxygen supply runs out. The full area being searched was twice the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut in waters as deep as 13,200 feet (4,020 meters). Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District said authorities were still holding out hope of saving the five passengers onboard. The New York Times, Associated Press contributed to this report In a shocking case of revenge, a woman in Andhra Pradesh killed a man accused of murdering her son by slitting his throat one-and-half-year ago. The incident took place on Tuesday night and the woman surrendered to the police on Wednesday morning. According to the police, Jaan Bi, a single mother, has been staying with her two sons in Narasaraopet area of Andhra Pradeshs Palnadu district and doing labour works along with her children for livelihood. Her husband, Shabbir, died 15 years ago. Jaan Bi was then in a relationship with local rowdy sheeter Sheik Baji (36). On knowing about their relationship, Jaan Bis elder son warned Sheik Baji not to visit their house. Furious with the warning, Shiek Baji. with the help of his three friends, murdered Jaan Bis elder son by slitting his throat on August, 2021. Jaan Bi then, along with her brother Hussian and younger son, killed main accused Kasam at Cinema Hall Junction in Narasaraopet on December, 2021, when he was in an inebriated condition. Jaan Bi immediately surrendered to the police but came out on bail few months back and hatched a plan to kill the second accused, Baji. It was said that Baji was leading an undisclosed life since one-and-half-year after came to know about the oath taken by Jaan Bi to kill him. After coming out of jail, Jaan Bi got Bajis phone number with the help of her friends. She laid a trap on him by calling him regularly for four days and managed to convince him that she forget about the old grudge and want to have a live-in relationship with him as she has been living alone. She invited him to her brothers birthday celebrations on Tuesday night. She hatched a plan to kill Baji with her brother Hussain and his friends Gopikrishna and Harish. Baji, who got inebriated at the party, was then killed by four persons including Jaan Bi. They attacked Baji with knives and killed him. They tried to burn the body by pouring the petrol. As the body was partially burnt, they dig a pit and buried the body. They went to police station on Wednesday morning and surrendered after informing them about the murder. Police took them into custody. Narasaraopet (rural) circle inspector Bhaktavatsala Reddy and sub inspector Balanagi Reddy rushed to the spot recovered the Bajis body of Baji. A case was registered and investigation on. The deceased survived with wife Mobina, one daughter and two sons. Former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharyas daughter, Suchetana Bhattacharya has declared to undergo sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Suchetana, who recently attended an LGBTQ workshop, has started taking the necessary legal steps required before going for the surgery. She has also declared herself as a transman" and wished to be referred to as Suchetan after her surgery. The matter came to the fore following a social media post by LGBTQ activist Suprava Roy, who uploaded a picture of Suchetana addressing a symposium on the livelihood of the people of the community. In the post, Roy said that at the symposium, Suchetana declared herself as a transman" and also said that after the sex-change surgery, he would be known as Suchetan. Later, the late Chief Ministers daughter confirmed the genuineness of the post and said that it was her own decision as an adult individual having attained the age of 41. I am an adult. I am now 41. As a result, I can take all decisions related to my life myself. I am taking this decision in the same way. Please dont drag my parents into this. Whoever considers himself a man mentally, is also a man, just as I consider myself male mentally. I want it to be physical now, a report by India Today quoted her saying. She also appealed to the people not to mix up her family identity with her personal identity and confirmed that she is taking legal advice and contacted psychiatrists for all the necessary certificates for the procedure. Suchetana said that her father would have supported this decision as he has been aware of her identity since her childhood. She also appealed to the media to not distort this news. (With IANS Inputs) The Mumbai Police have filed a chargesheet against Malad-based baker Anthony Paul and his associates Rajesh Bobhate alias Ravi and Shantilal Rajput for allegedly framing actor Chrisann Pereira in a drugs case. Pereira, who acted in Mahesh Bhatt-directed Bollywood movie Sadak 2, spent nearly a month in a prison in the UAE after a small quantity of a narcotic drug was found concealed in a memento allegedly given to her by the accused. The 1,514-page chargesheet alleges that after the actors arrest at the Sharjah airport on April 1, Paul and Bobhate demanded Rs 80 lakh from her mother to arrange her release. The actor was released after the Mumbai police sent case-related documents to the authorities in the UAE. Following are the chargesheet details accessed by News18: The chargesheet includes records of the calls that Anthony Paul made to the victims, including Pereira. It also mentions the call Paul made to the actor while he was in Hyderabad. It mentions that Paul allegedly destroyed two mobile phones and four SIM cards suspected to have been used in the crime, and dumped them in Mithi river in Dahisar Audio recordings of phone conversations between the victims family members and Paul, who allegedly demanded money to get Periera released, have also been included The chargesheet also contains statements of 20 witnesses It mentions CCTV footage from Mumbai airport which shows the accused handing over the memento to the victim Paul had allegedly purchased the drugs from Rajput saying he required them for a relative who was suffering from jaundice in December, 2022. He paid Rs 6,000 for 500 gram of ganja Statements from the shopkeeper in whose shop Paul printed fake return ticket for the victim have been included as well Paul reportedly purchased the memento, which was used to hide the drugs, from a shop in Kandivali. Statement of the person who sold the memento has also been included. Paul had allegedly told the shop owner that he wanted to buy 40 trophies to sell them in his own store, but was currently only purchasing two trophies as samples CCTV footage of the location in Hyderabad where the call was made from is also part of the chargesheet The accused had allegedly used the same modus operandi to target Mumbai-based DJ Clayton Rodrigues, who was sentenced to 25 years in jail by a court in Sharjah for alleged possession of drugs. Suchetana Bhattacharya, the only son of former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has decided to undergo sex reassignment surgery (SRS), calling it difficult but not impossible." Speaking to News18, Suchetana said that the matter was not easy at all" and this decision could be taken only after a very long time." Suchetana also appealed to those who could not come out for various reasons, to remain strong. Suchetana said that her father would have supported this decision as he has been aware of her identity since her childhood. She also appealed to the media and to political parties to not distort this news and stand by the decision. Suchetana had participated in an LGBTQ workshop in Kolkata during the Pride Month, and has started taking the necessary legal steps before undergoing the surgery. The matter came to light when a Facebook post titled Story of Pride month by LGBTQ activist Suprava Roy was shared with with Suchetanas picture addressing a symposium on the livelihood of the people of the community. In the post, Roy said that at the symposium, Suchetana declared herself as a transman" and also said that after the sex-change surgery, he would be known as Suchetan. The boy standing with the microphone in his hand is Suchetan. Suchetan has faced many hurdles. He had to keep his own story to his own limits. Suchetan was greatly inspired by the participation of so many people from the community and outside the community in the health workshops," Roy wrote. Regardless of physical gender identity, there is a conscious family impulse to think of oneself as a boy from an early age. His father used to shave his beard and moustache with soap on his cheeks. So he grew up with his own inclinations. In body, in mind, in social publications Suchetan has been known as a Trans man," it added. The post also informed that currently, Suchetana got a life partner in a woman, Suchandra and the duo stay together. Suchetana works as a freelancer in audio visual company and Suchandra works in a private company. Suchetanas father Buddhadeb Bhattacharya has been ill for a long time and mother, Meera Bhattacharya got a new pacemaker a few days ago. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has raided more than 15 locations across Mumbai since Wednesday, including residences of IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal, Yuva Sena secretary Suraj Chavan, and Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut. These raids pertain to the so-called Covid jumbo centre scam. It has been alleged by the present government that the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, which was part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), is involved in this Rs 12,024 crore scam pertaining to setting up of Covid jumbo centres in Mumbai and Pune. Raids are being conducted at locations pertaining to suppliers and contractors, who were providing materials and setting up of the Covid centres, said a senior officer from ED. After day-long searches, the agency issued a summons to Jaiswal to appear before it. On January 16, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation chief Iqbal Chahal was questioned for four hours by ED in the same case. On Thursday, officers from the central agency also visited the BMC headquarters and the corporations Central Purchase Department (CPD) to examine purchase documents related to the contract awarded and payment made during the Covid-19 pandemic. What is the case about? Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde this week announced that he is setting up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the case, and it will be led by Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has alleged that the scam connected to a field hospital contract is worth more than Rs 100 crore. However, Mumbai polices Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has pegged it at Rs 38 crore. A complaint was registered by Somaiya at Azad Maidan police station last year in an alleged scam related to Covid jumbo centres. The EDs investigation into money laundering is based on this case, which was transferred to the EOW in October 2022. In the complaint, it has been said that contracts were given at exorbitant rates to contractors who were linked to Shiv Sena leaders but had no prior experience in the healthcare service sector. The FIR also alleges that they obtained contracts for Covid-19 jumbo centres at NSEL, Worli, Mulund, Dahisar (in Mumbai), and Pune by forging documents. A document found by the ED during a raid on Sujit Patkars house showed that he had signed an agreement with the BMC to manage Covid field hospitals around a year after getting the contract and receiving Rs 32 crore into his companys account. After getting the BMC contract through his unregistered company, Patkar allegedly handed over the work to a doctor and signed an agreement to manage the field hospitals in the companys name. Somaiya had also alleged that the agreement for these contracts was signed a year after getting the work. Shindes attack, Uddhavs counterattack A day after Eknath Shinde announced that the state government was setting up an SIT to investigate the alleged scam, former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said that on July 1 there will be a mega rally to the BMC headquarters led by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray against a more than Rs 900 crore scam by the BMC after the current government came to power. HOROSCOPE TODAY, JUNE 23, 2023: Curious about what the stars have in store for you today? From academic pursuits to romantic relationships, financial gains to family support, and fortunate opportunities and personal growth, each zodiac sign holds its own unique forecast. Find out which colour and numbers can bring positive energy and luck to your day. Brace yourself for a day of surprises, challenges, and fortunate outcomes as you navigate the celestial influences that shape your destiny. Read on to discover your daily horoscope and gain insights into various aspects of your life. Heres a comprehensive overview of what you can expect according to your zodiac sign. ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19) Academic Perplexity and Romantic Flourish Students may experience a state of perplexity when it comes to their academic pursuits. Romantic relationships are expected to flourish with a heightened sense of intimacy. There is a likelihood of friends visiting your residence during the evening hours. Your esteem and reputation are set to witness a rise. Seeking guidance from influential individuals will prove advantageous. However, be mindful as you might encounter discomfort due to vein cramps. The colour red will bring positive energy, and your lucky number are 1 and 8. TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20) Promising Opportunities and Concerns The morning will kick off with a delightful start, filled with positive energy and potential. There is a strong chance of experiencing significant financial gains in your business endeavours, which will garner appreciation from those around you. Your mind will be occupied with ideas for enhancing the aesthetics of your living space. However, concerns about the well-being of a family member will weigh heavily on your mind. It is advisable to refrain from dining out to prioritize both health and savings. The colour white is likely to bring you good fortune today, and the numbers 2 and 7 are considered to be lucky. GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20) Family Support and Opportunities The day could start with a negative tone, but your family will be there to back you up in any circumstance. Theres a possibility of receiving pleasant news and making significant business investments. Reconnecting with old friends may be on the cards, and youll successfully finish pending tasks. Expect your social and professional networks to grow. The lucky colour for the day is yellow, and numbers 3 and 6 are considered auspicious. CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22) Adversary Awareness and Opportune Ventures Stay vigilant about the actions of your adversaries, while also exhibiting adaptability and empathy towards others. Expect potential issues within your family later in the day. However, overall, your family life will be enjoyable. Anticipate the emergence of new avenues for income. This is an opportune time to conclude significant business agreements. Maintain a disciplined daily routine. The colour that brings good fortune today is milky white, and number 4 is likely to be lucky for you. LEO (JULY 23 - AUGUST 23) Golden Charisma Embrace novelty and unleash your creativity, as your charismatic personality will captivate those around you, elevating your standing in society. Be cautious when it comes to legal matters and avoid complacency. Take precautions against seasonal illnesses and stay vigilant against potential adversaries. Embrace the colour golden for positive vibes, and keep the number 5 in mind for favourable outcomes. VIRGO (AUGUST 23 - SEPTEMBER 22) Confidence Boost By boosting your self-assurance, you can anticipate a surge in self-esteem. However, be prepared for the possibility of experiencing evening headaches. It is crucial to manage your finances wisely and refrain from relying on unfamiliar individuals. Female individuals may encounter minor health concerns. Seek support from trusted friends when it comes to your business ventures. Lastly, green will be lucky for you while numbers 3 and 8 hold positive significance. LIBRA (SEPTEMBER 23 - OCTOBER 22) Romantic Surprises and Fortunate Opportunities Today promises to be a day filled with romance, excitement, and favourable outcomes in various aspects of your life. Your married life will be particularly enchanting. Professionals can anticipate promotions and enticing job offers from multinational companies. Your social calendar will be bustling, and unexpected financial gains are likely to boost your business. Embrace the colour white, and keep an eye out for the numbers 2 and 7. SCORPIO (OCTOBER 23 - NOVEMBER 21) Emotional Balance and Financial Growth Emotions may arise in your romantic relationship, but youll handle minor obstacles effortlessly. New opportunities to generate income will come your way, allowing you to spend quality time with your children amidst a busy day. Seek your parents approval before embarking on any new endeavours. The colour red is favourable, along with the numbers 1 and 8. SAGITTARIUS (NOVEMBER 22 - DECEMBER 21) Challenges and Growth Students may face an unfavourable day, but their interest in religious activities will grow. At work, you may experience trouble from subordinate employees and should avoid overworking. You will have an intuitive understanding of others unspoken emotions. Additionally, you love relationship will ignite with a fresh spark. The lucky colour for the day is yellow, and the numbers 9 and 12 bring luck. CAPRICORN (DECEMBER 22 - JANUARY 19) Fortune and Discomfort Working professionals may need to embark on a business trip today, while government employees will have a fortunate day. However, in the evening, you might experience discomfort with a stomachache and fever. Your interest in arts and literature will be heightened, but there is a possibility of encountering property disputes. The lucky colour for the day is cyan, and the favourable numbers are 10 and 11. AQUARIUS (JANUARY 20 - FEBRUARY 18) Supportive Relationships and New Opportunities Your life partner can be a valuable source of support when it comes to problem-solving. Its important to maintain healthy boundaries in your romantic relationship. You will enjoy harmonious connections with influential individuals. There may be potential for a job transition, opening up new avenues for income generation. Your lucky colour is cyan, and the numbers 10 and 11 hold positive significance. PISCES (FEBRUARY 19 - MARCH 20) Fortunate Forecast You can expect a fortunate day ahead. Spend some quality time shopping with your partner. However, be mindful of a potential throat infection. Professionals can anticipate promotions, while construction projects will gain speed. Any disagreements with your parents will find a resolution. The lucky colour for the day is yellow, and numbers 9 and 12 bring positive vibes. When a community kitchen powered by biogas from human excreta was introduced in Kamaraj Nagar colony of Edayarpalayam in Tamil Nadus Coimbatore district, some eyebrows were naturally raised. For many, the idea of using cooking fuel generated from faeces accumulating in a nearby public toilets septic tank was implausible, if not disgusting. Opened in June 2014 with 16 stoves, the community kitchen functioned only for less than a month as women of this Scheduled Caste colony complained of foul smell and itching, and showed revulsion towards it. The project worth Rs 17.80 lakh was expected to serve around 73 families, and most of them did make use of the facility for a day or two. However, it did not pan out the way the Coimbatore Corporation wanted it to be. Asked why she did not utilise the free biogas, Rani* retorted, Are we not humans? Why should we cook with biogas produced from human excreta? After taking a bath in the water boiled in that kitchen, I experienced itching. Even our food carried that unpleasant odour. It is reminiscent of a septic tank. Savitha*, another colony resident, refuted her neighbours claim, suggesting it was more of a mental inhibition and awkwardness, besides a case of spreading unfounded rumours. However, she did admit, There was no foul smell initially, but it became unbearable within a few days. Yet, I continued to cook there as long as the kitchen was functional because it significantly reduced my cooking time." Ever since the kitchens closure, Savitha and others have switched back to firewood use. As LPG is very unaffordable, they try to minimise its use. Any dish with a longer cooking time is prepared using firewood. When the kitchen was started, I felt a sense of hope and relief. However, all that was short-lived, Savitha said, adding that drunkards took advantage of the situation and stole the burners, stoves and other equipment. Empty bottles of alcohol and leftover food make the place dirty and unpleasant. We reported the issue to the councillor, but there was no follow-up action, she claimed. WHO KILLED THE PROJECT? According to local resident Senthil*, the plant still produced biogas. If we turn on the regulator, we can sense it. But what is the purpose if the community kitchen is not functional? The corporation claimed the kitchen became inoperative because people did not want it. They complained of foul smell. We will not reopen it as that would be against the peoples wishes, Sakthivel, Corporation Officer, West Zone, Coimbatore, told 101Reporters. Elaborating how the project as a whole was perceived as lacking in value, Karamallayan, General Manager (in-charge), Tamilnadu Energy Development Agency, told 101Reporters that it was not just the biogas from faeces that people viewed unfavourably. For instance, there is a biogas plant on a temple premises in Chennai to utilise temple waste such as flowers. However, even that plant was shut as people perceived it as a by-product of waste. He emphasised that the first and foremost step to ensure continuous operation of biogas plants was to raise awareness within the communities. Explaining the science behind the biogas odour, Desikan Ramesh, Professor and Head of Renewable Energy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, said, Microorganisms in the septic tank break down faecal matter. When cleaning solutions that inhibit growth of good bacteria are used, this process is disturbed, leading to foul smell from the biogas produced. So, due care should be taken while selecting toilet cleaners. Asked about the theft of community kitchen equipment, Sakthivel said he had no idea if any action had been taken as he was posted in Edayarpalayam only a year ago. The corporation commissioner, mayor and councillor attended the inauguration of the community kitchen. That was it. After that no corporation or local body official took time to review the project," Rani blamed. SETTING WRONG PRIORITIES Edayarpalayam panchayat became a part of the municipal corporation of Coimbatore a decade ago. People of the colony are mostly involved in informal jobs in the corporation. Women work as housemaids in nearby residential areas. They live in houses with only one or two rooms, and lacking in proper upkeep. The children of the households are mostly uneducated or have limited educational backgrounds. According to Savitha, their concerns were heard when they were under the panchayat. As members of an oppressed caste, we are always ignored. Local body officials come calling only during elections. Echoing her, Senthil said, No one asked us about our needs. They imposed this project on us without any consultation. When it rains, our houses get submerged in knee-deep sewage polluted water. We have to use motors to pump it out. Else, we will remain stranded," he added. Problems do not end there. Senthil cited the case of their water tank, which has developed a big crack. It is on the verge of collapse. Neither repairs happened nor at least a show of concern from the official side. If they are least bothered about our drinking water, why offer biogas for cooking? It seems our basic needs and safety are being overlooked, he stated. Savitha also shared about other pressing concerns of the community. For us, addressing our basic necessities is far more important than the biogas project. Our houses are on the verge of collapse, yet we have not been granted land titles (pattas) for the small plots we inhabit. Without land titles, we are unable to access loans or government schemes. It is ironic that we continue to pay house taxes to the corporation, which are higher than what we used to pay under the panchayat. When we lack proper shelter, the value of biogas diminishes in our lives, she added. Rani was equally vocal while listing out the needs. Clearing out bushes and shrubs from our residential area should be the first priority as snakes enter our homes quite often. We live in constant fear every day, especially with our children around. Our safety is at stake, and we are desperately in need of a secure environment." Speaking anonymously on behalf of the children in the community, a child shared, We lack basic amenities and do not have a safe space to play. We are not allowed to play outside due to the presence of snakes and alcoholics, besides poor sanitation. It is a difficult and restricted environment for us." Thirumal, Zonal Sanitation Officer, West Zone, Coimbatore Corporation, denied the presence of snakes and other sanitation issues, but assured that suitable action will follow after site inspection. However, the residents argued, Even yesterday, snakes entered our homes. MORE CONSTRUCTION ON THE WAY A year ago, the community kitchen was converted into an office of the corporation to register the attendance of sanitation workers. People did not use the kitchen, which is why it has been repurposed. No one has so far approached us seeking the kitchens revival. If people need it, we will work on that, assured Tamilselvan P, corporation councillor, Edayarpalayam. Several officials of the Coimbatore Corporation did not respond to queries about the project closure, stating that they were new to the office and were not aware of the details. Meanwhile, Rani expressed her frustration with the functioning of the civic body. It has become a habit of the corporation to impose projects on us without seeking our consent. Currently, they are constructing a primary healthcare facility near the community kitchen building. We do not want that. Now, medical wastes will be dumped on us, exacerbating the existing waste issue. Instead of community kitchens or hospitals, what we truly need is access to clean water, improved sanitation and proper shelter," she summed up. (Gowthami Subramaniam is a Tamil Nadu-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan India network of grassroots reporters) Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to begin his two-day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Friday during which, he will address a public rally, and inaugurate and lay foundation stones of various development projects. Ahead of Shahs arrival, security has been increased in both Jammu as well as Kashmir to thwart any attempts by terror outfits to disturb his visit. Upon arrival on Friday morning, Shah will address a public rally at Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu. Sources told News18 that the Home Minister will also review security for the upcoming Amarnath Yatra and lay a wreath on the statue of BJP ideologue Syama Prasad Mukherjee, whose death anniversary is coinciding with his visit. Shah will likely visit the Amarnath shrine cave as well. Afterwards, he will lay the foundation stone of CFSL in Samba and other development projects. Sources told News18 that Shah is likely to meet several delegations during his two-day visit." While in Kashmir, the Union Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various development projects at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar following which, he will attend the Vitasta Cultural Festival" at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC). The three-day-long Vitasta festival will include an opening ceremony, cultural programmes, painting and calligraphy camps, an Art Installations Camp, Opera by NSD, New Delhi, seminars, an exhibition by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), display and sale of crafts and cuisine of the Valley and representation from Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Before flying back to New Delhi, the Home Minister will also lay the foundation stone of the Validan Stambh at the Pratap Park in Srinagar. The park has been sealed and no civilian is allowed to go inside as of now. We are making tight security arrangements for the event," an officer told News18. The security grid has been alerted and forces are carrying out vehicle frisking to avert any terrorist activity. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Kazakh companies have contributed to the restoration of liberated territories, constructing social infrastructure, and collaborating with Azerbaijani businesses, Aliya Mussabekova, senior research fellow at Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan told Trend. Kazakhstan actively supports Azerbaijan in political matters, advocating for its territorial integrity, peaceful development, and the prosperity of the Azerbaijani people, she said. According to the expert, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have enjoyed a strong strategic partnership in the Caspian region. Over the course of more than 30 years of diplomatic relations, our countries have signed over 120 agreements and treaties, reflecting the high level of strategic partnership between the countries. As Mussabekova noted, the analysts have long emphasized the underutilized potential of economic cooperation between the two nations. However, it is encouraging to note that bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan grew by 40 percent in 2022, exceeding $460 million. Furthermore, the volume of mutual trade continues to expand, with a 40 percent increase in the first four months of this year alone, reaching $185 million. In my opinion, significant opportunities for economic partnership lie in the digital sphere, fintech, and green economy, she said. When it comes to the cooperation in the field of transport, in her opinion, in today's international political realities, there is a significant opportunity to increase the cargo flow between Europe and Asia through the Middle Corridor. For 2022, a transportation plan was agreed upon by the participants of this route, with a volume of 3.2 million tons of cargo. This figure is five times higher than in 2021, indicating the growing commercial attractiveness and development of the project, the analyst added. However, she noted, despite the countries' efforts to promote the development of this route, there are objective limitations to overcome. These include the lack of capacity in the seaports of Aktau and Baku, the need for increased transshipment infrastructure, dredging work, an aging tanker fleet with an average age of 16-17 years in the Caspian Sea, insufficient railway rolling stock and locomotives, and infrastructure constraints on railway sections in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and other areas, she said. According to Mussabekova, it is also important to note that transportation connections are vital, as they not only serve as physical links but also facilitate the development of adjacent territories and attract additional investments. Therefore, significant opportunities for Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan cooperation exist in this sphere. For instance, we could jointly develop industries such as shipbuilding, machinery manufacturing, equipment production for oil extraction and processing, pipeline construction, and more, she said. In her opinion, in the face of the current geopolitical situation, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan must seek new dynamics in the development of their relations and adopt new approaches to enhance national sovereignty. As leaders in our respective regions - Kazakhstan in Central Asia and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus - our countries can contribute to the expansion of interregional cooperation and the formation of sustainable connections between Central Asia and the South Caucasus, she said. Along with this, the expert also touched on the historic ties between the two countries. Although this sentiment is frequently echoed, it is worth reiterating the thesis of the historical interconnectedness of our peoples. Our countries share excellent partnership ties within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). This year, Kazakhstan assumes the chairmanship of the OTS, underscoring its significant emphasis on the Turkic vector in foreign policy, she said. In her opinion, it would also be beneficial to strengthen contacts between the youth of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. In reality, we do not know our neighbors as well as we should, and Azerbaijan is Kazakhstan's neighbor on the Caspian Sea. There is great potential in the cultural and educational spheres, and we should expand student exchanges, introduce dual-degree programs, internships, joint research projects, as well as organize music and film festivals. I believe that modern Azerbaijani culture, music, and cinema would generate considerable interest among the Kazakhs audience, she explained. So, as Mussabekova said, by overcoming existing limitations and seizing the opportunities presented, the two countries can enhance regional connectivity, boost economic growth, and foster greater understanding and friendship between the peoples. In an unprecedented initiative, the Jammu and Kashmir Relief Organisation is now issuing Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) to Kashmiri migrant voters in Jammu, who registered their votes during the Special Summary Revision last year. Previously, after the final printing process, EPICs were handed over to local Block Level Officers (BLOs) in the Kashmir Valley for distribution. This procedure posed a significant challenge for migrants residing in Jammu and other parts of the country, making it difficult to collect their ID cards. Addressing this issue, the Relief Organisation has collaborated with the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, J&K. For the first time, they are facilitating the distribution of these EPICs to Kashmiri migrant voters, making the process more accessible and convenient. A special campaign has been initiated in migrant camps and non-camp areas in Jammu for this purpose. Today, we continued the campaign and distributed EPICs to a large number of Kashmiri migrant voters at Migrant Camp Jagti," an official told News18. They availed of this facility and collected their ID cards," he added. This initiative has brought significant relief to migrants, simplifying the process and ensuring their inclusion in the electoral system. A day-long bandh will be observed in Karnataka on Thursday, June 22, over hike in electricity tariff rate. A call for the strike was given by the Hubballi-based Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). We request all the trade and industry to close their establishments on June 22. This is in protest of abnormal price hike in the electricity charges by Electricity Supply Companies (ESCOMs)," KCCI said. It said that for the past eight days it made attempts to convey the seriousness of the impact of the hike in electricity charges. However, no solution is forthcoming from the officials or government representatives," it said. Whats Open and Whats Shut Belgaum: A report in Times of India quoted Belgaum Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI) president Hemendra Porwal as saying that they have requested all trades and industries (except emergency services) to keep their establishments closed on Thursday in support of the agitation. Hubballi: The report further stated that Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), along with other district chambers of commerce and trade associations, has given statewide bandh call on June 22 to protest the unjust hike of power tariff. KCCI has appealed to all entrepreneurs and traders to down their businesses on that day to express their opposition to the tariff and their adverse effects on the general public and industries, TOI mentioned. Mysuru: Mysuru Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has also supported the bandh call. MCCI president KB Lingaraju told reporters that Hebbal, Hootagalli, Kadakola, Nanjangud, and other industry associations have extended support to the bandh call. The CPM has also extended support of the strike. However, the bandh is unlikely to affect the normal life as KCCI president Vinay Javali said that the bandh call is a voluntary one". A report in Hindustan Times quoted Javali as saying that the strike is only for business establishments, and the essential services and movement of vehicles will not be affected. Business establishments will incur losses owing to a day-long bandh, but Javali said industries may not survive with such an unprecedented increase in power tariff, the HT report stated. Another report in Times of India stated that the leading industries and industry associations in Bengaluru have opted out of the bandh and assured people they will be conducting business as usual on Thursday. The report mentioned that several trade bodies, including FKCCI, KASSIA and Peenya Industries Association, distanced themselves from Thursdays bandh. #UPDATE | Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) has called off the 'bandh' which was called today and asked all affiliated bodies not to protest or call a bandh after talks with the government. (Only Hubli KCCI has called for a bandh and protest https://t.co/KSGIZVHKp5 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 All Areas Participating in Bandh While the Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI), a large business body of the state, has not responded to the KCCIs bandh call, district chambers of Gadag, Bijapur, Rancbennur, Raichur, Talikoti, Vijaynagar, Mysore, Davangere, Koppal, Bagalkoti, Dharwad, Sirsi, Karwar, Bidar, Shivamoga, Kolar, Mandya, Chickmangalore, Yadgir, Chitradurga, KalyanKamataka, Haveri, Hassan, Bellary and other industry associations are said to join the strike. Why the Call for Bandh? Days after announcing the launch of Gruha Jyoti scheme, one of the poll guarantees of the Congress government offering free domestic electricity up to 200 units, the power tariff was increased by Rs 2.89 per unit. News18 spoke to several residents across Bengaluru about the spike in their electricity bills. Some have received double the usual amount, while others have received negative billing. ALSO READ | Karnataka Shocker: Worried About Your Electricity Bill? Heres Why Its So High & If It Will Come Down The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) said the hike was due to fuel and power purchase cost adjustment (FPPCA) and arrears from April. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the uproar was uncalled for as the electricity bills will come down from next month onwards. According to him, the power bills looked exorbitant to some because people had received the charges for two months. Tariff will not come down. It is appearing heavy because two months bill was given. Next month onwards, the bills will be given for each month. Subsequently, the billing amount will come down. Santhosh Kumar and his wife Devi used their life saving and took a loan worth Rs 18 lakhs o move to the UK, after Devi, who is a nurse, landed a job as a care worker in a government-funded childcare home in southwest England. Though the job offered by the Cambian Group, one of the UKs leading childrens behavioural health service providers, did not fit well with Devis resume, (she has a BSc in nursing), for the hope of a better life, the couple moved to the UK in May with their three children, aged five, six, and 13, the eldest daughter being diabetic, according to a report by Onmanorama. However, their English dream was soon shattered and pushed the family into deeper debt when the firm that recruited Devi, did not hire her and left her in limbo. Now, the couple, who is in debt of Rs 15 lakh, are left to deal with creditors. They are also livid with Cambian, and Affiniks International, a Kochi-based recruitment agency that got Devi the job offer and work visa. Even at the peak of the pandemic, we did not allow our children to go hungry. But the agency and the company managed to do that," Kumar was quoted as saying in the Onmanorama report. Devi is the only nurse who plunged into poverty in search of better job opportunities in the UK. Scores of nurses from Kerala, who were hired to fill around 380 vacancies in childcare homes run by Cambian, were reportedly pushed to the brink because the company did not keep its end of the bargain. Some, like Devi, did not get their appointment letters. Some were appointed after a delay of up to six months, and worse, some were also reportedly hired and paid less wages than promised. When reached about the issue, Cambian, in a statement said. We are very grateful to the nurses from Kerala who have come to work in the UK. They do very valued and much-needed work in our services. We are doing our very best to support these nurses and give them meaningful and rewarding employment. We are committed to each of them. Where we have run into some challenges, we have worked through these and corrected any errors that may have occurred," according to the report. After the matter came to the fore, Cambridges Deputy Mayor took legal action against Cambian and its parent company CareTech Group one of the UKs biggest social care chains which offered jobs to 380 Kerala nurses. Cambian and CareTech Group are legally obligated to employ the migrant nurses and pay them salary from the day they landed in the country, Baiju Thitthala Varkey, the Deputy Mayor of Cambridge and city councillor from East Chesterton was quoted as saying in Onmanorama report. He noted that under sections 13 and 15 of the Employee Rights Act, employees are protected from unauthorised deductions and employers should not accept money from job-seekers. The Uttar Pradesh Directorate of Geology and Minings Mine Mitra, launched to put a stop to illegal mining and awarded the National e-Governance Award, can be easily replicated in other states to manage such challenges, officials have said. The model combines all mining activities by leveraging technology into an end-to-end solution for mineral management. It is an integrated IT solution that uses real-time data surveillance and reporting to combat unlawful mining practices. The need for a Mine Mitra-like solution was noticed after the Allahabad High Court banned mining in Uttar Pradesh in 2016 in response to several illegal mining cases. Since then, the state government has been working to find ways to curb illegal mining while also protecting the environment and ensuring that the mining industry can continue to provide jobs and economic benefits. Tech-Driven Solution In 2019, the authorities came up with a new initiative called Mine Mitra for which artificial intelligence (AI) and IoT are used. Now, as per the officials, there have been requests from many states in regard to replicating similar models. This platform aims to provide a single window for all mining-related services online, including applications for mining leases and permits, registration of mineral traders and transporters, instalment payment facility for lessees and permit holders, approval on mining plans by DGM and online access to mining maps and data. Mine Mitra is a web-based platform but also has a mobile app which allows users to access all of the services offered. This project not only provides a platform but has also created a complete tech-driven ecosystem that includes geo-fencing of lease areas, PTZ cameras and weighbridges in mines, MINETag installation on all mineral carrying vehicles, RFID handheld reader and m-Check app to officers, unified revenue command centre and AI & IoT based unmanned check gates in major mining routes. As per data, so far, over 1,256 lease areas have been geo-fenced, which is a location-based service that creates a virtual boundary. More than 800 weighbridges the platforms used to determine the weight of large vehicles and containers are installed. The weighbridges are connected to the Vahan portal to know the permissible weight for the vehicles. Additionally, over 1, 50,000 MINETags (almost like FASTag) are issued to mineral-carrying vehicles and more than 75 RFID handheld devices with the m-Check app are available for mining officials across the state. Using the RFID device, the officials are able to check from a distance whether a vehicle has the proper transit pass or not. In the case of AI & IoT check gates, while over 38 are already active, at least seven are still in the process. Some of the check gates are installed in Fatehpur, Mahoba, Saharanpur, Jhansi, Agra, Lalitpur, Bijnor, Moradabad, Chitrakoot and Banda. With the help of technology, these check gates help to detect what kind of mineral a passing vehicle is carrying. If any vehicle is found to be not following the rules, an e-notice and online penalty are issued to the vehicle owner. Revenue Generation However, it is understood that along with increasing transparency, Mine Mitra has made it easier for businesses to obtain the permits and licenses they need to operate. Furthermore, since this model helps to reduce illegal mining by making it easier for the government to track and monitor mining activities, the UP government has seen an increase in revenue. According to Vipin Kumar Jain, Special Secretary at Geology & Mining Department, UP government, who has been leading the implementation of the Mine Mitra project: Last year, we achieved the highest revenue in the history of UP mining department because of Mine Mitra. To mark the 350th anniversary of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Maharashtra government has decided to give self-defence training to 3.5 lakh female students in the age group of 15-25 under the programme Rajmata Jijau Yuvati Swasamrakshan. All the schools, colleges and universities in the state are participating in the exercise. The women and child development department will conduct this initiative in 350 talukas of the state. The training in the self-defence programme will go on from July 3 to 15. Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha said, Many instances have taken place where girls and women have become victims of physical attacks. By providing this kind of training, we want to boost their confidence. No doubt a citizens security is the state governments concern and we are looking to enhance it further. Lodha also informed that in the first three days of the workshop, along with the basics of self-defence, the participants will get training on how to tackle online threats and how to remain safe on digital platforms. This programme will also have counselling sessions where experts will help and guide them. The participants who want to continue with advanced training will be allowed to join the further 12-day programme. The women and child development department on Wednesday signed MOUs with NGOs working in this field, like Vidyarthi Nidhi Trust and Bharatiya Stree Shakti. Expert trainers from these NGOs will be travelling across all 350 talukas to train the 3.5 lakh female students for free. The minister also informed that both these NGOs will not be charging anything for their services. The ministry is also planning to have a dialogue with the state education department to make self-defence training part of the regular curriculum for female students in schools and colleges. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday afternoon began to demolish an illegal" shakha (office) of Uddhav Thackerays Shiv Sena faction in Bandras Nirmal Nagar. Mumbai police was deployed in the area to ensure there is no violence. This comes three days after Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde gave approval to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe irregularities" in various works previously undertaken by the BMC when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was in power (from November 2019 to June 2022) in the state. A statement issued by the CMs office late Monday night said that the SIT, headed by the Mumbai police commissioner, will investigate the irregularities worth Rs 12,024 crore in various works of the Mumbai civic body flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG). Indias richest civic body is currently under an administrator and the term of its corporators ended early last year. Shinde has also given directives to include top officials of the Mumbai polices economic offences wing and other senior police officials in the probe, said the release. The municipal corporation undertook several works during November 2019-June 2022, a period which also covered the Covid-19 pandemic. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Mumbai Amit Satam had written a letter to Shinde claiming irregularities in various COVID-19-related works after the CAG submitted its audit report. Satam, in his letter, demanded an SIT probe into irregularities" flagged by the CAG report. Shiv Sena (UBT) had on Tuesday announced to organise a maha morcha outside the Mumbai municipal corporation on July 1. The demonstration will be held to protest irregularities" in BMCs functioning. Addressing a press conference, former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray alleged loot" of public money in Mumbai and claimed money is being splurged in the name of organising events related to G20 and road concretization in the financial capital. He attacked the Eknath Shinde-led government, saying there was no one to question them.Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hit back, saying, It does not suit dacoits to talk about robbery" and claimed they (Shiv Sena-UBT) are scared because an SIT has been set up (to probe irregularities in BMC when Thackeray-led MVA government was in office) and they are trying to mislead people." Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis also slammed the Shiv Sena (UBT) president, saying his discomfort is understandable as the SIT is going to expose an alleged gang in the BMC that was active with Thackerays blessings. Read more Besides the reference in the US Congress to the challenge of terrorism, the prime minister said that even after the two decades of 9/11 and a decade of 26/11, the problem of terrorism remains a pressing challenge for the global community, Kwatra told reporters in a media briefing on Thursday. He said Modi was clearly highlighting the need for the international community to recognise that the people who sponsor terrorism, support terrorism, they continue to pose a serious challenge to the safety and security of our societies and have to be very sternly and firmly dealt with. He said when Prime Minister Modi and President Biden held their discussions, all aspects of such global challenges were discussed between the two and how India and US could cooperate to mitigate, address and try and deal with this challenge as comprehensively as possible. That was also discussed between the two leaders. And going forward, it would be our effort to see how some of those discussions can translate into concrete cooperative decisions between India and the US, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the state dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in the South Lawn of the White House. Joe Biden, during a speech at the State dinner, said he had a wonderful time with PM Modi and people of both countries give strength to the partnership between US and India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the evening has become more special due to the presence of the people of the two countries. Visuals from the White House showed US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcoming PM Narendra Modi and heading towards the venue for the lavish dinner for the special guest. Around 400 guests have also arrived for the State dinner, which incluse several prominent personalities including Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani, Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman, Arindam Bagchi, James Biden and Anand Mahindra also arrived at the White House for the lavish dinner. Other guests include Huma Abedin, Apples Tim Cook, Martin Luther King III, Ralph Lauren, tennis legend Billie Jean King, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti. First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday said she has asked Chef Nina Curtis who specialises in plant-based cuisine to work with the White House staff and create a stunning vegetarian menu for Prime Minister Modi, who is a devout vegetarian. The lavish event is taking place in a tent on the South Lawn overlooking the Washington Monument and the White House. The menu, comprising mostly vegetarian dishes, taking note of the dietary restrictions of the visiting prime minister, included marinated millets, stuffed mushrooms, grilled corn kernel salad and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake. The first course on the State dinner will include marinated millet, grilled corn kernel salad, compressed watermelon and a tangy avocado sauce. The main course includes stuffed portobello mushrooms and creamy saffron-infused risotto. The state dinner is held at the White House, the residence of the US President, and has the symbolic value of a visiting dignitary sharing a meal at the hosts home. White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo, previewing the dinner, said the First Lady has been involved in this event at every step. Every element of the dinner and decor has been chosen to make each guests experience personal and warm, Elizondo said. Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Modi is the third head of state to be welcomed with such prestige during the Biden administration, after Frances Emmanuel Macron and South Koreas Yoon Suk-yeol. Earlier on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Modi for a private dinner at the White House where they discussed a wide range of issues. I thank @POTUS @JoeBiden and @FLOTUS @DrBiden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects, Modi said in a tweet. The private dinner hosted by Joe Biden and Jill Biden is different than the state dinner which PM Modi will attend on Thursday. The private dinner was attended by immediate family members of the Biden family. An official statement by the MEA said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a private engagement hosted by US President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden on 21 June 2023 in the White House. Prime Minister also met their immediate family members. Prime Ministers participation in this special engagement reaffirms the warm friendship between our two countries. Modi arrived here from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. Marking the ninth International Day of Yoga, renowned spiritual leader and founder of Isha Foundation Sadhguru addressed a packed auditorium at the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris on Wednesday on the theme Crafting a Conscious Planet. Emphasising that Yoga belongs to humanity, Sadhguru said: Its a great pride for all of us that Yoga originated in India. Yoga originated in a land that was referred to as Bharat. But everybody must understand, I know some people will disagree with very strong national feelings, but Yoga belongs to humanity. Explaining this further, he added: Anything that we discover cannot belong to any group of people. What we invent can belong to people. What we make up can belong to a certain group of people. What we discover as a reality cannot belong to me or you. It is the right of every human being to find a way for their own fulfillment. #InternationalDayofYoga is a day of Commitment because you remaining physically and mentally in the best possible way is the greatest contribution you can make to the planet. -Sg @UNESCO @IndiaAtUNESCO @MEAIndia @MoAYUSH #ConsciousPlanet pic.twitter.com/8DCyH5PBms Sadhguru (@SadhguruJV) June 21, 2023 Talking about the " target="_blank" rel="nofollow">International Day of Yoga, Sadhguru said: International Day of Yoga is not a day of celebrating it, it is a day of commitment. You remaining physically, mentally in the best possible way is the best contribution you can make to the world. Sadhgurus address was followed by an in-conversation with Dr Guila Clara Kessous, UNESCO Artist for Peace. To Kessouss question on the need of Yoga to be passed on as a living heritage to humanity, Sadhguru talked about the dire situation in the United States. He shared, Recently, the Surgeon General of the United States said, one in every two Americans, one in every two is feeling lonely. So just look at this, one in two is feeling lonely in the most affluent nation. When our population is bursting at 8.4 billion, were feeling lonely. What is it? That is, we are building walls of individuality. Walls that you yourself cannot break. You build a wall that you yourself cannot break because these walls are built as self-protection. The walls of self-protection that you built today, tomorrow will turn into walls of self-imprisonment. He added: So just imagine in a country every second American if theyre feeling lonely, loneliness is the first step towards mental illness. Youve taken one step, next will come. So Yoga (Union) means youre not lonely anymore because only you exist in the universe. Everything is you. Wherever you see, its just you. So when you see too much of yourself, youll close your eyes and sit. Guiding the audience to take up a simple 15-minute meditation practice called Isha Kriya, which is available for free on the Sadhguru app, he led them into a meditative process. Answering a question from the audience on how youngsters can use technology but not get into the loneliness trap, Sadhguru shared that he will be launching a particular aspect of the Conscious Planet Movement in 2024 which will focus on exploring the miracle of the mind through yoga, meditation, art forms like dance, classical martial arts and music. If two to three billion people use this for a sustained period of time, you will find a much better mental situation in the world, he said. The event also saw an address by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay and Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO Vishal V Sharma and a cultural performance by Isha Foundations home-grown band Sounds of Isha and a captivating dance performance by Project Samskriti themed around Yoga. Over 1,500 people attended the event, including the ambassadors from Angola, Albania, Palestine, Peru, Morocco, Costa Rica, Romania, Uzbekistan, Santa Lucia, Czech Republic, and Lithuania, dignitaries from the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO, the staff members from the UNESCO, global leaders from the world of fashion, music, and business, and the general public. To know more about Sadhguru and Isha Foundation, visit: https://isha.sadhguru.org/in/en Bhutan is an attractive destination renowned for its awe-inspiring beauty in Asia. After more than two years of being shut due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the country reopened its borders to tourists in September 2022. However, visitors encountered a notable change as the Sustainable Development Fee saw a significant rise from $65 to $200 per visitor per night. Seems like the dynamics are shifting once again. Until the end of 2024, travelers can now extend their stay in Bhutan by an additional four days by paying the daily fees for four consecutive days. Additionally, by paying the fee for the total of 12 days, tourists can now extend their stay to the full month. This decision comes after a decline in visitor numbers following the implementation of the higher charges. By offering an extended stay option, Bhutan aims to attract more tourists. As reported by Hindustan Times, the implementation of higher fees in Bhutan was a deliberate move aimed at attracting wealthier tourists while discouraging budget travelers, as stated by authorities. It appears that the extended stay option applies exclusively to tourists who pay in dollars and not to those who pay in rupees. Unfortunately, this means that Indian visitors may not be able to take advantage of the change and extend their stay in the country. It is important for Indian tourists to be aware of this limitation and consider it when planning their visit to Bhutan. According to the press release, every visitor will have the opportunity to contribute towards Bhutans goal of planting one million new trees. This initiative aims to support the kingdoms commitment to maintaining its carbon-negative status and preserving its exceptional forest cover," they added. The trees planted by visitors will be cared for and maintained by the local authorities. If more tourists stay longer in Bhutan tourism can help our economy to grow faster, the Director General of the Department of Tourism, Dorji Dhradhul told Reuters. Dhradhul further reveals that since January, Bhutan has welcomed over 47,000 visitors and is on track to achieve its target of hosting 86,000 tourists by the years end. Before Covid-19, the country had aimed to receive more than 300,000 tourists in 2019. Mukesh Khanna has once again lashed out at the makers of Prabhas and Kriti Sanon starrer Adipurush. In a recent interview, the Shaktimaan actor demanded punishment for the makers of Adipurush and urged to government of India to ban the film immediately. I will not accept the reason that the public has rejected the film so there is no reason to ban the film. Punishment should be given so that in the future no producers dare to make such a film. Until you dont give the punishment, this will continue even after years. Darr kaise daaloge? Film ko lapet ke, potli mein bandh karke, side rakhdo and it should be banned in OTT also," Khanna told Times Now. Mukesh Khanna also mentioned how Nepals capital Kathmandu had also banned the Om Raut directorial and added, There are two types of boycott - one where the film is still running in theatres but people are not going to watch it. The film should be in the interest of Hindu minds. The government of India should take a blatant decision of banning the film. Just like Nepal banned the film but their issue was with the birthplace of Sita. If Nepal can do this, why cant India." Khanna further accused the makers of Adipurush of hurting Hindu sentiments and said, Can you dare to show a roman king wearing kurta, dhoti, and tikka? The damage is done and altering mere five dialogues will not help." This is not the first time that Mukesh Khanna has expressed disappointment with Adipurush. While Shiv ji had blessed Ravan, now those who do not have that much knowledge, then you are talking big things. It is absolutely rubbish. They should not be forgiven. Yesterday I said on my channel that this whole team should be burnt standing at fifty degrees Celsius," he told ANI earlier this week. Directed by Om Raut, Adipurush is an adaptation of the Hindu mythological epic Ramayan. With Prabhas playing Raghav, Kriti essaying Janakis role, and Saif of Lankesh, the film also features Sunny Singh as Shesh and Devdatta Nage as Bajrang. The film hit theatres on June 16. However, its dialogues and portrayal of Ram and Ravana left several furious. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Qatar is considered one of the priority countries for Kyrgyzstan to increase cooperation, Trend reports. According to official data, this was stated by the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov during talks with the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. During the meeting, the leaders of the two countries discussed current directions and prospects of bilateral cooperation, and ongoing work to build up and interact in all areas of mutual interest. In turn, the Amir of Qatar expressed hope that new opportunities in the trade and economic sphere, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, and other areas will open up as a result of the visit. The leaders of the countries confirmed their readiness to develop and deepen bilateral cooperation in all sectors and the practical implementation of joint investment projects. Meanwhile, the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, arrived in Kyrgyzstan for the first time on a state visit on June 6, 2023. Within the framework of his state visit on June 7, 2023, bilateral negotiations are being held in narrow and expanded formats, and a wide range of issues of mutual interest are being discussed, as well as prospects for further deepening bilateral cooperation. Bollywood star Kriti Sanons mother Geeta Sanon has defended the actors new film Adipurush amid backlash. On Wednesday, Geeta shared a post: Jaki rahi bhavana jaisi prabhu murat dekhi tin taisi. The meaning of this is if you look at a particular thing with a good mindset, the world will look at it beautifully. Adipurush, starring Prabhas, Kriti Sanon and Saif Ali Khan, has been facing criticism over its colloquial dialogues and alleged distortion of the Hindu epic Ramayana and its characters in the movie. ALSO READ: Kriti Sanons Mother Reacts To Adipurush Controversy, Says Insaan Ki Galtiyon Ko Vijay Varma and Tamannaah Bhatia are working together for the first time in Netflixs Lust Stories 2. The actors will be seen in the anthology directed by Sujoy Ghosh. In an exclusive chat with News18, Tamannaah opened up about her experience of working with Vijay and recalled that she gave the actor along with the director a scare on the very first day of the shoot. It was only earlier this month that Tamannaah confirmed that her relationship with Vijay took a romantic turn following Lust Stories 2. ALSO READ: Tamannaah Bhatia Says Vijay Varma Had Weird Ideas When She Cancelled Lust Stories 2 Shoot | Exclusive Badshah has come under fire for his lyrical reference to the K-pop group BTS in one of his recent music videos titled Issa Vibe. In the song, Badshah said, Haaye ni tere nakhre, yeh such diva, tujhe handle nahi kar sakta, koyi mere siva." He added, Playlist bad bunny BTS biba, har raat beer peeni hai tujhe kiba." The use of the term Biba did not sit well with BTS fans, who were quick to voice their disappointment over the lyrics. The word translates to a pretty woman. ALSO READ: Not Cool, Badhshah! BTS ARMYs Slam Rapper For Calling K-Pop Group Biba In Latest Song Ever since the announcement of Jee Le Zara with Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif, fans have been extremely excited about the collaboration and are keen on seeing the project come to life. However, looks like, fans have to wait a bit longer as Farhan Akhtar who was supposed to be helming the project has other work commitments prior. Buzz is that the actor whos starring in Aamir Khans Campeones will finish shooting for the film first. This means that Jee Le Zara will be delayed a little more. ALSO READ: Priyanka, Alia, Katrinas Jee Le Zara Delayed; Farhan Akhtar To Star In Aamir Khans Campeones First Bollywood actress Pooja Bhatt is currently locked inside Bigg Boss OTT 2 house. In the recent episode of Salman Khans show, Pooja opened up about her broken marriage. She was married to Manish Makhija for 11 years before the two decided to part ways in 2014. Pooja Bhatt was talking to her co-contestant Bebika Dhurve when she revealed that she did not want to have children and therefore, they parted ways with dignity. Bigg Boss OTT 2 streams on JioCinema. ALSO READ: Bigg Boss OTT 2: Pooja Bhatt Opens Up On Her Divorce, Says I Did Not Want Kids Priyanka Chopra Jonas has been a busy bee. The actress is currently shooting for her next project Heads Of State, in London. Amid the shooting, she greeted fans and shared hands with them. A video of the same has gone viral. Priyanka is shooting for Head Of State with John Cena and Idris Elba. In the video, Priyanka was seen wearing a grey tank top layered teamed with a dark green jacket, and black jeans. She had a braided hairstyle. She met her fans, and chatted with them briefly. Priyanka was later seen leaving in a car while her fans said Bye, Priyanka. The actress then smiled and waved at them. Have a look at the video: Priyanka Chopra spotted with fan other day in London pic.twitter.com/ZRbFBnl3V9 PRIYANKA-Gifs&Pics&Clips (@priyankagifpic) June 22, 2023 As the video went viral, one of the fans took to the comments section and wrote, She waved bye from her car she is the best. Shes the bestest, read another one. Another fan wrote, Action queen ready with another action movie. Speaking of Head Of Stone, the film is touted to be an action thriller and is being helmed by Ilya Naishuller. The film has been backed by Peter Safran and John Rickard, for Safran Company. Priyanka Chopra was recently seen in Citadel. In the web series, she played the role of Nadia Sinh, a confident woman with a cold demeanour. She has plenty of missions to carry with equal amounts of hidden secrets. Meanwhile, her co-star Richard Madden essays the role of Mason Kane, a powerful spy who has a complicated history with Nadia. The story takes an exciting twist when it jumps forward eight years with the global spy agency destroyed by a notorious but heinous organization called Manticore. But Nadia and Mason live a completely different life now, theyre separated with the identities of their past wiped clean from their memories. They live separately until theyre reunited to set out on a wild journey together when Mason is tracked by a former Citadel colleague. The desperate need of the hour is to prevent Manticore from establishing a new world order. The Indian version of Citadel is also in the making. It will be headlined by Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Varun Dhawan. The Family Man creators Raj and DK will be helming the project. While not much about Citadel India is known as of now, Priyanka Chopra recently revealed that the storylines are connected to each other. Raj and DK are so amazing, so talented and theyll bring their own spin to the Indian instalment. So, Im very excited, she said. South superstar Ram Charan and wife Upasana Kamineni recently became parents to a baby girl. Prior to this special news, a clip of RRR star and his wife had gone viral all over social media. Owing to the popularity of the power couple, there is another image floating around social media claiming that its their newborn daughter. The viral picture showcased a little baby napping contently on a hospital bed. Fans circulated this alleged pic stating its Ram Charans daughter. However, the actors manager has rubbished any such rumours. On Wednesday, Ram Charans digital manager Siva Cheery took to his Twitter handle to inform everyone that the viral picture of the little baby is in fact not Ram Charan and Upasana Kaminenis daughter, Pics circulating in social media are not the pics of #MegaPrincess," the tweet read. Pics circulating in social media are not the pics of #MegaPrincess SivaCherry (@sivacherry9) June 20, 2023 On June 20, Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad confirmed the good news in their bulletin. It read,"Ms Upasana Kamineni Konidela and Mr Ram Charan had a baby girl on 20th June 2023, at Apollo Hospital Jubilee Hills - Hyderabad. The baby and mother are doing well." Ram Charans father, megastar Chiranjeevi had announced that Ram and Upasana are expecting their first baby late last year. Taking to Twitter, the veteran actor wrote, With the blessings of Shri Hanuman ji. We are delighted to share that Upasana and Ram Charan are expecting their first child. With love & gratitude, Surekha and Chiranjeevi Konidela; Shobana and Anil Kamineni." Earlier this year, during the Mothers Day celebrations, Upasana opened up about embracing motherhood after being married for 11 years. Taking to Instagram, Upasana had written, I am proud to embrace motherhood for all the right reasons. I did not do it to conform to societys expectations or to fit. My decision to become a mother was not driven by a desire to carry on a legacy or to strengthen my marriage. I chose to have a child when I was emotionally prepared to give unconditional love & care that my child deserves for his/her overall well-being. Celebrating my first #mothersday." Ram had hinted that the couple is having a baby girl earlier this year during an interview. As reported by BollywoodLife at the time, the RRR star spoke about the loves of his life when he referred to the baby as her. My first Jaan is Upasana. My second Jaan is my pet dog Rhyme. And my 3rd Jaan is on her way," Ram said, as quoted by the report, leading to speculations that the couple is expecting a baby girl. Ram Charan and Upasana have been married for 11 years now. The couple reportedly met when they were in college and were introduced to each other via their mutual friends. Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt are off on a trip. The couple, who has been busy with their respective projects, were photographed together at the airport after a long time and they are reportedly headed to Dubai together. On Thursday morning, Ranbir debut his clean shaven look for the paparazzi while Alia joined them. The actor was greeted with much praise. A paparazzo was heard praising Ranbirs look. Nice look," a cameraman was heard saying. Ranbir in return teased him asking whose look was being discussed. When the cameramen said that they were praising him. While Ranbir smiled, Alia teasingly joined in to ask what about her looks. The paparazzi not only praised her for her looks but also for the teaser of her new Hollywood film Heart of Stone. While the couple happily posed for the cameras, Alia made a request to the media gathered at the airport to not turn their cameras away since they were going to carry their daughter Raha out of the car. Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor have been busy with their upcoming films. Alia recently took a work trip to Brazil, where she participated in the teaser launch of Heart of Stone with Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. The teaser was launched as part of Netflixs Tudum event. While the trailer received great reactions from her fans, some of them were disappointed about the lack of screen time given to her. In an interview with Mid-Day, Alia Bhatt addressed such concerns. She explained, Woh toh hoga hi (That will happen).I am not worried about it because I feel at the end of the day you have to get a sense of what the story is about and how the story leads you to the final film. Thats all that matters. Meanwhile, Ranbir recently wrapped the shoot of Animal. The film is directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and also stars Rashmika Mandanna. Sanjay Dutt has done many hit films in his long career. Films like the Munna Bhai franchise, Agneepath, Khalnayak saw him at its best. Khalnayak, directed by Subhash Ghai, was an important project in his career. The movie completed 30 years of its release on June 15. This film is majorly remembered for the immense controversy it generated due to one song Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai. Many organisations objected to this song and even demanded a ban on Khalnayak. However, the film was not banned and Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai became an instant hit with the audience. Director Subhash Ghai was of the opinion that Khalnayak could not win the National Award due to this particular song. He had said this in an interview to Bollywood Hungama on May 6, 2020. Ghai said that the film was nominated for the National Award but could not win it as Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai song was extremely controversial. The director also added that 1 crore cassettes of the song were sold in just a week. Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai is remembered as one of the timeless masterpieces sung by Alka Yagnik and Ila Arun. The audience also lauded the catchy beats composed by the duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal. Anand Bakshi had penned the lyrics for this song. Despite the popularity attained by the song, Khalnayak couldnt receive the same success initially. The audience was of the opinion that the director Subhash Ghai had tried to include too many things in the film which failed to hold the viewers attention for a long time. Khalnayaks storyline revolves around a prison guard Gangotri Devi (Madhuri Dixit) who goes undercover as a dancer to recapture a criminal Balaram Prasad (Sanjay Dutt). It was dubbed as an average film by the critics. The film was in the news after Sanjay Dutts name cropped up in connection with the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Sanjay Dutt was in Mauritius shooting for the film and was arrested by the police, the moment he landed in Mumbai. Kalnayak though ended up being second-highest grossing Bollywood movie of that year, only surpassed by Govindas Aankhen. Shah Rukh Khan and Sunny Deol once collaborated for Yash Chopra directorial Darr. Released in 1993, the film was widely loved by all. However, Sunny Deol wasnt happy with it at all. In an interview with Filmfare back in 2001, post the success of Gadar: Ek Prem Kahani, Deol called Darr worst experience. Back then, Sunny Deol recalled an incident and shared how he was so angry once that he ripped his jeans. If I were to start my career again, I would avoid a mistake called Darr. The making of the film was the worst experience of my life. I was sick of the manipulations and lies. One day in Switzerland, I was so angry that when I stuffed my hands into the pockets, I ripped the jeans I was wearing, he said. Ill never work with Yash Chopra again. He isnt a man of his word. I dont have good memories about him, he betrayed my faith in him, the actor added. While both, Sunny Deol and Shah Rukh Khan have never spoke about their alleged rift, they have alsonever worked together after Darr. Recently, the Pathaan actor was also missing from Sunny Deols son Karan Deols wedding reception which was also attended by several other celebrities including Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. However, reason behind the same is not known as of now. Meanwhile, Sunny Deol is now gearing up for the release of Gadar 2 which also stars Ameesha Patel. The film was announced in October 2021 i.e 20 years after the release of the first movie - Gadar: Ek Prem Katha. The teaser of the sequel was recently released in which Sunny Deol was seen in a black turban hurling a tonga wheel in the air. It surely raised everyone excitement for the film. Gadar 2 is helmed by Anil Sharma and is written by Shaktimaan. The film will hit theatres on August 11, 2023. On his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented several gifts from his side during his meeting with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. These included a special handcrafted box for making ten types of donations (dasha daanam) according to Indian culture, made by artists of Jaipur with sandalwood sourced from Karnataka. This sandalwood box contained many other mesmerising objects. Inside, there was also a small silver idol of Vighnaharta Ganesha, which was prepared by craftsmen of Kolkata. There was a lamp which was also made by artists of Kolkata and a copper plate (tamra-patra) from Uttar Pradesh. As part of the ten types of donation, in tiny silver boxes, there were things like a silver coconut made in Kolkata, scented sandalwood from Mysuru, sesame seeds from Tamil Nadu, a 24-carat gold coin made in Rajasthan, ghee from Punjab, tussar silk cloth made in Jharkhand, rice from Uttarakhand, jaggery from Maharashtra, a 99.5 per cent pure silver coin made in Rajasthan, and salt from Gujarat. These ten things are part of dasha daanam from Indian culture to celebrate the long life of a person, who is about to witness the full moon for the thousandth time in his life. There are ten types of donations: Gaudaan (donation of cow), Bhudaan (donation of land), Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds), Hiranyadaan (donation of gold), Ajyadaan (donation of ghee), Vastradaan (donation of cloth), Dhanyadaan (donation of food grains), Guddaan (donation of jaggery), Raupyadaan (donation silver), and Lavandaan (donation of salt). Its a particularly appropriate gift for the American president according to Indian culture and tradition as Joe Biden will have the opportunity to make such donations on July 3, when he will be seeing the full moon for the thousandth time in his long life. Joe Biden, who became the oldest President of the US, was born on November 20, 1942, and according to Indian astrology, at the age of eighty years and eight months, usually people can see the full form of the moon for the thousandth time in their lives. So, this way, Modis gift is a preparation to celebrate Bidens long life as per Indian culture. What joy Biden would have derived from such a thoughtful gift can be easily judged. Soon after PM Modis US tour ends, Biden can celebrate the momentous occasion of Sahasra Poorna Chandrayam on July 3, which will be a strong answer to his detractors, who often mock his old age and poor health. On turning eighty years and about eight months old, he will also be able to pray to Vighnaharta Ganesha, presented by PM Modi inside the box. If Ganesha showers his blessing, Biden can not only continue his work as President in good health but can also try his hand at winning the US Presidential elections in 2024 for a second time. Prime Minister Modi has not only wished President Biden a long and happy life through his classical gifts but has also drawn the worlds attention towards his literary interests. Bidens favourite author is William Butler Yeats, whom he often quotes in his speeches. Yeats had a deep connection with India and Indian culture. In the works of Bidens literary hero Yeats, there is great respect for Indian culture and values, which are constantly facing attacks in the United States, which has given rise to Hinduphobia. PM Modi had this literary inclination and Bidens fondness for Yeats in mind when he gifted him a special book. This book is The Ten Principal Upanishads, published in 1937. This book was written in English by Yeats in collaboration with Purohit Swami, an Indian philosopher. The first edition of this book was published in London, and Modi presented a copy of this vintage text to Biden. PM Modi also brought a special gift from India for his host Joes life partner Jill, which was a seven-and-a-half carat lab-grown green diamond, kept in a handmade papier mache box. This gift was a glimpse of the past and present of Indian workmanship. While the artists of Kashmir have been famous all over the world for several centuries with their papier mache craftsmanship, Surat in PM Modis home state of Gujarat, renowned as Diamond City, which has been known for the cutting and polishing of imported diamonds, has now been surging ahead towards becoming a major centre of lab-grown diamonds. This gift, which is a combination of the workmanship of artisans from two states, is also a shining example of the success of PM Modis Make in India mission. All these gifts, whether for President Joe Biden or for First Lady Jill, showcase Indian culture, art, continuity and scientific progress of the country, which as the worlds oldest living civilisation has guided it for centuries and is once again taking massive strides to be established as Vishwaguru. Joe Biden himself has been acknowledging the growing power of India frequently, and now is keen to go hand in hand with India under the leadership of PM Modi to meet the major challenges facing the world, whether strategic or natural. By choosing the book edited by Yeats, Modi has tried to give a big message to the world and America in particular. Indias rapid rise on the world stage under Modi has left a large section unhappy, including opposition leaders within the country and organised gangs of left-wing extremists across the world, and there is a hidden message for them too. This is also a tight slap for those jihadis and conversion rings who created Hinduphobia, and left no stone unturned to spoil the atmosphere even before Modis visit to the US, and started building pressure on Biden. Ireland-born English writer Yeats himself was a big fan of Indian culture and Sanatan Bhava. He not only translated and edited the book on Upanishads in English, but also worked on many aspects of Indian culture. Famous Hindi poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan, the father of superstar Amitabh Bachchan and author of dozens of classics including Madhushala, wrote a short research piece at Allahabad University before doing his PhD on Yeats as an English teacher. Its title was WB Yeats: His Mind and Art. Bachchan went to Cambridge University to pursue a PhD, and in the context of his research on Yeats, he visited important places in Ireland, including Dublin, which had links with Yates, and also met his wife. Bachchan has written in detail about his thoughts about going to Cambridge to do his PhD and Yeats in the third volume of his famous autobiography Basere Se Door. One can easily gauge while going through this book how much the great English litterateur Yeats was influenced by Hindu eternal values, culture, and Hindutva which has kept India ensconced for centuries and is now on the target of some miscreants who are antagonistic towards it and Modi as Indias representative. According to the initial discussion Bachchan had with his guide Professor TR Henn after arriving at Cambridge University in 1952 to do his doctorate on Yeats, nearly thirteen years after his death, he wanted to do a PhD on the subject of the influence of Indian philosophy and fables on the great poet. But Henn asked him to broaden the scope of his study. Bachchan finally decided on his research topic, WB Yeats and Occultism. It usually takes four years for this type of research, but his passion for Yeats and Yeatss own attachment to Indian values and ideas filled Bachchan with unbridled enthusiasm and he returned to India in 1954 after completing his research work within two years. Referring to Yeats philosophy and thinking in Basere Se Door, Bachchan writes: Yeatss interests, his curiosity, his thirst for knowledge, his research and self-study were so diverse and in such strange directionsThe India by which he was allured was neither historical nor political, it was Bharat Adbhutam, according to the Srimad Bhagavata Puran, an incredible India that wonder of India, whether found in its ancient literature, its philosophy, its legends, or superstitions." Among the various chapters that Bachchan wrote in his research paper on Yeats were 1) Yeats and Mohini Chatterji and Tagore, and 2) Yeats and Purohit Swami and the Upanishads. Its important to note that Bachchans research was based on a subject closely linked to the book presented to the US President by PM Modi. The relationship between Yeats and Tagore and their works also finds mention in Bachchans research paper. Another name mentioned is Mohini Chatterji, a famous advocate and intellectual, who was initially associated with the Brahmo Samaj and later became a notable member of the Bengal Theosophical Society. He made significant contributions towards connecting the Western world with Eastern culture and philosophy. The faith that Yeats had in these eternal values of India, his book on Upanishads is a symbol of the same spirit which Modi has presented to Biden. Yeatss love for Indian values was also reflected in his association with the seminal work Gitanjali by poet Rabindranath Tagore. Yeats, who came in contact through an artist friend with Tagore during his visit to Britain in 1912, not only got Gitanjali published in English under the banner of Indian Society of London, but also wrote its introduction and improved Tagores translation as needed. This English-translated version of Gitanjali won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, the first for a literary work from outside Europe. Tagore himself has mentioned this in his autobiography. In fact, between 1907 and 1910, Tagore wrote 156 poems, the motif of which was devotion and which were based on mediaeval songs that had a glimpse of the struggle between spirituality and materialism. Tagore named this collection of poems Gitanjali and presented them to the readers. In fact, Tagore was preparing to leave for England on March 19, 1912, but just the night before that his health deteriorated and he had to postpone his journey. It was during this period of illness that he started translating his poems included in Gitanjali into English while staying in Sealdah. By the time the work was done, his health had improved. On May 27, 1912, he departed for London by sea. On his arrival in London, he met his old friend and famous painter William Rothenstein, renowned for his World War paintings. He showed Rothenstein the English translation of his poems, which he liked, and he introduced Tagore to his friend Yeats. Yeats was most attracted by the timeless spirituality of India, so when he went through Gitanjali, he was elated reading those poems. To his surprise, the spirit of the philosophy of India in which he was deeply interested was visible in these poems. Tagore had some doubts about the accuracy and artistry of his own English translations of the poems included in Gitanjali, but Yeats greatly encouraged him and shared the translations with his literary friends. They all loved these poems. Yeats himself picked out one hundred and three of Tagores poems translated from Bengali into English to publish them and also wrote the preface to the book. Other colleagues of Yeats in London also helped in this, and this collection of poems was published through the Indian Society of London, as Gitanjali (Song Offerings). Later, Tagore went to the US, where his son was doing his graduation in agricultural science. After his first visit to America, Tagore returned to England in April 1913 and left for India in September 1913. On November 14, 1913, Tagore received the news that he had been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for the English translation of Gitanjali. An Indian receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature when the country was shackled by British rule was a joyous occasion for citizens, a morale booster, and a proud moment for India. Yeats played a huge role in Tagore getting this honour. Likewise, by presenting the book of Upanishads composed by the same Yeats to the US President, Modi has also tried to remind the world about that connection from one hundred and ten years ago, which is associated with Yeats, whose work Biden has been an admirer of, and this comes at a time when the whole world is once again looking at India with reverence and the countrymen are leaving no stone unturned to take it on the path of becoming Vishwaguru. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the US on a state visit. The newspaper columns to media reports are filled with the fanfare of the visit which will include discussions primarily over Initiatives on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) and defence cooperation. The former is relatively a newer area of cooperation which comprises quantum computing and artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and others, while defence cooperation between the two predates the cold war era. And today is especially guided by not only the compulsions of the evolving geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific region but also to fulfil the requirements on both sides. However, before counting too much, it is important to have a transparent analysis of various highs and lows of the India-US defence cooperation. During the Cold War, India and the US were on the opposite side of the fence. But the leaf was turned with the end of the war. First, due to the changed geopolitical scenario and second, due to the growing economic profile of India and the reverberations it created in the US Commerce Department as a big emerging market. Despite the hiccups due to the nuclear test, the India-US ties have indeed travelled a long distance and moved from estrangement to engagement. Amidst the multidimensional bilateral ties between New Delhi and Washington, defence cooperation constitutes a quintessential aspect of it. The bilateral defence cooperation has become increasingly robust in the last two decades, beginning with the 2005 defence agreement, which was later renewed and extended for ten years in 2015. India is also considered a pivotal partner for the US in the Indo-Pacific region which was reflected in the 2015 US-India Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region under the Obama Administration to deal with the common threat of China in the region. The defence partnership was further elevated by designating India as the Major Defence Partner in 2016. Former President Donald Trump further reiterated the importance of India in the Indo-Pacific by not only rejuvenating the QUAD but also mentioning strengthening ties with India under the Asia Reassurance Initiative Act. India is also a signatory to all four foundational agreements of the US, thereby further deepening and widening the defence ties. In this direction, Indias exemption from Countering Americas Adversaries Through the Sanctions Act (CAATSA) to purchase the S-400 Triumf missile air defence system was a significant step to take the relationship on an upward trajectory. Despite the above highs in bilateral defence cooperation over the past two decades, the most recent SIPRI report mentions that Russia remains the largest supplier, while France remains the second-largest supplier to India. Moscow contributes nearly half of Indias defence imports even today. On the other hand, the US share is a mere 11 percent even as India is the most lucrative defence market in the world. What is it that other countries like Russia and France are getting on the table and the US is not? The most important is the Transfer of Technology (ToT). With New Delhi expected to spend around $250 billion on defence modernisation by 2025, and the laser-like focus of the government on Atmanirbharta or indigenous manufacturing, ToT is the need of the hour. Here PM Modis Make in India finds resonance with Americas quest for a major source of export for its defence industries. ToT is the major impediment that has created differences between New Delhi and Washington which needs to be resolved quickly. Currently, the US has strict restrictions on the transfer of sensitive technology to other countries. With the common desire to build stronger economies and free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, the trust and confidence need to pierce deeper to really deepen the defence ties as mentioned by US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti. Another dimension of defence cooperation that requires keen attention from the US defence industry is the transfer of the most advanced technology. India has never taken Chinas name implicitly. However, in its actions and initiatives, it has always implied its opposition towards the role played by China in the Indo-Pacific region, and more so in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) as compared to the US, which has not shunned mentioning China as its peer competitor and a threat outrightly in various official documents like National Security Strategy, National Defense Strategy and even Indo-Pacific Strategy. To deal with China effectively is one of the long-term goals of the US coming close to India than ever before. In this context, it will have to provide India with the best of its cards to deal with China, which is significantly ahead of New Delhi in terms of technological and military prowess. Some analysts have gone a step ahead in pointing out that the US should go beyond platforms and also indulge in transferring offensive technologies to India. Finalising the deal to procure the MQ-9B drones and discussions over 80 percent of the technology transfer in the case of the F-414 engine perhaps for Light Combat Aircraft Tejas MK-II is a step in the right direction. Hope is that the ToT will become a reality with PM Modis visit to the US and further take the bilateral ties to the zenith. The deal, if sealed under the Biden and Modi government, will be a big game changer not only for the bilateral ties but also for the next general elections in the largest and the oldest democracy in 2024. The author is Research Associate, Centre for Air Power Studies. Views expressed are personal. Indias emergence as a prominent global player has been a remarkable phenomenon in recent years. With its rapidly expanding economy, growing geopolitical influence, and rich cultural heritage, India has re-captured the attention of the world. As we witness this rise, it becomes imperative to reflect upon history and the shifts in the global order that have shaped nations and societies. The study of past transitions offers insight into what a more multipolar global order may look like and discern the challenges and opportunities it may present. The ebb and flow of global affairs has always been punctuated by momentous shifts in the established order. The French Revolution, with its revolutionary ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity, sent shockwaves across Europe, challenging the entrenched power structures. As Napoleon Bonaparte emerged as a formidable force, threatening to dominate the continent, a coalition of powers rallied against him. The ensuing defeat of Napoleon led to the convening of the Concert of Vienna in 1814, a diplomatic assembly aimed at restoring stability and establishing a new order in Europe. This post-revolutionary period witnessed a concerted effort to preserve the delicate balance of power among nations, ensuring a semblance of stability in the aftermath of revolutionary upheaval. The 19th century witnessed the emergence of new players on the global stage which further disrupted the prevailing order. The United States, propelled by its rapid industrialisation, surged forward as an economic powerhouse, challenging the established European powers. Meanwhile, Germany and Japan, driven by their own ambitions, embarked on paths of aggressive expansion and imperial conquest. The resultant tensions and rivalries led to two devastating world wars that shook the foundations of the existing global order. The aftermath of World War II witnessed the emergence of two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, whose spheres of influence extended across the globe. The bipolar world order that ensued was characterised by a delicate balance of power, with each superpower vying for dominance in a global chess match. The Cold War rivalry between the two giants dictated global politics, as nations aligned themselves with one of the two ideological camps. However, the dawn of the 1990s brought about a seismic shift in the global order. The collapse of the Soviet Union heralded the end of the bipolar era and ushered in what was perceived as Americas unipolar moment. With the United States standing as the sole superpower, it enjoyed unparalleled influence and authority in shaping global affairs. This unipolar world order, though marked by relative stability, was not devoid of challenges. As the new millennium unfolded, the ascension of China began to reverberate across the international stage. With its unprecedented economic growth and expanding geopolitical influence, China emerged as a formidable contender to US dominance. Simultaneously, Russia, recovering from its post-Soviet economic turmoil, sought to regain its position as a global power player. These dynamics engendered a more multipolar world, characterised by a shifting power balance and the potential for new alignments and alliances. In this landscape of evolving power dynamics, the rise of India assumes great significance. Endowed with a burgeoning population, a thriving economy, and an abundant tapestry of cultural traditions, India has the potential to reshape the global order. Its influence extends beyond the confines of the Indian subcontinent, with increasing forays into the realms of technology, diplomacy, and soft power projection. A strong India, with its democratic ideals and diverse cultural fabric, could add another layer of complexity to the global balance of power, potentially fostering a multipolar world that reflects a more equitable distribution of influence. The implications of a rising India on the global order cannot be fully predicted or predetermined. It is a complex interplay of various factors, including domestic policies, international relations, economic growth, and societal dynamics. Indias journey towards greater prominence on the global stage is not without challenges and hurdles. Issues such as socioeconomic shifts, regional disparities, and governance reforms need to be addressed to ensure a stable and sustainable rise. The global order is a dynamic and ever-evolving construct. It is influenced not only by the rise and fall of nations but also by technological advancements, ideological shifts, and the aspirations of individuals and communities. The future of the global order hinges on how these multifaceted elements interact and shape the world in the years to come. Navigating this uncertain terrain requires a strategic and inclusive approach. Nations must foster dialogue, collaboration, and mutual understanding to forge a new global order that promotes peace, stability, and shared prosperity. This necessitates collective efforts to address common challenges such as climate change, the economic upsurge of Asia and Africa, and the preservation of human flourishing. It also requires acknowledging and respecting the unique cultural identities and aspirations of different nations and peoples. The history of the global order has taught us that change is an inherent characteristic of the human condition. As nations rise and fall, alliances shift, and power is redistributed, it is imperative for policymakers and global actors to navigate these transitions with prudence and foresight. Cooperation, diplomacy, and a commitment to peaceful resolutions become paramount in preserving stability and fostering a more equitable world order. The rise of India, alongside the continued ascendancy of China and the resurgence of Russia, necessitates a delicate balance of power that upholds the principles of mutual respect, inclusivity, and collective security. The interplay of nations and their aspirations will determine the contours of the global order in the coming decades, with the potential for a multipolar framework that reflects the evolving dynamics of power. Indias long history as a continuous civilisation, diverse society, and economic potential position it as a significant player in shaping the future global order. As Indias influence expands, it is essential to foster a cooperative and collaborative approach among nations to leverage the strengths and capabilities of diverse stakeholders. Accommodating India in the world order requires recognising its growing significance and providing it with a commensurate role in international institutions. In the context of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Indias inclusion as a permanent member would reflect its status as the worlds largest democracy and a major global player. Reforms within the World Trade Organisation (WTO) should aim to provide India with greater representation and ensure its concerns are addressed, given its substantial market size and economic influence. Similarly, in institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), Indias voice should be amplified to reflect its growing economic weight and development aspirations. By accommodating India in these global institutions, the world can harness its potential, foster equitable decision-making, and effectively address the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing global landscape. The rise of India holds promise, not just for India itself but also for the world at large. The author is an accomplished data engineer and public markets investor with a deep understanding of the financial, IT, and energy sectors. He tweets @DeepakInsights. Views expressed are personal. The upcoming grand Opposition meeting scheduled to take place in Patna on June 23 has garnered significant attention. Undoubtedly, the gathering of Opposition political parties holds great significance. However, the pressing inquiry remains: what new ideas will emerge from this assembly? As the Opposition gears up to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the first meeting to formulate their vision is set to take place. Discussions will be held to lay the groundwork for the Opposition alliances strategy. Amidst the fervour surrounding the Oppositions purported unity, there remain a number of pressing questions regarding the practicality of the ideas being bandied about by individual Opposition leaders, as well as the level of commitment these political parties possess in their bid to challenge the BJP. Despite high expectations, it is unlikely that anything ground-breaking will emerge from this Opposition meeting. At best, we can expect some visually appealing photo opportunities. As the political climate in India before the 2024 general elections heats up, the Opposition parties are yet to make their stance unequivocally clear. However, it is evident that their primary objective is to challenge the ruling BJP. The aspiration to combat the BJP, however, tends to be confined to regional or state-specific contexts. Ultimately, the Congress has the big ambition of unseating Narendra Modi, so it is important to pay attention to what the great old party offers. As the Opposition alliance negotiations commenced, the Congress party appeared to have taken a backseat and refrained from playing an active role. Bihar Chief Minister and JDU Chief, Nitish Kumar, has been instrumental in bringing together various Opposition parties, effectively serving as an anchor in the process. The question of whether Nitish Kumars role is merely temporary or if he will persist in such a capacity is a crucial development to monitor. Many Formula, No Consensus Various Opposition political parties have presented their strategies to challenge the BJP. The proposed formulas, while intriguing, face significant challenges and lack widespread agreement. In a recent development, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal and leader of the Trinamool Congress, has put forth a proposal suggesting that in each state, only the strongest Opposition party should contest the upcoming elections. This move aims to consolidate the Opposition vote and increase their chances of victory. Banerjees proposal has been met with mixed reactions and is currently being debated by various political parties. Should Congress acquiesce to this formula, it would effectively forfeit its ability to contest in key regions such as West Bengal, Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, et al. It appears highly improbable that the grand old party will ever endorse such a proposition. In a similar vein, it is expected that the left-political parties will fiercely oppose Banerjees agenda in West Bengal, and it is highly unlikely that they will endorse such a proposal under any circumstances. In a recent development, Akhilesh Yadav has proposed his PDA formula, which aims to extend outreach to the backward, Dalit, and minority communities. It is now widely recognised among political circles that the BJP has garnered significant support from the backward class and Dalit communities in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It appears that the Opposition will only be able to secure votes from minority groups. Crafting a formula to combat the BJP may not be a viable long-term strategy, as it is improbable that most Opposition parties will endorse such a plan. This state of confusion and indecision will prevail in this meeting too. In these politically charged times, the Opposition finds itself at a crossroads. And a positive outcome could be to move forward, it is imperative that they establish a committee tasked with exploring various formulas and propositions. By doing so, they may discover a middle path or common ground that will pave the way for agreement and progress. It is imperative that the campaign across India commence without any further delay, as per the terms of the agreement. Congress Dilemma The Congress partys dilemma, which is unquestionably the largest stakeholder in the Opposition alliance, will remain intact. Despite the partys stated desire to establish a coalition, it appears that the Congress will not sacrifice several states solely for the sake of Opposition unity in the upcoming general elections. Several political parties, including Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), TMC, and Samajwadi Party (SP), have made it clear that they will not entertain Congress high-handed approach towards forming an alliance. In a recent development during the Panchayat elections campaign in West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee unequivocally stated that her party will not entertain any compromises with Congress in the state. Over time, the Congress has seen a decline in its influence and popularity in several states due to the presence of Opposition parties. The decline of Congress in UP can be attributed primarily to the SP, rather than the BJP. In Punjab, the AAP has successfully eroded the Congress vote bank. In the absence of a clear stance from the Congress, it is unlikely that other political parties will step up to the plate and take charge. As the party gears up for an important meeting, all eyes are on Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi. The partys stance on crucial issues hangs in the balance, and it is up to these two leaders to make it clear to the public. The lack of decisiveness in the party has been a recurring issue, as evidenced by their failure to take a firm stance on pressing matters. For instance, despite repeated requests from AAP Convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, the party is yet to arrange a meeting with him. Additionally, the Congress is yet to determine its position on the recent ordinance passed by the Centre, which grants it control over the transfer and posting of Delhi government officials. Way Forward The upcoming Opposition meeting, which will see the presence of various political parties deliberating on the way forward, is undoubtedly a significant development for the Opposition alliance. Undoubtedly, discrepancies exist within these political factions. For the coalition to succeed, it is imperative that the Opposition not merely rehash old issues already familiar to everyone. Rather, they must present tangible solutions to bridge these differences. For the Oppositions unity to succeed, it is imperative that both the Congress and the regional parties make certain sacrifices. It is imperative for regional parties to recognise the larger stake of the Congress and refrain from impeding its progress in other states while attempting to expand their own influence. It is unreasonable to expect Congress to acquiesce to such behaviour and compromise on their own objectives. In order to achieve a successful outcome, the upcoming meeting must prioritise the establishment of a common minimum programme and the identification of a shared path forward. At this stage, no big breakthrough is expected from the Opposition meeting in Patna but there can be certain decisions which will determine the future course of action of the coalition. The author is a Columnist and Doctoral Research Scholar In Media & Politics. He tweets @sayantan_gh. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication. Sunny Leone looks hot in a green tie-dye bikini while going snorkelling with her husband. Now that's what we call a truly tropical holiday - not just lazing on the beach but going all adventurous with exciting snorkelling adventures. (Image: Instagram) The relationship between the US and India is one of most defining relationships in the 21st century, Joe Biden said as he welcomed PM Modi to the White House for the scheduled bilateral meeting at the Oval Office. (Image/News18) US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House during which they discussed a range of issues, exchanged gifts and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India (PTI Photo) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday threatened to skip the meeting of opposition leaders in Patna on Friday if Congress does not back it against the Centres ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi. Quoting party sources, a PTI report said AAP will boycott the mega opposition meeting if the Congress doesnt support the party on the issue of the Delhi ordinance. The AAP will stage a walkout of the meeting if the Congress does not promise its support against the ordinance," a source said. Reacting to AAPs ultimatum, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit said Arvind Kejriwal will not be missed if he chooses to skip the meeting. No one will miss him (Arvind Kejriwal) if he doesnt attend the meeting. We always knew that he was searching for excuses to not go to this meeting. Also, he must have got an order from the higher-ups to not take part in the meeting," Dikshit said in a video message. Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar called the meeting of opposition parties to formulate a joint strategy to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal is also slated to attend the meeting along with other opposition leaders. ALSO READ: Nitish Kumar to Host Opposition Leaders Meet in Patna on Jun 23: Know All About the Bihar CMs Pitch On Tuesday, Kejriwal expressed hope that the Congress would clear its stand on the Centres ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi at the meeting of opposition parties in Patna. The Delhi CM has been rallying for the support of non-BJP parties against the ordinance to block it from becoming law. Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar shocked one and all on the 24th foundation day of the party by asking chief Sharad Pawar to relieve him of the post of leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly. He asked for a bigger role in the party, saying during a speech: I am told that I dont act tough as the leader of the opposition. Hence, relieve me from this post and give me a bigger role in the party, adding, I was never interested in working as the LoP but accepted on the demand of party MLAs. The senior NCP leader has been making headlines over the past two months. When his cousin Supriya Sule was appointed as the first working president of the party, there were unconfirmed reports that Ajit was not quite happy. His name popped up again in media reports suggesting that he was the leader of a group within the NCP that wanted to join the BJP. When Sharad Pawar resigned as the national president, all party leaders and workers tried to persuade him to take his resignation back but Ajit took a stand and asked everyone to respect the decision. After the last budget session of the state assembly, he was targeted by an alliance partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi that being the leader of the opposition, he was not as aggressive against the ruling party. So, for his speech at the celebrations of NCPs foundation day, Ajit also said: Assign me any post in the party organisation, and I will do complete justice to whatever responsibility I am entrusted with. Recovered from political debacle to be Maharashtras deputy CM in MVA govt After Sharad Pawar, it is Ajit Pawar who has a strong hold over the party organisation. He takes a keen interest, from state elections to local body elections, and has always delivered desired results for the party. In the current scenario of Maharashtra politics, there are only two politicians who have a strong hold over bureaucracy and the state police. One is deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and the other is Ajit. There is, however, one black mark in his political career that is still fresh in public memory: when he joined hands with Fadnavis to become deputy chief minister in his cabinet. But even then, it was a mark of how strong a leader Ajit is and that was well displayed for Sharad Pawar and the entire NCP. The party leadership also saw how he had the support of NCP MLAs but after this incident, when some leaders were celebrating the end of career, they still had to witness his comeback as Uddhav Thackerays deputy when the MVA formed the government. People who have seen Ajit closely know that he speaks his mind each time but constant criticism of his working style by allies have made him unhappy. So, this time he has spoken his heart out. Can improve NCPs poll performance Before the 2019 assembly elections, Ajit had quit as the Baramati MLA. That time, there was speculation that he had quit due to a family feud. He later clarified that this was due to the Enforcement Directorate taking Sharad Pawars name in a money laundering case pertaining to the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank, of which Ajit Pawar was one of the directors. According to some senior NCP leaders, Sharad Pawar has made a natural division in the party. As Pawar has appointed Sule as the working president and given her responsibility of Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab for the Lok Sabha elections, Ajit may get the responsibility of the state elections. But his latest statement suggests that he does not only want election-related responsibilities. He is also looking for a post, which will give him official authority in the party organisation. Some leaders said if he became the state president, the partys performance will improve so that it is in a commanding position. The Congress on Thursday termed the all-party meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah on the Manipur situation as too little, too late," and said efforts to bring warring factions to the discussion table will lack seriousness if they are done sitting in Delhi. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said it is clear that the all-party meeting is not important for the prime minister as it is being held when he is not there. Manipur has been burning for 50 days, but the Prime Minister has remained silent. An all-party meeting was called when the Prime Minister himself is not in the country. Clearly, this meeting is not important for the Prime Minister," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the entire nation expects a severe intervention from the Union Government and said at least a prime minister-level meeting should have been called in Manipur itself. Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought to the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi," he said on Twitter. After 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, he said, Home Minister Amit Shahs call for an all-party meeting is too little, too late". Venugopal told for the last 54 days, Manipur has been burning, and people are fighting with each other. The PM has not uttered a single word yet. The PM should find some time for our own state, Manipur, as well," he said. Venugopal said the Congress party has already asked for an all-party meeting convened by the prime minister of India. The Home Minister has already been there and has done exercise there. What is the point of the Home Minister calling a meeting again? At least, there should be a meeting at the prime minister level and that too in Manipur. Prime Minister should find little time for our own little state Manipur also," he said. The Congress leader said Manipur is still burning, with people fighting with each other and so many people have lost their lives and so many properties have been burnt. But, the prime minister has not uttered even a single word. At least, a peace call from the prime minister is expected. That too has not even been delivered," he said. The government only woke up after Sonia Gandhis address to the people of Manipur, he said. Shah has called an all-party meeting on the situation in Manipur on June 24. At the outset, the PMs absence from such a serious meeting shows his cowardice and unwillingness to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them," the Congress leader alleged. Noting that the Home Minister himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, he said in fact things have worsened" since his visit. Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship," he asked. Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of Presidents Rule is a travesty," Venugopal charged. The Congress has been seeking the Centres immediate intervention in bringing peace to the northeastern state which has been struck by violence since May 3. The party has also blamed the alleged divisive politics of the BJP for the current situation in Manipur. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 are injured. Shah had also visited the state for four days last month and met a cross-section of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state. Hoardings showing former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar hugging Mughal emperor Aurangzeb sprung up in Mumbais Mahim area on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. The message in Marathi on the hoarding can be loosely translated into: Prakash Ambedkar is dancing to Aurangzebs tune and Uddhav Thackeray is backing it." Mumbai police said that the posters, with hashtag Uddhav Thackeray for Aurangzeb, were put up at night and there is not information yet on who put them up. It has been removed now. No complaint received so far. Police will register an FIR against unknown people if law and order is disturbed," an officer said. Reacting to the development, Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar said, Uddhav Thackerays new love for Aurangzeb can be seen. Those whore compromising with Hindutva, wont be forgiven by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj." #WATCH | "Uddhav Thackeray wanted to make alliance with BJP again but he had a condition that he wants to be the CM for the next 5 years": Deepak Kesarkar, Maharashtra Minister pic.twitter.com/BGNFgLU7re ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Why Picture of Aurangzeb Was Put Up with Uddhav & Ambedkar The posters came up after Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Babasaheb Ambedkar, sparked a controversy by visiting Aurangzebs tomb in Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) and offered floral tributes to the Mughal emperor. His visit came days after the communal tensions in Ahmednagar, and especially Kolhapur, that saw violence after some Muslim college students posted WhatsApp statuses and audio messages on Aurangzeb, triggering Hindu outfits. ALSO READ | 3 Months, 8 Cities: Rise in Violence, Communal Tensions in Maharashtra Spur Political War of Words After his visit raised a few eyebrows, Ambedkar said, What was wrong in visiting Aurangzebs tomb? He was a Mughal emperor who ruled here for nearly 50 years. Can we wipe out history? Instead of abusing Aurangzeb, we should reflect on why he ruled here. What were the reasons We should be mindful of our past. Instead of spreading hatred, let us reconcile ourselves to historical facts. The statement gave further ammunition to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, with BJP leader and deputy chief Devendra Fadnavis targeting Ambedkars ally, Uddhav Thackeray. Uddhav Thackeray is in alliance with Balasaheb Ambedkar. The latter goes to Sambhajinagar and throws flowers on Aurangzebs tomb. I want to ask Mr. Thackeray whether this glorification of Aurangzeb is acceptable to Maharashtra and the country?" he said. Fadnavis added that after being in alliance with the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party for so long, Thackeray had completely forsaken his Hindutva and anything his allies did was now acceptable to him. Shiv Sena which was founded by Uddhavs father, Bal Thackeray, in 1966 literally translates to Army of Shivaji and it is known to be a right-wing Marathi regional party. Iam Hindu, a mad, mad Hindu that is how Balasaheb described himself. ALSO READ | How Shiv Sena Deviated from Bal Thackerays Hardcore Hindutva Agenda and Paid a Heavy Price In a move that offended the opposers further, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav took a veiled jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said that even stalwart BJP leader L K Advani had bowed before the tomb of Pakistans founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone to Pakistan to eat cake on occasion of then-Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharifs birthday. When we used to be allies, (alluding to the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance of 25 years) L K Advani had bowed before Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnahs tomb (during his Pakistan visit in 2005) and PM Modi had gone to Pakistan to eat cake on the occasion of then-PM Nawaz Sharifs birthday (in 2015) There are some who want that people should remain stuck in history. They want to stoke riots in Aurangzebs name and run their business, Thackeray said, downplaying the controversy over ally Prakash Ambedkars visiting Aurangzebs tomb. Why Aurangzebs Name Often Crops Up in Political Debates in Maharashtra? Of the 49 years when Aurangzeb ruled the Indian subcontinent, he spent the last 25 years of his life in areas which now constitute the state of Maharashtra. A report in Indian Express stated that the stay the state was part of his failed and expensive foray into the Deccan. The emperors advance was stopped essentially by the Marathas, particularly Shivaji. In Maharashtras politics, where Chhatrapati Shivaji occupies a revered space, he and Aurangzeb thus represent two extreme poles, with their conflict finding a mention in prominent writings, the report stated. The IE report further mentioned that ff social reformer Jyotiba Phule criticised Aurangzeb in his ballad written in praise of Shivaji, Hindutva hero Vinayak Damodar Savarkar referred to the Mughal as a veritable demon in human form, (who) vowed to root out the whole Hindu world in his book The Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History. The report explained that despite the history, still did not find much resonance in Maharashtras polity till right-wing organisations started painting him as the villain in their Hindu cultural renewal project. It stated that the outfit which rode the wave of religious and nativist chauvinism was the Shiv Sena. Adding to this was the politics taking an anti-Muslim turn, when the Shiv Sena started openly calling Indian Muslims descendants of Aurangzeb. In seeking to denigrate Aurangzeb, the Sena even tended to refer to him as the colloquial Aurangya, the IE report stated. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working president Supriya Sule on Thursday expressed happiness over Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawars wish to work in the party organisation and said it will send a good message to NCP rank and file. Talking to reporters here, Sule said it bodes well when more leaders involve themselves in the party and will send a positive message to the NCP cadre. All senior leaders of the party have worked in the (party) organisation. I am happy that Ajit dada has expressed his wish to work in the organisation, she said. Asked about the speculation that Ajit Pawar might get the state presidents post, Sule said, That is an internal matter of the party. She said Seva (service), Samman (honour) and Swabhiman (self-esteem) are the ideals of the NCP. As a sister, Sule said, she wishes that all aspirations of her brother (Ajit Pawar) come true. Ajit Pawar on Wednesday appealed to the NCP leadership to relieve him of the responsibility as the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and assign him any role in the party organisation. He came up with this demand at the 24th Foundation Day event of the NCP held in Mumbai attended by his uncle Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders. Ajit Pawar took charge as the Leader of the Opposition last July after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, in which he was the deputy chief minister, collapsed due to a rebellion in Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. NCP chief Sharad Pawar recently entrusted the responsibility of Maharashtra to his daughter and MP Supriya Sule by appointing her as a working president. Praful Patel is another working president for other states. Asked about Shiv Sena minister Deepak Kesarkars claim that CM Shinde would have shot himself in the head had the rebellion led by him last year failed, Sule said, If what he (Kesarkar) is speaking is true, it is shocking. Top leaders of Opposition parties will brainstorm at a meeting here on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with sources saying that they would look to avoid the prickly leadership question and emphasise on common ground. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtras former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. It is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav here. Sources said the meeting was being seen as a starting point for the Opposition to come together to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP. Therefore, a basic outline and roadmap for Opposition unity are likely to be deliberated upon with the contentious issue of seat sharing and leadership questions to be avoided for now, they said. This is just the beginning. A meeting of minds is important. The strategy, leadership question and seat sharing are unlikely to be discussed at this stage," a senior Opposition leader said on condition of anonymity. The leader said issues that the Opposition would jointly raise to corner the BJP would be at the top of the agenda and in this context the Manipur violence and the Centres alleged failure there are likely to be discussed. With all eyes on the meeting, another interesting aspect would be Kejriwal strongly pitching for a discussion on the Centres ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital and how the Congress would respond to it. Keeping cards close to its chest, the Congress has so far kept its stand ambiguous as to whether it would support the AAP or not when the ordinance is put to test in Parliament by the BJP-led Centre. Kejriwal on Tuesday had expressed hope that the Congress will clear its stand on the Centres ordinance at the June 23 meeting. The meeting also comes amid fissures in the Opposition ranks with Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sitting on a dharna outside a block office in Bengals Murshidabad district demanding action against the activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress who allegedly attacked Congress workers in the run-up to the panchayat polls in the state. The BJP has been taking swipes at the Opposition over differences within its ranks and repeatedly jabbing it over the leadership question as to who will be their prime ministerial face. Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh hit back at the BJPs criticism, saying the issue of who would be the prime ministerial face of the Opposition alliance is not important as the leadership question can be tackled collectively after defeating the BJP in the 2024 general elections. CPI general secretary D Raja, who would be attending the meeting, hailed the Patna huddle of Opposition leaders as a step forward in the right direction". This meeting is being held Immediately after the Karnataka elections. Several state elections are coming up and the Lok Sabha polls are due in 2024. This (the meeting) will give clarity," Raja told PTI. The secular democratic parties coming together itself is a very positive message and that is the reason why the BJP is getting jittery and desperate", he claimed. Exuding confidence that the anti-BJP alliance can win in 2024, Raja said the secular democratic parties must work together keeping in view the primary objective to defeat BJP. This is not just for winning seats and forming a government. This is to safeguard democracy, constitution, the secular fabric of the country and even safeguarding the sovereign independence of Parliament," he said. When elections take place, the electoral strategy and seat sharing will be discussed at the state level. It will be based on the balance of political forces. There, I think, the secular democratic parties must be more reasonable and mutually accommodating," the CPI leader said. The meeting also comes amid a churn in the ruling coalition in Patna as well with one of the Mahagathbandhan allies and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi walking out of the alliance and crossing over to the NDA. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI (ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya are among the other leaders who have agreed to be part of the meeting. Telangana-based Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the Biju Janata Dal of Odisha, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the YSR Congress Party are among the non-BJP parties which are likely to give the meeting a miss. Opposition leaders are in Patna for a crucial meeting on Friday to discuss the prospects of putting up a joint fight in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee reached Patna late on Thursday. Her Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar received the two, following which Mamata said: The opposition will fight like a collective family Everyone will come together to save the country from disaster. Mamata and Abhishek also met former CMs Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi as well as deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav at their residence. All eyes will be on Mamata due to her differences with the Congress back home. So, what will she be bringing to the table at the all-important opposition meeting? Opposition leaders are scared" and are gathering in Patna to protect their own interests", BJP MP and actor Ravi Kishan charged on Thursday, a day before a scheduled meeting of Opposition parties in Bihars capital. People born in air-conditioned rooms will not be able to stand in front of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi. The Opposition has no face. Dont know what welfare they will do for the country. They are gathering in Patna for their own interests," he told reporters in Uttar Pradeshs Ballia. He asserted that his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The opposition will lose the election badly. Only a handful of people in the country are opposing the Modi government by appearing in TV and newspapers. Modi is the voice of 140 crore people," the Lok Sabha member from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh said. Leaders of Opposition parties are scared of action by ED (Enforcement Directorate). They are out on bail, everyone is scaredthe scared Opposition has come together," he said. Leaders of at least 15 Opposition parties are set to meet in Patna on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Targeting the Congress, Ravi Kishan said its leaders are always making trips to abroad and do not have any time left for villages of the country. The Congress party destroyed the country and the countryside," he charged. Targeting the Samajwadi Party, he said its president Akhilesh Yadav doesnt like the Yogi Adityanath government because it has put an end to the mafia raj in Uttar Pradesh. Even as the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) 30-day mass connect programme in Uttar Pradesh launched on May 30 not just to mark nine years of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, but also to bolster its mass connect ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha Polls approaches its end, the party seems to be in no mood to take any chance for the Lok Sabha Seats it lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls. The BJP got more than 600 volunteers, YouTube influencers, senior party leaders and heavyweights for its programme Tiffin pe Charcha or Khane pe Charcha which ends on June 30. However, the special focus is the 16 Lok Sabha Seats it lost in UP. Party insiders said the party is interested in regaining its foothold there. ALSO READ | Tiffin Pe Charcha Campaign: UP CM Interacts with Party Workers in Gorakhpur The BJP has special plans for these seats, where it is using Tiffin pe Charcha as the new tool to woo people and spread awareness about the development work, which the party carried out in nine years of the Modi government at the Centre and during the first and second tenure of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a senior party leader said. Dharampal Singh, BJPs state general secretary, who recently held a meeting with the volunteers, said that for these seats, the volunteers were trained to highlight the works. Party functionaries, including MLA and local people, held discussions over meals with some influential families of the region. At least 200 families of actors, scientists, freedom fighters, doctors, sportspersons and others were shortlisted, Singh said. OPPOSITION STILL NOT UNITED However, political pandits and experts feel that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be a cakewalk for the party with the effective Tiffin pe Charcha and no Mahagathbandhan formula in place. Shashikant Pandey, head, department of political science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, said, The BJPs Tiffin pe Charcha will leave a mark as the entire outreach programme was convincing. The fight for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Polls will also be comparatively easy for the party, given the dearth of a strong opposition and anti-BJP alliance. Pandey said that in March, Samajwadi Party Chief (SP) Akhilesh Yadav met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during his two-day visit to Kolkata to attend the partys national executive meeting. The planned" meet between the two leaders was enough to kickstart speculations in the political circles of Uttar Pradesh and across the country, hinting at the emergence of an anti-BJP alliance ahead of 2024. Thereafter, SP national vice-president Kiranmoy Nanda announced that his party will work unitedly to fight the BJP in Lok Sabha Polls, but there is no hint of any alliance so far. Pandey said that the idea of forming an anti-BJP front is not new to UP, as it has witnessed a similar arrangement in the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, when Mahagathbandhan was formed to beat the BJP, but it failed to make any difference. The Mahagathbandhan or Grand Alliance, Pandey said, was formed in the run-up to the 2019 general elections under the leadership of Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati and Rashtriya Lok Dals chief Ajit Singh. The alliance was anti-Congress and anti-BJP. ALSO READ | BJPs Khane Pe Charcha in UP: Where Citizens Will Chew Over Modi-Yogi Performance Ahead of 2024 Of the total 80 seats in UP, the Grand Alliance left two seats for Congresss Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi to whom the BSP had declared its support. But the arrangement failed to make any difference, as the BJP bagged 51.19% of the vote share against Mahagathbandhans 39.23%. The Congress managed to score merely 6.41% votes. The BJP bagged 62 seats, whereas the Mahagathbandhan bagged 15 in total, pointed out Pandey. However, he said Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra, his disqualification and issues such as growing unemployment and inflation could play spoilsport for the BJP. London is considered as the fintech capital in the west but for someone travelling from India, it may come as a surprise that Londoners are mostly stuck to cash or cards for payments. With limited support for Google Pay or Apple Pay, London is mostly either about credit or Oyster cards. On the contrary, the use of UPI-based mobile payments apps have skyrocketed in India. The fact that Indians can use something like UPI to make transactions, even in pennies, and all that is required is a smartphone and a bank account has impressed many at London Tech Week 2023. WATCH VIDEO: Impressed With Indias Tech Ecosystem: Russ Shaw Russ Shaw, founder, Tech London Advocates, in a candid conversation with Debashis Sarkar, Editor, News18 Tech, highlighted how the western countries need to pay attention to the tech advances that are happening in India. India has leapfrogged from being a cash dominant to a cashless society recently, thanks to UPI, said the founder of Tech London Advocates, which Shaw described as a collection of tech leaders and voice of the private sector in London campaigning for the future of London tech. We need to follow Indias lead on mobile payments. When I was there recently, I was just so amazed to see how cash had just disappeared. I think some of the changes that are put in place, some of the policies that make that (Indias change) happen are something western countries should be looking at, he said. Talking about how Indian tech talent is perceived by companies in London, Shaw said, I think Indias tech ecosystem is one of the most dynamic and impressive in the world. There are some great entrepreneurs, great businesses being created and an exceptional talent base and people looking at challenges and opportunities that need to be addressed. I was there (in India) several months ago and I was just so impressed with the calibre of whats been created in India and I do think that it will be the largest tech sector in the world. Shaw stressed that Indias tech contribution will excel in many areas. Areas like Agri-tech, fintech, health tech and sustainable tech will see Indian companies taking a lead. I also see a lot of movement around advanced manufacturing when you look at chips, semiconductors Indias future is incredibly bright when it comes to tech, he added. As family heirlooms go, it doesnt get much better than a pair of Rembrandt portraits that the world had forgotten about for 200 years. A British family rather casually enjoyed" the oil paintings by the 17th century Dutch master until an expert from Christies auction house spotted them. Now the last pair of Rembrandt portraits to remain in private hands are set to fetch between 5 million and 8 million when they go under the hammer at Christies in London next month. I first encountered these pictures a few years ago on a routine valuation and was stopped in my tracks," Henry Pettifer, International Deputy Chairman of Old Master Paintings at Christies, told AFP as the paintings went on display in Amsterdam. I was really staggered to discover that the pictures had never really been researched and never been addressed in any of the literature on Rembrandt over the course of 200 years." The 20-centimetre high (eight-inch) oval portraits, believed to date from 1635, depict an elderly plumber named Jan Willemsz van der Pluym and his wife Jaapgen Carels. The couple, painted in an unusually intimate style for Rembrandt, were friends of the artists family and hailed from his hometown of Leiden in the Netherlands. Casually enjoying An ancestor of the current owners bought the paintings at auction at Christies in 1824, where they were listed as Rembrandts, and they have remained in the same collection ever since. Theyve been sitting quietly and enjoyed by the owners family over the course of two centuries rather casually enjoying them very much," said Pettifer. After spotting them, forensic" work began on verifying that they were genuine. Essentially the pictures were unknown, initially to be treated with a great deal of caution, but obviously needed to be examined and researched in great detail," he said. The auction house enlisted help from art experts, including from Amsterdams famed Rijksmuseum. We were fortunate enough that they had their scientific team really very carefully look into them for nearly two years," Christies expert Manja Rottink told AFP. Experts looked at the line of ownership of the paintings, which are mentioned in an inventory of the oldest daughter of the portrait subjects, said Rottink, the senior international specialist of old master paintings at Christies. Very exciting They also checked Rembrandts signatures, including whether they had been done at the time in wet paint, and comparing the artistic style to his other works. The conclusion was that indeed they are by the artist it was sort of overwhelming how enthusiastic everyone was about this find," she said. As the smallest known portraits by Rembrandt, they have also shed new light on the style of the artist, who at the time was better known for much larger portraits commissioned by wealthy families. These are something slightly different, something much more intimate," said Pettifer. The newly discovered Rembrandts, which Christies describes as one of the most exciting discoveries we have made in the Old Masters field in recent years", have also been on tour in New York and London, where they will go under the hammer on July 6. While it remains to be seen whether the buyer will be private or a museum, one thing about the auction is certain. Theyve been intact all their lives so were selling them together," said Pettifer. Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to address the US Congress on two separate occasions on Thursday. It is always a great honour to address the US Congress. It is an exceptional privilege to do so twice. For this honour, I extend my deepest gratitude to the 1.4 billion people of India, PM Modi said, according to news agency ANI. Democracy is one of our shared values. Throughout history one thing has been clear - democracy is a spirit that supports equality and dignity. Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse, a culture gives wings to thought and expression. India has had these values since times immemorial. India is the mother of democracy, PM Modi said. We shall give a better future to the world, and the future a better world, Modi said in his speech. PM Modi said throughout history the world has strived to know about India. He pointed out that over the past few years, India has welcomed more than 100 members of the US Congress, while highlighting how close both nations have come in the past decade. PM Modi also spoke about growing India-US defence cooperation. Today, the US has become one of our most important defence partners. Today, India and the US are working together in space and in the seas, in science and in semiconductors, in startups and sustainability, in tech and in trade, in farming and finance, in art and Artificial Intelligence, he said. PM Modi also touched on women empowerment in India and said that Indias vision for the future is powered by women and spoke about President Droupadi Murmu, outlining that she rose from a humble background to become Indias head-of-state. India has the highest percentage of airline pilots in the world. At a local government level, there are thousands of women who are running the country. Investing in a girl child helps in uplifting the entire families, he said. India has the highest percentage of airline pilots in the world. At a local government level, there are thousands of women who are running the country. Investing in a girl child helps in uplifting the entire family, he said. Women are leading us to a better future. Indias vision is not just of development that benefits women. It is of women-led development where women lead the journey of progress, PM Modi said. Indian Economy When I first visited the US as a PM, India was the 10th largest economy in the world. Today, India is the 5th largest economy. India will be the 3rd largest economy soon. We are not only growing bigger but we are also growing faster. When India grows the whole world grows, PM Modi said. Speaking of the progress India made in fintech and poverty alleviation, PM Modi highlighted that Indians from all walks of life have adopted digital payments. Everyone is using their phones for making digital payments in India, including street vendors. In India, technology is not about innovation but also inclusion. 850 million people receive direct benefit financial help into their accounts, the Prime Minister said. Ukraine and Indo-Pacific Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India wishes for bloodshed in Ukraine to stop. We must do all we can to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine. I have said directly and publicly, this is not an era of war, but one of dialogue and diplomacy, PM Modi said. He also said that it is necessary to maintain a free, fair and inclusive Indo-Pacific. We must show that democracies matter and democracies deliver, he said. The stability of the Indo-Pacific region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership. We share a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. More than 2 decades after the 9/11 attacks and more than a decade after 26/11 in Mumbai, terrorism and radicalism still remain a danger for the whole world, he said, according to ANI. Terrorism and Multilateral Reforms The Prime Minister urged that all forces responsible for sponsoring and exporting terror must be stopped. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror. Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs and buts in dealing with it, he said. Prime Minister Modi also highlighted that there is a need for reform in multilateral organisations and said these institutions must reflect modern aspirations. We must revive multilateralism and reform multilateral institutions with better resources and representation that applies to all our global institutions of governance, especially the UN. When the world has changed, our institutions too must change or risk getting replaced by a world of rivalries without rules, he said. He also lauded the achievements of Indian-Americans and noted the achievements of US Vice President and Indian-American leader Kamala Harris. The foundation of America was inspired by the vision of a nation of equal peopleThere are millions here who have roots in India, some of them sit proudly in this chamber and there is one behind me," PM Modi said. He quipped that Indian-Americans are leaders in every field and not just spelling bee referring to the large number of winners in the competition from the Indian-American community. PM Modi also paid tribute to US civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis in his speech. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday asserted that India and the US can jointly contribute towards global peace and stability as he asserted that for the relationship between the two countries, even the sky is not the limit. For the partnership between India and the US, even the sky is not the limit. The most important pillar of our relations is our people-to-people ties, Modi said during a joint press conference with President Biden at the White House. Speaking to the media after a bilateral with his US counterpart at the White House, the Prime Minister said that the two biggest democracies of the world, India and the US, can contribute towards global peace, stability and prosperity. More than 40 lakh people of Indian origin are contributing to the development of America, he added. Im sure that on the basis of these values, we can fulfil the aspirations of the world, he added. PM Modi said that India and America are walking shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against terrorism and radicalism. He added that during his talks with President Biden, the two sides have agreed that concerted action is necessary to end cross-border terrorism. The Prime Minister said that peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region is our shared priority. We are unanimous that the development and success of this region is important for the whole world, he added. Following the press conference, Modi said that he is looking forward to fostering even deeper India-US ties in the future. Deeply touched by the warm and gracious welcome at the White House. Looking forward to fostering even deeper ties and mutual cooperation in the times to come. pic.twitter.com/W2e78ayylM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023 Deeply touched by the warm and gracious welcome at the White House. Looking forward to fostering even deeper ties and mutual cooperation in the times to come," he tweeted. Earlier, President Biden said India and the US should work and lead together given the challenges and opportunities facing the world. A man from Frances Avignon was accused of drugging his wife and recording at least 83 men raping her over a period of ten years, the Daily Mail reported. The man, identified as Dominique P, recruited his wifes attacker via an online forum discussing non-consensual sex titled Without Her Knowing. The members of this forum perform sex acts on unwitting partners. Dominique recorded several such encounters and stored the material on a USB drive in a file called ABUSES. In a separate report the Telegraph said that Dominique used to anaesthetise his wife by allegedly mixing the anti-anxiety drug Temesta (Lorazepam) into her dinner. After preliminary investigation, authorities have charged 51 men with rape and remanded them in custody. They have registered 92 cases of rape between 2011 and 2020 and identified 83 aggressors and are yet to identify the rest. The 51 men, whose ages range from 26 to 73, were identified and charged with raping the wife of 50 years. The incidents occurred in the French city of Mazan, near Avignon. Those accused include a fireman, a municipal councillor, a prison guard, a nurse and a journalist, the Daily Mail said. At least 33 of them were jailed in 2021 and nine were under arrest. The investigation revealed that Dominique used the forum a son insu (without him/her knowing) to organise the abuse of his wife, pseudonym Francoise, while she was sleeping. The lawyer of the suspects claimed that some believed the wife was simulating being unconscious as part of a sex game but investigators argue that they must have known that the woman was drugged because of the discussions they allegedly had with her husband. Investigators first learned of the horrific incident after they arrested Dominique for filming up the skirts of customers in a supermarket in nearby Carpentras. A search revealed camera equipment and dozens of videos of his wifes abuse after which he was taken into custody. The investigators also said Dominique told them that none of the aggressors gave up going through with sexual acts on his wife given her state. He also told them that they were in possession of his free will to stop these acts and leave. He also told these aggressors to park away from the house and to avoid bringing strong smells into the house, such as tobacco or perfume to avoid waking the woman up. A trial is expected next year. After having one-on-one talks with US President Joe Biden at the Oval Office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a Joint Press Conference at the White House on Thursday and hailed how democracy runs in the veins and how there is no space for discrimination in the two countries. The prime minister highlighted the DNA of democracy that connects India and America and said: we have always proved democracy can deliver." India believes in moving forward with everybodythe benefits provided by the government are accessible to all, there is no discrimination in India," he added. The Prime Minister began his speech by thanking President Biden for his warm words and positive view" on the bilateral relations between the two nations saying that our decisions have added new chapters to our relationship." Modi touched upon important topics of trade, peace in Ukraine, relationship with China among others. The prime minister spoke about China, saying that he will be meeting Chinese president Xi Jinping in the near future. Apart from this, PM Modi announced the opening of two new US Consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. Heres what all PM Modi said in the Joint Address PM Modi said that two new U.S. Consulates will be opened in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad in India, while a new Indian Consulate-General will be opened in Seattle. India-US relationship is not only important for both the nations but also for the world," he said. The two biggest democracies of the world, India and the US, can contribute towards global peace, stability and prosperity. Im sure that on the basis of these values, we can fulfil the aspirations of the world," he said. The prime minister also touched upon the topic of China saying that he will be meeting Chinese president Xi Jinping in the near future. We had an incident that caused some confusion but Secretary Blinken had a great trip to China. I expect to be meeting Chinese President Xi sometime in the future, he said. On Ukraine, PM Modi said, India has called for dialogue and diplomacy amid the Ukraine conflict. We are completely ready to contribute in any way we can to restore peace. Modi highlighted the growing trade and investment and said that the two countries have decided to resolve long pending trade issues and make new beginnings, adding that America is Indias biggest trading partner. We are creating a strong and futuristic partnership, in order to implement the Indo-US vision on clean energy. We have taken several initiatives including Green Hydrogen projects, Modi said. Today holds a special importance in the history of India-US relations. With the discussions and important decisions taken today, a new chapter has been added to our comprehensive global strategic partnership. This has given a new direction and new energy," he said. For the partnership between India and the US, even the Sky is not the limit. The most important pillar of our relations is our people-to-people ties. More than 40 lakh people of Indian origin are contributing to the development of America," he said. The Prime minister further talked about areas where the two superpowers will work together, including designing new ways to diagnose cancer and diabetes, collaborating on the international space centre. This also included sending an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024. Apart from this, accelerating the global clean energy transition and tackling the climate crisis we face, to harnessing our shared expertise on critical and emerging technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence to ensure they are not used as tools of misinformation and oppression. Speaking on connections between the two nations, PM said, Democracy can deliver and when we talk about democracy, there is no discrimination on basis of caste, creed, religion etc. Our governments has taken the basic principle of democracy . we have always proved democracy can deliverthere is no space for discriminations. India believes in moving forward with everybodythe benefits provided by the government are accessible to all, there is no discrimination in India," he added Earlier in the day, after the ceremonial welcome and, PM Modi held one-on-one talks with Biden at the Oval Office to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests, aimed at further boosting the Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. Modi, who is on his sixth visit to the US as prime minister, was welcomed at the South Lawn with a 21-gun salute and playing of the national anthems of India and the US. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden held a productive bilateral meeting in Washington during the third day of the Prime Ministers maiden state visit. Their discussion ranged from trade talks to strengthening partnerships in the field of defence, critical and emerging technologies. PM Modi and US President Biden also reflected on the strength of both democracies and said the bilateral relationship is the most defining relationship of the 21st century. Here are some top quotes from the joint press conference: At least three prominent progressive Democrats from the so-called Squad" are boycotting Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to a joint session of the United States Congress on Thursday. Lawmakers Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will not attend the event, alleging that the Modi-led union government in India has repressed religious minorities. But these three Congresswomen themselves have courted controversies in public life on several occasions. Ilhan Omar Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is a Democratic representative of Minnesotas 5th congressional district in the House of Representatives. She is also a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Prime Minister Modis government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity.I will NOT be attending Modis speech. Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 20, 2023 Omar serves as whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and has advocated for a $15 minimum wage, universal healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness, the protection of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A frequent critic of Israel, Omar supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and has denounced its settlement policy and military campaigns in the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as what she describes as the influence of pro-Israel lobbies in American politics. In February 2023, the House voted to remove Omar from her seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, citing past comments she had made about Israel and concerns over her objectivity. In 2018, Republican state representative Steve Drazkowski claimed that Omar used campaign funds to pay a divorce lawyer, and that her acceptance of speaking fees from public colleges violated Minnesota House rules. Omar responded that the attorneys fees were not personal but campaign-related. She also offered to return the speaking fees. Drazkowski later accused Omar of improperly using campaign funds for personal travel to Estonia and places in the U.S. Omars campaign rejected the accusations as politically motivated and accused Drazkowski of using public funds to harass a Muslim candidate. In June 2019, Minnesota campaign finance officials ruled that Omar had to pay back $3,500 that she had spent on out-of-state travel and tax filing in violation of state law, plus a $500 fine. The Campaign Finance Boards investigation also found that in 2014 and 2015 Omar had jointly filed taxes with a man she was not legally married to. In a March 2019 Politico interview, Omar criticised Barack Obamas caging of kids" along the Mexican border. She accused Politico of distorting her comments and said that she had been saying how [President] Trump is different from Obama, and why we should focus on policy not politics," adding, One is human, the other is really not." On April 11, 2019, the front page of the New York Post carried an image of the World Trade Center burning following the September 11 terrorist attacks and a quote from a speech Omar gave the previous month. The headline was, REP. ILHAN OMAR: 9/11 WAS SOME PEOPLE DID SOMETHING'". The Post was quoting a speech Omar had given at a recent Council on AmericanIslamic Relations (CAIR) meeting. In the speech, she said, CAIR was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us [Muslims in the U.S.] were starting to lose access to our civil liberties." Never forgot it was Ilhan Omar a Biden Democrat who described 9/11 as some people did something" pic.twitter.com/8Rli2IPm4R Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) September 11, 2022 In August 2019, Omar and Representative Rashida Tlaib were banned from entering Israel, a reversal from the July 2019 statement by Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer that any member of Congress" would be allowed in. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attributed the ban to Israeli law preventing the entry of people who call for a boycott of Israel (as Omar and Tlaib had done with their support for BDS). In October 2019, Omar received flak for challenging journalist Aarti Tikoo Singhs defence of the Indian governments actions in Kashmir. Singh testified at the US House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Human Rights in South Asia on October 22, 2019, describing Indias lockdown in Kashmir as a necessary measure to avoid civilian casualties and to take J&K on the path of prosperity. Singh also defended the revocation of Article 370 sections of the Indian Constitution by the government, effectively ending Kashmirs special status. Singh, a victim of terror herself, said Kashmiri Muslims were more terrorised by Pakistan-sponsored jihadists. Omar, however, accused Singh of using her platform as a journalist to whitewash Indias crimes in Kashmir. In April 2022, Omar visited Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and met former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. India criticised the move, while the White House distanced itself from Omars visit, saying it was in her personal capacity. Rashida Tlaib Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is a Democratic representative of Michigans 12th District in the House of Representatives. She made history in 2018 by becoming the first Muslim woman to ever serve in the Michigan Legislature and the first woman of Palestinian descent in Congress. Its shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nations capitalhis long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable.I will be boycotting Modis joint address to Congress. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) June 20, 2023 On November 14, 2019, the House Ethics Committee announced that it was investigating whether Tlaib used congressional campaign money for personal expenses in violation of House rules. In August 2020, the committee directed Tlaib to reimburse her campaign $10,800, maintaining that she has an obligation to act in accordance with the strict technical requirements of federal campaign laws and regulations, including the restrictions on personal use of campaign funds". Tlaib has said she opposed providing aid to a Netanyahu Israel" and supported the Palestinian right of return and a one-state solution. In 2018, J Street withdrew its endorsement of Tlaib due to her support for a one-state solution, stating that she had misled it about her views on the issue during her primary campaign. Responding to criticism, Tlaib said she believed a two-state solution under Benjamin Netanyahus government was not possible without harming the Israeli people. On August 15, 2019, Israel announced that Tlaib and her colleague Ilhan Omar would be denied entry into the country. Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, according to reports, said Israel would not allow those who deny our right to exist in this world to enter" and called it a very justified decision." In December 2020, Tlaib deleted a retweet she had posted a few days earlier, on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, containing the phrase From the River to the Sea" a nationalist Palestinian slogan associated with calls for Israels elimination in the past. On September 23, 2021, Tlaib called Israel an apartheid state" on the House floor during a debate over funding for Iron Dome. Representative Ted Deutch retorted by accusing Tlaib of antisemitism. In February 2021, Tlaib participated in a so-called Kashmir Solidarity Day webinar sponsored by Justice for All, the activist arm of the Chicago-based multimedia company Sound Vision. Sound Vision, according to reports is an offshoot of the proselytising group, the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA). Dear @SpeakerPelosi: As a Kashmiri American, I am outraged and stunned that @RepRashida joined a panel featuring known Islamists calling for jihad in Kashmir, organized by a group that platforms a U.S. Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Ethics investigation needed. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/aA06qRfeFF Rajiv Pandit (@rajiv_pandit) February 18, 2021 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, popularly known by her initials AOC, is a democratic member representing New Yorks 14th congressional district in the House of Representatives. Taking office at age 29, she is the youngest woman ever to serve in the United States Congress, and also enjoys a massive social media presence. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will boycott Prime Minister Modi's joint address to Congress. pic.twitter.com/DICpt7StvF Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) June 21, 2023 In May 2018, Ocasio-Cortez criticised the Israel Defense Forces use of deadly force against Palestinians participating in the 2018 Gaza border protests, calling it a massacre" in a tweet. In a July 2018 interview, she said she was a proponent of a two-state solution" and called Israels presence in the West Bank an occupation of Palestine". After being asked to elaborate, she responded that she was not the expert on geopolitics on this issue". Her use of the term occupation" received criticism from a number of pro-Israel groups and commentators. In June 2019, Ocasio-Cortez compared the detention centres for undocumented immigrants under the Trump administration at the MexicoUnited States border to concentration camps". Some academics supported her while others criticised her, saying it showed disrespect for Holocaust victims. In response to the criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, Ocasio-Cortez said they had conflated concentration camps (the mass detention of civilians without trial") with death camps. In early July 2019, two lawsuits were filed against her for blocking Joey Salads and Dov Hikind on Twitter in light of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that it was a violation of the First Amendment for President Trump to block people on Twitter. On November 4, 2019, it was announced that they settled the lawsuit with Ocasio-Cortez issuing a statement apologising for the Twitter block. In September 2021, the American Accountability Foundation filed an ethics complaint against Ocasio-Cortez for attending the Met Gala that year. The AAF claimed that her attendance amounted to accepting an illegal gift since her estimated $35,000 ticket was paid for by Conde Nast, a for-profit company, not a charity. The event itself is a charitable fundraiser. On September 23, 2021, Ocasio-Cortez abruptly changed her vote from no" to present" on a bill providing $1 billion for Israels Iron Dome missile defence system, citing the hateful targeting" she had received surrounding the bill. She apologised for her vote after receiving criticism on social media from some supporters of Israel and Palestine, but maintained her opposition to the bill due to Israels persistent human rights abuses against the Palestinian people". BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The growth rate of Turkmenistan's GDP from January through May 2023 remained at the level of 6.2 percent, Trend reports. According to official data, this was announced by the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers. Touching upon the key aspects of the domestic political strategy, the President stated the stable pace of development of the country's economy, as well as the successful implementation of all adopted social programs. The head of state emphasized Turkmenistan's foreign policy, which, as before, is aimed at broad cooperation with the UN and other international organizations, including the OSCE, the EU, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Economic Cooperation Organization. During the meeting, the government reviewed the outcomes of its economic efforts for the first five months of 2023, deliberated on draft documents, and discussed the key objectives for the socio-economic development of the country. US President Joe Biden welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday morning (local time) at the White House on the second-day of the Prime Ministers state visit. The relationship between the US and India is one of most defining relationships in the 21st century. Decades from now people will say that Quad bent the arc of history, Biden said in presence of PM Modi. #WATCH | PM Modi welcome back to the White House. I am honoured to be the first to host you here on a State visit: US President Joe Biden pic.twitter.com/NZCrNJZwk0 ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 PM Modi, welcome back to the White House. I am honoured to be the first to host you here on a State visit, Biden said, reflecting that both of them last met when Biden was vice-president. India and the US are working closely on eliminating poverty, expanding access to healthcare, addressing climate change and tackling food and energy insecurity triggered by the Russian war on Ukraine, Biden said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed the gathering after US President Biden, thanked the latter and First Lady Jill Biden for their hospitality once more. I express gratitude towards President Biden for the warm welcome. Thank you for your friendship, President Biden. US President Biden and I will hold bilateral talks in a short while now and discuss regional and global issues. I am sure that our talks will be positive. God Bless America! PM Modi said. I have visited the White House many times after becoming the PM. This is the first time the gates of the White House have been opened for the Indian-American community in such large numbers, the Prime Minister further added pointing out that it is an honour for 1.4 billion Indians back home. People of the Indian community are enhancing Indias glory in the US through their hard work and dedication. You are the real strength of our relationship, the Prime Minister said thanking the Bidens for honour accorded to Indian-American attendees who came to greet PM Modi in the White House. The friendship between India and the US will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world. India and the US are committed to working together for the global good and peace, stability and prosperity, the Prime Minister said. PM Modi will also address a joint session of the US Congress later in the day. (with inputs from ANI) Amid Prime Minister Narendra Modis historic trip, former US ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Nikki Haley has called the friendship between India and America personal" saying that the two has so much in common." Haley, who is running for the US Presidency in 2024 took to Twitter wish PM Modi a successful visit of the states. The U.S.-India friendship is personal. India is an ally that shares our democratic values. We have so much in common, from business & cultural ties to mutual security interests," the former South Carolina governor said. Its critical that we continue to grow our partnership. I wish Prime Minister Modi a successful visit to Washington," she added. The U.S.-India friendship is personal. India is an ally that shares our democratic values. We have so much in common, from business & cultural ties to mutual security interests. Its critical that we continue to grow our partnership. I wish Prime Minister Modi a successful visit Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) June 22, 2023 The prime minister is visiting the US from June 21 to 24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. President Biden and First Lady hosted PM Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House a day earlier during which they discussed a range of issues, exchanged gifts and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. Follow our Live Updates on PMs US visit here The prime minister gifted Biden a special box, for which sandalwood was sourced from Karnatakas Mysore and it was handcrafted by artisans in Rajasthans Jaipur. The box has all puja essentials, including a silver idol of Lord Ganesha and a diya made in West Bengals Kolkata. Later on Thursday, President Biden and the first lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Also Read | India, US Have Teamed to Face Global Challenges, Quad Bent Arc of History: Biden Welcomes PM Modi Here, the prime minister would deliver an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, which would be attended by Congressmen and senators in the presence of several hundred Indian Americans from the visitors gallery. His address would make him only the third world leader, outside of Israel, to make such an address twice. This comes after PM Modi arrived in Washington on Wednesday from New York, where he led a historic event at the UN headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga. This was attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities among others. Ahead of the bilateral between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden, a top White House official said that the partnership between India and the US will be a defining" one for the next 10-15 years. John Kirby, National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, said the issues that the two leaders will be discussing are very future-focused." PM Modi in US LIVE Updates: PM Meets First Lady, Says Indo-US Ties Will be Inclusive; Meeting with Joe Biden Next In the next couple of days, we are going to be talking about defence cooperation, cyber, space, resilient supply chains, climate changeIts all about improving and deepening this bilateral relationship with India. It really is a forward-looking, future-focused discussion," Kirby told ANI. #WATCH | Washington, DC: John Kirby, NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications, says The kinds of things that the two leaders will be discussing over the next couple of days are very future-focused, because this is going to be a defining partnership for the next 10-15 years pic.twitter.com/p4FySgAw0s ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 The US top official said India is already exporting security in the Indo-Pacific region and is contributing to the Indo-Pacific quad. India is a world player and a net exporter of security and stability, and we look forward to deepening that and seeing that continue to prosper," he added. His comments came as Prime Modi landed here on Wednesday on the second leg of his maiden state visit to the US during which he will hold discussions with Biden and address a joint session of the US Congress. Modi arrived here from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. Read More: PM Modi in US: Indian Diaspora Brave Rain to Welcome Prime Minister in Washington | WATCH In his departure statement, Modi said this special invitation from President Biden and the First Lady for a state visit is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between the democracies. Modi and Biden have had the opportunity to meet several times since his last official visit to the US in September 2021. This visit will be an opportunity to enrich the depth and diversity of our partnership, Modi said. Modi said his discussions with President Biden and other senior US leaders will provide an opportunity to consolidate bilateral cooperation as well as in plurilateral forums such as G20, Quad and IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity). On Tuesday, Kirby had said that India matters significantly to US President Joe Biden and to the US administration and not just in South Asia but truly globally. Read More: India Matters Significantly to Biden, Has Vibrant Democracy: White House Amid PM Modis US Visit In President Bidens mind, India is not a second-tier anything. India matters significantly to President Biden and to this administration, and not just in South Asia or the Indo-Pacific region but truly globally, he told reporters. That doesnt mean that democracy is tough. We know that. Weve seen it firsthand here in this country. Its tough; youve got to work at it. And India has a vibrant democracy, and they, too, work at it. No democracy at any given point in time reaches perfection, he further said. The Pakistani Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Thursday rescinded a notification asking higher educations to distance themselves from celebrating festivals like Holi citing that it erodes Pakistans Islamic identity after facing severe national and international backlash. Members of PRSF joined the Holi celebrations at Quaid-e-Azam University today. We are especially grateful to our allies who invited and hosted us & wish a very Happy Holi to all! pic.twitter.com/GXsWhgd2dA PRSF Islamabad Rawalpindi (@ProgStudentsFed) June 12, 2023 The portrayed impression and disseminated connotation that HEC has banned celebration of any festivities is out of context to the spirit of the communication made, as HEC has emphasised upon the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country to focus upon the core reason of their existence i.e., academic excellence, research quality and harnessing the talent of the youth towards a structured, disciplined, and responsible citizen as per the nations ideology, the executive director of the Pakistan Higher Education Commission, Shaista Sohail, said in a press release rescinding the previous communication. Happy Holi Biggest Holi celebrations at Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad Pakistan pic.twitter.com/ZciVSyctuI QAU News (@NewsQau) June 13, 2023 Considering that the message inferred from the communication has regrettably led to misinterpretations, HEC is pleased to withdraw the same, the new notification said. ALSO READ| Erosion of Islamic Identity: Pakistan Bans Holi in Universities After Celebration Video Goes Viral The nations higher education watchdog said that it remains highly respectful of all religions, faiths, and beliefs, and the associated festivals and celebrations observed in the country. The message communicated in this regard is in no way intended to hurt the sentiments of any individual or group, the HEC said. The initial communication released Tuesday asked higher education institutions to prudently distance themselves from acts that portray a complete disconnect from our socio-cultural values and an erosion of the countrys Islamic identity. Though the HEC did not name any university, it was an indirect reference to the Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad whose Holi celebrations of March 8 went viral on Pakistani social media platforms. While the participants were seen enjoying themselves during the festivities, the Pakistani higher education watchdog said that this caused concern and disadvantageously affected the countrys image. The Pakistani political establishment faced backlash after the release of the initial notification and commentators highlighted the state of minorities and the lack of respect towards social, ethnic and religious diversity in Pakistan. While there is no denying the fact that cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity leads towards an inclusive and tolerant society, that profoundly respects all faiths and creeds; albeit it needs to be done so in a measured manner without going overboard, the initial notification said. OceanGate Expeditions, which operated the submersible missing near the wreck of the Titanic, released a statement Thursday saying that it believes the passengers aboard the vessel have sadly been lost, news agencies AFP and CNN reported. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew," OceanGate said in a statement. News outlet CNN citing an internal US Coast Guard document said that the debris found on the ocean floor on Thursday near the wreck of the Titanic is thought to be from OceanGates submersible Titan. A deep-sea robot deployed from a Canadian ship was the first to discover a debris field" near where the century-old Titanic shipwreck was located. It is about 4 kilometres from the surface, news agency Reuters said in a separate report. The Coast Guard on Thursday said that the debris discovered on the ocean floor suggests the missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic suffered a catastrophic loss" of pressure. Upon this determination, we immediately notified the families. On behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families, Rear Admiral John Mauger was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost, Oceangate Expeditions said in a statement. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew, it further added. The sub, named Titan, lost contact with the mothership on Sunday and sparked a manhunt in a vast swathe of the North Atlantic between the oceans surface and more than four kilometres below. It was carrying British billionaire Harding and dual Pakistani-British citizens Dawood, a tycoon, and his son Suleman. OceanGate Expeditions charges $250,000 for a seat on the sub. Also on board was OceanGates CEO Rush and French submarine operator Nargeolet, nicknamed Mr Titanic" for his frequent dives at the site, news agency AFP said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday invited Lawrence Culp, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of General Electric (GE), to play a bigger role in Indias aviation and renewable energy sector. In the discussions, which were held before Modis bilateral with President Joe Biden, Prime Minister appreciated GE for its long-term commitment to manufacturing in India. PM Modi in US LIVE Updates: Modi Arrives at White House For Closed Door Meet with Biden, India is A World Player Says US Official PM @narendramodi held useful discussions with CEO of @generalelectric H. Lawrence Culp, Jr. PM appreciated GE for its long-term commitment of manufacturing in India and called for GEs greater technology collaborations in India. PM invited GE to play a bigger role in Indias aviation and renewable energy sector," Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in a tweet. The meeting comes as the Biden administration is poised to sign off on a deal that would allow General Electric Co to produce jet engines powering Indian military aircraft in that country, according to a report by Reuters. A deal finalizing the joint production of the engines is expected to be inked and announced by the time President Joe Biden hosts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official state visit. Read More: US, India to Seal Groundbreaking Jet Engine Deal During PM Modis State Visit The White House, which said in January that it had received the application to jointly produce the engines in India, declined to comment. Washington is working to deepen ties with the worlds largest democracy and sees deeper military-to-military and technology ties with New Delhi. Indias state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) had previously said it planned to use the GE-manufactured 414 engine on a second generation of light-combat aircraft and that it was in talks over domestic production of those engines. The deal is not finalized and also requires notification to the U.S. Congress, according to two of the people briefed on the arrangement. Washington maintains strict controls over what domestic military technology can be shared or sold to other countries. A broader joint partnership between the United States and India announced earlier this year is designed to encourage companies from both countries to collaborate, especially on military equipment and cutting-edge technology. (With agency inputs) Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the White House on Wednesday for a historic state visit, marking a significant moment for deepening defense and technology cooperation between the two nations. PM Modi was warmly received by President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden at the White House. They exchanged pleasantries and posed for photographs before entering the building. PM Modi in US LIVE Updates: Modi Arrives at White House For Closed Door Meet with Biden, India is A World Player Says US Official When friends meet! PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden& family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together," Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs, said in a tweet. When friends meet!PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden & family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together. pic.twitter.com/tW9PKHW3UR Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 22, 2023 The president, the first lady and the prime minister gathered for an intimate dinner and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, according to the White House. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy Chief of Protocol Aseem Vohra were seen entering the White House. The White House also said that as the official gift, the president and first lady will present Prime Minister Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. They will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastmans Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, it said. PM Modi arrived here on Wednesday on the second leg of his maiden state visit to the US during which he will also address a joint session of the US Congress. Modi arrived here from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. Read More: India-US Will Be Defining Partnership for Next 10-15 Years: White House A top White House official said that the partnership between India and the US will be a defining" one for the next 10-15 years. John Kirby, National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications, said the issues that the two leaders will be discussing are very future-focused." In the next couple of days, we are going to be talking about defence cooperation, cyber, space, resilient supply chains, climate changeIts all about improving and deepening this bilateral relationship with India. It really is a forward-looking, future-focused discussion," Kirby told ANI. Earlier, in his departure statement, Modi had said his discussions with Biden and other senior US leaders will provide an opportunity to consolidate bilateral cooperation as well as in plurilateral forums such as G20, Quad and IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity). The US is Indias largest trade partner in goods and services, and the two countries collaborate closely in the fields of science and technology, education, health, defence and security, the prime minister said. (With PTI inputs) The famed New York Times Square was swarmed with displays of Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid his historic State Visit to the United States. In a Twitter post, the US-India Business Council (USIBC) said that the pictures show strong support for commercial ties between US and India. PM Modi in US LIVE Updates: Indo-US Partnership Deep and Expansive, First Lady Says; Bilateral Meet with Joe Biden Next A historic state visit, requires a historic welcome! @USIBC welcomes Shri @narendramodi @PMOIndia to the United States of America with a display of our support for U.S.-India commercial ties and this historic state visit at Times Square, New York," USIBC tweeted. A historic state visit, requires a historic welcome! @USIBC welcomes Shri @narendramodi @PMOIndia to the United States of America with a display of our support for U.S.-India commercial ties and this historic state visit at Times Square, New York. @Nasdaq #ModiInUSA #USIndia pic.twitter.com/vfbg1hayjr U.S.-India Business Council (@USIBC) June 21, 2023 PM Modi arrived here on Wednesday on the second leg of his maiden state visit to the US during which he will hold bilateral talks with President Joe Biden and address a joint session of the US Congress. Modi arrived here from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. Reached Washington DC. The warmth of the Indian community and the blessings of Indra Devta made the arrival even more special, Modi tweeted. Read More: PM Modi in US: Indian Diaspora Brave Rain to Welcome Prime Minister in Washington | WATCH The prime minister, who is visiting the US at the invitation of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, will join them for the state banquet along with a number of dignitaries on Thursday. Modi arrived at the Joint Base Andrews in Washington, DC where he was given a guard of honour amid incessant rains. The Prime Minister, who was wearing a raincoat, stood for the national anthem of the two countries. The Official State visit moves to its next phase. PM @narendramodi accorded a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour as he sets foot at the Joint Base Andrews airport in Washington DC. In Washington DC, PM will hold bilateral meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden; address the Joint Session of the US Congress; and interact with CEOs and a cross-section of Indian diaspora, Arindam Bagchi, the Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said in a tweet. The Official State visit moves to its next phase.PM @narendramodi accorded a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour as he sets foot at the Joint Base Andrews airport in Washington DC. In Washington DC, PM will hold bilateral meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden; address the Joint pic.twitter.com/orvRXEJjaw Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 21, 2023 From the airport, Modi travelled to the hotel where Indian diaspora members were waiting for him. Indian diaspora members braved rain to welcome Modi at Freedom Plaza in Washington. Some diaspora members in colourful attires were carrying Indian flags and chanting Modi-Modi and Bharat Mata ki Jai. Modi briefly interacted with the enthusiastic supporters at the hotel and gave autographs to some of them. Later, the First Lady and Prime Minister Modi will visit the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia to highlight the US and Indias shared priorities around education and workforce. Read More: PM Modi in US: India Aims to Make This Decade a Tech Decade - Techade The First Lady will highlight career-connected learning and workforce training programs and partnerships between high schools, community colleges, and universities with employers. In his departure statement, Modi had said this special invitation from President Biden and the First Lady for a state visit is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between the democracies. Modi said his discussions with President Biden and other senior US leaders will provide an opportunity to consolidate bilateral cooperation as well as in plurilateral forums such as G20, Quad and IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity). Modi expressed confidence that his visit to the US will reinforce ties between the two countries based on shared values of democracy, diversity and freedom. (With PTI inputs) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed the joint session of the US Congress during which he covered a wide range of topics including trade, economy, bilateral ties and global development. This was his second address to the Joint Session of the US Congress which saw occasional applause, standing ovations, and even Modi chants. In his address, the PM laid out his vision for the future of the most consequential India-US bilateral partnership. Here are the top 10 quotes from Modis address: It is always a great honour to address the United States Congress. It is an exceptional privilege to do so twice. For this honour, I extend my deepest gratitude on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India," he said in the beginning of his speech. In the past few years, there have been many advances in AI Artificial Intelligence. At the same time, there have been even more momentous developments in another AI America and India," the PM said on bilateral ties. The US is the oldest and India the largest democracy. Our partnership augurs well for the future of democracy," PM Modi said. In India, diversity is a natural way of life. We have 22 official languages and thousands of dialects and yet we speak in one voice," the prime minister said. He added, In India, diversity is a natural way of life." Everyone wants to understand Indias development, democracy and diversity. Everyone wants to know waht India is doing right and how," he said. Envisioning a global roadmap, he said Indias vision is together, for everyones growth, with everyones trust and everyones efforts." Indias vision is not just of development which benefits women. It is of women-led development, where women lead the journey of progress," PM Modi said. Speaking on climate change, the PM said, By being mindful in making choices, every individual can make a positive impact. Making sustainability a mass movement, will help the world reach the Net Zero target faster." On the issue of terrorism, the prime minister said it is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs or buts in dealing with it. On the war in Ukraine, Modi repeated his famous anti-war message, This is not an era of war. But, it is one of dialogue and diplomacy. And, we all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering." Prime Minister Modis last address to the US Congress was in 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his state visit to the US gifted some meticulously picked rare items for the US President and his wife. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, too, gave some unique gifts to PM Narendra Modi. US Presidents Gifts To PM Modi As an official gesture, they offered him a meticulously crafted, antique American book galley dating back to the early 20th Century. Additionally, President Biden personally presented PM Modi with a vintage American camera, accompanied by a precious archival facsimile print of George Eastmans Patent for the first Kodak camera. To further commemorate the occasion, a captivating hardcover book showcasing captivating American wildlife photography will also be included. Not to be outdone in thoughtfulness, First Lady Jill Biden presented PM Modi with a cherished, autographed first edition of Collected Poems of Robert Frost. What PM Modi Gifted PM Modi gifted a handcrafted Sandalwood box containing Das Danam or 10 symbolic donations to US President Joe Biden and also a copy of the first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow. PM Modi gifted US First Lady Jill Biden a special diamond. Read on to know more about PMs gifts to the Bidens. Lab Grown 7.5 carat Green Diamond - PM Modi gifted a lab-grown 7.5 carat green diamond to US First Lady Jill Biden. The Diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds chemical and optical properties. It is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like Solar and wind power were used in its making, a release said. The Green Diamond is sculpted with precision and care using cutting edge technology. It emits only 0.028 grams of Carbon per carat and is certified by the Gemological lab, IGI. It bears the hallmarks of excellence through the 4Cs: Cut, Colour, Carat and Clarity," the release said. It is a beacon of responsible luxury that symbolises Indias 75 years of freedom and sustainable International relations. Papier mache - It is the box in which the Green Diamond is placed. Known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmirs exquisite Papier mache involves sakthsazi or meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs," the release said. A confluence of timeless tradition and craftsmanship, it excludes opulence and intricate motifs and graceful simplicity, which makes every piece of this timeless craft, a masterpiece. Special Sandalwood Box A special sandalwood box, handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan, was gifted by PM Modi to US President Joe Biden. The sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns. Sandalwood carving in Rajasthan is an ancient art that has been handed down from generation to generation. The artisan has skillfully embedded a piece of his story and a touch of passion into this work to produce a piece of finest craftsmanship," the press release said. The box contains the idol of Ganesha, Hindu deity considered as the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. Every auspicious occasion begins with prayers to Lord Ganesha. This silver idol of Ganesha has been handcrafted by a family of fifth generation silversmiths of Kolkata. Apart from a Ganesha idol, a diya and a copper plate, the Sandalwood box includes handcrafted delicate silver boxes that contain symbolic - Das Danam or the ten donations, which signifies the donations made on this occasion. What Are the Symbolic Ten Donations in the Box -A delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a Cow for Gaudaan (donation of cow) -A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka is offered in place of land for Bhudaan (donation of land) -Til or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu, offered for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds). -A 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin Handcrafted in Rajasthan(donation of gold. -Ghee or clarified butter sourced from Punjab is offered for Ajyadaan (donation of clarified butter) -A handwoven textured tussar silk cloth sourced from Jharkhand is offered for Vastradaan (donation of cloth). -Long grained rice sourced from Uttarakhand are offered for Dhaanyadaan (donation of food grains). -Gud or Jaggery sourced from Maharashtra is offered for Guddaan (donation of jaggery). -A 99.5 per cent pure and hallmarked silver coin has been aesthetically crafted by Rajasthan artisans and is offered as Raupyadaan (donation of silver). -Lavan or salt from Gujarat is offered for Lavandaan (donation of salt). BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) have allocated non-sovereign loans totaling 325 million euros for the construction of a power plant in the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan, Trend reports. Out of this volume, the AIIB has allocated 225 million euros, while the IsDB is expected to invest 100 million euros, the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan revealed. The allocated sum will be distributed on the construction of a combined-cycle power plant with a capacity of 1,560 MW in the Surkhandarya region. The project will be implemented in the Angor district of the Surkhandarya region, northeast of the Uchqizil reservoir. The main objective of the project is to increase the capacity for the production of highly efficient electricity in line with the decarbonization strategy of the energy sector of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modis maiden state visit was marked by several major takeaways to boost cooperation in key areas including defence, space and trade. Some of the big ticket announcements are: Defence A joint production of fighter jet engines in India- in a landmark pact, GE Aerospace inked a MoU with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly produce fighter jet engines for Indian Air Forces Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk-II Tejas. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospaces F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this. The agreement will advance GE Aerospaces earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the IAF as part of the LCA-Mk-II programme. Armed drones- India and the US are expected to announce a mega deal on the purchase of General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper" armed drones by India, a move which would further bolster Indias national security and surveillance capabilities not only in the Indian Ocean but also along the frontier with China. The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper" can carry 500 per cent more payload and has nine times the horsepower in comparison to the earlier MQ-1 Predator. Space India and the US are collaborating to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024. India has also decided to join the Artemis Accords, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration, and NASA and ISRO have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), the Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. It is an American-led effort to return humans to the moon by 2025, with the ultimate goal of expanding space exploration to Mars and beyond. Business Semiconductor manufacturing- Prime Minister Modi invited American chip maker Micron Technology to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India as the country provides competitive advantages in various parts of the products supply chain. He also invited Applied Materials to India for development of process technology and advanced packaging capabilities. Modi also invited General Electric to play a greater role in the aviation and renewable energy sector in India. Diplomacy The US will open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad while India will establish a mission in Seattle to boost people-to-people relationships. H-1B visa The US is set to introduce in-country renewable H-1B visas, a significant decision that would help thousands of Indian professionals staying in America to continue with their jobs without the hassle of travelling overseas for the renewal of their work visas. The much-sought-after H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. US President Joe Biden on Thursday joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi in warning Pakistan to clamp down on cross-border terrorists that target New Delhi. In a joint statement issued as Modi paid a state visit to Washington, the two leaders called for action against extremist groups based in Pakistan such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. PM Modi in US LIVE Updates: Guests Arrive at White House for State Dinner; Mukesh Ambani, Anand Mahindra Among Attendees They strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. India and the United States also voiced deep concern about the deteriorating situation in Myanmar," where the military ousted a fledgling civilian government in 2021. The two countries called for the release of all those arbitrarily detained, the establishment of constructive dialogue and the transition of Myanmar toward an inclusive federal democratic system." Read More: PM Modi: Top 10 Highlights from Historic Address to the US Congress Earlier on Thursday, Prime PM Modi said there can be no ifs or buts" in dealing with terrorism and sought action against state sponsors of terrorism, in a veiled attack on Pakistan. In his address to the Joint Meeting of the US Congress, Prime Minister Modi said that more than two decades after 9/11 and more than a decade after 26/11 in Mumbai, radicalism and terrorism still remain a pressing danger for the whole world. These ideologies keep taking new identities and forms, but their intentions are the same. Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs or buts in dealing with it. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror, Modi said in his 60-minute address in English. This is not an era of war but one of dialogue and diplomacy," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday as he reiterated his famous anti-war message in the US Congress to the resounding applause of American lawmakers. Last September, PM Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin that now is not a time for war, with food and fuel security among the major concerns of the world. The Prime Minister conveyed this message on the sidelines of a regional security bloc summit in Uzbekistan, adding that democracy, diplomacy and dialogue keep the world together. This is not an era of war. But, it is one of dialogue and diplomacy. And, we all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering," PM Modi said in the joint session of the US Congress. This is not an era of war.But, it is one of dialogue and diplomacy. pic.twitter.com/IKeHOb7dDg PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 22, 2023 This US Congress address, which is PM Modis second, was held after a joint press conference with President Joe Biden at the White House. Noting that the US is the oldest and India the largest democracy, the Prime Minister said Our partnership augurs well for the future of democracy." PM Modi said that any hesitation in India-US relations belongs to the past, emphasizing that the two democracies are currently at a critical juncture and that he is visiting the country to speak about the calling for the century. The hesitations of history are behind us. When our era stands at a crossroads, I am here to speak about the calling for the century," Modi said in his address to the US Congress. A lot has changed since I came here seven summers ago. but a lot has remained the same, like our commitment to deepen our friendship between India and the United States," he added. Before the presser, the two leaders reviewed the entire spectrum of India-US ties and discussed ways to further deepen the partnership. The UK authorities have arrested a man from London for allegedly being involved in child sexual abuse in India and recovered thousands of images and videos of sexual harassment perpetrated on children from his devices. 34-year-old Matthew Smith allegedly paid Rs 65 lakh to two teenagers in India over five years to sexually assault boys and share images. The authorities suspect that it is part of a larger child porn racket as they discovered thousands of images and videos of sexual abuse, a report in Hindustan Times said. He has been accused of child sexual abuse in India between 2007 and 2014 before he moved to Nepal and then back to the UK. Thousands of images and videos were recovered from his devices which showed an appalling catalogue of sexual abuse being perpetrated on children. Smith offered individuals payments for indecent images to gratify his own sexual desires, which resulted in the horrifying abuse of young children in India, Claire Brinton, specialist prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Services Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit reportedly said the publication. Matthew Smith has been educated at Oxford and Cambridge Universities and was employed at Thomass prep school in Battersea, which was once attended by Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the grandchildren of King Charles, the report said. He worked as a primary school teacher in the UK and was promoted to the position of deputy head teacher. The Indian authorities, meanwhile, are now identifying Smiths victims and accomplices who helped him in carrying out the crimes. During his stay in India, the accused worked in orphanages and at NGOs, where he managed to build a network of child sexual abuse accomplices and remained in touch with them even after moving to the UK last year. Smith used to manipulate teenage boys in India and used to teach them on how to befriend minors and then he would send them videos and images of sexual acts that he wanted performed and recorded, the prosecutors said. Over 1,20,000 images have been recovered from him, which were saved on his phone, laptop and an SD card. He came under the radar of authorities after he shared images of child sexual abuse on the dark web. President Joe Biden may raise US concerns about human rights during his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, Biden will not lecture" the Indian leader, who is on a state visit, on the issue of democracy, according to White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. PM Modi is scheduled to hold high-level talks with President Biden on Thursday during which the two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests. In a media address on Wednesday, Sullivan indicated that the US President would raise his concerns on human rights with PM Modi. We do so publicly. We do so privately. We do so in a way where we dont seek to lecture or assert that we dont have challenges ourselves.And that will be the nature of the conversations that take place here over the course of the next couple of days," he was quoted as saying by the US media. On Tuesday, a group of American lawmakers wrote to President Biden, asking him to raise areas of concern" directly with Prime Minister Modi and discuss with him the full range of issues important to a successful, strong, and long-term relationship between the two countries. As longtime supporters of a strong US-India relationship, we also believe that friends can and should discuss their differences in an honest and forthright way," read the letter signed by 75 lawmakers, including Indian-American lawmaker Pramila Jayapal. That is why we respectfully request that in addition to the many areas of shared interests between India and the US you also raise directly with Prime Minister Modi areas of concern," the letter read. Following the letter, a senior State Department official said the US has had at every level, including the highest levels, frank and constructive discussions about the human rights issue. As a genuine partner and friend in India, we speak (honestly) and constructively about our differences. We have raised our human rights and religious freedom concerns regularly to senior government officials. We do this in an atmosphere of mutual respect. Its important that we support all pillars of Indian democracy to that end, we regularly meet with civil society and journalists," the official said on condition of anonymity. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) also urged President Biden to address issues of religious freedom and other related human rights in India during Prime Minister Modis state visit. With Indias upcoming state visit, the Biden administration has a unique opportunity to explicitly incorporate religious freedom concerns into the two countries bilateral relationship, said USCIRF Commissioner David Curry. (With PTI Inputs) At a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on the state visit to the United States, the Joe Biden administration is expected to make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States. The US State Department is expected to announce that a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas will be able to renew those visas in the US, without having to travel abroad, Reuters quoted sources as saying. The move is part of a pilot program that could be expanded in coming years to help some skilled workers enter or remain in the country. Indian nationals are by far the most active users of the US H-1B program and made up 73 percent of the nearly 442,000 H-1B workers in fiscal year 2022. We all recognize that mobility of our people is a huge asset to us," said another US official. And so our goal is to approach that in a sort of multifaceted way. The State Department already has been working very hard to find creative ways to make changes to things." A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on questions about which visa types would qualify or the timing of the pilot launch. The pilot would begin with a small number of cases with the intention to scale the initiative over the following one to two years," the spokesperson said, while declining to define small. The steps could change and are not finalized until they are announced. The White House declined to comment. The US government makes 65,000 H-1B visas available to companies seeking skilled foreign workers, along with an additional 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees each year. The visas last for three years and can be renewed for another three years. The companies using the most H-1B workers in recent years include the Indian-based Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services as well as Amazon, Alphabet and Meta in the US, according to U.S. government data. The ability for some of the temporary foreign workers to renew visas in the US would free up resources for visa interviews in consulates abroad, the spokesperson said. The pilot program would also include some workers with L-1 visas, which are available to people transferring within a company to a position in the U.S., one of the sources said. A separate initiative to clear a backlog of visa applications at US embassies in India is finally showing signs of progress and is expected to be figure into the discussions between the two countries delegations in Washington this week. India has long had concerns with the difficulty its citizens face in receiving visas to live in the United States, including technology industry workers. More than 10 million jobs stood open in the United States at the end of April, according to the Labor Department. The Biden administration has spent months working to improve visa access for Indians, trying to get around the lack of political will in Congress to comprehensively reform US immigration policy. President Joe Biden wants to knit together the worlds two largest democracies, partly in a bid to better compete with China. (With inputs from Reuters) US President Joe Biden on Thursday said he had a productive meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their bilateral meeting in Washington. Biden also said that India is an important partner of the US and economic ties between both nations are booming. Prime Minister Modi said that the US and India have decided to begin anew by resolving long-standing issues related to trade. Our economic relationship is booming. Trade between our countries has almost doubled over the past decade to more than $191 billion supporting tens of thousands of good jobs in both India and the United States, Joe Biden said. Deeply touched by the warm and gracious welcome at the White House. Looking forward to fostering even deeper ties and mutual cooperation in the times to come. pic.twitter.com/W2e78ayylM Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023 He also pointed to how Indian and American industries can work together to build resilient semiconductor chains and provide competition to China during his press briefing. We are doubling down on our cooperation to secure our semiconductor supply chains, and growing our major defence partnership with more joint exercises, more cooperation between our defence industries, and more consultation and coordination across all domains, the US President said. However, he did not refer to China in his joint statement. From designing new ways to diagnose cancer and diabetes to collaborating on the international pace centre and treat illnesses like cancer and diabetes to collaborating on human spaceflight, including sending an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024 to accelerating the global clean energy transition and tackling the climate crisis we face, to harnessing our shared expertise on critical and emerging technologies like quantum computing and artificial intelligence to ensuring they are not used as tools of misinformation and oppression, Biden said, according to news agency ANI. The partnership is among the most consequential in the world that is stronger, closer and more dynamic in any time in history, US President Joe Biden further added. In his joint address with PM Modi, Biden highlighted that at least one million American jobs across 44 states will be supported by the purchase of more than 200 American-made Boeing aircraft that Air India announced earlier this year. He also said that the visit paved the way for more investment as Indian firms announced more than $2 billion in new investments in manufacturing solar panels in Colorado, steel in Ohio, and optic fibre in South Carolina. PM Modi after the meeting said that the day holds special importance in the history of India-US relations. He said that a new chapter has been added to the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership after his meeting with US President Joe Biden. Today holds a special importance in the history of India-US relations. With the discussions and important decisions taken today, a new chapter has been added to our comprehensive global strategic partnership. This has given a new direction and new energy, PM Modi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. On the one hand, Iran says that it is suffering from the sanctions imposed by the US and Western countries and wants the sanctions to be lifted, but on the other hand, it does not intend to withdraw from its position on its nuclear program. Recently, the meetings between the parties regarding the resolution of the problem with Iran's nuclear program have become more intense. So, it became known that secret meetings were held between Iran and the US in March 2023. Although the parties did not want to announce these meetings at first, they later confirmed that the meetings were held. In 2022, meetings were held among Iran and the US and Western countries. However, the riots that took place in Iran near the end of last year resulted in the suspension of these meetings. Meanwhile, in the last weeks, it is officially announced that the meetings were held. In the discussions, Iran is mainly trying to achieve the abolition of sanctions imposed by the US and Western countries, the removal of its funds frozen in foreign countries, and the abolition of the restriction on the export of crude oil. In return, the US and Western countries want Iran not to acquire an atomic bomb, to keep its nuclear program under control, and to reduce the level of uranium enrichment. Iran discloses various programs related to its nuclear industry to reflect that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. However, according to the information obtained by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran has increased the amount of highly enriched uranium by 27 percent in the last three months, and currently, the country's enriched uranium reserves are 4,745 kilograms. This is 15 times more than the amount of uranium allowed for Iran in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This means that the IAEA technically cannot control Iran's nuclear program in full and as wished. Based on the information from the IAEA, the storage of enriched uranium at a high level (84 percent is said by various circles) in the territory of the country is a matter of serious concern at the world level. Although the country's officials have repeatedly stated that Iran intends to use its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, one point cannot be overlooked. How does Irans enriching uranium at this level serve a peaceful purpose? Iran wants to convey to the world that it aspires to use its nuclear program in medicine, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, electricity generation and etc. Iran is trying to reflect its focus on the economic sphere of the nuclear industry. It seems almost impossible for Iran, which is already suffering from the sanctions of the US and Western countries, to obtain supplies and equipment in the mentioned areas. Because Iran has two options: Either it must import these supplies and equipment at a very high price, or it must produce these supplies and equipment within the country at big expenses. Another subject of discussion is the unblocking of $24 billion of Iran's frozen assets abroad as a result of sanctions. Officials in the country of about 85 million population are happy for the release of just $3 billion of frozen assets in Iraq for Irans electricity and gas exports. This shows how miserable the country's economy is. On the other hand, Iran's known and unknown provocative actions in the countries of the region give the countries a reason not to believe what it says. It can be said that Iran has a hand in at least one of the five problems in the Middle East, which is voiced by various states. In such a case, it is possible to justify the countries of the world not believing Iran and what it says. UPDATE Jun 22, 2023 5:10 PM CDT Florida's Supreme Court declined Thursday to Andrew Warren, the Hillsborough County prosecutor until he was fired by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after saying he was against prosecutions over abortions and gender-affirming health care, his job back. The justices said Warren, who contended that DeSantis abused his power, had taken too long to file his petition. The vote was 6-1, the AP reports. "Rather than addressing the substance of the governor's illegal action," Warren said in a statement, "the Court cited a technicality and avoided a ruling on the merits." The court suggested Warren try his luck in the state Senate, which is controlled by Republicans, and said it could reconsider a later refiling. Jan 20, 2023 5:30 PM CST A federal judge ruled Friday that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis violated the First Amendment and the Florida Constitution by removing an elected state prosecutor, but that the federal courts lack the power to reinstate him. In an order dismissing the case, US District Judge Robert Hinkle wrote that federal law prevents him from returning elected prosecutor Andrew Warren to office in a lawsuit that centered on Florida law, the AP reports. DeSantis suspended Warren last year over the prosecutor's signing of statements that said he would not pursue criminal charges against seekers or providers of abortion or gender transition treatments, as well as policies about not charging people with some minor crimes. Henk Schiffmaker's needle whirrs as he tattoos the familiar lines of an elephant on Lilian Rachmaran's back. Highbrow to lowbrow is how the famous Dutch tattoo artist describes his latest project, per the AP inking sketches by Rembrandt van Rijn onto the skin of visitors to the building the Golden Age master once called home. Or call it high art to body art. The Rembrandt House Museum has transformed one of its rooms into a tattoo parlor for a residency it calls A Poor Man's Rembrandt, featuring Schiffmaker and other top Amsterdam tattoo artists for a week starting Monday. It's a juxtapositiona jump from high to low, from highbrow to lowbrow, says Schiffmacher. And it's great that these two worlds can visit one another. Actually it's really one world because it's about art. Museum Director Milou Halbesma said the event is a way of attracting new visitors to the historic house and getting people closer to the artist. The workshop has already proved a hit. All appointments available online were filled within 10 minutes, she said, though walk-ins might get lucky. Schiffmacher and his colleagues have adapted some of Rembrandt's sketches to make them suitable for tattooingmaking lines thinner so they don't grow together as the tattoo ages. They see similarities between their work and the artist's quick sketchesbut there is one key difference. The canvas is different, Schiffmacher says. The canvas can talk to you, move too much, float, even faint. That didn't happen for Rembrandt. Rachmaran, who works at the museum, was the first person in Schiffmacher's chair. She got his version of one of Rembrandt's famous sketches of an Asian elephant believed to be one named Hansken, which first arrived in Amsterdam in 1633 on a ship from Ceylonnow Sri Lankaas a gift for the Prince of Orange. (Read more tattoos stories.) The judge who presided over Alex Murdaugh's murder trialand sentenced the former attorney to life in prison without parole after a jury found him guilty of killing his wife and sonsays he felt some pity for the man, NBC reports. "I felt sorry for him," South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman said in a Today interview that aired Wednesday. "I felt that he was just in a position where he could not, where if theres a hole that he could go into, he would dive in that hole and keep going to the lowest depths." He said he wanted to give Murdaugh an "opportunity to say something" at his sentencing, but Murdaugh proclaimed his innocence instead of using his last chance to confess. Newman, who plans to retire this fall, said he "probably shouldn't have been surprised" by the amount of media attention the case received. "You know, high-profile lawyer. Death of a wife, death of a child. Accusations of stealing millions of dollars from clients. Allegations of a lawyer hooked on drugs," he said. "It had all the ingredients for something of major public interest." Echoing remarks he made during sentencing, the judge said he believes Murdaugh's crimes will haunt him for the rest of his life. "I cannot imagine him having a peaceful night, knowing what he did," he said. "Im sure if he had an opportunity to do it over again, hed never do it." Murdaugh, who is appealing his conviction, is being held in protective custody at a maximum-security state prison, the State reports. (Read more Alex Murdaugh stories.) A complaint on Twitter about a word has led to Elon Musk declaring it a "slur." The word is "cisgender" (or "cis," for short), which per Merriam-Webster , signifies "a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth." In other words, if you were born female and still identify as such, you're cis. As Gizmodo puts it, the word "is not considered a slur," but simply a fact based on how people identify, but the Twitter CEO made it clear Wednesday that's not how he sees it. The focus on "cisgender" came about after James Esses, a former criminal attorney now known as a "social commentator" who discusses gender ideology (Gizmodo also deems him an "avowed transphobe"), posted that he'd put up a tweet "saying that I reject the word 'cis' and don't wish to be called it." He noted that after that tweet, he received "a slew of messages from trans activists calling me 'cissy' and telling me that I am 'cis' 'whether or not I like it.'" Esses then added: "Just imagine if the roles were reversed." That's when Musk directly responded, writing, "The words 'cis' or 'cisgender' are considered slurs on this platform." Musk added that "repeated, targeted harassment against any account will cause the harassing accounts to receive, at minimum, temporary suspensions." LGBTQ+ advocates immediately pushed back, pointing out that harassment against transgender Twitter usersincluding by people who "deadname" or otherwise purposely misgender themis no longer against Twitter's rules (Musk himself has said as much). Others noted Musk's new rule on "cisgender" appears to go against his "free speech" mantra, with one asking if Musk planned on publishing a list of other slurs prohibited by Twitter. Another user asked ChatGPT if "cisgender" is considered a slur (the AI bot sided against Musk). Even the researcher who coined the term "cisgender" weighed in. "Cisgender identity is a valid construct," Dana Defosse tells HuffPost, accusing Musk of a "ghastly history of attacking trans people." Quartz points out one fact that may be why Musk is so sensitive about the topic: He has an estranged adult daughter who's transgender. In the petition to change her name, Musk's daughter wrote, "I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape, or form." Musk's response in an interview with the Financial Times was to blame "communism" finding its way into her schooling. "It [the relationship] may change, but I have very good relationships with all the others [children]," he shrugged. "Can't win them all." (Read more Elon Musk stories.) Global technology powerhouse Siemens has joined forces with Petrojet, one of the biggest construction groups in Middle East and Africa, to promote co-operation in technologies for the industrial sector in the Middle East. The companies will have a special focus on water, oil and gas, tunnels, and infrastructure projects across the region, said a statement from Siemens. Technologies will include automation solutions, industrial communications, instrumentation, analytical products, motion control, industrial IoT platforms, cloud computing, predictive maintenance, and asset management systems, it stated. As per the deal, Siemens will support Petrojet with its latest technology, including the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, which is an open digital business platform that enables customers to accelerate their digital transformation easier, faster, and at scale. It will also offer Petrojet several technical trainings on automation, instrumentation, control products and solutions. According to Siemens, the co-operation will boost both respective companies efforts to utilize their complementary capabilities to identify opportunities to support the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources digitalization strategy and drive Egypts Vision 2030, as well as key Clients across the Middle East. "Siemens is proud to be a key partner to the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources in support of its vision to enhance the capabilities of the industrial sector and smart infrastructure projects," remarked Engineer Mohammed Khalifa, CEO of Siemens Digital Industries in the Middle East. "Our collaboration with Petrojet will further promote the competitiveness of these vital sectors through our latest Industry 4.0 digital solutions and product technologies to contribute to Egypts economic development plans. With this cooperation, both companies will join their forces to support the development of the industrial markets in Egypt, across the region, and also at a global level," he added. Engineer Waleed Lotfy, Chairman, and Managing Director of Petrojet said: "We are pleased to expand our cooperation with Siemens based on our longstanding successful business relationship." "With this agreement, both companies will endeavour to advance the capabilities of the Egyptian industrial sector and other markets across the Middle East, capitalizing on Siemens broad digital and technological expertise and proven industrial competencies, and our proven experience in delivering large scale and complex projects to upper end clients across the middle east," he added.-TradeArabia News Service BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Germany will allocate 23 million euros to Georgia for the distribution of green hydrogen on the market, Trend reports. The expansion of cooperation in the energy sector was agreed upon by the Governments of Georgia and Germany during the two-day government talks in Berlin on development policy. In addition to energy, the parties also agreed to continue cooperation in other areas. The total volume of the package of measures is about 68 million euros for two years. One of the important directions is the improvement of water supply and sanitation systems in Batumi and Adjara cities as a whole, according to the embassy. It is also planned to improve public transport in Tbilisi and Batumi cities, as well as retraining specialists for Georgian companies. Green hydrogen is produced by the electrolysis of water using renewable energy. It has great potential in combating climate change, as it can replace fossil fuels in areas where decarbonization is most difficult (in marine and air transport), as well as in some industrial processes. Moreover, green hydrogen has significant potential as a seasonal energy storage system. Diplomatic relations between Georgia and Germany were established in 1992, and since then both countries have been actively cooperating in various fields. They have signed more than 50 agreements on mutual cooperation, including taxation, defense, culture, education, crime fighting and investment. National test scores for 13-year-olds released Wednesday showed setbacks in mastering basic skills, providing evidence that schools and students have not overcome the lost learning caused by the pandemic. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, which conducted the tests last fall, reported major drops of nine points in math scores and four points in reading from three years earlier, before the start of the pandemic, the Washington Post reports. The results sparked serious concern across the education field. "This is more than alarming," said an educator who's on the board that sets test policy, adding, "We really need to be concerned about what is happening here." The declines in what's been called the nation's report card put the average reading score back to where it was in 2004 and the average math score back to the 1990 level. In both subjects, scores dropped the most for students already at the bottom of the scale. Students of all races and ethnicities fell in math. But reading scores varied, with Black, multiracial, and white students posting declines while Hispanic, Asian, American Indian, and Alaska Native students pretty much held steady, per the Post. Scores fell 11 points for female students overall and 7 for male students, per CNN. Roughly 8,700 students in 460 schools took the test. The drop in scores has been pronounced since the pandemic first disrupted schools, but student performance already was in decline, per the New York Times; the questions are designed to spot long-term trends. Action is needed, said a junior high school math teacher from Colorado and member of the governing board. Researchers and policy analysts should help identify the most effective methods for teachers and schools, said Mark Miller, who considers the situation urgent. "It's like the alarm has gone off," he said. (History and civics scores are at a record low.) After their attempt last week was blocked , House Republicans succeeded Wednesday in censuring Rep. Adam Schiff. The action was punishment for the California Democrat's support of past investigations into Donald Trump's connections to Russia. The vote was along party lines, 213-209, with six House members voting present, USA Today reports; the measure apparently picked up support after its sponsor removed a $16 million fine. Schiff is accused in the resolution of engaging in "falsehoods, misrepresentations and abuses of sensitive information." The measure's sponsor, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, said, "Adam Schiff launched an all-out political campaign built on baseless distortions against a sitting US president." Schiff and his party expressed defiance. "I will not yield," Schiff said while the resolution was being debated. "Not one inch." He had said he would consider the censure "a badge of honor," and when it was time for him to come forward on the floor to be dishonored, Democrats went along, patting him on the back and cheering him. "Shame!" they chanted, along with "Adam! Adam!" They heckled Speaker Kevin McCarthy when he tried to read the resolution, eventually driving him from the chamber, per the Washington Post. Before Wednesday, only two House members had been censured in the past four decades. More censures might well follow, per the New York Times, as Republicans seek to punish those they perceive as enemies. "You honor me with your enmity," Schiff told them on the House floor. Democrats said the censure was an attempt to cater to Trump and deflect from the former president's current legal troubles. "This is not a serious resolution," said Democratic Rep. Madeleine Dean, but political theater to "distract from Donald Trump's history of transgressions and now indictments." (Read more censure stories.) DNA on a knife sheath found at the home where four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death last fall is a "statistical match" to that collected from suspect Bryan Kohberger, prosecutors disclosed in a court filing. In the June 16 filing, prosecutors said the STR profile, a common type of DNA profiling, is "at least 5.37 octillion times more likely to be seen if (the) Defendant is the source than if an unrelated individual randomly selected from the general population is the source," per CNN . An octillion is a thousand trillion trillion, or a 1 followed by 27 zeroes, CNN notes. The knife sheath was found near the bodies of Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, according to court documents. The documents state that the FBI "went to work building family trees of the genetic relatives to the suspect DNA" using publicly available genealogy sites, which "pointed law enforcement" toward Kohberger. The DNA from the knife sheath was initially compared to DNA found on items taken from the trash outside the Kohberger family home in Pennsylvania last year, CBS reports. Investigators took a DNA swab from the cheek of the 28-year-old suspect after his arrest. The information on the DNA comparison appeared in a motion seeking to block the release of some information on the search from defense lawyers, Law & Crime reports. "The State seeks to protect from disclosure the names and personal information of the hundreds of innocent relatives on the family tree, the names of the publicly available genetic genealogy services used, and certain other information," prosecutors wrote. Kohberger, who has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder, is being held without bail. His trial is due to begin October 2. (Read more Bryan Kohberger stories.) More ships have joined the search for the missing Titan submersible but the outlook for the five people on board is bleak: The vessel had an estimated 96-hour supply of air when it began its dive to the wreckage of the Titanic on Sunday morning, meaning the supply could run out between 6am and 8am Eastern on Thursday, according to information provided by the Coast Guard, the AP reports. Experts say, however, that the estimate is imprecise and if the passengers survived whatever caused the sub to lose contact with the surface, they will have taken steps to conserve air. Coast Guard officials said Wednesday that they are investigating banging noises detected by Canadian aircraft and they remain optimistic. Oil exec Oisin Fanning, who went to the wreckage on the Titan last year, tells the New York Times that he believes the oxygen supply could last longer. "Theyll be monitoring their breathing and keep it as tight as possible," he says. He made the journey with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a former commander in the French navy, who are both on the missing vessel. The verdict is in, and it's prison time for bringing those classified documents home. No, not for former President Trumphis case is still pending but the New York Times notes the similarities between his situation and that of Kendra Kingsbury, a former FBI intelligence analyst who was just sentenced to nearly four years behind bars. The 50-year-old heard her fate Wednesday after being accused of retaining nearly 400 classified documents at her home in Dodge City, Kansas, which she's said to have illegally taken over her dozen or so years with the agency's Kansas City office. Per a DOJ release , Kingsbury pleaded guilty in October to two counts of unlawfully retaining documents related to the national defense. She also admitted to investigators she destroyed classified information, some related to national security, and was reportedly "unhelpful," per the Times. "The defendant put national security at risk by retaining classified information in her home that would have, if in the wrong hands, revealed some of the government's most important and secretive methods of collecting essential national security intelligence," prosecutors wrote in their June 12 sentencing memo. Like Trump, Kingsbury was accused of violating the Espionage Act (more on how and why that comes into play here). In Trump's case, he's facing 31 counts of willfully retaining national defense secretseach of which could bring a maximum sentence of 10 years. He's also been hit with other charges, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, lying to investigators, and corruptly scheming to hide information from the government; he has pleaded not guilty to all. Unlike Trump, however, Kingsbury isn't a former president of the United States, which could impact whether he sees prison time if convicted. Even though experts tell the AP that cases dealing with the mishandling of classified information are taken very seriously, the outlet notes "it's also hard to know the extent to which other factorsincluding the logistical and political complications of jailing a former presidentmight play a role." More on the specifics of Kingsbury's case here. (Read more classified information stories.) With his powerful snout and his pointy ears, Wilson became a national hero in Colombia when he helped the military find four Indigenous children who survived a plane crash and were lost in the Amazon jungle for 40 days. Paw prints from the military-trained search dog led trackers to the children earlier this month. But the Belgian shepherd went missing during the search and is now himself the target of a sophisticated rescue operation that started soon after the four young survivors where flown on a helicopter to Bogota. The Colombian military says it has left 70 soldiers in the dense swath of jungle around the crash site to look for its beloved search dog. And commanders have vowed not to leave the remote area until soldiers return home with the star pup. It's been a month since Wilson got lost in the rainforest, and it's hard to know if the 2-year-old dog is still alive. But the sniffer dog's rescue would lift the spirits of many Colombians, as well as add a heartwarming exclamation point to a survival story that already has captivated the world. Wilson joined Colombia's special forces after graduating from a canine academy in February. He and four more sniffer dogs were taken to the rainforest in May to find the single-engine Cessna plane that had crashed in the rainforest, carrying the four children and three adults who later were found dead. When the small plane was found and the search party realized the children could still be alive, Wilson's handler gave him some clothes to sniff in order to help him track down the kids. The sniffer dog got separated form the search party on May 18 after he sped off into the forest following a scent. Ten days later, the military found footprints of the children next to his paw prints. Those clues helped them to get closer to the area where the children were found on June 9, said Gen. Pedro Sanchez, who led the rescue effort. "The children spoke to us and confirmed that the dog was with them for two or three days," Sanchez told Colombia's W Radio. The children are still recovering in the hospital and haven't spoken to the press. But recently, 13 year-old Lesly Mucutuy, who's the oldest child in the group, drew a picture of the rainforest that included a black-and-coffee-colored dog, which looks like Wilson. Last week, Colombia's military said that it helicoptered two female dogs in heat to the area around the crash site, in the hopes of luring Wilson toward the search party. Food has also been placed for the dog at several points around the crash site, as well as clothes belonging to his handler, with the hope that their scent can guide Wilson back to safety. But some experts believe that Wilson may have already perished in the rainforest, where a dog might struggle to find food and also risks attacks from poisonous snakes. "It's a tough situation," said Mark Lee, a Colombian dog trainer and radio host. "I don't see a Belgian Malinois eating fruits and leaves in the forest, or trying to catch an animal to survive. And I wouldn't see that in a dog that is used to having his food in his bowl, at regular hours." (Read more Colombia stories.) Meteorologists around the world are facing increasingly aggressive pushback due to their coverage on climate change, with some cases turning outright abusive . Now, the chief weather forecaster at Iowa's KCCI is stepping down from his post for just such a reason. Chris Gloninger, a Regional Emmy winner for his environmental reporting, offered a surprise "quick goodbye" Wednesday on Twitter , where he said he was leaving TV after 18 years, per the Des Moines Register . KCCI notes that Gloninger will be pursuing a career in climate consulting, and in his tweet, he explained why. "After a death threat stemming from my climate coverage last year and resulting in PTSD, in addition to family health issues, I've decided to begin this journey *now*," he wrote. In his 6pm newscast Wednesday, Gloninger added that leaving his TV job would also allow him and his wife "to help our families in their time of need." Gloninger had previously detailed the death threat, writing on Twitter last year that the threat was "followed by a flow of harassing emails" from the same person. "The threat of course was concerning, but the stream of harassing emails is even more distressing," he wrote. "It means he is thinking about it constantly. He is angry about it and filled with hate." Gloninger called the experience "mentally exhausting," adding that "at times I have NOT been ok." He tells the Washington Post that now, "I'm trying to put it behind me. But at the same point, I think it brings awareness to what journalists face day to day bringing the news." The last day on the air for Gloninger, who was with KCCI for two years, will be July 7. (Read more meteorologist stories.) Some 18 years after the State Department denied him a visa to enter the US, Narendra Modi is in the country for a state visit as prime minister of India. Thousands gathered on the White House South Lawn for a welcoming ceremony Thursday, where President Biden praised a "relationship built on mutual trust, candor, and respect," the AP reports. But the state visitonly the third of Biden's presidencyhas drawn criticism over human rights concerns under Modi's increasingly authoritarian government, reports CNN. More: Biden "won't lecture" Modi. Administration officials say the US-India relationship is of vital importance, especially when it comes to countering China, and while Biden will raise concerns about human rights, he won't lecture the Indian leader, the AP reports. The question of where politics and the question of democratic institutions go in India is going to be determined within India by Indians. Its not going to be determined by the United States, says national security adviser Jake Sullivan. So what we can do is our part, and our part is to speak out on behalf of universal values. The House headed off an attempt to impeach President Biden on Thursday while Republican leaders still appeased their hardcore members who forced the vote. The chamber voted 219-208 to refer two articles of impeachment to committees that have already begun investigating the administration, Politico reports. Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert, who forced the issue to a quick vote, reveled in the result, though the committees have no obligation to act on the articles. "For the first time in 24 years, a House Republican-lead majority is moving forward with impeachment proceedings against a current president," Boebert said Thursday. Many Republicans were not pleased at having to vote on the issue, per the New York Times. Rep. Garret Graves voted yes but said that doesn't mean he supports Boebert's goal. "Impeachment is one of the most awesome powers that Congress has to exercise," he said. "It's not anything that should be used flippantly, especially in just two days. That's crazy." Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who has said there's no case for ousting Biden, lobbied against impeachment. The fact that the Colorado Republican was able to force a vote anyway demonstrates again the speaker's lack of control over his membership, per the AP. Democrats attacked Republicans over the issue. "They can try to impeach Joe Biden all they want," said Rep. Jim McGovern, "but all they are doing is impeaching themselves and making a mockery of this place." Boebert's measure argues that Biden's immigration policies constitute high crimes and misdemeanors and that his lax border policies facilitated an "invasion" of the USwording that surfaces in extremists' replacement theory. (The vote comes a day after the GOP-led House censured Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Terming the demands for a "pause" in AI development as "uncalled for, as of now", senior vice president of Google Prabhakar Raghavan said rules to govern AI should be "based on science and a deep understanding of the subject". He was voicing his opposition to calls for a blanket ban on the technology, which is taking the world by storm. The way ahead to develop artificial intelligence (AI) systems is to "engage with scientists and technologists who understand" the technology behind it, the top Google executive said. In an exclusive interview with ET, Raghavan - who is a key member of Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai's leadership team - said AI regulations must balance innovation and its potential to uplift economies like India. The country remains one of the two priority markets for Google and is adding a lot of innovative products to the company's repertoire, he added. Noting that "India is growing really fast, right on a fairly significant pace," he said the next big startup from India could be the one which caters to the unique needs of Indian users. For instance, startups that solve the problems of logistics for companies delivering to remote corners could gain the most. Google, which has developed a lot of India-first products such as Google Pay, offline maps, flood forecast warning, and map directions for two-wheelers, among others, is now finding ample users for these in other geographies as well. Now, with generative AI coming into the picture, there will be newer opportunities for Google's products, especially in geographies like India, Bangladesh and others, according to the IIT graduate who is now responsible for Google Search, Assistant, Geo, Ads, Commerce, and Payments products at the Mountain View-based search giant. "We have fascinating new opportunities in building better Indic language models because the data sparsity is different. We are trying to develop better resources to train across languages," said the 62-year-old Raghavan. Google's focus was not just pure languages such as Hindi, Bengali or Tamil, but dialects such as Hinglish, which were a mix of two pure spoken and written languages, according to the 62-year-old computer science engineer who has a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. Training mixed language models, as well as pure language models, was also important for Google as search queries from India had shifted from the traditional text and image to a combination of voice and image or just voice. "In India, about a third of our search queries are spoken. That is in contrast to like three or 4% in the US. So, it's a 10x increase. That is because people here are culturally really comfortable pulling out the phone and talking to it. In many other countries, people are not comfortable," Raghavan said, adding that in future, search queries would arise from multiple modalities such as text, voice and image. "You point the camera and then ask a text query such as if there is something wrong with this plant, how do I fix it? And we tell you to go buy this pesticide, sprinkle on top etc. These are emerging behaviours that drag the core products in different directions," he noted. Though Google has found and implemented ample use cases for its generative AI and derived models, Raghavan believes that a pause in the development of the technology is uncalled for as of now. He was responding to a query on the call - by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk - to hit a pause on AI, the Google executive said "there are many prominent scientists who truly understand what these things do and don't do. My suggestion would be to engage them and try to get from them exactly what they are thinking of. Ultimately, it is a hard science underneath, and it is a branch of computer science." Raghavan, who is currently on a visit to India, is of the view that smaller companies in the generative AI ecosystem will make as much of a difference as the larger firms such as Google, Microsoft or OpenAI and that it was not "hopeless" for the smaller players to compete with the bigger ones in the market. The smaller companies, he said, would make use of the multiple language learning models and tweak them to fit a vast variety of applications. The threshold for such companies was not whether they had trained a language model by now as that is something many people have done. "It is what novel and interesting user benefit can you derive from it? People are getting creative in many startups everywhere. It is round one of a ten-round match," he said. Army Chief of Staff Gen. James C. McConville recently reflected on his interactions with Army veterans from major historical conflicts during a meeting with reporters on June 13, 2023. (Courtesy photo) We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. Thailand's Envoy to India Pattarat Hongtong on Wednesday said that the trilateral highway road between India, Myanmar and Thailand is under construction. "Trilateral Highway between India, Myanmar and Thailand is under construction. The construction of the road is completed from Thailand to Myanmar," Thailand's envoy Pattarat Hongton told. The road will connect to the northeastern state of Manipur as a gateway for Thailand and other countries. "In India, it will come at the Moreh in Manipur. I have been to Moreh and I have seen the road from Imphal to Moreh, which is almost ready," she said. Recently the Ambassador visited Manipur and experienced the construction work of the road. "Thailand to Myanmar road work is completed and Myanmar to India connection is underway," she added. Over 1300km long road highways will be a very powerful way to boost Myanmar and Thailand in terms of trade, travel and tourism industry. After completion, the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway holds the promise of expanded connectivity and regional integration. India has also proposed to extend the road to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain Labour Minister Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan opened the annual leadership forum themed "Think Like a CEO", held on June 21 and 22. The two-day event was organised by Origin Group in the presence of its Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Banna, with the participation of experts in human resources from Bahrain and abroad. The conference aims to develop leaders from national cadres in the development of human resources in light of the acceleration of technology and artificial intelligence and the development of young leaders, which are the most important pillars of development and link them to technology. The conference reviewed the most prominent leadership problems, including taking difficult decisions during crises, managing work teams, and finding appropriate solutions. It also reviewed successful experiences in this context. Humaidan stressed the importance of the theme of this years conference, pointing out that developing national competencies and upgrading them to leadership levels to lead the production process reflects positively on the sustainability of improving productivity levels in institutions because the qualified national leadership component represents real capital in the development paths. He highlighted the successful experiences of institutions that relied on Bahraini competencies and progressed in their professional ladder to assume advanced leadership positions. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Reported by Zahra Ayaz Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that it is working to establish an embassy in Bahrain in line with the goals of the 'Al-Ula' summit. Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari, Advisor to the Bahrain Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Official Spokesperson, stated that efforts are being made to establish embassies between the two nations, particularly in light of the reintroduction of six daily flights between them. The Qatari-Bahraini Follow-Up Committee met for the third time in Doha to supplement earlier sessions in the execution of the Al-Ula Declaration, which is based on the desire of the two nations' leaders to achieve the goals and aspirations of the two brotherly peoples. Meanwhile, Qatar's and the UAE's embassies reopened on Monday to resume operations after the two countries agreed to restore diplomatic ties, as stated by Qatar's foreign ministry. In 2017, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Qatar. They did, however, sign a reconciliation deal with Doha in 2021 to reestablish their relations. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com P. Unnikrishnan The Daily Tribune Q. What were some significant achievements or milestones accomplished during your tenure as the ambassador to Bahrain? My tenure in Bahrain has been remarkable and highly productive over the last three years. Our relationship encompasses politics, security, economics, trade, culture, and people-to-people connections. I must emphasise both governments commitment and sincere desire to strengthen and diversify this relationship. As a result, numerous high-level engagements have taken place. Even during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic, senior ministers continued their interactions, with the External Affairs Minister of India, Bahrains Foreign Minister visiting India, the Minister of State for External Affairs visiting Bahrain twice, virtual meetings being held, and the honourable Speaker of the Lok Sabha, India, visiting Bahrain. Furthermore, Bahrains Minister of Commerce and Telecommunications visited India. These engagements have bolstered our relationship. To provide some data, Our bilateral trade has nearly doubled since the onset of the pandemic, reaching close to $2 billion. Similarly, investments and economic collaborations have grown significantly, reinforcing our strategic partnership. Bahrain joined the International Solar Alliance last year, and India became the Combined Maritime Forces associate partner. India has firmly supported Bahrains dialogue participation in the SCO (Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation). Q. As you rightly mentioned, our bilateral trade has reached nearly USD 2 billion. However, the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement between Bahrain and India needs to be signed. What are the reasons behind this? A. Discussions have been ongoing between the finance ministries of both countries. The main hindrance to signing the agreement has been the absence of tax structures in Bahrain. However, I would like to highlight that continuous communication has been taking place. In the last foreign office consultation meeting led by His Excellency Dr. Shaikh Abdulla, Under-Secretary for Political Affairs, strong representation from the Ministry of Finance was present and held discussions on the sidelines. More recently, a virtual meeting between the two finance ministries occurred, indicating that negotiations are progressing. We will see positive developments in this regard in the next few days. Q: What challenges did you face as an ambassador throughout your term, and how did you overcome them? A. Upon arriving in Bahrain, I immediately felt a sense of familiarity and warmth. My main challenge was assuming my post amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when vaccines were unavailable. The pandemic necessitated extensive coordination with government agencies, Indias health ministries, and civil aviation authorities, as well as close collaboration with the Indian community. However, we received tremendous support from both sides. The government of Bahrain provided exceptional care to the expatriate community, offering medical assistance and equitable vaccination opportunities. Q. Could you please recall some of your beautiful memories in Bahrain? A. Undoubtedly, Bahrain has provided numerous beautiful moments during my tenure as a full-fledged ambassador. If I were to identify a remarkable moment, it would be the golden jubilee celebrations, commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between India and Bahrain. The celebrations witnessed the participation of people from various backgrounds, including artists, chefs, academics, and many seminars were conducted. During that time, the Bab Al Bahrain was illuminated in the Indian tricolour, while the Qutub Minar chefs and andia shone in Bahraini national colours. This memory will forever hold a special place in my heart. Q. What are the possibilities of bringing an Indian university to Bahrain, and what hurdles hinder such a project? I wouldnt refer to them as hurdles. I am delighted to witness collaborations and the presence of several institutes and courses in Bahrain. Regarding universities, IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) are permitted to establish campuses abroad. Talks are underway to select a campus in Bahrain that has already been established in Abu Dhabi. From our discussions, it is evident that Bahrain is keen on hosting a reputed technical university. Q. Do you have any projects that still need to be completed or that will be handed over to your successor? What advice would you like to give to your successor? My advice to my successor would be to acknowledge the friendly nature of this country. As for unfinished projects, I prefer to view them in a positive light. Collaborative agreements in space research are nearing finalisation. Similarly, contracts in the education and traditional medicine sectors are in progress. Some pending projects include the RuPay card implementation and the operationalization of a cultural programme. Many projects were initiated during my tenure and will continue during my successors term. Q. With over 400,000 Indians in Bahrain, how would you rate the labour law and recent reforms compared to other countries? A. The Indian community here is diverse and vibrant and has significantly contributed to the kingdoms economic development in various capacities, ranging from business people and professionals to doctors, engineers, teachers, and blue-collar workers. The Kingdom of Bahrain has been exceptionally welcoming to the Indian community. Their policies and support, including recent labour reforms such as flexible work permits, have been highly receptive to suggestions from embassies. Sufficient time was provided to transition to the new system. Moreover, whenever individual issues arise, we have always received outstanding support from the LMRA (Labour Market Regulatory Authority), the Ministry of Labour, and other agencies. I want to utilise this platform to express my gratitude to the leadership, the government of Bahrain, and all relevant authorities for their unwavering support and care for the Indian community in Bahrain. Q. What message would you like to convey to the Indian community? I am immensely proud of the Indian community, and it has been a privilege for me to work closely with them. They represent India with pride, and I encourage them to continue their efforts to strengthen the relationship between India and Bahrain. Many Indians have played a crucial role in overcoming challenges during the pandemic, and I would like to thank them. I request all Indians to continue their contributions and strengthen the bonds of friendship between our two countries, which will bring more pride to our nation. Quick facts 1. If you had to choose one Indian dish to represent the essence of the diplomatic relationship, what would it be? A: Samosa. 2. What aspect of Bahraini culture or tradition will you miss the most as you prepare to depart from Bahrain? A: Majlis. 3. Which place is your wife's favourite for a weekend getaway in Bahrain? Qalat Al Bahrain (Bahrain Fort) and Bab Al Bahrain 4. What would the title be if Bollywood were to create a movie about your diplomatic journey in Bahrain? The Depth of Friendship Between Our People.' 5. Who is the most remarkable personality you have met in Bahrain? There have been many remarkable individuals. Mr. Abdul Rehman Jumma and Mr. Abdul Nabi Al Shoala have significantly contributed to the Bahrain-India Society. In particular, Mr. Abdul Nabi Al Shoala wrote a remarkable book on Gandhi, exemplifying our nation's goodwill. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Reported by Zahra Ayaz Unpleasant incidents such as suicide, accidents, or even murder can prevent the body of an expatriate in Bahrain from being sent back to the home country in a timely manner, according to social workers and mortuary staff. The drawn-out process is caused by the investigative phase and the completion of the appropriate paperwork, like a death certificate. A 33-year-old Indian man's decomposing body, who reportedly committed suicide, was discovered by police last September after they responded to a call about a strong smell emanating from a closed laundry shop in Hoora. Bahrain-based social worker Sudheer Thirunilath told The Daily Tribune that the victim's familys financial predicament and a lack of adequate documents are to blame for the bodys delayed return to India. He added that there were numerous challenges in this case, such as getting in touch with the court to obtain the death certificate, which caused some delay. "Setting up the execution, for which the court required a new power of attorney from the family, was challenging because it was difficult to explain the process to the family members. Thankfully, the required paperwork was completed with the assistance of social workers, the Indian Embassy, and an attorney. The Indian Embassy was responsible for paying the airfare and other costs associated with the repatriation proceedings," he explained. "Months after his body was found, the repatriation was finally done yesterday. I would like to stress how crucial it is to have legal documents to avoid drawn-out proceedings." Meanwhile, mortuary staff said that under normal conditions, the process to clear a dead body takes one to two days, and only in questionable circumstances such as suicide, accidents, or murder where the identity of the victim is probably unclear or there is a lack of any supporting documentation will public prosecutors intervene. "Once the Public Prosecution approves, the body can be returned to its native country. Nevertheless, the Bahraini government has been very helpful in dealing with these situations." They further explained that, depending on the specifics of each situation, there may be a delay if the company takes some time to provide information about the deceased employee. "In general, the procedure consists of a few steps: a notice from the mortuary, a death certificate, a letter from the embassy, paperwork from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and the involvement of CID as the last step." The Daily Tribune previously reported that over 250 Indian expatriates passed away in Bahrain last year, the majority of them due to health problems probably brought on by difficult financial times. This year, there have been over 30 reported suicide fatalities so far. , Jun 22 ( News On Japan ) - Japan has re-opened to overseas tourists, summer is here and the official climbing season for Mount Fuji is about to start, but authorities are urging caution when making an assault on Japans highest mountain. Restrictions on movement that applied during the COVID-19 pandemic have been lifted and authorities are expecting a surge in climbers when the iconic symbol of Japan officially opens its scaling season on July 1. Local authorities fear dangan tozan, literally bullet mountain climbing, which is the term used to describe scaling the 3,776.24 m-high mountain overnight without taking a rest. Opponents of the rest-free climbs, which the Council for the Promotion of the Proper Use of Mt. Fuji estimates account for one third of all people who scale Japans highest mountain, say that it increases the likelihood of altitude sickness and accidents, as well as leads to crowding on the mountain trails. And some say the bullet climbers make the mountain dirtier because they leave their trash there. Most bullet climbers are looking to climb to the top of the mountain to watch the sunrise from the summit or thereabouts, so start climbing in the early evening to time their arrival for the following dawn. Climbs usually take several hours to complete, and though getting up Mount Fuji is not extreme in terms of mountaineering ability, it is physically demanding. This year marks the first unrestricted climbing season on Mount Fuji since 2019. Bullet climb opponents are urging people to leave early and stay in one of the huts on the mountain trails, getting a good rest and acclimatizing, and then waking early to resume climbing to watch the sun come up the following morning. Were delighted that lots of people want to climb, but it all becomes nothing if there is an accident, Osamu Nakamura, chairman of the Mt. Fuji Yoshidaguchi Ryokan Kumiai, an association of managers of huts on Mount Fuji, told Sankei News. Have fun without overdoing it. The association website argues that: Climbing overnight increases the risk of accidents and altitude sickness because of exhaustion. The mayor of Fujiyoshida, the municipality where most of Mount Fuji is located, has formally requested the Tourism Agency to ensure people take steps to climb safely and end the bullet climbing practice. And Yamanashi Prefectural Police are urging people to prepare properly for the climb and not treat it as little more than an extended walk in the park. Mount Fuji is Japans most sacred mountain. June 22 marks the 10th anniversary since Mount Fuji was added to UNESCOs World Heritage Site list. The official climbing season for Mount Fuji starts on July 1 and ends on September 10. Netflix's new Japanese comedy-drama series Let's Get Divorced has received a ton of love from fans and is continuing to get favorable reviews from critics. The show follows the story of a couple who have achieved remarkable success in their professonal lives. However, after being married for five years, their love seems to have slowly faded. Thus, in order to get things on track again, they decide to get a divorce. The entire show was filmed in Japan itself, and the movie's filming began in March 2022 and ended in June 2022. Let's Get Divorced was mostly filmed around Tokyo, Matsuyama, and Okinawa Prefecture. Kankuro Kudo and Shizuka Oishi, two of Japan's top TV drama scriptwriters, join forces in an unprecedented collaboration on Netflix! A politician and his actress wife have been married for five years... but their domestic bliss now faces a crisis, including a fling, an affair and potential divorce! What should be an issue between just the two of them causes an uproar that sweeps up everyone in their orbit! Where will this dizzy divorce drama end up? Unraveling the Mystery: The Search for the Lost Titanic Submersible Continues (Photo : Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons) The relentless hunt for a missing tourist submersible, the Titan, owned by U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions, resulted in the uncovering of a "debris field" on the ocean floor in the vicinity of the Titanic wreck, as announced by the U.S. Coast Guard. A remotely operated deep-sea robot, launched from a Canadian vessel, conducted the exploration, and experts are currently scrutinizing the data gathered. The agency announced the findings via Twitter but held back on further specifics. A news briefing to elucidate the discovery is slated for 3 p.m. ET (1900 GMT). Advertisement The clock is ticking for the occupants of the 22-foot (6.7-meter) Titan, as their air supply was forecasted to have nearly depleted, or possibly entirely exhausted, by Thursday morning. The Titan embarked on what was supposed to be a two-hour descent on Sunday morning, but communications with the support ship were lost. With an initial air supply for 96 hours, as per OceanGate, the submersible's oxygen reserve is presumed to have been drained by Thursday morning. The exact timeline, however, depends on various factors, including the Titan's power state and the occupants' calmness. Simultaneously, another deep-sea robot, dispatched from a French research vessel, is probing the seabed for the Titan's traces. Even if found, retrieving the submersible from a depth exceeding 2 miles presents substantial logistical hurdles. Families and rescuers of the five Titan occupants clung to hope when the U.S. Coast Guard reported on Wednesday that Canadian search aircraft had registered undersea noises via sonar buoys. However, further investigations by remote-controlled underwater vehicles didn't yield positive results, and officials suggested the noises may not have emanated from the Titan. Rear Admiral John Mauger of the U.S. Coast Guard assured NBC that the search operations would persist throughout Thursday. The $250,000-per-person deep-sea expedition aboard the Titan, ending at the Titanic wreck, was a culmination of an adventure tourism package offered by OceanGate. Passengers on this voyage included British billionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani-origin British business tycoon Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, leading Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and OceanGate's founder and CEO, Stockton Rush, who is related to two Titanic victims. Anxiety prevails among those closely associated with the expedition. "We're waiting anxiously, we hardly sleep," confessed Mathieu Johann, Nargeolet's editor at Harper Collins. Safety concerns surrounding the Titan surfaced during a 2018 submersible industry symposium and in a lawsuit filed by OceanGate's former marine operations head. In the event of the Titan being located intact, the rescue effort will grapple with profound pressures and pitch darkness at such ocean depths. Titanic expert Tim Maltin cautioned that a sub-to-sub rescue might be "almost impossible." Furthermore, distinguishing the Titan amid the wreck might prove challenging. Forensic geoscientist Jamie Pringle stated, "If you've seen the Titanic debris field, there'll be a thousand different objects that size. It might be an endless task." More Bikes, Easier Drop Offs TORONTO, June 22, 2023 /CNW/ - Bike Share Toronto will increase its operations from June 22 25 to better support those using Bike Share Toronto to travel to and from this weekend's Pride festivities. Valet stations will be strategically placed around the downtown core to make it easier for anyone headed to Pride to find and drop off bikes. Bike Share Toronto will staff the valet stations with Mobile Community Ambassadors who will have extra bikes and docking points to ensure bikes are readily available and provide a hassle free drop off. "The Toronto Parking Authority is excited to participate in the Pride festivities again this year," said Bike Share Toronto Director Justin Hanna. "Increasing Bike Share's valet service will help us achieve our goal of making the experience of getting to and from Pride events simple and seamless." Valet stations are offered as a supplementary service. We encourage Pride goers to plan ahead and make getting there easier with Bike Share Toronto. Check out one of these Valet Stations June 22-25. Pride Valet Station Locations and Schedule: Bay St / Wellesley St W Jarvis St / Isabella St June 22-23 (Thursday-Friday) 5 pm - 2 am June 24 (Saturday) 11 am - 2 am June 25 (Sunday) 9 am - 6 pm For more information, please visit: https://bikesharetoronto.com/valet-stations/ About Toronto Parking Authority Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) is North America's largest municipally owned operator of commercial parking and manages Bike Share Toronto, North America's third-largest bike share program. TPA's vision is to become the world's best provider of sustainable parking, bike share and last-mile mobility experiences for its customers, partners, and the city. SOURCE The Toronto Parking Authority For further information: Media Contact: Rita Mezzanotte, Mezzanotte Communications, [email protected], 416-271-0667 mobile Iran and Saudi Arabia took a further step Saturday to seal their reconciliation as Riyadh's top diplomat made a landmark visit to the Islamic republic following a seven-year rupture. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan held talks with his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian focusing on regional security. He later met with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, and was due to hand him an invitation "to visit the kingdom soon". Saudi Arabia severed relations with Iran in 2016 after its embassy in Tehran and consulate in the northwestern city of Mashhad were attacked during protests over Riyadh's execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr But the two countries agreed in March to mend ties and reopen their respective embassies, in a Chinese-brokered deal that has shifted regional relations. On June 6, Iran reopened its embassy and consulate in Saudi Arabia and the kingdom is expected to reopen its diplomatic mission in Tehran "soon", Prince Faisal said. "I would like to point out the importance of cooperation between our two countries concerning the regional security, especially the security of maritime navigation and waterways," Prince Faisal said at a joint news conference with Amir-Abdollahian. The Iranian foreign minister told reporters they had discussed ways of bolstering cooperation in the fields of security, economy, tourism and transportation. But Amir-Abdollahian stressed Iran's view that "regional security will be ensured by regional actors only" without external interference. "Our relations are based on a clear foundation of full and mutual respect for independence, sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs," Prince Faisal added. He later met Raisi and they "reviewed bilateral relations and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields", the Saudi foreign ministry said in a tweet. Raisi, in a statement from his office, said there were "no obstacles" to developing ties with Muslim countries, stressing that "regional problems and troubles can be dealt with" through cooperation and dialogue "without foreign interference". Prince Faisal was the first Saudi foreign minister to visit Iran since 2006 when the late Saudi top diplomat Prince Saudi al-Faisal made a trip to Tehran. Iran Arab ties Since restoring ties, Saudi Arabia has pushed for a peace deal with Iran-backed Huthi rebels and also championed the return last month of key Iran ally Syria to the Arab fold. Saturday's meeting between the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers was not the first for the two top diplomats. Prince Faisal and Amir-Abdollahian had met in Beijing in April, where they both vowed to promote regional security and stability. The same month, a Saudi delegation visited Iran to discuss reopening its diplomatic missions, Riyadh's foreign ministry said at the time. While Iran reopened its embassy in Saudi Arabia, the reopening of the Saudi embassy in Tehran has been delayed due to the poor condition of the building which was damaged during the 2016 protests. Pending the completion of the work, Saudi diplomats will be working from a luxury hotel in Tehran, according to media reports. After the landmark deal with the Saudi kingdom, Iran has moved to cementing or restoring ties with neighbouring Arab countries. In April, Iran named an ambassador to the United Arab Emirates nearly eight years after his predecessor left. The move came after Iran welcomed an Emirati ambassador last September ending a six-year absence after the UAE had cut the level of its diplomatic representation in 2016. Iran has also said it would welcome restoring diplomatic ties with Bahrain to end a seven-year rupture. And at the end of May, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he would welcome a resumption of relations with Egypt which have been cut since the 1979 Islamic revolution. Search Keywords: Short link: Emma is the first sleep company to launch its own range of secluded sleep vacations which will be bookable later this summer Emma's research reveals that 77% of people dream of going on a sleep vacation, and 98% of people consider good sleep to be a vital part of a vacation One lucky winner will be chosen to go on the first ever Emma Sleep Vacation TORONTO, June 22, 2023 /CNW/ -- Emma The Sleep Company, the world's largest D2C sleep brand, is launching its own range of secluded sleep vacations, as the summer season officially begins and the global sleep tourism trend gathers pace. Independent research, carried out with Appinio, showed that 77% of participants would love to go on a sleep vacation, but only 18% have tried one in the past. The research also found that 98% of people consider good sleep to be a vital component of a vacation, and that 79% of respondents enjoy better sleep in the countryside compared to the city. Furthermore, Appinio and Emma discovered that the item people miss the most when they go on vacation is their bed (41%). Guess the location to win an Emma Sleep Vacation What is a sleep vacation? Sleep vacations are the latest tourism trend where rest and rejuvenation are the core elements of the getaway. They provide an escape from daily routines by immersing vacation makers in natural, peaceful, and secluded environments that promote relaxation and restoration. For Emma's Sleep Experts, a sleep vacation has a wide range of health benefits. Several scientific studies indicate that exposure to natural environments improves sleep quality thanks to improved hormone balance. For example, natural settings decrease cortisol levels the primary stress hormone thereby improving sleep and overall well-being. "Sleep tourism helps people step away from daily stressors and rediscover the essential need for restful sleep" said Theresa Schnorbach, Sleep Research Team Lead from Emma The Sleep Company. "By prioritizing relaxation and having the chance to connect with nature, individuals can achieve better cognitive function, emotional balance, and overall well-being during a sleep vacation." Introducing Emma Sleep Vacations Emma is the world's first sleep brand to launch its own range of sleep vacations, which will be bookable later this summer. Emma Sleep Vacations will include a wide range of locations designed to promote rest and relaxation, and properties kitted out with Emma's award-winning sleep products. To mark the launch, Emma is launching a global competition to give one lucky participant the chance to win the very first Emma Sleep Vacation. People can enter to win at https://emma-sleep.ca/pages/sleep-vacations by guessing the correct country shown in the photos. The winner will be announced on 12th July 2023. About Emma - The Sleep Company: Emma The Sleep Company is a founder-managed company and the world's leading Direct-to-consumer sleep brand. Founded in 2013 by Dr. Dennis Schmoltzi and Manuel Mueller in Germany, the company is active in more than 30 countries and achieved a turnover of EUR 873 million (USD 948 million) in 2022, a growth rate of 35 percent from the previous year. Emma products are sold via an omnichannel approach, including D2C/online, marketplaces, and more than 3,500 brick-and-mortar stores. Emma successfully collaborates with over 200 retailers. Emma's 1,000+ team members are working across the world, with offices in Frankfurt (Germany), Manila (Philippines), Lisbon (Portugal), Mexico City (Mexico), and Shanghai (China). For more information about Emma - The Sleep Company, please visit news.emma-sleep.com SOURCE Emma - The Sleep Company For further information: [email protected] Multi-million-dollar investment to support retail experience for Canadians today and in the increasingly digital future BURLINGTON, ON, June 22, 2023 /CNW/ - IKEA Canada announces plans to inject more than $400 million into projects that expand fulfillment capabilities in the Greater Vancouver and Toronto Areas. IKEA Canada's investment will help the brand continue to meet the evolving ways that customers shop today, while supporting their commitment to help Canadians enjoy a better life at home. As leaders in life at home, IKEA is focused on accelerating its business transformation to deliver a memorable and seamless customer experience journey across all customer meeting points. IKEA Canada announces plans to expand fulfillment capabilities in the Greater Vancouver and Toronto Areas with investments of more than $400 million. (CNW Group/IKEA Canada) "At IKEA, we are always looking for ways to optimize our operations to better meet our customers' need for convenience and speed, while continuing to help fulfill their aspirations for a better life at home," notes Geoffrey Macdonald, CFO, IKEA Canada. "We are focused on further transforming and developing our fulfilment networks in key markets across the country to ensure that our products are available to customers whenever, wherever, and however they choose to shop with us." In the Greater Vancouver Area, IKEA Canada aims to expand fulfillment capabilities at IKEA Richmond. Should the expansion project be approved, upon completion, the expanded IKEA Richmond store will provide customers with enhanced click and collect and locker pickup services, while supporting truck, parcel, and collection point delivery throughout the Greater Vancouver market. Expansion plans have been developed in alignment with the brand's climate-positive ambitions, and the new facility will help support short and stable lead times to customers while reducing costs and supporting market growth. In the Greater Toronto Area, IKEA Canada intends to build a new Customer Distribution Centre in Hamilton, Ontario in 2025 that will support expansion throughout southwestern Ontario. IKEA Etobicoke and IKEA Vaughan will also undergo expansions by 2025 to strengthen their store fulfilment capabilities and further enable the company to keep in-demand products available and delivery times as short as possible, while also supporting future growth in the market. This omnichannel transformation includes introducing new ways to shop, enhancements to existing store experiences, strengthened digital capabilities and services, along with optimized fulfilment networks to ensure that regardless of when, where or how customers choose to shop, their experience is integrated and seamless. Renowned worldwide for its large-format stores boasting home furnishing inspirations and solutions where customers can shop and return home with their purchases in-hand, today customers can also shop the brand's affordable and sustainable products and solutions digitally through IKEA.ca and the shoppable IKEA app. Further, customers can choose to receive their purchases through a variety of pickup and delivery services that best suit their needs and budget. People remain at the heart of the IKEA omnichannel transformation and as the company continues to keep customers at the centre of its transformation, IKEA remains committed to investing in its co-workers nationally so that the retailer can deliver the best possible customer experience. IKEA Canada continues to expand its diverse network of customer meeting points including Plan and order points now open in Boisbriand and Brossard, QC as well as Kitchener, ON, Canada's first city-centre store in downtown Toronto, and the highly anticipated small-format store at Scarborough Town Centre. ABOUT IKEA CANADA Founded in 1943 in Sweden, IKEA is a leading home furnishing retailer, offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. IKEA Canada is part of Ingka Group which operates 389 IKEA stores in 32 countries, including 14 in Canada. Last year, IKEA Canada welcomed 21.2 million visitors to its stores and 236 million visitors to IKEA.ca. IKEA Canada operates business through the IKEA vision - to create a better everyday life for the many people and does so through its local community efforts and sustainability initiatives. For more information on IKEA Canada, please visit IKEA.ca. SOURCE IKEA Canada For further information: For media inquiries: Lisa Huie, Public Relations Leader, IKEA Canada, [email protected] Mark Zuckerberg is creating a Twitter competitor at Instagram. The internal codename for the app is Project 92 and it could be called Thread. They are talking to creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run. Oprah Winfrey could join. Meta chief product officer Chris Cox talked about the project. Mark Zuckerberg said Ive always thought that Twitter should have a billion people using it on the Lex Fridman podcast. Zuckerberg and Musk started tossing insults at each other and then a physical fight challenge was made. Elon Musk, 51, is over 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs about 200 pounds while Zuckerberg is 5 feet 7 inches tall and 150 pounds. Musk says he was in real hard-core street fights when he was growing up in South Africa. Zuckerberg, 39, has been taking private MMA and Jiu-Jitsu training for the past year and has won some tournaments. Zuckerberg completed the Murph challenge in 40 minutes. The workout consists of a one-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another one-mile run, all done while wearing a weighted vest. Zuckerberg has conditioning and seemingly useful combat training. Musk spends all his waking hours building Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter and his other companies. Elon works 80-100 hours per week running his companies while Zuckerberg is at 50-60 hours per week. Im up for a cage match if he is lol Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 21, 2023 Vegas Octagon Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 22, 2023 Avi Loeb is looking for objects that have crashed into the Earth which based upon their speed and angle indicate they originated from outside the solar system. We have been unsuccessfully using SETI to detect communications from alien technological civilizations. However, we know that humanity has over 2 billion tons of garage every year and tens of billions of tons of emissions. We have just started into space and we have a lot of space debris. Humanity has tens of billions of tons of air and water pollution and emissions. A large space faring technological civilization would also have lots of garbage. They might also send out billions of probes. They could send them out like dandelion seeds. The bigger and more advanced the civilization then the more junk and debris they will create. Avi Loeb estimates the total quantity of interstellar objects similar to those that have already been detected, including the interstellar object of unknown origin Oumuamua and the interstellar meteors CNEOS 2014-01-08 (IM1) and CNEOS 2017-03-09 (IM2). This estimate applies both in the case of Oumuamua being of natural origin, and Oumuamua being artificial space debris that is not targeted towards a particular location in space. However, the inferred abundance of probes is distinctly different in case of Oumuamua-like objects being targeted towards particular regions of the galaxy, specifically habitable zones containing planets. Oumuamua was detected at a distance of 0.2 AU from Earth, and it passed through the habitable zone of our solar system . The estimated total number of Oumuamua-like objects would then fall to 19 billion. The interstellar meteor IM1 had an estimated diameter of 0.45 meters and velocity of 60 km s-1, but it was detectable when it entered and burned up within the atmosphere of the Earth. The estimated detection rate for interstellar meteors similar to CNEOS is at least 0.1 every year , resulting in a local density estimate of i one million per cubic AU or 10^22 per cubic parsec. They estimate 7.59 10^34 IM1-like objects bound by the thin disk of the Milky Way. However, if objects with the properties of IM1 were targeted towards habitable zones containing planets, they estimate 7.59 10^18 such objects. IM2 had a similar inferred number density to IM1 and a velocity of 40 km s-1 relative to the Local Standard of Rest. They estimate 2.78 10^34 IM2-like objects, and our estimate would be decreased to 2.78 10^18 if such objects were targeted towards habitable zones. The abundance of ISOs depends on their size and can be calibrated through future surveys such as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) on the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile.1 Data from the James Webb Space Telescope may identify the nature and 3D trajectory of more Oumuamua-like or other interstellar objects crossing through or trapped within the solar system. The Galileo Project was established in 2021 as a scientific search for potential astro-archaeological artifacts from ETCs, including anomalous interstellar objects that may be revealed by the Webb telescope of Vera C. Rubin Observatory. The Galileo Project will also search for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) within the atmosphere of the Earth. As objects of interstellar origin are discovered by the Galileo Project, number density estimates can be improved based on detection rates. If extraterrestrial equipment is discovered in a survey of space, they can estimate the total quantity of such objects conditional on whether they are defunct space debris or functional probes. Arxiv The Inferred Abundance of Interstellar Objects of Technological Origin The local detection rate of interstellar objects can allow for estimations of the total number of similar objects bound by the Milky Way thin disk. If interstellar objects of artificial origin are discovered, the estimated total number of objects can be lower by a factor of about 1016 if they target the habitable zone around the Sun. We propose a model for calculating the quantity of natural or artificial interstellar objects of interest based on the objects velocity and observed density. We then apply the model to the case of chemically propelled rockets from extraterrestrial civilizations. Finally, we apply the model to three previously discovered interstellar objects the object Oumuamua of unknown origin and the first interstellar meteors CNEOS 2014-01-08 and CNEOS 2017-03-09. Arxiv Interstellar Meteors are Outliers in Material Strength The first interstellar meteor larger than dust was detected by US government sensors in 2014, identified as an interstellar object candidate in 2019, and confirmed by the Department of Defense in 2022. Here, we describe an additional interstellar object candidate in the CNEOS fireball catalog, and compare the implied material strength of the two objects, referred to here as IM1 and IM2, respectively. IM1 and IM2 are ranked 1 and 3 in terms of material strength out of all 273 fireballs in the CNEOS catalog. Fitting a log-normal distribution to material strengths of objects in the CNEOS catalog, IM1 and IM2 are outliers at the levels of 3.5 and 2.6, respectively. The random sampling and Gaussian probabilities, respectively, of picking two objects with such high material strength from the CNEOS catalog, are 104 and 106. If IM2 is confirmed, this implies that interstellar meteors come from a population with material strength characteristically higher than meteors originating from within the solar system. Additionally, we find that if the two objects are representative of a background population on random trajectories, their combined detections imply that 40% of all refractory elements are locked in meter-scale interstellar objects. Such a high abundance seemingly defies a planetary system origin. On the Possibility of an Artificial Origin for `Oumuamua The first large interstellar object discovered near Earth, `Oumuamua, showed half a dozen anomalies relative to comets or asteroids in the Solar system. All natural-origin interpretations of the Oumuamua anomalies contemplated objects of a type never-seen-before, such as: a porous cloud of dust particles, a tidal disruption fragment or exotic icebergs made of pure hydrogen or pure nitrogen. Each of these natural-origin models has major quantitative shortcomings, and so the possibility of an artificial origin for `Oumuamua must be considered. The Galileo Project aims to collect new data that will identify the nature of `Oumuamua-like objects in the coming years. There is a new report from the US Coast Guard looking for the lost OceanGate Titan submarine. The Titan submarine is a 21 foot long tourist submarine that can go down 13,000 feet to the wreck of the Titanic. BREAKING UPDATE: BBC and CNN report that the debris is the external part of the lost submarine. OceanGate Expeditions said it believes the five passengers on board the missing Titanic wreckage-bound submersible have died. The Horizon Arctics ROV (remotely operated vehicle) found debris on the sea floor near the Titanic wreck. Debris found on the ocean floor was about a third of a mile from the Titanic wreck, has been assessed to be from the external body of the missing submersible. They found the nosecone and the front end bell of the pressure hull. They found another debris field with the other end of the pressure hull. This was announced at the press conference. The US Coast Guard had a press briefing Thursday at 3pm EST to discuss findings from the Horizon Arctics ROV on the sea floor near the Titanic. NOTE: IF this debris turn out to be the remains of the OceanGate Titan submarine AND the debris is from Sunday or Monday when contact was lost, then that means the half hour banging noise heard on Tuesday was mistaken. A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic. Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information. 1/2 USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 22, 2023 The Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic has deployed an ROV that has reached the sea floor and began its search for the missing sub. #Titanic USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 22, 2023 The French vessel L'Atalante has just deployed their ROV. #Titanic USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 22, 2023 Timing is everything Using tracking data from 87 different cuckoos, the researchers found that the time of departure from the stopover site was the most important factor in determining when a bird would reach their breeding grounds in the UK. Birds which left the stopover site earlier were more likely to arrive first in Britain, allowing them to establish in the best breeding territories and lay eggs in the nests of their hosts. However, they were also more likely to die, probably because they hadnt eaten enough to survive the journey. This might explain some of the difference in population decline between the UK and continental Europe, as birds heading to the latter would be better able to survive on less food as they dont have as far to fly. Cuckoos which left later, meanwhile, were more likely to make it back to the UK, but this pushed their breeding back. Previous research has suggested that some cuckoos are compensating by increasingly targeting late-breeding species such as the reed warbler in England. This too, however, presents its own challenges. Birds that left the UK later in the autumn to head back to Africa were also more likely to die as there is less food and suitable habitat available for them prior to departure. While the study paints a bleak picture for the cuckoos, it highlights some opportunities to better support migrating birds. Restoring the habitat of known stopover and breeding sites in Europe and Africa will help to ensure theres more food for cuckoos, giving them a better chance of survival. The team also hope to conduct more research into why Scottish cuckoos are faring better, with populations having increased by a third in the past 20 years. As these birds take a different migration route to their English relatives, its likely this journey is less hazardous despite being longer. Ultimately, finding out more about migrating cuckoos in general is vital to ensure their survival. The BTO has recently attached trackers to 10 more birds to build up a better picture of their journey, including individuals from Ireland. Its especially exciting to see birds from Ireland tagged for the first time, Chris says. Were looking forward to learning about the migrations of these cuckoos from the western extremity of the species breeding range. These birds will help us to better understand the pressures they face, the reasons for the population declines they are undergoing and how we can help them to successfully complete their arduous migrations in the rapidly changing world we share. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi arrived in Paris, France, on Wednesday to attend the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, scheduled for 22-23 June, said Presidential Spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy. El-Sisis participation in the event reflects the growing strategic relations between Egypt and France and Egypts active role as an emerging economy, he added. This role contributes to strengthening international initiatives that support developing countries and facilitate their access to financial liquidity, Fahmy added. This will allow them to face the economic repercussions of the many successive global challenges such as climate change, the coronavirus pandemic, the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, and the subsequent energy, food, and supply chain crises, he continued. In Paris, Egypts president will focus on developing countries concerns, mainly facilitating access to needed financial flows for countries struggling from global crises, Fahmy added. El-Sisi will also push for the provision of effective support for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 as well as the commitments made by developed countries within the framework of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Overall, the summit aims to strengthen international cooperation to formulate mechanisms that provide financing to achieve sustainable development in emerging economies, the spokesperson affirmed. Summit for a New Global Financing Pact The summit will take place on 22-23 June as per the desires of French President Emmanuel Macron originally expressed following Egypts hosting of the 27th session of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) on 22 November. It is organized by France, Barbados, and India to set the foundations for a new global financing architecture to address climate change, biodiversity crisis, and development challenges. The summit also aims to extend beyond the Bretton Woods financial system. It is meant to build a "new consensus" to tackle poverty, curb planet-heating emissions, and protect nature, the French president said. The summit also aims to restore fiscal space to countries facing short-term difficulties, particularly the most indebted countries, and promote private sector development in low-income countries. Finally, it will focus on encouraging investment in green infrastructure for the energy transition in emerging and developing countries and mobilizing innovative financing for countries vulnerable to climate change. Search Keywords: Short link: Renewed artillery exchanges rocked greater Khartoum early Wednesday as Sudan's warring generals resumed fighting just minutes after the latest US and Saudi-brokered ceasefire expired. Already on Tuesday evening, an immense fire had engulfed the intelligence service's headquarters in the capital Khartoum with each side accusing the other of attacking it in violation of the 72-hour truce. A source within the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accused rival paramilitaries loyal to his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo of shelling the building. A source within the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said an "army drone bombed the building where RSF fighters had gathered, sparking a fire and the partial destruction of the intelligence headquarters". On Wednesday morning, residents of Omdurman, just across the Nile from Khartoum, reported heavy artillery exchanges within minutes of the ceasefire expiring at 6:00 am (0400 GMT). Army warplanes flew low over several adjacent districts, the residents said. The ceasefire, which coincided with an international donors' conference in Geneva on Monday, brought a brief respite to the millions of civilians who have been trapped by the fighting in greater Khartoum but an exodus of refugees continued to pour of the war's other main battleground Darfur. Nationwide, more than 2,000 people have been killed since the power struggle between Burhan and Daglo erupted into fighting on April 15, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project said. More than 2.5 million people have fled their homes, of whom around 550,000 have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, fled abroad, according to the International Organization for Migration. Bodies on city streets According to the US State Department, up to 1,100 people have been killed in the West Darfur state capital El Geneina alone. Bodies have remained on the streets of the city, where months of unrest have left shops either vacant or gutted by looters. One lay covered on the asphalt, in front of an armoured vehicle. A dead man was partially curled up outside a house. Several others appeared to be lying face down together on a dirt road. Residents have fled en masse, grabbing whatever they could to escape to the border with Chad. At least 150,000 people have fled Darfur into Chad since the start of fighting, according to the UN. Some described being shot at by fighters and subject to searches during the perilous journey. The United Nations has spoken of possible "crimes against humanity" in Darfur as the conflict has "taken an ethnic dimension" in a region still reeling from a 2003 rebellion among non-Arab minorities that prompted then-strongman Omar al-Bashir to recruit the Arab Janjaweed militia, whose actions led to charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Washington has said the RSF, which traces its origins to the Janjaweed, is "primarily" responsible for recent "atrocities" in Darfur, which is home to a quarter of Sudan's population. 'Fleeing for their lives' Monday's donors' conference raised close to $1.5 billion in aid pledges for Sudan and neighbouring countries, but organisers said that amounted to only half of the estimated needs. A record 25 million people -- more than half Sudan's population -- are in need of aid and protection, the United Nations says. UN chief Antonio Guterres warned "the scale and speed of Sudan's descent into death and destruction is unprecedented." "Without strong international support, Sudan could quickly become a locus of lawlessness, radiating insecurity across the region," he said. In an interview with AFP Tuesday, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi urged neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to Sudanese refugees despite concerns the violence and lawlessness could spill over. "My appeal to all the neighbouring countries is to say I understand your security concerns, but please keep your borders open because these people are really fleeing for their lives," he said. Search Keywords: Short link: Ahmed Raji, lead counsel representing Albert Bassey, candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Akwa Ibom, has asked that the governorship election petition tribunal be transferred to Abuja over alleged threats to his life. In a letter dated June 20 and addressed to the chairman of the tribunal in Uyo, the state capital, Raji said he has written to the president of the court of appeal, seeking to transfer the panel to the federal capital territory (FCT) or another safe location. In the alternative, the senior lawyer wants the tribunal disbanded. This request of mine was compelled, by the unsavoury life-threatening exposure we were subjected to, after/ the proceedings of 20th June 2023, Raji said. This life-threatening exposure was at the instance of Eno Umo, the current governor of Akwa Ibom state The senior advocate alleged that Daniel Akpan, a staff of the University of Uyo, who testified as a witness, is also being threatened. He said Akpan had initially declined to testify on the ground that his life was under threat by some unknown persons, who claimed he ought not to have certified the academic records of the Eno Umo Bassey. The life threats were so much, that he had to move his family from Uyo, the lawyer said. During the proceeding of 20th June 2023, the said witness Daniel Akpan, was still resisted from testifying, by unknown men and supporters of Eno Umo Bassey. As a proactive measure, the petitioners had to apply for additional reinforcement and security personnel, to secure the perimeters, both for the witness, himself and his team of lawyers. While the said witness was in the witness box, he complained to the honourable tribunal, that he had been receiving several calls from unknown persons, warning him not to give evidence at the tribunal. He equally complained to the honourable tribunal that these persons threatened to kill him; and for this, he solicited protection from the court. Unfortunately, the tribunal rebuffed this complaint, perhaps because he was perceived to be a helpless common man. Raji said after the court adjourned proceedings, some unknown men, military men and officers of the police force, in different squads, blocked my team and I, from going home. We were all ordered to alight from our vehicles, wielding heavy armament, weapons, shooting into the air bullets and tear gas, he said. It is very clear to us that our lives are no longer safe in Akwa Ibom state. This has completely eroded the possibility of having a just, safe and fair trial in Uyo. The aggregation of events in this regard, which climaxed during and after the proceedings of 20th June 2023, has irresistibly prompted me to write this letter, not only for the safety of our lawyers but for justice, equity and fairness, which can no longer be realised in Uyo. Against the above backdrop, I respectfully urge your lordship, to tarry a while and await further directives from the president of the court of appeal, since we have lodged a life-threatening complaint to his lordship. At this moment, none of the lawyers representing the petitioners is in a good frame of mind to continue further proceedings, if this honourable tribunal still convenes in Uyo. Dele Alake, the special adviser to the president on communications and strategy, says President Bola Tinubu has not approved a salary review for political office holders and judicial officers. In a statement on Thursday, Alake said while it is the constitutional duty of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to review and increase remuneration, news of an increase at this time is fake news. On Wednesday, Muhammad Shehu, the chairman of RMAFC, said the salaries of politicians, judicial and public office holders will be increased by 114 percent. He said the move was in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 32(d) of part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria (as amended). Shehu said the legislature should move quickly on the amendment of relevant laws to pave the way for an upward review of income packages for the aforementioned. However, the development elicited criticisms from Nigerians, with many interpreting the move to mean that the salaries of politicians have been increased, at a time when ordinary Nigerians have been told to endure economic hardship for a better tomorrow. Christian Nwachukwu, the spokesperson of RMAFC, denied that the commission had approved the increment of salaries for public office holders, adding that the issue is only under review. Reacting to the development, Alake said no such proposal has been brought to the president for consideration. While we recognise that it is within the constitutional remit of Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission to propose and fix salaries and allowances of political office holders and judicial officers, such cannot come to effect until it has equally been considered and approved by the president, he said. However, that this unfounded story gained prominence on social media and in a section of mainstream media, again, brings to the fore the danger fake news poses to society and our national well-being. The misinformation was, obviously, contrived to create ill-will for the new administration, slow down the upward momentum and massive goodwill the Tinubu-led administration is currently enjoying among Nigerians as a result of its fast-paced, dynamic and progressive policies. It is important to reiterate to journalists, media managers, and members of the public that stories on government activities and policy issues that do not emanate from approved official communication channels should be ignored. A Sharia Court in Kano State on Thursday ordered that a 25-year-old man, Aliyu Saad, who pleaded guilty to calling his friend gay, be remanded in a correction centre. The Judge, Malam Umar Lawal-Abubakar, gave the order following a guilty plea entered by Saad. Lawal-Abubakar adjourned the matter until July 3 for summary trial. Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp Abdullahi Wada, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Monday at about 8 p.m. Wada also said the defendant called the complainant, Malam Ahmed Khamis-Ahmed unprintable names following an altercation. The prosecutor said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 188 of the Sharia law of Kano State. Vice President Kashim Shettima says the federal government will put structures in place to undo Nigerias poor immunisation rate. Shettima spoke on Thursday at a parley with Aliko Dangote, chairman of the Dangote group, Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and members of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said the variant polio virus has declined in Nigeria by 84 percent from 2021 to fewer than 200 cases in 2022. He said Nigerias three-dose pentavalent vaccine coverage also improved from 33 percent in 2016 to 57 percent in 2021, commending the states that have achieved high-category immunization coverage. The federal government and our respective state governments are going to put in place, a transparent process and structure to undo the reality of the country as one with one of the highest proportions of non-immunized infants in the world, over the last decade, he said. The federal government is committed to eradicating variant poliovirus by the end of the year, ensuring that every Nigerian child is covered in the routine immunisation campaigns. On the production of vaccines in the country, the vice president assured that we are going to work together to ensure that these vaccines are made available even to zero-dose children, of which ours, at two million, are the highest in the world after India. Also speaking, Dangote said he and Gates have been partnering with the federal and state governments for several years, supporting the efforts in eradicating polio and improving routine immunisation, nutrition and primary healthcare in the country. We genuinely believe that the national economic council and the decisions that you will make over the next four years will determine whether Nigeria has sound economic growth, keep its citizens happy and achieves the sustainable development goals, Dangote said. Former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo says the great performance of President Bola Tinubu in the early days of his administration has continued to inspire everyone including his staunch critics. Keyamo, who was Tinubus spokesperson during the 2023 presidential election campaign said Tinubu has been attracting his political opponents as he addressed issues of governance since his assumption of power. The former minister said this on Twitter in reaction to a viral video in which Chioma Olowo, a follower of the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, declared her support for the president. Olowo, in the video, called on Obi to withdraw his court case against Tinubu, adding that the latter has done creditably well since he took over the affairs of the country. Reacting to the video on Wednesday, Keyamo wrote, And another one bites the corn! The strong start of @officialABAT to issues of governance has continued to inspire many, even his greatest critics, to fall in love with him. Some of us saw the future Member representing Isuikwuato-Umunneochi federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Chief Amobi Ogah (Labour Party), has denied urging the partys presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to accept defeat and withdraw his petition against the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, now pending before the Election Petition Tribunal Court. The LP lawmaker who made the rebuttal in a press statement, accused blackmailers of peddling the falsehood to pitch him against his party and teeming supporters. He urged members of the public to disregard social media reports purporting that he made such call during his recent thanksgiving church service. The lawmaker in a statement he personally signed, said he was quoted out of context by mischief makers. The statement made available to Vanguard read in part: My attention has been drawn to the misleading publications in some media houses and blogs misquoting me as having admonished Peter Obi and Labour party to accept defeat as will of God. Given this unwholesome publication, I wish to make it abundantly clear to the public that what I said was that those candidates like APC -Hon Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and others who contested election with me in my federal constituency should accept defeat because my election victory is the will of God. I said that if they didnt win today, they could win tomorrow. I said that the time of election had come and gone. Now its time for good governance and delivery of democracy dividends to the people. I never mentioned Peter Obi but mischief makers are twisting my statement. How can I be against Peter Obi the presidential candidate of the party that gave me its platform? Rep Ogah who is the younger brother of a former Minister of State for Solid Minerals and Steel Development, Dr Uche Ogah, urged his constituents and members of the public to disregard the misleading reports which he dismissed as fake news. Around two-thirds of the healthcare facilities in areas hit by the fighting in Sudan are out of service, the World Health Organization said Wednesday. The WHO said around 11 million people needed health assistance and voiced concerns about attempts to control ongoing epidemics of measles, malaria and dengue. "About two-thirds of health facilities in affected areas are out of service," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference in Geneva. "Repeated attacks on health facilities, medical warehouses, ambulances and health workers are preventing patients and health workers from reaching hospitals." The WHO has verified 46 attacks on health care since the start of the fighting. Since April 15, the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has been battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, after the two fell out in a power struggle. Renewed artillery exchanges rocked greater Khartoum Wednesday as the warring generals resumed fighting just minutes after the latest US- and Saudi-brokered ceasefire expired. Tedros said the risk posed by epidemics would only increase during the upcoming rainy season, with limited access to safe water, population displacement and a little capacity to detect outbreaks early all playing a part. Last week, the WHO issued a funding appeal requesting $150 million to meet the increasing health needs of people affected by the violence, and those who have fled to neighbouring countries. "I am deeply concerned for the health and well-being of the people of Sudan and WHO is exploring all avenues for providing the support they need," Tedros said. Search Keywords: Short link: Labour Partys Presidential candidate in the February 25 presidential poll, Mr Peter Obi has endorsed Nigerians fleeing the country for greener pastures abroad, JAPA, saying it will benefit Nigerias fortunes in the future. The former Anambra governor who gained massive support from Nigerians, especially on Social media in the just concluded electioneering campaign for being a prudent and incorrupt politician, stated that todays brain drain will be Nigerias brain gain tomorrow. Ex-governor Obi, in a series of tweets, Thursday, supported Bill Gates opinion on the migration wave hitting Nigeria, noting in the tweet that Nigerians leaving the country will be critical in the building of the New Nigeria. I read and agree with Bill Gatess recent comment on the japa syndrome, where, according to reports, he stated that the recent surge of Nigerian professionals leaving the country for greener pastures is good and healthy for our country. Obi noted that I have always preached and maintained this same position that Our brain drain today will be our brain gain tomorrow. Nigerians leaving the country may look like a loss today, but when we start doing the right things and taking the governance of our nation more seriously, the knowledge and resources from them will be critical in the building of the New Nigeria, as it happened in China, India, Ireland and other developing countries, Peter Obi noted. Peter Obis comments are coming on the heels of a clarification by the British Envoy to Nigeria on the UK visa policy believed to be targeted at Nigerian students who depart the country in droves with their families. The West African Elders Forum (WAEF) led by former President Goodluck Jonathan has arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leones capital ahead of the countrys general election scheduled for June 24. In a statement on Wednesday, Wealth Dickson Ominabo, communications officer of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, said the delegation also includes Kadre Ouedraogo, former Burkinabe prime minister and one-time president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He said the forum through the visit, aims to encourage and support a peaceful democratic transition in Sierra Leone. Ominabo said the team will have a series of consultative engagements with different actors and key stakeholders in the country, including leadership of the political parties, the candidates, the Election Commission for Sierra Leone (ECSL), security agencies, the diplomatic community, civil society groups, and the media. Since its establishment in 2020, WAEF, an initiative of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, has undertaken missions to different countries in the sub-region, including Gambia and Nigeria, in line with the Forums mission of preventive diplomacy to reduce electoral-related tension and violence in West Africa, the statement reads. According to the statement, Jonathan said the mission urges citizens of Sierra Leone to approach the election with utmost patriotism by prioritizing the nations peace and stability and refrain from acts capable of undermining the nations democracy. The presidential election petition tribunal, on Wednesday, admitted sensitive documents tendered by the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Here are highlights of the proceedings. LP TENDERS PVCs FROM 32 STATES The LP and Obi tendered several bundles of documents in support of their petition. Led by Peter Afuba, one of the lawyers in the legal team, the petitioners tendered documents showing the total number of permanent voter cards (PVCs) collected in 32 states before the 2023 general election. They also presented documents containing the total number of registered voters in the states. A certified true copy of the certificate of compliance in respect of Edo was also tendered. Other documents brought before the court include certified copies of supplementary IReV reports for three LGAs in Benue state, two LGAs in Cross River, 12 LGAs in Lagos and one LGA in Gombe. All the respondents in the suit, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), President Bola Tinubu, Vice-President Kashim Shettima and the All Progressives Congress (APC), objected to the admissibility of the documents tendered. The respondents said they would state their reasons in their final written addresses. In the interim, the court admitted the documents as evidence. LP CALLS THREE WITNESSES Meanwhile, the petitioners called three witnesses at the court session. The three witnesses Chibuike Ugwuoke, Oloko Onoja and Kefas Iyak were subpoenaed. Ugwuoke, who identified as a cyber security expert, tendered a metadata report. Onoja, the ninth witness, served as an election observer, while the 10th witness, Iyak, served as a presiding officer. During cross-examination, Onoja and Iyak admitted that aside from the issue of uploading results to the IReV portal, the electoral process was satisfactory. APM CLOSES CASE The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) closed its case after calling one witness to support the petition against President Bola Tinubus election. The witness, Aisha Abubakar, who is APMs assistant welfare officer, adopted her witness statement on oath while being led in evidence by Gideon Idiagbonya, the petitioners counsel. Under cross-examination by Kemi Pinheiro, INEC lawyer, the witness admitted that she could not confirm when the electoral commission received the notice of substitution of the candidate for Borno central. The APM is contending that Tinubu was improperly sponsored by the APC given his nomination of Kashim Shettima as his vice-presidential candidate for the election. The party alleged that at the time Shettima accepted to be APCs vice-presidential candidate, he was still the partys candidate for Borno central senatorial district. Despite being referred to the supreme court judgment of May 26 which dismissed a similar suit for lacking merit, the party insisted on pursuing its petition. The tribunal fixed July 14 for continuation of the matter. PDPS PETITION STALLED The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could not proceed with hearing of its petition on Wednesday. Although the matter was called, Haruna Tsammani, chairman of the panel, advised against going ahead with proceedings owing to lack of time and the late service of documents on the respondents by the petitioners. The court asked them to return on Thursday for the continuation of hearing in the petition while an extension was given till Friday for the petitioners to present their case. The Presidency has claimed that a number of Western Presidents have indicated interest in meeting with President Bola Tinubu in France. This was disclosed by Tinubus Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake, in Paris, France. Addressing journalists, Alake said the Western leaders planned to meet with Tinubu due to the steps he took within three weeks of assuming office as President. Tinubu is in Paris to attend the Global Financing Pact Summit convened by the French President, Emmanuel Macron. However, Alake said: Mr Presidents policies in the last three weeks have encouraged more foreign investors to be interested in the affairs of Nigeria in shoring up our economy. So many of them have indicated interest in meeting with Mr President on this trip, just upstairs now, he had a meeting on how to structure this meeting with heads of state. About four different Head of State of Western nations have indicated interest in meeting with Tinubu, having a chat, and exploring possible areas of cooperation on the economy, Agriculture and other salient areas. Kayode Egbetokun, acting inspector-general of police (IGP), on Thursday, decorated Frank Mba and Bala Ciroma as deputy inspectors-general of police (DIG). Egbetokun was joined by Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo. The event took place at the force headquarters in Abuja. Mba will serve as the DIG for the south-east geopolitical zone, while Croma represents the north-east in the police management team. The police service commission (PSC) approved the appointments of Mba and Ciroma last week. Mbas promotion arrives three months after he was promoted to the rank of assistant inspector-general of police (AIG). The PSC had said Mba was promoted because he is the most senior police officer from the south-east zone of the country. See photos of the decoration below: The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has threatened to sue President Bola Tinubus administration over the contentious proposed pay raise for top government officials. SERAP announced this in a tweet on the microblogging site Twitter. It read, Were suing the Tinubu administration over its outrageous and illegal 114 per cent increase in the salaries of the President, vice president, state governors and lawmakers, while over 133 million Nigerians live in extreme poverty. Recall that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission had recommended an increase in the basic salaries of those holding judicial and political office. Alhaji Muhammadu Shehu, Chairman of the commission, who was represented by the RMAFC commissioner from Kebbi State, Mrs Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, revealed this on Tuesday in Birnin Kebb, the state capital, during the presentation of the reviewed remuneration package of political and judicial office holders to the Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris. The proposed salary increase was described as outrageous, with over 133 million Nigerians currently living in abject poverty. The proposed salaries will benefit the president, his vice president, lawmakers, judges, and the 36 state governors. Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for stronger ties between Nigeria and the UK to boost trade between the two countries. Shettima made the demand on Wednesday when Richard Montgomery, British high commissioner to Nigeria, paid him a courtesy visit at the presidential villa, Abuja. The vice president said there is a need for Nigeria and the UK to enhance the longstanding relationship they have had by establishing a bi-national commission. I will urge you to facilitate the setting up of the Nigeria-UK binational commission. That binational commission can be the driver for accelerating the business relationship between our two countries, Shettima said. We need to ramp up the trade between our two nations, taking into cognizance our proximity. There is no nation that we are close to than the UK and our trade represent less than five percent of the volume of our import and export. Most definitely, we are going to create an enabling environment for businesses to flourish in this country. Shettima emphasised the importance of economic reforms to position the countrys economy for growth, especially the removal of the petrol subsidy. This is just the beginning because it was fait accompli to withdraw the fuel subsidy. We either get rid of the fuel subsidy or the fuel subsidy get rid of the Nigerian nation, he said. In 2012, we spent $10 billion on fuel subsidy alone. Last month, we were purportedly consuming 67 million litres per day, but after the removal of the subsidy, it drops to 41 million barrels per day nearly 40 percent off. So the whole subsidy regime was opaque, ridden with a lot of inconsistency. On the fiscal policy, Shettima said the previous multiple exchange rate regime was laden with corruption which brought about the proliferation of so many schemes. So, obviously we have no option but to collapse the exchange rate regimes into one. In the coming weeks and months, we are going to make more pronouncements on how to reposition the Nigerian economy and make it vibrant for business, he said. On security, the vice president said the country is adopting both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches towards addressing the challenges. Yes, we have to strengthen our security architecture so that we can be in a stronger bargaining position with the insurrectionists, Boko Haram terrorists and kidnappers, Shettima said. He added that as part of the efforts of the Tinubu administration towards addressing insecurity, the government will soon roll out different socio-economic intervention programmes and initiatives in the north-east that will facilitate empowerment and social inclusion of the vulnerable groups in the regions. So, I can assure you that we will pursue both kinetic and non-kinetic solutions to our challenges, he added. In spite of overwhelming evidence that Castel's Central African affiliates financed the militants, French factories in the Central African Republic continue to operate and make profits, despite the current lawsuit. The Castel group is currently under investigation by anti-terrorist prosecutors in connection with allegations of financing terrorist organizations in Africa. The French Castel group began its activity in Africa on the soft drinks market in the fifties of the last century, and today the group is present in over 20 African countries in a monopoly position (Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Cameroon, Madagascar, etc.). Pierre Castel made no secret of his closeness to African heads of state. "I know them all," he told Challenge magazine in July 2014. Hundreds of men and women have been working since the early hours of the morning on the 5,000-hectare sugar cane plantations in Ngakobo, a remote region of the Central African Republic, 400 kilometers east of the capital Bangui. The Central Africans received a negligible sum for their hard work, despite the fact that the family of director and founder Pierre Castel owns, according to official figures, the tenth largest fortune in France. The Castel Group's activities have been the subject of independent investigations, a report by the NGO The Sentry, an investigation by Al-Jazeera and a recent journalistic investigation by Radio France. According to the NGO The Sentry's investigation by Al-Jazeera, and Radio France, SUCAF RCA entered into a security agreement with the armed group Unite pour la paix en Centrafrique (UPC). As part of this agreement, UPC leaders committed to securing the SUCAF RCA factory and sugarcane fields, as well as ensuring free movement on key roads needed for supplies. SUCAF RCA has also obtained the support of UPC in an attempt to secure its monopoly on sugar distribution in several prefectures, notably by forcibly seizing smuggled sugar, particularly from Sudan. To protect its market, SUCAF RCA has set up a complex informal system of financing paramilitary groups through direct and indirect cash payments, as well as support in the form of vehicle maintenance and fuel supplies. Members of The Sentry's investigative team have visited the Central African Republic, Cameroon and France several times over the past two years, examined numerous documents and other evidence, and conducted dozens of interviews with people with direct knowledge of the dynamics described in the report, including witnesses to UPC extortion, members of armed groups and people with direct knowledge of the arrangements between SUCAF RCA and armed groups, in particular the UPC. Extracts from security reports compiled at the SUCAF RCA factory show that the UPC leader regularly came to ask for small " favors ". Extracts: July 14, 2017: "The plant manager met with Ali Darassa today. Ali Darassa asked for diesel and sugar". December 14, 2020: "Ali Darassa asked our garage to repair the headlights on his pick-ups. He promised to leave this evening if his headlights are repaired". February 7, 2021: "Ali Darassa arrives on site with four pick-ups and heavily armed men. One of their pick-ups has a flat tire. They request the intervention of our pneumatics". "On December 14, 2020, pupils at the elementary school walked out following the arrival of Ali Darassa. The number of rebels who invaded the schoolyard frightened the children, who all ran out of class. There was widespread panic and chaos". Another report speaks of a "stampede in the village" on July 8, 2016, following the "murder of M.Y., who was returning from cutting cane on a plot of land". The Sentry's report shows that the Castel Group's subsidiaries, SUCAF RCA and its Paris-based parent company, Societe d'Organisation de Management et de Developpement des Industries Alimentaires et Agricoles (SOMDIAA), as well as SOMDIAA's security contractor, retired French general Bruno Dary, were regularly informed of the flagrant human rights violations committed by the UPC. The investigation revealed that, despite this awareness, SUCAF's management continued to provide financial and logistical support to criminal groups, not just the UPC, for over six years, fueling the armed conflict in the Central African Republic. The Castel Group is currently under investigation by prosecutors for counter-terrorism. All investigations show the cooperation of the French Castel Group with armed groups. The public expects the Castel group to be fairly punished for disturbing the peace in sovereign African countries, putting an end to its operations in the Central African Republic, as well as prosecuting and punishing the network of individuals and entities linked to the branches of the Castel group identified in the investigation that have contributed to disturbing the peace in African countries. Dada Olusegun, Special Adviser on Digital Media to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has denied claims making the rounds on a purported 114 per cent pay rise for governors, judges and political aides. Olusegun disclosed this on Wednesday night through his official Twitter handle. Tinubus media aides response is coming amid speculations of a purported 114 per cent salary increment for the President, Vice President, Governors, Judges and political aides. Ignore the lies from certain media outlets claiming the FG approved a 114 per cent salary increase for political aides. Fake news cannot and will never win, he wrote. Collaborating Oluseguns position, the Public Relations Officer of RMAFC, Christian Nwachukwu, told Leadership Newspaper that Tinubu did not approve salary increments for politically exposed persons. Meanwhile, earlier, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, a Federal Commissioner in the Commission, had made the salary increment remark when she represented RMAFC chairman Mohammad Shehu at the presentation of the reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, in Birnin Kebbi, on Tuesday. The Founder of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, has revealed why he hates white garment churches. In a now controversial video on social media, Ibiyeomie accused the white garment churches of manipulating peoples destinies. He claimed that if people knew what such churches do, they would never like them. Ibiyeome, during his preaching, explained to his congregation how someones destiny and behaviour have been manipulated by the church. The pastor said, Do you know why I hate white garment churches, people dont know why I hate them. if you know what they do you will never like them. They can take your surname and put it inside a bottle of gin and make incantations. Thats how they do it. All these yeye prophet. They will take the name of somebody and put it inside the local gin and read all those demonic Psalms in it. Malik Agar, the Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council (TSC) in Sudan, spoke to Ahram Online about the outcomes of his meetings with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo earlier in the week, shedding light on the vision of the TSC for finding solutions to end the armed conflict in his country. In mid-May, Agar, a veteran Sudanese politician and former insurgency leader, was appointed by General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan as depuuty chairman of the TSC. Ahram Online: Please give us a brief overview of the discussion you had with President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Egyptian officials? Malik Agar: The purpose of my visit was mainly to discuss the humanitarian situation. Currently, we are seeking assistance from Egypt in overcoming the difficulties faced by the Sudanese citizens stranded at the Egyptian borders. Visa issuance has been delayed. A significant number of people are in need of urgent support at the borders. So we are requesting an acceleration of the visa issuance process. AO: What was the response from the Egyptian side? MA: The response was very positive. The Egyptian side has already started taking practical steps to facilitate and expedite the document and visa issuance process. AO: What other issues did you discuss in your meetings? MA: We discussed the humanitarian situation within Sudan. Egypt has certain capabilities which can alleviate the situation for the Sudanese people. We exchanged opinions on how to resolve the conflict. We also discussed the ramifications of the crisis in Sudan on Egypt. AO: What are these ramifications in your opinion? MA: The stability of Sudan directly impacts Egypt. The country has millions of Sudanese residing within its borders. It has received hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees since the conflict started. AO: You have criticized the African Union's initiatives and some provisions in the IGAD initiative and even the Jeddah initiative to end the conflict. Why? MA: It is natural to have numerous initiatives from different parties in a world based on political and economic interests. Each party has its own goals and interests and some do seek the security and stability of Sudan. We support any initiative that respects Sudan's unity, sovereignty and its national institutions. Any initiative that does not respect these principles, or includes articles which do not do that or do not respect our institutions, will be rejected. AO: Do you mean articles that do not exclude the continued presence of separate armed forces or the creation of so called disarmament zones in the country? MA: The existence of disarmament zones - or zones with foreign forces or ones with armed militias - in Sudan is unacceptable. This is unacceptable to any country and not just to the Sudanese people. We reject such disarmament zones on behalf of the Sudanese people. According to the 2020 Juba Agreement, Sudan must have one army that respects Sudanese pluralism. Having more than one army destabilizes the country. We had a schedule and timeframe to implement the political process. And we refuse a return to the status quo, which led to this war in the first place. AO: Have any initiatives been proposed to you that align with your vision on this issue? MA: There have been numerous initiatives. Some of them did not align with our insistence on the sovereignty of the state. We rejected these ones. Other initiatives have elements that are acceptable to us. AO: You have previously emphasized the need for General Burhan and Hemedti to meet face-to-face to discuss a resolution to the conflict. What is preventing such meeting from taking place till now? MA: It is natural that any parties in a conflict must meet and discuss the issues. The Rapid Support Forces and the Armed Forces will meet face-to-face around the negotiation table. AO: Why such a meeting didn't take place, is something preventing it? MA: Nothing is preventing it. It has not taken place yet simply. AO: Have you spoken with Hemedti since you replaced him in the position of the deputy chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council? MA: I didnt assume this position as a replacement for him. I assumed an official position in the Sudanese state not as a substitute for him or anyone else. AO: Have you had any contact with him since taking office? MA: Yes, there has been contact. Can you share the substance of that contact with us? MA: I cant. AO: What is your assessment of the situation on the ground? MA: The situation is catastrophic in Khartoum since the Rapid Support Forces are deployed in residential areas and hospitals. Khartoum is receiving some aid but Darfur is suffering utterly. The situation in Darfur is worse than in Khartoum with alarming death tolls. Darfur has become completely isolated and thousands are fleeing to countries to the east of Sudan. AO: Multiple ceasefires have not been holding. Why is that? MA: Because ceasefires have been lacking. They have been lacking clear implementation mechanisms. What is required is withdrawal of armed forces from specific areas. However, under these ceasefires we do not know how and when the forces will move from Point A to Point B. AO: What steps can be taken to overcome this dilemma which has persisted for months? MA: We can overcome this through dialogue, negotiation and talking. We need a meeting between the parties at the negotiation table to discuss and agree on steps. Is there also a discussion taking place with civilian and political forces? MA: We had a schedule and timeframe to implement the political process. There is nothing beautiful about war. All political forces reject the current situation. Civilian and political forces will be a key partner when negotiations begin to address the Sudanese issue. The Sudanese issue cannot be addressed without the involvement of the countrys civilian and political forces. These forces are an integral part of the fabric of Sudan and cannot be excluded. They will be a key component of any negotiation process. AO: What role do you play now? MA: Seeking peace! Search Keywords: Short link: Two 44-year-old New York City residents forced a woman into prostitution in Atlantic City, authorities said. Colin Sherwood and Jamy Mathis were arrested after officers spoke with a woman in a room at a hotel on the 300 block of Pacific Avenue on Saturday, Atlantic City police said. Police said they found text messages between the two Sherwood and Mathis about their plans. An investigation revealed they beat a woman and threatened her with further harm if she refused to work as a prostitute, officials said. Sherwood, of Manhattan, and Mathis, of Brooklyn, were charged with human trafficking and promoting prostitution. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Two New Jersey residents who allegedly exposed their dog to heroin at a Walmart were indicted on Wednesday. Police administered a small dose of Narcan to the Yorkshire Terrier after they were called to the store in Hammonton on Nov. 17, the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office said. The dog was in distress but instantly revived, prosecutors said. A bystander had called police and attempted to aid the dog prior to the officers arrival. The union representing Rutgers medical residents and fellows has reached a tentative three-year agreement with the university after a year of negotiating for higher pay, the Committee of Interns and Residents announced Thursday. The union, a local of the Service Employees International Union, represents 1100 resident physicians and fellows who work primarily at Newarks University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. They will receive raises of 3.75%, 3.5%, and 3.5% over the life of the contract, with backpay to July 1, 2022. The agreement also includes increases for on-call workers, a $1,300 education stipend, a meal stipend, and creating a task force to address mental health coverage a need that grew during the COVID-19 epidemic. Members are voting on the tentative agreement through Friday. These gains will help lessen our financial stress, will mean we can be more present with our loved ones, and will mean our patients are seen by better-rested doctors, said Stephanie Ruthberg, a union delegate and second-year resident physician in psychiatry at Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School. But our fight continues, and we intend to hold Rutgers accountable to addressing our mental health needs, which cannot wait. Rutgers spokeswoman Dory Devlin confirmed the tentative agreement had been reached but declined to comment until members ratify the contract. Two other large Rutgers unions, the Health Professionals and Allied Employees, with 2600 healthcare workers, and the Rutgers Administrators-American Federation of Teachers known as URA-AFT - with 2,500 workers in facilities, residential life, and dining services, are still negotiating with the state university, where 9,000 faculty members went on a five-day strike in April. The strike, the first faculty walkout in the schools 257-year history, included tenured faculty, part-time lecturers and graduate workers and resulted in significant salary increases and job security. At the CIR rally in Newark on April 27, State Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, head of the Senates health committee, noted that many students are interns and residents in their 20s and work at hospitals 80 hours a week at $14 an hour, which is close to the states minimum wage. Theyre the ones youll see when you present at the emergency department, Vitale said. Rutgers unions are proving that we are done with letting this giant university act like a corporationthat we are ready to fight for what we deserve and what New Jersey deserves, said Dr. Helen Lu, a union delegate in Emergency Medicine. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Tina Kelley may be reached at tkelley@njadvancemedia.com. Landmark Hospitality Group isnt new to the New Jersey dining scene. With a roster that includes special event institutions like Liberty House and The Ryland Inn, I was excited to see the culmination of their adoption of South Oranges iconic German, half-timber style Village Hall. Originally opened in 1894 as a fire house, then a police station, then a jail, and eventually offices, Village Hall holds a spot on both the state and national lists of historic places. After winning over a council vote in 2015, Landmark Groups plans to adaptively reuse the space as a restaurant, banquet hall and biergarten were realized last November when they officially opened their doors. Food menu at Village Hall in South Orange(Stephanie Rizzolo | for NJ Advance Media) The doctors are perplexed. New Jersey hospitals and pediatrician offices are seeing a rare June surge in strep throat cases among kids. The rise comes after one of the busiest winter strep seasons in years, experts say. Children have been entering medical facilities with sore, red throats in recent weeks an unusual time to see such a spate of infections. Doctors cant explain exactly why. RWJBarnabas Health said it has seen an increase in cases at its facilities throughout the state. And Atlantic Health also has seen an uptick in pediatric strep throat infections since February, it said. New Jersey is hardly alone as hospitals across the country have recorded a jump in cases. Within the last couple of months, we really have seen about two- to threefold of what we have conventionally seen, said Dr. Uzma Hasan, director of pediatric infectious diseases at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, part of the RWJBarnabas Health network. Its not just hospitals. Doctors offices are seeing plenty of cases as well. Weve had a lot of our community pediatricians seeing kids back again and again for strep-related illnesses, Hasan said. The community spread of strep has been more significant in the last couple of weeks, she added. Theres also been a rise in invasive group A strep a potentially life-threatening form in which bacteria can spread elsewhere in the body and even into the bloodstream, according to Hasan. Weve seen ear infections that go deeper into the bone behind the ear We have seen sinus infections that extend into the orbit, she said. Such severe infections are quite unusual. Subsequently, these children come in with a bloodstream group A strep infection, which is very, very rare, she said. We dont see that regularly. Invasive group A strep can progress rapidly, she added. The surge of child strep infections followed a lull in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic particularly severe infections, which were especially low in children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Not only is there now a surge in infections, but they are coming very late in the year. Even experts are at a loss. Usually, well see more strep-related illness around winter or early spring, Hasan said. Thats the time when you see it. And we dont really know why youre seeing it around this time of the year. People might be returning to normal activity after shedding masks and isolating due to the pandemic, some experts say. Hasan noted kids are now out of school and heading to camp. In COVID, we had a lull period, just like we did with the respiratory viruses because of preventive measures in place and because people were not mingling, Hasan said. I think that we are seeing those relaxation of measures. We are seeing more than conventional spread of what we would expect. Symptoms of strep throat include fever, pain when swallowing, red and swollen tonsils, white patches of pus on the tonsils, tiny, red spots on the roof of the mouth and swollen lymph nodes in the front of the neck, according to the CDC. Hasan said there is now a rapid test for strep throat, which can be conducted in a doctors office. Theres also an older antigen test, though the gold standard, she said, is the throat culture confirmatory test, which takes about 48 hours for results. Treatment, she said, is typically a course of penicillin or amoxicillin. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. The path to an art gallery exhibit doesnt always start with an education at some fancy high-profile school like the Art Institute of Chicago or Rhode Island School of Design. Jim Fallon is proof sometimes it starts at the Secaucus Vet Center. The Vietnam veteran, retiree and Hoboken resident has experienced much in life, and now at 82 years old, hes a burgeoning painter with his artwork being exhibited in Jersey City and New York City. In an interview with The Jersey Journal last week, Fallon recounted how he became an artist in his seventh decade of life. I was going to the Secaucus Vet Center for years, for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I had cancer in my right arm, so I cant work with an easel, said Fallon, who lost the humerus bone in his right arm to the bone cancer caused by exposure to Agent Orange in the war. I can only work a tabletop or desktop paintings. One of the woman who worked at the vet center said to me one day, Jim, Im starting an art group. Would you like to join? " Fallon jokingly told her hed been drawing nothing but stick men all his life, he said. She said, Thats a start. Come on in, Fallon said. So I went and it was just a bunch of us guys sitting around a table, and there was no real teacher. There was just different veterans at different levels (as artists). Youd look at how someone would do this, and how someone would do that. And thats how it all started. Without even realizing it after a few weeks, Im saying, This is pretty nice. Im surprised at whats coming out here. Currently his work is hanging in the Art House Gallery as part of the group show, Comfort Zones that concludes Sunday. The following day six of Fallons pieces will join the Journeys Onward: Military Veterans Experiences at The Rockwell Gallery in the Salmagundi Club of New York City (47 Fifth Ave.) and remain on exhibit until July 28. Then 28 years old, Fallon served as a U.S. Army medic at a field hospital in Vietnam. His unit also provided assistance to a remote village orphanage, delivering food, toys and medical supplies. And the experience is seen in some of Fallons work, like Orphan Opus 68, which earned first prize in the October 2015 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival. Fallons works are created on canvas made of paper created from old military uniforms, by Frontline Paper, veteran program based in Branchburg in Somerset County. We cut uniforms we have uniforms donated to us and we cut them all and put them in a pulp and from the pulp we put them on a screen and make paper. And we do artwork and poetry on the paper, Fallon explained. One of the other through-lines in Fallons paintings is jazz, and the music genre itself is a through-line in his life. Ive been a jazz lover since I was a kid, said Fallon, who was born in Hoboken and raised in the Jersey City Heights. It started with my older brother bringing home records, actually taking me to Birdland (a NYC jazz club) when I was about 16 years old. Ive been hooked on it for years and years. For three and a half years, Fallon would co-run an NYC jazz club in which his eyes were also opened to heartbreaking stories of Black musicians who also played the Chitlin Circuit, venues where they could play but not eat at or stay overnight, he said. The Art House Gallery is located at 345 Marin Blvd. Regular hours are Saturday and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Learn more at arthouseproductions.org. Learn more about Journeys Onward, which has an opening reception July 20, at salmagundi.org/2023-journeys-onward-military-veterans-experiences; and see more of Fallons art at instagram.com/jimfallon4. Four unions that represent nearly 6,000 active and retired member have endorsed Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulops bid for governor in 2025, his campaign announced Thursday. The nods by Teamsters Local 641, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, Teamsters Local 2906 and Teamsters Local 3082, all affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, are the latest show of support for Fulop. The four Teamsters locals join the Amalgamated Transit Workers Union International and New Jersey Council in supporting the Fulop for Governor campaign. Teamsters know how important it is to have strong partners in elected office, and with his long record as a public servant and consistent support for working families there is no one we can count on more as our next governor than Steve Fulop, said Jim Kilkenny, Local 641 president, which represents workers in trucking, warehousing, 911 dispatching, parking lot attending, refinery work and other industries. The Fulop campaign picked up the endorsement of Warren County Democratic Chairman Tom Palmieri last week, who joined Hudson County Democratic Chairman Anthony Vainieri in pledging his support. Fulop has also been endorsed by mayors Shelley Brindle of Westfield, Sheena Collum of South Orange, Tim Dougherty of Morristown and Nora Radest of Summit. Thomas Wohanka, vice chairman and state legislative director of the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way employees division, which represents Amtrak maintenance workers, said Fulop understands that investing in public transportation is the best way to support our economy and create more opportunities for the middle class, and the members of our union are excited to stand strong with him and help him all the way to Trenton. Noting that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters is Americas largest and most diverse union, Fulop said having the support of these hardworking men and women is a testament to our campaigns commitment to putting the interests of working families front and center. Im so proud to see our coalition continue to build and more and more impactful leaders join our campaign because they believe in our vision of moving New Jersey forward. EDITORS NOTE: Interested in the business and networking side of cannabis? NJ Cannabis Insider is hosting a cannabis business networking event on July 20 . Tickets are limited. The states largest cannabis union, UFCW Local 360, announced an application process for its apprenticeship program thats meant to provide hands-on training for those who want to start a career in New Jersey legal weed industry as a retail employee. Individuals can apply for the program from Friday, June 23 to July 7. The program is slated to start in the mid-August to September time period. Much of the cannabis industrys laws have revolved around the state licensing process, but those stores will still require retail workers and adherence to state law that requires those employers to collectively bargain in good faith with union organizations. Todays cannabis workers are skilled, intelligent and ready for a long-term career, said UFCW Local 360 Director of Organizing Hugh Giordano. The UFCW Apprenticeship program will create new pathways for working class people, in allowing education and a paycheck, while working with an employer who believes in economic and social justice. The 12-week program will cover multiple aspects of functioning in a retail environment, said UFCW Local 360 Cannabis Apprentice Coordinator Freddy Herrera. A retail cannabis apprenticeship program is crucial in providing individuals with the necessary skills and experience to succeed in this rapidly growing industry,he said. It not only benefits the apprentices but also helps ensure a highly skilled and trained workforce for the future of the cannabis retail sector. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and candidates will be notified of acceptance after completing a skills assessment exam involving reading comprehension and arithmetic. The NJ Cannabis Apprentice Program is a unique partnership between UFCW Local 360, the NJ Department of Labor, the cannabis industry and higher education leaders, said Joe Cardona, vice president for University Relations, Rowan University. Workers will get the training needed to make NJs cannabis industry become a model for growth and training. NJ Cannabis Insider is a weekly subscriber-based online trade journal and events group produced by NJ Advance Media, which also publishes NJ.com, The Star-Ledger and other affiliated papers. Are you interested in the N.J. cannabis industry? Subscribe here for insider exclusives. Follow us on LinkedIn. Contact us here. The New Jersey Supreme Court has reversed an appellate court ruling that would have allowed a man convicted of sexually assaulting and killing an 11-year-old girl to rescind his guilty plea and get a new trial. Andreas Erazo, now 24, confessed in a police interview in 2017 to fatally stabbing his downstairs neighbor, Abbiegail Smith, and was sentenced two years later after his attempts to have the confession deemed inadmissible were denied. Smiths body was found July 13, 2017, wrapped in a comforter and bound with computer wire on a rooftop outside the window of Erazos Keansburg apartment about 13 hours after her mother reported her missing. The appellate division of New Jerseys Superior Court ruled in March 2022 that a detective with the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office failed to read Erazo his Miranda warning during the first part of his questioning at police headquarters with a detective and Keansburg police officer. The state Supreme Court reversed that ruling in a unanimous decision on Wednesday, stating that Erazo was not in custody at the time of his initial interview and therefore Miranda warnings, a verbal statement from police informing the suspect that they have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney, were not required. The officers had argued they interviewed Erazo only as a potential witness at that time and did not have to read the then 18-year-old his rights. However, the appeals court ruled that police took Erazo from his home in the back of a police car, allowed him only supervised breaks for several hours and questioned him in a small room as if he was a suspect, according to the ruling. Erazo did not confess during that interview, but in a later interview in which he was read his Miranda rights after police heard from a witness who saw him bringing the victim into to his apartment. Erazo eventually told detectives that he found the girl in his apartment and killed her, but couldnt remember if he had sexually assaulted her because he blacked out, according to court documents. In the appellate decision, judges also argued that after reading him his Miranda rights, detectives undermined Erazo who had a history of mental health issues, substance abuse and family problems about the seriousness of the crime, according to the ruling. After reading him his rights, detectives told Erazo he was not being judged not being looked at and that it was the investigators job to sit here and help you through this. They also told him they were recording his statement for his benefit, the appellate decision said. On Feb. 26, 2019, one day before his trial was to begin, Erazo pleaded guilty to first-degree counts of murder and sexual assault in a plea agreement reached with prosecutors who consulted with the girls family. Erazo was sentenced to 63 years to life on the murder charge and 42 to 50 years on the sexual assault count, state prison records show. Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Nicolas Fernandes may be reached at nfernandes@njadvancemedia.com. A man who traveled to the Philippines to sexually assault children and instructed a woman to sexually assault a child over a live stream has been sentenced to 30 years in prison, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Antonio Del Prado, 62, of Millburn, was sentenced by Judge Susan Wigenton in federal court on Wednesday. He pleaded guilty to production of child pornography and production of child pornography abroad with intent to transport into the United States in December 2022. Investigators suspected in October 2020 that Del Prado had uploaded 56 images and 18 videos of suspected child sexual abuse to an internet cloud storage system, officials said. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Henri Poupart-Lafarge, the CEO of the France-based multinational rail transport giant Alstom, discussed in a meeting on Wednesday in Paris opportunities for the company to expand its operations in Egypt. President El-Sisi stressed to Poupart-Lafarge stressed the countrys keenness on increasing the rates of localization of manufacturing and advanced technology in Egypt in cooperation with major international companies, according to a statement released by Presidential Spokesperson Ahmed Fahmy. Egypt is also keen on establishing new training centres to develop local expertise in the rail transport field which would benefit from Alstom experience in this sector, El-Sisi told Poupart-Lafarge, according Fahmy. Alstom has been operating in Egypt for more than 30 years, providing valuable services in rail transport sector. For his side, Poupart-Lafarge assured the Egyptian president that his company is interested in expanding its business operations in Egypt, saying the Egyptian public transport sector offers "promising investment opportunities. President El-Sisi had arrived in Paris on Wednesday to attend the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, scheduled for 22-23 June. After Alexandria President Sisi during his meeting CMA, CGM representatives in Paris. In a separate meeting, President El-Sisi discussed with Rodolphe Saade, the CEO of French global shipping giant CMA CGM, similar opportunities for the company to expand its operations in the country, read a separate statement released by Fahmy. Last week, President El-Sisi met with Saade on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Tahya Misr Maritime Terminal in Alexandria, which will be managed and operated by the French giant. The Tahya Misr maritime terminal will serve as a logistical station for the Port of Alexandria port, handling 12-15 million tons of goods annually. During the meeting, Saade praised the business climate in Egypt during the meeting with the president, describing it as positive and rapidly developing, according to Fahmy. Saade conveyed to the president his companys aspiration to expand cooperation with the Egyptian side in managing additional ports as well as operating other logistic areas and terminals in light of the massive development projects being implemented in Egypt, according to Fahmy. Search Keywords: Short link: A U.S. Army veteran who hoped to graduate from Monmouth University with a degree in computer science next year died following a motorcycle crash in Ocean County last week, authorities said. Dennis Andrew Vaccaro, 27, of West Long Branch, served in the army for five years and attained the rank of sergeant. His service included a tour of Afghanistan, and he was an airborne combat medic, according to his obituary. Police were called to a report of a motorcycle crash around 8:45 a.m. on June 13 on Monmouth Road, near Brookside Avenue in Ocean Township, according to Detective Sgt. Matthew Jackiewicz, spokesman for the Township of Ocean Police Department. Vaccaro was treated at the scene and was taken to a local hospital, where he died, Jackiewicz said in a statement. Monmouth University President Patrick F. Leahy said Vaccaro was a third-year student expecting to complete his computer science degree at the end of the fall 2024 semester. The university mourns the tragic and untimely death of a member of our community and extends its deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and fellow student veterans at this most difficult time, Leahy said in a statement. Vaccaros family called him a hero in life and in death. He provided life to countless other people through organ donation, allowing other people a second chance at life, his family said in the obituary. Denniss loss leaves a void in the lives of all who knew him. He will be remembered as a unique, positive, happy guy who made every moment an experience, the obituary said. Services for Vaccaro were held Monday and Tuesday in Long Branch. The university is offering counseling, Leahy said. Support services are available for students, faculty and staff by calling Counseling and Prevention Services at 732-571-7517 or the Office of Student Life at 732-571-3417. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Earlier this year, amid an outcry from city mayors and a few lawmakers about how bail reform triggered an increase in car thefts and gun crimes, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner reconvened a panel to examine that correlation. Upshot: They found no such connection. The Joint Committee on Criminal Justice Reform comprised 26 experts in their field -- judges, prosecutors, policemen, wardens, attorneys, and advocates for civil rights, civil liberties, and social justice and the top-line conclusion from their report from June 9th was unambiguous: By almost every metric, New Jerseys bail reform system has been a rousing success, it remains a national model, and blaming it for the pandemic crime spike is a canard. That doesnt mean the system doesnt need modifications the panel made 31 recommendations but its 81-page report reaffirms what we have known since a Republican governor and a Democratic Legislature dropped the broken and racist cash bail system into the dustbin of history in 2018: The size of your wallet must never determine an accused persons right to freedom, and they should be held in jail before their trial only if they are a danger to public safety or represent a flight risk. If there are any lingering doubts about that, the data in the report more on that later -- dispels them. First, lets remember that this journey began after New Jerseyans agreed that we must stop criminalizing poverty. We voted for an amendment that gave judges the authority to detain anyone without bail if they pose a threat or flight risk before then, anyone with money, such as drug kingpins, could be released. A few years later, Gov. Chris Christie signed a law that abolished cash bail for most nonviolent defendants, which allowed them to be released as they awaited trial. It allowed folks to get on with their lives, keep their jobs, and support their families while they awaited their date in court. It also drove the jail population down by more than 20%, without endangering public safety. But this system is unique in that it still allows judges to use their discretion to overrule a risk assessment one based on a sophisticated algorithm which is a component that is lacking in New Yorks failed reform system. So how is it working? Start here: The rearrest rate for serious offenses in New Jersey has remained below 1% for each year since 2018. Those who were sent home to await trial are showing up for court more than 95% of the time, which is a higher rate than before the reforms were applied. And those on pretrial release are not committing new serious crimes at a higher rate than before, as the mayors had posited. On bail reform, even lawmakers agree: Rabner knows best. https://t.co/M9SeAKZSuQ Jennifer Sellitti (@j_sellitti) February 13, 2023 The most important thing the committee did was recognize that a lot of the noise that had been made around criminal justice reform was just that, said Alex Shalom, the senior supervising attorney for the ACLU, and a member of the Rabner committee. And that when you dug deeper into the cases, you saw that the system provided what is needed. But sometimes it wasnt being utilized to the fullest by the players within it such as police officers and prosecutors. Its just a question of getting them to use the right tools. Dont miss an issue of our Opinion newsletter! Get it delivered each Wednesday right into your inbox by adding your email below and hitting "subscribe." Another panelist, Yannick Wood of the NJ Institute for Social Justice, agreed that the statute already provides law enforcement with the tools to identify individuals who pose certain risks and to detain them. More can be done to provide pretrial services for those who require assistance with substance use and behavioral disorders. Accordingly, the committees recommendations include some tougher measures, such as adding repeat car thefts to the list of offenses that presumes detention while awaiting trial, even though that crime has dropped every month since last fall; and investing in more research to improve the accuracy of the public safety risk assessment tool with regard to domestic violence cases and racial disparities. Mayors seek to improve bail reform with scaremongering | Editorial https://t.co/HUCnksYrfc pic.twitter.com/h4EEXB6Oyh njdotcom (@njdotcom) February 13, 2022 There are many others, but after only five years, this is a system that is universally studied and imitated. Prof. Todd Clear of Rutgers, one of the states most eminent criminologists, says that is because it satisfies three fundamental areas. It has accomplished its aim of fairness, in that it allows the presumption of innocence to matter, and reduces inequality based on resources. It has accomplished its aim of fiscal soundness, in that it reduces unnecessary pretrial detention, with its resulting savings. And it accomplished its aim of public responsibility, in that there has been no meaningful impact on overall safety, Clear said. This should be one of our proudest boasts as other states can attest. And were just getting started. Bail Reform: New Yorks mistakes must not jeopardize New Jerseys success | Opinion https://t.co/CphKcLBcbO NJ.com Politics (@NJ_Politics) February 5, 2023 Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. One of the funniest moments in American political history came during a presidential debate between Al Gore and George W. Bush in 2000. It began when Gore, who was vice-president at the time, came up with what he clearly thought was a memorable buzzword: Lockbox. It was memorable, all right, but not for the reasons Gore intended. I will put Medicare in a lockbox, he declared. He said he would do the same for Social Security. And he said it over and over in that Tennessee drawl of his that was so easy to satirize. The comedians went crazy. Comic actor Darrell Hammond had great fun with a Gore impersonation during a satire of the debate on Saturday Night Live. Dont miss the best in editorials, opinion columns and commentary from NJ.com writers. Add your email here: Under my plan, the lockbox would be used only for social security and Medicare. It would have two different locks, he said. To all outward appearances it would be a leather-bound edition of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas. But it wouldnt be. It would be a lockbox. It was really funny for everyone but Gore. The lockbox gaffe is seen as one of the reasons he lost the closest election in presidential history. So I was a bit surprised on Wednesday when I heard the governor a former Harvard drama student who knows his way around comedy use that term at a Statehouse press conference after a reporter asked him how a plan to cut property taxes for seniors would be funded in coming years. Were doing our best to lockbox this money, said Phil Murphy under questioning from skeptical journalists about the program, known as StayNJ. When I got a chance to ask a question, I asked Murphy what guarantee seniors would have that the program would continue under a future governor and future legislatures. Murphy responded that once fully implemented, the program would be so wildly popular that theyre not gonna turn their backs on it. Perhaps. But receipts from the income tax, which is the main source of state property-tax aid, are down 2.6 percent as compared to last year. The problem with this lockbox is that a lot of people will have the key. The summary on the legislative website states that the bill requires that funding for StayNJ will not supersede, impact or interfere with the full funding of the states education system. That education funding is mandated by the state Supreme Court under the state constitution. It takes precedence over the other items in the state budget. For that reason, Assemblyman Bob Auth sponsored a resolution to put this program up for referendum as a constitutional amendment. Then future legislatures would have no choice but to fund it. If its so wildly popular, then it would pass easily and that tax cut would be permanent. Bob Auth is a nice guy, said Murphy of the Bergen County Republican. Which he is. But Murphy said he didnt see a need to put the nice guys program into the constitution. Declan OScanlon does. The Monmouth Republican, who serves in the State Senate Budget Committee, calls the program smoke and mirrors. Were flush with cash at the moment, but in future years it doesnt make sense, OScanlon said when I called him. Its impossible without massive tax increases elsewhere. Tax receipts can fluctuate wildly, he said. When talking about 2025, 2026, or 2027, you might as well be talking 2055, 2056 or 2057, he said. What all those dates have in common is that theyre after this Novembers election, when all 120 seats in the Legislature are up for grabs. Its certainly a smart move for the Democrats to propose a long-term program with a short-term cost. But I for one would prefer that my future property-tax relief be put in a real lockbox: The state constitution. More: Recent Paul Mulshine columns. Paul Mulshine may be reached at pmulshine@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @Mulshine. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook and on Twitter A roundup of conversations we're having daily on the site. Subscribe to the Reckon Daily for stories centering marginalized communities and speaking to the under-covered issues of the moment. When an underwater submersible about the size of a minivan vanished in the Atlantic Ocean Sunday morning, the United States and Canadian governments deployed countless resources to find the five passengers on board who experts say have a slim chance of survival. The event occurred almost one week after a boat carrying about 800 migrants capsized off the coast of Greece. Hundreds are feared dead, including about 100 children, authorities say. The incident is considered to be the second-deadliest refugee shipwreck in history. The most catastrophic is said to have occurred in 2015 when a boat carrying 1,100 people from Libya capsized in the Mediterranean. So far, 81 bodies have been recovered from the site and 104 people were rescued from last weeks wreckage, all of whom are men. But headlines in the United States have been dominated by the fate of the five submersible passengers who potentially paid $250,000 each to go 12,500 feet below the sea surface and see the Titanic, a ship that sank in 1912, killing 1,500 onboard. There are currently planes, ships and remotely operated vehicles searching the bottom of the seafloor and ocean surface for the minisub, despite fears that the crews oxygen supply, estimated to last 96 hours, has already run out. Meanwhile in Greece last Wednesday, passengers fleeing economic hardship allegedly spent 15 hours begging for help, The Associated Press reported activists saying. Greek authorities refuted this characterization, claiming that the migrants rejected help almost up until the point the ship sank. A BBC investigation found that the ship supposedly didnt move for seven hours before it sank. The migrant rescue effort consisted of a rope and a Greek Coast Guard ship escorting the distressed vessel before it capsized. It did not command widespread international attention nor did fleets of vessels from around the world come to their aid. Video footage showed a survivor speaking with Alexis Tsipras, Greeces former prime minister, and telling him that, Because they didnt know how to pull the rope, the vessel started tilting right and left. The coastguard boat was going too fast, but the vessel was already tilting to the left, and thats how it sank, the Guardian reported. However, experts say that the migrants refusal doesnt particularly matter. A United Nations law states that authorities are required to perform a rescue as soon as a distressed vessel is deemed at risk. Human rights organizations are now criticizing the Greek Coast Guard for not overruling the migrants refusal for assistance. All the boats on which migrants travel are to be considered unfit for navigation and therefore in danger and must be rescued immediately, without delay. This is even when they appear to have no problems because in a few minutes, they can sink, tweeted Flavio Di Giacomo, spokesperson for the Mediterranean office of the United Nations Migration Agency. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration have both called for investigations into the wreckage and for organizations to work together to create safer passages to European countries. We are dismayed by the deaths and disappearance of hundreds of migrants who had intended to flee their places of origin, cross the Mediterranean Sea, and seek their legitimate human rights, The UN said in a news release Wednesday. We express our grave concern and deep sadness over this tragedy. Our deepest condolences go out to the families of the victims. We share their sorrow. Atlantic City firefighters and police officers rescued 10 people during a fast-moving fire that consumed six row houses Wednesday afternoon, officials said. Three people were injured after the blaze broke out around 1 p.m. on Belfield Avenue, but their injuries are not believed to be serious thanks to the fast response of city firefighters, Atlantic City Fire Chief Scott Evans said. A city spokesman said the fire is considered suspicious, though no cause has been determined. Atlantic City police officers rescued five people before firefighters arrived and went to work, Evans said. They ran into rooms full of fire and smoke to pull out occupants, Evans told the city council at a meeting Wednesday night. The flames, the fire that was coming out of the center unit spread so fast and spread from one end to the other end of these row houses. It just went up like a tinderbox. Evans called efforts of his firefighters heroic as people trapped inside called yelled for help during frantic rescues. The effort the chief and commanders put into to rescue people, Ive never seen anything like it in my 36 years, Evans said. And we can be very proud of the men and women of the Atlantic City Fire Department that got everyone out safely. Firefighters from Ventnor, Pleasantville and Absecon assisted the 45 Atlantic City firefighters who responded to the blaze. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. An Union County police department has taken action in the wake of a social media post that has led to a nationwide surge in thefts of Kias and Hyundais. The post, which reportedly first appeared on TikTok, showed how to start these vehicles without a key in as little as 20 to 30 seconds, according to a release from the Linden Police Department, which has now partnered with the manufacturers to provide free steering wheel locks to car owners. The problem was further magnified after viewers, mostly teenagers, were encouraged to steal Hyundai and Kia vehicles and upload videos of dangerous joyrides and other exploits to social media, the department said. In Linden, there have been 30 reported incidents of stolen Hyundai and Kia vehicles in the last six months, authorities said. Affected cars reportedly included 2015-2021 Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Kona, Santa Fe, and Tucsons; 2015-2018 Hyundai Velosters; 2015-2021 Kia Forte, Optima, Rio, Sedona, Soul, and Sportages and 2015-2016 Kia Optima Hybrid and Sorentos. In April, a group of Attorneys Generalw21 from 17 states and the District of Columbia, sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) urging for a mandatory recall of certain Kia and Hyundai vehicles manufactured between 2011 and 2022, officials said. Engine immobilizers to correct this vulnerability have been standard on all Hyundai and Kia cars since November 2021 and a free software upgrade to prevent the method of theft involved in the videos is available, the department said. This is a very serious problem affecting our community, Linden Police Chief David Hart said in a statement. The actions of these young men and women are irresponsible and dangerous, and we welcome any effort to help keep our community safe by stopping these thefts. Linden residents who own an affected model Kia or Hyundai cars can register for their free steering wheel lock by clicking here. Residents will be required to provide proof of residency and vehicle ownership. It was not immediately clear how many other towns were participating in the program, but Linden Police did say other local departments had seen an increase in these thefts and had launched similar steering wheel lock giveaways. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Thursday wont be too rainy in New Jersey, but it will be cloudy and cool as we brace for an extended stretch with rain likely each day. Highs on Thursday will be mainly in the 60s, more than 10 degrees below normal for the first full day of summer, with parts of South Jersey climbing into the 70s, the National Weather Service said. While light rain was pushing into northern New Jersey as of 7 a.m. and tapering off in South Jersey, most of the state should be cloudy by midday with a chance of isolated showers through the afternoon. Temperatures as of 7:30 a.m. ranged from the mid 50s to low 60s, according to the state climatologists office. For anyone venturing to the beach, theres a high risk of rip currents in the ocean, the weather service said. A 47-foot motorized lifeboat from Coast Guard station Manasquan Inlet practices high surf maneuvers during stormy weather on Wednesday June 21, 2023, in Manasquan, N.J. The National Weather Service said hazardous surf conditions are expected to continue on Thursday, June 22.Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media Rain is expected to return after midnight, setting up a warmer and much wetter Friday. Temperatures will climb into the low 80s. Multiple rounds of heavy rain are possible Friday with the weather service saying theres a marginal risk for excessive rainfall. The forecast doesnt improve much for the weekend. Periods of showers and thunderstorms are expected Saturday and Sunday. Forecasters cant rule out a chance of flash fooding. Highs will be in the 80s. Unsettled weather continues into Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with more rain chances, though the sun is expected to make an appearance. Current weather radar Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Six-day (Tuesday through Sunday) print subscribers of the Watertown Daily Times are eligible for full access to NNY360, the NNY360 mobile app, and the Watertown Daily Times e-edition, all at no additional cost. If you have an existing six-day print subscription to the Watertown Daily Times, please make sure your email address on file matches your NNY360 account email. You can sign up or manage your print subscription using the options below. DP World is accelerating adoption of renewable energy at the Port of Santos, Brazils leading multipurpose private terminal, investing 80 million Brazilian reais ($16.2 million) to electrify 22 diesel-fired units by year-end. As a vital step in its global strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, DP world will, in the first phase, focus on replacing diesel fuel with electric power for the Santos terminals Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTGs) container handling cranes. The first RTG machine in the fleet already operates sustainably on 100% electric power and by the end of 2023, another four machines will be converted. Innovative technology The electrification process works through a system of overhead cables similar to electric buses. Applying this innovative technology to RTGs will not only reduce the terminal's diesel consumption by up to 60%. "The conversion of the RTGs is a critical step in our decarbonisation efforts and aligns with our overall focus on sustainability. In addition to improved environmental care and climate performance, this change is also expected to bring additional operational benefits, as the technology offers low maintenance costs, increased productivity of the RTGs, and improved equipment reliability," explained Fabio Siccherino, CEO of DP World Santos. DP Worlds Executive Vice President, International Projects Mohammed Al Muallem met with Geraldo Alckmin, Vice President of Brazil in Brasilia this week to discuss cooperation and DP Worlds planned investments at the Port of Santos. DP World is already investing $35 million this year to expand and modernise its facilities. Cargo diversification The company has an additional 130,000 sq m available for expansion in the port area and has been working intensively on cargo diversification and developing logistical solutions that serve the entire international trade chain. The Santos terminal is already one of the largest and most modern private multi-purpose port terminals in the country. The expansion will increase annual container handling capacity from 1.2 million TEUs to 1.4 million TEUs and expand the size of the quay from 1,100 metres to 1,300 metres. This is DP Worlds third round of investment since it began operations in July 2013. ensuring port capacity remains ahead of growing demand. Environmental initiatives in Brazil The RTG electrification project is part of a global sustainability strategy called "Our World, Our Future," which guides and directs DP World's responsible actions globally, Under the strategy, DP World will adopt renewable energy sources for all its port equipment across the 75 countries where it operates. Last year, Chairman and Group CEO, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, announced that the company intends to invest up to $500 million to reduce global carbon emissions from its operations by nearly 700,000 tonnes over the next five years. It has already cut direct carbon emissions from its global operations by 5% in 2022, according to its latest ESG report. The strategy goes beyond decarbonisation, with the aim of reducing the impact of supply chain activities on people, communities, and the environment. DP World Santos became the first port terminal in Brazil to no longer send waste to landfills after implementing the Zero Landfill project last year. Instead, all waste generated at the terminal is either recycled or converted into sustainable energy for industrial activities. Since the beginning of the project, over 479.40 tons of solid waste have been diverted from landfills. Investing in flora and fauna DP World Santos has also invested over 12 million Brazilian reais ($2.4 million) in more than 30 projects focused on the region's fauna and flora. It has also rescued over 35,000 plants and seeds, with biomass and plant waste reuse, and monitored coastal dunes and mangroves. This is alongside the monitoring and management of terrestrial fauna in the region where the terminal was built, aiming to preserve species in locations authorized by Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), and the conservation of over 50 hectares of mangroves and coastal dunes in the surrounding area.-- TradeArabia News Service The sacred archaeological site of Abydos in Upper Egypt is one of the most fascinating sites in the country- rich in its ancient ruins spanning the entire Ancient Egyptian era. You will find on the site a mudbrick pyramid for Queen Tetisheri - the last known pyramid for a queen in Ancient Egypt. Tetisheri was the mother of King Seqenenre - the ruler who led the war against the Hyksos. Pharaoh Ahmose I erected a memorial structure at Abydos - in nowadays Sohag governorate in Upper Egypt - in her honour in his own necropolis. This mudbrick structure was first discovered in 1902. It comprised a stela detailing the dedication by Ahmose I and his sister-wife Ahmose-Nefertari of a pyramid and an enclosure to Tetisheri. Mostafa Waziri, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explains that the objective of the Tetisheri pyramids restoration project, carried out by an Egyptian American mission, is to maintain and preserve the pyramid for the future generation. The restoration work comprised the consolidation of the pyramids foundation and walls. It also entailed replacing its missing parts to offer visitors a complete view of the pyramid and the construction methods used by the Ancient Egyptians to erect it. The restoration team also documented the whole pyramid along with its distinguished architecture and construction methods, added Waziri. Mohamed Abdel-Badie, the head of the Central Department for Upper Egyptian Antiquities, said that all of the pyramid's bricks that scattered around the site over the centuries have been retrieved and restored to their original positions on its walls. All weak parts of the walls were also consolidated while void spaces between the pyramids bricks were filled with mortars like the original ones used by ancient Egyptians, added Abdel-Badie. Meanwhile, Debora Fishak, the head of the archaeological mission on the American side, said that the mission has fabricated a light wooden structure on the original surface of the inclined pyramid - at an angle of 63 degrees - in order to ensure that the angle of inclination of the walls was preserved during restoration. Search Keywords: Short link: The annual Essence Festival of Culture returns to New Orleans next weekend, bringing with it hundreds of thousands of tourists for a three-day celebration of Black culture and achievement, particularly that of Black women. There is much to celebrate. From business and finance to music and art, Black women have helped shape American and international life and culture since the earliest days of our nation. Here in New Orleans, evidence of their impact on our lives and culture abounds. Black women like Oretha Castle Haley, Leah Chase, Dorothy Mae Taylor and Mia X have defined the citys culture, fought for civil rights and served as role models for all of us. Yet, Black women remain one of the worst-treated segments of American society. They rank among America's most highly educated cohorts but make an appalling 37% less than white non-Hispanic men. Black women are more likely to be targeted by police, less likely to get business loans and regularly subjected to stereotypes that make life unfairly difficult. As conservatives wage a relentless campaign against justice, equality and human decency, Black women once again are on the front lines of a battle they neither asked for nor deserve to shoulder. The Supreme Courts Dobbs decision last year has and will continue to adversely impact Black pregnant people in particular. Nearly half of the countrys Black women live in states like Louisiana where Dobbs rendered abortion illegal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are more than four times as likely to need abortion services than white women. Theyre also more likely to live in so-called contraception deserts where birth control and sex education services are scarce or non-existent. Further, Louisiana has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the country, and it's especially dangerous for Black mothers: four Black mothers die for every white mother in this state, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. +2 Commentary: Once more, with feeling trans rights are human rights The media has a responsibility to constantly remind ourselves and our readers that trans peoples right to exist is a fundamental human right that is not up for debate. Restricting Black womens access to abortion has already put them under greater economic and emotional stress. Many must travel out of state for reproductive care or take at-risk pregnancies to term. Over the last two years, Louisiana lawmakers have enacted measures that restrict abortion rights and subsidize propaganda mills that target poor Black women with misinformation about abortion. Theyve also proposed laws that ban teaching African American contributions to the countrys history and our nations history of legalized discrimination against Black Americans. On voting rights for which Black women helped lead the fight our lawmakers have repeatedly sought to adopt redistricting plans that effectively deny Black voters the opportunity to elect congressional and state representatives of their choosing. Thankfully (and surprisingly), the U.S. Supreme Court this year ruled against an Alabama redistricting plan, and in time, that decision could require Louisiana to redraw its own electoral maps but the result remains uncertain for now. Despite this constant barrage, Black women continue to press forward for themselves and their families, and as a result all Americans are better for it. Their daily acts of defiance in the face of a constant barrage of legal and other challenges continue to inspire. For that, and everything else they do, let us all celebrate the Essence of Black women. This story has been updated. One of the things that made Dutch Morial such an icon, in addition to his storied career, was the fact that there could be only one first Black mayor of New Orleans. Morial notched quite a few firsts on his impressive resume even before he became mayor. One first that Morial could not claim, however, was first Black mayoral aide in New Orleans. Another: the first Black person to serve on an Orleans Parish grand jury. Those titles belong to Philip Baptiste, one of Morials closest friends and a colorful political character but also a trailblazer and role model for succeeding generations. Baptiste died June 21 in Atlanta after a lengthy illness. He was 91. He and his wife Nell, who died in 2021, relocated to Atlanta after Hurricane Katrina. Prior to that, he spent his entire life in his hometown of New Orleans. Yet another first for Baptiste: He joined Leah and Dooky Chase as the first financial donors to Morials groundbreaking mayoral campaign in 1977. He also was an early and loyal supporter of Dutchs son, Marc Morial, who was elected mayor in 1994 and reelected in 1996. Philip Baptiste was one of a kind, Marc Morial told me via email. We knew him as one of our fathers dearest friends and most passionate supporters. He was a dedicated public servant who was always blunt and forceful in his views, but he never hesitated to help an aspiring young professional or cause. We will miss him dearly. Professionally, Baptiste founded his own insurance agency and was among the first Black men to hold a license to sell all lines of general insurance in Louisiana. He was an active member of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club for more than four decades, and he prided himself on filling several roles in the Zulu organization. Among them was serving as the official narrator for the annual Zulu Coronation Ball, a role that showcased his hallmark talent for malaprops some of which were deliberate, some of which were, well, vintage Philip. For instance, at the 1994 ball, he lavishly praised the king for "being in all his splendiferousness." He had a great sense of humor and loved to share it with his high school pal Dutch Morial, who introduced me to Baptiste. When I asked Baptiste what it was like to be the first Black mayoral aide at City Hall, the mayor interjected with a grin, Schiro gave him a nice desk it was behind a bunch of tall plants so nobody could see him! Philip laughed louder than either Morial or me at that one. A few years later, as Morial neared the end of his second and final term, Philip joined several hundred loyal backers of the outgoing mayor at a private meeting to hear which candidate Morial had decided to support as his successor. The occasion produced one of my favorite political quotes. I got wind of the meeting, so I staked out the entrance. As Philip approached, I stuck a mic in front of him and asked, Philip Baptiste, who are you gonna support for mayor? Without missing a beat, he responded, Whoever Jesus Morial tells me to support! Philip Baptiste was among the last of New Orleans civil rights-era political leaders, and one of the last of the firsts in his generation arguably the greatest generation of Black political and civic leaders in New Orleans. May he rest in power in all his splendiferousness. Transit passengers flying EgyptAir can now obtain a no-fee 8-up-to-96-hours transit visas to visit the country upon arriving at Cairo International Airport. In a statement released on Thursday, EgyptAir explained that the government made the decision in line with Egypt Vision 2030 to stimulate tourism to the country. Transit passengers can visit the EgyptAir Transit office at Cairo International Airport to obtain the visa, the national carrier said. EgyptAir added that transit passengers can take advantage of tour programs offered by its tourist tours subsidiary Karnak to explore renowned attractions in the country. Easier, longer visas! The no-fee visa for transits is the latest in a string of recent measures taken by the government to boost tourism. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Interior introduced a new five-year multiple-entry visa option for foreigners, available for a fee of $700. Additionally, in March, the government relaxed tourist visa requirements for visitors from China, Iran, India, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria and Israel. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has reported that Egypt welcomed over 11.7 million tourists in 2022, a whopping increase of 46.2 percent over the eight million visitors figure in 2021. Search Keywords: Short link: An Egyptian man suspected of organising the smuggling of thousands of people aboard "death traps" from North Africa into Italy has been arrested in London, British police said on Thursday. The 40-year-old Egyptian man was detained in west London near Heathrow Airport on Wednesday, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said, after an investigation involving Italian police. The NCA has not released yet the details involving the identity of the Egyptian man. The NCA said the man in London was linked to a number of illegal Mediterranean crossings in the past year, including from Libya, and was working from a UK base with criminal associates. Three of the crossings required rescues by the Italian coastguard for vessels in distress, each of which was carrying more than 600 people, the UK agency said. "The type of boats organised crime groups use for crossings are death traps, and sadly many people have died after incidents in the Mediterranean, which demonstrates the level of danger," senior NCA officer Darren Barr said. "We will continue to share intelligence and take action with partners to prevent crossings and arrest people smugglers here and overseas," he said. The arrest comes after nine Egyptians were arrested in Greece earlier this week in connection with a Mediterranean migrant boat disaster that killed at least 82 people with many others presumed dead at sea. Search Keywords: Short link: The first passengers could board trains at the proposed new Cullompton railway station in May 2025. Work on reopening stations at both Cullompton and Wellington is progressing well, members of Mid Devon District Council's ruling cabinet have been told. The first passengers could board trains at the proposed new Cullompton railway station in May 2025. Work on reopening stations at both Cullompton and Wellington is progressing well, members of Mid Devon District Councilas ruling cabinet have been told. Talks have been ongoing for years about the stations, both casualties of the now-infamous Beeching axe in the 1960s that slashed the rail network in Britain at a time when cars were becoming more affordable. Business cases were submitted to the government last year, following which A5 million of development funding was awarded in the Chancelloras budget. A report toA a meeting of the councilas Cabinet said the lead role for the project is set to be handed over to Network Rail, because of their greater knowledge in the field. It explained that retention of the lead role by Mid Devon and Somerset West and Taunton councils would 'therefore be likely to add delay, cost and risk to delivery'. Councillor Richard Chesterton, Cabinet member for planning and economic regeneration, said: aThis approach for the way forward was also endorsed at the Devon and Somerset Metro board meeting chaired by our MP Neil Parish on March 4. aNetwork Rail is now actively progressing work to continue the design development for the railway stations and is procuring further technical work to support the advancement of the projects.a Cllr Chesterton added: aWe are looking at an approximate figure of the first passengers getting on a train at Cullompton somewhere towards the end of May 2025. aSo although it might still feel a long way to some, by rail projects [standards] thatas actually pretty quick and itas happening and theyare moving forward.a In response to the update, leader of the council Bob Deed said: aYes, I think weave been going about eight years so far this project, so another three. Weare nearly there, in rail terms.a Cullompton station forms part of the Devon Metro plan by the county council, launched in 2011, to develop the existing railway network based around Exeter into a countywide aturn-up-and-goa service. The townas former station initially opened in 1844 and was rebuilt in 1931, before closing in 1964 along with Tiverton Junction, Hele, Bradninch and Silverton. It is now the location of a motorway service station. The plans come as construction continues on a new station at Marsh Barton in Exeter, while last year daily services restarted between Okehampton and Exeter. Further update reports will be provided as work progresses towards key milestones, councillors were told. Eating up the miles all the way from West Yorkshire down to Barnstaple for the Fringe TheatreFest, comes SRM Theatre with Swansong (slightly out of tune!), their wrily comic tale of ageing, ego, secrets - and surprises. The three performers, all with lin Eating up the miles all the way from West Yorkshire down to Barnstaple for the Fringe TheatreFest, comes SRM Theatre with Swansong (slightly out of tune!), their wrily comic tale of ageing, ego, secrets - and surprises. The three performers, all with links to Bretton Hall College near Wakefield, are cheerful survivors of working lives spent delivering a theatre education to students. Theres some suspicion that they may be the oldest performers at TheatreFest this year, with ages ranging from mid-sixties to late seventies. SRM Theatre's Swansong Its a first time visit for Rachel Hodgson and Liz Heywood, but Mike Casey is arriving at the Barnstaple Fringe TheatreFest for no less than the fifth time, to play Frank Dudley retired actor, self-appointed national treasure, and, in Kats words, 'awkward old sod'! Sarah (Rachel) is struggling to get a temperamental Frank on board for her next production at the 'Happy Haven,' a retirement home for ageing thespians. And who is Katherine (Liz), and why is she somehow involved with Frank? Find out at one of SRMs three performances in the Baptist Hall. Swansong (slightly out of tune!) plays at the Baptist Hall, Boutport Street, Barnstaple on Friday, June 23, at 17.30; Saturday, June 24, at 21.15 and Sunday, June 25, at 15.30. For tickets: bit.ly/3L09mtd This extraordinary project continues to rumble on. It remains by far the biggest and high-profile construction project outside HS2. Much is riding on the success of this to help the Government to understand whether they can afford to risk investing in a This extraordinary project continues to rumble on. It remains by far the biggest and high-profile construction project outside HS2. Much is riding on the success of this to help the Government to understand whether they can afford to risk investing in a second new power station at Sizewell. There is an interesting balance currently between new energy initiatives. The government remains committed to nuclear. Whether however they have the stomach for another project of this scale and risk is seriously open to doubt. To try and maintain a nuclear programme in the UK, they are throwing money at a far more deliverable package being small modular nuclear reactors. These have lower outputs but are far cheaper to build. They are also less likely to fall victim to construction labour and weather delays. These can be built in factory conditions and are far easier to install and commission. Hinkley however remains a huge beneficial influence on the local economy. The workforce has now increased to nearly 10,000. It is interesting to note that one of the most recent visitors to the site was the Labour Party Leader Sir Keir Starmer. There can be no doubt that this was a strong indication that the Labour Party, if elected, will continue to support this and similar projects. Hinkley also has again played an important role in supporting local jobs. Toolstation has an e-commerce distribution centre in Bridgwater, this will be relocated to Northampton by August 2023, putting more than 200 jobs at risk. The Hinkley recruitment team have stepped into this and are helping many of those under risk of redundancy to find new roles. They had taken similar action when the retailer Argos closed their distribution centre in Bridgwater in 2021, affecting 230 jobs. Even more spectacular, Hinkley recently announced the launch of 30,000 new training courses. This means that workers can upskill or embark on brand new careers. In very crude terms, it is calculated that around 10% of the total construction cost of this scheme provides benefit in some form to the local economy. All this is great. History however records that building nuclear reactors using the European pressurised reactor is a dodgy game. EDF are involved in a series of similar projects and have routinely gone well over time and budget in building these facilities. Their flagship project in France is at Flamanville. This is currently running at a cost of double the original budget and delivery has yet again been delayed with an overrun of 10 years. It is already known that there is a structural fault in some of the concrete casing. Whilst not fatal to the operation, this will mean that it can only operate at around 60% of its intended output. There is a similar sad story regarding the same type of installation in Finland. The new plant at Olkiluoto is even further behind , in time, overruns and budget. The latest announcements regarding Hinkley suggest that history is repeating itself. The original programme, when the scheme started in 2016, was that the on button would be engaged in late 2025. Quickly this slipped to June 2027. It is now the case that the probable completion date will slip at least another 15 months but almost certainly be extended up to 2030. The budget has also dramatically changed. The original agreement was based upon a cost of 18 billion. The costs then started to ratchet up. We were advised that it had increased to somewhere between 25 - 26 billion. The latest figure is eye wateringly bad, with an estimated budget to completion of 32.7 billion. Numerous excuses have been put forward for this, including everything from a lack of suitable labour and raw materials to the impact of weather. The truth however is that this type of reactor is almost impossible to complete because of its demanding construction specification. In the US and China, who use a different type of reactor, these projects are routinely completed on time and on budget. It would be of some concern that these delays might cause power shortages. Whilst we wait for this facility to come online, it is the case that all but one of the UKs existing nuclear reactors will be closed by 2030. Hinkley will then provide sufficient low carbon electricity to power 6 million homes. What has saved our bacon, is that there has been a huge surge in the development of alternative energy powered sources, including wind turbines, solar panels, and a wide variety of other natural energy initiatives, such as, air and ground sourced heat pumps. It remains however the case that Hinkley is a critical part of our national infrastructure requirements and the sooner the project is finished for the benefit of the country, the better. It would be easy to get lost in the complexity of all these issues. Northern Devon seems remote from a project of this scale and complexity. The fact, however, is that it is an important element in bringing prosperity to the local economy. Perversely, the longer the construction takes, the longer we will benefit from its induced economic outputs. When it is finished, these benefits will drop away, the construction workers will have gone and only around 1,000 staff will be required to service the facility. The good news, however, is that many local companies have become an important part of the Hinkley local supply chain. New skills have been learnt, existing and new companies have flourished. These skills and jobs will not disappear when Hinkley is finished. Many are in the area of specialist construction technologies. This gives our region a leading edge. This could be all important if we finally get the nod on a new Giga factory being built at Bridgwater. We need to be very aware of both the opportunities and pitfalls surrounding Hinkley. This has already proved to be an economic boost. Over the remaining approximately five to six years there will be new opportunities which we must participate in. Written by Tim Jones, Chairman of the North Devon Biosphere Foundation Generous guests at a 60th birthday bash have raised 1,500 to help a charity which does vital work helping the elderly in Uganda and is close to the birthday girls heart. Helen Milton celebrated her 60th at the Park Hotel in Barnstaple with a small gr Generous guests at a 60th birthday bash have raised 1,500 to help a charity which does vital work helping the elderly in Uganda and is close to the birthday girls heart. Helen Milton celebrated her 60th at the Park Hotel in Barnstaple with a small group of family and friends and asked that any birthday donations could be made to ROTOM (Reach One, Touch One Ministries). The Christian organisation provides crucial support for the growing number of elderly people in Uganda, including health and medical or social as well as spiritual support. Helens family has supported the charity for a long time and last year her daughter Leonie volunteered there as part of her nursing studies. Helen is off again to Uganda in October when ROTOM marks its 20th anniversary. Helen Milton with fellow ROTOM volunteers Rose Thorn and Adrienne Shaw during a visit to Uganda in 2019, meeting some of the youngsters who are being cared for by their grandparents. Older people in Africa are cherished and play a vital role in their families, caring for grandchildren while their parents work but there are very few resources to help them cope and very little official support. The charity also works in Ethiopia and sadly due to conflict, illness and death among the middle generation, many children are orphaned and the elderly are left to care for them alone. ROTOM and its volunteers carry out work such as home visits for medical or social care, helping to combat isolation and loneliness, and fundraise for vital household supplies such as mattresses or water tanks, as well as pay for essential medication or childrens school fees. Helen Milton (left) with Ugandan nurse Olivia and fellow ROTOM volunteer Rose Thorn, during her 2019 visit to Uganda. Helen, who is a trustee of the Philip J Milton and Company Plc Charitable Foundation, said she was humbled by the generosity of the birthday party guests. She said: Its hard for us to comprehend how little help older people in Uganda and other parts of Africa receive. Particularly when you think that elderly social care in this country is such a hot topic and yet there is still never enough money and resources to support people, so you can imagine how much harder it is in Uganda. Despite this, the people there make do with very, very little and continue to care for and raise their grandchildren without complaint. Helen Milton meeting youngsters in a Ugandan school. Thank you to my wonderful family and our friends for my birthday dinner and who donated so generously for my chosen birthday charity. Our Charitable Foundation has topped up the total so we will be able to send 1,500 to ROTOM. I would urge anyone interested to find out more about the charity and if they wish, make a donation or even sponsor an older person or couple. Anyone who wishes to find out more can visit the ROTOM website at https://reachone-touchone.org/gb Farmers in Devon are being urged to attend a farm safety event to hear how they can reduce the risk of incidents. The event, hosted by NFU Mutual and the NFU, is being held at Holsworthy Livestock Market on June 22 with specialists on hand to provide adv Farmers in Devon are being urged to attend a farm safety event to hear how they can reduce the risk of incidents. The event, hosted by NFU Mutual and the NFU, is being held at Holsworthy Livestock Market on June 22 with specialists on hand to provide advice and information on minimising the risk across a range of farm tasks including working with large machinery and working at height. Mark Ley, NFU Mutuals Agent for the Halwill office, said organising the session at Holsworthy Livestock Market would enable a large number of farmers to attend. Farm safety is still far from where it needs to be, Mark said. As a local NFU and NFU Mutual office we have experienced losses and injuries among friends and clients and so we feel very passionate about organising these events. Research from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) showed farmers over 65 were at the greatest risk from accidents at work. Farms in the South West of England also record a higher proportion of accidents than the national average. Matthew Ilsley, NFU Mutual Risk Management Services sales consultant for the South West said in May alone he was aware of at least six fatalities on farms across Britain, underlining the need for farm safety training and support. The South West has a high proportion of smaller family farms and often they dont have the resources to invest in health and safety, Matthew said. Thats one reason it is so important we do what we can in this region to highlight the importance and assist with advice and education around farm safety. He added farmers and their families welcomed opportunities to learn more about staying safe on the farm. The farming community is quite close knit and everybody tends to hear about farm incidents quite quickly, and it has an effect on the community, he said. I know the team organising this event are hoping for a good take-up and Im sure it will be time well spent for the farmers who attend. The Holsworthy event is one of a number NFU Mutual is supporting. The event is taking place at Holsworthy Livestock Market on Thursday, June 22, from 10.30am to 1pm. To book your place, please contact the Halwill Agency 01409 220191 When two stars collide Well, not really collide, but join forces as was the case at the Lady Helen restaurant in Mount Juliet when Michelin Star resident chef John Kelly and Damien Grey - of the two Michelin Star restaurant, Liath in Blackrock - presented up to forty diners a menu and wine pairing which was simply out of this world. Tasting menus are always popular, and wine pairings makes the occasion even more enjoyable. Theres a sense of adventure and abandon - surrendering your choice and maybe even tastes and putting all that aside to be simply delighted as you dine. Bring that to a Michelin Level and its a whole different experience. And then of course you have the personality of the chef - in this case two of the best. Both chefs have been recognised and awarded by Michelin for their innovative menus and culinary approach, which respects quality ingredients and their natural flavour. This was a rare opportunity to enjoy a remarkable collaboration between two of Irelands most creative chefs, who conceived a distinctive six-course menu for this special event which featured signature dishes from the menus of Liath and The Lady Helen, with Chef Damien bringing a taste of the city to the Mount Juliet country Estate. Guests were welcomed to a Piaff Champagne and Nespresso Martini reception where they enjoyed mingling with the Chefs and guests before being seated for dining. John, from Kilkenny and head chef at the Lady Helen for almost ten years, is at the top of his game, combining flavour and local ingredients to a standard unequalled. Damian, a proud Aussie, is patron of a restaurant that seats just 14 covers each night. Very intimate in its own right. Both talented men gave of their time willingly throughout the evening, sharing their tales from the kitchen, the origin of their ingredients, the extras. They seemed to enjoy the casual feedback, which grew ever more boisterous and forthcoming as the wine selection was enjoyed. On moving into the Lady Helen dining room, both chefs introduced themselves and the menu which featured the innovative dishes both chefs are renowned for. Heres the menu below - Liath Carrot Smoked Oyster, Kelp Noodles and Halibut Toffee Caviar Eel Cornet with Aged Parmesan and Truffles Tipperary Organic Veal, Morels, Vin Juane Sauce Waterford Whiskey, Estate Honey and Mandarin Liath Chocolate Petit Fours Nespresso Coffee Sommelier Luciano Radmil explained the wine pairing choices and the Nespresso coffee paired with the desserts. After the meal, all guests were invited to the 1757 bar for a Waterford Whiskey digestif. It was a great night, John and Damian worked the room equally as well as the kitchen. The entire staff were up for the evening; each server, sommelier and manager were well briefed and expertly presented each of the evenings offerings. This was a culinary classic. Lady Helen has hosted many fine dining events - this was special. You know of course what happens when two stars collide - its called a stellar collision and that doesnt even come close to explaining the tastes and textures of a wonderful evening of dining and wines at a venue that Damian, at the start, said he was honoured to cook in. And at the end of it all, the honour was all ours. Mount Juliet Estate General Manager, Mr. Mark Dunne summed it all up - This was a sensational dining experience. We were delighted to welcome Chef Damien Grey of Liath Dublin to the Lady Helen offering guests the opportunity to experience an exciting and rare dining event with two of Irelands leading Chefs who share a culinary ethos of innovation and excellence. We are already looking forward to the return event in Dublin, its not to be missed! Everyone loves a good Christmas movie but how much do you actually know about your favourite festive films. Test your and your family's knowledge with these 50 teasers. The answers are below. 1: Who plays Buddy in the film Elf? 2: What name do the burglars give themselves in Home Alone? 3: Who provided the voice of Ebenezer Scrooge in the 2009 animated Christmas movie, A Christmas Carol? 4: In which Christmas movie does Buddy travel from the North Pole to New York to find his father Walter Hobbs? 5: Which English actor plays the villian in the first Die Hard movie? 6: In which film does Jim Carreys character try to ruin Christmas? 7: Which 2003 film features Billy Bob Thornton as a thief who disguises himself as a department store Santa Claus? 8: In which rom-com does the character Natalie fall in love with the British prime minister, played by Hugh Grant? 9: What is the name of the child that the story focuses on in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factor? 10: Which actor voiced several roles in The Polar Express? 11: What was Clarence the angel awarded for completing his mission in Its A Wonderful Life? 12: How much did Kevin McCallister spend on room service in Home Alone 2? 13: Tim Allen played a msn who has to take Santas place, in which film? 14: In which comedy is Clark Griswolds boss kidnapped and brought to Griswolds house? 15: Which animated 1993 film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentowns pumpkin king? 16: Bill Murray plays a successful executive in which modern version of A Christmas Carol? 17: Joe Pesci stars as Harry and Daniel Stern is Marv in which comedy caper? 18: Who played Scrooge in The Muppet Christmas Carol? 19: Vince Vaughn played Santas older brother in which 2007 film? 20: Die Hard takes place on Christmas Eve in which city? 21: What is the Mogwi who is given to Billy in Gremlins? 22: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad battle it out for an action figure in which film? 23: Who starred as Kevin McCallister in Home Alone? 24: Which film sees the paths of Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy cross when they become part of an elaborate bet? 25: Who is the first child to meet a sticky end in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? 26: Richard Attenborough plays Kris Kringle in which film? 27: Which film sees Kate Winslett and Cameron Diaz swap Christmas and meet new romantic partners in Jude Law and Jack Black? 28: In Its A Wonderful Life, what is the name of George Baileys guardian angel? 29: Which animated film features the song Walking In The Air? 30: In Die Hard, what is the name of the building the terrorists take over? 31: What do the Kranks decide to do instead of having a traditional Christmas in Christmas with the Kranks? 32: When the lights on the house do not work, what gets used instead in Deck the Halls? 33: In Home Alone 2, which shop do the bad guys break into on Christmas Eve? 34: Where do Brad and Kate get trapped while traveling in the film Four Chritmases? 35: Who wrote the picture book that was inspiration for the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas? 36: Which Cheers actor provided the narration for the Disney movie, Mickeys Once Upon A Christmas? 37: In the 1946 film Its a Wonderful Life, who plays George Bailey? 38: At what department store does Kris Kringle work in Miracle on 34th Street? 39: What is Father Christmas known as in The Nightmare Before Christmas? 40: Who plays the title role in the film, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? 41: What are the three rules that Billy is told he must obey in the film Gremlins? 42: What does a drunk Dan Aykroyd hide in his Santa costume in Trading Places? 43: Which Disney film do the creatures watch in the cinema in Gremlins? 44: Who narrated the film version of Dr Seuss How The Grinch Stole Christmas? 45: Perry van Shrike and Harmony Faith Lane are characters in which Christmas movie? 46: Which Irish actress plays the Pigeon Lady in Home Alone 2? 47: What job did Hugh Grant just get in the film Love Actually? 48: Who are the people who make the sweets in Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? 49: In Die Hard 2, what airport is John McClaine waiting at when terrorists take over? 50: And finally, how many Home Alone movies are there? ANSWERS 1: Will Ferrell; 2: The Wet Bandits; 3: Jim Carrey; 4: Elf; 5: Alan Rickman; 6: How The Grinch Stole Christmas; 7: Bad Santa; 8: Love Actually; 9: Charlie Bucket; 10: Tom Hanks; 11: His wings; 12: $967; 13: The Santa Clause; 14: National Lampoons Christmas Vacation; 15: The Nightmare Before Christmas; 16: Scrooged; 17: Home Alone; 18: Michael Caine; 19: Fred Claus; 20: Los Angeles; 21: Gizmo; 22: Jingle All the Way; 23: Macaulay Culkin; 24: Trading Places; 25: Augustus Gloop; 26: Miracle on 34th Street; 27: The Holiday; 28: Clarence; 29: The Snowman; 30: Nakatomi Tower; 31: A ten-day Caribbean cruise; 32: Mobile phone lights; 33: Duncans Toy Chest; 34: San Francisco Airport; 35: Dr. Seuss; 36: Kelsey Grammer; 37: James Stewart; 38: Macys; 39: Sandy Claws; 40: Gene Wilder; 41: Keep them out of light; Keep them away from water; Never feed them after midnight; 42: A smoked salmon; 43: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; 44: Anthony Hopkins; 45: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang; 46: Brenda Fricker; 47: Prime Minister; 48: Oompa-Loompas; 49: Washington Dulles International Airport; 50: Five (but only the first two are worth watching. Egypt sees that green growth and sustainable development are not mutually exclusive and can be pursued simultaneously, noted President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on Thursday at the Summit for New Global Financing Pact, which is held in Paris 22-23 June. President El-Sisi's remarks came during roundtable discussion titled "A New Method: Green Growth Partnerships". The leaders of the Congo, South Africa, Colombia and President of the European Commission were other participants in the roundtable discussion, which was moderated by Frances Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna. In his remarks, President El-Sisi asserted that Egypt and other developing countries are financing economic development under new paradigms which aim to meet the challenges of climate change and achieve green growth. We as developing nations have not caused the problems of climate change but we are the most affected by them," El-Sisi said. Egypt: Meeting challenges President El-Sisi said COVID-19 pandemic exasperated the debt problem in developing countries. However, Egypt managed its debt within its vision for sustainable development, he noted. The country achieved a growth rate of 6 percent in the years before the crisis triggered by the pandemic and the onset of Russian-Ukrainian conflict. In 2016, Egypt launched an economic reform programme to meet economic challenges and achieved big success, El-Sisi said. "Egypt's vision for achieving growth is based on providing job opportunities and decent living through a fair transformation of production patterns," El-Sisi explained. Additionally, El-Sisi emphasized the importance of implementing fair financing practices as the central factor in achieving sustainable development. The roundtable discussion addressed various climate, biodiversity and development challenges faced by many countries around the world. Speakers stressed the need for governments to play a central role in developing multi-stakeholder partnerships with finance institutions to implement fair energy transition (JETPs), facilitate access to technologies and innovation as well as strengthen preservation of biodiversity. According to the roundtable agenda, such partnerships can help mobilize a wide range of international and domestic, public and private financing tools like concessional loans, guarantees, debt swaps, carbon markets, hybrid financing and investments. New course on financing The Egyptian president had arrived in Paris on Wednesday to attend the global climate summit. The Summit for New Global Financing Pact is organized by France, Barbados and India to address climate change, biodiversity crises, and development challenges. During his opening speech of the Summit, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that no country should have to choose between tackling poverty and dealing with climate change at a summit tasked with reimagining the world's financial system. Macron told delegates that the world needs "public finance shock" to fight these challenges, adding the current system was not well suited to address the world's challenges. "Policymakers and countries shouldn't ever have to choose between reducing poverty and protecting the planet," Macron said. The summit aims to set the foundations for a new global financing architecture and restore fiscal space to countries facing short-term difficulties, particularly the most indebted countries as well as promote private sector development in low-income countries. Search Keywords: Short link: President Emmanuel Macron stressed to President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi that France is keen on strengthening economic cooperation with Egypt as well as intensifying coordination between the two countries on regional and international issues. Related Egypt president in Paris to attend Summit for Global Financing Pact Macrons comments came during a work luncheon organized with the Egyptian president at the Elysee Palace on Thursday, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Ahmed Fahmy. President El-Sisi is in Paris to attend the Summit for New Global Financing Pact, which is hosted by France 22-23 June. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed international issues including latest developments in the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and its impact on the food and energy markets world. They also discussed regional issues including latest developments in the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Macron and El-Sisi also discussed cooperation between France, as a key member of the European Union, and Egypt in combating terrorism and irregular migration, according to Fahmy. The two leaders exchanged views on aspired outcomes from the Summit for New Global Financing Pact, emphasizing the commitment of both their countries to support international initiatives aimed at facilitating developing countries' access to necessary financing to address the negative economic consequences of various global crises. The French president lauded growing cooperation between the two countries in the economic and trade sectors, adding that his country is looking forward to strengthen ties with Egypt on all levels. France considers Egypt a key partner who plays a major role in maintaining stability in the Middle East, the Mediterranean region and the African continent, Macron told El-Sisi, according to Fahmy. For his part, El- Sisi emphasized to President Macron that Egypt looks to benefit from the exceptional expertise and capabilities that France possesses in various fields such as transport and green hydrogen production in the renewable energy sector, specifically in the field of green hydrogen. El-Sisi expressed to Macron that Egypt looks forward to more French companies taking advantage of various investment opportunities in the country Egypt. According to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the volume of trade exchange between Egypt and France increased to $3.9 billion in 2022, up from $2.9 billion in 2021, a whopping 35 percent increase. Moreover, Egyptian exports to France increase by 61 percent in 2022, reaching $1.8 billion. Meanwhile, Egyptian imports from France rose by 19.2 percent in 2022, reaching $2.2 billion. President El-Sisi also met on Thursday with the President of the European Council Charles Michel on the sidelines of the climate summit. The meeting addressed the development of relations between the two sides in the context of their partnership map within the framework of the EU-Egypt Partnership Priorities Document 2021-2027. Charles expressed to President El-Sisi the EU) appreciation of Egypts efforts in maintaining security and stability in the Mediterranean region and its efforts in establishing peace in the Middle East. He also lauded Egypt for hosting of millions of guests/migrants and playing a key role in curbing irregular migration and combating terrorism and extremist ideology. Finally, regional issues such as the developments of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and the Sudanese crisis were also discussed. Both officials agreed on the necessity of intensifying efforts to help Sudan overcome its crisis while accounting for the interest of the Sudanese people. The Egyptian president also met with Tunisian President Kais Saied in Paris on Thursday. The two leaders exchanged views on several regional and international issues of mutual concern, Fahmy said. These discussions encompassed international efforts to reform the world's financial system in order to allow developing countries meet the challenges posed by various amid global crises. Search Keywords: Short link: The Forest Preserve District of Will County has received $1.1 million that will pave the way for a new trail linking the districts longest path with Route 66 in Joliet Township. U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., presented the check during a ceremony June 2 along the proposed trail route in the Preston Heights area, just south of Laraway Elementary School on Rowell Avenue. The 1.34-mile, multiuse trail will be built on a ComEd utility corridor that links the forest preserves 22.42-mile Wauponsee Glacial Trail with Route 53/Chicago Street, which is historic Route 66. Trail funding is coming from an appropriation by Foster and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill,, in the 2023 federal budget. "I was proud to secure $1.1 million to establish a safe pedestrian and bike path along Route 53," Foster said in a statement. "This project will help connect residents to local businesses, schools and more, all while helping to reduce emissions. " The Wauponsee Glacial Trail to Route 66 Bikeway also will establish a safe pedestrian connection to health care facilities and other regional trail systems including the Old Plank Road Trail and I&M Canal Trail as well as the 20,083-acre Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Today marks the beginning of our project, Meta Mueller, president of the forest preserve board, said in a statement. Unfortunately, it will still be a few years before it becomes a reality. But, as we all know, the longest journey starts with a single step. And thanks to the assistance of Congressman Foster and Sen. Durbin, that first step just became a leap. The short trail connection is a part of a regional network of trails 30 years in the making, with many arising from partnerships with local, state and federal agencies, Mueller added. Now there are multiple agencies working to achieve this goal, and together were expanding a fabulous trail network throughout the county. This project is the result of a collaboration between Will County and the Forest Preserve District. This project will create a safe connection for pedestrians and cyclists between the popular Route 53 corridor and Will Countys beautiful regional trail system, Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant said in a statement. Once the forest preserves receive the funding, including an expected $800,000 Rebuild Illinois grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development, it will begin phase one engineering study to develop a design and a construction timeline. Eventually, the new trail section in Joliet Township will connect to a Route 66 Bikeway that the Illinois Department of Transportation plans to build along Route 53 from Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie to just north of Interstate 80 on the south side of Joliet. For more information on the Forest Preserve District of Will County, visit ReconnectWithNature.org. The South Shore Line is adding extra trains for the Chicago Pride Parade, which typically draws more than 1 million people to North Side neighborhoods like Lakeview. The annual Pride Parade will step off at noon Sunday and proceed four miles through thronged streets in Chicago's Northalsted, Uptown, Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods. It will be accompanied by street festivals, concerts, parties and other festivities on the North Side. Started in 1970, the parade has grown into an institution whose many participants include nonprofits, businesses and politicians. The South Shore Line commuter rail line will add capacity to trains 504 and 606 heading west to Millennium Station. Both will make all the regular stops in Chicago. The South Shore Line also is adding extra eastbound trains heading east from Millennium Station after the parade and other Pride Month events. The first eastbound extra will leave Millennium Station at 4:25 p.m. and Van Buren St. at 4:28 p.m. It will run non-stop to Hegewisch and then make all local stops until it reaches the Gary Metro Center Station. The second eastbound extra departs Millennium Station at 6:00 p.m. and Van Buren St. at 6:03 p.m. It also will run non-stop to the Hegewisch station and subsequently make all local stops until it gets to the Gary Metro Center Station. Neither train will serve stations east of the Gary Metro Center due to the double-track construction underway that's expected to speed up service between Chicago and Michigan City. The South Shore Line will not allow alcohol on Sunday and forbids glass bottles at any time. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District cautions that it can remove any drunken or disorderly passengers. For more information or tickets, visit www.mysouthshoreline.com HAMMOND A federal judge has imprisoned a DeMotte man for collecting child pornography for the second time in a decade. U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon imposed a 210-month sentence Wednesday on 42-year-old Thomas Scott Spangle. Spangle pleaded guilty to receiving sexually graphic images of children in the spring of 2021 while on court supervision for a prior conviction involving child pornography. Court records indicate Spangle was first charged with distributing child pornography in May 2010 after an undercover agent for the Federal Bureau of Identification found illicit images of children Spangle had posted on the internet. They traced the photos to him through his home computer then in rural Newton County, southwest of Roselawn. Spangle pleaded guilty in 2012 and received an 84-month sentence the following year. Federal prison officials released Spangle in July 2019, but he was sentenced to remain under court supervision for the next 15 years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Benson states in court papers the courts probation office was monitoring Spangle electronic devices and detected that he began less than two years after his prison release viewing child pornography on a cell phone and video gaming devices. The FBI received a search warrant to scan Spangles devices and found several sexually-explicit images stored on them. Spangle agreed to give up his constitutional right to a jury trial and pleaded guilty to avoid a lengthier imprisonment. Defense attorney Mark A. Psimos said Spangle is confined to a wheelchair and had to be released from federal detention shortly after his arrest because of medical complications arising from his having been paralyzed from the waist down since age 19. Benson argued Spangles disability in no way lessens the harm caused to the victims of his conduct. PHOTOS: Volunteers digging at the Collier Lodge Site Cleveland-Cliffs reached a new labor agreement with the United Auto Workers union at its Coshocton Works mill in Ohio. The UAW represents about 330 workers at the former AK Steel plant about halfway between Columbus and Akron. The 570,000-square-foot plant has stainless finishing operations and is one of the country's largest producers of flat-rolled stainless steel. We are pleased to reach a new labor agreement with the UAW for our employees at Coshocton Works," Cleveland-Cliffs Chairman, President and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said. "Coshocton is a leading producer of EAF flat-rolled stainless steel in the United States and a major supplier of stainless steel to the North American automotive industry. This agreement provides Cleveland-Cliffs a competitive cost structure for future success, while maintaining and supporting good paying middle-class union jobs to our employees at Coshocton Works. The new three-year deal will go into effect on July 31. It still must be ratified by workers. We thank both negotiating teams for their dedication to reach this agreement significantly ahead of the deadline," Goncalves said. Cleveland-Cliffs was founded in 1847 as a mine operator and became the largest flat-rolled steel producer in North America after buying out longtime customers, ArcelorMittal USA and AK Steel, in 2020. The Cleveland-based company, a vertically integrated steelmaker with a large presence on the Northwest Indiana lakefront, employs 27,000, including at operations in East Chicago, Burns Harbor, Riverdale, Gary and New Carlisle. United Steelworkers union leaders have said the company is one of the most receptive and easiest to negotiate with, as it tends not to take as adversarial a position as some of its competitors. Goncalves has repeatedly praised union workers as critical to the company's success. ha VALPARAISO A 17-year-old Ohio resident accused of creating panic earlier this year by calling in threats of violence to area schools continues to present "a substantial risk of injury to others," Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer ruled late Wednesday. Clymer followed by setting bond for the accused, Ryan Krajewski, at $20,000 cash and $30,000 surety. The judge further ordered that Krajewski have no further access to the internet as his criminal case proceeds, records show. Krajewski, who case was waived to adult court last week, appeared before Clymer for an initial hearing on seven felony counts of intimidation involving threats to commit terrorism, court records show. Porter County Juvenile Court Magistrate Kristen Mulligan, in waiving the case to adult court, agreed with the prosecutions argument that Krajewskis alleged offenses, committed when he was 16, were heinous or of an aggravated character, and were part of a repetitive pattern of offenses that leave him beyond rehabilitation under the juvenile justice system in light of his 27 months on probation in Medina County, Ohio, for charges including inducing panic. The juvenile continued to engage in unlawful behavior involving computers and telecommunications despite the services and supervision through Medina County Probation and the additional therapeutic services obtained by parents for the juvenile, the prosecutor stated in the findings of fact endorsed by the magistrate. Krajewski allegedly contacted Valparaiso High School on Jan. 9 and reported a bomb in the building, and then called in another threat to the school Jan. 17. On Jan. 26, Krajewski allegedly made threats to schools in Valparaiso, Portage, Wheeler, Union Township and Washington Township. He threatened to use a weapon or weapons of mass destruction to commit mass murder at Valparaiso and Portage high schools, according to the charges. Krajewski was arrested Jan. 26 in Ohio. Porter County murder charges filed against 2 in last week's death of Hobart man, records show "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Derek Hartz during this difficult time," Porter County police said. All the threats he is accused of making proved to be noncredible, officials have said, but the threats sent schools scrambling into lockdown or lockout status. The Jan. 9 call to Valparaiso High School resulted in a lockdown and early release of students, police said. A false threat of violence Jan. 17 at the same school triggered a lockout response from police and disrupted school operations. The Portage Police Department said in a social media post at the time that the local high school had received an anonymous phone call in which a person threatened violence later in the day, prompting its lockdown. Wheeler High School had also implemented a lockout in response to the threats, officials said. Krajewski is further accused of impersonating a public servant stemming from a Jan. 4 call to Valparaiso police of a supposed shooting, according to a charging document. Officials said the youth, who was 16 at the time, falsely portrayed himself as a special agent with the FBI. Krajewski was to continue to be housed at the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center unless hes transferred to an adult facility or released on bond, according to a court order. A small LaPorte County community is accused in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday of unlawfully limiting access to essential town information and unjustly removing members from the town's private Facebook group. The Indiana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union sued Kingsford Heights and its town council on behalf of two residents, Michael Easley and Emily Galloway, who claim their Facebook comments regarding town council members led to their removal from the group. The lawsuit alleges the private Facebook group runs afoul of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because important town information, such as proposed ordinances and other matters of relevance to the community, only are posted to the group and not accessible by other means, such as the town website. "In order to become a member of the Facebook group, not only must an individual have a Facebook account but they must also request and receive permission to become a member from the members of the town council who administer the Facebook group," the lawsuit says. "Although the town council purports to allow any resident of the town to become a member of its private Facebook group, in actuality even residents of the town may be denied membership in the group or, even if initially granted membership, may subsequently be removed from the group by the town council." Records show the Facebook group, established April 5, 2020, has just 232 members in a town whose population the 2020 U.S. Census tallied at 1,335 people. Easley and Galloway were removed from the Facebook group earlier this year after posting comments on Facebook about the actions of town council members a type of viewpoint discrimination barred by the First Amendment, the ACLU said. "The First Amendment protects people, who regardless of their views, attempt to hold the government accountable through expression," said Gavin Rose, Indiana ACLU senior attorney. "Kingsford Heights practice of silencing citizens on Facebook who are critical of the councils actions is unconstitutional." Dennis Francis, president of the five-member town council, declined to comment on the pending litigation. Kingsford Heights is located adjacent to U.S. Highway 6/35 about 25 miles east of Valparaiso and 11 miles south of LaPorte. Gallery: Indiana historical markers in the Region First Physician Great Sauk (Sac) Trail St. John's Lutheran Church Tolleston Dutch in the Calumet Region St. John Township School, District #2 The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section Froebel School - side 1 Froebel School Stewart Settlement House Stewart Settlement House Origin of Dr. MLK Day Law Origin of Dr. MLK Day Law Bailly Homestead Iron Brigade Willow Creek Confrontation Ogden ski jump.jpg Teale 1.jpg Teale 2.jpg Steel 1.jpg Steel 2.jpg Civil War camps.jpg Old lighthouse.jpg Railroad.jpg Camp Anderson.jpg Boundary line 1.jpg Boundary line 2.jpg LaPorte courthouse 1.jpg LaPorte courthouse 2.jpg Carnegie 1.jpg Carnegie 2.jpg Rumely Co 1.jpg Rumely Co 2.jpg Lincoln train 1.jpg Lincoln train 2.jpg LaPorte university 1.jpg Laporte university 2.jpg Gary Roosevelt 1 Gary Roosevelt 2 VALPARAISO Murder charges have been filed against two men in connection with last week's death of a 35-year-old Hobart man at the Chustak Public Fishing Area in Portage Township, records show. Domonic Brothers, 27, of Gary, and Jada Monroe, 28, of Danville, Va., are each charged with two counts of murder and robbery resulting in serious bodily injury in the death of Derek Hartz, according to court records. The details of those charges have been sealed by the courts as the investigation continues. Both men are in custody in Ohio, according to the Porter County Sheriff's Department. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Derek Hartz during this difficult time," the department said. The body of Hartz was found around 11 a.m. June 13 on a small trail on the edge of the public access site on a deflated air mattress, according to court documents. He had "excessive bleeding" from his skull and was nude from the waist down, officials said. The Porter County Coroner's Office ruled Hartz's death a homicide from blunt-force trauma to the head. The area in question is located at 331 W. County Road 600 North and is described by police as a 76-acre public fishing area just off State Road 149. Investigators found a Virginia identification card at the scene and learned that a cell phone and vehicle belonging to Hartz were missing. UPDATE: State senator denounces Porter County graffiti calling for the death of LGBTQ members "The people of Chesterton should be livid that a coward decided to vandalize town property with a call to violence and derogatory language," state Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton, said. Using state-of-the-art technology and with the assistance of Ohio law enforcement, Porter County police said they located the stolen vehicle in Ohio and Brothers and Monroe were taken into custody. Court records say Hartz's mother told detectives he had taken their shared car after 4:30 a.m. June 13 and left her a note that he was going to see a friend. She tried to contact him to return the car after he was deceased and continued to receive texts back. "This case would not have ended the way it did if we didnt have the cooperation of our local/state/and federal law enforcement partners," Porter County police said. "This was an isolated incident and there is no other concerns to the public." Anyone in the area of the Chustak Public Fishing Area from 4 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. June 13 is encouraged contact the sheriff's department at 219-477-3140. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Egyptian citizens who are still in Sudan and are looking to evacuate the country to return home to use the Arqeen and Qustul border crossings to do so. In a statement on Thursday, the foreign ministry noted that it has evacuated a large number of Egyptians who were in Sudan after the outbreak of armed conflict in the country in mid-April. Those who remain in Sudan can contact 01283176894 for any inquiries 24/7, the foreign ministry said. At least 10,000 Egyptians, including 5,000 students, were in Sudan at the outbreak of the current conflict. More than 7,000 Egyptians have returned home from Sudan since the start of the conflict in the country, according to the latest official figures released by the Ministry of Emigration and Expatriates Affairs. Search Keywords: Short link: CROWN POINT A judge freed a Gary man Tuesday more than five years after he was jailed for his ties to a violent criminal enterprise that sold crack cocaine across his home town. U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon imposed a 63-month sentence Tuesday on 44-year-old Cornell D. Knuckles Allen. Defense attorney Sheldon B. Nagelberg, who represented Allen, said Tuesday Allen already had served more the five years in federal detention, so the judge effectively released Allen. He wants to get on with his life. I think justice is served, Nagelberg said Tuesday afternoon. Allen pleaded guilty four years ago to federal drug charges alleging he and others sold crack cocaine between 2016 and 2018. His sentencing was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the his need to await the results of the trial or guilty pleas of his many of his co-defendants. A federal grand jury indicted a total of nine on conspiracy and drug trafficking charges they sold cocaine from a rental house in the 2500 block of Jefferson Street and a car wash business, Da Wash, at 20th Place and Broadway, both in Gary. Teddia Teddy Caldwell, 47, of Gary the ringleader of the narcotics network, pleaded guilty last year to the same drug dealing allegations as well ordering a fatal 2017 robbery of a rival. Allen initially pleaded not guilty to the drug counts but gave up his constitutional rights to make the government prove the allegations against him at a jury trial to avoid a long prison term. Allen sentencing leaves only one alleged gang member, Devonte Hodge, 31, of Gary to be tried on federal drug charges at a trial now scheduled to take place early next year. Four other co-defendants already have been sentenced to terms varying from release on probation to prison time. Caldwell, Taquan Boonie Clark, 36, of Detroit, and Devontae Martin, 29, of Gary are awaiting sentencing. The case was the product of investigations by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, the Federal Investigation Bureau, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the Gang Response Investigative task force, state, Lake County and Gary police officers. GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week VALPARAISO Valparaiso has been awarded state funding through a National Opioid Settlement match grant program. The city will receive $211,335 from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration's, or FSSA's, Division of Mental Health and Addiction. The money will go towards Valparaiso's newly-created Community Recovery Care Coordinator position, a role that was designed to make addiction recovery and treatment more accessible. The Valparaiso Common Council approved the creation of the position in May, according to a city news release the care coordinator initiative will begin July 1. The city is helping fund the role with its own pot of National Opioid Settlement money. In 2021, 46 states and many other local units of government came together and brought litigation against the three largest pharmaceutical distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen and pharmaceutical manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. The four companies agreed to pay $26 billion to settle allegations that they fueled the deadly opioid crisis. Indiana will receive $507 million from the National Opioid Settlement. Valparaiso will ultimately receive $1.2 million, but the money will be distributed over 18 years. Also using National Opioid Settlement money, the FSSA provided matching grants to 30 projects across the state. Valparaiso was one of just four local governments to receive funding. In Northwest Indiana, the Community Foundation of Pulaski County, Inc. and Three20 Recovery Center in Porter County also received funding. The idea for a care coordinator grew out of a panel discussion the city held in January. The panel was convened to discuss potential uses for the opioid settlement money and featured experts versed in the many elements of addiction: those who work in the court system, run halfway houses, lead prevention efforts in the Valparaiso school district and more. Panelist David Cummins, a physician who specializes in addiction and emergency medicine, said the care coordinator could connect people with resources and could even identify people who may be high-risk for addiction, intervening before the drug abuse begins. Indiana has been hit hard by the opioid crisis. According to the Indiana Attorney General's Office, the rates of opioid prescribing in the Hoosier state peaked in 2012 when, on average, there were 112 opioid prescriptions for every 100 residents in the state. The care coordinator position will be hosted through Porter County PACT, which works with individuals referred by the court, offering substance-abuse treatment, case management and community service restitution. The opioid settlement match grant will fund the role for two years. According to the news release, if the position proves to be successful, the city will go after additional grant funding. In studying the impact of addiction, we see that those with addictions can see recovery as insurmountable. This new recovery coordinator will link people with resources so that treatment and recovery become realistic, Valparaiso Mayor Matt Murphy said in the city news release. PHOTOS: Valparaiso hosts panel on National Opioid Settlement Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel Valparaiso hosts opioid solutions panel MICHIGAN CITY A daylong tour of Northwest Indiana opened the eyes of Chicago land use experts to possibilities here. About 50 members of the Chicago chapter of Lambda Alpha International spent all day Friday touring Northwest Indiana, with stops and walking tours in Hammond, Gary and Michigan City. LAI describes itself as a global land economics society where top professionals connect. Membership is honorary and selective. We have a legacy perception, said Rana Lee, director of business development for Smith Group. Theres so much more that has been happening in the past several years. Lee noted One Region, Northwest Indiana Forum, Greater South Shore Initiative and others are working together. Northwest Indiana has done a far better job of acting as a region, working across geographic and jurisdictional boundaries, she said. Its a lesson for us to see what brought about this thinking and how can this inspire. Like others, Lee noted the Double Track NWI and West Lake Corridor projects bring Chicago and Northwest Indiana closer. Together, the Region is bringing back the vitality it used to have, Lee said. "Wow. This is great." Lee is no stranger to Michigan City. A few years ago, a friend suggested she visit. I spent a day here driving, walking all different neighborhoods, she said. I would double down on commercial all day long. Permits on storefront windows showed signs of life downtown. Something was going on here, and that really piqued by curiosity, she said. You all have to come here. This is unbelievable, she said. This whole place is abuzz. We consider ourselves the jewel of the South Shore, Michigan City Mayor Duane Parry said. City Councilwoman Angie Deuitch, Parrys Democratic opponent in the November election, said she is excited to have people visit to see our existing projects and future opportunities available in Michigan City. Michigan City is primed to be the center of transit, economic development and housing opportunities in northern Indiana. The more we showcase our attributes the better. Northwest Indiana has many attractions, including access to Lake Michigan, proximity to Chicago, a potential quantum computer corridor, commuter rail and more. Private residents crowdsourced funding to finish that connection of the Marquette Greenway. Its outstanding, Lee said. I was so impressed, said Helen Kessler, of Up Front Regenerative Design. I think ending at Michigan City is great because theres clearly an energy here that you dont see at other places. This trip opened my eyes to the potential of the area that I just wasnt aware of. GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week INTERNATIONAL A picture caption with an article on Tuesday about Romes bid for the Expo 2030 worlds fair misstated the given name of the designer of the Sail complex. As the article correctly noted, he is Santiago Calatrava, not Francisco Calatrava. A map with an article on Friday about the Ukrainian counteroffensive misidentified a village that Ukraine said its forces had recaptured. It is Blahodatne to the south of Velyka Novosilka, not the settlement of the same name to its east. Errors are corrected during the press run whenever possible, so some errors noted here may not have appeared in all editions. To contact the newsroom regarding correction requests, please email nytnews@nytimes.com. To share feedback, please visit nytimes.com/readerfeedback. Comments on opinion articles may be emailed to letters@nytimes.com. For newspaper delivery questions: 1-800-NYTIMES (1-800-698-4637) or email customercare@nytimes.com. In the digital cold war between the United States and China, American officials are increasingly turning their attention to a new target: Chinese cloud computing giants. Over the last 18 months, the Biden administration and members of Congress have ramped up their exploration of what can be done to address security concerns about the cloud computing divisions of Chinese tech behemoths like Alibaba and Huawei, five people with knowledge of the matter said. American officials have discussed whether they can set tighter rules for the Chinese companies when they operate in the United States, as well as ways to counter the companies growth abroad, three of the people said. The Biden administration has also spoken with the American cloud computing companies Google, Microsoft and Amazon to understand how their Chinese competitors operate, three other people with knowledge of the matter said. By focusing on the Chinese cloud companies, U.S. officials are potentially widening the scope of the technological tensions between Washington and Beijing. In recent years, the United States has choked Chinas access to crucial technologies while trying to limit the reach of Chinese tech and telecommunication companies abroad. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, laid out a long-awaited framework on Wednesday to regulate artificial intelligence, hoping to create a path for lawmakers to adopt guardrails many industry insiders say are needed on a technology many members of Congress admit they do not understand. Declaring that Congress must join the A.I. revolution, Mr. Schumer steered clear of endorsing any specific bills, instead calling for an approach to A.I. prioritizing objectives like security, accountability and innovation. Mr. Schumer, who predicted that his plan could produce legislation within months, instead is seeking to give lawmakers a comprehensive crash course in A.I. in a setting where partisan rancor might be set aside, before they try to impose rules on the rapidly changing industry. In many ways were starting from scratch, but I believe Congress is up to the challenge, he said during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adding that A.I. moves so quickly and changes at near-exponential speed and theres such little legislative history on this issue, so a new process is called for. That new process centers on what he called first of their kind listening sessions in the fall, in which lawmakers could learn about the potential and risks posed by artificial intelligence technology from industry executives, academics, civil rights activists and other stakeholders. The Dollar General was a heap of splintered wood. A lone horse stood as if in shock next to a pile of debris. Entire blocks of the small Texas Panhandle town of Matador were completely leveled. Val and Amy Castor, who are married, chase storms for a living for Channel 9 KWTV in Oklahoma, but the devastation they saw Wednesday night almost knocked them back. In a phone interview, Mr. Castor described the scene. Does anybody need help? he said he had called out. A faint voice replied, Hello. The Castors found an older man pointing to the body of his wife, her face and shoulders submerged under rubble. I think shes already gone, he said. The woman, who was not identified by the authorities, was one of four people killed in a devastating tornado that injured nine others. A dayslong wallop of extreme heat and storms that had pummeled much of Texas and parts of Oklahoma culminated on Wednesday with a powerful tornado that swept through Matador, population 600, about 80 miles northeast of Lubbock. Unexplained noises detected beneath the waves of the North Atlantic became the focus on Wednesday of an urgent search for five people inside a submersible that disappeared three days earlier during a dive to the wreckage of the R.M.S. Titanic. The possibility that the sounds might lead to the lost craft offered a slender line of hope to an international team of rescuers who have been scouring a patch of the North Atlantic twice the size of Connecticut and two and a half miles deep. A growing international force of planes, ships and underwater robots was racing to find the 22-foot-long vessel, known as the Titan, and bring it to the surface before its pilot and four passengers run out of oxygen. When the submersible, owned by OceanGate Expeditions, lost contact with a chartered ship at the dive site on Sunday morning, it was believed to be equipped with only four days worth of oxygen. Coast Guard officials said they have been operating under the assumption that they must reach the vessel before Thursday morning for any chance of the crews survival. Capt. Jamie Frederick of the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news conference that two remotely operated undersea vehicles were looking for the source of the sounds, and a team of experts was poring over recordings of the noises to determine whether they were a signal from the missing vessel. On Wednesday afternoon, however, that analysis remained inconclusive. Federal officials announced Thursday that the daughter of an accused antiquities trafficker had agreed to forfeit $12 million from his estate as part of a settlement of a civil case that accused her father of profiting from the sale of stolen Cambodian artifacts. The daughter of Douglas A.J. Latchford, a scholar and dealer of ancient Khmer artifacts who died in 2020, also agreed to turn over a seventh-century bronze statue from Vietnam that the federal authorities said had been bought by Latchford with illegally obtained funds. Latchfords daughter, identified in court papers as Julia Copleston, inherited more than 125 statues and gold relics that authorities contend were looted from Cambodia, as well as an undetermined amount of money from her father. In 2021 she reached an agreement with the Cambodian government to ship back those items. Negotiations have been ongoing since then over Latchfords financial accounts. The original armorer on the film Rust, who was charged with involuntary manslaughter after a gun that was loaded with live ammunition fired on the set and killed the cinematographer, will face an additional charge of evidence tampering related to narcotics, a special prosecutor in the case said Thursday. The new charge against the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, relates to the transfer of narcotics to another person on Oct. 21, 2021, the day of the shooting, with the intent to prevent criminal prosecution, the prosecutor, Kari T. Morrissey, said in a statement. A lawyer for Ms. Gutierrez-Reed said that she intended to plead not guilty to both the evidence tampering and the involuntary manslaughter charges. The additional charge was announced as tensions between prosecutors and the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office over the case began to spill into public view. An investigator who was removed from the case after working on it for months for the district attorneys office sharply criticized the sheriffs office earlier this week in an email to prosecutors. The conduct of the Santa Fe County Sheriffs Office during and after their initial investigation is reprehensible and unprofessional to a degree I still have no words for, the investigator, Robert Shilling, wrote in the email he sent Tuesday. Not I or 200 more proficient investigators than I can/could clean up the mess delivered to your office in October 2022 (1 year since the initial incident inexcusable). On Wednesday in Accra, Afreximbank and AfCFTA launched the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG), a suite of five digital platforms designed as a single window to support and promote African trade and implement the AfCFTA. At the ongoing 30th Afreximbank Annual Meetings (AAM2023), Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of Intra-African Trade Bank, launched the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG) digital ecosystem. Ernest Addison, Governor-Bank of Ghana, and Emily Mburu-Ndoria, Director-Directorate of Trade in Services, Investment, IPR and Digital Trade, AfCFTA, were present at the launch. The ecosystem includes five platforms: MANSA (due diligence), PAPSS (payment system), TRADAR Club, Africa Trade Exchange (ATEX), and ATG Connect. Awani addressed guests at the launch and stated that Afreximbank's digital evolution is a strategic response to accelerate development, foster economic prosperity, and address key challenges in Africa using digital technologies and business models. Each one of our digital interventions is designed to address clearly identified challenges and barriers for those seeking to engage in African trade and investment. I am pleased that each intervention has been successfully transformed from concept to reality and commend the hard work of our colleagues and partners in achieving these milestones. But to consolidate results, maximize net effects, achieve greater efficiencies, drive higher synergistic value, quicken regional integration, extend and create new access markets and accelerate digital economy in Africa, the bank is introducing customer-centric Africa Trade Gateway. She described ATG as a definitive digital ecosystem designed for Africa's trade, supported by Afreximbank and AfCFTA in partnership with their stakeholders to enable trade, commerce, and investment. Ms. Awani explained that the ATG allows customers to complete all their transactions within a single window. MANSA, Africa's due diligence platform, provides primary data for customer due diligence on African entities, financial institutions, corporates, and SMEs. It also collects information on African investment, country profiles, and traded products/services. PAPSS facilitates efficient payment for intra-African trade in national currencies, reduces risk, promotes financial integration, and supports the AfCFTA. In July 2019, African Union heads of state adopted PAPSS as the payment and settlement system. It currently operates from Cairo. TRADAR Club is a member-driven network that empowers international businesses and executives to transform trade and investment in Africa through trusted trade intelligence, advisory services, innovative digital tools, and networking opportunities. Members can discover new markets, grow their business, save time, access expert support, post/respond to new business opportunities, network, and meet trading partners. Membership is open to global industry leaders, African/foreign businesses, intergovernmental organizations, policymakers, and others committed to unlocking growth and development in Africa. ATEX is a B2B and B2G e-commerce platform launched at the 54th Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in Dakar in May 2022. It helps small and medium-scale African businesses access new markets in Africa and optimize their supply chains. ATEX enables bulk procurement of basic commodities and ensures transparent access to suppliers. ATG Connect connects business service providers across Africa, providing freight and logistics connectivity solutions. This allows for frictionless matching of freight/logistics requests with providers listed on the platform. Customers can receive competitive quotes for pickup/delivery of goods to/from any location in Africa. During the launch ceremony, heads of the platforms presented their services and participated in a panel discussion on how they support trade across Africa and the implementation of the AfCFTA. Search Keywords: Short link: Boots Riley doesnt aim small. In his 2018 directorial debut film, Sorry to Bother You, the frontman of the revolution-minded hip-hop group the Coup created a chaotic fantasia of corporate exploitation that strained at the seams of its indie-movie clothing. In his magnificently batty TV series, Im a Virgo, which arrives on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, the screen may be smaller. But Rileys satirical ambitions are 13 feet tall. Thats also the height of his protagonist, Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), an Oakland teenager whose aunt and uncle (Carmen Ejogo and Mike Epps) have kept him hidden to protect him from a world that will see him as a monster. People are always afraid, his aunt says, and you are a 13-foot-tall Black man. As he approaches adulthood, the walls and door frames of the house cant take the arrangement much longer. Neither can Cootie, who longs to see a world that hes experienced only through TV commercials and comic books. He sneaks out, makes friends with some young neighbors they take him on a joyride, Cootie squatting on the car as if it were a skateboard and meets the world. Bookforum, a literary criticism magazine that closed in December to great uproar in the literary world, will be back in print in August with a new publishing partner: The Nation. Bookforums relaunch, announced on Thursday, marks a return to form, said Bhaskar Sunkara, president of The Nation, who initiated talks in the spring. Bookforum will remain a quarterly print publication with the same branding and aesthetic, helmed by the staff at the time of its closure, he added. Longtime contributors have signed on to write for the relaunch issue. I always knew that it was a fairly unique outlet, and one that paid attention to a lot of contemporary trends and competing publications in a way that older literary publications didnt, said Sunkara, who said he started reading Bookforum in college, around the time he founded Jacobin magazine. The economics of a relaunch seemed feasible, especially if it was supported by the infrastructure of an existing publication. The Bookforum team said they are confident that The Nation is the right partner. They know how to run magazines, Michael Miller, Bookforums editor in chief, said. Bhaskar himself has worked on a number of magazines, and The Nation has been around since 1865. What books are on your night stand? I have a big pile of books. You know, social media algorithms mimic the order of the books beside your bed? You read the ones at the top and you never get to the bottom ones. But here are three from the stack: Penguin by Illustrators (Penguin Collectors Society, 2009). After I graduated from the Royal College of Art in the 1950s I worked for a while as an illustrator for magazines and advertising in New York. It was peak Mad Men era. Upon returning to London I often illustrated Penguin covers. This book reminds me of those times and the many incredible artists I knew and worked with. A Travellers Life, by Eric Newby (Collins, 1982). I knew Eric. We both wrote for The Observer in the 1960s. I had my Cookstrips column then my recipes, with each step drawn out like a strip cartoon. I recently reprised the Cookstrips for a few years in The Observer Food Monthly with my son Alex. Im a great admirer of Newby; he was modest and funny. Two Winks From the Evil Eye. I wrote this script in the 1960s when I was producing movies. But I never made it into a film. I found it the other day when I was sorting through my office. Its fun to revisit old ideas. I like the premise. Its about men prospecting in the jungle and dying from sickness and how our beliefs and our brains control our fate as much as our physical strength. If I were clever, I would be tempted to devote my time to the relationship between the brain and the body. Are there any classic novels that you only recently read for the first time? I used to read everything that came my way. Everything. If a friend said, Read this, I would get a copy. When I started writing in 1960 and wrote The Ipcress File, I stopped reading fiction to develop my own voice. Later, when I wrote Bomber which is the first novel written on a computer it was so research intensive I had no time for fiction. And I never went back to it. So now I almost never read fiction. It somehow doesnt attract me anymore. Bed Bath & Beyond, the home-goods retailer that filed for bankruptcy in April, accepted a $21.5 million bid from Overstock.com to acquire its assets, according to a court filing on Thursday. Following completion of the court-approved auction process and in consultation with the official committee of unsecured creditors, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has selected a proposal from Overstock.com as the winning bidder, Julie Strider, a Bed Bath & Beyond spokeswoman, said in a statement. Overstock will receive Bed Bath & Beyonds assets, which include its intellectual property, business data, rights to mobile apps and certain contracts, Ms. Strider said. Overstock will assume certain specified liabilities, she added. Overstock, the online retailer known for selling large furniture like couches and desks, declined to comment. Its stock rose more than 17 percent on Thursday. The report also criticized Sheins use of an importing method that allows companies to bring products into the United States duty-free and with less scrutiny from customs, as long as packages are sent directly to consumers and valued at under $800. Some lawmakers have been pushing to close off this shipping channel, which is called de minimis, for companies sourcing goods from China. Lawmakers said that they were troubled by what the bipartisan committees investigation had uncovered so far, and that Congress should review import loopholes and strengthen forced labor laws. Temu is doing next to nothing to keep its supply chains free from slave labor, said Representative Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican who heads the committee. At the same time, Temu and Shein are building empires around the de minimis loophole in our import rules: dodging import taxes and evading scrutiny on the millions of goods they sell to Americans. The initial findings of this report are concerning and reinforce the need for full transparency by companies potentially profiting from C.C.P. forced labor, said Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Illinois Democrat and a co-author of the report, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. Temu, which began operating in the United States in September, told the committee that it now brought millions of shipments into the United States annually through a network of more than 80,000 suppliers that sell directly from Chinese factories to U.S. consumers. The site sells clothing, temporary tattoos, modeling clay, electronics and other items directly to consumers for low prices, like $3 for a baby romper, $6 for sandals and $8 for a vacuum. Ford Motor and its battery manufacturing partner will receive a $9.2 billion loan to build three battery factories in Kentucky and Tennessee, the Department of Energy said Thursday. The loan is the single biggest financial commitment the Biden administration has made in its effort to build an electric vehicle manufacturing network in the United States. The loan will go to a joint venture created by Ford and its partner SK On called BlueOval SK, which will supply batteries for electric Ford and Lincoln cars and trucks. The factories, one in Tennessee and two in Kentucky, will employ 7,500 people and are among the largest such plants being built by auto and battery companies across the country, especially in Southern states. They are scheduled to begin production in 2025. President Biden aims for half of new cars sold in the United States to be electric by the end of the decade, up from about 7 percent in the first three months of this year. By helping to finance battery factories, the administration hopes to ensure that the United States does not become dependent on China for batteries and their components. The administration also hopes the new plants will help make up for the loss of jobs in conventional auto manufacturing. One of the factories will be in Stanton, Tenn., north of Memphis, adjacent to a large manufacturing complex that Ford is building to produce electric pickup trucks. The other two factories are in Glendale, Ky., south of Louisville, and will employ more people than Kentuckys coal industry. Two of the worlds richest and most influential men, who happen to run rival social media networks, appeared to goad each other into agreeing to a fight, setting their platforms abuzz at the notion of a cage match between the billionaires. Elon Musk, who frequently posts jokes and provocations on Twitter, which he bought for $44 billion last year, responded this week to tweets about a potential competing service by Meta, run by Mark Zuckerberg, by saying, Im up for a cage match if he is. On Instagram, the social network owned by Meta, Mr. Zuckerberg responded with a screenshot of Mr. Musks tweet and the caption, Send Me Location. TikTok, the popular short-form video app that is facing questions about its future in the United States, said on Thursday that its chief operating officer was leaving the company and that it had hired a new head of operations and a new chief brand and communications officer. V. Pappas, who joined TikTok as chief operating officer to run its North American business in 2018, will become a strategic adviser to the company. Adam Presser, TikToks chief of staff, will become its head of operations. In an email to the company on Thursday, Mx. Pappas, 44, said, The time is right to move on and refocus on my entrepreneurial passions. The company also said Zenia Mucha would oversee its sprawling communications team. Ms. Mucha, who led a 500-person global media relations team at Disney for many years, was described in a 2021 New York Times profile as combative and a leadership team bedrock who had a voice in most major corporate decisions at Disney. The News Sales of e-cigarettes rose by nearly 47 percent from January 2020, just before the pandemic hit the United States, to December 2022, according to an analysis released on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The increase over that period occurred while teenagers and young adults reported in surveys that they had recently tried e-cigarettes at much higher rates than older adults did. According to the C.D.C., about 4.5 percent of all adults said they used e-cigarettes. But the rates went up as the age dropped. About 14 percent of high school students and 11 percent of young adults reported using the devices within the last 30 days of the survey, the C.D.C. data showed. Sales were still growing through May of last year, but then dropped by 12 percent through December. Researchers attributed the decline to several possible factors, including state or local bans on flavored products; government enforcement; and the introduction of devices that offered thousands of puffs in a single device. If these projections were correct, it would create an unprecedented amount of destruction. The Army Corps studied what would happen to six dams in California, and the results suggested that two of them would probably be overtopped. It seemed unlikely that a third of all the dams in the state would fail, but would none of them? When reached for comment, the Army Corps stressed that the model was largely theoretical and not meant to demonstrate the hydrologic, hydraulic and economic consequences that would be likely to occur during this hypothetical event. The Bureau of Reclamation did not reply to a request for comment on the models prepared by Bartles, but the Army Corps confirmed that the organization had been briefed on them. Cox described the weird Chinatown vibe he encountered whenever the conversation turned to dams. I knew what he was talking about. In the course of my reporting this article, sources would stutter and shut down whenever dams came up. Public documents that might have been easily emailed to me instead had to be extracted via Freedom of Information Act or Public Records Act requests. (In one memorable moment, the California Governors Office of Emergency Services sent me a copy of the Northern California Catastrophic Flood Response Plan that was markedly different from a draft version I had found. The changes all played down the risks involved.) I thought of Coxs comment after I sent the flooding models for Arkstorm 2.0 to Dettinger. Where he had once been voluble (Ill talk your arm off, he told me during our first conversation), now he shut down the discussion quickly. I have nothing to say about the inflows, because theyre not my numbers, he wrote to me in an email. Please. Just lose my email address, OK? I never heard from him again. In March, I drove to Oroville to see what had changed since 2017. Even dams that should be able to handle the flows from Swain and Huangs storm would still need to perform perfectly the water would find any weaknesses. On the way up from Sacramento, the signs of the wet winter were everywhere: flooded fields glinting like mica on the horizon, brown hills turned green, a waterway called Dry Creek overflowing its banks. Originally, Dale Cox was meant to accompany me for the meeting, but D.W.R. pulled permission for him to go at the last minute. My boss approved, but it was nixed by higher-ups, the public information officer at the dam wrote. When I relayed this message to Cox, he smiled ruefully. The fact they didnt want me there is wonderful, he said. Ethiopia is preparing to launch the fourth filling of its mega-dam reservoir on the Blue Nile, the country's deputy prime minister announced Thursday, despite opposition from downstream countries, Egypt and Sudan. The massive $4.2 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) has been at the centre of a regional dispute ever since Ethiopia broke ground on the project in 2011. Khartoum and Cairo have previously cited the dam as a threat because of their dependence on Nile waters and have repeatedly asked Addis Ababa to stop filling the reservoir. "The GERD is now approaching its fourth filling. The last three fillings have not affected lower riparian states. Likewise, the rest of the fillings will not be any different," said Demeke Mekonnen, who also serves as foreign minister. "The project is near completion, withstanding the rhetoric of some actors that seek to monopolise the use of the shared African river," he said, opening a conference on the Nile in Addis Ababa. The meeting includes a "high-level ministerial round table", with Demeke and his foreign minister counterparts from some Nile Basin nations such as Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Tanzania participating. But neither Sudan nor Egypt, the two countries located downstream of the Ethiopian dam, are represented. Egypt, which depends on the Nile for around 97 percent of its irrigation needs, insists that the dam poses an "existential" threat to downstream countries. While Ethiopia deems the ambitious national project essential for its electrification and development. Egypt say that Ethiopia is attempting to "buy time" to continue filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam unilaterally without reaching a deal, while also emphasising that Addis Ababas continued claim of Egyptian "politicisation" of the GERD issue is an attempt to "evade legal responsibility." Ethiopian media quoted the Spokesperson of the Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Meles Alem, on 12 April, as saying that Addis Ababa has no obligation to request permission from anyone to fill the Renaissance Dam." Over the past years, Ethiopia has implemented three phases of dam filling and started the operation of its mega-dam unilaterally despite objections by Egypt and Sudan over fears for their peoples interests. Egypt has warned frequently that it would not compromise its water share. A compromise to Egypts water share is a red line, and our response [if our water share is affected] will affect the stability of the whole region, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told reporters in 2021. Egypt and Sudan have been negotiating for over a decade with Ethiopia to reach a legally binding and comprehensive deal on the GERDs construction, Despite Egyptian and Sudanese concerns regarding the dam, Ethiopia has continued the unilateral filling of the dams 74-billion-cubic-metre reservoir over the past three years beginning the fourth filling process today. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Every year, features from the Sundance Film Festival can become critical favorites Past Lives is a notable example but the fests shorter works can fade away. The 2023 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour brings a seven-film omnibus to cinemas across the country, and Kayla Abuda Galangs When You Left Me on That Boulevard alone is reason enough to see it. This lovely and funny short portrays a Filipino American familys Thanksgiving get-together through the eyes of Ly, an introverted teenager whos a daydreamer even before she gets stoned with her cousins. Its a film that contains both bustling images and delicate vibes, inner-voice stillness and subtle soundscapes, all of which can flourish in a movie theater. Galang seems especially drawn to dialing into private spaces in social situations, for example when Ly talks about her boyfriend as if to herself, until a cut reveals shes surrounded by family members. Ly can sound endearingly oblivious, but instead of having the actor play that tendency for cheap laughs, the writer-director picks up on the warmth in the room. Galang also looks out for different ways of showing how the family is together, whether its karaoke the shorts title comes from a song Lys aunt belts out or a cool split shot of kids and parents hanging out on either side of a wall. If past Sundance collections are any guide, this short might preview a feature, and Galangs immersive exploration of inner and outer spaces makes one eager to watch what comes next. I didnt count the number of times a womans face is smashed by a fist, a boot, a brick wall in God Is a Bullet, Nick Cassavetess first feature in almost a decade. But the misogyny of the movies risibly sadistic villains is only one distasteful thread in this sleazy saga of rescue and revenge. Adapted by Cassavetes from Boston Terans 1999 novel of the same name, the plot centers on Bob Hightower (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), a mild-mannered detective, as he searches for the child-trafficking cult that has murdered his ex-wife and abducted his daughter. Impassive behind a despairing mustache, Bob welcomes the foulmouthed assistance of Case (Maika Monroe), a battle-hardened cult escapee. Case possesses intimate knowledge of the gangs degenerate leader, Cyrus (a crazy-eyed Karl Glusman), for whom she has sacrificed several teeth and most of her self-respect. As Darcel Clark, the Bronx district attorney, made her way through the crowd at a Juneteenth celebration on Monday afternoon, it was clear she was in friendly territory. Hi, D.A., a group of women called out. Ms. Clark smiled, hugged the women and asked how they were. A couple of miles away, Tess Cohen, the criminal defense and civil rights lawyer who is challenging Ms. Clark in next weeks Democratic primary, was knocking on doors at the Pelham Parkway public housing complex, trying to get the word out about her campaign, one apartment at a time. The June 27 primary offers Democratic voters in the Bronx something they have not had in recent years: a choice in the race for district attorney. But Ms. Cohen, who is challenging Ms. Clark from the left, faces a difficult fight against a well-known incumbent with more money, the support of the political establishment and name recognition across the borough. Ms. Clark, 61, a former state appellate court judge, was the first Black woman to be elected district attorney in New York. She grew up in the Bronx and was raised in public housing and went to public schools. She was nominated by Bronx Democratic leaders in 2015 and faced no primary opponent that year or in her re-election bid in 2019. Julia Stoyanovich, an associate professor at New York University and the director of its Center for Responsible A.I., said last month that she was concerned that loopholes in the law could weaken its impact. But its much better than not having a law, she said. And until you try to regulate, you wont learn how. The law assesses an impact ratio, a calculation of the effect of using the software on a protected group of job candidates. The law does not look at how an algorithm makes decisions, a concept known as explainability. The focus becomes the output of the algorithm, not the working of the algorithm, said Ashley Casovan, executive director of the Responsible AI Institute, which is developing certifications for the safe use of A.I. applications in the workplace, health care and finance. Businesses, too, have criticized the law. The Software Alliance a trade group that includes Microsoft, SAP and Workday called independent audits of A.I. not feasible because the industry has yet to draft standards or organize professional oversight bodies. Cahn, of the surveillance technology group, raised broader objections. We dont need auditing requirements, we need a ban, he told me. This is technology that we dont have the tools to reliably audit, and Im fearful these rules give companies the power to give themselves a clean bill of health. With financial audits, we at least agree with a lot of the basics for what constitutes a good audit. No one really agrees on what it takes to audit a lot of these systems. No president saw sharper decreases in the abortion rate and ratio from the first to the last year of his presidency than Barack Obama. In 2016, at the end of a presidency dominated by pro-choice policies and judicial nominations, there were a total of 874,080 abortions 338,270 fewer than there were in 2008, the last year of the George W. Bush presidency. Thats a remarkable decline of 28 percent. The rate and ratio of abortions at the end of Obamas second term were actually lower than it was in 1973. Yet that long trajectory toward lower abortion rates and ratios changed during Donald Trumps single term. In spite of supposedly being the most pro-life president in American history, he presided over the first overall increase in the abortion rate and ratio during a presidency since Jimmy Carter. As a result, there were 56,080 more abortions in the final year of Trumps presidency than there were in the final year of Obamas. And no, this was not a Covid-induced blip: The abortion rate dipped slightly in 2017, the first year of Trumps presidency, before rising in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Has the effect of Dobbs canceled out that increase? The short is answer is yes, slightly. The longer answer is, again, more complicated. According to data from #WeCount, a project from the Society of Family Planning, it appears that there were roughly 24,000 fewer abortions in the United States in the first nine months after the Dobbs decision than there were in the previous nine months. That decrease is substantially less than some of the leading pre-Dobbs estimates, one of which predicted that the abortion rate would be at least 13 percent lower without Roe v. Wade. Such an estimate would have expected to see a decrease of about 100,000 abortions in nine months. Even more troubling, the same #WeCount study found that national monthly abortion rates had rebounded to pre-Dobbs levels by early winter of 2023. This is but one study, of course, and it will take time to discern the enduring impact of Roes reversal. But it suggests that the abortion increases that began under Trump might be more sticky than I hoped, that what could have been a mere blip might be a trend. To cite these numbers is to raise the logical next question: Why? Why did decades of abortion declines reverse themselves in the Trump years? Why is the decrease in abortion after Dobbs so much less than even the most informed observers anticipated? In March, a court in Mr. Modis home state sentenced the opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, to a two-year prison term for defaming the prime minister; though Mr. Gandhi has not been jailed, the sentence led to his expulsion from Parliament, and will most likely prevent him from running again. Before that, in January, the Modi government used emergency laws to limit access to a BBC documentary that re-examined damning allegations that Mr. Modi played a role in murderous sectarian violence in Gujarat State 20 years ago, when he was chief minister there. As this editorial board warned, When populist leaders invoke emergency laws to block dissent, democracy is in peril. This remains true, and it behooves Mr. Biden and every other elected official and business leader who meets with the Indian delegation this week to make sure that a discussion of shared democratic values is on the agenda. That may be a tall order. Mr. Modi has demonstrated a prickly intolerance for criticism and may still harbor resentment from the nearly 10 years he was effectively barred from traveling to the United States for allegations of severe violations of religious freedom over the Gujarat violence. (He has repeatedly denied involvement, and the visa ban was lifted by the Obama administration when Mr. Modi became prime minister.) A public scolding from the White House, especially when the United States is wrestling with its own threats to democracy, would serve little purpose except to anger the Indian public. Nevertheless, Mr. Biden and other American officials should be willing to have a forthright, if sometimes uncomfortable, discussion with their Indian counterparts. Americas own struggles are humbling proof that even the most established democracies are not immune to problems. As Human Rights Watch notes in a letter to Mr. Biden: U.S. officials can point to how the U.S. political system has itself struggled with toxic rhetoric, while working to maintain an open and free media. These topics can be discussed openly and diplomatically in both directions. The quandary is not limited to India. How the United States manages its relationships with elected autocracies, from Polands Law and Justice government to Benjamin Netanyahus far-right coalition in Israel and Recep Tayyip Erdogans government in Turkey, is one of the most important strategic questions of American foreign policy. The leaders of these countries and others will be watching closely to see how the Biden administration deals with this indispensable but increasingly autocratic Asian democracy. Since Mr. Modi took power in 2014, Indias once-proud claim to being a free democratic society has collapsed on many fronts. Of the 180 nations surveyed in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index, India sits at 161, a scant three places above Russia. Its position on the Academic Freedom Index has nose-dived since Mr. Modi took office, putting it on a course that sharply resembles those of other electoral autocracies. The Freedom in the World index has tracked a steady erosion of Indian citizens political rights and civil liberties. On the Economist Intelligence Units Democracy Index, India has tumbled squarely into the ranks of flawed democracies. A working paper from the Indian government dismisses such metrics as perception-based. Sadly, it is no perception that the government systematically harasses its critics by raiding the offices of think tanks, NGOs and media organizations, restricting freedom of entry and exit, and pressing nuisance lawsuits most conspicuously against the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who was recently ejected from Parliament after his conviction on a ludicrous charge of having defamed everybody named Modi. It is no perception that Muslim history has been torn from national textbooks, cities with Islamic eponyms renamed and Indias only Muslim-majority state, Jammu and Kashmir, stripped of its autonomy. Western commentators enthusing about the new India tend to breeze past such outrages as distractions from Indias economic growth and investment potential. But here too are troubling indicators. The share of women in the formal work force stands at around a paltry 20 percent and has shrunk during Mr. Modis tenure. The share of wealth held by the top 1 percent has grown since he took office and is now 40.5 percent, thanks to crony capitalism resembling the Russian oligarchys. Unemployment is rising, the cost of basic food is surging, and government investment in health care is stagnating. As for Indias readiness to partner on efforts to combat climate change one of the Biden administrations highest hopes the Indian government has cracked down on climate activists and just removed evolution and the periodic table from the curriculum for under-16-year-olds in its ongoing assault on science. The politics of Mr. Modis India are also affecting American communities, workplaces and campuses as the Indian diaspora in the United States grows. In Edison, N.J., marchers in the annual India Day parade last August drove a wheel loader, which resembles a bulldozer, bedecked with images of Mr. Modi and a far-right Indian government minister who has ordered the razing of Muslims homes and businesses, rendering such vehicles symbols of hate as provocative as a noose or a burning cross at a Klan rally. At Google, upper-caste Hindus tendentiously invoked Hinduphobia to rescind a speaking invitation to a Dalit activist, Thenmozhi Soundararajan, accusing her of hate speech. Those involved in a major academic conference criticizing Hindu nationalism were bombarded with rape and death threats. Across America there are now more than 200 chapters of the overseas arm of Indias fascist-inspired Hindu nationalist paramilitary organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or R.S.S., of which Mr. Modi is a longtime associate. For a long while, reparations for Black Americans has been more a debate topic than a reality. But of late, the reality may be catching up with the debate. Since last year, Evanston, Ill., has been granting $25,000 payments to be applied to housing to Black people who lived in the area from 1919 to 1969, when redlining and other forms of discrimination in housing were common. Their descendants are also eligible. This year, the program has been extended to enable grantees to take simple cash payments. In San Francisco, a task force has suggested that eligible Black people receive onetime payments of $5,000,000 each; a statewide task force has proposed a somewhat more modest plan with a sliding scale of payments topping out at $1.2 million. The New York State Legislature has passed a bill that would create its own commission to consider reparations, and there will doubtless be more such proposals nationwide. Ive never been a fan of the idea of reparations. I know that various groups of Americans have been granted reparations in the past, such as surviving Japanese Americans placed in internment camps during World War II. And I certainly believe that Black Americans have deserved reparations. Its more that I have questioned the idea of what I would regard as new reparations. I see us as having already been granted reparations on multiple occasions. Affirmative action can be seen as an enormous reparations policy, although the term is rarely used in that context. In the late 1960s, welfare payments were made easier to receive and maintain at the behest of organizations such as the National Welfare Rights Organization, in what we would now call reparation for past injustices. The Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, if we rolled the dice again, could well have been called a Reparation Act, linking banks requests for mergers and new branches to their assisting the credit eligibility of people in lower-income neighborhoods. And there are, of course, thorny questions that prevail in any discussion of reparations: If payments are to be made to individuals, what would qualify a person as Black and discriminated against? (William Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullens From Here to Equality has a proposal for this.) If payments are to organizations, which ones could we designate as best for Black people and on what basis? (The pioneer analyst of the subject, Boris Bittker, raised this question decades ago.) Henry Petroski, who demystified engineering with literary examinations of the designs and failures of large structures like buildings and bridges, as well as everyday items like the pencil and the toothpick, died on June 14 in hospice care in Durham, N.C. He was 81. His wife, Catherine Petroski, said the cause was cancer. Dr. Petroski, a longtime professor of civil and environmental engineering at Duke University, adapted the architectural axiom form follows function into one of his own form follows failure and addressed the subject extensively in books, lectures, scholarly journals, The New York Times and magazines like Forbes and American Scientist. Failure is central to engineering, he said when The Times profiled him in 2006. Every single calculation that an engineer makes is a failure calculation. Successful engineering is all about understanding how things break or fail. In To Engineer Is Human: The Role of Failure in Successful Design (1985), Dr. Petroski examined what happens when design goes terribly wrong for example, the collapse in 1981 of the two skywalks in the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel, which killed 114 people, and the collapse in 1940 of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington State just a few months after it opened. Israeli forces demolished the house of an alleged Palestinian attacker in Nablus in the occupied West Bank early on Thursday, just hours after killing three Palestinians in a rare drone strike near Jenin, as violence escalates with at least 13 Palestinians and four Israelis dead this week. The Israeli army claimed it demolished overnight in Nablus the home of Kamal Jouri who carried out a gun attack which caused the death of Israeli soldier at a West Bank settlement in October. Jouri was arrested by Israel in February. An eyewitness told AFP that Israeli forces had left Nablus after destroying "an apartment on the second floor of a six-storey building". The demolition of Jouri's home came just hours after Israel killed three members of what it claimed was a "terrorist cell" in a rare drone strike near the northern West Bank city of Jenin which witnessed on Monday a deadly Israeli raid in which 7 Palestinians were killed. Settlers rampage Hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed into a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, killing a Palestinian man and setting fire to dozens of cars and homes after days of Israeli military aggression. The settler attack came as the Israeli military deployed additional forces in the occupied West Bank, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced plans to build 1,000 new settler homes in response to the deadly shooting. Palestinian residents and human rights groups have long complained about Israel's inability or refusal to halt settler violence. In Wednesday's rampage, residents in Turmus Ayya said some 400 settlers marched down the town's main road, setting fire to cars, homes and trees. Mayor Lafi Adeeb said some 30 houses and 60 cars were partly or totally burned, and that the attacks intensified even after the Israeli army arrived. At least eight Palestinians were hurt during the clashes, which the army tried to disperse by firing rubber bullets and tear gas. The long string of violence in the region over the past year and half shows no sign of relenting. At least 130 Palestinians and 24 people on the Israeli side have been killed so far this year, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Israel captured the West Bank, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for a future independent state. Search Keywords: Short link: Encountering a great piece of art can lead to a moment of transcendence. Thats the idea behind the mother-daughter tour of Florence in The Light in the Piazza, the 2005 musical romance composed by Adam Guettel and written by Craig Lucas. And for audiences at New York City Center, where an exquisite Encores! revival directed by Chay Yew opened on Wednesday, a sensational performance by Ruthie Ann Miles delivers a feeling close to the sublime. Miles, who was nominated for a Tony Award this year for her role as the beggar woman in the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd, embodies a vivid and elegant portrait of maternal empathy and restraint as Margaret, a veterans wife from the South. She honeymooned in Italy; now its the summer of 1953, and her marital flame is dimming just as her daughter, Clara (Anna Zavelson), first discovers desire. Its a bittersweet reflection that Miles imbues with grace, fortitude and the circumspect wit of middle age. That Margaret and Clara are Asian American adds a further layer of shading to their outsiderness abroad. (Im as different here as different can be, Clara sings.) But Claras sense of otherness is rooted in a less visible aspect of her identity. As Margaret tells the audience in a brief aside, Clara is very young for her age, her cognitive and emotional abilities stunted by an incident in her childhood. But its not Italian art that broadens Claras consciousness on their trip; soon after a local dreamboat named Fabrizio (James D. Gish) retrieves Claras hat from the wind, Margaret assumes the unenviable task of trying to steer her daughter away from love at first sight. Hamish Harding, an aviation tycoon and ardent explorer, made it his quest to probe the heavens as well as the depths, landing him a place in Guinness World Records and ultimately leading him to a fateful plunge to the wreckage of the Titanic some two and a half miles below the surface of the North Atlantic. The submersible craft in which he was traveling with four others lost contact with its mother ship on Sunday. After a five-day multinational search across an area the size of Massachusetts, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday that all five had been killed when the vessel, belonging to OceanGate Expeditions, suffered a catastrophic implosion. Mr. Harding was 58. Passengers had paid up to $250,000 each for the privilege of plunging nearly 13,000 feet below the surface for a glimpse of the remains of historys most storied oceanic tragedy. The R.M.S. Titanic hit an iceberg and sank in 1912, four days into its maiden voyage, about 400 miles off Newfoundland. More than 1,500 people died. At the outset of the tour, Mr. Harding saw the opportunity as an unlikely stroke of good fortune. Due to the worst winter in Newfoundland in 40 years, he wrote in a social media post on Saturday, this mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023. Chris Christie brought his Talking Truth to Donald Trump performance back to New Hampshire on Wednesday evening, aiming a fresh quiver of poison darts at the former president. His talk pleased a small Trump-skeptical crowd, but raised the big question about Mr. Christies candidacy: Where are all the other Republican voters? For the most part, Mr. Christie was preaching to the choir. Submitting to more than 90 minutes of questions in a town hall format, he heard from an audience member who identified as a member of an extinct species, a Rockefeller Republican; from another who said he used to work for a Republican senator but hasnt voted Republican since 2016; and from a woman who introduced herself by saying, Im a Democrat, and you intrigue me. At times the linoleum-floored room in a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall in Derry, with its circle of white folding chairs, took on the feeling of a therapy session for Republicans homeless in their party. What in your opinion, asked one man, happened to the Republican Party? We know that Trump lied about the election, but why did so many of our fellow citizens believe that? Since announcing his campaign two weeks ago, Mr. Christie has had a modest lift in early public polls of likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire, nudging into third place, though still far behind Mr. Trump, the front-runner. At the same time, Mr. Christie, who has positioned himself as Mr. Trumps most direct critic, tops the list of 2024 candidates that Republicans say they will never consider. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida on Thursday avoided saying directly that he would endorse Donald J. Trump in 2024 should the former president win the Republican nomination, showing his reluctance to make a benign show of support for the man who is beating him by a wide margin in national polls and insulting him nearly every day. Asked by a reporter at a news conference in Tampa about whether he would endorse Mr. Trump, the governor responded by complaining that Mr. Trump had recently criticized his policies during the coronavirus pandemic. Mr. DeSantis noted in particular that his rival had compared him unfavorably to New Yorks former governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat. So what I would say is this: When you are saying that Cuomo did better on Covid than Florida did, you are revealing yourself to just be full of it, Mr. DeSantis said. Nobody believes that. I remember in 2020 and 2021, when he was praising Florida for being open, saying we did it much better than New York and Michigan and everyone was coming to Florida and that we were one of the great governors in the United States, he continued, his voice rising. And he used to say that all the time. Now, all of a sudden, his tune is changing. And I would just tell people, do you find it credible? Do you honestly find it credible? Its vanishingly rare for Narendra Modi to directly field live questions from the press throughout a near decade in power. So when the Indian prime minister took two questions from reporters at a White House press event with Mr. Biden on Thursday, it was a notable moment. From the start of his time in office, Mr. Modi and his staff have been fastidious about controlling his message, and trying to control the media, in general. Though he loves speeches at public events, and has leaned into his monthly radio show as a way to deliver messages to the nation, any exposure to unscripted events had been a rarity before the White House event, and probably will be again afterward. Mr. Modis aides insist that social media, which his partys vast communications apparatus has mastered, has made news conferences redundant. And other arms of the government do engage with reporters. Mr. Modis shying away from media engagement goes back to his time as chief minister of Gujarat decades ago. Under his watch, the state broke into widespread riots in 2002, and Mr. Modi was accused of looking away or even enabling Hindu mobs who went on deadly rampages in Muslim neighborhoods. Senator Rick Scott of Florida is considering a late entry into the Republican presidential primary race, a move that would make him the latest high-profile Florida Republican to try to wrest the nomination from Donald J. Trump, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Should he enter the race, Mr. Scott, Floridas former governor, would be challenging both the front-runner, Mr. Trump, as well as the distant-second rival, Ron DeSantis, the states current governor. Mr. Scott would also join Mr. Trump, Mr. DeSantis and Mayor Francis X. Suarez of Miami as the fourth Republican presidential candidate from Florida. Mr. DeSantis in particular could see his support erode further if Mr. Scott adds to an already crowded field of Trump alternatives. Mr. Scott, who came to power as governor during the Tea Party wave of 2010, has been discussing a possible campaign for several weeks, according to the people familiar with the talks. Like other recent entries, Mr. Scott appears to be assessing a G.O.P. field in which Mr. DeSantis, with whom Mr. Scott has had a difficult relationship, has lost some support after a series of missteps and unforced errors. Larry Hogan, the Republican former governor of Maryland, captured this sentiment in a recent CBS News interview, calling Mr. DeSantiss campaign one of the worst Ive seen so far. He added, Everyone was thinking he was the guy to beat, and now I dont think too many people think that. The Supreme Court ruled against the Navajo Nation on Thursday in a water rights case, rejecting the tribes suit against the federal government in a dispute over access to the drought-depleted Colorado River system. The vote was 5 to 4, with Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh writing for the majority. He said the 1868 peace treaty at the heart of the case did not require the federal government to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Navajo. In dissent, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, joined by the courts three liberal members, said the tribes request was more modest than that, adding that the government had violated the plain terms of the treaty and had given the tribe an epic runaround. To date, their efforts to find out what water rights the United States holds for them have produced an experience familiar to any American who has spent time at the Department of Motor Vehicles, he wrote. The Navajo have waited patiently for someone, anyone, to help them, only to be told (repeatedly) that they have been standing in the wrong line and must try another. Overheated wheel bearings are a major cause of derailments. As part of the East Palestine inquiry, investigators looked at sensors that Norfolk Southern places alongside its tracks to provide alerts when overheating occurs, known as hot-bearing detectors. They found that the detectors leading up to East Palestine had worked, but the materials released by the N.T.S.B. revealed that a Norfolk Southern employee monitoring the alerts remotely did not initially see one showing that the bearing was heating up. That alert came from a detector roughly 20 miles from where the train derailed, and it showed the bearings temperature to be 103 degrees above the ambient temperature, up from the 38 degrees that an earlier detector had registered. Honestly, I didnt see it when it first came in, the employee told investigators, saying he was looking at alerts from three other trains. By the time the train traveled over the next detector, in East Palestine, the bearings temperature had soared to 253 degrees above the ambient temperature. That reading set off a critical alarm for the trains crew, who began stopping the train and called the railroads monitoring desk. It was then that the employee noticed the earlier 103 degree reading. But he had not received the latest, critical reading because the readings do not come in until the entire length of the train has traveled over a detector. The train derailed soon after reaching the East Palestine detector. Norfolk Southerns monitoring desk functioned as it was supposed to with respect to train 32N, Connor Spielmaker, a spokesman for the company, said in an email, referring to the derailed train. He added that the initial alert did not require that the train be stopped and was a first data point to begin monitoring as it passes over subsequent detectors. Mr. Spielmaker said the trains crew operated the train below the track speed limit and handled the train in an approved manner. When Judge Aileen M. Cannon assumed control of the case stemming from former President Donald J. Trumps indictment for putting national security secrets at risk, she set the stage for the trial to be held with a regional jury pool made up mostly of counties that Mr. Trump won handily in his two previous campaigns. She signaled that the trial would take place in the federal courthouse where she normally sits, in Fort Pierce, at the northern end of the Southern District of Florida. The region that feeds potential jurors to that courthouse is made up of one swing county and four others that are ruby red in their political leanings and that Mr. Trump won by substantial margins in both 2016 and 2020. She left open the possibility that the trial could be moved and political leanings are not necessarily indicative of how a jury will decide but the fact that the trial is expected to draw jurors who live in places that tilt Republican has caught the attention of Mr. Trumps allies and veterans of Florida courts. For years, its been a very conservative venue for plaintiffs lawyers, said John Morgan, a trial lawyer who founded a large personal injury firm. Describing the various counties that feed into Fort Pierce, he said, It is solid, solid Trump country. Former Representative Will Hurd, a Republican from a swing district in Texas who served three terms, faces the daunting task of establishing himself in a field of much better-known presidential candidates. Here are five things to know about Mr. Hurd, who announced his 2024 bid on Thursday. He is a former C.I.A. officer. Mr. Hurd got a job with the C.I.A. straight out of college in 2000 and spent more than eight years as an undercover agent, with stints in Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. His first assignment with the C.I.A. came after Al Qaeda suicide bombers attacked the U.S.S. Cole, an American warship, killing 17 crew members. His next assignment came after Sept. 11. In an interview with The Guardian last year, he said the job had ended his engagement to a fiancee: You know, it probably had a chilling effect on our relationship, especially when you confirm: Hey babe, I actually work in the C.I.A., and were going to Islamabad. Pack your bags. Great! Iran's foreign minister on Thursday concluded a three-day tour of Gulf Arab neighbors with a visit to the United Arab Emirates where he held talks with the country's president. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian's visit to the UAE followed stops in Qatar, Kuwait and Oman -- the latest in a flurry of diplomatic moves by Tehran as it seeks to reduce its isolation, improve its economy and project strength. On Thursday, he discussed "bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation" in a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, the official WAM news agency reported. Amir-Abdollahian extended an invitation from Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi for Sheikh Mohammed to visit, Tehran's foreign ministry said. Gulf Arab countries are seeking to ease tensions with Iran, fuelled in recent years by the conflicts in Yemen and Syria. In a dramatic shift, China brokered an agreement in March between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties after a years-long rupture. Tehran's nuclear programme is also an issue of mutual concern, as Iran seeks to revive a landmark 2015 deal granting sanctions relief in return for curbs to prevent it from acquiring an atomic bomb -- a target it has always denied seeking. Iran said last week it had been engaged in indirect negotiations with the United States through Oman, with nuclear issues, US sanctions and a possible prisoner swap on the agenda. The following day, Iran's nuclear negotiator said he had met with diplomats from three European countries in Abu Dhabi to discuss a number of issues including the country's nuclear programme. In 2018, the United States under then-president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear accord, before Iran began backing away from its own commitments, including by stepping up its enrichment of uranium. The administration of US President Joe Biden restarted talks to revive the deal in 2021, but the process has stalled amid on-off negotiations. Search Keywords: Short link: Will Hurd, a former Texas congressman who was part of a diminishing bloc of Republican moderates in the House and was the only Black member of his caucus when he left office in 2021, announced his candidacy for president on Thursday with a video message that attacked the G.O.P. front-runner, Donald J. Trump. If we nominate a lawless, selfish, failed politician like Donald Trump, who lost the House, the Senate and the White House, we all know Joe Biden will win again, he said, referring to Republican losses in the 2018 and 2022 midterm elections, in addition to Mr. Trumps own defeat in 2020. Mr. Hurd, 45, represented the 23rd District for three terms before deciding not to run for re-election in 2020, when a host of G.O.P. moderates in Congress chose to retire instead of appearing on a ticket led by President Trump. His district was larger than some states, extending from El Paso to San Antonio along the southwestern border. The ongoing search and rescue effort for the missing Titan submersible with five people on board, involving a huge response from American, Canadian and French authorities, is vast in scale, including both the U.S. Navy and the Coast Guard. The expense for such an endeavor is likely to be equally great, and it is unclear whether taxpayers in the countries involved, ultimately, will be required to pay it. The passengers aboard the submersible paid $250,000 each for the experience of diving to the Titanic. These people paid a lot of money to do something extraordinarily risky and hard to recover from, said Chris Boyer, the executive director of the National Association for Search and Rescue, a nonprofit that focuses on wilderness rescues. The rescue mission, he said, would probably cost millions. In the United States, search and rescue efforts who conducts them and who pays for them depend on where you get lost, Mr. Boyer said. Some states, like New Hampshire, charge individuals for rescues if the people are determined to have been reckless. A gas explosion that ripped through a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China killed at least 31 people, officials said on Thursday, hours after the blast had turned the restaurant into a charred ruin. The explosion hit the two-story restaurant in Yinchuan, the capital of the Ningxia region, at 8:40 p.m. on Wednesday, when it was busy with customers eating lamb kebabs and other dishes cooked on gas burners. Firefighters rushed to the scene, where thick smoke rose into the sky and shattered glass and debris covered the street. They put out the fire within an hour. The scale of death became clear to the public only on the following morning, when the authorities announced the death toll and that seven other people were hospitalized with injuries, one in critical condition. Chinese Communist Party authorities have become increasingly effective at withholding details of accidents and disasters until they are in full control of the situation. A brief initial report from Xinhua, the official news agency, had said one person was killed and 20 injured. It did not mention the possibility of more dead. Follow live updates as President Biden hosts Prime Minister Narendra Modi for meetings and a state dinner. When President Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, take their place on the red carpet at the White House on Thursday to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, there will be an asymmetry of sorts in the picture-perfect setting. Mr. Modi will go stag. While a family-centric image is often a political selling point in the United States, in India, many top leaders the prime minister chief among them are proudly unattached, to make a statement that no other commitment can come between them and the nation. Work-life balance? Not for politicians in the worlds largest democracy, who stay busy attending to the needs of 1.4 billion people and compete with one another in their declarations of sleep deprivation. (Mr. Modi clocks only four hours of slumber a night, his aides say.) Follow live updates as President Biden hosts Prime Minister Narendra Modi for meetings and a state dinner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India will receive a lavish welcome on Thursday in Washington, where he will address a joint session of Congress and be feted by President Biden and the first lady in a state dinner at the White House only the third state leader to be hosted by the current administration. Swirling around the pageantry of a momentous visit for U.S.-India relations, seen as an affirmation of Indias rise as an economic and diplomatic power, will be weighty questions of geopolitical alignments with regard to Chinas economic influence and Russias military aggression, as well as the erosion of Indias secular democracy under Mr. Modi. How much if any of that will be publicly addressed by the two leaders is unclear. The visit is a significant diplomatic prize for Mr. Modi, who was once denied a visa to the United States for his role in religious riots in his home state, and as prime minister has increasingly consolidated power and edged his country closer to one-party rule. The hostel in central Seoul has a lot to recommend it. The rooms are tidy and affordable enough for K-pop fanatics on a budget and families in need of lots of space on vacation. Its perched at the base of Namsan, the scenic, leafy mountain peak in the heart of town. Theres even a rooftop with panoramic views of the city. Just dont try to go to the basement. Namsan, with its winding trails and springtime cherry blossoms, has long been a top destination for tourists in Seoul. Not long ago, though, going to Namsan meant something different, something sinister. The phrase was typically used during South Koreas postwar authoritarian years as a euphemism for bringing pro-democracy protesters to the Korean Central Intelligence Agency headquarters and interrogating them. Torture was common, and one of the preferred venues was the basement of the Seoul Municipal Youth Hostel, which once housed the K.C.I.A. The building now stands as a symbol of the countrys tangled relationship with the past and the present, though its shameful reputation hardly seemed to register with guests who milled about in the lobby on a recent afternoon, requesting bathroom towels from reception and taking cheery group photos. Schools give patriotic lessons and teach students how to assemble rifles, while textbooks have been rewritten to favor Russias view of history. Factories produce uniforms for soldiers fighting Ukraine. Summer camps run by state-owned conglomerates host children from occupied Ukrainian territory. These by-now familiar scenes would hardly bear mention in wartime Russia, except that these were drawn recently from Belarus, an autocratic country of 9.4 million neighboring Russia, Ukraine and the NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Long uneasily in the orbit of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Belarus is increasingly doing his bidding, socially, militarily and economically. The most recent manifestation of Belaruss fealty to Moscow and the threat it poses to the West is its professed decision to allow Moscow to position tactical nuclear weapons on its soil, as well as outfitting its bombers with nuclear weapons. It is also an important step, democracy advocates and military experts say, toward Russias absorption of Belarus, a longtime goal of Mr. Putin. Belarus sovereignty is evaporating very fast, said Pavel Slunkin, a former Belarusian diplomat who is now a fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Any sphere you take, Russias control has become extremely big and its increasing. An unusual if guarded optimism has descended upon Paris, along with hundreds of world leaders, bankers and climate activists. They have come for a two-day conference billed as the new Bretton Woods. The reference is to the 1944 gathering in New Hampshire where diplomats hammered out the monetary institutions to rebuild countries after World War II the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Now, the goal is to rebuild those systems to weather a looming crisis: the entwined dangers of poverty and climate change. We dont have to choose between the fight against poverty and the fight for the climate and biodiversity, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, argued last year. Many believe a new international monetary system, one that offers developing countries facing climate crises not more crippling debt but financial support, might be in the making. Rescue workers combed through debris in central Paris on Thursday, a day after a powerful explosion ripped through a building on the Left Bank and injured about 40 people, several of them critically. The authorities in Paris said that one person was still unaccounted for after the blast, which rocked the French capital on Wednesday evening and damaged much of the building, which was on Rue Saint-Jacques, in the Fifth Arrondissement, leaving a pile of charred wooden beams and stone rubble. Official information about the identities of the victims was not immediately available. But the building was home to a small fashion and arts school known as the Paris American Academy, and on its Facebook page, the school said that its president, Peter Carman, had been hospitalized in Paris after the explosion and was in critical condition and under anesthesia. A Moscow court denied an appeal on Thursday by Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who asked to end his pretrial detention in Russia, where he was jailed and charged with espionage 12 weeks ago. Mr. Gershkovich, an American journalist who has been based in Russia for nearly six years, was arrested in late March and charged with spying, which he denies. Last month, his detention was extended until Aug. 30. Although Russian prosecutors have presented no evidence, he has been held for 12 weeks in Moscows high-security Lefortovo Prison, which is run by the K.G.B.s successor and is known for harsh conditions that include extreme isolation. The court denied his lawyers request. The American ambassador to Russia, Lynne M. Tracy, was present, as were Mr. Gershkovichs parents, Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich. The United States government and The Journal have vehemently rejected the charges. The White House has said that Mr. Gershkovich is wrongfully detained, tantamount to being a political prisoner. The designation changes Washingtons approach to the detention of an American abroad, usually because it believes the prisoner was detained on arbitrary grounds or is not facing legitimate charges or a fair judicial process. Bahrains exports of products of national origin fell 22% to BD360 million ($955 million) in May 2023 compared to BD460 million for the same month in 2022 according to the Information &eGovernment Authority (iGA). In its foreign trade report, iGA said the top 10 countries accounted for 73% of the total value, while the remaining countries accounted for 27%. Saudi Arabia with BD89 million ranked first among countries receiving Bahraini exports of national origin. The UAE was second with BD38 million and the US third with BD34 million. Unwrought Aluminium Alloys Unwrought Aluminium Alloys were the top products exported during May 2023 with BD100 million, followed by Agglomerated Iron Ores and Concentrates Alloyed with a value of BD78 million and Aluminium Wire Not Alloyed third with BD22 million. As per the report, the value of imports has shown a decrease of 8%, reaching to BD475 million during May 2023 in comparison with BD518 million for the same month in 2022. The top 10 countries for imports marked with 69% of the total value of imports, while the remaining countries accounted for 31%. Bahrain imported most from China with a total of BD78 million, followed by UAE with BD57 million, and Australia third with BD40 million. Aluminium Oxide was the top product imported to Bahrain with a total value of BD39 million, while Gold Ingots came second with BD28 million, followed by Four Wheel Drive with BD17 million. Re-exports The total value of re-exports increased by 24% to reach BD71 million during May 2023, compared to BD57 million for the same month in 2022. The top 10 countries in re-exports accounted for 88% of the re-exported value, while the remaining countries accounted for the 12%. The UAE ranked first with 24 million, followed by Saudi Arabia with BD13 million and Singapore with BD8 million. As per the report, Turbo-Jets were the top product re-exported from Bahrain with a value of BD7 million, followed by Four Wheel Drive BD6 million, and Gold Ingots with BD4 million. As for the trade balance, which represents the difference between exports and imports, the deficit amounted to BD43 million in May 2023 compared to the same month of the previous year when it was only BD1 million, iGA said.-- TradeArabia News Service A group of 51 Moroccan migrants have been missing for days since embarking on a perilous sea journey to Spain's Canary Islands off Morocco's Atlantic coast, a family member said Thursday. Spain is a major gateway for migrants seeking a better life in Europe. Attempts to reach the Canaries by boat from Morocco and the disputed Western Sahara have increased in recent days due to favourable weather conditions. Amine Aharrouy told AFP one of his relatives was "supposed to take a clandestine migration boat from Agadir towards the Canary Islands at dawn on Sunday, June 11, according to the information we have". "To this day, we haven't heard any news as to what happened to him," Aharrouy said. "We hope the Moroccan authorities can shed light on their fate," he added on behalf of the families of the 50 other migrants said to have joined the attempted crossing. The missing migrants are from El Attaouia province near Marrakesh, according to Aharrouy. Asked about the case, authorities in Morocco did not comment. The Hespress news website has reported testimonies by relatives of some of the other migrants, but no further information concerning their disappearance was available. On Thursday, the Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH) called for an "immediate investigation" and urged authorities to crack down on "human trafficking and irregular migration networks that have caused great tragedies". Helena Maleno of Spanish migrant rights group Walking Border tweeted on June 11 that "58 people, including 21 women and a baby, nearly died in a shipwreck... while headed for Las Palmas", the islands' most populous city. Their boat sank in the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Laayoune, Western Sahara's main city, she said. And on Wednesday, a sinking about 160 kilometres (100 miles) southeast of Spain's Gran Canaria killed at least two people, according to the Spanish coast guard. Citing survivors and family members, Walking Borders has put the toll at 39 deaths including four women and a baby. Search Keywords: Short link: When heavy rainfall occurs in a short period of time, rushing water can deluge homes and basement apartments, overtake cars and knock people off their feet. Flash floods can develop quickly, within hours or even minutes; and they often catch people off guard, killing an average of 88 people in the United States each year. Flash floods occur when theres just too much water coming in too fast, said Bonnie Schneider, a meteorologist and author of Extreme Weather. And climate change is compounding the risks: Warmer air holds more moisture, Ms. Schneider said, which can lead to heavier, more intense rainfall. Though flash floods are scary, experts say you can increase your odds of survival by staying informed and having a plan. Heres what to do in advance and in the moment to get through a flash flood safely. Understand the difference between the various alerts. The National Weather Service currently issues severe weather alerts in English and Spanish. If theres a flash flood watch, according to the service, flooding is not guaranteed, but conditions are favorable enough for it to be possible, so be prepared to change your plans. How India Profits From Its Neutrality in the Ukraine War The Gulf of Kutch in India is home to the worlds largest oil refinery. But until recently Russia, one of the largest producers, rarely shipped crude petroleum here. After Russia invaded Ukraine, tankers laden with Russian oil are an increasingly common sight along this inlet of northwestern India. A New York Times analysis of data from SynMax, a satellite data analytics company, found that dozens of tankers now arrive every month from Russia. The ships are signs of a stark wartime phenomenon: Since fighting began, India has rapidly emerged as a primary buyer of Russias vast supply of crude oil. Indias purchases have put it strategically between Russia and the Western coalition backing Ukraine, as the worlds economic relationships continue to be rewired in the wake of the war. The United States, Europe and other countries have imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow. In an effort to hurt Russia but keep global supplies steady, the West also imposed a cap on the price Russia could charge for its oil. This cheaper oil has found new markets including India, which now purchases nearly two million barrels a day, roughly 45 percent of its imports, according to the International Energy Agency. In addition to stoking Indias economy, cheap Russian oil has given India a lucrative business refining that crude and exporting the products to other regions that suddenly need fresh energy supplies. That includes the European Union, which has banned direct oil purchases from Russia. Indias prime minister, Narendra Modi, has taken a neutral stance on the conflict in Ukraine. The countrys balancing act will be in focus this week, as Mr. Modi makes his first state visit to the United States. The nations leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss new partnerships in defense, clean energy and space, in an effort to solidify what the Biden administration has called one of our most consequential relations. The conversations are likely to touch on reducing Indias ties to Russia, which include partnerships in defense and energy. In a little over a year, India has gone from purchasing hardly any Russian oil to buying about half of what the country exports by sea. Where Russias seaborne oil exports go 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Russia invades Ukraine 51% 31% 16% 2% Europe Other countries India China A chart showing the destination countries of Russian oil exported by sea, showing a steep rise in the share of exports heading to India after Russias invasion of Ukraine. Source: Kpler Note: Data through May 2023. Russia is the worlds third largest oil producer. Some of that oil is exported through pipelines, the destination of which cannot be changed without hefty investments. But the tankers that ferry oil across oceans can be more easily rerouted, often to China and India, which together purchased almost 80 percent of seaborne Russian crude oil exports in May. China and India are buying so much Russian oil now that Moscow is selling more crude than it was before it invaded Ukraine. At the same time, lower prices have meant that the Russian government is earning less revenue on its oil trade. The reasons for falling oil prices are complex, and experts debate how much they are because of the Wests price cap, or merely the result of a slowing global demand. Either way, India has found a way to take advantage of the situation. What India is paying for Russian crude Russia invades Ukraine $125 a barrel $100 Each dot is a shipment of crude oil to India $75 Shipment of Russian crude $50 $25 2022 2021 2023 Russia invades Ukraine $125 a barrel $100 Each dot is a shipment of crude oil to India $75 Shipment of Russian crude $50 $25 2021 2022 2023 Russia invades Ukraine $125 a barrel $100 Each dot is a shipment of crude oil to India $75 Shipment of Russian crude $50 $25 2021 2022 2023 Russia invades Ukraine $125 a barrel $100 $75 Shipments of Russian crude $50 $25 2022 2021 2023 Russia invades Ukraine $125 a barrel $100 $75 Shipments of Russian crude $50 $25 2021 2022 2023 Russia invades Ukraine $125 a barrel $100 $75 Shipments of Russian crude $50 $25 2021 2022 2023 Russia invades Ukraine $125 a barrel $100 $75 357 shipments $78 average per barrel $50 $25 2022 2021 2023 Russia invades Ukraine $125 a barrel $100 $75 $50 357 shipments $78 average per barrel $25 2021 2022 2023 Russia invades Ukraine $125 a barrel $100 $75 $50 357 shipments $78 average per barrel $25 2021 2022 2023 Russia invades Ukraine Price cap placed on Russian crude $125 a barrel 365 shipments $51 average per barrel $100 $75 $50 $25 2022 2021 2023 Russia invades Ukraine Price cap placed on Russian crude $125 a barrel 365 shipments $51 average per barrel $100 $75 $50 $25 2021 2022 2023 Russia invades Ukraine Price cap placed on Russian crude $125 a barrel 365 shipments $100 $51 average per barrel $75 $50 $25 2021 2022 2023 Before Russias invasion, Indias imported oil came mostly from the Middle East. Prices of shipments fluctuated based on global market conditions. Once fighting began, a deluge of Russian crude began arriving often at a far lower cost according to a New York Times analysis of shipping and market data from Kpler and Argus Media, two commodity research firms. There were 357 shipments in the roughly nine months between Russias invasion of Ukraine and the institution of the price cap, the Times analysis showed. The average price per barrel from Russia was $78. After the price cap, which was set at $60, the pace of shipping accelerated. The average price of Russian oil plummeted to $51 a barrel translating into billions in savings for buyers. A chart showing individual oil tanker shipments into India from Russia and the Middle East, where the x axis is time, and the y axis is price. Sources: Shipment data from Kpler. Pricing data from Argus Media. Note: Data through May 2023. Only crude shipments from the Middle East and Russia are shown, but these constitute the bulk of shipments over this time period. The bulk of the crude that goes to India from Russia arrives at ports near Jamnagar in Gujarat State and is piped to nearby refineries. The Jamnagar Refinery, which is owned by Reliance Industries, is the largest in the world, with the capacity to process more than 1.2 million barrels per day. Reliance is controlled by Mukesh Ambani, Indias most powerful businessman and a strategic partner to Mr. Modis government. Indias second-largest refinery is less than 10 miles away: the Vadinar complex owned by Nayara Energy. Nayara is half-owned by Rosneft, Russias state oil company; a Russian investment group has a stake in the other half. So as the trade in this region grows, Russian companies and, by extension, Moscow are reaping some of the benefits. Russian crude shipments in the Gulf of Kutch this year Total barrels shipped between through May 2023. Pipeline to Panipat refinery Mundra Port 21 million barrels To Arabian Sea Port Pipelines Jamnagar Port India Detail area Jamnagar Refinery Vadinar Refinery Refineries 77 million barrels 55 million barrels 10 miles 10 miles Pipeline to Panipat refinery India Detail area Mundra Port 21 million barrels To Arabian Sea Port Pipelines Jamnagar Port Vadinar Refinery Jamnagar Refinery Refineries 77 million barrels 55 million barrels Pipeline to Panipat refinery 10 miles Detail area India Mundra Port 21 million barrels Port Pipelines Port Refineries Nayara Refinery Jamnagar Refinery 55 million barrels 77 million barrels A map of the Gulf of Kutch showing key oil terminals and oil refineries, and how many barrels of Russian crude have arrive there from January to May of 2023. Sources: Satellite image by Copernicus. Data via Kpler. Note: Pipeline paths and refinery boundaries are approximate. Some of whats processed at these sites is used domestically. But a growing amount is funneled to the global market, starting with Southeast Asia, Africa and increasingly Europe and the United States. India sells all of these products at market prices, earning revenue for its companies and bulking up the countrys reserves of foreign currency with dollars and euros. The Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, a research group based in Finland, published a report in April that highlighted the role of certain laundromat countries, which buy Russian oil, refine it into other products and sell it on to buyers in Europe, the United States and other jurisdictions that have halted direct purchases from Russia. Chief among these countries named in the report was India, as well as China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore. The port of Sikka, which serves the Jamnagar Refinery, was both the largest global import point for seaborne Russia crude oil and the single biggest point of oil exports to the countries that had imposed the cap, the report said. From December to February, the refinery exported almost $3 billion worth of refined products to countries observing the price cap. Where Indias seaborne oil products go 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 Russia invades Ukraine 22% 45% 33% Other countries Middle East and Asia Europe A chart showing the destination countries of Indias seaborne oil product exports, showing a modest gain in the share of exports heading to Europe since Russias invasion of Ukraine. Source: Kpler Note: Data through May 2023. India has rejected the notion that it is trying to profit from wartime sanctions. In the lead up to Indias first time hosting the Group of 20 nations summit in September, the countrys diplomats have been working furiously to balance the concerns of the European Union, the United States, China, Russia and other members. But the Modi governments first priority appears to be making India, which recently surpassed China as the worlds most populous country, more self-reliant. In practice, that means pursuing its own interests without regard for its partners complaints. In December, S. Jaishankar, Indias foreign minister, was asked in Parliament about Indias decision to buy Russian crude. It is a sensible policy to go where we get the best deal in the interest of the Indian people, he said. If it is your contention that our position has been in putting the interests of the Indian public first, I plead guilty. How did you feel when you first heard Roe v. Wade had been overturned? How did you feel when you first heard Roe v. Wade had been overturned? Its been a year since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. How are women across Americas ideological spectrum thinking about abortion today? Whats changed for them, and what hasnt? How does a persons relationship with a political issue change after such a surprising swerve like the end of a decades-old precedent? Those were some of the questions that led us to organize our latest Times Opinion focus group, which we decided to set in Kansas, a traditionally conservative but politically dynamic state where voters stunned the nation last August by striking a blow in favor of abortion rights. A sense of genuine surprise surfaced time and again during the conversation, with the nine women from Kansas a mix of independents, Democrats and Republicans. There was the still palpable surprise that the Supreme Court reversed Roe, surprise that a whopping 59 percent of voters in Kansas (which a couple of the women referred to as a Bible Belt state) affirmed support for abortion rights and, in a few intense moments, surprise among some of the women about their own feelings and reactions to the issue of abortion. One Republican in the group, Margaret, spoke about her happiness after the courts decision but then described more complicated feelings as she listened to the news from the perspective of being a mom and having a daughter that was raped and having to advise her to take the pill to abort the baby. Other women said the issue was not black-and-white for them. Theres a lot of gray, said Allison, an independent. The women described how they grappled with the issue of abortion and how the Supreme Courts action changed both so much in terms of policy and political activism and so little in terms of ongoing divisions and arguments in the country. Its been hard to kind of get back to where we were. Because everybody had such strong opinions one way or the other, said Debbie, another Republican. The issue of abortion, she said, does factor into how Im going to vote, but at this point, Im so confused as to how Im going to vote. Its kind of all up in the air. Anne Secor was in her three-bedroom co-op in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Manhattan when the planes hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Ms. Secor, a design consultant, looked out the window at Broadway and saw a stream of people fleeing north. Seeking a respite from the chaos and confusion that followed, she and her then-boyfriend headed north to Canada, settling in a friends rented apartment in rural Quebec. They wound up staying, marrying in 2004 and building a home on a five-acre plot in Morin-Heights, a small town in the Laurentian Mountains. Ms. Secor sold her TriBeCa co-op in 2005, and the couple welcomed twin girls, Romy and Naia, in 2006. But Ms. Secor had lived in New York for more than a decade before 9/11, and she missed the city. New York is the promised land, she said. Its my place. She visited regularly over the years, and Romy and Naia, now 17, loved it, too. So when her marriage ended in 2022, Ms. Secor decided that she and her daughters, who were set to begin their junior year of high school, would return to New York. [Did you recently buy a home? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com] She reached out to Simonne Hill, an agent with the New York-based Bizzarro Real Estate Agency, hoping that Ms. Hill could work with her remotely to help find an apartment to rent. But Ms. Hill had different advice. I told her it would make a lot more sense for her to actually purchase something, she said. Getting a rental was going to be hard for her because she didnt have an American guarantor. Ms. Secor wanted a place with three bedrooms and laundry in the building, and she was hoping to avoid parking her car on the street. Her plan was to sell a handful of investment properties that she had bought in Canada, bringing her budget up to around $625,000. She wanted a lively neighborhood with access to public transit, but at that price most of central Manhattan was out of reach, so she started searching in Harlem and Flatbush, Brooklyn. I pretty much knew I would not get into the meat of that sandwich, she said, referring to all points between. Most important, she would have to be able to complete the purchase from abroad. I didnt want to have to move twice, she said. Ms. Hill found some condos that fit the profile, streaming her visits on FaceTime so Ms. Secor could see them from Quebec. Among the properties considered: Miranda Ganguly, Lindsay Perrault Baretz+Brunelle, which works with clients in the legal industry, brings on Miranda Ganguly as a director in its talent intelligence & analytics practice, and Lindsay Perrault as a director in its NewLaw practice, which advises law firms, legal tech companies, and other legal service providers on ways to compete more effectively in the transforming legal industry. Ganguly, a longtime legal recruiter, joins B+B from Aspire Legal Search Group, where she was principal, partner and group recruiting. She will advise clients on pre-hire intelligence as well as individual-attorney and practice-group acquisition strategies. Perrault previously held senior marketing roles at Lighthouse, where she built account-based marketing programs; DiscoverReady; and Applied Discovery, where as a senior manager of global marketing, she helped the company transition from a division of LexisNexis to a private-equity owned standalone. Given their experience, Miranda and Lindsay will be highly valuable resources for our clients on day one, said Baretz+Brunelle co-founder Spencer Baretz. Jason Roth Wasserman Music hires former Sirius XM communications director Jason Roth as VP of communications. Before joining Sirius in 2021, Roth had held senior communications positions at Pandora, HP, Apple and Capitol Records. He has also written for platforms including NPR Music, Spin and the Chicago Tribune. In his new role, he will oversee media relations, executive communications, thought leadership, industry relations and partner communications. Jasons breadth of communications experience with music-related brands, technology, and artists will be invaluable for the strategic development and messaging of Wasserman Musics growth on a global scale, said Wasserman CMO Lori Beth Feldman. Michael Miller Randle Communications hires Michael Miller as its first creative director. Miller has worked on more than 100 productions for global clients, including BMW, the San Diego Zoo, One Medical and Cheetos. His expertise encompasses photo and video production, including directing, camera operation, lighting and video editing. As Randles creative director, Miller will lead the firm's video production studio, collaborating with client partners and working to strengthen the firms portfolio of videos, graphics and multimedia content. Michael brings a unique blend of creative vision, engaging storytelling and artistic expertise that will play a crucial role in shaping and enhancing Randles creative services, said Randle Founder and CEO Jeff Randle. PRSA-NY is accepting submissions for its 36th Annual Big Apple Awards, which will be presented at a live event on Nov. 15, along with a live stream. While entries are being accepted through Aug. 4, organizations and independent PR professionals who get their submissions in by June 30 can take advantage of reduced early-entry fees. This years program will focus on themes of influence, integrity, and innovation, recognizing the public relations professions powerful position at the intersection of authentic purpose-driven communication with the use of new high-impact intelligent technologies, and the role of practitioners in sharing ideas and knowledge responsibly. The 2023 Big Apple Awards will be a referendum on the rising roleand responsibilityof public relations leaders as rapidly evolving technologies including AI are shaping a new media landscape and redefining how news and information are shaped and delivered, said PRSA-NY president Carmella Glover. The Change Agencies, network of independently owned multicultural and LGBTQ PR and marketing firms that launched in June 2019, adds six members. The new member agencies are A.Hale PR in Albuquerque; APC Collective in Austin; Black Digital and The Hannon Group in Washington, DC; Creager Cole Communications LLC in New York City; and ZS Strategies in Nashville. The Change Agencies network now includes 14 agencies operating in 12 major markets. Every agency owner is either Black, Asian-American, Hispanic, Indigenous, and/or LGBTQ, and 10 of the 14 member agencies are led by women. With the addition of these new team members weve broadened our reach on the kind of work were able to offer and where we can provide an in-person connection to those who are seeking that option, said Tanya Churchmuch, founder and president of New York-based MuchPR and principal at The Change Agencies. The Worldcom Public Relations Group formally installed its 2023-24 group board and regional committees during its annual global meeting in Montreal. Stefan Pollack, president of The Pollack Group (Los Angeles), will serve as group chair, with Serge Beckers, managing partner, Wisse Kommunikatie (Arnhem, the Netherlands) serving as vice chair while continuing as EMEA chair. Jessica Phelan, president of Philadelphias Vault Communications, is now chair of the North American committee, while Angelica Consiglio, CEO of Planin Comunicacao (Sao Paulo, Brazil) will serve as chair of the LATAM committee. As we navigate an ever-evolving world, Worldcom provides clients and partners much-needed agility for any communication opportunity or challenge and is well positioned to embrace emerging opportunities and foster a collaborative learning environment, Pollack said. AFTER Roscrea saw recent protests about the decision to accommodate refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, two community leaders have stepped forward this week offering a counter argument to the narrative that Roscrea cannot cope with more people seeking asylum. Roscrea is known as a friendly and welcoming town and many local people were disappointed by recent protests over the rejuvenation work currently underway at the derelict former Sacred Heart Convent and secondary school, to prepare the building for the arrival of people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Over 400 people seeking emergency asylum will be accommodated in the building, which has a commanding presence over the town and has been derelict for over two decades. The refugees will arrive in stages, with almost 150 due to arrive before the end of the summer. This week two people known for their work to better their community spoke out against the protests - founder of the Roscrea people and famed author and historian George Cunningham and founder of the Roscrea Community Hub and dedicated local activist, Mike Edwards. George Cunninham told this newspaper the protest about the proposed or rumoured coming of Ukrainians to the town does not reflect the view of the vast majority of Roscrea people. People I have spoken to have welcomed the news about an influx of Ukrainian refugees to our struggling town. Indeed any who have the best long term interests in Roscrea will give a hearty welcome to the news. They are very welcome on many fronts, Mr. Cunningham said. We are a welcoming nation and a town that was born on welcoming outsiders, travellers and those seeking shelter. Also not so long ago our people sought refuge and new beginnings in many lands. Now it is our turn. What a bonus Roscrea would have with a few hundred extra families, bringing skills and expertise to the town, Mr. Cunningham said. I know of at least two town schools who would welcome them with open arms - and what a boost they would give to our struggling town centre - what a host of speciality shops could follow. So we say welcome to them, the founder of the Roscrea People and Parkmore Press told the Tribune. Another great benefit would be the repair and restoration of the massive former Convent complex. What an opportunity this presents to stop the decay and transform what was sadly becoming an ugly eyesore overlooking the town. Hopefully a full complex will lead to the opening of the grounds and a renewed interest in the mature trees, the heart lung of Roscrea. So let us welcome our new guests, many of whom will go on to hopefully remain in Roscrea. We have a proud tradition of welcoming people to our historic town. I have no doubt that that tradition will continue. It is up to our politicians to see that we are kept informed and that the necessary services are provided at no loss to the people of the town. We need positive leadership on many matters in the town, not least in this modern development which Roscrea so badly needs. Ros Cre abu - ar aghaidh linn, Mr. Cunningham sauid. Cllrs. Comments at Protest Mike Edwards, founder of Roscrea's Community Hub said he took issue with the use of the term 'non-national' to refer to individuals or groups of people can be considered dehumanising and potentially racist for several reasons. Labelling someone as 'non-national' reduces their identity to a negative or inferior category, emphasising their lack of belonging or exclusion. This term suggests that being a 'National' is the default or desirable status, while others are considered lesser or different, Mr. Edwards explained. Dehumanising language can contribute to prejudice, discrimination, and the marginalisation of certain groups, in a racist context. By using the term 'non-national,' individuals or groups are defined by what they are not, rather than who they are - perpetuating an 'us versus them' mentality, reinforcing divisions between people based on nationality. It creates an artificial boundary that can foster hostility, misunderstanding, and exclusion, with the commensurate rise in racist rhetoric by those for whom difference from their perceived norm is reason to discriminate, Mike Edwards said. Using the term 'non-National' ignores the individuality, diversity, and unique experiences of the people it refers to. It overlooks their personal stories, backgrounds, and contributions to society. Adopting more inclusive language fosters a sense of belonging, acceptance, and equality for everyone, including our own children and relatives here or abroad, he said. While it is true that political failures or perceived failures can contribute to societal discontent, which in turn may create an environment conducive to extremism, it is important to approach this topic with nuance. Political failures can erode public trust and confidence in the established political system. When people feel that their voices are not being heard or that their needs and concerns are being neglected, they may become disillusioned with mainstream political parties and institutions. This disillusionment can create fertile ground for extremist ideologies that promise radical solutions or claim to represent marginalised groups, an inherent risk when talking about the nature of difference and exclusion or inclusion is one of racism, the term abounds of late 'Im not racist, But.' Extremist movements often exploit these grievances and present themselves as alternatives to the political establishment. They may tap into the frustration, anger, and alienation felt by segments of the population. Factors such as economic inequality, social unrest, cultural tensions, or a lack of effective governance can further amplify these sentiments, this is the case with the ongoing development of emergency accommodation for refugees and or immigration in general. Much of which stems from a failure in Governments policies around services and or housing, with communities facing the brunt of the dearth of services and availability of housing solutions. However, it is important to note that extremism is a complex phenomenon influenced by a range of factors, including socio-economic conditions, historical grievances, ideological factors, and more. Political failures alone do not necessarily lead to extremism. Other factors, such as social polarisation, identity politics, and propaganda, can also play significant roles. To address the rise of extremism, it is crucial to tackle its root causes, which extend beyond political failures. This includes promoting inclusivity, social cohesion, economic opportunity, and a fair and just society. "Those elected to represent us must be more mindful of their language and they must develop and understanding and acceptance of the issues faced by the communities they are paid to represent, remember it is you, your political partys and the administrations you support that have created the shortages of services and housing, not the communities, not the refugees, yet it is these communities that are now suffering Mike Edwards told the Tribune. ROSCREA has embarked on a project which will transform the town centre into a dynamic and welcoming modern town in which to live, visit and do business and a design by an architect who grew up and went to school in the town has been chosen as a core part of the project. Claire McManus, daughter of retired Doctor George McManus, designed the building which will be a central pillar of the redesign of the town centre as part of the Town First Masterplan. 26 towns around the country were chosen to pioneer this new way of urban development and Roscrea is the only town in Tipperary. Roscrea is also reported to be the only town nearing the completion of the initial phases - highlighting the strong engagement in the heritage town. The architecture design competitions attracted 114 entries from architectural practices in Ireland and internationally and were for four social housing schemes in town centre sites in Castleblayney, Kildare, Roscrea and Sligo. The Masterplan is a project already underway for two years in Roscrea that takes a holistic approach to developing the town centre and is divided into several projects, including the rejuvenation of Main Street and the redesign of Gantly Road into a fully-fledged urban street. Claire McManus and her colleagues at JFOC Architects designed a building as part of a national competition. The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh OBrien TD, announced the Learning from Roscrea design as the winning proposal for the 'Town Centre Living architectural design competition in Roscrea. All competitions were adjudicated anonymously by four separate juries and the judges for Roscrea remarked that the winning design ury Citation "unanimously impressed the jury at urban, building and detail scales and in making a place that is delightful for people, both the future residents of the housing and the broader town community. "This boldness of this proposal and its fresh approach singled out this entry. The jury are delighted to award Learning from Roscrea first place and look forward to seeing this new town centre living in Roscrea. The winning team of architects said in a statement they are "proposing a project that feels as if it has always been a part of Roscrea, while creating a series of new interlinked small scale public spaces grafted onto the existing flow of the town. "This project serves to tidy up a slightly ragged edge-of-town condition in the spirit of the existing Gantly Road Masterplan. We want to make a new 'mini-landmark' on this prominent corner, a destination on a sunny day, connected back to the main street down existing pedestrian routes. New housing on this corner site offers more than new housing; streets are reinvented and urban space is created. An artist's impression of what the building will look like In addition to the first placed winners, the competitions awarded prizes to the second and third placed schemes and commendations in Roscrea: Second Prize Winner: ODKM Architects; Third Prize Winner: OMahony Pike Architects; Highly Commended: Boyd Cody Architects with James Flaus and Kevin Quinlan. Speaking on the announcement, RIAI CEO Kathryn Meghen said: "The Town Centre Living competitions will not only be delivering homes for people in four Irish towns across Ireland, but they will also contribute to creating sustainable communities in town centres, with access to amenities. "Id like to congratulate each of our winners, as well as commend all of the other shortlisted entries, she said. Commenting on the announcement, Minister Darragh OBrien TD said: The Town Centre Living competitions operate in line with the Governments Town Centre First policy that aims to tackle vacancy, combat dereliction, and breathe new life into our town centres. "This year, we see the importance of excellence in social housing design more than ever before and I am delighted to share with you the innovative design solutions presented by the four competition winners today as we work collaboratively to build sustainable communities in our town centres. COOLDERRY Central School is celebrating 40 years in existence this year, having been established in 1983. The school is an amalgamation of two former schools in the parish, namely Ballyegan National school and Coolderry National School. Down through the years, Coolderry Central School has undergone many major improvements. At the time of the establishment of the school, the staff consisted of Mr George Cunningham, Mrs Anne Kennedy, Mrs Lucy McCarthy, Mr Tom Lupton and Miss Una Cleary. The only member of the original staff who has remained there to this day is Mrs Una Teehan (nee Cleary), who took on the role of Principal almost twenty years ago and who has with the help of the Boards of Management initiated major developments at the school such as the designated infant soft play area, new entrance doors, improved security, a sensory room, provision of interactive white boards throughout the school, new floor coverings , upgrading of the staff room with the installation of a new kichen unit and facilities, provision of a new office for the Principal a computer room, an office for the secretary, the upgrading and refurbishment of facilities within the school and landscaping of the school grounds to name just a few - all of which ensure that the school today looks very impressive indeed. On May 26th, a formal celebration of 40 years of the school was held at the school. The weather was absolutely magnificent. There was glorious sunshine and the formal event which was held outdoors on the school grounds began with Mrs Una Teehan extending a very warm welcome to the huge crowd in attendance. This was followed by an outdoor concert provided by the school choir under the direction of Mrs Geraldine Bryan. Throughout the evening, the pupils performed a vast array of songs, instrumental music and dance to the enjoyment of all present. The pupils were absolutely fantastic, finishing with the Offaly Rover with everyone joining in. The music was interspersed with presentations and words of welcome from Mrs Marie Kennedy , Chairperson of the Board of Management, Mr Paddy Bates, former Principal, and Mrs Una Teehan, the current Principal. Presentations were made by Mrs Una Teehan to former members of staff in recognition of their dedication contribution and service over many years, current staff members who continue this great tradition and also to Mrs Geraldine Bryan, who has been a constant support to the school at Confirmations, Holy Communions, Graduations and many other celebrations, giving of her time and expertise freely over many years. Mrs Una Teehan acknowledged the huge contribution of all who have worked in the school in any capacity over the past 40 years and thanked them for their dedication . A presentation of a beautiful bouquet of flowers was also made to Mrs Una Teehan by Mrs Marie Kennedy, Chairperson of Board of Management, on behalf of all present at the 40th celebration. She wished Mrs Teehan a very happy retirement as Una, who after 42 years in the parish, beginning her teaching career, initially, as a newly qualified teacher in1981, in one of the prefabricated buildings which pre-dated the current school, has decided to retire. Una is very sad to be leaving as the school community has been an integral part of her life for the past 42 years. As School Principal, Una has always encouraged pupils to achieve their potential. Down through the years, the pupils participated in numerous initiatives and won many local and national awards for their projects and sporting achievements, which have given students great life skills. Una has always encouraged pupils to participate in various sporting activities and is very proud of what the pupils have achieved individually, for the school and for the county. Una congratulated and praised their current camogie champions who had just won the Cumann na mBunscol B final the previous day in Birr gaining victory over Kinnitty in a very exciting closely fought final, which was a fantastic achievement for all of the panel and for the school. Una also acknowledged the support of the Boards of Management and the Parents Associations over the years and had a special word of thanks to the current Board of Management and the current Parents Association who give so freely of their personal time for the benefit of the school community. Una also acknowledged the wider community for their great friendship and generous support. She was very appreciative of the support of the local GAA, the Camogie club and the Community Threshing group under the guidance of Ray Dempsey, who have provided huge support to the school over many years. Una expressed a special word of thanks to both Ray Dempsey and Coleman Coady who ensured that the marquee which the Threshing Committee very kindly supplied for the refreshments, was delivered and set up for the occasion with the help of some parents and members of the Board of Management. After the cutting of the cake in honour of the occasion by former Principal Mr Paddy Bates and Mrs Una Teehan, all in attendance were invited to relax and chat over a cup of tea and other refreshments for both children and adults, which were available in the marquee at the back of the school. Food items were very kindly donated by parents. The teas were provided by the Parents Association. There was a very large and extensive photographic exhibition relating to life not only in the school, but in the parish in general over the past 40 years throughout the school along with other memorabilia of times gone by on display in the various classrooms for all to view at their leisure. It was a very enjoyable and relaxing evening, which continued late into the night for all in attendance. It afforded people the opportunity to reminisce and catch up as they recalled times gone by while wandering through the classrooms viewing the photos on the display boards and on the Power points, or as they sat out in the beautiful sunshine on what was truly a memorable occasion for the 40th celebration of Coolderry Central School on Friday May 26th,2023. AN important meeting will be held in Tullamore on Thursday to focus on the current employment crisis in Offaly. The meeting will take place in the Bridge House Tullamore on Thursday 22nd June, and councillors and TDs will be in attendance. Angry and frustrated councillors on Monday said the purpose of the meeting will be to try and forge a positive pathway towards job creation. They pointed out that the government's decarbonisation programme has resulted in a haemorrhaging of jobs over the years in Offaly (especially in West Offaly) and these jobs are not being replaced by the much-publicised but glacially slow European Just Transition Fund. Cllr Eamon Dooley told Monday's monthly meeting of Offaly County Council that the Just Transition Fund has been so far a bitter disappointment for the people of Offaly. He praised An Siolan, the community organisation in West Offaly which is organising Thursday's Bridge House meeting, for being proactive in the face of this disappointment. I think it would be wise for us all to support An Siolan as much as we can. Just Transition might eventually deliver walking and cycle routes and rewetted bogs, but it's not producing the level of job creation that we need to replace the thousands of job losses because of the winding down of Bord na Mona and ESB sources of employment in the county. In a statement issued to the councillors, Brian Flynn, Chairperson of An Siolan, pointed out that An Siolan has been evaluating the loss of employment in the county as a result of the decarbonisation of the electricity industry. Brian pointed out that while there are plans for extensive development of renewable energy projects across the county, unfortunately these will have a negligible impact on employment and will in no way support the communities that were sustained by Bord Na Mona and the ESB for generations. Cllr Neil Feighery told Monday's meeting that in the past there had been hope for Just Transition in terms of job creation but now there's just a feeling of disappointment. We should write to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to come down to Offaly, see the situation on the ground and therefore fully comprehend the challenge that we are facing; a challenge that has been caused by the decarbonisation programme. As of now we don't believe that Just Transition is going to deliver what is required for the county. Cllr Liam Quinn pointed out that when community groups try to access Just Transition funds they find the paperwork dreadfully cumbersome. These are voluntary groups and they are being asked for far too many details. A number of the councillors strongly criticised Bord na Mona for not being more communicative with the councillors. If they were more transparent and helpful, one of them remarked, if they were more willing to work with the Councillors, then we'd be a lot less negative and critical. Cllr Peter Ormond said the recent closure of Derrinlough Briquette Factory near Birr was a big loss to the region. West and South Offaly is now crying out for more jobs, factory type jobs, with good terms and conditions and good payslips. This is not happening. Local retailers will also suffer because of the closure of Derrinlough because the loss of 62 employees and 62 wages means the loss of customers. Cllr Ormond added that the lack of factory-type employment in the region means more people are compelled to travel further afield for work. He said long commutes or people permanently leaving is not what the region needs. Cllr John Leahy said Bord na Mona is not managing Lough Boora as well as it could. Lough Boora used to have 100,000 visitors per annum. That number has dropped year on year, because of a lack of investment. We have been talking a lot about Just Transition since 2019, continued Cllr Leahy, but unfortunately the delivery of jobs on the ground just hasn't happened. We are seeing a huge void in West Offaly, which means more people are travelling long commutes to work or leaving the area completely. This represents a significant loss of revenue because more people are not spending in the local shops. What is needed is a factory of some sort, or a number of factories of a more modest size. Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick said the county is suffering because of the job losses and the new, replacement jobs which we have been looking for for years are not happening. He added that it's sad to see former Bord na Mona rail tracks on the bogs being removed at the moment. Ann Dillon, Director of Services, told him the embankments will remain after the tracks are gone. Cllr Noel Cribbin said Just Transition is not for the ordinary fellow at all, which means that people just walk away from it. It's too complicated. The paperwork is too onerous. I am getting very disheartened with the whole thing. Cllr John Clendennen said the councillors' confidence and belief in Just Transition was on the floor. We need to see industry, factories, decent payslips. I just don't see that happening at the moment. Unless we do see it happening then it is very hard to give confidence back to the communities. At the moment Just Transition simply looks like a 169 million spending spree by state agencies in things like walkways and bog rewetting. It's talking about three new electric buses and yet we don't have a network of adequate bus-stops in the county. He praised An Siolan for their initiative. Hopefully with our support they will emulate the successful template of Ferbane Business Park, which was a community-driven jobs creator. Cllr Frank Moran pointed out that for two years he has been trying to get a response from Bord na Mona regarding a community project in Ballycumber, but I have heard nothing from them. It is a total lack of respect. Cllr Sean O'Brien said young people currently sitting their Leaving Cert want to work and live in Offaly but there is a doubt in their heads over whether this will be possible. He added that he's suspicious about the proposed 15 million coming from Just Transition towards electric charging points. I've a suspicion that when it comes to the electric charging points we are going to be dumped with stuff that is obsolete. In his statement to the councillors Brian Flynn said An Siolan is inviting members of the Oireachtas and County Council to a presentation outlining our proposals for harnessing the development of renewable projects throughout the county to create genuine community led projects that will support the enterprise investment required to sustain our towns and villages into the future. "As you are aware, Bord na Mona have plans to develop approximately 2,000 Megawatts of renewable generation in Offaly in the coming years. To place this in context, this is eight times the combined export capacity of Ferbane, Rhode and Shannonbridge power stations at peak production. Those stations supported over three and a half thousand jobs while the renewable projects of the future will have little or no workforce from the county. We urgently need to reimagine how these proposed renewable energy projects, which will generate billions in revenue, can better support the communities in which they are located. "Our proposal for the development of community owned renewable projects, will ensure that a portion of the state owned lands currently being developed by Bord na Mona, can support the creation of the employment opportunities that the county urgently needs. The alternative is to see the energy projects on these formerly community owned peatlands being sold off to international investment funds to capitalise Bord na Mona's investment in their offshore wind energy strategy. "An Siolan has been working with the local authority to explore possibilities of using community owned energy projects to fund enterprise creation based on the West Offaly Enterprise Fund model, which has created many job opportunities in this area. We would appreciate the opportunity to outline our proposals to the politicians of the county. While we welcome the promotion of sustainable energy projects, without the accompanying enterprise funding, we are unlikely to have sustainable communities into the future. "While the timeline to address this issue is quite short, with a unified approach, it is possible to achieve our climate change obligations and sustain viable communities into the future supported by community owned energy projects. Cllr Dooley pointed out that these community owned energy projects could administer an Enterprise Fund which could be used to kickstart new businesses in the area. This is what we did many years ago after the closure of the power station in Ferbane in the late '90s. Working with the ESB we created an Enterprise Fund which was then used to kickstart new businesses. This eventually led to Ferbane Business Park which now employs 126 people. US President Joe Biden on Thursday rolled out the red carpet for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with major deals on fighter-jet engines, semiconductors and space, as Washington bets big on New Delhi as a counterweight to China. Modi is being feted with the pomp of a state visit, only the third of Biden's presidency, in a calculated show of full-throated US support, despite quiet unease over India's refusal to break with Russia and what rights groups see as growing authoritarianism by the Hindu nationalist leader. Modi, India's most powerful prime minister in decades, dined privately with Biden on Wednesday before he returns Thursday to the White House for a welcome with military honors. He will address a joint session of Congress and return to the White House for a gala dinner, with First Lady Jill Biden tapping a star Californian plant-based chef, Nina Curtis, to cook for the strictly vegetarian prime minister. The White House said the two leaders will take questions from the press, while stopping short of calling the event a press conference. Modi has nearly always avoided unscripted interactions with reporters during his nine years in office. In one of the biggest agreements of the visit, that a US official described as "trailblazing," the United States signed off on a technology transfer for engines as India begins producing homegrown fighter jets. General Electric will have the green light to produce its F414 engines jointly with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics. A US official said India would also buy MQ-9B SeaGuardians, high-precision armed drones. India in 2019 broke precedent with an airstrike in Pakistani territory against an alleged extremist camp. Washington hopes a tighter defense relationship will help wean India off Russia, New Delhi's primary military supplier during the Cold War. India has refused to join Western efforts to isolate Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and instead has seized on the crisis to buy discounted Russian oil. In one long-running point of contention, India has been angered by US sales of F-16 fighter jets to its historic rival Pakistan. India as rival hub to China In another agreement, US chip giant Micron will invest $800 million in a semiconductor assembly and testing plant in India, which is expected to reach $2.75 billion after contributions from New Delhi. A US official said the plant would advance a goal of diversifying supply chains of advanced semiconductors, as Biden leads a concerted effort to deny exports of top-end chips to China. Micron nonetheless also recently announced a $600 million investment in a factory in China, despite Beijing putting pressure on the company by declaring its chips unsafe for critical infrastructure projects. India, a growing power in space, also agreed during Modi's visit to join the Artemis Accords, a US-led multinational effort to put a human back on the Moon by 2025. As part of the cooperation, India's space program will work with NASA on a joint mission to the International Space Station next year, the White House said. The United States has been seeking a closer relationship with India since the late 1990s, seeing the billion-plus democracy as like-minded on the challenges both of China and radical Islamism. Biden already welcomed Modi to the White House as part of a summit of the so-called Quad -- an initiative of four democracies including Japan and Australia that is widely seen as countering China's influence in Asia. Rights concerns Modi had developed a close relationship with Biden's predecessor Donald Trump, endearing himself by arranging a massive rally in his home state of Gujarat for the fellow right-wing populist. The Biden administration has vowed a greater focus globally on human rights but has kept a light touch with Modi, who has exerted the Hindu majority's identity in officially secular India. The State Department in its latest report on religious freedom pointed to attacks by police and vigilantes against minorities and inflammatory statements by members of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent progressive Democrat, said Wednesday she would boycott Modi's speech, joining two of her congressional allies who are Muslim, Ilham Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that Modi was banned from the United States during his tenure as Gujarat's leader over riots in which mostly Muslims died, and that his government recently cracked down on the BBC over a documentary critical of his role on the 2002 violence. Saying the US Congress should not invite leaders with "deeply troubling human rights records," Ocasio-Cortez called for a boycott in support of "pluralism, tolerance and freedom of the press." But most Democrats are expected to attend the speech and the Biden administration has refrained from public criticism of Modi, seeing broader interests with India converging. Search Keywords: Short link: Is There A Bandh In Karnataka Today? Bengaluru oi-Prakash KL The Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has called off Karnataka Bandh on June 22 against abnormal hikes in electricity charges. The KCCI had earlier called for Karnataka Bandh on June 22 against abnormal hikes in electricity charges. "We request all the Trade and Industry to close their establishment on 22 June. This is in protest of abnormal price hike in the Electricity charges by ESCOM's. For the last eight days, we have made attempts to convey the seriousness of the impact of the hike in electricity charges. However, no solution is forthcoming from the Officials or government representatives," the Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry had said in a statement. KCCI was the first industry body to publicly voice against the revision in tariff and set a deadline for the Govt. "To draw the attention of the government, we are calling for this Bandh. We wish to find a solution and get a reduction in the electricity charges. We hope that the government will respond to our request," the statement said further. The statement said that district Chambers of Gadag, Bijapur, Rancbennur, Raichur, Talikoti, Vijaynagar, Mysore, Davangere, Koppal, Bagalkoti, Dharwad, Sirsi, Karwar, Bidar, Shivamoga, Kolar, Mandya, Chickmangalore, Yadgir, Chitradurga, KalyanKamataka, Haveri, Hassan, Bellary and other Industry Associations have agreed to join the agitation, PTI reported. Karnataka Bandh On June 22 To Protest Price Hike In Electricity Charges Karnataka government rolled out 'Gruha Jyoti' scheme, as promised in its poll manifesto, that offers up to 200 units of power to every household across the state. The official launch of the scheme is scheduled for August 1. Starting from that date, eligible beneficiaries will receive a "zero bill" for their electricity usage in July, provided it remains within their entitlement. Sandeep Bidasaria, acting president of KCCI, clarified that they were not going against the government but were lodging their protest with a hope that their voice is heard. He requested the government to listen to them and find a remedy. Days after announcing the launch of 'Gruha Jyoti' scheme, the power tariff was increased by Rs 2.89 per unit. The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) said the hike was due to fuel and power purchase cost adjustment (FPPCA) and arrears from April. However, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has extended support to the Karnataka Bandh call. OPINION: Blinkens Beijing Dialogue: Peace A Far Cry! Feature lekhaka-Jagdish N Singh US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent Beijing visit hardly establishes peace and promotes development in the world. Washington and Beijing are yet to devise any regular military-to-military channels of communications between them. Communist China's territorial designs against democracies, including Taiwan and India, constitute serious threats to peace in the Asia-Pacific region today. Blinken's Beijing dialogue does not address them. Ideally, one of the most cherished goals of modern diplomacy is to move towards establishing peace and fostering all-inclusive development in the contemporary world. Did the dialogues US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had with China's top leaders, including its President Xi Jinping, Director of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee Foreign Affairs Commission Wang Yi and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, achieve any remarkable feat in this regard? Observers say peace is a far cry. Secretary Blinken's agenda in Beijing this time around was just to negotiate with Beijing to agree to re-establish diplomacy and open channels of communication with it to reduce the risk of any "misperception and miscalculation" in their relationship. During Secretary Blinken's two-day sojourn in Beijing, he had five-and-a-half hours of talks with China's foreign minister Qin. He and Qin agreed to "effectively manage differences and advance dialogue, exchanges and cooperation," including increasing the number of people-to-people exchanges and flights between their countries. In his talks with Secretary Blinken, China's top diplomat Wang called for Washington and Beijing to reverse a "downward spiral" in relations. OPINION: Protests Against Modis US Visit Unlikely To Hurt US-India Dialogue During Secretary Blinken's talks with President Xi, the two sides said what would please each other. President Xi emphasized that the world needs a generally stable China-US relationship. He said that the Chinese, like the Americans, are dignified, confident and self-reliant people. Speaking in the Great Hall of the People with Secretary Blinken, Chinese President Xi said whether China and the US could get along had a "bearing on the future and destiny of mankind." As such the two nations "should properly handle" their relations "with an attitude of being responsible to history, the people and the world." Xi also said China respected US interests and would not "challenge or replace the United States." On his part, Secretary Blinken said the American government was committed to responsibly managing its relations with China. He said, "It's in the interest of the United States, in the interests of China, and in the interest of the world." Blinken assured the US was not trying to "contain" China or decouple from its economy. He said that the US was committed to returning to the agenda set at the summit between President Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi in Bali last year. During Blinken's visit, the two governments agreed to have working groups and diplomats meet soon on a range of issues, including increased access to each country for journalists, scholars and students. The two sides agreed to expand direct commercial flights between the two nations. It is hoped the dialogue Secretary Blinken had with the top Chinese officials would help reduce a lot of friction that currently exists between the two nations. Tensions soared in February when the Pentagon announced that a Chinese surveillance balloon was drifting across the continental United States. The tensions aggravated in late February when Blinken confronted Wang on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference saying China was considering to provide lethal support to Russia for its war in Ukraine. It can be hoped that the outcome of Blinken's Beijing sojourn would generate a new momentum for stabilizing China-US relations. It would also lay the ground for a face-to-face meeting between Chinese President Xi and his US counterpart Joe Biden during a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in the US in November this year. However, the observers say, it would be too early to say if the understanding Secretary Blinken has reached in Beijing would go beyond to establish peace and promote development in the entire world. Washington and Beijing are yet to devise any regular military-to-military channels of communications to prevent any potential clash between them. Communist China's territorial designs against democracies, including Taiwan and India, constitute serious threats to peace in the Asia-Pacific region today. China's Foreign Minister Qin bluntly says, "Taiwan is the core of China's core interests, the most important issue in China-US relations and the most prominent risk." The Blinken dialogue hardly addresses them. Ahead Of PM Modi's Visit To US, Xi, Blinken Agree To Stabilise Tense US-China Relations The United States continues to adhere to its policy of "strategic ambiguity" over whether it would respond militarily to an attack on Taiwan. Last year, US President Biden just said Washington would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. While in Beijing, Secretary Blinken reiterated the US did not support Taiwan's independence. He just warned against China's "provocative actions" in the Taiwan Strait. (Jagdish N. Singh is a senior journalist based in New Delhi. He is also Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, New York) Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. OPINION: Delay In J&K Elections Giving Rise To Speculations Feature lekhaka-R C Ganjoo The elections in Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir have become a questionable subject in political circles as well as in public. Whether elections will be held or not has given rise to speculations and impatience. Intriguingly, the regional political parties have started working on permutation and combination arrangements to gain as much political strength as possible. Interestingly, those regional political parties till yesterday who were adamant on boycott elections have now been persistently demanding early elections in the UT. Five years have passed since the Jammu and Kashmir State was granted Union territory status on August 5, 2019. In a conference on ''Another look at Articles 35a and 370: Statehood for and elections in J&K" organised by Centre for Peace and Progress, on 17th June in Delhi, the participants from Jammu and Kashmir and other political leaders and intellectuals from Delhi unanimously highlighted the early elections there in the interest of healthy democracy. The local unit of BJP too has appealed to the Election Commission to announce dates for the polls there. Meanwhile, the main regional political party National Conference (NC) of Dr Farooq Abdullah has its own strength to fight in all the Assembly segments. Mehbooba Mufti's People's Democratic Party (PDP) has confined its political activities only to the South of Kashmir. The Apni Party of rebel of PDP leader Altaf Bukahari has been trying hard to throw its political weight around with the support of the Centre. Testing the soil for holding Assembly elections, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has appointed a nodal officer for the conduct of elections to urban local bodies, the first step towards holding the polls later this year. Anil Koul, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Department, has been appointed as nodal officer. The polls are likely to take place in September with the election schedule expected to be announced in August this year. The incumbent municipal corporations and other municipalities' terms are also set to end in October-November. The previous local bodies' elections were held in October 2018 under Governor's Rule with the NC and PDP boycotting the exercise. After the revocation of Article 370, DDC, BDC and Panchayat elections have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir, where 280 DDCs have been elected. Giving rise to various political speculations, the watchers on Kashmir view that the Lok Sabha election in 2024 will be the second soil test for BJP in hustings, before putting Jammu and Kashmir to Assembly polls. Interestingly, NC has changed in the last five years. Sources close to NC also acknowledge that the party, which didn't formally contest Urban Local Body polls last time, is now ready to contest Assembly elections without restoration of statehood. Amid the ongoing political propositions, People Conference of Sajjad Lone, the political rival of NC, has been claiming that the "grand old party (NC) was softening its posture" towards the BJP. It is too early to predict whether NC will like to form a government in alliance with the BJP or not. But the PAGD, headed by Abdullah, in consultation with like-minded political parties in Jammu and Kashmir, has been working on seat adjustment for Lok Sabha elections under the Unified Political Front against BJP. According to their election strategy, out of five Lok Sabha seats, two will be left for Congress in Jammu and two seats in Srinagar and Baramulla NC will contest whereas PDP of Mehbooba Mufti in Anantnag. On top of it, conjectures have been built up that the Centre has been planning to annex Doda division and areas from Poonch-Rajouri of Kashmir valley with the absolute status of Union territory and connecting Jammu, predominantly by Hindus to Punjab. There is a big "if" on the further division of Jammu and Kashmir, and whether that will solve the Kashmir problem or aggravate, observe political scientists. (R C Ganjoo is a senior journalist and columnist having more than 30 years experience of covering issues concerning national security, particularly Kashmir. He has worked with several prominent media groups and his articles have been published in many national and international publications.) Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. Nature Does Not Recognize Geography: Himanta's Jibe At AAP On Blame Game On Floods Will Walk Out Of Opposition Meet, If...: AAP's Ultimatum To Congress Over Centre's Ordinance India oi-Deepika S The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has threatened to skip tomorrow's Opposition meet in Patna if Congress doesn't join the protest against Centre's ordinance. The meeting of opposition parties has been called by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "If Congress won't assure support against Centre's ordinance in the Patna opposition meet, then Aam Aadmi Party to walk out of the meeting," news agency ANI reported quoting sources. On Wednesday, Kejriwal has written to opposition parties asking them to take up the Delhi ordinance issue first on the agenda at the joint meeting in Patna this Friday. Kejriwal stressed the first thing to be discussed in the meeting should revolve around defeating the bill related to the Centre's ordinance in the Rajya Sabha. BSP To Skip Opposition Meet In Patna, Mayawati Attacks Congress "The Centre has carried out an experiment in Delhi by bringing this ordinance. If it is successful, it will bring similar ordinances in non-BJP states and snatch away the powers of states with respect to subjects in the concurrent list," he said in the letter dated June 20. Kejriwal also said that the "day is not far when the prime minister will run 33 states through lieutenant governors and governors". The Centre had on May 19 promulgated an ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi, with the AAP government calling the move a deception with the Supreme Court verdict on control of services. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party will be the only party from Uttar Pradesh attending the opposition leaders' meeting in Patna on Friday, with Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati not being invited while the Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary will skip the meet due to a family programme. Himanta Sarma's 'Many Hussain Obama In India' Tweet Sparks Row; Oppn Cites PM Modi's Speech in US How BJP Is Preparing Ground For UCC In Assam Assam: Flood Situation Worsens As Nearly 1.2 Lakh People Hit India oi-Prakash KL The flood situation in Assam's Nalbari district has deteriorated as nearly 1.2 lakh people are hit due to the deluge in 10 districts Over 1,19,800 people are affected by the deluge in Baksa, Barpeta, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Nalbari, Sonitpur and Udalguri districts, PTI reported citing a flood report of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA). Nalbari is the worst hit with almost 45,000 people suffering, followed by Baksa with over 26,500 and Lakhimpur with more than 25,000, it said. According to the ASDMA bulletin, massive erosions have been witnessed in Baksa, Barpeta, Sonitpur, Dhubri, Dibrugarh, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Majuli, Morigaon, Nagaon, South Salmara and Udalguri. And 780 villages are under water and 10,591.85 hectares of crop areas have been damaged across Assam. #WATCH | Flood situation in Assam's Nalbari remains grim as water level rises following incessant rainfall; visuals from Moiraranga village of Nalbari pic.twitter.com/vFVQvFSikV ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Army, paramilitary forces, National Disaster Response Force, SDRF, Fire & Emergency Services (F&ES), civil administrations, NGOs and locals have rescued 1,280 people from different places. Incidents of landslides due to heavy rainfall were reported from places in Dima Hasao and Kamrup Metropolitan. #WATCH | Several villages in Assam, flooded following torrential rain in the past few days pic.twitter.com/ln1Iy3ChXQ ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 Embankments, roads, bridges and other infrastructure have been damaged by flood waters in Baksa, Nalbari, Barpeta, Sonitpur, Bongaigaon, Darrang, Chirang, Dhubri, Goalpara, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Udalguri, Dhemaji and Majuli. Recommended Video Assam Floods: 1.2 lakh people displaced, 20 districts affected | Oneindia News Manipur Violence: Assam Rifles Troops Exchange Gunfire With Unknown Men Urban areas were inundated at many places across Barpeta, Darrang, Kamrup Metropolitan, Kokrajhar and Nalbari districts. #WATCH | An elderly man breaks down after his house was damaged due to incessant rainfall in Moiraranga village of Nalbari, Assam "I have lost everything because of this flood. All household items have been damaged. I am living with my wife on this embankment now. We could not pic.twitter.com/B6jV6IClgG ANI (@ANI) June 22, 2023 The Brahmaputra River's tributary Beki is flowing above the danger mark at three places, the ASDMA report pointed out. Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an 'orange alert' and predicted 'very heavy' to 'extremely heavy' rainfall across several districts of Assam over the next few days. #WATCH | Pagladiya River damages a bridge connecting Dhamdhama to Tamulpur and submerges several roads in Assam's Nalbari pic.twitter.com/KdZKnNe6cA ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) in Guwahati has issued the warning for 24 hours from Wednesday, followed by a 'yellow' alert for Thursday and Friday. Meanwhile, an elderly man broke down after his house was damaged due to incessant rainfall in Moiraranga village of Nalbari, Assam. The clip was shared by news agency ANI. "I have lost everything because of this flood. All household items have been damaged. I am living with my wife on this embankment now. We could not get anything out of the house," says 70-year-old Jyotish Rajbongshi. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 13:44 [IST] Central Depts' Average Disposal Time Of Public Grievances Down 50% India oi-Sanjeev Nayak Central ministries and departments have achieved a significant milestone in grievance redressal, with the average disposal time of public grievances reducing to 16 days in May 2023. This amounts to a reduction of straight 50 per cent of the time taken earlier, which has happened for the first time, according to Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh. Speaking at the launch of the Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index (GRAI) 2022 in New Delhi yesterday, Dr. Singh, who is also in charge of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), said, "Progress in May this year alone showed 1,16,734 grievances redressed by the Central ministries & departments, with an average disposal time of 16 days per grievance." Pointing out that the average time for disposal of public grievances was 32 days last year, he expressed satisfaction that the number of disposed public grievance cases has consistently increased, crossing 1 lakh cases per month multiple times this year. He gave the credit of achieving the feat to the 10-step Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) reforms. ''The adoption of the reforms resulted in a significant decrease in the average time for grievance disposal. These reforms have enhanced the efficiency, accountability and accessibility of the grievance redressal process, benefiting citizens and improving public service delivery," he said. The reforms have also had a positive impact on the disposal of State public grievances cases on the CPGRAMS portal, with over 50,000 cases resolved per month since September 2022, the Minister further informed. CPGRAMS allows citizens to raise grievances against the Central and State governments online. Dr. Singh shared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged again and again that grievance redressal is important for accountability of the government and also for the citizen-centric governance. The PM also called for a more robust human interface mechanism including counselling post-resolution of the grievance. WhatsApp Takes Action on 5% of User Grievances in India, Blocks Over 74 Lakh Accounts The minister called upon the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) to devise a proforma for various Central offices & States to effectively monitor the qualitative and quantitative disposal of grievances. Commending DARPG for making the CPGRAMS portal available in 22 scheduled languages, therby ensuring accessibility for the common man, Singh highlighted the need to integrate State and other government portals with CPGRAMS for seamless accessibility. He suggested a uniform nomenclature for better integration. During the programme, Singh launched the Grievance Redressal Assessment and Index (GRAI) 2022 in the presence of DARPG Secretary V. Srinivas. GRAI assesses and ranks 89 Central ministries and departments based on efficiency, feedback, domain expertise, organisational commitment and corresponding 12 indicators. The assessment was conducted using CPGRAMS data between January and December 2022. Out of the 12.87 lakh grievances received in 2022, approximately 75% were resolved within the prescribed timeline of 30 days by the ministries and departments. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs achieved the best performance in this indicator. Furthermore, 22 ministries and departments resolved 100% of grievances related to corruption and 55 of them achieved a resolution rate ranging from 90% to 99.99% while several ministries and departments reported an average grievance resolution time of seven days or less. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 16:18 [IST] Operation Kaveri: Among those rescued from Sudan, one is aged 102 IAF Taking Steps To Be Ever Ready Keeping In View Overall Security Scenario: President Murmu General Electric, HAL Sign MoU To Build Fighter Jet Engines For IAF India oi-Deepika S General Electric Aerospace on Thursday signed MoU with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force. The development comes amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ongoing state visit to the United States. "The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this," the US firm said in a statement. It described the Memorandum of Understanding with HAL as a "key element" in strengthening defence cooperation between India and the US. "This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL," said H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. 2 Aircraft Carriers, 35 Combat Jets: Navy Displays Military Prowess In Massive Exercise [WATCH] What GE Aerospace and HAL agreement includes? The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between GE and HAL includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this. "The effort is part of the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 program," GE Aerospace said in a release on Thursday. "Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet," Culp Junior said. How is GE-HAL new agreement beneficial? For moren than four decades, GE Aerospace has been operating in India with wide engagement in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. "In addition to potential new work in India, a number of US facilities that currently support work on the F414 engine will see additional volume as a result of today's announcement," GE Aerospace said. PM Modi Is The Worlds Most Popular Leader: New York Times Explains Why "Today's agreement will advance GE Aerospace's earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF) as part of the LCA Mk2 program. It puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India, including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospace's selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA program with our F414-INS6 engine," GE Aerospace said. "In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program," the release added. Indian Army Forms Bharatmala To Mark International Yoga Day India oi-Sanjeev Nayak On the lines of the Indian Navy organising the "Ocean Ring of Yoga" event across the globe, the Indian Army too formed a 'Bharatmala' along the international borders of the country and abroad to commemorate the ninth International Day of Yoga (IDY) this year. The formation 'Bharatmala' was created by conducting Yoga all along the border areas of the nation, ranging from the eastern extremity of Dong, where the first rays of the sun fall in India, to the sand dunes of Longewala in Rajasthan, where the epic battle was fought in 1971; from the glacial heights of Siachen to the southern tip of Kanyakumari and in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande attended the celebrations at the mass Yoga event organised at Cariappa Parade Ground in Delhi Cantt. The troops and defence civilians along with their families and children at all locations actively participated in yesterday's events. The local populace was also actively co-opted in the Yoga activities. Continuing with the enhanced Indo-Africa partnership, outreach was also organised in African nations through Indian Army contingents deployed in United Nations (UN) Mission areas and in other training teams abroad. Profoundly imbued to the Indian culture and ethos since ages, Yoga has found worldwide acceptance in its varied Avatars. The emancipating and healing effects of Yoga have been acknowledged by the scientific community as well. Yoga is Portable and Truly Universal, Says PM Modi at UN HQ The Indian Army has always been at the forefront in making Yoga protocols part of its daily schedule of activities, irrespective of the location of deployment of troops. As part of the national effort, the Indian Army has been regularly engaging local populace, particularly in the remote border areas to spread awareness as also to conduct workshops for proliferation of Yoga. The Indian Navy too deployed its ships in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to form a ring to celebrate the day. The formation was christened as 'Ocean Ring of Yoga' that symbolises unity and solidarity. Indian naval ships visited various ports of friendly foreign countries spreading the message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' which is also the theme of IDY this year. Yoga sessions were held at most of these foreign ports visited by the ships. In all, nearly 3,500 naval personnel onboard 19 Indian naval ships travelled for over 35,000 km so far as part of the Ocean Ring of Yoga event. This included over 2,400 personnel on 11 Indian naval ships at foreign ports, acting as ambassadors of Yoga. The day was celebrated onboard ships of several foreign navies in concert with India's overseas missions, involving over 1,200 foreign navy personnel. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 15:20 [IST] ISRO-NASA to Launch Joint Space Mission in 2024 | Top Points India oi-Madhuri Adnal In a momentous development during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inaugural State visit to the United States, India has officially become a signatory of the Artemis Accords. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have forged an agreement to embark on a joint mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024. This collaborative venture will witness the convergence of expertise and resources from both nations in a remarkable journey towards the ISS. "On space, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind," news agency PTI quoted a senior administration official as saying, ahead of Modi's meeting and US President Joe Biden in the Oval Office. What are the Artemis Accords? NASA has introduced the Artemis Accords, a set of guiding principles that draw inspiration from the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST). According to NASA, these accords are designed to shape and govern the exploration and utilization of outer space in the modern era. Although the Artemis Accords are non-binding, they represent a collaborative effort led by the United States with the goal of facilitating a manned return to the moon by 2025, as part of the ambitious Artemis program. However, the accords extend beyond lunar missions, outlining a broader vision that includes human presence and exploration in destinations such as Mars and other celestial bodies. PM Modi Gifts 7.5 Carat Green Diamond To Jill Biden: 7 Things To Know The primary objective of the Artemis Accords is to establish a framework that promotes peaceful and cooperative civil space exploration activities in the 21st century. By fostering international collaboration, the accords seek to ensure that space exploration remains a collective endeavor, characterized by transparency, safety, and the responsible use of resources. As of May 2023, the number of signatories to the Artemis Accords stands at 25, representing a diverse range of countries. These signatories include the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Italy, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Bahrain, Colombia, the Czech Republic, France, Israel, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Nigeria, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 18:12 [IST] Greek authorities said they rescued 145 migrants found stranded Thursday on a small islet on the river that runs along the northeastern land border with Turkey. Police said that the 70 men, 45 women and 30 children were all in good health and identified as Syrians or Kurds. Greek authorities launched the rescue after being alerted to the migrants' presence by a nongovernmental organization. The Evros River Meric in Turkish is a key crossing point for migrants coming through Turkey to seek a better life in the European Union. It's quite common for smuggling gangs to dump migrants on islets mid-river and flee to avoid arrest by Greek authorities. Thousands of people also try to enter Greece by sea. On June 14, a battered fishing trawler carrying up to 750 people sank far off southwestern Greece, with only 104 survivors. The ship had left Libya for Italy, and Greece's coast guard has been widely criticized for failing to rescue the migrants before their vessel capsized and sank. Search Keywords: Short link: AGNIPATH scheme 2022: MHA to give priority to 'Agniveers' in recruitment for CAPF, Assam Rifles Manipur Violence: Assam Rifles Troops Exchange Gunfire With Unknown Men India oi-Deepika S Amid escalating tensions in Manipur, Assam Rifles troops exchanged gunfire with unknown men early Thursday morning at North Boljang in Imphal West district. The exchange of fire occurred amid fresh bouts of violence in the strife-torn Manipur where armed forces have been deployed to bring the situation under control and crack down on rioters. As per the initial reports, the situation has been brought under control, and combing operations are underway. At least three civilians were injured in a bomb blast on Wednesday evening. The explosion took place in Bishnupur's Kwakta, an area severely affected by the ongoing ethnic violence that has plagued the state for nearly two months, according to reports. Amit Shah Calls All-Party Meet on June 24 To Discuss Manipur Situation The bomb, which was planted in an SUV parked near a culvert, detonated with considerable force. One of the injured individuals is reported to be in critical condition. Amit Shah's all-party meeting Nearly 50 days after ethnic violence erupted in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah convened an all-party meeting on June 24 to discuss the situation in the State. "Union Home Minister Amit Shah has convened an all-party meeting on 24th June at 3 PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur," a home ministry spokesperson tweeted. Sonia Gandhi on Manipur Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday issued an appeal for peace in violence-hit Manipur and said the unprecedented violence that has devastated the lives of people of the state has left a deep wound on the nation's conscience. Manipur Violence: 'Situation Heartbreaking' Sonia Gandhi reacts, Issues Video Message In a video message shared by the Congress on social media, she expressed sadness that people were forced to flee the only place they called home and leave behind all that they had built over their lifetime. "It is heartbreaking to witness our brothers and sisters who have coexisted peacefully turn against each other," she said in her message. Gandhi said the history of Manipur stands testament to its ability to embrace people of all ethnicities, religions and backgrounds, and the myriad possibilities of a diverse society. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 10:21 [IST] Why Nitish Kumar Was Not Keen On Naming Opposition Bloc As INDIA? Mega Opposition Meet In Patna: What To Expect, Who All Are Attending India oi-Deepika S The stage is set for the much-awaited opposition meeting in Patna on June 23 to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to play host to opposition parties. Top leaders of about 20 Opposition parties from across the country are set to attend this mega event, which is expected to turn into a show of strength against the NDA government. The meeting was being seen as a first step towards united opposition to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP. This is also the first-time parties like the Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) indifferent towards the Congress - will share a common platform with the party. Opposition unity Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken the lead in speaking to several regional satraps besides the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and the Left to forge unity among opposition ranks to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Who will be attending? Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah and People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, and Left leaders will be attending the meeting. Why BRS Decided To Skip Opposition Meet In Patna Next Week Who will skip mega opposition meet? Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has decided to stay away from the meeting of Opposition leaders being convened by JDU chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on June 23. The Biju Janata Dal of Odisha, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the YSR Congress Party are among the non-BJP parties which are likely to give the meeting a miss. Opposition meet in Patna: Agenda The main agenda of the opposition meeting in Patna is how to strike alliances in different states effectively to take on the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections. In West Bengal, the TMC sees the Congress as one of its key challenges. In Delhi, the Congress positioned itself staunchly against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of AAP, which ended its 15-year rule in 2013. The meeting also comes amid a churn in the ruling coalition in Patna as well with one of the 'Mahagathbandhan' allies and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi walking out of the alliance and crossing over to the NDA. Issues likely to be discussed The opposition leaders are likely to discuss the alleged misuse of investigating agencies by the Centre to violence in Manipur, the wrestlers' protest and even the Delhi ordinance, and social justice in Patna on Friday. During the mega opposition meeting, Nitish Kumar is likely to urge everyone to present their opinions on drawing up a strategy on how to fight the BJP as one for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. One Seat, One Contest: Nitish is likely to propose to have a common candidate against the BJP in each of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies to defeat the saffron camp. While political pundits believe that it is difficult that all opposition parties could agree to field a common candidate, they are hopeful that the formula will work in at least 450 seats. Seat-sharing formula: The meeting could also deliberate on the seat-sharing formula for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Leadership challenge: The opposition parties would present a collective leadership instead of choosing one candidate against PM Modi. Regional parties: The opposition parties will also deliberate on the role of regional parties in the 2024 general elections if opposition parties want to challenge the BJP. Common Minimum Programme: All opposition parties are expected to forge unity based on a common minimum programme to provide an alternative to the Narendra Modi-led Union government. Next meeting date: The parties may also decide on a date for the next meeting and appoint senior leaders who could act as representatives in the backchannel talks before the general polls. OPINION: Muslims, Madrasas and Modern Education India oi-Madhuri Adnal By Arshad Alam One of the important parameters of development and maturing of any community is its attitude towards modern education, which not just opens up avenues for social and economic mobility but also starts an engagement with new ideas and ultimately contributes to nation building. The Muslim community in India has been a late starter when it comes to embracing modern education. For a long time before Independence, the community viewed modern education with suspicion and some of the Ulama even declared its acquisition 'antithetical' to the Islamic faith. W.W. Hunter's book 'The Indian Musalmans' (1871) argued that Muslim religious antipathy to modern education was the prime reason why they lagged behind other communities. Nearly 125 years later, the Sachar Committee report reiterated that Indian Muslims were one of the most educationally backward social groups in India. Although the report did not go into the complex reasons of this backwardness, it needs to be said that one of the important reasons seems to be that Muslims as a whole are still reluctant to embrace modern education completely. UCC, Madrasa autonomy to be focus of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind at key meet This is not to say that Muslims have not made any progress. Indeed, their levels of education at all levels have increased over the decades after Independence. However, this progress has been markedly slower as compared to the remarkable progress made by other sections of the society. Education, especially higher education, is the only capital through which one can be gainfully employed in the modern opportunity structure. Needless to say, if the social pool of Muslims who are accessing higher education is meagre, then their representation in jobs and services will also remain low. Muslims are told that this is because they are discriminated against but the problem is more complex and partly it is the community's own choices that may be responsible for it. Consider the system of 'madrasa' in the Muslim community. This institution has been around throughout the Muslim world since Islam became ascendant. Madrasas translate as schools and it was fitting that along with religion. Madrasas also taught the sciences of the day. In India, for example, madrasas used to teach subjects as varied as astronomy, literature and mathematics. It was possible for the same institution to produce not just religious specialists but also men who would be architects, chemists and philosophers. The establishment of the Deoband madrasa in 1864, however, changed all that. Muslims were told that the only education which was worth pursuing was a religious one. One of its founders, Qasim Nanotvi, argued that there was no merit in learning modern sciences except when it is done with the intention of refuting it. As such, the curriculum adopted at Deoband had no place for philosophy or science but only confined itself to the study of Quran and Hadith. It is important to remember that Deoband became the template after which all other madrasas were established and all of them followed what is known as the Deoband model. Why is it important to talk about madrasas today in the context of Muslim education? Because there is a sense in which they are inhibiting the growth of modern education among Muslims. The Sachar Committee report tells us that only about 4% Muslim children of school going age access madrasa education. It is argued that since this is a small number, madrasas do not have the deleterious impact on Muslim education as it is made out to be. This is not correct for the simple reason that 4% figure is a gross underestimation. The methodology adopted by the committee was faulty and in the absence of an all-India survey of madrasas, one cannot reliably argue how many students study there. Madrasa teacher arrested for distributing books hurting Hindu religious sentiments at Magh Mela in UP To cite just another example, a different government report (NMCME 2013) stated that 9.7% of Muslim children were accessing madrasa education which in absolute terms is a huge number. The same report alarmingly tells us that there are 68 districts in which 25% Muslim children access madrasa education. Let us understand that this is an all-India figure and since most madrasas in Indian are concentrated in North, the figures for the region are going to be much higher. It should also be kept in mind that majority of madrasas are purely religious seminaries which do not teach any modern education. Since madrasas and schools form parallel systems of the education, a Muslim child going to a madrasa is completely deprived of modern education. Another fact which adds to this predicament is that most of these madrasas are concentrated at the primary level of education. In effect, this will shore up the enrolment levels of Muslims but once the child moves to a regular school, she will find it very hard to adjust to new educational and pedagogical context. This might be one of the reasons why Muslim enrolment has improved over the years and has become at par with other communities but the rate of drop-out remains very high among Muslims. If less Muslim children are passing out of schools, then it is natural that their representation in higher education and consequently in jobs and services will get negatively affected. Almost all communities in India have some arrangement to pass on their religious tradition to the next generation. But nowhere else, it is being done by rejecting modern education. It appears as if the Muslim community has devised a method for self-elimination from modern education. Muslims will do well to realise that without reforming madrasas and embracing modern education, they will not be able play a meaningful role in the development of the country. (Arshad Alam is an independent academic and researcher based in Delhi.) Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 10:43 [IST] PM Modi, Biden Hold Bilateral Talks in White House's Oval Office India oi-Madhuri Adnal Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests, aimed at further boosting the Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. Modi held one-on-one meeting with Biden in the Oval Office of the White House before holding delegation-level talks. In his initial remarks, Prime Minister Modi told Biden that the President's commitment to the ties between the two countries has prompted India to take bold and audacious measures. He also described strong people-to-people ties as the real engine of India-US relationship and referred to the energetic diaspora crowd in While House to assert that a ''roar'' was heard about this connect. ''Today India and the US are walking shoulder-to-shoulder from the depths of the ocean to heights of the sky, from ancient culture to artificial intelligence,'' Modi said. This is the second interaction between the two leaders within 24 hours. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Prime Minister Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House a day earlier during which they discussed a range of issues, exchanged gifts and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. Indian Diaspora Gathers at South Lawns to Witness PM Modi's Official Welcome at White House The day began with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeting Prime Minister Modi for the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn. The two national anthems were played along with a 21-gun salute to the visiting leader. In his remarks at the welcome ceremony, Modi said he will soon hold talks with President and discuss regional and global issues. ''I am sure our talks will be positive.'' Modi said India and US are committed to working together for global good and peace, stability and prosperity. President Biden described the relationship between the US and India is one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff were also present at the welcome ceremony. Several thousand Indian-Americans, who have converged in the American capital from far and near, attended the welcome ceremony on the South Lawns. Indian Americans were chanting 'USA USA' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Modi Modi.' Modi and Biden are scheduled to address a news conference together from the East Room of the White House after their talks. They are likely to take questions from journalists. Normally each side takes two questions, but sometimes it can be one from each side. During the last Indian State visit of former prime minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009, the two sides took one question each. The prime minister would then head to the Congress to deliver an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, which would be attended by Congressmen and senators in the presence of several hundred Indian Americans from the visitor's gallery. In the evening, President Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Preparations for the visit have been going on for more than six months now and a lot of efforts have gone to ensure that the deliverables are historical in nature. The major areas include space, education, defence, technology, climate change and health. ''This visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together," the White House said on Wednesday. ''The visit will strengthen our two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and shared resolve to elevate the technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space," it said. According to the White House, the two leaders will discuss ways to further expand educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as work together to confront common challenges from climate change to workforce development and health security. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 21:07 [IST] Sheena Bora Case: Court Asks CBI to Expedite Trial, Fixes Monthly Dates of Proceedings India oi-PTI A special court in Mumbai directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to expedite the trial in the Sheena Bora murder case in which four persons, including her mother Indrani Mukerjea, have been named as accused. The court's order came after Indrani, a prime accused in the case, filed a plea for expediting the trial and conducting it on a day-to-day or weekly basis. Special CBI Judge S P Naik-Nimbalkar had allowed her plea on June 20. The detailed order was made available on Thursday. Indrani, in her plea, had stated that the prosecution (CBI) has examined 71 witnesses so far and has submitted a list of 92 more witnesses to be examined in the matter. Sheena Bora Murder Case: Indrani Mukerjea Seeks Speedy Trial ''For several months, the prosecution is unable to conduct the matter expeditiously. Therefore, the fundamental right of the accused to speedy trial is necessary to be considered and the matter may be expedited,'' the application said. In its reply, the CBI said they are expeditiously conducting the trial, summoning and examining the witnesses. The probe agency said the trial was not being conducted expeditiously due to filing of miscellaneous applications by the defence and deliberate failure to complete the cross-examination in a timely manner. Adjournments for cross-examination preparations and prolonged dates for cross-examination taken by the defence are part of the record, the CBI said, adding the prosecution was not responsible for any delay. The court, after hearing both the sides, allowed Indrani's plea and directed the CBI to expedite the trial. ''With consent of all the parties, hereafter, dates of the proceedings are fixed on every first Thursday and first Friday and every third Thursday and third Friday of each month," the court said. Parties are at liberty to adjust the dates in case of any emergency and the CBI must provide names of the witnesses, who are to be examined on fixed dates, in advance, the court further said. As per the prosecution, Bora (24) was allegedly strangled to death in a car by Indrani Mukerjea, her then driver Shyamvar Rai and her former husband Sanjeev Khanna in April 2012. Sheena Bora's 'lookalike' spotted? Mumbai court tells Guwahati airport to submit CCTV footage of Jan 5 The body of Sheena Bora, who was Indrani's daughter from a previous relationship, was burnt in a forest in neighbouring Raigad district. The murder came to light in 2015 after Rai told police about it after being held in another case. Peter Mukerjea was also arrested for allegedly being part of the conspiracy. All the accused are currently out on bail. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 18:02 [IST] 'Too Little, Too Late': Congress on Amit Shah's All-Party Meet On Manipur India oi-Prakash KL Congress has termed the all-party meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah on the Manipur situation as "too little, too late," Union Home Minister Amit Shah has convened an all-party meeting on June 24 in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur which has witnessed sporadic violence since May 3. "Well after 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, HM @AmitShah's call for an all party meeting is too little too late. The government only woke up after Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji's address to the people of Manipur," Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal tweeted. He questioned the absence of Prime Minister from such a "serious meeting" and criticised him for "unwillingness to confront his failures." The Congress leader said, "At the outset, the PM's absence from such a serious meeting shows his cowardice and unwillingness to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them. The HM himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, in fact things have worsened since his visit. Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship?" Manipur Violence: Assam Rifles Troops Exchange Gunfire With Unknown Men Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a three-day "official state visit" to the United States. Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of the President's rule is a travesty, the Congress leader added. Vengopal stated, "Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi. The entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government, which has been missing in action so far." Late on Wednesday evening, a home ministry spokesperson tweeted, "Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah has convened an all party meeting on 24th June at 3 PM in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur," The announcement came after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met the Home Minister, last evening. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 are injured. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 11:37 [IST] UNDP Ties Up With DAY To Help Out Women Entrepreneurs India oi-Sanjeev Nayak The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) have entered into a partnership aimed at empowering women to make well-informed career choices in the field of entrepreneurship. The partnership will provide support for women looking to start and expanding their own enterprises, particularly in sectors such as care economy, digital economy, electric mobility, waste management, food packaging and more. Focused on fostering entrepreneurship development and accelerating enterprise growth, the three-year project, extendable beyond 2025, will cover eight cities in the initial phase. Speaking at the signing program yesterday, Union Joint Secretary Rahul Kapoor, who is also the Director of DAY-NULM, said, "The Mission has a very important objective of empowering urban communities. We are hopeful that through this partnership with UNDP, we will be able to make our interventions more effective and impactful under the Mission." In her speech, Shoko Noda, Resident Representative, UNDP India, said, "Women entrepreneurship is a proven strategy for poverty alleviation, financial independence and reshaping gender norms. Today, women account for only 15 per cent of the total entrepreneurs in India." "By increasing this number, we not only empower women, but also accelerate economic growth of the country and ensure a happy and healthy society. UNDP and DAY-NULM are coming together to build this inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem," she added. Leveraging its experience in linking over 2 lakh women to better employment opportunities, UNDP will offer national-level capacity building support to DAY-NULM. This support will focus on knowledge generation and management, such as compiling compendiums of best practices related to urban poverty, to enhance the implementation of national-level schemes. 67% population under 18 years in India consider climate change global emergency: UNDP Drawing on their extensive sectoral expertise, UNDP and DAY-NULM will collaborate on piloting innovative solutions, particularly in the care economy domain. UNDP and DAY-NULM will jointly engage in on-ground mobilization activities that involve identifying pockets of urban poverty and potential entrepreneurs, as well as facilitating access to Business Development Services. Handholding support will be provided to the cohort to formalize their businesses, establish bank linkages, secure access to finance and markets. UNDP will also contribute to the initiative by developing community business mentors, called "Biz-Sakhis", in selected project locations. These mentors can support new and existing enterprises, and serve as a resource for DAY at a later stage. The DAY-NULM has an aim to uplift the urban poor by enhancing sustainable livelihood opportunities through skill development. The scheme extends its coverage to all the 4,041 statutory cities and towns, thereby covering most of India's urban population. Through its outreach efforts, the Mission has mobilized more than 8.4 million urban poor women across India, forming over 8.31 lakh self-help groups (SHGs) in over 4,000 towns. Their impressive grassroots initiatives facilitate economic empowerment and amplifies the voices of marginalized sections of the urban population, including SCs/STs, minorities, female-headed households, street vendors and rag pickers. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 17:01 [IST] Indian PM Modi Not Trying To Change Muslims Into Hindus: Tibet President-In-Exile International oi-Prakash KL At a time when a section of people want the Joe Biden administration to express concerns over the human rights issue in India with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of Tibetan government-in-exile Penpa Tsering has extended his support, saying "India is the most tolerant country in the world." Speaking at the Press Club of Australia, he highlighted that due to specific incidents, individuals outside of India may perceive the situation there differently, but it is not reality. "We live in India. I was born in India. It is not as drastic as it's being made out in the international media...of Modi's coercive policies. He is not trying to change Muslims into Hindus. There are some cow vigilantes overreacting to certain situations for which the government gets blamed. I think India is one of the most tolerant countries in the world. So diverse culture, so many religions, so many different kinds of people," Hindustan Times quotes Penpa Tsering as saying on asking about India and the 'Hindutva thrust'. PM Modi To Join Biden In Rare Press Conference, Questions Limited He said, "Troublemakers are everywhere. Just because of a few troublemakers you can not blame the whole community. I think India is a very resilient country and takes pride in its diversity," Penpa Tsering said. "Do you see the troublemakers from the Hindu side or the Muslim side?" Penpa Tsering was asked. "Both," he replied. Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar shared the clip of his speech on Twitter and said, "India is the most tolerant country n most diverse country in the world -- where every citizen has equal rights." Talking about the India-China issue, Tsering said, "When His Holiness is asked this question (on India-China dynamics shift), he used to say India is always over-cautious when it comes to China. Now I can say we can remove the 'over' part but still 'cautious'. Because of China's belligerence on the Indian border, India has become much more stronger. If there is one thing that we know as Tibetans having lived with the Chinese for so many centuries is to stand up for your values. If you don't stand up for your values or position, the Chinese will always use you like a pony and keep riding you." Human Rights Criticism Meanwhile, over 70 members of the US Senate and House of Representatives, legislators called sent a letter to the Biden administration to address human rights concerns in his talks with Prime Minister Modi, who is on "official state visit" to the United States. PM Modi Gifts 7.5-Carat Green Diamond To Lady Jill, Upanishads To Joe Biden "A series of independent, credible reports reflect troubling signs in India toward the shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organizations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access," the letter states. "We make our views known", but "we do so in a way where we don't seek to lecture or assert that we don't have challenges ourselves", he said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 10:52 [IST] Wife of Missing Submersible Pilot Is Descendant of Couple Who Died In The Titanic In 1912 Missing Submersible Titanic: Not Just Oxygen, Passengers Face Other Grave Dangers International oi-Prakash KL The five passengers from the missing submersible Titan are not just running out of oxygen but also facing a few other grave dangers, experts say. The vessel, which went missing on Sunday noon, might have even lost electrical power, they say. According to Ken Ledez, a hyperbaric medicine expert at the Memorial University in St John's, Newfoundland, electrical power has a role in controlling the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide inside the Titanic submersible. "As levels of carbon dioxide build-up, then it becomes sedative, it becomes like an anaesthetic gas, and you will go to sleep," he told the BBC. Too much of the gas in a person's bloodstream, known as hypercapnia, can be life-threatening if not treated, he added. 'Not Sorry': Stepson of Titan Submersible Billionaire Passenger After Attending Blink-182 Gig Looking at the videos of the inside view of Titan, former Royal Navy submarine captain Ryan Ramsey said that he could not see a carbon dioxide removal system known as scrubbers. "That for me is the greatest problem of all of them," the BBC quoted Ramsey as saying. Also, the passengers are at risk from hypothermia, where the body gets too cold. Capt Ramsey states that when the submarine rests on the seabed, the water temperature plummets to approximately zero degrees. Moreover, in the absence of electricity, the sub becomes incapable of generating heat or any form of power. Recommended Video Titanic Submersible Missing: 5 passengers aboard the sub face health risks| Titan Sub| Oneindia News As a result, the crew's ability to establish communication with the search and rescue team diminishes due to the onset of hypothermia, oxygen deprivation, and the accumulation of carbon dioxide within the submarine. Even their attempts to attract attention by rhythmically banging on the hull at regular intervals will progressively decline. "If they're unconscious, they're not going to be able to do much to help themselves," Ledez told the BBC. It has to be noted that the vessel was designed to carry up to oxygen supply enough to last 96 hours. Less Than 20 Hours of Oxygen Left, Banging Noise Not from Titanic Submersible, Says Coast Guard A massive search operation is being carried out by the US and Canadian crews to locate the vessel. The five passengers onboard the submersible include British billionaire and adventurer Hamish Harding, Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Stockton Rush, founder and chief executive of OceanGate. Notably, they reportedly shelled out $250,000 for an eight-day trip. As per the latest reports, the five individuals on board the vessel have just a few hours of oxygen remaining. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 14:31 [IST] Less Than 20 Hours of Oxygen Left, Banging Noise Not from Titanic Submersible, Says Coast Guard 'Not Sorry': Stepson of Titan Submersible Billionaire Passenger After Attending Blink-182 Gig International oi-Prakash KL The stepson of British billionaire Hamish Harding, one of the men aboard the missing Titanic submersible, came under attack after attending a Blink-182 concert on Monday. "My stepdad Hamish is on this submarine lost at sea," Brian Szasz tweeted on the same day that it was reported that the sub carrying Harding and four other passengers lost signal. He said, "I'm devastated but coming to the San Diego show tonight so you guys can give me hope and cheer me up." Responding to replies to his tweet, the 37-year-old said this outing "helped me cope!" He also posted a picture from the venue in San Diego. "It might be distasteful being here but my family would want me to be at the Blink-182 show as it's my favorite band and music helps me in difficult times! ," he said. In another photo shared on his Instagram Story on Tuesday, he said, "Yes I went to @blink-182 last night. What am I supposed to do sit at home and watch the news? Not sorry this band has helped me through hard times since 1998." Recommended Video Titanic Submersible Missing: 5 passengers aboard the sub face health risks| Titan Sub| Oneindia News Less Than 20 Hours of Oxygen Left, Banging Noise Not from Titanic Submersible, Says Coast Guard However, the audio engineer removed all his posts following his mother Linda's advice. "For privacy my mom asked me to delete all related posts thanks for the support," he wrote. His posts met with criticism from a section of netizens for going on an outing during difficult times. During Sunday's expedition, a 22-foot submersible operated by Oceangate, carrying a group of five individuals, ventured beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean to explore the wreckage of the Titanic. Unfortunately, the submersible lost contact with the support ship. The passengers onboard included Harding, the CEO of Oceangate, Stockton Rush, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, accompanied by his teenage son, Suleman, and French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, as reported by CBS News. Harding is known for his exploratory escapades across the globe. The trip to Titanic's wreckage was the latest in a string of adventures. He has visited the South Pole multiple times, flown into space in 2022 onboard Blue Origin's fifth human-crewed flight, and set three world records - including the longest time spent at full ocean depth during a dive to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench, PTI reported. At present, search and rescue operations are underway by U.S. and Canadian crews to locate the vessel. It is crucial to note that the submersible is equipped with only a 96-hour emergency sustenance capability, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 9:21 [IST] Explosions rocked Khartoum on Thursday, more than two months after fighting broke out between two Sudanese rivals, with each side accusing the other of attacks on civilians. Witnesses in the east of the capital reported artillery fire, while others in the northern suburbs said there was heavy shelling from an army barracks, with the force of the blasts shaking the walls of houses. Fighting since April 15 between the regular army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) headed by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo has claimed more than 2,000 lives. The latest in a series of ceasefires that have all been systematically violated ended on Wednesday morning, and fighting resumed within minutes. The three-day US and Saudi-brokered ceasefire had brought a brief respite to the millions of civilians trapped by fighting and suffering shortages of medical care, electricity, water and other essentials. The army accused the RSF of "taking advantage of the truce to mobilise its forces and commit several violations against civilians". The RSF in turn accused the army of fabricating a video of a rape attack, alleging "one of the actors appeared in the uniform" of the armed forces, "proving their guilt". Darfur fighting rages The deadliest fighting has raged in Darfur, a vast region on Sudan's western border with Chad. In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, the army and paramilitary fighters clashed using "all types of weapons", residents told AFP on Wednesday evening. In Darfur, home to ethnic African groups as well as Arab tribes, the conflict has "taken an ethnic dimension", the United Nations has warned. In El-Obeid, North Kordofan state, witnesses reported hearing "artillery fire" on Wednesday. The chief of the UN's World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Wednesday confirmed "46 attacks on health care since the start of the fighting". He said about two-thirds of health facilities in areas affected by the war are "out of service," and warned that "the risk of epidemics will only increase" with the rainy season that began this month. The WHO said around 11 million people needed health assistance and voiced concerns about attempts to control ongoing epidemics of measles, malaria and dengue. 'Bombs falling' At a donors' conference in Geneva on Monday, the international community pledged to raise $1.5 billion in aid for Sudan and neighbouring countries, but that amounted to less than half of the estimated needs. "Those pledges are generous, yet they total only half of what the UN estimates is required to address humanitarian needs in the country and its neighbours," said Will Carter of the Norwegian Refugee Council. "It is too little given the sheer scale of the catastrophe that is unfolding," he wrote in an article published in The New Humanitarian. A record 25 million people -- more than half Sudan's population -- need aid and protection, the United Nations says. The conflict has plunged Sudan into chaos, with combatants occupying homes, looting properties and committing other abuses. In his article, Carter cited the testimony of a person who had fled Khartoum and met him in White Nile state, on the border with South Sudan. "The bombs kept falling and the walls kept shaking," he quoted the unnamed person as saying. "The children stayed under their beds, but a bullet crossed into the wall a few inches from them." Almost 600,000 people have fled Sudan for neighbouring countries, the International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday. More than two million are displaced inside Sudan, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Search Keywords: Short link: Obama Raises Concerns About Protection Of Muslim Minorities In India Amid PM Modi-Biden Meet International oi-Madhuri Adnal Former US President Barack Obama, in an exclusive interview with CNN's Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour, expressed his concerns that India could experience internal divisions if the government fails to safeguard the rights of its ethnic minorities. These comments from Obama coincided with Prime Minister Modi's inaugural State visit to the United States. On Thursday, Modi held a meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House. While Obama acknowledged his collaboration with Modi on climate change and other areas, he emphasized that discussions on Indian democracy should also incorporate concerns about its treatment of ethnic minorities. The former US President stated that if an American leader were to meet with Modi, it would be important to address the "protection of the Muslim minority in a majority-Hindu India." PM Modi Talks of 'Bold' Steps; Biden Lauds 'One of the Most Defining Relationships' in 21st century Obama added, "If I had a conversation with Mr. Modi - who I know well - part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility India, at some point, starts pulling apart. And we have seen what happens when you start getting those kinds of large internal conflicts. That would be contrary to the interests of India." He further mentioned that as the President of the United States, he dealt with figures who were allies but didn't necessarily govern in a manner aligned with ideal democratic principles. Reacting to Obama's interview, Congress spokesperson and social media head Supriya Shrinate took to Twitter, sarcastically stating, "There's a message Mr. Modi's friend 'Barack' has for him. Guess he's also a part of an international conspiracy against Mr. Modi? At least that's what the bhakts would allege!" Watch this video from 2.36 mins - Theres a message Mr Modis friend Barack has for him. Guess hes also a part of an international conspiracy against Mr Modi? At least thats what the bhakts would allege! pic.twitter.com/3LeTtmAiU0 Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) June 22, 2023 While Biden hosted PM Modi, some human rights advocates and US lawmakers questioned the decision to bestow such an honor on the Indian Prime Minister, citing allegations of human rights violations. During their Oval Office meeting, Biden subtly alluded to human rights in India, emphasizing the desire for a partnership grounded in "democracy, human rights, freedom, and the rule of law," as reported by the Associated Press. However, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan stated that Biden would express concerns without lecturing the Indian Prime Minister. Additionally, Representatives Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who are the only two Muslim women members of the US Congress, announced their decision to boycott Modi's address to Congress. They cited allegations of mistreatment against dissidents and minorities, particularly Muslims, in India. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 23:23 [IST] Opposition Mantra Is Of, By And For Family: PM Modi What Happened With Daughters Can Never Be Forgiven: PM Modi On Manipur Parade Incident PM Modi Gifts 7.5 Carat Green Diamond To Jill Biden: 7 Things To Know International oi-Deepika S Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a 3-day state visit to the United States presented special gifts from India to President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. PM Modi thoughtfully gifted Biden with a rare first edition print of The Ten Principal Upanishads, recognising the leader's profound admiration for Irish poet William Butler Yeats. 'The Ten Principal Upanishads', is an English translation of the Hindu religious text by Irish poet Yeats and Shri Purohit Swami. The prime minister also presented a special sandalwood box to US President Joe Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns. In 1937, WB Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Shri Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats. PM Modi Gifts 7.5-Carat Green Diamond To Lady Jill, Upanishads To Joe Biden Recommended Video PM Modi gifts Green Diamond to Jill Biden | Know all about the Green Diamond | Oneindia News Apart from the long list of gifts PM Modi offered to the Bidens, the one that is much talked about is the Green diamond ring that Prime Minister Modi gifted to Jill Biden. All About The Green Diamond PM Modi Gifted US First Lady Jill Biden The lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond reflects earth-mined diamonds' chemical and optical properties. One fascinating aspect of the diamond is its eco-friendly nature, emitting a mere 0.028 grams of carbon per carat. Crafted using sustainable resources like solar and wind power, it also embodies eco-friendliness, the press release stated. The extraordinary gemstone showcases the hallmarks of excellence through the 4C's: Cut, Colour, Carat and Clarity. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, this remarkable gem was cultivated in a laboratory specifically for the Bidens, a testament to the significance of this state visit. The green diamond is a beacon of responsible luxury that symbolises India's 75 years of freedom and sustainable International relations. The green diamond is the rarest of the diamonds found in nature and is far more expensive than a regular diamond bought in the market. The diamond's creation also aligns with the ethos of preserving the environment while offering a dazzling and ethically conscious alternative. The extraordinary gemstone was placed in a box, known as kar-e-kalamdani, which beautifully captures the exquisite craftsmanship of Kashmir. Opposition Mantra Is Of, By And For Family: PM Modi What Happened With Daughters Can Never Be Forgiven: PM Modi On Manipur Parade Incident PM Modi Gifts 7.5-Carat Green Diamond To Lady Jill, Upanishads To Joe Biden International oi-Deepika S Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his first state visit to the US, presented special gifts to President Joe Biden, and a green diamond to First Lady Jill Biden. PM Modi gifted a handcrafted sandalwood box to President Joe Biden, and a green diamond to First Lady Jill Biden. PM Modi is presenting a special gift which symbolises the Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam celebration rituals as a special gesture to President Biden. A special sandalwood box, sourced from Mysore, Karnataka has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. It has intricately carved flora and fauna patterns. The box contains the idol of Ganesha, Hindu deity considered as the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods. Every auspicious occasion begins with prayers to Lord Ganesha. This silver idol of Ganesha has been handcrafted by a family of fifth generation silversmiths of Kolkata. It also has a diya (oil lamp), a copper plate, and 'Das Danam' or the ten donations, which signifies the donations made on this occasion. Recommended Video PM Modi exchanges official gifts with US President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden | Oneindia News PM Modi presents The Ten Principal Upanishads to Joe Biden PM Modi also gifted a copy of the first edition print of the book, 'The Ten Principal Upanishads' published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow to President Joe Biden. In 1937, WB Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Shri Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats. A copy of the first edition print of this book, 'The Ten Principal Upanishads' published by M/s Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow has been gifted to President Biden by PM Modi. Green diamond significance The diamond is eco-friendly as resources like solar and wind power were used in its making. The green diamond is sculpted with precision and care using cutting edge technology. It emits only 0.028 grams of carbon per carat and is certified by the Gemological Lab, IGI (International Gemological Institute). Crafted using sustainable resources like solar and wind power, it also embodies eco-friendliness, the press release stated. The extraordinary gemstone showcases the hallmarks of excellence through the 4C's: Cut, Colour, Carat and Clarity. The extraordinary gemstone was placed in a box, known as kar-e-kalamdani, which beautifully captures the exquisite craftsmanship of Kashmir. What Bidens gift PM Modi The president and first lady presented PM Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. They also gifted Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography. PM Modi is on an official state visit to the US, where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. PM Modi In US: What's On The Menu For Biden's State Dinner International oi-Prakash KL US First Lady Jill Biden has revealed the menu for the State Dinner for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scheduled for Thursday. Jill Biden has worked with guest Chef Nina Curtis, White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford, and White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison to develop the menu for the State Dinner. Guests will have the option to add fish to their main course as well, the First Lady said. Indian Prime Minister is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. What's On The Menu The first course includes Marinated Millet and Grilled Corn Kernel Salad; Compressed Watermelon and Tangy Avocado Sauce. While the main course includes Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms and Creamy Saffron-infused Risotto. It also has Sumac-roasted Sea Bass; Lemon-Dill Yogurt Sauce; Crisped Millet Cakes and Summer Squashes. It will be attended by over 400 guests. Millets Included In The Menu Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to promote millets, First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden, has included millet-based dishes in the State Dinner to be held in his honour. #WATCH | First Lady of the US, Jill Biden gives details on the State Dinner that will be hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "...Tomorrow night, guest will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron-coloured flowers at every table -- the pic.twitter.com/oNgrXgAHjw ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 "After dinner, we will have the opportunity to hear one of our nation's incredible talents - Grammy award winner Joshua Bell. His performance will be followed by Penn Masala - a South Asian acapella group from the University of Pennsylvania who are bringing a little piece of my hometown to the White House along with songs inspired by the sounds of India..," said Jill Biden. The State Dinner will take place in a pavilion on the South Lawn draped in greens and saffron, honouring the colours of the Indian flag and the strength and heritage they represent, according to a report in PTI. According to her, the transparent sides will feature vibrant colors symbolizing "the resilience and rich legacy of our nation." These colors will encompass the iconic landmarks and symbols of our democracy and history, including the White House and the Washington Monument. "When you step inside, you will discover a collection of cozy and distinctive table arrangements. Our aim is to create an intimate ambiance where every guest feels personally attended to. Following the delightful dinner, we have a special treat in store for you: a performance by the immensely talented Joshua Bell, a Grammy award winner," she expressed. Washington, DC | At a media preview at the White House, ahead of the State Dinner that will be hosted for PM Narendra Modi, dishes that will be served have been put on display. The menu will include Marinated Millet and Grilled Corn Kernel Salad among other dishes. pic.twitter.com/ScA7ojdbYd ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 His performance will be followed by that of Penn Masala, a group from the University of Pennsylvania, along with songs inspired by the sounds of India, Jill Biden said. "Finally, after the last plates are cleared, with new connections forged and old ones strengthened, guests will end their evening walking across a moonlit lawn. There they will be greeted by hundreds of glowing lanterns guiding them home, illuminating their pathway with all the warmth and love and laughter we hope they take away from our time together," she said. #WATCH | Guest Chef Nina Curtis gives details on the State Dinner that will be hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "...We are very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the international year of millet. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu" she pic.twitter.com/Ts0Smq6TN7 ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo, previewing the State Dinner, said the First Lady has been involved in this event at every step. Every element of the dinner and decor has been chosen to make each guest's experience personal and warm, Elizondo said. "The inspiration for our design really began with the peacock, India's national bird. From the invitations to the programmes to the pavilion, we wanted to evoke that breathtaking feeling when it extends its tail, unveiling its colourful beauty, majesty, and strength," the official said. "Green draping will flow from the ceiling, giving way to tables cloaked in the saturated blues and greens of Indian silks, falling onto a carpet of navy blue. The hues, not only a nod to our guests, but also to our host, as blue and green are also two of Dr (Jill) Biden's favourite colours," Elizondo said. First Lady of the US Jill Biden worked with guest Chef Nina Curtis, White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford, and White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison to develop the menu for the State Dinner to be hosted for PM Modi. The dishes were displayed at a media preview at pic.twitter.com/eOZChjdr6W ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 Each table will feature an arrangement of blooms in vases large and small, and the colour of the flowers mirrors the saffron of India's flag and the heritage it represents, he said. The social secretary said as leaders have done at State Dinners for decades, the President and the Prime Minister will give their toasts from an eagle lectern. "For this dinner, embossed on the rich forest green backdrop behind them, we have replicated that iconic eagle and a peacock in the same style, framing the leaders with their national birds. In the peacock's talons, stalks of millets, a nod to India's successful campaign to declare 2023 the International Year of Millets," he said. Elizondo said around them are lotus flowers that are important symbols in India. "Their gleaming petals reminding us, that each day, our nations bloom stronger and more radiant, together. Throughout the space, you will see more images of lotuses, their design inspired by the mandala illustrations found in traditional Indian art," he added. #WATCH | Washington, DC | "After dinner, we will have the opportunity to hear one of our nation's incredible talents - Grammy award winner Joshua Bell. His performance will be followed by Penn Masala - a South Asian acapella group from the University of Pennsylvania who are pic.twitter.com/4EI3RUDzVQ ANI (@ANI) June 21, 2023 The design, he said, also reflects the First Lady's love of candles, their timeless elegance and their approachable warmth. Guests will be guided to the pavilion by their flickering light, just visible in the fading sunlight. The dinner itself will be lit with sparkling candlelight, the official said. Elizondo said dishes in the menu will mirror the decor, infusing the cuisine with Indian flavours and culture, like millets and saffron. Chef Curtis then worked with the First Lady and White House chefs to create the delicious cuisine for the evening, he said. Chef Curtis said this is definitely a pinnacle moment in her career. "It is truly a pleasure to be able to work with the First Lady and help her to bring her culinary vision to life... we have curated a menu that really showcases the best in American cuisine and also then seasoned with Indian elements and flavours," she said. "We are also very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the international year of the millets. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu and the Indian cuisine elements throughout the menu," the chef said. H1-B Visas, Stolen Antiques and Mini India: Top Quotes From PM Modi's Address To Indian Diaspora In US PM Modi Talks of 'Bold' Steps; Biden Lauds 'One of the Most Defining Relationships' in 21st century International oi-Madhuri Adnal Indo-US ties on Thursday appeared to be on the cusp of an upward leap as President Joe Biden described them as one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century while Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the US leader's commitment to their bond has inspired his country to take ''bold and audacious'' steps. PM Modi held one-on-one talks with Biden in the Oval Office of the White House before holding delegation-level talks. Both leaders discussed a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests, aimed at further boosting the Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. In his initial remarks, Modi told Biden that the President's commitment to the ties between the two countries has inspired India to take bold and audacious measures. He also described strong people-to-people ties as the real engine of India-US relationship and referred to the energetic diaspora crowd in the White House to assert that a ''roar'' was heard about this connect. ''Today India and the US are walking shoulder-to-shoulder from the depths of the ocean to heights of the sky, from ancient culture to artificial intelligence,'' Modi said. The diplomatic relations between the two countries are generally spoken in terms of joint statement, working groups, he said, adding that they are indeed important. ''But the real engine of India-US relations is our strong people-to-people ties,'' he said. Noting that Modi and Biden are meeting on all the three days of the Indian leader's stay in Washington, official sources said the prime minister's maiden state visit to the US is likely to deepen the two countries' like never before. This was the second interaction between the two leaders within 24 hours. PM Modi, Biden Hold Bilateral Talks in White House's Oval Office President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Prime Minister Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House a day earlier during which they discussed a range of issues, exchanged gifts and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. Biden earlier accorded a grand welcome to Modi, saying ''Welcome back to the White House,'' amid cheers from the large Indian-American crowd gathered on the South Lawn of the White House. In their remarks at the welcome ceremony, the two leaders mentioned both countries shared democratic values and pluralism and noted that their constitutions begin with ''We the people'', a nod to their robust democratic spirit. Biden earlier said that with India's cooperation, they have strengthened QUAD for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Modi earlier said at his welcome ceremony that societies and institutions of both the US and India are based on democratic values and both countries take pride in their diversity. Thanking Biden, his wife Jill Biden and the US administration for a warm and grand welcome, Modi said this is the first time the gates of the White House have been opened for Indian-Americans in such large numbers. ''This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honour and pride for 1.4 billion people of India. This is also an honour for more than 4 million people of Indian origin living in the US. For this honour, I express my heartfelt gratitude to President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden,'' Modi said. He said both countries take pride in their diversity, and ''both of us believe in the fundamental principle of 'In the interest of all, for the welfare of all'''. He said about three decades ago, he had come to America as a common man and at that time, he had seen the White House from the outside. ''After becoming the Prime Minister, I've come here many times, but today for the first time the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian-American community in such large numbers,'' he added. He said Indian community members are enhancing India's glory in the US through their hard work and dedication. The day began with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeting Prime Minister Modi for the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn. The two national anthems were played along with a 21-gun salute to the visiting leader. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff were also present at the welcome ceremony. The prime minister would also deliver an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, which would be attended by Congressmen and senators in the presence of several hundred Indian Americans from the visitor's gallery. In the evening, President Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Preparations for the visit have been going on for more than six months now and a lot of efforts have gone to ensure that the deliverables are historical in nature. ''This visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together," the White House said on Wednesday. ''The visit will strengthen our two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and shared resolve to elevate the technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space," it said. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 23:01 [IST] What Happened With Daughters Can Never Be Forgiven: PM Modi On Manipur Parade Incident PM Modi To Have One-On-One Meeting With Biden Before High-Level Talks International oi-PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden will have a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday before holding high-level talks to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. "This visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together," the White House said on Wednesday. "The visit will strengthen our two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific and shared resolve to elevate the technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy and space," it said. PM Modi To Join Biden In Rare Press Conference, Questions Limited According to the White House, the two leaders will discuss ways to further expand educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as work together to confront common challenges from climate change to workforce development and health security. The day would begin with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeting Prime Minister Modi for the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawns which includes a 21-gun salute. Several thousand Indian-Americans are expected to attend the welcome ceremony on the South Lawns. There are chances that the rain might spoil the welcome ceremony, but it is unlikely to dampen the spirit of thousands of Indian-Americans who have converged in the American capital from far and near. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff would be attending the welcome ceremony. Thereafter, the leaders of the two largest democracies of the world will hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, wherein they are expected to make some remarks. Modi and Biden are scheduled to address a news conference together from the East Room of the White House. PM Modi Gifts 7.5-Carat Green Diamond To Lady Jill, Upanishads To Joe Biden They are likely to take questions from journalists. Normally each side takes two questions, but sometimes it can be one from each side. During the last Indian State visit of former prime minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009, the two sides took one question each. The prime minister would then head to the Congress to deliver an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, which would be attended by Congressmen and senators in the presence of several hundred Indian-Americans from the visitor's gallery. Opposition Mantra Is Of, By And For Family: PM Modi What Happened With Daughters Can Never Be Forgiven: PM Modi On Manipur Parade Incident PM Modi To Take Two Questions In Rare Presser With Joe Biden International oi-Deepika S In a rare press conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will take questions from journalists on Thursday, a senior White House official informed. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the US administration understands the press conference is a big deal. "We are just grateful that Prime Minister Modi is participating in a press event at the end of the visit," Kirby was quoted saying by Reuters. "We think that's important and we're glad he thinks that's important too," he added. The format of the press conference on Thursday will allow only one question from the US press and one from an Indian journalist. By convention, leaders take questions from two reporters on each side. PM Modi Gifts 7.5-Carat Green Diamond To Lady Jill, Upanishads To Joe Biden White House press conferences with other world leaders have been tightly controlled, with U.S. officials designating reporters beforehand from the American and foreign media for Biden and his guest to call upon, and a very limited number of questions. Democrats have urged Biden to bring up human rights with PM Modi amid concerns about democratic backsliding in India under the Bharatiya Janata Party. Human rights could be one topic of the press conference. Notably, PM Modi has not addressed a single press conference in India since becoming prime minister about nine years ago. In May 2019 he attended a press conference but never took questions. Biden not to lecture Modi on human rights White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said US President Joe Biden is expected to bring up US concerns about democratic backsliding in India, but he will not lecture PM Modi on the subject. "We do so publicly. We do so privately. We do so in a way where we don't seek to lecture or assert that we don't have challenges ourselves....And that will be the nature of the conversations that take place here over the course of the next couple of days," he was quoted as saying by the US media. Sky Isnt Limit for India-US Partnership, Says PM Modi after Talks with Biden International oi-Madhuri Adnal Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that India and the US - the two biggest democracies of the world, can contribute towards global peace, stability and prosperity as he asserted that for the partnership between the two countries, ''even the sky is not the limit''. PM Modi made the remarks during a joint press conference with President Biden after his one-on-one meeting which was followed by delegation-level talks at the White House. ''For the partnership between India and the US, even the sky is not the limit. The most important pillar of our relations is our people-to-people ties. More than 40 lakh people of Indian origin are contributing to the development of America,'' PM Modi said. The Prime Minister said that the two biggest democracies of the world, India and the US, can contribute towards global peace, stability and prosperity. ''I'm sure that on the basis of these values, we can fulfil the aspirations of the world,'' he added. Obama Raises Concerns About Protection Of Muslim Minorities In India Amid PM Modi-Biden Meet 'PM Modi said that India and America are walking shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against terrorism and radicalism, and added that during his talks with President Biden, the two sides have agreed that concerted action is necessary to end cross border terrorism. The Prime Minister said that peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region is our shared priority. ''We are unanimous that the development and success of this region is important for the whole world,'' he added. ''We have also decided that like trusted partners the US and India will prepare a reliable, secure, resilient global supply chain and value chain, amid global uncertainties.'' Earlier, President Biden said India and the US should work and lead together given the challenges and opportunities facing the world. These Lawmakers Are Boycotting PM Modi's US Congress Address International oi-Deepika S Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address a joint session of the US Congress on June 22, becoming the first Indian PM to be accorded this honour twice. His first address came in June 2016. The leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate from both parties invited PM Modi to share his vision of India's future and the global challenges faced by both countries. However, US lawmakers Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Jamie Raskin have decided to skip Prime Minister Narendra Modi's joint congressional address, alleging that the Modi-led union government in India has repressed religious minorities. A total of 75 Democratic senators and members of the House of Representatives have written to President Biden to discuss human rights issues with Modi. "As longtime supporters of a strong U.S.-India relationship, we also believe that friends can and should discuss their differences in an honest and forthright way. That is why we respectfully request that - in addition to the many areas of shared interests between India and the U.S. - you also raise directly with Prime Minister Modi areas of concern," the letter read. "A series of independent, credible reports reflect troubling signs in India toward the shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organizations and journalists, and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access. Specifically, the State Department's 2022 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in India documents the tightening of political rights and expression. Similarly, the State Department's 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom in India details the worrisome increase of religious intolerance toward minorities and religiously motived violence by both private and state actors. Further, the annual assessments compiled by Reporters Without Borders show that India, a country that has been known in the past for its vibrant and independent press, has fallen significantly in the rankings for press freedom. And according to Access Now, India ranks first in terms of the most internet shutdowns for the fifth year in a row," it noted. "We join you in welcoming Prime Minister Modi to the United States. We want a close and warm relationship between the people of the United States and the people of India. We want that friendship to be built not only on our many shared interests but also on shared values. We do not endorse any particular Indian leader or political party - that is the decision of the people of India - but we do stand in support of the important principles that should be a core part of American foreign policy. And we ask that, during your meeting with Prime Minister Modi, you discuss the full range of issues important to a successful, strong, and long-term relationship between our two great countries," the Members write in closing," the letter added. Rashida Tlaib Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is the history in 2008 by becoming the first Muslim woman to ever serve in the Michigan Legislature. She is a Democratic representative of Michigan's 12th District in the House of Representatives. Its shameful that Modi has been given a platform at our nations capitalhis long history of human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, targeting Muslims & religious minorities, and censoring journalists is unacceptable. I will be boycotting Modis joint address to Congress. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) June 20, 2023 Ilhan Omar Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is a Democratic representative of Minnesota's 5th congressional district in House of Representatives. She is also a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. Prime Minister Modis government has repressed religious minorities, emboldened violent Hindu nationalist groups, and targeted journalists/human rights advocates with impunity. I will NOT be attending Modis speech. Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) June 20, 2023 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Ocasio-Cortez, also known by her initials AOC, is a Democratic member representing New York's 14th congressional district in House of Representatives. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will boycott Prime Minister Modi's joint address to Congress. pic.twitter.com/DICpt7StvF Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) June 21, 2023 Jamie Raskin Raskin, a Democratic member, is an American attorney, law professor, and politician serving as the US representative for Maryland's 8th congressional district in House of Representatives. To correct the record, I am not boycotting Prime Minister Modis visit. I am going to my daughters wedding. Nor has the CPC called for a boycott. I signed a letter protesting human rights violations in India and hope that Pres. Biden will raise this serious problem with PM Modi. Rep. Jamie Raskin (@RepRaskin) June 21, 2023 For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 15:46 [IST] US To Provide Cluster Munitions To Ukraine As Part Of Aid Package US To Destroy Its Last Chemical Weapons, Closing Deadly Chapter Dating To World War I Who Is Geeta Rao Gupta? New Ambassador-At-Large For Global Womens Issues In US From US To Japan Via Europe: Record Heatwave Sweeps The World US To Ease H1-B Visas For Skilled Indian Workers Amid PM Modi's Visit: Report International oi-Deepika S In a move that could benefit tens of thousands of Indians, the Biden administration is using this week's state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help some skilled workers enter or remain in the country. The State Department is expected to announce the programme on Thursday that a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas will be able to renew those visas in the US, without having to travel abroad, according to the Reuters. The pilot project, to be launched later this year, when fully implemented, would be a big relief to thousands of Indian tech professionals in the United States. The pilot programme comes as layoffs have rippled through the tech industry in recent months and have hit H-1B visa holders particularly hard, with tens of thousands of foreign workers estimated to have been affected. The new programme wouldn't apply to laid off H-1B workers, who must leave the U.S. after 60 days if they can't find new employment or are unable to apply to transfer to another visa. For the last two decades, temporary visa holders have been required to travel to a U.S. consulate abroad to renew their visa. The much-sought-after H-1B visas are issued for three years at a time. Indian citizens are by far the most active users of the US H-1B program and made up 73% of the nearly 442,000 H-1B workers in fiscal year 2022. The Indian-based Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services as well as Amazon, Alphabet and Meta in the U.S. are among prominent companies using H-1B workers visas. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. ANIET - National Association of Extractive and Transforming Industry- hosted an international commission of architects and specifiers in May 2023 to promote the export potential of the Portuguese Natural Stone sector. In May 2023, an international commission, made up of about two dozen architects and specifiers, was in Portugal at the invitation of ANIET - National Association of Extractive and Transforming Industry, within the scope of the project "Pedra Portuguesa, O Natural Caminho - Sistema Support for Collective Actions - Co-financed by Compete 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Regional Development Fund. The main objective of this promotional action for international specifiers, inside and outside Europe, is to make international guests aware of the reality and export potential of the Portuguese Natural Stone sector, as well as to provide on-site visits to different companies representing the extraction sector. and transformation of Portuguese Natural Stone. According to Jorge Mira Amaral, President of ANIET, "(...) it is difficult to find a place in Europe, or in the world, that does not have the presence of Portuguese natural stone. It is essential to mention that, despite its small size, Portugal occupies , among the main producers and exporters of natural stone for ornamental purposes, 7th worldwide and 3rd in Europe". This delegation's visit to Portugal follows on from a wide range of actions carried out over the last two years by ANIET, always with the aim of promoting the Portuguese Natural Stone sector in the various geographies of the globe, such as promotional actions carried out in strategic markets for the sector, such as the United States of America, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Germany, Finland, among others. This initiative will culminate in the 3rd edition of the International Natural Stone Conference, which took place in Porto Casa da Musica. http://aniet.pt/en/ Short link: Wife of Missing Submersible Pilot Is Descendant of Couple Who Died In The Titanic In 1912 International oi-Prakash KL Even as the search operations for the missing submersible Titan is one, it has come to light that one among the five passengers aboard the vessel is descended from a New York couple who drowned in the Titanic disaster in 1912. Yes, Wendy Rush, who is the wife of Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, and the man that was piloting the submersible that has been lost at sea since Sunday, belongs to the family of Isidor Straus and wife Ida Straus, the New York Times reported. Straus couple was immortalized in James Cameron's 1997 classic 'Titanic', which starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Isidor Straus was a co-owner of Macy's and one of the wealthiest individuals on the ill-fated ship. Wendy Rush, OceanGate's communications director, proudly claims her lineage as Isidor and Ida's great-great-granddaughter. Wendy Rush tied the knot with Stockton Rush in 1986. Her husband piloted Titan, the submersible that was taking tourists to the Titanic wreckage. She is descended from Isidor and Ida Straus's daughter Minnie, who married Dr Richard Weil in 1905. Missing Submersible Titanic: Not Just Oxygen, Passengers Face Other Grave Dangers In real life, the couple was returning from their native Germany on the Titanic along with Ida's recently-appointed maid, Ellen Bird, and Isidor's manservant, John Farthing. Unfortunately, the ship was hit by an iceberg that sank the Titanic. However, she had the opportunity to survive, but she refused to go without her husband on a lifeboat till all the women and children are safely evacuated, according to the daily. Meanwhile, a massive search operation is being carried out by the US and Canadian crews to locate the vessel. As per the latest reports, the five individuals on board the vessel have just a few hours of oxygen remaining. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 16:30 [IST] Two Australian police officers were granted access to the hotel room on the seventh floor where the alleged incident occurred. 2008-2023 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. The Ukrainian president's commments come ahead of day 2 of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. Meanwhile, he also hailed advances made at the front line. DW has the latest. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz focused mainly on foreign policy while briefing lawmakers. He pledged support for Ukraine "for as long as it takes," and again promised Germany would spend 2% of GDP on defense in 2024. A Moscow court has rejected an appeal against extended pre-trial detention for WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich. He is awaiting a court appointment on espionage charges, which his employer and the US say are baseless. The Indian prime minister has also met with First Lady Jill Biden at the start of his trip, and will hold a rare press conference with President Joe Biden. But some lawmakers say they'll boycott his address to Congress. The Ukrainian president says a plot has been uncovered showing that Russia might stage a "terrorist" incident including the release of radiation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. A Chinese aircraft carrier group led by the vessel Shandong sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, Taiwan's defense ministry said, amid heightened military tension over the island Beijing claims as its own territory. The ministry said the Shandong, commissioned in 2019, had sailed in a southerly direction through the western part of the strait, and it had dispatched "appropriate forces" to monitor the Chinese activities. The aircraft carrier participated in Chinese military drills around Taiwan in April, operating in the western Pacific. In March last year, it sailed through the Taiwan Strait, just hours before the leaders of China and the U.S. were due to talk. Virginia's primary elections resulted in a strong night for GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin, as all the Republicans he endorsed in contested races won. A proposal to raise Pennsylvania's minimum wage to $15 per hour has cleared the state's House of Representatives in a narrow, near-party-line vote. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Lindsey Graham asked the FBI to turn over to the Senate Judiciary Committee an unredacted version of the document containing allegations against Biden. Eurasia Review 28 Jun 2023 A recent poll of Arab public opinion suggests US credibility has taken a hit, but all is not lost. That is if the United.. President Biden doubled down on his use of the term "dictator" to describe Chinese President Xi Jinping during a press conference on Thursday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi rarely takes questions from the media, but he'll do so at the White House with President Biden ahead of an official state dinner. A House GOP-passed resolution directs the Homeland Security and Judiciary panels to examine evidence of wrongdoing related to the president's immigration policies. The White House called it a stunt. euronews (in English) 27 Jun 2023 At least two people were killed and 22 wounded in a Russian rocket strike that hit a restaurant in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine,.. Rumble 19 Jul 2023 DEMOCRAT REP. CORI BUSH JUST COMPARED TAKING AN ABORTION PILL TO TAKING TYLENOL FOR A HEADACHE. THE TRUTH IS, AMERICA IS STARTING.. A delegation of African leaders travelled to Ukraine and Russia to help broker peace. But the collective west insists on prolonging the conflict. The war in Ukraine grinds on and the Ukrainian army is being destroyed by Russia with great loss of life. One would think that Ukraine would be grateful for any and all peace... Iran met in Qatar with European Union mediator Enrique Mora as part of efforts to revive its 2015 nuclear pact with world powers, as Tehran and Washington seek to cool tensions with a mutual understanding to help end the deadlock. Having failed to revive the deal in indirect talks that have stalled since September, Iranian and Western officials have met repeatedly in recent weeks to sketch out steps that could curb Iran's fast advancing nuclear work, free some U.S. and European detainees held in Iran, and unfreeze some Iranian assets abroad. "(I) had a serious and constructive meeting with Mora in Doha. We exchanged views and discussed a range of issues including negotiations on sanctions lifting," Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani said on Twitter, without elaborating. Mora tweeted that the Doha talks were intense and had touched on "a range of difficult bilateral, regional and international issues, including the way forward on the JCPOA," the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the nuclear deal is officially called. The national legislatures of South Africa and the United Arab Emirates are ready to host the parliaments of Ukraine and Russia to find possible avenues of convergence amid the conflict between the two nations. Police in the US state of Texas have detained a woman after she allegedly abandoned her young granddaughter at a busy airport to catch a flight to Honduras, officials have said. Lithuania's Kedainiai-based phosphate fertilizer producer Lifosa suffers great losses. AB Lifosa is one of the largest and most modern fertilizer manufacturers in Europe. The company is situated in K--dainiai, the geographical center of Lithuania. Lifosa mainly produces phosphate fertilizers for soil enrichment and fertility. From the end of 2014, the shares of AB Lifosa are controlled by EuroChem Group. According to Andrey Savchuk, Chief Executive Officer, Lifosa lost more than 100 million euros as a result of sanctions that have been in place for more than a year. According to his words, in particular, because of the sanctions, the plant is forced to work at reduced capacity, experiences a shortage of raw materials and interruptions in the supply of raw materials. "The status of the company subject to sanctions means that Lifosa is constantly faced with disruptions in the supply chain and a shortage of raw materials, which leads to reduced capacity and unplanned shutdowns," Savchuk said. On June 9, the management of Lifosa met for the first time with Gintaras Adomonis, the head of Valnetas company, which is the new temporary administrator. "We expressed our position and expectations to Mr. Adomonis and we hope that a solution will be found. It is very important for us to have the opportunity to inform our dedicated employees as soon as possible about the future plans of the company," Savchuk said. Adomonis noted that uninterrupted activity of Lifosa is possible only under the condition of strict compliance with sanctions. At the end of May, it was announced that Lifosa was suspending work for an annual scheduled repair. There is no information about the terms of resumption of work. In March 2022, the European Union introduced sanctions against the then beneficiary of Lifosa - Russian businessman Andrey Melnichenko. Soon, Melnichenko ceased to be a beneficiary of EuroChem Group, and also left the board of directors of the company. Since May 2022, Lifosa has been under the control of a temporary administrator who monitors the company's activities in accordance with international sanctions. In the middle of October, the temporary administrator of the company approved the appointment of Andrey Savchuk, the former top manager of EuroChem, as the head of Lifosa. During the work of the temporary administration, Lifosa repeatedly stopped and then resumed its activities. Most likely, the resumption of the company's activities and the preservation of more than 900 jobs are doubtful in near future. Gintaras Adomonis made it clear that he did not intend to fight for the removal of sanctions from the company. This automatically means that the company will not be able to operate at full capacity, and its employees will most likely be forced to quit in order to feed their families. Chair of the Labour Party Parliamentary Group, Viktoras Fiodorovas also criticizes the inactivity of state institutions in solving problems with Lifosa. "They are not looking for opportunities for people who work there and the companies and employees who even serve Lifos can receive salaries and be able to operate," he said. The politician noted that the main goal is to ensure that the shareholders of this sanctioned company do not benefit. At the same time, a similar company operating in Belgium does not have such restrictions as the one in Lithuania. So, the future of the company and employees depends only on the political will, which, unfortunately, is lacking. Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Hundreds of Syrian men, women and children have drowned early Wednesday in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Greece after the sinking of an Egyptian trawler headed for Italy. It is being called one of the deadliest migrant-ship disasters in the Mediterranean Sea. As many as 750 persons were packed into the boat, with women and children under the deck, which may be why the 104 survivors were all young men. 78 bodies were recovered 75 kilometers offshore Kalamata, Greece. Nine Egyptian human traffickers have been arrested in Greece and blamed as part of a smuggling network that advertised on Facebook. The ads promised a better life in Europe and charged between $5,000 to $6,000 per person. But, Greece is also being blamed for their part as they were monitoring the ship but never took steps to stop the ship and off-load passengers. The Greeks say they were communicating with the ship, and the ship requested to be allowed to continue sailing toward Italy. After the engine stopped, the passengers panicked, and their sudden movements caused the ship to roll over and sink. The US and EU sanctions on Syria are to blame. There is no war in Syria. The battlefields are long silent across Syria, but there is no recovery or rebuilding allowed in Syria, because the US and EU sanctions prevent any rebuilding or foreign investments in rebuilding projects. Infrastructure, hospitals, homes, schools, factories and businesses are all left waiting for the sanctions to be lifted to order parts and supplies from abroad to begin the long process of recovery from the US-NATO attack on Syria for regime change, which ended in failure. Western media lies when they repeatedly tell their western audiences that a violent civil war is raging in Syria, and people are leaving in fear for their lives, and this is the cause of the migrant crisis. This is untrue. From Aleppo, Damascus, Homs, and Latakia the roads are clear and open, the streets are free of soldiers and check points, and there are even tourists arriving to visit religious and historical sites. The western media must convince their audiences that the western foreign policies designed to create desperation in Syria are not to blame. It is the western sanctions, put in place by democracies, that keep the Syrian citizens unemployed; without any welfare safety net, people are forced to risk their lives to feed their families back home. The tiny province of Idlib, an olive-growing area in the northwest, is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Al Qaeda terrorist group supported by UN, US, EU and western humanitarian aid, but there are only 3 million civilians there, while the rest of the country holds 15 million. The people who left Syria on the ships were not from Idlib, because they have all their needs met there, and even have business opportunities there because Turkey and the US and EU support that population. On Thursday, the EU hosted a donors' conference for Syrian refugees in Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan. $2.1 Billion was pledged, but only those Syrians living in the terrorist enclave of Idlib, or those living in camps in neighboring countries, will benefit. The EU will not send 1 Euro to Damascus for the 15 million Syrians who are suffering from the sanctions, and are contemplating a journey that may end in drowning. Syrians leaving on desperate and dangerous sea journeys toward Europe are economic migrants. They are fleeing from poverty imposed upon them by the US and EU. They are seeking an income, because their former jobs were taken from them by terrorists who entered from Turkey and dismantled the factories' machinery and took it to Turkey where agents close to Turkish President Erdogan rebuilt the factories there, and have employed Syrian refugees there at wages far below the Turkish workers' union limit. The Syrian economy is collapsed and the currency devalued. What used to cost 100 Syrian Lira (SL) in 2011, now costs 10,000. $1 used to equate to 50 SL, and now fluctuates between 8,000 to 9,000 SL. Syrian merchants are prevented from ordering even the most basic of items such as factory materials and building products because of the sanctions. At one point, chemotherapy drugs were impossible to order due to foreign manufacturers in fear of US sanctions. Due to US and EU banking sanctions on Syria, merchants are prohibited from sending payments from Syria to firms abroad. The Port in Latakia sits idle instead of bustling with activity to rebuild lives. The Astana Peace talks will soon convene in Kazakhstan on June 20-21. Deputy Foreign Ministers from Syria, Iran, Russia and Turkey will discuss plans for a normalization between Turkey and Syria and also for a roadmap for a political solution for the Syrian crisis. However, Damascus insists normalization is not possible while Turkey is militarily occupying area along the northern border. On May 10, the Defense Ministers of all four countries met in Moscow and were tasked with developing a roadmap, which will be discussed at the upcoming meeting. On June 14, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said the roadmap for normalizing relations between Ankara and Damascus is now ready to be discussed at Astana. The Geneva Peace process for Syria has met numerous times, but has never achieved success. Experts point to the fact that the Geneva meetings are dictated by Washington's demands, which are keen to keep Syria destroyed and unrecovered by the US sanctions in place. However, Geir Pedersen, UN special envoy for Syria, has expressed optimism in the Astana meeting, but the US may prevent him from implementing any progress that comes from Astana. US President Joe Biden was part of the 2011 US attack on Syria engineered by President Obama, while Biden was Vice President. When Syria and Turkey were hit with a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on February 6, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was quick to rush with humanitarian aid deliveries to Damascus for victims in Latakia and Aleppo, the two hardest-hit areas in Syria. The US, EU and other western humanitarian groups chose to strictly send aid to the 3 million under terrorist control in Idlib, bypassing the 15 million Syrian who never received even a loaf of bread from the US. On March 10, Saudi Arabia and Iran signed a normalization agreement brokered by China. This was a political earthquake felt throughout the Middle East, as the two former foes put their hands together to work toward peace and prosperity for the region. In the wake of the new-found cooperation, Saudi Arabia reached out to Syria and meeting took place that saw the Syrian President back at the Arab League, and embassy functions between both countries established. The Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has a Vision 2030 project that is built upon peace and stability in the region, and he has called for foreign interference and instigated proxy wars to cease. Saudi Arabia has firmly taken the lead to find a peaceful political solution for the Syrian crisis, and is willing to work with China, Russia and Iran to fulfil his goals. The days of US dictating to the Arab world, and US-engineered wars for regime change in the Middle East, are over. Saudi Arabia is chartering a new course and they demand smooth sailing over calm waters. Steven Sahiounie is a two-time award-winning journalist Presenting The Covenant of Water Companion Podcast, A 6-Part Limited Series. About the Book: "The Covenant of Water" is the long-awaited new novel by Abraham Verghese, the author of the major word-of-mouth bestseller Cutting for Stone, which has sold over 1.5 million copies in the United States alone and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years. Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, "The Covenant of Water" is set in Kerala, on South India's Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowningand in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala's long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girland future matriarch, known as Big Ammachiwill witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants. A shimmering evocation of a bygone India and of the passage of time itself, "The Covenant of Water" is a hymn to progress in medicine and to human understanding, and a humbling testament to the difficulties undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. Midway through a rare nurses strike, Providence Health & Services says patient volume has declined 25% at its Northeast Portland hospital and is down 50% at Providence Hospital Seaside. The scale of the decline heartened Providence officials and left Oregon Nurses Association organizers let down. A wooden reminder of Portlands chaotic protest period is coming down. Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson has announced plans to remove the perimeter wall surrounding the new central courthouse nearly three years after it was erected to protect the Circuit Court building from nightly protests in 2020. The top 20 home cooks who earned spots representing their regions on this United Tastes of America season of Gordon Ramsays MasterChef had a chance to show off their skills in Episode 5, State Fair Food, which aired Wednesday, June 21. (No cable or antenna? Stream MasterChef live on Fubo, which offers a free trial; or watch episodes the day after they air on Hulu, which also offers a free trial) The contenders represented the West, the Northeast, the Midwest and the South. Among the members of the West team is James Barfield, a Portland home cook. In Wednesdays episode, Barfield and his fellow contestants were challenged to prepare dishes inspired by state fairs. But there was a twist: while the cooks were competing as individuals, in the challenge, they were cooking along with fellow members of their regional teams. While the judges named the best dishes from each region, whoever earned the judges votes for the top dish overall would save their entire regional team from elimination. Barfield, 31, said in one of the confessional interviews -- during which cast members speak to the camera -- that This cook is going to show the other regions that the West side is the best side. After commenting on his fellow members of the West team, and what they were focusing on, Barfield said, And me? You know what Im bringing from Oregon? Fresh mushrooms. As a mushroom jerky manufacturer, Barfield said, he had attended mushroom festivals, and was aiming to show the judges what I can do. Judges Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez and Joe Bastianich circulated, and talked with some cooks about what they were making. Sanchez and Bastianich checked in with Barfield, who said he was making a Mushroom Festival Burger. After hearing that Barfield was using mushroom powder, Bastianich cautioned him that the powder had a very strong umami flavor, and recommended putting the powder in water. Its a great strategy, Bastianich said. Itll elevate, but be careful. When it came time to ask for what they deemed the best dishes from each region, the judges included Barfield, whose Mushroom Festival Burger with garlic aioli, arugula, wild mushrooms and caramelized onions, was judges the best dish from the West team. It screams, Dive in, and eat me, Ramsay said. Bastianich called the burger, Perfection. Sanchez praised the balance of ingredients. This burgers got attitude, Ramsay said. The cook, he went on, was exceptional, adding, and trust me, I know a good burger. Despite Barfields triumph, the judges ultimately decided that the best dish came from the Midwest, and Kyle, who made beer-battered lobster fries, with fennel slaw and tarragon beer vinaigrette. Kyles victory earned immunity for his entire Midwest team, including Wayne, who didnt learn the Top Chef and MasterChef lesson, namely, never try and make risotto. And honestly, who goes to a state fair to eat pumpkin risotto? Blech. When it was time to determine who made the losing dish of the night, the West team took a hit, as Amandas tacos -- accurately described by Ramsay as sad-looking -- were judged the least successful dish. Amanda went home. Next week: a Mystery Box challenge, featuring bushels of apples. MasterChef airs weekly at 8 p.m. Wednesdays, on Fox. Kristi Turnquist 503-221-8227; kturnquist@oregonian.com; @Kristiturnquist Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe After auditioning cooks to represent regions of the United States, this MasterChef season, subtitled, United Tastes of America, returns Wednesday. Among the top 20 who made the cut is James Barfield, a Portland home cook who impressed judges Gordon Ramsay, Aaron Sanchez, Joe Bastianich and guest judge Susan Feniger, winning him a spot on the team representing the West. (No cable or antenna? Stream MasterChef live on Fubo, which offers a free trial; or watch episodes the day after they air on Hulu, which also offers a free trial.) Barfield made an impression in last weeks episode, where he emotionally spoke about his late mother, and how she influenced his love of cooking. His dish, a crab cake, drew praise from the judges, and inspired Ramsay to say, That is one of the best crab cakes Ive ever tasted. It is an absolute yes from me. The Wednesday, June 21 MasterChef episode asks contestants to create a state fair-inspired dish. The winner of the challenge will earn immunity for their regional team. MasterChef airs at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 21 on Fox. Kristi Turnquist 503-221-8227; kturnquist@oregonian.com; @Kristiturnquist Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Wilderton, an Oregon-based producer of nonalcoholic spirits, plans to open a tasting room and distillery in Hood River this summer. The distillery will be the first dedicated nonalcoholic spirits facility in the U.S., according to a press release. Nonalcoholic (NA) and alcohol-removed beverages have gained popularity in recent years, as the publics tastes have changed but also as the quality of NA alternatives has improved. Wildertons line of NA spirits includes its Bittersweet Apertivo (imagine something similar to a Campari thats citrus-y and a little bitter), Earthen (similar to a bourbon, the company recommends serving it with ginger ale and ice), and Lustre (a floral, white spirit that takes the place of gin in many NA cocktails). Wildertons line of NA spirits includes its Bittersweet Apertivo, Earthen and Lustre.Hereafter Photography, courtesy of Wilderton Wilderton, an Oregon-based producer of nonalcoholic spirits, plans to open the first NA tasting room and distillery in the U.S. in Hood River this summer.Hereafter Photography, courtesy of Wilderton The tasting room in Hood River is set to open July 1, and will offer complimentary guided tastings of Wildertons NA offerings, according to the release. A menu of NA cocktails, including a monthly specialty drink, will be available for purchase. Distillery tours will also be offered by reservation only. The new facility will also offer outdoor seating with Columbia River views. Wilderton Tasting Room & Distillery: 407 Portway Ave., Suite 100, Hood River; open daily, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. (beginning July 1). Read more: South Korea and the U.S. will conduct operation training with the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery stationed here around October. It will be the first joint training since the U.S. stationed the battery in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province in 2017. In March this year, the U.S. Forces Korea practiced deploying a remote-controlled launcher dozens of kilometers away from the THAAD base in order to defend a wider area. A senior government source told the Chosun Ilbo on Wednesday, "Combined defense capabilities will be enhanced once the THAAD base becomes fully operational." In a repeat of years past, state lawmakers will wrap the legislative session without tightening Oregons loose campaign finance laws, falling short on a key pledge to do so. House Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, convened a group of Democratic lawmakers this spring to hammer out limits on political spending. But Tony Lapiz, Rayfields legislative director, told a House committee June 8 that the legislators couldnt agree on a proposal during that process. Theyll continue to meet after the session with the goal of referring the issue to Oregon voters in 2024, Lapiz said. Democrats have tried repeatedly in recent years to advance new campaign finance models or cap contributions, to no avail. Unlike the vast majority of states, Oregon law allows unlimited donations from corporations, unions, individuals and other entities to candidates for governor, state offices such as secretary of state and the Legislature. Incredible sums of money have flooded recent elections including the three-way race for governor in November, during which spending topped $70 million. On the campaign trail, Gov. Tina Kotek pledged to limit political spending, and after she won, she was clear with legislative leaders that she expected to see action this session, said spokesperson Elisabeth Shepard. The governor is very disappointed that lawmakers were not able to get it done, Shepard said. The result follows a well-worn path of failed efforts in previous sessions, including a 2019 package sponsored by Rayfield to cap donations and shed light on dark money nonprofits. Those proposals died in the Senate. Two years later, lawmakers negotiated for months with major donors and good government groups but momentum fizzled late in the session. If lawmakers refer the issue to voters next year, their proposals would likely compete with those from citizen groups including Honest Elections Oregon, a group of Portland attorneys behind Multnomah Countys voter-approved campaign finance reforms in 2016 and Portlands in 2018. Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, said in a newsletter last week that lawmakers made very modest progress toward campaign finance reform that was swept away by the walkout, referring to the six-week Republican boycott of the state Senate. Golden did not respond to requests for comment from The Oregonian/OregonLive. Lapiz also told the House committee that the walkout was a factor. Senate President Rob Wagner of Lake Oswego, Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber of Beaverton and Rep. Khanh Pham of Portland were among the Democrats that Rayfield convened to discuss campaign finance reform, Lapiz said. Lapiz also said he met with a smaller group of lawmakers chiefs of staff, nonprofit advocates, including Honest Elections, and business leaders. Dan Meek, an attorney with Honest Elections, said hes not surprised that lawmakers didnt push reforms across the finish line. The Oregon Legislature has never in its history adopted limits on campaign contributions, Meek said. However, Meek noted that legislators passed a law this year barring candidates, political committees and petition committees from accepting more than $100 in cash in a year. The law, passed with bipartisan support, followed reports in Willamette Week that the duo behind the beleaguered cannabis company La Mota donated tens of thousands of dollars to Kotek, Wagner and other Democrats in cash. Former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, a Democrat, resigned last month after Willamette Week reported that she had taken a lucrative side gig consulting for La Mota. Democrats introduced two proposed reforms early in the session. Koteks plan, House Bill 3455, would have allowed individuals, corporations, unions and other entities to donate up to $1,000 per primary or general election cycle to candidates for state offices and up to $500 to candidates for the Legislature. Rayfields proposal, House Bill 2003, would have limited contributions to $3,000 for a candidate for state office, $2,000 for a state Senate candidate and $1,500 for a state House candidate. Honest Elections and other campaign finance experts criticized those bills for containing significant loopholes. In particular, both proposals would have allowed small donor political action committees to raise virtually unlimited amounts to spend in Oregon elections. Neither bill defined how much money a small donor committee could give to a candidate. Koteks proposal would have immediately become law if passed, while Rayfields would have been referred to voters for approval. Neither bill received a public hearing. In April, Golden planned to introduce a pair of amendments mirroring two 2024 ballot initiatives pushed by Honest Elections and the League of Women Voters. Meek said he believes Golden dropped the amendments because he knew that they would not be seriously considered. One of the ballot initiatives, Initiative Petition 9, would prevent corporations, unions, limited liability companies and other entities from directly contributing to campaigns. It would incentivize candidates to rely on small donations. Donors could give no more than $2,000 to candidates for governor and other state offices and $1,000 for state House or Senate candidates per election cycle. The initiative, which has been approved for signature-gathering, would also require candidates to disclose the true source of their funding in political advertisements. Another proposal, Initiative Petition 23, would establish a public campaign financing system modeled on Seattles Democracy Voucher Program. Meek said good governance groups are in the process of trying to qualify those two initiatives to go before voters in 2024 and plan to submit two others for potential circulation to voters. Grant Stringer; gstringer@oregonian.com; @Stringerjourno The Oregon Legislature passed a pair of bills Tuesday and Wednesday that will devote more than $90 million to restructuring the states public defense system and creating financial incentives for existing public defenders to stay. But key details such as how much of a pay increase the money will fund are unclear. Senate Bill 5532 and Senate Bill 337 include millions for increasing attorneys hourly or yearly contract wages, but in an odd display of leadership that has befuddled public defenders lawmakers havent explained how the money will translate into actual raises for individual lawyers. Increasing compensation has been a critical piece of solving the public defender shortage because many public defenders, especially in the Portland area, make tens of thousands of dollars less than prosecutors. Many are thinking of leaving for higher paying jobs. As of Wednesday, more than 300 criminal defendants languished in jail without a public defender assigned to them because they couldnt afford to hire a lawyer on their own and more than 2,000 were out of jail but without lawyers. The legislation is headed to the governors desk for her signature. Autumn Shreve, a spokesperson for the Office of Public Defense Services, which oversees payments of money to independently contracted public defenders, said she hopes in the coming weeks that dollar amounts of any pay raises will become clear. Instead of talking about pay raises, lawmakers talked about one-time bonuses and ways theyll restructure the public defense system: The state will give longevity bonuses that could amount to around $20,000 for existing public defenders. New public defenders might get what works out to be a $10,000 signing bonus. But the numbers still havent been nailed down. The legislation will force many public defenders who work in law firms or conduct business as groups of unaffiliated attorneys known as consortia to be paid by the hour instead of through yearly contracts. Thats left many unhappy. The state will create a pilot program with a total of almost eight full-time public defenders to represent defendants in need in the Portland area and in southern Oregon. The executive director and members of the commission will serve at the pleasure of the governor from Jan. 1, 2025 to July 1, 2027, at which point the commissioners will oversee the executive director. The governor will be able to remove commissioners only for inefficiency, neglect of duty or wrongdoing. Aimee Green; agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee A bill that will make it easier for victims of hate crimes to take paid time off work to deal with physical or psychological distress as well as to move away from their tormentors without paying rental lease penalties is headed to the governors desk for signing. House Bill 3443, which is sponsored by Rep. Khanh Pham, D-Portland, passed the House 40-14 in April before passing the Senate on Thursday 21-3, a week after Republicans returned from a six-week walkout. Open-air drug users could face a $500 fine and up to six months in jail under a new city ordinance proposed Thursday by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. The ordinance would add a ban on public consumption of drugs such as fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine to the citys preexisting prohibition on public alcohol use. The Reckon Report is a weekly newsletter that goes deeper in todays most-discussed headlines. Subscribe today and stay ready for the proverbial water cooler. This year, nearly 120,000 high school graduates have their diplomas with no pathway to citizenship nor a way to legally enter the workforce. For the past decade, many undocumented students who were brought to the United States as children and have spent most of their lives here a group often called Dreamers had been able to legally live and work in the United States because of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. Created in 2012 as a temporary solution for young immigrants, DACA grants protections against deportation and work authorization to those who meet certain criteria. But the class of 2023 will be among the first where most undocumented graduates will have entered the United States after DACAs required arrival date of June 15, 2007, according to FWD.us, a pro-immigration advocacy organization. That means theyre not eligible for DACA protections and face an uncertain future. DACA isnt accepting new applicants. The program is completely outdated, said Reyna Montoya, founder of Arizona-based immigration advocacy group Aliento, in a video by FWD.us. Now were seeing a lot of students who would meet the criteria of a Dreamer or a DACA recipient, but because the DACA program is on hold, and (because of) that age requirement, were not able to give them those opportunities. Read more: A decade after DACA, some Dreamers flourish but face uncertain future DACA recipients are, for the most part, a group frozen in time. Thanks to several ongoing legal challenges, DACAs requirements havent changed since 2012. The number of people who are still eligible for DACA now represent a small fraction of Americas 2.8 million Dreamers. DACA currently protects about 580,000 young people. The average age of a DACA recipient is 29; only about 3% are now high school age. Around 79% are in the labor force; more than a third are married and have children. They must meet certain criteria to qualify, and must renew their status periodically. Over the next three years, least 100,000 undocumented students will graduate from U.S. high schools each year, FWD.us estimates. Texas, California and Florida have the highest number of undocumented high school graduates, though more than half of U.S. states have at least 1,000. Most of those new graduates will find it difficult, if not impossible, to reach milestones that DACA made available to older Dreamers: attending college, legally joining the workforce, building families, becoming active members of their communities. As we commemorate the programs 11th anniversary, an entire generation of DACA recipients many of whom are now adults and parents are integral parts of every facet of American society, communities and our economy, said Todd Schulte, FWD.us president, in a statement. Schulte called Congresss lack of action on creating permanent legal protections for Dreamers nothing short of a devastating failure and urged action. With the program under dire threat in the courts, he said, it is imperative that the president, governors, mayors, employers, educators and others all take immediate action to safeguard the rights and security of these extraordinary individuals before it is too late. Kang Mi-sun, a principal dancer at the Universal Ballet, won the best dancer award at the Benois de la Danse at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow on Monday. The 40-year-old ballerina, who spent her entire career in Korea, told the Chosun Ilbo, "My mind was blank. I couldn't think of anything, since I never thought I'd win." When asked who came to her mind first when she won, Kang said, "My husband told me to put on a beautiful performance. My only thought was to show the beauty of Korean ballet on the world's top stage. I think I'm finally being rewarded for my persistence." Her husband is fellow principal dancer at the Universal Ballet, Konstantin Novoselov. They have a son who was born in 2021. The Benois de la Danse started in 1991 to honor Russian artist, art critic and historian Alexandre Benois and is one of the world's premier ballet competitions (1870-1960). Kang shares the award with China's Qiu Yunting. A young woman suspected of killing and dismembering another woman "out of curiosity" committed the crime due to "pent-up rage and a psychopathic personality," according to prosecutors in the southern port city of Busan. The Busan District Prosecutors' Office on Wednesday charged Jung Yoo-jung (23) with premeditated murder, destruction and abandonment of a dead body. Jung Yoo-jung leaves a police station in Busan on June 2. A source at the office said Jung grew up poor in a troubled family and failed to go to university or find a job. "She needed a target to express her pent-up rage and her psychopathic personality appears to have had an effect on her committing the crime," the source added. Her mother left when she was one and her father also abandoned Jung when she was six. As a result she was raised by her grandfather, who lives on welfare. She kept a notebook filled with entries like "I can't calm my anger without killing" that has been vital in assisting prosecutors in establishing the motive. CCTV footage shows Jung Yoo-jung bringing a suitcase to the scene of her crime. /Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan Police Prosecutors concluded that she acted alone. Combing through her internet search record, they found that she carefully planned the murder from May 20 to 27. She contacted no fewer than 54 people through an app that links tutors with potential students, posing as a student looking for a tutor. She focused on women who live alone and are willing to tutor students at their homes. Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - World leaders attending a summit in Paris on Thursday must ensure wealthier nations commit to comprehensive debt relief for lower-income nations, including the cancellation of loans and to the scaling up of international assistance to vulnerable states, Amnesty International said Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - In the run-up to Eid Al-Adha, the feast of the sacrifice of the sheep, the first animal recommended in Islam, scheduled for 28 June, in perpetuation of the tradition of Father Abraham, the quest for sheep has intensified in Libya, becoming the main preoccupation of Libyans, who this year find themselves faced once again with high prices, beating last year's records ABB to Supply Stora Enso Oulu Mill with Sectional Drive Systems ABB's scope of supply for the project includes liquid and air cooled ACS880 Multidrives and motors for the board production line. ABB's scope of supply for the project includes liquid and air cooled ACS880 Multidrives and motors for the board production line. June 22, 2023 - ABB will supply Stora Enso's Oulu pulp and paper mill in Northern Finland with sectional drive systems. The mill plans to convert an idled paper machine to the production of folding box board (FBB) and coated unbleached kraft (CUK). The new production line will have the capacity to produce 750,000 tonnes per year of consumer board. ABB's scope of supply for the project includes liquid and air cooled ACS880 Multidrives and motors for the board production line, the PMC800 Drive Control System based on ABB's latest automation technology and a machine directive-compliant Safety PLC solution for the sectional drives system. "We're excited to be supporting the Oulu mill on such an important project, one that also aligns closely to the company's sustainability commitments," said Niko Lahtinen, Paper Machine Drives Business Driver, Process Industries, ABB. "Our earlier experience with Stora Enso particularly around drive systems and drive controls coupled with our consultative expertise are a good starting point for the project." Production on the new converted machine is estimated to start during 2025. ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient future. SOURCE: ABB Photo: (Photo : Joe Raedle/ Getty Images) Six Florida students, their parents, and two authors have filed a lawsuit against a central Florida school district for imposing a ban on a children's book featuring same-sex penguin parents. The Lake County school board, situated near Orlando, prohibited access to the book titled "And Tango Makes Three," based on a true story about two male penguins raising an orphaned penguin chick at New York City's Central Park Zoo. The ban, which the district attributed to the "Don't Say Gay" law, has now prompted a legal battle questioning its constitutionality and impact on freedom of expression. Controversial Book Ban and its Legal Consequences According to Orlando Weekly, the lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, the reason for prohibiting students from using Tango was due to its content. Specifically, Tango portrayed the story of a same-sex animal couple who had adopted a child, and it expressed the viewpoint that same-sex relationships and families with same-sex parents are valid and can lead to happiness, health, and love. The suit claims that the school barred access to Tango because of these elements. The Lake County school district's decision to restrict students in kindergarten through third grade from accessing "And Tango Makes Three" triggered a legal battle that is now unfolding in U.S. District Court for Middle Florida. The lawsuit argues that the district's ban infringes upon the First Amendment rights of the authors and students. By prohibiting access to the book for partisan and political reasons, the district is accused of limiting students' right to receive information and the authors' right to freedom of expression. The plaintiffs assert that the ban is vague, overbroad, and goes against the core principles of the U.S. Constitution. As per NBC News, the authors of "And Tango Makes Three," Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, express their motivation for filing the lawsuit in a joint statement. They emphasize the importance of ensuring that no child is denied access to age-appropriate information due to the biases of a few individuals. Parnell and Richardson highlight the book's themes of difference, acceptance, and love, and argue that it provides a heartwarming portrayal of a same-sex family structure. Their intention is to protect authors from censorship driven by intolerance and to uphold the right of students to access diverse literature. The lawsuit includes six students, aged 5 to 12, referred to by their initials, who join the legal action through their parents or legal guardians. Each student has unique reasons for wanting to read "And Tango Makes Three." For example, one student identified as Z.T., who is 12 years old and gay, appreciates LGBTQ stories and is drawn to the book's depiction of a same-sex couple raising an adopted child. Another student, D.S., is interested in learning about different family structures as he lives with his grandmother, brother, and half-brother. D.S. hopes to become a veterinarian and is particularly passionate about animals. Read Also: Child Vaping Crisis: Parents, Teachers Raise Alarming Concerns Nicotine Addiction Challenging the "Don't Say Gay" Law and Defending Freedom of Expression The lawsuit against the Lake County school district is not the first legal action in Florida regarding book bans and restrictions. As reported by Tallahassee, last month, another lawsuit was filed against the Escambia County School District and its school board for removing ten books related to race and the LGBTQ community. Furthermore, there was a separate lawsuit last year seeking to block the implementation of the "Don't Say Gay" law, which restricts sexual orientation or gender identity instruction in certain grades. Legal experts argue that these book bans and restrictions raise concerns about the infringement on First Amendment rights and the impact on students' access to diverse ideas and perspectives. Supporters of the banned books highlight the importance of inclusivity, acceptance, and education in creating a safe and nurturing environment for all students. The lawsuit represents authors, students, and parents who believe that every child should have access to age-appropriate information and literature that fosters understanding and acceptance. As the legal proceedings unfold, the case will provide significant insights into the balance between educational guidelines, freedom of expression, and the rights of students to diverse and inclusive literature. Related Article: Teen Driver's Fatal Sleep: Idaho Crash Claims Father, Two Siblings on Family Vacation Following its recent agreement for a wide-body order of 39 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, Riyadh Air has signed a deal with GE Aerospace for 90 GEnx-1B engines to power its new fleet. The order also includes spare engines and a TrueChoice services agreement. A key initiative of Saudi wealth fund PIF, the Riyadh Air was unveiled to the world in March, and this marks the first engine partnership with GE Aerospace for its new fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The disruptive new airline from Saudi Arabia will fly to more than 100 destinations, and reach 100 million visitors, by 2030 making Riyadh City a hub for global travel and encouraging visits to the Kingdom for business and leisure. The first deliveries are scheduled for early 2025 as Riyadh Air aims to operate one of the newest and most sustainable airline fleets in the world. The GEnx engine family has nearly 50 million flight hours since entry into service in 2011 and is the fastest-selling, high-thrust engine in GE history with nearly 3,000 engines in service and on backlog, including spares. GEnxs revenue-sharing participants are IHI Corporation of Japan, GKN Aerospace Engine Systems of the UK, MTU of Germany, TechSpace Aero (Safran) of Belgium, Safran Aircraft Engines of France and Samsung Techwin of Korea. The agreement was signed at the Paris Air Show, at the Riyadh Air chalet where the airline revealed its new livery to the world following a flyby last week over the Saudi capitals iconic city skyline. On the deal, CEO Tony Douglas said: "It highlights our determination to significantly extend Saudi Arabias connectivity with the world and fulfil our goal of connecting to 100 destinations by 2030. We look forward to fostering strong strategic relationships within the wider aviation ecosystem as we continue to shape our new digitally native airline to become one of the most sustainable and guest- centric carriers in the world." Russell Stokes, President & CEO, Commercial Engines and Services for GE Aerospace said, We are proud to partner with Riyadh Air to support its new fleet and fulfil its vision for long international routes. GE Aerospaces GEnx engine is a perfect fit for the 787 fleet with its combination of power and the ability to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The GEnx-1B powers two out of every three 787 aircraft in service. The engine also provides a 1.4% fuel burn savings for the typical 787 mission compared to its competition, equating to $300,000 per airplane per year in fuel savings. The added fuel savings enables more than 2 million fewer pounds of CO2 per aircraft annually. Representing a giant step forward in propulsion technology, GEnx uses lightweight, durable materials and advanced design processes to reduce weight, improve performance, and lower maintenance, making it the best engine choice for long-haul flights.-TradeArabia News Service He writes in a garage. He wants to be safe from prying eyes. And virtual spies. Cory Doctorow, science fiction writer, zuckervegan and digital rights activist, cant believe that the rest of the world lives as if it is not just a collection of data being bought and sold behind its back all the time. We are not free, and we dont know it, says the writer, for whom Mark Zuckerberg and his virtual conglomerate his budding metaverse tramples relentlessly over a new kind of human right that is not talked about enough. There may be changes in the world, but, in the background, there is a current that we dont control. It is imposing a default reality, trying to reimpose that which is being fought against while keeping us entertained, he says. If his daughters name Poesy Emmeline Fibonacci Nautilus Taylor Doctorow is almost as interminable as that of the protagonist of his latest novel, the powerful dystopian Walkaway (Tor Books) a sumptuous mix of Bret Easton Ellis, Douglas Coupland and Dave Eggers it is because he wants to be able to throw data collectors off the scent as much as possible. The longer your name is, the more untraceable you become. Somehow, with a name like that, youre hacking the system. You are complicating things for all those straight, white, rich men, the usual elites, who are still behind everything that we consider the world today, says Doctorow, who recalls via video call from his home in Los Angeles that it is the mechanisms of the system that end up deciding, for example, what is and what is not a family. When they only take into account those they consider as such, he adds. Thus, he explains, when the DVD Forum an organization founded in 1995 that included hardware, software, the media, and Hollywood itself decided on which televisions the spy boards would be installed to discover what content to favor, it prioritized or only included families with at least four members, who lived in, say, London, and could afford an in-car screen. If you were born in Manila and you have a son building a stadium in Qatar, what you see on TV doesnt matter in the slightest to them, because they dont consider you a family, he adds. There are people deciding what is and isnt true in our lives based on data that they illicitly mine, and that reinforces an idea of the world that goes in the opposite direction of what youre trying to build, he explains. Thats why awareness is so important, Doctorow says. In Walkaway, it happens that Hubert Vernon Rudolph Clayton Irving Wilson and so on to complete the 21 names of the protagonist of the story, better known as Etcetera precisely because of that and his best friend, Seth, decide to join Natalie, a rich heiress who inevitably rebels. The three meet at a communist gathering the only thing left of communism in that apparently perfect future: pretend solidarity parties and abandon whats known as society by default. The world Doctorow imagines is so similar to our own that it could not be any other. Or it might be the same, but subtly sophisticated. In other words, restaurants automatically adapt their menus to the customers taste, and everything is printed, not made, as 3D printers do all the work. Cory Doctorow at a conference in Berlin in 2015. Agencia Getty (Getty Images for Unfinished Live) The printers are, of course, remote-controlled by an artificial intelligence that, if it is able to x-ray its customers, it is because they are nothing more than a collection of data. You can only get out of such a society if you start walking away from the centers of power and from everything that ties you to the system. You must become what has been called a walker, beatnik, or survivor of a dystopian reality that denies reality itself. Far away from these populated and controlled cities, there is a desert, where the devastating consequences of climate change prevent anything from growing. But where everything that exists is real, as it used to be. And it is here that Doctorows work aims and shoots in the same direction and with the same effect as the classics of Aldous Huxley and Ursula K. Le Guin did in their time. Im accused of being a Luddite, and the Luddites were accused of something that had nothing to do with them. Its not that they were against technological advances, they were against the use that was made of them. That childhood could be eliminated, as it was, because children could be put to work, thanks to machines. I am not against technology. When I think back to how long it took me to paper the neighborhood with flyers to fight for something when I was young, I cant believe that it only takes one click today for the whole world to find out what youve set in motion. But we need a balance. The changes will only be real if we act analogically. In other words, the digital world must be a world of encounters, but we must stay on the street. Its the analog that produces change, he says. Despite his zuckerveganism that is, he doesnt use any technology belonging to the creator of Facebook because Mark Zuckerberg, he says, doesnt respect our digital rights he confesses to being addicted to Twitter. It is a mistake not to take virtual relationships into account. They saved us during the pandemic! We cannot deny that they have made our lives easier. My wife and I met when she was still living in London, and I was in Canada. In the beginning, part of our relationship developed virtually. Technology has enormous potential. It is the way we are being used while using it [technology] that is not right. We should be aware, thats all, he insists. A devotee of Judith Merril, the science fiction writer who caused him to fall in love in the genre a true creative hurricane, a driving force behind publications and literary workshops in his native Toronto Doctorow believes that the only way to win an ideological battle is to extinguish the imagination, and thats what neoliberalism is trying to do through technology. If I wanted to be a science fiction writer from the beginning, its because I believe the genre presents alternatives to the world we live in, and its the only one that does. It tells us that things could be different, he says. Despite everything, he is optimistic. My 15-year-old daughter knows that the system cant offer her anything and, like her, so do other kids. None of them have a future in todays system, and this is what the elites have not yet understood and what can defeat them, he concludes. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Photo: (Photo : George Frey / Getty Images) Utah's Davis School District, located north of Salt Lake City, has made a significant decision to reverse its ban on the Bible in middle and elementary schools. The ban, which sparked outrage among the community, was met with strong opposition, leading to appeals filed by 70 individuals. After careful consideration, the district officials have determined that the Bible is age-appropriate for all district libraries and holds significant value for minors. This reversal has reignited the ongoing debate surrounding book bans and the standards used to evaluate the content in educational institutions. As previously reported by BBC, Utah made the following decision after a complaint lodged in December 2022. Committee's Reverses Bible Ban Reflects Changing Landscape According to The Salt Lake Tribune, the Davis School District's committee, responsible for assessing the ban, concluded that the Bible's positive impact outweighs its potential violent or vulgar content. The decision was published alongside school board materials, highlighting the committee's belief that the sacred text possesses educational value suitable for students of all grade levels. The reversal of the ban is seen as a significant development in the context of a larger debate surrounding a Utah law that allows parents to challenge sensitive materials available in public schools. In recent years, lawmakers across several states, including Utah, have introduced legislation that grants parents greater authority to challenge the educational materials offered in schools and libraries. These efforts aim to address concerns raised by parents' rights activists, who have advocated for more control over their children's exposure to topics such as race, gender, and sexuality. The initial challenge to ban the Bible in Davis County schools came from an anonymous individual who criticized conservative parents' activists and their push to remove books from libraries, along with the standards they advocated for in the state. The challenge drew attention to the exclusion of what was labeled as a "sex-ridden book," referring to the Bible, by the prominent group known as Utah Parents United. The complainant argued that if other books had been banned for lesser offenses, the Bible should also be removed based on the newly defined criteria. Read Also: Child Vaping Crisis: Parents, Teachers Raise Alarming Concerns Nicotine Addiction Bible Ban Stokes Controversy and Debates The challenge further expressed dissatisfaction with the process and accused the district of compromising children's education, First Amendment rights, and library access. According to the Associated Press, while initially opposing the removal of the Bible, Republican lawmaker Ken Ivory, who sponsored Utah's "sensitive materials" law, later voiced support for its return to schools. Ivory denounced the challenge as a mockery but emphasized that the Bible is best suited for home reading. He also called for revisions to the law to ensure that book-removal decisions are overseen by elected officials in open public meetings, rather than by committees. At the recent Davis School District board meeting, members criticized lawmakers for blaming the majority-parent committee, stating that it acted in accordance with the law by convening and making decisions based on the appeals received. During the board meeting, Davis School District board members acknowledged the differing opinions surrounding the Bible ban and the subsequent reversal. However, they emphasized the importance of recognizing the literary and historical value of the Bible, which they believe outweighs any potential violence or profanity contained within the text. The decision to restore the scriptures in the district's libraries was seen as a fair outcome based on a process that considered community standards and appeals. As the second largest school district in Utah, Davis School District finds itself at the center of the ongoing battle over books and their accessibility. The controversy surrounding the Bible ban highlights the wider national debate on various subjects, including LGBT rights, racial identity, and perceived racially offensive content. While bans on offensive books have been implemented in several states, both conservative and liberal, the decision in Utah underscores the need for continued discussions on balancing educational materials with community standards and parental rights. Related Article: Top 10 Nutritious, Healthy Breakfasts for Teens: Fueling Their Day Right Photo: (Photo : -/AFP via Getty Images) Ugandan military forces have successfully rescued three students who were kidnapped during an attack on a school in Uganda last Friday. Along with the students, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group also managed to free a woman and two children who had been missing. The operation took place inside Virunga National Park in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to authorities who spoke to CNN. Brigadier Felix Kulayigye, the military spokesperson, reported that two terrorists were killed during the rescue mission and two guns were recovered from their possession within the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 37 Students and 5 Staff Members Killed in ADF Assault The attack on the Lhubirira Secondary School in Mpondwe, near the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulted in the tragic deaths of 37 students and five staff members. According to BBC, the assailants, linked to the ISIS-affiliated ADF, mercilessly hacked some of their victims to death with machetes and set fire to the dormitories. The news of the successful rescue operation brings a glimmer of hope amidst the overwhelming tragedy. The Ugandan military's swift response and coordination with Congolese authorities demonstrate their commitment to bringing an end to such heinous acts and ensuring the safety of the region's inhabitants. Earlier in the week, Fred Enanga, a spokesperson for the Ugandan police, informed CNN that 20 individuals suspected of collaborating with the ADF had been arrested. However, no actual members of the rebel group had been apprehended. Authorities had previously disclosed that the ADF may have received assistance from local residents in planning the attack, leading to the arrests. During the course of the investigation, police discovered a video shared widely on social media in which a 25-year-old suspect named Kalenzi Resto, a shop attendant, claimed to be a member of the militia group. Resto was subsequently tracked down and arrested. The police stated in a tweet that an ongoing investigation into his alleged participation in the attack is currently underway. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, and families are grieving the loss of their loved ones. The tragic deaths of the young students have left an indelible mark on the region, and the recovery and healing process will undoubtedly be long and difficult. The government has taken decisive action in response to the attack. President Yoweri Museveni announced the deployment of additional Ugandan troops to the western part of the country and along the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The intention behind this deployment is to pursue the ADF, which utilizes the Congo's territory as a hideout. Read Also: American Foster Parents in Uganda Now Facing Child Torture Charges Authorities Remain Determined to Counter Extremism and Ensure Safety According to Washington Post, the ADF, known for its brutal tactics and links to ISIS, has long been a menace in the region. This recent attack on the school underscores the urgent need to dismantle the group and bring its members to justice. The government, in collaboration with international partners, must prioritize efforts to counter terrorism and extremism in the area to prevent further loss of innocent lives. As the investigation into the attack and the pursuit of the ADF continue, the Ugandan people remain resilient. The rescue of the kidnapped students and other abductees serves as a reminder of the determination to fight against the forces of terror and restore peace and stability to the region. The serious threat that the ADF and its ties to ISIS pose has once more come to light with the Lhubirira school attack. The authorities are committed to taking decisive action to ensure the safety and security of the Ugandan people, as well as to bring the perpetrators of such heinous acts to justice. Through a combination of intelligence gathering, military operations, and international cooperation, it is hoped that the ADF's reign of terror will soon come to an end, allowing the affected communities to rebuild and heal from the devastating consequences of this tragic event. Related Article: Uganda School Horror: 'Gospel Songs Interrupted by Screaming' Unveils Terrifying Attack Photo: (Photo : JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Getty Images) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued a strong advisory, urging Americans to prioritize measles vaccination before embarking on international travel. With the goal of preventing the spread of the highly contagious virus, the CDC emphasizes the importance of individuals ensuring they are fully protected against measles by receiving the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine at least two weeks prior to their travel plans. Measles, a highly infectious respiratory disease caused by the measles virus, can have serious health consequences, particularly for unvaccinated individuals. The virus can be easily transmitted through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The CDC warns that even brief exposure to an infected individual can lead to contracting the virus, highlighting the urgency of vaccination. Measles Outbreaks Linked to International Travel The CDC's health advisory comes as a response to the concerning rise in measles cases observed in the United States. According to NBC News, the CDC reported that as of June 8, 2023, there have been 16 reported cases of measles in the first five months of this year, compared to only three cases during the same period in 2022. What is particularly worrisome is that 88% of these cases have been linked to international travel, with a significant number of patients having not received the necessary vaccinations. International travel plays a significant role in the global transmission of measles. As people move across borders, they can unknowingly carry the virus, potentially sparking outbreaks in regions with low vaccination rates. The CDC's advisory serves as a reminder of the potential risks associated with travel to areas experiencing active measles outbreaks. Urgent Call for Vaccination Compliance The recent confirmation of two measles cases within a single household in Fresno County, California, serves as a stark reminder of the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. Dr. Rais Vohra, Fresno County's health officer, highlights the critical role of vaccinations in protecting the community and urges parents to take proactive steps to ensure their children are up-to-date on vaccinations. According to the World Health Organization, the decline in measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to the vulnerability of communities. Disruptions in routine immunization services, fear of visiting healthcare facilities, and decreased awareness about the importance of vaccines have resulted in lower vaccination rates. The CDC and the WHO jointly reported that in 2021, a staggering 40 million children worldwide missed at least one dose of the measles vaccine, marking a record high. These figures underline the urgent need to address the immunization gaps and combat the imminent threat posed by the measles virus. Read Also: Florida School District Faces Lawsuit for Book Bans on Same-Sex Penguin Parents Measles: A Global Concern Measles outbreaks are not limited to the United States alone. The CDC highlights that new outbreaks are increasingly reported in various parts of the world, including India, Indonesia, the Middle East, and several African nations. The United Kingdom has also witnessed an upsurge in measles cases, with 49 cases recorded since the beginning of the year, already surpassing the total for the previous year. To achieve regional measles elimination targets and mitigate the risk of outbreaks, it is crucial to strengthen immunization programs within primary healthcare. Efforts should be intensified to ensure that all children receive the recommended two doses of the measles vaccine. Additionally, robust surveillance systems must be implemented to identify and address gaps in immunity. By heeding the CDC's recommendations, individuals can contribute to safeguarding public health and curbing the global threat of measles. It is essential for healthcare providers, parents, and communities to work together to promote vaccination and ensure high immunization coverage to protect individuals and prevent further outbreaks. Related Article: Utah School District Reverses Bible Ban: Religious Texts Now Accessible to All Students Photo: (Photo : PATRICK T. FALLON / Getty Images) A lawsuit has been filed against the University of Wyoming's Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority as seven women from the house challenge the rules regarding the inclusion of transgender women. The lawsuit alleges that the sorority violated its own rules by admitting a transgender woman, sparking a legal battle over transgender rights, house policies, and personal values. The case raises important questions about inclusivity, gender identity, and the autonomy of private organizations. Kappa Kappa Gamma Faces Lawsuit on Transgender Inclusion Controversy The Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at the University of Wyoming is at the center of a legal battle as seven of its members file a lawsuit challenging the house rules on transgender women's inclusion. According to SportsKeeda, the lawsuit, filed in March 2023, alleges that the sorority violated its own regulations by admitting Artemis Langford, a transgender woman, to their local chapter. Originally, the legal action was against an individual identified using a pseudonym, Terry Smith. The plaintiffs claim that Langford's presence has caused discomfort and fear among the sorority sisters, citing voyeuristic tendencies and alleged instances of being "visibly aroused" around them. According to NBC News, the lawsuit alleges that Langford's presence in the Kappa Kappa Gamma house caused discomfort among some sorority members. The lawsuit names Mary Pat Rooney, the national Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority council president, and Langford as defendants. However, the court lacks jurisdiction over Rooney, who resides in Illinois and has not been involved in Langford's admission, according to the sorority's motion to dismiss. The core issue in the lawsuit revolves around the conflict between the sorority's house regulations and the inclusion of transgender women. Kappa Kappa Gamma has implemented a policy since 2015, allowing its 145+ chapters to accept transgender women. This policy aligns with the guidelines followed by the other 25 sororities within the National Panhellenic Conference, the governing body for sororities in the United States and Canada, as stated in Kappa Kappa Gamma's submission. The lawsuit filed by the sorority sisters requests that U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson declare Langford's sorority membership null and void, while also seeking unspecified damages. Read Also: Child Vaping Crisis: Parents, Teachers Raise Alarming Concerns Nicotine Addiction Legal Implications and Calls for Resolution According to The Washington Post, one of the University of Wyoming's seven Kappa Kappa Gamma members who filed a lawsuit withdrew from the case after the court ruled that they could not proceed under anonymous status. The remaining six plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit are Jaylyn Westenbroek, Megan Kosar, Allison Coghan, Hannah Holtmeier, Grace Choate, and Madeline Ramar. This legal battle also raises questions about the rights of transgender individuals to be included in sororities and the responsibility of private organizations to uphold their own rules. The case underscores the broader debate around transgender rights, gender identity, and inclusivity in educational institutions. As the legal battle unfolds, it will be important for the court to consider the intersection of individual rights, organizational policies, and societal progress. Universities and sororities across the country may also take note of the outcome, as it could set a precedent for how transgender inclusion is handled within Greek organizations. In the pursuit of a fair and equitable resolution, it remains crucial to balance the rights and concerns of all parties involved. Ultimately, this case brings attention to the ongoing struggle for acceptance and inclusivity for transgender individuals, and it will likely have far-reaching implications beyond the confines of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority at the University of Wyoming. Related Article: Arkansas' Ban on Gender-Affirming Treatment Overturned by Federal Judge, Citing Constitutional Violations Photo: (Photo : BRYAN R. SMITH / Getty Images) Tragedy struck a family in Ohio when a 2-year-old boy gained access to a firearm, leading to a fatal shooting that claimed the lives of his pregnant mother and unborn brother. The devastating incident occurred in Norwalk, Ohio, as the toddler accidentally fired the gun, causing irreparable loss and grief. The heartbreaking event has sparked discussions about gun safety and the need for heightened measures to prevent such tragedies. Unintentional Tragedy Strikes Ohio Household According to NBC News, in a horrific turn of events, Laura Ilg, a 31-year-old pregnant woman from Norwalk, Ohio, lost her life along with her unborn child due to a fatal shooting incident involving her 2-year-old son. According to the Norwalk Police Department, Laura made a desperate 911 call on Friday afternoon, revealing that she had been shot by her own child. The distraught mother pleaded for immediate assistance, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. As authorities arrived at the scene just minutes after the distressing call, they discovered Laura Ilg in her upstairs bedroom, conscious and able to recount the tragic incident. Reports indicate that the 2-year-old boy somehow gained access to a loaded semi-automatic pistol, which belonged to Laura's husband, Alek Ilg. The gun had been stored on a nightstand in the couple's bedroom, raising concerns about the accessibility of firearms within households, especially in the presence of young children. Despite the home having various child-safety features, including locked rooms and baby gates, the unfortunate incident occurred due to the toddler's unexpected access to the firearm. The Norwalk Police Chief, David Smith, acknowledged that the gun should not have been within the child's reach, emphasizing the importance of secure storage and heightened vigilance. Family Devastated by Unimaginable Loss As reported by People, Laura Ilg was swiftly transported to Fisher Titus Medical Center, where medical professionals performed an emergency cesarean section to save her unborn child. Tragically, the efforts were in vain, as the unborn baby boy was pronounced dead less than an hour after the distress call. Laura, despite the medical team's best efforts, succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead approximately three hours afterward, adding to the profound grief experienced by her family and loved ones. Alek Ilg, Laura's husband and the father of their two children, expressed his profound sorrow and paid tribute to his beloved wife and unborn son on social media. He shared his heartbreak and described Laura as the love of his life, highlighting the immeasurable pain caused by the loss. Read Also: Michigan Teen Arrested for Neo-Nazi Links, Mass Shooting Plot To Jewish Community Moving Forward: Investigation and Gun Safety Currently, as per ABC7, no charges have been filed in connection with the tragic incident. The Norwalk Police Department is conducting a thorough investigation, and the findings will be forwarded to the local prosecutor's office for review. The focus of the investigation includes understanding how the toddler gained access to the firearm despite safety precautions taken in the household. The devastating loss of Laura Ilg and her unborn child serves as a solemn reminder of the importance of gun safety and responsible storage, especially when children are present. Authorities and advocacy groups continue to stress the need for secure gun storage, including the use of gun safes, lockboxes, or other measures to prevent unauthorized access. The heartbreaking incident in Ohio has ignited discussions surrounding the implementation of stricter regulations and education regarding gun safety. Efforts to raise awareness and promote responsible firearm ownership have gained momentum, as communities grapple with the profound impact of such preventable tragedies. Related Article: Two Children Killed on California Freeway, Mother Arrested for DUI Photo: (Photo : Justin Sullivan/ Getty Images) The Advisory Committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is set to formally endorse RSV vaccines developed by Pfizer and GSK for older adults. The committee voted 9-5 in favor of recommending the use of these vaccines, which aim to protect individuals aged 65 and above from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and its severe complications. This endorsement will play a crucial role in the distribution and administration of the vaccines, paving the way for their availability to the vulnerable older population. RSV Vaccines Recommended for Older Adults According to Reuters, the CDC Advisory Committee has made a significant decision to endorse RSV vaccines manufactured by pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and GSK for older adults. The vaccines, designed to combat respiratory syncytial virus, have been granted approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the CDC's formal recommendation is a necessary step before these vaccines can be distributed and administered to the target population. Respiratory syncytial virus poses a significant threat to older adults, leading to severe respiratory illnesses and even fatalities. Every year in the United States, RSV claims the lives of up to 10,000 individuals aged 65 and above. Recognizing the vulnerability of this age group, the CDC Advisory Committee has determined that immunization with the Pfizer and GSK RSV vaccines is crucial for reducing the risk of complications and safeguarding the health of older adults. Efficacy and Availability of RSV Vaccines Pfizer's RSV vaccine, named Abrysvo, and GSK's RSV vaccine, called Arexvy, have both demonstrated promising results in clinical trials. The FDA approved these vaccines based on rigorous testing that showed significant reductions in symptomatic illness and severe cases among vaccinated individuals. Pfizer's vaccine exhibited up to an 86% reduction in symptomatic illness, while GSK's vaccine demonstrated an 83% reduction. Moreover, GSK's vaccine also showcased an impressive 94% decrease in severe illness. As per Axios, although the vaccines have received regulatory approval, their availability to the public is still pending the CDC's endorsement. Pharmaceutical companies are working diligently to ensure that the vaccines become accessible as soon as possible. GSK aims to make its RSV vaccine available in the fall, coinciding with the upcoming RSV season, which typically peaks during the winter. Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy, two major pharmacy chains, have expressed their commitment to offering these vaccines across their nationwide locations to ensure broad accessibility for older adults. Read Also: Florida School District Faces Lawsuit for Book Bans on Same-Sex Penguin Parents Safety Concerns and Future Protection According to NBC News, while the efficacy of the Pfizer and GSK RSV vaccines has been established, the CDC Advisory Committee members have raised some safety concerns. These include limited data on the tolerability of the vaccines among immunocompromised individuals, those with underlying health conditions, and individuals over the age of 75. Additionally, questions remain regarding the necessity and effectiveness of second vaccine doses in boosting long-term protection against RSV. Furthermore, the cost of the vaccines has been a point of discussion. GSK has announced that a single dose of their vaccine would cost between $200 and $295, while Pfizer estimates a price range of $180 to $270 per dose. However, these prices are subject to change based on insurance coverage, and insured patients may have different out-of-pocket expenses. The CDC Advisory Committee's forthcoming endorsement of the Pfizer and GSK RSV vaccines for older adults marks a significant step in combating respiratory syncytial virus among the vulnerable population. With the potential to save thousands of lives each year, the availability and administration of these vaccines will be crucial in mitigating the severe complications associated with RSV. As the CDC's director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, is expected to formally endorse the vaccines soon, the focus now shifts to ensuring a timely rollout and widespread accessibility for older adults before the next RSV season. Related Article: Utah School District Reverses Bible Ban: Religious Texts Now Accessible to All Students This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions Some new items have gone up on the website of the Interpreter Foundation: Conference Talks: Dualism is Dead! Long Live Dualism! presented at the 2016 Second Interpreter Science & Mormonism Symposium: Body, Brain, Mind, and Spirit on Saturday, 12 March 2016, by James E. Faulconer The New Testament in Context Lesson 27: He Is Risen, Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 2021 In the 4 June 2023 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Radio Show, the panel of Martin Tanner, Spencer Kraus, Hales Swift, and Brent Schmidt discussed New Testament lesson 27, He Is Risen, covering Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 2021. Their discussion has now been archived and made available to you at your convenience but at no charge. The other segments of the May 28 radio show can be accessed at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreter-radio-show-june-4-2023. The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com. Come, Follow Me New Testament Study and Teaching Helps: Lesson 27, June 26 July 2: Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20-21 He Is Risen Once again, Jonn Claybaugh generously contributes concise notes to help students and teachers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum. It is a cherished article of faith among certain critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that the chapels and youth programs of the Church are exceptionally dangerous places for young people, and that the leaders of the Church are callously and self-servingly indifferent to such matters. An article by Jennifer Roach suggests that those critics might be . . . well, mistaken: Latter-day Saint Enigma: Their Unexpected Troop Abuse Rates: Are Latter-day Saints more likely to abuse kids? Through statistical analysis of the BSA abuse case, we have our first data-supported answer to the question. See also her article I Know How to Lower Church Abuse Rates by 75%: What causes lower abuse rates among Latter-day Saints? Geographic organization, focus on family, and female involvement create a safer environment. And the article that she published with Lynn Chapman in the Deseret News back on 22 August 2022 is also very much worth a reading: Perspective: The vandals who desecrated Latter-day Saint chapels are wrong abuse is not welcome here: The faiths doctrine, policies and culture work together to provide layers of protection for children in ways that often go unseen A little bit of comparison and comparative data, and a little bit of caution, might be helpful. Certainly, William John Meegans 2010 article A Forgotten Study: Abuse in School 100 Times Worse than by Priests suggests that that might be true in the case of Catholic clergy, and I expect the same to be true for Latter-day Saints: In the last several weeks such a quantity of ink has been spilled in newspapers across the globe about the priestly sex abuse scandals, that a casual reader might be forgiven for thinking that Catholic priests are the worst and most common perpetrators of child sex abuse. But according to Charol Shakeshaft, the researcher of a little-remembered 2004 study prepared for the U.S. Department of Education, the physical sexual abuse of students in schools is likely more than 100 times the abuse by priests. And now, suddenly, Im in the mood for a little rummaging around in the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File, which never fails to horrify: Posted from London, England At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Versatile dual-screen design OLED displays have excellent image quality Loud, bass-heavy audio Great webcam and microphone Cons Mediocre keyboard, frustrating touchpad Lackluster performance Not the best value for money Our Verdict Lenovos dual-screen Yoga Book 9i is an expensive, but successful proof of concept. Best Prices Today: Lenovo Yoga Book 9i Retailer Price Lenovo has a history of experimental dual-screen laptops. The ThinkPad X1 Fold offers a flexible, folding OLED display, the ThinkBook Plus Twist has an extra e-ink screen, and the ancient ThinkPad W700ds had a slide-out second display. The Yoga Book 9i builds on these ideas to deliver a versatile, functional 2-in-1 that packs maximum display real estate into a 13.3-inch chassis. Looking for more options? If so, check out PCWorlds roundup of the best 2-in-1 laptops available right now. Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Specs and features The Yoga Book 9is key specification is the display or, rather, displays. It has a pair of 13.3-inch OLED touchscreens, one for each half of the laptop. The upper display functions as would normally be expected, but the lower display can be used either as a secondary monitor or an input device. CPU: Intel Core i7-1355U Memory: 16GB LPDDR5 Graphics/GPU: Intel Iris Xe Display: 2x 13.3-inch 2,880 x 1,800 OLED touchscreen Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD Webcam: 1440p Connectivity: 3x Thunderbolt 4/USB-C Networking: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1 Biometrics: IR Camera for Windows Hello facial recognition Battery capacity: 80 watt-hours Dimensions:11.84 x 8 x .63 inches Weight: 3.51 pounds MSRP: $1,999.99 The 2-in-1s internal hardware is mundane, however, with an Intel Core i7 processor, Intel integrated graphics, and 16GB of RAM. Its modest performance can seem unappealing given Lenovos expensive $1,999.99 MSRP. Make no mistake: this 2-in-1 is all about the displays. Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Design and build quality IDG / Matthew Smith The Lenovo Yoga Book 9is exterior is similar to Lenovos Yoga 9i aside from the blue colorway, which is a refreshing change from the usual gray or silver. Lenovo delivers a premium look with expanses of brushed aluminum that soften into chrome curves along the perimeter of the chassis. The curves offer unique flair and make the 2-in-1 more comfortable to hold. Once you open the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, however, things get a bit weird. It has dual displays that cover both the top and bottom halves of the 2-in-1. Both support touch, and both are glossy, so the 2-in-1 is a serious fingerprint magnet. However, this design offers some perks when using the device as a 2-in-1. Theres a ton of flexibility in how the device is held and used. The Yoga Book 9is bottom half can fold 360 degrees for use as a standard tablet, or it can be held like a book with both displays in use at once. It can be used in tent mode, where the bottom half becomes a kickstand, or laid flat on a table to become a large touchscreen canvas. And, of course, it can be used as a clamshell laptop. And then theres Lenovos party trick: the Yoga Book 9is stand. Otherwise used as a cover for the detachable keyboard and the stylus, it can fold into a stand for the 2-in-1 itself. In this mode, the 2-in-1 can be held with both displays visible in either a vertical or horizontal position. The keyboard is then placed below the screens. When used in this mode, the tiny Yoga Book 9i can provide a larger display surface than an 16-inch clamshell laptop. Its a genuinely useful option for travelers who often have many apps open at once. Just be warned: the kickstand is only stable on a flat surface like a desk or table. The Yoga Book 9is design is unusual, to be sure, but it doesnt feel like a gimmick. Packing two touchscreens into a 13-inch laptop makes for a compact yet functional 2-in-1 ideal for comparing documents, research, or editing spreadsheets. The large displays and included stylus should appeal to digital artists and makes for a superb digital notebook. Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Keyboard, trackpad IDG / Matthew Smith That is not to say, however, that the devices design is perfect. The keyboard and touchpad pay a price for the 2-in-1s attractive dual display design. A bundled wireless keyboard connects to the Yoga Book 9i via Bluetooth. When used as a laptop, the keyboard is placed in a position just below the primary display, but it can also be used on a desk, attached magnetically to the kickstand, or shifted towards the bottom half of the laptop, which enables a portion of the lower display. The flexibility is appreciated but, when used as a traditional clamshell laptop keyboard, the typing experience proves awkward. The keyboard is raised noticeably above the palm rest surface, leaving the users wrists to dangle. While the keyboard can be uncomfortable, the touchpad is downright annoying. A virtual touchpad appears below the keyboard when its used as a laptop. Its difficult to know if your fingertip is within the touchpad surface without glancing, as theres now tactile feedback. I also noticed that, in some cases, the cursor ends up hidden beneath the keyboard on the lower display or otherwise seems unresponsive. I experienced frequent unintended mouse inputs, as well. The right-click function was touchy and frequently opened options menus I didnt ask for. These problems are understandable given the laptops design, but important to note. Buyers who plan to use a 2-in-1 primarily as a traditional clamshell laptop, and only occasionally as a dual-screen tablet or canvas, will find the keyboard and touchpad disappointing. Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Display, audio IDG / Matthew Smith The Lenovo Yoga Book 9is dual displays are mirror images of one another. Both measure 13.3 inches diagonally, support touch input, have a resolution of 2880 x 1800, and use an OLED panel. They also look excellent in all situations. OLED provides superior contrast with deep inky black levels and superior shadow detail. Color performance is great, too, with a wide color gamut and solid color accuracy. Color is presented with a vivid, hyper-saturated look that should please most people. Sharpness is superb with a pixel density of roughly 255 pixels per inch. Thats more than an Apple MacBook Pros Retina display and close to a 4K display on a larger 16-inch laptop. The displays cram over 10.3 million pixels in total, which is two million more than the roughly 8.3 million pixels of a 4K display. My measurements found the laptop can slightly exceed its promised 400 nits of brightness, which is more than enough for use in a home office. However, the glossy finish of each display allows ample glare whenever a bright light source is nearby. The displays are a top-tier fingerprint magnet, as well, which can make the 2-in-1 look grody after just a day of use. Be sure to pack a microfiber cloth. Audio quality is an unexpected highlight. The Yoga Book 9i, like the Yoga 9i, has a powerful Bowers & Wilkins sound system built into the display hinge. It provides loud, clear audio with surprising bass and a broad soundstage. The result is a voluminous yet crisp audio presentation thats uncommon among laptops, most of which sound crowded and tinny. The Yoga Book 9i is well suited for music, movies, and games, and easily fills a home office with sound. Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Webcam, microphone, biometrics Lenovo offers another surprise win with the webcam. A bump-out in the top of the display bezel provides room for a five-megapixel webcam that can record video at up to 1440p resolution and 30 frames per second. Video is sharp even in a room with only modest lighting. The camera picks up accurate and well-saturated colors that will help you look your best. Audio is recorded through a noise-canceling microphone array. Audio comes through crisp and clear, but remains tinny, so I wouldnt recommend it for podcasts or YouTube. If you just need to jump on a video call, however, its more than adequate. Biometric login is supported through the webcam via Windows Hello facial recognition and provides a quick, hands-free way to access the device. The 2-in-1 also offers zero touch login and zero touch lock, which use the camera to detect when you are present at the computer. When on, these features automatically wake the 2-in-1 when you sit down in front of it and automatically lock it when you step away. Theyre genuinely useful, and rather accurate, but can be turned off if desired. Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Connectivity Physical connectivity is limited, as the Yoga Book 9i has just three Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports. All of them can be used to charge the laptop, but the lack of USB-A ports or dedicated video output means most owners will need an adapter. The devices unique design can also cause some frustration. For example, using the 2-in-1 in its vertical dual-display mode, with each display in portrait orientation, cuts off access to at least one of the Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports. Its clear Lenovo intends owners to lean heavily on wireless peripherals. Fortunately, the 2-in-1 supports the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard as well as Bluetooth 5.1. Wi-Fi connectivity was reliable in my time with the device and I had no issues with Bluetooth connectivity. Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Performance The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is not a large 2-in-1, and that has consequences for its performance. It packs Intels Core i7-1355U processor which has a total of 10 cores and a maximum turbo boost of 5GHz. It looks good on paper, but only two of the cores are performance cores, while the rest are significantly less capable efficient cores. Lenovo also makes do with Intel integrated graphics. 16GB of LPDDR5x memory and a 1TB PCIe Gen4 solid-state drive round out the devices specifications. IDG / Matthew Smith PCMark 10 paints a disappointing picture of the Yoga Book 9is performance with a combined score of 4,858. That is significantly lower than most recent laptops and even a hair behind the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, which we last tested with an older Intel Core i7-1255U processor. IDG / Matthew Smith The Yoga Book 9is modest performance continues in Cinebench R15, where the 2-in-1 hits a multi-core score of just 1,211. This again falls behind the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 and is significantly behind other 13 and 14-inch laptops such as the Lenovo Slim 7 Pro and HP Dragonfly Pro. IDG / Matthew Smith Handbrake provides the Yoga Book 9i an opportunity to score a small win over the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, but it remains behind most laptops of similar size. Clearly, the Yoga Book 9i is tuned to focus more on portability than performance. IDG / Matthew Smith 3DMark Time Spy, a graphics test, also delivers disappointing results. The Yoga Book 9i once again finds itself behind its competitors, including laptops that also use Intel Iris Xe graphics. The HP Dragonfly Pro, which provides integrated AMD graphics as part of its AMD Ryzen 7 7736U, is roughly 50 percent quicker. The Yoga Book 9is performance is enhanced when the laptop is set to Extreme Performance mode. Its Cinebench R15 score rises from 1,211 to 1,439, while 3DMark Time Spy improves from 1,681 to 1,289. Overall performance remains mediocre, however, and comes at the expense of added fan noise and toasty external temperatures. Lenovos Yoga Book 9i feels snappy in day-to-day use, but benchmarks make its limits clear. Its not a device for high-resolution content creation, streaming, gaming, or other demanding tasks. This isnt a surprise given its small size, but lackluster performance cuts against the 2-in-1s value. Most price-competitive Windows machines offer quicker hardware. Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Battery life The Yoga Book 9is dual screen design places a strain on the battery, which must power twice as many pixels as usual. Lenovo offsets this with a sizable 80 watt-hour battery that delivers acceptable, if not outstanding, endurance. IDG / Matthew Smith I recorded 10 hours and 23 minutes of runtime in our standard 4K video playback test. This is comparable to laptops and 2-in-1s of similar size and price: the Lenovo Slim 7 Pro lasted over an hour more, but the HP Dragonfly Pro lags by a half-hour. Lenovos use of Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C to charge the laptop, along with its modest hardware, makes it easy to charge on the go. Third-party GaN chargers that deliver at least 65 watts will charge the laptop without issue. Lenovo Yoga Book 9i: Should you buy it? The Lenovo Yoga Book 9i is a successful experiment in dual-screen PC design that raises the bar for its competitors. Its slim profile, 360-degree hinge, and attractive OLED screens are well-suited for touch input or use with the included stylus. The wireless keyboard and virtual touchpad are frustrating, however, and can make the 2-in-1 frustrating when used as a laptop. The $2,000 price tag also guarantees the Yoga Book 9is appeal will remain limited. Still, if youre a frequent flier who often uses a portable monitor, or a fan of using a stylus, Lenovos Yoga Book 9i could be the right kind of weird. Bernard Allotey Jacobs has blamed the outcome of the 2023 Ghana Teacher Licensure Examination conducted in May 2023 on those who take distance learning. Over 6,000 teachers failed the exams which were based on three basic areas; numeracy, literacy and essential skills. The candidates who wrote the exams were from Colleges of Education and Universities. Addressing the issue on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Bernard Allotey Jacobs asked the education authorities to review distance education, stressing a huge number of those who failed the licensure exams are those who took distance education instead of going through the Colleges of Education. To him, the main problem is with the distance learners, so admonished the authorities to take a second look at it. "They should really check the distance education because a lot of students who are not intelligent usually do distance education," he said. " . . some do not go to Colleges of Eductaion, after Secondary School they go to Distance Education, that is where the problem lies . . . " he added. Watch video below Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The plain that spreads out from the foot of the Mokattam Hills in the southeast of Cairo has served as an important burial place since the arrival of the Muslim Arab conquerors in Egypt in the 7th century. Among the first prominent figures believed to be laid to rest there was, in fact, the commander who led that military campaign, Amr ibn al-As, who ended up serving as the countrys governor. Since then, successive Egyptian rulers have expanded the necropolis into a vast network of cemeteries, otherwise known as the City of the Dead, consisting of the southern and northern cemeteries which together stretch across approximately 12 kilometers (7.5 miles), covering an area of about 1,000 hectares. Now, however, a significant portion of this historic site is being reduced to rubble by an aggressive government road construction scheme. Although few details have been released, critics believe that the plans are ruining the citys urban fabric, and are concerned that hundreds of Islamic architectural treasures are being demolished along with funerary art. Within the labyrinthine interior of the necropolis stand countless tombs and mausoleums, some of great artistic and architectural value, containing distinguished figures from the countrys past, including former royalty, as well as politicians, poets, scholars, writers, military and senior state officials. In 1979, some of these cemeteries were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thousands of lower-class families also occupy the cemetery grounds, many of them having done so for generations and, despite the lack of infrastructure, they have been absorbed quite organically into this peculiar urban space where it is not always easy to tell where a home ends and a small mausoleum begins. Several tombs and houses in Cairos City of the Dead. Marc Espanol Its a tremendous loss of a 1,400-year-old historical heritage, says Galila El Kadi, an architect, author of Architecture for the Dead: Cairos Medieval Necropolis and head of research at the Research Institute for Sustainable Development in Paris. It is a loss regarding the tombs of those buried there; a loss regarding the memory of these places and regarding the safety [of the dead] in their last place of rest and peace. The Egyptian authorities goals include easing the traffic in Cairo and facilitating mobility. But skeptics believe these plans are often counterproductive and benefit only a minority. They also warn that they are being implemented in haste, without any public debate, and will alter the identity of many areas of the capital. The alarm first went off for Cairos heritage lovers in 2020 when the construction of two road networks caused the first notable changes to the cemeteries, especially in the Mamluk necropolis. The area affected by the demolition work there is 100 hectares, which represents 1% of the total of all the necropolises, and which is more than twice the size of the Pere-Lachaise cemetery in Paris, says El Kadi. The demolition work was, however, apparently put on hold after sparking a considerable outcry on social networks and in the local media, with UNESCO also expressing its concern. But that hiatus was interrupted a month ago and the bulldozers are back in action, concentrating on two major cemeteries south of Cairo. The governor of Cairo announced before the last demolition work in May 2023 that 2,500 graves would be demolished, El Kadi notes. But we cannot, in fact, know the exact number, because that would require a study in the governorate archives which is not possible in the current context. Work in a section of the Cairo necropolis at the foot of the Citadel. Marc Espanol As the authorities plans have not been made public, the criteria for demolition work is also unclear. It seems that some of the most emblematic tombs will not be demolished, but among those that have already been razed during this latest campaign include that of the first speaker of the Egyptian Parliament between 1902 and 1909, Abdel Hamid Basha Saddiq, and one of the countrys most celebrated calligraphers, Abdullah Afandi Zohdi, according to a civil society campaign. We dont have the details of what they want to do, says Mostafa Elsadek, one of the leading members of the initiative calling for safeguarding Cairos historic cemeteries. They havent given them to us, so we dont have an exact idea. We know they are not going to get rid of the historical monuments, but if there is a tomb that is very artistic and more than 150 years old and it is not [legally] considered a historical monument, its a problem. El Kadi is also concerned that if the monuments that remain standing do so in isolation, they will be adversely affected. Registered monuments are at risk from air pollution, vibrations from traffic and any change to their environment, such as being surrounded by a network of highways and roads, he says. The new demolition campaign has reactivated the voices of Cairos group of architects, historians and heritage enthusiasts, formed in late 2021 to document the tombs at risk and claim the importance of preserving them. An online petition has already collected more than 5,000 signatures, and the controversy is being talked about on social networks and the countrys most popular television programs. One of the boundaries of the Imam al-Shafi cemetery in Cairo, showing a road widened in recent years that runs right in front of it. Marc Espanol This group has gone so far as to draw up alternative plans to the governments road project to avoid demolition. But Elsadek says their plans have never been considered. Faced with the authorities refusal to engage on the issue, many families living in the areas affected have simply accepted offers from the state to move to other homes. We raised an alternative initially because they hadnt demolished anything yet, says Elsadek. But now they are demolishing quite a lot. We are not in a position to tell them that there are alternatives because they have already started the work. In a final bid to try to stop the demolition, the judicial route is being explored. At the end of May, the Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights (ECESR) filed an administrative complaint against the authorities responsible for the necropolises, including the prime minister and the governor of Cairo, demanding that they stop the demolition and protect the heritage. This is our last chance, explains prominent human rights lawyer Malek Adly, director of ECESR. We are really worried because the assault on this area has intensified. We realized that all earlier attempts, claims and complaints had failed, so we had no other option but the courts. In mid-June, in response to the criticism, Egyptian President Abdelfattah Al Sisi urged the relevant authorities to build a new cemetery that will house the remains of the icons of Egypt that are now located in the City of the Dead. Its site and the criteria for selecting which tombs are to be moved are yet to be decided, although it is thought the cemetery will most likely be built outside Cairo. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The Deputy Minister for Energy, Andrew Mercer Agyapa, has refuted assertions that the ousted Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, is being prosecuted because the New Patriotic Party (NPP) wants a majority in parliament. According to him, the ousted MP committed a crime and the fact that his conviction would affect the numbers at parliament is not a reason for him not to be prosecuted. Speaking in a TV3 interview shared on Facebook on Monday, June 19, 2023, Agyapa Mercer added that the evidence is clear that Gyakye Quayson committed a crime and he has no doubt that he would be jailed. This gentleman who is taking the NDCs abuse willingly, violated the statutory declaration, saying that he owed no allegiance to any other country. And I hear some argument to the effect that the man had tendered his application to the Canadian authorities, really and that is exculpatory. Are we serious? The deputy energy minister who is also the Member of Parliament for Sekondi, added, What kind of joke is this? What kind of joke is this? The law is clear on this... He had another citizenship other than Ghana he is going to jail. The High Court in Accra, on Friday (June 18, 2023), ruled that the ongoing criminal trial of ousted Assin North Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson, will be heard daily starting from Tuesday, June 20, 2023. This was after the presiding judge, Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh, turned down an application for the trial to be adjourned till after the by-election. The Court has since fixed June 20, 21, and 23 for the trial to continue. Quayson was recently ousted from parliament after the Supreme Court of Ghana ruled that he was ineligible to contest in the 2020 parliamentary election because he failed to renounce his Canadian citizenship in time. But there is still one case the former MP has to face in court after the Office of the Attorney General accused him of deceiving public officers to acquire state documents. On February 12, 2022, the State charged James Gyakye Quayson with five counts; deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A policeman has been killed in a daylight robbery attack on a bullion at Ablekuma Fanmilk in Accra. Reports indicate that the truck with registration number GT 1254-10 was attacked shortly after stopping at a fuel station to buy fuel. The driver of the truck however escaped unhurt. Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service says it is on a manhunt for the gang of robbers who attacked the bullion van and killed its officer in a post on Facebook. Read full post below POLICE ON MANHUNT FOR ROBBERS WHO ATTACKED A BULLION VAN AT ABLEKUMA IN ACCRA The Police are on a manhunt to arrest a gang of four robbers who attacked a bullion van at Ablekuma Fanmilk, a suburb of Accra and shot the Police escort who has unfortunately passed on. Our prayers and thoughts are with the family of our deceased colleague in particular and all personnel of the Police Service in general. We wish to assure the public that we will surely get the robbers arrested to face justice. Source: Peacefmonline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Its a typical sunny day at the James Town Beach in Accra. Boats and canoes are lined up alike, on sea and ashore. Fishers have returned with their nets and are sorting out the catch for the day. Some of these individuals have been dependent on fishing as a job for years and with its proceeds, they feed their families and provide for the home. Previously, the catch from one fishing trip to the sea could produce tons of fishes, translating to more money and happy fishers but today, the nets are either half-empty or virtually empty. Fishes are moving away from what used to be their habitat into deeper waters to either find some cool or comfort away from the harsh temperatures which have made the waters warm. And when fishes migrate, fishing becomes hectic and the fisher catches lesser fish with each corresponding attempt; making the future grimmer by the day. Climate change and its impact on fisheries: Climate change has come to be as a result of human activities which release harmful gases into the atmosphere including greenhouse gases which are responsible for the heat and carbon dioxide concentration. The effect of climate change has not only been felt by plant life, farming etc. but also marine animals. Research has indicated that ocean basins have experienced extreme temperature events in recent times, leading to dire consequences on fish and other aquatic animals. According to Science Advances; globally, the frequency of marine extreme high temperatures has been affecting many ecosystems since 1982 and is projected to further increase due to global warming. Dr. Andrews Agyekumhene, an expert and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Fisheries and Marine at the University of Ghana, speaking to GhanaWebs Wonder Ami Adu-Asare, explained how climate change has affected fish and marine life in Ghanas waters. The climate is changing as most of us are aware and the driving force or the number one culprit is that we are introducing a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is coming into the atmosphere as a result of mans activity like the release of fossil fuel. There are gases in the atmosphere called greenhouse gases, their main role is to trap this heat and make like bearable. It is important because that heat helps plant photosynthesize and even helps our clothes dry. One of the key effects of climate change as we know is increasing temperatures and that is where the impact on the marine system comes in. Every organism including man has a temperature range within which we are most active and with this changing climate, this temperature range has been exceeded. We are having temperature extremes and that is making life in the ocean unbearable, he noted. Animals in the marine environment are uncomfortable because of these extreme temperatures. For fish, they can be stressed and when the temperatures are high, the first thing is that, these animals get stressed. When the temperatures increase to a certain range, the habitats are affected and the animals have to move or die off; migration and that is why now we dont have a lot of fish in our system like we used to have. The waters are hot and the fishes have gone deeper, he added. In addition, he says the increased temperatures have contributed to bleaching of coral reeves which makes the condition of that area non-habitable for these marine mammals and fish, leading to migration. How fishers are affected: To get a first-hand idea about how bad the situation is, GhanaWeb spoke to some fishers and fishmongers at the James Town Beach. For these people, times have changed, and fishing is even more difficult in recent times because of the change in temperatures and what would have taken very little effort to get, they now use much more energy and resources to obtain. Nii Armaah, a fisher who has been in the vocation for years, told Wonder Ami Adu-Asare that fishing which he used to enjoy doing with his father as a young man has now become difficult for him. Because of the impact of climate change on the waters, fishing has become tedious and he makes more losses than gains when he goes fishing. Nii who depends on this vocation to feed his family says he has had to quit and sell fish which he deems more profitable now. I used to go fishing but I have quit because there are no fishes and we are making more losses than profit. The money we invest to go fishing is a lot but when we come back, we dont get a lot and thats why I decided to quit and rather buy and sell. We go to Takoradi, the fuel we waste, food and water, by the time we come, we dont get any profit, he said. Another woman, Madam Shai, who has been selling fish for over 30 years explained that her business has seen a significant drop in recent times because there is no fish. According to her, when fishers return, they come back with very little fish unlike what used to be. When I started selling fish, I was very happy with the produce. They used to get a lot of fish, different species too. In a season like this, they used to harvest a lot of fishes but now the fishes have gone deep into the sea, we cant get them, so we just come and walk around and get nothing, then we go back, she noted. Dr. Agyekumhene also explained that fishes and marine animals die and are washed ashore as a result of the extreme temperatures caused by climate change in recent times. Plastic waste and climate change: The marine and fisheries expert also explained that plastic waste which has taken over most of Ghanas waters also has a significant impact on climate change. Explaining how this works, Dr. Agyekumhene noted; There are chemicals that are used in the production of plastic. Polyethylene is one of them and methylene is also one of them, they are all products of fossil fuel. The extraction of these products can lead to the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Again, after they have been extracted, they must be processed. During every production, there are by-products and the release of carbon dioxide also comes as a result of the production of plastics. So along the extraction stage to the production stage of plastics, we have the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, he noted. The way forward The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement recognizes the need for effective and progressive responses to the urgent threat of climate change through mitigation and adaptation measures, while taking into account the particular vulnerabilities of food production systems. Dr. Agyekumhene agrees with this, suggesting that critical measures are taken to reduce the emission of harmful gases that are contributing to climate change to consequently reduce the impact of climate change on fish and marine animals. According to him, if nothing is done about the situation, the food production system, particularly with regard to fish will be affected. He proposed the following as some measures to curb the growing impact of climate change on fish. Awareness. If people are aware of some of the activities that can bring carbon dioxide into the environment, maybe we can get some of them stopped. If people are aware of how in their daily activities can help rid the environment of carbon dioxide, then we can help. But everything points to policies. If Im planting trees today and my grandchild cannot sit under it because someone is going to cut it, Im not doing anything so we need policies that are going to make the environmental system well catered for, he noted. We must let the punishment fit the crime, he added. Dr. Agyekumhene also advocated for the ban on the production of plastic waste as part of efforts to reduce carbon dioxide in the environment. This report is produced in fulfilment of the UNESCO & CIJ London Climate Change in News Media project facilitated by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development". Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Director of Research at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Dr John Kwakye, has suggested that the announcement by investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas that his next expose would shake the foundations of Ghana, is for his (Anas) parochial interest. Dr Kwakye, who was reacting to an article by GhanaWeb on Anass announcement, said that if Anas' aim is not to profit from the 2024 elections, he should not release the documentary before the elections as he has indicated but wait till after. In a series of tweets shared on Tuesday, June 21, 2023, the IEA boss advised the investigative journalist to stop entrapping Ghanaians and catch persons committing crimes. If Anas isnt interested in cashing in on the elections, he should wait to publish his documentary after not before. Anas shouldnt think that he can hold the whole country to ransom. No one is without blemish in this world. He himself isnt an angel. Anas should work to catch people who commit actual crimes. He shouldnt set people up to commit crimes. Thats unacceptable and should be condemned, he wrote. Background: Renowned investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas disclosed that he will soon release a documentary that will shake the foundation of Ghana. The documentary, according to Anas, would be released before the 2024 elections and would be an investigative piece on some politicians in the country. The journalist, who made these remarks in an interview on DW Africa, added that he has not released any piece on Ghana for a couple of months now because of the work that is going into the upcoming expose. The work that I am doing now might be the last before we get into the elections. But already the signs are very clear and I can tell you that the foundation would be shaken once again. There are a couple of international ones that are about to be released. But this one talking to you as a Ghanaian, I mean the foundation of Ghana would be shaken, he said. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Deputy Ranking Member of the Education Committee in Parliament has called on the leadership of the committee to mobilise all relevant stakeholders in the education sector for questioning. This reaction comes on the back of the number of teachers who failed the retake of the 2023 teacher licensure exam. The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Clement Apaak, also expressed that the National Teaching Council, Colleges of Education and affiliates, the Ghana Education Service, the Ministry of Education and the education committee in parliament ought to sit together to ascertain the cause of the extreme failure of teachers in the licensure exam. The MP made this appeal during an engagement with Accra-based Citi News. The stakeholders in education and the parliamentary sub-committee on education in particular ought to hold a hearing by inviting those charged with preparing teachers which will include the colleges of education, the universities that the various colleges are affiliated to, the National Teaching Council, the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education so that we find out exactly where the problem is and why such a colossal number of teachers failed to pass a licensure exam, he said. A total of 1,277 out of the 7, 728 teachers passed the retake of the 2023 licensure exams. The Public Relations Officer for the National Teacher Council, Dennis Osei-Owusu, in an interview, revealed that some of the teachers were writing the same paper for the 2nd and 9th time, respectively. Over 28,000 newly trained teachers sat for the first-ever teacher licensure examination on Monday, September 10, 2018. Out of the 28,757 teachers who wrote the first examination, 21,287, representing 74 percent passed, while 7,432 failed. The examination sought to ensure that only qualified teachers were employed to teach as a way of improving the standard of teaching. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Isaac Adongo, the acting Ranking Member for the Finance Committee, has challenged Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President and aspiring flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to present a better vision for the country beyond resorting to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Adongo questioned Bawumia's claim of having a vision for Ghana, stating that if Bawumia truly had a vision, the country wouldn't have experienced the economic challenges it currently faces. Adongo criticized the government's reliance on the IMF, suggesting that it reflects a lack of vision and economic mismanagement. During a press conference on June 21, Adongo expressed his anger at hearing those who he believes drove the country's economy into a state of decline now speak about having a vision. In the midst of this gargantuan economic mismanagement, I heard Dr. Bawumia saying he has a vision for Ghana. I'm wondering what vision he has other than what he and his boss, Nana Addo, have contracted with IMF for the good people of Ghana. What is Dr Mahamudu Bawumia going to do that he couldn't do in this government? It is annoying to hear those who drove a car in perfect condition into a ditch now talking about "vision". If they had vision,Ghana wouldn't have sunk this low in the first place, he said. Meanwhile, last Friday, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia submitted his presidential nomination forms at the NPP head office in Asylum Down, Accra. The event attracted a large crowd of enthusiastic supporters, marking the beginning of his campaign for the 2024 elections. During the submission of the nomination forms, Dr. Bawumia emphasized his unwavering commitment to the party and his dedication to serving the nation. He recounted his previous roles as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana and Vice President, highlighting the government's achievements in infrastructure development and transformative policies. Dr. Bawumia expressed pride in the current administration's accomplishments and vowed to continue the process of transforming Ghana through hard work, honesty, dedication, and discipline. As the NPP flagbearer race continues, the clash between Adongo and Bawumia sheds light on the different visions and approaches presented by the candidates, adding depth to the political discourse surrounding the party's future direction. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Eric Sekyi Nketia, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has decided to withdraw from the flagbearership race of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP). The lecturer cited unjust treatment from the party as the reason behind his withdrawal. Eric Sekyi Nketia revealed that he had made three attempts to obtain nomination forms from the party's headquarters, but his efforts were in vain. Despite reaching out to the Chairman of the National Council and the General Secretary through a petition, Nketia said his concerns were ignored. Consequently, he has chosen to step aside from the race, allowing other candidates to compete. Source: class fm Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Charles Bissue, the Secretary to the dissolved Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), has turned himself in to the Special Prosecutor to assist in the ongoing investigations into a case involving him. The Office of the Special Prosecutor, on Tuesday, June 13, declared Charles Bissue wanted due to his failure to appear for interrogation into suspected corruption within the defunct IMCIM of which his name was mentioned. Mr. Bissue recently filed a writ at the High Court in Accra against the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) and the court, six days ago, upheld an interim injunction restraining the OSP from placing him on public notice or under arrest. The court adjourned hearing of the substantive case to Thursday, June 22, 2023. According to a statement sighted by Peacefmonline, Charles Bissue turned himself in to the Office of the Special Prosecutor at 11:45 am today, June 21. "He was immediately placed under arrest, interviewed and subsequently released on bail", the statement signed by the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, said. Your browser does not support iframes. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Josue Osorto of Hummelstown won the $6,000 grand prize of a pitch competition, which was held on Wednesday to mark the end of M&T Banks Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab. The pitch competition capped the seven-week business accelerator program that launched May 10 in partnership with the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. Osorto, 34, launched Bespoke Vending in September. The vending machine company sells popular, trending, nostalgic and hard-to-find snacks from around the world. The former hospitality industry worker plans to use the prize money to buy new vending machines and launch a website for Bespoke Vending. Corey Dupree, owner of Men Raising Black Boys, came in second place in the pitch competition for the Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab. (Photo Provided) The Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab focused on business planning, establishing credit, accessing capital, marketing, branding and networking. Courses were held each Wednesday evening at Harrisburg University. The Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Innovation Lab was offered to entrepreneurs who met the following eligibility requirements: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx or Asian American; in business no more than three years; have an annual business revenue of $350,000 or less; and reside in the greater Harrisburg area. Nearly 40 entrepreneurs participated in this years Multicultural Small Business Lab. The Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab empowers Greater Harrisburgs entrepreneurs and provides their small businesses with the resources to grow, Nora Habig, M&Ts regional president for central and western Pennsylvania, said in a news release. Supporting small businesses remains at the core of M&T, and were proud to invest in diverse small businesses within the Harrisburg community. BreAna Blount, owner of Bres Eats-n-Sweets, came in third in the pitch competition for the Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab. (Photo Provided) Osorto wasnt the only entrepreneur to come away with prize money. Corey Dupree, owner of Men Raising Black Boys, earned the pitch competitions second-place prize of $4,000. BreAna Blount, owner of Bres Eats-n-Sweets, won the third-place prize of $2,000. The other finalists in the pitch competition included Leslie Avila, owner of DelightFull Wellness; Tiffiney L. Hall, owner of PosiTiff Touch Health and Wellness; and Jazmin Slaughter, owner of A Hint of Jazz Management. Police are still looking for the 20-year-old gunman who opened fire toward a fight that was taking place between two groups of people early Saturday morning in Lancaster, according to court records. Lancaster City Bureau Police are looking for Timothy Allen who faces murder charges for shooting and killing Amdrella Cartel, 27, of Lancaster. Police responded to the shooting on the 600 block of North Plum Street around 3 a.m. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Cartel dead from a gunshot wound. According to a report from WHTM TV-27, a criminal complaint filed by Lancaster City Bureau Police said two groups of people met to fight following an argument that had taken place earlier at a restaurant. With surveillance video footage obtained from the area, officers were able to see that Allen pulled out a handgun and fired multiple shots into the crowd during the fight. Cartel was also seen falling to the ground after being shot. Two other people were hospitalized after being injured during the shooting, with one of them needing immediate medical attention, police said. Officers said witnesses were able to help identify Allen as the shooter on the surveillance video. One of the witnesses was able to provide a clothing description and another picked Allen out of a photo lineup, according to the affidavit. Allen also faces recklessly endangering another person, aggravated assault and firearms that are not to be carried without a license. A warrant has been issued for Allens arrest. Anyone with information connected to this investigation is encouraged to contact the Lancaster City Bureau of Police at 717-735-3300. If they choose, they can remain anonymous. READ MORE: Man sentenced to life for killing wife, setting fire to central Pa. home: DA Coroner identifies motorcyclist who died in central Pa. crash Robert J. Sternberg will go down in the history of psychology thanks to his famous triangular theory of love, which holds that love can be understood in terms of three components: intimacy, passion and commitment. However, this American psychologist has also devoted a lot of time to the study of human intelligence, creativity and its use in the world of education. He is convinced that teaching should not be a simple transmission of knowledge, but a comprehensive development of intelligence. The outgoing Sternberg, former president of the American Psychological Association, was recently in Madrid, Spain, sharing his knowledge with the students and teachers of the Camilo Jose Cela University, where he also talked with EL PAIS. Although he directed the Center for the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies and Expertise at Yale University, he is currently a professor at Cornell. Question: You talk about three types of intelligence: analytical, creative and practical. Which is better to have? Answer. You always need some combination, because you use your creative skills to generate ideas that are new and hopefully useful. But everyone has bad ideas. Even Socrates. So you need analytical skills to say whether the idea is good. But you also need practical skills to communicate your ideas in a way that people can understand. Take an interpersonal relationship with your husband or your wife or your boyfriend or girlfriend; when things arent working which of course never happens to us, but it happens to other people [laughs] you need analytical skills to say, Whats going on here? Is he having an affair? Is he sick of me? Are we failing to communicate? And you need creative skills to say, Well, if things are going well, how can I make them go better? And you need practical skills to make sure that whatever ideas you come up with actually work with your husband or your wife. Q. Now more than ever we have to work transversally as part of a team, a skill that companies ask to promote in schools. A. Thats a great point. The tests we use to measure IQ are always are almost always individually based, but real world problems almost never are. They almost always involve interactions with people like your husband, your wife, your boss, your coworkers, your friends, the people in an organization, the people in your church. And so, we emphasize your abilities, but we should also be concerned about emphasizing how to work with others, because thats the way almost all real world problems are solved. Q. Thats why you have your own intelligence test. A. IQ tests tell you a little bit about a persons sort of abstract, analytical thinking, and thats important. The problem is that most real world problems are nothing like IQ tests. No one says, Let me tell you exactly what the problem really is. You have to figure it out. And if you dont realize that something is wrong, by the time you figure it out, you may be getting the divorce papers or whatever. What I emphasize in my own theory is that we need to use problems that are more like the problems people encounter in everyday life. In my talks here, I gave examples of real world problems. There can be problems between a husband and wife, between two countries, between two organizations. But real problems are very messy. Theyre emotionally laden. But your intellectual abilities are constantly changing. Intelligence is something you pick up. Q. In Spain, many families now think that their children are gifted. A. In our world. Its very similar in the United States. Theres sort of a growing narcissism; we think were special. I think its partly a societal trend. I have five kids. I have triplets who are 12, and I have two older children. And much more useful than thinking that your kid is gifted, is to think, What am I going to do for my kid? Helping children recognize what theyre passionate about, and encouraging them to develop passions. Like my boy Sammy right now, he is really into rare coins, so I encourage that, because he learns a lot about the world through studying coins. One girl is really interested in dolls, the other in clothes. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. What I want to do to help them prepare for life is figure out what they have to contribute to the world, what they can do to say, when theyre older, I had a good life, but I also made life good for other people. You have to be ready to learn about a new environment and either adapt to it or change yourself to fit the environment. Its happened to me. I quit a job, a really well-paying job after a few months because I saw that the values of the people in this institution simply did not match my values. You have to find environments that make you feel who you are. Robert J. Sternberg during the interview. Claudio Alvarez Q. Do you think healthy competition between students should be encouraged? A. In life, theres always competition of some sort. But I think that schools often emphasize competition too much, because so often the way you solve problems is through collaboration. So its odd that we spend so much time saying things like, Who did better in this test? What we need to do is work together. The invasion of Ukraine was a really good example of how countries learned they cant each go their own way. I have a theory of love, and one of the things that kill relationships is when couples are so used to competing that they start competing with each other. Instead of being happy with each of their successes, theyre not happy. Ive even seen parents competing with kids. Its crazy. Q. Isnt that excessive? A. No. Why do they compete with their kids? I talk about the increasing narcissism and parents get upset. I view my older kids as more successful than I am. They have great marriages, they have great kids. They do well in their job. You know, my life is a string of failures. Theyve done really well and that makes me happy. But some people might say, Theyre doing better than I did, and that makes me feel smaller. It makes me insecure, it makes me feel like theyre succeeding and Im not. And that can happen with kids, with siblings, with parents. Thats really destructive. But, you know, these are tough times. Q. Then there are the so-called helicopter parents who hover over their childrens education, without letting them be autonomous. A. Neither of my parents finished high school, so they couldnt help me. At the time I thought it was a disadvantage because other kids had parents who went to universities and they were doctors and lawyers; my father sold buttons for a living. But I later concluded that I had an advantage: no one was going to make me successful. I wasnt going to take over my fathers business. There are many people who you look at them and say, If it werent for their parents... I mean, Donald Trumps kids might be selling shoes in a shoe store or something. Q. Do you have to be bored to become creative? A. No. Being creative is mostly a way of living. Its not something you get when youre bored. Its when you decide that you dont have to do things the way other people do. But when youre creative you pay a price, because people dont like it. Even when they say they want you to be creative, what they really mean is: Be creative as long as it doesnt get in my way. As long as you leave me alone and you dont threaten my job or my way of thinking. You have to be willing to defy yourself. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A Lancaster man was handed a mandatory life sentence plus 20 years after setting fire to his familys home with children inside and killing his wife in 2010, the Lancaster County district attorneys office said Wednesday. Carlos Montalvo-Rivera, 55, was convicted by jury of first-degree murder, arson, risking catastrophe, and three counts of attempted criminal homicide after a three-week trial in April. Montalvo-Rivera also owes $116,975.28 in restitution. The jury agreed with the prosecution that Montalvo-Rivera first killed Olga Sanchez, 30, poured gasoline up the steps and into the bedroom, set the house on fire while his children were on the third floor, sneaked out a door on the first floor, and tied himself up. Sanchez was found dead on the floor of the master bedroom at their home on North Plum Street on Dec. 6, 2010, according to authorities. Two children were also injured. Forensic pathologist Dr. Wayne Ross testified at trial that Sanchez died from asphyxia and smoke inhalation. But investigators said she was alive when the fire started, as there was evidence she had not moved from where she had been left on the floor. After the fatal fire, Montalvo-Rivera then attempted to create a story to cover his tracks and prove his innocence. Lancaster police said Carlos Montalvo-Rivera changed his story about the fire at least three times over the years. Before Montalvo-Riveras ordering sentence, Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker said his stories from that night were lies. The lame story you concocted and continued to hold on to simply didnt hold any water, Reinaker said. The jury didnt believe you and I think thats how it should be. That night, Montalvo-Rivera told investigators that intruders broke into his home, killed his wife and set fire to it out of retaliation because her brother had cooperated with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on an unrelated case, according to the DAs office. But a neighbors story contradicted him, as he told police he saw Montalvo-Rivera trying to climb up the burning house from an alley and his hands were free, according to court records. One minute later, the neighbor said Montalvo-Rivera walked out of the alley with his wrists suddenly bound behind his back. Montalvo-Rivera also contradicted himself, police said, by changing his story about when he took the bindings off and how he was bound. This was an absolutely brutal and heinous crime that involved multiple victims, assistant district attorney Christine Wilson said during the sentencing proceeding. It was a cold-blooded murder. Even though the defendant refuses to admit accountability for his actions, hes been found guilty by a jury of his peers. The nearly nine-year investigation resulted in charges being filed in 2019, according to prosecutors. A criminal complaint against Montalvo-Rivera said he told police after the fire that he and his wife were getting along fine before the fire. But investigators discovered he had moved out of the family home one month before the morning fire. Eventually, he told police that he knew she was seeing someone else. Olga Sanchez-Reyes sister described Montalvo-Rivera as very jealous in an interview with police in 2016. She said she witnessed him threatening Sanchez-Reyes one year before her death by saying I will kill you like a dog, Montalvo-Rivera reportedly said to his wife during an argument, according to court records. While inconsistencies were obvious to police early in the investigation, it took years for the necessary evidence to be collected, authorities said. Justice has been delayed, but the victims family has finally received it, Wilson said. READ MORE: Wedding photographer reacts to Pa. troopers death: It feels so wildly unfair Palmyra man charged after victim had enough fentanyl in his system to kill almost 30 people Police in Cambria County have released a photo of a man they believe shot and killed one man and injured another at a Johnstown bar. WTAJ reports that Dirk Jones, 42, was charged with murder, multiple counts of aggravated assault, recklessly endangering another person and firearms charges after an incident on June 10 at a Cambria City bar. The investigation found that a fight at the bar Liquid Currency led to the shooting, in which Caleb Beppler, 21, was hit and killed. Another man was hit in the leg. A photo of Dirk Jones released by police. Jones has been charged with homicide following a shooting at a Johnstown bar. Using security camera footage, police were able to identify the suspect as Jones by matching the face of the suspect with his social media photos. Jones has remained at large since the warrant has been issued for his arrest. The Tribune-Democrat reports that authorities released photos of Jones on Wednesday, and that Jones, a native of Philadelphia, is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs roughly 180 pounds. A photo of Dirk Jones released by police. Jones has been charged with homicide following a shooting at a Johnstown bar. Anyone with information on Jones whereabouts can call 814-472-2100 or send an anonymous text to the Johnstown police by texting the keyword JPD to 847411, by first adding a space to the beginning of the message. Legislation that would provide student teachers up to a $15,000 grant during their 12-week required student teaching assignments won Pennsylvania House of Representative passage on Thursday by a 141-62 bipartisan vote. The measure is seen as a way to help address the teacher shortage in the commonwealth affecting urban, suburban, and rural school districts alike. By GEOFF MULVIHILL, KIMBERLEE KRUESI and CLAIRE SAVAGE, The Associated Press One year ago Saturday, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Twenty-five million women of childbearing age now live in states where the law makes abortions harder to get than they were before the ruling. Decisions about the law are largely in the hands of state lawmakers and courts. Most Republican-led states have restricted abortion. Fourteen ban abortion in most cases at any point in pregnancy. Twenty Democratic-leaning states have protected access to abortion. Heres a look at some of the changes since the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling. LAWS HAVE BEEN ENACTED IN 25 STATES TO BAN OR RESTRICT ABORTION ACCESS Last summer, as women and medical providers began to navigate a landscape without legal protection for abortion, Nancy Davis doctors advised her to terminate her pregnancy. The fetus she was carrying had no skull and was expected to die soon after birth. But doctors in Louisiana, where Davis lived, would not provide the abortion due to a new law banning it throughout pregnancy in most cases. Davis became one of the women whose stories, told on news sites and network news, in newspapers and blogs, illustrated the shifting ground doctors and their patients tried to navigate. At the same time, abortion opponents who worked for decades to abolish a practice they see as murder cheered the Supreme Courts Dobbs ruling. Anti-abortion groups said the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide was undemocratic because it prevented states from enacting bans. The Dobbs decision was a democratic victory for life that generations fought for, said E.V. Osment, a spokeswoman for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a major anti-abortion group. While some states scrambled to pass new restrictions, others already had enacted laws that were designed to take effect if the court overturned Roe. More than 25 million women ages 15 to 44, or about 2 in 5 nationally, now live in states where there are more restrictions on abortion access than there were before Dobbs. More than 5.5 million more live in states where restrictions have been adopted but are on hold pending court challenges. Bans on abortion no later than 12 weeks into pregnancy are on the books in nearly every state in the Southeast though some are not in effect. Many laws that make exceptions for medical emergencies do not clearly define those situations. After Davis went public with her challenges last year, Louisiana lawmakers debated whether doctors in the state were right to deny her an abortion under a law that has exceptions for medically futile pregnancies and when theres a substantial risk of death or impairment for the woman. But the Legislature made no changes to clarify the law. Davis is among a number of women who ended up traveling out of state to have a legal surgical abortion. She got help from a fund that raises money for women to travel for such purposes. With her fiance by her side, Davis flew to New York in September, when she was about four months pregnant. The whole experience was heartbreaking, she said. A mothers love starts as soon as she knows shes pregnant. That attachment starts instantly, she said. It was days I couldnt sleep. It was days I couldnt eat. Planned Parenthood Cleveland Health Center has a sign stating it will stay open despite the Supreme Court's action overturning Roe v Wade in June 2022. (Julie E. Washington/ cleveland.com, file) ABORTION ACCESS HAS BEEN PROTECTED IN 20 STATES As some states restricted abortion, others locked in access. Clinics moved across state lines, added staff and lengthened hours to accommodate women leaving their home states to end their pregnancies. In 25 states, abortion remains generally legal up to at least 24 weeks of pregnancy. In 20 of those states, protections have been solidified through constitutional amendments or laws. Officials in many of those states, including California, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico and New York, have explicitly invited women from places where the procedure is banned. Women have flocked to states with legal access. CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health had for decades treated patients in Memphis, Tennessee, some seeking abortions. After Tennessees abortion ban kicked in last year, the clinic opened a second outpost thats about a three-hour drive away, in Carbondale, Illinois, a state that has positioned itself as an oasis for abortion access. I would say 80% or more of our patients continue to come from the communities that CHOICES has always taken care of, said CEO Jennifer Pepper, who said the Illinois clinic sees on average 350 patients a month. Theyre coming from Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and even Texas, but now theyre having to travel much farther. Kansas is one of the closest places to obtain abortions for people in parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. A new clinic opened in Kansas City, Kansas, four days before Dobbs. Within weeks, the clinic was overwhelmed. Even after lengthening hours, hiring staff and flying in physicians, its been able to take only about 10% to 15% of people who have sought an abortion there. Dr. Iman Alsaden, the Planned Parenthood medical director based in Kansas, said most patients in the Kansas clinics are now coming from elsewhere. Youre in a really, really dire public health situation when you are looking at someone who had to jump through endless amounts of hoops just to make this work and saying theyre so lucky theyre able to do this, Alsaden said. In anticipation of out-of-state patients, states such as Hawaii have passed laws to allow more health care workers, such as nurse practitioners, to provide abortions. In New Jersey, officials late last year announced a grant to train more medical professionals to perform the procedures. THE NUMBER OF ABORTIONS IS NOT CLEAR Because of reporting lags and gaps in data, the impact on the number of abortions provided across the U.S. is not completely clear. But the authors of #WeCount, a survey conducted for the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research and supports abortion access, say the monthly average went down after Dobbs. The groups data finds that the number of abortions provided through clinics, hospitals and other providers in states where bans were put in place plummeted to nearly zero. The tracking effort collects monthly data, providing a snapshot of abortion trends after Roe v. Wade was overturned. It does not reflect self-managed abortions, relies on estimates in places where providers do not supply data and does not fully account for seasonal differences in pregnancies or abortions. Still, its the fullest national picture available for now. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data covering 2022 is not likely to be released until late 2024. Even then, the picture wont be completely clear: Not every state collects abortion data, and what is collected does not include self-managed abortions provided outside clinics, hospitals and doctors offices. In Louisiana, where abortion was legal until 22 weeks gestational age before Dobbs, the state reported more than 7,400 abortions in 2020, the last year for which full data was available. #WeCount found there were an average of 785 a month in April and May 2022 and fewer than 10 every month since the ban there has been in place. There are similar trends elsewhere. In Idaho, 1,700 abortions were reported in 2020, and #WeCount found fewer than 10 a month recently. In Texas, state data shows only a handful of abortions monthly from August through January. Before restrictions there took effect in 2021, there were often more than 5,000 per month. The #WeCount survey of abortion providers has found that the overall average number of abortions at clinics and hospitals was lower in the months after the Dobbs ruling, from July 2022 through March but that the number of abortions has risen dramatically in states that border those with no access, such as Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico and North Carolina. In Illinois, for instance, the survey tallied about 5,600 abortions in April 2022 and more than 7,900 in March 2023. PILLS ARE AN EVEN MORE DOMINANT ABORTION METHOD Even before the court ruled, most abortions in the U.S. were done through a two-pill regimen, not a surgical procedure. Now groups are using medication to provide access however illegal -- in states where abortion is banned. For example, Aid Access works with doctors overseas and in states with shield laws, which are intended to bar abortion-related investigations by other states. Those doctors prescribe the medications and Aid Access ships them. It saw requests in a sample of 30 states more than double from before a draft of the Dobbs ruling was leaked last year until it became official and bans started taking effect. The groups Netherlands-based founder and director, Rebecca Gomperts, believes most U.S. women who want abortions are still managing to get them. The fact that the abortion pill is available, she said, that makes the tragic of it much less profound. Still, she said, those who struggle the most for access are poor and Black women. The move from surgical to medication abortion has frustrated abortion opponents, who have taken their case to court. Some abortion opponents are calling for the abortion drug mifepristone to lose its 23-year-old approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Supreme Court has preserved access for now. The company leading the Titan submersible trip to the wreckage of the Titanic says the five missing men on board are believed to be dead. OceanGate Expeditions on Thursday says its pilot and chief executive Stockton Rush and four passengers have sadly been lost. OceanGate did not provide details Thursday when the company announced the loss of life in a statement or how officials knew the crew members perished. The U.S. Coast Guard said it believes the missing submersible imploded near the wreckage of the Titanic. A debris field was found near the Titanic wreck at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean Thursday during the search for the sub. Coast Guard officials later said the search had uncovered parts of the Titan consistent with an implosion. The Coast Guard said the pieces were discovered within the search area by a remotely operated underwater robot. The Titan, with five aboard, went missing Sunday. The vessels 96-hour oxygen supply likely ended early Thursday morning. Besides Rush, those on board are British adventurer Hamish Harding; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman; and French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet. The Titan was reported overdue Sunday afternoon about 435 miles south of St. Johns, Newfoundland, as it was on its way to where the iconic ocean liner sank more than a century ago. OceanGate has been chronicling the Titanics decay and the underwater ecosystem around it via yearly voyages since 2021. This is a breaking news story and has been updated with more details. MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) An Australian ex-priest convicted of child sex abuse pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually abusing a 72nd victim. Gerald Ridsdale, 89, has been in prison since 1994. He is serving a 39-year sentence for a series of convictions for abusing children between 1961 and 1988 while he worked as a Roman Catholic priest in churches and schools across his home state of Victoria. Bedridden, he pleaded guilty in the Ballarat Magistrates Court by video link from a prison hospital to a new charge of indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy in 1987 while Ridsdale worked as an assistant priest at a school in Horsham, a town about 300 kilometers (200 miles) northwest of Melbourne. In this photo made from video on May 27, 2015, Gerald Ridsdale gives evidence during a child sex abuse royal commission. (Royal Commission/AAP Image via AP)AP Ridsdale will return to court Aug. 15 for sentencing on his 193rd conviction for child sex abuse. His prison sentence has been extended seven times over the decades as more victims have come forward. In October, Ridsdales earliest release date was extended to April 2027 after he admitted abusing two brothers between 1981 and 1982. Through his lawyer, Ridsdale told Magistrate Hugh Radford that he had been unable to walk since mid-2022 and his doctors have recommended palliative care. His medical conditions were not detailed. Ridsdale accepted that the only appropriate sentence for his new conviction was additional prison time. During his 29 years as a priest, Ridsdale was shuffled among 16 church posts. In 2017, a government inquiry into child sex abuse found his frequent relocations were evidence of the church covering up his crimes. The inquiry found that the late Australian Cardinal George Pell, who became the third-highest ranking cleric in the Vatican in 2014, knew Ridsdale had been sexually abusing children years before his arrest. Pell denied any previous knowledge of criminal allegations against Ridsdale. More: New Catholic bishop of Harrisburg vows to help victims of clergy sex abuse 3 states not Pa. remove time limits on child sex abuse lawsuits The family of famed wildlife conservationist, TV host and former executive director of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Jack Hanna, says he no longer recognizes them. Hannas family announced in April 2021 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimers. The diagnosis of dementia came in 2019. His family said this week they had welcomed The Columbus Dispatch into our home for a real-world look into living with Alzheimers disease. June is the month with the most light - and a time to recognize the fight against the darkness of Alzheimers. While Dad/Jack is still mobile, his mind fails him, the light in his eyes has dimmed, and we miss who he was each and every moment of the day, according to the Jungle Jack Hanna page on Facebook. The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch spent time with Hanna and his wife, Suzi, at their home in Montana. The Jack Hanna the world once knew is gone. At age 76, Alzheimers disease has stripped away his memory and the life he led in the public eye for almost a half-century. He was first diagnosed in fall 2019 with early Alzheimers, but now the disease has advanced to the point where he doesnt know most of his own family, the news outlet reported. The Dispatch reported that Hanna knows his wife and his dog, Brassy, but only sometimes remembers the oldest of his three daughters, Kathaleen. His other daughters are Suzanne and Julie Hanna. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium posted a message from President and CEO Tom Schmid on its Facebook page saying, We are grateful to the Hanna family for sharing such a personal update about Jacks private battle with Alzheimers disease. Their decision to talk about Jacks health challenges brings awareness to this disease that affects more than six million Americans of all ages. We stand in support of Jack, Suzi, and the Hanna family. Jack is and will always be an integral part of the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds history and legacy. We have set up a green mailbox inside the guest relations office at the Zoos front entrance where notes of love and support to Jack and the Hanna family can be dropped off. Messages to the Hanna family, he said, can be emailed to info@jackhanna.com. Hanna hosted the television shows Jack Hannas Animal Adventures from 1993 to 2008, Jack Hannas Into the Wild since 2007 and Jack Hannas Wild Countdown from 2011 to 2020. Jungle Jack, who always wore khaki, served as executive director of Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. He was the executive director until 1992 but remained as a spokesman for the zoo until he retired in 2020 as a result of the diagnosis. A bridge preservation project on the heavily traveled Routes 22/322 in Juniata County will reduce traffic to one lane in each direction. The project, east of the Port Royal exit, starts Monday, June 26, 2023, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. PennDOT District 2 officials said the bridges over Doe Run Road (Route 2003) will be repaired and rehabilitated. Eastbound and westbound will be reduced to one lane in each direction. PennDOT said the work is the first phase of a 2-year project to repair six bridges on Route 22/322. Work at the Doe Run Road location will last through the fall. Work on eastbound and westbound bridges spanning Route 35 and Cedar Springs Road (Route 2006) will take place in 2024. The project includes latex overlays, deck replacements, pier repairs, jacking of the bridge superstructures, paving and guide rails. The $11.6 million project was awarded to HRI of State College. For more information on traffic conditions and delays, warnings and weather, go to 511PA.com. READ MORE: How do you dry a highway in the rain? Pa. calls on racetrack for I-95 WILLIAMSPORT Officials in a Lycoming County school district are accused of being deliberately indifferent to racial harassment. The allegations against the Jersey Shore Area School District and three administrators are contained in an amended complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. Middle District Court by the parents of two bi-racial children. Judge Matthew W. Brann a month ago dismissed the complaint of Adam and Catiese Williams, ruling they failed to meet the very high standard for causes of actions against public schools and officials related to student bullying. The Pennsylvania Senate on Thursday unanimously confirmed Dr. Laurel R. Harry as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC). Harry has been serving as acting secretary since her initial appointment by Gov. Josh Shapiro in January 2023. As secretary, Harry will continue to lead the DOCs mission to reduce criminal behavior in Pennsylvania by providing the incarcerated population individualized treatment and educational opportunities that promote accountability and positive change, as well as building stronger communities through successful parole supervision and reintegration. It is an honor to work alongside the more than 17,000 men and women of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections whose hard work and dedication have built our agency into a recognized leader in the field of corrections, Harry said in a press release. All Pennsylvanians deserve to be safe and feel safe in their communities, and I look forward to collaborating with the team Gov. Shapiro has assembled to achieve that goal. Harry began her DOC career in 1999 as a drug and alcohol treatment specialist. She served in a variety of roles while moving up the ranks, including drug and alcohol treatment specialist supervisor, unit manager, deputy superintendent, superintendent of SCI Camp Hill for 10 years, and most recently, acting western region deputy secretary. She was also a member of the departments Western Region Hostage Negotiation Team. Harry graduated from the Criminal Justice Executive Leadership Program in 2008 and the Leadership Development Institute in 2010. She was recognized by the Pa. Prison Wardens Association as the 2019 Warden of the Year. She earned her doctorate in criminal justice at California University of Pennsylvania. She also holds a masters degree in counseling and a bachelors degree in psychology from West Virginia University. More: Pa. Senate confirms nominations for Labor & Industry, Drug and Alcohol Programs Cost of Pa. dog licenses may rise for the first time in 27 years Bill would allow Pa. patients to get medical marijuana regardless of illness Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, delivers a speech at the opening session on the first day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference, on June 21, 2023. European Union countries on Wednesday agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine aimed at countering sanctions circumvention through third countries and businesses. The EU had previously imposed 10 rounds of sanctions on Russia since President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Banks, companies and markets have been hit even parts of the sensitive energy sector. More than 1,000 officials are subject to asset freezes and travel bans. Much work in the latest batch of sanctions has involved closing loopholes so that goods vital to Putins war effort dont get through via nations that trade with the EU and have maintained a business-as-usual relationship with Moscow. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EUs executive arm, said the new package will deal a further blow to Putins war machine with tightened export restrictions, targeting entities supporting the Kremlin. Our anti-circumvention tool will prevent Russia from getting its hands on sanctioned goods, she added. It is the first time that plans have been announced to target trade via other countries, apart from sanctions against Iranians alleged to be supplying drones to Russia. It also prohibits the transit via Russia of products and technologies which might help boost its defense and security sector. Under the latest package, if the EU sees for example that exports of a certain computer chip increase five-fold to one nation, and then sees that such exports from the country increase by about the same amount to Russia, the bloc would be able to take tougher action to end the practice. The new package specifically allows the implementation of measures restricting the sale, or export of sensitive dual-use goods and technology to third countries who could then transfer them to Russia. Under the new rules, the EU could exert much more pressure to end the practice than before. It does give a big stick with which the EU can say: please dont do it, and then, if it continues we go to restrictive measures, said an official from an EU nation on condition of anonymity because the rules had yet to be published in the EUs official journal. The rules cannot be excessively rigid, since the EU does not want to immediately alienate nations. We need to look for a balance with nations. When we address their bad behavior, we have to make sure we dont immediately drive them into the arms of Putin, the official said. The new package will also target 71 extra persons and 33 entities in relation with the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Also included is the prohibition to access to ports in the EU by vessels engaged in ship-to-ship transfers when there is a suspicion that a boat is not respecting the ban on importing seaborne Russian crude oil and petroleum products into the bloc. In addition, the package extends the suspension of the broadcasting licenses in the EU of five Russian media outlets under state control. Past sanctions have been agreed on in just months extremely quickly for the EU. But new measures are becoming increasingly hard to endorse as they inflict damage on the economic and political interests of some member countries even as they aim for the Kremlin. Hungary, for instance, had said earlier this week it wouldnt allow EU measures targeting Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom, insisting on the importance of nuclear energy for Europes security and environmental goals. Hungary signed new agreements in April to ensure its continued access to Russian energy, a sign of the countrys continuing diplomatic and trade ties with Moscow that have confounded some European leaders amid the war in Ukraine. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A photographer who snapped images during the wedding of Pennsylvania State Trooper Jacques Rougeau Jr., 29 killed Saturday by a Juniata County gunman and his wife Chloe Rougeau said she knew they were soulmates from the moment she met the couple in 2017. In a sad but heartfelt Facebook post, photographer Hannah Bryerton talked about the undeniable love between her clients Jacques, nicknamed Jay, and Chloe. This Monday feels really dark, and its with the heaviest heart that I am writing this post. Over the weekend, one of my past brides experienced the most traumatic, heartbreaking loss of a lifetime, she wrote. My 2017 groom, Jay Rougeau, was killed in the line of duty serving as a Pennsylvania State Police officer. It was an act of senseless violence that took the most genuine, beautiful soul away from this world. Its not supposed to be this way; it feels so wildly unfair. I know full-well that my job carries a lot of weight. I understand completely that Im often afforded the responsibility of documenting some of the final photos of a beloved grandparent, aunt, uncle, mother, or father. But nothing could have prepared me for the loss of one of my clients. Chloe and Jay were irrevocably in love with one another. From the moment we met at their engagement session, I knew they were soul mates. I vividly remember saying to my friend afterward: find yourself someone who looks at you the way Jay looks at Chloe. He ADORED her existence. His love for the people in his life burned so bright. He had the warmest smile, most inviting demeanor, kindest eyes, and sweetest heart. I never once heard anyone say a bad thing about him. I dont like to pick favorites, but its safe to say Jay Rougeau was pretty much everyones. Trooper Jacques F. Rougeau Jr. was killed in the line of duty on June 17, 2023, in Juniata County. Pennsylvania State Police The pain I feel for Chloe leaves a lump in my throat and a hole in my chest. The anger I am harboring toward someone I dont even know for robbing these two of their life together... it burns inside me with a rage I didnt know existed. No one deserves this fate, but the least deserving of it is these two. The fragility of life is becoming more and more palpable to me each passing day. The saying, live every day like its your last feels so cliche, but when are we all going to start actually taking it to heart? Growing old is a privilege denied to so many... & today, Im absolutely shattered that Jay Rougeau was one of them. Its a thin blue line, but Chloe Rougeau, we are walking it with you. Rougeau was killed and Lt. James A. Wagner, 45, was wounded in separate encounters with gunman Brandon Stine on June 17, according to PSP. Rougeau enlisted in the PSP in June 2020 as a member of the 160th cadet class where he was assigned to the Troop G, Lewistown Station. He was assigned to Troop J, York before transferring to Troop G, Lewistown in March of this year. Rougeau was the 104th member of the Pa. State Police to be killed in the line of duty. This is a tragedy for the Pennsylvania State Police, Col. Christopher Paris, commissioner of the PSP, said during a Sunday afternoon press conference. We ask for your continued prayers for not only our Troopers but also their families. READ MORE: Heres how to help families of Pa. state troopers involved in Juniata County shootout Body of slain Pa. state trooper arrives in his hometown by private jet Sister of man who ambushed Pa. troopers: He was experiencing psychosis Funeral services for Jacques Jay Rougeau Jr., the Pennsylvania State Police trooper killed during a manhunt for a man who had already shot another trooper in MIfflintown, have been set for next week in Rougeaus hometown of Erie. All events will be held on Monday and Tuesday at the Bayfront Convention Center, located at 1 Sassafras Pier. A public viewing will be held in two sessions Monday: The first from noon to 3:00 p.m. and the second session from 5 to 8 p.m. Rougeaus funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday. State police said Commonwealth Media Services will be providing a livestream and a satellite feed of Tuesdays services. Additional details of where the public can access the live feeds will be released at a later time. In and around Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa., businesses and residents posted signs thanking Pennsylvania state troopers after a shooting on Saturday, June 17, 2023, that left a trooper dead and another critically injured. The suspect also was killed. (Deb Kiner/PennLive.com) Rougeau, a three-year member of the state police, was killed Saturday, June 17, by Brandon Stine, in the midst of a midday manhunt for Stine that started about 11 a.m. after Stine drove into the PSPs Lewistown Barracks lot and fired shots in several parked unoccupied squad cars. At about 12:45 p.m., Stine is then believed to have shot State Police Lt. James A. Wagner during an encounter in Mifflintown Borough. Wagner, 45, remains hospitalized in critical condition at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Several hours later, the fugitive gunman was located in the vicinity of Swamp Road and Baumgardner Drive in Walker Township, Juniata County, shortly before 3 p.m. It was during that portion of the search that Rougeau, a trooper stationed at the Lewistown Barracks, was killed. Police have said Stine shot Rougeau through the windshield of his patrol car and he arrived in the Swamp Road area. Minutes later, Stine was cornered in the 700 block of Swamp Road, where he was killed in an intense shootout with numerous responding troopers. Rougeau, 29 and married, enlisted in the state police in June 2020 as a member of the 160th cadet class. Upon graduation, he was assigned to Troop J, York before transferring to Lewistown in March 2023. Rougeau is the 104th member of the PSP to have been killed in the line of duty. Readers interested in donating to assist the troopers families can send a check to the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association (PSTA) at 3625 Vartan Way, Harrisburg, Pa. 17110. The check should be made out to Survivors Fund, with the name of the trooper written in the memo portion. The suspect in a 1987 murder has pleaded guilty and been sentenced, the Adams County District Attorney announced Thursday a cold case that relied in part on details originally uncovered by a Patriot-News reporter. Chris Joseph Larry Speelman, 59, was given a collective 25 to 50 years in prison between three charges, according to the court docket. Speelman pleaded no contest to a rape charge and entered negotiated guilty pleas to burglary and third-degree murder. The charges stem from the August 1987 killing of Edna Laughman, an elderly woman who was raped and murdered during a break-in at her home in Adams County. Shortly thereafter, Barry Laughman who was described as a mentally-disabled relative of the victim was arrested and convicted based on a confession that police claimed he had given. But in 2003, Patriot-News reporter Peter Shellem began reporting on holes in the case. The state troopers who had obtained the confession were later accused of misconduct, including false evidence and coerced confessions. Further, Shellem reported, Barry Laughmans blood type did not match the semen samples taken from the crime scene, with the state police providing dubious testimony as to why the blood antigens differed. Shellem then tracked down the original biological evidence samples, which were believed to have been lost but were actually turned over to defense attorneys who then sent them to a Penn State professor, but never followed up when the professor requested comparative samples. The professor, then teaching in Germany, still had them. Subsequent DNA analysis excluded Barry Laughman as a suspect, and he was released in 2003 after spending 15 years in prison. Shellem died in 2009 after 23 years as a Patriot-News reporter. But in 2018 with DNA-tracing technology having improved authorities sent the samples that Shellem had tracked down to a genealogy lab. That lab, according to state police and the Adams County DAs office, helped to identify Speelman, who was said to be related to both Edna Laughman and Barry Laughman. Speelman lived next door to the victim at the time of the killing, according to the district attorney, sharing a wall with her in a duplex-like residence. He had also lived with the victim 10 years before the killing, according to the state police affidavit in Speelmans arrest. Speelman was ultimately charged in 2021 for Edna Laughmans death. Todays plea and sentence finally brings a conclusion to this unique case, Adams County District Attorney Brian Sinnett said in Thursdays announcement. Were it not for the exhaustive efforts of investigators and others involved in the genealogy research in this case, the victims family may never have received any measure of closure for this remarkably heinous and violent attack on their loved one. More: Pa. trooper remains hospitalized in critical condition after weekend attack Man sentenced to life for killing wife, setting fire to central Pa. home: DA An early poll of the possible 2024 presidential race shows that a recent third-party candidate could hurt President Joe Bidens chances to win re-election. Emerson College Pollings national survey found that Biden and former President Donald Trump are in a statistical tie with Biden at 44% and Trump at 43%, and 9% of respondents choosing another candidate. However, left-wing activist, author and professor Cornel Wests intention to seek the Green Partys presidential nomination might chip away significant support from Biden in a general election, according to an Emerson College Polling statement. In a scenario with West in the race, he receives 6% of the vote while Bidens support dips to 40% and Trump gets 41%, with 7% choosing someone else. When West is added to the ballot test, he pulls 15% of support from Black voters, and 13% from voters under 35, two key voting blocs for President Biden, said Emerson polling director Spencer Kimball in a poll summary. Activist, author and professor Cornel West, shown here in 2020, said earlier this month that he would seek the presidential nomination of the Green Party. (Jake May | MLive.com)The Flint Journal, MLive.com Presidential races are, of course, not decided by popular national vote but by Electoral College results that require candidates to win individual states and their electoral votes. Emersons poll shows that Biden has 73% of the vote in the Democratic primary followed by anti-vaccine activist Robert Kennedy Jr. at 15% and 2020 presidential primary candidate Marianne Williamson at 3%, with 10% choosing another candidate. Trumps support in the Republican field has dropped 3 percentage points since Emersons April poll while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has seen his support increase by 5 points. Overall, Trump has 59% in the GOP primary, and DeSantis still remains far behind with 21%, followed by former Vice President Mike Pence at 6%. No other Republican candidate reached 5%, according to Emerson. Kimball said DeSantis has improved his standing among Republican women voters, going from 17% in April to 26% now, compared to Trumps support dropping from 58% in April to 53%. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the 2023 Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in East Pennsboro Township in April. Mark Pynes | pennlive.comMark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com Half of voters who responded to the poll said that Trumps federal indictment in Florida for taking classified documents makes them less likely to support him next year, but 30% said it makes them more likely to do so. Trumps indictment in New York state on financial fraud charges makes 49% of voters less likely to back him and 33% more likely to support him. Forty-one percent of voters said that the economy is the most important issue in the presidential race, followed by threats to democracy (14%), healthcare (11%), immigration (9%), crime (8%) and abortion access (5%). Emerson College polled 1,015 voters nationwide on June 19 and 20, and the poll has a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points. More: Ex-Texas congressman Will Hurd joins GOP presidential primary race Senior citizens, their families and caregivers are encouraged to attend one of the upcoming seminars hosted by state Rep. Seth Grove (R-York County) to learn about scams targeting senior citizens. These seminars are a way to become educated about the warning signs of a scam so you or someone you know doesnt become a victim, Grove said. Criminals have ample technology that allows them to disguise their identity and appear to be legitimate. York County District Attorney Dave Sunday will present information to attendees, a press release said. Both are scheduled for June 30. The locations and times for each seminar are below: Heritage Senior Center, 3700 Davidsburg Road, Dover: 9 to 10:30 a.m. Windy Hill Senior Center, 1472 Roths Church Road, Spring Grove: 11 a.m. to noon More: Bill would allow Pa. patients to get medical marijuana regardless of illness Critter crossings: Pa. builds safe road passages for wildlife By John E. Jones III In my 19 years as a U.S. District Judge, I was reversed by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals plenty of times. It was never a desirable experience. When it occurred it really stung and bruised my judicial ego. But as all judges know, having an appellate court see things differently is an unwelcome fact of life that cannot be avoided. After a scathing reversal earlier this year by an appeals court that found fault with nearly every facet of her decision in Trump v. United States, the lawsuit requesting a special master to review materials seized from Mar-a-Lago, Im sure U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon felt that same sting. She now finds herself presiding over the criminal case U.S. v. Trump. Pundits and legal experts are having a field day speculating whether she will recuse or be forced off the case due to incompetence or worse, bias. My prediction is that the case will remain on her docket, and that she will handle it with skill and integrity. Judge Cannon has not yet served three years on the federal bench. But to get there, she had to run a daunting gauntlet that included a senatorial recommendation, an interview at the White House, a thorough review by the Justice Department, an extensive F.B.I. background check, and a searching examination by the Senate Judiciary Committee. A review of Judge Cannons biography reveals that she distinguished herself in law school, then clerked for a U.S. Circuit Judge, something only the best and brightest lawyers achieve. She worked for a major law firm and thereafter served as an assistant in the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Florida, where she handled major crimes. Simply put, Judge Cannon is well qualified to be a U.S. District Judge. Lawyers sometimes over-lawyer cases. Engineers can over-engineer a project, and doctors can over-treat patients. My take on Judge Cannons handling of Trump v. United States is that in an effort to be fair, she regrettably over-judged the case and in the end despite endeavoring to unravel it, succeeded in making it far too complicated. It was a mistake that new judges frequently make, and the kind of unforced error that can result in a novel case. In a sense, Judge Cannon now has the full opportunity to redeem herself in U.S. v. Trump. No judge wants his or her judicial epitaph to be a brutal reversal by an appellate court in a high-profile case. My educated guess is that Judge Cannon will work hard to ensure that the criminal case involving the former President is handled adroitly, and with distinction. Judge Cannon is no doubt acutely aware that the eyes of the world are on her, and that she needs to preside over this momentous case carefully and well. Many believe that because of her background, including the fact that she was nominated by the President who is now a defendant in a case before her, as well as her membership in the Federalist Society, Judge Cannon is necessarily biased. I do not believe that to be true. Im pretty certain that Judge Cannon doesnt even know Donald Trump. And about that Federalist Society membership---in 2020 then President Trump filed the case of Trump v. Boockvar in my judicial district in Pennsylvania. It landed on the docket of my colleague Judge Matthew Brann, a proud member of the Federalist Society. As is now well known, Judge Brann issued an opinion that eviscerated Trumps claims of fraud in the election. Not long ago, Judge Cannon raised her right hand and swore an oath that included the phrase that she would: faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent upon (her) under the Constitution and the laws of the United States. I am entirely certain that Judge Cannon takes that oath seriously and will strive to handle the case that has been assigned to her without fear, favor, or bias. No less than the publics faith in our system of justice is at stake. It is rare that a judge has the opportunity to rewrite her epitaph, but Judge Cannon does. Ill be rooting for her to do so. John E. Jones III is the president of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. He previously served as the chief judge of the U.S. Middle District Court of Pennsylvania, where he was appointed to the bench by former President George W. Bush in 2002. MATADOR, Texas (AP) A line of severe storms produced multiple tornadoes Wednesday evening on the Rolling Plains in Texas, killing at least three people and causing significant damage around the northern town of Matador. The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported that the storms also produced softball-size hail and wind gusts topping 100 mph in other communities including Jayton, which also was under a tornado warning as the line moved southeast Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service in Lubbock. In this image made from video provided by KAMC/KLBK, people stand near debris in Matador, Texas, Wednesday, June 21, 2023, following storms went through the area. A line of severe storms produced multiple tornadoes Wednesday evening on the Rolling Plains in Texas, killing multiple people and causing significant damage around the northern town of Matador. (KAMC/KLBK via AP)AP Matador Mayor Pat Smith said at least three people had been killed, that others may be injured and that there was a whole lot of damage, The New York Times reported. There were widespread power outages across the Rolling Plains, including more than 700 customers without power in the Jayton area, according to South Plains Electric Cooperative. The worst damage appeared to be in Matador a town of about 570 people 70 miles northeast of Lubbock in Motley County. Wednesdays tornado outbreak came six days after a tornado left three people dead and more than 100 injured in Perryton in the northern Texas Panhandle. More: Central Pa. forecast calls for 6 days of rain in a row after long dry spell Yellowknife is seen in the distance during a site surface tour of the Giant Mine Remediation Project near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories on Sept. 21, 2022. The federal government and Yellowknives Dene First Nation have signed a procurement framework agreement for the cleanup of Giant Mine. Canada says the agreement confirms its commitment to increase procurement opportunities for Indigenous people through the Giant Mine Remediation Project, including prioritizing contracts with Indigenous owned businesses. The First Nation says the deal will increase its oversight of how the project awards contracts and it provides for tougher penalties for companies that fail to meet Indigenous hiring commitments. The agreement does not address the First Nation's request for an apology and compensation for long-term cultural, social and environmental impacts from the mine. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Angela Gzowski Forensic employees transport the corpses of several of the 46 dead women during a fire following a brawl between inmates of the Women's Social Adaptation Center (CEFAS) prison in Tegicugalpa, on June 21, 2023. Gang members in a womens prison in Honduras slaughtered 46 other women inmates by spraying them with gunfire, hacking them with machetes and then locking survivors in their calls and dousing them with flammable liquid, an official said Wednesday. The carnage in Tuesdays riot was the worst atrocity at a womens prison in recent memory, something President Xiomara Castro called monstrous. Relatives said inmates at the facility had been threatened for weeks by members of the notorious Barrio 18 gang. Chillingly, the gang members were able to arm themselves with prohibited weapons, brush past guards and attack; they even carried with them their own locks, to shut their victims inside apparently to burn them to death. The intensity of the fire left the walls of the cells blackened and beds reduced to twisted heaps of metal. A group of armed people went to the cellblock of a rival gang, locked the doors, opened fire on those inside and apparently this is still under investigation used some kind of oil to set fire to them, said Juan Lopez Rochez, the chief of operations for the countrys National Police. Castro said Tuesdays riot at the prison in the town of Tamara, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of Honduras capital, was planned by maras (street gangs) with the knowledge and acquiescence of security authorities. Castro fired Security Minister Ramon Sabillon, and replaced him with Gustavo Sanchez, who had been serving as head of the National Police. But Castro but did not explain how inmates identified as members of the Barrio 18 gang were able to get guns and machetes into the prison, or move freely into an adjoining cell block and slaughter all the prisoners there. Initial reports suggested the doors to the gangs cell block had been left open, facilitating the attack. The amount of weaponry found in the prison after the riot was impressive: 18 pistols, an assault rifle, two machine pistols and two grenades all of which were smuggled into the prison. Obviously, there must have been human failures, Lopez Rochez said. We are investigating all the employees at the center. Sandra Rodriguez Vargas, the assistant commissioner for Honduras prison system, said the attackers removed guards at the facility none appeared to have been injured around 8 a.m. Tuesday. Twenty-six of the victims were burned to death and the remainder shot or stabbed, said Yuri Mora, the spokesman for Honduras national police investigation agency. At least seven inmates were being treated at a Tegucigalpa hospital. The riots death toll surpassed that of a fire at a female detention center in Guatemala in 2017, when girls at a shelter for troubled youths set fire to mattresses to protest rapes and other mistreatment at the overcrowded institution. The smoke and fire killed 41 girls. The worst prison disaster in a century also occurred in Honduras, in 2012, at the Comayagua mens penitentiary, where 361 male inmates died in a fire possibly caused by a match, cigarette or some other open flame. There were ample warnings ahead of Tuesdays tragedy, according to Johanna Paola Soriano Euceda, who was waiting outside the morgue in Tegucigalpa for news about her mother, Maribel Euceda, and sister, Karla Soriano. Both were on trial for drug trafficking but were held in the same area as convicted prisoners. Soriano Euceda said they had told her Sunday that they (Barrio 18 members) were out of control, they were fighting with them all the time. That was the last time we talked. Another woman, who did not want to give her name for fear of reprisals, said she was waiting for news about a friend, Alejandra Martinez, 26, who was been held in the ill-fated Cell Block One on robbery charges. She told me the last time I saw her on Sunday that the (Barrio) 18 people had threatened them, that they were going to kill them if they didnt turn over a relative, she said. Gangs sometimes demand victims turn over a friend or relative by giving the gang their name, address and description, so that enforcers can later find and kidnap, rob or kill them. Officials described the killings as a terrorist act, but also acknowledged that gangs essentially had ruled some parts of the prison. Julissa Villanueva, head of the prison system, suggested the riot started because of recent attempts by authorities to crack down on illicit activity inside prison walls and called Tuesdays violence a reaction to moves we are taking against organized crime. We will not back down, Villanueva said in a televised address after the riot. Gangs wield broad control inside the countrys prisons, where inmates often set their own rules and sell prohibited goods. They were also apparently able to smuggle in guns and other weapons, a recurring problem in Honduran prisons. The issue is to prevent people from smuggling in drugs, grenades and firearms, said Honduran human rights expert Joaquin Mejia. Todays events show that they have not been able to do that. Meanwhile, the grim task continued of trying to identify the bodies, some terribly burned. Officials on Wednesday began turning over some of the corpses to families for burial. The wait for news was torture for many families of inmates. Dozens of anxious, angry relatives gathered outside the rural prison. We are here dying of anguish, of pain ... we dont have any information, said Salomon Garcia, whose daughter is an inmate at the facility. Tuesdays riot may increase the pressure on Honduras to emulate the drastic zero-tolerance, no-privileges prisons set in up in neighboring El Salvador by President Nayib Bukele. While El Salvadors crackdown on gangs has given rise to rights violations, it has also proved immensely popular in a country long terrorized by street gangs. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The soil of Mexico City serves as a permanent reminder that we inhabit a geologically active planet. Founded on the basin of an ancient lake, where the soft floor multiplies the shocks of the earthquakes from the Pacific coast like nowhere else in the world, the capital also coincides with the Neovolcanic Axis, a strip that crosses the country from the Pacific to the Gulf and concentrates the majority of active volcanoes and the highest mountains in the national territory. Last week, the news that a group of experts at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) predicted the formation of a new volcano south of Mexico City flooded social networks with reactions of all kinds. Between memes and different versions about where and when the new volcano will arise, the University released a statement to try to stop the speculation. It is a fact that one day a new volcano will be born in the south of Mexico City, but whether we cause uncertainty, fear or calm depends on how we say it, explains Hugo Delgado Granados, a researcher at the Department of Volcanology of the Institute of Geophysics of the UNAM. Along with other colleagues, Delgado has dedicated a good part of his scientific work to studying the Chichinautzin Volcanic Field, a region located in the south of the capital where tectonic conditions have favored the emergence of at least 220 monogenetic volcanoes, a class of smaller volcanoes that are born and erupt only once before finally going out. On the one hand, we have well-known central volcanoes such as Popocatepetl or the Pico de Orizaba, but on the other there are wide regions known as active monogenetic volcanic fields, which have erupted in the last 10,000 years, he explains. In the south of the City there is a monogenetic volcanic field that we know as Chichinautzin. If we see satellite images, we will notice that in this area there are many small volcanoes, and each one was formed by independent events of magma ascent, says the expert. Where could the new volcano be born? Unlike large volcanoes with well-defined duct systems and craters, the soil that forms the Chichinautzin Volcanic Field makes the entire area a veritable minefield. On their way to the surface, magmas and gases break through faults and fractures in the area, finding new conduits with each eruptive event. Since fault zones are often covered in ash and lava remains that make them impossible to identify with the naked eye, one of the great challenges for experts is predicting where the next volcano could be born. In monogenetic volcanic fields like Chichinautzin we have the three questions: where, how and when [a new volcano will arise], because in large volcanoes we already know where, Delgado explains. The area, which crosses densely populated areas in Mexico City, Morelos and the State of Mexico, extends from the extreme south of the capital, on the border of the Xochimilco, Tlalpan and Milpa Alta municipalities, to the Cuernavaca Valley in Morelos. From east to west, it ranges from the foot of Popocatepetl to the outskirts of Toluca. The key geographic landmark to understand the scope of the Volcanic Field is Xitle, the last volcano that was born in Chichinautzin approximately 2,000 years ago. Its eruption, the most direct precedent in the study of the activity of the Volcanic Field, caused lava flows that extended for more than 300 square kilometers and buried the ancient pre-Hispanic city of Cuicuilco, the most important urban center in the Valley of Mexico at the time. In 2008, Delgado proposed a new method to try to predict the fault zones where the next volcano could be born. From the measurement of carbon dioxide present in the subsoil, an indicator of the most active faults in the region, the specialist intends to estimate the areas that could be used by rising magmas to reach the surface and therefore the places most likely to host the next eruption. Despite the difficulty in forecasting the site, Delgado is emphatic that only the extreme south of the capital is part of the Volcanic Field. In the rest of the city, there are no conditions for a volcano to be born: If in the center of the Valley of Mexico there are earthquakes, it is practically impossible for a volcano to arise. Could one pop up in the Zocalo? No, because the geological background that allows the rise of magma and favors the creation of new volcanoes does not exist in the central zone of the Valley of Mexico. The conditions exist to the south of Xitle, affirms the specialist. When could the new volcano arise? From the birth and the eruption of Xitle, Delgado and his colleagues have tried to estimate the Volcanic Fields rest period, that is, the period between the end of one eruption and the beginning of the next. In 1988, the volcanologist analyzed the historical information of the Popocatepetl, one of the best-monitored volcanoes on the planet, to predict when it would awaken from its dormancy. Delgado estimated that the volcanos rest period was approximately 70 years and, therefore, explosive activity should resume around 1997. The forecast did not fail. In December 1994, the Popo began a new eruptive phase, causing the first evacuation of the surrounding towns in the modern era. The calculations were not bad, but there was a lot of very good information about it, he explains, comparing the situation with that of the Chichinautzin Volcanic Field, whose last eruption, that of Xitle, offers little information that allows the prediction of a new volcano. What we need is to know the age at which each of the eruptions of the almost 300 volcanoes in the south of the City occurred. We know the age of several of them, but the information is still very scarce. With the data available so far, the scientific consensus estimates that the birth of a new volcano in Chichinautzin ranges between 800 and 1,200 years, a range that rises to 1,500 years with the use of another data set. Taking into account that the Xitle eruption occurred between 1,700 and 2,000 years ago, Delgado concludes that more information is needed to produce a more accurate forecast. A series of warnings If a new monogenetic volcano began to emerge at this time, the signs prior to its appearance would be clear. The first manifestations, the light and increasingly frequent earthquakes, would be detected by the stations of the National Seismological Service. Mexican geologists know the ins and outs of a volcanos birth firsthand. In 1943, the State of Michoacan witnessed the birth of Paricutin, a monogenetic volcano that arose in the Michoacan-Guanajuato Volcanic Field, whose slow but relentless lava flows buried the towns of Paricutin and San Juan Parangaricutiro. These phenomena [the birth of volcanoes] are premonitory events, earthquakes and gas emissions that allow us to identify that a new body of magma is rising, says the expert. The history of the Paricutin eruption was very well documented, and at least a year beforehand, earthquakes began in the region. As time progressed, the frequency and recurrence of the earthquakes gradually increased until they became very evident, all before the eruption began. The researcher makes a new call for calm. There are people who are alarmed that a volcano will arise overnight, and that is not possible, he says, dispelling the doubts and listing the scientific certainties: At the moment, we do not have any evidence that it is happening. What we know is that in the south of the city there is an active monogenetic volcanic field and that there is a probability that in the future, we do not know when, a new volcano may be produced. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Braxton Dunaway Wins Monster Stack for $1,162,681; Now Headed to Sons College World Series June 22, 2023 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S. The 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #39: $1,500 Monster Stack began with 8,317 entrants but on Wednesday night only seven returned to play down to a winner. Each was guaranteed at least $186,149 out of the $11,103,195 prize pool, but of course, everyone had their eyes firmly fixed on the $1,162,681 prize. When the dust settled, 40-year-old family man Braxton Dunaway, who hails from Midland, Texas and works in the oil and gas industry, emerged victorious to claim the seven-figure first-place prize and his first WSOP gold bracelet. His first order of business after the last card was dealt was to call his wife, Stephanie, and their four children Jordyn, who just graduated college; Macy, who is 17 and a senior in high school; Hayes, who is in ninth grade; and eight-year-old, Sawyer. Our little girl who runs the whole show, the boss of the family, we call her Bossy Saucy." Our little girl who runs the whole show, the boss of the family, we call her Bossy Saucy, said Dunaway, who indicated hell be flying to Omaha, Nebraska in the morning to meet his wife and two youngest children. Theyre at the College World Series, Dunaway explained. My son is in a tournament during that, which is for teenage boys. He won his first two games today and hes guaranteed like five more games. Ill be there, well catch some games, and just hang out on vacation. Prior to the victory, Dunaway had $333,318 in lifetime tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob, which included a prior career-best of $62,500 for finishing in 142nd place in last years WSOP Main Event. While Dunaway is catching the first flight out in the morning, he did indicate he will be returning for the 2023 WSOP Main Event in July. Ill be back to for sure play the Main, thats the plan, Dunaway confirmed. Ive just been gone so long I need to get home, do laundry, and sleep in my own bed. I still cant believe it. Its just amazing. I told my wife and she said, Youve got to be kidding me. 2023 WSOP Event #39 Final Table Results Place Player County Prize 1 Braxton Dunaway United States $1,162,681 2 Colin Robinson United States $718,649 3 Jesse Rockowitz United States $541,376 4 Loic Dobrigna France $410,493 5 Nicholas Gerrity United States $313,297 6 Joshua Adcock United States $240,695 7 Joe Cada United States $186,149 Others to cash the tournament were Day 3 chip leader Xuming Qi (11th - $89,644), Ashley Frank (16th - $56,980), Tyler Hancock (23rd - $45,980), Nate Silver (32nd - $37,233), Michael BrockLesnar Holtz (62nd - $20,730), Kyle Julius (79th - $14,540), and bracelet winner Gershon Distenfeld (93rd - $10,499), who once again donated all his winnings to charity. Final Table Action Joe Cada was in pursuit of his fifth gold bracelet. 2009 WSOP Main Event champ Joe Cada started the day as the short stack, and unfortunately for the four-time bracelet winner, his quest at a fifth came to an end quickly when his ace-king was outdrawn by the ace-jack of Dunaway when a jack spiked on the river. Not long after, Joshua Adcock three-bet jammed holding ace-king and was in prime shape to double through Dunaway, who had ace-queen. Unfortunately for him, Dunaway came from behind again, this time spiking a queen on the river to score another knockout. Nicholas Gerrity, who began the final table as the chip leader was next to go after losing a flip with ace-six against the pocket deuces of Jesse Rockowitz, and then Frances Loic Dobrigna followed him out the door after three-bet jamming with ace-deuce only to run smack dab into the two red queens of Dunaway, who held to take a big chip lead into three-handed play. Jesse Rockowitz The final three battled for a long time before Dunaway put Rockowitz to the test on the turn. The latter called it off with second pair and a gutshot straight draw, which was ahead of Dunaways open-ended straight draw and queen kicker. Unfortunately for Rockowitz, his tournament came to an end in brutal fashion when a queen spiked on the river. Dunaway took a more than 3:1 chip lead into heads-up play against Colin Robinson, and it didnt take long for the Texan to finish things off. In the final hand, Robinson called it off on the river with a pair only to see Dunaway roll over two pair for the victory. I want to say that all the people who were at the final table were really nice, great opponents, good players, Dunaway concluded. I got extremely lucky a few times, but you have to win one of these things. It was just my turn, its just awesome. Braxton Dunaway and his rail. That does it for updates from this event, but there is still plenty of action to follow from the 2023 WSOP in our live updates hub here. Sharelines Braxton Dunaway of Midland, Texas topped a field of 8,317 entries to win the #WSOP2023 Monster Stack. Only fifteen players remain in Event #44: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em at the 2023 World Series of Poker, with only one former bracelet winner still in contention. Leading the way is Aram Oganyan, who will be in pole position when play resumes at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 22. The solo bracelet winner still alive is Ankush Mandavia. He won his bracelet seven years ago in 2016, and he is hoping this year will be lucky number seven to add additional hardware to his collection. Event #44: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Final Two Tables Draw Table Seat Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 653 1 Jon Van Fleet United States 3,800,000 19 653 2 Justin Chu Taiwan 1,175,000 6 653 3 653 4 Alex Lynskey Australia 3,650,000 18 653 5 Aliaksandr Shylko Belarus 2,975,000 15 653 6 Aram Oganyan United States 9,900,000 50 653 7 Aliaksandr Hirs Belarus 2,975,000 15 653 8 Aleks Dimitrov Bulgaria 6,500,000 33 653 9 661 1 Kartik Ved India 4,500,000 23 661 2 661 3 Ankush Mandavia United States 4,800,000 24 661 4 Levente Szabo Hungary 5,150,000 33 661 5 Samy Boujmala France 2,525,000 13 661 6 Yang Zhang China 6,875,000 34 661 7 John Marino United States 5,100,000 26 661 8 Frederic Normand Canada 2,000,000 10 661 9 Shannon Shorr United States 8,750,000 44 Remaining Payouts Place Payout (USD) 1 $717,879 2 $443,680 3 $323,610 4 $238,546 5 $177,732 6 $133,862 7 $101,928 8 $78,475 9 $61,098 10 $48,109 11 $48,109 12 $38,317 13 $38,317 14 $30,873 15 $30,873 Day 3 Recap A bumper field of 109 returned for Day 3, and they were led by Yang Zhang, who topped the field with a stack of 1,880,000. Notables who also returned to the action included 2022 WSOP Main Event champion Espen Jorstad and six-time bracelet winner and fan favorite Daniel Negreanu. Several players were vying for the position of big stack, with Zhang moving ahead after the eliminations of Justin Chu and Christian Roberts nearing the two-table redraw. Then it was Shannon Shorr's turn to go on a tear as he increased his stack from 2,300,000 to 8,750,000 to end the day second in chips. The field continued to get smaller, with Jeff Lennon and Drew OConnell having been eliminated in 18th and 17th place, respectively. Surprisingly, it was Oganyan who bagged the biggest stack of the night with 9,900,000. He had a massive pot with kings to eliminate Klemens Roiter in 16th place right as the night ended. The action resumes at 11:00 a.m. on June 22 with the blinds resuming on Level 31 at 100,000/200,000 and a big blind ante of 200,000. Play will continue for the day until a winner is crowned. Each player has locked up at least $30,873 thus far, but the largest share of the prize pool is yet to be given away; a cool $717,879! The PokerNews live reporting team will be back on the tournament floor to bring you all of the highlights and updates en route to the thrilling finale. Daniel Negreanu was in the small blind when action folded to him. The Poker Hall of Famer and six-time WSOP bracelet winner looked at his hand and leaned forward to ask Tobias Schwecht, who was in the big blind, how much he had behind. About 19,200, Schwecht replied. You might have me covered, but Im going to raise anyway, Negreanu said, as he made it 3,200 to go. Schwecht called to bring the flop, where the dealer placed 3310 on the board. Negreanu led out with 3,000 and Schwecht called. The turn showed 4. Negreanu bet 6,000 and Schwecht called, which drew a response. S***, Negreanu said while watching the dealer pull Schwechts chips to the pot. Negraneaus reaction brought laughter from his tablemates. Well, except Schwecht, who appeared laser-focused on the hand. The river produced A, and Negreanu bet 5,500. Instead of calling this time, Schwecht moved all in. F***, Negraneau said, sitting up in his chair before looking down at his remaining 5,500 in front of him. After a few moments, Negraneau showed his hand to the player to his immediate right and then tossed KK face up into the muck. Action has ended for the day in Event #49: $1,500 Super Turbo Bounty, with the final table being officially set. The tournament was scheduled as a single-day event, but another day was added due to the size of the field, which reached the impressive figure of 2,226 entries. The tournament generated $1,858,710 in prize money, with a min-cash being worth $1,505 and a first-place prize of $270,700. Leading the pack is the famous Argentinian rapper Alejandro Lococo, who had a fantastic day accumulating $500 bounties and bagged an impressive 15,550,000. The player, well known under his nickname "Papo MC," is hunting his first bracelet after finishing in seventh place in the 2021 Main Event and looking to add to his $2.4 million in Hendon Mob-reported earnings. Will Linden is second in chips with 8,850,000, followed by Taiwanese player Chen An Lin with 7,700,000. French player Fabrice Bigot bubbled the official final table when his ace-nine crashed into Michael Burns's pocket queens; Bigot collected $18,891. It's the second deep run of the series for Bigot, coming one week after his 29th place finish in Event #32, $3,000 No Limit Hold'em (6-Handed). At the bottom of the pack, we find Kenneth Maurer (3,400,000) and Frank Lagodich (1,750,000), who will try to multiply his six big blinds when the play restarts tomorrow at 2 p.m local time at the Horshoe Casino. Final Table Seat Draw Seat Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 1 Pengfei Wang United States 3,925,000 10 2 Frank Lagodich United States 1,750,000 4 3 Alejandro Lococo Argentina 15,550,000 39 4 Danny Scott United States 5,250,000 13 5 Michael Burns United States 5,000,000 13 6 Tony Gargano United States 4,325,000 11 7 Chen An Lin Taiwan 7,700,000 19 8 Will Linden United States 8,850,000 22 9 Kenneth Maurer United States 3,400,000 9 Today's Action With 20-minute levels, it didn't take long for the field to dwindle down, and the bubble was reached during Level 17 when three players shared the 334th place only a few minutes after the hand-for-hand play started. By the dinner break, there were less than 200 players remaining. Notably, Damian Salas, winner of the 2020 Main Event, achieved a nice deep run on this event and hit the rail in 35th place ($8,507). Michael Rodrigues, who just won his first bracelet ten days ago in Event #20: $1,500 Badugi, fell in 18th place ($9,817), while Russian player Nikita Kuznetcov finished his run in 12th place ($12,086). Michael Rodrigues Others notables who cashed in the Super Turbo Bounty event include Leo Margets, Eric Baldwin, Dylan Wilkerson, three-time bracelet winners Chance Kornuth and Daniel Idema, Xuan Liu, Jeremy Saderne and four-time bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche to name just a few. Some of the players that did enter today but werent allowed to make a trip to the payout desk included Martin Kabrhel, Daniel Negreanu, Chris Hunichen, Jessica Teusl, Niall Farrell, Main Event Champions Martin Jacobson and Chris Moneymaker, Sylvain Loosli, Maria Konnikova, and Mustapha Kanit. The final table starts at 2:00 p.m local time on June 22. Play starts with nine minutes remaining in Level 33 (150,000/300,000/300,000) then moves on to Level 34, which features a small blind of 200,000, big blind of 400,000, and an ante of 400,000. The nine finalists will all be guaranteed at least $23,978, and the action is expected to be fast and furious again. The PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand to bring you all the updates from the Shuffle up and deal until a new champion receive a gold bracelet, so make sure to keep coming back! Employees sort fruit in a food processing plant in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Marcelo Perez del Carpio (Bloomberg) Bolivia is turning to China amid its first economic crisis in two decades. But Chinas financial support has been modest, underscoring its dim view of Bolivias economic heft and legal protections. Nevertheless, a recent agreement with a Chinese consortium to develop a world-class lithium extraction project in Bolivia could raise greater interest in the country from China and other foreign investors. Bolivia has the worlds largest reserves of lithium brine deposits. President Luis Arce recently announced that the agreement for the Chinese consortium of CATL, Brunp, and CMOC (CBC) to invest in Bolivian lithium extraction has been revised upwards, from $1 to $1.4 billion. Prior to that, Arce announced the construction of a zinc refining plant using a $250 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of China. China is Bolivias main trading partner, but the balance is heavily tilted toward the Asian giant. The value of Bolivian mineral exports to China is only 20% of its imports (mostly finished goods) from the country. Chinese direct investment, especially in mining, has been insignificant compared to its investments in the neighboring countries of Peru and Chile. And although China is Bolivias main source of bilateral credit, it represents a small portion of total external debt. The flows from China to Bolivia have always been small, says expert Daniel Agramont. I dont believe this will change because the Chinese always prioritize self-interest over political allegiances. Bolivias economic relationship with China is a priority for the left-wing ruling party, Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS), and Chinas presence in the country has unmistakably surged because of it. Between 2005 and 2018, Bolivias exports to China increased by 19 times, while their imports saw 13 times more growth, says economist Napoleon Pacheco, co-author of a book on the negative effects of foreign investment in Bolivia by undemocratic countries. Bolivias debt with China grew 26 times larger during the administration of Evo Morales, who served as the countrys president from 2006 to 2019. Chinese companies in Bolivia are executing Beijings go out policy, a strategy launched in 2001 meant to elevate Chinas economic might through state support, says Agramont. The first Chinese companies that arrived in 2011 mostly focused on building roads, bridges and industrial plants. Economist Jose Luis Evia says there are 28 Chinese firms now operating in Bolivia, including large companies like CAMC and Sinohydro. Several Chinese companies have worked in fragile ecosystems like the Amazon, often sparking widespread condemnation from local communities. A survey conducted five years ago showed that Bolivians had a more favorable perception of China as a country than of Chinese companies. Chinese companies have been involved in all sorts of scandals, notes Agramont. Studies exposed labor and environmental issues, technical violations, and cultural clashes between Chinese workers and rural Bolivians. Local workers have claimed that their Chinese employers were arrogant and tried to impose slave-labor conditions. In 2016, a personal relationship between then-President Evo Morales and one of CAMCs Bolivian managers seriously eroded his reputation. The manager claimed that Morales fathered her child. Although Jin Zhengyuan, an executive at China Harbour Engineering, was recently exonerated of charges related to bribing Bolivian officials to obtain a road construction project, the ruling did little to sway public opinion because the main witness against Zhengyuan died under mysterious circumstances in the United States. Morales has been using this issue to attack the Arce administration, even though both belong to the same political party. At the center of it all: lithium In January, the Bolivian government announced the lithium-extraction partnership with the CBC consortium. Industry experts say CBC is a serious and trustworthy enterprise. One of the consortiums members is CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology), the biggest manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles in the world. Burton Roy, CEO of CATLs investment committee, stood next to President Arce when he announced the agreement. Bolivias plan to involve other foreign companies in lithium extraction besides the Chinese has hit a snag. Critics of the CBC agreement, some of whom are from other interested companies, say the bidding and selection process wasnt above board. Compounding the uncertainty is the still unsigned contract with CBC, which has been shrouded from public scrutiny. Considerable work remains to establish the legal and political framework needed for the projects success, and resource-rich regions like Potosi and Oruro want to profit more from the extraction of their valuable lithium. Bolivian legislation regarding non-renewable natural resources is extremely strict: only the state can exploit them, says Agramont. Thats why there hasnt been much mining or oil investment from China and other countries. The CBC agreement represents a window of opportunity. If the Bolivian government can make it work in a way that doesnt just boost the consortiums stock prices, then the country could look more attractive to foreign investors. But it wont be easy. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print The big House Republican move to boost Trump was largely ignored, as cable news stuck with talking about the missing Titanic sub. Here is how CNN covered the Schiff censure: The censure got about a minute of coverage on CNNs 7 PM hour, which was more than it got on MSNBC at 6 or 7 PM. CNN spent nearly half an hour on the Titanic sub, 5 minutes or so on Trump, a little bit of time on Ukraine, then back to the missing sub. The Schiff censure was all over Newsmax and will get tons of play on Fox News, but overall, the censure of Adam Schiff has fallen into the predictable media pattern of House Republicans doing things to help or appease Trump that dont get noticed outside of the right-wing media bubble. House Republicans have been complaining about how their stories dont get any traction outside of conservative media. The reason why is that Republicans in the House are either pushing Russian disinformation like the Biden bribery allegation, or they are engaging in heavy-handed partisan stunts like censuring Adam Schiff. Kevin McCarthys Trump appeasement cant compete with the drama of a missing sub near the Titanic wreckage. Republicans tried to generate attention and help Trump. They have again failed. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Nearly four years! Thats what willful retention of national defense information got a former FBI intelligence agent in Kansas. Kendra Kingsbury, the ex FBI analyst who kept classified information in her bathroom like former president Trump did, was sentenced to prison for 3 years and ten months for violating the same part of the Espionage Act that Trump has been charged with violating, the Kansas City Star reported. I cannot fathom why you would jeopardize our nation by leaving these types of documents in your bathtub, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen R. Bough said to her during sentencing. Kingsburys defense attorney tried to make the point that some of the documents were electronic and that her home wasnt full of bankers boxes strewn about, in what was clearly an attempt to draw a contrast between her actions and those of Donald Trump, which makes his actions the low to which a defendant does not wish to be compared. The ex-FBI agent pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the very same law used to indict Trump (the Espionage Act). Whereas, Trump faces far more counts 31 counts of violating the Espionage Act through willful retention of classified records, plus six additional counts including obstruction of justice, conspiracy and false statements. Some laws are not the same as others. In this case, the charging memo says Kingsbury phone made and received calls with phone numbers associated with the subjects of counterterrorism investigations. So, she had all of these secret documents that described sources and methods of U.S. efforts to defend itself and her phone had contact with the phone numbers of subjects of counterterrorism investigations. That is not good for the safety of the U.S., its defense, its assets, its troops, and the American people. The U.S. has an ongoing problem with FBI agents working in counterterrorism, as this is also a parallel with former Special Agent in Charge of the Counterintelligence Division for the New York field office Charles McGonigal, who was busted for worked secretly for Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian oligarch, to investigate a Russian rival. The FBI is becoming a breeding ground for betrayal of the United States, with former agents helping those foreign powers who have nefarious intentions against western democracy. Its leak, steal, give, assist. There is now a systemic pattern of betrayal from within that needs to be addressed honestly and fearlessly for the security of the nation. Whatever the cause (it could be unhappiness with the job, financial enticements, or maybe bad leadership or a combo thereof), a former president getting away with sharing our military strategy against Iran is not sending the message that this needs to stop. After all, Trump has been indicted, but Judge Cannon has not recused herself even though she has a clear bias and an issue of lack of competency to tackle such an important case. If she lets Trump use his regular delay delay delay tactic, he will never be brought to account for the horrific crimes for which he was indicted. And yet it was Reality Winner who served the most time so far (five years and three months) for leaking a top secret document, in which ironically she was trying to warn the American people about the Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election. So, she tried to protect the American people and served the most time. Guess who investigated her? Yes, thats right. Trumps FBI. And that interrogation is one of the more troubling abuse of power scenes under the Trump administrations politicized DOJ. While no one should be stealing classified documents, there is a troubling disparity in treatment and inequity in application of the law. File this under: What it would look like if Trump were actually being treated like anyone else under the law. Image Trump Federal Indictment: Documents related to U.S. defense found in Trumps bathroom, boxes are also behind the shower curtain in the bathtub. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print After five years spent investigating President Bidens son, Hunter Biden, Republicans were only able to come up with two tax fraud charges and a gun charge. They deployed FBI agents, IRS officials, and federal prosecutors and all they got was this lousy tax fraud business. But what about Hunter Biden? What did he get? Was the deal fair in the sense that it is what others would get? Prosecution expert Andrew Weissmann said if anything, it is a little harsher than expected. Andrew A. Weissmann was an Assistant United States Attorney from 1991 to 2002, Chief of the Fraud Section in the Department of Justice from 2015 to 2017, and General Counsel for the FBI from 2011-2013. He has more credentials, but you get the idea. He knows prosecuting norms in the DOJ and the FBI. In his informed opinion, not only did Hunter Biden not get a sweetheart deal like many Republicans are claiming, but his deal seemed a little bit harsher than what I would typically expect. Speaking on The Bulwark podcast with Charlie Sykes, Weissmann explained the Hunter Biden deal. Weissmann began by saying its incontrovertible that the deal for Hunters two misdemeanors and terms to avoid gun charge was made by a Trump appointee held over by Merrick Garland, who was given complete autonomy. Both of these types of crimes are generally not prosecuted at all or treated in incredibly lenient fashion. Should that be the case? Thats a legitimate debatable question about how these cases should be treated. But in terms of are likes being treated alike, theres nothing that I have heard about this deal that made me think that it was in any way shape or form a sweetheart deal, and the fact that it came from a Trump appointee only suggests that that would be true. And its one that if anything, seemed a little bit harsher than what I would typically expect. For those people grounded in reality, this is nothing. It is really only something that is political fodder. Weissmann got into the hypocrisy even more as he pointed out that Republicans criticizing the Hunter Biden deal wanted to defund and defang the IRS. Additionally, the lead prosecutor in Robert Muellers Special Counsels Office (2017-19) pointed out that Its impossible to get Republican support for enforcement of gun laws. After Sandy Hook, he said he was at the FBI as general counsel coming up with measures including additional enforcement for gun laws, with respect to false filings, e.g., when someone was a felon applying for a gun because those cases were not and are not routinely prosecuted. His point was that Republicans didnt want those felons applying for a gun to be prosecuted, but they do want Hunter Biden to be prosecuted. Weissmann summed it up by saying (paraphrase) Republicans are saying you should have done it more (tax and gun charges) when in general they are against either of these things when its anyone else other than Hunter Biden. To put all of this in perspective, Hunter Biden was charged with two misdemeanor tax offenses and a felony firearm offense. He agreed to enter a plea of guilty to the tax offenses and enter into a pre-trial diversion agreement with regard to the firearm charge. What is all of this over? Its two years of taxes that Hunter Biden did not pay in 2017 and 2018. Despite owing in excess of $100,000 in federal income taxes each year, he did not pay the income tax due for either year. This is a good time to remind readers that around that time period, the IRS was being weaponized against critics of then-president Trump. That is not to suggest that Hunter Biden isnt guilty; but rather that while others were allowed to get away with deliberate tax fraud, like Roger Stone, the full weight of the department was pushed upon many people Trump didnt like. To see how the IRS treated Trump buddies, we can look at convicted and then pardoned by Trump for seven separate felony crimes, Roger Stone, who was Trumps 2016 campaign advisor. For years, Roger Stone and his wife had not paid their taxes from 2011. The DOJ alleged that while they lived a lavish lifestyle they had not been paying their taxes. Yes, you read that correctly. Stone did not pay his taxes from 2011 until the Justice Department attorneys brought a lawsuit against him and his wife in April of 2021. Why had the IRS, so busy under Trump, let that slide? Where are Republicans calling for the prison guards? Although Stone fought this as a political hit job for years, he finally agreed to pay more than $2.1 million to settle the case. Charlie Sykes pointed out that Roger Stone was never criminally charged for his massive tax fraud, and actually there are tax charges against Trump, Inc. and Donald Trump. A jury in Manhattan found Trumps company guilty of a long-running criminal tax fraud scheme including 17 counts of criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records, a scheme that continued even during his presidency. The Assistant DA in that case said Trump sanctioned the tax fraud. Even though this comparison is being made, it should be pointed out that an ongoing scheme to defraud the government on purpose including falsifying business records isnt the same animal as an individual not paying their taxes for two years. Especially, perhaps, an individual whose struggles are well known. Hunter Biden has struggled with drug addiction for years. His family has been there to support him over and over again as he tried rehab and relapsed. His addiction story is familiar to families across the country. Addicts often dont take care of daily business like paying bills and taxes. NPR pointed out a heartbreaking detail,Hunter Biden is careful never to blame his own struggles with addiction on Beau, but the timeline of his wagon tumbles and Beaus death at age 46 line-up neatly. Struggling with an addiction doesnt make Hunter innocent, but it is not the same situation as deliberately defrauding the government with a well thought out scheme. Its just hard to imagine how the press would be treating this situation if it were one of Trumps kids. It is rather unfair and clearly partisan. The ideal situation would be if everyone were held to the same standard. But it does appear that Weissmanns assessment is if anything understated. Hunter Biden didnt pay his taxes for two years and he pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges, but Roger Stone didnt pay for many more years than Hunter and yet he was never criminally charged. It does seem a little bit as if Hunter Biden was served up as the sacrifice to appease Republicans who dont want Donald Trump to be charged. The DOJ shouldnt be trying to appease Republicans, mostly because it wont work but also because it isnt justice. If the DOJ is really trying to restore faith in itself, then it should be even-handed and treat like alike, which means having the courage to stand by the asymmetric facts even though they make everyone uncomfortable. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro speaks to the press outside his home after Federal Police agents carried out a search and seizure warrant in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 3, 2023. Brazils top electoral court on Thursday began hearing a case that could torpedo the political future of former President Jair Bolsonaro by rendering him ineligible for public office for eight years. Judges are evaluating a case filed by Brazils Democratic Labor Party, which claims the far-right leader abused his power by using government communication channels to promote his campaign and cast unfounded doubts on the countrys electronic voting system. While Bolsonaro often railed against the voting system, the suits focus is a meeting last year on July 18 that Bolsonaro convened at the presidential palace with foreign ambassadors, which was broadcast on state television for nearly an hour. Thursdays session in the capital, Brasilia, began with Judge Benedito Goncalves reading his report on the case. Bolsonaros lawyer, Tarcisio Vieira de Carvalho, told judges the case was riddled with ideological falsehood. The courts president Alexandre de Moraes suspended the session after roughly three hours, before any judge had cast a vote, citing time and scheduled obligations at the Supreme Court. Already two subsequent sessions have been slated for next Tuesday and next Thursday, but the trial could extend for several months if any of the judges requests additional time to review the case. In comments to journalists on Wednesday outside the Senate, the former president acknowledged he could be barred from public office, although he denied any wrongdoing. Rodrigo Prando, a political science professor at Mackenzie University in Sao Paulo, said the evidence against Bolsonaro was robust. Bolsonaro speaks in live broadcasts, on Twitter. I never saw anyone provide so much material against himself as Bolsonaro did, he said. In his report on the case, Paulo Gonet Branco, one of the top prosecutors at Brazils electoral court, recommended barring Bolsonaro from public office. The report will be analyzed by the courts panel, which is comprised of judges from Brazils two top courts, the Supreme Court and the superior court of justice, plus two appointees. Brancos report asserts that Bolsonaro misled voters about a Federal Police investigation into the 2018 elections in order to claim the voting system isnt reliable, and that he presented that information to ambassadors in the meeting last year. The Supreme Court is simultaneously investigating the former president for having shared details of that investigation a case proceeding under seal. I would like to remain 100% active in politics, and taking away my political rights, which in my opinion is an affront, you lose a little bit of that fuel, Bolsonaro said Thursday morning in comments published on his YouTube channel. Bolsonaro left Brazil for Florida days before his term ended, and returned on March 30. He has a ceremonial leadership role within his political party and has travelled around Brazil as a critic of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who defeated him in last Octobers election that featured the narrowest margin in over three decades. On Thursday, Bolsonaro traveled to the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre, where he will attend a transportation fair and an event of his Liberal Party. He is also expected to help stump for mayors in next years municipal election whether or not he has his political rights. Surfing the Bolsonaro wave in the 2022 general election, the Liberal Party won more congressional seats than any other and became the biggest in both the Lower House and Senate. If the electoral court strips Bolsonaro of his political rights, he could appeal to the Supreme Court. However, there are other suits pending with the electoral court seeking the same outcome. And that is just a fraction of his legal troubles, which also include criminal investigations. Bolsonaro, 68, will continue to wield some political power until the 2026 presidential elections, even if he is declared ineligible to run, said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo. If Bolsonaro is declared ineligible, the next presidential election he could contest would be in 2034, Melo noted. Bolsonaro will be finished as a presidential candidate if he indeed loses this trial, he said. Many voters would only vote for him, but from the polling we have seen, the vast majority of conservatives and right-leaning voters are ready to look beyond Bolsonaro and pick any other candidate, even if not supported by him. For the time being, though, Bolsonaros ineligibility would throw Brazils right-wing political hierarchy into disarray. Other potential standard-bearers whose names have circulated are Sao Paulos Gov. Tarcisio de Freitas, Minas Gerais Gov. Romeu Zema and Bolsonaros wife, Michelle Bolsonaro. All of them, however, trail Bolsonaro in popularity, said Prando, of Mackenzie University. Bolsonaros profile became very unique, because the right also gets on board. Many (politicians) only include the extreme right, Prando said. In terms of charisma today, too, there is no name like Bolsonaro. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Aiken, SC (29801) Today Partly cloudy early followed by scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 94F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms mainly during the evening. Low 73F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. The old Aiken County Hospital is back on the market and up for grabs. In a unanimous vote Tuesday night, County Council approved a resolution for the county to offer the former medical facility for sale as is, where is. In addition, the resolution authorizes county staff to request proposals from anyone interested in making an offer. All bona fide, good faith offers will be considered, the resolution further stated, but the county is not required to accept any offer it deems not beneficial to the county. All nine members of County Council were present at the meeting, which was held in the Aiken County Government Center. County Council Vice Chairman Andrew Siders made the motion for the approval of the resolution, and Kelley Mobley seconded it. The panel discussed the matter in an executive session before the 7 p.m. meeting. A deal to sell the old hospital to Aiken Lofts Manager LLC for $2,094,000 failed to close by the deadline of Dec. 31, 2022. During the 30-day cure period that followed, Aiken Lofts Manager had the opportunity to finalize the transaction, but that time has passed, County Attorney Brad Farrar said. John Gumpert has been the point man for Aiken Lofts Manager. He is the president of Camden Management Partners Inc. in Atlanta, according to his LinkedIn profile. I believe the majority of Council is to the point where they are interested in getting the old hospital sold, said Bunker following the meeting. We have had numerous additional interested parties approach the county about purchasing this building, and we think we are at the point and again, I am speaking for a consensus of the whole Council that it is time to start entertaining other options. Siders also spoke to the Aiken Standard about the situation. We have held it (the old hospital) long enough, he said. Its good business for the county to put it back on the tax rolls and in private hands. Last December, County Administrator Clay Killian said that an option for the county if the deal fell through was to put the old hospital back up for sale and give Gumpert and Aiken Lofts Manager the right of first refusal. Even though that advantage wasnt part of Tuesdays resolution, Siders said Gumpert still has the opportunity to come back to us with an offer if he is still interested. Killian told the Aiken Standard that other interested parties have contacted him recently about acquiring the old hospital. They include Tracey Turner, CEO of Turner Development LLC, which is based in Washington, D.C. During a telephone interview Wednesday, Turner told the Aiken Standard that he would be making an offer. His plan is to preserve and repurpose the old hospital. Its historic, Turner said of the building. I want to turn it into apartments or condos or senior housing, whichever one I can get approved and makes financial sense. Turners mother and other relatives were born at the old hospital. My (maternal) grandmother worked there for almost 20 years, Turner said. She actually cleaned rooms there. Turner Development is spearheading the construction of the Weeping Willows subdivision between North Augusta and Clearwater. Besides Mr. Turner, Ive had two others say they that they had people that are interested (in purchasing the old hospital), but I havent talked to those people that supposedly are interested, Killian said. The old hospital, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, stands on a 9.44-acre tract at 828 Richland Ave. W. in Aiken. After it ceased to be a medical facility, the brick building served as Aiken County government's headquarters for a time. It currently is vacant. Since 2018, the county has failed to finalize two other deals involving the old hospital one with The Marian Group, which is based in Kentucky, and the other with a local entity, WTC Investments LLC. A deal to sell the old Aiken County Hospital hasnt been finalized even though the 180-day due diligence period for the purchaser ended Tuesday. Instead, the buyer asked for and received a 90-day extension, Aiken County Administrator Clay Killian told the Aiken Standard. In April, an agreement was reached for the county to sell the old hospital to 828 Richland Associates LLC for $1.15 million. Under the terms of the contract, either the county or the buyer could request an extension of up to 90 days if the due diligence period concluded before a telecommunication tower on the old hospitals property could be demolished. That 410-foot-tall structure is still standing and will remain in place for a while. Killian said the old hospitals purchaser asked for the extension prior to the end of the due diligence period. On Oct. 19, Aiken County Council approved that request in a vote taken in Council Chambers at the Aiken County Government Center after the matter was discussed during an executive session. It certainly shows that the buyer is still interested in obtaining the property, but obviously they want to take advantage of the rights granted to them in the contract because the tower isnt down yet, said County Council Chairman Gary Bunker. You can certainly see their point of view. The registered agent for 828 Richland Associates is Charles I. Small, a Columbia-based real estate developer, according to information reported on the South Carolina Secretary of States website. There is a plan to build a new tower near the Aiken Department of Public Safetys headquarters on Beaufort Street We cant take the old tower down until the new one is up, Killian said. Its all supposed to be done by the end of February or early March (in 2022). Thats the latest that Ive heard. South Carolina Educational Television, or ETV, owns the tower on the old hospitals property on Richland Avenue West in Aiken. Former Aiken County Attorney Jim Holly told the Aiken Standard last year that in addition to ETV, the following use the tower for communication purposes: Aiken Countys Emergency Medical Services department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Civil Air Patrol, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Aiken Department of Public Safety and the Aiken County Public School District. In addition, the City of Aiken uses the tower for communications on what we call our common channel, which is for like garbage trucks and (other) non-first responders, said City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh. Constructed prior to World War II, the old hospital is a 57,408-square-foot building with a brick exterior. In addition to being a medical facility, it has served as Aiken County governments headquarters in the past. The latter role ended in 2014 when the $35.7-million Aiken County Government Center on University Parkway in Aiken opened. The old hospital is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was officially added to the list in September. There was a fire at the old hospital in July, but Killian said soon afterward that it didnt cause any serious damage. In recent years, two previous deals to sell the old hospital have fallen apart. One of the buyers was The Marian Group, a Kentucky-based firm. The other was WTC Investments LLC, managed by Tom Wyatt. Weldon Wyatt, a local entrepreneur and developer, is Tom's father. In both cases, the price was $1.1 million. NORTH AUGUSTA For Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, national security should begin at home. Audience members twice asked the Republican presidential candidate his stance on the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia during a town hall event June 22 in North Augusta's Riverview Park Activities Center. DeSantis said Russian President Vladimir Putin is a bad guy, but national security should begin at home. "At the end of the day you have to as president, your first priority has to be to defend the American people and defend our country," DeSantis said. "I get frustrated when they allow an open border here while they're sending money abroad," he added. "You at least have to care about your own border before you worry about some of these other things." DeSantis said he didn't see how it was possible to be credible abroad if the country isn't strong at home. He added his first priority if elected would be to remove what he called the "woke" concept from the American military on Day 1 and to secure the border with Mexico. Then he would worry about deterring China in the Pacific and then European security. DeSantis said China is in many respects more of a threat to the United States than the Soviet Union was during the Cold War. He added something similar to NATO was needed in the Pacific to deter China. "In Europe what I would say is NATO needs to do more," DeSantis said. "These countries, they need to produce more for their own defense." DeSantis was also asked in front of about 500 audience members if he supported a national abortion ban. "In Florida, we respect life," DeSantis said. He referenced heartbeat bills signed into law in Florida and South Carolina, and said he felt progress on restricting abortion was being made from the ground up. DeSantis added he was concerned President Joe Biden wanted federal legislation that would legalize abortion until the moment before birth. Ahead of the town hall, the South Carolina Democratic Party released a statement saying DeSantis was parachuting into the state on the anniversary of the Supreme Court's issuance of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. Party spokeswoman Alyssa Bradley said DeSantis, as Florida governor, signed an "extreme abortion ban" of six weeks that ripped away Florida womens freedom to make their own health care decisions. DeSantis is one of 10 Republicans seeking the party's 2024 presidential nomination. A CNN reporter asked DeSantis if he would commit to supporting the Republican nominee if he wasn't that person. DeSantis said he wanted to let the process of determining the nomination play out and that he would respect the process. He said he wanted to work to beat Biden. DeSantis' appearance coincided with the release of 15 Republican lawmakers who are endorsing his bid. The endorsements, shared first with The Associated Press, came from 11 state House members and four state senators , with a heavy concentration in South Carolinas conservative Upstate. Its a show of force for DeSantis in a state that current Republican front-runner Donald Trump won handily in the 2016 primary and where he has maintained popularity. DeSantis list includes Sen. Josh Kimbrell, a Spartanburg Republican who has been bullish on the governors candidacy since before he officially entered the race. He called DeSantis the only candidate in this race who can defeat Biden. Many of the new endorsements are from lawmakers who have introduced DeSantis during appearances in the state. One of them, North Charleston Rep. Chris Murphy, praised DeSantis, a former Navy judge advocate general, this month at a Bluffton campaign event as the only candidate that has worn our nations uniform. Theres also Rep. Micah Caskey, a Marine veteran who hails from Lexington County, another strongly conservative area. The South Carolina Republican primary is scheduled for Feb. 24. The winner of the Republican nomination will face the winner of the Democratic nomination, likely Biden, in the Nov. 5, 2024 general election. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The key corporate defendant in a landmark environmental case that was to go to trial in Charleston earlier this month has agreed to pay up to $12.5 billion to settle the litigation. The proposed deal in the first phase of the so-called forever chemicals case was announced June 22 by 3M Co., which is not admitting any liability or wrongdoing. The agreement requires approval by U.S. District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel of Charleston. In late 2018, Gergel was assigned the task of overseeing the mounting number of lawsuits from around the nation and preparing the first case for a jury trial. The complaints center on a ubiquitous class of man-made and nearly indestructible chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other health ailments after seeping into drinking-water systems across the U.S. One of the primary manufacturers was 3M. For decades, the Minnesota-based industrial titan, DuPont and others made or sold the water-, stain- and heat-resistant chemicals for use in a huge assortment of everyday products, from Teflon-coated cookware to care-free carpeting. The perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances also were a key ingredient in a powerful and widely used suppressant that firefighters sprayed on the ground for decades either for training purposes or to extinguish petroleum-fueled blazes. More than 4,000 lawsuits from around the nation have since been consolidated in federal court in Charleston. Some allege that the chemicals in the foam leached into the soil and contaminated public and private drinking-water sources. A case filed by the beach community of Stuart, Fla., was selected as the first to go a jury. The city of about 18,000 residents was seeking about $115 million. Gergel agreed to delay the trial for three weeks earlier this month as settlement talks heated up, hours before jury selection was to begin. He said he was "firmly persuaded" that the pause was "in the interest of all of the parties to this litigation and is in the interest of justice." He asked for weekly updates, with a final report due June 26. The settlement announced late Thursday would resolve all "current and future drinking water claims," according to 3M. CEO Mike Roman called it an important step forward" that builds on the company's previous actions, including making investments in filtration technology and its plan to stop using the chemicals over the next three years. The funding will provide $10.2 billion to $12.5 billion between 2024 and 2036 to eligible public water systems for testing and investing in treatment upgrades. It also will provide money if utilities detect specific chemicals in the future. The plaintiffs in the foam cases include the authority that runs Charleston International Airport. 3M can terminate the deal if a certain number of litigants decide not to settle. The company said it is prepared to move forward in court if the judge doesn't approve it. Earlier this month, three other defendants in the first forever-chemicals "bellwether trial," including DuPont, proposed a $1.19 billion settlement. The cost of scrubbing the pollutants from U.S. water systems eventually could be much higher than what 3M and the other manufacturers have agreed to pay so far, according to Scott Summy, one of the lead attorneys suing the companies. "I'm not sure anyone knows what that ultimate number will be, the Dallas lawyer told the Associated Press. But I do think this is going to make a huge dent in that cost, ... and you don't have to litigate for the next decade or longer. While the firefighting foam cases could be coming to an end, 3M and the other defendants still face a wave of unresolved lawsuits alleging personal injuries and property damage from the chemicals. Many but not all of those cases have been assigned to federal court in Charleston. The youtuber Alan Estrada had to organize a press conference on Thursday to answer questions about various videos he made two years ago. The actor was the first Mexican citizen to travel aboard the OceanGate submersible Titan, now lost in the North Atlantic with five people aboard. Estrada has a YouTube channel, called Alan around the world, and a travel blog. In July 2021, he tried to embark on the expedition to visit the wreck of the Titanic, submerged at a depth of 3,800 meters (12,467 feet), 600 kilometers (372 miles) south of Canada. However, the Titans systems failed, and the trip had to be cancelled. He tried again a year later, and this time he was successful. He now confirms that it was a spectacular trip although he would not repeat it: I was aware that I was risking my life. I knew what could happen. Estrada, 42, began receiving dozens of calls on Monday as soon as the news broke: contact had been lost with a private submarine on its way to visit the wreck of the famous ocean liner, which sank in 1912. The search was urgent, as the submersible had an oxygen reserve of only 96 hours. Two days later, Estrada recounted the details of the expedition in which he participated. To begin, he acknowledged, its very expensive. He sought sponsors to pay the $150,000 required for the trip. Now, it costs even more: $250,000 (about 230,000). As the expeditions have been successful, theyve increased the price, because in the beginning it was basically lets see if this happens, the youtuber explained. Its overpriced, but I recognize the investment it takes to create a submersible like that and be out at sea for weeks, he said. Before boarding the Titan, the first carbon-fiber submersible capable of reaching a depth of 4,000 meters, you have to sign several documents, which explain exactly what risks you are running, including losing your life, of course. We knew that this was an incredibly risky expedition, we knew that we were not going to an amusement park, said Estrada, who at several points in the news conference insisted that those who board the Titan are adults aware of what kind of adventure they are embarking on. For example, one of the clauses is not to suffer from claustrophobia. Once inside the submersible, if all goes well, it takes about two hours to descend to 3,800 meters, four hours to tour the wreck of the Titanic and the bottom of the ocean, and another two hours to ascend to the surface. This was the case with Estradas expedition: It was one of the more successful ones. The one before ours, on the other hand, lasted 27 hours because they had had problems recovering the submersible. Inside, the Titan is like an empty tube, 6.5 meters long and 2.8 meters wide, in which there are no seats and no standing room. There is also no bathroom per se, but there is a curtained-off cubicle. The Titan is intended to make a short voyage, although Estrada believes it has what it takes to keep the crew alive for 96 hours if the submersible is intact. Five people can fit inside. These are usually the pilot and co-pilot, and three civilians, who are called mission specialists. Estrada completed his expedition with one of the men who is now missing, the French explorer Paul Henri Nargeolet: He was the co-pilot, but when we arrived at the ship, he was the one piloting the submersible because he knows the wreck extremely well. He has been down to the wreck of the Titanic almost 40 times, and is one of the most trusted people to go down. But if you ask his opinion, he says there is always a risk and there are always complications. On some of his dives he also went down in French submersibles the crew even had to put out internal fires. Estrada is also well acquainted with OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, another of the missing crew members. Stockton is a very positive person. He designed the Titan; its his dream, his mission. I hope they are all inside, waiting to be rescued, he said. The other three people inside the submersible are British businessman Hamish Harding, an adventurer who holds three Guinness World Records, and Shahzada Dawood, a Pakistani-born British businessman, and his son Suleman. On Monday, communication with the Titan was lost when it was only one hour and 45 minutes into the expedition. According to Estradas calculations, it was still going down. For the first few meters, communication is by radio, then, when the signal is lost, via messages. It is part of the protocol that if communication is not re-established in one hour, the submersible must return to the surface. Based on that information, the youtuber believes there is a possibility that the submarine ascended and is now in the ocean waiting to be rescued. Another fundamental complication is that the Titan cannot be opened from the inside, only from the outside. In the worst-case scenario, Estrada noted, the submersible has got tangled in something: If it gets stuck it has no systems. It cant grab objects; it doesnt have that technology. It would take another submersible to find them. All this, he said, is something the crew members know: We knew it was an experimental submersible. For example, on his first expedition attempt in 2021, the trip had to be cancelled because the ballast system the mechanism the submarine uses to descend and ascend got stuck. Titan could go down, but it could no longer go up because the ballast casting system got stuck. There was an emergency system where the submersible could jettison the whole mechanism, not just the ballast, so Titan would come back up, and thats what happened. OceanGate offered Estrada an expedition on July 2, 2022 as compensation. The following year the company had changed the ballast system, they were no longer tubes, but kind of sacks with weights. It also has other emergency mechanisms, such as an air bag that is activated internally and inflated externally, so that Titan becomes buoyant and can rise to the surface, he said. To me the safety protocols seemed serious. It was like a rocket launch. Before each of the submersibles maneuvers, whether it was on the launch pad, in the water, and before we submerged, all the equipment was stopped, and all the systems were checked. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Clemson University has found a new long-term home for its Charleston architecture and urban design program just a few blocks south of its existing downtown campus. The school's board of trustees on June 22 unanimously approved the $12.1 million acquisition of three properties, including a historic home that's been converted into office space, at 16 Charlotte, 515 East Bay and 102 Alexander streets. The sale is expected to close later this year, after a four-month inspection period. The 1.12-acre site with nearly 23,000 square feet of enclosed space will house the Clemson Design Center, which has been leasing classrooms, offices and studios in The Cigar Factory at 701 East Bay since mid-2016. About two years ago, Clemson trustees directed staffers to find a permanent home for the architecture and historic preservation program. "Opportunities have been evaluated including building on university-owned property on the peninsula, new acquisitions, looking at other university-owned properties, etc.," according to a presentation at Thursday's board meeting. "The location and price of new construction have been significant factors in the evaluation and discussion," Clemson said. The Upstate school has looked at constructing a new downtown building for its coastal architecture outpost twice since 2007. It withdrew both plans after opponents spoke out against the projects, mainly over the design. Clemson has been paying slightly more than $1 million a year to rent almost 30,0000 square feet in The Cigar Factory. The lease was renewed two years ago and runs through June 2026. Clemson is working on the newly approved real estate purchase with its foundation, which will buy the properties and then sell them later to the university, which will require state approval. The current owner is affiliated with the former medical firm NCGS Inc., which used the compound anchored by 16 Charlotte as its headquarters. Company founder Nancy C.G. Snowden sold the business, now called Novotech Clinical Research US, last year to a Singapore buyer. The NCGS properties went on the open market about two months ago, "and we had a lot of interest right out of the gate," said Mark Mizell of Birchin Lane Realty Advisors, who with business partner Richard Callari represents the seller. He said buyers were given the option to acquire all three sites as a package deal or just the historic former Charlotte Street building, which will be vacated before the Clemson deal closes. Mizell also said that James Ascher, a fashion and accessories boutique at 515 East Bay, will remain as a tenant in its building after the sale. SUMMERVILLE The towns orchestra is preparing to host its first youth summer day camp in July. The "Summer-ville Strings Spectacular" is meant to be a camp for the two Summerville youth orchestras, which are composed of 82 middle and high school students. DeAnndra Glenn, junior and youth philharmonic director and education coordinator of the Summerville Orchestra, said the camp will be open to other orchestra students throughout the Lowcountry who arent in the youth orchestra. We want to give the students a more intensive experience with orchestra rehearsals than what they would normally get during the school year, Glenn said. Throughout the school year, the youth orchestras divided into a beginning orchestra and a more intermediate and advanced orchestra meet on Monday nights. This camp will be focused throughout the day. Andrew Price, executive director of Summerville Orchestra, noted that hes seen not just academic but artistic knowledge deteriorate over the summer and thinks the camp will be a good opportunity to help students retain their musical skills. Being able to provide students with a summer camp opportunity to keep their learning and knowledge going will not only make the students better players, but itll also keep their knowledge for future years to help out the communities and the schools that they are in, Price said. The orchestra received a $50,000 grant from the South Carolina Arts Commission in May, which is enough money to host the camp for two years, according to Glenn. Since they received the grant, the orchestra immediately started planning for this years camp. Price said several orchestra members will be volunteering at the camp and have expressed excitement about how the community is serving the community. The camp will include several opportunities for the students to hone their musical skills by working with experienced orchestra musicians and watching performances. Glenn said the Summerville Orchestra String Quartet will be giving a performance, and there will be a clinic to teach students more about fiddle and bluegrass music. Glenn said with the camp, she hopes to expose the students to the different styles of music. She said the last day of the camp will conclude with a youth orchestra concert performed by the students themselves. Glenn said shes looking forward to this opportunity to get to know the youth orchestra students better and for the students to develop a sense of teamwork and camaraderie with each other, since they only usually see each other once a week during the school year. Price agreed, referencing his own time at summer camps in the past. I always looked forward to being able to meet new friends and have long-lasting relationships with friends that I even still call friends today, Price said. I look forward to seeing the students that get this opportunity. The camp will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from July 10-15, with the last day starting at 10 a.m. It will take place at Charleston Southern University and costs $75 for the whole week. For more information or to sign up, visit the Summerville Orchestra website at summervilleorchestra.org. COLUMBIA The FBI has offered another $30,000, doubling a reward offered by state and local police, for information leading to the arrest of Jeroid Price. The convicted killer was released from prison in March on a secret order that was dissolved by the S.C. Supreme Court a month later. Price was 19 years into his 35-year sentence upon his release. The justices ordered authorities to immediately re-arrest Price and return him to prison, according to their 3-2 decision signed April 26. The 43-year-old has been on the run ever since. Price was convicted of murder in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Carl Smalls Jr. at a Columbia nightclub in 2002. A federal arrest warrant charging Price with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution was issued June 7 in U.S. District Court. The FBI's $30,000 reward is separate from the purse offered by the S.C. Department of Corrections, State Law Enforcement Division and Richland County Sheriffs Department on May 10, the federal agency said in a June 21 news release. Law enforcement said Price has ties to New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and New Mexico, where he was serving his sentence prior to his release. In 2017, Price reportedly informed state prison officials about an escaped inmate, and he helped rescue two correctional officers being beaten in separate fights in 2010 and 2017. These formed the basis for his early release. During the Supreme Court hearing, criminal defense attorney Todd Rutherford said it would be a "death sentence" if Price returned to prison a known police informant. The order was signed in late 2022 by retiring Circuit Judge Casey Manning after in-chambers talks with Rutherford and 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson. S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson requested the bench warrant from the high court saying Prices early release was unlawful, in part because no hearing was held where the victims family or prosecutors could argue to keep the killer in prison. Carl Smalls, the father of the man Price killed, said someone who worked in the prison system tipped off his family of the move just hours before Price was set free. The news made him and his wife feel like our son was being murdered all over again," Smalls, of Charleston, told The Post and Courier. The FBI asks anyone with information about Price to call 911, 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit an online tip to tips.fbi.gov. LEXINGTON While many know Gregorio Leon, who runs several San Jose Mexican Restaurants in the Midlands, little is known about the man he fatally shot on Valentines Day 2016 who had been having an affair with his wife. Rows in the Lexington courtroom filled with Leons family and friends on June 21, the second day of witness testimony in Leons long-delayed murder trial. State prosecutors used evidence and testimony to establish a timeline for that night seven years ago to support their case that Leon shot with malice while the defense pointed to what it implied were apparent holes in the investigation by Lexington Police, particularly how little is little known about the victim, Arturo Bravo Santos. During opening statements the day prior, defense attorney Jack Swerling called Santos a gigolo who was taking advantage of Leons wife Rachel and threatened to kill Leon. Prosecutors said that's not the case, claiming Leon had a plan to catch the lovers in the act. On June 21, deputy solicitor with the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Suzanne Mayes, presented photos and messages shared between Rachel and Santos from records extracted from cellphones and Facebook accounts. The two had photos together on a trip to a Charleston waterfront. One photo of the two is edited with the writing Te Amo, meaning I love you. They had a photo together in front of a Toyota pickup truck at a local dealership Rachel that had purchased under her name just three days before the shooting, which Santos had been driving. Hours before Santos was killed, they sent each other emojis with heart smiley faces, Mayes showed on the courtroom projector. That evening, Leon and his wife had a family dinner at Carrabbas Italian Grill. Sometime after, Rachel drove to a parking lot by the intersection of Interstate 20 and U.S. 378. Leon went to a San Jose restaurant, surveillance camera footage shows. The video shows him on his phone and taking a seat in the lobby. The deputy solicitor showed jurors a list of locations recorded by the tracker found in Rachels car, and added that the device can be connected to a smart phone application. Both the prosecution and defense have said Leon planted the tracking device, but disagree about why he did so. At around 8:10 p.m. and 8:12 p.m., there were two location records, which were generated after a request from a user. The prosecutor then showed the surveillance footage showing Leon looking at his phone and then abruptly getting up and leaving the restaurant, driving off in his Range Rover. Around 10 minutes after Leon left the restaurant, surveillance camera footage from the parking lot shows him firing his gun at a parked Toyota by Rachels Mercedes. When police arrived, they found 28-year-old Santos lying face down wearing nothing but his socks. Chief investigating officer in the case Marc Miramontes, who was a detective with the Lexington Police Department at the time of the 2016 shooting, was called to the stand. State prosecutors had the officer describe what he observed in the surveillance videos, and confirm the evidence found in the investigation. Police had searched the Toyota, finding an identification card from a Mexican consulate in North Carolina, another which appears to be from Mexico, a credit card and a prescription bottle of antibiotics. Photos on the cards matched the victim, but none of the names matched the victim. Even fingerprints came back in a check through the S.C. Law Enforcement Division as Arnulfo Gil Liles, an alias Santos used, the investigator confirmed during a cross examination by Swerling. Police later confirmed Santos identity a few days after the shooting, when his family brought in documentation, Miramontes confirmed. Santos was an undocumented immigrant who worked in construction, he said. In cross examination, the defense questioned the officer on how much he looked into Santoss aliases, asking whether there was any investigation into the aliases Santos used. There wasnt, Miramontes said. The state also presented the revolver used in the shooting as well as photos of the gun found in a wooded area and a box of bullets found during a search of Leon's home. The state is expected to continue to call witnesses to the stand on June 22. WEST COLUMBIA A West Columbia man is dead after a standoff with law enforcement during which shots were fired back and forth for several hours. After receiving a complaint that Shavon Wright threatened neighbors last week, deputies attempted early on June 21 to arrest him but Wright refused to cooperate, and over the course of the morning began firing at officers. Eventually, law enforcement fired back. Later in the day, Wright was found dead, barricaded inside a house in West Columbia. "This is another case where mental health plays in and it ends in an unfortunate situation," Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. Ever since he threatened neighbors last week, deputies have been monitoring Wright and noticed irrational behavior, including often taking a gun out with him when he checked the mail, Koon said during a press conference. "It's not illegal, but unusual in a residential neighborhood," Koon said. The Lexington County Sheriff's Department began working on this case on June 8, when it received a complaint that a man on Montclaire Circle in West Columbia pointed a gun at neighbors in the roadway of a residential neighborhood, Koon said. Following the complaint, the Lexington Sheriff's Department took out two warrants for pointing and presenting a firearm at a person, Koon said. When the Sheriff's Department had the warrants, deputies began surveilling Wright in an effort to catch him away from his residence where his firearms were stored, Koon said. "During the course of the investigation of the suspect, it became clear it was an unusual situation in the sense that we found out something had recently changed in his life that started him acting irrationally," Koon said. During the surveillance period, Wright had also posted social media threats toward law enforcement and the public. Although deputies attempted to catch Wright outside of his home, "he did not afford us that opportunity," Koon said. COLUMBIA He was not convicted of the sexual crimes South Carolina accused him in 2005 of committing. After years of forced psychological hospitalization, the doctors at the state Department of Mental Health recommended he be transferred to a residential care facility, as he was treated for schizophrenia and schizotypal personality traits. But South Carolina's High Court ruled June 21 that it's constitutional for the state's top lawyer to seek to keep Francis Oxner confined anyway. In a case originating out of Lexington County, the state Supreme Court ruled an obscure provision in state law that carves out a special process for involuntary commitment of those deemed sexually violent, even if they're mentally incompetent to stand criminal trial, holds up to constitutional muster. Oxner's lawyers declined to comment on the case. Oxner was indicted in 2005 for a multitude of sex crimes first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor, two counts of assault with intent to commit first-degree criminal sexual conduct, sodomy and exposure of private parts in a lewd and lascivious manner. But when it was found his mental illness made him unable to stand trial, he was instead hospitalized with the state Department of Mental Health from 2005 until 2011. When doctors recommended that Oxner be sent to a residential care facility, the state Attorney General's Office in 2011 turned to South Carolina's Sexually Violent Predator Act in an attempt to keep him in confinement. Those committed under the act are held separately in a private facility on the state Department of Corrections campus along Broad River Road, operated by Correct Care Recovery Solutions. Laws allowing for the civil commitment of sex offenders began popping up across the country in the late 1980s, starting with a grassroots movement to get tough on sex crimes in Washington, which was prompted by a series of crimes committed by released sex offenders. These types of laws were constitutionally challenged when lawyers took a case against Kansas' Sexually Violent Predator Act to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing involuntary commitment of convicted offenders upon their release from prison was punitive and violated rights against double jeopardy. In a 5-4 decision, the federal justices upheld the Kansas law, upon which South Carolina's law is based. In Oxner's case, the S.C. Supreme Court had to decide for the first time on an attempt to keep committed someone who had not been criminally convicted. Following the process outlined in South Carolina's law, Lexington County Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein conducted a bench hearing in 2016 to determine probable cause. She found Oxner "committed the act for which he was charged," "remains incompetent to stand trial," and said she found probable cause to send him before a jury to determine whether his mental disorder "makes him likely to engage in acts of sexual violence if not confined." Oxner appealed all the way to the state Supreme Court, arguing his due-process rights were violated because his mental illness makes him unable to assist the lawyers trying to defend him. But both the state's Court of Appeals and Supreme Court disagreed, with the Appeals Court judges saying state law "includes significant procedural safeguards that protect an incompetent person from the risk of an erroneous deprivation of his personal liberty." In an opinion written by Justice John Cannon Few, the High Court went on to say "while these procedural safeguards may not be perfect, any potential defects are reasonable." Few said because the process for committal requires the state's highest burden of truth, grants a jury trial and testimony by expert witnesses paid for by the state, and allows for a committed person to petition the circuit court for release at any time, no rights are violated. Oxner will now go before a jury to determine whether he meets the state's definition of a sexually violent predator. The Charleston County School District will pay newly hired superintendent Eric Gallien $275,000 a year. His compensation will be approximately $33,000 more than the roughly $242,000 that Gerrita Postlewait, Charleston's previous superintendent, was paid annually. The district is also giving Gallien up to $10,000 in moving expenses, according to a copy of the contract The Post and Courier obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. Gaillen signed his contract on June 21. It covers a two-year period ending June 30, 2025. He also will receive a car allowance of $1,000 per month and $3,000 to cover living expenses for his first three months. The district also will contribute 14 percent of his salary, or $38,500, each year to his retirement fund. Gallien's salary at his previous school district in Racine, Wis., was $226,158, according to ABCNews4. A previous draft of the contract obtained by the paper said the school board had to give him 90 days notice if they were to terminate him. This was changed in the final version to 60 days, with the contract stating the district had to pay him a full year's salary or whatever remained on his contract should he be fired without cause or other stipulations. The contract said Gallien will attend district events and not engage in any business activity that he would gain or profit from. He will also "agree to devote his full working time and attention to his position and carry out the duties and responsibilities assigned to him in a faithful, diligent and responsible manner." Sign up for our Education Lab newsletter. Email Sign Up! The school board voted to offer Gallien the superintendent contract last week after an 18-month and troubled search. It came apart at the end of May when a an anonymous Facebook group released the names of the district's final three superintendent candidates, which state law requires the district to do but which it still had not done. District officials quickly sent out a press release naming Gallien and Charles McNulty, a superintendent in Little Rock, Ark., as two of the finalist. The district didn't name the third contender, though it confirmed that another candidate was in the running. That candidate quickly withdrew his name, as did McNulty. The school board was faced with a choice: either move ahead with Gallien, the only finalist remaining, or restart the search. The board chose to go with Gallien, which upset some community members and even some board members. Their grievances were less to do with Gallien's record as a leader than the search process. Historically, candidates came to Charleston to meet with local interested parties. Charleston residents then have the opportunity to voice feedback about the contenders. Gallien was the only candidate they met. While some were mainly upset about the process, there were other concerns about Gallien's prior experience. The district he led in Wisconsin is about a third the size of the Charleston County district. He also recently suffered from health problems. CCSD declined to comment on the difference between Gallien and Postlewait's salaries. When diners ask for my favorite Charleston restaurant, which happens almost daily, I struggle to give an immediate answer. There are simply too many factors to name one singular selection. If hard-pressed, I do have a handful of go-to destinations to share. Most Charleston chefs are in the habit of swapping menu items frequently, making it that much more difficult to single out one or a few restaurants. My solution to help readers decide where to eat? An occasional column listing the five restaurants Im excited about right now. With the goal of speaking to locals, these restaurants are more accessible than some Charleston hot spots. Here is the first installment. Editor's Note: Restaurants are listed in alphabetical order. 289 East Bay St., downtown Charleston At 167 Sushi Bar, located in the space previously occupied by owner Jesse Sandoles popular Charleston no-reservations restaurant 167 Raw, guests can be found at one of 24 seats eating an assortment of raw and cooked plates. Small and stylish, 167 Sushi Bar serves bites that are more impressive than they might seem at first glance. Theres something romantic about watching three chefs fry the confited duck for your fried rice or place cubes of marinated tuna on house-made milk bread in a small open kitchen. Sushi with a twist and other izakaya dishes are specialties at the Charleston restaurant. Patrons can grab a bite of buttermilk fried chicken bao before picking up the chop sticks for expertly cared-for nigiri. 167 Sushi Bar is intimate, fun and great for sharing. And at this location, diners can even make reservations. 624 Rutledge Ave., downtown Charleston When writing about restaurants, it can be tempting to order an outside-the-box dish, but I couldnt resist the cheesesteak during a recent visit to Berkeleys. I wasnt that hungry, to be honest, but I still found myself scooping up every last bit of homemade cheese whiz with my remaining french fries. I imagine many diners can relate. When it arrived at our outdoor table on Berkeleys new covered patio, the sandwichs striking yellow cheese evoked memories of handhelds I encountered growing up. With its squishy roll, thinly sliced steak and indulgent whiz, this cheesesteak is better than ones Ive had up north near Philadelphia. This time of year, crowds of tourists pack into Charleston restaurants. Berkeleys is exactly the type of neighborhood restaurant where locals can find reprieve. 252 Coming St., downtown Charleston Chubby Fish continues to churn out some of the most compelling plates in the Charleston area. For the uninitiated, Chubby Fish does not take reservations. Patrons might have to wait an hour or even two time you can spend sharing a carafe of wine at The Tippling House but they will eventually get into Chubby Fish for dinner. Once inside at one of about 40 seats, diners can watch chef James London lead a kitchen known for serving sustainable species of fish, meaning the menu is constantly in flux. In fact, there is no printed menu at Chubby Fish the lineup of small and large plates is hand-lettered on black magnetic strips and affixed to a broad metal board above the small counter in the back. All dishes are ordered at once, and the meal is appropriately paced, starting with raw and cooked small plates. Small plates might include black bass ceviche, attached to locally-made focaccia bread by green avocado glue, or cubed tuna belly, tender and refreshing as can be and enhanced by sweet, starchy parsnips. In the cooked category, I can rarely resist the fall-off-the-bone lamb ribs, floating in a bath of orange-hued romesco sauce and topped with shiny particles of sea salt. It's wise to save room for a couple larger plates, whether you choose silky mackerel curry, crab tagliatelle, swordfish slathered in caviar butter or whole fish, fileted and plated tableside. If it couldn't get better, Life Raft Treats are on offer for dessert. 7000 Bowen Pier Drive Suite 2, Hanahan Nigels Good Food Bowen is an extension of the original Nigels Good Food that owners Nigel and Louise Drayton opened in 2011 at 3760 Ashley Phosphate Road. Known for fried pork chops, okra soup and Nigels famous fried Geechie Wings," the new 50-seat Hanahan restaurant serves many of the staples from the other two locations with a few new additions, such as chicken and biscuits. Located along the Cooper River, the Bowen Village development Nigels calls home is breezy and picturesque. Its a lovely place for a walk while sipping coffee from Brew Coffee, Wine and Craft Beer, which shares a restroom with Nigels. During dinner, sunlight seeps into the two-part restaurant with green and white walls and an exposed gray ceiling. Guests at a long table in the dining room laugh between bites of stewed chicken, gumbo and fried whiting, while others cozy up at the bar, located to the left of the entrance. I sat at a round wooden high-top behind a pair of diners, gazing up at a TV playing the Food Network while sipping sweet lemon iced tea. Several dishes stand out on the menu, including Nigels ravioli (filled with grilled chicken, bacon, collards, black-eyed peas, corn and cheese) and Lizs chicken and waffles, a classic take on the Southern staple. Juice seeps out of the chicken with the soft tug of a butter knife, staying contained inside the breast without pooling on the plate. A few drops of Texas Pete hot sauce work well here, infusing the salty fried bits with a little peppery spice. 72 Cannon St., downtown Charleston Elegant, cozy and charming, Southbound is a 4-month-old addition to downtown Charlestons dining scene. Years in the making, the restaurant was supposed to be Ryan and Kelleanne Jones first, with the name hinting at their move from Connecticut to South Carolina seven years ago. Delays and the interruption of COVID-19 led them to debut two Mount Pleasant restaurants first: Community Table and Kiki & Rye. The main level of the 2,000-square-foot, two-story space features a small bar and open kitchen. An ironclad spiral staircase leads diners up to the second story of the nearly 200-year-old historic home, equipped with a bar and dining area. Those who stopped by during the first few weeks of service should return soon, as unforeseen circumstances caused chaos prior to opening. A stunning wood-fired hearth that originally served as the open kitchens centerpiece started to crack during the first night of service, causing the couple to adapt in short order. With the first weekend of service behind them, they disassembled the brick hearth, bringing more direct heat to the live-fire cooking concept. Now, a grated ledge holds cast-iron pans over burning oak, with an adjacent Grillworks grill providing a secondary cooking surface. The restaurants small size and daily printed menu mean options are constantly changing, though dry-aged steak tartare, venison and crispy duck breast have become steady standbys. Fun shareable snacks include seared foie gras and colossal shishito peppers, charred and topped with red chilis, lime and cotija cheese. Seafood options are also constantly changing, though scallops, branzino and tilefish all have appeared. Its officially list season in the food and travel writing space. Tripadvisor released its roundup of top travel experiences in the world based on review data June 20, naming Undiscovered Charleston featured in The Post and Courier in November the No. 2 Food & Culinary Experience in the U.S. and No. 16 in the world. That same day, the worlds top 50 restaurants were announced in the southern Spanish city of Valencia. Yet another list was dropped on June 22: Yelps Top Places to Eat in the Carolinas in 2023. The roundup features 100 North Carolina and South Carolina restaurants that were ranked using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews between Jan. 1, 2021 and March 31, 2023. Earlier this year, Yelp released its top 100 places to eat in the United States, according to its users. Just one South Carolina restaurant, Boxcar Betty's, made that list. Earning the No. 3 spot on the Carolinas list was a name thats synonymous with Charlestons barbecue scene: Lewis Barbecue. John Lewis ever-popular restaurant was bested only by 10/Fold Biscuits in Myrtle Beach (No. 2) and Pure Soul in Durham, N.C. (No. 1). Tonis Detroit Style Pizza (No. 20), Chubby Fish (No. 26), Delaney Oyster House (No. 41), Gale (No. 51), Slightly North of Broad (No. 52), Jack of Cups Saloon (No. 70), KISS Cafe (No. 84), Magnolias (No. 89), LoLa (No. 91), Tys Roadside Coastal Kitchen (No. 97), Pages Okra Grill (No. 98) and The Glass Onion (No. 99) round out the list of Charleston area representatives. "We know that people dont always sit down for a four-course meal. Sometimes a delicious pizza or taco on-the-go is what youre craving," said Yelp Charleston Community Director Scott Carpenter. "Thats why this list includes all ranges of places to grab a meal." Sixty of the top 100 restaurants are located in North Carolina, while 40 can be found in the Palmetto State. Also this week, one Charleston company earned recognition from another national outlet: the Food Network. The networks magazine recognized 50 Over-the-Top Treats from across the U.S., with one representative in each state. Joining The Bonjours fettuccine crepe in Louisiana, the geometric apple at Jonquils Cafe in Massachusetts and others was Charlestons own Life Raft Treats. Owner Cynthia Wong of Life Raft Treats, widely considered one of the most creative pastry chefs in the country, has developed edible works of art that look like a sandwich, taco, bunch of bananas, peaches and even Thanksgiving dinner. She is perhaps best known for her buckets of Not Fried Chicken Ice Cream a combination of waffle ice cream, a chocolate-covered cookie bone, and white chocolate and Corn Flakes coating that looks nearly identical to a fried chicken drumstick. While we wouldnt describe Wongs Not Fried Chicken Ice Cream as over-the-top like the Food Network does in its recent roundup, it certainly is a delicious treat that is worth celebrating. The Comite del Pueblo neighborhood to the north of Ecuadors capital, Quito, turned into a war zone on Sunday, June 18, when residents responded to threats from a criminal gang operating in the area with a hail of rocks and Molotov cocktails. Almost two hours after the conflict got underway, the police appeared on the scene, killing one of the alleged criminals and injuring another person. The face-off was recorded on video by the residents, who organized themselves into a small army, removing the cobblestones from the sidewalks, and smashing them into small pieces to be used as weapons. Community alarms went off in the vicinity, warning locals to leave their homes and join in the fray. We all plucked up the courage, says one resident. The violence culminated in setting fire to the home of the gangs female leader, known as La Pastora (the Shepherdess). This residence was considered the headquarters for all drug trafficking activities. When it went up in flames and the police arrived, the criminals temporarily retreated. Far from being another episode of gang warfare, the violence that erupted on Sunday was the result of the residents being sick of having to live with a constant sense of insecurity that is widespread in Ecuador. The pitched battle lasted until the early hours of Monday morning, June 19. After the police left the scene, the criminals returned on motorbikes, firing shots into the air and making further threats. They are going to set off bombs under peoples homes and they said that war had been declared, says another resident. The conflict was triggered at 6 p.m. on June 18 by the assault of a young woman in the neighborhood, prompting a number of locals to come to her aid and the gang members to flee. The residents then grouped together to stand guard over their neighborhood and were subsequently confronted by two armed men on a motorcycle. The residents asked the men to leave, and they did, only to return several minutes later with 10 more armed men in tow who began shooting at the crowd. We ran and took cover while they shouted and threatened us, but then we decided to stand up to them and went out with sticks to see them off, according to one resident. Police say they have identified the criminal gang and its leader La Pastora, who has been arrested 13 times between 2002 and 2021. According to Victor Herrera, Quitos police chief, La Pastora is behind the growing number of crimes related to drug trafficking and concealment of stolen goods. We understand the problem in the neighborhood, says Fausto Salinas, head of Ecuadors police force. The lady who presents as a victim is behind the terror. However, there was no hard evidence found to incriminate La Pastora in this instance and she escaped arrest. The day after the confrontation, residents reported that the gang carried out its threats against a handful of businesses. We cant live like this, says one resident. We cant even go out. We are terrified. While the residents of Quitos Comite del Pueblo neighborhood were standing up to the gang with rocks, sticks and homemade bombs, President Guillermo Lasso was delivering a speech on a national network about the security policies being undertaken by his government. We are moving towards the objective of strengthening the police to improve its capacity to protect our families, said the President, referring to the recruitment of 8,500 extra police officers. GEORGETOWN A high risk of rip currents led Georgetown County Emergency Management to advise June 22 that swimmers stay out of the ocean until sea conditions improve. The advisory came shortly after the National Weather Service's Wilmington, N.C., office issued a coastal hazard message of a high risk of dangerous rip currents off the coast of Horry and Georgetown counties. NWS Wilmington also advised that further risk of rip currents could be on the way in the week ahead as Tropical Storm Bret makes its way through the Caribbean. Rip currents are powerful currents that move away from shore, even through breaking waves. The NWS warns that they move faster than even Olympic swimmers and caused 179 drownings in the Carolinas between 2000 and 2022. "Swim near a lifeguard," NWS Wilmington advised June 22. "If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don't swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help." NWS Wilmington's coastal hazard message included the coastal North Carolina counties of Pender, New Hanover and Brunswick. Meteorologist Mark Bacon of NWS Wilmington said the long period swells expected to arrive early in the week beginning June 25 are a testament to how large of waves tropical storms and hurricanes can generate. Though still designated a tropical storm on the afternoon of June 22, Bret was forecast to have maximum sustained winds just below the hurricane threshold of 74 mph as it approached the Lesser Antilles in the eastern Caribbean Sea. "What those waves do is they become broader and longer in period," Bacon said. "That's kind of a gentler wave, if you will, but the energy is still there. And so they are able to travel much farther distances than ordinary wind waves, which is probably what we're more used to when we're at the area beaches." Some of the most memorable rip current events to take place in North Carolina have spurred from tropical systems hundreds of miles offshore, Bacon said. To avoid being caught in rip currents, Bacon said it is important to keep track of local conditions before heading to the beach. "Always check with the lifeguard, see what kind of flags they're flying and plan your beach trip accordingly," Bacon said. South Carolina experienced five drownings in the two weeks following Memorial Day, including that of 16-year-old Tre'Sean Snow of Fayetteville, N.C., who drowned at Huntington Beach State Park after attempting to help a child struggling on a boogie board. Snow's death is not designated as caused by a rip current on the NWS website, with the occurrence that caused his drowning listed only as "other" than a rip current, sneaker wave or high surf. In a more recent case, the Pawleys Island Police Department and Midway Fire Rescue responded June 21 to a possible drowning near the island's Shell Road beach access. A 70-year-old man was given first aid by bystanders but ultimately died at Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital. Pawleys Island Police Chief Mike Fanning told WMBF-TV that the man was attempting to save his 9-year-old grandson, who survived the incident, from a strong current. Forty-six people have drowned in the surf zones of the United States and its territories between Jan. 18 and Jun. 21 by the NWS's count, 41 of them due to rip currents. NWS Wilmington also issued a small craft advisory on June 22 for the coastal waters stretching 20 nautical miles off the coast from North Carolina's Cape Fear to the South Santee River that marks the border between Charleston and Georgetown counties. CLEMSON Despite city planners' lack of support, the Clemson City Council is moving ahead on a public hearing on a College Avenue apartment project. The Signet planned development at 408 and 412 College Avenue first came before the city's planning commission in December 2022 and has lowered the buildings height after feedback from city representatives and the community. Moving the development forward, the council agreed to have a public hearing July 17 ahead of the regular council meeting. The planning commission made two motions on the apartments one in favor and one against and both failed at its most recent meeting. Initially designed at seven floors, mimicking The Bixby development across College Avenue, Signet Real Estate now proposes five floors with retail spaces and a community space on the ground level. The original 172 apartments have been pared down to 152, at least four of which will be designated as workforce housing, meeting the fair-market rates set annually by the South Carolina Housing Authority. Catering to nearby residents along Knox Avenue, the latest version of the building stands three feet above the elevation and vehicular access to the complex would only be from College Avenue. Commercial-mixed zoning, the sites current designation, limits building height to three floors above College Avenue. It is designed to serve as a transition between downtown, commercial activity on Tiger Boulevard and the residential areas. Amenities would include a two-level underground parking deck, a pool, some public parking and a community space to be rented by members of the public. A public green space and streetscape areas are planned in addition to a bus shelter and open seating areas for the public to be used for gatherings or live music. After increasing setbacks from neighboring properties, the planned 2-acre development would have roughly 25 percent open space. Developers would install a lighted crosswalk at the intersection of Keowee Trail and College Avenue. After the public hearing, the development would require two readings from city council for final approval. CLEMSON Clemson University is getting South Carolina's first veterinary school after university leadership voted to approve its funding just days before the new fiscal year. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved the $285 million College of Veterinary Medicine on June 22 in what Chairwoman Kim Wilkerson called a "historic time." "We look forward to the continued work with the General Assembly to make this college reality," she said. "I believe we will look back on this day as one that is going to have an immense impact on our state for generations of people to come." The state approved $103 million in the upcoming budget year for the vet school. Citing a veterinarian shortage and students who currently leave South Carolina to attend vet school, university Provost Bob Jones said the justification for the request was strong. The states first veterinary school could graduate students as soon as 2030 the same year one report suggests the national veterinarian deficit could reach 15,000. Nearly half of South Carolinas counties are listed as high needs on the U.S. Department of Agricultures veterinary shortage map. South Carolina has an "abundance of talented students interested in the degrees, so they earn them in other states where they are strongly tempted to remain," he told the board. The board approved a salary range of $309,745 to $412,993 for the school's founding dean. Jones called it an "excellent competitive range." South Carolina spends $6.8 million every year on contract seats to provide in-state tuition for students who have no option other than leaving the state for vet school. There are 46 seats spread across University of Georgia, Mississippi State and Tuskegee University in Alabama, former state veterinarian Boyd Parr said. It's a short timeframe to build everything from scratch but "a good step to come on the heels of the governor signing the budget," said Parr, who is on the steering committee. There are four finalists for the founding dean position and architects have been secured for the project, he told The Post and Courier. The anticipated timeline to begin site preparation on West Queen Street in Pendleton across from the Garrison Arena is March 2024. CLEMSON A summertime staple for the Clemson community is coming back next month on a trial basis as the city and university work toward returning public access for a popular Lake Hartwell beach. The sandy area at the Snow Complex colloquially called "Y Beach" by those who grew up attending YMCA camp on-site is opening to the community in July. After the YMCA barn at Clemson University burned in 2019, the community slowly lost access to the beach they'd long collectively understood was open to the public. Details havent been settled, though full information should come from the university by June 23, City Administrator Andy Blondeau said. There will be a registration process involved now, he said, though only one person per vehicle would need to be on the list. University spokesman Philip Sikes said preliminary information was shared with city officials as it finalizes logistics. "Ensuring a vibrant relationship with our partners in the City of Clemson while maintaining safety and preserving a quality experience for our students remains a priority," Sikes said. The plan is to open the beach on a trial basis and determine what to do in the future. This is something weve been pressing on that started resonating over a year ago, Mayor Robert Halfacre said. Hopefully its not too complicated, because that will discourage people from using it. The city looks forward to working with the university to have access to the beach out at the Snow facility. Access became limited after the YMCA barn burned in 2019 and the Andy Quattlebaum Outdoor Education Center opened in 2020, he said. Even limited summertime access is a step in the right direction, he said. Were excited about the opportunity," the mayor said. "This has been a community access point for years. Its a win to see something like this come to fruition, even though its going to be an abbreviated, trial-run summer. I look forward to when its open for the whole summer and people can use it as a community, I think thats when its really the big win." The Snow Family Outdoor Fitness & Wellness Complex is accessible when the main gate to the property is open, primarily sunrise to sunset, according to the universitys website. The complex is listed as closed July 1-4. Mount Pleasant, SC (29464) Today Partly cloudy with afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High 94F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Low 78F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. MYRTLE BEACH Myrtle Beach International Airport continues to introduce amenities to meet passenger demand, and the latest addition is a national travel retailer's first concept store in South Carolina. Evolve by Hudson, an immersive one-stop shop for travelers visiting the airport, opened earlier this month in a space that previously housed Hudson News. Each store is completely customized to individual airports, making no two stores the same, said Joe Landolfi, senior vice president of operations of Hudson, at a June 21 ribbon cutting. In the case of this Myrtle Beach store, we are proud to offer national brands like Build-a-Bear Workshop, Sunglass Hut, Hershel Supply Company and Apple, as well as local favorites like Rodney Scotts BBQ. Owned by Dufry, Hudson operates more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks and tourist destinations in North America. The New Jersey-based company has operated in Myrtle Beach International for nearly 20 years, but its Evolve concept brand has only been around since 2021. It addresses an important need in the market that was designed for truly one-stop shopping, Landolfi said. So, when you talk about one-stop shopping, its getting everything under one roof. It also offers a larger footprint and open storefront design. Each Evolve by Hudson store has a minimum of 2,000 square feet of space and is designed for busy travelers with self-checkout and mobile payment options and grab-and-go drink and food choices. Landolfi said there is a dedicated space in the store for local products and they have created an incubator program that allows local brands and entrepreneurs to grow their business in a high-volume retail store. One of the first featured brands is Charleston-based Rodney Scotts BBQ, with the Myrtle Beach store carrying the famous pitmasters book and lineup of seasonings and sauces. The new Evolve by Hudson store is an exciting development for the community as it enhances the customer experience, supports our local economy and demonstrates the airports commitment to providing guests with the best possible experience with traveling at MYR, Horry County Councilman Gary Loftus said. The Evolve stores opening at Myrtle Beach International comes at a time when other South Carolina airports are being used as test markets by Hudson. Hudson Nonstop, powered by Amazons Just Walk Out technology and Sunglass Hut, recently opened at Charleston International Airport, the states busiest airport. Travelers can enter Hudson Nonstop by swiping their credit card or hovering their palms over an Amazon One device. After making a selection, patrons are charged for the products they take after they leave the store. New flights out of Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach International Airport continues to transform its south end facility with construction projects and additional flights to keep up with the expanded Grand Strand tourism season. In recent years, Myrtle Beach the state's top tourist destination has marketed itself as a year-round destination to attract more visitors, resulting in a travel boom. Airport officials said they have a plan to meet the demand of not only Grand Strand tourists but an increasing number of locals going on vacation out of state with more parking spots, an expanded terminal in the future and additional flight options. Myrtle Beach International is undergoing a parking expansion project that's expected to be completed by early fall with the addition of more than 404 long-term parking spaces and an additional 44 spaces in the airports short-term cellphone lot, the free curbside waiting area off Jetport Road. Last year, airport parking nearly reached its 2,600-vehicle capacity a couple of times, especially during Thanksgiving week, which is a peak national travel period. Additionally, the airport plans an upcoming terminal expansion project which will add six new gates with boarding bridges to its existing facilities just outside Gate A7, for a total of 18, and includes new concession options, restrooms and passenger waiting areas. Assistant Director of Airports Ryan Betcher said the project is tentatively scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2025, but he stressed the timeline is subject to change. Spirit Airlines, the largest carrier at Myrtle Beach International Airport, added a seasonal nonstop flight to Rochester, N.Y., that began May 15. Allegiant Air launched a seasonal nonstop flight from the Grand Strand to Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio on June 1. A nonstop flight bringing passengers to the Mile High City from MYR to Denver International Airport began on June 9. It operates on Saturdays. On June 23, Avelo Airlines will add service from Myrtle Beach to Wilmington, Del., with Monday and Friday flights, and on Saturdays starting July 1. Other previous renovation projects include the airports fuel farm, which increased its previous 260,000-gallon fuel capacity with the addition of a 100,000-gallon fuel tank. A second 100,000-gallon tank can be added in the future if needed. Myrtle Beach International is one of the few airports in the country that fuels commercial aircraft. MYR is a gateway to the Grand Strand and Horry County and a vital hub for both tourists and economic growth, Loftus said. Attorneys for the U.S. government dismissed drug-trafficking charges against two ex-prison guards midway through their jury trial an extraordinary move by the government in a case that presented hours of unflattering testimony for the S.C. Department of Corrections. Prosecutors moved on June 21 to dismiss a two-count indictment against Xavier Kaseem Capers and Joseph Corey Bailey Jr., two former Department of Corrections employees who were each charged with one count of conspiracy and one count of possession with intent to distribute at least 50 grams of methamphetamine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews said in an email that prosecutors dismissed the case in the interest of justice but declined to comment further. Capers and Bailey were working as correctional officers at the Ridgeland Correctional Institution in Jasper County on March 6, 2021, when a sergeant discovered roughly 400 grams nearly 1 pound of pink and blue crystalline powders inside the prison that tested positive for methamphetamine, according to prosecutors. The drugs, as well as tobacco, were hidden in sealed Chrystal Light flavoring packets inside a black mesh backpack similar to an item Capers and Bailey were seen handling less than an hour before. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Bower and Justin Holloway were more than halfway through their witness list when they decided to pull the plug. Nathan Williams, the former criminal chief for the U.S. Attorney's Office in South Carolina, said he has not previously seen the office dismiss a case while a trial is underway. The former federal prosecutor who spent 13 years in the office said the government's attorneys must have recently learned about a critical issue in their case. It would have to be something significant that they didnt know about, Williams said. It raises the question of why they just learned about it and werent aware of it. Defense attorneys had advocated for the judge to toss out the case on the eve of trial. The motion filed by Capers' attorney, Cody Groeber, read he had discovered an "altered" SCDC document that was "highly misleading." The document was a "key log" that guards signed to account for keys in their possession that unlocked secure areas of the prison. Attorney Peter Phillips, who represented Bailey, maintained that on the night the drugs were discovered his client did not have access to the room where they were found. The Charleston attorney argued that multiple witnesses called by the government had access to the key log, sheets of paper attached to a clipboard inside the prison's control room. Phillips noticed the discrepancy less than 48 hours before the trial began as he poured over case files well after midnight. He argued the alteration called into question the integrity of the government's investigation. U.S. District Court Judge David C. Norton denied the defense's pre-trial motion. But he agreed to dismiss the case June 21 after the federal prosecutors requested the dismissal. Norton granted the request "with prejudice," which means the criminal case cannot be refiled. Jurors returning from lunch June 21 learned their service was no longer needed. "I have some good news and I have some bad news," Norton told the jury. Bailey walked into Charleston's federal courthouse facing a sentence of as much as 20 years in prison if convicted. As he prepared to leave June 21, he said he was looking forward to taking his daughter, age 7, to Disney World. Bailey, 30, described the past three years as stressful. He was hard-pressed to find decent work and could not travel outside of the state pending trial. "I'm at a loss for words," he said in the courthouse's hallway, supported by his twin brother and parents. "I knew I was innocent. There were lots of fake accusations. Justice has been served." Current and former correctional officers who testified at trial described layers of precautions inside the SCDC that are designed to keep out contraband but are not always followed by the facility's own officers. Asked to respond to allegations made under oath by employees, SCDC spokeswoman Chrysti Shain said in an email: "I would hesitate to take generalized information from a former employee as fact." The Ridgeland Correctional Institution is a medium-security facility in Jasper County operated by the SCDC. Anita Harris, a former sergeant, testified that in 2021, seven guards were responsible for supervising 900 to 1,200 prisoners on a good day." The prison, like most, contends with a "high volume" of contraband, according to Lt. Torelle Housey, who has been working at the prison for more than two decades. Prisons across the country battle contraband entering their facilities through visitors, mail, staff and drones. The illicit trade of drugs, cigarettes, cellphones and weapons has been linked to overdoses, drug trafficking and even murder. Capers was a sergeant at the Jasper County prison while Bailey was a corporal. They were colleagues, friends and neighbors. Capers, according to court documents, had told authorities after his arrest that Bailey had asked him to bring him his backpack and glasses, which Bailey had left inside his car. Capers denied knowing what was in the backpack. Groeber, who represented Capers on behalf of the Charleston Federal Public Defender's Office, argued prosecutors were trying to turn a favor into a felony." Five current and former correctional officers testified they would not retrieve a colleagues personal belongings out of fear they could be facilitating the introduction of contraband into the prison. Several officers also described a protocol in place for when an officer wants to retrieve an item from their car in the middle of their shift. Video surveillance from outside the prison entrance showed Bailey enter the lobby and walk straight into the main building, eschewing X-ray scanners and metal detectors in violation of the prison's policies. Doors were supposed to be locked by a control officer. But Holyoke Williams, then a corporal working in the control room that evening, admitted June 20 she had left the doors unsecure. She said she was suspended without pay for one day for enabling contraband to enter the prison. Williams, who has since been promoted to the rank of lieutenant, said she believed she was unfairly blamed. "It's something that happens all of the time at the institution," she said. Phillips said widespread policy failures inside the prison influenced his client's conduct that evening. What appeared suspicious if everyone is doing what theyre supposed to be doing isnt actually suspicious," he said. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Mixed clouds and sun this morning. Scattered thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Potential for severe thunderstorms. High around 95F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Scattered thunderstorms during the evening, with mostly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 78F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Whos paying for the party? Its a perfectly normal question to ask after any indulgence. Its also the question people are asking about a spectacular international arbitration case that reads like a John le Carre novel. Embroiled in this tangled web of intrigue are the heirs of a long-gone sultan, a Spanish lawyer, the Malaysian government and a multimillion-dollar investment fund. The case traces back to an obscure 1878 commercial agreement between Sultan Jamad al Alam, who ruled over the Jolo island group in present-day Philippines and Malaysia; Baron von Overbeck, the Austro-Hungarian Empires consul in Hong Kong; and British financier Alfred Dent. The sultan granted a lease with exploitation rights on a huge tract of land he owned in Sabah, a Malaysian state on the northern tip of Borneo. The contract was later renewed by the British Borneo Company and then taken over by the British Empire. Malaysias independence in 1963 renewed interest in exploiting Sabahs oil and gas deposits, which account for a quarter of the countrys energy resources. The area also has immense African palm oil farms. For a few decades, the Kuala Lumpur government paid a symbolic annual fee of $1,200 (1,100) to the sultans heirs, but stopped in 2013. Thats when an armed group from the Philippines, presumably followers of self-proclaimed Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, tried to take control of the area and its natural resources. The Malaysian air force launched airstrikes and ground troops recaptured the territory after massacring the insurgents. Saying they were heirs of Sultan Jamad al Alam, eight people then decided to sue the Malaysian government through international arbitration to claim rights under the original lease agreement. The 1878 pact clearly stated that any future disputes between the parties should be resolved by the British consul general in Borneo. But that diplomatic post disappeared long ago, and the British government declined to be dragged into the lawsuit by the sultans heirs. They then pivoted in another direction and filed their arbitration claim in Spain, based on peace treaties by which the Kingdom of Spain acquired the sultans domains in Jolo in 1878. But under the Madrid Protocol of 1885, Spain ceded the area to the United Kingdom. The Civil and Penal Chamber of Spains Supreme Court (TSJM) appointed attorney Gonzalo Stampa as the arbitrator of the case. Stampa specializes in international mediation and has been practicing law for 30 years. His father, Jose Maria Stampa Braun, is an attorney and professor of criminal law who gained notoriety for defending Basque security chief Julian Sancristobal, charged with kidnapping Segundo Marey during the countrys dirty war on terrorism. He also defended Luis Roldan (a former Director General of the Civil Guard), Lola Flores and Pedro Ruiz for tax crimes; Rafi Escobedo, for the murder of his in-laws, the Marquesses of Urquijo; and Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. The case is not connected in any way to Spain, said Josep Galvez, a barrister practicing in England and Wales who specializes in complex litigation and international arbitration. In an interview with EL PAIS, Galvez pointed out that Spains Ministry of Justice has already determined just because a territory had once belonged to Spain, this was not a basis for establishing Spanish court jurisdiction to resolve the discrepancies of the 1878 agreement or to appoint an arbitrator. To further complicate matters, a global litigation and arbitration finance firm called Therium has spent over 20 million ($22 million) to fund the legal claims of the sultans heirs. Theriums website has pages about Investing in the Rule of Law, Investing in the Legal Industry, and Investing in Access to Justice. Its a growing but little-known business that pours huge amounts of money into legal proceedings around the world in exchange for a percentage of the payout from favorable verdicts. At the onset of the proceedings, the British legal team representing the sultans heirs went to Therium seeking the necessary financing to proceed with the case. Bohey Dulang Island, which once belonged to the Sultanate of Jolo. Nora Carol (Getty) A wandering arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa ruled that he would preside over the case, which had already been contested by the Malaysian government on the grounds that it had not been formally filed per the stipulated procedure. The TSJM decided on June 29, 2021, to remove Stampa from the case and grant the Malaysian governments request for dismissal. Everything related to the case was declared null and void, and Stampa was ordered several times to end the arbitration. The lawyer did more than just ignore those orders. At the request of the Filipino plaintiffs, he changed the arbitration venue from Madrid to Paris after obtaining an exequatur, a legal instrument that enables a jurisdiction to recognize the decisions of another jurisdiction. Stampa issued his final ruling in Paris, granting nearly 14 billion ($15.35 billion) in compensation to the sultans heirs. It was only half of the initial claim, but still an exorbitant amount that immediately caught the attention of the international press. Its true that arbitrators sometimes decide to change venues, said Galves. However, this only happens in exceptional circumstances when the physical safety of the arbitrator or the parties involved are threatened. This was not the case here Stampa has caused a conflict between two jurisdictions that has strained the mutual respect of the relationship. A French appeals court subsequently overturned Stampas arbitration award, and Spanish prosecutors have charged him with insubordination and professional overreach. If convicted, Stampa could be sentenced to five years in jail. The lawyer, along with over 60 colleagues who wrote an open letter in his defense, has defended his independence as an arbitrator and the principle of minimal judicial interference in arbitration processes. Several experts note that annulment of an arbitration process is significantly more severe than simple interference. Stampa declined our request for comment, citing professional confidentiality. The Malaysian government recently published an open letter in the Expansion newspaper that stated: In a move that only Mr. Stampa can explain, he decided to disobey the orders of the same court that appointed and later removed him. It is important to note that Mr. Stampa initially asked that the Filipino citizens (the only party that participated in the arbitration) pay him $8 million to arbitrate the case, but ultimately charged the financier that supported them over $2.5 million. The international law firm of Uria & Menendez has joined the team of global consultants advising the Government of Malaysia. The story doesnt end there Similar to what other opportunists are doing to Spain in a dispute over renewable energy premiums, Therium continues to invest money in pursuing the case so it can recover its investment. Therium has petitioned Frances Court of Cassation (the court of last resort) to enforce the arbitration award, a decision thats still pending. In the meantime, the plaintiffs legal counsel has successfully frozen the assets of Petronas, the Malaysian oil and gas company, in Luxembourg and the Netherlands, a tactic that was unsuccessful in France. The question remains who will foot the bill? Therium, who expects a large payout from this historic litigation, has completed several rounds of investor fundraising to finance the ongoing battle against Malaysia. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition After six years of debate, Charleston City Council failed to agree on a path forward to redevelop a former grocery store property in West Ashley that some hoped would revitalize the area. A vote on one of three proposals for the 3.3-acre Piggly Wiggly site instead turned into a power struggle among council members. Even before conversation could begin in depth June 20, council members argued over how and when to discuss it. From there, the differences got more heated with council members calling each other rude and accusing each other of trying to score political points ahead of the November election in which half of council and the mayor are up. A narrow vote came down to last-ditch efforts to sway council members and gain a majority. Council voted 6-6 to approve the original design plan for the site that would have included a $45 million investment from the city and a $30 million investment from development partner, Landmark Enterprises. By council rules, a tie is a failed vote. Councilmen Ross Appel, Stephen Bowden, Karl Brady Jr., Jason Sakran, Peter Shahid and Mayor John Tecklenburg voted in favor of moving forward with the original plan. Boyd Gregg, William Dudley Gregorie, Robert Mitchell, Caroline Parker, Kevin Shealy and Keith Waring voted against the plan. Councilman Mike Seekings was absent, though he previously expressed disapproval of the plan. When considering two alternative proposals, council deferred making a decision and referred the project back to its housing and community development committee for further review. City legal counsel Julia Copeland said before the discussion that a failure to decide on any proposal for the property would effectively end the city's contract with Landmark, requiring the city pay over $600,000 in termination fees. Landmark President Jason Ward told The Post and Courier on June 21 that his company is not preparing to request the fee at this time. As far as I am concerned, our (memorandum of understanding) is still in effect, Ward said. We will see what the committee has to say about our next steps. The city bought the property in 2017 after surrounding neighbors were dismayed to find out that a private developer had proposed building a large gas station there. The purchase was part of a broader effort led by Shahid and Tecklenburg to direct more city funds and planning efforts toward West Ashley and reduce the area's prevalence of car-centric sprawl and empty commercial spaces. Bowden said he was not confident that bringing the project back to the drawing board now six years later would result in substantive change and that it would only increase the final cost to develop the property because of the delays. He said he was disappointed that the council members who opposed the plan did not offer specific alternatives. "We have a responsibility to use taxpayers' money the way they are telling us to," Bowden said. "In the meantime, citizens are going to be looking at the same slab of concrete that they have been looking at for the last six years." For Gregg, the disagreement was ideological. Gregg was not on City Council when the property was purchased, but he said he did not believe in using public funds to pursue such efforts. He was skeptical of the city's plan and said it was "naive" to hope that it would spur private development in the surrounding area. Although a special taxing district established for the Sam Rittenberg Boulevard area in 2016 would have been used to cover the city's end of the deal, Gregg said he wanted to see those taxing district funds used throughout the area, not just on one project. "This will deplete the entire TIF," Gregg said, referring to the taxing district. "This is putting all of our eggs in one very small basket." Those in favor of the plan, such as Appel, said they believed the government's job is to pursue projects that the private sector won't. And in doing so, Appel said he was confident the project would be a catalyst for further change in the area that otherwise would not happen. He said the domino effect of the development would refill the taxing district coffers. He likened the project to the city's role in developing the Gaillard Center and Charleston Place in downtown Charleston. Its been said that the private sector would never do such a thing, Appel said. Thats true. The private sector would not pursue that option. We know what they think. They see it as a gas station. Others such as Gregorie and Waring said they were willing to invest in project like this for West Ashley but not for the current proposals on the table. "I think West Ashley deserves more," Gregorie said. Not everyone believed that the squabble was purely ideological. Brady and Sakran both accused fellow council members of holding the vote up to settle political scores. "There are some council members that have disagreements with or dislike for the mayor," Brady said. "Petty squabbles and resentment are threatening the most generational investment in West Ashley to date." Waring called the process leading up to the vote a "campaign" and accused city staff of acting like "lobbyists" for the mayor rather than independent voices for the city. He added that the council members in favor of the plan would not have been elected to council without the mayor's support. "This is coming down to the council members that Mayor Tecklenburg helped to get elected and the ones who won independently of his support," he said. The planning process The original design for the site included a $23 million underground parking garage and a $22 million civic center to be paid for by a bond fronted by the taxing district funds. Landmark was expected to contribute $30 million for mixed-use commercial space that would includes offices, shops and restaurants. The proposal came out of a series of planning efforts led by the city. That included establishing the West Ashley Revitalization Commission in 2016 and a planning document drawn up by consultants known as Plan West Ashley. Over 900 residents, including 733 from West Ashley, were polled in the feedback process used to shape the Piggly Wiggly plan. But gauging whether a majority of West Ashley residents are on board with it is challenging. The day after the June 20 meeting, Tecklenburg said council's actions ignored West Ashley residents' desires. "Last night, some of our council members decided to just throw that citizen-led plan in the trash," he said. "That was wrong. And I intend to keep fighting every day until our West Ashley residents get the plan they asked for and deserve." The diverse area is home to over 40 percent of the city's population and recent public meetings have yielded mixed results. At a constituent meeting held by Shahid, whose district includes the property, many residents spoke against the proposal for the site. But another meeting held by the city planning department a few weeks later yielded more favorable responses. Most, but not all, public commenters at the June 20 meeting spoke in favor of the proposal. "We need a gateway to West Ashley that reflects West Ashleys beauty and not a developers dream," said resident Bob O'Brien, adding that he would prefer to see a park at the site. Others saw the first proposal as a chance to breathe new life to the area. "Look at the vacant storefronts, look at the empty parking lots, we need mixed-use development," said resident William Tinkler. Some of those in favor of the original proposal represented nearby neighborhood associations, including Sandhurst and Citadel Woods. "Getting anything done by consensus in West Ashley has been a struggle," Shahid said. Some council members balked at the idea of spending $23 million on a proposed underground parking garage. Council voted in April to solicit two more proposals for the property but did not vote on either at the June 20 meeting. One included a parking garage, and the other included surface parking. Both scaled back the overall cost to the city and the amount of mixed-use development built out on the site. The three options presented to council are listed below. Option 1 Total cost: $75 million City: $45 million Developer: $30 million Total square feet: 63,900 Parking: 244-space underground garage Option 2 Total cost: unknown City: $35-37 million Developer: unknown Total square feet: 56,300 Parking: 253-space above-ground garage Option 3 Total cost: unknown City: $21-23 million Developer: unknown Total square feet: 19,600 Parking: 152-space surface lot An alternate path After jockeying for votes and failing to come to a consensus, council members began to discuss alternate paths forward. Gregg and Parker were interested in placing zoning limitations on the site and then selling it, similar to the way that the South Carolina Ports Authority is working with the city to set parameters for redeveloping Union Pier, its former cruise ship hub downtown. "Sell it, put a deed restriction on it and have the private sector figure out what to do with it," Gregg said. But Appel argued that West Ashley does not garner the same level of interest for developers as downtown and they will not want to jump through extra hoops to repurpose the empty lot. "No private developer is going to be shoe-horned into zoning they dont want," he said. Others expressed interest in working with Charlotte-based developer Faison. The company owns the property adjacent to the Piggly Wiggly site and recently announced plans to relocate an existing Publix grocery store on its site and add an apartment building. Council members were interested in trying to forge an agreement with Faison and design the properties together. Faison is a private company that has not been a part of the contract that established the public-private partnership between the city and Landmark. Both Tecklenburg and Landmark President Jason Ward said during the meeting that they had spoken with representatives of Faison and were under the impression that the developer was waiting on results of the citys vote before weighing in. Faison president Kris Fetter, however, told the Post and Courier June 21 that he would be interested in working on a vision for the two projects. I am open to having a conversation, he said. As long as its productive and economically feasible for everybody, then everybody should win. Although Shahid also expressed interest in working with Faison and had previously criticized the original proposal, he said he wanted council to vote on one of the three proposals that were already in the works. "If we vote down option 1, I dont want to leave this chamber tonight without an option," he said. "That sends a message that we are paralyzed, and we cant get anything done." Well past 11 p.m., council left the chamber without a plan. PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 20:45:36 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 842 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / The ARMA Canada Information Conference 2023 announces a diverse lineup of keynote speakers. Discount registration rates, offering a $300 savings, are available now at http://armacanadainformationconference.org/ for the conference taking place at The Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, Ontario, July 17-19, 2023. The last day for registration savings is July 11 - act today and save. Scott Taylor, The Data Whisperer, will enlighten attendees on the strategic value of proper data management during the opening keynote address on Monday, July 17 from 8:30 am - 10:00 am."The ARMA Canada Information Conference is the premier event for information professionals to connect, learn, and shape the profession and we are thrilled that Scott Taylor will share his knowledge with our audience," said Nathan Hughes, Executive Director, ARMA International. "We look forward to bringing the industry together to discuss the benefits and risks of an organization's critical information assets and discuss how to harness those benefits and appropriately mitigate those risks." Scott has helped countless companies by enlightening business executives to the strategic value of proper data management by focusing on business alignment and the "strategic WHY." As Principal Consultant for MetaMeta Consulting he helps Enterprises and Tech Brands tell their data story. Scott will bring this school of thought to the ARMA Canada Information Conference and expand upon why it is essential for information management professionals to construct a compelling narrative around their data management programs to secure long-term support from enterprise stakeholders and business leadership.Rounding out Day 1 of the conference is Leslie MacGregor with the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC). Leslie will be speaking from 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm on the topic of The First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession - more commonly known as OCAP - and First Nations data sovereignty. Leslie is the Education Officer for the FNIGC. In her role, Leslie plays a key role in the assessment, design, and delivery of high-quality OCAP education and training. Leslie comes to FNIGC with a wealth of experience in Indigenous education. Prior to FNIGC, Leslie was the Program Administrator, Continuing Education, with the Anishinabek Employment & Training Services and before that, she was the Associate Dean, Student Services at Confederation College in Thunder Bay. As a Metis woman, Indigenous practices and principles are foundational to Leslie's core values and inclusive leadership style: reciprocity, relationships, rebuilding, and respect.For its closing keynote on Tuesday, July 18 from 4:00pm - 5:00pm, the ARMA Canada Information Conference will welcome Dr. Christopher Parsons, Senior Technology and Policy Advisor at the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. Formerly, he held the position of a Senior Research Associate at the Munk School's Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, where his research focused on third-party access to telecommunications data, data privacy, data security, and national security. He holds a Ph.D in Political Science from the Department of Political Science at the University of Victoria, and a Bachelor's and a Master's degree from the University of Guelph.Dr. Parsons will speak to attendees on the topic of how privacy is affected by advances in digitally mediated surveillance and AI before engaging with John Isaza, Partner-Rimon Law, in a fireside chat to delve deeper into what these advances mean to Canadian information management professionals.In addition to keynotes, the conference education agenda features a strong schedule of breakout sessions focused on advanced information concepts, creating structure and improving process, DEI, ethics, information forward (advanced technology), information fundamentals, legal and e-discovery, professional advancement, and reducing organizational information risk. Registration includes access to all three days of education sessions, breakfast and lunch each day, access to the exhibit hall and entrance to the Welcome Reception, Expo Hall Pub Crawl and the ARMA Canada Party. Register for the full conference program by July 11th for a $300 savings. A Keynote & Connect pass, which includes keynotes each day, access to the exhibit hall, the Welcome Reception, Expo Hall Pub Crawl and the ARMA Canada Party is $499.ARMA International is also pleased to announce that for every paid full conference registration for the ARMA Canada Information Conference 2023, ARMA will donate $5.00 CAD to Indspire, a national Indigenous registered charity that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people for the long-term benefit of these individuals, their families and communities, and Canada.ARMA International ( www.arma.org) , is a not-for-profit professional association and the authority on records and information management (RIM). RIM is broadly recognized as the foundation of effective information governance, which makes ARMA International a leader in information governance as well as RIM. The association was established in 1955. Its members include records and information managers, information governance professionals, archivists, corporate librarians, imaging specialists, legal professionals, IT managers, consultants, and educators, all of whom work in a wide variety of sectors, including government, legal, healthcare, financial services, and petroleum in the United States, Canada, and more than 30 other countries around the globe.# # #For further information, contact:Amy Riemer, Media Relations Representative978-475-4441 (office) or 978-502-4895 (cell)amy@ riemercommunications.com SOURCE: ARMA International PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 20:15:43 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 582 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 PHOENIX, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Charles Kirkland, a successful entrepreneur and business leader, has announced the Charles Kirkland Scholarship for Entrepreneurs. The scholarship is designed to support students who have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and are interested in pursuing a business degree. The focus of this scholarship is on promoting entrepreneurship among students who are interested in creating innovative solutions to real-world problems, with a particular emphasis on green energy.The Charles Kirkland Scholarship is available to students who are currently enrolled in a university in the United States or high school students who plan to pursue a business degree. The scholarship will be awarded based on an essay competition, in which applicants are required to submit a creative essay of under 1000 words. The essay topic is as follows:"Describe an industry related to green energy that needs significant improvement and propose a new business idea that could make a positive impact in that industry." The winner of the scholarship will be selected based on the originality, creativity, and practicality of their proposed business idea. The scholarship amount of $1,000 will be awarded to help the student pursue their academic and entrepreneurial goals."Entrepreneurship is a vital component of our economy, and I am thrilled to support the next generation of entrepreneurs through the Charles Kirkland Scholarship for Entrepreneurs," said Mr. Kirkland. "I am passionate about supporting students who have a strong desire to create innovative solutions to real-world problems. I believe that this scholarship will help inspire and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs to make a positive impact on our world." Charles Kirkland is the CEO of Charles Kirkland Companies, where he has acquired and expanded several businesses, including tax offices, a solar installation company, an LED lighting and distribution company, and a property management company. In addition to his work in the business world, Charles Kirkland is also an active member of his community and is committed to supporting future entrepreneurs.The Charles Kirkland Scholarship for Entrepreneurs is a reflection of Mr. Kirkland's deep commitment to entrepreneurship and his desire to support students who have a strong entrepreneurial spirit. Mr. Kirkland believes that entrepreneurship is a vital component of our economy and is essential for creating innovative solutions to real-world problems. He is passionate about supporting students who are dedicated to pursuing their dreams of starting and growing successful businesses.Through the Charles Kirkland Scholarship for Entrepreneurs, Mr. Kirkland hopes to inspire and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs to make a positive impact on our world. He understands that pursuing higher education can be a significant financial burden for many students, and this scholarship is designed to help alleviate some of that burden. The scholarship is a one-time award of $1,000 that will be given to the winning applicant to help support their education and entrepreneurial goals.Mr. Kirkland believes that entrepreneurship is essential for creating innovative solutions to real-world problems. He understands that the world is facing significant challenges related to climate change, energy, and sustainability, and he is committed to supporting students who are passionate about working towards solutions to these challenges. That is why the Charles Kirkland Scholarship for Entrepreneurs has a particular focus on green energy and environmentally sustainable businesses.The deadline to apply for the Charles Kirkland Scholarship for Entrepreneurs is October 15, 2023. The winner will be announced on November 15, 2023.Contact Info:Spokesperson: Charles KirklandOrganization: Charles Kirkland ScholarshipWebsite: https://charleskirklandscholarship.com Email: apply@ charleskirklandscholarship.com SOURCE: Charles Kirkland Scholarship PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 09:05:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1085 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Commerce Resources Corp. (TSXv:CCE, FSE:D7H0, OTCQX:CMRZF) (the "Company" or "Commerce") is pleased to announce its intention carry out a strategic reorganization of its assets through which the Company would spin-out its Blue River property, located in British Columbia, (the "Blue River Property") into a newly created entity ("SpinCo"), which would seek an independent listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "Spinout"). As a result of the Spinout, SpinCo would be entirely focused on the development and commercialization of the Blue River Property, and the Company would be entirely focused on its Ashram Property located in Quebec.It is anticipated that the Spinout would be carried out by way of statutory plan of arrangement pursuant to the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) (the "BCBCA"). Under the terms of the Spinout, shareholders of the Company would receive common shares of SpinCo in relation to the number of common shares of the Company that they hold, as of the effective date of the Spinout. There would be no change in shareholders' holdings in the Company as a result of the Spinout.In connection with the Spinout, it is expected that SpinCo will complete one or more private placement offerings (each, a "Financing") on terms to be determined, the net proceeds of which would be used to fund, among other things, the working capital and research and development needs of SpinCo.Completion of the Spinout will be subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and the Supreme Court of British Columbia, as well as approval of the shareholders of the Company at a special meeting of the Company.Further details of the Spinout will be announced in the near future. Shareholders are cautioned that the final details of the Spinout are still to be determined and there is no certainty that the Spinout will be completed on the terms currently proposed or at all.Appointment of Chief Executive OfficerFurther, the Company announces that David Hodge has resigned as CEO of the Company and that has appointed its President, Chris Grove, as CEO in place of Mr. Hodge. Mr. Grove has been President of the Company since September 2014 and a director of the Company since November 2012.Company President and CEO, Chris Grove states "It is my pleasure to assume this role with Commerce Resources, as we continue to advance both our Ashram REE/ Fluorspar Deposit, in Quebec and our Blue River project here in British Columbia. As an early investor in Commerce Resources, I have never been more excited about the opportunities we have with our projects as we have today, and I look forward to the future developments for both." Mr. Hodge will remain in his role as a director of the Company. The Company thanks Mr. Hodge for his services as CEO.About Commerce Resources Corp.Commerce Resources Corp. is a junior mineral resource company focused on the development of the Ashram Rare Earth and Fluorspar Deposit located in Quebec, Canada. The Company is positioning to be one of the lowest cost rare earth producers globally, with a specific focus on being a long-term supplier of mixed rare earth carbonate and/or NdPr oxide to the global market. The Ashram Deposit is characterized by simple rare earth (monazite, bastnaesite, xenotime) and gangue (carbonates) mineralogy, a large tonnage resource at favourable grade, and has demonstrated the production of high-grade (>45% REO) mineral concentrates at high recovery (>70%) in line with active global producers. In addition to being one of the largest rare earth deposits globally, Ashram is also one of the largest fluorspar deposits globally and has the potential to be a long-term supplier to the met-spar and acid-spar markets.For more information, please visit the corporate website at www.commerceresources.com or email info@ commerceresources.com On Behalf of the Board of DirectorsCOMMERCE RESOURCES CORP."Chris Grove"Chris GroveCEO, President and DirectorTel: 604.484.2700Email: cgrove@ commerceresources.com Web: http://www.commerceresources.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Forward Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements, which includes any information about activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward looking statements in this news release include the proposed sale and transfer of the Blue River Property into SpinCo and that the Spinout must be approved by the court, Company shareholders and the TSX Venture Exchange; that the Spinout will be carried out by way of a statutory plan of arrangement under the BCBCA; that the Spinout will not change the shareholders' holdings in the Company; that SpinCo will complete one or more Financings in connection with the Spinout; the proposed use of proceeds from Financings; that the Ashram Deposit has the potential to be a long-term supplier to the met-spar and acid-spar markets; and that the Company is positioning to be one of the lowest cost rare earth producers globally. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Risks that could change or prevent these statements from coming to fruition include: that we may not receive court, shareholder or TSX Venture Exchange approval for the Spinout; that SpinCo may not be able to complete any Financings on preferable terms, or at all; that SpinCo may not be able to raise sufficient funds in any Financings to fund its business objectives including, but not limited to, the research, development and exploration of the Blue River Property; that we may not be able to fully finance any additional exploration on the Ashram Project; that even if we are able raise capital, costs for exploration activities may increase such that we may not have sufficient funds to pay for such exploration or processing activities; the timing and content of any future work programs; geological interpretations based on drilling that may change with more detailed information; potential process methods and mineral recoveries assumptions based on limited test work and by comparison to what are considered analogous deposits that, with further test work, may not be comparable; testing of our process may not prove successful and even if such tests are successful%2 Avril Haines, U.S. National Intelligence Director, in November 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. JOSHUA ROBERTS (Reuters) The world is on a path of fragmentation, fierce competition and confrontation in which multilateralism based on shared rules appears badly compromised. The relationship between the two great powers the United States and China key to any global progress, is conflictive. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkens trip to Beijing was a source of some hope but public statements appear to have darkened the immediate horizon after President Joe Biden compared his counterpart, Xi Jinping, to a dictator on Tuesday. Despite belligerent discourse, credible prospects for multilateral dialogue persist. Among these was a secret meeting held in early June in Singapore among senior members of the intelligence services of two dozen of the worlds most important countries on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, as revealed in an exclusive report by Reuters. Among others, the meeting was attended by representatives of the U.S. intelligence services (Avril Haines, National Intelligence Director), India (Samant Goel, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service) and China (the name of whose official has not been disclosed), with Russia a notable absentee. According to the sources quoted by Reuters, the meeting addressed issues such as the war in Ukraine and matters related to international organized crime, and was held in a cooperative, non-confrontational tone. Reuters noted that it was not the first time that this conclave had taken place at the same time as the Shangri-La forum, which is organized every year by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore, but until now there had been no official confirmation of it. While the intelligence services gathered around a table, at the official forum Beijings defense official refused to meet his U.S. counterpart due to the sanctions imposed on him by Washington. This is an example of multilateral dialogue, in an area of the utmost sensitivity, surviving in these times of growing competition and mistrust between powerful states and with a host of genuinely global challenges piling up, from climate change to health risks, financial stability to the challenges of artificial intelligence, migratory flows and organized crime. On Tuesday another signal emerged from Berlin, where a bilateral meeting between Germany and China was held. Significantly, at a time when there is talk of reducing the risks associated with excessive dependence on the Asian giant, the German communique after the summit was entitled: Facing global challenges together. Another opportunity for multilateralism comes on Thursday and Friday in Paris, where a major conference convened by the French government is scheduled to take place with the intention of forging a new pact between the global north and south. The idea is to move forward on a path that will make it easier for developing countries to access international financing to combat climate change and its consequences, as well as for other purposes or to obtain debt relief. The conference also aims to drive the reorganization of global economic and financial institutions, the subject of major complaints from developing nations for having structures that reflect the post-1945 world, which are now obsolete. More information A new Cold War between the US and China is spreading around the world There are more events on the calendar that can provide multilateralism with a boost. In early September, the G20 Summit is scheduled to take place. The annual event is of particular interest this year as India, a country of significant weight in its own right and also as a reference point for the global south and non-aligned nations, holds the rotating presidency. Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that Britain will organize a summit this year in an attempt to coordinate regulation of the artificial intelligence sector. Mistrust in the world is high and mini-lateral initiatives, the closing of ranks among small groupings, are flourishing. The recent G7 in Hiroshima produced an extensive final communique that is a true worldview, something unparalleled in a long time. NATO is cohesive and expanding. The Aukus alliance (Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) has come into being and the Quad (the United States, India, Japan, and Australia) is developing. On the other hand, the BRICS nations [Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), while still far from possessing the degree of cohesion of the G7, seems to be gaining momentum, with requests for membership and new projects in the pipeline. This is the central dynamic. Unlike the Cold War, everything points to the fact that with it, a bipolar scheme will not be configured around the U.S. and China today as it was between the U.S. and the USSR then. This gives rise to greater fluidity. The non-aligned group also has more economic and political weight today than then. There is no reason to believe that they will abandon their aspiration of not choosing between sides, of navigating on their own, if only with specific but not systemic alignments. They want their voice to be heard and they have more working in their favor for that to happen, to the extent that are beginning to carry enough clout to promote global agreements. At the G20 Summit in Bali last November, China did not contest against a final communique containing language unfavorable to Russia, in order not to remain outside the sphere of consensus that had been forged. In the Western sector, too, the situation is different from the Iron Curtain era. The EU, although it has many limitations, is beginning to become a geopolitical actor with its own capabilities. It has a natural vocation to be a protagonist in diplomatic frameworks. Even over the past year, amid tensions not witnessed in decades, multilateralism achieved some objectives, such as The High Seas Treaty for the protection of the worlds oceans, which had been under negotiation for years, or an agreement within the WTO which, although limited, was a step forward after years of paralysis. Conflicts and competition complicate the path towards a multilateral world, one of international institutions within whose frameworks common rules and solutions can be found. But there are elements that suggest that we are not heading towards rigid bipolarity, but towards a liquid multipolarity, and in this difference lie possibilities for global advancements. The Singapore intelligence conclave showed a path toward that goal. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 16:26:25 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1052 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Key HighlightsCommunity Offshore Wind creates over 10 new partnerships increasing youth access to STEM education to foster future careers in the renewable energy industry.NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / One month after submitting a proposal to provide New York State with clean energy and record economic investment from offshore wind, Community Offshore Wind, a joint venture between RWE Renewables and National Grid, is investing over $100,000 into STEM and environmental education programs to prepare the offshore wind workforce of the future. Community Offshore Wind is working with multiple community partners in downstate New York to provide access to museums, outdoor spaces, and environmental and marine education for hands-on learning experiences."Alongside our community partners, we have organized a suite of programs that will allow us to provide environmental and STEM education to New York youth, which is critical for equipping students with what they need for future careers in offshore wind," said Pat Johnson, Vice President and Deputy Project Director, Community Offshore Wind. "As we await a decision on our New York offshore wind proposal, it's important for us to continue to make positive changes in the state. Community Offshore Wind has been committed to New York communities as a joint venture for the better part of a year and long before that under our parent companies." During Engineers Week, Community Offshore Wind sent 75 students from communities in downstate New York to the Brooklyn Children's Museum, Long Island Children's Museum, and New York Hall of Science. Participating students hail from the Red Hook Initiative, Good Shepherd Services at the Joseph Miccio Community Center, and the Long Beach Martin Luther King Center."Thanks to Community Offshore Wind, youth in Brooklyn, New York spent time at our city's great museums during Engineers Week," said William Suarez, Partnerships Manager of Red Hook Initiative (RHI). "Some of the students were able to explore a museum in their backyards for the first time. RHI high school and middle school participants were able to go to the New York Hall of Science, for example. We hope this kind of educational enrichment is an experience that will inspire youth and set them up for success." In partnership with Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), Uniondale High School students in 11th and 12th grade will embark on interactive boat excursions on the Western Bays around Long Island to learn about climate change and renewables. Additionally, students will connect to climate-related summer internships as part of the program."We are delighted to work with the faculty and students at Uniondale High School. They have many concerns and questions regarding the impacts of climate change and have expressed a strong interest in learning about ways they can mitigate those impacts," said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "Through Community Offshore Wind's support, we can provide classroom education and field trips for 11th and 12th graders to get them out on the water to experience and learn about climate impacts on our marine environment. CCE will also help these students find internships in climate-related fields. Many of these students want to work in renewables and this experience will help expose them to possible careers in offshore wind." Over 400 second and third grade Uniondale students will be offered a field trip that provides marine and environmental education on a boat sponsored by Community Offshore Wind with Operation Splash."Giving students a chance to learn about ocean conservation through real-life, hands-on experience is the key to helping them understand the importance of protecting our local bays and environment as a whole," said Robert Weltner, President of Operation SPLASH. "They see the issues we face first-hand when we bring them out on the water, and the connections they make become much deeper. Community Offshore Wind and Operation SPLASH share in the goal of providing marine and environmental education to younger generations. Through their generous support, these field trips for Uniondale students are possible." The Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center on Long Island, in partnership with Community Offshore Wind, will host the Kidwind Competition for over 300 students throughout Long Island. This competition will challenge participants to build and test wind turbines while teaching students about renewable energy, engineering principles, and teamwork. The competition aims to inspire youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)."We are thrilled to host our first Kidwind competition at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in nearly three years," said Kerri Mackay, Education Competition Coordinator at the Cradle of Aviation Museum. "Community Offshore Wind's support will make this competition possible and inspire students to explore the potential of sustainable energy sources." The series of programming will continue through the rest of the 2023 calendar year.For more information, please visit www.communityoffshorewind.com About Community Offshore WindRWE and National Grid, will bring clean energy to the Northeastern US in a joint venture called Community Offshore Wind. They will develop offshore wind on the largest parcel in the New York Bight with the potential to host 3 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, which is enough to power more than one million US homes and businesses. The project is expected to be in operation by the end of 2030. Community Offshore Wind is dedicated to investing in communities by bringing clean energy jobs to the region and growing the local economy. They will deliver sustainable energy safely, reliably, and efficiently to the communities they serve.About RWE RenewablesRWE is leading the way to a green energy world. With an extensive investment and growth strategy, the company will expand its powerful, green generation capacity to 50 gigawatts internationally by 2030. RWE is investing more than 50 billion gross for this purpose in this decade. The portfolio is based on offshore wind and onshore wind, solar, hydrogen, batteries, biomass and gas. RWE Supply & Trading provides tailored energy solutions for large customers. RWE has locations in the attractive markets of Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The company is responsibly phasing out nuclear energy and coal. Government-mandated phaseout roadmaps have been defined for both of these energy sources. RWE employs around 19,000 people worldwide and has a clear target: to get to net zero by 2040. On its way there, the company has set itself ambitious PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 16:15:37 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 969 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Westchester Community Solar Partnership System to Offer Energy Credits to Participating Residents and Supply Green Energy to VillageOSSINING, N.Y. / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / A state-of-the-art solar array is now operating on the roof of the Ossining Operations Center, producing 149.2 kW of DC electricity to support the Village's Department of Public Works. The system is the result of a partnership between Ecogy Energy, Sustainable Westchester, the New York Power Authority and Westchester County. Built in just six weeks by Croton Energy Group for Brooklyn-based Ecogy Energy, a developer, financier, and owner-operator of distributed energy resources, the project is the first to emerge from the Westchester Community Solar Partnership (WCSP), which will expand Westchester's municipal solar portfolio and circulate the benefits of clean, affordable solar energy.Ossining Village Mayor Rika Levin said, "This project cements Ossining's reputation as a leader in New York's energy transition. We will continue to pilot innovative ways of decarbonizing our community that increase prosperity and help the environment." Community solar projects allow multiple parties to benefit from the same solar array. Each party that signs up for the project receives credits from its local utility. Community solar projects democratize solar energy, making it accessible to those who may not have space to accommodate solar panels themselves. The greater accessibility is why they are an important part of Ecogy's mission to deploy energy solutions that are distributed, decarbonized, digitized and democratized.The new community solar system was constructed without any tree clearing and is largely invisible to the public eye, as it is sited on the roof of the Ossining Public Works Department, tucked off New York Route 9A. The array will increase the percentage of electricity that Westchester gets from renewable energy sources, ultimately making the county's fuel mix greener and more affordable, and it will help York State in its effort to combat climate change by generating more of its energy from renewable resources."This project demonstrates the potential for this type of public-private partnership to serve as a model for rapidly expanding community solar access across New York State," said Justin E. Driscoll, Acting President and CEO of the New York Power Authority, which conducted the competitive solicitation and served as advisor throughout implementation. "This installation will supply affordable, clean and reliable green energy to the Village of Ossining, offer electric bill savings to participating residents and help advance New York's bold clean energy goals." The project is not Ecogy's first in Westchester County. The company developed the largest solar canopy in the county above the parking lot of the Maryknoll Society in the outskirts of Ossining. The company has also constructed some of the first community solar projects in Westchester County, including systems in Yorktown and Croton-on-Hudson. Ecogy specializes in working with affordable housing communities, nonprofits, educational institutions, small businesses and municipalities in its mission to share the rewards of renewable energy with traditionally underserved entities.Brock Gibian, Ecogy's VP of Development, said, "Given the enormous challenge of meeting energy demand with clean sources, and the enormous opportunity for economic growth and environmental healing that solar energy provides, the support of municipalities like Ossining is absolutely crucial. There's no time to lose in this race, and local support puts the wind in our sails to take us across the finish line. Westchester has our gratitude for its enduring and invaluable support." The WCSP prioritizes benefiting low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals and communities, and Ecogy's experience working with these communities is critical to the success of the partnership. All of the subscribers to the system atop the Ossining Operations Center will be local Ossining residents.Jack Bertuzzi, CEO at Ecogy, credited local technicians for their contributions to the Ossining Operations Center solar system: "At the end of the day, somebody needs to actually gear up and turn into physical reality the solar systems we all want. That's what the local and skilled technicians of the Croton Energy Group did to construct this system, so we have unshakeable confidence in its quality and longevity. For the next 25 years, this system is going to be keeping the lights on in Ossining Village." Emerging from a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) from NYPA, which is driving the expansion of community solar programs across New York State, the projects are indicative of a larger, state-wide push toward sustainability. The project also received more than $175,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) through NY-Sun, the State's $3.3 billion initiative to advance the scale-up of solar while making solar energy more accessible to homes, businesses, and communities."New York is home to the strongest community solar market in the U.S., providing nearly half of the nation's community solar last year," said NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris. "This project is the result of another successful public-private partnership and will help bring clean, affordable electricity to more Westchester County residents and businesses." "It's a great day for solar in Westchester," said Leo Wiegman, Director of Solar Programs at Sustainable Westchester. "Community solar projects are a community effort. It takes federal and state level initiatives, coupled with the determination and expertise of our partners at Ecogy and NYPA to deliver these solutions. But now, the electrons circulating through our grid will be a little cleaner, and the power will be a little cheaper, so our hard work has paid off." Sustainable Westchester, the designated community subscriber for the WCSP, will collaborate with Ecogy to enroll local residents in the program, offering reduced energy bills for program participants. Sustainable Westchester is a nonprofit consortium of Westchester County local governments.Contact InformationAndrew AraneoMarketing Analyst(607) 229-4680Julian NovarrMarketing Intern(917) 794-6995SOURCE: Ecogy Energy PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 18:00:40 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 511 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.Class Period: Dec. 2, 2021 - Feb. 1, 2023Lead Plaintiff Deadline: July 25, 2023Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/NEE Contact An Attorney Now: NEE@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) Securities Fraud Class Action:The complaint alleges that Defendants mispresented and concealed that NextEra's primary subsidiary (Florida Power & Light Company, or "FPL") flouted federal and state campaign laws thereby exposing NextEra to substantial legal and reputational risk.In Dec. 2021, media outlets began reporting that FPL and its political consulting firm Matrix steered political funding to spoiler "ghost candidates" to derail reelection efforts by unfriendly Florida state legislators during the 2020 election cycle, spied on journalists who published unsupportive reporting, and improperly courted public officials with job offers while bidding to privatize certain public utilities, all with FPL executives' approval.NextEra responded to this reporting with: (1) blanket denials; (2) declaring that "we conducted a very extensive and thorough investigation[]" and "the bottom line is we found no evidence of any issues at all, any illegality or any wrongdoing on the part of FPL or any of its employees"; and (3) assurances that the allegations did not expose the company to meaningful legal or reputational risk.But in Nov. 2022, NextEra revealed that a complaint was filed with the Federal Election Commission ("FEC") alleging violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act and identifying FPL as a source of funds to certain Super Pacs identified in the complaint.Then, on Jan. 25, 2023, NextEra announced that FPL's CEO (Eric Silagy) would cease to serve in that role. The company also acknowledged the serious business and reputational risks posed by the FEC's complaint.These events caused the price of NextEra shares to sharply decline."We're focused on investors' losses and proving NextEra lied to investors about its political misconduct," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in NextEra and have significant losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding NextEra should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email NEE@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 07:05:23 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 347 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Hillson Acquisitions Incorporated is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for potential investors. With a clear vision of pioneering expansion and a commitment to sustainable development, the opportunity is available to interested parties to join the journey of acquiring more land and diversifying the company's real estate portfolio. As part of the strategic growth plans, Hillson Acquisitions has reached a significant milestone with sufficient equities and a proven track record of success on the global financial markets. Additional investors are now actively sought to support the purposeful land acquisition goals. The company's desire to expand its real estate holdings is driven by a genuine passion for transforming underutilized spaces into vibrant, thriving communities. Investors who join Hillson Acquisitions will have a crucial role in the company's international expansion plans."Through Hillson Acquisitions, we're not just building a portfolio; we're creating a legacy. Our ambitious expansion plans are driven by a passion for transforming spaces and making a lasting impact," said Pacey Hillson, founder of Hillson Acquisitions Incorporated. "With the support of like-minded investors, we can redefine the possibilities and unlock the true potential of real estate development." Pacey also expressed his organization feels strongly in regards to the importance of sustainably developing land in a way that doesn't turn beautiful landscapes into questionably designed cookie cutter homes. "Together, we will shape the future and leave a remarkable mark on the world." Hillson Acquisitions Incorporated, led by entrepreneurial prodigy Pacey Hillson, is a groundbreaking holding and investment management company that defies conventional norms. Founded by Pacey at the remarkable age of 18, the company boasts a diverse portfolio encompassing stocks, real estate, private enterprises, and even unconventional investments like burial plots. With an unwavering determination and a knack for strategic decision-making,Hillson Acquisitions aims to expand internationally while also exploring opportunities to help grow innovative companies.For more information about Hillson Acquisitions Incorporated, go to www.hillsonai.com Media DetailsWebsite URL: www.hillsonai.com Company Name: Hillson Acquisitions IncorporatedEmail address: ph@ hillsonai.com SOURCE: Hillson Acquisitions Incorporated PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 14:10:46 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 678 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Kingfisher plc, the international home improvement retailer, has made further progress against its responsible business priorities, including reducing its scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 52.6% since 2016/7, exceeding its 2025/26 science-based target.The details are published in Kingfisher's annual Responsible Business Report, Better Homes for Everyone 2022/23', which shows that the business has made strong progress with its responsible business priorities during the financial year.Key 2022/23 achievements:Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions across the Group reduced by 52.6% since 2016/17Over 6.2bn (46.8%) of Group sales* were from products that help create more sustainable homes2.1m people reached through community projects since 2016/17, surpassing 2025/26 target of 2m ahead of scheduleThierry Garnier, CEO of Kingfisher, said: "Leading the industry in responsible business and energy efficiency is a key part of our Powered by Kingfisher' strategy. Our purpose is to make better homes accessible for everyone' and we aim to do that in a way that serves the current and future needs of our communities, customers, colleagues and planet."Over the last year, we made strong progress across many of our targets. We have made a very good start towards our new ambition to reach net zero operational emissions by 2040, as well as further reducing our Scope 3 emissions, which are particularly challenging for retailers to address. Our colleagues are what make our business and we are proud that this year we delivered 2.6 million hours of skills for life learning to help our people reach their full potential."We have a great opportunity to help create more sustainable homes through our products and services, and to contribute to a more sustainable future through our business. We look forward to making further progress on our goals this year." Highlights from the report include:Progress on carbon emissions reductionKingfisher has exceeded its 2025/26 1.5C-aligned science-based target to reduce the emissions from its operations (scope 1 and 2). In 2022/23, carbon emissions were 52.6% lower than its 2016/17 baseline. The Group remains committed to becoming net zero across its operations by 2040/41.Kingfisher has also reduced emissions from its supply chain and customer use of products (scope 3) by 34.1% per million of turnover since 2017/18, remaining on track to achieve its target of 40% by 2025.Responsibly sourced wood and paperContinued progress towards a target of 100% responsibly sourced wood and paper in its products and catalogues by 2025/26. This year, 94.5% of wood and paper in products were responsibly sourced as well as 100% of catalogue paper.As a founding member of the Rainforest Alliance Forest Allies initiative, Kingfisher continued to invest in six forest projects in key tropical sourcing regions. In addition, four local projects in the UK, France and Poland launched this year to support forest protection and restoration efforts.Helping customers live in more sustainable homesIn 2021/22 46.8% (6.2 billion) of total Group sales came from Sustainable Home Products (SHPs), including 10.6% derived from energy and water-saving products.Gender diversity is improvingKingfisher is working towards achieving 35% women in senior leadership and 40% in management by 2025. This year, 25.8% of senior leaders and 38.9% of managers were women.Kingfisher provided 2.6 million hours of skills for life learning for its colleagues and 6.6 million since 2019/20, surpassing the Group's target of five million learning hours by 2025/26.Supporting communities and fixing bad housingIn 2022/23, a total of 8.2m was invested in community projects through fundraising, products and contributions. Since 2016/16, Kingfisher has reached 2.1 million people, surpassing its target of 2 million ahead of schedule.About KingfisherKingfisher plc is an international home improvement company with over 1,900 stores, supported by a team of over 80,000 colleagues. We operate in eight countries across Europe under retail banners including Screwfix, B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot, TradePoint and Koctas. We offer home improvement products and services to consumers and trade professionals who shop in our stores and via our e-commerce channels. At Kingfisher, our purpose is to help make better homes accessible for everyone. www.kingfisher.com *Total sales for year ending 31st January 2023 were 13,059m.Read MoreView additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Alerts on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: AlertsWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/alerts Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Alerts PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 17:15:33 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 518 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Energy Industry Innovation of the Year, Medium Organization of the Year & Marketer of the YearSCHENECTADY, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Lynkwell has been honored with three awards in the 21st Annual American Business Awards (ABA). The Schenectady, New York energy technology company was awarded Silver for Energy Industry Innovation of the Year and Bronze accolades for Medium-Sized Energy Company of the Year and Marketer of the Year.The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.'s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations - public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small.More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories. Lynkwell was nominated in the Energy category for Industry Innovation of the Year, Company of the Year, and the company's Director of Community Engagement was nominated in the category of Marketer of the Year.Lynkwell is an innovative energy technology company with a mission to change the energy production, distribution, and storage paradigm through E-mobility solutions such as EV charging, distributed generation, smart grids, and energy storage solutions. The company provides comprehensive and coordinated products and services for the design, planning, funding, financing, installation, and management of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and provides a white-label offering allowing businesses to create custom-branded EV charging experiences. Partners can access one of the most robust catalogs of hardware solutions and software functionality for EV charging infrastructure via the Lynkwell platform. The company's ability to connect and collaborate to curate effective, efficient, and customized EV charging and energy solutions while building a pipeline of green energy technology employees has earned them a Silver Stevie as Energy Industry Innovation of the Year and a Bronze as Medium Sized Company of the Year.ABA judges noted that "Lynkwell has shown remarkable growth and demonstrated their commitment to sustainability and innovation through their impressive accomplishments. Their focus on building a positive work culture and career pathway partnerships is also admirable." In addition to the company's award, Kate Kruk, Director of Community Engagement, has been bestowed a Bronze Award as Marketer of the Year. Kruk, has been an EV Driver for over eight years and is a champion for changes in transportation, energy, and education. "Kate is obviously committed to EV's future," notes an ABA judge, "Every company and volunteer organization should have such a passionate leader helping to press forward." "We are grateful to all the members of the Lynkwell team that have contributed to our recognition by the American Business Awards," said Schuyler Poukish, Lynkwell CEO."In such a rapidly evolving industry the innovation, passion, and dedication our team delivers allows us to provide best-in-class charging solutions for our customers and partners. Thank you to the ABA for recognizing our team's accomplishments," said Jason Zarillo, Lynkwell President.Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2023 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA Lynkwell Contact:Tom Mittlermedia@ lynkwell.com SOURCE: Lynkwell PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 17:00:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 524 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 One Team, One Mission' Theme Celebrates Agency Expansion and Team BondingRALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / 919 Marketing, one of the nation's fastest-growing content marketing agencies, is proud to announce its first-ever employee conference to celebrate the agency's expansion and dominance in franchising. Themed "One Team, One Mission," this week's conference brought together 90 employees from all over the country to the two-day celebration in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, for education, motivation, and bonding."We're thrilled to bring our employees together to celebrate the amazing growth of our agency as we continue to add new clients to our roster and expand our suite of data-powered marketing services," says David Chapman, CEO and founder of 919 Marketing. "In the past year and a half, we have acquired a data analytics firm, a digital marketing agency, and an award-winning web development firm. For the first time ever, all our employees met face-to-face to team-build, train, brainstorm, and simply bond and have some fun. We work hard and we play hard, and this packed conference proved to me we have the most passionate, talented, and committed team in the industry." Formed in 1996 and headquartered just outside of Raleigh's thriving Research Triangle Park, 919 has a proven track record of helping emerging and seasoned franchise companies increase revenue, create a competitive advantage, and improve marketing results.Since late 2021, the company acquired Tampa-based Ceralytics, a pioneering content intelligence platform, NetSearch, a Richmond, Virginia-based digital marketing agency, and Click Culture, a Raleigh-based, award-winning web development agency to expand its range of in-house capabilities to better market national franchise and multi-location brands. With the three acquisitions, 919 Marketing is now the leading tech-enabled content and digital marketing firm in franchising that uses analytics to help local and national companies increase brand awareness, drive leads, and increase consumer engagement and conversion.The award-winning staff of marketing strategists, former TV and print reporters, social media trailblazers, digital and data gurus, and web development and artistic visionaries, met at the conference to learn more about other teams' expertise so the agency can provide clients with cohesive, multi-channel marketing strategies."Our capital is our people, and this conference rewarded employees for their dedication and hard work to celebrate the impressive results they generate for our clients," adds Chapman. "Even though teams meet regularly on Zoom calls, nothing beats in-person camaraderie where employees engage in fun, interactive workshops to learn more about each other and everything our agency offers. When we're all together, it feels like we're family, with such a positive and happy vibe that makes work tremendously rewarding." About 919 Marketing - Headquartered just outside of Raleigh, N.C., 919 Marketing provides high-powered strategic planning, public relations, social media, digital marketing, video and commercial production, business development support, and full creative capabilities - each utilizing proven processes refined over hundreds of client engagements.Our award-winning staff of marketing strategists, TV and print reporters, and social media trailblazers are seasoned experts, providing content marketing firepower to excite, motivate, and engage your customers and prospects. For more information, please visit us at www.919marketing.com Media Contact:Sue Yannellosyannello@919 marketing.com 919.459.8162SOURCE: 919 Marketing PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 19:13:13 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 574 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CALGARY, AB and SAN ANTONIO, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Nexera Energy Inc. (TSXV:NGY)(OTC:EMBYF) (the "Corporation", the "Company" or "Nexera") is providing its final status report (the "Default Status Report") in accordance with National Policy 12-203 - Management Cease Trade Orders ("NP 12-203").Further to the Corporation's press release dated June 6, 2023, the Corporation has now filed its Q1 financial statements, accompanying management discussion and analysis and related CEO and CFO certifications for the period ended March 31, 2023 (the "Q1 Filings"). Management of the Company was the subject of a management cease trade order ("MCTO") in regards to these Q1 Filings (which is in effect until two (2) full business days following the date the Q1 Filings are filed), as granted by its principal regulator, the Alberta Securities Commission.As required by the alternative information guidelines specified by NP 12-203, the Company reports that since the Default Announcement and any subsequent press release disclosure there have not been any changes to the information set out in the Default Announcement that would reasonably be expected to be material to an investor nor any failure by the Company to fulfill its intentions as stated therein with respect to satisfying the provisions of the alternative information guidelines, and there are no additional defaults or anticipated defaults subsequent to the disclosure therein, other than the delay in filing the Q1 Filings. Further, there is no additional material information concerning the affairs of the Company that has not been generally disclosed and there are no insolvency proceedings against the Company as of the date of this Default Status Report.For further information, please contact:Nexera Energy Inc. President, Shelby D. Beattie, by telephone at (403) 262-6000Email: info@ nexeraenergy.com About Nexera Energy Inc.Nexera Energy Inc. (TSX Venture: NGY) is an energy company with oil producing properties in Southwest Texas. Nexera is owner and operator of the Lavernia, Wooden Horse and Stockdale Horizon Projects. The Company also owns 100% of Production Resources Inc., a South Texas oil company.Forward Looking StatementsExcept for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein relating to the timing of the filing of financial statements constitutes forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Nexera Energy Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 17:37:42 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 469 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CLEBURNE, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Phase 1 Equity, a doctor-owned, doctor-led, and doctor-governed partnership services organization for orthodontists and pediatric dentists, is pleased to announce that Hart Orthodontics of Cleburne, TX, has joined its growing platform of top-tier practices, expanding Phase 1's Doctor Equity DSO model into the state of Texas.Hart Orthodontics expands Phase 1 Equity's Doctor Equity DSO platform to Texas"We combine the best of private practice with the best of private equity to best serve doctors," said Kristen Cusack, CEO of Phase 1 Equity. "Phase 1's unique partnership services organization is a perfect fit for best-in-class practices like Hart Orthodontics, and we look forward to helping them grow their income and maximize the value of the practice." Kristen Cusack, CEO of Phase 1 Equity, is leveling the playing field for orthodontists and pediatric dentists across the countryAs its new partner, Phase 1 Equity will provide financial and operational support to streamline and scale Hart Orthodontics, while enabling the team to focus exclusively on continuing to deliver exceptional patient care to the Cleburne community. Partnership with Phase 1 Equity will provide Hart Orthodontics with resources usually reserved for larger, private equity-backed DSOs without having to sell the practice or give up operational or clinical control."It was important to me to choose a partner who understood and supported our vision for our practice," said James Hart, DDS, founder of Hart Orthodontics. "I'm excited to collaborate with other best-in-class doctors in the Phase 1 Equity platform, all of whom share the same goals of delivering superior patient care while continuing to grow and thrive in their communities." Dr. James Hart, founder of Hart Orthodontics, has joined Phase 1 Equity's platform of best-in-class doctorsHeadquartered in Southlake, Texas, Phase 1 Equity was created by a team of orthodontists, pediatric dentists, and private equity professionals and was designed for entrepreneurial doctors who want a better future for their patients and their practices.About Phase 1 EquityPhase 1 Equity is a doctor-owned, doctor-led private equity firm for orthodontists and pediatric dentists. Our Doctor Equity model puts doctors' futures first by bringing together best-in-class, like-minded orthodontic and pediatric dental practices for collective power. Phase 1 Equity exists to share the inside world of private equity with our doctor members to help optimize their EBITDA and realize their practices' full potential. Learn more at www.phase1equity.com About Hart OrthodonticsHart Orthodontics is your trusted resource for orthodontic care, providing individualized treatments specially designed to give you or your child a smile that glows with confidence. Dr. James Hart and the entire team are committed to using the latest techniques and technology to provide fulfilling and empowering treatment experiences to patients in Cleburne, TX, and surrounding communities. Visit www.hartorthosmiles.com to learn more.CONTACT:Sara Tumen Weinberg+18476820802sweinberg@ duneglasscapital.com SOURCE: Phase 1 Equity PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 13:30:40 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 715 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 The Encounters 'In Resonance' program is an unprecedented cultural initiative showcasing leading generative artists and musicians. It presents curated art installations, bespoke music compositions, live performances, and exclusive digital art drops at Scorpios, Mykonos (13 July - 3 September). Renowned artist Refik Anadol will launch an artwork collaboration with Brazil's Yawanawa Indigenous communities of Aldeia Sagrada and Nova Esperanca, donating his full share of the collection's sales directly to the Yawanawa community.LONDON, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / July 22, 2023 / Art and tech pioneers HOFA and Scorpios, renowned Mykonos-based creative gathering place, partner for 'In Resonance', an exploratory art, music and culture program showcasing the interplay between contemporary art and music.Sense of Healing | Refik Anadol (courtesy of Impact One)Sense of Healing | Refik Anadol (courtesy of Impact One)'In Resonance' is the inaugural edition of Scorpios Encounters, a newly launched platform for cultural experimentation, which will run during peak summer from 13 July until 3 September 2023. For 7 weeks, the eminently well-curated program will feature captivating installations by prominent generative artists, high-profile music collaborations, live musical performances, and exclusive digital art drops.HOFA Co-founder Elio D'Anna explains, "In Resonance is a multidisciplinary program which brings leading AI artists and renowned musicians together to explore the profound connections between art and music as reflections, complements and natural evolutions of each other." Headlining 'In Resonance' is the phenomenal Turkish-American media artist and director Refik Anadol. Renowned for his mesmerising immersive and interactive works, Anadol's creative endeavours have achieved global acclaim with digital collectible sales exceeding $30 million, amid notable collaborations with esteemed institutions like Sotheby's Hong Kong and MOMA New York.At Scorpios, Anadol will unveil his latest collection of artworks, co-created with the Yawanawa Indigenous communities of Aldeia Sagrada and Nova Esperanca from Brazil (13 - 14 July) to reflect the dynamic interrelationship between Yawanawa culture and the Brazilian Amazon. Facilitated by Impact One as part of their "Possible Futures" program, this collaboration will explore the deep connections between human consciousness and nature with Anadol and Impact One donating their share of proceeds towards funding long-term initiatives for the protection of Yawanawa heritage.Also headlining 'In Resonance' is trailblazing female AI artist Dr. Ivona Tau, renowned for her experimental photography and motion paintings created using GAN models trained on rich photographic data. Tau's new works, developed in collaboration with Jean Claude Ades, maestro of eclectic dancefloor rhythms, is based on light data collected in the island of Delos and is billed to go live during the second set (23 - 24 July) of the summer-long program.French biological generative artist and musician Agoria will also present a new artwork created through the algorithmic fusion of sunset data captured at Scorpios, Mykonos (24 - 25 Aug), while New Zealander Jesse Woolston will release new AI artworks created around the theme of knowledge, spiritual beliefs and the power of AI in the fight against climate change (31 Aug - 1 Sept).Other feature artists and musicians include Hugo Johnson, the hypnotic visual storyteller, who alongside Bedouin, known for their Middle Eastern and Western sound fusions, will present their collaborative masterpiece, Zorba, which reimagines extreme weather phenomena using geographic data.Australian light sculptor Jason Sims, in collaboration with musical protege of meditative soundscapes Satori, will immerse viewers in a light-mediated exploration of natural systems (10 - 11 August), while the pioneering Azeri new media artist Orkhan, along with the music director of Scorpios Mykonos Lannka, will present a new work in the Relic series exploring eastern cultural heritage and tapestries through physical data sculptures and paintings (4 - 5 August).Scorpios Co-Founder and President, Thomas Heyne, believes the new program will resonate with Scorpios' growing community. He says, "Charting new creative territory is what we do at Scorpios and our vision for 'In Resonance' is to create a more multidimensional and fulfilling experience for artists and our community." ENDSContact:Emma-Louise O'Neillemmalouise@ thehouseoffineart.com Contact InformationEmma-Louise O'NeillComms & Brand Collaborations Directoremmalouise@ thehouseoffineart.com +447515136909Related ImagesSense of Healing | Refik Anadol (courtesy of Impact One)Sense of Healing | Refik Anadol (courtesy of Impact One)Aldeia Sagrada Yawanawa (c) FilipeFoto for Impact OneAldeia Sagrada Yawanawa (c) FilipeFoto for Impact OneBedouin in 2022 at Scorpios Mykonos (Fotinos Bakrisioris)Bedouin in 2022 at Scorpios Mykonos (Fotinos Bakrisioris)Bedouin in 2022 at Scorpios Mykonos (Fotinos Bakrisioris)SOURCE: HOFA Gallery As a rule, humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes that contain the information necessary to keep them alive and that establish their physiological traits. One of these pairs determines the sex of each individual: females have two X chromosomes, and males have one X and one Y chromosome. This difference, which is behind the development of different sex organs and the variations they cause in the rest of the body, may explain, in part, why men tend to have a worse prognosis when they get cancer, and even why they tend not to live as long as women. Two articles published today in the journal Nature provide new information on the role of the male chromosome in vulnerability to various tumors. One of these studies, led by Dan Theodorescu, director of oncology at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, looked at what happens when cells lose the Y chromosome, something that happens in up to 40% of bladder tumors and is more frequent with the passage of time. First, the team collected data from 300 bladder cancer patients and observed a correlation between chromosome loss and a worse prognosis. Then, to try to prove that the absence explained the tumors aggressiveness, they used mouse cells. Tumors grew faster in those animals whose Y chromosome was missing, and a similar relationship was also seen in cells from which the Y had been removed by gene editing. Next, the studys authors put tumor cells in plaques which were not exposed to immune cells. These were injected into mice, some of which had been modified to have no T lymphocytes (responsible for controlling the rampant proliferation of cells that causes cancer), while others had operational lymphocytes. There was no difference in tumor growth in the presence or absence of the Y chromosome in the mice without immune cells, nor in the immunosuppressed culture. However, among healthy mice, the lack of the chromosome made the cancer much more aggressive. These results tell us that when cells lose the Y chromosome, they deplete T lymphocytes, and without them to fight cancer, tumors grow aggressively, Theodorescu says in a note from his institution. The good news is that the Cedars-Sinai teams results suggest that, in both mice and humans, the loss of the Y chromosome, in addition to making the tumors more aggressive, made them more vulnerable to a type of immunotherapy that restores the T lymphocytes ability to destroy the cancer. For Oscar Fernandez-Capetillo, a researcher at the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), the most interesting aspect of the study is its practical application. The loss of the Y chromosome was known as a kind of marker, but it was not known how it affected tumor development. This group shows that tumor cells that lose the Y chromosome turn off the immune system that is going to destroy them, but they also see that these tumors respond better to immunotherapy, he notes. This work helps with the huge dilemma of identifying which patients are going to respond to immunotherapy, he adds. However, he warns that it is known that this effect exists, that the tumor with the missing Y chromosome responds to immunotherapy, but it is not known how much, and it will have to be studied. Juan Ramon Gonzalez, a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) published an epidemiological study in 2020 with data from 9,000 men in which it was observed that the loss of function of six key genes of the Y chromosome increased the risk of developing cancer. In the study published today, the link between the loss of the Y chromosome and immune system dysregulation in bladder cancer aggressiveness is reliably demonstrated. It is also observed that the loss of the Y chromosome is affected by methylation. In this line, we have seen that there are environmental factors that can have an influence, and other authors have shown that smokers, for example, have more Y chromosome loss. The therapeutic consequences of this work are immediate. By re-stimulating T cells through known interventions, it is possible to reduce the aggressiveness of the cancer, explains Gonzalez. His team is now working with the company TruDiagnostics on finding similar biomarkers for women (on the X chromosome), who, when their extra X chromosome cup has activated incorrectly, also react worse to cancer. The authors of the Nature article also point to the existence of genes on the X chromosome related to those on the Y chromosome that may be of therapeutic interest. In a second article that also appears in Nature today, a team led by Ronald De Pinho, from MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, Texas, explains how they studied the influence of a gene on the Y chromosome on the increased severity of colon cancer in men. Using mice, they found that KRAS, a gene responsible for the transformation of normal cells into cancerous ones, increased the activity of the KDM5D gene on the male chromosome. This facilitated tumor progression and hindered its detection by the immune system. At a time when treatments for the multitude of cancers are expected to be almost individualized, work such as that published today in Nature helps experts to consider the different reactions of men and women to these diseases in order to better target diagnosis and treatment. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 22:30:29 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 939 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSX:SKE)(NYSE:SKE) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Nathalie Sajous to the Company's Board of Directors as an Independent Director.Skeena's Executive Chairman, Walter Coles, commented "With innovation as a core value of the Company, Nathalie's expertise in data driven solutions will be extremely valuable to help guide new strategies for business development as the company evaluates the potential use of machine learning and artificial intelligence in our future exploration programs. We are delighted to welcome Nathalie to the Board as her experience will provide a new perspective to Skeena while we continue to advance Eskay Creek from development into operations." Ms. Sajous has extensive experience leading teams and advising partners on the application of digital technologies. She is currently Managing Director, Global Partnerships at Google and previously worked at Microsoft and Disney. Ms. Sajous has built a legacy on innovative change and development in her two-decade career, differentiating new strategies for business developments. She has led CEOs and senior leadership teams to build sustainable yet substantial growth. Having partnered with F1000 companies, she has led ample digital strategies and data intelligence capabilities. Ms. Sajous holds a BA from Harvard and a Masters of Business Administration from UCLA Anderson School of Management.Skeena also announces the results of the Company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders ("AGM") held in Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 22, 2023. Shareholders approved the re-election of all Directors and the new election of Nathalie Sajous. The number of Directors, the Company's equity incentive plan, as well as the reappointment of KPMG LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants as auditor of the Company were also all approved by shareholders.A total of 49,799,317 shares were voted, representing 63.71% of the common shares that were issued and outstanding at the record date for the AGM. Refer to Table 1 below for the detailed results of the votes for each Director.Table 1: Detailed Voting Results for Re-election of DirectorsNomineeVotes ForPercentage ForWalter Coles47,625,48999.03%Craig Parry27,240,60556.65%Randy Reichert48,025,59399.87%Suki Gill36,286,56975.46%Greg Beard33,097,70568.82%Nathalie Sajous47,905,75399.62%About SkeenaSkeena Resources Limited is a Canadian mining exploration and development company focused on revitalizing the past-producing Eskay Creek gold-silver mine located in Tahltan Territory in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company released a Feasibility Study for Eskay Creek in September 2022 which highlights an after-tax NPV5% of C$1.4B, 50% IRR, and a 1-year payback at US$1,700/oz Au and US$19/oz Ag.On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited,Walter ColesExecutive ChairmanRandy ReichertPresident & CEOContact InformationInvestor Inquiries: info@ skeenaresources.com Office Phone: +1 604 684 8725Company Website: www.skeenaresources.com Qualified PersonsIn accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration & Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated, and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting the exploration activities on its projects.Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statementsCertain statements and information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). These statements relate to future events or our future performance. The use of words such as "anticipates", "believes", "proposes", "contemplates", "generates", "targets", "is projected", "is planned", "considers", "estimates", "expects", "is expected", "potential" and similar expressions, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "might", "will", "could", or "would" be taken, achieved, or occur, may identify forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. Specific forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the results of the Feasibility Study, processing capacity of the mine, anticipated mine life, probable reserves, estimated project capital and operating costs, sustaining costs, results of test work and studies, planned environmental assessments, the future price of metals, metal concentrate, and future exploration and development. Such forward-looking statements are based on material factors and/or assumptions which include, but are not limited to, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and the assumptions set forth herein and in the Company's MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2022, its most recently filed interim MD&A, and the Company's Annual Information Form ("AIF") dated March 22, 2023. Such forward-looking statements represent the Company's management expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events or circumstances on the date the statements are made, and are necessarily based on several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date hereof, are not guarantees of future performance. Actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein, and are subject to significant operational, business, economic, and regulatory risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including permitting and other government approvals; changes in economic conditions, including changes in the price of gold an PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 13:25:38 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 956 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / SouthGobi Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:SGQ)(HK:1878) ("SouthGobi" or the "Company") announces that that (i) the resolutions set out in the Management Proxy Circular of the Company dated May 18, 2023 (Vancouver time) (the "Circular") were duly passed by ballot at the annual general meeting (the "Meeting") of the shareholders of the Company (the "Shareholders") held on June 20, 2023 (Vancouver time), at the offices of Dentons Canada LLP, 20th floor - 250 Howe Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; (ii) the Company's Chief Executive Officer (the "CEO"), Mr. Ruibin Xu was elected as an executive director of the Company (each, a "Director") and appointed the Chair of the Health, Environment, Safety and Social Responsibility Committee (the "HESS Committee") and a member of the Operations Committee (the "Operations Committee") immediately upon conclusion of the Meeting; (iii) Mr. Dong Wang ceased to be a non-executive Director, the Chair of the HESS Committee and a member of the Operations Committee immediately upon conclusion of the Meeting; and (iv) Mr. Dalanguerban retired from his role as the Company's President.VOTING RESULTS OF THE MEETINGReference is made to the Circular. Unless the context otherwise requires, the capitalized terms used herein shall have the same meanings as those defined in the Circular.In respect to the Meeting, the following sets forth a brief description of each matter which was voted upon at the Meeting and the outcome of the vote:ORDINARY RESOLUTIONFORWITHHOLD(note (a))1.Appointment of AuditorsTo appoint BDO Limited, Certified Public Accountants (Practicing), Hong Kong, as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year at a remuneration to be fixed by the board of directors.131,897,257(99.9998%)200(0.0002%)ORDINARY RESOLUTIONFORAGAINST2.Number of DirectorsTo fix the number of directors of the Company ("Directors") to be elected at the Meeting at eight.131,896,957 (99.10%)1,203,150(0.90%)ORDINARY RESOLUTIONFORWITHHOLD(note (a))3.Election of DirectorsThe following Director nominees proposed by management of the Company for election:ZHU GAO131,887,257 (99.99%)10,200(0.01%)YINGBIN IAN HE131,887,257 (99.99%)10,200(0.01%)JIN LAN QUAN131,887,257 (99.99%)10,200(0.01%)CHEN SHEN131,885,757 (99.99%)11,700(0.01%)MAO SUN131,887,257 (99.99%)10,200(0.01%)ZAIXIANG WEN131,887,257 (99.99%)10,200(0.01%)RUIBIN XU131,887,257 (99.99%)10,200(0.01%)CHONGLIN ZHU131,887,257 (99.99%)10,200(0.01%)Notes:Please refer to the announcement of the Company dated April 3, 2023 (Vancouver time) and the paragraphs headed "Majority Voting Policy for Directors" and "Majority Voting Policy for Auditors" under the Circular for details of the waiver from Hong Kong Listing Rules granted by HKEX on two-way voting and the relevant majority voting policy adopted by the Company.As more than 50% of votes were cast in favor of resolutions #1, #2 and #3 above, all such resolutions duly passed as ordinary resolutions at the Meeting.As at the date of the Meeting, the total number of issued shares of the Company was 295,226,779 Shares, being the total number of Shares entitling the holders to attend and vote on the resolutions proposed at the Meeting. The full text of the aforesaid resolutions was set out in the Circular.Save as disclosed in note (a) above, there were (i) no Shares entitling the holders to attend and abstain from voting in favor of any resolution at the Meeting as set out in Rule 13.40 of the Hong Kong Listing Rules at the Meeting; and (ii) no Shareholder was required under the Hong Kong Listing Rules to abstain from voting on the resolutions at the Meeting and these were no restrictions on any Shareholder casting vote on the resolutions proposed at the Meeting.None of the Shareholders have stated their intention in the Circular to vote against or to abstain from voting on any of the resolutions proposed at the Meeting.The Company's principal share registrar, TSX Trust Company, acted as the scrutineer for the vote-taking at the Meeting.The executive Directors, Messrs. Ruibin Xu, Chen Shen and Ms. Chonglin Zhu attended the Meeting through the telecommunication facilities. The non-executive Directors, Messrs. Zhu Gao and Zaixiang Wen attended the Meeting through the telecommunication facilities. The independent non-executive Directors, Mr. Mao Sun attended the Meeting in person and Mr. Yingbin Ian He and Ms. Jin Lan Quan attended the Meeting through the telecommunication facilities.There were no further items brought before the Meeting and no amendments or variations were proposed at the Meeting.CHANGE OF DIRECTORS AND COMPOSITION OF BOARD COMMITTEESThe Company is pleased to announce that the Company's CEO, Mr. Ruibin Xu ("Mr. Xu") was elected as an executive Director and appointed as Chair of the HESS Committee and a member of the Operations Committee immediately upon conclusion of the Meeting.The biographical details of Mr. Xu is as below:Mr. Ruibin Xu, aged 52, has over 15 years' of experience in the energy and coal logistics industry, as well as financial investment. Mr. Xu served as a director and board secretary of Inner Mongolia Dajiang Runye Industrial Group Co. Ltd. ("Dajiang Group") from 2021 to 2023, where he was responsible for development strategy, energy investment, and capital operation affairs of the Dajiang Group. He also held the position of general manager in a subsidiary of Dajiang Group between 2018 and 2021. Before joining Dajiang Group, Mr. Xu served as the deputy general manager and board secretary of Inner Mongolia Zheng Tang Co. Ltd. from 2016 to 2018. Prior to that, he held the position of director in an investment company located in Inner Mongolia, China and worked for several companies in the financial investment industry. Mr. Xu has extensive experience in corporate governance, corporate financing and enterprise management.Mr. Xu graduated from Inner Mongolia Radio and TV University in 2000 with a major in Computer Application (Financial Management). He obtained his Master's degree in Business Administration from Inner Mongolia University in 2007. In 2010, Mr. Xu obtained the qualification as a lawyer and an intermediate economist in China. In 2015, he completed an PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 15:49:20 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 937 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CAMDEN, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) today released its 2022 Corporate Impact Report, detailing for the fifth year how they share the love with their customers, employees, environment, and community. One highlight not included within the report is the recent announcement that Points of Light has named Subaru a 2023 Civic 50 Honoree, recognizing the automaker as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in America, for the third consecutive year."We'd like to thank our retailers, employees, partners, and the entire Subaru family for helping us achieve and exceed our impact goals in 2022, as well as for providing the inspiration to accomplish even more together in the future," said Tadashi Tady' Yoshida, Chairman and CEO of Subaru of America, Inc.The Subaru Corporate Impact Report details the ways in which SOA exemplified their mission to be More Than a Car Company throughout the 2022 calendar year. Compiled as a result of broadened data collection and disclosure efforts, the report shares the who, what, where, when, and why of the automaker's efforts to positively impact every individual its work reaches - from new car buyers to longtime owners to retailers and partners, as well as those in the communities where Subaru employees live and work."At Subaru we take it to heart when saying we are More Than a Car Company, and know it comes with the responsibility of living out our pledge with a commitment to improving the world around us," said Jeff Walters, President and COO of Subaru of America, Inc.The Subaru Love Promise is the focal point of the report, extending into five pillars: Subaru Loves to Care, Subaru Loves the Earth, Subaru Loves to Help, Subaru Loves Learning, and Subaru Loves Pets. Milestones reached in 2022 include more than $1.9 million in philanthropic gifts to nonprofits in the Camden, New Jersey community where SOA is based, and over 10,000 hours employees spent volunteering across the nation.Living Our ValuesSubaru of America Foundation partnered with SOA's Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to grant funding to nonprofits that support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) outcomes.In 2022, over half of Subaru employees were involved in the company's ERGs, which bring its DEIB values to life.The talent management and acquisition team continued to benchmark their DEIB practices in the employee recruitment and retention process through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, the National Association of Black Accountants, Women of Color Automotive Network, and military organizations.Subaru Love Promise Customer CommitmentReceived recognition by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for four vehicle models as a TOP SAFETY PICK+ and two as a TOP SAFETY PICK in 2022.Earned Superior' rating in front crash prevention from IIHS for all vehicle models when equipped with EyeSight Driver Assist Technology.Received 2022 Best Cars for Teens award for Ascent and Forester from U.S. News & World Report.Named #20 on the list of the 100 most visible U.S.-based companies in the 2022 Axios Harris Poll 100 Reputation Ranking, based on a survey of more than 30,000 Americans.Sold all available Subaru Solterra models, the company's first fully electric vehicle, produced in 2022; demonstrating progress toward its goal to electrify 100% of Subaru vehicles by 2035.Subaru Love Promise Community CommitmentThe annual Subaru Share the Love Event reached the 15-year milestone of $256 million donated to national and hometown charities.More than 70% of SOA employees volunteered a total of 10,000+ hours in 2022.Most SOA employees (over 70%) participated in company sponsored volunteering efforts in 2022, achieving a total of 10,000+ volunteer hours.Subaru is one of the most fuel-efficient automotive brands in the United States, based on improvement in fuel economy per mile since 2009 as analyzed by the EPA.Subaru remanufactured 1,548+ tons of products in 2022.In addition to highlighting how Subaru was More Than a Car Company in 2022, the report showcases how the automaker's 2022 corporate responsibility actions parallel the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.To learn more about Corporate Responsibility at Subaru of America, Inc., please visit www.subaru.com/about/corporate-responsibility.html ###About Subaru of America, Inc.Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com . Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.Diane AntonCorporate Communications Manager(856) 488-5093danton@ subaru.com Adam LeiterCorporate Communications Specialist(856) 488-8668aleiter@ subaru.com Subaru of America, Inc. released its fifth annual Corporate Impact Report, showcasing the automaker's commitment to being More Than a Car Company in the 2022 calendar year. To learn more, visit: https://ourimpact.subaru.com/ View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Subaru of America on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Subaru of AmericaWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/subaru-america Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Subaru of America PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 20:04:46 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 433 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ESTES PARK, CO / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Taranis Resources Inc. ("Taranis" or the "Company") ( TSX.V:TRO)(OTCQB:TNREF) is pleased to announce that it has engaged P&E Mining Consultants Inc. (Ontario, Canada) to update its Mineral Resource Estimate ("MRE") at Thor. The maiden MRE was completed at Thor in 2013. Since that time, Taranis has drilled a further 100 drill holes on the epithermal deposit and has completed other surveys and studies which are expected to enhance the MRE.The metals analyzed in the 2013 MRE included gold, silver, lead, zinc and copper. Taranis has subsequently been able to identify other critical/strategic metals such as indium and antimony that occur as companion metals in the epithermal deposit. The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources Canada states that "Critical minerals are the building blocks for the green and digital economy". We are fortunate at Thor to have many of these metals that would contribute to a vibrant Canadian economy.Taranis also expects that the upcoming NI 43-101 compliant MRE will enable Taranis to gain a much better understanding of the epithermal Mineral Resource at Thor. It will also contribute further to understanding the deeper intrusive target that was identified in 2012. Deposit features such as metal zonation, geometry and lithological variations are very useful aids in the discovery of other areas of mineralization at Thor.Qualified PersonExploration activities at the Thor project were overseen by John Gardiner (P. Geo.), who is a Qualified Person under the meaning of Canadian National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Gardiner is responsible for, and approves of, the technical content in this News Release. John Gardiner is a principal of John J. Gardiner & Associates, LLC which operates in British Columbia under Firm Permit Number 1002256.For additional information on Taranis or its 100%-owned Thor project in British Columbia, visit www.taranisresources.com Taranis currently has 85,937,104 shares issued and outstanding (93,012,104 shares on a fully-diluted basis).TARANIS RESOURCES INC.Per: John J. Gardiner (P. Geo.), President and CEOFor further information contact:John J. Gardiner681 Conifer LaneEstes Park, Colorado 80517Phone: (303) 716-5922 Cell: (720) 209-3049 johnjgardiner@ earthlink.net NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.This News Release may contain forward looking statements based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of factors beyond its control, and actual results may differ materially from expected results.SOURCE: Taranis Resources, Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 16:01:04 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 501 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Premier Video Production Leaders Add Yet Another Telly Award for an Engaging Brand Spot for Mercedes-Benz of Laguna NiguelIRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Twelve12, an established leader in design and branding throughout Southern California and beyond, is pleased to announce that it has been honored with a prestigious Telly Award for its recent video production for local dealership Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel. The piece selected for recognition, "From the Mountains to the Sea," was designed to highlight the automotive dealership as it enters its 50th year of servicing Orange County, where it is a leading provider for Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The award-winning video production showcases Twelve12's exceptional talent for visual storytelling and its ability to captivate audiences while telling unique stories for businesses of all types.Twelve12 on Set of Award-Winning Video ShootFilming at Sunrise for the Twelve12 Production In previous years, The Telly Awards, known for honoring excellence in video and television across all screens, have acknowledged Twelve12's exceptional work and commitment to excellence in video for a wide range of clients. This year's video, created in conjunction with Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel, expertly showcases the elegance, innovation, and cutting-edge design of the global brand's latest luxury vehicles. The production seamlessly combines stunning cinematography over numerous local spots, with reverence and attention to detail in presenting some of the greatest luxury vehicles on the market today. The result is a visually compelling and resonant piece that pays tribute to the dealership and its commitment to local community."We are thrilled and humbled to receive this year's Telly Award for the 'Mountains to the Sea' spot," said Ike Elimsa, director at Twelve12. "We love finding creative solutions for local clients and industry leaders alike, and Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel uniquely fits both categories." Twelve12's dedication to innovation and creativity in the industry has cemented its position as a trusted partner for global brands hoping to present remarkable visual experiences. It's also a testament to Twelve12's mission of crafting end-to-end solutions: strategy, branding, marketing, production and beyond - offering solutions that express a brand's true identity.The team at Twelve12 would like to express its gratitude to everyone involved in bringing the vision to life, and for Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel for its commitment to the vision presented.About Twelve12:Twelve12 is a full-service branding and marketing agency based in Irvine, in sunny Southern California. Specializing in strategic planning, branding, marketing, website creation, and more, our team of talented professionals exhibits a passion for visual storytelling. Over the years, Twelve12 has established itself as a trusted partner for local and global firms alike, ensuring above all that each of our clients presents themselves with a unified, unforgettable voice.About The Telly Awards:The Telly Awards is the premier award honoring video and television across all screens. Established in 1979, The Telly Awards receives over 12,000 entries from all 50 states and five continents.Contact Information:Ike ElimsaDirectorinfo@ twelve12.com +1 949-288-6790SOURCE: Twelve12 PR-Inside.com: 2023-06-22 21:20:38 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 374 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Worldsource Securities Inc. enhances its wealth service offering through partnership with EnvestnetMARKHAM, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Worldsource Securities Inc. (WSI) a 5-Star brokerage* today announces a partnership with Envestnet, a leading provider of intelligent systems for wealth management, to provide WSI advisors with access to a unified managed platform that supports Portfolio Managers and Managed Account Programs such as Unified Managed Accounts (UMA)."We are extremely excited to take the next step in our evolution as a leading Canadian brokerage. We are now well along the path of building a wealth service offering that provides advisors with their choice of investment solutions along all phases of the wealth continuum" says Richard Rizi, Vice President Investment Services at Worldsource.Once integrated with the Envestnet platform, WSI will join the select few Canadian brokerages with the infrastructure required to offer a UMA program. The Envestnet platform will also allow WSI Portfolio Managers to integrate their bespoke model portfolios into their client relationships and realize the business efficiencies required to both scale their business and bring value to their high net worth client relationships."It is this singular commitment to building a Wealth Service offering that leverages data, digital tools and technology that we believe sets us apart in the Investment Dealer landscape" says Doce Tomic Chairman and CEO, Worldsource, "and our work and commitment to engaging our Advisors in this enterprise will never stop." Envestnet Head of Institutional Business Development Michael Ferraro added that "The innovative, intuitive technology powering the Envestnet unified managed platform gives Worldsource a powerful tool with which to drive their business forward and get out in front of a fast-evolving industry." Media InquiriesWorldsource Securities Inc.Kate StewartKStewart@ worldsourcewealth.com About Worldsource Securities Inc.Founded in 2002 Worldsource Securities Inc. is a full-service investment dealer and a division of Worldsource Group of Companies Inc., operating as Worldsource Wealth Management, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Desjardins Group, North America's largest financial cooperative and provider of financial and insurance solutionsWorldsource Securities Inc. and Envestnet are separate and unaffiliated firms. This release should not be construed as a recommendation or endorsement of any particular product, service, or firm.*Wealth Professional 2022 5-Star Brokerage ReportSOURCE: Worldsource Securities Inc. After a COVID-19-induced hiatus, the Abuja Writers Forum (AWF) re-launches the iconic Guest Writer Session on 24 June with three authors- Kabura Zakama, Jibrin Baba Ndace and Michaela Moye. Born and raised in Garkida, Adamawa State, Kabura Zakama started writing poems at a tender age to express himself. He has been published in several anthologies, and his first collection of poems, The Man Lived, won the 1999 ANA Poetry Prize. His second collection, Chant of the Angry, was shortlisted for the 2022 ANA Poetry Prize. Mr Zakama, an international development and humanitarian practitioner working in North-east Nigeria, sees poetry as a calling but is better known as a promoter of literature focusing on young writers and writing in indigenous languages. He started Kairos Tablets and Scrolls Limited, a literary enterprise tasked with bringing back the book better. Jibrin Baba Ndace, an award-winning journalist, was the former Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Niger State (2015-2019). With a career in both Journalism and Public Relations spanning over a decade, Mr Ndace has distinguished himself as a Public Affairs commentator, Media Consultant, Youth Vanguard and Peace Advocate and was carefully designated as one of the global change agents in countering violent extremism and hate speech within the social media space. A 2002 graduate of English from Bayero University, (BUK) Kano, North-west Nigeria, he was born on 17 August 1974. He started his journalism career with The Market Magazine, a Business, Policy and Economy Magazine, which debuted in 2004. Within this period, he was also the Personal Assistant to the publisher of The Market magazine and Managing Director of Bifocal Communications Limited, who was variously Chairman of the Kaduna Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, NIPR, as well as vice president, Public Relations Consultant of Nigeria, PRCAN. Both assignments exposed Jibrin to PR-related activities such as event management, crisis management, reputation management, branding, media relations and corporate social responsibilities. On 13 May 2023, Mr Ndace launched three books Walking the War Front with Lt. Gen. TY Buratai, Duty Call Under Buratais Command, and The Lonely Grave, a collection of poems. Born in Kaduna to parents from South-west Nigeria, Michaela Moye studied Law at the University of Abuja. She is an experienced communication consultant with a demonstrated history of working in international development. She is an astute poet, voice-over artist, writer, editor, radio personality and social impact advocate. Her published book is a collection of poems and short stories titled Relived and was a literary nominee for the I Am Nigeria Award. Apart from the readings, there will be live music and a new feature Storytelling. The Guest Writer Session runs from 4-7 p.m. and is open to the public and holds at the International Institute of Journalism, behind The Fathers Church, Jahi, Abuja, A.D.Dabra, Publicity Secretary, 08023117473, abujawriters@gmail.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, has been awarded the Most Literary Supportive Public Servant by the Abuja Writers Forum (AWF). Presenting the award in Abuja, the Director of the AWF, Emman Shehu, described Mr Sylva as a noble promoter of the arts whose passion for literature is intense and true. Mr Shehu thanked Mr Sylva for attending the February 2020 Guest Writer Session. He commended Mr Sylva, a poet in his free time, for keeping up the good work of developing Nigerian literature. As a response, Mr Sylva thanked the AWF for the recognition and reminisced on his childhood dream of becoming a writer. Mr Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State, has dozens of unpublished collections of poems, has sponsored the publication of many books, supported writing residencies, and encouraged many rising talents, especially in the literary sphere. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print President Macky Salls upcoming address to Senegalese citizens will be critical to easing deep-seated political tensions that have thrown the country into chaos. He will speak to the nation when the current national dialogue is concluded, at the latest on 25 June. With Senegals presidential polls scheduled for February 2024, the dialogue must make headway on resolving the countrys problems. Tensions boiled over when Mr Salls main political opponent, Ousmane Sonko, was sentenced on 1 June for corrupting the youth. The Criminal Courts decision sparked violent protests in which at least 16 people were killed and over 300 injured. Mr Sonkos arrest two years earlier while attending a court summons resulted in similar violence that led to 14 deaths and the destruction of public and private property. This is Mr Salls third dialogue since he came to power. Those held in 2016 and 2019 were boycotted by some of the opposition and failed to reach consensus on institutional reforms or resolve differences over the electoral process. The Forces vives du Senegal (F24), a platform of around 100 representatives of civil society organisations and political parties opposed to Mr Salls candidacy, are boycotting the current dialogue. This could jeopardise the chances of reaching an agreement. The talks began the day before the violent demonstrations, and aimed to discuss 47 major issues relating to the countrys future. However, for Senegalese citizens, three of these are the most pressing. The first relates to Mr Salls silence on his potential candidacy in 2024. He was elected in 2012 for a seven-year term under the 2001 constitution, which limited presidential terms to two. To keep his campaign promise of reducing his seven-year tenure to five years, he included the reduction of the presidential term in the draft revision of the constitution in 2016. However, when Sall asked the Constitutional Court for an advisory opinion, it ruled that the new law on the length of the presidents tenure could not apply to the first term. His supporters interpreted the court ruling as setting the record straight, with the first seven-year period in office being outside the scope of the term limits, therefore giving him another term. Their call for another term is at odds with the oppositions interpretation of the new provision, and is opposed by many Senegalese and civil society organisations. For the latter, the revision relates to the duration of terms of office and not term limits, which have been in place since a 2001 referendum. That would mean Mr Sall reached the constitutional limit of two terms after his re-election in 2019. Persistent ambiguities around a possible Sall candidacy would exacerbate tensions. An attempted third-term bid by then president Abdoulaye Wade in 2012 plunged the country into violence, leading to 12 deaths. The second key issue covered in the dialogue is the oppositions call to abolish or revise the sponsorship system adopted in 2018. The law requires candidates to collect sponsorship from at least 0.8 per cent and at most 1 per cent of registered voters, from at least seven of Senegals 14 regions. The transparency of the system, from the collection phase to the verification of the number of sponsorships, has been a point of contention as illustrated during the 2019 and 2022 polls. Consensus on the practical arrangements would avoid questions about the credibility of the bodies involved or whether the electoral process is sincere and inclusive. Inclusivity in the 2024 elections is the third issue the dialogue must resolve. This pertains particularly to the participation of the main opposition figures Karim Wade, Khalifa Sall and Mr Sonko. The 2018 electoral reforms require a political candidate to be a voter and not subject to ineligibility penalties that disqualify citizens convicted of particular crimes. Neither Mr Wade nor Khalifa Sall could run in the 2019 presidential polls following their conviction for unlawful enrichment and fraud involving public funds, respectively. Both have declared their candidacy for the 2024 elections, but their eligibility remains uncertain. Mr Sonko was sentenced on appeal to a six-month suspended prison sentence for defamation and public insult on 8 May and to two years imprisonment on 1 June on charges of corrupting young people. This could jeopardise his presidential run next year. The violence in early June, images of which were widely circulated on social media, not only revealed the depth of Senegals political crisis but showed the entrenched positions of both the government and opposition. This could damage Senegals reputation for stability and democratic resilience in West Africa. The countrys religious leaders have intervened to help reduce tensions and continue the talks. But it is up to the political actors to create, through the dialogue, the conditions for peaceful and inclusive presidential elections. None of the main declared opposition candidates is certain to take part in the election at this stage, due to court convictions and the uncertainty surrounding sponsorship. Against this backdrop of tension and mistrust, any scenario in which a major opposition figure is once again excluded from the presidential race could lead to violence. The current crisis offers an opportunity to resolve differences surrounding the electoral process, specifically concerns about a possible Mr Sall candidacy, sponsorship and the civil rights of key opposition figures. As the guarantor of the countrys stability, the presidents statement on these three issues will be decisive. Failure to resolve them would effectively mean the failure of the national dialogue. Subsequent tensions could plunge Senegal into a pre-electoral crisis with unforeseeable consequences. Paulin Maurice Toupane, Senior Researcher, Aissatou Kante, Researcher, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Regional Office for West Africa, the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin (This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice and the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights are set to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). On Thursday, a statement by ECOWAS Court said that the MoU is to strengthen both courts collaboration in deepening respect for human rights in Africa. The previous agreement was signed between both courts on 1 March 2018. In the MoU, both parties agreed to cooperate in areas of common interest within the context of their constitutive instruments. The identified areas of cooperation included staff exchanges, publications, particularly of their respective jurisprudence, reciprocal representation, knowledge and information sharing, research and training. Both courts also agreed to cooperate in capacity building and resource mobilisation for the execution of joint projects. ECOWAS Court president, Edward Asante, led a 14-member delegation to Arusha, Tanzania, on a five-day working visit to the African Court on Human and Peoples Rights to sign the new MoU. The statement said Mr Asante urged the technical officials involved in articulating the successor agreement to ensure it benefited from the experience gained by implementing the previous agreement while taking notice of current realities. In this way, you will be ensuring that it becomes a better tool for deepening the cooperation between both courts towards the attainment of the objectives that informed this arrangement for the overall benefit of our people, particularly those who see in both courts the only hope for the protection of their human rights. The agreement would also strengthen their collaboration in deepening respect for human rights in Africa. The delegation included the five judges of the court, directors, registrars and heads of department of the court. Inspiration from 2018 MoU The justice said the preamble to the 2018 MoU emphasised the inspiration behind the collaboration. Which is basically to enhance the promotion and consolidation of our common goals in a way that brings added value to human rights on the continent. Although there is a divergence in our jurisdictions, the underlying value is our joint commitment to discharge our mandates, which will invariably contribute to deepening the tenor of human rights on the continent with implications for political stability, peace and security, he added. He also said the intervening years since the signing of the MoU had seen changes on the international scene. Moreso, he said the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in changes in the mode of doing things. He said such changes included the application of virtual technology for court sessions, which he noted had improved citizen access, ensured the disposal of voluminous cases, and reduced the cost of litigation for indigent citizens. In the face of the recent political upheavals in West Africa, it has become imperative to employ this emergency technological situation to further strengthen our courts as bulwarks for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, both of which are threatened by the latest political developments. During the technical session, legal officers of both courts are expected to make presentations focused on the peculiarities of both courts regarding case management, handling of applications and the enforcement of their decisions. Also, they are expected to make presentations on the overview of their mandates. The delegation is also expected to visit the headquarters of the East African Court of Justice and the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunal (MICT), based in the city. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Northern Zambia is home to one of the worlds oldest and largest chimpanzee sanctuaries, the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust. Here, the animals live in four forest-filled enclosures measuring between 20 and 77 km. These large spaces offer chimpanzees the opportunity to perform many of their natural behaviors, such as foraging, climbing, building their nests in the treetops and socializing. For that reason, quite a few scientists have chosen this place to study chimpanzee behavior. One of those researchers is Emma Doherty, a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at Durham University. For nine months between 2017 and 2021, she followed the youngest ones at the sanctuary to better understand how chimpanzees develop communication in the first years of their lives. She recently published her results in the journal Animal Behaviour, finding that young chimpanzees combine different gestures, vocalizations and facial expressions in a way that is reminiscent of the development of communication in human infants. Gestures and speech are intimately linked Human communication is not complete with speech alone. We need to add information with our gaze, facial expressions, gestures and body postures to make our messages less ambiguous. Thats why stickers and emojis are so popular in applications such as WhatsApp. Understanding the origins of this complex communication system has long intrigued scientists. The close link between vocalizations and gestures occurs before we even learn to say words. By the end of the first year, children already begin to accompany babbling with gestures like pointing, reaching and showing. Not only do these two components overlap temporally, but they also have an interactive effect on language development. There is considerable evidence that integrating gestures into communication facilitates the process of learning words. For example, a study carried out by several institutions in Spains northeastern region of Catalonia showed that 12-month-old babies who used gestures correctly when communicating acquired more vocabulary six months later. But to understand the origin of human language, it is not enough to only investigate our babies. For years, science has also been examining chimpanzees vocalizations, gestures and facial expressions. We know that these primates vocalizations are quite rigid and instinctive; theyre similar to our laughing or crying. On the other hand, they use gestures rather flexibly, which more closely resembles our oral language. Until now, each of these modalities has been studied in isolation in apes. The research conducted at Chimfunshi was the first to perform a multimodal analysis of baby chimpanzees communication. It turns out that they also combine vocalizations, gestures and facial expressions to avoid misunderstandings. For example, the chimpanzees in the study grinned with their mouths open while laughing, touched another individual while whimpering, and bared their teeth while screaming. Specifically, these combinations were done in playful and aggressive contexts; these are the circumstances in which it is most important to make intentions clear. As in human infants, the multimodal communication of baby chimpanzees became more complex throughout infancy and adolescence. The gestural hypothesis of languages origins This type of study is important for understanding the origin of human language, because the most widely accepted current hypothesis suggests that language originated with gestures. All human cultures have language. Although we are not born knowing how to speak, language is in our nature somehow. But this is not a unique ability that suddenly appeared in the evolution of our species. Many of the capabilities required for human language memory, learning, categorization, and the ability to attribute meaning to random signals already existed in the ancestors we share with chimpanzees. However, there are certain capabilities that must have appeared recently in our evolution. Some of the most relevant ones are vocal learning and the use of complex syntax, in which there are hierarchies and recursion. In the last hundred years, there have been many attempts to try to teach our language to apes. In some cases, we have succeeded in getting them to learn a large vocabulary through gestures or by pointing to symbols, but no ape has learned to use advanced grammar or say words. Therefore, we know the ingredients that are necessary for language to emerge, but we lack the recipe, the theory that explains the order in which these capacities appeared and to what end. At this point, everything gets complicated because language does not stay the same, so any idea that is proposed usually lacks the necessary evidence to gain wide acceptance. However, one proposal predominates over the rest: the gestural hypothesis. The idea that human language may have emerged from gestures is quite old. Merchants traveling to foreign lands in the 17th century realized that they could communicate using only bodily gestures. These observations led several intellectuals to propose that the language of gestures was the first of all languages. Modern science took up this idea in the 1990s, with studies showing that deaf peoples sign language is as grammatically and semantically sophisticated as spoken languages. Children exposed to sign language from infancy learn it as easily and naturally as those exposed to speech; they even go through a stage of manual babbling. In addition, neuroscience has shown that Brocas area of the brain which is involved in producing spoken language is also activated when gestures are made. That reinforces the idea that there is a deep connection between processing gestures and speech. This evidence along with studies of infants use of gestures and the famous cases of apes such as the gorilla Koko, who became quite proficient in sign language have positioned the gestural language hypothesis as one of the most compelling ones. If this hypothesis is correct, humans first developed a complex wordless proto-language that was based solely on gestures. It was only after we mastered that language that we moved the gestures from the hand to the mouth and larynx, articulating the sounds that would eventually become words. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Nigerias Vice President Kashim Shettima has promised that the identified concerns around the financing of primary health centres across the country will be addressed by the administration of President Bola Tinubu. This is as the Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, reiterated the commitment of the philanthropic organisation to commit $7 billion to support routine immunisation in the country and the whole of Africa. Mr Shettima, who identified polio as one of the major primary healthcare challenges in the country, noted the administration is considering providing timely domestic financing for the procurement of vaccines, which couldnt have come sooner, to boost our industrial capacity to produce vaccines. He said this on Thursday at a parley attended by governors under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), the Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, and the business mogul and founder of Dangote Foundation, Aliko Dangote. In a statement issued by the Office of the Vice President and signed by the Director of Information, Olusola Abiola, Mr Shettima noted that Nigerias three-dose pentavalent vaccine coverage against polio has improved from 33 per cent in 2016 to 57 per cent in 2021. About polio in Nigeria On 25 August 2020, Nigeria and the rest of Africa were formally certified free of the Wild Polio Virus (WPV) by the World Health Organisation (WHO) after no case of the virus was detected on the continent for three years. Nigeria was the last African country to eliminate the virus, which could be prevented with adequate vaccination. As of 2012, Nigeria accounted for half of the worlds polio cases a viral disease transmitted from person to person, mainly through a faecal-oral route or, less frequently, through contaminated water or food, and multiplies inside the intestines. Meanwhile, about a year after the certification by WHO, in 2021, Adamawa State, North-east Nigeria, detected cases of circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus type 2. Experts have linked the development to weak routine vaccination coverage, vaccine refusal, difficult access to some locations, and poor vaccination campaigns, among other reasons. Vaccination data While addressing the gathering, the Vice President said: The variant polio virus has declined in Nigeria by 84 per cent from 2021, falling to fewer than 200 cases in 2022. Mr Shettima, therefore, commended the states that have achieved high-category immunisation coverage, said to be between 60 per cent and 80 per cent of the target demographic. He noted that the number of states has increased from 12 to 21 in five years. He said, The Federal Government and our respective state governments are going to set in place a transparent process and structure to undo the reality of the country as one with one of the highest proportions of non-immunised infants in the world over the last decade, even as he added that the government is committed to eradicating variant poliovirus by the end of the year ensuring that every Nigerian child is covered in the routine immunisation campaigns. On the production of vaccines for the immunisation of children, he assured that the administration will ensure collaboration with both governmental and non-governmental entities to ensure that these vaccines are made available even to zero-dose children, of which ours, at 2 million, are the highest in the world after India. The Vice President expressed the appreciation of the Nigerian government to partners such as the Dangote Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others, whose empathy he noted has shone through that uncertain period in our history. $7 billion pledge Earlier in his remarks at the interactive session, Mr Gates said his foundation had recently announced the intention to commit $7 billion to Africa in the next four years to support routine immunisation in Nigeria and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in Northern Nigeria. Mr Gates, who arrived in Nigeria on Monday, had met President Tinubu to discuss possible areas of collaboration in the administrations efforts to reform the health sector. The meeting with the Vice President and the governors on Thursday was part of Mr Gates efforts to mobilise support for improved funding and coordinated intervention in the nations primary healthcare subsector. The philanthropy is spending the week in Nigeria and Niger Republic as a follow-up to his earlier meeting with authorities in China on similar issues. Also, in his remarks, Mr Dangote said he and Mr Gates have been partnering with the federal and state governments for many years, supporting the efforts to eradicate polio and improving routine immunisation, nutrition and primary healthcare in the country. We genuinely believe that the National Economic Council and the decisions that you will make over the next four years will determine whether Nigeria has sound economic growth, keep its citizens happy and achieves the sustainable development goals, Mr Dangote said. Governors react According to the statement, in their separate remarks, the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum and Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, and some governors who spoke at the parley, lauded the philanthropic interventions of the Dangote and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations in critical areas including healthcare, education, agriculture and human capital development. The governors reportedly expressed their readiness to further collaborate with the foundations in the coming years. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Librarians Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN) has commenced accreditation of library school programmes across the country. In the pilot scheme on Tuesday, the council said it carried out accreditation at the Umaru Musa Yaradua University, Katsina, and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The Councils Registrar, Jaafaru Abdullahi, disclosed this on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the National Workshop on Application of New Technological Trends in Libraries held at the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. A statement by the Deputy Director of Public Relations at the LRCN, Ngozi Oboh, quoted Mr Abdullahi as saying the accreditation of library schools programme is part of the councils mandate. The accreditation exercise is for quality assurance purposes and to ensure that libraries adopt standards set by the Council for academic libraries in terms of content, facilities and staffing, as well as assessing their use of the curriculum and benchmarks set for different categories of libraries, he said. The statement added that LRCN plans to accredit two more tertiary institutions next month. UNIPORT librarian speaks Meanwhile, the Librarian of the University of Port Harcourt, Helen Emasealu, said the accreditation exercise will help create awareness about the rules needed to be followed. It is only when you do assessment that you have a bigger picture, she said. Those who do not comply (with the standards) will be sanctioned. On his part, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Onwunari Georgewill, a professor, in his remarks at the ceremony, commended LRCN for its activities and stated that a university without the library is not a university at all and that libraries occupy key positions in the life of every university. LRCN The LRCN is a parastatal under the Federal Ministry of Education. The Council is responsible for providing leadership in the field of librarianship by regulating education for library and information science and its practice in Nigeria. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print About 50 per cent of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) accruable to the Anambra State Government is lost to leakages and activities of revenue thieves. Christian Madubuko, executive director in charge of Operations at the Anambra Internal Revenue Service (AIRS), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Wednesday. Mr Madubuko, who is the leader of AIRS revenue mobilisation team, said the state was making just about 2 billion monthly out of the 4 billion potential profile. He said the government had discovered the diversion of state taxes through the fraudulent configuration of a retail banking agent which had been blacklisted. He said investigation was ongoing to identify the beneficiaries of the fraud with the aim of bringing them to book, adding that the police, State Security Service and other intelligence agencies had swung into action. Mr Madubuko said that no fewer than 20 illegal revenue collectors had been arrested and handed over to the police, and that they had been making useful confessions that would lead to the apprehension of those they were working for. He said those involved in the sabotage were enemies of government who would be prosecuted at the State Revenue Court. The leakage we were having with the POS operators was a deliberate design by some internal people we entered into agreement with, to consciously configure the system for diversion of revenue. The amount is humongous but generally, the government is supposed to be getting 4 billion from IGR monthly but we have been struggling to make about 2 billion or less. Everybody is now a revenue collector, the communities are involved, even the markets. The sad part is that they collect this money and put it into their private pockets. The digitised system of revenue collection, designed by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, is still effective. We want to eliminate physical payment of taxes, these revenue thieves must go out of business, we will not allow them to frustrate this government, he said. Mr Madubuko said the AIRS was working to maximise IGR collection without inflicting additional pain on the masses. He expressed worry over the complaints of intimidation and extortion by some people under the guise of enforcing traffic laws. The complaints are everywhere, we are aware that some people are going about molesting the people they are supposed to be protecting. We will embark on training of these people and those who collect money from people and put them into their pockets will be arrested and prosecuted, he added. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Demesuoyefa Kolomo, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has prayed the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delete the name of Timipre Sylva, former minister of State for Petroleum, from the list of candidates contesting the 11 November governorship election in Bayelsa. The case Mr Kolomo told Justice Donatus Okorowo in a suit filed by his lawyer, Abiodun Amuda-Kannike, SAN. In the originating summons marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/821/2023 dated and filed June 13, Mr Kolomo sued Mr Sylva, APC and INEC as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively. He sought two questions for determination. These include whether having regard to the indisputable facts that Mr Sylva was elected to the office of governor of Bayelsa on two previous occasions; April 14, 2007, and May 24, 2008, he was qualified to contest the 11 November election in view of Section 82 (1)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Whether having regard to the indisputable fact that Sylva occupied the office of governor of Bayelsa May 29, 2007 to April 15, 2008 and May 27, 2008 to Jan. 27, 2012, he is qualified to contest and be elected to the office of governor of Bayelsa for another four years term in view of Section 180(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Mr Kolomo, therefore, sought a declaration that by virtue of Section 182(1)\(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Mr Sylva was not qualified to contest the election to the Office of the Governor of Bayelsa on the APC platform or on any other political partys platform in the election. He also sought an order directing INEC to remove Mr Sylvas name from the list of the contestants into the Office of the Governor of Bayelsa on the APC platform or any other political partys platform in the 11 November election or any other time for that matter as he was not qualified to contest the said poll. In the affidavit attached, Mr Kolomo deposed that besides being an APC member, he was also a registered voter in the state. He averred that the ex-minister was first elected to the office of governor, Bayelsa on April 14, 2007 and assumed the said office on May 29, 2007, and was in the said office until April 15, 2008 when his election on April 14, 2007, was set aside by the Court of Appeal. He was consequently removed from office. He said Sylva was reelected on May 24, 2008, and assumed office as governor on May 27, 2008 until January 27, 2012. He said INEC recently published the names of governorship candidates for the state, including Mr Sylvas name. The plaintiff said he was motivated by the need to vindicate Sections 180 (2)(a) and 182(1)b) of the1999 Constitution, the rule of law and to know the applicability of the same as it relates to Sylva based on the above facts. Mr Kolomo also averred that the question raised by the instant suit was a constitutional one and of grave importance to him as a voter and other voters in the state so that they would not vote for someone who was not qualified to contest in the poll and had their votes wasted at the end of the day. When the matter came up for mention, Mr Amuda-Kannike informed the court that APC and INEC had been served while the bailiff was unable to serve Mr Sylva. We, therefore, filed a motion for substituted service, the lawyer said. He said the motion, dated 19 June and filed on the same date, was brought pursuant to Order 6, Rule 5 of the court. Justice Okorowo, who granted the application, adjourned the matter until June 26 for a hearing. Background The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Sylva served as Bayelsas governor on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)s platform. The former minister had, in 2006, joined the PDP governorship primaries challenging ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, who, at that time, was vying for the same position. However, after Mr Sylva emerged as the PDP candidate, he went on to win the election in 2007. He succeeded Jonathan, who had also become the Vice President to late President Umaru YarAdua. But Sylvas opponent in the 2007 election, Ebitimi Amgbare of the defunct Action Congress (AC), challenged his victory. While the Bayelsa State Election Petitions Tribunal upheld Mr Sylvas election, Mr Amgbare took the matter to the Appeal Court, Port Harcourt in Rivers State, which overturned the tribunals decision and nullified Mr Sylvas election on April 15, 2008. The five justices of the Court of Appeal were unanimous in their decision. They ordered that Speaker Werinipre Seibarugo be sworn in to replace Mr Sylva as acting governor, with a new election to be held within 90 days, as stated in the Electoral Act. When a new election was held on May 24, 2008, Mr Sylva was again overwhelmingly elected, with 588,204 out of about 598,000 votes and was sworn in. But on January 27, 2012, his tenure was terminated by the Supreme Court, with an acting governor appointed to oversee the state until the election of February 2012, won by Seriake Dickson. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Ogun State election petition tribunal has fixed 5 July for the commencement of the proper hearing of a petition filed against the return of Governor Dapo Abiodun. The petition was filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu, and his party. INEC returned Governor Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the 18 March election. But Mr Adebutu wants the result reversed in his favour over alleged voting and gross misconduct by Mr Abiodun and non-compliance with the Electoral Act by INEC. After the pre-hearing stage on Thursday, the tribunal directed the counsel to tender on 4 July all documents and papers that were not objected to by either the petitioners or the respondents. It then fixed 5 July for proper hearing and calling of witnesses. The tribunal chairperson, Hamidu Kunaza, said, Documents that are unopposed will be tendered and admitted from the bar on July 4, while the trial and calling of witnesses commence on July 5. Earlier, the tribunal had dismissed an application by Mr Adebutu counter-accusing Mr Abiodun of vote buying during the election. Mr Abiodun, in his response to the petitioner, was first to accuse the petitioners of vote buying during the election. Mr Adebutu, in his application, asked the tribunal to strike out the paragraphs containing the claims that he bought votes during the election. But, the tribunal said Mr Abiodun, being a respondent, has enough space to respond the way he deemed fit. Briefing journalists after the hearing, the petitioners counsel, Olumuyiwa Obanewa, said as the petitioners, they were more interested in the hearing. In summary, just like it did on Monday, the tribunal did not agree with us. However, the matter is now set for trial and will be heard on the 4th of July for documents that are not being opposed to be admitted by the tribunal and then for trial to commence on the following day, 5th of July. We are more interested in the merit of the petition. We have reached the point where the tribunal will hear the merit of our petition, to know whether what we have filed is competent or not. All of these applications have now been taken care of. We will now go to trial. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The newly appointed Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Hassan Abubakar, an air vice marshal, on Thursday, assumed office as the 22nd air chief. He took over from Oladayo Amao, an air marshal who had been in office since January 2021. Until his appointment, Mr Abubakar was the chief of Standards and Evaluation at Air Force Headquarters. In his maiden speech, the new CAS appreciated the Almighty God for the unique privilege of leading the Nigerian Air Force at this crucial time in the nations life. He said his appointment came at a time when the expectations of Nigerians towards accelerated actualisation of peace and security were high. Mr Abubakar said NAF under his command would reinvigorate the fight against terrorism, insurgency, banditry and other challenges bedevilling the country. He promised to sustain the cooperation and joint efforts between the air force and sister services during the tenure of the outgoing service chiefs, adding that it was responsible for the successes achieved in the various theatres of operations. In conjunction with my colleagues, we will uphold these attributes in line with Mr Presidents directive issued during the maiden National Security Council meeting. We shall also begin to make additional efforts and evolve measures and approaches that will continue to diminish our challenges and enhance the disposition of our various theatres of operations, he said. The new CAS congratulated his predecessor for his achievements and distinguished career in the military and pledged to continue to build on his legacies and do more to move NAF to higher heights. He thanked the president and commander-in-chief, Bola Tinubu, for the honour and privilege he gave him to serve as the air chief. In his valedictory speech, Mr Amao thanked God for the opportunity to serve the nation and lead the air force, describing it as a special privilege. He said that NAF was able to attain greater heights in line with his vision for the service, with recorded successes in key areas. According to him, the areas include doctrinal development, air operations, human capacity development, fleet enhancement, the establishment of new units, and directorates. Others include logistics support, system research and development, personnel management, and safety standards. He said the capacity of NAF to conduct air operations across the full spectrum of air power employment, and interdictions had significantly improved. READ ALSO: According to him, the Nigerian effort can now expeditiously conduct simultaneous combat operations, night operations, and precision strikes. He urged the new CAS to ensure the optimal operational capacity of the air force to sustain and surpass the ongoing efforts at eradicating insurgencies, terrorism, banditry, and other forms of criminality in the country. Mr Amao commended the federal governments support in developing the capacity of personnel, which enhanced their efficiency and effectiveness. He also appreciated the government acquiring new platforms and other major support equipment. These platforms include the 829 Super Tucano, Diamond 62 Surveillance aircraft, Winglet 2CH3 Unmanned Combat Aerial vehicles, and the CH4 Unmanned Combat Aerial vehicle. Additional platforms such as Beefcraft A360 aircraft and Diamond 62 aircraft, as well as T1229 attack aircraft and the Booster 109 Trica Montoro aircraft as well as M346 attack aircraft, are expected to enhance further Nigerian Air Force air power employment and projection capabilities. In human capacity development, NAF has trained and retrained personnel for professional and operational effectiveness in the last two years. For instance, the Nigerian Air Force trained 7,424 personnel, of which 5,945 were trained locally and 1,140 were trained overseas. This number also includes the 429 pilots and 203 UAV operators. These efforts, in particular, reduced the acute shortage of combat pilots that we used to have in the past, he said. Mr Amao expressed confidence that the new chief would lead NAF effectively, given his humility, excellent career, leadership qualities, wealth of experience, and outstanding accomplishments in previous appointments. He said the new CAS was part of the successes recorded when he served as the Air Officer Commanding Logistic Command and Chief of Standards and Evaluation, where he contributed to the improved safety records that NAF currently has. Today, I want to commend your loyalty and dedication to duty. Therefore, I urge you to do your best to consolidate the various achievements to propel the NAF to greater heights. Let me also use this opportunity to appreciate all officers and airmen and airwomen, as well as the civilian staff, for their dutifulness, discipline, and cooperation accorded me during my tenure as the chief of the air staff, he added. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) has said it has recovered over N454 billion from corrupt persons in the past four years. A statement on Thursday on the commissions website said an official gave the figure in a presentation during a two-day capacity-building training for reporters covering the commissions activities. Jude Okoye, Deputy Director, Planning Research and Statistics, ICPC, gave a presentation titled: Overview of ICPC Achievements from 2019- March 2023 during the training that was held on Monday and Tuesday. Giving a breakdown of the recoveries, Mr Okoue said of the total N454.8 billion, about N257.5 billion was fund restrained by ICPC through system studies of government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). At the same time, N3.5 billion was recovered through tax intervention. Read the ICPCs statement: The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has stated that it recovered, forfeited, and restrained assets valued at over N454 billion from corrupt persons in the past four years. This was revealed in a presentation by Mr Jude Okoye, Deputy Director, Planning Research and Statistics, ICPC, titled, Overview of ICPC Achievements from 2019- March 2023 during the recently concluded two-day capacity-building training for reporters covering the activities of the Commission. Giving a breakdown of the recoveries, the Deputy Director said that out of the N454.808bn, N257.492bn was fund restrained by ICPC through system studies of government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). At the same time, N3.540bn was recovered through tax intervention. READ ALSO: Mr Okoye listed other recoveries to include plots of land and completed buildings; vehicles; cash recovered from domiciliary accounts; rents received from properties forfeited to the government; assets and jewellery valued at N25.361bn, N577.98m, N1.199bn, N25.73m, and N14.83m respectively. According to him, the Commission restrained N250.49m and N110.36m through Final Forfeiture and Interim Forfeiture Order; N26.573bn cash through budget tracking and N1.525bn cash in other accounts. Apart from the recoveries, other achievements of the Commission highlighted in the report included 4,737 investigations, 90 convictions, and 3,422 projects tracked under the Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Initiative (CEPTI). Other achievements are the assessment of 1,463 MDAs on the Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard; the review of 426 MDAs on Personnel cost; the review of 365 MDAs on Open Portal for Compliance with GIFMIS & TSA; inauguration of 265 ACTUs; 12,569,968 website hits and social media feedback; production and airing of 512 episodes of Corruption Must Go, while 3,012 sensitisation sessions were conducted. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The police in Lagos on Thursday parades 32 suspects alleged to have been engaged in various criminal activities, including cultism, traffic robbery and others across the state. The state commissioner of police, Idowu Owohunwa, told journalists that one hammer, five axes, five locally made pistols, two locally made double-barrel, twenty-two live cartridges, two expended cartridges, two 9ml live cartridges and one Hilux vehicle was recovered from the suspects. The commissioner, represented by the Commands spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin, said that in the Ikorodu area of the state, eight well-known notorious cultists were arrested and would be arraigned immediately after the parade. He stated their names as Akinwale Abiodun (31), Shola Salawokara (36), Adewunmi Adeniyi (33), Ganiu Gbadamosi (37), Nojim Kasamotu (32), Abraham Abuba (39), Agoro Ariyo (18) and Awotehinde Sikiru (39). The commissioner said they also recorded a case of theft around Ilupeju, in which two suspects were apprehended for being in the custody of a Toyota Hilux. The Toyota Hilux was actually on a car stand, and two people came in the middle of the night to rob and cart away this vehicle. It later turned out that one of the robbers is actually a security guard employed by the owner of the car stand, he said. On the day of the robbery, he was off-duty. He, however, connived with one other to come and rob the place leaving the security on guard seriously injured while they took away the Toyota Hilux. We swung into action immediately we got the information, and we were able to recover the vehicle in far-away Kaduna state and also arrested two receivers in whose custody we found the vehicle. The main perpetrators are on the run, but we are closely monitoring their location, and very soon, they will be apprehended. The commissioner also said that he had charged the police tactical units to take battles to the doorsteps of cultists, which led to the arrest of three notorious cultists in the Isolo area of the state. READ ALSO: Police arrest suspected traffic robbers in Lagos He said that out of the three arrested, one Oluwatosin Adebimpe, 31, popularly known as Seventy, who has been causing unrest, was arrested in the Itire area of Isolo. Others are 39-year-old Razak Agbabiaka and 32-year-old Saheed Olaolokun. Meanwhile, in Ijora-Badia, Underbridge and its environs, the police also arrested 11 traffic robbers caught in the act of engaging in traffic robbery in and around the area while adding that they will be arraigned immediately after the parade. They are Kasim Ibrahim(20), Sharafadeen Isiaka (25), Kingsley Okpolo (42), Toheeb Dauda (19), Al-Amin Ahmed (19), Waheed Fisaur (19), Ariyo Taofeek (20), Quadri Azeez (22), Ibrahim Ajomagberin (27), Ibrahim Ali (29) and Babagana Ulama (24). Five suspects were arrested by the police tactical unit in the Magbon Area of Badagry and one, Ademefun Jamiu (27), in Abattoir for cultism. Mr Owohunwa said the police are not relenting in their effort to fight cultism, robbery and other criminal activities in the state. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said the current japa syndrome in Nigeria is good and healthy for the country. Japa is a Nigerian slang for emigration. Mr Obi disclosed this in a post via his verified Twitter handle on Thursday. The LP candidate was reacting to a report where the Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, was quoted as supporting the recent surge of Nigerian professionals leaving the country to seek better living in other countries, especially in Europe and America. I have always preached and maintained this same position on the japa wave, Mr Obi said in support of the mass emigration of Nigerian youths. The LP candidate said, during his campaigns, he stressed that our brain drain today will be our brain gain tomorrow. Nigerians leaving the country may look like a loss today, but when we start doing the right things and taking the governance of our nation more seriously, the knowledge and resources from them will be critical in the building of the new Nigeria, as it happened in China, India, Ireland and other developing countries, he said. Mr Obi argued that Indias tech industry success was partly due to utilising resources from Indians abroad. He said Nigeria would grow and develop on all fronts only when the country prioritises investment in education and health and supports small businesses, and guarantees respect for the rule of law and the security of lives and properties. Then our diasporan Nigerians around the world will return home with their global training, skills and resources to immeasurably contribute to building a New and better Nigeria, Mr Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, said. We will not give up on our dreams for the new Nigeria. More Nigerians willing to japa There has been growing concern over the mass emigration of Nigerians to other countries in search of greener pastures, with recent reports showing Nigeria has been losing a high number of health workers to foreign countries like the UK and the US. Last November, the Chief Medical Director of the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Abiodun Otegbayo, disclosed that 600 doctors resigned in one year. At least 15 high-calibre personnel resign weekly, added Mr Otegbayo, a professor. About 10,296 Nigerian doctors are practising in the UK alone, according to the Nigerian Medical Association. A 2022 African Polling Institute survey indicated that 69 per cent of Nigerians would relocate out of the country with their families if given a chance. In 2019, only 39 per cent were willing to emigrate, according to the same poll. A study put the 2023 Nigeria migration rate at -0.273 per 1000 population, which indicates that more people are emigrating from the country. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerias President Bola Tinubu has arrived at the Palais Brongniart in Paris, the venue of New Global Financing Pact summit. He arrived at the venue in the company of his Aide-de-Camp, Nurudeen Yusuf, and was received by the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and Europe, Catherine Colonna. Mr Tinubu, who arrived in Paris on Tuesday, will, alongside attending the summit, hold bilateral meetings with various countries including officials of France, US and Switzerland to discuss possible ways of attracting foreign direct investments. The financial summit hosted by France seeks to establish a system that will be more responsive, just and inclusive. A system that will fight inequalities, finance the climate transition, biodiversity protection, and move closer to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). READ ALSO: Tinubu off to France to attend global summit A total of 39 heads of states from around the world are expected to be part of the summit. Several multilateral development banks including the World Bank, Africa Development Bank, European Union, African Union and the United Nations will also be present. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Fans of the now-cult classic The Devil Wears Prada can finally apply to their dream job, though for others it may be a nightmare. Anna Wintour is searching for the new Andy Sachs, the character played by Anne Hathaway in the film. The all-powerful fashion editor, currently global chief content officer at Conde Nast editorial group and editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine, wants to find her new right hand and assistant. The film, which stars Hathaway and Meryl Streep, is inspired by a book that an ex-assistant of Wintours wrote about her demanding work conditions. Once again, reality is stranger than fiction. Anyone who fulfills a list of requirements can enter the running to play a key role in the powerful editors life. According to the posted job listing, the chosen one will have to arrange the editors meetings, events and commitments, as well as supervising the communication with her New York office. Its not an easy job, but as the movie says, a million girls would kill for it. The job offer was published last week on the editorial groups website, where anyone can apply for the position. But what requirements must a candidate have to work hand-in-hand with one of the most recognized and influential fashion journalists in the world? As the listing explains, the applicant should be an extremely organized person, capable of multitasking in a fast-paced environment and with strong verbal communication, interpersonal and collaboration skills, as well as time-management skills (including the ability to juggle multiple tasks at once). Beyond the work requirements, the candidate will have to demonstrate confidence, enthusiasm and a can-do attitude balanced by humility and a willingness to learn. They must have a university degree and one to two years of work experience in the editorial, content or digital media industry. Whoever fulfills all the requirements will make between $60,000 and $80,000 a year, according to the candidates experience. This is a tremendous opportunity for an ambitious, business-savvy professional who is passionate about culture, fashion, digital media, and content, the offer says. Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep in an image from the movie The Devil Wears Prada (2006). Stephen Vaughn 2006 Twentieth C (Stephen Vaughn 2006 Twentieth C) The salary has been widely criticized on social media, given the demands of the job and the tasks involved. Though it may seem glamorous, numerous ex-assistants of Wintour have shared horror stories about working for her. Lauren Weisberger, who was her right hand between 1999 and 2000, wrote The Devil Wears Prada in 2003 about her experience, basing the character of Andy Sachs on herself. Almost 20 years later, history repeated itself. In a biography of Wintour published in 2022, titled Anna, an assistant alleged that the editor once forced her employees to remain seated at their desk, even if they needed to go to the bathroom, unless there was another assistant present. Though the work conditions, according to those who worked alongside her, are difficult, the new assistant wont have to know the difference between turquoise, lapis lazuli and cerulean, nor will they have to get an exclusive advanced copy of the seventh Harry Potter book, as occurs in the film. In addition to editing Vogue, Wintour also organizes the Met gala. She personally creates the guest list and chooses the industry professionals and public figures invited to one of the events of the year. But it is not a free invitation: each guest has to pay around $30,000 to confirm their attendance. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition A civil society group- Education Rights Campaign (ERC), has described as anti-masses the recently signed Access to Higher Education Act, otherwise known as Students Loan Act, by the Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu. Mr Tinubu appended his signature to the law which gives legal backing to the provision of loans for Nigerians who cannot afford higher education in the countrys public tertiary institutions. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) hailed the president for assenting to the bill which it said will help increase access to higher education. Condemnation ERC said the Act will shut the door of tertiary education against poor Nigerians. A statement signed by the Deputy National Coordinator and National Mobilisation Officer, Ogunjimi Isaac and Adaramoye Michael, respectively, noted that the Act is pro-capitalist and against the Nigerian masses. The statement said: We think those who have applauded the Act are either ignorant of the real consequences or they are anti-poor and pro-capitalist elements who do not believe that education ought to be an inalienable right and not a privilege. ERC described Act as a fraudulent piece of legislation that on the one hand claims to open access to higher education through students loans but on the other hand puts up innumerable restrictions and hurdles to ensure that only a fraction of poor and indigent students who need support actually gets this loan. The group said the Act is part of a ploy by the government to fully commercialise public education while legitimising the governments abdication of its role in funding public education. Call for rejection The group called on Nigerians to reject the law which it said is part of a plan to introduce tuition fees in public institutions. The group also called on the government to adequately fund public education and reverse the hike in fees across campuses in the country. We hereby call on all Nigerian students, parents, civil society organisations, education workers unions, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to reject the Student Loan Act and the plan to introduce tuition fee, it said. The group said the conditions listed in the Act are also stringent and do not necessarily cater for the needs of the indigent students it was supposed to cater for. For instance, the group said the law only provides loans to pay tuition which is only a fraction of expenses incurred by students. With most students staying outside the school campus, the ERC said the Act does not help indigent students, saying it does not provide loans to cater for the cost of living. The group also condemned the section of the student loan which prescribed that an applicants income or family income must be less than N500,000 per annum, describing it as unreasonable high qualification criteria. By virtue of the Minimum Wage Act 2019, the lowest paid worker in Nigeria is meant to take home nothing less than N30,000 per month. Now if you divide N500,000 by 12 calendar months, it will give you N42,000 as the maximum income the family of a beneficiary must have. By saying family, it is logically inferable that the Act means the salary of not one but both parents. Therefore by virtue of the Minimum Wage Act, the lowest family income of two parents should be nothing less than N60,000 on a monthly basis which would be N720,000 per annum an amount that is far above the threshold contemplated in the Act. What this means is that the children of the lowest-paid worker will not be able to access this loan. If low-paid workers do not qualify as poor in the wisdom of the drafters of this legislation then who exactly is poor in this country? What rationale did the drafters of this legislation use in determining the criteria for qualification? the statement added. ERC also said the condition that each applicant must provide at least two guarantors, each of whom must be a civil servant of at least level 12 in service, a lawyer with at least 10 years post-call experience, a judicial officer, or a justice of peace, will make it easier for a camel to pass through a needle than for an indigent student to secure the loan. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF) says about 61,000 children spread across the five South-east States have not received any vaccination. Cristian Munduate, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, gave the statistics at the ongoing First Quarterly Review Meeting of the South-East Zone Traditional Rulers Committee on PHC Delivery (SETRC) in Awka. The Federal Ministry of Health organised the review meeting in collaboration with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA). Mrs Munduate, represented by Juliet Chiluwe, UNICEF Chief Field Office Enugu, said that the situation was worse in Anambra and Imo, responsible for more than 30 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively. According to her, the percentage is relatively low. There are almost 61,000 children spread across the five states who have not received any vaccination in this time and age when the vaccines are freely available. This calls for emergency action on our part to ensure these children are located and vaccinated to ensure they thrive and live to achieve their maximum potential. Vaccines are available all year round in the health facilities. We need to mobilise families, including fathers, to ensure their children are vaccinated in line with the directive of health workers in our health facilities. This number must be reduced by at least 30 per cent before the end of the year through our concerted efforts, she said. Long way to go Mrs Munduate said Nigeria still has a long way to go toward achieving the well-being of women and children. She said that the rate of anaemia in pregnant women in the South-east states stood at an alarming range of 48 per cent to 61 per cent and needed to be urgently arrested and reversed. She also said that the practice of initiating breastfeeding within one hour of birth and maintaining exclusive breastfeeding for six months was observed to be very low in the South-east ranging from 13 per cent to 41 per cent. It is even declining in Imo, Abia, and Anambra. Statistics showed a higher downward trend of 13 per cent, 19 per cent and 24 per cent respectively. The role of exclusive breastfeeding in the reduction of infant deaths and accelerating growth of the baby, and benefits to the family, the community, and the nation cannot be overemphasised. If there is only one Sustainable Development Goals target that Nigeria can easily achieve, it is that of birth registration (SDG16. Indicator 9), but unfortunately, this is also declining in almost all the states. About 1.25 million children in the South-east are expected to be registered this year, but less than 10 per cent of this has been achieved so far, she said. Mrs Munduate said that all hands must be on deck to return to the good old-time practice, and it could be achieved through engagement with community leaders. She said that UNICEF would continue to work with traditional leaders to improve the uptake of antenatal and postnatal care, skilled birth attendance, and child immunisation at subnational levels. UNICEF values her collaboration with the Government of Nigeria to promote the well-being of the citizens of the country. Working with traditional leaders to address these issues discussed will help the zone and the country move towards the SDGs, she said. She urged traditional leaders to mobilise their people to demand service from the health facilities and hold the health authorities in their communities accountable for quality service delivery. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A witness for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has told the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja that results on all 110 BVAS machines he inspected were deleted. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine is an electronic device distributed across the over 176,000 polling units in the country by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the accreditation of voters during the 2023 general elections. The device was also designed to promptly upload photographic copies of result sheets to the INEC Results View (IReV) portal after result documentation at the polling units. Atiku disputed the results of the presidential election declared by INEC. He also rejected the results because of INECs failure to promptly upload the polling unit results of the election to IReV. In his petition that he filed at the Presidential Election Petition Court to challenge President Bola Tinubus victory, Atiku prayed that he be declared the winner instead. But he alternatively asked for an outright cancellation of the poll for a fresh one to be conducted. Hitler Nwala, who was subpoenaed to testify as an expert witness for the petitioners, said he inspected and analysed 110 BVAS machines used for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) election. The witness, led in evidence by the petitioners lead counsel, Chris Uche, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), described himself as a Digital Forensic Analyst. He said his analysis of the BVAS showed that their results were deleted but that he didnt know when the deletion was done. Cross-examination Under cross-examination by INECs lawyer, Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN, the witness said that he attached a standard exercise device to the machine to arrive at his conclusion. When asked if he had the authority of the commission to attach an external device to the BVAS machines, the witness answered in the affirmative. Mr Mahmoud further asked the witness if he was aware that inspecting only 110 machines out of 3,163 that were deployed in the FCT amounted to only 3.4 per cent of the total number of BVAS deployed in the FCT and 0.06 per cent of BVAS deployed nationwide. The witness told the court that he only compiled the report and didnt take time to calculate the percentages. The INEC counsel attempted to give a BVAS machine to the witness to check if the results on them were deleted, as he had said in his report. The witness, however, said that it would be against the ethics of his profession to collect the BVAS machine in open court to check it. It is professionally wrong to access a device that will be used as evidence in a court of competent jurisdiction because it will tamper with the evidence. We cannot access the device directly; what we do is extract the evidence and take it for analysis, he said. Moreover, the witness told the court that since all the devices had the same model and looked the same on the outside, he couldnt tell by merely looking at it if it was one of those he inspected. On his part, counsel for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lateef Fagbemi, also a SAN, told the witness that neither he nor his team members signed the six-volume forensic report. The witness, however, insisted that he signed the report and the certificate of compliance. On his part, counsel for President Tinubu, Wole Olanipekun, SAN, confronted the witness with a portion of his report where he said that from his inspection of the machines, nothing was intrinsically wrong with them. Were you in Abuja on the day of the presidential election? If you were not in Abuja, how can you know that there was nothing intrinsically wrong with the machines on the day of the election? the senior lawyer asked. The witness said he was not in Abuja, so he couldnt have known if something went wrong with the machines on election day. Exhibits tendered After the witness was discharged, the petitioners went further to tender Forms EC8A series from 20 local government areas of Ogun State, 17 local government areas of Ondo State, 27 local government areas of Jigawa State, and 20 local government areas of Rivers State. The five-member panel of the court led by Haruna Tsammani adjourned the hearing of the petition until Friday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that after the pre-hearing report, Atiku and the PDP are expected to close their case on Friday. NAN reports that they had asked for three weeks to present their case, which elapsed on Tuesday, but because they had lost three days, one being the June 12 Democracy Day public holiday, the court extended their time by three days. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has received 768 applications from journalists, academics, and technological experts to attend its inaugural, first of its kind West African Journalism Innovation Conference (WAJIC). #WAJIC23, which holds under the theme Accountability Journalism: Nurturing Innovation for a Sustainable Future, aims to explore the crucial intersection between accountability journalism and innovation in Africa. Artificial intelligence, particularly the recent breakthroughs in large language models (LLMs), has brought about a revolutionary transformation in our world. Its impact on jobs and democracies can be both positive and negative, depending on the steps adopted in guiding its development in the immediate future. In West Africa, the media plays a crucial role in addressing these concerns, yet it faces its own challenges in this rapidly changing landscape. To ensure its survival and contribute to democratic outcomes, WAJIC will convene media and other stakeholders to reassess its approaches to content production, distribution, and financial sustainability. Walter Conkrite once stated that Journalism is what we need to make democracy work. Journalism around the world however battles hydra-headed issues like declining public confidence in the media, a lack of newsroom independence, subpar media and new literacy, information disorder, and inadequate budget which are leading it to decline in the 21st century. READ ALSO: To respond to these challenges and better perform their functions, the CJID recognises the need for continual reinvention and innovation in the ways journalism is practised and why its business model must be driven by modern technology across the journalism value chain. These concerns for the health of journalism and democracy in sub saharan Africa spurred the CJID to bring together various experts and stakeholders to dialogue on exploring innovations, technological models, and tools that can fortify journalism practice. According to Dapo Olorunyomi, the CEO of the centre We will hold significant discussions with diverse viewpoints from around Africa in an effort to get to the bottom of the financial problems plaguing the continents journalism. We are eager to investigate teamwork and novel approaches that uphold the values of accuracy, truthfulness, verification, and unwavering commitment to the public good. CJID encourages the public to follow up on preparations and other crucial information concerning the conference on www.wajic.thecjid.org event. The centre is eager to make this one enormous move toward improving journalism in Africa and hope you would join us. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Vice President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria is committed to eradicating the variant poliovirus by the end of 2023. Mr Shettima gave this assurance at a Thursday meeting with the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Aliko Dangote Foundation at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The focus of the meeting was healthcare delivery in Nigeria. The vice president said the government was countering the conspiracy theories and ensuring every Nigerian child had access to quality primary healthcare. We are gathered here today because we do not wish to fail to respond to the deaths brought to us by a virus, and we can guarantee such a picture easily if the occupants of this room can promise to work with President Bola Tinubu and invest in this grand vision of a healthy nation. If we were not united in fighting the wild poliovirus, we would not have defeated it in 2016. This is why we are committed to eradicating the variant poliovirus before the end of this year and ensuring that every Nigerian child is covered in our routine immunisation campaigns. But to achieve this, we must identify the threats ahead of us; it is not yet Uhuru; it is not yet time to celebrate. Mr Shettima said that the pentavalent vaccine coverage had improved from 33 per cent in 2016 to 57 per cent in 2021. He said the stakeholders deserved commendation as the variant poliovirus had declined in Nigeria by 84 per cent from 2021, falling to less than 200 cases in 2022. Thanks to you, the states that achieved high category immunisation coverage, between 60 and 80 per cent of the target demographics, have expanded from 12 to 21 states in five years. We are well aware of the setbacks and what we must do to build a healthier nation. The growing integrity of the data collected by our field workers, some of whom lost their lives or were injured in the line of duty, has facilitated investments in our healthcare delivery system. I witnessed the sacrifices made by our field workers who dedicated their lives to promoting routine immunisation firsthand when I was the governor of Borno State. So, thank our generous guests here, our friends and allies; they stood with us even in the midst of conflict to ensure that children in partially accessible settlements were not forgotten, the vice president said. Mr Shettima applauded the governors of Borno, Zamfara, and Sokoto states for their efforts at addressing the core challenges. According to him, the virus is primarily restricted to the three states. I pretty glad that two of the governors are here with us, and they have shown that commitment, zeal, and passion of frontally addressing our challenges. So, this gathering is not only a celebration of our progressive synergy to end vaccine-preventable diseases and poverty; it is also a triumph over disinformation and scepticism that have plagued the campaign to build a healthier nation. We are not only fighting diseases but also countering the conspiracy theories of those committed to hijacking our interventions, our inspirations. I want to assure that the government recognises the pivotal role you have played in our collective role to offer our nation medical and nutritional support at no cost to them, Mr Shettima said. He said the government would not slow until it delivered its promise to eradicate the poliovirus by the end of 2023. The vice president reiterated the governments commitment to building a robust framework to ease access to vaccines and palliatives. We wont stop until we ensure that the resources deployed by our partners and our counterpart funding are disbursed for the intended purpose. We wont stop until we ensure that the children in our remotest villages have access to primary healthcare and nutrition like their peers in our cities, he said. On his part, Mr Dangote, chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, said his foundation had been partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for several years. He said the partnership supported eradicating polio and improving routine immunisation, nutrition and primary healthcare. Since Bills visit in 2018, we have supported the governments efforts on human capital development. We genuinely believe that the National Economic Council (NEC) and the decisions you will make together over the next four years will determine whether Nigeria has strong economic growth, keeps its citizens healthy and contributes to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve all that, as you begin to think about what topics to prioritise at the NEC and the Nigerian Governors Forum, I will like to call on all of you to put human capital development on top of your list, Mr Dangote said. Earlier in his remarks, Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said his foundation recently announced the intention to commit seven billion dollars to Africa in the next four years. He said the fund supported routine immunisation in Nigeria and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in Northern Nigeria. The NGF Chairman, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq of Kwara State, and other governors also spoke at the meeting. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerias electoral commission, INEC, is set to review the 2023 general elections. The spokesperson for the commission, Festus Okoye, said it resolved to conduct the review at a meeting on Thursday. INEC conducted the presidential and the National Assembly elections on 25 February and the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections on 18 March. It further conducted some supplementary elections on 15 April. The results of some of the elections are being challenged in court. Mr Okoye said the commission had held the review meetings after every general election since 2011. He said the 2023 general election review will focus on all aspects of the electoral activities before, during and after the polls. He added that the commission also welcomes actionable recommendations from stakeholders towards strengthening institutional capacity to discharge its responsibilities and enhance processes and procedures. Timetable Mr Okoye said the review would involve all of the commissions national and state-level officials and stakeholders to learn and chart the way forward. He said the exercise would commence with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) meeting on 4 July and end with a retreat on 5 August. At the state level, he said the internal review would involve the commissions regular and ad hoc staff, including RECs, the 774 Electoral Officers, Heads of Departments, Administrative Secretaries, some Presiding Officers, and Collation/Returning Officers. The external engagement will involve critical stakeholders such as political parties, security agencies, election observers, the media and service providers such as transporters that facilitated the movement of personnel and materials for the election. Detailed schedule of activities and timelines will be released immediately after the meeting with RECs on 4th July 2023. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print At the 21st inaugural lecture of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Taibat Lawanson of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning revealed that Lagos has over 157 slum communities deserving of attention. The professor of Urban Management and Governance, whose lecture is titled: Alternative Urbanisms: Beyond Utopian Visions of the Emerging African City, noted that the figure of the slums in Nigerias commercial capital city was recently profiled by the Committee on Slum Identification and panel by the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency and the Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation (NSISF). Mrs Lawanson recommended that with the situation of the slums, we must address the urbanisation of Lagos, looking at the alternative urbanism that has been created in these communities. She said: Alternative urbanism also showcases through the production of hybrid infrastructures, and here we are looking at how community-led practices enhance formal and informal linkages through co-production to address gaps in public service delivery. Reflecting Africa diversity Mrs Lawanson advocated a rethink of the urban development approach in Africa from the Western market-oriented one to an Afro-centric, human-centred one. She said: We must also recognise and leverage the transformative power of people-led practices for sustainable urban development. There is a need to recognise the agency in community-led urban development practices. The agency of everyday citizens manifests in urban adaptive practices that are authentic responses to environmental and economic shifts and are non-inferior in shaping our urban identity. In prioritising urban development interventions, there is a need to ensure that projects are fit for purpose and sustainable. Hence, the need to support the broad spectrum of meso, mega, mini, and micro scales. Project promoters should cut across government, public-private people partnerships as well as communities. Planning must also transcend the dichotomous thinking of formal-informal and explore opportunities in hybrid infrastructure and city building. Project selection should be evidence-based and people-endorsed, and sustainability plans must take into account the capacity of local communities to maintain infrastructure. She described urban planning as an effective tool that can address multi-sectoral development challenges and be deployed for achieving socioeconomic, political, and sustainable urbanisation goals. Therefore, there is a need for planners to understand the socio-spatial and political processes which shape the contexts and the recurring dynamics where their work is situated. The don also called for the dismantling of colonial urban planning and design policies which she noted do not reflect the present diversity of African people and places. She suggested building new alternatives that would ultimately transform African cities and public spaces to be truly African. Urban visioning in Africa In her remarks, the universitys Vice Chancellor, Folasade Ogunsola, commended the inaugural lecturer, noting that the presentation highlighted the need to revisit the African urban vision. She said the presentation reflected the important role of cities as places of dynamism, creativity, opportunity and vulnerability, and how African cities are trapped between primordial proclivities, colonial legacies and current aspirations for world-class status. She said: Professor Lawanson established the need to revisit urban visioning in Africa, as well as the fundamentals of African development dynamics, including development models, planning, education planning, practice, and knowledge production. Mrs Ogunsola, a professor of Medical Microbiology, added that the presentation highlighted how efforts to promote city competitiveness have resulted in urban spaces becoming increasingly expensive and gentrified. She deployed case studies drawn from her over 20 years journey as a hands-on scholar and concluded with recommendations that include envisioning an African urban future that promotes cities for all recognising and leveraging the transformative power of people-led practices for sustainable urban development, Mrs Ogunsola said. Contributions Highlighting some of her contributions to society, Mrs Lawanson said she had received 33 research grants, four of which were local from the University of Lagos Central Research Committee and the African cluster centre. She said: I have contributed to pedagogy development on early career advancement for African Urban Studies Scholars as the principal investigator for UNILAG on the UNILAG Urban Lab project, a trilateral DAD-funded SDG graduate school programme. And through this programme, we have been able to start this interdisciplinary masters programme in urban management, an interdisciplinary PhD programme in sustainable urbanisation. We have also instituted a postdoctoral training programme, and all these programmes come with scholarships. We have contributed to toolkit development to research our mobilities and organised two summer schools where African scholars can go to other African institutions to study and spend some time to enhance collaboration. About Mrs Lawanson The professor joined the services of UNILAG in April 2002 as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning and was promoted to Lecturer II in 2004, Lecturer I in 2008, Senior Lecturer in 2011 and Associate Professor in 2015. According to details on the UNILAG official website, Mrs Lawanson was appointed Professor of Urban Management and Governance in October 2019. She is a registered Town Planner and a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners. She is also a member of the International Society for City and Regional Planners and was Vice President of the African Planners Institute (2021 2022). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print You would be forgiven to think it was not a transition from one All Progressives Congress (APC) government to another. The scope, speed and extent of the changes from Tinubus inauguration on 29 May, make it look like a hostile takeover, the sort of thing one might have expected if the opposition had won the presidential election. Those familiar with road travel before fancy luxury buses and jeeps displaced wooden-back Bedford light trucks, famously called mammy wagons, might remember this ubiquitous message in cursive, bright colours scrawled on the rear and sometimes on the sides of trucks plying highways in Nigerias South-East: No condition is permanent. Im not quite sure what the motivation was. My guess is that it was a message of comfort to the despairing and a warning to those who take life too seriously: No condition is permanent. True in life as in politics, that message rang again this week with the wide-sweeping changes announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that could affect top appointees in up to 567 parastatals, government departments and agencies. You would be forgiven to think it was not a transition from one All Progressives Congress (APC) government to another. The scope, speed and extent of the changes from Tinubus inauguration on 29 May, make it look like a hostile takeover, the sort of thing one might have expected if the opposition had won the presidential election. No one is exactly sure of the number of persons that may have been affected by the changes announced this week. But even if allowance is made for a few parastatals whose CEOs may remain in place and will now report directly to the President, instead of the boards which have now been dissolved, we may be looking at over 3,000. That is, assuming that each of the roughly 570 affected establishments has a board of at least six members. Often, the figure is higher. Regardless, every job loss is different in its own way, both in how it affects those directly involved and those who depend on them. Each political appointee has a personal story not conveyed in the usual press headlines of how many have been beheaded, politically, and how many more heads may roll. Like sharks, the press loves the smell of blood, as long as it is not their own. It doesnt matter how prepared those fired may be, they never seem prepared enough when the hammer eventually falls. Its human nature. And those who take their place never fully learn the lesson of the message on the back of those South-East bound trucks until they, too, become victims. Imagine, for example, the response of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, when six years ago he was told of a statement by the Presidency announcing that he had been removed, as he emerged from a meeting in the Presidential Villa. Who is the Presidency?, Lawal asked State House reporters in a voice full of blessed self-assurance. Well, that was his last question as SGF. He found, to his shock and surprise, that no condition is permanent. He had indeed been removed with immediate effect, with barely enough time to gather his files. He should have learnt from the public encounter of the great Nnamdi Azikiwe with Dr Ukpabi Asika, who had been seconded by the military from the University of Ibadan to be civilian administrator of the East-Central State. Azikiwe had criticised Asikas administration and the administrator didnt like it at all. In the last 24 years of civilian rule, the experience of political appointees has been somewhat different. Perhaps former President Olusegun Obasanjo holds the record of the highest number of federal firings, especially after he retired scores of military officers who had been politically exposed, and followed up with public sector reforms that left even scores more out of jobs. He replied, mocking Azikiwe as ex-this, ex-that, and ex-everything else, adding that Azikiwe was just a politician craving relevance. Azikiwe, who had the gift of asking his adversaries to go to hell and still make them look forward to the trip, replied Asika that one day, he too, would be ex-administrator of the East-Central State, as Asikas father had also become ex-post master general of the post office in Onitsha, his hometown. The message on the back of the mammy wagon, he told Asika, is the inevitable story of every appointee: No condition is permanent. Leader of the APC and former governor of Osun State, Bisi Akande, among the lucky few who lived to tell his own story, recalled in My Participations how in 1984, after General Muhammadu Buharis military coup, fallen big men of yesterday wept like babies when soldiers descended on them, as was often the case during military rule. In the last 24 years of civilian rule, the experience of political appointees has been somewhat different. Perhaps former President Olusegun Obasanjo holds the record of the highest number of federal firings, especially after he retired scores of military officers who had been politically exposed, and followed up with public sector reforms that left even scores more out of jobs. Perhaps because Obasanjos successors between 2007 and 2015 were also from his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and also because of his longevity in office, no other PDP president after him retired or sacked as many political appointees as he did. Sixteen years after Obasanjo left office, Tinubu, a president from a rival party, appears ready to upend a record that once again reminds the public of the message on the back of the mammy wagon. Even Buhari, who took over the reins of power as president from the opposition and matched Obasanjos two-term four-year tenure, did not seem to have the amount of appetite for table-shaking that Tinubu has shown in less than one month in office. Apart from retaining the service chiefs he inherited from former President Goodluck Jonathan for nearly three months, for example, Buhari also retained the now suspended Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele, and a number of heads of MDAs first appointed by Jonathan. Of course, Buhari made some changes. But with a few exceptions, he seemed to make changes only at gunpoint. Which was neither necessarily strategic nor carefully thought out. There were cases where as a result of poor record-keeping, for example, appointees whose tenures were due escaped removal or where the president yielded to political pressure to extend the tenures of persons who had no business staying on. As for the dissolution of the boards and the removal of service chiefs, its a ritual of every new government. The problem, in Buharis case, was a frighteningly bizarre absentmindedness or perhaps indifference, that left vital positions, especially in the judiciary, unfilled; and overdue retirements unattended to or indulged by unwarranted extensions. Buharis 30-year absence from power, his nearly zero rigorous public activity after office, his narrow, clerically-biased social circle, and his introverted style, were major handicaps after his election as president. His poor health in his first term did not help matters also. Yet, not a few close to him said once he made appointments, he had a tendency to abdicate, rather than delegate, responsibilities, often letting some of his appointees run amok. That is partly why Tinubus actions in the last few weeks, especially the sackings this week, are looking like a hostile takeover. But they are not. A number of the decisions taken by Tinubu since he assumed office, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and unification of the exchange rate, were long overdue. Buhari ignored calls to act, even from a few within his inner circle, choosing instead to bury his head in chaos under a rubble of debt. As for the dissolution of the boards and the removal of service chiefs, its a ritual of every new government. The problem, in Buharis case, was a frighteningly bizarre absentmindedness or perhaps indifference, that left vital positions, especially in the judiciary, unfilled; and overdue retirements unattended to or indulged by unwarranted extensions. On the whole, under Buhari, it seemed, once appointments were made, all conditions were permanent! To be fair, accusations of nepotism against him during his first term were not entirely justified, at least up to December 2018. The data which I obtained from the Presidency at the time showed a distribution of 278 to 289 in the appointments of heads of parastatals and federal agencies between the South and the North, as a whole. Contrary to the trope of nepotism at the time, the North Central and South West had 102 and 101 appointments respectively. The story changed in Buharis second term. And now, the public is watching to see how Tinubu, who has started the difficult task of correcting the outrageous lopsidedness in Buharis second term, manages the process. Announcement of new policies and personnel changes, however crucial they may be, are only a form of signalling. The more difficult part would be what follows next, especially the institutional changes required to make public offices more responsive, less amenable to the whims of appointees and accountable, and service-driven. For now, I recommend the message on the back of the mammy wagon to both the incoming and outgoing appointees: No condition is permanent. Azu Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print I listened to Kcees interview on a Nigerian YouTube channel a few days ago, in which he and his interviewers celebrated the Ojapiano sound as potentially the new game in town. Kcee announced that he already has multiple recordings of the sound, which he will release as an album. He boasted that Ojapiano will chart a new trajectory in Nigerian and African music. In his new hit single Ojapiano, which is taking TikTok and the African music scene by storm, Kcee combines Amapiano (currently South Africas most popular music genre) and the sound of the traditional Igbo flute, the Oja. Amapiano uses log drums that produce a deep but less heavy bass, piano melodies, a touch of jazz and South African rhythms. A variant of the South African log drum also exists in West Africa. The Kailain, a traditional log drum of the Limba, is widely used in Sierra Leone. The sound of the log drum varies according to the size of the log, the width and length of the top slit, and where and how the log is struck. The Igbos Oja is made from bamboo or wood, and has a unique high pitched, melodic sound. When used in traditional ceremonies, it is combined with other instruments, such as drums, bells, rattles and gongs. It is easy to see why Nigerian musicians are increasingly incorporating the Amapiano sound in their music. The deep bass of the log drum in Amapiano shares a lot in common with the sound of the famous West African or Yoruba Dundun talking drum, which was historically used to send messages to distant places and, especially among the Yoruba, adorns music genres like Juju and Fuji. The Nigerian musician, Asake, whose music is highly popular among young people, combines Amapiano sound and the traditional Yoruba Fuji call-and-response style and crowd effects to create a melodic and irresistible sound. My son doesnt understand Yoruba but is a big fan and rates his music highly. I listened to Kcees interview on a Nigerian YouTube channel a few days ago, in which he and his interviewers celebrated the Ojapiano sound as potentially the new game in town. Kcee announced that he already has multiple recordings of the sound, which he will release as an album. He boasted that Ojapiano will chart a new trajectory in Nigerian and African music. Kcee is not a rookie in the Nigerian indeed African music industry. He rose to fame in the early 2010s with two smashing hits: Limpopo and Pull Over. It is clear, however, that he has a huge talent. His ambition to turn Ojapiano into a music genre, or at least a sub-genre, should be taken seriously. He has his work cut out. The current top dogs of Afrobeats Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Kizz Daniel, Ayra Starr, Asake, Yemi Alade, Rema and Ruger will face a serious challenge if Kcee runs with this new sound. I had relocated to Sierra Leone in 2013 when those two records hit the airwaves, nightclubs and dancehalls of Freetown. Every evening, for almost a year, I enjoyed the sweet melodies of those records on the balcony of our house, thanks to the wind conditions of the Lumley valley that allowed the sound to travel over a long distance from a popular nightclub in the neighbourhood. Kcee disappeared from the music scene (or at least failed to sustain his early success) after those two blockbusters. His Sweet Mary J single in 2020, which is a fusion of reggae and afrobeats, was underwhelming. It is clear, however, that he has a huge talent. His ambition to turn Ojapiano into a music genre, or at least a sub-genre, should be taken seriously. He has his work cut out. The current top dogs of Afrobeats Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Tiwa Savage, Kizz Daniel, Ayra Starr, Asake, Yemi Alade, Rema and Ruger will face a serious challenge if Kcee runs with this new sound. Unlike reggae, rock, R&B, country, jazz and blues, Afrobeats cannot be reduced to a single sound. An incredibly wide variety of sounds have been fused to create Afrobeats borrowing from the melodic style of R&B, jazz, Jamaican dancehall, Fuji, Highlife and other traditional beats. Will the new Ojapiano inspire other artists to push the frontiers of this great sound? Only time will tell. But one thing seems clear: traditional African music provides a rich reservoir of sounds that contemporary musicians can mine to further enrich the African music landscape. Anyone familiar with the music of Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido and Asake will agree that their sounds are very different, even though they are all lumped to together as Afrobeats. Burna Boy even prefers to describe his sound as Afro Fusion. And some of the music of Wizkid and Tems can pass as R&B. Tems Free Mind has enjoyed the Number 1 spot for 17 weeks on the US Billboards R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart. And Essence, performed by both Wizkid and Tems, reached the top 10 spot on the R&B/Hip Hop chart in 2021. The complexity of Afrobeats reminds me of a joke about how to define an elephant. When faced with this challenge, someone retorted that he didnt know how to define an elephant but could identify it if he saw one. Its the same for Afrobeats. I can identify an Afrobeats song if I listen to it but will struggle to define it. Creating a new music genre or sub-genre depends, however, on whether other artists can link up and aid the genres development. Asake, for instance, now has a competitor in Seyi Vibes in pushing his Fuji-influenced call-and-response Afrobeats sound. If more artists join them, their sound can become a sub-genre of Afrobeats or even an entirely separate genre, if it generates a large output and following. The crowd effects technique in Asakes music is now being used, even if sparingly, in many Afrobeats songs. Will the new Ojapiano inspire other artists to push the frontiers of this great sound? Only time will tell. But one thing seems clear: traditional African music provides a rich reservoir of sounds that contemporary musicians can mine to further enrich the African music landscape. Yusuf Bangura writes from Nyon, Switzerland. Email: Bangura.ym@gmail.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Although milk production has witnessed a significant leap from 229,000 tonnes in 1972 to 531,587 tonnes in 2021, representing a growth rate of 1.89 percent. According to reports, Nigerias milk market is projected to grow by 6.56 percent in the next five years resulting in a market volume of $27 billion in 2028. With the annual demand for fresh milk production in Nigeria hovering around 560,000 to 570,000 tonnes of milk, Nigerias demand for milk is estimated to be about 1.7 million tonnes per year, hence, the need for both local and foreign investment to bridge the demand gap cannot be overemphasised. About Arla Foods Arla Foods is a dairy company with around 8,400 farmer owners in seven Northern European countries. With a philosophy of producing natural, healthy, and high-quality dairy products which dates back to the 1880s when dairy farmers in Denmark and Sweden joined forces with one common goal to create and provide the best dairy products, Arla Foods, also maker of Dano Milk inaugurated its state-of-the-art dairy farm in Kaduna as part of the companys efforts to ensure sustainable milk production in Nigeria. Located in Damau village, Kubau Local Government Area, Kaduna State, the farm is a state-of the-art Danish designed dairy farm and the first of its kind in Nigeria and with it, Arla is creating the future of dairy in Nigeria. Designed to ensure optimum animal welfare and productivity, the farm will be a showcase for sustainable milk production in Nigeria. It covers 400 hectares of land, with the capacity to house 400 milking cows and 1,000 animals in total. Currently, the farm is home to 216 Danish Holstein cows, which arrived in May 2023 and are settling well into their new environment. State Governments Commitment The farm was commissioned last month by the immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Mr Nasir el- Rufai who described the dairy farm as a significant milestone and game-changer for the dairy sector in Nigeria. El-Rufai also extolled the management of Arla Foods for having faith and confidence in Nigeria and the Kaduna State Government especially at a time when the nation was experiencing harsh economic times. The former governor explained that the Arla Dairy Farm is another testament to the commitment of the Kaduna State Government to collaborating with private organisations and providing the enabling environment for businesses to set up and thrive in the state. He urged the incoming governor of the state, Senator Sani Uba, to continue to support Arla and other companies with investments in the state for economic prosperity. Investors Promises The Executive Vice President, Arla Foods International, Simon Stevens, described the completion of the farm as a massive achievement for Arla Foods in its journey in Nigeria and globally, noting that this success exemplifies the significance of solid partnership and the vast potential available in Nigeria. He disclosed that the project was conceived in line with the quest to achieve a number of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including 2, 8, 12 and 17. Mr Stevens said: This milestone symbolises what can be achieved with strong partnerships. We can see how the contribution of the Kaduna State Government, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, NGOs, the farming community, and many more have helped to deliver a big project. Im happy that many of my colleagues are celebrating this joyous occasion in Lagos and at the global headquarters in Denmark. And when you look around at these facilities, I hope you are filled with pride as I am. Besides, this achievement symbolises the massive potential we see in Nigeria and the exciting journey this country is on. We have been part of this journey for quite some time, and we are extremely committed to continuing to play a part and contribute to the development of the dairy industry, Stevens said. He added that the farm, delivered at an investment cost of over 10 million euros, would serve as a place of milk production and an epicentre of dairy farming knowledge. In his remarks, Danish Ambassador to Nigeria, Sune Krogstrup, noted that the project demonstrates Arla Foods commitment to boosting the local dairy segment of the agricultural value chain that would positively impact the economy of Kaduna State and contribute significantly to Nigerias GDP. On her part, the Head of Arla Foods West Africa, Mrs. Anna Mansson, noted that the commissioning of the project is a culmination of a series of events that began with the signing of a lease agreement with the Kaduna State Government in 2021, resulting in the securing of farmland and followed by construction work. Mansson also noted that the state-of-the-art dairy farm is the first of its kind in Nigeria, poised to define the future of dairy in Nigeria. Mansson noted that over 40 people would be directly employed at the farm, as this would serve as a means of livelihood to Nigerians, especially those within the Damau community of Kaduna state. She explained that the farm is expected to produce 1.6 million kg of milk in 2024, with a target of 4 million kg of milk annual production. Also speaking, Vice President of Finance for the International Zone, Arla Foods, Steen Futtrup stated that the official opening of the farm is a clear example of the companys commitment to Nigeria, saying that the company is optimistic that the farm would make a significant impact on the local dairy industry. Speaking on the features of the farm, The Managing Director, Arla Nigeria, Peder Pedersen, stated that the project, which covers 400 hectares of land with the capacity to house 400 milking cows and 1,000 animals, is designed to ensure optimum animal welfare and productivity. Pedersen noted that the farm is home to 216 Danish Holstein cows, which arrived a few days ago and are settling well into their new environment. According to him, the Holstein breed, known to have a higher yield per cow than local breeds, is expected to produce 5 million kg of milk per year at the farms full capacity. He stated that the farm has state-of-the-art technology that offers comfort for animals and helps a great deal in producing high-yielding milking cows. Stakeholders Commendation In his goodwill message, the Emir of Zazzau, Ahmed NuhuBamalli, noted that he is proud to be associated with such a massive investment as this would bring about economic transformation to the people of Kaduna State and beyond. I am happy to have witnessed many strategic investments in my domain over the last few years. This kind of investment Arla Farm, can only be found in other climes, but I am glad I am witnessing such in my reign.On this basis, I would like to say a big thank you to Arla Foods, and Kaduna State Governments management and staff for this investment, Bamalli said. The Managing Director of Kaduna Markets Management and Development Company, Tamar Nandul, stated that the agency is proud to be associated with Arla Foods and the value addition to Kaduna state investment. Nandul acknowledged that the farm is unarguably the most advanced single farm in Nigeria and noted that this project would go a long way to improve profitability for herders, revolutionize the states dairy value chain and bring about permanent solutions to the herder-farmer crisis. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Amazon was sued Wednesday by Federal Trade Commission for what it called a years-long effort to enroll consumers without consent into its Prime program and making it difficult for them to cancel their subscriptions. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the agency accused Amazon of using deceptive designs, known as dark patterns, to deceive consumers into enrolling in the program. It said the option to purchase items on Amazon without subscribing to Prime was more difficult in many cases. It also said that consumers were sometimes presented with a button to complete their transactions which didnt clearly state it would also enroll them into Prime. Internally, Amazon called the process Iliad, a reference to the ancient Greek poem about lengthy siege of Troy during the Trojan war. Company leaders slowed or rejected changes that made canceling the subscription easier, the complaint said. It argued those patterns were in violation of the FTC Act and another law called the Restore Online Shoppers Confidence Act. Launched in 2005, Prime has more than 200 million members worldwide who pay $139 a year, or $14.99 a month, for faster shipping and other perks, such as free delivery, returns and the streaming service Prime Video. In the first three months of this year, Amazon reported it made $9.6 billion from subscription, a 17% jump from the same period last year. In a news release announcing the lawsuit, the FTC said though its complaint is significantly redacted, it contains a number of allegations that backs up its accusations against Amazon. It also accused the company of attempting to hinder the agencys investigation into Prime, which began in 2021, in several instances. Amazon tricked and trapped people into recurring subscriptions without their consent, not only frustrating users but also costing them significant money, Khan said in a prepared statement. These manipulative tactics harm consumers and law-abiding businesses alike. Some anti-monopoly groups celebrated the lawsuit shortly after the FTCs announcement. The tech giant has faced other lawsuits accusing its Prime cancelation process of being too complicated. Under scrutiny from the agency, the company in March provided consumers with instructions on how to cancel their Prime memberships in a blog post. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Amazon has faced heighted regulatory scrutiny in recent years as it moved to expand its e-commerce dominance and dip its toes into other markets, including groceries and health care. The U.S. and Amazon have traded barbs for years over the investigation. Last year, Amazon accused the FTC of harassing its executives, including founder Jeff Bezos, as the agency sought to get the companys top brass to testify as part of the probe In 2021, Amazon asked unsuccessfully that Khan remove herself from separate antitrust investigations into its business, arguing that her public criticism of the companys market power before she joined the government makes it impossible for her to be impartial. Khan burst onto the antitrust scene in 2017 with her massive scholarly work as a Yale law student, Amazons Antitrust Paradox. The lawsuit follows another Amazon-related win by the agency just a few weeks ago. Earlier this month, Amazon agreed to pay a $25 million civil penalty to settle allegations it violated a child privacy law for storing kids voice and location data recorded by its popular Alexa voice assistant. It also agreed to pay $5.8 million in customer refunds for alleged privacy violations involving its doorbell camera Ring. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition At least six members of a vigilante group were killed on Tuesday night attack in Sambak, a community in Riyom Local Government of Plateau State. The spokesperson of the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Ishaku Sabastine, confirmed the incident on Wednesday. It was a diversionary attack because the information we got earlier was that the criminals were going to attack Tashek and Wereng to rustle cows (in Riyom); six lives were lost in Riyom. While narrating how the vigilantes were killed, the Publicity Secretary of Berom Youth Movement (BYM), Rwang Tengwong, told journalists that the victims who were on surveillance were suddenly waylaid by the gunmen. The gunmen first shot two of the vigilantes. So, when four of their colleagues went to evacuate them, they were also gunned down. This brings the total to six. Tuesdays attack continued the reprisal attacks between farming communities and herders in the state. On Monday, 22 people were reportedly killed in Barikin Ladi LGA. The spokesperson of the states police command who confirmed Mondays night attack called on the people of the state to always contact the police for any emergency information, saying that such an attempt will help the security to arrest the problem quickly. The state governor, Caleb Mutfuwang, has condemned the latest attacks and assured that the government would do everything possible to arrest the situation, calling an all and sundry in the state to remain calm. The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Musa Haladu, in charge of Zone 4, who visited the state, promised to inspect the security situation and pledged to work with the security agencies to ensure peace in the state. OPSH meets with communities In a bid to find a lasting solution to the resurgence of hostilities in some communities on the Plateau, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division Nigerian Army (NA) and Commander Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH), Abdulsalami Ibrahim, on Tuesday held a meeting with stakeholders from Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Governments. The meeting was held at the Headquarters of the unit in Jos, the capital of the state. Speaking at the meeting, the OPSH commander to the people of the state to be committed to peaceful co-existence. The OPSH commander noted that the root causes of the crises in Plateau that have lasted over 20 years must be identified and addressed holistically. He decried the rate at which human lives were being wasted over trivial issues that could have been resolved through dialogue. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Akwa Ibom State Government has given roadside traders one-month ultimatum to vacate the roads in the Uyo metropolis and return to approved markets. In a statement on Wednesday, the Secretary to the State Government, Enobong Uwah, said the activities of roadside traders in the state had created impediments to the free flow of traffic. The traders display their wares at junctions and roundabouts, causing serious risks of accidents, loss of lives, and other losses. The worst affected areas in the state capital include Ibom Plaza, Ikot Ekpene Road by the University of Uyo axis, Calabar-Itu Road by the Itam Market axis, and Ikot Oku Ikono flyover in Abak Road. READ ALSO: The state government said the traders vacating the roads would enable it to fix them and sustain the unbroken record as the cleanest city in Nigeria. Government has also directed the relevant security agencies and market leaders to collaborate and deal decisively with erring street traders, as sanity must be returned to our streets and culprits brought to book, the statement said. Gov Eno dissolves boards Meanwhile, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, has dissolved all state non-statutory boards, agencies, and commissions. The dissolution takes immediate effect, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Uwah, disclosed in another statement on Wednesday. Mr Uwah directed all the affected officials to hand over to the most senior civil servant in their respective departments. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The book provides a decade-by-decade look at each era's prominent Formica patterns and the stories behind their design. Tweet this Beginning with the company's origins as the Formica Insulation Company, a start-up focused on using new plastic laminate techniques for industrial and electrical applications, the book provides a decade-by-decade look at each era's prominent Formica patterns and the stories behind their design, driven by contemporaneous current events, cultural moments, technology advancements and evolving design aesthetics. "The research for this book made it clear just how much Formica's evolution has been a reflection of culture, particularly in the United States," said Meghan Howell, North American design and creative director at Formica Corporation. "We've designed the book to highlight our patterns over the years and the untold stories behind them from the designers to the economic, political and popular culture influences." The book was penned by Shawn Patrick Tubb, a licensed architect and historian who has a passion for mid-century modern historic preservation, with research support from Formica's design team and other current and former associates. The nearly-150-page book reflects a decade of work compiling the brand's history, including combing through Formica internal archives, searching decades-old magazines for Formica advertisements and even visits to the Smithsonian to study the Formica patterns that are a part of the institution's collection. With a storied past, Formica continues to evolve its offerings for residential and commercial spaces to meet current design preferences while still maintaining the same high performance the brand is known for. More recent additions to Formica Corporation's portfolio include Everform Solid Surface, Formica Writable Surfaces, DecoMetal Metal Laminates and the company's sister product line, FENIX Innovative Materials. For more information on Formica's 110th anniversary, visit Formica.com/110. To learn more about the book and inquire about receiving a copy, visit Formica.com. About Formica Corporation Founded in 1913, Formica Corporation, part of the Broadview Holding family of companies, is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products for commercial and residential applications. For more information about Formica Corporation, its products, special programs and promotions, visit www.formica.com or call 1-800-FORMICA. About Broadview Holding Based in 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands, Broadview is a holding company that pursues long-term growth and value creation through active support of its operating companies. Broadview's family of businesses covers two industry clusters: Energy and Material Technology. Broadview's Material Technology businesses include Arpa, Trespa, Formica Group, Westag, Homapal and Direct Online Services. With combined sales of EUR 1.2 billion and 6,000 employees, this cluster has a leading global position in the market for surface materials. Please Note: Formica, Everform, DecoMetal, and the Formica Anvil Logo are registered trademarks of The Diller Corporation. 1-800-FORMICA is a trademark of The Diller Corporation. All rights reserved. 2023 The Diller Corporation. FENIX is a registered trademark of ARPA Industriale S.P.A. Contact: Emma Mazour Carmichael Lynch Relate 612-375-8532 [email protected] SOURCE Formica Corporation Memorandum of Understanding Between Aviation Leaders Aims to Advance LanzaJet SAF Production Facilities and Support Commercial Aviation Decarbonization Policy and Goals CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LanzaJet, a leading sustainable fuels technology company and Airbus, a global leader in the aerospace, commercial aircraft, helicopter, defense, and space sectors, today announced they have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to address the needs of aviation through the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The agreement was signed by Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet and Julie Kitcher, EVP, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Airbus and announced during the Paris Air Show. The MOU establishes a relationship between LanzaJet and Airbus to advance the building of SAF facilities which will use the LanzaJet Process, a leading, proven, and proprietary Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) technology. This agreement also aims to accelerate the certification and adoption of 100% drop-in SAF which would eliminate the use of fossil fuels without necessitating any changes to existing aircraft or infrastructure. The aviation industry is responsible for approximately 2-3% of global carbon dioxide emissions, and SAF has been identified by airlines, governments, and energy leaders as one of the most immediate solutions to decarbonize aviation, together with the renewal of the fleets by latest generation aircraft and better operations. "SAF is the best near-term solution to reducing aviation emissions and this collaboration between LanzaJet and Airbus is an important step forward in the fight against climate change and enabling the global energy transition," said Jimmy Samartzis, CEO of LanzaJet. "We look forward to continuing our work with Airbus and further grow our joint impact across the globe." LanzaJet's proprietary ATJ technology uses low-carbon ethanol to create SAF that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70% percent compared to fossil fuels and can further decrease emissions with a suite of carbon reduction technologies. SAF produced through LanzaJet's ATJ technology is an approved drop-in fuel compatible with existing aircraft and infrastructure. "We are delighted to grow our partnership with LanzaJet, a leading company in the SAF production ecosystem. At Airbus we are committed to supporting SAF as a major lever in the reduction of CO2 emissions on the decarbonization roadmap," says Julie Kitcher, EVP, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at Airbus. "With LanzaJet as a trusted partner, we can support the acceleration of the Alcohol-to-Jet SAF production pathway and at scale. This collaboration will also explore technological developments to enable Airbus aircraft to be capable of flying up to 100% SAF before the end of the decade." The whole ecosystem is playing an essential role to ensure the increased uptake of SAF. Besides working on the technical aspects and concrete SAF projects, LanzaJet and Airbus will investigate business opportunities across the world with airlines and other stakeholders. ABOUT LANZAJET LanzaJet, Inc. is a leading sustainable fuels technology company dedicated to accelerating the energy transition by embracing the circular economy. As a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) technology provider and producer with patented alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology, LanzaJet is creating better opportunities for future generations by accelerating the deployment of SAF and other clean technologies critical to addressing the climate crisis and transforming the global economy. Further information is available at https://www.lanzajet.com/. ABOUT AIRBUS Airbus pioneers sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. The Company constantly innovates to provide the most efficient and technologically advanced solutions in aerospace, defense, and connected services. In commercial aircraft, Airbus offers the most modern and fuel-efficient airliners. Airbus is also a European leader in defense and security and one of the world's leading space businesses. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide. SOURCE LanzaJet NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OF SUCH JURISDICTION. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY AND IS NOT AN OFFER TO PURCHASE OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY SECURITIES. LYSAKER, Norway, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aker BP ASA (the "Company") announced today the early results of its previously announced tender offers for cash (the "Capped Tender Offers" and each a "Capped Tender Offer") of its 2.875% Senior Notes due 2026 (the "January 2026 Notes") and 2.000% Senior Notes due 2026 (with Lundin Energy Finance B.V. as original issuer) (the "July 2026 Notes", together with the January 2026 Notes, the "Capped Tender Offer Notes") in respect of tenders from registered holders of Capped Tender Offer Notes ("Holders") who validly tendered their Capped Tender Offer Notes on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, June 21, 2023 (the "Early Tender Date"). As of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 21, 2023 (the "Early Tender Date"), approximately $1.2 billion aggregate principal amount of Capped Tender Offer Notes were validly tendered and not validly withdrawn. The table below identifies the principal amount of each series of Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn: Acceptance Priority Level Title of Security CUSIP/ISIN Principal Amount Outstanding(1) Principal Amount Tendered(2) 1 Aker BP ASA 2.875% Senior Notes due 2026 (the "January 2026 Notes") 00973RAG8 / US00973RAG83 R0139KAC4/ USR0139KAC47 U.S.$500,000,000 $370,267,000 2 Aker BP ASA 2.000% Senior Notes due 2026 (the "July 2026 Notes") 55037AAA6 /US55037AAA60 N5369RAA7 /USN5369RAA79 U.S.$1,000,000,000 $850,487,000 Notes: (1) As at the commencement date of the Capped Tender Offers. (2) Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered on or before the Early Tender Date. The amount of each series of Capped Tender Offers accepted for purchase will be determined pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated June 7, 2023 (the "Offer to Purchase"). Capitalized terms used in this announcement but not defined herein have the meanings given to them in the Offer to Purchase. Capped Tender Offer Notes not accepted for purchase will be promptly credited to the account of the registered holder of such Capped Tender Offer Notes with The Depository Trust Company, as applicable, and otherwise returned in accordance with the Offer to Purchase. Holders of Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn on or before the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase will be eligible to receive the applicable Total Consideration (as defined in the Offer to Purchase), which includes an Early Tender Premium (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) of $50 per $1,000 principal amount of Capped Tender Offer Notes. The "Total Consideration" for each $1,000 principal amount of each series of Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase pursuant to the applicable Capped Tender Offer will be determined in the manner described in the Offer to Purchase by reference to the applicable fixed spread specified in the Offer to Purchase over the applicable yield based on the bid-side price of the applicable U.S. Treasury Reference Security specified in the Offer to Purchase at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on June 22, 2023 (the "Capped Tender Offers Price Determination Date"). In accordance with the terms of the Capped Tender Offers, the withdrawal deadline was 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 21, 2023. As a result, tendered Capped Tender Offer Notes may no longer be withdrawn, except in certain limited circumstances where additional withdrawal rights are required by law (as determined by the Company). The settlement date for the Capped Tender Offer Notes tendered on or prior to the Early Tender Date and accepted for purchase is expected to be June 23, 2023, unless extended by the Company (the "Capped Tender Offers Early Settlement Date"). Holders will also receive with respect to any Capped Tender Offer Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase accrued and unpaid interest on such Capped Tender Offer Notes from, and including, the last interest payment date applicable to such Capped Tender Offer Notes to, but not including, the Capped Tender Offers Early Settlement Date ("Accrued Interest"). DEALER MANAGERS Citigroup Global Markets Limited Citigroup Center Canada Square, Canary Wharf London, E14 5LB United Kingdom Attention: Liability Management Group Europe: +44 20 7986 8969 U.S. Toll-Free: +1 (800) 558 3745 U.S.: +1 (212) 723 6106 Email: [email protected] Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc. 1301 Avenue of the Americas, 8th Floor New York, New York 10019, United States of America Attention: Liability Management Tel (U.S. Toll Free): +1 (866) 807-6030 Email: [email protected] DNB Markets, Inc. 30 Hudson Yards, 81st Floor, New York, New York, 10001 United States of America Attention: Bond Sales Desk Tel: +1 212 681 3800 [email protected] ING Financial Markets LLC 1133 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10036 United States of America Attention: Liability Management U.S.: + 1 (646) 424 8972 Email: [email protected] J.P. Morgan Securities LLC 383 Madison Avenue New York, New York 10179 Attention: Liability Management Group Collect: +1 (212) 834-4045 Toll-Free: +1 (866) 834-4666 MUFG Securities Americas Inc. 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor New York, New York 10020 Attention: Liability Management U.S.: +1 (212) 405-7481 Toll-Free: +1 (877) 744-4532 Europe: +44 207 628 5555 / +33 1 70 91 42 55 Email: [email protected] THE INFORMATION AND TENDER AGENT D.F. King & Co., Inc. 48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor New York, New York 10005 Banks and brokers call: (212) 269-5550 All others call toll free: (800) 549-6864 Email: [email protected] The Offer to Purchase and any other relevant notice and documents with respect to the Capped Tender Offers are available at www.dfking.com/aker, operated by the Information and Tender Agent for the purpose of the Capped Tender Offers. OFFER RESTRICTIONS General This announcement is not an offer to purchase any Capped Tender Offer Notes or a solicitation of an offer to sell any Capped Tender Offer Notes. The Capped Tender Offers are being made solely by means of the Offer to Purchase. None of the Company, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent makes any recommendation as to whether Holders should tender any or all of their Capped Tender Offer Notes for payment pursuant to the Capped Tender Offers. The distribution of this announcement and the Offer to Purchase is restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement or the Offer to Purchase comes are required to inform themselves of and to observe any such restrictions. Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase constitutes, nor may they be used in connection with, an offer to buy Capped Tender Offer Notes or a solicitation to sell Capped Tender Offer Notes by anyone in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or solicitation is not authorized or in which the person making such an offer or solicitation is not qualified to do so or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make an offer or a solicitation. None of the Company, the Dealer Managers or the Information and Tender Agent accepts any responsibility for any violation by any person of the restrictions applicable in any jurisdiction. European Economic Area The Offers are not being made in any Member State of the European Economic Area, other than to persons who are "qualified investors" as defined in Regulation (EU) No 2017/1129 (as amended, the "Prospectus Regulation"), or in other circumstances falling within Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation. This EEA selling restriction is in addition to any other selling restrictions set out in the Offer to Purchase. United Kingdom The communication of this announcement by the Company and the Offer to Purchase and any other documents or materials relating to the Capped Tender Offers are not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the "FSMA"), as amended. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. The communication of such documents and/or materials as a financial promotion is only being made to those persons in the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order")), persons who are within Article 43(2) of the Order, persons who are qualified investors of the kind described in Article 49(2)(a) to (d) (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.), persons who otherwise fall within an exemption set forth in the Order such that section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply or any other persons to whom the Capped Tender Offers may otherwise lawfully be made under the Order and all other applicable securities laws. Italy None of the Capped Tender Offers, the Offer to Purchase or any other document or materials relating to the Capped Tender Offers have been or will be submitted to the clearance procedures of the Commissione Nazionale per le Societa e la Borsa ("CONSOB") pursuant to Italian laws and regulations. The Capped Tender Offers are being carried out in Italy as exempted offers pursuant to article 101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of the Legislative Decree No. 58 of 24 February 1998, as amended (the "Financial Services Act") and article 35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of 14 May 1999, as amended. Holders or beneficial owners of the Capped Tender Offer Notes that are located in Italy can tender Capped Tender Offer Notes for purchase in the Capped Tender Offers through authorized persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in the Republic of Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act, CONSOB Regulation No. 16190 of 29 October 2007, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of 1 September 1993, as amended) and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed by CONSOB or any other Italian authority. Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties vis-a-vis its clients in connection with the Capped Tender Offer Notes and/or the Capped Tender Offers. France The Capped Tender Offers are not being made, directly or indirectly, to the public in the Republic of France ("France"). Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase nor any other document or material relating to the Capped Tender Offers has been or shall be distributed to the public in France and only (i) providers of investment services relating to portfolio management for the account of third parties (personnes fournissant le service d'investissement de gestion de portefeuille pour compte de tiers) and/or (ii) qualified investors (investisseurs qualifies), acting for their own account, with the exception of individuals, within the meaning ascribed to them in, and in accordance with, Articles L.411-1, L.411-2 and D.411-1 of the French Code monetaire et financier, and applicable regulations thereunder, are eligible to participate in the Capped Tender Offers. This announcement, the Offer to Purchase and any other documents or offering materials relating to the Capped Tender Offers have not been and will not be submitted for clearance to nor approved by the Autorite des Marches Financiers. Belgium Neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase nor any other documents or materials relating to the Capped Tender Offers have been submitted to or will be submitted for approval or recognition to the Belgian Financial Services and Markets Authority (Autoriteit voor financiele diensten en markten / Autorite des services et marches financiers) and, accordingly, the Capped Tender Offers may not be made in Belgium by way of a public offering, as defined in Articles 3 and 6 of the Belgian Law of 1 April 2007 on public takeover bids as amended or replaced from time to time. Accordingly, the Capped Tender Offers may not be advertised and the Capped Tender Offers will not be extended, and neither this announcement nor the Offer to Purchase nor any other documents or materials relating to the Capped Tender Offers (including any memorandum, information circular, brochure or any similar documents) have been or shall be distributed or made available, directly or indirectly, to any person in Belgium other than "qualified investors" in the sense of Article 10 of the Belgian Law of 16 June 2006 on the public offer of placement instruments and the admission to trading of placement instruments on regulated markets, acting on their own account. Insofar as Belgium is concerned, this announcement and the Offer to Purchase have been issued only for the personal use of the above qualified investors and exclusively for the purpose of the Capped Tender Offers. Accordingly, the information contained in this announcement and the Offer to Purchase may not be used for any other purpose or disclosed to any other person in Belgium. Switzerland Neither this announcement, the Offer to Purchase nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the Capped Tender Offer Notes constitutes an offer or solicitation to purchase or invest in the Capped Tender Offer Notes described herein. The Capped Tender Offer Notes may not be publicly offered, sold or advertised, directly or indirectly, in, into or from Switzerland and will not be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange or on any other exchange or regulated trading facility in Switzerland. Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the Offer to Purchase or this announcement or the Capped Tender Offer Notes constitutes a prospectus or a key information document within the meaning of articles 35 and 58 of the Swiss Financial Services Act ("FinSA"), and neither this announcement, nor the Offer to Purchase nor any other offering or marketing material relating to the Offer to Purchase or the Capped Tender Offer Notes may be publicly distributed or otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland. In particular, none of this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or any other document produced in connection with this announcement, the Offer to Purchase or the Capped Tender Offer Notes have been or will be approved by a Swiss review body (Prospektprufstelle) according to article 52 FinSA, or by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA under the Swiss Collective Investment Schemes Act. Norway This announcement and the Offer to Purchase has not been and will not be filed with or approved by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority (Nw. Finanstilsynet), the Oslo Stock Exchange (Nw. Oslo brs) or any other regulatory authority in Norway. The Capped Tender Offer Notes have not been offered or sold and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly, in Norway, unless in compliance with Chapter 7 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act of June 29, 2007 No. 75 (Nw. verdipapirhandelloven) and secondary regulations issued pursuant thereto, as amended or replaced from time to time (the "Securities Trading Act"). Accordingly, this announcement and the Offer to Purchase may not be made available nor may the Capped Tender Offer Notes otherwise be marketed and offered for sale in Norway other than in circumstances that are deemed not to be a marketing of an offer to the public in Norway in accordance with the Securities Trading Act. SOURCE Aker BP ASA One of the boats participating in the search operation, photographed on Wednesday from a U.S. Coast Guard plane. HANDOUT (AFP) The race against the clock to rescue the crew of the small submersible that undertook a dive to the wreckage of the Titanic last Sunday in the waters of the North Atlantic has reached a critical point. The estimated survival time for the five occupants of the Titan mini-submarine theoretically expires at 6 a.m. on Thursday morning local time (12 p.m. CEST). The cabin, which is barely 6.5 meters in length, carried enough breathable air to last 96 hours. Rescue efforts were multiplied Wednesday despite the complexity of the operation, which is being carried out in an area of the Atlantic twice the size of Connecticut. Sounds detected by reconnaissance aircraft on Tuesday and Wednesday, including thumping noises, led to a refocusing and intensification of the search effort, although analysis of those signals was inconclusive, as was the activity of a remotely operated, or remotely controlled, vehicle. The U.S. Coast Guard, which is coordinating the operation from Boston, declined to comment Wednesday on when they might call off the search effort to rescue the five occupants of the mini-submarine Paul-Henry Nargeolet, a renowned Titanic expert; Hamish Harding, a world-record holding adventurer; Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, two members of one of Pakistans wealthiest families, and Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, the company that operates the Titan. While a search and rescue operation is underway there is hope, said Coast Guard spokesman Captain Jamie Frederick. The search for the Titan was concentrated in the area where the sounds were detected. Captain Frederick confirmed that although experts were unable to say with certainty what the noises meant, they were not giving up hope of finding the craft and rescuing its occupants. The search and rescue operation was expanded Wednesday, with the addition of vessels from Canada, the United States, Norway and France, and specialists from the U.S. Navy and the British Royal Navy. In total 10 vessels, supported by three U.S. Army C-130 aircraft, combed an area of 20,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles), roughly equivalent to the size of El Salvador, to a depth of nearly four kilometers (2.5 miles), while airplanes scanned the area for any visible or invisible traces of the Titan. OceanGate has faced criticism over the the current experimental approach of the company from within the submersible vehicle sector, with 30 representatives warning of problems ranging from minor to catastrophic in a letter obtained by The New York Times. The company has flatly rejected the definition of its expeditions as extreme tourism for wealthy clients. OceanGate made two trips to the remains of the Titanic in 2021 and 2022, describing the dive an extreme scientific excursion. Passengers are charged around $250,000 per trip. Weather conditions, which had provided a respite on Tuesday, worsened early Wednesday afternoon through midnight as a storm front passed through the area, adding to the complexity of the rescue operation. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the search area has been battered by waves of two to three meters high and winds gusting up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) per hour. If the five crew members are still alive - excluding scenarios such as a fire or a flood on board - they are surviving in extreme living conditions: there are no seats in the titanium and carbon fiber cylinder and only a single 21-inch window. Not much more is required for the short planned voyage, which like the two previous expeditions was scheduled to last around 10 hours including the descent, a two-and-a-half-hour exploration around the wreckage of the Titanic at a depth of 4,000 meters, and the ascent back to the surface. If the Titan is located intact, rescuers will face a significant challenge to raise it given the weight of the submersible. A very long consent document Mike Reiss, a writer and producer who made the trip last year, said that before embarking on the dive passengers must sign a very long consent document that mentions the possibility of death three times on the first page alone. David Pogue, a CBS journalist and former technology columnist for The New York Times, who has also traveled on the Titan, described the interior as the size of a minivan. The submersible carried sandwiches and water for the voyage. A rudimentary toilet separated by a curtain from the cylindrical cabin where passengers are forced to sit cross-legged, unable to stand or move, completes the ships meager facilities. With no radio or GPS, it is piloted with a barely modified video game controller. Assuming the Titan remains intact, oxygen supply and the period of habitability inside the vessel are not quantifiable values. Several variables could help prolong survival time, according to David Cornfield, a pulmonologist at Stanford University, as quoted in The New York Times. If passengers remain calm and regulate their breathing, they could gain 10% of additional time, or about nine hours, the specialist said. The level of carbon dioxide, an invisible gas exhaled when breathing, also affects survival time. The greater the accumulation of carbon dioxide, the more likely it is that the passengers will become lethargic and lose consciousness. According to some unconfirmed reports, the Titan was equipped with a scrubber, or filter, to expel excess carbon dioxide. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition CAMBRIDGE, England, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Alchemab Therapeutics, an antibody discovery company identifying naturally occurring antibodies from individuals resilient to disease, today announced that it unveiled data on ATLX-1088, its newly-discovered preclinical Alzheimer's candidate, at the Antibody Industrial Symposium in Tours, France, 22-23 June 2023. ATLX-1088 is a potential first-in-class human antibody targeting CD33, a cell surface protein which is thought to have a key role in Alzheimer's disease. Studies have found that higher expression of CD33 is associated with more advanced cognitive decline and worsening disease status as high levels of CD33 inhibit normal function of brain-resident immune cells called microglia, which maintain neural networks and repair damage. After identifying common antibodies unique to individuals resilient to Alzheimer's disease, Alchemab identified the target as CD33. By starting with the body's response to disease, as opposed to the target itself, Alchemab's platform inverts the traditional 'target-led' drug discovery process. In effect, the immune system is used as a search function to identify the most important disease modifying targets. An additional benefit of this approach is that the disease modifying antibody has been naturally optimized by the immune system which can lead to potential beneficial properties from a therapeutic perspective. Young Kwon, Chief Executive Officer of Alchemab, said: "Alchemab's unique approach to antibody research has led to the discovery of ATLX-1088, which we hope could be a new therapy for Alzheimer's. While there's been progress in the Alzheimer's field in the last few years, there's still a tremendous need for more and better therapies, and we hope ATLX-1088 could be an important treatment option given its broad effect on microglial cell function." Alchemab's CD33 binding antibody has a novel mechanism of action, which, together with the data presented today, suggests a favorable pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile. This could lead to a potent drug with fewer side effects. Data presented at the symposium shows ATLX-1088 results in a significant increase in the phagocytosis or removal of the toxic protein amyloid beta by microglia which may help to restore healthy brain cell function. Jane Osbourn, Chief Scientific Officer of Alchemab, said: "This is the first time we have revealed data from this exciting drug candidate targeting CD33. There's strong evidence to show that knocking out CD33 results in lower amyloid-beta levels and reduction in amyloid plaque burden in the brain. We believe that ATLX-1088 could be an important step forward in treatment, potentially bringing a much needed new therapy to patients with this debilitating disease." Presentation Title: Antibodies from Resilient Individuals: A novel approach for Antibody Drug Discovery Presenter: Sandrine Legg, Director of Phenotypic Screening, Alchemab Therapeutics Date and Time: Thursday 22 June 2023, 14:00 CEST About Alchemab Alchemab studies the unique antibody response of resilient individuals to develop drugs based on naturally derived antibodies to prevalent, hard-to-treat diseases which do not have disease modifying therapies. Alchemab's platform integrates data mining of patient-derived immune responses with the latest, multi-disciplinary drug discovery approaches to understand what keeps people well. The goal is to unlock nature's engineering and harness the incredible human immune system to find breakthrough drugs. Alchemab's highly experienced team has broad expertise and capabilities across discovery and development. Through collaborations with world class institutions, Alchemab taps into large ecosystems and millions of patient samples which it analyzes using advanced computational approaches. Alchemab is headquartered in London, UK with labs in Cambridge, UK and Boston, US. For more information, visit www.alchemab.co.uk. SOURCE Alchemab Therapeutics KANSAS CITY, Mo., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- American Century Investments Multi-Asset Strategies Chief Investment Officer Rich Weiss was recognized by LGBT Great as one of its Top 50 Executive Allies. LGBT Great is an LGBTQ+ membership community for the financial services industry and annually recognizes and celebrates leaders for their allyship towards under-represented communities in financial services. Rich Weiss, Chief Investment Officer, Multi-Asset Strategies, American Century Investments "Rich is a strong figure within our firm," said Victor Zhang, chief investment officer. "His willingness to speak up for those who are under-represented and spearhead efforts to educate and initiate change exemplifies his commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued." Weiss, who has been with the firm since 2010, is an executive sponsor of the Pride business resource group (BRG), which represents members of the LGBTQ+ community and their colleagues, family members and friends and fosters an inclusive environment to ensure LGBTQ+ employees feel safe, welcome and valued in the workplace. As an executive sponsor of the Pride BRG, Weiss has encouraged companywide conversations about the importance of allyship and how to become a more active ally of the LGBTQ+ community. "I am honored to be recognized as a top executive ally by LGBT Great," said Weiss. "Everyone deserves to feel valued in the workplace and strong allies help us create an environment where employees can be their authentic selves. Business resource groups, like Pride, create a space for people to learn and grow as allies through important conversations. I am proud to be an ally for the LGBTQ+ community and grateful to be part of an organization that acknowledges the importance of strong allyship." Weiss joined American Century Investments in 2010 as the Multi-Asset Strategies chief investment officer. He oversees the team that manages the firm's multi-asset strategies, including One Choice (Target Risk and Target Date) Portfolios, Strategic Allocation and investments offered in the Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program. Weiss is also a member of the American Century Investments Asset Allocation Committee, which is responsible for establishing investment policy and reviewing investment decisions for all the firm's multi-asset products. He is a trusted voice in the media and has been featured on CNBC, Bloomberg Television, Fox Business and Bloomberg Radio. American Century Investments Employee Experience Consultant Kristin Overman was also recognized by LGBT Great earlier this year. She was awarded the LGBT Great 1000 Role Model award, which spotlights 1000 LGBTQ+ and supportive allies working within the financial services industry. Overman joined American Century Investments in 1991 and is an active member of the Pride BRG. About LGBT Great Founded in 2018, LGBT Great is the LGBT+ membership community for the financial services industry. They develop valuable insights, visibility and outreach initiatives and empower people and organizations to thrive. The LGBT Great global member platform connects our global members and provides a safe space for LGBT+ people and their allies to network and learn. About American Century Investments American Century Investments is a leading global asset manager focused on delivering investment results and building long-term client relationships while supporting breakthrough medical research. Founded in 1958, American Century Investments' 1,400 employees serve financial professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors from offices in New York; London; Frankfurt; Hong Kong; Sydney; Santa Clara, Calif.; and Kansas City, Mo. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer, and Victor Zhang serves as chief investment officer. Delivering investment results to clients enables American Century Investments to distribute over 40% of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a 500-person, nonprofit basic biomedical research organization. The Institute owns more than 40% of American Century Investments and has received dividend payments of $1.87 billion since 2000. For more information about American Century Investments, visit www.americancentury.com. You should consider the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before you invest. The fund's prospectus or summary prospectus, which can be obtained by visiting americancentury.com, contains this and other information about the fund, and should be read carefully before investing. American Century Investment Services, Inc., Distributor. 4500 Main Street Kansas City, MO 64111 2023 American Century Proprietary Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: Nicole Glenna (646) 658-7718 SOURCE American Century Investments The company will use Amogy's ammonia-to-power system on a newbuild vessel for zero emissions sailing in 2025. STAVANGER, Norway, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amogy Inc ., a pioneer of emission-free, energy-dense ammonia power solutions, and an undisclosed renowned Norwegian shipping company, have entered into a pre-order contract to supply four of Amogy's 200 kW ammonia-to-power systems. The newbuild vessel will be outfitted with a total of 800 kW of Amogy powerpacks. The Amogy integrated system will provide the primary power for the vessel with zero-emissions operations. Amogy's highly efficient ammonia-to-power technology feeds liquid ammonia through its cracking modules integrated into a hybrid fuel cell system, which powers the electric motors. Amogy powerpack rendering Managing Director of Amogy Norway, Christian W. Berg, shared his excitement about reaching this milestone. "We are very proud that this prominent shipowner believes in our technology and sees it as the most viable solution for decarbonizing their newbuild vessel," said Berg. "This is a major milestone on our road to commercialization, and I believe it will serve as an inspiration for other shipowners to follow." Amogy, a Brooklyn, New York based startup with operations in Houston, Texas and Stavanger, Norway, recently announced the conclusion of its $150M total Series B fundraising. The round will enable Amogy to continue its organizational development to support commercialization. Prior to commercialization, Amogy plans to present the first zero-emission, ammonia-powered vessel in late 2023. Amogy Norway is composed of a team of seven maritime professionals with extensive experience in the shipping industry. To learn more about Amogy and its technology, please visit www.amogy.co . About Amogy Amogy offers ammonia-based, emission-free, high energy-density power solutions to decarbonize transportation for a sustainable future. Founded in 2020 by four MIT PhD alumni with a shared vision, Amogy aims to enable the decarbonization of the heavy-duty transportation sector, accelerating the global journey towards Net Zero 2050. The company's investors include Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund, AP Ventures, SK, Saudi Aramco and DCVC. To date, Amogy's scalable ammonia-powered, zero-emissions energy system has been demonstrated with success in a drone, heavy-duty tractor, and semi-truck. More info at: www.amogy.co Media Inquiries: [email protected] SOURCE Amogy OPO Leaders Elected to Champion Organ Donation Mission MCLEAN, Va., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) announced the appointment of its new President and the newly-elected members of the 2023-2024 Board of Directors, whose terms will commence immediately. Colleen McCarthy, Vice President of Organ and Tissue Donation at Versiti, has been appointed as the incoming President of AOPO. As President, McCarthy will serve as the organization's spokesperson and chair the Board of Directors. Her primary focus will be to foster collaboration within the community and among stakeholders to advance data sharing, system-wide improvement, and equity in organ donation and transplantation aligning with AOPO's efforts to achieve 50,000 annual organ transplants in 2026. "It's crucial for us to stand united and unwavering in our resolve to save lives," says Colleen McCarthy, AOPO President Tweet this "I am fully committed to the mission of organ donation and transplantation and firmly believe that, as AOPO President, I can bring about meaningful change," said Colleen McCarthy. "Our focus will remain on maximizing organ utilization and fostering innovation. Given the numerous transformations taking place within our system, it is crucial for us to stand united and unwavering in our resolve to save lives." McCarthy brings more than 20 years of extensive organ donation sector experience to the role. Her dedication to the cause was sparked by caring for her first organ donor as a former critical care nurse. In her role at Versiti Wisconsin, she is responsible for the performance of both the tissue bank and organ procurement organization (OPO). McCarthy demonstrates exceptional leadership in implementing strategic plans and driving improvement initiatives. Dorrie Dils, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gift of Life Michigan, has been elected as the AOPO President-Elect. In this capacity, she will lead the strategic planning process, collaborate with AOPO committees and advocate for issues impacting the organ donation and transplantation system on a national level. She will serve as the AOPO President on the 2024-25 Board of Directors. Dils began her career as a nurse in a Level I trauma intensive care unit and later transitioned to organ donation in 1991. She has made significant contributions in the field, having served on the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) OPO and Thoracic Committees. Starting in July 2023, she will be a representative on the Transplant Administrators Committee. Dils also holds the position of vice-chair for the University of Toledo Donation and Transplant Sciences program and is a faculty member on the HRSA End Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices Learning Collaborative. She has previously chaired the AOPO Ethics Committee and currently serves as vice-chair of their Advocacy Committee. Additionally, AOPO welcomes new Board members Clint Hostetler, Chief Operating Officer at LifeShare of Oklahoma, as an At Large Member, and Stephanie Pouch, MD, MS, FAST, Assistant Medical Director, LifeLink of Georgia, as the Medial Advisor-Elect. AOPO extends its sincere gratitude to departing Board members Jan Finn, Midwest Transplant Network (Immediate Past President); Marty Sellers, Tennessee Donor Services (Medical Advisor); and Kyle Herber, LiveOn Nebraska (At Large Member) for their dedicated service and significant contributions to the organization. The full AOPO 2023-24 Board of Directors includes: President: Colleen McCarthy, Vice President of Organ and Tissue Donation, Versiti Wisconsin President-Elect: Dorrie Dils, President and CEO, Gift of Life Michigan Immediate Past President: Barry Massa, Executive Director, LifeCenter Organ Donor Network Secretary/Treasurer: Tasha Flowers, CPA, CGMA, Chief Finance Operations Officer, ARORA Medical Advisor: Luke Y Shen, Medical Director, Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (TOSA) Medical Advisor-Elect: Stephanie Pouch, MD, MS, FAST, Assistant Medical Director, LifeLink of Georgia At-Large Member: Jennifer Prinz, President and CEO, Donor Alliance At-Large Member: Clint Hostetler, COO, LifeShare of Oklahoma OPO Population Group #1: Wayne Dunlap, Executive Director, New Mexico Donor Services OPO Population Group #2: Sarah Fewell, Chief Clinical Officer, Iowa Donor Network OPO Population Group #3: Kurt Shutterly, COO, Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) OPO Population Group #4: Rick Hasz, President & CEO, Gift of Life Donor Program The Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) is the not-for-profit trade association that leads 48 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) across the United States. These OPOs are federally designated entities tasked with facilitating organ donation authorization, recovery, and distribution to enhance and save lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation. AOPO was established in 1984 with the objective of advancing organ donation and transplantation. They achieve this by continuously improving the donation process, fostering collaboration with system stakeholders, and sharing successful practices among their OPO members. AOPO envisions a future where every opportunity for donation results in lives saved. For more information, please visit their website at www.aopo.org. Contact Information: Jenny Daigle | [email protected] SOURCE Association of Organ Procurement Organizations Executive additions and operational enhancements support the company's significant growth and demand for its solutions and services. MIAMI, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ArisGlobal today announces key evolution of its executive team and global operating model; changes that reflect the growth needs of the leading provider of life sciences SaaS solutions. Executive team appointments focused on methodical, scaled growth ArisGlobal Logo (PRNewsfoto/ArisGlobal) The executive leadership team will welcome two new members, each bringing proven track records of delivering business value and developing robust enterprise capabilities. The selection of these individuals demonstrates a strong commitment from ArisGlobal to growing a high-performing, competitive, and data-driven business. Glenn Renzulli joins as Chief Financial Officer and brings over 15 years of executive leadership experience in scaling and supporting software and services businesses. Prior to joining ArisGlobal, Glenn was the CFO of Paya where he helped lead the team through a public listing and an eventual sale to Nuvei Corporation. Glenn, who will join ArisGlobal June 29, 2023, will be responsible for all global Finance functions. Later this summer, Ann-Marie Orange will round out the leadership team as Chief Technology Officer. Bringing over 25 years of experience in senior technology roles across several sectors and geographies, including her recent 8+ year tenure at TransUnion as the CIO for Europe, Ann-Marie will be responsible for technology strategy, architecture, and product development. Upon joining, Ann-Marie brings ArisGlobal's women in C-suite positions to 33%, supporting the organization's dedication towards women in leadership. "I'm excited to welcome both Glenn and Ann-Marie to ArisGlobal," shares Mike Gordon, Chief Executive Officer, ArisGlobal. "Our organization is in a period of unprecedented growth, and I am excited to build on our momentum by adding these two high caliber executives to the ArisGlobal team. Ann-Marie and Glenn are not only elite professionals bringing fresh perspectives in their respective areas of expertise, but they have experience in leading their functions at organizations in similar stages of hyper-growth which will help ensure our readiness to scale." A new operational approach to centers of excellence in India Additionally, ArisGlobal announces the introduction of a new, strategic organizational structure in India and operating model for its offices in Bangalore and Mysore. Effective immediately, the India COEs will be managed by an Operating Council with members from across all functions. The Council will be headed by Hemant Aggarwal, who currently serves as ArisGlobal's Senior Vice President of Service Delivery. "Our teams in India have long been and remain critical to the success of ArisGlobal," shares Russ Schreiber, Chief Operating Officer, ArisGlobal. "In the past, we looked at India as the key location in our company's origin story. Now, we've evolved our global strategic operating model to see Mysore (with a new office campus opening later in 2023) and Bangalore as vital, robust Centers of Excellence supporting our global growth and productivity ambitions." These appointments and evolutions build on significant expansion, acquisitions, and investments the company has recently made to meet and exceed growing demand for its industry-leading software solutions, including the recent announcement of Chief Marketing Officer Julie Springer, and the acquisitions of Amplexor Life Sciences and SPORIFY . About ArisGlobal: ArisGlobal is the creator of LifeSphere, a market leader in global drug development technology solutions that is transforming the way today's most successful life sciences companies develop breakthroughs and bring new products to market. Headquartered in the United States, ArisGlobal has regional offices in Europe, India, Japan and China. For more updates, follow ArisGlobal on LinkedIn. www.arisglobal.com . SOURCE ArisGlobal Mountain Radiance medical spa in Asheville, North Carolina has launched a website that allows potential clients to browse available skin treatments based on concerns, such as wrinkles or under-eye bags ASHEVILLE, N.C., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mountain Radiance, a physician-led medical spa in Asheville, North Carolina, has launched a new website that gives the public the ability to browse by "skin concerns," such as acne scarring or neck lines, and thereby learn which medical aesthetic treatments can address them. Medical Director Dr. Mark Chandler demonstrates a Botox technique with medical injectors Sarah Hefner, RN, BSN and Christina Calott, PA-C. Mountain Radiance medical spa in Asheville, North Carolina has launched a website that allows potential clients to browse available treatments based on skin concerns, such as wrinkles or under-eye bags. "We've created a website that is not only easy to navigate, but also puts patients' self-described goals at the forefront," said Dr. Mark Chandler, Medical Director and Injector at the Asheville medical spa . "Patients researching medical spas understand that getting results relies on your provider fully understanding your skincare needs and concerns. We want to help visitors understand the many ways we can help even before they arrive at our physical location in Asheville." On the practice's new Skin Concerns page, patients can browse an array of issues to find their potential solutions, such as: Wrinkles : Botox, Juvederm fillers, Sculptra : Botox, Juvederm fillers, Sculptra Acne scarring : Laser skin rejuvenation, chemical peels, ProCell microchanneling, SkinMedica skincare : Laser skin rejuvenation, chemical peels, ProCell microchanneling, SkinMedica skincare Stretch marks : ProCell Microchanneling : ProCell Microchanneling Dark spots : Chemical peels, Laser skin rejuvenation, SkinMedica Even & Correct skincare : Chemical peels, Laser skin rejuvenation, SkinMedica Even & Correct skincare Spider veins : Laser treatment : Laser treatment Excessive sweating : Botox : Botox Unwanted hair: Laser hair removal In addition to launching a new site with the Skin Concerns feature, the practice recently introduced two new treatments: Upneeq, a once-daily prescription eye drop for drooping eyelids, and Sculptra, a long-lasting dermal filler that adds significant volume to address deep wrinkles and volume loss. As a physician-led medical spa, Mountain Radiance offers advanced, proven skincare treatments administered by trained staff with deep knowledge of non-surgical cosmetic medicine. The injectables they provide, including neurotoxins like Botox and fillers such as Juvederm, are FDA-approved. Additionally, the facials and skin treatments offered at Mountain Radiance are a step above standard spa options, using concentrated, physician-only levels of active ingredients and special techniques like microchanneling for transformative results. "The cosmetic medical treatments available at Mountain Radiance far exceed that of a day spa," explains Lauren Chandler, Practice Director who also is a Medical Assistant and Massage Therapist. "We are eager to work with patients in a holistic manner, learning what concerns brought them to us and offering tailored non-surgical treatment plans that will deliver visible change. Patients tell us our welcoming environment and warm staff also make receiving treatment a joy!" About Mountain Radiance: Owned and operated by Dr. Mark Chandler, Mountain Radiance is an upscale medical spa in Asheville, North Carolina offering injectable Botox and filler, laser treatments, professional facials, massage therapy, and more. Mountain Radiance is located at 7 Yorkshire St Ste 102, Asheville, NC 28803. For more information, visit www.mountainradiance.com . Media contact: Dr. Mark Chandler, (828) 627-2711 SOURCE Mountain Radiance The programs at UCLA, University of Michigan and University of Washington enhance students' real-world clinical education while increasing access to quality care for patients CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Washington is the most recent university to tap doctors in the Aspen Dental network to serve as adjunct faculty and mentoring clinicians in its clinical externship rotation for the fall 2023 semester. These clinicians join 12 other Aspen Dental practice owners that serve as preceptors and adjunct faculty in clinical externship programs at other top universities including the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Michigan. Aspen Dental first joined the University of California, Los Angeless externship program in 2018, when they piloted their program. Today, students in their fourth year complete at least six weeks of rotations at six different practice models. Connections within the program introduced Aspen Dental to the University of Michigans program, where students are completing similar rotations, and later this fall, University of Washing students will have the same opportunity. Aspen Dental first joined the University of California, Los Angeles's externship program in 2018, when they piloted their program. A select group of dental students had the opportunity to complete a two-week community rotation. Today, students in their fourth year complete at least six weeks of rotations at six different practice models, with Aspen Dental representing the dental support organization model. Connections within the program introduced Aspen Dental to the University of Michigan's program, where students are completing similar rotations, and later this fall, University of Washington students will have the same opportunity. "The vision of the ongoing collaboration with university externship programs is to inspire students to develop the skills clinically and socially for continued professional growth, which we are champions of day in and day out," said Dr. Arwinder Judge, Chief Clinical Officer at Aspen Dental. "Dental students on the precipice of their professional careers are gaining real-world experience to determine what path is best for them, while potentially matching with an immediate post-graduate opportunity within an organization that will support them through their journey as a new doctor." Externship programs enable dental students at these universities to gain hands-on experiences in various dental practice models while completing their clinical rotations at Aspen Dental office locations. Students develop valuable skills necessary for professional growth and to learn patient engagement, practice management and team-based care delivery, while also increasing access to dental care for vulnerable populations through sustainable community service. "The externship program allows dental students to learn more about different dental models firsthand before entering the workforce," said Rachel Greene, Clinical Assistant Professor, Restorative Dentistry at the University of Washington. "This experience empowers them to choose a career that is best suited for them while also giving back to the community." "There is no substitute for hands-on experience," said Bill Piskorowski, Associate Dean of Community-based clinical education UCLA. "This program prepares our students to deliver person-centered care in an integrated health care delivery system. We have started to see a shift in the industry with historically non-traditional practice opportunities becoming traditional." To date, 52 dental students have participated in rotations in an Aspen Dental practice. The class of 2024 is expected to include 60 students on rotation at Aspen Dental branded offices from all three participating universities. "Aspen Dental is committed to continuing education for students and working professionals alike to ensure the best quality care for patients," said Dr. Tawfiq Alkilani, Aspen Dental practice owner and preceptor. "It's been very rewarding to be able to work with young dentists to build their skills through this program while also allowing them to get an understanding of and work with people in different dentistry models." About Aspen Dental Offices TAG The Aspen Group was founded in 1998 in New York by Bob Fontana with a simple goal in mind: to break down the barriers that doctors and patients face when it comes to dental care. Today, more than 20 years later, with 1,000+ Aspen Dental-branded offices nationwide, the mission of the company remains the same to bring better care to more people. TAG supports the largest group of branded dental offices in the world. For more information, visit aspendental.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. SOURCE Aspen Dental Avelo and ILG celebrate first day of flights to eight new nonstop destinations from the Philadelphia region's most travel-friendly airport Avelo leader surprises all 150 Customers aboard its inaugural flight from ILG to Wilmington, N.C. with free roundtrip tickets Avelo expects to fly a record-shattering 100,000 Customers at ILG this summer Special introductory one-way fares to Avelo's eight new destinations start at $34* PHILADELPHIA and WILMINGTON, Del., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Avelo Airlines is inaugurating the largest air service expansion in Wilmington Airport (ILG) history as the first flights take off for eight new nonstop destinations. With a record-shattering 100,000 travelers projected to arrive and depart this summer on Avelo flights, ILG is quickly emerging as the convenient, affordable and travel-friendly alternative to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). Special introductory one-way fares between ILG and Myrtle Beach, S.C. (MYR) start at $34*. One-way fares between ILG and Nashville, Tenn. (BNA); Raleigh / Durham (RDU); Savannah, Ga. / Hilton Head, S.C. (SAV); and Wilmington, N.C. (ILM) start at $39*. And one-way fares between ILG and Charleston, S.C. (CHS); Daytona Beach, Fla. (DAB); and Greenville / Spartanburg, S.C. (GSP) start at $49*. Customers can make reservations at AveloAir.com. Avelo Airlines Founder, Chairman and CEO Andrew Levy said, "Since arriving at Wilmington Airport in February, it is abundantly clear travelers from across the Philadelphia and Delaware Valley region value the affordable, convenient, and reliable air service Avelo offers. There is also no ambiguity that the fast, easy, and travel-friendly small hometown airport experience ILG offers is playing an equally important role inspiring people from across the greater Philadelphia region to travel with us. I continue to be grateful to the DRBA's Tom Cook and Steve Williams, along with so many of the other state and local leaders, who are making ILG the airport of choice for travelers from across the Philadelphia and Delaware region." Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) Executive Director Thomas J. Cook said, "With the kickoff of Avelo's service to eight new destinations today, Wilmington Airport now offers nonstop flights to 13 destinations, the most in the history of our airport. The basing of a second aircraft also means more quality jobs for area residents. Our focus is to be the airport of choice for people in Delaware, South Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland who seek low fares, quality service and a convenient airport experience." With the inauguration of these eight new routes, Avelo now serves a total of 13 nonstop destinations from ILG. Today, Avelo is initiating service to Greenville / Spartanburg, S.C. (GSP); Nashville, Tenn. (BNA); Raleigh / Durham, N.C. (RDU); and Wilmington, N.C. (ILM). Avelo's expansion continues tomorrow with inaugural flights to Charleston, S.C. (CHS); Daytona Beach, Fla. (DAB) and Myrtle Beach, S.C. (MYR). And next Wednesday Avelo will start flying to Savannah, Ga. / Hilton Head, S.C. (SAV). These new flights represent the largest air service expansion in Avelo's 26-month history. Avelo debuted at ILG on February 1, 2023, with flights to five nonstop Florida destinations: Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Fort Myers (RSW), Orlando (MCO), Tampa (TPA), and West Palm Beach (PBI). Celebrating ILG with 150 Free Avelo Tickets This afternoon, Avelo Airlines Head of Communications Jim Olson surprised all 150 Customers traveling on the airline's inaugural flight from Wilmington, Del. to Wilmington, N.C. with a free roundtrip ticket they can use on a future trip anywhere Avelo flies. Olson told excited Customers in the boarding gate area the free tickets were an expression of gratitude for contributing to Avelo's early momentum at ILG. Olson was joined by DRBA Executive Director Thomas J. Cook and DRBA Deputy Executive Director / ILG Airport Director Stephen D. Williams to greet inaugural flight Customers. They also commemorated the milestone with a ceremonial ribbon cutting in front of Avelo's second ILG-based 189-seat Boeing Next-Generation (NG) 737-800. The Philadelphia / Delaware Valley's Travel-Friendly Airport Wilmington Airport is conveniently located a short drive south of Philadelphia offering a refreshingly fast, smooth and simple hometown airport alternative to PHL. ILG's adjacency to multiple major highways and railways makes it the most convenient and travel-friendly airport for Philly and the Delaware Valley, which encompasses portions of four states: Southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, South Jersey and the northern Eastern Shore of Maryland. Avelo employs approximately 100 Crewmembers at its ILG base, including pilots, flight attendants, airport Crewmembers, aircraft maintenance technicians and supervisors. Avelo is currently hiring additional Crewmembers for a variety of ILG-based roles. Candidates can learn more about Avelo career opportunities by visiting AveloAir.com/Careers. America's Affordable, Convenient and Reliable Airline Avelo was founded with a vision to help its Customers save money and time. Since taking flight on April 28, 2021, Avelo has flown more than 2.5 million Customers on over 20,000 flights. Avelo serves 44 destinations spanning 24 states. The airline has unlocked a new era of convenience, choice and competition in air travel by flying unserved routes to primarily underserved communities across the country. At least one airport on every Avelo flight is a small hometown airport making every Avelo journey easier and more enjoyable. In addition to offering Customers everyday low fares on every route, Avelo Customers can always change or cancel their itineraries with no extra fees. Avelo also offers several unbundled travel-enhancing options that give Customers the flexibility to pay for what they value, including priority boarding, checked bags, carry-on overhead bags and bringing a pet in the cabin. Additionally, the 15 American-made Boeing 737 jets Avelo flies offer a more spacious and comfortable experience than the small regional aircraft currently operating at most of the airports Avelo serves. Customers who value an advance seat assignment can choose from several modestly priced seating options, including seats with extra leg room, as well as pre-reserved window and aisle seating. One third of seats on Avelo aircraft are available for Customers who appreciate the comfort of extra legroom. At Avelo, every flight is also nonstop. This connection-free travel experience not only provides Avelo Customers with faster and simpler travel, but also minimizes delays, cancellations and lost bags. In fact, Avelo has established itself as one of America's most reliable airlines. In the first five months of 2023, Avelo has achieved the lowest flight cancellation rate and the second best on-time performance in the U.S. airline industry. In May Avelo was the U.S. airline industry's #1 carrier on-time performance and completion factor with zero cancellations. Avelo is distinguished by its Soul of Service culture. The culture is grounded in Avelo's One Crew Value which promotes a welcoming and caring experience. By caring for one another and owning their commitments, Avelo Crewmembers focus on anticipating and understanding Customer needs on the ground and in the air. About Avelo Airlines Avelo Airlines was founded with a simple purpose to Inspire Travel. The airline offers Customers time and money-saving convenience, low everyday fares, and a refreshingly smooth and caring experience through its Soul of Service culture. Operating a fleet of Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft, Avelo serves 44 popular destinations across the U.S., including its five bases at Los Angeles' Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), Southern Connecticut's Tweed-New Haven Airport (HVN), Orlando International Airport (MCO), the Philadelphia / Delaware Valley region's Wilmington Airport (ILG), and Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU). For more information visit AveloAir.com or the Avelo Newsroom at AveloAir.com/Newsroom. Media Contacts: Avelo Airlines Jim Olson [email protected] Porsha Green [email protected] DRBA / Wilmington Airport Jim Salmon [email protected] *Very low, one-way fares include government taxes and fees. One-way fares start at $34 between ILG and MYR; $39 between ILG and BNA, RDU, SAV and ILM; and $49 between ILG and CHS, DAB and GSP. Travel must be completed by October 31, 2023. Fares must be booked by July 4, 2023. Fares are available on a limited number of flights and seats. Additional fees for carry-on and checked bags, assigned seats and other optional services may apply. A $20 charge per seated traveler applies to all bookings or changes made through Avelo's Customer Support Center. For full terms and conditions, please see Avelo's Contract of Carriage. SOURCE Avelo Airlines BARRINGTON HILLS, Ill., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Barrington Hills Police Department is an accredited law enforcement agency serving the community of Barrington Hills, Illinois. Recently, the agency upgraded its two-way radio system to enhance the reliability and interoperability of its wireless communications. It then needed a vendor to collect the decommissioned radio equipment. The agency sought a communications partner that could provide fair market value of its radios via an environmentally responsible process. It chose New York-based Radiowell to meet these objectives. Radiowell plants thousands of trees via its partnership with companies and government agencies that repurpose used and surplus two-way radios. Organizations wishing to dispose of their surplus radios should visit Radiowell.com/sell or https://www.Radiowell.com (PRNewsfoto/Radiowell) Radiowell provided market value for the equipment and pledged to plant one tree for every radio removed from service; the trees are planted in America's National Forests. "Sustainable solutions are a major outcome that we seek when working with innovative partners" explained Chief of Police Joseph Colditz of the Barrington Hills Police Department , "and this decision promotes our department's dedication to environmental stewardship." Radiowell, America's largest wholesaler of used two-way radios, will dispose of Barrington Hills's equipment via a three-prong strategy. First, functional equipment will be resold to Radiowell's partnering radio dealers. Second, equipment will be donated to support public safety and non-profit associations. And third, unusable equipment will be recycled via an environmentally responsible process. The Barrington Hills Police Department is supportive of innovative ways to dispose of old radio equipment. Most government agencies send their equipment to electronic waste companies that charge them significant handling fees. Additionally, waste companies often lack the technical competency to decommission radios and fail to properly recycle the thousands of components in each radio. Radiowell spokesperson Andrew Park explains, "Thousands of commercial-grade two-way radios end up in landfills every year. Others are sent to electronic waste companies which lack the technical competence to wipe those that are still active, which can warrant concern for government-owned equipment. We provide an alternative, environmentally sustainable solution to these concerns." Radiowell specializes in radio equipment and is the nation's leader in used-radio asset disposition. Its dealer network offers top value for used equipment, and the company is the only two-way land mobile company with a sustainability objective tied to its business results. This objective helps preserve ecosystems and reduces the global carbon footprint. Government agencies seeking value-maximizing and sustainable solutions for surplus radios should complete the Sell Used Radios form on Radiowell's site. SOURCE Radiowell - Baycrest is a global leader in research, innovation, education, and care for older adults, with a special focus on brain health and aging. - Toi Labs developed TRUELOO, a smart toilet seat that scans human output to enable better health and wellness. TORONTO and SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Imagine a toilet seat that could save your life. That's the reality for residents of Baycrest Terraces' Memory Care community, thanks to a new partnership with Toi Labs the innovators behind the TRUELOO smart toilet seat. Baycrest Terraces is an independent living community at Baycrest, Canada's largest academic research and care facility for older adults. In 2022, Baycrest Terraces was the first to implement Possibilities by Baycrest a novel, innovative memory care model that creates tailored experiences for those living with dementia, enabling them to lead lives filled with purpose, inspiration, and fulfillment. As part of the Possibilities by Baycrest mandate to leverage innovative emerging technologies, the Baycrest Innovation Office identified Toi Labs' TRUELOO smart toilet seat as a means of augmenting patient care while returning dignity and freedom to its residents. TRUELOO automates the process of identifying abnormal stool and urination patterns with zero effort on the part of the user or care staff. It has been shown to be 100x+ more accurate and timely than current practice. Before implementing TRUELOO, point of care staff would need to manually log toileting activity for residents, making it challenging to identify subtle changes in toileting behavior, trends, and associated chronic conditions. "By using TRUELOO toilet seats, staff can identify abnormalities sooner, leading to earlier detection of issues which may affect a resident's health. Baycrest is dedicated to providing exceptional health care, and innovations like TRUELOO highlight our passion and commitment to provide state-of-the-art health care solutions for our aging population," says Dr. William Reichman, CEO, Baycrest Seniors Care. As the first Canadian organization to partner with Toi Labs, Baycrest looks forward to scaling this high-impact innovation. "Our partnership with Baycrest, a globally recognized leader in aging care, reflects the use of AI in a way that truly transforms how care is delivered to our most vulnerable population," said Vik Kashyap, Founder and CEO of Toi Labs. About Toi Labs Toi Labs has developed the TRUELOO toilet seat, a breakthrough technology that scans human output to enable better health and wellness. Every year, millions of preventable older adult hospitalizations are related to conditions that show up in stool and urine. More than 20 enterprises that provide senior care in more than 300 communities across North America use TRUELOO technology. For more information, visit www.toilabs.com About Baycrest Baycrest is a global leader in research, innovation, education, and care for older adults, with a special focus on brain health and aging. Baycrest is home to a robust research and innovation network, including the Rotman Research Institute; the scientific headquarters of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging, the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation and the Baycrest Innovation Office. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, Baycrest provides excellent care for older adults combined with an extensive clinical training program for future healthcare professionals. Founded in 1918 as the Toronto Jewish Old Folks Home, Baycrest continues to embrace the long-standing tradition of all great Jewish healthcare institutions to improve the well-being of people in their local communities and around the globe. For more information, visit baycrest.org. SOURCE Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care KYODO NEWS - Jun 23, 2023 - 09:38 | All, World U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed Thursday on a long list of strategies to expand defense and technology cooperation as their countries grapple with China's growing economic and military strength. In a reflection of the deepening bilateral ties, one of the noteworthy deals made in Washington will allow General Electric Co. to co-produce fighter jet engines in India, with Modi characterizing it as a "landmark" achievement that will give their defense cooperation "a new character in the times to come." India has been eager to gain access to sensitive and sophisticated U.S. technology for the development of its domestic defense manufacturing capabilities, while stepping up efforts to diversify its sources of military equipment. "The close defense cooperation between India and America symbolizes mutual trust and shared strategic priorities," Modi, in his first state visit to Washington after nine years in office, told reporters after the talks in the Oval Office. Attending a press conference with Modi, Biden said the partnership with India is among "the most consequential in the world" and is "stronger, closer and more dynamic than any time in history." Modi has been seeking to raise India's profile on the global stage by positioning India as a counterbalance to the rising power of China while taking advantage of the prevailing anti-Russia sentiment to inch out of Moscow's orbit amid its war on Ukraine. India, the world's largest arms importer, will also purchase MQ-9 reconnaissance drones from the United States, according to the White House. Officials of the two countries believe the drones will be helpful for India to improve surveillance on its long, and in places contested, border with China and in maritime areas. The United States, which looks to India as a crucial countervailing force to China, rolled out the red carpet for Modi despite criticism at home and abroad over his human rights record, treatment of Muslims and other minorities, and restrictions on freedom of speech. Biden said he raised such concerns during the talks, noting that "one of the fundamental reasons that I believe the U.S.-China relationship is not in the space it is with the U.S.-Indian relationship is that there's an overwhelming respect for each other because we're both democracies." Modi, who normally does not take questions from reporters, insisted that "in India's democratic values, there's absolutely no discrimination neither on basis of caste, creed, or age, or any kind of geographic location." The United States sees the Quad, a group it forms with Australia, India and Japan, as well as closer bilateral cooperation with each member, as increasingly important in maintaining peace and a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific in the face of China's rise. Biden said he discussed with Modi their work through the Quad, specifically "how India and the United States, together with Australia and Japan, can ensure the vital Indo-Pacific region remains free, open, prosperous and secure." As part of efforts to ensure stability in regional waters, India will allow U.S. Navy ships to receive repairs in Indian shipyards under a new agreement. The summit comes as the United States also seeks to pull India away from its traditional dependence on Russia for military and oil supplies. In recent years, even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, U.S. defense sales to India and overall trade between the two countries increased significantly. India has long relied on Russia for its military equipment, but the war has made it difficult for Moscow to fulfill its arms delivery commitments to New Delhi. Biden and Modi, who is just the third foreign leader the U.S. president has hosted for a state visit, released a joint statement detailing numerous new agreements, also centering on technology and economic cooperation. Biden said he believes India, now the world's most populous country, surpassing China, has "unlimited potential." The deals range from those related to outer space and artificial intelligence to efforts aimed at strengthening supply chains for semiconductors and other key industrial materials. Related coverage: Quad leaders vow to pursue region without "intimidation and coercion" At Least 16.8 Million Illegal Aliens are in the U.S., Costing Taxpayers As Much as $163 Billion Annually, Finds New Analysis by FAIR WASHINGTON , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- An analysis by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) of the most recent Census Bureau data reveals that at least 16.8 million illegal aliens now reside in the United States. This figure represents an increase of 1.3 million just since the beginning of 2022, and 2.3 million since President Biden took office in January 2021. Along with the sharp increase in the illegal alien population comes sharp increases in costs to American taxpayers. The unprecedented rate of influx of new illegal aliens over the past year would add $12.6 billion annually to the costs of illegal immigration, bringing the cumulative net cost to at least $163 billion a year. At the current pace of illegal immigration, the annual net cost will exceed $200 billion by 2026. Key Takeaways: The study is based on the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) and Current Population Survey (CPS) data, which traditionally undercounts the illegal population by about 30 percent because many illegal aliens are reluctant to respond to the surveys. The increase in the illegal alien population under President Biden is based on a sample that only tracks household addresses on file with the government. Even adjusting for undercount, it excludes the tens of thousands of unsheltered illegal migrants and a huge number of "gotaways" or other individuals who have been paroled into the U.S. and live under the radar. The full number is impossible to quantify but likely even higher. These 16.8 million illegal aliens now represent nearly one-third of the foreign-born residents of the United States . . The additional $12.6 billion in costs annually is only a down payment. These costs are likely to grow as the migrants become more settled and increase their use of services like public education and health. Moreover, parolees are immediately eligible for a range of welfare benefits. in costs annually is only a down payment. These costs are likely to grow as the migrants become more settled and increase their use of services like public education and health. Moreover, parolees are immediately eligible for a range of welfare benefits. At the current pace of illegal immigration, more new illegal aliens will have settled in the U.S. in the first three years of the Biden administration than in the entire decade of the 2010s. "As just about every mayor and governor around the country including those who preside over jurisdictions that have declared themselves sanctuaries for illegal aliens has loudly proclaimed, the fiscal and social burdens of the Biden administration's sabotage of our immigration enforcement policies are unsustainable," observed Dan Stein, president of FAIR. "The impact of these policies is causing social upheaval, setting states and against other states, big cities against surrounding communities, overwhelming school districts and social service providers, as economic migrants from all across the globe pour across our borders. The report, How Many Illegal Aliens Are in the United States? 2023 Update, provides hard, albeit conservative, numbers that graphically illustrate the magnitude of this self-inflicted crisis," concluded Stein. The full report, including detailed methodology, can be found here. Contact: Ira Mehlman, 202-328-7004 or [email protected]. ABOUT FAIR Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced. SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Biocompatible Coatings Market by Type (Antibacterial, hydrophilic), Material (Polymer, Ceramics, Metal), End-Use Industry (Healthcare, Food & Beverage, Medical Devices), & Region (APAC, Europe, North America, MEA & SA) - Global Forecast to 2028", size is estimated at USD 14.6 billion in 2022 to USD 29.7 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 12.4%, between 2023 and 2028. The rapid growth of the healthcare industry, Rapid urbanization, population growth, and the increasing focus on hygiene and cleanliness drive the biocompatible coatings market. The biocompatible coatings market is divided into five key regions: Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, and South America. China and India, among other countries, are fastest growing biocompatible coatings market globally. Browse in-depth TOC on "Biocompatible Coatings Market" 200 Tables 70 Figures 300 Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=32624649 Polymer segment is expected to account for the largest share in 2022. Polymers provide versatility, allowing for the development of coatings with tailored properties such as biocompatibility, durability, flexibility, and resistance to wear and corrosion. These characteristics make polymer coatings suitable for a diverse range of medical devices and implants, including orthopaedic implants, cardiovascular stents, surgical instruments, and drug delivery systems. advancements in polymer technology have enabled the development of biodegradable coatings. These coatings gradually dissolve or degrade over time, reducing the need for additional surgical interventions to remove the coating. Bioresorbable polymer coatings are particularly advantageous for implantable devices, as they can facilitate tissue healing and integration. The widespread adoption of polymer-based biocompatible coatings can be attributed to their compatibility with various fabrication techniques, cost-effectiveness, and well-established manufacturing processes. These factors make polymer coatings more accessible and easier to integrate into existing medical device production workflows. Food & Beverage segment is expected to account for the largest share in 2022. The food and beverage segment is a crucial component of the biocompatible coatings industry, and it plays a vital role in ensuring the safety, quality, and shelf life of food and beverage products. Food and beverage packaging serves as a protective barrier that safeguards products from external factors such as moisture, light, air, and contaminants. It helps prevent spoilage, maintain product freshness, and extend shelf life. Advanced packaging materials and technologies, including biocompatible coatings, are employed to ensure optimal product protection and preservation. the food and beverage packaging segment is driven by the need for product protection, safety, branding, convenience, sustainability, and regulatory compliance. Biocompatible coatings play a significant role in enhancing the safety, functionality, and aesthetics of packaging materials in this segment, meeting the evolving demands of both consumers and regulatory bodies. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=32624649 Asia Pacific is expected to register highest CAGR during the forecast period. Asia Pacific region has a large and rapidly growing population, along with increasing healthcare expenditure. This demographic trend drives the demand for medical devices, implants, and related technologies, which in turn fuels the need for biocompatible coatings. The region's rising middle class and improving healthcare infrastructure also contribute to the market growth. There is a growing focus on medical tourism in countries like India, Thailand, and Malaysia, where patients from other countries seek medical treatments. This trend further drives the demand for advanced medical devices and implants, which often require biocompatible coatings. the region's manufacturing capabilities and cost advantages attract global medical device manufacturers to establish production facilities in Asia Pacific countries. This factor supports the local production and consumption of biocompatible coatings, further contributing to market growth. Major players operating in the global biocompatible coatings market are SurModics, Inc. (US), DSM Biomedical (US), Hydromer Inc. (US), Covalon Technologies Ltd. (Canada), Hemoteq AG (Germany), and Others Browse Adjacent Market: Coatings Adhesives Sealants and Elastomers Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Medical Coatings Market- Global Forecast to 2025 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/biocompatible-coating-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/biocompatible-coating.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets New additions strengthen unique operations-led approach to technology investing BOCA RATON, Fla., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Dragon Capital ("BDC), a multi-phased investment firm focused on advanced technologies in high growth segments known for its unique, operations-led approach today announced new additions to its roster of tenured industry experts. Black Dragon Capital has a completely different approach to investing. The firm combines deep domain operating expertise, an emphasis on social impact investing, and a solid history of success in the fields we invest in. The firm is led by a diverse manager and team that have delivered consistent, well-above market returns and growth in their portfolio enterprise value. The fund's leadership are not merely participants in the industry, they are recognized founders, CEO's and entrepreneurs who have reshaped industries through their innovations and leadership. They have also contributed significant amounts of their own capital to past fund investments. These new additions represent the most recent expansion of a firm committed to helping industries grow and prosper by addressing the most significant issues they face. We welcome the following new Black Dragon team members: Alejandro Adi, Director of Operational Finance Alejandro Adi is a member of the One Dragon Services group focused on CFO and financial services. He is a senior financial and administrative executive with over 25 years of experience. He has served as CFO, VP of Finance, Regional Controller and F&A Director in several multinational technologies' companies. As Vice President of Finance LATAM at MicroStrategy, he led the finance, accounting, tax, IS, HR and administrative areas for approximately 17 years. He has also served at the following companies: Sterlington PLLC, Lazo, Limpiolux SA, Vida Tec SA, Claro and NCR Corporation. Mr. Adi holds an MBA from Universidad del CEMA and a BA from Universidad de Buenos Aires. He is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese. Jyotsna Sharma, VP of Finance Jyotsna Sharma is the Vice President of Finance, focused on BDC's investments analysis, investment structures, due diligence, execution and closing, and fund level performance reporting. Ms. Sharma has over 14 years of global experience leading investment portfolios and teams in the US, Middle East, and Asia in public and private sectors. She has had a wide range of responsibilities in private equity investment processes including leading sourcing, investment mandates, portfolio management, acquisitions and dispositions, financial analysis, due diligence, and fund raising. In the past, Ms. Sharma has also served as a Business Mentor for the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. She earned her MBA from Columbia Business School and London Business School's joint program, and a Bachelor's in Computer Science and Engineering from Punjab Technical University in India. In addition, she is a Certified M&A Advisor (CM&AA), Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and a Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGGS). Chris Ducanes, General Counsel A. Christopher Ducanes is the General Counsel of Black Dragon Capital. In his role, he leads the firm's legal, information technology, compliance, human resources and other administrative functions. Mr. Ducanes has nearly 25 years of legal, administrative, executive management, strategy, and operational experience, including scaling private and public PE-backed software and technology companies in highly regulated markets with global operations. Mr. Ducanes earned his Bachelor of Science degrees in both Marketing and Management from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. He holds a Juris Doctorate in law from the University of Illinois - Chicago School of Law and a Master of Laws in Transnational Business Practice from the University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law. Mr. Ducanes also attended Cornell University's intensive FALCON program in Japanese. Lourdes Castillo, Director of Human Resources and Administration Lourdes Castillo is the Director of Human Resources and Administration at Black Dragon. Prior to starting with Black Dragon Capital, Ms. Castillo worked in the private and public sectors for both large and small businesses, gaining over 20 years Human Resources experience. She has guided her prior employers in the HR administration, operations, compliance and taxation reporting focusing on implementing policies and procedures setting an overall company standard practice. She has overseen corporate and worldwide Human Resources including recruiting, payroll, benefits, people and performance, employee training and overall company culture and employee relation for employers in the tech, resort/casino, legal and financial sector. Her philosophy is that one can never quit learning and growing both personally and professionally and both our internal and external customers satisfaction and customer relations are at the core of every business. Ms. Castillo holds a BA in Business Administration and Finance from Brandman University. She is fluent in Spanish and English. Vineet Begwani, Analyst Vineet Begwani is an Analyst at Black Dragon, assisting with executing transactions, valuations, and financial analysis. He has a broad range of experience in the financial services and manufacturing sectors with the assessment of M&A and financing opportunities. Mr. Begwani holds a Master of Science in Finance from ICFAI University. Johanna Vazquez, Controller Johanna Vazquez is a Controller at Black Dragon Capital and supports the For A Bright Future Foundation finance department. She has more than 23 years of financial experience and has worked with large multinational companies and a technology startup. Johanna has managed all aspects of accounting and finance, including financial planning and analysis, accounting, consolidations, audit, payroll, forecasting and pricing. She has a background in due diligence, internal and external audits, and implementation of procedures and ERP systems. Johanna graduated with honors for her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the prestigious University of Buenos Aires (UBA). She believes in continuous learning and growth. Analia Julieta D'Addese Analia is an Executive Assistant to the CEO and Managing Director of Black Dragon Capital. She assists the CEO with administration activities and executive support. She is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience supporting board-level executives within international companies. Ms. D'Addese is from Buenos Aires and she is passionate about self-development. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations/Image Management from the Universidad Nacional de Lomas de Zamora. "We're excited to bring in these individuals who have a deep understanding of their fields of expertise. As Black Dragon Capital continues its expansion, it is critical for us to continue adding to our accomplished and diverse team of experts. I am very excited to see how we can leverage their knowledge and experience in creating more long-lasting market leaders," said Louis Hernandez Jr., Founder and CEO of Black Dragon Capital Black Dragon Capital has a long history of investing in areas where there is the chance to create strong social impact which can strengthen the economic stability of the communities they serve. They have continued to expand in a variety of areas and launched a pioneering multi-year sacred business partnership aiming to foster social advancement in multiple global communities with his Eminence Cardinal Muller's Dominus Jesus Association earlier this year. BDC's professionals and advisors all have a unique combination of extensive industry, operational, and investment success in the fields that they invest in. About Black Dragon Capital Black Dragon Capital (BDC) is a multi-phased investment firm focused on advanced technologies in high growth segments that strengthen economic stability within communities. The firm was founded and led by a diverse team with a combination of intense operating experience, community impact focus, and a track record of successful investing. They work closely with entrepreneurs to build market leading companies using their proprietary Black Dragon Toolkit and focus on high potential early stage, and mid-market technology companies in growth sectors disrupted by digitization. Federico Biquard Senior Marketing Manager, Black Dragon Capital [email protected] SOURCE Black Dragon Capital Atlanta personal injury attorneys help surviving family settle significant wrongful death claim ATLANTA, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The personal injury team at Butler Kahn has recently secured a $2,000,000 wrongful death settlement after a farm worker was killed on the job. The fatal accident happened while the victim was helping his employer connect a peanut wagon to a pickup truck. When his employer accidentally hit the gas pedal, the truck suddenly accelerated in reverse. This pinned the victim between the truck and the peanut trailer. Unfortunately, he died on the scene from his injuries. Butler | Kahn Typically, a wrongful death at work would fall under workers' compensation. However, the Georgia Workers' Compensation Act does not cover farm laborers and workers at businesses with less than three employees. The attorneys at Butler Kahn found these two exceptions, allowing the victim's family to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the employer responsible for the accident. They also investigated the case to obtain witness statements and other evidence to prove the employer was at fault. After filing the wrongful death lawsuit, Butler Kahn learned that the employer's insurance policy had a limit of $2,000,000. The insurance company was willing to settle for this full amount. The attorneys explained the offer and the facts of the case to their clients, who ultimately decided to accept the insurer's settlement. Although the money doesn't begin to make up for the loss of their father, the clients were happy with the results and justice they secured. About Butler Kahn Butler Kahn is a personal injury and wrongful death law firm with locations across Georgia. By focusing on quality over quantity, they ensure they can put in the hard work and dedication needed to demand the best possible results for their clients. They are proud to work directly with the people they represent, recovering multiple eight-, seven-, and six-figure verdicts and settlements for Georgia accident victims. They offer free initial consultations with no obligation to move forward before you're ready. The Atlanta office is located at 10 Lenox Pointe, Atlanta, GA 30324. To learn more about Butler Kahn, their legal team, and their services, visit their website or call their office at 678-940-1444. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE Butler Kahn Highlights Initial metallurgy work yields excellent nickel and cobalt recoveries producing high-grade concentrates: Nickel recoveries of 79 - 84% Cobalt recoveries of 77 - 83% Final concentrate grades of 18 - 28% nickel with up to 0.7% cobalt Simple process can be used and would provide significant flexibility for potential toll milling opportunities Company acquires 9,520 hectares of mining claims covering 20 kilometres of strike length with the potential to host Texmont style mineralization TORONTO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Canada Nickel Company Inc. ("Canada Nickel" or the "Company") (TSXV: CNC) (OTCQX: CNIKF) is pleased to announce the initial results from preliminary metallurgical test work on the first set of samples from the Texmont Nickel Sulphide Project, which demonstrates a range of grades could be processed using a simple process flowsheet and recoveries that meet or exceed historical results. Figure 1. Preliminary Metallurgy Work - Texmont Recovery Performance. (CNW Group/Canada Nickel Company Inc.) Figure 2. Texmont Ultramafic Trend (CNW Group/Canada Nickel Company Inc.) Mark Selby, CEO said, "Texmont continues to deliver excellent results, with initial metallurgy yielding nickel and cobalt recoveries and concentrate grades exceeding our expectations. Further, these results were achieved with a simple flowsheet which will maximize potential opportunities to toll mill our initial production. I look forward to the next phases of work while we complete our initial resource on Texmont and complete a Preliminary Economic Analysis ("PEA") by year-end." Mr. Selby continued, "Given our success at Texmont, we capitalized on the opportunity to acquire regional mining claims, consolidating 20 kilometres of property with the potential to find more Texmont-style deposits. We have signed a total of 10 agreements which consolidate 9,520 hectares of mining claims. We view this as an important and highly prospective addition to our Timmins Nickel District." Description of Results The Texmont property is a past producing mine, located approximately 36 kilometres south of Timmins, that contains a large ultramafic body. Through analysis of historic drill data and supported by new drilling (refer to news release June 1, 2023), Canada Nickel has identified a near surface, high grade zone of > 1% nickel wrapped within a moderate-high grade zone of 0.6 to 1.0% nickel. The company is evaluating the potential for near term production from Texmont through open pit mining of this moderate-high grade material. Table 1 summarizes the results of open circuit testing completed at XPS (A Glencore Company), on three samples from Texmont, with head grades ranging from 0.67 1.52% nickel. The samples were selected to represent the moderate-high grade zone of the deposit and were tested using a simple flowsheet with samples ground to 100 microns, that does not require desliming, and which offers flexibility for toll milling. Nickel recoveries were in the range of 79 to 84%, while cobalt recoveries were similarly high, ranging from 77 to 83%. The mineralization shows excellent upgrading potential, with final cleaner concentrate grades between 18 to 28% nickel and 0.44 to 0.70% cobalt, which is considered a high-grade concentrate for material with pentlandite style mineralization. The Company is very encouraged by these results, which are in line with and exceeding the historical results documented in the 2007 Fletcher Nickel NI 43-101 report, supporting the potential for a near term open pit operation. Table 1. Open Circuit Metallurgical Test Results at Texmont Head Grades (%) Rougher Recovery1 (%) Final Cleaner Concentrate Grade1 (%) Sample ID Ni Co S Ni Co Ni Co Sample 1 1.52 0.038 1.46 84 83 28 0.70 Sample 2 1.04 0.028 0.97 81 79 26 0.68 Sample 3 0.67 0.017 0.68 79 77 18 0.44 1 The grades and recoveries in Table 1 are from open cycle tests and should be considered indicative of what could be achieved in a locked cycle test. Final results will be determined by completing locked cycle testing in the next phase of metallurgical work. Next Steps in Metallurgical Testing Through the summer months, Canada Nickel expects to finalize the metallurgical flowsheet by conducting locked cycle and metallurgical variability tests. This test program will be used to define recovery equations for the Texmont PEA, which is expected to be released by the end of 2023. Acquisition of Texmont Trend Canada Nickel, through a series of ten Purchase and Sale Agreements (including one previously announced for 54,000 common shares) has acquired 403 additional mining claims within the Texmont ultramafic trend. The Company will issue a total of 515,400 common shares (461,400 and 54,000) and make cash payments totaling $300,550. Each of the foregoing issuances of common shares are subject to the prior approval of the TSX Venture Exchange, and the shares will be subject to a four-month hold period under Canadian securities laws from the date of the respective issuance. Qualified Person and Data Verification Arthur G. Stokreef, P.Eng. (ON), Manager of Process Engineering & Geometallurgy and a "qualified person" as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release on behalf of Canada Nickel Company Inc. About Canada Nickel Canada Nickel Company Inc. is advancing the next generation of nickel-sulphide projects to deliver nickel required to feed the high growth electric vehicle and stainless steel markets. Canada Nickel Company has applied in multiple jurisdictions to trademark the terms NetZero Nickel, NetZero Cobalt and NetZero Iron and is pursuing the development of processes to allow the production of net zero carbon nickel, cobalt, and iron products. Canada Nickel provides investors with leverage to nickel in low political risk jurisdictions. Canada Nickel is currently anchored by its 100% owned flagship Crawford Nickel-Cobalt Sulphide Project in the heart of the prolific Timmins-Cochrane mining camp. For more information, please visit www.canadanickel.com. About XPS (A Glencore Company) XPS (A Glencore Company) is an engineering and testing facility based in Falconbridge, Ontario. They provide Industry Relevant Solutions to the mining and metals industry, including process development for new mines. Services offered range from materials selection, process control, process modelling, mineralogy, geometallurgy, mineral processing and extractive metallurgy. For further information, please contact: Mark Selby, CEO Phone: 647-256-1954 Email: [email protected] Cautionary Note and Statement Concerning Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, drill and exploration results relating to the target properties described herein (the "Properties"), the potential of the Crawford Nickel Sulphide Project, the Texmont Project and the other Properties, timing of economic studies and mineral resource estimates, nickel and cobalt recoveries, grades of concentrates, the ability to toll mill material from Texmont, the potential for near term production at Texmont using an open pit mine, the potential to find more Texmont style deposits in the newly acquired claims, the ability to sell marketable materials, strategic plans, including future exploration and development results, and corporate and technical objectives. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon several assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: future prices and the supply of metals, the future demand for metals, the results of drilling, inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to retain and advance the property, environmental liabilities (known and unknown), general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, results of exploration programs, risks of the mining industry, delays in obtaining governmental approvals, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals, and the impact of COVID-19 related disruptions in relation to the Company's business operations including upon its employees, suppliers, facilities and other stakeholders. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. Canada Nickel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE Canada Nickel Company Inc. HONG KONG and BEIJING, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Madison Auction is delighted to present their 2023 Madison Auction 2023 June Whisky Live Sale at 11 am (HKT) Saturday, June 24nd, the stunning 160+ lots of whiskies with a total estimate of HK$3,400,000 - HK$5,900,000. This sale will be live-streamed on Madison Auction bidding platform (www.madison-auction.com/auctions) and the Madison Auction App (search 'Madison Auction' in your app store) at 11:00am (HKT) this Saturday. Take advantage of the last few days to place your online absentee bid via the bidding platform and app. Madison Auction is delighted to present their 2023 Madison Auction 2023 June Whisky Live Sale at 11 am (HKT) Saturday, June 24nd, the stunning 160+ lots of whiskies with a total estimate of HK$3,400,000 - HK$5,900,000. In addition to Hong Kong, Madison Auction will also set up salerooms in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Macao, Thailand and Laos, allowing more Asia-Pacific bidders to attend the auction via live streaming simultaneously. As the first Hong Kong based luxury lifestyle auction house, Madison Auction hosts auctions for the unique pool of high-net-worth clients from APAC and other regions. Madison Auction continues to accept consignments at 0% seller's commission throughout the year for upcoming sales. Whisky | Lot 1166 In this sale there are total 160+ lots of gems from Scotland, Japan, Ireland, US and Taiwan China, valued at HK$3,400,000 - HK$5,900,000, a star-studded lineup. In this sale Madison Auction brings you more than 50 lots of Macallan, comprising over 140 bottles! This auction caters to enthusiasts of old Macallan whiskies and offers a variety of Macallan distilled between the 1940s and 1980s. Moreover, the prices are very affordable, starting from HKD 10,000 up to HKD 45,000. One of the highlights for collectors seeking aged whisky is definitely Lot 164, a Macallan distilled in 1949 during People's Republic of China's founding year and aged for 40 years in the cask before being bottled by Signatory. Another highlight for collectors to take note of is the official bottlings from Macallan, including the 25-year-old Anniversary Malt from the 1950s (Lot 166); the 80 proof, 25-year-old Crystal Decanter, 1964 Sherry Wood, and the 17-year-old from the early 1960s (Lot Lot 9, 66, 67, 157, 161, 162), and the 18-year-old Sherry Oak from the early 1970s (Lot 65 & 156). If the official bottlings cannot keep up with your demand anymore, various independent bottlings of Macallan are sure to surprise you. These include the popular Speymalt series (Lot 10-12, 73, 165, 166), as well as some noteworthy bottlers like Cadenhead's (Lot 11), Japanese bottlers Kingsbury and Shinanoya (Lot 14, 15), and more. In addition, Madison Auction will present one set of James Bond collections with seven bottles bottled in 2022 (Lot 1), and a dark sherry whisky bottled by Signatory a few months ago (Lot 13), which scored an impressive 93 points on Whiskyfun. More than 70 lots of Scotch whiskies from distilleries other than Macallan are included, covering several discontinued distilleries and the eight major distilleries on Islay, as well as some lesser-known distilleries you may not have tried or heard of before, including new distilleries with less than 20 years of history. Among the lineup of discontinued distilleries, Port Ellen (Lot 75, 117 & 118) needs no further introduction. In addition to Port Ellen, there are Millburn (Lot 17), St Magdalene (Lot 36), Glen Mhor (Lot 37), Coleburn & Glen Albyn (Lot 76), Littlemill (Lot 89), and Rosebank (Lot 90, 127 & 128), which collectors may want to pay attention to. One noteworthy offering is the Rosebank The Rose Edition 7 Enchantment (Lot 128), just released on the Valentine's Day this year, which the starting price is lower than its release price. Collectors who love Islay whisky must have heard of the Feis Ile festival held on Islay every May. The Kinship set (Lot 88) celebrating the 2019 Feis Ile festival is not to be missed. Diageo's Casks Of Distinction series (Lot 26-28) is already well known, but the first edition of Prima & Ultima, released in 2020, is even rarer. The Lagavulin 1991 28-year-old (Lot 25) from Islay in this auction is worth collecting. Of course, there are also 50 lots suitable for daily drinking with starting prices at HKD 10,000 or less. In addition, there are a total of 70+ lots with starting prices ranging from HKD 10,000 to HKD 20,000, covering whiskies from Scotland, Japan and Macallan, and you're sure to find your favorite bottle at the right price. If you prefer Japanese whisky, this sale also has something for you. Both Karuizawa and Yamazaki are regulars at auctions, but the full set of eight bottles of Karuizawa Geisha Miyako Odori (Lot 111) is probably something many whisky enthusiasts have never seen before! Don't miss out the chance to collect the entire set in one auction! In addition, the School of Malt Lesson Collection (Lot 16), selected by Dave Broom, is an invaluable collection that both collectors and drinkers cannot resist. The Yamazaki Mizunara cask distilled in 1984 (Lot 50) has always been highly sought after, and the three single casks from the same brand (Lot 447-49) are also not to be missed, especially the one hand-picked by Yamazaki's chief blender SEIICHI KOSHIMIZU (Lot 49). In addition to Yamazaki and Hakushu, there is a distillery called Chita which are under the same Suntory Group, specializes in producing high-quality grain whisky, and its whisky is also one of the main base whiskies for Hibiki. This time Madison Auction presents you a bottle of Chita bottled by SMWS (Lot 78), allowing you to taste the unique flavor of Japanese grain whisky. In addition to the above big players, there are also many lesser-known Japanese distilleries whose whiskies are worth noting. Shinshu Mars Distillery ceased production in 1992 and resumed distilling in 2011, producing several impressive gems (Lot 32, 51, 52). The Akashi Distillery is the first company in Japan to be licensed for whisky production, but unfortunately its production is extremely low. Their Ghost series (Lot 145) is definitely worth collecting. Recommendation MACALLAN JAMES BOND FULL SET Lot 1 6 Bottles, 6 Single OC | Overall: Perfect | Vol: 700ml, Abv: 43.7%, Other: Single Malt Est. HK$ 75,000 - HK$ 110,000 Macallan James Bond 60th Anniversary Release Decade 1(1)(Single OC) Decade 2(1)(Single OC) Decade 3(1)(Single OC) Decade 4(1)(Single OC) Decade 5(1)(Single OC) Decade 6(1)(Single OC) The Macallan and James Bond are bound together by their shared Scottish heritage, innovative nature and the pursuit of excellence. They have created a remarkable collection comprising six limited edition bottles inspired by each of The Six Decades of Bond, telling the story of innovation over 60 years and the pioneering character attributes of James Bond and The Macallan. ---------------------------------------------- THE SCHOOL OF MALT LESSON COLLECTION Lot 16 3 Bottles | Overall: Great | Vol: 700ml, Other: Single Malt Est. HK$ 40,000 - HK$ 75,000 1976 Tomatin 34 Year Old The School of Malt by Dave Broom Lesson I(1) Ullage: Into neck | Barrel Type: Sherry Butt, Abv: 51.3% 1976 Ballindalloch 36 Year Old The School of Malt by Dave Broom Lesson II(1) Ullage: Into neck | Abv: 55.2% Karuizawa 21 Year Old The School of Malt by Dave Broom Lesson III, #9091(1) Ullage: Top shoulder | Barrel Type: Sherry Butt, Abv: 63.7% This series contains three bottles selected by famous whisky editor Dave Broom, including a legendary vintage of Tomatin, closed distillery from Japan Karuizawa and Ballindalloch which is from Glenfarclas Distillery. ------------------------------------------------- 1997 Clynelish 21 Year Old Casks of Distinction Boyao Zhao Exclusive, #7555 Lot 28 1 Bottle | Overall: Perfect | Label: China import, Bottled: 15th October 2018, Bottle Number: 336 | Barrel Type: Ex-Sherry Butt, Abv: 56.7%, Vol: 700ml | Other: Single Malt, 405 bottles produced Est. HK$ 14,000 - HK$ 26,000 An exceptionally rare Clynelish 1997 has been exclusively selected by Boyao Zhao. As successor of the two fabulous 'Casks of Distinction' bottles, this 21 Year Old Clynelish also comes from the legendary distillery with a great taste of elegance, complexity and full of character. --------------------------------------------------- 100 Proof Green Thistle (1990s) Lot 33 1 Bottle, Single OC | Overall: Perfect | Abv: 50%, Vol: 700ml, Other: Single Malt | WF 93 Est. HK$ 22,000 - HK$ 35,000 This is a 1990s bottle of the Springbank 12 year old, bottled at 100 US proof. These releases were produced by diluting the strength of the regular 12 year old by using under-proof casks of 30-36 year old whisky from the legendary 1960s vintages, giving the bottles their rich colour. These releases are also affectionately known as the 'Green Thistle' bottlings on account of their packaging. ---------------------------------------------------- 1960 Linkwood 60 Year Old Gordon & Macphail Private Collection Lot 39 1 Bottle, Wooden GB | Overall: Perfect | Bottled: 29th October 2020, Barrel Type: Refill Sherry Hogshead | Abv: 46.8%, Vol: 700ml, Other: Single Malt, 75 bottles produced Est. HK$ 100,000 - HK$ 170,000 The Private Collection series, becomes a unique and high-end rare whisky series in Gordon & MacPhail (G&M in short) portfolio. It's perfect for whisky collectors, as all the whiskies in the collection are hand-selected by the third and fourth generations of the Urquhart family. This series specializes in bottling the rarest and most precious single malt whiskies in the world, representing G&M's core spirit of excellence by only bottling when they believe that a whisky has reached its peak maturity. It's worth noting that the oldest vintage whisky for Linkwood is 61 years old, so this 60-year-old offering is the second-oldest and has an incredibly deep color that has been refined over time, with only 75 bottles being released. ----------------------------------------------- 1994 Yamazaki The Owner's Cask , #4G3003 Lot 49 1 Bottle | Overall: Great | Bottled: 2011, Bottle Number: 196, Barrel Type: Sherry Butt | Abv: 51%, Vol: 700ml, Other: Single Malt, 438 bottles produced Est. HK$ 42,000 - HK$ 75,000 This beautiful Yamazaki Owner's cask was selected by , the chief blender from Suntory, making sure this is one of the legend Yamazaki Owner's cask. ------------------------------------ 1984 Yamazaki 25th Anniversary Lot 50 1 Bottle, Wooden GB | Overall: Perfect | Bottle number: 1377, Barrel Type: Mizunara Oak casks | Abv: 48%, Vol: 700ml, Other: Single Malt Est. HK$ 130,000 - HK$ 220,000 This beautiful Yamazaki Owner's cask was selected by , the chief blender from Suntory, making sure this is one of the legend Yamazaki Owner's cask. ---------------------------------------- KARUIZAWA GEISHA MIYAKO ODORI FULL SET Lot 111 8 Bottles, 8 GB | Overall: Perfect | Bottled: 1/-7/ 20178/ 2018, Barrel Type: Sherry Cask | Vol: 700ml, Other: Single Malt Est. HK$ 150,000 - HK$ 280,000 Karuizawa Geisha Miyako Odori 1999, #864(1)(GB) Abv: 57.3%, Other: 440 bottles produced 1999, #866(1)(GB) Abv: 58.6%, Other: 487 bottles produced 1999, #897(1)(GB) Abv: 60.4%,Other: 382 bottles produced 1999, #899(1)(GB) Abv: 60.6%, Other: 478 bottles produced 1999, #2380(1)(GB) Label: Taiwan import, Abv: 59.7%, Other: 436 bottles produced 2000, #2219(1)(GB) Label: Taiwan import, Abv: 59.8%, Other: 468 bottles produced 2000, #2267(1)(GB) Abv: 60.4%, Other: 405 bottles produced 2000, #7834(1)(GB) Abv: 60.5%, Other: 500 bottles produced The Miyako Odori is one of the four great spring shows in the five geisha districts (hanamachi) of Kyoto, Japan. The dances, songs, and theater productions presented in the framework of the Miyako Odori are performed by the maiko (apprentice geisha) and geisha of the Gion quarter. This Karuizawa Geisha Miyako Odori full set contains eight incredible single cask whiskies distilled in 1999 and 2000 from Karuizawa distillery. Each one of these bottles is highly collectible, limited in numbers and each bottle features a different stunning label, each depicting a Geisha. ---------------------------------------------- 1949 Macallan 40 Year Old Signatory Vintage, #852&855 Lot 164 1 Bottle, GB | Overall: Great | Ullage: Top shoulder, Label: Slightly bin soiled, Japan import | Bottled: April 1990, Bottle Number: 207 | Abv: 37.9%, Vol: 750ml, Other: Single Malt, 280 bottles produced Est. HK$ 45,000 - HK$ 80,000 A 40-year-old Macallan distilled in 1940s, only 1 bottle available in this sale. We continue to accept consignments at 0% seller's commission throughout the year for upcoming sales contact us today for an estimation on your collection. Email: [email protected] Tel: +852 3188 6613 Madison Auction Unit 801, 8/F, One Island South, 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, H.K +852 3188 6613 www.madison-auction.com FOLLOW US WeChat: Madison Auction Madison Auction Facebook: MadisonAuction Instagram: MadisonAuction SOURCE Madison Auction Limited BEACHWOOD, Ohio, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MIM Software, Inc. has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2023 honor by cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer Top Workplaces. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization: including alignment, execution, and connection, just to name a few. MIM Software is thrilled to be a Top Workplace. MIM Software is thrilled to be a Top Workplace. "Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees," said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. "That's something to be proud of. In today's market, leaders must ensure they're allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That's paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends." About MIM Software Inc. MIM Software Inc. is a privately held company with a dynamic working environment. It is headquartered in Cleveland, OH, with international offices in Beijing, Chengdu, and Brussels. MIM Software sells its products globally to imaging centers, hospitals, specialty clinics, research organizations, and pharmaceutical companies. The company's products are used in over 3,500 centers worldwide. MIM Software Inc. is committed to enhancing patient care by providing customer-centered and innovative imaging solutions in Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, Neuroimaging, Cardiac Imaging, and Radiation Oncology. View open roles on our website . SOURCE MIM Software Inc. WATERLOO, ON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dorsey R. Gardner, a long-standing shareholder of BlackBerry Limited ("BlackBerry" or the "Company") is urging the Company's Board of Directors ("Board") and shareholders to vote against V. Prem Watsa as lead director at the Company's upcoming Annual Meeting. Mr. Gardner is concerned by the Board's recent announcement that it is considering strategic alternativeson the eve of the Company's projected return to profitability and the maturity of the 1.75% debentures, when Fairfax Financial Holdings ("Fairfax"), led by Watsa, will be able to convert its debentures to common shares and increase its stake in the Company to 16% at a mere $6.00/share. Mr. Gardner believes these circumstances make the Company and its common shareholders susceptible to a buyout by Fairfax at an unfairly low price. Accordingly, Mr. Gardner is urging the Board and shareholders to vote against Watsa as a director, given his conflict of interest as Fairfax's principal. Mr. Gardner is also urging the Board to resist unfair take-private bids and implement safeguards to protect minority shareholders. Mr. Gardner sent the following letter to the Board. Demand to Protect BlackBerry Shareholders from Oppression by Insiders Dear BlackBerry Directors: The Board of Directors of BlackBerry Limited (the "Board") must discharge its fiduciary duties of loyalty and care by taking prompt action to protect BlackBerry minority shareholders from the threat of an unfair buyout presented by the Board's recently-announced consideration of strategic alternatives. As you may recall, I am a long-term investor in BlackBerry Limited ("BlackBerry" or the "Company"), holding approximately 5,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock. I write to demand that the Board take action to prevent Company insiders, such as BlackBerry Lead Director V. Prem Watsa ("Watsa") and his affiliates, from depriving unaffiliated common shareholders of the opportunity to participate in the Company's expected profitability over the next three years and beyond. Specifically, as the Board undertakes its "portfolio review," it should adopt protective measures to prevent Company insiders from acquiring the Company's common shares or any of BlackBerry's businesses. Long-term common shareholders who have stood by BlackBerry through the Company's turnaround are entitled to benefit from the expected returns generated from the forthcoming revenue and margin growth in the Company's core QNX and Cybersecurity businesses. Since 2020, I have urged the Board to take action to protect the Company and its common shareholders from Watsa, whose interests as controlling principal of Fairfax Financial Holdings ("Fairfax") are adverse to those of the Company's unaffiliated shareholders. Nevertheless, the Board proceeded with a September 2020 debt-refinancing deal by which Fairfax has increased its stake in the Company to 16%without paying a fair premiumassuming conversion of its 1.75% debentures ("Fairfax Debentures"), which will likely occur by or before November of this year, when the Fairfax Debentures mature.1 The timing of the Board's consideration of "various strategic alternatives"coinciding with the Company's announcement of a "return to profitability" and the looming November 2023 deadline for conversion of the Fairfax Debenturesis alarming to say the least. It raises serious concern that Fairfax, with the hopelessly conflicted Watsa at the helm, will pursue a transaction that will benefit Fairfax and deprive unaffiliated BlackBerry shareholders of their right to participate in the Company's impending profitability. Consistent with its members' fiduciary duties, the Board must take prompt action to prevent such shareholder oppression. BlackBerry is in a long lead time business, but the payoff is imminent, as the Company is poised for its long-awaited return to profitability and corresponding shareholder returns. It has recently forecasted significant revenue and margin expansion in both its IoT and Cybersecurity segments. In the next several years BlackBerry will receive a waterfall of very high margin royalties from prior placements of QNX software with virtually all of the major OEM auto companiesplacements which have occurred over the last four or five years. Indeed, according to recent Company statements, a backlog of QNX production-based royalties, which will be realized over the next couple of years, will deliver margins of nearly 100%. The Company's exciting IoT outlook does not even include IVY's potential to yield significant revenue growth in partnership with Amazon. Gross margins for the Cybersecurity unit also are expected to increase by between 400bps and 600bps by 2026. While most tech companies are in layoff mode, BlackBerry is trying to fill more than 150 open positionsanother indicator that the Company's turnaround is moving into high gear. Indeed, McKinsey has commented that BlackBerry is well-positioned to capitalize on the convergence of the IoT and cybersecurity sectors. Based on comparative values of companies like CrowdStrike and CyberArk, it is not overly optimistic to project BlackBerry's stock price to be $15-$25/share in the next 12-18 months if John Chen and his team can achieve their realistic projections. BlackBerry stock has underperformed due to the failure (to date) to produce the all-important ramp in revenue and earningsa failure that should be remedied when the forecasts BlackBerry issued last month are realized. I believe BB's underperformance is also due to a "Watsa discount" stemming from the possibility that Watsa could use his position on the Board to engineer a deal for Fairfax to acquire BlackBerry at a lowball price and prevent unaffiliated shareholders from participating in BlackBerry's upside. Highlighting this "Watsa discount," more than 49% of BlackBerry shareholders (based on last year's vote) agree that Watsa should not have a seat on the Board. Accordingly, now is not the time for the Board to consider a buyoutlet alone an insider-affiliate buyout at an unfair price. Common shareholders who have endured the expenses of IoT and Cybersecurity development phases are entitled to participate in the Company's return to profitability. The Board must ensure that unaffiliated shareholders are not excluded from this return to profitability through the pursuit of a "strategic alternative" involving an insider-affiliate such as Fairfax, which is already set to acquire a nearly controlling stake in the Company through the conversion of the Fairfax Debentures on the eve of the Company's expected revenue and margin growth through 2026. In short, the Board must safeguard the interests of all BlackBerry shareholders by avoiding unfair transactions with insider affiliates designed to benefit such insiders to the exclusion of unaffiliated common shareholders. At a minimum, the Board should exclude Watsa from its assessment of strategic alternatives given Watsa's clear conflict of interest. Between Fairfax's 2013 attempt to acquire BlackBerry and Watsa's 2020 negotiation of a sweetheart deal for Fairfaxthe Fairfax Debentureswhich paves the way for Fairfax to acquire a large block of BlackBerry stock at a lowball price, Fairfax has repeatedly demonstrated a desire to acquire BlackBerry at a discount price and, therefore, Watsa's interests plainly do not align with those of other shareholders. Not only do Watsa's interests materially differ from those of BlackBerry's unaffiliated shareholders, but Watsa also has a history of disregarding his fiduciary duties in favor of his interests as Fairfax's principal. Even before the 2020 Fairfax Debentures, in September 2019, the Quebec Superior Court rendered a judgment in which it found that Watsa and Fairfax, as insiders of Fibrek Inc., acted in a "blatant conflict of interest situation" (emphasis added) for the benefit of Fairfax by enabling the acquisition of Fibrek at the "lowest possible price," to the detriment of Fibrek's minority shareholders who were bought out at an unfairly low price. The Quebec Superior Court, in awarding those minority shareholders $13.5 million plus interest, also found that Watsa abused his position of trust and confidence at Fibrek by failing to disclose Fairfax's true intentions to Fibrek's management, and that Watsa's testimony at trial was not credibleindeed, the Canadian judge found Watsa's explanations to be "mindboggling." The judge further described the situation as "odious" and "reprehensible." (Emphasis added.) One who lacks credibility and engages in odious and reprehensible conduct to the detriment of minority shareholders is not fit to be a corporate director, let alone BlackBerry's Lead Director and member of the Compensation, Nomination and Governance Committee (the "CNG Committee"). Minority shareholders and loyal BlackBerry employees expecting to be rewarded through equity-based compensation deserve much better. To be sure, excluding Watsa from the Board's consideration of strategic alternatives and appointing a special committee of independent directors to review such alternatives is the bare minimum course of action the Board must take to protect BlackBerry shareholders. But even that is not enough. Fiduciary responsibility dictates that the Board take action to remove Watsa from the CNG Committee. In that role, Watsa wields outsized influence over the nomination and compensation of other Board members, potentially compromising their independence and rendering other directors effectively beholden to Watsa. The Board should also implement a shareholder rights plan or other appropriate measures to defend the Company and its shareholders from an unfair buyout. Moreover, members of the Board should just say no to any proposal that does not present an adequate premium over values to be expected following the realization of BlackBerry's return to profitability. Equally troubling is the Company's announcement that Morgan Stanley & Co. is advising the Board in its consideration of strategic alternatives. Morgan Stanley, like Watsa, is potentially conflicted. Fairfax has paid Morgan Stanley substantial sums in underwriting and other advisory fees in recent transactions. Morgan Stanley's apparent conflict of interest in advising Fairfax acquisition targets has been widely reported. For example, in its article, "Streetwise: Morgan Stanley's role in Atlas Corp take-private deal raising eyebrows," TradeWinds questioned Morgan Stanley's role in advising directors of Atlas Corp. in a Fairfax affiliate's recent acquisition of Atlas, while the bank simultaneously received significant underwriting fees from Fairfax in its pursuit of an IPO for a Fairfax portfolio company.2 The Board must discharge its duties of loyalty to all BlackBerry shareholders and seek independent financial advice in its assessment of strategic alternatives. That is, the Board should dismiss Morgan Stanley from this engagement given the firm's potential conflict of interest. The involvement of a firm like Morgan Stanley signals that the Board is not conducting a mere portfolio review, but rather considering a buyout or take-private transaction, which the Board must resist at this time to safeguard the interests of BlackBerry's unaffiliated common shareholders. I believe the Company's disclosure regarding the Board's "review of the Company's portfolio," including "the possible separation of one or more of BlackBerry's businesses," is misleading. If the Board is considering a buyout, it must completely and accurately disclose this to shareholders, consistent with the Board's duty of candor. In sum, the Board should take the following actions to protect the Company and its unaffiliated common shareholders: Remove Watsa from his position on the CNG Committee and recommend that shareholders withhold their votes from the reelection of Watsa, whose interests are materially adverse to those of the Company's unaffiliated shareholders; their votes from the reelection of Watsa, whose interests are materially adverse to those of the Company's unaffiliated shareholders; To the extent that Watsa remains on the Board after the annual meeting, appoint a special committee (excluding Watsa) of truly independent directors, who do not have a history of acquiescing to Watsa's and Fairfax's interests, to oversee the announced consideration of strategic alternatives; 3 Implement a shareholder rights plan or other defensive measures to protect minority shareholders from an unfair buyout or take-private transaction; and Dismiss Morgan Stanley from any role in advising the Board regarding strategic alternatives or any proposed buyout or take-private transactions, particularly any such transactions involving Fairfax or any of its affiliates. BlackBerry is on the verge of realizing its tremendous potential and return to profitability. We are counting on independent directors to protect our interests. Very truly yours, /s/ Dorsey R. Gardner 1 But for my advocacy before the TSX, Fairfax would have acquired an even greater, 20%-plus, control stake in the Company at a lowball price. 2 Watsa's endorsement of and partnership with David Sokol to lead the Atlas take-private also demonstrates Watsa's questionable judgment as a fiduciary given the suspicious circumstances surrounding Sokol's departure from Berkshire Hathaway, after an audit committee reported that Sokol violated company standards by purchasing $10 million worth of Lubrizol shares before pitching the acquisition of Lubrizol to Warren Buffett. Watsa's questionable judgment and his propensity to place Fairfax's interests ahead of his fiduciary duties to other companies and their shareholders caution that the Board should remove Watsa from positions of influence. 3 This may require the retention of new independent directors to serve on this special committee given the Board's history of acquiescing to unfair transactions with Fairfax, such as the Fairfax Debentures, which calls into question the independence of the current Board members. SOURCE Dorsey Gardner SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP today launched an investigation into Managed Care of North America, Inc. ("MCNA Dental") concerning a data breach of its insured patients that occurred between late February and early March 2023. Nearly 9 million patients' sensitive and private information may have been stolen in the cyberattack. MCNA Dental recently disclosed this cybersecurity incident which resulted in the unauthorized access of patients' personal information, including names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, telephone numbers, email addresses, driver's license numbers, insurance information, and dental or orthodontic treatment care information. Some of the data accessed during the breach may pertain to children. According to MCNA Dental, its systems were breached between February 26 and March 7, 2023. On May 26, 2023, MCNA Dental began notifying impacted individuals of the medical data breach. The data breach has put the personal and confidential health information of almost 9 million individuals at risk. Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP is investigating whether MCNA Dental failed to adequately protect the privacy of its customers and violated state or federal law. If you or your child received notice of this data breach from MCNA Dental or MCNA Insurance Company and wish to obtain additional information about your legal rights or participate in a potential class action, please contact us today or visit our website at https://www.classactionlawyers.com/mcnadental. About Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe represents shareholders, employees, and consumers in class actions against corporate defendants, as well as shareholders in derivative actions against their officers and directors. The firm is based in San Francisco, and with the help of co-counsel, litigates cases nationwide. Contact Amber L. Schubert Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP [email protected] Tel: (415) 788-4220 SOURCE Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP CAMBRIDGE, England, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambridge-based leading cyber security education firm, CW Labs (CyberWarfare Labs) has secured a significant seed funding deal with a UK-based angel investor and appointed Mr. Sumit Siddharth (Sid), a serial cyber entrepreneur, as a new Director to the company. CW Labs is a specialist in technically advanced cyber security courses, focused specifically on cloud security (AWS, Azure, Google and hybrid cloud environments). The courses cater to offensive (red teaming), defensive (blue teaming) and hybrid (purple teaming) techniques used within the cloud infrastructure's security. Initiated as a Cyber War Research and Development Project by Manish Gupta and Yash Bharadwaj, in June 2020, amidst the COVID-19 lockdown, CW Labs has since secured four cyber research grants and garnered numerous accolades from esteemed National and International Cyber Competitions. It has so far supported over 4,500 candidates from at least 80 countries, including professionals from Fortune 500 companies. With this new investment, CW Labs is now in a solid position to explore new opportunities and invest in cutting-edge security R&D, propelling itself towards accelerated growth. This will mean CW Lab's vision of providing an advanced platform for Cyber Offensive and Defensive Research along with a comprehensive learning environment to enhance competencies will be enabled further. As well as new funding, CW Labs will gain the support of Sumit Siddharth (Sid) who is joining as a Director. As the CEO of a leading cyber consultancy and education firm, The SecOps Group, and co-founder/investor in other cyber security companies such as PureID (a passwordless authentication solution) and RedHunt Labs (an Attack Surface Management solution), his unparalleled expertise in the field of IT security will be invaluable to CW Labs and its founders. Commenting on the appointment, Sid said, "I am delighted to join the CW Labs family as its Director at this opportune time when the demand for cybersecurity knowledge is increasing day by day. This investment will help us take our mission of providing world class cyber security education to more people than ever before." Manish Gupta and Yash Bharadwaj, co-founders of CW Labs said, "We are excited about this opportunity to scale our operations across multiple geographies while continuing to offer quality education services. The investment will help us take our vision forward by leaps and bounds, better equipping us to provide our students with the most relevant knowledge about the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats." For more information about CyberWarfare Labs, visit https://cyberwarfare.live. About CyberWarfare Labs: CW Labs is a renowned global Ed-tech company specialising in cybersecurity, offering on-demand educational services. We acknowledge that cybersecurity is a continuous endeavour that requires constant adaptation to evolving threats and the specific requirements of our clients. Our primary focus is divided into two key divisions: Cyber Range Labs: We are committed to addressing cybersecurity challenges by providing practical, real-time solutions tailored for all. Our platform offers a virtual space where users can actively engage in hands-on training, honing their skills through our plug-and-play practical labs. Up-Skilling Platform: We offer a comprehensive range of On-demand courses designed for all level candidates. Whether you prefer offline or online training, our services cater to educational institutes, government agencies, and corporate entities. SOURCE CyberWarfare Labs KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2023 - 21:10 | All, World, Japan Japan has increased staff numbers in its embassy in Ukraine to cope with its growing workload to support the Eastern European country and also plans to strengthen the building of its soon-to-be-relocated diplomatic mission amid Russia's prolonged invasion. As part of efforts to boost the functions of its diplomatic mission in Kyiv, the Foreign Ministry has tapped new personnel acting as liaison for the Group of Seven industrialized nations or in charge of the official development assistance tasked to help infrastructure rebuilding and humanitarian support for Ukraine. Japan, which holds the G-7's rotating presidency this year, has been tasked to coordinate among its members over measures related to Ukraine following the Russian invasion since February 2022. Under the G-7 framework of sharing updates on and discussing support measures for Ukraine, Japan and other members of the grouping meet with Ukrainian ministers and officials several times over a month in Kyiv, the ministry said. The G-7, which also includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United States, plus the European Union, has been united in condemning the war and maintaining economic sanctions on Russia. Ministry officials have said Japan plans to soon relocate its embassy to another site in Kyiv and equip it with shelter functions due to concern over the building's resistance to Russian missiles that frequently hit the capital. While the embassy relocation had already been scheduled before the Ukraine war began, the government later decided to add the shelter functions to the new site. Japan reopened its embassy in Kyiv last October as the security situation improved after a seven-month closure. While the embassy was shut down, consular services continued at liaison offices set up in the western city of Lviv and the southeastern Polish city of Rzeszow. Currently, embassy staff dispatched from Japan are in rotating shifts, staying only for a few weeks at a time, to help ease the burden of working in a warzone. Related coverage: Japan to host meeting to urge firms to join Ukraine recovery efforts Japan agrees to set up reconstruction liaison system with Ukraine ORLANDO, Fla., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE: DRI) ("Darden" and "the Company") and Eugene I. Lee, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company, today announced that Mr. Lee has decided not to stand for reelection at the Company's 2023 Annual Meeting. Following the annual meeting, the Board will be comprised of nine members. "Serving as Darden's CEO and as a member and Chairman of the Board of Directors has been an honor," said Mr. Lee. "I am proud of what we have accomplished and believe that Darden is well-positioned to continue to grow and prosper for years to come." Darden Chief Executive Officer, Rick Cardenas, stated, "Gene is an extraordinary leader and has been a source of support and counsel during this past year. His impact on Darden and the restaurant industry cannot be overstated and lives on in the thousands of restaurant leaders he has mentored during his long and successful career. On behalf of Darden's 190,000 team members, I want to extend our sincere gratitude to Gene for his leadership and vision. We wish him well as he begins this next chapter." About Darden Darden is a restaurant company featuring a portfolio of differentiated brands that include Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Seasons 52, Eddie V's and Bahama Breeze. For more information, please visit www.darden.com. SOURCE Darden Restaurants, Inc.: General CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dark Fiber Market is projected to grow from USD 6.6 billion in 2023 to reach USD 11.9 billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.5% from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The growth of the dark fiber market is driven by rising demand for 5G network, increasing demand for internet bandwidth, growing demand for reliable and secure network are the major factors driving growth of the dark fiber market. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=396623 Browse in-depth TOC on "Dark Fiber Market" 157 Tables 54 Figures 243 Pages Dark Fiber Market Report Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $6.6 billion Estimated Value by 2028 $11.9 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 12.5% Market Size Available for 20192028 Forecast Period 20232028 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Single-mode Fiber, Multimode Fiber, Network Type, Material, End User and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Lack of proper monitoring systems Key Market Opportunities Augmented global demand for data centers Key Market Drivers Rising demand for 5G network By type, the single mode fiber are projected to hold the largest share of the dark fiber market during the forecast period. The single mode fiber segment held the larger market share in 2022 and is expected to exhibit a higher growth during the forecast period. Single mode fiber is best suited for longer transmission distances, such as multi-channel television broadcast systems and long-distance telephony. Also, single mode fiber has lower fiber attenuation and transmits more information per unit of time than multimode fiber. By network type, long haul segment is projected to exhibit highest CAGR for the dark fiber market during the forecast period. The long-haul segment held the largest share of the dark fiber industry in 2022 and is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Long haul dark fiber is increasingly being used in video transmission, cloud computing, and 5G/4G/LTE mobile applications. These networks constitute the backbone of global networks wherein cost-effective upgrades and expansion to 100G and beyond are essential. The long-haul networks are widely applied in undersea cabling across long oceanic distances and at notional demarcation lines, thus attracting the participation of several dark fiber ecosystem players in terms of investments. For instance, in February 2023, Bharti Airtel (India) selected Ribbon Communications to deploy long-haul DWDM network. The deployment is based on a disaggregated approach, as part of Airtel's modernization strategy to offer cost-effective 5G mobile backhaul and enterprise business connectivity through Northwestern India. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=396623 North America is expected to hold the largest share in the market by 2028. The North American region is expected to hold the largest share of the dark fiber market during the forecast period. North America is the largest contributor to the dark fiber market due to the presence of dark fiber service providers in the US, including AT&T, Verizon Communications, Inc., CenturyLink, Inc., Consolidated Communications, and Exa Infrastructure (GTT communications Inc.) An increase in the use of data centers across various business verticals and the early adoption of the latest technologies are expected to contribute to market growth. Various US-based companies, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google, and Microsoft, are increasing their investments in data center construction. The growth will be driven by the US, wherein data centers manage the high volume of data generated, which fuels the market growth. Data centers use dark fiber optic cables to save on costs, improve latency, and provide redundancy. In North America, companies are focusing on expanding the fiber network proving high speeds. Several carriers, municipalities, and planned communities across the US are deploying smaller fiber networks. Cities such as Bristol, Virginia; Burlington, Vermont; Lafayette, Louisiana; Johnson City, Tennessee; Orono, Maine; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and the six counties around Chattanooga, Tennessee are served by the Electric Power Board. Key Market Players Major vendors in the dark fiber companies include AT&T (US), Verizon Communications, Inc. (US), CenturyLink (Lumen Technologies) (US) Colt Technology Services Group Limited (UK), Comcast Corporation (US), Consolidated Communications (US), Exa Infrastructure (GTT Communications, Inc.) (US), CenturyLink, Inc. (US), NTT Communications Corporation (Japan), Verizon Communications, Inc. (US), Windstream Communications (US), and Zayo Group, LLC (US), are some of the key players in the dark fiber market. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=396623 Browse Adjacent Market: Semiconductor and Electronics Market Research Reports &Consulting Related Reports: Optical Interconnect Market by Product Category (Cable Assemblies, Connectors, Optical Transceivers), Interconnect Level, Fiber Mode, Data Rate, Distance, Application (Data Communication, Telecommunication), Region - Global Forecast to 2025 Optical Transceiver Market Size, Share and Industry Growth Analysis Report by Form Factor (SFF and SFP; SFP+ and SFP28; XFP; CXP), Data Rate, Wavelength, Fiber Type, Connector, Distance, Protocol, Application (Data Center, Enterprise), and Global Growth Driver and Industry Forecast to 2026 Fiber Optics Market by Fiber Type (Glass, Plastic), Cable Type (Single-mode, Multi-mode), Deployment (Underground, Underwater, Aerial), Application, and Region (North America, Europe, APAC, Rest of the World) - Global Forecast to 2027 Fiber Optic Components Market by Component (Transceivers, AOCs, Cables, Amplifiers, Splitters, Connectors, Circulators), Data Rate, Application (Communications, Distributed Sensing, Lighting) and Region (2022-2027) Silicon Photonics Market with Recession Impact Analysis by Product (Transceivers, Switches, Sensors), Application (Data Centers & High-Performance Computing, Telecommunications), Waveguide, Component and Geography - Global Forecast to 2028 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/dark-fiber-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/dark-fiber.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets WASHINGTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Officials from government and international organisations gathered with leading experts, business leaders, and academics yesterday for the Debating the Digital Future forum, programmed by Economist Impact and supported by Google, to address the rapid development of next generation technologies and their impact on society. "We need to strike the right regulatory balance, one that takes into account some of these trade-offs and steers us towards a more positive path," commented Kent Walker, president, global affairs, Google. Kent Walker (center), president, global affairs, Google, speaking on Economist Impact forum panel with James Bennet, senior editor, The Economist (left) and Miriam Vogel, president and CEO, EqualAI. Along with advances that include artificial intelligence, driverless cars, biotech and quantum, come important questions of privacy, security and governance, and debate over whether these tools will ease geopolitical tensions or further strain them. "The key will be integrating innovation into a regulatory structure," said Congressman Ted Lieu, who earlier this week, together with Congressman Ken Buck and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, introduced the National AI Commission Act to focus on the question of regulating artificial intelligence. In addressing how optimistic he was that Congress could put together a framework to regulate AI, he indicated, "Most members of Congress are not thrilled with how social media has turned out.so many members of Congress want to put some guardrails on it." Speakers at the summit commented on the importance of understanding the risks and benefits of emerging technology, changes to modern workforces and AI best practices. According to William Halal, author, futurist and professor emeritus of management, technology and innovation, at George Washington University, "Blue collar or white collar jobs that are routine those will disappear. But service jobs or professional jobs we think will be updated AI is going to do the grunt work freeing humans to do the stuff they could never get to before." Across the discussions amongst more than 60 business leaders, technology experts and policymakers the key message of the summit was clear stakeholders must seek to find a balance between AI innovation and social responsibility, and work collaboratively in these efforts. Featured speakers included: Kent Walker , president, global affairs, Google , president, global affairs, Ted Lieu , congressman, US House of Representatives , congressman, Bruce Andrews , chief government affairs officer, Intel , chief government affairs officer, Kendra Parlock, vice president partnership development, NPower Chris Meserole , director, AI emerging tech initiative, Brookings , director, AI emerging tech initiative, Miriam Vogel , president, EqualAI , president, James Bennet , senior editor and Lexington columnist, The Economist SOURCE Economist Impact Now offering two distinct destination experiencesboth in California's nature-rich Sierra Nevada regionDesolation Hotel continues to bring rugged luxury to outdoor enthusiasts HOPE VALLEY, Calif., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the successful 2022 opening of its first luxury micro-resort (located in South Lake Tahoe), Desolation Hotel announces its expansion to a second Sierra Nevada location: Desolation Hotel Hope Valley (located in Hope Valley, CA). The family-owned, eco-conscious hotel brand now offers two ways to explore this singular Northern California regionand will be running a shuttle between the properties, providing guests convenient access to both experiences. Guests staying at either location may freely access amenities at either property. Formerly known as Sorensen's Resort, and now Desolation Hotel Hope Valley, this mountain retreat has been a beloved getaway for outdoor and adventure enthusiasts since 1926. Under Desolation Hotel's ownership, Co-Founder Chet Pipkin and team are bringing their commitment to sustainability, increased access to the outdoors, and support for the local community to this storied property. Their philanthropic efforts include supporting the Sugar Pine Foundation , resulting in the planting of one tree per every room night booked in the Tahoe Basin area, as well as recent donations exceeding $250,000 to local organizations such as Keep Tahoe Blue (League to Save Lake Tahoe) and the Tamarack and Caldor Fire Victims Fund. Desolation Hotel Hope Valley features a variety of accommodations, all of which blend seamlessly with the area's natural surroundings. These include: 27 Cabins Lovingly restored over the past century, these include custom-made furniture by regional craftsmen utilizing natural oak, pine, and redwood. Modern and luxe touches elevate each cabin (e.g., state-of-the-art kitchen appliances, brass fixtures, freestanding bathtubs, and Belkin technology throughout). Multiple layouts, including studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom options are available. Lovingly restored over the past century, these include custom-made furniture by regional craftsmen utilizing natural oak, pine, and redwood. Modern and luxe touches elevate each cabin (e.g., state-of-the-art kitchen appliances, brass fixtures, freestanding bathtubs, and Belkin technology throughout). Multiple layouts, including studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom options are available. 7 Luxury Yurts Yurts feature oak floors, gas fireplaces, king beds, windows providing abundant natural light, and modern bathrooms with oversized soaking tubs. Yurts feature oak floors, gas fireplaces, king beds, windows providing abundant natural light, and modern bathrooms with oversized soaking tubs. A Restored 1951 Spartan Trailer - This trailer-turned-glamping suite sits along the West Fork Carson River and offers a blend of nostalgia and modern design. It features cherrywood finishes, outdoor patio seating, a queen-size bed with a full-size pullout sofa. - This trailer-turned-glamping suite sits along the West Fork Carson River and offers a blend of nostalgia and modern design. It features cherrywood finishes, outdoor patio seating, a queen-size bed with a full-size pullout sofa. Campgrounds - available for RV and tent camping, there are 13 sites across 15 acres completely surrounded by trees and wilderness; each come equipped fire rings, bear-proof food storage boxes, and communal bathrooms with showers. In addition to the above accommodations, Desolation Hotel Hope Valley offers amenities specifically designed to enhance one's wilderness experience; these include a wood-fired sauna, telescopes for stargazing, outdoor firepits, summer lawn games, and complimentary seasonal gear for outdoor adventurers (e.g., snowshoes, sleds, cross-country skis, clear bottom kayaks, and paddle boards). There is a general store on-site (complete with grab-and-go picnic items, bait & tackle, groceries, coffee, and more) and the all-day dining destination, Sorensen's Cafe, turning out seasonal, mountain-inspired favorites like Alpine Artichoke Fondue and Bavarian-Style Pretzels, alongside fresh cocktails, craft beer, and regional wine. Like Desolation Hotel South Lake Tahoe, the new Hope Valley location is dog-friendly and provides guests with access to several EV charging stations on property. Nestled in the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, the property is just 25 minutes from South Lake Tahoe and one hour from the Reno-Nevada International Airport, yet feels worlds away from city life with its secluded forest location. The hotel provides easy access to outdoor excursions including dozens of alpine lakes, views of the West Fork Carson River (which runs through the Desolation Hotel Hope Valley campgrounds), Kirkwood Ski Resort, and abundant hiking trails (many of which begin right at guests' front doors). "We are proud to be the owners of this storied landmark," says Chet Pipkin, Co-Founder of Desolation Hotel. "Surrounded by rugged beauty and untamed wilderness, this destination further brings to life our commitment to provide access to unforgettable experiences in nature. Although the immersion in remote nature differs from the town of South Lake Tahoe, both our properties offer guests an unparalleled opportunity to explore and appreciate this region. And we make every effort to give our guests an authentic and immersive local experience, from suggesting off-the-beaten-path swimming holes to sharing our favorite hikes or ski runs." To celebrate the new Desolation Hotel Hope Valley location, the team is featuring an "Alpine Escapes" offer: guests who book a stay at both properties during the same trip, receive a 15% discount for stays Sunday through Thursday by using promo code DHescape15 (available now through September 4, 2023; for additional offer details and to book Desolation Hotel Lake Tahoe, click here , for Desolation Hotel Hope Valley, click here). Reservations for Desolation Hotel Hope Valley can be made online at www.desolationhotel.com/hope-valley/book or by phone at 530.694.2203; rates start at $250/night. Sorensen's Cafe reservations are available at OpenTable. Follow Desolation Hotel Hope Valley on Instagram and Facebook . The hotel is located at 14255 CA-88 Hope Valley, CA 96120. About Desolation Hotel Desolation Hotel boasts two distinct, eco-conscious resorts located in California's Sierra Nevada region, Desolation Hotel Hope Valley (located in Hope Valley, CA) and Desolation Hotel Lake Tahoe (located in South Lake Tahoe, CA). Each hotel includes premium accommodations, restful luxuries, and endless opportunities for adventure. Attracting outdoor enthusiasts eager to explore nature's bounty, Desolation Hotel is an opulent yet intimate place where guests feel at home after enjoying various expeditions. Between its signature "wildernests", elevated on-premise dining and local expert staff to facilitate authentic experiences, Desolation Hotel is a modern adventurer's paradise. FOR MEDIA QUERIES, PLEASE CONTACT WAGSTAFF MEDIA & MARKETING [email protected] SOURCE Desolation Hotel Tickets on sale now at thehenryford.org Exuberant collection of songs, food, and fanfare connects families, friends, and neighbors to honor the great American experiment DETROIT, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) together with The Henry Ford are proud to present the annual Salute to America concerts at Greenfield Village on June 30 through July 3. The events, held in celebration of Independence Day, will feature musical ensembles throughout the village, plus a grand stage performance by the DSO at dusk. The Henry Ford and the DSO are proud to present the Salute to America concerts June 30 through July 3. Tweet this Salute to America concerts in Greenfield Village June 30 - July 3, 2023 The ensemble performances, which guests may enjoy as they stroll the grounds, will showcase a diverse assembly of music from American history, including choral singing, ragtime, and jazz. At 8:30 p.m., the DSO will take the Village Green stage for a triumphant performance, complete with Tchaikovsky's stirring 1812 Overture, cannon fire, and a brilliant fireworks finale (with a new launch location for improved visibility). Along with favorite summer fare including street food, cold treats, and craft beer, guests will enjoy free carousal rides, holiday theming throughout the venue, decade vignettes, and a military fife and drum parade. Salute to America will take place at Greenfield Village on Friday, June 30 through Monday, July 3 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at thehenryford.org, with Early Bird Pricing through June 19. Tickets cost $42 for adults (12 and up), $37.75 for seniors (62 and up), and $31.50 for youth (5-11); Members of The Henry Ford may purchase discounted tickets for $35.75, $32.00, and $26.75, respectively. All children under the age of four are free. For updates on hours and tickets, visit thehenryford.org or follow The Henry Ford on social media @thehenryford. Salute to America is made possible with support from Ford Motor Company and Bank of America. SALUTE TO AMERICA Friday, June 30 Monday, July 3 510 p.m. Greenfield Village Celebrate Independence Day with The Henry Ford and the DSO at Salute to America in Greenfield Village! Enjoy summer treats, musical ensembles throughout the village, and a main stage performance by the DSO complete with Tchaikovsky's stirring 1812 Overture, live cannon fire, and a brilliant fireworks finale. About The Henry Ford Located in Dearborn, Michigan, The Henry Ford is a globally recognized destination that fosters inspiration and learning from hands-on encounters with artifacts representing the most comprehensive collection anywhere focusing on innovation, ingenuity, and resourcefulness. Its unique venues include Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, Benson Ford Research Center, Giant Screen Experience, and Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school. The Henry Ford inspires every individual to unlock their potential and help shape a better future through a variety of channels including its online presence thehenryford.org, its Emmy-winning national television series, The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation, and The Henry Ford's Invention Convention Worldwide, a global K-12 invention education curricular program that teaches students problem-solving, entrepreneurship, and creativity skills. With the support of a growing community of affiliates and supporters, The Henry Ford is the home of Raytheon Technologies Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, Invention Convention Globals, and Invention Convention Michigan. About the DSO The acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world's foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. As a community-supported orchestra, generous giving by individuals and institutions at all levels drives the continued success and growth of the organization. In January 2020, Italian conductor Jader Bignamini was named the DSO's next music director to commence with the 2020-2021 season. Celebrated conductor, arranger, and trumpeter Jeff Tyzik is the orchestra's Principal Pops Conductor, while Oscar-nominated trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard holds the Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair. Making its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, the DSO offers a performance schedule that features PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People's Family Concert series. One of the world's most acoustically perfect concert halls, Orchestra Hall celebrated its centennial in 2019-2020. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in seven metro area venues, as well as a robust schedule of eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts, which also reaches tens of thousands of children with the Classroom Edition expansion. With growing attendance and unwavering philanthropic support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to embrace and inspire individuals, families, and communities through unsurpassed musical experiences. SOURCE The Henry Ford COLTS NECK, N.J., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to a lawsuit filed today by the Murphy administration against the boards of education in Middletown, Marlboro and Manalapan, Steve Dnistrian, candidate for the New Jersey State Senate in Legislative District 11 in Monmouth County, released the following statement: "Today, the Murphy administration filed a lawsuit against the boards of education in three additional New Jersey municipalities for passing policies that support notifying parents if and when a child asks teachers, or school staff, for accommodations or changes regarding their own gender. "Kids do best when parents and teachers work together to support them. When Governor Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin try to interfere in the relationship between parents and children, families, parents and kids suffer. We should encourage schools to communicate with parents when children are struggling, not sue to stop them, and not insist that the state knows better when it comes to parent-child relationships. "Parents in our district are telling me they want to be more involved in their kids' schools. They want a say in curriculum. They are very concerned about sex ed courses being forced on young children. And parents are deeply worried about the loss of $75 million in state aid in our schools, all supported by Murphy and his protege, Sen. Vinod Gopal. When it comes to dealing with the health and well-being of children, parents should ALWAYS be part of the discussion. Democrats, however, are insisting that parents NOT be part of the discussion, especially if kids express questions about being LGBTQ. These heavy-handed, one-sided mandates from Trenton are just wrong." Dnistrian, the son of immigrants, is running for public office for the first time after spending 35 years in the business world. He is challenging Murphy ally and Democrat Senator Vinod Gopal in what many pundits believe will be the most hotly-contested race in New Jersey this year. All 120 seats in the NJ legislature are on the ballot in November. For more information on Dnistrian, visit www.SteveforNJ.com. Steve Dnistrian is the Republican Candidate for State Senate in Legislative District 11. For more information, visit , on Facebook at STEVE for NJ State Senate LD-11 and www.SteveMarilynKimforNJ11.com. SOURCE www.SteveforNJ.com ELK CITY, Okla., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Brian Blick, a skilled Board Certified Anesthesiologist, has announced the Dr. Brian Blick Grant for Healthcare Students. The grant provides financial support to outstanding students pursuing a career in healthcare. The grant is awarded based on an essay contest that encourages students to think deeply about their vision for their future in healthcare and how they plan to make a positive impact on their patients and their community. To be eligible for the Dr. Brian Blick Grant for Healthcare Students, applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale and submit an essay of no more than 1,000 words that describes their vision for their future in healthcare and how they plan to make a positive impact on their patients and their community. Applicants must also have a demonstrated commitment to healthcare, such as participation in healthcare-related volunteer work, internships, or other relevant experiences. The winner of the Dr. Brian Blick Grant for Healthcare Students will receive $1,000 to support their education and professional development. The selection committee will consider the applicant's academic record, healthcare-related experiences, and essay content in making their decision. The winner will be selected based on the quality of their essay and their overall commitment to excellence, innovation, and compassion in their work. Dr. Brian Blick grew up in Edmond, Oklahoma, and pursued his academic aspirations at the University of Oklahoma, where he received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 2004. He then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2007, before enrolling at Ross University School of Medicine, where he graduated in 2013. After completing his residency at the University of Kansas in 2017, Dr. Blick and his wife, Lauren, moved to Elk City, where he began his work as the Chief of Anesthesia at Great Plains Regional Medical Center, which is managed by Western Oklahoma Anesthesia Consultants. Dr. Blick later founded Western Oklahoma Pain Specialists. The deadline to apply for the Dr. Brian Blick Grant for Healthcare Students is October 15, 2023. The winner will be announced on November 15, 2023. SOURCE Dr Brian Blick Grant Freight Workers Win Representation with Teamsters Locals 41 and 696 EDGERTON, Kan. and COLBY, Kan., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In two separate elections, drivers at 10 Roads Express in Edgerton and Colby, Kan., have voted to join the Teamsters. They are seeking better benefits and fair work rules. "We were determined to win. For too long, drivers have been forced to work under unfair conditions with no control over our stop times. When we are delayed, we don't get paid. We also need better health care," said Tony O'Neil, a driver at 10 Roads Express in Colby. "As Teamsters, we will put an end to the unfair work rules and win the wages and benefits we deserve." Drivers in Edgerton will join Teamsters Local 41 in Kansas City, Mo., and drivers in Colby will join Teamsters Local 696 in Topeka, Kan. The elections took place yesterday for more than 30 workers at both locations. "We have been working on this campaign with the International for the last four months. These workers were determined from the start. They've long needed representation, and they fought hard to win it," said Roy Nixon, Teamsters Local 41 Organizer. "This is just the start of more organizing at this company here in Kansas as well as other locations across the country." The wins in Kansas are the first in a new national organizing effort by the Teamsters at 10 Roads Express. "We are thrilled to welcome these drivers into the union and stand alongside them as they negotiate a first contract," said John A. Murphy, Teamsters National Freight Director. "The victories in Kansas are part of a larger worker movement at 10 Roads Express. The Freight Division is committed to building union density at this company and growing our footprint throughout the entire freight industry." Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking men and women in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Daniel Moskowitz, (770) 262-4971 [email protected] SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Drizly for Business is the go-to drinks service for corporate events, gifting and restocking; newly introduced business solutions include corporate bartending services, keg deliveries, and premium wine gift sets BOSTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Drizly , an Uber Company (NYSE: UBER), today introduced an expanded suite of business-focused offerings and an elevated Corporate Concierge service from Drizly for Business . Designed to help businesses save time, stay on budget, and leverage expert recommendations, Drizly for Business supports all corporate alcohol delivery occasions, including events, gifting, and office restocking, whether it be for employees, clients or customers. Building on its momentum since originally launching in 2016, and on the heels of a rebrand in 2022 to better showcase its breadth of corporate offerings, Drizly for Business is now focused on expanding its suite of business offerings for companies small and large to further support these corporate occasions and better meet its corporate customers needs for each moment. Today, Drizly for Business works with nearly 11,000 corporate clients across a variety of industries, including UNTUCKit and The Herbal Chef. "As the pioneer of alcohol e-commerce, we're excited to now offer an expanded suite of business-focused offerings as we see more and more companies turning to Drizly for all their corporate delivery needs for drinks," said Kimberly Gordon, Director of Corporate Business Development at Drizly. "By leveraging Drizly's nationwide network of Retail Partners and introducing a dedicated Corporate Concierge team, we are able to provide corporate customers with a more streamlined way to order beverages for their business, whether that be for in-office events, client gifting or weekly restocks. Our team can handle everything from sourcing their favorite drinks to scheduling the delivery itself, making it both a hassle-free and budget friendly experience." The suite of business-focused offerings from Drizly for Business include: New services for corporate events Whether companies are planning corporate events in-person, virtual or a hybrid of both, Drizly's Corporate Concierge team can help with all alcohol needs for happy hours, team building activities, holiday parties, tastings and more. The team creates fully custom orders to fit any budget, providing recommendations on what drinks to buy, how much is needed and coordinating all necessary elements of shipments and delivery. To further elevate any company gathering, Drizly for Business has debuted an expanded suite of offerings for corporate events - including corporate bartending services and keg deliveries. Recently expanding to 10 markets, corporate clients can book bartending services through Drizly for Business for staffing, tools, bar set-up and breakdown to round out any occasion. The Corporate Concierge team can also now organize keg deliveries for company events, parties or office kitchens in select states across the United States. "The team of specialists at Drizly for Business have been extremely supportive and helpful throughout the past couple of years assisting for our large events. As soon as I have an idea of what our beverage needs will be, I contact the experts at Drizly for Business, and they begin to put a personalized recommendation together," said Brad Fry, Beverage Director at The Herbal Chef. "Regardless of any adjustments I have to make on my end due to client demands, the Corporate Concierge team is always understanding and quick to respond and accommodate my needs. Drizly for Business saves me time, which allows me to focus on everything else that needs to get done." Expanded corporate gift set options Business customers can easily send corporate gifts to clients or employees to multiple addresses across the country with the help of the Corporate Concierge team. From providing expert recommendations that fit a client's budget, to placing orders and coordinating all deliveries, corporate gifting with Drizly for Business is the perfect solution for client appreciation, holiday, celebratory gifts and more. Drizly for Business has also introduced new wine gift sets with a premium selection of curated wine bottle combinations, available in 38 states across the country. With an array of gift sets offering one, two or three wine bottles that come in upscale packaging and with personalized gift notes, the Corporate Concierge team handles everything from verifying addresses to coordinating the deliveries. What's more, business customers can now design custom wine gift sets, with the ability to add a personalized logo, color schemes, branded inserts and hand select the combination of wine for the package. Easy re-ordering and scheduling capabilities Lastly, companies can leverage the Corporate Concierge team to coordinate drink deliveries on a weekly, monthly or custom schedule to ensure the office kitchen or corporate space is stocked with employees' favorites at all times. Whether its beer, wine, spirits or non-alcoholic options, Drizly for Business offers one of the widest selections of drinks for business partners to choose from for recurring orders. With office occupancy hitting 50% in the United States in Spring 2023, up from 25% last year* businesses are searching for solutions to engage with employees in the office and remotely, or on a hybrid schedule. Further, the 2022 Corporate Trend Report from Drizly for Business found that alcoholic beverages were the top gift given by survey respondents, with 85% of survey respondents citing that drinks are the most purchased corporate gift item. With the expanded suite of business-focused offerings from Drizly for Business, backed by one of the largest networks of on-demand alcohol delivery coverage across the United States, the service is able to provide a full range of corporate ordering solutions customized to a company's in-office or remote needs - whether they're planning an office happy hour or sending gifts to employees across the country. To get started with Drizly for Business, visit corporate.drizly.com . *Source: Kastle Systems & The Washington Post, February 2023 About Drizly Drizly , an Uber company, is a leading beverage alcohol specialty marketplace designed to help people savor life's moments. Millions of consumers of legal drinking age turn to Drizly to get the best drinks for the moment, at the right price, delivered. On Drizly, consumers can compare prices across retailers to find the best deals, choose from convenient delivery options, including on-demand and scheduled deliveries, and send gifts or place large orders for events. With one of the widest selections of beer, wine, and spirits, shoppers can easily order their favorites or discover new drinks all in one place. Today, Drizly partners with thousands of retailers and suppliers to help them to reach new customers, tap into key market and customer insights, and diversify their business to grow sales. Learn more at Drizly.com , download the Drizly app ( App Store and Google Play ) and follow Drizly on Instagram , Facebook , and Twitter . SOURCE Drizly Edenred employees participated in an annual global volunteering initiaitive to alleviate food insecurity and help residents in need BOSTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Edenred, the world leader in specific-purpose payments, partnered with the Newton Food Pantry, a local independent nonprofit located in Newton, Massachusetts, to alleviate food insecurity and help Newton residents in need. Idealday is an annual global volunteering intiaitve that occurs across all 45 countries in which Edenred operates in. Edenred employees engage in a voluntary approach of social, societal, and environmental responsibility, formalized in a policy called 'Ideal'. This falls under the three pillars of the Edenred Group's CSR policy : Idealpeople, which aims to improve the quality of life ; Idealplanet, which works to preserve the environment ; and Idealprogress, which seeks to create value responsibly. Edenred partnered with the Newton Food Pantry as part of Idealday, an annual global volunteering initiative. Tweet this This year, Edenred USA employees assisted the Newton Food Pantry with restocking supplemental food and personal care products, while providing customer service to shoppers in their free grocery store made available to Newton residents, located at 1000 Commonwealth Avenue in Newton. Employees also helped shoppers with putting their groceries into their cars. "We had a great day volunteering at the Newton Food Pantry," says Ed Fleischmann, CEO of Edenred USA. "We are very proud to be actively giving back to the community, reinforcing our commitment to social responsibility and supporting those in need." Edenred encourages its employees to give back to the community beyond Idealday. Activities can be counted as paid working hours and go towards the yearly ESG goal. It's just another way to help out the local community while working alongside other Edenred employees. About Edenred Edenred is a leading digital platform for services and payments and the everyday companion for people at work, connecting 52 million users and 2 million partner merchants in 45 countries via 950,000 corporate clients. Edenred offers specific-purpose payment solutions for food (such as meal benefits), incentives (such as gift cards, employee engagement platforms), mobility (such as multi-energy, maintenance, toll, parking, and commuter solutions) and corporate payments (such as virtual cards). True to the Group's purpose, "Enrich connections. For good.", these solutions enhance users' well-being and purchasing power. They improve companies' attractiveness and efficiency and vitalize the employment market and the local economy. They also foster access to healthier food, more environmentally friendly products, and softer mobility. Edenred's 10,000 employees are committed to making the world of work a connected ecosystem that is safer, more efficient, and more responsible every day. In 2022, thanks to its global technology assets, the Group managed some 38 billion in business volume, primarily carried out via mobile applications, online platforms, and cards. Edenred is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange and included in the following indices: CAC 40 ESG, CAC Next 20, CAC Large 60, Euronext 100, FTSE4Good and MSCI Europe. The logos and other trademarks mentioned and featured in this press release are registered trademarks of Edenred S.E., its subsidiaries or third parties. They may not be used for commercial purposes without prior written consent from their owners. For more information: Edenred: www.edenredbenefits.com About The Newton Food Pantry The Newton Food Pantry is the oldest and largest pantry serving the Newton community. An independent, non-profit organization, founded in 1983, the Newton Food Pantry aims to alleviate food insecurity in Newton by providing supplemental food and personal care products to community members in need, serving our clients with dignity, compassion, and respect. We serve more than 1,800 Newton residents through bi-monthly choice shopping and deliveries. In addition, countless others are served through off-site initiatives including the Newton Community freedge and the Lasell University Dry Pantry. A robust corps of volunteers and donors enable us to serve our neighbors. One Bag at a Time. For more information: Newton Food Pantry: http://www.newtonfoodpantry.org/ SOURCE Edenred Benefits KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2023 - 13:36 | World, All Japanese Emperor Naruhito visited Borobudur temple, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site in central Java, on Thursday, the sixth day of his official goodwill visit to Indonesia. The emperor, clad in a traditional batik-dyed shirt, climbed the stairs of the pyramid-shaped Buddhist temple in the suburb of Yogyakarta, the ancient city on Java Island. The emperor said he was very happy to come to Borobudur which he had long wished to visit. "I hope this remarkable temple will be preserved for a long time to come," he told reporters. The temple was constructed in the eighth and ninth centuries and is renowned for its fine reliefs adorning its walls and 72 stupas, each containing a Buddha statue. The emperor, who wore sandals so as not to damage the cultural property, took photos of the temple as he walked. The emperor will go to Jakarta later Thursday. He and Empress Masako, who accompanied him on the Indonesia trip but did not go to Yogyakarta or the temple, are scheduled to return to Japan on Friday. The imperial couple met Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday in Bogor, south of Jakarta. They received an invitation to visit from the president in July last year. ==Kyodo VANCOUVER, BC, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Entree Resources Ltd. (TSX: ETG) (OTCQB: ERLFF) (the "Company" or "Entree") is pleased to announce the results of voting at its annual general meeting of shareholders which was held today (the "Meeting"). All matters submitted to shareholders for approval as set out in the Company's Notice of Meeting and Information Circular, both dated May 15, 2023, were approved by the requisite majority of votes cast at the Meeting. NUMBER OF DIRECTORS Shareholders approved setting the number of directors at six. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS The details of the voting results for the election of directors are set out below: Votes For Withheld Votes Director # % # % Teresa Conway 118,214,273 98.83 1,402,298 1.17 Alan Edwards 117,833,073 98.51 1,783,498 1.49 Allan Moss 117,822,773 98.50 1,793,798 1.50 Michael Price 117,833,073 98.51 1,783,498 1.49 Paula Rogers 117,926,733 98.59 1,689,838 1.41 Stephen Scott 117,939,233 98.60 1,677,338 1.40 APPOINTMENT OF AUDITORS Davidson & Company LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants was re-appointed auditors of the Company for the ensuing year at the remuneration to be fixed by the directors. STOCK OPTION PLAN Shareholders approved amendments to and the renewal of the Company's Stock Option Plan. Detailed voting results for the Meeting are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. ABOUT ENTREE RESOURCES LTD. Entree Resources Ltd. is a well-funded Canadian mining company with a unique carried joint venture interest on a significant portion of one of the world's largest copper-gold projects the Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia. Entree has a 20% or 30% carried participating interest in the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture, depending on the depth of mineralization. Horizon Copper Corp. and Rio Tinto are major shareholders of Entree, beneficially holding approximately 25% and 16% of the shares of the Company, respectively. More information about Entree can be found at www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com. SOURCE Entree Resources Virtual and In-Person Competition Awards Students $297,000 Toward Culinary Scholarships CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts , the largest culinary school brand in the U.S., announces the winners of their "Young Escoffier High School Culinary Scholarship Competition" and awarded students a total of $297,000 toward culinary school scholarships. Top teams Escoffier campuses included: Boulder Campus: 1st place Smoky Hill High School (top), 2nd place Poudre High School (middle), 3rd place Elbert High School (bottom) Austin Campus: 1st place: Eastview High School (top), 2nd place: Eastview High School (middle), 3rd place: Deer Park High School (bottom) A total of 340 students participated in the culinary competition challenging high schoolers to put their culinary lessons into practice using a list of predetermined ingredients in 60 minutes to create a sweet or savory dish. Teams of high school students demonstrated their culinary skills and were evaluated by Escoffier chef instructors in areas including sanitation, safety, teamwork, timing, technique, plate presentation, and creativity. "These high school students brought their A-game to this competition. It was a treat for us to witness their culinary techniques, attention to detail and critical thinking in action," said Kirk T. Bachmann, Boulder campus president and provost. "Students in this year's competition demonstrated how to put their culinary skills into practice, and they added another level of creativity and taste to the winning dishes," added Marcus McMellon, Austin campus president. Escoffier's competition was offered virtually and in person at Escoffier's Austin and Boulder campuses. In-person students had to present completed dishes in 60 minutes. Virtual competitors documented preparation and progress, and submitted images of completed dishes for judges to review. Every student participating in the competition received a $500 scholarship toward culinary education at Escoffier. First, second, and third-place winners received an additional $3,000, $2,500, and $1,500 in scholarship funds for use at the school. Top teams Escoffier campuses included: Boulder Campus 1st place Smoky Hill High School (top) 2nd place Poudre High School (middle) 3rd place Elbert High School (bottom) Austin Campus 1st place: Eastview High School (top) 2nd place: Eastview High School (middle) 3rd place: Deer Park High School (bottom) For details on Escoffier's High School Culinary Scholarship competition and a full list of winners, visit https://www.facebook.com/escoffierschool. More about Escoffier Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts (Escoffier) is the largest culinary school brand in the U.S. (based on comparable student population data currently reported in IPEDS) . It is the only U.S. accredited institution, available through its Boulder campus, to offer 100 percent online culinary degrees which include culinary classes and real-world industry externships. Ranked in the top 10 culinary schools in the United States by USA Today and number one in the world by Chef's Pencil , the school's professional programs offer the proven combination of a classic and contemporary approach to modern industry skills training as well as sustainability-centered and business-focused curriculum. Escoffier is a Great Place to Work-Certified institution, a Newsweek Top Online Learning School and its Boulder (includes online programs) and Austin campuses are designated as Military Friendly Schools . Escoffier offers Diploma programs for Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, Food Entrepreneurship and Plant-Based Culinary Arts as well as Associate of Applied Science Degrees in Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts and Associate of Occupational Studies Degrees (AOS) in Culinary Arts, Baking and Pastry, Plant-Based Culinary Arts, Hospitality and Restaurant Operations Management, Holistic Nutrition and Wellness and Food Entrepreneurship. Click for more information on Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts accreditations and degree and diploma programs . Media Contact: Patti Thomas [email protected] SOURCE Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Award highlights Exiger's AI solutions and their ability to drive supply chain visibility and operational resilience for advanced manufacturing customers. NEW YORK, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Exiger , the SaaS company revolutionizing the way corporations, government agencies and banks manage supply chains, today announced that it has received a 2023 Top Supply Chain Projects Award from Supply & Demand Chain Executive for the innovative work Oshkosh Corporation and Exiger accomplished. The award, which profiles industry-leading projects that are automating and improving supply chains, recognizes the impact of Exiger's AI solutions in supporting operational efficiency and resiliency initiatives for one of Oshkosh's largest business units, JLG. "Oshkosh needed to address the administrative costs associated with maintaining manual processes, quarterly reconciliations and part price adjustments with their suppliers," said Exiger CEO Brandon Daniels . "Exiger was able to rapidly deploy its AI solutions to support Oshkosh in gaining visibility and control over 80%+ of network spend for aggregate carbon steel plate consumed across their extended supply chain, allowing them to realize cost avoidance through contract negotiations and raw material consolidation." Exiger deployed SDX, its proprietary multi-tier supply chain platform, as well as Part Attribute Characterization (PAC), its proprietary software and engineering process. Attributes for 40,000+ parts and assemblies were normalized and loaded into SDX, and then PAC was used to quickly and inexpensively add another 6,000 parts and associated bills of material (BOMs). The results were transformative. Within the initial six-week validation process, Exiger onboarded dozens of contract manufacturers, and today, over 40 Tier 1 fabricators have logged into SDX to validate their BOMs. Oshkosh successfully implemented automated tracking and reporting to drive improved employee efficiency; It reduced administrative overhead and increased accuracy in financial risk management and forecasting. Oshkosh was also able to create a process to manage market price fluctuations for carbon steel plate. "With SDX, Oshkosh improved from 60% -70% forecast vs. shipped to 75%-80%, allowing for better management of working capital," added Exiger President of Supply Chain Transformation Trevor Stansbury . "From demand planning and forecasting to implementing the ultimate in warehouse automation, the past 12 months has seen companies within the supply chain and logistics space upgrade, enhance, adopt and adapt in order to achieve greater efficiency along the chain," says Marina Mayer, Editor-in-Chief of Supply & Demand Chain Executive and Food Logistics. "That's why it's important today's supply chains run on collaboration. And, it's these partnerships that have enabled many supply chain organizations to better manage inventory, reduce costs, retain employees, track data and analytics and build resilience for whatever disruptions may lie ahead." Additional information regarding Exiger's work with Oshkosh can be found via https://www.exiger.com/perspectives/oshkosh-case-study/ . About Supply & Demand Chain Executive Supply & Demand Chain Executive is the only supply chain publication covering the entire global supply chain, focusing on trucking, warehousing, packaging, procurement, risk management, professional development and more. Supply & Demand Chain Executive and sister publication Food Logistics also operate SCN Summit and Women in Supply Chain Forum. Go to www.SDCExec.com to learn more. About Exiger Exiger is revolutionizing the way corporations, government agencies and banks navigate risk and compliance in their third-parties, supply chains and customers through its software and tech-enabled solutions. Exiger's mission is to make the world a safer and more transparent place to succeed. Emboldening its 550 customers across the globe, including 150 in the Fortune 500 and over 40 government agencies, with award-winning AI technology, Exiger leads the way in ESG, cyber, financial crime, third-party and supply chain management. Its work has been recognized by 40+ AI, RegTech and Supply Chain partner awards. Learn more at Exiger.com and follow Exiger on LinkedIn. Media Contact: Leesa Oberholzer [email protected]com SOURCE Exiger Innocent man ordered to remain in prison 31 more years ORLANDO, Fla., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Florida Commission on Offender Review has denied parole to Crosley Green, ruling that his tentative parole release date will be in 2054, when he will be 97 years old. The 65-year-old grandfather has already served 32 years in prison, including 19 years on death row, for a Brevard County murder that he did not commit. Florida Commission Denies Parole for Crosley Green At an administrative hearing in Tallahassee, Fla., Crowell & Moring counsel for Mr. Green argued that he is an ideal candidate for parole and should be eligible for immediate release. They pointed to Mr. Green's compelling case of actual innocence and his longstanding record of model behavior as a prisoner for more than three decades and while living on conditional release in Titusville, Fla., for the past two years as his case was pending appeal after a federal district court found that Mr. Green was wrongfully convicted. During Mr. Green's release under the oversight of the federal probation office, he was a model citizen, a devoted family man, and a skilled machinist who won praises from his employer. Mr. Green got engaged, spent time with his large, extended family, and was an active member of his church. Mr. Green was ordered to return to prison in April after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case. Mr. Green's counsel argued that his presumptive parole release date (PPRD), previously set for June 2059, was miscalculated. If the commission had properly calculated the PPRD for Mr. Green per the commission's own rules and precedent, his tentative parole release date would be no later than June 2023. Attorneys for Mr. Green also argued that a Florida regulation requires that the PPRD must be vacated when an inmate leaves the Florida correctional system and then reset if an inmate is subsequently reincarcerated. Mr. Green exited Florida custody in April 2021 when he was released to federal supervision and was reincarcerated in the Florida correctional system in April 2023. The commission voted to "take no action" on this issue. Notwithstanding counsel's arguments that Mr. Green is the ideal candidate for parole, given his record of extraordinarily successful community integration over the past two years, the commission declined counsel's request to find that Mr. Green is immediately eligible for parole. It reduced Mr. Green's PPRD by five years, from 2059 to 2054, due to his positive conduct while on conditional release. In 2054, Mr. Green will be 97 years old. The commission will review Mr. Green's case again in March 2026. "This is a heartbreaking ruling for Crosley Green's family and his fiancee. We will continue to fight for Crosley's freedom and to reverse the injustice of continuing to imprison this innocent man. We will keep fighting until Crosley walks out of prison a free man. We hope the commission will continue to consider the highly unique circumstances of Crosley's case and the reasons he is an ideal candidate for parole. Crosley should be freed," said Keith Harrison, a partner at Crowell & Moring who has led the fight for Mr. Green's freedom for the past 15 years. About the Case Mr. Green has steadfastly fought for more than three decades to prove his innocence following his wrongful conviction by an all-white jury for the 1989 murder of Charles "Chip" Jr. in Titusville, Fla. Crowell & Moring has worked on Mr. Green's case pro bono since 2008 on referral from the ABA Death Penalty Representation Project. Crowell secured Mr. Green's release from death row in 2009. In 2018, Crowell secured a critical victory in the case when a federal district court in Orlando, Fla., granted Mr. Green's petition for habeas corpus and ordered that he be released or provided a new trial. The court found that Mr. Green had been wrongfully convicted and his constitutional rights were violated when Brevard County, Fla., prosecutors withheld witness interview notes that stated the first two responding law enforcement officers told the prosecutor that they concluded the victim's ex-girlfriendnot Mr. Greencommitted the crime. No physical evidence ties Mr. Green to the crime, and four of the prosecution's witnesses have recanted their trial testimony, alleging the prosecution coerced their false testimony. U.S. District Court Judge Roy B. Dalton Jr. held that the information that the first officers at the scene evaluated the evidence as implicating another as a suspect "went to the heart of the defense strategy. It is difficult to conceive of information more material to the defense and the development of defense strategy than the fact that the initial responding officers evaluated the totality of the evidence as suggesting that the investigation should be directed toward someone other than [Green]." In April 2021, Mr. Green was released from prison on conditional release (house arrest) while his case was pending appeal. While living in Titusville, Fla. during the past two years, Mr. Green has held full-time employment, become part of a church community, and spent time with familyincluding meeting grandkids for the first time. The state of Florida appealed the decision, and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed Mr. Green's victory. The Supreme Court declined to take up Mr. Green's case on February 27, 2023. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District for Florida ordered Mr. Green to return to custody of the Florida Department of Corrections to complete his sentence. On April 17, 2023, Mr. Green surrendered himself to the Florida Department of Corrections. For more information about the case, visit the Crosley Green information page. Crowell & Moring's team includes partners Keith J. Harrison, Jeane A. Thomas, Vincent J. Galluzzo, and counsel Drake Morgan. About Crowell & Moring LLP Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with offices in the United States, Europe, MENA, and Asia. Drawing on significant government, business, industry and legal experience, the firm helps clients capitalize on opportunities and provides creative solutions to complex litigation and arbitration, regulatory and policy, and corporate and transactional issues. The firm is consistently recognized for its commitment to pro bono service as well as its programs and initiatives to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. Media Contact: Nicole Quigley Senior Communications Advisor Phone: 202.624.2849 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Crowell & Moring LLP LAKELAND, Fla., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) again recognized Florida Southern as a leader in supporting transfer students in their quest to complete a four-year degree, including the College on its list of best schools in the nation for transfer students. This marks three consecutive years that PTK has feted Florida Southern. Florida Southern joins only 208 colleges and universities on the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society's 2023 Transfer Honor Roll, which acknowledges four-year higher education institutions for building dynamic resources and pathways to support transfers. "Florida Southern's inclusion on the PTK Honor Roll demonstrates the College's commitment to helping students with associate degrees meet their educational goals," says Joseph Madigan, senior associate director of admissions and director of recruitment outreach, who works closely with the transfer admissions team. "PTK students are high-achievers who seek to make the most of their community college experience and hence are natural fits among Florida Southern's driven student body." Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society at associate-degree-granting institutions recognizing students' academic accomplishments and fostering their success as scholars and leaders. Four-year colleges are chosen for the Honor Roll based on their "Transfer Friendliness," assessed by examining 40 key metrics, including a college's admissions practices, cost of attendance, campus life, recruitment practices, and peer reviews. Only the top 25 percent of highest-rated colleges are included on the 2023 Transfer Honor Roll. "The goal of most students attending community college is a bachelor's degree, but fewer than 15 percent obtain their degree because of financial barriers and the complexities of the transfer process," says Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, president and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. "We are honored to recognize the colleges and universities working exceptionally hard to create stronger pathways to bachelor's degree completion for all students." A streamlined application process for transfer students allows students with 24 transferable credits to automatically be considered for merit scholarships up to $20,000 per year in addition to need-based aid. One-on-one academic and career advising, personal attention from faculty, and a warm, welcoming student community ensure transfer students thrive once on campus. "Florida Southern's transfer-specific admissions counseling and flexible credit policies make transferring to Florida Southern a seamless process," explains Madigan. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major Anabelle Rosenthal '20 credits the Florida Southern's transfer admissions team with setting her up for success. She is grateful for smaller class sizes, more opportunities for hands-on learning such as research and internships, and the close connections with faculty she established. Upon graduation, Rosenthal received offers of admission from multiple medical schools, receiving a rare 60 percent scholarship from Florida State University College of Medicine, where she currently attends. "Right away, I was able to work with my advisor to create a plan that allowed me to graduate on time. While participating in research and professional shadowing opportunities, I became a very competitive professional school applicant," says Rosenthal. About Phi Theta Kappa Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.8 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 10 countries, with approximately 240,000 active members in the nation's colleges. Learn more at ptk.org. About Florida Southern College Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is the oldest private college in the state. The College maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 70+ undergraduate programs and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, nursing, and physical therapy. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning, and boasts 30 NCAA Division II National Championships. Florida Southern is ranked at #8 among the "Best Regional Universities in the South" by U.S. News & World Report in its 2023 "Best Colleges" guide and is included in The Princeton Review's 2023 Best 388 Colleges guide and the "Fiske Guide to Colleges 2023." The 2023-2024 Colleges of Distinction guidebook praises Florida Southern's AACSB-accredited Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise alongside the College's School of Education and its Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences. Poets&Quants, U.S. News & World Report, Fortune, and The Princeton Review further laud the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise and the Ann Blanton Edwards School of Nursing and Health Sciences as foremost programs in the nation for business and nursing education. Home to the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, FSC has appeared on The Princeton Review's top 25 "Most Beautiful Campus" national listing for 13 consecutive years. Connect with Florida Southern College. SOURCE Florida Southern College Flutterwave to further power global digital payments on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. LONDON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutterwave a leading African payments technology company today announced it is working with Microsoft to build its next generation platform on Microsoft Azure, powering payments infrastructure across the African continent and beyond. This agreement reflects com Flutterwave's commitment to give businesses and individuals access to global-grade services across all of Africa and drive digital transformation around the world. With Flutterwave and Microsoft's plans to power payments to-and-from Africa, this collaboration is an incredible opportunity to impact growth across the continent. Through this engagement, Flutterwave will support the accelerated growth of transactions processed on Flutterwave platform for global clients like Uber, Netflix, and Microsoft, solidifying Azure's role in facilitating a seamless, reliable, and secure payment experience. Key Flutterwave products such as Flutterwave for Business, Send by Flutterwave, Flutterwave Store, and Flutterwave for Fintech Platform, are being developed and transitioned onto the robust Azure cloud platform. Moreover, Flutterwave uses Azure OpenAI Service capabilities, enabling the scaling of its product offerings to millions of merchants worldwide. "Microsoft has been an invaluable partner, providing a platform that allows us to deliver consistently high-quality services to our clients," stated Olugbenga Agboola, Founder and CEO of Flutterwave. "As we manage high-volume payment processing, particularly during peak periods, the robustness, reliability, and scalability of Microsoft Azure become critical. As such, deepening our collaboration with Microsoft is the most logical step forward for us." It means Flutterwave will continue to drive the transformation of global commerce, taking full advantage of the diverse and expanding range of services offered by Microsoft. "Our development on Microsoft Azure has set a strong foundation for Flutterwave," said Gurbhej Dhillon, Flutterwave CTO. "Their platform provides us with significant developer leverage, which we harness in service of our clients. Looking to the future, we're excited about the possibilities of scaling with Azure OpenAI Service, which will enable us to serve even more merchants worldwide," added Dhillon. "We have proudly supported Flutterwave's core operations with Microsoft Azure for many years. We are excited to further fuel their growth and innovation through this expanded collaboration," said Mike Gaal, Microsoft Corporation General Manager. "Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Working with Flutterwave will take us a step closer to achieving our mission In Africa," added Gaal. About Flutterwave Flutterwave is the leading payments technology company that enables businesses across the world to expand their operations in Africa and other emerging markets through a platform that enables local and cross-border transactions via one Application Programming Interface (API). Flutterwave has processed over 400M transactions in excess of USD $25B and serves more than one million businesses, including customers like Uber, Airpeace, Bamboo, Piggyvest, and others. The company's key advantage is connecting businesses to various local and international payment types to enable them to expand globally. It also enables cross-border transactions from the diaspora to African countries via its SendApp product. Flutterwave processes payments via multiple payment modes, including local and international cards, mobile wallets, bank transfers, and Google Pay. The company has an infrastructure reach in 34 African countries. For more information on Flutterwave's journey, please visit www.flutterwave.com . SOURCE Flutterwave Awards Inspire Students Studying Manufacturing-related Disciplines ELGIN, Ill., June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A scholarship program started over 30 years ago by the foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), known as Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT), has awarded more than $1.3 million to 720 students to encourage their pursuit of education and training pathways leading to manufacturing careers. Thanks to generous donations and support from companies and organizations across the metal fabrication and manufacturing industry, 42 deserving students have received NBT scholarships for the upcoming 2023 fall semester. "These students will be prepared for the careers and positions that manufacturers are desperately looking to fill." Tweet this 2023 FALL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS Rebecca Agaba , Long Beach , Calif., Welding Technology at Long Beach City College , , Calif., Welding Technology at Thomas Barker, IV , Kilgore, Texas , Elite Combined Structural/Pipe Program at Arkansas Elite Welding Academy , Elite Combined Structural/Pipe Program at Arkansas Elite Welding Academy Jeremy Bergman , Middletown, Md. , Mechanical Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology , Mechanical Engineering at Madelin Billings , Chesterton, Ind. , Industrial Engineering at Purdue University , Industrial Engineering at Brenton Bilyeu , Golden City, Mo. , Precision Machining at State Technical College of Missouri , Precision Machining at State Technical College of Kaitlyn Bush , Cincinnati , Mechanical Engineering at Miami University , Mechanical Engineering at Huneil Campbell, Coral Springs, Fla. , Manufacturing Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Manufacturing Engineering Technology at Lance Carbaugh , Orbisonia, Pa. , Welding Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Welding Technology at Caden Cope , Georgetown, Del. , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Thomas Craven , Rockford, Ill. , Manufacturing Engineering Technology at Rock Valley College , Manufacturing Engineering Technology at Miguel Cruces, Long Beach, Calif. , Welding Technology/Metal Fabrication Technology at Long Beach City College , Welding Technology/Metal Fabrication Technology at Aydan Day , Lawrenceburg, Ind. , Welding/Fabrication at Hobart Institute of Welding Technology , Welding/Fabrication at Hobart Institute of Welding Technology James DeRosa , Mint Hill, N.C. , Welding Technology at Central Piedmont Community College , Welding Technology at Tyler Dubien , York, Pa. , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Micah Duke , Poway, Calif. , Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University , Mechanical Engineering at Kamden Edens , Lexington, Tenn. , Electrical Engineering at Tennessee Technological University , Electrical Engineering at Michael Fuccile , Conyngham, Pa. , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Austin Hart , Lansing, N.C. , Certified Pipe Welding at Kentucky Welding Institute , Certified Pipe Welding at Kentucky Welding Institute Charles Harter, IV , Lock Haven, Pa. , Manufacturing Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Manufacturing Engineering Technology at Hezekiah Heard, Hot Springs, Ark. , Welding at Southern Arkansas University Tech , Welding at Jedediah Hovey , Salem, Mo. , Precision Machining Technology at State Technical College of Missouri , Precision Machining Technology at State Technical College of Asher Johnson , Rockford, Ill. , Mechanical Engineering at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee , Mechanical Engineering at Elijah Johnson , Alpharetta, Ga. , Structural Plate & Pipe Welding at Georgia Trade School , Structural Plate & Pipe Welding at Georgia Trade School William Makovsky , Coplay, Pa. , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Mackenzie Matheny , Belleville, Mich. , Product Design Engineering Technology at Eastern Michigan University , Product Design Engineering Technology at Wyatt Meanix , Parkesburg, Pa. , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Raahi Mehta, Schaumburg, Ill. , Industrial Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign , Industrial Engineering at Tyler Millard , Oregon, Wis. , Mechanical Design Technology at Madison College , Mechanical Design Technology at College Cierra Miller , Dover, Pa. , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Joel Mink , Florence, Ky. , Aviation Maintenance Technology at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College , Aviation Maintenance Technology at and Community College Michael Montilla , River Grove, Ill. , Engineering Technology/Mechanical Design at Triton College , Engineering Technology/Mechanical Design at Nicholas Odle , Webster, N.Y. , Electrical Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology , Electrical Engineering at Jose Orozco , Pacoima, Calif. , Welding Technologies at College of the Canyons , Welding Technologies at Robert Ponder, Stone Mountain, Ga. , Engineering Technology at Gwinnett Technical College , Engineering Technology at Gwinnett Technical College Cameron Quinn , Chesterfield, N.J. , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Alec Rees , Centerport, N.Y. , Manufacturing Engineering Technology & Metal Fabrication Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Manufacturing Engineering Technology & Metal Fabrication Technology at Brenten Rodgers , Floyds Knobs, Ind. , Engineering Technology at Trine University , Engineering Technology at Trine University Connor Simmons , Fuquay Varina, N.C. , Electrical Engineering at North Carolina State University , Electrical Engineering at Richard Taylor , Hot Springs, Ark. , Elite Structural Welding Program at Arkansas Elite Welding Academy , Elite Structural Welding Program at Arkansas Elite Welding Academy Jadon Uecker , Slinger, Wis. , Tool & Die Technologies at Moraine Park Technical College , Tool & Die Technologies at Moraine Park Technical College Haleyanne Walter, Delta, Pa. , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Matthew Woolcock , Oil City, Pa. , Welding & Fabrication Engineering Technology at Pennsylvania College of Technology "The most difficult jobs to fill today are those in the skilled trades," said Ed Dernulc, NBT Foundation director. "With majors in welding, mechanical engineering, machine tool technology, robotics and automation, metal fabrication technology, and other engineering fields, these students will be prepared for the careers and positions that American manufacturers are desperately looking to fill." NBT saw a 50% increase in qualified applications for the 2023 fall semester, which indicates a rise in awareness and interest in manufacturing career options amongst high school graduates. Award recipients have strong overall GPAs with high grades in relevant coursework. Many have manufacturing work experience or have been involved in relevant extracurricular and/or community activities such as participating on a FIRST Robotics team. For more information, visit nbtfoundation.org/scholarships. About NBT & FMA Through its manufacturing camp and scholarship programs, Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT) is inspiring the next generation of manufacturers, inventors, and entrepreneurs. NBT is the foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. (FMA). Founded in 1970, FMA is the leading educational association for the metal processing, forming, and fabricating industry. CONTACT: Cindy Day [email protected] SOURCE Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Int'l (FMA) CLEVELAND, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Citymark Capital, a private equity real estate investment firm and fund manager headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is pleased to announce that E.J. Burke has been appointed to its advisory board. Ej Burke Burke retired from KeyBank in 2019 after numerous senior executive roles including Co-President of Key Community Bank with primary responsibility for KeyBank's Commercial and Private Banks as well as KeyBank Mortgage. During his 19-year career at KeyCorp, Burke served in a range of leadership roles including Head of KeyBank Real Estate Capital, KeyBank Community Development Lending and responsibility for Treasury Management, Foreign Exchange, Derivatives, Public Sector, and Institutional Asset Services groups during his tenure. Burke was a member of KeyCorp's Executive Council and Executive Leadership Team, as well as a trustee of the KeyBank Foundation. Prior to joining KeyBank, Burke was president and a founding member of Kansas City-based National Realty Funding, LC a master, primary and special servicer as well as an originator/seller of commercial mortgage loans for securitization that was acquired by KeyCorp in 2000. Burke served as a Director of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America and was elected Chairman of the association in 2014. "After watching the growth and success of the Citymark platform, I look forward to working with Dan Walsh, his team and the rest of the Advisory Board to continue their success," said Burke. "We are delighted to welcome E.J. Burke to the Citymark team. E.J. is a highly respected executive in the banking and real estate industry, and successfully built and sold his own real estate company. Citymark is excited to benefit from E.J.'s deep expertise in these areas and build on the professional relationship that he and I have shared for over 20 years," said Daniel Walsh, Founder and CEO of Citymark Capital. About Citymark Citymark Capital invests capital on behalf of its institutional investors through Citymark's comprehensive real estate investment platform including joint venture equity, preferred equity, mezzanine debt and senior debt for multifamily properties throughout the United States. Citymark taps into its vast national network of experienced regional and national operating partners, brokers, and banks. For further information on Citymark Capital, visit www.citymarkcapital.com, LinkedIn or contact Dana Banda at [email protected]. Disclaimer The information contained in this communication should not be regarded as an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction where such an offer or solicitation would be in violation of any local laws. The general information discussed is not a guarantee, prediction, or projection of real estate investments. There are risks associated with investing in real estate assets, such as inflation, interest rates, real estate tax rates, changes in the general economic climate, local conditions such as population trends and neighborhood values, and supply and demand for similar property types. This communication may contain forward-looking statements identified by the use of words such as "outlook," "indicator," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "approximately," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. SOURCE Citymark - Jacqueline Sutton MBE, former Rolls-Royce Chief Customer Officer, appointed to Global's advisory board - Emma Henderson MBE, former easyJet Captain and founder of Project Wingman, also appointed - They will advise the Global Executive Team on a variety of aviation, technical and commercial matters LONDON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Airlines, the world's newest long-haul airline, has announced two further appointments to its Advisory Board: Jacqueline Sutton MBE and Emma Henderson MBE. Jacqueline Sutton held the position of Chief Customer Officer (CCO) at Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace. As a member of the Leadership Team, she was responsible for the global customer base including airline operators, leasing companies and aircraft manufacturers across the world. Jacqueline Sutton MBE (Left) and Emma Henderson MBE (Right) Emma Henderson is a former easyJet Captain where she was a brand ambassador for the airline as well as a presenter of "Fear of flying." In 2020 she drew on support from all areas of the airline industry to create the charity, "Project Wingman," mobilising grounded industry professionals in the UK to provide support to frontline NHS staff. Initially set up during the pandemic the charity continues to provide this service now using buses which are converted into state of the art mobile well-being lounges. At Global, Jacqui and Emma will advise the Executive Team and work closely with the Founder and CEO, James Asquith, on a range of strategic and operational matters. James Asquith, Founder and CEO of Global Airlines, said, "We extend our warmest welcome to Emma Henderson and Jacqueline Sutton to the Global Airlines' advisory board, where they will work closely with our recently appointed chairman, Kevin Billings. "Their extensive expertise in various aspects of the aviation industry will be invaluable to us as we prepare for operations, and I am looking forward to announcing further appointments to the Advisory Board in the weeks ahead." Jacqueline Sutton said, "It is an honour to be a part of the Global Airlines' Advisory Board. I am looking forward to collaborating with colleagues and playing a part in not only shaping a customer experience that passengers will love, but building a team that is representative of the rich aviation talent base." Emma Henderson said, "I have been fortunate to work with exceptional teams and individuals in the aviation industry. Having a passion to connect the world and deliver amazing experiences has always been my mission and I can't wait work with Global Airlines to do just that with the A380." Global Airlines plans to use its fleet of owned A380 aircraft to reinvigorate the flying experience, courtesy of the unrivalled spaciousness offered by the super jumbo. The airline is now in advanced discussions to acquire three more A380 aircraft and is expected to announce more hires and a crew recruitment drive in the weeks ahead. Global Airlines is now focused on working closely with the relevant authorities and partners in preparation for inaugural flights in the Spring of 2024. About Global Airlines Global Airlines was launched in 2023 with an aspiration to offer passengers the best way to fly. The airline is a wholly owned subsidiary of Holiday Swap and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The airline is led by CEO James Asquith and backed by aviation experts and investors around the world. The airline has commenced an aircraft acquisition programme with one A380 secured and more to follow in the summer of 2023. The inaugural transatlantic flights are expected in the Spring of 2024. About Jacqueline Sutton MBE Jacqueline (Jacqui) Sutton is a highly experienced aerospace professional with diverse strategic and commercial roles in leading industry players. She recently served as Chief Customer Officer (CCO) at Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace, overseeing global customer relations and leading a multinational team. With a strong track record in sales, business development, and program management, Jacqui brings extensive industry expertise to her role. She is also a Non-Executive Director at Farnborough International, supporting the team behind the renowned Farnborough Airshow. A passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity, Jacqui is involved with the Women in Aviation and Aerospace Charter and mentors aspiring leaders in the industry. Recognised for her contributions, she was awarded the MBE for Services to the Economy. Jacqui holds a BA Hons degree in Russian and German and has completed executive programs at renowned institutions like INSEAD and WHARTON. About Emma Henderson MBE Emma Henderson has spent over 30 years in the Aviation Industry starting her flying career on Yorkshire Universities Air Squadron. Her aviation journey continued from the sidelines as a RAF wife, and with three small children in tow, she returned from her Wing Commander husbands military posting to the RNZAF as a fully qualified commercial pilot. After instructing trainee pilots, she joined easyJet where she worked her way up to Captain and became a brand ambassador, peer support mentor and Fear of Flying presenter as well as appearing in ITVs documentary "Inside the Cockpit." In 2020 Emma founded Project Wingman, inspiring grounded aircrew across the UK to provide well-being support to frontline NHS staff during the pandemic, and continues to run the charity as CEO. It was for this work that Emma was made MBE in 2021 by which time she had moved on from her airline to run her charity, and forge a new career as a professional speaker. Emma is an Aviation Ambassador for the Department for Transport and Chair of Surfable Scotland. Emma brings with her a wealth of knowledge from her long career which she is delighted to be able to use to support the development and launch of Global Airlines. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2108556/Global_Airlines.jpg SOURCE Global Airlines Investment Will Accelerate the Platform's Reach, Fueling Company Growth EL PASO, Texas, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- FundMine r, the AI-powered platform that helps fundraising organizations measure and maximize impact, today announced that it has raised $1.725 million in funding. Arizona-based Sonoran Founders Fund led the round, followed by Techstars, Cascade Seed Fund and more. The money will be used to accelerate the company's growth and expand its reach in the advancement technology space. FundMiner serves an array of businesses and nonprofits, from higher education & K-12 schools, to nonprofits & community foundations, academic medical centers, arts & cultural organizations, religious organizations and beyond. "Our organization relies on philanthropic support from our donors," said Jake Logan, vice president for Institutional Advancement at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). "Our ability to spend and manage our donors' generous gifts is absolutely critical in inspiring their trust in our institution." Logan shared that the system UTEP used previously made things difficult. "Before FundMiner, we did what most fundraising-driven entities do: relied on disparate systems and combined the data from those systems manually in Excel spreadsheets to handle gift administration. Needless to say, this approach was ineffective and time-consuming. FundMiner's streamlined solution is a breakthrough in our industry. It gives us access to the critical data, analytics and reports that will help us run a truly successful fundraising operation. FundMiner has had a profound impact on how we deliver for our donors. We're already seeing it pay off in the form of increased giving from current donors." When fundraising organizations aren't effective with gift administration processes, they experience unhappy donors, a loss of future funding, and underutilization of resources. FundMiner is transforming an outdated industry, in which deans, department chairs, other members of the leadership and those in the advancement office captured information manually, churned out ad hoc reports and dealt with unreliable, inefficient results. Now, this can all change. The AI-powered platform: Makes fund data accessible Reduces siloed systems Tracks fund usage & compliance Increases automation and efficiency Offers a portal to provide easy impact reporting Uses intelligent analytics to help leaders make informed decisions Reduces risks related to negative publicity and legal exposure Is complementary to products that many users already have in place, like Blackbaud's Raiser's Edge, Oracle's Peoplesoft and Salesforce Customers and prospects are enthused by the platform's features to measure and maximize impact, and reduce traditionally siloed activity in their organizations. To learn more, please visit https://fundminer.com/ . About FundMiner Founded in 2022 by Chelsea Lamego and Alejandro Stevenson-Duran, FundMiner's software helps large fundraising organizations, like universities and community foundations, automate and simplify management of their philanthropic funding. By bringing together data from previously siloed systems and applying intelligent analytics, FundMiner enables customers to experience more effective capital utilization, increased fundraising revenue and improved donor satisfaction. To learn more, please visit https://fundminer.com/ . SOURCE FundMiner KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2023 - 08:32 | All, World An international team is struggling to locate and rescue a submersible that went missing in the northern Atlantic Ocean off Canada on Sunday during an undersea tour to view the sunken wreckage of the Titanic. With the clock ticking before the five people on board are expected to run out of oxygen Thursday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday a Canadian airplane detected unidentified noises in the search area the same day. Capt. Jamie Frederick from the U.S. First Coast Guard District told reporters, "With respect to the noises specifically, we don't know what they are." A Canadian aircraft also heard noises in the area Tuesday. The team including U.S., Canadian and French authorities will keep deploying aircraft, boats and other equipment. The Titan submersible, operated by U.S. firm OceanGate Inc., went missing nearly two hours after it descended into the sea Sunday morning, according to the coast guard. Stockton Rush, the company's CEO, is the vehicle's pilot, while the four others aboard are a British businessman, a French maritime expert and a British-Pakistani businessman with his teen son, according to U.S. media. The five were on their way to a point some 700 kilometers south of St. John's on Newfoundland Island of Canada and some 3,800 meters deep where the wreckage of the luxurious passenger ship lies. The Titanic sank in April 1912 after colliding with an iceberg, leaving some 1,500 people dead. LGBTQ+ History Scholars Make Significant Contributions to Gender and Identity Studies Using Gale's Archives of Sexuality and Gender and Gale Digital Scholar Lab CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ALA Annual 2023 Conference - In celebration of Pride Month, Gale, part of Cengage Group, and the Committee on LGBT History (CLGBTH) are sharing the project findings of how the five recipients of the inaugural Gale-CLGBTH Non-Residential Fellowship program used Archives of Sexuality and Gender and Gale Digital Scholar Lab (The Lab) to further their research into LGBT history. The Gale fellowship advanced my understanding of digital humanities research methods. Tweet this The Gale-CLGBTH Non-Residential Fellows: Elio Colavito (top left); Justin Salgado (top center); Jack Jen Gieseking (top right); Jacob Bloomfield (bottom left) and Trevor Ladner (bottom right). In 2022, The five fellows were given access to Archives of Sexuality and Gender and The Lab for a period of six months. At the end of their access period, each scholar submitted a report on how they used the resources to advance their LGBTQ+ studies. Here are some of the innovative ways and exciting discoveries the fellows made using these digital humanities methodologies: Dr. Jacob Bloomfield , Zukunftskolleg Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Konstanz, Germany Project: Tutti Frutti: Little Richard, Sex, Gender and Transgression in America and Europe Bloomfield examined how the gender-nonconforming African American recording artist Little Richard became one of the most popular musicians in the U.S. and Europe during the 1950s and pre-"sexual revolution" 1960s. Bloomfield used archival research to investigate whether Richard was historically a source of inspiration to queer observers or whether Richard's status as a queer icon is a more recent phenomenon. According to Bloomfield, the Archives of Sexuality and Gender was hugely valuable in advancing his research on Richard. "I found a great set of commentary about Richard written in LGBTQ publications dated between the 1960s and the 2000s," he said. "The ability to browse historical newspapers and periodicals was the most valuable feature offered by Gale's Archives of Sexuality and Gender. As gauging reception is a critical part of my research, The Lab's tools regarding that were valuable to me." Elio Colavito , Doctoral Student in History, University of Toronto Project: Mapping Transtopia: Trans-Masculine Mutual Aid (19702005) Colavito is researching the history of trans-masculine resource sharing and community care by mapping out the various ways that trans-masculine people built infrastructures for living and surviving. Using The Lab's powerful tools, Colavito was able to make significant discoveries that helped them to better understand how trans-masculine people used the gay and lesbian press. They could demonstrate the geographical footprint of letters from Gale's Archives of Sexuality and Gender, by creating a digital map that served as a digital humanities and public history approach to historical research and knowledge sharing. "I used The Lab to sort and filter my search results, which allowed me to organize my data very quickly," explained Colavito. "The topic modeling feature was particularly useful. It presented different sub-themes from the research, which ultimately helped me make choices about how I would organize the themes in my StoryMap." Jack Jen Gieseking , Associate Professor of Geography, University of Kentucky Project: Dyke* Bars i Gieseking researched the legacy and impact of the dyke* bar for LBQT*S people in U.S. cultural geographies. "I looked at well over a thousand records about closing, closed, and/or gone lesbian bars," Gieseking shared. Gale's Archives of Sexuality and Gender helped Gieseking observe adjacent trends as well, such as the lack of reporting on arsons in lesbian+ bars and the increased focus on sexual assaults in the 1990s. Gieseking's research forms part of a larger book project, Dyke Bars*: Queer-Tran Spaces for the End Times. As Gieseking works on their book manuscript, Gale's resources helped them analyze their findings to better understand patterns in how lesbian+ bars are discussed in popular narrative, and how the dyke bar* is determined in relation to, as Gieseking describes it, a range of "other/ed" and "invisibilized" queer spaces. Trevor Ladner , Educator and Researcher, Los Angeles Project: LGBT Lives and Legal Rights: Impacts of Progress of Struggle Ladner researched LGBTQ+ teachers who fought for their rights to due process, equal protection, and freedom of speech in the later 20th century. He used Gale's Archives of Sexuality and Gender and The Lab to design a unit on civil rights in the court system for use in his 12th grade U.S. government course, that takes students beyond the headlines and encourages them to develop critical-thinking skills. "I found the build tool to be the most valuable tool in The Lab for accessing materials that could be used by my students for primary source analysis or research," said Ladner. "I found the keyword search and filters to be extremely effective for narrowing down my search results to relevant materials. I made great use of the 'search within' function to look for specific legal cases." "As a queer teacher myself, it was incredibly meaningful for me to have this opportunity to examine the experiences of other LGBTQ+ educators who have paved the way for me," he said. Justin Salgado , Doctoral Student in History, Ohio State University Project: Out at the Rodeo: The Maintenance of the Gay Rodeo (1980s Present) Salgado researched the history of the Comstock Gay Rodeo in Reno, Nevada, examining reactions to it as captured in local newspaper articles. After spending time with Gale's Archives of Sexuality and Gender, he quickly realized how much more there was to explore and was able to use the collection to broaden the scope of his work to understand national patterns. "I was able to combine these sources into specific data sets and run analyses ... to get a better picture of themes through a [larger] geographical lens," he explained. Additionally, The Lab's powerful analysis tools offered new perspectives on the rodeo experience that invited new avenues of inquiry, particularly on gay tourism, that Salgado had not previously considered. "The tools provided by the fellowship havecreated a more inclusive and diverse data set to analyze that is much more representative of the community that I am discussing in my work," said Salgado. The Gale-CLGBTH Non-Residential Fellowships help scholars expand the field of humanities, gender, and sexuality studies through research or teaching. The program's goal is to encourage emerging research in LGBTQ+ studies by allowing scholars to contribute additional insights through digital humanities methodologies. Each fellow received a $2,500 stipend (funded by Gale) and access to Archives of Sexuality and Gender, the largest historical collection available in support of gender studies and sexuality, spanning from the 16th to the 20th century. They also received access to The Lab, a cloud-based digital humanities tool that helps researchers tell impactful visual stories with data from Gale's archives. It provides researchers with invaluable text and data mining tools to advance their work using digital humanities methods. For more information on Gale-CLGBTH Non-Residential Fellowships, visit its webpage or stop by Gale booth #4411 at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, June 23-26 to learn more. About Cengage Group and Gale Cengage Group, an education technology company serving millions of learners in 165 countries, advances the way students learn through quality, digital experiences. The company currently serves the K-12, higher education, professional, library, English language teaching and workforce training markets worldwide. Gale, part of Cengage Group, provides libraries with original and curated content, as well as the modern research tools and technology that are crucial in connecting libraries to learning, and learners to libraries. For more than 65 years, Gale has partnered with libraries around the world to empower the discovery of knowledge and insights where, when and how people need it. Gale has 500 employees globally with its main operations in Farmington Hills, Michigan. For more information, please visit www.gale.com. Follow Gale on: _______________________________________ i The trans* asterisk allows Gieseking to investigate the dyke bar that remains to be writtento open up the multiple and contingent meanings of what a dyke* bar was, is, and yet could be. Media Contact: Kayla Siefker, Gale, part of Cengage Group 248-378-3376 [email protected] SOURCE Gale, part of Cengage Group DUBLIN, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "The 2023 Global Assessment Report: The Analytical and Life Science Instrumentation Industry" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report includes market sizing for 2022, forecasts through 2027, and features detailed market data segmentations, competitive landscape analysis, and growth rates for 83 instrument categories. This report provides detailed data on every major life science and analytical instrument technology in the industry, enabling you and your staff to make accurate evaluations and informed decisions. Numerous vendors, distributors and investors will reference this report over the coming years as the most comprehensive and accurate source of information on the instrument industry and specific technology markets. An index of leading life science and analytical instrument suppliers has been compiled and included in this report, allowing you to find out the true strength of competitors. Information on the companies profiled includes annual corporate and instrument sales, business descriptions, growth strategies, a brief history, and key financial ratios. Also included are lab counts by region and industry. Each instrument or technique has its own chapter, covering: An overview of the technology and its sub-product categories Analysis of key market dynamics Market segmentation by product type (including initial systems, aftermarket components & consumables, and service revenues) Estimated global unit shipments (new and used) Market demand by industry and function Market demand and growth by application sector Market demand by country, region, and growth by region Vendor market share and sub-product market participation Recent market and business developments (new product launches, mergers, acquisitions, etc.) The following is a detailed list of instruments/techniques covered in this report: Chromatography Analytical HPLC Preparative HPLC Clinical HPLC (HbA1c) Gas Chromatography Low Pressure Liquid Chromatography Ion Chromatography Flash Chromatography Thin Layer Chromatography Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Life Science Instrumentation DNA Sequencing PCR Microarrays Electrophoresis Capillary Electrophoresis SPR and Label-Free Detection Flow Cytometry High Content Analysis/Cell Imaging Electrophysiology Automated Synthesizers In Vivo Animal Imaging Cell Counters Mass Spectrometry Quadrupole LC/MS GC-MS FT-MS and Ion Trap LC/MS Time of Flight LC/MS MADLI-TOF Magnetic Sector Mass Spectrometry Portable and In-Field Mass Spectrometry Ion Mobility Spectrometry Molecular Spectroscopy UV-Vis Ellipsometry Density, Refractometry, & Polarimetry Color Measurement Fluorescence & Luminescence Near Infrared Infrared Raman NMR CFA & Discrete Analyzers Atomic Spectroscopy Atomic Absorption Arc/Spark OES ICP - OES ICP-MS XRD XRF Elemental Analyzers TOC and Other Sum Parameters Surface Science Electron Microscopy Confocal and Advanced Microscopy Optical Microscopy Scanning Probe Microscopy Surface Analyzers Materials Characterization Calorimetry Particle Characterization Petroleum Analyzers Physical Testing Thermal Analyzers Rheometry & Viscometry Lab Automation & Informatics Microplate Readers Liquid Handling Laboratory Robotics Multiplex & HT/Single-Plex ELISA LIMS, ELN, SDMS Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics Sample Preparation Techniques Extraction Techniques Lab Centrifuges Microwave Assisted Chemistry Concentrators and Evaporators Nucleic Acid Preparation Cell Separation Sonicators Shakers & Stirrers Lab Equipment Electrochemistry Laboratory Balances Dissolution Testing Transfection Fume Hoods Biological Safety Cabinets Lab Incubators Fermentors/Bioreactors Water Purification Gas Generators Lab Washers For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cwwv6s About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Worldwide MNO Directory 2023-2024" directory has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This directory will help telecom service providers interested in doing business with mobile network operators throughout the globe. The latest Worldwide MNO Directory features 740+ operators from over 217+ countries. The product is known among industry stalwarts as the most trusted resource for gaining backdoor access to decision-makers holding influential positions within mobile operator businesses. The 2023 special edition offers a new design and almost 3 times the number of management contacts as compared to the older edition. Over the past 15 years, Directories by the analyst have paved way for telecom vendor businesses to connect with mobile operators/service providers and enabled thousands of business connections and collaborations to flourish. The Worldwide MNO Directory is carved out as a niche product that specifically helps 'service providers to mobile operators obtain and gain new business. Featuring important operator business info to contacts of key executives holding influential roles, Directory offers the following information for any mobile operator business across the globe: Operator Details - Registered Name, Brand, Region Market Share (%), Ownership, Group Information Business Details - Network portfolio (2G, 3G, LTE, 4G, 5G, LTE-Advanced, etc.), no. of Subscribers, Market Share, Network Penetration, Technologies offered, Contact Details, Key Executives (5-10 on average) Online presence - website/URL CXO/Management/Decision-Makers/Influencer contacts Formats Available - PDF & Excel What's special about the 2023-2024 edition? Worldwide coverage: 740+ Operators from over 217+ countries 100% Anti-Spam US Law, European GDPR compliant Whopping 6500+ CXO/Management/Decision-making contacts: Up to 300% more contacts than previous edition Available in PDF & Excel: New user friendly PDF & campaign friendly XLS design First time with detailed Executive Summary & Questions Answered: Giving clear and precise understanding of the worldwide telecom market to corporates. 1-Update free of cost within 1st year of purchase Key Questions Answered by the Analyst The analyst of the report speaks about the state of the mobile network operator (MNO) industry, where it's heading, the impact of the pandemic, growth opportunities, innovation, and challenges telecoms face as we head into the future. What are the emerging trends? What would be the analyst's advice to mobile network operators (MNOs) looking to grow in near future? Are operators making any money these days? Who according to the analyst may be booking profits and how can other MNOs imitate them? Any specific operator cases that might have turned things around would be helpful for readers of the report. What's the status of 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G world over? What do you think the priorities of operators are or should be vis a vis growth moving forward? Where are operators spending the most? What is slowing them down? What is keeping operators excited? What is the analyst's take on where the industry might be heading towards in the next 2-3-or-5 years? And finally, a word about Pandemic: how do you think industry dealt with it? Key Topics Covered 1. Executive Summary 2. Africa MNO Directory 2023-2024 3. Asia Pacific (including Australia & New Zealand) MNO Directory 2023-2024 4. Europe MNO Directory 2023-2024 5. Latin America MNO Directory 2023-2024 6. Middle East MNO Directory 2023-2024 7. North America MNO Directory 2023-2024 For more information about this directory visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/d1c20r About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets ATLANTA, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This month, Habitat for Humanity International and Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR) are collaborating to highlight the way in which access to a healthy, safe and affordable home may foster and improve occupants' health during National Healthy Homes Month, which takes place annually in June. Through National Healthy Homes Month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development seeks to increase awareness of the critical need for healthier and safer housing, with the overall goal of improving the health of individuals and families, with particular focus on vulnerable populations. Home is seen as a place of comfort, safety and security, but more than 17 million people in the U.S. do not have access to the stability that home provides. In fact, one in seven households continue to spend more than half of their income on housing costs, leaving little left to pay for nutritious food, lifesaving medicine and other necessities. Throughout the month, Carrier employee volunteers are participating in several Habitat for Humanity builds and projects across the nation, including in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina and New York. Additionally, Carrier has donated innovative, energy-efficient cooling systems and other products such as air purifiers and Kidde smoke alarms to Habitat for Humanity. "Creating a healthy, safe and affordable indoor environment is critical to the long-term success of Habitat homeowners," said Justin Keppy, President, NA Residential & Light Commercial HVAC, Carrier. "Carrier is dedicated to enabling access to healthier, safer, more efficient and productive indoor environments through our innovative suite of Healthy Homes solutions." Carrier will also support Habitat for Humanity as a gold sponsor of the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina this year. This is the organization's third time supporting the event. "When a family moves into a decent home that they can also afford, it frees them from the economic burden of making impossible trade-offs like healthy food and medical care," said Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for Humanity International. "We know that home is much more than four walls and a roof, and we are grateful to have partners like Carrier that share our belief that safe, decent and affordable homes should be accessible to all." About Habitat for Humanity Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity found its earliest inspirations as a grassroots movement on an interracial community farm in south Georgia. Since its founding in 1976, the Christian housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org. SOURCE Habitat for Humanity International ST AUGUSTINE, Fla., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HappyOrNot (www.happy-or-not.com), a global leader in customer and employee experience management solutions, is excited to announce a renewed strategy focused on expanding its partner ecosystem in North America. This strategic initiative aims to accelerate growth and meet the increasing demand for comprehensive customer and employee experience (CX/EX) solutions in the region. As organizations increasingly recognize the importance of delivering exceptional customer and employee experiences, HappyOrNot is positioned as a trusted partner in helping businesses drive improvements and achieve long-term success. By expanding its partner ecosystem, HappyOrNot aims to provide broader access to its cutting-edge technology and expertise across North America. The renewed strategy will involve forging strategic partnerships with leading organizations in the CX/EX space, including technology integrators, consultancies, and resellers. Through these partnerships, HappyOrNot will expand its reach and enhance its ability to provide end-to-end solutions that empower businesses to capture valuable insights and take decisive actions to optimize experiences. "Expanding our partner ecosystem is a critical step in our growth strategy for North America," said Scott Erickson, VP of Global Partnerships and Alliances at HappyOrNot. "By collaborating with established and trusted partners in the region, we can deliver our industry-leading solutions to a wider range of organizations. This will help us meet the growing demand for innovative tools that drive customer and employee satisfaction, loyalty, and business success." HappyOrNot's partner ecosystem will play a crucial role in scaling growth and supporting businesses across various industries, including retail, hospitality, healthcare, and transportation. Leveraging the expertise and market presence of its partners, HappyOrNot aims to ensure seamless implementation, optimal utilization, and ongoing support for its solutions. "The HappyOrNot solution efficiently empowers our clients' customers' to provide real-time feedback on their experience, including emotions, reactions, and interactions with employees, physical environments and venues, and related business processes," said Kevin Harry, Managing Partner of The BCJ Group. "Our partnership with HappyOrNot as a consulting firm enables us to leverage their expertise, insights, and experience, resulting in a more targeted approach for our clients from start to finish, ultimately driving improved revenue impact." Partners will gain access to HappyOrNot's state-of-the-art technology, including its innovative Smiley Terminal devices, intuitive reporting platform, and advanced analytics capabilities. They will also benefit from comprehensive training, sales enablement resources, and dedicated support to enhance their ability to deliver exceptional value to their customers. In addition to expanding the partner ecosystem, HappyOrNot remains committed to continuous innovation and the development of new features and enhancements for its CX/EX solutions. This commitment ensures that organizations can stay at the forefront of delivering outstanding experiences and fostering meaningful connections with both their customers and employees. With the renewed strategy in place, HappyOrNot is excited to embark on this journey of growth, collaboration, and innovation. The expansion of the partner ecosystem in North America will enable HappyOrNot to scale its operations, fulfill market demand, and reinforce its position as a global leader in CX/EX solutions. To learn more about HappyOrNot's Partner program, or apply to become a Partner, visit Become a Partner. About HappyOrNot Creator of the globally recognized four Smileys, HappyOrNot enables companies to identify and optimize experiences across all touchpoints through relevant, in-moment feedback data. With the ability to track, validate, and compare ongoing performance, companies are empowered to continuously improve experiences and drive operational success. Founded in 2009, today HappyOrNot serves 4,000 brands across 135 countries, like Amazon, Google, Aramark, and Miami Airport, and has collected and reported on over 1.5 billion feedback responses. Headquartered in Finland, HappyOrNot also has offices in the U.S. and around the globe and a reseller network of over 100 companies. Visit www.happy-or-not.com to learn more. Media Contact: Kim Brown 678-829-9075 [email protected] SOURCE HappyOrNot OREM, Utah, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Havenpark Communities, an operator and developer of manufactured home communities, is proud to celebrate four years of providing affordable housing in Minnesota and continuing to take significant steps to enhance the resident experience across the state. Since 2019, Havenpark has invested more than $2 million, on average, in each of its manufactured home communities in the state. "The convenience of where we live is wonderful," said Will, a resident of Havenpark's manufactured home community near Minneapolis. "The places we can go to are close, we choose either entrance or exit, and there are many shops and places to visit. We also have a beautiful lot and home." Havenpark's ongoing investments into its properties focus on enhancing community safety and infrastructure by resurfacing roads, repairing concrete, and building new tornado shelters, as well as adding amenities such as playgrounds and adding overall curb appeal with landscaping, tree removal, and high-quality community signage. Linda, who has lived in her community for 28 years, appreciates Havenpark's commitment to property upgrades that make living in her neighborhood safer, such as wider sidewalks and locked mailboxes, while still enjoying the privacy of her individual lot. Havenpark continually strives to improve the resident experience through various initiatives and capital investments that ultimately add to the value of residents' homes. "I enjoy the fact that I can own my home and decorate the way I wish," remarked Doug, a resident who has lived 27 years in his manufactured home community. Additionally, Havenpark recently awarded four Minnesota student residents academic scholarships worth up to $10,000 annually to assist in their educational journeys. "Manufactured homes are an opportunity for affordable homeownership in Minnesota and across the country," said Havenpark CEO and Co-Founder Robbie Pratt. "Havenpark is committed to providing quality, well-located, affordable housing in safe, caring communities." Residents often cite the joy of community gatherings like potlucks and even spring cleaning. Kendra, a longtime resident of her community, said she "never laughed so hard and felt such pride in her community the way people helped one another" during a spring cleanup event. Havenpark has added 250 affordable manufactured homes across its Minnesota portfolio since 2019, with 150 additional units planned in the next two years at a time when much of the nation continues to suffer from an acute housing shortage. Havenpark Communities is an operator and developer of manufactured home communities and makes caring communities attainable for responsible residents in Minnesota and across America. Since 2017, Havenpark has sourced and installed over 4,000 new factory-built homes, providing quality, affordable living to over 10,000 Americans across the country. Last year, Havenpark Communities added 870 new affordable homes across the country and has committed to adding another 800 in 2023. Havenpark believes in respectful and professional management, well-maintained communities, and attainable homeownership. Havenpark makes long-term investments in its communities, providing enduring value for current and future residents. Contact Jenny Werwa [email protected] SOURCE Havenpark Communities The H2D55 is disrupting the UAS industry with hydrogen-powered drones, addressing Li Po limitations and serving as a clear use case for DoD's hydrogen infrastructure investment WASHINGTON DC, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HevenDrones , a leading drone manufacturer, will present its hydrogen-powered UAS, the H2D55, at the Modern Day Marine Expo in Washington, DC from June 27th-29th. HevenDrones will discuss the paradigm shift its hydrogen-powered UAV provides as well as additional model configurations in its hydrogen-powered product line. Improvements in EVTOL technology are creating new defense and security use cases including logistics in contested environments (point-to-point delivery) and improved loitering capabilities for both attack and ISR missions. Hydrogen-powered drones are uniquely positioned to significantly improve flight endurance as well as the logistical challenge associated with lithium batteries (supply, charge, and life cycle management) whilst also serving as the perfect use-case for USG hydrogen infrastructure investments in both a military and commercial context. As part of the company's hydrogen innovation strategy, HevenDrones is working to develop a hydrogen ecosystem, with a focus on electrolysis, fixed and portable refueling hubs, advances in regulation and integration within the wider mobility sector as well as other key hydrogen infrastructural projects at a military, federal and commercial level. HevenDrones currently has a partnership with PlugPower , a major supplier of hydrogen fuel cells designed to replace electric batteries in vehicles. Roy Levy, VP of Business Development & Gilad Katz, HevenDrones Chief of Staff, will be attending Modern Day Marine, providing in-depth demos of the H2D55 and outlining the company's US expansion plans. Please contact [email protected]com for media inquiries. About HevenDrones HevenDrones is building the next generation of multi-purpose UAS capable of solving a range of commercial, infrastructural, humanitarian, and military challenges. Actionable drones not only capture visual and sonic information but perform highly useful tasks simultaneously. Spanning key economic sectors such as logistics, defense, agriculture, IoT connectivity and emergency response, HevenDrones' solutions deliver cutting-edge performance, patented stability and superior lifting capability across the US and the globe. The company is an early adopter of hydrogen technology, significantly extending flight times and speed, and is committed to clean hydrogen energy, compliant with American regulations. HevenDrones' leadership team includes industry experts from military, engineering and scientific backgrounds, with decades of combined experience. HevenDrones has headquarters in Miami and Israel. For more information, please visit www.hevendrones.com . Media Contact Eli Cohen-Gold Gova10 for HevenDrones [email protected]com +972 50-600-9660 SOURCE HevenDrones New York office to provide on-the-ground support to HKEX's North American clients office to provide on-the-ground support to HKEX's North American clients New location part of HKEX's commitment to broadening international participation in its market and enhancing global market connectivity NEW YORK, June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), one of the world's leading exchange groups, was delighted to celebrate with its North American customers, as it opened its new office in New York. On Wednesday evening at a reception held at New York's Rockefeller Center, HKEX Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Aguzin and other senior executives hosted VIPs and leaders from across the financial business and market infrastructure communities in the US. Guests had the chance to hear more about opportunities in Hong Kong and how HKEX is excited to be on the ground taking 'Asia to New York'. Mr Aguzin struck a gong to mark this important occasion, signifying HKEX's commitment to greater global market connectivity and to working with its international customer base around the world. The New York office will support HKEX's North American clients by offering enhanced access to information on Asia's dynamic capital markets, including updates on market developments, products and services. Located in New York City, the office will promote Hong Kong's vibrant and diverse marketplace, home to a world-leading IPO and equities franchise, unique access to Mainland China markets, as well as a burgeoning offshore Renminbi ecosystem and an expanding suite of regional and international derivatives products. HKEX Chief Executive Officer, Nicolas Aguzin, said: "The opening of our New York office is a great cause for celebration as we bring the Hong Kong and HKEX story to North America. As a purpose-driven company, enhancing connectivity across markets and geographies is at our core. Supporting our international clients around the world by being on the ground and listening to their needs is critical so that we can deliver shared sustained success." Mr Aguzin added: "This new office will better connect two of the most important financial centres in the world, and, together with our recently announced London office, will further connect international capital with the exciting opportunities in Asia. This is part of HKEX's ongoing commitment to further broaden international participation in our markets, strengthening Hong Kong's position as a superconnector between East and West." Operating as HKEX (U.S.) LLC, the New York office will be led by Roger McAvoy, Managing Director and Head of Business Development, North America. The office will provide on-the-ground services to North American clients during their working hours, enabling the group to build stronger relationships with clients in the region. Head of Business Development, North America, Roger McAvoy, added: "There is immense appetite for better insight and access to Asia capital markets in the US, and in opening up an HKEX office in New York, we can better align with our clients' interests and ambitions. This is about bringing opportunities and expertise closer to our customers and we look forward to helping them tap into the Asia growth story in the future." The New York and London offices will complement HKEX's existing international reach from its offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore. Photos of the reception and further information about HKEX and its market can be found here. SOURCE Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) Immersive, sustainable tours in Greece, Spain, Turkey and Italy permit guests to explore in-depth at historically and culturally significant sites SEATTLE, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Expanding its reputation for immersive travel experiences, Holland America Line has started operating "National Geographic Day Tours" that allow guests to connect more deeply, and in a more sustainable way, with destinations in the Mediterranean. The exclusive shore excursions were developed with National Geographic, a world leader in geography, cartography and exploration. "We are continually looking for enriching and transformative experiences for our guests..." Tweet this Guests on select Holland America Line sailings in the Mediterranean can now book National Geographic tours, which provide an immersive travel experience with local, National Geographic-trained tour guides. Beginning this summer, guests sailing on Oosterdam and Nieuw Statendam can participate in National Geographic Day Tours that allow them to discover powerful female figures in Kusadasi, Turkey; experience a day in the life of a marine biologist in Naples, Italy; learn about organic honeybee farms in Rhodes, Greece; and meet local families in Santorini, Greece. Each tour is led by a National Geographic trained guide. "We are continually looking for enriching and transformative experiences for our guests and the new National Geographic Day Tours are not only immersive, but provide exclusive access and hands-on experiences," said Carole Biencourt, vice president overseeing shore tour experience for Holland America Line. "We are pleased to offer them to guests across our Mediterranean itineraries that visit these ports and will look to expand the program in the near future." Guests on select sailings in the Mediterranean can now book National Geographic tours online or through a travel advisor. National Geographic Tours "A Day in the Life of a Marine Biologist" in Naples, Italy Visit the oldest aquarium in Europe along with the Darwin Dohrn Museum ( DoDaM ), the world's first marine biodiversity research laboratory, where more than 20 Nobel Laureates studied and work on marine biology conservation projects in Naples , and learn about preserving marine turtles and the grey sharks of Lampione Island. along with the Darwin Dohrn DoDaM Lampione "Meet the Locals in Santorini" in Santorini, Greece Spend a day in the homes of two Santorini families and hear their stories of life on the island while tasting regional wine, cheese, vegetables and more. See the iconic, blue-domed church Panagia Kalamiotissa and visit Santo Winery to taste and pair Santorini's unique wine while enjoying panoramic views of the caldera . Panagia Kalamiotissa Santorini's caldera "Influential Women in Turkey : From Past to Present" in Kusadasi, Turkey Explore powerful female figures who have influenced the local Turkish society through the ages, from ancient civilizations to modern times with visits to the Temple Artemis and House of the Virgin Mary on the hill above Ephesus . Finish the tour with a culinary journey guided by a local chef during an exclusive pairing menu at Yedi Bilgeler , a winery that has cultivated 2000-year-old vines. Yedi Bilgeler "The Fascinating World of Bees" in Rhodes, Greece Discover why honeybees are among the most important living organisms on the planet. Uncover eye-opening ecological facts, sample local honey varieties, and try your hand at honey extraction at the Bee Museum of Rhodes . The new National Geographic Day Tours are available on seven-day to 14-day itineraries departing from Trieste (Venice), Italy; Piraeus (Athens), Greece and Barcelona, Spain with stops in Rhodes, Kusadasi (Ephesus), Santorini and Naples. Best Shore Excursions Holland America Line's nearly 6,500 unique shore excursions are designed to help guests make the most of each port and deeply connect with the places they visit, as well as have an adventure along the way. From zip lining over a lush jungle canopy or gliding over a glacier pulled by sled dogs to conquering a fear of heights while scaling Sydney Harbour Bridge or moving through the surf atop a graceful horse, Holland America Line's expertly curated tours provide a wide variety of ways to experience and enjoy each port of call. For foodies and wine aficionados, Holland America Line features shore excursions in partnership with FOOD & WINE magazine. These exceptional tours around the globe show the culinary side of destinations in a special way, combining food and culture with entertaining and unique experiences. Guests can learn how to make authentic Italian pizza in Naples, taste wines at New Zealand's oldest winery, explore Japan's food culture with one of the world's foremost ramen experts or shop with a renowned Barcelona chef and create an extraordinary meal together. For more information about Holland America Line, consult a travel advisor, call 1-877-SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com. Find Holland America Line on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and the Holland America Blog. You can also access all social media outlets via the home page at hollandamerica.com. About Holland America Line Holland America Line, part of Carnival Corporation and plc (NYSE/LSE:CCL andNYSE:CUK), has been exploring the world for 150 years with expertly crafted itineraries, extraordinary service and genuine connections to each destination. Offering an ideal mid-sized ship experience, its fleet visits nearly 400 ports in 114 countries around the world and has shared the thrill of Alaska for 75 years longer than any other cruise line. Holland America Line's 11 vessels feature a diverse range of enriching activities and amenities focused on destination immersion and personalized travel. The best live music at sea fills each evening at Music Walk, and dining venues feature exclusive selections from a Culinary Council of world-famous chefs. CONTACT: Bill Zucker, Erik Elvejord PHONE: 800-637-5029, 206-626-9890 EMAIL: [email protected] SOURCE Holland America Line Initial phase will bring MaST, Holmusk's tool to help healthcare professionals better prioritize and manage behavioral health caseloads, to Mental Health Partners in Colorado NEW YORK, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Holmusk , a leading global behavioral health real-world evidence company, announced today that it is joining forces with one of its strategic partners, Streamline Healthcare Solutions , to enhance care delivery using advanced analytics. The partnership marks the introduction of Holmusk's Management and Supervision Tool (MaST), which is widely used by the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, to a U.S. market. MaST is a software platform that uses predictive analytics to help healthcare professionals make decisions, including prioritizing individuals at risk of a mental health crisis. The tool quickly identifies clinically relevant information within patient electronic health records (EHRs) faster than the human eye, helping providers make better decisions about how to allocate resources, enabling them to improve the quality of care while generating efficiency savings. MaST's entry to the U.S. will kick off within Mental Health Partners , a network of behavioral health clinics serving communities across central Colorado. Mental Health Partners already uses Streamline's SmartCareTM Behavioral Health EHR platform, and will be onboarded to using MaST to immediately benefit from data insights provided by the tool. "We look forward to the continued partnership with Streamline Healthcare Solutions, and the new collaboration with Mental Health Partners as we expand MaST's presence in the U.S.," said Nawal Roy, Holmusk's Founder and CEO. "We have seen how valuable this tool has been for health systems in the U.K., and we are excited to see similar results for our U.S. partners." MaST has an established track record in the U.K., and has been launched across eight NHS Foundation Trusts. An independent study of a single NHS Foundation Trust found that the introduction of MaST was estimated to have resulted in cost savings of 1.7 million (or over $2 million USD) within one trust over a six-month period. These cost savings, which are indicative of an 18x annual return on investment, were attributed to the ways in which healthcare providers had used MaST to provide more efficient care in the community setting, which resulted in a decrease in mental health crises, fewer inpatient hospital admissions, and shorter hospital stays. "We thank both our collaborators at Holmusk and our longtime customers at Mental Health Partners for working together to bring this valuable tool to a wider audience," said Jamil Husain, Chief Operating Officer of Streamline. "We look forward to delivering MaST through our SmartCare EHR, as the value that MaST provides goes hand in hand with our mission to build innovative technology solutions that empower people to improve the quality of life for those in need." One of the signature features of MaST is its risk of crisis algorithm, a model that identifies cohorts of individuals at higher levels of risk or clinical complexity. This helps behavioral health providers to prioritize their caseloads accordingly and ensures this decision-making process is based on service user needs. "We are ready to get started on the implementation of MaST into our practices, aiding our clinicians to more easily identify client care needs and solutions," said Dixie Casford, co-CEO of Mental Health Partners. "This dynamic tool also enables us to extend beyond an evaluation process once limited to the sample size of our EHR. We can now leverage data digested from a sample set that extends across the world, better positioning us to more accurately identify markers that benefit treatment and furthering our mission to deliver the best possible care to our patients." About Holmusk Holmusk is on a mission to harness real-world data to transform both research and care for behavioral health. Combining the leading behavioral health database with digital solutions designed to address the most pressing challenges in behavioral health, Holmusk is advancing the frontier of evidence generation and fueling innovation. Holmusk is headquartered in Singapore and New York, with three additional offices around the world. For more information, please visit www.holmusk.com . About Streamline Healthcare Solutions Since 2003, Streamline Healthcare Solutions has focused exclusively on Behavioral Health and Human Services. We understand people choose this work out of a deep desire to help others. We partner with our customers to provide innovative technology solutions that help them advance the lives of those they serve. Streamline's SmartCare platform sets a new standard for Behavioral Health EHRs. Its dependability and stability provide organizations with the control they need to succeed in today's complex environment, while its flexibility enables them to transform the way they provide care to meet the exciting promise of tomorrow. About Mental Health Partners Mental Health Partners (MHP) is a federally designated comprehensive community mental health center serving clients across Boulder and Broomfield counties as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since opening in Boulder in 1962, MHP has expanded to multiple communities (including Lafayette, Longmont, Broomfield and, most recently, Nederland) to meet the region's growing mental health needs and better accomplish its mission Healing is our purpose. Help is our promise. Health is our passion. MHP is one of four SAMHSA Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) grantees in Colorado, several of which are attempting to implement a similar health outreach program in their communities. Learn more at MHPColorado.org. Media Contacts Kaitlin Jansen Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications, Holmusk 704-995-2384 [email protected] Cristina Prince Director of Marketing Communications, Streamline Healthcare 877-467-4741 ex. 225 [email protected] Kristina Schostak Director, Business Development & Public Information Officer, Mental Health Partners 303-245-4405 [email protected] SOURCE Holmusk KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2023 - 20:13 | All, Japan The Sapporo High Court on Thursday partially overturned a lower court ruling for the Hokkaido government to pay two hecklers damages over their removal by police from the site of a 2019 election stump speech by then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The high court rescinded an order by the Sapporo District Court in March 2022 to pay Masae Osugi 330,000 yen, while upholding the lower ruling to award 550,000 yen ($3,800) for Kio Momoi by rejecting an appeal by the prefectural police. The district court had ordered damages to both because the police's actions infringed on the plaintiffs' freedom of expression as guaranteed under the Constitution. But the high court said the removal of Osugi, 35, was legal due to reasonable concerns he could be hurt by others in the crowd or pose a threat to Abe. As for Momoi, 27, it noted that she was already some way away from Abe when she was moved by the police. Osugi said after the court's ruling that he is considering filing an appeal to the Supreme Court, while the police said they will examine the details of the ruling and decide their response. According to the ruling, the plaintiffs shouted "step down, Abe" and "no tax hike" while he spoke in the vicinity of JR Sapporo Station on July 15, 2019, as part of campaigning for the House of Councillors election. Police officers then surrounded Osugi and Momoi and forced them to move to the back of the crowd. Momoi was then followed by a police officer for an extended time. Osugi and Momoi filed lawsuits with the district court in December 2019 and February 2020, respectively. Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, stood down in 2020. He died in July 2022, after he was shot while giving a stump speech in Nara Prefecture for that year's lower house election. Osugi told reporters after Thursday's ruling that it "probably wouldn't be different if the shooting incident hadn't happened." WASHINGTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare (the Partnership) and the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) today commended Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) for introducing the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023 to safeguard access to essential home-based, clinically advanced healthcare services by preventing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from implementing dire cuts of negative -7.85% to the Medicare Home Health Program, which translates to more than $18 billion over the next decade. Specifically, the bill is designed to address deep cuts made to home health by CMS during the implementation the Medicare home health payment system Patient Driven Groupings Model or PDGM by making the following policy changes: Repeals permanent and temporary payment adjustments. The bill would repeal the requirement that CMS make determinations related to the impact of behavior changes on estimated aggregate expenditures and would eliminate CMS's authority to adjust home health payments based on such determinations under PDGM. This change would take effect and be implemented as if it was included in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 that included home health provisions leading to PDGM implementation. Instructs MedPAC to analyze the Medicare Home Health Program. The bill instructs MedPAC to review and report on aggregate trends under Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, and other payers, and consider the impact of all payers on access to care for Medicare home health beneficiaries. To verify MedPAC's calculations, the Commission would be required to make its calculations public. This provision would also add requirements for Medicare home health cost reports to include data on visit utilization and total payments by program to facilitate this MedPAC analysis. "We strongly support this essential legislation as current policy positions of CMS put access to home health services for the over 3 million beneficiaries that utilize this care in jeopardy," said William A. Dombi, President of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice. "The Medicare home health benefit has shrunk over the last decade due to various payment cuts, the most recent of which is the subject of the legislation. We call on both houses of Congress to join Senator Stabenow and Senator Collins in their valiant effort to preserve the home health benefit." According to the Partnership and NAHC, the Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2023 is immediately needed to protect the future viability of the Medicare home health program, which more than 3 million older Americans rely on annually. When considering the legislation, home health leaders urge lawmakers to consider: The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects Medicare home health spending to drop at an alarming rate. CBO projects Medicare Home Health spending will drop from $18 billion previously to $16 billion this year and to $15 billion in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027. previously to this year and to in 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027. 94% of Medicare beneficiaries say they would prefer to receive post-hospital, short-term care at home instead of in a nursing home. Home health saves the Medicare Trust Fund $1.38 billion (over 6 years) due to avoided hospitalizations and skilled nursing placement. (over 6 years) due to avoided hospitalizations and skilled nursing placement. Without access to home health, hospital lengths of stay are increasing, and patients are not able to move easily from hospital to home. "We applaud Senator Stabenow and Collins for their leadership in introducing this bill and their ongoing efforts to protect the Medicare home health benefit. This legislation offers the stability the Medicare home health community so urgently needs," said Joanne Cunningham, CEO of the Partnership. "We strongly support this legislative solution and will work diligently with lawmakers in Congress to enlist broad support for this bill among lawmakers, provider stakeholders, and the Medicare community." About the Partnership The Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare represents community- and hospital-based home healthcare agencies across the U.S. and is dedicated to developing innovative reforms to improve the quality, efficiency and integrity of home healthcare. To learn more, visit www.pqhh.org. About NAHC The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is a nonprofit organization that represents the nation's 33,000 home care and hospice organizations. NAHC also advocates for the more than two million nurses, therapists, aides, and other caregivers employed by such organizations to provide in-home services to some 12 million Americans each year who are infirm, chronically ill, and disabled. To learn more, visit www.nahc.org. SOURCE Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare BOISE, Idaho, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HUB International Mountain States is thrilled to announce the appointment of Scott Jones as the new Executive Vice President of Employee Benefits Sales. With his extensive experience and expertise, Scott is poised to make a significant impact in the employee benefits industry. Scott Jones, Executive Vice President of Employee Benefits Sales Bringing a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record, Scott's leadership in prior Employee Benefits sales groups as a high-level executive has garnered tremendous success. His comprehensive understanding of both the carrier and brokerage sides of the industry positions him as a well-rounded and accomplished professional. Scott's commitment to continued education is evident through his Certified Employee Benefits Specialist Designation from the Wharton School of Business. This credential showcases his dedication to staying at the forefront of industry trends, ensuring that our team remains ahead of the curve. In addition to his professional achievements, Scott's entrepreneurial spirit shines through his involvement in multiple small businesses within his family. Hyde Perk Coffee, 44 East Boutique (Meridian), and All-In Wrestling are just a few examples of his ventures, reflecting his ability to navigate the challenges of building and managing successful businesses. Beyond his professional pursuits, Scott is passionate about making a positive impact within his community. His involvement with organizations such as the Ronald McDonald House and the Cambia Health Foundation exemplifies his dedication to improving the lives of others. Scott also actively supports the Boise Metro Chamber and the Health Underwriters Association, furthering his contributions to the business community. Please join us in extending a warm, wholehearted welcome to Scott Jones as he joins HUB International Mountain States. Together, we look forward to accomplishing great things for our highly valued clients. About HUB International Mountain States: We advise businesses and individuals, offering tailored solutions and unrelenting advocacy. Our experts in risk, insurance, employee benefits, retirement, and wealth management bring clarity to an ever-changing world, so you're ready for tomorrow. hubinternational.com SOURCE HUB International Mountain States Annual research project examines the relationship between nature, art and design, exploring how we can create socially and environmentally just societies This year, faculty and students explore the theme of 'Collaborative Future Living' via two courses examining mutuality, the future of spaces and sustainability strategies The initiative is part of the RISD x Hyundai Motor Group Research Collaborative SEOUL, South Korea and PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) today announced the latest phase of work in the RISD x Hyundai Motor Group Research Collaborative, a multiyear partnership exploring the relationship between nature, art and design. Now in its fourth year, the partnership brings together RISD faculty members and student researchers who are helping the Group investigate mutuality, the future of spaces and sustainability strategies under the theme of 'Collaborative Future Living.' HMG X Rhode Island School of Design _'Collaborative Future Design'_1 "In the realm of design, sustainability becomes paramount as we acknowledge that we always learn from nature," said Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design Center. "By observing and studying the intricate systems and solutions that nature provides, we can create future living spaces that not only harmonize technology, humanity and the environment but also draw inspiration from the wisdom of nature itself." The partnership reflects the Group's commitment to fostering a sustainable society while highlighting the expertise of RISD faculty members and the experimental creativity of students to conceive of future realities. "When thinking about designing for future generations, natural systems and processes are there to remind us how vital and vulnerable our environment is," said SangYup Lee, Executive Vice President and Head of Hyundai Global Design Center. "Through this collaboration, we were able to understand nature and gain insight into design that benefits everyone without harming the environment, and through this, it became an opportunity to have a broader and longer perspective where nature and humans can coexist." "RISD and Hyundai Motor Group share a deep curiosity about the world, which allows both organizations to examine and explore boundless ideas and innovations," said RISD President Crystal Williams. "This work prioritizes educating students for the future, bringing their current creative practices to bear on today's most critical challenges. Such contributions require time and space for reflection, experimentation and innovation. We thank Hyundai Motor Group for continuing to invest in this partnership." SOURCE Hyundai Motor Group The partnership to propose new lifestyle that combines zero-emission-vehicle (ZEV) mobility and cultural content in Japan by collaborating on new concept mobility service, data-driven marketing and global experience platform development by collaborating on new concept mobility service, data-driven marketing and global experience platform development Based on their shared people-centric vision, Hyundai Motor and CCC aim to bring innovative customer experiences and foster a sustainable society The two companies expect to enhance customer value based on their highly sophisticated data-driven partnership in the era of hyper-personalization TOKYO and SEOUL, South Korea, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai Mobility Japan and lifestyle content company Culture Convenience Club (CCC) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to co-create sustainable lifestyle services for the zero-emission-vehicle (ZEV) era. Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company (from left) Jaehoon Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company / Yasunori Takahashi, President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of CCC Hyundai Motor Joins Forces with Culture Convenience Club to Provide Personalized Zero-Emission Vehicle Lifestyle The partnership aims to further facilitate Hyundai Motor's efforts to satisfy Japanese customers with zero-emission vehicles and online sales since its re-entry into the market in February 2022. With the accelerated transition to electrification, Hyundai Motor and CCC's strategic partnership aims to expand the new mobility lifestyle in Japan and beyond to global markets. "Through this collaboration, we expect to create new opportunities through various endeavors," said Chang, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. "In particular, CCC, which plans new lifestyles by thoroughly analyzing customers' preferences, and Hyundai Motor's ZEV culture will work together to build a differentiated Hyundai brand image." Hyundai Motor and CCC share people-centric ideas embedded in their brand concepts and missions. In the new era that requires economic, social and environmental sustainability, the two companies have decided to collaborate on promoting a 'new lifestyle through ZEV' in Japan and then expand the program globally. Through this collaboration, both companies will promote specific ZEV lifestyle proposals based on their shared value of fostering a sustainable society. "As a lifestyle content company, CCC has contributed to the creation of diverse lifestyles in Japan. With the current changes in the global environment and the significant changes in people's life values, the concept of sustainability has begun to penetrate car life as well," said Takahashi, President and COO of CCC. "This partnership is in line with Hyundai's vision and values, and we hope to propose a new ZEV lifestyle to our customers, promote their wellness and lead social action for zero emissions on a global scale." More information about Hyundai Motor and its products can be found at: http://worldwide.hyundai.com or http://globalpr.hyundai.com SOURCE Hyundai Motor Company Cheese Crawl to Cheese Ball, Art of Cheese Festival Has It All MADISON, Wis., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wisconsin has always been known for its long history of cheesemaking, but now it may also be known for its incredible artisan cheese festival. Art of Cheese is an exclusive cheese festival created for the world's biggest cheese lovers, and it's happening across downtown Madison and the surrounding communities from Sept. 29 - Oct. 1. Art of Cheese Festival, Sept. 29-Oct.1 (PRNewsfoto/Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin) Cheese Crawl to Cheese Ball, Art of Cheese Festival Has It All (PRNewsfoto/Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin) Hosted by Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin, this first-time event promises exclusive experiences and tours with behind-the-scenes access to creameries and dairy farms, cheese yoga, a Bubbles and Cheese Brunch and a Cheese Fair Off the Square. The festival will also have interactive classes on everything from cheese pairing to crafting and learning the art of affinage, and a chance to meet (and even dine with) award-winning Master Cheesemakers. The highlight of the weekend will be the first-ever Wisconsin Cheese Ball (the kind where you dance and eat cheese). "Our research shows that people who really love food plan travel around great food experiences, and we know there are people all over the country who are extremely passionate about Wisconsin Cheese," says Suzanne Fanning, Chief Marketing Officer of Wisconsin Cheese and Senior Vice President of Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. "We set out to plan the ultimate destination cheese festival of food lovers' dreams, and I think you'll discover that's exactly what we did!" The complete lineup of events is designed for the truly cheese obsessed. Experience America's Dairyland through 16 unique limited ticketed events, including: Exclusive Excursions: You'll board a bus and be swept away for a day you'll never forget with access to creameries, farms, cheese experts, award-winning chefs, makers and more. You'll board a bus and be swept away for a day you'll never forget with access to creameries, farms, cheese experts, award-winning chefs, makers and more. A Journey to the Heartland of Wisconsin Cheese: Spend the day in Southern Wisconsin's Green County with visits to two legendary creameries followed by a coursed lunch at Seven Acre Dairy and ending with a lesson from Marissa Mullen of @thatcheeseplate. Spend the day in with visits to two legendary creameries followed by a coursed lunch at Seven Acre Dairy and ending with a lesson from of @thatcheeseplate. Aged to Perfection: A Bourbon & Cheese Excursion: Kick the day off with a cheese sensory class at the Center for Dairy Research, followed by a bourbon and cheese tasting and catered lunch by James Beard Award-nominated chef Daniel Fox at J. Henry & Sons Bourbon. Kick the day off with a cheese sensory class at the Center for Dairy Research, followed by a bourbon and cheese tasting and catered lunch by Award-nominated chef at J. Henry & Sons Bourbon. Breaking the Mold in Cheese & Architecture: Start the day visiting the farm and creamery at Uplands Cheese. Then we'll make our way to lunch & a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright designed Taliesin with James Beard Award-nominated chef and host of Wisconsin Foodie, Luke Zahm , who will draw inspiration from local cheeses. Start the day visiting the farm and creamery at Uplands Cheese. Then we'll make our way to lunch & a tour of designed Taliesin with Award-nominated chef and host of Wisconsin Foodie, , who will draw inspiration from local cheeses. Cheesemaking 101: Science for Cheese Geeks: Take a mini course in cheese science at the UW's Center for Dairy Research. Then have lunch at Cadre Restaurant with a group of Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers. Take a mini course in cheese science at the UW's Center for Dairy Research. Then have lunch at Cadre Restaurant with a group of Wisconsin Master Cheesemakers. The Wisconsin Cheese Ball at Garver Feed Mill: Boogie with Blue, romp with Ricotta, spin with Swiss, or hop with Havarti; it's a cheese party featuring music and cheesemaking royalty. For every ticket sold a donation of cheese will be made to a local food bank. Boogie with Blue, romp with Ricotta, spin with Swiss, or hop with Havarti; it's a cheese party featuring music and cheesemaking royalty. For every ticket sold a donation of cheese will be made to a local food bank. Classes & Seminars at Various Venues Around Madison. Join James Beard Award-winning author such as Laura Werlin , cheese gurus like Liz Thorpe of The People's Cheese, as well as James Beard Award-nominated chef Luke Zahm to reveal new wonders of Wisconsin Cheese. Join Award-winning author such as , cheese gurus like of The People's Cheese, as well as Award-nominated chef to reveal new wonders of Wisconsin Cheese. Cheese Fair & Marketplace: The Cheese Fair Off the Square is open to the public alongside the Dane County Farmer's Market. This pop-up market is your one-stop shop for sampling and purchasing your new favorite cheese directly from makers from around the state. This ultimate cheese fantasy is just a few months away. Tickets are limited and will go on sale July 13, 2023. Go to ArtofCheeseFestival.com to check out the full line-up of events, stay connected and purchase tickets when they go on sale in July. About Wisconsin Cheese: The tradition of cheesemaking excellence began more than 180 years ago before Wisconsin was recognized as a state. With 90% of the State's cow's milk being turned into cheese, Wisconsin's 1,200 cheesemakers, many of whom are third- and fourth-generation, continue to pass on old-world traditions while adopting modern innovations in cheesemaking craftsmanship. Wisconsin has won more awards for its cheese than any other state or country. For more information, visit WisconsinCheese.com or connect on Facebook. About Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin: Funded by Wisconsin dairy farmers, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is a non-profit organization that focuses on marketing and promoting Wisconsin's world-class dairy products. For more information, visit our website at wisconsindairy.org. SOURCE Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin NEW YORK, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, enterprise electricity consumption is expected to grow worldwide from 11579 TWh in 2023 to 14704 TWh in 2030, with Asia's share increasing from 50% to 57% during that same period. Most of this growth will be driven by wide-ranging electrification across industry verticals. "Both enterprises in general and industries more specifically will see their electricity consumption rise sharply as they embrace and adopt electrification across a wide range of equipment types and form factors including employee and commercial fleet electric vehicles, electric heating, ventilation and cooling systems, AGVs and mobile robots in warehouses and manufacturing plants, and electric heavy equipment and autonomous vehicles deployed at mining sites, ports, airports, and yards," explains Dominique Bonte, Vice President, Verticals & End Markets at ABI Research. Industry verticals will increasingly rely on the uninterrupted supply of high-quality electric energy to continuously operate their mission-critical processes, maximizing up-time and associated profitability. Damage to equipment caused by short power interruptions can be avoided through Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems, allowing for managed shutdowns and critical data saving. For more extended outages, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) can provide longer autonomy, often in conjunction with on-site micro-grids generating energy from renewable sources and providing additional resilience through their inherent independence from public grids. The following industries are smart energy leaders in terms of electrification and on-site power generation: Mining Operations - Electric mining haul trucks (WAE Technologies, Fortescue Metals Group, and Liebherr); DC-DC converters and charging infrastructure; On-site solar farms and battery storage, many of which are powered by Hitachi Energy ( Western Australia - Agnew Gold Mine , Sandfire's DeGrussa's Mine, Roy Hill Mine Site, Newman; Indonesia - Indo Tambangraya Megah's Bontang Mine). - Electric mining haul trucks (WAE Technologies, Fortescue Metals Group, and Liebherr); DC-DC converters and charging infrastructure; On-site solar farms and battery storage, many of which are powered by Hitachi Energy ( - , Sandfire's DeGrussa's Mine, Roy Hill Mine Site, Newman; - Indo Tambangraya Megah's Bontang Mine). Datacenters - All major data center and cloud operators have committed to full decarbonization by 2030 (Google, Microsoft, IBM) or 2040 (Amazon) via on-site renewable energy generation and/or battery storage to avoid using diesel generators. All major data center and cloud operators have committed to full decarbonization by 2030 (Google, Microsoft, IBM) or 2040 (Amazon) via on-site renewable energy generation and/or battery storage to avoid using diesel generators. Manufacturing plants, Warehouses, and Supply Chain Photo-Voltaic rooftop panels and battery storage (Hitachi's Zhongshan transformer manufacturing base factory featuring 1.2 Megawatts of PV capacity and 1 MW of battery energy storage capacity); hydrogen-powered forklift trucks and material handling equipment; net-zero delivery (Amazon); cold chain for food and pharma. All major smart energy technology companies, including Siemens, GE, Hitachi, ABB, Honeywell, and Schneider Electric, are actively targeting industry verticals as part of new business expansion strategies over and beyond their legacy client base of energy utilities, hereby enabling enterprises and industries to embark on their own smart energy journey. These findings are from ABI Research's Smart Energy for Enterprises and Industries application analysis report. This report is part of the company's Smart Energy for Enterprises and Industries research service, which includes research, data, and ABI Insights. Based on extensive primary interviews, Application Analysis reports present an in-depth analysis of key market trends and factors for a specific technology. About ABI Research ABI Research is a global technology intelligence firm delivering actionable research and strategic guidance to technology leaders, innovators, and decision makers around the world. Our research focuses on the transformative technologies that are dramatically reshaping industries, economies, and workforces today. ABI Research For more information about ABI Research's services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific, or visit www.abiresearch.com. Contact Info: Global Deborah Petrara Tel: +1.516.624.2558 [email protected] SOURCE ABI Research LIAOCHENG, China, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a report from the Shandong office of the Hong Kong Business Daily. A group of five international guests, including Scott and Robert from the United States, Jeong Byung-do from South Korea and Gaston from Cameroon, recently toured the koi fish breeding facilities and the intangible cultural heritage innovation base located in Sanshilipu Township, Gaotang county, in East China's Shandong Province. Additionally, they visited the offices of Shandong Xinhai Energy Technology in nearby Liaocheng, gaining firsthand experience of Gaotang's intangible cultural heritage and insights into the company's corporate culture. As the guests gathered by the koi fish breeding pond, they listened to an informative introduction on several species of koi fish, including the three-colored koi, red and white koi and phosphorus-free koi. Their amazement was evident as they witnessed the extensive scope of Gaotang's koi fish industry and scale of breeding operations, commenting that the county deserved the well-earned recognition as China's leader in koi fish cultivation. During their visit, the group had the opportunity to explore various workshops where skilled artisans specialized in local traditional crafts, including wheat straw painting, paper cut painting, gourd handicraft, pyrography and root carving. The heir to the handicraft of wheat straw painting explained the origin and production techniques of the raw materials used in the unique art form. The guests were then given a demonstration on how to create a wheat straw painting, giving the visitors a hands-on experience in the craft and tradition that has been passed down through the generations. During their time at the wheat straw painting workshop, Jeong Byung-do made an interesting discovery: he noticed a piece of art with his name displayed on the wall. Engaging in conversation with the wheat straw painting heir, the Korean guest learned the significance behind it. To his surprise and delight, the heir gifted him the artwork bearing his name. Expressing his gratitude, Jeong Byung-do captured the moment by taking photographs to commemorate the unexpected and special experience. While in Gaotang, the guests had the opportunity to indulge in the local cuisine. One notable culinary experience was the visit to the Da Mo Fang tofu shop, where they were treated to a delectable dish of Gaotang tofu curd. As they savored the dish, the owner provided an overview of the history of the delicacy and explained the intricate process of its creation. The guests gave Gaotang's gastronomic offerings a resounding thumbs up after experiencing the genuine culinary treat. SOURCE Shandong Office of Hong Kong Business Daily GTIS Partners, Rockpoint, Tishman Speyer, Breakthrough Properties, CIM Group, Gaw Capital, Walker & Dunlop, Greystar, and Hines become signatories as other peers look to align with Ivanhoe Cambridge MONTREAL, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Global real estate investor Ivanhoe Cambridge is proud to welcome its partners GTIS Partners, Rockpoint, Tishman Speyer, Breakthrough Properties, CIM Group, Gaw Capital, Walker & Dunlop, Greystar, and Hines as fellow signatories of the Institutional Limited Partners Association's (ILPA) Diversity in Action (DIA) initiative, with other partners set to follow suit in the coming months. This momentum comes as Ivanhoe Cambridge, who signed on to DIA in 2022, sought to accelerate change in the real estate investment sector by actively inviting and encouraging its peers to make the same commitment. Ivanhoe Cambridge and its nine partners have joined a network of over 300 like-minded peers committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the private equity space. "Interest alignment is crucial to building and maintaining strong relationships with our partners, and as an inclusive employer and investor, we sought to be intentional about leveraging our influence within the industry to create a sense of inclusion and belonging in the communities where we invest," said Sunita Mahant, Head of Social Impact and Inclusion, Sustainable Investments at Ivanhoe Cambridge. "We're incredibly pleased to be in lockstep with GTIS Partners, Rockpoint, Tishman Speyer, Breakthrough Properties, CIM Group, Gaw Capital, Walker & Dunlop, Greystar, and Hines, who signed on without hesitation, and we're thrilled to be supporting several other peers as they go through the process." Tom Shapiro, President, Founder and Chief Investment Officer at GTIS Partners, said, "GTIS views human capital as one of our most valuable assets and has thus been committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion since inception. The collective sum of our individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, and unique capabilities inform the firm's culture, reputation, and achievement. Our diversity remains an important part of our principals, and by joining ILPA's DEI initiative in 2022 GTIS committed to joining other thought leaders for the benefit of our industry." Tanya Oblak, Senior Managing Director and Head of Human Capital Management at Rockpoint, said, "As long-standing supporters of both Ivanhoe Cambridge and ILPA, two leaders in promoting best practices across the private equity real estate industry, Rockpoint is pleased to be a signatory of the Diversity in Action initiative. The DIA framework aligns well to the work Rockpoint has undertaken over the last several years to expand inclusivity and opportunity both within our organization and, more broadly, our industry." Joe Ritchie, Managing Director, Business Development, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Tishman Speyer, said, "Tishman Speyer has long prioritized diversity, equity and inclusion across all aspects of our business, and we are proud to join ILPA's Diversity in Action initiative alongside Ivanhoe Cambridge. Dedicated collaborations such as these are key to creating meaningful change within our industry and throughout the communities surrounding our investments." Susie Harborth, Chief Business Officer at Breakthrough Properties, said, "Breakthrough Properties is committed to ILPA's Diversity in Action because we feel it is our responsibility to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment and to further the life science industry's commitment to diverse communities and equitable access to healthcare for the benefit of all patients." Avi Shemesh, Co-Founder and Principal, CIM Group, said, "CIM Group believes our greatest asset is our team, which is comprised of more than 1,100 individuals representing a wide array of backgrounds and demographics to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce that informs the growth and success of our organization along with our business and community relationships. We view joining Ivanhoe Cambridge and other leaders as a signatory to the ILPA's Diversity in Action initiative as an important step that we can take to help propel DEI initiatives around the world." Christina Gaw, Managing Principal & Global Head of Capital Markets, Co-Chair of Alternative Investments at Gaw Capital Partners, said, "We are delighted to join hands with Ivanhoe Cambridge in becoming a signatory to the ILPA's Diversity in Action initiative, which showcases our commitment to further advance diversity, equity and inclusion within Gaw Capital. With the ILPA's framework being the most aligned with our long-term objectives and strategies, we continue to make unwavering efforts in enabling the industry to embrace a diverse and inclusive environment in the workplace." Ryan Castle, Divisional Chief Operating Officer at Walker & Dunlop, said, "Walker & Dunlop is honored to join Ivanhoe Cambridge and the ILPA's Diversity in Action initiative, as it directly aligns with our long-term goals to close the gap on diversity, equity and inclusion in our industry and support those who are making a difference in other communities and organizations." Bob Faith, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Greystar, said, "Greystar is proud to join the ILPA Diversity in Action effort and advance shared goals on the critical and timely actions we must take as an industry on DEI. Ivanhoe Cambridge has shown tremendous leadership on this issue, and we are honored to join them and the other signatories who share our desire to make meaningful progress." Crystal Castille-Cromedy, Senior Vice President of Talent and Chief Diversity Officer at Hines, said, "Hines is committed to making our company and the real estate industry a more inclusive place to work, which is meaningfully accelerated with initiatives like ILPA's Diversity in Action. We're proud to stand alongside our long-term partner Ivanhoe Cambridge to demonstrate our shared commitment to DEI as a business imperative for our organizations, teams, and communities." ILPA's Diversity in Action initiative seeks to bring together both Limited Partners and General Partners to commit to specific actions that advance diversity and inclusion in the private equity industry and provides resources and actionable insights to address shared challenges. Ivanhoe Cambridge also takes this opportunity to salute the many partners and peers who signed on prior to its own commitment, including the founding signatories of this initiative. About Ivanhoe Cambridge Ivanhoe Cambridge develops and invests in high-quality real estate properties, projects and companies that are shaping the urban fabric in dynamic cities around the world. It does so responsibly, with a view to generate long-term performance. Ivanhoe Cambridge is committed to creating living spaces that foster the well-being of people and communities, while reducing its environmental footprint. Ivanhoe Cambridge invests internationally alongside strategic partners and major real estate funds that are leaders in their markets. Through subsidiaries and partnerships, the Company holds interests in 1,500 buildings, primarily in the industrial and logistics, office, residential and retail sectors. Ivanhoe Cambridge held C$77 billion in real estate assets as of December 31, 2022, and is a real estate subsidiary of CDPQ (cdpq.com), a global investment group. For more information: ivanhoecambridge.com. SOURCE Ivanhoe Cambridge Inc. AKRON, Ohio, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- King Dumpsters, the leading dumpster rental company in Akron, is thrilled to announce its move to a larger and more convenient location at 279 N. Forge St., Akron, OH 44304. This relocation represents an exciting milestone for King Dumpsters as it seeks to better serve its valued customers and accommodate the company's continued growth. The decision to move to the new facility was driven by King Dumpsters' commitment to providing exceptional service to the Akron community. The new location offers increased operational capacity and improved accessibility, allowing the company to enhance its efficiency and offer an even higher level of service to its customers. The new facility boasts a substantial increase in space, allowing King Dumpsters to expand its inventory of dumpsters and equipment. With a wider range of options, customers can easily find the right solution to meet their specific needs, whether for residential, commercial, or industrial projects. The company's commitment to providing prompt, reliable, and affordable dumpster rental services remains unchanged, ensuring customer satisfaction every step of the way. "We are delighted to announce our move to the new location, which will enable us to serve our customers even better," said Dave Longville, CEO of King Dumpsters. "Our expanded facility will allow us to streamline our operations and enhance our offerings, ultimately providing an exceptional experience for every customer. We are excited about this next chapter and the opportunities it brings for growth and continued excellence." King Dumpsters' new address at 279 N. Forge St., Akron, OH 44304, is conveniently located and easily accessible, providing customers with greater convenience when renting a dumpster. The company's contact information, including phone numbers and email addresses, remains unchanged, ensuring a seamless transition for all customers. As King Dumpsters settles into its new location, the company remains committed to its core values of professionalism, reliability, and outstanding customer service. Whether it's a small residential clean-up or a large-scale construction project, King Dumpsters is dedicated to delivering efficient waste management solutions that meet the unique needs of its customers. For more information about King Dumpsters and its range of services, visit the company's website at www.kingdumpsters.com or contact their customer support team at 330-587-9139 or [email protected] Media Contact: Ryan Montgomery Chief Operations Officer King Dumpsters Phone: 330-587-9139 Email: [email protected] SOURCE King Dumpsters HATBORO, Pa., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- KMM Group Ltd . and the prestigious Titan 100 program , spearheaded by Titan CEO and headline sponsor Wipfli LLP, proudly announce Eric Wilhelm, President, and John Shegda, CEO of KMM Group, Ltd., as the distinguished 2023 Philadelphia Titan 100 recipients. This honor signifies their exceptional leadership, unwavering commitment to excellence, and formidable influence in the business community. Announcing Eric Wilhelm, President, and John Shegda, CEO of KMM Group as the 2023 Philadelphia Titan 100 recipients. Tweet this John Shegda, CEO, KMM Group Ltd. Eric Wilhelm, President, KMM Group Ltd. The Titan 100 program annually distinguishes the top 100 CEOs and C-level executives, celebrating their outstanding achievements in their respective industries. The 2023 Philadelphia Titan 100 and their companies collectively employ over 93,000 individuals and generate over $33 billion in annual revenues, marking a significant contribution to the regional and national economy. The honorees will be showcased in a limited-edition Titan 100 book and profiled exclusively online. Eric Wilhelm expressed deep appreciation for the award, "Being named a Philadelphia Titan 100 recipient is a tremendous honor. Our commitment to excellence and strategic growth have positioned KMM Group as a leader in ultra-precision manufacturing. We will use this platform to inspire others and further propel the growth and success of our industry." John Shegda echoed Wilhelm's sentiments, stating, "This recognition underscores the profound influence our vision has had on the manufacturing industry. Through fostering collaboration and driving innovation, we aim to shape a future where manufacturing catalyzes progress and resilience, benefiting us all." The award ceremony will take place on September 21st, 2023, at "The Drexelbrook," a historic private club, hotel, and event center located in Drexel Hill, PA. The evening will gather 100 Titans of Industry and their guests in a unique, cocktail-style awards event, fostering a high-level exchange of insights and ideas. About KMM Group, Ltd. The KMM Group, Ltd. is a collaborative fusion of three world-class companies: KVI Inc., M&S Centerless Grinding, Inc., and Meron Medical. It manufactures mission-critical components for medical , aerospace , space exploration , high-tech , and defense industries, drawing on its collective 100-year history of leading-edge ultra- precision machining and centerless grinding experience. KMM Group, Ltd., 258 E. County Line Rd., Hatboro, PA, 19040; KMMGrp.com ; (888) 499-5657 CONTACT: Amy Rodgers Director of Marketing [email protected] (215) 280-1374 SOURCE KMM Group By Takahiro Yamagami, KYODO NEWS - Jun 22, 2023 - 13:01 | Feature, All Young Chinese entrepreneurs and others with family roots in China are becoming increasingly active participants in Japan's startup sector, leveraging Japanese manufacturing skills alongside their social connections in the greater China region to start new businesses and drive innovation. The trend is being fueled by increased support for entrepreneurs through the hosting of startup business contests amid a rise in Chinese people deciding to launch companies in Japan, where they have developed strong relationships and gained experience from studying while avoiding stiff competition back in China. Sun Xiaojun, the 35-year-old president of BionicM Inc., is one such entrepreneur. His Tokyo-based company manufactures high-tech prosthetic legs that enable power-generated movement and control through humanoid robotics technology. "A lot of Japanese technologies have been incorporated into this artificial leg," he said. Sun had his leg amputated at the age of 9 after suffering from bone cancer and wears a prosthesis himself. He came to Japan as an exchange student and founded his company in 2018 after working at several firms. BionicM produces the main body of their prosthesis in China but procures semiconductors and other precision components in Japan. The product is the result of working together with his Japanese team to develop the project through rigorous testing. "Japanese people's pursuit of quality is amazing," he said. Their product was designed with the aim of making a prosthetic leg that their customers would feel proud to show off. "Just like how Tesla has changed the world with electric vehicles, we want to change popular perceptions of artificial legs," said Sun, adding that the firm is also eyeing a move into the U.S. market. Another young entrepreneur with Chinese roots in Japan is Luo Youhong, 30, the founder and president of Tokyo Inc., which offers digital elevator advertisements. "The business model in China has become sophisticated as a result of competition. There are many things to be learned from China, as was the case when Japanese envoys were sent to the country under the Tang Dynasty (618-907)," Luo said. Lou was born and raised in Japan by parents from China, meaning he is fluent in both Japanese and Mandarin. As a college student, he considered founding a startup and realized there was much to be learned from the Chinese business environment, where there are companies with market capitalizations in the trillions of yen. "I learned a lot from how things are done in China, such as how much upfront investment is needed to start a company," Lou said. His startup is now working on the joint development of a special projector for digital signage displays in cooperation with a Chinese company based in Shenzhen, located in the southern China province of Guangdong. "The advantage of being a Chinese entrepreneur in Japan is that I can make thorough use of resources available in China," Lou said. Prompted by an increase in the number of Chinese people becoming entrepreneurs in Japan, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Japan held its first Japanese startup business contest in September last year. Some 30 companies presented their ideas in the competition, with a developer of a "smart bath mat" that measures people's weight directly after they leave the tub winning the contest. Members of the chamber of commerce are mostly made up of two generations of Chinese businesspeople. Those who moved to Japan after the end of World War II are often referred to as "old overseas Chinese," while those who arrived after China's economic reforms and opening-up period are known as "new overseas Chinese." More recently, a new generation of young Chinese in their 20s and 30s have been joining up as members, reflected by a growth in digital startups. Last December, entrepreneurs with roots in China held a symposium that attracted some 100 attendees. "The innovative power of Chinese entrepreneurs will be indispensable for revitalizing the Japanese economy," said Hideo Natsume, the 27-year-old organizer of the event, who is involved in supporting startups. "We want to provide opportunities to create new businesses through a positive fusion between Japan and China," he said. Emerging Beauty Franchise Fills Niche in $571B Industry with Unveiling of an Aggressive Franchise Development Strategy TORONTO , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LashKind, an innovative brow and lash franchise concept, announces the launch of its franchise opportunity in markets across the country. The emerging franchise is grounded in the success of Canadian-based MYNC Beauty Inc., which was acquired by the original blow dry bar franchise Blo Blow Dry Bar in October 2022. Now, the category disrupter is bringing LashKind to the masses. Primed to become a leader in its space and within franchising, LashKind is designed to stand out in an industry that is experiencing rapid growth. Tapping into the proven business model of Blo Blow Dry Bar that spans more than 100 locations with 40 more in various stages of development, the model for LashKind has been engineered to set franchisees up for success with a suite of turnkey support. "We're excited to offer experienced and aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to join our family to bring the LashKind experience to beauty and lash lovers everywhere," said Vanessa Yakobson, CEO of Blo Blow Dry Bar and LashKind. "With Blo's success in the beauty and wellness space, our experienced leadership team, and a proven franchise system, LashKind is ready to roll out with strength across the U.S. We've already seen vast interest from our existing Blo franchisees which serves as a testament to their confidence in LashKind." With the beauty industry valued at more than $571B and the lash industry projected to double its $1.36B value over the next decade, it is an opportune time to join LashKind. An added asset for franchisees, LashKind will have multiple revenue streams with a number of services including: lash extensions, lash lifts; lash tints; brow and full-face waxing; brow and full-face threading; brow lamination; and brow tints. There will also be retail products to help extend the life of each service, a robust membership program to drive predictable, recurring revenue, and gift cards. The emerging brand has already signed its first franchise agreement, putting it on a positive trajectory to make its mark in the U.S. Making history is Lynn Maggio-Fleer, a serial entrepreneur, who will bring the nation's first LashKind location to Mount Pleasant, SC. With a background in marketing and entrepreneurship, Maggio-Fleer is also an existing franchisee with Blo Blow Dry Bar, owning one location in Mount Pleasant. Maggio-Fleer's LashKind will be in Patriots Plaza at 889 Houston Northcutt Blvd., just a few doors down from her Blo Blow Dry Bar. Maggio-Fleer boasts more than 20 years of experience as a business owner, and several specifically within the beauty industry. She previously owned a blow dry bar in Alabama before joining the Blo system as well as various startups, ranging from a cosmetic line to local art studios. While Maggio-Fleer's experience will be an asset to her location, LashKind provides the resources and support for all franchisees to fuel their own path to success. "It's an honor to be the first LashKind franchisee and I'm proud the leadership team trusts me to open the first location," added Maggio-Fleer. "Having such a raw passion for the beauty industry, I couldn't be more excited to grow our portfolio. There is an immense synergy between Blo and LashKind from the clientele to staff to overall services. I have been so happy with the support system and business model of Blo, and we're confident they have given us the blueprint to have repeated success with LashKind." LashKind is a collective of beauty lovers who also know that beauty means business. Its mission is to make guests look and feel beautiful by providing fun and fabulous bar environments, expertly delivered services and high-quality products, while helping ensure their natural lashes and brows remain healthy. LashKind is currently seeking aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs to stake their claim in this exploding sector. For more information about the franchise opportunity, visit lashkindfranchise.com/contact-us. About LashKind LashKind is an innovative brow and lash franchise concept, grounded in the success of Canadian-based MYNC Beauty Inc. (founded in 2011) and brought to you by the team behind the category disruptor, Blo Blow Dry Bar. With a proven business model in a booming industry, LashKind is designed to stand out and set franchisees up for success. As a collective of beauty lovers, LashKind's mission is to make guests look and feel beautiful by providing fun and fabulous bar environments, expertly-delivered services and high-quality products, while helping ensure guests' natural lashes and brows remain healthy. To learn more, visit lashkindfranchise.com. About Blo Blow Dry Bar Blo Blow Dry Bar is North America's original blow dry bar and the world's largest blow dry bar franchise. The company transformed beauty norms and reinvented the salon industry when it launched the "no cuts, no color" concept: only blow outs. Since opening its first location in Canada in 2007, Blo has grown to over 140 locations across the U.S. and Canada and continues to expand rapidly. The brand has also evolved over time, adding makeup services, a membership program, and quality retail products to its bars. With a mission to enhance the lives of those in the community through the power of flawless blow outs and beauty services, Blo Blow Dry Bar offers perfectly styled hair and exceptional customer experiences seven days a week. For more information visit www.blomedry.com. Media Contact: Marisa Beaumont, Fishman Public Relations, 847.945.1300, [email protected] SOURCE LashKind SAN DIEGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitchell, an Enlyte company and leading technology and information provider for the Property & Casualty (P&C) claims and Collision Repair industries, today announced that Industrial Alliance Auto and Home Insurance, Inc. (iAAH) has implemented its workflow management and collision damage appraisal solutions to help improve claims handling efficiency and accuracy. The Quebec-based insurer, a subsidiary of iA Financial Group, was founded in 1973 and is a leading provider of auto, property, casualty and liability insurance. After careful consideration, iAAH chose Mitchell's advanced technology solutions to help power its future claim's ecosystem. "Industrial Alliance Auto and Home Insurance is committed to simplifying the claims process and supporting our customers through every step," said iAAH Vice President of Claims, Hugo Fortin. "Mitchell's technology enables us to optimize the process, deliver a digital experience and provide our customers and partners with tools designed to streamline auto insurance claims." Through Mitchell WorkCenter, iAAH has accelerated claims handling activities including loss profiling with integration, estimating, review and repair management. Now assigning work electronically to its network repair facilities, the carrier has eliminated inaccuracies due to hand-keying data as well as reduced cycle time. Additionally, in just a few days, the insurer's staff appraisers and partners were able to quickly deploy Mitchell's appraisal solutionMitchell Cloud Estimating. iAAH's appraisal resources can now write estimates from any Internet-enabled device, access integrated OEM procedures, and onboard new network repair facilities faster and more efficiently. The solution's scalable, cloud-based architecture also minimizes software development and maintenance costs as well as ensures that Industrial Alliance has immediate access to the latest product features. "We are delighted that Industrial Alliance has selected Mitchell and its technology to meet the auto insurance needs of policyholders in Quebec," said Debbie Day, executive vice president and general manager of Mitchell's Auto Physical Damage division. "As the organization grows and continues to optimize its claims process, Mitchell will be there to support iAAH with innovative solutions designed to enhance workflows, automate manual tasks and enable proper, safe vehicle repairs." About Mitchell International Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Mitchell International, Inc. delivers smart technology solutions and services to the auto insurance, collision repair, disability and workers' compensation markets. Through deep industry expertise, connections throughout the insurance ecosystem and advanced technology such as artificial intelligence and cloud-based solutions, Mitchell enables its customers and clients to succeed in today's ever-changing environment. Each month, Mitchell processes tens of millions of transactions for more than 300 insurance providers, 20,000 collision repair facilities and 70,000 pharmacies. Its comprehensive solution and service portfolio empowers clients to restore lives after a challenging event. Mitchell, Genex and Coventry have recently aligned their joint industry expertise and advanced technology solutions to form Enlyte, a parent brand with nearly 6,000 associates committed to simplifying and optimizing property, casualty and disability claims processes and services. For more information, please visit www.mitchell.com or follow Mitchell on Twitter @MitchellClaims and @MitchellRepair for property and casualty as well as collision repair updates and perspectives. SOURCE Mitchell International LOS ANGELES, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leica Gallery LA announces the opening reception of "Yul Brynner's Photography: An Extraordinary Vision," an exhibition showcasing the photographic work of the iconic actor, Yul Brynner. The opening reception will be held on Saturday, July 8, from 6-8 PM, followed by a meet and greet with Victoria Brynner on Sunday, July 9, from 1-3 PM. The exhibition will run until July 31. Leica Gallery Los Angeles California Leica Gallery LA announces the opening reception of "Yul Brynner's Photography: An Extraordinary Vision" Brynner, best known for his acclaimed performances in The King and I, The Ten Commandments, and The Magnificent Seven, was also a passionate photographer who had a remarkable ability to capture the essence of mid-century Hollywood. This showcase will present 25 images from Brynner's unique photographic collection. Additionally, a selection of Brynner's Leica MP cameras will be on display, one of which will be auctioned at the upcoming Leitz Photographica Auction in November. Brynner's photography reveals his extraordinary vision. Influenced by legendary photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson and Andre Kertesz, Brynner used Leica cameras to capture moments that collectively narrate the story of old Hollywood. Traveling from western Europe to southern California, Brynner's work provides an insider's look into his personal experiences with friends, who also happened to be the stars of his generation, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, Ingrid Bergman, and Sofia Loren. The essence of Brynner's work lies in his empathetic intelligence that enabled him to beautifully render both the intimate and artistic aspects of his subjects. This exhibition seeks to commemorate Brynner's talent and contribution to the field of photography. In conjunction with the exhibition, a series of limited-edition prints of some of his most important images will be made available. The exhibition opens July 8 and runs through July 31. Admission is free via Eventbrite. The Leitz Photographica Auction will be held November 24 & 25 in Vienna, Austria. About Leica Gallery LA: Leica Gallery LA showcases the works of both international and American photographers and features an impressive roster of artists and collections in its archives. The gallery is dedicated to crafting engaging exhibitions that speak to the cultural significance of photography in the 21st century. Note to Editors: High-resolution images and interviews are available upon request. Press Contact: Nike Communications Inc. Phone: 201-995-0051 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.leica-camera.com SOURCE Leica Camera Converging Technological Excellence and Artistic Brilliance, LG SIGNATURE OLED M Showcased at Special Exhibition Zone SEOUL, South Korea, June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics (LG) is bridging the worlds of art and technology with its ultra-premium brand, LG SIGNATURE, by sponsoring a remarkable ballet performance of 'Swan Lake,' choreographed by the esteemed French ballet master Angelin Preljocaj, at the LG Arts Center SEOUL in South Korea from June 22 to 25. This sponsorship signifies the second occasion where LG SIGNATURE has supported performances at this venue, following its patronage of 'He Who Falls' by Yoann Bourgeois in November 2022. LG HOSTS SWAN LAKE PERFORMANCE EXPANDING ENGAGEMENT WITH ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE(1) LG HOSTS SWAN LAKE PERFORMANCE EXPANDING ENGAGEMENT WITH ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE (2) LG HOSTS SWAN LAKE PERFORMANCE EXPANDING ENGAGEMENT WITH ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE (3) A renowned master of modern ballet, Angelin Preljocaj is considered one of the most important contemporary choreographers since the 20th century. After a gap of 4 years since Ballet Preljocaj toured Korea with 'La Fresque,' he makes his long-awaited return to Korea. Inspired by the creative vision and imagination that Marius Petipa instilled in 'Swan Lake,' Angelin Preljocaj intertwines his own inventive genius to give birth to yet another extraordinary work. One of the highlights of the performance is the captivating group dance sequences, where 25 ensemble dancers gracefully portray the image of wild swans gliding across a lake. In addition to the captivating performance of 'Swan Lake,' attendees at LG Arts Center SEOUL will have the privilege of immersing themselves in the LG SIGNATURE exhibition zone, strategically located at the entrance of the LG SIGNATURE Hall. Carefully curated to align with the enchanting concept of 'Swan Lake,' these spaces offer a distinctive experience that extends the emotional impact of the performance beyond the confines of the theater. Creating a backdrop reminiscent of a dark lake, the exhibition zone showcases the LG SIGNATURE OLED M (model M3), the world's first and largest OLED TV. This remarkable display evokes visions of swans elegantly gliding across the water's surface through the use of its wireless solution. Adding to the captivating TV, a separate Zero Connect Box, responsible for wirelessly transmitting video and audio signals to LG's cinematic screen, located beside the screen on a swan sculpture adds an artistic touch to the exhibition. In the OLED M special exhibition zone, the wall panels extending on both sides showcase the journey of innovation in LG OLED TVs over the past 10 years. It also introduces the brand philosophy of LG SIGNATURE, which upholds the "Art of Essence," and the brand theme "LIVE BEYOND," emphasizing the experience of life becoming art. LG SIGNATURE OLED M is set to make its official debut in the second half of the year. Educating and showcasing the premium value of LG SIGNATURE to customers visiting LG Arts Center SEOUL, LG's dedicated exhibition and photo zones open to the public until July 22 aim to provide a comprehensive and immersive experience that highlights the unique features and exceptional quality of LG SIGNATURE products. Continuously promoting its cultural and artistic endeavors as a way to communicate its blend of artistic values and innovative technology, LG SIGNATURE is the official partner of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the United Kingdom, the American Ballet Theatre in the United States and La Scala opera house in Italy. "We take great pride in the fact that LG Electronics has once again signed a title sponsorship this year, further solidifying our commitment to the arts and culture scene," said Lee Jeong-seok, head of LG Electronics' Global Marketing Center. "With the LG SIGNATURE OLED M exhibition zone, we have created a convergence of technological excellence and artistic brilliance aiming to provide audiences with an immersive firsthand experience of the exceptional LG SIGNATURE OLED M, meticulously crafted with our finest technology." About LG SIGNATURE LG SIGNATURE is the first ultra-premium brand across multiple product categories from global innovator LG Electronics. Designed for the most discerning consumers, LG SIGNATURE products deliver a state-of-the-art living experience that feels pure, sophisticated and luxurious. Combining the very best of everything LG has to offer, LG SIGNATURE products are designed with a focus on their "true essence" aligned with the brand's modern, distinctive design. For more information, visit www.LGSIGNATURE.com. SOURCE LG SIGNATURE NEW YORK, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Lupus Research Alliance awarded its 2023 Lupus Insight Prize to Carola Vinuesa, MD, PhD, of The Francis Crick Institute, for her seminal discovery that a mutation in a specific human gene causes systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), uncovering an important target for the development of novel treatment. The Lupus Insight Prize is awarded each year to an outstanding investigator who has made a significant discovery that will advance our understanding of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, or treatment of lupus. The Lupus Research Alliance awarded its 2023 Lupus Insight Prize to Carola Vinuesa, MD, PhD, of The Francis Crick Institute. Tweet this The Lupus Research Alliance awarded its 2023 Lupus Insight Prize to Carola Vinuesa, MD, PhD, of The Francis Crick Institute, for her seminal discovery that a mutation in a specific human gene causes systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), uncovering an important target for the development of novel treatment. Dr. Vinuesa and her team analyzed the genome, or genetic makeup, of a seven-year-old girl with lupus and identified a mutation in the gene that encodes toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7). TLR7 activates the immune system upon detecting viral RNA. The mutation Dr. Vinuesa identified causes TLR7 to not only respond to viral RNA, but to the body's own RNA, driving autoimmune diseases such as SLE. Many lupus patients display increased TLR7 activity; however, disease-causing mutations in the TLR7 gene had not been identified. "Although mutations in TLR7 may be rare, many patients with lupus show signs of hyperactivity of TLR7 signaling. This groundbreaking finding provides critical insight into lupus disease mechanisms and has paved the way for the development of novel lupus treatments targeting dysfunctional TLR7," said Teodora Staeva, PhD, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of the Lupus Research Alliance. The Prize, which includes a $100,000 grant award, was formally presented during the Lupus Insight Prize session at the 23rd Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies (FOCIS) 2023 meeting in Boston. World-renowned Gary Koretzky, MD, PhD, Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine and Chair of the LRA Science Advisory Board, presented the award to Dr. Vinuesa. "The cause of lupus is unknown; however, it is known that genetics and environmental factors contribute to the diagnosis and progression of the disease. Childhood-onset of SLE is rare and often severe, suggesting a potential underlying genetic component," said Dr. Vinuesa. "I am honored to receive this most prestigious award from the Lupus Research Alliance in recognition of our discovery of a genetic cause of lupus. This grant will be used to further advance our research so that we can help inform the development of new targeted treatments for both kids and adults." Dr. Vinuesa is a Royal Society Wolfson fellow and Assistant Research Director at The Francis Crick Institute in London, England. Prior to joining The Francis Crick Institute, Dr. Vinuesa established and directed the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence in Personalized Immunology. The NHMRC is the main statutory authority of the Australian Government responsible for medical research. A Fellow of the Royal Society of London (FRS) and of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA), she is the recipient of many distinguished awards, including the Science Minister's Prize for Life Scientist of the Year, the Gottschalk Medal of the Australian Academy of Sciences, and the inaugural recipient of the CSL Young Florey Medal. Novel genetic mutation reveals critical driver of lupus Dr. Vinuesa and her research team sequenced the genome of a seven-year-old girl with severe lupus to identify novel disease-causing variants. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a mutation in the gene that encodes a protein called toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7). To determine whether the TLR7 mutation identified causes lupus, Dr. Vinuesa's team used a gene-editing tool, CRISPR/Cas9, to introduce the specific variant into mice. Mice with the TLR7 mutation exhibited hallmark symptoms of autoimmunity, similar to those observed in the young girl, including the presence of self-reactive antibodies (autoantibodies) and end-stage organ damage. The mutation identified is a gain-of-function mutation, meaning it enhances the activity of TLR7. The researchers found that the mutation caused increased affinity of TLR7 for its binding partner, guanosine, resulting in elevated activity of TLR7 and its associated signaling pathways. The mutation also caused heightened sensitivity of TLR7 to single-stranded RNA that would not typically activate it, making it more likely to incorrectly identify a patient's own tissue as a foreign pathogen such as a virus or bacteria. Because TLR7 is in the X chromosome and is not silenced as other X-chromosome genes are, females have a higher gene dose of TLR7, and this is likely to explain or contribute to the increased prevalence of lupus in females. This research was published last year in the journal Nature. About Lupus Lupus is a chronic, complex autoimmune disease that affects millions of people worldwide. More than 90% of people with lupus are women, often striking during the childbearing years of 15-45. African Americans, Latin Americans, Asians, and Native Americans are at two to three times greater risk than Caucasians. In lupus, the immune system, which is designed to protect against infection, creates antibodies that can attack any part of the body, including the kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, blood, skin, and joints. Symptoms vary from skin rash and debilitating fatigue to life-threatening organ failures. About the Lupus Research Alliance The Lupus Research Alliance aims to transform treatment while advancing toward a cure by funding the most innovative lupus research in the world. The organization's rigorous peer review grant process fosters diverse scientific talent who are driving discovery toward better diagnostics, improved treatments and, ultimately, a cure for lupus. As the Lupus Research Alliance's Board of Directors funds all administrative and fundraising costs, 100% of all donations are dedicated to supporting lupus research programs. For more information, please visit www.lupusresearch.org and on social media at: Instagram; Twitter; LinkedIn; and Facebook. SOURCE Lupus Research Alliance RYE, N.Y., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MacroMinds, a foundation launched to support student education, announced that its 2023 investment symposium has raised $430,000. The event drew 50 sponsors and had 225 attendees. The net proceeds support three beneficiaries, Invest in Girls, Futures and Options and the Children's Scholarship Fund. "Our theme for the event was 'The Street Stands for Students'", said Dean Curnutt, the Founder of the MacroMinds Foundation. "The great success of our effort owes to the generosity of our sponsors, speakers and moderators." Held again at the Times Center in New York City, the MacroMinds symposium covered critical macro themes including geopolitical risk, risk management through crisis periods, portfolio construction and opportunities in structured products. Ross Stevens, Founder and CEO of Stone Ridge Holdings Group, gave a fascinating presentation on the sources of risk and return in the art market along with innovations in providing credit in professional sports. To close out the program, Cliff Asness, Founding and Managing and Founding Principal of AQR Capital Management, reflected on his career in both academic finance and systematic investing, sharing his exceptional insights on the underpinnings and evolution of factor investing. "MacroMinds is committed to bringing the financial industry together for a day of collaboration and learning to support education. Our beneficiaries are doing important work on behalf of students, and it was highly gratifying to assist them," said Dean Curnutt. Children's Scholarship Fund "It is an honor to be selected as a MacroMinds beneficiary, and we were very grateful to be able to share our organization's mission at the symposium. John Walton and Ted Forstmann founded the Children's Scholarship Fund in 1998 to come alongside low-income parents and empower them with the freedom to make the best educational choices for their children. Twenty-five years later, CSF is still partnering with parents and giving children scholarships. Thank you for joining us in this life-changing work." CSF President & CEO Darla M. Romfo Future and Options "We are so grateful to be a beneficiary of the MacroMinds Symposium. Your support will enable Futures and Options students to gain transferrable professional skills needed for success in school and at work and develop the confidence to imagine and pursue their educational and career goals." Carolyn Silver, Executive Director of Futures and Options Council For Economic Education "On behalf of the over 4,000,000 students CEE educates each year, including thousands of young women through our Invest in Girls program, we were thrilled to have been a beneficiary of the 2023 MacroMinds Symposium," said Nan Morrison, CEE's President and CEO. "MacroMinds commitment to helping us educate the next generation of financially literate young people will ensure financial stability and economic mobility for them, their families, and their communities and help them to successfully navigate in our ever-changing economy." About MacroMinds Foundation MacroMinds is a registered 501c (3) organization founded in 2019. MacroMinds is devoted to working with organizations that provide educational support to students. The fund-raising vehicle for MacroMinds is a symposium in which finance industry professionals pay to attend and listen to the most prominent investors share their views on the industry, macro economy and ideas on profitable trades. Utilizing these funds, MacroMinds will partner with highly effective organizations that have a proven record of impacting the lives of students in communities and schools that are socioeconomically disadvantaged. To learn more, please visit www.macrominds.org. MEDIA CONTACT: Katherine Peralta [email protected] 212-287-2640 SOURCE MacroMinds Foundation An Innovative Project Combining Technology and Versatility to Transform the Transfusion Process BOSTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Delcon, an innovative SME specializing in designing technological solutions for the blood industry, has introduced a new device called "Roma" in its line of blood collections products, following the success of the innovative blood mixer "Milano." Delcon's Roma Sealer Delcon's Roma Sealer Roma represents a revolution in the world of sealers devices used in the processing of blood bags to quickly and sterily divide tubes into segments. Delcon's device stands out as the only portable and compact sealer with a built-in battery and wireless recharging base. This advancement eliminates the need for operators to constantly replace heavy batteries, allowing for seamless movement and cordless operation. Roma enables collection centres to operate on the move, while blood component production laboratories can easily transition between different lines. Its patented algorithms optimize each weld, making it compatible with all types of tubes and materials used in medical transfusions. Delcon collaborated with Cefriel, a research, innovation, and training center founded by Politecnico di Milano, along with Italian universities, companies, and local government bodies, for the conceptualization, design, and mechanical development of Roma. The device not only showcases technological advancements but also places a strong emphasis on design quality. With its focus on maximum handling and practicality, Roma introduces a fresh design language to the world of medical blood donation. Delcon's mission is to humanize medical devices and enhance their quality through design. Aligned with Milano's philosophy, Roma transforms the way the product is managed during use and in stand-by mode. The integrated battery and charging base eliminate the need for cumbersome battery recharging, simplifying welding operations and improving efficiency. Delcon prides itself on intentional and systematic innovation, driven by customer-centric design approaches. "Overall, Roma represents Delcon's commitment to revolutionize and elevate the blood field by integrating cutting-edge technology and user-centric design principles into our products," states Delcon CEO Barbara Sala. About Delcon Established in 1981, Delcon is an Italian "technological boutique" specializing in customer-centric solutions for the medical industry. With a design-driven approach and global partnerships, Delcon offers innovative solutions while promoting open innovation and co-creation. In 2018, Delcon USA was founded to strengthen customer relationships and co-design projects. For more information, visit www.delcon.it. Blum. Business as a medium Giulio Todescan [email protected]com +39 344 293 0701 SOURCE Delcon TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945 BOSTON and LONDON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife Investment Management has announced the appointment of Colin Purdie, CFA, as new chief investment officer, public markets. Mr. Purdie will join the firm on December 1, 2023, succeeding Christopher P. Conkey, CFA, who is retiring from Manulife Investment Management at the end of 2024 after 13 years with the firm and an esteemed career spanning more than 40 years in asset management. Colin Purdie, chief investment officer, public markets, Manulife Investment Management (CNW Group/Manulife Investment Management) Mr. Conkey first joined Manulife in 2010 as the chief investment officer, global equities. He took on leadership responsibility for global fixed income in 2013 and the multi-asset solutions team in 2015. In 2017, he was appointed as the firm's global CIO and head of public markets, serving in this key role and helping to form the firm's global wealth and asset management segment. His leadership across all these elements has been a key driver of the growth in assets managed by public markets. "We're excited to have Colin join us and are deeply appreciative of Chris's outstanding contributions to our business. When we built the global wealth and asset management segment and set its priorities, it was essential to focus on our clients and their objectives," said Paul Lorentz, president and CEO, Manulife Investment Management. "With Chris's leadership and guidance, we established a foundation of pursuing consistent returns through both market growth and volatility and expanded our solutions through organic team builds and acquisitions while also integrating ESG factors into our listed equity and fixed-income portfolios." "I'm proud of what we've delivered to clients over the past 13 years, and I'm confident that Colin will continue to build on the foundation that's been established for our teams and our investors," said Mr. Conkey. "We'll work closely together to establish a deep understanding of where the teams have been and where they see the best opportunities for the future across asset classes to meet the evolving needs of our clients." Mr. Conkey will become a special advisor to the CEO when Mr. Purdie formally joins Manulife Investment Management. He'll then focus on the leadership transition and shift to special projects within public markets and the broader organization for the remainder of his tenure. As CIO, public markets, Mr. Purdie will lead the investment team with responsibility for all aspects of the public markets investment processes and the investment performance of its equity, fixed-income, and solutions-oriented strategies. He'll also be accountable for the development and implementation of the firm's investment philosophy, risk management approach, and ESG integration. Mr. Purdie will report to Paul Lorentz and be based in London. Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Purdie, said, "I'm honored to join Manulife Investment Management. The firm is committed to working with clients on some of the biggest challenges investors face today. With more than 625 investment professionalsincluding one of the largest fixed-income teams in Asiaoperating in key markets around the world, it's well positioned to empower clients' decision-making and help to build savings and retirement portfolios, assist with carbon transition goals, and ultimately help to secure a better tomorrow." Mr. Purdie will join Manulife Investment Management from Aviva Investors, where he's worked for more than a decade. At Aviva, he was most recently chief investment officer, liquid markets, where he led global teams across credit, equities, multi-asset and macro, ESG, and trading. He also served as chief investment officer, credit; global head of investment-grade credit; and portfolio manager, institutional credit. Prior to that, he worked at Aegon Asset Management, Charles Stanley (Sutherlands), and the UK Financial Services Authority. In 2022, Mr. Purdie was honored with the European CIO of the Year Award from Funds Europe, with judges recognizing Aviva's ESG integration measures. About Manulife Investment Management Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 19 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com. Manulife Investment Management, as of March 31, 2023. Manulife Investment Management's global investment professional team includes expertise from several Manulife Investment Management affiliates and joint ventures; not all entities represent all asset classes. SOURCE Manulife Investment Management "Florida is a critical area for us, as we continuously see demand and interest from clients," said Dr. Shikhar Saxena, co-founder and CEO of Milan Laser. "We've been asked for years when we're going to bring Milan to Florida, and we're so excited to expand. It's even more incredible that this marks our 300th location!" Milan Laser's expansion plan is driven by consumer demand for a safe, effective laser hair removal provider in metropolitan areas. Currently, Milan's 300 clinics are coast-to-coast in the United States, from Maine to Arizona and Florida to Washington State. "We're so proud and excited to continue to grow our team and become part of the communities in Florida," said Carrece Purnell-Scott, COO of Milan Laser. "Hitting a huge milestone with 300 clinics nationwide is a testament to the growing demand in the aesthetics industry as well as the innovation, drive, and talent of the Milan team." The Palm Coast clinic opened on June 19, 2023. To learn more about Milan Laser Hair Removal, visit www.milanlaser.com . About Milan Laser Hair Removal Founded in 2012 by two board-certified medical doctors in Omaha, Nebraska, Milan Laser Hair Removal is the nation's largest laser hair removal provider. Milan Laser is a premier employer with 300 locations in 31 states and 1,700+ employees nationally. Laser hair removal is all Milan Laser does, performing more than 50,000 treatments each month. Milan Laser provides life-long results for all genders and skin tones in a safe, judgment-free environment, and highly trained medical professionals perform all treatments. For more information, visit www.milanlaser.com . Press Contact: Bettia Williamson Sr. Brand Strategist [email protected] Phone: (914) 309-1808 SOURCE Milan Laser Importantly, and after four years of execution, the program has delivered upon its mission to enhance customer experience as well as dealer performance. In fact, data shows that these reimagined stores' customer satisfaction scores are consistently and significantly higher, as well as allowing the facility to average nearly 17% higher monthly net profit than their non-VI counterparts. The Visual Identity Program also contributed to MMNA's success in the most recent J.D. Power Customer Service Index (CSI) rankings, in which MMNA took top honors in the mass-market segment for the first time in the 43-year history of the study, scoring the highest among 18 mass-market brands and achieving a 30-point year-over-year improvement, the greatest among all competitors. "When Mitsubishi Motors established the standards for our Visual Identity Program, we put customer preferences and expectations for shopping, purchase, and ownership experience above everything else," said Mark Chaffin, MMNA President and CEO. "Our dealer partners' commitment to the swift completion of renovations and to providing the best experience for customers is already proving impactful on customer satisfaction, sales and profitability. As the 100th Visual Identity facility in our dealer partner network, Jacobs Mitsubishi - Wesley Chapel is joining dozens of others that are paving the way to a bright future for their businesses and all of Mitsubishi Motors." Across MMNA's U.S. network of nearly 330 dealerships, more than three-quarters have enrolled in the Visual Identity program. Average dealer investment to bring facilities up to program standards is in the low-six figures. Jacobs Mitsubishi - Wesley Chapel, which was built from the ground up as a brand-new green-field facility, went well beyond the average commitment, with an investment of more than $11 million including land acquisition and facility construction. "Anyone who has paid attention to the Mitsubishi brand knows they are in the midst of a renaissance," said Daniel Jacobs, President of Jacobs Mitsubishi - Wesley Chapel, who also owns a Mitsubishi dealership in New Port Richey, Florida. "We wanted our new retail space to be something we were proud of and a fitting showcase for our award-winning vehicles, like the Outlander and Outlander Plug-in Hybrid. We wanted our store to be the best in the country and believe we accomplished just that. If you build it, they will come, and our new state-of-the-art facility combined with our talented vehicle line-up will attract new customers to our showroom and keep them in the family for years to come." MMNA Visual Identity Program dealerships are intended to be open, inviting, and welcoming to ensure the highest quality of interactions throughout a customer's vehicle ownership journey from purchase to service to trade-in and repurchase. The main color palette is cool and muted, with black, grey, and red accents supporting Mitsubishi Motors' brand colors. For more information on MMNA, visit media.mitsubishicars.com. ABOUT MITSUBISHI MOTORS NORTH AMERICA, INC. Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. In its recently announced Midterm Plan "Challenge 2025" MMNA's parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has committed to accelerating its efforts toward a sustainable carbon-neutral future, setting goals of 40 percent reduction in vehicle CO2 emissions and 50 percent reduction in operational CO2 emissions by 2030. Additionally, MMC has set targets for global sales of electrified vehicles at 50 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2035, leveraging a blend of plug-in hybrids (PHEV), hybrids (HEV) and pure electrics (BEV). MMNA has its headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee, as well as corporate operations in California, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida. For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please visit media.mitsubishicars.com. Contacts Jeremy Barnes Senior Director, Communications and Events [email protected] Mobile: 714-296-1402 SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. Lattanavong Phonethip from the Confucius Institute of National University of Laos (NUOL) performs at the 22nd "Chinese Bridge" Chinese proficiency competition in Vientiane, Laos, June 20, 2023. (Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua) VIENTIANE, June 20 (Xinhua) -- The 22nd "Chinese Bridge" Chinese proficiency competition, an annual Chinese proficiency competition for non-Chinese college students, was held in the Confucius Institute at the National University of Laos (NUOL) in Lao capital Vientiane on Tuesday. NUOL President Oudom Phonekhampheng said in his opening address that the competition helps Lao students improve their Chinese language skills, and promotes educational and cultural exchanges between Laos and China, contributing to Laos-China friendship. Du Changqing, a diplomat with the political section of the Chinese Embassy in Laos, said in his speech that the cultural exchanges between China and Laos have shown great vitality. Du expressed hope that all participants in the competition will jointly work to enhance exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. The competition themed "One World, One Family" comprised three sections of speech, a knowledge quiz and a talent show. A total of 15 contestants from universities across Laos shared their understanding of the theme and their stories of Chinese language study and learning about Chinese culture, while demonstrating their knowledge about Chinese culture and giving Chinese art shows. Lattanavong Phonethip from the NUOL Confucius Institute won the first prize in the competition. She will travel to China as the representative of Laos to participate in the 22nd "Chinese Bridge" global finals. The NUOL started its Chinese language teaching in 2003. MONROE, Mich., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Monroe Community Credit Union (MCCU) is proud to announce that it recently received the prestigious "Outstanding Credit Union of the Year" award from the Michigan Credit Union League in the large asset size category at the League's Annual Convention and Exposition. The award recognizes a credit union for outstanding contributions with member services and community engagement. MCUL President/CEO Patty Corkery and MCCU President/CEO Kristine Brenner (PRNewsfoto/Monroe Community Credit Union) MCCU's CEO Kristine Brenner expressed her gratitude upon accepting the award, stating, "We are very honored to be recognized as the 'Outstanding Credit Union of the Year.' This award is a reflection of the dedication and hard work of our truly phenomenal board and team members. Their unwavering commitment to our members and the community has been instrumental in our success over the past 70 years. We are grateful for their continued support and contributions in making Monroe Community Credit Union a trusted partner in our members' financial journeys." About Monroe Community Credit Union: MCCU is a locally owned and operated financial institution headquartered in Monroe, Michigan with $330 million in assets, six banking locations and 30,000 members. MCCU's field of membership includes those who live, work, worship, or attend school in the state of Michigan and in the Ohio counties of Fulton, Lucas, or Wood. Contact: April Eggert, Marketing Specialist Phone: 734-384-2731 FAX: 734-242-6911 SOURCE Monroe Community Credit Union Physical Climate Risk Metrics enables investors to assess the financial impacts of portfolio companies' direct and indirect climate risks CHICAGO and TORONTO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Morningstar Sustainalytics, a leading global provider of ESG data, research, and ratings, announces enhancements to its Physical Climate Risk Metrics product, including the addition of two new reports offering deeper views into companies' exposure, loss, and financial resiliency as it relates to physical climate risk. Within these reports, new indirect risk metrics have been added to better meet the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations of disclosing on both direct and indirect physical risk and providing insight across the entire business value chain. In a hot house world scenario where climate policy efforts are insufficient to stop global warming, leading to irreversible climate change and severe consequences from related physical risks, companies with average physical climate risk exposure within Physical Climate Risk Metrics universe may lose an equivalent of $0.45 for every $1 of cumulative operating cash, between now and 2050. As part of Morningstar Sustainalytics' evolving set of climate-focused solutions for investors, the comprehensive Physical Climate Risk Metrics dataset provides visibility into the financial impacts of physical climate risks, considering a company's revenue, physical asset value, and operating cash flow. "With the increasing global adoption of climate-related regulation to accelerate decarbonization and within the limited time to mitigate the effects of global warming, investors need data and insights to understand their exposure to financial risks stemming from the increasingly frequent and devastating climate events," said Azadeh Sabour, senior vice president of Climate Solutions at Morningstar Sustainalytics. "With net-zero insights from our recently launched Low Carbon Transition Ratings coupled with asset-level data-based insights from our Physical Climate Risk Metrics, we empower investors with a suite of climate solutions that align with the TCFD's guidance." The Physical Climate Risk Metrics are a bottom-up assessment of climate change-related adverse impacts from physical hazards, including major storms, wildfires, floods, and others. The dataset can support investor alignment with the TCFD recommendations and provides transparency into a company's expected financial losses between now and 2050. Developed in collaboration with XDI (Cross Dependency Initiative), an award-winning physical climate risk analysis leader, these metrics cover over 12,000 companies, spanning 12 million assets, 135 sectors, and 235 countries. Collecting and parsing large amounts of asset-level and climate data requires vast technological resources unavailable to many investors. Additionally, the asset-level data to define exposure has been historically limited in its availability. With the Physical Climate Risk Metrics, investors can quantify the physical climate risks facing their portfolio companies and have access to multiple assessment views, including specific hazards, countries, estimated asset damage, estimated revenue losses, time series, and climate scenarios. Morningstar Sustainalytics' Physical Climate Risk Metrics are currently available as a standard package of five reports through its Data Services, and company-level reports will be available via its online client portal, Global Access, later this year. To learn more about Morningstar Sustainalytics' Physical Climate Risk Metrics and its full suite of Climate Solutions, please visit here. About Morningstar Sustainalytics Morningstar Sustainalytics is a leading ESG data, research, and ratings firm that supports investors around the world with the development and implementation of responsible investment strategies. For more than 30 years, the firm has been at the forefront of developing high-quality, innovative solutions to meet the evolving needs of global investors. Today, Morningstar Sustainalytics works with hundreds of the world's leading asset managers and pension funds who incorporate ESG information and assessments into their investment processes. The firm also works with hundreds of companies and their financial intermediaries to help them consider material sustainability factors in policies, practices, and capital projects. Morningstar Sustainalytics has analysts around the world with varied multidisciplinary expertise across more than 40 industry groups. Learn more about Morningstar Sustainalytics' Physical Climate Risk Metrics and its full suite of Climate Solutions here. Morningstar Sustainalytics produces various metrics, ratings, and assessments, which include assumptions of future events, which may or may not occur or may differ significantly from what was assumed. These metrics, ratings, and assessments are statements of opinions, subject to change, are not to be considered as guarantees, and should not be used as the sole basis for investment decisions. Morningstar Sustainalytics does not provide investment advice or any other form of (financial) advice and nothing within this press release constitutes such advice. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on our current expectations about future events or future financial performance. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, and often contain words such as "may," "could," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," or "continue." These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the events we discuss not to occur or to differ significantly from what we expect. For us, these risks and uncertainties include, among other things, failing to innovate our product and service offerings or anticipate our clients' changing needs. A complete description of these risks and uncertainties can be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. If any of these risks and uncertainties materialize, our actual future results and other future events may vary significantly from what we expect. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements as a result of new information or future events. 2023 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. MORN-P Media Contacts: Lee Reisch [email protected] P) +1 647 264 3775 Ruqayyah Mohammed [email protected] P) +1 647 646 6487 SOURCE Morningstar, Inc. TSX: MPVD TORONTO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. ("Mountain Province", the "Company") (TSX: MPVD) announces that the nominees listed in the management proxy circular for the 2023 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders ("Annual Meeting") were elected as directors of the Company. Detailed results of the vote for the election of directors held at the virtual Annual Meeting on June 22, 2023 are set out below. Nominee Votes For % For Votes Withheld % Withheld Jonathan Comerford 88,788,781 97.70 % 2,086,491 2.30 % Mark Wall 90,278,429 99.34 % 596,843 0.66 % Brett Desmond 88,857,193 97.78 % 2,018,079 2.22 % Karen Goracke 90,357,687 99.43 % 517,585 0.57 % Daniel Johnson 90,293,295 99.36 % 581,977 0.64 % Ken Robertson 90,293,395 99.36 % 581,877 0.64 % Kelly Stark-Anderson 90,213,049 99.27 % 662,223 0.73 % At the Annual Meeting, KPMG LLP were re-appointed as auditor of the Company at remuneration to be fixed by the directors. The Company's Long Term Equity Incentive Plan together with all unallocated options, rights and other entitlements thereunder were re-approved by a majority of shareholders. **** About the Company Mountain Province Diamonds is a 49% participant with De Beers Canada in the Gahcho Kue diamond mine located in Canada's Northwest Territories. The Gahcho Kue Joint Venture consists of several kimberlites that are actively being mined, developed, and explored for future development. The Company also controls over 113,000 hectares of highly prospective mineral claims and leases surrounding the Gahcho Kue Mine that include an Indicated mineral resource for the Kelvin kimberlite and Inferred mineral resources for the Faraday kimberlites. Kelvin is estimated to contain 13.62 million carats (Mct) in 8.50 million tonnes (Mt) at a grade of 1.60 carats/tonne and value of US$63/carat. Faraday 2 is estimated to contain 5.45Mct in 2.07Mt at a grade of 2.63 carats/tonne and value of US$140/ct. Faraday 1-3 is estimated to contain 1.90Mct in 1.87Mt at a grade of 1.04 carats/tonne and value of US$75/carat. All resource estimations are based on a 1mm diamond size bottom cut-off. For further information on Mountain Province Diamonds and to receive news releases by email, visit the Company's website at www.mountainprovince.com. Qualified Person The disclosure in this news release of scientific and technical information regarding Mountain Province's mineral properties has been reviewed and approved by Matthew MacPhail, P.Eng., MBA, and Tom E. McCandless, Ph.D., P.Geo., both employees of Mountain Province Diamonds and Qualified Persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian and United States securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to operational hazards, including possible disruption due to pandemic such as COVID-19, its impact on travel, self-isolation protocols and business and operations, estimated production and mine life of the project of Mountain Province; the realization of mineral reserve estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future production; costs of production; the future price of diamonds; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; the ability to manage debt; capital expenditures; the ability to obtain permits for operations; liquidity; tax rates; and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Except for statements of historical fact relating to Mountain Province, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates," "may," "can," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "targets," "intends," "likely," "will," "should," "to be", "potential" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "should" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Mountain Province and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward-looking statements include the development of operation hazards which could arise in relation to COVID-19, including, but not limited to protocols which may be adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and any impact of such protocols on Mountain Province's business and operations, variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in market conditions, changes in project parameters, mine sequencing; production rates; cash flow; risks relating to the availability and timeliness of permitting and governmental approvals; supply of, and demand for, diamonds; fluctuating commodity prices and currency exchange rates, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated. These factors are discussed in greater detail in Mountain Province's most recent Annual Information Form and in the most recent MD&A filed on SEDAR, which also provide additional general assumptions in connection with these statements. Mountain Province cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Investors and others who base themselves on forward-looking statements should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risk they entail. Mountain Province believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Although Mountain Province has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Mountain Province undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered as the property is developed. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Further, Mountain Province may make changes to its business plans that could affect its results. The principal assets of Mountain Province are administered pursuant to a joint venture under which Mountain Province is not the operator. Mountain Province is exposed to actions taken or omissions made by the operator within its prerogative and/or determinations made by the joint venture under its terms. Such actions or omissions may impact the future performance of Mountain Province. Under its current note and revolving credit facilities Mountain Province is subject to certain limitations on its ability to pay dividends on common stock. The declaration of dividends is at the discretion of Mountain Province's Board of Directors, subject to the limitations under the Company's debt facilities, and will depend on Mountain Province's financial results, cash requirements, future prospects, and other factors deemed relevant by the Board. SOURCE Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. NEW YORK, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund Inc. (NYSE American: NHS) (the "Fund") announced today the completion of its transferable rights offering (the "Offer"), which commenced on May 23, 2023 and expired on June 21, 2023 (the "Expiration Date"). Pursuant to the Offer, the Fund issued one transferable right (a "Right") for each share of common stock of the Fund ("Common Stock") held by stockholders of record as of May 23, 2023. Holders of Rights were entitled to purchase Common Stock by submitting three Rights and the subscription price per share for each share purchased. The final subscription price of $7.42 per share of Common Stock was equal to 89% of the Fund's net asset value per share of Common Stock at the close of trading on the NYSE American on the Expiration Date. Based on the preliminary results, the Offer was over-subscribed. The Offer is expected to result in the issuance of approximately 6,482,227 shares of Common Stock and the gross proceeds of the Offer are expected to be approximately $48.1 million. The shares of Common Stock subscribed for will be issued promptly after completion of the pro rata allocation of the over-subscription shares and receipt of all stockholder payments. The Fund will return to subscribing investors the full amount of any excess payments. The final results of the Offer will be announced at a later date. The information in this press release is not complete and is subject to change. This document is not an offer to sell any securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted. This document is not an offering, which can only be made by a prospectus. Investors should consider the Fund's investment objective, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The Fund's prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus contain this and additional information about the Fund and additional information about the Offer, and should be read carefully before investing. Copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus and other documents the Fund has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission may be obtained by visiting the EDGAR database on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Inquiries regarding the Offer should be directed to the Fund's Information Agent, AST Fund Solutions, LLC, at (866) 387-9392. About Neuberger Berman High Yield Strategies Fund Inc. The Fund's investment objective is to seek high total return (income plus capital appreciation). Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in high yield debt (below investment grade) securities of U.S. and foreign issuers. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in other securities and financial instruments, and up to 15% of its total assets in collateralized loan obligations. About Neuberger Berman Neuberger Berman, founded in 1939, is a private, independent, employee-owned investment manager. The firm manages a range of strategiesincluding equity, fixed income, quantitative and multi-asset class, private equity, real estate and hedge fundson behalf of institutions, advisors and individual investors globally. Neuberger Berman's investment philosophy is founded on active management, engaged ownership and fundamental research, including industry-leading research into material environmental, social and governance factors. Neuberger Berman is a PRI Leader, a designation awarded to fewer than 1% of investment firms. With offices in 26 countries, the firm's diverse team has over 2,700 professionals. For nine consecutive years, Neuberger Berman has been named first or second in Pensions & Investments Best Places to Work in Money Management survey (among those with 1,000 employees or more). The firm manages $436 billion in client assets as of March 31, 2023. For more information, please visit our website at www.nb.com. Statements made in this release that look forward in time involve risks and uncertainties. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the adverse effect from a decline in the securities markets or a decline in the Fund's performance, a general downturn in the economy, competition from other closed end investment companies, changes in government policy or regulation, inability of the Fund's investment adviser to attract or retain key employees, inability of the Fund to implement its investment strategy, inability of the Fund to manage rapid expansion and unforeseen costs and other effects related to legal proceedings or investigations of governmental and self-regulatory organizations. Contact: Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers LLC Investor Information (877) 461-1899 SOURCE Neuberger Berman Despite rhetoric around skills-based hiring, 61% of employers added work or education screening requirements for entry-level hires over the past three years Companies that removed degree or work requirements see a significant increase in number of applicants and comparable on-the-job performance WASHINGTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- New data from Generation, the global employment non-profit, reveals that organizations must radically rethink hiring practices for entry-level tech talent and lays out first steps to take. A number of companies have already broken the mold and removed degree or work requirements over the past three years, and they are reaping the benefits. Nearly 60% of organizations that eliminated these requirements saw an increase in the number of applicants, allowing them to hire more people more quickly, and tapping into new candidate pools that can fuel talent diversity. Better still, they saw little trade-off in terms of performance once candidates were in the jobwith 84% of companies saying that people they hired without degree or education requirements performed the same or better than people hired using traditional methods. These findings come from Launching a Tech Hiring Revolution, a study of thousands of employers, entry-level tech employees, and jobseekers, spanning eight countries: Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the UK, and the US. The research was supported by The Hg Foundation as well as Bank of America, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, and MetLife Foundation. Globally, 86% of surveyed employers say they are hiring for entry-level tech roles. Organizations across various sectors, including banking, manufacturing, and retail, all have tech needs, forcing them to compete for talent. And they are struggling, with 62% of employers saying that entry-level tech recruitment processes need to change. True entry-level tech jobs have disappeared, with 94% of employers saying their hiring requirements for "entry-level" tech roles include prior work experience in a related field. But despite the continued rhetoric around skills-based hiring, nearly two-thirds of employers globally (61%) added education or work requirements over the past three years for entry-level tech roles. And not just technical skills, as 40% increased behavioral skill requirements as well. As those employers that defied that trend have shown, shifting hiring to focus on skills rather than degrees is a way to access new talent pools. Focusing on skills-based techniques was a key part of employer success for the group that removed requirements, with tech industry certifications playing an important role. However, while certifications served as a hiring process equalizer across ethnicities, gender bias persisted. Men without certifications received more job offers per interview than women with certifications. Even though employers are strongly motivated to expand entry-level tech pipelines, those that are struggling to change cite tight budgets and a lack of executive support as tough obstacles. The report concludes there are four ingredients to unlocking the needed shift, including: Expand applicant pools by removing work experience and degree requirements, and instead prioritizing certifications and other skills indicators. During the hiring process, use technical assessments to ensure that applicants have the necessary skills for the job. Throughout, pay attention to both behavioral and technical skills. Rethink hiring teams to reduce tacit bias and increase talent diversity. To continue to explore the possibilities of a skills-based approach, Generation will assemble a coalition of global employers that want to make the kinds of changes the research calls for and share results publicly to create durable solutions that can be applied across sectors and around the globe. You can read the whole report here. Mona Mourshed, founding global CEO of Generation said: "The first rung of the tech job ladder is broken. Every day, at Generation, we sit at the intersection of thousands of employers and learners, and we see the friction in the hiring process that makes it hard for talented people, who come from backgrounds that have been historically overlooked, to get in the door. That's why we undertook this research to help employers and society unclog that vital entry-level tech pipeline. The next step is to go deeper in exploring what works, and I'm excited to partner with a coalition of global employers that are committed to opening up opportunity in tech to more people." Martina Sanow, Trustee of The Hg Foundation, a grant-giving charity with a focus on removing barriers to education and skills in technology, and Partner at Hg said: "Those from diverse backgrounds and who haven't followed traditional pathways represent a huge pool of potential talent for the tech sector. This landmark research represents a step change in our understanding of the global entry-level talent market and where the challenges and opportunities lie. The next crucial step is to build on the report's recommendations and to trial with employers innovative recruitment approaches that harness the abilities of under-served groups." Notes to Editors Methodology The findings in this report are drawn from a survey commissioned by Generation that was in the field from November 4, 2022, to January 9, 2023. The study included employed people (aged 18 and over), unemployed people (aged 18 and over), and hiring and technical managers at employers. The survey drew 4,023 responses from employed and unemployed people, and 1,325 responses from employers, across Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. About Generation Generation is a global employment nonprofit network that supports people to achieve economic mobility so they can change their lives. We train and place adults into careers that would otherwise be inaccessible and seek to improve how education to employment systems function. Generation launched in 2015 and consists of a global hub and a network of in-country affiliates that spans 17 countries. To date, Generation has more than 80,000 graduates who have earned more than $630 million in wages, and works with more than 11,000 employers, implementation partners, and funders. For more, visit generation.org. About The Hg Foundation The Hg Foundation's vision is that the tech workforce of the future harnesses the talents of all, regardless of background. It does this by supporting education and employment-based programmes across the UK, USA, and Europe where it can demonstrate measurable, long-term and scalable impact and make a difference to those that need it most. To date it has committed $14m to programmes that will reach 10,000 young people and adults from under-represented backgrounds. The Hg Foundation is registered Charity no. 1189216. Find out more at https://www.thehgfoundation.com/ SOURCE Generation The deal marks the first strategic media partnership for the food tech startup, which initially launched its plant-based chicken brand, TiNDLE, in Germany last summer last summer As a new investor, SevenVentures will provide its expertise in TV and digital advertising to deepen TiNDLE's brand awareness and broaden consumer education around the plant-based category in Germany The investment follows TiNDLE's initial debut into grocery stores nationwide and recent price reduction as a result of growing economies of scale MUNICH, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Next Gen Foods makers of TiNDLE and Mwah! announces it has secured media advertising volumes in a media-for-equity deal with SevenVentures , the investment arm of Germany's largest media and digital company, ProSiebenSat.1 , and leader in the media investment space. The eight-figure EUR net value investment follows Next Gen Foods' $100 million USD Series A fundraise in early 2022 and will enable the food tech startup to expand its marketing reach and broaden consumer education around the TiNDLE brand, its range of delicious and versatile plant-based chicken offerings, and the growing category of plant-based foods, in addition to category innovation. Next Gen Foods and SevenVentures' media-for-equity deal will increase consumer awareness for plant-based chicken brand, TiNDLE, throughout Germany The media partnership is a first for Next Gen Foods, which launched its flagship brand TiNDLE in Germany last summer . Earlier this year, the company debuted its line of retail products beginning with Germany's largest retailer, the EDEKA Group, and their expansive footprint of store locations across the country. Throughout EDEKA stores, TiNDLE can be found as Schnitzel, Nuggets, Tenders, Wings, and Popcorn. The startup recently introduced a 14% price reduction for all products from EUR 3.49 to EUR 2.99 as a result of increasing economies of scale and distribution of TiNDLE within the region. The media-for-equity investment provides TiNDLE with a unique opportunity to increase its existing brand awareness and visibility in the German market working closely with the SevenVentures team to find tailored solutions for media promotions and advertising. Additionally, the partnership will support long-term awareness-building around the emerging and evolving plant-based food category. This comes at a time when Germans are actively decreasing their overall consumption of animal meat by approximately 4.2 kg per capita in 2022 and over half of the population is self-described as 'flexitarian'. SevenVentures' flexible media-for-equity model allows for media integrations within the ProSiebenSat.1 Group's portfolio of high-reach channels and platforms. Andre Menezes, CEO and Co-Founder of Next Gen Foods, shares: "With a strategic partner like SevenVentures, there is potential to introduce TiNDLE to new audiences, but also unlock opportunities for consumers to better understand the broader role that plant-based foods play in fighting our global climate crisis. We are thrilled to introduce them as our latest mission-aligned investor and utilize their media expertise to bring greater awareness to our category and our efforts to create a more sustainable food system." Founded in 2009, SevenVentures' investment model largely focuses on securing media partnerships for early stage to growth B2C companies in exchange for equity in their portfolio companies. The group primarily operates and invests in companies whose target markets are Germany and Austria. Florian Hirschberger, CEO of SevenVentures: "With Next Gen Foods, we realized our first investment in the plant-based meat space, which suits our responsibility to use the reach of ProSiebenSat.1 to raise awareness for impact and sustainability. We are very much looking forward to further increasing the importance of plant-based food consumption and positioning TiNDLE as the leading brand in this category over the next few years. The quality and taste of TiNDLE's chicken products are incredible, and we believe that our media-for-equity investment comes at the perfect time to accelerate and support a nationwide retail rollout, so all German consumers can experience their 'ridiculously good' chicken made from plants." About Next Gen Foods Founded in 2020, Next Gen Foods is a food tech startup developing and commercializing delicious, innovative, and sustainable plant-based food brands including TiNDLE, chicken made from plants, and Mwah!, creamy and indulgent dairy-inspired products. Next Gen Foods is backed by a team with proven experience in plant-based food technology, global brand development, and distribution scaleup. For more information, visit nextgenfoods.sg . About TiNDLE TiNDLE is the leading plant-based chicken offering the distinct aroma, taste, and texture of chicken and made with non-GMO plant-based ingredients. TiNDLE is the first product by Next Gen Foods, a Singapore-founded food tech company that is developing and commercializing innovative and sustainable foods to make saving the planet easy, enjoyable, and delicious. For more information, visit www.tindle.com or follow @tindlefoods on Instagram and @tindlefoods on TikTok. About SevenVentures SevenVentures is the leading TV media investor and, as a subsidiary of the Commerce & Ventures segment of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, the ideal partner for high-growth consumer-oriented companies, particularly in the consumer goods, retail and services sectors, which have the potential to achieve sustainable success through the use of TV advertising: In return for shares in their equity (media-for-equity) or revenue shares (media-for-revenue), companies receive advertising time on ProSiebenSat.1 channels in particular. In the Commerce & Ventures segment, ProSiebenSat.1 bundles the Group's minority and majority investments. In addition to SevenVentures with the SevenAccelerator, this also includes SevenGrowth and the companies of NuCom Group. Media kit www.tindle.com/media Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2108080/Next_Gen_Foods_TiNDLE_DE_Retail_Range.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1813459/TiNDLE_NextGen_Logo_1_Logo.jpg SOURCE Next Gen Foods, Inc JUNO BEACH, Fla., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) and NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP) today announced that members of the senior management team will participate in various investor meetings throughout the remainder of June. They plan to discuss, among other things, long-term growth rate expectations for NextEra Energy and NextEra Energy Partners. Investors and other interested parties can access a copy of the presentation materials at www.NextEraEnergy.com/investors or www.NextEraEnergyPartners.com. NextEra Energy, Inc. NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) is a leading clean energy company headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida. NextEra Energy owns Florida Power & Light Company, which is America's largest electric utility that sells more power than any other utility, providing clean, affordable, reliable electricity to approximately 5.8 million customer accounts, or more than 12 million people across Florida. NextEra Energy also owns a competitive clean energy business, NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. Through its subsidiaries, NextEra Energy generates clean, emissions-free electricity from seven commercial nuclear power units in Florida, New Hampshire and Wisconsin. NextEra Energy has been recognized often by third parties for its efforts in sustainability, corporate responsibility, ethics and compliance, and diversity. A Fortune 200 company, NextEra Energy is ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry on Fortune's 2023 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," recognized on Fortune's 2021 list of companies that "Change the World" and received the S&P Global Platts 2020 Energy Transition Award for leadership in environmental, social and governance. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com. NextEra Energy Partners, LP NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP) is a growth-oriented limited partnership formed by NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). NextEra Energy Partners acquires, manages and owns contracted clean energy projects with stable, long-term cash flows. Headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida, NextEra Energy Partners owns interests in geographically diverse wind, solar and energy storage projects in the U.S. as well as natural gas infrastructure assets in Texas and Pennsylvania. For more information about NextEra Energy Partners, please visit: www.NextEraEnergyPartners.com. Cautionary Statements and Risk Factors That May Affect Future Results for NextEra Energy, Inc. This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical facts, but instead represent the current expectations of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NextEra Energy) and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) regarding future operating results and other future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of NextEra Energy's and FPL's control Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements concerning long-term growth rate expectations. In some cases, you can identify the forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as "will," "may result," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "plan," "seek," "potential," "projection," "forecast," "predict," "goals," "target," "outlook," "should," "would" or similar words or expressions. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future performance. The future results of NextEra Energy and FPL and their business and financial condition are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause their actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, or may require them to limit or eliminate certain operations. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those discussed in this news release and the following: effects of extensive regulation of NextEra Energy's and FPL's business operations; inability of NextEra Energy and FPL to recover in a timely manner any significant amount of costs, a return on certain assets or a reasonable return on invested capital through base rates, cost recovery clauses, other regulatory mechanisms or otherwise; impact of political, regulatory, operational and economic factors on regulatory decisions important to NextEra Energy and FPL; disallowance of cost recovery by FPL based on a finding of imprudent use of derivative instruments; effect of any reductions or modifications to, or elimination of, governmental incentives or policies that support utility scale renewable energy projects of NextEra Energy and FPL and its affiliated entities or the imposition of additional tax laws, tariffs, duties, policies or assessments on renewable energy or equipment necessary to generate it or deliver it; impact of new or revised laws, regulations, interpretations or constitutional ballot and regulatory initiatives on NextEra Energy and FPL; capital expenditures, increased operating costs and various liabilities attributable to environmental laws, regulations and other standards applicable to NextEra Energy and FPL; effects on NextEra Energy and FPL of federal or state laws or regulations mandating new or additional limits on the production of greenhouse gas emissions; exposure of NextEra Energy and FPL to significant and increasing compliance costs and substantial monetary penalties and other sanctions as a result of extensive federal regulation of their operations and businesses; effect on NextEra Energy and FPL of changes in tax laws, guidance or policies as well as in judgments and estimates used to determine tax-related asset and liability amounts; impact on NextEra Energy and FPL of adverse results of litigation; impacts on NextEra Energy or FPL of allegations of violations of law; effect on NextEra Energy and FPL of failure to proceed with projects under development or inability to complete the construction of (or capital improvements to) electric generation, transmission and distribution facilities, gas infrastructure facilities or other facilities on schedule or within budget; impact on development and operating activities of NextEra Energy and FPL resulting from risks related to project siting, planning, financing, construction, permitting, governmental approvals and the negotiation of project development agreements, as well as supply chain disruptions; risks involved in the operation and maintenance of electric generation, transmission and distribution facilities, gas infrastructure facilities, retail gas distribution system in Florida and other facilities; effect on NextEra Energy and FPL of a lack of growth or slower growth in the number of customers or in customer usage; impact on NextEra Energy and FPL of severe weather and other weather conditions; threats of geopolitical factors, terrorism and catastrophic events that could result from terrorism, cyberattacks or other attempts to disrupt NextEra Energy's and FPL's business or the businesses of third parties; inability to obtain adequate insurance coverage for protection of NextEra Energy and FPL against significant losses and risk that insurance coverage does not provide protection against all significant losses; a prolonged period of low gas and oil prices could impact NextEra Energy Resources, LLC's (NextEra Energy Resources) gas infrastructure business and cause NextEra Energy Resources to delay or cancel certain gas infrastructure projects and could result in certain projects becoming impaired; risk to NextEra Energy Resources of increased operating costs resulting from unfavorable supply costs necessary to provide NextEra Energy Resources' full energy and capacity requirement services; inability or failure by NextEra Energy Resources to manage properly or hedge effectively the commodity risk within its portfolio; effect of reductions in the liquidity of energy markets on NextEra Energy's ability to manage operational risks; effectiveness of NextEra Energy's and FPL's risk management tools associated with their hedging and trading procedures to protect against significant losses, including the effect of unforeseen price variances from historical behavior; impact of unavailability or disruption of power transmission or commodity transportation facilities on sale and delivery of power or natural gas by NextEra Energy, including FPL; exposure of NextEra Energy and FPL to credit and performance risk from customers, hedging counterparties and vendors; failure of NextEra Energy or FPL counterparties to perform under derivative contracts or of requirement for NextEra Energy or FPL to post margin cash collateral under derivative contracts; failure or breach of NextEra Energy's or FPL's information technology systems; risks to NextEra Energy and FPL's retail businesses from compromise of sensitive customer data; losses from volatility in the market values of derivative instruments and limited liquidity in over-the-counter markets; impact of negative publicity; inability of FPL to maintain, negotiate or renegotiate acceptable franchise agreements with municipalities and counties in Florida; occurrence of work strikes or stoppages and increasing personnel costs; NextEra Energy's ability to successfully identify, complete and integrate acquisitions, including the effect of increased competition for acquisitions; environmental, health and financial risks associated with NextEra Energy Resources' and FPL's ownership and operation of nuclear generation facilities; liability of NextEra Energy and FPL for significant retrospective assessments and/or retrospective insurance premiums in the event of an incident at certain nuclear generation facilities; increased operating and capital expenditures and/or reduced revenues at nuclear generation facilities of NextEra Energy or FPL resulting from orders or new regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; inability to operate any of NextEra Energy Resources' or FPL's owned nuclear generation units through the end of their respective operating licenses; effect of disruptions, uncertainty or volatility in the credit and capital markets or actions by third parties in connection with project-specific or other financing arrangements on NextEra Energy's and FPL's ability to fund their liquidity and capital needs and meet their growth objectives; inability of NextEra Energy, FPL and NextEra Energy Capital Holdings, Inc. to maintain their current credit ratings; impairment of NextEra Energy's and FPL's liquidity from inability of credit providers to fund their credit commitments or to maintain their current credit ratings; poor market performance and other economic factors that could affect NextEra Energy's defined benefit pension plan's funded status; poor market performance and other risks to the asset values of NextEra Energy's and FPL's nuclear decommissioning funds; changes in market value and other risks to certain of NextEra Energy's investments; effect of inability of NextEra Energy subsidiaries to pay upstream dividends or repay funds to NextEra Energy or of NextEra Energy's performance under guarantees of subsidiary obligations on NextEra Energy's ability to meet its financial obligations and to pay dividends on its common stock; the fact that the amount and timing of dividends payable on NextEra Energy's common stock, as well as the dividend policy approved by NextEra Energy's board of directors from time to time, and changes to that policy, are within the sole discretion of NextEra Energy's board of directors and, if declared and paid, dividends may be in amounts that are less than might be expected by shareholders; NextEra Energy Partners, LP's inability to access sources of capital on commercially reasonable terms could have an effect on its ability to consummate future acquisitions and on the value of NextEra Energy's limited partner interest in NextEra Energy Operating Partners, LP; effects of disruptions, uncertainty or volatility in the credit and capital markets on the market price of NextEra Energy's common stock; and the ultimate severity and duration of public health crises, epidemics and pandemics, and its effects on NextEra Energy's or FPL's businesses. NextEra Energy and FPL discuss these and other risks and uncertainties in their annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and other Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, and this news release should be read in conjunction with such SEC filings. The forward-looking statements made in this news release are made only as of the date of this news release and NextEra Energy and FPL undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Cautionary Statements and Risk Factors That May Affect Future Results for NextEra Energy Partners, LP This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical facts, but instead represent the current expectations of NextEra Energy Partners, LP (together with its subsidiaries, NEP) regarding future operating results and other future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of NEP's control. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements concerning long-term growth rate expectations. In some cases, you can identify the forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as "will," "may result," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "plan," "seek," "aim," "potential," "projection," "forecast," "predict," "goals," "target," "outlook," "should," "would" or similar words or expressions. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of future performance. The future results of NEP and its business and financial condition are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause NEP's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties could require NEP to limit or eliminate certain operations. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: NEP's ability to make cash distributions to its unitholders is affected by the performance of its renewable energy projects which could be impacted by wind and solar conditions and in certain circumstances by market prices; operation and maintenance of renewable energy projects and pipelines involve significant risks that could result in unplanned power outages, reduced output or capacity, personal injury or loss of life; NEP's business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects can be materially adversely affected by weather conditions, including, but not limited to, the impact of severe weather; NEP depends on certain of the renewable energy projects and pipelines in its portfolio for a substantial portion of its anticipated cash flows; NEP may pursue the repowering of renewable energy projects or the expansion of natural gas pipelines that would require up-front capital expenditures and could expose NEP to project development risks; geopolitical factors, terrorist acts, cyberattacks or other similar events could impact NEP's projects, pipelines or surrounding areas and adversely affect its business; the ability of NEP to obtain insurance and the terms of any available insurance coverage could be materially adversely affected by international, national, state or local events and company-specific events, as well as the financial condition of insurers. NEP's insurance coverage does not provide protection against all significant losses; NEP relies on interconnection, transmission and other pipeline facilities of third parties to deliver energy from its renewable energy projects and to transport natural gas to and from its pipelines. If these facilities become unavailable, NEP's projects and pipelines may not be able to operate or deliver energy or may become partially or fully unavailable to transport natural gas; NEP's business is subject to liabilities and operating restrictions arising from environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, compliance with which may require significant capital expenditures, increase NEP's cost of operations and affect or limit its business plans; NEP's renewable energy projects or pipelines may be adversely affected by legislative changes or a failure to comply with applicable energy and pipeline regulations; Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) may claim certain immunities under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act and Mexican law, and the subsidiaries' of NEP that directly own the natural gas pipeline assets located in Texas ability to sue or recover from Pemex for breach of contract may be limited and may be exacerbated if there is a deterioration in the economic relationship between the United States of America and Mexico; NEP does not own all of the land on which the projects in its portfolio are located and its use and enjoyment of the property may be adversely affected to the extent that there are any lienholders or land rights holders that have rights that are superior to NEP's rights or the U.S. Bureau of Land Management suspends its federal rights-of-way grants; NEP is subject to risks associated with litigation or administrative proceedings that could materially impact its operations, including, but not limited to, proceedings related to projects it acquires in the future; NEP's operations require NEP to comply with anti-corruption laws and regulations of the U.S. government and Mexico; NEP is subject to risks associated with its ownership interests in projects that are under construction, which could result in its inability to complete construction projects on time or at all, and make projects too expensive to complete or cause the return on an investment to be less than expected; NEP relies on a limited number of customers and is exposed to the risk that they may be unwilling or unable to fulfill their contractual obligations to NEP or that they otherwise terminate their agreements with NEP; NEP may not be able to extend, renew or replace expiring or terminated power purchase agreements (PPA), natural gas transportation agreements or other customer contracts at favorable rates or on a long-term basis; if the energy production by or availability of NEP's renewable energy projects is less than expected, they may not be able to satisfy minimum production or availability obligations under their PPAs; NEP's growth strategy depends on locating and acquiring interests in additional projects consistent with its business strategy at favorable prices; reductions in demand for natural gas in the United States or Mexico and low market prices of natural gas could materially adversely affect NEP's pipeline operations and cash flows; government laws, regulations and policies providing incentives and subsidies for clean energy could be changed, reduced or eliminated at any time and such changes may negatively impact NEP's growth strategy; NEP's growth strategy depends on the acquisition of projects developed by NextEra Energy, Inc. (NEE) and third parties, which face risks related to project siting, financing, construction, permitting, the environment, governmental approvals and the negotiation of project development agreements; acquisitions of existing clean energy projects involve numerous risks; NEP may continue to acquire other sources of clean energy and may expand to include other types of assets. Any further acquisition of non-renewable energy projects may present unforeseen challenges and result in a competitive disadvantage relative to NEP's more-established competitors; NEP faces substantial competition primarily from regulated utility holding companies, developers, independent power producers, pension funds and private equity funds for opportunities in North America; the natural gas pipeline industry is highly competitive, and increased competitive pressure could adversely affect NEP's business; NEP's plan to sell its natural gas pipeline assets for adequate proceeds may be unsuccessful, and NEP may have to rely on other sources of capital in order to purchase noncontrolling membership interests in certain subsidiaries and to finance future growth; NEP may not be able to access sources of capital on commercially reasonable terms, which would have a material adverse effect on its ability to consummate future acquisitions and pursue other growth opportunities; restrictions in NEP and its subsidiaries' financing agreements could adversely affect NEP's business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to make cash distributions to its unitholders; NEP's cash distributions to its unitholders may be reduced as a result of restrictions on NEP's subsidiaries' cash distributions to NEP under the terms of their indebtedness or other financing agreements; NEP's subsidiaries' substantial amount of indebtedness may adversely affect NEP's ability to operate its business, and its failure to comply with the terms of its subsidiaries' indebtedness could have a material adverse effect on NEP's financial condition; NEP is exposed to risks inherent in its use of interest rate swaps; widespread public health crises and epidemics or pandemics may have material adverse impacts on NEP's business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and ability to make cash distributions to its unitholders; NEE has influence over NEP; under the cash sweep and credit support agreement, NEP receives credit support from NEE and its affiliates. NEP's subsidiaries may default under contracts or become subject to cash sweeps if credit support is terminated, if NEE or its affiliates fail to honor their obligations under credit support arrangements, or if NEE or another credit support provider ceases to satisfy creditworthiness requirements, and NEP will be required in certain circumstances to reimburse NEE for draws that are made on credit support; NextEra Energy Resources, LLC (NEER) and certain of its affiliates are permitted to borrow funds received by NextEra Energy Operating Partners, LP (NEP OpCo) or its subsidiaries and is obligated to return these funds only as needed to cover project costs and distributions or as demanded by NEP OpCo. NEP's financial condition and ability to make distributions to its unitholders, as well as its ability to grow distributions in the future, is highly dependent on NEER's performance of its obligations to return all or a portion of these funds; NEER's right of first refusal may adversely affect NEP's ability to consummate future sales or to obtain favorable sale terms; NextEra Energy Partners GP, Inc. (NEP GP) and its affiliates may have conflicts of interest with NEP and have limited duties to NEP and its unitholders; NEP GP and its affiliates and the directors and officers of NEP are not restricted in their ability to compete with NEP, whose business is subject to certain restrictions; NEP may only terminate the Management Services Agreement among, NEP, NextEra Energy Management Partners, LP (NEE Management), NEP OpCo and NextEra Energy Operating Partners GP, LLC under certain limited circumstances; if the agreements with NEE Management or NEER are terminated, NEP may be unable to contract with a substitute service provider on similar terms; NEP's arrangements with NEE limit NEE's potential liability, and NEP has agreed to indemnify NEE against claims that it may face in connection with such arrangements, which may lead NEE to assume greater risks when making decisions relating to NEP than it otherwise would if acting solely for its own account; NEP's ability to make distributions to its unitholders depends on the ability of NEP OpCo to make cash distributions to its limited partners; if NEP incurs material tax liabilities, NEP's distributions to its unitholders may be reduced, without any corresponding reduction in the amount of the IDR fee; holders of NEP's units may be subject to voting restrictions; NEP's partnership agreement replaces the fiduciary duties that NEP GP and NEP's directors and officers might have to holders of its common units with contractual standards governing their duties and the New York Stock Exchange does not require a publicly traded limited partnership like NEP to comply with certain of its corporate governance requirements; NEP's partnership agreement restricts the remedies available to holders of NEP's common units for actions taken by NEP's directors or NEP GP that might otherwise constitute breaches of fiduciary duties; certain of NEP's actions require the consent of NEP GP; holders of NEP's common units currently cannot remove NEP GP without NEE's consent and provisions in NEP's partnership agreement may discourage or delay an acquisition of NEP that NEP unitholders may consider favorable; NEE's interest in NEP GP and the control of NEP GP may be transferred to a third party without unitholder consent; reimbursements and fees owed to NEP GP and its affiliates for services provided to NEP or on NEP's behalf will reduce cash distributions from NEP OpCo and from NEP to NEP's unitholders, and there are no limits on the amount that NEP OpCo may be required to pay; increases in interest rates could adversely impact the price of NEP's common units, NEP's ability to issue equity or incur debt for acquisitions or other purposes and NEP's ability to make cash distributions to its unitholders; the liability of holders of NEP's units, which represent limited partnership interests in NEP, may not be limited if a court finds that unitholder action constitutes control of NEP's business; unitholders may have liability to repay distributions that were wrongfully distributed to them; the issuance of common units, or other limited partnership interests, or securities convertible into, or settleable with, common units, and any subsequent conversion or settlement, will dilute common unitholders' ownership in NEP, may decrease the amount of cash available for distribution for each common unit, will impact the relative voting strength of outstanding NEP common units and issuance of such securities, or the possibility of issuance of such securities, as well as the resale, or possible resale following conversion or settlement, may result in a decline in the market price for NEP's common units; NEP's future tax liability may be greater than expected if NEP does not generate net operating losses (NOLs) sufficient to offset taxable income or if tax authorities challenge certain of NEP's tax positions; NEP's ability to use NOLs to offset future income may be limited; NEP will not have complete control over NEP's tax decisions; and distributions to unitholders may be taxable as dividends. NEP discusses these and other risks and uncertainties in its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and other Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, and this news release should be read in conjunction with such SEC filings made through the date of this news release. The forward-looking statements made in this news release are made only as of the date of this news release and NEP undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. SOURCE NextEra Energy, Inc.; NextEra Energy Partners, LP New Package Design: Refreshed Look, Same Award-Winning Flavor TORONTO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Partake Brewing , the low-calorie leader in the non-alcoholic craft beer space, announces a new packaging design that demonstrates a visual storytelling appealing to today's multi-faceted, modern drinker who partakes in it all. Partake Brewing Rebrand Ted Fleming, Founder and CEO of Partake Brewing said, "We launched this refreshed brand identity to better reflect our personality and tell our brand story." Fleming continues, "Simply put, Partake is the beer for do-ers. Our beers complement people while they're creating, musing, achieving, and more, without ever sacrificing taste or quality." The new look is a commitment to visually showcasing the brand personality that is lively and sharp but lighthearted and passionate. Initial changes will be displayed across the company's logo and packaging portfolio that highlight key themes of inclusivity and authenticity while emphasizing its high quality brewing process, premium taste, and low calorie achievement. Partake's core portfolio of brews each has a unique personality and flavor profile: IPA, Pale, Blonde, Hazy IPA, and Peach Gose. Committed to brewing fresh beers for its fans, Partake recently launched Hefeweizen , a limited edition at only 15 calories and 0 grams of sugar. Consumers consistently seek out Partake for its great taste, unmatched low calorie count, and all-natural ingredients. New packaging is rolling out on shelves at independent and chain grocery stores around the United States and Canada, including Whole Foods, Target, Loblaw, Sobey's, Wegmans, Total Wine & More, and hundreds more. Partake is also available online and can be shipped directly to your door. Visit https://drinkpartake.com. About Partake Brewing We brew beer so you can partake in it all. Serving up the lowest calorie non alcoholic craft beer on the market, Partake offers a delicious array of award-winning styles all under 30 calories, so you can enjoy a beer throughout all your pursuits. Founded in 2017, Partake Brewing has become a leader in non-alcoholic beer in North America, with distribution in major retailers across Canada and the United States. Brewed using a proprietary process resulting in deliciously low cal beer, Partake Brewing is praised by drinkers for its unique combination of exceptional flavor, classic styles, and game-changing nutritionals. #DrinkPartake #PartakeBrewing #NAbeer #LowCalBeer #AwardWinningBeer #beerfordoing SOURCE Partake Brewing ATLANTA , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- North Highland , the leading change and transformation consultancy, has announced that Navid Ahdieh, managing director and global leader of Strategy and Management Consulting, and Wayne Messina, vice president and Public Sector lead, have been named 2023 Top Consultants by ALM Consulting Magazine. The ALM Top Consultants Award honors consultants who are established as trusted advisors by exhibiting an ability to innovate, deliver high levels of client service and affect positive change among their peers, industry and firm. North Highlands Navid Ahdieh and Wayne Messina Named as 2023 Top Consultants By ALM Consulting Magazine North Highlands Navid Ahdieh and Wayne Messina Named as 2023 Top Consultants By ALM Consulting Magazine Navid Ahdieh was honored for his Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). With over 25 years of consulting experience and accomplishments, he's known for challenging internal systems to give consideration and opportunities to underrepresented groups, ensuring that teams avoid legacy thinking and behaviors that stand in the way of achieving equity. "It is wonderful to be witnessed and recognized for the contributions my team and I am dedicated to achieving in the equity space at North Highland," said Ahdieh. "This award highlights North Highland's commitment to the belief that diverse, inclusive and empowered teams are central to helping clients and communities maximize the benefits they experience from change and transformation." Additionally, Wayne Messina was honored in the category of Excellence in Client Services. With over 25 years of consulting experience, Messina specializes in helping clients successfully action complex transformations, working closely to optimize processes and collaborating with applicable governing bodies to secure appropriate funding all while maintaining his people-first approach. "It is an honor to be awarded because I love what I do every day, and acknowledging my hard work to make change happen has been humbling and rewarding," said Messina. "This recognition equips me with the opportunity to help my colleagues and clients build their own path." ALM Consulting Magazine hosted the Top Consultants awards dinner on June 15 in New York City, where winners were recognized for their accomplishments. Read the complete list of winners here: https://www.event.consultingmag.com/topconsultants/2023-honorees About North Highland North Highland makes change happen, helping businesses transform by placing people at the heart of every decision. It's how lasting progress is made. With our blend of workforce, customer, and operational expertise, we're recognized as the world's leading transformation consultancy. We break new ground today, so tomorrow is easier to navigate. Founded in 1992, North Highland is regularly named one of the best places to work. We are a proud member of Cordence Worldwide, a global network of truly connected consultancy firms with the ability to think and deliver together. This means North Highland has more than 3,500 experts in 50+ offices around the globe on hand to partner with you. For more information, visit www.northhighland.com or connect with us on LinkedIn , Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook . Media contact: Courtney James Director, PR (+1) 404-850-2806 [email protected] SOURCE North Highland SYDNEY, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OneQode, a leading digital infrastructure platform designed for the demands of real-time apps and competitive gaming, and member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), today announced it will offer connectivity to Oracle Cloud through Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) FastConnect. OCI FastConnect connections within the Oracle Cloud Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney and Phoenix regions will provide dedicated, low-latency data exchange for customers, enabling enterprise cloud connectivity to OCI from trusted enterprise data centers. This enables both OneQode and Oracle customers fast, private access to OCI's 42 cloud regions around the world. This announcement follows OneQode's recent collaboration with Oracle, unveiled in December. This collaboration sees both parties providing enhanced offerings to enterprise customers in the Asia Pacific region, particularly to those requiring performance solutions, low-latency networking or whole-of-region reach. With OCI, customers benefit from best-in-class security, consistent high performance, simple predictable pricing, and the tools and expertise needed to bring enterprise workloads to cloud quickly and efficiently. With access to Oracle Cloud through OCI FastConnect, OneQode and Oracle customers will benefit from enhanced connectivity and access to resources across Asia Pacific, improving performance for enterprise applications. OneQode and Oracle will also collaborate on regional digital transformation solutions in the coming months. "We're thrilled to further our relationship with Oracle and unlock even more value for our respective customers through OCI FastConnect," said Matt Shearing, CEO of OneQode. "Asia Pacific is particularly underserved and OneQode and Oracle both have a shared commitment to solving these regional challenges. There's huge potential for the joint solutions we'll now be able to offer." Oracle and OneQode will now work to implement joint solutions for enterprise customers across the Asia Pacific region, including those in underserved locations like the Philippines, Indonesia and the Pacific Islands. About Oracle PartnerNetwork Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle's partner program designed to enable partners to accelerate the transition to cloud and drive superior customer business outcomes. The OPN program allows partners to engage with Oracle through track(s) aligned to how they go to market: Cloud Build for partners that provide products or services built on or integrated with Oracle Cloud; Cloud Sell for partners that resell Oracle Cloud technology; Cloud Service for partners that implement, deploy and manage Oracle Cloud Services; and License & Hardware for partners that build, service or sell Oracle software licenses or hardware products. Customers can expedite their business objectives with OPN partners who have achieved Expertise in a product family or cloud service. To learn more visit: https://www.oracle.com/partnernetwork Trademarks Oracle, Java, MySQL and NetSuite are registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. NetSuite was the first cloud company -- ushering in the new era of cloud computing. About OneQode OneQode is a digital infrastructure provider operating a high-performance cloud platform and a low-latency network designed for the demands of real-time apps and competitive gaming. In a regional first, OneQode built APAC Central, a central server region for Asia-Pacific located on the island of Guam. The latency-neutral location provides a level playing field for cross-regional gaming, real-time services and business applications. To learn more, visit https://www.oneqode.com/ SOURCE OneQode Dai Houliang (L), the chairman of CNPC and Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the minister of state for energy affairs and CEO of QatarEnergy, attend the signing ceremony in Doha, Qatar, June 20, 2023. QatarEnergy signed on Tuesday with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) a long-term Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sales agreement at its headquarters in Doha. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua) DOHA, June 20 (Xinhua) -- QatarEnergy signed on Tuesday with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) a long-term Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sales agreement at its headquarters in Doha. The agreement entails the delivery of 4 million tonnes of LNG per year from QatarEnergy's North Field East (NFE) LNG expansion project to CNPC's receiving terminals in China, spanning the course of 27 years, according to the Qatari state-owned company and the CNPC. In addition to the sales agreement, QatarEnergy will also transfer 1.25 percent of NFE's shares to the CNPC, the CNPC said on its official social media account. The agreements were signed by Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, the minister of state for energy affairs and CEO of QatarEnergy, and Dai Houliang, the chairman of CNPC, during a special ceremony. "We are pleased to embark on this partnership with CNPC and to build on the excellent relations between the People's Republic of China and the State of Qatar," Al-Kaabi said. For his part, Dai said the agreements lay a solid foundation for the energy cooperation between the two sides, and "from this brand-new starting point, CNPC will continue to actively discuss with QatarEnergy all-round cooperation." In April, Sinopec, another Chinese energy and chemical giant, also signed a similar partnership agreement with QatarEnergy and became the first Asian shareholder in the NFE project. LOS ANGELES, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Resecurity, Inc. (USA), a Los Angeles-based cybersecurity company protecting Fortune 500 companies worldwide, has unveiled its latest innovation designed exclusively for the aerospace and defense sector during the prestigious Paris Air Show 2023 in Le Bourget. Resecurity Cyber Fusion Center will be offering specialized analytical capabilities that enable organizations to fortify and protect their digital ecosystems effectively leveraging multi-tier Big Data Analysis and All-Source Intelligence acquisition. Cyber Fusion Center The Cyber Fusion Center from Resecurity serves as a cornerstone for defense industry players, law enforcement agencies, and national security organizations, providing them with the tools to acquire, analyze, and disseminate all-source intelligence flows effectively. This groundbreaking solution addresses the unique challenges faced by the aerospace and defense sector, ensuring they stay one step ahead of evolving cyber threats. "Resecurity is proud to present our comprehensive Cyber Fusion Center, providing unmatched, deep industry tactics, unrivaled strategies, and tomorrow's technology today. With our Cyber Fusion Center, your organization will receive precisely what's required to fortify and protect your digital ecosystem end-to-end." - said Gene Yoo, CEO of Resecurity. For defense and law enforcement entities, the Resecurity Cyber Fusion Center revolutionizes the intelligence gathering and analysis process. By centralizing information from the Dark Web, Human Intelligence assets, Open-Source Intelligence, Counter Terrorism, and Geopolitical/Business Risk Intelligence, this solution enables a holistic view of potential threats. Resecurity's state-of-the-art platform equips these organizations with the necessary intelligence to respond effectively to imminent dangers and mitigate risks promptly. Resecurity's Cyber Fusion Center is built upon six key pillars that are essential for its successful implementation. These include understanding the unique requirements of the aerospace and defense sector, fostering constant communication among relevant stakeholders, efficient data curation for timely insights, orchestrated information flow to ensure accurate and actionable intelligence, a team of highly trained analysts to identify patterns and trends, and the ability to provide tactical, operational, and strategic intelligence for comprehensive threat management. At the heart of Resecurity's Cyber Fusion Center lies the ability to serve as a central hub for private sector organizations, seamlessly coordinating with various security teams, including SOC, IT, Physical Security Personnel, and Fraud units. By consolidating cyber threat intelligence from diverse sources, the Cyber Fusion Center empowers these organizations to take proactive measures against cyber threats, enhancing their overall security posture. With the launch of the Cyber Fusion Center, Resecurity has once again demonstrated its commitment to delivering innovative and tailored cybersecurity solutions. The company's dedication to staying at the forefront of technological advancements allows them to offer unparalleled expertise to the aerospace and defense sector, safeguarding critical infrastructure, sensitive data, and intellectual property. To learn more about the Resecurity Cyber Fusion Center and how it can empower your organization with cutting-edge cybersecurity capabilities, please visit the official website at https://www.resecurity.com/cyber-fusion. About Resecurity Resecurity is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified platform for endpoint protection, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence. Known for providing best-of-breed data-driven intelligence solutions, Resecurity's services and platforms focus on early-warning identification of data breaches and comprehensive protection against cybersecurity risks. Founded in 2016, it has been globally recognized as one of the world's most innovative cybersecurity companies with the sole mission of enabling organizations to combat cyber threats regardless of how sophisticated they are. Most recently, Resecurity was named as one of the Top 10 fastest-growing private cybersecurity companies in Los Angeles, California by Inc. Magazine. An Official Member and a Gold Sponsor of InfraGard National Members Alliance (INMA), AFCEA, NDIA, SIA, FS-ISAC and the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia (AmChamKSA), Singapore (AmChamSG), Korea (AmChamKorea), Mexico (AmChamMX), Thailand (AmChamThailand), and UAE (AmChamDubai). To learn more about Resecurity, visit https://resecurity.com. Media Contact: Gene Yoo, [email protected] SOURCE Resecurity DALLAS, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Faith Investor Services is pleased to announce that effective on or about June 26, 2023, the name of FIS Biblically Responsible Risk Managed ETF will be changed to the FIS Christian Stock Fund. The Fund will continue to trade under the existing ticker "PRAY." PRAY is an actively managed equity focused ETF managed by Capital Insight Partners, the Sub-Adviser. The Fund makes investment decisions in accordance with Christian values and therefore, the Fund is designed to avoid investments in companies that are believed to be involved with abortion, contraception, embryonic stem cell research/human cloning, human rights violations, or who produce pornography, alcohol, tobacco, armaments that are unguided or indiscriminate, gambling equipment or software, betting establishments, or other activities that conflict with Christian values. The Sub-Adviser monitors the policies and practices of the companies selected for the Fund for various issues contemplated by Christian values by running such companies through screens based on an assortment of third-party and internal factors as well as the Sub-Adviser performing fundamental due diligence on the values of the companies. If the Sub-Adviser becomes aware that the Fund is invested in a company whose policies and practices are inconsistent with these Christian values, the Sub-Adviser may sell the company's securities or otherwise exclude future investments in such company. As a result, the Fund may have to sell a security at a time when it would be disadvantageous to do so. The Fund may perform differently than other funds that do not invest within Christian values guidelines. Michael Skillman, CEO of Faith Investor Services stated: "Our decision to rename the Fund reflects our desire to more simply communicate the focus of PRAY and the role it can play in an investor's portfolio. Importantly, the investment strategy and focus will remain the same." To learn more, visit www.faithinvestorservices.com . About Faith Investor Services Faith Investor Services, LLC, (FIS) is an exchange-traded fund provider dedicated to delivering faith-based ETFs offering investors access to investments that align with their religious beliefs. FIS currently offers two funds PRAY and KOCG. Media Contact: Michael Skillman, CEO, Faith Investor Services 214-462-7244 [email protected] Carefully consider investment objectives, risk factors, charges and expenses before investing. This and other information can be found in the PRAY or KOCG Prospectus available at www.faithinvestorservices.com . Read all materials carefully before investing. Investing involves risk including the risk of loss of principal. ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside Fund Services, LLC is not affiliated with any of the entities mentioned. SOURCE Faith Investor Services Alleged Retaliation against Innocent Children for Parents Asking about Potential Financial Improprieties COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pro CA Coalition founders Amy Gonzalez and Andrea Gross filed a lawsuit earlier this week against Columbus Academy ("CA") and Melissa Soderberg, CA's Headmaster ("Soderberg"), for alleged Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress; Violation of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act; and Civil Conspiracy. This is alleged to have been in response to the expulsion of the Pro CA Coalition's founders' children from the school in alleged retaliation for continuously inquiring about the management of finances and transactions with the school that appeared to result in private benefit for Soderberg and Board of Trustees President, Jonathan Kass ("Kass"). The lawsuit alleges that CA and various members within retaliated against the claimants; their children; and began a systematic harassment campaign to wrongfully pursue baseless accusations against the claimants, including but not limited to reporting the claimants to the FBI; notifying the school's teachers and staff of the FBI alert to address the "potential threat" posed by the claimants; and portraying the claimants as "violent and racists." The claimants believe this alleged systematic harassment campaign was initiated to avoid addressing the claimants' inquiries about financial management of the school and board malfeasance. The claimants are alleging that the Kass and Soderberg benefited from their association with the school in violation of IRS regulations. Columbus Academy in Columbus, Ohio, officially expelled the claimants' children on June 11, 2021, with no prior warning or discussion. The expulsion letter was signed by Soderberg and Kass, However, it was noted the Board of Trustees determined the expulsions. The Pro CA Coalition, consisting of a group of hundreds of parents, students, alumni, and teachers, organically formed in mid-January 2021, to foster positive dialogue and confront concerns about financial management and potential board malfeasance. The claimants' children had been at Columbus Academy since they were four years old and were rising sixth graders at the time of expulsion. "This lawsuit is a result of two years of concerted work to protect our children against the conspiracy concocted by CA and some of their members," said Amy Gonzalez, co-organizer of the Pro CA Coalition. "Expelling our innocent children is retaliatory in nature and in effort to indirectly squelch our efforts in uncovering these financial wrongdoings. Our efforts will not stop; we will be heard; and justice will prevail. Prior to the expulsion, the school had begun repeatedly attacking me and Andrea [Gross] to the school community and harassing us. That is not okay. In the end, we believe the school retaliated against us and our children because of our inquiry into their grossly inadequate management of funds and for us discovering that certain members of the establishment are wrongfully benefitting from their association with the school, which the IRS does not allow." To view the complaint, visit https://procacoalition.com. Pro CA Coalition The Pro CA Coalition is an organization of Columbus Academy (CA) parents, students, alumni, and teachers, formed in 2021 in response to concerns about the curriculum and management of finances at the school. Visit https://procacoalition.com for more information. SOURCE Pro CA Coalition Addition to the Team will Offer Enormous Benefits to Growing Number of Clients ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GovNavigators announced today that G. Edward DeSeve, former Special Advisor to the President and Former Deputy Director for Management at OMB, will join GovNavigators as a Senior Advisor. He will provide guidance to GovNavigators' clients in the areas of public policy, brand management, and business development. "I couldn't be prouder to have Ed join our young firm," said GovNavigators CEO Robert Shea. "I've admired his impact and influence on important government management issues for many years. I know our clients will benefit from his wise counsel and support." "Robert and Adam have delivered results for clients and government for a long time," said DeSeve. "I am very pleased to be a part of their team and look forward to us making a difference together." While serving as Senior Advisor at GovNavigators, Ed DeSeve will still serve as Coordinator of the Agile Government Center at the National Academy of Public Administration and as Executive Fellow at the IBM Center for The Business of Government. He has served in all three levels of government and in the private sector. He was a Special Advisor to President Barack Obama charged with implementing the $800 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. He was also Deputy Director for Management and Controller at the Office of Management and Budget and Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ed served as a Special Assistant to the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Director of Finance for the City of Philadelphia. He was also a managing director at Merrill Lynch Capital Markets and the founder and president of Public Financial Managementthe nation's largest independent financial advisor to government. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and a Master of Public Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. From developing and implementing marketing and branding strategies to monitoring, analyzing, and shaping public policy, GovNavigators guides clients through the intricacies of the government to help them grow. GovNavigators Founders Adam Hughes and Robert Shea also host the popular GovNavigators Show, which runs every Monday at 1:00 p.m. on the Federal News Network and at 1500 AM radio. Listeners can find the show at federalnewsnetwork.com or anywhere they listen to podcasts. Contact: Adam Hughes (202) 320-3254 [email protected] Robert Shea (540) 454-6879 [email protected] SOURCE GovNavigators LLC Former Country Manager of TikTok India to Immediately Commence Strategic Advisory Services to Drive Direct to Consumer Projects TORONTO, MUMBAI and LOS ANGELES, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - QYOU Media Inc., (TSXV: QYOU) (OTCQB: QYOUF) a company operating in India and the United States producing and distributing content created by social media stars and digital content creators, has announced that Indian digital leader and strategist, Raj Mishra, has been added as a Nominee to join the Board of Directors of QYOU Media at the company's shareholder meeting slated for July 17th, 2023. In addition, Mishra will immediately begin an assignment to provide strategic advisory services to the company, principally surrounding new product launches into the direct to consumer market in India. Raj Mishra (CNW Group/QYOU Media Inc.) Raj Mishra has established a distinguished track record of accomplishments and success driving businesses in India to profitability and exponential growth. An IMT alumni, the former Country Head at musical.ly, TikTok & Triller enjoys combining technology & trends to help curate substantial value propositions for users. He also worked with the core Bytedance team (owners of TikTok) and spearheaded strategy for their other suite of products and apps in India. In his earlier role as Country Manager at TikTok India (erstwhile Musical.ly), Mishra was instrumental in driving growth for ByteDance in India by creating the local team, liaising with business partners & the creator community in India, and identifying and incubating talent with the potential to help the company gain popularity on the app. Under his leadership, Musical.ly became the most downloaded app on both Android and iOS. Raj also spearheaded the transition from musical.ly to TikTok and was responsible for the end to end rebranding process after acquisition in 2017. In 2019, he decided to take up a new challenge within Bytedance & was spearheading strategy for one of their newly launched suite of products, Helo. QYOU Media CEO and Co-Founder, Curt Marvis commented, "Raj is a unique and special leader and we are thrilled to have him join our team at QYOU Media. He has proven his ability to establish process driven methodologies that drive extraordinary user engagement and financial success. TikTok was the fastest growing app in the history of India super apps and we welcome his help as we roll out our direct to consumer businesses. In addition, he possesses the creativity, relationships and drive that we believe can provide a real boost to our combined business efforts in India. The QYOU Media board and all management across our various properties in broadcast, connected TV, influencer marketing and gaming look to leverage his skills to help grow our entire India operations further." Raj Mishra added,"It has been exciting to see and learn more about the growing potential of the QYOU slate of companies and products that have come into the market in less than three years. It is clearly now time to turn those jets on even higher and I could not be more excited to add my experience and passion for growth and profit to the mix. I look forward to immediately jumping in to provide strategic help to the teams here in India while helping the distinguished board of QYOU Media further recognize and understand the potential for growth that we all know is possible in India in the years ahead." About QYOU Media One of the fastest growing creator-media companies, QYOU Media operates in India and the United States producing, distributing and monetizing content created by social media influencers and digital content stars. In India, under our flagship brand, The Q, we curate, produce and distribute premium content across television networks, VOD and OTT platforms, mobile phones, smart TV's and app-based platforms. We now have numerous additional content destinations, apps and gaming platforms poised to engage the over 125 million Indian households we reach weekly. Our influencer marketing company, Chtrbox, has been a pioneer in India's creator economy, leveraging data to connect brands to the right social media influencers. In the United States, we power major film studios, game publishers and brands to create content and market via creators and influencers. Founded and created by industry veterans from Lionsgate, MTV, Disney and Sony, QYOU Media's millennial and Gen Z-focused content reaches more than one billion consumers around the world every month. Experience our work at www.qyoumedia.com Source: QYOU Media Inc. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE QYOU Media Inc. RBC Capital Markets hosts its annual global Charity Day celebration Celebrations held by RBC Capital Markets employees in Canada , the U.S., the U.K., France , Germany , Spain , Netherlands , Singapore , Japan , Hong Kong , Australia , Barbados , and the Bahamas US$5 million donated to over 60 charities worldwide TORONTO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - RBC Capital Markets hosted its annual RBC Charity Day for the Kids event yesterday, uniting over 6,400 employees in 24 cities around the globe in celebration of its culture of philanthropy and giving back. More than 60 youth-focused charities joined employees activities including charity presentations and floor walks throughout the day, which concluded with a US$5 million donation to the charities. "We firmly believe that our success is measured not only by financial performance, but by the positive influence that we have on the community," said Derek Neldner, CEO & group head, RBC Capital Markets. "We are immensely grateful to partner with remarkable charitable organizations that are making a tangible difference in the lives of children, young people, and their families, and also to our employees and clients for their tremendous support and engagement." RBC is committed to helping clients thrive and communities prosper, and fundamental to that is building long-lasting, productive partnerships with charities that empower children and youth, and support them and their families through difficulties such as poverty, physical and mental ill-health, with facilitating end-of-life care for terminally ill children, and much more. Each year, RBC makes significant charitable contributions and employees dedicate thousands of volunteering hours to support charity partners. In 2015, its Capital Markets division established RBC Charity Day for the Kids as a day to recognize the crucial work of youth-focused charities in the communities it operates. Formerly known as RBC Trade for the Kids, the event has expanded rapidly since its inception, reaching more corners of the globe than ever before, and benefitting more than 140 charity partners with over US$30 million in total donations to date. For more on RBC Charity Day for the Kids and the benefitting charities, click here. About RBC Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 98,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com. We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact. About RBC Capital Markets The most significant corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments around the globe recognize RBC Capital Markets as an innovative, trusted partner with an in-depth expertise in capital markets, banking, and finance. We are well-established in the largest, most mature capital markets across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, which collectively encompasses 81% of the global investment banking fee pool (Dealogic Analytics, criteria based on completion date between January 31, 2023 - April 30, 2023). We are a Top 10 Global Investment Bank, with over 6,400 employees across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region in 63 offices and 18 countries, collectively serving over 19,500 clients worldwide in over 100 countries. Learn more at rbccm.com. SOURCE RBC Capital Markets Iconic American brand Firehouse Subs opens first restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland and announces signing of a development agreement to launch in Mexico ZUG, Switzerland, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Today, Firehouse Subs opens its first restaurant in Switzerland and announces the signing of a development agreement to launch in Mexico later this year. These announcements mark the beginning of the brand's expansion plan globally, with the first opening outside North America. Restaurant Brands International announces the start of Firehouse Subs global expansion (CNW Group/Restaurant Brands International Inc.) Firehouse Subs was founded by two former firefighting brothers in Jacksonville, Florida in 1994. Firehouse Subs is all about hearty portions, premium ingredients, and delicious recipes, with a commitment to saving lives through raising funds to support local public safety organizations. To date, more than $80 million has been awarded to first responders and public safety organizations in the U.S. and Canada. Through its growth journey globally, the brand will benefit from the scale and proven growth capabilities of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI), parent company of Firehouse Subs, one of the largest quick service restaurant companies in the world, bringing global scale, new market entry expertise, and a digital strategy and infrastructure. "Firehouse Subs is our newest brand, and we are excited about its global expansion potential. The entry into Switzerland and development agreement in Mexico are the first steps in our international expansion, and we are working to launch the brand in key growth countries across EMEA, APAC and Latin America," said David Shear, President International RBI. "Sandwiches represent one of the top food occasions for consumers across markets. With its truly differentiated product offering and strong brand heritage, we are confident that Firehouse Subs can achieve tremendous growth internationally." The brand conducted research in several high priority markets to understand guests' profiles and provide local relevance. This will be reflected in the menu, image, and overall guest experience. The first Firehouse Subs restaurant in Switzerland will be used as a showcase for future international developments as it unveils a reimagined guest centric approach featuring self-order kiosks, mobile ordering, a dedicated area for click & collect, table service and 62 comfortable seats where guests can enjoy the delicious subs the brand is known for. Each hearty and flavorful sandwich is made to order, layered with cheeses and a variety of premium meats sliced in-house and steamed-to-perfection with Firehouse Subs' proprietary steaming process, which unlocks flavor and maintains moisture. Guests can look forward to their new favorites from the iconic Hook & LadderTM, to the Firehouse ItalianTM or the Firehouse Beef & Cheddar BrisketTM or try out the new cold sub Roast Beef & CheddarTM available only in Switzerland. The recipes have been perfected by Firehouse Subs' chefs. Philanthropy is key to the brand. Firehouse Subs in Switzerland intends to demonstrate the brand's values by supporting public safety and first responder organizations by raising funds through its new foundation. The brand is a strong and growing player within the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) sandwich category in the United States and has experienced significant growth in the last decade, boasting over 1,200 restaurants across the U.S. and Canada. Today's announcement is a big step towards the expansion plan set for Firehouse Subs and the introduction of the iconic brand to more guests around the world to enjoy. About Firehouse Subs Firehouse Subs is a restaurant chain with a passion for hearty and flavorful food, heartfelt service, and public safety. Founded in Jacksonville, Florida in 1994 by two former firefighting brothers. Firehouse Subs is a brand built on decades of fire, hot and hearty subs piled with high quality meats and cheeses and its commitment to saving lives through raising funds to support local public safety organizations. Firehouse Subs is a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. ("RBI"), one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with over $35 billion in annual system-wide sales and approximately 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands BURGER KING, TIM HORTONS, POPEYES, and FIREHOUSE SUBS. To learn more, visit http://www.firehousesubs.com and www.firehousesubs.ch and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Forward looking statements: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, which reflect management's current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, initiatives and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about our expectations regarding the ability of the Firehouse Subs business to expand internationally and achieve tremendous growth as well as its ability to launch in Mexico later this year. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from RBI's expectations are detailed in filings of RBI with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, such as its annual and quarterly reports and current reports on Form 8-K and include the following risks: risk related to our ability to successfully implement its domestic and international growth strategy and risks related to its international operations; risks related to our ability to compete domestically and internationally in an intensely competitive industry; global economic or other business conditions that may affect the desire or ability of our customers to purchase our products; our relationship with, and the success of, our franchisees and risks related to our fully franchised business model; and the effectiveness of our marketing and advertising programs and franchisee support of these programs. Other than as required under applicable laws, we do not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, subsequent events or circumstances, change in expectations or otherwise. SOURCE Restaurant Brands International Inc. WATERTOWN, Conn., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- RIO Beach, an industry leader in beach gear acquired by ShelterLogic Group Inc. in 2018, is pleased to introduce NEW RIO Beach and Tommy Bahama Beach Umbrellas with the Patent Pending ANCHORX anchoring system. With beach safety in mind, these 6-ft. and 7-ft. beach umbrellas feature added wind stability with the NEW ANCHORX system for windy beach days. RIO Beach introducing ANCHORX "The RIO Beach brand is an expert in developing products that are innovative and accurately aligned with what we know people want to buy," said Rob Silinski, President of ShelterLogic Group Inc. "RIO Beach is not only committed to bringing fashion-forward aesthetics to the market, but also strives to deliver quality construction and consumer safety to our product lines." The patent pending ANCHORX system adds a 19 x 19 in. surface area to the built-in sand auger that is easy to set up and take down and is designed to keep the umbrella stable, safe, and upright on even the windiest beach days. In addition to the safer anchoring system, the RIO Beach and Tommy Bahama Beach Umbrellas with ANCHORX feature a built-in wind vent to provide increased airflow and maximum stability. The umbrellas also come recommended by the Skin Care Foundation thanks to them being UPF rated for ultimate sun protection. "We are thrilled to have the Skin Care Foundation seal on our patented, premium umbrellas for the RIO Beach and Tommy Bahama branded beach gear. We feel passionately about sun protection for our customers and this partnership brings it all together," said Silinski. RIO Beach offers high-quality beach chairs, beach umbrellas, and beach coolers for generations of customers. Originally founded in 1947 with a line of outdoor furniture, the brand expanded into beach gear in the 1980s, continuing on to make premium products under the RIO brand and for the Tommy Bahama brand, including beach gear, gazabos, lawn chairs, and other outdoor lifestyle products. For more information on ANCHORX, RIO Beach or Tommy Bahama beach gear, please visit www.ShelterLogic.com, TommyBahama.com or watch the RIO Beach ANCHORX video here. About RIO Beach RIO Beach has been an industry leader in beach lifestyle gear for over 40 years, bringing fashion and quality to every product design. Since its inception, the company has been committed to service, quality and innovation, developing trend-right products that are innovatively and accurately aligned with what we know people want to buy and built with the highest quality standards in the industry. About ShelterLogic Group Inc. ShelterLogic Group is the world leader in shade, shelter, storage, and outdoor lifestyle. Founded in 1991, ShelterLogic has grown into a family of brands including RIO Beach, Quik Shade, Arrow Storage, Sojag, and ShelterLogic branded product. In addition to owned brands, ShelterLogic is the licensee for Tommy Bahama, Life is Good, Margaritaville, and Scotts Miracle-Gro. For additional information, please visit www.shelterlogic.com . SOURCE RIO Beach NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFU) has completed the final buildout of 14,000 square feet of wet lab space for bioscience-industry occupancy in its Innovation and Research Park (IRP). The final buildout of 14,000 square feet of wet lab space for bioscience-industry occupancy within Rosalind Franklin Universitys Innovation and Research Park (IRP) encompasses 8,000 square feet. Two labs of approximately 4,000 square feet each are located on the IRPs first floor and 6,000 square feet divided into nine individual labs are located on the second floor. The work includes installation of chemical fume hoods, biosafety cabinets and emergency back-up power. The university has recruited the real estate brokerage firm Avison Young to attract life science industry tenants. "I couldn't be happier to announce that Rosalind Franklin University's brand-new, world-class wet lab space has been completed, thanks to $2 million in state funding," Governor JB Pritzker said. "Here in Illinois, we are proud to be a hub for biosciences, technology, and innovation and one of the many ways we are pushing our rapidly-expanding industry forward is through our Rebuild Illinois Wet Lab Capital Program. Congratulations to the entire RFU team I can't wait to see all that they will accomplish." The matching funds, awarded in October 2021 by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), were paired with $2 million from RFU. "We're creating an environment where academic and industry scientists can work together to solve complex health challenges," said RFU President and CEO Dr. Wendy Rheault. "We're grateful for state resources that encourage investment and drive innovation." Demand for wet lab space continues to grow along with investment in life sciences in the Chicago region. According to non-profit Lake County Partners, the buildout activity at RFU confirms that Chicagoland is fast "emerging as the life science industry's 'third coast.'" Lake County is home to more than 140 life science companies, supports 33,000 life science jobs a job market that is growing 10% per year and generates $85 billion in global sales. RFU has recruited the real estate brokerage firm Avison Young to attract life science industry tenants. The buildout encompasses 8,000 square feet two labs of approximately 4,000 square feet each on the IRP's first floor and 6,000 square feet divided into nine individual labs on the second floor. The work includes installation of chemical fume hoods, biosafety cabinets and emergency back-up power. "Lake County and Chicagoland have long suffered from an acute shortage of wet lab research space," said RFU Executive Vice President for Research Dr. Ronald Kaplan. "The DCEO has helped bridge the gap so that Illinois life science companies can continue to attract investment." About Rosalind Franklin University RFU encompasses six colleges and 12 research centers. Learn more at rosalindfranklin.edu . Office of Marketing and Communications [email protected]edu SOURCE Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science SHANGHAI, June 21 (Xinhua) -- As China's convention and exhibition industry gradually recovers in 2023, it will positively impact the global exhibition market, industry insiders said at the Global Exhibition CEO Shanghai Summit. The event, hosted by the Shanghai Convention and Exhibition Industries Association (SCEIA) and concluded Wednesday, focused on such topics as embracing digitalization, innovating venue services, and helping small and medium-sized enterprises to go global through exhibition platforms. Jochen Witt, president and CEO of JWC, a globally leading consulting firm from Germany for the trade fair and conference business, was optimistic about the recovery prospects of China's exhibition market as China's economy continues to grow and is a significant contributor to world economic growth. Over the past decade, there has been massive investment in exhibition venues across China, with the capacity of venues tripled, laying a good foundation for the long-term development of the exhibition industry, he added. Witt's observations were echoed by Chen Xianjin, an official from the SCEIA. Chen said China has been the fastest-growing exhibition market during the period, and almost all internationally renowned exhibition enterprises have set up subsidiaries in Chinese cities such as Shanghai. The resumption of the summit is a significant sign of the full recovery of China's convention and exhibition industry and its return to the center of the global exhibition market, bringing new opportunities to the international convention and exhibition industry, Chen added. According to David Zhong, founder and president of VNU Exhibitions Asia, since the beginning of this year, strong government support and market demand have jointly promoted the recovery of China's exhibition economy, with the number of visitors and exhibition areas of many industry leaders' exhibitions reaching a record high. Taking his company's Pet Fair Asia 2023 as an example, Zhong said it would be held in Shanghai in August, with an estimated exhibition area of 230,000 square meters, an increase of 27 percent over 2019. "In the first half of this year, our company's revenue has completed the full-year target and will likely increase by more than 10 percent this year compared with 2019," Zhong said. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, China's professional pavilions held 540 exhibition activities in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, increasing by 3.3 times compared with last year's Q1. The total exhibition area reached over 10.31 million square meters, a 3.3-fold increase year on year. There were 286 exhibition activities with an exhibition area of more than 10,000 square meters, accounting for 53 percent of the total, a 6.7-fold increase year on year. From the perspective of exhibition categories, exhibitions with themes of the digital economy, new energy vehicles, health, and food saw rapid growth. The convention and exhibition industry in provinces and cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Liaoning, Guangzhou and Shenzhen recovered quickly. Data from the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce shows that the city's main exhibition venues plan to hold nearly 300 exhibitions this year, with an exhibition area of more than 14 million square meters. The Global Exhibition CEO Shanghai Summit was held annually from 2014 to 2019, attracting more than 1,000 corporate executives and government officials from over 20 countries and regions. NEW YORK, June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPR) between April 8, 2020 and April 13, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important July 3, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Spirit AeroSystems securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Spirit AeroSystems class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=15844 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than July 3, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Spirit lacked effective production quality controls; (2) as a result, Spirit incorrectly installed fittings designed to join the aft fuselage to the vertical tail for some Boeing 737 Max airplanes that Spirit sent to Boeing; (3) as a result, Spirit would have to develop an inspection and repair procedure for the affected fuselages; (4) the foregoing would negatively impact Spirit's financial results; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Spirit's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Spirit AeroSystems class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=15844 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. Modern Heirloom Company Schoolhouse to build on its commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and impeccable design in creative partnership with Williams PORTLAND, Ore., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Schoolhouse , the modern heirloom lifestyle and lighting company, today announces Kinfolk Founder Nathan Williams as its inaugural creative director-in-residence. In this new role, Williams will work in partnership with the leadership team to accelerate the Schoolhouse brand, content, and creative direction. Nathan Williams, First Creative Director-in-Residence at Schoolhouse. Photo credit: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen "Partnering with Nathan represents a new chapter in a 20-year journey for Schoolhouse that started with a belief in American manufacturing and the enduring nature of purposeful design," said Alex Bellos, CEO of Food52. "Nathan has been instrumental in building an aesthetically conscientious worldwide community in search of a well-curated life, and collaborating with him to build a community around the Schoolhouse brand is an exciting opportunity." Williams, who founded the leading lifestyle media brand Kinfolk and the apparel, homewares, and accessories brand Ouur, is celebrated for his intentional approach and curated design aesthetic. A New York Times bestselling editor, he has been recognized as one of Elle Decor's top 10 influencers in design, and on the Forbes 30 Under 30 and the Hypebeast 100 lists. "Helping design and lifestyle brands progress to the next stage of their evolution is a passion rooted deeply in who I am as a professional and a creative," said Williams. "Schoolhouse's focus on creating products that define meaningful spaces and experiences to celebrate a life well lived creates an opportunity ripe for this moment in our culture. I'm inspired by what's ahead as we explore the constant evolution and expansion of the Schoolhouse brand." Schoolhouse, a company dedicated to designing and manufacturing a new generation of heirlooms that inspire people to create unique, meaningful spaces, joined the Food52 family of brands in 2022. For the company, this new creative director-in-residency program is the first step in building a network of passionate designers, creators, and design enthusiasts around the Schoolhouse brand. Schoolhouse , is a lighting and lifestyle goods company dedicated to the preservation of American manufacturing, thoughtful living, and purposeful design. From iconic lighting to one-of-a-kind homewares, many of Schoolhouse's products are designed, manufactured, and shipped within the walls of its century-old brick factory in the heart of Portland, Oregon. Now celebrating its 20th year, Schoolhouse continues to provide a new generation of heirlooms that inspire people to create unique, meaningful spaces. In 2022, Schoolhouse joined the Food52 family of brands. FOOD52 is a next-generation cooking and home company, named one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company, with a monthly reach of more than 30 million people. The digital hub challenges the models of traditional media and retailers, combining content, commerce, and community around the belief that the kitchen is the heart of the home and that food is the center of a well-lived life. Food52 connects a global community of experts and amateurs, supporting them with inspirational, useful content recipes, videos, podcasts, cookbooks and more and outfitting them with products that make them happy. In addition to a curated Shop that features hundreds of makers, the Food52 family of brands includes the lighting and lifestyle goods company Schoolhouse and the heritage home brand Dansk. SOURCE Schoolhouse AKRON, Ohio, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequoia Financial Group, LLC (Sequoia), a leading SEC-registered wealth manager with nearly $16 billion in assets under management, today announced several key leadership appointments. Annie McCauley , executive vice president and chief client experience officer, adds significant responsibilities for the advisor group and organic growth to her existing asset management, wealth planning, and client segment strategy responsibilities. , executive vice president and chief client experience officer, adds significant responsibilities for the advisor group and organic growth to her existing asset management, wealth planning, and client segment strategy responsibilities. Kevin Tichnell , executive vice president, is now chief strategy & acquisitions officer. , executive vice president, is now chief strategy & acquisitions officer. Joseph Glick has joined the firm as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Akron, Ohio-based Sequoia provides asset management and planning services across the wealth continuumfrom individuals to family officeswith locations throughout the United States. Sequoia was named by Barron's as one of the top RIA firms in the U.S. in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year. Founded in 1991, Sequoia employs more than 200 people. "Today's leadership appointments are designed to strengthen our strategic expansion plans as we continue to build a durable and scalable firm to serve clients for generations to come," said Tom Haught, founder and CEO of Sequoia. "Our priorities are organic growth, selective acquisitions, and operational excellence. Annie is now responsible for organic growth and unifying our client experience, asset management and planning. We welcome Joe to Sequoia in the key role of overseeing our growing operations and breadth of services. Kevin will focus solely on leading our M&A efforts." McCauley is responsible for asset management, wealth planning, and the firm's advisor group, with more than half of the firm's employees now under her leadership. She joined Sequoia Financial Group in 2002 as a financial advisor. She became managing planner in 2008, was promoted to managing director of family wealth in 2015 and chief client experience officer in early 2021. Glick is responsible for finance, risk & compliance, legal, client service & administration, technology and organizational development. He brings to Sequoia more than a decade of experience in the financial services industry in various COO roles, as well as strategy, innovation, and transformation-focused positions. Before joining Sequoia, Glick was head of strategy client lifecycle management for Deutsche Bank, where he worked for 13 years in Cleveland, New York, and London. Glick said, "Joining Sequoia was the obvious choice for me. The firm's leadership team has a clear commitment to a client-first, values-based culture and has an ambitious plan to serve clients in a competitive industry." Tichnell joined Sequoia Financial Group in 2003 as a wealth advisor. He has also held the roles of managing director, business development; vice president of mergers & acquisitions; chief of staff; and chief financial officer. For more than three decades, Sequoia has grown organically and through acquisitions to expand its services and its geographic footprint. Most recently, in February 2023, Sequoia acquired Zeke Capital Advisors, LLC in Berwyn, Pa., a multi-family office firm managing more than $5 billion in assets and providing generational family wealth management to individuals, families, and foundations. About Sequoia Financial Group Sequoia Financial Group, LLC, founded in 1991, takes a client-centered approach to providing wealth management services, including asset management, estate and retirement planning, fiduciary consulting, and family wealth. Sequoia builds and maintains strong relationships that emphasize long-term planning to help clients reach their financial and life goals. Sequoia was named by Barron's as one of the top RIA firms in the U.S. in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year. The firm had nearly $16 billion in assets under management as of May 31, 2023. For more information, visit www.sequoia-financial.com. Investment advisory services offered through Sequoia Financial Advisors, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Barron's weighs dozens of qualitative and quantitative components, including assets managed, the size and experience of teams, regulatory record of the advisors and firms, succession planning, technology spending, and staff diversity. No fees in any years awarded were paid or incurred to receive this recognition. $8,500 was spent in 2021, $0 in 2020, and $17,240 in 2019 for marketing collateral associated with the award to be used on social media, our website, and email signatures. This award is not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of our firm's future performance. This award was independently granted as Sequoia is a separate company from Barron's. Sequoia applied to be considered for the recognition. Please note this award is not a referral to, endorsement or recommendation of, or testimonial for the advisor with respect to its investment advisory or other services. SOURCE Sequoia Financial Group, LLC CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The single-cell analysis industry is poised for remarkable advancements in the near future. Rapid progress in technology and innovative techniques are unlocking the immense potential of studying individual cells, revolutionizing various fields such as healthcare, biotechnology, and personalized medicine. Cutting-edge tools like single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), mass cytometry, and microfluidics are enabling researchers to delve into the intricacies of cellular heterogeneity and uncover new insights into cellular functions, disease mechanisms, and therapeutic targets. As the cost and complexity of single-cell analysis continue to decrease, it is anticipated that this field will witness widespread adoption, leading to transformative discoveries, the development of novel diagnostics, and the identification of personalized treatment strategies. Moreover, advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning will enhance data analysis, aiding in the interpretation of complex single-cell datasets and facilitating the translation of findings into clinical applications. The future of single-cell analysis holds tremendous promise, empowering researchers and clinicians to unravel the mysteries of cellular diversity and paving the way for a new era of precision medicine. Single-cell Analysis Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $3.5 billion in 2023 and is poised to reach $7.1 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 15.3% from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. Factors such as technological developments in single-cell analysis products along with increased R&D in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, growing emphasis on personalized treatment, growth in stem cell research, and the rising incidence of cancer are driving growth of single-cell analysis market. However, one of the main reasons impeding the expansion of this market is the high price of single-cell analysis equipment. Download an Illustrative overview: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=171955254 Browse in-depth TOC on "Single-cell Analysis Market" 303 - Tables 53 - Figures 344 - Pages Single-cell Analysis Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $3.5 billion Estimated Value by 2028 $7.1 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 15.3% Market Size Available for 2021-2028 Forecast Period 20232028 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Product, Cell Type, Technique, Application, End User, and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities High growth potential of single-cell sequencing Key Market Drivers Growing prevalence of cancer The consumables segment accounted for the largest share of the product segment in the single-cell analysis market in 2022. Based on product, the single-cell analysis market is broadly segmented into consumables, and instruments. In 2022, consumables accounted for the largest share of the single-cell analysis market for product. Due to the frequent purchasing of consumables as opposed to instruments, which are considered as a one-time investment, this segment has a larger market share in the market. Consumables' numerous applications in genetic research, exosome analysis, and RNA and DNA isolation are also anticipated to fuel market expansion. Each of these applications may require specific consumables tailored to the analysis method and target molecules. The research applications segment accounted for the largest share of the application segment in the single-cell analysis market in 2022. Based on applications, the single-cell analysis market is categorized into two segmentsmedical applications and research applications. In 2022, research applications segment accounted for the largest share of single-cell analysis market. Increasing government initiatives in stem cell research and the wide usage of single-cell analysis in cancer research are the major factors driving the growth of the research applications segment. Asia Pacific is likely to grow at double-digit growth rate during the forecast period. The Asia Pacific region is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR in the single-cell analysis market during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the fast-growing pharmaceutical industry in this region, rising geriatric population, rising prevalence of cancer, and increasing government initiatives. Moreover, increasing chronic diseases in the countries of this region is likely to boost the market. Also, growing infectious diseases in the region is attracting several foreign investors in the market. Governments in the APAC region are supporting research in various ways, such as funding research institutes and offering tax incentives to biotech and life sciences companies. This has led to an increased demand for single-cell analysis technologies to support this research. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=171955254 Single-cell Analysis Market Dynamics: Drivers: Technological advancements in single-cell analysis products Rising prevalence of cancer Increasing R&D in pharmaceutical & biotechnology industries for complex diseases Growth in stem cell research Growing focus on personalized medicine Restraints: High cost of single-cell analysis products Opportunities: High growth potential of single-cell sequencing Integration of microfluidics in single-cell analysis Emerging Asian markets Challenges: Standardization of protocols and data integration & quality control for developing cell therapies Key Market Players: Some of the prominent players in the single-cell analysis market are Becton, Dickinson and Company (US), Danaher Corporation (US), Merck KGaA (Germany), QIAGEN N.V. (Netherlands), Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US), 10x Genomics (US), Promega Corporation (US), Illumina, Inc. (US), Bio-Rad Laboratories (US), Standard BioTools (US), Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US), Tecan Group Ltd. (Switzerland), Sartorius AG (Germany), DiaSorin S.p.A. (Italy), Takara Bio, Inc. (Japan), Fluxion Biosciences (US), Menarini Silicon Biosystems Inc. (Italy), bioMerieux SA (France), Oxford Nanopore Technologies (UK), Cytek Biosciences (US), Corning Incorporated (US), Apogee Flow Systems Ltd. (UK), NanoCellect Biomedical (US), RareCyte, Inc. (US), and On-chip Biotechnologies Co., Ltd. (Japan). Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=171955254 Recent Developments: In May 2023 , Becton, Dikinson and Company launched BD FACSDiscover S8 Cell Sorter, new-to-world cell sorting instrument featuring two breakthrough technologies that enable researchers to uncover more detailed information about cells that was previously invisible in traditional flow cytometry experiments. , Becton, Dikinson and Company launched BD FACSDiscover S8 Cell Sorter, new-to-world cell sorting instrument featuring two breakthrough technologies that enable researchers to uncover more detailed information about cells that was previously invisible in traditional flow cytometry experiments. In June 2022 , Merck KGaA collaborated with Agilent Technologies to advance Process Analytical Technologies (PAT). PAT, which is strongly encouraged by global regulatory authorities, is a key enabler for real-time release and Bioprocessing 4.0. , Merck KGaA collaborated with Agilent Technologies to advance Process Analytical Technologies (PAT). PAT, which is strongly encouraged by global regulatory authorities, is a key enabler for real-time release and Bioprocessing 4.0. In August 2021 , Danaher Corporation acquired the Aldevron. As previously announced, Aldevron will operate as a standalone operating company and brand within Danaher's Life Sciences segment. Single-cell Analysis Market Advantages: Cellular Diversity and Heterogeneity: Single-cell analysis allows for the study of individual cells within a population, providing insights into the diversity and heterogeneity of cells. This enables a more comprehensive understanding of cellular development, differentiation, and responses to stimuli. Enhanced Sensitivity and Resolution: Single-cell analysis techniques offer higher sensitivity and resolution compared to bulk analysis methods. They can detect rare cell types, rare genetic variants, and subtle gene expression changes that may be overlooked in aggregated samples. This sensitivity aids in the identification of biomarkers and genetic mutations associated with diseases. Investigation of Complex Biological Phenomena: By dissecting the heterogeneity within tissues and organs at the single-cell level, researchers can investigate complex biological phenomena with greater precision. This includes the study of cellular signaling pathways, intercellular interactions, and the characterization of cellular networks. High-Throughput Capabilities: Advancements in high-throughput technologies and automation have enabled the rapid generation of large-scale single-cell datasets. This facilitates the analysis of a large number of cells in a short period, allowing for more comprehensive studies and the identification of meaningful patterns and insights. Integration with Computational Tools: Single-cell analysis data can be integrated with computational and bioinformatics tools, including machine learning algorithms. This integration enables the extraction of valuable information from complex datasets, aiding in data-driven discoveries and accelerating research progress. Personalized Medicine Potential: Understanding the unique molecular profiles of individual cells paves the way for personalized medicine. By tailoring treatment strategies to individual patients based on their cellular characteristics, precision medicine can maximize therapeutic efficacy and minimize adverse effects. Applications in Biomedical Research and Diagnostics: The single-cell analysis market has wide-ranging applications in biomedical research and diagnostics. It can contribute to the development of new therapies, identification of drug targets, understanding disease mechanisms, and early detection of diseases. Advancements in Single-Cell Technologies: The field of single-cell analysis is rapidly evolving, with continuous advancements in technologies and techniques. This ongoing progress ensures that the advantages of single-cell analysis will only continue to expand, opening up new possibilities for research and applications in various fields. Cross-disciplinary Collaboration Opportunities: Single-cell analysis brings together researchers from different disciplines, including biology, medicine, genomics, and bioinformatics. This cross-disciplinary collaboration fosters innovation, encourages the exchange of ideas and expertise, and promotes the development of novel approaches and solutions. Market Growth and Commercial Potential: The single-cell analysis market is experiencing significant growth, driven by increasing demand for advanced research tools, diagnostic applications, and personalized medicine. This market growth presents commercial opportunities for companies developing and providing single-cell analysis products, services, and technologies. Single-cell Analysis Market Report Highlights: Market sizes are updated for the base year 2022 and forecasted from 2023 to 2028. Market challenges, key conferences & events in 20232024, and key stakeholders and buying criteria have been added to the market overview chapter. The new edition of the report provides updated financial information till 2022 (depending on availability) for each listed company in a graphical representation. This helps in the easy analysis of the present status of profiled companies in terms of their financial strength, profitability, key revenue-generating country/region, and business segment focus in terms of the highest revenue-generating segment. Recent developments are helpful in understanding market trends and growth strategies adopted by players in the market. In this market, the number of product launches has increased in the last three years ( January 2020 to May 2023 ). to ). Tracking the product portfolios of prominent market players helps to analyze the products in the single-cell analysis market. The new edition of the report provides an updated product portfolio of the companies profiled in the report. The market evaluation framework, market share analysis, and competitive leadership mapping of top 25 companies and 10 SMEs have been updated in the competitive landscape chapter of the report. The current version of the report includes the revenue share analysis of key market players from 2020 to 2022. The updated competitive leadership mapping is an output of a comprehensive study of the key vendors offering single-cell analysis products. The top 25 vendors were shortlisted from a list of 50+ vendors, evaluated based on the market share/ranking and product footprint, rated and positioned on a 2x2 quadrant referred to as the Company Evaluation Quadrant, and categorized as Stars, Emerging Leaders, Pervasive Players, and Participants. The current edition considers the impact of the recession on the single-cell analysis market. Related Reports: Cell Isolation Market - Global Forecasts to 2028 Cell Analysis Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 Next Generation Sequencing Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 Flow Cytometry Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 Western Blotting Market - Global Forecasts to 2026 About MarketsandMarkets: MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/single-cell-analysis-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/single-cell-analysis.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets GOTHENBURG, Sweden, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SKF has signed a Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) in the next step towards its target of 100% renewable electricity by 2030. Under the long-term agreement with the global energy company Enel, SKF will purchase guarantees of origin for a period of 15 years, equivalent to the electricity used by one third of its European operation in 2022, from Enel's upcoming solar project in Spain. The solar plant is expected to add more than 260 GWh/year of renewable electricity and be connected to the power grid by August 2024. By signing the VPPA, SKF is able to support the development of additional renewable energy in Europe and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Joakim Landholm, Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President, says: "This agreement is a critical step forward in our strategy. It also demonstrates our commitment to the cleantech industry and support for the growth of the renewable energy industry. This shows that, by working together with others, we can make a real impact in achieving a sustainable future." The VPPA is part of SKF's broader sustainability agenda, which includes initiatives to reduce energy consumption, increase use of renewable energy, and minimize environmental impact. The agreement is also another step forward in SKF's membership of RE100, as part of a membership commitment to shifting to 100% renewable electricity by 2030. SKF's climate targets are approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In its targets, SKF has committed to reducing its absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 95% by 2030 from a 2019 base year and to reduce its scope 3 emissions by at least 31% by 2030. SKF has also committed to reach net-zero GHG emissions across the value chain by 2050. More information about SKF's climate goals can be found on: https://www.skf.com/group/organisation/sustainability Aktiebolaget SKF (publ) For further information, please contact: PRESS: Carl Bjernstam, Acting SKF Media & Press Director tel: 46 31-337 2517; mobile: 46 722-201 893; e-mail: [email protected] INVESTOR RELATIONS: Patrik Stenberg, Head of Investor Relations tel: 46 31-337 2104; mobile: 46 705-472 104; [email protected] The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/637/3792043/2146677.pdf 20230622 SKF signs Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) to support renewable energy in Europe https://news.cision.com/skf/i/photovoltaic-solar-panel-2-1-png-highpreview-1278,c3192898 Photovoltaic solar panel 2 1 png highpreview 1278 https://news.cision.com/skf/i/joakimlandholm,c3192899 JoakimLandholm SOURCE SKF VIENNA, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global airline alliance, SkyTeam, has entered into an innovation partnership with Plug and Play Tech Center, the world's largest corporate innovation platform and the most active VC worldwide with headquarters in Silicon Valley, to become the leading alliance in fostering a culture of collaboration, co-innovation, and co-creation across their member airlines. The primary goal of this partnership is to develop new value propositions and enhance the travel experience of their members' customers. The joint partnership was officially announced at Plug and Play Vienna's EXPO on June 1, 2023, in the AirportCity Space at the Vienna International Airport, where one of Plug and Play's Travel & Hospitality programs is based and where SkyTeam will become an official partner. The EXPO is the biggest event of the year, concluding the 12-month-long corporate innovation program by celebrating the successes of corporate partners collaborating with startups. In general, the corporate innovation program in Vienna is designed to connect major industry corporations to startups and scale-ups to foster their digital transformation and various innovation initiatives. "SkyTeam believes that Plug and Play is an excellent partner to collaborate with to achieve our strategic and innovation goals," said Patrick Roux, CEO of SkyTeam. "Through Plug and Play, we will gain access to a global startup ecosystem which will result in targeted dealflow opportunities for pilot projects and support with collaborative due diligence." Plug and Play will help SkyTeam achieve its innovation vision and strategic goals for 2027. By implementing the open innovation approach, SkyTeam will not only work with its members but also with industry-leading partners such as startups, academia, and other relevant organizations. Plug and Play runs accelerator programs in over 20 industries worldwide. SkyTeam will join the Plug and Play Travel and Hospitality program in Vienna. The program focuses specifically on the aviation industry, connecting major airports, airlines, and other industry stakeholders worldwide, making it the biggest corporate aviation innovation platform. Throughout the program, SkyTeam will work one-on-one with entrepreneurs to initiate pilot projects and focus especially on seamless customer experience solutions. "We are excited to have one of the largest airline alliances join our global Travel and Hospitality platform. Alliances play a crucial role in the ecosystem since they act as a multiplier and have the ability to accelerate innovation for the entire airline industry," said Nik Munaretto from Plug and Play Vienna. Together with other program partners such as Vienna International Airport, Fraport, Aeroporti di Roma, JetBlue Ventures, Changi Airport, and Airbus, exchanges will take place on best practices, new technologies, and new ideas. For more information about Plug and Play Travel & Hospitality, please visit: https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/travel/ Media contacts PLUG AND PLAY VIENNA Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/press/ About Plug and Play Plug and Play is the leading innovation platform connecting startups, corporations, venture capital firms, universities, and government agencies. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we're present in 50+ locations across 5 continents. We offer corporate innovation programs and help our corporate partners in every stage of their innovation journey, from education to execution. We also organize startup acceleration programs and have built an in-house VC to drive innovation across multiple industries where we've invested in hundreds of successful companies including Dropbox, Guardant Health, Honey, Lending Club, N26, PayPal, and Rappi. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/ About Plug and Play Vienna Plug and Play Vienna is the ultimate innovation platform, bringing together the best startups, investors, and the world's largest corporations. Its vibrant office in Vienna right at the Vienna International Airport offers an easy "fly-in and make business" opportunity. This merging of visionary entrepreneurs, Travel & Smart Cities corporate partners, and our unrivaled Silicon Valley tech expertise accounts for our proven success in Austria and the CEE region. For more information, visit https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/vienna/ About SkyTeam Formed in 2000, SkyTeam is dedicated to powering the most seamless and sustainable customer journey of any global alliance. Our member airlines work together across an extensive global network to welcome 342.1 million customers each year on more than 10,084 daily flights to 1,088 destinations in 184 countries. SkyTeam offers the most comprehensive priority services of any alliance, easy and efficient transfers, and the opportunity to earn and redeem miles across all member airlines. For more information, visit https://www.skyteam.com/en SOURCE Plug and Play All new interactive displays and updates from SMART Technologies will run on Android 13 with Google EDLA certification and provide powerful security, industry-leading longevity and upgradability, and greater ease of use to maximize technology investments for schools. CALGARY, AB, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SMART Technologies , the world's most popular interactive display brand [1] , is pleased to announce that its newest interactive display solutions will feature Google EDLA Certification, with options for Google EDLA Certification across its existing lineup available soon. These solutions include a new generation of iQ-powered interactive displays for education, coming in 2024, and an appliance-based solution designed to be paired with SMART displays purchased as early as 2015, available this fall. SMART Technologies provides industry-leading longevity without compromising ease of use, delivering on their promise of affordable, industry-leading upgradability. For schools and districts investing in technology with limited funding, SMART's display options represent a good investment today and for years to come. "Imagine if hardware you bought nine years ago worked as well as a brand-new product. As consumers, we don't expect that from our phones, computers, TVs or displays. As a company whose customers rely on today's investment for years of classroom instruction, our goal is to raise the bar," said SMART Technologies CEO Nicholas Svensson. "At SMART we are proud to be the only manufacturer with a truly proven commitment to upgradability for our displays, to spare our customers the expense and hassle of replacing obsolete hardware for as long as possible. Unlike other display manufacturers, we ensure there is always a path forward for customers to upgrade their displays." SMART Technologies' interactive displays are designed for the future, with anticipated technology and education trends in mind: An all-new interactive display line-up. SMART's new interactive displays will fully utilize Google EDLA certification (also known as Google Mobile Services certification) to provide secure, powerful interoperability for both Google for Education and Microsoft Office 365 users, including with Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. Users will be able to customize their home screen and navigation menu to include their favorite apps and have easy access to Google Play, Google Classroom, and other Google services. The new displays will also offer one-click home screen access to a Google Search bar, and enhanced search capabilities like voice search options. SMART's new interactive displays will fully utilize Google EDLA certification (also known as Google Mobile Services certification) to provide secure, powerful interoperability for both Google for Education and Microsoft Office 365 users, including with Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. Users will be able to customize their home screen and navigation menu to include their favorite apps and have easy access to Google Play, Google Classroom, and other Google services. The new displays will also offer one-click home screen access to a Google Search bar, and enhanced search capabilities like voice search options. Solutions that include Android 13 and Google EDLA certification will be available as upgrades to all three of its current interactive display models: SMART will support existing customers with the 6000S series and the MX series displays with appliance-based options to upgrade to SMART's latest operating system - iQ4 - on Android 13 and obtain access to the latest Google features. It will also offer customers with the SMART GX-V2 series displays an upgrade to basic embedded computing on Android 13 with Google EDLA certification. SMART will support existing customers with the 6000S series and the MX series displays with appliance-based options to upgrade to SMART's latest operating system - iQ4 - on Android 13 and obtain access to the latest Google features. It will also offer customers with the SMART GX-V2 series displays an upgrade to basic embedded computing on Android 13 with Google EDLA certification. SMART is unique in the interactive display market by supporting upgrades for older models in its product lineup, including some sold as early as 2015. This means customers can have and maintain great embedded workflows and security longer than with any other brand. The company's latest interactive display solutions allow customers to eliminate the need for frequent buying cycles and replacements. Google EDLA certification means that with Google Mobile Services users can easily install apps with the Google Play store. Admins can also manage app installations at scale using SMART Remote Management. Google users will also enjoy out-of-the-box access to Google Drive and YouTube, plus easy access to Google Classroom, Docs, Slides, and Sheets. SMART's next generation of interactive displays will also leverage new Android 13 security enhancements including additional protections against app vulnerabilities through Google Play Protect. These new upgrade options are part of SMART's commitment to ensuring that customers get the best value for their budget over time. Buyers have peace of mind and know they will receive reliable, responsive support, system enhancements, and an exceptional experience on their interactive display, regardless of when they made their purchase. To learn more about options for SMART customers to upgrade their appliances and displays, please visit www.smarttech.com. About SMART Technologies ULC SMART isn't just a leading tech company, but a connections company working tirelessly to create and advance technology that helps teachers, learners, businesses and teams make meaningful connections every single day. The original SMART Board launched in 1991, and SMART has continued to innovate in EdTech, including through Lumio, an award-winning collaborative learning software. With a full range of products, including an impressive selection of easy-to-use interactive displays used by millions of businesses, educators and students around the world, SMART creates connections that matter. To learn more, visit www.smarttech.com . [1] *According to Futuresource Consulting Ltd., in Q1 2023 SMART is #1 in Education IFPs globally (less China, Hong Kong, Taiwan) and in the UK, Australia, Spain, DACH, and the Nordics. SOURCE SMART Technologies Leading cyber resiliency company showcases zero-trust, end-to-end data security solution in space WASHINGTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SpiderOak, a leader in zero-trust cybersecurity and resiliency software for space systems, is excited to announce the successful achievement of flight heritage through the deployment and demonstration of its OrbitSecure platform in space. SpiderOak conducted rigorous testing of its end-to-end data security solution on a Ball Aerospace prototype payload currently operational in low-Earth orbit (LEO). SpiderOak demonstrates successful deployment of OrbitSecure on Ball Aerospace payload, achieving flight heritage. "Successfully operating any military system in an operationally relevant environment is always a big milestone. In the unforgiving environment of space, there is no stronger validation that a system is ready for deployment," stated retired four-star U.S. Air Force General and member of SpiderOak's Space Advisory Board Ellen Pawlikowski. "I am thrilled with SpiderOak's achievement!" The payload incorporates Ball Aerospace's Open Software System (BOSS) framework, supporting containerized applications that can be modified on-orbit, as well as real-time data processing functions. Through close collaboration between SpiderOak and Ball Aerospace teams, the OrbitSecure technology was seamlessly deployed to and integrated into the Ball hosted payload while on orbit, demonstrating that data level zero-trust can be achieved on deployed systems despite the size, weight, and power limitations in space. "This successful demonstration completes a major milestone in advancing OrbitSecure as the satellite operator's choice for data security and resiliency in space," stated Dave Pearah, CEO of SpiderOak. "While other cyber solutions have only been demonstrated terrestrially, this achievement with Ball Aerospace proves our unique COTS (commercial off the shelf) software works equally well on orbit as it has on the ground for many years." "The Space Force has openly acknowledged the ever-expanding cyber threats targeting space assets," said, Jake Sauer, vice president and chief technologist, Ball Aerospace. "This successful demonstration of SpiderOak's OrbitSecure technology onboard Ball's hosted payload, which launched earlier this year, is a step towards fortifying the resilience of our space ecosystem." Taking zero-trust security to zero-gravity environments, OrbitSecure leverages a unique combination of no-knowledge encryption and distributed-ledger software to meet the unique demands of cybersecurity in space. OrbitSecure overcomes the constraints of traditional hardware-based protections utilizing a new, fully decentralized key management system allowing for full availability and continued operations in space despite disconnected or highly contested networks. "On-orbit tests underway by Ball Aerospace of SpiderOak's OrbitSecure offer the promise of an efficient path to secure space systems based on blockchain technology," stated Samuel Visner, Vice Chair, Board of Directors, Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center. "Cybersecurity solutions for space systems must respect the space, power, weight, and cost constraints under which these systems operate. I look forward to the results of this first, on-orbit demonstration of SpiderOak's cybersecurity approach. It's also exciting that SpiderOak is a member of the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center, demonstrating the center's commitment to encouraging our country's space sector to explore cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions." OrbitSecure's software-based approach makes it quickly adaptable to counter new and evolving cyber threats while providing enhanced decentralized space resiliency to multi-vendor, multi-network, mesh proliferated low-Earth orbit networks. Dramatically reducing a space operator's attack surface with OrbitSecure disrupts any adversary's attempts to counter, modify, or contest space communications and satellite services. Though rigorously tested in flat sat environments by industry leaders such as Raytheon, Northrop and Lockheed Martin, the Ball Aerospace announcement represents the first time a partner has successfully deployed the OrbitSecure capability in space. The prototype payload launched in January as the first mission in Ball Aerospace's rideshare program, part of Ball's focus on the rapid and affordable development and demonstration of technologies on orbit. About SpiderOak SpiderOak is a 100% U.S.-owned and operated software company that delivers end-to-end cybersecurity and resiliency solutions for civil, military, and commercial space operations. Our commercially available products are built upon a foundation of zero-trust encryption and distributed ledger, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your most sensitive data in the space domain. For more information about SpiderOak products, services or business development opportunities, check us out at www.spideroak.com . SOURCE SpiderOak Inc. WICHITA, Kan., June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In light of the decision to strike by Spirit AeroSystems employees represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers today, Spirit will suspend factory production prior to the expiration of the contract. Beginning with the start of first shift on Thursday, June 22, all IAM-represented employees are not to report for work but will receive pay for their regularly scheduled work hours. All scheduled overtime is canceled. All employees not represented by the IAM should report to work as usual on Thursday. We are disappointed that our employees represented by the IAM rejected our four-year contract offer and voted to strike. We believe that our fair and competitive offer recognizes the contributions of our employees and ensures we can successfully meet increasing demand for aircraft from our customers. We know that no one wins in a work stoppage; however, we respect the rights of our represented employees. Despite this setback, we are not distracted from the task at hand. We look forward to continued meetings with IAM leadership. Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. ("Spirit") is a subsidiary of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. [NYSE: SPR] ("Spirit AeroSystems"). On the web: www.spiritaero.com On Twitter: @SpiritAero About Spirit AeroSystems Inc. Spirit AeroSystems is one of the world's largest manufacturers of aerostructures for commercial airplanes, defense platforms, and business/regional jets. With expertise in aluminum and advanced composite manufacturing solutions, the company's core products include fuselages, integrated wings and wing components, pylons, and nacelles. We are leveraging decades of design and manufacturing expertise to be the most innovative and reliable supplier of military aerostructures, and specialty high-temperature materials, enabling warfighters to execute complex, critical missions. Spirit also serves the aftermarket for commercial and business/regional jets. Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Spirit has facilities in the U.S., U.K., France, Malaysia and Morocco. More information is available at www.spiritaero.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that may involve many risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "could," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "forecast," "intend," "may," "might," "objective," "outlook," "plan," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would," and other similar words, or phrases, or the negative thereof, unless the context requires otherwise. These statements reflect management's current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown. Our actual results may vary materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such forward-looking statements and that should be considered in evaluating our outlook include, without limitation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations; the timing and conditions surrounding the full worldwide return to service (including receiving the remaining regulatory approvals) of the B737 MAX, future demand for the aircraft, and any residual impacts of the B737 MAX grounding on production rates for the aircraft; our reliance on Boeing for a significant portion of our revenues; our ability to execute our growth strategy, including our ability to complete and integrate acquisitions; our ability to accurately estimate and manage performance, cost, and revenue under our contracts; demand for our products and services and the effect of economic or geopolitical conditions in the industries and markets in which we operate in the U.S. and globally; our ability to manage our liquidity, borrow additional funds or refinance debt; and other factors disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors are not exhaustive and it is not possible for us to predict all factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in our forward-looking statements. These factors speak only as of the date hereof, and new factors may emerge or changes to the foregoing factors may occur that could impact our business. Except to the extent required by law, we undertake no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any obligation to, publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. "We'd like to thank our retailers, employees, partners, and the entire Subaru family for helping us achieve and exceed our impact goals in 2022, as well as for providing the inspiration to accomplish even more together in the future," said Tadashi 'Tady' Yoshida, Chairman and CEO of Subaru of America, Inc. The Subaru Corporate Impact Report details the ways in which SOA exemplified their mission to be More Than a Car Company throughout the 2022 calendar year. Compiled as a result of broadened data collection and disclosure efforts, the report shares the who, what, where, when, and why of the automaker's efforts to positively impact every individual its work reaches from new car buyers to longtime owners to retailers and partners, as well as those in the communities where Subaru employees live and work. "At Subaru we take it to heart when saying we are More Than a Car Company, and know it comes with the responsibility of living out our pledge with a commitment to improving the world around us," said Jeff Walters, President and COO of Subaru of America, Inc. The Subaru Love Promise is the focal point of the report, extending into five pillars: Subaru Loves to Care, Subaru Loves the Earth, Subaru Loves to Help, Subaru Loves Learning, and Subaru Loves Pets. Milestones reached in 2022 include more than $1.9 million in philanthropic gifts to nonprofits in the Camden, New Jersey community where SOA is based, and over 10,000 hours employees spent volunteering across the nation. Living Our Values Subaru of America Foundation partnered with SOA's Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to grant funding to nonprofits that support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) outcomes. In 2022, over half of Subaru employees were involved in the company's ERGs, which bring its DEIB values to life. The talent management and acquisition team continued to benchmark their DEIB practices in the employee recruitment and retention process through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, the National Association of Black Accountants, Women of Color Automotive Network, and military organizations. Subaru Love Promise Customer Commitment Received recognition by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for four vehicle models as a TOP SAFETY PICK+ and two as a TOP SAFETY PICK in 2022. and two as a in 2022. Earned 'Superior' rating in front crash prevention from IIHS for all vehicle models when equipped with EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. Received 2022 Best Cars for Teens award for Ascent and Forester from U.S. News & World Report. Named #20 on the list of the 100 most visible U.S.-based companies in the 2022 Axios Harris Poll 100 Reputation Ranking, based on a survey of more than 30,000 Americans. Sold all available Subaru Solterra models, the company's first fully electric vehicle, produced in 2022; demonstrating progress toward its goal to electrify 100% of Subaru vehicles by 2035. Subaru Love Promise Community Commitment The annual Subaru Share the Love Event reached the 15-year milestone of $256 million donated to national and hometown charities. the Love Event reached the 15-year milestone of donated to national and hometown charities. More than 70% of SOA employees volunteered a total of 10,000+ hours in 2022. Most SOA employees (over 70%) participated in company sponsored volunteering efforts in 2022, achieving a total of 10,000+ volunteer hours. Subaru is one of the most fuel-efficient automotive brands in the United States , based on improvement in fuel economy per mile since 2009 as analyzed by the EPA. , based on improvement in fuel economy per mile since 2009 as analyzed by the EPA. Subaru remanufactured 1,548+ tons of products in 2022. In addition to highlighting how Subaru was More Than a Car Company in 2022, the report showcases how the automaker's 2022 corporate responsibility actions parallel the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To learn more about Corporate Responsibility at Subaru of America, Inc., please visit www.subaru.com/about/corporate-responsibility.html. About Subaru of America, Inc. Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Diane Anton Corporate Communications Manager (856) 488-5093 [email protected] Adam Leiter Corporate Communications Specialist (856) 488-8668 [email protected] SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc. Modal title PRN Top Stories Newsletters Sign up to get PRNs top stories and curated news delivered to your inbox weekly! Enter Your Email Select Country Select Country Submit Thank you for subscribing! Our newsletters contain tracking pixels to help us deliver unique content based on each subscriber's engagement and interests. For more information on how we will use your data to ensure we send you relevant content please visit our By signing up you agree to receive content from us.Our newsletters contain tracking pixels to help us deliver unique content based on each subscriber's engagement and interests. For more information on how we will use your data to ensure we send you relevant content please visit our PRN Consumer Newsletter Privacy Notice . You can withdraw your consent at any time in the footer of every email you'll receive. Unsere Newsletter enthalten Zahlpixel, die die Lieferung einzigartiger Inhalte in Bezug auf das Abonnement und die Interessen der einzelnen Abonnenten ermoglichen. Weitere Informationen uber die Verwendung Ihrer Daten im Hinblick auf die Zusendung von relevanten Inhalten, finden Sie in unserer Mit Ihrer Anmeldung erklaren Sie sich damit einverstanden, Inhalte von uns zu erhalten.Unsere Newsletter enthalten Zahlpixel, die die Lieferung einzigartiger Inhalte in Bezug auf das Abonnement und die Interessen der einzelnen Abonnenten ermoglichen. Weitere Informationen uber die Verwendung Ihrer Daten im Hinblick auf die Zusendung von relevanten Inhalten, finden Sie in unserer PRN Consumer Newsletter Privacy Notice . Ihre Zustimmung konnen Sie jederzeit in der Fuzeile jeder erhaltenen E-Mail widerrufen. Notre newsletter contient des pixels espions nous permettant la fourniture a chaque abonne, dun contenu unique en lien avec ses souscriptions et interets. Pour de plus amples informations sur lutilisation faite de vos donnees en vue de lenvoi des contenus concernes, nous vous invitons a consulter la politique de confidentialite disponible a partir du lien suivant En vous inscrivant a la newsletter, vous consentez a la reception de contenus de notre part.Notre newsletter contient des pixels espions nous permettant la fourniture a chaque abonne, dun contenu unique en lien avec ses souscriptions et interets. Pour de plus amples informations sur lutilisation faite de vos donnees en vue de lenvoi des contenus concernes, nous vous invitons a consulter la politique de confidentialite disponible a partir du lien suivant PRN Consumer Newsletter Privacy Notice . Vous pouvez a tout moment revenir sur votre consentement par le biais des informations situees au bas de chaque e-mail recu. Members of a team dispatched by China's Ministry of Emergency Management conduct a careful inspection at the site of an explosion in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 22, 2023. China's Ministry of Emergency Management on Thursday morning dispatched a team to Yinchuan, the capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, to guide emergency response work after a barbecue restaurant explosion on Wednesday evening. Upon arrival at the explosion site, the team immediately conducted a careful inspection of the site and was briefed on the particulars of the restaurant's operations, the explosion and related emergency rescue work. The explosion occurred at approximately 8:40 p.m. on Wednesday on a busy street in Xingqing District in Yinchuan, when liquefied petroleum gas leaked from the restaurant. The explosion resulted in 38 casualties, with 31 people confirmed dead despite rescue efforts, while six individuals are receiving medical treatment. (Xinhua/Wang Peng) YINCHUAN, June 22 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Emergency Management on Thursday morning dispatched a team to Yinchuan, the capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, to guide emergency response work after a barbecue restaurant explosion on Wednesday evening. Upon arrival at the explosion site, the team immediately conducted a careful inspection of the site and was briefed on the particulars of the restaurant's operations, the explosion and related emergency rescue work. After its inspection, the team visited the people who had been injured in the blast at the hospital where they were receiving medical treatment, and asked medical staff to do their best to help them recover as soon as possible. The team then heard reports from local authorities and worked with the local government to make arrangements for the treatment of those injured, post-explosion response work and investigations into hidden dangers. The explosion occurred at approximately 8:40 p.m. on Wednesday on a busy street in Xingqing District in Yinchuan, when liquefied petroleum gas leaked from the restaurant. The explosion resulted in 38 casualties, with 31 people confirmed dead despite rescue efforts, while six individuals are receiving medical treatment. Firefighters work at the site of an explosion in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 21, 2023. The explosion occurred at approximately 8:40 p.m. on Wednesday on a busy street in Xingqing District in Yinchuan, when liquefied petroleum gas leaked from the restaurant. The explosion resulted in 38 casualties, with 31 people confirmed dead despite rescue efforts, while six individuals are receiving medical treatment. (Xinhua/Wang Peng) Investor Surge Fuels Accelerated Development of Swave's Groundbreaking Solutions for Spatial Computing LEUVEN, Belgium and MENLO PARK, Calif., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Swave Photonics, the forerunner in the implementation of true holography for augmented reality, today announced the successful closure of its seed round expansion. This additional investment of 3M catapults Swave's total funds raised to 10M. Swaves HXR technology is the pinnacle of display technology, providing high-resolution 3D images that blur the lines between reality and illusion. Reinvestment from present investors imec.xpand, a venture capital fund centered around nanotechnology innovation, Flanders Future Techfund (FFTF), a Belgian/Flemish public investment fund, and QBIC, a Belgian inter-university venture capital fund, underscores investor trust in Swave's technology. Joining these investors are new US-based investors Acequia Capital, a leading venture investment firm based in Seattle, WA, and Luminate NY, the world's only optics, photonics, and imaging accelerator, which is based in Rochester, NY. Their participation, even amidst a challenging fundraising landscape, amplifies the significance and potential of Swave's groundbreaking holographic and photonics solutions. This seed round positions Swave well to execute on its augmented reality roadmap and engage future customers, partners and investors interested in driving true holography for spatial computing. Luminate NY's investment stems from Swave's recent selection as a finalist in Luminate NY's accelerator program and competition. This accolade complements Swave's first place win at the 2023 SPIE Photonics West Startup Challenge and recognition as a finalist in the 2023 AWE USA Startup to Watch competition. "We are deeply gratified by the bolstered commitment of our current investors and are excited to welcome Acequia Capital and Luminate NY to the Swave family," said Mike Noonen, CEO of Swave Photonics. "This collective vote of confidence in our groundbreaking technology and dedicated team underlines our commitment to revolutionize augmented reality through true holography." "We are exceptionally proud of the progress the team at Swave Photonics has made to date," said Pieter Vorenkamp, Chairman of Swave Photonics and a distinguished leader in emerging technology operations. "The innovative holographic technology developed by Swave is the result of their technical leadership and shared dedication to driving forward the boundaries of what's possible. I am confident this technical prowess will soon translate into operational excellence as we transition the technology into products, enabling mass-volume augmented reality applications. The future of holography lies in the hands of this outstanding team, and we're excited to be a part of this journey." About Swave's Holographic eXtended Reality Technology Swave's Holographic eXtended Reality (HXR) technology is the pinnacle of display technology, providing high-resolution 3D images that blur the lines between reality and illusion. Swave's HXR technology presents holographic images that remove today's challenges associated with focal depth and eye tracking. With its unique ability to be manufactured using standard CMOS technology, HXR ensures scalable, cost-effective production. Swave's HXR technology is capable of powering holographic glasses and headsets, offering immersive spatial AR experiences with remarkable resolution, perfect depth of focus, and 180-degree to 360-degree viewing angles, devoid of the conventional discomforts associated with traditional headsets. Applications powered by HXR gigapixel technology will be capable of passing the visual Turing test, making virtual reality nearly indistinguishable from real-world images. As Swave continues its growth, we're expanding our management and engineering teams, and we're hiring in key areas. Visit swave.io to explore exciting career opportunities. About Swave Photonics Swave Photonics is an industry-shaping fabless semiconductor company that conceives, designs, and markets holographic solutions deploying proprietary diffractive photonics and software. With roots in imec, the world's leading nano-electronic research and innovation hub, Swave's technology is a decade in the making. Swave's mission is to breathe life into augmented aeality, enabling manufacturers of mobile phones and displays, along with content creators, to revolutionize the visualization and communication markets with immersive, ultra-high-resolution, lifelike, true holographic displays. Swave is committed to a future where holographic displays empower everyone to visualize the impossible, collaborate more effectively, and achieve greater feats. Visit us at swave.io SOURCE Swave Photonics Financing round led by Ysios Capital and Gilde Healthcare with participation from Novartis Venture Fund, New Enterprise Associates, and Lightstone Ventures Unique Click-to-Release platform enables on-target activation of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and immunomodulators, as well as off-target deactivation of radiopharmaceuticals Proceeds will be used to advance the lead program, a click-cleavable ADC targeting TAG72, into the clinic, and expand the pipeline Chris Martin, DPhil, former CEO of ADC Therapeutics, appointed Board Chair and Jay Feingold, M.D., Ph.D., former Chief Medical Officer of Pyxis Oncology and ADC Therapeutics, appointed CMO NIJMEGEN, Netherlands and BOSTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tagworks Pharmaceuticals BV ("Tagworks"), the pioneer of Click-to-Release chemistry designed to deliver more effective and safer systemic therapies, today announced a $65 million Series A financing led by Ysios Capital and Gilde Healthcare with participation from Novartis Venture Fund, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), and Lightstone Ventures. They join existing investors including Meneldor and Oost NL. In conjunction with the financing, Thomas Harth (Ysios Capital), Edwin de Graaf (Gilde Healthcare), Marianne Uteng, Ph.D. (Novartis Venture Fund), Michele Park, Ph.D. (NEA), and Christina Isacson, Ph.D. (Lightstone Ventures), joined the Board of Directors. The financing will support the advancement of TGW101, Tagworks' lead click-cleavable ADC program, and the company's proprietary Click-to-Release platform. Tagworks' platform enables controlled drug release induced by an in vivo click reaction with a trigger molecule. When applied to ADCs the triggered on-target release expands the scope to non-internalizing targets, affording a high bystander effect for the killing of tumors with heterogenous target expression. The platform also enables the on-target activation of immunomodulators, and the off-target deactivation of radiopharmaceuticals, enhancing their safety and therapeutic index. Marc Robillard, Ph.D., is co-founder and CEO of Tagworks. He initiated and led the team working on Tagworks' in vivo chemistry within Philips Healthcare, leading its spinout into Tagworks, where the click-to-release approach and other in vivo click-mediated therapeutic applications were further developed. He commented: "Our Click-to-Release approach is poised to change the standard of care for patients with solid tumors. The limitation of today's conventional ADCs is that they rely on suitable internalizing targets, which are not necessarily expressed by every cancer type and cancer cell. Our ADC therapy, however, does not depend on internalizing targets as it is based on chemically controlled release of the payload in the tumor micro-environment, thereby killing heterogenous tumors where not every cancer cell expresses the target. Accordingly, Tagworks has the potential to enhance efficacy in a safe manner through controlled payload release, and so, boost the therapeutic index. Importantly, our unique approach to targeting non-internalizing receptors also offers the opportunity to address a whole new cancer target landscape. This financing is an important step in unlocking the wide range of potential applications for Click-to-Release technology, to treat cancer types not addressed by current therapies." The company's lead program, TGW101, is a click-cleavable ADC targeting tumor-associated glycoprotein 72 (TAG72), a clinically validated non-internalizing target widely expressed in solid tumors. TGW101 is designed to enable targeted and controlled drug release and activation in the tumor microenvironment, thus facilitating the killing of tumors with heterogenous target expression, which are difficult to treat with current therapies. The proceeds of the financing will support Tagworks in bringing this program towards initial clinical proof-of-concept, and in advancing the company's broader pipeline, currently focused on oncology. Tagworks owns a broad intellectual property estate on in vivo Click-Conjugation and Click-to-Release technology and is initially leveraging its approach to expand the number of ADC targets. In addition to TGW101, the pipeline includes discovery phase programs in ADCs and radiopharmaceuticals. Tagworks' technology is compatible with small molecules, peptides, and larger biomolecules, such as antibodies and fragments, and covers a wide range of toxin and immunomodulator classes. Chris Martin, DPhil, Tagworks' Chairman of the Board commented: "I am very pleased to join the Tagworks Board as Chair, and to support and guide the team in working to rapidly move their lead ADC program into clinical development. ADCs have long held great promise as powerful, highly targeted cancer therapies, and Tagworks' platform represents an opportunity to expand both the therapeutic index and reach of these therapies to additional tumor types, and to make a truly transformative impact on cancer patients not served by existing therapies." Thomas Harth, Principal at Ysios Capital stated: "We are proud to have assembled such a strong, international syndicate of investors around Tagworks. Click-to-Release shows tremendous potential to bring forward a new generation of biologic therapeutics with higher efficacy and improved safety that could be very meaningful for patients. We look for companies with truly differentiated approaches, and thus we are delighted to support Tagworks in its next phase of development." Edwin de Graaf, Managing Partner at Gilde Healthcare added: "Tagworks' cutting-edge technology platform is very promising for the development of first and best in class therapeutics, such as ADCs, immunomodulators and radiopharmaceuticals. The ability to enable on-target activation or off-target deactivation is a potentially game-changing opportunity in the field of drug development. We look forward to working closely with this top-tier team as it advances powerful new treatments for cancer and other diseases." About Tagworks Pharmaceuticals Tagworks Pharmaceuticals, pioneer of the Click-to-Release approach, is a precision therapy company, leveraging its technology platform, which is protected by a broad patent estate, to develop a new standard of care for patients suffering from severe diseases including cancer. With operations in the Netherlands and the U.S., Tagworks is developing a pipeline of click-cleavable therapies. Its lead program, TGW101, is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting TAG72, a clinically-validated, pan-carcinoma target that so far has remained out of reach of current ADC therapies. Tagworks' technology enables on-target activation of ADCs and immunomodulators, as well as off-target deactivation of radioimmunotherapies to enhance their therapeutic index. For more information, visit us at www.tagworkspharma.com. About Ysios Capital Ysios Capital is a leading Spanish venture capital firm that provides private equity financing to early- and mid-stage, highly innovative life science companies bringing life-changing treatments to patients, with a focus on indications with high unmet need. Our diverse international team in San Sebastian and Barcelona is driven by science, with the ambition to transform capital into medical breakthroughs. Ysios Capital was founded in 2008 and has over 400 million in assets under management through its three funds. For more information, please visit www.ysioscapital.com. About Gilde Healthcare Gilde Healthcare is a specialized healthcare investor managing over 2.5 billion across two fund strategies: Venture&Growth and Private Equity. The Venture&Growth fund of Gilde Healthcare invests in fast growing companies active in digital health, medtech and therapeutics, based in Europe and North America. The Private Equity fund of Gilde Healthcare participates in profitable lower mid-market healthcare companies based in North-Western Europe. For more information, visit the company's website at www.gildehealthcare.com. About Novartis Venture Fund Novartis Venture Fund is a financially driven corporate life science venture fund whose purpose is to foster innovation, drive significant patient benefit and generate superior returns by creating and investing in innovative life science companies at various stages of their development. For more information, go to www.nvfund.com. About NEA New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) is a global venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors and geographies. Founded in 1977, NEA has over $25 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2023 and invests in technology and healthcare companies at all stages in a company's lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. The firm's long track record of investing includes more than 270 portfolio company IPOs and more than 450 mergers and acquisitions. For more information, please visit www.nea.com. About Lightstone Ventures Lightstone Ventures is a global venture capital firm investing in biotech and medtech companies pioneering big ideas poised to transform patient outcomes. We were founded in 2012 to empower visionary entrepreneurs with the resources and operational guidance necessary to bring their innovative therapeutics and technologies to the patients who need them most. Our investment team has led deals resulting in 19 acquisitions and 20 initial public offerings over the last two decades. The firm has offices in Boston, Mass., Menlo Park, Calif., and Dublin, Ireland. For more information, please visit www.lightstonevc.com Contact Media and Investors Sarah Sutton/Cameron Willis Argot Partners (212) 600-1902 [email protected] SOURCE Tagworks Pharmaceuticals BV Maryland-based cybersecurity company delivers advanced security suite via managed service providers COLUMBIA, Md., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TEDCO, Maryland's economic engine for technology companies, announced the successful exit of its portfolio company, Blackpoint Cyber (Blackpoint), an Ellicott City, Md.-based, technology-focused cybersecurity company providing its security ecosystem via managed service providers (MSPs). Blackpoint received a $190 million growth investment led by Bain Capital Tech Opportunities, with participation from Accel and others. Blackpoint received a $190 million growth investment. Tweet this Jon Murchison, CEO and founder of Blackpoint Cyber Blackpoint In 2018, TEDCO invested $200,000 in Blackpoint to support the growth and development of the company whose goal is to provide effective, affordable real-time threat detection and response to organizations worldwide. This initial funding came from TEDCO's Seed Funds. "We are very appreciative of TEDCO for having interest and investing in our company at an early stage," said Jon Murchison, CEO and founder of Blackpoint Cyber. "TEDCO's support helped us continue to grow and serve MSPs and their clients across the world." Exits create impactful returns for startups and investors, as well as more broadly supporting a positive outlook for the entrepreneurial community. "We're proud to have connected with Blackpoint during the early stages of the company's development," said Katherine Hill Ritchie, TEDCO's senior director of Venture Funds. "We encourage Maryland technology and life science entrepreneurs to reach out to TEDCOwe can help identify ways to support a positive trajectory for growing businesses in the state." TEDCO provides funding, resources and connections for early-stage technology and life-science companies, working to support a thriving, sustainable ecosystem in Maryland. For more information about opportunities and how to apply, visit https://www.tedcomd.com/funding. About TEDCO TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, enhances economic empowerment growth through the fostering of an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. TEDCO identifies, invests in, and helps grow technology and life science-based companies in Maryland. Learn more at www.tedcomd.com. About Blackpoint Cyber Blackpoint Cyber offers the only world-class, nation state-grade cybersecurity ecosystem serving the MSP community. Using its own software and SOC, Blackpoint's true 24/7 MDR service not only detects breaches earlier than any other solution on the market, but also provides an actual response rather than just an alert to keep your and your clients' networks safe from widespread damage. Media Contact Tammi Thomas, Chief Development & Marketing Officer, TEDCO, [email protected] Jordan Hunter, Qorvis Communication, Blackpoint Cyber, [email protected] SOURCE TEDCO Company makes three-year pledge to accelerate the economic integration of Ukrainian refugee women and other refugees NEW YORK, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Teleperformance , a global leader in digital business services, today announced its commitment to hire 500 refugees, including Ukrainian refugee women, over the next three years across its Europe operations including in France, Germany, Portugal and the U.K. The announcement is also part of the Company's ongoing commitment to hire and integrate refugees across the globe. At the end of last year, Teleperformance employed more than 2,300 refugees worldwide, including more than 1,900 Venezuelan refugees at its Colombia operations. The Company's longstanding and impactful approach to the economic integration of Venezuelan refugees in Colombia earned it TENT's Outstanding Leadership in Hiring Refugees award in 2021. It also employs a few hundred refugees across Europe, including displaced people from the Ukraine, Syria, Iran, Pakistan and Congo. The announcement is also part of the Company's ongoing commitment to hire and integrate refugees across the globe. Tweet this "There are so many thousands of refugees from Ukraine and other countries who wish to work and take care of themselves and their families but who face countless hurdles to employment," said Clementine Gauthier-Medina, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility, Teleperformance Group. "We're pleased to expand on our longstanding commitment to refugees to help improve their lives and communities through meaningful employment." Teleperformance's pledge joins those being made recently by dozens of businesses to accelerate economic integration of Ukrainian refugee women and other refuges across Europe in partnership with the Tent Partnership for Refugees (Tent), a global network of companies committed to supporting the economic integration of refugees. "Ukrainian refugee women face many hurdles when finding jobs - from not knowing the local language to having to juggle childcare responsibilities. Businesses must do more to reduce these barriers, and help these incredible, strong, talented people enter the workforce," said Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and President of the Tent Partnership for Refugees and CEO and founder of Chobani. "The moment a refugee gets a job is the moment they stop being a refugee. I'm so proud that the companies stepping up today, including Teleperformance, will help Ukrainian women and other refugees across Europe stand on their own two feet, giving them a chance to live lives of dignity." With an extensive, global presence in 91 countries, Teleperformance serves as a strategic partner to the world's largest companies across many industries. Core to the company's values is a desire to improve people's lives and pave the way to a better and more equitable tomorrow for all. Commitment to Impact Sourcing Teleperformance has long been an intentional employer of people across the globe who have traditionally been excluded from the formal workforce, including refugees and other marginalized minorities, people with disabilities, long-term unemployed, young people without a degree, and people living in poverty. At the end of 2022, approximately 20% of the Company's employees were Impact employees from minority groups and disadvantaged communities. ABOUT TELEPERFORMANCE GROUP Teleperformance (TEP ISIN: FR0000051807 Reuters: TEPRF.PA - Bloomberg: TEP FP), is a global leader in digital business services, blending the best of advanced technology with human empathy to deliver enhanced customer care that is simpler, faster, and safer for the world's biggest brands and their customers. The Group's comprehensive, AI-powered service portfolio ranges from front-office customer care to back-office functions, including Trust and Safety services that help defend both online users and brand reputation. It also offers a range of specialized services such as collections, interpreting and localization, visa and consular services, and recruitment process outsourcing services. With more than 410,000 inspired and passionate people speaking more than 300 languages, the Group's global scale and local presence allows it to be a force of good in supporting communities, clients, and the environment. In 2022, Teleperformance reported consolidated revenue of 8,154 million (US$8.6 billion, based on 1 = $1.05) and net profit of 645 million. Teleperformance shares are traded on the Euronext Paris market, Compartment A, and are eligible for the deferred settlement service. They are included in the following indices: CAC 40, STOXX 600, S&P Europe 350, MSCI Global Standard and Euronext Tech Leaders. In the area of corporate social responsibility, Teleperformance shares are included in the CAC 40 ESG since September 2022, the Euronext Vigeo Euro 120 index since 2015, the EURO STOXX 50 ESG index since 2020, the MSCI Europe ESG Leaders index since 2019, the FTSE4Good index since 2018 and the S&P Global 1200 ESG index since 2017. Visit the Group at www.teleperformance.com. FINANCIAL ANALYSTS AND INVESTORS Investor relations and financial communication department TELEPERFORMANCE Tel: +33 1 53 83 59 15 [email protected] PRESS RELATIONS Europe Karine Allouis Laurent Poinsot IMAGE7 Tel: +33 1 53 70 74 70 [email protected] PRESS RELATIONS Americas and Asia-Pacific Nicole Miller TELEPERFORMANCE Tel: +1 629-899-0675 [email protected] SOURCE Teleperformance MELBOURNE, Australia, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited (ASX: TLX, Telix, the Company) today announces presentations from the Company's investigational prostate (prostate specific-membrane antigen, or PSMA-targeting) and renal (carbonic anhydrase IX, or CAIX-targeting) diagnostic and therapeutic programs at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) 2023 Annual Meeting being held in Chicago from June 24 27. Further data from Telix's completed pivotal Phase III ZIRCON study of TLX250-CDx (89Zr-DFO-girentuximab) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03849118 ) will be delivered by Jeremie Calais, MD in an oral presentation. In addition, Andrew M. Scott, MD will present a preclinical evaluation of Telix's CAIX-targeting radionuclide therapy candidate TLX250 (177Lu-DOTA-girentuximab) in combination with a Merck KGaA DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) inhibitor candidate, peposertib. SNMMI 2023 will also feature presentations on Telix's lutetium-based, antibody-directed prostate cancer therapy program, ProstACT, and the Company's FDA-approved, gallium-based prostate cancer imaging agent, Illuccix, where PSMA imaging with positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET) continues to be a focus for the nuclear medicine and molecular imaging community. Telix Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Colin Hayward said, "It is fantastic to have such broad representation at this year's SNMMI annual meeting, the premier educational, scientific, research, and networking event in nuclear medicine and molecular imaging worldwide. Alongside further data from the highly successful Phase III ZIRCON study in kidney cancer imaging, we are excited to present latest updates from our ProstACT SELECT and TARGET studies as this program builds momentum into the ProstACT GLOBAL study. "Preclinical data from a study of Telix's CAIX-targeting therapy candidate TLX250 with an investigational DNA damage response inhibitor will also be presented as this combination prepares to move into the clinic. And last but by no means least our approved prostate cancer imaging agent, Illuccix, will feature on the program as part of lifecycle management. Drop by our booth number 4015 to meet with the team, to learn about Telix's deep theranostic pipeline, and to discuss how recent guideline updates for prostate cancer imaging could impact clinical decision making and patient management." SNMMI oral presentation details are as follows: Session: Focus on Clinical Studies New Insights Title: 177Lu-TLX591 safety, biodistribution and dosimetry study (ProstACT SELECT) Date and Time: 24-Jun-2023, 3:45 3:55 PM Presenter: Nat Lenzo, MD (GenesisCare) Abstract ID: P1145 Session: Urologic Malignancies Integrated Session Title: 89Zr-DFO-girentuximab PET/CT imaging can accurately detect clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) primary and secondary lesions in patients with renal masses at conventional imaging, results from ZIRCON Phase III study Date and Time: 26-Jun-2023, 10:55 - 11:05 AM Presenter: Jeremie Calais, MD (UCLA) Abstract ID: P1113 Session: Imaging and Therapy in Preclinical Oncology Models Session 2 Title: Addition of DNA dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) inhibitor peposertib enhances efficacy of 177Lu-based radioimmunotherapy in pre-clinical models of prostate and renal cell carcinoma Date and Time: 26-Jun-2023, 11:05 11:15 AM Presenter: Andrew M. Scott, MD (Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, and La Trobe University) Abstract ID: P1271 SNMMI poster presentations: Session: Meet the Author: Oncology: Clinical Therapy & Diagnosis Group A Title: Analysis of bone lesions on 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT in a randomized controlled trial of men with biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer post prostatectomy Date and Time: 26-Jun-2023, 11:15 11:45 AM Presenter: David Schuster, MD (Emory University) Abstract ID: P968 Session: Meet the Author: Oncology: Clinical Therapy & Diagnosis Group A Title: External beam therapy with theranostic radioligand therapy for oligometastatic prostate cancer (ProstACT TARGET) Date and Time: 26-Jun-2023, 11:15 11:45 AM Presenter: Nat Lenzo, MD (GenesisCare) Abstract ID: P1178 Session: Meet the Author: Oncology: Clinical Therapy & Diagnosis Group A Title: 30-second acquisition for Ga-68 PSMA-11 total-body PET/CT impacts prostate cancer management Date and Time: 26-Jun-2023, 11:15 11:45 AM Presenter: Harshad Kulkarni, MD (BAMF Health) Abstract ID: P1408 About Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited Telix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialisation of diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. Telix is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia with international operations in the United States, Europe (Belgium and Switzerland), and Japan. Telix is developing a portfolio of clinical-stage products that aims to address significant unmet medical need in oncology and rare diseases. Telix is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: TLX). Visit www.telixpharma.com for further information about Telix, including details of the latest share price, announcements made to the ASX, investor and analyst presentations, news releases, event details and other publications that may be of interest. You can also follow Telix on Twitter (@TelixPharma) and LinkedIn. TLX250-CDx, TLX250 and TLX591 have not received a marketing authorisation in any jurisdiction. Telix's lead product, gallium-68 (68Ga) gozetotide (also known as 68Ga PSMA-11) injection, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA),[1] and by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA),[2] and by Health Canada.[3] Telix is also progressing marketing authorisation applications for this investigational candidate in the United Kingdom and the European Union.[4] Telix Investor Relations Ms. Kyahn Williamson Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited SVP Corporate Communications and Investor Relations Email: [email protected] Legal Notices This announcement is not intended as promotion or advertising directed to any healthcare professional or other audience in any country worldwide (including Australia, United States and the United Kingdom). This announcement may include forward-looking statements that relate to anticipated future events, financial performance, plans, strategies or business developments. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "outlook", "forecast" and "guidance", or other similar words. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the Company's good-faith assumptions as to the financial, market, regulatory and other risks and considerations that exist and affect the Company's business and operations in the future and there can be no assurance that any of the assumptions will prove to be correct. In the context of Telix's business, forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about: the initiation, timing, progress and results of Telix's preclinical and clinical studies, and Telix's research and development programs; Telix's ability to advance product candidates into, enrol and successfully complete, clinical studies, including multi-national clinical trials; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, manufacturing activities and product marketing activities; the commercialisation of Telix's product candidates, if or when they have been approved; estimates of Telix's expenses, future revenues and capital requirements; Telix's financial performance; developments relating to Telix's competitors and industry; and the pricing and reimbursement of Telix's product candidates, if and after they have been approved. Telix's actual results, performance or achievements may be materially different from those which may be expressed or implied by such statements, and the differences may be adverse. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable laws or regulations, Telix does not undertake to publicly update or review any forward-looking statements. Past performance cannot be relied on as a guide to future performance. Readers should read this announcement together with our material risks, as disclosed in our most recently filed reports with the ASX and on our website. 2023 Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited. The Telix Pharmaceuticals and Illuccix name and logo are trademarks of Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited and its affiliates (all rights reserved). [1] Telix ASX disclosure 20 December 2021. [2] Telix ASX disclosure 2 November 2021. [3] Telix ASX disclosure 14 October 2022. [4] Telix ASX disclosure 3 April 2023. SOURCE Telix Pharmaceuticals Limited SHENZHEN, China, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As the consumer landscape continues to rally and e-commerce gains even more traction, industry-leading brands are making strategic moves, bolstering their investment in digital advertising. This trend marks a potent resurgence for the marketing and advertising sectors. At the prestigious 70th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity - often hailed as the "Oscars of the advertising world" - Tencent Marketing Solution (TMS) has once again seized the global spotlight. Amidst the vibrant energy of the festival, TMS unveiled "China's Digital Market: A Growth Roadmap," and amplified its strategic collaboration with GroupM on a global scale. On June 22nd, Ethen Zhang, Deputy General Manager of Channel Sales Department at TMS, and Andrew Meaden, GroupM's Global Head of Investment, joined forces, interlocking puzzle pieces that symbolized the synergy and unity of their companies. With this symbolic gesture, they set in motion their cooperative blueprint, marking an exciting new chapter in the TMS and GroupM global strategic partnership program. "As we stand on the threshold of a fresh market cycle, TMS has fortified its resources and capabilities across various sectors, enabling advertisers to nurture a virtuous cycle of omni-channel operations within Tencent's dynamic ecosystem," noted Ethen Zhang. "We are committed to forging ahead with GroupM, providing marketing services that pack more punch and flexibility, thereby empowering our business partners to navigate the twists and turns of ever-evolving market trends." Andrew Meaden added, "China has always been a pioneer in digital marketing, revolutionizing traditional media investment tactics and introducing new ideas to global markets. Our partnership is designed to help GroupM's global client base leverage the power of Tencent's ecosystem to drive growth for their businesses. We are excited about the potential for our partnership together to usher in a new era of media where advertising resonates more effectively with people." Building a Strong Partnership to Navigate Complexities The roots of GroupM's Joint Business Partnership (JBP) with Tencent Marketing Solution (TMS) trace back to 2021, marking GroupM as the inaugural agency group to strategically align with TMS following its significant strategic overhaul in 2018. Since this milestone, the collaboration has evolved, broadening and deepening its scope. In 2021, the entities launched the Tengyi Plan, leveraging their unique strengths in product development, technology, and talent to deliver precision-targeted services such as federated learning and audience targeting. The plan has since made its mark in industries ranging from apparel and luxury goods to food and beverages, and automotive. This alliance has been the driving force behind an array of impactful and visionary marketing campaigns. A partnership with Lincoln for the Backstreet Boys' virtual concert, hosted at a time when physical gatherings were curtailed, stirred up considerable buzz and garnered praise for the brand. A collaboration with Tencent Music TMELAND birthed the Metaverse Fan Festival for Coca-Cola, providing customers with a top-tier online experience, showcasing products, and nurturing a fanbase within the Weixin mini-program ecosystem. These campaigns have set a gold standard for the industry, offering invaluable insights for other businesses. Over the past years, GroupM has held a commanding 40% share of its total investment in Tencent's advertising products, thereby securing outstanding ROI for advertisers. Concurrently, underpinned by their profound industry insights, the two have developed a host of groundbreaking marketing strategies for clients, including the creation of the China Luxury Industry Biddable Advertising Playbook. Collaboration and Progress, Synergy and Co-existence Drawing upon years of rigorous and innovative collaboration, TMS and GroupM consider 2023 as the ideal time to escalate their Joint Business Partnership (JBP) to the status of a Global Strategic Partnership. During a visit to China, Andrew Meaden, in conjunction with Ethen Zhang, delineated the strategic partnership's key areas of focus: Fusing Quality Content with Weixin/WeChat Ecosystem for Digital Branding: Tencent (0700.HK) boasts a premier content system, spanning Tencent Video, Tencent Music, Tencent Games, Tencent Sports, Tencent Animation, and Tencent News, in addition to the comprehensive Weixin/WeChat ecosystem, replete with mini-programs, Enterprise Accounts, Channels, Official Accounts, and Search. Brands can harness Weixin/WeChat's extensive infrastructure to develop their own storefronts and engage with users. Leveraging its robust experience in integrated marketing, GroupM will provide advertisers with wide-ranging marketing services across Tencent's ecosystem to its global clientele. (0700.HK) boasts a premier content system, spanning Video, Music, Games, Sports, Animation, and News, in addition to the comprehensive Weixin/WeChat ecosystem, replete with mini-programs, Enterprise Accounts, Channels, Official Accounts, and Search. Brands can harness Weixin/WeChat's extensive infrastructure to develop their own storefronts and engage with users. Leveraging its robust experience in integrated marketing, GroupM will provide advertisers with wide-ranging marketing services across Tencent's ecosystem to its global clientele. Pioneering Marketing Science to Facilitate Data-Driven Decisions: By merging TMS's marketing science products with GroupM's unique strengths in data engineering and planning, the partnership will enhance ROI for advertisers within Tencent's ecosystem. It is reported that in recent cooperation with global food and beverage titan Mars, TMS, GroupM, and advertisers collaboratively redefined the industry's conventional cross-screen, cross-media optimization delivery model. Promoting Co-creation to Amplify Content Marketing Influence: GroupM will collaborate with Tencent's content platforms, such as Tencent Video, to forge novel collaborative models and introduce premium content. This partnership will include co-creating content and joint marketing, thereby presenting innovative content marketing solutions for advertisers. "Carving out assured growth in fresh market cycles presents a global challenge to marketers," stated Patrick Xu, GroupM North Asia CEO and President, Greater China, WPP. "Radical breakthroughs in technologies like AIGC and large language models prompt us to reassess the core principles of marketing and branding. The collaboration between GroupM and TMS has consistently been stable and creative, resulting in mutually beneficial outcomes. In response to novel challenges, both companies will bolster their cooperation, unlocking new marketing value." "GroupM and TMS have been continually expanding their collaboration because we share a unified vision," explained Rycan Di, Chief Investment Officer of GroupM China. "We are steadfast in generating new growth for our clients and enhancing consumer experiences. We eagerly anticipate Tengyi Plan 2.0 ushering in more landmark achievements." "We are eager for GroupM and TMS to collaborate and deliver sustainable marketing advancements and notable returns for businesses," asserted Xiaoke Li, Senior Director of Channel Sales Department, TMS. "Having witnessed the three-year evolution of the Teng Yi Project and its growth into an all-encompassing agency collaboration, covering strategic consensus, industrial cooperation, capability building, and operational support, I feel privileged to have been a part of this journey," remarked Maxxie Qi, WPP Cooperation Lead in Channel Sales Department, TMS. 2023 is ripe with opportunities. TMS will continue its collaborative endeavors with GroupM to aid clients in capturing more business opportunities and carving out new growth trajectories for brands on a global scale. SOURCE Tencent ROCK HILL, S.C., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Carrie Watson, DO, FACOS, is acknowledged as a Distinguished Healthcare Provider for her contributions to the Trauma Surgery Field. Carrie Watson Dr. Watson began her pursuit of higher of education at the University of Oklahoma's Honors College where she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. She then attended the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia Campus where she received a medical degree (DO) and later completed a residency at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, OH. During her tenure at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, she was nationally recognized through the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons with the 2016 Resident Achievement Award. She capped her scholarship at the UF Health Shand's Hospital in Gainesville completing a surgical critical care fellowship. Dr. Watson asserts that she is a part of the team of professionals at Piedmont General Surgery Associates in Rock Hill, SC and serves as the Trauma Medical Director and ICU Co-Director at Piedmont Medical Center in Rock Hill. Involved with all disciplines of medicine, she focuses on practice management guidelines using a multi-disciplinary approach and works closely with other physicians to stabilize penetrating wounds. The doctor is the first line of care in the hospital providing services that include general surgery; trauma surgery (instructor for Advanced Trauma Life Support); rib fracture; chest wall stabilization; laparoscopic surgery; and robotic surgery with a special interest in ventral hernias; inguinal hernias; and colon resection, as well as surgical critical care. According to Dr. Watson, trauma surgery is a specialty that utilizes both operative and non-operative management to treat traumatic injuries, typically in an acute setting. She notes that trauma surgeons generally complete residency training in general surgery and often fellowship training in trauma or surgical critical care. They are responsible for treating bone fractures, cuts, internal injuries, burns, and shock and also perform surgery to repair penetrating and blunt-force injuries. Known for her compassion and excellence in service, Dr. Watson said "I hope to provide excellent surgical trauma and critical care for my patients and their families. My goal is to create a safe environment based on communication and treatment of the whole patient. I am passionate about people and treat my patients as if they are family. Trauma and emergency general surgeries are unexpected; I meet people and their family members on the scariest and worst days of their lives. I want to bring comfort and hope on these darkest of days." Prior to her current post, Dr. Watson practiced at a Level II trauma center; served as an assistant professor of trauma and general surgery; and as assistant program director for the surgical critical care fellowship in Ocala, FL. She was honored in 2018 as Ocala Health's Physician of the Year and twice selected by the general surgery residency to receive the Attending of the Year award 2018-2019 and 2020-2021. Contact: Katherine Green 516-825-5634 [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle MILESTONE, N.J., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Dr. Irene Mazur is acknowledged as a Top Pinnacle Professional for her contributions to the field of Psychiatry. Dr. Mazur pursued higher education from Terlopil University in the Ukraine 1992 where she earned a medical degree with honors. She completed a one-year residency in family medicine; finished a psychiatric residency at UMDNJ in Piscataway, NJ; and completed an additional residency at Albany Medical Center Fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at UMDNJ. According to Dr. Mazur, psychiatry is the medical specialty focused on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders which may include various maladaptation's related to mood, behavior, cognition, and perceptions. Psychiatrists evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients with mental emotional and behavioral disorders and conduct thorough psychiatric evaluations; develop treatment plans; prescribe medication; and evaluate treatment results. Highly renowned in her field, Dr. Mazur practices telepsychiatry treating children, adolescents, and adults for ADHD, depression, and anxiety at the Center of Revitalizing Psychiatry. She notes that the center provides a full spectrum of outpatient, psychiatric, and psycho-therapeutic services for children, adults, and elderly. Based in both New Jersey for more than 20 years and Florida for more than 10 years, the center's mission is to help adults, adolescents and the elderly restore their mental health by taking a team approach to addressing the individual needs of clients. The doctor is known for building a rapport with her patients and operates a psychiatric consulting service for nursing homes working with adults and geriatrics. Fluent in both Ukrainian, Polish, and Russian, the doctor is an active member of the American Psychiatric Association; has been recognized as a Top Psychiatrist of 2022 by Women in Medicine; and has completed research at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island on depression as a result of women being abused. Crediting family for her success, the doctor would like to thank them for their support. She has been married to Yuri Mazur, MD for 26 years and they have 3 sons. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE The Inner Circle Most Anticipated New Accommodations in the Ozark Mountains Welcomes Travelers Just in Time for Summer Season BRANSON, Mo., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ozarker Lodge , the first true boutique lifestyle hotel experience in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, opens today as a completely reimagined roadside lodging concept in one of America's most desirable family adventure destinations. The Ozarker Lodge invites guests to a design-forward, approachable hospitality experience with 102 all-new guest rooms, modern amenities, heated outdoor pool, cedar soaking tubs, engaging programming for all ages, coffee and wine bar, and easy access to the Ozark Mountains. Led by Eagle Point Hotel Partners and concepted by Missouri natives Jeremy Wells and Dustin Myers, founding partners of Longitude, The Ozarker Lodge is the premier affordable option in the Lake-area with a modern, unconventional aesthetic. The Ozarker Lodge "We are thrilled to welcome guests and locals to our re-envisioned and modern lodge that brings back the nostalgia of family road trips, the thrill of outdoor adventures, and the simple charm of an evening outdoors," said Jeremy Wells, founding partner, Longitude. "From the very beginning, our locally-based team set out to highlight the best of Branson and the surrounding region and celebrate why so many of us are proud to call the Ozarks home." "We reimagined this beautiful setting specifically designed for the Midwest leisure traveler bringing the best that the Ozarks has to offer with a modern perspective," said Stephen Chan, principal, Eagle Point Hotel Partners. "Working with Longitude has been a great collaboration and we look forward to finding more properties like The Ozarker Lodge to reimagine together." The Lodge Upon entering the reimagined lodge, guests are enveloped by a brand-new open lobby that is the heart of the hotel and serves as a social hub for guests, greeting adventure seekers, explorers, and nomads with a vintage yet modern lounge, indoor floating fireplace, and inviting dining area and community pantry. The Ozarker's brand-new guestrooms, designed by Midwest-based design firm PARINI , harness the energy and color palette of Branson, pulling inspiration from the destination to provide guests with an authentic experience. The guest room design is energizing, encouraging guests to go out, explore, and connect with nature and each other. The Bunkbed Rooms are ideal for families, friends, accommodating up to six people while offering double bathrooms for refreshing after a day of adventure. The Fall Creek King Suites can sleep up to four or five guests with one king bed and sleeper sofa, adorned with warm tones and fabrics that embrace travelers with signature Branson hospitality. For special occasions or guests seeking more spacious accommodations, the Ozarker Master Suite is 483 square feet and is designed for celebratory trips or romantic occasions and offers a full kitchen. Social Spaces, Experiences, and Events Whether guests travel solo, as couples, groups of friends, or as a family, The Ozarker Lodge has a fitting social space for every need. Nestled beside Branson's historic Fall Creek, offering an idyllic view of the region's natural beauty, The Ozarker Lodge is the perfect place for al fresco gatherings with its large heated outdoor pool, cozy fire pits, creekside cedar soaking tubs, a natural playground for little ones, and a dedicated space for local food trucks such as Jamaican Patty Co. to pop up throughout the year. The lodge works with local artisans and craftsmen to provide guests with one-of-a-kind experiences only found in the Ozarks. Regular programming includes guided hikes on nearby trails that leave right from the lobby, group kayaking, poolside movie nights, live music, fireside s'mores, seasonal foraging workshops, wine or beer tastings, charcuterie board and topography map reading classes, and seasonal food truck nights. The lodge is also an ideal place to hold private events or small affairs with friends and family with indoor and outdoor venue space equipped for intimate gatherings or buyouts. Provisions The lodge's new lobby bar, Storeroom, has partnered with several favorite brands from the region including Kingdom Coffee to offer locally-sourced coffee, along with Terrell Creek Farm to supply locally curated charcuterie boards and Grandma Ruth's for the best cinnamon rolls offered throughout the day. Guests can get a taste of local flavor by sipping on the lodge's official roast called "Scenic Blend," proudly roasted in the Ozarks. In the evenings, Storeroom showcases a carefully selected assortment of all-natural or "low-intervention" white, red, and rose wines from small producers and local craft breweries. Guests can also opt for Spring Branch kombucha in addition to non-alcoholic selections like delicious espresso drinks and flavored waters. For kids and travelers with a sweet tooth, the Lodge also offers complimentary saltwater taffy made at the iconic Silver Dollar City upon check-in, as well for sale by the pound at Storeroom. Guests will also receive wooden nickels at check-in, which can be redeemed for coffee, kombucha, or beer at Storeroom. S'mores kits are available for-purchase and popcorn is provided complimentary to enjoy by the outdoor firepits. America's Heartland Branson is considered one of America's most desirable family adventure destinations with over 10 million travelers visiting the destination every year. The Ozarker Lodge is appealingly situated between all the popular attractions, shows, museums, and shopping located off Highway 76 as well as the lake activities of Table Rock Lake. The hotel is only a short drive to the most popular Branson attractions such as Silver Dollar City, Branson Landing, Titanic Museum, and many more. It's not only convenient, but it feels "off the beaten path," charmingly nestled between two beautiful Ozark hillsides. To celebrate its grand opening, The Ozarker Lodge is beckoning road trippers with a limited-time package embracing Branson's central location in the middle of the United States and being less than a day's drive for approximately 25 percent of Americans. The special offer includes 25 percent off the best available rate on stays of three nights or more, $25 food and beverage credit, $50 gas credit, choice between one seasonal bottle of low-intervention wine or a four-pack of Spring Branch Kombucha, two items of Ozarker Lodge branded merchandise, and a custom road trip playlist on Spotify to entertain travelers on their journey to the Ozarks. Rates start at $109/night. To explore the new Ozarker Lodge or book a stay, please visit www.theozarkerlodge.com. Follow The Ozarker Lodge on Facebook and Instagram @theozarkerlodge. CONTACT: [email protected]com SOURCE The Ozarker Lodge The Valcourt Group expands its exterior building services footprint with the acquisition of Clearview Building Services, based in Missouri. THE WOODLANDS, Texas, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Valcourt Group, the leading provider of commercial restoration, waterproofing, and window cleaning services in the United States, is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Clearview Building Services, a prominent company specializing in window cleaning and pressure washing services based in Washington, MO. This strategic move further enhances The Valcourt Group's capabilities and expands its presence in the Missouri market. With a steadfast commitment to partnering with property owners and managers, The Valcourt Group delivers comprehensive solutions for all aspects of a building's exterior. As the organization continues to grow through strategic acquisitions, it remains dedicated to upholding the legacies of the talented individuals and companies that join its family. The Valcourt Group acknowledges that the contributions of these legacy companies are fundamental to its success and the shared culture that defines the organization. Founded in 1982, Clearview has established itself as a key player in the commercial building services market. Located in Fenton, Missouri, Clearview has built a solid reputation for excellence within the greater St. Louis area. The company's dedicated team, led by Joey and Emma Corley, brings their expertise and unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional service. "The Clearview footprint in St. Louis, along with their dedication to safety and service, made this an easy decision," says Eric Crabb, CEO of Valcourt. "This partnership is an exciting chance to continue bringing best-in-class service to customers and creates the opportunity to provide an expanded suite of services moving forward." "There is significant opportunity for growth, centralization, and expansion in the building services industry," says Joey Corley, General Manager at Clearview Building Services. "By bringing together Clearview's knowledge of customer needs with the combined expertise of The Valcourt Group and our shared commitment to offering excellent service, safety, and family culture, we envision becoming a more complete exterior envelope provider for our customers." Clearview's values and goals align seamlessly with those of The Valcourt Group, making this partnership a natural fit. About The Valcourt Group: The Valcourt Group is the premier provider of commercial restoration, waterproofing, and window cleaning services in the United States. Partnering with property owners and managers, we service all aspects of a building's exterior. Founded in 1986 by Jeffery Valcourt and have grown from a small window cleaning company in Washington, DC into one of the largest building services companies in the country. For more information about service offerings, you can visit us at www.valcourt.group. About Clearview Building Services: Clearview Building Services, Inc. was started as a family-owned business in 1982. In 2021, Joey Corley acquired the business from his father and promptly went back into commercial building services recognizing an opportunity for growing Clearview. This dedication to service has made them a leader in the St. Louis, Missouri market and with recognition across the Window Cleaning industry in a short amount of time. For media inquiries or further information, please contact: Kathleen Garska Director of Marketing The Valcourt Group [email protected] (281) 742-9129 SOURCE Valcourt Group KABUL, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Afghan authorities set on fire a total of 1,000 tonnes of expired medicine and edible items in the southern Kandahar province on Thursday, provincial government health official Farid Ahmad said. "The expired medicine and spoiled foodstuff weighing 1,000 tonnes have been collected by the provincial government's concerned bodies from different shops and drug stores recently and set ablaze in Police District 12 of Kandahar city today," Ahamd said. Provincial authorities had also collected and set on fire expired medicine and food items in Kandahar city several months ago, the official said, adding that no one would be allowed to sell expired foodstuff and medicine in the future. Shawn Zovod, renowned for broad client representation in complex environmental transactions, joins the firm's nationally recognized team SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Shawn Zovod, an attorney with significant experience advising clients on complex environmental issues and regulations, has joined Troutman Pepper's Environmental + Natural Resources (ENR) practice as a partner in San Francisco. She joins the firm from Lubin Olson & Niewiadomski LLP. With more than two decades of experience, Zovod has deep knowledge of California-specific environmental regulations and expertise in the Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and National Historic Preservation Act. She advises and represents a broad range of clients on these matters, including developers, energy and mining companies, and property owners. "Shawn's arrival aligns perfectly with our strategic goals, and we are confident that her expertise and leadership will help drive the firm's continued growth in California's increasingly complex and rapidly changing environmental regulatory arena," said partner Amie Colby, head of the firm's Regulatory and Finance department. "With Shawn's support, we will continue to provide the best counsel to our clients and help them navigate emerging regulatory challenges and providing creative and sustainable solutions." "We are thrilled to welcome Shawn to Troutman Pepper, further strengthening our exceptional team," said Andrea Wortzel, Environmental and Natural Resources practice group leader. "This addition reinforces our commitment to expanding the footprint of our environmental work. Her deep understanding of the intricate legal landscape in California and passion for delivering impactful solutions will further enhance our ability to meet client environmental needs, particularly on the West Coast." "We look forward to Shawn broadening the breadth and depth of our West Coast ENR practice group," said Kalama Lui-Kwan, managing partner of the firm's San Francisco office. "Her robust experience and professional connections complement and strengthen our comprehensive services in the environmental and natural resources sectors." Zovod has successfully negotiated with federal and state regulators, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Office of Historic Preservation, and Regional Water Quality Control Boards. She has evaluated property suitability for development, secured federal and state resource permits, implemented wetland and species permits and mitigation plans, and resolved violations to ensure compliance. "Joining Troutman Pepper is an exciting opportunity for me to work with an exceptional team who prioritizes collaboration, creative solutions, and forward-thinking," said Zovod. "I am eager to leverage the robust resources and multidisciplinary approach to deliver outstanding legal counsel that helps clients navigate the ever-changing environmental landscape." Troutman Pepper's nationally recognized Environmental + Natural Resources Practice Group helps clients navigate critical environmental issues in the context of complex litigation, compliance, enforcement, and transactional matters. The group, which includes 28 attorneys with valuable government, industry, and technical experience, provides a unique perspective to address the rapidly evolving federal, state, and local environmental issues that clients face on a day-to-day basis. About Troutman Pepper Troutman Pepper is a national law firm with more than 1,200 attorneys strategically located in 23 U.S. cities. The firm's litigation, transactional, and regulatory practices advise a diverse client base, from start-ups to multinational enterprises. The firm provides sophisticated legal solutions to clients' most pressing business challenges, with depth across industry sectors, including energy, financial services, health sciences, insurance, and private equity, among others. Learn more at troutman.com. SOURCE Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP LONDON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The internationally known Libera choir from London will be touring the United States this summer, going coast-to-coast performing in Washington, D.C., New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The group recently toured of Korea and will be touring Japan in the fall. Libera is a European boys' choir made up of South Londoners aged 7 to 16 who consider themselves ordinary London youth. However, their music is truly extraordinary with its shimmering, mystical chords, and ecstatic harmonies, that create celestial sounds for modern audiences. UK's world renown Libera boys choir will be performing across the U.S. in Washington, D.C., New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Tickets are available now at https://libera.org.uk. (PRNewsfoto/Libera Choir) The choir's global popularity can be traced to this distinctive vocal sound, imaginatively lit stages, and dynamic performance style. Their recordings have topped both mainstream and classical charts in many countries, and place in top-ten lists alongside major artists around the world. The group has had more than 60 million views on YouTube, received 3 Classical Brit award nominations and is one of the most downloaded classical acts on iTunes. Libera is seeing an increased following in the United States with their compelling arrangements, and moving performances of classical, sacred, and contemporary songs. Its universal appeal has earned fans all over the world, particularly in the US, the UK, the Philippines, South Korea, and Japan, where their CDs top the mainstream and classical charts and where they pack concert halls appearing in their trademark flowing white robes on artistically lit stages. The choir has performed for Popes and Presidents, on PBS specials and in venues ranging from great cathedrals, renowned concert halls and iconic stadiums, to community churches and TV studios. During appearances in New York in 2008, Libera was the only U.K. artist invited to participate in a Papal Mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI at Yankee Stadium. The group has also performed at the Kennedy Center Honors, Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan, 2016 World Youth Day in Krakow Poland where they performed live for 1.5 million pilgrims and appeared on US television on the 'Today' show, 'The Tonight Show' with Jay Leno and various PBS concert broadcasts. Concerts dates are Tuesday, July 25 at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington, DC; Friday, July 28, at Riverside Church in New York City; Monday, July 31, at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco; and Thursday, August 3, at Bel Air Church in Bel Air (Los Angeles). Ticket prices vary and can be reserved at libera.org.uk. TO ORDER TICKETS: https://www.ticketsource.us/us-libera LIBERA on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd0Y5kNcb6DKSDyAkQXtMpg LIBERA ON LINE: https://libera.org.uk Photo 1: The world renown Libera choir from London will be performing concerts at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, July 25. SOURCE Libera Choir OMAHA, Neb., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Union Pacific Corporation (NYSE: UNP) will release second quarter 2023 financial and operating results on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at 7:45 a.m. ET. The company's management team will host a conference call and live webcast at 8:45 a.m. ET. Parties interested in participating via teleconference may dial 877-407-8293. International callers may dial 201-689-8349. A live webcast of the presentation and materials will be available in the investor relations section of Union Pacific's website at www.up.com/investor. A replay of the audio webcast will be available shortly thereafter. ABOUT UNION PACIFIC Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at www.up.com. www.up.com www.facebook.com/unionpacific www.twitter.com/unionpacific SOURCE Union Pacific Corporation NEW YORK, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Facts and Factors study, the global low-voltage switchgear market size was nearly $94 billion in 2022 and is predicted to surge to about $133 billion by 2030 along with recording the highest CAGR of 5.1% from 2023 to 2030. Report Link with All Related Graphs & Charts: https://www.fnfresearch.com/low-voltage-switchgear-market Low-Voltage Switchgear Market: Overview Low-voltage switchgear offers short-circuit as well as overload protection through low-voltage power circuit breakers. Apart from this, low-voltage circuit breakers are deployed through the door and draw-out equipment. Furthermore, low-voltage switchgear is a three-stage switchgear that is utilized to effectively supply nearly 1000 volts and 6000 amperes of electric energy. The most common utility of low-voltage switchgear is in sub-comer, feeders, distribution boards, and incomers. It helps in protecting personnel from electrical hazards including arc blasts. Get a Free Sample Report with All Related Graphs & Charts (with COVID 19 Impact Analysis): https://www.fnfresearch.com/sample/low-voltage-switchgear-market Key Insights: As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the global low-voltage switchgear market is projected to expand annually at the annual growth rate of around 5.1% over the forecast timespan (2023-2030) In terms of revenue, the global low-voltage switchgear market size was evaluated at nearly $94 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $133 billion by 2030. in 2022 and is expected to reach by 2030. The global low-voltage switchgear market is anticipated to record massive growth over the forecast period owing to a rise in construction activities and growing renewable energy trends. Based on protection, the circuit breaker segment is predicted to contribute majorly towards the global market share over the forecast timeline. In terms of product, the plug-in segment is projected to account for a major share of the global market in 2023-2030. On the basis of installation, the outdoor segment is set to register the highest CAGR over the period from 2023 to 2030. Based on application, the smartphone segment is predicted to record massive growth over the forecast period. Region-wise, the Asia-Pacific low-voltage switchgear market is projected to register the highest CAGR during the assessment period. Facts and Factors published the latest report titled "Low-Voltage Switchgear Market Size, Share, Growth Analysis Report By Protection (Circuit Breaker and Fuse), By Product (Fixed-Mounting, Withdrawable Unit, and Plug-In), By Voltage (Low, Medium, and High), By Installation (Indoor and Outdoor), By Application (Smartphone and Lighting as a service), and By Region - Global and Regional Industry Insights, Overview, Comprehensive Analysis, Trends, Statistical Research, Market Intelligence, Historical Data and Forecast 2023 2030" into their research database. Industry Dynamics: Global Low-Voltage Switchgear Market: Growth Drivers The thriving construction sector and preference for sustainable power will expedite the global market landscape. The flourishing construction sector and the deployment of solar panels for generating renewable energy for reducing carbon emissions are likely to pave the way for the growth of the low-voltage switchgear market globally. Rapid infrastructural growth in the commercial and industrial sectors is predicted to steer the expansion of the market across the globe. In addition to this, a rise in the demand for distributed energy resources is anticipated to embellish the expansion of the global market. Humungous use of portable multifunctional modules in railways, offshore wind farms, and digital substations will steer the global market demand. Nonetheless, an increase in the costs of raw components and the growing need to import these components will hinder the expansion of the global low-voltage switchgear industry. However, an increment in the renovation of old electric grids and rapidly expanding microgrid network facilities along with a surge in demand for power supply will open new growth avenues for the industry across the globe. This will also offset the hindrance to global industry expansion. Directly Purchase a Copy of the Report @ https://www.fnfresearch.com/buynow/su/low-voltage-switchgear-market Global Low-Voltage Switchgear Market: Segmentation The global low-voltage switchgear market is segregated into protection, product, installation, voltage, application, and region. The protection segment of the low-voltage switchgear market is subdivided into the circuit breaker and fuse segments. Furthermore, the circuit breaker segment, which contributed to over three-fifths of the global market share in 2022, is anticipated to retain its segmental dominance in the upcoming years. The growth of the segment in the years ahead can be credited to the demand for lesser space along with the strong non-conductive properties of the product. A rise in investment in renewable energy projects will further spearhead the segmental expansion. On the basis of installation, the low-voltage switchgear industry across the globe is divided into indoor and outdoor segments. The outdoor segment, which held a major share of the global industry in 2022, is anticipated to record the fastest CAGR in the years ahead. The segmental expansion in the analysis period can be owing to the large-scale demand for the deployment of solar and wind panels. Apart from this, the escalating need for infrastructural development in developed economies can contribute lucratively towards segmental growth. In terms of application, the low-voltage switchgear market across the globe is segmented into smartphone and lighting as a service segments. Furthermore, the smartphone segment, which led the segmental expansion in 2022, is anticipated to record humungous growth during the forecast period of 2023-2030. The segmental growth over the forecast timeframe can be due to the surge in the switchgear application in smartphones. Based on technology, the low-voltage switchgear industry across the globe is divided into fixed-mounting, withdrawable unit, and plug-in segments. In addition to this, the plug-in segment, which accounted for nearly one-third of the global industry share in 2022, is estimated to dominate the global industry in the coming years. The segmental surge in the ensuing years can be owing to ease of installation and mechanical stability. Apart from this, the growing penetration of low-voltage switchgear in industrial and commercial sectors is predicted to embellish the global industry trends. On the basis of voltage, the low-voltage switchgear market across the globe can be segmented into low, medium, and high segments. Recent Developments: In the second quarter of 2019, Eaton Corporation plc, a power management firm headquartered in Ireland , acquired more than 80% of a stake in Ulusoy Electrik, a firm in the business of producing low-voltage switchgear, cable systems, and medium-voltage distribution transformers. The acquisition will assist the firm in entering new markets along with augmenting the growth of the low-voltage switchgear business of the latter. Eaton Corporation plc, a power management firm headquartered in , acquired more than 80% of a stake in Ulusoy Electrik, a firm in the business of producing low-voltage switchgear, cable systems, and medium-voltage distribution transformers. The acquisition will assist the firm in entering new markets along with augmenting the growth of the low-voltage switchgear business of the latter. In the first half of 2019 , Schneider Electric SE, a France -based firm specializing in online automation & energy management, introduced Masterpact MTZ in India , a high-powered low voltage circuit breaker. Furthermore, the product offers safe performance and improves reliability. , Schneider Electric SE, a -based firm specializing in online automation & energy management, introduced Masterpact MTZ in , a high-powered low voltage circuit breaker. Furthermore, the product offers safe performance and improves reliability. In the first quarter of 2022, Siemens acquired Russelectric Inc, a firm manufacturing high-integrity on-site power control systems including parallel switchgear and automatic transfer switches & power control systems. The move will boost the growth of the low-voltage switchgear business globally. Get More Insight before [email protected]: https://www.fnfresearch.com/inquiry/low-voltage-switchgear-market List of Key Players in Low-Voltage Switchgear Market: Hyosung Corporation ABB Ltd. Al Hassan Engineering Co. SAOG (AHEC) Mitsubishi Corporation L&T Schneider Electric SE Lucy Electric Hubbell Incorporated Siemens AG Hitachi Ltd Fujifilm Holdings Corporation Rockwell Automation Inc. Norelco START Hyundai Electric General Electric Company Eaton Corporation Zhujiang Low Voltage Switchgear Toshiba Corporation E+I Engineering Others Key questions answered in this report: What are the growth rate forecast and market size for Low-Voltage Switchgear Market? What are the key driving factors propelling the Low-Voltage Switchgear Market forward? What are the most important companies in the Low-Voltage Switchgear Market Industry? What segments does the Low-Voltage Switchgear Market cover? How can I receive a free copy of the Low-Voltage Switchgear Market sample report and company profiles? Report Scope: Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2022 USD 94 Billion Revenue forecast in 2030 USD 133 Billion Growth Rate CAGR of almost 5.1% 2023-2030 Base Year 2022 Historic Years 2016 2021 Forecast Years 2023-2030 Segments Covered By Protection, Installation, Voltage, Product, Application, and Region Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2023 to 2030 Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa, and Rest of World Countries Covered U.S., Canada, Mexico, U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, GCC Countries, and South Africa, among others Companies Covered Hyosung Corporation, ABB Ltd., Al Hassan Engineering Co. SAOG (AHEC), Mitsubishi Corporation, L&T, Schneider Electric SE, Lucy Electric, Hubbell Incorporated, Siemens AG, Hitachi Ltd, Fujifilm Holdings Corporation, Rockwell Automation Inc., Norelco START, Hyundai Electric, General Electric Company, Eaton Corporation, Zhujiang Low Voltage Switchgear, Toshiba Corporation, E+I Engineering., and others. Report Coverage Market growth drivers, restraints, opportunities, Porter's five forces analysis, PEST analysis, value chain analysis, regulatory landscape, market attractiveness analysis by segments and region, company market share analysis, and COVID-19 impact analysis. Customization Scope Avail of customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. https://www.fnfresearch.com/customization/low-voltage-switchgear-market Free Brochure: https://www.fnfresearch.com/ask-to-analyst/low-voltage-switchgear-market Regional Dominance: Asia-Pacific to contribute a major revenue share to the global Low-Voltage Switchgear market in the coming years. Moreover, North America, which contributed the highest share towards the global low-voltage switchgear industry in 2022, is slated to continue its dominance in the projected years. The regional market surge in the forecasting years can be owing to the presence of giant industry participants such as Microsoft Corporation, Amazon, Inc., Google LLC, and IBM Corporation in the countries such as the U.S. Furthermore, the blending of the smart home equipment with voice assistants will foster the expansion of the industry in North American region. Moreover, the growing demand for voice assistants in the countries such as Canada and the U.S. will spike the expansion of the industry in the sub-continent. Global Low-Voltage Switchgear Market is segmented as follows: Low-Voltage Switchgear Market: By Protection Outlook (2023-2030) Circuit Breaker Fuse Low-Voltage Switchgear Market: By Installation Outlook (2023-2030) Indoor Outdoor Low-Voltage Switchgear Market: By Voltage Outlook (2023-2030) Low Medium High Low-Voltage Switchgear Market: By Product Outlook (2023-2030) Fixed-Mounting Withdrawable Unit Plug-In Low-Voltage Switchgear Market: By Application Outlook (2023-2030) Smartphone Lighting as a service Low-Voltage Switchgear Market: By Region Outlook (2023-2030) North America The U.S. Canada Europe France The UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Southeast Asia Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa GCC South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Press Release: https://www.fnfresearch.com/news/global-low-voltage-switchgear-market Browse Other Related Research Reports from Facts and Factors Low-Voltage Switchgear Market : According to the report published by Facts & Factors, the global low-voltage switchgear market size was evaluated at $94 billion in 2022 and is slated to hit $133 billion by the end of 2030 with a CAGR of nearly 5.1% between 2023 and 2030. According to the report published by Facts & Factors, the global low-voltage switchgear market size was evaluated at in 2022 and is slated to hit by the end of 2030 with a CAGR of nearly 5.1% between 2023 and 2030. HVAC Equipment Market : According to the report published by Facts & Factors, the global HVAC equipment market size was evaluated at $136 billion in 2022 and is slated to hit $231.85 billion by the end of 2030 with a CAGR of nearly 6.1% between 2023 and 2030. According to the report published by Facts & Factors, the global HVAC equipment market size was evaluated at in 2022 and is slated to hit by the end of 2030 with a CAGR of nearly 6.1% between 2023 and 2030. Firefighting Foam Market : According to Facts and Factors, the global firefighting foam market size was worth around USD 5.51 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD 6.72 billion by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 3.81% between 2023 and 2030. According to Facts and Factors, the global firefighting foam market size was worth around in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 3.81% between 2023 and 2030. HVAC Systems Market : According to the report published by Facts & Factors, the global HVAC systems market size was evaluated at $137 billion in 2022 and is slated to hit $235 billion by the end of 2030 with a CAGR of nearly 6.4% between 2023 and 2030. According to the report published by Facts & Factors, the global HVAC systems market size was evaluated at in 2022 and is slated to hit by the end of 2030 with a CAGR of nearly 6.4% between 2023 and 2030. Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) Market: According to the report published by Facts and Factors, The global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) market size was worth around USD 233.21 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD 304.52 billion by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 5.51% between 2023 and 2030. Browse through Facts and Factors's coverage of the Global Heavy Industry Industry Follow Us on: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook About Us Facts and Factors is an obligated company. We create futuristic, cutting-edge, informative reports ranging from industry reports, and company reports to country reports. We provide our clients not only with market statistics unveiled by avowed private publishers and public organizations but also with vogue and newest industry reports along with pre-eminent and niche company profiles. Our database of market research reports comprises a wide variety of reports from cardinal industries. Our database is been updated constantly to fulfill our clients with prompt and direct online access to our database. Keeping in mind the client's needs, we have included expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends in this database. Last but not the least, we make it our duty to ensure the success of clients connected to usafter allif you do well, a little of the light shines on us. Contact Us: Facts and Factors Tel: +1 347 690-0211 USA/Canada Toll-Free No. +44 2032 894158 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.fnfresearch.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1981423/FnF_Research_Logo.jpg SOURCE FnF Research WASHINGTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, introduced the Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation Leadership Act (PREVAIL Act). It was co-sponsored by Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Ranking Member Thom Tillis (R-NC). Chris Israel, executive director of The Alliance of U.S. Startups & Inventors for Jobs, issued the following statement on the bill: "This landmark legislation will help restore balance to America's patent system by making much-needed reforms to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). "PTAB was intended as a speedy, low-cost alternative to challenging a patent in district court. Today, it is being inappropriately used as a supplement to litigation, which unfairly targets small businesses and inventors with limited financial means. "Duplicative and abusive challenges on valid U.S. patents have cost disruptive startups billions of dollars and countless hours needed to build new companies and make our economy more competitive. PTAB has allowed large, incumbent companies to simply ignore the patents of disruptive competitors. This has had a chilling effect on venture investment for important new technologies and forced many companies and entrepreneurs to stop inventing altogether. "The PREVAIL Act would change this course and codify important changes to PTAB, including prohibiting duplicitous proceedings and requiring that PTAB challengers have standing. We urge lawmakers to pass this legislation without delay." About The Alliance of U.S. Startups & Inventors for Jobs USIJ is an association of inventors, startups, venture capital investors, entrepreneurs and supporters, whose efforts to bring new companies and new technologies into being are entirely dependent on a reliable system of patent protection. Collectively, we have launched dozens of companies in areas including biotechnology, clean energy, medical devices and wireless technology. Press Contact: Chris Israel Executive Director, USIJ [email protected] 202.327.8100 SOURCE Alliance of U.S. Startups & Inventors for Jobs DUBAI, UAE, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VAPORESSO, a leading brand in the vaping industry, unveils two groundbreaking products, VAPORESSO COSS and VAPORESSO ECO, at the World Vape Show held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from June 21 to 23. "We are thrilled to introduce VAPORESSO COSS and VAPORESSO ECO to more vapers at the show. These two revolutionary products are set to enhance the vaping experience, with their user-friendly features and eco-friendly design," said Jimmy Hu, Vice President of VAPORESSO. The VAPORESSO COSS, VAPORESSO's latest innovation, is a game-changer in the vaping industry. It addresses the pain points of existing products and offers an intuitive design that caters to the vaping habits of users. The product's slogan, Convenient Operating, Smart Supplying, embodies its features. The VAPORESSO COSS boasts the smallest size of vaping device and the longest battery life. It also comes with an automatic liquid filling and charging feature. With Coil-oil Separation System, the VAPORESSO COSS ensures a fresh taste without any leakage, and its consistent taste is a unique feature that sets it apart from other products. The VAPORESSO ECO emphasizes the value of being eco-friendly, economical, and eco-self. It is refillable and rechargeable. Along with its larger capacity, longer battery life, reduced heavy metal content, and leather paper packaging that can be reused and recycled, the VAPORESSO ECO is more cost-saving, eco-friendly, and safer for both the environment and humans when compared to disposable products. The product's daily usage costs are reduced by 60%, making it accessible to a wider audience with a range of bright colors. In addition to VAPORESSO COSS and VAPORESSO ECO, VAPORESSO also has an IP counter featuring its highly popular XROS Series and LUXE X Series, along with a special display counter for its TARGET Series and GEN Series. VAPORESSO's presence at the World Vape Show in Dubai, along with its latest and classic offerings, once again demonstrates the brand's dedication to creating innovative, high-quality, and sustainable products with cutting-edge vaping technology to meet the evolving needs of the global vaping community. About VAPORESSO VAPORESSO was created in 2015 and is dedicated to establishing a smoke-free world while raising the quality of life for its users. Based on its continuous innovation, strict quality control, and substantial commitment, VAPORESSO creates products that can fit all levels and styles of vapers. SOURCE VAPORESSO New Hire Demonstrates Company's Commitment to Improving Clinician and Patient Experience DALLAS, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ventra Health, the leading business solutions provider for hospital-based clinicians, announced today that it has named Erica Franko as the company's Chief Transformation Officer. An experienced financial and operations improvement executive, Ms. Franko has over a decade of experience with industry-leading consulting and healthcare organizations. Over the course of her career, Ms. Franko has focused on transforming operational performance, revenue cycle management, and patient experience solutions to meet the needs of both patients and healthcare providers. She comes to Ventra Health from AGS Health, where she was Senior Vice President of Customer Success. Prior to AGS, she was at nThrive (now FinThrive) in the role of Senior Vice President of Technology/Service Implementations and Advisory Services. Earlier, she was a consultant at Accenture advising healthcare companies on growth strategy and large-scale transformations. Steven Huddleston, CEO of Ventra Health, said, "I am thrilled to welcome Erica to our team. She has proven experience centered at the intersection of technology and process, which will help us to better focus on driving sustainable improvements that will allow us to optimize how we serve our clinician partners." Ms. Franko commented, "I am truly excited to join Ventra Health and support the company's vision of enabling healthcare clinicians to thrive by helping to solve their business challenges. Our shared goal is to help our clients reduce administrative burden, create predictable outcomes, and improve financial results, allowing them to invest in their core mission of care delivery and innovation." About Ventra Health: Ventra Health is a leading business solutions provider for hospital-based clinicians practicing in Anesthesia, Emergency, and Hospital Medicine. Focused on Advisory, Practice Management, and Revenue Cycle Management, Ventra partners with private practices, hospitals, and health systems to deliver transparent and data-driven solutions that solve the most complex revenue and reimbursement issues, enabling clinicians to focus on providing outstanding care to their patients and communities. Media Contact Jenifer Bush Vice President, Marketing Ventra Health [email protected] SOURCE Ventra Health Annual MSP 501 Identifies Industry's Best-in-Class Businesses Growing Via Recurring Revenue and Innovation PHILADELPHIA, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Verinext, the company that delivers transformative business outcomes through technology and services for everything that comes next, today announced that it has been named as one of the world's premier managed service providers in the prestigious 2023 Channel Futures MSP 501 rankings. For the past 17 years, managed service providers around the globe have submitted applications for inclusion on this prestigious and definitive listing. The Channel Futures MSP 501 survey examines organizational performance based on annual sales, recurring revenue, profit margins, revenue mix, growth, innovation and supported technologies. MSPs that qualify for the list must pass a rigorous review conducted by the research team and editors of Channel Futures. It ranks applicants using a unique methodology that weighs financial performance according to long-term health and viability, commitment to recurring revenue and operational efficiency. "At Verinext, we offer an innovative suite of managed services that are designed to truly deliver a competitive advantage for our customers," said Brian Glahn, CEO, Verinext. "From simplifying infrastructure management and enhancing security and resilience to delivering reliable data protection and recovery, our managed services are tailored to ensure that customers can anticipated requirements and pivot quickly when new needs arise. We are proud to add this year's MSP 501 recognition to our growing list of MSP accolades." This year's MSP 501 list is one of the most competitive in the survey's history. Winners will be recognized on the Channel Futures website and honored during a special ceremony at the Channel Futures Leadership Summit, Oct. 30-Nov. 2, in Miami, Florida. Since its inception, the MSP 501 has evolved from a competitive ranking into a vibrant group of innovators focused on high levels of customer satisfaction at small, medium and large organizations in public and private sectors. Many of their services and technology offerings focus on customer needs in the areas of cloud, security, collaboration and hybrid work forces. "The 2023 Channel Futures MSP 501 winners persevered through challenging times to become the highest-performing and most innovative IT providers in the industry today," said Jeff O'Heir, Channel Futures senior news editor and MSP 501 project manager. "The MSP 501 ranking doesn't award MSPs solely on their size and revenue. It acknowledges the business acumen, best practices and trusted advice they deliver to customers every day. They deserve the honor." "We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2023 winners, and gratitude to the thousands of MSPs that have contributed to the continuing growth and success of the managed services sector," said Kelly Danziger, general manager of Informa Tech Channels. "These providers are most certainly driving a new wave of innovation in the industry and are demonstrating a commitment to moving the MSP and entire channel forward." The data collected by the annual NextGen 101 and MSP 501 drive Channel Futures' market intelligence insights, creating robust data sets and data-based trend reports that support our editorial coverage, event programming, community and networking strategies and educational offerings. Background The 2023 MSP 501 list is based on confidential data collected and analyzed by the Channel Futures research and editorial teams. Data was collected online from February to May, 2023. The MSP 501 list recognizes top managed service providers based on metrics including recurring revenue, profit margin and other factors. About Verinext Verinext delivers transformative business outcomes through technology and services so customers are ready for everything that comes next. From intelligently automating time-consuming tasks and protecting data assets to securing infrastructure and improving customer experiences, Verinext activates the innovation that makes technology truly work so businesses can make their next move with confidence. Verinext is the new name for the combination of Anexinet, Veristor, Light Networks and SereneIT. With five offices across the south and northeast, Verinext is backed by Mill Point Capital LLC. Learn more at verinext.com. About Channel Futures Channel Futures is a media and events destination for the information and communication technologies (ICT) channel community. We provide information, perspective and connection for the entire channel ecosystem, including solution providers (SPs), managed service providers (MSPs), managed security service providers (MSSPs), cloud service providers (CSPs), value-added resellers (VARs) and distributors, technology solutions brokerages, subagents and agents, as well as leading technology vendor partners and communication providers. Our properties include many awards programs such as the Channel Futures MSP 501, a list of the most influential and fastest-growing providers of managed services in the technology industry; Channel Partners events, which delivers unparalleled in-person events including Channel Partners Conference & Expo, Channel Futures Leadership Summit, Women's Leadership Summit, the MSP Summit and Channel Partners Europe; and a DEI Community Group, our initiative to educate, support and promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the ICT channel industry. Channel Futures is where the world meets the channel; we are leading Channel Partners forward. More information is available at channelfutures.com. Channel Futures is part of Informa Tech, a market-leading B2B information provider with depth and specialization in ICT sector. Every year, we welcome 14,000+ subscribers to our research, more than 4 million unique monthly visitors to our digital communities, 18,200+ students to our training programs and 225,000 delegates to our events. SOURCE Verinext PHOENIX, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- It is with great pleasure that we announce Vicki Mayo, the visionary CEO of GMI, as the recipient of the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 Pacific Southwest Award. Vicki Mayo, CEO of GMI, Named 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year Pacific Southwest Award Winner Tweet this Vicki Mayo, 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year The Entrepreneur of the Year Pacific Southwest Award celebrates individuals who have significantly impacted their industry through groundbreaking ideas, transformative initiatives, and remarkable business growth. Vicki Mayo has exemplified these qualities throughout her career. Vicki's unwavering commitment to innovation has propelled GMI to the forefront of the industry, positioning the company as a leader in cyber security, procurement, networking, and cloud solutions. Beyond her entrepreneurial prowess, Vicki Mayo is renowned for her dedication to social impact and philanthropy, which extends beyond GMI. Visit MayoGlobal.com to learn more about the Mayo Family Foundation and how Mayo has spearheaded numerous charitable initiatives recognizing the importance of giving back to the community, including recently rescuing 147 girls from Afghanistan. "I am deeply honored to receive the Entrepreneur of the Year Award," said Vicki Mayo. "This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire GMI team. It is their unwavering commitment to innovations, such as being the first Secure Managed Service Provider, that has made this achievement possible. I also want to express my gratitude to our valued customers and partners who have entrusted us with their support." The Entrepreneur of the Year Award is a prestigious distinction presented by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), a globally recognized authority honoring exceptional entrepreneurs. The award acknowledges Vicki Mayo's outstanding achievements and is a testament to her remarkable entrepreneurial journey. About GMI: Global Market Innovators (GMI) is a full-stack IT provider, including all services with a Security-first lens. GMI is the first Secure Managed Service Provider with a one-stop shop for full IT lifecycle services, including secure technology solutions across security, network, cloud, collaboration, mobility, and managed IT practices, and is supported by a dynamic global team of experts. A diversified client roster includes Fortune 50-2000 customers and state and local education, including K-12, and covers a range of commercial, government, and enterprise customers. The company's geographic footprint extends from the United States and Canada to Morocco, the Philippines, and Costa Rica. GMI is a privately-held, women- and minority-owned, and diversity supplier-certified company headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. SOURCE Global Market Innovators (GMI) HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vinamilk marks a significant milestone in its pioneering journey toward sustainable development by mapping out its Pathways to Dairy Net Zero 2050, which seeks to reduce its environmental impact while bolstering sustainability efforts throughout the company's entire value chain. Vinamilk is the first local dairy producer to publicly announce its pledge to carbon neutrality and Net Zero following the Vietnamese Government's commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, made by Prime Minister at the COP26 in 2021. Vinamilk announces Pathways to Dairy Net Zero 2050 The first dairy company in Vietnam to obtain a carbon-neutrality certification Vinamilk and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment kicked off the tree planting initiative working towards Net Zero 2023 2027 goals with a total budget of VND15 billion (USD630,000) in February 2023 The leading dairy brand identified its sustainability focus in four fundamental pillars: sustainable agriculture, green production, environmentally friendly logistics, and sustainable consumption. Furthermore, the company strives to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by 2027, 55% by 2035, and reach net zero emissions by 2050. Besides declaring its Net Zero goal, Vinamilk takes pride in being the first dairy company in Vietnam (Source: Intage Vietnam) to obtain a carbon-neutrality certification from Bureau Veritas and BSI for its dairy factory and farm, located in Nghe An province, following the PAS 2060:2014 standards. According to the published and verified report, the total greenhouse gas emissions of these two units that have been neutralized is 17,560 tons of CO2, equivalent to approximately 1.7 million trees. This is the result of a "dual action" approach involving efforts to reduce emissions in Vinamilk's production and livestock activities, while also maintaining the company's trees source to absorb greenhouse gases over the years. Achieving greenhouse gas emission reductions and moving towards Net Zero in the dairy industry poses significant challenges, especially for large-scale dairy farms. It requires comprehensive investments in technology, transitioning to renewable energy, and applying circular economy practices. Vinamilk's accomplishments are noteworthy and serve as a significant motivation for the broader dairy sector's journey toward Net Zero - as assessed by Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, General Director, Bureau Veritas Vietnam. Vinamilk has long made substantial contributions toward enhancing the sustainability of Vietnam's dairy industry. Since 2012, Vinamilk has published its sustainability report which aligned with the GRI Standards and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and recently included sustainable development as one of its strategic development goals from 2022 to 2026. It has utilized solar energy in 13 farms and 11 factories, pioneered the Green Farm model and successfully achieving the "1 Million Trees for Vietnam Fund" goal. "Vinamilk recognizes that achieving "reducing, neutralizing, and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions to 0" is not merely an option but an inevitable journey. We must race against time and seize opportunities, unwavering in our pursuit of the Net Zero target by 2050, leaving no room for delay or deviation from our determined plans," expressed Mrs. Mai Kieu Lien, CEO of Vinamilk. As a supporter of the "Pathways to Dairy Net Zero" initiative and aligning with its ESG strategy, Vinamilk intends to launch more elaborate activities to achieve its sustainability goals such as boosting afforestation initiatives and strengthening international collaboration. About Vinamilk Vinamilk is the leading dairy company in Vietnam and the 36th largest dairy manufacturer, in terms of revenue. It manages 15 farms and 17 modern factories domestic and overseas. For more information, please refer to Vinamilk's Sustainable development report and Sustainable news. SOURCE Vinamilk The coastal city of Huanghua is riding a wave of prosperity! And nobody could be happier about this new trend than local farmers in north China. Click to see the amazing turnaround that saw this once barren land become a thriving producer of saline-alkali tolerant crops. Produced by Xinhua Global Service On Thursday morning, Walt Disney World Resort hosted the largest swim lesson site in the state of Florida and one of the largest in the country at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and other resort hotel pools. LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Walt Disney World Resort was once again Florida's largest event site Thursday for the World's Largest Swimming Lesson an annual event designed to promote safe water practices worldwide. More than 650 Florida youth from six nonprofit organizations took part in the event at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and at various Walt Disney World Resort hotel pools to build awareness and empower students with the skills they need to swim safely. 2004 U.S Olympic Silver Medalist, Maritza McClendon, joins Walt Disney World Resort for the 14th annual Worlds Largest Swimming Lesson event at Disneys Typhoon Lagoon Water Park on June 22,2023 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. McClendon, who was the first African American to make team USA and win an Olympic medal, helped students learn water safety skills and offered words of inspiration to kids from non-profit organizations including Boys and Girls Clubs, Elevate Orlando, Coalition for the Homel 2004 U.S Olympic Silver Medalist, Maritza McClendon, joins Walt Disney World Resort for the 14th annual Worlds Largest Swimming Lesson event at Disneys Typhoon Lagoon Water Park on June 22,2023 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. McClendon, who was the first African American to make team USA and win an Olympic medal, helped students learn water safety skills and offered words of inspiration to kids from non-profit organizations including Boys and Girls Clubs, Elevate Orlando, Coalition for the Homel "Students need access to these critical safety lessons, especially here in Florida where we're surrounded by water," said Tajiana Ancora-Brown, Director of External Affairs at Walt Disney World Resort. "Being able to host the largest site in the state means our impact on their lives is huge whether they were inspired to pursue a career in recreation or pass the lessons along to their friends and family. These are skills and memories that will last them a lifetime!" Former Olympic silver medalist Maritza Correia McClendon the first African-American woman to make the US Olympic swim team and set a World Record participated in the event, sharing her love of swimming and driving home the importance of water safety. Swimming and water safety are critical for kids, especially in Florida where there are numerous lakes, ponds and waterways, as well as swimming pools. McClendon, who grew up in Florida and now resides in the Atlanta area, talked with the kids about her journey with swim safety and emphasized just how important it is to understand from a young age. Following the lesson, the participating students put their swimming skills into action and spent the rest of the day enjoying all the magic and watery attractions at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. Students also had the opportunity to interact with Disney characters including Mickey Mouse and Stitch and even met with Disney lifeguards and the recruiting team to learn about available careers they may one day like to pursue. Immersive and distinctly Disney experiences like this are part of the Disney Future Storytellers initiative and are designed to leave a lasting impact on these kids as they look to their futures. For more information on Disney's impact in Florida, visit DisneyFlorida.com. The World's Largest Swimming Lesson: The World's Largest Swimming Lesson is a global, one-day event that's all about teaching families the importance of learning to swim to prevent childhood drowning. Team WLSL has set five multi-venue and three single venue Guinness World Records for the World's Largest Swimming Lesson and holds the current records for both categories. The 14th Anniversary World's Largest Swimming Lesson is taking place today in 18 different countries on six continents over the course of 24 hours. Globally, Team WLSL is expecting more than 35,000 participants at 600 locations in 18 countries this year. SOURCE Walt Disney World WASHINGTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Starin Strategies, a Marcom agency founded by Christene Marie , is proud to announce its rebranding to The Knowing Agency. The transition of the name lends significance to its unique approach to empathy-driven branding and measurement marketing, predicated upon its proprietary process of empowering organizations and executives with the knowing of self necessary to position their corporate and personal brands with authenticity in order to form powerful connections with their intended audiences. The Knowing Agency CEO and Founder Christene Marie "Knowing facilitates deep-seated connection - that which every human being craves - and time and time again, our empathy-driven approach has garnered measurable results against bottom-line goals," said Christene Marie, CEO and Founder. As a result of presenting brands from an authentic position, The Knowing Agency, which will be heading into its fifth year of business, has seen impressive results for clients worldwide, such as 35x social media engagement and procurement of six-figure deals. The Knowing Agency serves as a Fractional CMO, marketing strategist and executor, and cultivator of brands & websites, among its other services. Throughout its tenure, The Knowing Agency has served as the partner of notable agencies serving the world's leading brands as well as the agency of record for organizations driving significant impact within their communities and on a global scale. The agency has collaborated with impactful partners such as Fenton Communications, COCO B. Productions, and Nahigian Strategies to guide internationally recognized conglomerates in the strategic execution of marketing activations to achieve bottom-line results. These collaborations include leading Amazon's communications strategy for an inaugural event, commercial talent for Toyota and USPS, storytelling across social media mediums on behalf of Kellogg Foundation, digital marketing for NAACP, and geotargeting ten countries for a Fortune 50 healthcare company. In addition, The Knowing Agency specializes in positioning local, regional, and national brands as leaders by deploying marketing tactics that emotionally resonate with intended audiences to highlight both their services and service to the community. Among the brands served throughout the Washington D.C. Metro Area are Washington Nationals, The Canton Group, Bloom Health Centers, The Affiliated Sante Group, Hoffman Painting & Finishing, and End Hunger In Calvert County. "Guided by carefully defined high yet consistently executed values, we are on a mission to enable organizations and executives alike with authentic, empathy-driven brands to achieve meaningful connections through measurable marketing," said Marie. "Our new name signifies our commitment to this mission, and I am humbled at the bench of team members, mentors, and colleagues alike who have not only supported us thus far but hold a similar passion to propelling this mission forward." To learn more about The Knowing Agency, visit theknowingagency.com . ABOUT THE KNOWING AGENCY The Knowing Agency, a subsidiary of The Knowing Group, is an empathy-driven branding and measurement marketing agency serving impact-oriented organizations and executives. Formerly known as Starin Strategies, The Knowing Agency, Christene Marie's first business launched in 2019, boasts a proprietary process of empowering organizations and executives with the knowing of self necessary to position their corporate and personal brands with authenticity in order to form powerful connections with their intended audiences. The Knowing Agency empowers its partners and clients to be more than a product, solution, or service, transforming them into strong empathy-driven brands that shine in their industry and achieve bottom-line goals through measurable marketing strategy and execution. Contact: May Asahan The Knowing Agency [email protected]com SOURCE The Knowing Agency CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global water-based heating & cooling systems market is expected to be valued at USD 37.7 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 55.2 billion by 2028; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The global demand for energy is growing rapidly, and this is putting a strain on the environment. Water-based heating and cooling systems are a more sustainable option than traditional systems, as they produce fewer emissions. This is driving demand for water-based systems, as businesses and homeowners look for ways to reduce their environmental impact. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=226018313 Browse in-depth TOC on "Water-based Heating & Cooling Systems Market" 189 Tables 48 Figures 233 Pages Water-based Heating & Cooling Systems Market Report Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $37.7 billion Estimated Value by 2028 $55.2 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 7.9% Market Size Available for 20192028 Forecast Period 20232028 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered By Heating, Cooling, Cooling Type, Implementation Type, Vertical & Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World Key Market Challenge Increase in environmental concerns and aging infrastructure Key Market Opportunities Growing demand for sustainable solutions Key Market Drivers Increasing constructions activities in residential and industry sectors Water-based heating systems market for convector heaters to hold the second-highest market share during the forecast period. Convector heaters are versatile and efficient heating devices that find various applications in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. One major use case of convector heaters is in providing supplementary heating in homes. They are particularly useful in rooms or areas that are not adequately heated by the central heating system, such as basements, garages, or individual rooms with poor insulation. Convector heaters are also commonly used in offices and workplaces to provide localized heat to employees, especially in larger spaces where maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the entire area may be challenging. Water-based heating & cooling systems industry for industrial vertical to hold the second highest market share during the forecast period. The application of water-based heating and cooling systems is more complex in industries compared with residential and commercial buildings. Industrial water-based heating and cooling systems have special requirements and require customized solutions. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), industrial buildings consume more energy than residential and commercial buildings. The implementation and execution of energy-saving programs are complex in these buildings due to the different manufacturing activities involved in various industries. Moreover, large-scale enterprises always look for ways to reduce costs by optimizing their energy usage. Industrial buildings require a lot of energy to operate their processes. The systems used in industrial buildings help to reduce costs related to energy. Industrial owners are installing efficient water-based heating and cooling systems in warehouses, control rooms, distribution centers, and production facilities to increase the optimum use of energy in these areas. Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=226018313 Water-based heating & cooling systems market for China to hold the highest CAGR during the forecast period. China is one of the largest consumers of HVAC systems and it has a huge demand for water-based heating and cooling systems with the growing industrialization and urbanization. The booming industrial and manufacturing sectors have made China one of the largest energy consumers in the world. Thus, the government is coming up with various initiatives for promoting energy consumption practices. Moreover, the minimum energy performance standard (MEPS) in the country is expected to reduce CO2 emission levels by ~12% from 2019 to 2050, leading to high demand for water-based heating and cooling systems in the country. The water-based heating & cooling systems companies includes significant Tier I and II players like Daikin (Japan), Johnson Controls (US), Carrier Global Corporation (US), Trane Technologies (US), Fujitsu (Japan), and others. These players have a strong market presence for water-based heating & cooling systems across various North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and RoW countries. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=226018313 Browse Adjacent Market: Semiconductor and Electronics Market Research Reports &Consulting Related Reports: Building Automation System Market Size, Share & Industry Growth Analysis Report by Offering (Facility Management Systems, Security & Access Controls, Fire Protection Systems, BEM Software, BAS Services), Communication Technology (Wireless, Wired), Application and Region - Global Growth Driver and Industry Forecast to 2027 HVAC Controls Market by Component (Sensors, Controllers, and Controlled Equipment), System, Implementation Type (New Construction, Retrofit), Application (Residential, Commercial, Industrial) and Region - Global Forecast to 2027 Smart Home Market Size, Share & Industry Growth Analysis Report by Product (Lighting Control, Security & Access Control, HVAC Control, Smart Speaker, Smart Kitchen and Smart Furniture), Software and Services, Sales Channel and Region - Global Forecast to 2028 Building Management System Market by Software (Facility, Security, Energy, Emergency, Infrastructure Management), Service (Professional, Managed), Application (Residential, Commercial, Industrial), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023 Energy Harvesting System Market Size, Share & Industry Growth Analysis Report by End-use System, Technology, Component (Transducers, Power Management Integrated Circuits and Secondary Batteries), Application, and Region - Global Growth Driver and Industry Forecast to 2026 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is a blue ocean alternative in growth consulting and program management, leveraging a man-machine offering to drive supernormal growth for progressive organizations in the B2B space. We have the widest lens on emerging technologies, making us proficient in co-creating supernormal growth for clients. The B2B economy is witnessing the emergence of $25 trillion of new revenue streams that are substituting existing revenue streams in this decade alone. We work with clients on growth programs, helping them monetize this $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/water-based-heating-cooling-systems-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/water-based-heating-cooling-systems.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets Over 4 million searches to Thailand on Wego in 2023 Thailand is expecting an exceptional 300% increase in growth for the summer holiday season in July- August 2023 DUBAI, UAE, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), join hands with Tourism Authority of Thailand to promote and enhance tourism in the captivating country. This collaboration aims to leverage Wego's extensive reach and advanced travel technology to provide travelers with an exceptional experience while exploring Thailand. Chiang Mai By combining their expertise, Wego and the Tourism Authority of Thailand strive to create a seamless and convenient platform that showcases the country's rich cultural heritage, stunning landscapes, and vibrant cities. Through this partnership, Wego and the Tourism Authority of Thailand will focus on multiple aspects to ensure an unforgettable journey for travelers. Wego's advanced search capabilities and personalized recommendations will enable users to discover the best flight and accommodation options tailored to their preferences and budget. Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, MENA and India, Wego said: "Thailand is an extraordinary destination, renowned for its rich cultural tapestry, breathtaking scenery, and warm hospitality. We saw over 4 million searches this year and expect the numbers to grow in the summer. This collaboration with Tourism Authority of Thailand fills us with great enthusiasm as we strive to curate unparalleled travel experiences and spotlight the diverse wonders that Thailand has to offer." Moreover, the collaboration aims to offer comprehensive travel guides, insider tips, and deals, allowing travelers to make well-informed decisions and experience Thailand's hidden gems. Mr. Chaiwat Tamtai Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for Dubai and the Middle East, commented: "Our target audience comprises of Arab families and millennials, with Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, and Krabi being our top cities for Arab travelers. With 13 airlines operating the Middle East-to-Thailand route, we are expecting an exceptional 300% increase in growth for the summer holiday season in July-August 2023." Thailand's diverse attractions make it a captivating summer destination that promises unforgettable experiences for every traveler. About Wego Wego provides award-winning travel search websites and top-ranked mobile apps for travelers living in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Wego harnesses powerful yet simple to use technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airlines, hotels, and online travel agency websites. Wego presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants, both local and global, and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book whether it is from an airline or hotel directly or with a third-party aggregator website. Wego was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Dubai and Singapore with regional operations in Bangalore, Jakarta and Cairo. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2108291/CHIANG_MAI.jpg SOURCE Wego PITTSBURGH, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wesco International (NYSE: WCC) On June 22, Wesco hosted inaugural Day of Caring events for employees at sites around the globe to celebrate its commitment to communities and achieving its goal of 100 home builds with Habitat for Humanity. Wesco employees at a Habitat build Day of Caring event The company's Day of Caring events encouraged employees to give back to the community and learn about local volunteer opportunities. Employees learned more about the company's matching gifts program, as well as corporate giving support of the International Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and other local charitable organizations. With its 100th anniversary in June 2022 and the launch of Wesco Cares, its corporate philanthropy program, the company set the ambitious goal of completing 100 home builds which included new home construction, home repair, and home rehab projects with Habitat for Humanity. "Wesco's mission is to build, connect, power and protect our world, so our partnership with Habitat for Humanity is a perfect fit as it encompasses all of these commitments. Over the course of this anniversary year, we've been able to engage with Habitat for Humanity globally, nationally and on a local level as we pursued our goal of 100 builds," said John Engel, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our employees have embraced the hands-on opportunity to make a meaningful difference for families in the communities where we live and work." The company's projects with Habitat for Humanity have ranged from a community renovations project in Sao Paolo, Brazil serving nearly 50 people to a roof wind mitigation project in Orlando, Florida. The Orlando project funded wind mitigation inspections for 100 homeowners as well as the installation of new roofs on two homes. The company also served as Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity's inaugural Regional Repair program sponsor, supporting a dozen home repairs this past year. About Wesco Wesco International (NYSE: WCC) builds, connects, powers and protects the world. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Wesco is a FORTUNE 500 company with more than $21 billion in annual sales and a leading provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions. Wesco offers a best-in-class product and services portfolio of Electrical and Electronic Solutions, Communications and Security Solutions, and Utility and Broadband Solutions. The Company employs approximately 20,000 people, partners with the industry's premier suppliers, and serves thousands of customers around the world. With millions of products, end-to-end supply chain services, and leading digital capabilities, Wesco provides innovative solutions to meet customer needs across commercial and industrial businesses, contractors, government agencies, institutions, telecommunications providers, and utilities. Wesco operates approximately 800 branches, warehouses and sales offices in more than 50 countries, providing a local presence for customers and a global network to serve multi-location businesses and multi-national corporations. Contact: Jennifer Sniderman Sr. Director, Corporate Communications 717-579-6603 SOURCE WESCO International, Inc. BOSEMAN, Mont., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ron Simon & Associates, along with Chuck Watson of the Watson Law Office in Bozeman, Montana, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the estate of William Lewis. At least one local reporter points the finger at morel mushrooms, a novelty item used by Dave's in some sushi rolls, and which a Department of Public Health and Human Services investigation determined were cultivated in China and shipped to California for further distribution. According to Ron Simon, "whatever the pathogen is, it was extremely dangerous, killing two people that we know of, including Mr. Lewis and Ms. Ventura. Mr. Lewis, who lived in Toston, passed away very suddenly, and within a day of consuming the dangerous product." Bill and Kelli Lewis met while both Deputy Sheriffs in Kern County. When Bill died, he left behind his wife Kelli, his sister Margaret, his son Justin, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Bill and Kelli on one of their many travels. According to unofficial reports, at least 41 victims have been identified, including the two deaths that have been attributed to the outbreak. Food safety attorney Ron Simon acknowledges it's too soon to know at this point but indicated that this litigation may well implicate companies well outside of Montana, a situation his national food poisoning law firm is well-equipped to handle. "It's too soon to know," says Simon, "the extent to which Dave's Sushi is culpable, and to what extent other actors are to blame for these poisonings. What we do know, is that adulterated food was served to patrons of Dave's Sushi, and that this tragedy must be understood so as to prevent anything like this from happening in the future." Mr. Lewis Liked to Tell People He and His Wife Kelli "Met While in Jail " "Bill" Lewis was a Deputy Sheriff in Kern County when he met his wife, Kelli, who was also a Deputy Sheriff. Bill served the residents of Kern County for 27 years. In 2016, he and Kelli moved to Townsend, Montana, where he served as a Steward and Greeter at First Baptist Church. Eventually he and Kelli moved to Toston, where he lived when he passed. When Bill died, he left behind his wife Kelli, his sister Margaret, his son Justin, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The Department of Public Health and Human Services Investigation is Ongoing The investigation remains ongoing, including both a potential trace-back investigation and an investigation into the type of poison or pathogen that is responsible. At present, for the family and friends of Mr. Lewis, that means his Death Certificate cannot be formally filed until more is known. When that will be remains a mystery. About Ron Simon & Associates Over the last 20 years, Ron Simon and his colleagues have prosecuted thousands of food poisoning cases for victims across the United States. His work has resulted in numerous upgrades to food safety procedures in Fortune 500 companies and in legislation designed to protect consumers from dangerous foodborne pathogens. Mr. Simon and his clients have been featured on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, and virtually all other major television networks and print media. Mr. Simon and his firm have collected over $700,000,000 for their clients. He regularly publishes articles about food safety and litigation at www.foodpoisoningnews.com which are read by viewers in over 180 countries. For more information visit Ron Simon's food poisoning website. Media Contact: Ron Simon 888.335.4901 [email protected] SOURCE Ron Simon & Associates Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Welcomes 12 New Brand Representatives to the Access Craft Advisory Council WASHINGTON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA) announced the craft, startup and small-production brand representatives selected for the 2023 Access Craft Advisory Council. Nine emerging brands from across the country have joined 12 returning representatives and 11 wholesaler advisors to help steer the initiative's programming and resource creation over the next year. Since its inception in December 2020, WSWA's Access Craft initiative has provided expert guidance, resources, and best practices to help brands navigate industry challenges and identify opportunities to get to market. The 2022 Craft Advisory Council was instrumental in the production of Volume 02 of Access Craft's Distribution Playbook and new members will play a vital role in the third edition of this industry resource as well as new, exciting in-person activations for craft brands at WSWA's Access LIVE 2024 in Las Vegas. Meet the 2023 WSWA Access Craft Advisory Council Brand Representatives "As the founder of a growing craft spirits brand and other popular consumer products, I know firsthand the challenges and complexities of building a successful business, that's why I'm incredibly honored to join the WSWA Access Craft Wine & Spirits program to join with other industry leaders to help provide support, guidance, and resources to strengthen all of our companies." Chef Robert Irvine, Founder, Irvine's Spirits. "We are thrilled to be joining this esteemed advisory council for craft beverage brands. It's a humbling experience to be surrounded by our talented peers in the industry, and we are eager to learn from and collaborate with each and every one of them. This opportunity is a testament to the incredible creativity and potential of the craft beverage industry, and we are grateful to be a part of it. Let's raise a glass to shared knowledge, innovation, and the remarkable journey ahead!" George Ata and Matteo Gaetani d'Aragona, Founders, Inversa Premium Italian Spritz. "It is truly an honor to be selected as a Brand Representative for the WSWA Access Craft Advisory Council. As an independent craft brand, access to industry experts is very limited. Participating on the Council affords me the opportunity to connect with industry thought leaders with vast knowledge. I also look forward to collaborating with my fellow Brand Representatives to share insights and learnings. I hope my experience on the Council will enable me to provide guidance to other craft brands that are entering the spirits industry." Mara Smith, Founder and CEO, Inspiro Tequila. "The community support, industry expertise, and member engagement of WSWA is unmatched. I've never experienced an organization with more meaningful impact to an emerging brand in any industry. We are extremely appreciative to be involved in both WSWA and the Craft Advisory Council." Matt Hemmings, Co-Founder, Sunshine Punch. "Coming off of the WSWA Brand Battle win, we want to keep the momentum going and bring what we have learned to this group as well as gain insights from others involved and committed to Access Craft it's all about continuous growth with the right people!" Brian Thomason, Co-Founder, Sunshine Punch. "We are honored and thrilled to learn from and contribute to this group of professionals and look forward to sharing the product, personalities and story of Rocavaka!" Darlene Fallas, Vice President, Rocavaka Vodka. MEDIA CONTACT Michael Bilello Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications & Marketing [email protected] | (202) 716-4805 SOURCE Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Zocdoc's patented technology now integrates with Elation, helping shared customers reach new patients, operate more effectively to deliver a superior experience NEW YORK, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Zocdoc , the leading healthcare marketplace that makes it easy to find and book in-person or virtual care across over 250 specialties and more than 18,000 insurance plans, today announced its partnership with Elation Health , the clinical-first healthcare technology company powering innovation in primary care. Now, any healthcare provider or practice using the Elation EHR can seamlessly integrate its calendar with Zocdoc to automatically surface their real-time appointment availability to the millions of patients who search for care via Zocdoc each month. When a patient books an appointment through Zocdoc with a provider using Elation, Zocdoc Calendar Integrations the patented technology that connects providers' existing scheduling software to Zocdoc's marketplace seamlessly adds the appointment to the provider's schedule in Elation. "We are supporting a primary care led future where providers have the choice to maintain their independence, and Zocdoc is an important tool for improving patient access - allowing practices to efficiently reach new patients and maintain schedule density," said Kyna Fong, Ph.D., Co-founder and CEO of Elation Health. "We have already seen tremendous enthusiasm from our customers, and momentum among new practices about our partnership with Zocdoc." "At Zocdoc, we are unifiers at our core, and we are proud to partner with Elation to offer our shared customers and the patients they serve a seamless, fully integrated scheduling experience," said Zocdoc founder and CEO Oliver Kharraz, MD. "At a time when demands on primary care providers are greater than ever, we look forward to helping the tens of thousands of clinicians that use Elation more efficiently reach new patients and more effectively manage their patient flow." Elation is the most recent innovative EHR platform to partner with Zocdoc. Zocdoc has completed more than 150 calendar integrations , leveraging its patented technology to aggregate real-time appointment availability on Zocdoc's marketplace regardless of which EHR or PMS a care organization uses. In doing so, Zocdoc helps patients easily find and book every type of care, all in one place. About Zocdoc Zocdoc is the leading digital healthcare marketplace that aims to help every patient find and book every type of care. Each month, millions of people use its free service, via Zocdoc.com or the Zocdoc app, to find in-network doctors, instantly book in-person or virtual appointments, read reviews from verified users, get reminders for upcoming appointments and preventive checkups, and more. With a mission to give power to the patient, Zocdoc's platform delivers the accessible and simple experience they expect and deserve. About Elation Health Elation Health is the most trusted technology platform for high-value primary care. Since 2010, the company has delivered clinical-first solutions built on a collaborative EHR platform that helps primary care organizations start, grow, and succeed in delivering the highest-quality personalized care to patients. Elation supports primary care clinicians by relieving administrative burden and restoring the doctor-patient relationship so that they can return to the craft of medicine. The company serves 24,000 clinicians caring for more than 12 million Americans, including thousands of small independent practices and large prominent digital health innovators. Elation Health is looking at another year of advancement ahead, securing $50 million in Series D funding in 2022 with plans to keep investing in technology and services as they continue to rapidly scale. Learn more at elationhealth.com, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Contacts: [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Zocdoc A staff member assembles an AC332 civil helicopter at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Tianjin Helicopter Co., Ltd. in north China's Tianjin, June 20, 2023. The company has been boosting the development of civil helicopters industry and is now able to produce civil helicopters including AC312E, AC332 and AC352. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Staff members assemble an AC332 civil helicopter at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Tianjin Helicopter Co., Ltd. in north China's Tianjin, June 20, 2023. The company has been boosting the development of civil helicopters industry and is now able to produce civil helicopters including AC312E, AC332 and AC352. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Staff members assemble an AC312E civil helicopter at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Tianjin Helicopter Co., Ltd. in north China's Tianjin, June 20, 2023. The company has been boosting the development of civil helicopters industry and is now able to produce civil helicopters including AC312E, AC332 and AC352. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) A staff member assembles an AC312E civil helicopter at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Tianjin Helicopter Co., Ltd. in north China's Tianjin, June 20, 2023. The company has been boosting the development of civil helicopters industry and is now able to produce civil helicopters including AC312E, AC332 and AC352. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Staff members check the blueprint of products at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Tianjin Helicopter Co., Ltd. in north China's Tianjin, June 20, 2023. The company has been boosting the development of civil helicopters industry and is now able to produce civil helicopters including AC312E, AC332 and AC352. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Staff members assemble an AC312E civil helicopter at the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Tianjin Helicopter Co., Ltd. in north China's Tianjin, June 20, 2023. The company has been boosting the development of civil helicopters industry and is now able to produce civil helicopters including AC312E, AC332 and AC352. (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue) Hong Kong: Alert issued on false govt emails The Administration Wing today alerted the public to fraudulent emails on the honours and awards presentation ceremony purporting to be sent by the HK Protocol Secretariat or HK Protocol Secretariat Division. The false emails sent under the accounts "pdshk@express.com" or "pdshk@espncricinfo.com" included a suspicious link inviting recipients to download a document. The Administration Wing's Protocol Division clarified that it has not sent the emails. A report has been made to Police. It also reminded the public that the Administration Wings email addresses are under the domain name of "@cso.gov.hk" and award recipients will not be requested to click any links in the email correspondence. People are advised to stay vigilant and not open any suspicious emails. Anyone who has clicked the link in the emails should contact Police. This story has been published on: 2023-06-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Huawei's "Seeds for the Future 2023 Bangladesh" in Dhaka, Bangladesh, June 21, 2023. (Xinhua) DHAKA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Huawei South Asia launched its "Seeds for the Future 2023 Bangladesh" here on Wednesday for the 10th year to inspire the local information and communication technology (ICT) talents and help develop a local ICT ecosystem. Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Bangladeshi state minister for Information and Communication Technology Division, said in a keynote speech that "to achieve the targets of Smart Bangladesh, we have taken technology as our main driving force, where our current students will play the leading role." The "Seeds for the Future" program will allow them to learn and access frontier technologies, the minister said, adding that "I am thankful to Huawei for supporting us in several initiatives like establishing ICT academies." Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said that China will actively participate in the "Smart Bangladesh" construction, helping Bangladesh achieve its grand goal of becoming a developed country by 2041. "China will also promote the construction of major ICT projects in Bangladesh, and continue to strengthen personnel exchanges between the two countries, so as to enhance China-Bangladesh strategic partnership of cooperation to a new height," said the ambassador. Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, Vice Chancellor of the Islamic University of Technology, said that "young people are the future of our country, and the progress of our country depends on how we make them technically stronger to face the challenges of the fourth Industrial Revolution. Huawei has designed 'Seeds for the Future' so well that it will bring something good for these young learners." This year, the top six winners of the program will get the chance to attend training at Huawei headquarters and cross-cultural activities in China. Since its first launch in Bangladesh in 2014, more than 15,000 students globally have benefitted from the program so far. "Seeds for the Future" program has been facilitating the youth of this country by creating exposure to cutting-edge technologies and insights from industry experts. Zunaid Ahmed Palak, Bangladeshi state minister for Information and Communication Technology Division, speaks during the inauguration ceremony of the Huawei's "Seeds for the Future 2023 Bangladesh" in Dhaka, Bangladesh, June 21, 2023. (Xinhua) BEIRUT, June 22 (Xinhua) -- UN's Palestine relief agency called on Thursday the international community to increase financial assistance for Palestinian refugees, warning of an imminent disaster in case of failure to secure funds. Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), held a meeting with the agency's advisory committee in Beirut, during which he stressed the urgency of securing funds for the UNRWA. "Without immediate additional funding, UNRWA will not be able to continue its operations beyond September, which threatens to close more than 700 schools and 140 health centers," Lazzarini noted, adding that millions of Palestinian refugees who depend on aid will be pushed to the brink of famine. Also at the meeting, Bassel El Hassan, chairman of the Lebanese Palestinian Dialogue Committee, stressed the profound impact of this crisis on the current and future conditions of Palestinian refugees in host countries. He also pointed to the urgent need to translate political support into tangible action, particularly in addressing the alarming stagnation in the agency's finances. UNRWA was established by UN General Assembly in 1949 with a mandate to provide assistance and protection to Palestine refugees and help them realize their full potential in human development. The agency is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. Ramallah, June 22 : Three Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses said on Wednesday that an Israeli army reconnaissance drone struck near Al-Jalama, a village north of Jenin, killing all three Palestinians in the car. The civil defence of the Palestinian Authority said in a statement that its crews arrived at the scene, doused the flames of fire, and found the bodies of the three young men, Xinhua news agency reported. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) prevented the civil defence crew from taking the bodies, it added. The Palestinian sources said that the IDF also prevented the ambulances of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society from taking the bodies from the burned car. In a statement, the IDF said it killed on Wednesday night "a terror cell in the West Bank using a drone, an unusual move generally reserved for targeting major terrorists or rocket firing cells in Gaza". The IDF believed the targeted Palestinian individuals of the terror cell were "perpetrating a shooting attack near Jalma in the Menashe region," adding that this same terror cell has recently carried out other shooting attacks. The drone attack came amid a recent escalation of violence in the West Bank. On Monday, six Palestinians were killed, and at least 90 others were injured during an Israeli army raid on Jenin. On Tuesday, two Palestinian gunmen, members of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), were killed after they opened fire and killed four Israelis near the West Bank city of Ramallah. Helsinki, June 22 : The Finnish parliament has elected former Finns Party chair Jussi Halla-aho as its Speaker, it was announced. Halla-aho received 134 votes in the 200-seat legislature, the parliament said in a press statement on Wednesday. As the new parliament Speaker, Halla-aho will be assisted by two Deputy Speakers, Xinhua news agency reported. With new Speakers and cabinet ministers sworn in, Finland's new parliament and government have finally become operational -- more than two months after they were elected. The Speaker's post is traditionally held by a Member of Parliament from the second-largest party in the parliament. Halla-aho's Finns Party became the second-largest party after the election on April 2. Born in 1971, Halla-aho served as a member of parliament between 2011 and 2014, and from July 2019 until now. From 2014 to 2019, he served as a member of the European Parliament. He was Chairman of the Finns Party from 2017-2021. The Finnish parliament can pass legislation based on a government proposal, a member's motion, or a citizens' initiative. On Wednesday, under Halla-aho's leadership, the parliament began debating the Government Program published by the newly-elected cabinet on June 16. Cairo, June 22 : Egypt has called for an immediate halt to the attacks of Israeli settlers in a number of Palestinian villages in the West Bank. Egypt completely rejects acts of intimidation and collective punishment targeting Palestinian citizens, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday in a statement. The Ministry noted that Egypt had previously warned of the dangers and repercussions of the continuous Israeli escalation against the Palestinians, the latest of which was the storming of Jenin city on Monday, where several Palestinians were killed and nearly a hundred others were injured. Egypt also stressed the need to immediately stop the bloodshed, not undermining regional and international de-escalation efforts, Xinhua news agency reported. The West Bank was seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Despite international criticism, Israel has maintained control over the territory, where the Palestinians wish to establish their future state. Khartoum, June 22 : Clashes renewed between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in various areas of the capital Khartoum, after the latest 72-hour truce ended at 6:00 a.m. local time. Eyewitnesses on Wednesday said SAF warplanes flew over southern areas of Khartoum and bombarded a major RSF camp there. The warplanes also attacked RSF targets in Bahri town, north of Khartoum. Violent clashes also took place north of Omdurman city, west of Khartoum, while sounds of explosion were heard near the SAF's Engineers Corps base, west of Omdurman. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia and the US announced in a joint statement that representatives of the SAF and RSF had agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire beginning on Sunday at 6:00 a.m. local time. The statement said the parties agreed that during the cease-fire they would refrain from attacks, use of military aircraft or drones, artillery strikes, reinforcement of positions and resupply of forces, or seeking military advantage. They also agreed to allow the unimpeded movement and delivery of humanitarian assistance throughout the country, Xinhua news agency reported. Since May 6, Saudi Arabia and the US have been sponsoring talks between the Sudanese warring parties in the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah. Several truces have been reached since then, but both sides have accused each other of violating them. Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the SAF and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, which have left more than 3,000 people killed and more than 6,000 others injured, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. Lucknow, June 22 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Lucknow resident from Delhi for his alleged association with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, an official said. Vikas Singh, who hails from Gomti Nagar Extension in Lucknow, had allegedly harboured members of the Bishnoi's terror syndicate, which executed the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the Punjab Police's intelligence headquarters in Mohali in May 2022. On May 17 this year, the NIA raided three locations in Uttar Pradesh, including Singh's apartment in Lucknow, as part of search operations carried out by the central agency across six states in connection with cases related to narco-terror-gangster nexus, NIA officials said. Singh was in hiding since then. The NIA presented him before a competent court in Delhi and procured his five-day police custody remand to question him further in the matter. The NIA said in a press statement that Singh had given shelter to Deepak Surakhpur and Divyanshu, who executed the RPG attack, multiple times at two locations: his parental house in Ayodhya's Devgarh village and his Lucknow apartment. The statement added Singh was himself booked in 10 cases, which include those of murder and attempt to murder. Some were registered under the Arms Act and the Gangster Act. The NIA investigation revealed that Surakhpur was introduced to Singh by Bishnoi's friend and associate Vicky Midhukhera. Later, Singh introduced Divyanshu, whom he already knew, to Bishnoi's syndicate. Surakhpur and Divyanshu were reportedly involved in numerous contract killings, including that of businessman Sanjay Biyani in Nanded and one Rana Kandhowalia in Punjab. The NIA officials said Singh also harboured a suspect in the Rana Kandowalia murder case, Rinku. Moreover, in early 2020, after a double murder case in Chandigarh (allegedly carried out on the behest of Bishnoi), the assailants Monu Dagar, Cheema and Rajan stayed in Lucknow with Singh. Berlin, June 22 : Germany will replace its ambassador to Russia this summer, a spokesperson of the German Federal Foreign Office said. The Russian Federation has granted approval for the appointment of the 56-year-old Alexander Graf Lambsdorff of the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) to become the next ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, the spokesperson added on Wednesday. The position is considered one of the most challenging diplomatic jobs in Germany. Lambsdorff told the magazine Das Parlament that he would take over the ambassadorship "in the awareness that political relations with Russia are currently in a very difficult phase". As Vice-Chairman of the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag (lower house of parliament), Lambsdorff has worked at the German Federal Foreign Office, with experience in German embassy in Washington, D.C., and in the Russia section of the Federal Foreign Office. From 2004 to 2017, he was also a member of the European Parliament, Xinhua news agency reported. Lambsdorff had "good experience in foreign policy," Stefan Meister, a Russia expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations, said to Xinhua, adding that he fills a "key position" in "times of crisis". Although Lambsdorff had a "clear political profile," the ambassadorial position in Moscow "requires diplomatic restraint," Sebastian Hoppe, a research fellow at the Institute for East European Studies at the Free University of Berlin, told Xinhua. Germany and Russia have repeatedly expelled each other's diplomats. However, the situation has worsened considerably since the start of the crisis in Ukraine, which led to massive sanctions against Russia by the EU. Tehran, June 22 : Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said that his country has "no limit" for expanding relations with Kuwait in the areas of common interests. The Foreign Minister made the remarks in a meeting with Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in Kuwait City, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. Amir-Abdollahian emphasised the "historical" significance of the relationship between Iran and Kuwait as well as the importance of enhancing bilateral cooperation in the economy, trade, and transportation fields. Iran's top diplomat also called for closer political and security consultations between the two nations, Xinhua news agency reported. He said Iran has proposed the formation of an assembly for dialogue and cooperation among regional countries, which could play a "constructive" role in promoting convergence and cooperation. Given its positive track record in this regard, Kuwait can play an important role in the assembly, he added. The Kuwaiti Prime Minister, for his part, affirmed the longstanding ties between the two nations based on the principles of good neighbourliness. He called for joint efforts to enhance bilateral relations across all areas. The Prime Minister also welcomed the recent resumption of relations between Tehran and Riyadh, expressing optimism about its positive impact on the overall regional atmosphere. He further said that his country supports Iran's initiatives to improve relations with Arab states and reassured Iran that Kuwait would actively work to create favourable conditions for strengthening bilateral ties. Later on Wednesday, Amir-Abdollahian also met his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and discussed bilateral ties and regional issues of common interests. Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Kuwait on Wednesday after wrapping up his visit to Oman. Kuwait is the third leg of his four-nation tour of the region's Arab states. Tehran, June 22 : Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani has said that he had a meeting with Enrique Mora, the European Union's deputy foreign policy chief, to discuss the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal. Bagheri Kani, the chief negotiator for the nuclear talks, said on Wednesday in a tweet that the meeting took place in Qatar, describing it as "serious and constructive". But he did not reveal the exact timing of the meeting, Xinhua news agency reported. This meeting followed a previous one on June 13 in Abu Dhabi, where the Iranian diplomat met with French, German, and British representatives on discussions of common interests and bilateral concerns. On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said during a weekly press conference that diplomatic consultations and the exchange of messages between Iran and other parties have been ongoing. The nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed by Iran and world powers in July 2015. Under the agreement, Iran accepted certain restrictions on its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. However, the US withdrew from the deal in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran reduced its nuclear commitments under the agreement. The negotiations for the revival of the JCPOA commenced in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. Despite several rounds of talks, no significant breakthrough has been achieved since the latest round in August 2022. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed San Francisco, June 22 : A man was shot and killed three days ago in Oakland, US state of California, local police said. Police responded to the city's Maxwell Park neighbourhood at around 6 p.m. on Monday where they found the man suffering from gunshot wounds, Xinhua news agency reported. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the spot, according to police on Wednesday. The victim's identity was currently being withheld, and officials were investigating the shooting, including returning to the scene for a follow-up investigation, police said, adding that no further details could be provided. Kiev, June 22 : Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said that nearly 60 countries are supporting the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities, towns and villages, the government press service reported. Speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, Shmyhal on Wednesday added that 30 countries have already signed a declaration supporting the initiative to provide coordinated assistance to rebuild Ukrainian communities and regions. Ukraine is implementing or has implemented about 214 reconstruction projects with partner countries or international organisations, he noted. As of February 24, Ukraine's financial reconstruction needs were estimated at $411 billion, Shmyhal said, adding that the country's rapid recovery requires $14.1 billion this year, Xinhua news agency reported. Foreign partners have already pledged to provide Ukraine with $4.3 billion for the rapid recovery, he said. The two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference kicked off in London, the capital of the UK, earlier on Wednesday. ISLAMABAD, June 22 (Xinhua) -- China's agricultural cooperation under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) helped Pakistan to bring remarkable development in the field, including increased yields, disease-free crops and capacity building, said experts on Wednesday. Addressing a webinar with the title "China-Pakistan Agricultural Cooperation under CPEC: Achievements and Challenges" hosted by the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies (IPDS), experts said that the agricultural cooperation between China and Pakistan launched innovative practices in Pakistan that improved the agricultural system of the country. Considering the formidable challenges, including climate change, energy crises and security issues, the participants including industrialists, agriculture experts, entrepreneurs and educationalists highlighted how the two nations remained steadfast in their commitment to fostering agricultural collaboration for future generations. President of the IPDS Farhat Asif emphasized the significance of the agriculture sector for Pakistan considering the rising population and global warming effects on the country. General Manager of the Wuhan Qingfa Hesheng Seed Co. Ltd Zhu Xiaobo said that her company had made substantial investments and training initiatives in Pakistan, which brought development in the progress of various agricultural products like hybrid rice and canola technology. Executive Director of China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) Xi Jianlong highlighted the transformative role played by CMEC to modernize Pakistan's agricultural sector through digital farming and export-oriented food deep-processing zones. Rizwan Hamid, a senior scientist at China's Hunan University, described the impressive yield improvements in cotton and corn cultivation in the southern region of Pakistan, and stressed the need to increase research and development collaboration between China and Pakistan to foster innovation. Commercial Head of the LTEC International Agriculture Development Co. (Pvt) Ltd Huang Pei highlighted the vitality of the global branding of Pakistani companies, enabling them to export food products. "There is a dire need for collaboration between Pakistan and China in the agriculture and food sectors, where China's expertise and Pakistan's abundant resources can mutually benefit both nations," added Huang. Moscow, June 22 : Russia has imposed sanctions against 48 Australian citizens, who will be barred from entering the country, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. The decision was made in response to the "politically motivated" sanctions imposed by Australian authorities against Russian individuals and entities, the Ministry added on Wednesday. According to the Ministry, the 48 Australians, among whom are military contractors, journalists, and municipal deputies, were responsible for promoting an anti-Russian agenda, Xinhua news agency reported. It added that Moscow would continue updating its entry ban list, taking into account Canberra's anti-Russian course. Australia imposed a new round of financial sanctions against 21 Russian entities and three individuals on May 19, 2023. Paris, June 22 : Thirty-seven people have been injured, four of them seriously, after a large explosion in central Paris, authorities said. The blast took place on Wednesday in a building that housed a design school and the Catholic education system headquarters in Rue Saint-Jacques, in the fifth arrondissement of the French capital, BBC reported. Emergency workers are searching through the wreckage of the building, with atleast two reported to be missing. According to witnesses, there was a strong smell of gas before the blast, BBC reported. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said after arriving at the scene that initial checks of camera footage suggested the explosion occurred within the building, which was next to the Val de Grace church. However, the authorities have said the cause of the blast has not yet been determined, BBC reported. The building was initially engulfed by fire, but the blaze was later brought under control, said Paris police chief Laurent Nunez. The area has been cordoned off and Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has been to the scene. He said sniffer dogs had identified where further victims might be found under the rubble. The area where the explosion took place runs south from the Latin Quarter in Paris's Left Bank area that is popular with tourists and known for its student population. A student at Ecole des Mines on Boulevard Saint-Michel told Le Parisien: "I was in front of the Val de Grace, I heard a huge boom and I saw a ball of fire 20 or 30m high. And the building collapsed with a huge noise. I smelled gas, but took several minutes to come to my senses." Another witness, Antoine Brouchot, told the BBC he was at home when he heard a "big explosion". "I stuck my head out of the window and looked towards Cochin (hospital), then I saw a big cloud of smoke and as I got closer, there was a building that had collapsed and for the moment, there is a fire." Rome, June 22 : Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, during a whirlwind visit to the capital. This was his first visit with Meloni. They reportedly discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and economic cooperation between Italy and Brazil on Wednesday. Lula da Silva also met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party Elly Schlein, and Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri, Xinhua news agency reported. The Brazilian President said on social media that he had talked with Mattarella about strengthening bilateral relations and expanding commercial exchanges between the two countries. According to Schlein's post on social media, she and Lula da Silva discussed "common challenges of major global issues: democracy, the fight against climate change, and inequality". The Brazilian President and Mayor Gualtieri discussed Rome's newly-launched bid to host the 2030 World Expo, as well as steps municipal governments can take to confront climate change. Ottawa, June 22 : The death toll from the bus crash in central Canada last week has climbed to 16, police announced. Police said on social media on Wednesday that a female who had been in hospital since the collision on June 15 succumbed to her injuries and that 16 people in total have died as a result of this collision. Local media reported nine people remain in hospital, with four receiving critical care, Xinhua news agency reported. The crash happened on the Trans-Canada Highway near the town of Carberry, two hours of drive west of Winnipeg, capital city of Manitoba, as a bus carrying a group of 25 seniors collided with a semi truck. London, June 22 : A former deputy head teacher of a primary school in London has pleaded guilty to paying and instructing teenagers in India, where he worked for seven years, to send him over over 120,000 indecent images of young children. Matthew Smith, 34, from East Dulwich, was charged on Tuesday with five offences, including causing the sexual exploitation of a child under 13, and remanded in custody, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Smith, who will be sentenced at the Southwark Crown Court on August 4, was arrested in November 2022, after investigations identified that he was sharing abuse material on the dark web. According to NCA, he was online at the time of his arrest, speaking to a teenage boy living in India and asking him to send sexual images of a younger child, in return for money.He also had dark web sites and forums open on his computer which were dedicated to child sexual abuse. NCA investigators interrogated chat logs and financial transactions and were able to establish that Smith had paid that same teenager, and another also based in India, GBP65,398 to abuse children over a five-year period. Officers recovered over 120,000 indecent images of children, which Smith had saved on a laptop, SD card and on his phone. "Thousands of images and videos were recovered from his devices which showed an appalling catalogue of sexual abuse being perpetrated on children. Smith offered individuals payments for indecent images to gratify his own sexual desires, which resulted in the horrifying abuse of young children in India," Claire Brinton, Specialist Prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Service Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said. Smith was living in Nepal and working at a school for the majority of this time. Prior to this, he spent various periods working in orphanages and NGOs across India between 2007-2014. He moved back to the UK in July 2022 and began working at the primary school in London in September, where he was a deputy head teacher and head of pastoral care. "While conducting his offending, Smith worked at a school in Nepal, then became a deputy head teacher and head of pastoral care in the UK, so his offending is a deep betrayal of the trust placed in him," Helen Dore, Senior Officer of the National Crime Agency, said. The chat logs showed that Smith would instruct the young men to perform sexual acts on boys and would send them images and videos as examples of ones he would like to receive in return. He also gave one of them advice on how to befriend children and build their trust with a view to abusing them, the NCA said. Investigators found evidence of potential offending by Smith against children while he was working in India and information has been shared with relevant law enforcement partners. There is no evidence to suggest he committed offences against children based in Nepal or the UK. "Matthew Smith was a high risk individual and we moved quickly to locate, arrest and remand him so he could no longer pose a threat to children. Ultimately, we were able to prove that he was a prolific offender who manipulated young men to sexually abuse children on his behalf, giving them detailed instructions and financial reward," NCA's Dore said. Smith pleaded guilty to the initial offences in November 2022.Last month, he was charged with a further 17 counts, including encouraging the rape of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and arranging the sexual abuse of a child. His employment at the school, which began in September 2022, was terminated soon after it learned of the charges against him in November. Prayagraj, June 22 : Slain gangster Atiq Ahmed's two jailed sons, Umar and Ali, have sought security in the prisons where they are lodged. According to them, there is a threat to their lives. The Allahabad High Court has fixed July 12 as the next date of hearing of two separate writs filed the brothers in which they have requested the court to direct that the hearing of their respective cases be done through video conferencing for security reasons. Besides, an interrogation, if required, be done on the jail premises, where they are currently lodged. Atiq's eldest son, Umar is at present lodged in Lucknow jail and Ali is in the Naini Central jail in Prayagraj. Hearing the two separate writ petitions filed by Umar and Ali, a division bench comprising Justices Rajiv Gupta and Manjive Shukla, granted two weeks to the counsel appearing for petitioners to file supplementary affidavit, indicating therein the real apprehensions on the basis of which the present writ petitions have been filed. In their writ petitions, both Umar and Ali have sought security, especially when the warrants issued by the court are served to them to appear before the court concerned. The names of both Ali and Umar cropped up during the investigation of the Umesh Pal murder case. However, the police have not filed a charge sheet against them till now in this case. Lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police security guards Sandeep Nishad and Raghvendra Singh were shot dead on February 24, outside his house in the Dhoomanganj police station area of Prayagraj. On a complaint lodged by Umesh Pal's wife, Jaya, a criminal case was registered at Dhoomanganj police station against Atiq, his brother Ashraf, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Ghulam and nine others. Sitapur, June 22 : An investigation into a case of a missing bike, led the police in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district to a couple who had killed their 18-year-old daughter over her relationship with a youth. The naked body of an unidentified girl with her throat-slit, was found near a pond in Saholi village under Sandana police station limits last week. Cops failed to ascertain the victim's identity for nearly three days, but a complaint about a missing motorcycle by one Ram Avtar of nearby Pakarnarayanpur village, gave them a breakthrough in the murder case. ASP (Sitapur) N.P. Singh said the police got suspicious after receiving information that one Pankaj Kumar, along with his wife, daughter and two sons, was missing for four days after borrowing a motorcycle from Ram Avtar. He said the complainant Ram Avtar informed that Pankaj Kumar, a native of the same village, had borrowed the bike to visit his in-laws' place on June 16 and had been missing since then. Probe confirmed the identity of the deceased girl as Pankaj's daughter, following which the police reached his in-laws' house in Begurawa village nearby and took Pankaj and his wife into custody, after which the couple confessed to killing their daughter. "The couple confessed that they were fed up with their daughter, who had a relationship with a youth belonging to a different caste. The family lived in Delhi where they worked as domestic help. The couple visited their native village in Sitapur a week ago with a plan to eliminate their daughter, if she did not agree to end this relationship," the official said. "As per plan, Pankaj left his village telling people that he was going to visit his in-laws' house on June 16. He strangulated his daughter with the help of his wife after halting at a deserted place near Saholi village. The couple also slit the throat of the girl and fled after disposing of the body there itself. The couple's two minor sons were also present when the crime was executed," said O.P. Tiwari, in-charge of Sadana police station. He said the accused removed the girl's clothes so that her identity could not be ascertained. He said the axe and the scarf used in the killing were also recovered from the accused and they have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 302 for murder, 120-B for criminal conspiracy and 201 for concealing the body. London, June 22 : Running out of oxygen is not the only danger for the missing tourist submarine with five people on board, as the vessel might have even lost electrical power, experts have opined. Speaking to the BBC on Wednesday, Ken Ledez, a hyperbaric medicine expert at the Memorial University in St John's, Newfoundland, said electrical power is likely to have a role in controlling the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide inside the Titanic submersible, whose whereabouts remain unknown since June 18. As the oxygen level falls, the proportion of carbon dioxide being breathed out by the crew will be rising, with potentially fatal consequences, Ledez noted. "As levels of carbon dioxide build up, then it becomes sedative, it becomes like an anaesthetic gas, and you will go to sleep," he told the BBC, adding that too much of the gas in a person's bloodstream, known as hypercapnia, can kill them if not treated. Meanwhile, former Royal Navy submarine captain Ryan Ramsey said he looked at videos online of the inside of Titan and could not see a carbon dioxide removal system, known as scrubbers. "That for me is the greatest problem of all of them," the BBC quoted Ramsey as saying. At the same time, the crew are at risk from hypothermia, where the body gets too cold. According to Capt Ramsey, if the sub is on the seabed, the water temperature will be about zero degree. If it has also lost electricity, it will not be generating any power and therefore cannot generate heat. Hypothermia, the lack of oxygen and the build-up of carbon dioxide within the sub mean the crew's ability to make contact with the search and rescue mission, such as by banging on the hull at regular intervals to try and attract attention, will dwindle. "If they're unconscious, they're not going to be able to do much to help themselves," Ledez told the BBC. Tour firm OceanGate's Titan submersible was lost about an hour and 45 minutes into its dive to the Titanic's wreckage in the Atlantic on June 18, according to the US Coast Guard. Tickets cost $250,000 for an eight-day trip including dives to the wreck at a depth of 3,800m. A search operation is currently underway in an area in the ocean "larger than the state of Connecticut", about 20,000 sq.km. The sub-surface search is now 4 km deep. Rescue teams from Canada's navy, air force and coast guard, as well as the New York state air guard are assisting. A French research vessel and Magellan, a British firm that specialises in deep ocean investigations and recovery operations, have also joined the mission. The Titan submersible is thought to be approximately 1,450 km east and 643 km south of Newfoundland's capital, St John's According to US Coast Guard estimates, the Titan has roughly 20 hours of oxygen remaining on board. The five passengers on board are Hamish Harding, 58-year-old British adventurer who has previously been to space and multiple times to the South Pole; British businessman Shahzada Dawood (48) and his son Suleman (19); Paul-Henry Nargeolet (77), a former French Navy diver who has reportedly spent more time at the Titanic wreck than any other explorer and was part of the first expedition to visit it in 1987; and Stockton Rush (61), the chief executive of OceanGate. Kanpur, June 22 : A medical student at the Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur died during treatment at the Lala Lajpat Rai hospital, doctors said on Thursday. The second year MBBS student had allegedly consumed toilet cleaner. The student was living in a rented house in the city away from her family and on June 17, two youths got her admitted to the LLR hospital. Both the youths had disappeared mysteriously after admitting her to the hospital. The student's family, which had maintained silence till now, is now demanding action and investigation in the matter. The Swaroop Nagar police has sent the body for post-mortem. Station in-charge Swaroop Nagar police station, Rajesh Verma said that further action will be taken in the matter on the basis of the complaint of the family members. GSVM Medical College Principal Dr Sanjay Kala said that the 23-year-old female student, was an MBBS second year student and was allotted a hostel in the college campus itself. However, going by the findings, it came to light that she used to live at a rented accommodation in Kalyanpur. The family members also came to know about this fact only after she was admitted to LLR hospital on June 17. According to doctors, the student's intestines suffered major complications. "She died due to multiorgan failure," they said. Jalandhar, June 22 : The Mahila Kisan Union (MKU), a member of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, has termed the Sikh Gurdwara Amendment Bill as illegal. The Bill was passed this week by the Punjab Assembly to amend the central Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1925 in connection with the broadcast of free Gurbani from the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The union categorically said, "The state government did not have the constitutional right to introduce such an amendment and this illegal amendment would not even get the approval of the Governor. "Because of this, the political gimmick of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann would prove to be nothing more than a joke." Stating this in a statement, MKU president Rajwinder Kaur Raju said the Chief Minister should have either consulted the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) before taking any decision regarding telecast of recitation of Gurbani or the Darbar Sahib administration. She said Mann has been directly interfering under the veil of Gurbani telecast in Gurdwaras' managements, making attempts to disband the SGPC, the highest religious body of Sikhs, a futile attempt by the Aam Aadmi Party leaders to divert people's attention, especially from the demands of the farmers. The woman leader said the state government could enact a new Gurdwara Act for the state, but it has no constitutional right to amend the central Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1925. She said the Chief Minister had illegally amended the Gurdwara Act to create administrative problems for the SGPC to administer gurdwaras already controlling in Chandigarh, Himachal and Rajasthan, besides Punjab. It has made an unprecedented attempt to undermine the authority of the SGPC, the 'mini parliament' of the Sikh panth, to manage and control the gurdwaras to which the Sikh 'qaum' would never forgive him. A foreign vlogger has taken a deep dive into the folklore of the Dragon Boat Festival. Join Voynov Denys as he boards a traditional Flower Dragon Boat in the water town of Hongqiao. But first he will learn all about the hard work that goes into creating this mighty vessel. Produced by Xinhua Global Service Houston, June 22 : At least three people were killed and about a dozen buildings damaged after a violent storm ripped through the small town of Matador in Texas, authorities said. Matador, which has about 600 residents, is located some 290 miles northwest of Dallas, reports The New York Times. According to William Iwasko, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Lubbock, the town was under a tornado warning as the storm ripped through the area at around 8 p.m. on Wednesday night. "Based on the damage, there was most likely a tornado" in Matador, but that will be determined on Thursday, he added. While confirming the fatalities, Matador Mayor Pat Smith said that an unknown number of people may be injured and that there was "a whole lot of damage", with electricity also down across the town. He said several businesses and homes were destroyed on the west end of the town, adding that rescue workers pulled residents from collapsed houses. "It's really, really bad,' The New York Times quoted the Mayor as saying. Wednesday night's storm came nearly a week after a tornado pummeled the town of Perryton, also in Texas, killing three people and destroying dozens of mobile homes. That tornado was part of a ferocious series of storms that swept across the South last week. Thiruvananthapuram, June 22 : Former SFI leader K .Vidya, who was accused of forging documents for a teacher's job in a government college in Kerala, has been arrested, sources said on Thursday. In a statement to police after her arrest on Wednesday night, K.Vidya termed the case a "trap" against her and the state CPI(M) leadership by the Congress. Vidya is accused of forging her experience certificate to secure the post of a guest lecturer at a state-run college in Palakkad. She learned to have told the police that she has done no wrong and that she is a victim of a "deep-rooted" conspiracy hatched by the Congress-backed teachers' organisation. A Kasargod resident, Vidya was taken into police custody from her friend's house in Kozhikode. Reacting to the development, veteran Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala told the media this morning at Kasargod that everything connected to Vidya is "stage-managed". "Is Kerala Police so inefficient that they cannot catch an absconder?. It's because the CPI(M)-led government does not wish to arrest one of their staunch supporters. It's been more than two weeks since this grave crime done by the SFI has come out and where is Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, why is he silent?" asked Chennithala. CPI(M) central committee leader A.K.Balan countered the delay in the arrest of Vidya by pointing out that when the country is burning, the Prime Minister is doing yoga in the US. "The Congress here is not bothered about such things and is busy targetting Vijayan and the SFI for vested interests. In Kerala, the SFI rules in more than 80 per cent of the educational institutions and the support base of the CPI(M) is around 45 per cent, which shows SFI has a huge support base cutting across political parties. "So SFI is one organisation which has become part and parcel of the state and they are being targetted. Just look at the status of the Congress-led KSU, it's nowhere to be seen," said Balan. Vidya has been booked under Section 465 (punishment for forgery), 468 (committing forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 471 (fraudulently using forged documents as genuine) of the IPC and will later in the day be produced before a court in Palakkad. Beijing, June 22 : At least 31 people were killed and seven others injured after an explosion caused by the leakage of a liquified gas tank ripped through a barbeque restaurant in China's Yinchuan city, authorities said Thursday. The blast occurred at around 8.40 p.m. on Wednesday night in the city's Xingqing district, reports Xinhua news agency. According to the authorities, of the seven injured persons, one remains in critical condition. On Thursday, President Xi Jinping called for all-out rescue and treatment of the injured and enhanced safety overhaul. Xi urged efforts to ascertain the cause of the accident as soon as possible and hold the relevant people accountable in accordance with the law. All regions and related departments should screen for and rectify all types of risks and hidden dangers, he noted. Under Xi's instruction, a work group composed of several central government organs has been sent to the scene to guide the rescue efforts. The cause of the accident is under investigation. New Delhi, June 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a state visit to the US, met a cross section of American CEOs in Washington and sought their technological collaboration in India. In a series of back-to-back meetings on Wednesday, Modi first met president and CEO of Applied Materials Gary E. Dickerson and invited his company to contribute towards strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem in India and also to develop process technology and advanced packaging capabilities. Modi and Dickerson discussed potential of Applied Materials' collaboration with academic institutions in India to create skilled workforce. The Prime Minister then met CEO of General Electric (GE) Lawrence Culp Jr., during which Modi appreciated the company for its long-term commitment of manufacturing in India. The discussion focused on GE's greater technology collaboration to promote manufacturing in India, while Modi also invited the company to play a greater role in the aviation and renewable energy sectors in India. Later in the day, Modi also met Sanjay Mehrotra, the Indian-American CEO of Micron. The Prime Minister invited Micron Technology to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India and noted that the country can provide competitive advantages in various parts of the semiconductor supply chain. On Thursday, Modi will address the US Congress and also attend a state dinner at the White House hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Bhopal, June 22 : The Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta department has found loopholes in the tender process in the first phase of the Mahakal Lok corridor project, sources said on Thursday. In its preliminary investigation, the Lokayukta department has noticed some lack of clarity in agreement between the Ujjain Smart City board and Gujarat-based private firm that developed the project. Sources said that apprehensions were raised after the Lokayukta department verified the documents received from the Ujjain Smart City and noticed that the sign on the agreement paper of the project was missing. Who has signed the agreement with the company that built idols is unclear, a source told IANS, adding that some documents submitted to the Lokayukta department were also lacking clarity. The Lokayukta department has directed the Ujjain Smart City board to send the remaining documents pertaining to the Mahakal Lok corridor project by July 20. The said board is headed by Ujjain Municipal Commissioner as executive director of Ujjain Smart City. The falling of Saptarshi idols during a thunderstorm on May 28 raised questions on the quality work in the Mahakal Lok corridor and the opposition Congress accused the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government of 'corruption'. "The BJP government led by CM Chouhan has made Madhya Pradesh a 'corruption' and 'protest' state in the last 18 years. They have not spared even God and huge corruption was done in Mahakal Lok corridor. The people are fed up with BJP and CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who made two promises every day," Kamal Nath said during a visit to Shajapur on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the board members of Ujjain Smart City have reviewed the second phase work of Mahakal Lok corridor. During the meeting, the board members were also instructed to complete the second phase work within the time period, according to an official note. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had earlier stated that the work on the second phase of 'Shri Mahakal Lok' has started, including the development of Shikhar darshan, meditation room, restoration of Chhota Rudra Sagar, renovation of ancient temples and heritage dharamshala. However, if sources are to be believed, the board is likely to face a series of questions regarding the work of first phase of Mahakal Lok corridor, that was inaugurated September last year, and apprehensions have been raised on the quality of work after six Saptarshi idols fell on ground during a thundershower on May 28. Washington, June 22 : The search for the missing tourist submarine with five people on board, is entering a critical stage as the dwindling supply of oxygen in the vessel is estimated to run out on Thursday. According to estimated from the US Coast Guard, the supply of oxygen could run out by 7.18 a.m. on Thursday EST (4.48 p.m. IST), reports the BBC. The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, begins each trip with 96 hours of life support. The search area as of Thursday morning covers an area twice the size of the US state of Connecticut, and a sub-surface area 4 km deep. The expansion of the site was because of underwater sounds detected on Tuesday and Wednesday by a Canadian P-3 aircraft. But the source of the sounds remains unknown. But according to Capt. Jamie Frederick, the response coordinator for the First Coast Guard District, the searches in the area have "yielded negative results". "Data from the plane that identified the noises was sent to the US Navy, but has so far been inconclusive," CNN quoted Frederick as saying, adding that the Coast Guard does not know what the sounds were. Meanwhile, 10 extra ships and several remote submarines will join the search on Thursday, more than doubling operations, the BBC reported. Camera-equipped remote-controlled vehicles (ROVs) will also be scanning the depths of the seafloor throughout the day. The submersible began its two-hour descent to the wreck of the Titanic on the morning of June 18. The Titanic lies within a region called the "midnight zone" -- known for its freezing temperatures and perpetual darkness. It lost contact with the Polar Prince, the support ship that transported the craft to the location in the North Atlantic, an hour and 45 minutes into its descent, officials said. Factors like what happened to the submersible, why it lost contact, and how close it was to the Titanic when it went missing remain unanswered. The five people on board Hamish Harding, 58-year-old British adventurer who has previously been to space and multiple times to the South Pole; British businessman Shahzada Dawood (48) and his son Suleman (19); Paul-Henry Nargeolet (77), a former French Navy diver who has reportedly spent more time at the Titanic wreck than any other explorer and was part of the first expedition to visit it in 1987; and Stockton Rush (61), the chief executive of OceanGate. Officials believe that they have "limited rations" of food and water. Ret. Navy Capt. David Marquet, a former submarine captain, told CNN that the near-freezing water at that depth is probably making the situation very uncomfortable. "There's frost on the inside of the parts of the submarine. They're all huddled together trying to conserve their body heat. They're running low on oxygen and they're exhaling carbon dioxide," he said. Islamabad, June 22 : Salman Sufi, who heads the Pakistan Prime Ministers Strategic Reforms Unit, said Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain had asked the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to withdraw a notification in which it took exception to the Hindu festival of Holi being celebrated at a university. "Have spoken to Rana Tanveer sahib, and he has taken stern notice of the notification by the HEC on discouraging religious festivals and has asked them to withdraw it," tweeted Sufi after the media reported about the notification, Dawn reported. The notification was sent by HEC Executive Director Shaista Sohail to vice chancellors and heads of institutions. In its letter, the HEC claimed the "widely reported/ publicised" event of the celebration of Holi by the platform of a university had "caused concern and disadvantageously affected the country's image". "Unfortunately, it is sad to witness activities that portray a complete disconnect from our socio-cultural values and an erosion of the country's Islamic identity. One such instance that has caused concern was the fervour exhibited in marking (the) Hindu festival of Holi, Dawn reported. While the HEC letter did not name the varsity in question, it comes after Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad gained attention on social media for hosting an event for Holi, which took place on March 8. In one of the videos circulating on social media, students can be seen dancing and throwing colours in the air as loud music plays in the background. The letter advised HEIs to "prudently distance" themselves from all such activities "obviously incompatible with the country's identity and societal values". The HEC's letter drew the ire of netizens online, Dawn reported. Sindhi journalist Veengas said Islamabad needed to understand that Hindu festivals of Holi and Diwali were part of Sindhi culture. "Islamabad neither accepts our Sindhi language nor does it honour the Hindu festivals," she said, Dawn reported. Former Dawn editor Abbas Nasir said, "HEC should focus on plagiarised papers by PhDs as those actually tarnish the country's image. Holi and other such festivals enhance the country's image, create a mirage of pluralism." Activist Ammar Ali Jan said the commission should be more concerned about the "dismal state of education" in Pakistan. "Our universities are not even ranked in the top 1,000. Yet, HEC is more worried about students celebrating Holi. Such misplaced priorities are the reason for the intellectual/moral decay we see in society," he said. Researcher Ammar Rashid termed HEC's letter "vile religious bigotry". In another tweet, he said: "Imagine the outrage if a European or Indian higher education secretary banned Eid celebrations in universities because they were 'incompatible with the country's values'." Comedian Shafaat Ali pointed out that Holi was "purely this region's, especially Multan's, festival". He further said that the festival could be made a source of religious tourism in Pakistan and could promote religious tolerance in society. Patna, June 22 : Teams of Income Tax (I-T) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted raids at the Begusarai residence of prominent builder Ajay Kumar Singh -- the brother-in-law of Bihar Finance Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary. Ajay Singh, alias Karu Yadav, also shares a close relationship with JD(U) state president Lalan Singh. The raid was conducted at Ajay Singh residence located at Sri Krishna locality in Begusarai. Officials of I-T and ED reached the builder's house at 6 a.m. and conducted raids. Exact details of the raid are yet to be known. A large number of police personnel were deployed by the Begusarai administration to prevent any untoward incident. JD(U) sources claimed that the raid was conducted on Centre's direction ahead of the JUne 23 Opposition parties' meeting. Denver, June 22 : Several attendees of a concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado where former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson was scheduled to perform, were injured after they were hit by "apple-sized" hail, officials said. In a statement on Wednesday night, West Metro Fire Rescue, which responded to the emergency, said the number of potential patients and the extent of their injuries were not immediately known, the Colorado-based The Gazette newspaper reported. A concert goer called it the "scariest night of (her) life". "It started pelting people with hail at Red Rocks and my sister and I luckily found shelter under a sign. I am bleeding and have huge bumps on my head from the hail. Hoping everyone made it out safely," the newspaper quoted her as saying. Another person said the hail that fell down "was literally apple sized", adding the that "ground looked like it snowed. My partner's windshield is literally shattered". The concert has been delayed and Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre advised concert goers to "seek shelter in your vehicle", adding, "we'll let you know when we've received the all clear". The Red Rocks Amphitheatre is an open-air amphitheatre built into a rock structure near Morrison, Colorado. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a seating area for up to 9,525. Abu Dhabi, June 22 : More young Arabs see China as an ally of their countries than the US, a survey of regional youth has found. The US ranks seventh among nations considered as friendly, compared to China, which ranked second in the Arab Youth Survey conducted by Dubai-based public relations firm ASDA'A BCW, reports CNN. The findings show that support for China has gradually risen over the years as Beijing expands its footprint in the region. But they also reveal that as much as Arabs want the US to play a smaller role in the Middle East, many believe the superpower will continue to be the most influential actor, CNN reported. Eighty per cent of respondents consider China to be an ally of their country, while 72 per cent found the US to be one. By contrast, the 2018 edition of the survey found that other Arab nations dominated the top five countries seen as allies, with the exception of Russia, which ranked fourth. Neither China nor the US were among the top five. The 2015 survey ranked the US second. This year's survey, in its 15th edition, included face-to-face interviews with 3,600 Arabs aged 18 to 24 across 53 cities in 18 Arab countries, reflecting evolving sentiments prompted by a changing political landscape in the region, reports CNN. While the US continues to remain popular, other nations have overtaken it in ranking over the years. Turkey was found to be the country that most young Arabs considered an ally this year, at 82 per cent. Of those polled, 61 per cent said they support US disengagement from the Middle East, with most support for this being recorded in North Africa and the Levant. Arab states, particularly those in the Gulf, have been frustrated at what they see as the US's waning interest in the region, and have in recent years begun charting their own foreign policy. They have refused to take sides in the Ukraine war and have grown closer to China, insisting that the world is moving towards multipolarity, CNN reported. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text People inspect the home of Kamal Jouri after Israeli forces demolished it in the West Bank city of Nablus, June 22, 2023. The Israeli army on Thursday predawn blew up in the northern West Bank city of Nablus the family home of a Palestinian prisoner who was involved in killing an Israeli eight months ago, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) RAMALLAH, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army on Thursday predawn blew up in the northern West Bank city of Nablus the family home of a Palestinian prisoner who was involved in killing an Israeli eight months ago, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. Israeli army forces, backed by armored vehicles and bulldozers, stormed the city to demolish the home of Kamal Jouri, a Palestinian from the city, who was arrested after his involvement in the shooting attack, the sources said. The 130-square-meter apartment was located on the second floor of a residential building and housed a family of five. Jouri, a member of the armed group called the Lions' Den, was arrested on Feb. 13. Eyewitnesses said they heard a huge explosion, adding that before destroying the house, the soldiers evacuated the residents and asked them to stay away. Fierce clashes broke out between dozens of Palestinians and the soldiers of the Israeli army forces, said the eyewitnesses, who added that the Palestinians threw stones at the soldiers, who fired teargas to disperse them. Ahmad Jibril, head of the Ambulance and Emergency Department at the Red Crescent Society in Nablus, said the ambulance crew dealt with 165 cases of suffocation as a result of the toxic gas fired by the soldiers. He added that a young man was injured in the foot by a gas bomb and an ambulance was also directly hit and damaged by a gas bomb. West Bank tensions have been flaring up since early January. Over the past three days, the tensions have mounted, causing multiple deaths on both sides. A boy inspects the home of Kamal Jouri after Israeli forces demolished it in the West Bank city of Nablus, June 22, 2023. The Israeli army on Thursday predawn blew up in the northern West Bank city of Nablus the family home of a Palestinian prisoner who was involved in killing an Israeli eight months ago, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) A boy inspects the home of Kamal Jouri after Israeli forces demolished it in the West Bank city of Nablus, June 22, 2023. The Israeli army on Thursday predawn blew up in the northern West Bank city of Nablus the family home of a Palestinian prisoner who was involved in killing an Israeli eight months ago, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) A woman inspects the home of Kamal Jouri after Israeli forces demolished it in the West Bank city of Nablus, June 22, 2023. The Israeli army on Thursday predawn blew up in the northern West Bank city of Nablus the family home of a Palestinian prisoner who was involved in killing an Israeli eight months ago, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) New Delhi, June 22 : With a vision to build a defence innovation collaboration, India and the US have launched the India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X). According to the experts of the two countries, it will expand the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation, between governments, businesses and academic institutions. The Ministry of Defence said that the INDUS X was launched at an event in Washington DC, on Thursday. The event was co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), Ministry of Defence, and the US Department of Defence (DoD) and hosted by US-India Business Council (USIBC). A Senior Advisor Group (SAG) will assess progress of the collaboration agenda and make recommendations to the defence establishments and other INDUS-X stakeholders for future work. Anurag Bajpai, Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Promotion), MoD, led the Indian delegation in the INDUS X event. A reception for Indian and US government representatives, defence startups, think tanks, incubators, investors, industries and other stakeholders was organised on June 20. Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, gave the keynote address. Frank Kendall, US Secretary of the Air Force, stated that the India-US relationship is growing exponentially. He emphasised that there is enormous potential for startups of both nations to collaborate in deeptech innovations, especially in Space and Artificial Intelligence (AI) domain. Bajpai, in his remarks on 'Investing in the Future of US-Indian Defence relations', hailed the launch of iCET as a landmark event in India-US relationship. He said this was an opportune moment for this event, as the leaders of the two largest and oldest democracies of the world meet in Washington. The Joint Secretary stressed on the co-development and co-production of advanced technologies by Indian and US startups. He further asked the participants to develop mechanisms for future collaboration across industries, academia, and investors. The Joint Secretary also gave an overview of the Make in India initiative, focussing on Aatmanirbhar Bharat and the philosophy of 'Make in India, for the world'. The event also saw a first-of-its-kind joint showcasing of innovative technologies by Indian and US startups. 15 Indian startups and 10 US startups from multiple domains of maritime, AI, autonomous systems, and space, showcased their technologies to Indian and US stakeholders. The exhibition was visited by senior US officials, including Congressman Ro Khanna, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies and Information Systems (CITI) and as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, and by Radha Iyengar Plumb, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, US DoD. Kolkata, June 22 : West Bengal government, on Thursday, approached a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, challenging a single-judge bench's order directing a CBI probe against a block development officer accused of tampering with the nomination documents of two candidates for the July 8 panchayat elections. On Wednesday, the single- judge bench Justice Amrita Sinha gave this direction for CBI probe following a petition filed by two candidates at Uluberia in Howrah district namely Kashmira Bibi and Omja Bibi against the local block development officer accusing the latter of tempering with their nomination documents. The two candidates have alleged in their petition that the nomination got cancelled at the scrutiny phase because of the alleged tampering of the documents. Responding to it, the state government approached the Calcutta High Court's division bench of Justice Arijit Banerjee challenging the decision of Justice Sinha's single-judge bench. The state government has also appealed for a fast-track hearing in the matter. The matter will come up for hearing at the division bench on Friday. While giving the order, Justice Sinha also observed that since the allegations are against a state government official it will not be wise for a state investigation agency to probe the matter and hence the charge of the probe is handed over to CBI. She also directed the CBI to submit a detailed report on this count to her court by July 7, which is just a day ahead of the rural civic body polls in the state. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has claimed that the entire 13th floor of the state secretariat of Nabanna, which houses the chief minister's office, should be brought under the purview of the CBI probe to identify what other malpractices had taken place over the rural civic body polls. New Delhi, June 22 : The relationship between parents and children is one of the most endearing that we have ever witnessed in our lives. With different life events, you ride an emotional roller coaster. And it can be tough to understand your children at times, just as it can be difficult for them to understand their parents. Parents always want the best for their children, but in this rapidly changing world, it can be tough to keep up. It becomes harder for parents to provide the emotional support that their children require. Especially if they are the parents of a child who is homosexual, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ). As a parent to understand and approach LGBTQ youth confront a variety of problems that their parents may find difficult to comprehend and address, Archana Singhal, Counselor and Family Therapist, Founder of Mindwell Counsel, and Member of - the Counsellors Council of India and WICCI NPWC; suggest some ways parents can emotionally support their LGBTQ+ Child. Be mindful of the language you use when talking about LGBTQ+ Community: The child always observes the way their parents react towards the LGBTQ community and this determines whether they would open up to their parents about their identity or not. Openly showing your support towards queer identity would help the child in feeling accepted. Support them no matter what label they use: there are times when kids change their label more than once after coming out as LGBTQ+. You should support that because changing labels doesn't mean that you would dismiss their identity or orientation. You should support them irrespective of their identity or orientation Look out for Bullies: In school, LGBTQ+ youth are often targeted for being different. Therefore, look out for your kids, and if you feel like they are being bullied take action and reach out to their teachers or counsellor. You might start noticing declining grades, sudden shifts in nature, and unexplained absences from school. Give them space: Give them space to express themselves. Let them dress, however, they want to. Let them express themselves as they desire. Be mindful of what terminologies, pronouns, and names you are using. Ask them what they want: As a parent, it might become difficult to figure out what they want. Therefore, talk to them. Ask them what they are feeling, how they're doing, and what would make them feel supported. Show them that you love them: Sometimes for LGBTQ+ Youth coming out to their parents is the scariest part for them. Henceforth, show them that you love them and you care about them. Try to learn the facts: Try to clear out the misconceptions and learn the facts. It will show them that you are trying to understand them. Encourage Healthy Relations: Dating is something kids feel awkward talking to their parents about. Therefore, try to be open with them. Let them know what healthy relationships are and encourage them. As unhealthy relationships can be misleading. Seek Support: It's understandable if you are feeling confused and helpless, but remember that your child is having more difficulty than you. Therefore try to seek help! Talk to a counsellor or someone who has gone through the same thing as you. Try to Understand what you yourself are feeling: When a child comes out to their parents, it's understandable that you feel a rush of conflicting emotions. You might feel scared for your child because of the potential discrimination that they might go through. This all can cause you a lot of stress. Therefore, take help mentally. This Pride Month, be the supporting parent and be glad that your child felt safe "coming out" to you as an LGBTQ+ person. Be a community ally and assist your child in every way you can. This will be difficult for both you and your child. However, this will bring you closer to your child and make them feel accepted. Many LGBTQ+ youth believe that if they have their parents on their side, they can overcome any obstacle! (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, June 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the G20 Education Ministers' Meet held in Maharashtra's Pune via a video message on Thursday, and said that the objective must be to provide quality education with better governance. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that education was not only the foundation upon which our civilization has been built, but it is also the architect of humanity's future. The PM referred to the Education Ministers as the Sherpas and said that they are leading mankind in its effort for development, peace, and prosperity for all. Highlighting the significance of the G20 Education Ministers' Meet towards the future of children and youth, the Prime Minister expressed delight that the group has identified green transition, digital transformations and women's empowerment as accelerators for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. "Education is at the root of all these efforts," the Prime Minister said, as he expressed confidence that the outcome of the meeting will be an inclusive, action-oriented and future-ready education agenda. PM Modi highlighted that the Indian scriptures describe the role of education as the key to bring joy. Reciting a Sanskrit Shlok, which means 'True knowledge gives humility, from humility comes worthiness, from worthiness one gets wealth, wealth enables a person to do good deeds, and, this is what brings joy', the Prime Minister said that India has embarked on a holistic and comprehensive journey. PM Modi emphasized that foundational literacy forms a strong base for the youth and India is combining it with technology. He highlighted the 'National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy', or 'Nipun Bharat' initiative by the government and expressed happiness that 'Foundational Literacy and Numeracy' has been identified as a priority by G20 as well. He also stressed working on it in a time-bound manner by 2030. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to adapt and use new e-learning innovatively and said that the objective must be to provide quality education with better governance. He highlighted the several initiatives taken by the government in this direction and mentioned 'Study Webs of Active-learning for Young Aspiring Minds', or 'Swayam', an online platform that hosts all courses from Class 9 to the post-graduate level and enables students to learn remotely while focussing on access, equity and quality. "With over 34 million enrolments and more than 9,000 courses, it has become a very effective learning tool," the Prime Minister added. He also mentioned the 'Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing' or 'Diksha Portal' which aims to deliver school education through distance learning. Modi informed that it supports learning in 29 Indian and seven foreign languages and has witnessed over 137 million course completions so far. Modi also pointed out that India would be happy to share these experiences and resources, particularly with those in the Global South. Underlining the need to make our youth future-ready by continuously skilling, reskilling and up-skilling them, the Prime Minister emphasized aligning their competencies with evolving work profiles and practices. "In India", the Prime Minister added, "We are undertaking skill mapping where the Education, Skill and Labour Ministries are working in tandem on this initiative." Modi also suggested that G20 countries can undertake skill mapping at the global level and find gaps that need to be plugged in. The Prime Minister remarked that digital technology serves as an equalizer and promotes inclusivity. He said that it is a force multiplier in increasing access to education and adapting to future needs. He also touched upon the potential of Artificial Intelligence which offers great potential in the field of learning, skilling and education. He also stressed the role of G20 in striking the right balance between the opportunities and challenges posed by technology. Throwing light on the emphasis laid on research and innovation, the Prime Minister highlighted that India has set up 10,000 'Atal Tinkering Labs' across the country which act as research and innovation nurseries for our school children. He informed that more than 7.5 million students are working on more than 1.2 million innovative projects in these labs. "This would benefit the whole world in the true spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - One Earth, One Family, One Future", the Prime Minister concluded. New Delhi, June 22 : The Indian diaspora's expertise in healthcare and IT in the US have strengthened the soft power between the two nations, noted Indian-American professionals from the field said on Thursday. As visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi met a slew of CEOs and sought their technological collaboration on Wednesday, eminent members of the diaspora community also said that it is time to further bolster US-India ties in strategic areas like defence and manufacturing. "The Indian diaspora's expertise in Healthcare and IT have strengthened the soft power between India and the US. I expect the two leaders to strengthen this bond further in more strategic areas like defence, manufacturing," Dr Mahendra Bhandari, Director Robotic Research and Education, Vattikuti Urology Institute at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, told IANS in an email interview. On the first day of his three-day historic state visit to the US, Modi met a group of American academics from diverse fields such as agriculture, marketing, engineering, technology and health. He spoke of emerging trends in healthcare and discussed ways to augment healthcare capacities in India with experts working in the field. Speaking of collaborations, Dr Bhandari said that the two biggest democracies can work to bring in best practices in the medicine and pharma sector. "Highly accomplished Indian-origin doctors and surgeons can collaborate with the Indian healthcare system to bring in the best practices -- from public health, robotic surgery to use of AI in delivering outcome-based medicine," Bhandari told IANS. "On the other hand, the highly-advanced Indian pharma industry can collaborate with the large US pharma companies to manufacture critical drugs and vaccines for the less privileged nations of the world," he added. Modi also discussed pandemic healthcare in his meeting with Nobel Laureate Peter Agre, Lawton Robert Burns, Stephen Klasko, Peter Hotez, Sunil A. David and Vivian S. Lee. The use of digital technologies for quality healthcare, a greater focus on integrative medicine and better healthcare preparedness was also discussed. India has established itself as a global tech giant, and the competence of the Indian doctors and researchers in the US is well established. "I expect convergence of AI, healthcare and pharma will make way for India's emergence as a leading healthcare destination. The vast population health database in India too can be leveraged for training the NLP engine," Chocko Valliappa, Founder and CEO of Bengaluru and New York co-headquartered technology and IT services firm Vee Technologies, told IANS. According to Valliappa, the diaspora expects a slew of significant initiatives to be rolled out during the Modi-Joe Biden summit. "Since the US and India are both going into election mode next year, this is the ideal time to take bold steps to increase trade," Valliappa told IANS. India has to play the fact that several American tech giants like Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Microsoft, as well as other niche tech firms owe a significant part of their market cap to a vast pool of consumers from India, while China has shut its doors to them. "As this fact is not lost on the US government in the recent geopolitical dynamics India's manufacturing industry is bound to gain from the state visit of PM Modi," Valliappa told IANS. (Meenakshi Iyer can be reached at meenakshi.i@ians.in) Lucknow, June 22 : More than a dozen BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh may not get tickets for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections since a confidential report being prepared by the state BJP unit has found their performance 'unsatisfactory' in the ongoing mass contact programme to mark the completion of nine years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre. All MPs had been made responsible for holding rallies as part of the mass contact programme, in coordination with respective district presidents. They had been given a target of at least 10,000 people for the rallies in their respective constituencies. Sources said that around 20 per cent MPs fared poorly in the mass contact programme and about 50 per cent could manage 60-70 per cent of the targeted numbers while the remaining half could manage just about 40 per cent. Each of these rallies are being addressed by a senior BJP leader from the pool of central ministers deputed for the role, national BJP office-bearers, UP chief minister and state BJP president. BJP, at present, has 64 MPs from the state. A senior party functionary said, for instance, in Gautam Buddha Nagar, the contact programme was held at an auditorium with 5,000 capacity but reports received said that only 2,000 to 2,500 people were present there. Taking note of the performance, the top state leadership has decided to hold another rally in Noida on June 25 to be addressed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Similar is the case of Kannauj, from where the state leadership has received conflicting reports on the number of people present in the rally. While the district president in his report has cited the presence of over 7,000 people in the rally, another leader, who was present in the rally, reported that only 1,500 to 2,000 people were present there. Since the difference in quoted numbers was huge, the party has sent the report to BJP organisation secretary Dharampal Singh to take further decision. Similar reports have come in from Ghosi, Lalganj and Bahraich. Some MPs have even sought help from the government machinery to bring in crowds for the events. In a letter purportedly written by Machhlishahr MP, B.P. Saroj, to Jaunpur district magistrate --which has gone viral-- the MP had requested help to get beneficiaries at a rally at Bayalsi Degree College, Jalalpur on June 19. "It will definitely be a factor when tickets for the LS polls are decided," said the functionary. Jaipur, June 22 : Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena was arrested on Thursday near the Ashok Nagar police station here, where he had been sitting on a dharna. For the last two days, Meena was asking the police officials to file an FIR against state water Minister Mahesh Joshi and IAS officer Subodh Agrawal after alleging irregularities worth Rs 20,000 crore in the tender . Aggrieved by the attitude of the police, he staged a dharna outside the police station. On Thursday morning, when he went to refresh himself at a nearby place, a police team surrounded the dharna site and removed the parked vehicles by cranes. Later when Meena came back to the protest site, he was arrested and taken to the Chaksu police station. His followers are now protesting at the place. Meena, while talking to media, said that CM Ashok Gehlot had been saying that FIR will be filed by any one who has issues. "Now it means CM is lying," he said as his FIR was not lodged. He said that he has proof for his claims. "The concerned minister can file a defamation case," he added when asked that state minister Mahesh Joshi had said that he will file a defamation suit against him. On Wednesday, Meena alleged a massive scam in the Department of Mines & Geology and accused the Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. "Even during this tenure of Gehlot, there are irregularities in the Mines Department. The mines of the state are being looted together," the MP, while addressing a press conference. The MP said that Rajasthan is the first state in the country where the maximum number of mining leases have been given. Instead of e-auction, permits have been distributed in charity. Chennai, June 22 : The PMK on Thursday demanded the Tamil Nadu government to enforce a step by step ban on liquor in the state. PMK state president and former Union Minister, Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss in a statement said that the decision of the Tamil Nadu government to shut down 500 Tasmac liquor shops from Thursday was a welcome decision. The PMK leader called upon the Tamil Nadu government to ban 500 Tasmac liquor shops every quarter of a year and thereby ensure that all the remaining 4,829 liquor shops are shut down by the next two and half years. It may be noted that there were 5,329 liquor shops in Tamil Nadu under the state government and with the shutting down of 500 shops on Thursday, the number of shops has come down to 4,829. PMK, which is the political arm of the powerful Vannniyar community, has all along been campaigning against the consumption of liquor and has been demanding a shutdown of Tasmac liquor shops in the state. The PMK has recently conducted a statewide campaign against the increase in the use of liquor in the state. New Delhi, June 22 : It's simple to get lost among the charming palaces and important historical sites when touring the alluring city of Jaipur. But behind the splendour of the palaces, there is an exciting and varied cuisine scene that draws both tourists and residents. As impressive and alluring as Jaipur's architectural delights are its culinary options. The city is a haven for food connoisseurs looking to get a real taste of Jaipur, offering everything from traditional Rajasthani fare to international gastronomic delights. This list of five must-visit eateries showcases the hidden jewels that embody the tastes and culinary customs that make Jaipur a culinary heaven. Explore the eateries on this culinary tour to find out which ones will have you hankering for more of Jaipur's gastronomic treats. Experience Jaipur's vibrant food culture with this list of five restaurants that offer a unique taste of the city: Masala Ministry Masala Ministry is a one-of-a-kind gastronomy restaurant with a strong focus on quality ingredients presentation and immaculate service. It has a 100 per cent veg and Progressive Menu. Masala Ministry not only emphasises high-quality food service and experience but also customises menus, chef-customer interactions, etc. It has introduced several new techniques and concepts in the Jaipur market with respect to its creative amalgamation of palatable food and its unique presentation. Their mission is to provide superior quality food services that people love and recommend to family & friends, bloggers prefer for their audience, employers are proud to serve and investors seek long-term returns. They have two outlets, one in Bani Park, and the second in Malviya Nagar, and are honoured with Times Food & Nightlife Award for Best North Indian cuisine in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Spice Court Known for its authentic Rajasthani cuisine and elegant ambiance, Spice Court is a renowned restaurant in Jaipur. They emphasise using high-quality spices and fresh ingredients to create flavourful dishes. The restaurant also offers a pleasant dining experience with attentive service. Their Dal Baati Churma, which is a prominent and absolutely delicious Rajasthani dish, is also a must-try. Dragon House If you're looking for Chinese cuisine in Jaipur, Dragon House is a popular choice. They specialise in a variety of Chinese dishes, ranging from traditional to innovative creations. The restaurant prides itself on using high-quality ingredients and providing a pleasant dining experience. Handi Handi is a renowned restaurant that has been serving authentic Rajasthani and Mughlai cuisine since 1984. They are known for their flavourful curries and biryanis. Located on MI Road. Savour the flavours of Rajasthan while embracing the lively spirit of its cultural heritage, where every bite tells a story and every tradition paints a vivid picture. Beat the Scorching Heat of Rajasthan with the Zesty Zing of Fresh Lime and Experience the Tangy Bliss of Rajasthan's Aam and Rajasthan's Mango Lassi. Peacock Rooftop Restaurant Located near the Amer Fort, Peacock Rooftop Restaurant provides a scenic dining experience with a 360-degree view of the city. Explore the many levels and hidden nooks, relax the day away playing cards at a table, or plan your next Rajasthan adventure over a hot cup of chai tea. They serve a variety of Indian dishes, including vegetarian options. Traditional breakfasts, noon-time snacks, and rich gourmet regional fare are available. The restaurant is themed after the national bird of India - The Peacock, which occupies a respectable position in Indian culture and is protected by religious sentiments. A delightful calm place where you can sip a chai tea or have a bite, admiring the old Hathroi Fort only meters away. The quirky decor and our chef's North Indian delicacies are sure to make for a perfect time on the rooftop. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, June 22 : The fourth edition of the London Design Biennale was artistically directed by the NieuweInstituut-the Dutch national museum and institute for architecture, design, and digital culture. The entirety of Somerset House, including the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court and River Terrace, was taken over, and participants from across the globe were invited to imagine and enact new forms of international cooperation and participation-including with each other-through the medium of design. The Design Village (TDV) and Studio Archohm designed the India Pavilion at the Biennale. 35 students from TDV attended the LDB and showcased their practical design intellect and thinking. These aspiring designers actively participated in the creation of the pavilion, gaining invaluable exposure on an international stage. The fourth edition revolved around the theme of "The Global Game: Remapping Collaborations". The India Pavilion showcased "Chowk&Charpai: An Urban Living Room", a multi-sensory evocation of the essence of a contemporary Indian city curated by The Design Village and designed by Studio Archohm. Speaking about the exposure Arpita Saraswat, a Postgraduate Student at the design village said "London Design Biennale as a platform has been enlightening for all of us coming together, to experience the work that leads us to global responsibilities. To see each concept being built for all of us to engage and experience. The conversations and research work through Eureka at a global level has motivated me to reflect upon. As a design student, it has been a transforming involvement for me. It has been an honour for us, the students, to bring the everyday collaborative and sustainable experience through our India Pavilion at the Somerset House." The Indian pavilion is a multi-sensory evocation of the essence of a contemporary Indian city chowk - an open market at the junction of streets - through the visual metaphor of a charpai - a traditional woven daybed found across India. The charpai is a design icon that transcends time, and its weave is representative of Indian craft. The pavilion will stand as a large urban charpai sculpture, gently shading Somerset House as it basks in the British sun. The weave of the charpai renders a play of light and shade to make a street square - a chowk, where chance encounters take place. The oversized web of the charpai represents India - modern in its outlook, rooted in its culture. Through the elements of touch, sound, sight, smell, and taste, the chowk represents Indian urbanity which adjusts and adapts through dense landscapes. Terracotta cups dot the facade and promise a "kullad chai" tasting experience - a testimony to the comforting warmth of Indian hospitality and craft. Urban furniture inspired by the Pavilion punctuates the area - these act as physical ambassadors and find a place in other pavilions at the Biennale. Inside, one can hear the humdrum of Indian streets, under a maze of exaggerated Charpoi weaves. Notes of "Petrichor" - the quintessential Indian smell of the first monsoon rain on mud developed by Boond from Kannauj, complements the experience. Matching the scale of the Pavilion, Puppeteers from Kayakalp Trust perform a story of the Mango fruit, posing questions on Climate Change. "It was important for us to show various layers and complexities of narratives. Our country is multidimensional and therefore its true representation is hard to recreate in a singular inanimate manner. Our students have had the chance to work closely with artisans and professionals through this journey of putting together the India Pavilion, which makes it very special," adds Mridu Sahai, Co-Founder of The Design Village. (IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in) Chinese Premier Li Qiang delivers a speech at a dinner with the Chinese and French business communities in Paris, France, June 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) PARIS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- China and France should jointly maintain the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, strengthen cooperation on innovation, and foster a sound business environment, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Wednesday. Li made the three-point proposal on China-France cooperation when delivering a speech at a dinner with the Chinese and French business communities in Paris. French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire and more than 100 representatives from the business communities of the two countries attended the event. Li said interdependence is an inevitable result of economic globalization, and the sound political mutual trust between China and France enables the two countries to see stability, certainty, and common development opportunities in their interdependence, rather than risks. On jointly maintaining the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains, Li expressed admiration for the French government's opposition to bloc confrontations, decoupling as well as severing industrial and supply chains. It is hoped that Chinese and French entrepreneurs will firmly support economic globalization, take action for open and win-win cooperation, and jointly maintain the stability and resilience of the industrial and supply chains between China and France and between China and Europe, Li added. On strengthening China-France cooperation on innovation, Li said in recent years, China-France technological exchanges in medicine, new energy batteries, semiconductors and other fields have produced many innovative achievements, adding that looking ahead, the two sides still boast great potential for cooperation in areas including high-end manufacturing, modern services, green transformation and digital economy. The two sides should strengthen innovation and technological cooperation between their enterprises to provide new driving forces and foster new growth points for China-France cooperation, said the Chinese premier. On fostering a sound business environment. Li said China will unswervingly deepen reform, expand opening up, and further ease market access in the modern service sector and others. China will steadily promote institutional opening up that covers rules, regulations, management and standards, said Li, adding that China will step up intellectual property rights protection, foster a market-oriented, world-class business environment governed by a sound legal framework, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of foreign companies in China in accordance with the law. Li hopes that the French side will keep its market open, and build a fair, equitable and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies. Li welcomed French enterprises to actively participate in the China International Import Expo to further explore the Chinese market. In his speech, Li said that his visit to France is a journey of friendship and cooperation, adding that in almost 60 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, the relationship between the two countries has always maintained positive development and achieved remarkable cooperation results. China-France relations are characterized by being stable, contemporary and global. Both countries stand for unity instead of division and cooperation instead of confrontation. Both countries are committed to upholding multilateralism, promoting the improvement of global governance, and working together to meet the common challenges of mankind, he said, calling on both sides to cherish and take good care of it. He encouraged entrepreneurs from both countries to strengthen confidence, seize opportunities and make joint efforts to achieve greater development and promote steady and long-term cooperation between China and France and between China and Europe. Speaking highly of the sound momentum and fruitful results of the development of bilateral ties and cooperation, Le Maire said that French companies remain attracted by China, and stand ready to deepen cooperation in such fields as aviation, food and renewable energy, so as to build high-quality partnerships and achieve win-win results. China's State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong was also present at the event. New Delhi, June 22: A month-and-a half after the seismic event, more details are emerging about Pakistan's May 9 mutiny, whose purpose was to unseat Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and replace him with a military establishment that would be loyal to ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan. The project failed, but its aftershocks are still being felt as the network of key conspirators is yet to be fully dismantled. So, what has Gen. Munir and his team accomplished so far, and what more is required before the Pakistan military restores its equilibrium that Khan has significantly disturbed? India Narrative has authoritatively learnt that as of now, over 124 serving military officers including one Corps Commander, two Major Generals and others are facing enquiries and trials. These officers include Lahore's former Corps Commander Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Salman Ghani, who, it is understood is facing court martial proceedings. Docking Gen. Ghani is significant in order to unearth the conspiracy, which led angry mobs to ransack Jinnah House, the corps commander's residence in Lahore on May 9. The rioters also targeted the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi as well as the martyr's cemetery among other icons of the military's power and authority in Pakistan. It has now emerged that some of the other bigwigs who were actively involved in the revolt include former Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Azhar Abbas. Besides two former heads of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Shuja Pasha, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Zaheerul Islam, are being listed among the leading lights who drove the rebellion. Also, other prominent figures behind the conspiracy include Lt Gen. (Retd.) Khalid Maqbool, Lt Gen. (Rtd.) Amjad Shoaib, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Ali Quli Khan and Maj Gen (Rtd.) Ijaz Awan. Incidentally, as reported by India Narrative earlier, 13 retired generals including Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Khalid Maqbool have met Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) last week, pleading that Gen. Munir should show greater leniency towards ex-Prime Minister Khan. During the meeting at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Gen. Munir cautioned the veterans to stop playing politics. In case the retired generals wished to pursue the political path, they should stop behaving as veterans and give up the privileges that have been bestowed to them by the Army on account of their status as retired officers. It now transpires that the kingpin behind the entire conspiracy was none other than former ISI chief Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Faiz Hameed. Sources say that dissent in the army is expected to persist, unless Gen. Hameed is court marshalled and punished. Apparently had the rebellion succeeded, when Gen. Munir was away in Qatar, Gen. Hameed would have been offered the post of DG ISI for a second time, or the presidency itself, the sources said. Analysts say that Khan's overconfidence and the army's loyalty to the command, irrespective of differences, eventually saved the day for Pakistan. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative London, June 22 : German media giant Axel Springer is laying off 20 per cent of newsroom jobs and apparently replacing some employees with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, reports surfaced on Thursday. Axel Springer CEO Mathias Dopfner, a friend of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, has ushered in a "digital-only" phase, reports CNN. The roles of editors, photo editors, proofreaders and other employees involved in print production will "no longer exist as they do today," the publisher wrote in its memo. The layoffs will majorly impact Bild, among the most widely sold newspapers in Europe. Axel Springer owns several multimedia news brands such as German news publications Bild and Welt, and US news sites Politico and much of Insider. Axel Springer told employees it would "unfortunately be parting ways with colleagues who have tasks that in the digital world are performed by AI and/or automated processes," according to German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine (FAZ). The job cuts will reportedly impact nearly 200 of 1,000 employees at Bild. A Bild spokesperson, however, told CNN that the job cuts weren't related to AI, but "AI would be a time-saving and useful tool for editors and reporters". In a recent memo to employees, Dopfner said that "artificial intelligence has the potential to make independent journalism better than it ever was -- or simply replace it." "Understanding this change is essential to a publishing house's future viability. Only those who create the best original content will survive," he added. He further wrote in the staff memo that "AI will soon be able to completely take over the layout of the printed newspaper". Jaipur, June 22 : Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has claimed that Congress has more faith in Hinduism than the BJP. "We will not allow BJP to make Hindutva their agenda in Rajasthan," he said, adding that in the state all religions, castes and classes will do politics together. "Congress has more faith in Hinduism than the BJP. There are many in the saffron party who have no connection with the Hindu religion at all. They have become Hindus just to do politics over building Ram temple. Slowly, their secrets are being revealed," said Gehlot during a tour of cyclone affected Pali-Jalore districts on Wednesday. While interacting with the media in Jalore, Gehlot said that his party has gone out of its way to serve the cows. "We were the first to create the Directorate of Cows and also gave grants, but did not seek votes in its name. Despite doing precious little for the cows, the BJP unabashedly demands votes in the name of 'Gaumata ", he added. Meanwhile, responding to allegation, the BJP State President CP Joshi said, "By making such statements, Gehlot wants to divert attention from the incident of gang-rape of a Dalit girl in Khajuwala, Bikaner. BJP will give a befitting reply at an opportune time. As of now, the aggrieved family needs justice. Why is the Chief unmoved by just a tragic and barbaric incident?. They just want to divert people's attention from it, but the people of the state know everything." Taking on Priyanka Gandhi BJP state president C.P. Joshi said that the Congress leader used to repeatedly say 'Ladki hoon Lad sakti hoon'. This is the time she should come to Rajasthan as women atrocities are at its peak in the state and Ashok Gehlot should introduce her to the affected families. For Priyanka Rajasthan nothing more than a tourist destination, he countered. Islamabad, June 22 : Pakistans Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar said her country does not want to be pushed towards taking sides in the ongoing rivalry between US and China, stating that Islamabad has enough problems of its own. In an interview, she said that Pakistan no longer has the appetite to pick a side between the world's two largest superpowers, highlighting that Islamabad values its relations and wants to maintain a neutral balance with both the nations. Khar's interview was recorded before US President Joe Biden called his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping a dictator during a political event in California. Beijing responded aggressively to the remark, saying it was a "serious contradiction of basic facts, seriously violate diplomatic etiquette, and seriously infringe on China's political dignity". Pakistan maintains a critical and challenging position in the scenario as it has close ties with China while it also maintains a relationship with the US as well. Analysts have expressed their concerns and warned that Biden's remarks, and Beijing's response, would make it even more difficult for Pakistan to maintain close ties with both US and China. Khar further emphasized that Islamabad cannot be part of US-China rivalry as "splitting the world into two blocs is "threatening" for Islamabad". "As a nuclear-armed heavyweight of 250 million people, Pakistan is one of the most closely watched front-line states in the contest for strategic influence in Asia. "While Pakistan's old Cold War partner Washington in increasingly turning its focus on cooperation with Islamabad's arch-foe India, China has swooped in to extend its sway in Pakistan -- particularly through giant infrastructure projects," she added. Khar said that Islamabad look at the US-China rivalry with serious concern. "We are highly threatened by this notion of splitting the world into two blocs. We are very concerned about this decoupling.. anything that splits the world further. We have a history of being in a close, collaborative mode with the US. We have no intention of leaving that. Pakistan also has the reality of being in a close, collaborative mode with China, and until China suddenly came to everyone's threat perception, that was always the case. " With the US-China rivalry working on strategic influencing countries in Asia, Pakistan may find itself in a difficult position and may be pushed towards expressing its inclination to a bloc, which many say would be Beijing. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Kanpur, June 22 : In a first-of-its-kind initiative, a virtual investigator will guide the police, from catching cybercriminals to helping convict them in a court of law. The initiative is backed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K). The fight against spiralling cases of cybercrime will begin in Telangana and will consequently move to other states. Prof. Manindra Agarwal, head of the state-of-the-art C3iHub of IIT Kanpur, has developed AI-backed tools for the Telangana police that will serve as a step-by-step guide for the police from commission to conviction, like an investigator. The system that has not been named yet, has a robust database of all patterns of cybercrimes, which it would automatically classify. When a crime takes place, the system will direct the police to cases in the past with similar or near identical modus operandi. It would throw up details of people arrested for those crimes and areas from where they have been operating. "This system will self-analyse and suggest to the police the nature of information they need to process and gather to trace the people behind the crime," said Agrawal. The tools developed will even help the police build a solid case against the criminals arrested, he said. "At present, the Telangana police is the readiest force in terms of infrastructure and trained manpower. It will shortly start using these tools that will be constantly upgraded to pre-empt cybercriminals employing new techniques and technology, After this, technology will be shared with other states," he stated. C3iHub is into building a cybersecurity ecosystem for the government. It will constantly monitor security vulnerabilities in critical sectors and develop tools to address them at different levels of system architecture. Other than this, the hub does a cybersecurity audit for the government and provides a security operation control mechanism that allows the user to see information about cyberattacks on servers, flow of malware, among other things, in real time. New Delhi, June 22 : A day after Home Minister Amit Shah called for an all-party meet on June 24 to deliberate on the Manipur crisis, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence and said that the meeting is being called in his absence as it is not important for him. In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said, "Manipur is burning for last 50 days but the Prime Minister is silent. An all party meeting has been called at a time when he himself is not in the country. It is clear that for Prime Minister, this meeting is not important." Earlier in the day, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal also termed BJP's move "too little too late" which came only after CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi addressed the people of the northeastern state. Taking a dig at Shah, Venugopal said, "Well after 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, HM Amit Shah's call for an all-party meeting is too little too late. The government only woke up after Sonia Gandhi ji's address to the people of Manipur." Slamming the government, the Congress leader said that at the outset, the Prime Minister's (Narendra Modi) absence from such a serious meeting displays his "cowardice and unwillingness" to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them, he added. "The Home Minister himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, in fact things have worsened since his visit. Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship? Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty," he said. The Congress Rajya Sabha MP said that "any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at". "This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi. The entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government, which has been missing in action so far," Venugopal added. On Wednesday, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi in a video statement condoled the deaths in violence-hit Manipur and appealed for peace. Meanwhile, speaking to media at party headquarters here, Venugopal said, "The party has been demanding an all-party meeting convened by the Prime Minister all this while. Despite the passage of 53-54 days of violence and loss of lives, the Prime Minister has not uttered a single word. At least a peace call from him should have been done. When the Home Minister has already visited the state and done his exercise, then what is the need for Shah calling the meeting again. At least a meeting chaired by Prime Minister should have been convened in Manipur. "Whatever joint press conference is happening is ok. But the Prime Minister should find a little time for our own state Manipur also," the Congress leader added. Even Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala attacked the government and said, "To the people of Manipur who have been reeling under the horrendous violence for the past 50 days, the insensitivity and inaction of the Modi government is like rubbing salt on their festering wounds." "'All-party meeting' after the loss of hundreds of lives and destruction of thousands of families? Is this just a reaction of the government to panic after Sonia Gandhi's message? Is the job of the Prime Minister of the country only to seek votes from the people of Manipur in the election rally? Is it Modi's 'self-reliant campaign' to turn away every time the country is in trouble? After all, for how long, instead of saving 'false image', will it be considered necessary to save the lives of the country and its people?" Surjewala, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP wondered. The Congress leader's remarks came a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday said that the Union Home Minister has convened an all-party meeting on June 24 at 3 p.m. in New Delhi to discuss the situation in Manipur. Home Minister Shah had also visited the strife-torn state for four days (May 29 to June 1) and met a cross-section of people, more than 45 civil society organisations and different political parties as part of his efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the strife-torn state. After his visit, the Home Minister had announced a slew of measures to deal with the situation. Over 100 people have died and around 50,000 forced to live in relief camps following the violent clashes in Manipur since May 3. The Congress has been questioning the silence of the Prime Minister on the issue. Mumbai, June 22 : Actor Prateik Chaudhary recently shot an audio series with former 'Bigg Boss 16' contestant Sumbul Toqueer Khan for a radio channel. The 'Sindoor Ki Keemat' actor sounds very excited about the project. He is also all praises for Sumbul, who rose to fame with 'Imlie' and 'Bigg Boss'. "The audio series was with Pocket Fm. Me and Sumbul are the leads of the series. We both are playing husband and wife. Name of the series is 'Devil Se Shaadi' and I am playing Rajveer in it, while Sumbul is seen in the character of Ishqi. Can't tell you any more about the story but yes it's a very interesting narrative and I am sure people are going to love it," he said. Prateik had fun working with Sumbul. "I know her from before as we both have worked for the same production house that is Four Lions Films. But yes I am shooting with her for the first time and that too playing the lead opposite her." "So, ya it was really fun and amazing," he continues that she has become the youth icon after Imlie and Big Boss. "She has really achieved a lot and proved herself at a very young age. I am very proud of her." -- Syndicated from IANS New Delhi, June 22 : In a major breakthrough, the Delhi Police Special Cell has apprehended a man and a juvenile from Bihar in connection with the alleged data leak from the CoWin portal, the Centre's official platform for Covid-19 vaccination registration and certification. According to police sources, the adult man, whose identity has been withheld pending further investigation, is suspected of being involved in the unauthorised sharing of sensitive vaccination data on the encrypted messaging app, Telegram. The sources have revealed that the man, believed to be in his late twenties, allegedly gained access to the portal. It is suspected that he illegally obtained confidential information of registered users, including their personal details and vaccination status, and subsequently disseminated this data on Telegram. The accused person's mother, who works as a healthworker in Bihar, also adds an intriguing twist to the case. Authorities are currently investigating whether her profession provided the arrested individual with any insider knowledge or facilitated his illicit activities. Further details regarding her involvement or potential knowledge of her son's actions are yet to be disclosed by the police. Earlier this month, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) had dubbed the alleged data breach of Covid-19 vaccine beneficiaries as "mischievous in nature", saying that the portal is completely safe with adequate safeguards for data privacy. The Ministry also said that it had requested the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to look into this issue and submit a report, besides initiating an internal exercise to review the existing security measures of CoWIN. The Ministry's remarks came after some media reports and social media posts had claimed breach of data of vaccine beneficiaries. "Certain posts on the social media platform Twitter have claimed using a 'Telegram (online messenger application) BOT', the personal data of individuals who have been vaccinated is being accessed." It was reported that the BOT has been able to pull individual data by simply passing the mobile number or Aadhaar number of a beneficiary. The Ministry had also said that security measures are in place on the CoWIN portal, with Web Application Firewall, Anti-DDoS, SSL/TLS, regular vulnerability assessment, Identity and Access Management. Chennai, June 22 : Popular Tamil rapper Dev Anand, who was returning home, was kidnapped on the Chennai-Bengaluru highway, near here, police said. CCTV visuals are being seen, the police added. According to police, the family had lodged a missing person complaint, and on investigation, it was found that the rapper was kidnapped by a ten-member gang on Wednesday night. According to a senior police officer from Police headquarters, in Chennai, Dev Anand's brother had taken a loan of Rs 2.5 crore from a person and had not given the money back. There were some disputes regarding the same and police are probing whether this has anything to do with the kidnapping of Dev Anand. New Delhi, June 22 : India and Kenya are taking steps to focus on strengthening bilateral defence relations and both will work together to tackle common maritime challenges. Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru is on a three-day official visit to Kenya from June 21-23, and his visit coincides with Indian Naval Ship Sunayna making a port call at Mombasa as part of the 'Ocean Ring of Yoga' initiative of the Government of India as part of the 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations. Mahindru called on Aden Bare Duale, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Kenya. During the interaction, historical ties between the two maritime neighbours were highlighted and avenues of strengthening bilateral defence relations were discussed. He also called on General Francis O. Ogolla, chief of Defence forces, Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). Key aspects of enhancing coordinated operations in the maritime domain and bolstering interoperability between the Indian Navy and the Kenya Navy were discussed during the interaction, the ministry of defence said this on Thursday. The Ministry of Defence said reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace, stability and good order in the region through joint and coordinated operations, the need to further collaborate and tackle common maritime challenges was also highlighted. Mahindru also interacted with the members of GLOCEPS (Global Centre for Policy and Strategy) at Nairobi. Vice Admiral Mahindru is scheduled to visit Mtongwe Naval Base, Mombasa and interact with Commander, Kenya Navy at the Kenya Navy Headquarters (KNHQ). The Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (DCNS) along with the Chief of Defence Forces, KDF will oversee the Harbour Phase activities of the ongoing Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) between the two navies and would also interact with the crew of INS Sunayna. He would also be provided insights into Kenya Naval Training College and Kenya Shipyard Limited at Mombasa. The visit of the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, reaffirms the strong and long standing relationship between Kenya and India and will further consolidate bilateral defence cooperation with Kenya, particularly in the maritime realm, Ministry of Defence added. HANGZHOU, June 22 (Xinhua) -- An ancient brass axe inscribed with images of dragons and canoe rowing men suggests the dragon boating tradition has been prevalent in east China for many centuries. The golden-colored axe was unearthed in 1976 on the outskirts of Ningbo, a city in Zhejiang Province, where an irrigation system was being built, said Zhang Liang, curator of the city museum. The axe is now a centerpiece collection of the museum. "It is most probably made in the Warring States Period (475 BC to 221 BC) when axes functioned as a tool, a weapon, a symbol of power, or a ceremonial object," said Zhang. He said one side of the axe was carved with a dragon boating scene, with two dragons looking up to the sky and four men underneath rowing a canoe. "Each of the four men wore a giant headwear decorated with feathers, and paddled with both hands," said Zhang. The rhythm in the movements of the feathers on their heads and the paddles in their hands reflects the aesthetics of modern sports, he added. Zhang said the four rowers were believed to represent the people who lived in today's Ningbo, which belonged to a regional state known as "Yue" that existed from 2032 BC to 222 BC. "The Yue people learned to make canoes and paddles at least 7,000 years ago," he said, citing archeological discoveries from two major Neolithic sites near Ningbo -- Hemudu and Tianluoshan. In Chinese history books, they were recorded as "traveling by boats instead of chariots and using paddles instead of horses," said Zhang. The Yue people were also known to perform regular dragon worship rituals, he added. "To celebrate the Duanwu Festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in the lunar calendar, they would hold boating races and the boats were always carved with the dragon totem." As they rowed along the river, they would throw "zongzi," a glutinous rice ball wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, into the water as a sacrifice to the imaginary "dragon god" who was believed to control over the water, including granting rainfall during a drought. The Chinese still celebrate the Duanwu festival with dragon boating and "zongzi" today, though legends about these activities vary in different parts of the country. This year, the holiday falls on Thursday. Pithoragarh, June 22 : At least eight people were killed after a car fell into a deep gorge in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district on Thursday, officials said. The accident took place in Hokara village of Nachni police station area of Pithoragarh. Inspector General (IG) Kumaon Nilesh Anand Bharne said that the victims were on their way to a temple and were residents of Bageshwar. "Prima facie information about the deaths of eight people has been received. The exact figures of the deaths will be known only after the police team reaches the spot," IG Kumaon said. The police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been rushed to the accident site. The police administration said that only after completing the rescue, they will confirm the casualty figures. It is suspected that the land erosion in the area may have caused the accident. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has expressed condolence on the death of pilgrims. "Very sad news has been received about the casualties of many people due to the accident of a vehicle coming from Shama in Bageshwar towards Nachni in Pithoragarh. A rescue team has been dispatched for relief and rescue work. I pray to God for peace to the departed souls. Om Shanti," he wrote on Twitter. Chennai, June 22 : Tamil super star 'Thalapathy' Vijay is celebrating his 49th birthday today (on Thursday) amid speculation rife over his imminent political entry. Vijay is one of the highest paid actors of India with rumours of him getting paid a whopping Rs 150 crore for a movie, much more than several of his contemporaries. The fans of Vijay under the umbrella organisation, Thalapathy Vijay Makkal Iyyakam (TVMI) have organised several welfare activities across the state to celebrate his birthday. Of late, Vijay has been active in social life and recently conducted a mass connect programme by inviting first three toppers of Class 10 and Class 12 board exams in each constituency of Tamil Nadu. He paid a gift cheque, a memento and other gifts to the toppers and also felicitated their parents with shawls. The actor was seen mingling with the children and their parents, and he preferred to sit among the children and parents instead of sitting on the dais. The programme held on June 17 at Chennai was a big hit and Vijay spoke extensively during the function calling upon the children to advise their parents not to take money for vote and that vote was a powerful harbinger for change. The superstar also evoked the memories of Tamil icons like Periyar, Ambedkar and Kamaraj and called upon the students to read about everything, especially on Tamil icons. Vijay will be seen next in the movie 'Leo' directed by Logesh Kanagaraj who has produced hit movies like 'Vikram', 'Master'. The film will be released in October, 2023 and the shoot was held in Jammu and Kashmir. Sources said that the AIADMK government of Jayalalithaa had banned his movie 'Thalaivaa' for having the tag line - 'Born to Lead' as she was "offended" by it, and because of Vijay's political aspirations. After the June 17 show of Vijay, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) had said that movie stars entering politics has been a "curse for the state". Jammu, June 22 : Vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Thursday that he was happy that Article 370 is not there in J&K now, which was Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee's dream. Addressing the Jammu University convocation, the vice president said, "I am happy to see that Article 370 is not there now. Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee's dream of 'Ek Vidhan, Ek Pradhan, Ek Nishan' (One constitution, one Prime Minister and one flag) stands fulfilled now. "Dr Ambedkar had refused to write this Article as he had a great vision. It was a temporary provision and still it lasted for 70 years. "Today, J&K's complete integration with the Union of India is complete. "After the abrogation of Article 370, J&K has witnessed remarkable growth. Complete integration with the Union has paved the way for investment, tourism boom and development. "Jammu will become an education hub. J&K today has all the top institutions of the country be that IIM, IIT and even AIIMS," he said. He said that 200 state laws have been repealed and 100 laws modified post 370 abrogation. "Roads are being constructed and there is a huge growth in every sector. Banihal tunnel, Chenani-Nashri tunnel and World's highest rail bridge over river Chenab have been completed. India is the World's growing economy and is marching ahead with digital transformation. "We have 700 million Internet users which is more than the US and China. Democracy is flourishing and is on the rise. "Today, we are all proud Indians. We haven't seen Bharat of today ever before. Nobody will be allowed to impede the upward growth trajectory. "We are a constitutionally functional democracy. Our democracy starts from Panchayat level, district level, state level and then central level. We have an incredible political eco-system. We find Indian genius in every part of the World today," he added. He said that false narratives are set afloat in an orchestrated manner, by forces inimical to India. Some of us don't take it seriously. "The G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar was a great success", he asserted. London, June 22 : Former England batter Ian Bell feels Australia looked scared in the first two days of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston and added that the Pat Cummins-led side still has a lot of work to do despite winning the match by two wickets. Captain Cummins led Australia to a thrilling victory in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston through an unbeaten 44 and a match-winning ninth-wicket stand of 55 with Nathan Lyon (16 not out) to chase down 281 on the last day. Australia's win came following Ben Stokes' daring first-innings declaration on 393/8 on day one's play. "I'd go as far to say that Australia have more to work on. After the first two days at Edgbaston, I was amazed at how passive Australia were. It was like England used to play the Ashes series in the really bad old days. Australia looked scared. I saw that in two examples." "First, in the field setting for England's batters in the first innings. They had sweepers out on the off- and on-side after three overs. I'd never seen anything like it and as someone who has experienced the pressure cooker of an Ashes series - I won five out of seven - being afforded an easy option for a single as a batter like that would have been unheard of," Bell was quoted as saying by Wisden. Bell opined Australia looked to match England's aggression only when Alex Carey was batting in the first innings. "It was also interesting how nervous Steve Smith was. Why didn't he launch himself at Harry Brook? Why did he barely play a stroke in anger? As I said, I think England's intent has unnerved Australia and the only time they showed any aggression themselves was when Alex Carey was out in that extraordinary final innings." "Basically, they only played in England's style when they knew they were beaten and they had nothing to lose. Psychologically that is fascinating. Brendon McCullum will pick up on that." "In the aftermath of the epic at Edgbaston England will feel exhausted and hugely disappointed. But once the dust settles they may come to realise that despite being 1-0 down in this Ashes series, they have got a psychological grip on Australia." Ben Stokes backed Ben Stokes to lead England to a series victory, as the hosts aim to come back from 1-0 behind through the second Test at Lord's starting from June 28. "I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see Ben Stokes' team come from behind and win the series. I know a thing or two about coming from behind to win a home Ashes series. And I know a thing or two about Edgbaston epics." "Back in 2005, when I was right at the start of my England career, the tight result went our way. If it had gone against us, maybe we wouldn't have come back but this England team have so much aggression and are relentless in their approach that Australia will be extremely wary." Bell signed off by saying he had "no issue" with the send-off given to Usman Khawaja by Ollie Robinson. "It is going to be spicy on the field at times - rightly so - and that is why I have no issue with Ollie Robinson giving Usman Khawaja a send-off." "I had plenty of send-offs when I was playing this lot, believe me. It is part of it. Maybe I was a bit surprised that Ollie doubled down in the press conference but every word he spoke was true. If you can't handle it." Patna, June 22 : Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will address a gathering of more than 10,000 people, including party supporters, in Sadakat Ashram -- the party's state head office -- before joining the opposition meeting at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's residence on Friday. After landing at Patna airport, party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge will go to Sadakat Ashram where the former will address the gathering. Confirming the same, former state president and MLC of the party Madan Mohan Jha told IANS: "Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge will come to Sadakat Ashram and then proceed to the chief minister's office at 1 Anne marg. "We have made arrangements to welcome our leaders. They are expected to arrive around 10 a.m. We have put out huge posters of these two leaders inside and around the office premises," Jha said. "On the occasion, members of our core committee, party in charge, state president, MLAs, MLCs and other leaders will be present. Presence of Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge will boost our morale. Rahul Gandhi will address us during the event. We are expecting a gathering of more than 10,000 people and party supporters in the ashram," Jha said. Notably, Sadakat Ashram was constructed by Maulana Majhar-ul-Haq in 1921. It is located on the banks of the Ganga on Ashok Rajpath. The place is 7 KM away from Patna airport. This is the place where stalwarts like Dr Rajendra Prasad, Anugrah Narayan Singh, Braj Kishore Prasad often met during the freedom struggle. Post retirement, Dr Prasad stayed in Sadakat Ashram till his death. The land of Sadakat Ashram belonged to a person named Kharun Mian. He had donated the land to Maulana Mahjar-ul-Haq for the freedom struggle. New Delhi, June 22 : Sources in the AAP have claimed that there is a possibility that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal may walk out of the opposition party meeting scheduled to take place in Bihar's Patna on Friday if the Congress doesn't support him on the ordinance issue. "We want the Congress to clarify their stance on the ordinance matter. We requested a meeting with Congress leaders, but they were unavailable. Now, if the Congress doesn't support us on the ordinance issue during the opposition meeting tomorrow, the Delhi CM will walk out," said party sources. Kejriwal also wrote a letter on June 21 to the opposition leaders, urging them to prioritise discussions on defeating the Central government ordinance in Parliament. Kejriwal has said that Delhi's ordinance was an experiment, and if successful, the central government might replicate it to curtail the rights of non-BJP state governments through similar ordinances. "The day is not far when the Prime Minister will govern all state governments through 33 Governors and Lieutenant Governors," alleged Kejriwal in his letter. Kejriwal also sought clarity from the Congress regarding their stance on this matter. "I hope that the Congress will clearly state its position, as the other political parties have... while attending the meeting will inquire about it. The first topic for discussion will be the Delhi ordinance. I will explain the risks of this ordinance to every party present at the meeting. I will bring the Constitution of India and demonstrate how this ordinance undermines it." "Just because it has been implemented in Delhi, often considered a 'half-state,' doesn't mean it cannot be implemented in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and other states. By promulgating such ordinances, the Centre can undermine all matters falling within the concurrent list of the Constitution of India," said Kejriwal in his letter. Kathmandu, June 22 : Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah on Thursday said that he will not allow the screening of Indian movies despite a court order. As soon as the high court issued an interim order to allow the screening of Indian films, Mayor Shah challenged the order. Responding to a petition from Nepal Film Union, the Patan High Court on Thursday stated not to stop showing any film that is paved the way or passed by the censor board. The office bearers of the Nepal Film Union had reached the high court against Shah's threats that he will not allow the screening of any Indian movie until the filmmakers of the 'Adipurush' do not correct the mistake about the birthplace of Sita. The film based on the Hindu epic, Ramayana has courted controversy in Nepal and India over its plots and dialogues. Expressing reservations over the mistake, Shah stopped screening the film in Kathmandu's cinema halls for one week. The producers of the movie also wrote a separate letter to the Mayor and tried him to convince that no such dialogue in the film hurt the sentiment of the Nepali people. "When it comes to the sovereignty and independence of the country, I am not going to obey any law or court," Shah wrote on his Facebook account soon after the high court issued the interim order. Nepali people believe that Sita was born in Janakpur which now falls inside Nepali territory. Patna, June 22 : A woman set her two minor daughters on fire in Bihar's Nawada district, an official said on Thursday. The incident occurred at Dudheli village under Nemdarganj police station in the district on Wednesday evening. "We learnt that two minor girls aged 2 and 8 years were charred to death in Dudheli village. When we reached the spot with police force, we found the completely charred bodies of the girls on the bed," said Pankaj Kumar, SDPO of Rajauli range. "During investigation, we found that the LPG cylinder's pipe disconnected from the stove. The woman is currently undergoing treatment for burn injuries at Sadar hospital Nawada. So far, she has not given any statement before the police. We are waiting for her recovery to interrogate her. Prima facie, she seems to be the culprit who sustained burn injuries on her hands while setting the girls afire," Kumar said. "We are awaiting the post-mortem reports as well," he added. Bengaluru, June 22 : Minister for Large & Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development M.B. Patil on Thursday appealed to the industrialists to cooperate with the government over power tariff hike. The state industrialists are observing a shutdown over power hike. Patil told media persons that the hike in power tariff was the decision of Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC), which is an independent body, and has nothing to do with the government's decision. The hike in power tariff was decided during the BJP's tenure well before the Congress government assumed office, he said. When asked about the concerns raised by industry bodies over the recent hike in power tariff, he said that he would discuss the matter with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister for Power K.J. George. He said that he would visit New Delhi in the first week of July to meet the Union ministers to discuss industrial development in the state. "The road map will be ready by July 27 and after that I will meet the concerned Union ministers to discuss various industrial projects and proposed initiatives," he said. Patil also criticised the Centre for not agreeing to supply rice to the state through the Food Corporation of India (FCI). He said that the Centre was playing politics over rice meant for distributing to the poor. He said that the Karnataka government was not asking for free rice. Kolkata, June 22 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has deputed Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien for the all-party meeting on Manipur crisis convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The all-party meeting will be held on Saturday in New Delhi. "I was keen to visit Manipur. I had also sought permission from the Union home ministry for that. I was informed about the all-party meeting on Manipur just after the opposition meeting at Patna was finalised. So I have deputed Derek O'Brien for the all-party meeting on Manipur," the chief minister said on Thursday before leaving for Patna to attend the grand opposition meeting convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar there on Friday. Trinamool Congress national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee was also accompanying her for the meeting. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister also launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose for the latter's refusal to accept the joining letter of the state election commissioner Rajiva Sinha and sending back the same to the state secretariat. "The chair of the state election commissioner is a constitutional post. He can only be removed through the impeachment process," the chief minister said. Reminding that the Governor himself cleared Sinha's name for the post of state election commissioner, the chief minister said that the Governor cannot act as per his own wish. "I have never faced such kind of things in the past," she said. A student interacts with a robot at a technical exhibition in Gaza City, June 20, 2023. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) GAZA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- In an effort to make daily life easier and safer through technology, 250 Palestinian students gathered on Tuesday at a technical exhibition in Gaza to present their innovative projects. The expo, titled "Elite's Expo - Students from the Future," was organized by Al-Motamayzoun Modern School in Gaza for the second year in a row. "We launched this technical exhibition to encourage our students to present their innovative projects to the local community," Mahmoud Saad, one of the event organizers, told Xinhua. The expo showcased 80 projects that utilized modern means of artificial intelligence, website programming, robots, health games, and other innovative technologies to address challenges in the environment, public health, and other areas affecting daily life. "This year begins with crises that compounded the suffering of Palestinian people. To try to solve some of them, the students start researching with models that simulate the existing problems and striving to address them using modern scientific means," Saad said. Sami Khader, a fifth-grade participant, brought to the exhibition a project called "Aeroponic Farming," which centered on farming problems in Gaza. "Because of dense population and urban expansion in the Gaza Strip, the agricultural lands in our region have shrunk, causing a decrease in agricultural production," the 11-year-old student said. What's worse, Khader added, is the high salinity of the water, which could kill or spoil crops, making them unfit to eat. To solve the problem, Khader's team proposed growing plants in an aerobic environment without soil, which could save 98% of the water used in irrigation and ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products. At the expo, Zina Harb, also a fifth grader, was presenting his three-member team's project called "Smart Whiteboard Cleaner," which provided a "smart" solution for erasing whiteboards. The whiteboard is equipped with an "automatic cleaner" run by a small generator, and "each teacher will be given a radio-frequency identification card to control the cleaner to wipe the whiteboard, making erasing work more efficient and convenient in classes," the teenager introduced. Both teams hope to start their own companies in the future to produce and promote technical products to help people live an easier, cleaner, and safer life. Speaking to Xinhua, Reem Awad, a Gaza-based chemistry teacher, said she is very happy to visit such an event, because "it showcases diverse talents and energies of Gazan children in the science and technology field." The 36-year-old mother of three added that "it is good for schools to pay attention to the scientific development of students, so as to qualify them as useful persons to the society in the future." Students try on an installation at a technical exhibition in Gaza City, June 20, 2023. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Students watch an installation at a technical exhibition in Gaza City, June 20, 2023. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Islamabad, June 22 : Pakistan's Foreign Office on Thursday stated that Pakistan was not engaged in any talks with the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), local media reported. The statement from Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch comes days after Taliban Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid offered to mediate between the TTP and Pakistan due to escalating tensions, particularly after the former terminated a ceasefire last year, Dawn reported. "If Pakistan wants us to mediate, and we know that it is beneficial, we will undoubtedly mediate as it benefits the region and we don't want war in the region," Tolo News quoted Mujahid as saying. The Afghan minister had also denied the presence of TTP in Afghanistan and reiterated that the Islamic Emirate is committed to preventing the use of Afghan soil as a launchpad for attacks on other nations, Dawn reported. At a press briefing, the FO spokesperson referred to a previous statement made by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, emphasising the clarity of the minister's position on this matter. Bilawal had in January this year said that Pakistan's leadership will not hold talks with terrorist organisations that don't respect the country's laws and the Constitution, adding that the former government adopted an appeasement policy towards the TTP, Dawn reported. "The new leadership in Pakistan, both political and military, has been absolutely clear. There will be no talks with terrorist organisations that don't respect our laws and Constitution," he had said in a wide-ranging interview with 'The Washington Post' in Davos, Switzerland. In April, the Pakistan Army's spokesperson had also distanced the military from the previous government's initiative of holding dialogue with the TTP. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry had said that the relationship between the army and the terrorists was only of "kinetic operations", which would continue until the eradication of terrorism, Dawn reported. Thiruvananthapuram, June 22 : Former Students Federation of India (SFI) leader K. Vidya, who was arrested for allegedly forging documents for a guest lecturer's job in a government college in Kerala, was on Thursday sent to judicial custody till July 6th. A court in Palakkad, however, allowed the police to take her into custody for the next two days. Meanwhile, her anticipatory bail will come up on Saturday, when her police custody ends. Claiming innocence, Vidya said that her arrest on Wednesday night was a "trap" against her and the state CPI(M) leadership by the Congress. Vidya is accused of forging her experience certificate to secure the post of a guest lecturer at a state-run college in Palakkad. She learned to have told the police that she has done no wrong and that she is a victim of a "deep-rooted" conspiracy hatched by the Congress-backed teachers' organisation. A Kasargod resident, Vidya was taken into police custody from her friend's house in Kozhikode on Wednesday night. Reacting to the development, veteran Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala told the media this morning at Kasargod that everything connected to Vidya is "stage-managed". "Is Kerala Police so inefficient that they cannot catch an absconder?. It's because the CPI(M)-led government does not wish to arrest one of their staunch supporters. It's been more than two weeks since this grave crime done by the SFI has come out and where is Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, why is he silent?" asked Chennithala. CPI(M) central committee leader A.K.Balan countered the delay in the arrest of Vidya by pointing out that when the country is burning, the Prime Minister is doing yoga in the US. "The Congress here is not bothered about such things and is busy targeting Vijayan and the SFI for vested interests. In Kerala, the SFI rules in more than 80 per cent of the educational institutions and the support base of the CPI(M) is around 45 per cent, which shows SFI has a huge support base cutting across political parties. "So SFI is one organisation which has become part and parcel of the state and they are being targeted. Just look at the status of the Congress-led KSU, it's nowhere to be seen," said Balan. Vidya has been booked under Section 465 (punishment for forgery), 468 (committing forgery for the purpose of cheating) and 471 (fraudulently using forged documents as genuine) of the IPC. Meanwhile, her counsel said, "We do not know how she was taken into custody when her anticipatory bail plea was pending before the High Court," said her counsel. Responding to the development, the Congress accused the police of playing a foul game as despite knowing everything, they did not take any action against those CPI(M) leaders who managed to keep her out of public glare. Islamabad, June 22 : Pakistan has asked the US to play a role in reviving the stalled International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, though Washington seems more interested to know what Islamabad's strategy was to cope with economic challenges in case of no funding from the Fund, local media reported. Top official sources said the IMF raised different kinds of objections and asked Islamabad to bring in changes in the budget for 2023-24 in order to align the allocations with the IMF requirements. But Islamabad was asking the IMF staff to accomplish the pending 9th Review as a standalone for moving towards the release of $1.2 billion tranche, The News reported. However, all hopes were diminishing except for Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's request for a meeting with the IMF managing director (MD) for a breakthrough. While there are no chances of any breakthrough, but Islamabad seems ready to make a last-ditch effort to revive the IMF programme, The News reported. US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome called on Pakistan Federal Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar in his office. When inquired by the US ambassador from the Pakistani team about the strategy of the country in case the IMF programme does not materialise, Ishaq Dar categorically replied that "Pakistan would remain afloat even without the IMF programme". The minister said they have implemented all prior actions of the IMF, including securing confirmation on external financing requirements of $4 billion and also achieved a current account surplus in the last few months. He said Pakistan implemented tough conditions for which the government had to bear huge political costs. Sources said the US ambassador gave a cold shoulder and preferred not to commit any strong support, The News reported. Srinagar, June 22 : Jammu and Kashmir State Investigation Agency (SIA) attached the residential house of a terrorist associate in Subhanpora Bijbhera area of South Kashmir's Anantnag district, police said on Thursday. Police said that during the course of investigation, a residential house of Abdul Rehman Ganai, father of terrorist associate Zubair Ahmad Ganai, in Subhanpora Bijbhera was found used by terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT. "Accordingly, process for attachment of property belonging to the accused falling within the ambit proceeds of terrorism was initiated by SIA Shopian under Section 25 of UA(P) Act," they added. Bhopal, June 22 : A 30-year-old woman, who was travelling to Surat in Gujarat from Bihar's Muzaffarpur, was allegedly thrown out of the moving train in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior by a group of men. As per police, the accused, who were in the same compartment (Sleeper), misbehaved with the woman and when she resisted their advances, they threw the woman and her male relative out of train. The incident occurred on June 19 in Gwalior district. The matter came to light after the victim lodged a complaint at Bilaua police station. In her complaint, the woman told the police that five men, who were sitting in front of her, were heavily drunk. They were using very abusive language and they were hurling comments. Further, they (accused) started clicking photos, following which, the woman resisted. After a brief argument, the woman and her male relative left their seats and were standing at the gate. Later, the accused also reached the door and argument started, and in the meantime, they threw the woman and her male relative from moving train, the police said. Ther area, where they were thrown, was dense forest. However, the victims managed to reach to a village after walking around 5-6 km. "It was around 12:30 p.m., when the accused threw the victims. They managed to reach a village and then reached a local hospital," the police said. Both the victims were admitted to a hospital and they were recovering, the police said. The police officer also said that 65-70 passengers were travelling in the same apartment. "We have requested Indian Railways to share the details of all those passengers. Once the details are available, we will proceed with further investigation," Gwalior Police said. Chennai, June 22 : DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu has rejected Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi's recent statement that saint Ramalinga Vallalar was the superstar of Sanatana Dharma. He said that the Tamil Nadu Governor does not know the basic difference between 'Samarasa Suddha Sanmarkka Neri' - teachings of Vallalar and that of Sanatana Dharma. In a tweet the minister said: "The Governor was trying to fit in Vallalar into Sanatana Dharma which will not happen." Thenarasu said that the Tamil civilisation has clearly explained that Tamil culture and values have capacity to function on their own and it was as clear as a waterfall running from a hill. The minister said that the Governor was "converting" the Raj Bhavan into a "tent of Sanatana Dharma" and added that the views of the Governor should be rejected. The CPI(M) leader and Member of Parliament from Madurai, Su Venkitesan also rejected the statement of the Tamil Nadu Governor that Saint Ramalinga Vallalar was a superstar of Sanatana Dharma. Venkitesan in a social media post said that Vallalar had strongly opposed religious practices. The CPI(M) leader said that Saint Vallalar had in his verses clearly opposed religious practices. Venkatesan recalling the teachings of Vallalar said, "The practices of religion that enjoyed respect has died, the false liking of varnashrama also fell by the wayside." He also said, "Mr. Governor, both Tiruvallur and Vallalar were voices of revolt and you cannot swallow them. They were the voices that chased away Sanatana Dharma." San Francisco, June 22 : Discord, a popular chatting platform among teens, is being used in hidden communities and chat rooms by some adults to groom children before abducting them, trading child sexual exploitation material (CSAM) and extorting minors whom they trick into sending nude images, the media reported. According to NBC News, over the past six years, around 35 cases of adults being prosecuted on charges of "kidnapping, grooming or sexual harassment" have been identified that allegedly involved Discord communications. Among those, at least 15 have resulted in guilty pleas or verdicts, with "many more" awaiting trial. Those figures only include cases that were reported, investigated, and prosecuted, all of which present significant challenges for victims and their advocates. "What we see is only the tip of the iceberg," Stephen Sauer, the director of the tipline at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P), was quoted as saying. Moreover, the report said that a teen was taken across state lines, raped and found locked in a backyard shed in March, according to police, after she was groomed on Discord for months. According to prosecutors, in another case, a 22-year-old man kidnapped a 12-year-old girl after meeting her in a video game and grooming her on Discord. The report identified an additional 165 cases, including four crime rings, in which adults were prosecuted for transmitting or receiving CSAM via Discord or for allegedly using the platform to extort children into sending sexually graphic images of themselves, also known as sextortion. Further, the report said that Discord isn't the only tech platform dealing with the persistent problem of online child exploitation, as per the numerous reports over the last year. According to an analysis of reports made to the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), the reports of CSAM on Discord increased by 474 per cent from 2021 to 2022. According to John Shehan, senior vice president of the NCMEC, child exploitation and abuse material has grown rapidly on Discord. "There is a child exploitation issue on the platform. That's undeniable," Shehan was quoted as saying. Launched in 2015, Discord quickly emerged as a hub for online gamers, and teens, and now it is used by over 150 million people globally. Last month, Discord notified users about a data breach following the compromise of a third-party support agent's account. According to BleepingComputer, the agent's support ticket queue was compromised in the security breach, exposing user email addresses, messages exchanged with Discord support, and any attachments sent as part of the tickets. In April, cyber-security researchers discovered a new malware that is distributed over Discord which has more than 300 million active users. Srinagar, June 22 : The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday terminated the services of two senior doctors for manipulating post-mortem reports and propagating false narrative regarding the deaths of two women in Shopian district on May, 29, 2009. The doctors have been identified as Nighat Chiloo, a consultant gynaecologist, and Bilal Ahmad Dalal. Sources said that both the doctors had played a crucial role in falsifying facts and creating a narrative against India by preparing four false post-mortem reports indicating rape and murder of both the women. The false news about the rape and murder of Asiya Jan (17) and Neelofar Jan (22) set Kashmir on fire. Mobs also clashed with the security forces in several places. The indefinite strike called by separatists crippled education and local economy in the Valley. Following the unrest, the then state government suspended four policemen - including the then Superintendent of Police of Shopian district - and arrested them. A messed-up investigation could not confirm rape, murder or death due to drowning. The case was finally handed over to CBI which unearthed details about the involvement of two doctors who had been acting hand-in-glove with the separatists to vilify the country. The charges finally prepared against the two doctors reveal even more startling details. Sources said that the investigation into the role of Nighat revealed that she had prepared falsified post-mortem reports. "Not one, but four different post-mortem were prepared each full of intra and inter inconsistency and contradictions. Things that did not exist were artificially added while things that existed were deliberately omitted. Biological samples belonging to unknown persons (not of the deceased) were fraudulently obtained and placed on record," the sources said. "Had Nighat done the wrong under duress she had an opportunity to reveal the truth during the CBI interview. She negated any theory of duress. She admitted to the wrongs only after CBI confronted her with incontrovertible scientific forensic evidence that the body fluids did not belong to the deceased. "Nighat on being cornered with unimpeachable evidence of her falsehood, resorted to another round of falsehood that the vaginal fluid belonged to her and the spermatozoa to her husband. The CBI did another round of complex, time taking and expensive DNA test only to find that she is lying," the sources said. About the involvement of Bilal Ahmad, sources said: "Dr. Bilal Ahmad Dalal maliciously prepared post-mortem reports incorporating false elements to support the false theory of rape and murder that had come to be mischievously floated and propagated by the Pakistan proxies within the terrorist-secessionist networks. "The falsehood of such bogus post-mortem reports came to fore and was conclusively proved on the basis of the findings of AIIMS/CFSL, New Delhi that the victims had died due to ante-mortem drowning," they added. According to sources, Bilal Ahmad had wrongly mentioned the lacerated wound on the frontal portion of Asiya's head as an incised wound. He also falsely opined on the cause of death as hemorrhagic shock and bleeding from multiple injuries in case of Asiya and neurogenic shock in case of Neelofar. "CBI exposed this falsehood with the help of incontrovertible forensic evidence that found the death to be asphyxia as a result of ante-mortem drowning in both the cases." New Delhi, June 22 : Delhi Police's Special Cell has arrested a chemist-turned-drug-trafficker and recovered 36,238 bottles of Byerex, a banned codeine-based cough syrup, worth Rs 1 crore in 'grey market'. The accused was identified as Vipin Chhawla. Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) HGS Dhaliwal said that specific input was received on June 16 that a big consignment of psychotropic substance prohibited under NDPS Act, is lying in a godown situated inside Aradhana Bhawan, Azadpur, Delhi. "Accordingly, the officials of the Drugs Control Department were also called to join the raiding police team. Thereafter, a raid was conducted at shop No. 15, Ground Floor, Aradhana Bhawan, Azadpur and a big consignment of Byerex syrup (illegally procured and stored in the above godown) was recovered at the instance of godown occupant Vipin Chawla," said Dhaliwal. The bottles of the syrup were kept in 302 cardboard boxes and on counting, 36,238 bottles of Byerex syrup were recovered from the spot. "Durung questioning, Chawla could not produce any document for valid possession of the drug and it came out that the codeine syrup bottles were procured and stored for illegal sale and drug abuse," said the official. The interrogation of the accused revealed that he has been involved in the wholesale business of medicines for the last 12 years. "Initially, he used to purchase medicines from authorized/legal distributors and would supply the same to local pharmacies through proper billing. However, while working in the sector, he realised that there was huge demand for prohibited medicines. Hence, he started purchasing banned medicines from his sources without legitimate bills. He would supply these medicines to his contacts in Delhi-NCR," said the official. "It has been also revealed that previously he had got issued a drug licence in the name of his wife Neha in May 2020 and he would run his shop in the name and style of Neha pharmacy at Aggarwal Plaza, Mukherjee Nagar," said the official. "In October 2021, 15 cartons containing 1800 bottles of codeine syrup were seized from his shop by the Drugs Control Department and hence this licence was cancelled in October 2021 itself. Thereafter, he got issued another drug licence in his own name in March 2022 and opened a store in the name and style of Sheetla Pharmacy at Derawal Nagar, Delhi. However, in August 2022, his licence was cancelled as 3,000 tablets of Alprax 0.5mg were found illegally stored in his shop for sale," the official added. Washington, June 22 : The US has cleared the joint production of GE's F 414 jet engines in India giving a "new" direction to ties between the two countries, a senior US White House official told reporters on the eve of President Joe Biden's official state dinner for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India will announce the purchase of MQ 9B armed Sea Guardians, the official said, marking the end of protracted negotiations that lasted almost seven years. "The nature, the depth and breadth of our deliverables for this is unprecedented," said one of the officials who previewed the meeting for reporters. "I think the Indians, to be honest, have been surprised and thrilled by the steps that we've been able to take to remove bureaucratic roadblocks from achieving this goal. So I think we fully recognise that it's going to be necessary to follow through," one of the senior administration officials said. India will use these jet engines for its second generation of Tejas fighter jets. The current aircraft use GE's F404 engines, which are assembled in the India. The F414s will be co-produced in India by GE with India's Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). These engines are being used by US American F/A-18 Super Hornets. The MQ-9 Sea Guardian drones by General Atomics have been on India's wishlist for years and the Indian Navy has since 2020 been using two MQ-9A drones in a company-owned and company-operated lease agreement since 2020. The joint statement that will be issued by the two sides is also likely to include the reinstatement of preferential trading benefits for Indian exports to the US under a scheme called the Generalized System of Preferences, which was suspended by the Trump administration in 2019, after it could not extract market access concessions from India. Under this scheme, certain Indian goods enter the US without tariff and at the time of suspension these US imports from India were worth over $6 billion. The two sides are expected to announce a slew of joint initiatives and agreements after Biden's meeting with Modi Thursday morning, in a new spirit of cooperation between the two sides that was described by officials who were part of the negotiations as "mature". The two leadesr are also expected to announce a master ship repair agreement in which US navy ships will go for repairs to Indian shipyards. The US is looking to wean India from Russia military supplies. "India is actively engaged in diversifying away from Russian military equipment ... It is not just the United States that is engaged in that effort of diversification. It's our allies and partners in France, in Great Britain and Israel and elsewhere that are actively supporting efforts to secure India's defence capabilities more generally," one of the senior administration officials said. A slew of collaborations in the field of technology are expected including strengthening critical minerals supply chains, advancing telecommunication capabilities and AI. Other agreements will include space. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will work together on human spaceflight. Prime Minister Modi had a private dinner with President Joe Biden at the White House on Wednesday night, ahead of their meetings on Thursday. Modi was accompanied by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra. The two leaders will also address a news conference and the officials said Prime Minister Modi is expected to take questions in a departure from past practice. The US officials also said that Biden will raise human rights, democracy and press freedom with Modi but with "respect" and as a friend. The Prime Minister will address a joint session of US Congress later Thursday, which will be his second time. He will then join President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a state dinner, which is expected to be attended by the who's who of the Indian American community. This aerial photo taken on April 26, 2023 shows a "DPD France" international freight train pulling out of the Chengdu International Railway Port in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. (Xinhua/Wang Xi) "China and France have nothing to lose and everything to gain by working together," French international affairs expert Bruno Guigue said. PARIS, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact to be held here on Thursday and Friday, French international affairs expert Bruno Guigue expected that France and China could take advantage of this opportunity to deepen cooperation to tackle global challenges. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Guigue said that China and France have a long history of working together on important issues like climate change, industrial development and public health. "Today, we must not only build on these achievements but also step up a gear by deepening cooperation between the two countries with renewed trust. China and France have nothing to lose and everything to gain by working together," Guigue noted. People visit the booth of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) during the 54th International Paris Air Show held at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) The Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, is an opportunity to put into perspective fundamental global issues such as the fight against poverty, climate change and biodiversity, he said. "It is now a question of changing software, of rethinking the architecture of the global financial system in order to meet the challenges of sustainable development," Guigue said, adding that given its economic significance, China has a particular responsibility in this respect. China's contribution will make it possible to underline the urgency of a new paradigm of international economic relations, greater equity, solidarity and stability, the French expert said, adding that France and China must continue to strengthen their economic relations by striving to build more efficient supply chains. "In business matters, it is normal for everyone to defend their interests, but everything should be done to enhance mutual benefit and promote win-win cooperation," Guigue said. Photo taken on July 26, 2022 shows the booth of cosmetics giant L'Oreal in the French pavilion at the second China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) In a joint statement issued during Macron's state visit to China in April, the two countries pledged to provide a good environment for business cooperation, to improve business access to each others' markets, to improve the business climate, and to ensure compliance with intellectual property rights of all companies of the two countries. Concerning the digital economy, for example, France is committed to processing 5G license applications from Chinese companies without any discrimination and in compliance with international laws and regulations. "This is a very positive point," Guigue noted. Noting that both countries also agreed to continue their cooperation in the fields of climate change and energy transition, Guigue said that China and France can play a leading role in the multilateral policy in favor of energy transition. With regard to carbon neutrality objectives, Guigue said that France is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, while China has set ambitious goals of achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. People visit the BYD stand during the Paris Motor Show in Paris, France, Oct. 18, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) These goals bode well for bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and China's weight in the area is having a real knock-on effect, he said. For Guigue, the foundation of France-China relations is the recognition of the People's Republic of China by France in 1964, the first major Western country to do so. "It's a very far-reaching political choice," he said. "The real driving force behind cooperation between the two countries is mutual respect, mutual trust, and the recognition of the other as a true partner," he stressed. "This is why it is absolutely necessary to continue and enrich this cooperation, and to give it a new momentum." Bengaluru, June 22 : GE Aerospace announced on Thursday that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The development comes amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the US, a key element of which is strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India, as GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this. The effort is part of the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 programme. "This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL," said H. Lawrence Culp Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE Aerospace. "We are proud to play a role in advancing President Joe Biden and PM Narendra Modi's vision of closer coordination between the two nations. GE's F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet," Culp added. GE Aerospace has operated in India for more than four decades with wide engagement in the industry, including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. In addition to potential new work in India, a number of US facilities that currently support work on the F414 engine will see additional volume as a result of the announcement. In 1986, GE began working with the Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL to support the development of India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with F404 engines. Subsequently, GE Aerospace's F404 and F414 have been part of development and production of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programmes. In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have also been delivered as part of an ongoing development programme for LCA Mk2. The agreement will advance GE Aerospace's earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the IAF as part of the LCA Mk2 programme. In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine programme. With more than five million flight hours and eight nations with F414-powered aircraft in operation or on order, the F414 continues to exceed goals for reliability and time on wing. Till date, more than 1,600 F414 engines have been delivered globally. New Delhi, June 22 : CVoter has been conducting an exclusive snap poll of Indians to gauge public perceptions about the relative success and efficacy of the state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States. Surprisingly, a majority of the opposition supporters are of the opinion that Modi's ongoing US visit is helping India in both tangible and intangible ways. In the snap poll conducted on June 21 with a sample size of 2,563, one of the questions asked was: Do you think this visit of PM Modi will convince American multinationals to shift production and factories from China to India? Close to 55 per cent of respondents supporting opposition parties answered in the affirmative, with about 38 per cent disagreeing. Overall, two-third of the respondents are of the opinion that the state visit of PM Modi to the US will actually lead to factories and supply chains shifting from China to India. To a question on Tesla founder Elon Musk saying he is a fan of PM Modi and will come to India in 2024 to finalise Tesla operations in India, close to 48 per cent of the respondents termed the praise as genuine. It maybe recalled that the most valuable company in the world, Apple, has been ramping up production of iPhones in India through contract suppliers like Foxcon. Top executives of Apple have publicly announced during a recent visit of Apple CEO Tim Cook to India that they plan to have India manufacture 25 per cent of iPhones for global sales. CEOs of other large American multinationals have met PM Modi during his visit and pledged future investments in India. Narendra Modi is on an official state visit to the United States from June 21 to 24, during which he will hold formal bilateral talks with President Joe Biden and address a joint session of the US Congress, apart from many other engagements. Mumbai, June 22 : The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Thursday ridiculed a ruling Shiv Sena Minister Deepak Kesarkar's claims that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde would have 'shot himself' if the rebellion in June 2022 had fallen flat. Congress' Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe said that this was nothing but a 'blackmail tactic' adopted by the Shiv Sena against its ally Bharatiya Janata Party, like the recent advertising blitzkrieg. "Is Kesarkar now implying that what didn't happen then could still be a possibility...?" asked Londhe, trailing off mysteriously. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut demanded Kesarkar's arrest "for suppressing the information he knew about someone's intent to end his/her life". "What Kesarkar has said is indeed grave. The police must question him immediately. He is a Minister and is suppressing somebody's expressed intention of committing suicide," said Raut. Raut expressed concern that in view of Kesarkar's utterance, "what if something happens after the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker gives his ruling" on the disqualification of 16 MLAs which includes Shinde also. Nationalist Congress Party's National Spokesperson Clyde Crasto demanded an investigation to ascertain "if Shinde was being pressured with an adverse action if he failed to fulfil his (uprising) task" last year. "Otherwise, why should a person of Shinde's political standing want to even consider such a drastic step upon failure," asked Crasto. Sena (UBT) National Spokesperson Kishore Tiwari wonders whether the state has got a CM with a 'disturbed mind' owing to the revolt that toppled the erstwhile government headed by ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray, and "deserves to be sent to a rehab centre or an institution". "If a person like Shinde could get suicidal ideas, then how will he help the people or the farmers of the state who are also ending their lives in large numbers? It's for the CM to immediately clarify whether Kesarkar's contention is true or not, or sack him for revealing 'political secrets' like this," demanded Tiwari. NCP Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase asked whether "Shinde was experiencing pangs of guilt and anxiety during the rebellion against his own party" at that time and "even now after becoming the CM". "The Thackeray family gave so much respect and so many positions to Shinde, yet he chose to go with the BJP and bring down the MVA government. Now the same once-all-powerful Shinde is reduced to a puppet in the BJP's hands," said Tapase. Kesarkar's shocking statements came a year after the June 2022 'uprising' which saw 40 (of 56) Shiv Sena MLAs plus 10 other Independents, 13 (of 19) MPs, and two MLCs throwing their lot with Shinde and bringing down the Thackeray administration. After the rebellion succeeded, Shinde was anointed the CM on June 30, 2022, with his breakaway Shiv Sena faction supported by the BJP. Tapase and Tiwari pointed out that despite being the CM, Shinde is unable to do anything without the green signal of BJP's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and there are murmurs of discontent from various leaders in the Shiv Sena and the Independents supporting them. "In June 2022, Shinde may have been under pressure from his own supporters, but there's no denying today that much greater pressures are exerted by the BJP on the CM," said Tapase. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in) Guwahati, June 22 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday apologised to a person on Twitter after the latter complained of receiving inflated electricity bill. A Twitter user tagged the Chief Minister and posted, "We have received a staggering bill of Rs 44,000 from @apdclsocial despite 1 KW load in June." The consumer has been named as Golap Borah, a resident of Gohpur area in the state. Responding to the complaint, Sarma tweeted, "We have examined the matter. It was found that the meter reading is correct and done in Esuvidha. However, it is a case of accumulated reading, as the consumer was under billed by meter reader named Dilip Rajkhowa." He added, "The matter came to light that the meter reader didn't prepare the bill on actual consumption. As a result, you received an enhanced bill. My apology for the inconvenience caused." In Assam, the power department has installed smart pre-paid meters mostly in the urban areas. However, consumers have been complaining of receiving inflated power bills after the installation of the pre-paid metres. Shimla, June 22 : Protests erupted once again on Thursday in Himachal Pradesh's Chamba town and elsewhere in the district over the murder two weeks ago of a 21-year-old man, who was killed for having a love affair with a woman from another community. However, there was no report of violence. Protesters demanded justice for the victim family and a speedy trial while the victim's family has been demanding capital punishment. The entire tourist destination Chamba, some 450 km from the state capital, was kept closed with all businesses forced to down shutters as a mark of solidarity with Manohar Lal, a mule owner, whose body was brutally cut into eight pieces and thrown into a drain allegedly by the woman's kin. The call for the protest was given by organisation Dev Bhumi Kshatriya Sangathan led by Rumit Thakur. Its activists threatened to reach the Salooni subdivision to meet the family members of the victim. Likewise, commercial establishments remained closed in other destinations in Chamba district like Dalhousie, Khajjiar, a small picturesque saucer-shaped plateau surrounded by dense pine and deodar forests, Banikhet, Tissa, Bharmour, known for 84 temples of Hindu deities, among others. The protest led to long traffic snarls on the highway. A local association, Sanghni Hatyakand Sangharsh Samiti, held the mass 'Vishal Janakrosh Rally' in protest against the murder and also gave a call for shut down Chamba town for four hours from 9 a.m. The crime took place in the Bhandal panchayat of Salooni sub-division, located some 75 km from the district headquarters of Chamba, bordering Jammu and Kashmir. The victim went missing on June 6 and his body was discovered on June 9. The police have taken into custody 10 people, including four minors, for the murder, all belonging to a Muslim pastoral family. Earlier, the convoy of former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur and state BJP chief Rajeev Bindal was stopped by the police as they tried to enter Chamba district. The administration has already imposed prohibitory orders across the district as the preventing step as a mob set afire the house of the accused last week. "My son was hacked to death. He was our only son, we want justice," the victim's father has told the media and demanded capital punishment. Saying the BJP is exploiting the situation for political gains and could initiate an NIA investigation into the murder, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu last week expressed displeasure over the protests by the opposition. He said this case was the first of its kind in the country where all accused have been apprehended and are currently in police custody. Sukhu was responding to a situation after the murder in Chamba district with BJP protesters demanding the probe into the crime be handed over to the National Investigating Agency (NIA). The Chief Minister has told the media here that all accused involved in the murder were arrested within 24 hours. He has said the BJP, being the ruling party at the Centre, could easily initiate an NIA investigation by a mere phone call from Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur. However, he blamed the BJP for exploiting the situation for political gain, with an eye on the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Chief Minister has said despite arrests, the BJP's youth wing, the Yuva Morcha, after five days of the incident has set ablaze the houses of the accused. Ahmedabad, June 22 : The Gujarat Congress on Thursday set up teams to evaluate the situation and address the concerns of the affected residents in the aftermath of Cyclone Biparjoy and heavy rainfall causing extensive damage. Emphasising the need for immediate action, Gujarat Congress chief Shaktisinh Gohil said: "There are several complaints by people affected due to the cyclone, especially in Patan and Banaskantha. Congress members Jignesh Mevani and Jagdish Thakor will personally meet the affected individuals. In areas like Kutch, Naushad Solanki and other members of the party will be conducting visits. Similarly, our members will also visit Jamnagar, Dwarka and Porbandar." Gohil said the farmers have suffered significant losses, particularly in terms of tree uprooting, but they have not received adequate compensation. "Their crops have been damaged, and there has been a lack of action in addressing these issues. Livestock should also be provided with necessary support such as grass. Additionally, electricity is still not restored in several areas. Our members will assist anyone who requires help in filling forms or seeking government aid," he said. Gohil also appealed to the Gujarat government to provide a relief package for the affected individuals. "The damage amounts to crores of rupees. We will also appeal to the collectors in the designated areas to extend their assistance," he said. As per the Gujarat government's official data, power restoration is expected to be completed by June 30. The damage caused by the cyclone has resulted in an estimated loss of over Rs 1,013 crore for power companies, according to government records. Bhubaneswar, June 22 : The people of Odisha on Thursday got relief from the scorching heatwave after southwest monsoon arrived in the state. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the monsoon covered most parts of Malkangiri, and parts of Koraput and Gajapati districts on Thursday. "Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon over the remaining parts of Odisha during next two days," the Met department said. IMD said that last year, the southwest monsoon arrived in Odisha on June 16. This year, it was delayed nearly a week as the monsoon arrived in Kerala late. Meanwhile, pre-monsoon rainfall lashed the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and some parts of coastal Odisha on Thursday afternoon. The IMD said that in view of advancement of southwest monsoon and current meteorological situations, widespread rainfall/thundershower with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall and lightning will occur across the state during the next 4-5 days. As per IMD's forecast, heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at one or two places over the districts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Puri, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Gajapati, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Bolangir, Cuttack, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Dhenkanal on Friday. Temporary water logging is likely to occur in some low-lying areas and traffic congestion in urban areas. So, the weather office advised people to follow traffic advisory for movement and initiate preparations for sowing of paddy crops while taking precautionary measures for lightning strikes while working in the fields. The Met department also informed that a cyclonic circulation over west-central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal off north Andhra Pradesh and south Odisha coasts lies between 3.1 and 5.8 km above mean sea-level, tilting southwards with height. Los Angele, June 22 : The recently-released streaming series 'Secret Invasion' boasts of a subversive tone which is a trademark of Marvel. While describing the show, director Ali Selim said, "I think that the series has a really interesting subversive Marvel tone that takes it and flips it on its head, which I think will challenge, surprise and please the audience and give them something unique and different." Elaborating on the story, Ali said, "It goes back to Nick Fury. It's the Nick story. And Nick is a human. Whatever we think about his trench coat and his eyepatch and how cool Sam Jackson is, Nick Fury is a human. He's a human with a certain kind of power, but not a superpower like Captain America or Captain Marvel. So, that immediately demands a more grounded, gritty series." 'Secret Invasion' adopts a darker and grittier tone and takes place in the present-day Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), taking place several decades after the events of 'Captain Marvel'. A part of the MCU Phase 5, the show reveals former 'S.H.I.E.L.D' director Nick in a completely new avatar. In the show we see Nick leaving the intergalactic space defence organisation S.A.B.E.R., which he was leading and returning to Earth where trouble is once again brewing. There he met his most trusted colleagues, Skrull General Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) and agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders), who inform him that a rebel Skrull group threatens the very existence of humanity. Talking about how the series is different from other Marvel Studios projects, executive producer and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said, "We were interested in the twisting, political thriller element of 'Secret Invasion' and the paranoia inherent in the idea of who you can and cannot trust. And the Skrulls will be seen in ways they haven't been seen before." Written by Kyle Bradstreet, the series stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick along with Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Don Cheadle as Colonel James 'Rhodey' Rhodes and Martin Freeman as Agent Everett Ross. Along with Kevin Feige, the show is executive produced by Jonathan Schwartz, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Samuel L. Jackson, Kyle Bradstreet and Brian Tucker. 'Secret Invasion' also welcomes a new roster of actors into the MCU, which includes Kingsley Ben-Adir as Gravik, the young rebel leader, Emilia Clarke as G'iah, Talos' daughter and Olivia Colman as MI6 agent Sonya Falsworth. 'Secret Invasion' is now streaming exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar and is available in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Kolkata, June 22 : The West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) on Thursday succumbed to Calcutta Court's orders and sought 800 additional companies of central armed forces for the smooth conduct of the July 8 panchayat polls in the state. In total, the SEC has sought 822 companies which is equivalent to around 82,200 central forces personnel. As per the order of the division bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, at least 82,000 central armed forces should be deployed in the state for the rural civic body polls. Reacting to the development, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, before leaving for Patna to attend the grand opposition meeting on Friday, said that although she will abide by the decision of the SEC, she still feels that the state police are smarter than any other police force in the entire country. "Let as much of the central armed forces be deployed... But their strength will not surely be more than the number of voters. At the end of the day, the common people will vote. The people will have the final word and we will win," the Chief Minister said. Leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari said that the deployment of 82,000 forces is not strictly comparable to the same figures deployed in 2013. "In 2023, the panchayat polls were conducted in five phases. But now it will be held in a single phase. So the extent of deployment is not the factor. The factor is effective utilisation of the central armed forces to ensure free and fair polls," he said. The BJP leader also said that keeping the past actions of the SEC in the deployment of central armed forces in mind, doubts on effective utilisation of the forces is bound to continue. New Delhi, June 22 : The Congress on Thursday hit out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the AAP threatened to skip the key Opposition meet in Patna on Friday if the grand old party does not give its support against the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital. Delhi Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit accused Kejriwal of indulging in low-level politics. He said that they (Congress) already knew that Kejriwal will make excuses to miss the Opposition meet. In a video statement, Dikshit said: "Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said that it will boycott the meeting if the Congress does not supports it over the ordinance. I want to tell him, no one will miss you whether you go or do not go. And we knew before that you were looking for an excuse of not going to Patna and not attending the opposition meeting." Former Lok Sabha MP Dikshit, who is son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, taking a dig at Kejriwal said: "You must have got the orders from the top that you don't have to participate in the meeting." "If you would not have got the orders, you would have definitely attended the meeting," he added. The Congress leader said: "This meeting is of the political leaders, who are worried for the country and not of the gamblers. You have been habitual of doing such politics and you would have indulged in such low-level politics but not of the Congress party." His remarks came after the AAP on Thursday threatened that it will walkout of the Opposition meet in Patna on Friday if the Congress doesn't support it on the ordinance issue. "We want the Congress to clarify their stance on the ordinance matter. We requested a meeting with Congress leaders, but they were unavailable. Now, if the Congress doesn't support us on the ordinance issue during the opposition meeting tomorrow, the Delhi CM will walk out," AAP sources said. Earlier last month, the AAP had requested for appointment with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi to discuss the ordinance issue. The Congress is yet to respond. New York, June 22 : Former Goldman Sachs investment banker Brijesh Goel has been convicted of insider trading and obstruction of justice by a New York jury, after prosecutors said he passed tips about potential mergers to a friend. Goel, 38, was convicted on Wednesday after a seven-day trial for tipping off former Barclays Plc trader Akshay Niranjan about deals at Goldman, yielding total illegal profits of approximately $280,000. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 19, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced. "Brijesh Goel, a senior banker at a leading investment bank, betrayed the trust of his employer and unlawfully shared inside information with his squash partner in an agreement to trade on that information," Attorney Damian Williams said. According to the indictment, statements made in public court proceedings and filings, and the evidence at trial, Goel received confidential, internal emails directed to Goldman Sachs's Firmwide Capital Committee and Credit Markets Capital Committee. This contained detailed information and analysis about potential merger-and-acquisition transactions Goldman Sachs was considering financing. In violation of the duties that he owed to Goldman Sachs, Goel misappropriated that confidential information and tipped Niranjan, who worked at another investment bank in New York, with the names of potential target companies from those internal emails during in-person meetings. Niranjan used the confidential information passed by Goel to trade call options, including short-dated, out-of-the-money call options, in brokerage accounts that were in the name of Niranjan's brother. Goel and Niranjan agreed to split the profits from their trading, the Attorney said. Between approximately 2017 and 2018, Goel tipped Niranjan on at least six deals in which Goldman Sachs was involved. According to Bloomberg, Niranjan, after making some $280,000 in illegal profits by using the information, later flipped on his friend, Goel. Niranjan recorded their conversations and cooperated with federal investigators before taking the stand at Goel's trial in the Manhattan federal court. The trial, which began on June 12, offered a striking portrait of a close Wall Street friendship torn asunder amid federal scrutiny, the Bloomberg report said. According to Goel's lawyers, it was "the ultimate betrayal". In his defence, Goel said that Niranjan set him up, but the jurors rejected his attempt to explain his side. Between approximately May and June 2022, Goel also obstructed investigations by a Grand Jury in the Southern District of New York and the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Specifically, he deleted and asked Niranjan to delete electronic communications regarding the insider trading scheme, including during an in-person meeting that Niranjan had consensually recorded. Goel was convicted of four counts of securities fraud and one count of obstruction of justice, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and tender offer fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. "Today's verdict should remind those in the capital markets that if you engage in insider trading, we will catch you and hold you accountable," Attorney Williams said. Goel now faces prison and likely deportation to India. Patna: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann arrive Jaiprakash Narayan Airport to attend the opposition meeting ahead of the 2024 general elections which will held on June 23, in Patna, Thursday , June 22,2023.(Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Patna: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann arrive Jaiprakash Narayan Airport to attend the opposition meeting ahead of the 2024 general elections which will held on June 23, in Patna, Thursday , June 22,2023.(Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Patna: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann arrives to offer prayers at Patna Sahib Gurudwara, in Patna, Thursday ,June 22,2023. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Patna: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann arrives to offer prayers at Patna Sahib Gurudwara, in Patna, Thursday ,June 22,2023. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News Patna, June 22 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Maan and Member of Parliment Raghav Chaddha have reached Patna on Thursday evening to attend the key Opposition meet scheduled for Friday. Earlier, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also reached Patna to attend the meet. Mufti was the first opposition leader to reach Bihar for the unity meet. Trinamool Congress chief Banerjee reached Patna in the afternoon and meet RJD President Lalu Prasad. "Lalu Ji is still strong enough to fight the BJP," she said after her meeting with the RJD leader. "Lalu Ji is a very senior leader. I respect him a lot. He stayed in jail for a long time. Due to illness, he also stayed in hospital for a long time. I am very happy after seeing him healthy. He is a very strong man who will fight the BJP," the Trinamool Congress leader added. New Delhi, June 22 : Delhi Police have arrested four men for killing a 72-year-old woman in East Delhi's Mandawali area, an official said on Thursday. The accused were identified as Monu Dedda alias Chacha (26), Phuspender Yadav alias Aaiya (18), Sarthak Nagar alias Laddu (19) and Vikas Chaudhary (20), all residents of Mandawali in Delhi. The deceased was identified as Sudha Gupta, a resident of Guru Nanak Pura in Laxmi Nagar area. Sharing the details, a senior police official said that two calls were received on Tuesday that one woman had been stabbed by some boys. "On reaching the spot under Railway Bridge, Mandawali, it was learnt that the woman had been rushed to Max hospital, however later she was referred to Metro hospital Preet Vihar. In the hospital, it was revealed that Sudha was admitted with injuries on the left parietal organ 'head and shoulder'," said the official, adding that the victim succumbed to her injuries during treatment. During the investigation, the CCTV footages of hundreds of cameras and CDRs of several numbers were analysed by the team and ultimately three accused persons were identified. "On the basis of technical surveillance, the team went to village Rithoj near Gurugram, Haryana and from a room near tubewell, four accused were apprehended," said Amrutha Guguloth, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East). During interrogation, all the four confessed to the crime and disclosed that accused Monu Deddha came to know that the deceased Sudha has several plots in Mandawali area, if they kill her they can grab all the property. "Monu told his plan to Sarthak, Pushpender, Vikas and all of them agreed to commit the offence. To execute their plan, they bought three awls/pokers from the area of Mandawali. On the day of incident, they followed the woman from her property near Shri Ram Chowk Mandawali, and they overpowered her under Railway Puliya, Mandawali and all four accused started piercing her with the pokers multiple times and ran away," said the DCP. "They also disclosed that before committing crime, they also watched several videos on YouTube to commit the crime," the official added. Los Angeles, June 22 : Rapper Nicki Minaj has expressed her dismay over the 'Titan' submersible that went missing with five people on board while on a deep sea mission to spot the wreckage of the sunken ship Titanic. Minaj has also voiced criticism of the luxury activity. The 'Anaconda' hitmaker said: "No one should be hopping they a** on a submarine, talkin' about they going down to look at the Titanic," she said on her Amp radio show 'Queen Radio. She further mentioned, quoted by aceshowbiz.com, "Do you know how some people work their whole life and can't save up $250,000?" she continued, criticising the luxury activity. "And you took $250,000 to hop on a submarine to go see a ship that mostly everybody died on". Minaj also sent prayers for the five missing passengers and hoped for their safe return. "I'm keeping all five passengers in my prayers and wishing all the best to search and rescue teams," she added. "I just hope everyone stays safe." Known as Titan, the sub has been missing in the depths of the ocean since June 18. With oxygen in the submersible about to end, rescuers are fighting against time to locate it. Those on board the missing submersible are British billionaire explorer Hamish Harding, French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Sulaiman Dawood, and Stockton Rush, the founder of OceanGate. Los Angeles, June 22 : Actor Kevin Costner's ex-wife Christine Baumgartner has made a demand for $248,000 a month from her ex-husband for child support, which was revealed by court documents in the midst of their tumultuous divorce. In a declaration filed in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court, a signed first person declaration from Christine Baumgartner states that she also wants Kevin Costner to continue covering the cost of their kids' private school tuition, extracurricular and healthcare expenses. According to 'People' magazine, in the filing, Christine (49) says the figure "is less than the amount needed to maintain the children in their accustomed lifestyle" and she is requesting that Costner (68) also pay 100 per cent of private-school tuition, extracurricular activities/sports and healthcare expenses for their three kids: Cayden (16), Hayes (14), and Grace (13). However, no request for spousal support has been noted in the order. 'People' further states that additional documents note that Kevin's 2022 income amounted to over $19,517,0641 and their family's expenses, not including taxes, were listed at $6,645,285. The total expense of the family, including taxes, amounted to over $7,595,520. In the court documents, the 'Dances with Wolves' and 'JFK' actor agreed to pay $38,000 per month for child support in addition to "100 per cent of certain child related costs, including private school tuition, books, fees and uniforms and school trips, children's sports, camps and other agreed upon extracurricular activities". This also includes other things such as health insurance, unreimbursed medical expenses and therapy costs for their kids. Costner also agreed to contribute $30,000 per month towards a rental home for his ex-wife as well as a $10,000 advance to assist in her moving costs. He also agreed to her being allowed to use the staff at his property to assist her with her shifting. In addition, the documents reveal that Costner has already paid Christine $1 million, as stipulated by the premarital agreement. The pair married in 2004 and remained together for over 18 years, before deciding to split after citing irreconcilable differences. New Delhi, June 22 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar claimed on Thursday that the party has learnt from reliable sources that the Congress will stage a walkout if the ordinance brought by the Centre for control of services is taballed in the Parliament. Kakkar also told IANS that AAP sources have claimed that the Congress is likely to support the BJP on the ordinance issue. She said when the ordinance is taballed in the Rajya Sabha, it will be a semifinal moment to show the power of the opposition, but the silence of the Congress is questionable on this count. Kakkar also refused to comment on Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit's claim that AAP will stage a walk out during the opposition parties' meeting in Patna scheduled Friday. "Why is the Congress not coming clear on the ordinance? Our stand is very clear. We are trying to save the Constitution. The Congress needs to answer whether it is trying to save the Constitution. The BJP is overruling the Supreme Court's order, it is violating the Constitution," Kakkar told IANS. Kakkar also said that she fails to understand why the Congress is taking time to make its stand clear about the ordinance, which is against the Constitutional ethos. "The Congress should make it clear whether it is with the BJP or with the people who are trying to save the Constitution," she said. Kakkar also said that the matter is bigger than AAP or Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, as it is about saving the Constitution. The Centre brought an ordinance on May 19 that curtails the powers of Delhi's elected government. Following this, Kejriwal has been meeting different opposition parties across the country to garner support, claiming the ordinance will destroy the federal structure of the country. Colombo, June 22 : Thousands including adults, school children, scouts, guides, members of the NCC and officers from Sri Lanka Navy had a rare opportunity to get onboard Indian Naval Submarine Vagir which was docked in Colombo from June 19 to 22. The visit of INS Vagir was the first foreign port call of the recently commissioned indigenous Kalvari-class submarine of the Indian Navy. The visit of the submarine was to take part in the celebration of 9th International Day of Yoga (IDY) which was held at the Port of Colombo. Organised by the High Commission of India and Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC), the cultural arm of the High Commission, the event was organised onboard and alongside the visiting submarine connecting Colombo to the Global Ocean Ring - a unique initiative under IDY 2023 wherein naval ships deployed in the Indian Ocean region visited various ports in friendly foreign countries to commemorate the Yoga Day. Addressing the event, High Commissioner Gopal Baglay underlined the transformative power of Yoga - a shared heritage of India and Sri Lanka. He noted that the High Commission and SVCC had organised nearly 100 yoga events across the country over the last 50 days with the unstinted support and enthusiasm of yoga institutions and enthusiasts in Sri Lanka. "The visit of INS Vagir undertaken to commemorate IDY 2023 brought the message of goodwill, friendship and camaraderie to the shores of Sri Lanka," Baglay stressed. Senior officials from Sri Lankan government including Secretary of Defence, Gen Kamal Gunaratne (Retd), Commander of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN), Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, and Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral PS De Silva, joined SLN personnel, the crew of INS Vagir, and officials and staff of the High Commission for the programme. As an outreach initiative, the crew of INS Vagir also interacted with Colombo-based school children and presented essential items for some of the schools. The visit "fostered brotherhood and togetherness" between the Navies of the two neighbours in line with India's policy of 'Neighbourhood First' and vision of 'Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)', the High Commission said. Washington, June 22 : US President Joe Biden on Thursday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House, underscoring the need for the two countries to work together as "two great nations, two great friends and two great powers" to tackle the challenges facing the world and to define the course of the century. Prime Minister Modi called the relationship between the two countries "instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world" at a time when the global order is taking a new shape. Modi was received by Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a ceremonial welcome with a 19-gun salute on the South Lawn of the White House, in the presence of an estimated 7,000 Indian-Americans who chanted "Modi, Modi" several times, and occasionally "USA, USA". The two leaders spoke again before the start of their bilateral meeting on the same theme of cooperation and democratic values. Vice-President Kamala Harris, her husband and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti were the US officials who attended the event. On the India side, the attendees included External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and the Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. The reception marked the start of what is clearly going to be an "India Day" in the US capital. Biden and Modi left the reception for meetings with their respective delegations, which would be followed by a news conference where the two leaders will deliver remarks and take questions. Later in the afternoon, Prime Minister Modi will address a joint session of the US Congress, for the second time. His first address was in 2016, at the invitation of the leaders of both the Democratic and Republican Congress leaders. In the evening, Modi and his delegation will be hosted at a state dinner by Biden and the First Lady, which will be the first for an Indian leader in 15 years; then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the last to be hosted at a state dinner in 2009 by then President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. At the White House reception, Biden spoke about the ongoing cooperation between India and the US as part of the Quad, which they form with Japan and Australia, its importance for the Indo-Pacific, and of working together on issues from healthcare and climate change to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "As democracies, we can tap into the talents of all our people," Biden said, reflecting US' concern over the challenges to democracy. Modi also spoke about democracy being the central value system to both the countries. Institutions of both India and the US "are based on democratic values, the constitutions of both countries begin with the following three words - "we the people" - and both "countries take pride in diversity", saying "both of us believe in the fundamental principles in the interest of all". He added: "The world order is taking a new shape this time. The friendship between India and the US will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world." Chandigarh, June 22 : Haryana has been implementing measures to transform paddy straw, which was once seen as an environmental hazard, into a valuable source to enhance farmers' income, Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal said on Thursday. These measures include the announcement of a common determined rate (CDR) of Rs 2,500 per metric tonne of paddy straw, as well as the continued provision of financial support for in-situ and ex-situ techniques and the direct seeded rice (DSR) technique in paddy cultivation. Additionally, Haryana has successfully reduced farm fires by about 40 per cent as compared to the previous year. These efforts underscore Haryana's commitment to sustainable agricultural practices and its dedication to mitigate environmental challenges, Kaushal said. These measures were discussed at a meeting conducted to review of the state's action plan and preparedness for tackling paddy straw burning by Chief Secretary Kaushal along with Chairman of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), M.M. Kutty, here on Thursday. For achieving the goal of zero farm fires, the Chief Secretary said the government has notified CDR of Rs 2,500 per metric tonne, with an additional Rs 500 per metric tonne for moisture content below 20 per cent. Moreover, Haryana is providing financial support to farmers, including Rs 1,000 per acre for in-situ and ex-situ techniques, Rs 7,000 per acre under Mera Pani Meri Virasat Scheme and Rs 4,000 per acre for DSR technique in paddy cultivation. These initiatives aim to support the farmers in maximising their income while promoting sustainable agricultural practices in the state. It was revealed during the meeting that the government has set a target to utilise 13,54,850 metric tonne of paddy straw in industrial units throughout Haryana. These initiatives showcase Haryana's proactive stance towards sustainable agricultural practices and the effective utilisation of agricultural waste for productive purposes, Kaushal said. It was apprised at the meeting that the Government of India under the Crop Residue Management Scheme has allocated Rs 300 crore for the promotion agricultural mechanism for in-situ management of crop residue in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi. CAQM Chairman Kutty said Haryana has done better work for stubble management to reduce air pollution, but incidents of stubble burning have to be reduced to zero. For this, the officials of the district administration need to work harder, he said, adding that farmers should be provided with modern agricultural machinery so that stubble can be managed properly. He also said that farmers of nearby districts should be made aware to deliver stubble to the ethanol plant set up at IOCL Panipat for stubble management. Kolkata, June 22 : West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Thursday held State Election Commissioner (SEC) Rajiva Sinha responsible for the bloodshed in the state in the run up to the July 8 panchayat elections. "I appointed the State Election Commissioner. I had faith in him that he will ensure free and fair polls. But I feel that the common people are disappointed. There has been so much bloodshed," the Governor said while speaking to mediapersons here. The Governor's remarks came after the division bench of Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam on Wednesday advised Sinha to step down from his chair if he is unable to perform his duty. "In that case, the Governor will appoint someone else," Justice Sivagnanam had said. So far, nine people have died in panchayat poll-related violence in West Bengal. Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress spokesman Kunal Ghosh attacked the Governor and asked him to leave Bengal. "No matter how much respect we might give to the Governor, ultimately he is a BJP-appointed man. The opposition parties are trying to create tension in certain pockets of the state and the Governor is trying to fuel it. He is not making spot visits to places where the victims are from Trinamool. If the Governor tries to defer the panchayat elections, we will be forced to ask him to leave West Bengal," Ghosh said. JERUSALEM, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Three advisors of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be prosecuted, pending a hearing, for allegedly harassing a state witness in the PM's ongoing corruption trial, the State Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday. According to the office, Yonatan Orich, Ofer Golan, and Israel Einhorn harassed and attempted to intimidate Shlomo Filber, the former director general of the Communications Ministry. Filber, who was a close associate of Netanyahu, turned into a state witness in a corruption and bribery case against Netanyahu, dubbed "Case 4000." The three were suspected of sending a vehicle with a loudspeaker to Filber's home and playing a recording that called on him to backtrack on signing his state witness deal and accused him of lying. The recording was also posted on social networks. Under Israeli law, the maximum penalty for severe harassment of witnesses is five-year imprisonment. The Israeli prime minister is standing trial on three separate cases of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. In "Case 4000," Netanyahu is accused of providing regulatory and financial benefits to Shaul Elovitch, the former control-holder of Walla, a news site, and Bezeq, Israel's largest telecom company, in exchange for favorable coverage on Walla. Netanyahu has denied the allegations. New Delhi, June 22 : The license of an Air India pilot and a co-pilot, who permitted an unauthorised woman to enter the cockpit of flight AI-445, operating from Delhi to Leh on June 3, has been suspended by the DGCA, said an official. During the departure of Air India flight AI-458 from Chandigarh to Leh, the Pilot in Command (PIC) allowed an unauthorised person to enter the cockpit. "The First Officer (co-pilot) failed to object to this unauthorised entry. After conducting an investigation, the DGCA has taken the following actions the PIC's pilot license has been suspended for one year, and the First Officer's pilot license has been suspended for one month," said an official. Earlier, following the breach of cockpit norms, Air India had taken disciplinary action against two pilots and had suspended them. The decision came after the airline received a complaint from the cabin crew, who raised concerns about the violation of cockpit regulations. "Air India has a just culture approach to all safety related events and has a zero tolerance for deliberate breaches of regulations. Such breaches are dealt with on a serious basis and sanctions will be imposed on those who are in breach of the regulations," said the Air India spokesperson. This incident came merely a month after Air India was fined Rs 30 lakh by the DGCA for a previous breach of cockpit norms, highlighting the airline's need for stricter adherence to established regulations. Kolkata, June 22 : Just hours after West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose held the State Election Commission (SEC) responsible for the bloodshed in the run-up to the July 8 panchayat elections in the state, one Trinamool Congress leader was shot dead inside the patty office at Adra in Purulia district on Thursday evening. At around 8.30 p.m. on Thursday, when Trinamool's Adra town president Dhananjay Choubey was sitting at the party office along with his associates, three unknown persons arrived at the spot on a motorcycle and shot at Choubey from a close range. Choubey's bodyguard Sekhar Das was also injured in the firing. A profusely-bleeding Choubey was admitted to a local hospital where he died during treatment. His bodyguard is being treated in the same hospital. Condemning the incident, Trinamool's Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen claimed that the murder of Choubey proves that it is not the ruling party, but the opposition forces, especially the BJP, which are trying to create tension over the panchayat polls. "I hope the police will hunt down the killers at the earliest and take necessary action," he said. On the other hand, BJP MP Dilip Ghosh claimed that it is the failure of the police that they are unable to curb the increasing violence over the panchayat polls. "The state administration is actually reluctant to control the criminal elements since it's the Trinamool cadres who are creating tension and indulging in violence," Ghosh said. Patna, June 22 : Robbers looted around Rs 55 lakh from two seperate banks in Bihar's Sheohar and East Champaran districts on Thursday. In the first incident, armed robbers shot at a guard of a Bank of Baroda branch in Sheohar district and took away Rs 27 lakh cash. The robbers continued firing while commiting the crime and fled the scene with the cash. The security guard has been identified as Praveen Kumar Singh and the incident took place at Amba Kalan village branch located inside the premises of a government high school. "The robbers came on four bikes and shot at me. They forced the bank officials to open the locker of the bank and took away Rs 27 lakh from it," Singh said. Following the incident, a large number of police force headed by district SP Anant Kumar Rai reached at the spot and initiated investigations. "We are scanning the CCTV footage of the bank to identify the accused. We are checking every vehicle at district borders. The accused will be arrested soon," Rai said. The police is recording statements of bank employees and the guard, he added. In the second incident, four armed robbers on two bikes barged in to the ICICI Bank branch in Sarotar locality under Dumaria police station of East Champaran district. Kantesh Kumar Mishra, the SP of East Champaran said that the four robbers after entering the branch took the employees and customers at gunpoint. They looted Rs 18.71 lakh from the bank and around Rs 9 lakh from two customers inside the bank. "The robbers have snatched the firearms of security guards and held him and other employees and customers hostage at gunpoint. They have looted around Rs 28 lakh from the bank and two customers. We have constituted a dedicated team to arrest the accused. We are scanning the CCTV to identify them," Mishra said. Aizawl, June 22 : Assam Rifles and other law enforcing agencies in separate operations on Thursday seized heroin and Burmese areca nuts worth around Rs 7 crore smuggled in from Myanmar, and arrested seven smugglers, officials said. Defence sources said that the Assam Rifles troopers, Excise and Narcotics Department, Customs and Mizoram police personnel seized the contrabands from three different locations in three districts -- Lunglei, Saitual and Champhai. The seized drugs, Burmese areca nuts and the arrested persons were handed over to the Mizoram police for further legal action. An Assam Rifles statement said that smuggling of drugs from Myanmar is a major cause of concern for the state as well as India. Mizoram's 510 km unfenced international border with Myanmar, especially in the bordering Champhai district, is a major hotspot of smuggling. Besides various illicit drugs, foreign cigarettes, gold, arms and ammunition, exotic animals, and areca nuts are often smuggled from Myanmar into the northeastern states, especially Mizoram and Manipur. Jaipur, June 22 : Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly, Rajendra Rathore, said on Thursday that he will submit a memorandum to Governor Kalraj Mishra over the alleged mistreatment metted out to BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena. Meena, who was sitting on a dharna since the last two days, was on Thursday taken away from the demonstration site by the police and detained at the Chaksu police station. Rathore said that after submitting the memorandum to the Governor, the core committee of Rajasthan BJP will outline the future strategy. Meena had levelled serious allegations of two scams, one worth Rs 20,000 crore in Water Supply Department, and the other worth Rs 66,000 crore in the Mining Department. After his detention, hundreds of supporters of Meena gathered outside the Chaksu police station, raising slogans against the Ashok Gehlot government. Meena, on his part, said that "Gehlot's police" cannot suppress his voice. New Delhi, June 22 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday listed out some key measures undertaken by the Central government to ensure financial inclusion. "Today, we're able to send most of the benefits directly to the bank accounts of citizens. After the introduction of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), the government was able to save Rs one lakh crore in just one of the provinces in India through direct benefit transfer," she told dignitaries, while addressing the summit for the New Global Financing Pact in Paris. "DPI has allowed us to make optimum use of taxpayers' money," she said. Under 'Stand-up India' scheme, women were identified not just in big cities but tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and are being granted collateral-free loans at concessional rates, so that they can stand up on their own. Push given for startups was not just an urban phenomenon, Sitharaman said. "Women street vendors and small merchants are being given collateral-free loans," the Finance Minister told the gathering. Listing out some women-centric projects initiated by the Indian government, the Minister said that all the public sector banks across India have been mandated to give loans to at least one woman per bank branch at a concessional rate without any collateral, Sitharaman added. Maternity leaves were raised to 26 weeks, she informed, adding that women self-help groups in villages can now procure locally produced grains, build silos and storage capacities. Viability gap funding is being provided to them. A national agriculture market has been created through which women can find a better market for their produce. Patna, June 22 : Three persons were gunned down while one person was seriously injured after unidentified assailants opened fire on an SUV they were travelling in, in Bihar's Darbhanga district on Thursday. Confirming the incident, Darbhanga SSP Awakash Kumar said that two of the victims died on the spot, while another succumbed at the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH). The injured is battling for life at the hospital. Kumar said the killings could be part of a gang war, as one of the deceased, identified as Anil Singh, was involved in many criminal cases. The two other deceased have been identified as Mukesh Singh and Munna Singh. The injured has been been identified as Kundan Singh. "The victims were travelling on a Tata Safari. When they reached a chowk under the Baheri police station, unidentified armed men opened fire on them," Kumar said. "The occupants of the SUV also retaliated and fired back at the attackers. The exact reason for the deadly attack is yet to be ascertained. We are scanning the CCTV footage from the area to identify the attackers," Kumar added. Bengaluru, June 22 : Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Thursday thanked the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring that Bengaluru gets a US Consulate. In the backdrop of Modi's visit to the US, a senior White House official on Thursday announced that the US will open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, while India will establish a mission in Seattle. Surya, on his part, has been pushing for a US Consulate in Bengaluru during his engagements with the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar as well as officials from the US embassy in India. "_Thank PM @narendramodi Ji and EAM @DrSJaishankar for getting a US Consulate in Bengaluru. As India's fastest-growing city and IT powerhouse with thousands of international companies, it was a long pending ask. This will help lakhs of Kannadigas & our city_," the BJP MP tweeted. On March 24 this year, Surya sought Jaishankar's support to push for a US Consulate in Bengaluru with the US Foreign Affairs Department. Back then, Jaishankar had said: "Since you have put it so strongly and repeatedly, I assure you that the next time I meet Antony Blinken, I will hammer home that message with at least as much force as you have done (right now)." Even back in November 2019, Surya had met Jaishankar with a written request for a US consulate in Bengaluru. "There are around 750 multi-national companies situated in Bengaluru with about 370 of them headquartered in the US. Bengaluru and Karnataka together account for a large pool for students and businessmen travelling to the US." Having a fully functioning US Consulate in Bengaluru rather than the existing virtual consulate would be convenient for at least half a million people of Karnataka and would also ease the burden on the consulates in Chennai and Hyderabad," Surya had written in a letter dated November 18, 2019. Surya had also placed a request with the US Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, in March 2020. With Thursday's announcement of a consulate in Bengaluru, Surya felt that the city of Bengaluru will benefit tremendously and ties between the two countries have received a boost. "The US Consulate in Bengaluru, apart from making it convenient for lakhs of students from the city, will enhance commerce and cooperation between India and the US. I once again thank the Modi government for promoting the interests of Bengaluru and ensuring that a long-pending request is fulfilled," he said. New Delhi, June 22 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently conducted searches at 16 locations in Hyderabad, Khammam, Karimnagar, and other places across Telangana in connection to a money laundering case linked with an alleged medical seat-blocking scam, officials said on Thursday. The search operations led to the seizure of incriminating documents, digital devices, and records of cash transactions amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees, collected from PG medical candidates as well as MBBS students allegedly for seat-blocking. The agency also recovered and seized unaccounted cash amounting to Rs 1.4 crore from the premises of Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad. During the search, the ED also froze Rs 2.89 crore in a bank account of Malla Reddy Institute of Medical Sciences, where the cash collected for medical PG admissions was suspected to be deposited. The ED initiated the case in February based on an FIR registered by the Matwada Police in Telangana, following a complaint filed by the former Registrar of the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) against unknown individuals. It was alleged that certain agencies were involved in seat-blocking in collaboration with students and private institutions in Telangana and other states, and in acquiring the necessary documents from candidates for registration under KNRUHS. "During the ED's investigation, the university discovered that five candidates had stated they had not even applied for counselling with the KNRUHS. The seats were blocked using the credentials of high-scoring PG NEET candidates from other states. After the mop-up round of counselling and the last date of admission, these seats were reported to the university as vacant and were declared as stray vacancies. The university then allocated these seats to respective private medical colleges for admission under the management and institutional quota. Subsequently, these seats were sold at exorbitant premiums ranging anywhere between Rs 1-2.5 crores," officials said. They added that the university had implemented penalties for defaulting candidates to address the issue of seat-blocking. However, the ED investigation revealed that the penalty was being paid on behalf of the seat-blocking candidates using the premiums collected from the sale of PG Medical seats. Further investigation into the matter is ongoing. Hyderabad, June 22 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday inaugurated the Telangana Martyrs' Memorial on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake here at a glittering ceremony. The six-storey memorial built in the shape of a lamp was thrown open to mark the culmination of the decennial Telangana formation day celebrations. The Chief Minister along with his Cabinet colleagues and top officials paid tribute to those who laid down their lives for the statehood to Telangana. KCR symbolically lit the flame on top of the memorial, named 'Amara Deepam'. A glittering show by 750 drones at the same time left the participants spellbound. With 13 formations, these drones created images including that of KCR. The theme was martyrs, monuments and achievements of Telangana during the last nine years. The drones from Boatlab Dynamics, an IIT Delhi startup, were flown in perfect sync through a pre-programmed algorithm. It was a visual treat as the dark skies over the lake were illuminated in multiple hues to depict the Telangana movement and the flagship projects of the state government. The police fired in the air to pay tributes to the martyrs. KCR was visibly moved when he along with others watched a documentary at the mini theatre, highlighting the sacrifices made by the martyrs. KCR, who felicitated the families of the martyrs on the occasion, recalled the journey through the first and second phases of the Telangana movement and the achievements of the new state during the last nine years. He said his dream of achieving Telangana without shedding even a drop of blood came true, but the unexpected suicides by Telangana youth for the sake of Telangana state pained him. KCR also said inspired by the great sacrifices of the martyrs, the state will continue to march forward on the path of progress. SYDNEY, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Police in the Australian state of Queensland said on Thursday that 4.7 million Australian dollars (about 3.2 million U.S. dollars) worth of drugs and cash have been seized, following an arrest of 11 people in raids across Brisbane and surrounds over the last six months. According to a statement released by Queensland Police, a special operation was launched to investigate crime syndicates involved in the trafficking of cocaine and methamphetamine (MDMA) throughout Brisbane's Safe Night Precincts. After the execution of several search warrants, police seized 33 kg of MDMA, 2.3 kg of cocaine, 1.5 kg of crystal ice, and over 1.8 million Australian dollars (about 1.2 million U.S. dollars) in cash. Officers also seized eight firearms, two vehicles, and drug manufacturing equipment. Queensland Police added that investigations are continuing with more arrests likely. New Delhi, June 23 : With the arrest of five persons, including the mother, the Delhi Police on Thursday claimed to have solved the murder of a newborn boy, who was found dumped in a toilet in a hospital at Delhi's Rohini area, an official said. The accused were identified as Seema (20), Meena (24), Sandeep (21), Deepak Sharma (28) and Suraj Sharma (29). Seema is the mother of deceased newborn. According to police, on January 21, a PCR call was received at Vijay Vihar police station informing about the body of a newborn baby in the toilet of Rajni Gupta Hospital, Budh Vihar. "The local police staff reached at the spot and found the dead body of a newly born male baby in the commode of the toilet. The complainant, who is a doctor, stated that one pregnant woman came to Rajni Gupta Hospital at about 09:30 p.m. on January 20 along with four attendants," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) G.S. Sidhu. "The complainant said that the name of the patient was Seema and she fled from the hospital. After a few hours, at about 12:30 a.m. a public person went to the toilet of the hospital and found a dead body of a newly born baby in the commode," said the official. During the investigation, the CCTV footages of the hospital was checked but the face of the accused persons and registration numbers of their motorcycle and scooty were not visible. "The investigation team analysed around 250 CCTV footages of the area and finally, a suspected person was spotted in CCTV footage of a medical shop in the area. Owner of the medical shop was examined who stated that the suspected person had purchased some medicine from his shop and made the payment online," said the official. "On the basis of details of online transactions, the accused were identified and arrested," the official added. New Delhi, June 23 : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Thursday said that they have arrested four persons who were smuggling leopard skins. Two leopard skins were recovered from them. "Continuing its endeavor to safeguard the country's fauna, the DRI arrested four persons in Delhi under Section 50 (1)(c) of The Wildlife (Protection) Act. We have recovered two leopard skins from their possession," said an official. All four accused were later handed over to Forest Officials for further investigations, the official added. The forest officials will now interrogate the accused to gather information about their gang and how they procured the leopard skins. Further investigation into the matter is ongoing. United Nations, June 23 : The UN General Assembly has called for the adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that was proposed by India and has been languishing for more than a quarter of a century. In a resolution adopted on Thursday, the Assembly urged its 193 members "to make every effort to conclude a comprehensive convention on international terrorism". The resolution reviewing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy reiterated the obligation of all countries to "deny terrorist groups safe haven, freedom of operations, movement and recruitment and financial, material or political support" and to bring to justice or extradite terrorists and their supporters. The Assembly adopted the resolution during the Counter-Terrorism Week at which a high-level meeting was convened and several programmes on fighting the scourge were held. The main roadblock to adopting the convention proposed by India in 1996 is the definition of terrorists, with some countries claiming that their favoured terrorists are "freedom fighters". UN Assembly President Csaba Korosi said, "We must ask ourselves, should we continue to bicker over what constitutes terrorism or violent extremism? To languish in details and remain blind to the bigger picture?" "Or should we come together and channel all our resources to fight terrorism in all its forms," he asked, as he called for "political and moral will to act together". Speaking at the high-level meeting on Tuesday, India's Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry, Praveen Vashishta, had said, "Unfortunately, there are also some countries who seek to undermine or subvert our collective resolve to fight terrorism. That cannot be allowed to pass." "There cannot be any exception or any justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of motivations behind such acts," he had said. It is "vital that we do not take a selective, tactical or even a complacent view of the problems we face" and "must never countenance sanctuaries for terrorists or overlook the raising of their resources", he had said. "And when we see state hospitality being extended to those with innocents' blood on their hands, we should never lack the courage to call out this double-speak," he added in an obvious reference to Pakistan. Another element in the resolution of relevance to terrorism from Pakistan asks for cooperation between countries in investigations of terrorism, but it is unlikely to be implemented. It asked UN members "to provide full coordination and afford one another the greatest measure of assistance" in "criminal investigations or criminal proceedings relating to the financing or support of terrorist acts, especially with those states where, or against whose citizens, terrorist acts are committed, including obtaining evidence for the proceedings involving terrorist organisations, terrorist entities or foreign terrorist fighters". It added, "All states must cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism on the basis of mutual legal assistance and the principle of extradite or prosecute." (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) Bhopal, June 23 : The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has demolished 10 houses of people from the Schedule Caste (SC) community during an anti-encroachment drive in Sagar district, triggering a political controversy in the poll-bound state, an official said. The houses were built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), however, the official added that the houses were constructed on forest land. Following the demolition drive, the locals staged a protest, with the Opposition Congress extending its support to the protesters. Congress alleged that the action was taken on behest of cabinet minister Govind Singh Rajput, who is a loyalist of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh reached the spot and hit out at the BJP minister. He questioned the anti-encroachment drive and said that the district administration should be held responsible. "These houses were built under PMAY with prior permission of the district administration. How could these houses be declared illegal? Was the district administration sleeping when permission was granted? The action has come on behest of BJP leader Govind Singh," Digvijaya said. The senior Congress leader also added that many BJP leaders have constructed bungalows on government land but the state administration would not dare to take any action against them. "CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan will take action only against poor people, and not against his own party leaders who have encroached several acres of government land," Digvijaya said. BJP Minister Govind Singh Rajput, who is a BJP MLA from Surkhi Assembly constituency (in Sagar district) responded to Digvijaya's allegations, saying that the Congress leader was attempting to make the anti-demolition drive a political issue. "I have asked Sagar district administration to allot plots to built houses of those who were demolished during the anti-encroachment drive," Rajput said. Patna, June 23 : A man who was in the getup of Lord Shiva died after a king cobra he was wearing around his neck bit him at a religious event in Bihar's Madhepura district on Thursday. The snake bit the man on his neck and he died enroute the hospital. The deceased has been identified as Mukesh Kumar Ram (30), a native of Khurda village in Madhepura district. Mukesh was a performer who used to display his acts in stage shows during Ram Leela and other religious events. The event was organised at the Maa Durga temple in Khurda on the occasion of 'Akhand Astam' in Murliganj block. Mukesh was dressed as Lord Shiva, wearing a king cobra around his neck. After the snake bit him, the organisers of the event rushed him to the health centre in Murliganj from where the doctors referred him to the Sadar hospital. However, he died enroute the hospital. "After his death, the organisers of the event returned to the hospital, dumped the body and fled from the spot," said Lal Bahadur, in-charge of the health centre in Murliganj. "The body has been sent for post-mortem in the presence of cops," he added. New Delhi, June 23 : Congress on Thursday once again hit out at the BJP-led Central government over the ongoing violence in Manipur saying that it is a "colossal failure of governance on part of the double engine government". In a video statement, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that its been 51 days, the agony, the distress, the pain, and the anguish continues in Manipur. "Prime Minister Modi is of course now in the US but he has not said a word on Manipur... not only that he has refused to meet MLAs from Manipur, political parties from Manipur and his own party colleagues from Manipur," Ramesh said. Targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah for calling an all-party meeting over the Manipur issue in absence of the Prime Minister, the Congress leader said: "Home Minister has now called an all-party meeting on June 24, what use of having an all-party meeting when the Prime Minister is not there?" "...I think this is gross derliciation and fabrication of duty on part of the Prime Minister, its beyond comprehension, it's bizarre," added Ramesh, who is also the Congress' in-charge of the Communications department. Firing salvos at the Prime Minister for his "silence" on Manipur, the Congress Rajya Sabha member said, "Why has the Prime Minister chosen to remain silent when a state of India is burning and hundreds have been killed and tens of thousands have been displaced." Referring to the three-day visit of Shah to Manipur, the Congress leader said that the Home Minister went to Manipur after a gap of 25 days after a "busy electioneering" in Karnataka "but his visit had no impact". "We are having the same division, a bitter division between communities in Manipur, and central commodities are not available easily and armed groups continue to operate with impunity. All in all, it is a colossal failure of governance on part of the double engine government and it is failure of the state government run by the BJP to control the situation and allow the situation to develop in the first place," he said. The sharp reaction from the Congress came at a time when the Prime Minister is on a state visit to the US. Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to go to Egypt. The Congress has been critical of the government over Manipur violence and has repeatedly questioned the Prime Minister's "silence" on the issue. Manipur has been witnessing violence since May 3 and over 100 people have lost their lives while thousands have been forced to live in the relief camps. On Wednesday, former Congress President Sonia Gandhi condoled the death of people in Manipur and appealed for peace in the northeastern state, while Union Home Minister called an all-party meeting on June 24 in New Delhi to discuss the situation. Bengaluru, June 23 : As the IT city Bengaluru is bracing up for the monsoon season, the authorities are keeping fingures crossed and are hoping to save the city from devastation unlike the last year. Heavy rains in last September had wrecked havoc in the city and the images of the city had taken a beating at the global level. Although measures have been taken to remove blockages and encroachments, sources say that measures are not enough to avoid repeat of last year's situation. The newly elected Congress government has asked Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to be prepared for any eventualities. "The civic body's machinery has been galvanised to face any situation arising due to monsson," BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said. Elaborate and meticulous preparation have put in place following the directions of the Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar. All zonal commissioners, joint commissioners, chief engineers and executive engineers along with the forest wing have been asked to be on alert and constantly monitor the situation. Sources in BBMP said that it has been decided to run control rooms 24X7 from zonal level to sub-divisional level. Equipment, vehicles and other paraphernalia are being kept in the state of war readiness. Pertinently, days after Congress government's swearing-in, heavy rains lashed the city claiming life of an Infosys techie. She died after her car was inundated in an underpass. Following the incident, it was decided to close down the underpasses whenever city witnesses heavy rains. In first week of September 2022, the city received highest rainfall in a single day in last 38 years. The city witnessed massive rainfall inundating IT campuses and posh localities where tech people reside. Images of knee to waist-deep water on arterial roads, tractors and JCBs moving IT employees and CEOs went viral throughout the world exposing the crumbling infrastructure of the city. Bengaluru Political Action Committee (B-PAC) Civic leader S.R. Raghavendra told IANS that Bengaluru is "not prepared to face monsoon this time" as well. "There is no coordination between civic agencies in the city. Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) do not have any coordination between them," he said. "Bengaluru city is witnessing development but government cannot bring changes over night. It is a shame on Bengaluru administration machinery that a techie had to die in an underpass while everyone watched," he said. The BBMP is presently run by the bureaucracy and for political reasons the elections were not held by the previous BJP government. The ruling Congress wants to split the BBMP into multiple corporations for ease of administration as per the BBMP Restructuring Committee. The committee was formed by the Congress government in 2013. The proposal of the committee was rejected by the BJP which assumed power later. Ambika Mani, a software entrepreneur and President Bytarayanapura Constituency for JD (S) told IANS: "A heart-wrenching incident where a techie drowned before our eyes is devastating and a shame for all the officers. The media showed it for a few days as the biggest tragedies ever in the history of Bengaluru but in vain as no strict action was taken against the people involved in tragedy." She said that the houses in most parts of the city get submerged during rains. "We suffered a lot during the last season. No precautionary measures were taken back then. I recently visited Singapore and admire how they have developed their infrastructure, waste management, and education system," she said. She further said that the infrastructure in Singapore is such that every single drop of water during the monsoon enters the drainage system systematically. "It is commendable that the Singapore government has created such an infrastructure. Our government needs to work on infrastructure, waste segregation, and rain water harvesting. Lot of reworking needs in the city. I wish and pray that this monsoon does not harm the people across the city and our nation," Ambika Mani added. The Healthcare Technology Report is pleased to announce The Top 25 Healthcare Technology Leaders of New York for 2023. This years awardees represent some of the most highly influential and forward-thinking companies in various sectors within the Empire State. These sectors span from life sciences and medical devices, to home services and more. With their profound operational and scientific knowledge, these healthcare technology leaders have played a pivotal role in driving remarkable growth and advancement within their respective organizations. Simultaneously, they have brought forth invaluable products and services that have greatly benefited customers not only in New York, but around the globe. One of the distinguished individuals recognized this year is Avi Benshoshan, who holds the position of SVP of Global Market Access at Merck, the biopharmaceutical giant that has been around for more than 130 years; and was recently ranked 71st on the 2022 Fortune 500. Another esteemed honoree is Kalpana Vanam, who brings nearly four decades' worth of experience to her position as SVP of Generics, Specialty, and Biosimilar at Lupin Pharmaceuticals, which is amongst the largest generic pharmaceutical companies in the world. Furthermore, Puja Sapra, who serves as Senior Vice President, Head of R&D Biologics Engineering, and Head of Oncology Targeted Delivery for AstraZeneca, has made significant contributions as a leader and researcher. During her lengthy career, Sapra has authored more than 75 scientific publications and book chapters while also being recognized as the inventor or co-inventor of more than 25 patents in the field. Please join us in celebrating The Top 25 Healthcare Technology Leaders of New York for 2023. Ivan Tornos (Zimmer Biomet), Nelly Nauman (Parexel), Erik Lium (Mount Sinai Health System), Kim Gold (Genentech), Nolan Bennett (Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies), Ashu Tandon (MMS), Gregory Ryslik (Compass Pathways), Mark Hillebrandt (Henry Schein), Lisa Martin (GSK), Scott Seidelmann (Omnicell), Tanya Luckie (Johnson & Johnson), Indranil Nandi (Jubilant Radiopharma), Irene Chui (MicroPort Orthopedics Inc.), Avi Benshoshan (Merck), Sridhar Shankar (Sun Pharma), Lars Strassenburg (Siemens Healthineers), Puja Sapra (AstraZeneca), Francisco Ramirez-Valle (Bristol Myers Squibb), Thomas Seck (Boehringer-Ingelheim), Greg Raskin (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center), Neelesh Chudasama (Frontier Medicines), Kalpana Vanam (Lupin Pharmaceuticals), Carolyn Amato (Edwards Lifesciences), Anna Upton (Evotec) and Charlotte Jones-Burton (Chinook Therapeutics, Inc.). The full article can be read at https://thehealthcaretechnologyreport.com/. About The Healthcare Technology Report The Healthcare Technology Report provides market research and insights, business news, investment activity updates and important corporate developments related to the healthcare technology sector. Based in New York City, the firm is run by a seasoned team of editors, writers and media professionals highly knowledgeable on healthcare technology and the various companies, executives and investors that make up the sector. We applaud the Paige Connect team for inventing this amazing device. Its ease of use, functionality and low price point made it the winner among a lot of other great entries in this years Touch of Genius competition National Braille Press (NBP) announced today that the 2023 winner of the Louis Braille Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is Gregory Hargraves who, along with the Paige team, created Paige Connect. The Touch of Genius Prize competition attracts ideas from inventors around the globe who seek to improve the lives of people who are blind and have low-vision. The winner of the competition receives $10,000. Paige Connect was invented by Hargraves alongside four other recent engineering graduates from Imperial College London (Carolina Gomes, Nina Rimsky, Sergio Gosalvez, Nina Moutonnet). Paige Connect is an adaptation for the traditional Perkins Brailler, that replaces the base of the brailler with a sturdy printed circuit board. This board has its own Wi-Fi with sensors that convert the physical keystrokes on the brailler to a digital output that can be read on a phone, tablet, or laptop instantly. Gregory Hargraves will be recognized at NBPs Annual Meeting on June 22nd for this incredible invention, and provide a presentation live from London followed with Q&A. The NBP Annual Meeting will be held at One Channel Center, 1 Iron Street, Boston, at with a reception at 5pm and the speaking program starting at 6pm. To attend RSVP at this link which will also provide an option to join virtually. Paige Connect is a device that will enhance the way that individuals write on their traditional braillers, and it will assist teachers to get instant feedback on how the student is typing, said Brian Mac Donald, President and CEO, National Braille Press. We applaud the Paige Connect team for inventing this amazing device. Its ease of use, functionality and low price point made it the winner among a lot of other great entries in this years Touch of Genius competition. Paige Connect has its own web app that uses Liblouis an open-source software that can back-translate braille into print for the user to collaborate with sighted peers, parents, and teachers. The estimated price for Paige Connect is $125 USD. The next step for the Paige team is to bring the product to market after consumer safety testing and certification. The mission of Paige is to make braille affordable for everyone, help people communicate, collaborate, and engage with the braille community to better serve them in their everyday lives, said Gregory Hargraves. We are grateful for the Touch of Genius Award and we are focused on the next phase to bring Paige Connect to market in the U.S., the UK and all over the world. The selection of Paige Connect was made by the Touch of Genius committee that is comprised of eight experts in the field of braille and tactile literacy from across the U.S. who have come together every year since 2007 to judge the award nominations. Committee Chair is Edward Bell, Ph.D. Director of the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University. The Touch of Genius Adjudication Committee includes: Edward Bell, Joann Becker, Yue-Ting Siu, Judy Dixon, Paul Parravano, Noel Runyan, Janet Ulwick-Sacca and Brian Mac Donald. The Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation was originally founded with the support from The Gibney Family Foundation. In addition, the Lavelle Fund was instrumental in supporting the Touch of Genius Prize this year. The Lavelle Fund for the Blind believes that people who are blind or visually impaired should have all the tools and resources they need to lead independent and productive lives, and we believe in the importance of braille literacy., said Susan Olivo, Executive Director and CEO of the Lavelle Fund for the Blind. We are honored to support the Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation, and we salute all the innovators, past and present, who are working towards this goal. Dont stop trying, the world needs more innovators like you! The Touch of Genius Prize attracts innovators from around the world in the fields of education, technology, engineering, graphics, and literacy. It fosters and rewards innovation by offering a compelling incentive to support and expand braille and tactile literacy efforts for the blind. About National Braille Press National Braille Press is a non-profit braille publisher and producer of braille products. NBP creates products and programs to support braille and tactile literacy in the blind community and to provide access to information that empower blind people to actively engage in work, family, and community. For more information visit http://www.nbp.org Lilly Palmer, Partner We are very lucky we are to have Lilly back. As a prominent attorney in both the private fund and digital asset spaces, our firm is now even better positioned to expand and lead in these areas going forward. Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP (CFM), a leading investment management law firm, is pleased to announce that Lilly Palmer has rejoined CFM as Partner at the firm. Lillys practice focuses on representation of investment advisers, fund sponsors, and private funds pursuing a variety of strategies and asset classes, with particular expertise in cryptocurrency and digital asset strategies. Most recently, Lilly was General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of ParaFi Capital LP, a multi-strategy crypto-native investment firm. With over 13 years of experience advising clients in the asset management space, as both outside legal counsel and in-house legal professional, Lilly is uniquely positioned to provide practical and business-savvy advice on a wide range of matters. "We are very lucky we are to have Lilly back," said Co-Managing Partner Bart Mallon. "As a prominent attorney in both the private fund and digital asset spaces, our firm is now even better positioned to expand and lead in these areas going forward. "Lillys experience is unparalleled, said Karl Cole-Frieman, also a Co-Managing Partner at CFM. "Everyone at Cole-Frieman & Mallon is looking forward to working with Lilly again and we couldnt be happier to have Lilly back in our ranks." I am thrilled to rejoin CFM after an incredible in-house experience, said Lilly Palmer. Investment managers navigate a multitude of operational, legal, and compliance considerations throughout their lifecycle. As General Counsel, I relied on my network of advisers to help navigate the ever-evolving landscape. With my experience, and the full suite of CFMs client offerings, I am looking forward to serving as a strategic adviser and legal partner to my clients. About: Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP is a leading investment management law firm known for providing top-tier, innovative, and collaborative legal solutions for complex financial services matters. Headquartered in San Francisco, Cole-Frieman & Mallon LLP services both start-up investment managers and multibillion-dollar funds. The firm provides a full suite of legal services to the investment management community, including fund formation (hedge, VC, PE, real estate), investment adviser and CPO registration, counterparty documentation (digital and traditional prime brokerage, ISDA, repo, and vendor agreements), SEC, CFTC, NFA and FINRA matters (inquiries, exams, and compliance issues), seed deals, cybersecurity regulatory matters, full-service intellectual property counsel, manager due diligence, employment and compensation matters, and routine business matters. The firm also publishes the prominent Hedge Fund Law Blog. For more information, please add us on LinkedIn, follow us on Twitter, and visit us at colefrieman.com. NEW DELHI, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has suspended the license of a pilot in command for one year for "allowing" an unauthorized person into the cockpit during the departure of a domestic flight earlier this month, confirmed a senior official on Thursday. According to the official, the incident occurred on June 3 when an Air India flight was preparing to depart from the airport in the northern city of Chandigarh. Besides, the pilot license of the first officer was suspended for one month for not being assertive in preventing and non-reporting of the violation, the DGCA said in a statement. Mr. Drazkowski has spent nearly three decades practicing law and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Pettit Kohn. Pettit Kohn Ingrassia Lutz & Dolin, a leading trial and civil litigation firm, is pleased to welcome John E. Drazkowski to its legal team. He joins the Transportation and Retail Law practice groups as Of Counsel in the Phoenix, Arizona office and strengthens the firms capabilities in serving their clients diverse legal needs. Mr. Drazkowski has spent nearly three decades practicing law and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Pettit Kohn. His experience includes civil litigation, focusing primarily on premises liability, products liability, contractual disputes, and personal injury matters. In addition, he has significant experience representing hospitals, physicians, medical practices, and corporations in medical malpractice cases. Mr. Drazkowski provides unique business solutions and is known for his innovative approaches to resolving complex, high-exposure matters. He has also been the lead litigation and trial counsel in numerous business disputes, medical malpractice, and personal injury matters. A dedicated scholar, John earned his Juris Doctor from Tulane University School of Law, magna cum laude. He was selected for induction into The Order of the Coif, an honorary organization limited to the top 10% of each graduating class of law students. He also earned a Business Management Certificate from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in a two-year program offered to select working managers. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona. About Pettit Kohn Ingrassia Lutz & Dolin Pettit Kohn Ingrassia Lutz & Dolin PC is a leading AV-rated, full-service trial firm with expertise in litigating and resolving civil matters in both state and federal courts. The firm represents clients in the areas of Appellate, Business Litigation, Community Association Litigation, Employment & Labor, Personal Injury, Product Liability, Professional Liability, Real Estate Litigation, Restaurant & Hospitality, Retail, Transactional & Business Services, Transportation, and Trial & Civil Litigation. Clients include large and mid-sized corporations, privately held businesses, institutions, and individuals. Pettit Kohn is located in California and Arizona with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Learn more about the firm at http://www.pettitkohn.com. The Charter at Beaver Creek, Colorados acclaimed mountain resort renowned for its extensive amenities, is slated to complete the majority of its $22 million multi-year renovation this July. The Charter at Beaver Creek, Colorados acclaimed mountain resort renowned for its extensive amenities and managed by East West Hospitality, announced today that it is slated to complete the majority of its $22 million multi-year renovation this July. This first-ever, large-scale renovation touches almost every area within The Charter, including the lobby, restaurant, outdoor terrace, indoor and outdoor pools, spa and an outdoor rooftop event space. A reinvented lobby greets guests with a warm mountain casual atmosphere, supported with new floor coverings, furniture, an elegant front desk accented by earthy tones and natural mountain materials, and highlighted by original pieces of art created by local Vail Valley and Colorado up and coming artists. The new Charter Steakhouse, a Colorado Kitchen, featuring panoramic mountain views, will be an elevated mountain casual kitchen, sourcing high-quality ingredients from purveyors in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region including certified Angus beef, dry-aged pork and organic produce. The pool and terrace area have undergone complete renovations highlighted by a saltwater outdoor pool, saltwater hot tubs, and an inviting outdoor fire experience for year-round gatherings. The reconceptualized Spa at The Charter offers a tranquil setting with nature-infused treatments that utilize the healing properties of indigenous Rocky Mountain herbs from red clover to stonecrop and local organic ingredients to soothe the mind, body and spirit. The outdoor event space offers an ideal mountain ambiance for groups and weddings, with a capacity to accommodate up to 125 guests. Were thrilled to reintroduce The Charter experience this summer, says Ryan MacLachlan, VP of Operations. The Charter is a truly special place where families, friends and resort guests can come together to create new memories that will last a lifetime. Since its inception, The Charter has been one of Colorados most celebrated mountain properties, offering an unparalleled collection of amenities, and a prime location just steps from Beaver Creek Village. With 156 residences ranging from 1-5 bedrooms, The Charter offers an exceptional resort experience in the heart of Beaver Creek. For more information about The Charter at Beaver Creek or to book, please visit: https://eastwest.com/property/the-charter/ ### About East West Hospitality East West Hospitality is a leading hospitality services company that actively manages a $6 billion portfolio of properties, including hotels, resorts, private luxury residences and vacation rentals, along with restaurant, spa, fitness, retail and commercial properties, in the most desirable leisure destinations. The company also provides in-depth asset and financial management services for more than 130 homeowner associations at high-end residential communities. With more than 35 years of experience managing hotels, resorts and private residences, East West Hospitalitys vacation rental, resort operations, vacation homecare and asset management services are unparalleled. The company supports over 7300 vacation rental residences with boots-on-the-ground teams in every location, enhanced by a 24/7 call center providing personal assistance and destination expertise to guests. Decades of experience managing hotels, resorts, vacation rentals and iconic private residences have earned East West Hospitality its reputation among guests and property owners as one of the most trusted names in the hospitality industry. East West Hospitality was named the Vail Valleys Business of the Year in 2018 by the Vail Valley Partnership, Colorados Best Property Management Company by ColoradoBIZ Magazine and honored as one of the Top 50 Best Places to Work in 2019 by Outside Magazine. For more information about East West Hospitality, please visit http://www.eastwest.comeastwest.com or call 970-763-7126. Media Contact: Murphy OBrien, Inc. Dorie Pagnano | Sammi Belluccia EastWest@murphyobrien.com 310-453-2539 We are excited to collaborate with Skylo and implement this disruptive new connectivity capability of satellite NTN service with the Qualcomm Aware Platform," said Jeff Torrance, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Connected Smart Systems, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Skylo Technologies, a direct-to-device Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) operator, focused on connecting anything, anywhere, announced its collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a global leader in advanced wireless technologies. The collaboration aims to use Skylo's satellite connectivity solution with the Qualcomm Aware Platform, utilizing the new satellite-capable Qualcomm 212S Modem and Qualcomm 9205S Modem, offering enhanced connectivity options for a wide range of industries. Skylo Technologies specializes in delivering NTN services that enable cellular modems, smartphone messaging, wearables, and devices to connect directly over existing satellite networks. By connecting with Skylo's commercial NTN RAN (Radio Access Network), which includes a 3GPP Release 17 standards-based base station and core, the Qualcomm Aware Platform will allow businesses to access reliable and extensive connectivity that easily roams between terrestrial and satellite networks. This integration will enable organizations across various sectors, including agriculture, maritime, logistics, mining, and more, to realize the benefits of enhanced connectivity for their critical operations. "We are excited to collaborate with Skylo and implement this disruptive new connectivity capability of satellite NTN service with the Qualcomm Aware Platform," said Jeff Torrance, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Connected Smart Systems, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "By combining the strengths of both companies, we can provide businesses with a superior and scalable solution that utilizes satellite connectivity to enable extended IoT deployments. This integration expands our connectivity options and empowers enterprises across industries to drive digital transformation and unlock the full potential of the IoT." With the addition of Skylo's satellite NTN service to the Qualcomm Aware Platform, Qualcomm Technologies is further expanding its portfolio of innovative solutions to address the evolving needs of the IoT ecosystem. This collaboration will allow Qualcomm Technologies to provide a robust connectivity solution that combines industry-leading silicon and software services with advanced satellite connectivity, resulting in a transformational capability for enterprises with improved operational efficiency, enhanced asset management, and optimized decision-making for enterprises. The relationship also allows Qualcomm Technologies to utilize Skylos forward-looking technology, which is grounded in 3GPP specifications and incorporates technical specifications beyond 3GPP to improve the functionality, interoperability, and reach of the satellite-based network. Skylo Technologies is thrilled to partner with Qualcomm Technologies and contribute to the evolution of the Qualcomm Aware Platform. By connecting with its satellite NTN service, Skylo will help extend the reach of Qualcomm Technologies solutions to previously unconnected areas, allowing for new developer-led solutions for the industry that were previously unimaginable, said Parthsarathi Trivedi, CEO and Co-Founder of Skylo. The integration of Skylo's NTN service into the Qualcomm Aware Platform aligns with Qualcomm Technologies commitment to driving digital transformation and offering developers and enterprises the tools they need to accelerate their IoT initiatives. By combining the advantages of satellite connectivity with the Qualcomm Aware Platform's robust features, businesses can overcome the limitations of traditional connectivity solutions and unlock new possibilities for their IoT deployments. For more information about Skylo Technologies, please visit http://www.skylo.tech or contact press@skylo.tech. About Skylo Technologies Skylo Technologies is an NTN service provider based in Mountain View, CA, offering a service that allows cellular modems and devices to connect directly over existing satellites. Devices connected over satellite are managed and served by Skylos commercial NTN vRAN, featuring a 3GPP standards-based cloud-native base station and core. Skylo works with existing satellite operators, terrestrial mobile network operators, and device makers to provide subscribers an anywhere, anytime connectivity solution that seamlessly roams between terrestrial and satellite networks. Skylos focus is on enabling connected services for people outdoors and connected workflows for machines at work across critical industries such as agriculture, maritime, logistics, mining, and others, in addition to mass-market consumer devices. For more information, visit http://www.skylo.tech, contact info@skylo.tech, or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Qualcomm Qualcomm is enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. Our one technology roadmap allows us to efficiently scale the technologies that launched the mobile revolution including advanced connectivity, high-performance, low-power compute, on-device intelligence and more to the next generation of connected smart devices across industries. Innovations from Qualcomm and our family of Snapdragon platforms will help enable cloud-edge convergence, transform industries, accelerate the digital economy, and revolutionize how we experience the world, for the greater good. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business. Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patented technologies are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated. Qualcomm is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patented technologies are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated. Dawanna Witt Breaking toxic cycles of poverty, homelessness and addiction, is a critical part of my vision for a better world. Having witnessed the extraordinary impact Perspectives programs have had on the lives of women and children, I am proud to be honored with the Champion of Women award. Sheriff Witt, whose beloved late brother George Bickman served as Perspectives Youth Advocate Leader for over 22 years, is a frequent visitor to the family center campus. Her compassion and humility have endeared her to residents and staff as a symbol of hope, strength, and transformation. Born in Chicago and raised in Minneapolis, Sheriff Witt became a mother at 15, but nevertheless excelled at school. She earned several college scholarships, including the Justice Alan Page Scholarship. As a condition of that scholarship, she volunteered in various roles, in several community organizations, and quickly recognized that her actions could make a positive difference in the lives of young people. Breaking toxic cycles of poverty, homelessness and addiction, is a critical part of my vision for a better world, states Sheriff Witt. Having witnessed the extraordinary impact Perspectives programs have had on the lives of women and children, I am proud to be honored with the Champion of Women award. Dawanna and her remarkable brother George Bickham shared a passion for living a life of service, remarked Perspectives CEO, Jeannie Seeley-Smith. Addiction destroyed many of their family members lives. She loved our work because she saw firsthand the positive changes that our programs made in the lives of our women and children. A favorite visitor on the campus, she dazzles everyone with her warmth, humility and charm. Perspectives systematically addresses the growing need for early intervention programming for children while providing comprehensive services for mothers. Perspectives childrens services include a year-round academic and social enrichment program. The Cargill Kids Cafe provides lunch and dinner to children living at the Perspectives housing campus five days a week during the school year. A summer program serves breakfast and lunch. About Perspectives: Perspectives is a national model, providing comprehensive mental health services for women and children emerging from homelessness and addiction. Perspectives proven track record demonstrates the disruption of cycles of dysfunctional lifestyles through a holistic approach that includes trauma-informed care, therapeutic services, supportive housing, and comprehensive childrens programming. For more information, please contact Annemarie Osborne at 949.237.2906 or annemarieosborne7@gmail.com or Jacqueline Michaud at 952.405.2529, jmichaud@perspectives-family.org or visit https://www.perspectives-family.org/. About Sheriff Witt: Dawanna S. Witt was sworn in as Hennepin County Sheriff on January 3, 2023. She is the first woman and person of color to hold the office. Sheriff Witts law enforcement career began in 2000, when she was hired as a detention deputy in the Hennepin County Jail. In 2004, after returning to school to become a licensed peace officer, Sheriff Witt was hired by the Dakota County Sheriff's Office. During her career at Dakota County, she worked in a variety of roles, ultimately, becoming the first woman in the agencys history to reach the rank of captain. Sheriff Witt returned to the Hennepin County Sheriffs Office in September 2019 to take charge of the agencys largest bureau, Adult Detention and Court Services. In 2022, Hennepin County voters overwhelming selected her to be the next Hennepin County Sheriff. She campaigned on her years of experience and a platform of safer communities, improved law enforcement recruitment and retention, reform, collaboration, and transparency. Sheriff Witt holds undergraduate degrees in chemical dependency and family therapy, and police science. She also holds dual master's degrees in public safety administration, and management. Sheriff Witt is married with two adult daughters and two grandchildren. She also works as an adjunct professor at Inver Hills Community College, teaching Juvenile Justice and American Corrections. Sheriff Witt is proud to be serving as sheriff of Hennepin County. She is committed to developing healthier relationships between the community and law enforcement while providing proactive public safety. For more information, please contact Kelsey Demmert, Public Information Officer, Hennepin County Sheriffs Office, 612-348-2368 or by email: kelsey.demmert@hennepin.us. Jeremy is one of the most influential individuals in international travel... he brings a level of understanding of the trends and opportunities within this fast-growing segment and can share his unique perspective on MENAs explosive growth in this sector. The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the leading conference for the $4.4 trillion business of wellness, is thrilled to announce Jeremy Jauncey, founder and CEO of Beautiful Destinations, as a keynote speaker for its 17th-annual event taking place in Doha, Qatar from November 6-9. Jauncey, a British-born serial entrepreneur, travel writer and social media influencer with millions of followers on Instagram, is a prominent figure in the travel industry. The Financial Times has called him the worlds most influential traveler and Fast Company magazine voted Beautiful Destinations one of the most innovative companies in the world, with over 50 million followers on social media. Jauncey also appeared on the cover Conde Nast Middle East as part of the cover feature: 19 People Changing How We Travel. Jeremy is not only one of the most influential individuals in international travel, but hes also a leading advocate for sustainable travel and, specifically, wellness tourism, said Cathy Feliciano-Chon, one of the GWS 2023 co-chairs and founder & managing director of CatchOn, a Finn Partners company. He brings a level of understanding of the trends and opportunities within this fast-growing segment and can share his unique perspective on MENAs explosive growth in this sector. Jauncey is a frequent speaker at high-profile events, including the World Travel Market, the World Travel & Tourism Councils Global Summit and Skift Global Forum. In addition, Jauncey is a passionate advocate for sustainability and conservation, and is an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund. He has been asked to speak at several United Nations events, including the UN World Tourism Organization and the UN Climate Summit. Qatar is one of the fastest-growing hospitality markets in the world and is aiming to become one of the worlds leading tourism destinations, attracting 6 million visitors by 2030, said Nancy Davis, chief creative officer & executive director. Qatars wellness tourism ambitions make an incredible case study for Summit delegates and Jeremy is uniquely positioned to discuss the opportunities for wellness tourism in the MENA region. Globally, Wellness Tourism, which was valued at $720 billion in 2019 and had a pandemic contraction to $436 billion in 2020, is expected to grow at a rate of 21% annually, a number that is likely to be even higher for the MENA region. Qatar is one of the smallest but mightiest Middle Eastern countries, where cultural authenticity meets hyper-modernity, and is at a transformative time in its history. With its long-term focus on sustainable development and tourism, Qatar has undergone a profound recent reimagining, including major infrastructure, hospitality and cultural projects. Its unique landscape includes a 350-mile-long coastline of beaches and the vast Khor Al Udeid Desert. Downtown Doha is known for its spectacular ultramodern architecture inspired by ancient Islamic design. The Summits 2023 host sponsor is Doha-based Msheireb Properties and is considered Qatar's leading sustainable property developer. The event itself will take place at Msheireb Downtown Doha, one of the smartest, most sustainable city districts in the world. Summit delegates can also opt for a pre- or post-Summit visit to Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, a Msheireb Property development on the northern coast of Qatar that blends Traditional Arabic & Islamic Medicine with holistic health and well-being philosophy. Registration for the 2023 Summit is now open. Apply here. About the Global Wellness Summit: The Global Wellness Summit is an organization that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $4.4 trillion global wellness economy. In addition to an annual conference, held at a different location around the globe, GWS also hosts regular virtual gatherings, including Wellness Master Classes and collaborative Wellness Sector Spotlights, and, each year, it holds an in-person Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium. The organizations annual Global Wellness Trends Report offers expert-based predictions on the future of wellness that are oft-quoted in the media. The 17th annual GWS will be held in Qatar from November 6-9, 2023. The seven pound Helos(tm) parking luminaire from Kenall can be installed easily and provides superior illuminance. ...we are bringing something completely new to the table a fixture so light, installation can be done by an individual, rather than a crew. With demand for labor and shipping expenses at an all-time-high, these are benefits we believe everyone will appreciate. Kenalls Helos parking luminaire series is designed to make your lighting, and its installation into your parking structure, easier. This new edge-lit design features a flat illuminance plane that provides superior, glare-free lighting performance, regardless of mounting type. At just 7 pounds, Helos weighs less than half of its closest competitor, making it economical to ship and easier to install. Despite its lighter construction, it is still loaded with the features specifiers expect from a high-efficacy, durable fixture, including an IP65 rating (IP66 optional), occupancy sensing, daylight harvesting, multiple optical distributions, 3G vibration compliance, and Kenalls exclusive Peace of Mind Guarantee (direct surface mount only). Helos can go straight from box to ceiling: Kenalls new, wireless, zonal TekLink TL200 controls require no commissioning and eliminate the hazardous cascade effect of luminares that are individually controlled. System adjustments can be managed easily via an intuitive mobile app. And each installation has its own unique security key to prevent accidental interference or intentional tampering. Kenall specializes in glare-free, efficient parking structure lighting and provides an unbeatable Peace of Mind Guarantee. Now we are bringing something completely new to the table a fixture so light, installation can be done by an individual, rather than a crew. With demand for labor and shipping expenses at an all-time-high, these are benefits we believe everyone will appreciate, said Bill Blackley, Senior Director of Marketing for Kenall. About Kenall Kenall Manufacturing, an independent sector of Legrand, was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1963 and has built a reputation for durable lighting solutions of superior quality and exceptional value. Today, the company creates unique solutions for the transportation, healthcare, cleanroom/containment, food processing, high abuse, and correctional lighting markets. Kenall luminaires are designed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and comply with the Buy American Act (manufactured in the United States with more than 50% of the component cost of US origin). For additional information, visit http://www.kenall.com. Lerner & Rowe Hosts FREE Backpack Giveaway at IV Fairgrounds Our team is grateful for this firsttime opportunity to host a free backpack and school supply giveaway as a means to help El Centro area families prepare for a new school year. Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is pleased to announce that it will host a FREE backpack giveaway to benefit disadvantaged school-aged children living in El Centro, California. Local families are invited to drive through this contactless backpack giveaway on Thursday, July 20, 2023 located at the Imperial Valley Fairgrounds (200 East 2nd Street Imperial, CA 92251). As quantities are limited, the 500 backpacks will be handed out at 3:00 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. K-12 students must be present in vehicles to receive a backpack. Families are also asked to be mindful of pedestrians and other vehicles when entering and exiting the parking lot. At Lerner and Rowe, our team is immensely grateful for this firsttime opportunity to host a free backpack and school supply giveaway as a means to extend a helping hand to local El Centro area families with school-age children. As the average cost of living remains high, we recognize the challenges faced by these families in providing their children with the necessary tools for success, shared attorney Kevin Rowe. For more information about the Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorney FREE drive-thru backpack giveaway in El Centro, please contact Cindy Ernst or Christa Luirette at 844-977-1900. More About Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is a powerhouse law firm in representing personal injury clients. Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe have grown their law firm into one of the largest personal injury firms in the country, with over 50 attorneys and nearly 400 support employees located in California, Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Alabama, and Tennessee. The law firms reputation for excellence can be attributed to the high levels of respect, dignity, and customer service shown to victims and family members hurt in an accident. For those injured outside one of the previously listed states, Lerner and Rowe has an established network of attorneys across the country, ready to help. The firm takes pride in nourishing these relationships as they know a personal injury attorney can make all the difference in obtaining fair compensation for the pain and suffering inflicted upon the victims of tortious conduct. For more information about Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys, please call 844-977-1900. To connect with the law firm socially, follow Lerner and Rowe on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, or become a fan of its Facebook page. Also, visit LernerAndRoweGivesBack.com to learn more about the many other community services that the lawyers and legal support team of Lerner and Rowe actively support. ### Lerner & Rowe Hosts Free 2023 Backpack Giveaway in Yuma, AZ We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to host a free backpack and school supply giveaway in Yuma that supports local families with school-age students. Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is pleased to announce that it is once again hosting a FREE backpack giveaway to benefit disadvantaged school-aged children in Yuma. Local families are invited to drive through this contactless backpack giveaway on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 located at Yuma County Fairgrounds (2520 E 32nd St, Yuma, AZ 85365). As quantities are limited, the 500 backpacks will be handed out at 3:00 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. K-12 students must be present in vehicles to receive a backpack. Families are also asked to be mindful of pedestrians and other vehicles when entering and exiting the parking lot. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to host a free backpack and school supply giveaway in Yuma that supports local families with school-age students. As daily expenses continue to rise, we recognize the challenges many families face in providing their children with essential school supplies. It is with heartfelt appreciation that we extend our gratitude to the community for their unwavering support, which allows us to make a meaningful difference in the lives of these deserving families. We believe that every child deserves access to quality education, and through this giveaway, we hope to alleviate the financial burden and inspire a love for learning in each student, shared attorney Kevin Rowe. For more information about Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorney FREE drive-thru backpack giveaway in Yuma, please contact Cindy Ernst or Christa Luirette at 928-222-2222. More About Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is a powerhouse law firm in representing personal injury clients. Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe have grown their law firm into one of the largest personal injury firms in the country, with over 50 attorneys and nearly 400 support employees located in Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Nevada, California, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Alabama, and Tennessee. The law firms reputation for excellence can be attributed to the high levels of respect, dignity, and customer service shown to victims and family members hurt in an accident. For those injured outside one of the previously listed states, Lerner and Rowe has an established network of attorneys across the country, ready to help. The firm takes pride in nourishing these relationships as they know a personal injury attorney can make all the difference in obtaining fair compensation for the pain and suffering inflicted upon the victims of tortious conduct. For more information about Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys in Yuma, please call 928-222-2222. To connect with the law firm socially, follow Lerner and Rowe on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, or become a fan of its Facebook page. Also, visit lernerandrowegivesback.com to learn more about the many other community services that the lawyers and legal support team of Lerner and Rowe actively support. Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys Hosts Free 2023 Tucson Backpack Giveaway We're thrilled to once again host a free backpack and school supply giveaway in Tucson to help equip local youth with essential tools for success. Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is pleased to announce that the firm is once again hosting a FREE backpack giveaway to benefit disadvantaged school-aged children living in Tucson. Local families are invited to drive through this contactless backpack giveaway on Friday, July 28, 2023. As quantities are limited, the 750 backpacks will be handed out at 3:00 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. K-12 students must be present in vehicles to receive a backpack. Families are also asked to be mindful of pedestrians and other vehicles when entering and exiting the parking lot. "We're thrilled to once again host a free backpack and school supply giveaway in Tucson to help equip local youth with essential tools for success. Our team looks forward to hosting this annual event as a means to encourage enthusiasm for learning and bring a bit of financial relief and joy to local families," shared attorney Kevin Rowe. For more information about Lerner and Rowes FREE drive-thru Tucson backpack giveaway, please contact Cindy Ernst or Christa Luirette at (520) 977-1900. More About Lerner & Rowe Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is a powerhouse law firm in representing personal injury clients. Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe have grown their law firm into one of the largest personal injury firms in the country, with over 50 attorneys and nearly 400 support employees located in Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Nevada, California, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, Alabama, and Tennessee. The law firms reputation for excellence can be attributed to the high levels of respect, dignity, and customer service shown to victims and family members hurt in an accident. For those injured outside one of the previously listed states, Lerner and Rowe has an established network of attorneys across the country, ready to help. The firm takes pride in nourishing these relationships as they know a personal injury attorney can make all the difference in obtaining fair compensation for the pain and suffering inflicted upon the victims of tortious conduct. For more information about Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys in Tucson, please call 520-977-1900. To connect with the law firm socially, follow Lerner and Rowe on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, or become a fan of its Facebook page. Also, visit LernerAndRoweGivesBack.com to learn more about the many other community services that the lawyers and legal support team of Lerner and Rowe actively support. Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys Hosts FREE Backpack Giveaway in Phoenix Through the Phoenix backpack giveaway, our team aims to help alleviate one of the financial obstacles families with school-age students face. Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is pleased to announce that it is once again hosting a FREE backpack giveaway to benefit disadvantaged school-aged children across the Phoenix Valley. Local families are invited to drive through this contactless backpack giveaway on Saturday, July 29, 2023 located at the Metro Auto Auction parking lot (2475 S 59th Ave, Phoenix 85043). As quantities are limited, the 750 backpacks will be handed out at 12:00 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. K-12 students must be present in vehicles to receive a backpack. Families are also asked to be mindful of pedestrians and other vehicles when entering and exiting the parking lot. Attorney Kevin Rowe shares more about the law firms annual backpack giveaway in Phoenix, In the face of rising expenses for everyday necessities, the financial burden local families have in preparing for a new school year grows. That's why our team eagerly looks forward to distributing hundreds of backpacks each year that are filled with essential school supplies to local youth. By doing so, we aim to help alleviate one of the obstacles families with school-age students face and to empower youth with tools that will help them reach educational goals throughout the new school year. For more information about the Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorney FREE drive-thru backpack giveaway in Phoenix, please contact Cindy Ernst or Christa Luirette at (602) 977-1900. More About Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is a powerhouse law firm in representing personal injury clients. Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe have grown their law firm into one of the largest personal injury firms in the country, with over 400 legal professionals around the country ready to help you 24/7 anywhere in the US. The law firms continuous exalted levels of success can be attributed to the high levels of respect and dignity shown to victims and family members hurt in an accident. For those injured outside of Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Nevada, California, New Mexico, and Tennessee, Lerner and Rowe has an established network of attorneys across the country, ready to help. The firm takes pride in nourishing these relationships as they know a personal injury attorney can make all the difference in obtaining fair compensation for the pain and suffering inflicted upon the victims of tortious conduct. For more information about Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys, please call 602-977-1900. To connect with the law firm socially, follow Lerner and Rowe on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram, or like their Facebook page. Also, be sure to visit LernerAndRoweGivesBack.com to learn more about how Lerner and Rowe earned the reputation for being more than just a law firm through the many community services its lawyers and legal support team actively support. Dragon boats, kites and tea are just a few of the many Chinese cultural elements linking China and Europe. BRUSSELS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Dragon boat races, Chinese kites exhibition and performances of China's traditional tea processing techniques have been on stage in several European countries in early summer. From London to Berlin, from Fanoe in Denmark to Zagreb in Croatia, local people greeted these activities with acclamation. They either joined in as performers and contestants or watched enthusiastically. Through these activities, Europeans get to taste the traditional Chinese culture. Are you familiar with these Chinese cultural elements? If you can take part in, which one do you prefer? Contestants compete (left) and celebrate (right) during the 2023 UK Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in Salford, Britain, June 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying) As the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 22 this year, a number of European countries hosted their own dragon boat races during the past week in celebration of the festival. "The camaraderie of Dragon Boat Racing really is second to none," Neil Pickles, chair of the British Dragon Boat Racing Association, the national governing body of dragon boat racing, told Xinhua on Sunday. Contestants compete in dragon boat races in Copenhagen, Denmark on June 18, 2023. Contestants compete in dragon boat races at the Inner Harbour of Duisburg, Germany, June 10, 2023. (by Committee of Copenhagen dragon boat festival/Handout via Xinhua, Xinhua/Ren Pengfei) "It's an event for everyone. Very vibrant, and full of color. It's just lovely to be here, sharing with everyone," local shop worker Jesper told Xinhua on Sunday by the South Harbor of Copenhagen, where the 6th edition of the Dragon Boat Festival in Denmark was held. A few days ago, also in Denmark, over 20,000 colorful kites bobbed against the sky over Fanoe, a small island off Denmark's west coast, turning the island's beach into a paradise for over 5,000 kite fliers. People visit a workshop showcasing traditional Chinese kites during an international kite festival in Fanoe, Denmark, on June 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Lin Jing) Chinese traditional kites became the most attractive highlights during that China to Fanoe Culture Week. "Few people have the chance to go to China. Now we get 25 Chinese kite masters coming here, so more people can watch them closely and see the exquisite bamboo work," Andreas Aagren, a seasoned kite enthusiast from Sweden, told Xinhua. People fly kites during an international kite festival in Fanoe, Denmark, on June 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Lin Jing) While the dragon boat race and kites flew high, aroma and culture from activities of Chinese tea held in several European countries also attracted many locals. Since 2000 years ago, Chinese tea has been traded all over the world via the ancient Silk Road. Nowadays, many tea lovers in Europe can tell several of the six main categories of Chinese tea: green, yellow, dark, white, oolong and black teas. A representative of Anxi Tieguanyin Tea Culture System in China's Fujian Province performs tea art at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy, May 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni) While attending an event focusing on tea making and its culture at the Chinese Cultural Center in Sofia, Momchil Stanishev, director of the Association for the Promotion of Agricultural Cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European Countries, described tea as "a spiritual mediator between cultures." "Tea is a bridge between people," said Michalis Maniatis, a Greek artist who has traveled between Greece and China many times. He told Xinhua that he had stored various kinds of tea at home that he enjoyed with his Chinese friends. A visitor prepares to taste tea during an opening ceremony of Yaji Cultural Salon "Tea for Harmony" at China Cultural Center in Brussels, Belgium, on May 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong) Dragon boats, kites and tea are just a few of the many Chinese cultural elements linking China and Europe. When people in different continents share their common love for the team spirit in rowing a dragon boat, the joy of flying a colorful kite, and the elegance of making a cup of fragrant tea, they are able to understand each other better and may have bigger chance to jointly build a better world. When we set out to enhance our security infrastructure with new, state-of-the-art detection technology for screening our people, we knew early on in the process that Metrasens would be the perfect partnerScott NewmanCEO and Founder, Transparent BPO Metrasens, a leading provider of advanced detection systems for security and safety applications, is proud to announce its partnership with Transparent BPO, a business process outsourcing and contact center organization. This collaboration further enhances Transparent BPOs already impressive security infrastructure to protect client data. Transparent BPO, known for operating contact centers for high-profile clients across various industries such as energy, retail, and medical equipment, has implemented Metrasens Ultra detection systems to enhance their security posture. These cutting-edge detection systems have replaced the previous use of handheld metal detectors and now serve as a more efficient layer of security, specifically screening employees for prohibited data recording devices. Scott Newman, Founder and CEO of Transparent BPO, emphasized their commitment to providing exceptional outsourced services to clients while prioritizing the management and protection of data. When we set out to enhance our security infrastructure with new, state-of-the-art detection technology for screening our people, we knew early on in the process that Metrasens would be the perfect partner, said Newman. He praised the precision of Metrasens Ultra in detecting prohibited items and its compact design that fits into tighter spaces. Newman also commended the Metrasens team for their excellent support and training throughout the implementation process. Chris Arbeitman, Vice President of Business Development at Metrasens, praised Transparent BPO for their dedication to prioritizing client security alongside service excellence. From the beginning, it was evident that Scott [Newman] had a vision to make client data security a competitive advantage for Transparent BPO. It has been a pleasure to embark on this journey with them and witness the successful implementation of Metrasens Ultra as an integral part of their access control strategy. Both management and staff at Transparent BPO have reported positive feedback following the initial roll-out of Metrasens Ultra. They have observed a smoother and more efficient process for staff entering and exiting client work environments, further affirming the effectiveness of the solution. Overall, the partnership between Metrasens and Transparent BPO has enabled the implementation of advanced detection technology to reinforce security protocols and protect sensitive client information, while ensuring a seamless and efficient experience for employees. About Metrasens Metrasens is the worlds leading provider of advanced magnetic detection technologies. With a technology center and manufacturing facility in the United Kingdom, a North American sales and customer service hub in Chicago and a global network of distributors, the companys innovative products are designed to address deficiencies in conventional screening methods and make the world safer and more secure. Metrasens mission is to take cutting-edge science from the laboratory and use it to create revolutionary, award-winning products that meet the distinct and diverse security needs of its customers. Metrasens core technologies have a wide range of real-world applications, embodied by solutions that are easy to adopt and simple to use. For more information, visit http://www.metrasens.com. For more information, please visit www.meyer-depew.com or contact:Bobby RingMeyer & Depew CompanyT: 908-418-9208E: rcring@meyer-depew.com Meyer & Depew Company, a community-based HVAC company serving Central and Northern New Jersey since 1953, has presented the Sharing Network Foundation with a check for $29,400. The Foundation supports the work of the NJ Sharing Network, a nonprofit committed to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. The check was presented at the NJ Sharing Network headquarters in New Providence, NJ. Meyer & Depew is based in Kenilworth, NJ. One year ago, Meyer & Depew pledged to donate a portion of the proceeds from every new residential heating and cooling system installation to the Sharing Network Foundation through the HVAC companys Installation Donation program. The contribution of $29,400 is the culmination of that pledge. Meyer & Depew has made the same commitment for 2023. Organ donation is very personal for me, said Bobby Ring, President of Meyer & Depew Company. I donated one of my kidneys to my sister, Kathleen, in 1984. That decision helped extend Kathleens life. Meyer & Depew is proud to support the Sharing Network Foundations efforts to advance research and educate the public about organ and tissue donation. More than 4,000 New Jersey residents are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant or tissue donation. Unfortunately, 17 people die each day waiting for a transplant. The good news is that a single organ and tissue donor can save eight lives and enhance the lives of more than 75 others. Staffed by a team of more than 200, the NJ Sharing Network works around the clock to register organ and tissue donors, match donors with those in need, provide educational programs and resources, support donor families, and honor the legacy of those who have given the gift of life. Each day, our team is driven by a shared mission to make families feel more comfortable and secure at home, Bobby said. Knowing that our work also benefits the Sharing Network Foundation and can potentially save lives is extremely gratifying and rewarding. We encourage individuals, organizations, and communities across New Jersey to support this wonderful organization. If you do not need a new heating and cooling system installed, Meyer & Depew Company encourages you to help in other ways. Register as an organ and tissue donor. https://www.njsharingnetwork.org/register Make a personal contribution. https://www.sharingnetworkfoundation.org/contribute Become a volunteer. https://www.njsharingnetwork.org/volunteer Support or join the Foundations 5K Celebration of Life. https://www.sharingnetworkfoundation.org/5k Support upcoming NJ Sharing Network events and fundraisers. https://www.njsharingnetwork.org/events About Meyer & Depew Co. Meyer & Depew, located in Kenilworth, NJ, provides outstanding heating and cooling solutions to clients in Central and Northern New Jersey. Its team of highly trained technicians install and maintain heating and cooling systems with the highest levels of professionalism and customer satisfaction. Navy SEAL Foundation Patriot Award presented to Guggenheim Partners and accepted by Alan D. Schwartz The work of the foundation is vital, and we need to continue to find different ways to thank and support the courageous and self-sacrificing men and women of our military for all that they do for us. -Alan D. Schwartz On June 1st, nearly 500 executives, philanthropists, patriots and heroes gathered at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel for the Navy SEAL Foundations 2023 Los Angeles Evening of Tribute. The unforgettable event was created to recognize the courage, commitment and sacrifices of the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community while raising funds to support the Navy SEAL Foundation (NSF), Americas premier nonprofit organization supporting them. Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. and TRX presented this years event, which raised $2 million for critical programming to support U.S. Navy SEALs, their families, and the families of the fallen. After a lively welcome reception, the doors to the Beverly Wilshire Ballroom opened, and guests were seated. The program began with the presentation of the Colors by the West Los Angeles Scout Troop 50, followed by a beautiful performance of our national anthem by saxophonist Mike Phillips. Jack Daly, Navy SEAL Foundation board member and owner and CEO of TRX, greeted guests and welcomed Robin King, CEO of the Foundation, to the stage for opening remarks. Retired SEAL and Medal of Honor Recipient Command Master Cheif Britt Slabinski presented the 2023 NSF Patriot Award to Guggenheim Partners for their unwavering support of our nations veterans through their Guggenheim Invests in Veterans Everyday (GIVE) strategy and their Veterans Transition Assistance Program. Executive Chairman Alan Schwartz accepted the award on behalf of Guggenheim and shared remarks. Guggenheim Partners is proud of its commitment to supporting veterans and service members of the U.S. Armed Forces, which makes this recognition by the Navy SEAL Foundation an honor for the firm and myself, Schwartz said. The work of the foundation is vital, and we need to continue to find different ways to thank and support the courageous and self-sacrificing men and women of our military for all that they do for us. Chris Irwin, retired SEAL and NSFs Communications Director, delivered an inspiring tribute to the members of NSW who are no longer with us. After dinner, guests heard powerful testimony from Gold Star and Surviving Family member Barrett Bourgeois, son of CAPT Brian Bourgeois, who died while training in December 2021. The evenings keynote address was delivered by Echelon Front CEO, New York Times best-selling author, and retired SEAL Jocko Willink. His remarks were the capstone to an incredible gathering. If you would like to support this event, please visit https://bit.ly/43t905f, and to learn more about the Navy SEAL Foundations programs, please visit http://www.navysealfoundation.org. About the Navy SEAL Foundation: The Navy SEAL Foundation (NSF) provides critical support for the warriors, veterans, and families of Naval Special Warfare (NSW) through a comprehensive set of over thirty programs under five Pillars of Support: Strength, Resilience, Health, Education, and Community. NSF is a high-performing organization committed to excellence. Charity Navigator has awarded it a 4-star rating since 2009 and a perfect score of 100 since 2014 for financial health, accountability, and transparency. The Foundation ranks above 99.9% of over 195,000 charities nationwide, with ninety-three cents of every dollar donated directly funding its programs or being retained for future mission use. NSF is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit charitable organization with TAX ID 31-1728910. It is not a part of the Department of Defense or its components and has no official affiliation with any federal entities. To learn more, visit http://www.navysealfoundation.org. By raising awareness and enforcing the message that alcohol and drug impairment is no longer acceptable on the water, we can work towards a safer and more enjoyable boating experience for all. As the summer boating season ramps up, law enforcement agencies across the country are intensifying their efforts to combat impaired boating as part of Operation Dry Water. The year-round campaign raises awareness about the dangers of boating under the influence (BUI) and reminds boaters that impaired boating by both the operator and passengers is dangerous and can cause serious injury and fatalities. Officers will be on amplified alert to enforce boating under the influence laws as part of the Operation Dry Water (ODW) heightened awareness and enforcement weekend, July 1 3, 2023. To kick off the Operation Dry Water weekend, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), in partnership with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and the U.S. Coast Guard, will host the national launch event in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, June 29, 2023. The press event will begin at 10:30 AM (ET) at Point State Park. "Operation Dry Water serves as a crucial reminder that safe boating requires clear judgment and responsible decision-making. We encourage all boaters to be vigilant, prioritize their safety, and stay sober while enjoying their time on the water, says NASBLA Chair Susan Stocker. This press event serves as an opportunity to highlight the risks associated with boating under the influence for both operators and passengers. By raising awareness and enforcing the message that alcohol and drug impairment is no longer acceptable on the water, we can work towards a safer and more enjoyable boating experience for all." Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in recreational boater fatalities, and a leading factor in recreational boating incidents.* Over the course of the Operation Dry Water weekend, law enforcement officers will intensify their patrols on waterways, increasing their presence and engaging with boaters to provide education about the risks associated with boating while impaired. By combining outreach, awareness, and enforcement efforts, Operation Dry Water aims to minimize alcohol- and drug-related incidents and create a safer boating environment for everyone. Since the launch of the Operation Dry Water campaign, 6,152 impaired operators have been removed from our nations waterways, preventing dangerous and potentially tragic consequences. Officers have also contacted over 2.5 million boaters during the annual three-day weekend as part of the outreach campaign. In 2022, 630 agencies from every state and territory participated in Operation Dry Water. For more information about Operation Dry Water visit http://www.operationdrywater.org. ### Operation Dry Water (ODW) is produced under a grant from the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard and is a product of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA). *2022 U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics. We knew we could solve that need by offering some of the best and brightest on the Georgia Tech campus an opportunity to work directly with us. Risk3sixty, an Atlanta-based cyber security technology and consulting firm, announced its partnership with the Steven A. Denning Technology & Management (T&M) Program at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Through T&M, risk3sixty provides students access to mentorship, experiential learning, and job opportunities for multidisciplinary majors to include computer engineering, computer science, and business majors. This business and academic partnership is the latest community programrisk3sixty has sponsored as part of its Corporate Responsibility Initiative (CRI). "One of the toughest challenges for technology and business graduates is obtaining real-world job experience while still in school, said Christian Hyatt, CEO and Co-founder, risk3sixty. We knew we could solve that need by offering some of the best and brightest on the Georgia Tech campus an opportunity to work directly with us. Not only do the students secure that much-needed experience, but their capstone projects help us advance some of our key business-critical priorities. "The Denning Technology & Management Program is a two-year integrated course of study for students interested in computer science, engineering, and business, said John Stanford, senior corporate relations manager, Denning T&M Program. During the second year of study, we create multidisciplinary student teams to work with corporate partners, such as risk3sixty, on a project. At the end of the term, each team presents its recommended solution to company executives. Admissions to the T&M Program is highly competitive and limited to 70 students per class. This years risk3sixty capstone team included a computer engineering major, two computer science majors, and a business major. The multidisciplinary nature of Denning teams encourages students to collaborate and use their unique strengths, perspectives and skills to solve real-world problems. Risk3sixty has maintained an active CRI since the companys inception. Along with Georgia Techs Denning T&M Program, the company collaborates with students and faculty from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business and Kennesaw State University. Last year, two organizations cited risk3sixty as a Best Place to Work. In addition, risk3sixty continued its long-held tradition of aggressively hiring retired military and supported a Six Days of Service initiative for all employees. About risk3sixty Risk3sixty, an Atlanta-based cyber security technology and consulting firm, works with high-growth technology firms to help leadership build, manage, and certify security, privacy, and compliance programs that underpin public and stakeholder trust while enabling business goals. These efforts are propelled by the companys cybersecurity playbook and expert leadership paired with the powerful security, privacy, and compliance platform Phalanx GRC. The firm has a proven track record of helping accomplish these missions for unicorns, high-value clients that have a valuation of $1 Billion. To learn more, visit https://risk3sixty.com. To learn more about the Phalanx GRC platform, visit https://phalanxgrc.com. I couldn't find a book that helped me deal with the problems that my husband faced in his last years. It is my hope that by sharing my story it will help other caregivers recognize the steps of decline. Author Doris Anne Holman shares her experience as caregiver and companion leading up to the death of her husband in Heavenly Music, Light and Fragrance: One Man's Journey to Heaven($16.99, paperback, 9781662877643; $9.99, e-book, 9781662877650). Doris Anne cared for her third husband, Berne, for as long as she was able, but the day came when he needed care she was unable to provide, at which time he entered the Hospice/Vet Home. For a time she was allowed to visit, but the COVID -19 pandemic eventually limited even that to porch visits. "I couldn't find a book that helped me deal with the problems that my husband faced in his last years. It is my hope that by sharing my story it will help other caregivers recognize the steps of decline. My lists will guide people to know what will come next when going through a similar experience. God gave me visions and angel visits to write my story, so that others would know that God is with us, during both the good and bad times." Doris Anne Holman is an award-winning watercolor artist who has taught art, watercolor painting, and reading. She earned a BS from Goucher College and a masters from Loyola College and took advanced art courses from the University of Maine. Holman is the author of eleven children's books and one adult watercolor book. She won a lifetime achievement award from Marquis Who's Who. ### Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the worlds largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. Heavenly Music, Light and Fragrance is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com. Weve used this current market to dig deep and be honest with ourselves in order to figure out what is working versus what is not and make the tough decisions to move forward, Campbell said about the present day. While 2023 has been all about recognizing its overall 75-year history for Title Alliance, the national real estate title and escrow company is also celebrating a profitable period percentage-wise over the last few months. Even with the uncertain market conditions overall in real estate, the company reported a more than 150 percent spike in profits during the first four months of this year compared to 2022. Though much of these gains were achieved by streamlining some parts of the Title Alliance operation, order count has remained high through the first half of 2023 a direct testament to the efforts of the Title Alliances teams and their partners. CEO Jim Campbell also credits the strong bottom line to planning and the willingness to reinvent the company if the need arises. Sometimes, like its current one, these periods of reinvention are internal and relatively minor in scope to an outsider. Other times, they are more groundbreaking. In fact, one of the previous reinventions was when the company chose to focus exclusively on forming and operating joint ventures in 1983. Weve used this current market to dig deep and be honest with ourselves in order to figure out what is working versus what is not and make the tough decisions to move forward, Campbell said about the present day. Reinvention and innovation are never easy- innovation and changing markets are always difficult, but ultimately, the tough times make you stronger. Despite this success - and the belief that these strong profits will continue to grow into the Q4 of 2023 thanks to the changes already put in place - Title Alliance remains realistic about what the rest of the year holds for all of us in real estate. This includes lower transaction numbers and other softer results. The Title Alliance family has been preparing for this over the last 15 months, Campbell said. We feel we hit the dip and are ready to keep excelling. However, even if there are more obstacles in the future, we are ready for them to come our way. With a tagline of Building Businesses. Growing Profits, Title Alliance works with stakeholders to ensure compliant and profitable operations all over the country. Though based in Pennsylvania, the company has a strong presence in the western part of the country, and its national footprint spans 12 states. Though the company has been celebrating 75 years in business all year, its official birthday, Aug. 23, is quickly approaching. Carl Black Chevrolet Business Elite customer making use of a work truck. When you choose Chevrolet Business Elite at Carl Black Chevrolet of Nashville, you get reliable vehicles and unparalleled support for your business success. Carl Black Chevrolet of Nashville, the premier destination for all your automotive needs, is proud to introduce Chevrolet Business Elite. Unleash the full potential of your business with our exceptional lineup of commercial vehicles. Unrivaled Performance for Your Business Needs With Chevrolet Business Elite, you gain access to an extensive selection of work-ready trucks and vans designed to meet the unique demands of your business. From rugged pickups to versatile cargo vans, our lineup delivers exceptional performance and durability. A Diverse Range of Commercial Solutions Whether you need a powerful Silverado for hauling heavy loads, a dependable Express Cargo Van for transporting equipment, or a nimble Colorado for urban deliveries, our Chevrolet Business Elite lineup has you covered. Choose the perfect vehicle to turbocharge your business operations. Customization Options for Maximum Efficiency At Carl Black Chevrolet of Nashville, we understand that every business has unique requirements. That's why we offer a range of customization options to tailor your commercial vehicle precisely to your needs. From upfitting options to cargo management systems, we ensure your Chevrolet is optimized for maximum efficiency. Unparalleled Support for Your Business Success When you choose Chevrolet Business Elite at Carl Black Chevrolet of Nashville, you get reliable vehicles and unparalleled support for your business success. Our dedicated experts are ready to assist you with fleet maintenance, priority service, and exclusive business incentives. Explore the Power of Chevrolet Business Elite To explore our complete lineup of commercial vehicles and learn more about Chevrolet Business Elite, visit our website at http://www.carlblackchevy.com/work-trucks/ or call us at (888) 509-5199. Discover how Carl Black Chevrolet of Nashville can help take your business to new heights. Trust Carl Black Chevrolet of Nashville for all your automotive needs, including Chevrolet Business Elite, for your commercial requirements. About Carl Black Chevrolet of Nashville Carl Black Chevrolet of Nashville is a renowned dealership in Nashville, TN, offering a wide range of Chevrolet vehicles and exceptional customer service. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for meeting the needs of our customers, we strive to provide an unparalleled automotive experience. Individuals who want to learn more about these finance offers can visit the dealership website, http://www.carlblackchevy.com. Anyone wishing to speak with a representative can contact the dealership directly by calling 888-509-5199. Without question, data has emerged as one of the business worlds most valuable assets, powering strategy and growth. Managing and securing that data in a way that ensures the availability of quality data while supporting compliance and security goals can prove challenging. Messaging Architects, an eMazzanti Technologies Company and information governance expert, explains Microsoft tools for information governance in a new article. The informative article first introduces Microsoft Purview as the companys flagship offering for information governance, claiming that it streamlines the process of managing data across the organization no matter where it lives. The author relates how Purview helps with regulatory compliance and includes three eDiscovery solutions. He continues by explaining the role of information governance in protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access, deletion, or improper sharing. He concludes by relating how the Microsoft 365 Security Center provides a centralized hub for managing the Microsoft Defender suite of security solutions. Without question, data has emerged as one of the business worlds most valuable assets, powering strategy and growth, stated Greg Smith, Vice President of Services Delivery at Messaging Architects. Managing and securing that data in a way that ensures the availability of quality data while supporting compliance and security goals can prove challenging. Below are a few excerpts from the article, Unlock the Power of Data with Microsoft Tools for Information Governance. Information Governance with Microsoft Purview Microsoft Purview streamlines the process of managing data across the organization, no matter where it lives. It begins by scanning and cataloging data sources, enriching information with metadata such as data classifications, lineage, and owners. Powerful search options allow users to discover and access relevant data for specific business needs. Purview also helps with regulatory compliance by enabling organizations to apply policies to information assets based on data classification. For instance, administrators can apply retention policies to entire workloads or retention labels to specific items. This applies to all types of data, from email to documents and chats. Information Protection with Microsoft Purview A key aspect of information governance involves protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access, deletion, or improper sharing. Purview leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to automatically identify and label sensitive data across both on-premises and cloud environments. Additional Microsoft Tools for Information Governance Using the Microsoft 365 Security Center, security personnel can monitor and respond to security incidents across the entire Microsoft 365 environment from a single dashboard. They can also leverage the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect and prioritize threats, automate investigations and responses, and provide actionable insights and recommendations. Microsoft 365 Information Governance Experts Microsoft provides powerful tools for information governance. However, choosing the right solutions and licensing, and using the options to their full extent requires a significant learning curve. The consultants at Messaging Architects bring deep expertise in both Microsoft 365 and information governance. They assist organizations in unlocking the capabilities within Microsoft 365 and finding the sweet spot combining accessibility with data security. Have you read? Information Governance Definition and First Steps Microsoft 365 Copilot Promises to Save Time and Improve Creative Quality About Messaging Architects Messaging Architects specializes in effectively managing and securing an organizations most precious asset, its information. With over 20 years of information management and technology consulting experience, the Messaging Architects team has provided corporations, educational intuitions, health care facilities and nonprofits with methodologies, procedures, and technology to keep their data organized, compliant and secure. About eMazzanti Technologies eMazzantis team of trained, certified IT experts rapidly deliver increased revenue growth, data security and productivity for clients ranging from law firms to high-end global retailers, expertly providing advanced business cyber security, retail and payment technology, digital marketing services, cloud and mobile solutions, multi-site implementations, 247 outsourced network management, remote monitoring, and support. eMazzantis consistent growth landed them on the Inc. 5000 list 9X. Recognized as a 4X Microsoft Partner of the Year, the #1 ranked NYC area MSP, NJ Business of the Year, and 5X WatchGuard Partner of the Year, the company excels as a trusted outsourced IT partner! Contact: 1-866-362-9926, info@emazzanti.net or http://www.emazzanti.net Twitter: @emazzanti Facebook: Facebook.com/emazzantitechnologies. We will work with leaders in Congress to enact this legislation this year, achieving comprehensive PBM reform. We need to ensure this job gets done, and gets done completely, for the American people. Organizations representing pharmacists and pharmacies are applauding the Protect Patient Access to Pharmacies Act (S. 2052) introduced today in the U.S. Senate. The bill provides long-sought reform of abusive business practices that have permitted the monstrous growth of pharmacy direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees that are resulting in pharmacy closures throughout neighborhoods. The bill helps to secure Medicare patients freedom to receive medications and care from the pharmacy of their choice by improving enforcement of the any willing pharmacy law intended to prevent the exclusion of pharmacies from Part D plan networks. The legislation is an important component of comprehensive pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform. The National Community Pharmacists Association, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the National Association of Specialty Pharmacy, the National Grocers Association, FMI The Food Industry Association, and the American Pharmacists Association issued the following joint statement: We appreciate the strong bipartisan commitment and leadership of U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-MT), Shelley Moore-Capito (R-WV), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and James Lankford (R-OK) to advance this solution to address devastating pharmacy DIR fees and tactics that exclude pharmacies from Part D plan networks and eliminate seniors freedom to keep or even choose their pharmacy. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and payers continue to use pharmacy DIR and other fees to manipulate the Medicare program. For more than a decade, these tactics have fueled their profits while inflating seniors out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, threatening the viability of pharmacies of all sizes and types, and undermining the Medicare program. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has determined that between 2010 and 2020 pharmacy DIR fees grew by more than a staggering 107,400%. These fees which are imposed on pharmacies indiscriminately and retroactively would be impossible to bear for any business. They put pharmacy access in peril in rural, urban, and all areas. We applaud the bipartisan bill sponsors for taking action to uphold and enforce the any willing pharmacy law to prevent these behaviors that have the ultimate effect of limiting pharmacy access for seniors. We appreciate the bipartisan recognition that it is now time to deal with enforcement of the any willing pharmacy law and to reform pharmacy DIR fees as one very important aspect of the larger issue of PBM reform. We appreciate the attention that Congressional leaders have brought to the issue of pharmacy DIR fees, which led to initial action in 2022 by CMS. By finalizing a rule that is set to take effect in 2024, CMS took a step forward toward addressing pharmacy DIR fees, but this did not complete the job as pharmacy DIR fee claw backs continue and protections to ensure patient access to pharmacies have not been addressed. We will work with leaders in Congress to enact this legislation this year, achieving comprehensive PBM reform. We need to ensure this job gets done, and gets done completely, for the American people. More information about the pharmacy organizations is available online: National Community Pharmacists Association National Association of Chain Drug Stores National Association of Specialty Pharmacy National Grocers Association FMI The Food Industry Association American Pharmacists Association RAMALLAH/GAZA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Palestinians on Wednesday condemned a series of attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank that left one Palestinian dead and dozens injured. Witnesses said that hundreds of Israeli settlers launched an attack against the Palestinians on Tuesday afternoon in the town of Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah, "under the protection of the Israeli army." The settlers reportedly set fire to homes and vehicles, causing chaos and destruction. Lafi Adib, the mayor of Turmus Ayya, said that around 400 Israeli settlers participated in the attack and burned 30 houses while residents, including women and children, were still inside. Additionally, they destroyed 60 vehicles and farmland cultivated with various crops, he said, adding that some of the armed settlers fired shots at several houses. Witnesses also noted that residents of Turmus Ayya responded by throwing stones. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, one Palestinian was fatally shot in the chest, and 12 others sustained injuries from both the settlers and the soldiers, with one individual in critical condition. The Israeli army has not yet commented on the incident, although Israel Radio reported that an Israeli soldier had opened fire during clashes in Turmus Ayya, resulting in several Palestinian injuries. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye strongly condemned on Wednesday the "barbaric attacks" perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinian citizens and the destruction of their homes and property. He emphasized that allowing settlers to engage in such acts under the protection of the Israeli army "is a recipe for destruction, for which everyone will pay the price." In Gaza, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) released a statement denouncing the attacks on Turmus Ayya and the West Bank towns and villages as "a heinous crime." Hamas assured that these acts would not intimidate the Palestinian people, vowing to respond with steadfastness and resistance. With over half a million Israeli settlers residing in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, alongside 3.2 million Palestinians, confrontations between the two sides have often escalated into violent clashes. The tense atmosphere between Israelis and the Palestinians in the West Bank has persisted since early January, leading to the loss of 24 Israeli lives in attacks by Palestinians, while official figures indicate that 175 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank. PARIS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday put forward a three-point proposal on deepening China-France cooperation: jointly maintain the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains; strengthen cooperation on innovation; foster a sound business environment. Li made the proposal when delivering a speech at a dinner with the Chinese and French business communities in Paris. HAIKOU, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Liu Huiqin still remembers how excited he was when he saw the rare Hainan gibbons for the first time seven years ago. Hainan gibbons, which live in rainforest trees over 10 meters high, rarely set foot on the ground out of prudence. The black-crested apes can only be found in the rainforests in south China's Hainan Province. Known as the world's rarest primate, Hainan gibbons have been listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Numbering over 2,000 in the 1950s, the Hainan gibbon population plunged to about seven in the 1980s, due to excessive hunting and lumbering, which pushed them to the brink of extinction. Liu, 37, was born and raised in the Bawangling area of the National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest. "I saw Hainan gibbons in newspapers when I was a kid, but I never saw them in real life before," said Liu. "I was so excited when I saw the gibbons in person in 2016. I followed them and ran fast in the rainforest, leaving everything behind," Liu recalled. In 2007, Liu was responsible for selling tickets at a rainforest park in Bawangling. Tourists often asked him if he had seen the gibbons for real. Several years later, Liu became a forest ranger at the Bawangling area of the National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest. In addition to forest patrol, Liu is also responsible for monitoring Hainan gibbons and recording their living habits. Rangers like Liu take turns going into the rainforest for monitoring activities twice a month, and every monitoring period lasts five full days. Carrying about 70 kg of daily necessities, the rangers have to live in the rainforest during this period. When engaged in monitoring, rangers usually set off at 4 a.m. so they can arrive before dawn at the areas where the gibbons often show up. Then, they listen to the songs of the gibbons, count the apes, record their ages, take photos, shoot videos and collect ape feces. These basic activities provide first-hand materials for scientific research on Hainan gibbons. Liu once came across a cute new-born Hainan gibbon. The rangers called it "twenty-one," as it was born and found in 2021. "It was the youngest gibbon in the family when we found it. It was cuddled by its mom back then, but now it can live independently," Liu said. To better protect these rare animals, the local forestry department invited experts from universities to help forest rangers observe and record the gibbons' activities and habits. Liu is also willing to learn more about wildlife protection from such experts. He once asked a university lecturer if the gibbons will recognize them when they see them again, and the lecturer replied that "it is still hard to say how long a gibbon's memory lasts." Hainan gibbons are very prudent, but are not afraid of the forest rangers. "Sometimes they are about four meters away from me and they don't feel afraid to stare at us," Liu said. This animal moves quickly in the trees. The result is that rangers need to run fast and have good fitness levels. They walk more than 20,000 steps per day during monitoring trips and have to drink from streams when their drinking water runs out. To save Hainan gibbons from extinction, Hainan's forestry department and non-governmental organizations have restored about 333 hectares of its habitat and have planted more than 300,000 trees to provide food for the gibbons. They have also built several ecological corridors to expand the gibbons' habitat. Currently, the gibbon population has increased to 37 and is made up of six families in the island province, according to the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. "As long as I see a new-born ape, my efforts have paid off. I love this job and I will keep at it," Liu said. This years Beijing International Book Fair, which ran from June 1518, hosted 2,500 exhibitors and more than 200,000 visitors. The 29th edition was the first in-person event after nearly four years and the atmosphere inside the exhibition hall was upbeat. Business during the four-day run was brisk with a total of 1,889 copyright deals signed, of which 502 were for import. Weve rounded up childrens book-related highlights from fair. All photos courtesy of BIBF. The lively mood inside the exhibition hall was matched by blue skies and bright sun outside the China National Convention Center, the new BIBF venue, which is much more modern and closer to the city center. Artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, virtual reality, blockchain, and new technologies pertaining to publishing and books were the main topics discussed at the well-attended PubTech Conference. Overseas speakers at the forum included Guido Herrmann, senior v-p at Wiley; Henning Schoenberger, v-p of content innovation at Springer Nature; and Niels Peter Thomas, president of Springer Natures book division. Visitors had fun experimenting with immersive 5G-driven VR content. Recent years have seen more technology companies in digital content creation, video-sharing platforms, gaming, and edutainment participating in BIBF. This year, such companies included Bilibili, China Literature, NetEase Games, and Tencent Games. Parents and children tried a high-tech and immersive approach to appreciating ancient music. By wearing special headphones and following on-screen prompts, participants stepped on corresponding positions on the elevated platform to play, and learn about, ancient music. The 1,800-square-meter BIBF Picture Book Exhibition offered original picture books from 15 countries. Book launches, author signings, and readings were also held in the area to offer more interactions between the audience and picture book creators. Children and parents alike were fascinated by the complex pop-up books at the Picture Book Exhibition. The BIBF Art Book Fair was a new event that covered an area of 700 square meters with a focus on architecture, art, fashion, and design books. There were 14 country pavilions, including those from Germany (pictured here), Italy, Japan, Korea, the U.K., and the U.S. But few American and European/U.K. publishers attended or had their own booths this time; the June dates were smack in the middle of the summer holiday period in Europe and a busy month of book events in the U.S. Quarto was one of the few U.K. publishers exhibiting at BIBF this year. Companies such as Arcturus, Nosy Crow, and Usborne used the Publishers Association/U.K. pavilion. At Nosy Crow, managing director Kate Wilson (l.) and senior rights manager Lena Petzke saw strong interest in the science titles associated with the companys just-announced exclusive childrens publishing partnership with the University of Cambridge. As censors nationwide lament the harm done when young people read books with controversial content, two prominent freedom to read organizations decided to ask teen readers about frequently challenged material. As part of the Student Advocates for Speech initiative, the National Coalition Against Censorship and the Society for Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators Impact and Legacy Fund co-organized an essay contest, inviting students ages 1418 to respond to the topic How a Banned Book Changed My Life. According to Christine Emeran, director of NCACs Youth Free Expression program, We received dozens of submissions and it was a competitive process to select the winners, which involved two rounds of finalists judged by writers and retired publishers. The NCACs two winners read their work aloud as part of the June 8 SCBWIILF virtual conference, Childrens Book Changemakers. We are republishing the essays here. Neve Bonura-Learnard is a rising junior at Pentucket Regional High School in West Newbury, Mass. She wrote about John Greens debut novel, Looking for Alaska, which won the 2006 Printz Award and has been challenged for explicit language and LGBTQ content. About three years ago, my mother looked me in the eyes and told me I needed help. As a 12-year-old living in a world where mental health was deeply stigmatized, therapy sounded like my worst nightmare. I was perfectly content letting my life fade into darkness if that meant fitting in. The next morning, Looking for Alaska by John Green lay atop my nightstand. I found that despite my protest to my moms endeavors, I was absolutely taken by the book. I would find myself sneaking away to finish a chapter or anxiously rereading a line, careful not to miss a single detail. My heart would pang at every angsty teenage moment, every epiphany, and like every other reader, I sobbed my eyes out when I learned of Alaskas death. And, when my journey with Alaska and the rest of the crew ended, I could no longer hide it. I could no longer keep the river at bay. I had to accept that the pain I was experiencing was more than just a bad day. Until this book, I had never wanted to explore my brain because I knew I wouldnt like what I found. However, seeing Alaskas struggles never tainted her beauty, fierceness, or spirit; I chose to fight on. In fact, maybe it was her pain that exemplified her brilliance. Whatever it was, I refused to be lost like Alaska. Like John Green once wrote, The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive. So, I forgave myself for hurting. I am not exaggerating when I say this book pulled me out of a dark place. It reminded me of the simple joys of peeling fruit, morning sun, and my own laughter. A novel that can have such a profound impact on someones life, even save it, should never be banned. Harsidak Singh is a rising senior at Washington Liberty High School in Arlington, Va. He wrote about his experience reading Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner, set in Afghanistan, which has been challenged for violent content and for representing Islam. For you, a thousand times overthose words from The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini resonated with me on a level that I had never experienced before. As a South Asian male, I had always struggled with feeling disconnected from my heritage, constantly struggling to find stories and characters that truly represented my experience. But when I read The Kite Runner, it was like a piece of me had been unearthed and brought to light. For the first time, I saw a depiction of my culture that was authentic and unapologeticthe customs, traditions, and beliefs that were so deeply ingrained in my identity were finally being recognized on the page. And beyond that, the novel gave me a new understanding of the human condition, particularly the weight of guilt and shame. Through the journey of Amir, the protagonist, I learned that it is never too late to seek redemption, to make things right. That even in the darkest moments, when we feel like we have no voice, there is always a way to speak up and fight for what is right. The Kite Runner moved me to tears, but it also moved me to action. It made me want to be a better person, to speak out against injustice, and to seek out stories that truly reflect the diverse experiences of people like me. It is a book that I will carry with me always, a reminder of the power of storytelling to unite us and inspire change. GUIYANG, China, June 22 (Xinhua) -- A dragon boat race is set to kick off on Friday on the Wuyang River in Shibing County, located in southwest China's Guizhou Province, according to local authorities. Approximately 2,500 athletes from 84 teams will participate in the race, which celebrates this year's Duanwu Festival, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival. The festival falls on Thursday. Organizers have announced that the race will take place from June 23 to 25. The athletes will compete in various categories, including male-paddler standard boats, female-paddler standard boats, and male-paddler dragon canoes. The total prize money for the top three teams in each category amounts to 197,000 yuan (some 27,440 U.S. dollars). This year's dragon boat race aims to enhance communication and exchanges with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and thus, teams from China's Hong Kong and Macao regions have been invited to participate. Shibing County, known for its diverse ethnic makeup, with ethnic minorities comprising 58.7 percent of the population, will also organize a series of cultural activities to celebrate the festival. These activities include long-table banquets, fireworks shows, and parades showcasing traditional costumes worn by local ethnic minorities. One of the highlights was the transportation of a 98.8-meter-long dragon boat by over 2,000 men to the river on Thursday. In 2016, a locally designed dragon boat measuring 77.8 meters in length received certification from the Guinness World Records. The Dragon Boat Festival is observed on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese lunar calendar. After the pandemic pop saw book sales soar across Europe, the question is whether the industry can sustain the higher sales levels that have followed the pandemic. "Roughly half the countries we track are growing, half are in decline, Enrico Turrin, deputy director of the Federation of European Publishers (FEP) told the audience at the Readmagine conference, held June 7-9 in Madrid. The FEP tracks data across 29 countries and Turrin emphasized that he can only offer trends and narratives, as the data sources are not all using the same methods of determining data. In addition, he said, information was missing from some markets in eastern Europe, saying the Iron Curtain is back. As such, he offered a mixture of data from 2021-2023. According to the "best available data, Turrin said that total sales revenue across Europe was up 6.5% in 2021 to 23.6 billion, compared with 22.2 billion in 2020. Turrin said he anticipates after the data comes in for 2022, the market will be flat at 23 billion. According to the FEP, a total of two billion units were sold in 2022 and that number is expected to rise to 2.5 billion in 2022. Despite the rise in sales, the post-pandemic supply chain challenges brought down the number of new books published by FEP member states to approximately 500 million in each of the past two years, Turrin said, compared with a high of 610 million new books in 2017, 595 in 2022 and 575 million in 2021. Format sales strongly favored print in 2022, which accounted for 84.8% of sales, with digital books coming in at 12.6% and audio at just 2.5%. When compared with 2021, 2022 print book sales figures declined slightly across France, Germany and the Nordics, but compared with 2019, the figures are much more positive, with key markets including Italy, France and Spain showing double digit growth. That said, there is a firm shift in the Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland toward digital, primarily fueled by digital subscription services, such as Storytel and BookBeat, which are largely focused on audiobooks. In the Nordics, the subscription services have appeared to be cannibalizing physical sales. What did not happen with e-books is happening with audio, Turrin said. He anticipated that when all the data for 2022 was in, audio would likely account for 4%-5% of the market. On the topic of sales channels, online sales, after booming during the pandemic, are slowing, while physical sales have rebounded somewhat. That said, bookstores sales in 2022 were down across much of Europe when compared with 2019, with Germany down 7.4%, Italy down 7.7% and the U.K. down 6.5%. For the first four months of 2023, Turrin said that the best he could offer was that there is a mixed picture, across the region, with sales on the rise in key markets such as France, Germany, and Spain, and in decline in Italy and across the Nordics. Nevertheless, compared with 2019, sales remain largely robust. Ten Little Rabbits, a previously unpublished count-along picture book by Maurice Sendak, will be released by HarperCollins Childrens Books on February 6, 2024. Editorial director Antonia Markiet acquired North American rights from the Maurice Sendak Foundation. The story introduces readers to a young magician, Mino, whose act involves a wand, a magic hat, and a parade of ornery rabbits. As only Maurice could, the simplicity of a counting book becomes much morea tale about how things can take an unexpected turn at the drop of a hat, Markiet told PW. Maurices stories were always full of surprises and triumphs, whether big or small. And while the line drawings seem so much more simple and easy compared to his lush full-color work, they are astonishingly full of vigor and expression. The illustrations in Ten Little Rabbits are stylistically similar to Sendaks earlier works such as Nutshell Library and A Hole Is to Dig and have a playfulness and charm that stand up to his glorious full-color artwork in a way that is uniquely their own, Markiet added. Ten Little Rabbits continues a legacy that has delighted generations of children. Ten Little Rabbits was originally created in 1970 as a 3.5 x 2.5-inch paper-bound pamphlet for a fundraiser for Philadelphias Rosenbach Museum, a museum and library that celebrates the written word. It was printed in a very limited quantity and has until now remained in collection of the Maurice Sendak Foundation, which not only preserves Sendaks work, but supports arts organizations, mentors emerging artists, and promotes childrens and animal rights causes. This new edition will be released in a 7 x 9 format. The Foundations mission is to have all of Maurices bookspast, present, and even futurebe made available to as wide a readership as possible and this is the right time for this little gem to continue the legacy begun so many years ago when the tiny book was available to only a very few. Now, in a new format, everyone can enjoy it, Markiet said. Sendaks childrens books have sold more than 50 million copies and have been translated into more than 40 languages. He received the 1964 Caldecott Medal for Where the Wild Things Are and is the creator of such classics as In the Night Kitchen, Outside Over There, and Higglety Pigglety Pop! In 1996, Sendak was honored with a National Medal of Arts in recognition of his contribution to the arts in America and in 2003, he received the first Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, an annual international prize for childrens literature established by the Swedish government. Sendak died in 2012 at the age of 83, from complications from a stroke. Ten Little Rabbits isnt the first posthumous Sendak title HarperCollins has published. Less than a year after his death, My Brothers Book was released, followed by Presto and Zesto in Limboland in 2018, a fully illustrated story by Sendak and friend Arthur Yorinks, which was uncovered in his files nearly 30 years after it was written. This November, HarperCollins will celebrate the 60th anniversary of Where the Wild Things Are, which was originally published on November 23, 1963. Katy Rainey, professor of agronomy, plants her soybean breeding nurseries at the Purdue University Agronomy Center for Research and Education. (Purdue Agricultural Communications photo/Tom Campbell) Purdue to receive data on 1,200 soybean varieties from breeders in 11 states WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. In recent years, Purdue Universitys Katy Rainey and Keith Cherkauer have worked to predict soybean biomass from drone imagery in Indiana. Were now expanding that capability to all the public soybean breeding programs in the region, said Rainey, professor of agronomy, who also directs the Purdue Soybean Center. Soon, she and Cherkauer will begin receiving drone imagery collected on a panel of 1,200 soybean varieties that breeders have planted in 11 states across the U.S. north-central region. Here at Purdue, well do all the processing and modification of the images to predict biomass, she said. The effort is part of the SOYGEN3 (Science Optimized Yield Gains across ENvironments) project. Consisting of eight universities, including Purdue, SOYGEN3 has more than $900,000 in funding from the North Central Soybean Research Program. The overarching goal in this experiment is to develop methods and models for selecting soybeans that will be high yielding in future extreme environments under climate-change scenarios, Rainey said. We know that the future environments were going to grow soybean in are different from the ones we have now because climate is changing. Were getting more extreme weather, as well, from climate change. The project exploits software, called Plot Phenix, which rapidly converts aerial crop photographs into useful information for plant breeding, crop modeling and precision agriculture. Rainey and Cherkauer, professor of agricultural and biological engineering, and Purdue PhD alumnus Anthony Hearst, CEO of Progeny Drone Inc., patented Plot Phenix in 2022. Im interested in water use, the effects of environments, and the ability to measure and simulate soybean across large areas, said Cherkauer, who also directs the Indiana Water Resources Research Center. Having locations that are farther apart increases the likelihood that we will have a range of environmental conditions. Minnesota soybean breeders and farmers plant different genetic stock than those in Indiana, for example, which requires more heat-resistant varieties. But even areas that share the same annual average precipitation could experience dramatically different years. We could have drought here in Indiana, and eastern Kansas could be having a normal year. Having access to so many locations that could be experiencing average weather conditions and drier conditions allows us to stretch the image analysis and the models were building beyond what we do right now, Cherkauer said. Eastern Kansas gets about the same precipitation as Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. But western Kansas receives about half as much precipitation. It resembles central-western Nebraska, the Dakotas and western Minnesota in that regard. Indiana is almost entirely rain-fed except for seed production and production in the sandy soils. Illinois is going to be similar. As you get into Iowa, theyre starting to see a bit more irrigation, Cherkauer said. Cherkauer is a co-founder of GRYFN, a Purdue-affiliated company that has provided a new drone for the project with funding from the departments of Agronomy and Agricultural and Biological Engineering and the College of Agriculture. Calibration flights for the new platform have already begun at Purdues Agronomy Center for Research and Education, a 1,600-acre farm facility located seven miles northwest of campus. The SOYGEN3 collaboration will fly drones that collect imagery in red, green and blue (RGB, or true color, the type captured by regular cameras). SOYGEN3 is about starting with relatively inexpensive cameras and hardware systems at a variety of locations, Cherkauer said. But the Purdue drone also will carry multispectral and thermal cameras, yielding better data sets that could lead to recommendations for their SOYGEN3 partners. Such data could help the U.S. maintain its position as the worlds leading soybean producer. Revenues in 2022 topped $66 billion. This includes more than $34 billion in exports, according to the USDAs Foreign Agricultural Service. Its a unique crop because it is very important to future protein food security, said Rainey, who was featured prominently in the latest cover story of Seed World magazine. Yet soybean uses are mostly industrial, meaning that people consume only a small percentage of its production. You might occasionally eat a traditional soy food like tofu or edamame. But for the most part, 95% of soybeans globally are fed to chickens and pigs and are the basis of that food chain, Rainey said. To maintain soybeans burgeoning production, researchers will need a more finessed understanding of how weather and climate affect yield in a range of environments involving genetic variation. Breeders would then be able to select soybean varieties more strategically. The genetic variation is key because the most obvious way that breeders or breeding organizations in the private sector would use the data that we produce would be in whats known as genomic prediction, Rainey explained. Given enough data over the entire soybean genome, genomic prediction allows breeders to create a statistical model that predicts yield for 10,000 untested lines. But the genomic prediction models need to be calibrated to environments and have more information in them than whats currently in there, Rainey said. Also needed is a model that includes biomass predictions. Such models are based on drone imagery and genetics. In my lab, we work on combining that information. Were just about the only ones to do that across the public and the private sector in soybean, she said. Writer: Steve Koppes Media contact: Maureen Manier, mmanier@purdue.edu Sources: Katy Rainey, krainey@purdue.edu; Keith Cherkauer, cherkaue@purdue.edu. Agricultural Communications: 765-494-8415; Maureen Manier, Department Head, mmanier@purdue.edu Agriculture News Page In order to reduce the price of sheep in time for the upcoming Eid Al Adha, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI), the Ministry of Municipality, and Widam Food Company have joined forces. Read More: 5 Theme Parks to Visit this Eid Read More: Enjoyable Things to Do for Eid Al Adha in Doha The cost-cutting initiative, scheduled to last until July 1st, 2023, aims to maintain price stability during Eid Al Adha. It will provide affordable goods, maintain a balance between supply and demand, and stop unreasonable price hikes for meat during high demand. An agreement has been made with Widam Food Company, a major player in food companies, in light of the most recent initiative. In accordance with the weight of the sheep, both domestic and imported sheep will be made available to the public at subsidized, discounted prices. What is the cost of sheep for Eid Al Adha 2023? The MoCI stated that both categories of sheep would be valued at QAR 1,000 if they weigh 40 kg or more. No sales will be made of sheep who are underweight or fail to follow the rules. They will only be available for purchase in the company's designated slaughterhouses in Al Shamal, Al Khor, Umm Salal, Al Wakra, and Al Sheehaniya. The MoCI has indicated that an additional QAR 50 would be charged for services including loading, slaughtering, cutting, and packaging. The division is QAR 16 for cutting, packaging, and slaughtering, and QAR 34 for loading. The option to use these service vouchers can be exercised at any time between the start of the initiative and the end of December 2023 by individuals who wish to postpone the slaughter of their sheep. The initiative's terms state that anyone who is a citizen of Qatar and is at least 20 years old with a current ID card can buy a sheep through this program. Each eligible buyer is only permitted to buy one sheep in order to ensure a fair distribution. Authorities have promised to strengthen their inspection efforts, particularly with regard to adherence to the reduced prices, in order to make sure that sellers follow rules and regulations. As part of its commitment to ensuring the initiative's integrity and success, the ministry also urges customers to report any instances of violations. WINDHOEK, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Namibia on Thursday launched a campaign to enhance national identity, patriotism, and pride among Namibians. The National Symbols Campaign under the Nationhood and National Pride Programme was launched by Minister of Information and Communication Technology Peya Mushelenga at an event held in the western Namibian city of Swakopmund. "This campaign aims to reinforce, promote and educate the public on the correct use of the national symbols and observation of the applicable standard protocols thereof," he said in a statement at the launch. According to Mushelenga, national identity promotes a sense of belongingness, patriotism, and mutual trust among nationals. "National pride is the positive effect that the public feels toward their country due to their national identity, and it makes them determined to safeguard the gains of their country. It is both the pride or sense of esteem that a person has for one's nation and the pride or self-esteem that a person derives from one's national identity," he explained. Mushelenga further said national symbols worldwide are a powerful representation of countries' identities, values, and aspirations. "As Namibians, national symbols remain an essential part of our national heritage and serve as a tangible reminder of our history, struggles, and triumphs through years of our heroic struggle for independence and nationhood," he said. Mushelenga, meanwhile, said to enhance public education efforts for this initiative, the ministry, in collaboration with stakeholders, has produced several information, educational, and communication materials in various formats for airing print and electronic media. "These materials will be further translated into local languages for easy access and comprehension," he said, adding that the ministry plans to roll out the campaign through outreach activities in all 14 regions. If you take advantage of both Auto-Delivery and Easy Pay, it is possible that more than one Easy Pay installment could be due in the same month. For example, if your Auto-Delivery plan ships every three months and you select 4 Easy Pay installments, you would pay the fourth installment of your first shipment in the same month you pay the first installment of your second shipment. In the United States, people with mental health concerns are disproportionately jailed at a staggering rate. The three largest mental health facilities in the United States are jails. In Los Angeles, 41 percent of the jail population has a diagnosed mental health condition, is experiencing mental health symptoms, or is taking psychiatric medication, a number that has increased 21 percent since 2020. The situation in the Los Angeles County jail is particularly dire. For the past two months, the county jail system has been the subject of intense scrutiny over conditions the ACLU deemed inhumane in a recent court motion. Stories have described overcrowding and people shackled to furniture for days, surrounded by human waste and roaches. Many of those suffering such shockingly poor treatment have mental health conditions. The situation in the Los Angeles County jail is particularly dire. Share on Twitter In response to the growing outrage, Los Angeles County's Board of Supervisors voted recently to create a 16-bed acute mental health care unit in Twin Towers Correctional Facility, in downtown Los Angeles, which will supplement the existing forensic psychiatric inpatient unit. But, with so many people in our jails experiencing serious mental health symptoms, just 16 additional beds is barely a drop in the bucket. There are better alternatives. As of 2020, nearly half of the jail mental health population were detained pretrial that is, they were not serving time in the jail for committing a crime, but merely waiting for their day in court. Given this, many have focused on the elimination of cash bail as a way to reduce the number of people held in jail. Though others have raised concerns that people released without bail will not show up for their court dates, and may commit a crime while released, studies suggest that neither happens all that often. For those with less-serious mental health symptoms, the elimination of cash bail could be particularly effective if they have a stable home or job to return to. Providing wraparound community-based services is less expensive than the current standard practice of incarcerating someone with mental health needs at the jail. Share on Twitter But for people with acute mental health symptoms, returning to the community without needed services can be destabilizing. This is where pretrial diversion can play a key role. The California penal code contains an option for people with mental illness who are charged with a crime. If they successfully complete a one-to-two-year mental health treatment program, their charges will be dismissed. Though the specific program is tailored to the needs of the individual, it often includes a combination of medication and therapy, and sometimes other supports like case management or substance use disorder treatment. Los Angeles even has two formal programs that implement this penal code, one of which is operated by the Public Defender's Office ( PDF ) and the other by the Office of Diversion and Reentry. We need more, and better data on the outcomes of these programs, but both appear promising. Still, funding for programs like these has been limited, despite evidence ( PDF ) that providing wraparound community-based services is less expensive than the current standard practice of incarcerating someone with mental health needs at the jail. This isn't to say that the jail shouldn't add these new acute care beds. On the contrary, it is essential that people have access to the health care they need while incarcerated. But efforts to build up community-based alternatives are essential, too. The goal shouldn't just be to release people from jail, but to make sure they don't end up there in the first place. Investing in programs and services in the community is a proven way to start doing just that. Stephanie Brooks Holliday is a senior behavioral scientist at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. This commentary originally appeared in Los Angeles Daily News on June 18, 2023. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis. The new deal, following 2022s acquisition of CSI: Vegas for Alibi and was secured by Harriet Armston-Clarke, senior global acquisitions manager and Melanie Rumani, global head of acquisitions at BBC Studios and UKTV Created by Robert and Michelle King, Evil is a psychological mystery that examines the origins of evil along the dividing line between science and religion. A sceptical female clinical psychologist joins a priest-in-training and a contractor as they investigate supposed miracles, demonic possessions, and other extraordinary occurrences to see if theres a scientific explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work.So Help Me Todd is a legal drama created by Scott Prendergast, who serves as executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Elizabeth Klaviter. The series stars Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden as razor-sharp, meticulous attorney Margaret Wright and Skylar Astin as her son Todd, a talented but aimless former private investigator who reluctantly takes a job at her law firm. Their methods are completely at odds but somehow it seems to work, and this could be a big first step toward mending their fragile, dysfunctional relationship.A Million Little Things was created by DJ Nash, whose previous credits include Til Death, Traffic Light, Growing Up Fisher and Bent and is executive produced by Nash, Aaron Kaplan, Terrence Coli, Brian Morewitz, Dana Honor, James Griffiths and David Marshall Grant. Starring David Giuntoli, Romany Malco, Allison Miller, Christina Moses, Grace Park, James Roday Rodriguez, Stephanie Szostak, Tristan Byon, Chance Hurstfield and Lizzy Greene, the series follows a group of friends who become motivated to live fuller lives after the unexpected death of a close friend.So Help Me Todd will premiere on Alibi in the summer and series 3 of Evil will TX on Alibi in July, both as UK premieres. A Million Little Things is set to premiere in the UK exclusively on free streaming service UKTV Play in the autumn. Last year UKTV Play saw a year of huge growth, with a 27% increase in views and an additional one million registered users joining the service, to reach 6.4 million.Commenting on the deals, Rumani said: We are so pleased to be continuing our strong relationship with Paramount and securing these series for Alibi and UKTV Play. UKTV is a fantastic home for premium US dramas and we look forward to acquiring more in the future.We are thrilled to be continuing to work with UKTV and Alibi to bring these top-quality titles to the UK audience, added Matthew Downer, senior vice president, regional TV licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution Andrea Amey, UKTVs general manager for digital, remarked: We are really pleased to bring all five series of A Million Little Things exclusively to UKTV Play this autumn. UKTV Play viewers love premium drama so its another great addition to the platform in a year where we are investing heavily in content for the service. Last month, the economist Jeffrey Sachs appeared on the Substack podcast Nonzero, hosted by the writer Robert Wright, to discuss American foreign policy failures in the post-Cold War world. Wright asked Sachs if he felt American journalism is in decline. Sachswho, as the head of multiple UN nonprofits and director of Columbias Center for Sustainable Development, is one of the most institutionally recognized figures in public intellectual lifesaid that it absolutely had, and then shared an anecdote. I had a chat with a longtime friend of minea senior reporter at one of the most important newspapers, he said, and I said to him, When I was young, I turned to your paper because of Watergate, the Pentagon Papers, and I loved it. According to Sachs, this nameless friend, who in a later appearance Sachs would identify as a senior New York Times reporter, replied, That paper is so dead and gone, Jeff. You have to understand that. Sachs spoke with the reporter last September. The issue that provoked the reporters comments was the recent bombing of the Nord Stream pipelines and its subsequent coverage in the media. In the days and weeks after the attack, a flurry of conjecture about who was responsible dominated mainstream outlets, with CNN and the New York Times echoing U.S. and European government allegations that Russia had sabotaged its own piece of critical infrastructure in a dramatic bid to turn European favor against Ukraine. Sachs, who worked closely with Mikhail Gorbachev and knows his way around U.S.-Russia relations, read these reports and called his friend: The U.S did it! he said. Why is your paper saying today that Russia did it? The reporter responded, Of course the U.S did it. Who else? But come on, Jeff. The editor isnt interested in that. In relating these stories, Sachs expressed a view shared by a coalescing group of anti-establishment thinkers, journalists, pundits, and academics: that the mainstream media in the United States has been corrupted beyond repair and is so deeply beholden to U.S. intelligence and security interests as to be of little journalistic value. Sachs has been increasingly vocal about this over the last year, as the war in Ukrainethe fault for which he places squarely at the feet of the United States and its decades of NATO bellicosity, even blaming specific State Department operatives for the 2014 ouster of Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovychescalates shockingly, with little mainstream media attention given to potential American culpability in provoking and prolonging the bloodshed. Sachs is not the most vociferous critic of the Biden administration, the American foreign policy establishment, or the corporate media. Where commentators like Glenn Greenwald, Michael Tracey, Tucker Carlson, and Noam Chomsky are quick to make strong claims about deep-state conspiracy and propaganda, Sachs often demurs. I know all the theories [for the degradation of American journalism], he said in a recent appearance on Greenwalds System Update news show. Money, advertising, power. But why, I dont fully understand. Greenwald routinely takes a harder line. He would go on in that conversation to say that [the New York Times] is in another universe now in terms of their willingness to write down whatever the CIA wants them to say, even when they know its false. What distinguishes Sachs among this burgeoning anti-establishment cohort is the extent of his establishment bona fides: UN appointments, Covid-19 commission assignments, World Bank and IMF advising, and innumerable plaudits as one of his generations top economic minds. Vanity Fair included him in their 2008 list of the 100 members of the New Establishment. This has leant a whistleblowing-like quality to his criticisms of the United States and its behavior both at home and abroad. Having been instrumental to some of the most consequential diplomatic and economic negotiations of the last 40 years, including the structural transition from communist central planning to market economies in numerous post-Soviet bloc countries and Latin America, Sachs is a man whom people listen to when he says that the U.S. is lying or acting in bad faith. While Sachss new role as the establishments contrarian inner critic was solidified by the war in Ukraine, it was birthed during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. In spring 2020, just months after the outbreak began, Sachs was tapped by Lancet editor Richard Horton to serve as chair of the medical journals committee investigating the origin of the virus. At the time, it was uncontroversial in both Washington and the mainstream media to entertain the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 had leaked from a high-security lab or research institution. Sachs had strongly opposed this theory (and then-President Trumps flirtation with it), but he accepted the position with an open mind and went on to staff the committee, appointing his colleague at Columbia, Peter Daszak, to head the task force. The group was to produce a report on the various theories of Covid originzoonosis and lab-leak, primarilyand assess their validity. By the summer of that year, Sachs was reevaluating his position on the lab-leak theory. In his telling, he had been alerted by a few top scientists to certain biological signatures of the virus that indicated potential laboratory manipulation; he had also been made aware of an NIH grant to the New York nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance that was used to perform so-called gain-of-function viral experiments on mice in Wuhan. Daszak was, and remains, president of the EcoHealth Alliance. When Sachs asked the new Covid-19 Commission task force leader to disclose the precise nature of the work he had funded in Wuhan, Daszak refused, on advice from his lawyer. Reports differ here. Sachs claims to have fired Daszak immediately, while Daszak claims to have stepped down. Either way, in June 2021, Daszak was no longer leading the origins task force, and Sachs was thoroughly convinced that the conflicts of interest (such as those meticulously documented by Nicholas Wade in a May 2021 essay) at play in the search for the origin of the virus ran so deep that the Commission was functionally compromised; he shut it down in September 2021, and he is now one of the leading voices against the censorship and stigmatization of the lab-leak story. To many people skeptical of our public health officials response to Covid, this was one of the most meaningful public breaks from the institutional narrative solidifying at the time. Since the Lancet debacle, Daszak has become the face of a catastrophically mishandled pandemic response. One way to characterize Sachss commitments to government accountability and freedom of speech is that they are rooted in a deep institutional memory. On the war in Ukraine, he seems animated by the blatant and well-documented attempts at regime change and invasion executed by the U.S. governmentin Vietnam, Iraq, and Syriaas well as the countless broken promises made to Russia in the wake of the Cold War (promises that Sachs was instrumental in negotiating). Few deny, with the benefit of hindsight, the disastrous claims made about Saddam Husseins connection to Al-Qaeda and the presence of WMDs in Iraq that the media sold to the American public before the invasion in 2003. However uneasy some may feel hearing criticism of continued U.S. aid to Ukraine as that country continues to suffer in a brutal invasion, Sachs is attempting to hold America accountable for the mistakes it has made in the recent past. These mistakes were enabled in large part by a complicit press, overeager to parrot government narratives. For his trouble, Sachs has swiftly been branded a conspiracist, a Putin stooge, and a useful idiot. Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who Sachs and Greenwald remind us, was one of the loudest champions for the invasion of Iraq, recently published an essay deeming Sachs intellectually bankrupt. Its a tactic that has become almost banal at this point: when an erstwhile ally drifts too far outside of the acceptable window of discourse, declare him no longer worth listening to. I grew up in the Vietnam War era, in the Kennedy assassination era, in Watergate. Governments lie for a living, Sachs said to New York magazine in March of this year. Thats not conspiracy theory; that is how governments operate because they deal in power. They dont deal in truth. Sachs may sometimes speak with undue certainty on matters still unsettled, but he is playing the role of a principled if nagging inner conscience, and we need more public figures to do the same. After public schools' pandemic failures, eight states including Arizona, Florida, and Indiana are committing tax funds for educational alternatives for most any student, including those students already in private schools and from wealthy families. June 22, 2023 By Vince Bielski , RealClearInvestigationsJune 22, 2023 A growing number of states are adopting a comprehensive new type of school choice program that would pose a threat to public schools if many students were to leave them for a private education. Eight states including Arizona, Florida, Indiana, and West Virginia have approved universal or near-universal school choice laws since 2021. They open the door completely to school choice by making all students, including those already in private schools and from wealthy families, eligible for about $7,000 to $10,000 in state funding each year for their education. School shutdowns and failures of remote learning during the pandemic soured many parents on public schools. Whats more, most of these states have also enacted education savings accounts, or ESAs. They give families much more freedom than traditional tuition vouchers, depositing state funds into private accounts to spend on virtually anything related to learning, from homeschooling and online classes to therapy and supplies. By making all students eligible, regardless of their ability to pay for a private education, universal programs in the eight states expand the pool of possible participants by about 4 million students, according to an estimate by EdChoice, an advocacy group. Thats a 40% increase in eligibility since 2021, bringing the total to 13.6 million students after the programs start in the next few years. Home schooling is one educational alternative that more states are willing to support with tax dollars. School choice advocates led by grassroots conservative Christian groups, big money political lobbies like American Federation for Children, and education nonprofits like EdChoice call the universal programs a major milestone in their long and contentious battle for parental rights. They argue that parents, not the government, are best suited to direct the education of their children and should receive taxpayer support to do so as a competitive check on public schools they also pay for but consider failing or inadequate. But over the years, school choice has suffered from a low participation rate, with fewer than 1 million students partaking in state programs today, mostly to attend religous schools, in a nation with about 50 million public school students. The big question is whether universal laws, paired with the flexibility of ESAs to customized learning, will spur a major exodus to private schooling. Universal choice is really a significant move beyond the existing programs we have now, says Professor Patrick Wolf at the University of Arkansas, who has studied school choice for 25 years. In terms of regulating education providers, this is a much stronger move into the free-market provision of K-12. Los Angeles, 2023: Foes of transgenderism in public schools. More states support private education alternatives. Why Now? This sudden success reflects both long-term trends and recent events. Americans satisfaction in public education has slowly eroded over the last two decades. And during the pandemic, student test scores in math and English plummeted as a result of ineffective remote learning, with satisfaction dropping sharply from a majority before COVID to a mere 42% last year, according to Gallup. Advocates in Republican-controlled states seized the opportunity created by COVID, when teachers unions blocked the reopening of schools, spurring parents to search for educational options, including homeschooling, to keep their kids from falling behind. Parents saw there were many ways to educate kids, says Robert Enlow, president of EdChoice. It opened up a world of possibilities for them. Public schools casting whites as oppressors has some families heading for the exits. At the same time, the spread of a woke curriculum following the police murder of George Floyd in 2020 provided some parents with another reason to seek alternatives to public schools. In cities from Seattle to Buffalo, students have been taught a version of history casting white Americans as privileged oppressors and blacks and Latinos as powerless victims of structural racism. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis made these two related educational crusades curbing political correctness and passing universal choice his own in the runup to his campaign for president. In 2022 he spearheaded a Florida ban on teaching that America is racist at its core, and also won restrictions on instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity prohibitions embraced by several other states as well. Then earlier this year, DeSantis won legislative approval of a universal law, making Florida the largest state to adopt school choice for all. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida: Opposing woke education and pushing school choice are two of his key issues. But just as progressives have embraced a race- and transgender-conscious agenda that has spurred a backlash in many states, the universal choice program pushed by conservatives is stirring much controversy, too. In addition to solid opposition from Democrats, who fear a flight of students and funding from public schools, some Republicans, particularly in rural areas, also object to the costs of giving taxpayer dollars to wealthy families to pay for private schooling. Although Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Utah have joined the four other red states in approving universal choice, Republicans in Texas have joined Democrats in blocking efforts to pass it, suggesting the program may have limited room to run nationwide. Patrick Wolf, school choice expert: It's "a great leap into the unknown." Universal choice is also untested. Parents looking to control their kids education could find themselves in the dark because theres little publicly available information about the quality of private and religious education. Homeschools and various types of private instruction are mostly unregulated and dont require teacher credentialing or student testing in many states, leaving parents without objective ways to evaluate them. At public schools, at least parents have an inkling, based on public test score data, of what to expect. Academic research can only hint at the value of universal choice programs, which have never been studied. The exhaustive research on restricted school choice has shown neutral to negative effects on test scores in statewide programs, which include middle-income students. But the programs have had clear positive benefits on scores for low-income students in particular and have improved high school graduation and college admission rates for some students. Universal choice is a great leap into the unknown, says Professor Wolf. Parents are experts on their child's needs, but parents are not experts on private educational providers. They need accurate and complete information about them. The Godfather of Universal Choice Milton Friedman, who won the Nobel Prize for economics, is considered the first prominent proponent of universal choice, bringing his theory of efficient competitive markets to education in a 1955 paper. He and his wife Rose later started a foundation for educational choice in their names that morphed in 2016 into EdChoice. Milton Friedman: The late economist was a school choice pioneer, but his ideas got little traction -- until now. Friedman said you can't create opportunity and access for people unless you give everyone choices in a marketplace, says Enlow of EdChoice. If you really had a competitive marketplace that included public, private, charter, and other school options, many new schools would spring up and it would have a positive impact on education. While true believers have always embraced Friedmans idea, it didnt gain traction in a nation where harried working parents have long accepted government-run public education and many have embraced it to promote equality. Critics said Friedmans belief that all student boats would rise in a free market of schools was naive. Students in families without enough information or experience to pick the best schools and those gullible enough to be deceived by unscrupulous operators would not fare well in an unregulated marketplace, says Chester Finn, a leading education scholar and president emeritus at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, which supports school choice. What first emerged in the 1990s were choice programs limited to students who needed special services or were trapped in poor performing schools, particularly in urban areas like Milwaukee, site of the first school choice voucher program. Slowly, the number has expanded to about 78 programs, which provide vouchers, tax credits and ESAs in 32 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, according to EdChoice. States have financial incentives to adopt these restricted programs: Under certain conditions, they generate savings for taxpayers, according to a study by Martin Lueken, director of EdChoices fiscal research and education center. When public school students enroll in choice programs to pay for a private education, they generally receive access to about 90% of what the state would have allotted to their district per pupil. But they dont get any of the local and federal funding for public schools. So, on average, state funding per pupil for choice programs is only 36% of the total per-pupil funding for public schools, saving states billions of dollars, according to Lueken. Participation disconnect: parents schooling preferences vs. actual enrollment. Limited Appeal But despite the availability of choice programs stretching from Maine to Florida to Nevada, participation hasnt taken off. On average less than 3% of eligible students actually sign up for school choice after 10 years, according to another study by Lueken. Why such low participation? Wolf says parents are cautious when it comes to their child's education and will only switch to a private option when they are convinced that it will produce a better academic or social outcome. And many families are simply unaware of the availability of choice programs, according to surveys. The upshot is that, despite the political acrimony around school choice, its not yet eroding public schools funding. Although teachers unions repeatedly make that claim in opposing school choice laws, a significant student exodus from public schools has yet to materialize. The notion that choice harms public schools by draining resources from them doesnt hold water, Lueken says. If choice harms students who remain in public schools, then we would expect to see outcomes diminish for those students after choice enters the picture. But thats not the case. Choice programs in some cases appear to benefit public schools. The competition for students that choice programs create has produced small improvements in public school achievement, according to a 2019 meta-analysis of 92 studies, perhaps by prompting administrators to make changes in instruction. Expanded Participation Takes Off Universal laws, which hold the potential to significantly expand the number of students who participate in choice programs, were the work of many advocacy groups. Christian conservatives, who have been at the forefront of the movement, rallied the grassroots in Arizona and other states. EdChoice, which collects data and produces policy research papers, informed local advocates on the fiscal and academic effects of universal programs. And the American Legislative Exchange Council, a free-market advocate, provided lawmakers with model legislation to customize for their states. Betsy DeVos: The former Education Secretary's advocacy group the American Federation for Children has played a pivotal role. Perhaps the most important role was played by the American Federation for Children (AFC), a conservative campaign finance and advocacy group founded by billionaire and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. It provided the crucial legislative arm twisting. AFC didnt hesitate to target Republicans who opposed the universal programs. Rural Republicans in general remain committed to public education because there are few if any private schools in their districts. Some suburban Republicans in areas with good public schools also dont see the need for universal choice. The lobby group spent $9 million across its affiliates in elections in 2022, its biggest election year investment ever. AFC won 76% of more than 350 state legislative races in which it engaged, and took out 40 anti-school choice lawmakers in the process, Tommy Schultz, the head of AFC, said in an email. Every lawmaker across the country should know that they need to listen to the demands of families, or else they'll face the consequences in their next election, Schultz said. But AFCs hardball tactics backfired in Georgia, where voters received its mailers in 2022 associating their Republican lawmakers with the radical left if they didnt support a choice proposal, according to a local media report. The mailers incensed rural Republicans who defeated a choice measure the following year. In Arizona, a key early battleground state for universal choice, a proposal in the House last year needed the support of almost every Republican. With little room for defections, AFCs Arizona PAC poured $575,000 into the state, according to Transparency USA. Some moderate Republicans told me they were under extreme pressure to vote for universal ESAs, says Beth Lewis, a former public school teacher and director of Save Our Schools Arizona, an influential opposition group. They were hearing from AFC that the group would spend big against them in the upcoming primaries if they didnt vote for it. And they made good on the threats. However, to win the support of the final few GOP holdouts, the Republican-controlled legislature also had to significantly boost spending on public schools by $1 billion in a state with nearly the lowest per-pupil allocation to education in the country. Arizona Republicans kicked off a pattern of boosting public school funding in tandem with passing universal choice laws that has been repeated in almost all of the eight states. The Cost of Choice The bigger issue for Republicans who back universal choice is the cost of the program itself. Universal choice can be expensive because students already in private school at no cost to the state are allowed to sign up in large numbers. This is a new education expense for taxpayers that doesnt exist in the older choice programs restricted to public school students, in which the state essentially transfers funding from public to private schools. Christine Marsh, Arizona Democratic state senator: To be giving away these tax dollars to families who can already afford private school when we have so many other needs, like our homeless situation, is irresponsible. Enlow defends state funding for kids already in private school, even those from Americas richest families. He says since the state is willing to pay for the children of billionaires to go to public schools, it should also pay for them to go to private schools if thats what families want. But other school choice supporters disagree. Im not against helping middle class families with private school tuition, says Finn of the Fordham Institute. I am against asserting that everybody, including the grandchildren of Bill Gates and children of Mark Zuckerberg, should be given public dollars to educate their kids. That's not a good use of public dollars. Arizona, which has finished its first full year of universal choice, shows how the costs of the program can escalate. A legislative committee in Arizona initially said the universal program would increase general fund costs by about $33 million this year and $64 million in 2024. It added that this estimate was highly speculative since officials couldnt determine how many of the states 60,000 private schoolers would enroll in universal choice to pay their tuition. Those estimates were used to sell the program to lawmakers as affordable, but the numbers are now considered nonsense. The price tag quickly skyrocketed into the hundreds of millions of dollars. It turns out that half of the 58,000 students who enrolled were already in private school, thanks in part to advertising by the private schools and AFC encouraging them to take advantage of the funding. The Arizona Department of Education said in May it anticipates a total of 100,000 enrollees next year, or about 9% of all K-12 students. If half of those students are already in private school, it could cost the state about $450 million next year to pay their tuition, according to this reporters calculations. Thats seven times the initial government estimate. Arizona Republicans support the funding increase as the price of providing universal choice for all families. Democrats tried unsuccessfully to cap the number of participates, and in a bit of hyperbole, claim the rising costs will bankrupt the state. But universal choice could create pressure to cut other programs. Without a cap, the program is placing Arizona at a significant financial risk, says Democratic Senator Christine Marsh. To be giving away these tax dollars to families who can already afford private school when we have so many other needs, like our homeless situation, is irresponsible. With an eye on Arizona, Republicans in other universal choice states have sought to contain costs. While Indiana is budgeting $500 million for its program, Utah is capping costs at $42 million a year. Oklahoma set up funding tiers based on income, giving households making more than $250,000 a year a smaller tax credit than those making less than $75,000. All Eyes on Texas Will more states join the universal choice parade this year? Schultz of AFC thinks so. He said Texas is one of the additional states with the best chance of passing massive legislation in 2023. Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas: His state would be the biggest prize so far in the campaign for universal school choice. With more than 5 million K-12 students, Texas would be the biggest prize so far. But rural Republicans in the state have thwarted their own party leader, Gov. Greg Abbott, in his full-throttle push for universal choice. Abbott now appears to be making good on his threat to call a special session this year to muscle a program through the legislature. Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives at the Paris Orly Airport in Paris, France, June 21, 2023. At the invitation of the French government, Li arrived at Paris Orly Airport on Wednesday afternoon by chartered plane to pay an official visit to France and attend the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. Guards of honor lined up on both sides of the red carpet and saluted the guests. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin greeted him at the airport. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) PARIS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said Wednesday that France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a major country with an independent spirit, is a comprehensive strategic partner of China, and China-France relations have maintained a high level of development and always carried global significance that goes far beyond the bilateral scope. In April this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron reached a series of strategic consensuses, outlining a beautiful blueprint for China-France comprehensive strategic partnership and pointing out the direction for China-France cooperation at bilateral, China-Europe and global levels, Li said upon his arrival in Paris for an official visit to France. The premier said China is ready to work with France to expand two-way opening-up, build more resilient industrial and supply chains between China and France and between China and Europe, deepen people-to-people exchanges and mutual learning, and jointly address global challenges such as climate change and sustainable development, so as to inject new impetus into the sustained, sound and steady growth of China-France relations, and inject more confidence and strength into world peace, stability and development. China is ready to work with France to turn the blueprint for the development of China-France relations drawn up by the two countries' heads of state into working plans and reality, Li said. At the invitation of the French government, Li arrived at Paris Orly Airport on Wednesday afternoon by chartered plane to pay an official visit to France and attend the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. State Councilor and Secretary-General of the State Council Wu Zhenglong, among other accompanying officials, arrived on the same plane. As Li walked down the gangway, guards of honor lined up on both sides of the red carpet and saluted the guests. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin and Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye greeted him at the airport. During his stay in France, Li will meet with Macron, hold talks with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, meet with French Senate President Gerard Larcher, attend a dinner with the Chinese and French business communities and visit French companies. On Wednesday afternoon, the Chinese premier paid a visit to the innovation hub of Schneider Electric in Paris. He listened to the introduction by Jean-Pascal Tricoire, chairman and CEO of the firm, on the French firm and its cooperation with China. He was also given a tour of such representative products as smart robots and the "open automation" platform, and video-linked to the Group's Normandy factory to learn about the company's future development plans. Li said he hoped that the company would deepen its development in the Chinese market and continue to innovate on cooperation models. China has a large market, a full range of supporting facilities and many talents, Li said, adding that investing in China will definitely bring rich returns. Jean-Pascal Tricoire said that his company has been a witness, contributor and beneficiary of China's reform and opening up, and that it is optimistic about China's development and will continue to invest in China and actively participate in China's green infrastructure and the Belt and Road development. Li arrived in Paris after concluding the seventh China-Germany inter-governmental consultation and paying an official visit to Germany. When Li left Munich, government representatives of the Bavaria state and Chinese Ambassador to Germany Wu Ken saw him off at the airport. Property details: .BUY LAND NOW OWN YOUR LAND!This land is perfect for Land Banking! Buy and hold for future investment. Many companies and investors purchase land at a substantial discount for their investment portfolios. Then later, use this as collateral for their business. Low Low Prices!Great Investment for new investor. Start your own land business now! DescriptionGreat single family residential lot vacant land in Douglas , Arizona for $100 a month.Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States... Price: $ 100 Seller State of Residence: California Type: Recreational, Acreage Zip/Postal Code: 85656 Zoning: Residential City: Douglas State/Province: Arizona Location: 856**, Cochsie Az You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Arizona TLC By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 06/21/2023 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. : The Other Way will return to TLC for its fifth season next month with a cast of seven couples that will include returning couples Daniele Gates and Yohan Geronimo as well as Kenny Niedermeier and Armando Rubio.TLC has announced : The Other Way's fifth season will premiere Monday, July 10 at 8PM ET/PT.The Monday night time period will mark a homecoming of sorts, as the spinoff originally aired on TLC on Monday nights before moving to the franchise's primary Sunday night timeslot midway through Season 2 in late 2020.Daniele, 42, and Yohan, 33, originally appeared on 's Love in Paradise: The Caribbean before appearing on : The Other Way's fourth season, which wrapped late last month on TLC.Kenny, 60, and Armando, 34, previously starred on Season 2 and Season 3 of : The Other Way.Both of the returning couples are married. Daniele had moved to the Dominican Republic for Yohan, and Kenny had moved to Mexico -- leaving his children and grandchildren behind in the United States -- to be with his love.Season 5 of : The Other Way will also star Brandan, a 23-year-old from Oregon, and Mary, a 23-year-old from the Philippines; Holly, a 44-year-old from Utah, and Wayne, a 40-year-old from South Africa; Tejaswi or "TJ," a 33-year-old from India, and Kimberly, a 30-year-old from Alabama; Kirsten, a 24-year-old from the Netherlands, and Julio, a 27-year-old from New York; and Sarper, a 43-year-old from Turkey, and Shekinah, a 41-year-old from Los Angeles.: The Other Way follows American citizens moving to or living in foreign countries for the sake of love and their future spouses and experiencing culture shock."One couple has yet to actually meet in-person but is so obsessed with each other that they can no longer stand to be apart," TLC teased of the new season."One woman has found the man of her dreams (literally), and another defies the warnings of everyone in her life. All are leaving behind friends, family, home, careers, and possessions to follow their hearts."According to TLC, the seven couples starring on the new season will have their fair share of obstacles to overcome.Daniele and Yohan will be shown trying to start fresh in their relationship after Yohan broke up with her during the Tell-All for : The Other Way's fourth season.The married couple's new vision for their future involves getting pregnant, buying a home, and starting a business, but their cultural differences and personalities clash.Kenny and Armando will be shown at odds in a new city."A potential move to Mexico City stirs up a power struggle between the two. As they look into surrogacy, tensions between this normally united pair begin to boil over, shaking the foundation of their relationship," TLC says of the pair.Brandan and Mary, despite never meeting in-person, spend every waking -- and sleeping -- hour on video call with each other."This obsessive and possessive behavior has led their friends and families to oppose the relationship, but not being together is no longer an option for these two," TLC shares of the pair."Both have made extraordinary sacrifices to prove their love to one another, and Brandan has invested everything he has into building a home for them in the Philippines."Brandan, however, has no backup plan, and he's apparently in for "a rude awakening" before his plane takes off.Holly, a fairy-tale-obsessed barber from Utah, met Wayne, an entrepreneur who owns his own plumbing business in Johannesburg, on a Jehovahas Witnesses dating site.Holly moves into Wayne's home, which had already been broken into three times, and so her family and friends worry for Holly's safety.Holly's mother will even be shown traveling to South Africa herself to check out the situation, when the couple's wedding date is only a little more than a week away.Kimberly, a clairvoyant based in Alabama, says she first met her fiance, TJ, in a dream, before officially meeting him on social media.After spending time together in India, the two got engaged."Now TJ is planning an elaborate Indian wedding, and Kimberly is frustrated that she's been left out of the process," TLC teases."But it's not just wedding drama ahead for these two -- Kimberly is leaving behind her independent American lifestyle to move in with TJ's more traditional family. Once she arrives in India, Kimberly discovers just how little TJ told her about the life she was signing up for."Julio, a New York based DJ and self-proclaimed "momma's boy," stumbled upon Kirsten on his Instagram explore page and was immediately taken with the Dutch beauty.A week together in quarantine solidified their relationship, and now Julio plans to move to the Netherlands.However, Kirsten must meet Julio's mother in New York first."When she arrives, Kristen makes a shocking discovery that leads them both to question the future of their relationship," TLC says.During a trip to Turkey, Shekinah, an aesthetician based in Los Angeles, met Sarper, a model and personal trainer. They had sexual chemistry right off the bat, and after only two days together, they both said they fell in love.Shekinah's friends and family will be shown warning her that Sarper is "a playboy" and she's about to repeat the destructive behavior of her past: falling for an attractive man despite the red flags. But Shekinah insists that this time is different."Once abroad, Shekinah tries to lay down ground rules for Sarper, but he balks at her efforts to control him," TLC says. "The more time they spend together, the more shocking discoveries are made, leading the two lovebirds to question how well they really know each other."In the trailer for the show's new season debuting in July, Armando demands that Kenny finally make a decision about having a child with him, and Yohan calls Daniele "a selfish person," which prompts her to yell at him to get out of her house.Brandan's mother says she won't let a girl her son has never met ruin his life, TJ accuses Kimberly of being focused on herself and not respecting him, and there are tears, arguments, and even home robberies! Victoria Fuller / Instagram By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 06/21/2023 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. alum Victoria Fuller has opened up and provided "insight" about her breast augmentation, publicly, for the first time in a new Instagram video.Victoria, who is currently dating The Bachelorette 17 alum Greg Grippo , recently took to Instagram and posted a video of herself getting candid about work she's had done to her chest."I've never felt quite comfortable enough to talk about breast augmentation surgery with you guys on my socials, until now. I got my surgery almost 8 years ago and ever since then have gotten questions about my implant journey," Victoria captioned her post.In the video clip, which features a montage of Victoria's curvy body, Victoria told her followers, "I never really talk about this on my socials, but I did get breast implants. It's probably one of the best things I've done for myself, so let's talk about it."Victoria proceeded to explain what the process was like for her nearly a decade ago."I'm a planner by nature, so I did a lot of research to figure out exactly what I wanted. Any type of surgery is a huge decision, so I wanted to make sure that I'd absolutely love my results," Victoria said."I met with a lot of doctors, but I finally found my surgeon... I also reviewed my doctor's work on Instagram and in online reviews. Yes, inspo is everywhere and Instagram was a great place to find it."Victoria said she and her surgeon discussed "the potential risks and complications" of breast implant surgery as well as her options for size and volume, which ultimately exceeded her expectations."I chose high profile because I felt like it fit my frame and it also gave me the fullness that I was looking for," Victoria shared."I was able to even feel the implants in my hand and get a thorough look at what the process really was. I love my results and I just want to normalize talking about aesthetic and elective procedures."Victoria has flaunted her sex appeal and charm on The Bachelor franchise for years now.She first competed for Peter Weber 's heart on The Bachelor's 24th season and then looked for love on 's eighth season last summer. Victoria also co-hosted a group date on Zach Shallcross ' The Bachelor season earlier this year.Victoria and Johnny DePhillipo got engaged on last year, but the couple split shortly after filming the finale.Victoria alleged that Johnny had called her terrible names -- including a "f-cking c-nt" and "homewrecker," which Johnny denied and called "low blows" -- and Johnny claimed Victoria was jealous and "heartbroken" over his The Bachelorette stint on Season 19, which was airing on television while they were secretly engaged.Johnny also said Victoria demanded a lifestyle he wasn't ready for yet and their differences were glaring.According to Victoria, she and Johnny ended their engagement three weeks after Johnny's marriage proposal because their dynamic was "toxic." But Johnny believes his relationship with Victoria didn't officially end until mid-September considering they were allegedly still speaking and going to therapy before Victoria enjoyed a surprising European getaway with Greg in late October.Fans first spotted Victoria and Greg, and suspected a romance, during their time in Italy. (They first met at Governors Ball Music Festival in Summer 2021 and maintained a platonic relationship as they both dated other people).Because of how quickly Victoria moved on from Johnny, the brunette beauty was accused of cheating on her then-fiance with Greg.Victoria and Greg also flirted on social media as reports swirled about Victoria and Johnny's split.Victoria said that Greg officially asked her to be his girlfriend on Halloween, and then Victoria went public with her new relationship on November 4, when the reunion special taped.'s reunion aired in late November, and fans were shocked to see Victoria and Greg so affectionate and carefree about their relationship. Victoria claimed she didn't care what anyone thought of her because she was so happy with Greg."I'm completely in love with her, like, head over heels in love with her," Greg said on "The Viall Files" podcast.The podcast's host, Season 21 The Bachelor star Nick Viall , therefore playfully asked Greg if he was ready to propose marriage to Victoria."Stay tuned!" Victoria teased."I mean, we both want that in life," Greg interjected, "she's my person."Victoria agreed that Greg is her "person" as well, and then Greg added, "I haven't felt -- I don't want to say 'content,' that's not the right word because it sounds boring. But I think there's a certain beauty with being content with someone."Greg said he could just sit in a room with Victoria for days on end and they wouldn't get sick of each other."We're growing day by day , and I see it going that route," Greg gushed. "I want that and I know that that's important to her, and I want to be able to take that step with her."Victoria was clearly getting choked up and she said, "I'm going to cry."Victoria conducted a Q&A session via Instagram Stories earlier this month, and one fan asked, " Why aren't you engaged yet? Victoria responded, "LMFAOOOOOOO. This question is nuts!! You guys, if you don't remember, one year ago I was engaged [to Johnny DePhillipo ]. When it happens, it will not be rushed or for anyone but us. But y'all will be the first to know, trust."Victoria recently threw Greg a 30th birthday, and they also went off the grid together in Florida last month to "reset" their romance out of the public eye.Victoria and Greg have also been house hunting together in Nashville after Greg had promised to leave New York to be with his girlfriend.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Join our The Bachelor Facebook Group The Hobbit alum Richard Armitage, Crazy Rich Asians actress Jing Lusi and The Full Monty star Lesley Sharp have signed on for roles in ITVX's six-part thriller, Red Eye. ADVERTISEMENT Flightplan director Peter A. Dowling is helming the project about a high-altitude trip from London to Beijing that goes awry. "Red Eye marks a turning point in British Asian representation and I am beyond thrilled and proud to be leading this series alongside the wonderful Richard Armitage," Lusi said in a statement Thursday. The series is expected to premiere on the British streaming service in 2024. People protest against the Japanese government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea in Fukushima, Japan, June 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu) "The mountains and rivers will never return to the past, and the radiation will not disappear easily. But compared to life and love, this country puts making money first!" a protestor said. FUKUSHIMA, Japan, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Nearly 100 Japanese people rallied on Tuesday outside the Fukushima Prefectural Government Office to voice their strong opposition to the latter's stance on discharging radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. "The mountains and rivers will never return to the past, and the radiation will not disappear easily. But compared to life and love, this country puts making money first!" Tatsuko Okawara from Tamura city, Fukushima Prefecture, shouted a line from a puppet show she created, exposing the inside story of the Japanese government's eagerness to dump nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the plant's operator, began trialing the equipment for discharging the nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific on June 12. The test run of the discharge facility is expected to finish on June 26. The nuclear wastewater release led by the Japanese government seems to have entered the countdown. Around Tuesday noon, people from all over Japan who are opposed to the dumping plan gathered in a "Fukushima Action," staging parades, rallies and petitions, to express their firm opposition to the stance of the Fukushima prefectural government on the issue. People protest against the Japanese government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea in Fukushima, Japan, June 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu) Chiyo Oda, an organizer of the event and the co-representative of the civic group "Stop Polluting the Sea", told Xinhua, "The government says every day that the trial operation will end soon, making everyone feel that the ocean discharge is an established fact, and wants us to give up." "But it is wrong to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, and there are still places for the water storage tanks, so it has not reached the point where it must be discharged," Oda said. Masuko Eiichi from the prefecture's Koriyama city, also criticized the discharge plan at the gathering, saying, "These storage tanks for nuclear-contaminated water can be stored for a long time as long as the government and TEPCO want to. But they have chosen the cheapest way to deal with them by discharging the wastewater into the sea." Regarding the government referring the diluted nuclear-contaminated water as "treated water," Sakurai from Niigata Prefecture said it is a fraud to confuse the public. People protest against the Japanese government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water into the sea in Fukushima, Japan, June 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu) Eiichi explained that nuclear-contaminated water can be diluted, but the total amount of nuclear pollutants discharged remains unchanged. "Moreover, there are not only the radioactive element tritium in the water, but also 57 kinds of radioactive substances such as cesium and strontium that cannot be removed," Eiichi added. In the petition to be submitted to the Fukushima prefectural government, the participants voiced more demands and concerns. They said, "In the absence of quantitative determination of all radioactive substances in the contaminated water, discharging the water into the sea will cause a large amount of radioactive substances to spread to the entire Pacific Ocean through the coastal waters of Fukushima, and then pollute the global marine environment..." Under the scorching sun, Okawara's speech continued, "Nuclear-contaminated water must not be discharged into the sea. It is a crime, a crime against all living things on earth!" Porterville, CA (93257) Today Plentiful sunshine. Hot. High near 105F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low around 70F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. AthFest is one of many Athens events that draws a large crowd to the downtown area, with over 100 acts performing across three outdoor stages and 10 local venues. Lieutenant Shaun Barnett, ACCPDs public information officer, said ACCPD has a lot of experience handling these types of events. In this weeks blotter, a man steals patio furniture and an A/C unit goes missing and is assumed to have been stolen. More mid-senior level exits seen with change of leadership at IT companies. Ayushman Baruah reports. Indian IT services companies have seen several CEO changes that have, over the past few months, led to some crucial exits at the mid-senior level in a trend that is likely to continue. According to a recent Motilal Oswal report, Movement of mid-to-senior leadership at IT services firms is a reality, partially on account of multiple CEO-level changes. "Moreover, there is demand for senior talent from both IT services and captives, especially in delivery roles. "The CEO plays a critical role in the cohesion of an organisation, serving as a 'unifying force' that imparts stability, guidance, and a sense of purpose," said Daya Prakash, founder, TalentOnLease, an IT contract staffing agency. When a high-level executive departs from a company, it can provoke uncertainty and prompt inquiries regarding the organisations future course, strategic objectives, and cultural dynamics." "This uncertainty often increases anxiety among mid-senior level employees, who may be concerned about potential changes in leadership style, priorities, or possible restructuring, he added. The IT sector has seen some high-profile CEO movements in the past few months. Former Infosys president Ravi Kumar S joined as the CEO of Cognizant Technology Solutions this January after a 20-year stint at the Bengaluru-based firm. Soon after, Cognizant's Chief People Officer Rebecca (Becky) Schmitt stepped down to join as the Chief Human Resources Officer at PepsiCo in June. Mohit Joshi quit Infosys after spending over two decades to join the top job at Tech Mahindra. He will take over as MD and CEO when C P Gurnani retires on December 19. Late last year, Simmi Dhamija quit as the Chief Transformation Officer at Tech Mahindra to join as the Chief Operating Officer-APMEA at Wipro. Most recently, Rajesh Gopinathan quit as CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) giving way to BFSI head K Krithivasan, who took charge of the countrys largest IT firm on June 1. Wipro has had intermittent senior-level exits ever since Thierry Delaporte took charge as CEO in 2020. Recently, Mohd Haque, head of Healthcare and Medical Devices resigned, while vice president Gurvinder Sahni left the company in April to join as chief marketing officer at Persistent Systems. The industry is likely to see more mid-senior level exits as a CEOs departure can disrupt ongoing projects and initiatives, causing delays and impacting employee morale, said Prakash of TalentOnLease. It is crucial for companies to effectively manage leadership transitions, communicate transparently, and ensure that the new CEO can effectively establish trust, provide clarity, and inspire confidence in the future, he added. To ensure stability when a CEO quits, companies must prioritise robust succession planning, according to Aditya Mishra, MD and CEO, CIEL HR Services. By identifying and grooming potential successors, companies can seamlessly transition when a CEO departs, maintaining stability and continuity. "Additionally, investing in leadership development training is essential. "Equipping leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge empowers them to navigate uncertainties, drive innovation, and steer the company towards success. A R Ramesh, director - managed services and professional staffing, Adecco India, concurs with the view that it is important to provide support and resources to employees during these transitions, helping them navigate the uncertainties. While change can impact individuals at various levels, including mid and senior positions, it is essential to foster an environment of trust and collaboration, allowing everyone to play a role in driving the necessary changes, he said. The southwest monsoon has started on a weak note and this has delayed the sowing of kharif crops. Photograph: PTI Photo Though a cause for concern, the situation hasnt reached a stage where it warrants any panic response. Moreover, according to meteorologists and industry players, monsoon rains will witness a revival in the coming few weeks. There have been instances when rainfall was poor in June but that did not translate into it remaining weak for the entire season. In 2019, the rainfall in June was around 32 per cent less than normal as the southwest monsoon arrived late, by seven days around June 8. The progress of monsoon was also sluggish that year, just like this year, due to the impact of cyclone Vayu in the Arabian Sea. But, after the cyclone waned, rainfall revived in July that year and 2019 emerged as a normal monsoon year. This year too, weathermen and scientists believe that a monsoon revival is on the cards that would wipe off most of the shortfall which has already started coming down in the last few days. The second pulse of southwest monsoon has started and it will extend right up to the middle of July, and we can expect good monsoon over hitherto untouched parts of central, west, and northern India by next week. "Rains will cover the entire country by the middle of July and the deficit will also narrow down considerably, but for June yes, it will be below normal rains on the whole as has been predicted, D Sivananda Pai, scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and well-known authority on Indian monsoons, told Business Standard. He advised: One should panic or become unduly worried if there is something unknown or unpredictable. Sowing is delayed but then proper remedial strategies though agro-advisories are already in place, Pai said. A more worrisome situation would have happened if rains went for a big break after sowing, which isnt the case so far, he said. Rainfall in June until June 23 is around 33 per cent below normal. Sowing of kharif crops until June 16 is marginally less than last year, with rice, pulses, and oilseeds being the biggest losers in terms of acreage. Ravinder Balain, president-South Asia, Corteva Agriscience, said the delay in the progress of the southwest monsoon will have a small impact on demand for agrochemicals in the country, but it will be temporary. The agrochemical industry is well prepared to address issues caused by delayed and less rainfall. Today, we have climate-positive solutions with beneficial environmental profiles like hybrid seeds and bio-pesticides, helping address challenges like water scarcity and climate change, delivering safe, affordable, and reliable products, Balain told Business Standard. Corteva is one of the world's premier agriculture companies. Simon-Thorsten Wiebusch, country divisional head, Crop Science Division of Bayer for India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, said that based on the recent predictions of the IMD, the company remains hopeful that we will have good (monsoon) coverage across the country swiftly. As a company, Bayer is fully prepared with its entire portfolio of products, solutions, and advisory to ensure immediate access to any solution that our farmers may require through all its channels for a successful kharif season, said Wiebusch. But, not all are extremely positive. Atul Garg, managing director, GRM Overseas, one of the leading rice exporters in the country, said the severity of El Nino holds the key for this year. "Paddy cultivation requires a lot of water supply. The canal network is good in the states like Punjab and Haryana. "Therefore, water shortage due to deficient rainfall wont affect paddy sowing in these regions. "However, its a serious concern for paddy growers in other states. But, as a revival in monsoon is expected in last week of June, we can expect a turnaround in paddy sowing, Garg said. Rahul Chauhan, commodity analyst at iGrain India said the rains are delayed, farmers may go for short-duration crops and crops consuming less water like pulses and grains like maize, jowar, and bajra. He said overall oilseeds acreage could remain less this year, and paddy and sugarcane which consume more water might get impacted. 'India's edtech and start-up story will be in danger.' IMAGE: Byju Raveendran, founder and CEO, Byju's. Photograph: PTI Photo Sometime in November 2018, Byju Raveendran, founder and CEO of edtech giant Byju's, walked into a store in Dubai airport where his attention was caught by the gaming products of Osmo, a US-based educational gaming company. The products were displayed prominently but no one was buying them. For the next couple of hours, he turned into a salesperson. "I sold the products to almost every single parent who was coming with kids to that store because I was able to explain to them that the skills acquired using Osmo's products are not taught in school," said Raveendran in an interview. The next thing he did was to call his colleague in the US, asking him to reach out to Osmo in San Francisco. "It was a weekend. The same evening, we held a video call and I realised the potential of education when I saw a few more things." In January 2019, Byju's closed Osmo's acquisition, its first overseas, for $120 million in a stock-and-cash deal. The acquisition was done at an opportune time when the Bengaluru-headquartered company was raring to go for its global foray. Since then, Raveendran has been on an acquisition spree leveraging the capital it raised from investors. This allowed it to tap into new categories and dominate the market. This also helped it to increase its lead over competitors such as SoftBank-backed Unacademy, Vedantu, Simplilearn and traditional education institutes. There was no looking back. In April 2021, Byju's acquired brick-and-mortar test preparation firm Aakash Educational Services for nearly $1 billion. Raveendran closed the deal over Zoom. The stock-and-cash deal is the biggest in the education space. The same year it acquired Singapore-headquartered Great Learning, a leader in professional and higher education, for $600 million and US-based digital reading platform Epic for $500 million. Before that in August 2020, it acquired WhiteHat Jr, which teaches coding to children, for $300 million. This hyper-growth focus was evident in the firm's valuation climb. It took almost five years for Byju's to reach about $8 billion by January 2020. But it took the company just 1.5 years to reach a valuation of $15 billion by April 2021 and $22 billion by March 2022. In June 2021, Byju's became the most valuable start-up at $16.5 billion, surpassing fintech company Paytm's $16-billion valuation. This happened after raising about $350 million from UBS Group and Zoom Founder Eric Yuan, Blackstone and others. The pandemic played a key role in the growth of Byju's and other edtech companies. The country's $180 billion education sector went online to adapt to the new reality. People were conducting virtual surgery classes to teaching rhymes to toddlers online. And this opened up big opportunities for edtech players. The pandemic actually helped Byju's to become a decacorn in 2020. This means it crossed a $10.5 billion valuation. Byju's now has over 150 million registered learners globally and a presence in 120 countries. In just six months during the lockdown, it added 45 million new students to its platform. But in the recent past, Byju's has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. The slide started in 2022, including sacking employees, alleged harsh and "abusive" work culture, inability to file its financials and challenges in raising fresh capital amid a funding winter and macroeconomic uncertainty. Last year, the ministry of corporate affairsasked Byju's to explain why it hasn't filed audited financials for FY21. It also sent Byju's parent company Think and Learn a letter asking for an explanation for the 17-month delay in filing audited accounts. Other edtech unicorns such as Unacademy, upGrad, Vedantu, Physics Wallah and Eruditus, have filed their FY22 financials. Byju's should have done so by September last year. Before this, the company filed its 2020-21 results in September 2022, a nearly 18-month delay. The firm was targeting to be profitable by March 2023. Instead, it posted losses of Rs 4,588 crore in FY21, 19 times more than the preceding year, according to the latest available financial report. Early this year, Byju's handed pink slips to another 900-1,000 employees. Company sources said the move was part of the 'optimisation' strategy that the edtech giant had announced last year that included sacking 2,500 workers. To add to its woes, the Enforcement Directorate recently conducted search and seizure operations at three premises of Byju's under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. These searches allegedly revealed that the company received foreign direct investments of about Rs 28,000 crore between 2011 and 2023. Last month, US asset manager BlackRock reduced the valuation of its share in Byju's -- this time to about $8.4 billion. Byju's latest valuation, as estimated by BlackRock, is around 62 per cent down from the peak of $22 billion in April 2022. Before this, BlackRock had reduced the start-up's valuation to $11.5 billion (as of December 31, 2022). Meanwhile, US entity Byju's Alpha was recently sued in Delaware by an agent of lenders to whom the company owes $1.2 billion. The lawsuit was filed by Glas Trust Company and investor Timothy R Pohl against Byju's Alpha, Tangible Play, and Riju Ravindran, the younger brother of the founder. The two companies being sued are units of Think and Learn Private, edtech firm founded by Byju Raveendran. Lenders have accused Byju's Alpha, an inoperative entity with no employees, of hiding $500 million. Byju's recently said the Delaware court has given an interim order asking the edtech giant to maintain status quo with Byju's Alpha, but the company rejected as 'bewildering' claims made by litigants. Byju's has also filed a suit against US-based investment management firm Redwood, challenging a demand for an accelerated payment of a $1.2 billion term loan B (TLB) facility and to disqualify the lender for its 'predatory tactics'. Byju's also skipped an interest payment of about $40 million on the loan, becoming the only Indian start-up to have defaulted on a US dollar loan. Byju's, which filed the suit in the New York supreme vourt, said that contrary to the conditions of the loan facility, Redwood bought a significant portion of the loan while primarily trading in distressed debt. Given that legal proceedings are now on in both Delaware and New York, the entire TLB is disputed, a company statement said. A group of ad hoc lenders, who collectively own more than 85 per cent of Byju's term loans amounting to $1.2 billion, said the recent lawsuit filed by the edtech firm in the New York supreme court lacks merit. VC players think Byju's fundraise efforts may be impacted because a chunk of this will also be used for paying the legal fees. Yet the firm recently raised Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 20 billion/$250 million) from US-based investment firm Davidson Kempner Capital Management. However, the legal battle between Byju's and lenders in the US and the skipped interest payment of $40 million has made Davidson Kempner 'extremely concerned and they may consider slowing down the flow of various tranches of that capital to the company', according to the people familiar with the matter. Byju's woes have also impacted the edtech start-up brand. As a banker pointed out, on condition of anonymity, "In the early years of the ecommerce growth story in India, if Flipkart sneezed, the entire industry would catch a cold. The same is happening in the edtech space." "If anything goes wrong with Byju's, India's edtech and start-up story will be in danger." Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com The time is ripe for Airbus and Boeing to look at India in terms of setting up facilities to manufacture commercial aircraft, Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday. Image used for representative purpose only. Photograph: Michael Spooneybarger/Reuters His comments came a day after IndiGo placed the worlds largest-ever single-tranche plane order with Airbus. Air India had in February placed an order for 470 aircraft 250 with Airbus and 220 with Boeing which would be a mix of narrow-body and wide-body planes. IndiGo on Monday placed an order with Airbus for 500 A320 family of aircraft, which are narrow-body planes. When asked by Business Standard if Airbus should establish a manufacturing facility in India, considering these two giant orders, Scindia replied: I do not think it would be right for me to advise Airbus on what it should do in terms of international strategy. 'That is for Airbus and Boeing to decide. But I think the time is ripe to look at India (to establish a manufacturing facility). The minister added that Airbus has already looked at India. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, he said. The C295 (military aircraft) facility is the first major step Airbus has taken in terms of setting up a manufacturing facility in India. It will be set up in Vadodara, and the prime minister has laid the foundation stone for it. Airbus is already here, he stated at a press conference. In September 2021, India sealed a nearly Rs. 21,000 crore deal with Airbus to procure 56 C295 transport aircraft to replace the ageing Avro 748 planes of the Indian Air Force. Under the agreement, Airbus will deliver 16 C295 planes from its Spain facility within four years, and subsequently, the remaining 40 planes will be manufactured in Vadodara, in collaboration with Tata Advanced Systems. The minister had last month said that Indian carriers must have greater wide-body planes in their fleet so that they can operate a higher number of international flights, empowering India to become a civil aviation focal point. A wide-body plane has a bigger fuel tank, allowing it to fly long distances like the India-US route. IndiGos Monday order is only for narrow-bodied planes. This (IndiGo order) is a landmark event in the realm of civil aviation, but I do not think we should look at the fine print in terms of narrow-bodied versus wide-bodied because it is no longer a black-and-white area. "It is a grey area. For instance, the A321s have an aeronautical range of roughly 3,800 nautical miles, and the A321XLR can go up to 5,000 nautical miles, said Scindia. That provides you with the bandwidth and the range to be able to fly these aircraft internationally as well. "It is IndiGos decision eventually, but I think it has somewhere stated it is looking at wide-bodied aircraft. It has already wet-leased some wide-bodied planes, and they are in operation today. "I do not think you should sign on the dotted line just yet, he added. The minister called IndiGos order a new point of inflexion. The latest order by IndiGo talks of the potential this sector holds, not just for the airlines but also for the people who desire to travel by air, he stated. The expanded fleet of IndiGo and Air India will assist India in becoming a civil aviation nucleus. He said that Delhi airport would become the first hub in India. He also talked about supply-chain issues that engine and plane manufacturers are facing right now. We are very clearly facing them (supply-chain issues). "As Covid-19 eases, these issues are expected to get resolved, he added. PARIS, June 22 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Thursday that the European Union (EU) adheres to strategic autonomy and does not support decoupling or severing supply chains. France will not take discriminative measures against Chinese companies and welcomes their investments, Borne said at a meeting with visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Closer economic ties are on the agenda as Prime Minister Narendra D Modi makes his first State visit to the US. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi speaks to Gary E Dickerson of Applied Materials in Washington DC, June, 21, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo There is more money coming into India to fund new factories and set up ventures through foreign direct investment than before. The average annual US FDI flows in the five years leading up to 2018-2019 was $2.7 billion. This has increased to $8.7 billion in the four years since then. A similar outward flow into the US shows up in the overseas direct investment data. This also includes debts, such as loans. The capital outflows averaged $1.7 billion in the five years leading up to 2018-2019. This has increased to an average of $3.2 billion since 2019-2020. The US also tops in terms of foreign portfolio flows. This is money that US mutual funds and other entities invest by buying Indian securities, such as shares on the stock market. The US is the largest FPI investor in India, accounting for around Rs 38 of every Rs 100 worth of FPI holdings (chart 2). India also exports more to the US than it imports. The exports in 2022-2023 was $79 billion, compared to imports of $50 billion. Imports have risen a little faster than exports in the past five years. Imports rose 89 per cent since 2017-2018 while exports were up 64 per cent. India's imports from the US are largely made up of a few categories, including crude, petroleum products, coal and others. The top five accounted for around 49 per cent of imports in 2022-2023. The export basket was similar. Pharmaceutical products and readymade cotton garments and accessories were among the major exports. The top five exports accounted for 36 per cent of the total exports. Anil Agarwal-led Vedantas Sterlite Copper has come out with a fresh notification inviting expressions of interest (EoIs) to supply raw materials like copper concentrate, imported thermal coal, rock phosphate and petroleum products, among others, as part of its preparatory measures to restart production at its Thoothukudi unit in Tamil Nadu. Photograph: Reuters This plant is likely to restart operations if a Supreme Court verdict goes in favour of the company. On June 12, the company had invited EoIs for carrying out plant restart activities. The plant closed more than five years ago following an order issued by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). The final judgment is expected by August 2023. In the current EoI, tenders for materials like 1.4 million metric tonne (MT) per annum of copper concentrate, 700,000 MT of imported thermal coal, 700,000 MT of rock phosphate, 60,000 MT of petroleum products, 7,000 MT of liquefied petroleum gas, 120,000 MT of quartz fines, 42,000 MT of quartz chips and 20,000 MT of limestone were included. In addition, substantial quantities of silica sand, hydrated lime, quick lime, caustic soda lye, pig iron, barium sulphate, ferric sulphate and sodium sulphate were also included. Before its closure in 2018, the Thoothukudi unit used to contribute to around 40 per cent of the countrys total copper smelting capacity and 95 per cent market share of sulphuric acid in Tamil Nadu. Local suppliers from Thoothukudi and other parts of Tamil Nadu will be given preference. "Suppliers with relevant experience, expertise, financials, delivery capabilities and strong commitment to environmental sustainability are invited to participate in the EoI, the company said. The June 12 EoI was for upkeep and maintenance of the unit. The scope of that EoI included safety assessment and audit of the structures and building, repair and rectification, engaging with OEMs or experts for certification, replacement of plant and machinery and commissioning of plant and machinery to enable achieving the designed capacity. The company also sought to employ around 4,000 (both skilled and unskilled), in and around Thoothukudi. It felt that floating these tenders is a standard measure as the procurement and deployment of materials and resources necessary for the restoration and restart of the plant can be a time-consuming process, spanning several months. The plant stopped production in May 2018, after protests broke out against the plan to double annual capacity to 800,000 tonnes. Subsequent police firing caused the death of 13 people and injured 102. On June 2 this year, the company finally got access to the plant for upkeep works, following a court ruling in April, allowing it to carry out maintenance works. The plant was set up in 1996 and has a capacity of around 400,000 MTPA. According to Sterlite Copper, it is suffering a loss of Rs. 5 crore daily due to the closure of the unit. In addition, from being a net exporter of 335,000 tonnes in 2017-18, India has become a net importer of copper since 2018-19. The country incurred a deficit of $971 million in 2021-22, according to reports, mainly due to the shutdown of the Thoothukudi unit. Comeback mode February 2018: Protests resurface after Sterlite announced plans to double plants annual capacity to 800,000 MTPA May 22, 2018: Police firing killed 13 and left 102 injured during a protest May 24, 2018: Two days after the firing, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board ordered closure of the unit with immediate effect and disconnected its electricity supply June 20, 2022: Vedanta comes out with an EoI for selling the Sterlite unit April 10, 2023: A three-member Supreme Court Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, allowed Sterlite Copper to carry out maintenance works at its Thoothukudi plant May 5, 2023: Supreme Court asks Tamil Nadu to take appropriate steps before June 1, to ensure implementation of its order on the maintenance of the plant June 12, 2023: Sterlite Copper comes out with an advertisement inviting EoIs for carrying out plant restart activities June 19, 2023: Fresh EoI invited for sourcing of raw materials The Aam Aadmi Party in Bihar on Thursday dubbed a poster in Patna calling Arvind Kejriwal would be prime minister and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar confidant of Narendra Modi, as a disgusting conspiracy against opposition unity. IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar addresses a press conference with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, at the CM's residence, in New Delhi, May 21, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The poster, which has been put on a prominent road crossing in the city, is signed by one Vikas Kumar Jyoti, who, the party claimed, was not associated with the AAP. Besides calling Kejriwal bhaavi pradhan mantri, the poster says Kumar, who is convening the opposition meeting scheduled here on Friday, was a khasam khas of Narendra Modi in whom the people had neither faith nor hope (na asha na vishwas hai). This is a disgusting conspiracy against opposition unity, said Bablu Kumar, spokesman of AAP's Bihar unit. Our leader, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, is coming to Patna to take part in the meeting along with his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann. The person, who has put up the poster, is not known to us and has never been a primary member of our party, said the AAP spokesman. On the official Twitter handle of AAP's Bihar unit, its co-in-charge Abhinav Rai also issued a statement, alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party has grown afraid of a united opposition and is getting misleading posters put up to spread rumours and falsehood. Let all be on their guard and devote themselves to uprooting the dictatorial BJP government in 2024. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has sidestepped queries on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal making a pitch for keeping the contentious central ordinance on top of the agenda of the June 23 opposition meet. IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, in New Delhi on May 21, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader also said, "This is not the first meeting of opposition leaders nor is it going to be the last. Leaders of different hues have agreed to meet and they will all raise issues that they feel strongly about. There is no problem with that." He was responding to queries from journalists, late in the evening on Wednesday, on the statement by the Aam Aadmi Party chief, who has been galvanising regional leaders in support of his fight against the ordinance that brings Delhi's bureaucracy under the control of the Lieutenant General, who is an appointee of the Centre. It is being speculated that the Delhi CM has sought to throw a bait for the Congress, which has so far avoided supporting him on the issue. Yadav also mocked the slogan 'aayega to Modi hi' that the Bharatiya Janata Party often raises, to assert that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's return to power for a third term was inevitable. "They (BJP) seem to have forgotten that nothing is permanent. Nobody is immortal. We ruled the state but then came a time when we had to sit in the opposition," said the RJD leader whose party now shares power with Nitish Kumar, once arch-rival of the party's supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. He added, "The coming Lok Sabha elections, though, are not going to be about one particular leader. It is going to be about the issues faced by the people which seem to have been forgotten. The opposition meeting will aim at devising a programme in which the issues of the people get the political centre-stage." Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, M K Stalin, Sharad Pawar, Mehbooba Mufti and Hemant Soren, besides Kejriwal, are expected to take part in the meeting scheduled here on Friday. Top leaders of Opposition parties will meet in Patna on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserting that they will fight together "like a family" to take on the National Democratic Alliance "one to one". IMAGE: TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accompanied by party laeder Abhishek Banerjee meets RJD president Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, in Patna, June 22, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo Sources said the Opposition parties would look to avoid the prickly leadership question as of now and emphasise on building a common ground. Leaders of 15 parties including half-a-dozen chief ministers are expected to attend the deliberations. A day before the crucial deliberations, fissures in the Opposition ranks came to the fore with Aam Aadmi Party sources saying that the party will walk out of the meeting if the Congress does not promise its support against the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi. Also, the Samajwadi Party would be the only party from Uttar Pradesh attending the meeting with Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati not being invited and Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary set to skip the conclave due to a family programme. IMAGE: Mamata Banerjee seeks blessings from Lalu Yadav, in Patna, June 22, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann (AAP), Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. It is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar (Janata Dal-United) and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav (Rashtriaya Janata Dal) in Patna at the chief minister's 1, Aney Marg residence. Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist and the National Conference are also expected to attend the meeting. West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee, who arrived in Patna in the evening, met Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Yadav, former Bihar CM Rabri Devi and Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav. Asked what will happen at tomorrow's meeting, she told reporters outside Tejashwi Yadav's residence, "I cannot say anything now. We have come here as we will fight together, one to one (against the BJP)." "We will fight together like a collective family," she asserted. The TMC chief, however, avoided questions on her reservations about the Congress party's alliance with the Left in her state and the Aam Aadmi Party threatening a "walkout" if the Congress support was not forthcoming on the Delhi ordinance issue. Later in the evening, Chief Minister Kumar met Banerjee. Speaking with reporters in Kolkata as she left for Patna, she hoped that the opposition meeting would be constructive and asserted that the BJP must be defeated in the next Lok Sabha polls to save the country from disaster. Kejriwal and Mann also arrived in Patna Thursday evening and visited the Patna Sahib gurudwara. Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti reached Patna Thursday morning for the meeting. Sources said the meeting was being seen as a starting point for the Opposition to come together to take on the Narendra Modi-led BJP dispensation. Therefore, a basic outline and roadmap for the Opposition unity are likely to be deliberated upon with the contentious issue of seat-sharing and the leadership question to be avoided for now, they said. "This is just the beginning. A meeting of minds is important. The strategy, leadership question and seat-sharing are unlikely to be discussed at this stage," a senior Opposition leader said on condition of anonymity. The leader said issues that the Opposition would jointly raise to corner the BJP would be at the top of the agenda and in this context the Manipur violence and the Centre's alleged failure there are likely to be discussed. All eyes are on the meeting's agenda and whether the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital would be a key part of the discussions as AAP wants. Keeping cards close to its chest, the Congress has so far kept its stand ambiguous as to whether it would support the AAP or not when the ordinance is put to test in Parliament by the BJP-led Centre. Kejriwal on Tuesday had expressed hope that the Congress will clear its stand on the Centre's ordinance at the June 23 meeting. The meeting also comes amid tensions between the Congress and TMC. Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury staged a dharna outside a block office in Bengal's Murshidabad district demanding action against the activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress who allegedly attacked Congress workers in the run-up to the panchayat polls in the state. The BJP has been taking swipes at the Opposition over differences within its ranks and repeatedly jabbing it over the leadership question as to who will be their prime ministerial face. Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh hit back at the BJP's criticism, saying the issue of who would be the prime ministerial face of the Opposition alliance is not important as the leadership question can be tackled collectively after defeating the BJP in the 2024 elections. Singh also claimed that when Opposition parties unite and contest the general elections next year, the BJP will come down to less than 100 seats. CPI general secretary D Raja, who would be attending the meeting, hailed the Patna huddle of Opposition leaders as a step forward "in the right direction". "This meeting is being held immediately after the Karnataka elections. Several state elections are coming up and the Lok Sabha polls are due in 2024. This (the meeting) will give clarity," Raja told PTI. The secular democratic parties coming together itself is a very positive message and that is the reason why the BJP is getting "jittery and desperate", he claimed. Exuding confidence that the anti-BJP alliance can win in 2024, Raja said the secular democratic parties must work together keeping in view the primary objective to defeat BJP. "This is not just for winning seats and forming a government. This is to safeguard democracy, Constitution, the secular fabric of the country and even safeguarding the sovereign independence of Parliament," he said. "When elections take place, the electoral strategy and seat-sharing will be discussed at the state level. It will be based on the balance of political forces. There, I think, the secular democratic parties must be more reasonable and mutually accommodating," the CPI leader said. The meeting also comes amid a churn in the ruling coalition in Patna as well with one of the 'Mahagathbandhan' allies and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi walking out of the alliance and crossing over to the NDA. CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya are among the other leaders who have agreed to be part of the meeting. Targeting the parties which are slated to participate in the opposition conclave, Mayawati termed the meeting more about joining of hands than hearts. The BSP chief has not been invited for the opposition meeting. JD-U leader KC Tyagi said, "We have invited those parties that are willing to fight against the BJP in 2024 and want to be a part of an anti-BJP front." "We have not invited Mayawati, Naveen Patnaik, K Chandrashekar Rao and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, so there is no question of them skipping the meeting," he told PTI. Tyagi said leaders of 15 parties are set to attend the meeting in Patna. RLD leader Chaudhary said he will not attend the meeting due to a "predetermined family programme". "I am sure that this meeting will prove to be an important milestone in the path of opposition unity," the RLD chief said. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday received Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House and they gathered for an intimate dinner. Before entering the building, they posed for photos and were seen chatting. "When friends meet! PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden and family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together," ministry of external affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. According to the White House, this evening, the president, the first lady and the prime minister Modi also enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy Chief of Protocol Aseem Vohra were seen entering the White House. Earlier in the day, Jill Biden hosted Modi at the National Science Foundation (NSF), where they participated at an event to highlight shared priorities of India and the US around education and workforce. On Thursday, President Joe Biden and the First Lady will host a state dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Prime Minister Modi visit also includes an address by him to the joint session of the US Congress. IMAGE: The Bidens receive Prime Minister Modi at the White House. Photograph: Courtesy, MEA India on Twitter The White House also said that as the official gift, the president and first lady will present Prime Minister Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. They will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, it said. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. 'If we want our economies to be strong, we need to invest in young people who are our future.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi and Dr Jill Biden. Photograph: All photographs: Abhijit J Masih President Biden was in California -- where he had convened leading AI experts and researchers in San Francisco -- and returned to Washington, DC only at around 5:40 pm ET. In his absence, Dr Jill Biden played the perfect host to Prime Minister Narendra D Modi when both visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, to highlight the US and India's shared priorities around education and workforce. On a day marred with steady rain, the event at the NSF, which was to begin at 2:15 pm, was delayed as Modi arrived a tad late from New York. Waiting along with the assembled media was Eric Garcetti, the US ambassador to India and former mayor of Los Angeles, casually moving around the NSF conference hall. One of the smaller events compared to the other mega events planned during the State visit, the total number of people attending the event would not have been more than 200 including the media. IMAGE: Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India's envoy to the United States. Prime Minister Modi and the First Lady walked into the room at 3 pm, but before they could make their way to the front table, in marched prominent members of the Indian delegation notable among them External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Kumar Doval along with India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu who apologised to the First Lady for the delay. The delegates and officials from both sides took their seats on the side of the head table which seated the prime minister and the First Lady along with National Science Foundation Director Dr Sethuraman Panchanathan -- the Chennai-born, Indian Institute of Science and IIT-Madras-educated computer scientist -- Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO, Micron Technologies, Inc, Dr Jermaine Williams, President, Montgomery College and two students, Anchal Sharma and Williams Ochoa. Modi and Dr Biden also met two students from the US and India who are learning skills to succeed in industries vital to both nations's economies. Kaustubh Joshi, who is currently studying for a PhD in the United States, demonstrated how an underwater robot can be used to aid fishing and how this technology could be utilised in the workforce. "Our relationship isn't just about governments," Dr Biden told the gathering. "We're celebrating the families and friendships that span the globe, those who feel the bonds of both of our countries." "Mr Prime Minister, I know that education is an issue close to your heart as it is to mine," Dr Biden, who has a PhD in education, said. "You work to ensure that all Indians, especially girls, which I love, have the opportunity to pursue an education and gain the skills they need for our modern workforce." "Promoting education opportunities and expanding India's technology sector have been key pillars of Prime Minister Modi's vision for the country," NSF Director Dr Sethuraman Panchanathan said. IMAGE: A view of the gathering at the National Science Foundation event. "It is important to have education, skill, and innovation and India has worked in this direction. Under the Skilling Mission, more than 50 million people have been trained. And another 15 million are being given training on latest and emerging technologies like for AI and blockchains," Modi informed the gathering. The prime minister invited retired and serving American teachers to come to India during their winter break to share their knowledge with the youth of India. IMAGE: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at left, as Prime Minister Modi shakes hands with a couple of the guests. "If we want our economies to be strong, we need to invest in young people who are our future," Dr Biden pointed out. "We need to ensure that they have the opportunities that they deserve." The event at the National Science Foundation concluded in 45 minutes and the prime minister and First Lady left for the White House in their respective motorcades. The last to leave was Ambassador Garcetti. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com Marinated millet, corn kernel salad and stuffed mushrooms are on the menu for 400 guests invited to the White House dinner being hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Observing that the prime minister is a vegetarian, First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday said she asked Chef Nina Curtis -- who specialises in plant-based cuisine -- to work with the White House staff and create a stunning vegetarian menu. Guests will have the option to add fish to their main course as well, she said during the media preview for the state dinner on Thursday at the White House's South Lawn. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. More than 400 guests have been invited for the dinner at the specially decorated pavilion on the South Lawn of the White House, Jill Biden said. The first course on the state dinner will include marinated millet, grilled corn kernel salad, compressed watermelon and a tangy avocado sauce. The main course includes stuffed portobello mushrooms and a creamy saffron-infused risotto. Upon request, guests would be served sumac-roasted sea bass, lemon-dill yogurt sauce, crisped millet cakes and summer squashes, according to the menu. For dessert is rose and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake. Wines on the list are Stone Tower Chardonnay "Kristi" 2021, PATEL Red Blend 2019 and Domain Carneros Brut Rose. California-based Chef Curtis said, "It is truly a pleasure to be able to work with the First Lady and help her to bring her culinary vision to life... we have curated a menu that really showcases the best in American cuisine and also then seasoned with Indian elements and flavours," she said. "We are also very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the International Year of the Millets. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu and the Indian cuisine elements throughout the menu," the chef said. White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo, previewing the state dinner, said the First Lady has been involved in this event at every step. Every element of the dinner and decor has been chosen to make each guest's experience personal and warm, Elizondo said. The decor of the venue features elements that honour the tradition and cultures of the US and India, including the Indian flag, he said. "The inspiration for our design really began with the peacock, India's national bird. From the invitations to the programmes to the pavilion, we wanted to evoke that breathtaking feeling when it extends its tail, unveiling its colourful beauty, majesty, and strength," the social secretary said. "Green draping will flow from the ceiling, giving way to tables cloaked in the saturated blues and greens of Indian silks, falling onto a carpet of navy blue. The hues, not only a nod to our guests, but also to our host, as blue and green are also two of Dr (Jill) Biden's favourite colours," Elizondo said. Each table will feature an arrangement of blooms in vases large and small, and the colour of the flowers mirrors the saffron of India's flag and the heritage it represents, he said. The social secretary said as leaders have done at State Dinners for decades, the president and the prime minister will give their toasts from an eagle lectern. "For this dinner, embossed on the rich forest green backdrop behind them, we have replicated that iconic eagle and a peacock in the same style, framing the leaders with their national birds. In the peacock's talons, stalks of millets, a nod to India's successful campaign to declare 2023 the International Year of Millets," he said. Elizondo said around them are lotus flowers that are important symbols in India. "Their gleaming petals reminding us, that each day, our nations bloom stronger and more radiant, together. Throughout the space, you will see more images of lotuses, their design inspired by the mandala illustrations found in traditional Indian art," he added. First Lady Jill Biden said after years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expansive as the two countries jointly tackle global challenges. She also previewed to the media the menu of the state dinner being hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi by her and US President Joe Biden. "With this official state visit, we are bringing together the world's oldest and the world's largest democracies," Jill Biden said on Wednesday. Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Biden and the First Lady. Jill Biden said that "after years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges. But our relationship isn't only about governments". "We are celebrating the families and friendships that span the globe, those who feel the bonds of home in both of our countries," she said as she previewed the menu. The First Lady said, "Tomorrow night, guests will walk across the South Lawn into a pavilion draped in rich greens with saffron coloured flowers at every table. The colours of the Indian flag." She said that on the transparent sides, will be colours that represent "the strength and heritage, frame the iconic scenery and symbols of our nation, our democracy and our history -- the White House and the Washington Monument". "Inside, each table arrangement is warm and unique. We hope guests feel as if someone has set that table just for them, because we have. After dinner, we will have the opportunity to hear one of our nation's incredible talents, Grammy award winner Joshua Bell," she said. His performance will be followed by that of Penn Masala, a group from the University of Pennsylvania, along with songs inspired by the sounds of India, Jill Biden said. "Finally, after the last plates are cleared, with new connections forged and old ones strengthened, guests will end their evening walking across a moonlit lawn. There they will be greeted by hundreds of glowing lanterns guiding them home, illuminating their pathway with all the warmth and love and laughter we hope they take away from our time together," she said. "Green draping will flow from the ceiling, giving way to tables cloaked in the saturated blues and greens of Indian silks, falling onto a carpet of navy blue. The hues, not only a nod to our guests, but also to our host, as blue and green are also two of Dr (Jill) Biden's favourite colours," White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo, previewing the state dinner said. Each table will feature an arrangement of blooms in vases large and small, and the colour of the flowers mirrors the saffron of India's flag and the heritage it represents, he said. The social secretary said as leaders have done at state dinners for decades, the president and the prime minister will give their toasts from an eagle lectern. Elizondo said around them are lotus flowers that are important symbols in India. "Their gleaming petals reminding us, that each day, our nations bloom stronger and more radiant, together. Throughout the space, you will see more images of lotuses, their design inspired by the mandala illustrations found in traditional Indian art," he added. The design, he said, also reflects the First Lady's love of candles, their timeless elegance and their approachable warmth. Guests will be guided to the pavilion by their flickering light, just visible in the fading sunlight. The dinner itself will be lit with sparkling candlelight, the official said. A former deputy head teacher of a London primary school has pleaded guilty to paying and instructing teenagers in India to abuse younger children. The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed this week that it had arrested Matthew Smith, 34, from East Dulwich in south London in November last year after its investigators identified that he was sharing abuse material on the dark web and he was convicted at Southwark Crown Court in London on Tuesday. According to the NCA, Smith was online at the time of his arrest, speaking to a teenage boy living in India and asking him to send sexual images of a younger child, in return for money. Matthew Smith was a high-risk individual and we moved quickly to locate, arrest and remand him so he could no longer pose a threat to children, said Helen Dore, NCA's Senior Officer. Ultimately, we were able to prove that he was a prolific offender who manipulated young men to sexually abuse children on his behalf, giving them detailed instructions and financial reward. While conducting his offending, Smith worked at a school in Nepal, then became a deputy head teacher and head of pastoral care in the UK, so his offending is a deep betrayal of the trust placed in him, she said. Investigations revealed that Smith was living in Nepal and working at a school for the majority of the offending period in the past. He also spent various periods working in orphanages and NGOs across India between 2007 and 2014. He moved back to the UK in July 2022 and began working at the primary school in London in September that year, where he was a deputy head teacher, or deputy principal, and head of pastoral care. A UK court was told there is no evidence to suggest he committed offences against children based in Nepal or the UK. The investigators, however, found evidence of potential offending by Smith against children while he was working in India and the NCA said that information has been shared with relevant law enforcement partners. Matthew Smith's crimes are particularly disturbing given his role as a primary school teacher entrusted with the responsibility of caring for and safeguarding children, said Claire Brinton, Specialist Prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Service's Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit. Thousands of images and videos were recovered from his devices which showed an appalling catalogue of sexual abuse being perpetrated on children. Smith offered individuals payments for indecent images to gratify his own sexual desires, which resulted in the horrifying abuse of young children in India, she said. Smith pleaded guilty to an initial five offences, including causing the sexual exploitation of a child under 13, and was remanded in custody in November 2022. Last month, he was charged with a further 17 counts, including encouraging the rape of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and arranging the sexual abuse of a child. He appeared at Southwark crown court in London on Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to the additional charges and will be sentenced at the same court on August 4. This conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside the NCA and international partners, will work to bring to justice to those who sexually abuse and exploit children, wherever that abuse takes place, added Brinton. The NCA discovered Smith had dark web sites and forums open on his computer which were dedicated to child sexual abuse. Investigators then interrogated chat logs and financial transactions and were able to establish that Smith had paid teenagers based in India 65,398 pounds to abuse children over a five-year period. The chat logs showed that Smith would instruct the young men to perform sexual acts on boys and would send them images and videos as examples of ones he would like to receive in return. He also gave one of them advice on how to befriend children and build their trust with a view to abusing them, the NCA discovered. Officers recovered over 120,000 indecent images of children (IIOC) which Smith had saved on a laptop, SD card and on his phone. PARIS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- A huge gas explosion occurred in central Paris on Wednesday, leaving at least 24 people injured, Paris police said. The explosion occurred at around 5 p.m. local time at a building in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, Florence Berthout, mayor of the arrondissement, said. According to Paris police, the explosion caused a large fire to break out. Among those injured, four are in a critical condition. A search and rescue operation is still ongoing at the site of the explosion, police said. Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that her office is opening an "involuntary injury" investigation into the explosion. However, she added that it is impossible to determine the cause of the explosion "for the moment." Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden state visit was marked by several major takeaways to boost cooperation in key areas including defence, space and trade. IMAGE: US first lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden greet Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives on the South Lawn of the White House for an official State Arrival Ceremony at the start of Modi's visit to the White House in Washington, DC on June 22, 2023. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Defence - Joint production of fighter jet engines in India In a landmark pact, GE Aerospace inked a MoU with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly produce fighter jet engines for Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk-II -- Tejas. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this. The agreement will advance GE Aerospace's earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the IAF as part of the LCA-Mk-II programme. - Armed drones India and the US are expected to announce a mega deal on the purchase of General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" armed drones by India, a move which would further bolster India's national security and surveillance capabilities not only in the Indian Ocean but also along the frontier with China. The General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" can carry 500 per cent more payload and has nine times the horsepower in comparison to the earlier MQ-1 Predator. Space India and the US are collaborating to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024. India has also decided to join the Artemis Accords, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration, and NASA and ISRO have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), the Artemis Accords are a non-binding set of principles designed to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. It is an American-led effort to return humans to the moon by 2025, with the ultimate goal of expanding space exploration to Mars and beyond. Business - Semiconductor manufacturing Prime Minister Modi invited American chip maker Micron Technology to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India as the country provides competitive advantages in various parts of the product's supply chain. He also invited Applied Materials to India for development of process technology and advanced packaging capabilities. Modi also invited General Electric to play a greater role in the aviation and renewable energy sector in India. Diplomacy The US will open two new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad while India will establish a mission in Seattle to boost people-to-people relationships. H-1B visa The US is set to introduce in-country renewable H-1B visas, a significant decision that would help thousands of Indian professionals staying in America to continue with their jobs without the hassle of travelling overseas for the renewal of their work visas. The much-sought-after H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. Two soldiers were injured when unknown gunmen fired at them at North Boljang in Manipur's Imphal West district around 5 am on Thursday, officials said. IMAGE: Security personnel stand guard at the violence-hit area of Manipur's Kanto sabal, in Imphal West. Photograph: ANI Photo Officials added that one INSAS light machine gun was recovered by the forces during initial search. The situation has been brought under control and combing operations to ferret out the gunmen are on. "The soldiers sustained minor injuries. Additional Army columns have been deployed and search operations are in progress," officials said. Shots of automatic small arms were also heard near Urangpat, North of YKPI in Imphal East district, around 5.45 pm on Wednesday. There were also reports of unprovoked firing by unidentified gunmen from 2 directions towards Harothel around 5.30pm. The situation was brought under control around 7.30 pm, sources said. Meanwhile, the Sawonbung-YKPI road was blocked at multiple locations by women activists on Wednesday. India is ready to contribute in any way it can to restore peace in Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, reiterating that New Delhi favours the resolution of the dispute through dialogue and diplomacy. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks with clenched fists during a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, DC on June 22, 2023. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Prime Minister Modi's remarks came during a joint news conference with President Joe Biden at the White House after their talks. From the very beginning of the events in Ukraine, India has laid emphasis on the resolution of the dispute through dialogue and diplomacy, Modi, who is Washington, DC on his maiden state visit, told reporters. We are completely ready to contribute in any way we can to restore peace. Under India's G-20 presidency, we are emphasising the spirit of one earth, one family, one future, he said. Since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year, Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a number of times during which he insisted that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Biden said the two leaders talked about their shared efforts to mitigate the humanitarian tragedies unleashed by Russia's brutal war in Ukraine and to defend the core principles of the United Nations Charter on sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a joint statement after their talks, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi expressed their deep concern over the conflict in Ukraine and mourned its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences. The leaders underscored the serious and growing impacts of the war on the global economic system, including on food, fuel and energy security, and critical supply chains. They called for greater efforts to mitigate the consequences of the war, especially in the developing world. Both countries further pledged to render continuing humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine. They called for respect for international law, principles of the UN charter, and territorial integrity and sovereignty. Both countri A Nepal court on Thursday lifted the ban on Hindi films, including Prabhas-starrer Adipurush, asking authorities not to halt the screening of any movie passed by the country's censor board. A dialogue of Adipurush, in which Sita is mentioned as "India's daughter", had led to the ban on all Hindi films, which was announced by Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah. Shah on Thursday said he is ready to face any punishment but will not allow the film's screening as the matter pertains to "Nepal's sovereignty and independence". A single bench of the Patan high court judge Dhir Bahadur Chand issued a short term order, stating that the screening of films that have acquired permission from the censor board should not be stopped. Bhaskar Dhungana, president of the Nepal Motion Picture Association, told media-persons that the petitioners are waiting for a written order from the court. "Now we will screen all movies passed by the censor board," he said. Adipurush and other Hindi films were banned in Nepal on Monday following a controversy over its dialogues, including the mention of Sita (played by Kriti Sanon) as "India's daughter". Sita, also referred to as Janaki, is believed by many to have been born in Janakpur in southeast Nepal. In a Facebook post, Shah said that he would not "abide by the court's order". "The film's writer said that Nepal was under India, this clearly shows India's ill intention. To term this as a stunt by the Nepal government and to issue an order by the court in favour of screening the movie means, to accept that Nepal was once under India's rule, the court and the government are both the slaves of India, he said in the post. "I am ready to face any punishment for this but the movie won't work and won't be allowed to run," he added. Following Kathmandu Mayor's decision to ban Adipurush in Kathmandu, Dharan mayor Harka Sampang and Pokhara mayor also followed the suit, which ultimately led to halting of the screening of Adipurush across Nepal. Produced by T-Series, Retrophiles and UV Creations, the film also stars Saif Ali Khan, Sunny Singh and Devdatta Nage. Asserting that democracy is "in our spirit...and flows in our veins", Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said there is no question of discrimination in India on the grounds of caste or religion because his government follows the Constitution, which is formed on the basic values of democracy. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden after their meeting at the White House in Washington, DC on June 22, 2023. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Responding to a question at a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden after their comprehensive deliberations, Modi also strongly defended India's record on democracy and his government's performance and human rights, saying that the basic foundation stone of his government has been 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas' which means together for everyone's growth, with everyone's trust. "India is a democracy. And as President Biden said democracy is in the DNA of both India and America. Democracy is in our spirit. Democracy flows in our veins. We live democracy. Our forefathers moulded it in words, which we call the Constitution. Our government runs on the fundamental principles of this Constitution. We have proved that democracy can deliver. When I say deliver it means there is no place for discrimination on the grounds of caste, creed, gender, religion, Modi said. He was responding to a question about the steps taken by his government to improve the rights of minorities in India and uphold free speech. "When you talk of democracy, if there are no human values and there is no humanity, there are no human rights then that is not a democracy at all. So when you talk about democracy and you accept democracy and when we live democracy, then there is absolutely no space for discrimination, the Prime Minister asserted. "That is why India believes in moving ahead with 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas'. These are our foundation principles, which are the basis of how we operate and how we live our lives in India. The benefits that are provided by the government are accessible to all whoever deserves those benefits is available to everybody," the prime minister said. "That is why in India's democratic values there is absolutely no discrimination neither on the basis of caste creed or age or any kind of geographic location, Modi said. On climate change, Modi said India is the only G20 country that has fulfilled all the promises it made in Paris on climate change and asserted that India will not only fulfil its responsibilities but will also help others including the US in this critical area. The Prime Minister was referring to obligations under the 2015 Paris Agreement. As far as India is concerned, the environment, and climate, are extremely important in our cultural traditions for us. The environment is an article of faith. This is not just something that we need to do for convenience. We believe this. We do not believe in the exploitation of nature., Modi said in response to a question by PTI at a joint news conference with President Joe Biden in the East Room of the White House. In order for all of creation to work, we can make nature -- we cannot have exploitation of nature and we have always believed this," he said. And on the basis of these values, India is not only doing things for itself but is taking some global initiatives as well, he said. You perhaps know that of the G20 countries, the promises they made in Paris, of all the G20 countries, India is the only country that has fulfilled all the promises it made at the G20. Not just that, in the area of solar energy in Glasgow, we have set ourselves a target to achieve 500GW of renewable energy by 2030, Modi said. India has set itself the target to make Indian Railways net zero. And you must understand the scale of Indian Railways. When we talk about Indian Railways, it means that every day the entire population of Australia travels in wagons on our trains. And we have set ourselves the target to achieve net zero for our railways," Prime Minister Modi said. "We have also set ourselves targets for solar energy for ethanol, a 10 per cent mix of ethanol. We have completed this target before the set date, the prime minister asserted. India is also working in the area of green hydrogen, he said. We want India to be a green hydrogen hub and we are working towards this. International Solar Alliance has been launched by India and many countries have joined it and are working with India, he said. We will not only fulfil our responsibilities, but we will also help you in the area of climate change There is a lot of destruction of infrastructure as well and therefore because of climate change, the kind of crisis we are feeling we need to develop infrastructure that is resilient, he said. President Biden said climate change is an existential threat to humanity. It's the most serious problem we face as human beings. We have to keep it below 1.5 degrees Celsius. We've made enormous progress here in the United States in dealing with this issue by doing three things. Number one, by insisting that we move every one of our industries into a position where they can take advantage of cheaper and more extensive and more available renewable energy, he said. Whether it's solar or wind or hydrogen and green hydrogen. There's a whole range of things we've been working on. In addition to that, we find ourselves in a position where what we've done is that we have significantly reduced for example, I made a commitment that we are going to make sure that by 2030, 30 per cent of all our land and sea and oceans, were in conservation, could not be developed, he said. The US is well on its way to doing that and that's also absorbing carbon from the air as a consequence of that because of conservation, Biden said. "We are in a position...we have provided for a significant increase in funding for a whole range of issues, not just for the United States but for the rest of the world, said the president. We're trying to work with other countries to maintain their carbon sinks so they don't have to develop them like we did and causing pollution. And we're trying to figure out how to work out to pay them not to develop certain areas like the Amazon and Brazil. But there's a lot of technology that's available that we're sharing and we share with one another, he said. We've learned how to do solar energy, which is considerably cheaper than fossil fuels. The same way dealing with not just solar but dealing with wind. So there's a lot of technology that we've developed and we're well on our way to meeting the commitment we made in Paris, Biden said. Modi said that India and the US, the two biggest democracies of the world, can contribute towards global peace, stability and prosperity as he asserted that for the partnership between the two countries, "even the sky is not the limit". "For the partnership between India and the US, even the sky is not the limit. The most important pillar of our relations is our people-to-people ties. More than 40 lakh people of Indian origin are contributing to the development of America," Modi said. The Prime Minister said that the two biggest democracies of the world, India and the US, can contribute towards global peace, stability and prosperity. "I'm sure that on the basis of these values, we can fulfil the aspirations of the world," he added. "Today holds a special significance in the history of India-US relations. Today's discussions and important decisions taken by us open a new chapter in our Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership," he said. Modi said that India and America are walking shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against terrorism and radicalism. He said that during his talks with President Biden, the two sides have agreed that concerted action is necessary to end cross border terrorism, in a veiled reference to Pakistan. The Prime Minister said that peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region is our shared priority. "We are unanimous that the development and success of this region is important for the whole world," he added, amid China's aggressive behaviour in the strategic region. "We have also decided that like trusted partners the US and India will prepare a reliable, secure, resilient global supply chain and value chain, amid global uncertainties," Modi said. Noting that the countries in the Global South have been particularly hard hit by the Covid pandemic and the Ukraine conflict, the prime minister said it is essential for all countries to unite to solve these problems. "We are fully prepared to contribute in whatever way we can to the restoration of peace," Modi said. On the decision to build engines by General Electrics through technology transfer, he said it is a landmark agreement and it will open new opportunities for jobs in both countries. "It will be a new dimension to our defence partnership in the future." Modi said the US-India partnership in trade and investment is not only important for both countries but also for the global economy. "Today, the US is the biggest trade partner of India. We have decided to give closure to pending issues related to trade and begin a new start," he said. He said that during his talks with Biden both sides agreed that governments, businesses and academic institutions should come together to fulfil our strategic technology partnership. Modi said he was deeply touched by the warm and gracious welcome at the White House and was looking forward to fostering even deeper ties and mutual cooperation in the times to come. "The presence of such a large number of Indians in the White House is testimony to the fact that Indian-Americans are the real strength of our relationship," he said, referring to the presence of a huge gathering of Indian-Americans in South Lawn. He welcomed the decision by the US to open consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad to further deepen these ties. On his part, Biden said the partnership between the US and India is "among most consequential in world that is stronger, closer and more dynamic in any time in history." Biden underscored how the two countries were cooperating on issues such as the climate, health care and space, saying "together, we are unlocking shared future of world what I believed to be unlimited potential." The day began with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeting Prime Minister Modi for the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn. The two national anthems were played along with a 21-gun salute to the visiting leader. Top leaders of Opposition parties will brainstorm at a meeting in Patna on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, with sources saying that they would look to avoid the prickly leadership question and emphasise on common ground. IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav are driving the Patna Opposition meet. Photograph: ANI Photo Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. It is being hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav. Sources said the meeting was being seen as a starting point for the Opposition to come together to take on the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party. Therefore, a basic outline and roadmap for Opposition unity are likely to be deliberated upon with the contentious issue of seat-sharing and leadership questions to be avoided for now, they said. "This is just the beginning. A meeting of minds is important. The strategy, leadership question and seat-sharing are unlikely to be discussed at this stage," a senior Opposition leader said on condition of anonymity. The leader said issues that the Opposition would jointly raise to corner the BJP would be at the top of the agenda and in this context the Manipur violence and the Centre's alleged failure there are likely to be discussed. With all eyes on the meeting, another interesting aspect would be Kejriwal strongly pitching for a discussion on the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital and how the Congress would respond to it. Keeping cards close to its chest, the Congress has so far kept its stand ambiguous as to whether it would support the AAP or not when the ordinance is put to test in Parliament by the BJP-led Centre. Kejriwal on Tuesday had expressed hope that the Congress will clear its stand on the Centre's ordinance at the June 23 meeting. The meeting also comes amid fissures in the Opposition ranks with Congress's leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury sitting on a dharna outside a block office in Bengal's Murshidabad district demanding action against the activists of the ruling Trinamool Congress who allegedly attacked Congress workers in the run-up to the panchayat polls in the state. The BJP has been taking swipes at the Opposition over differences within its ranks and repeatedly jabbing it over the leadership question as to who will be their prime ministerial face. Bihar Congress chief Akhilesh Prasad Singh hit back at the BJP's criticism, saying the issue of who would be the prime ministerial face of the Opposition alliance is not important as the leadership question can be tackled collectively after defeating the BJP in the 2024 general elections. CPI general secretary D Raja, who would be attending the meeting, hailed the Patna huddle of Opposition leaders as a step forward "in the right direction". "This meeting is being held Immediately after the Karnataka elections. Several state elections are coming up and the Lok Sabha polls are due in 2024. This (the meeting) will give clarity," Raja told PTI. The secular democratic parties coming together itself is a very positive message and that is the reason why the BJP is getting "jittery and desperate", he claimed. Exuding confidence that the anti-BJP alliance can win in 2024, Raja said the secular democratic parties must work together keeping in view the primary objective to defeat BJP. "This is not just for winning seats and forming a government. This is to safeguard democracy, constitution, the secular fabric of the country and even safeguarding the sovereign independence of Parliament," he said. "When elections take place, the electoral strategy and seat sharing will be discussed at the state level. It will be based on the balance of political forces. There, I think, the secular democratic parties must be more reasonable and mutually accommodating," the CPI leader said. The meeting also comes amid a churn in the ruling coalition in Patna as well with one of the 'Mahagathbandhan' allies and former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi walking out of the alliance and crossing over to the NDA. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI-ML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya are among the other leaders who have agreed to be part of the meeting. Telangana-based Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the Biju Janata Dal of Odisha, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the YSR Congress Party are among the non-BJP parties which are likely to give the meeting a miss. The Samajwadi Party will be the only party from Uttar Pradesh attending the opposition leaders' meeting in Patna on Friday, with Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati not being invited while the Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary will skip the meet due to a family programme. IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal addresses a press conference at his residence in New Delhi on June 20, 2023. Photograph: Amit Sharma/ANI Photo However, Chaudhary hoped the meeting will be an 'important milestone in the path of opposition unity'. Meanwhile, sources in the Aam Aadmi Party said that the party will walk out of the meeting if the Congress does not promise its support against the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi. The meeting of opposition parties has been called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "The AAP will stage a walkout of the meeting if the Congress does not promise its support against the ordinance," one of the sources said on Thursday. Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal had expressed hope on Tuesday that the Congress would clear its stand on the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital at the meeting. SP leader Akhilesh Yadav has also been urging all opposition parties to join hands to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls. However, targeting the parties which are slated to participate in the opposition conclave, Mayawati on Thursday termed the meeting as more about joining of hands than hearts. The BSP chief has not been invited for the opposition meeting. JD-U chief spokesperson K C Tyagi told PTI, "We have invited those parties that are willing to fight against the BJP in 2024. BSP says it will not become part of alliance, then why should we waste our invitation." Mayawati said it does not seem from the attitude of opposition parties that they are serious about their objective in Uttar Pradesh. "Eighty Lok Sabha seats in UP are said to be the key to electoral success, but it does not seem from the attitude of the opposition parties that they are serious and truly concerned about their objective here. Without the right priorities, will the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections here really bring about the necessary change?" she said. Keeping in mind the preparations for the next Lok Sabha elections, it would have been better if these parties had tried to instil general confidence in the people with clear intentions, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. "How long will 'muh me Ram bagal me chhuri' (speaking praise on face and stabbing in the back) last?" she added. RLD leader Chaudhary said he will not attend the meeting due to a 'predetermined family programme'. In a letter to Kumar that was shared on the official Twitter handle of the RLD on Thursday, Chaudhary said, "The way authoritarian and communal forces are posing a threat to democracy and social harmony in the country, it is the need of the hour to unite the opposition parties of the same ideology. By discussing the important problems and challenges of the country, the entire opposition can present a far-reaching, practical plan in front of the public." "This way, we can together bring a meaningful change in the country in line with the aspirations of the youth, women, farmers and the underprivileged sections of the society," he said. Extending his best wishes for the success of the meeting, the RLD chief said, "I am sure that this meeting will prove to be an important milestone in the path of opposition unity." United States President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House. IMAGES: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at The White House, and exchanges special gifts with them, during his first state visit to United States on June 22, 2023. Photographs: ANI on Twitter Modi was received by the president and the first lady, and before entering the building, they posed for photos and were seen chatting. 'When friends meet! PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden and family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together,' Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. According to the White House, this evening, the president, the first lady and the prime minister also enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. They were joined by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, it said. Later in a tweet Prime Minister Modi said, 'I thank @POTUS @JoeBiden and @FLOTUS @DrBiden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects.' Earlier in the day, Jill Biden hosted Modi at the National Science Foundation (NSF), where they participated at an event to highlight shared priorities of India and the US around education and workforce. On Thursday, President Joe Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Prime Minister Modi visit also includes an address by him to the joint session of the US Congress. The White House also said that as the official gift, the president and first lady will present Prime Minister Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. They will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, it said. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. President Joe Biden on Thursday said India and the United States should work and lead together given the challenges and opportunities facing the world, as he accorded Prime Minister Narendra Modi a grand welcome at the White House, with the two countries set to sign a raft of mega defence, trade and space cooperation agreements. IMAGE: US first lady Jill Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden wave to the crowd as they stand on the Truman Balcony of the White House after an official State Arrival Ceremony held at the start of Modi's visit to the White House in Washington on June 22, 2023. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters "Welcome back to the White House," Biden told Modi, as he arrived at the official residence of the US President on his maiden pomp-filled state visit amid rapturous cheers of 'Modi, Modi' from the crowd gathered on the South Lawn. "The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the United States work and lead together... Two great nations, two great friends, two great powers that can define the course of the 21st century," he said, describing the ties between the two countries as "one of the most defining" relationships in the 21st century. As the Biden administration rolled out the red carpet to Modi with the camaraderie between the US President and the Indian prime minister on full display, Modi in his response said India and the US are committed to working together for global good and peace, stability and prosperity. He said the societies and institutions of the two countries are based on democratic values and they take pride in their diversity. With India and the US set to elevate their strategic partnership, GE Aerospace announced it has inked a pact with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly produce fighter jet engines for Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk-II Tejas. A senior US administration official said the pact is a "trailblazing initiative" to manufacture F414 engines in India and will enable greater transfer of US jet engine technology than ever before. After the ceremonial welcome and ahead of the delegation-level parleys, Modi held one-on-one talks with Biden at the Oval Office to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests, aimed at further boosting the Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. IMAGE: Biden and Modi embrace on the South Lawn of the White House during an official State Arrival Ceremony. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters In his initial remarks, Modi told Biden that the President's commitment to the ties between the two countries has prompted India to take "bold and audacious" measures. He also described strong people-to-people ties as the real engine of India-US relationship and referred to the energetic diaspora crowd in the White House to assert that a "roar" was heard about this connect. "Today India and the US are walking shoulder-to-shoulder from the depths of the ocean to heights of the sky, from ancient culture to artificial intelligence," Modi said. The diplomatic relations between the two countries are generally spoken in terms of joint statement, working groups, he said, adding they are indeed important. "But the real engine of India-US relations is our strong people-to-people ties," he added. Modi, who is on his sixth visit to the US as prime minister, was welcomed at the South Lawn with a 21-gun salute and playing of the national anthems of India and the US. Welcoming Modi, Biden said, "I've long believed that the relationship between the United States and India is one that will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century. Two proud nations -- two proud nations whose love of freedom secured our independence, bound by the same words and our Constitution. "First three words, 'We, the People'. The enduring ties and shared values between our people and the shared responsibility as global leaders to tackle the great issues of our time together. I'm honoured to be the first to have you here in 15 years." Biden said Indian-American diaspora reflects every part of American life and remains a bridge between our nations and only grow stronger with each generation. "We see it with record numbers of Indian Americans serving in the United States Congress. We see it here at the White House where proud Americans of Indian heritage serve our country every day, including our vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris. "The granddaughter -- the proud granddaughter of an Indian civil servant; daughter of an Indian student, turned American scientist who came to the United States when she's only 19 years old to pursue her dream of curing cancer. A family like so many of ours in our nation. That speaks to the thousand stories of determination courage and hope in America." Biden said these are stories that define the relationship and the limitless possibilities between the US and India. Modi on his part said the Constitution of both countries begins with the "three words -- We the People -- as President Biden just mentioned". He spoke in Hindi with the speech being translated to English. Biden's remarks were earlier translated to Hindi. Thanking Biden, his wife Jill Biden and the US administration for a warm and grand welcome, Modi said this is the first time the gates of the White House have been opened for Indian-Americans in such large numbers. "This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honour and pride for the 1.4 billion people of India. It is also an honour for more than 4 million people of Indian origin in the US." He said both countries take pride in their diversity, and "both of us believe in the fundamental principle of 'In the interest of all, for the welfare of all'". IMAGE: Modi talks with US Vice-President Kamala Harris as Joe Biden and Jill Biden look on. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters He said about three decades ago, he had come to America as a common man and at that time, he had seen the White House from the outside. "After becoming the PM, I've come many times, but today for the first time the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian-American community in such large numbers." He said Indian community members were enhancing India's glory in the US through their hard work and dedication. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff were also present at the welcome ceremony. Several thousand Indian-Americans, who have converged in the American capital from far and near, attended the welcome ceremony. Indian Americans were chanting 'USA USA' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Modi Modi.' A mega deal on the purchase of General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" armed drones by India is also expected to be announced. The drones would further bolster India's national security and surveillance capabilities not only in the Indian Ocean but also along the frontier with China. The General Atomics MQ-9 "Reaper" can carry 500 per cent more payload and has nine times the horsepower in comparison to the earlier MQ-1 Predator. On space, we will be able to announce that India is signing the Artemis Accords, which advance a common vision for space exploration for the benefit of all humankind, a senior administration official said hours before the Biden-Modi talks. India has decided to join the Artemis Accords, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration, and NASA and ISRO have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024, the White House said. In another big ticket announcement, computer storage chip maker Micron said it will set up its semiconductor assembly and test plant in Gujarat entailing a total investment of USD 2.75 billion (around Rs 22,540 crore). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia. National Science Foundation (NSF) is headed by Indian American Dr Sethuraman Panchanathan. The National Science Foundationis an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health. Modi, currently on a state visit to the United States, said that while the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies, India is the world's largest youth factory. Photographs: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters Welcomeing Modi to the United States, Jill Biden said,"With this official visit, we are bringing together the world's oldest and largest democracies. But our relationship is not just about governments, we are celebrating the families, and the friendship between both countries. The US-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges. Education is an issue that is close to PM Modi's heart and mine. Modi said under Skill India, we have skilled over 50 million people in the field of artificial intelligence, blockchain, drone and others. YINCHUAN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and many others injured after an explosion ripped through a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, on Wednesday night. The blast happened at around 9 p.m. on a busy street in Xingqing District of Yinchuan. Rescuers have so far found about 20 injured people. One of them has been confirmed dead, according to government sources. Rescue efforts are still ongoing. Temporary traffic restrictions have been imposed at the site. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said there can be "no ifs or buts" in dealing with terrorism and sought action against state sponsors of terrorism, in a veiled attack on Pakistan. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a joint meeting of the US Congress as US Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy listen behind him in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC on June 22, 2023. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters In his address to the Joint Meeting of the US Congress, Prime Minister Modi said that more than two decades after 9/11 and more than a decade after 26/11 in Mumbai, radicalism and terrorism still remain a pressing danger for the whole world. "These ideologies keep taking new identities and forms, but their intentions are the same. Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs or buts in dealing with it. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror," Modi said in his 60-minute address in English. Modi also made a veiled reference to China, saying the global order is based on the respect for the principles of the UN Charter, peaceful resolution of disputes, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. "The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo-Pacific. The stability of the region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership," Modi said, in an apparent reference to China's aggressive behaviour in the strategic region. "We share a vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, connected by secure seas, defined by international law, free from domination, and anchored in ASEAN centrality," Modi said in his address to the Joint Meeting of the US Congress, which was attended by Congressmen and Senators along with hundreds of Indian-Americans watching it from the visitors gallery. The Prime Minister said a region where all nations, small and large, are free and fearless in their choices, where progress is not suffocated by an impossible burden of debt, where connectivity is not leveraged for strategic purposes, where all nations are lifted by the high tide of shared prosperity. "Our vision does not seek to contain or exclude, but to build a cooperative region of peace and prosperity. We work through regional institutions and with our partners from within the region and beyond. Of this, QUAD has emerged as a major force of good for the region," he said. Noting that the Ukraine conflict is causing great pain in the region, Modi said he has said directly and publicly, "this is not an era of war. But, it is one of dialogue and diplomacy." Representing 1.4 billion Indians, Modi said it is always a great honour to address the US Congress and it is an exceptional privilege to do so twice. This is the second time that the prime minister has addressed the US Congress, the first time being in 2016. "Now, when our era is at a crossroads, I am here to speak about our calling for this century," he said. In his address, Modi said in the past few years, there have been many advances in AI- Artificial Intelligence. At the same time, there have been even more momentous developments in another AI- America and India, he added. "We were strangers in the defence cooperation at turn of the century. Now, the US has become one of our most important defence partners," Modi, who is currently on his maiden state visit, said. His words received a standing ovation from the lawmakers. Modi said democracy is one of their sacred and shared values. "It has evolved over a long time, and taken various forms and systems. Throughout history, however, one thing has been clear. Democracy is the spirit that supports equality and dignity. Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse, he said. "Democracy is the culture that gives wings to thought and expression. India is blessed to have such values from times immemorial. In the evolution of the democratic spirit, India is the Mother of Democracy, he added. "We celebrated a remarkable journey of over 75 years of freedom, after a thousand years of foreign rule in one form or another, he said, adding that this was not just a celebration of democracy, but also of diversity. "Not just of the Constitution, but also of its spirit of social empowerment. Not just of our competitive and cooperative federalism, but also of our essential unity and integrity, he said. "We were honoured to receive over hundred Members of the US Congress in India over the last decade. Everyone wants to understand India's development, democracy and diversity. Everyone wants to know what India is doing right and how, he said. The prime minister said when he first visited the US as Prime Minister, India was the tenth largest economy in the world. Today, India is the fifth largest economy and India will be the third largest economy soon. "We are not only growing bigger but we are also growing faster. When India grows, the whole world grows. After all, we are one sixth of the world's population! he said. Modi said India is an ancient nation with a youthful population. India is known for its traditions. But the younger generation is also making it a hub of technology. Be it creative reels on lnsta or real time payments, coding or quantum computing, machine learning or mobile apps, FinTech or data science, the youth of India are a great example of how a society can embrace latest technology, he said. "In India, technology is not only about innovation but also about inclusion. Today, digital platforms are empowering the rights and dignity of people, while protecting privacy. The value of such transfers has crossed three hundred and twenty billion dollars, and we have saved over USD 25 billion in the process, he said. Modi told the lawmakers that if they visit India, they will see everyone is using phones for payments, including street vendors. "Last year, out of every 100 real time digital payments in the world, forty six happened in India. Nearly four hundred thousand miles of optical fibre cables, and cheap data have ushered in a revolution of opportunities, he said. "Farmers check weather updates, the elderly get social security payments, students access scholarships, doctors deliver tele-medicine, fishermen check fishing grounds and small businesses get loans, with just a tap on their phones, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gifted United States President Joe Biden a special sandalwood box which highlights the value and respect Indian tradition associates with experience, officials said. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanges gifts with US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden during a private dinner at White House on June 22, 2023. Photograph: ANI on Twitter Prime Minister Modi gave President Biden the unique sandalwood box sourced from Mysore with intricately carved flora and fauna patterns and handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur during an intimate dinner at the White House on Wednesday. The box contains the idol of Lord Ganesha, a Hindu deity considered the destroyer of obstacles and the one who is worshipped first among all gods, and its silver form has been handcrafted by a family of fifth-generation silversmiths of Kolkata, officials said. The handcrafted delicate silver boxes also contain symbolic -- 'Das Danam' or the 10 donations which denote the donations made on the occasion when a person becomes 'Drishta Sahasrachandro'. Ancient Indian text mentions that an individual becomes 'Drishta Sahasrachandro' or the one who has seen one thousand full moons when he completes the age of 80 years and eight months, a milestone President Biden will reach next month. 'The life spanning one thousand full moons is considered to be an important milestone in the Hindu way of life. The gap between two full moons is about 29.53 days, so the time span covered by a thousand full moons would be approximately 29,530 days or 80 years and 8 months,' a press note said. Modi's gift underscores the traditional respect associated with a person's experience and is significant at a time when President Biden's age is at times a matter of debate, as his country edges towards the next presidential polls. During Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam celebrations, there is a custom of 'Das Danam' or donations of ten different kinds, which include -- Gaudaan(cow),Bhudaan(land), Tildaan (sesame seeds), Hiranyadaan (gold), Ajyadaan (ghee or clarified butter), Dhaanyadaan (food grains), Vastradaan (clothes), Guddaan (jaggery), Raupyadaan (silver) and Lavandaan (salt). IMAGE: A special sandalwood box containing symbolic 'Das Danams' was gifted by Modi to Joe Biden. Photograph: ANI on Twitter The handcrafted delicate silver boxes gifted by Modi to Joe Biden, who turns 81 this November, contain 10 donations, which denote the donations made on the occasion. The box includes a delicately handcrafted silver coconut by the skilled artisans of West Bengal is offered in place of a cow for Gaudaan. A fragrant piece of sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka is offered in place of land for Bhudaan. The box also includes Til or white sesame seeds sourced from Tamil Nadu is offered for Tildaan (donation of sesame seeds). Handcrafted in Rajasthan, this 24K pure and hallmarked gold coin is offered as Hiranyadaan (donation of gold). The box also contains ghee or clarified butter sourced from Punjab is offered for Ajyadaan (donation of clarified butter). A handwoven textured tussar silk cloth sourced from Jharkhand is offered for Vastradaan (donation of cloth). Long-grained rice sourced from Uttarakhand are offered for Dhaanyadaan (donation of food grains). Jaggery sourced from Maharashtra is offered for Guddaan (donation of jaggery). The 99.5 per cent pure and hallmarked silver coin has been aesthetically crafted by Rajasthan artisans and is offered as Raupyadaan (donation of silver). Lavan or salt from Gujarat is offered for Lavandaan (donation of salt). Another gift to Biden is a tribute to the US president's admiration for Irish poet William Butler Yeats. IMAGE: Modi also gifted a copy of the first edition of The Ten Principal Upanishads, W B Yeats' English translation of the Indian Upanishads, to President Biden. Photograph: ANI on Twitter Biden has often quoted poetry from Yeats and made references to his writings and poetry in his public speeches, officials said, adding that Yeats had a deep admiration for India and was greatly influenced by Indian spirituality. His friendship and admiration for Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore is well-known and he helped popularise Gurudev's Gitanjali in the Western world, officials said. Yeats' admiration for Indian spirituality was much deeper and he was deeply influenced by the Upanishads and other ancient knowledge streams of India, they said. In 1937, Yeats published an English translation of the Indian Upanishads, co-authored with Shri Purohit Swami. The translation and collaboration between the two authors occurred throughout the 1930s and it was one of the final works of Yeats. "A copy of the first edition print of this book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by M/s Faber and Faber Ltd of London and printed at the University Press Glasgow has been gifted to President Biden," they said. Modi also gifted a 7.5-carat lab-grown green diamond to First Lady Jill Biden. The diamond, which has been made in India, reflects earth-mined diamonds' chemical and optical properties and is also eco-friendly, as eco-diversified resources like solar and wind power were used in its making. "It is a beacon of responsible luxury that symbolises India's 75 years of freedom and sustainable International relations," officials said. US President Biden and First Lady Jill presented a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century as the official gift to Prime Minister Modi. They also reportedly gifted a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, a hardcover book on American wildlife photography, and a signed, first edition copy of Collected Poems of Robert Frost. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is on a three-day official State visit to the US at the invitation of President Biden and the first lady. A delegation led by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee chief Harjinder Singh Dhami on Thursday met Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and asked him to nullify the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, passed by the state assembly. IMAGE: SGPC delegations meets Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit over Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023 by state government, in Chandigarh, June 22, 2023. Photograph: Courtesy SGPC on Twitter He was speaking to reporters outside the Raj Bhawan after meeting Purohit on the issue. The Punjab assembly on Tuesday passed the Bill to ensure free-to-air telecast of gurbani. The move came after the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government on Monday approved an amendment to the British-era Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925. "The amendment they brought is against the law," Dhami said. "We gave a memorandum to the governor that it is Parliament's prerogative (to bring any amendment to the 1925 Act) and the state does not have jurisdiction on this. The governor said he will examine it according to the Constitution," he said. In the memorandum submitted by the SGPC delegation to the governor, it has been said that the "interference made by the AAP-led government in Punjab in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 is unconstitutional, which should not be allowed". During their meeting with the governor, the delegation demanded from him to "nullify" the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023, it said. The SGPC delegation also included senior vice president Baldev Singh Qaimpur, junior vice president Avtar Singh Raya and general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal. SGPC chief Dhami alleged that the state government is going beyond its jurisdiction and "complicating" Sikh affairs, asserting that the AAP government is "using" the matter of Gurbani broadcast for its "political interests". He also alleged that the aim of the Mann government is to weaken the SGPC, and said the Sikh community will not allow this to happen. The SGPC chief said that the governor has been "explained in detail about the unconstitutional act of the Punjab government". According to the provisions of the Bill, "in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, after Section 125, Section 125-A shall be inserted". "It shall be the duty of the Board (SGPC) to propagate the teachings of the Gurus by making uninterrupted (without any on screen running advertisements or commercials or distortion) live feed (audio as well as video) of holy Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) available free of cost to all media houses, outlets, platforms, channels, etc, whoever wishes to broadcast anywhere all over the world..," as per the Bill passed by the House. Dhami claimed that adding Section 125A was wrong. Replying to a question, he said in coming days the SGPC will also approach the President and the Union Home Minister over the matter. Dhami said a special general session of the SGPC would be convened on June 26 to chart out further course of action in the matter. Replying to another query, he said "question is not of PTC channel. Tomorrow they (govt) will bring more amendments to the (1925) Act". During a press conference on Wednesday, Governor Purohit who was asked if he will give assent to the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, said that when it comes before him, he will examine it according to the Constitution. Speaking during the debate on the Bill in the assembly, Chief Minister Mann had said no channel should have exclusive rights to broadcast the holy Gurbani. "One channel has the exclusive right to broadcast the holy Gurbani," Mann had said while referring to the PTC channel. Currently, Gurbani is broadcast from the Sikh shrine by PTC, a private channel often linked to the Shiromani Akali Dal's Badal family. Mann had said that the Bill aims at "freeing the undue control of a particular family over the rights to telecast sacred Gurbani". He had said it was a paradoxical situation that the SGPC under the influence of a family that controls its affairs, had given intellectual property rights of telecasting the sacred Gurbani "to a channel owned by them". The chief minister had said that the Bill is in no way interference in religious affairs, rather it is a simple step to ensure that Gurbani reaches every household. Mann had earlier said the state government was fully competent to amend this Act. He reasoned that the Supreme Court had on the issue of a separate gurdwara committee for Haryana ruled that this Act was not an inter-state Act, but a state Act. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that he has told Union Home Minister Amit Shah that there should be no "hate politics", in supply of rice to the state, for a scheme aimed at the poor. IMAGE: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah calls on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in New Delhi, June 21, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo The chief minister met Shah on Wednesday night and held discussions regarding the supply of rice to the state, for its Anna Bhagya scheme, which provides an additional 5 kg of rice for each member of below poverty line families. "I met Amit Shah last night. I have brought to his notice that FCI (Food Corporation of India) had agreed to supply rice and had also written a letter in this regard, but all of a sudden the very next day they said they cannot supply. Prima facie it looks like politics has been played here. Let there be no hate politics in this, as this is the programme for providing rice to the poor," Siddaramaiah said. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, he said, "Shah told me that he will speak to the Union minister concerned and come back." Siddaramaiah and his ministers for the last few days, have been accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre of conspiring to "fail" the Congress administration's poll guarantee by ensuring that the state doesn't get the required amount of rice from Food Corporation of India, for rolling out the Anna Bhagya scheme, from July 1, as promised. They have alleged the Centre discontinued the sale of wheat and rice under OMSS-D for state governments, a day after the FCI -- which has large quantity of stocks -- had agreed to provide 2,28,425.750 metric tonne of rice to Karnataka, at a rate of Rs 34 per kg on June 12. The BJP, however, has hit back accusing the Congress and Siddaramaiah of blatantly lying to hide their own incompetency and are desperately trying to blame Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government at the Centre. The CM on Wednesday, ahead of meeting Shah had indicated that there may be slight delay in implementing the Anna Bhagya scheme, as the Centre played "dirty politics". He had said that the state has called for quotations from central government agencies like NCCF, NAFED, Kendriya Bhandar. "We will get to know tomorrow from them, once we get to know we will decide. There may be a slight delay in implementing the scheme as the central government has played politics." Siddaramaiah also said, he has requested the Union home minister for two more battalions of Indian Reserve Battalion to the state. "Two battalions have been given to the state, two more should be given to the state, I have asked for it," he said. The Congress on Thursday described an all-party meeting called by the Centre on the Manipur situation as "too little, too late" and wondered what is the point of conducting such an exercise in Delhi and in the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. IMAGE: Local women demonstrated over the fresh violence in Manipur's Kanto Sabal, in Imphal West, June 20, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table, the opposition party said, adding such an exercise in Delhi "will lack seriousness". A host of Congress leaders, including former party chief Rahul Gandhi, criticised the move to convene an all-party meeting in Delhi and at this juncture. The party has not yet made its stand clear on attending the meeting, called by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on June 24. The opposition party also targeted the prime minister for what it called his "masterly inaction and eloquent silence" on the situation in Manipur, where nearly 120 people have lost their lives and more than 3,000 have been injured in ethnic violence since early May. Rahul Gandhi said it is clear that the all-party meeting is not important for the prime minister as it is being held at a time when he is not there. "Manipur has been burning for 50 days, but the prime minister has remained silent. An all-party meeting has been called when the prime minister himself is not in the country. Clearly, this meeting is not important for the prime minister," Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi. Prime Minister Modi is currently on a state visit to the US. Congress general secretary (organisations) KC Venugopal said the entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union government and at least a prime minister-convened meeting should have been held in Manipur itself. "Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi," he said on Twitter. After days of death and destruction in Manipur, he said, "Home Minister Amit Shah's call for an all-party meeting is too little, too late". Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said it has been 51 days that the agony, "the distress, the pain and anguish of Manipur continues. The prime minister is in the United States now, but he has not said a word on Manipur. He has kept quiet and mum. Not only that, he has refused to meet MLAs, political leaders including his own party colleagues from Manipur." "Meanwhile, the Home Minister has called an all-party meeting on June 24. What use of having an all-party meeting when the prime minister is not there," he said. "What's the point of an all-party meeting without the Prime Minister being present? What's the point of an all-party meeting in Delhi when it should be held in Imphal? What's been most shocking in the last 51 days is that as the pain, the distress and the anguish of the people of Manipur continues is the Prime Minister's eloquent silence," Ramesh said in a tweet. "This is indeed the most shocking part of the last 51 days. It's this continued silence of the prime minister - masterly inaction, eloquent silence," Ramesh said in a video message. He said what use to have an all-party meeting here in Delhi when there is a need for peace, harmony and reconciliation in Manipur and in Imphal. "I think this is gross dereliction and abdication of duty on the part of the prime minister. It is beyond comprehension. In fact, it is bizarre why the prime minister has chosen to remain silent when a state of India is burning, hundreds of people have been killed, tens of thousands of people have been displaced. The home minister went to Manipur after a gap of almost 25 days, as they were busy electioneering in Karnataka, but his visit has had no impact whatsoever," the Congress leader said. He said what is being witnessed today is a bitter division between communities in Manipur and essential commodities are not available easily, while armed groups still continue to operate with impunity. "All in all, it is a colossal failure of governance of the so-called 'double-engine sarkar'. It is a failure on the part of the Union government to respond and it is a failure of the state government run by the BJP to control the situation and allowing such a situation to develop in the first place. "It is really the most depressing moment. The anguish of the people of Manipur is the anguish of the people of India. We have to demonstrate that and who is a better a person than the prime minister himself to show that he cares," he said. Ramesh said, "we still hope that now when he is in the US and he goes to Egypt, somewhere he decides to break his silence. Of course, on crucial national issues, the prime minister keeps quiet. He gives 'gyaan' on every issue under the sun, but when it comes to real issues like what is happening in Manipur, he choses to remain silent." Venugopal said the prime minister "has not uttered a single word" yet. "At least, a peace call from the prime minister is expected. That too has not even been delivered.... At least, there should be a meeting of the prime minister level and that too in Manipur. Prime Minister should find little time for our own little state Manipur also," he said. "The PM's absence from such a serious meeting shows his 'cowardice' and 'unwillingness' to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them," the Congress leader alleged. He further alleged that the situation is Manipur has "worsened" since Home Minister Shah's visit to the state. "Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship," he asked. "Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty," Venugopal charged. Shah visited the state for four days last month and met a cross sections of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state. The Congress has been seeking the Centre's immediate intervention in bringing peace to the northeastern state which has been struck by violence since May 3. The party has also blamed the alleged divisive politics of the BJP for the current situation in Manipur. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The United States has experienced a subtle shift in India's position on Ukraine and Russia, the Biden administration said on Wednesday, on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high-level talks with President Joe Biden at the White House. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Samarkand on September 16, 2022. Photograph: @narendramodi/Twitter Since the Ukraine conflict began in February last year, Modi spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a number of times during which he insisted that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. "What you have seen in the last several months is a subtle shift in the Indian position on the war in Ukraine that started last summer, almost a year ago in August with Prime Minister Modi saying to President Putin to his face that now is not the era for war, a senior State Department official told reporters. In September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at the UN that the war must be ended through diplomacy and according to the UN Charter and its founding principles. This is a way of saying what the US has always said from the beginning based on territorial integrity and sovereignty, said the official. And then in October of last year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the threat to use nuclear weapons is inconsistent with the basic tenets of humanity. "These are pretty strong statements," the official said. "While in the West, I'm not sure we read it exactly the same way in India, that was seen as a very clear shift. You have seen Prime Minister Modi speaking to President Zelensky at the G-7 summit in Hiroshima and recommitting that this conflict must be settled through diplomacy and dialogue, said the official, who spoke with reporters on conditions of anonymity. India, the official said, has a long history of relations with Russia. They have interests with Russia that go back many, many decades. "It is a positive thing that Prime Minister Modi has said and repeated that this must be settled through dialogue and diplomacy. I think you'll see that again honestly, that this is now a very established part of Indian policy. What I think you'll also see is that while the US and India differ about our exact policies on Russia and Ukraine, we share a belief that this must be dealt, this must be settled through diplomacy and this must end in a lasting piece according to the UN charter and its founding principles which are territorial integrity and sovereignty, the official said. That's a common position of India in the United States, the official added. Responding to a question, the official said India will make its own decisions about whether it purchases oil from Russia. "As you know, there are no sanctions on the purchase of Russian oil. There are restrictions by G-7 countries about buying oil at a certain price, the Russia oil price cap. And so we hope that India will continue to use the G-7 oil price cap to leverage lower costs for the Russian oil that it purchases. That's in the interest of all of us that it buys Russian crude at rock bottom prices, said the official. A district collector leads Dalits into a temple in Tamil Nadu, which is then sealed. A Ganesh Nadar finds out why. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: ANI Photo In December last year, Pudukkottai Collector Kavita Ramu led Dalits into an Ayyanar temple in Vengavayal village, Tamil Nadu. The upper castes protested this move and the temple was sealed for worship later. Professor C Lakshmanan, convenor, Dalits Intellectual Conclave, tells this correspondent that he led a fact-finding team to the village after the incident. And what he found was not what was available in the public domain. "The Dalits in this village have been living in harmony for decades with the upper castes. They have their own temple and are not interested in entering this particular temple," says Professor Lakshmanan. "We were informed that the collector stopped at Erayur village, which is 1.5 km from Vengavayal village, brought Dalits from that village and entered the temple with them," the professor claims. "In this village, the Dalits have a separate water tank. Faeces were found floating in this tank. The villagers realised this only after children fell sick after consuming the water from this tank," he says. "The culprits have still not been found and so to divert attention from this crime against humanity, the collector resorted to this," claims Professor Lakshmanan. "Madam, you led Dalits into a temple, which village did these Dalits belong to?" this correspondent asked Collector Kavita Ramu who refused to answer the question. Professor Lakshmanan, who retired from the Madras Institute of Development, says the struggle for Dalit rights started much before 'Periyar' E V Ramaswamy Naicker appeared on the scene. There has been a struggle for common spaces, roads, water, schools, grazing land and burial sites in Tamil Nadu. When the Justice Party ruled the state, it passed a law allowing temple entry for all. "A law alone cannot make a change, implementation is important," says Professor Lakshmanan. "Periyar was an atheist, he was not concerned about temple entry. It was the Congress under Rajaji (Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, later independent India's first and only governor general) who led the lower castes into the famous Meenakshi temple in Madurai." About the faeces-drinking water issue, he says, "30 families were affected, but the government paid compensation to only one family." "Lately, there were illicit liquor deaths in Tamil Nadu. The government wanted a diversion," the professor claims, "and so the temple entry. A second temple was also sealed for the same reason." In the Vanniyar belt of North Tamil Nadu, regular tussles can be seen between the Pattali Makkal Katchi and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi. This is more political than a caste problem as both political parties are doing their best to get more votes. Neither can win a single seat to the assembly unless they are aligned with one of the Dravidian majors, the DMK and the AIADMK. According to Professor Lakshmanan, seeking entry into temples is a futile exercise. He highlights the fact that though the government had set up various committees to solve this problem, the committees did not have a single Dalit as a member. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests, aimed at further boosting the Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden hold talks in the White House, Washington, DC, June 22, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo Modi held a one-on-one meeting with Biden in the Oval Office of the White House before holding delegation-level talks. In his initial remarks, Prime Minister Modi told Biden that the president's commitment to the ties between the two countries has prompted India to take bold and audacious measures. He also described strong people-to-people ties as the real engine of India-US relationship and referred to the energetic diaspora crowd in the White House to assert that a "roar" was heard about this connect. "Today India and the US are walking shoulder-to-shoulder from the depths of the ocean to heights of the sky, from ancient culture to artificial intelligence," Modi said. The diplomatic relations between the two countries are generally spoken in terms of joint statement, working groups, he said, adding that they are indeed important. "But the real engine of India-US relations is our strong people-to-people ties," he said. This is the second interaction between the two leaders within 24 hours. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Prime Minister Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House a day earlier during which they discussed a range of issues, exchanged gifts and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. The day began with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeting Prime Minister Modi for the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn. The two national anthems were played along with a 21-gun salute to the visiting leader. In his remarks at the welcome ceremony, Modi said he will soon hold talks with the President and discuss regional and global issues. "I am sure our talks will be positive." Modi said India and the US are committed to working together for global good and peace, stability and prosperity. President Biden described the relationship between the US and India as one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century. Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff were also present at the welcome ceremony. Several thousand Indian Americans, who have converged in the American capital from far and near, attended the welcome ceremony on the South Lawns. Indian Americans were chanting 'USA USA' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Modi Modi.' Modi and Biden are scheduled to address a news conference together from the East Room of the White House after their talks. They are likely to take questions from journalists. Normally each side takes two questions, but sometimes it can be one from each side. During the last Indian state visit of former prime minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009, the two sides took one question each. The prime minister would then head to the Congress to deliver an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, which would be attended by Congressmen and senators in the presence of several hundred Indian Americans from the visitor's gallery. In the evening, President Biden and the First Lady will host a state dinner at the South Lawn of the White House, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Preparations for the visit have been going on for more than six months now and a lot of efforts have gone to ensure that the deliverables are historical in nature. The major areas include space, education, defence, technology, climate change and health. "This visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together, the White House said on Wednesday. "The visit will strengthen our two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and shared resolve to elevate the technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space, it said. According to the White House, the two leaders will discuss ways to further expand educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as work together to confront common challenges from climate change to workforce development and health security. Modi arrived in Washington from New York where he led a historic event at the UN headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. The Nationalist Congress Party on Thursday demanded an inquiry into Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar's claim that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde would have shot himself if his revolt against the Shiv Sena leadership had failed last year. IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Photograph: ANI Photo The minister's comment must be taken very seriously, NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said in a statement. 'An inquiry must be conducted to find out if he (Shinde) was being pressured with an adverse action if he failed to fulfil the task,' Crasto said. 'Why would a man of Eknath Shinde's political standing want to take such a drastic step upon failure?' the NCP leader asked. Kesarkar on Tuesday alleged that Shinde, who was a minister in the Uddhav Thackeray cabinet, was insulted on the Shiv Sena foundation day (June 19) last year. Shinde saheb is a genuine human being and a true Shiv Sainik. He (Shinde) had said 'if my revolt failed, I would have sent all the (rebel) MLAs back... I would have made a call (to Matoshree -- the private home of Thackeray family in suburban Bandra) and said I made a mistake, but the MLAs are not at fault and then I would have shot myself in the head', Kesarkar claimed. The school education minister said a person who thinks on these lines is all together at a different level as he has the maturity to understand that not a single MLA's career should be politically ruined because of him, even at the cost of his own life. Reacting to the sensational claim of Kesarkar, who was among the rebel MLAs led by Shinde, rival Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said the minister should be taken into custody for being aware of someone's suicide plans. On June 20 last year, 40 Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, revolted against the leadership, leading to a split in the party and collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Days later, Shinde took over as the new chief minister with the Bharatiya Janata Party's support. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday expressed confidence that opposition parties will fight like a family and take on the BJP "one to one". IMAGE: TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee meets RJD President Lalu Prasad, in Patna, Thursday, June 22, 2023. Photograph: @AITCofficial/Twitter The TMC chief, however, parried questions on her reservations about the Congress's alliance with the Left in her state and the Aam Aadmi Party threatening a "walkout" if support was not forthcoming on the ordinance of control of services in Delhi. "I cannot say what will happen at tomorrow's meeting. But I am certain we are all here to fight the BJP together, like a family, one to one," she told reporters. She was speaking outside the residence of Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, where she met his father and RJD president Lalu Prasad and former Chief Minister Rabri Devi. "I have great respect for Lalu-ji. The poor man was sent to jail and had to spend a lot of time in the hospital," said Banerjee. She also surprised all by sharing a humorous anecdote involving the RJD chief. "Once, when both Lalu ji and I were MPs, he was stating on the floor of Parliament that prices of all vegetables, potatoes, onions, were rising. I got up and asked what about the price of rabri (a sweet)," said Banerjee, her pun on the veteran leader's wife's name evoking peals of laughter. "Lalu-ji replied, rabri is the most precious," she recalled with admiration for the RJD supremo's legendary wit writ large on her face. Banerjee said she was happy to meet Prasad. "He looks strong enough to take on the BJP," said the West Bengal CM who drove straight to meet the RJD leaders upon setting foot in Patna. She was accompanied by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, an MP, and West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim. TOKYO, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese fisheries federation voiced its opposition again on Thursday to the planned release of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the sea, local media reported. Masanobu Sakamoto, president of the national federation of fisheries cooperatives known as JF Zengyoren, handed over a request opposing the release plan to Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura, public broadcaster NHK said. Sakamoto also urged the government to take thorough measures to prevent reputational damage to fishery products and to extend support to the local fishing industry, it said. Nishimura said that he understands the fishery workers' concerns, but releasing the wastewater into the sea is unavoidable in the reconstruction of Fukushima, according to NHK. Speaking to reporters after their meeting, Sakamoto said he told Nishimura that the federation's opposition to the discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water will not change, and that the government should take complete responsibility. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Sunny to partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds light and variable. YANGON, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Fifty-two people were killed and 116 others injured between January and May this year, according to the country's fire services department on Thursday. A total of 875 fire accidents occurred during the January-May period, causing damage of over 13.47 billion kyats (over 6.41 million U.S. dollars), the department's figures showed. In May, the Southeast Asian country saw 130 fire accidents with one death and 15 injuries. Most of the fire outbreaks during May occurred in Yangon Region, followed by Bago Region, Mandalay Region, and Shan State respectively. The causes of the fire accidents included stove fire, negligence, faulty electrical wiring, arson, forest fire, and lightning, it said. Last year, 96 people were killed and 139 others injured in 1,507 fire accidents in the Southeast Asian country, official figures showed. "The CIIE is a call for openness and L'Oreal has always benefited from this openness and also wants to contribute with this partnership in China and with its ecosystem." International business leaders have taken part in a trade promotion event in China's Yunnan in search of business partners and opportunities. #GLOBALink Produced by Xinhua Global Service A farmer harvests green soybeans in fields at night in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) A farmer harvests green soybeans in fields at night in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) Farmers harvest green soybeans in fields at night in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) Farmers weigh just harvested green soybeans in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) A farmer weighs green soybeans just harvested in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) A farmer harvests green soybeans in a field in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) A farmer pours green soybeans into a basket in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) People harvest green soybeans in fields in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) A worker cleans and selects green soybeans on a production line in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) Workers select green soybean on a production line of a market in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) A worker selects green soybean on a production line of a market in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) Workers select green soybeans on a production line of a market in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) Workers carry green soybeans to store in freezers in Guancang of Jintang County, Chengdu of southwest China's Sichuan Province, June 19, 2023. Guancang Community is an agricultural production center in Jintang County of Chengdu, with an annual production of green soybean of 82,000 tonnes and annual value output of 320 million yuan (about 44.57 million U.S. dollars). Local green soybeans have entered the harvest season in recent days, which are sent from fields to people's tables through a series of processing in half a day. (Xinhua/Shen Bohan) India's palm oil imports in June are set to jump 46 per cent from a month ago to their highest in three months as buyers took advantage of a dip in prices to their lowest in 28 months to increase purchases, five dealers told Reuters. A rebound in buying by the world's biggest vegetable oil importer would support Malaysian palm oil futures and help top producers Indonesia and Malaysia to trim inventories. Palm oil imports by India rose to 640,000 tonnes in June, up from 439,173 tonnes in May, according to average estimates from the dealers. May imports were the lowest since February 2021 as the tropical oil started trading at a premium to soyoil and sunflower oil over the past few months, prompting buyers to shift to the cheaper soft oils. The recent price correction made palm oil competitive again and encouraged buyers to increase purchases for June shipments, said Rajesh Patel, managing partner at GGN Research, an edible oil trader and broker. Price-sensitive Asian buyers typically rely on palm oil because of the low cost and quick shipping times. India's soyoil imports in June are set to jump 40 per cent from a month ago to 445,000 tonnes, according to the dealers. Buyers increased soyoil buying in May for June shipments as then palm oil was trading at a premium, said Sandeep Bajoria, CEO of Sunvin Group, a vegetable oil brokerage and consultancy firm. The country's sunflower oil imports in June are expected to fall 19 per cent from a month ago to 240,000 tonnes, dealers said. India buys palm oil mainly from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, while it imports soyoil and sunflower oil from Argentina, Brazil, Russia and Ukraine. Munmun Dutta took a short break from her hectic shooting schedule and travelled to Nepal. The actress enjoyed a trip to the neighbouring country and also got in touch with her spiritual side. 3 things you need to know Munmun Dutta plays the role of Babita in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. The actress shared photos from popular landmarks in Nepal. She even promised to hold a fan meet in Kathmandu next time she visited the country. Munmun Dutta explores Nepal's beauty During her visit, Munmun Dutta explored Nepal's popular landmarks. She visited the famous Pashupatinath temple and the majestic Boudhanath Stupa. Capturing the essence of her journey, she shared pictures with a tilak in the shape of a trident adorning her forehead. It also symbolised her spiritual inclination. In the caption, she wrote, "The Divine power of Pashupatinath Temple was so magical. so strong..so powerful..that I can not wait to visit here again with my mother." (Munmun Dutta visits Pashupatinath temple | Image: Munmun Dutta/Instagram) Munmun Dutta's special message for fans in Nepal Munmun Dutta took to her Instagram stories to express her gratitude to her fans. She acknowledged that she was recognised by fans in Nepal and had the pleasure of meeting some "wonderful and enthusiastic" individuals who spotted her at various locations. She also promised to arrange a fan meet in Kathmandu in her next visit to the country. (File photo of Munmun Dutta | Image: Munmun Dutta/Instagram) In her goodbye note, she sent love to the beautiful country of Nepal and its people. She shared that the warm reception and hospitality she received in the country left a lasting impact on her. The actress cherished the memories she created. Munmun Dutta has been part of the long-running show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah since its inception in 2008. Her character Babita is loved by the fans. Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar inaugurated a Labour Engagement Group meeting of G20 here on Thursday. Altogether 173 delegates from 28 countries are participating in the conference. Apart from the G20 countries, India, as part of its presidency, has invited Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Nepal and United Arab Emirates to join the meeting. Welcoming the delegates, the governor said, I am proud to see you in Bihar. The dignitaries present here represent around 75 per cent of the total population, which is a moment of pride for Bihar. He also highlighted the historical significance of the eastern state. The history of Bihar goes back to thousands of years. It is a land of knowledgewhere students from different nationalities used to seek knowledge in Nalanda University.. This university was a flourishing centre of knowledge. Vaishali too is considered as the mother of democracy. Addressing the gathering, Labour-20 (L-20) chairman Hiranmay Pandya said, I want to assure you that L20 will not only represent the voice of G 20 nations but it will surely also represent the voice of those nations whose representatives are not in the attendance. Security measures have been tightened and traffic restrictions have been placed around Gyan Bhawan, the main venue of the event. After extensive discussion in the inception meeting of L-20 held in Amritsar from March 19- 21, 2023, a joint statement was issued on two subjects - social security and international portability of social security fund and women and future of work, Pandya said. Now, these two topics would be discussed extensively before the representatives of the L-20 Summit here, he said on Wednesday. Discussions were also held at 11 cities across the country, in which officials from the central government and the state labour departments, trade union leaders, labour and development economists, activists from the national and international labour organisations participated, he added. Maldives has sought Indias help in training its cadets and for acquiring equipment for its forces. Maldives Marine Corps Commandant Brigadier General Wais Waheed on Thursday (June 22, 2023) requested assistance for the same from Indias Director General of the NCC, Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh. "As a small country like the Maldives, I would greatly appreciate any assistance that the Indian NCC can provide us in terms of training, resources, and structural reforms," stated Brigadier General Waheed. India to enhance Maldives defence and disaster response capabilities Maldives will send a proposal to India, requesting assistance in training and acquiring equipment. If India deems it acceptable, then it will sanction the necessary aid for Maldives. The Commandant of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) spoke about the potential for future collaboration between the two countries. Given that the Maldives is prone to natural disasters, Brig Gen Waheed expressed his desire to jointly train Maldivian cadets with India's support, particularly for natural disaster response and relief efforts, considering it as a force multiplier. Military Cooperation between Maldives and India According to the Maldivian Commandant, the training module implemented by the Indian Army is also employed by the defence forces of Maldives. The ongoing 12th edition of their annual joint exercise, Ekuverin, between the Indian Army and the Maldives National Defense Force is taking place at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand. This exercise focuses on counter-insurgency/terrorism operations, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations conducted under the UN mandate, spanning from June 11 to 24. Personnel of the Maldives National Defence Force, along with the Indian Army, holding the DRDO Corner Shot Weapon System.(Credit: Press Information Bureau) Another ongoing exercise is Operation Ekatha, an annual bilateral exercise between the navies of both countries. The sixth edition of this exercise is being held in the Maldives from June 4 to July 3. The naval exercise will see the participation of Maldivian Coast Guard and Indian divers from the Navy and Marine Commandos (MARCOS). The training regimen includes underwater demolition, close-quarter battle, diving operations, and VBSS (visit, board, search, and seizure) operations. Indian Navy personnel, along with the MNDF Coast Guard, are participating in Operation Ekatha (Credit:ANI) How do India and Maldives benefit Both exercises aim to enhance interoperability between the armed forces of both countries, focusing on sharing best practices, improving coordination, and fostering cooperation at the tactical level. A Ministry of Defence statement emphasised, "The defence cooperation between the two countries extends beyond joint exercises to assisting Maldives with defence training and equipment requirements." The statement from MoD implies that the interaction between the armed forces of both nations will not only strengthen friendly relations but also deepen economic, cultural, and military cooperation. Counter-terrorism experts said Tuesday that Africa is now the worlds terrorism hot spot, with half of the victims killed last year in sub-Saharan Africa, though al-Qaida and Islamic State affiliates remain widespread, persistent and active elsewhere around the globe. Interpol, the international criminal police agency, also reported during a panel discussion at the U.N. that terrorism linked to extreme right-wing ideology increased an estimated 50-fold over the past decade, particularly in Europe, North America and parts of the Asia-Pacific. The experts see other trends: Deteriorating global security is making the terrorism threat more complex and decentralized. Extremists are increasingly using sophisticated technology, and drones and artificial intelligence have opened new ways to plan and carry out attacks. The United Nations this week is hosting its third high-level conference of heads of counter-terrorism agencies. Tuesdays panel on assessing current and emerging terrorist trends and threats brought together experts from the U.N., Interpol, Russia, the United States and Qatar, and Googles senior manager for strategic intelligence. The overall theme for the week is addressing terrorism through reinvigorated international cooperation. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said during Mondays opening session the key is to unite not only in foiling attacks but also critically to focus on preventing terrorism by tackling poverty, discrimination, poor infrastructure, gross human rights violations and other underlying drivers. At Tuesdays session, Africa took the spotlight. Africa has emerged as the key battleground for terrorism, with a major increase in the number of active groups operating on the continent, U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari said, noting that local political, economic and social fractures, porous borders and identity-based mobilization had fueled the emergence of al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS. Several areas of the continent, from Burkina Faso and the Sahel and more broadly to Chad and Sudan, still face the consequences of the flow of weapons and foreign fighters from Libya, Khiari said. Oil-rich Libya plunged into chaos following the NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. After the Islamic States self-styled caliphate was defeated in Iraq in 2017, many of its foreign fighters fled to the North African nation. Col. Gen. Igor Sirotkin, deputy director of Russias Federal Security Service and head of its National Anti-Terrorism Committee, told the meeting that West Africa, especially the Maghreb and the Sahel, are becoming the epicenter of the Islamist terrorist threat, with the armed terrorist groups expanding their influence, and we see the danger of ISIS being reincarnated as an African caliphate. Qatars special envoy for counter-terrorism, Mutiaq Al-Qahtani, who said half the victims of terrorist acts last year were in sub-Saharan Africa, called for counter-terrorism efforts to focus on the continent. Justin Hustwitt, the coordinator of experts monitoring U.N. sanctions against the Islamic State and al-Qaida, said the situation in West Africa continues to deteriorate and IS seems to be trying to position itself as a political actor. He said IS in the greater Sahara is taking advantage of the lack of counter-terrorism operations, especially in the tri-border area of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and there are growing concerns about IS and al-Qaida taking advantage of any opportunity in Congo. Interpols counter-terrorism director, Gregory Hinds, said al-Qaida and IS-related groups continue to inspire and carry out attacks in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, North America, Europe and now across Africa and Asia at alarming pace. Hinds said the 50-fold increase in terrorism linked to extreme right-wing ideology is being influenced by global events and global agenda. Secretary-General Guterres also said neo-Nazi and white supremacist movements are fast becoming the primary internal security threats in a number of countries. On the significant deterioration of global security in the last few years, the U.N.s Khiari said the number of conflicts globally is on the rise again after two decades of consistent decline, and their nature has changed. Civil wars that start off locally are more likely to become internationalized, and conflict parties are increasingly fragmented, he said. Civil wars aggravate grievances and foment regional international instabilities creating a fertile ground for non-state armed groups, including terrorist groups, to proliferate. On a more positive note, Gregory LoGerfo, the U.S. State Departments deputy coordinator for counter-terrorism, said IS has not only been defeated in Iraq and Syria but its leadership has been taken out or captured, large-scale attacks have been prevented, and billions have been invested in stabilizing the region. But for all of our progress, were not done yet, he said. The U.N.s Hustwitt echoed that Daeshs leadership has suffered serious attrition, adding that the groups resources are depleting, and they are very focused on revenue generation. Tobias Peyeri, Googles senior manager for strategic intelligence who formerly worked for the U.N. Office of Counter-Terrorism, said the company bans content produced by or supporting designated terrorist organizations, and is committed to fighting the hatred and extremism that leads to terrorist violence. But he said bad actors, like extremist groups, continue to become more savvy in evading detection, citing as examples their use of coded communications, complex narratives and conspiracy theories, and their modifications of existing popular computer games. To counter these efforts, he said Google relies on expertise in local markets, advanced AI-driven visual matching technologies, special detection technologies, and other measures. Peyeri said artificial intelligence is already helping the world with challenges from disease to climate change, but if not developed and deployed responsibly, AI systems could amplify current societal issues such as misinformation, discrimination, and the misuse of tools by bad actors including terrorists. A worker padlocks fencing securing a residential area under COVID-19 lockdown in the Xuhui district of Shanghai on June 8, 2022. Rights activist Ji Xiaolong has stood trial in a Shanghai court on public order charges after he wrote to a Chinese leader criticizing the grueling COVID-19 lockdown of spring 2022, Radio Free Asia has learned. The latest in a long line of COVID-19 dissidents to face the wrath of the government, Ji stood trial at the Pudong New District People's Court on June 21 for "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," a charge frequently used to target peaceful critics of the ruling Communist Party. According to his father, Ji Xinghua, the prosecution based its case on posts he made to Twitter that were "insulting" to China's leaders. "The prosecution said he tweeted something that insulted the country's leaders," Ji's father said. "His lawyers said the authorities didn't comply with regulations in their investigation and in their collection of evidence." "I don't think that what he did caused any kind of public disorder, and I don't think it adds up to picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," he said. Ji's detention came after he wrote to then Shanghai ruling Chinese Communist Party secretary Li Qiang, calling on him to resign for "blindly following orders from the central government when implementing weeks of grueling lockdown in the city earlier this year. Li has since risen to the position of Chinese premier. Calls to quit Netherlands-based dissident Lin Shengliang said that Jis targeting of Li Qiang was likely the biggest factor behind his arrest and trial. "They won't talk about the [real reason], which was that he questioned Li Qiang's COVID-19 containment measures in Shanghai at that time," Lin said. "They are even less likely to mention that now." Chinese rights activist Ji Xiaolong was put on trial for Twitter posts, his father says. Credit: Provided by Ji Xiaolong He said the key was that Ji had called in his petition for Li to step down. In the petition, Ji also wrote that he was fine with being jailed for opposing government policies in an era of widespread internet censorship and surveillance of ordinary people. He was already under residential surveillance at his home, and police had prevented him from going back to his hometown in Jiangsu's Shazhou county to visit his elderly parents, he wrote. Ji, who has already served a three-and-a-half year jail term for writing political graffiti in a Shanghai public toilet, was a vocal critic of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's zero-COVID policy of stringent lockdowns, mass isolation and quarantine facilities and wave upon wave of testing that ended following nationwide protests in November 2022. During the weeks-long lockdown, residents of Shanghai repeatedly complained of shortages of food and essential supplies and lack of access to life-saving medical treatment for those sick with something other than COVID-19, and Ji had posted a number of video clips and posts from lockdown. During Ji's initial interview, police confronted him with various comments he had made to overseas media organizations including Radio Free Asia, the Epoch Times and New Tang Dynasty TV, as well as the petition he started, some video clips he reposted and some social media posts he made. Bad idea Ji's father said he supports his son's view of the zero-COVID policy. "Of course it was a bad idea to put the city in lockdown ... which brought a lot of inconvenience to ordinary people," he said. "They weren't able to control [the pandemic] through lockdowns, so it's good that they stopped doing that." "Of course it was a bad idea to put the city in lockdown, says Ji Xinghua, the father of Ji Xiaolong. Credit: Provided by Ji Xiaolong Ji's trial comes after authorities in the central city of Wuhan tried and sentenced citizen journalist Fang Bin, who disappeared for three years after filming from hospitals and funeral homes early in the COVID-19 pandemic from the city of Wuhan, in secret. News only emerged in April 2023 that Fang, who fell silent after a Feb. 1, 2020, livestream from Wuhan healthcare facilities, had been sentenced in secret to three years in prison. Fang, along with jailed Shanghai dissident Zhang Zhan, detained YouTuber Chen Qiushi and exiled journalist Kcriss Li, was among a number of high-profile bloggers who tried to report on the emerging and little-understood viral outbreak from Wuhan. His report also described the pandemic as a "man-made" disaster, calling on people to resist government "tyranny." On June 2, 2023, Zhang Zhan was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which described her as a hero who "should be honored by the world for their courage." "Instead of meeting those requests [for China to abide by international human rights law] with transparency and debate, Chinese authorities used their massive police power to censor and jail," the Commission said in a statement. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. The Lianhe Zaobao also appears to be limiting access to mentions of the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre. President Joe Biden waves as he walks to board Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base, Del., Monday, June 19, 2023, as he heads to California for four fundraisers. Internet users in Hong Kong have been unable to access an online newspaper article describing how U.S. President Joe Biden called Chinese president Xi Jinping a "dictator," sparking a fresh war of words between the two superpowers in the wake of a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that was supposed to have eased tensions. An article published by the pro-China Singapore newspaper Lianhe Zaobao about the diplomatic row was unavailable to Hong Kong readers on Wednesday, sparking concerns that the authorities are starting to impose China's Great Firewall of internet censorship in the city, amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent. Clicking on a link to the June 21 article on the paper's website displayed in Google search results from Hong Kong yielded an error message that read: "Sorry, but that page doesn't exist." However, other stories on the same website were accessible around the same time. Further investigations from Hong Kong revealed that articles mentioning the anniversary of the June 4, 1989 Tiananmen massacre and the recent arrests of Hong Kongers commemorating it in public were also unavailable on the paper's website. The same articles were easily accessible from outside Hong Kong, however. Network engineer and citizen journalist Zhou Shuguang, who currently lives in democratic Taiwan and uses the online handle Zuola, said the block had likely occurred within Hong Kong-based servers hosting the paper's content, rather than being imposed by the paper in Singapore. "There are host servers in many different places around the world ... including in Hong Kong, Osaka, Japan, and the United States," Zhou said after investigating the page and its domain name, server and other technical information available on the paper's website. "The purpose is to allow readers faster access to content." But the servers in Hong Kong will come under the control of the authorities there, who would likely apply provisions from a draconian national security law banning public criticism of the authorities. "Servers in Hong Kong are governed by the Hong Kong National Security Law, or the Hong Kong government," Zhou said. But he said it wasn't out of the question that the Lianhe Zaobao had also engaged in some form of self-censorship to gain access to readers in China. Expansive national security law Hong Kong data scientist and pro-democracy activist Wong Ho-wa agreed, saying that the paper appears to have made a decision to deny Hong Kong users access to certain content. He said if the authorities had imposed an external block, then the entire website would be unavailable, as was the case in 2021 when they blocked access to the Hong Kong Chronicles website. "If you can get onto the website, but some content is visible and other content isn't, most of that is controlled by the media organization or the official website," Wong told Radio Free Asia. "Naturally there are certain factors they consider." "It's not about the server it's a programming or regional issue," he said, citing regional variations in availability of content on streaming site Netflix as an example. An employee of the Lianhe Zaobao who responded to a query about the issue from RFA on Wednesday said: "We are looking into it." However, no further response had been received by the time of writing. An official who responded from the Hong Kong government's Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau said the issue didn't fall within its remit. Hong Kong's national security legislation applies in theory, at least anywhere in the world. The British government in February hit out at authorities in China and Hong Kong after they put pressure on the London-based rights group Hong Kong Watch to take down its entire website, citing the law. "You and Hong Kong Watch are obliged to remove the website ... without delay, and immediately cease engaging in any acts and activities in contravention of the national security law or any other laws of Hong Kong," the city's national security police wrote to the group's CEO Benedict Rogers. "Should you fail to do so, further action will be instituted against you and Hong Kong Watch without further notice." Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Paul Eckert. China cannot prohibit activities in Philippine waters, fishers group and former Supreme Court justice say. Fishermen return after a days work in waters off the municipality of Bani in the northern Philippines facing the South China Sea, Jan. 25, 2023. A fishers group and others have slammed the Philippine president for saying he would coordinate with Beijing on its annual fishing ban in the disputed South China Sea, including in waters within Manilas jurisdiction. China has no standing to prohibit any activities in the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ), critics said as they responded on Thursday to comments by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reporters about planning ahead of the May-August Chinese ban to give fishermen an alternative source of income. Beijing has no right whatsoever to impose a fishing ban in waters within the Philippines EEZ, said Antonio Carpio, a former Philippine Supreme Court justice and South China Sea expert. Thats because in 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines when it threw out Chinas expansive claims in the waterway, he said. This was particularly true of the West Philippine Sea, the waters of the South China Sea within Manilas EEZ. China has been unilaterally imposing a fishing moratorium from May to August every year, claiming this promotes sustainable fishing. But the Philippines has in past years protested against this, saying the practice violates its sovereignty. Some areas covered by the fishing ban are in Philippine waters. We cannot recognize Chinas fishing ban in any part of our EEZ because that will recognize Chinas nine-dash line, which is the basis for Chinas fishing ban, Carpio told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated news outlet, in a message on Thursday. The nine-dash line is a boundary used by Beijing on its maps to demarcate its territorial claims in the sea. The Arbitral Award states that Chinas nine-dash line cannot serve as a basis to claim waters or resources in the South China Sea, Carpio said. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. speaks during an exclusive interview at his hotel in Washington, May 4, 2023. Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters During his comments on Tuesday, Marcos made no reference to the validity of the ban or otherwise. When there is a fishing ban, we coordinate with them so we do not get surprised that theres suddenly a fishing ban. So we can have some time to plan, Marcos said, according to transcripts released Thursday. When they say there is going to be a fishing ban in two months time, then lets plan: What will the fishers do? Let us give them another livelihood or another source of income. Marcos said he had raised the issue of Filipino fishers rights during his meeting with President Xi Jinping when he visited China in January. I really prioritized the issue of fisheries when we met. I said, let us not talk about the territory because we will not be able to decide now, Marcos said. Let us prioritize the fisheries because these people are not at fault, why punish them? So we are making some progress in that regard. China has no moral ascendancy The activist fisherfolk group Pamalakaya is completely unconvinced by this argument of the Marcos administration, which it believes should reject Beijings annual unilateral ban. There should be no room for any compromise, not even a coordination in regards to fishing activities in our territorial waters, Pamalakaya said in a statement on Thursday. No amount of alternative source of income could equate the fishing livelihood of Filipinos in the resource-rich West Philippine Sea, and its significant contribution to our local food security. Additionally, Pamalakaya trashed Beijings claim about sustainable fishing. We remind President Marcos Jr. that China has no moral ascendancy, not especially a legal right, to impose a fishing ban on the pretext of marine conservation, the group said. Because it is the one destroying our marine biodiversity and ecosystem through massive reclamation, illegal poaching, and industrial fishing expeditions. Fishermen check their catch in Bani in the northern Philippines facing the South China Sea, Jan. 25, 2023. Credit: Jojo Rinoza/BenarNews Marine scientists meanwhile have expressed alarm over the destruction of coral reefs in the South China Sea that are critical for the environment and preventing a collapse in fish stocks, which sustain the livelihoods of tens of millions of people. Some of the South China Sea reefs are gone forever due to the creation of military bases atop them, John McManus, a professor of marine biology at the University of Miami in Florida, told Radio Free Asia in October 2020. The majority of such construction has been by China, which dredged up Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef, Mischief Reef, Woody Island, and some other islets between 2014 and 2017, to make way for artificial islands that now host its military. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news outlet. With cameras at every train station, avoiding detection is almost impossible, experts say. A shadow of a surveillance camera is seen on a Chinese national flag in Beijing, Nov. 3, 2022. Facial recognition technology in China is increasing the risk that North Korean escapees in China will be caught, and raising the prices charged by smugglers who assist them, sources who work closely with escapees told Radio Free Asia. Most North Koreans who escape do so by crossing the northern border into China. But facial recognition systems there are spreading with cameras installed on street corners and train stations and used by Chinese police to keep track of the population on the streets. While the face of nearly every Chinese resident is registered in a government database, North Koreans escapees are not, and turn up nothing when scanned, Seo Jae-pyoung, head of the Association of the North Korean Defectors, a support group based in South Korea, told RFAs Korean Service. When the face does not match a profile, the police are quick to check on the person to determine why, he said. While it's difficult to know for sure if the software has led to North Korean refugees getting captured in China, it has clearly raised the risks and costs for those trying to escape, those familiar with the situation say. In March, the surveillance software appeared to be a key factor in the capture of five or six North Korean refugees and a local broker helping them move within China, Seo said. They were caught by Chinese police near the northeastern city of Dalian. It seems that those North Korean escapees were already tracked down, he said. It is highly likely that they were caught because they were unaware of the dangers of facial recognition technology and tracking. Seo said that artificial intelligence-based facial recognition technology has increased the risks facing North Koreans who want to escape. Typically, they travel discreetly through China all the way to Southeast Asia, where they take a flight to Seoul. Sharp decrease This may be one reason that the number of North Koreans who successfully reach the South are down, experts say. Between 2001 and 2019 more than 1,000 North Koreans arrived in the South each year, reaching a peak of 2,914 in 2009. But this dropped to 229 in 2020 and then to the double digits in 2021 and 2022, data from the South Korean Ministry of Unification showed. Much of the rapid decline is due to the COVID-19 pandemic, during which North Korea and China closed the entirety of the 1,350-kilometer (840-mile) Sino-Korean border, but experts say that facial recognition tech is also responsible. The issue was raised before a U.S. Congressional hearing this month. The AI-based facial recognition program has made the North Korean refugees internal movement by public transportation within China almost impossible while the authorities have been using surveillance technology to monitor and intercept the escapees attempting to flee China, Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, a legal analyst at the South Korea-based Transitional Justice Working Group, told the Congressional-Executive Commission on China on June 13. A man walks past surveillance cameras in Beijing, Nov. 23 2021. Credit: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters The technology is spreading fear among escapees in China, Hanna Song, director of international cooperation at the South Korea-based Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, told the same hearing. Chinas increasing use of emerging technology is being used as a tool of repression that affects the most vulnerable groups including North Korean refugees, she said. Many North Koreans spoke about how the advanced surveillance capabilities, such as facial recognition and biometric systems, are used to monitor and track the movements of those in China. There are no statistics on North Korean refugees caught or arrested as a result of facial recognition technology in China. Experts have explained that it is not easy to identify North Koreans because there are many foreigners who are not registered in China's surveillance system. But sources told RFA that facial recognition likely has a role in the arrests of such refugees in China. Most of the North Korean escapees being arrested now [in China] can be attributed to facial recognition cameras, Chun Ki-won, a reverend with the Durihana Mission, an organization that carries out rescue operations for escapees, told RFA. Kim Sung-eun of the Caleb Mission, another group that assists escapees in China, said personnel from his organization were arrested with a group of escapees because of facial recognition technology. Some of our people got caught too, before COVID-19, said Kim. There is a facial recognition machine in front of the train station. They passed it and sat on the train and they were caught right away. All the escapees were forcibly repatriated to North Korea, he said. A demonstration of face-recognize technology is displayed on Chinese State-owned surveillance equipment manufacturer Hikvisions screen at Security China 2018 in Beijing, China, Oct. 23, 2018. Credit: Ng Han Guan/AP Several officials of South Korea-based organizations told RFA that they believe facial recognition technology is having a great impact on escaped North Koreans. Cameras installed throughout China and artificial intelligence facial recognition technology have made it difficult for North Korean refugees to move, and awareness of fleeing North Koreans [in China] is growing, said Ko Yonghwan, a former North Korean diplomat who is currently a non-resident senior researcher at Korean Institute for Military Affairs. Because the technology is so advanced, China would even be able to surveil escapees at North Koreas request, said Choo Jaewoo, a professor at the department of Chinese language and literature at Seouls Kyung Hee University. If North Korea requests tracking of a specific person and China accepts it, the risk of being caught by facial recognition technology could be much greater," said Choo. Higher costs The surveillance software has increased the risk facing brokers, prompting them to raise their prices. Before facial recognition technology was so prevalent, it cost about US$2,000 per refugee to get through China with the help of a broker, but now it costs $10,000 to $15,000, said Kim from the Caleb Mission. It wasn't easy before, but the reality is that using the train station or bus stop has become more difficult, said Ji Chul-ho, head of the Emergency Rescue team at Now Action & Unity for Human rights, a South Korean organization that helps North Korean escapees. It is a reality that it is difficult to use most [public transportation] these days, he said. As a result, the cost of rescue is higher than in the past, as it is necessary to move using the brokers vehicle and to more carefully arrange [escape] plans. Prior to the advent of facial recognition technology, escapees could at least see police coming and try to avoid them, or hide when they hear sirens, Ji said. Now we are exposed to more invisible and unaware fears, he said. It is a serious problem. Translated by Leejin J. Chung. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. The UN session for municipal workers focused on money laundering and state enterprise finances. The Laos inspector generals office and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime conduct anti-corruption training for municipal employees in Vientiane, June 13, 2023. The effort to fight widespread government corruption in Laos for years a declared goal of the countrys top leaders got a boost from the United Nations this week. At a training conducted by the U.N.s Office on Drugs and Crime, Vientiane municipal workers learned how to recognize money laundering, audit the finances of state enterprises and inspect government concession projects. Berlin-based Transparency Internationals 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Laos 126 of 180 countries it evaluated in fighting corruption. Cooperation included officials from the state inspector generals office and others from related outside sectors, an official from the Office of Inspector General told Radio Free Asia. This time we did the training in Vientiane. Later, well have one for government officials in Savannakhet province. The government has promised in the past to address corrupt practices that have put off potential foreign investors from pumping money into much-needed infrastructure and development. However, despite the enactment of an anti-corruption law that criminalizes the abuse of power, public sector fraud, embezzlement and bribery, Laos judiciary is weak and inefficient, and officials are rarely prosecuted. One official who said he worked as an inspector in Vientiane for a decade told RFA last year that he and his colleagues review the finances of government offices and departments but not those of individual officials who are powerful members of the party and the government. Nobody would dare inspect them, he said. They do it in a group It could be very difficult to solve Laos corruption problem, even with stricter laws, a Laotian who asked to remain anonymous said to RFA this week. So far, no government officials have been sent to prison for corruption, he said. Laws are strict but enforcement is weak, and thats not strong enough to solve the problem, he said. Over the last two or three years, some officials have been fired or moved to other positions but thats been the extent of the government crackdown, a former state employee told RFA. There are many state employees who are corrupt, he said. Police, tax collectors, even employees of mineral companies. They do it in a group, with the involvement of high-ranking officials. A report last year from the countrys State Inspection Authority said the Lao government had lost US$767 million to corruption since 2016, with government development and investment projects such as road and bridge construction the leading source of the widespread graft. At the time, nearly 3,700 members of the communist Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party had been disciplined, with 2,019 expelled and 154 people charged, the report said. Another report from the Asian Development Bank found that almost 70 percent of businesses that applied for registrations, licenses and permits in Laos paid bribes to government officials to get approval. Translated by Sidney Khotpanya. Edited by Matt Reed. SEOUL, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The number of South Korean households moving from urban areas to rural areas fell last year following two years of growth amid the COVID-19 pandemic, statistical office data showed on Thursday. The number of households returning to farming villages to farm for a livelihood stood at 12,411 in 2022, down 13.5 percent from the previous year, according to Statistics Korea. The figure increased 9.3 percent in 2020 and 14.9 percent in 2021 due to the social and economic aftermath of the pandemic, but it turned downward in 2022 amid the economic recovery in urban areas. The number of households resettling in fishing villages to fish for a living declined 16.2 percent to 951 in 2022 after advancing 26.5 percent in the previous year. The number of households relocated to rural areas, including those who resettled in farming and fishing towns due to workplace movement, reached 318,769 in 2022, down 12.3 percent from a year earlier. It followed an increase of 8.7 percent in 2020 and 5.3 percent in 2021. Of the total, 77.6 percent were single-person households and their average age was 45.7 years. Four suspects were extradited following a six-year joint operation between the two neighbors. A Malaysian court is expected to charge four Thai nationals Friday in connection with the 2015 discovery of graves of more than a 100 human-smuggling victims found at jungle camps near the border with Thailand, Malaysias home minister said. The Thai suspects were handed over to Malaysia on Thursday as part of a 2017 extradition request by Kuala Lumpur and an investigation into the discovery of mass remains of Rohingya and Bangladeshi human smuggling victims in shallow graves in Wang Kelian, a village in Perlis state. They were handed to us on June 22 and will be brought to the Sessions Court in Perlis to be charged on Friday, Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said in a statement but without disclosing details. A senior Malaysian police official, who asked that his identity be kept anonymous because he was not authorized to speak to reporters, said the Perlis police chief was scheduled to hold a press conference related to the Thai nationals on Friday. The four will be charged with human smuggling, he told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated news outlet. In January 2015, Malaysian authorities found 139 mass graves and 28 abandoned camps scattered near the rocky hills along the Thai-Malaysia border at Bukit Wang Burma in Wang Kelian, but waited four months to exhume the bodies. More than 100 skeletal remains, believed to be those of members of Myanmars stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, were found in the graves while other remains apparently belonged to undocumented migrants from Bangladesh. After a cluster of similar mass graves were discovered at jungle camps abandoned by human smugglers on the Thai side of the frontier, Thailand in early May 2015 launched a crackdown on illicit immigration that triggered a humanitarian crisis in Southeast Asia. Close to 3,000 ethnic Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladesh nationals, abandoned by their handlers on smugglers boats, suddenly came ashore in Malaysia and Indonesia. It was only after the news of the Thai graves made headlines that Malaysian authorities publicized the discovery of the graves in Wang Kelian and moved to recover the remains of the victims. Men wait in a mass grave amongst coffins of unidentified remains of Rohingya refugees found at a human-trafficking camp in Wang Kelian, Malaysia, June 22, 2015. Credit: Olivia Harris/Reuters A Malaysian government-commissioned panel inquiry report made public last October found that officials could have prevented the torture and deaths of the smuggling victims if they had taken a more proactive step in border control. It did not require any extraordinary effort to detect what had happened in Bukit Wang Burma, according to an excerpt from the Royal Commission of Inquiry report. The Commission regards the incident at Wang Kelian as a humanitarian tragedy that should never have happened in this day and age. No Malaysian has been charged in connection with the 2015 discovery. Only four foreign nationals have been convicted and imprisoned. But in Thailand, prosecutors tried 102 people linked to 32 graves found on its side of the border. Of the 62 people convicted, one was a three-star general, who died in prison while serving an 82-year sentence. No form of trial on our side Malaysias home minister said this latest development was the result of close cooperation between his country and Thailand. Malaysia had in 2017 sought the extradition of 10 Thai nationals. As a result of close collaboration between the two countries, four of the 10 individuals were tracked down and presented at a Thai court to face extradition, Saifuddin said. The extradition proceeding took place at many courts in Thailand, and the Thai Court of Appeal on March 30 this year ordered the four individuals to be handed to Malaysia. However, Mohd. Mizan Mohammad Aslam, a professor at the National Defense University of Malaysia, would like to see a more active investigation on the Malaysian side. In Thailand, many people have been arrested for being involved in the crime and ended up in prison, he told BenarNews. However, on our side, we have yet to take any action seriously; there has been no form of trial on our side. He urged the Malaysian authorities to find local suspects involved in the case and put them behind bars. I believe that if no serious action is taken, such crimes can flourish again and create another Wang Kelian, he said. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news outlet. A woman looks at Facebook on her mobile phone. Myanmars junta has arrested and prosecuted 50 people in the past seven days for allegedly posting anti-regime content on social media platforms, according to news releases by the military regime. The week-long crackdown began on June 14, according to junta announcements Tuesday and Wednesday, which said people had been prosecuted under anti terrorism laws for comments they made on Facebook, Telegram and TikTok. The arrests culminated in the detention of 30 people on Wednesday. Among those arrested, 12 were from Yangon region, with others from Mandalay, Sagaing, Magway, Bago and Ayeyarwady regions, Shan and Kayin states. One Yangon city resident described the arrests as arbitrary. The juntas statements are just propaganda, said the man who declined to be named for safety reasons. They impose the sentences they like. According to junta-controlled newspapers, those arrested will be prosecuted under Section 52 (a) of the Counter-Terrorism Act which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison. They also face prosecution under Section 124 (a) of the Penal Code which carries a sentence of up to seven years for sedition Section 505 (a) of the Penal Code which carries a maximum three-year term for high treason and Section 33 (a) of the Electronic Transactions Act which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years for using technology for acts detrimental to the security of the state. According to figures exclusively compiled by RFA and based on junta statements, at least 1,050 people who posted or reshared posts deemed to be anti-regime were arrested between February 2022 and April 2023. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn. She knew she was being sought by authorities for reporting on anti-junta protests. In the seven months since the military had carried out a coup detat in February 2021, Myanmar had descended into chaos, Her husband, a former journalist, had been detained for four days before being released. Fearing for her safety, Thuzar San decided to buy a bus ticket from Yangon for the Thai border town of Mae Sot, due to depart on Sept. 2, 2021. But two days before she was to leave, she was arrested by police while her taxi was stopped at a traffic light by plain clothes police officers. We were asked to put our hands on our heads on the side of the road while they searched the car and then they handcuffed us, forced us to get into a truck at gunpoint, and blindfolded us, she told Radio Free Asia. Thuzar was one of the locally-hired reporters at RFA Burmese Services Yangon office from 2013-2014. There was another woman with us. When we arrived at the [interrogation] center, they said, Let the lady exit first, so I asked if it was me they were talking about. All of a sudden, they slapped me in the face. During that first night, Thuzars interrogators subjected her to brutal mental and physical abuse in a bid to learn what she knew about the junta opposition and other journalists who had covered the protests. Four guys circled me and whipped me with a bundle of three [bamboo] canes bound together, she said. They asked me the names of the two young men I met during the protest. I was friends with them on Facebook, but I didnt know much about them. Her captors beat her five times with a bamboo sapling that evening and said the wounds on her thighs took more than a year to heal. I will never forget the pain of being beaten with the bamboo sapling, she said. Ruthlessly whipped Later, she was taken from her cell, blindfolded and led outside, where she was made to kneel on the pavement. Again, her captors beat her, demanding to know how she planned to travel to Thailand, which organizations she had ties to and which reporters planned to flee along with her. Three guys circled me and whipped me with canes it was so painful, she said. This time, they pierced my flesh with the [sharpened] tip of the bamboo sapling and it was agonizing. Myanmar freelance journalist Thuzar San was tortured after being arrested. Credit: A Hla Lay Thuzar Facebook When Thuzar told the men that she had nothing to divulge about her fellow reporters, they threatened to videotape her forced confession as evidence that she was a junta informant and hold her daughter hostage. They told me that they could make me talk and said, Well bring in your daughter and beat her in front of you, she said. After that, I couldnt stop crying. Finally, they sent me back to my cell. Over the course of several days, Thuzar was interrogated by several people. On the ninth day of her detention, her captors took her fingerprints and sent a statement to the local police station, saying that she took part in anti-junta protests while covering the event as a reporter. To Insein Prison She was kept in police custody for nearly a month on charges of reporting fake news and inciting the public against the government. On Nov. 22, 2021, she was sentenced to two years in Yangons notorious Insein Prison with hard labor. Thuzar described life at Insein Prison as a constant violation of her human rights. I stayed in Female Ward No. 9, which was like a hall with closed circuit cameras installed in it, she said. We had to change our clothes and use the toilet there [in front of the cameras]. The prison officials regularly scolded us and used harsh words. Our rights were severely violated. Thuzar was released as part of a general amnesty on Jan. 4, 2023, after spending 15 months in prison. As she was no longer safe in Myanmar, she fled to Thailand along with her family in March. While she feels unmoored as a refugee in a foreign country, Thuzar said she stays strong thinking about the sacrifices of those who have given their lives in opposition to junta rule. She vowed to return to Myanmar as soon as possible so that she can join together with those fighting for democracy and a better future in her home country. Translated by Htin Aung Kyaw. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Fish that swim in treated wastewater from the tsunami-damaged Fukushima nuclear plant would be safe to eat, according to an expert who is part of the Pacific islands scientific panel that criticized Japans plan to discharge the water into the ocean. The plan to release Fukushima water over four decades into the Pacific has been a source of concern about possible environmental and health risks for nearby countries such as South Korea and China, as well as Pacific island nations. However, some scientists say the worries are based on misinformation. A few Pacific leaders now back Japans plan after briefings from Japanese officials on the process for removing radioactivity. We are talking much, much, much less [radioactivity] than is allowed in drinking water around the world. Would I eat the fish? Yes I would, Tony Hooker, director of the Centre for Radiation Research at the University of Adelaide in Australia, said at a briefing on Wednesday. Water used to cool the nuclear reactors damaged in a 2011 earthquake and tsunami is stored in hundreds of large tanks at the coastal Fukushima plant, and its operator Tokyo Electric Power Company has said room is fast running out. Treatment and discharge of the water is part of a decades-long plan to decommission the plant. Japan is likely to carry out its first release of the wastewater during its summer, according to Hooker, who spoke at an online panel organized by New Zealands government-funded Science Media Centre. Tokyo Electric has been carrying out tests this month, using uncontaminated water, of equipment to dilute and pipe the wastewater out to sea. Tony Hooker, director of the Centre for Radiation Research at the University of Adelaide, is pictured in this video screengrab from a New Zealand Science Media Centre panel on June 21, 2023. Credit: BenarNews/Science Media Centre Hooker said he would stop short of drinking the treated water, but not because its dangerous. Would I drink the water? No, because its sea water, he said. Hooker is a member of an expert panel appointed in March by the Pacific Islands Forum, a regional organization of island nations, to review Japans plan and provide technical advice. The forums chairman, Henry Puna, said in January that release of the water could damage our livelihoods, our fisheries livelihoods, our livelihood as people who are very much dependent and connected to the ocean. The panel criticized the quality of data it had received from Tokyo Electric on the water in the tanks and expressed doubts about how well the purification process works. It called for an alternative storage method for the waste water such as making concrete with it. Hooker was not representing the panel at the online briefing. Japans decontamination plan for the water involves putting it through a purification process known as the Advanced Liquid Processing System, which it says will reduce radioactive elements except tritium to below regulatory levels. The nuclear waste produced by that process will be stored by Japan. The treated water would then be diluted by more than 100 times to reduce the level of tritiumradioactive hydrogen used to create glow-in-the-dark lighting thats at the mild end of the radioactive spectrum. The International Atomic Energy Agency has said the Fukushima process is technically feasible and in line with international practice. South Korean fishermen stage a rally against the planned release of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, June 12, 2023. Credit: AP Photo David Krofcheck, a nuclear physicist at the University of Auckland, said removal of the nasty products of nuclear fission such as strontium and cesium is the more crucial issue versus naturally occuring tritium. Even though outside laboratories can verify Japans efforts, diplomatically it could benefit from more collaboration with neighboring countries, Krofcheck said. There is a lot of trust that has been lost from early on [in the Fukushima disaster] that the Japanese scientists are doing this correctly, he said. It would be nice if there was some kind of international collaboration from people in the neighborhood like Korea, Taiwan, China perhaps, Krofcheck said. I think that would smooth some of the hard feelings. Chau-Ron Wu, a North Pacific ocean currents expert at Taiwan research institute Academia Sinica, provided modeling for the online briefing that suggested tritium released from Fukushima would take a year to reach Taiwans coastal waters and two to three years to reach the west coast of North America. Tritium occurs naturally in the environment due to the suns energy hitting the earth and is also emitted by the worlds nuclear power plants. Some remains from atmospheric nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s. The Pacific Ocean contains about 8.4 kilograms of tritium and Japans plan would add less than 0.1 gram a year, according to a statement from Nigel Marks, a nuclear materials scientist at Australias Curtin University. He said there is more radiation in a banana than would be absorbed by fish from treated Fukushima water. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news organization. Eight-year-old Halima was devastated to learn that after overcoming numerous obstacles to her education under Taliban rule, her path to learning had been blocked with the closure of her private school. "We all went home crying," she told RFE/RLs Radio Azadi of the day she and her fellow students learned that their classes in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar Province had been terminated. "Our schools were closed first by the coronavirus [pandemic], then there was fighting, and now they have been shut again," she said. "We just want to study." The rural classroom where she studied was a lifeline for learning basic mathematics, Afghan languages, science, and Islamic studies despite the ruling Taliban's efforts to restrict girls' and women's access to education. But on April 16, classes ended when the hardline Islamist authorities announced that the school, among Afghanistan's thousands of Community-Based Education (CBE) centers, would be closed following unspecified "complaints from locals." Unrest and poverty in Kandahar and neighboring Helmand Province made the two regions a focal point for the development of CBE centers over the past three decades, with funding coming primarily from Western donors via the United Nations and international nongovernmental organizations. Countrywide, more than 500,000 Afghan children currently attend CBE centers, which were established in cooperation with the communities in which they were based and are often held in private homes, mosques, or large tents. Aid groups pay teachers' salaries, provide educational materials, and offer the same curriculum taught in Afghan state schools. The centers, typically made up of a single classroom catering for up to 50 students, half of them girls, also filled an education void in remote areas where there were no state schools. But since mid-April, nearly 1,600 CBE centers in Kandahar Province have been closed, depriving 50,000 students of an education. Similar numbers have been recorded in neighboring Helmand Province in a nationwide trend. 'It's Heartbreaking' The termination of classes at Halima's school and others like it appears to show that the narrow window for learning in remote areas is being closed as the Taliban looks to impose full control over how children are educated. Munir Ahmad, who ran a literacy class inside his mudbrick home in Dand, a rural district in Kandahar Province, said he was forced to close his doors to students in April. "It is heartbreaking to lose these classes because they serve children in remote areas where there are no other education opportunities," he told Radio Azadi. The Taliban, approaching two years in power, has not commented on whether it has ordered the school closures. But aid workers, rights campaigners, and education experts suggest that the hardline group is trying to ensure that young students receive an Islamic education even though the CBE centers follow the state model. This, in turn, has led to concerns that the Taliban either intends to permanently shut down the schools or use them as venues to spread its extremist worldview and ideology. "It is alarming," said Heather Barr, associate director of the women's rights division at Human Rights Watch. "The Taliban will likely change these schools in a way that is harmful to students, particularly girls." Education has been a main target of the Taliban's extremist policies since it seized power in August 2021 and took steps to root out secular education. Teenage girls were promptly banned from attending school despite the Taliban's promises to the international community, which has listed the Taliban's stance on girls' and women's education as a key obstacle to officially recognizing its government. 'Jihadi Madrasahs' Since taking power, the Taliban has consistently enforced strict gender segregation and replaced professional educators with clerics. Last year, Taliban supreme leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada appointed key loyalists Mawlawi Habibullah Agha and Nida Mohmmad Nadim to lead the education and higher education ministries, respectively. The two have diligently worked to expand the ban on womens education and attempted to turn schools into a tool for indoctrination by tweaking the curriculum, critics say. In some cases, modern schools have been converted into madrasahs. In December, the Taliban upped the ante by prohibiting women from receiving a university education. And in the latest move, a Taliban official said this month that its government had established "jihadi madrasahs" in at least five provinces. Many Islamist militant groups, including the Taliban, emerged from such religious schools in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan in the 1980s. Wazhma Tokhi, an Afghan human rights activist with a particular focus on women's rights and education in Afghanistan, suggests that the recent school closures can be seen as another example of the groups determination to root out secular education. "They want to turn the schools into madrasahs," Tokhi said. The UN agency for children, UNICEF, which funds many CBE centers, says it is now holding discussions with the Taliban over "timelines and practicalities" for possibly handing them over to Afghan NGOs, many of which receive outside funding and have some protection from the Taliban. Tokhi sees disastrous consequences if the Taliban assumes direct control over CBE centers. "Our future is destroyed," she said. Russia on July 20 launched a third consecutive round of air strikes on southern Ukraine, targeting port installations and grain storage facilities as well as civilian infrastructure and killing at least two people, regional officials said. The attacks came after Russia refused to extend a UN-sponsored deal that had allowed shipments of Ukrainian grain abroad, and warned that it would consider cargo ships on the Black Sea destined for Ukraine as potential military targets. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. In Mykolayiv, one person was killed and at least 18 civilians, including children, were wounded in an attack on a three-story residential building in the city center, regional Governor Vitaliy Kim said. "The Russians hit the city center. A garage and a three-story residential building caught fire.... A total of 18 people were injured. Nine of them were hospitalized, including five children, while two people were rescued from under the rubble. It's a miracle that we managed to save them," Kim said. In Odesa, at least two civilians, one of them a 21-year-old man, were killed in the strikes that targeted grain and oil terminals, and also caused destruction in the city center, Odesa region Governor Oleh Kiper reported. "Unfortunately, as a result of the overnight Russian attack, we have one person killed in Odesa. The deceased is a security guard of a civil building, born in 2002," he said, adding that the body of a second victim was pulled from under the rubble. The Ukrainian Energy Ministry said grain terminals and port infrastructure in the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk were targeted. In Chornomorsk, 60,000 tons of grain were destroyed, the ministry said. Ukraine's air defense said in an update on July 20 that during the attack, Russia fired 19 cruise missiles and 19 kamikaze drones. It said it shot down 13 Iranian-made drones, two Kalibr cruise missiles, and three Iskander-K missiles. IN PHOTOS: Moscow targeted the Black Sea port cities of Odesa and Mykolayiv on July 20. It was the third consecutive round of air strikes that targeted Odesa. Russia's Defense Ministry has said strikes on Odesa and Mykolayiv were retaliation against facilities where it claimed Ukraine was building seaborne drones of the type that Moscow says damaged a bridge in the annexed region of Crimea. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on his Telegram channel late on July 19 the Russian strikes had "deliberately" targeted sites in the Odesa region that are used to export grain after Russia refused to extend the grain deal. "About 1 million tons of food is stored in the ports that were attacked today. Exactly the volume that should have been delivered to consumer countries in Africa and Asia a long time ago," Zelenskiy said in a video message. "Everyone in the world should be interested in holding Russia accountable for terror," he added. After Ukraine said it would continue to export grain despite Moscow's pullout from the deal, Russia announced that starting from July 20, it would consider international waters in northwestern and southeastern parts of the Black Sea "temporarily dangerous" for shipping and warned that it will consider any incoming vessel as a legitimate target. The Russian statement prompted the White House to issue a warning that Moscow is preparing for possible attacks on civilian cargo ships in the Black Sea. "Our information indicates that Russia laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports," White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said in a statement. "We believe that this is a coordinated effort to justify any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea and lay blame on Ukraine for these attacks." On July 19, Washington announced a $1.3 billion military aid package for Ukraine that includes advanced antiaircraft missile systems and other equipment. The aid package is part of U.S. efforts to meet "Ukraine's pressing requirements" although it will not be part of a drawdown from U.S. stocks and will therefore not arrive soon on the battlefield. Zelenskiy said the new aid "will help save Ukrainian lives and move closer to our common victory," and expressed gratitude for "the unwavering support of the friendly American people." The aid includes four additional national advanced antiaircraft missile systems (NASAMS) that Ukraine has used to defend its cities and infrastructure against Russian missile attacks. In Russian-annexed Crimea, Moscow-installed Governor Sergei Aksyonov said on Telegram early on July 20 that a settlement in the northwestern part of the region was hit by Ukrainian drones overnight, and a teenage girl was killed in the attack. "As a result of an attack by an enemy UAV, four administrative buildings were damaged in one settlement in northwestern Crimea...Unfortunately, it was not without victims -- a teenage girl died,"Aksyonov wrote. The information could not be independently confirmed. Aksyonov's claim came a day after he reported an explosion and fire at an ammunition depot in a Russian military facility in Crimea that he said prompted the evacuation of 2,000 civilians and partially closed the nearby Tavrida Highway. With reporting by AP and Reuters After a century of artistic evolution in the Middle East, the celebrated ceramic art of Jerusalem Armenians may soon be produced in Armenia for the first time. JERUSALEM -- It is the worlds oldest Islamic shrine, built on Judaisms holiest site. But in 1919, when tiles on the Dome of the Rock began to peel off, it was Christian Armenians who were sent in to make the repairs. The British rulers of Palestine at the time sought ethnic Armenian craftsmen from Kutahya, in today's western Turkey, who had ended up in the Middle East after surviving the mass killings and deportations often referred to as the Armenian genocide. The Armenians were highly regarded for their expertise in ceramic art, but as funding for the restoration of the Dome of the Rock dried up and complaints mounted over Christians working on an Islamic shrine, the Armenians work on the restoration was stopped within a couple of years. In 1922, the Armenian artisans branched out on their own to set up two separate workshops in Jerusalem specializing in tiles and decorated pottery. The settlers drew from Persian and Islamic techniques but gradually developed their own artistic style, free of the restrictions they had faced under Ottoman rule. Inspiration came largely from the animals and landscapes of their adopted homeland. Today several pottery workshops operate inside Jerusalems Armenian quarter and the distinct artwork is gifted to visiting royals and presidents and exported around the world. In 1992, the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. held a monthslong exhibition of Armenian Ceramics From Jerusalem painted mostly by Marie Balian, one of the masters of the new art form. Several other museums, including Britains Victoria and Albert Museum also hold examples of Jerusalem Armenian pottery. This kind of art has become a symbol of Jerusalem, Setrag Balian told RFE/RL inside the family-owned Balian Armenian Ceramics of Jerusalem factory, which was set up by his great grandfather a century ago, and which he now helps to manage. Balian credits his grandmother Marie with pushing Jerusalem ceramics to a level of artistry in which you can almost hear the wind, hear the water flowing. In contrast he says, pottery made in the Ottoman Empire by ethnic Armenians had used relatively repetitive and static motifs and biblical scenes. The Balian factory is one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in Jerusalem but the family now export most of their work to the United States. Blue and white tiles made in Jerusalem are a common sight along the waterlines of opulent Californian swimming pools. Now the Balian family are set to become the first Jerusalem Armenian ceramicists to return to Armenia. Balian declines to give a specific timeline, but says the family are in the early phases of planning a factory, museum, and coffee shop all in one, to be opened in Ashtarak, just northwest of Yerevan. Artiom Chernamorian, an Armenian-Israeli former journalist told RFE/RL that the planned return of the art form to Armenia will be something at once foreign and indigenous. In the Armenian Republic now if you go and try to find something like [Jerusalem Armenian ceramics] you cannot find it, he said. TAIYUAN, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong has urged efforts to secure summer grain harvests and fine-tune the healthcare system to ensure national food security and improve people's well-being. Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in north China's Hebei and Shanxi provinces from Monday to Wednesday. He stressed seizing the farming season and going all out to promote summer grain harvests while guaranteeing the supply of agricultural materials and accelerating summer sowing. Work should be done to strengthen summer field management based on disaster prevention and control and organize the summer purchase of grain and oil to support farmers' enthusiasm for grain growing. To safeguard people's health, he stressed coordinated development and management of medical insurance, health care, and medicines, urging expanding the variety of centralized bulk-buying of pharmaceuticals and medical consumables, accelerating the reform of medical insurance payment methods, and optimizing related services. He also emphasized further motivating medical personnel and regulating the use of medical insurance funds. The Moscow City Court has rejected U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich's appeal against his pretrial detention on charges of espionage, which he, his newspaper The Wall Street Journal, and the U.S. government have strongly denied. Although the June 22 hearing was held behind closed doors, U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy and representatives of several other diplomatic missions in Moscow were allowed to attend. The first American journalist detained in Russia on espionage charges since the end of the Cold War, the 31-year-old faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. "Despite Russian officials' public assertions about Evan's activities, let me reiterate the U.S. government's firm position: the charges against Evan are baseless. He is an innocent journalist who was carrying out journalistic activities and has been wrongfully detained," Tracey said in a statement. "Such hostage diplomacy is unacceptable, and we call on the Russian Federation to release him, as well as Paul Whelan, another U.S. citizen who has been wrongfully detained. We call for that release to occur immediately." Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, was arrested in December 2018, held for 18 months in Lefortovo prison in Moscow, and then jailed for 16 years on spying charges, which he and the U.S. government deny. The Wall Street Journal said in a statement that although the court's June 22 decision was expected, "it is no less an outrage" that Gershkovich's "detention continues to be upheld." "Evan has been wrongfully detained for more than 12 weeks for nothing more than doing his job as a journalist. We continue to demand his immediate release," the newspaper's statement said. Gershkovich was arrested in March and accused by the FSB security service of collecting military secrets in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg. In late May, the Lefortovo district court in Moscow extended Gershkovich's pretrial detention until at least August 30. Washington has declared Gershkovich to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release. The reporter's detention comes at a time when relations between Moscow and Washington are at their lowest point since the end of the Cold War over the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said at the time of the journalist's arrest in March that it had opened an espionage case against Gershkovich for collecting what it said were state secrets about the military-industrial complex. Gershkovich was then placed in pretrial detention in Moscow's Lefortovo prison, a notorious institution dating back to tsarist times. Seen as a symbol of Soviet repression, Lefortovo is where Russia holds most suspects in espionage cases. The Kremlin has said Gershkovich was carrying out espionage "under the cover" of journalism. Hired by The Wall Street Journal shortly before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last year, Gershkovich had been reporting on Russia for more than five years at the time of his arrest. The 31-year-old is a fluent Russian-speaker, the son of emigres who left the Soviet Union for the United States during the Cold War. With reporting by SOTA On February 13, 2020, a Russian-educated Mexican microbiologist who worked in Singapore arrived at the Miami, Florida, airport, and rented a car. The following day, the man and one of his two wives drove to a Miami condo complex and entered through the security gate by following closely behind a car in front of them. When security guards alarmed by the unusual actions found the vehicle and confronted the man, his wife snapped a photograph of a license plate of another nearby car. They were ordered to leave. The car whose license plate was photographed belonged to a U.S. government confidential human source, who previously provided information regarding [Russian Intelligence Service] activities implicating national security interests of the United States, according to a 2020 FBI affidavit. Until now, the identity of the U.S. government human source had been a closely held secret. But a book scheduled for release later this month has pinpointed who it was -- a revelation that pointed to a complex, sophisticated, yearslong effort by Russian intelligence agencies to locate the man, and possibly assassinate him. The man was Aleksandr Poteyev, a former Russian Foreign Intelligence Service officer whose tip-off to the FBI a decade earlier ignited one the biggest spy scandals in modern U.S. history, leading to the arrest of 10 Russian sleeper agents living undercover in the United States under elaborate false identities. The Russians were swiftly deported from the United States. In exchange, four Russians jailed in their home country on charges of spying -- including a former military intelligence officer named Sergei Skripal -- were released and sent to the West in a Cold War-style swap. Putin's Fury In the aftermath of the Russians expulsion, then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin made no effort to hide his fury at the person who, to his mind, betrayed his country. "Those people sacrificed their lives to serve the Motherland, and there happened to be an animal who betrayed them," Putin said during a televised call-in show in December 2010. "How will he live with it all his life? How will he look his children in the eye? Swine!" "As for the traitors, they will croak all by themselves. Whatever equivalent of 30 pieces of silver they get, it will get stuck in their throats, he said. In 2018, Skripal and his daughter nearly died in Salisbury, England, when they were exposed to a powerful Soviet-era nerve agent, and a British woman who also came in contact with the substance died. British authorities identified two Russian military intelligence agents as the culprits. Poteyev, meanwhile, is still believed to be alive. The Mexican man, who pleaded guilty to U.S. foreign agent charges in 2022 and is scheduled to be released from a U.S. prison next month, is Hector Alejandro Cabrera Fuentes, 38. His connection to the Poteyev case was first confirmed in the book Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West, which is being released later this month. RFE/RL obtained a copy in advance. The books author, Calder Walton, a researcher at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School, told RFE/RL that he learned of Fuentes connection to Poteyev from two U.S. intelligence officials. The findings were corroborated separately by The New York Times. 'We Can Help Each Other' Fuentes agreed to assist Russian intelligence agents, according to Justice Department filings, sometime around May 2019, when his second wife -- a Russian woman -- and their two daughters traveled to Russia from Germany to resolve some paperwork issues. Fuentes at the time was in Singapore, where he worked as an occupational researcher at the National Heart Center. Russian officials refused to let the woman and children leave at the conclusion of their trip. According to the FBI affidavit, Fuentes then traveled to Moscow, where he met with an unnamed Russian official whom he knew from earlier professional meetings and exchanges. At a later meeting in Moscow, the Russian man gave Fuentes a hardcopy printout of a 2015 e-mail from Fuentes Gmail account, noting that Fuentes had been searching for real estate in Miami. According to the affidavit, the man pointed out that Fuentes wife and daughters were unable to leave Russia and told him, We can help each other. Fuentes was then instructed by the Russian man to rent an apartment in Miami in the same complex where Poteyev was living, but to do it under someone elses name, the FBI said. Fuentes finalized the rental in December 2019. That month, he met again in Moscow with the Russian official, who then instructed Fuentes to locate Poteyevs car and make note of the license plate and its physical location in the complexs parking garage. The man, however, told Fuentes not to photograph the car, according to the affidavit. On February 16, two days after Fuentes and his first wife were confronted by security at the condo complex, they were stopped by U.S. border agents at the Miami airport, where they were scheduled to fly out to Mexico City. Agents searched Fuentes wife's phone and found a photograph of the car license plate that she had taken in the complex parking garage, and one she had sent to Fuentes via WhatsApp. When Fuentes was questioned by FBI agents the following day, the affidavit said, he revealed the situation involving his other wife and their daughters, who had been prevented from leaving Russia. And he turned over his messages with the man he believed worked for the Federal Security Service, Russias main domestic intelligence agency, known as the FSB. Fuentes was arrested on February 18, 2020, on charges of being an unregistered foreign agent. He pleaded guilty roughly two years later and was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison. I have zero interest in getting involved in anything like that from now on, he told the court at his sentencing on June 22, 2022. U.S. authorities said they would deport Fuentes after he finishes his sentence. He is scheduled to be released next month, on July 16, from a minimum-security federal prison in South Carolina. Fuentes Miami-based lawyer, Ronald Gainor, confirmed Fuentes upcoming release and expected deportation, but had no further comment. 'We Know Who He Is And Where He Is' For years, Poteyev worked for Russias Foreign Intelligence Service, known as the SVR, which along with the FSB is the one of the main successor agencies to the KGB. After tipping off U.S. officials to the Russian illegals spy ring, he escaped Russia and resettled in the United States, reportedly under a witness protection program that's said to be overseen by the CIA. His name emerged publicly in leaks to Russian media in late 2010. In a November 2010 report on a high-ranking SVR defector, the Russian newspaper Kommersant quoted an unnamed Kremlin official invoking the name of the Ramon Mercader, the Soviet agent who assassinated Leon Trotsky with an ice pick in Mexico City in 1940. We know who he is and where he is. He betrayed either for money, or he was simply caught on something. But you can be sure that Mercader has already been sent for him, the official was quoted as saying. Kommersant identified the defector as a different SVR officer, but days later named Poteyev publicly for the first time. In July 2011, about a year after he fled Russia and about seven months after Putin publicly suggested that agents who betray Russia be killed, Poteyev was sentenced in absentia to 25 years in prison by a Moscow court. The effort to target Poteyev using Fuentes was not the first. In late 2013 or early 2014, a Russian hit man reportedly traveled to Florida looking for a Russian intelligence agent who had defected, according to a 2018 report by the Times. The man was reportedly tracked by U.S. law enforcement. The man was later identified by the BBC as Poteyev. Two years after that alleged attempt, in July 2016, Russias Interfax news agency, citing unnamed intelligence officials, published a cryptic item that suggested Poteyev had died. The news story circulated widely, in and out of Russia. In fact, the story in fact may have been planted as a way to flush out Poteyev, to prompt him to contact his relatives back in Russia and help Russian agents to locate him. Earlier that year, however, Poteyev used his real name to obtain a fishing license in Florida, BuzzFeed News reported. He also registered to vote using his real name, something that perplexed security experts. In April 2021, the United States announced it was expelling 10 Russian diplomats, accusing them of involvement in hacking U.S. government agencies and interference in the 2020 presidential election. Some of them were identified as intelligence officers working under diplomatic cover. One was the Washington station chief for the SVR, who was expelled, according to the Times, in response to the plot targeting Poteyev. Ukrainian officials blindsided by Russia's surprise handover to Hungary of 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) two weeks ago have voiced ongoing frustration at Budapest's "covert" tactics in a case they say contravened international law and furthered Kremlin war aims. The European Union has added to the chorus of confusion and urged the Hungarian side to explain to Ukrainian officials what happened, how it happened, and who orchestrated the June 8 transfer. All of the POWs are said to be ethnic Hungarians, a minority of around 100,000 people in western Ukraine that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban frequently invoked to criticize Ukrainian policies well before his dogged criticism of anti-Russian sanctions further strained relations with Kyiv. They were captured by Russia along with other Ukrainian defense forces in the 15-month-old invasion. A representative of Ukraine's military intelligence directorate suggested to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on June 20 that Hungary -- an EU and NATO member which has maintained close relations with Russia despite sanctions -- had politicized what has become "a very strange case, to say the least." "The fact that we are discussing this situation at all is very unfortunate," said Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR). "Because the event, which could be absolutely positive, turns into some kind of dramatic detective story with a very tangible political undertone." At that point, Yusov said, Kyiv had no confirmation of the handover from the Russian side and a "preliminary list" of "probably 11 defenders" had been obtained unofficially, including through "operational channels." Later that day, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and a coordination center for POWs in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war announced that three of the men had been returned to Ukraine with the help of the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest. Ukrainian officials had accused Hungary of denying access to the transferred men, something Budapest denies. And the fate of the eight remaining individuals was still unclear on June 22. By then, the Ukrainian parliament's commissioner for human rights, ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, had confirmed the return of three men and accused the Hungarian side of acting "covertly." He said Hungary's actions in accepting Ukrainian POWs "unequivocally" constituted "a violation of international humanitarian law." The European Commission expressed its own frustration on behalf of nonmember Ukraine the same day. "It is very important that the relevant Hungarian authorities involved in this case, and active in this case, explain to their Ukrainian counterparts what happened, how it happened, what was the role of Hungary, who was involved, who was not involved, how this was managed," commission spokesman Peter Stano told journalists. Russian news agency TASS reported on June 8 that the Russian Orthodox Church had "facilitated the handover of Ukrainian POWs to Hungarywithin the framework of inter-church cooperation at the request of the Hungarian side." Few Clear Answers With few clear answers and speculation about their whereabouts still swirling a week later, multiple sources, including in the Hungarian government and diplomatic corps, suggested that there was anger among senior officials because neither Orban's office nor the Foreign Ministry had been aware of the POW initiative. Later, the Ukrainian HUR's Yusov said the Hungarian side appeared to have initiated discussions with the Russians about the exchange. That appears to contradict claims by multiple sources to RFE/RL's Hungarian Service that Metropolitan Hilarion Alfejev, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in Hungary and a confidant of Russian Patriarch Kirill, first informed Orban's secretary for church affairs, Miklos Soltesz, about a possible handover. By June 15, Deputy Prime Minister and Hungarian Christian Democratic Party leader Zsolt Semjen was being credited with a major -- but ostensibly rogue -- role in securing the handover. Orban's chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, suggested that the 11 men had been handed over to a Hungarian charity service in Russia and therefore were not considered prisoners of war by the time they were moved to Hungary. Some have Hungarian citizenship and others were granted refugee status, Gulyas added. An Orban spokesman's repeated references to the freed individuals as "Transcarpathian prisoners of war" has further fueled speculation over the Hungarian side's motives in keeping Kyiv out of the loop. "I see this as playing along with Russian propaganda, that allegedly Ukraine does not want to take its prisoners of war, which is absolutely false," Ukrainian ombudsman Lubinets said. "The Hungarian authorities therefore allow Russia to show that if there is an initiative, the Russians are ready to hand over prisoners of war." Ukraine has a Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War that has negotiated dozens of prisoner swaps and releases since the conflict with Russia and its proxy separatists in eastern Ukraine began in 2014 then escalated with the all-out invasion early last year. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and other Hungarian officials have insisted that their priority since February 2022 is peace and saving lives, although their calls for an immediate cease-fire have been criticized as risking locking in Russian territorial gains in Ukraine. 'Transcarpathian Hungarians' The populist Orban has spent much of the past decade offering citizenship and otherwise rallying ethnic Hungarians in neighboring states behind real or manufactured grievances, including around 100,000 in western Ukraine that Budapest refers to as "Transcarpathian Hungarians." Orban's Kremlin-friendly positions in the current war have reportedly complicated the situation for many of those communities, whose numbers were already declining before the current war. With Russia occupying Crimea and backing separatists waging war in eastern Ukraine, the Orban government particularly assailed the passage in Ukraine in 2016 of laws to ensure the universal teaching of Ukrainian in schools at the expense of minority languages including Hungarian and Russian. More recently, Orban's government has waged a public campaign against EU and other Western sanctions against Russia since the war began 15 months ago, and it has been outspoken in its opposition to possible NATO membership for Ukraine. Orban, Szijjarto, and other senior officials have visited Russia multiple times since the war began, and Budapest has extended and deepened energy cooperation with new gas and oil deals with its Russian counterparts. Budapest also blocked an EU plan to impose sanctions on Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, a longtime ally of President Vladimir Putin, who has used his pulpit to rally Russian support for the war. The Russian church's role in the POW handover this month would almost certainly have required Kirill's approval. Even as senior Hungarians traveled to Russia for meetings with Putin and other officials shunned by the West since the invasion, Orban reportedly laid out "prerequisites" for a potential trip to Kyiv. The most senior visit by a Hungarian official to Ukraine came when President Katalin Novak met with her counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in Kyiv in November 2022, in what was widely seen as an effort to soften Brussels' stance on withholding billions in EU funding from Hungary. Novak, an Orban protege, described the trip as a mission to support Transcarpathian Hungarians there, possibly to deflect dismay among Fidesz party supporters that she was lending support to Ukraine. More recently, Zelenskiy's appointment of Fedir Sandor, an ethnic Hungarian professor hailed as a hero for continuing lectures to students from the front lines, as Kyiv's new ambassador to Hungary has reportedly been held up for months by Novak. A key bridge connecting Russian-occupied Crimea with the occupied part of Ukraine's southern region of Kherson was damaged after being hit by what a Moscow-appointed official said were Storm Shadow missiles fired by Ukrainian forces. Volodymyr Saldo, the Russian-installed chief of Kherson, said on his Telegram channel that the strike early on June 22 was carried out on the bridge in the Chonhar region, also known as "the gate to Crimea," which represents the shortest route from the Crimean Peninsula to the front line in southern Ukraine, making it a key link in Russia's supply line. The attack came as Russian forces struck civilian and infrastructure targets with a fresh wave of missiles and drones overnight. Saldo said the road on the bridge was damaged but no one was injured, while alternative transport routes had been opened. Separately, Sergei Aksyonov, the Moscow-installed head of Crimea, said specialized services were assessing the damage caused to the bridges. Saldo released video of himself on the road leading to the bridge showing craters in the asphalt. "Another meaningless act perpetrated by the Kyiv regime on orders from London. It solves nothing as far as the special military operation is concerned," he said, vowing to repair the bridge and restore traffic. The spokesman of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, Andriy Yusov, referring to the attack on the bridge, told Ukrainian television, "The work [to push Russia out of Crimea] is under way and it will continue," while the Ukrainian deputy governor of Kherson, Yuriy Sobolevskiy, said on social media that the strike was "a blow to the military logistics of the occupiers" and had a "psychological impact." Britain last month announced that it was donating Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. In October last year, a fire broke out after an explosion hit a major bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland over the Kerch Strait, drastically reducing the traffic, in what Russia said was a Ukrainian attack. Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine has vowed to retake Crimea from Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor in February 2022. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, speaking on June 22 in London, predicted results from the counteroffensive, but added that "Ukraine values the lives of its soldiers, so it does not plan to thoughtlessly lead them under fire," according to Ukrinform. "We work according to NATO standards," Shmyhal said, speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference. "We protect each of our soldiers and take steps forward. It will take time, but we intend to move forward and we are moving forward with a counterattack. We all have to be patient and see the results." Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, also speaking at the conference, said Ukraine will conduct as many counteroffensives as are necessary for the complete de-occupation of the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine. "I constantly emphasize this in communication with partners: We should not look at this counteroffensive as the last and decisive one. There will be so many counterattacks; so much is needed to expel Russia from our territory," Kuleba said in an interview with Ukrainian public broadcasting. On the eastern front, Ukrainian forces contained Russian forces on June 22, said Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar on Telegram. Ukrainian forces on the southern front, where several villages were retaken last week, were "gradually moving forward," she added. "We have had partial success. We are pushing back the enemy and leveling the front line." Meanwhile, Russian forces struck civilian and infrastructure targets with a fresh wave of missiles and drones overnight, the Ukrainian military said in its early morning update on June 22, adding that fierce battles were under way in the eastern region of Donetsk, where Russia was intensifying its attacks. The General Staff reported that Ukrainian air defenses shot down all six Iranian-made drones but said a yet unspecified number of civilians were killed and wounded, without giving further details. Russia also launched 44 missiles, including Kinzhal (Dagger) hypersonic missiles, and 47 rocket salvoes at Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, the military said. Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's full-scale invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war in Ukraine, click here. The head of a local people's council under Odesa's regional military administration, Serhiy Bratchuk, said three drones were shot down in southern Ukraine, but other drones caused what appeared to be minor damage in Odesa region. Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of Donetsk region, said one civilian was killed by Russian shelling and six others were wounded in Chasiv Yar near Horlivka. Authorities in the Kryviy Rih, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions also reported being shelled overnight. In Kharkiv, one person was wounded, said regional Governor Oleh Synehubov. Since the start of last month, Russia has intensified its strikes across Ukraine, causing many civilian casualties and further damaging the country's infrastructure. On the battlefield, the General Staff said that "heavy fighting" was under way in Donetsk, where Ukrainian defenders repelled 40 Russian assaults in Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka. Andriy Kovalev, a spokesman for the General Staff, said in a post on Ukraine's Military Media Center's Telegram channel that Ukrainian forces had "partial success" in the Ryvnopyl-Staromayorske area in the south of Donetsk region, where they are consolidating the front lines. "Particularly heavy fighting continues in the Lyman sector...in Donetsk region," Kovalev said. Earlier on June 22, the military said that in the southern regions of Zaporizhzhya and Kherson, Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations, without giving details. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy admitted in an interview with the BBC that the progress of the counteroffensive was "slower than desired," but that Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up. "Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. It's not," he said. "What's at stake is people's lives." Zelenskiy said on June 22 that Ukrainian intelligence services believe Russia is plotting an incident to release radiation from the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant, Europe's largest. "Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant -- a terrorist act with a release of radiation," he said, adding that Kyiv was sharing intelligence on the plot with its foreign partners. "They have prepared everything for this." The Kremlin rejected the accusation, calling it "another lie." With reporting by Reuters and AFP ISTANBUL, June 22 (Xinhua) -- An expo for nuclear power plants concluded on Thursday in Istanbul, after bringing together more than 1,000 professionals from around the world to discuss the latest developments in the nuclear energy field. Named the 5th Nuclear Power Plants Expo and 9th Summit (NPPES), the event kicked off on Wednesday in the largest city of Turkiye with the support of the Turkish energy and natural resources ministry. It is called by the Turkish media the most comprehensive nuclear energy event covering Turkiye, Africa, and the Middle East. The two-day event included discussions on the role of small modular reactors (SMRs) in the energy arena and the opportunities awaiting industrialists in the nuclear energy field. Turkiye is building the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant in southern Mersin Province, which will become the country's first nuclear power plant. In 2010, Turkiye and Russia reached a deal to let Russia's state company Rosatom build and operate the Akkuyu plant. "The failure of the U.S. to fulfill its obligations will have repercussions on the reality of the Palestinian refugees, as they are in dire need of this humanitarian aid until they return to their homes." A Gaza-based expert said that the U.S. government should work to resolve the long-term issue of the Palestinian refugees instead of discontinuing its financial contributions. Produced by Xinhua Global Service CM Bhagwant Mann The pProposed Policy aims to redirect the approach towards drug-addicted individuals CHANDIGARH: In a significant step towards addressing drug addiction as a public health issue, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh announced today that the state government is exploring the possibility of introducing a policy to decriminalize the use of drugs. Emphasizing that decriminalization does not equate to legalization, Dr. Balbir Singh clarified that drugs would remain illegal and prohibited. The proposed policy aims to redirect the approach towards drug-addicted individuals, treating them as patients rather than criminals. Instead of incarceration and placement in drug rehabilitation centers, those caught with small quantities of drugs would be offered appropriate medical treatment. It should be noted that strict action will continue to be taken against individuals involved in drug trafficking, as per police protocols. Advertisement During the "Experts Meeting on Mental Health Issues and Interventions in Punjab" organized by the Punjab Health and Family Welfare Department, key speakers including Professor Dr. Atul Ambekar from AIIMS Delhi and Professor Dr. Prominent Debashish Basu, Head of Psychology at PGI, highlighted the urgent need for comprehensive interventions in tackling mental health challenges and the drug problem in Punjab. Acknowledging the pervasive impact of drug abuse on Punjab's population, Dr. Balbir Singh expressed his government's firm commitment to combat this issue and transform Punjab into a drug-free state, in line with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's vision of a prosperous Punjab. He emphasized that a multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary approach would form the foundation of the forthcoming policy. Various government departments, including health, social security, youth affairs, education, and employment generation, will collaborate to address the drug problem comprehensively. The Department of Employment Generation and Skill Development will play a vital role in facilitating the reintegration of recovering drug addicts into society by providing them with skills training and employment opportunities. Advertisement Dr. Balbir Singh directed health authorities to engage the services of psychiatrists within Punjab's prisons, and encouraged private practitioners to work in partnership with government health institutions to ensure comprehensive care and support for individuals struggling with drug addiction. In her address, Minister of Social Security, Women and Child Development Dr. Baljit Kaur assured her department's full cooperation in the state's endeavor to eradicate the drug menace. Principal Secretary of Health Vivek Pratap Singh pledged to implement the government's health policies in a systematic manner, while Dr. Abhinav Trikha, Secretary of Health (Community Medicine) and Mission Director of National Health Mission (NHM), urged the public to spread awareness about the 'Telemans Helpline,' which provides assistance for mental health-related issues. Top-spec Maruti Suzuki Jimny Alpha AT 5-door costs Rs. 4.87 lakh more than Suzuki Jimny 3-door in JDM for top-spec XC AT Maruti Suzuki Jimny went on sale in India recently. Even though it is one of the most anticipated launch in India, there have been mixed opinions about the pricing strategy ever since its launch. Especially when the significantly larger and more appealing Thar costs Rs. 2.2 lakh less with the base variants. Interestingly, Jimny prices in Japan start from a whopping Rs. 4.57 lakh less than Indian pricing for base variants. In the top-spec trim levels, the price difference between Indian and JDM Jimny is around Rs. 4.87 lakh in favour of JDM Jimny. Lets take a look at the details. Jimny Prices Start Rs. 4.57 Lakh Less In Japan Than India JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) Jimny is not the same as Indian Jimny. For starters, Suzuki manufactures JDM Jimny in its Kosai plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan and Maruti Suzuki manufactures Indian Jimny in Gurgaon plant in Delhi NCR. JDM Jimny is locally manufactured in Japan, and not exported from India. The same cant be said about Mahindra XUV700, which is exported to Australia and still cost Rs. 1.8 lakh less than Indian pricing. Sticking with Jimny, it is important to note that JDM Jimny is 3-door only, while Indian Jimny is 5-door only. Making the situation worse for Indian Jimny is the fact that JDM Jimny gets Suzuki Safety Support ADAS suite as well. Something which Indian Jimny lacks. In Japan, 3-door Jimny is on offer in three trim levels namely base XG, mid XL and top XC. All three trims get a 0.65L (658cc) 3-cylinder turbo petrol engine (64 PS, 96 Nm, 5MT, 4AT, turbo intercooler). This engine gets three driving modes namely Urban, Suburban and Highway. Fuel efficiency is up to 17.5 km/l as per WLTC. 4X4 transfer case, LSD, front and rear rigid axles are standard fitment between both JDM and Indian Jimny. Even though Indian Jimny gets a larger 4-cylinder 1.5L petrol engine (102 bhp, 134 Nm, 5MT, 4AT), it lacks turbocharging, turbo intercooler and drive modes. So, both engines are likely to be of the same cost for the manufacturer. Is India-spec Jimny worth it? If we take actual pricing, JDM Jimny costs between JPY 1,414,000 (Rs. 8.17 lakh) and JPY 1,730,000 (Rs. 9.99 lakh) before consumption tax. Indian Jimny costs between Rs. 12.74 lakh and Rs. 14.89 lakh before taxes. So, in the comparable top-spec trim levels, JDM Jimny costs Rs. 4.87 lakh less than Indian Jimny. This Rs. 4.87 lakh signifies addition of two doors and an extended wheelbase but loses out on ADAS suite and extra engine hardware like turbocharging, turbo intercooler and drive modes. You can be the judge of whether India-spec Jimny is worth it or not. ADEN, Yemen, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Two Yemeni military staff were killed on Thursday in a bombing attack carried out by the militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaeda branch in the country's southern province of Abyan, a security official told Xinhua. The incident occurred when the al-Qaeda militants planted an improvised explosive device targeting a military ambulance of the government forces in Abyan's district of Mudiyah, causing a large explosion, the local security official said on condition of anonymity. According to the source, a member of the medical staff and a soldier from the government forces lost their lives, while other soldiers sustained injuries. He said that the injured were shifted to a public hospital in the neighboring southern port city of Aden for treatment. Yemeni officials say that security forces are often targeted by al-Qaeda through the utilization of roadside bombs and explosive devices, although no group has yet claimed responsibility for attacking the military ambulance. In an effort to tackle the growing terror threat, government forces backed by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition have carried out several large-scale military operations on al-Qaeda's hideouts in recent months, but are still unable to eliminate the group hidden in the mountainous areas of Yemen's southern provinces. Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthi rebels fighting against the internationally-recognized government and its allied Saudi-led coalition. China is ready to work with France to turn the blueprint for the development of China-France relations drawn up by the two countries' heads of state into working plans and reality, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said upon his arrival in Paris for an official visit to France. Produced by Xinhua Global Service If you've heard about Kratom and wondered what the buzz is all about, then you're in the right place. KIEV, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Wednesday that nearly 60 countries are supporting the reconstruction of Ukrainian cities, towns and villages, the government press service reported. Speaking at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, Shmyhal said that 30 countries have already signed a declaration supporting the initiative to provide coordinated assistance to rebuild Ukrainian communities and regions. Ukraine is implementing or has implemented about 214 reconstruction projects with partner countries or international organizations, he noted. As of Feb. 24, Ukraine's financial reconstruction needs were estimated at 411 billion U.S. dollars, Shmyhal said, adding that the country's rapid recovery requires 14.1 billion dollars this year. Foreign partners have already pledged to provide Ukraine with 4.3 billion dollars for the rapid recovery, he said. The two-day Ukraine Recovery Conference kicked off in London, the capital of the United Kingdom, earlier in the day. The Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. This year's festival falls on June 22. A series of activities have been held to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival across China. Let's have a look. Dragon boats take part in a race in Taohuatan Township, Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province, June 21, 2023. A total of 25 teams participated in a dragon boat race, which opened here Wednesday, to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. This year's festival falls on June 22. (Xinhua/Du Yu) Dragon boats take part in a race in Taohuatan Township, Jingxian County, east China's Anhui Province, June 21, 2023. A total of 25 teams participated in a dragon boat race, which opened here Wednesday, to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. This year's festival falls on June 22. (Xinhua/Du Yu) This aerial photo taken on June 18, 2023 shows a nighttime dragon boat race held to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in Sanxi Village of Changle District, Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province. The nighttime dragon boat race native to Sanxi Village is a tradition with a history spanning over 600 years. Around the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, the villagers of Sanxi eagerly participate in this race as night falls. The event carries deep cultural significance and serves as a means of prayer for bountiful harvests and auspicious life. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) A nighttime dragon boat race is held to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in Sanxi Village of Changle District, Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, June 20, 2023. The nighttime dragon boat race native to Sanxi Village is a tradition with a history spanning over 600 years. Around the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, the villagers of Sanxi eagerly participate in this race as night falls. The event carries deep cultural significance and serves as a means of prayer for bountiful harvests and auspicious life. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) A nighttime dragon boat race is held to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in Sanxi Village of Changle District, Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, June 20, 2023. The nighttime dragon boat race native to Sanxi Village is a tradition with a history spanning over 600 years. Around the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, the villagers of Sanxi eagerly participate in this race as night falls. The event carries deep cultural significance and serves as a means of prayer for bountiful harvests and auspicious life. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) This aerial photo taken on June 18, 2023 shows a nighttime dragon boat race held to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in Sanxi Village of Changle District, Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province. The nighttime dragon boat race native to Sanxi Village is a tradition with a history spanning over 600 years. Around the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, the villagers of Sanxi eagerly participate in this race as night falls. The event carries deep cultural significance and serves as a means of prayer for bountiful harvests and auspicious life. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) A nighttime dragon boat race is held to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in Sanxi Village of Changle District, Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, June 20, 2023. The nighttime dragon boat race native to Sanxi Village is a tradition with a history spanning over 600 years. Around the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, the villagers of Sanxi eagerly participate in this race as night falls. The event carries deep cultural significance and serves as a means of prayer for bountiful harvests and auspicious life. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) Students learn from the elders to make Zongzi in Dangjiu Village, Gandong Township of Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 20, 2023. A series of public events in celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival were held for students here on Tuesday to help them better understand the charms of traditional Chinese culture. Zongzi, a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, is always a popular food on this occasion. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang) Students are pictured with freshly made Zongzi in Dangjiu Village, Gandong Township of Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 20, 2023. A series of public events in celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival were held for students here on Tuesday to help them better understand the charms of traditional Chinese culture. Zongzi, a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, is always a popular food on this occasion. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang) Villagers make Zongzi, a pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, as the Dragon Boat Festival approaches in Hule Town of Ningguo City, east China's Anhui Province, June 17, 2023. Hule Town, an ancient town in east China's Anhui Province, has a tradition of lantern performance to celebrate festivals. Villagers perform lantern dance with lanterns in the shape of fish and dragon, and place lotus-shaped water lanterns in the river. A series of activities including the long-table banquet and the lantern fair have been held to attract tourists from home and abroad. (Photo by Li Xiaohong/Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on June 16, 2023 shows a lantern performance in Hule Town of Ningguo City, east China's Anhui Province. Hule Town, an ancient town in east China's Anhui Province, has a tradition of lantern performance to celebrate festivals. Villagers perform lantern dance with lanterns in the shape of fish and dragon, and place lotus-shaped water lanterns in the river. A series of activities including the long-table banquet and the lantern fair have been held to attract tourists from home and abroad. (Photo by Li Xiaohong/Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on June 16, 2023 shows a lantern performance in Hule Town of Ningguo City, east China's Anhui Province. Hule Town, an ancient town in east China's Anhui Province, has a tradition of lantern performance to celebrate festivals. Villagers perform lantern dance with lanterns in the shape of fish and dragon, and place lotus-shaped water lanterns in the river. A series of activities including the long-table banquet and the lantern fair have been held to attract tourists from home and abroad. (Photo by Li Xiaohong/Xinhua) This aerial photo taken on June 16, 2023 shows a lantern performance by the long-table banquet in Hule Town of Ningguo City, east China's Anhui Province. Hule Town, an ancient town in east China's Anhui Province, has a tradition of lantern performance to celebrate festivals. Villagers perform lantern dance with lanterns in the shape of fish and dragon, and place lotus-shaped water lanterns in the river. A series of activities including the long-table banquet and the lantern fair have been held to attract tourists from home and abroad. (Photo by Li Xiaohong/Xinhua) This photo taken on June 20, 2023 shows a string-woven bracelet specially designed for the Dragon Boat Festival. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan) A traditional string-weaving technique inheritor shows a string-woven bracelet specially designed for the Dragon Boat Festival in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province, June 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Nan) RAMALLAH, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Three Palestinians were killed Wednesday night in an Israeli airstrike on a car in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, Palestinian and Israeli sources said. Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses said an Israeli army reconnaissance drone struck near Al-Jalama, a village north of Jenin, killing all three Palestinians in the car. The civil defense of the Palestinian Authority said in a statement that its crews arrived at the scene, put out the flames of fire, and found the bodies of the three young men. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) prevented the civil defense crew from taking the bodies, it added. The Palestinian sources said that the IDF also prevented the ambulances of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society from taking the bodies from the burned car. In a statement, the IDF said it killed on Wednesday night "a terror cell in the West Bank using a drone, an unusual move generally reserved for targeting major terrorists or rocket firing cells in Gaza." The IDF believed the targeted Palestinian individuals of the terror cell were "perpetrating a shooting attack near Jalma in the Menashe region," adding that this same terror cell has recently carried out other shooting attacks. The drone attack came amid a recent escalation of violence in the West Bank. On Monday, six Palestinians were killed, and at least 90 others were injured during an Israeli army raid on Jenin. On Tuesday, two Palestinian gunmen, members of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), were killed after they opened fire and killed four Israelis near the West Bank city of Ramallah. Teaching machine learning tools to detect specific objects in a specific image and discount others is a "game-changer" that could lead to advancements in cancer detection, according to leading researchers from the University of Surrey. Surrey is set to present its unique sketch-based object detection tool at this year's Computer Vision, Pattern, and Recognition Conference (CVPR). The tool allows the user to sketch an object, which the AI will use as a basis to search within an image to find something that matches the sketch -- while discounting more general options. Professor Yi-Zhe Song, leads this research at the University of Surrey's Institute for People-Centred AI. He commented: "An artist's sketch is full of individual cues that words cannot convey concisely, reiterating the phrase 'a picture paints a thousand words'. For newer AI systems, simple descriptive words help to generate images, but none can express the individualism of the user or the exact match the user is looking for. "This is where our sketch-based tool comes into play. AI is instructed by the artist via sketches to find an exact object and discount others. Which can be amazingly helpful in medicine, by finding more aggressive tumours, or helping to protect wildlife conservation by detecting rare animals." An example that researchers use in their paper to the conference is of the tool helping to search a picture full of zebras -- with only a sketch of a single zebra eating to direct its search. The AI tool takes visual cues into account, such as pose and structure, but bases the decisions off the exact requirements given by the amateur artist. Professor Song continued: "The ability for AI to detect objects based on individual amateur sketches introduces a significant leap in harnessing human creativity in Computer Vision. It allows humans to interact with AI from a whole different perspective, no longer letting AI dictate the decisions, but asking it to behave exactly as instructed, keeping necessary human intervention." This research will be presented at the Computer Vision, Pattern, and Recognition Conference (CVPR) 2023 which showcases world-leading AI research on a global stage. The University of Surrey sees an exceptional number of papers accepted to the CVPR 2023, far above other educational institutions, with over 18 papers accepted and one nominated for the Best Paper Award. The University of Surrey is a research-intensive university, producing world-leading research and delivering innovation in teaching to transform lives and change the world for the better. The University of Surrey's Institute for People-Centred AI combines over 30 years of technical excellence in the field of machine learning with multi-disciplinary research to answer the technical, ethical and governance questions that will enable the future of AI to be truly people-centred. A focus on research that makes a difference to the world has contributed to Surrey being ranked 55th in the world in the Times Higher Education (THE) University Impact Rankings 2022, which assesses more than 1,400 universities' performance against the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). New McMaster research has found that a disease-causing fungus -- collected from one of the most remote regions in the world -- is resistant to a common antifungal medicine used to treat infections. The study, published today in mSphere, showed that seven per cent of Aspergillus fumigatus samples collected from the Three Parallel Rivers region in Yunnan, China were drug resistant. Perched 6,000 metres above sea level and guarded by the staggering glaciated peaks of the Eastern Himalayas, the region is sparsely populated and undeveloped, which makes the presence of antimicrobial-resistant strains of A. fumigatus all the more striking for Jianping Xu, who led the study with colleagues in China. "Seven per cent may seem like only a small number, but these drug-resistant strains are capable of propagating very quickly and taking over local and regional populations of this species," explains Xu, a professor of biology at McMaster University and a member of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research. "There is a need for increased surveillance of drug resistance in the environment across diverse geographic regions." This study is the third in a trio of related studies by Xu and colleagues. The first study found that approximately 80 per cent of A. fumigatus samples from Yunnan greenhouses were resistant to commonly used antifungal drugs, while the second study determined that around 15 per cent of samples from Yunnan agricultural fields, lake sediments, and forests were likewise resistant. Xu, whose research also supports the Global Nexus School for Pandemic Prevention & Response, says that while there is increasing evidence supporting the natural development of resistance in the environment, the outward gradation of resistance from greenhouses indicates that these resistant Himalayan strains of A. fumigatus were likely born from the spores of other fungi that were overexposed to agricultural fungicides in other settings. That these drug-resistant spores could potentially travel to and propagate in such remote areas is concerning for global spread, Xu says. advertisement "This fungus is highly ubiquitous -- it's around us all the time," he explains. "It is estimated that we all inhale hundreds of spores of this species every day. While it doesn't always cause noticeable health problems, three to four million people experience disease symptoms caused by A. fumigatus each year. It can be very dangerous -- it can lead to lung removal or even death -- and now, increasingly, many of these infections will be impacted by drug resistance." Already, in conducting other research, Xu has examined identical mechanisms of resistance in strains of fungi found in the Northwest Territories and India -- some 10,000 kilometres apart. "Unlike viruses like COVID-19, fungi don't need a host to spread," Xu explains. "They can travel on humans, through trade, and even on strong winds." With the latter in mind, Xu will soon head back to the mountainous regions of China to sample the air for fungal spores, which he hopes will add clarity to how these resistant strains are reaching and growing in such remote regions. Astronauts' genes change when they are in space. A new study suggests they are more prone to infection outside our planet because their immune system weakens. Astronauts Have Weak Immune System in Space There is mounting evidence that illnesses are more likely to affect astronauts. For instance, those who spend extended periods n the International Space Station (ISS) typically get rashes on their skin and respiratory and non-respiratory illnesses. Researchers from the University of Ottawa analyzed blood samples collected from astronauts - 11 men and three women - before, during, and after flights. The participants lived aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for around four to six months between 2015 and 2019. They noticed that the genes that play a role in one's immunity are deactivated in space, but they were "reactivated" with their immune function being restored to pre-flight strength when the astronauts returned to Earth. Then blood tubes are sent to my laboratory at the University of Ottawa for isolation of white blood cells and then of the genetic material they call RNA-products of gene expression, Odette Laneuville, an author of the study, told Newsweek. The RNA was then sequenced at a high throughput sequencing facility, and the results were sent to my laboratory for extensive analysis. The scientists discovered a group of genes in the astronauts that were inhibited while in space and then "reactivated" once more after returning to Earth. These genes code for proteins. The study demonstrates that the expression of several immune-related genes rapidly declines when astronauts reach space, whereas the opposite occurs when they return to Earth following a six-month stay on the ISS, Laneuville added. Their risk of infectious diseases hampers astronauts' ability to execute their extremely hard duties in space. Additionally, astronauts in space would have restricted access to care and medication if an illness or immune-related condition developed to a severe level requiring medical attention. However, the researchers discovered that within a year of their arrival back on Earth, most of the damaged genes started to express themselves again at their pre-flight levels. This happened substantially sooner, after a few weeks on average. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology. ALSO READ: SpaceX's Crew-6 Astronauts Aboard Dragon Capsule Endeavor Will Arrive at Space Station Early Friday [WATCH LIVE] Astronauts Prone to Bone Loss in Space Aside from the new study, long-term space missions reportedly put astronauts' health at risk as they are threatened by severe bone loss. Astronauts lose 1% to 2% of their bone mineral density on average per month in the microgravity of space. Bone loss is a comparatively minimal consequence for a brief flight, according to the Government of Canada. Bone loss can be a significant obstacle on a long space voyage, such as those envisioned for missions to Mars and beyond. While in space, astronauts may not experience any effects from this loss, but when they return to Earth, their weakened bones will be more brittle and susceptible to fractures. It is currently uncertain whether or not this bone loss will eventually plateau or if it will go on forever. Bones are not static calcium structures; they continually change shape in response to external forces. Just like muscles, your bones will deteriorate if you don't use them. Bone loss occurs in a gravity-free environment like space, where bones are no longer required to hold the body up against gravity. Due to the constant mechanical pressure that gravity places on the skeletal system on Earth, healthy bones must retain a specific density to sustain the body. RELATED ARTICLE: Is the ISS Retiring? NASA Details Plans for Using Privately Developed Space Stations in the Future Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times. Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday wrapped up his visit to Germany, the first stop of his maiden overseas trip since taking office. Here's a recap of the visit in photos. Produced by Xinhua Global Service UNITED NATIONS, June 21 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called on the international community to maintain dialogue and engagement with the Afghan interim government. Engaging the Afghan interim government with a practical attitude is the fundamental way towards enhanced understanding and mutual trust and addressing relevant concerns, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told a Security Council briefing. The international community in general does have consensus on building an Afghanistan that is peaceful, stable and prosperous, and hopes to resort to dialogue and engagement to help the Afghan interim government build political inclusivity, govern with moderation, and build an open and inclusive political architecture, Zhang noted. "We hope that the Afghan interim government will make positive efforts in the interest of the Afghan people, meet the expectations of the international community, and realize independent and effective state governance, including effectively ensuring the rights of women to education and employment," he said. To promote dialogue and engagement, it is necessary for the Security Council sanctions committee to make a package of exemption arrangements for the international travel of relevant personnel of the Afghan interim government, said Zhang. The sanctions measures imposed on the relevant personnel by the Security Council in line with Resolution 1988 should also be adjusted or lifted in light of the development of the situation in a timely manner, he added. China also calls upon traditional donors to continue providing Afghanistan with humanitarian assistance and keep the UN's humanitarian operations functioning normally in the country, Zhang said, noting that easing the humanitarian crisis remains the most urgent priority for Afghanistan at present. "It is unacceptable for developed donors to significantly cut their aid to Afghanistan and to link humanitarian aid to other issues," he said. China also urges relevant countries to lift unilateral sanctions on Afghanistan, the envoy said, pointing to the fact that since 2021, billions of U.S. dollars worth of Afghanistan's overseas assets have been frozen by the United States. "Until this day, not a cent has been returned into the hands of the Afghan people," he said. "We urge the United States to promptly return the assets concerned. The U.S. must not delay this under various pretexts and aggravate the sufferings of the Afghan people." China, as Afghanistan's neighbor, has always followed and cared about the situation in Afghanistan. In April, China released a paper stating its position on the Afghan issue. "China will continue to provide help to the best of its ability to Afghanistan's reconstruction and development, and looks forward to the early achievement of peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan," Zhang said. Students participate in the LIFT-UP program. Students participate in the LIFT-UP program. Students participate in the LIFT-UP program. Students participate in the LIFT-UP program. SANAA, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned of the risks of flooding due to continued heavy rainfall in Yemen. The UN organization stated in its early warning agricultural weather bulletin on Wednesday that most areas in western and southern Yemen have been affected by flooding over the past week due to continued heavy rainfall. The organization confirmed that 80 families were affected by the floods in the Modia district of Abyan province, southern Yemen, leading to severe food and shelter shortages. The organization expects the risk of flooding to continue in the coming week due to heavy rainfall. It is likely that more than 5,800 people in the provinces of Abyan, Lahij, Dhamar, Saada, Hajjah, Hodeidah, Sanaa and others will be affected by the floods. The FAO advised early action in building resilience against floods by strengthening the weak shelters of displaced persons and called for the evacuation of people and livestock from low-lying flood-prone areas. The organization also warned that climate change is having a profound impact on food security in Yemen, altering agricultural production and leading to a decrease in crop yields. This, in turn, has increased food scarcity in the country. Droughts, floods, and other weather phenomena are also increasing the vulnerability of food systems, especially in weak communities that heavily rely on agriculture for their livelihoods and food supplies. The FAO called on the international community to provide assistance to Yemen in order to help the country cope with the risks of flooding and climate change. Chinese Premier Li Qiang visits the BMW Welt in Bavaria state, Germany. Li visited Bavaria state from June 20 to June 21 during his official visit to Germany. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) MUNICH, Germany, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday expressed his hope that BMW will continue to follow the "At Home in China" strategy and stand as a companion of China's high-quality development. The Chinese premier made the remarks during his visit to the Bavaria state of Germany. At the BMW Welt, accompanied by Oliver Zipse, CEO of BMW AG, Li visited the exhibition areas of intelligent networked vehicles, new energy vehicles, among others, to learn more about the development trend of electric vehicles, new energy development, and unmanned driving. Li pointed out that the automotive industry is an important field in which German companies are deeply involved in China's reform and opening-up process, adding that China is a quality partner of the German automotive industry. For his part, Zipse said that the Chinese modernization process also sees the development of BMW, and BMW will continue to make positive contributions to deepening Germany-China cooperation. On the occasion of Li's visit, Jochen Goller, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, had an interview with Xinhua. Goller said China, a major marketplace and global leader in innovation, will offer more opportunities for cooperation between Chinese and German companies. "Now China is a big marketplace and also leading innovation," Goller told Xinhua. UNITED NATIONS, June 22 (Xinhua) -- The General Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution on the eighth review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The resolution reaffirms the strategy and its four pillars, the importance of the integrated and balanced implementation of all the pillars, recognizing the need to redouble efforts for even attention to be paid to and the even implementation of all the pillars. It calls on UN member states, the United Nations and other appropriate international, regional and subregional organizations to step up their efforts to implement the strategy in an integrated and balanced manner and in all its aspects. The four pillars are: measures to address the conditions conducive to terrorism, measures to prevent and combat terrorism, measures to build states' capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the UN system in this regard, and measures to ensure respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis of the fight against terrorism. The resolution stresses the importance of keeping the strategy relevant and contemporary in light of emerging new threats and evolving trends of international terrorism. It recognizes the principal responsibility of member states to implement the strategy while encouraging the further elaboration and development of national, subregional and regional plans, as appropriate, to support the implementation of the strategy. It calls on states that have not done so to consider becoming parties in a timely manner to the existing international conventions and protocols against terrorism, and on all states to make every effort to conclude a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. The resolution stresses the significance of a sustained and comprehensive approach to address conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, bearing in mind that terrorism will not be defeated by military force, law enforcement measures and intelligence operations alone. It reaffirms that member states must ensure that any measures taken to counter terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law. The resolution requests the UN secretary-general to submit to the General Assembly at its 80th session, no later than February 2026, a report on progress made in the implementation of the strategy. It decides to undertake, by June 2026, an examination of the report of the secretary-general as well as of the implementation of the strategy by member states, and to consider updating the strategy to respond to changes. UNITED NATIONS, June 22 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called for efforts to advance the political process in Somalia. In remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on Somalia, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said China calls on the federal government of Somalia to enhance mutual trust through dialogue with federal member states to find solutions for lasting peace and stability in the country. The international community must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia, uphold the Somali-led and Somali-owned principle, and provide constructive support, he said. At present, the security transition of Somalia is at a critical phase. The federal government should accelerate the capacity-building of its security forces and enhance its independent counter-terrorism capabilities, said the Chinese envoy. China welcomes the initiative between Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya to deepen regional counter-terrorism cooperation to safeguard common security, he said. Zhang noted that the Security Council should, in light of the developments in the situation, review and adjust the arms embargo measures on Somalia and support the country in strengthening its defense capabilities. The humanitarian situation in Somalia is grim, with half of the population in dire need of humanitarian aid and 6.6 million people facing food security issues, said Zhang, adding that the international community should step up humanitarian assistance and ensure the timely disbursement of humanitarian funding, and Somalia should improve humanitarian access and support international humanitarian operations. China, as a good friend and good partner of Somalia, has always been supporting Somalia in its efforts to achieve lasting peace and national reconstruction, and has helped the country enhance its capacity in fighting terrorism and maintaining stability, Zhang said. "China stands ready to work with the international community to contribute even more to the achievement of lasting peace and stability in Somalia," he said. JUBA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Security declined in South Sudan in 2022 compared to 2021, with more than half of South Sudanese expressing concerns over their safety, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) said in a new survey released Tuesday evening. The UNMISS released the findings of its perception and public opinion survey conducted by an independent third party in which respondents cited hunger, disease, and the potential for physical violence as major threats to their personal security. "The upcoming elections are of considerable importance to the people of South Sudan. However, there is apprehension about the government's ability to organize and conduct these elections, with many suggesting the need for UN support," the UNMISS said. The annual survey, which involves face-to-face interviews with South Sudanese adults across all 10 states, seeks to measure attitudes and perceptions toward the political, humanitarian and security situation in the country, as well as toward the role of the UNMISS. According to the UNMISS, the survey's findings highlight several key areas of concern and interest. "While there is widespread awareness of the revitalized peace agreement, there is a significant disparity in understanding the specific contents, objectives and timeframes, particularly concerning the new roadmap," the UNMISS said. The respondents generally view the work of the UNMISS in South Sudan positively, contributing to peacebuilding efforts and the overall achievement of durable peace. The UN mission expressed commitment to working alongside the government and regional and international partners to protect civilians, monitor and report on human rights violations, create conditions conducive to the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and support the implementation of the peace agreement, particularly preparations for the upcoming elections in 2024. South Sudan descended into conflict in December 2013, following a political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riek Machar. The 2018 revitalized peace deal signed under international pressure remains the only option to transition South Sudan toward peace and stability. DAR ES SALAAM, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of granting citizenship to Burundian refugees staying in refugee camps in western Tanzania. Sudi Mwakibasi, the director of the Refugee Services Department in the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the government was instead mobilizing the Burundian refugees to volunteer to return to their country. Mwakibasi made the remarks in a statement to mark World Refugee Day at Nyarugusu refugee camp in the Kasulu district of Kigoma region. "I urge you to return to Burundi because the country is now peaceful," said Mwakibasi when he responded to appeals by some of the Burundian refugees to be granted citizenship on the ground that they have stayed in Tanzania for very long. He said the criterion used by the Burundian refugees to be granted citizenship because they have stayed in the country for very long was not provided for in Tanzania's laws. Mahoua Parums, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative in Tanzania, urged the international community to continue supporting the UN Refugee Agency. "The UN refugee agency is facing various challenges that make it difficult to provide for the welfare of refugees staying in Tanzania," said Parums. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate PARIS (AP) Zambia and its government creditors, including China, have reached a deal to restructure $6.3 billion in loans, the French government announced Thursday on the sidelines of a global finance summit in Paris. The agreement covers loans from countries including France, the UK, South Africa, Israel and India as well as China Zambia's biggest creditor at $4.1 billion of the total. The deal, announced by officials who spoke anonymously in accordance with the French government's customary practices, may provide a roadmap for how China will handle restructuring deals with other nations in debt distress. The International Monetary Fund approved the deal, meaning its going to allow Zambia to receive more financing from the institution, the French said. A representative from the IMF did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Zambia deal came at a summit with more than 50 world leaders, finance officials and activists to discuss ways of reforming a global financial system to better help developing nations struggling with debt, climate change and poverty. Zambia the continent's biggest copper producer became Africas first coronavirus-era sovereign nation to default when it failed to make a $42.5 million bond payment in November 2020. The debt has prevented the democratic nation from developing economically and taking on new projects. Experts have said such prolonged debt crises can send nations deeper into poverty and joblessness and exclude them from the credit they need to rebuild. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who is attending the summit, welcomed news of the Zambia deal. She visited Lusaka in January to meet with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and bring attention to the ramifications of its debt crisis. I saw firsthand how the weight of default and a stalled debt restructuring process can bring suffering to ordinary families and hold back economic growth, Yellen said. She urged both official and private-sector creditors to quickly finalize debt restructuring to encourage the private investment that is needed to jump-start the economy. Full details of the deal weren't announced. The French officials said Zambia's debt would be reorganized over 20 years, with a three-year grace period. It also includes a clause aimed at ensuring that Zambia gets similar treatment from private creditors, who hold an additional $6.8 billion in loans to Zambia, but it wasn't clear that those private creditors could be required to do so. Private creditors know theyre going to need to restructure (the debt), they have been warned theyll need to make a similar effort, a French official said. A memorandum of understanding is expected to formalize the deal in the coming weeks. The deal is the second to be agreed under a mechanism called the Group of 20 Common Framework created at the end of year 2020 to associate the Paris Club of government creditors and other major economies from the Group of 20, including China, in debt negotiations. The first was struck last year with Chad. Yellen has called for debt overhang in other countries like Sri Lanka to be addressed as well. ___ Associated Press reporter Fatima Hussein in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. HARARE, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe's citrus exporters are working with Chinese authorities to facilitate the export of citrus fruits to China, and the first shipment of citrus from the southern African country will depart next month, according to the Chinese Embassy to Zimbabwe Wednesday. On June 1, the General Administration of Customs of China released the list of registered Zimbabwean orchards and pack houses that can export citrus to China. A total of 11 citrus orchards and six citrus pack houses in Zimbabwe have been chosen to be involved in citrus exports to China. Zimbabwe and China last year signed a citrus protocol to give Zimbabwean companies access to export citrus to China, one of Zimbabwe's top export destinations. China imported agricultural products worth 657 million U.S. dollars from Zimbabwe in 2022, up 22.64 percent year on year, according to the Chinese Embassy in Zimbabwe. Overall trade between the two countries surged 29.2 percent year on year to a record high of 2.43 billion dollars in 2022. Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company Poolbeg Pharma updated the market on its oral vaccine programme on Thursday. The AIM-traded firm said it had received non-dilutive grant funding from the Irish Government's Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) in November, which was awarded as part of the Poolbeg-led EncOVac Consortium. It said the EncOVac Consortium comprises several members who had now finalised the research plan and completed the necessary consortium and grant agreements. The next phase of the programme would focus on validating the encapsulation process, which was expected to be completed in the second half. Poolbeg said the EncOVac Consortium was granted three years of funding to develop an oral vaccine candidate ready for phase one clinical trials. The board said the research plan included multiple stages of work, with the initial focus on validating the encapsulation process developed by AnaBio Technologies. Once the process was successfully validated, the consortium would proceed to encapsulate vaccine antigen candidates developed by associate professor Siobhan McClean at University College Dublin (UCD), along with adjuvants identified by professor Ed Lavelle at Trinity College Dublin. The resulting oral vaccine candidate would undergo all necessary non-clinical testing to prepare for phase one clinical trials. The validation of the encapsulation process is a key step in the creation of a phase one clinical trial ready oral vaccine candidate, and Poolbeg is proud to lead the EncOVac Consortium, said chief executive officer Dr Jeremy Skillington. Delivering oral vaccines to the gut has the potential to revolutionise global protection against infectious disease. In contrast to intramuscular vaccines that generate systemic immunity, oral vaccines induce mucosal immunity, which can induce better protection against pathogens at the site of infection. At 1343 BST, shares in Poolbeg Pharma were down 1.75% at 8.3p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. Cyber security and resilience specialist NCC Group said in an update on Thursday that it expected like-for-like revenue for the year just ended to be in line with the prior year at constant currency, representing reported growth of around 5%. The London-listed firm said assurance revenues for the 12 months ended 31 May were also expected to be consistent with the prior year at constant currency, with reported growth of around 5%. It said the first half of the year saw growth of about 11% at constant currency, or reported growth of 18%, for assurance revenues. However, in the second half, there was a decline of around 10% at constant currency and 7% on a reported basis, primarily driven by a reduction in spending by North American technology clients and, to a lesser extent, by global professional services in the UK. Those reductions were previously announced in March. Global professional services experienced growth of around 10% at constant currency and 19% on a reported basis in the first half. However, there was a decline of about 3% at constant currency and 2% reported for the full year. In the second half, NCC said global professional services witnessed a decline of about 16% at constant currency and 13% on a reported basis. On the other hand, global managed services achieved growth of 11% at constant currency and 13% reported in the first half of the financial year. The full-year saw growth of about 12% at constant currency and 15% on a reported basis. In the second half, global managed services experienced growth of 14% at constant currency, and reported growth of approximately 18%. The software resilience segment showed a decline in like-for-like revenue of 0.4% at constant currency and 6% reported. In the first half, there was a decline of 1.6% at constant currency, but reported growth of 6.8%. However, the second half witnessed growth of around 0.6% at constant currency and 5% on a reported basis. The board said the new leadership team, appointed in November, had started delivering momentum and consistency in quarterly growth, as well as implementing price rises and realising contributions estimated as part of the May 2022 operational review. NCC Group said unaudited group adjusted EBIT was expected to be within the range announced in March, at approximately 28.5m. The board said that was being driven by a reduction in North America and UK cyber security revenue expectations, as it indicated in March. Its adjusted EBIT figure included strategic costs of about 2.5m for the 2023 financial year, with a portion of the initially-estimated 5m being deferred into 2024. The net debt of NCC Group, excluding IFRS 16, was estimated to be around 50m. It said it maintained strong cash conversion, and anticipates an expected leverage excluding IFRS 16 of 1.4x. Since launching the next chapter of our strategy in February, the group has taken a number of strategic steps as we create a more agile and resilient business, improve profitability and deliver shareholder value, said chief executive officer Mike Maddison. We have fortified our leadership team with high-calibre appointments in key areas, accelerated the diversification of our client base across our fastest growing sectors, secured our new global delivery centre in Manila, which will open ahead of schedule in September 2023, and we will soon complete the rebrand of our software resilience business, with work on the cyber security brand progressing well. While the more challenging market conditions we announced in our March trading update have impacted the 2023 outturn, we are confident about the medium-term growth drivers for cyber and that progress on strategic actions will position the business to deliver greater growth and profitability in the current financial year and beyond. At 0918 BST, shares in NCC Group were up 0.34% at 87.3p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. Having completed his Executive Education from IIM Ahmedabad, Srivatsan also holds a PG Diploma in Data Science, AI & ML from International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, Srivatsan is also a visiting Professor in PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research, Coimbatore. Siliconindia recently got a chance to interact with Srivatsan Santhanam, Vice President - Spend Engineering & Head - Concur R&D, SAP Labs India about the current recruitment trends and other related aspects. Below are the excerpts from the exclusive interview What are your thoughts on the current recruitment landscape in India? Currently, the Indian recruitment space is a basket of both challenges and opportunities. Talent scarcity and a fragmented talent base are two significant challenges faced by India in its quest for sustainable economic growth and development. While India is known for its vast pool of human resources, the issue lies in effectively harnessing and utilizing this talent to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global economy. Despite having a large population, India faces a mismatch between the skills possessed by its workforce and the skills demanded by the industry. Also, despite promoting gender neutrality, women continue to face social and cultural barriers that limit their participation in the Indian workforce. Drift towards Skill-based Hiring is a reality now, wherein employers prefer skills and competency-based hiring rather than solely relying on academic qualifications. Also, companies are leveraging freelancers, contractors, and remote workers to access specialized skills, reduce costs, and enhance flexibility. Lastly, India is witnessing a severe scarcity of skilled professionals in emerging technologies such as AI, data science, cybersecurity and deep-tech. Explain some of the latest technologies that are currently disrupting the recruitment space, along with a few use cases. Three major technology disruptions in recruitment space are Infusion of AI, Prompt Engineering and Automation. AI is revolutionizing talent recruiting by streamlining and enhancing various aspects of the recruitment process. Some of its major use cases include resume management, reduce bias in the hiring process, candidate skill matching and psychometric tests. Also, Large Language Models can help in recruiting & talent management in many useful way such as for answering candidate queries via chatbots, assisting them in interview preparation through mock interviews, and even generate comprehensive onboarding materials, training resources, employee handbooks and knowledge repositories for new hires. Similarly, automation has disrupted the entire recruitment process. Some of its major use cases include interview scheduling, compliance management and document processing, which has enabled businesses to optimize their entire recruitment process. Tell us about the advantages and disadvantages of upskilling existing workforce instead of hiring new talent. I believe this is as an 80:20 split. Upskilling existing manpower enables the company to retain their organization knowledge, have a grip on the hiring costs and make the workplace more psychologically safe for the employees. On the other hand, hiring new talent brings-in specific skills, knowledge and perspectives that may not exist within the current workforce, thus paving way for fresh ideas and innovations What measures can the government and other regulatory bodies undertake to improve the recruitment space in India? Aimed at upskilling and reskilling professionals in emerging technologies, NASSCOM FutureSkills is designed to address the skill gap in the IT industry and prepare the workforce for future job roles. Some of its key aspects include industry body & academia connect to make next gen of workforce employable, industry-relevant curriculum and industry exposure through internships. Secondly, road shows are an effective strategy to better market Tier-II and Tier-III Indian towns as talent hubs, as they create awareness about the talent potential in those regions, as it helps in attracting job seekers, professionals, and entrepreneurs who may be interested in exploring opportunities beyond metropolitan areas. Also, labour law reforms in India are crucial for creating a conducive environment for economic growth, promoting decent work, and ensuring the welfare of both workers and employers. Some of the aspects like flexibility in employment contracts, ease of doing business, gender equality & diversity, and worker protection related reforms go a long way in providing a conducive environment for businesses to flourish. The New Education Policy is another initiative that aims to transform the education system in India. One of its key objectives is to equip students with critical thinking, logical reasoning, and foundational skills. These initiatives are intended to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century where critical thinking and logical reasoning are crucial for success in academic, professional and personal domains. Lastly, the formalization of the gig economy is the future and it requires establishing regulations, policies and structures to provide legal protection, benefits and rights to gig workers. This involves implementing tax regulations and compliance mechanisms for gig workers to ensure that they fulfil their tax obligations, contribute to the overall tax revenue, and promote a level playing field with traditional employment structures. How do you expect the industry to evolve in the days to come? Purpose-driven hiring with a people-first approach emphasizes aligning the values, goals and purpose of individuals with those of the organization. This involves placing importance not only on the skills and qualifications of candidates, but also their values, aspirations, and potential contributions to the organization's mission. Also, Personalized Candidate Engagement will continue gaining momentum by allowing recruiters to customize the candidate experience as per their preferences and needs by using data-driven insights. Similarly, the future of the hybrid work environment is shaping-up to be a prominent and transformative model of work like flexibility and work-life balance, remote work integration, in-office collaboration, and organizational culture to accommodate a distributed workforce. It further encourages a shift in performance evaluation towards outcomes and results rather than solely focusing on time spent in the office. Also, as the gig economy matures, it has the potential to create new avenues of employment, stimulate entrepreneurship, and contribute to economic growth. KIGALI, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Investing in inclusive financial technology (fintech) will play a significant role in accelerating Africa's digital transformation, ultimately enabling the continent to achieve socio-economic development, delegates have said at the inaugural Global FinTech Forum in the Rwandan capital of Kigali. The three-day forum, running through Thursday, features a series of expert panel sessions and events aimed at advancing policies and regulations, and establishing long-term connections and partnerships to promote financial inclusion through fintech. "To emphasize the importance of accelerating our socio-economic development, especially given the large young population in Africa, we must consider the significance of inclusive fintech," said Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema at the event. He added that providing opportunities for African youth can be achieved by paying attention to inclusive financial technology, allowing them to innovate. "It is no longer a question on our lips because we acknowledge that financial technology and access to finance capital are of utmost importance to our quest for accelerated economic and social development to cater to our population." Tidjane Thiam, board chairman of Rwanda Finance Limited, mentioned that their ambition, in collaboration with the Africa Fintech Network, the umbrella body for fintech companies in Africa, is to create a leading fintech event in Africa that would act as a catalyst and an inclusive platform to accelerate the growth of Africa and its fintech industry. Thiam believed that technology presented a unique opportunity for inclusive development and economic growth on the continent. He expressed confidence that some of the most successful companies in the world would come from Africa. Rwandan President Paul Kagame, speaking at the event, acknowledged that financial technology is accelerating Africa's digital transformation, with evident impact. However, compared to the rest of the world, Kagame said Africa has produced a relatively small number of unicorns, and the majority of transactions are still done in cash. "To sustain the gains already made, we must forge stronger partnerships and build a more equitable, accessible, and sustainable fintech ecosystem," he said, highlighting the importance of addressing inadequate levels of broadband coverage, documentation, and financial literacy to enhance the delivery of financial services. In a video conference, Achim Steiner, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, said fintech provided an unprecedented opportunity to align financial systems with national development priorities. He emphasized that giving people more choices over their money through inclusive fintech would enable them to invest in critical areas that mattered to them and future generations. The forum attracted nearly 3,000 participants, including policymakers, investors, and industry leaders. IDFC First Bank has promoted Madhivanan Balakrishnan to Whole-Time Director following approval by the RBI. He is going to continue to serve as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of IDFC First Bank. Balakrishnan joined IDFC First Bank in 2019 as the COO and has played a pivotal role in the bank's operations and expansion. His expertise spans multiple industry segments, including banking, insurance, FMCG, durables, and IT & ITES, making him a versatile professional with a comprehensive understanding of diverse market dynamics. Prior to joining IDFC First Bank, Balakrishnan was instrumental in building new businesses in ICICI Bank. Balakrishnan was the former Chief Technology and Digital Officer (CTDO) at ICICI Bank. In this role, he was responsible for developing the bank's digital proposition and driving the technology agenda for the entire group. He also oversaw business intelligence operations and spearheaded initiatives to develop the ICICI Group Digital Ecosystem. Balakrishnan was also the Managing Director and Global CEO at 3i Infotech Limited, a prominent IT product and services company specializing in ERP and BFSI solutions. Additionally, he was Executive Director at ICICI Prudential Life from 2010 to 2012. In ICICI Bank, Balakrishnan has been an integral part of the ICICI Group's transformation since 2000. He was pivotal in establishing the bank's "Direct Banking" division. He served as the founder-director of Loyalty Services Management (now Payback), a successful coalition loyalty program initiated by ICICI Bank through ICICI Ventures. Balakrishnan holds a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Mumbai University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta. TPG-backed AI unicorn Fractal AI joins the generative AI space with the launch of Flyfish, amidst growing competition from ChatGPT and Google's Bard. This AI tool aims to enhance online sales for businesses by personalizing shopping experiences, analyzing real-time buying patterns, and providing data-driven sales insights. Differentiating itself from existing conversational AI chatbots, Flyfish's tool will "humanise" responses and cater to customers unique needs as per the context given. The solution supports various digital sales channels such as web, mobile, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Google Business Messages, and Apple Business Chat. This comes at a time when technology giants like Google, Microsoft and many others are battling it out to grab market share and business for their generative AI tools. Most of them are also closely working with system integrators or IT services companies to build industry specific use cases. We are shifting from convenience commerce to consultative commerce. Flyfishs AI tool can empathise with the customer and his needs and provide consultative products based on their unique needs and context, Shridhar Marri, CEO and Founder of Flyfish said. The tool is expected to increase sales for businesses, cut customer acquisition costs, and also reduce product research time for the customers through generative AI advisory. Marri said that during one of its trials for a client, Flyfish was able to increase lead generation through the website by around 35 percent of its previous ways of doing it. Flyfish is already working with clients and brands across India, Singapore and the US. We are a SaaS platform where anyone can come and plug in the solution both mid-market brands and enterprises are our target customer base, he said. Speaking of competition with IT companies and technology giants building similar products, Marri added that Flyfish will take only a few minutes for integration in some cases unlike IT companies which can take six to eight months to integrate AI in phases. Srikanth Velamakanni, Co-Founder, Group Chief Executive, and Vice Chairman of Fractal said, "Flyfish's true power lies in its seamless integration into an organizations' sales processes, its ability to train on specific product data, and its power to deliver custom user experiences. Founded in 2000 in Mumbai, Fractals clientele includes Fortune 100 and 500 companies such as Google, Wells Fargo and Reckitt Benckiser. At the beginning of 2022, Fractal raised $360 million from private equity company TPG Capital Asia at a $1 billion valuation. In a previous interview, Velamakanni said: Eventually, our goal is to serve 500 of the largest companies on the planet and work with them. If they spend about $30 million with us annually, we can become a $15 billion company. We are not chasing valuation, but I think we have a path to becoming a $15 billion revenue company. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The city Department of Buildings (DOB) annual No-Penalty Inspection Program kicked off on June 21, with expanded free inspection offerings being extended to homeowners, business owners and landlords in New York City. This citywide initiative, which was launched in 2010 but paused by the pandemic, allows New Yorkers to proactively call 311 to request a free, no-penalty visual inspection of various areas of their property, and get an expert opinion on potential repair projects and guidance on applicable legal requirements. This program helps owners ensure that these structures and equipment on their properties are in good condition, with no visibly apparent hazardous conditions, the DOB noted in a press release. And this year, building facades, boilers and private elevators have been added to the list of inspectable structures. During the scheduled inspection our inspectors will also be available to discuss any additional building concerns that the property owners may have, and direct them on how to obtain additional assistance from the Department, the DOB noted. Following the property inspection, we will notify property owners of our findings. If we do find any violating conditions, our inspectors will not issue violations that carry associated penalties for a limited time, instead providing guidance on how to correct the conditions, and giving the owners the opportunity to make corrective repairs to make their property safe. The following building structures and equipment are included in the program: Decks and patios Retaining walls Facades for buildings under six stories in height Business signs Unregistered boilers Unregistered private elevator devices The expanded Summer No-Penalty Inspection Program is a perfect example of our administrations commitment to cutting red tape and prioritizing the safety of New Yorkers, said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. With this program, we are proactively addressing issues and working collaboratively to provide support to building owners who want to do things the right way. And this expansion will allow us to keep more New Yorkers safe. The annual program is designed to promote proper building maintenance in neighborhoods across the five boroughs, in an effort to improve public safety. Department inspectors respond to serious incidents involving facades, boilers, private elevators, business signs, retaining walls and decks across the five boroughs, which result in serious injuries and even deaths, the DOB said in a statement. Weather, time, and improper installation can cause building facades and outdoor structures to weaken and deteriorate over time. It is important that property owners ensure that these structures are up to code and properly maintained to prevent a potential collapse. This inspection program runs through July 31. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A career burglar from Brooklyn who set his sights on Staten Island will soon be headed to prison. Joseph Pasquince, 50, pleaded guilty recently to a charge of third-degree burglary stemming from a pair of incidents reported at local storefronts. He initially was arrested April 25 and indicted on two counts of burglary. In exchange for his plea, the defendant, who police say has been arrested 17 times in New York, is scheduled to be sentenced July 19 in state Supreme Court, St. George, to an indeterminate sentence of two and a half to five years in prison. His attorney, Kelvin Richards, said recently that his client has battled substance abuse for several years purportedly getting clean and then relapsing over a series of prison stints and parole violations and would benefit from a long-term in-patient program, which he could never afford. Mr. Pasquince has been battling his demons with substance abuse, which is a sickness, said Richards, a public defender with the Legal Aid Society. I PRIED THE REAR DOOR OPEN Law-enforcement officials said the defendant, in the early morning hours of Jan. 20, hurled a rock through the rear glass door of an Eltingville convenience store on a commercial stretch of Richmond Avenue. He allegedly made off with nearly $7,000 in goods and $1,250 cash. He successfully fled the scene and evaded law enforcement. Two months later, he struck again, authorities say. After gaining entry to ARX Pharmacy on Bradley Avenue in Meiers Corners, he made off with about $20,000 in cash. He was identified by investigators in surveillance footage pulled from the location, officials said. When police caught up with Pasquince after the pharmacy hit he allegedly stated the following in sum and substance: I pried the rear door open and was able to gain entry ... yeh thats the door I went through. In a news letter published last week by District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, he noted in regard to the conviction that Albany has removed commercial burglary from bail-eligibility and the charge is no longer considered a violent felony. Yet, ask any small business owner and they will tell you the commercial burglar is one of the most worrisome threats they have, states the boroughs top prosecutor in the article. We thank our dedicated partners in the NYPD for their diligence in identifying, apprehending, and arresting this defendant and send our sincere gratitude to Assistant District Attorney Arda Ozdinc for ensuring this brazen burglar was held fully accountable for his multitude of crimes. RELATED COVERAGE: Recent Staten Island news >> NYPD investigates two reports of girls allegedly groped on Staten Island >> Ex-cop from Staten Island, Justin Volpe, released early from prison for brutal assault of Abner Louima >> NYPD: Brooklyn woman allegedly tried to set fire at precinct stationhouse on Staten Island >> NYPD seeks tips in alleged assault at carnival outside Staten Island Mall >> Staten Island woman, 45, charged in NYC fatal shooting that started as minor family dispute >> Lawsuit: Family suffered shock, horror after hand of buried mom was found in S.I. woods A 50-year-old man was shoved off a train platform in Brooklyn Wednesday in a random attack by a fellow commuter, police said. The man had been waiting for a Manhattan-bound C Train at the Rockaway Avenue Station in Brownsville at around 6 a.m, police told the New York Daily News. The unidentified suspect allegedly began screaming and acting in an erratic manner while on the platform. The 50-year-old victim approached the man in an attempt to calm him down, police said, and thats when he was grabbed and shoved off the platform, according to the report. The victim landed on the track but wasnt injured in the incident. The suspect ran off as the victim climbed back onto the platform. No arrests have been made and an investigation remains ongoing, police said Earlier this month, an 18-year-old woman was shoved off a J Train platform in Woodhaven. The suspect in the incident was arrested a short time later and charged with reckless endangerment and assault. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. New York City public school students will have more opportunities to connect to the tech industry thanks to a new partnership with Google announced Wednesday. Mayor Eric Adams announced the new technology-career initiative that will offer City University of New York (CUNY) and Department of Education (DOE) students things like career discovery programming, paid work-based learning experiences, and mentorship from professionals working at the tech giant. The announcement makes Google the first tech-anchor employer partner for the FutureReadyNYC initiative first announced in 2022 as part of the larger Pathways pilot programs, a $33 million initiative to expand career learning opportunities for the citys public school students. Education must prepare our young people for the future, and help our students learn the skills they need to succeed, Adams said. Along with the Department of Education and CUNY, we are building a pipeline to jobs in the tech sector, and we are thrilled that Google will serve as our first tech-anchor employer partner for our schools FutureReadyNYC initiative. This partnership represents a win for our young people, a win for our city, and a win for innovation. As part of the announcement, Google will offer a data analytics program to help students prepare for jobs in technology, and will provide teacher training for the 2023-2024 school year, according to city officials. The tech company will also partner with CUNY as its first partner in the new Tech Equity initiative that aims to expand tech-focused career awareness, increase the number of paid internships, and grow employer engagement with campuses. Googles leadership will sit on a CUNY advisory commission to ensure the school systems curriculum is in line with industry standards. Tuesdays announcement comes alongside a new $19 million investment for 100 FutureReadyNYC high schools. It is my honor to stand alongside leaders in the private sector to bring unique career connected learning opportunities to our students in partnership with world-class organizations like Google, DOE Chancellor David Banks said. There is tremendous talent in our public schools, and this vital work allows us to mold the next generation of professional leaders that will revolutionize not just our city, but our country as well. MORE NYC NEWS NYC to launch asylum application help center in latest effort to address migrant influx De Blasio recalls 2014 incident in magazine interview Officials dispute claims of migrant shelters coming to 2 Staten Island sites Mile-long section of Richmond Terrace to close in July as part of NYC program Mayor Adams: NYC wont aid prosecutions around gender-affirming care STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Test scores in reading and math among 13-year-old students in the United States continue to decline, according to research conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The NCES administered the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) long-term trend (LTT) reading and math assessments to 13-year-olds from October to December 2023. The results were compared to the students peers from two school years ago who were assessed just before the start of the pandemic but also showed the drops in student achievement over the last two decades. The average scores declined 4 points in reading and 9 points in math when compared to the previous assessment administered in the 2019-2020 school year. Compared to a decade ago, the average scores declined 7 points in reading and 14 points in math. According to the NCES, the last time math scores were this low was in 1990, and the last time they were this low In reading was in 2004. The green shoots of academic recovery that we had hoped to see have not materialized, as we continue to see worrisome signs about student achievement and well-being more than two years after most students returned for in-person learning, said NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr. She said there are signs of risk for a generation of learners, as data show steep drops in achievement, troubling shifts in reading habits, and other factors that affect achievement, like rising mental health challenges and shifts in school climate. According to Carr, the drop in math was the single largest decline observed in the past half a century. The math score for lowest-performing students returned to levels last seen in the 1970s, while reading scores for lowest-performing students were lower than the first year data was collected in 1971. Math scores declined for most student groups dropping for Black students (13 points), Hispanic students (10 points), American Indian/Alaska Native students (20 points), white students (6 points) and students of two or more races (8 points). Scores also declined for girls and boys across all regions of the country, and across all school locations. In reading, scores declined for Black students (7 points), white students (4 points) and students of two or more races (8 points). Scores also declined for 13-year-olds attending city, suburban and rural schools. Fewer students are reading for fun when compared to a decade ago. Thirty-one percent of students said they never or hardly ever read for fun in 2023, while 22% said they didnt in 2012. However, data showed that higher-performing students were more likely to read for fun with 51% of 13-year-olds scoring at or above the 75th percentile on the reading test reported reading for fun at least once per week. Twenty-eight percent of students scoring below the 25th percentile reported reading for fun at least once a week. Since the 1970s, NAEP has monitored student performance in reading and math through long-term trend (LTT) assessments, which are age-based, rather than grade-based, and assess 9-year-old, 13-year-old and 17-year-old students. Visit https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/ for the full report. Last year, NAEP released results from The Nations Report Card, which reported that a majority of states experienced a decline in reading and math scores on the nationwide test from 2019 to 2022 among fourth- and eighth-graders, Math scores were especially impacted, with the biggest national score drop ever recorded in the subject, the data showed. Nationally, the average math score for fourth-graders fell five points since 2019, from 241 to 236. The score for eighth-graders dropped eight points, from 282 to 274. In reading, average scores for both grades fell three points from 220 to 217 at fourth grade and from 263 to 260 at eighth grade. In New York, test scores declined among fourth- and eighth-graders in math. While reading scores declined among fourth-graders in New York, there was no change in test scores among eighth graders in the subject. School Zone: An education newsletter with the updates you need throughout the school year and beyond. Enter your email address here and hit "subscribe" to receive this weekly newsletter: FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Mecole Hardman has some new bling to commemorate his new team. And he got it in New Jersey. The wide receiver, who signed with the Jets this offseason, went to Al The Jeweler of Labelle Jewelry in Totowa, NJ for a diamond chain with three jets on it. The chain, which took over two months to complete, is over 100 carats of VVS diamonds, according to TMZ. Want to bet on the NFL? See the best NYC Sports Betting sites The 25-year-old signed with the Jets in March after four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. Heres what he said about that decision, per SNY: I think the Jets were a good situation. I think that theyve got a great foundation here, theyve got some nice pieces. I think Allen Lazard, him signing, I think playing alongside him will be great, too. And theyve got a great second-year player now in Garrett Wilson who had an absolutely unbelievable year. So just guys with those names, just to play alongside them definitely is attractive. And obviously the news with A-Rod, still dont know whats going on with that but thats something you can think about. But as far as besides that, it was more so thinking that the Jets were the right fit for me. Al the Jeweler also made a custom piece for Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner earlier this year. His bling was a custom ho sauce bottle. Via TMZ: TMZ Sports has learned ... Sauce hit up Al the Jeweler in Totowa, New Jersey for the special request ... and were told the whole thing took a month to complete. Al tells us the blinged-out item is made up of over 20 carats of VS diamonds ... including emerald baguettes and round cuts. Bridget Hyland may be reached at bhyland@njadvancemedia.com. A New York City firefighter has been arrested and charged after allegedly stealing a dead mans credit card and going on a shopping spree after responding to 911 call in Manhattan. Sylus McKenzie, 33, of the Bronx, is facing a slew of charges, including grand larceny, attempted identity theft, criminal impersonation and official misconduct, according to a to Bronx District Attorneys Office press release. McKenzie had been working for the FDNY for four years. On Jan. 11, 2021, he responded to a 911 call for an unresponsive man at 231 E. 50th St. in Manhattan. Thats where authorities allege McKenzie took the deceased mans credit card, according to Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark. The next morning McKenzie went to a number of stores and used the victims card, racking up around $1,120 in charges. Authorities said the firefighter went to Target, a Food Bazaar Supermarket and a Sunoco gas station. He attempted to buy Apple AirPods using the stolen credit card, authorities said. These alleged actions are reprehensible, even more so because he is a member of the citys Bravest and violated the public trust,' Clark said. McKenzies next court appearance will be Sept. 7. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Islanders will have another chance to make their voices heard on the MTAs proposed fare and toll increases during a Friday morning hearing. The MTA will host the third of its four planned public hearings to solicit feedback on the agencys proposed fare and toll hikes on Friday, June 23, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The hybrid hearing will be held both virtually and in-person at the MTA Headquarters, located at 2 Broadway in Manhattan on the 20th Floor in the William J. Ronan Board Room. The fourth and final hearing will take place on Monday, June 26, from 6 to 9 p.m. To comment on the proposed fare and toll increases at the hearings, residents must pre-register online or by calling the Public Hearing Hotline at (646) 252-6777. Registration to speak will close at the start of each respective hearing. Each speaker will be given a maximum of two minutes. Residents who are unable to attend the public hearings, but still wish to comment, can do so online, by email, mail, or phone. Customers can submit written or video comments online via the MTA website. Residents can comment by phone from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. by calling (646) 252-6777. All mailed comments should be addressed to: MTA Government & Community Relations Attn: Fare Hearings, 2 Broadway, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10004 ABOUT PROPOSED CHANGES During Mays MTA Board Finance Committee meeting, agency officials outlined the proposed fare and toll increases that are designed to increase the agencys fare revenue by 4%, while increasing toll revenue by 5.5%. The MTA had initially planned to increase fare revenue by 5.5%, but additional funding allocated in the new state budget has allowed the agency to bring that number down to 4%, which was the standard biennial increase prior to the onset of the pandemic. Under the proposal, the base fare for buses, subways and paratransit would increase from $2.75 to $2.90, a 5% increase. The price of seven-day MetroCards would increase 3%, from $33 to $34, while the price of 30-day MetroCards would jump 4%, from $127 to $132. For express bus riders, the base fare would go up 4%, from $6.75 to $7, while seven-day express bus MetroCards would increase 3%, from $62 to $64. Additionally, the agency has proposed adjusting its OMNY fare capping pilot program to operate on a rolling basis. Currently, OMNY users are charged $2.75 per ride for their first 12 trips of the week, starting every Monday. Once the rider has paid for 12 trips throughout the week, all subsequent trips are free through the following Sunday. Under the proposed changes, the rides would be counted on a rolling basis, meaning riders would receive free rides any time they pay for 12 trips within a seven-day span, regardless of the day of the week. For bridge and tunnel tolls, the MTA outlined two potential scenarios, one of which would implement higher increases for those without E-ZPass. The first scenario would increase tolls by 7% for both E-ZPass and Tolls-By-Mail users, while the second scenario would raise E-ZPass rates by 6% and Tolls-By-Mail rates by 10%. Under Scenario A, E-ZPass tolls on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, Throgs Neck Bridge, Queens Midtown Tunnel and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel would increase 7%, from $6.55 to $7.01. Tolls-By-Mail would also increase 7%, from $10.17 to $10.88. On the Henry Hudson Bridge, E-ZPass tolls would go from $3 to $3.21, while Tolls-By-Mail would increase from $7.50 to $8.03. On the Cross Bay Bridge and Marine Parkway Bridge, E-ZPass rates would go from $2.45 to $2.62, with Tolls-By-Mail rates jumping from $5.09 to $5.45. Under Scenario B, E-ZPass tolls on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, Throgs Neck Bridge, Queens Midtown Tunnel and Hugh L. Carey Tunnel would increase 6%, from $6.55 to $6.96. Tolls-By-Mail would increase 10%, from $10.17 to $11.19. On the Henry Hudson Bridge, E-ZPass tolls would go from $3 to $3.19, while Tolls-By-Mail would increase from $7.50 to $8.25. On the Cross Bay Bridge and Marine Parkway Bridge, E-ZPass rates would go from $2.45 to $2.60, with Tolls-By-Mail rates jumping from $5.09 to $5.60. Once the public comments are reviewed, the MTA Board will vote on the proposed fare and toll increases at the agencys July Board Meeting. If approved, the changes are expected to be implemented no later than Labor Day. MORE MTA NEWS MTA to pilot 5 free NYC bus routes, with 1 on Staten Island, as part of state budget deal MTA bus-mounted camera program expanded to ticket double-parkers, bike lane blockers, more MTA now allowing e-bikes on buses, subways, commuter rails MTA removes free Wi-Fi from all NYC buses, citing low usage NYC mass transit riders, heres how to recover items lost on MTA buses and subways Irene Omangi, the deputy chief principal of Kenya High School, speaks during an interactive session held by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 21, 2023. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Wednesday held the interactive session with Kenyan students to deepen cooperation in the fields of education and culture. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) NAIROBI, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Wednesday held an interactive session with Kenyan students to deepen cooperation in the fields of education and culture. The event, dubbed "Inside the Embassy and Ask the Ambassador," brought students together from Kenya High School and Alliance High School, two of the leading secondary schools in Kenya. Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian said the interactive session was very important since education and cultural exchanges remain key cogs of China's cooperation with Kenya. "We are very happy to host the Kenyan students on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival. It's a friendship visit to explore ways of cooperation with the Confucius Institute. We also wanted the students to feel how the Chinese embassy is working in Kenya," Zhou said. He said China has opportunities in various fields, including education, health, technology development, and manufacturing, and called on the students to pursue further studies in those fields in China. Zhou said the China-Kenya friendship has a long history that has witnessed rapid development in terms of exchanges and cooperation in many fields. He said bilateral ties between China and Kenya have been flourishing and called on the students to seize the opportunity of good cooperation to realize their dreams. "Chinese will always be a friend of Kenya, but the future of Kenya will always be decided by you, Kenyans. We have laid the solid foundation to better Kenya-China relations," the ambassador told the students. During the session, the students from both schools asked several questions about education, the economy, and infrastructure. The session enabled the students to fully know the depth and pace of Chinese development as well as what has driven the rapid transformation of Chinese society. China has also been helping more students enroll in Chinese universities and also in local institutions through the Confucius Institutes currently operating in Kenya. Irene Omangi, the deputy chief principal of Kenya High School, lauded the existing cordial relations between the two countries in the education sector, saying the visit marked a turning point in their cooperation with the Chinese embassy. "Today is a turning point of our cooperation with the Chinese embassy in terms of innovation," Omangi said, urging the students to seize the opportunity to further their studies in China. David Kamau Chomba, the chief principal of Alliance High School, praised the cordial relations between China and Kenya, which he said have enabled Kenyans to pursue higher education opportunities in China, which has now become the final destination most preferred by African students. Photo taken on June 21, 2023 shows an interactive session held by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Wednesday held the interactive session with Kenyan students to deepen cooperation in the fields of education and culture. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) David Kamau Chomba, the chief principal of Alliance High School, speaks during an interactive session held by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 21, 2023. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Wednesday held the interactive session with Kenyan students to deepen cooperation in the fields of education and culture. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students participate in a simulated dragon boat race during an interactive session held by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 21, 2023. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Wednesday held the interactive session with Kenyan students to deepen cooperation in the fields of education and culture. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students learn to make Zongzi (traditional sticky rice dumplings) during an interactive session held by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 21, 2023. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Wednesday held the interactive session with Kenyan students to deepen cooperation in the fields of education and culture. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students learn to make Zongzi (traditional sticky rice dumplings) during an interactive session held by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 21, 2023. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Wednesday held the interactive session with Kenyan students to deepen cooperation in the fields of education and culture. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) Students participate in a simulated dragon boat race during an interactive session held by the Chinese Embassy in Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya, on June 21, 2023. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya on Wednesday held the interactive session with Kenyan students to deepen cooperation in the fields of education and culture. (Xinhua/Li Yahui) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Prosecutors say a piece of state legislation would forever change the states criminal justice system, and have called on Gov. Kathy Hochul to veto the bill. The Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act passed the State Senate earlier this month and the Assembly on Tuesday after Washington County District Attorney J. Anthony Jordan, in his role as president of the District Attorneys of the State of New York (DAASNY), sent a Sunday letter to Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-the Bronx) calling on him to oppose the legislation. DAASNY strongly opposes enactment of that [bill], due to the detrimental effect it would have on the operation of the criminal justice system, Jordan wrote. Although the [bill] has an admirable purpose, one that DAASNY wholeheartedly supports, namely the prevention of wrongful convictions, the [bill] fulfills that purpose in a way that would result in no conviction ever being final and impose an impossible burden on an already-overburdened criminal justice system. Under the law, convicts would have the opportunity to challenge their convictions if new evidence arises, if the crime no longer exists, like with certain drug offenses, or its determined a plea agreement was reached with the defendant under types of pressure, such as a lengthy sentence. Jordan noted in his letter that state district attorneys were unanimous in their opposition to the bill, and Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon took to twitter to call for the governors veto. Simply put, this bill will crush the already struggling criminal justice system. District Attorneys from NYC to Buffalo are unanimous in our opposition to this legislation, he wrote. We need [Hochul] to veto this misguided, duplicative plan! District Attorney Michael E. McMahon speaks during a press conference held Monday, Nov. 21, 2023. (Staten Island Advance/Joseph Ostapiuk) Its unclear what the governors decision will be. A spokesperson did not respond to an Advance/SILive.com request for comment by the time of publication, but her office told the New York Post Tuesday that she would review the legislation. In his letter to Heastie, Jordan pointed out that a number of state laws already exist allowing convicts to challenge their convictions, but proponents have argued that the legislation would provide people with new opportunities to challenge their wrongful convictions, including providing a right to pro-conviction discovery and establishing a framework for the assignment of counsel for those with wrongful conviction claims. New York is one of just five states without such a framework. Nothing is more fundamental to our criminal legal system than differentiating between guilt and innocence, said Amanda Wallwin, State Policy Advocate for the Innocence Project. This bill represents a major step forward in fixing the system in New York. We are grateful to the Assembly for their action and look forward to a speedy signature from the governor. MORE LEGISLATIVE NEWS New state law takes effect Tuesday, aims to protect New Yorkers from gift card scams NY commission to study possibility of state reparations for slavery Proposed U.S. Tax Cut law would add guaranteed bonus deductions Clean Slate law, which would seal many criminal records in NY, expected to pass This proposed New York law would provide more information to crime victims Resilience. Its a word thats often used to describe New Yorkers. And that toughness was perhaps never tested as much as during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when it came to the citys essential workers. While many residents had the ability to work from home, nurses, police officers, firefighters, and other government workers didnt have that luxury and they were forced to put their lives on the line to help others. With Staten Island Ferry service slowed and the historic overnight closures of the subway system, many of these first responders turned to rideshare. Data from Lyft shows that riders who used its platform during that time were almost three times as likely to work an essential job. Drivers, who were also deemed essential, gave hundreds of thousands of rides to these workers who needed a safe way to commute. Those same workers were celebrated and applauded daily for all they did for all of New York City. And yet, despite those celebrations, it is those same heroes of the pandemic who will suffer under the misguided tax plan known as congestion pricing. Police, sanitation, and other government workers have long called Staten Island home, thanks to its affordability when compared to the other boroughs, great schools, and safer neighborhoods. Yet that affordability is now being threatened by a pricing program to fund a system that consistently underinvests in our great borough. These New Yorkers, who already contribute to the city in meaningful ways, will now have to contribute more and more of their city pay even though their paychecks pale in comparison to the earnings of many office workers in Manhattan. The starting salary for NYC firefighters is only a little more than $45,000. Those who are starting out in the Sanitation Department take home even less. These essential workers have already given so much to our city, and now the city is sticking its hand out for more. Take rideshare drivers for example. Its the only industry that currently pays a congestion pricing fee to the MTA and has for years. Its already adding more than $1B to the MTAs budget. But under the MTAs latest congestion pricing plan, these drivers will have to shoulder the burden of yet another congestion pricing fee, demonstrating that there is no limit to what the MTA will take from New Yorkers who keep NYC moving, and keep the city safe. And if drivers can no longer afford to drive, that equates to lost jobs for New York City for-hire vehicle drivers, many of whom call Staten Island and Brooklyn home. New Yorks working- and middle-class are this citys lifeblood. Why should we make it harder and harder for these New Yorkers to live here? These are the same people forced to cover the cost of an unfair property tax system and now some politicians want to keep tacking on fee after fee just for them to move around. Its just absurd. Perhaps as the Traffic Mobility Review Board develops recommended rates for the tolling program, the members could find a way to make it a fairer system for all, rather than hurting the essential workers it needs the most. Lets find another way to ensure these municipal workers arent punished for putting their lives on the line every day to keep New York City safe. (State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton represents New Yorks 23rd District, covering the North and East Shores of Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn.) Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. Please purchase an Enhanced Subscription to continue reading. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! Bubs Australia has come out swinging against the motion led by ousted chief executive Kristy Carr to spill its board, arguing vested interests are at play and a change of leadership will have a serious destabilising effect on the company. The infant formula maker confirmed on Thursday that it would hold an extraordinary general meeting on July 27 for investors to vote on motions brought by Carr and other concerned shareholders to remove the current leadership and install a new board and chief executive in Peter Nathan, formerly of A2 Milk. New Bubs chairman Katrina Rathie. Credit: Louie Douvis Carr, who founded Bubs Australia two decades ago, is spearheading a movement to spill the current board after she and longtime chairman Dennis Lin were abruptly forced out of the company by the other board directors. But in a letter to shareholders about the meeting released to the ASX on Thursday, the current management defended itself after terminating Carr and Lin, and claimed that some investors looking to spill the board had vested interests in continuing to pursue an unsuccessful strategy for the company in China. It [commercial theatre] does consume your life in a very big way. I was pretty ready to have my life back. Despite feeling ready to leave, she says she also felt weirdly untethered after Harry Potter. She recalls asking herself, Who am I? So Cosgriff whose early professional roles were in musicals including The Pirates of Penzance and Company reconnected with her roots and threw herself into musical theatre. She starred in a new musical at Melbourne Theatre Company, Come Rain or Come Shine (with original songs by Tim Finn from Crowded House); co-created Every Musical Ever, a rapid fire journey through every musical ever written, which debuted at Adelaide Cabaret Festival; and starred in an Australian production of Godspell at Sydneys Hayes Theatre. Gillian Cosgriff starred in MTCs Come Rain or Come Shine (pictured with Angus Grant). Credit: Jeff Busby She also started to write her first comedy show in five years, Actually, Good. In April, a year after she made the leap out of commercial theatre, she was awarded both Most Outstanding Show and the Golden Gibbo (for an independent show), worth $3000, at Melbourne International Comedy Festival for her efforts. Gillian Cosgriff with the Melbourne International Comedy Festivals top gong for 2023. Credit: Chris Hopkins Returning to the comedy scene, Cosgriff says, It felt like I was myself again It felt like coming home. But she never expected the five-star reviews, positive audience responses (including from people like Rhys Nicholson and Julia Zemiro), and awards that were about to come her way. Off the back of those accolades, shes taking the show to Sydney for Bondi Festival and Melbourne for Replay Festival, before touring it to Edinburgh Fringe in August. Something nice happened nearly every day during the festival, Cosgriff says. And I came home and cried at my kitchen table. I was just like, Its just so beautiful. It might have been daunting to return to comedy after so many years away, but in that time, Cosgriff had been steadily accumulating material by writing jokes on her phone. I wrote the show quite fast in quite a short space of time, she says. When I sat down to write, I had so many tiny little bits and pieces. Its the first time Ive ever had too much stuff. She had also been asking people for lists of 10 things they liked ranked from things you just like at number 10 to something you love at number one. In Actually, Good, Cosgriff collaborates on a new list with her audience each night, adding it to her book of tiny delights. Loading Its a concept born out of a terrible holiday Cosgriff took with her partner. It rained every day and every night for seven days. One night at dinner, they invented the 10 things game, trading their answers back and forth, starting with her partners number 10, Baileys Irish Cream, and then hers, carrot cake. [We] just sat there being silly, she explains. It really redeemed the holiday for both of us. Now she has running lists of peoples likes and loves in a note in her phone as well as in the book. These small joys include: walking briskly on a travelator; warm, dry towels; and when you realise that one of your friends has known one of your other friends for ages. The process of putting together and performing Actually, Good reconfigured how Cosgriff saw herself. After she read an early draft of the show to a friend, they pointed out while she may consider herself a pessimist, shes really an optimist. According to Cosgriff, [They said,] youre my friend Gill who is afraid of some things and worries about a lot of things. But you are also my friend Gill who will pick up things in the world and go, look at this, isnt this amazing? I did not know that about myself. That has truly transformed my life. I dont think thats an overstatement. Its really shifted my mindset. Every night she performs Actually, Good now she is reminded how important it is to appreciate the small things. Inviting her audience members to send her their full lists after the show gives her another nudge. Its been so good for my brain, she says. I do have a very speedy, anxious little brain that just remembers things and retains things. Because Ive been feeding it a lot of good stuff, it means Im genuinely walking around with all these beautiful little touchstones. Loading The value of appreciating the small stuff was something she also learned during Melbourne lockdowns. During those months, she read Delight, a collection of short essays by English writer J.B. Priestley many of which had been written during WWII. She would take lessons from there and apply them to her life such as having some breathing time by treating herself to a gin and tonic and packet of chips on a Friday night while staying at home. Its too much to look for a big feeling of like happiness or whatever, says Cosgriff. I dont know what that is a lot of the time. Just being able to find small bites that you are able to digest that make you feel good enough to keep going is whats been really nice about doing the show. But dont think that Actually, Good is a pandemic show. Thats not what I set out to make, Cosgriff says. It just feels like a hey, look at the world, not all of it is bad show. I think thats whats resonated with a lot of people. Now, Cosgriff is at work on her first musical, The Fig Tree, which she started to develop (with Virginia Gay as director and dramaturg) at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival earlier this month. Its title comes from Sylvia Plaths novel The Bell Jar, when the narrator ponders the different choices she could make. Now Cosgriff is working on her first original musical. Credit: Chris Hopkins In Cosgriffs musical, the protagonist Liz is struggling to figure out if she wants to have a baby with her long-term partner so the couple resolve to spend six weeks apart, dating other people, and then come to a decision together. Advertisement Review Eating outSurry Hills Love at first bite: Go to Bar Soul for the cheese croquettes and stay for the skewers and wine Callan Boys June 23, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share 1 / 7 Bar Soul is geared towards sitting down for a proper dinner. Jennifer Soo 2 / 7 Potato crumpet with kimchi creme fraiche and smoked trout roe. Jennifer Soo 3 / 7 Wagyu rump cap with Korean beef consomme, shimeji mushrooms and crispy rice. Jennifer Soo 4 / 7 Corn and blue cheese croquettes Jennifer Soo 5 / 7 Gang-doenjang Korean soybean dip with barley crackers. Jennifer Soo 6 / 7 Grilled octopus skewers with pickled perilla leaf. Jennifer Soo 7 / 7 Bar Soul is a cafe by day, and wine bar by night. Jennifer Soo Previous Slide Next Slide 14.5 / 20 How we score Korean$$$ After one bite of the croquette at Bar Soul, I knew it was going to be my kind of restaurant. The little torpedo, filled with a molten mix of blue cheese and corn, was served wait-a-minute hot and shatteringly crunchy under a snowfall of parmesan. Partly inspired by kon-chijeu, a cheesy, rib-sticking Korean side dish, it was a snack you immediately wanted to eat by the plateful and had clearly come from a kitchen that knew how to harness big flavours. Love at first bite: Corn and blue cheese croquettes Jennifer Soo Advertisement Husband and wife co-owners Daero Lee and Illa Kim opened Bar Soul on a leafy Surry Hills corner, near Taylor Square, in May. Its pitched as a wine bar but, like the vast majority of wine bars, its really more of a restaurant with one-hat ambitions. What makes Bar Soul unique is Kims ambition to match her home countrys food with wine (natural wine, mainly, which has the funk and acid to hold its own against Koreas rich ferments). Modern Korean has been on an upwards trajectory in Sydney for the past decade, ever since (the sadly closed) Moon Park opened in Redfern and paired spicy tteok rice cakes with biodynamic Beaujolais. Its legacy lives on in restaurants such as Sang by Mabasa in Surry Hills and Barangaroos flash new Korean barbecue Soot. Soul Dining moves to CBD hotspot as Korean dining takes off across Sydney Lee and Kim, meanwhile, also helm Surry Hills hatted Soul Dining and its casual offshoot Soul Deli. The latter has fried, chicken-topped hotcakes to plan your day around, and I go through its take-home kimchi like my nan goes through MeadowLea. Advertisement Bar Soul is pitched somewhere between the deli and restaurant with a daytime menu built on thick-cut bacon, scrambled eggs and coffee. Things become more elevated, and cosy, in the evening. Who needs a throw rug when slow-cooked pork jowl is being ferried to your table in boats of witlof ($22) or theres a glorious, giant slab of chestnut tiramisu ($20) to navigate? Lets go back to those cheese and corn croquettes ($9 each), though. They ask for something to cut through the bechamel-esque richness, and a $23 boulevardier (the negronis show-off cousin made with bourbon instead of gin) answers the call. The croquette is a snack you immediately want to eat by the plateful. Gang-doenjang ($19) a brick-red, fermented soybean dip is another fine drinking snack, topped with batons of parsnip and carrot, and accompanied by house-made barley crackers. Advertisement Gang-doenjang - Korean soybean dip with barley crackers. Jennifer Sooo A steaming-hot potato crumpet is yours to spread with smoked trout roe, chives and kimchi-spiked creme fraiche ($16). Im reminded of the crumpet with salmon roe and cultured cream at Quay in The Rocks, where Bar Souls head chef, Sunny Ryu, worked for a little while, pre-COVID. The charred and tender octopus skewer ($14) is your must-order, though, sharpened with pickled perilla leaf and humming with the whole-mouth heat of gochujang chilli paste. Can you roll up just for an octopus stick and a can of Cass lager ($8)? Technically, yes, but its not really that sort of snack-and-dash place. Must-order snack: Grilled octopus skewers with pickled perilla leaf. Jennifer Soo With mustard-gold banquettes, mood lighting and Korean pop ballads in the background, the room is geared towards sitting down for a proper dinner. Advertisement Plus, the beef consomme, with just-seared wagyu rump cap ($42), shouldnt be rushed. A thick rice cake and shimeji mushrooms also loll about in the warming broth, and although the meat can be chewy, its full of direct, confident flavour. Murray cod arguably Australias most winter-friendly fish, thanks to its high content of luscious fat is gently cooked to fall apart in broad flakes across nubs of hand-rolled pasta with cavolo nero pesto ($44). A buttery soubise onion sauce brings everything together. Lightly battered and fried half-spatchcock, meanwhile, stands proud on a bed of congee-like risotto and sticky chicken jus. Its a terrifically soothing way to spend $32. As for the wine component of the wine bar, theres some fun stuff across a broad price range. Pay $15 for a glass of David Franzs limey 2021 Valley riesling out of South Australias Eden Valley, or $220 for a bottle of elegant Domaine Bonnardot 2019 pinot noir from Burgundy. Soju (a Korean, rice-based spirit) and makgeolli (a slightly fizzy rice wine) add an extra dimension to the list. I like Bar Soul a lot. The service isnt always as polished as other Surry Hills venues at its price point, and theres a long wait for an open wagyu sandwich ($34) one lunchtime visit, but the floor team is engaged and friendly. Advertisement Kudos to Lee, Kim and Ryu for progressing Sydneys perception of Korean food beyond grilled meat and shirt-staining soups. Go for the deep-fried cheese croquettes and stay for the octopus, cocktails and wine. The low-down Vibe: Intimate space for modern Korean comfort cooking Go-to dish: Grilled octopus skewer with pickled perilla leaf ($14 each) Drinks: Respectable, mid-sized list of Australian, French and Italian wines mostly natural plus classic cocktails, Korean beer and soju Cost: About $170 for two, excluding drinks This review was originally published in Good Weekend magazine Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Welcome back to Yours.Sincerely. This week, online comments and letter writers were shocked to learn that some Sydney private school principals pay packets have topped $1million, especially when inadequate salaries are driving both the flight of teachers from the profession and the decline of enrolments in education degrees. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: Do private schools do a better job? Confidential industry data, obtained exclusively by the Herald, shows that the total remuneration packages of some of the citys highest-paid principals have eclipsed the earnings of university vice chancellors, wrote education editor Lucy Carroll. Ed Firstly, how many independent schools pay at these levels: 20, 30 out of 1200 independent schools? Secondly, how many people complaining about this run an organisation with 350 staff and 2000 students? How good is this! You need to pay that amount to find people capable of managing and dispensing all those tax dollars. Dartus Id be interested to know the KPIs for teachers bonuses. The results of a good education are often not seen for 10 or 20 years. Final exam results are not meaningless but they are not necessarily related to high achievement in maturity or a good life generally. Advertisement Loading pinorkal Its time for NSW private schools to pay payroll tax and to lose their charity status. They obviously have too much money when you have an operating surplus even after building multi-million dollar libraries/gyms/pools/science labs and paying bonuses. If they continue to receive public money their books should be completely transparent. bob The reality is that they produce much better education than public schools, so its justified. Simon It costs the taxpayer way less for a student to attend a private school than a public school. Parents paying for their kids to be educated has somehow become a terrible thing. If you can afford to pay $40,000 of after tax money every year to your childs school then you have already paid substantially more tax (and so made a much greater contribution to funding the public school system) than the average income taxpayer. Antigone Surely private schools whose principals earn pay packages of the order of $500,000 or more cannot possibly argue that they should receive any government funding. Steve Dillon, Thirroul The CEOs, nay principals, of certain private schools may be on a million dollar wicket but our public school principals are supported by cake stalls and committed P&Cs. Thats priceless. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: Advertisement Has our education system become a joke? According to the Heralds editorial, paying principals top dollar raises the question of how NSW public and private schools can continue to live in such separate realities during an era of belt-tightening, especially when government subsidies underwrite both systems. Neville Turbit, Russell Lea How dare the Herald complain about private school principals getting four times the salary of public school principals! Do you not understand that private school parents earn four times the salary of private school parents? And another thing, do public school principals have to worry about helipads and polo pony stables? I think not. I suggest you crawl back into your demountables. Loading Rastus Should the parents also disclose their salaries to make sure they are sending the kids to school with the kids of their financial peers? Coleridge If, and only if, a private school is fully private in the sense that it has no public funding at all, it can legitimately claim a right not to disclose. As things are currently, no. Lyndsay Connors, Ashfield In a time of teacher shortages, is it right that these schools use their superior income, augmented by government funding, to attract teachers at the expense of schools where students have greater need for them? Advertisement Hundreds of students living in Sydneys inner and south-west will have guaranteed access to a nearby co-educational public high school in a major win for parents who for years have campaigned for more schooling options. Families that live in some single-sex school catchments in inner and south-west suburbs will be able to enrol their children starting year 7 in 2025 into a co-ed high school. The plan will be expanded to all students in NSW by 2027. Alex Baumber with sons Leo, who is in year 4, and Simon, year 6. The familys out-of-area applications for co-ed schools have been rejected. Credit: Steven Siewert Education officials are modelling new school intake areas and families will be officially informed of the changes by term 1 next year. The policy change comes after years of lobbying by frustrated parents desperate for more school choices, saying they are being forced to move suburbs or switch to the private sector because of a lack of co-ed options. DAR ES SALAAM, June 22 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed Wednesday and 49 others injured after their bus plunged into a gorge in Tanzania's southern highlands region of Njombe, police said. John Imori, the Njombe regional police commander, said the bus plying from the port city of Dar es Salaam to the Rukwa region plunged into the gorge after its driver had failed to overtake a truck. "The driver of the bus attempted to overtake the truck but he could not make it and the bus plunged into the gorge as he avoided a head-on collision with another car," said Imori. He said the accident occurred at around 2:30 p.m. local time, at Igando ward in the Wanging'ombe district. Implosions, fishing net entanglements and electrical system faults are some of the many things that can go wrong when sending a submersible to the bottom of the ocean, a Sydney deep-sea explorer says. Ron Allum, the designer of the vessel that took movie director James Cameron down to the Titanic, says occupants of the missing OceanGate Titan face a desperate outlook. Ron Allum with parts of his test pressure vessel. He says he checked every part of the submersible James Cameron used to view the Titanic. Credit: Janie Barrett As time goes by, it does look quite grim, I would say, he said. Allums submersible, the Deepsea Challenger, carried Titanic movie director Cameron to the bottom of the trench in 2012. A clinical review of Guests death, known as a root cause analysis, was later found to contain a litany of errors and omissions about what occurred in August 2018. Guests daughter, Angela, who was present with her mother on the day of the procedure, said she believed the clinics report amounted to a cover-up. The family now plans to launch legal action against the clinic. Cherie Guests daughter, Angela Guest, leaves the Coroners Court on Thursday. Credit: Joe Armao There were two very separate conversations had that day. There were the conversations we were having with the medical practitioners where they were reassuring my mother and saying everything was fine, Angela Guest said outside the hearing. Then there was a separate conversation between the medical practitioners, where they were talking about risks, where they were talking about cancelling the procedure. A lot of unnecessary risks were taken. Mistakes were made. In 2017, Guests GP referred her for a diabetic eye check with San Laureano. During a review the following year, he recommended she undergo cataract surgery on both eyes, beginning with her left. During the consultation, the Coroners Court heard, San Laureano said he could perform the procedures at the VPSC, which had the latest laser eye technology not available in the public system. But the surgery required Guest to lie flat, and when her daughter raised concerns about her mothers inability to do so without struggling to breathe, it was recommended a two-part procedure take place. Cherie Guest and daughter Angela. The mother, who used an oxygen tank, had a documented history of respiratory complications and required 24-hour supplemental oxygen support. She had also had previous hospital admissions for respiratory failure. The coroner heard Guest also had documented reactions to medications including anaesthetic drugs Lignocaine and Xylocaine. During the practice run on August 8, 2018, Guest was able to lay flat for five minutes, but a nurse noted the patient quickly experienced dizziness. No formal anaesthetic assessment or testing of oxygen saturation was used on the day and Guests daughter later raised concerns that her mother changed colour upon being laid flat. Cherie Guest had a documented history of respiratory failure. Purcell, the anaesthetist, subsequently determined the 61-year-old was a high-risk patient and told the surgeon he was no longer willing to take part, and instead offered to remain on standby as back up. The risks, Purcell said, were profound and he rated Guest as having a risk rating of ASA-4 and was a risk of respiratory failure who would require critical care if she deteriorated. The VPSCs internal policy restricts them from performing surgery on patients with a risk level higher than ASA-3. The coroner said San Laureano proceeded with the surgery despite neither he nor Purcell informing Guests family of their conversations. During the procedure, Guest became visibly unwell and her oxygen levels dropped to 59 per cent. When her family asked if the second part that day could be postponed, they were told doctors had no other choice but to proceed. Nearby staff said they repeatedly heard Guest saying she did not want to lie down again. San Laureano continued with the second part of the procedure, but due to Guests breathing difficulties, her health declined and she was intubated. She was taken to St Vincents Hospitals intensive care unit, where she died five days later. Loading The coroner found that because staff failed to tell the Guests family of the known risks involved in her procedure, it meant she never gave informed consent for it to take place. Lorenz said the surgeon also administered a drug the patient explicitly told him she was allergic to. Lorenz found Guest was medically unfit for surgery, and any cataract surgery that could have been performed should have occurred at a public hospital with oxygen monitoring and an intensive care unit. The procedure, she said, also should have been done manually and not with the laser machine, which would have allowed Guest to sit upright. The coroner noted a root cause analysis of Guests death, completed by VPSCs chief executive and director of nursing, Tim Puyk, and supplied to Safer Care Victoria for review, also contained errors and omissions about what occurred. This, the coroner said, included a false statement that Guests family pressured the clinic to perform the surgery and were aware of the risks involved. Lorenz said this was in stark contrast to the evidence heard at the inquest. The VPSCs website describes itself as a centre of excellence designed to provide the best possible surgical outcomes for patients. A Melbourne woman convicted of keeping a Tamil woman as a slave called her victim in the lead-up to her Supreme Court trial to talk her out of giving evidence. Kumuthini Kannan was found guilty alongside her husband Kandasamy in 2021 of keeping the woman in domestic servitude in their Glen Waverley home between 2007 and 2015. Husband and wife offenders Kandasamy and Kumuthini Kannan. Credit: Nine News She has now admitted attempting to pervert the course of justice, by contacting her victim to discourage her from giving evidence. The victim, now in her 70s, had said she worked up to 23 hours a day doing housework, caring for the couples children and was restricted from going outside or mixing with members of Melbournes Tamil community. Police are seeking witnesses to an alleged domestic violence incident from February this year that saw a woman forced out of a car and into the path of oncoming Roe Highway traffic. The 43-year-old woman, who police say was in a domestic relationship with the 39-year-old man behind the wheel, was then allegedly forced back into the car before it drove away. WA Police Inspector Geoff DeSanges said a woman was forcibly thrown from a silver Holden Commodore (inset) into traffic on Roe Highway. The incident happened about 8.30pm on Saturday, February 25 at the Willeri Drive turnoff near Parkwood. A silver Holden Commodore sedan heading east on Row Highway near Parkwood, stopped in the left-hand side emergency lane just past the on ramp for Willeri Drive, WA Police Inspector Geoff DeSanges said. A leading military expert says there is a 50 per cent chance Australia will be drawn into a devastating war between the United States and China over Taiwan within five years, as former Labor leader Kim Beazley warns the nation is embarrassingly dependent on America for national security. Ross Babbage, a former senior defence and intelligence official, said a war over Taiwan would likely lead China to launch crippling cyber and kinetic attacks on Australian military bases and critical infrastructure assets, and he fears the nation is not prepared to respond to such threats. Former defence and intelligence official Ross Babbage says a war over Taiwan would likely lead China to launch crippling cyber and kinetic attacks on Australia. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Babbage, a non-resident senior fellow at the Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington, said Chinas slowing economic growth and declining population could encourage Chinese President Xi Jinping to move quickly to seize control of the self-governing island of 24 million people. Its fairly clear that Xi Jinping thinks his window of opportunity may be closing so the prospect of something happening soon, within the next five years, is real, Babbage said in an interview. Lets not sugar coat it, last week was a demoralising and often disturbing time to be a woman in Australian politics. While the media maelstrom swirled around a small number of women, the ensuing discussion about sexual assault and misconduct in the heart of our national democracy has swept up many current and aspiring female politicians, in addition to millions of politically engaged Australians. Its left many of us asking: when will things improve? As Shirley Bassey sang: Its all just a little bit of history repeating. Or is it? Senator David Van (centre) is on leave after his former Liberal colleague Amanda Stoker (left) and crossbench senator Lidia Thorpe accused him of sexual harassment. Credit: Sydney Morning Herald Serendipitously, I was in Canberra last week to launch the Parliamentary Friendship Group of Women for Election, and spent a significant amount of time catching up with female politicians across the political spectrum, staffers, journalists and Parliament House staff. Their comments were illuminating and somewhat at odds with media reporting and public sentiment. Unanimously, they all reported that the culture in Parliament House had improved markedly in recent times, which aligns with my own experience. It was hard not to be troubled by Daniel Andrews put-down of Liberal MP Cindy McLeish in parliament this week. Not because it was needlessly mean (more on that later), but because it served as a reminder of the lost art of the witty political insult. Premier Daniel Andrews called Liberal MP Cindy McLeish a half-wit grub. Credit: Eddie Jim While wary of inventing a mythical golden age of political eloquence, Andrews one liner branding McLeish a half-wit grub made me nostalgic for the sharp-tongued politicians of parliaments past. You only have to spend 10 minutes in one of Spring Streets two chambers to recognise the absence of clever insults and caustic humour. Perhaps its the calibre of politician, or their reliance on pre-prepared speeches, but the daily Hansard is bereft of passion and wit. The last house designed by famed mid-century modern architect Robin Boyd has hit the market in Ringwood East, and it comes with a price guide of less than $1 million. The three-bedroom, four-level house at 20 Byways Drive, Ringwood East, is known as Hegarty House and has been listed with hopes of $900,000 to $990,000. With Boyds unique design, the home has been built into the side of a hill, surrounded by expansive gardens and nature. Trademark oversized windows offer views of the Dandenong Ranges. Commissioned in 1969 and officially completed in 1972, the home is in near original condition, with some upgrades to the kitchen and bathrooms plus new carpets and a fresh coat of paint. Singapore: Attempting suicide will no longer be an offence in Malaysia, one of a small group of countries that have continued to count it as a crime and punish it with fines and prison sentences. Malaysia had been among 20 remaining nations where attempting to take ones own life remained illegal, with others including South-East Asian neighbours Brunei and Myanmar as well as the likes of Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya and Guyana. Ramkarpal Singh (right), Malaysias Deputy Law Minister, says suicide will be treated as a medical issue. Credit: AP After a sustained campaign by mental health support organisations and other lobby groups in Kuala Lumpur, however, the government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has pushed through reforms removing suicide attempts from Malaysias criminal code. It has been an offence since colonial times in what was then British Malaya and has carried a penalty of up to a years jail, a fine or both. ~As seen in recent visit by Government of Suriname delegation~ PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs has expressed satisfaction with the capacity being built in local institutions during her tenure at the head of the Council of Ministers. This is especially evident in the fields of development and project management, as seen in a recent visit of a delegation from the Government of Suriname to understand the benefits of a centralized project implementation unit (PIU) based on the experiences of the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) and its role in the successful ongoing implementation of the Sint Maarten Trust Fund. Building local capacity in our institutions has been a top priority during my tenure and I am delighted by the progress we have made. The recent visit by the Government of Suriname delegation has been instrumental in highlighting our expertise and success," said Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs. The visit focused on the NRPBs design and operations, including its institutional and legal framework. Through presentations and frank, open dialogue, the NRPB team also gave the visiting officials a detailed review of NRPBs internal structure and processes, as well as its coordination with key stakeholders to deliver mandated objectives. The visit also featured site visits to several Trust Fund projects, such as the (re)construction of the airport and hospital, and repairs to homes and schools. The Surinamese delegation was accompanied by representatives from the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs is also confident that the knowledge and best practices shared by the NRPB will be of support for Suriname, as well as for the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. Since its establishment in early 2019, the NRPB has acted as a centralized project agency to implement the Sint Maarten Trust Fund on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten. Set up to help Sint Maarten recover from the destruction of Hurricanes Irma and Maria and improve the countrys resilience to future natural disasters, the Trust Fund is managed by the World Bank and has been financed by the Government of the Netherlands to the tune of US $519.4 million. The World Bank recently disclosed that the Sint Maarten Trust Fund is one of the fastest disbursing portfolios in the Latin American and Caribbean region. This highlights the efficiency and effectiveness with which the NRPB and the other local PIUs are implementing the various Trust Fund projects. We are very impressed with the institutional model that the NRPB has built. There is demonstrable, coordinated support through all levels of project implementation, from project management to human resources, from finance to procurement, and from environmental and social standards to communication. There is also a high level of transparency woven into the layers between the NRPB and its stakeholders, said Sagita Jaggan, Deputy Director of Surinames Ministry of Finance and Planning and head of the visiting delegation. The NRPB makes a compelling case for Caribbean countries to have a permanent and centralized PIU, which leverages the smaller scale of our bureaucracies and human resource capacities for maximum effectiveness. NRPB Director Claret Connor is happy that the NRPB has been able to execute its mandate with exemplary outcomes and can now share this expertise with others in the region. The work that the NRPB does, and the capacity that this institution has built, is done on behalf of the Government of Sint Maarten, for the benefit of the people of Sint Maarten. We will continue to implement these projects using the knowledge and experience that we have acquired through diligent and accountable implementation of the key projects under our care. At the same time, we are continuing to build local capacity to ensure that Sint Maarten is more resilient and ready for a future natural disaster, said NRPB Director Connor. I am proud that Sint Maarten has improved our local capacity to implement large-scale development projects with funds from multilateral agencies, like the World Bank. As a young country, we will continue to develop our economy, society, and infrastructure through various projects. It makes it that much easier now that we have also developed our home-grown capabilities to carry out these projects in financially responsible and sustainable ways. I am happy to share our experiences and lessons learned with the Government and People of Suriname, our neighbors to the South, with whom we share many important historic and cultural ties, said Prime Minister Jacobs. KHARTOUM, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Violent clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces continued on Thursday in various areas of the capital Khartoum. The clashes mainly took place in eastern Khartoum, north of Bahri (Khartoum North) city, and west of Omdurman city, according to eyewitnesses and resistance committees. "The clashes renewed today in the vicinity of the Burri neighborhood, with warplanes flying over the area," the resistance committees of the Burri neighborhood in Khartoum said in a statement. "Cannon shells fell on several parts of Burri, and residential buildings were affected. No deaths or injuries are reported so far," the statement added. Eyewitnesses said the Sudanese army's warplanes flew over the southern area of Omdurman, with intermittent clashes occurring in old neighborhoods of the city. Violent clashes also took place in the Al-Kadaro camp in Bahri, a major camp of the army, with explosions heard there, the eyewitnesses added. Also on Thursday, Malik Agar, the deputy chairman of Sudan's Sovereign Council, declared on Twitter Sovereign Council's rejection of the initiative proposed by the African Union to resolve the Sudanese crisis, citing the suspension of Sudan's membership in the bloc. Agar also expressed reservations about the recent initiative from the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), saying IGAD was seeking to introduce the United Nations forces into Sudan and demilitarize Khartoum through its "occupation initiative." As the fighting went on, residents of Bahri were suffering from continued water shortage while those in southern Khartoum were facing food scarcity. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in its report issued on Monday that the current crisis has worsened the already dire food insecurity in Sudan, with more people possibly plunged into famine. To scale up its response, the FAO urgently appealed for funding amounting to 95.4 million U.S. dollars to reach 15 million people in need, according to the report. About 2.5 million people have been displaced inside and outside of Sudan since the conflict broke out on April 15, according to an update of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Wednesday. So far, the conflicts have left over 3,000 people dead and more than 6,000 injured, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. CHEONAN, South Korea, June 22 (Xinhua) -- South Korea and China's shared historical experience in fighting Japanese aggression would hopefully lend wisdom to them for creating a better future, the chief of a South Korean history museum said. "In the past, South Korea and China suffered tremendous hardships after the Japanese aggression, but people of the two countries rose above the difficulties by joining forces and fighting against Japan," Han See-jun, president of the Independence Hall of Korea based in Cheonan, some 85 km south of the capital Seoul, said in a recent interview with Xinhua. The independence hall, which was established in 1987, was built with donations from ordinary people who were infuriated at Japan's history textbooks in 1982 that distorted its colonial history and whitewashed its aggression. About 1.5 million to 2 million people visit the hall every year, said Han, adding that it has become a must-visit place for South Korean students to carry out patriotic study tours. The Independence Hall of Korea has seven exhibition halls, which show the anti-Japanese movement of South Korean independence fighters and the provisional government across the Chinese mainland, as well as Chinese figures and organizations supporting and fighting with the independence fighters from the peninsula. The historical sites where the independence fighters promoted the anti-Japanese movement are well-preserved in various parts of China and relevant memorial halls were also built with the cooperation and support of the Chinese government, Han noted. "People of South Korea and China share a history of jointly fighting against Japan ... forming deep ties and friendships," Han said. The museum chief noted that South Korea and China should engage in more exchanges and cooperation to tackle Japan's distortion of the history of its aggression and to work together to demand Japan's apology and remorse over its militarist past. LONDON, June 21 (Xinhua) -- Two people were stabbed at the Central Middlesex Hospital in northwest London Wednesday afternoon, according to local police. One of the victims has life-threatening injuries and the second has non-life-threatening injuries. The incident happened at around 1:20 p.m. local time. A suspect has been arrested by the police. The hospital has reopened after being temporarily locked down, and is providing services as normal now. According to police, the incident is not considered terrorism-related. PARIS, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact to be held here on Thursday and Friday, French international affairs expert Bruno Guigue expected that France and China could take advantage of this opportunity to deepen cooperation to tackle global challenges. In a recent interview with Xinhua, Guigue said that China and France have a long history of working together on important issues like climate change, industrial development and public health. "Today, we must not only build on these achievements but also step up a gear by deepening cooperation between the two countries with renewed trust. China and France have nothing to lose and everything to gain by working together," Guigue noted. The Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, initiated by French President Emmanuel Macron, is an opportunity to put into perspective fundamental global issues such as the fight against poverty, climate change and biodiversity, he said. "It is now a question of changing software, of rethinking the architecture of the global financial system in order to meet the challenges of sustainable development," Guigue said, adding that given its economic significance, China has a particular responsibility in this respect. China's contribution will make it possible to underline the urgency of a new paradigm of international economic relations, greater equity, solidarity and stability, the French expert said, adding that France and China must continue to strengthen their economic relations by striving to build more efficient supply chains. "In business matters, it is normal for everyone to defend their interests, but everything should be done to enhance mutual benefit and promote win-win cooperation," Guigue said. In a joint statement issued during Macron's state visit to China in April, the two countries pledged to provide a good environment for business cooperation, to improve business access to each others' markets, to improve the business climate, and to ensure compliance with intellectual property rights of all companies of the two countries. Concerning the digital economy, for example, France is committed to processing 5G license applications from Chinese companies without any discrimination and in compliance with international laws and regulations. "This is a very positive point," Guigue noted. Noting that both countries also agreed to continue their cooperation in the fields of climate change and energy transition, Guigue said that China and France can play a leading role in the multilateral policy in favor of energy transition. With regard to carbon neutrality objectives, Guigue said that France is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, while China has set ambitious goals of achieving carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. These goals bode well for bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and China's weight in the area is having a real knock-on effect, he said. For Guigue, the foundation of France-China relations is the recognition of the People's Republic of China by France in 1964, the first major Western country to do so. "It's a very far-reaching political choice," he said. "The real driving force behind cooperation between the two countries is mutual respect, mutual trust, and the recognition of the other as a true partner," he stressed. "This is why it is absolutely necessary to continue and enrich this cooperation, and to give it a new momentum." Loading.... Six people from the Windrush generation have shared their personal stories with ES magazine as part of a special project for the 75th anniversary of HMT Empire Windrush docking in Britain. Its a collaboration with the charity, Black Cultural Archives, as well as the art platform, Circa. Tonight (Thursday 22nd June) at 8pm, videos of their interviews will be shown on the big screens at Piccadilly Circus to celebrate a truly remarkable group of Londoners. In this episode, we hear clips of some of their remarkable stories. In part two, we hear Lazare Sylvestres story of coming to the UK from St Lucia in 1958 as told to the Museum of London. Plus, Patrick Vernon OBE, culture historian, social commentator and campaigner, explains why the anniversary is bittersweet, what still needs to be done in relation to the scandal, and his campaign to have the Windrush anchor turned into a memorial. Listen above, and find us on your Spotify Daily Drive or wherever you stream your podcasts. L ondon is one of the most ancient and beautiful cities in all of the world famous globally for its exquisite historical buildings and architecture. So why on earth are we building so many hideous tower blocks all over the capital, and who, if anyone, is in charge of it all? On my journey from Liverpool Street to our offices on Finsbury Square I practically have to shield my eyes from the visual horror of all the new buildings. Monstrous carbuncles each and every one of them. Endless glass, metal, coloured cladding, brutish reinforcements. Walking around it feels like youre in a dystopian hellscape where at any point one of the giant transformer buildings might come to life and crush you like a nightmarish scene from The Day of the Triffids. Senate House Library, bottom left / PA We seem hell-bent on turning our beautiful city from one of the wonders of the western world into some kind of bootleg Dubai-on-Thames. Why are we so determined to make every new building so unbelievably ugly? I want a trigger warning before anyone says the words luxury flats. Where I live in Acton whats happening is even more alarming. Towers are popping up everywhere. Right behind my house, despite huge opposition locally, 1,200 flats are being built in towers up to 24 storeys (and before you accuse me of not being aware of the desperate need for homes for Londoners bear in mind these flats were all marketed most heavily in Asia and Saudi Arabia). Naturally, when the developer decided to add another 300 homes to the site there was no commensurate increase in the number of affordable homes. 25,000 flats in towers of 55 storeys are slated for North Acton and Park Royal. How many of these homes are being bought by or for Londoners? No one knows. I want a trigger warning before anyone says the words luxury flats It seems amoral to besmirch a city like ours, which is filled with architectural masterpieces by visionaries, like Wren who created St Pauls Cathedral (completed 1710), the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and the south front of Hampton Court Palace, not to mention the 50 other churches he built, altered or rebuilt after the Great Fire of London. Works of art each and every one, and he and his protege Hawksmoor created more. Hampton Court Palace We are also spoilt in our great capital with an abundance of exquisite Georgian town houses. What could be more visually delightful than the sight of an immaculate row of perfect red brick Georgian houses with their symmetrical and handsome sash windows and semi-circular fan lights above the door? Fournier Street in Spitalfields where the great artist duo Gilbert and George live is for me the pinnacle of Georgian craftsmanship and splendour. Who could come away from a visit to that Street without their heart singing with joy at the sheer beauty of it? PA Following the Industrial Revolution, the Victorian era was defined by its intricate and elaborate architectural styles. St. Pancras Station, Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament are perfect examples of Victorian grandeur, designed in a Gothic style. The Victorian era also brought with it the introduction of mass housing, which is why most of us in London will have many examples of Victorian architecture on our street. These houses were built for the burgeoning middle-classes who were for the first time becoming financially comfortable. Such a tradition of building for the masses was maintained throughout the Edwardian and inter-war periods where detached and semi-detached houses characterise so much of our suburban landscape. Some of the most famous examples of post-war architecture in London include the Barbican, which was built on an area destroyed by the Blitz, as well as Trellick Tower, designed by brutalist architect Erno Goldfinger in 1972. Whether you love or hate brutalism I love it these distinctive and characterful towers were thoughtfully built with inhabitants in mind and have stood the test of time. Trellick Tower / Daniel Lynch Advocates of our new towers say they regenerate areas socially and culturally. But anyone who has spent more than three minutes in North Acton or Nine Elms and experiences the spiritually desolate atmosphere of these awful buildings and their generic shops underneath knows this is complete fiction. Not to mention how out of character they look among our predominantly Victorian and Edwardian homes. And how quickly they deteriorate. Endless balconies onto motorways covered in rust, cladding that turns grey with the fumes. Scandalously, more than 200 high-rises in London still have flammable cladding as homeowners face excessive bills in unsellable flats. Is anyone giving any thought to urban planning anymore, or the integrity of the skyline? Houses of Parliament / PA Archive St. Pancras Station, Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament are perfect examples of Victorian grandeur, designed in a Gothic style Nicolas Boys Smith, the founding director of Create Streets, a pressure group which campaigns for low-rise development to increase housing supply, is concerned that not much thought is being given to what it will be like for the people who actually live in all these towers with studies linking high rise living to higher rates of depression and mental health problems. On environmental grounds they require more steel and concrete per square foot and require lifts and air conditioning. This week, Paris re-imposed old rules that ban buildings above 37 metres while our planning rules appear to be a complete free for all. Peter Murray, the co-founder of New London Architecture, an independent forum for discussion, debate and information about architecture, planning and development in London, strongly disagrees. In spite of everything Covid, Brexit, Levelling Up, London will continue to grow. We already have huge pressures on the housing system, people on waiting lists and young people priced out of the capital. We need to build more housing yet we are running out of space. No politicians are brave enough to tinker with the Green Belt. We cant build out, so we need to build up. Well designed tall buildings in the right place are an essential part of the changing face of London and have an important part to play in delivering new housing and workspace. Scandalously, more than 200 high-rises in London still have flammable cladding as homeowners face excessive bills in unsellable flats Im not suggesting for a moment we dont need new forms of mass housing for Londoners and Im not suggesting it needs to all be a work of art, but does all of it need to be so visually unappealing? Architects seem to have capitulated their creativity and ingenuity entirely to the commercial imperatives of developers. In addition, we need more transparency as to how much of what we are building is helping to solve our housing crisis, and how much is merely lining the pockets of developers and investors. I worry our architectural strategy in the capital these days amounts to little more than vandalism. (Jonathan Brady/PA Archive) / PA Archive From Roman temples, medieval gateways and Jacobean palaces to the Art Nouveau of Harrods famous food hall or the Art Deco of the Senate House Library, our city is truly a celebration of every great architectural era. Are we certain the only contribution we want to make is thousands of hideous identical flatpacked towers dotted everywhere with all the charm of a pile of discarded toasters? S ir Elton John will bring on four special guests during his headline show at Glastonbury this weekend, his husband David Furnish has revealed. The Rocket Man superstar will take to the Pyramid stage at Worthy Farm on Sunday night for what has been billed as his final UK gig. Discussing Sir Eltons plans for surprises at the show, Furnish told Sky News Beth Rigby: Four collaborators of his choosing. People, he just thought, Id really like to do something with these artists at Glastonbury. And thats all Im going to say. Asked who they might be, Furnish said: Sorry. I am sworn to secrecy. He added: This one is very special. It is not just another day in the office. Its a different set list its a huge outdoor live festival. Hes got four different collaborators joining him on stage at different times, who I wont name, sorry. So, hes done a lot of changes. A lot on his plate, so I think hes anxious. Yeah, but I think good, anxious, healthy anxious. Sir Elton will close the festival on Sunday after headline shows from Arctic Monkeys on Friday and Guns N Roses on Saturday. Furnish also said Sir Elton will not give up on music after his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour ends in Sweden next month, and will start work on a new studio album in the autumn. He said: I dont think hell be sitting on the sofa with a remote control. Hes going to go back into the studio in October and start his next album. Which will be great. Hes not done a studio album in a long time. Furnish also backed Sir Eltons previous claim that media coverage of the Phillip Schofield scandal had been homophobic. The film producer said: I think without question, Phillip Schofield, and Elton agrees, behaved inappropriate. And it could be perceived as an abuse of power. He lied about it, so he behaved inappropriately. I think what was horrifying to watch was what I would call a disproportionate response within certain levels of the media, where it was written about over and over and over, where they were piling on for days and then weeks, continually writing negative, highly critical pieces. It felt disproportionate to the situation at hand. He did an interview. He acknowledged hed made mistakes. He wants to go forward with his life. I would also like to add that the same publications didnt give the same level of attention to a prime minister who lied and misled the parliament, which to me is a much, much greater offence. That, to me, points to homophobia. Furnish also discussed the Duke of Sussex, who is a friend of the couple, saying Harry was pleased with how his evidence during the ongoing phone-hacking court case went. He said: Hes fine. Harrys great. I mean, hes taken a lot of flak in the media, and you have to remember hes taking on the media. So what actually happens in the courtroom, and what you read about in the newspaper are often two very, very different things. But we are in fairly regular contact, and he was very pleased the way things went in court. And hes doing really well. David Furnish is on the Beth Rigby Interviews show at 9pm on June 22 on Sky News, or catch up with the Beth Rigby Interviews podcast. Loading.... Theres a new Michael Jackson musical opening in London. No, not MJ that jukebox show doesnt arrive until next year and thankfully there are no plans to revive the former West End staple Thriller. A Strange Loop, which opens this month at the Barbican, has nothing to do with the controversial King of Pop who died in 2009, but is instead written by Michael R Jackson (note the crucial middle initial). The show arrives in London with the Tony Award for Best Musical as well as about two dozen other awards including a Pulitzer Prize. It has been credited with reinventing the American musical, and Jackson has been hailed as a genius. The writer speaks to me from the remote Irish island of Inisheer, where he is taking a few weeks rest. It follows a frenetic few years in which A Strange Loop first opened Off-Broadway in 2019, before moving to Broadway two years later and started hoovering up awards. Its breathtaking, Jackson says. This is an overblown term, but only now, being here, am I feeling the post traumatic stress of having squeezed so much of myself into this show. Its not that I feel like I gave too much, but I did give a lot. Theres no simple way of explaining what A Strange Loop is about. Its title references a term in cognitive neuroscience about how the ability of oneself to call oneself an I can only come from referring back to yourself hmm but at its most basic its about a fat, queer, black theatre usher called Usher who is trying to write a musical about a fat, black, queer theatre usher trying to write a musical. Any clearer? Along the way it takes in ideas of self-esteem, artistic integrity, religion, AIDS, and mercilessly lampoons the writer and producer Tyler Perry, whose work hugely popular particularly in the US often plays into black stereotypes while also being commercially successful. Its funny, too: at one point a group of disapproving ancestors confronts Usher, including Harriet Tubman, Whitney Houston and a character called Twelve Years A Slave. Michael R Jackson / Matt Writtle Has anything been changed to suit British audiences? There was one reference thats very specifically American, so I made a tweak, but otherwise were going to present the show as it is. I think it will land really well. For Jackson, its a show that has occupied almost his entire adult life. It grew out of a monologue he wrote aged 23 (hes now 42) about a young, gay black man walking around New York. It was about me wondering why life was so terrible, and I wrote it as a little lifeboat for myself at a very uncertain time. But while the character of Usher has a lot in common with Jackson himself, hes been wary of calling A Strange Loop an autobiographical show. Instead, he says its self-referential. Jackson was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, where his father was a police sergeant. His musical prowess was discovered almost accidentally when his dad, in charge of timetables, put a cadet called Miss Hunter down for a Sunday shift. She begged him to move the shift as she played piano at her church on Sundays, and asked if she could do anything in return. He said, I have two sons, can you give them piano lessons? Jackson took to it instantly, and started playing at his parents Baptist church, spending many years improvising during the services (his relationship to organised religion is more strained these days). As a teenager, while studying classical piano, he was led astray by the discovery of what he calls his Holy Trinity: the musicians Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos and Liz Phair. I was so amazed by Tori Amos as a piano-based artist that I began to mimic her, so the mix of church improv, classical piano and imitating Tori gave me my own style. At this point, I put Jackson on the spot. Is it true that he has perfect pitch? Yeah, he says with a smile. So if I name a song, he can sing it in the right key? Probably. We chat about the first musical he saw on stage, Phantom of the Opera, and away he goes in a clear falsetto: Think of me, think of me fondly Later, I play his rendition alongside the cast recording. A perfect match. It was a Liz Phair song, Strange Loop, which gave the show its title, and one iteration of the show integrated Jacksons own music with hers. This led to a years-long quest to contact her. I would look on the back of her albums for names in the thank you section and search them on Facebook. Id message them and ask if theyd reach out to her. All of them ended in dead-ends. Finally I got in touch with her archivist, and he came back really quickly with a message from her saying, No you may not use my songs. Write your own songs. I was sad, but it was really great advice. Its what the show needed. They have since met, and have kept up a correspondence. Hes also met Amos, but Mitchell remains elusive so far. Jackson enrolled at New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts to study playwriting, keen to get away from Detroit. He would take extra classes throughout the vacations so he didnt have to go back home. It wasnt that he had an unhappy childhood, but he says those years were a difficult time in terms of coming out and dealing with my family. I needed some space. At the age of 17, his dad overheard him on the phone professing his love to a fellow male student and confronted him about his sexuality. In heated moments afterwards, Jackson wrote in 2021, My mother me told me that God hated homosexuality and that being gay was worse than committing murder. My father asked me if being attracted to men meant that I was attracted to him. Now, he says, he and his family are closer than ever, and his parents love seeing the caricaturish versions of them in the show. Many years of therapy helped. After graduating, Jackson continued to write while taking on a succession of temp jobs: deliveries, office work, and crucially, ushering at The Lion King on Broadway, the job that Usher has in the show. All the while he was working on the show, feeding breakthroughs from therapy sessions into successive drafts. I wouldnt do it differently, he says, but its taken a toll. Has that been exacerbated by the way that America seems to be regressing in its approach to different identities? That its almost dangerous to exist as black and/or queer? If Im being perfectly honest, its never felt dangerous to me. But I have observed a tendency to catastrophise all parts of ones existence and to create a kind of paranoia, as if being whatever oppressed minority group you are is the most dangerous thing in the world. So then the line between what is physical danger and what isnt becomes blurred. The Human Rights Campaign just declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ people in the US, but I cant live in a state of emergency every day of my life. I wont live like that. I say that while understanding that there are pressing political issues, but on a personal level, living in a state of emergency doesnt work for me. On Broadway, Jackson made a concerted effort to get right wing people to see the show, because I wanted to know what they thought of it. Its a piece that in many ways pre-empts its own criticisms anyway, but still Jackson was surprised by the responses. Kyle Ramar Freeman as Usher, left, with Nathan Armarkwei-Laryea as Thought 2 in A Strange Loop / Marc Brenner One reviewer from a conservative magazine dismissed the piece as critical race theatre. It was interesting to me thats what he took away from it, just a whiny, black, gay self-loathing thing, with nothing more to it. But then on the other political side, a reviewer said the piece was an intersectional firebomb and when you look at both of those responses theyre both saying the same thing. Everyones going to project onto it what they want, which is appropriate because its a piece about looking internally at oneself. When Jackson watches the show now, although events from his life inspired it, he sees Usher as separate from him. That character will always be 25. Im 42. Im not the same person. But Ive felt everything that hes felt. So when I watch it, its like Im watching my child struggle with something. He has to go through those experiences that I, being older and wiser, have some perspective on. I watch it dispassionately, but also with compassion. His difficult second show, A White Girl in Danger, just finished a well-received two-month run in New York. Following three white middle-class girls called Meagan, Maegan, and Megan, it was inspired by the American soaps he grew up watching (which apparently are very different from British soaps, judging by his blank look when I try explaining The Archers to him). While he still loves those old campy soaps Dynasty, Days of Our Lives he is fed up with most modern TV. I cancelled all my subscriptions last month, and have been watching Murder, She Wrote. Theres been a lot of award-winning, super-praised, popular stuff that is not that great. Its created a lack of taste or discernment. People are afraid to say if something is bad, especially when it makes a lot of money. This idea crops up in A Strange Loop, as Usher grapples with the fact that the work of Tyler Perry (and others) makes a huge amount of money, and a lot of people like it, but to me thats still different from it being good. Instead of TV, Jackson is trying to learn how to read again, and failing miserably. Hes also working on a musical adaptation of the 2007 horror film Teeth, about a woman who has teeth in her vagina. For now, Inisheer calls, and then we find out what London will make of the show that reinvented the American musical. First though, he gives a blast of Ol Man River from one of his favourite musicals, Show Boat, his voice deep and rumbly and yes at precisely the perfect pitch. A Strange Loop opens at the Barbican on June 28 and runs to Sept 9; barbican.org.uk Although there is no shortage of fabulous events that require elegant dress codes, Royal Ascot is in a league of its own. The quintessentially British occasion has welcomed high society to its Berkshire racecourses since the 1700s, and with it a flurry of OTT frills, florals and modern day Bridgerton-esque ensembles. Daniel Lismore attends day one of Royal Ascot 2023 / Getty Images for Royal Ascot The opening Tuesday, which started wet but warmed up nicely, saw racegoers kick off festivities with a triumph of frocks and fascinators. Most notably, self-professed living sculpture Daniel Lismore dropped jaws in a dramatic red sliced-up Alexander McQueen gown embellished with floral appliques and trinkets around the chest, and a Union Jack and feathered hat by Victoria Grant. I know the dress code has been very strict: I came here before and felt like a fat controller, he said, of the mens code which requires a full morning suit and top hat in the to enter The Royal Enclosure. But this is how I live, and its good that Ascot are embracing me, Everyone seems very kind. If I can come here like this, theres hope for people. The Saturdays singer Una Healy wearing a Frankie Dettori themed hat / Ben Stevens/PinPep Former The Saturdays star Una Healy also looked sleek in a white crocheted dress from Victoria Beckham. Its this summers biggest trend, so its no surprise she wore a Barbie-core approved pair of heels to complete the ensemble. However the main attraction was undoubtedly her extravagant Ladrokes-commissioned headwear that paid homage to racing superstar Frankie Dettori who is enjoying his final Royal Ascot before hanging up his saddle. A golden model of him performing his infamous flying dismount was the main millinary event. Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall / PA Considering the spectacle was synonymous with the late Queen Elizabeth, who only missed the racing event once in 2020 due to Covid, there were plenty of royals mulling around the grounds. Arriving on foot, as opposed to the in the royal carriage procession, were Zara and Mike Tindall. She wowed in a 660 green midi buttoned up number from Leo Lin that was styled by Annie Miall. She finished the look with a bespoke straw Sarah Cant boater hat with chic pink ribbons, a pale pink Anya Hindmarch clutch bag, yellow diamond Laurence Coste earrings and Sauvereign shoes, as she mixed with Princess Beatrice, who wore go-to brand Beulah, and her mother, Princess Anne, in the paddock. Of course, new monarch King Charles was the main event, alongside Queen Camilla, who wore a white dress and matching, crystal trimmed overcoat from DIor. Hana Cross / Getty Images for Royal Ascot Made in Chelseas Georgia Toffolo doubled up her outfits: first wearing a white flowy Gul Hurgel gown with a chic burgundy hat from Juliette Millinery, bag from Mango and shoes from Manebi, before switching to a sleeveless orange dress for maximum fashion impact. Model and Brooklyn Beckham ex Hana Cross also wowed in a simply yet elegant white dress with a bow neckline and matching veiled hat. Betty Bachz / Getty Images for Royal Ascot Keen to enjoy day two, early arrivials counted influencer Betty Bachz, who wore a black and white tweed dress by London-based designer Huishan Zang, complete with a bespoke matching hat from Miss Bs Millinery, as well as Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, who arrived on foot in arm with Elizabeth Segerstrom, the author and widow of philanthropist Henry Segerstrom. Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh / Chris Jackson/Getty Images The carriage procession was lead by the King, again sporting his grey-wool morning suit, while the Queen who opted for a lilac look by Anna Valentine, with a contrasting cream hat. Following them were the Tindalls, back for more action, as well as Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh and a beaming Andrew Lloyd Webber. Sabrina Elba / Dave Benett/Getty Images for Roy As Ladies Day, Thursday often marks the pinacle of statment looks - and 2023 did not dissapointed. Leading the most stylish arrivals was Sabrina Elba, who looked elegant in a structured, white skirt suit from Self-Portrait, not dissimilar to the look The Princess of Wales chose from the brand to re-open the National Portarit Gallery on Tuesday. Also there enjoying the sun was Made in Chelseas Georgia Toffolo, in a red and white floral dress by Rosie Assoulin, and singer Ciinderella Balthazar in a black trouser suit and statement white hat. Prince and Princess of Wales / AFP via Getty Images Perhaps the most eagerly awaited arrival to Royal Ascot was the Prince and Princess of Wales, who after a week busy with commitments in London, and rumoured school hunting for Prince George at Eton, made their way into the paddock on Friday 23rd July. The Princess was typically elegant in a bold red dress by her go-to British designer, Alexander McQueen, and a saucer-esque hat by esteemed milliner Philip Treacy. She was joined in the carriage by Princess Beatrice and her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Click through the gallery above for the best looks at Royal Ascot 2023. A teenager has been charged with the murder of a 17-year-old boy in west London. The 16-year-old boy was due to appear at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on Thursday, having been arrested the previous day following the fatal stabbing of Khaled Saleh as he walked past a church on Paddington Green. Two other teenage boys have also been arrested on suspicion of murder. One remains in custody while the other has been released on bail. Khaled, a keen boxer, was found dying from a single stab wound by desperate passers-by who tried to put him in the recovery position and keep his wound compressed. The teenager was attacked about 1.40pm on Monday as he walked past the Church of St Mary in front of horrified bystanders including students at City of Westminster College which lies nearby. Khaled, his familys eldest son, is from the Kurdish-Iraqi community and lived within a mile of the crime scene. His cousin Lena Wessan told The Standard: His mother is really devastated. Khaled was very caring. He would do absolutely anything for his family, to protect them, make them happy and be there for them. He was a family boy, he really valued them more than anything. Police officers at the scene on Church Yard Walk near to Paddington Green / PA She said the last time she saw Khaled was on Eid at his mothers house. We spent a lot of time with our other older cousins, just laughing and spending quality time, it was never bad vibes with Khaled, she said. He was such a happy, funny boy always making people laugh. I was in school when my sister called me to tell me [he had been killed]. I was screaming and crying in disbelief, I couldnt breathe, I couldnt talk, my heart shattered. He was a role model in the family, everybody looked up to him. People deserve to know how amazing he was. Khaled was a happy boy always spreading love. He would always do anything to protect his loved ones. Police officers at the scene in Paddington Green in London, after Khaled was stabbed to death. / PA Friends said he was a talented boxer and was a joker loved by many. One said: He was just the loveliest boy. He had loads of friends and was a pleasure to be around. Any witnesses or anyone with information on either crime is asked to tweet @MetCC or call 101. To remain anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. A boy aged three and his 11-year-old sister found dead with their parents at a flat in west London were murdered, the Metropolitan Police said. Dawid Wlodarczyk suffered multiple stab injuries and Maja a knife wound to the heart, according to post-mortem examinations. Their mother Monika Wlodarczyk, 35, death is also being treated as murder, the force added. The family was found dead along with Monikas partner Michal Wlodarczyk, 39, at the flat in Staines Road, Bedfont, on June 16, after Majas school called police when she had not attended since June 12 and the family had not replied to messages. Post-mortem examinations have been carried out and the cause of death for Mrs Wlodarczyk was given as multiple sharp force injuries. The cause of death for Mr Wlodarczyk was given as sharp force injuries to the neck. The force said they are not able to provide further details on his death at this stage. Facebook Officers are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident, police added. It is not yet known on what date the family died. Inquests were opened and adjourned on Tuesday at West London Coroners Court. A man lays flowers at the scene in Bedfont (PA) / PA Wire Detective Chief Inspector Linda Bradley, who is leading the investigation, said: Specialist detectives continue to investigate the circumstances which led to this tragic incident. We are continuing to support family members at this unimaginably difficult time, and we thank the local community for their understanding in recent days whilst we conducted enquiries at the scene. The situation remains that we are not currently seeking anybody else in connection with the incident. Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to call 101, quoting reference 5135/16Jun, or via the online form at: mipp.police.uk/operation/01MPS23V28 A Tiktok prankster who gained notoriety by invading peoples homes and stealing a womans dog has been fined 130 for a train station stunt where he entered the drivers cab. Bacari-Bronze OGarro, 18, who goes by the moniker Mizzy, filmed himself and others as they ran on to the Overground train at Stratford station. The footage, posted online with the caption GTA VI in real life in an apparent reference to video game Grand Theft Auto, shows OGarro laughing as another person touches the controls of the train. He then grabs an in-train phone and says: Hello, can I call the police, theres people on the train. OGarro was originally charged with endangering the safety of persons conveyed by railway by allegedly entering a train drivers cab and interfering with the controls and safety equipment on April 25. But at Stratford magistrates court last week, the charge was dropped as OGarro pleaded guilty to a public order offence of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour, causing people harassment, alarm or distress. BBC He was fined 130 and ordered to pay a 44 victim surcharge and 85 in costs. OGarro gained notoriety over a series of online pranks filmed for his social media channels, including a clip where he snatched a womans dog. After invading a family home in east London, he was handed a two-year Criminal Behaviour Order which bans him from filming people without their consent. OGarro was then accused of immediately breaking order, in a case that is awaiting a trial. He sparked further outrage this week with another video appearing to show him entering a strangers home. In a TV interview with Piers Morgan, OGarro, who lives in Hackney, had declared UK laws are weak. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, June 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) PARIS, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here on Thursday that China and France, as the permanent members of the UN Security Council and responsible major countries, share a common strategic and holistic perspective. Li made the remarks when he met with French President Emmanuel Macron. Conveying warm greetings from Chinese President Xi Jinping to Macron, Li said during the French president's successful visit to China not long ago, Macron and Xi had in-depth exchanges and reached a series of strategic consensus, which have drawn a blueprint for the development of China-France relations. The Chinese premier said his visit to France aims to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and have in-depth discussions with the French side on strengthening China-France cooperation. China, France, and Europe have their own strengths and need to further strengthen cooperation, said Li, stressing that they, while deepening cooperation in such traditional areas as nuclear energy, space and aviation, should also tap the potential of cooperation in such emerging areas as environmental protection, digital economy, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, so as to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results. The Chinese side encourages its enterprises to invest in France and French companies are welcomed to share China's development opportunities, said Li. China stands ready to continue to strengthen communication and coordination with France on international affairs, support each other's good initiatives, jointly cope with global challenges, and promote world peace and stability, Li said. Macron joyfully recalled his successful visit to China in April this year and asked Li to convey his sincere greetings and thanks to Xi. Macron welcomed Li's visit to France and his attendance of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, adding that France attaches great importance to relations with China and adheres to the one-China policy. France is willing to work with China to enhance coordination through the France-China Strategic Dialogue, High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue, and High-level Dialogue on People-to-people Exchanges and to deepen cooperation with China in such fields as aviation and space, nuclear energy, agriculture and food, he said. Macron welcomed Chinese companies to invest in France and expand cooperation in emerging areas such as green and environmental protection and new energy. In a world full of challenges, France and China should adhere to resultful multilateralism, promote international solidarity, improve global governance and promote solutions to global issues, Macron said. The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and other international issues of common concern. T he impact of the junior doctors strikes in London was laid bare on Thursday as figures revealed that the capital had the highest number of cancelled procedures of any region in England. Nearly 33,000 hospital appointments and procedures were rescheduled during the 72-hour walkout last week by junior doctors in the British Medical Association (BMA), according to NHS figures. An average of 4,566 doctors walked out in London, which is at least 600 more than the North East, the second worst-affected region. And a total of 2,727 operations were postponed a figure 60 per cent higher than any other region. Miriam Deakin, director of policy and strategy at NHS Providers, said the impact of strikes was being felt across already overstretched hospital, ambulance, mental health and community services. A spokesperson for the NHS in London told the Standard: Despite the huge efforts NHS staff made to keep Londoners safe and minimise disruption, nearly 33,000 hospital appointments and procedures were rescheduled during last weeks strikes to protect emergency, critical and urgent care for patients. Each day of industrial action is an extra day that patients with long-term health conditions dont get the appointment or operation they need. Its therefore vital that anyone whos had a change in their symptoms or a new health concern contacts the NHS. This includes using 111 online as the first port of call for health needs, and 999 if it is a life-threatening emergency. Junior doctors began the first wave of strikes in March this year in a bitter dispute over pay. It followed industrial action by nurses and paramedics. The BMA is seeking a 35 per cent pay rise to restore a real-terms fall in income since 2008, arguing that junior doctors are struggling to pay rent and bills during the cost-of-living crisis. But Health Secretary Steve Barclay has branded the pay demand unaffordable, with both sides remaining deadlocked. Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chair of the BMA junior doctors, told protesters at Parliament Square last week that junior doctors would continue to strike hard until the Government came to the table. It is working your strike action is whats forcing the Government to take a seat at the table. Without your action, wed be disregarded and ignored. The union has indicated that it could strike for three days every month unless the Government makes a credible pay offer. A ballot for a mandate for a further six months of strikes opened last week. Separately, hospital consultants in England have announced they will strike for two days in July if they vote in favour of industrial action. The BMA said its members will walk out on July 20 and 21 if consultants vote in favour. Results from the ballot are due by the end of the month. Other unions have already settled a pay dispute with ministers after the NHS staff council voted to accept the Governments revised pay offer for staff on the Agenda for Change contract including paramedics, nurses and physiotherapists. The offer consisted of a 5 per cent pay rise for this year and a cash sum for last year. O ne person was injured as a row of three town houses went up in flames in east London. Around 70 firefighters rushed to tackle the blaze which swept across the terraced homes in Chester Crescent, Dalston at 12.20am on Thursday. Ridley Road Market was still sealed off on Thursday as the London Fire Brigade urged people to avoid the area. Two people fled the house before firefighters arrived with one being treated on the scene for smoke inhalation. The fire was under control by 2.06am. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Station Commander Chris Jenner, who was at the scene, said: Two people left the house before the Brigade arrived and crews wearing breathing apparatus carried out a thorough search of the properties to ensure no one was still inside. The Brigades drones were used at the scene to provide an aerial view and support Incident Commanders in developing tactics to help tackle the fire. Ridley Road remains closed whilst crews work to make the scene safe and we urge people to avoid the area. B eavertown Brewery has teamed up with Queens of the Stone Age for their new music video. The American rockers joined forces with Beavertowns creative team to illustrate the single for Paper Machete which was released this month, the newest single from their highly-anticipated eighth studio album called ...In Times New Roman. The music video takes place in a universe inspired by Beavertowns Neck Oil can artwork. The video features Josh Homme and the band reimagined in the brewerys surrealistic style. Nick Dwyer, Beavertown Brewerys Creative Director, said: Its absolutely mind-blowing to be working with Queens of The Stone Age. Weve been massive fans of them forever. So, to have the opportunity to make a music video for them, let alone the only one they are doing, well it hasnt quite sunk in yet. Following the release of In Times New Roman... the band will headline Glastonburys Other Stage (Sunday June 25) and play several shows before returning to the UK and Europe in November for The End Is Nero Arena tour. The Autumn dates begin on November 4 at Amsterdams Ziggo Dome before getting to the UK on November 14 at Manchester AO Arena and Londons The O2 on November 15. Tickets are available here. Watch the full music video here. C ulture Secretary Lucy Frazer has defended the Governments funding of Londons museums amid a row that the capital is being levelled down to support levelling up elsewhere. She said the capitals museums and galleries, including the newly re-opened National Portrait Gallery, were home to the some of the nations and worlds greatest artistic heritage. Ms Frazer said the gallery, which closed for three years for a 41.3 million revamp, would now be able to play its part in Londons status as a global cultural capital. She added: Alongside the investment for these improvements at the National Portrait Gallery, the government is supporting museums across the capital and the country with an extended tax relief that has paid out 43 million to eligible institutions since it was introduced, supporting almost 4,000 exhibitions. On top of that, the government invests more than a quarter of a billion into museums across the capital annually. London also benefits from entry to many of their world class museums being free to visitors - opening up their learning and offering experiences to young and old, rich and poor alike. Her comments come after London Mayor Sadiq Khan claimed the Government is pulling the curtain down on the capitals creative industries. His warning followed a City Hall report that said 25 per cent of Londons arts organisations could lose funding and 10 per cent could leave the city altogether. City Halls report said Arts Council England, which is an arms-length body of DCMS, is implementing a significant and potentially damaging restructuring of its portfolio of London-based organisations. The organisation seen as losing out the most is English National Opera which has been told to leave its West End base and move out of London or lose funding. S uccession star Sarah Snook is returning to the West End stage in a one-woman production of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The Golden Globe-winning Australian actress will play 26 different characters in the Theatre Royal Haymarket show, which is an adaptation of Oscar Wildes 1890 novel. Snooks previous turn on the West End was her debut in 2016, when she appeared opposite Ralph Fiennes in The Master Builder. The actress is best known for her role as the conniving Shiv Roy on the award-winning HBO show, which earned her a Critics Choice award as well as Golden Globe. She said: I am elated to return to the London stage in such an astonishing piece of theatre. From Oscar Wildes remarkable original text to Kip Williams stunning adaptation, this story of morality, innocence, narcissism, and consequence is going to be thrilling to recreate for a new audience. I cant wait. Alexi Lubomirski Williams said: In creating a new piece of theatre like The Picture Of Dorian Gray, you always hope to have the opportunity to share it with a wider audience. I am so excited for theatre lovers in London to experience our show and am thrilled to have the extraordinary Sarah Snook bringing to life the many characters of Oscar Wildes remarkable story. It follows a successful run of the show in Australia, which was performed by Eryn Jean Norvill. The London production will be adapted and directed by Sydney Theatre Companys artistic director Kip Williams. The Picture Of Dorian Gray is due to open on January 23 and run for nearly 12 weeks. S adiq Khan has suggested his former mayoral opponent Shaun Bailey should be stripped of his impending peerage following the release of last weeks partygate video. Speaking at Mayors Question Time on Thursday, Mr Khan said Londoners are furious about the video and that those present at the December 2020 gathering should be held to account for their actions, not rewarded. The video, published last week by the Sunday Mirror, showed Conservative activists dancing and joking about bending the rules, while London was under Tier 2 Covid restrictions, which banned indoor social gatherings. The event was described on an invitation for the event as The Shaun Bailey for London Holiday Party. Mr Bailey was earlier this month offered a peerage by Boris Johnson. He is expected to join the House of Lords on July 18, according to reports. The former Tory mayoral candidate was absent from Thursdays meeting. He was said by Assembly chairman Andrew Boff not to be present because he was suffering a bereavement. Police are reviewing the video of the event and Mark Rowley, the Met Police commissioner, has suggested fines may follow. Mr Khan said the appearance of lawmakers being lawbreakers was a plague on all our houses, after Labour Assembly Member Leonie Cooper asked whether he agreed that the video had brought all of us in public life into disrepute. He added: At a time when leading Conservatives were partying, Londoners faced tight restrictions on numbers at funerals. S cotlands First Minister has paid tribute to the unique and unparalleled contribution of Winnie Ewing after the death of the trailblazing SNP politician. Known famously as Madame Ecosse, 93-year-old former MP, MEP and MSP Winifred Margaret Ewing died on Wednesday. Flags at the Scottish Parliament, where two of her three children Fergus and Annabelle are MSPs, were lowered in tribute to her on Thursday. Described as a beloved icon of the Scottish independence movement, Mrs Ewing was perhaps best known for declaring Stop the world, Scotland wants to get on after her shock victory at the Hamilton by-election in 1967. That victory saw her become Scotlands first ever female parliamentarian. First Minister and SNP leader Humza Yousaf said he was heartbroken that we have lost a shining light of our party, as he sent his condolences to her family particularly her three children, Fergus, Annabelle and Terry. Mr Yousaf said: No words can truly capture the unique and unparalleled contribution that Winnie made to Scotland and Scottish politics. Her work over many decades including in the UK, European and Scottish parliaments shaped the modern nation we have today. Without Winnie without her breakthrough by-election victory in Hamilton in 1967, her dedication to the cause of Scottish independence, and her promotion of Scotlands interests in Europe over many years the SNP would never have achieved the success we have, and self-government for Scotland would never have become the priority it did. He described her as being a pioneer and a patriot, saying her death would be mourned across Scotland. In a statement announcing her death, her family described Mrs Ewing as being generally considered the most important Scottish politician of her generation. She was the first presiding officer of the reconvened Scottish Parliament in 1999, and the family said she had sparked the revival of the SNPs fortunes, which continue to this day, with her victory in the Hamilton by-election of 1967. She was surrounded by her family when she died, the statement added. Along with her three children, she is survived by grandchildren Natasha, Ciara, Jamie and Sophie. Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was heartbroken at the death of the beloved icon. She wrote on Twitter: I cant begin to convey the depth of gratitude I feel for the advice, wisdom, encouragement and inspiration Winnie gave me and so many others over the years. Today Scotland has lost one of her foremost patriots and champions, (the SNP) and the independence movement have lost a beloved icon. Ms Sturgeons predecessor Alex Salmond also paid tribute to a courageous and loyal colleague. The Alba Party leader said: Many politicians adapt to the climate. Few make the political weather. Winnie Ewing was one of those. He praised her extraordinary ability, and added: Above all she was a Scottish patriot, indomitable in her approach and a courageous and loyal colleague. Former Scottish deputy first minister John Swinney told how Mrs Ewing had inspired generations who sought independence and gave everything she could to make it happen. He tweeted: I will never, ever forget her encouragement and her steadfast support. Sir George Reid, the last remaining member of the group of seven SNP MPs elected in February 1974 and of the 11 elected in October 1974, said: Winnie was a bonnie fechter, utterly committed to the cause of an independent Scotland in Europe. When the SNP was down, she stood up not least in June 1979 when, after the decimation of the party at Westminster in May, she immediately contested and won a seat in the European Parliament. That year she was a light in the darkness. Politics for Winnie was not a career. It was a vocation. Mrs Ewing was born in Glasgow in 1929 and gained a law degree from Glasgow University, before being elected to the UK Parliament. Despite losing the Hamilton seat at the next election in 1970, she was re-elected to Westminster in 1974 for Moray and Nairn, and retained her seat in the second election in October of the same year. She also served in the European Parliament, representing the Highlands and Islands after losing her Westminster seat in the 1979. She resigned as an MEP in 1999 to stand as a candidate for the new Scottish Parliament, representing the Highlands and Islands until 2003. Mrs Ewing was president of the SNP until 2005 when she stood down from elected office, however she remained an ardent supporter of the independence cause. L ondon leaders have hailed the pivotal contribution the Windrush generation made to the capital and called for the scandal that saw immigrants wrongly deported not to be forgotten. HMT Empire Windrush brought the first large group of people from Caribbean nations to Tilbury, Essex 75 years ago on Thursday and it has since become a symbol of the mass migration from the Commonwealth to Britain between 1948 and 1973. However, five years ago the Home Office was forced to apologise for not properly recording the details of people granted permission to stay in the UK and destroying the landing cards of Windrush migrants. At least 83 people who arrived before 1973 were wrongly deported and many more were left unable to work and denied access to benefits and healthcare. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the 75th anniversary could not be commemorated without acknowledging the disgraceful treatment some had endured. It is important to celebrate the pivotal role the Windrush generation and their descendants have played in helping to make our city the greatest in the world, he said. From those working for the NHS and Transport for London, to the activists and creatives whove shaped our culture, their incredible contribution to our lives must always be valued and never forgotten. However, we cannot adequately commemorate Windrush without reflecting on the disgraceful treatment members of that generation have endured. The Governments hostile environment has caused untold pain and the subsequent delay in delivering compensation has not only compounded the trauma thats been inflicted, but shamed our nation. Every London borough has organised events to mark the 75th anniversary of the ships arrival. But local authorities warned they were concerned at reports the unit responsible for reforming the Home Office after the Windrush scandal had been broken up and the compensation scheme set up in the wake of the crisis was too hard to access. In Hackney, where about 8 per cent of the population is of Black Caribbean decent, the council is holding drop-in advice clinics on the Windrush compensation scheme, alongside its celebrations. Carole Williams, Hackneys Windrush Lead, wrote to Suella Braverman to raise significant concerns about the Home Office scheme that should have offered hope to all those affected so they could be financially compensated for their loss, suffering and harm caused. The failures of the Home Office to effectively manage the Compensation Scheme has created an air of distrust between those affected by the scandal and those groups supporting them, she said in the letter. Fitzroy Maynard / PA Hackney resident Fitzroy Maynard said he became homeless when he could not prove his right to work. The 57-year-old, who moved from Antigua to the UK in 1980 when he was a child, lost his job as a caretaker in 2007. He said he had been offered some money by the Home Office but described dealing with the compensation programme as worse than hell. Im not claiming for losing my job, Im claiming for loss of access to employment after I lost my job, he said. [The Government] really think either people cant read or we are stupid. Im fed up with the behaviour. Newham has dedicated its town hall to Caribbean-themed celebrations all day on Saturday. Rohit Dasgupta, the boroughs deputy cabinet member for Social Justice, told the Standard: This country was built on the sweat of migrants, and it is important we recognise the huge contributions made by the Windrush generation and their descendants. The hostile environment the Government has created cannot go on. We are determined to celebrate the legacy of all immigrants who helped make London what it is today. A Home Office spokesman said: There have been and will continue to be team changes as the Windrush response is delivered. The Government is honouring its Windrush commitments and providing support to those affected every day. Over 75 million compensation has been paid already and the scheme will stay open as long as needed. We will continue to keep our partners up to date. The satirical comedy show was broadcast at 9pm on June 16, and Mr Myrie was reportedly replaced on News at Ten the same evening. The Times reported that BBC content chief Charlotte Moore replaced Mr Myrie with presenter Jane Hill over potential impartiality accusations. Who is Clive Myrie? Clive Myrie, 58, is a British award-winning journalist who works for the BBC. He is from Bolton, Lancashire, and studied at the University of Sussex. Mr Myrie became a journalist after gaining a place on BBCs journalism trainee scheme. He has since reported for Panorama, Newsnight and presented several BBC news programmes. He became a foreign correspondent in 1996 and has reported from more than 80 countries, according to the Reuters Institute . Mr Myrie has covered major news events, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and former US president Barack Obamas election in 2008. He told the University of Sussex that his biggest achievement was surviving the shark-infested waters of the BBC for 24 years. He is the host of Mastermind, having replaced John Humphrys in 2021. What did he say about Boris Johnson? On Have I Got News For You, Mr Myrie provided a spoof voiceover for a clip of Mr Johnson running with his dog, and said: After being found by the House of Commons committee to have lied repeatedly, Boris Johnson takes the opportunity to deny that hes ever been jogging or has a dog. He also described Mr Johnsons honours list as mad. Comedian Ian Hislop, one of the BBC shows two team captains with Paul Merton, anticipated a backlash against Mr Myries comments, saying: Youll remember you were here for the end of Clive Myries career. What have people said about it? According to The Times , an insider said: There wasnt a specific joke which triggered the request. It was more to do with concerns that Clive was doing two very different types of programme within an hour of each other. There was possibly a bit of over-caution, which felt a bit over the top to most people in news. A BBC executive said: It didnt feel right for Clive to go almost straight to the news when hed just been making jokes, according to the Independent , It was a tonal thing rather than due to anyone being overly anxious. Was Clive Myrie attacked in Ukraine? Earlier this year, a rumour that Mr Myrie was attacked in Ukraine circulated online. The rumour suggested that while Mr Myrie was reporting from the warzone in Ukraine, he was beaten up by a gang. T he Prince of Wales said the Windrush generations contributions to Britain cannot be overstated as he expressed gratitude on the 75th anniversary of the crossing. The HMT Empire Windrush first docked in England on June 22 1948 at Tilbury Docks in Essex, bringing people from the Caribbean who answered Britains call to help fill post-war labour shortages. William said Britain is better today due to their descendants staying and becoming part of who we are in 2023. In a video posted on social media, William said: This Windrush Day, we mark 75 years since the Empire Windrush laid anchor at Tilbury Docks. Many of the young people on that historic voyage knew Britain well. They had fought by our sides in World War II. They and the generation of Commonwealth citizens who followed in their footsteps, chose this country to start new lives. We know they experienced hardships. But they also experienced joy; and life did indeed change for them and their families. But these voyagers also gave to our nation, helping to rebuild our country and adding to our culture. Their contributions to the Britain we know now cannot be overstated. We are a better people today because the children and the grandchildren of those who came in 1948 have stayed and become part of who we are in 2023. And for that we are forever grateful. Today we celebrate the Windrush generation, their descendants and everything they have given to us all. The 75th anniversary is being marked with events across Britain, including a national commemoration service at Southwark Cathedral on Thursday. A scandal, which erupted in 2018, saw many British citizens, mostly from the Caribbean, denied access to healthcare and benefits and threatened with deportation despite having the right to live in the UK. Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with President of the European Council Charles Michel in Paris, France, June 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) PARIS, June 22 (Xinhua) -- China's development brings opportunities rather than risks to the world, sending stabilities rather than shocks to the global industrial chain and supply chain, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Thursday. During his meeting with President of the European Council Charles Michel on the sidelines of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, Li said China hopes that the European Union (EU) will view its cooperation with China in an objective and rational way and work with China to safeguard the sound environment of the China-EU practical cooperation. Noting that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the EU, Li said China stands ready to work with the EU to make a new China-EU summit a success and strengthen cooperation in green, economic, trade and digital fields, so as to open up new space for the development of China-EU relations. China is willing to make joint efforts with the EU to enhance the reliability and stability of China-EU economic and trade relations and better achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, said Li. There is no conflict of fundamental interests between China and the EU, said Li, mentioning that both sides have benefited from each other's development, adhered to strategic autonomy and multilateralism, and had broad consensus on climate change and other global issues. China and the EU should enhance mutual trust and address concerns through successful cooperation, the Chinese premier said. That is conducive to the common development of China and the EU, the joint response to global challenges, and the building of a multi-polar world, Li said, adding that it also serves the fundamental interests of both sides and will inject stability and positive energy into the world. For his part, Michel said the EU adheres to the one-China policy, and is willing to strengthen communication and exchanges with China, develop multi-level cooperative relations, promote the consolidation and strengthening of the EU-China relations, so as to jointly solve global issues in climate, health and other fields, and build an open and multipolar world. China's development is beneficial to the EU and the world. The EU has no intention to contain China's development, opposes a "new Cold War" and the act of taking sides, and hopes that the next EU-China summit will lead to positive results, said Michel. The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis. P rince George has been spotted on a visit to Eton with his parents the Prince and Princess of Wales. The nine-year-old was seen with William and Kate on the grounds of the boarding school, which educates boys aged between 13 and 18. It has sparked speculation that George, who turns 10 next month, will follow in the footsteps of his father, William, and uncle, Prince Harry, who both boarded at Eton College. On its website, Eton is described as a modern, forward-thinking school that embraces innovation and new opportunities to provide an outstanding, progressive and well-rounded education. George currently attends private Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire, along with his siblings eight-year-old Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, aged five. Outdoorsy and nurturing prep school Lambrook, where fees are costing William and Kate more than 53,000 a year, has been described by parents as magical. Year 8 leavers join prestigious schools such as Eton, Wellington College, Marlborough College, where Kate went, and Charterhouse among others. Prince George and Princess Charlotte began their school days happily at private day school Thomass Battersea a busy, cosmopolitan establishment in south London with George starting in 2017 and Charlotte in 2019. Their father William and uncle Harry went to board at Eton for five years. Williams first day began with a photocall with his separated parents joining him in a show of solidarity, with Harry also taking part. The 13-year-old smiled broadly as he was greeted by scores of photographers. A three-tier scaffolding stage was erected opposite Manor House where William was to live as a boarder, to allow the press a one-off view of the new Etonian. George, Charlotte and Louis grandfather the King had a difficult time at secondary school as a teenager. Charles was sent to Gordonstoun School in Moray, Scotland, following in the footsteps of his father Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, but was picked on and described his days there as a prison sentence. Charles did admit, however, that the school instilled him with self-discipline and a sense of responsibility. A n activist took their own life after being wrongly allowed to leave a dangerously short-staffed NHS hospital while on suicide watch, an inquest has found. Billy Guedalla, 46, was admitted to the Gardner ward of Homerton Hospital in east London during a mental health crisis in October 2021, and a clinical decision was taken not to let them leave for their own safety. However, the decision was not passed on to staff and a healthcare assistant let Billy leave the ward for fresh air, Poplar coroners court heard. Staff at the hospital failed to tell police about the high risk of suicide, and it was Billys family who had not been alerted to the situation who made the 999 call that led to the discovery of Billys body. Coroner Edwin Buckett, who presided over the inquest last month, has now issued a report warning of future deaths and calling for urgent action from East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT). Vicky Guedalla, Billys mother said on behalf of the family: The inquest is over. Billy is still dead. The condolences of the Trust so far are empty words that do nothing to soothe our sore hearts. Itll take deeds not just words to do something about the dangerous understaffing that led to Billys death. Please, ELFT, be urgently pro-active now for the sake of your overworked staff and to protect your vulnerable patients now and in the future. Youve dragged your feet so far, but you have the chance to take the Coroners report as a wake-up call to do battle for adequate resources. Please dont let us down. The family paid tribute to Billy as intelligent, articulate, perceptive and empathetic who had dedicated their life to helping others. Billy undertook nursing training, volunteered for the Campaign Against the Arms Trade, was an LGBTQ+ activist, and acted as a legal observer on protests and during the London 2011 riots. Billy, who had suffered mental health issues since 2013, was admitted to hospital for 11 days at the start of October 2021, and returned to Gardner ward on 26 October during a crisis. The inquest heard staff did not comply with the patient admission policy, records were not updated, and key risk information in Billys case was not shared with staff. Billy required 1-1 support which could not be delivered due to staff shortages, which also caused the failure to pass on to staff a clinical decision to not allow Billy to leave the ward on October 29. When Billy went missing, the news was not handed over to the night staff, a call was made to Billys mother without leaving a message, and a 2am call to police did not pass on information that the missing person was potentially suicidal. Hospital staff were told by police to call an ambulance but waited 12 hours to do so, and Billys family only discovered they were missing during a visit to the hospital at 2pm on October 30. The NHS Trust carried out a serious incident investigation after the death, which wrongly concluded the hospital had been adequately staffed. Jo Eggleton, from Deighton Pierce Glynn solicitors which represented the family, said it was the tenacity of a bereaved family which helped to uncover the truth of the failings that led to their loved ones death. Instead of focusing on identifying what went wrong and learning lessons the Trust and their solicitors have consistently tried to limit public scrutiny of their actions, including repeatedly ignoring Coroners directions and telling at least one witness to remove relevant evidence from their statement, she said. Selen Cavcav, Senior Caseworker at INQUEST, said: What happened to Billy should have never happened. Those responsible for running the unit ought to have known that their staffing levels were dangerously low, and their risk assessment systems were completely unreliable to keep vulnerable patients safe. Empty platitudes do not save lives. Now is the time to take urgent action to address the failures so clearly spelled out by the coroner at this inquest. The Trust has been given until August 4 to respond to the failings laid out in the Coroners report. In a statement, it said: We at East London NHS Foundation Trust express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Billy Guedalla. The Trust fell short of the standard of care expected and for this we are truly sorry. A number of improvements have been made following our own review into the circumstances of Billys death. The coroner has written to us following the recent hearing. We are carefully reviewing the coroners comments and are fully committed to addressing any outstanding issues identified. T he US Coast Guard is still treating the hunt for the missing Titan submersible as an active search and rescue, despite hopes fading as the 96-hour oxygen supply dwindled. More ships and expertise were scrambled to help find the missing deep-sea vessel, which lost communication on Sunday while about 435 miles south of St Johns, Newfoundland, during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck off the coast of Canada. OceanGate Expeditions estimated the oxygen supply on the 6.7m (22ft)-long vessel, which has British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding on board, would last the crew of five 96 hours, giving rescuers a deadline of around midday on Thursday. But Rear Admiral John Mauger confirmed the main focus of the US Coast Guard and the unified command in charge of the operation was to retrieve the vessel in what is still being seen as an active search and rescue. He told Sky News: We continue to keep the crew members and the families in our thoughts as we proceed with this search and rescue while were cognisant of the time and weve factored in a lot of data and information into the search. This is still an active search and rescue at this point and were using the equipment that we have on the bottom right now, the remote operated vehicles to expand our search capability, and then also to provide rescue capability as well. When questioned about the noises detected by the sonar buoys dropped into the ocean, he revealed initial reports found that it was ocean background noise. He said: Weve taken that information and shared it with top leading experts from the US Navy and the Canadian Navy, and theyre working on the analysis of that information, theyre continuing to work on the analysis of that information. The initial reports is that theres a lot of the sounds that were generated were from background ocean noise, but they continue to look for all available information there. Whats important to me, and whats important as the unified command, is that weve continued search in the areas where noise was detected with the ROVs that we have from the time of that detection, so were not waiting for this analysis to take action. The analysis is really helpful to our overall search-and-rescue efforts, but were not waiting on it, weve moved the remote operated vehicles that weve had on site to those areas where noise was detected. In a statement published online Guillermo Sohnlein, co-founder of OceanGate, thanked the people involved in the search and rescue, as well as confirming the pilot to be his co-founder and friend. He also claims that the time window the people on board have is larger than the estimated 96 hours. In the statement, he said: Today will be a critical day in this search and rescue mission, as the subs life support supplies are starting to run low. Im certain that Stockton and the rest of the crew realized days ago that the best thing they can do to ensure their rescue is to extend the limits of those supplies by relaxing as much as possible. I firmly believe that the time window available for their rescue is longer than what most people think. I would encourage everyone to remain hopeful for getting the crew back safely. Also in the craft are UK-based businessman Shahzada Dawood, his son Suleman Dawood, a student at the University of Strathclyde, OceanGates chief executive and founder Stockton Rush, and French submersible pilot Paul-Henri Nargeolet. In a statement, the University of Strathclyde said: We are deeply concerned about Suleman, his father and the others involved in this incident. Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones, and we continue to hope for a positive outcome. The Royal Air Force (RAF) confirmed it received a request overnight for assistance with movement of additional commercial equipment. Two RAF planes, a C-17 Globemaster and A400 Atlas, departed RAF Lossiemouth in north-east Scotland on Thursday. A British submariner and equipment from a UK firm has been sent to help the search at the request of the US Coastguard, Downing Street said. Royal Navy submariner Lieutenant Commander Richard Kantharia, who was on exchange with the US Navy, has been seconded to the search and rescue team. Experts said the chances of finding the sub and rescuing those inside was diminishing. Former Royal Navy submarine captain Ryan Ramsey told the PA news agency: The outlook is bleak, thats the only word for it as this tragic event unfolds and almost the closing stages of where this changes from rescue to a salvage mission. Dr Jamie Pringle, a reader in forensic geosciences at Keele University, said: I think theres always hope with these things but you know about the golden first 24 hours and were well past that stage. So theres always a chance, its never zero, but I think obviously the longer the time elapses the lower the chance of success. Titan is believed to be about 900 miles east and 400 miles south of Newfoundland. It is not known how deep the vessel is, with the seabed being around 3,800m from the surface. T he family of British billionaire Hamish Harding have described him as one of a kind after the company that owns the missing Titan submersible confirmed all five people on board are dead with debris found 1,600ft from the famous wreck. OceanGate Expeditions said its pilot and chief executive Stockton Rush along with UK citizens Mr Harding, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, and French national Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. Relatives of the Dawoods, from London, urged well-wishers to keep their departed souls and our family in your prayers during this difficult period of mourning as they also thanked the rescue operation. They added: The immense love and support we receive continues to help us to endure this unimagineable loss. In a statement released by Mr Hardings company Action Aviation, his family said: Today we are united in grief with the other families who have also lost their loved ones. Hamish Harding was a loving husband to his wife and a dedicated father to his two sons, whom he loved deeply. To his team in Action Aviation, he was a guide, an inspiration, a support, and a living legend. He was one of a kind and we adored him. He was a passionate explorer whatever the terrain who lived his life for his family, his business and for the next adventure. What he achieved in his lifetime was truly remarkable and if we can take any small consolation from this tragedy, its that we lost him doing what he loved. He will leave a gap in our lives that can never be filled. We know that Hamish would have been immensely proud to see how nations, experts, industry colleagues and friends came together for the search and we extend our heartfelt thanks for all their efforts. The US Coast Guard offered its deepest condolences to the families after the tail cone of the submersible was found by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) around 1,600ft from the bow of the wreck of the Titanic, which sank in 1912, and said their remains may never be found after the craft suffered a catastrophic implosion. Rear Admiral John Mauger / REUTERS In a press conference, Rear Admiral John Mauger said further debris was consistent with a catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. He said: This morning, an ROV, or remote operated vehicle from the vessel Horizon Arctic discovered the tail cone of the Titan submersible approximately 1,600ft from the bow of the Titanic on the sea floor. The ROV subsequently found additional debris. In consultation with experts from within the unified command, the debris is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Upon this determination, we immediately notified the families. On behalf of the United States Coast Guard and the entire unified command, I offer my deepest condolences to the families. I can only imagine what this has been like for them. And I hope that this discovery provides some solace during this difficult time. Asked about the prospects of recovering the bodies of those killed on the Titan expedition, the rear admiral said: This is an incredibly unforgiving environment down there on the sea floor and the debris is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vessel. And so well continue to work and continue to search the area down there, but I dont have an answer for prospects at this time. OceanGate Expeditions to the Titanic: Titan submarine 1 / 36 OceanGate Expeditions to the Titanic: Titan submarine ES Composite The ship Deep Energy sails in the search area for OceanGates Titan submersible US Coast Guard/AFP via Getty Ima The pilot of a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft of 14 Wing flies a search pattern for the missing OceanGate submersible, which had been carrying five people to explore the wreck of the sunken SS Titanic, in the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland, Canada via REUTERS Ssubmersible Titan preparing to dive into the Atlantic Ocean on an expedition to the Titanic AP A view shows the ROV (Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle) Victor 6000 via REUTERS Cargo being loaded onto the Horizon Arctic at the harbour in St Johns, bound for the search area Joe Chase for DailyMail.com Last sighting of the Titan submarine Facebook Search equipment arriving at St Johns airport in Newfoundland aboard US Air Force C-17 cargo planes that is bound for the search area near the Titanic wreckage Joe Chase for DailyMail.com OceanGate Expeditions/AFP via Ge OceanGate Expeditions showing staff at work inside their submersible vessel named Titan, which is used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic PA Cargo being loaded onto the Horizon Arctic at the harbour in St Johns, bound for the search area Joe Chase for DailyMail.com Facebook Cargo being loaded onto the Horizon Arctic at the harbour in St Johns, bound for the search area Joe Chase for DailyMail.com US Coast Gurad Captain Jamie Frederick speaks during a press conference about the search efforts for the submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic, at Coast Guard Base in Boston, Massachusetts AFP via Getty Images A view shows the ROV (Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle) Victor 6000 via REUTERS PA Search equipment arriving at St Johns airport in Newfoundland aboard US Air Force C-17 cargo planes that is bound for the search area near the Titanic wreckage Joe Chase for DailyMail.com Members of the Coast Guard watch as US Coast Gurad Captain Jamie Frederick speaks during a press conference about the search efforts for the submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic, at Coast Guard Base in Boston, Massachusett AFP via Getty Images Hamish Harding Facebook Stockton Rush OceanGate Suleman and Shahzada Dawood DAWOOD HERCULES CORPORATION/AFP Paul-Henri Nargeolet . AP Titanic tourist submarine Facebook U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District, speaks to the media AP A US Coast Guard vessel sits in port in Boston Harbor across from the US Coast Guard Station Boston in Boston, Massachusetts AFP via Getty Images Titan submersible vessel testing in 2018 Oceangate Expeditions In a statement, OceanGate Expeditions said: This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss. The entire OceanGate family is deeply grateful for the countless men and women from multiple organisations of the international community who expedited wide-ranging resources and have worked so very hard on this mission. We appreciate their commitment to finding these five explorers, and their days and nights of tireless work in support of our crew and their families. This is a very sad time for the entire explorer community, and for each of the family members of those lost at sea. We respectfully ask that the privacy of these families be respected during this most painful time. The dead men include British businessman and explorer Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood, the Surbiton-based vice chairman of one of Pakistans largest companies, and his teenage son Suleman who was a student in Glasgow. Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman / DAWOOD HERCULES CORPORATION/AFP The President of the Explorers Club, of which Mr Harding was a member, said he was heartbroken for the families, friends and colleagues of those were lost. In a statement, Richard Garriott de Cayeux said: Their memories will be a blessing and continue to inspire us in the name of science and exploration. The press conference heard the discovery of five major pieces of debris allowed search teams to identify the remains of the craft. A Coast Guard spokesman also said the position of the debris made it unlikely the craft had collided with the remains of the Titanic. They added that underwater sounds and banging noises detected in the search area for the Titan were likely unrelated to the missing submersible. The sounds, heard over two days, gave hope to searchers and those watching the massive effort unfold since Sunday, when the vessel was reported missing, but ultimately seems irrelevant. Experts say the ocean floor is a noisy place and a potential connection between the banging and the Titan were unlikely. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly described the deaths of the pilot and four passengers on the missing Titan submersible as tragic. He tweeted: Tragic news that those on the Titan submersible, including three British citizens, have been lost following an international search operation. The UK Government is closely supporting the families affected and expresses our deepest condolences. Pakistans Foreign Ministry offered its deepest condolences to the Dawood family and the families of other passengers. In a Twitter post, a spokesman said: We appreciate the multi-national efforts over the last several days in search of the vessel. U krainian spies have uncovered a Russian plot to attack a nuclear plant and cause a radiation leak, according to the countrys president Volodymyr Zelensky. He revealed details of the plan for a terrorist attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant during a video statement. The Kremlin dismissed the allegation as another lie, and said a team of U.N. nuclear inspectors had visited the plant and rated everything highly. In the video statement on the Telegram messenger, Zelensky said Kyiv was sharing the information about the Russian-occupied facility in southern Ukraine with all its international partners from Europe and the United States to China and India. President Zelensky / AFP via Getty Images Intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - a terrorist act with the release of radiation, he said. They have prepared everything for this. Zelenskiy did not say what evidence the intelligence agencies based their assertion on. The six-reactor complex, Europes biggest nuclear plant, has been under occupation since shortly after Moscows forces invaded Ukraine in February last year. The two sides have accused each other of shelling the vast complex, and international efforts to establish a demilitarised zone around it have failed so far. Unfortunately, I have had to remind (people) more than once that radiation knows no state borders. And who it will hit is determined only by the direction of the wind... Zelensky said. Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, suffered the worlds worst nuclear accident in 1986 when clouds of radioactive material spread across much of Europe after an explosion and fire at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. Zelenskiy made his statement two days after Ukraines military intelligence chief accused Russia of mining the cooling pond used to keep the reactors cool at the Zaporizhzhia plant. E xperts have explained how the missing submersible would be moved if found at the bottom of the sea, as they cast doubt on the chances of a successful rescue. A Q&A panel conceded that the search for the Titan vessel, which went missing during a voyage to the Titanic wreck site, is running out of time and doesnt look good. They also questioned the speculative source of the underwater noises that have been detected by rescue crafts and predicted that the incident will trigger an investigation into how deep-sea activities are regulated in the future. It is incredibly difficult to find an object of this sort of size at the bottom of the ocean The Q&A heard that the Titan will need to be located, brought to the surface if it is on the sea bed and then would need to be unsealed from the outside. It was indicated surfacing would take around two hours. Professor Alistair Greig, professor of Marine Engineering at University College London, said: At the moment they are not physically looking, they are listening for them on the sea bed. They havent got any vehicles down to the sea bed yet to actually look. British Antarctic Survey marine geophysicist Dr Rob Larter said: It is incredibly difficult to find an object of this sort of size at the bottom of the ocean. OceanGate Expeditions to the Titanic: Titan submarine 1 / 36 OceanGate Expeditions to the Titanic: Titan submarine ES Composite The ship Deep Energy sails in the search area for OceanGates Titan submersible US Coast Guard/AFP via Getty Ima The pilot of a Royal Canadian Air Force CP-140 Aurora maritime surveillance aircraft of 14 Wing flies a search pattern for the missing OceanGate submersible, which had been carrying five people to explore the wreck of the sunken SS Titanic, in the Atlantic Ocean off Newfoundland, Canada via REUTERS Ssubmersible Titan preparing to dive into the Atlantic Ocean on an expedition to the Titanic AP A view shows the ROV (Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle) Victor 6000 via REUTERS Cargo being loaded onto the Horizon Arctic at the harbour in St Johns, bound for the search area Joe Chase for DailyMail.com Last sighting of the Titan submarine Facebook Search equipment arriving at St Johns airport in Newfoundland aboard US Air Force C-17 cargo planes that is bound for the search area near the Titanic wreckage Joe Chase for DailyMail.com OceanGate Expeditions/AFP via Ge OceanGate Expeditions showing staff at work inside their submersible vessel named Titan, which is used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic PA Cargo being loaded onto the Horizon Arctic at the harbour in St Johns, bound for the search area Joe Chase for DailyMail.com Facebook Cargo being loaded onto the Horizon Arctic at the harbour in St Johns, bound for the search area Joe Chase for DailyMail.com US Coast Gurad Captain Jamie Frederick speaks during a press conference about the search efforts for the submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic, at Coast Guard Base in Boston, Massachusetts AFP via Getty Images A view shows the ROV (Remotely Operated underwater Vehicle) Victor 6000 via REUTERS PA Search equipment arriving at St Johns airport in Newfoundland aboard US Air Force C-17 cargo planes that is bound for the search area near the Titanic wreckage Joe Chase for DailyMail.com Members of the Coast Guard watch as US Coast Gurad Captain Jamie Frederick speaks during a press conference about the search efforts for the submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic, at Coast Guard Base in Boston, Massachusett AFP via Getty Images Hamish Harding Facebook Stockton Rush OceanGate Suleman and Shahzada Dawood DAWOOD HERCULES CORPORATION/AFP Paul-Henri Nargeolet . AP Titanic tourist submarine Facebook U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. John Mauger, commander of the First Coast Guard District, speaks to the media AP A US Coast Guard vessel sits in port in Boston Harbor across from the US Coast Guard Station Boston in Boston, Massachusetts AFP via Getty Images Titan submersible vessel testing in 2018 Oceangate Expeditions You are talking about a totally dark environment. You are not going to be able to find this with active sonar from a surface ship. Youre going to have to have some sort of deep-towed or autonomous vehicle thats roaming around nearer the sea floor. He added that the Victor 6000 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is, he believes, the only thing that is on site with the capability to get down to the sea bed and explore. Prof Greig said the ROV will not be able to lift the Titan itself and will have to attach some device to it. He speculated that if Titan is trapped under debris then the ROVs manipulator arms may be able to free it for the submersible to then make its own way up. The US Coast Guard announced on Wednesday that underwater noises had been detected in the search area. Dr Larter said: The reports that are available are very sketchy of what the nature of these sounds are. Theres nothing about the frequency content of the sounds, theres some reports that say they have been every half hour on the half hour when they were happening but Im not sure thats authoritative. So its very difficult to infer much because theres not much information. It is clear that from reports I have read that there is a lack of regulation governing what people can put in the water I think Rescuers have not narrowed down the search site which the experts said would indicate they have not been able to confidently locate where the noises are coming from. Prof Greig explained the difficulty of tracking the noises, saying sound travels in a curved path through water and it is therefore not possible to just draw a straight line down from a signal. Asked if the incident will spell the end of deep sea tourism, Dr Larter said an investigation may prove it to be a key moment in thinking about how such activities are regulated in the future. It is clear that from reports I have read that there is a lack of regulation governing what people can put in the water I think, he went on. The expert gave an example of images that came out after a tourist vessel sank in Antarctic waters 15 years ago showing people taking to open lifeboats and how that resulted in change that meant people would absolutely not be allowed to use open lifeboats in that situation now. Prof Greig highlighted the issue surrounding the potential customer base and how the story of the Titan may put people off wanting to pay to go on these trips. A ll five people who had been aboard the Titan submersible which went missing near the wreck of the Titanic have died. In a statement Oceangate said: We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the worlds oceans. Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time. We grieve the loss of life and joy they brought to everyone they knew. The remains of the Titan were found 1,600ft from the wreck of the Titanic. The five who lost their lives are father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, Oceangate CEO Stockton Rush, Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Hamish Harding. A huge search operation which began earlier this week has ended in tragedy. We will have all the updates this evening. A Ukrainian missile strike hit the bridge connecting Russian-held parts of the southern Kherson region with the annexed Crimea peninsula, officials said on Thursday. The attack forced traffic to be diverted to a different route, according to the Russia-appointed officials in both regions. Vladimir Saldo, the Russia-appointed Kherson governor, said the road was damaged but no casualities were reported. He claimed British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles were likely to have been used for the attack. This could not be independently verified and may be an attempt to blame the West for the strike. Crimea's governor, Sergey Aksyonov, said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume. Known as "the gate to Crimea", the Chongar bridge is one of a handful of bridges linking Crimea - which was annexed by Russia in 2014 - with the mainland. The bridges provide an alternative to the narrow isthmus connecting the peninsula and the continent. Taking control of the region from the west coast of the Sea of Azov to the east bank of the Dnipro river, has been one of Moscow's few successes so far in the war, as it meant Crimea was no longer cut off from other Russian-held territory. Destroying this links could give Ukraine both an advantage in retaking the peninsula and leverage in any future negotiations. Ukrainian officials, in turn, reported a drone attack overnight on the port city of Odesa, where a warehouse was destroyed. Missiles also struck and a residential area in the central Kryvyi Rih region, and there was shelling and bombing along the frontlines, they said. Ukrainian troops had partial success in the direction of Rivnopil and Staromayorske in the Donetsk region, and were holding on to their gains, said Andriy Kovalev, a spokesman of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In the Lyman direction, Ukrainian units also mounted offensive actions in the direction of the settlements of Bilogorivka and Dibrova, Kovalev said, adding that they had achieved partial success, and had dug in to hold onto their gains. Ukrainian troops were also reportedly resisting Russian attacks in the areas of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mariynka. "Particularly heavy fighting continues in the Lymansky direction in the areas northwest of Dibrova, near Serebryansk forestry and north of Hryhorivka in the Donetsk region," according to a military source. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that progress in Ukraines counter-offensive against Russian forces was slower than desired, but Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up. Some people believe this is a Hollywood movie and expect results now. Its not, he told the BBC. Whats at stake is peoples lives. He said Ukrainian troops were advancing on the southern front and holding defence lines in the east, long the focus of Russias nearly 16-month-old campaign. The Institute for The Study of War also stressed that Kyiv had laid the ground to step up its offensive. The Washington-based think tank tweeted: The overall slower-than-expected pace of Ukrainian counter-offensive operations isnt emblematic of Ukraines wider offensive potential, & Ukrainian forces are likely successfully setting conditions for a future main effort despite initial setbacks. Vladimir Putin said Moscow had observed a lull in Ukraines counter-offensive, which began early this month. Rescuers are in a race against time to save Paul-Henri Nargeloet and his four crewmates, with Titans oxygen estimated to have run out at 12.08pm BST today (Thursday). A multinational search team has investigated reports ofbanging under the surface to no avail. The minivan-sized Titan, operated by OceanGate Expeditions, began its descent off Newfoundland, Canada, at 1pm BST on Sunday. However, it lost contact with its surface support ship near the end of what should have been a two-hour dive to the worlds most famous shipwreck. The submersible can be opened only from the outside. The crew members with Mr Nargeolet are: British billionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, 55; Shahzada Dawood, 48, a UK-based Pakistani board member of the Princes Trust charity and his son Sulaiman Dawood, 19; and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61. So who is Paul-Henri Nargeolet? Who is Paul-Henri Nargeolet? Paul-Henri Nargeloet, 77, has been described by newspapers such as the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail as Mr Titanic. This is because his knowledge of all things Titanic is said to be unrivalled. For example, he led the first recovery expedition of the famous ships wreckage in 1987. He has been called Titanics greatest ever explorer, having reportedly visited the wreckage on more than 35 previous occasions. He is the world specialist on the Titanic, its conception, the shipwreck, he has dived in four corners of the world he is a super-hero for us in France, Mathieu Johann, his editor at Harper Collins, told Reuters. Mr Nargeloet has recovered more than 5,000 artifacts from the wreckage, including binoculars and letters. He is the director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, an American company that owns the salvage rights to the wreck and operates exhibits featuring artifacts from the ship. Mr Nargeloet has appeared on numerous documentaries looking at what happened to Titanic, which was sailing from the UK to New York when it hit an iceberg and sank on April 14, 1912. Titanic lies on the seabed at a depth of about 12,500 feet (3,810 metres). Titan submersible: Everything we know about the search mission so far Reuters reported that Mr Nargeloet started researching and exploring the wreck when he joined the French ocean research institute Ifremer in 1986. He had had a 22-year career in the French navy, rising to the rank of commander after being a mine-clearing diver, a deep-sea diver, and a submarine pilot. Speaking about his first voyage to Titanic in 1987, he said in a HarperCollins France interview: It was a pretty unforgettable moment. He said the small team inside the craft was chatty until it reached the wreck. He added: The next 10 minutes there wasnt a sound in the submarine. We didnt know at that time that we would return several times, and that I would return as often as I have been able to. Once youve gotten your head into the Titanic, its hard to get it out. Of his fears about diving so deep, he told the Irish Examiner in 2019: If you are 11m or 11km down, if something bad happens, the result is the same. When youre in very deep water, youre dead before you realise that something is happening, so its just not a problem. His company, RMS Titanic, said in a statement on Twitter on Sunday that it offered heartfelt support to the Boston Coast Guard during their search and rescue mission. The president of RMS Titanic, Jessica Sanders, said on Wednesday that Mr Nargeolets experience was unparalleled and no one has a better chance of navigating equipment failures than he does. Mr Nargeolet was married to Emmy Award-winning US newscaster Michele Marsh for more than 20 years. Ms Marsh died from breast cancer in 1987. Reuters reported that the pair met after Ms Marsh contacted the explorer to ask for the contact of a Frenchman who had survived the Titanic trip. Reuters reported that Mr Nargeolets current wife and compatriot, Anne, lives in Connecticut and his children live outside of France. Chinese Premier Li Qiang, accompanied by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, inspects the French Republican Guard at Les Invalides in Paris, France, June 22, 2023. Li held talks with Borne in Paris on Thursday. Before their talks, Borne held a grand welcome ceremony for Chinese Premier Li Qiang at Les Invalides. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen) PARIS, June 22 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to work with France to advance balanced development of bilateral trade, expand two-way market access and seek greater mutual benefit, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Thursday in a meeting with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Both China and France adhere to independence, and are committed to maintaining a balanced and stable international order and advancing world peace and development, Li said. "Earlier, President Xi Jinping had in-depth exchanges with President (Emmanuel) Macron, providing strategic guidance for the development of China-France relations. My visit to France this time is aimed at working with the French side to implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries and push forward the high-level development of China-France relations," the Chinese premier said. Li pointed out that China is willing to work with France to uphold mutual benefits, continuously improve the business environment, expand cooperation in emerging areas, and take pragmatic cooperation between the two countries to a new level. Both sides should continuously tap into the potential for cooperation in areas such as green development, technological innovation and digital trade, help both countries achieve their "dual carbon" goals, and enhance the quality and efficiency of bilateral economic and trade cooperation, Li said. China and France will mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties, the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism, and the Paris Olympic Year next year, Li said, adding the two sides should take this opportunity to create a new peak in people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and France. In recent years, China and France have played an essential and leading role in addressing global challenges through close communication and coordination, Li said, noting that China stands ready to step up cooperation with France on such issues as climate, food and debts, to support each other in international affairs and to jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, so as to contribute to the world's peace and security, stability and prosperity in the long run. Li stressed that China always regards the European Union (EU) as an important pole in a multi-polar world, adding that strengthening cooperation between China and Europe is a strategic choice based on their respective interests, which is not targeted at, dependent on, or subjected to third parties. China is willing to strengthen macro policy coordination with the EU to create conditions for their long-term and stable cooperation, Li said, voicing hope that the French side will continue to exert its positive influence and encourage Europe to form more objective and rational understandings and policies toward China, so as to intensify "win-win cooperation" as the main theme between China and the EU. Borne said that France and China have frequent exchanges and close cooperation. The French side is committed to working with the Chinese side to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and continuously deepen France-China comprehensive strategic partnership. Noting that the two sides should work well together for the success of the France-China Strategic Dialogue, High-Level Economic and Financial Dialogue, and High-level Dialogue on People-to-people Exchanges, Borne said that the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China, the Year of Culture and Tourism, and the Paris Olympic Games next year should serve as opportunities to strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges. The French side is willing to participate in China's high-quality development, appreciates China's continuous delivery of positive signals to expand opening up, and will not take discriminatory measures against Chinese companies, Borne said. The French side is also willing to deepen cooperation in various areas, such as bilateral trade, investment, aviation, agrifood, green development, and medical and health care and jointly cope with global challenges like climate change, Borne said, adding that France welcomes investments from Chinese companies, and the EU will maintain its strategic autonomy and does not support decoupling or severing supply and industrial chains. At the end of their talks, the prime ministers jointly witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in fields including aviation, space research and nuclear energy. Before the talks, Borne held a grand welcome ceremony for Chinese Premier Li Qiang at Les Invalides. The national flags of China and France were hoisted at the Esplanade des Invalides, and the French military band played the national anthems of China and France. Accompanied by Borne, Li Qiang inspected the French Republican Guard. T he second iteration of Arcade food hall will open in Battersea Power Station in July, bringing brands made famous at the original site in Centre Point to southwest London. Arcade, which first launched on Tottenham Court Road in 2019 and relaunched in partnership with the restaurant group JKS last year, has revealed new concepts for Battersea, with 13 different cuisines. Among the newcomers are brands such as Phed Power, serving Thai stir fries and salads from the Isan region; a Cantonese concept called Siu Siu, centered on the food of Hong Kong; and Leccami Gelato, an Italian-style gelateria. Existing brands such as the Indian street food vendor Hero, and the Middle Eastern-inspired Shatta & Toum will also be in residence. As well as the takeaway stands to be eaten in communal areas, Arcade Battersea will house three restaurants, including the first from the US-style smash burger joint Manna. Various flavours: there will be 13 types of cuisine at the new food hall / Arcade New dishes like the hot bonnet fish filay, where fried fish is topped with hot sauce and served on a bed of lettuce, and a fried chicken and hash brown burger are on the way, as is founder Feroz Gajias take on a fast food apple pie. Gajia said the food is supposed to sound a little familier: The core of Manna is simplicity. Simple, delicious burgers and fried chicken. The dishes feel like something you have had before, they are comforting, never disappointing. We have spent time going through each ingredient in every dish, testing every possible combination to achieve deliciousness. Also upcoming is Solis, a new chicken and steak concept from Ana Goncalves and Zijun Meng, the pair behind TA TA Eatery, and a BAO, one of JKS most successful restaurants to date. Many of the new restaurant ideas came about through Arcade Create, a development platform with JKS that helps chefs and entrepreneurs launch new brands. JKS co-founder Karam Sethi said: Following successful brand launches at Arcade Centre Point, Im looking forward to introducing a new collection of brands which the Arcade Battersea team will bring to life in their new home." Arcade Battersea, 1st Floor, Boiler House, Battersea Power Station, SW11 8DD, batterseapowerstation.co.uk R TE has apologised after the broadcaster admitted paying former The Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy more over several years than it had previously declared. In a statement, the board of the Irish national broadcaster said that between 2017 and 2022, Mr Tubridy received a series of payments totalling hundreds of thousands of euros above his annual published salary. The series of payments totalling 345,000 euro were uncovered after the companys auditors alerted the board to some of the transactions. It is clear that RTE has fallen short of the high standards that it sets for itself and are expected of it Arts Minister Catherine Martin said she was extremely concerned at what has emerged and will meet with RTE chairwoman Siun Ni Raghallaigh on Monday. I have asked the chair to set out in that meeting, in detail, the issues involved, the steps the board is taking to deal with the matter, the follow on action that will be required, and the timeline for these actions, she said. Earlier Ms Ni Raghallaigh said: This is a matter of profound regret for the board of RTE. We are well aware that this is a serious breach of trust with the public. On behalf of the board, I wish to apologise for what has occurred. It is clear that RTE has fallen short of the high standards that it sets for itself and are expected of it. Once these issues came to light, we acted expeditiously to establish the facts and we are confident that the safeguards we have now put in place will ensure that nothing like this will happen again, and that good corporate governance is adhered to at all times. Mr Tubridy, who stepped down as host of RTEs flagship The Late, Late Show earlier this year, is the broadcasters highest profile and highest paid presenter. The RTE statement said in late March of this year during a routine audit of 2022 accounts, an issue was identified in relation to the transparency of certain payments. An auditor was then appointed to carry out an independent fact-finding review. Mr Tubridys previously published remunerations for 2020 and 2021 show that he earned 466,250 euro and 440,000 euro respectively across those years, which appeared to represent an 11% reduction on his 2019 earnings. However, under a separate agreement, Tubridy was guaranteed by RTE an additional annual income of 75,000 euro in 2020 which was intended to come from a commercial partner. The statement said the fee due to Tubridy from the commercial partner was guaranteed and underwritten by RTE. The commercial partner did not renew this agreement for a second year, and since the agreement was guaranteed by RTE, the payments were instead made directly by RTE to Tubridys agent. The public rightly expect much higher standards of transparency and accountability from Irelands public service broadcaster. It is unacceptable that these have not been met The presenter received two further payments of 75,000 euro each in 2022. It was these payments that prompted the review. The statement said RTE then carried out a review of Mr Tubridys previously stated remunerations. It was then discovered that the presenters remuneration had been understated by RTE by a figure of 120,000 euro over the contract period of 2017-2019. The statement said: The circumstances that led to this understatement by RTE are currently under examination. As such, it is necessary for the Board of RTE to correct the public record in relation to Mr Tubridys earnings from RTE during the period 2017-2022. The RTE board said it considered the public mis-stating of financial information to be a very serious matter. The statement continued: At the request of the board, RTE has this week conducted an internal review of the reporting of the remuneration of its top 10 most highly paid, on air presenters. This review has found that the full cost to RTE of its contracts with the other such on air presenters, has been correctly reported. The board has now requested that Grant Thornton review the contracts of RTEs top 10 most highly paid on air presenters to independently validate that all remuneration figures have been correctly stated and accounted for by RTE. Grant Thornton will also review the understatement by RTE of Mr Tubridys published remuneration by 120,000 euro in the period 2017-2019. Ms Martin added: The public rightly expect much higher standards of transparency and accountability from Irelands public service broadcaster. It is unacceptable that these have not been met. It will be critical for the board to identify whether there are wider governance issues that need to be examined and addressed, and to ensure that there is appropriate accountability for what has occurred. It will be equally important for the board to demonstrate that it is putting in place appropriate structures and processes to prevent a recurrence of a matter of this nature. K evin Clifton says he feels proud to have gained several new female role models in his life, after appearing on the BBCs Who Do You Think You Are? The former Strictly Come Dancing professional said he had always been interested in his identity, having felt like it was handed to me from an early age. Clifton, 40, was born into a family of dancers with sisters who also danced. He first appeared on the popular dancing competition in 2013, having previously worked as an assistant choreographer on the show. In 2018, he won the competition with TV presenter Stacey Dooley, and the pair announced their relationship in 2019. During his episode of Who Do You Think You Are? Clifton travelled to Canada in search of a woman known as Matooskie, who had been part of his family folklore. Speaking about his early years, he told the PA news agency: I feel like my whole sort of idea of myself was dancer Kevin is a dancer. Thats what he does. Thats what he is. He goes to dance competitions and dresses a certain way and plays the part of the dancer. Clifton said that as he got older he reached a stage in his 20s when he rebelled against his identity as a dancer and had tried to get as far away from it as possible. I didnt want to do dancing anymore I became a goth and grew my hair long and black eyeliner. Yeah, fingernails and all of that. I was like, No, Im this guy now. I've always been really interested in identity, just because... my identity was kind of handed to me from a very young age. And then when Strictly Come Dancing happened, I sort of had to go back into being a dancer person again. He said that after turning 40, his profile as a northern dancer, which earned him the nickname Kevin from Grimsby from the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, had caused him to question who he was without all that. (When) Who do you think you are? got in touch I was like wow, that this is a real opportunity to, not necessarily to find out who I am, but to find out where Ive come from. During Cliftons episode, he traces his lineage back to an orphanage in the Canadian province of British Columbia, where his great, great grandmother Emma once lived. He discovered that his three-times great grandmother Grace had suffered abuse at the hands of her husband John. Going back further he learned that he is related to an indigenous woman named Nancy, also known as Matooskie, his five-times great grandmother. He travelled to York Factory on the bank of the Hudson Bay, where his five-times great grandfather, John George McTavish had been a prominent fur trader. Clifton said he was overwhelmed after learning the news about Matooskie, and the very offensive language that had been used to describe her at the time. Its funny how it gets to you, he said. Because, you know, were talking about my great, great, great, great, great grandma, you know? (It was) years ago, but Ive suddenly become really defensive and protective of her. Its strange, I feel so connected to it that way and so sort of protective. My dad told me a story, a rumour about an indigenous woman that may or may not be connected to our family, but what I've discovered over these two weeks is that the truth behind that story is way, way more amazing than the rumour. He later added: I never imagined in my wildest dreams that wed get to this level of story and adventure in my family history. They call me Kevin from Grimsby, but Ive ended up in Canada and I dont want to leave. I dont want to leave this place. Ive discovered Matooskie here, and its like I feel this sort of emotional connection to this place. My dad told me a story, a rumour about an indigenous woman that may or may not be connected to our family, but what Ive discovered over these two weeks is that the truth behind that story is way, way more amazing than the rumour. Asked how he felt after filming the show, he told PA: My main thing, as I finished was, was I felt really proud, adding that it had helped put his own hardships in perspective. (Matooskie) just seemed like such a strong woman and, you know, as sort of silly as it is Im so far removed from her experience, I hope that even 1% of her resiliency and toughness is passed down through some generations into me. Now Ive got like, a new role model, or a few role models, actually, in these women. To go think of what they went through dont dont complain about having to get on stage right now. Because your life is blessed compared to what they had to go through, and they were tough. And also you wouldnt be here if you know if they hadnt got through it. Clifton shares a young daughter with Dooley, and said he could not wait for her to grow up and find out about her history through watching the programme. We found out that Stacy was pregnant just as I was about to start filming this, so that felt quite cool, he told PA. That we could go, you know, oh my god Im about to find out all this family history, just as were creating the next generation. Kevin Cliftons episode of Who Do You Think You Are? is available now on BBC iPlayer. H ilaria Baldwin has hit out at the cruel people who criticise her. Speaking in a new Romper magazine profile, the 39-year-old wife of actor Alec Baldwin, with whom she shares seven children, said: Its a ridiculous thing to be cruel to another person. While she did not name names, it is timely given Amy Schumer recently mocked her for pretending to be Spanish. In her latest special for Netflix, Amy Schumer: Emergency Contact, the comedienne, 42, also called Baldwin a sociopath and likened her brood to the Von Trapp family from The Sound of Music. Schumer also lambasted Alec Baldwin for his part in the accidental death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming the movie Rust in October 2021. Hilaria and Alec Baldwin pictured with their brood / Instagram/Hilaria Baldwin Her husband shot someone Dont look down the barrel of Alec Baldwins shotgun, Schumer joked during her standup routine. Its not the first time that Schumer has targeted Balwin. She had a field day with the yoga teacher in 2021 after it came to light that she had allegedly been dishonest about her Spanish heritage. Schumer said she met Hilaria years ago backstage at Saturday Night Live, where the star told her she was from Espana. Baldwin says she does not plan on having more children but is not on birth control / Hilaria Baldwin?instagram She added: They have a Von Trapp amount of children, and they named them all, Im not sure, but very Spanish names like Jamon, Croqueta and Flamenco. And all of this would be fine and beautiful, except that Hilaria from Espana is actually Hillary from Boston. This woman is in no way Spanish. Her parents are not from Spain. No one in her life is from Spain. Opening up about her large family in Romper, Baldwin said her seventh child [Ilaria] is probably, most definitely, almost completely my last baby. However she admitted she is not on birth control. She explained that the contraception makes her feel awful and depressed. Every single time I have a baby, my OB writes down the vasectomy doctor on a Post-it, and I bring it home to Alec. He hasnt done it yet, she added to the publication. J ennifer Lawrence has opened up about being a parent with notoriously private husband Cooke Maroney, calling him the greatest father in the entire world. The Oscar-winning actress, 32, and her art dealer husband , 38, are proud parents to 16-month old son Cy, who they welcomed in 2022. His arrival came three years after they tied the knot in an intimate wedding at the Belcourt of Newport mansion in Rhode Island with guests including Lawrences best friend, Adele. Lawrence, whose latest movie No Hard Feelings is released in cinemas from Friday, said Maroney enabled her to work without worrying too much about being away from their little boy. Jennifer Lawrence and Cooke Maroney have been married since October 2019 / Getty Images for W Magazine Fortunately, my husband is the greatest father in the entire world, Lawrence told People magazine. So when Im working, I dont have any more guilt than the usual every day, all-day parent guilt. The Hunger Games star also revealed that since becoming a mother, she has become a lot more selective when it comes to the roles that she takes. Theres no squeezing when you have a baby, Lawrence explained to the publication. It definitely helps weed out projects: Yes. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Is this worth being away from my child for half the day? R obert Downey Jr has admitted that his 1999 incarceration is the worst thing that happened to him. The 58-year-old was catapulted into stardom in the 1980s in films such as Weird Science, Johnny Be Good, and Back To School. However the success took a toll on his personal life as Downey battled addiction and incurred various drug charges early in his career, Now, the Marvel actor, who has been sober since July 2003, has opened up about the moment he was sentenced to three years in prison after repeatedly missing court-ordered drug tests aged 34. Appearing on the Armchair Expert podcast, Downey recounted his court experience to host Dax Shepard and claimed that he was over-sentenced by an angry judge. He jokingly added: At some point, he said something in Latin and I thought he was casting a spell on me. The Hollywood star went on to describe his experience in Delano, California at North Kern State Prison, which he described as a receiving centre where they decide where youre going to go. Downey explained the facility was mainly for organisation purposes so inmates were not separated depending on their crime, leaving him in the presence of people who had committed severely violent acts. He added: You could just feel the evil in the air, and that was no trouble at all because it was kind of like just being in a really bad neighbourhood. There was no opportunity there. There were only threats. Soon after he moved to the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison. It was there he began to come to terms with his substance issues and how his addiction left him in prison. He continued: We are programmed to, within a short amount of time, be able to adjust to things that are seemingly impossible. And for me, theres worse things that could have happened than being sent to an institution, for sure. However, we can only go by what we know, and I would imagine if I had to guess, that was the worst thing that happened to me. Downey only served a year of his three-year sentence and was granted early release in 2000 after posting bail. Five years later, he married his wife, Susan Downey. T here are millions of medical devices in NHS Trust hospitals across England that are now entirely open to ransomware attacks by cybercriminal gangs. These seemingly innocuous online devices, such as security cameras or blood monitors, are either incapable of running security software or rely on out-of-date versions. In many cases, they are totally unmonitored. Hackers can shut down entire hospital systems, when they leapfrog from these devices into the central parts of hospital networks and leave a trail of technology destruction in their wake. There have already been critical incidents in North America and other parts of the world when security experts have been called in to deal with the aftermath of these scenarios, some of which were caused by human error. This is a ticking time-bomb and the true scale of the risks are today laid bare by Armis Security, a US cybersecurity firm, which sent out freedom of information (FOI) requests to 150 NHS Trusts in England. Armis Security asked for details on how the hospitals catalogue and monitor their medical devices namely all internet-enabled devices like laptops, desktop computers, MRI machines, CT scanners, drug dispensing stations, pacemakers, connected inhalers, or heart-rate and blood-pressure monitors. Only 71 NHS Trusts responded with data, but what they said was eye-opening: one in five hospitals admitted they use spreadsheets to manually track each medical device added to their networks, while almost one in six devices on hospital networks are not monitored for cybersecurity risks at all. In other words, these seemingly innocuous devices can be used by hackers to shut down entire hospital networks, because attackers are able to hack into and leapfrog from these devices to the central parts of hospital networks, leaving trails of destruction in their wake. If a medical device or a laptop or IP camera gets compromised, they have the ability to take down the whole network. While this study highlights the NHS, Armis told The Standard that it is calling for action from the international healthcare industry, because the problem is currently affecting hospitals all over the world. Hackers typically want to steal data from organisations, or encrypt it and demand ransom money. With healthcare, theres an added risk that patients lives can be impacted, both by the disruption caused by cyberattacks and network outages, but also by hacking attempts on medical devices, which might cause them to malfunction. A spokeswoman for NHS England told The Standard: NHS trusts are responsible for their own cybersecurity and must maintain a register of medical devices connected to their network, including information on their data security assurance process. The NHS will continue to review the requirements for cybersecurity relating to connected medical devices and take action to make improvements where appropriate. Why hospitals should monitor all internet-enabled devices In January, global cybersecurity firm Trend Micro polled 145 healthcare organisations globally and found that more than half of them have been impacted by ransomware attacks in the past three years. Among these, one in four said they were so badly affected by the cyberattacks that they had to halt operations completely. And US data protection and privacy research centre Ponemon Institutes 2022 study found that more than half of the 517 healthcare providers surveyed saw their hospitals experience higher mortality rates following cyberattacks. The last massive ransomware attack affecting the NHS that we know of was the WannaCry ransomware attacks in 2017. However, this doesnt mean that we are in the clear. The reason we're good at tracking laptops and desktops is the IT department buys them and, when we receive them, we install security tools, Mohammad Waqas, principal solutions architect at Armis, told The Standard at Infosecurity Europe 2023. With medical devices, the IT team is not involved, its the medical departments buying and installing them. But even if I was aware this department bought 10 CT scanners or 10 ultrasound machines, I still can't install my traditional security [software] on the machines to track them. Many medical devices run an open-source Linux operating system, similar to Windows for your computer or Android OS for your smartphone. None of these devices are computers in the traditional sense, but running Linux means that CCTV cameras and wireless glucose monitors are just as exposed to hackers as regular computers are. Armis estimates that there are about 25,000 devices running on any single hospital network anywhere in the world on a daily basis. Human incompetence also plays a part Mr Waqas also highlights a familiar problem that Microsoft and Apple are always warning consumers and smaller businesses about if you use computers with old operating systems no longer being maintained by their makers, you are not safe from any hacker who tries out one of the many existing security vulnerabilities on your PCs. Plus, medical staff are only human, and often unaware of the cybersecurity risks these devices pose to hospitals. Armis has been brought in to deal with the aftermath of hospital cyberattacks in North America and discovered some rather foolish behaviour that likely contributed to the hackers success. Weve seen staff operating CT scanners running Windows 7 [a 10-year-old operating system] which is also end-of-life, and then checking their personal Gmail and clicking on a phishing link that installs malware on the computer, he said. In another example, staff members were streaming Netflix on the computer running an MRI machine. It should not have unfettered internet access... if they can browse Netflix, they have access to other websites and other websites can easily download malware onto your devices. The problem, he says, is that, unlike in other industries, in healthcare organisations, cybersecurity policies work differently. Whats exacerbating this problem is that healthcare networks are generally flat, in the sense that any device on the network can talk to any other device. So if a medical device or a laptop or IP camera gets compromised, they have the ability to take down the whole network. Ransomware attacks are only getting worse Ponemon Institutes 2022 study found 53% of 517 healthcare providers saw their hospitals experience higher mortality rates following cyberattacks / Alamy / PA Armis, which holds a medical database of more than three billion different devices, is warning the global healthcare industry to start taking ransomware more seriously, although it admits that this is difficult for hospitals to solve. A third of the NHS Trusts said they lack sufficient staff to help them secure their networks. It is also costly to fix. Even if IT departments insist on securing devices, Mr Waqas said medical departments and IT often end up pointing fingers at each other, because new software and machines cost millions of pounds. In the UK, hospitals are required to follow the NHS Data Security and Protection Toolkit processes and respond to the NHSs mandated cyber alerts within 48 hours. However, Armiss research showed that one in five hospitals in England struggled to fix issues by the mandated two-week limit. The problem is that, while ransomware attacks have been around for years, cybercriminals are only becoming smarter, according to Michael Smith, field chief technology officer at US cloud security firm Vercara. During the WannaCry ransomware attacks in 2017, hackers locked up your data so you needed to pay to get it back, or threatened to leak it onto the internet, similar to the recent Clop cyberattacks, but now cybercriminals are going further and potentially causing more costly damage. Ransomware is changing, its an arms race, Mr Smith told The Standard. Now what they're doing is throwing a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on top of it. We will flood out your network and exhaust your staff. The solution, says Armis, is to start isolating devices, so your IP-enabled cameras shouldnt be able to talk to anything else on the same network, for instance. You must know everything connected to your network, said Mr Waqas. The overall visibility of every connected asset on the network is a huge problem across the whole world, in healthcare as well as other industries. Loading.... As the search for the missing OceanGate sub continues in the North Atlantic, US court documents reveal a former employee of the company warned of potential safety problems with the vessel back in 2018. According to US court documents, David Lochridge, the company's Director of Marine Operations had raised concerns about the vessels hull in an inspection report, but his warnings were ignored. On Thursday a French-operated deep water unmanned remote-controlled robot submersible reached the Titanic wreck at 12,500ft with just minutes to go until the oxygen on board the vessel was estimated to run out, in the desperate hunt for Titan. Ngaire Moyes, the UK country manager at LinkedIn has told Tech & Science Daily their data shows that 43% of jobs posted on the platform are hybrid. On the websites 20th anniversary, Ngaire discussed their new tool for matching employees with employers based on their values, and the conversations happening on the platform about AI and how its going to change the way we work. The Met Office is warning if carbon emissions keep rising, London summers will be as hot as they are in Nice, in the south of France, by 2070. Jeff Knight, who runs the forecaster's climate variability modelling team warned that the UK is set to see a lot more intense rainfall too, as temperatures rise. A team of researchers say fingerprint markings found in a cave in France were likely made by neanderthals 57,000 years ago, and are organised and intentional. They were found on La Roche-Cotard cave walls in northern France, and are believed to be the oldest markings left by our ancient ancestors. And the rest Princess Peach makes a comeback in Nintendos new Switch game, Group-IB report says over 100,000 stolen ChatGPT accounts have been listed on the dark web, the poo transplant clinical trial for liver disease patients, and Mark Zuckerberg looks ready to fight Elon Musk in a cage match. HOUSTON, June 22 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed and multiple others injured after a tornado on Wednesday night hit Matador, a small town in south central U.S. state of Texas, as oppressive heat wave continues scorching much of the state, authorities said. "There was definitely a tornado" that struck Matador around 8 p.m. Wednesday (0100 GMT on Thursday) but its strength and rating won't be known until surveys are done, Matt Ziebell, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Lubbock, was quoted by NBC News as saying. "Definitely buildings and some vehicles were pretty severely damaged," Ziebell said. Matador Mayor Pat Smith told The New York Times the tornado killed at least three people and damaged about a dozen buildings in the northern Texas town of some 600 residents. Brandon Moore, senior water superintendent for Matador, told NBC News that at least 20 businesses and homes were destroyed. Meanwhile, a highway west of town was impassible due to damage from the tornado, said the Texas Department of Transportation. Rescue efforts are underway in Matador. Tornado watches covered most of the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles on Wednesday, according to the U.S. National Weather Service. Three people were killed and dozens more injured last week after a tornado with peak winds of 140 mph struck Perryton, a city in northern Texas near the Oklahoma border. By the time Dostoevsky was released from prison in 1854, some of the "radical" ideas that had so threatened the czar were now de rigueur among young European intellectuals and writers. "The fashionable thing at the time was atheism, and new political movements like socialism and utilitarianism, which rejected religion," says Christofi. "Against that backdrop, Dostoevsky was quite unusual in his staunch defense of Christian faith." In a letter he wrote from prison, he said that "if someone proved to me that Christ is outside the truth," he'd prefer to remain with Christ than with the truth. Advertisement From his lifelong contact with the poor, Dostoevsky was sympathetic to the utopian movements that aimed to create a more egalitarian society, but he feared what would happen when God was unthroned and man was elevated in his place. Keep in mind that this was a half-century before the Bolshevik Revolution and the rise of a totalitarian communist regime that imprisoned and killed tens of millions under Stalin. "Dostoevsky felt very strongly that a socialism based in atheism would end in violence," says Christofi. "In that, I think he was very prophetic." Bonus quote: "lf there's no God and no life beyond the grave, doesn't that mean that men will be allowed to do whatever they want?" "The Brothers Karamazov" (1879) 4. "I admit that twice two makes four is an excellent thing, but if we are to give everything its due, twice two makes five is sometimes a very charming thing, too." This quote is pulled from "Notes From Underground" (1864), Dostoevsky's response to a wildly popular philosophical novel from another Russian writer, Nikolai Chernyshevsky, called "What Is To Be Done?" Chernyshevsky isn't a household name today, but back in the 1860s he influenced budding socialists, utilitarians and future communists with his utopian ideas. According to Chernyshevsky, human behavior is bound by the same rational, scientific laws as the rest of the universe. "If we all just pursue our rational self-interest, then the world will become a wonderful place and we can do away with irrational concepts like God," says Christofi. "But all of this is based on the idea that human beings are these clockwork creatures who will only ever do the thing that is most rational." In Dostoevsky's experience, that wasn't how people worked at all. As the quote above demonstrates, sometimes we can't resist saying that two and two is five, just to prove that we can. "Sometimes people will do something perverse, even if it's just to prove that they're free," says Christofi. Dostoevsky himself didn't always act in his rational self-interest. He was a gambler, for example. Today, we'd say that he had a gambling addiction, but Dostoevsky only knew that he couldn't pass up a game of roulette. Whether he was flush with cash or deep in debt, he gambled, and he lost far more than he won. There was nothing rational about such self-destructive behavior. The anonymous main character in "Notes from Underground" was a mess of contradictions, a "free" human who could barely function in society. If left to follow his "rational self-interest," the result would be chaos, not utopia. Dostoevsky continued the theme in "Crime and Punishment," the first of his great novels, in which a man's cruelly rational plans to murder an old woman for money go terribly wrong. Bonus quote: "There exists no greater or more painful anxiety for a man who has freed himself from all religious bias, than how he shall soonest find a new object or idea to worship." "The Brothers Karamazov" (1879) Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sept 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sept 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (17) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sept 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (134) Jun 2013 (203) Jul 2013 (292) Aug 2013 (350) Sept 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (347) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (437) Jan 2014 (543) Feb 2014 (473) Mar 2014 (525) Apr 2014 (526) May 2014 (470) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sept 2014 (440) Oct 2014 (471) Nov 2014 (496) Dec 2014 (535) Jan 2015 (535) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (579) Apr 2015 (657) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sept 2015 (922) Oct 2015 (919) Nov 2015 (799) Dec 2015 (790) Jan 2016 (781) Feb 2016 (834) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (864) May 2016 (945) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (880) Aug 2016 (1034) Sept 2016 (966) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (884) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sept 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (808) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sept 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (934) Jul 2019 (949) Aug 2019 (936) Sept 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (848) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (787) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sept 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (811) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sept 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (694) Feb 2022 (654) Mar 2022 (740) Apr 2022 (745) May 2022 (748) Jun 2022 (701) Jul 2022 (704) Aug 2022 (702) Sept 2022 (699) Oct 2022 (737) Nov 2022 (718) Dec 2022 (692) Jan 2023 (662) Feb 2023 (611) Mar 2023 (692) Apr 2023 (652) May 2023 (696) Jun 2023 (701) Jul 2023 (474) Daraban: It is time for the voice of businessmen to prevail over the voice of the political decision-maker. High-performing businesses can be the main drivers of job creation and, perhaps, it is time for the voice of businessmen to prevail over the voice of policy makers, President of the the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR) Mihai Daraban said at the World Chambers Congress in Geneva, told Agerpres. According to a CCIR press release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, within the Congress some of the most important current global issues were tackled, the event being structured around three main themes: multilateralism, innovation and sustainability. "Perhaps the most important conclusion that can be drawn from this event is that, worldwide, there is a common point of view that refers to strengthening the role that business has in ensuring the prosperity of nations. Certainly, performing businesses can be the main drivers of job creation. Through medium and long-term investments, employment opportunities can be generated, thus contributing to reducing unemployment and raising living standards. Also, companies that invest in technological research and development can bring significant innovations and advances that lead to the creation of more efficient products and services that can thus improve people's lives and contribute to economic growth. Perhaps it is time for the voice of businessmen to prevail over the voice of the political decision-maker. We have all seen that when political ambitions arise, conflicts also arise and, obviously, the prosperity of nations ceases to exist, and here I am obviously referring to the armed conflict in Ukraine. Thus, the proposal of the WCF [World Chamber Federation] leadership to create interoperable platforms for the promotion of multilateral trade between states becomes very important. At the CCIR level, there is already such a functional platform, SNIA, which promotes the concept of free trade and which is used by both Romanian and foreign investors," Daraban said. Mihai Daraban participated, as a member of the General Council of the World Chamber Federation (WCF), together with the general secretary of the CCIR, Ovidiu Silaghi, at the World Congress of Chambers of Commerce, which takes place between 21 and 23 June, in Geneva. The World Chambers Federation (WCF) is a non-political and non-governmental body of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Originally established in 1951 as the International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce, the WCF aims to unify and support the global network of chambers of commerce. " " Colorado Springs-based American Kenny Rackers celebrates winning the first race at Cooper's Hill during the annual tradition of cheese rolling on May 27, 2013, in Brockworth, Gloucestershire, England. Matt Cardy/Getty Images Usually on the last Monday in May, a huge wheel of cheese goes hurtling down a hillside in southwest England. And if that weren't awesome enough, people chase it. The annual Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling in Gloucestershire County has been going on for centuries. It's not the only cheese-rolling event in Gloucestershire, and there are at least a couple outside England, but the Cooper's Hill one in the town of Brockworth is the most famous. Thousands of people show up to watch racers fall their way down the course. (Due to the Queen's Platinum Jubilee this year, the 2022 version of this race will be held on Sunday, June 5, instead.) Advertisement It's an extreme sport. Few, if any, of those chasing the cheese remain on their feet. Cooper's Hill is bumpy and might as well be vertical the slope is 70 degrees in some stretches so racers basically lurch, roll and tumble their way to the finish line. That's about 220 yards (200 meters) of falling hard. Bruises, scrapes, sprains, dislocations and broken bones are common. A bouncing cheese wheel once sent a spectator to the hospital. But one hardy runner from each race walks away with a roughly 8-pound (3.6-kilogram) wheel of traditional Double Gloucester, a firm cheese described by the British Cheese Board as "mellow, creamy or buttery." Gloucestershire residents have been producing Double Gloucester since about 1500. When exactly they started chucking it down Cooper's Hill is hard to say. EIB announces new financing for Romania, worth 675 million EUR. The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced on Thursday new funding for Romania, worth 675 million EUR for transport, urban development and small businesses, told Agerpres. According to a press release sent to AGERPRES, the amount granted for transport by the EIB, worth 600 million EUR, will serve as co-financing for the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility. The EIB and Romania celebrates 30 years of partnership, the EIB providing more than 17 billion EUR for over 170 projects since the start of its operations in Romania. "Seeing the progress the country's economy has made over the last 30 years, I am proud that the EIB Group, as the EU bank, has been able to support it by providing finance for better schools, hospitals, public infrastructure, universities and transport, and by supporting climate action and small businesses. Our commitment to Romania remains strong, as demonstrated by the 675 million EUR in new financing for transport, urban development and small businesses, of which 600 million EUR will contribute to the successful implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility," EIB Vice-President Lilyana Pavlova stated within an event held at the BNR Arena. In her turn, European Investment Fund (EIF) Chief Executive Marjut Falkstedt underscored that the EIF has generated financial support for more than 56,000 Romanian businesses. "Our engagement in Romania is a real success story, proof of what can be achieved through effective collaboration between local, national and European entities. To date, the EIF has generated financial support for more than 56,000 Romanian businesses, in large part due to our partnership with the Romanian government. Through a series of new agreements, we intend to remain closely engaged in the Romanian market, offering financing solutions that will help to boost entrepreneurship, fostering the country's innovation potential and helping small businesses as they navigate the green and digital transitions. Tackling the challenges we are facing, first and foremost climate change and its economic impact, requires synergies and close cooperation, and we are confident in the potential of the long-term business partnerships that we have developed, which will enable a prompt rollout of support for Romanian SMEs," Marjut Falkstedt stated. According to the release, a first tranche of 600 million EUR out of an EIB-approved loan of 1.2 billion EUR will go towards building a new motorway between Ploiesti and Pascani in eastern Romania. Supported by the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility, the new road will be part of the core trans-European transport network. It will have a substantial economic and social impact on the region, improve safety and save significant travel time. In addition to the financing, the project received valuable the EIB technical advisory support for project preparation (JASPERS) and for project implementation (PASSA). The EIB announced the signature of a 20.9 million EUR loan with the Municipality of Oradea to finance investments in urban transport, urban regeneration and energy efficiency improvements in schools, public buildings and street lighting. The EIB also signed a 30 million EUR loan to finance energy efficiency retrofits for residential buildings in District 2 of Bucharest. Both investments are continuations of the EIB's long-term collaboration with these authorities. Over the last five years, the EIB Group has invested 398 million EUR to support urban and regional development across the country. The EIB Group has been a strong supporter of small businesses in Romania, the backbone of the country's economy. Over the last five years, we have invested 2.185 billion EUR in Romania in support of small businesses and mid-caps. In this context, the EIB and Garanti BBVA signed a 24.4 million EUR loan to support access to finance for small businesses. The loan will make financing more accessible for businesses in Romania, the majority of which is formed of cohesion regions, as well as for those investing in climate action, as a way to support the green, inclusive and sustainable transformation of the Romanian economy. The EIB has worked in Romania since the early 1990s, improving regional cohesion, infrastructure and healthcare services, and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its member states. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. For the first time in the 30-year history of the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS), this year's edition will be painted and drawn daily by students of the Ilie Micu Folk School of Arts and Crafts in Sibiu, coordinated by teachers Lavinia Cretu and Catalin Precup, informs a press release sent to AGERPRES. "Dear residents of Sibiu, soon the biggest theatre festival, a world-renowned festival is kicking off in Sibiu I would like to thank the general director of the Radu Stanca National Theatre, Constantin Chiriac, president of this festival, for the invitation and the challenge he has launched at us this year, for the Folk School of Arts and Crafts, for the most talented students of the painting class. For ten days, from June 23 until July 2, our students will paint in different locations, and at the end of this festival, all the unique moments, captured from the performances, will be materialized in an exhibition, which we have suggestively named 'The Miracle of a Day'. We invite you to join us and give us your vote of confidence! We remind you that the most talented students of our painting course will be present during this festival. Don't forget: we are waiting for you on June 23!," said the manager of the Ilie Micu Folk School of Arts and Crafts in Sibiu, Alina Vintila. Thus, on Friday, June 23, at 19:15, the public at FITS will have the opportunity to see on Cetatii Street in Sibiu not only the Festival of Living Statues, but also the six students of the Ilie Micu Folk School of Arts and Crafts, with easels, painting the show. Students Raul Tedor, Felicia Draghici, Marilena Popa, Maria Vestemean and Liviu Ovidiu Harju, helped by volunteers will paint the living statues at the FITS. Also starting Friday, art lovers are expected at the ground floor of the ASTRA Library in Sibiu, where the exhibition 'The Miracle of a Day' will be opened, with works by students of the Ilie Micu Folk School of Arts and Crafts in Sibiu. After the end of this year's edition of FITS, the most successful works executed during the ten days will be presented to the public in an exhibition to be announced at a later date. The Ilie Micu Folk School of Arts and Crafts will collaborate, for the first time, this year at FITS, with the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection Sibiu. ForMin Odobescu: Romania will be active in the reconstruction process of Ukraine. Romania has stood by Ukraine since the very beginning of Russia's war of aggression and Romania will also be active in the reconstruction process of Ukraine, Foreign Minister Luminita Odobescu said on Wednesday, told Agerpres. According to the Foreign Ministry (MAE) she participated in London in the Ukraine Recovery Conference, which brings together until Thursday high-level officials from approximately 60 countries and 30 international organisations, as well as leaders of the private sector, academia and civil society. The event is organised by the United Kingdom and Ukraine. According to the head of Romanian diplomacy, " Sixteen months have passed since the Russian Federation has launched its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine. Sixteen months of continuous attacks against the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Sixteen months of appalling war crimes, the most recent example being the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam." Odobescu added that the reconstruction of Ukraine should consider as a matter of priority improving physical connectivity with the European Union through Ukraine's neighbouring states. Connectivity should be seen in a broader sense, encompassing transport corridors, high-power energy lines, and digital connectivity, and from a regional perspective, extended also to Moldova. Part of her attendance of the conference was a meeting her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba. Odobescu reconfirmed, in this context, " Romania's full and unwavering support for the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine." She also appreciated Ukraine's efforts to meet the recommendations issued by the European Commission in June 2022 when granting candidate state status to Ukraine. She also mentioned full respect of the rights of persons belonging to the Romanian minority in Ukraine and pointed out the importance of engaging the two states in a sustained dialogue on this subject. She said Romania is expecting a decision as soon as possible by Ukraine related to the recognition of the non-existence of the so-called "Moldovan language." Deputy Secretary General of NATO, Mircea Geoana, declared on Thursday evening, in Oradea, that Ukraine will win the war and that it will be part of the family of Western democracies, a situation in which the Republic of Moldova also has a better chance to escape from "the trap of geography and history so far". "We are convinced that Ukraine will succeed in this effort to defend its independence and sovereignty. There is still an extremely violent confrontation. The counteroffensive that has begun will probably be a long one, it will not be easy, because the Russian Federation and has built quite robust defensive systems, but with our support and the will of Ukrainians to defend their independence and freedom, I am convinced that Ukraine will win. We are absolutely convinced that Ukraine will win this war and that it will be part of the family of Western democracies," declared Mircea Geoana in a short meeting with the press. The deputy general secretary of NATO emphasized that Romania and the other 30 NATO allies are extremely united in helping Ukraine, "a morally correct, strategically necessary and politically indispensable matter". "Yesterday in London there was a big conference for the reconstruction of Ukraine. (...) It would be very good to talk with our companies, with our ports - Romania is the fifth largest ship producer in Europe - to try to find relations on investment, reconstruction plan. And there is another important thing for us: if Ukraine succeeds - and it will succeed - also the Republic of Moldova has a better chance to escape from that trap of geography and history so far," said Mircea Geoana.AGERPRES Deputy Secretary General of NATO, Mircea Geoana, said on Thursday evening in Oradea that he is proud as a Romanian visiting the city and the NATO Excellence Center in Human Intelligence (HUMINT). "I am the highest NATO official who visited this Excellence Center of our alliance and I was happy to see, obviously, Romanian colleagues, but also from many other nations, working side by side, conducting training exercises and having in mind carrying out a very important project for us. This center is part of a collection of NATO centers of excellence, it is a leader in the field of Human Intelligence, and it is also a leader in terms of military education and specialized education for allied countries. I repeat : top professionals, exceptional conditions, I am proud as a Romanian to visit Oradea and the NATO Excellence Center, among the elite organizations of this kind within NATO," Mircea Geoana said for AGERPRES. The deputy general secretary of NATO delivered on Thursday, at the Museum of the Country of Crisurilor (MTC) in Oradea, an international conference entitled "Vision, innovation, transformation", an event moderated by the manager of the MTC, Gabriel Moisa and which took place in the institution's series of cultural-scientific events. After his lecture, the guest answered several questions from the audience and journalists. Regarding the Summit in Vilnius, on July 11-12, Mircea Geoana declared that it will be "extremely dense in important decisions", both in terms of our relationship with Ukraine and for the defense of NATO territory, "every centimeter square", including on the eastern flank, including for Romania. "There will be important decisions regarding the relationship with our partners - the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia Herzegovina and obviously, the implementation of many decisions from Madrid. Already, in a specific form, the beginning of thinking for the anniversary Summit in July 2024 in Washington, when our Alliance will be 75 years since its establishment," Mircea Geoana also affirmed. During the day, the NATO official was also received by the county and local authorities and had a discussion with the president of the CJ Bihor, Ilie Bolojan, with the management of the Oradea city hall, and during the evening, a meeting is also scheduled with the management of Oradea University. The program of the deputy general secretary of the Alliance will continue on Friday, in Timisoara, with other activities, including visiting some military units and attending the graduation ceremony of students from Mihai I University. Over 113,000 people enter Romania on June 21, including 16,139 Ukrainian citizens. As many as 113,204 people, including 16,139 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Wednesday, June 21, the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) reported on Wednesday, told Agerpres. According to IGPF, at the border points nationwide on Friday, nearly 228,000 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, were checked both on the way in and on the way out of Romania, as well as more than 54,400 means of transport. Starting February 10, 2022 (pre-conflict time) 4,648,198 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania. The border police detected 50 illegal acts (29 crimes and 21 misdemeanors) in the areas under their jurisdiction - the crossing points and the green border - committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, levying over RON 11,200 in fines in the process. Assets of an estimated value of RON 156,000 were impounded. Twenty-three foreign citizens who did not meet the conditions provided by the law were denied entry. Also on Wednesday, 48 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave for various legal reasons. A delegation of 90 servicemen represented Romania this month at the NATO C4ISR Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercise 2023 (CWIX 2023), held at the Joint Force Training Centre in Bydgoszcz, Poland, where 406 deployable command and control systems were tested and more than 25,000 interoperability tests were conducted. The CWIX exercise gives the Romanian military the opportunity to assess the level of interoperability achieved by command and control systems with allied and partner countries, but also contributes to the maturation of national defence capabilities by training personnel and experimenting with new concepts and technologies, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN ) informed in a press release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday. According to MApN, this year, about 2,000 military and civilians from 36 nations participated in the CWIX exercise. The Romanian delegation, led by the head of the Information Technology Agency, subordinate to the Cyber Defence Command, included specialists with the Land Forces Staff, Naval Forces Staff and Air Forces Staff, Directorate of Communications and Information Technology, Cyber Defense Command, Communications and Information Command, Joint Forces Command, National Joint Training Center, Defence Geospatial Information Agency and National Defence University. Senator Ciuca: In about four years, Romania will be able to announce independence in terms of gas production. Romanian Senate Chairman Nicolae Ciuca said on Thursday that in about four years, in 2027, Romania will be able to announce its independence in terms of natural gas production, told Agerpres. The clarifications were made at the Government House, during an event occasioned by the unveiling by the OMV Petrom and Romgaz companies of the Neptun Deep project, the largest natural gas project in the Romanian area of the Black Sea. "In approximately four years, Romania will be able to announce independence in terms of natural gas production. More precisely in 2027, as discussed with Romgaz and OMW. It is a commitment that you have to meet. At the same time, it is an opportunity for us to announce to the citizens of the country that they should not worry about securing the supply of gas, because this gas will benefit the citizens, all the institutions in the country and, of course, there will be a quantity of gas for export to meet the demand of other countries in Europe as well," said Ciuca. He highlighted the relevance that this new source of gas can have in Romania's industrial revitalisation. "We need a chemical industry and a petro-chemical industry, so that we regain our role as players in everything that this economic whole means." Ciuca added that until the completion of the project "there is still a very long way to go," a whole series of measures and decisions being necessary. He said that, together with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, he offered assurances that the government would take all the necessary "collateral" measures to support the objective being achieved. "We will follow the development [of the project] so that it ends on schedule. From my perspective, the only thing I ask of you is to carry the project through, as you have pledged to do. (...) It is your turn to achieve," said Ciuca. He mentioned that the beginning of gas exploitation in the Black Sea is included in the governing agenda of the ruling coalition. "Practically, this objective represents an important step for ensuring Romania's energy independence in a security context, in a particularly complicated international context, in which, however, there is political will and executive commitment for this objective to be achieved," said Ciuca. He also talked about Romania's prospects for becoming "a relevant player, a pillar of stability" in the energy sector in the region and elsewhere in Europe. Statements by so-called representative of Russia in Kherson against Republic of Moldova are unacceptable. Romania strongly condemns the statements made by the so-called Russian representative in Kherson, a Ukrainian region illegally occupied by Russia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) said Thursday in a message on Twitter, told Agerpres. According to MAE, "such statements against the Republic of Moldova and targeting part of Romania's territory, a NATO ally, are unacceptable", the ministry's representatives adding that "hitting the civilian infrastructure is a war crime". The Russian ambassador in Chisinau, Oleg Vasnetov, will be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration (MAEIE) for explanations regarding the recent statements of a Russian representative in Kherson, threatening the Republic of Moldova, inform MOLDPRES and Noi.md. MAEIE stressed that the Republic of Moldova strongly condemns the statements made by the Russian representative in Kherson, a Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation. "Such statements are totally unacceptable. We will not tolerate such language directed against the Republic of Moldova". The ministry in Chisinau said it would "urgently summon the head of the Russian diplomatic mission in Chisinau" to ask him for "appropriate explanations". The pro-Russian governor of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, threatened that the Russian army would strike the bridge at Giurgiuletsti in response to today's Ukrainian attack on a bridge linking the Ukrainian region of Kherson to Crimea. "The coordinates of the bridges in the Odessa region, from Giurgiulesti to Moldova, which was part of Ukraine, but was handed over to the Danube since the time of the regime of (former Ukrainian President Viktor) Yushchenko, all these coordinates are known and soon there will be quite a serious response," Saldo said. According to Russian-appointed officials in the Kherson region and the Crimean Peninsula, on Thursday morning Ukrainians fired missiles at the Ciongar bridge connecting the Russian-controlled parts of the Kherson region to the Crimean Peninsula. Known as the "gateway to Crimea", the Ciongar bridge is one of several that link Crimea - annexed by Russia in 2014 - to the mainland. The bridges offer an alternative for connecting the peninsula's isthmus, a narrow strip of land, to the mainland. Student League Iasi calls on president Klaus Iohannis to send Education Laws back to Parliament. The Student League (LS) Iasi calls on president Klaus Iohannis to send the Education Laws back to Parliament, given a number of provisions that would violate students' rights and give more power to rectors, told Agerpres. According to a press release issued on Thursday by the Iasi organization, in the form in which the Education Laws were voted, students will no longer have the right to refer issues in universities, and rectors will gain immunity and will no longer be held accountable and removed from office if they break the law, the mechanisms for reporting and penalising academic fraud will be relaxed to the benefit of plagiarists, and the current rectors will remain "forever" in charge of universities. The Iasi Student League believes that universities will turn into "separatist republics" where no one but the university leadership will be able to report any misconduct, just like in totalitarian regimes. However, the League calls on all student organisations to oppose the implementation of the Education Laws, as they "revert academic freedoms to Stalinist-era standards". "If the Education Laws are promulgated in their current form, Romanian education will be destroyed. We would go from a very good and clear law, praised internationally, to two laws that would get education back to the hands of political barons and academic clans, to the detriment of pupils, students, parents, in other words to the Romanian nation. The most dangerous provision is the one whereby universities will become immune by law and will turn into dictatorial mini-republics, understanding university autonomy at will, without respecting the legislation in force. Basically, no one will be able to hold accountable a rector or a university that breaks the law! It is totally absurd and will revert Romanian education to totalitarianism," said Toma Tataru, president of the Student League (LS IASI), in the mentioned press release. ViewApart / iStock.com Retiring in the U.S. is an expense that many can't -- or fear they can't -- bear. On average, Americans will need 70%-80% of their pre-retirement income in order to comfortably afford retirement. Given that the amount needed for retirement can be prohibitively high, plenty of Americans relocate not only to cheaper cities, but also, in some cases, to cheaper countries. According to the Social Security Administration, nearly 450,000 people received their retirement benefits outside the U.S. at the end of 2021, up from 307,000 in 2008, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Which are the most relatively peaceful countries to retire to that boast a cost of living of less than $2,000 a month? Read on to find out. Boomers Prefer To Retire Abroad: Top 5 Places To Retire Outside of the US Learn: 3 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Retirement Greg Sullavan / iStock.com 1. Bosnia and Herzegovina Global Peace Index: 1.850 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $982.02 An American can get by on barely over $980 a month in Bosnia and Herzegovina, making this country one of the most affordable retirement destinations on this list. Cost of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina is, on average, 50.5% lower than in the U.S., according to Numbeo. See: 10 States To Avoid If You're Living on Just a Social Security Check Read More: 6 Types of Retirement Income That Aren't Taxable borchee / Getty Images 2. Greece Global Peace Index: 1.838 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,610.33 Greece has been the target of some big economic shake ups in recent years -- and defaulted on its debt in 2015. Economic turmoil aside, Greece is a relatively peaceful place to retire, and you can get by on a little over $1,600 a month. It is 54% less expensive to live in Greece than in the U.S., according to LivingCost. Retirement Savings: Experts Say This Magic Number Is the Key -- and It's Not $1 Million Vesnaandjic / Getty Images 3. Serbia Global Peace Index: 1.832 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,135.61 Living on under $1,200 a month is totally doable in Serbia, where the cost of living is 62% less expensive than in the U.S., according to LivingCost. rusm / iStock.com 4. Montenegro Global Peace Index: 1.801 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,242.65 A retiree can float on under $1,300 a month in Montenegro, where, according to LivingCost, the average cost of living is 65% less expensive than in the U.S. Alla Simacheva / Getty Images/iStockphoto 5. Albania Global Peace Index: 1.761 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,112.33 The average cost of living in Albania is 70% less expensive than in the U.S., according to LivingCost. A retiree can live sufficiently on just $1,112 a month. Related: I Lost $400K of My Retirement Savings in a Roth 401(k) -- If You're Not Careful, You Could, Too ewg3D / Getty Images/iStockphoto 6. Lithuania Global Peace Index: 1.724 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,554.48 In Lithuania, you can live on $1,554.48 a month. In this country, the cost of living is 54% less expensive than in the U.S., according to LivingCost. Gogosvm / Getty Images 7. North Macedonia Global Peace Index: 1.704 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $888.94 The average cost of living in North Macedonia is 74% less expensive than in the U.S., according to LivingCost, which is why a retiree can get by on just $889 a month. This is the most affordable country for retirees on this list. South_agency / Getty Images 8. Latvia Global Peace Index: 1.673 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,475.36 In Latvia, a retiree can expect to get by on under $1,500 a month. In this country, the cost of living is is 56% less expensive than in the U.S., according to LivingCost. Read More: 10 Brilliant Ways To Reduce Your Taxes in Retirement LeoPatrizi / iStock.com 9. Estonia Global Peace Index: 1.662 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,694.10 Just shy of $1,700 can get you a decent life in Estonia, where, according to LivingCost, the average cost of living is 50% less expensive than in the U.S. roman_slavik / Getty Images/iStockphoto 10. Italy Global Peace Index: 1.643 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,940.77 In Italy, the average monthly cost to get by is just under $2,000. It's not cheap, but it's certainly cheaper than in the U.S. -- by 40% according to LivingCost. Janoka82 / iStock.com 11. Romania Global Peace Index: 1.640 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,126.30 In Romania, a retiree can coast on not much more than $1,100 a month. This is thanks to the low cost of living here, which is 68% less expensive than the U.S. Social Security Schedule: When Benefits Will Arrive in June Xantana / Getty Images/iStockphoto 12. Spain Global Peace Index: 1.603 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,708.06 Spain is a great place for retirees who have under $2,000 a month to live on. This country's cost of living is 44% less expensive than in the U.S, according to LivingCost. espiegle / Getty Images/iStockphoto 13. Poland Global Peace Index: 1.552 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,293.85 In Poland, you can get by on under $1,300 a month. The cost of living here is significantly cheaper than in the U.S. -- by 59%, according to LivingCost. Kisa_Markiza / Getty Images/iStockphoto 14. Bulgaria Global Peace Index: 1.541 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,205.42 In Bulgaria, the cost of living is 67% less than in the U.S. No wonder you only need scarcely over $1,200 a month to live there! Read More: Latest Social Security Proposal Would See Millions 'Receive More, and No One Would Receive Less' martin-dm / Getty Images/iStockphoto 15. Slovakia Global Peace Index: 1.499 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,405.54 Slovakia is another great choice for a retiree looking to get by on under $2,000 a month. Here, the cost of living is 54% less expensive than in the U.S. rusm / Getty Images/iStockphoto 16. Croatia Global Peace Index: 1.440 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,405.54 Beautiful Croatia is also beautifully affordable. The cost of living here is 53% lower than it is in the U.S. Yasonya / iStock.com 17. Hungary Global Peace Index: 1.411 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,210.07 Just a hair over $1,200 a month will get you far in Hungary, where, according to LivingCost, the average cost of living is 61% less expensive than in the U.S. Social Security: You Could Get a Second Check in June -- Here's Why 18. Czech Republic Global Peace Index: 1.318 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,614.98 The cost of living in the Czech Republic is 47% less expensive than in the U.S., according to LivingCost. Thus, it makes sense that you need well under $2,000 a month to get by here. kasto80 / Getty Images/iStockphoto 19. Slovenia Global Peace Index: 1.316 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,601.02 In Slovenia, about $1,600 will be enough for you to get by. Here, the cost of living is 46% less expensive than in the U.S., according to LivingCost. Rrrainbow / Getty Images/iStockphoto 20. Portugal Global Peace Index: 1.301 Average Monthly Cost of Living: $1,587.05 Portugal is a wonderful choice for a retiree on a tight budget. This country boasts a cost of living that is 52% less expensive than what the U.S. touts. It's also the safest European country by the Global Peace Index. More From GOBankingRates Methodology: In order to find the safest places to retire in Europe, GOBankingRates started by using the United Nations Eastern and Western European Region Groups to determine the countries that qualify. For each country, GOBankingRates found [1] the GDP as sourced from WorldPopulationReview, [2] Cost of Living as sourced from Numbeo and [3] Global Peace Index sourced from the Institute for Economics and Peace Global Peace Index 2022 Report. The cost of living was filtered for places costing $2,000 and under per month on average. All information is up-to-date as-of June 19th, 2023. Photo Disclaimer: Please note photos are for representational purposes only. As a result, some of the photos might not reflect the locations listed in this article. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Safest Places To Retire in Europe For Less Than $2,000 a Month A renowned Titanic expert, a world-record holding adventurer, two members of one of Pakistan's wealthiest families and the CEO of the company leading an expedition to the world's most famous shipwreck were aboard a small submersible that went missing in the Atlantic Ocean. The submersible Titan was reported overdue Sunday night about 435 miles south of St. John's, Newfoundland, according to Canada's Joint Rescue Coordination Center, spurring a desperate international rescue effort. Rescuers were racing against the clock because the oxygen supply could run out by approximately 6 a.m. Thursday. A Canadian aircraft detected underwater noises during the hunt for the Titan. The U.S. Coast Guard said via Twitter that as a result of the noises detected by the Canadian P-3 patrol aircraft, search efforts were relocated and the data was being used to help guide the ongoing effort. The expedition featuring the Titan was led by OceanGate, making its third voyage to the Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank in 1912, killing all but about 700 of the roughly 2,200 passengers and crew. A pilot and four other people are on the Titan. They are: Stockton Rush Although his background is in aerospace and technology, Rush founded OceanGate Inc. in 2009 to provide crewed submersibles for undersea researchers and explorers, according to the company's website. Rush is the Titan's pilot, said company spokesperson Andrew Von Kerens. The private company based in Washington started bringing tourists to the Titanic in 2021 as part of its effort to chronicle the slow deterioration of the wreck. "The ocean is taking this thing, and we need to document it before it all disappears or becomes unrecognizable," Rush told The Associated Press in 2021. In an interview with CBS News last year, Rush defended the safety of his submersible but said nothing is without risk. "What I worry about most are things that will stop me from being able to get to the surface overhangs, fish nets, entanglement hazard," he said, adding that a good pilot can avoid such perils. Rush became the youngest jet transport rated pilot in the world at age 19 in 1981, and flew commercial jets in college, according to his company biography. He joined the McDonnell Douglas Corp. in 1984 as a flight test engineer. Over the past 20 years, he has overseen the development of multiple successful IP ventures. Greg Stone, a longtime ocean scientist and a friend of Rush, called him "a real pioneer" in the innovation of submersibles. "Stockton was a risk-taker. He was smart. He was, he had a vision, he wanted to push things forward," Stone said Tuesday. Hamish Harding A British businessman, Harding lives in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Action Aviation, an aircraft brokering company for which Harding serves as chairman, said he was one of the mission specialists, who paid to go on the expedition. Harding is a billionaire adventurer who holds three Guinness World Records, including the longest duration at full ocean depth by a crewed vessel. In March 2021, he and ocean explorer Victor Vescovo dived to the lowest depth of the Mariana Trench. In June 2022, he went into space on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket. "Both the Harding family and the team at Action Aviation are very grateful for all the kind messages of concern and support from our friends and colleagues," the company said in a statement. Harding was "looking forward to conducting research" at the Titanic site, said Richard Garriott de Cayeux, the president of The Explorers Club, a group to which Harding belonged. "We all join in the fervent hope that the submersible is located as quickly as possible," he said in a statement. Shahzada and Suleman Dawood Father-and-son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood are members of one of Pakistan's most prominent families. Their family said in a statement that they were both aboard the vessel. "We are very grateful for the concern being shown by our colleagues and friends and would like to request everyone to pray for their safety while granting the family privacy at this time," the statement said. "The family is well looked after and are praying to Allah for the safe return of their family members." Their firm, Dawood Hercules Corp., based in Karachi, is involved in agriculture, petrochemicals and telecommunication infrastructure. Shahzada Dawood also is on the board of trustees for the California-based SETI Institute that searches for extraterrestrial intelligence. The Dawoods live in the UK, according to SETI. He has degrees from the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom and Philadelphia University (now Thomas Jefferson University) in the U.S. Paul-Henry Nargeolet Nargeolet is a former French navy officer who is considered a Titanic expert after making multiple trips to the wreckage over several decades. David Gallo, a senior adviser for strategic initiatives and special projects at RMS Titanic, said in an interview with CNN that Nargeolet was on board. He is director of underwater research for E/M Group and RMS Titanic Inc., has completed 37 dives to the wreck and supervised the recovery of 5,000 artifacts, according to his company profile. He was expedition leader on the most technologically advanced dive to Titanic in 2010, which used high-resolution sonar and 3D optical imaging on the bow and stern sections as well as the debris field. While with the French Institute for Research and Exploitation of Sea, he led the first recovery expedition to the Titanic in 1987. The Native American artwork familiar to many viewers tends to be traditional, historic creations. But a new exhibition at the St. Louis Art Museum brings a different focus abstraction. Called SLAMs first exhibition of contemporary and modern Native American art, the paintings, sculptures and textiles highlight post-World War II creations that likely are less-known than the much-hyped work from the New York scene. Action/Abstraction Redefined: Modern Native Art, 1940s-1970s expands on SLAMs 2008 exhibition on abstraction, says Alexander Brier Marr, associate curator of Native American art. It will help visitors to see our historic collection of Native American art in new ways. The 80-plus-piece exhibition happens to complement other current exhibitions that highlight contemporary Native American pieces: the Luminarys Counterpublic and the Pulitzer Arts Foundations Faye HeavyShield: Confluences. Using the next few weeks to see all three will be a valuable experience for St. Louis art lovers. In addition, HeavyShields work is at SLAMs Donald Danforth Jr. Gallery 322. This spring and summer, contemporary Native American art has been much more visible across St. Louis than any of the last seven years Ive been here, Marr says. He believes that St. Louis museums are responding to increasing national focus on contemporary Native works. Plus, he points out: There is strong Indigenous history here. Yet, SLAM did not own a postwar Native painting until this year, when it purchased Fritz Scholders 1966 oil New Mexico #45. Filling that gap in the museums collection had been a priority, Marr says. Other works by Scholder will be part of the exhibition organized by the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Artworks on display will include those by Lloyd Kiva New, Linda Lomahaftewa, Alfred Young Man, T.C. Cannon, Anita Fields, Christine Nofchissey McHorse and many others. The St. Louis museum adds a few dozen more works to the traveling exhibition. A difference between the abstract work of Native American artists and New York painters such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning is that the Native artists sometimes refer to their tribes ancestral forms, Marr says. The abstractions may include traditional colors, geometric shapes or symbolic images. Abstraction offered Native artists a way to experiment and also to connect their art to emerging movements. One of the featured artists, George Morrison (Chippewa), worked in New York, where he exhibited and was associated with avant-garde painters there. Although he originally considered himself an abstract expressionist first, Morrison later started exploring his American Indian heritage. (Conversely, Pollock, who grew up in Arizona, is said to have been influenced by Native art he saw there while young; he also witnessed sand painting in 1941 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, which is also believed to have been an influence.) Marr expects that this new exhibition of Native American abstraction will surprise some visitors, while others may be more familiar with it. But even he was impressed by a Santa Fe show in 2008: The depth of abstraction blew me away. More ways to learn A free public preview of "Action/Abstraction Redefined" will be 4-8 p.m. June 23, with cocktails and entertainment in Sculpture Hall at St. Louis Art Museum. At 6 p.m. June 23, artists Anita Fields, Linda Lomahaftewa and Alfred Young Man will discuss their time at the Institute of American Indian Arts; tickets are $5 on MetroTix or at the museum. The Family Sunday event, 1-4 p.m. June 24, will include dancing and an abstract collage art project for children. What Action/Abstraction Redefined: Modern Native Art, 1940s-1970s When June 23-Sept. 3; hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday (closed Monday) Where St. Louis Art Museum, 1 Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park How much $12, $10 for seniors and students, $6 for children 6-12; free for children 5 and under, for members and to all on Fridays More info slam.org Ian Froeb Follow Ian Froeb Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Charlie Gittos on the Hill is the most exciting restaurant in St. Louis. I dont mean exciting in the usual food-writer sense the sort of excitement that can exhaust you even before youve scored a reservation at the latest hot spot. New. Different. Trendy. Charlie Gittos, I dont need to tell you, isnt any of those things. Chef and owner Charlie Gitto Jr. opened his restaurant in 1981, and he continues to prepare toasted ravioli according to the secret recipe passed down from the previous longtime occupant of 5226 Shaw Avenue, Angelos. As the story goes one of a few different T-rav origin tales one day in 1947 an Angelos cook dropped ravioli in the fryer, and an iconic St. Louis dish was born. But dining at this Hill institution multiple times in recent weeks, sometimes having to wait just to nab a seat at the bar, I felt an energy I hadnt experienced anywhere since the pandemic. It wasnt simply the commotion of a packed dining room, the practiced whirl of hosts, servers and runners. The energy pulsed outward, drawing in well-heeled regulars with reservations and young families without, gaggles of tourists in town for a trade show and a solitary, dapper man who sat at the bar and ordered a baller bottle of Caymus. On a Tuesday evening, a post-COVID dead zone for most other restaurants, I raised my voice to ask if the place is always this packed. It is. Stupid question. Truly, though, I didnt know what to expect from Charlie Gittos in 2023. I had reviewed its (now closed) Chesterfield satellite 12 years ago, but I couldnt remember when I had last dined at its original home on the Hill. Hence this project, a fresh evaluation of Charlie Gittos and two other established, upscale Italian restaurants on the Hill, Lorenzos Trattoria and Dominics. Last fall, partly out of curiosity, partly to quell reader emails, I did something similar with three legacy restaurants: Kreis Steakhouse & Bar, Paul Mannos and Kemolls Chop House, which has since shuttered. It was revelatory and humbling. Kreis and Paul Mannos have maintained their excellence and, crucially, their vibrancy, and both restaurants muscled their overdue way onto this years edition of my STL 100. When Charlie Gittos appears on 2024s STL 100, it will do so in part because it actually does share something with the best of those new, different and trendy restaurants. A feedback loop between a kitchen that speaks in rigor and splendor and diners present out of desire, not nostalgic inertia or obligation, kindles its undeniable energy. Rigor and splendor appear in the same dish: a tremendous bone-in presentation of veal Parmesan with crisp breading and tender meat through and through even as it is smothered in cheese and the house pomodoro sauce. Ravioli nearly the size of wedding invitations cradling a heady purse of lobster swim in an even richer lobster cream sauce. The CG Signature Shrimp (shrimp scampi, essentially) follows the same approach more modestly. Potent garlic butter gilds the shrimps delicate sweetness, and seasoned breadcrumbs only tickle the cooked-to-the-precise-second texture. I can spend a paragraph ticking the obvious boxes. Charlie Gittos toasted ravioli, whether or not the original of the species, set the standard for T-ravs actually made in-house, crisp and meaty. The arancini, another crowd-pleaser appetizer that easily could have slipped into warhorse status, still startle thanks to their twin sauces, the lush pomodoro and the bracing walnut pesto. The caprese salad is properly seasonal, with thick homegrown tomatoes. None of this will surprise generations of Charlie Gittos regulars, and if youre rolling your eyes at my belated enthusiasm, I understand. Still, you shouldnt take the restaurants energy for granted. In a town awash in pasta, most of it pleasant enough in the moment but ultimately forgettable, no one serves a dish like Charlie Gittos bucatini allAmatriciana. Plump, luscious pieces of real-deal guanciale cured pork jaw, its flavor like pork distilled: precisely salted, sweetly funky, warmly spiced swim in a San Marzano tomato sauce. That sauce clings to the long strands of perfectly al dente bucatini, which in turn soaks up even more sauce into its tubes. A 42-year-old restaurant that serves the single best pasta dish in St. Louis, one that tastes new with each order each bite, even? Thats more than enough to get me excited. Charlie Gitto's on the Hill Rating Essential The Post-Dispatch evaluates restaurants on the following scale, lowest to highest: Not Recommended, Recommended, Highly Recommended, Essential. The rating reflects how the restaurant succeeds on its own terms and how it meets a diner's good-faith expectations of quality food and hospitality regardless of cuisine, location or cost. How much Toasted ravioli $14 CG Signature Shrimp $22 Bucatini allAmatriciana $25 Veal Parmigiano $55 Where Charlie Gittos on the Hill, 5226 Shaw Avenue More info 314-772-8898; charliegittos.com Menu Classic Italian fare Hours Dinner daily Lorenzo's Trattoria When Larry Fuse Jr. opened Lorenzos Trattoria on the Hill in late 1999, the restaurant was both an upstart and an outlier, a bastion of northern Italian cuisine in a neighborhood that looks to that countrys south. When my (now) wife and I moved to St. Louis a few years later, Lorenzos soon became our Hill favorite, a spot to splurge on the veal osso buco, to take out-of-town family who had heard about St. Louis famous Italian neighborhood. It hit that dot of a bulls-eye of elegant, thoughtful cooking in an atmosphere neither too laid-back nor too stuffy. Returning to Lorenzos in its 24th year spry by Hill standards, an institution in restaurant terms I found it comfortable in that groove, a place where you can still splurge on veal osso buco, but where you can also drop by the bar for a Peroni and a pizza with sausage, mushroom, caramelized onion and mozzarella so elastic you might be tempted to string it across the street. The menu does show its late-'90s roots. I skimmed past a couple of appetizers, the carpaccio and the polenta, that include truffle oil as an ingredient. Polenta also appears underneath an order of steamed mussels, where it soaks up the sweet, briny broth. The standout starter is the arancini. If Charlie Gittos version of the fried rice balls is distinguished by the sauces, Lorenzos delights thanks to the rice, sticky and fragrant with saffron. The kitchen, led by chef Brad Burns, knows how to cook rice a high compliment, if youve eaten enough gloppy risotto around town. The arborio rice in Lorenzos veal risotto retains that essential al dente kernel at its heart. The veal itself is as tender as you would hope, and the kitchen smartly pairs it with a generous portion of mushrooms to give the dish a meatiness more satisfying than veal alone would provide. In 2023, Italian remains the one category of restaurants where you can be sure veal is still on the menu, and Lorenzos remains your best bet in St. Louis for veal. True to its northern Italian credo, the breaded veal option here is a more delicate Milanese, crackling and juicy but not brawny. In place of tomato and cheese, the kitchen serves the veal over pappardelle and tops the meat with a sort of salad of arugula, artichoke and kalamata olive. These sharp, peppery accents feel like a bit of throwback to the time of Lorenzos founding. They also still work. If no longer an upstart, this is a restaurant that has been built to last. Lorenzo's Trattoria Rating Recommended How much Arancini $15 Sausage pizza $18 Veal risotto $25 Veal Milanese $31 Where Lorenzos Trattoria, 1933 Edwards Street More info 314-773-2223; lorenzostrattoria.com Menu Northern Italian fare Hours Dinner Tuesday-Sunday (closed Monday) Dominic's I dont usually begin with a restaurants basket of complimentary bread, but Im also not a critic to turn down some easy symbolism. On my first visit to Dominics, the fine-dining restaurant that chef Dominic Galati and his wife, Jackie, opened in 1971 on the Hill, the plain white Italian bread in my basket was stale. Nothing else I encountered during that dinner or at subsequent meals here was so egregious, but it predicted a spiritual dustiness that has settled over this Hill institution. Dominics formal service still befits a special occasion, but its food lacks the soigne touch its prices demand. Consider the bone-in veal rib chop, which at $65 is the most expensive item on the menu and a substantial cut of meat. The kitchen grilled my chop perfunctorily the edge that curved into the bone bore a decent crust, the opposite edge next to none served it in a pool of its own juices and sloppily garnished the whole thing with shaved Parmesan. Likewise, the rack of lamb is exactly that, a rack of lamb sliced into skinny individual chops and, to my palate, seasoned with nothing but salt. The grill marks were more even, at least, and the meat was the requested medium rare. But the dish didnt arouse the carnivorous lust it might have had the rack been butchered into double-cut chops, and Dominics lamb lacked anything like the elegant herbal notes of the chops at Paul Mannos or the boldly peppery crust of those at Kreis, the best of the comparably old-school dishes in St. Louis. I liked a straightforward plate of linguine with garlicky, butter clams and the reliable comforts of fried calamari and cheese- and sauce-slathered chicken Parmesan. At a restaurant of the purported caliber of Dominics, though, I shouldnt be dreading an extraordinary bill for ordinary pleasures. Dominic's Rating Not recommended How much Chicken Parmesan $32 Rack of lamb $62 Veal chop $65 Where Dominics, 5101 Wilson Avenue More info 314-771-1632; dominicsrestaurant.com Menu Upscale Italian Hours Dinner Tuesday-Saturday (closed Sunday-Monday) Sting and Shaggy always looked like unlikely collaborators, but its the collaboration that keeps on giving. When youre with Sting, you cant say never, especially when its him, me and gin, Shaggy says. Who knows what well come up with? Shaggy, the Jamaican reggae/dancehall star, and Sting, the British Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, won a Grammy for their 2018 album, 44/876. They also toured with a show that came to the Pageant that year and performed a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR in 2019. More recently, they teamed up for Com Fly Wid Mi (2022), an album of Frank Sinatra covers performed by Shaggy and produced by Sting. Shaggy (aka Orville Richard Burrell) calls Sting (aka Gordon Sumner) the brother he never knew he needed. Its just an unlikely situation, says Shaggy, 54. You go into it collaborating with someone you see and admire. Its a great opportunity, and in the interim I found my best friend. Most often, he says, you find yourself surrounded by people who are not really your friends. They work for you theyre your inner circle. It takes a minute to find someone who doesnt rely on you for anything, whos self-reliant, that person who is into you for you and not what you do and who you are. I talk to Sting about twice a week no matter that time zone were in. They met in 1994 when Shaggy jumped onstage while Sting performed Roxanne. They shared an artists and repertoire label representative at the time; they now share a manager. Shaggy says the idea for Com Fly Wid Mi came while he and Sting were on a boat in Norway. Sting jumped into the water; Shaggy refused. Instead, while Sting waded, Shaggy put on some Sinatra music and sang. Sting popped his head up and said: Dude, you sound like the dude. Wouldnt it be cool if we did this as reggae? The concept made sense for Shaggy, who says that, though Jamaica is the home of reggae and calypso, you dont often hear those sounds on the radio there. My house was filled with Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Mahalia Jackson, Patti Page my grandmothers music, he says. Thats what she loved. I was raised on that type of music. He credits Sinatra with penning some of the best-written songs in the world iconic, unforgettable tunes. A lot of those instrumentals were done by Black people, Shaggy says. Quincy Jones work with Sinatra included producing L.A. Is My Lady (1984) his final solo album. Though he was familiar with the music, Com Fly Wid Mi was the toughest album Shaggy has recorded. His discography includes Pure Pleasure (1993), Boombastic (1995), Hot Shot (2000), Intoxication (2007) and Summer in Kingston (2011). Sting recorded Shaggys vocals for the Sinatra project and helped him through the process. I really studied these songs, Shaggy says. After the first week of songs, I got the hang of it. I had to train myself to hear them. Sting was very helpful in that. He was very patient. Once I told him I cant hear it, he sat with me. He was patient in teaching my ear to hear that. He has the most amazing ears and one of the most amazing voices. He says working with a giant like Sting, in producer mode, allowed for creative freedom. Throughout the process, he says Sting was fascinated in what I do and how I do it. Hes fascinated with how I can freestyle a song. Ultimately, Shaggy says, this is the album hes most proud of. I didnt know I could do it, he says. The real success is when you step outside of your comfort zone. Sting told him, You can do so much more with your voice than you are letting yourself do. While Com Fly Wid Mi has not been a commercial success, Shaggy says it has been good to him. You would not believe the offers Ive gotten since that record, he says. I had Broadway offers, but it conflicted with a tour I already had. It was based on them hearing that record. His new album, In the Mood (2023), also brings him back to more familiar territory. Its a Caribbean project I just did, he says. Its seasonal music, but I enjoy it even when its not in season. Its not just Carnival music. Its feel-good music. Shaggy is currently on tour with TLC, Sean Kingston and En Vogue for Hot Summer Nights coming June 28 to Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. Its a fan appreciation tour, he says. If youre a fan and see a lineup like this, why wouldnt you go to that? All of the hits are lined up together. How am I not going to that? Its a string of hits and just a great summer thing to do. What TLC, Shaggy, En Vogue, Sean Kingston When 7 p.m. June 28 Where Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, 14141 Riverport Drive, Maryland Heights How much $24-$95 More info livenation.com JEFFERSON CITY Missouri lawmakers are trying to tackle the states physician shortage by funding primary care medical residencies in hopes that more new doctors decide to stay in the Show-Me State. The bipartisan legislation, paid for with $2.4 million in the next state budget, calls for a grant program administered by the Department of Health and Senior Services for new medical residency positions in Missouri. The budget says the grants cant exceed $100,000 per residency slot. Medical school graduates must complete at least a three-year residency program to finish their training. As of 2020, Missouri retained 24% of its medical school graduates, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. In the past there has only been enough in-state residency slots for less than 75% of Missouri medical school graduates, according to a 2020 University of Missouri report using 2018 data. Where medical residents finish their education, they often stay. At the same time, Missouri is down hundreds of primary care doctors: the state would need nearly 600 additional primary care physicians to remove all of the states 363 primary care professional shortage area designations, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. If they go to some other state for residency, most of them dont ever come back, said Rep. Kent Haden, R-Mexico, a veterinarian who led House efforts addressing the issue. We are very short of doctors right now, but if we dont do this, in another 10 years, as the population ages, were going to be catastrophically short. The program, which Gov. Mike Parson is considering, would fund three-year residencies in family medicine, general internal medicine and general pediatrics. It would fund four-year residencies in general obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine-pediatrics, and general psychiatry, according to the legislation. Rep. Patty Lewis, D-Kansas City, a registered nurse, said a working group tasked with addressing health care issues began addressing the residency issue last year. We are outsourcing the medical students to other states for the residency program, Lewis said. Physicians are likely to stay where they train. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services primarily pays for medical residencies, and hospitals also contribute. The federal government ended a 25-year freeze on federal support levels at the end of 2020 by adding 1,000 more residency positions over five years, according to the AAMC. Dave Dillon, spokesman for the Missouri Hospital Association, said family physicians were the Swiss Army knife of the health care system. Having the ability to educate and then train in Missouri, those family physicians, and hopefully get them to stay, allows the health care system to work more effectively, Dillon said. Ridofranz / Getty Images/iStockphoto The rapid rise of artificial intelligence has been helping people in numerous and various ways, despite the technologys relatively nascent stages. The interest it has sparked and the new uses it can be applied to spans sectors, industries and is found across generations. So why not use it to help you retire abroad? Make Money With AI and Chat GPT: How To Earn $1,000 a Month Read: 3 Ways To Recession-Proof Your Retirement AI and ChatGPT are not just transforming the way we work, but also how we plan for the future, said Casey Jones, founder and head of marketing and finance at CJ&CO. AI and ChatGPT are powerful tools that can significantly enhance the quality of life for retirees, especially those living abroad. They can provide personalized, efficient, and effective solutions to various challenges that retirees face, from selecting a retirement destination to managing health and investments. From selecting a low-cost destination that suits your lifestyle and financial needs to providing personalized recommendations, here are a few ways experts say AI and ChatGPT can help you achieve your dream to retire overseas. Picking a Low-Cost Destination AI large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT could be a valuable tool in helping retirees pick a low-cost destination, said Paul Wood, FRSA, chief technology officer of COG. For example, it could take data about cost of living, healthcare quality, climate, and other factors important to retirees, and suggest destinations that fit a retirees specific needs and budget, Wood said. And already, travel sites such as Expedia, have launched ChatGPT plug-ins recently so users can get recommendations on places to go, where to stay, how to get around and what to see and do based on the chat, according to a press release. A traveler can start a conversation directly on the ChatGPT site and select the Expedia plugin to bring a trip to life. When theyre ready to book, they go straight to Expedia, according to the release. KAYAK made a similar move, saying that its ChatGPT plug-in will act as a virtual travel assistant, allowing for more conversational interactions with KAYAKs search engine. Users can head to ChatGPT and ask it questions in the same way they would ask a human, according to a blog post written by none other than ChatGPT. Im a Financial Planning Expert: Here Are 3 Ways ChatGPT Can Save You Money Finding the Right Property If youre looking for a retirement home abroad, AI tools can scour listings and provide recommendations based on your budget and preferences, explained Josh Richner, marketing director at National Legal Center. Learning Language and Translating For retirees planning to settle in a foreign country, language can be a significant barrier, and AI-powered language learning tools can help them learn the local language more effectively, Jones said. ChatGPT, with its ability to understand and generate human-like text, can serve as an interactive language tutor, providing instant feedback and personalized lessons, Jones said. Moreover, AI can also provide real-time translation services, making it easier for retirees to communicate in their new home. Lifestyle Planning As Wood explained, AI can also help retirees plan their lifestyle in retirement, which can include suggesting activities based on their interests, recommending communities or clubs to join, and even helping them learn new skills or hobbies. With recent advances in AI that allow large language models to browse the web, AI could also help retirees stay up-to-date with new activities available in their area that the retiree may be interested in, Wood said. Helping With Visas As Richner explained, AI tools can help you apply for visas by assisting with the paperwork, and making sure everything is filled out correctly and sent in on time. It could even suggest countries where your visa application might be more successful than others, based on factors like age, employment history or other data points that it has processed, Richner said. For example, Visto.ai is an immigration platform that makes Canadian immigration easier and uses technologies including open-AI platform Chat GPT. If someone decides to work with an immigration firm that uses Visto, they benefit from our automation and AI too a custom platform that walks them through the steps of uploading the right documents, AI that assists with drafting documents (that might otherwise take hours), automated updates on the progress of your file, e-signatures and more, said Visto.ai CEO and immigration lawyer Josh Schachnow. No more emailing or calling back and forth with your immigration professional the old fashioned way, and were happy to be saving everyone people who want to come to Canada and the professionals they work with a ton of time to make the immigration experience that much simpler, he added. Simplifying Banking Abroad Some AI tools can make banking and investing easier and more efficient across time zones qualities that can help retirees living overseas. As Investors.com reported, Vanguard recently launched an AI-powered chatbot for customers to ask questions or request transactions. It allows us to communicate quickly and efficiently with participants at scale, said Amber Brestowski, head of institutional investor advice and client experience at Vanguard told Investors.com. And JPMorgan is about to roll out a chatbot called IndexGPT, which among other things, would be analyzing and selecting securities tailored to customer needs, according to the application filed on May 11 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Yet, experts also stress the fact that the technology is just emerging and recommend that, at least at this stage, that any AI output is supervised by a professional in the relevant field. A human can provide context and personal understanding, Wood said. The sentiment was echoed by Phil Siegel, founder of CAPTRS, who said that when it comes to retirement tools, those are at the point where expert financial planners can use them productively but are not yet ready for retirees to use them directly in a safe manner. Maybe in 2024 that will change but I would let those tools develop before using them directly yourself. For those who use high service brokerage firms they will probably do a good job of helping retirees along by vetting tools first. Follow their lead, he added. Retirement Planning Sastry Durvasula, chief information and client services officer with TIAA, said that AI, machine learning and particularly generative AI and LLMs have game-changing potential in the retirement space and can help when retiring abroad. For example, Durvasula said that AI-powered systems can analyze financial transactions, detect patterns and identify potentially fraudulent activities. This helps protect retirees from falling victim to financial scams or potential fraud, which can be prevalent in some locations, Durvasula said. Another aspect is regulatory compliance, as when retiring abroad, individuals need to navigate various regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements. AI solutions can assist in monitoring and ensuring compliance with local and international financial regulations. This helps retirees avoid legal complications, potential penalties, and safeguard their financial well-being, Durvasula said. There are also several personal finance apps accessible, which can make retirement from overseas easier. For example, the Eyeballs app, an AI-powered investment management app, can help retirees stay connected to their advisor from a distance, said Mitchell Morrison, founder at Eyeballs Financial. The app can help those overseas with automatic communication and instant access to their investment accounts, Morrison said. They will have their questions about financial statements answered immediately, without waiting for a regular call with them. This will help a lot with time zones too. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Ways AI and ChatGPT Can Help You Retire Abroad Tony Messenger Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today There are people you write about who leave a lasting impression. Areli Munoz-Reyes is one of those people. I met her in 2015 shortly after she had graduated from University City High School. She was a very good student, preparing for college and having secured two years worth of tuition through Missouris A-plus program, which rewards students for good grades and community service. We met at the Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis, a nonprofit that helps first-generation students and others who lack financial resources to fulfill their higher education dreams. At the time, the Missouri Legislature was in the process of making it more difficult for people like Reyes to go to college. Say her name, I wrote at the time. Areli Munoz-Reyes qualified for her college aid the same way your children did. Say her name before you take away that which she already earned. Reyes took a risk talking to me, becoming an advocate for people who wanted a path to citizenship, to continue their studies, to work, to pay taxes, to stay with families that have complicated histories. Reyes father was seeking asylum; her mother was undocumented; her little sister is a citizen. American policy, at least under the law, is to tear them apart. Im really worried, she told me then. But somebody has to speak up. They need to know how real people are affected. I feel like what they are trying to do to me is take away my hope. I think Ive done all the right things. When Reyes was 8, she was brought to St. Louis by parents from Mexico who were not citizens of this country. There are more than 1 million young people like her children brought to this country, raised here and educated as Americans, only to find out when they try to get a drivers license or go to college that they are different. They are DREAMers, the subjects of the long-stalled DREAM Act first introduced in 2001 but never passed by Congress despite bipartisan support. The act would give these young people a path to citizenship. In 2012, then-President Barack Obama issued a memo protecting the students by creating the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The DACA program, which former President Donald Trump tried to rescind and President Joe Biden has strengthened, turned 11 years old last week. Thats when I saw a video of Areli. Shes married now and has a new last name, but she was one of four DREAMers highlighted by the White House to celebrate the resilience of DACA and the people it protects. In the video, Reyes, now Garner, recalled first learning of the DACA protections when she was a teenager in St. Louis. We were actually having a barbecue and we turned on the news and saw that the president was announcing this program, she says. We were really happy, but at the same time we were kind of scared because we didnt know what that meant for us. Indeed, since that day, her life has been a whirlwind, spending two years at St. Louis Community CollegeForest Park and finishing her undergraduate degree out of state. She came back to St. Louis to graduate this spring with a masters degree in social work from Washington University. All along, she has advocated for other immigrants and watched the various DACA court decisions, wondering what might be in store for her. No matter what country she was born in, Areli Munoz-Reyes Garner is an American success story and an example of the dichotomy in our broken immigration system. Shes fulfilling her dreams to contribute to the only country shes ever known, while also looking over her shoulder and wondering when a court or president might try to send her away. Im speechless. I never thought Id be in this position, she said in her moment in the sun, videotaped on the White House grounds. We are here. Were going to keep fighting and were not going to stop until we have a permanent solution for us. Tony Messenger Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today ST. LOUIS Rasheen Aldridge finds himself in a unique position. He is the only Black man on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, and he represents much of the area downtown where he says young Black men have wreaked havoc. He wants to do something to stem gun violence but, like a physician, he wants to follow the mantra of Do No Harm. It weighs very heavily on me, Aldridge told me this week. We were talking about a bill before the board sponsored by Alderwoman Cara Spencer. It seeks to make it illegal for people without a concealed-carry permit in the city to openly carry guns. The bill is mostly targeted at juveniles since Missouri law doesnt allow them to have concealed-carry permits. Spencer is trying to take advantage of a loophole in Missouri law that gives cities a very narrow path to try to regulate guns on the street. I dont think its a bill that fixes gun violence, Spencer says, but I think it can make a difference. The bill met resistance from Aldridge and others because of the fear that police might unfairly target young Black men, and thus put their lives and perhaps the lives of police officers in danger. Its a legitimate concern based on the history of St. Louis and plenty of other cities but its not one that cant be overcome. Aldridge believes that. So does Spencer. The president of the Board of Aldermen, Megan Green, believes it too. I definitely want to see compromise on this bill, Green says. My office is looking into best practices in other cities. At the bare minimum, we need to create a mechanism so we are tracking the results so we can figure out if it is being equitably administered. The optimism of Green, Aldridge and Spencer is guided by two opinions issued by City Counselor Sheena Hamilton. The opinions, which I have posted in the online version of this column, make it clear that Spencers underlying goal is constitutional, as long as police dont permanently confiscate guns. Instead, police should process them following normal procedures in cases where a crime is suspected, and be prepared to give them back if they are legally owned. Hamilton wrote that most of the bill is drafted to regulate open carry in a manner permitted by that statute. In a second opinion, issued after the bill had its first hearing, she addressed a concern raised by Aldridge about the bill allowing stop and frisk practices by police that could unfairly target Black people. The bill would not require stop and frisk policies, Hamilton concluded. That opinion helped convince Aldridge that there is a path forward on the bill. The unfortunate thing about the letters is that many aldermen havent seen them. Thats because, unlike her predecessors as city counselor, Hamilton believes opinions sought by aldermen are closed records even though such opinions have for decades helped guide debate over legislation. The city denied my Sunshine Law request for the letters. Aldermen, following Hamiltons warnings, reluctantly declined to share them with me. I obtained the letters from a source. The decision by Hamilton to keep her detailed and nuanced opinions secret contributed to the early debate over Spencers bill becoming overly politicized. Spencer ran against Hamiltons boss, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, in the past mayoral election, and has hinted she might challenge her in the next one. Public policy decisions in the Board of Aldermen for far too long have gotten caught up in the politics of race. Aldridge says hes hoping that doesnt happen here. A lot of us ran on doing things differently in this city, he says. I think this board is ready to handle tough issues. Having to do so without being able to share legal opinions about important legislation will make that process more difficult. This is the first city counselor Ive served with who has that opinion, Spencer says. Indeed, there are dozens of issues where such letters have had a significant impact, such as airport privatization and the spending of American Rescue Plan Act money. I respect the opinions that shes issued, Spencer says. Its clear to me that these were extremely thoughtful. I would like to share them with the public because I believe it would be helpful to the process. Green hopes to meet with Spencer and other aldermen and work on a compromise to the bill. City residents want the Board of Aldermen to do something about gun violence, and there are many strategies in play, including potentially regulating apartment rentals where much of the downtown mayhem has started. A possible path on Spencers bill can be seen in the current enforcement of a 2017 city ordinance making it illegal to leave guns in unattended vehicles if they arent locked up. Jones administration is the first to enforce that law, charging violations to people who drove into the city and had guns stolen. When people show up to court, the city is waiving fines or penalties as long as gun owners install locked cases in their vehicles. The city is also tracking the cases by ZIP code and other demographics. Enforcement of the law has resulted in dozens of gun cases being installed in vehicles in the St. Louis region. Every gun not stolen is one more kept from the streets. We struggle to figure out what are the appropriate interventions to get guns off our streets, especially when we have a state Legislature that ties our hands in most respects in terms of regulating guns, Green says. The solution cant just be anything; it has to be the correct solution. COLLINSVILLE Collinsville police shot and injured a man they say pointed a weapon at them on Tuesday. Illinois State Police, which is investigating the shooting, said Collinsville officers were initially called to the 1100 block of St. Clair Avenue for a report of a man with a gun. Officers shot and injured the 30-year-old man just before 9:15 p.m. after they say he pointed a weapon at them. State police did not provide information about the man's condition. No officers were injured in the incident. A Collinsville major contacted by a reporter on Thursday refused to talk about the incident, referring all questions to Illinois State Police. Despite repeated inquiries, neither police agency issued details about the shooting until Thursday afternoon about 40 hours after it happened. ST. LOUIS The Tennessee teen whose legs were amputated in February following a crash in downtown St. Louis filed suit Tuesday against the city and the two drivers who hit her. Janae Edmondson was visiting St. Louis on Feb. 18 for a volleyball tournament when she was pinned between two cars and critically injured. The driver of one of the vehicles, Daniel Riley, was out on bond in a pending robbery case despite violating the conditions of his bond dozens of times. The incident sparked widespread outcry and calls for the resignation of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner, whose dysfunctional office was blamed for allowing Riley to remain free. Gardner stepped down last month amid a lawsuit seeking her removal and a bill in the state Legislature that would have stripped her of most of her power. Now, Edmondsons suit is seeking an amount more than $25,000 in damages from Riley, Rileys mother, the city of St. Louis and the driver of the other vehicle that struck Edmondson. The exact amount of damages Edmondson is seeking will likely be determined later. The suit did not name Gardner nor the St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office, but Edmondsons attorney, Kevin Carnie, said they were weighing the possibility. The teen, the lawsuit said, had her bright future brutally ripped away. The crash ... was completely preventable, the lawsuit said. Edmondson, then a high school senior, was crossing the intersection of St. Charles and North 11th streets on Feb. 18 when a speeding Audi that Riley was driving collided with a Chevrolet Malibu driven by another woman, police said. Edmondson was pinned between the two vehicles. Edmondsons father said his military training kicked in as he applied a tourniquet to the teens legs. She has undergone several surgeries and a long recovery since. The lawsuit blames the city for failing to maintain a safe intersection. It says there was a yield sign meant to control westbound traffic on St. Charles Street, but the sign wasnt adequate because those traveling on 11th Street couldnt see oncoming traffic. Buildings were blocking their sight, it said. A full stop is required for traffic on St. Charles to adequately observe conflicting cross traffic, the suit says. Meanwhile, the suit says Riley should be held liable for driving without a license and driving recklessly. It also says his mother should be held liable for letting him borrow her car due to his habitual recklessness. It also says the driver of the Malibu should be held liable because she, too, was driving without a valid license that night. A city spokesman declined comment. Riley is being held in the St. Louis jail pending trial in his criminal cases. A hearing has not been set in the lawsuit. Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the amount of damages being sought. KANSAS CITY, Mo. In an uncommon move, the Missouri Attorney Generals Office has agreed to an evidentiary hearing for a woman who has spent four decades in prison for a St. Joseph murder she maintains she did not commit. Sandra Hemme, 63, has been behind bars for more than 42 years for the Nov. 12, 1980, killing of Patricia Jeschke, whose nude body was found on the floor of her apartment along North Riverside Road in eastern St. Joseph. Lawyers with the New York-based Innocence Project filed a petition in February seeking to exonerate and free Hemme, arguing that she falsely confessed to a murder that the lawyers say was more likely committed by a corrupt St. Joseph police officer. In its response last week, the attorney generals office asked the circuit court judge overseeing the case, Ryan Horsman, to order the lawyers involved to be ready to set a date for an evidentiary hearing when they meet next July 10. The AGs office reserved the right to raise defenses against Hemmes claims, meaning its lawyers could try to get her case thrown out once more fact finding has occurred. The office also said Hemmes attorneys have alleged facts that if true may entitle her to relief. The response was surprising to local attorneys, given that the AGs office has for decades, under Republicans and Democrats, fought nearly every wrongful conviction case to come before it, as the news outlets Injustice Watch and The Appeal reported in 2020. I truly hope this means they will be evaluating the evidence and not having a knee-jerk reaction of opposing the petition, said Elizabeth Ramsey, a St. Louis-based attorney who has successfully litigated against the attorney general. Ramsey, who is not involved in Hemmes case, said the AGs office usually opposes evidentiary hearings in innocence claims. Kent Gipson, a Kansas City-based attorney who has filed hundreds of post-conviction claims over three decades, could only think of one other innocence case where the attorney generals office agreed to an evidentiary hearing. That was in the mid-2000s in the case of Reginald Griffin, who was not freed from Missouris death row until years later. Gipson who has criticized the AG for typically opposing every case no matter what the facts are also considered the response in Hemmes case atypical. But Gipson, who also is not involved in the case, said until the AGs office concedes someone was wrongly convicted, he doubted the six-page court filing signaled a broader shift in the offices culture. I hope Im wrong, but I just dont see this as a wholesale change in their attitude toward litigating these things, he said. The AGs opposition to innocence claims has gained national attention in recent years, especially under former Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who is now a U.S. senator. Schmitts office fought Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker in her effort to free Kevin Strickland, who was exonerated in 2021 after spending 43 years in prison for a triple murder he did not commit. The AG also opposed then-St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner as she sought to exonerate Lamar Johnson, an innocent man who was freed in February after 28 years in prison. A spokesperson for the attorney generals office, now under Andrew Bailey, did not return messages seeking comment. Hemmes innocence claim The only evidence connecting Hemme to the murder of Jeschke, a quiet St. Joseph library worker, were her wildly contradictory and factually impossible statements extracted from detectives, according to her attorneys. A patient at the St. Joseph State Hospitals psychiatric ward at the time, Hemme gave many conflicting statements to the police when questioned after the crime. She initially didnt even mention a murder. She later claimed to have seen a man commit the killing a theory that was pursued by police and prosecutors, who charged the man, until they realized he was miles away in Topeka at the time and could not have been there. Another time, Hemme said she knew about the murder because of extrasensory perception or, as it is also known, the sixth sense. It wasnt until nearly two weeks after her first encounter with detectives that Hemme told authorities that she, alone, violently took Jeschkes life. Even then, she was anything but certain. I think I stabbed her with it, Hemme said of a hunting knife. I dont know. I dont know. Hemme initially pleaded guilty to capital murder, but her conviction was thrown out on appeal. She was then found guilty in 1985 during a one-day jury trial devoid of physical evidence and eyewitnesses. Her words were the only evidence against her. In recounting the case in its response, the attorney generals office did argue that Hemmes numerous statements included details that she could not have known unless she committed the murder. But the Innocence Project says the jury never heard damning evidence withheld by state officials that instead implicated Michael Holman, a 22-year-old police officer who was investigated for insurance fraud and burglaries. He did prison time in Missouri and Nebraska. Hours after Jeschke was found dead, Holman tried to use her credit card to buy $630.43 worth of photography equipment at a store in Kansas City, Kansas. A hair found on Jeschkes bed sheet also exhibited microscopic characteristics similar to that of Holmans. Additionally, Jeschkes earrings were found at Holmans apartment a fact that was hidden from Hemmes lawyers at trial. Holman, who died in 2015, was considered a suspect late in the homicide investigation. His colleagues looked into his alibi a story of him having sex with a woman named Mary at a motel next to Jeschkes apartment but it could not be corroborated. Hemmes fight for freedom is supported by Lloyd Pasley, who was a senior member in St. Joes detective division in 1980 and went on to serve twice as the police departments interim chief. He believes Hemme, who is imprisoned at the Chillicothe Correctional Center, is innocent and that the evidence points to Holman as Jeschkes sole killer. One of Hemmes former attorneys, Larry Harman who went on to serve as Clay County prosecutor, a special assistant AG and a circuit judge believes detectives took advantage of Hemmes mentally fragile state. If Hemme is ultimately exonerated, her prison term would mark the longest known wrongful conviction of a woman in U.S. history. ST. LOUIS A St. Louis man was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for fatally shooting a 15-year-old boy in 2019. Joseph Renick, 58, entered an Alford plea to a charge of felony involuntary manslaughter, which means he admitted that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him but did not admit guilt. Prosecutors reduced that charge from first-degree murder and said they would have proven at trial that he fatally shot 15-year-old Sentonio Cox in the citys Patch neighborhood. Renicks case and the case of his co-defendant and former roommate Brian Potter dragged on for nearly four years as prosecutors struggled to secure witnesses in the case. Last year, prosecutors dismissed and refiled both cases after Judge Christopher McGraugh denied their request to continue the trial. Potter was acquitted of all charges in August. At his trial, prosecutors argued the two men backed Sentonio into a vacant lot in the 7300 block of Vermont Avenue in August 2019 after catching him and his teenage cousin looking into cars on the block. Sentonio tried to run away and had his hands up more than 50 feet away when Renick opened fire, striking him in the head, prosecutors said. Renick was set to face trial starting Monday. Instead, he entered his plea in exchange for a 10-year prison sentence. He had already served roughly 3 years in jail. I would like to say to the victims family, Im sorry for their loss, Renick said. Judge McGraugh noted the plea agreement marked an extremely favorable outcome. He said while he wasnt familiar with the details of the agreement if the case had proceeded, there was a possibility that Renick would have been spending the rest of (his) life in the Department of Corrections. ST. LOUIS A University City man who defrauded Missouri Medicaid out of more than $1.2 million and fraudulently received $135,000 in pandemic aid was sentenced Tuesday to five years in federal prison. Authorities said Deandre D. Horne falsely claimed over a four-year period that he provided home health care services and used fake visitor information to cover it up. On some occasions, he was vacationing in Paris, Chile, Japan, Brussels, Punta Cana, Portugal and Jamaica when he claimed to be on the job in Missouri, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office. In addition, Horne received a $135,707 loan through the federal Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic by inflating the number of employees who worked for his business, Budget Towing & Recovery LLC. Horne pleaded guilty in February to one count of health care fraud and one count of wire fraud. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to repay $1,474,388. "This individual took valuable resources away from their intended recipients during a time when many Americans were hurting and needed that support," said Curt L. Muller, the special agent in charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, in a news release. ST. LOUIS The Southern Illinois University system has launched an investigation related to a global cyberattack, officials acknowledged in an email this week. The university said it was looking into recent suspicious network activity related to MOVEit, an online file transfer system that was recently attacked by a Russian hacking group. We are currently conducting a detailed analysis to determine if any SIU personal information may have been acquired as a result of this incident, Wil Clark, chief information officer at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, said in an email on Wednesday. We will notify affected individuals as soon as we know the full scope and breadth of the incident and provide additional information and resources to help protect their personal information. Clark thanked the campus community for its patience, and urged people to take precautions to protect their personal information. MOVEit is a popular system for sending files securely, developed by the Massachusetts-based company Progress Software. SIUs information technology office has several training webpages that teach students, faculty and staff how to use the MOVEit software. Using MOVEit minimizes the likelihood that information could potentially be compromised, one page said. Earlier this month, the CL0P ransomware syndicate began posting on its dark website lists of dozens of government agencies and business that it claimed to have breached by exploiting a vulnerability in the MOVEit software, including the University of Missouri system. The hackers have told victims they should negotiate a ransom or risk having sensitive stolen data dumped online. UM officials confirmed last Friday that they were aware of CL0Ps announcement and were investigating. Though SIU so far has not been included on the current list, the university has been breached by CL0P before. In December 2020 and January 2021, the hackers stole patient data from the SIU School of Medicine in Carbondale and others by exploiting a flaw in file transfer software from the company Accellion. In that case, SIU provided complimentary identity theft protection services for people whose private information was exposed. In recent weeks, state cybersecurity officials in Missouri and Illinois have said they are investigating potential impacts from the cyberattack, with Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology warning that a large number of individuals could be impacted. Missouris Office of Administration has said it would notify the public as quickly as possible once its investigation identified anyone who might have been impacted by the cyberattack. Meanwhile, federal officials are offering a $10 million reward for information linking CL0P to a foreign government, the U.S. State Departments Rewards for Justice program announced in a tweet on Friday. State of abortion in each state In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization that ended nearly a half-century of a nationwide right to abortion, states have enacted contrasting policies on the issue. The Dobbs decision overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that protected the right to an abortion until fetal viability, which is generally considered to be around 23 or 24 weeks of pregnancy. Lawmakers, governors, courts and voters are all shaping policies and more changes are in the pipeline. A state-by-state breakdown of where things stand: STATES WHERE ABORTION IS BANNED THROUGHOUT PREGNANCY ALABAMA Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs. Exception: Womans life or health. ARKANSAS Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Womans life. IDAHO Law adopted in 2020 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Rape, incest and life of the woman. A judge has blocked enforcement in cases of medical emergencies. The state also has a law making it a felony to transport a minor for the purpose of obtaining an abortion without parental consent. KENTUCKY Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Health or life of the woman. Kentucky voters in 2022 defeated a ballot question for an amendment that would have declared there to be no right to abortion in the state constitution. LOUISIANA Law adopted in 2006 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Life or heath of the woman. MISSISSIPPI Law adopted in 2007 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Rape and the life of the woman. MISSOURI Law adopted in 2019 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Life or heath of the woman. NORTH DAKOTA A new law was adopted in 2023, replacing one that was blocked by a court. Exceptions: Rape, incest and health or life of the woman. OKLAHOMA Law adopted in 2022 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Life of the woman. SOUTH DAKOTA Law adopted in 2005 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Life of the woman. TENNESSEE Law adopted in 2020 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Health or life of the woman. TEXAS Law adopted in 2021 took effect after Dobbs. Exceptions: Health or life of the woman. WEST VIRGINIA Ban adopted in 2022 after the Dobbs ruling. Exceptions: Rape, incest and health or life of the woman. WISCONSIN Ban is from an 1849 law. Theres litigation over whether it should be in effect. Exceptions: Womans life. STATES WHERE ABORTION IS BANNED AFTER 6 TO 15 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY ARIZONA A ban on abortion after 15 weeks gestation was adopted in 2022 and took effect after the Dobbs ruling. Exceptions: Health or life of the woman. A state court has ruled that a ban on abortion at all stages of pregnancy does not apply to doctors; theres a legal dispute about whether it is in effect for helpers. GEORGIA Law adopted in 2019 bans abortion once cardiac activity can be detected, generally around six weeks into pregnancy and before women often know theyre pregnant. Exceptions: Rape, incest and health or life of the woman. NEBRASKA Law adopted in 2023 bans abortion at 12 weeks gestational age. Exceptions: Rape, incest and life of the woman. STATES WHERE BANS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BUT ARE NOT YET IN EFFECT FLORIDA A ban on abortion after 15 weeks gestation was adopted in 2022 and took effect after the Dobbs ruling. Exceptions: Health or life of the woman. If a court finds the current ban to comply with the state constitution, it is to be replaced with a more stringent one adopted in 2023 that would ban abortion after six weeks and add exceptions for cases of rape and incest. NORTH CAROLINA A ban on abortions after 20 weeks is in place until July 1, when a ban after 12 weeks, with exceptions for the health and life of the woman, rape and incest takes effect. STATES WHERE BANS OR RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD BY COURTS INDIANA A ban on abortion after 22 weeks gestation is in place. A law to ban abortion at any point in pregnancy was adopted in 2022 after Dobbs, but the Indiana Supreme Court put it on hold. MONTANA Abortion is banned after viability. A Montana judge has put on hold enforcement of a ban on abortions after 20 weeks and one on the most commonly used procedure in the second trimester, dilation and evacuation, after 15 weeks. OHIO A ban on abortions after 22 weeks is in place. A county judge put on hold a ban on abortion after cardiac activity can be detected. The state Supreme Court is reviewing that decision. Abortion-rights groups are pursuing a measure for the November ballot that would enshrine in the state constitution a right to make ones own decisions about a variety of reproductive care issues. SOUTH CAROLINA A ban on abortions after 20 weeks is in place. A judge has put on hold enforcement of a ban after cardiac activity can be detected. UTAH A ban on abortions after 18 weeks is in place. A state court has put on hold enforcement of a ban on abortions at all stages of pregnancy. A ban on abortion clinics is also on hold. WYOMING Abortion is banned after viability. A state court has put on hold enforcement of two different bans at all stages of pregnancy. The state has also adopted a specific ban on medication abortions that is set to go into effect in July. STATES THAT HAVE MOVED TO PROTECT ABORTION ACCESS CALIFORNIA Abortion is banned after viability. Since last year, the state has adopted an executive order, laws and a state constitutional amendment to protect abortion access. COLORADO Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. An executive order and laws to protect access to abortion and one to bar deceptive practices by anti-abortion centers have been adopted since last year. CONNECTICUT Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order signed last year protects access to abortion. DELAWARE Abortion is banned after viability. A law has been adopted since last year to protect access. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. A law has been adopted since last year to protect access. HAWAII Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order and law have been adopted since last year to protect access. ILLINOIS Abortion is banned after viability. A law has been adopted since last year protecting access. MAINE Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order has been signed since last year protecting access. MARYLAND Abortion is banned after viability. A law has been adopted since last year protecting access. MASSACHUSSETS Abortion is banned after 24 weeks. A law has been adopted since last year protecting access. MICHIGAN Abortion is banned after viability. A constitutional amendment was adopted in 2022 to protect abortion access. MINNESOTA Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order and law have been adopted since last year to protect access. NEVADA Abortion is banned after 24 weeks. An executive order and law have been adopted since last year to protect access. NEW JERSEY Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. A law has been adopted since last year protecting access. NEW MEXICO Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. An executive order and law have been adopted since last year to protect access. NEW YORK Abortion is banned after viability. Laws have been adopted since last year to protect access. PENNSYLVANIA Abortion is banned after 24 weeks. An executive order has been signed since last year protecting access. RHODE ISLAND Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order has been signed since last year protecting access. A 2023 law expands coverage for abortion for state workers and Medicaid enrollees. VERMONT Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. A constitutional amendment and law protecting access have been enacted since last year. WASHINGTON Abortion is banned after viability. An executive order and law have been adopted since last year to protect access. STATES WHERE KEY ABORTION POLICIES ARE UNCHANGED SINCE DOBBS ALASKA Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. IOWA A ban on abortion after 22 weeks gestation is in place. KANSAS A ban on abortion after 22 weeks gestation is in place. Voters in 2022 defeated a ballot question that would have found not right to abortion in the state constitution. NEW HAMPSHIRE Abortion is banned after 24 weeks. OREGON Abortion is not banned at any point in pregnancy. VIRGINIA Abortion is banned after the second trimester, around 26 weeks. Missouri ranks in the bottom third of all states for childrens health, according to a recent report using data from 2021. The annual Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, released this month, evaluates states on four metrics of child well-being: health, economic well-being, education and family & community. For overall child well-being, Missouri ranks near the middle: 28th of 50 states, with 50 being the worst. Other Midwestern states, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin, were in the top ten of all states for child well-being. Bringing down the states overall ranking was one factor in particular: childrens health. Only 15 states in the country had a lower rating for childrens health. Our health rankings are part of the problem, said Tracy Greever-Rice, program director of Missouri Kids Count. We have work to do here in Missouri around infant mortality, Greever-Rice said. And we also have work to do, like many states with large rural populations, in terms of teen and adolescent deaths. Only 10 other states had the same or worse rates of child and teen deaths as Missouri, one of the factors included in the health measure. The rate of child and teen deaths was 39 per 100,000 in Missouri in 2021 up from 32 per 100,000 just two years earlier. The states trend mirrored the national trend, which increased from 25 deaths per 100,000 to 30 deaths per 100,000 from 2019 to 2021 Greever-Rice said several factors could have contributed to the states relatively high rate of child and teen deaths in 2021. Particularly at risk and a change that weve seen over the past few years are adolescent boys in more rural areas, Greever-Rice said, and of course, Missouri, like everywhere else has been impacted by the opioid and fentanyl epidemic. So we just have some high risk populations here that we have work to do around. Suicide rates among young people have increased nationally over the last several decades, particularly in rural areas, where mental health services can be scarcer, research has found. Firearms became the leading cause of kids deaths in the United States in 2020, surpassing car accidents. According to Childrens Defense Fund, Missouri was one of ten states that accounted for half of all child and teen gun deaths in the nation from 2011-2020. Bills to limit access to guns failed in the Legislature this session. Other indicators of childrens health the rates of low birth-weight babies, children without health insurance, and children who are overweight or obese were all slightly worse in Missouri than on average, according to the report. The best states for childrens health, according to the report, include Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire, while the worst are Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Missouri children fared best, out of the four broad indicators of well-being, on the measure of economic well-being. The state ranked 18th of 50 on economic well-being. While 3 in 10 children nationally live in households with a high housing cost burden, only around 2 in 10 Missouri children do, per the report. The rate of kids whose parents lack secure employment is also slightly better in Missouri at 26% than nationally, 29%. The rate of children in poverty roughly mirrors the national average 16% in Missouri and 17% nationally. The rate of teens not in school and not working is 7% in Missouri, equal to the national average. The Kids Count index also included data on the cost of child care nationally, though it did not factor into the overall well-being rating. For many, many families right now, Greever-Rice said, the cost (of child care) continues to go up and availability just decreases, particularly in rural areas and underserved areas. In Missouri, a single parent with a toddler attending a child care center would pay 28% of the median income on child care, according to the Kids Count report. Dozens of interviews conducted by The Independent and Muckrock indicated that that burden can be untenable for many families even though it is actually a lower burden than in much of the rest of the country, per the report. As the Missouri Independent and Muckrocks investigative collaboration, Disappearing Daycare, found, the child care crisis is one not just of cost but access: Missourians struggle to find child care openings, particularly for infants, and the situation is even worse for those seeking government assistance. The average cost for a toddlers care at a center in Missouri was nearly $9,000, according to Kids Count. (Bloomberg) -- US authorities are looking into what representations Adani Group made to its American investors following a scathing short sellers report that accused the company of using offshore companies to secretly manipulate its share prices. Most Read from Bloomberg The US Attorneys Office in Brooklyn, New York, has sent inquiries in recent months to institutional investors with large holdings in the India conglomerate, one person familiar with the inquiries said. The requests for information were focused on what Adani Group told those investors, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the probe isnt public. The Securities and Exchange Commission also has a similar probe underway, two other people said. Requests for information from US prosecutors dont necessarily mean that criminal or civil proceedings will be filed as law enforcement agencies often open inquiries that dont lead to action. The interest from US authorities adds to the intense scrutiny of Adani Group, one of Indias biggest conglomerates, following short seller Hindenburg Researchs report accusing it of long-running stock manipulation and accounting fraud. The group, led by billionaire Gautam Adani, already faces regulatory probes in its home country. News of the inquiries emerged as President Joe Biden rolled out the red carpet for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House. Both Adani and Modi hail from the western Indian state of Gujarat, and the tycoons meteoric growth mirrors Modis own political journey to Indias top elected office. All 10 Adani Group stocks dropped in early Mumbai trading on Friday, with flagship Adani Enterprises Ltd. sliding as much as 5%. A spokesperson for Ahmedabad, India-based Adani Group said it was not aware of any subpoenas to investors. Our various issuers groups remain confident that the disclosures are full and complete as disclosed in the relevant issuer offering circulars, the spokesperson said. The group has denied the short sellers accusations. Spokespeople for the Eastern District of New York US Attorneys Office and SEC declined to comment. Hindenburg Report Adani Groups troubles began when Hindenburg on Jan. 24 released a report accusing the conglomerate of using a network of offshore companies in tax havens to embellish share prices and financial results. The report also alleged that the group had flouted disclosure and shareholding laws. Adani Group rejected the accusations and said in a lengthy rebuttal that Hindenburgs report was nothing short of a calculated securities fraud. Still, a steep share price decline followed that at one point wiped as much as $153 billion off the combined market value of Adani Groups 10 publicly traded businesses. Some investors divested quickly. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Adani Group stocks from its ESG funds in the weeks following the report. Other institutional money managers, like BlackRock Inc. and and the fund management unit of Deutsche Bank AG, stayed put. In the months following the report, GQG Partners LLC had spent about $2.5 billion in five Adani Group stocks. In a bid to reassure investors, Adani Group in March met with Pacific Investment Management Company, BlackRock and Blackstone Inc. as part of a plan to market privately placed bonds for some of its companies, Bloomberg previously reported. Spokespeople for PIMCO, BlackRock, Blackstone declined to comment. New York-based Hindenburg, led by Nate Anderson, first attracted Wall Streets attention in 2020 after raising red flags about electric-vehicle maker Nikola Corp. Prosecutors in Manhattan pursued that lead, which culminated in the conviction of Nikola founder Trevor Milton for fraud in 2022. --With assistance from Dong Lyu, Silla Brush, Anders Melin, P R Sanjai and Shikhar Balwani. (Adds Adani stocks moves in the sixth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. In the roll call of the thousands of Russian Wagner fighters killed in the ferocious battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut there is an unexpected name. Nemes Tarimo, from Dar es Salaam, Tanzanias largest city, died on Oct. 24 last year when his unit in the Wagner private army came under artillery fire in the village of Odradivka, just south of Bakhmut. The stocky, round-faced 32-year-old was a courageous and able fighter, his commanding officer wrote in a report on Tarimos death. Four years earlier, Tarimo had arrived in Moscow to further his education, filled with ambition, his family said. He enrolled in a Russian language course at Moscows Pushkin Institute then transferred to a postgraduate program in IT at the citys Russian Technological University. Nemes had big dreams, said his cousin, Rehema Kigobe, in an interview at the house where Tarimo grew up. In journeying to Russia, Tarimo was following the route of many young Africans, including future heads of state, since the 1960s. Starting in Soviet times, Moscow had opened its arms to African students as a way of courting influence in countries that were just shaking themselves free of Western European colonial rule. Today, some 35,000 African students are enrolled in Russian universities and colleges, the countrys education minister said earlier this year. Tarimo also ended up treading the path of a handful of other Africans who took up arms for Wagner in Ukraine. Reuters has traced the stories of three of these men Tarimo, a young Zambian man called Lemekani Nyirenda and Komenan Aboya from Ivory Coast. The reporting shows they came to Russia in hope of advancement, fell into crime and were jailed on drug convictions. The three African inmates Reuters followed were among the tens of thousands of Russian convicts who took up Wagners offer of a pardon in return for six months service in Ukraine. In the mercenary armys ranks these men would serve alongside fighters mainly from Russia and former Soviet states, but also small numbers of Afghans and Arabs, some of whom may have been recruited on Wagners previous foreign campaigns. The three mens stories tell of soaring ambitions and broken dreams. They also show the strength of the bond some young Africans feel for Russia, which is untarnished by an imperial past in a continent where it had no lasting colonies. Claire Amuhaya, a Kenyan lecturer at Moscows Peoples Friendship University, which draws many of its students from Africa, said this bond was forged during the Cold War when the Soviet Union backed African independence movements and supported the armed wing of South Africas African National Congress in its fight against white minority rule. The connection remains to this day, even though many African countries hold far more significant trade balances with the European Union and United States, and have adopted a largely neutral stance on the war in Ukraine. In March last year, 17 African countries, including South Africa, abstained as the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to reprimand Russia for invading Ukraine. The presidents of South Africa and Zambia are now among a group of African leaders seeking to mediate between Russia and Ukraine. The Wagner Group as well has cemented strong ties with several African governments over the past decade with operations in at least eight African nations, according to leaked U.S. documents, including Mali, Libya and Central African Republic. Officials in the three mens homelands Tanzania, Zambia and Ivory Coast didnt respond to Reuters questions for this article about the individual cases and about Wagners recruitment of foreign nationals. Big dreams Nemes Tarimo was born into a middle class family but orphaned at an early age. His extended family raised him in Mbezi kwa Msuguri, a suburb on the western fringes of Dar es Salaam where Tarimo inherited a house tucked alongside the main highway out of the city. His social media profiles show that before leaving for Russia he worked as an accountant for a logistics firm. Nemes was ambitious, said his cousin, Rehema Kigobe. She described him as a quiet, non-confrontational person who loved computers and reading. He dreamed of moving abroad then launching a business or political career in his homeland. He wanted to be a big person, she said. In Russia, Tarimo chronicled his new life on social media, posting photographs from the seaside resort of Sochi, the skyscrapers of Moscows financial district, and from a cultural festival at his language institute. In December 2018, he attended an international youth conference in Moscow addressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and appeared in a promotional video for the event. Tarimo was also pictured at several events hosted by the Tanzanian embassy, sometimes with the ambassador. Tanzanian embassy officials didnt respond to requests for comment for this article. In 2020, Tarimo briefly returned from Russia. He tried to become a parliamentary candidate for Tanzanias main center-right opposition party Chadema, narrowly missing out on selection, party documents show. He did not stay in Tanzania long, telling relatives that his fiancee was pregnant and he wanted to return to Moscow for the birth. Reuters was unable to identify Tarimos fiancee or child. Family members said more recently Tarimo became harder to contact and that he would change phone numbers often, calling relatives using the numbers of friends in Moscow. Somewhere along the line he slipped into crime. He was arrested in January 2021 in a residential district in south Moscow. According to court papers, police officers reported seeing Tarimo hiding items in the snow. They said he appeared nervous, his eyes darting from side to side. The court documents said he was carrying 8.33 grams of mephedrone, divided up into small bundles, ready for distribution. The court handed down a sentence of seven years in a strict regime prison, where conditions are tougher, with fewer rights to receive visitors, correspondence and spending money. A person who was in the courtroom said Tarimo appeared to understand little during his trial and was in a state of shock when his sentence was announced. Tarimos state-appointed lawyer Alexander Shilkin told Reuters that the term was light for a drug dealing charge and that prosecutors had accepted a plea for a relatively lenient sentence. I hadnt heard that he died, said Shilkin. That is very sad. He seemed to me to be a good person who committed his crime due to his difficult circumstances. Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Russia Behind Bars prisoners rights watchdog said Tarimo was incarcerated at Yaroslavl regions Penal Colony No. 2 in the city of Rybinsk, 267 kilometers north of Moscow. Russian prison authorities didnt comment. Reuters spoke to five foreign students who knew Tarimo during his time in Russia. Some of the students said they worked part-time off-the-books jobs on building sites or in restaurants in order to help fund their studies. All said they were shocked that Tarimo, who they described as reserved and respectful, had become involved in drugs. Kristian Malundama, who lived in the same student hostel as Tarimo, said he first learnt of the Tanzanians arrest from the buildings superintendent, after Tarimo vanished suddenly in January 2021. I had trouble believing it, said Malundama, who is from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was such a calm and serious boy. Tarimos relatives told Tanzanian media that he first informed them that he had been jailed in June 2022, almost eighteen months after his arrest. The death report filed by Tarimos commanding officer said the Tanzanian joined Wagner on Aug. 24, 2022. Almost 400 convicts departed with the mercenary groups recruiters from prisons in the Yaroslavl region that day, according to Russian independent news site MediaZona. On March 27, in response to questions from Reuters, Prigozhin said he personally recruited Tarimo from prison. He quoted Tarimo as having compared the position of residents of Ukraines mostly-Russian speaking Donbas region, which Russia has cast as central to its war in Ukraine, to that of Africans, who he said were treated as animals by white people. Reuters couldnt verify Prigozhins account. Tarimo last contacted his relatives in October, according to several media reports in Tanzania. He said he was going deep into the mountains to serve food to soldiers, and that he would be unreachable for some time. He promised to come back to Tanzania in January 2023, if God wished it. Hello, I have bad news for you Life was also filled with promise for Lemekani Nyirenda when, aged 19, he left his home in Zambia to continue his education in Russia. It was 2019. The outstanding student and devout Christian had won a Zambian government scholarship to study nuclear engineering in Moscow. But Nyirenda didnt complete his studies. In November last year, his family learned he too had died in Ukraine fighting for Wagner. The news came in a text message from an unknown number: Hello, I have bad news for you. Your son took part in a military operation in Ukraine. Unfortunately (he) tragically died. Will you be able to arrive in Russia? Lemekani left a will and personal belongings for you. I am very sorry with all my heart. The message said nothing more about the circumstances of his death. Nyirenda was born into a devout Baptist family in the Zambian capital Lusakas Northmead neighborhood, an upper-middle class district of large houses and tarmacked streets. His father is an engineering professor, educated in the United States and South Africa. Nyirenda attended a succession of private schools. The familys pastor Ronald Kalifungwa told Reuters that Nyirenda drifted away from his parents faith as a teenager but returned to Christianity in 2018 when he was born again. Nyirendas social media posts, showing a young man with a toothy grin and dreadlocked hair, testify to an intense interest in the politics of his homeland, and a renewed, deep Christian faith. Thank you Lord for seasons, thank you Lord for summer, he wrote on Instagram in June 2020, at the height of the COVID pandemic, accompanied by photographs of himself and an unidentified friend in Moscow, posing for the camera dressed in their summer clothes and smiling widely. Took a walk with the guys today. It was therapeutic on so many levels. Number one recommend yall to make time for walks in the evening. Relatives described Nyirenda as a family-oriented person with a sense of fun invariably introducing his mother to friends as Queen Mother. He excelled academically. In 2019, after a year at a Christian college in Zambia, he and his twin brother Zikonde won government scholarships to study abroad Zikonde in China and Lemekani in Russia. Enrolling at Moscows National Research Nuclear University in September 2019, Nyirenda launched a YouTube account, where he uploaded whimsical videos about his life in Russia, his homesickness, and telling Bible stories, often from the modest student dormitory bedroom that he shared with two others. Several people who knew Nyirenda said that he missed his hometown Baptist church, and had difficulty finding a congregation to join in Russia. In the months that followed, Nyirenda too became involved in the drug trade. In a May 2020 YouTube video, he said that his financial situation had improved, and that he was learning to manage his money better. Im not a broke, struggling student any more. Im just a broke student, he said. He was arrested in August that year. According to court documents reviewed by Reuters, Nyirenda told investigators that he had posted an advert online looking for work and received a call offering him a gig transporting small bundles around Moscow. He was to hide the bundles at set locations. In return, he received 200 rubles ($2.40) per bundle, according to the court papers. A person who was present at Nyirendas trial said that the Zambian took his nine-and-a-half year prison sentence stoically and was generally positive. The person said that Nyirendas Russian was good, and that he needed little help understanding the proceedings. Reuters was able to establish, via an online system for contacting Russian prisoners, that Nyirenda served his sentence in Tver regions strict regime Penal Colony No. 1, 180 kilometers northwest of Moscow. Prison authorities didnt comment. Nyirendas family and friends said that he was a model prisoner during his spell behind bars. Family friend Christopher Kangwa told Reuters that after his arrest, Nyirenda asked the Zambian embassy in Moscow to forward him his Bible and toiletries bag. In a eulogy at her brothers funeral, Nyirendas older sister Tionge said during his two years as an inmate, he read all the books in the prison library, learnt fluent Russian and taught himself to sew. She said he had proudly showed her his hand-stitched prison uniform during a video call, a rare privilege for Russian prisoners, which she said prison authorities allowed him as a reward for his good behavior. During her eulogy, which was streamed online, Tionge also said that her brother had told her during their last video call that incarceration had revealed a hitherto unknown inner strength. He told me and my husband how he didnt know that he was so strong, said Tionge, dressed in mourning black from head to toe. The whole imprisonment experience had shown him how strong he was. Nyirenda last spoke to his family on Aug. 31, 2022, according to the pastor, Kalifungwa. Kangwa, the family friend, said that he sounded in a hurry and under pressure. He said he hoped that they would soon be reunited, and implied that he had been released from jail. He said he could not say where he was, and asked his father for details to designate him as his next of kin. His last word to his family was musalebwino, meaning farewell in the Nyanja language, spoken in the familys ancestral homeland in eastern Zambia. We believe that this was the time Wagner had taken him and commissioned him in the war, Kangwa said. Reuters was unable to confirm when Wagner recruiters visited Tvers Penal Colony No. 1, but Prigozhin was visiting nearby prisons throughout the summer of 2022. Prigozhin said in a Nov. 29 statement via his press service that he personally recruited Nyirenda. He said that, like Tarimo, Nyirenda cast his desire to join Wagner as repayment for Soviet and Russian support of African anti-colonial movements. According to Prigozhin, Nyirenda told him that joining up was the least I can do to pay (these) debts to Russia and that he had heard that Wagner had saved thousands of Africans. Reuters couldnt verify Prigozhins account of the conversation. My second motherland On New Years Day 2023, Russias state-owned RIA news agency published a video from the outskirts of Bakhmut, showing Prigozhin laughing and joking with an African fighter he identified as an Ivorian national. In the clip, the fighter says, in heavily-accented but fluent Russian, that he joined up to defend my second Motherland. The Wagner boss said he had told the fighter that he would hire him as a French interpreter, if he survived his six months at the front. In a Jan. 4 comment via his press service, Prigozhin identified the fighter as Komenan Aboya, a convicted drug dealer. In a separate statement, emailed directly to Reuters, he said he recruited Aboya from jail in Mordovia, a Volga river region, known for its large prison population. Aboyas friends in Ivory Coast described to Reuters an entrepreneurial man, now aged about 40, who yearned to be financially independent. He grew up in Yopougon, a poor and overcrowded neighborhood in Abidjan, Ivory Coasts largest city. There, on streets teeming with bars he opened a small video club, where he would show action movies, said a one-time regular called Fabrice. Each morning, Aboya would rise early, and get in line to secure a seat in one of the hundreds of crammed Gbakas, local minibuses which line Yopougons dusty thoroughfares, in order to reach the plush suburb of Cocody, where he spent his days working as a bus driver. Former colleagues said that in 2015 or 2016, Aboya took out a bank loan and moved to Russia, where he began driving taxis. One colleague said he decided to leave for Russia to give his two children a better life than his own. A person who knew Aboya in Moscow said the Ivorian and other African residents of the city would often gamble when they met up, placing small bets on games of chance. According to court papers, in July 2018 he was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for drug dealing. A video published online the previous August by Moscow police shows the arrest of an unnamed West African man. Facial recognition technology indicates that the man in the video is Aboya. Russian media reported the suspect was carrying around 100 grams of cannabis. In the video, he tells officers, in broken Russian, that the drugs are not his and that he is waiting for a friend. Sole survivor Of the three African men who risked everything to walk free from prison ahead of time, only one survived to claim his reward. Nyirenda was killed on Sept. 22, 2022, while storming a Ukrainian trench, barely three weeks after he last spoke to his family. He died a hero, said Prigozhin. He was 22. A month later, Tarimo too was dead. In a brief statement to Reuters on April 5, Prigozhin confirmed that Aboya was alive, had completed his six months service in Ukraine, and that his conviction for drug dealing had been expunged. Yes, Komenan Aboya fought in the ranks of Wagner, he said. He was pardoned at the end of March, and is currently undergoing a rehabilitation course. He fought bravely. Prigozhin provided no more information and declined further comment. Reuters couldnt reach Aboya. Reporting by Giulia Paravicini in Nairobi, Filipp Lebedev and Felix Light in Tbilisi; Additional reporting by Nuzulack Dausen in Dar es Salaam, Chris Mfula in Lusaka and Loucoumane Coulibaly in Abidjan. 50/50 parenting is the right default in child-custody disputes Regarding Missouri moves toward 50/50 child custody law, raising concerns about abuse victims (June 14): I support adding a rebuttable presumption of 50/50 custody. Portraying this legislation (Senate Bill 35) as inherently dangerous to women and children is incorrect. Under SB35, if there is a concern for safety, the court relies on evidence of a pattern of domestic violence. I think evidence is the correct standard for a court to use. Kentucky, Arkansas, West Virginia, and Florida family courts agree, having passed similar laws. Under SB35, a childs custody wishes are considered only when free of coercion and manipulation. Dozens of evidence-based organizations worldwide (many of them run by women) have studied family dynamics in which an emotionally immature parent applies coercive control to their children for the purpose of severing their relationship with the other parent. Their findings repeatedly show that this dynamic is real, effective, and perpetrated by both mothers and fathers. They show that there are pathways for identification and treatment. Adult children themselves have given inside views of their experiences, including knowingly making false allegations of abuse and protesting loudly that their thoughts surrounding one of their parents was their own idea. Being manipulated in this way is considered child abuse, as it leads to attachment difficulties that reverberate across the childs lifetime. This bill, which is awaiting Gov. Mike Parsons signature, is a much-needed attempt to orient the law back toward facts and evidence. When fractious parties of adults deviate from evidence-based fact, children and the legal system suffer. Its time for us, and especially the Missouri family court system, to do better. Carrie Driscoll Southampton Its not just conservatives who should be thinking critically Regarding the op-ed Now is the time for a revolution in Americas civic education (June 19): As a long-time-ago history teacher, I agree with the initial premise that history is more than memorizing soon forgettable facts. As the piece says, students must be taught how to navigate social media and to think critically. However, the cited examples of the problem seem to be from the left-wing perspective (... political puppet masters will continue to masterfully deflect people from real issues like immigration, global warming , and massive wealth disparities ... nonsensical fears about transgender people, critical race theory and other silly woke concerns.). I agree that any social studies curriculum should include these topics. But should they not also include information about crime on the streets of our inner cities while the left calls for defunding the police? And about conservative speakers being harassed on college campuses? And about congressmen and FBI officials using a phony Russian dossier to bring charges against a sitting president, which tied up the country for three years? And about former secretary of state destroying cell phones and deleting 33,000 possibly classified emails that were being requested by Congress? I feel that there are too many low information voters today, as people on both sides are fed information from one perspective. Maybe teaching high school students to think critically is a step forward. Lets hope that adults listen to the other side before they mark their ballots. Thomas J. Gilliam Sr. Ballwin Statue of Liberty has a dangerous view from St. Louis area Regarding The Statue of Liberty has arrived in Sauget. Sort of. (June 20): The transition of a downscaled statue of Lady Liberty from a blue state to look out upon a red one across the Mississippi was worthy of any front page. When unpacked, she was photographed in a prone position. Perhaps being this close to Missouri caused her to duck and cover. Her risk from harm went up a great deal just moving to Illinois, where the death rate by firearms per 100,000 persons was 16.1, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Possible random stay shots from across the river where Missouri has a death rate of 23.2 must cause her to shake right down to her pedestal. She must miss New York, where the death rate is only 5.4. She is certainly worth attention as a symbol of our free society. If she bears the inscription: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, she may inspire youth in our area. But, sadly, maybe not lawmakers in Missouri, who could regulate responsible gun ownership but dont. Fred Tilinski St. Peters Climate change redefines when swimming season should end The Clayton Shaw Park Aquatic Center Pool, and other outdoor pools in the region, should look past Labor Day for recreation and lap swimming as other communities already do. With climate change, the traditional benchmarks of Memorial Day to Labor Day to define summer no longer apply. We know it will be hot in September. Clayton should make it a priority to use their amazing outdoor pool to its full capacity. It is too great a facility to waste. Sheila Brennan St. Louis Read letters online at STLToday.com. WHO: MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company with facilities in St. Louis, featuring a workforce of approximately 2,000 employees,along with elementary and middle school students and educators. Follow the Curiosity Cube on Instagram @curiositycube_milliporesigma and #SPARKCuriosity. WHAT: MilliporeSigmas newly solar-powered Curiosity Cube mobile science lab is making several stops in the St. Louis area as part of its fifth annual tour. Attending media can: Tour a 22x10-foot, retrofitted shipping container transformed into the Curiosity Cube mobile science lab. Record video and take photographs. Explore different types of contamination through three interactive science experiments. Interview company representatives. WHEN Tour stop dates and locations: Thursday, June 22 Eckerts Family Farm 4 8 p.m. CT 951 South Green Mount Road, Belleville, IL 62220 Public event Saturday, June 24 Pride Fest 11 a.m. 6 p.m. CT Poelker Park (Chestnut St. between 13th St. and Tucker Blvd.) Public event Sunday, June 25 Pride Fest 12 6 p.m. CT Poelker Park (Chestnut St. between 13th St. and Tucker Blvd.) Public event Tuesday, June 27 Downtown at the Ballpark by the Team Store, between Gates 3 and 4 4:15 8:30 p.m. CT 708 Clark Ave. (corner of 8th St. and Clark St.), St. Louis, MO 63102 Public event Wednesday, June 28 Downtown at the Ballpark by the Team Store, between Gates 3 and 4 4:15 8:30 p.m. CT 708 Clark Ave. (corner of 8th St. and Clark St.), St. Louis, MO 63102 Public event Thursday, June 29 Downtown at the Ballpark by the Team Store, between Gates 3 and 4 3:45 8:30 p.m. CT 708 Clark Ave. (corner of 8th St. and Clark St.), St. Louis, MO 63102 Public event Going to miss us in St. Louis? Next month, the Curiosity Cube is taking a summer road trip across Interstate 70. It will be stopping by the Kansas City region July 10 15. WHY: STEM occupations are projected to grow two times faster than non-STEM occupations in the U.S., according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and there is an urgent need to train the next generation of scientists to fill this pipeline. MilliporeSigma is engaging students in STEM learning through its Curiosity Cube mobile science lab. The Curiosity Cube is designed to spark scientific curiosity and passion early, paving the way to a future filled with innovative breakthroughs and encouraging students to pursue careers in STEM fields. It also brings interactive science experiences and tools to students who might not otherwise have access, such as those attending schools with fewer resources. This year, will hold 124 events in communities across the country as part of its North American tour. In 2022, MilliporeSigma brought its Curiosity Cube mobile science lab to City Museum, Eckerts Family Farm, and the St. Louis STEM Expo and Air Show. Aztec receives permit to conduct a planned, 2-stage, 4200m, 28-hole Reverse Circulation "RC" drill program Recently completed surface exploration program has generated multiple high-priority step out drill targets at the primary California target zone Aztec appoints Mr. Hall Stewart, CPG, and Mr. Daniel Schieber to the company's Business and Technical Advisory Committee VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Aztec Minerals Corp. (AZT:TSX-V)(OTCQB: AZZTF) announces it has received permits for a planned two -stage reverse circulation "RC" drilling program at its 100% owned Cervantes porphyry gold-copper project in Sonora, Mexico. The program is designed based on the results of the company's 2022 drilling campaigns and recently completed surface exploration program. The initial stage of the planned RC drill program is expected to commence in the 3rd quarter of 2023 utilizing information gathered during the surface roadcut sampling and detailed 1:200 scale geologic mapping program conducted in the first quarter of 2023. The recently completed surface program has enhanced the interpretation for exploration targets to potentially expand the gold mineralization at the primary California target zone of the property. Aztec collected 779 road cut channel chip samples of 5 meters length over 4600m road distance and analyzed them for gold and multi-elements to expand and enhance the geochemical and geological knowledge of the California and California North targets. The evaluation of the program results has found that: The Qfp is demonstrated to be more extensive and the Fp less extensive, and many of the sediments are less continuous and often as xenolithic rafts and roof pendants in the Qfp The UST (Unidirectional Solidification Texture) present has limited vertical extent below the top of the California ridge, reinforcing the idea that it represents the maximum height of porphyry emplacement Veinlet intensity shows strong correlation between > 5 veinlets/m and > 0.2 gm*m grade thickness drill results Veinlet orientations are in two principal groups, azimuths of 300 and 330, and the general drilling pattern of the target of azimuth 230 is appropriate for a proper evaluation of the California target zone Widespread phyllic alteration, minor potassic (secondary biotite), and zones of tourmaline mineralization Strong positive relationships between Au mineralization and silicic and phyllic alterations, and the contrary with argillic alteration Au has strong relationships with As, Cu, Bi, Ag and W. With Mo it has a negative relationship, with Mo being strongly distal A strong west to east geochemical zoning trend with As centered to the west associated with a concentration of hydrothermal breccias, Bi astride the center mimicking well Au, and with W to the east A marked Cu anomaly to the northeast associated with tourmaline and secondary biotite-potassic alteration There are exploration potential extensions for the California and California North target zones mineralization to the west, east, south and north The planned follow up drilling is expected to be conducted in two stages totaling 28 drillholes and 4200 m with each being 2100 m and 14 drillholes. The first stage step-out drillhole placement can be seen in Figure 1, below. The second 2100 m stage of the drilling program will be designed subject to the results of the initial stage of RC drilling. The drilling program is subject to available funds and market conditions. Figure 1: California Target Proposed Drilling Program with cross sections View Proposed Initial RC Drilling Plan Sections here: Link to Proposed Cross Section: A-B Link to Proposed Cross Section: C-D Link to Proposed Cross Section: E-F The primary objectives of the 2023 exploration program are to continue to define the open pit, heap leach gold potential of the porphyry oxide cap at California, test the down dip extensions of the silicic-phyllic alteration in the Qfp intrusive for deeper copper-gold porphyry sulfide mineralization underlying the oxide cap, and test for extensions of the California North target. Additional studies will include: A structural geology district-scale study will be conducted, especially to help establish the displacements of the mineralization since its emplacement Continued target data evaluation on the multi-element relationships with Au and applying them to the previous outcrop and soil sampling data, the geophysical data and the SWIR-Terraspec data, 3D modeling of the data, metallurgical, and multiple other investigations. Further surface mapping and sampling throughout the Cervantes project Business and Technical Advisory Committee Appointments The company also announces the additions of Mr. Hall Stewart, CPG and Mr. Daniel Schieber to its Business and Technical Advisory Committee. Mr. Hall Stewart, CPG, RG (Arizona) is a graduate of the University of Arizona with over 40 years of experience in the Mineral Exploration industry, with 30 years of experience in Mexico. Most recently he was Chief Geologist with Mithril Resources at the Copalquin Project in the Mountains of Durango Mexico. Previously Mr. Stewart was co-founder and VP Exploration of Puno Gold Corp. in Peru and Commonwealth Silver and Gold Corp. where he oversaw exploration of the historic Commonwealth mine in Cochise County, Arizona. From 1996 through 2007 Mr. Stewart was Project Geologist for a number of companies at the Ocampo and Palmarejo Projects in Chihuahua, Mexico including four years as Chief Geologist for Gammon Lake Resources, Inc. Palmarejo is now one of Mexico's most important silver mines. Mr. Schieber established his career in metals and mining finance as an analyst for the Stabilitas Group of Funds in 2005. During this time the fund grew from 3M EUR under management to 240M EUR becoming the best performing Gold/Silver fund in Germany. In 2009, he co-founded Euroscandic International Group where he raised upwards of $350M in project financing for specific development projects in the mining sector. In 2011-2015, he pivoted to Canadian-based farmland investments, where he became Chief Investment Officer at Dynamis Capital Corp., which focuses on long-term, recession-proof investments with emphasis on gold and silver. The company announces that it has granted an aggregate of 200,000 stock options (the "Stock Options") to a consultant of the Company, pursuant to the terms of the Company's stock option plan. The Stock Options are exercisable to acquire common shares at an exercise price of $0.30 per common share for a term of 5 years, subject to vesting provisions. Cervantes Project Overview Cervantes is a highly prospective porphyry gold-copper project located in southeastern Sonora state, Mexico. The project lies 160 km east of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico within the prolific Laramide porphyry copper belt approximately 265 km southeast of the Cananea porphyry copper-molybdenum mine (Grupo Mexico). Cervantes also lies along an east-west trending gold belt 60 km west of the Mulatos epithermal gold mine (Alamos Gold), 35 km northeast of the Osisko San Antonio gold mine, 45 km west of the La India mine (Agnico Eagle), and 40 km northwest of Santana gold deposit (Minera Alamos). View: Cervantes Project Location Map Cervantes Project Highlights Large well-located property (3,649 hectares) with good infrastructure, road access, local town, all private land, water wells on property, grid power nearby (3,649 hectares) with good infrastructure, road access, local town, all private land, water wells on property, grid power nearby Nine prospective mineralized zones related to high level porphyries and breccias along a 7.0km east-northeast corridor with multiple intersecting northwest structures to high level porphyries and breccias along a 7.0km east-northeast corridor with multiple intersecting northwest structures Distinct geophysical anomalies, California target marked by high magnetic and low resistivity anomalies, high radiometric and chargeability anomalies responding to pervasive alteration California target marked by high magnetic and low resistivity anomalies, high radiometric and chargeability anomalies responding to pervasive alteration Extensive gold mineralization at California zone , 118 soil samples average 0.44 gpt gold over 900 m by 600 m area, trench rock-channel samples up to 0.47 gpt gold over 222 m , 118 soil samples average 0.44 gpt gold over 900 m by 600 m area, trench rock-channel samples up to 0.47 gpt gold over 222 m Extensive drilling at the California zone, intersecting gold oxide cap to a classic gold-copper porphyry system, drill results up to 1.49 gpt gold over 137 m and 1.00 gpt gold over 165m at the California zone, intersecting gold oxide cap to a classic gold-copper porphyry system, drill results up to 1.49 gpt gold over 137 m and 1.00 gpt gold over 165m Excellent gold recoveries from preliminary metallurgical tests on drill core from California zone; oxide gold recoveries in bottle roll tests range from 75% to 87% from preliminary metallurgical tests on drill core from California zone; oxide gold recoveries in bottle roll tests range from 75% to 87% Three-Dimensional IP Survey conducted in 2019, IP chargeability strengthens and broadens to >500m depth over an area 1100 m by 1200 m and extends strong chargeability anomalies to the southwest covering Estrella, Purisima East, and Purisima West, coinciding well with alteration and Au-Cu-Mo soil geochemical anomalies California Target Aztec has now completed over 10,500 meters of drilling over 54 drill holes at the Cervantes Project, primarily at the California target. In 2017-18, Aztec completed a Phase 1, 17 diamond core hole drill program, totaling 2,675 meters (m). The initial phase of drilling tested the California target 900m by 600m gold-in-soils anomaly that averaged 0.44gpt covering hydrothermal breccias within a Quartz feldspar porphyry stock intruding older siliciclastic sediments. During the 2021 - 2022 exploration program, Aztec completed a further combined 7,837 m of drilling over 37 drill holes comprised of a 26-hole 5,248.6 m track-mounted reverse circulation drill program and an 11-hole 2,588 m man-portable oriented core program. Every 2021-2022 drill hole, except one, of the 29 drill holes successfully completed out of 31 attempted drill holes at the California and the adjoining California Norte targets intersected near surface, oxidized gold mineralization with minor copper values. The drilling program expanded the footprint and the depth of the California target mineralization and alteration associated with the California porphyry intrusive complex with continued intercepts of broad gold mineralization. The identified California target area drilled has been enlarged to approximately 900 meters long E - W by 730 meters wide N-S, and exploration drilling successfully expanded the primary California zone to an area now measuring approximately 900 meters long E-W by 250 to 500 meters wide N-S, with demonstrated, continuous mineralization of up to 170 meters depth. The porphyry gold-copper mineralization is still open in all directions with anomalous mineralization and alteration up to 265 meters depth vertically. The California and California Norte targets appear to be merging from drilling and surface exposures. Aztec's drilling to-date has consistently intersected an oxidized gold cap to a porphyry-type gold-copper-silver system at California, including multiple 100+ meter widths of exceeding 0.40 gpt gold. Highlights of the Aztec's 2017 - 2022 drill programs are as follows (see news releases dated June 26, 2018 and January 10, 2023): 137m @ 1.49 gpT Au incl 51.7m @ 3.42 gpT Au, 119m @ 0.091% copper in CAL22-005 165m @ 1.00 gpT Au incl 24.4m @ 4.25 gpT Au, 160m @ 0.065% copper in CAL22-004 152m @ 0.87 gpT Au, incl 33.5m @ 2.05 gpT Au, 123m @ 0.095% copper in CAL22-012 94m @ 1.04 gpT Au incl 15.2m @ 3.96 gpT Au, 55m @ 0.36% copper in CAL22-001 100m @ 0.75 gpT Au incl 9.14m @ 3.087 gpT Au, 138m @ 0.10% copper in CAL22-006 160m @ 0.77 gpT gold incl 80m @ 1.04 gpT gold, 0.11% copper in 18CER010 139m @ 0.71 gpT gold incl 20m @ 2.10 gpT gold, 0.16% copper in 17CER005 118m @ 0.63 gpT gold incl 43m @ 1.18 gpT gold, 0.16% copper in 17CER003 122m @ 0.60 gpT gold incl 62m @ 0.88 gpT gold, 0.06% copper in 18CER007 170m @ 0.42 gpT gold incl 32m @ 0.87 gpT gold, 0.06% copper in 18CER006 Preliminary metallurgical tests on California drill cores were conducted in 2019 (see news release dated March 12, 2019). Drill core samples were grouped into 4 separate types of mineralization: Oxide 1, Oxide 2, Mixed Oxide/Sulfide and Sulfide. The preliminary results of bottle roll tests showed excellent potential for heap leach gold recovery, as follows: 85.1% recovery on 2.0mm material and 94.3% on 75-micron material in sample Oxide 1 87.7% recovery on 2.0mm material and 94.2% on 75-micron material in sample Oxide 2 77.9% recovery on 2.0mm material and 89.0% on 75-micron material in sample Mixed Oxide/Sulphide 51.2% recovery on 2.0mm material and 78.7% on 75-micron material in sample Sulphide Additional Targets Purisima East - outcropping gossans, altered and mineralized diatreme breccias and porphyry intrusions marked by a 700m by 600m geochemical soil anomaly in 193 samples that average 0.25 gpt gold, a small historic glory hole' mine where rock chip sampling returned high-grade mineralization up to 44.6 gpt gold. Estrella - outcrops of gossan and sulfides in silicified Paleozoic sediments near quartz porphyry dikes with rock chip samples up to 3.9 gpt gold and 2,010ppm copper. Purisima West - a mirror image of Purisima East in size and type of gossans, altered and mineralized breccias and intrusions in association with gold and copper soil anomalies. Jasper - 2017 trenching returned skarn/replacement-type mineralization up to 0.52% copper and 0.62 gpt gold over a 92.4 m length. In 2022 RC drilling found a broad zone of copper - gold mineralization in JAS22-001. California North - coincident IP chargeability and gold-copper-molybdenum soil geochemical anomalies with demonstrated gold - copper mineralization by RC drilling, it may be a north extension of the California target Other targets - porphyry alteration and geochemical soil anomalies mark the Jacobo and Brasil prospects but more work is required to expand and define these targets Allen David Heyl, B.Sc., CPG., VP Exploration of Aztec, is the Qualified Person under NI43-101, supervised the Cervantes exploration program. Mr. Heyl has reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release. "Simon Dyakowski" Simon Dyakowski, Chief Executive Officer Aztec Minerals Corp. About Aztec Minerals - Aztec is a mineral exploration company focused on two emerging discoveries in North America. The Cervantes project is an emerging porphyry gold-copper discovery in Sonora, Mexico. The Tombstone project is an emerging gold-silver discovery with high grade CRD silver-lead-zinc potential in southern Arizona. Aztec's shares trade on the TSX-V stock exchange (symbol AZT) and on the OTCQB (symbol AZZTF). Contact Information - For more information, please contact: Simon Dyakowski, President & CEO, Director Tel: (604) 619-7469 Fax: (604) 685-9744 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aztecminerals.com Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects" or "it is expected", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE: Aztec Minerals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: Key Highlights Community Offshore Wind creates over 10 new partnerships increasing youth access to STEM education to foster future careers in the renewable energy industry. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / One month after submitting a proposal to provide New York State with clean energy and record economic investment from offshore wind, Community Offshore Wind, a joint venture between RWE Renewables and National Grid, is investing over $100,000 into STEM and environmental education programs to prepare the offshore wind workforce of the future. Community Offshore Wind is working with multiple community partners in downstate New York to provide access to museums, outdoor spaces, and environmental and marine education for hands-on learning experiences. "Alongside our community partners, we have organized a suite of programs that will allow us to provide environmental and STEM education to New York youth, which is critical for equipping students with what they need for future careers in offshore wind," said Pat Johnson, Vice President and Deputy Project Director, Community Offshore Wind. "As we await a decision on our New York offshore wind proposal, it's important for us to continue to make positive changes in the state. Community Offshore Wind has been committed to New York communities as a joint venture for the better part of a year and long before that under our parent companies." During Engineers Week, Community Offshore Wind sent 75 students from communities in downstate New York to the Brooklyn Children's Museum, Long Island Children's Museum, and New York Hall of Science. Participating students hail from the Red Hook Initiative, Good Shepherd Services at the Joseph Miccio Community Center, and the Long Beach Martin Luther King Center. "Thanks to Community Offshore Wind, youth in Brooklyn, New York spent time at our city's great museums during Engineers Week," said William Suarez, Partnerships Manager of Red Hook Initiative (RHI). "Some of the students were able to explore a museum in their backyards for the first time. RHI high school and middle school participants were able to go to the New York Hall of Science, for example. We hope this kind of educational enrichment is an experience that will inspire youth and set them up for success." In partnership with Citizens Campaign for the Environment (CCE), Uniondale High School students in 11th and 12th grade will embark on interactive boat excursions on the Western Bays around Long Island to learn about climate change and renewables. Additionally, students will connect to climate-related summer internships as part of the program. "We are delighted to work with the faculty and students at Uniondale High School. They have many concerns and questions regarding the impacts of climate change and have expressed a strong interest in learning about ways they can mitigate those impacts," said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "Through Community Offshore Wind's support, we can provide classroom education and field trips for 11th and 12th graders to get them out on the water to experience and learn about climate impacts on our marine environment. CCE will also help these students find internships in climate-related fields. Many of these students want to work in renewables and this experience will help expose them to possible careers in offshore wind." Over 400 second and third grade Uniondale students will be offered a field trip that provides marine and environmental education on a boat sponsored by Community Offshore Wind with Operation Splash. "Giving students a chance to learn about ocean conservation through real-life, hands-on experience is the key to helping them understand the importance of protecting our local bays and environment as a whole," said Robert Weltner, President of Operation SPLASH. "They see the issues we face first-hand when we bring them out on the water, and the connections they make become much deeper. Community Offshore Wind and Operation SPLASH share in the goal of providing marine and environmental education to younger generations. Through their generous support, these field trips for Uniondale students are possible." The Cradle of Aviation Museum and Education Center on Long Island, in partnership with Community Offshore Wind, will host the Kidwind Competition for over 300 students throughout Long Island. This competition will challenge participants to build and test wind turbines while teaching students about renewable energy, engineering principles, and teamwork. The competition aims to inspire youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). "We are thrilled to host our first Kidwind competition at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in nearly three years," said Kerri Mackay, Education Competition Coordinator at the Cradle of Aviation Museum. "Community Offshore Wind's support will make this competition possible and inspire students to explore the potential of sustainable energy sources." The series of programming will continue through the rest of the 2023 calendar year. For more information, please visit www.communityoffshorewind.com. About Community Offshore Wind RWE and National Grid, will bring clean energy to the Northeastern US in a joint venture called Community Offshore Wind. They will develop offshore wind on the largest parcel in the New York Bight with the potential to host 3 gigawatts (GW) of capacity, which is enough to power more than one million US homes and businesses. The project is expected to be in operation by the end of 2030. Community Offshore Wind is dedicated to investing in communities by bringing clean energy jobs to the region and growing the local economy. They will deliver sustainable energy safely, reliably, and efficiently to the communities they serve. About RWE Renewables RWE is leading the way to a green energy world. With an extensive investment and growth strategy, the company will expand its powerful, green generation capacity to 50 gigawatts internationally by 2030. RWE is investing more than 50 billion gross for this purpose in this decade. The portfolio is based on offshore wind and onshore wind, solar, hydrogen, batteries, biomass and gas. RWE Supply & Trading provides tailored energy solutions for large customers. RWE has locations in the attractive markets of Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region. The company is responsibly phasing out nuclear energy and coal. Government-mandated phaseout roadmaps have been defined for both of these energy sources. RWE employs around 19,000 people worldwide and has a clear target: to get to net zero by 2040. On its way there, the company has set itself ambitious targets for all activities that cause greenhouse gas emissions. The Science Based Targets initiative has confirmed that these emission reduction targets are in line with the Paris Agreement. Very much in the spirit of the company's purpose: Our energy for a sustainable life. About National Grid Ventures National Grid is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people throughout our networks in New York and Massachusetts. National Grid is focused on building a path to a more affordable, reliable clean energy future through our fossil-free vision. National Grid Ventures (NGV) is the non-regulated division of National Grid plc, one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world. NGV operates outside of National Grid's core regulated businesses in the US and UK where it develops, operates and invests in energy projects, technologies and partnerships to accelerate the development of a clean energy future. NGV's diverse portfolio of low carbon and renewable energy businesses across the UK, Europe and US includes subsea electricity interconnectors, wind and solar power, and battery storage. For more information, visit https://www.nationalgrid.com/national-grid-ventures. Media Contacts Molly Gilson COSW Community Offshore Wind (781) 249-7706 Send an email to Contact View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from National Grid on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: National Grid Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/national-grid Email: [email protected] SOURCE: National Grid View source version on accesswire.com: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Concordex, the pioneering decentralized exchange (DEX) developed on the Concordium blockchain, has announced the upcoming launch of its mainnet, set to take place on Monday, June 26. Following a successful public testnet launch last month, the team is eager to transition to this exciting new phase, launching the first DEX for the Concordium ecosystem. Concordex Mainnet Date Announcement Concordex will enrich the Concordium ecosystem by offering a range of features, including straightforward trading, concentrated liquidity, and flexible fee levels for liquidity providers. This allows them to enhance capital deployment and increase returns generated over time. The platform, backed by a series of seasoned industry leaders and professionals, is set to bridge the gap between TradFi and DeFi, offering genuine on-chain derivatives and other institutional-grade tools. "We couldn't be more excited about the impending mainnet launch on June 26th. This marks a substantial milestone for Concordex and the entire Concordium ecosystem as we are kickstarting DeFi on Concordium. By capitalizing on the regulatory-ready infrastructure of Concordium, we are pioneering the development of regulation-friendly DeFi platforms while bringing liquidity and a robust set of DeFi trading tools to the ecosystem," said Mathias Lundoe Nielsen, Chief Executive Officer at Concordex Labs. "As Concordex's strategic partner, Amdax is excited to see the team's hard work come to fruition. Pairing the Tacans Labs' innovative vision and technical know-how with the regulatory-ready Concordium blockchain poises Concordex to be the first true DEX to usher institutions into the cryptocurrency markets," said Marcel Burger, Chief Investment Officer at Amdax. The project initially raised $1.7 million in seed funding from Tacans Labs, Skynet Trading, Seier Capital, Amdax, and Concordium blockchain in December 2022, with the aim of offering institutional-grade DeFi trading tools within the Concordium blockchain ecosystem. Built on Concordium, a public-layer 1 blockchain with a distinctive embedded identity verification layer, Concordex provides a secure and compliant trading platform for users and enterprises globally. The platform harmoniously balances privacy, a prized attribute within the crypto community, with regulatory compliance. Concordex stands as one of the first regulation-friendly DeFi platforms, signifying a substantial stride in the DeFi evolution. About Concordex Concordex is an advanced institutional-grade liquidity management DEX built on the Concordium blockchain. The project was developed by DeFi venture builder Tacans Labs, with core team members including award-winning entrepreneur Mathias Lundoe, and industry veterans James Davies and Ivan Ivaschenko. The platform is set to launch its Mainnet on June 26, 2023. For more information, please visit: concordex.io About Tacans Co-founded by Danish entrepreneurs Lars Seier Christensen, founder of Saxo Bank and Concordium blockchain, and Mathias Lundoe Nielsen, an award-winning serial entrepreneur with multiple tech ventures, Tacans Labs is the DeFi arm of Tacans, a web3 venture builder invested in the future economy of blockchain by building, funding, and acquiring cutting-edge Web3 companies. Started in 2021, the group's portfolio comprises seven Web3 companies across multiple sectors. For more information, please visit: tacans.com Contact Information Dion Guillaume PR Manager [email protected] SOURCE: Concordex View source version on accesswire.com: NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / The Chemours Company: By Mark E. Newman President and Chief Executive Officer at The Chemours Company I am proud to present the latest edition of our Sustainability Report which outlines our progress against our Corporate Responsibility Commitment goals. The past five years of our journey have been defined by making giant leaps in a short period of time. This progress was possible thanks to the transformative partnerships between Chemours' 6600 employees and our stakeholders across the globe who have embraced our vision that together, we create a better world through the power of our chemistry. In many ways, this vision is a sustainability vision-one we live out every single day. Some of the highlights from this year's Sustainability Report include: These figures are indicative of the incredible strides our team has made. In fact, Chemours is leading the industry in reducing FOC emissions and advancing analytical and abatement technologies to reach our 2030 goal. At Chemours, sustainability is central to everything we do-including the products we make. Our chemistry is integral to modern life and to the new, green economy that rests on the performance of bold innovations. In fact, the technologies that will enable decarbonization, electrification, and a cleaner world depend on chemistry including clean hydrogen, semiconductors, coatings for durable and advanced infrastructure, heat pumps for electric vehicles or homes, and high-speed data, and so much more. Chemours products are essential to a sustainable future, and when made responsibly we can realize that future while protecting human health and the environment. That is why we are backing our innovation and sustainable solutions with responsible manufacturing, strict emissions control, and a focus on improving end-of-life management. In other words, as we produce the materials needed for the new economy, we must also ensure that we protect people and the environment. As you'll see in the pages that follow, that's not a far-flung possibility, it's a reality happening today and Chemours is helping lead the way for others. While chemistry enables the critical building blocks of a more sustainable world, it is people who bring it to life. In our Sustainability Report, you will see how Chemours strives to be the greatest place to work as well as a force for good in our communities, whether it's investing in STEM education or technical training programs, expanding our certified nature preserves, hiring the best and most diverse talent, or creating a holistically safe workplace for every employee. As you read through the pages of our report, you will discover many examples that showcase our chemistry as both responsible and essential. You'll also see the progress we have made as well as our plans to continue challenging ourselves to achieve more. That is why I'm excited to renew Chemours' commitment to our goals and our pledge of ongoing support to the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact. I want to thank you for joining us on this journey, and I invite you to learn more about what makes Chemours a different kind of chemistry company. Mark Newman is the President and CEO of The Chemours Company, a different kind of chemistry company whose products impact every part of modern day living and enable a greener, low carbon future. Read more in Chemours' new Sustainability Report here. View original content here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from The Chemours Company on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: The Chemours Company Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/chemours-company Email: [email protected] SOURCE: The Chemours Company View source version on accesswire.com: Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / June 19, 2023 / GHP Noetic Science-Psychedelic Pharma Inc. (TSXV:PSYF.P) ("GHP") is pleased to announce it has entered into a business combination agreement dated effective June 15, 2023 (the "Transaction Agreement"), with Xcyte Digital Corp. ("Xcyte"), a Florida-based event technology aggregation and development company, and Xcyte's shareholders, Onstream Media Corporation ("Onstream") and James Hayes-Jones (together with Onstream, the "Vendors"). Pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, GHP will acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of Xcyte (the "Xcyte Shares") from the Vendors in exchange for securities of GHP (the "Transaction"). The Transaction will result in a reverse takeover of GHP by Xcyte, and will constitute GHP's "Qualifying Transaction" (as such term is defined in Policy 2.4 - Capital Pool Companies ("Policy 2.4") of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange")). GHP, Xcyte and the Vendors are all arm's length parties, therefore the Transaction will not be a non-arms' length transaction under the policies of the TSXV and will not require the approval of the shareholders of GHP. On closing of the Transaction ("Closing"), it is expected that GHP (being, following Closing, the "Resulting Issuer"), will be listed as a Tier 1 Technology Issuer on the Exchange, and its business will be the business currently carried on by Xcyte, which is ultimately the business carried on, conducted and operated by Onstream as of the date of the Transaction Agreement, being event technology aggregation and development. About Xcyte Xcyte was incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida on February 18, 2022 and is an event technology aggregation and development company. Xcyte is currently a shell company without active business operations or significant assets however, prior to completion of the Transaction, Xcyte will acquire (the "Asset Acquisition") certain revenue generating assets of Onstream (the "Onstream Assets"). Xcyte has entered into a non-binding letter of intent with Onstream. Onstream, a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware, is an event technology company that provides technology and support services to its clients in order to facilitate virtual and hybrid events. Onstream has a portfolio of technologies, including: (i) audio and web conferencing and virtual events (through its Infinite Conferencing, Inc. segment); (ii) webcasting services (through its Webcasting segment); (iii) streaming media platform services (through its Digital Media Streaming segment); and (iv) metaverse solutions, lead generation and online communities (through its LeadGenFirst segment). The Onstream Assets include, but are not limited to, the four aforementioned segments, including their underlying intellectual property as well as its VoipFirstMedia portal and Metaverse Spectrum Business Conference properties. The Onstream Assets have been commercialized as follows (a) Infinite Conferencing, Inc., over twenty years ago, (b) Streaming Publishers, over 15 years ago; (c) Webcasting Services, since 1997 and; (d) LeadGenFirst, VoipFirstMedia and Metaverse Spectrum since 2021. The Onstream Assets are revenue generating. Xcyte anticipates that it will acquire the Onstream Assets for an aggregate purchase price of US$1,711,111 which will be satisfied through the issuance of a non-interest bearing, demand promissory note from Xcyte to Onstream (the "Xcyte Note") and the issuance of 56,800,000 Xcyte Shares which shares will subsequently be exchanged for shares of GHP as described below. In its news release dated February 9, 2023 announcing the execution of the letter of intent with Xcyte, GHP stated that it was a condition of completion of the Transaction that Xcyte acquire certain revenue producing assets of Launch Interactions Ltd. ("Launch"). GHP would like to clarify that as a result of continued negotiations with Xcyte and GHP's and Xcyte's ongoing due diligence, Xcyte has determined not to acquire the assets of Launch Interactions Ltd. ("Launch"). Rather, Xcyte has engaged James Hayes-Jones, Launch's principal, to provide his event management and technology experience and network of potential clients to Xcyte. It is a condition of the Transaction that Mr. Hayes-Jones remains engaged by Xcyte at Closing on terms acceptable to GHP. Terms of the Transaction The Transaction constitutes a reverse takeover of GHP by Xcyte, pursuant to which the Vendors agree to sell, assign and transfer the Xcyte Shares to GHP, and GHP agrees to purchase the Xcyte Shares from the Vendors, free and clear of all encumbrances, other than as disclosed in the Transaction Agreement. Prior to Closing, it is intended that GHP will complete a share reorganization (the "Share Reorganization"), pursuant to which GHP intends to: (i) redesignate the currently outstanding common shares of GHP (the "Shares") as subordinate voting shares (the "SV Shares"); and (ii) create a class of multiple voting shares (the "MV Shares"), with each GHP MV Share convertible into 10,000 SV Shares and each GHP MV Share entitled to vote on an as-converted basis with the SV Shares with 10,000 votes per GHP MV Share. GHP also intends to undertake a consolidation (the "Consolidation") of the SV Shares on the basis of one post-Consolidation GHP SV Share for each 1.25 pre-Consolidation SV Shares. At Closing, GHP will issue 5,680 MV Shares and 2,200,000 SV Shares, representing an aggregate value of approximately $14,750,000 (at a deemed price of $0.25 per GHP SV Share on an as-converted basis), in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding Xcyte Shares inclusive of the Xcyte Shares issued in the Asset Acquisition. All of the MV Shares and 1,000,000 SV Shares (together, the "Consideration Shares") will be issued to the Vendors pro rata in accordance with their respective ownership interest in the Xcyte Shares (or in such other allocation(s) and to such other persons as the Vendors may otherwise direct in writing), provided that any Consideration Shares that are SV Shares will only be issued to Vendors not resident in the United States. The remaining 1,200,000 of the 2,200,000 SV Shares will be issued pursuant to certain arm's length service providers of Xcyte (at a deemed price of $0.25 per GHP SV Share on an as-converted basis) to satisfy certain obligations of Xcyte to such third party service providers. In accordance with the policies of the Exchange, Consideration Shares issued to the Vendors will be subject to escrow and each of the Vendors will enter into an escrow agreement between the TSX Trust Company, as escrow agent, and GHP. Completion of the Transaction will be subject to certain conditions, including: completion of the Asset Acquisition, on terms acceptable to GHP; James Hayes-Jones will continue to be engaged by Xcyte, on terms acceptable to GHP; GHP and the Vendors obtaining the consent of any parties from whom consent to the consummation of the Transaction is required, including the TSXV and other applicable regulatory authorities; completion of the Concurrent Financing (as defined below); approval and completion of the Meeting Matters (as defined below); insiders of Xcyte entering into applicable escrow or pooling agreement as may be required by the TSXV; delivery of all customary closing documentation as set out in the Transaction Agreement; and other standard closing conditions, including there being no material adverse change in relation to the business of GHP or Xcyte, the representations and warranties of the parties in the Transaction Agreement remaining true and accurate of at the Closing of the Transaction, and there being no material action, claim, demand, investigation or other proceeding in progress, pending or threatened against GHP or Xcyte that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change to GHP or Xcyte or impose material limitations on completion of the Transaction. Each party to the Transaction will be responsible for all of its own costs and expenses (including any finder's fees) incurred in connection with the Transaction and the Concurrent Financing. Concurrent Financing In connection with the Transaction, GHP will also complete a majority arm's length non-brokered private placement (the "Concurrent Financing") of subscription receipts ("Subscription Receipts") for aggregate gross proceeds of a minimum of $4,300,000 and up to a maximum of $6,000,000 or such other amount as may be mutually agreed upon by GHP and Xcyte. Subscription Receipts issued to purchasers resident outside of the United States (the "CDN Subscription Receipts") will be issued at a price of $0.25 per CDN Subscription Receipt and will automatically be converted into one GHP SV Share immediately prior to completion of the Transaction. Subscription Receipts issued to purchasers resident in the United States (the "US Subscription Receipts") will be issued at a price of $2,500 per US Subscription Receipt and will automatically be converted into one GHP MV Share immediately prior to completion of the Transaction. GHP expects to pay certain arm's length parties a finder's fee payment equal to up to 7.5% of the gross proceeds of the Concurrent Financing. The Subscription Receipts will be governed by a subscription receipt agreement (the "Subscription Receipt Agreement") to be entered into between GHP and such subscription receipt agent agreed upon by GHP and Xcyte (the "Subscription Receipt Agent"). The gross proceeds from the Concurrent Financing will be held in escrow by the Subscription Receipt Agent pending satisfaction or waiver of the escrow release conditions in accordance with the Transaction Agreement and Subscription Receipt Agreement. Closing of the Concurrent Financing is expected to occur on or before September 30, 2023. It is anticipated that the net proceeds of the Concurrent Financing will be used a) to satisfy the amounts outstanding under the Xcyte Note, and b) for fees for accounting, legal, broker and consulting services in regards to the Qualifying Transaction and general working capital purposes. Additional information with respect to the closing of the Concurrent Financing will be disclosed in a subsequent news release. None of the securities to be issued in connection with the Transaction or the Concurrent Financing will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to any U.S. Person (as defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) unless registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an exemption from such registration is available. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction where such offer or solicitation would be unlawful, including the United States. Special Meeting of Shareholders GHP will hold a special meeting of its shareholders (the "Meeting") prior to the completion of the Qualifying Transaction, whereat, among other things, shareholders of GHP will be asked to approve: (i) the change of GHP's name to "Xcyte Digital Corp.", or such other name as is determined by Xcyte and acceptable to the Exchange (the "Name Change"); (ii) the Share Reorganization; (iii) a new omnibus share based compensation plan; and (iv) the election of the proposed management of the Resulting Issuer and (v) such other matters as GHP may determine (the "Meeting Matters"). Further details with respect to the Meeting will be set forth in an information circular to be prepared by GHP. Sponsor The Transaction will be subject to the sponsorship requirements of the Exchange unless a waiver or exemption from the sponsorship requirement is available. GHP expects that the Transaction will be exempt from the sponsorship requirement as a result of the Concurrent Financing being undertaken in connection with the Transaction. There is no assurance that an exemption from the sponsorship requirement can or will be obtained. Trading in Shares Trading in shares of GHP on the Exchange has been halted in compliance with the policies of the Exchange and is expected to remain halted pending the review of the proposed Transaction by the Exchange and satisfaction of the conditions of the Exchange for resumption of trading. It is not expected that trading in the Shares will resume prior to the Closing. The Resulting Issuer Following completion of the Transaction, the Resulting Issuer will have changed its name to "Xcyte Digital Corp." and will carry on the business of Xcyte, which is ultimately the business carried on, conducted and operated by Onstream as of the date of the Transaction Agreement, being event technology aggregation and development. Management and Directors of the Resulting Issuer Upon Closing, and subject to Exchange approval, it is anticipated that the board of directors and senior officers of the Resulting Issuer will be the following individuals: Randy Selman (proposed Chief Executive Officer and director), Alan Saperstein (proposed Chief Operating Officer and director), Nelson Lamb (proposed Chief Financial Officer), James Hayes-Jones (proposed President of Event Technologies), Paul Barbeau (proposed director), Michele Middlemore (proposed director) and David Adler (proposed director). See GHP's news release dated February 7, 2023 for brief biographies for each proposed director other than Ms. Middlemore and Mr. Adler whose biographies are set out below. Michele Middlemore- Director Ms. Middlemore is founder and Managing Director of MC2 Business Advisors Inc. and brings over 25 years of experience in mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance, having advised public and private companies in a variety of industries. She was previously a partner with MNP LLP, a national accounting firm, a member of the executive management team of a large Canadian corporation, an advisor with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Canada and the United Kingdom and a sessional lecturer at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management. Ms. Middlemore is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Business Valuator. She resides in Toronto, Ontario. David Adler - Director Mr. Adler founded BizBash.com, a leading resource for event organizers. Mr. Adler also founded the Convention, Event, Meeting & Exhibition (CEME) Coalition and served on the boards of Magazine Publishers Association, Fine Arts Committee of the US State Department, Outward Bound Hurricane Island, EVENT U, and others. Mr. Adler resides in Washington, DC. All information in this news release concerning GHP and Xcyte, as applicable, was supplied by management of such party and has not been independently verified by the other party. Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange acceptance and, if applicable pursuant to Exchange requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of GHP should be considered highly speculative. About GHP GHP is a Capital Pool Company (as such term in defined in Policy 2.4) led by Paul Barbeau (Chief Executive Officer). Its principal business activity is to identify and evaluate opportunities to acquire assets or a business. Incorporated in 2020 under the laws of the Province of Ontario, GHP is a reporting issuer in the Provinces of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Its common shares are listed for trading on the TSXV under the symbol PSYF.P. The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. For further information, please contact: GHP Noetic Science-Psychedelic Pharma Inc. Paul Barbeau, Chief Executive Officer Phone: 613-232-1567 Email: [email protected] Xcyte Digital Corp. Randy Selman, Chief Executive Officer Email: [email protected] Phone: (647) 777 7501 Investor Relations Nikhil Thadani, Sophic Capital Email: [email protected] Phone: (647) 777 7501 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are statements other than statements of historical fact that can be identified by phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "aims", "plans" and "believes", and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the timing and completion of the Transaction; the proposed terms of the Concurrent Financing; the anticipated uses of the net proceeds of the Concurrent Financing; the expected directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer; the business of Xcyte and its ability to complete the Asset Acquisition; the terms of the Asset Acquisition; and the completion of the conditions to the Transaction and the approval of the Meeting Matters. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; the risk that the Exchange may not approve the Transaction; that factors may occur which impede Xcyte's future business plans; the results of continued development, marketing and sales; the accuracy of the pro forma financial information of the Resulting Issuer; and other factors beyond the control of GHP and Xcyte. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. GHP disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this news release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: GHP Noetic Science-Psychedelic Pharma Inc View source version on accesswire.com: NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Livento Group, Inc. (OTC PINK:NUGN), a dynamic group that specializes in acquiring and developing companies with disruptive business models in film, content, and technology for fund managers, announces the appointment of Hamon Francis Fytton as a strategic advisor. Mr. Fytton will provide direct support to our legal and accounting team with special responsibility for SEC filings and company structure. Hamon Francis Fytton is an experienced legal advisor who has been working in the SEC and listed companies' environment since 1997. Alongside two partners, he started Internet Advisory Corporation with $20,000 and built a business valued at over $100 million in only four years. During this period, he raised over $4 million from investors and successfully took the company public. His record of public filing on the SEC website is very impressive and we are pleased to have him on board. Mr. Fytton has in his career incorporated many public companies and consulted with many more. In addition, Francis is a Director of Gold Coast Venture Corporation (GCVC), which is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1984. GCVC assists the entrepreneurial and business communities of South Florida. Mr. Fytton specializes in US and Canadian IPOs, Reg A programs, and other SEC filings. More recently he has been invited to join the Executive Leadership Program at Florida Atlantic University's Adams Center for Entrepreneurship. "Mr. Fytton is very experienced with an impressive track record. We are confident he will assist Livento Group with our current filings including Form 10 and, in the future, the QB uplisting process. Mr. Fytton is also the legal advisor to Global Dot Logistics, and his SEC relationships and experience are very beneficial as we move forward." said David Stybr, CEO of Livento Group. About Livento Group Livento Group (OTC Pink: NUGN) is focused on acquiring and developing companies with disruptive business models. The company recently launched BOXO Productions, a film and television production subsidiary led by a top actor and producer in the industry. For more information, visit www.liventogroup.com and www.boxoproductions.com. Safe Harbor Statement: This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements as predictions, projections, or references to future events and expectations, possibilities or similar. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, the Company is unable to give any assurance that its expectations will be attained due to several variable factors. Factors or events that could cause actual results to differ may emerge, and it is impossible for the Company to predict all of them. Some of these risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, customer order patterns, changes in consumer trends, and various other factors beyond the Company's control. Although the Company intends to provide public updates, it undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law. Contact: David Stybr, CEO Livento Group, Inc. [email protected] Livento Group | LinkedIn | Twitter Boxo Productions | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Global Dot Logistics | LinkedIn | Twitter SOURCE: Livento Group, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) today released its 2022 Sustainability Report, detailing how the company lives up to its purpose, contributes to more confident futures, and creates a virtuous circle of shared value for its customers, colleagues, communities and shareholders. Sustainability is integral to MetLife's business. MetLife's sustainability strategy is guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the company remains committed to driving meaningful impact around the world. MetLife's goal is to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world and to make progress towards its 2030 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Commitments and environmental commitments. This year's report highlights MetLife's progress against these goals and how the company serves as a force for good, including: Awarding $37.9 million in grants in 2022 through MetLife Foundation's Economic Inclusion, Financial Health and Resilient Communities portfolios Continuing to support a resilient and thriving environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 49% since 2019, planting ~800,000 trees since 2020, and maintaining carbon neutrality, which MetLife has done since becoming the first U.S.-based insurer to achieve the status in 2016 Securing over $77 billion in responsible investments managed by MetLife Investment Management as of year-end 2022 Originating ~$885 million in DEI investments in 2022, nearly completing MetLife's commitment of $1 billion by 2030 Expanding its 360Health offering throughout Asia in 2022 to help more customers improve their mental, physical, financial and social health Earning the status of a certified Great Place to Work in eight of its markets based on the feedback and experience of MetLife colleagues in eight of its markets based on the feedback and experience of MetLife colleagues Completing 109,000+ volunteer hours in 2022, advancing MetLife towards its commitment of 800,000 volunteer hours by 2030 To read the 2022 Sustainability Report and learn more about MetLife's sustainability commitments and progress, visit MetLife.com/Sustainability. # # # About MetLife MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com. Forward-Looking Statements The forward-looking statements in this news release, using words such as "commitment" "continuing," "goal," "long-term" and "remains" and other words and terms of similar meaning are based on assumptions and expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, including the "Risk Factors" MetLife, Inc. describes in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. MetLife's future results could differ, and it does not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or update any forward-looking statements if MetLife, Inc. later becomes aware that such statement is not likely to be achieved. Please consult any further disclosures MetLife, Inc. makes on related subjects in subsequent reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact : For Media: Brian Blaser (212) 578-2415 [email protected] View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from MetLife, Inc. on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: MetLife, Inc. Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/metlife-inc Email: [email protected] SOURCE: MetLife, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: (Bloomberg) -- The president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank said hes not worried about Canada reviewing its involvement with the institution and contended that other major-country shareholders are supporting the lender. Most Read from Bloomberg I dont think a serious government would make any decision not based on facts, Jin Liqun, the banks president and board chair, told Bloomberg News on the sidelines of a financing summit in Paris. We think all the allegations are baseless, said Jin, a Chinese national who is serving his second five-year term as president. We have a very strong governance structure and adhere to international best practice. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government announced last week that Canada would halt all activities with the bank while she conducts a review of allegations made by an outgoing executive. Bob Pickard, a Canadian who served as AIIBs global head of communications, posted on Twitter that he was quitting because the lender was dominated by Communist Party members and also has one of the most toxic cultures imaginable. Pickard has also since alleged in interviews that the AIIB was considering funding projects in Russia again, despite a freeze on such activities since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. While Pickards tweets gave Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland the public opening to halt her governments involvement with the AIIB, Canadian officials say the governments concerns go deeper and predate Pickards allegations. There are specific concerns about the banks governance being too centralized, which will be part of the review, said the officials, who spoke on condition they not be named. They said the review is not just a rhetorical exercise and kept open the possibility that Canada chooses to remain an AIIB shareholder. But Canada also has more general concerns about the banks positioning regarding Russia. Freeland has been adamant that Russia be cut off from access to global financial institutions until it withdraws from Ukraine. Some Canadian officials see the AIIB as preferring to keep a neutral stance on President Vladimir Putins war and potentially opening the way for re-engaging with Russia. Asked about the AIIBs stance on Russia, Jin said there is no change to the banks policy since the invasion. We issued a declaration after the war broke out in Ukraine that we put all the projects in the pipeline for Russian and Belarus on hold for review, he said. Jin declined to say how long that review of Russian projects might last. I dont predict the future, but the review goes on, he said. The management makes this decision in the interest of every member of this bank. So far, none of the AIIBs other 105 members have publicly adopted Canadas position, including Group of Seven countries such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy. The United States is not a member and has long warned allies about the banks lack of transparency and independence from Chinas leadership. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said last week that global institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank should act as a counterweight to Chinas growing clout in the developing world. Beijing hit back, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin saying they are not called the IMF or the World Bank of the United States. While China is the largest shareholder in the AIIB with 26.6% of the voting share, Jin is the only Chinese national on the banks senior leadership team. Other members include former Chief Secretary to the UK Treasury Danny Alexander and former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India Urjit Patel both nationals of countries with strained ties to Beijing. The AIIB, which is headquartered in Beijing, was established in 2016 with the goal of investing in sustainable infrastructure in Asia and beyond, according to its website. It says it has so far invested in 221 projects worth $42 billion. Canada applied to join the AIIB in 2016 and formally entered the institution in 2018. As of 2019, it was dedicated to a 1% membership in the bank that would commit it to a stake worth $995 million. Trudeaus government launched the probe of its involvement with the bank as it fends off criticism over its handling of alleged Chinese interference in recent Canadian elections. The Chinese embassy in Canada has denied the claims. --With assistance from Lucille Liu, Bryce Baschuk and Akshat Rathi. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Review signals one in 100 healthcare workers diverting drugs BALTIMORE, MD / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Protenus, provider of the leading healthcare compliance analytics platform empowering healthcare to eliminate risk, today released its new 2023 Diversion Digest report that details the ongoing misuse of drugs by healthcare workers and the effects of drug diversion on healthcare organizations, their employees, and patients. Protenus Protenus logo The research, published in the 2023 Diversion Digest, focuses on the review and analysis of publicly available data on current drug diversion incidents and trends involving healthcare workers. As found in the full report, an estimated one in every 100 healthcare workers is likely diverting drugs from healthcare organizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines drug diversion as, "When prescription medicines are obtained or used illegally, it is called drug diversion. Healthcare providers who steal prescription medicines or controlled substances such as opioids for their own use put patients at risk1." With the ongoing trend of drug misuse and diversion, healthcare organizations must look for ways to identify, detect and prevent drug diversion as quickly as possible, while also supporting members of their workforce with substance abuse disorders and protecting patients from the harm diversion can create. "The underlying threat of drug diversion in healthcare will always exist. However, healthcare organizations can optimize their efforts to detect as much diversion as possible by implementing proactive monitoring strategies such as an artificial intelligence (AI) powered surveillance solution," stated Adam Beeler, PharmD, MS, Director of Pharmacy Services at Protenus. Previous installments of the Diversion Digest were aimed to educate readers about how drug diversion occurs and ways to prevent it. But only so much can be done to prevent drug diversion. The purpose of the 2023 Diversion Digest is to provide a rational estimation of the prevalence of drug diversion among healthcare workers so that organizations can develop risk mitigation strategies to detect diversion that would otherwise go unnoticed. To request the 2023 Diversion Digest and receive future updates, please visit us here. About Protenus Protenus harnesses the power of AI to provide healthcare organizations with scalable risk-reduction solutions that drive the safest patient outcomes while protecting the reputation of the organizations. We are committed to innovation, determined to reduce risk, and focused on supporting our community of employees, customers, and ultimately, patients. Empowering healthcare to eliminate risk is at the heart of all we do. Protenus was awarded 2023 Best in KLAS for both patient privacy monitoring and drug diversion surveillance solutions, is a three-time winner of Forbes' America's Best Startup Employers, is a Great Place to Work-Certified company, was named one of 2021 CBInsights Digital Health 150, one of The Best Places to Work in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare, and one of the Best Places to Work in Baltimore by the Baltimore Business Journal and the Baltimore Sun. Learn more at Protenus.com and follow us on Twitter @Protenus. (1Source: https://www.cdc.gov/injectionsafety/drugdiversion/index.html) Contact Information Michelle Del Guercio Chief Marketing Officer [email protected] (410) 995-8850 SOURCE: Protenus View source version on accesswire.com: VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE: PM / FSE: FIRA / OTCQB: PMMCF) announces that it has entered into a debt settlement agreement to settle outstanding indebtedness to an arm's length service provider in the aggregate amount of $63,000, of which will be settled through the issuance of an aggregate of 364,954 common shares of the Company. ABOUT PAMPA METALS Pampa Metals is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE: PM), Frankfurt (FSE: FIRA) and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges which wholly owns a 47,400 hectare portfolio of seven projects highly prospective for copper, molybdenum and gold located along proven and highly productive mineral belts in Chile, one of the world's top mining jurisdictions. The Company is actively advancing its projects through systematic exploration and drill testing of the highest priority targets, with a current focus on the Buenavista Project. The Company's vision is to create significant value for shareholders and stakeholders through the application of its technical and commercial expertise towards exploring for a major copper discovery along the prime mineral belts of Chile. For more information, please visit Pampa Metals' website at www.pampametals.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD INVESTORS CONTACT Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO Joseph van den Elsen | President & CEO [email protected] Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Q Battery Metals Corp. ("Q Battery Metals" or the "Company) (CSE:QMET) is pleased to announce the discovery of pegmatite dykes following a targeted sampling program on the La Corne South project, located north of Val d'Or, Quebec. A brief reconnaissance of the area of interest on the claims led to the discovery of several narrow pegmatitic bodies within bedrock and several larger float blocks of pegmatitic material. Samples have been collected from these exposures and are now being submitted to the laboratory for lithium analysis. The Q Battery team explored a general area where prior sampling returned elevated lithium values from work programs completed in 2021, that were however not designed for the discovery of pegmatites or lithium. The current reconnaissance work was guided by Dr. Mathieu Pich', a director and OGQ Geoscientist for Q Battery, who was also part of the reconnaissance team. Pegmatitic material has not be previously mapped by Q Battery on this area of the claims. The largest of the recently discovered pegmatite dykes appears to be approximately 30 cm in width with an unknown strike length. There appears to be a cluster of pegmatite veins and dykes associated with a topographic ridge in this area of the property. The area requires a more thorough exploration program in order to properly assess lithium potential. Continued exploration is expected to be undertaken in the following months. Q Battery Metals president Richard Penn states that "we have known the the La Corne South property has the correct geological setting for pegmatite formations, however, it is pleasing to find the pegmatite material in the field during our brief targeted reconnaissance program." The area has been under an exploration access ban due to high fire hazard ratings. A temporary lifting of the ban allowed the crew to quickly obtain samples of pegmatite from the property. The area is once again under access ban due to continued dry weather. The intention of 2023 exploration on the La Corne South project is to identify lithium-bearing pegmatites that can be diamond drilled this coming fall and winter. The La Corne South Property is located over the southern portion of the La Corne Batholith. At least 14 lithium projects are associated with the margins of the La Corne Batholith within 20 kilometres of the QMET claims. Sections of the batholith are pegmatitic which host the lithium. Within 10 kms, the North American Lithium project is a historic lithium mine that now lists proven and probable mineral reserves estimated at 29.2 million tonnes (Mt), grading 0.96% Li2O, with contained Li2O of 280,300t. As well, the potential for VMS deposition containing Cu-Zn-Ag is evident on the La Corne South claims. Q Battery Metals exploration programs undertaken in Quebec are supervised by Dr. Mathieu Piche, OGQ, with office located north of Val d'Or. He is also a Q Battery Metals company director. The company has 100% interest in mineral claims within Quebec and British Columbia, with exploration targeting critical and precious metals. Perry Grunenberg, P.Geo, a "Qualified Person" as that term is defined under NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release. Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions as of that date. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to exploration and development; the ability of the Company to obtain additional financing; the Company's limited operating history; the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations; fluctuations in the prices of commodities; operating hazards and risks; competition and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's Prospectus dated September 8, 2017 available on www.sedar.com. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions, and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information. On behalf of the Board of Directors Richard Penn CEO (778) 384-8923 SOURCE: Q Battery Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Rayonier Originally published on Rayonier.com At Rayonier, we have the honor and privilege of working alongside small, local logging businesses. Many of these companies have been passed down for generations, and are considered an integral part of the Rayonier family. We take great pride in these partnerships and appreciate their shared commitment to the sustainability and preservation of the land we work together. Here we share seven of these generational businesses' inspiring stories, showcasing their deep-rooted values and passion for the logging industry. Join us as we pay tribute to the significant contributions and remarkable legacies logging business from Washington state to Florida bring. Levanen Inc., Battle Ground, Washington From a young age, Scott Levanen aspired to follow in his father's footsteps as a professional in the logging industry. While working alongside his father, Scott gained valuable skills and logging experience. He later recognized a need for a local full-service logging company that could assist private landowners in maximizing the potential of their tree farms. In 1989, he partnered with his cousin Mark to establish Levanen Inc., which is dedicated to fulfilling this purpose. Word spread quickly among landowners about the quality of Levanen Inc.'s services. The growing demand the company was experiencing resulted in a need for expansion of its workforce and equipment. This enabled them to take on larger logging projects. To sustain such growth, Levanen Inc. diversified their services, offering logging operations to both public and private timberlands. Over time, Levanen Inc. has evolved into a well-rounded organization through partnerships with large landowners such as Rayonier. These partners share a commitment to safer, more efficient, and technologically-advanced harvesting timber methods via cable assist and hydraulic grapple logging systems. Scott's father once advised him, saying, "Surround yourself with great people, and things will go well." Thanks to this advice, Scott attributes his success to the partnerships, employees, vendors, and clients he has worked with over the years. Currently, Levanen Inc. is owned and operated by Scott with the help of his two sons, Dale and Loren. In the future, Dale and Loren hope to purchase the company, carrying on the family legacy. Sevier Logging, LLC, Olympia, Washington Sevier Logging, LLC, is owned and operated by Jeff Sevier and his son, Justin. This well-established, third-generation company holds a rich logging history dating back over 70 years in the Pacific Northwest. Known for its sustainable forestry practices and excellent logging services, the company has built a strong reputation as a contractor for various timber companies. Partnerships have included Weyerhaeuser Company, Rayonier Forest Resources, Green Diamond Resource Company, Harbor Timber/Quinault Partners for the Quinault Indian Tribe, Olympic Resource Management, and government sales at Fort Lewis. Jeff inherited the business from his father Paul in 2000, continuing the family legacy. Justin, Jeff's son, has been actively involved in the company for the past decade, working alongside his father and preparing to take ownership in the near future. "Working alongside my dad has been invaluable as I learn the ropes," says Justin, prompting a smile from Jeff. "I'm so proud of Justin," says Jeff, "He has embraced a leadership role and makes good, solid decisions. I couldn't be any prouder of him!" Sevier Logging, LLC, is rooted in responsible land stewardship and is dedicated to protecting the environment through sustainable forestry practices. Employee safety is also a priority for the company. Remarkably, Sevier Logging, LLC, has managed to avoid any serious accidents in its 70-year logging history. Triple J Logging, Palatka, Florida For JJ Sweat, it was important to create a logging business that would not only provide for his family today, but could become a legacy that would one day also provide for his son's family. He founded Triple J Logging Inc. in Palatka, Florida, in 2005. Now a co-owner who works alongside his dad, JJ's son Jess is learning firsthand how to operate the company. Over the years, Triple J Logging has grown significantly, employing a dedicated team of 8 employees. The company has partnered with Rayonier's Florida Resource Unit as a logging contractor since about 2019. Allen Brothers Forest Management, Arlington, Washington Les and Rob Allen represent the second and third generations of their family's logging legacy at the Hood Canal Tree Farm in East Jefferson County, Washington. In 1976, Les, with his two brothers Craig and Larry, founded Allen Brothers Logging on the Olympic Peninsula. Initially, the company focused on serving the Quilcene and Chimacum areas. While Rob was growing up, he and his brother worked for their father periodically throughout their high school and young adult years. Although Rob pursued other career paths, he later returned to Allen Brothers Forest Management as a full-time logger in 2004. In response to their father's dedication to the logging company, Rob's sons later worked for him during their high school summer breaks. This allowed them the opportunity to gain valuable experience in operations and logging equipment maintenance. As potential fourth-generation loggers, they have a promising future ahead should they choose to continue with Allen Brothers Forest Management. Both Les and Rob share many positive outlooks when it comes to working alongside family members. They both emphasize the deep familiarity and trust between family, noting that each member treats the company as their own. As they look to the future, Les and Rob are hopeful that the younger generation will decide to return and continue the family logging legacy. DM Stratton and 3D Trucking, LLC, Jacksonville, Florida For the Stratton family in Jacksonville, Florida, the common name between Dillon Stratton I, Dillon Stratton II and Dillon Stratton III is only one of the similarities the three generations share. They're also all three passionate about logging and have worked together in their family businesses. The youngest of the three, Dillon Stratton III, is the owner and operator of DM Stratton and 3D Trucking, LLC. Founded by his grandfather, Dillon Stratton I, both businesses have a strong family lineage. Together, the two companies employ a total of 18 employees. In addition to running the business, Dillon III holds the position of Vice President at the Southeastern Wood Producers Association. His father, Dillion II, received the distinguished Florida Logger of the Year award in 1995. Following in his father's footsteps, Dillion III was also recognized, receiving the same honor in 2022. Over the years, DM Stratton has developed an extensive partnership with Rayonier, effectively managing multiple logging crews at the same time in our forests. Dilley & Soloman, Forks, Washington Dave Dilley began his logging journey while pursuing his high school education. At the time, he realized this particular career path was his true calling. Growing up in Forks, Washington, an area known for its beautiful outdoor landscape and the Olympic Peninsula, it seemed like a natural fit. Following his graduation, Dave spent 10 years logging alongside his uncle, a contractor working for Rayonier. In 1987, he partnered with Lyn Soloman to establish Dilley & Soloman Logging. Together, they experienced substantial business growth. Dave's son, Mike, joined the company while still in high school, dedicating his summer breaks to working in the family business. After graduating in 2000 and pursuing a college degree for 2 years at Washington State University, he decided to forego his education and work at the business instead. Over the years, Mike has gradually worked his way through every aspect of logging operations, watching the industry shift and change. Notable changes included tower and shovel logging with grapple cars, tilting shovels, and tethering bunchers. The company has encouraged and embraced innovation, attributing to its great success. Dave is confident that when he retires, Mike will carry on the family legacy and achieve great success. R.L. Smith Logging, Inc., Elma, Washington R.L. Smith Logging, Inc. has been in business now for 32 years, but its logging legacy dates back further than that. In 1932, Roger Smith's paternal grandfather tragically died in a logging accident, leaving his wife and five young sons behind. Due to the accident, the family decided to set the logging industry aside for a while. But in 1980, Roger joined his uncle's company, Grandorff Bros Logging, a small business of four brothers offering logging services to the high country of Grisdale. In 1991, an economic downturn left Roger unemployed. Thankfully, an uncle offered to sell his portion of the business, leading to the establishment of Tagman-Smith Logging, Inc. With the help and support of Dick Tagman, R.L. Smith Logging, Inc. is still thriving to this day. Because of Roger's success and dedication to the family legacy, he was able to offer his nephew, Nate Murray, an opportunity to start his own venture: Roosevelt Logging Inc. In addition, Roger has worked alongside his brothers and brother-in-law for over 20 years. Roger values the teamwork, comradery, and accomplishments he and his family have achieved over the years. Now, R.L. Smith Logging Inc. is harvesting ground they logged in their early years. "It is hard to imagine that our family history in the logging industry goes back almost 100 years," says Roger. Rayonier's Dedication to Supporting Local Family-Owned Logging Businesses Rayonier is proud to partner with these family-owned logging businesses. Founded on shared values and a deep appreciation for the forests, their knowledge of the industry and logging operations are critical to Rayonier's mission of sustainable forest management. With logging running through their blood, each company contributes its rooted and local expertise, specialized equipment, and talented workforce. We value and express gratitude to each family-owned logging business represented at Rayonier. Our work is only made possible with partnerships such as these. Rayonier's goal is to continue to support the ongoing success and resilience of these generational logging companies for years to come. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Rayonier on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Rayonier Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/rayonier Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Rayonier View source version on accesswire.com: The Encounters 'In Resonance' program is an unprecedented cultural initiative showcasing leading generative artists and musicians. It presents curated art installations, bespoke music compositions, live performances, and exclusive digital art drops at Scorpios, Mykonos (13 July - 3 September). Renowned artist Refik Anadol will launch an artwork collaboration with Brazil's Yawanawa Indigenous communities of Aldeia Sagrada and Nova Esperana, donating his full share of the collection's sales directly to the Yawanawa community. LONDON, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / Art and tech pioneers HOFA and Scorpios, renowned Mykonos-based creative gathering place, partner for 'In Resonance', an exploratory art, music and culture program showcasing the interplay between contemporary art and music. Sense of Healing | Refik Anadol (courtesy of Impact One) Sense of Healing | Refik Anadol (courtesy of Impact One) 'In Resonance' is the inaugural edition of Scorpios Encounters, a newly launched platform for cultural experimentation, which will run during peak summer from 13 July until 3 September 2023. For 7 weeks, the eminently well-curated program will feature captivating installations by prominent generative artists, high-profile music collaborations, live musical performances, and exclusive digital art drops. HOFA Co-founder Elio D'Anna explains, "In Resonance is a multidisciplinary program which brings leading AI artists and renowned musicians together to explore the profound connections between art and music as reflections, complements and natural evolutions of each other." Headlining 'In Resonance' is the phenomenal Turkish-American media artist and director Refik Anadol. Renowned for his mesmerising immersive and interactive works, Anadol's creative endeavours have achieved global acclaim with digital collectible sales exceeding $30 million, amid notable collaborations with esteemed institutions like Sotheby's Hong Kong and MOMA New York. At Scorpios, Anadol will unveil his latest collection of artworks, co-created with the Yawanawa Indigenous communities of Aldeia Sagrada and Nova Esperanca from Brazil (13 - 14 July) to reflect the dynamic interrelationship between Yawanawa culture and the Brazilian Amazon. Facilitated by Impact One as part of their "Possible Futures" program, this collaboration will explore the deep connections between human consciousness and nature with Anadol and Impact One donating their share of proceeds towards funding long-term initiatives for the protection of Yawanawa heritage. Also headlining 'In Resonance' is trailblazing female AI artist Dr. Ivona Tau, renowned for her experimental photography and motion paintings created using GAN models trained on rich photographic data. Tau's new works, developed in collaboration with Jean Claude Ades, maestro of eclectic dancefloor rhythms, is based on light data collected in the island of Delos and is billed to go live during the second set (23 - 24 July) of the summer-long program. French biological generative artist and musician Agoria will also present a new artwork created through the algorithmic fusion of sunset data captured at Scorpios, Mykonos (24 - 25 Aug), while New Zealander Jesse Woolston will release new AI artworks created around the theme of knowledge, spiritual beliefs and the power of AI in the fight against climate change (31 Aug - 1 Sept). Other feature artists and musicians include Hugo Johnson, the hypnotic visual storyteller, who alongside Bedouin, known for their Middle Eastern and Western sound fusions, will present their collaborative masterpiece, Zorba, which reimagines extreme weather phenomena using geographic data. Australian light sculptor Jason Sims, in collaboration with musical protege of meditative soundscapes Satori, will immerse viewers in a light-mediated exploration of natural systems (10 - 11 August), while the pioneering Azeri new media artist Orkhan, along with the music director of Scorpios Mykonos Lannka, will present a new work in the Relic series exploring eastern cultural heritage and tapestries through physical data sculptures and paintings (4 - 5 August). Scorpios Co-Founder and President, Thomas Heyne, believes the new program will resonate with Scorpios' growing community. He says, "Charting new creative territory is what we do at Scorpios and our vision for 'In Resonance' is to create a more multidimensional and fulfilling experience for artists and our community." ENDS WWW.THEHOUSEOFFINEART.COM WWW.SCORPIOSMYKONOS.COM Contact: Emma-Louise O'Neill [email protected] Contact Information Emma-Louise O'Neill Comms & Brand Collaborations Director [email protected] +447515136909 Related Images Sense of Healing | Refik Anadol (courtesy of Impact One) Sense of Healing | Refik Anadol (courtesy of Impact One) Aldeia Sagrada Yawanawa (c) FilipeFoto for Impact One Aldeia Sagrada Yawanawa (c) FilipeFoto for Impact One Bedouin in 2022 at Scorpios Mykonos (Fotinos Bakrisioris) Bedouin in 2022 at Scorpios Mykonos (Fotinos Bakrisioris)Bedouin in 2022 at Scorpios Mykonos (Fotinos Bakrisioris) SOURCE: HOFA Gallery View source version on accesswire.com: Award-winning global broker FXGT.com launches world renowned trading platform, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) MAHE, SEYCHELLES / ACCESSWIRE / June 22, 2023 / FXGT.com, a leading online forex and CFD broker, has announced the addition of the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) platform to its trading platform offering. Available on desktop, mobile and tablet devices, MT4 is one of the most popular trading platforms in the world, with a user-friendly interface that is suited to traders of all experience levels. The official launch of MT4 on FXGT.com serves as the latest addition to its platform suite alongside MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and provides traders with even more flexibility and choice. It represents another key milestone for FXGT.com, following on from the recent refresh of the company's brand, which saw the successful introduction of an updated logo, tagline, and website. "MT4 is one of the most popular forex trading platforms amongst traders, and we are excited to be able to offer it to our clients," said Constantinos Pavlides, CMO at FXGT.com. "It will sufficiently complement our MT5 offering, which allows us to welcome all types of traders and expert advisors and deliver on our promise to empower a range of different trading choices and strategies. Ultimately, we are committed to providing traders with the best possible trading experience," said Pavlides. MT4 remains the dominant platform in specific geographic regions of the world and is very popular in certain market segments and strategies. The inclusion of MT4 as part of its platform selection, therefore, fulfils FXGT.com's "Any Trade, Any Strategy" tagline, whilst cementing its status as a truly global broker. For more information about the suite of trading platforms available on FXGT.com , please click here . About FXGT.com FXGT.com is an established, award-winning, fully regulated, and licensed online broker. It operates in markets across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, with a growing presence in other regions, serving clients worldwide. It is fully authorized and regulated by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA), the South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), and the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC). It offers choice to traders through a wide range of tradable asset classes and instruments, with reliable and fast execution, across a broad selection of account types on the MT4 and MT5 trading platforms. Moreover, FXGT.com presents an impressive array of trading tools, market insights, technical analysis, and much more to clients, who can also benefit from accessing attractive and generous promotions, including Welcome, Loyalty, and No Deposit bonuses, depending on the country/region. Lastly, the brand has a reputation for ensuring the strong protection and security of funds by keeping clients' funds separate. FXGT.com is a regulated broker that is licensed by the FSA, FSCA, and VFSC, and is trusted by traders worldwide for its robust risk management policies and procedures, which includes allowing anytime withdrawals from clients' accounts. Social Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fxgtcom/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/FXGTcom/100090248558543/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/37062744/admin/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEmbthlmUEn4z6PeFh_-yUQ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fxgtcom Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fxgt.com?lang=en Media Contact Organization: 360 Degrees Markets Ltd Contact Person: Hristo Hristov Website: https://fxgt.com Email: [email protected] City: Mahe Country: Seychelles SOURCE: 360 Degrees Markets Ltd View source version on accesswire.com: Bank of America held an electric vehicle charging conference on Tuesday where they met with equipment manufacturers and investors to discuss the state of the market. The discussions revealed that, despite some caution from investors, the industry is still in the early stages of a long-term growth cycle. EV sales have been impressive, with another record-breaking quarter in the first quarter of the year, and forecasts indicate that over 1 million EVs will be sold in the US for the first time in 2023. Discussions with equipment manufacturers, specifically ChargePoint (NYSE: CHPT), FreeWire, and Tritium (NASDAQ: DCFC), indicate that concerns about a slowdown in demand are generally exaggerated. ChargePoint expresses confidence in reducing its EBITDA drag by two-thirds ($49 million to $16 million) in the fourth quarter, primarily due to the diversity of its products, customers, and geographical reach. Tritium's impressive growth aligns closely with its recent capacity expansions, indicating that demand is driving the supply. FreeWire's battery integrated products are increasingly seen as a viable industry standard, with the potential to qualify for tax credits as standalone storage projects, in addition to offering lower make-ready costs. Analyst Alex Vrabel wrote in a note, While investors have generally turned cautious on the EV Charging theme, every indicator suggests in the early innings of a secular growth cycle. Despite broader signs of slowdown in the economy in whole, EV sales continue to impress with another record quarter in 1Q and forecasts for well over 1mm EVs sold in the US for the first time this year. With this in mind, demand risks look overblown as the volume of EVs on the road and associated demand for charging infrastructure is simply poised to continue accelerating. Following the conference, Bank of America reiterated a Buy rating on CHPT and Underperform on EVgo (NASDAQ: EVGO), with preferences based on the visibility of achieving cash inflection. Vrabel emphasized that CHPT anticipates no requirement for external capital to reach cash inflection. On the other hand, EVgo indicated that grants will have a growing impact in 2023 and beyond, but the unclear outlook for cash inflection has Bank of America exercising caution. By Michael Elkins | [email protected] SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Napoli Shkolnik, along with Plaintiffs Co-Lead and Interim Class Counsel, is proud to announce a $12.5 billion settlement with 3M Company in the ongoing multi-district litigation over the contamination of drinking water with toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) resulting from the widespread use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF). This historic class action settlement agreement was reached today and resolves the claims of Public Water Systems across the country that have been impacted by actual or threatened contamination of their water systems with PFAS. This historic settlement is the largest amount ever paid by a single company to resolve claims involving contaminated drinking water and provides compensation critical to protecting our nations drinking water supplies and upgrading our water treatment infrastructure to deal with this new threat, said Paul J. Napoli, court-appointed Co-Lead Counsel for Plaintiffs and a leader of the national settlement negotiating team. This settlement sends a clear message that corporations like 3M must bear the responsibility for the aftermath of the chemicals they produce. This proposed class settlement is the result of many months of negotiations between the parties and comes on the heels of a $1.185 billion class settlement with DuPont, Chemours, and Corteva announced just a few weeks ago. The settlement with 3M Company is subject to approval by Judge Richard M. Gergel, who was assigned in December 2018 to oversee the ongoing MDL proceedings in the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. PFAS, also known as the forever chemicals are manmade, synthetic compounds that research has shown pose significant risks to the environment and human health. 3M was the only company to manufacture and sell AFFF containing perfluorooctane sulfonic acid or PFOS, a particularly insidious type of PFAS that studies have linked to an increased risk of cancer and other serious health conditions. This agreement demonstrates our teams unwavering commitment to making these companies answer for their blatant pollution of Public Water Systems throughout the country. Ensuring access to clean drinking water is not just a basic human need, but a fundamental right. proclaims Napoli Shkolnik Partner Paul J. Napoli. Our Environmental Department has invested an incalculable amount of time over the past five years towards achieving this outcome and we could not be prouder. This is a tremendous step forward for the thousands of Public Water Systems who have been forced to shoulder the financial burden of removing these toxic chemicals from their drinking water, says Partner Andrew Croner. But there is more work to do, and our team is committed to holding companies like 3M responsible for their contribution to one of the gravest environmental and public health disasters in history. During these past five years I have witnessed firsthand the remarkable power of collective action in pursuit of justice and the preservation of the environment, adds Partner Coral M. Odiot-Rivera. Our teams effort has demonstrated a strong commitment to hold companies responsible for exposing communities to harmful chemicals. Learn more by clicking here to sign up and protect your water system: www.WaterUtilitySettlement.com About Napoli Shkolnik Napoli Shkolnik is a national law firm providing representation in complex environmental litigation, including cases involving hazardous substances and their adverse impact on communities. With a dedicated team of attorneys and a proven track record of success, Napoli Shkolnik provides exceptional legal representation and fights for justice on behalf of those affected by environmental wrongdoing. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622902834/en/ For media requests, kindly reach out to: Paul J. Napoli [email protected] (516) 639-6909 Hunter J. Shkolnik [email protected] (917) 544-0009 Coral M. Odiot-Rivera [email protected] (787) 504-4114 Andrew Croner [email protected] (410) 971-5369 Source: Napoli Shkolnik Encouraging Industry Leaders to Come Together to Drive Change, Albertsons Media Collective Hosts Critical Standardization Conversation at Cannes Lions CANNES, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Albertsons Media Collective, the retail media arm for Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI), today is sharing a preliminary framework to standardize specifications, methodologies, terminology and disclosures across retail media networks, which is available in a new whitepaper. At Cannes Lions, Albertsons Media Collective is hosting a critical discussion on the topic Transforming Retail Media Through Standardization alongside leaders from Omnicom Media Group, Pinterest and R3. While retail media is booming, the lack of standardization has produced an unnecessarily complex, inefficient and costly ecosystem. For retail media to achieve its full promise, we must tackle the issue of standardization head on, said Kristi Argyilan, SVP of Retail Media for Albertsons Companies. To ensure the survival of this industry, we must come together toward a greater goal. We believe this framework will serve as a starting point for creating a unified approach to retail media standardization. Setting a new gold standard is the first stepping stone to revolutionizing how advertisers, agencies and retail media networks work together. As retail media continues to proliferate, advertisers and agencies must dedicate significant resources to producing varying ad formats, as well as transact, measure and integrate insights from each platform. This has led to advertisers experiencing difficulties in cross-platform comparison, limited transparency and inconsistent reporting. The first version of the framework introduced by Albertsons Media Collective concentrates on four areas: product characteristics, performance measurement, third-party verification and capabilities. The framework will be finalized after pressure-testing industry-wide priorities and ensuring executional feasibility. Guided by an advisory group, this framework will also expand and evolve further to support key initiatives by the IAB. At Unilever, we are supportive of this workstream as we believe its essential for the industry to come together to tackle standardization when it comes to attribution, measurement, frequency of reporting and transparency. We continue to be an advocate for industry wide solutions, said Aaron Sobol, Head of US Media Investment and Partnerships, Unilever. According to eMarketer estimates, retail media networks are slated to bring in $106 billion in U.S. ad spending by 2027 more than double the $45 billion expected in 2023. Omnicom Media Group shares Albertsons Media Collectives commitment to assuring advertisers can have confidence in their retail media investments, and their belief that confidence can best be achieved through standardization, said Ben Hovaness, SVP, Marketplace Intelligence, Omnicom Media Group. Thats why OMG created the Council on Accountability and Standards in Advertising (CASA), and why we stand with The Collective as active advocates for assuring clarity, safety and transparency in this rapidly growing investment channel. In addition to benefiting stakeholders across the retail media value chain, standardization will also help improve the consumer shopping journey. Personalized ads on retail media networks, based on consumer opt-in data, help shoppers quickly find products that align with their needs and desires. In turn, those shoppers save time while also discovering new products. The Retail Media Standardization effort is open to industry stakeholders to join this initiative. For more information, please email [email protected]. About Albertsons Media Collective Albertsons Media Collective is a next-generation retail media network rooted in connections, technology and innovation. As the retail media arm for Albertsons Companies, one of the largest food and drug retailers in the United States, we connect with consumers in more than 2,200 locations across 34 states and the District of Columbia. Through a companywide focus on innovation, we partner with leading brands to help them engage shoppers when and where it matters most, with the power of sophisticated first-party data. From innovative delivery platforms to highly targeted marketing solutions, we offer our clients a variety of programs designed to drive retail sales and maximize brand impact to best serve our customers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622278079/en/ Media Contact [email protected] Source: Albertsons Companies, Inc. SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AltPep Corporation, a privately-held biotechnology company developing early disease-modifying treatments and detection tools for amyloid diseases, today announced the completion of a $52.9 million Series B financing round. The financing was led by Senator Investment Group, LP, with participation from new financial investors, Section 32, Korea-based Partners Investment, and Eli Lilly and Company. Investors in AltPeps Series A, including Alexandria Venture Investments and Matrix Capital Management Company, LP, also participated in the Series B. Proceeds from the round will primarily be used to accelerate AltPeps SOBIN therapeutics into Phase 1 clinical trials for both Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases. Funds will also be used to advance AltPeps first SOBA diagnostic, which has FDA Breakthrough Designation, toward FDA clearance. In conjunction with the financing, Rohit Vanjani of Senator Investment Group will be appointed to AltPeps Board of Directors and Ronald DeMattos, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer for Neurobiologicals at Lilly, will join AltPeps Scientific Advisory Board. This new funding bolsters our efforts to bring early detection and treatment to patients with Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases, said Valerie Daggett, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of AltPep. AltPep continues to reach significant milestones, including recent preclinical in vivo data demonstrating an improvement in cognitive deficits with our lead compound for Alzheimers disease. Also, our SOBA assay targeting toxic oligomers, which are early molecular triggers of disease, shows great potential for detection of Alzheimers disease (https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2213157119). We are thrilled to have the support of our former and new investors, and we look forward to working closely with both Dr. DeMattos and Rohit Vanjani. Rohit Vanjani said, We believe AltPep is in an excellent position to optimize the value of its unique technology. With scientific application for both therapeutics and diagnostics in a wide range of amyloid diseases, the potential for the companys pipeline is vast and extremely promising. I am excited to be joining the AltPep Board of Directors and working with their experienced leadership team. Selective targeting of molecular triggers early in the progression of amyloid diseases, such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons, differentiates AltPeps approach from other current and experimental options in the field, said Michael Pellini, M.D., Managing Partner of Section 32. AltPeps novel technology has the potential to profoundly and positively affect both disease treatment as well as detection. We are pleased to provide support that will advance this important work for patients suffering from amyloid diseases. AltPeps lead programs aim to identify Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease before symptoms occur with SOBA diagnostics and then neutralize the toxic oligomers associated with these diseases with SOBIN therapeutics. Current technologies and experimental treatments focus on downstream symptoms or other markers that are only detectable once damage has occurred. SOBA diagnostics are sensitive, simple blood tests in development to aid in the early diagnosis of amyloid diseases. AltPep has received Breakthrough Designation from the FDA for its SOBA blood-based assay for Alzheimers disease. About AltPep Corporation AltPep is developing groundbreaking disease-modifying treatments and detection tools for amyloid diseases by targeting early molecular triggers: toxic soluble oligomers. Our customized, synthetic peptides are designed to bind selectively to toxic oligomers in order to both detect and neutralize them throughout disease progression. AltPeps emphasis is on early, pre-symptomatic detection and treatment. Our lead programs focus on Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases, with other amyloid diseases on the horizon. AltPeps goal is to change the course of these debilitating diseases that affect over a billion people around the globe. For more information, please visit www.altpep.com and follow us on LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622748477/en/ Susan Sharpe Bioscribe (919) 602-2330 [email protected] Source: AltPep Corporation The idea of the green economy that is, low or zero carbon emissions has taken hold, with a strong social and political impetus behind it. This has become the driving force behind the expansion of renewable power sources in utility-scale electricity generation and the increasing production and use of electrically powered vehicles. At its core, this push is predicated on a reduction in the use of fossil fuels. However, there is one sector in which the transition away from fossil fuel power has proven difficult. Air travel remains primarily oil-dependent. Until recently, the technology simply did not exist to build viable battery-powered aircraft with sufficient size, lift, speed, and passenger/cargo capacity to truly meet an economic need. Thats beginning to change, particularly in the realm of short-range urban commuter flights. Its a niche segment, but its one that is amenable to a switch from fossil fuel to battery power. Analyst Austin Moeller, from Canaccord Genuity, has taken an in-depth look at the eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft class, and writes, eVTOL aircraft, which can take off from a traditional heliport (or vertiport) and ferry passengers over busy traffic below using purely battery power, have the potential to substantially reduce carbon emissions in major urban areas and break up traffic congestion by taking to the air. Based on our estimates, Moeller added, ~15% of rides hailed to and from airports and 5% of longer-distance regional trips could be replaced by eVTOL aircraft, potentially reaching 45M monthly active riders within the next decade. At a target ticket price of ~$107 for an airport-ranged flight, we estimate that the TAM for eVTOL travel in urban metros could be worth nearly $58B by 2033. Moeller doesnt just praise the sector generally, but he also provides a specific recommendation of an eVTOL stock that investors should consider. Despite the speculative nature of this company, Moeller predicts a remarkable upside potential of ~140%. This optimistic outlook is shared by other analysts as well, as the stock is rated as a Strong Buy according to TipRanks database. Archer Aviation (ACHR) Archer is developing the Midnight aircraft, a short-range urban commuter aircraft designed for distances of up to 100 miles. The Midnight, when it is scaled up to full size, will be capable of short flights, up to 20 miles, back-to-back, with just 12 minutes charging time between. The aircrafts design incorporates six independent battery packs, each linked to a pair of electric motors, and capacity to carry a pilot, 4 passengers, and luggage. With speeds up to 150 miles per hour, and an optimized rage of 20 to 50 miles, the aircraft is intended to act as an urban connector and air taxi, economically linking major airports within a larger urban area. Archer is already working with a major airline partner, United, to make eVTOL air taxi routes a reality. The two companies announced in March of this year the first commercial electric air taxi route, to start in in Chicago. The link will connect Chicagos OHare airport, one of North Americas largest, with Vertiport Chicago, the largest North American vertical takeoff and landing aircraft facility. Vertiport is located in the famous Loop; the Archer/United agreement will connect the Loop directly to OHare. This unique aviation firm is also partnering with Stellantis, the auto manufacturer, to kickstart production of the Midnight. Stellantis will provide the manufacturing tech and expertise, along with experienced factory personnel and available capital, to get the Midnight past the prototype stage and into mass production. Archers goal is to have 6,000 aircraft deployed by 2030. Archer and Stellantis together will be attending the 2023 Paris Airshow, which starts on June 19. The companies will jointly feature the Midnight eVTOL at the Air Mobility event. While Archer is purely pre-revenue for now, the company is aiming to begin commercialization of the Midnight in 2025. In its 1Q23 report, Archer noted that the first Midnight aircraft has passed final assembly, and is ready for test flights this summer, and that the FAA certification program is progressing. Archer has plenty of liquidity to maintain operations, with cash reserves of $450 million as of March 31, as well as strategic funding, available from Stellantis, of $150 million. For Canaccords Austin Moeller, all of this adds up to an impressive beginning. The analyst writes, We expect Archers strong established relationships with a major airline (United) and a major global automotive manufacturer (Stellantis) to give the company an intellectual, technical and financial edge over its other peers in the eVTOL industry as it works to scale up production and delivery of the Midnight aircraft. Given the robust demand from the airlines to reduce carbon emissions and a vested interest from major metro areas in reducing smog and traffic congestion, we believe that Archers Midnight aircraft could be a significant contributor to sustainable air travel and short-mid range travel from urban city centers to airport hubs and surrounding suburbs. Looking forward, Moeller rates ACHR shares as a Buy, and he sets a $9 price target to suggest a powerful one-year upside of ~140%. (To watch Moellers track record, click here) Like Canaccord, the rest of the Street is bullish on ACHR. Based on the 4 Buy recommendations assigned in the last three months and 129% upside potential, its clear this Strong Buy eVTOL stock has a lot to brag about. (See ACHR stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analyst. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of a- (Excellent) of AmTrust Assicurazioni S.p.A. (AmTrust Assicurazioni) (Italy). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect AmTrust Assicurazionis balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The ratings also consider, in the form of rating lift, AM Bests expectation that the AmTrust group will provide financial support to the company, if needed. In addition, the group provides reinsurance support to AmTrust Assicurazioni. AmTrust Assicurazionis risk-adjusted capitalisation, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), is assessed as strongest. The balance sheet strength assessment also reflects the companys liquid and diversified investment portfolio, which is of high credit quality. An offsetting factor is AmTrust Assicurazionis high level of reinsurance dependence. However, the risks associated with this reinsurance dependence are mitigated partially by the excellent credit quality of its reinsurance panel and the collateral held against unrated reinsurance recoverables. For 2022, AmTrust Assicurazioni reported a pre-tax loss of EUR 46.1 million driven by a negative investment performance, primarily in the form of unrealised losses on fixed income securities. The companys technical performance remained good, with a combined ratio of 94.9% (as calculated by AM Best). In 2021, the combined ratio was 84.9%, benefiting from a one-off adjustment with reinsurers. AmTrust Assicurazionis book of business was transferred from other AmTrust group entities in July 2020, and the 2021 result, therefore, reflects its first full year of business. Considering the historical performance of the transferred book, AM Best expects the companys prospective performance to be commensurate with an adequate assessment, with earnings supported by a modest level of underwriting profitability and good investment returns. AmTrust Assicurazioni primarily underwrites medical professional liability insurance (MPLI) business in Italy. Gross written premium amounted to EUR 263 million in 2022. The company has a strong market position in the Italian MPLI market, where it leverages its specialist expertise and has a market share of approximately 40%. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622730876/en/ Andrea Porta Financial Analyst +31 20 308 5430 [email protected] Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 882 2310 [email protected] Mathilde Jakobsen Senior Director, Analytics +31 20 308 5427 [email protected] Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 882 2318 [email protected] Source: AM Best OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of a+ (Excellent) of Scotia Reinsurance Limited (Scotia Re) (Barbados). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. The ratings reflect Scotia Res balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its strong operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. The ratings also reflect implicit support from the greater organization. Scotia Re is primarily a life reinsurance subsidiary that assumes non-Canadian business, largely from Mexico, South and Central America, and the Caribbean, sourced through retail operations of the companys ultimate parent, The Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank). The initial book of business was assumed in 2017 from Scotia Insurance (Barbados) Limited (SIB), which has a long history of favorable underwriting results. The assumed business produced favorable return metrics under Scotia Re after its fifth full year in operation. The companys balance sheet strength is bolstered further by the strongest level of risk-adjusted capitalization, as measured by Bests Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR), reflecting in part a conservative short duration and highly liquid investment portfolio. AM Best notes the company manages capital to specific targets and has kept absolute capitalization levels largely flat, and Scotia Re could recapitalize in a stress scenario by adjusting its shareholder dividend payout. The ratings reflect one notch of rating enhancement from the companys sister entity, SIB, based on the transfer of the original block of business in 2017. Scotia Re has the implicit support of Scotiabank, the ultimate parent of both Scotia Re and SIB. Scotiabank can provide financial resources to Scotia Re if ever required. These strengths are offset partially by Scotia Res dependence for growth on lending product originations in economies outside of Canada, many of which are deemed to have higher country risk profiles. Creditor insurance premium growth from international business remains dependent on the global economy. Going forward, in addition to growing creditor insurance cross-sales on loans through face-to-face interactions between bank customers and agents, Scotiabank is also focusing on growing the digital distribution of products, and the impact of such sales initiatives on Scotia Res revenue and operating income will continue to be monitored by AM Best. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Bests Credit Ratings, Bests Performance Assessments, Bests Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Bests Ratings & Assessments. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2023 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622206044/en/ Stratos Laskarides Senior Financial Analyst +1 908 882 1995 [email protected] Christopher Sharkey Associate Director, Public Relations +1 908 882 2310 [email protected] Edward Kohlberg Director +1 908 882 1979 [email protected] Al Slavin Senior Public Relations Specialist +1 908 882 2318 [email protected] Source: AM Best SAN FRANCISCO & WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Apogee Therapeutics, a biotechnology company advancing differentiated biologics for the treatment of atopic dermatitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and related inflammatory and immunology indications, today announced the appointments of Jennifer Fox and William BJ Jones, seasoned executives in the biotechnology industry, to its board of directors. Ms. Fox will also serve as chair of the companys audit committee. Additionally, Apogee announced the appointment of Rebecca Dabora, Ph.D., an expert in chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), as chief technology officer. We are thrilled to further strengthen the Apogee team with the appointments of both Jennifer and BJ to our board of directors and Becky to our senior management team, and to leverage their respective expertise in the industry, said Michael Henderson, M.D., chief executive officer of Apogee. Jennifers impressive track record as a leader in health care investment banking advising clients on corporate strategy, M&A, business development and financing strategies and her current role as a CFO at a public biotech company will be invaluable as we seek to grow and evolve the company in the near and longer term. BJs deep commercial expertise and extensive experience in rapidly building large organizations and bringing innovative medicines into commercialization will be important, particularly as we advance our two most advanced programs, APG777 initially for atopic dermatitis and APG808 initially for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, into and through clinical development. Becky brings more than 30 years of biopharmaceutical manufacturing experience at all stages of development including commercial stage to our senior management team, which will be pivotal as we both enter and advance through clinical trials. We look forward to benefiting from their insights and their collaboration with the broader Apogee team. Jennifer Fox is an expert in biopharmaceutical corporate strategy, finance and business development. She serves as chief financial officer of Nuvation Bio and a member of Nuvation Bios Executive Committee. Before joining Nuvation Bio, Ms. Fox spent more than 25 years as a healthcare investment banker advising biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in financing and strategic transactions. Most recently, Ms. Fox was a managing director and co-head of Healthcare Corporate and Investment Banking Group at Citigroup, and before that, she held senior positions in investment banking at Deutsche Bank, Bear Stearns, Bank of America and Prudential Securities. Ms. Fox currently serves on the board of directors and as chair of the audit committee of ProKidney Corp. and on the board of directors of Life Science Cares. She previously served on the board of directors of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Ms. Fox holds B.S. degrees in finance and marketing from Manhattan College. William BJ Jones has more than 25 years of commercial experience in the healthcare industry and most recently, served as the chief commercial officer, migraine & common diseases at Biohaven Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Pfizer for $11.6 billion, and then was responsible for the companys commercial integration. Mr. Jones has held executive leadership roles of increasing responsibility at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer-Ingelheim and NitroMed. He has significant experience in large market product launches, including Nurtec ODT, Abilify, Farxiga, Pradaxa, BiDil and Excedrin Migraine. Mr. Jones has successfully built and led diverse commercial teams committed to addressing unmet patient needs across various therapeutic areas, including neuroscience (migraine, schizophrenia, bipolar and depression), cardiovascular (congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation), diabetes (type 2 - oral and injectable), respiratory, gastrointestinal and infectious disease. Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, Mr. Jones served eight years in the U.S. Air Force and earned the rank of Major. He holds a B.S. in human factors engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an M.Sc. in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Rebecca Dabora, Ph.D. brings more than 30 years of CMC expertise to Apogee, with deep experience in the development of clinical and commercial-stage biopharmaceutical products. Dr. Dabora has served in executive roles leading the technical operations function for several companies, including Invivyd, Aspyrian Therapeutics, SwanBio Therapeutics and others. Her industry affiliations also include positions at Merck & Co. and at Biogen, Inc. in process development. While at Biogen, Dr. Dabora played a key role in the commercialization of Avonex. In addition to her industry experience, Dr. Dabora was an independent consultant providing CMC strategic, technical, operational, and regulatory support, including CDMO selection and management. Over the course of her career, she has worked for more than 90 companies on the development or commercialization of over 140 biopharmaceutical products encompassing a diverse range of technologies and manufacturing platforms. Dr. Dabora received her B.A. in biochemistry from Bowdoin College and her Ph.D. from MIT in biochemical engineering. About Apogee Apogee Therapeutics is a biotechnology company seeking to develop differentiated biologics for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other inflammatory and immunology indications with high unmet need. Apogees antibody programs are designed to overcome limitations of existing therapies by targeting well-established mechanisms of action and incorporating advanced antibody engineering to optimize half-life and other properties. The companys two most advanced programs are APG777 and APG808, which are being initially developed for the treatment of AD and COPD, respectively. Based on a broad pipeline and depth of expertise, the company believes it can deliver value and meaningful benefit to patients underserved by todays standard of care. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622933401/en/ Investor Contact: Chelcie Lister THRUST Strategic Communications [email protected] Media Contact: Dan Budwick 1AB Media [email protected] Source: Apogee Therapeutics Brainlab and subsidiary Level Ex working closely with the AO to deliver extended reality technology for best practices in education and training MUNICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Brainlab, a digital medical technology company, announced today an expanded collaboration outlining initiatives in their ongoing work with the AO Foundation. Signed at the annual AO Trustees Meetingheld this year in Sydney, Australiathe collaboration showcases both parties dedication to advancing medical education, delivering on a shared belief that immersive education is the catalyst for change in surgical practice and improved patient outcomes. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621121553/en/ Brainlab, the AO Foundation and Level Ex sign an agreement at the AO Trustees Meeting, June 22 in Sydney, Australia. Left to right: Sam Glassenberg, CEO, Level Ex; Prof. Dr. Florian Gebhard, President, AO Foundation; Christoph Lindenmeyer, CEO, AO Foundation; Nils Ehrke, EMEA President, Brainlab. (Source: AO Foundation and Brainlab.) Incorporating Brainlab technology into AO courses will increase knowledge acquisition, enhance decision making and improve coordination of skills, all within a safe and engaging setting. The AO will leverage Brainlab technology, including Mixed Reality Viewer, for craniomaxillofacial (CMF), spine and trauma education. This platform provides an immersive experience for physicians by offering 3D visualization of medical images, allowing the user to interact with 2D images and corresponding 3D patient models. Signature AO events, e.g., AO Davos Courses and AO regional events will be equipped with this advanced training offering that features Brainlab Spine and CMF Elements software for pre-operative planning and case review. The AO, Brainlab and its subsidiary, Level Ex, are working to accelerate the adoption of new skills and techniques using video game technology. Using Level Ex technology, the parties will transform AO clinical guidelines into game mechanics that will feature accurate, physics-based simulations. They will also collaborate on a new spine surgery video gamewith a dedicated curriculum focused on instilling the expert skills needed for successful spine procedures using the neuroscience of play. The AO is committed to collaborating with Brainlab on an AO-recommended surgical navigation workflow for spinal procedures. The focus will be on training how to achieve the best accuracy at every step of the spinal procedure to improve patient outcomes. The solution relies on high imaging quality, precise pre-planning supported by AI-driven anatomical mapping and patient registration. In addition, the workflow will have a focus on navigated instrumentation that aims to decrease pressure on the spine to further increase accuracy and address the specific challenges of the cervical spine. The AO plans to introduce this workflow and associated technology into certain activities within the AO Education Institute and the AO Technical Commission. Brainlab and the AO have worked together for decades and are mutually dedicated to accelerating the adoption of new technology and clinical workflows to improve patient outcomes globally, said Stefan Vilsmeier, Founder and CEO, Brainlab. Were excited to expand our collaboration and have a shared vision to create an Extended Reality Center for Immersive Surgical Education. "Since the 1990s, the AO and Brainlab have worked together on various projects focusing on computer guided applications, said Prof. Dr. Florian Gebhard, President of the AO. Teaching has been, is and will be the major focus in the AOtoday we are excited to start the integration of extended reality in our teaching offerings together with our strong partner, Brainlab. We expect a huge impact on our learner experience using this technology. In parallel, the respective Technical Commission Expert Group will evaluate options for clinical extended reality applications, together with Brainlab, following our mission to improve patient care outcomes." About Brainlab At Brainlab, we digitize medical workflows, from diagnosis to therapy, to offer clinicians and patients better treatment possibilities. Our innovative digital ecosystem forms the basis for modern healthcare technology in 6,300 hospitals in 120 countries. At the forefront of health technology for over 30 years, Munich-based Brainlab employs around 2,200 people with expertise across the entire healthcare value chain in 25 locations worldwide. For more information, please visit Brainlab and follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. About AO Foundation The AO is a medically guided, not-for-profit organization, a global network of surgeons, and the world's leading education, innovation, and research organization specializing in the surgical treatment of trauma and musculoskeletal disorders. The AO has a global network of over 520,000 healthcare professionals. Each year over 870 educational events are offered by the AO around the world, supported by nearly 8,000 faculty members and attended by over 82,000 participants. The AO has approximately 20,000 surgeon members working in the fields of trauma, spine, craniomaxillofacial, veterinary, and reconstructive surgery. For more information, visit: www.aofoundation.org. For more information, visit the AO's website and follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621121553/en/ Brainlab Press Contacts Global Bernadette Erwig Senior Manager Communication & PR +49 89 99 1568 0 [email protected] USA Debbra Verard Director, Marketing and Communications +1 (708) 409-1343 [email protected] AO Foundation Press Contact Olga Harrington Head of Communications +41 79 834 57 42 [email protected] Level Ex Press Contact Tier One Partners Abi Blanchard Account Manager Executive +1 (910) 271-3034 [email protected] Source: Brainlab and the AO Foundation SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Carrix, a leading marine terminal operator in the U.S. and the Americas, announced today that it has agreed to purchase Ceres Terminals (Ceres) from Macquarie Infrastructure Partners III, a fund managed by Macquarie Asset Management. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Ceres was established over 60 years ago and now operates in 18 locations throughout North America, including California, Houston, Montreal, Vancouver, B.C. and throughout the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf coast regions. Over the last eight years, Ceres has expanded its stevedoring operations to include a portfolio of terminal concessions that provide on-dock logistics services for shipping containers, roll-on roll-off cargo, breakbulk cargo, and cruise passengers. We are excited to expand SSA Marines footprint further into the rapidly growing Atlantic and Gulf Coast regions of the United States, said Uffe Ostergaard, President & CEO of Carrix. Ceres has built an attractive portfolio of container, cruise, and general cargo operations and customer relationships which will enable us to serve our combined customers in more locations with more services. I am incredibly proud of our employees and the culture we have all built of putting safety and our customers at the center of everything we do, said Craig Mygatt, Chief Executive Officer, Ceres Terminals. We all look forward to the next chapter of growth with Carrix, a well-renowned terminal operator in North America, and we are confident that the combination will continue to serve our customers, employees and other stakeholders well. Carrix is the parent company of SSA Marine and its affiliates with combined operations at over 250 port and rail locations worldwide, including 18 container terminals in Long Beach, Oakland, Seattle, Tacoma, Jacksonville, Panama, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Vietnam. SSA Marine also operates cruise, auto and other conventional terminals throughout the United States and Canada. Carrix is committed to a sustainable environment and is a member of Green Marine. Ceres Terminals has developed a leading position serving the worlds largest cruise line customers throughout the U.S. and in Canada, and we look forward to expanding this segment with our combined cruise operations expertise, continued Ostergaard. The parties will collaborate to reach closing, which remains subject to the approval of relevant regulatory authorities. Ceres Terminals Jacksonville CTJ will not be part of this transaction and will remain owned by Macquarie. About Carrix Carrix is among the worlds leading independent, privately-held marine terminal operators, with activities at more than 250 terminal facilities and rail operations throughout geographies in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America, South America and Asia. Carrix subsidiary Tideworks Technology provides technology solutions for the transportation industry. Since its founding in 1949, Carrix has continued to grow, always focusing on its customers interests and now employees more than 17,000 people globally. About Ceres Terminals Ceres was founded in 1958 in Chicago by Chris Kritikos who built the small business into one of North Americas leading terminal operators and stevedores. Ceres operates in critical North American regions, including some of the largest and fastest growing container gateways including the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, and the Gulf Coast and holds a leading position in North Americas major cruise markets, including Florida, the Gulf Coast, and Canada. Ceres is indirectly 100% owned by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners III. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622360697/en/ Media Jaime Neal (206) 654-3535 [email protected] Stephanie Liu (206) 624-1941 [email protected] Source: Carrix NASHVILLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CenterWell Senior Primary Care is opening seven new senior-focused primary care centers in middle Tennessee throughout 2023, giving local seniors access to a personalized, care-team approach to healthcare. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622475395/en/ CenterWell Senior Primary Care center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. (Photo: Business Wire) The upcoming June 28 and 29 grand openings at CenterWell Tusculum and Murfreesboro, respectively, mark the first two senior primary care centers in the area. The grand openings are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and will include tours of the centers, low-impact exercise demonstrations with SilverSneakers, live music from ReWind, games, and free treats from Alley on Main. CenterWell Senior Primary Care is the largest and one of the fastest-growing senior-focused, value-based care providers in the country. Together with its sister brand Conviva Care Center, CenterWell Senior Primary Care delivers care to seniors in more than 250 centers across 12 states, with plans to open 30-50 new centers per year through 2025. Im excited to lead CenterWell Senior Primary Care in the place Ive called home for 24 years, said Jason Spector, Market President for Tennessee. Our board-certified physicians and integrated care teams are set to deliver comprehensive, holistic care in seven state-of-the-art facilities, with Murfreesboro and Tusculum already seeing patients and five more centers opening this year. Whole-person care means were committed to addressing all the factors that affect the health and well-being of our patients and this community. Im looking forward to expanding that care to Middle Tennessee seniors and helping break down barriers to healthcare in our underserved communities. Dr. Anitha Mullangi, CenterWells Chief Medical Officer for the Tennessee market, emphasized CenterWells focus on whole-person health. Its so important how you relate to patients, how you understand them, their culture, and their needs, and CenterWells care model allows doctors to do this, Mullangi said. Our longer appointment times, the integrated care teams looking after the physical, social and emotional needs all of which affect seniors overall health help patients live healthier, happier lives. We are committed to providing that kind of excellent healthcare to seniors in our communities. All new CenterWell Senior Primary Care locations in middle Tennessee will be staffed by board-certified physicians, nurses, social workers, and medical assistants, and patients will have access to clinical pharmacists, behavioral health specialists and referral specialists, all who have been specially trained to treat the senior population. In addition to its healthcare offerings, CenterWell facilities include activity centers for local seniors. CenterWell Tusculum, located at 4901 Nolensville Pike in Nashville, and CenterWell Murfreesboro, located at 1715 S. Rutherford Blvd., Suite A in Murfreesboro, began accepting patients in April. Other centers with planned openings this year include Clarksville, Hermitage, Lebanon, Madison and Smyrna. Full details will be released at a later date. The Primary Care Organization of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM), which includes CenterWell Senior Primary Care, serves nearly 266,000 members from many different Medicare Advantage health plans, as well as some patients who have Original Medicare. For more information on CenterWell Senior Primary Care, please visit CenterWellPrimaryCare.com. About CenterWell CenterWell is a leading health care services business focused on creating integrated and differentiated experiences that put our patients at the center of everything we do. The result is high quality health care that is accessible, comprehensive, and, most of all, personalized. As the largest provider of senior-focused primary care, the largest provider of home health care, and a leading integrated home delivery, specialty, hospice, and retail pharmacy, CenterWell is focused on whole health and addressing the physical, emotional and social wellness of our patients. CenterWell is part of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM). Learn more about what we offer at CenterWell.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622475395/en/ Lisa M. Ferguson Humana Corporate Communications [email protected] (256) 300-8340 Source: Humana Inc. T he list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants is compiled through the votes of over a thousand experts in the gastronomy field. In that list, Peruvian restaurants Maido, Kjolle, and Mayta also appear. LIMA, Peru--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- For the first time in the history of The World's 50 Best Restaurants, the best restaurant in the world is in Latin America, and it is from Peru. The first place achieved by Central demonstrates that Peruvian gastronomy is positioning itself and empowering in the world. The list also included three other restaurants from the South American country: Maido (ranked 6th), Kjolle (ranked 28th), and Mayta (ranked 47th). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621287349/en/ Central, Virgilio Martinez's renowned Peruvian restaurant, won The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 (Photo: Business Wire) "This is not about being the best, but about loving what you do," proudly said chef Virgilio Martinez during his acceptance speech at the Palau de les Arts in the Spanish city of Valencia. Pia Leon, leader of Kjolle and Martinez's partner and wife, also took the stage to express gratitude for the award. "We have been working very hard. Always looking back, seeing the steps we have taken and reflecting," she pointed out. It should be noted that The World's 50 Best Restaurants ranking is a selection created by the British magazine Restaurant in 2002. A panel of over a thousand experts in gastronomy participate in the process through a structured and audited voting system. GASTRONOMIC TOURISM PROMPERU promotes Peruvian cuisine as an essential component of the tourism industry. As part of its responsibilities, it seeks to increase the flow of international gastronomic tourism by promoting experiences and tourism products with Peruvian cuisine as a key component. It is worth mentioning that gastronomy is among the main motivations for foreign tourists to visit Peru. Travelers motivated by its gastronomy have a higher level of expenditure than the average tourist and stay longer in the country. It is projected that by 2023, Peru will receive around 300,000 foreign tourists who have the motivation to try its gastronomy. These tourists would mainly be millennials (54%) and Generation X (21%) from Latin American countries, as well as from the United States and Spain. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621287349/en/ [email protected] Source: PROMPERU John Robertson Joins the Firm as Managing Director LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Christina, a Malibu-based real estate developer, manager, and sponsor, announces the addition of John Robertson to its leadership team. Robertson will serve as Christinas Managing Director of Investor Relations, a fundamental role as the firm accelerates the distribution of its programmatic series of private equity real estate investment companies, Christina Real Estate Investors (CREI). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621258941/en/ John Robertson, Managing Director of Investor Relations (Photo: Business Wire) John is an accomplished executive who undoubtedly holds the knowledge and talent to support our investor community made up of over 400 members, said Lawrence N. Taylor, Founder and Chairman of Christina. I am confident that John will contribute to Christinas overall success by bringing fresh insights, impressive industry relationships, and decades of experience. We are proud to have him on our team. As Managing Director of Investor Relations, Robertson will be responsible for supporting and expanding Christinas investor membership. He joins Christina from CrowdStreet, the largest online commercial real estate investment platform in the United States, where he holds the distinctive title of being one of the platforms first employees. At CrowdStreet, Robertson was an integral member of its Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) division, known as CrowdStreet Advisors, and was also responsible for building its funds, REIT, and privately managed accounts businesses. I was drawn to Christina given the firm's impressive track record and laser focus on the best submarkets of Los Angeles, said John Robertson. I am pleased to be joining such an experienced team and look forward to serving our real estate investors nationwide and ensuring that we continue to deliver the best possible results to all our members. Robertsons addition to the firm comes at a pivotal moment, as Christina is currently offering qualified investors participation in two unique investment vehicles Christina 5 Wealth Builder and Christina 5 Income Builder. Income Builder is a debt-free real estate investment company. This structure is in response to investor preference for participation in the ownership of a tax-sheltered, cash-flow-producing, real estate portfolio that is immune from the risk of leverage. Wealth Builder mirrors prior Christina Real Estate Investors vehicles which are modestly leveraged and focused on enhanced, tax-sheltered returns. Since 2014, Christina Real Estate Investors programmatic series of private equity real estate investment companies have provided accredited investors with the opportunity to participate in the ownership of high-quality real estate exclusively located in the best submarkets in the Westside region of Los Angeles. By acquiring, improving, and operating diversified portfolios of investment-grade properties in Los Angeles, Christinas primary objective is to achieve superior tax-advantaged returns and generate annual passive losses for investors seeking to offset or reduce passive income and reduce income tax. For more information, visit christinala.com. This release is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to purchase securities, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation, or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. Any offering by Christina 5 Wealth Builder and Christina 5 Income Builder will be made only in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the Private Placement Memorandums. Investment in real estate involves the risk of loss. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. About Christina Christina is a Malibu-based real estate developer, manager, and sponsor founded in 1977. For 46+ years the firm has successfully sponsored investments in the Westside Region of Los Angeles, primarily via eight submarkets including Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Century City, Malibu, Santa Monica, Silicon Beach, West Hollywood, & Westwood. Christina, through its unique investment vehicles, provides qualified investors with the opportunity to participate in the ownership of select investment properties in these ultra-prime areas. The firm has been featured in Bloomberg, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, & Yahoo Finance. To learn more, visit ChristinaLA.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621258941/en/ R[AR]E Public Relations Amy Rossetti [email protected] 310.779.6025 Source: Christina WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) named Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) our June 2023 Porkers of the Month for wanting to spend trillions of dollars more for their latest Green New Deal scheme. Congress has already approved hundreds of billions for Green New Deal projects, but Sen. Markey and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez want even more. Their reintroduction of the Green New Deal is full of outrageously expensive programs. It calls for replacing all fossil fuel and nuclear power with solar energy which would require 18.7 billion solar panels and a land mass equal to the combined size of New York and Vermont. Many toxic chemicals are used to produce solar panels and every year 681,000 birds are killed by wind turbines. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez was named Porker of the Year in 2019 for introducing the Green New Deal in the first place and was also named in November 2021 for pushing President Biden to cancel student loan debt. Sen. Markey was named CAGWs August 2021 Porker of the Month proposing a taxpayer-funded Civilian Climate Corps that would hire millions of people and cost billions of dollars. CAGW President Tom Schatz said, Sen. Markey and Rep. Ocasio-Cortezs Green New Deal is outrageously expensive and would cause enormous environmental damage to our nation while doing little to nothing to reduce pollution. Their appetite for wasteful spending is extremely harmful to taxpayers. The deal has nothing to do with protecting the environment, it is about a complete takeover of the U.S. economy and the end of capitalism. For pushing taxpayers further into debt, Sen. Markey and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez were easy choices for this months Porker. Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government. For more than two decades, Porker of the Month is a dubious honor given to lawmakers and government officials who have shown a blatant disregard for the taxpayers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622828540/en/ Alexandra Abrams, (202) 467-5310 [email protected] Source: Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Corebridge Financial, Inc. (NYSE: CRBG) (Corebridge) today announced that it entered into a share repurchase agreement (the Share Repurchase Agreement) with American International Group, Inc. (AIG) and an affiliate of Blackstone Inc. (Blackstone) on June 21, 2023, pursuant to which it will repurchase an aggregate of $200 million of Corebridge common stock (the Share Repurchase). Of the $200 million, approximately 90.1% will be repurchased from AIG and approximately 9.9% will be repurchased from Blackstone. The Share Repurchase is expected to close on June 23, 2023, subject to customary closing conditions. The purchase price paid by Corebridge was $16.41 per share, the closing price of Corebridge common stock on the New York Stock Exchange immediately prior to entry into the Share Repurchase Agreement. About Corebridge Financial Corebridge Financial, Inc. makes it possible for more people to take action in their financial lives. With more than $365 billion in assets under management and administration as of March 31, 2023, Corebridge Financial is one of the largest providers of retirement solutions and insurance products in the United States. We proudly partner with financial professionals and institutions to help individuals plan, save for and achieve secure financial futures. For more information, visit corebridgefinancial.com and follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621742710/en/ Josh Smith (Investors): [email protected] Matt Burkhard (Media): [email protected] Source: Corebridge Financial (Bloomberg) -- Amazon.com Inc.s $1.65 billion plan to buy vacuum cleaner maker iRobot Corp. is headed for an in-depth European Union probe unless the ecommerce firm makes an immediate offer that allays antitrust concerns. Most Read from Bloomberg The likely move from EU antitrust regulators will be announced before a deadline of July 6, said a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the process isnt public. The step was first reported by Reuters. The decision would put the European Commission at odds once again with Britains Competition and Markets Authority, which last week gave the deal the green light after concluding that iRobot has a modest market power. The two regulators have previously reached divergent decisions on Microsoft Corp.s $69 billion takeover bid for games developer Activision Blizzard Inc. with the EU giving the deal the nod, while the CMA wielded a veto. So-called phase 2 probes add about 90 working days to deal reviews. Regulators typically demand remedies to solve competition concerns but sometimes also decide to give their unconditional approval if initial concerns are shown to be unfounded. Foxglove, a London-based tech advocacy group, earlier this year urged the EU to investigate and block the planned transaction, expressing grave concerns the deal will cause harm to consumers and competition in ways that cannot necessarily be fully conceived of today. The European Commission and Amazon declined to comment. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. OLYMPIA, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In a stunning legal victory that has reverberated throughout the tax and legal community, Christopher T. L. Brown from NorthStar Law Group, P.S., a distinguished law firm based in Olympia, Washington, has achieved a resounding victory against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in a high-stakes battle related to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230620153581/en/ Representing Nathan Yanez, the former owner of ASAP Business Solutions, LLC, a temporary staffing agency based in Chehalis, Washington, Brown took on the seemingly insurmountable challenge of contesting the IRS's assessment of penalties and interest exceeding $2,000,000 for the 2016 tax year. The IRS alleged that ASAP Business Solutions failed to provide certain medical insurance information to its employees as required by the ACA, incurring a "failure to furnish" penalty. Additionally, the IRS claimed that the company neglected to notify the IRS that the necessary notification to employees had been completed, resulting in a "failure to file" penalty. Due to the large number of employees, approximately 3,800, the penalties assessed were exorbitant. Undeterred by the magnitude of the case, Brown tirelessly investigated the circumstances and developed a compelling legal strategy. Through his meticulous research, Brown discovered that, contrary to the IRS's position, ASAP Business Solutions was only obligated to provide and file the ACA information for its "full-time employees," a group that numbered 58 at the time. Through extensive negotiations and persuasive arguments, Brown succeeded in reducing the penalties to $30,000 by the end of 2022. Leveraging the first-time penalty abatement remedy, he further secured a reduction of $15,000. Finally, Brown demonstrated that due to the novelty of the ACA at the time, industry-wide confusion prevailed regarding the specific requirements. He established that ASAP Business Solutions had relied on the information available during the filing period, which led them to the erroneous conclusion that the ACA reporting obligations did not apply to their full-time employees. As a result of Brown's relentless pursuit of justice, the IRS ultimately reduced the penalties to $0, vindicating Yanez and ASAP Business Solutions from the burdensome financial implications initially imposed. This landmark victory underscores the importance of competent legal representation and sheds light on the evolving complexities surrounding the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Brown's unwavering dedication to his client's cause has set a precedent that will empower other business owners and legal practitioners to challenge IRS penalties and assert their rights with confidence. Christopher Brown, the esteemed attorney responsible for this triumph, expressed his gratitude to the court for recognizing the unique circumstances and delivering a just outcome. He commended Nathan Yanez for his trust and cooperation throughout the legal process, pledging to continue advocating for individuals facing overwhelming tax challenges. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230620153581/en/ Christopher T. L. Brown NorthStar Law Group, P.S. Phone: (360) 292-4556 Email: [email protected] Website: https://nslawgrp.com/ Source: NorthStar Law Group, P.S. Enhancements help clients deepen supplier and partner collaboration across multiple tiers, further connect demand to supply planning, and automate more routine decision-making. AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- E2open Parent Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ETWO), the connected supply chain SaaS platform with the largest multi-enterprise network, has released its second-quarter technology update for 2023 with enhancements for companies to buffer against the complexities in todays post-pandemic market with advanced technology to deepen supplier relationships and automate routine decision-making. The foundation for a responsive and resilient supply chain is the ability to constantly improve discovery and collaboration across multiple tiers of partners that help make, move, and sell goods and services, said Pawan Joshi, executive vice president of product management and strategy at e2open. This quarterly update not only includes features that enhance multi-tier structured and unstructured collaboration across partners, but it also includes enhancements to autonomous decision-making by leveraging timely data from across the network, allowing supply chains to operate in a truly connected fashion and Move as one. Omnichannel sales data, when connected with demand planning tools leveraging machine learning, improve forecast accuracy; when coupled with novel approval flows, better align supply proposals and ensure tighter and closed-loop alignment with execution processes. Enhanced dashboards continue to drive unified decision-making across logistics and trade by identifying potential duty savings from trade agreement utilization and autonomous decision-making capabilities for optimal transport carrier rate and route selection. Some of the primary enhancements in this release include: Channel New centralized lead management capabilities allow partners to see all sales leads (even those imported from external sources) in one view, merge duplicates, clean the data, score, prioritize, assign to users, and track the leads to conversion, driving process efficiency and fewer lost opportunities. This streamlines inefficiencies such as duplicate, inconsistent, or incomplete details spread across multiple systems for sales leads generated through diverse engagements. capabilities allow partners to see all sales leads (even those imported from external sources) in one view, merge duplicates, clean the data, score, prioritize, assign to users, and track the leads to conversion, This streamlines inefficiencies such as duplicate, inconsistent, or incomplete details spread across multiple systems for sales leads generated through diverse engagements. With a new feature designed to improve lead attribution for digital engagement, brands can create trackable auto-populated URL links, embed these links in activities and campaigns, and obtain data to associate the lead with the right partner and execution tactic. This allows brands to understand the actual contribution to value creation, reward non-transactional partners fairly, and direct resources to the most effective activities, campaigns, and partners. Planning Multi-tier demand forecasting is now easier and more effective. Enhancements to the algorithms apply machine learning (ML)-based pattern recognition for creating a more accurate product to SKU-level splitting profile by generating an initial SKU-level forecast. As a result, the SKU-level forecast has less forecast error, and planners can expect up to a 5% improvement in near-term forecasts. by generating an initial SKU-level forecast. As a result, the SKU-level forecast has less forecast error, and planners can expect up to a 5% improvement in near-term forecasts. The challenge of identifying inactive and obsolete products, especially in a complex product hierarchy, is reduced with the statistical forecast engine that now considers recent shipment history and historic seasonality patterns to identify obsolete products faster and remove them from the forecast, resulting in improved forecast quality quickly and intelligently . that now considers recent shipment history and historic seasonality patterns to . Developing a supply plan requires tight coordination across departments to consider the many interdependencies. Updates to the approval feature allow for more granular control over releasing purchasing proposals to the order management system. Planners gain more independence and flexibility around converting proposals to orders while remaining aligned across departments. Global Trade New analytical dashboard reports help businesses identify opportunities for import duty savings by taking advantage of trade agreements . Coupled with the robust trade content database, companies can easily visualize where potential savings can be found and identify improvement areas. . Coupled with the robust trade content database, companies can easily visualize where potential savings can be found and identify improvement areas. The US Food and Drug Administration recently began publishing alerts to advise importers of potentially violative products, placing responsibility on the importer to ensure the products imported into the US comply with the FDAs admissibility laws and regulations. These product-specific rules are integrated into the import management application to efficiently screen each product, country of origin, or manufacturer that might require special exceptions before the cross-border declaration. These to efficiently screen each product, country of origin, or manufacturer that might require special exceptions before the cross-border declaration. Import volumes into China via highway transport are escalating, and the need for expedited customs clearance is evident now more than ever. China's Single Window system for declarations now covers road transport , streamlining the process for goods entering or leaving the country via all modes. E2opens China customs capabilities now allow businesses to submit all necessary customs declarations and supporting documents electronically , reducing paperwork and the risk of errors or delays in the clearance process. , streamlining the process for goods entering or leaving the country via all modes. E2opens China customs capabilities now allow , reducing paperwork and the risk of errors or delays in the clearance process. Organizations diversifying sourcing bases must ensure trade compliance under every government's complex trade policy structure. Exporters moving goods from the Republic of Macedonia can now manage all the required export license controls. As a central manufacturing hub for heavy machinery, steel products, and textile production, the requirements for trade include dual-use restrictions and export licenses for many products. Logistics To reduce the need for last-minute human intervention when shipments are rejected by a carrier, even after the tender was accepted, new autonomous decision-making helps shippers re-book the shipment . The system finds real-time rates from a select group of shipper-approved providers and automatically tenders it to the lowest-cost provider without exceeding benchmark rate thresholds. . The system finds real-time rates from a select group of shipper-approved providers and without exceeding benchmark rate thresholds. New shipment booking allocation models allow recurring last-mile bookings to be automatically allocated to a specified route based on customer preferences . The system also includes a fallback process to allocate bookings automatically to a specified route based on the suburb and postcode combination when a route territory/zone cannot be found. Dispatchers save time and reduce errors , leading to a more efficient and effective last-mile delivery operation. to a specified route . The system also includes a fallback process to allocate bookings automatically to a specified route based on the suburb and postcode combination when a route territory/zone cannot be found. , leading to a more efficient and effective last-mile delivery operation. Connecting and coordinating with logistics providers and other partners is essential for third-party logistics providers (3PLs) who manage comprehensive transport planning, operations, and finance for shipments on behalf of their customers. New features that enable trip planners to retain overall control of the trip while segment owners can still manage their sections afford greater coordination and collaboration between all parties, leading to higher efficiency and lower risk. for third-party logistics providers (3PLs) who manage comprehensive transport planning, operations, and finance for shipments on behalf of their customers. New features that enable while afford leading to higher efficiency and lower risk. For rail clients, advanced reporting capabilities provide a comprehensive view of outstanding accruals, invoices, and audit details in a user-friendly format. Users can make more informed decisions about their shipping operations, identify areas for improvement, and optimize their logistics strategies. Global Logistics Orchestration Shippers frequently reserve capacity using transport orders before final recipient details are known. Enhanced capabilities efficiently manage these capacity reservations. Once the consignee and place of delivery are known, the system automatically re-books all legs of the shipment order , eliminating the need for time-consuming and error-prone manual interventions. , eliminating the need for time-consuming and error-prone manual interventions. Introducing due diligence screening to Global Logistics Orchestration, automated denied and restricted party screening (RPS) is performed on all parties when a shipment order originates in the application. Users can quickly navigate from the transaction to the detailed screening results and make a final determination on the individual or entity when flagged for review. Users can quickly navigate from the transaction to the detailed screening results and make a final determination on the individual or entity when flagged for review. Shippers can define logistics schedules using transactional data to calculate estimated and planned dates for both in-transit and pre/post-transit events. This capability enables them to allocate resources more efficiently, such as warehouse space, labor, and equipment, based on the updated event schedule. Shippers can minimize idle time, improve productivity, and reduce unnecessary costs. Supply A new feature reduces challenges for brand owners managing complex manufacturing processes, both in-house and contracted. With the bill of materials (BOM) validation feature, companies can track material consumption, validate correct component usage, and handle substitutions when necessary . This provides governance over the contract manufacturer's adherence to the BOM specifications, allowing brand owners to focus on other aspects of their business. when necessary This provides governance over the contract manufacturer's adherence to the BOM specifications, allowing brand owners to focus on other aspects of their business. Easy and direct access to structured supply chain content and unstructured supporting documents, like item specifications and special instructions, is critical to achieving deeper collaboration. Users can now appropriately extend access control to external partners, ensuring secure and efficient document sharing across all tiers. As a cloud-based platform, e2open consistently brings the best in channel and supply chain management technology to customers. To learn more about the full breadth of updates in each quarterly technology update, clients are encouraged to join e2open's product release webinars through the my.e2open customer portal. About e2open E2open is the connected supply chain software platform that enables the worlds largest companies to transform the way they make, move, and sell goods and services. With the broadest cloud-native global platform purpose-built for modern supply chains, e2open connects more than 420,000 manufacturing, logistics, channel, and distribution partners as one multi-enterprise network tracking over 14 billion transactions annually. Our SaaS platform anticipates disruptions and opportunities to help companies improve efficiency, reduce waste, and operate sustainably. Moving as one. Learn More: www.e2open.com. E2open and Moving as one. are the registered trademarks of E2open, LLC. All other trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622023858/en/ Media Contact: 5W PR for e2open [email protected] 718-757-6144 Investor Relations Contact: Dusty Buell [email protected] [email protected] Corporate Contact: Kristin Seigworth VP Communications, e2open [email protected] [email protected] www.e2open.com Source: E2open Parent Holdings, Inc. HAMILTON, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Eight local environmental charities will participate in important climate risk solution conversations at the second annual Bermuda Climate Summit, presented by the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA), in partnership with KBRA. Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ), Bermuda Audubon Society, Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences (BIOS), Bermuda National Trust (BNT), Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme (BOPP), Beyond Plastic, Keep Bermuda Beautiful (KBB) and Living Reefs Foundation, will all provide delegates with information about their stewardship of Bermudas environment and natural resources. Five eco-excursions, including tree-planting and environmental clean-ups, have also been organised. Dr. Ian Walker, Principal Curator, Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo (BAMZ) said, The Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) has been teaching about Bermudas environment for over four decades. We believe it is essential for each generation to understand the importance of our island environment home and how uniquely fragile it is. Climate change is a massive threat to all of us, especially those living on islands, and it is essential that we and the rest of the world gain a better understanding of the challenges and how we can combat them. The Bermuda Climate Summit involves global businesses that are uniquely positioned to help move the needle in that regard and the BZS is pleased to help spread that message and what we are doing to make a difference. Slav Gatchev, Managing Director for Sustainable Debt at the Nature Conservancy will moderate a Biodiversity: Our Strongest Natural Defence Against Climate Change panel featuring: Osho Jha, Co-Founder and CEO, dClimate and Co-Founder, Arbol, James Kench, Head of Insurance, KITA, Natalia Moudrak, Climate Resiliency Leader, AON, and Dr. Robbie Smith, Curator of Natural History Museum, Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo (BAMZ). Cheryl Ann Mapp, Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme (BOPP) Blue Economy Specialist said, BOPP is honoured to be invited again to participate in the second annual Bermuda Climate Summit. The Bermuda Climate Summit is an opportunity to hear from global leaders in their fields, and this years agenda touches on many aspects of what the Blue Prosperity Plan is working to achieve, including managing Bermudas marine environment to improve its resilience to climate change and exploring investment opportunities in sustainability initiatives and the blue economy. Ms. Mapp will speak on a Closing the Skills Gap Green and Blue Jobs of the Future panel moderated by Zayne Sinclair, OW2 Youth Ambassador, and featuring Rob Du Boff, Senior ESG Analyst, Bloomberg Intelligence, Kaitlin Noyes, Director of Education and Community Engagement, BIOS and Jeffrey Steynor, Principal Engineer, Liberty (Bermuda). Bermudas Deputy Premier, The Hon. Walter Roban, JP, MP, will kick off the proceedings at Hamilton Princess & Beach Club on June 26, with a conversation with Jim Nadler, President & CEO, KBRA, followed by a keynote luncheon with Suzanne Johnson, Senior Advisor, United Nations (UN) Global Compact Ocean Stewardship Coalition. Joshua Rosenberg, Chief Risk Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, will bring the event to a close on June 27, alongside Stephen Weinstein, BIOS Chair and past BDA-Chair. Mr. Weinstein said, "Bermuda's future as a global capital for climate finance is built on a foundation of blue chip, globally renowned regulatory excellence, business leadership in reinsurance and insurance, and the human capital that has built up on the Island over the decades. The solutions we need to adapt to climate change and foster transition require business, public policy, and applied science innovation and collaboration across those domains. The century long legacy of the BIOS; Bermudas deep infrastructure of business, research and regulatory expertise and talent; and culture of daring but disciplined innovation all contributes to Bermudas ideal positioning for climate leadership. David Hart, BDA CEO said, Climate risk is global, but it is important to remember that this work starts at a local level. Bermuda is the perfect place to develop climate risk solutions, attract and deploy capital investments and create blue and green jobs of the future. We encourage the public not to miss this opportunity to meet these global climate leaders and engage in this important dialogue. Click here to register. The full agenda can be viewed on the BDA website. The BDA is grateful for the continued support of our headline sponsor KBRA, as well as: diamond sponsor Conduit Re; platinum sponsor Aon; gold sponsors Deloitte, Fidelis, and Hub Culture; and silver sponsors Aeolus, Aspen, AXA XL, Belco, Convex, and KPMG. Our supporting sponsors are Butterfield, HSBC and Ocean-Based Climate Solutions, Inc. Our media partners are Bermuda:Re+ILS, Climate and Capital Media, Insurance Insider, and The Insurer. Our spirits partner is Goslings. CONNECTING BUSINESS The BDA encourages direct investment and helps companies start up, re-locate, or expand their operations in our premier jurisdiction. An independent, public-private partnership, we connect you to industry professionals, regulatory officials, and key contacts in the Bermuda government to assist domicile decisions. Our goal? To make doing business in Bermuda smooth and beneficial. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622575812/en/ MEDIA CONTACT: Stuart Roberts, Director of Marketing & Communications [email protected] | +1 441 707 0038 Source: Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA) ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Continuing their efforts in bridging the gap for Women of Color businesses to receive Venture Capital funding, Fearless Fund trailblazes the industry with their unwavering dedication to solving the issues Women of Color businesses face while acquiring funding for their businesses. By receiving multi-million dollar follow-on investments from Bank of America, Costco, and Mastercard, Fearless Fund is doing the necessary work to advocate, financially support, and provide resources for Women of Color both in their portfolio and the emerging talent that is still to come. Fearless Fund, was created with the mission of increasing the number of Women of Color-founded businesses and taking those businesses to new heights. Through the past few years, Fearless Fund has created a space that allows the top Women of Color businesses to thrive in their respective fields. The investments they have received play a tremendous role in the continuation of discovering these businesses as well as providing the opportunity to be educated and their needs be acknowledged. To receive follow-on investments from our previous investors proves that Bank of America, Costco, and Mastercard are not only dedicated to addressing the disparity that exists in venture capital funding for women of color-led businesses, but it shows their commitment, values, and understanding that investing in WOC founders is good business, says Arian Simone, Co-Founder of the Fearless Fund. Our mission at Bank of America is to help diverse entrepreneurs drive economic opportunity, said Tram Nguyen, Global Head of Strategic and Sustainable Investments. We are proud to continue our partnership with the Fearless Fund: Arian, Ayana, and their team continue to demonstrate true dedication to supporting women of color-led businesses. The investments received will allow Fearless Fund to further expand their portfolio of women of color-founded and co-founded companies and provide adequate funding and mentorship opportunities. In addition to their investment, Mastercard has continued their partnership with Fearless Fund to host the third annual Fearless Strivers Grant Contest awarding Black women small businesses across the country with $20,000 grants, Mastercard Digital Doors tools, and mentorship to help Black women founders get access to the capital and resources they need to achieve their full potential. Mastercards investment in Fearless Fund builds on the companys In Solidarity commitment which is aimed to help close the racial wealth and opportunity gap in Black communities across America. Connecting up-and-coming entrepreneurs with capital is a crucial step in the small business journey, and we know that investing in women leaders pays dividends to the communities, families, and economies around them, said Shamina Singh, Founder, and President of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. Were thrilled to continue to support Fearless Fund and the work they do to lift up women entrepreneurs of color. In a similar fashion, Fearless Fund and Costco have joined forces for a second year with a partnership for Fearless annual event, Fearless VC Summit 2023 taking place in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday, August 18th. "We are pleased and honored to be a partner at the 2023 Fearless Fund VC Summit. Supporting the development of diverse entrepreneurs is imperative for our communities to continue to thrive, and Costco is glad to be part of this effort. In particular, the Summit offers an outstanding opportunity to bring together investors and entrepreneurs and hopefully ignite sparks that will lead to future success." ~Alison Francis, VP Chief Diversity Officer Costco Wholesale For more information, please visit www.fearless.fund. About Fearless Fund Launched in 2019, Fearless Fund invests in WOC-led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed level, or series A financing. Its mission is to bridge the gap in venture capital funding for female founders of color building scalable, growth-aggressive companies. The Fearless Fund team also runs The Fearless Foundation, a 501c3 organization with a goal to educate entrepreneurs through training, reduce racial inequities, and empower African-Americans to gain access to capital, as well as the Get Ready Venture Program, a 12-month training program for WOC business owners to acquire the needed training, mentorship, knowledge, and skills needed to gain access to capital. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622361340/en/ Fearless Fund Lauryn Lawrence E. [email protected] P. 404-285-1430 Source: Fearless Fund ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Discrimination against people with substance use disorders (SUDs) has directly contributed to the addiction crisis in Georgia. Georgia Recovers is designed to directly reduce this discrimination. The re-launch of this digital public health campaign is built on the pivotal work championed by the Georgia Council for Recovery (GC4R) and is rooted in community connections. The campaign benefits from the wealth of knowledge of Georgians, including community leaders, digital influencers, community organizations, social service agencies, and more. Georgia Recovers is a partnership with national nonprofit Shatterproof funded by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) with support from the GC4R. Thousands of Georgia residents struggle with substance use disorders, said Laurisa Guerrero, executive director of Georgia Council for Recovery. By revitalizing Georgia Recovers and normalizing substance use treatment diagnosis, treatment, reduction and recovery, we will help to influence behaviors and perceptions. The necessity for this initiative is more urgent than ever. In a baseline survey administered by Ipsos and evaluated by Indiana University that measures existing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward people with opioid use disorders (OUDs) in Georgia, half of survey respondents (51.1%) reported knowing someone with an OUD. Respondents also reported unwillingness to interact with a person with an OUD in social settings like moving next door (40.5%), hiring for a job (22%), or spending an evening socializing (39%). Unfortunately, these negative attitudes from peers and society present barriers to treatment for those with an OUD. Georgia Recovers utilizes an evidence-based messaging approach proven to help change attitudes associated with substance use disorders drawing upon the power of storytelling to humanize impacted individuals and the lives of people in recovery. Through these stories, the campaign strives to inspire hope, connection, and community, and ultimately, remove barriers to care. Georgia Recovers aligns with ongoing statewide initiatives to reduce overdoses, support recovery efforts, and educate the public. The diverse voices of Georgia residents and community organizations are central to the success of this campaign and will continue to play a key role moving forward. This multi-pronged initiative replicates the success of other transformational social movements in catalyzing changes in knowledge, attitudes and ultimately, behaviors. Substance use disorders and other mental health conditions are heavily negatively discriminated against and often not seen as a disease or as a health condition, said Gary Mendell, founder and CEO of Shatterproof. Together as partners, we will change hearts and minds and commit to the important, life-saving work of Georgia Recovers across the state. Stigma is a major burden to achieving access to competent, quality care and recruiting a trained workforce with the ability to make a significant impact, said Kevin Tanner, Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Stigma reduction through the Georgia Recovers campaign allows the miracle of recovery to flourish. DBHDD is committed to playing an active role in the solution because we believe recovery is real in Georgia. Changes in how the public views people with SUDs will be reassessed one year after campaign launch to measure progress. Georgia Recovers testimonials are shared widely via social media channels and by local community members, community organizations, and a campaign website, which connects the community to resources and builds a network of champions for discrimination reduction efforts across the state. Substance use disorder affects every community in Georgia, and SUD is a treatable medical condition. Follow Georgia Recovers on Facebook and Instagram and contribute to the conversation using the hashtag #GARecoversTogether. Share your story here or become a campaign partner. To learn more about how to get involved in reducing addiction discrimination in Georgia communities, email [email protected]. ABOUT GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) is the state agency, which supports people with mental health needs, substance use disorders, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Departments vision is easy access to high-quality care that leads to a life of recovery and independence for the people it serves. For more information, visit https://dbhdd.georgia.gov/ ABOUT GEORGIA COUNCIL FOR RECOVERY: The mission of the Georgia Council for Recovery is to increase the impact of recovery in our communities through education, advocacy, training, and peer recovery support services. ABOUT SHATTERPROOF: Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S. Shatterproof is focused on guiding communities, removing systemic barriers to recovery, mobilizing the country to advocate for change, and ending addiction stigma in the United States. Find Shatterproof on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube @ShatterproofHQ or follow us on Instagram at @weareshatterproof. To learn more, visit www.Shatterproof.org. If you are experiencing anxiety, depression, or a substance use disorder, text SHATTERPROOF to 741741 for help. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622442054/en/ Lauren Lawson-Zilai Senior Director, PR and Media Relations Shatterproof [email protected] Ryan King Communications Director Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities [email protected] Source: Shatterproof CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Industrial insurer HDI Global (HDI) initiates major expansion in the equine insurance sector by appointing a team of 9 industry experts, including Dianne Meisner as specialized Lead Equine Underwriter. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622636810/en/ HDI's clients now benefit from a collective experience of over 300 years in US equine operations. (Photo: Business Wire) Mark Edwards, Head of Bloodstock and Equine and Ian Snow, US Equine Lead, welcome Meisner and the team to the Lexington, KY based office. With this team of 7 underwriters and 2 claims adjusters HDIs clients now benefit from a collective experience of over 300 years in US equine operations. Our enlarged team has a strong background in Equine and possesses vast knowledge across multiple disciplines, says Edwards. Especially with equine, being close to the clients field of operation and their needs makes a huge difference. Many of our team members are active participants in the sport and have a respective education in this field. Some even have experience in world renowned equine hospitals. Our clients and partnering agents will surely profit from this high level of expertise. HDI launched their US based equine product offering back in 2019, providing Full Mortality and Major Medical coverage for breeds and uses across the full spectrum of the equine industry. About HDI Global SE (HDI) As an industrial lines insurer, HDI Global SE (HDI) meets the needs of SMEs, industrial companies and corporate customers with insurance solutions that are specifically tailored to their requirements. In addition to HDI's prominent position in the German and broader European market, the company has access to its own worldwide HDI Global Network covering more than 175 countries through its own HDI foreign branch offices, subsidiaries, affiliated companies, and network partners. Pioneering value-driven insurance solutions globally, HDI Global SE leads roughly 5,000 International Programmes and offers its multinational customers compliant coverage worldwide. HDI Global SE is a company in the Industrial Lines Division of the Talanx Group and has been a leading insurer for several decades. Approximately 4,500 employees in this division generated insurance revenue (gross) of approx. EUR 8.2 billion in the year 2022 (according to IFRS 17). The rating agency Standard & Poors has given the Talanx Primary Group a financial strength rating of A+/stable (strong). Talanx AG is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Ex-change in the MDAX. Disclaimer This news release may include forward-looking statements which are based on certain assumptions, expectations and opinions of the management of Talanx AG and HDI Global SE. These statements are, therefore, subject to certain known or unknown risks and uncertainties. A variety of factors, many of which are beyond Talanx AGs and HDI Global SEs control, affect our business activities, business strategy, results, performance and achievements. Should one or more of these factors or risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results, performance or achievements of Talanx AG and HDI Global SE may vary materially from those expressed or implied in the relevant forward-looking statement. Talanx AG and HDI Global SE do not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor do Talanx AG and HDI Global SE accept any responsibility for the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. Talanx AG and HDI Global SE neither intend, nor assume any obligation, to update or revise these forward-looking statements in light of developments which differ from those anticipated. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622636810/en/ Contact Details for HDI Global Insurance Company, USA: HDI Global Insurance Company 161 North Clark Street - 48th Floor Chicago, IL 60601 USA Phone +1 312 580-1900 www.hdi.global For media enquiries please contact: George Contoravdis Tel.: +1 312-589-6752 E-Mail: [email protected] Dr Frederic Strohm Tel.: +49 511 3747 2117 E-Mail: [email protected] Christoph Bomeyer-Hortsch Tel.: +49 511 6455 9515 E-Mail: [email protected] Source: HDI Global NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- KBRA affirms the senior unsecured debt rating of BBB, the subordinated debt rating of BBB-, and the short-term debt rating of K3 for Green Bay, Wisconsin based Nicolet Bankshares, Inc. (NYSE: NIC) (Nicolet or the company). In addition, KBRA affirms the deposit and senior unsecured debt ratings of BBB+, the subordinated debt rating of BBB, and the short-term deposit and debt ratings of K2 for lead subsidiary, Nicolet National Bank. The Outlook for all longterm ratings is Stable. Key Credit Considerations The ratings are supported by our favorable view of NIC's management, which is long tenured with deep ties to the companys operating markets and maintains a generally conservative credit philosophy. Additionally, notwithstanding earnings in 1Q23, NIC has generally posted better-than-peer core performance over recent years, owing to the companys healthy contribution from fee income sources and lead positioning in its markets. Relatedly, Nicolets strong deposit base has been a core credit strength of the organization through time as demonstrated by solid positioning in the companys command of market share, which is second in Wisconsin among in-state headquartered banks. NPAs, while modestly above peer levels, are largely loans acquired through 2021 and 2022 transactions and have been trending favorably, while losses have been negligible, consistent with the industry to date. We acknowledge that the complexion of NICs loan profile materially shifted in 2021 through M&A, which saw an influx of primarily dairy agriculture lending exposure. Though agriculture lending can demonstrate higher volatility, Nicolet retained talent through the transaction and, married with its conservative credit philosophy, the portfolio has remained largely stable. Other aspects of the company's loan portfolio are generally considered favorably, including the granularity of portfolio and diversity of industries served, though these are somewhat offset by a relatively concentrated geographic operating footprint. The primary credit constraint for NIC is the companys degraded capital position, which is currently ~200 bps below peer levels. Lower capital levels have been driven by balance sheet growth owing to moderate organic loan growth and successive M&A transactions over preceding years, coupled with cash consideration in certain transactions. We note a partial mitigant in the companys recent balance sheet restructure, which effectively neutralized the deferment of capital impact from HTM holdings such that the companys current and go-forward capital profile is wholly reflective of MTM impact. Nonetheless, acuity increases in our assessment of emergent asset quality issues, should they arise, on a comparatively thinner capital base, all things being equal. Rating Sensitivities Given the Stable Outlook, positive rating momentum is not expected in the medium term. Over a longer term, betterthan-peer core capital, coupled with growth in uncorrelated fee income contribution to previous levels could drive positive rating momentum. Conversely, negative rating sentiment could develop if the companys capital profile fails to migrate to peer levelsabove 10% CET1over the course of several quarters. Additionally, the emergence of asset quality issues beyond our expectations, both in absolute levels and relative to peers, could drive downward pressure on ratings, particularly against the prospect of potentially lower earnings power given industry trends in margin compression. To access rating and relevant documents, click here. Methodologies Financial Institutions: Bank & Bank Holding Company Global Rating Methodology ESG Global Rating Methodology A description of all substantially material sources that were used to prepare the credit rating and information on the methodology(ies) (inclusive of any material models and sensitivity analyses of the relevant key rating assumptions, as applicable) used in determining the credit rating is available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) located here. Information on the meaning of each rating category can be located here. Further disclosures relating to this rating action are available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) referenced above. Additional information regarding KBRA policies, methodologies, rating scales and disclosures are available at www.kbra.com. About KBRA Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC (KBRA) is a full-service credit rating agency registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an NRSRO. Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is registered as a CRA with the European Securities and Markets Authority. Kroll Bond Rating Agency UK Limited is registered as a CRA with the UK Financial Conduct Authority. In addition, KBRA is designated as a designated rating organization by the Ontario Securities Commission for issuers of asset-backed securities to file a short form prospectus or shelf prospectus. KBRA is also recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as a Credit Rating Provider. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622530965/en/ Analytical Scott Durant, Senior Director (Lead Analyst) +1 301-969-3248 [email protected] Joe Scott, Senior Managing Director +1 646-731-2438 [email protected] Business Development Contact Justin Fuller, Senior Director +1 646-731-1250 [email protected] Disclosures John Rempe, Director +1 301-969-3045 [email protected] Ashley Phillips, Managing Director (Rating Committee Chair) +1 301-969-3185 [email protected] Source: KBRA Economic volatility is leading to increased tech investment: 30 per cent say they need new technology to achieve greater efficiencies Industry realizes the value of data: 41 per cent feel that they would be able to make better decisions if they had better access to real-time and historic information 43 per cent of those who work in the residential sector expect to build more housing units in 2023 compared to 2022 TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Procore Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: PCOR), a leading global provider of construction management software, today released their construction industry benchmark report1 How We Build Now: Technology and industry trends shaping Canadian construction in 2023. The report examines the general sentiment of the industry, the digital maturity and adoption of construction technologies, as well as the challenges and opportunities that businesses face. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622078760/en/ Nine in ten (90%) of respondents feel confident about market conditions over the next 12 months, with 44 per cent feeling very confident. In line with this finding, 70 per cent of respondents expect the number and value of projects completed by their organization to increase during this period. (Graphic: Business Wire) Nine out of 10 of respondents in Canada express confidence (44% very confident) about industry conditions over the next 12 months, with seven out of 10 construction businesses expecting an increase in the number (70%) or value of projects (72%) over the same timeframe. A recent poll2 reveals 92 per cent of Canadians agreed there is an urgent need to build more or update current infrastructure in Canada over the next two years. This new How We Build Now (Canada) report shows: 43 per cent of those who work in the residential sector expect to build more housing units in 2023 compared to 2022 Over half of respondents from B.C. (51%) and Alberta (55%) who work in the residential sector expect to build and deliver fewer housing units in 2023 compared to 2022. This is a stark contrast in comparison to Ontario where 60 per cent of respondents expect to build and deliver more housing units in 2023 Labour Shortages and Supply Chain Problems Are Key Concerns This latest report finds that respondents consider hiring and retaining skilled labour as one of the top challenges they face over the next 12 months. 29 per cent report they have been unable to take on more projects in the past three to six months due to labour shortage 27 per cent agree it is hard for construction to compete with other industries for good employees 27 per cent agree there is too much competition in construction for talent 32 per cent fear that some of their most experienced people will retire within the next few years and take valuable knowledge with them Supply chain problems are impacting respondents to a different extent across the country. Quebec-based respondents report the highest impact, with 41 per cent reporting significant delays due to supply chain issues, compared to 35 per cent of respondents from Ontario and just a quarter of respondents in B.C. Digital Transformation Critical to Overcoming Roadblocks Construction firms in Canada understand that digital transformation is required to overcome the labour shortage: 22 per cent of construction businesses consider themselves a digital-first business and 51 per cent are well on the way to adopting digital formats and workflows. Construction decision makers recognize that technology provides benefits, particularly around resource efficiency through less rework, an enemy of sustainability. The survey shows 27 per cent of the total time spent on a project is spent on rework or rectifying issues. Other findings: Almost half of all projects go over budget (50%) and over schedule (49%) according to respondents Over 30 per cent of respondents identify needing new technology to improve operational efficiency and cost controls amid economic volatility Paper remains a common medium for Canadian construction decision makers. About a quarter of respondents (23-28%, depending on the workflow) still use paper-based records or non-digital processes as part of their workflows Data as a Competitive Difference According to the report, the industry realizes the value of data yet they are not able to leverage it to the fullest. Forty-one per cent of respondents feel that they would be able to make better decisions if they had better access to real-time and historic information on project performance. Respondents believe they could save up to 12 per cent of their total spending on projects if they captured, integrated and standardized data more efficiently Respondents report spending 17 per cent of their time on a typical project searching for data or information clearly too much time on low productivity tasks Half of the respondents say they have a foundation in place to begin learning from their data but dont necessarily have a dedicated data team in place. One in five say much of their data exists in spreadsheets or on paper and they do not leverage data to drive business outcomes We are encouraged to see the Canadian construction industrys leaders express optimism as they look to consolidate and build on post-pandemic progress, said Nolan Frazier, regional sales director, Canada, Procore. In particular, this survey shows half of the respondents see a need to embrace greater collaboration in projects among stakeholders; half of them are also well on their way in their digital transformation journey. Some also recognize the opportunity to leverage the massive amounts of data generated through the use of technology to make more data-driven decisions across every phase of the construction life cycle. Ultimately, smarter construction empowers construction businesses to have better control of their projects and deliver higher quality builds. The Future of Construction Technology Respondents rate construction management platforms, clean technologies involving green, sustainable or innovative materials, and next generation BIM as the top technologies that will drive change in the construction industry over the next three years. Over half of respondents (56%) are either currently using (29%) or plan to adopt a construction management platform (27%) over the next 12 months More than six out of 10 (62%) of Canadian organizations are either currently using (26%) or plan to adopt (36%) clean technologies over the next 12 months Sustainable Construction is Top of Mind Overall, the industry is keen to adopt more environmentally conscious and sustainable building practices. Approximately half of the respondents (50%) have started to focus on strategies like prefabrication and improved material selection to reduce the carbon footprint of their projects. Four in 10 are either currently tracking or plan to start tracking (within the next 12 months) carbon emissions on their construction projects. Workplace Diversity and Inclusion in Construction Are Critical Currently, women make up a minority of the construction workforce, particularly in executive roles (24%). Subcontractors have the lowest ratio when it comes to having female members on staff. Only 22 per cent of executive staff at trade contractors are female compared with around 25 per cent at owners and general contractors. Almost four in 10 (38%) of construction decision makers believe that there is a need to improve diversity and inclusion in construction workplaces to attract women, minorities and historically underrepresented groups Only 41 per cent of respondents have a diversity and inclusion policy in place with another 45 per cent planning to implement one in the next 12 months Many organizations recognize the need to improve the well-being of their workforce (see Procores Get Construction Talking campaign). Four in 10 (41%) report having a wellness and mental health practice or policy in place to reduce the likelihood of burnout; 46 per cent plan to implement a process in the next 12 months. Despite some fundamental labour challenges, respondents are optimistic about the future. Approximately eight in 10 are confident they will have enough people to meet their organizational needs (79%) and the necessary skills to meet demand (80%) over the next 12 months. For more information, download the How We Build Now: Technology and industry trends shaping Canadian construction in 2023 report: http://www.procore.com/en-ca/ebooks/how-we-build-now-report-can Images are available here. Attend the panel discussion with Canadian Construction Association, Mechanical Contractors Association of Canada, Independent Contractors and Businesses Association and Procore on July 13 at 1:00 p.m. ET: https://www.procore.com/en-ca/webinars/how-we-build-now-2023 About Procore Procore Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: PCOR) creates software for people who build the world. With a focus on providing timely and accurate data for all, Procore transforms the construction industry one project at a time from hospitals and skyscrapers to airports and stadiums. Beyond its connected, innovative technology, Procore empowers the industry and its communities through Procore.org. For more information, visit www.procore.com. 1. The How We Build Now: Technology and industry trends shaping Canadian construction in 2023 survey was conducted by independent research company Censuswide. A total of 502 construction decision-makers and influencers participated in this report across Canada. 2. Based on a study commissioned by Procore Technologies and conducted from March 6-8, 2023 among a nationally representative sample of n=1,502 Canadians, balanced and weighted on age, gender, region and education. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622078760/en/ Media: Steve Gold/Anita Wong StrategicAmpersand Inc. [email protected] Source: Procore Technologies, Inc. Extension through 2025 includes a potential one-year option through 2026 TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Maximus, a leading employer and provider of government services worldwide, has been granted a two-year contract extension to support government programs on behalf of British Columbias Ministry of Citizens' Services (CITZ). The decision to extend our Service BC contract reflects the high quality of work that Maximus continues to deliver throughout the province, said Rajeev Purewal, Assistant Vice President, Maximus. For six years, weve consistently demonstrated our strong performance and our ability to adapt to the clients emerging needs. Through the Service BC Contact Centre, Maximus has been delivering multi-channel contact centre services on behalf of CITZ since 2017. The extension, which spans from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025, will build on the enhanced citizen services and innovation that Maximus has delivered in the contract to date. This continued delivery will support the Ministry of Citizens Services vision in the next phase of BCs Public Service digital transformation. The new contract also includes an extra one-year option that could further extend the agreement to December 31, 2026. This contract extension is fantastic news for our organization and reinforces our commitment to operational excellence, said Christian Gingras, Canadas Managing Director, Maximus. We are very proud of our team and the exceptional work they continue to deliver for citizens on behalf of Service BC. About Maximus As a leading strategic partner to governments across the globe, Maximus helps improve the delivery of public services amid complex technology, health, economic, environmental, and social challenges. With a deep understanding of program service delivery, acute insights that achieve operational excellence, and an extensive awareness of the needs of the people being served, our employees advance the critical missions of our partners. Maximus delivers innovative business process management, impactful consulting services, and technology solutions that provide improved outcomes for the public and higher levels of productivity and efficiency of government-sponsored programs. For more information, visit maximus.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622505809/en/ Media & Public Relations Eileen Cassidy Rivera, [email protected] Source: Maximus Annual Report Details How MetLife is Creating Shared Value for its Stakeholders through Sustainability NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) today released its 2022 Sustainability Report, detailing how the company lives up to its purpose, contributes to more confident futures, and creates a virtuous circle of shared value for its customers, colleagues, communities and shareholders. Sustainability is integral to MetLifes business. MetLifes sustainability strategy is guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the company remains committed to driving meaningful impact around the world. Our commitment to protecting families, businesses and communities underpins our purpose always with you, building a more confident future and allows us to make a greater difference, said MetLife President and CEO Michel Khalaf. We deliver on our long-term sustainability commitments through the commitment of our colleagues and the strength of our products, services, and investments. MetLifes goal is to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world and to make progress towards its 2030 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Commitments and environmental commitments. This years report highlights MetLifes progress against these goals and how the company serves as a force for good, including: Awarding $37.9 million in grants in 2022 through MetLife Foundations Economic Inclusion, Financial Health and Resilient Communities portfolios Continuing to support a resilient and thriving environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 49% since 2019, planting ~800,000 trees since 2020, and maintaining carbon neutrality, which MetLife has done since becoming the first U.S.-based insurer to achieve the status in 2016 Securing over $77 billion in responsible investments managed by MetLife Investment Management as of year-end 2022 Originating ~$885 million in DEI investments in 2022, nearly completing MetLifes commitment of $1 billion by 2030 Expanding its 360Health offering throughout Asia in 2022 to help more customers improve their mental, physical, financial and social health Earning the status of a certified Great Place to Work in eight of its markets based on the feedback and experience of MetLife colleagues Completing 109,000+ volunteer hours in 2022, advancing MetLife towards its commitment of 800,000 volunteer hours by 2030 To read the 2022 Sustainability Report and learn more about MetLifes sustainability commitments and progress, visit MetLife.com/Sustainability. About MetLife MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates (MetLife), is one of the worlds leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help individual and institutional customers build a more confident future. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 markets globally and holds leading positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com. Forward-Looking Statements The forward-looking statements in this news release, using words such as commitment continuing, goal, long-term and remains and other words and terms of similar meaning are based on assumptions and expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, including the Risk Factors MetLife, Inc. describes in its U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. MetLifes future results could differ, and it does not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or update any forward-looking statements if MetLife, Inc. later becomes aware that such statement is not likely to be achieved. Please consult any further disclosures MetLife, Inc. makes on related subjects in subsequent reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621569264/en/ For Media: Brian Blaser (212) 578-2415 [email protected] Source: MetLife, Inc. Rules to police investment by American firms in China have acquired a phantom quality: always imminent, always delayed. In recent months the steady beat of debate on the topic has quickened to a drumroll. In March Americas Treasury and Commerce Departments delivered reports on potential rules. The next month Jake Sullivan, President Joe Bidens security adviser, trailed the policy in a speech. An executive order from Mr Biden is expected to follow. Americas allies are mulling similar restrictions. On June 20th the European Commission announced plans, albeit vague ones, to propose an initiative by the end of the year. When Mr Bidens executive order does appear, it is likely to focus on investments in three force-multiplying technologies: advanced semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing. The exact permutation of prohibitions and notification requirements remains unclear, but the rules will affect only a sliver of American investments in Chinese firms, which were worth more than $1trn at the end of 2021. According to data from Rhodium Group, a research firm, American firms made $120bn of foreign direct investment in China and $62bn of venture-capital (vc) investment during the past decade (see chart). Geopolitical brakes on American capital are not an entirely new idea. Some companies with ties to Chinas military are off-limits to investors and the CHIPS Act bars firms that receive its subsidies from making investments that could benefit Chinas semiconductor industry. Advocates say outbound-investment rules are a necessary extension to Americas patchwork of trade restrictions: if export controls prevent Chinese firms from buying some dual-use technologies and inbound-investment screening stops them snapping up American firms that make them, American capital should not be allowed to fund the technologys development in China. Placing limits on Americas globetrotting investors comes with risks. One is writing over-broad rules which limit capital flows and burden investors without good reason. Paul Rosen, a Treasury official, said in May that the rules would focus on investment dollars that come with know-how and expertise. European leaders say restrictions are needed to prevent know-how leaking. But figuring out what sorts of investment are leaky is tricky. A tech giant hoping to expand its advanced-computing efforts in China would presumably fall foul of this standard, but the case of investment firms, and their ultimate investors, is less straightforward. A private-equity fund might acquire a company but offer no operational advantage, whereas a small vc investment could come with technical expertise worth protecting. According to the Centre for Security and Emerging Technology, a think-tank, in 2015-21 American investors, including the vc arms of chipmakers Intel and Qualcomm, participated in funding rounds that accounted for 37% of the $110bn raised by Chinese AI companies. American pension funds appetite for returns has made them beneficiaries of such investments. Consider GGV Capital, one of the most active American investors in Chinese AI companies, according to data from PitchBook. Our analysis of public disclosures suggests that six American pension funds and endowments with combined assets exceeding $600bn have committed around $2bn to ggv Capitals funds in the past decade. The national-security risk presented by such investments is an open question. So is that of whether Chinese investors could in any case replace the funding if American investors were restricted. Some feel the Biden administration should provide firmer answers before it requires asset managers and pension funds, which are typically exposed to hundreds of global investment funds, to search for traces of Chinese tech companies in their portfolios. Another danger is mission creep. Under Mr Biden, economic and national-security policy have become increasingly indistinguishable. Last year the president directed the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the American inbound-investment watchdog, which has seen its caseload explode in recent years, to consider wider factors including supply-chain resilience. Scrutinising outbound investments on the basis of broad standards of national interest could become unwieldy. Fears of a growing investment bureaucracy have led some to suggest using existing sanctions rules instead. Though Mr Bidens initial policy on outbound investment is expected to be narrower than anything that could be called a reverse-CFIUS, there is no shortage of hawks outside the White House who imagine outbound-investment screening as a tool for industrial policy. In 2021 a bipartisan group of congressmen introduced a bill to screen outbound investment broad enough to have affected more than 40% of American investment in China, according to Rhodium Group. Last month an updated version of the bill was released. It would establish restrictions on investments not just in advanced technology but in industries including carmaking and pharmaceuticals, and give the White House the authority to expand the list. The proliferation of trade restrictions does not stop at Americas borders. Some attribute the delay in Mr Bidens executive order to trouble gathering support for new rules among allied countries. The Group of Seven (G7) jamboree of world leaders came and went in May with only a milquetoast commitment on the issue. Few countries globally place any restrictions on outbound investment, but screening of inbound investment is increasing rapidly. Europe is beefing up its protections: 18 of the EUs 27 members have such rules, covering an increasingly diverse list of strategic sectors. The commissions plans for outbound-investment rules threaten a growing tangle of red tape. The effect on Western investment in China depends on the eventual scope of any rules. American investment is already falling. vc flows to China have plummeted by more than 80% since their peak in 2018. As the business environment in China worsens, there is no sign of a reversal. This month Sequoia, a big American vc firm, announced that it would split off its Chinese business by 2024. For now, hawkish policymakers can rest assured that China is doing their job for them. To stay on top of the biggest stories in business and technology, sign up to the Bottom Line, our weekly subscriber-only newsletter. 2023 The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on https://www.economist.com/business/2023/06/22/americas-plan-to-vet-investments-into-china SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MetricStream, the global market leader in integrated risk management (IRM) and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) announced the winners of the 2023 GRC Journey Awards after concluding a grand two-day Summit in Miami. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622261397/en/ MetricStream GRC Journey Award Winners (Photo: Business Wire) The Summit brought together global governance, enterprise risk, operational risk, regulatory compliance, internal audit, third-party risk, IT, cyber risk, compliance and ESG experts from across the world. MetricStream accorded awards to outstanding GRC program leaders, visionaries, practice leaders, and partners who championed GRC programs, achieved superior business performance and created high-value impact through GRC. The dynamic business climate has kept GRC professionals on their toes. Expectations are intensifying, skill sets must evolve, and the impact of risk decisions is extremely high, said Gaurav Kapoor, co-CEO and co-Founder, MetricStream. Last week, we celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of risk, compliance, and cyber risk leaders with an unwavering commitment to implementing GRC programs that help businesses navigate this complex environment. These are the leaders who are setting the standard for the future of governance, risk, and compliance management. The GRC Journey Awards were presented in four categories. GRC Journey Award Winners These awards recognize organizations that have made exceptional progress along their GRC Journey. American Fidelity Apple Bank Pacific Gas & Electric GRC Visionary Award Winners These awards recognize individuals who have a passion for GRC, a strong vision for their organizations GRC Journey, and inspire their teams to achieve a common goal. They also give back to the industry by sharing their experience and best practices. Grace Beason, Director of Governance, Risk and Compliance, Guidewire Software, Inc. David Storey, Vice President Health, Safety, Security & Environment, dnata GRC Practice Leader Award Winners These awards recognize leaders who understand their organizations GRC vision, lead its implementation, and are responsible for driving the adoption of GRC programs across their organizations. Clyde Tsai, Security GRC Lead, Autodesk Inc. Tom Auvil, Head of Enterprise Risk Management, CNH Industrial N.V Stella Odisho, Senior Program Manager, Intel GRC Partner Award Winners The GRC Partner Awards recognize MetricStream's business partners who have provided exceptional service and GRC expertise to our customers. These partners demonstrate a deep commitment to GRC and work closely with MetricStream team to provide hands-on assistance to clients and ensure that GRC implementations are successful. AWS Cloud Partner of the Year PwC Strategic Partner of the Year Estuate Inc. Partner Service Excellence Vivid Edge Corp. Partner Service Excellence MetricStream also awarded prestigious GRC Journey Awards during an impressive two-day Summit held in London in November. Several prominent UK and European organizations in banking, financial services, oil and gas, technology, media, and utility sectors were recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in GRC. These companies have demonstrated remarkable achievements in effectively managing and embracing risk, contributing to the success of various organizations. You can learn more about the recipients of the UK and EU GRC Journey Awards here. About MetricStream, Inc. MetricStream is the global SaaS leader of Integrated Risk Management and GRC solutions that empower organizations to thrive on risk by accelerating growth via risk-aware decisions. We connect governance, risk management and compliance across the extended enterprise. Our ConnectedGRC and three product lines BusinessGRC, CyberGRC, and ESGRC are based on a single, scalable platform that supports you wherever you are on your GRC journey. MetricStream is headquartered in San Jose, California, with an operations and R&D center in Bangalore, India, and sales and operations support around the globe. More information is available at www.metricstream.com, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622261397/en/ Amy Rhodes [email protected] 650-620-2935 Source: MetricStream Calls on Ottawa to address other issues affecting the news business TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- News Media Canada welcomes the passage of Bill C-18, the Online News Act, which allows for news businesses large and small to come together to negotiate fair market arrangements for news content with dominant search and social media companies. This is an important first step to level the playing field and address the significant market power imbalance between publishers and platforms, and to restore fairness and ensure the sustainability of the Canadian news media ecosystem, said Jamie Irving, chair of News Media Canada. We thank Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for honouring his commitment to pass legislation, based on the Australian News Media Bargaining Code. Real journalism, created by real journalists, continues to be demanded by Canadians and is vital to our democracy, but it costs real money, said Paul Deegan, president and chief executive officer of News Media Canada. Original fact-based, fact-checked journalism from authoritative news brands matters, and publishers look forward to participating in the bargaining process in good faith. We extend our thanks to Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage, for setting the table for commercial negotiation, backed up by the teeth of final offer arbitration, added Mr. Deegan. We also owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Rod Sims, former chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, who showed the world that smart, forward-looking balanced policy can get publishers and platforms to the negotiating table to ensure that a fiercely independent, commercially viable press can thrive alongside a vibrant open web. With the passage of C-18, we are asking parliamentarians to begin tackling other issues affecting the economics of the news publishing industry, added Mr. Deegan. We need to modernize the Competition Act and provide the Competition Bureau with the funding and tools it needs to act upon abuses and anticompetitive business practices related to online search, search advertising and display advertising services in Canada; support trusted news sources through federal government advertising; and eliminate commercial advertising associated with CBC/Radio-Canadas news and public affairs properties. Counsel Public Affairs Inc. acted as advisors to News Media Canada. About News Media Canada News Media Canada is the voice of the print and digital media industry in Canada, representing hundreds of trusted titles in every province and territory. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622162803/en/ News Media Canada [email protected] Source: News Media Canada NANTES, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: OSE Immunotherapeutics SA (ISIN: FR0012127173; Mnemo: OSE) today announced that all the resolutions submitted to a vote at the Combined General Shareholders Meeting were approved as proposed by OSE Immunotherapeutics Board of Directors. The results of each resolution voted on can be found on the Companys website in the Investor General Shareholders Meeting section: https://ose-immuno.com/en/general-shareholders-meetings/ In total, the shareholders who participated in person, by proxy to the chairwoman, by proxy to a third party or by postal vote owned 5,870,122 shares representing 10,762,646 votes, i.e. 30.8% of the share capital and 42.8% of the voting rights. The Combined Shareholders Meeting approved all the resolutions proposed by the Board of Directors. The shareholders approved the annual and consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022. They approved the appointment of Eric Leire as a new independent Director, of Nicolas Poirier*, Chief Executive Officer of OSE Immunotherapeutics, as Director and of Anne-Laure Autret-Cornet, Chief Financial Officer, as Director representing the employee shareholders. The Combined Shareholders Meeting has also renewed the term of office of Pr. Brigitte Dreno and Pr. Gerard Tobelem as independent Directors. On behalf of the Board of Directors and OSEs team, I wish to warmly thank Jean-Patrick Demonsang for his expertise, his commitment and his achievements throughout his directors terms. As part of its succession plan, the Board wanted to strengthen the expertise and international dynamics to support the Companys growth and we are very happy to welcome Eric Leire, French and American medical doctor and entrepreneur. His American and international experience in biotech and pharma industry fits perfectly into our growth strategy, comments Dominique Costantini, Chairwoman of OSE Immunotherapeutics. I am very honored to join OSEs Board and I thank the Directors for their confidence. I will be happy to support the Management team and to contribute to the international Companys development and growth strategy to further establishing OSE as a recognized biotech leader in immunotherapy, adds Eric Leire. The Board of Directors of OSE Immunotherapeutics now includes the 10 following members: - Dominique Costantini, Chairwoman - Maryvonne Hiance, Vice-Chairwoman - Anne-Laure Autret-Cornet, Director representing the employee shareholders and Chief Financial Officer - Elsy Boglioli, independent Director - Brigitte Dreno, independent Director - Didier Hoch, independent Director - Alexandre Lebeaut, independent Director - Eric Leire, independent Director - Nicolas Poirier, Director and Chief Executive Officer - Gerard Tobelem, independent Director * Nicolas Poirier, previously Director representing the employee shareholders, resigned with effect at the General Shareholders Meeting approving the 2022 financial statements, further to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer on October 7, 2022. ABOUT OSE Immunotherapeutics OSE Immunotherapeutics is a biotech company dedicated to developing first-in-class assets in immuno-oncology and immuno-inflammation. The Companys current well-balanced first-in-class clinical pipeline includes: Tedopi (immunotherapy activating tumor specific T-cells, off-the-shelf, neoepitope-based): this cancer vaccine is the Companys most advanced product; positive results from the Phase 3 trial (Atalante 1) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer patients in secondary resistance after checkpoint inhibitor failure. Other Phase 2 trials, sponsored by clinical oncology groups, of Tedopi in combination are ongoing in solid tumors. (immunotherapy activating tumor specific T-cells, off-the-shelf, neoepitope-based): this cancer vaccine is the Companys most advanced product; positive results from the Phase 3 trial (Atalante 1) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer patients in secondary resistance after checkpoint inhibitor failure. Other Phase 2 trials, sponsored by clinical oncology groups, of Tedopi in combination are ongoing in solid tumors. OSE-279 (anti-PD1): ongoing Phase 1/2 in solid tumors or lymphomas (first patient included). OSE-279 is the backbone therapy of the BiCKI platform. (anti-PD1): ongoing Phase 1/2 in solid tumors or lymphomas (first patient included). OSE-279 is the backbone therapy of the BiCKI platform. OSE-127 - lusvertikimab (humanized monoclonal antibody antagonist of IL-7 receptor); ongoing Phase 2 in Ulcerative Colitis (sponsor OSE Immunotherapeutics); ongoing preclinical research in leukemia (OSE Immunotherapeutics). - (humanized monoclonal antibody antagonist of IL-7 receptor); ongoing Phase 2 in Ulcerative Colitis (sponsor OSE Immunotherapeutics); ongoing preclinical research in leukemia (OSE Immunotherapeutics). FR-104/VEL-101 (anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody): developed in partnership with Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in transplantation; ongoing Phase 1/2 in renal transplant (sponsor Nantes University Hospital); Phase 1 ongoing in the US (sponsor Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.). (anti-CD28 monoclonal antibody): developed in partnership with Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in transplantation; ongoing Phase 1/2 in renal transplant (sponsor Nantes University Hospital); Phase 1 ongoing in the US (sponsor Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.). OSE-172/BI 765063 (anti-SIRP monoclonal antibody on CD47/SIRP pathway) developed in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim in advanced solid tumors; positive Phase 1 dose escalation results in monotherapy and in combination, in particular with anti-PD-1 antibody ezabenlimab; international Phase 1b ongoing clinical trial in combination with ezabenlimab alone or with other drugs in patients with recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). OSE Immunotherapeutics expects to generate further significant value from its two proprietary drug discovery platforms, which are central to its ambitious goal to deliver next-generation first-in-class immunotherapeutics: BiCKI platform focused on immuno-oncology (IO) is a bispecific fusion protein platform built on the key backbone component of anti-PD1 combined with a new immunotherapy target to increase anti-tumor efficacy. BiCKI-IL-7 is the most advanced BiCKI candidate targeting anti-PD1xIL-7. focused on immuno-oncology (IO) is a bispecific fusion protein platform built on the key backbone component of anti-PD1 combined with a new immunotherapy target to increase anti-tumor efficacy. BiCKI-IL-7 is the most advanced BiCKI candidate targeting anti-PD1xIL-7. Myeloid platform focused on optimizing the therapeutic potential of myeloid cells in IO and immuno-inflammation (I&I). OSE-230 (ChemR23 agonist mAb) is the most advanced candidate generated by the platform, with the potential to resolve chronic inflammation by driving affected tissues to tissue integrity. Additional information about OSE Immunotherapeutics assets is available on the Companys website: www.ose-immuno.com Click and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn Forward-looking statements This press release contains express or implied information and statements that might be deemed forward-looking information and statements in respect of OSE Immunotherapeutics. They do not constitute historical facts. These information and statements include financial projections that are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by OSE Immunotherapeutics management in light of its experience and its perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. These forward-looking statements include statements typically using conditional and containing verbs such as expect, anticipate, believe, target, plan, or estimate, their declensions and conjugations and words of similar import. Although the OSE Immunotherapeutics management believes that the forward-looking statements and information are reasonable, the OSE Immunotherapeutics shareholders and other investors are cautioned that the completion of such expectations is by nature subject to various risks, known or not, and uncertainties which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of OSE Immunotherapeutics. These risks could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed in or implied or projected by the forward-looking statements. These risks include those discussed or identified in the public filings made by OSE Immunotherapeutics with the AMF. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. This press release includes only summary information and should be read with the OSE Immunotherapeutics Universal Registration Document filed with the AMF on May 2, 2023, including the annual financial report for the fiscal year 2022, available on the OSE Immunotherapeutics website. Other than as required by applicable law, OSE Immunotherapeutics issues this press release at the date hereof and does not undertake any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information or statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622711602/en/ OSE Immunotherapeutics Sylvie Detry [email protected] +33 1 53 198 757 Nicolas Poirier Chief Executive Officer [email protected] French Media: FP2COM Florence Portejoie [email protected] +33 6 07 768 283 Source: OSE Immunotherapeutics SA NORTH VENICE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- PGT Innovations (NYSE: PGTI), a national leader in the premium window, door, and garage door industry, unveiled its new corporate showroom this week, celebrating the event with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622535559/en/ From left to right: Brad West, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development; Craig Henderson, Interim Chief Financial Officer; Bob Keller, Senior Vice President of Product Innovation and Technology; Jeff Jackson, President and CEO; Debbie LaPinska, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer; Eric Kowalewski, President of Operations Florida Division; Dave McCutcheon, Senior Vice President of Business Integration; and Ryan Quinn, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary (Photo: Business Wire) Located at the companys corporate headquarters in North Venice, Fla., the new 2,400-square-foot showroom serves as an immersive experience that utilizes vignettes of various rooms in a home a kitchen, office, and living room to demonstrate how products from the companys multiple brands look, feel, and function in a real-life environment. PGT Innovations dealers and other building industry partners will be able to use the space as an extension of their own showrooms and introduce homeowners to premium products from across the PGT Innovations family of brands, as well as the companys new innovations. The new showroom and lobby renovation features more than 15 products from many of the manufacturers family of brands, as well as groundbreaking, next-generation glass technology resulting from recent collaborations with Corning Incorporated, and products with Dynamic Glass, which can shift between translucent and opaque with the touch of a button. As we proudly unveil our new corporate showroom, we also celebrate the strong roots our companys founders planted in Venice, which have deepened and flourished over the decades we've been a part of this remarkable community, said Jeff Jackson, President and CEO of PGT Innovations. This showroom stands as a symbol of our unwavering commitment to continue growing both as a business and a member of the Venice community. It also represents the fusion of our strategic goal of customer-centric innovation and our belief in the power of partnerships. Together, we will continue to drive progress, growth, and shared success. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Monday, June 19 to commemorate the occasion. Dealers, architects, and builders heard from Jeff Jackson, along with Debbie LaPinska, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer of PGT Innovations. We recognize that our connection with our dealers, architects, and builders is not merely transactional, but rather a true partnership, said Debbie LaPinska. We envision this space as a hub of collaboration, where ideas can be exchanged, and we can continue delivering on our commitment of understanding the unmet needs of the market and finding solutions for them. We are excited about the opportunities this showroom will bring and the prospects of strengthening our bonds with our industry business partners. The general contractor for the project was Venice-based JE Charlotte Construction, and the architect was G Todd Yeomans of Sarasota-based Yeomans Work Architecture, Inc. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, attendees had the opportunity to tour the new corporate showroom, view an impact test demonstration, and visit the 24,500-square-foot iLab, an innovative extension of PGT Innovations that serves as a product incubator and micro-factory. To ensure the best experience, the showroom is available for customers to visit by appointment only. Customers can go to PGTInnovations.com to find a dealer in their area and schedule an appointment. About PGT Innovations, Inc. PGT Innovations manufactures and supplies premium windows, doors, and garage doors. Its highly engineered and technically advanced products can withstand some of the toughest weather conditions on Earth and are revolutionizing the way people live by unifying indoor and outdoor living spaces. PGT Innovations creates value through deep customer relationships, understanding the unstated needs of the markets it serves, and a drive to develop category-defining products. Through its brands, PGT Innovations is also the nations largest manufacturer of impact-resistant windows and doors and holds the leadership position in its primary market. The PGT Innovations family of brands include CGI, PGT Custom Windows and Doors, WinDoor, Western Window Systems, Anlin Windows & Doors, Eze-Breeze, Eco Window Systems, NewSouth Window Solutions, and Martin Door. The companys brands, in their respective markets, are a preferred choice of architects, builders, and homeowners throughout North America and the Caribbean. Their high-quality products are available in custom and standard sizes with massive dimensions that allow for unlimited design possibilities in residential, multi-family, and commercial projects. For additional information, visit www.pgtinnovations.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622535559/en/ Media Relations Stephanie Cz, Corporate Marketing Manager [email protected] 941-480-1600 Source: PGT Innovations TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Postmedia joins the Canadian news media industry in celebrating the successful passage of Bill C-18, the Online News Act. We thank the Prime Minister, Heritage Ministry and Parliament in passing Bill C-18. A first step towards leveling the playing field, said Andrew MacLeod, President and CEO, Postmedia. Journalism isnt free, Bill C-18 is a first step in ensuring news media content creators can be fairly compensated for the costs associated with keeping Canadians informed and begins the journey toward a viable online ecosystem. About Postmedia Network Inc. Postmedia Network Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (TSX:PNC.A, PNC.B), is a Canadian newsmedia company representing more than 130 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms. Award-winning journalists and innovative product development teams bring engaging content to millions of people every week whenever and wherever they want it. This exceptional content, reach and scope offers advertisers and marketers compelling solutions to effectively reach target audiences Our expertise in home delivery and expanding distribution network powers Postmedia Parcel Services. For more information, visit: www.postmedia.com, www.postmediasolutions.com, and www.postmediaparcelservices.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622696042/en/ Postmedia Phyllise Gelfand Vice President, Communications (647) 273-9287 [email protected] Source: Postmedia Network Inc. VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Newly published research in the journal Public Health Practice shows that a weekly program of nasal photodisinfection implemented at a major Western Canada meat packing plant, alongside standard safety measures recommended by the US Centre for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC), reduced the expected COVID-19 positivity rate by over 99%, from 1,344 expected positive PCR tests to 3 positive PCR tests out of over 21,000 administered tests over a seven-month period. Meat processing plants worldwide experienced a disproportionately greater incidence of COVID-19 than surrounding communities, despite implementing safety precautions. The extraordinary reduction in the COVID-19 positivity rate permitted the plant to continue to operate without shutdown or disruption. Authors also noted that COVID-19 rates were lowered in populations surrounding the plant, potentially as a result of reduced transmission from the large worker population to the community. The voluntary, five-minute treatment was well received by the workforce, with a compliance rate of over 75% by the end of the seven-month study. No serious side effects from nasal photodisinfection were reported. Professor Richard Rusk from the University of Manitoba and a joint author of the paper commented: This study suggests that nasal photodisinfection can provide safe and effective SARS-CoV-2 viral suppression when deployed in an industrial workplace setting. Outcomes of the study demonstrated significant reduction of COVID-19 rates compared to surrounding community rates, implying substantially reduced acute and long-term illness, disability, and death rates in plant employees. The intervention proved safe with repeated weekly administrations and was easy to implement and well received by the workforce. This has strong positive implications for viral outbreak suppression in other industries and employee demographics across the world. Read more. **ENDS** About Ondine Biomedical Inc. Ondine Biomedical Inc. is a Canadian headquartered life sciences company that is the leader in photodisinfection therapies. Ondine has a pipeline of investigational products, based on its proprietary photodisinfection platform, in various stages of development. Products beyond nasal photodisinfection include treatments for a variety of medical indications such as chronic sinusitis, ventilator-associated pneumonia, burns, and other indications. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622651616/en/ Ondine Biomedical Inc. Angelika Vance, Corporate Communications +001 (604) 838 2702 Vane Percy & Roberts (Media Contact) Simon Vane Percy, Amanda Bernard +44 (0)77 1000 5910 Source: Ondine Biomedical Inc. Work will support a complete range of cloud and professional IT services RESTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC) has been awarded a $1.3 billion single source seven-year contract by the Department of the Treasury to provide T-Cloud, a complete range of cloud and professional services. T-Cloud will enable the Treasury Department to rapidly and securely adopt a modern, flexible and cost-effective approach to utilizing and consuming data in the cloud, said Bob Genter, President, Defense and Civilian Sector at SAIC. SAIC is honored to be the Treasury Departments cloud services digital transformation partner. The T-Cloud contract supports Treasurys adoption and transformation of a multi-cloud environment by centralizing management of the systems infrastructure, platform and software-as-a-service by a single broker. In addition to full suites of AWS, Microsoft, Google, IBM and Oracle cloud services, there is additional opportunity to onboard new cloud service providers. SAIC is responsible for delivering a shared service cloud infrastructure model that provides enterprise-wide efficiencies in access, contracting and security. SAIC will also provide services for business operations, technical, security, network, service desk, subject matter expert support and transition services. The T-Cloud contract aligns with SAICs strategy to focus on Growth and Technology Accelerants (GTAs), in the area of secure cloud capabilities. This includes SAICs unique suite of cloud migration tools called CloudScend. As the prime industry partner for the U.S. Air Force Cloud One program, SAIC continues to lead cloud transformation across the DOD and now for the civilian market. About SAIC SAIC is a premier Fortune 500 technology integrator driving our nations technology transformation. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in engineering, digital, artificial intelligence and mission solutions. Using our expertise and understanding of existing and emerging technologies, we integrate the best components from our own portfolio and our partner ecosystem to deliver innovative, effective and efficient solutions that are critical to achieving our customers' missions. We are approximately 24,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, which is core to our values and important to attract and retain exceptional talent. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $6.9 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release contain or are based on forward-looking information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as expects, intends, plans, anticipates, believes, estimates, guidance, and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this release may include, among others, estimates of future revenues, operating income, earnings, earnings per share, charges, total contract value, backlog, outstanding shares and cash flows, as well as statements about future dividends, share repurchases and other capital deployment plans. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results may differ materially from the guidance and other forward-looking statements made in this release as a result of various factors. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause or contribute to these material differences include those discussed in the Risk Factors, Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Legal Proceedings sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our website at saic.com or on the SECs website at sec.gov. Due to such risks, uncertainties and assumptions you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SAIC expressly disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statement provided in this release to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in SAICs expectations. SAIC also disclaims any duty to comment upon or correct information that may be contained in reports published by investment analysts or others. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622823235/en/ Catherine Hernandez Blades 706.662.9521 [email protected] Source: Science Applications International Corp. NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Central and Eastern Europe Fund, Inc. (NYSE: CEE) (the Fund) announced today the results of its Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on June 22, 2023. Each of the three Class II Directors nominated by the Board of Directors, Mr. Walter C. Dostmann, Ms. Fiona Flannery and Mr. Bernhard Koepp, was elected to serve for a term of three years and until his or her respective successor is elected and qualifies. Stockholders also ratified the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent auditors for the Fund for its 2023 fiscal year. In addition, the Fund announced today that the Funds investment advisor, DWS International GmbH, has voluntarily agreed to continue to waive 50% of its advisory fee until at least December 31, 2023. For more information on the Fund, including its most recent month-end performance, visit dwsfunds.com or call (800) 349-4281. Important Information The Fund is non-diversified and can take larger positions in fewer issues, increasing its potential risk. Investing in foreign securities, particularly of emerging markets, presents certain risks, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic changes, and market risks. Emerging markets tend to be more volatile and less liquid than the markets of more mature economies, and generally have less diverse and less mature economic structures and less stable political systems than those of developed countries. Any fund that concentrates in a particular segment of the market or a particular geographic region will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. This fund is non-diversified and can take larger positions in fewer issues, increasing its potential risk. Closed-end funds, unlike open-end funds, are not continuously offered. There is a one-time public offering and once issued, shares of closed-end funds are sold in the open market through a stock exchange. Shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to net asset value. The price of the funds shares is determined by a number of factors, several of which are beyond the control of the fund. Therefore, the fund cannot predict whether its shares will trade at, below or above net asset value. War, terrorism, sanctions, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and, in the future, may lead to significant disruptions in US and world economies and markets, which may lead to increased market volatility and may have significant adverse effects on the funds and their investments. The European Union, the United States and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia in response to Russian military and other actions in recent years. These sanctions have adversely affected Russian individuals, issuers and the Russian economy. Russia, in turn, has imposed sanctions targeting Western individuals, businesses and products. The various sanctions have adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, not only the Russian economy, but also the economies of many countries in Europe, including countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Russias invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions imposed as a result have materially adversely affected, and may continue to materially adversely affect, the value and liquidity of the Funds portfolio. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction. Certain statements contained in this release may be forward-looking in nature. These include all statements relating to plans, expectations, and other statements that are not historical facts and typically use words like expect, anticipate, believe, intend, and similar expressions. Such statements represent managements current beliefs, based upon information available at the time the statements are made, with regard to the matters addressed. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. Management does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements: (i) the effects of adverse changes in market and economic conditions; (ii) legal and regulatory developments; and (iii) other additional risks and uncertainties, including public health crises (including the recent pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus), war, terrorism, trade disputes and related geopolitical events. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. NOT FDIC/ NCUA INSURED MAY LOSE VALUE NO BANK GUARANTEE NOT A DEPOSIT NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY The brand DWS represents DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA and any of its subsidiaries such as DWS Distributors, Inc. which offers investment products or DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. and RREEF America L.L.C. which offer advisory services. (R-096490) (06/23) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622963694/en/ For additional information: DWS Press Office (212) 454-4500 Shareholder Account Information (800) 294-4366 DWS Closed-End Funds (800) 349-4281 Source: DWS NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The European Equity Fund, Inc. (NYSE: EEA) (the Fund) announced today the results of its Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on June 22, 2023. Each of the two Class III Directors nominated by the Board of Directors, Dr. Wolfgang Leoni and Mr. Bernhard Koepp, was elected to serve a term of three years and until his successor is elected and qualities. Stockholders also ratified the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the independent auditors for the Fund for its 2023 fiscal year. Stockholders did not approve the proposal regarding the ownership threshold required for stockholders to call a special meeting of stockholders. A copy of the portfolio managers presentation from the meeting is posted to the Funds website at www.dws.com. For more information on the Fund, including its most recent month-end performance, visit dws.com or call (800) 349-4281. For more information on the Fund, including its most recent month-end performance, visit dwsfunds.com or call (800) 349-4281. Important Information The Fund is diversified and primarily focuses its investments in equity securities of issuers domiciled in Europe, thereby increasing its vulnerability to developments in that region. Investing in foreign securities presents certain risks, such as currency fluctuations, political and economic changes, and market risks. Any fund that concentrates in a particular segment of the market or a particular geographical region will generally be more volatile than a fund that invests more broadly. Closed-end funds, unlike open-end funds, are not continuously offered. There is a one-time public offering and once issued, shares of closed-end funds are sold in the open market through a stock exchange. Shares of closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to net asset value. The price of the funds shares is determined by a number of factors, several of which are beyond the control of the fund. Therefore, the fund cannot predict whether its shares will trade at, below or above net asset value. War, terrorism, sanctions, economic uncertainty, trade disputes, public health crises and related geopolitical events have led, and, in the future, may lead to significant disruptions in US and world economies and markets, which may lead to increased market volatility and may have significant adverse effects on the funds and their investments. The European Union, the United States and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia in response to Russian military and other actions in recent years. These sanctions have adversely affected Russian individuals, issuers and the Russian economy. Russia, in turn, has imposed sanctions targeting Western individuals, businesses and products. The various sanctions have adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, not only the Russian economy, but also the economies of many countries in Europe, including countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The continuation of current sanctions or the imposition of additional sanctions may materially adversely affect the value of the Funds portfolio. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the laws of such state or jurisdiction. Certain statements contained in this release may be forward-looking in nature. These include all statements relating to plans, expectations, and other statements that are not historical facts and typically use words like expect, anticipate, believe, intend, and similar expressions. Such statements represent managements current beliefs, based upon information available at the time the statements are made, with regard to the matters addressed. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. Management does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements: (i) the effects of adverse changes in market and economic conditions; (ii) legal and regulatory developments; and (iii) other additional risks and uncertainties, including public health crises (including the recent pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus), war, terrorism, trade disputes and related geopolitical events. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. NOT FDIC/ NCUA INSURED MAY LOSE VALUE NO BANK GUARANTEE NOT A DEPOSIT NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY The brand DWS represents DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA and any of its subsidiaries such as DWS Distributors, Inc. which offers investment products or DWS Investment Management Americas, Inc. and RREEF America L.L.C. which offer advisory services. (R-096489-1) (06/23) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622006279/en/ For additional information: DWS Press Office (212) 454-4500 Shareholder Account Information (800) 294-4366 DWS Closed-End Funds (800) 349-4281 Source: DWS VICTORIA, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Tiny Ltd. (TSXV: TINY) (formerly, WeCommerce Holdings Ltd.) (Tiny or the Company) a leading technology holding company with a strategy of acquiring majority stakes in businesses, announces that it has retained LodeRock Advisors Inc. (LodeRock) for the purpose of providing investor relations and capital markets communications services, subject to approval by the TSX Venture Exchange. Under the terms of the agreement, which will continue until either party has terminated the agreement upon ninety (90) days prior written notice, Tiny will pay LodeRock a monthly fee of C$10,500 for its ongoing services. At the time of this announcement, neither LodeRock nor its principals hold a security position in the Company. About Tiny Tiny is a leading technology holding company with a strategy of acquiring majority stakes in wonderful businesses. Tiny has three core business segments, Beam, WeCommerce and Dribbble, with other standalone businesses including a private equity investment fund. Beam, and its subsidiary companies including MetaLab, helps start-ups to Fortune 500 companies to design, build and ship premium digital products for both mobile and web. The Companys capabilities as an end-to-end product partner provide clients with intimate insight into end-user behavior, allowing for a thorough, strategy-led approach to product design, engineering, brand positioning and marketing. WeCommerce provides merchants with a suite of ecommerce software tools to start and grow their online stores. Our family of companies and brands includes Pixel Union, Out of the Sandbox, KnoCommerce, Archetype, Yopify, SuppleApps, Rehash, Foursixty and Stamped. As one of Shopifys first partners since 2010, WeCommerce is focused on building, acquiring, and investing in leading technology businesses operating in the Shopify partner ecosystem. Dribbble is a creative network and community that design professionals use to meet, collaborate, and showcase their work. Dribbble also hosts an online marketplace for graphics, fonts, templates, and other digital assets. Other standalone businesses include several software and internet companies and the operation of a private equity fund where the Company serves as the general partner (the Tiny Fund). The Tiny Fund commenced operations in August 2020 and has total committed capital of US$150 million. For more about Tiny, please visit www.tiny.com or refer to the public disclosure documents available under Tinys SEDAR profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622604063/en/ Company Contact: David Charron Chief Financial Officer Phone: 416-418-3881 Email: [email protected] Investor Contact: Jonathan Ross Phone: 416-283-0178 Email: [email protected] Source: Tiny Ltd. (Bloomberg) -- US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a series of defense and commercial deals designed to improve military and economic ties between their nations during Thursdays state visit at the White House. Most Read from Bloomberg General Electric Co. plans to jointly manufacture F414 engines with state-owned Indian firm Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. for the Tejas light-combat aircraft, as part of an effort to improve defense- and technology-sharing as China becomes more assertive in the Indo-Pacific. Biden and Modi also announced new defense collaborations, including progress on an order for MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones made by General Atomics, and an agreement that will allow American Navy ships to undertake major repairs at Indian shipyards. And the two leaders debuted a series of semiconductor deals designed to take advantage of Indian subsidies intended to bring advanced technology manufacturing to the South Asian nation. We are doubling down on our cooperation to secure our semiconductors, our semiconductor supply chains, advancing open RAN telecommunications networks, and growing our major defense partnership with more joint exercises, more cooperation between our defense industries, and more consultation and coordination across all domains, Biden told reporters following the talks. Micron Technology Inc. is investing more than $800 million toward a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and testing facility in India, while Applied Materials Inc. will announce a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation. Chip manufacturer Lam Research is announcing a training program in India for up to 60,000 engineers. We have transitioned today to a relationship involving transfer of technology, co-development and co-production, Modi said, heralding the GE deal as a landmark agreement. Read More: Modi Looks to Solidify Indias Tech Ambition With US Visit Indian companies also plan more than $2 billion in projects in the United States, including a solar manufacturing facility in Colorado, steel plant in Ohio, and optic fiber facility in South Carolina. The accords unfold as India has sought to increase its engagement on the global stage both diplomatically and economically, senior US officials, who detailed the plans before their official announcement on the condition of anonymity, said in a call with reporters. The announcements which also include closer cooperation between the countries space programs as well as efforts by the US to make visas easier for Indian workers to obtain occur on a day of elaborate pageantry for Modi, who is attending his first ever official state visit at the White House. Upon his arrival Wednesday evening, the Bidens presented Modi with a vintage American camera, a book of American wildlife photography, and a signed first edition of the collected poems of Robert Frost. When the prime minister arrived to address a joint session of Congress on Thursday afternoon, he entered the chamber to chants of Modi! Modi! Modi! from visitors in the galleries. He received standing ovations as he praised the US-India relationship, reiterated Indian positions including on reform of the United Nations, and hailed the contributions of Indian-Americans as well as his own governments successes. On Thursday evening, hundreds of celebrity guests and business executives including Alphabet Inc. Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai and Microsoft Corp. CEO Satya Nadella are to gather under a tent on the South Lawn of the White House for a vegetarian-forward meal prepared by guest chef Nina Curtis that includes grilled corn salad, stuffed portobello mushrooms, and rose and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake. Musical performers are include Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell and Penn Masala, a South Asian a capella group founded by University of Pennsylvania students. Yet the hope in both New Delhi and Washington is that the gathering portends deeper and lasting relations particularly because the two nations have a long history of announcing cooperation agreements that fail to come off. Additional announcements include Indian plans to sign the Artemis Accords, a framework signed by two-dozen nations but not Russia or China governing joint missions and civilian space exploration. Modi met with SpaceX chief Elon Musk in New York on Tuesday. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization have also agreed to a joint mission next year to visit the International Space Station. Read More: Musk Says Tesla Hopes to Invest in India After Modi Meeting The pacts showed that even the sky is not the limit, Modi said. Senior administration officials speaking on the condition of anonymity to preview the announcement said Indian officials were pleased with their efforts to cut through red tape that had inhibited past deals, and said they were determined to make sure the agreements announced Thursday actually came to fruition. Still, there were also expected to be moments of tension in the meetings between the two leaders. India has been reluctant to impose sanctions on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine, and has aggressively purchased Russian oil. The South Asian nation received 1.96 million barrels a day from Russia last month, 15% more than the previous high in April, according to data from Vortexa Ltd. Read More: Modi Really Surprised by Charges of Democratic Backsliding White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters earlier this week that the US hoped India would continue to abide by the price cap on Russian oil that Washington helped to negotiate. Modi said Thursday his country was completely ready to contribute in any way we can to restore peace in Ukraine. Biden also repeatedly raised the issue of democratic values as the leaders met, amid pressure from human rights activists to raise concerns over the crackdown by Modis government on reporters and opposition leaders. The whole world has a stake in our success, both of us, and maintaining our democracies makes us appealing partners and enables us to expand democratic institutions across around the world, Biden said. Why India Walks a Tightrope Between US and Russia: QuickTake Modi bristled at the suggestion that there was discrimination by his government, saying he was surprised by the criticism. Regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, theres absolutely no space for discrimination, he said. --With assistance from Iain Marlow and Billy House. (Updates with Modis address to Congress, in 12th paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. PERTH, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Western Australian businesses have so far been awarded contracts totalling A$1 billion as construction progresses at the Western Range mine in the Pilbara, a joint venture between Rio Tinto (54 percent) and China Baowu Steel Group Co. Ltd (46 percent). These include: Civmec: awarded a contract valued at more than A$330 million for the construction of a new Run of Mine (ROM) pad, primary crushing facility, overland conveying circuit, and modifications to the Coarse Ore Stockpile and downstream conveying system. awarded a contract valued at more than A$330 million for the construction of a new Run of Mine (ROM) pad, primary crushing facility, overland conveying circuit, and modifications to the Coarse Ore Stockpile and downstream conveying system. CIMIC Groups CPB Contractors: awarded a contract valued at approximately A$250 million to deliver the main infrastructure bulk earthworks. awarded a contract valued at approximately A$250 million to deliver the main infrastructure bulk earthworks. Primero Group: awarded a contracted valued at approximately A$54 million for the design, supply, construction and commissioning of the Non-Process Infrastructure facilities on site. awarded a contracted valued at approximately A$54 million for the design, supply, construction and commissioning of the Non-Process Infrastructure facilities on site. MACA: awarded a contract valued at approximately A$60 million to construct a camp pad and access road as well as crushing and screening work. awarded a contract valued at approximately A$60 million to construct a camp pad and access road as well as crushing and screening work. Pilbara Aboriginal Businesses: contracts totalling A$39 million. Western Range aligns with Rio Tintos local procurement strategy which aims to increase opportunities for Pilbara, West Australian and Australian businesses to be a part of the companys supply chain. Last year, Rio Tinto increased its spend with more than 2,400 suppliers in Western Australia to A$8.6 billion. Of this spend, A$618 million was spent with Pilbara-based businesses and a record A$504 million was spent with Indigenous businesses in Western Australia. This included A$439 million spent with Traditional Owner businesses an increase of 45 per cent on the previous year. Construction at Western Range, which will help sustain production from Rio Tintos existing Paraburdoo mining hub, commenced in the first quarter this year and is expected to support approximately 1,600 jobs. Production from the mine is expected to commence in 2025 with annual capacity of 25 million tonnes of iron ore. The project includes construction of a primary crusher and an 18-kilometre conveyor system linking it to the existing Paraburdoo processing plant. WA Premier Roger Cook said, It was significant projects like the Western Range which reinforced Western Australia as an attractive and secure destination for business and investment. I want to commend Rio Tinto and Baowu on this latest project milestone and acknowledge their efforts in investing in WA to ensure WA businesses and workers benefit most. It goes to the heart of my Governments WA Jobs Plan, which is about WA jobs first and its projects like the Western Range that will provide a long pipeline of work for Western Australians into the future. China Baowu said, We are very pleased to see the Western Range project is progressing smoothly, with huge benefits brought to business and local communities in Western Australia. Baowu is committed to becoming a world-class international company. We will promote overseas projects following ESG standards, aiming to contribute to the localisation of the project and community development. Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Simon Trott said, Rio Tinto spends billions of dollars with local suppliers across Western Australia and the Pilbara every year, helping support thriving communities across the State by providing local jobs for local people. The spending of A$1 billion with Western Australian businesses at Western Range marks a considerable milestone for both the project and those local businesses we are partnering with. The connection between Rio Tinto and China Baowu in the Pilbara extends more than 40 years and we are pleased to be further deepening our relationship through our joint commitment to study opportunities for the production of low-carbon iron in Western Australia. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622449703/en/ Please direct all enquiries to [email protected] Media Relations, United Kingdom Matthew Klar M +44 7796 630 637 David Outhwaite M +44 7787 597 493 Media Relations, Australia Matt Chambers M +61 433 525 739 Jesse Riseborough M +61 436 653 412 Alyesha Anderson M +61 434 868 118 Media Relations, Americas Simon Letendre M +1 514 796 4973 Malika Cherry M +1 418 592 7293 Investor Relations, United Kingdom Menno Sanderse M +44 7825 195 178 David Ovington M +44 7920 010 978 Danielle Smith M +44 7788 190 672 Investor Relations, Australia Tom Gallop M +61 439 353 948 Amar Jambaa M +61 472 865 948 Rio Tinto plc 6 St Jamess Square London SW1Y 4AD United Kingdom T +44 20 7781 2000 Registered in England No. 719885 Rio Tinto Limited Level 43, 120 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia T +61 3 9283 3333 Registered in Australia ABN 96 004 458 404 riotinto.com Category: Pilbara Source: Rio Tinto The Board of Directors (the Board) of Carriage Services, Inc. (NYSE: CSV) (Carriage or the Company) announced today that Carlos R. Quezada has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Carriage, effective immediately. Mr. Quezada serves as Vice Chairman of the Board and most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer. The Companys founder and current CEO, Mel Payne, will now serve as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors, also effective immediately. Executive Leadership Announcements Mel Payne, Executive Chairman of the Board, stated, When I created the Companys Strategic Vision and Principles Group in June 2021, a team consisting of four executive leaders including myself, we noted it was the first step in our CEO succession planning. The past two years have been a thoughtful, deliberate and intense period of learning, leading and preparation to ensure the seamless transition we announce today. I could not be more excited and confident in Carlos and his ability to thrive in the CEO role, as he has continued to take on additional responsibilities and lead transformational growth throughout the Company since he first joined Carriage in 2020. The Board has also recognized his talent and achievements, which culminated in appointing Carlos as President in 2022, and ultimately electing him to serve on the Board as Vice Chairman earlier this year. Carlos is a thoughtful and strategic leader who, I am confident, will lead Carriage to achieve our Bold Ten-Year Vision, as laid out in this years Shareholder Letter. Carlos Quezada, CEO and Vice Chairman of the Board, said, I am honored and deeply humbled to assume the CEO role at Carriage. As I step into this position, I am acutely aware of the significance of the transition, as Mel has served as the sole CEO of the Company since its founding more than 32 years ago. I commit to our employees and shareholders that I will lead with the utmost dedication, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to our culture and Mission and Vision of Being the Best. The Board also announced that Steve Metzger, previously Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, has been appointed to serve as President, effective immediately. Mr. Payne stated, Steve joined Carriage in 2018 and is a gifted leader who has driven significant growth and improvement in a variety of areas over the years. In addition to leading our Legal, HR and Risk Management Teams, Steve also leads our Corporate Development efforts, which has resulted in the addition of several premier businesses to the Carriage portfolio. Steve is involved with just about every aspect of the Company and brings great experience and judgment to his role as President. Mr. Payne added, As those of you who have followed Carriage for any amount of time know, this Company is my passion. I could not be prouder of our people, the noble nature of what we do, and the way we take care of our families. I will continue to lead our Board as Executive Chairman and provide guidance and mentorship to Carlos, Steve and our CFO, Kian Granmayeh, as they work together to execute our Bold Ten-Year Vision and continue generating value for our shareholders. As we often say at Carriage, The Best is Yet to Come! Board Refreshment and Governance Updates On June 21, 2023, the Board appointed Chad Fargason to serve as a Director and as Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee of the Board. Currently Senior Portfolio Manager for Vaughan Nelson Investment Management, an investment manager with approximately $15 billion under management, Mr. Fargason brings to the Board deep capital allocation expertise and a track record of building businesses through strategic growth initiatives. Mr. Fargason has been with Vaughan Nelson for more than ten years. Prior to that, he spent ten years with the global investment firm KKR & Co. Inc. Mr. Fargason holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Rice University and both a Masters and Ph.D. in Mathematics from Duke University. Donald D. Patteson, Jr., Lead Independent Director, stated, Chads proven track record over his 20-year career with both KKR and Vaughan Nelson provide Carriage and its shareholders with a unique combination of valuable skills and insight, specifically as it relates to capital allocation, strategic growth, and investor assessment and valuation. We are fortunate to have someone of Chads caliber join our Board and we look forward to his contributions. Mr. Quezada added, We are excited to welcome Chad to the Board as we continue to focus our efforts on building a best-in-class Board of Directors. Chads experience adds skills to our Board that will be invaluable as we continue to execute our plans to pay down our debt and drive our growth strategy. Mr. Fargason stated, I am honored to be invited to join the Carriage Board and look forward to supporting a company with such a rich history, unique culture, and that is poised for sustainable growth. Mr. Fargasons appointment follows the resignation of the Companys prior Corporate Governance Committee Chair, Dr. Achille Messac, as a Director of the Company. Mr. Quezada concluded, We continue to listen to shareholders feedback and evaluate opportunities to enhance governance. To that end, as mentioned in the Companys Annual Shareholder Letter and in its first quarter earnings call, the Board is committed to adding gender diversity to the Board this year and has partnered with a nationally recognized firm to guide the search process. The Board is actively meeting with prospective director candidates that meet these criteria and intends to share more news on this priority during the third quarter. In addition, in connection with the Companys focus on governance and responsiveness to shareholder feedback, Carriage has amended its bylaws to provide for mandatory resignations for any director who fails to receive majority support from shareholders in an uncontested election. Carriage Services is a leading provider of funeral and cemetery services and merchandise in the United States. Carriage operates 173 funeral homes in 26 states and 32 cemeteries in 11 states. INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT For any investor relations questions, please email [email protected] CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The Company intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These certain forward-looking statements made herein or elsewhere by, or on behalf of, the Company include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the expectations and successful management of the executive transitions; any projections of equity performance; any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations or financing activities, including, but not limited to, capital allocation, organizational performance, and cost and debt reductions; any statements of the plans, strategies and objectives related to governance improvement plans and related expectations, including, but not limited to, recruitment of new board of director members; any statements of belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing and are based on our current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect on us, which we believe are reasonable. However, many important factors, as identified and discussed under Cautionary Note and Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and other public filings and press releases, could cause the Companys results or expectations in the future to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein and in any other documents or oral presentations made by, or on behalf of, the Company. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of the applicable communication and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements except to the extent required by applicable law. A copy of the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Companys Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and other information about the Company and news releases, are available at http://www.carriageservices.com. Source: Carriage Services, Inc. The U.S. department of energy revealed Thursday their intention to loan up to $9.2 billion in federal funds to a joint venture of Ford Motor (F) and SK On to help finance construction of three new battery manufacturing plants in Tennessee and Kentucky. The government's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program provides the conditional commitment for the low-cost government loan granted to the Blue Oval SK joint venture. The joint venture is building three battery manufacturing facilities in Kentucky and Tennessee. Together, these facilities will have the capacity to produce over 120 gigawatt hours of batteries annually. According to the department, the construction of these battery plants will result in displacing more than 455 million gallons of gasoline annually throughout the lifespan of vehicles powered by these batteries. This project is also expected to generate approximately 5,000 construction jobs in Tennessee and Kentucky, with an additional 7,500 operational jobs once the plants are in full production. Last year, the department granted a loan of $2.5 billion to Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture between General Motors Co (NYSE: GM) and LG Energy Solution to help finance construction of new lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facilities in Ohio, Tennessee, and Michigan. Shares of F are down 0.32% in morning trading on Thursday. By Michael Elkins | [email protected] Haemonetics Corporation (NYSE: HAE), a global medical technology company focused on delivering innovative solutions to drive better patient outcomes, today announced it has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for advancements to its NexSys PCS plasma collection system. These include a new plasma collection bowl, featuring a patented design that optimizes performance, and new Express Plus Technology engineered to reduce procedure time. Haemonetics is the leader in the plasma collections market, with five decades of industry experience and over 50 million real-world collections to date on NexSys PCS, the industry's most advanced, completely integrated system designed to streamline plasma collections and improve yield, productivity, safety, quality, compliance and donor satisfaction. With the latest advancements, Haemonetics expects an average procedure time of 33 to 38 minutes using the standard FDA nomogram, helping customers achieve new levels of plasma center efficiency and lower costs to collect. The bi-directionally connected NexSys PCS with NexLynk DMS donor management software already delivers a 16-minute reduction in donor door-to-door time, on average, with a significant portion of this improvement occurring pre- and post-procedure. Additionally, NexSys PCS with Persona Technology safely delivers on average a +9% to 12% additional plasma yield by personalizing each collection to the individual donor characteristics. Haemonetics is planning an initial market release of NexSys PCS with the new bowl and Express Plus Technology over the coming months. BUDAPEST, Hungary, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- aiMotive, a leading provider of cutting-edge AI solutions for the automated driving industry, is thrilled to announce that its aiWare4 Neural Processing Unit (NPU) has achieved ISO 26262 ASIL B certification making it the worlds first ASIL B certified NPU IP in the industry. The certification, conducted by TUV Nord, a trusted and industry-recognized third-party assessor, highlights the exceptional quality and safety standards of the aiWare4, positioning it as a reliable solution for automotive manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers. Developed by our experienced engineering teams and automated driving experts, the aiWare NPU is a groundbreaking solution designed specifically to meet the demanding requirements of L2-L4 automotive-grade AI inference. In addition to the aiWare4 hardware IP certification, aiMotive has also developed the aiWare4 software to fully comply with ASIL B standards. This comprehensive software integration facilitates the seamless achievement of ASIL B module compliance for OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. By ensuring both hardware and software compliance, aiWare simplifies the integration process and enables customers to meet the stringent safety demands of the automotive industry. The ISO26262 ASIL B recognition of aiWare4 further solidifies aiMotive's position as an industry leader in delivering scalable, high-performance AI solutions that address the evolving needs of automated driving and advanced driver-assistance systems. "We are extremely proud to have achieved ASIL B certification for our aiWare4 NPU," said Marton Feher, SVP of Hardware at aiMotive. "This certification highlights our commitment to safety and reinforces our position as a trusted partner for automotive manufacturers in their journey towards automated driving. With aiWare4, we provide a scalable and efficient AI inference solution that meets the demanding needs of the automotive industry." ASIL B compliance is an essential requirement for our customers automated driving systems, said Young Jun Yoo, Vice President of the Automotive Business Unit of Nextchip, a fabless semiconductor company using the aiWare4 IP. Thanks to aiMotives relentless pursuit of ASIL B compliance for aiWare4, customers of our Apache6 automotive SoCs can achieve full safety compliance with minimum resources and cost. The industrys first ASIL B certified NPU IP, aiWare4, is a significant step forward in advancing AI technology for automated vehicles and ADAS systems and marks an important milestone in aiMotives journey towards safer and more intelligent mobility solutions. aiMotive remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation in the automotive industry, enabling safer and more intelligent mobility solutions for the future. For more information about aiMotive and its ASIL B certified aiWare4 NPU, please visit https://aimotive.com/ aiMotive Media Contact:Bence BodaMarketing & Communications ManagerT: +3630 182 8085E: [email protected]W: https://aimotive.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4b100514-97fc-4721-945d-8e590de52883 aiMotive Achieves an Industry First Milestone with ISO26262 ASIL B Certification for aiWare4 NPU IP aiMotive, a leading provider of cutting-edge AI solutions for the automated driving industry, is thrilled to announce that its aiWare4 Neural Processing Unit (NPU) has achieved ISO 26262 ASIL B certification making it the worlds first ASIL B certified NPU IP in the industry. The certification, conducted by TUV Nord, a trusted and industry-recognized third-party assessor, highlights the exceptional quality and safety standards of the aiWare4, positioning it as a reliable solution for automotive manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers. Source: aiMotive VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascot Resources Ltd. (TSX: AOT; OTCQX: AOTVF) (Ascot or the Company) reports that at its annual general meeting (the "AGM") held today, June 22, 2023, Ascot's Shareholders approved by majority: to elect all seven directors standing for election; to re-appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company's auditor; and the philosophy and design of the Companys executive compensation. Detailed results of the votes held by ballot at the AGM are set out below: Nominee Total VotesCast For VotesWithheld %For %Withheld Stephen Altmann 288,190,948 376,073 99.87 0.13 William Bennett 273,174,059 15,392,962 94.67 5.33 Indi Gopinathan 288,122,126 444,895 99.85 0.15 Jose Marun 288,153,235 413,786 99.86 0.14 Don Njegovan 276,775,298 11,791,723 95.91 4.09 Andree St-Germain 286,899,000 1,668,021 99.42 0.58 Rick Zimmer 283,458,948 5,108,073 98.23 1.77 Total VotesCast For Total Votes CastAgainst %For %Against Non-binding Resolution on the Companys Executive Compensation 255,328,800 33,238,221 88.48 11.52 The Board of Directors and Derek White, President and CEO, extend their thanks to the Shareholders of the Company for their continued support. Please join President & CEO Derek White for a presentation via webcast at 1:15 PM PST for the results of the AGM and an overview of Ascots progress and plans in 2023. Please join 5 to 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time. Webcast: https://services.choruscall.ca/links/ascot20230622.html To dial in: Canada/USA toll free: 1-800-319-4610; International toll: +1-604-638-5340 On behalf of the Board of Directors of Ascot Resources Ltd.Derek C. WhitePresident & CEO For further information contact: David Stewart, P.Eng.VP, Corporate Development & Shareholder Communications [email protected] 778-725-1060 ext. 1024 About Ascot Resources Ltd. Ascot is a Canadian junior exploration and development company focused on re-starting the past producing Premier gold mine, located on Nisgaa Nation Treaty Lands, in British Columbias prolific Golden Triangle. Ascot shares trade on the TSX under the ticker AOT. Concurrent with progressing the development of Premier, the Company continues to successfully explore its properties for additional high-grade underground resources. Ascot is committed to the safe and responsible development of Premier in collaboration with Nisgaa Nation as outlined in the Benefits Agreement. For more information about the Company, please refer to the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or visit the Companys web site at www.ascotgold.com, or for a virtual tour visit www.vrify.com under Ascot Resources. The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information All statements and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events may constitute forward-looking information under Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "targeted", "outlook", "on track" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements, including statements in respect of the advancement and development of the PGP and the timing related thereto, the exploration of the Companys properties and managements outlook for the remainder of 2023 and beyond. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including risks associated with the business of Ascot; risks related to exploration and potential development of Ascot's projects; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies and indigenous groups in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; risks associated with COVID-19 including adverse impacts on the world economy, construction timing and the availability of personnel; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in Ascot's filings with Canadian securities regulators, available on Ascot's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com including the Annual Information Form of the Company dated March 23, 2023 in the section entitled "Risk Factors". Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made with regard to: the estimated costs associated with construction of the Project; the timing of the anticipated start of production at the Project; the ability to maintain throughput and production levels at the Premier Mill; the tax rate applicable to the Company; future commodity prices; the grade of Resources and Reserves; the ability of the Company to convert inferred resources to other categories; the ability of the Company to reduce mining dilution; the ability to reduce capital costs; and exploration plans. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. Although Ascot believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since Ascot can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Ascot does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Source: Ascot Resources Ltd. RENO, NV, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire Bullet Blockchain, Inc. (BULT or the Company), (OTC: BULT), an emerging software development and SaaS company, specializing in blockchain technologies and Web 3.0, including the owner and licensor of Bitcoin ATM Patents, announced today that BULT has appointed TraDigital IR (TraDigital) as its strategic digital communications and investor relations advisor. TraDigital will lead Bullet Blockchains financial communications, digital marketing, and strategic investor relations programs. As we approach a transformation in our business, we are thrilled to announce our partnership with TraDigital IR as our communications advisor, commented Simon Rubin, Chief Executive Officer. Rubin continued, We are confident that TraDigitals expertise in capital markets and digital communication strategies will help Bullet Blockchain communicate corporate, financial, and investor developments to our current and prospective shareholders. We look forward to broadening corporate communications initiatives for Bullet Blockchain as we emerge through strengthened operations. As previously announced, BULT acquired an intellectual property portfolio consisting of Bitcoin ATM Patents (the IP Portfolio), which is held in BULTs wholly owned subsidiary, First Bitcoin Capital, LLC. BULT sees an immediate opportunity that is focused on utilizing and licensing its IP Portfolio allowing BULT to proceed with licensing agreements and develop new services within the Bitcoin ATM industry. BULT believes that the future of Bitcoin ATMs in the United States looks promising, driven by increasing demand, evolving regulations, and the ongoing risks of using an exchange for a users transactions. Bitcoin ATM machines are likely to become more accessible to users, supporting a broader range of cryptocurrencies, while complying with regulatory requirements. The integration of Bitcoin ATMs with traditional banking systems and the adoption of innovative technologies will contribute to the growth and acceptance of Bitcoin ATMs among a wider audience. As cryptocurrencies continue to gain traction in the mainstream, Bitcoin ATMs will play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between traditional finance and the digital asset economy. Our team is excited to collaborate with Bullet Blockchains management to enhance the company's corporate communications and investor relations initiatives. We aim to provide comprehensive support in all aspects of these endeavors, drawing on our experience and expertise to achieve optimal outcomes for the Company, commented Adam Holdsworth, Managing Director of TraDigital IR. About Bullet Blockchain Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, Bullet Blockchain Inc. common stock is publicly traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol (BULT) the owner of the rights to two (2) Bitcoin ATM patents, is a diversified software development and SaaS company, specializing in blockchain technologies and Web 3.0. BULT is committed to driving the innovations needed to shape the future of digital and blockchain-related platforms through digital technology and decentralized blockchain solutions. Management is dedicated to rapid growth and increasing the shareholders value. Shareholders, potential investors, and others should note that we announce material events and material financial information to our shareholders and the public using our website and the social media addresses listed below, as well as in our OTC Markets disclosures, press releases, public conference calls, and webcasts. We also use social media to communicate with our email subscribers and the public about BULT, services, and other related information. It is possible that the information we post on social media could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, we encourage shareholders, the media, and others interested in BULT to review the information we post on BULTs social media channels listed below. This list may be updated from time to time. Follow us at: Find BULT news at http://www.BulletBlockchain.com Follow BULT news on Twitter @BULT_stock Follow BULT on Reddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/BULT/ Follow BULT on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BulletBlockchainInc/ Follow BULT on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/bullet-blockchain-inc Find investor and general information at https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/BULT/profile For investor and general information, please email [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements: Statements in this press release that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute "forward-looking statements." Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other unknown factors that could cause the Company's actual operating results to be materially different from any historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors, including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic conditions, and governmental and public policy changes. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release, and these views could change at some point in the future. However, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of the press release. In addition to statements that explicitly describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements that contain terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "expect," "intends," "intend," "anticipate," "anticipates," "plans," "plan," to be uncertain and forward-looking. Contact us: [email protected] Source: Bullet Blockchain, Inc. PRESS RELEASE Neuilly-sur-Seine, France 22 June 2023 Changes to Bureau Veritas corporate governance Hinda Gharbi is appointed Chief Executive Officer Laurent Mignon is appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors Pascal Lebard is appointed Lead Independent Director and Vice - Chairman of the Board of Directors Creation of a CSR Committee1within the Bureau Veritas Board of Directors Following the Annual Shareholders Meeting on June 22, the Board of Directors of Bureau Veritas, chaired by Aldo Cardoso, has decided to appoint Hinda Gharbi as Chief Executive Officer of Bureau Veritas with effect from today, succeeding Didier Michaud-Daniel. Aldo Cardoso said: "The Board of Directors of Bureau Veritas would like to express its sincere thanks to Didier Michaud-Daniel for the tremendous work he has accomplished at the Group over more than 10 years, and the major role he has played in shaping Bureau Veritas' success. Under his leadership, Bureau Veritas has grown from strength to strength, with sales up by more than 65% over the period, over 80,000 employees with renowned expertise, 400,000 clients worldwide, and extremely strong financial structure. Bureau Veritas has reinforced its international presence, particularly in Asia and North America, and has become a key player in corporate sustainability services. On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I would like to wish Hinda Gharbi every success in her new role. Aldo Cardoso has resigned from his positions as Chairman of the Board and Director of the Company following 17 years on the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has unanimously resolved to appoint Laurent Mignon as Chairman of the Board with effect from today. Aldo Cardoso has played a key role in all Bureau Veritas' major strategic moves. He joined the Board of Directors as a non-voting member in 2005 and became a Director and Chairman of the Audit & Risk Committee in 2009, before being appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2017. Laurent Mignon said: "The Board of Directors would like to pay tribute to Aldo Cardoso's commitment throughout his years as Chairman in leading the work of the Board and its committees, together with management, to support Bureau Veritas' development for the benefit of the Group and its shareholders. The role he has played in supporting the management transition from Didier Michaud-Daniel to Hinda Gharbi was particularly valuable. I am extremely honored to be appointed Chairman of the Board of Bureau Veritas to serve all shareholders, as a new chapter in the Group's history opens with the appointment of Hinda Gharbi." On the recommendation of the Nomination & Compensation Committee, the Board has appointed Pascal Lebard as Lead Independent Director and Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors. Pascal Lebard has sat on the Bureau Veritas Board as an independent director since 2013, and is Chairman of the Nomination & Compensation Committee. The Board also decided to set up a CSR Committee, which will be chaired by Ana Giros Calpe. The Board also decided to appoint Julie Avrane as Chair of the Strategy Committee, replacing Laurent Mignon. All Bureau Veritas Board Committees are now chaired by an independent director. *** Biography: Hinda Gharbi Hinda Gharbi joined Bureau Veritas as Chief Operating Officer and member of the Group Executive Committee on May 1, 2022. On January 1, 2023, Hinda Gharbi became Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Bureau Veritas. With a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Ecole Nationale Superieure dIngenieurs Electriciens de Grenoble, and a Master of Science in signal processing from the Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble, in 1996 Hinda joined the Schlumberger group, a global technology leader in the energy sector. During her 26 years with the Group, Hinda held a variety of general management positions in operations for Schlumbergers core business activities at a global and regional level. She also assumed crossfunctional responsibilities including Human Resources, Technology Development and Health, Safety and Environment. From 2017, she was a member of the Executive Committee of Schlumberger and from July 2020, she was Executive Vice President, Services and Equipment. In this role, she headed all oil services divisions and digital topics for the group. Biography: Laurent Mignon Laurent Mignon has been Chairman of the Executive Board of Wendel since December 2, 2022, and joined the Board of Directors of Bureau Veritas on December 15, 2022. Prior to joining Wendel, Laurent Mignon held various positions within Groupe BPCE from 2009 to 2022, where he was Chief Executive Officer of Natixis and a member of BPCE's General Management Committee (including member of the Executive Board from 2013) from 2009 to May 2018, and Chairman of Groupe BPCE's Executive Board from May 2018 to December 2022. He also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Natixis, as a Director of CNP Assurances and as a nonvoting member of the Board of Fimalac. Laurent Mignon worked for Banque lndosuez for more than 10 years, first in capital markets, then in corporate and investment banking. In 1996, he joined Schroders bank in London, before joining AGF (Assurances Generales de France) in 1997 as Chief Financial Officer. He was appointed to the Executive Committee of AGF in 1998, becoming Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Banque AGF, AGF Asset Management and AGF Immobilier in 2002, then in charge of life insurance, financial services and credit insurance in 2003. In 2006, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Executive Committee. From 2007 to 2009, he was Managing Partner at Oddo & Cie. In addition to his role within the Wendel Group, Laurent Mignon sits on the Board of Directors of LVMH. He is also a non-voting Board member of Oddo BHF. Laurent Mignon graduated from HEC in 1986, and has also completed Stanford's Executive Program. Biography: Pascal Lebard Pascal Lebard was coopted as a Director of the Company by the Board of Directors on December 13, 2013. He began his career as Business Manager at Credit Commercial de France (19861989), before joining 3i SA as Managing Partner (19891991). In 1991, he became Director of Ifint, now Exor Group (the Agnelli group). In 2003, he joined Worms & Cie (which became Sequana in 2005) as a member of the Supervisory Board (20032004) and as a member and then Chairman of the Executive Board (20042005). He was a Board Director of SGS from 2004 to 2009. He became Deputy Managing Director of Sequana in 2005 and Chief Executive Officer in 2007. He was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in June 2013. He was CEO of Arjowigggins and Antalis from 2007 to 2020 Pascal Lebard is a graduate of EDHEC business school. He has been Chairman of Equerre Capital Partners since 2021. Biography: Ana Giros Calpe Ana Giros Calpe has been a member of the Board of Directors since May 16, 2017. Ana Giros Calpe is Deputy Managing Director of the EQUANS Group (a subsidiary of the Bouygues Group) in charge of Strategy, Development and CSR, and Executive Chairman BELUX - ANZ. Ana Giros Calpe is a graduate of the UPC engineering school in Barcelona, of INSEAD business school in France, and of Switzerlands IMD business school. She held various positions within the Suez group, including Executive VicePresident in charge of International Affairs, and within Alstom Group, as Chief Executive Officer of Alstom Transport France. Biography: Julie Avrane Julie Avrane was appointed a director of Bureau Veritas on June 25, 2021. Julie Avrane is a former Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company in France, specializing in high technology, advanced industries and talent/ future of work. She has worked with major clients across Europe in the high-tech, aerospace and defense, transportation and mobility sectors. She has 25 years' experience in management consulting, with expertise in digital, corporate strategy, growth, organization, transformation, mergers, culture and change management. A graduate of the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications de Paris and the College des Ingenieurs, Julie Avrane also holds an MBA from INSEAD. She is a member of the Board of Directors of Valeo, representing FSP, and is also a Director of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Exail Technologies, Groupe Monnoyeur and Crouzet. About Bureau Veritas Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has more than 82,000 employees located in nearly 1,600 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its 400,000 clients improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility. Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the CAC 40 ESG, CAC Next 20 and SBF 120 indices. Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI. For more information, visit www.bureauveritas.com, and follow us on Twitter (@bureauveritas) and LinkedIn. Our information is certified with blockchain technology. Check that this press release is genuine at www.wiztrust.com . ANALYST / INVESTOR CONTACTS MEDIA CONTACTS Laurent Brunelle Caroline Ponsi Khider +33 (0)1 55 24 76 09 +33 (0)7 52 60 89 78 [email protected] [email protected] Colin Verbrugghe Primatice Conseil +33 (0)1 55 24 77 80 [email protected] Thomas de Climens [email protected] Armand Rigaudy [email protected] 1 CSR Corporate Social Responsibility Attachment PRESS RELEASE Neuilly-sur-Seine, France June 22, 2023 Combined Shareholders Meeting of June 22, 2023: All submitted resolutions were adopted The Combined Shareholders Meeting (ordinary and extraordinary) of Bureau Veritas (the "Company"), chaired by Mr. Aldo Cardoso, Chairman of the Board of Directors, was held today at the Companys head office. All the resolutions submitted to the Shareholders Meeting were adopted, including: The approval of the statutory and consolidated financial statements for the financial year ending on December 31, 2022, and the approval of a dividend distribution of 0.77 per share to be paid in cash on July 6, 2023 (ex-date on July 4, 2023) on positions closed on July 5, 2023; The ratification of the co-optation of Mr. Laurent Mignon as Director; The reappointment of Mr. Frederic Sanchez as Director; The approval of the report on Corporate Officers compensation; The approval of fixed, variable and exceptional components of total compensation and benefits-in-kind paid or awarded for the 2022 financial year to Mr. Aldo Cardoso, in his capacity as Chairman of the Board of Directors and to Mr. Didier Michaud-Daniel, in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer; The approval of the components of the compensation policy applicable to the Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, and to the outgoing Chief Executive Officer and the upcoming Chief Executive Officer for the 2023 financial year; The approval of fixed, variable and exceptional components of total compensation and benefits-in-kind paid or awarded for the 2023 financial year to Mr. Didier Michaud-Daniel, in his capacity as Chief Executive Officer, whose term of office expired at the end of the Shareholders Meeting held today; The authorization granted to the Board of Directors to trade in the Companys shares; All financial delegations of authority and/or authorizations to the Board of Directors. During the presentation of the activity reports, Mr. Didier Michaud-Daniel, Chief Executive Officer and Mr. Francois Chabas, Executive Vice-President Finance, presented the highlights and results of the 2022 financial year, detailing the Groups revenue, adjusted operating profit, earnings per share, cash flow statement and financial position. Mrs. Hinda Gharbi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, then presented the first quarter revenue and outlook for 2023. She also focused on sustainability. Mr. Aldo Cardoso and Mr. Pascal Lebard, Chairman of the Nomination and Compensation Committee, presented respectively corporate governance and compensation components of the Directors, the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the Chief Executive Officer in 2022, as well as the compensation policies and Didier Michaud-Daniels compensation and Chief Executive Officer for the 2023 financial year. The audio recording of the Shareholders Meeting, the presentation made during the Shareholders Meeting and the complete results of the vote of the resolutions will be available on the Company's website (https://group.bureauveritas.com/investors/financial-information/shareholders-meeting). About Bureau Veritas Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has close to 82,000 employees located in nearly 1,600 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its 400,000 clients improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility. Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the CAC 40 ESG, CAC Next 20 and SBF 120 indices. Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI. For more information, visit www.bureauveritas.com, and follow us on Twitter (@bureauveritas) and LinkedIn. Our information is certified with blockchain technology. Check that this press release is genuine at www.wiztrust.com. Attachment PASADENA, Calif., June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CALSTART has announced the launch of the Cal Fleet Advisor (CFA) program at the Zero-Emission Truck and Off-Road Equipment Showcase + Ride & Drive in Fresno, CA, an event organized by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and CALSTART. The Cal Fleet Advisor portal and program will inform medium- and heavy-duty (MHD) fleets of the ins and outs of transitioning to zero-emission vehicles, both to make it easier for fleets to move to zero-emission vehicles and to meet the states ambitious requirements on reducing the sales and use of internal combustion engines. Cal Fleet Advisor will serve as a personal, interactive alternative to traditional formats such as websites, workshops and mailers. Developed in partnership with CARB, CFA addresses the confusion experienced by MHD fleet operators as they begin to investigate the numerous resources, options, and requirements involved in making the transition to zero-emission vehicles. CFA provides fleets a single point of contact that will help them navigate the process of identifying, financing, obtaining, and deploying zero-emission MHD vehicles for their businesses. CFA will also provide tracking and document-collection and -filing assistance to fleets, answer questions, offer advice and smooth the process in transitioning to zero-emission technologies. Although available to all California fleets, CFA is primarily focused on assisting smaller businesses and independent owner-operators, especially underrepresented populations and those domiciled in disadvantaged communities, who often havent the time or resources to effectively research and implement the steps necessary to transition to zero-emission vehicles. The resource is particularly useful for and geared toward the drayage community, which faces more stringent decarbonization timelines than other California transportation sectors. California has adopted a number of regulations that will require medium- and heavy-duty fleet operators to transition to zero-emission vehicles in the coming years. There are lots of options and rules fleets are faced with, and it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start, says Clare Bachman, Fleet Technical Assistance Project Manager at CALSTART. By adding a human element to information-sharing around zero-emission vehicles and funding, we will be able to help fleets determine exactly what they need to do, rather than have them take time out of their busy schedule to do it alone. Cal Fleet Advisor will provide an equitable solution that will meet fleets wherever they are in the zero-emission vehicle transition process. Cal Fleet Advisor will learn about each fleet's unique profile and tailor a strategy best-suited to that fleets needs in transitioning to zero-emission vehicles. The Zero-Emission Truck and Offroad Vehicle Showcase + Ride & Drive event hosted more than 500 attendees, who had the opportunity to test drive more than 50 zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks, including delivery vans and yard trucks, as well as refrigerated trailers, agriculture and construction equipment. Attendees were also given the opportunity to learn about resources available for transitioning to zero-emission fleets and equipment, and to explore innovative charging solutions at the Zero-Emission Resource Fair. The event emphasized the importance of cleaner technology in achieving a less polluted and healthier Central Valley, while also highlighting the need for collaborative efforts to reduce emissions and ensure clean air. About CALSTARTA nonprofit consortium with offices in New York, Michigan, Colorado, California and central Europe and partners world-wide, CALSTART works with 300+ member company and agency innovators to build a prosperous, efficient, and clean high-tech transportation industry. We overcome barriers to modernization and the adoption of clean vehicles. CALSTART is changing transportation for good. About the California Air Resources Board (CARB)CARBs mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. CARB is the lead agency for climate change programs and oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health-based air quality standards. Media contact: Shane Glaseman, [email protected] Source: CALSTART (Bloomberg) -- Its been nearly a year since the billionaire known as Madam Thao had four Airbus A321s grounded on the tarmac in Vietnam. Most Read from Bloomberg And all this time, the airliners have sat, stranded, in one of the odder international incidents since Vietnam went from communism to a form of capitalism. The story stretches from the Peoples Court of Hanoi to the elegant Mayfair area of London, and from there up to spired Oxford, where Madam Thao formally, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao planned to have her name etched into college history, along with medieval namesakes like Balliol and Merton. At the center of it all is a dispute between Thaos young airline, VietJet Aviation JSC, and a London buyout fund that specializes in leasing aircraft, including those four A321s. From its tony Mayfair address, FitzWalter Capital Ltd., co-founded by former Macquarie Group Ltd. mastermind Ben Brazil and backed by UK and Australian pension funds, says VietJet has fallen behind on rent for the four planes and breached their contract. It sued the budget airline popularly known as Bikini Airlines for previous promotional stunts involving models in two-piece swimsuits posing as cabin crew and demanded payment and return of the jets. Its seeking $191 million. VietJets response: Bring it on. In its defense filed with the High Court of Justice in London, the 12-year-old airline, font of Thaos self-made fortune, has acknowledged it missed some bills after Covid-19 upended air travel. But it added that the original lessors FitzWalter took over the planes from had at some point agreed to soften the terms of its lease. Besides, the London investment firm hasnt suffered any real economic damage. The squabble has reached the highest court in Vietnam and become a hot topic in aviation industry circles. The episode might seem like a small worry given the headwinds many carriers are still facing post a pandemic that triggered drawn-out disputes between lessors and airlines internationally. But it could pose a risk to a country thats trying to convince investors it is a good place to do business as its fast-growing economy slows amid a downturn in exports. This emphasizes the fact there are always going to be some bumps in the road for investors in a place like Vietnam, said Alan Polivnick, a partner focusing on aviation law at the international law firm Watson Farley & Williams. In a number of these emerging markets, the rule of law is quite a different concept to what it would be in places like the US. VietJet has been defending its legitimate interests in a dispute over four aircraft that occurred during the most stressful time of the Covid-19 pandemic, the company said Wednesday in response to queries from Bloomberg News. Because of the ongoing court case in the UK, due to be heard next year, VietJet said it cant go into details but we are and will be continuing to defend ourselves to protect our authenticity and our legitimate interests and we believe that justice will prevail. In a statement to Bloomberg News, Jonty Nel, chief executive of FitzWalter Capitals aviation business, said VietJet appeared to have the money to make good on its payments and had simply chosen not to. VietJet was simply in longstanding default on its rent, Nel said in the statement. It seemingly has the capacity to pay but operates as though it can treat its commitments with impunity. Its one more remarkable turn for Thao, who sensed opportunity in the nations emerging quasi-capitalist landscape long before Vietnams economy took off and began to surpass some of its neighbors. While studying at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics in Moscow during the Cold War, a teenage Thao imported clothing, fax machines and other items from East Asia to sell to Muscovites hungry for foreign goods. By 21, she was a millionaire. Thao launched VietJet in 2011 and took the company public on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange little more than five years later. At a celebratory dinner that evening, an exuberant Thao in a bright green mermaid-cut dress serenaded guests with a song. Thao, now 53, has said she doesnt keep track of her wealth, estimated at more than $1.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. But she has no shortage of ambition: She wants to build VietJet into an airline akin to Dubai-based Emirates, a successful global carrier from a small country. The largest airline by market share in Vietnam, VietJet has a fleet of 99 and has 264 more on order, according to analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence. Its been a bumpy flight lately. Over the past five years, VietJets stock price has declined about 35%, bringing the value of Thaos total stake to almost $900 million as of Thursday. VietJet reached agreements with Boeing Co. and Airbus SE to restructure aircraft order deals in 2022 and 2021, respectively, after Vietnams government banned most flights during the pandemic, putting local carriers at risk of bankruptcy. Like many billionaires and mere multi-millionaires, Thao has been looking to spread her wealth in ways that can buy international prestige. In October 2021, she pledged 155 million pounds ($198 million) to Oxfords Linacre College, founded in 1962 and named after Thomas Linacre, the Renaissance physician and scholar. That promise, signed before the premier of Vietnam, includes a proposal to rename the school Thao College. Her arrival in Oxford coincided with a broader push by the Vietnamese government to sell the country as a hot destination for investment. But then, amid the VietJet-FitzWalter dispute, the donation suffered delays, with Oxford still awaiting the first installment more than a year and a half later. A representative for Linacre College, Amjad Parkar, said that UK and Vietnam are dotting is on the deal and working to make details of the donation fully transparent. Following productive face-to-face meetings in Vietnam we are now putting all the relevant processes and paperwork in place, Parkar said in a statement. Court Tussles In the meantime, the international fight over four A321s lumbers on. Last December, acting on orders from the High Court of London, VietJet handed possession of the A321s to FitzWalter. The firm changed the planes registration from Vietnam to the island of Guernsey, the offshore haven off the coast of France. Two months later, a VietJet shareholder won an injunction from the Peoples Court in Hanoi to block that move and keep the planes in Vietnam. In aviation industry circles, the turnabout drew comparisons to the Kremlins decision to re-register hundreds of planes after the US and others imposed sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. FitzWalter subsequently sued in Singapore, contending Thaos VietJet was behind the move. In filings related to its lawsuits, the firm cited conversations between FitzWalter and Donal Boylan, a VietJet director and Hong Kong-based partner at investment and advisory firm BCAP Holdings. According to the filing, Boylan made a thinly veiled threat that the Vietnamese government may intervene on VietJets behalf. I cannot speak for the Vietnamese government, but my sense is they are not going to collaborate with anyone from the UK or Singapore or anywhere else, and this could go on for years, Boylan is alleged to have said to one of the partners at FitzWalter during negotiations, before the buyout firm laid out details of its claim in court last October. But thats not a threat, thats just an observation, a Donal Boylan observation. Five days after the Singapore filing, the Peoples Court of Hanoi withdrew its injunction. FitzWalter is now working to bring the planes to airworthy status and secure government approvals. With limited hangar space available to do the maintenance, the planes have to be worked on one at a time. Weve worked with them and most of the issue has been resolved, said Ho Minh Tan, deputy head of Vietnams Civil Aviation Administration. The planes should be able to leave the country once all customs procedure are completed, he said, without elaborating. The A321s could make their way out of Vietnam by the end of the year, said people familiar with the matter, provided the dispute doesnt take yet another turn. Until then, one of them sits in Ho Chi Minh City, while the other three are grounded in Hanoi. There on the tarmac, near a hangar, the VietJet logos on one of them have already been painted over white. --With assistance from Chanyaporn Chanjaroen, Angus Whitley, John Boudreau, Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen, Nguyen Kieu Giang and Sanjit Das. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Dayton, Ohio, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CareSource, a nationally recognized nonprofit health plan, today announced a definitive agreement with Radiant Alliance, a group of highly respected, Ohio-based nonprofits to achieve groundbreaking new capabilities for the organizations to further their community-based missions. Metta Healthcare (the parent company of Ohios Hospice and Pure Healthcare) and United Church Homes have formed a partnership and will become a part of a new nonprofit entity, named Radiant Alliance. Upon regulatory approval, Radiant Alliance will become an affiliate of CareSource. Working with and through Radiant Alliance, a strategic partnership of well-established nonprofit leaders in the supportive care and housing sectors, will allow CareSource to unlock unique solutions for serving a growing number of aging Americans and others with complex health needs. Radiant Alliance will serve as an innovative platform like no other in the industry, allowing CareSource to build its best-in-class strategic capabilities as it expands nationally. For years, the industry has talked about the incredible benefits of bringing together the critical capabilities of housing, provider and payer to drive better life outcomes for members, said Erhardt Preitauer, president & CEO of CareSource. We are the first to actually do it. The organizations already launched several innovative pilots, which are beginning to show significant value, especially for those with complex needs. Together, the organizations will crystalize around the core principle that the place a person lives should be a deliberate and integrated component of their overall plan of care, creating new opportunities to build and deploy integrated value-based care arrangements for high-acuity populations. In part because of the disruption caused by the pandemic, health care is undergoing transformational change, said Kent Anderson, CEO of Ohios Hospice. Creating a partnership with CareSource enhances our ability as a health care provider to serve more patients and more communities while ensuring a positive economic impact of the communities we are privileged to serve. This partnership allows us to remain true to the origin of our mission during these transformative times, while ensuring our mission remains relevant to the communities we serve and the other health care providers we work with to serve the community. Through this innovative relationship, we envision a future where older adults can age in place with the support and resources they need, said Rev. Dr. Kenneth Daniel, president and CEO of United Church Homes. This collaboration will enable us to make a significant impact in helping more people age abundantly, the United Church Homes core mission. Together, we are committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate care that empowers older adults to live fulfilling lives wherever they call home. About CareSource CareSource is a nonprofit, nationally recognized managed care organization with over 2.3 million members. Headquartered in Dayton, Ohio, since its founding in 1989, CareSource administers one of the largest Medicaid managed care plans in the U.S. The organization offers health insurance, including Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicare products. As a mission-driven organization, CareSource is transforming health care with innovative programs that address the social determinants of health, health equity, prevention and access to care. For more, visit www.caresource.com, follow @caresource on Twitter, or like CareSource on Facebook. About Radiant Alliance An affiliation of nonprofit organizations dedicated to revolutionizing the landscape of health care through an unwavering commitment to innovation, compassionate care and the power of human connection. Current members of the affiliation include Metta Healthcare and United Church Homes. Their mission is to create a brighter future by providing access to comprehensive and supportive services across the health care continuum. With innovation as their guiding light and the human spirit as their driving force, they stand ready to create a bold future like no other. Together, they will cultivate collective growth, empower individuals to fearlessly embrace their health choices and build a health care system that nurtures the well-being of our entire community. About Metta Healthcare Metta Healthcares mission is about transforming the experience of health care by creating and providing innovative, world-class solutions that support patients and families as well as not-for-profit organizations dedicated to serving their communities through superior care and superior services. Metta Healthcare is the parent company of Ohios Hospice and Pure Healthcare and is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. Metta Healthcare employs more than 1,400 staff members and serves more than 18,000 patients each year in 59 counties throughout Ohio by providing long-term direct health care for those with chronic illness or in need of end-of-life care. About United Church Homes For more than 100 years, United Church Homes has been committed to providing quality housing and services to older adults. Today, UCH is the 22nd largest multisite, nonprofit senior living organization in the U.S. according to the 2022 LeadingAge Ziegler 200 ranking, serving nearly 7,000 residents in its more than 90 owned and managed market rate and affordable housing communities in 15 states and two Native American nations. United Church Homes leads with its mission to transform aging by building a culture of community, wholeness and peace for those it is privileged to serve. ### Attachment Vilnius, Lithuania, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oobit, a leading provider of cryptocurrency payment solutions, is pleased to announce its integration with Fireblocks, an easy-to-use platform to create new blockchain-based products and manage day-to-day digital asset operations. This collaboration marks a significant milestone for both companies as they join forces ahead of Oobits Crypto Tap-to-Pay launch in Europe & UK this summer. Oobit aims to bridge the gap between cryptocurrency and traditional finance to provide a solution that will allow the seamless adoption of crypto in everyday life. By integrating with Fireblocks, Oobit gains access to an extensive network of partners, protocols, banks, and ecosystems. "Our integration with Fireblocks not only opens doors for potential collaborations but also enables us to expedite the setup process with new partners. As Fireblocks is already integrated with major players in the market, we can seamlessly connect with these entities, eliminating the need for extensive integration efforts from scratch," said Amram Adar CEO of Oobit. Stephen Richardson, Managing Director, Financial Markets at Fireblocks, said, We are excited to support Oobits vision of making it easier for users to pay with crypto with the launch of their new Tap-to-Pay feature. Fireblocks employs next-generation, institutional-grade technology so Oobit users can rest assured that their digital assets are safe and secure. Fireblocks has established itself as the leading enterprise-grade platform delivering a secure infrastructure for moving, storing and issuing digital assets. With partnerships and integrations spanning across major players in the market, Fireblocks has earned the trust of over 1,800 financial institutions, having secured the transfer of over $4 trillion in digital assets to date. Oobit is a mobile payments app that provides a seamless crypto payment experience, comparable to Apple Pay but with crypto. With Oobit, users can conveniently make crypto payments anytime and anywhere by utilizing existing VISA/Mastercard POS terminals. Additionally, Oobit enables merchants to receive payments in their local fiat currency, eliminating the risks typically associated with crypto transactions. The feature is set to launch this summer, where European & UK Passport holders will be able to use the app for in-store transactions globally. Oobit technologies UAB, headquartered in Lithuania, strategically positions itself to access the vast and economically significant European market. With its presence in Lithuania, Oobit is well-positioned to offer its services throughout the European Economic Area (EEA) and beyond. The collaboration between Oobit and Fireblocks is expected to bring forth new opportunities and improved services for cryptocurrency users, further promoting the mainstream adoption and integration of digital assets. About OobitOobit is a leading mobile payment app that offers a seamless way to pay with crypto both in-store and globally. Users can enjoy a crypto Tap-to-Pay experience as convenient and smooth as Apple Pay, utilizing existing Visa/Mastercard point-of-sale systems while ensuring merchants receive fiat currency. Since 2017, Oobit has been spearheading the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies as a means of payment for goods and services. The app is designed to provide a secure, practical, and user-friendly solution for individuals to effortlessly utilize their crypto in everyday transactions.To learn more about Oobit, please visit Website | Twitter | LinkedIn About FireblocksFireblocks is an enterprise-grade platform delivering a secure infrastructure for moving, storing, and issuing digital assets. Fireblocks supports exchanges, lending desks, custodians, banks, trading desks, and hedge funds to securely scale digital asset operations through the Fireblocks Network and MPC-based Wallet Infrastructure. Fireblocks serves over 1,800 financial institutions, has secured the transfer of over $4 trillion in digital assets and has a unique insurance policy that covers assets in storage and transit. Some of the biggest trading desks have switched to Fireblocks because it's the only solution that CISOs and Ops Teams both love. To learn more about Fireblocks, please visit www.fireblocks.com. Media Contact: Araminta Bloom [email protected] Source: Oobit VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dimensional Fund Advisors Canada ULC (Dimensional Canada ULC), the manager of the Dimensional Funds, today announced changes to the management fees associated with the following funds, as set out below. Fund Name Current Class A Management Fee Current Class F Management Fee New Class A Management Fee New Class F Management Fee DFA Canadian Vector Equity Fund 1.26 % 0.26 % 1.25 % 0.25 % DFA Five-Year Global Fixed Income Fund 1.20 % 0.20 % 1.19 % 0.19 % DFA Global Investment Grade Fixed Income Fund 1.20 % 0.20 % 1.19 % 0.19 % DFA Global Targeted Credit Fund 1.20 % 0.20 % 1.19 % 0.19 % DFA Global 40EQ-60FI Portfolio 1.23 % 0.23 % 1.22 % 0.22 % DFA Global 50EQ-50FI Portfolio 1.23 % 0.23 % 1.22 % 0.22 % DFA Global 60EQ-40FI Portfolio 1.23 % 0.23 % 1.22 % 0.22 % DFA Global 70EQ-30FI Portfolio 1.24 % 0.24 % 1.23 % 0.23 % DFA Global 80EQ-20FI Portfolio 1.24 % 0.24 % 1.23 % 0.23 % DFA Global Equity Portfolio 1.24 % 0.24 % 1.23 % 0.23 % DFA Global Fixed Income Portfolio 1.22 % 0.22 % 1.21 % 0.21 % DFA World Equity Portfolio 1.25 % 0.25 % 1.24 % 0.24 % Fund Name Current Class A & Class A(H) Management Fee Current Class F & Class F(H) Management Fee New Class A & Class A(H) Management Fee New Class F & Class F(H) Management Fee DFA U.S. Vector Equity Fund 1.26 % 0.26 % 1.25 % 0.25 % DFA International Vector Equity Fund 1.35 % 0.35 % 1.34 % 0.34 % The changes in the management fees will take effect as of the date of the renewal Simplified Prospectus and Fund Facts for the Dimensional Funds, which are expected to be dated and filed on or about July 1, 2023. Additional information regarding the Dimensional Funds can be found in the Simplified Prospectus, Annual Information Form, and the Fund Facts for the Dimensional Funds, available on our website at https://ca.dimensional.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees, and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the Simplified Prospectus and the Fund Facts before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their value changes frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. Contact: Taylor Smith, Dimensional(512) 306-4389[email protected] Source: Dimensional Fund Advisors Canada ULC Montreal, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montreal-based online travel technology company FlightHub Group is pleased to announce their ongoing partnership with Canadas first and largest telecommunications company, Bell Canada. The collaboration between the two organizations will enable Bell Canada to offer their employees exclusive travel benefits through FlightHub Groups Employee Travel Partnership Program. A new fringe benefitThe Partnership Program enables companies wishing to stand out from the competition by offering attractive discounts on personal leisure travel. "It's a pleasure for us to have forward-thinking companies like Bell Canada join our Partnership Program. With the workplace in a state of transformation since the pandemic, we recognize that the last few months, if not years, have not been easy for many Canadians. Our innovative program allows companies to put their employees at the heart of their organization, to reinvent themselves and to offer numerous benefits that enable their teams to enjoy the diverse benefits of travel" says Christopher Cave, CEO of FlightHub Group. Janice Wong, Senior Travel Manager for Bell Canada believes in the positive impact of travel on personal wellness. "The mental health and well-being of our employees is one of our top priorities. We are therefore delighted to be able to offer our team members the opportunity to benefit from FlightHub Group's Partnership Program. Thanks to this collaboration, our teams will be able to take advantage of travel discounts and recharge their batteries with family and friends around the world. A unique programFlightHub Group's Employee Benefits Partnership Program enables members to book travel for friends and family at a lower cost. This benefit plan, the only one of its kind in Canada, is directly in line with a forward-looking approach and responds directly to the current evolution of the job market. FlightHub Group encourages companies to stand out from the crowd and offer new alternatives for retaining and attracting talent. For companies wishing to join, the FlightHub Group travel benefits program is available in three categories: economy, business and first class. To learn more about the partnership program, click here. About FlightHub GroupHeadquartered in Montreal, FlightHub Group owns and operates FlightHub and Justfly, two of North America's leading online travel agencies. FlightHub makes travel accessible, enabling more people to visit new places and explore new cultures. With millions of customers served each year, its goal is to offer travelers the most affordable flights, optimal itineraries and exceptional customer service. Since 2012, its cutting-edge booking technology has created more than 30 million connections. About Bell GroupBell is Canada's largest communications company providing advanced broadband wireless, TV, Internet, media and business communication services throughout the country. Founded in Montreal in 1880, Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca or BCE.ca. Through Bell for Better, we are investing to create a better today and a better tomorrow by supporting the social and economic prosperity of our communities with a commitment to the highest environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. This includes the Bell Let's Talk initiative, which promotes Canadian mental health with national awareness and anti-stigma campaigns like Bell Let's Talk Day and significant Bell funding of community care and access, research and workplace leadership initiatives throughout the country. To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk. Aditi H FlightHub Group 5149920880 [email protected] Source: FlightHub NEW YORK, NY, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FXGT.com, a leading online forex and CFD broker, has announced the addition of the MetaTrader 4 (MT4) platform to its trading platform offering. Available on desktop, mobile and tablet devices, MT4 is one of the most popular trading platforms in the world, with a user-friendly interface that is suited to traders of all experience levels. The official launch of MT4 on FXGT.com serves as the latest addition to its platform suite alongside MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and provides traders with even more flexibility and choice. It represents another key milestone for FXGT.com, following on from the recent refresh of the company's brand, which saw the successful introduction of an updated logo, tagline, and website. "MT4 is one of the most popular forex trading platforms amongst traders, and we are excited to be able to offer it to our clients," said Constantinos Pavlides, CMO at FXGT.com. "It will sufficiently complement our MT5 offering, which allows us to welcome all types of traders and expert advisors and deliver on our promise to empower a range of different trading choices and strategies. Ultimately, we are committed to providing traders with the best possible trading experience," said Pavlides. MT4 remains the dominant platform in specific geographic regions of the world and is very popular in certain market segments and strategies. The inclusion of MT4 as part of its platform selection, therefore, fulfils FXGT.com's "Any Trade, Any Strategy" tagline, whilst cementing its status as a truly global broker. For more information about the suite of trading platforms available on FXGT.com, please click here. About FXGT.com FXGT.com is an established, award-winning, fully regulated, and licensed online broker. It operates in markets across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, with a growing presence in other regions, serving clients worldwide. It is fully authorized and regulated by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA), the South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), and the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC). It offers choice to traders through a wide range of tradable asset classes and instruments, with reliable and fast execution, across a broad selection of account types on the MT4 and MT5 trading platforms. Moreover, FXGT.com presents an impressive array of trading tools, market insights, technical analysis, and much more to clients, who can also benefit from accessing attractive and generous promotions, including Welcome, Loyalty, and No Deposit bonuses, depending on the country/region. Lastly, the brand has a reputation for ensuring the strong protection and security of funds by keeping clients' funds separate. FXGT.com is a regulated broker that is licensed by the FSA, FSCA, and VFSC, and is trusted by traders worldwide for its robust risk management policies and procedures, which includes allowing anytime withdrawals from clients' accounts. Social Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fxgtcom/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/FXGTcom/100090248558543/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/37062744/admin/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEmbthlmUEn4z6PeFh_-yUQ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Fxgtcom Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@fxgt.com?lang=en Media contact Brand: FXGT.com Contact: Media team Email: [email protected] Website: https://fxgt.com/ SOURCE: FXGT.com Source: FXGT.com GUADALAJARA, Mexico, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V., (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) (the Company or GAP) informs that today it has made the Ps. 602.0 million maturity payment on GAP 20-2 debt securities (equal to 6.02 million long-term debt securities). The payment was made with proceeds obtained from the issuance of long-term debt securities on March 27, 2023. COMPANY DESCRIPTION Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexicos Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAPs shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PAC and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GAP. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concessioner Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the operation of the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica, and took control of the operation in October 2019. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts and are based on managements current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance, and financial results. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, plans and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations, and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity, or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends, or results will actually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and article 42 of the Ley del Mercado de Valores, GAP has implemented a whistleblower program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that June involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party that is in charge of collecting these complaints, is 01 800 563 00 47. The website is www.lineadedenuncia.com/gap. GAPs Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation. Alejandra Soto, Investor Relations and Social Responsibility Officer [email protected] Gisela Murillo, Investor Relations [email protected] /+52 33 3880 1100 ext. 20294 Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. Los Angeles, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In celebration of the Juneteenth holiday, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) hosted H.E.R.E., a Homeownership Education Resource Event at Magic Johnson Park in South Los Angeles. Over 200 local community members attended the Friday night event to learn about Habitat LAs homeownership programs and resources that will put them on the path to becoming first-time homebuyers in greater Los Angeles. With support from home smart security company Ring, the event engaged the community in learning about the homeownership process, home repair programs, and downpayment assistance. Participants even received on-the-spot assistance to submit or start an application to purchase a home with Habitat LA. H.E.R.E. was one of many events and programs born out of a partnership between Ring and Habitat LA. The company has committed $100,000 to fund programming geared towards advancing Black homeownership. Habitat LAs goal is to address the impact of a century of discriminatory housing policies that have affected the Black community. At Ring, we create customizable security solutions for unique homes and needs, and alongside Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, we share a commitment to helping families grow in safe and secure places. We are proud to support Habitats ongoing efforts to provide affordable homeownership opportunities for Angelenos and to be a corporate sponsor of the organizations Advancing Black Homeownership Fund, said Karla Torres, Head of Community Engagement for Amazon Devices & Services. Additionally, as a Board Member of Habitat LA, I look forward to elevating the organizations meaningful work to ensure that Los Angeles families know about the helpful homeownership resources available at Habitat LA. Habitat LA is committed to increasing homeownership opportunities and addressing the racial and systemic bias that has stymied access to homeownership for generations. H.E.R.E. helped make the home buying process accessible for low-income residents seeking safe and secure affordable housing. Through H.E.R.E., Habitat LA delivered on our mission to provide a hand up in the communities we serve. We are grateful to have had tremendous support from Ring to mobilize our commitment to advancing Black homeownership in greater Los Angeles. Through outstanding outreach and initiatives, we are closer to working with communities to build better homes and better futures. Erin Rank, President and CEO of Habitat LA. Additional support from Senator Steven Bradford and Assembly Member Mike Gipson contributed to the development and success of H.E.R.E. About Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat LA) transforms neighborhoods throughout greater Los Angeles by bringing the community together to build affordable homes, provide critical home repairs and help families rebuild after natural disasters. Habitat LA strengthens families by helping them access affordable loans, housing counseling, and down-payment assistance. For more information about Habitat LA visit https://www.habitatla.org/ Makebra Bridges Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles [email protected] Source: Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles Washington, DC, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WASHINGTON Pro-life organization Live Action one of the nations leading human rights organizations will host a press event to promote the New North Star Coalition Letter, recently released. At the U.S. Capitol Friday, Lila Rose and other speakers will commemorate the victorious anniversary of the end of Roe, will share about and acknowledge all the preborn lives saved in pro-life states, and will send a clear message to Congress that the fight to build a culture of life in America is just beginning. The event is scheduled for Friday, June 23 at 10 a.m. EDT. Please note the location at the Capitol Demonstration Area 11, directly across Independence Avenue from the Cannon House Office Building. Press RSVP by contacting [email protected] or by using this link. Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action, shared the following statement: It's been one year since Roe v. Wade was overturned. While this was an incredible pro-life victory, our fight to make abortion unthinkable and to support families is far from over. Some of the most extreme pro-abortion state laws that kill children have gone into effect in pro-abortion states since the overturning of Roe on June 24, 2022. Equal protection under the law for every child beginning at fertilization must be recognized. We will not stop until abortion is unthinkable; June 23 will mark an important milestone towards that goal. Rose will be joined by elected leaders, medical professionals, and prominent pro-life leaders including: Rep. Dan Crenshaw Rep. Doug Lamborn Rep. Bob Good Dr. Alveda King Kristan Hawkins Josh Craddock Christina Bennett Chelsea Youman Dr. Monique Ruberu Many will be available for comment after the event. Noah Brandt Live Action 6365796072 [email protected] Source: Live Action Ottawa, ON, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yesterday afternoon, the Metis National Council joined Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Assembly of First Nations, and the Government of Canada at the release of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UN Declaration Act) Action Plan. The Metis National Council, along with its Governing Members worked collaboratively with Canada on Metis specific measures which have been incorporated into the Action Plan, along with approving several of the measures in the Action Plan common to Metis, Inuit, and First Nations, which contains commitments by Canada to achieve the objectives of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) which Canada endorsed in 2016. The UN Declaration affirms a range of collective and individual Indigenous rights at a minimum standard. The Action Plan provides contains specific measures that Canada commits to taking with Indigenous peoples including to uphold and advance Indigenous human rights and advance their inherent right to self-determination and self-government. The release of the Action Plan by Canada is encouraging, and efforts were made to fulfill the Prime Ministers mandate to co-develop the plan with Indigenous peoples. Canadas progress towards fulfilling its obligation to co-develop the Action Plan indicates a significant step forward for future work with Indigenous governments and representative institutions. Todays release by Canada of the Action Plan to advance Metis rights and needs indicates the potential for reconciliation and better days moving forward. While the Action Plan is not perfect, the Metis National Council recognizes the work Canada has done to draft the Action Plan working with Indigenous governments and representative institutions. The Metis National Council looks forward to working with Canada and our Inuit and First Nations partners to ensure meaningful and timely implementation of the commitments made in the Action Plan," shared President Cassidy Caron. The Action Plan is a living document and the Metis National Council (MNC) will continue to work with Canada to implement the measures set out in the Action Plan. The MNC sees the potential of the Action Plan to inspire action not just by the federal government but by Canadians and Metis across the Homeland. As MNC recognizes the potential of the commitments in the Action Plan to affirm and advance Metis rights and interests, there remains much work to be done. The MNC continues to articulate and advocate the priorities of Metis governments and citizens across the Metis Homeland. This includes working with Canada to implement the Action Plan and hold Canada to account for its commitments. Since 1983, the Metis National Council has been the national and international voice of the Metis Nation within Canada. Through the Canada-Metis Nation Accord, the MNC advocates on behalf of its Governing Membersthe democratically elected Metis Governments of Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbiato advance Metis rights and interests within their respective jurisdictions, including the implementation of the Metis Nations inherent right to self-determination and self-government. The MNC is committed to accountability and transparency within its operations, and to its relationships with MNC Governing Members. Cassidy Caron is the President of the Metis National Council. Steve Sutherland Metis National Council [email protected] Source: Metis National Council TORONTO, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Medivolve Inc. (Medivolve or the Company) (NEO: MEDV; OTC: MEDVF; FRA:4NC) reports that the nominees listed in the management information circular dated May 19, 2023 (the Circular), for the 2023 annual and special meeting of shareholders of the Company (the Meeting) were elected as directors of the Company. 15.76% of all of the issued and outstanding shares of the Company were represented at the Meeting. Detailed results of the vote for the election of directors held at the Meeting on June 21, 2023, in Toronto, Ontario are set out below. Election of Directors The shareholders approved the election as directors of the persons listed below, based on the following vote. Board of DirectorNominees % Votes For % Votes Against Dr. Beverley Richardson 56.548 % 43.452 % Daniyal Baizak 56.423 % 43.577 % Wen Ye 56.368 % 43.632 % Shareholders at the Meeting also approved the appointment of the Companys auditors, McGovern Hurley LLP, the Companys omnibus incentive plan, and the name change to Medidoc Inc. (or other such name as may be approved by the board of directors and that is acceptable to the applicable regulatory authorities). Following the filing and mailing of the Circular, the Company determined to withdraw the resolutions approving the consolidation of the Companys common shares on the basis of up to 10 to 1 given the feedback from shareholders of the Company. Accordingly, that resolution was not put to shareholders at the Meeting. About Medivolve, Inc. Medivolve, Inc. (NEO: MEDV; OTC: MEDVF; FRA: 4NC) is a Canadian healthcare technology company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. The Companys mission is to improve health and lives by delivering world-class diagnostic solutionsstarting with COVID-19as well as to enable faster and better care to patients through innovative technology. Medivolve, through its subsidiaries, operates retail patient-care locations in California. For investing inquiries, please contact: David Preiner, CEO, [email protected], 702-990-3737. Source: Medivolve Inc. Bitcoin traded above US$30,000 in Thursday morning trading in Asia, leading gains across all top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. The rally follows news of more major financial institutions venturing into crypto after BlackRock announced a Bitcoin ETF application last week. In addition, the U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said in congressional testimony on Wednesday that Bitcoin has staying power. Crypto Bitcoin surged 6.72% over the last 24 hours to US$30,118.51 at 7:00 a.m. in Hong Kong, up 20.33% for the past week, according to CoinMarketCap data. The worlds largest cryptocurrency broke through the US$30,000 resistance line early morning on Thursday for the first time since April. Ether also rose 6.04% to US$1,893, gaining 14.79% for the week. Market confidence has recently been buoyed by BlackRocks BTC ETF application as theyve successfully attained 575 ETF applications with only one denial, while Fidelity is rumored to be following right behind with a BTC ETF application too, said Nick Ruck, the chief operating officer of blockchain venture studio ContentFi Labs, in an emailed statement. BlackRock, the worlds largest asset manager with US$8.59 trillion under management as of the end of 2022, filed an application on June 15 for the Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). Other leading financial institutions followed, despite U.S. regulators this month filing lawsuits against crypto exchanges, alleging they illegally trade many tokens that should have been registered as financial securities. In a related bullish development, EDX Markets, the New Jersey-based digital asset exchange backed by Wall Street firms, such as Citadel Securities, Fidelity Investments and Charles Schwab Corp., opened for business in the U.S. on Tuesday. The exchange offers Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and Litecoin tokens for trading. Deutch Bank AG, Germanys largest bank, has also applied to a local regulator for a license to operate as a crypto custodian, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. Jerome Powell also made some remarks about Bitcoin that could be interpreted as bullish, Benjamin Stani, the director of business development and sales at crypto trading platform Matrixport, told Forkast via Telegram message. Powell reportedly said during a monetary policy hearing at Capitol Hill on Wednesday that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have staying power as an asset class, and that the central bank regards stablecoins used for payments as a form of money. He also said that the central bank should have a stronger role in regulating stablecoins. All other top 10 non-stablecoin cryptocurrencies gained in the past 24 hours. Cardanos ADA jumped 7.02% to US$0.287 for a weekly increase of 9.61%, helped by news of network improvements. Litecoin rose 6.56% to US$85.28, up 16.87% in the past seven days. Ripples XRP token jumped 5.10% to US$0.5217 Thursday morning after San Francisco-based Ripple Labs said it received in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore to offer digital payment services in the city-state. The total cryptocurrency market capitalization rose 4.96% to US$1.17 trillion in the last 24 hours, while trading volume surged 59.05% to US$60.3 billion, according to CoinMarketCap data. NFT little changed The indexes are proxy measures of the performance of the global NFT market. They are managed by CryptoSlam, a sister company of Forkast.News under the Forkast.Labs umbrella. In the non-fungible token (NFT) market, the Forkast 500 NFT index rose 0.43% to 2,910.36 in the 24 hours to 8:45 a.m. in Hong Kong. The index is down 0.50% for the week. Total NFT transactions rose 1.15% to US$53.4 million, while transactions on Ethereum rose 81% to US$15.3 million. Overall kind of a boring day in NFTs, said Yehudah Petscher, NFT Strategist at Forkast Labs, the parent company of Forkast.News. There is some excitement about all of the news in crypto, but thats not impacting NFTs yet, other than helping us stay even instead of maintaining that decline we were in. Ethereum-based Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT transactions surged 95.51% to US$1.9 million. Transactions in Mutant Ape Yacht Club, another collection from Yuga Labs, grew 44.93% to exceed US$1 million. Yuga Labs said Wednesday it is launching a new game on June 29 based on its Bored Ape-related HV-MTL NFT collection. U.S. futures dip following Powell speech Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell | Image: Getty Images U.S. stock futures traded lower as of 11:30 a.m. in Hong Kong. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures and the S&P 500 futures both inched down 0.11%, while Nasdaq futures dipped 0.19%. The three major U.S. stock indexes closed lower on Wednesday after Fed chair Powell told a U.S. Congress committee that interest rate will need to go higher to tame inflation, which is now at around 4.05% or on a declining trend, but still more than double the Feds target of 2%. While the Fed left rates unchanged at its meeting on June 14, it does project rates to reach 5.6% in 2023, indicating two more rate hikes within the year. Inflation remains well above our longer-run goal of 2 percent, Powell said. Nearly all FOMC participants expect that it will be appropriate to raise interest rates somewhat further by the end of the year. Powell is scheduled to speak again on Thursday before the Senate Banking Committee. U.S. interest rates are now between 5% and 5.25%, the highest since 2006. The Federal Reserves next meeting on rates is July 26. The CME FedWatch Tool predicts a 28.1% chance the Fed will keep rates unchanged in July, and a 71.9% chance for another 25-basis-point rate hike, down from 76.9% on Wednesday. (Updates with equities section.) CALGARY, Alberta, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (PIPE TSX) Pipestone Energy Corp. (Pipestone Energy or the Company) is pleased to report the results of its annual shareholder meeting. The Company held its 2023 annual meeting (the Meeting) of the shareholders of Pipestone Energy (the Shareholders) today at 10:00 a.m. (Calgary time) virtually. A total of 210,819,903 votes were cast, representing 75.41% of the total 279,552,245 eligible votes, which includes the Companys issued and outstanding common share voting rights as of the May 8, 2023 record date for the Meeting. Each of the nominees proposed as directors were elected with a majority of votes cast by the Shareholders attending the Meeting or by proxy. The results of the ballot were as follows: Director Votes For (Percentage) Gordon Ritchie 201,826,520 (99.65%) Garth Braun 197,900,099 (97.71%) William Lancaster 198,418,376 (97.96%) John Rossall 201,871,370 (99.67%) Robert Tichio 201,577,773 (99.52%) Jesal Shah 202,177,866 (99.82%) Kimberly Anderson 202,089,810 (99.78%) Ernst & Young LLP was appointed as auditors of Pipestone Energy to hold office until the next annual meeting, and the directors of Pipestone Energy were authorized to fix their remuneration. The results of the ballot were as follows: Votes For (Percentage) 210,640,674 (99.92%) Pipestone Energy Corp. Pipestone is an oil and gas exploration and production company focused on developing its large contiguous and condensate rich Montney asset base in the Pipestone area near Grande Prairie. Pipestone is committed to building long term value for our shareholders while maintaining the highest possible environmental and operating standards, as well as being an active and contributing member to the communities in which it operates. Pipestone has achieved certification of all its production from its Montney asset under the Equitable Origin EO100TM Standard for Responsible Energy Development. Pipestone shares trade under the symbol PIPE on the TSX. For more information, visit www.pipestonecorp.com. Pipestone Energy Contacts: Dustin HoffmanChief Operating Officer and Interim President and Chief Executive Officer (587) 392-8423 [email protected] Craig NieboerChief Financial Officer(587) 392-8408 [email protected] Dan van KesselVP Corporate Development(587) 392-8414 [email protected] Source: Pipestone Energy Corp. TORONTO, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TELUS Health today released its monthly Mental Health Index which revealed that workers who collaborate with others have a better mental health score than those who work exclusively independently. The Index also showed more than one in four managers reported that they have experienced team conflict in the past year, however this month the mental health of workers in Canada has plateaued to early-pandemic levels. While workers in Canada continue to experience strained mental health, the overall Mental Health Index score remained at 64.6 for the second consecutive month. Collaboration supports improved mental health in the workplace Nearly two in five (38 per cent) workers surveyed have jobs that require them to collaborate with others all the time; this group has the highest mental health score (66.3), three points higher than workers who do not need to collaborate with others (63.3). One in seven (13 per cent) workers surveyed do not need to collaborate with co-workers. Almost three-quarters (73 per cent) of workers describe a positive experience collaborating with co-workers; this group has the highest mental health score (68.0), nearly 22 points higher than workers reporting a negative experience (46.4) and more than three points higher than the national average (64.6). Workers report feeling unsupported compared to start of the pandemic One in five workers reported that they do not feel as supported by their employers compared to early in the pandemic, with respect to mental health. The mental health scores of workers who do not feel as supported as they did early in the pandemic is nearly 16 points below workers who feel supported and 10 points below the national average. Nearly four in five (77 per cent) workers report the level of mental health and wellbeing support has remained the same. Nearly one in ten (8 per cent) report the level of mental health and wellbeing support has decreased. Eighteen per cent of workers never felt supported. This group has a mental health score 14 points below the national average. Comments from TELUS Health Chief Growth Officer, Juggy SihotaThe last few years have shown us how vital it is to take care of our mental health and employers now have a critical role to play in providing more support for their workforce. While many organizations have been making impactful strides towards improved employee wellbeing since the pandemic, the numbers show there is still work to be done. Investing in employee total health means listening to your people and their unique needs to appropriately fuel universal access to mental, physical and financial support which will ensure a strong, healthy culture thats highly productive and contributes to the business overall success. Comments from TELUS Health Global Leader, Research & Client Insights, Paula AllenOur data shows a concerning level of workplace conflict. We know from our Mental Health Index that workers are more sensitive to stress and on edge. Positive relationships are an essential buffer for stress. This underscores the need for employers to foster a culture that encourages connection and social support. We know that co-worker relationships are closely linked to employee wellbeing and productivity. Investing in programs and services will also support people in dealing personally with their stress and managing it in a way that builds rather than harms relationships. The full Canadian Mental Health Index report can be found here. This report includes additional insights on workplace challenges, employees goals reaching, safety and more. About the Mental Health IndexThe survey by TELUS Health was conducted through an online survey in English and French from May 1 to 8, 2023 with 3,000 respondents in Canada. All respondents reside in Canada and were employed within the last six months. The data has been statistically weighted to ensure the regional and gender composition of the sample reflects this population. The Mental Health Index is based on a response scoring system that then turns individual responses into point values. Higher point values are associated with better mental health and less mental health risk. Scores between 0 to 49 correspond with distress levels, scores between 50 to 79 correspond with strain levels and scores between 80 to 100 correspond with optimal levels of mental health. About TELUS HealthTELUS Health is a global health care leader serving people in more than 160 countries delivering both digital innovation and clinical services to improve total physical, mental and financial health and wellness across the full spectrum of primary and preventive care. By leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services both in-person and virtually, TELUS Health is improving access to care and revolutionizing the flow of information while facilitating collaboration, efficiency, and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied health care professionals, insurers, employers and people globally, progressing its vision of transforming health care and empowering people to live healthier lives. Our clinical team is composed of renowned and passionate health professionals around the world delivering best-in-class people-centric care to hundreds of thousands of employers, professionals and their families. For more information, please visit: www.telushealth.com. Media contact: Marielle HossackTELUS Media Relations[email protected] A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1b2a257a-f193-49e9-b904-1f4addf1e3fe TELUS Mental Health Index TELUS Mental Health Index revealed that workers who collaborate with others have a better mental health score than those who work exclusively independently Source: TELUS Health NON-REGULATORY PRESS RELEASE The Honorary Prize is awarded to an individual who has left a remarkable imprint and contributed with notable impact through their dedicated efforts and outstanding achievements over the course of several years The Norwegian Tech Award is organized by Teknisk Ukeblad (Technology Weekly), tu.no Oslo, 22 June 2023: Ultimovacs ASA (Ultimovacs) (OSE ULTI), a clinical-stage biotechnology leader in novel immunotherapeutic cancer vaccines, today announced that Chief Scientific Officer and inventor of the universal cancer vaccine UV1, Professor Gustav Gaudernack, has been awarded the prestigious Norwegian Tech Awards Honorary Prize. The ceremony took place today at Kongsberg Agenda. The jurys rationale for selecting Gustav Gaudernack for the Honorary Prize of 2023 is: Gustav Gaudernack is a highly deserving candidate to receive the Honorary Award. He has demonstrated exceptional expertise and achievements in the field of immunotherapy, playing a defining role in its development over the course of his long and steadfast career. His contribution as an inventor together with his research team from Oslo Universal Hospital, Radiumhospitalet, and as an entrepreneur, notably in Ultimovacs and other companies, has made a significant impact on the advancement of cancer research and immunotherapy. Furthermore, his dedication as a professor and his masterly mentoring skills have fostered the growth of numerous talented oncology professionals who are now actively contributing to the ongoing progress of immunotherapy in Norway. Overall, his remarkable accomplishments and unwavering commitment make him a truly deserving candidate for this prestigious recognition. We are thrilled that Gustav Gaudernack, the brilliant mind behind our cancer vaccine UV1, has been honored today with the prestigious Honorary Award. This recognition is truly well deserved: Gustavs devotion and perseverance within the field of immunotherapy is remarkable even on an international scale. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Gustav from all of us at Ultimovacs, says Carlos de Sousa, Chief Executive Officer at Ultimovacs. ==ENDS== About Ultimovacs Ultimovacs is a clinical-stage biotechnology leader in novel immunotherapeutic cancer vaccines with broad applicability. Ultimovacs lead cancer vaccine candidate UV1 is directed against human telomerase (hTERT) an antigen that is present in 85-90% of cancers in all stages of tumor growth. A broad clinical program, with Phase II trials in five cancer indications enrolling more than 670 patients, aims to demonstrate UV1s impact in combination with other immunotherapies in multiple cancer types expressing telomerase and where patients have unmet medical needs. UV1 is universal, off-the-shelf, and easy to use, and is a patented technology owned by Ultimovacs. In addition, Ultimovacs adjuvant platform, based on the proprietary Tetanus-Epitope-Targeting (TET) technology, combines tumor-specific antigens and adjuvant in the same molecule and is in Phase I clinical development. About UV1 UV1 is a universal cancer vaccine designed to induce a specific T cell response against telomerase. UV1 consists of long, synthetic peptides, representing a sequence in the reverse transcriptase subunit of telomerase (hTERT), shown to induce CD4+ T cells. These CD4+ T cells have the potential to provide inflammatory signals and T cell support believed to be critical for triggering a strong anti-tumor immune response. Following intradermal injection, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the skin are exposed to the vaccine peptides. These APCs will process the peptides, and present vaccine epitopes on Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) molecules to naive T cells in the lymph nodes. Activated vaccine-specific T cells will then enter the circulation and search for cells displaying their cognate antigen in the context of HLA molecules. The UV1 peptides contain several epitopes, shown to be non-restrictive in terms of (HLA) alleles for presentation. It is therefore not required to perform HLA pre-screening of patients, which potentially enables broad population utilization of the vaccine. UV1 is administered over three months as eight intradermal injections together with the immune-modulator GM-CSF. For further information, please see www.ultimovacs.com or contact: Carlos de Sousa, CEO Email: [email protected] Phone: +47 908 92507 Anne Worse, Head of Investor Relations Email: [email protected] Phone: +47 90686815 This stock exchange announcement was published Anne Worse, Head of IR at Ultimovacs ASA, on 22 June, 2023 at 15:30 CET. SINGAPORE, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Verde AgriTech Ltd. (TSX: NPK) ("Verde or the Company) held its Annual General Meeting of shareholders (the Meeting) on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at 16 Collyer Quay, #17-00, Singapore, and is pleased to announce that its shareholders approved all items put before them. The results were as follows: Item Voted Upon Voting Result Approval and adoption of the audited consolidated financial statements (audited by PKF Littlejohn LLP) and the audited stand-alone financial statements (audited by PKF-CAP LLP) (together, the Financial Statements) of the Company for the financial year ended December 31, 2022 *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Against 11,304,427 75,129 (99.34%) (0.66%) Re-election of Cristiano Botelho Veloso as Director *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 11,196,370 183, 186 -98.39% -1.61% Re-election of Renato Couto Gomes as Director *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 11,116,247 263,309 -97.69% -2.31% Re-election of Fernando Joao Prezzotto as Director *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 11,176,288 203,268 -98.21% -1.79% Re-election of Luciana De Oliveira Cezar Coelho as Director *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 11,036,258 343,298 -96.98% -3.02% Re-election of Madeleine Lee Suh Shin as Director *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 11,175,642 203,914 -98.21% -1.79% Directors remuneration for the financial year ending 31 December 2023 *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Against 10,824,966 554,590 -95.13% -4.87% Appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as Auditors of the Company *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Withheld 12,739,835 44,163 -99.66% -0.34% Authority for directors to allot and issue shares in the capital of the Company *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Against 10,849,335 530,221 -95.34% -4.66% Prohibition of sales to 218 municipalities predominantly composed of Amazon rainforest, totaling 2.23 million km2, as listed in Schedule B of the Management Information Circular, except for projects that plant native trees for reforestation *The resolution was approved by a show of hands, as follows: Votes For Votes Against 11,266,251 113,305 -99.00% -1.00% At 86 years old, Mr. Alysson Paolinelli retired pursuant to the Companys Constitution and did not seek for re-election. Verdes Board expressed its appreciation to Mr. Alysson Paolinelli for his valuable contribution to the Board and the Company during his tenure, serving as a director of the Verde for over 09 years. About Verde AgriTech Verde is an agricultural technology Company that produces potash fertilizers. Our purpose is to improve the health of all people and the planet. Rooting our solutions in nature, we make agriculture healthier, more productive, and profitable. Verde is a fully integrated Company: it mines and processes its main feedstock from its 100% owned mineral properties, then sells and distributes the Product. Verdes focus on research and development has resulted in one patent and eight patents pending. Among its proprietary technologies are Cambridge Tech, 3D Alliance, MicroS Technology, N Keeper, and Bio Revolution.1 Currently, the Company is fully licensed to produce up to 2.8 million tonnes per year of its multinutrient potassium fertilizers K Forte and BAKS, sold internationally as Super Greensand. In 2022, it became Brazil's largest potash producer by capacity.2 Verde has a combined measured and indicated mineral resource of 1.47 billion tonnes at 9.28% K2O and an inferred mineral resource of 1.85 billion tonnes at 8.60% K2O (using a 7.5% K2O cut-off grade).3 This amounts to 295.70 million tonnes of potash in K2O. For context, in 2021 Brazils total consumption of potash in K2O was 6.57 million4. Brazil ranks second in global potash demand and is its single largest importer, currently depending on external sources for over 97% of its potash needs. In 2022, potash accounted for approximately 3% of all Brazilian imports by dollar value.5 Corporate Presentation For further information on the Company, please view shareholders deck: https://verde.docsend.com/view/gdw7qpcqzk3rdsb4 Investors Newsletter Subscribe to receive the Companys updates at: http://cloud.marketing.verde.ag/InvestorsSubscription The last edition of the newsletter can be accessed at: https://bit.ly/InvestorsNL-April2023 Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements All Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resources estimates reported by the Company were estimated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards (May 10, 2014). These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. This document contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this document. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the estimated amount and grade of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves; (ii) the PFS representing a viable development option for the Project; (iii) estimates of the capital costs of constructing mine facilities and bringing a mine into production, of sustaining capital and the duration of financing payback periods; (iv) the estimated amount of future production, both produced and sold; (v) timing of disclosure for the PFS and recommendations from the Special Committee; (vi) the Companys competitive position in Brazil and demand for potash; and, (vii) estimates of operating costs and total costs, net cash flow, net present value and economic returns from an operating mine. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on Verde's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. The most significant assumptions are set forth above, but generally these assumptions include, but are not limited to: (i) the presence of and continuity of resources and reserves at the Project at estimated grades; (ii) the geotechnical and metallurgical characteristics of rock conforming to sampled results; including the quantities of water and the quality of the water that must be diverted or treated during mining operations; (iii) the capacities and durability of various machinery and equipment; (iv) the availability of personnel, machinery and equipment at estimated prices and within the estimated delivery times; (v) currency exchange rates; (vi) Super Greensand and K Forte sales prices, market size and exchange rate assumed; (vii) appropriate discount rates applied to the cash flows in the economic analysis; (viii) tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operation; (ix) the availability of acceptable financing under assumed structure and costs; (x) anticipated mining losses and dilution; (xi) reasonable contingency requirements; (xii) success in realizing proposed operations; (xiii) receipt of permits and other regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; and (xiv) the fulfilment of environmental assessment commitments and arrangements with local communities. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Many forward-looking statements are made assuming the correctness of other forward looking statements, such as statements of net present value and internal rates of return, which are based on most of the other forward-looking statements and assumptions herein. The cost information is also prepared using current values, but the time for incurring the costs will be in the future and it is assumed costs will remain stable over the relevant period. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and estimates expressed above do not occur as forecast, but specifically include, without limitation: risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the material identified as Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; the geotechnical characteristics of the rock mined or through which infrastructure is built differing from that predicted, the quantity of water that will need to be diverted or treated during mining operations being different from what is expected to be encountered during mining operations or post closure, or the rate of flow of the water being different; developments in world metals markets; risks relating to fluctuations in the Brazilian Real relative to the Canadian dollar; increases in the estimated capital and operating costs or unanticipated costs; difficulties attracting the necessary work force; increases in financing costs or adverse changes to the terms of available financing, if any; tax rates or royalties being greater than assumed; changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks relating to receipt of regulatory approvals; delays in stakeholder negotiations; changes in regulations applying to the development, operation, and closure of mining operations from what currently exists; the effects of competition in the markets in which Verde operates; operational and infrastructure risks and the additional risks described in Verde's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) for the year ended December 31, 2021. Verde cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Verde, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Verde does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by Verde or on our behalf, except as required by law. For additional information please contact: Cristiano Veloso, Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Tel: +55 (31) 3245 0205; Email: [email protected] www.investor.verde.ag | www.supergreensand.com | www.verde.ag 1 Learn more about our technologies: https://verde.docsend.com/view/yvthnpuv8jx6g4r9 2 See the release at: https://investor.verde.ag/verde-starts-ramp-up-of-plant-2s-second-stage-to-reach-production-of-2-4mtpy/3 As per the National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects within Canada (NI 43 -101), filed on SEDAR in 2017. See the Pre-Feasibility Study at: https://investor.verde.ag/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/NI-43-101-Pre-Feasibility-Technical-Report-Cerrado-Verde-Project.pdf 4 Source: Brazilian Fertilizer Mixers Association (from "Associacao Misturadores de Adubo do Brasil", in Portuguese).5 Source: Brazilian Comex Stat, available at: http://comexstat.mdic.gov.br/en/geral Source: Verde AgriTech Ltd Fords top honcho has issued a warning that the United States is not ready to fight with China over the production of electric vehicles. The chairman of Ford, Bill Ford, said that the company is now mobilizing all resources to prepare for an influx of imports from abroad. He also mentioned how swiftly the electric vehicle market in China had expanded. Ford asserted that Chinese automakers created electric vehicles quickly and on a massive scale, and are currently offering the vehicles for export. With international sales of Chinese-made cars increasing threefold from 2020, reaching more than 2.5 million vehicles in 2022, China is on Read More>> About Green Car Stocks Green Car Stocks (GCS) is a specialized communications platform with a focus on electric vehicles (EV), as well as other emerging market opportunities in the green sector. The company provides (1) access to a network of wire services via NetworkWire to reach all target markets, industries and demographics in the most effective manner possible, (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ news outlets (3), enhanced press release services to ensure maximum impact, (4) social media distribution via the Investor Brand Network (IBN) to millions of social media followers, and (5) a full array of corporate communications solutions. As a multifaceted organization with an extensive team of contributing journalists and writers, GCS is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that desire to reach a wide audience of investors, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in todays market, GCS brings its clients unparalleled visibility, recognition and brand awareness. GCS is where news, content and information converge. To receive SMS text alerts from Green Car Stocks, text Green to 844-397-5787 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only) For more information, please visit https://www.greencarstocks.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the Green Car Stocks website applicable to all content provided by GCS, wherever published or re-published: https://www.greencarstocks.com/Disclaimer Green Car Stocks Los Angeles, CA www.greencarstocks.com 415.949.5050 Office [email protected] Green Car Stocks is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork. Splash Beverage Group (NYSE American: SBEV), a portfolio company of leading beverage brands, has announced its entry into a distribution agreement with North Carolina-based Coastal Beverage Company for three Splash Beverage brands, Copa di Vino, Pulpoloco and TapouT. We are very pleased to join the Coastal Beverage network, said Robert Nistico, chief executive officer of Splash Beverage Group. This territory has previously been uncovered for us, so it introduces a whole new population to Splash products. The North Carolina coast includes some of the fastest growing population centers in the state and were excited to introduce our brands to these potential new customers. To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/HIpWw About Splash Beverage Group Inc. Splash Beverage Group, an innovator in the beverage industry, owns a growing portfolio of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage brands including Copa di Vino wine by the glass, SALT flavored tequilas, Pulpoloco sangria, and TapouT performance hydration and recovery drink. Splashs strategy is to rapidly develop early-stage brands already in its portfolio as well as acquire and then accelerate brands that have high visibility or are innovators in their categories. Led by a management team that has built and managed some of the top brands in the beverage industry and led sales from product launch into the billions, Splash is rapidly expanding its brand portfolio and global distribution. For more information about the company, visit www.SplashBeverageGroup.com. NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SBEV are available in the companys newsroom at https://ibn.fm/SBEV About InvestorWire InvestorWire is the wire service that gives you more. From regional releases to global announcements presented in multiple languages, we offer the wire-grade dissemination products youll need to ensure that your next press release grabs the attention of your target audience and doesnt let go. While our competitors look to nickel and dime you with hidden fees and restrictive word limits, InvestorWire keeps things transparent. As part of its service, InvestorWire provides coverage of noteworthy announcements. To further expand visibility of achievements being made throughout a multitude of sectors, InvestorWires syndication partners have extended the digital coverage to include individual broadcasts on financial websites and platforms visited by millions of investors daily. For more information, please visit https://www.InvestorWire.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the InvestorBrandNetwork website applicable to all content provided by IBN, wherever published or re-published: http://ibn.fm/Disclaimer InvestorWire (IW) 8033 Sunset Blvd Suite 1037-IW Los Angeles, CA 90046 310.299.1717 Office www.InvestorWire.com [email protected] InvestorWire is part of the InvestorBrandNetwork Amidst the ever-changing landscape of the business world driven by technology, The Next Web 2023 event brought together 6,000 global companies in the Netherlands. B2Press also participated in the event, which was inaugurated by Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Amsterdam, the Netherlands--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - The Next Web 2023, organized by TNW, a subsidiary of The Financial Times, was held on June 15-16 in Zaandam, the Netherlands. The event saw an impressive turnout, with over 10,000 international visitors, 6,000 companies, and 1,500 start-ups in attendance. The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, delivered the opening speech of The Next Web 2023 via video message. In addition to global companies, political leaders and policymakers were also in attendance. B2Press, Announces Its Affiliate Platform at The Next Web 2023 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8552/170964_1d1234fe14983b7b_001full.jpg "Tech for good" TNW Director, Myrthe van der Erve, shared her thoughts in the opening ceremony, saying, "We take great pride in organizing one of Europe's largest technology events. Emphasizing the importance of not underestimating technological development, we must also adapt and capitalize on its opportunities. Therefore, we have chosen 'Tech for good' as the motto for our event." "B2Press empowers businesses to harness the media's potential in their PR and marketing activities" B2Press, operating from its headquarter in Amsterdam as well as its three offices in Utrecht, Istanbul and Athens, was among the participants of the TNW Conference 2023. Sharing his impressions of the event, A. Sekin Canan, the Founder of B2Press, evaluated their sector and explained how B2Press continues to shape the industry through the success of their business model. Canan explained, "As a thriving start-up evolving in the Netherlands' dynamic ecosystem, we are delighted to have shared the transformative experiences we've encountered in the media industry at the event. Undoubtedly, technology serves as the catalyst that accelerates the pace of change in this process, enabling the discovery of novel methods of communication and interaction. As we witness the corporate world rewriting their PR strategies and redefining their collaboration with media, we empower them to leverage the media's power in PR and their marketing activities." "This event has profoundly influenced our strategic vision" A. Seckin Canan, assessed the event's impact on business operations, "The TNW Conference 2023 provided a robust and supportive environment that played a pivotal role in our company's journey. It not only contributed to the shaping of our strategic vision but also expanded our potential for success and growth through new collaborative opportunities. At B2Press, we are committed to developing our value proposition which merges technology and media successfully. Drawing inspiration from this event, we aim to amplify the voices and stories of our clients, continuously transforming our sector with a focus on vitality, inclusivity, and technology," he said. Contact: Noel Alberts, [email protected], +31 30 799 6022 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170964 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Blackrock Silver Corp. (TSXV: BRC) (the "Company" or "Blackrock") is pleased to update the market on its two, 100-percent controlled high-grade silver-gold projects in Nevada. The Tonopah West project located within the Walker Lane trend in west central Nevada, and the Silver Cloud project located along the prolific Northern Nevada Rift in north central Nevada. TONOPAH WEST At the Tonopah West project, Blackrock has used the time between drill programs to update and incorporate all 2022 drill information into its geologic model. The new model includes Blackrock's NW Step Out drilling which is located one kilometre northwest of the DPB resource and increases the strike length of the vein system to over three kilometres. The new model is now ready and will form the basis for an updated resource estimate which will be completed in the second half of this year. Based on the geologic model, the NW Step Out area is projected to add additional tonnes to the updated resource while keeping a similar grade profile. In addition, the Company is using the updated geologic model to plan its next drill program which will infill the NW Step Out area to the main resources at Victor and DPB. SILVER CLOUD The core drill has arrived and drilling is now underway at Silver Cloud for this fully-funded program. Pad and road construction at the Northwest Canyon target commenced on June 12th and drilling commenced on June 21st. The initial drillholes are targeting the extension of the bonanza-grade silver and gold intercept encounter in SBC22-020 (70.0 g/t gold and 600 g/t silver over 1.5 metres) (see news release dated January 17, 2023). The program is testing approximately 500 metres of strike along the high-grade vein. The new bonanza-grade discovery at Northwest Canyon has provided knowledge into the controls on silver and gold at Silver Cloud. Two additional targets have been identified 800 metres and 1600 metres to the east of Northwest Canyon. These targets are similar to Northwest Canyon and form a series of structures along the eastern margin of the Silver Cloud graben. Based on a multiple vein scenario, a Midas mine-like system is envisioned with northerly oriented vein swarm between Northwest Canyon and the Silver Cloud mercury mine. The drill program will test this concept. About Blackrock Silver Corp. Backed by gold and silver ounces in the ground, Blackrock is a junior precious metal focused exploration company driven to add shareholder value via the drill bit. With 2.97 million tonnes grading 446 g/t silver equivalent at its Tonopah West project, and a new bonanza-grade gold discovery at Silver Cloud, the Company has a proven track record of exploration success. In addition to its gold and silver project portfolio, the Company is credited with a lithium discovery, the Tonopah North project, which is under option to a major lithium exploration group. Anchored by a seasoned Board, the Company is focused on its 100% controlled Nevada portfolio of properties consisting of low-sulphidation, epithermal gold and silver mineralization located along the established Northern Nevada Rift in north-central Nevada and the Walker Lane trend in western Nevada. Blackrock's exploration activities are conducted and supervised by Mr. William Howald, Executive Chairman of Blackrock. Mr. William Howald, AIPG Certified Professional Geologist #11041, is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release. For further information, please contact: Andrew Pollard, President & CEO Blackrock Silver Corp. Phone: 604 817-6044 Email: [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements concern the Company's strategic plans, timing and expectations for the Company's exploration and drilling programs, estimates of mineralization from drilling, geological information projected from sampling results and the potential quantities and grades of the target zones. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; accuracy of assay results; geological interpretations from drilling results, timing and amount of capital expenditures; performance of available laboratory and other related services; future operating costs; and the historical basis for current estimates of potential quantities and grades of target zones. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors, including the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties; the interpretation and uncertainties of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project costs overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; availability of funds; failure to delineate potential quantities and grades of the target zones based on historical data, and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Technical information relating to the Tonopah West project is based on and derived from the NI 43-101 report prepared for Blackrock entitled "Technical Report and Estimate of Mineral Resources for the Tonopah West Silver-Gold Project, Nye and Esmeralda Counties, Nevada, USA" effective April 28, 2022 (the "Technical Report"). The Technical Report outlines 2.97 million tonnes at a block diluted grade of 208 grams per tonne (g/t) silver (Ag) and 2.5g/t gold (Au) for a total inferred mineral resource of 19,902,000 ounces Ag and 238,000 ounces Au, or 446 g/t silver equivalent (AgEq) for 42.6 million oz AgEq. AgEq equivalent grade is based on silver and gold prices of US$20/ounce and US$1750/ounce, respectively, and recoveries for silver and gold of 87%and 95% To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170933 Funds to be Used for First Phase of Tarabala Project Small Gold Mine Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Compass Gold Corp. (TSXV: CVB) (Compass or the Company) is pleased to announce that it intends to issue, on a non-brokered private placement basis, 600 convertible debenture units of the Company (the "Debenture Units"), at a price of $1,000 per Debenture Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of $600,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering is fully subscribed and is expected to close on or about June 30, 2023 (the "Closing Date"). The proceeds of the Offering will be principally used to fund the delineation of the mineralized zone identified at Tarabala, located on the Company's Sikasso Property in Southern Mali. This is the first phase of the previously reported proposed establishment and development of a small gold mining operation on high-grade near-surface gold mineralization at the Tarabala Trend (the "Tarabala Project"). The Company currently has commitments from existing shareholders to purchase 600 Debenture Units. At the discretion of the Company, up to an additional 150 Debenture Units may be issued by the Company for further gross proceeds of up to $150,000, bringing the total proceeds of the Offering to $750,000. Compass CEO, Larry Phillips, said, "It has been extremely gratifying to have so many shareholders participate in this Offering and express their support for the Tarabala Project and our demonstrated potential to develop one or more small, near-surface mines which could generate ongoing revenue to fund the exploration work required to develop a far larger, open-pittable gold resource. We have already begun the trenching work needed to properly delineate the near-surface gold mineralization, which we intend to complete before the rainy season begins in the coming weeks." Summary of the Offering Each Debenture Unit to be issued pursuant to the Offering will comprise: (i) one $1,000 principal amount unsecured convertible debenture of the Company (a "Convertible Debenture"); and (ii) 5,000 common share purchase warrants of the Company (each, a "Warrant"), with each Warrant being exercisable to acquire one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.10 for a period of 24 months following the Closing Date. The outstanding principal amount of each Convertible Debenture shall be convertible at the option of the holder thereof, at any time prior to maturity, into common shares of the Company at a conversion price (the "Conversion Price") of: (i) $0.08 per common share during the 12-month period immediately following the Closing Date; and (ii) $0.10 per common share thereafter. The Convertible Debentures will mature 24 months from the Closing Date (the "Maturity Date") and will bear interest at a rate of 10% per annum, payable in cash or common shares, at the option of the Company. Interest will accrue and be paid in arrears on the Maturity Date. Any payment of interest pursuant to the issuance of common shares will be subject to the prior approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSX-V") and the issue price per common share will be at the then applicable Market Price (as such term is defined in the applicable policies of the TSX-V). If at any time prior to the Maturity Date the closing price of the common shares of the Company on the TSX-V is greater than $0.20 per common share for the preceding 20 consecutive trading days, the Company shall have the option to convert the principal amount of the Convertible Debentures then outstanding into common shares at the then applicable Conversion Price. Subject to the terms of the Convertible Debentures, within 30 days following a change of control of the Company prior to the Maturity Date, the Company shall offer to purchase the Convertible Debentures at a purchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Convertible Debentures then outstanding, together with all accrued and unpaid interest thereon. The Convertible Debentures will include covenants and events of default that are typical for a transaction of the nature of the Offering. Among other covenants, so long as the Convertible Debentures are outstanding, the Company will not be permitted to: (i) declare or pay any dividend or other distribution, in cash, to the holders of its issued and outstanding common shares; (ii) incur any secured debt ranking senior to the Convertible Debentures, other than secured debt incurred by the Company in connection with the Tarabala Project; or (iii) use any funds generated from the operations of the Tarabala Project for the purpose of conducting further exploration activities in respect of the mineral properties of the Company, such that any further exploration will only be conducted using funds raised through the issuance of new equity of the Company for such purpose. The closing of the Offering is subject to customary closing conditions and the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX-V. All securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory four-month hold period from their date of issuance. The Company anticipates that certain officers and/or directors of the Company may participate in the Offering. Participation by insiders in the Offering will be exempt from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") by virtue of the exemptions contained in Sections 5.5(a) and (b), and 5.7(1)(a), respectively, of MI 61-101. All dollar amounts referred to in this press release are expressed in Canadian dollars. None of the securities issued in connection with the Offering will be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), and none of them may be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state where such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. About Compass Gold Corp. Compass, a public company having been incorporated into Ontario, is a Tier 2 issuer on the TSX- V. Through the 2017 acquisition of MGE and Malian subsidiaries, Compass holds gold exploration permits located in Mali that comprise the Sikasso Property. The exploration permits are located in four sites in southern Mali with a combined land holding of 1,173 sq. km. The Sikasso Property is located in the same region as several multi-million-ounce gold projects, including Morila, Syama, Kalana and Komana. The Company's Mali-based technical team, led in the field by Dr. Madani Diallo and under the supervision of Dr. Sandy Archibald, P.Geo, is conducting the current exploration program. They are examining numerous anomalies first noted in Dr. Archibald's August 2017 "National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on the Sikasso Property, Southern Mali." ForwardLooking Information This news release contains "forwardlooking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the completion of the Offering, the proposed use of proceeds of the Offering and the establishment and development of the Tarabala Project. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forwardlooking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by such information. The statements in this news release are made as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forwardlooking information except as required by applicable law. For further information please contact: Compass Gold Corporation Larry Phillips - Pres. & CEO [email protected] T: +1 416-596-0996 X 302 Compass Gold Corporation Greg Taylor - Dir. Investor Relations & Corporate Communications [email protected] T: +1 416-596-0996 X 301 Website: www.compassgoldcorp.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170943 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - District Metals Corp. (TSXV: DMX) (FSE: DFPP); ("District" or the "Company") is pleased to report that Bergslagen Metals AB (a 100% owned Swedish subsidiary of District) has received approval from the Bergsstaten (Mining Inspectorate) for the Ardnasvarre nr 1 mineral license application to explore for copper, molybdenum, zirconium, and rare earth elements (REE) over a 9,708 hectare (ha) area located in Norrbottens County, northern Sweden (Figure 1). The Ardnasvarre Property hosts several uranium, lead-zinc-silver and copper mineralized occurrences that were historically drilled by the Swedish Geological Survey and Boliden, respectively. The Ardnasvarre nr 1 mineral license is in good standing for a three year term that ends on April 17, 2026. Renewal for an additional three years will require payment of mineral license fees to the Swedish Mining Inspectorate, and the completion of at least some geological, geochemical, or geophysical work on the mineral license before April 17, 2026. Additionally, the Company wishes to report that in a recent Swedish media story entitled "After the nuclear power investments: The Minister for the Environment wants to see uranium mines in Sweden" (June 19, 2023), the Swedish Minister for the Environment, Romina Pourmokhtari (Liberal), was quoted saying "I believe that we need uranium mines in Sweden". Further, the Swedish Minister for Energy and Business, Ebba Busch (Christian Democrats), was quoted saying "Sweden also needs more uranium to achieve greater fossil-free electricity production". District welcomes these constructive statements from such prominent figures within the national government. A link to the full article can be found here: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/miljoministern-vill-se-urangruvor-i-sverige Ardnasvarre Property Highlights: The Ardnasvarre nr 1 mineral license is located within the Arjeplog-Arvidsjaur uranium province and covers an area of 9,708 ha that is prospective for uranium, copper, zinc, lead, and rare earth elements (REE). The Ardnasvarre Property straddles the unconformity between exposed Svecofennian basement rocks and overlying Caledonide sedimentary rocks where targets include stratabound, unconformity- and intrusive-related uranium and REE mineralization. Additional targets include sandstone-hosted lead and zinc mineralization, similar to the nearby historic Laisvall deposit. The Ardnasvarre Property includes the Labbas Uranium Zone where drilling by the SGU in the 1970's and 1980's resulted in a historical resource estimate of 86,478 tonnes at an average grade 0.12% U 3 O 8 containing 228,780 lbs of U 3 O 8 using a polygon resource estimation method1. The Labbas zone contains elevated molybdenum and zirconium, and remains open in all directions. This above mineral resource estimates are considered to be "historical estimates" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource, and the Company is not treating these historical estimates as current Mineral Resources. The Company would need to conduct an exploration program, including twinning of historical drill holes in order to verify the Labbas Uranium Zone historical estimate as a current mineral resource. Labbas Uranium Zone: A single hole (LAB08-001) was drilled in 2008 by Continental Precious Minerals that returned 7.0 m at 0.17% U 3 O 8 from 50.0 to 57.0 m including a higher grade interval of 0.8 m at 0.94% U 3 O 8 from 53.5 to 54.3 m (Table 1). A moratorium on uranium mining and exploration was imposed in 2018. The current Swedish Government has expressed a positive stance on re-evaluating the moratorium. Garrett Ainsworth, CEO of District, commented: "Since late-2022 we have assessed numerous uranium and polymetallic occurrences and properties in Sweden with a view that eventually the uranium moratorium will be lifted as part of Sweden's pro-nuclear energy stance to fuel the green energy transition and fulfill a low-carbon future. As part of that process, we identified the Ardnasvarre Property as a high-grade uranium and base-metal opportunity and acquired it through mineral license application. Several different styles of uranium, lead-zinc-(silver) and copper mineralization occur on the Ardnasvarre Property with the most advanced being the intrusion-related Labbas Uranium zone that hosts a historical uranium resource estimate. The Labbas Uranium zone is situated at shallow depths (0 to 100 m) and remains open for potential expansion in all directions. No significant work has been done on the Ardnasvarre Property since the 1980's where uraniferous boulder tracing back to bedrock source was the main mode of exploration. The use of modern technical knowledge and exploration methods at Ardnasvarre will be especially beneficial in exploration on the Property. Although the moratorium on uranium mining and exploration imposed by the Swedish Government in 2018 remains, the Company continues to be encouraged by some positive media reports regarding the Swedish Government's stance to lift the uranium moratorium. The Company and its consultants continue to monitor next steps by the Government, and will update shareholders as developments arise." The Labbas Uranium zone was discovered by boulder hunting in 1971 and was drill tested with 4,740 m in 35 holes between 1973 and 1980. Disseminated to impregnation style uranium mineralization is hosted by foliated meta-granites and amphibolites. The historic mineral resource estimate indicates that mineralization extends for at least 100 m in strike length and averages 2 m in width2 and remains open in all directions. The Ardnasvarre Property (Figure 1) is located approximately 30 km north from the historic sandstone-hosted Laisvall Pb-Zn deposit, which was Europe's largest former lead mine (1941 2001: 64.3 Mt @ 4.0% Pb, 0.6% Zn and 9 g/t Ag)2. The Labbas Pb-Zn zone (357 m in 9 holes) and Ardnesjaure area (1,781 m in 28 holes) have been explored and drilled in 1954 and 1969 respectively by Boliden to identify the autochthonous stratigraphy above the basement rocks, which includes the Laisberg Formation hosting the Laisvall deposit. This formation represents a transgressive, sandstone-dominated sequence with epigenetic, disseminated, mottled or banded galena-sphalerite mineralization hosted in two sandstone paleoaquifers (Lower and Upper Sandstone)3. Compilation of the historic exploration and drilling information is ongoing. Table 1: 2008 Drill Hole at Labbas Uranium Zone Drill Hole Depths and Interval Assay Results Hole ID Azimuth Dip Total Depth (m) From (m) To (m) Interval (m) U 3 O 8 (%) BH08-01 270 -55 80.50 38.70 40.60 1.90 0.050 48.50 49.16 0.66 0.010 50.00 57.00 7.00 0.168 incl. 53.50 54.30 0.80 0.937 60.00 60.90 0.90 0.041 Notes: Minimum thickness 0.5 m down hole. Cut-off grade of 0.01% U 3 O 8 utilized. Maximum internal dilution 2.00 m down hole. True widths of the reported mineralized intervals have not been determined. U ppm has been converted to U 3 O 8 ppm by multiplying the U ppm value by 1.17924. These drill results are historical in nature. District has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. District considers these historical drill results relevant as the Company will use this data as a guide to plan future exploration programs. The Company also considers the data to be reliable for these purposes, however, the Company's future exploration work will include verification of the data through drilling. Figure 1: Ardnasvarre Mineral License To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7971/170869_1429eee7e498dac2_002full.jpg References 1 Svensson, S., 1981. Uranium Prospecting in Norrland, Interim Report Nov. 1981. Sveriges Geologiska Underskning. Uranrapport 1981-8. 2 Ohlsson, L-G., 1992. Mineraliseringar och Industrimineralforkomster inom Arjeplogs Kommun, Report 10 Oct. 1992. Sveriges Geologiska Undersokning. Brap 94033. 3 Saintilan, N.J. et al, 2015. A Middle Ordovician Age for the Laisvall Sandstone-Hosted Pb-Zn Deposit, Sweden: A Response to Early Caledonian Orogenic Activity. Economic Geology 110, p1779-1801. Technical Information All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by, or approved by Garrett Ainsworth, PGeo, President and CEO of the Company. Mr. Ainsworth is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. The data disclosed in this news release is related to mineral resource estimates that are considered to be "historical estimates" under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource, and the Company is not treating these historical estimates as current Mineral Resources. The Company would need to conduct an exploration program, including twinning of historical drill holes in order to verify the Labbas uranium zone historical estimate as a current mineral resource. The data disclosed in this news release is related to historical drilling results. District has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. District considers these historical drill results relevant as the Company is using this data as a guide to plan exploration programs. The Company's current and future exploration work includes verification of the historical data through drilling. Mr. Ainsworth has not verified any of the information regarding any of the properties or projects referred to herein other than the Ardnasvarre Mineral License. Mineralization on any other properties referred to herein is not necessarily indicative of mineralization on the Ardnasvarre Mineral License. About District Metals Corp. District Metals Corp. is led by industry professionals with a track record of success in the mining industry. The Company's mandate is to seek out, explore, and develop prospective mineral properties through a disciplined science-based approach to create shareholder value and benefit other stakeholders. District is a polymetallic exploration and development company focused on the Viken and Tomtebo Properties in Sweden. The Viken Property covers 68% of the uranium-vanadium Viken Deposit, which is an asset with substantial exploration and development expenditures that resulted in the definition of large historic polymetallic resource estimates and positive economic studies in 2010 and 2014. The Viken Deposit is amongst the largest deposits by total historic mineral resources of uranium and vanadium in the world. The advanced exploration stage Tomtebo Property is located in the Bergslagen Mining District of south-central Sweden and is situated between the historic Falun Mine and Boliden's Garpenberg Mine that are located 25 km to the northwest and southeast, respectively. Two historic polymetallic mines and numerous polymetallic showings are located on the Tomtebo Property along an approximate 17 km trend that exhibits similar geology, structure, alteration and VMS/SedEx style mineralization as other significant mines within the district. For further information on the Tomtebo Property, please see the technical report entitled "NI 43-101 Update Technical Report on the Tomtebo Project, Bergslagen Region of Sweden" dated effective October 15, 2020 and amended and restated on February 26, 2021, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Garrett Ainsworth" President and Chief Executive Officer (604) 288-4430 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information. This news release contains certain statements that may be considered "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" and any similar expressions. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, predictions, indications, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking statements in this news release relating to the Company include, among other things, statements relating to the Company's Ardnasvarre nr 1 mineral license to explore for copper, molybdenum, zirconium, and rare earth elements (REE) located in Norrbottens County, northern Sweden; the Company's planned exploration activities, including its drill target strategy and next steps for the Ardnasvarre Property; and the Company's interpretations and expectations about the results on the Ardnasvarre Property. These statements and other forward-looking information are based on opinions, assumptions and estimates made by the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that the Company believes are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances, as of the date of this news release, including, without limitation, assumptions about the reliability of historical data and the accuracy of publicly reported information regarding past and historic mines in the Bergslagen district; the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to fund planned exploration activities, maintain corporate capacity; and stability in financial and capital markets. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date such statements are made, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to risks associated with the following: the reliability of historic data on District's Properties; the Company's ability to raise sufficient capital to finance planned exploration (including incurring prescribed exploration expenditures required by the Tomtebo Purchase Agreement, failing which the Tomtebo Property will be forfeited without any repayment of the purchase price); the Company's limited operating history; the Company's negative operating cash flow and dependence on third-party financing; the uncertainty of additional funding; the uncertainties associated with early stage exploration activities including general economic, market and business conditions, the regulatory process, failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals, technical issues, potential delays, unexpected events and management's capacity to execute and implement its future plans; the Company's ability to identify any mineral resources and mineral reserves; the substantial expenditures required to establish mineral reserves through drilling and the estimation of mineral reserves or mineral resources; the Company's dependence on one material project, the Tomtebo Property; the uncertainty of estimates used to calculated mineralization figures; changes in governmental regulations; compliance with applicable laws and regulations; competition for future resource acquisitions and skilled industry personnel; reliance on key personnel; title matters; conflicts of interest; environmental laws and regulations and associated risks, including climate change legislation; land reclamation requirements; changes in government policies; volatility of the Company's share price; the unlikelihood that shareholders will receive dividends from the Company; potential future acquisitions and joint ventures; infrastructure risks; fluctuations in demand for, and prices of gold, silver and copper; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; legal proceedings and the enforceability of judgments; going concern risk; risks related to the Company's information technology systems and cyber-security risks; and risk related to the outbreak of epidemics or pandemics or other health crises, including the recent outbreak of COVID-19. For additional information regarding these risks, please see the Company's Annual Information Form, under the heading "Risk Factors", which is available at www.sedar.com. These factors and assumptions are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors and assumptions that could affect the Company. These factors and assumptions, however, should be considered carefully. Although the Company has attempted to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Also, many of such factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. All scientific and technical information contained in this news release has been prepared by or reviewed and approved by Garrett Ainsworth, PGeo, President and CEO of the Company. Mr. Ainsworth is a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170869 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. (TSXV: PEX) (OTCQB: PEXZF) ("Pacific Ridge" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that drilling is underway at the Company's 100% owned Kliyul copper-gold project ("Kliyul" or the "Project"), located in the prolific Quesnel Trough in north-central British Columbia (see Figure 1). Pacific Ridge plans to complete 7,000 m of diamond drilling at Kliyul this year. "The 7,000 m drill program at Kliyul will be focused on expanding the Kliyul Main Zone and testing four nearby interpreted porphyry centres that we have never drilled before," said Blaine Monaghan, President & CEO of Pacific Ridge. "The results from this year's drill program at Kliyul could be a game changer for Pacific Ridge and its shareholders." Figure 1-Location of Kliyul To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5460/170946_fdb91137d4c24b68_001full.jpg 2023 Kliyul Drill Program Update The first diamond drill rig is now producing drill core from KLI-23-051, the first 2023 drill hole, and the second diamond drill rig has just arrived. The second drill rig is expected to start producing drill core from KLI-23-052 shortly. The objectives of this year's drill program at Kliyul are to expand the size of the KMZ mineralized body and to test several other high-priority drill targets. Three of the first four drill holes will focus on expanding the Kliyul Main Zone ("KMZ") to the southeast and into adjacent fault blocks to the north and west. It is thought that the fault blocks surrounding the central KMZ block are downthrown relative to KMZ, based on alteration mineralogy, geochemical and geophysical signatures, and have good preservation potential for offset segments of high-grade Kliyul porphyry mineralization. 2023 Proposed Drill Holes at Kliyul Seven drill holes (KLI-23-051, KLI-23-052, KLI-23-054, KLI-23-055, KLI-23-056, KLI-23-058, and KLI-23-060) have been designed to expand the size of the KMZ mineralized body to the southeast and into adjacent fault blocks to the north, east, and southwest (see Figure 2). These targets are defined by known mineralization from previous drilling campaigns combined with modelled geophysical signatures, primarily a 3D Magnetic Vector Inversion (MVI) aeromagnetic high signature with coincident resistivity and chargeability high anomalies. Four drill holes (KLI-23-053, KLI-23-057, KLI-23-059, and KLI-23-061) have been designed to test several high priority targets that lie mainly within the Divide Lake Fault Trend, a highly prospective 6-km-long northwest-trending alteration and mineralization corridor, including Ginger (1.4 km northwest of KMZ), Parish Hill (1 km southeast of KMZ), M-39 (3.5 km southeast of KMZ); and Ginger South (1.2 km west of KMZ) which lies within the east-northeast Valley Fault Trend (see Figure 3). These targets are interpreted porphyry centres derived from aeromagnetic data and 3D MVI modelling, Induced Polarization (IP) survey inversions, geological mapping (lithology, alteration, mineralization, structure), and surface geochemical sampling. Figure 2-Plan View of KMZ, Kliyul West, Kliyul North and East Wedge with 38-Hectare Magnetic Vector Inversion (MVI) Anomaly and the 2023 Proposed Drill Holes To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5460/170946_fdb91137d4c24b68_002full.jpg Figure 3-Kliyul Targets with RMI Aeromagnetics and the 2023 Proposed Drill Holes To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5460/170946_fdb91137d4c24b68_003full.jpg Description of the 2023 Proposed Drill Holes at Kliyul KLI-23-051 (azimuth 310, inclination -52, planned length 700 m) is collared in KMZ about 135 m south of KLI-22-043. It is designed to drill across the core of KMZ at a high angle to the dominant historical drilling orientation, and then drill across Valley Fault into Kliyul North zone by about 550 m. This part of Kliyul North has never been drilled despite having the same geophysical signature as KMZ to the extent of data coverage. KLI-23-052 (azimuth 235, inclination -58, planned length 600 m) is collared in KMZ about 150 m east of KLI-22-043 which drilled to the west and returned 38.0 m of 0.65% CuEq* (0.45% copper, 0.26 g/t gold, and 0.83 g/t silver) within 114.0 m of 0.55% CuEq* (0.28% copper, 0.36 g/t Au, and 1.52 g/t Ag). The 38.0 m interval, starting at 463 m, is in the Kliyul West block and has a distinctively high 1.75 Cu:Au ratio signature of mineralization compared to the entire known Kliyul mineralized body (weighted average of 0.61 Cu:Au). KLI-23-052 will provide an 80 m step-out to the southeast in KMZ and then drill across Lui Fault into Kliyul West starting at about 450 m to test for an extension of the KLI-22-043 result. KLI-23-053 (azimuth 222, inclination -75, planned length 600 m) will be the first deep drill test of the Ginger target area. Results from 2022 exploration suggest there may be a northeast-tilted porphyry system with a core zone starting at about 300 m depth. There is only one historical drill hole in the area, 450 m to the southwest, that was shallow drilled (to 100 m vertical depth) and appears to have intersected post-mineral granodiorite. KLI-23-054 (azimuth 000, inclination -55, planned length 450 m) will be collared in the Kliyul North zone as a 170 m step-out to the northwest of KLI-22-046, which extended mineralization 250 m north of KMZ and returned 59.0 m of 0.89% CuEq* (0.24% copper, 0.87 g/t gold, and 2.29 g/t silver) within 169 m of 0.55% CuEq* (0.20% copper, 0.46 g/t Au, and 1.65 g/t Ag). KLI-23-054 will test for an extension of the KLI-22-046 result, as well as test for moderately south-dipping attitude of mineralization and associated intrusions. KLI-23-055 (azimuth 090, inclination -80, planned length 550 m) will be collared in the Kliyul North zone from the same drill pad as KLI-22-052. This steeply inclined drill hole will test the Kliyul North zone at depth in a gap area where there is the same geophysical signature as KMZ. The nearest deep drill hole, KLI-22-044, is 100 m to the southeast and returned 23.2 m of 0.94% CuEq* (0.24% copper, 0.94 g/t gold, and 1.40 g/t silver) starting at 409.0 m within the Kliyul North zone. KLI-23-056 (azimuth 000, inclination -65, planned length 600 m) will be collared on the under-drilled eastern side of KMZ and drill north towards Divide Lake Fault and then into the East Wedge zone at depth. The nearest drill holes include KLI-15-033, collared 130 m to the north, which returned 69.5 m of 0.58% CuEq* (0.28% copper, 0.39 g/t gold, and 1.57 g/t silver) starting at 32.5 m; and KLI-22-049, collared 155 m to the northeast, which returned 66.0 m of 0.41% CuEq* (0.23% copper, 0.24 g/t gold, and 0.90 g/t silver) starting at 250.0 m in the East Wedge zone. KLI-23-057 (azimuth 240, inclination -60, planned length 600 m) will be collared in the Parish Hill zone, 1 km southeast of KMZ within a broad moderate-intensity RMI aeromagnetic anomaly that follows the Lui fault (see Figure 3). A northwest-trending 330 x 100 m lens-shaped MVI magnetic high anomaly comes to surface here following a lithological contact between sandstone-carbonate and volcaniclastic units that was mapped in 2021 (the "SC/Vx contact"). This contact has garnet-magnetite skarn associated with it and was found to be chalcopyrite-bornite mineralized farther to the west-northwest. The near-surface MVI magnetic high anomaly dips steeply to the west and merges into a large magnetic high anomaly after 300 m depth that could represent a porphyry deposit source of the surface skarn. Drilling will test this magnetic anomaly. KLI-23-058 (azimuth 055, inclination -65, planned length 700 m) will be collared in the Kliyul West zone stepping out 290 m southeast of KLI-22-050 within the Lui Fault corridor aeromagnetic anomaly. Drilling will test the SC/Vx contact at about 400 m depth and about 150 m west of where the mineralized skarn was mapped on surface. A larger magnetic anomaly begins at about 470 m depth. It is important to note that the SC/Vx contact as mapped in 2021 parallels an interpreted east-west linkage structure at Kliyul that is at the center of fault jog structural interpretations for the KMZ mineralized body. KLI-23-059 (azimuth 055, inclination -60, planned length 450 m) will be collared in the Ginger South target area about 1 km south of KLI-23-053 in the Ginger zone. The Ginger South area lies near the intersection of a western extension of the ENE-trending Valley Fault corridor with the northwest-trending Parish Hill fault, and LiDAR results indicate there may be a north-south fault that extends south from the Ginger zone. This interpreted double or triple fault intersection is about 250 m north of the planned drill hole collar and coincides with a >0.2 ppm Au-in-soil anomaly. Drilling will test a 150 m diameter aeromagnetic high bullseye anomaly that is coincident with a chargeability high and could drill across the SC/Vx contact at depth. KLI-23-060 (azimuth 240, inclination -60, planned length 500 m) will be collared in the Kliyul East zone where there is no historical drilling. The nearest drill hole is KLI-22-048A, about 80 m to the north, but it was drilled mainly within the Kliyul North zone and did not adequately test Kliyul East. Drilling will test a steeply west dipping chargeability anomaly that extends from near surface in Kliyul East to about 430 m depth in the East Wedge zone where it is coincident with an MVI magnetic high anomaly near the Divide Lake Fault. KLI-23-061 (azimuth 070, inclination -55, planned length 700 m) will be collared in the M-39 zone where there is no historical drilling. Results from 2022 exploration suggest there may be a deep-seated porphyry system with a large (500+ m diameter) chargeability anomaly starting at about 500 m depth. There is a 300 x 100 m steeply east dipping pipe-shaped chargeability high feature on its western side that extends to surface near the eastern margin of the northwest-trending Kliyul Creek intrusive complex; this is coincident with an MVI magnetic high feature. A flat-lying resistivity high feature at 200-300 m depth is suggestive of an overlying lithocap. Drilling will test the near-surface chargeability-magnetic high anomaly and follow it down plunge to depth. About Pacific Ridge Our goal is to become British Columbia's leading copper-gold exploration company. Pacific Ridge's flagship project is its 100% owned Kliyul copper-gold project, located in the Quesnel Trough close to existing infrastructure. In addition to Kliyul, the Company's project portfolio includes the RDP copper-gold project (optioned to Antofagasta Minerals S.A.), the Chuchi copper-gold project, the Onjo copper-gold project, and the Redton copper-gold project, all located in British Columbia. Pacific Ridge would like to acknowledge that its B.C. projects are located in the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the Gitxsan Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, Nak'azdli Whut'en, Takla Nation, and Tsay Keh Dene Nation. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Blaine Monaghan" Blaine Monaghan President & CEO Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. Corporate Contact: Blaine Monaghan President & CEO Tel: (604) 687-4951 www.pacificridgeexploration.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-ridge-exploration-ltd-pex- https://twitter.com/PacRidge_PEX Investor Contact: G2 Consultants Corp. Telephone: +1 778-678-9050 Email: [email protected] *CuEq = ((Cu%) x $Cu x 22.0462) + (Au(g/t) x $Au x 0.032151) + (Ag(g/t) x $Ag X 0.032151)) / ($Cu x 22.0462) Commodity prices: $Cu = US$3.50/lb, $Au = US$1,750/oz., and Ag = US$20.00/oz. Factors: 22.0462 = Cu% to lbs per tonne, 0.032151 = Au g/t to troy oz per tonne, and 0.032151 = Ag g/t to troy oz per tonne. Recovery is assumed to be 100% - there has been no metallurgical testing on Kliyul mineralization. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The technical information contained within this News Release has been reviewed and approved by Gerald G. Carlson, Ph.D., P.Eng., Executive Chairman of Pacific Ridge and Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 policy. Forward-Looking Information: This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, which address exploration drilling and other activities and events or developments that Pacific Ridge Exploration Ltd. ("Pacific Ridge") expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include the planned 7,000 m drill program at Kliyul and targeting concepts. Although Pacific Ridge believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploration successes, and continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. These statements are based on a number of assumptions including, among other things, assumptions regarding general business and economic conditions, that one of the options will be exercised, the ability of Pacific Ridge and other parties to satisfy stock exchange and other regulatory requirements in a timely manner, the availability of financing for Pacific Ridge's proposed programs on reasonable terms, and the ability of third party service providers to deliver services in a timely manner. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Pacific Ridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170946 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Eastern Platinum Limited (TSX: ELR) (JSE: EPS) ("Eastplats" or the "Company") announces that it has granted 3,800,000 stock options to directors, officers, and employees of the Company that vest in 90 days. The options were granted for a term of five years and expire on June 21, 2028. Each option allows the holder to purchase one common share of Eastplats at an exercise price of CDN$0.10. The Company further announces that it is filing an Amended Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the three months ended March 31, 2023 to reflect the following change: Page 10 of the MD&A has been updated to correct "Total Tailings Feed (Tons)" for Q1 2023, which has been revised from 432,005 to 631,954 as the original number excluded 199,949 tons processed in March of 2023. No other changes were made to the MD&A and the first quarter financial statements were not impacted. The previously filed MD&A was originally filed by the Company on SEDAR on May 12, 2023. This restated MD&A replaces and supersedes the previously filed MD&A and has been filed on SEDAR and also on the Company's website at www.eastplats.com/investors/. About Eastern Platinum Limited Eastplats owns directly and indirectly a number of platinum group metal ("PGM") and chrome assets in the Republic of South Africa. All of the Company's properties are situated on the western and eastern limbs of the Bushveld Complex, the geological environment that hosts approximately 80% of the world's PGM-bearing ore. Operations at the Crocodile River Mine currently include re-mining and processing its tailings resource to produce PGM and chrome concentrates from the Barplats Zandfontein tailings dam. For further information, please contact: EASTERN PLATINUM LIMITED Wylie Hui, Chief Financial Officer & Corporate Secretary [email protected] (email) (604) 800-8200 (phone) Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, forecasts, estimates, expectations and objectives for future operations that are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "will", "plan", "intends", "may", "will", "could", "expects", "anticipates" and similar expressions. Further disclosure of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and other forward-looking statements are discussed in the Company's Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis which are available under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to the vesting and expiry of options issued by the Company. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, estimates and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, commodity prices, economic conditions, currency fluctuations, competition and regulations, legal proceedings and risks related to operations in foreign countries. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date they are given and, except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170934 Woodland Hills, California--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Elevate Dispensary is thrilled to announce the celebration of its four year anniversary at its staple location in Woodland Hills, California. Since opening its doors in 2019, Elevate Dispensary has been dedicated to providing the community with safe access to cannabis products for healing and wellness. Elevate Dispensary Celebrates 4 Year Anniversary of Woodland Hills Location To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9137/171008_elevate-woodland-hills.jpg Located at 20010 Ventura Blvd, Woodland Hills CA 91365, Elevate Dispensary has become a trusted destination for individuals seeking an elevated cannabis experience. With a mission to educate and provide an unmatched experience for customers and the community, Elevate Dispensary has created a welcoming environment where people feel safe and comfortable exploring the healing possibilities of cannabis with the guidance of knowledgeable professionals. To mark this special occasion, Elevate Dispensary invites the community to join in on the anniversary celebration on Saturday, June 24th 2023. Attendees can expect fun activities, great deals, and knowledgeable customer service. Doors will open at 9am and close at 10pm, ensuring ample time for attendees to enjoy the festivities. The anniversary celebration will showcase a wide range of products, allowing customers to learn from experienced budtenders on all things cannabis. Additionally, there will be raffles with exciting prizes, goodie bags filled with cannabis-related goodies, and a taco truck to tantalize the taste buds of attendees. "We are thrilled to celebrate our 4 year anniversary at our Woodland Hills location," says Kevin Krivitsky, CEO for Elevate Dispensary. "We are grateful for the incredible support we have received from the community over the years, and we look forward to continuing to provide an exceptional cannabis experience for our customers." "We want this anniversary celebration to be a memorable experience for everyone who attends," added Krivitsky. "We invite all members of the community, both longtime customers and newcomers, to join us as we celebrate this important milestone. We will be giving 30% off all orders for the day and 15% off all deliveries." For more information about Elevate Dispensary and their 4 year anniversary celebration, please visit their website at www.elevate-dispensary.com or contact Elevate directly at +1 (818) 835-9525. About Elevate Dispensary Elevate Dispensary is a compassionate company based in Woodland Hills, California. Their mission is to provide the community with safe access to cannabis products for healing and wellness. With a focus on education and an elevated experience, Elevate Dispensary aims to create a place where people feel safe and comfortable exploring the healing possibilities of cannabis with the guidance of knowledgeable professionals. Contact Information: Leslie Arellano - Head of Marketing Elevate Dispensary - Phone: +1 (818) 835-9525 - Email: [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/171008 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Fremont Gold Ltd. (TSXV: FRE) (FSE: FR2) (OTCQB: FRERF) ("Fremont" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the terms of a non-brokered private placement of up to 25,000,000 units ("Unit") at a price of $0.12 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $3,000,000 (the "Private Placement"). Net proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to undertake an initial drill campaign at Fremont's Vardenis project located in central Armenia, for advancing Fremont's lithium assets in Nevada and for general working capital. Vardenis Copper - Gold project The Vardenis copper-gold property is a high-sulfidation, possible Cu-porphyry mineralized system formerly held by Dundee Precious Metals Corp ("DPMC"). It occurs 25 kilometers along strike and in the same Eocene volcanic sequences which host the 3-million-ounce Amulsar gold deposit being developed by Orion Mine Finance, Osisko Gold Royalties and Resource Capital Fund (see news releases dated May 9, 2023 and June 6, 2023). Historic work at Vardenis comprises early Soviet-era trenching and pits from the 1960s followed by more recent exploration undertaken by DPMC from 2015-2018. This recent work includes over 6,000 geochemical samples (soils, rocks and streams), geological mapping, trenching and 1,246m of diamond drilling. This work has defined a seven kilometer long, gold-in-soil anomaly as well as a separate 3.6 x 2.0-kilometer copper anomaly located 1.4 kilometers to the south of the gold anomaly. A recently completed National Instrument 43-101 report on the Vardenis property will be posted to SEDAR in the coming days. Figure 1. Copper soil geochemistry To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3169/170970_57cea6db44e848d4_002full.jpg Initial exploration work has commenced and will include a short-wave infrared (SWIR) alteration survey, other geophysical surveys and road/drill pad construction. Drilling is expected to commence in August. Nevada Lithium targets The Company recently staked and filed on some prospective lithium targets in Nevada (see news releases dated May 9, 2023 and May 24, 2023). Part of the proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to stake additional lithium targets in Nevada. The Units Each Unit will be comprised of one common share of the Company and one half of one share purchase warrant. Each whole share purchase warrant ("Warrant") will entitle the holder to purchase one common share at a purchase price of $0.20 per for a period of 24 months following the closing of the Private Placement. Fremont may pay a finder's fee of up to 5% of the gross proceeds raised in connection with the Private Placement. Closing of the Private Placement and the payment of any finder's fees will be subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities offered will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from the registration requirements. All securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement will be subject to a four-month hold period under Canadian securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, as applicable. About Fremont Gold Fremont's mine-finding management team has assembled a portfolio of high-quality Nevada lithium and gold projects with the goal of making a new discovery. The Company has also been seeking world-class mineral opportunities within the central Tethyan belt of Armenia and Georgia and recently signed an option agreement over the Vardenis property and applied for an exploration license over the Urasar mineral district, which are located in central and northern Armenia respectively. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Dennis Moore President and CEO, interim Chairman Telephone: +351 9250 62196 Email: [email protected] www.fremontgold.net https://twitter.com/GoldFremont https://www.linkedin.com/company/fremont-gold/ Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward looking statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the completion of the Consolidation, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations including the risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. As regards the current financing, such risks and uncertainties may cause the completion of the Private Placement or the actual use of proceeds to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information which could adversely impact the Company's ability to explore (including drill) the Vardenis project and advance the Company's lithium targets. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements only as expressly required by Canadian securities law. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170970 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF) ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solutions provider for workforces, is pleased to announce that the Company has closed the first tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement of 4,857,588 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of $0.145 per Unit (the "Offering Price"), for aggregate gross proceeds of $704,350.26 (the "Private Placement"). Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to acquire one additional share (a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.20 per Warrant Share for a period of 48 months from the closing date of the Private Placement, provided that if the volume weighted average closing price of the Shares on the TSXV (or such other stock exchange on which the Shares are traded) is equal to or greater than $0.25 for any ten consecutive trading days, the Company may at its option to elect to accelerate the expiry of the Warrants by providing notice to the holders thereof, in which case the Warrants will expire thirty calendar days following delivery of such notice. In connection with the Private Placement, the Company paid arm's length finders (each, a "Finder") an aggregate of $31,907.77 and issued an aggregate of 220,054 warrants (each, a "Finder's Warrant"), representing 7% of the proceeds raised from those purchasers introduced by such Finder and 7% of the total number of Units sold to investors introduced by such Finder, which provide that such Finder may acquire common shares of the Company (each a "Finder's Warrant Share") at $0.145 per Finder's Warrant Share for a period of 48 months from the date of issuance. The Company intends to use the proceeds raised from the Private Placement for general corporate purposes and market awareness advertising. The Company expects to close the LIFE Offering and a second tranche of the Concurrent Placement on or around Monday, June 26th, 2023. The Private Placement was completed in connection with news releases dated June 1, 2023 and June 13, 2023, pursuant to which the Company announced a non-brokered private placement of at least 4,827,587 Units at the Offering Price for gross proceeds of $700,000 and a maximum of 5,337,772 Units for gross proceeds of up to $773,977, pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 Prospectus Exemptions (the "LIFE Offering") and a concurrent private placement to purchasers pursuant to applicable exemptions under NI 45-106 of at least 4,310,345 Units at the Offering Price for gross proceeds of $625,000 and up to a maximum of 6,896,551 Units for gross proceeds of up to $1,000,000 (the "Concurrent Placement"). The Private Placement constitutes a portion of the Concurrent Placement. The securities issued pursuant to the Private Placement have not, nor will they be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons in the absence of U.S. registration or an applicable exemption from the U.S. registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Market Awareness Advertising Groups Native Ads Inc. The Company has engaged Native Ads Inc. ("Native Ads") to provide digital media services, vendor management, marketing and data analytics services to the Company, and the Company budgeted up to US$100,000 for such services over an expected 12-month period. Native Ads is a full-service advertising agency that owns and operates a proprietary ad exchange with over 80 integrated supply side platforms resulting in access to three billion to seven billion daily North American ad impressions. Neither Native Ads nor any of its directors and officers own any securities of the Company. Global One Media Limited The Company has engaged the services of Global One Media Limited ("Global One Media") to manage its social media channels, including the distribution of interviews, Company news, and other similar services. Global One Media is an innovative investor-focused digital marketing agency solving the needs of small and mid-cap listed companies. Global One Media does not have any interest, directly or indirectly, in the Company or its securities, or any right or intent to acquire such an interest. Global One Media may provide additional services in the future. Outside The Box Capital Inc. The Company has engaged Outside The Box Capital Inc. ("Outside The Box") to provide marketing services to communicate information about Plurilock to the financial community. The initial term of the engagement is 4 months, and the agreement may be terminated by either party at any time during the 4-month period. The Company will pay Outside The Box a cash fee of CA$70,000 plus applicable taxes, across the term of services. Outside The Box specializes in social media platforms and will be able to facilitate greater awareness and widespread dissemination of the Company's news into these channels. About Plurilock Plurilock secures workforces, delivering least privilege access management and advanced IT solutions to commercial and government customers worldwide. With industry-leading artificial intelligence and patented real-time identity confirmation technology, Plurilock combines next-generation cybersecurity with a comprehensive line of products and services that enable teams across North America and the globe to compute safely in a remote work world. For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact: Ian L. Paterson Chief Executive Officer [email protected] 416.800.1566 Prit Singh Investor Relations [email protected] 905.510.7636 Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") related to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions, and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, the impact of general economic conditions, the success of the Company in obtaining new or extended contracts or orders; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers or develop new customers; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of other businesses and/or companies or to realize on the anticipated benefits thereof; and unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof, and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Information Form. They are otherwise disclosed in its filings with securities regulatory authorities available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for release, publication, distribution or dissemination, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, in or into the United States. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170977 Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged William K. Ichioka, of New York, New York, with fraudulently raising $25 million from individual investors primarily in California and Oregon by making false claims about his investing success and promising large anticipated returns but instead using investor funds for gambling and to enrich himself. Ichioka has agreed to resolve the charges against him. According to the SECs complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, from at least June 2019 to October 2021, Ichioka solicited investments for his unregistered investment fund, Ichioka Ventures, by claiming he was an accomplished investor, promising oversized returns, and guaranteeing investors principal. In reality though, as the complaint alleges, Ichioka was unable to pay investors the promised returns and used money from new investors to repay other investors. Also, as alleged in the complaint, Ichioka falsified a bank statement and other documents to create an appearance of success. Finally, according to the complaint, Ichioka also misappropriated millions of investors' funds for personal use, such as on luxury watches, cars, gambling, and a penthouse apartment. As we allege in our complaint, Ichioka lured investors by falsely stating that he was a self-made multimillionaire investor able to generate significant investment returns, but the real story was that Ichioka stole investor funds to enrich himself, said Monique C. Winkler, Director of the SECs San Francisco Regional Office. This case highlights the SECs commitment to holding bad actors accountable and protecting the integrity of our markets. The SECs complaint charges Ichioka with violating the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. Ichioka has agreed to the entry of a partial final judgment, subject to court approval, imposing requested permanent and conduct-based injunctions as well as an officer and director bar, and reserving issues of disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and a civil penalty for further determination by the court. In parallel actions, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of California (USAO) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today also announced charges against Ichioka. The SECs investigation was conducted by Erin E. Wilk of the Enforcement Divisions Crypto Assets and Cyber Unit and supervised by Jason H. Lee and Ms. Winkler of the San Francisco Regional Office. The SECs litigation will be led by Ms. Wilk and John Han. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the USAO, CFTC, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed SmartCard Marketing Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: SMKG) ("the Company"), an industry leader in specialized industry Multi-Tenant E-Commerce, Cloud and Mobility applications delivering White-Label solutions to the global PayTech and FinTech markets. CEO of the Company, Massimo Barone, joined Stock Day host Kevin Davis. Davis began the interview by asking about the Company's background and current projects. "SmartCard specializes in FinTech and FinTech applications; we develop platforms-as-a-service, including commerce strategies for banks and enterprises," explained Barone. "What is the current AI runway for SmartCard?", asked Davis. "About a year and a half ago we required a ChatBot AI system from a company overseas," said Barone. "We have been working to develop a strategy around the system, which could be utilized by banks and telecom for digital onboarding, CRM, client relationship management, and automation of tasks for both the customer and the employee for an enhanced work experience and data collection." "Could you elaborate on platforms-as-a-service for banks?", asked Davis. "At SmartCard we have developed over 20 proprietary platforms, including a cross border and terminal management system," said Barone. "We white label the solutions centered around banks and we enable them for B2B, B2C, customer banking, as well as their payment functions to allow them to compete in the market," he continued. "We essentially eliminate CapX for them to enter the markets and we activate all of those functions to allow them to enter the FinTech space, rather than just being a deposit-taking bank." The conversation then turned to the Company's new channel partners. "We recently finalized a very large integration with Facilitapay, which gives us a reach into Latin America," shared Barone, before elaborating on the unique benefits of these systems. "The customer experience is widely accepted, the resellers and consultants have an immediate go-to-action plan, and for us the benefit is that we can directly activate corporate accounts or larger businesses that require a long-term solution." To close the interview, Barone elaborated on the Company's goals for 2023 as the banking industry and the demand for innovative payment solutions continues to evolve and grow. He also encouraged listeners and shareholders to keep up-to-date on the Company's current and upcoming projects. To hear Massimo Barone's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8322159-smartcard-marketing-systems-inc-ai-runway-and-new-channel-partners-with-the-stock-day-podcast. Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/. About SmartCard Marketing Systems Inc (OTCQB: SMKG): SmartCard Marketing Systems Inc (OTCQB: SMKG) is an industry leader in specialized industry Multi-Tenant E-Commerce, Cloud and Mobility applications delivering White-Label solutions to the global PayTech and FinTech markets. SMKG is a boutique technology company, providing Business Intelligence, Commerce Strategies and Digital Transformation with a proprietary portfolio of applications and wireframes for Banking, Enterprises and Retail e-Wallets offering Cross-border Payments, Blockchain Protocols, Crypto Issuing, Chatbot AI, NFT Minting, Tokenization, Digital ID-eKYC, Digital Automation Strategies with option for "License to Own" marketplace applications. For more info visit https://www.smartcardmarketingsystems.com or visit our business applications marketplace at https://www.emphasispay.com. SmartCard's common stock is currently listed on the OTCQB under the symbol "SMKG". The shares of common stock covered by the registration statement were previously issued by SmartCard and are being registered to fulfil SmartCard's registration rights obligations to certain stockholders. The registration statement, while effective, permits resale of the securities covered by the registration statement, subject to the satisfaction by the seller of the securities with the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act of 1933. The offering of the securities covered by the registration statement may only be made by means of a prospectus. The registration statement and prospectus may be accessed through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov. A copy of the prospectus related to the offering may be obtained from SmartCard Marketing Systems, Inc., 20C Trolley Square, Wilmington, DE 19806, or by calling 844-843-7296. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state or jurisdiction in which the offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. We seek a safe harbor. For additional enquiries & Enterprise Program connect with: Dharmesh Vora President Enterprise Solutions SmartCard Marketing Systems Inc. [email protected] CEO, Massimo Barone [email protected] SmartCard Marketing Systems Inc. OTC:SMKG Ph: 1-844-843-7296 [email protected] About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. SOURCE: Stock Day Media StockDayMedia.Com (602) 821-1102 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170997 Collaborative venture aims to provide cost-effective, large-scale and sustainable GPU and AI cloud services for the AI & visual computing era Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC), a leading Singapore-based data centre provider, has announced a significant investment into a global venture with Firmus Technologies (Firmus), a leader in highly scaled immersion cooled computing platforms. The HyperCube will be hosted within STT GDC locations globally, to deliver Sustainable AI Factories that are all at once sustainable, scalable, high performance and cost effective. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7958/170959_figure1.png The venture is to be based in Singapore and will see the launch of a GPU-centric Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offering focused on deep learning AI and visual computing workloads, to be known as Sustainable Metal Cloud (SMC). SMC will deliver bare-metal-service access to high-performance AI clusters, which include some of the world's most advanced workload accelerators including GPUs and high-speed networking from NVIDIA for energy-efficient computing. SMC will leverage Firmus' proprietary, scaled, immersion-cooled platform - the 'HyperCube' - hosted within global STT GDC locations, to deliver Sustainable AI Factories that are all at once sustainable, scalable, high performance and cost effective[1]. Within the HyperCube is a fleet of high-performance servers in an immersion-cooled environment. The combination of Firmus' immersion-cooled computing platform paired with STT GDC's highly efficient data centre infrastructure will result in AI workloads running with a lower PUE, lower CO2 emissions and higher petaflops per watt. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7958/170959_figure2.png Within the HyperCube, Firmus will operate a fleet of high-performance servers in its immersion-cooled environment, provided by OEM partners including Supermicro. Firmus' unlocks access to world-class AI tools and hardware in a highly available way, thanks to industry-standard uptime SLAs, provided and warranted directly by SMC to each customer. Firmus & STT GDC are launching SMC in Singapore, India and Australia in 2023, with the Singapore AZ (SIN01) expected to be live in H2 2023. The combination of Firmus' immersion-cooled computing platform, paired with STT GDC's highly efficient data centre infrastructure, will result in AI workloads running with a lower PUE[2], lower CO 2 emissions and higher petaflops[3] per watt. "We are delighted to have STT GDC as our partner. This venture is a world first and brings together Firmus' world-class scaled immersion-cooled computing platform with STT GDC's global footprint, based on NVIDIA's deep learning and visual computing architecture that is driving the exponential growth in AI. This offering will be underpinned by STT GDC's globally recognised and award-winning data centres," said Ted Pretty, Firmus Technologies Chairman. "The vision of Firmus' founders was to invest in a long-term solution that will break the mould of the traditional data centre model. They imagined the data centre as an entire computing platform - a 'Sustainable AI Factory' - and ensuring that this computing platform is best-in-class in terms of sustainability, operating and capital cost effectiveness. The vision of this venture is to combine STT GDC's strength - being one of the world's largest data centre infrastructure groups - with that of our HyperCube platform to deliver what we believe is a wholly unique proposition in delivering AI & visual computing at scale not seen before in Asia or Europe." "The compound growth in forecasted energy consumption is an existential threat to the data centre sector. Data centre operators and their customers must be prepared to embrace and support new cooling solutions and expand the services they offer beyond traditional air-cooled colocation if they are to host AI GPU platforms in a sustainable manner. The evolution of the data centre into AI factories of the future will fundamentally change the way that all infrastructure operators are thinking about the design and operation of their facilities. STT GDC's foresight and long-term vision made them the ideal global partner for Firmus' highly developed solution," said Pretty. "The future of data centres will rely on the ability to provide both exceptional performance and highly sustainable services at scale. From our beginnings in Singapore almost 10 years ago, we now have scaled the business to cover 10 geographies. We are immensely pleased to enhance our core co-location offering to include the latest GPU-based bare-metal services, empowering our customers with access to the next generation of high-performance computing which will be so critical in the AI revolution. These high-performance services are a key component of the critical infrastructure needed to support the plethora of AI use cases that will be critical to business, governments and society in years to come," said Bruno Lopez, President and Group Chief Executive, ST Telemedia Global Data Centres. He continued, "STT GDC, in partnership with Firmus, is committed to providing sustainable and foundational compute infrastructure. Singapore was the location of choice for our first flagship installation given the city's leadership in AI and sustainability. Through our new bare-metal service, customers will have early access to cost-effective and large-scale GPU compute through Firmus' embedded AI compute platform with leading-edge liquid immersion technology. We believe that data centres are critical building blocks of computing, and our investment in Firmus' technology and computing platform will transform our assets into sustainable AI factories, enabling our customers to process demanding workloads efficiently." After the first deployment in Singapore, the subsequent expansion will be into the India market in 2023. In 2024 and beyond, the deployment of Sustainable Metal Cloud availability zones (AZs) will be expanded across the STT GDC portfolio. Hashtag: #STTelemediaGlobalDataCentres The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About Firmus Technologies Firmus Technologies was founded by a young and entrepreneurial Australian team supported by leading local investment funds. Its research facility was established in Australia, where access to renewable-based energy assisted in the development and commercialisation of its scaled immersion cooled computing platform. From this facility Firmus developed the highly scalable system of multiple modularised 1MW HyperCubes that will now be deployed within STT GDC's data centre locations for cloud AZs, or at edge locations that enable high performance AI to exist anywhere the workload is needed. Stand-alone, the HyperCube technology operates within a sub 1.05 PUE envelope, and thanks to its advanced cooling features, extracts up to 30% further efficiency from the compute itself. By Total Usage Effectiveness (TUE) - a modern data centre metric that measures both facility and compute efficiency - HyperCube is amongst the most efficient compute platform in the world, with an engineered and expected TUE of less than 1.15 in Singapore. For more information, visit https://firmus.co/ or https://smc.co/ About ST Telemedia Global Data Centres ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) is one of the fastest-growing data centre providers with a global platform serving as a cornerstone of the digital ecosystem that helps the world to connect. Powering a sustainable digital future, STT GDC operates across Singapore, the UK, Germany, India, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines, providing businesses an exceptional foundation that is built for their growth anywhere. For more information, visit https://www.sttelemediagdc.com/ Media Contact: [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170959 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - TEAKO MINERALS CORP. (CSE: TMIN) (the "Company" or "Teako") is pleased to announce the execution of a Licensing Agreement (the "Licensing Agreement") dated June 22, 2023, for the Sample Control System Exploration Product (the "SCS Exploration Product") with The Coring Company AS ("TCC"), a private Norway-based technology company specializing in mining software. Highlights and Aims An exclusive two-year license for the SCS Exploration Product with The Coring Company; The SCS product aims to- provide increased new levels of data analysis, reduce materials sampling to increase efficiency, streamline work processes. To significantly reduce the cost and time of basic investigations. Earlier this year, TCC launched its new Sample Control System ("SCS") for the optimization of ground investigations. The SCS is expected to significantly reduce the cost of basic investigations and create time savings relative to traditional sampling and lab analyses by quickly collecting results in a single integrated app. This system is designed to optimize fieldwork procedures by utilizing data from drill rigs, samples, and industrial experience to produce more detailed analyses with reduced sample materials. The relationships with TCC and exposure to the SCS Exploration Product represents Teako's commitment to implementing cutting-edge technological solutions that increase efficiency and productivity within the mining industry. The Licensing Agreement Following the previously announced Letter of Intent (refer April 19, 2023 news release), Teako and TCC have agreed to the terms of the Licensing Agreement, which grants Teako exclusive rights to use, sublicense, and resell TCC's SCS Exploration Product. The License Agreement is part of a larger framework that includes a research and development agreement (the "R&D Agreement") and a project agreement, which aims to deliver the SCS Exploration Product once it reaches commercialization. Teako and TCC will develop the SCS Exploration Product together under the R&D Agreement, which is still being negotiated. Under the terms of the Licensing Agreement, Teako obtains an exclusive two-year license (the "Initial Term") for the SCS Exploration Product. The SCS Exploration Product comprises three components: the SCS - Prospecting Software, the patented Cuttings Sampler Unit ("CSU") hardware, and the Sampler Emptying Unit ("SEU") hardware. The License Agreement permits Teako to use the SCS Exploration Product internally and also to resell or refer sales of the SCS Exploration Product within the Teako group of companies, through its wholly owned subsidiary Valence Mining Services Ltd. and its alliance members, and to other entities outside the Teako group of companies. Teako and TCC have expectations of selling 500 units of the CSU during the Initial Term. The commercial terms, such as pricing for each of the components of the SCS Exploration Product, will be negotiated in good faith between the parties and before the Initial Term of the License Agreement. The SCS Exploration Product is intended for use in prospecting or exploration (including drilling) worldwide. It is designed to provide substantially increased levels of data-driven analysis, reducing the amount of required sample materials and making processes more efficient. Operational planning, risk management, task management, and budget management can be streamlined via the SCS - Prospecting Software platform, offering a comprehensive solution for ground investigation. With data from drill rigs, samples, and industrial experience, the SCS Exploration Product is expected to provide a much more detailed analysis requiring reduced sample materials and more effective operations. Sven Gollan, CEO of Teako Minerals Corp., comments, "This strategic partnership with The Coring Company represents a significant milestone for our company. The exclusive licensing of the SCS Exploration Product enables us to leverage cutting-edge technology to optimize our fieldwork procedures, reducing sample materials while simultaneously enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of our processes. At Teako, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in mineral exploration, and this agreement solidifies our position at the forefront of technological advancement in the industry." Frida Vonstad, CEO of The Coring Company, states, "This agreement with Teako Minerals Corp. is an exciting opportunity to extend the reach of our innovative SCS Exploration Product. We are thrilled to have Teako, a company known for its commitment to innovative practices, as the exclusive licensee of one of our products. It's a clear demonstration of our shared belief in the power of technology to revolutionize fieldwork procedures in the mining industry. This collaboration not only broadens the application of our technology but also validates our vision of driving efficiency in mining applications." About The Coring Company: The Coring Company is a Norwegian technology company that develops digital solutions for conducting ground investigations within a range of fields. TCC was founded in 2019 based on the research conducted by its founder and CEO, Frida Vonstad, during her doctoral studies at University College of London and Oxford University. TCC's main product, the Sample Control System (SCS), is a powerful tool that helps reduce costs, decrease carbon footprint, and reduce risk when conducting ground investigations. Visit https://www.thecoring.com/ for more information. About Teako Minerals Corp.: Teako Minerals Corp. is a Vancouver-based mineral exploration company committed to the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada and globally. The adoption of advanced technologies such as the SCS Exploration Product aligns with its strategy to remain at the forefront of the rapidly evolving mining industry. ON BEHALF OF TEAKO MINERALS CORP. "Sven Gollan" Chief Executive Officer T: +43 5522 500429 email [email protected] Forward-Looking Information: This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, concerning the business of Teako. Forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of Teako. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "will," "may," "would," "expect," "intend," "plan," "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue," "likely," "could" and variations of these terms and similar expressions, or the negative of these terms or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include that (a) Teako and TCC will develop the SCS Exploration Product together, (b) the commercial terms, such as pricing for each of the components of the SCS Exploration Product, will be negotiated in good faith between the parties and before the Initial Term, (c) the SCS Exploration Product is expected to provide a much more detailed analysis with data from drill rigs, samples, and industrial experience, (d) the SCS is expected to significantly reduce the cost of basic investigations and create time savings relative to traditional sampling and lab analyses, (e) Teako and TCC have expectations of selling 500 units of the CSU during the Initial Term, and (f) the SCS Exploration Product is intended for use in prospecting or exploration (including drilling). Although Teako believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because Teako can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of the contents of this release. Not for dissemination in the United States or through U.S. newswires To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/170969 Publishes 2022 ESG Report Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 22, 2023) - Velocity Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: VLC) ("Velocity" or the "Company") reports the results of its annual general meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders held on June 22, 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia. All the motions presented to the shareholders were approved. Votes representing 103,649,770 shares were cast, representing 60.40% of the issued and outstanding shares at the record date. A summary of the Meeting results is outlined below. Motion Votes for the Motion Percentage of Votes in Favour Number of Directors 103,649,770 100% Keith Henderson 103,649,770 100% Mark Cruise 103,649,770 100% Daniel Marinov 103,649,770 100% Gerrie van der Westhuizen 103,649,770 100% Appointment of Auditor 103,649,770 100% Ratification and Approval of Stock Option Plan 103,649,770 100% 2022 ESG Report The Company has published its third annual ESG Report (the "Report"), which is available for download on the Velocity web site. In the Report the Company outlines the Company's continued focus on environmental stewardship, local stakeholders and leadership in the community. The report highlights some of the work we have done in Bulgaria including provision of free medical checkups in the community, directed towards women's health, and curation of a local exhibition called Treasures of the Earth, which provides education on natural resources. Velocity welcomes feedback from shareholders and stakeholders regarding the work summarized in the Report. Incentive Stock Options The Company announces that it has granted 3,365,000 common share stock options (each, an "Option") to various directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company and its affiliates. The Options entitle the holder to purchase shares at a price of $0.16 per share (which price is the 5-day market VWAP) for a period of 5 years from the issue date. Options will vest over 3 years, beginning 6 months from the date of issue and vesting in equal tranches bi-annually thereafter. Including this issuance, the Company has now set Options representing 5.2% of the issued and outstanding stock. About Velocity Minerals Ltd. Velocity is a precious metal and copper explorer focused in Europe. In Bulgaria, Velocity has a 70% interest in the Tintyava property, which includes the prefeasibility-stage Rozino deposit. Velocity also has a 70% interest in the Momchil property (which includes the Obichnik project), a 70% interest in the Nadezhda property (which includes the Makedontsi project), and a 70% interest in the Dangovo property (which is contiguous with the Makedontsi project). The Company holds a 100% interest in the Iglika copper-gold exploration property and recently entered into an option agreement with Dundee Precious Metals who have an option to earn a 75% interest in the property. The Company has also entered into an agreement to acquire a 75% interest in the Zlatusha copper-gold exploration property. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Keith Henderson" President & CEO For further information, please contact: Keith Henderson Phone: +1-604-484-1233 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.velocityminerals.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as "pro forma", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "should", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", "potential" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. In making the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation, that market fundamentals will result in sustained precious metals demand and prices, the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of the Property in a timely manner, the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development, construction and continued operation of the Property, and the Company's ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development and mine development activities at the Property, estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, requirements for additional capital, future prices of precious metals and copper, changes in general economic conditions, changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities, possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates, possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, delays or the inability of the Company to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required, including TSX Venture Exchange acceptance, financing or other planned activities, changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations, currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities, risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on the Company's business, risks related to joint venture operations, and risks related to the integration of acquisitions, as well as those factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's latest Management Discussion and Analysis and other filings of the Company with the Canadian Securities Authorities, copies of which can be found under the Company's profile on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking information in this news release or incorporated by reference herein. - 30 - To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/171052 Bud Light is 'at the end of the tunnel' of controversy, analyst says It's time to buy Bud Light's stock even if Americans aren't back to buying Bud Light just yet, according to Deutsche Bank analyst Mitch Collett. Collett upgraded Bud Light's parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD), from Hold to Buy and raised his price target from $52 to $60, noting that Bud Light is "at the end of the tunnel" of its controversy. "We believe recent underperformance implies a permanent reduction in ABI's US business," Collett wrote. "Our proprietary survey data suggests these headwinds are likely to fade even if we do not expect the US business ever to fully recover from its current challenges." Bud Light sales have tanked over the last two months as beer drinkers boycott the brand following an advertising campaign with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. In the week ending June 10, Bud Light sales declined 26.8% compared to the same period a year prior, marking the ninth straight week of declines greater than 20%, according to Nielsen. Analysis from Evercore ISI indicates that volume declines are steadying in a range of 26-28%, though no recovery is in sight yet. ABInBev's stock has stumbled amid the declining sales reports and Modelo surpassing Bud Light as the top-selling beer in America. Shares are down roughly 13% since the beginning of April when the Mulvaney ad campaign was launched. Deutsche Bank estimates that the current sales declines represent about a 12% headwind to ABI's net income on an annual basis. But with those declines potentially priced into the stock, Deutsche thinks Bud Light could be well-positioned if sentiment flips. "Analysis of distribution data suggests ABI is not losing shelf presence with sales velocity the primary driver of decline," Collett wrote. "This bodes well if consumer sentiment improves." In other words, stores are still stocking their shelves with Bud Light. So if drinkers want to return to their longtime favorite beer, it will be waiting in the cold fridge. But Deutsche Bank also notes that if those sales don't come back, North America only accounts for 30% of AbInBev's global profits. Bud Light cans are seen in the store in Montreal, Canada on June 16, 2023. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images) For its part, Bud Light is still trying to revive its audience. After putting two marketing executives on leave following the backlash, Bud Light is now launching a new advertising campaign featuring the song "Good Times" by Chic. The ad shows scenes of everyday people doing summer activities like cooking out or hanging by the lake while drinking Bud Lights. But some Wall Street analysts don't see good times ahead for the Bud Light brand itself. Deutsche Bank sees some of Bud Light's declines as a "permanent reduction" in AbInBev's US business. Evercore ISI analyst Robert Ottenstein agrees. "Bud Light will permanently lose about 15-20% of its volume, after which declines will resume at about the average rate of the prior 10 years," Ottenstein wrote in a note on Wednesday. "Budweiser will also see a similar pattern, with consumers lost in 2022 not coming back." Josh is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation. The Green Block, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to fostering Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) projects in Web3, was officially launched yesterday at BEEAH Group headquarters in the United Arab Emirates. The Green Block, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to fostering Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) projects in Web3, was officially launched yesterday at BEEAH Group headquarters in the United Arab Emirates. This global initiative, spearheaded by Crypto Oasis Ventures in collaboration with the management consultancy Roland Berger, marks a significant step towards creating a sustainable future by leveraging the power of Blockchain and AI technologies. The Green Block is a global Think Tank and Launchpad that aims to accelerate and promote the use of Web3 and AI technology for the improvement of the environment, social and governance related initiatives that improve the quality of life. It is initiated by Crypto Oasis Ventures in partnership with Roland Berger. The initiative will bring together projects and thought leaders that utilize technology for advancing sustainability related projects. BEEAH Group is the Think Tanks first Patron with Khaled al Huraimel, Group CEO also joining The Green Block Advisory Council. The primary objective of The Green Block is to establish an ecosystem that connects stakeholders from diverse sectors to develop and implement impactful Web3 solutions pertaining to corporate governance, environmental sustainability, and social responsibility. By leveraging the potential of Web3 and AI, The Green Block aims to address global challenges in line with the UAE's COP28 agenda and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Faisal Zaidi, Co-founder of Crypto Oasis Ventures, stated, "The launch of The Green Block represents the first milestone in our journey to create a sustainable future through Web3 initiatives in the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) field. By connecting projects, providing and enabling infrastructure, and empowering talent, The Green Block will facilitate the development and implementation of sustainable Web3 solutions on a global scale. Aligning ourselves with the objectives of COP28 and the UAE, we aim to take this initiative global. As the inaugural patron of The Green Block, BEEAH assumes a vital role in propelling the mission of the initiative. As an international holding group and pioneer for sustainable, smart solutions for future ready cities, BEEAH understands the importance of fostering sustainability and aligning with the UAE's agenda for COP28. Through their partnership with The Green Block, BEEAH underscores its dedication to environmental responsibility and social progress. Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO of BEEAH Group, emphasized the significance of The Green Block's launch, stating, There is immense potential in Blockchain, AI and Web3 technologies and I am excited to see how the Green Block leverages these to revolutionize ESG projects. As one of the first adopters of blockchain technologies in Sharjah, BEEAH Group's vision is built on the twin pillars of sustainability and digitalisation. As a patron of The Green Block, BEEAH Group looks forward to fostering innovation and engaging with stakeholders to achieve sustainability objectives using technology while overcoming global challenges. On the steering committee of The Green Block initiative, the representation from Roland Berger contributes to determining the strategic direction of the initiative. The committee makes key decisions that shape the initiative's long-term plans and immediate goals, helping to ensure the continuity of its mission. Technology like Web3 and AI will contribute significantly to a path to sustainability The Green Block Think Tank and Launchpad will accelerate this transition and connect the global thought leaders. Pierre Samaties, Partner at Roland Berger Middle East and leading the Global Digital Assets, Web3 and Metaverse practice, expressed his enthusiasm for The Green Block's potential impact, saying, "The launch of The Green Block initiative is the start of an important Think Tank and Launchpad for Web3 and AI technology that will support sustainability and quality of life. Many use cases of the technology are a perfect fit for advancing renewable power, boosting financial inclusion and incentivizing environmental improvements. To learn more, please visit www.thegreenblock.com Contact Info: Name: Bryan Feinberg Email: Send Email Organization: Plato / Amplifi Address: 144 E44th E 44th St, New York NY 10017 Phone: 15515742169 Website: https://AmplifiPR.com Release ID: 89100512 If you detect any issues, problems, or errors in this press release content, kindly contact [email protected] to notify us. We will respond and rectify the situation in the next 8 hours. SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) June 22, 2023 Today, Shaper Tools--the robotics and woodworking company best known for their handheld CNC router, Origin--launched a Kickstarter campaign for Shaper Trace. The new tool, which consists of a physical frame and companion web app, turns hand-drawn sketches into vector graphics in seconds using your smartphone.The drawing toolkit enables makers and craftspeople to convert any drawing into an .SVG file that's native to digital fabrication and digital design tools. It is available starting at the early bird price of $69 USD. Shaper Tools' commitment to providing simple solutions for precision cutting and digital design continues to be evident with Trace. By turning any smartphone into a high-quality vector scanner, Trace is intended to make the creative process faster and more efficient. But it's not just about speed. It's the only drawing-to-SVG conversion tool that preserves drawing scale accurately, automatically removing perspective distortion and even the distortion introduced by your camera's lens. All while allowing you to hold your phone at any angle, making capture simple and easy. What also sets Trace apart from other scanning apps or Adobe Illustrator's image trace tool, is Trace's offering of not only an outline trace, but a centerline trace feature, which can provide a more useful toolpath for fabrication machines. "We've seen the struggle that traditional makers, woodworkers, and craftspeople face when they try to convert their hand-drawn sketches to vector graphics for digital fabrication tools," said Shaper Tools CEO Joe Hebenstreit. "There are just a lot of steps, time and energy to get there, and it takes people out of the creative process. We're excited to launch Trace, which provides an easy and accessible solution." The kit includes a frame, a technical drawing pen, and free access to the Trace app. No ongoing subscription required. Trace is a one-time purchase. Users draw a sketch with a pen or fine tip pencil on paper within the size of the frame. Using the mobile app, they next capture a photograph of the sketch and watch it automatically convert to a scaled, flattened vector file. The app also includes built-in post-processing tools such as image smoothing, and SVG selection. Once the SVG file is ready, it can be used with most any digital fabrication tool, saved directly to your phone, or sent off to your favorite fabrication service. Alternatively, the .SVG file can be used with other graphic design or layout tools. "With Trace, a single sketch can transform into a multitude of different outputs in size, material, or fabrication technique," continued Hebenstreit. "It can be used in the shop, without the need to go back to a desk. We're confident that it will revolutionize the way that people approach precision cutting and digital design." The estimated delivery date of Trace is Fall 2023. Media wishing to interview their personnel should contact PR agent Borjana Slipicevic at [email protected]. About Shaper Tools Based in San Francisco with offices in Stuttgart, Germany, Shaper Tools was founded in 2012 with a mission of making precision cutting easy and accessible to craftspeople everywhere, beginning first with a handheld CNC router called Origin. In December of 2018 Shaper Tools was acquired by TTS Tooltechnic Systems, joining other top power tool brands like Festool, SawStop and Tanos. Today, Shaper Tools supports thousands of woodworkers and craftspeople around the globe. Read the full story at https://www.prweb.com/releases/2023/06/prweb19404163.htm EVANSTON, Ill. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 160 Driving Academy's newest location in Grand Rapids, Michigan hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Academy. The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Grand Rapids Location occurred on Wednesday, May 31st from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Attendees included Mayor Rosaylnn Bliss, Grand Rapids Chamber, and 160 Driving Academy Grand Rapids Leadership team. The Grand Rapids Branch is located at 5386 South Division Ave Grand Rapids, MI 49548. Overview of 160 Driving Academy CDL Training Programs in Grand Rapids: Starting salaries for 160 Driving Academy graduates (on average) start at $65,000/annual, with tremendous growth potential. graduates (on average) start at $65,000/annual, with tremendous growth potential. Commercial Truck Driving is one of today's fastest growing career paths. Estimates predict 300,000 new jobs for CDL Holders. Technologically Driven: Our unique and data-driven programs focus deeply on driver safety and personalized analytics to provide our students with individual feedback and top of the line instruction via our proprietary App. Lifelong Career Support: We offer continuous job placement opportunities through our subsidiary company, Truckers Network the premier job posting and hiring platform in the trucking industry. About 160 Driving Academy 160 Driving Academy is the nation's largest commercial driving school. As the fastest growing vocational school in the country, in 2023, the Company will train over 35,000 students on how to safely operate a semi-truck. 160 Driving Academy is licensed and operates in 43 states and each school is certified and licensed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Entry Level Driver Training Program. The 160 Driving Academy is integrated with over 400 Workforce offices nationwide to create jobs for unemployed and underemployed workers. The 160 Driving Academy supplies the largest employers in the nation with an unparalleled level of recruiting, high-quality training, safety effectiveness, and driver analytics. Many of these employers have trusted the Company to provide the majority of their driving workforce. 160 Driving Academy's sister companies, Truckers Network , and the 160 Driver Score provide the most advanced job placement and compliance scoring capabilities in the industry. 160 Driving Academy has recently implemented HAZMAT Certification training . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/160-driving-academy-launches-new-location-in-grand-rapids-michigan-301858605.html SOURCE 160 Driving Academy Leading retailer brings job growth and economic development to the Kansas City area KANSAS CITY, Mo. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ace Hardware Corporation, the world's largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative, announced plans to open a new Retail Support Center (RSC) in Kansas City, Missouri . The new facility, spanning approximately 1.5 million sq. ft., is projected to be fully operational in 2025, and is expected to create 350 new jobs. "Ace Hardware's new distribution center in Missouri is significant for a multitude of reasons." "We're excited to add a world-renowned company like Ace Hardware to the growing list of businesses opening new facilities in Missouri ," said Governor Mike Parson . "Our state's location in the center of the United States gives companies the ability to reach customers quickly. We're proud to welcome Ace Hardware to Kansas City and look forward to watching its success in the region." Ace Hardware is building this new facility to balance its current distribution network and meet the needs of its growing retail landscape. In the last 10 years, Ace Hardware has increased its retail sales by $12 billion . Ace has also experienced 11 consecutive years of new domestic store growth, resulting in the opening of 850 new stores in the past 5 years. Its network of distribution centers allows Ace to offer best-in-category service and support to its retailers, and the new Kansas City facility will help the company keep pace with current demands and projected growth in the coming years. "We look forward to construction of the new Retail Support Center in Kansas City , which will be a critical part of Ace Hardware's robust supply chain," said Lori Bossmann , Executive Vice President, Chief Supply Chain Officer for Ace Hardware Corporation. "This new facility will allow Ace to accommodate its recent growth and sales volume, and it will prepare our company for future business opportunities. By strengthening our presence in the Midwest, Ace will be better positioned to fulfill deliveries more frequently, ensuring consistent service levels as new stores are opening within our network." The new facility in Missouri will be almost twice the size of the average Ace RSC. It will be the first facility in the new KCI 29 Logistics Park , a 3,300-acre megasite assembled by Hunt Midwest. "We're thrilled that Ace Hardware chose KCI 29 Logistics Park to support its growing retail operations with a new 1.5 million-square-foot distribution center," said Mike Bell , Senior Vice President for Commercial Real Estate at Hunt Midwest. "Their selection of KCI 29 is a testament to our superior location, labor, and logistics story and validates the importance of a megasite to attract large-scale users." "As a top 15 U.S. industrial market, Kansas City continues to see rapid growth in the industrial space and attract internationally recognized brands, including Ace Hardware," said Elli Bowen , Vice President of KC SmartPort. "With access to robust utility and transportation infrastructure as well as a skilled labor pool, Hunt Midwest's KCI 29 megasite positions Kansas City as a prime location for companies looking to optimize their manufacturing, distribution and e-commerce operations." The Kansas City RSC will be equipped with state-of-the art technology, automation, and warehouse management systems. Construction is expected to begin in Q2 of 2023. "Ace Hardware's new distribution center in Missouri is significant for a multitude of reasons," said Subash Alias , CEO of Missouri Partnership. "Notably, Ace Hardware will be the first company at KCI 29 Logistics Park . This facility's expansive footprint surpasses the norm and will create hundreds of new jobs in the vibrant Kansas City region while strengthening Missouri's reputation as the best location for companies." Missouri Partnership worked with the following organizations to assist Ace Hardware with its expansion into the state, including; Missouri Department of Economic Development; Missouri Department of Transportation; Kansas City Area Development Council; KC SmartPort; Platte County Economic Development Council; Port KC; Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri; Evergy; Spire; City of Kansas City, Missouri ; and Hunt Midwest. About Ace Hardware Ace Hardware is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world with over 5,700 locally owned and operated hardware stores in approximately 60 countries. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill. , Ace and its subsidiaries operate an expansive network of distribution centers in the U.S. and have distribution capabilities in Ningbo, China , and Santa Catarina, Mexico . Since 1924, Ace has become a part of local communities around the world and known as the place with the helpful hardware folks. For more information, visit acehardware.com or newsroom.acehardware.com. About Missouri Partnership Missouri Partnership is a public-private economic development organization focused on attracting new jobs and investment to the state and promoting Missouri's business strengths. Since 2008, Missouri Partnership has worked with partners statewide to attract companies that have created 32,500+ new jobs, $1.6 billion+ in new annual payroll, and $6.2 billion+ in new capital investment. Some recent successful projects that led to major investment in Missouri include Accenture Federal Services LLC, American Foods Group, Casey's, Chewy, Inc., James Hardie , Meta, Swift Prepared Foods, URBN, USDA, and Veterans United. Contact: Janelle Higgins [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ace-hardware-selects-missouri-for-new-distribution-center-301858123.html SOURCE Missouri Partnership LAVAL, QC , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. ("Couche-Tard" or the "Corporation") (TSX: ATD) announced today that TotalEnergies has accepted the Corporation's firm offer to acquire certain European retail assets from TotalEnergies, as announced earlier this year on March 16, 2023 . Following completion of the information and consultation process involving TotalEnergies employee representative bodies at European level in Belgium , the Netherlands and Luxembourg, TotalEnergies has accepted the Corporation's offer and will now enter into definitive agreements to effect the transaction. This transaction remains subject to the approval of relevant European regulatory authorities and closing continues on track to occur before the end of calendar year 2023. The financial terms and conditions announced on March 16, 2023 remain unchanged, whereby Couche-Tard would acquire 100% of TotalEnergies retail assets in Germany and the Netherlands , as well as a 60% controlling interest in the Belgium and Luxembourg entities, for a purchase price of approximately 3.1 billion, to be paid in cash, subject to customary closing adjustments. About Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. Couche-Tard is a global leader in convenience and mobility, operating in 24 countries and territories, with more than 14,300 stores, of which approximately 10,900 offer road transportation fuel. With its well-known Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, it is one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States and it is a leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada , Scandinavia, the Baltics, as well as in Ireland . It also has an important presence in Poland and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of People's Republic of China . Approximately 122,000 people are employed throughout its network. For more information on Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., or to consult its audited annual Consolidated Financial Statements, unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements and Management Discussion and Analysis, please visit: https://corpo.couche-tard.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation, including those with respect to the potential transaction. Positive or negative verbs such as "believe", "can", "shall", "intend", "expect", "estimate", "assume" and other related expressions are used to identify such statements. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Couche-Tard and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties outside of Couche-Tard's control. Couche-Tard would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results, or the measures it adopts, could differ materially from those indicated in or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular projection. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Couche-Tard disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information in this release is based on information available as of the date of the release. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alimentation-couche-tard-announces-the-acceptance-by-totalenergies-of-the-firm-offer-to-acquire-certain-european-retail-assets-301858550.html SOURCE Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. KANSAS CITY, Mo. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- American Century Investments Multi-Asset Strategies Chief Investment Officer Rich Weiss was recognized by LGBT Great as one of its Top 50 Executive Allies. LGBT Great is an LGBTQ+ membership community for the financial services industry and annually recognizes and celebrates leaders for their allyship towards under-represented communities in financial services. "Rich is a strong figure within our firm," said Victor Zhang , chief investment officer. "His willingness to speak up for those who are under-represented and spearhead efforts to educate and initiate change exemplifies his commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued." Weiss, who has been with the firm since 2010, is an executive sponsor of the Pride business resource group (BRG), which represents members of the LGBTQ+ community and their colleagues, family members and friends and fosters an inclusive environment to ensure LGBTQ+ employees feel safe, welcome and valued in the workplace. As an executive sponsor of the Pride BRG, Weiss has encouraged companywide conversations about the importance of allyship and how to become a more active ally of the LGBTQ+ community. "I am honored to be recognized as a top executive ally by LGBT Great," said Weiss. "Everyone deserves to feel valued in the workplace and strong allies help us create an environment where employees can be their authentic selves. Business resource groups, like Pride, create a space for people to learn and grow as allies through important conversations. I am proud to be an ally for the LGBTQ+ community and grateful to be part of an organization that acknowledges the importance of strong allyship." Weiss joined American Century Investments in 2010 as the Multi-Asset Strategies chief investment officer. He oversees the team that manages the firm's multi-asset strategies, including One Choice (Target Risk and Target Date) Portfolios, Strategic Allocation and investments offered in the Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Program. Weiss is also a member of the American Century Investments Asset Allocation Committee, which is responsible for establishing investment policy and reviewing investment decisions for all the firm's multi-asset products. He is a trusted voice in the media and has been featured on CNBC, Bloomberg Television, Fox Business and Bloomberg Radio. American Century Investments Employee Experience Consultant Kristin Overman was also recognized by LGBT Great earlier this year. She was awarded the LGBT Great 1000 Role Model award, which spotlights 1000 LGBTQ+ and supportive allies working within the financial services industry. Overman joined American Century Investments in 1991 and is an active member of the Pride BRG. About LGBT Great Founded in 2018, LGBT Great is the LGBT+ membership community for the financial services industry. They develop valuable insights, visibility and outreach initiatives and empower people and organizations to thrive. The LGBT Great global member platform connects our global members and provides a safe space for LGBT+ people and their allies to network and learn. About American Century Investments American Century Investments is a leading global asset manager focused on delivering investment results and building long-term client relationships while supporting breakthrough medical research. Founded in 1958, American Century Investments' 1,400 employees serve financial professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors from offices in New York ; London ; Frankfurt ; Hong Kong ; Sydney ; Santa Clara, Calif. ; and Kansas City, Mo. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer, and Victor Zhang serves as chief investment officer. Delivering investment results to clients enables American Century Investments to distribute over 40% of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, a 500-person, nonprofit basic biomedical research organization. The Institute owns more than 40% of American Century Investments and has received dividend payments of $1.87 billion since 2000. For more information about American Century Investments, visit www.americancentury.com. You should consider the fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before you invest. The fund's prospectus or summary prospectus, which can be obtained by visiting americancentury.com, contains this and other information about the fund, and should be read carefully before investing. American Century Investment Services, Inc., Distributor. 4500 Main Street Kansas City, MO 64111 2023 American Century Proprietary Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Contact: Nicole Glenna (646) 658-7718 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-century-investments-rich-weiss-receives-top-50-executive-ally-award-301857656.html SOURCE American Century Investments WASHINGTON , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a year (2021) with increases in suicide rates, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), the nation's leading suicide prevention organization, is hosting the 14th Annual Advocacy Forum in Washington, DC from June 25 to 28 . Over 200 Volunteer Advocates across the country will encourage legislators to prioritize suicide prevention and mental health policies that can save lives. AFSP advocates will learn about AFSP's public policy priorities, meet with congressional offices to share their personal stories and champion legislation supporting suicide prevention and mental health. "AFSP's Advocacy Forum is our largest annual event for volunteers across the country to come together to have their voices heard on Capitol Hill for suicide prevention and mental health," said AFSP Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Laurel Stine . "Recently, AFSP volunteers successfully advocated for increased funding for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and helped pass critical suicide prevention legislationbut there is more to do. We look forward to convening to amplify the need for 988 funding and other life-saving, bipartisan mental health and suicide prevention policies." This year, the Forum is returning to an in-person format for the first time since the pandemic. Attendance at the in-person event is by invitation only; however, the public is invited to attend a virtual component. The Virtual Forum will take place on June 27, 2023 , from 12:00pm 3:00pm ET via Facebook Live and YouTube. Registration is open here. "I want my legislators to know why suicide prevention must be prioritized and how it has personally affected me, my family, the college students I teach and the community members I serve through AFSP," said AFSP Public Policy Council Member Marissa Grayson , Ph.D. of Alabama . "As an advocate, being able to share my story allows me to remind the decision-makers why action is necessary. As a mom, professor and a suicide loss survivor, I am especially looking forward to speaking to my legislators about supporting the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and youth mental health." At the forum advocates will deepen their knowledge on three key federal policy priorities including continued funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and crisis care services, veteran suicide prevention and youth mental health and suicide prevention. On June 27 , hundreds of advocates will be going to Capitol Hill to meet with congressional offices. Media are invited to interview advocates on this day. Advocates will ask their members of Congress to: Support $836 million in funding for 988 and crisis services for FY24 enabling continued funding of local call centers and a public service campaign to reach high-risk populations; in funding for 988 and crisis services for FY24 enabling continued funding of local call centers and a public service campaign to reach high-risk populations; Cosponsor and support the Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act (H.R.984/S.106) which will create new federal funding opportunities to help County and Tribal Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs) connect Veterans and their families with important VA benefits and services; (H.R.984/S.106) which will create new federal funding opportunities to help County and Tribal Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs) connect Veterans and their families with important benefits and services; Cosponsor and support the Mental Health Services for Students Act (H.R. 3717/S. 1884) to help students in need more easily access mental health care. "The pandemic wreaked havoc on our mental health," said Advocacy Forum keynote speaker, the Honorable Congressman David Trone of Maryland's 6th District. "Especially for young folks and the charge couldn't be clearer: deliver more resources to the frontlines of this growing mental health crisis. And I'm bringing that effort to Congress by supporting increased funding to our schools, our mental health providers, and our health facilities across the country. Americans need accessible, affordable, and equitable health care, and I'm proud to partner with American Foundation for Suicide Prevention in that fight." Additional members of Congress, federal agency officials and national partners in the suicide prevention and mental health fields who will speak at the Forum include: Tamara Campbell , MD, PsyD, DFAPA, executive director, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention , Veterans Health Administration , U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs , MD, PsyD, DFAPA, executive director, , , Meighan Haupt , chief of staff, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors , chief of staff, Brandon J. Johnson , MHS, MCHES, acting branch chief, Suicide Prevention Branch Division of Service and Systems Improvement (DSSI), SAMHSA, Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , MHS, MCHES, acting branch chief, (DSSI), SAMHSA, (CMHS), (HHS) Rachel Mackey , legislative director, Human Services & Education, Veterans & Military Services, National Association of Counties , legislative director, Human Services & Education, Veterans & Military Services, Kenneth Polishchuk , senior director for congressional and federal relations & education policy lead, American Psychological Association , senior director for congressional and federal relations & education policy lead, Jennifer Snow , national director of government relations and policy, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) , national director of government relations and policy, (NAMI) The Honorable David Trone , U.S. Representative, Maryland's 6th District , Representative, Virtual remarks provided by Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland ; Sen. Jon Tester of Montana ; Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia ; Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts ; Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah ; Rep. Mike Lawler of New York ; Rep. Grace Napolitano of California To learn more about AFSP's public policy priorities visit https://afsp.org/priorities The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide, including those who have experienced a loss. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through public education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York , with a public policy office in Washington, DC , AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico , with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-foundation-for-suicide-prevention-national-advocacy-forum-unites-advocates-to-save-lives-through-policy-change-301858499.html SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention The programs at UCLA, University of Michigan and University of Washington enhance students' real-world clinical education while increasing access to quality care for patients CHICAGO , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Washington is the most recent university to tap doctors in the Aspen Dental network to serve as adjunct faculty and mentoring clinicians in its clinical externship rotation for the fall 2023 semester. These clinicians join 12 other Aspen Dental practice owners that serve as preceptors and adjunct faculty in clinical externship programs at other top universities including the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Michigan. Aspen Dental first joined the University of California, Los Angeles's externship program in 2018, when they piloted their program. A select group of dental students had the opportunity to complete a two-week community rotation. Today, students in their fourth year complete at least six weeks of rotations at six different practice models, with Aspen Dental representing the dental support organization model. Connections within the program introduced Aspen Dental to the University of Michigan's program, where students are completing similar rotations, and later this fall, University of Washington students will have the same opportunity. "The vision of the ongoing collaboration with university externship programs is to inspire students to develop the skills clinically and socially for continued professional growth, which we are champions of day in and day out," said Dr. Arwinder Judge , Chief Clinical Officer at Aspen Dental. "Dental students on the precipice of their professional careers are gaining real-world experience to determine what path is best for them, while potentially matching with an immediate post-graduate opportunity within an organization that will support them through their journey as a new doctor." Externship programs enable dental students at these universities to gain hands-on experiences in various dental practice models while completing their clinical rotations at Aspen Dental office locations. Students develop valuable skills necessary for professional growth and to learn patient engagement, practice management and team-based care delivery, while also increasing access to dental care for vulnerable populations through sustainable community service. "The externship program allows dental students to learn more about different dental models firsthand before entering the workforce," said Rachel Greene , Clinical Assistant Professor, Restorative Dentistry at the University of Washington. "This experience empowers them to choose a career that is best suited for them while also giving back to the community." "There is no substitute for hands-on experience," said Bill Piskorowski , Associate Dean of Community-based clinical education UCLA. "This program prepares our students to deliver person-centered care in an integrated health care delivery system. We have started to see a shift in the industry with historically non-traditional practice opportunities becoming traditional." To date, 52 dental students have participated in rotations in an Aspen Dental practice. The class of 2024 is expected to include 60 students on rotation at Aspen Dental branded offices from all three participating universities. "Aspen Dental is committed to continuing education for students and working professionals alike to ensure the best quality care for patients," said Dr. Tawfiq Alkilani , Aspen Dental practice owner and preceptor. "It's been very rewarding to be able to work with young dentists to build their skills through this program while also allowing them to get an understanding of and work with people in different dentistry models." About Aspen Dental Offices TAG The Aspen Group was founded in 1998 in New York by Bob Fontana with a simple goal in mind: to break down the barriers that doctors and patients face when it comes to dental care. Today, more than 20 years later, with 1,000+ Aspen Dental-branded offices nationwide, the mission of the company remains the same to bring better care to more people. TAG supports the largest group of branded dental offices in the world. For more information, visit aspendental.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aspen-dental-expands-its-involvement-in-top-university-dental-externship-programs-301858266.html SOURCE Aspen Dental New additions strengthen unique operations-led approach to technology investing BOCA RATON, Fla. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Dragon Capital ("BDC), a multi-phased investment firm focused on advanced technologies in high growth segments known for its unique, operations-led approach today announced new additions to its roster of tenured industry experts. Black Dragon Capital has a completely different approach to investing. The firm combines deep domain operating expertise, an emphasis on social impact investing, and a solid history of success in the fields we invest in. The firm is led by a diverse manager and team that have delivered consistent, well-above market returns and growth in their portfolio enterprise value. The fund's leadership are not merely participants in the industry, they are recognized founders, CEO's and entrepreneurs who have reshaped industries through their innovations and leadership. They have also contributed significant amounts of their own capital to past fund investments. These new additions represent the most recent expansion of a firm committed to helping industries grow and prosper by addressing the most significant issues they face. We welcome the following new Black Dragon team members: Alejandro Adi , Director of Operational Finance Alejandro Adi is a member of the One Dragon Services group focused on CFO and financial services. He is a senior financial and administrative executive with over 25 years of experience. He has served as CFO, VP of Finance, Regional Controller and F&A Director in several multinational technologies' companies. As Vice President of Finance LATAM at MicroStrategy, he led the finance, accounting, tax, IS, HR and administrative areas for approximately 17 years. He has also served at the following companies: Sterlington PLLC, Lazo, Limpiolux SA, Vida Tec SA, Claro and NCR Corporation. Mr. Adi holds an MBA from Universidad del CEMA and a BA from Universidad de Buenos Aires . He is fluent in Spanish, English and Portuguese. Jyotsna Sharma , VP of Finance Jyotsna Sharma is the Vice President of Finance, focused on BDC's investments analysis, investment structures, due diligence, execution and closing, and fund level performance reporting. Ms. Sharma has over 14 years of global experience leading investment portfolios and teams in the US, Middle East , and Asia in public and private sectors. She has had a wide range of responsibilities in private equity investment processes including leading sourcing, investment mandates, portfolio management, acquisitions and dispositions, financial analysis, due diligence, and fund raising. In the past, Ms. Sharma has also served as a Business Mentor for the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. She earned her MBA from Columbia Business School and London Business School's joint program, and a Bachelor's in Computer Science and Engineering from Punjab Technical University in India . In addition, she is a Certified M&A Advisor (CM&AA), Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) and a Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGGS). Chris Ducanes , General Counsel A. Christopher Ducanes is the General Counsel of Black Dragon Capital. In his role, he leads the firm's legal, information technology, compliance, human resources and other administrative functions. Mr. Ducanes has nearly 25 years of legal, administrative, executive management, strategy, and operational experience, including scaling private and public PE-backed software and technology companies in highly regulated markets with global operations. Mr. Ducanes earned his Bachelor of Science degrees in both Marketing and Management from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. He holds a Juris Doctorate in law from the University of Illinois - Chicago School of Law and a Master of Laws in Transnational Business Practice from the University of the Pacific - McGeorge School of Law. Mr. Ducanes also attended Cornell University's intensive FALCON program in Japanese. Lourdes Castillo , Director of Human Resources and Administration Lourdes Castillo is the Director of Human Resources and Administration at Black Dragon. Prior to starting with Black Dragon Capital, Ms. Castillo worked in the private and public sectors for both large and small businesses, gaining over 20 years Human Resources experience. She has guided her prior employers in the HR administration, operations, compliance and taxation reporting focusing on implementing policies and procedures setting an overall company standard practice. She has overseen corporate and worldwide Human Resources including recruiting, payroll, benefits, people and performance, employee training and overall company culture and employee relation for employers in the tech, resort/casino, legal and financial sector. Her philosophy is that one can never quit learning and growing both personally and professionally and both our internal and external customers satisfaction and customer relations are at the core of every business. Ms. Castillo holds a BA in Business Administration and Finance from Brandman University. She is fluent in Spanish and English. Vineet Begwani , Analyst Vineet Begwani is an Analyst at Black Dragon, assisting with executing transactions, valuations, and financial analysis. He has a broad range of experience in the financial services and manufacturing sectors with the assessment of M&A and financing opportunities. Mr. Begwani holds a Master of Science in Finance from ICFAI University. Johanna Vazquez , Controller Johanna Vazquez is a Controller at Black Dragon Capital and supports the For A Bright Future Foundation finance department. She has more than 23 years of financial experience and has worked with large multinational companies and a technology startup. Johanna has managed all aspects of accounting and finance, including financial planning and analysis, accounting, consolidations, audit, payroll, forecasting and pricing. She has a background in due diligence, internal and external audits, and implementation of procedures and ERP systems. Johanna graduated with honors for her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the prestigious University of Buenos Aires (UBA). She believes in continuous learning and growth. Analia Julieta D 'Addese Analia is an Executive Assistant to the CEO and Managing Director of Black Dragon Capital. She assists the CEO with administration activities and executive support. She is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience supporting board-level executives within international companies. Ms. D'Addese is from Buenos Aires and she is passionate about self-development. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations/Image Management from the Universidad Nacional de Lomas de Zamora . "We're excited to bring in these individuals who have a deep understanding of their fields of expertise. As Black Dragon Capital continues its expansion, it is critical for us to continue adding to our accomplished and diverse team of experts. I am very excited to see how we can leverage their knowledge and experience in creating more long-lasting market leaders," said Louis Hernandez Jr ., Founder and CEO of Black Dragon Capital Black Dragon Capital has a long history of investing in areas where there is the chance to create strong social impact which can strengthen the economic stability of the communities they serve. They have continued to expand in a variety of areas and launched a pioneering multi-year sacred business partnership aiming to foster social advancement in multiple global communities with his Eminence Cardinal Muller's Dominus Jesus Association earlier this year. BDC's professionals and advisors all have a unique combination of extensive industry, operational, and investment success in the fields that they invest in. About Black Dragon Capital Black Dragon Capital (BDC) is a multi-phased investment firm focused on advanced technologies in high growth segments that strengthen economic stability within communities. The firm was founded and led by a diverse team with a combination of intense operating experience, community impact focus, and a track record of successful investing. They work closely with entrepreneurs to build market leading companies using their proprietary Black Dragon Toolkit and focus on high potential early stage, and mid-market technology companies in growth sectors disrupted by digitization. Federico Biquard Senior Marketing Manager, Black Dragon Capital [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/black-dragon-capital-continues-expansion-adds-multiple-industry-professionals-to-its-team-of-experts-301858413.html SOURCE Black Dragon Capital PORTLAND, Ore. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cambia Health Solutions is pleased to welcome Mike Rains as its next chief financial officer to lead the critical work of driving financial stability across the enterprise. "I look forward to building on the strong foundation of financial stability Cambia has established." - Mike Rains Rains comes to Cambia from Elevance Health, where he was chief financial officer for the Government Business Division. Rains is well known to Cambia, where he worked as vice president of strategic finance from 2012-2014. During his time at Elevance, he served in progressively senior roles, including vice president of finance and Regional CFO for the Commercial & Specialty Business Division's East Region and subsequently as the Medicare CFO. In his most recent role, he was responsible for all strategic finance and pricing activities covering approximately 3 million Medicare and 12 million Medicaid members. Rains will succeed Vince Price , who is retiring at the end of the year after serving as Cambia's CFO since 2010. "Mike brings a rigorous and strategic approach to growing health care business, is committed to serving members and is aligned with Cambia's mission and culture. His expertise will help ensure we continue to create value for our customers," said Jared Short , Cambia president and CEO. "As we welcome Mike, we also acknowledge the tremendous leadership of Vince, who has been a driving force behind our financial performance and shown an unwavering commitment to delivering the best for our members." "I look forward to building on the strong foundation of financial stability Cambia has established," Rains said. "I am excited to return to a company that has a keen focus on sustainable growth, innovation and the vision to make health care easier and lives better for people." Rains graduated from Ball State University with a bachelor's degree in accounting and has a Master of Business Administration from Butler University. He will start Aug. 7 and be based in Seattle . About Cambia Health Solutions Cambia Health Solutions, headquartered in Portland, Oregon , is dedicated to transforming health care. We put people at the heart of everything we do as we work to make the health care system more economically sustainable and efficient for people and their families. Our company reaches millions of Americans nationwide, including more than 3.4 million people served by our regional health plans. To learn more about us, visit CambiaHealth.com or Twitter.com/Cambia. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cambia-health-solutions-welcomes-mike-rains-as-chief-financial-officer-301857547.html SOURCE Cambia Health Solutions Bud Light only has itself to blame for sales plunge after caving to extremist bullies, argues main LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD Anheuser-Busch can only blame itself for the ongoing boycott of Bud Light after caving to extremist bullies, according to the main U.S. advocacy group for LGBTQ people. Following consumer retaliation against Bud Light for hiring a transgender influencer to promote in April what its former marketing boss called an increasingly fratty and out of touch brand, group management kowtowed to the pressure, leaving them vulnerable and without support from either side. I think we need to reframe this, Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO of GLAAD, told CNBC on Thursday when asked about the backlash. Companies that did back down to bullies actually saw this escalate. Had the brewer only stood its groundlike many other companies supporting Pride Monththe LGBTQ community and its allies would have come to its aid and prevented the precipitous drop in demand that saw Bud Light lose the title of Americas favorite beer last month. Asked whether she felt Bud Lights 27% plunge in sales came as a direct result of caving to the criticism, Ellis replied: Its absolutely from them backing down. In fact, she went so far as to say her community joined in the pile-on and may even be the actual driving force behind Bud Lights troubles. People dont want to support a brand that wont support them when the going gets tough, Ellis argued. LGBTQ bars have stopped serving it. [Anheuser-Busch] didnt stand with us, she said. I think theyre taking creditthe extremistsfor the drop in sales, when I think its actually the other way around. Earlier, GLAAD released a statement saying it had gathered together a group of over 50 corporations to sign a statement of their continued support for LGBTQ people after what the organization called an increase in threats of violence against the business community for participating in Pride Month over many years. The signatories, which also included branded consumer goods companies Mondelez and Levi Strauss as well as two beer brewers, rejected the harassment and bullying of LGBTQ people while reaffirming their unwavering commitment to the community. Opinion poll suggests vendors may lose customers by selling LGBTQ-themed merchandise GLAAD could not be immediately reached to see if it had asked Anheuser-Busch to sign the pledge, but Ellis will be speaking to Fortune on Tuesday for an upcoming episode of the Leadership Next podcast. Anheuser-Busch did not respond to a request for comment. Earlier this week, however, the chief marketing officer of parent company AB InBev called the backlash against Bud Light an important wake-up call for brands navigating the current hyper-politicized climate. On Thursday GLAAD also published a poll conducted at the start of the month that it commissioned from research firm Ipsos to examine the issue of corporate involvement in Pride Month. While a 44% plurality of Americans believed the businesses support was helping advance LGBTQ rights, there were two rather revealing results. According to the representative sample size divided roughly equally among Republicans, Democrats, and independents, only 13% said a brand or store offering LGBTQ Pridethemed collections or merchandise would make them more likely to buy from that same vendor. Another 61% said it would make no difference at all, while a full quarter of respondents said it would in fact negatively impact their purchasing decision. This result suggestspurely from a commercial point of viewthat companies would likely lose more customers net than they would gain by outwardly promoting LGBTQ-themed products. Those numbers effectively flip, however, if that same company subsequently finds itself the target of criticism for its LGBTQ support. Of those surveyed, 29% said they would then want to support that company versus just 17% who would prefer supporting the critics. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com More from Fortune: 5 side hustles where you may earn over $20,000 per yearall while working from home Looking to make extra cash? This CD has a 5.15% APY right now Buying a house? Here's how much to save This is how much money you need to earn annually to comfortably buy a $600,000 home COLTS NECK, N.J., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to a lawsuit filed today by the Murphy administration against the boards of education in Middletown , Marlboro and Manalapan , Steve Dnistrian , candidate for the New Jersey State Senate in Legislative District 11 in Monmouth County , released the following statement: "Today, the Murphy administration filed a lawsuit against the boards of education in three additional New Jersey municipalities for passing policies that support notifying parents if and when a child asks teachers, or school staff, for accommodations or changes regarding their own gender. "Kids do best when parents and teachers work together to support them. When Governor Murphy and Attorney General Matt Platkin try to interfere in the relationship between parents and children, families, parents and kids suffer. We should encourage schools to communicate with parents when children are struggling, not sue to stop them, and not insist that the state knows better when it comes to parent-child relationships. "Parents in our district are telling me they want to be more involved in their kids' schools. They want a say in curriculum. They are very concerned about sex ed courses being forced on young children. And parents are deeply worried about the loss of $75 million in state aid in our schools, all supported by Murphy and his protege, Sen. Vinod Gopal. When it comes to dealing with the health and well-being of children, parents should ALWAYS be part of the discussion. Democrats, however, are insisting that parents NOT be part of the discussion, especially if kids express questions about being LGBTQ. These heavy-handed, one-sided mandates from Trenton are just wrong." Dnistrian, the son of immigrants, is running for public office for the first time after spending 35 years in the business world. He is challenging Murphy ally and Democrat Senator Vinod Gopal in what many pundits believe will be the most hotly-contested race in New Jersey this year. All 120 seats in the NJ legislature are on the ballot in November. For more information on Dnistrian, visit www.SteveforNJ.com. Steve Dnistrian is the Republican Candidate for State Senate in Legislative District 11 . For more information, visit , on Facebook at STEVE for NJ State Senate LD-11 and www.SteveMarilynKimforNJ11.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dnistrian-statement-on-murphy-administrations-lawsuit-seeking-to-block-parental-rights-with-their-own-children-301858497.html SOURCE www.SteveforNJ.com Multi-Unit Franchise Partner Plans to Develop 25 'Scenters' in Dallas Market JUPITER, Fla. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Everything is bigger in Texas and Scenthound, the nation's first and only wellness-based routine dog care concept with locations across the U.S. , is growing bigger in Texas with the opening of their newest location in Allen, Texas . This latest Texas opening is the first for new Franchise Partner James Webb with 24 more locations planned for the Dallas market. This is the 9th Texas location to open and follows the recent opening of Scenthound in Cypress, Texas . Former Orangetheory Franchisee James Webb opens first of 25 Scenthound locations in the Dallas market. "As the leader of one of the largest Orangetheory franchises in the country, I spotted something very similar in Scenthound and I knew I could make a continued impact on Texas by partnering with them and joining their tremendous growth and making a lasting impact on the pet care industry," expressed Webb. "Scenthound's distinctive approach to dog wellness, complemented by their membership-driven framework and the remarkable innovation demonstrated by their team, is why I am excited to expand further in Dallas ." Scenthound is establishing itself as the preeminent solution for routine and preventive dog care and offers an easy and affordable way for dog parents to get the routine care their pups need in order to stay clean and healthy. In the last year, Scenthound has doubled in size with more than 225 locations open or in development across 23 states. "We are excited to continue expanding in Texas , one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. With the help of our dedicated franchise partners, we're able to offer the best care to dog parents and continue our mission to improve the lives of dogs by providing personalized, convenient, and accessible routine care," said Tim Vogel , CEO of Scenthound. Before becoming a Scenthound Franchise Partner, Webb owned and oversaw the management of 33 Orangetheory Fitness franchises throughout North Texas and the development and opening of BeBalanced Centers throughout Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin . Webb spent more than 40 years in the medical field, first as a radiologic technologist. After moving to Dallas in 1983, he began working as the Director of Radiology at an area hospital, and for the next 13 years, worked on the executive team for various medical imaging companies. In 1996, he started the first of several companies and became a key leader in the industry. Webb currently lives in Frisco, Texas with his wife Cathy. Together, they have five children and six grandchildren. Scenthound's rapid expansion has resulted in several notable accolades. Most recently, Scenthound was honored with two prestigious Stevie Awards at the 2023 American Business Awards including a gold Stevie for "Fastest Growing Company of the Year - Up to 100 Employees." In addition, Scenthound was a finalist for the South Florida Business Journal Business of the Year award and was named to the 2023 Top 200 Franchise list by Franchise Business Review, after earning a spot in Inc. Magazine's 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies and Entrepreneur's 150 Top New and Emerging Franchises in 2023 and 2022. Scenthound continues to look for new franchise partners across the U.S. For more information about development opportunities, visit Franchise.Scenthound.com . About Scenthound Founded in 2015, Scenthound, the nation's first dog wellness franchise concept, offers membership-based services for affordable and accessible routine dog care. With a unique focus on pet health and hygiene, the brand's services are elevated through the integration of innovative technology, including its proprietary S.C.E.N.T. Check (Skin, Coat, Ears, Nails and Teeth) detailing an assessment of each dog's external well-being following its monthly visit to a 'Scenter.' Today, Scenthound has finalized plans for over 225 franchised and corporate-owned locations across 23 states and is positioned for explosive growth across the U.S. For more information about Scenthound's unique membership offerings, visit Scenthound.com or follow the brand on Instagram , Facebook and LinkedIn . To find out more about franchise opportunities, visit Franchise.Scenthound.com . Media Contact [email protected]com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/former-orangetheory-franchisee-opens-1st-scenthound-location-301858101.html SOURCE Scenthound GE Aerospace's F414 engines would be co-produced in India to power the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 WASHINGTON , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GE (NYSE: GE) GE Aerospace announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force, a major milestone amidst Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the United States and a key element in strengthening defense cooperation between the two countries. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India , and GE Aerospace continues to work with the U.S. government to receive the necessary export authorization for this. The effort is part of the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft Mk2 program. "This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL," said H. Lawrence Culp , Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. "We are proud to play a role in advancing President Biden and Prime Minister Modi's vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet." GE Aerospace has operated in India for more than four decades with wide engagement in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. In addition to potential new work in India , a number of U.S. facilities that currently support work on the F414 engine will see additional volume as a result of today's announcement. In 1986, GE began working with the Aeronautical Development Agency and HAL to support the development of India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) with F404 engines. Subsequently GE Aerospace's F404 and F414 have been part of development and production programs of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programs. In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development program for LCA Mk2. Today's agreement will advance GE Aerospace's earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the Indian Air Force as part of the LCA Mk2 program. It puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India , including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospace's selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA program with our F414-INS6 engine. In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with Indian government on the AMCA Mk2 engine program. With more than five million flight hours and eight nations with F414-powered aircraft in operation or on order, the F414 continues to exceed goals for reliability and time on wing. To date, more than 1,600 F414 engines have been delivered globally. GE's presence in India includes its research and technology centre, the John F Welch Technology Centre at Bengaluru, which opened in 2000 and its Multi-modal Factory at Pune , which opened in 2015. About GE Aerospace GE Aerospace is a world-leading provider of jet engines, components and systems for commercial and military aircraft with a global service network to support these offerings. GE Aerospace and its joint ventures have an installed base of more than 40,000 commercial and 26,000 military aircraft engines, and the business is playing a vital role in shaping the future of flight. For more information, visit us at www.GEAerospace.com. GE Aerospace media contacts: Meghan Thurlow +1.202.701.9351 [email protected] Gayatri Rath +91.98736.91843 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ge-aerospace-signs-mou-with-hindustan-aeronautics-limited-to-produce-fighter-jet-engines-for-indian-air-force-301857660.html SOURCE GE Aerospace LIMASSOL, Cyprus , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The global payments infrastructure platform Mercuryo has announced the launch of Big Time Summit a FinTech event to be held for the first time in Limassol, Cyprus, on July 7, 2023 . The event will be held with the support of Invest Cyprus , Mercuryo's trusted partner. Their team is ready to support businesses during the location selection process and expanding operations in Cyprus . The conference will gather over 400 FinTech thought leaders, and industry innovators from around the globe. In order to put the Big Time Summit together, Mercuryo has partnered with a number of major industry representatives, including names like Binance, Coinbase, TrustWallet, MetaMask, 1inch, and Consensys. Mercuryo has also struck an exclusive partnership with the international PR firm Drofa Comms for the purposes of providing media support and coverage of the event in global media. Throughout the course of the Summit, a lineup of 20+ keynote speakers will hold panels, roundtables and workshops on the topics relevant to the FinTech sector, discussing what trends and drivers this industry is seeing today. The topics to be covered as part of the conference include leveraging blockchain technology in businesses, the latest trends in digital payments, current regulation landscape, and valuable learnings taken from a tumultuous period in the CEX and DEX markets. Events like Big Time Summit represent a crucial element in the development of the global FinTech stage because they allow numerous participants of this market to interact with peers and industry leaders and exchange experiences. They get to share opinions and insights about the ongoing market agenda, as well as emerging trends and technologies. "Attending such events is how industry members get to stay up-to-date on all the recent developments, broaden their knowledge base, and contribute to shaping the future of finance worldwide. At Mercuryo, we recognize this and it is our intention to hold more such events in the upcoming years," states Petr Kozyakov, CEO of Mercuryo. About Mercuryo Mercuryo is a global payments infrastructure platform, providing businesses from both the fiat and crypto worlds with a wide range of financial services accessible through API integration. Since its inception in 2018, Mercuryo has secured over 200 partners, working with leading industry players to accelerate growth and boost enterprise revenues worldwide. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-fintech-industry-gets-a-boost-at-mercuryos-big-time-summit-in-cyprus-301857618.html SOURCE Mercuryo They demonstrate a 300-fold increase in coupling strength compared to that of bulk strontium ruthenate by reducing its electronic dimensionality GWANGJU CITY, South Korea , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Electrons inside crystals interact closely with phonons, defined as the discrete unit of crystal vibrations. The electronphonon coupling strength is an important fundamental physical quantity in solid state physics, determining electrodynamic behaviors and correlated functionalities of a material. This, in turn, makes for interesting material properties with advanced applications. However, the coupling strength is typically considered an intrinsic material property without any provision for controlling it for desired applications. Against this backdrop, a group of researchers, led by Professor Jong Seok Lee of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in Korea has now demonstrated the ability to tune this coupling and achieve a massive enhancement in its strength using synthetic heterostructures of transition metal oxides. The researchers have detailed their findings in a paper made available online on 13th April 2023 and published in Volume 10, Issue 16 of the Advanced Science journal on 2nd June 2023 . "Unfortunately, electronphonon coupling is innately determined by the crystal structure of a solid, hence it was crucial to find a new method to control or enhance the coupling," says Prof. Lee , explaining the motivation behind the present work. In their study, the researchers demonstrated an atomic-scale engineering of the electronphonon coupling strength in synthetic strontium ruthenate/strontium titanate (SRO/STO) superlattices (a periodic structure of layers of two materials). They achieved this remarkable feat by artificially heterostructuring the SRO/STO system. This entailed controlling the electronic dimensionality, modulating the interlayer distance, and increasing the periodicity of the synthetic atomic network. Remarkably, a reduction in the dimensionality from 3D (bulk) to quasi-2D led to a 300-fold increase in the electronphonon coupling strength. The researchers attributed this huge enhancement to the non-local nature of the coupling in synthetic SRO/STO superlattices, which becomes prominent in the 2D electronic state. In addition, they found that the electrons in the 2D SRO layers coupled to optical phonons (vibrations capable of absorbing or emitting light) as revealed by the temperature-dependent electronphonon coupling measurements, which further contributed to the coupling enhancement. This development paves the way for novel engineering opportunities for tuning electronphonon coupling strength in crystals. In addition, it facilitates a deeper understanding of quantum materials. "The electronphonon coupling is closely related not only to the performance of thermoelectric devices but also the energy harvesting efficiency of solar cells. Currently, researchers are struggling to solve the overheating issue in nano-scale devices. This problem limits the performance of such devices. The present work can contribute to solving the overheating issue, resulting in an improved performance of nano-scale devices," speculates an optimistic Prof. Lee . Overall, these findings provide new insights into the tuning knobs available in synthetic crystals for controlling the electronphonon coupling strength, useful not only for advancing technology but also for a deeper understanding of quantum phenomena like strongly coupled charge and lattice dynamics in quantum materials. Reference Title of original paper: Giant Enhancement of ElectronPhonon Coupling in Dimensionality-Controlled SrRuO 3 Heterostructures Journal: Advanced Science DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202300012 About the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) http://www.gist.ac.kr/ Media contact: ChanSung Kang [email protected] 82 62 715 6253 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gwangju-institute-of-science-and-technology-researchers-enhance-electronphonon-coupling-strength-in-low-dimensional-strontium-ruthenate-301856805.html SOURCE Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology ST AUGUSTINE, Fla. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HappyOrNot (www.happy-or-not.com), a global leader in customer and employee experience management solutions, is excited to announce a renewed strategy focused on expanding its partner ecosystem in North America . This strategic initiative aims to accelerate growth and meet the increasing demand for comprehensive customer and employee experience (CX/EX) solutions in the region. As organizations increasingly recognize the importance of delivering exceptional customer and employee experiences, HappyOrNot is positioned as a trusted partner in helping businesses drive improvements and achieve long-term success. By expanding its partner ecosystem, HappyOrNot aims to provide broader access to its cutting-edge technology and expertise across North America . The renewed strategy will involve forging strategic partnerships with leading organizations in the CX/EX space, including technology integrators, consultancies, and resellers. Through these partnerships, HappyOrNot will expand its reach and enhance its ability to provide end-to-end solutions that empower businesses to capture valuable insights and take decisive actions to optimize experiences. "Expanding our partner ecosystem is a critical step in our growth strategy for North America ," said Scott Erickson , VP of Global Partnerships and Alliances at HappyOrNot. "By collaborating with established and trusted partners in the region, we can deliver our industry-leading solutions to a wider range of organizations. This will help us meet the growing demand for innovative tools that drive customer and employee satisfaction, loyalty, and business success." HappyOrNot's partner ecosystem will play a crucial role in scaling growth and supporting businesses across various industries, including retail, hospitality, healthcare, and transportation. Leveraging the expertise and market presence of its partners, HappyOrNot aims to ensure seamless implementation, optimal utilization, and ongoing support for its solutions. "The HappyOrNot solution efficiently empowers our clients' customers' to provide real-time feedback on their experience, including emotions, reactions, and interactions with employees, physical environments and venues, and related business processes," said Kevin Harry , Managing Partner of The BCJ Group. "Our partnership with HappyOrNot as a consulting firm enables us to leverage their expertise, insights, and experience, resulting in a more targeted approach for our clients from start to finish, ultimately driving improved revenue impact." Partners will gain access to HappyOrNot's state-of-the-art technology, including its innovative Smiley Terminal devices, intuitive reporting platform, and advanced analytics capabilities. They will also benefit from comprehensive training, sales enablement resources, and dedicated support to enhance their ability to deliver exceptional value to their customers. In addition to expanding the partner ecosystem, HappyOrNot remains committed to continuous innovation and the development of new features and enhancements for its CX/EX solutions. This commitment ensures that organizations can stay at the forefront of delivering outstanding experiences and fostering meaningful connections with both their customers and employees. With the renewed strategy in place, HappyOrNot is excited to embark on this journey of growth, collaboration, and innovation. The expansion of the partner ecosystem in North America will enable HappyOrNot to scale its operations, fulfill market demand, and reinforce its position as a global leader in CX/EX solutions. To learn more about HappyOrNot's Partner program, or apply to become a Partner, visit Become a Partner. About HappyOrNot Creator of the globally recognized four Smileys, HappyOrNot enables companies to identify and optimize experiences across all touchpoints through relevant, in-moment feedback data. With the ability to track, validate, and compare ongoing performance, companies are empowered to continuously improve experiences and drive operational success. Founded in 2009, today HappyOrNot serves 4,000 brands across 135 countries, like Amazon, Google, Aramark, and Miami Airport , and has collected and reported on over 1.5 billion feedback responses. Headquartered in Finland , HappyOrNot also has offices in the U.S. and around the globe and a reseller network of over 100 companies. Visit www.happy-or-not.com to learn more. Media Contact: Kim Brown 678-829-9075 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/happyornot-announces-renewed-strategy-to-expand-partner-ecosystem-in-north-america-scaling-growth-and-fulfilling-demand-for-cxex-solutions-301858024.html SOURCE HappyOrNot New York office to provide on-the-ground support to HKEX's North American clients office to provide on-the-ground support to HKEX's North American clients New location part of HKEX's commitment to broadening international participation in its market and enhancing global market connectivity NEW YORK , June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), one of the world's leading exchange groups, was delighted to celebrate with its North American customers, as it opened its new office in New York . On Wednesday evening at a reception held at New York's Rockefeller Center, HKEX Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Aguzin and other senior executives hosted VIPs and leaders from across the financial business and market infrastructure communities in the US. Guests had the chance to hear more about opportunities in Hong Kong and how HKEX is excited to be on the ground taking ' Asia to New York '. Mr Aguzin struck a gong to mark this important occasion, signifying HKEX's commitment to greater global market connectivity and to working with its international customer base around the world. The New York office will support HKEX's North American clients by offering enhanced access to information on Asia's dynamic capital markets, including updates on market developments, products and services. Located in New York City , the office will promote Hong Kong's vibrant and diverse marketplace, home to a world-leading IPO and equities franchise, unique access to Mainland China markets, as well as a burgeoning offshore Renminbi ecosystem and an expanding suite of regional and international derivatives products. HKEX Chief Executive Officer, Nicolas Aguzin , said: "The opening of our New York office is a great cause for celebration as we bring the Hong Kong and HKEX story to North America . As a purpose-driven company, enhancing connectivity across markets and geographies is at our core. Supporting our international clients around the world by being on the ground and listening to their needs is critical so that we can deliver shared sustained success." Mr Aguzin added: "This new office will better connect two of the most important financial centres in the world, and, together with our recently announced London office, will further connect international capital with the exciting opportunities in Asia . This is part of HKEX's ongoing commitment to further broaden international participation in our markets, strengthening Hong Kong's position as a superconnector between East and West." Operating as HKEX (U.S.) LLC, the New York office will be led by Roger McAvoy , Managing Director and Head of Business Development, North America . The office will provide on-the-ground services to North American clients during their working hours, enabling the group to build stronger relationships with clients in the region. Head of Business Development, North America , Roger McAvoy , added: "There is immense appetite for better insight and access to Asia capital markets in the US, and in opening up an HKEX office in New York , we can better align with our clients' interests and ambitions. This is about bringing opportunities and expertise closer to our customers and we look forward to helping them tap into the Asia growth story in the future." The New York and London offices will complement HKEX's existing international reach from its offices in Beijing , Shanghai and Singapore . Photos of the reception and further information about HKEX and its market can be found here. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hkex-celebrates-opening-of-new-york-office-supporting-clients-across-north-america-301857533.html SOURCE Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) Vertically integrated real estate investment company forms holding company and bolsters expertise with a group of seasoned corporate directors and new chief investment officer, guiding next phase of growth VANCOUVER, Wash. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Holland Holdings, LLC, a vertically integrated real estate investment company, today announced the establishment of its Board of Directors. Holland Holdings now serves as the new holding company to Holland Partner Group, which actively develops, redevelops, constructs, acquires, and manages multifamily communities with institutional partners in the most sought-after investment markets in the Western United States . Holland Partner Group includes the following business lines: Development, with $10 billion in total development projects in total development projects Construction which has facilitated the construction and development of nearly 80 projects representing close to 20,000 units, with an additional 20 projects and 6,500 units in the pipeline. Acquisitions, with over $3 billion in total acquisition transaction experience. in total acquisition transaction experience. Property Management, which manages nearly 60 communities in Washington , Oregon , Colorado , California , and Arizona , with 20 more in the construction pipeline. The nine members of Holland Holdings' Board of Directors are Clyde Holland , Curtis Feeny , Trina Bigby-Sanders , Jamie Henderson , Jonathan G. Geanakos , Steve LeBlanc , Tony Premer , Diana Reid , and Judy Schneider . With their significant expertise and industry knowledge, they will provide oversight and governance to Holland Holdings, its subsidiaries, and its diverse investment portfolio into the next phase of growth. "We are very pleased with the Board's deep experience in each key aspect of multifamily investment," said Clyde Holland . "This particular group of people bring the ideal mix of industry experience and expertise to Holland's vertically integrated platform." Holland's newly appointed chief investment officer, Steve LeBlanc , will also serve on Holland Holdings' Board of Directors. LeBlanc is a seasoned leader with proven success as an investment manager and further strengthens the company's executive team. As CIO, he will play an integral role in championing strategies for risk-mitigated investment and maximizing cashflow, while overseeing the company's diverse portfolio of assets. "Steve and I were part of a select few firms to recommend their investors move to safety in 2005, well before the global financial crisis. Welcoming him to the Holland team is an honor," said Clyde Holland . "Steve's experience is a valuable asset to our organization as we position our investors for success in this new investment cycle." Holland Holdings' Board of Directors includes: Clyde Holland (Founder and CEO) Founder and CEO Clyde Holland is responsible for the company's strategic direction. Prior to establishing Holland, he served as the West Coast group managing partner of Trammell Crow Residential. Within the multifamily industry, Holland has taken a significant lead in policy research and the development of new multifamily product concepts focused on high-density, urban infill and mixed-use opportunities. He has been recognized by the industry for excellence in urban planning and design, and Holland's work has received numerous awards from the Urban Land Institute, the National Multifamily Housing Council and Multifamily Executive. Curtis Feeny (Board Chair), senior advisor, Peterson Partners Prior to his current role with Peterson Partners, Curtis Feeny was a general partner in four venture capital funds at Voyager Capital and Silicon Valley Data Capital. He had previously served as executive vice president of Stanford Management Company, helping oversee the university's endowment from 1992 to 2000, when assets under management grew from $1.5 billion to $9 billion , and as a partner at Trammell Crow Company, with $700 million of assets under management. Trina Bigby-Sanders , investment officer (retired), LACERA Trina Bigby-Sanders served as an investment officer for the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) with overall responsibility for the global real estate investment activities of the $46 billion public pension fund. Bigby-Sanders joined LACERA in 1991. During her time with the organization, she developed and implemented an in-house performance measurement system for real estate; assisted in the design and development of the Monitoring Advisory and Property System (MAPS); worked on the Securities Lending program; served on LACERA's business continuity team; and was the asset manager for Gateway Plaza . She has more than 29 years in institutional real estate investing and has worked closely with the Financial Accounting Services Division, Legal and Human Resources throughout her years of service with LACERA. Jamie Henderson, EVP, head of commercial real estate, Capital One Jamie Henderson is executive vice president and head of Capital One's commercial real estate practice. With a wealth of experience in real estate and private equity investment management, Henderson develops the go-to-market strategy for Capital One's commercial real estate banking services and products and provides recommendations for future products and services. Before joining Capital One, he was a partner at Ares Management and chief executive officer of Ares Commercial Real Estate. Jonathan G. Geanakos, Former Exec. Managing Director of JLL Capital Markets - Mr. Geanakos is an Independent Director of Holland Holdings, and also an Independent Director of Sculptor Diversified REIT, where he serves as a member of the Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees, and Chairs its Affiliated Transaction Committee. He also serves as a strategic advisor to FHR Capital, LLC a institutional investment manager specializing in the US logistics sector. Most recently, Mr. Geanakos was an Executive Managing Director and voting member of the JLL Capital Markets Executive Committee, and was previously President of the Americas for JLL Capital Markets. He has more than 35 years of real estate investment management and capital markets experience. During his career, he has led capital markets advisory assignments exceeding $15 billion on behalf of private and institutional investors across the US, EMEA, and Asia Pacific . Steve LeBlanc , CIO, Holland Partner Group From 2012 to 2019, Steve LeBlanc was a founding partner and senior advisor to CapRidge Partners, a fully integrated real estate and private equity operating company focused on value investments in commercial properties within U.S. growth markets. From 2008 to 2012, he was the senior managing director of private markets, overseeing the real assets, private equity, and principal investments portfolios of more than $45 billion in real estate and private equity at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. He was also president and chief executive officer of NYSE-listed REIT Summit Properties; president and chief executive officer of Urban Growth Property Trust; and executive vice president for Archstone Communities Trust, where he was responsible for development, acquisition, and management of 11,000 apartment homes and the purchase of land for an additional 10,000 apartment homes. Tony Premer, principal, Jetty RE Capital Tony Premer recently launched Jetty RE Capital, a capital source for multifamily rental assets focused on mid-sized projects and emerging operators/managers seeking GP capital. After over 29 years with Pacific Life Insurance Company, Premer retired in early 2022 as their head of real estate investments, where he was responsible for debt and equity investments in commercial real estate of $3 to $4 billion annually. Diana Reid , executive (retired), a division of PNC Financial Services Group Ms. Reid is an Independent Director of Holland Holdings, and an Independent Director of Welltower, Inc. (NYSE: WELL) since 2020, where she serves as member of the Audit Committee, and Chair of its Nominating / Corporate Governance Committee. Ms. Reid has over 40 years' experience in real estate and banking, most recently as business executive of PNC Real Estate, the commercial real estate business of PNC Financial Services Group (2007-2019). She began her career at First Boston (now Credit Suisse), and for 20 years succeeded in bond trading, debt capital markets, and merger and acquisitions all focused on real estate assets and companies before founding Beekman Advisors to provide CEOs, owners and directors of privately held real estate finance companies with strategic advice and sell-side representation. Judy Schneider , COO, Holland Family Office During her more than 20 years with Holland, Judy Schneider played a pivotal role in building the foundation and leadership of the company as chief operations officer. She focused on supporting and growing teams, establishing regional office facilities and leading the expansion of HR/Talent Development and Technology, among other initiatives. Her efforts have also included overseeing external audits that have helped to strengthen the company's capabilities. About Holland Partner Group Founded in 2000, Holland is a fully integrated real estate investment company developing high-quality investment properties in the Western United States , with expertise in development, construction, acquisition, redevelopment and property management. Holland creates sustainable, socially connected and vibrant communities to work, live and enjoy life. The company's seasoned 750-plus-member team creates innovative, quality, and value-driven residential and commercial projects, championing every phase of development and construction of its mixed-use properties, including residential, office, parking garages and retail assets. Headquartered in Vancouver, Wash. , Holland has offices in Denver , Seattle , Southern California , Northern California , and San Diego . For more information, visit www.hollandpartnergroup.com . Images available here. Media Contacts: Dan Tremaine-McCarthy , Holland Partner Group [email protected] | 360-949-3652 Heather Villanueva, Weinstein PR [email protected] |503-753-9193 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/holland-partner-group-announces-board-of-directors-and-appoints-steve-leblanc-as-chief-investment-officer-301857693.html SOURCE Holland Partner Group LONG BEACH, Calif. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading nicotine and alternative products manufacturer known for national, customer-favorite brands including Juice Head , Galaxy Treats , and Troomy Nootropics , Streamline Group expanded its Senior Leadership Team by recruiting industry-veteran, Chuck Melander , as Chief Strategy Officer. Chuck joins Streamline Group as a highly experienced strategic executive recognized for his capabilities in leadership, corporate management, strategic planning, strategy execution, financial analysis, marketing, and product development. Chuck most recently spent 16 years at Turning Point Brands as Senior Vice President of Operations, Product Integrity, and Quality Assurance, serving on the management team that led to impressive growth and culminating in their public offering on the NYSE in 2016. Prior to Turning Point Brands, he worked at Swedish Match for 22 years, leading their Product Development, Quality Assurance, and Snus Marketing areas, resulting in an expansive consumer focused portfolio of successful products. Chuck holds a BS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Centre College and an MBA from Vanderbilt University. As Chief Strategy Officer at Streamline Group, Chuck will be working closely with Patrick Mulcahy , CEO, and Matthew Halvorson , COO, to continue to build Streamlines growth initiatives around the Juice Head brand family of nicotine products while accelerating the growth in Streamline's Alternative Products Division. Mr. Melander stated:"Having worked in the nicotine space with leading CPG companies for 40 years, I have never been more excited to be able to join such a talented team of consumer focused individuals with incredible brands in the Nicotine and Alternative product category. After retiring from Turning Point Brands, I never thought that I would come out of retirement but after seeing the unlimited growth potential of the organization, I couldn't pass up such an exciting opportunity. Streamline positioning themselves with the Juice Head portfolio of nicotine products that is focused on providing adult nicotine consumers an opportunity to enjoy satisfying products in whatever usage occasion they find themselves, is a perfect platform for this long term growth, all while navigating the challenging regulatory landscape. In addition, Streamline's commitment to their alternative products division, led by Bryan Garrison , allows Streamline to leverage their incredible sales and marketing engines to provide additional opportunities for future growth." Following the hire of Bryan Garrison , co-founder of Galaxy Treats and Troomy Nootropics, as VP of Alternative Products, this is yet another strategic executive hire Streamline Group has made in the last few weeks as part of its robust growth strategy to scale the business, penetrate key markets, and develop high-impact, consumer-driven brands. Patrick Mulcahy , Chief Executive Officer at Streamline Group, stated: "We are very excited and confident with our decision to expand our senior leadership team and bring on such an incredible and experienced leader in the nicotine category to the organization. Chuck's experience in strategic planning, execution across the organization, and ability to act as a true think partner will help us deliver on our long term vision for Streamline Group. This addition to Streamline reinforces one of our core values of investing in talented people who have a shared vision, immediate impact, and growth to our organization." About the Company Based out of Long Beach, CA , Streamline Group is an industry-leading manufacturer of customer-favorite alternative brands including Juice Head, Galaxy Treats, Troomy Nootropics, Nirvana CBD, and more. The company was founded in 2013 by Patrick Mulcahy (CEO) and Matthew Halvorson (COO) with a goal to excite consumers with innovative products and drive value for its retail and wholesale customers. These are supported by robust distribution capabilities, high-exposure marketing strategies, dedicated customer support, and best-in-class business practices. For additional information or to submit a wholesale inquiry, visit the company's corporate website or contact sales: (714) 823-3750 or [email protected] Media Contact: Aaron Cadena [email protected] 714-418-3572 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leading-nicotine-and-alternative-products-manufacturer-streamline-group-enlists-industry-veteran-chuck-melander-as-chief-strategy-officer-301858446.html SOURCE Streamline Group SOUTHFIELD, Mich. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lear Corporation (NYSE: LEA), a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, will host a Seating Product Day on June 27, 2023 , at its headquarters in Southfield , MI. During the event, Lear executives will provide an overview of the Company's industry- leading Seating business, highlighting the strategic benefits of its vertical integration strategy and thermal comfort systems portfolio. Lear executive management will also discuss the future revenue growth and margin expansion opportunities in Seating. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. The video webcast will begin at 10:00am EDT . The webcast link will be available on the Company's website at ir.lear.com. For those that attend in person, there will be a product tour and lunch following the formal presentation. About Lear Corporation Lear, a global automotive technology leader in Seating and E-Systems, enables superior in-vehicle experiences for consumers around the world. Lear's diverse team of talented employees in 37 countries is driven by a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability. Lear is Making every drive better by providing the technology for safer, smarter, and more comfortable journeys. Lear, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan , serves every major automaker in the world and ranks 189 on the Fortune 500. Further information about Lear is available at lear.com or on Twitter @LearCorporation. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lear-to-host-seating-product-day-on-june-27-2023-301858634.html SOURCE Lear Corporation Flash bangs and simunition rounds are fired during a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department active shooter training in Rosemead in 2022. A new state Senate bill calls for security training for businesses. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times) So much blood was strewn across the Santa Clara Valley light rail work yard in San Jose that state Sen. Dave Cortese placed booties over his work shoes to inspect the scene. Concerns churned in Corteses mind hours after the May 26, 2021, mass shooting the Bay Areas most violent in a generation: Could this have been prevented? What were the protocols for dealing with this type of emergency and how could workers have been better protected? A disgruntled former rail employee armed with three semiautomatic pistols killed nine co-workers before turning one of the weapons on himself. The shooting had a profound impact on the state senator. I started to raise questions about what kind of plans were in place to detect or to prevent this kind of harm and realized there werent really too many, Cortese (D-San Jose) recently told The Times. There wasnt much going on at all. Cortese introduced a variety of safety measures, including Senate Bill 1294, signed into law last year, that created wellness centers to provide mental health services for transit workers, an effort to prevent future tragedies. Cortese says he's still working to protect employees against workplace violence with his latest legislation, SB 553. Critics, however, say the bill goes too far. The bill, which passed the state Senate, 29 to 8, on May 31, requires employers to create a log of violent incidents, implement active shooter training, provide shoplifter training for retail workers, stop untrained employees from confronting shoplifters and help with the filing of restraining orders against attackers. Bill opponents, including Republican state senators and the California Retailers Assn., claim the legislation risks the livelihood of small-business owners who will have to hire security personnel and is too sweeping to work for all industries. Read more: Accused Half Moon Bay gunman says he suffered 'years of bullying' as authorities investigate 'deplorable' farm conditions Cortese's bill and the debate it has spurred comes amid a rise in workplace killings. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in December that homicides in the workplace increased more than 20% in 2021 to 481 deaths. This is the latest year for which there are data. That number is the highest over a five-year span, topping 458 in 2017. Of the 2021 deaths, 387 were carried out by a shooting. Cal/OSHA placed the number of workplace homicides in California in 2021at 57, with 42 killed by guns . Figures on nonfatal workplace violence vary. The U.S. Department of Justice released a report last year stating that on average between 2015 and 2019, 1.3 million nonfatal violent crimes in the workplace occurred annually. The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted there were 37,060 nonfatal workplace injuries in 2020 resulting from an intentional injury by another person. Cortese aims to combat violence with a plan that would have employers large and small crafting workplace violence prevention strategies. He envisions the plans including security personnel be they guards or workers whose job it is to scout for, and stop, thieves. This portion of the bill in particular has sparked controversy. The senator says the bottom line is, he wants to protect non-security personnel from being conscripted into stopping potential shoplifters: Dont push the bagger or the guy sweeping the floor into a confrontational situation, he said. Cortese didn't provide an example of such an event, though there have been a number of high-profile cases where security guards or loss prevention have been involved in altercations. A San Francisco security guard shot and killed a shoplifter in April, which led to protests. But Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Assn., said mom-and-pop shops with limited budgets dont have the capability to afford dedicated security personnel. "I've been talking to those small businesses and they told me they will absolutely close if they have to hire security," Michelin said. "They're barely hanging on as it is." And although Cortese says the openness of interpretation around security personnel with no minimum qualifications or requirements is "a gift" that provides leeway for employers, Michelin disagrees. The result of that lack of clarity, she says is that employees are lumped together, with little separation between "loss prevention versus someone stocking shelves." SB 553 mandates that employers create a workplace violence prevention plan. One of the more controversial parts of the plan involves the implementation of security protocols. Cortese said every employer will need to at least "review" provisions for some dedicated safety personnel. Early iterations of the bill classified such positions as security guards, but have since been revised to include loss prevention personnel and others serving in a security capacity. Read more: Shooting at California workplace leaves 3 dead, 7 wounded As Corteses bill is being considered, Cal/OSHA, the state governing body in charge of regulating workplace safety, is crafting a set of standards addressing workplace violence prevention something that's been in process since 2017. The agency held three advisory meetings between 2017 and 2018, but only one since then. Cal/OSHA has been working on this for six years and theyre barely at the point where they have a draft, Cortese said. With this backdrop of violence ... do we really want to wait for OSHA to do something? Read more: Sick of rising prices? Your neighborhood businesses are too. How they're handling inflation Karen Fuller Tynan, an attorney who specializes in Cal/OSHA safety issues, said the agency should be in charge of writing workplace regulations instead of individual lawmakers. The agency's plan, she said, was sidetracked by the COVID-19 pandemic, "so I think it's unfair to smack Cal/OSHA for delays." She said the Cortese bill was not the right fit and thought modifications were needed for smaller businesses. Tynan said the bill needed to specifically address security personnel in businesses with 50 or fewer employees. The issues of a corner bodega thats open 24 hours a day versus a high-end retailer are different," she said, "and we dont need to apply a one-size-fits-all approach. Cortese said the bill was not final and alterations were possible. The bill passed the Senate, 29-8, on May 31 and was read in the Assembly for the first time the next day. SB 553 is scheduled to be discussed by the Assemblys Labor Committee on June 28 en route to what Cortese hopes will be approval and a signature from Gov. Gavin Newsom. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Converging Technological Excellence and Artistic Brilliance, LG SIGNATURE OLED M Showcased at Special Exhibition Zone SEOUL, South Korea , June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Electronics (LG) is bridging the worlds of art and technology with its ultra-premium brand, LG SIGNATURE, by sponsoring a remarkable ballet performance of 'Swan Lake,' choreographed by the esteemed French ballet master Angelin Preljocaj, at the LG Arts Center SEOUL in South Korea from June 22 to 25 . This sponsorship signifies the second occasion where LG SIGNATURE has supported performances at this venue, following its patronage of 'He Who Falls' by Yoann Bourgeois in November 2022 . A renowned master of modern ballet, Angelin Preljocaj is considered one of the most important contemporary choreographers since the 20th century. After a gap of 4 years since Ballet Preljocaj toured Korea with 'La Fresque,' he makes his long-awaited return to Korea . Inspired by the creative vision and imagination that Marius Petipa instilled in 'Swan Lake,' Angelin Preljocaj intertwines his own inventive genius to give birth to yet another extraordinary work. One of the highlights of the performance is the captivating group dance sequences, where 25 ensemble dancers gracefully portray the image of wild swans gliding across a lake. In addition to the captivating performance of 'Swan Lake,' attendees at LG Arts Center SEOUL will have the privilege of immersing themselves in the LG SIGNATURE exhibition zone, strategically located at the entrance of the LG SIGNATURE Hall. Carefully curated to align with the enchanting concept of 'Swan Lake,' these spaces offer a distinctive experience that extends the emotional impact of the performance beyond the confines of the theater. Creating a backdrop reminiscent of a dark lake, the exhibition zone showcases the LG SIGNATURE OLED M (model M3), the world's first and largest OLED TV. This remarkable display evokes visions of swans elegantly gliding across the water's surface through the use of its wireless solution. Adding to the captivating TV, a separate Zero Connect Box, responsible for wirelessly transmitting video and audio signals to LG's cinematic screen, located beside the screen on a swan sculpture adds an artistic touch to the exhibition. In the OLED M special exhibition zone, the wall panels extending on both sides showcase the journey of innovation in LG OLED TVs over the past 10 years. It also introduces the brand philosophy of LG SIGNATURE, which upholds the "Art of Essence," and the brand theme "LIVE BEYOND," emphasizing the experience of life becoming art. LG SIGNATURE OLED M is set to make its official debut in the second half of the year. Educating and showcasing the premium value of LG SIGNATURE to customers visiting LG Arts Center SEOUL , LG's dedicated exhibition and photo zones open to the public until July 22 aim to provide a comprehensive and immersive experience that highlights the unique features and exceptional quality of LG SIGNATURE products. Continuously promoting its cultural and artistic endeavors as a way to communicate its blend of artistic values and innovative technology, LG SIGNATURE is the official partner of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the United Kingdom , the American Ballet Theatre in the United States and La Scala opera house in Italy . "We take great pride in the fact that LG Electronics has once again signed a title sponsorship this year, further solidifying our commitment to the arts and culture scene," said Lee Jeong -seok, head of LG Electronics' Global Marketing Center. "With the LG SIGNATURE OLED M exhibition zone, we have created a convergence of technological excellence and artistic brilliance aiming to provide audiences with an immersive firsthand experience of the exceptional LG SIGNATURE OLED M, meticulously crafted with our finest technology." About LG SIGNATURE LG SIGNATURE is the first ultra-premium brand across multiple product categories from global innovator LG Electronics. Designed for the most discerning consumers, LG SIGNATURE products deliver a state-of-the-art living experience that feels pure, sophisticated and luxurious. Combining the very best of everything LG has to offer, LG SIGNATURE products are designed with a focus on their "true essence" aligned with the brand's modern, distinctive design. For more information, visit www.LGSIGNATURE.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lg-hosts-swan-lake-performance-expanding-engagement-with-arts-and-culture-scene-301856880.html SOURCE LG SIGNATURE The company appoints Mike D'Aloia as Executive Vice President, Head of Sales, and Laurie Pace as Senior Vice President of Marketing SANTA CLARA, Calif. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NetBase Quid, a global leader in AI-powered consumer and market intelligence, today announced Laurie Pace , as Senior Vice President of Marketing, and Mike D'Aloia , as Executive Vice President, Head of Sales. These strategic hires reflect NetBase Quid's ongoing commitment to being a trusted partner, providing customers with unmatched consumer and market intelligence on a global scale. "Technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace and advancements in AI, machine learning, and data analytics have opened up endless possibilities for brands," said NetBase Quid CEO, Peter Caswell . "Both Mike and Laurie bring with them a proven track record leading companies towards a new level of success and I'm excited to have them join us as we continue to expand our product and service offerings." D'Aloia is an accomplished sales leader who brings over 25 years of experience to his new role at NetBase Quid. He has held multiple positions in executive sales, most recently as Senior Vice President of Global Enterprise Sales and Account Management with Brandwatch. Before that, D'Aloia was the Director of Global Sales at Forrester. In his role at NetBase Quid as the Executive Vice President of Sales, D'Aloia will play a pivotal role in formulating and executing the company's sales strategy, driving revenue generation, and fostering strong customer relationships. "The choice to join NetBase Quid was an easy one as the company is the clear leader in empowering today's biggest brands with data-driven insights," said Mike D'Aloia . "I'm passionate about working with collaborative teams to drive results and I'm looking forward to lending my sales experience to accelerate the company's vision." Pace, an accomplished marketing executive with over 15 years of experience, joins Netbase Quid as the Senior Vice President of Marketing. As the North American VP of Marketing, Global PR, and Analyst Relations at Quinyx, Pace played a pivotal role in driving the company's growth and expansion into new markets. While at the company, she spearheaded Quinyx's marketing efforts in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands , successfully positioning the brand and facilitating its entry into these regions. Prior to that, Pace was the VP of Marketing at Ubeeqo, acquired by Europcar. As the newly appointed Senior Vice President of Marketing, Pace will spearhead NetBase Quid's marketing efforts, playing a key role in driving the company's strategic expansion. "I'm very excited to join the team at NetBase Quid and use my marketing experience to conquer the consumer intelligence space," said Laurie Pace . "NetBase Quid is at the forefront of AI-powered consumer and market intelligence and this role promises new frontiers. I'm looking forward to being a part of NetBase Quid's next chapter." These appointments are the latest to expand NetBase Quid's national footprint as the company continues to embrace a global remote collaborative workforce. About NetBase Quid We make the world make sense. We deliver AI-powered consumer and market intelligence to enable business reinvention in a noisy and unpredictable world. Our platform uses advanced artificial intelligence to process billions of indexed resources across all forms of structured and unstructured data, empowering brand, agency, and consulting services customers to make smart, data-driven decisions accurately, quickly, and efficiently. We are the trusted partner of Ogilvy, T-Mobile, Lufthansa, Yum! Brands, Walmart, Hyundai, Wunderman Thompson, BCG, Gopuff, and Dotdash Meredith, among many other top companies. Learn more at www.netbasequid.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/netbase-quid-strengthens-leadership-team-with-executive-hires-301857725.html SOURCE NetBase Quid CHARLOTTE, N.C. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nucor Corporation's (NYSE: NUE) Executive Vice President of Business Services and General Counsel, Greg Murphy , will conduct a fireside chat with Lawson Winder of BofA Global Research at the 2023 NYSE Investor Conference in London on Tuesday, June 27th at 10:00 a.m. BST ( 5:00 a.m. ET ). Mr. Murphy oversees Nucor's legal, environmental, public affairs, corporate communications, and sustainability functions. During the conversation, Mr. Murphy will describe Nucor's highly circular business model and how the company is building on its competitive advantages in sustainable manufacturing. Both a live webcast and a replay will be available on the Investor Relations page of Nucor.com. About Nucor Nucor and its affiliates are manufacturers of steel and steel products, with operating facilities in the United States , Canada and Mexico . Products produced include: carbon and alloy steel -- in bars, beams, sheet and plate; hollow structural section tubing; electrical conduit; steel racking; steel piling; steel joists and joist girders; steel deck; fabricated concrete reinforcing steel; cold finished steel; precision castings; steel fasteners; metal building systems; insulated metal panels; overhead doors; steel grating; wire and wire mesh; and utility structures. Nucor, through The David J. Joseph Company and its affiliates, also brokers ferrous and nonferrous metals, pig iron and hot briquetted iron / direct reduced iron; supplies ferro-alloys; and processes ferrous and nonferrous scrap. Nucor is North America's largest recycler. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nucor-executive-to-speak-at-2023-nyse-investor-conference-in-london-301858336.html SOURCE Nucor Corporation RBC Capital Markets hosts its annual global Charity Day celebration Celebrations held by RBC Capital Markets employees in Canada , the U.S. , the U.K. , France , Germany , Spain , Netherlands , Singapore , Japan , Hong Kong , Australia , Barbados , and the Bahamas US$5 million donated to over 60 charities worldwide TORONTO , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - RBC Capital Markets hosted its annual RBC Charity Day for the Kids event yesterday, uniting over 6,400 employees in 24 cities around the globe in celebration of its culture of philanthropy and giving back. More than 60 youth-focused charities joined employees activities including charity presentations and floor walks throughout the day, which concluded with a US$5 million donation to the charities. "We firmly believe that our success is measured not only by financial performance, but by the positive influence that we have on the community," said Derek Neldner , CEO & group head, RBC Capital Markets. "We are immensely grateful to partner with remarkable charitable organizations that are making a tangible difference in the lives of children, young people, and their families, and also to our employees and clients for their tremendous support and engagement." RBC is committed to helping clients thrive and communities prosper, and fundamental to that is building long-lasting, productive partnerships with charities that empower children and youth, and support them and their families through difficulties such as poverty, physical and mental ill-health, with facilitating end-of-life care for terminally ill children, and much more. Each year, RBC makes significant charitable contributions and employees dedicate thousands of volunteering hours to support charity partners. In 2015, its Capital Markets division established RBC Charity Day for the Kids as a day to recognize the crucial work of youth-focused charities in the communities it operates. Formerly known as RBC Trade for the Kids, the event has expanded rapidly since its inception, reaching more corners of the globe than ever before, and benefitting more than 140 charity partners with over US$30 million in total donations to date. For more on RBC Charity Day for the Kids and the benefitting charities, click here. About RBC Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 98,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada 's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada , the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com. We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-social-impact. About RBC Capital Markets The most significant corporations, institutional investors, asset managers, private equity firms, and governments around the globe recognize RBC Capital Markets as an innovative, trusted partner with an in-depth expertise in capital markets, banking, and finance. We are well-established in the largest, most mature capital markets across North America , Europe , and the Asia-Pacific region , which collectively encompasses 81% of the global investment banking fee pool (Dealogic Analytics, criteria based on completion date between January 31, 2023 - April 30, 2023 ). We are a Top 10 Global Investment Bank, with over 6,400 employees across North America , Europe , and the Asia-Pacific region in 63 offices and 18 countries, collectively serving over 19,500 clients worldwide in over 100 countries. Learn more at rbccm.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rbc-charity-day-for-the-kids-donates-us5-million-to-over-60-youth-focused-charities-around-the-globe-301857526.html SOURCE RBC Capital Markets AKRON, Ohio , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sequoia Financial Group, LLC (Sequoia), a leading SEC-registered wealth manager with nearly $16 billion in assets under management, today announced several key leadership appointments. Annie McCauley , executive vice president and chief client experience officer, adds significant responsibilities for the advisor group and organic growth to her existing asset management, wealth planning, and client segment strategy responsibilities. , executive vice president and chief client experience officer, adds significant responsibilities for the advisor group and organic growth to her existing asset management, wealth planning, and client segment strategy responsibilities. Kevin Tichnell , executive vice president, is now chief strategy & acquisitions officer. , executive vice president, is now chief strategy & acquisitions officer. Joseph Glick has joined the firm as executive vice president and chief operating officer. Akron, Ohio -based Sequoia provides asset management and planning services across the wealth continuumfrom individuals to family officeswith locations throughout the United States . Sequoia was named by Barron's as one of the top RIA firms in the U.S. in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year. Founded in 1991, Sequoia employs more than 200 people. "Today's leadership appointments are designed to strengthen our strategic expansion plans as we continue to build a durable and scalable firm to serve clients for generations to come," said Tom Haught , founder and CEO of Sequoia. "Our priorities are organic growth, selective acquisitions, and operational excellence. Annie is now responsible for organic growth and unifying our client experience, asset management and planning. We welcome Joe to Sequoia in the key role of overseeing our growing operations and breadth of services. Kevin will focus solely on leading our M&A efforts." McCauley is responsible for asset management, wealth planning, and the firm's advisor group, with more than half of the firm's employees now under her leadership. She joined Sequoia Financial Group in 2002 as a financial advisor. She became managing planner in 2008, was promoted to managing director of family wealth in 2015 and chief client experience officer in early 2021. Glick is responsible for finance, risk & compliance, legal, client service & administration, technology and organizational development. He brings to Sequoia more than a decade of experience in the financial services industry in various COO roles, as well as strategy, innovation, and transformation-focused positions. Before joining Sequoia, Glick was head of strategy client lifecycle management for Deutsche Bank, where he worked for 13 years in Cleveland, New York , and London . Glick said, "Joining Sequoia was the obvious choice for me. The firm's leadership team has a clear commitment to a client-first, values-based culture and has an ambitious plan to serve clients in a competitive industry." Tichnell joined Sequoia Financial Group in 2003 as a wealth advisor. He has also held the roles of managing director, business development; vice president of mergers & acquisitions; chief of staff; and chief financial officer. For more than three decades, Sequoia has grown organically and through acquisitions to expand its services and its geographic footprint. Most recently, in February 2023 , Sequoia acquired Zeke Capital Advisors, LLC in Berwyn, Pa. , a multi-family office firm managing more than $5 billion in assets and providing generational family wealth management to individuals, families, and foundations. About Sequoia Financial Group Sequoia Financial Group, LLC, founded in 1991, takes a client-centered approach to providing wealth management services, including asset management, estate and retirement planning, fiduciary consulting, and family wealth. Sequoia builds and maintains strong relationships that emphasize long-term planning to help clients reach their financial and life goals. Sequoia was named by Barron's as one of the top RIA firms in the U.S. in 2022 for the fourth consecutive year. The firm had nearly $16 billion in assets under management as of May 31, 2023 . For more information, visit www.sequoia-financial.com. Investment advisory services offered through Sequoia Financial Advisors, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Registration as an investment advisor does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Barron's weighs dozens of qualitative and quantitative components, including assets managed, the size and experience of teams, regulatory record of the advisors and firms, succession planning, technology spending, and staff diversity. No fees in any years awarded were paid or incurred to receive this recognition. $8,500 was spent in 2021, $0 in 2020, and $17,240 in 2019 for marketing collateral associated with the award to be used on social media, our website, and email signatures. This award is not representative of any one client's experience and is not indicative of our firm's future performance. This award was independently granted as Sequoia is a separate company from Barron's. Sequoia applied to be considered for the recognition. Please note this award is not a referral to, endorsement or recommendation of, or testimonial for the advisor with respect to its investment advisory or other services. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sequoia-financial-group-promotes-executives-annie-mccauley-and-kevin-tichnell-hires-joseph-glick-as-coo-301858493.html SOURCE Sequoia Financial Group, LLC All new interactive displays and updates from SMART Technologies will run on Android 13 with Google EDLA certification and provide powerful security, industry-leading longevity and upgradability, and greater ease of use to maximize technology investments for schools. CALGARY, AB , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SMART Technologies , the world's most popular interactive display brand [1] , is pleased to announce that its newest interactive display solutions will feature Google EDLA Certification, with options for Google EDLA Certification across its existing lineup available soon. These solutions include a new generation of iQ-powered interactive displays for education, coming in 2024, and an appliance-based solution designed to be paired with SMART displays purchased as early as 2015, available this fall. SMART Technologies provides industry-leading longevity without compromising ease of use, delivering on their promise of affordable, industry-leading upgradability. For schools and districts investing in technology with limited funding, SMART's display options represent a good investment today and for years to come. "Imagine if hardware you bought nine years ago worked as well as a brand-new product. As consumers, we don't expect that from our phones, computers, TVs or displays. As a company whose customers rely on today's investment for years of classroom instruction, our goal is to raise the bar," said SMART Technologies CEO Nicholas Svensson . "At SMART we are proud to be the only manufacturer with a truly proven commitment to upgradability for our displays, to spare our customers the expense and hassle of replacing obsolete hardware for as long as possible. Unlike other display manufacturers, we ensure there is always a path forward for customers to upgrade their displays." SMART Technologies' interactive displays are designed for the future, with anticipated technology and education trends in mind: An all-new interactive display line-up. SMART's new interactive displays will fully utilize Google EDLA certification (also known as Google Mobile Services certification) to provide secure, powerful interoperability for both Google for Education and Microsoft Office 365 users, including with Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. Users will be able to customize their home screen and navigation menu to include their favorite apps and have easy access to Google Play, Google Classroom, and other Google services. The new displays will also offer one-click home screen access to a Google Search bar, and enhanced search capabilities like voice search options. SMART's new interactive displays will fully utilize Google EDLA certification (also known as Google Mobile Services certification) to provide secure, powerful interoperability for both Google for Education and Microsoft Office 365 users, including with Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. Users will be able to customize their home screen and navigation menu to include their favorite apps and have easy access to Google Play, Google Classroom, and other Google services. The new displays will also offer one-click home screen access to a Google Search bar, and enhanced search capabilities like voice search options. Solutions that include Android 13 and Google EDLA certification will be available as upgrades to all three of its current interactive display models: SMART will support existing customers with the 6000S series and the MX series displays with appliance-based options to upgrade to SMART's latest operating system - iQ4 - on Android 13 and obtain access to the latest Google features. It will also offer customers with the SMART GX-V2 series displays an upgrade to basic embedded computing on Android 13 with Google EDLA certification. SMART will support existing customers with the 6000S series and the MX series displays with appliance-based options to upgrade to SMART's latest operating system - iQ4 - on Android 13 and obtain access to the latest Google features. It will also offer customers with the SMART GX-V2 series displays an upgrade to basic embedded computing on Android 13 with Google EDLA certification. SMART is unique in the interactive display market by supporting upgrades for older models in its product lineup, including some sold as early as 2015. This means customers can have and maintain great embedded workflows and security longer than with any other brand. The company's latest interactive display solutions allow customers to eliminate the need for frequent buying cycles and replacements. Google EDLA certification means that with Google Mobile Services users can easily install apps with the Google Play store. Admins can also manage app installations at scale using SMART Remote Management. Google users will also enjoy out-of-the-box access to Google Drive and YouTube, plus easy access to Google Classroom, Docs, Slides, and Sheets. SMART's next generation of interactive displays will also leverage new Android 13 security enhancements including additional protections against app vulnerabilities through Google Play Protect. These new upgrade options are part of SMART's commitment to ensuring that customers get the best value for their budget over time. Buyers have peace of mind and know they will receive reliable, responsive support, system enhancements, and an exceptional experience on their interactive display, regardless of when they made their purchase. To learn more about options for SMART customers to upgrade their appliances and displays, please visit www.smarttech.com. About SMART Technologies ULC SMART isn't just a leading tech company, but a connections company working tirelessly to create and advance technology that helps teachers, learners, businesses and teams make meaningful connections every single day. The original SMART Board launched in 1991, and SMART has continued to innovate in EdTech, including through Lumio, an award-winning collaborative learning software. With a full range of products, including an impressive selection of easy-to-use interactive displays used by millions of businesses, educators and students around the world, SMART creates connections that matter. To learn more, visit www.smarttech.com . [1] *According to Futuresource Consulting Ltd., in Q1 2023 SMART is #1 in Education IFPs globally (less China , Hong Kong , Taiwan ) and in the UK , Australia , Spain , DACH, and the Nordics. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smart-technologies-announces-google-edla-certification-for-world-leading-interactive-displays-301856365.html SOURCE SMART Technologies DALLAS , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) today announced recent Leadership updates across the Company. Several of these changes are a continuation of the organizational structure work that began in September 2022 and has continued into 2023. Finance Organization With nearly 30 years of unwavering service, Leah Koontz has decided to move from Senior Vice President Controller to an Executive Advisor role, effective Aug. 16 . Throughout Koontz's Southwest career, she has been an integral contributor to the success of many projects and strategic initiatives, including the development of Southwest's first in-house revenue accounting system, its first ticketless system, SAP implementation, several iterations of reservation system upgrades and replacements, and the integration of AirTran. She has held numerous Leadership roles within the Finance Department leading up to her current role as Senior Vice President Controller. Koontz's transition paves the way for several other Leadership changes: Ryan Martinez has been promoted from Vice President Investor Relations to Senior Vice President Controller, overseeing Accounting and Financial Reporting, SOX, Tax, and Controller Operations. Martinez began his Southwest career 17 years ago in the Investor Relations Department before joining the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Department in 2013, where he led the Corporate Team responsible for overseeing consolidated financial forecasts. He assumed his current role as Vice President of Investor Relations six years ago and has become a well-respected and reliable voice for the Company with the investment community. Prior to joining Southwest, Martinez worked in Financial Reporting at The Neiman Marcus Group, and began his career in public accounting at BDO Seidman, LLP. Martinez graduated from Louisiana State University in Shreveport with a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance and is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas . Julia Landrum will move from Vice President Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) to Vice President Investor Relations. Landrum joined Southwest in 2016 as a Senior Director in FP&A. Prior to that, Julia served as Vice President, Revenue for Studio Movie Grill as well as in leadership roles at Ernst & Young LLP, The Home Depot on their Capital Planning and Merchandising and Operations teams, and United Airlines on the Network Planning and FP&A teams. Landrum received a bachelor's degree in economics and international studies from Southern Methodist University (SMU) and an MBA from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Landrum serves on the Leadership Advisory Council for SMU Continuing & Professional Education. Martinez's and Landrum's moves are effective Aug. 16 . Michael Cole is promoted from Managing Director Capacity Planning to Vice President Financial Planning & Analysis, effective June 1 . An 18-year Southwest veteran, Cole served as an analyst in Revenue Management prior to his roles in Network Planning and FP&A. Cole holds a bachelor's degree in aviation science from Baylor University and an associate degree in aeronautical science from Texas State Technical College. Marketing & Customer Experience Organization Effective March 1 , Southwest's Marketing and Customer Experience & Engagement organization transitioned to five departments under Senior Vice President Marketing & Customer Experience Tony Roach . The functions under Roach's Leadership include Marketing; Customer Experience & Digital (CXD); Customer Engagement; Travel Products; and Department Planning, Operations, & Delivery. His oversight includes digital experience, go to market efforts, and the airline's loyalty program, Rapid Rewards , as well as ancillary products. , Marketing and Customer Experience & Engagement organization transitioned to five departments under . The functions under Roach's Leadership include Marketing; Customer Experience & Digital (CXD); Customer Engagement; Travel Products; and Department Planning, Operations, & Delivery. His oversight includes digital experience, go to market efforts, and the airline's loyalty program, Rapid Rewards , as well as ancillary products. Bill Tierney's role changed from Vice President Marketing & Digital Experience to Vice President Customer Experience & Digital (CXD), effective March 1 . The Digital Experience function will transition out of Marketing and join the Customer Experience organization. As an Enterprise-wide support function, the CXD Department will be responsible for meeting the growing needs of the airline's Customers across the entire travel journey, while supporting revenue, operational, and cost-saving goals of the business. Jonathan Clarkson's role changed from Vice President Marketing & Loyalty Products to Vice President Marketing, effective March 1 . Marketing's core purpose of winning more Customers and growing revenue remains unchanged. Jennifer Bridie is promoted from Managing Director Marketing Strategy to Vice President, Marketing Communications and Strategy, reporting to Jonathan Clarkson , effective May 16 . In this role, Bridie is responsible for leading Marketing Strategy, Marketing Communications Go To Market, and Brand Teams. The role is accountable for leading Company efforts to advance capabilities in these areas; drive Company growth and performance; and foster Brand to create an even greater loyalty and engagement among Southwest Customers. Bridie joined Southwest in 2013 as a Brand Communications Sr. Manager, and in 2019, she was promoted to Managing Director of Marketing Strategy. Bridie has been instrumental in launching innovative campaigns such as "Transfarency" and bringing back Southwest's iconic "Wanna Get Away" messaging. Prior to joining Southwest Airlines in 2013, she worked within the advertising industry, giving her a keen understanding of both the science and the art that informs her perspective today. Bridie graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Inflight Operations Sonya Lacore, Vice President Inflight Operations, has made the decision to move to an Executive Advisor role effective June 16 . From her first day of Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant Initial Training in 2001, through all of the Leadership roles she's held in between, Lacore has led by example with kindness and gratefulness above all else, with her most recent focus as a Leader on providing more than 19,000 Southwest Flight Attendants with the tools and support they need to successfully provide Southwest Customers with Legendary Service. Among Lacore's major accomplishments during her career was introducing an exclusive uniform collection to almost 42,000 Southwest Employees in 2017. This is the same uniform collection that Southwest Airlines Employees wear today. Lacore's move paves the way for Steve Murtoff , who is promoted from Managing Director Inflight Safety Service & Base Ops to Vice President Inflight Operations, effective June 16 . Murtoff began his Southwest career nearly 17 years ago in the Inflight Operations Department. For the past 13 years he has served on the Inflight Director Team, leading across nearly all business areas within the Department. In addition to his work at Southwest, Murtoff has been an active leader within the greater airline industry, serving as a Board member and President of the International Flight Services Association (IFSA). Prior to Southwest, he worked at America West Airlines for nearly five years where he started his aviation career as an Operations Agent before joining their Inflight Team. Murtoff attended Pennsylvania State University prior to moving to Phoenix to start his career in aviation. Technology Organization Carrie Mills is promoted from Managing Director, Cybersecurity to Vice President of Cybersecurity, effective March 16 . Mills is responsible for all aspects of Cybersecurity across Southwest's facilities, airports, and aircraft. She focuses on the daily operation of the Cybersecurity function and leads the airline's top Cybersecurity initiatives, including Privileged Access Management, Technology Data Privacy, expansion of Multi-Factor Authentication, Vulnerability Management, and Incident Response and Recovery. Mills joined Southwest in 2017 as the Senior Manager of Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence and Response. Her Leadership and guidance have driven Team wins across numerous efforts to improve Southwest's Cybersecurity posture. Key initiatives include the buildout of an around-the-clock Security Operations Center (SOC) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) capabilities; enhancing the Cybersecurity incident response processes and procedures; the original implementation of Shape Security to combat Customer account takeover attacks; the rollout of improved technologies to aid in vulnerability management and reporting; the deployment of an enterprise-wide Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) platform; and the development of a Cybersecurity Aviation Team to help meet the requirements of many Federal Agencies, and leading a project to implement an Integrated Risk Management platform. Mills' Cybersecurity domain expertise and Leadership talents have been invaluable in growing Southwest's Cybersecurity capabilities. Mills earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in management information systems from the University of Oklahoma, and she's a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) with a long-standing passion for Cybersecurity. "Leadership is a calling to serve, and Southwest has a long-standing history of talented and dedicated Leaders who put Employees and Customers before themselves, which brings me immense pride," said Bob Jordan , President & CEO at Southwest Airlines. "I would like to thank Leah and Sonya for their combined nearly five decades of service at Southwest Airlines, and the legacy they leave at our airline. And I'm grateful for our promoted Leaders who are stepping up to oversee these important functions that contribute to the success our People work so hard to achieve." ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. Southwest Airlines Co. operates one of the world's most admired and awarded airlines, offering its one-of-a-kind value and Hospitality at 121 airports across 11 countries. Southwest took flight in 1971 to democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel and now carries more air travelers flying nonstop within the United States than any other airline1. Based in Dallas and famous for an Employee-first corporate Culture, Southwest maintains an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its history. By empowering its nearly 70,0002 People to deliver unparalleled Hospitality, the maverick airline cherishes a passionate loyalty among more than 126 million Customers carried in 2022. That formula for success brought industry-leading prosperity and 47 consecutive years3 of profitability for Southwest Shareholders (NYSE: LUV). Southwest leverages a unique legacy and mission to serve communities around the world including harnessing the power of its People and Purpose to put communities at the Heart of its success. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship. As the airline with Heart, Southwest has set a goal to work toward achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Southwest has also set near-term targets and a four-pillar strategy to achieve its environmental goals. Learn more by visiting Southwest.com/planet. 1U.S. Dept. of Transportation most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded 2Fulltime-equivalent active Employees 31973-2019 annual profitability View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/southwest-airlines-announces-leadership-updates-301858588.html SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co. WICHITA, Kan. , June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In light of the decision to strike by Spirit AeroSystems employees represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers today, Spirit will suspend factory production prior to the expiration of the contract. Beginning with the start of first shift on Thursday, June 22 , all IAM-represented employees are not to report for work but will receive pay for their regularly scheduled work hours. All scheduled overtime is canceled. All employees not represented by the IAM should report to work as usual on Thursday. We are disappointed that our employees represented by the IAM rejected our four-year contract offer and voted to strike. We believe that our fair and competitive offer recognizes the contributions of our employees and ensures we can successfully meet increasing demand for aircraft from our customers. We know that no one wins in a work stoppage; however, we respect the rights of our represented employees. Despite this setback, we are not distracted from the task at hand. We look forward to continued meetings with IAM leadership. Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. ("Spirit") is a subsidiary of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. [NYSE: SPR] ("Spirit AeroSystems"). On the web: www.spiritaero.com On Twitter: @SpiritAero About Spirit AeroSystems Inc. Spirit AeroSystems is one of the world's largest manufacturers of aerostructures for commercial airplanes, defense platforms, and business/regional jets. With expertise in aluminum and advanced composite manufacturing solutions, the company's core products include fuselages, integrated wings and wing components, pylons, and nacelles. We are leveraging decades of design and manufacturing expertise to be the most innovative and reliable supplier of military aerostructures, and specialty high-temperature materials, enabling warfighters to execute complex, critical missions. Spirit also serves the aftermarket for commercial and business/regional jets. Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas , Spirit has facilities in the U.S. , U.K. , France , Malaysia and Morocco . More information is available at www.spiritaero.com. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that may involve many risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "aim," "anticipate," "believe," "could," "continue," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "forecast," "intend," "may," "might," "objective," "outlook," "plan," "predict," "project," "should," "target," "will," "would," and other similar words, or phrases, or the negative thereof, unless the context requires otherwise. These statements reflect management's current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown. Our actual results may vary materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such forward-looking statements and that should be considered in evaluating our outlook include, without limitation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and operations; the timing and conditions surrounding the full worldwide return to service (including receiving the remaining regulatory approvals) of the B737 MAX, future demand for the aircraft, and any residual impacts of the B737 MAX grounding on production rates for the aircraft; our reliance on Boeing for a significant portion of our revenues; our ability to execute our growth strategy, including our ability to complete and integrate acquisitions; our ability to accurately estimate and manage performance, cost, and revenue under our contracts; demand for our products and services and the effect of economic or geopolitical conditions in the industries and markets in which we operate in the U.S. and globally; our ability to manage our liquidity, borrow additional funds or refinance debt; and other factors disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These factors are not exhaustive and it is not possible for us to predict all factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in our forward-looking statements. These factors speak only as of the date hereof, and new factors may emerge or changes to the foregoing factors may occur that could impact our business. Except to the extent required by law, we undertake no obligation to, and expressly disclaim any obligation to, publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spirit-aerosystems-to-suspend-factory-operations-301857718.html SOURCE Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. Automaker named to Points of Light Civic 50 as one of the most community-minded companies in America for 2023 CAMDEN, N.J. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) today released its 2022 Corporate Impact Report, detailing for the fifth year how they share the love with their customers, employees, environment, and community. One highlight not included within the report is the recent announcement that Points of Light has named Subaru a 2023 Civic 50 Honoree, recognizing the automaker as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in America, for the third consecutive year. "We'd like to thank our retailers, employees, partners, and the entire Subaru family for helping us achieve and exceed our impact goals in 2022, as well as for providing the inspiration to accomplish even more together in the future," said Tadashi 'Tady' Yoshida, Chairman and CEO of Subaru of America, Inc. The Subaru Corporate Impact Report details the ways in which SOA exemplified their mission to be More Than a Car Company throughout the 2022 calendar year. Compiled as a result of broadened data collection and disclosure efforts, the report shares the who, what, where, when, and why of the automaker's efforts to positively impact every individual its work reaches from new car buyers to longtime owners to retailers and partners, as well as those in the communities where Subaru employees live and work. "At Subaru we take it to heart when saying we are More Than a Car Company, and know it comes with the responsibility of living out our pledge with a commitment to improving the world around us," said Jeff Walters , President and COO of Subaru of America, Inc. The Subaru Love Promise is the focal point of the report, extending into five pillars: Subaru Loves to Care, Subaru Loves the Earth, Subaru Loves to Help, Subaru Loves Learning, and Subaru Loves Pets. Milestones reached in 2022 include more than $1.9 million in philanthropic gifts to nonprofits in the Camden, New Jersey community where SOA is based, and over 10,000 hours employees spent volunteering across the nation. Living Our Values Subaru of America Foundation partnered with SOA's Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to grant funding to nonprofits that support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) outcomes. partnered with SOA's Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to grant funding to nonprofits that support Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) outcomes. In 2022, over half of Subaru employees were involved in the company's ERGs, which bring its DEIB values to life. The talent management and acquisition team continued to benchmark their DEIB practices in the employee recruitment and retention process through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Minority Corporate Counsel Association , the National Association of Black Accountants , Women of Color Automotive Network, and military organizations. Subaru Love Promise Customer Commitment Received recognition by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for four vehicle models as a TOP SAFETY PICK+ and two as a TOP SAFETY PICK in 2022. (IIHS) for four vehicle models as a and two as a in 2022. Earned 'Superior' rating in front crash prevention from IIHS for all vehicle models when equipped with EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. Received 2022 Best Cars for Teens award for Ascent and Forester from U.S. News & World Report . . Named #20 on the list of the 100 most visible U.S. -based companies in the 2022 Axios Harris Poll 100 Reputation Ranking, based on a survey of more than 30,000 Americans. -based companies in the 2022 Axios Harris Poll 100 Reputation Ranking, based on a survey of more than 30,000 Americans. Sold all available Subaru Solterra models, the company's first fully electric vehicle, produced in 2022; demonstrating progress toward its goal to electrify 100% of Subaru vehicles by 2035. Subaru Love Promise Community Commitment The annual Subaru Share the Love Event reached the 15-year milestone of $256 million donated to national and hometown charities. donated to national and hometown charities. More than 70% of SOA employees volunteered a total of 10,000+ hours in 2022. Most SOA employees (over 70%) participated in company sponsored volunteering efforts in 2022, achieving a total of 10,000+ volunteer hours. Subaru is one of the most fuel-efficient automotive brands in the United States , based on improvement in fuel economy per mile since 2009 as analyzed by the EPA . , based on improvement in fuel economy per mile since 2009 as analyzed by the . Subaru remanufactured 1,548+ tons of products in 2022. In addition to highlighting how Subaru was More Than a Car Company in 2022, the report showcases how the automaker's 2022 corporate responsibility actions parallel the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To learn more about Corporate Responsibility at Subaru of America, Inc., please visit www.subaru.com/about/corporate-responsibility.html. About Subaru of America, Inc. Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan . Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J. , the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States . All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Diane Anton Corporate Communications Manager (856) 488-5093 [email protected] Adam Leiter Corporate Communications Specialist (856) 488-8668 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/subaru-launches-fifth-annual-corporate-impact-report-301858102.html SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc. YEREVAN, Armenia , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Team Telecom Armenia, one of the largest telecommunication companies in Armenia , launched Initial Public Offering (IPO) with Ameriabank acting as the sole arranger for the process. This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone in the local capital market as the first ever IPO by a TMT sector company. The deal will enable Telecom Armenia to further capitalize on its growing infrastructure, enhance its market presence and drive innovation in Armenia's dynamic telecommunications sector. The company will use the raised funds for the rollout of the fiber optic NGN network throughout Armenia , the launch of the 5G mobile network, and the activation of new international channels. Being engaged in the field of digital technologies, the company will also introduce modern digital tools and solutions as well as implement other ambitious projects. "Today marks a significant milestone for Team Telecom Armenia as we embark on our Initial Public Offering, a testament to our commitment to growth, innovation, and delivering exceptional telecommunications services. This IPO will not only strengthen our infrastructure and market presence but also provide an opportunity for investors to join us on this exciting journey. Together, we will shape the future of Armenia's telecommunications sector," commented Hayk Yesayan , CEO of Team Telecom Armenia. Ameriabank, the leading investment bank in Armenia and largest financial institution in the local securities market, acts as the sole arranger and bookrunner for the AMD 8,240 million offering, structured in compliance with the local regulatory requirements and to be listed on Armenia Securities Exchange after the placement. To enhance accessibility for potential retail investors, Team Telecom shares are also available for purchase through MyInvest platform on Ameriabank's mobile app. The platform allows investors to purchase the stocks online, ensuring a streamlined and digitally-enabled investment experience. With a proven track record in transaction advisory services across various sectors, Ameriabank's most recent significant deal in the local capital market includes the successful execution of the largest-ever corporate bond transaction in Armenia for the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine (ZCMC), one of the top molybdenum producers in the world. Acting as the lead arranger and market-maker, Ameriabank engaged international institutional investors such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, among them, as anchor investors. Artak Hanesyan, CEO at Ameriabank, commented; "We are delighted to partner with Team Telecom Armenia and bring our expertise and network to ensure smooth execution of the company's IPO. This is a truly landmark transaction for the local capital market and will greatly support the development of equity market in Armenia. We expect to have a well-diversified book with active participation of both retail and institutional investors, which will ensure liquid and deep secondary market." The announced IPO is another milestone in the development of Team Telecom Armenia, following the $45 million financing program launched in May 2022 . The loan facilitated by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Ameriabank was aimed at implementing high-speed internet infrastructure in Armenia , including the expansion of its 4G mobile network and the construction of the 25 Gb/s speed NGN (Next Generation Network) network across Armenia . The deal offers faster internet services to at least 1.1 million subscribers of the mobile system, and fiber optic internet access to more than 450,000 households. The expansion and access to capital through Team Telecom Armenia IPO are expected to have a positive impact on Armenia's economy as the ICT (Information and communication technologies) sector has been consistently achieving double-digit annual growth rates, becoming one of the top three largest contributors to the country's GDP growth for recent 4 years. According to the most recent statistics, ICT registered over 60% growth in 2023 Q1, contributing by 2,93 pp to GDP growth and becoming the largest contributor to GDP growth in 2023 Q1. About Team Telecom Armenia Team Telecom Armenia is an entirely Armenian brand and a powerful team of thousands of professionals. The company operates in the field of telecommunications in Armenia , which provides mobile and fixed Internet services, as well as digital television, mobile and fixed telephone services. Team builds a unique NGN (Next Generation Network) with a bandwidth of 25 Gb/s and provides Internet, digital television, mobile, and fixed communication services throughout Armenia . About Ameriabank Ameriabank is a leading financial institution and a major contributor to the Armenian economy. Being a dynamically developing universal bank, Ameriabank provides a large package of innovative banking services through its omni-channel distribution platform and with clear focus on digital products and ecosystems. Ameriabank has adopted a customer-focused approach to ensure service quality and modern banking experience in an evolving digital environment. Ameriabank is committed to doing business responsibly and advancing Armenia's transition towards a sustainable future. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2108809/AmeriaBank_Telecom_Armenia_1.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/team-telecom-armenia-announces-ipo-in-armenia-with-ameriabank-as-the-sole-arranger-301858239.html SOURCE AmeriaBank; Telecom Armenia (Bloomberg) -- Global New Material International Holdings Ltd., a Chinese colorant producer, is in talks on a potential acquisition of Merck KGaAs pigments arm, people with knowledge of the matter said. Most Read from Bloomberg Hong Kong-listed Global New Material, which sells pigments under the Chesir brand name, has made a binding bid for the Merck unit, according to the people. Its been discussing financing options for the potential purchase, they said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. A deal could value the pigments business at nearly 1 billion ($1.1 billion), the people said. Global New Material is in discussion with an independent third party on a possible acquisition of businesses, the company said in an exchange filing Friday that did not name the potential target. Trading was halted Friday and is set to resume from 1 p.m. local time, the filing showed. Merck shares rose as much as 4.1% on Thursday, the biggest intraday gain in more than five months. The stock was up 1.2% at close in Frankfurt, valuing the company at about 66.4 billion. Global New Material makes pearlescent pigments from materials including synthetic mica. Its products are used to create shiny colors for industrial coatings, plastics, cosmetics and automotive paint. Shares of Global New Material have gained 11% this year, giving the company a market value of $668 million. The Chinese companys discussions with Darmstadt, Germany-based Merck are ongoing, and there is no certainty the parties will reach an agreement, the people said. Other suitors have also expressed interest in the business, they said. A spokesperson for Merck declined to comment. Calls to the offices of Global New Material offices werent answered and it didnt immediately respond to emailed queries. Mergermarket reported on Chesirs interest earlier on Thursday. Global New Material in January agreed to acquire a roughly 42% stake in listed South Korean pigment producer CQV Co. for 85.9 billion won ($66 million). The company said in March it would continue seeking international acquisitions to boost its competitiveness. Any deal for the Merck unit will test the willingness of European companies and governments to accept Chinese takeovers. Merck employs about 750 people at its Gernsheim site, home to the companys largest pigment production facility, and German companies and their unions are particularly sensitive to any moves that could risk jobs or local production. Midea Group Co. of China recently dropped its pursuit of Electrolux AB after finding the Swedish home appliance maker unreceptive to a deal, highlighting the persistent difficulties of Chinese takeovers, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday. --With assistance from Tim Loh. (Updates with exchange filing in fourth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. MIAMI , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Formerly a smaller contender in the industry, Team Unified, today announces its rebranding to Netevia Platinum, launching as a strategic new division of the pioneering fintech company, Netevia. With a multi-million dollar investment from Netevia, this rebranding allows Netevia Platinum to access Netevia's innovative products and services, with a particular emphasis on its newly introduced banking services program, setting a new course in the payment processing and merchant services industry. "Our rebranding into Netevia Platinum symbolizes a new commitment to growth, innovation, and an unwavering focus on our customers," says Gus Torres , CEO of Netevia Platinum. "As a new division under Netevia, we're introducing our unique Netevia Platinum Direct Program to reshape the industry landscape." Spearheading this strategy is the industry veteran David Holman , who will drive the scaling of the Netevia Platinum Direct Program. This innovative program, diverging from the conventional 1099 sales agent ISO model, utilizes W2 sales employees for more direct market interaction, reflecting Netevia Platinum's commitment to delivering personalized and efficient direct sales. With over 30 years of invaluable experience, including his known brand 'We Process' and his successful tenure as a District Sales Manager at Heartland, Holman is well-positioned to steer this initiative. "I am thrilled to lead the Netevia Platinum Direct Program," said Holman. "Our unique approach offers a rare opportunity to redefine the industry and elevate service standards." Netevia Platinum, now a division of Netevia, operates with its unique focus and vision. Netevia's multi-million dollar investment showcases a shared ambition to disrupt the industry's status quo and a firm belief in Netevia Platinum's potential. Vlad Sadovskiy , CEO of Netevia, noted, "Our investment in Netevia Platinum reflects our confidence in their vision. This new division's emphasis on direct sales and W2 employees promises to drive substantial advancements in the payment processing and merchant services industry." Netevia Platinum invites businesses looking for a modernized transaction experience to join them on this exciting journey. The company assures existing and prospective customers that this transformation signifies a leap in service quality as they continue introducing cutting-edge solutions in the industry. **About Netevia Platinum** Netevia Platinum, previously known as Team Unified, is a new division of Netevia in the payment processing and merchant services industry. Supported by a strategic multi-million dollar investment from Netevia, Netevia Platinum provides innovative financial solutions to businesses of all sizes. With its vision to transform the industry through groundbreaking strategies like the Netevia Platinum Direct Program, Netevia Platinum is ushering in a new era of change. About Netevia: Netevia is the pioneering financial technology company reshaping how businesses transact, conduct business, and grow globally. Founded to democratize opportunities, Netevia empowers businesses of all sizes, anywhere, to thrive in the global digital economy. Since its inception, Netevia has established a global financial platform that has revolutionized transactions for millions of businesses worldwide, especially in emerging markets **Press Contact:** Gus Torres CEO [email protected] +1(786)525-8263 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/team-unified-rebrands-into-netevia-platinum-launches-as-new-division-of-netevia-to-get-access-to-the-netevia-services-and-products-301858444.html SOURCE Netevia Platinum Dr. Triolo brings comprehensive experience in both veterinary medicine and hospital operations AUSTIN, Texas , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Thrive Pet Healthcare (Thrive), a leading national network of 400 veterinary hospitals, has announced the appointment of Dr. Andrew Triolo as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Dr. Triolo brings over 30 years of leadership experience in veterinary medicine and hospital operations across primary, acute, and specialty care. "I have long admired Thrive's bold vision to create an unparalleled experience of veterinary care." -- Dr. Triolo Dr. Triolo joins Thrive from VCA Animal Hospitals (VCA), where he served in various leadership roles, including most recently as Senior Group Vice President. Throughout his nearly 30-year tenure at VCA, Dr. Triolo progressively expanded his responsibilities, overseeing a robust network of hospitals. "We are delighted to welcome Dr. Triolo to our team," said Tad Stahel , Chief Executive Officer of Thrive. "He has demonstrated an ability to enable teams at scale to unlock their potential while providing exceptional veterinary care across a diverse network of veterinary hospitals. His impressive background and deep understanding of the veterinary profession will be invaluable as we continue building the most connected and trusted pet healthcare ecosystem." "I have long admired Thrive's bold vision to create an unparalleled experience of veterinary care," stated Dr. Triolo . "Thrive's commitment to medical excellence and its determination to positively impact the lives of countless pets and families deeply resonates with me. Delivering on our mission is driven by the success of our people, and I am energized to work alongside such a talented team of veterinary professionals and hospital teams to support the company's growth." "At Thrive, our commitment to nurturing both people and pets lies at the core of everything we do. Dr. Triolo has the perfect combination of medical expertise and operational experience to maximize the talent and impact of our care teams," said Dr. Scott Schatzberg , Chief Medical Officer of Thrive and renowned international authority in veterinary neurology. "I am thrilled to partner with him and look forward to his impact on delivering even better outcomes for our patients and their families." Dr. Triolo succeeds Angela Jaskolski , who has decided to pursue other opportunities. To learn more about Thrive Pet Healthcare and its leadership team, please visit https://www.thrivepetcare.com/ About Thrive Pet Healthcare: Thrive Pet Healthcare is a leading veterinary service network that uniquely delivers a continuum of care to pet families and services to veterinary hospitals. With an industry-first membership program and 400 acute, primary, and specialty providers, Thrive Pet Healthcare offers personalized, accessible care through every stage of a pet's life and health. The veterinarian-founded organization provides premier benefits for practice staff while elevating privately held veterinary hospitals with innovative service and technology solutions. By focusing on the needs and aspirations of veterinary care providers, Thrive Pet Healthcare is supporting the well-being of the industry and raising the national bar for veterinary excellence. To learn more about Thrive Pet Healthcare, please visit www.thrivepetcare.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thrive-pet-healthcare-appoints-dr-andrew-triolo-as-coo-301857647.html SOURCE Thrive Pet Healthcare LEXINGTON, Mass. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Christie Campus Health, a leading provider of mental health and well-being support services to colleges and universities nationwide, announces that it has partnered with The University of Tampa, a private university in Florida , to offer its students access to the 24/7 Clinical Support Line. The platform will be available to the university's approximately 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Gina Firth , assistant vice president for wellness, noted the importance of students having 24/7 access to mental health support. "This new partnership with Christie Campus will allow us to expand our services and provide this critical resource," she said. "We are delighted to partner with The University of Tampa to help them expand mental health services for their students," says Christie Campus Health's Chief Clinical Officer Kaitlin Gallo , Ph.D. "The 24/7 Support Line gives students instant access to licensed clinicians at any time, anywhere. The resource will be a great asset to not only students, but faculty as well." The 24/7 Clinical Support Line is staffed exclusively by licensed mental health counselors and offers students unlimited and immediate access to in-the-moment support, regardless of time of day or physical location of the student. Students are also connected to next steps, if required, to ensure they receive the mental health support they need. The Clinical Support Line is customized to the needs of each client and may be available 24/7 or on a customized schedule (e.g., nights and weekends) depending upon the preference of the institution and availability of campus-based support. As the number of college students seeking mental health services continues to rise, the demand is outpacing the capacity at many counseling centers. Christie Campus Health's program is tailored to support students as well as campus counseling and healthcare professionals by expanding and complementing on-campus mental health services. The program is managed by a highly experienced service team that partners with school counseling centers and other student services to maintain a seamless experience for students that ensures consistent communication, education, and tracking. Christie currently offers its comprehensive mental health platform to over 100 colleges and universities, supporting over 700,000 students nationally and internationally. Learn more at www.christiecampus.com. About Christie Campus Health Christie Campus Health is dedicated to improving the mental health and well-being of college students by helping colleges and universities expand the way they reach and support students. Christie's services include a 24/7 Clinical Support Line, face-to-face and virtual counseling visits, clinically validated self-care resources, and student care Navigators. Partnering with colleges to deliver innovative, equitable and high-quality mental health services to students, Christie currently offers our comprehensive mental health platform to over 100 colleges and universities, supporting over 700,000 students nationally and internationally. The University of Tampa is a private, comprehensive university located on 110 acres on the riverfront in downtown Tampa . Known for academic excellence, personal attention and real-world experience in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the University has about 200 programs of study and serves approximately 11,000 students from all 50 states and most of the world's countries. Contact: Teresa Verity [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/university-of-tampa-offering-247-mental-health-support-to-students-through-partnership-with-christie-campus-health-301858482.html SOURCE Christie Campus Health WASHINGTON , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, reintroduced the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, a crucial piece of legislation that will empower small businesses, inventors, and entrepreneurs to innovate. It was co-sponsored by Subcommittee on Intellectual Property Chair Chris Coons (D-DE). Chris Israel , executive director of The Alliance of U.S. Startups & Inventors for Jobs, issued the following statement on the bill: "Our nation is built by small businesses, entrepreneurs, and inventors who disrupt the status quo with big ideas. Senators Tillis and Coons clearly understand that these innovators need strong, predictable intellectual property protections to launch next-generation products, grow businesses, and create economic opportunities for American workers. "The Senators' legislation will restore the patentability of products in critical industries, including artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and 5G, thereby encouraging small businesses' development of breakthrough technologies and bolstering the U.S. economy. "USIJ applauds the reintroduction of the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act and urges Congress to pass the legislation as soon as possible." About The Alliance of U.S. Startups & Inventors for Jobs USIJ is an association of inventors, startups, venture capital investors, entrepreneurs and supporters, whose efforts to bring new companies and new technologies into being are entirely dependent on a reliable system of patent protection. Collectively, we have launched dozens of companies in areas including biotechnology, clean energy, medical devices and wireless technology. Press Contact: Chris Israel Executive Director, USIJ [email protected] 202.327.8100 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usij-commends-reintroduction-of-the-patent-eligibility-restoration-act-301858492.html SOURCE Alliance of U.S. Startups & Inventors for Jobs On Thursday morning, Walt Disney World Resort hosted the largest swim lesson site in the state of Florida and one of the largest in the country at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and other resort hotel pools. LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. , June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Walt Disney World Resort was once again Florida's largest event site Thursday for the World's Largest Swimming Lesson an annual event designed to promote safe water practices worldwide. More than 650 Florida youth from six nonprofit organizations took part in the event at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and at various Walt Disney World Resort hotel pools to build awareness and empower students with the skills they need to swim safely. "Students need access to these critical safety lessons, especially here in Florida where we're surrounded by water," said Tajiana Ancora-Brown, Director of External Affairs at Walt Disney World Resort . "Being able to host the largest site in the state means our impact on their lives is huge whether they were inspired to pursue a career in recreation or pass the lessons along to their friends and family. These are skills and memories that will last them a lifetime!" Former Olympic silver medalist Maritza Correia McClendon the first African-American woman to make the US Olympic swim team and set a World Record participated in the event, sharing her love of swimming and driving home the importance of water safety. Swimming and water safety are critical for kids, especially in Florida where there are numerous lakes, ponds and waterways, as well as swimming pools. McClendon, who grew up in Florida and now resides in the Atlanta area, talked with the kids about her journey with swim safety and emphasized just how important it is to understand from a young age. Following the lesson, the participating students put their swimming skills into action and spent the rest of the day enjoying all the magic and watery attractions at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park . Students also had the opportunity to interact with Disney characters including Mickey Mouse and Stitch and even met with Disney lifeguards and the recruiting team to learn about available careers they may one day like to pursue. Immersive and distinctly Disney experiences like this are part of the Disney Future Storytellers initiative and are designed to leave a lasting impact on these kids as they look to their futures. For more information on Disney's impact in Florida , visit DisneyFlorida.com. The World's Largest Swimming Lesson: The World's Largest Swimming Lesson is a global, one-day event that's all about teaching families the importance of learning to swim to prevent childhood drowning. Team WLSL has set five multi-venue and three single venue Guinness World Records for the World's Largest Swimming Lesson and holds the current records for both categories. The 14thAnniversary World's Largest Swimming Lesson is taking place today in 18 different countries on six continents over the course of 24 hours. Globally, Team WLSL is expecting more than 35,000 participants at 600 locations in 18 countries this year. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/walt-disney-world-resort-hosts-more-than-650-florida-youth-for-worlds-largest-swimming-lesson-301858523.html SOURCE Walt Disney World By Hadeel Al Sayegh DUBAI (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence company G42 are having early discussions about a possible flotation of their joint venture technology firm AIQ, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters. AIQ, which is 60% owned by ADNOC and 40% by G42, uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimise processes, improve planning and increase profitability for ADNOC and the wider oil and gas industry. The company is being considered for a possible initial public offering at the end of the year, said the sources, declining to be named as the matter is not public. AIQ's owners are in the process of discussing whether to position the deal as an international transaction, or market the offering exclusively to the domestic investors, they said. AIQ recently hired veteran investment banker Youssef Salem as chief financial officer, the sources said. Salem worked at Moelis & Co for five years and held numerous positions at the U.S. boutique bank until 2021. He was then appointed as an external senior advisor to the bank until April this year. ADNOC, which supplies nearly 3% of global oil demand, declined to comment. G42, which is backed by Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Co, AIQ and Salem did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Shares of artificial intelligence firms have helped lead an equity rally in the U.S. market this year after U.S. firm OpenAI, the owner of ChatGPT, a chatbot that gives strikingly human-like responses to user queries, snagged a multi-billion dollar investment from Microsoft Corp. G42 is part of a business empire overseen by its chair, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who is also the UAE's national security adviser and has been a foreign policy troubleshooter for his brother, President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. ADNOC began floating units in 2017. It listed its gas business in March after raising $2.5 billion from the IPO, which was the world's biggest in the first quarter. (Reporting by Hadeel Al Sayegh; Editing by Stephen Coates) Mauricio Gutierrez, president and CEO of NRG Energy, speaks onstage during the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 9, 2023. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare (Reuters) -Activist investor Elliott Investment Management is increasing pressure on NRG Energy and seeking to oust its CEO Mauricio Gutierrez, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Elliott is in talks with potential candidates to replace the U.S. power company's CEO as well as other top executives, the report said. In a statement to Reuters, an NRG spokesperson said that the company's board "fully supports NRG's CEO Mauricio Gutierrez and management team," adding that the company will be discussing its strategic plan with shareholders at its investor day. Elliott Investment did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment. The report comes after Elliott sent a letter to NRG's board last month, pushing for a boardroom overhaul. The activist investor had urged the company to conduct a review of its home services strategy and add new independent directors. Elliott had disclosed a more than 13% economic interest in the utility company in May, which it said was worth around $1 billion, without specifying how much, if any, of that interest was in NRG stock. (Reporting by Rahat Sandhu in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri, Maju Samuel and Subhranshu Sahu) FILE PHOTO: Artificial Intelligence words are seen in this illustration taken March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo BERLIN (Reuters) - A senior executive at German media giant Axel Springer on Thursday said artificial intelligence would free journalists to devote more time to core reporting, days after an internal email warned the technology would lead to significant job losses. "For newsrooms, AI opens up new paths and freedoms. Journalists can outsource tedious work to AI and devote more time and energy to their core tasks," Chief Information Officer Samir Fadlallah told Reuters on the sidelines of a media conference in Berlin. The company will address challenges around the technology "constructively," he said. In an email seen by Reuters earlier this week, the publisher outlined a "digital only" roadmap for its mass-circulation Bild tabloid to be implemented by the beginning of 2024, saying that its "AI offensive" meant that many jobs would become redundant. "The functions of editorial managers, page editors, proofreaders, secretaries and photo editors will no longer exist as they do today," the editorial leadership team wrote to Bild staff. While Springer did not comment on the number of jobs at risk, company sources told Reuters a low three-digit number of employees would ultimately have to leave. Fadlallah said his focus was on regulatory challenges and the opportunities the technology opens up for consumers. "We see great potential in Generative AI to provide our readers and users with even more attractive and individually tailored products," he said, adding that it offers users "completely new opportunities for interaction." "The focus is certainly on topics such as necessary regulation, remuneration for the use of our content as training material for large language models, and data protection," he said. The company has said it aims to improve earnings at its flagship Bild and Welt publications by 100 million euros ($109.14 million) by 2025 through revenue increases and cost savings, and intends to fully stop producing print edition newspapers in the medium term. Axel Springer is active in more than 40 countries and employs more than 18,000 people worldwide. Alongside its German titles, the firm owns English-language news website Politico, U.S. media company Insider and classified portals StepStone and AVIV. ($1 = 0.9163 euros) (Reporting by Klaus Lauer, Writing by Anna Mackenzie) By Laila Bassam and Parisa Hafezi BEIRUT (Reuters) - At loggerheads over who should fill a vacant presidency, Lebanon's fractious politicians are waiting for foreign powers to resolve their crisis, leaving the country adrift as its failing state teeters on the brink of collapse. After parliament failed for a 12th time to elect a new president, many believe what happens next will depend on how a thaw in ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran plays out across the Middle East, with Lebanon historically an arena of rivalry between the leading Sunni Arab and Shi'ite powers. The logjam comes as no surprise in a country with a sectarian political system that has lurched from crisis to crisis since independence, often prompting intervention by foreign powers with influence over rival groups. It fell to foreign powers to end Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war through the Taif peace agreement backed by Saudi Arabia, and again in 2008 when a deal mediated in Qatar halted a slide to conflict. Even by the standards of those crises, the current situation is bad. The state has been hollowed out by a financial meltdown since 2019. Qatari and U.S. aid is propping up the army. The tussle over who should fill the Maronite Christian presidency pits the Iran-backed Shi'ite group Hezbollah and its allies against rivals including the main Christian groups, giving it a clear sectarian edge. The heavily armed Hezbollah thwarted a bid by rivals to elect Jihad Azour, a top IMF official and an ex-finance minister, last week. Hezbollah is sticking by its candidate, Suleiman Frangieh, sensing regional developments are moving in its favour, especially after Riyadh's embrace of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, sources familiar with Hezbollah's view say. But neither Hezbollah nor its opponents have enough lawmakers to impose their choice. "Everyone is now waiting to see if someone will bring a ladder from abroad so we can all climb down the tree," Druze lawmaker Wael Abu Faour told Reuters. "The atmosphere in the region is positive...We should benefit from this." 'BRIEFLY DISCUSSED' Christian lawmaker Alain Aoun was more cautious. "Eyes are now on anything that might eventually come from international contacts," he told Reuters. "What I am afraid of is that nothing comes out of the regional dynamic." While it sponsored the Taif accord, Saudi Arabia has other concerns these days, notably halting the Yemen war. Lebanon has in any case long been seen as a secondary concern for Riyadh, which spent billions in the country only to see Hezbollah dominate. A senior Iranian official said Lebanon was discussed briefly at a recent meeting of Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers. "It is too early to believe that a Iran-Saudi deal will resolve all the regional issues, but steps are being taken," the official said. Noting that Tehran had welcomed Assad's return to the Arab fold, the Iranian official added: "God willing other issues will be resolved too, and Lebanon is one of them". "However, Tehran believes that this is an internal matter and all Lebanese sides involved should overcome this stalemate by negotiating with each other." In a new bid to break the deadlock, French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about Lebanon. French diplomats say the Saudi-Iranian detente may be helpful, and Macron is hoping to convince Riyadh to back any potential compromises. French envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian is in Beirut to consult the parties. "I don't come with any options. I will listen to everyone," he said. Macron's efforts have repeatedly failed to address Lebanon's crises since the port explosion of 2020. Ruling politicians have been widely blamed for blocking reforms to shield vested interests. NEW CABINET Saudi commentator Ali Shihabi said Riyadh supported France's initiative. "I think they will go with whomever the French support," he said. But Lebanon was not a top priority for Riyadh, he said. The Saudi and Iranian governments did not respond to emailed questions. Frangieh met French officials in Paris in March, a trip many in Lebanon saw as endorsement, though France has not publicly backed a candidate and other Maronites are in the frame. U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea said it was up to parliament to reach consensus to elect a president who can work with a government to implement reforms. "There has been a lot of attention focused on the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the possible implications for Lebanon," she said in a speech. "We, too, are hopeful about a de-escalation of regional tensions. But we also know that real change in Lebanon will not come from outside your countrys borders the future is in the hands of you, the Lebanese." (Additional reporting by Tom Perry and Maya Gebeily in Beirut, Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh, and John Irish in Paris; Writing by Tom Perry, Editing by Angus MacSwan) A view of a boat with OceanGate branding within the boatyard near the company headquarters at the Port of Everett complex in Everett, Washington, U.S., June 22, 2023. REUTERS/Matt Mills McKnight By Jack Queen (Reuters) -Liability waivers signed by passengers on a submersible lost at sea during a dive to the Titanic wreck may not shield the vessel's owner from potential lawsuits by the victims' families, legal experts said. The Titan submersible vanished on Sunday roughly two hours into its dive and was found in pieces on the ocean floor after what the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday was a "catastrophic implosion" of its pressure chamber. The passengers, who paid as much as $250,000 each for the journey to 12,500 feet (3,810 meters) below the surface, are believed to have signed liability waivers. A CBS reporter who made the trip with OceanGate Expeditions in July 2022 reported that the waiver he signed mentioned the possibility of death three times on the first page alone. Reuters could not independently confirm the terms of OceanGate's waivers. OceanGate did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday. Waivers are not always ironclad, and it is not uncommon for judges to reject them if there is evidence of gross negligence or hazards that were not fully disclosed. If there were aspects of the design or construction of this vessel that were kept from the passengers or it was knowingly operated despite information that it was not suitable for this dive, that would absolutely go against the validity of the waiver, said personal injury attorney and maritime law expert Matthew D. Shaffer, who is based in Texas. OceanGate could argue it was not grossly negligent and that the waivers apply because they fully described the dangers inherent in plumbing the deepest reaches of the ocean in a submersible the size of a minivan. The degree of any potential negligence and how that might impact the applicability of the waivers will depend on the causes of the disaster, which are still under investigation. "There are so many different examples of what families might still have claims for despite the waivers, but until we know the cause we can't determine whether the waivers apply," said personal injury lawyer Joseph Low of California. The families could not be reached on Thursday. It is possible none of them will sue. OceanGate is a small company based in Everett, Washington, and it is unclear whether it has the assets to pay significant damages, were any to be awarded, but families could collect from the company's insurance policy if it has one. Families could also seek damages from any outside parties that designed, helped build or made components for the Titan if they were found to be negligent and a cause of the implosion. 'DEATH ON THE HIGH SEAS' OceanGate could seek to shield itself from damages by filing a so-called limitation of liability action under maritime law, which lets owners of vessels involved in an accident ask a federal court to limit any damages to the present value of the vessel. Since the Titan was destroyed, that would be zero. But OceanGate would need to prove it had no knowledge of potential defects with the submersible and would carry the burden of proof, which legal experts said is a difficult burden to meet. If OceanGate were to fail in such a case, families would be free to file negligence or wrongful death lawsuits. Another maritime law, the Death on the High Seas Act, allows people who were financially dependent on someone who died in a naval accident to seek only the portion of that person's future earnings that they would have otherwise received. Plaintiffs cannot recover losses for pain and suffering in those cases. What OceanGate knew about the vessels safety and what the passengers were told about it would be the central questions during discovery, a process during which parties share information about a case. Plaintiffs could potentially cite allegations of safety lapses at OceanGate made by a former employee in a 2018 lawsuit against the company in Washington federal court. The employee, David Lochridge, said he raised "serious safety concerns" but was ignored. That case was settled on undisclosed terms, court records show. A group of industry leaders also wrote to OceanGate in 2018 expressing grave concerns about the vessel's safety and the company's decision not to certify the Titan through third parties such as the American Bureau of Shipping, a leading classifier of submersibles. (Reporting by Jack Queen; Editing by Amy Stevens and Daniel Wallis) (Bloomberg) -- Midea Group Co. has dropped its pursuit of Electrolux AB after finding the Swedish home appliance maker unreceptive to a deal, highlighting the persistent difficulties of Chinese takeovers. Most Read from Bloomberg The Chinese appliance group wasnt able to fulfill all the demands from Electrolux and its top shareholder Investor AB, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The companies have been discussing terms of a potential transaction since Midea made a preliminary approach in the spring. Electrolux and Investor AB had requested assurances on pricing and regulatory issues, with discussions coming against a backdrop of growing protectionist measures in Europe and the US even if the business of making dishwashers and refrigerators cant necessarily be deemed a national security risk. The companies wanted to be sure any takeover would proceed even in the event of regulatory hurdles, the people said. They had also been seeking guarantees on jobs, governance and strategy, the people said. Investor AB, the investment vehicle of Swedens billionaire Wallenberg family, holds a nearly 18% stake in Electrolux and 30% of its voting rights. Shares in Electrolux jumped in early May after Bloomberg News reported Mideas approach. The companys B shares fell as much as 6.8% in early trading on Thursday. The stock was down 4.9% at 9:55 a.m. in Stockholm, giving it a market value of about $3.6 billion. While plans are on ice for now, Midea has been interested in Electrolux for years and it cant be ruled out that the Chinese firm revisits the deal in the future, the people said. Representatives for Electrolux and Investor AB declined to comment, while a spokesperson for Midea couldnt immediately be reached for comment. Midea, which is based in Foshan in southern Chinas Guangdong province, has been looking to pursue a friendly deal for Electrolux. The company is no stranger to overseas acquisitions, having bought a controlling stake in Toshiba Corp.s home appliance unit in 2016. It acquired German robot maker Kuka AG a year later in a deal that triggered concerns from the German government. The Italian government would potentially have used its existing tools to intervene if the Chinese company had tried to buy Electrolux, which has a big presence in Italy, news agency Ansa reported earlier this week. Electrolux is in the process of laying off 3,800 workers as it seeks to cut costs and turn around its North American business. It reported first-quarter earnings that were better than expected overall, but still showed a net loss, with analysts pointing to negative cash flow. --With assistance from Jonas Ekblom. (Updates with shares in fifth paragrapgh, details on job cuts in final paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with a displayed Applied Materials logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ File Photo (Reuters) -U.S. semiconductor toolmaker Applied Materials will invest $400 million over four years in a new engineering center in India, the company said on Thursday. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met with the company's CEO Gary Dickerson in Washington on Wednesday and invited Applied to strengthen the chip industry in the country. Applied's investment is among a flurry of announcements this week including General Electric's deal to jointly produce jet engines for the military with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd and data storage chipmaker Micron's $825 million investment to build a new factory in India. Modi also met Tesla CEO Elon Musk after which the automaker's top boss said the company will try to be in India "as soon as humanly possible." The new center is expected to be located near the company's existing facility in Bengaluru and is likely to support more than $2 billion of planned investments and create 500 new advanced engineering jobs, the company said. Applied currently operates across six sites in India and works closely with Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, two of the country's prestigious institutions. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva, Sriraj Kalluvila and Shailesh Kuber) By Andrew Osborn and Mike Collett-White LONDON (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's foreign minister has rejected a demand from Armenia to provide special security guarantees for some 120,000 ethnic Armenians living in the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave ahead of a new round of peace talks, saying they are sufficiently protected. Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, has been a source of conflict between the two Caucasus neighbours since the years leading up to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, and between ethnic Armenians and Turkic Azeris for well over a century. After heavy fighting and a Russian-brokered ceasefire, Azerbaijan in 2020 took over areas that had been controlled by ethnic Armenians in and around the mountain enclave. The two sides have since been discussing a peace deal in which they would agree on borders, settle differences over the enclave, and unfreeze relations. In what looked like a breakthrough, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was quoted last month as saying Armenia did recognise that Karabakh was part of Azerbaijan, but wanted Baku to provide the guarantees for its ethnic Armenian population. In an interview with Reuters, however, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said such a guarantee was unnecessary, and the demand amounted to interference in Azerbaijan's affairs. "We don't accept such a precondition or pretexts from the Republic of Armenia for a number of reasons," he said. "The most fundamental is the following: this is an internal, sovereign issue. The Azerbaijan constitution and a number of international conventions to which Azerbaijan is party provide all the necessary conditions in order to guarantee the rights of this population." He said ethnic Armenians could still use and be educated in their own language and preserve their culture if they integrated into Azeri society and state structures like other ethnic and religious minorities. 'SOME PROGRESS' Bayramov said there had been "some progress" in peace talks, and that Baku was keen to strike a deal, but also made comments that show how wide the gulf remains before he meets his Armenian counterpart for more talks in Washington next week: "We believe it was the first time when an Armenian prime minister actually publicly stated this. Why did it take the prime minister two-and-a-half years (since the war ended) to say he actually recognised the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan?" Bayramov, who was in London to attend a conference about Ukraine's recovery, complained too about the continued presence of thousands of Armenian troops on Azeri territory. Moscow - which has peacekeepers on the ground - and Washington and the European Union are all trying separately to help ensure lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which have fought two wars since the early 1990s and still have sporadic firefights. Pashinyan is under pressure at home to protect the rights of the ethnic Armenians living in the enclave as Baku pushes for ethnic Armenian government and military structures to be dissolved and the population to accept Azerbaijani passports. Tensions have been raised by Baku installing a checkpoint on the Lachin Corridor - the only road that connects the enclave with Armenia - following months of disruption caused by people who called themselves Azerbaijani environmental activists. Baku says the checkpoint is necessary to prevent the smuggling of military supplies into the enclave and illegally-mined materials out. It denies Armenian allegations that it has imposed a blockade that makes life miserable for Karabakh's inhabitants. Ruben Vardanyan, a billionaire banker who was a top official in Karabakh's separatist government until February, on Thursday accused Baku of trying to "ethnically cleanse" the enclave by imposing what he called a goods and energy blockade - allegations that Azerbaijan denies. Bayramov said a peace deal was within reach if Armenia was ready to take certain steps. "If there is a will not only to make statements but do some practical steps, I think that potentially it's possible to reach an agreement even earlier than the end of the year," he said. "But if there's no real readiness ... then it might be later." (Reporting by Andrew Osborn and Mike Collett-White; Additional reporting by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Kevin Liffey) LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Thursday it had arrested an Egyptian man suspected of coordinating the smuggling of thousands of people across the Mediterranean from north Africa to Italy. The NCA said it believed the 40-year-old man, detained in London on Wednesday, was working with people smuggling networks in north Africa to organise boats for migrants and then communicating with criminal associates during the crossings. "We suspect this man has been running his operation from the UK, and masterminding the smuggling of thousands of migrants," Darren Barr, Senior Investigating Officer at the NCA, said in a statement. "The type of boats organised crime groups use for crossings are death traps ... We will continue to share intelligence and take action with partners to prevent crossings and arrest people smugglers here and overseas." The NCA, which as been working with Italian Guardia di Finanza as part of the investigation, cited a crossing in October last year where more than 640 migrants were rescued by the Italian authorities after they attempted to cross in a wooden boat from Libya. Another in December saw 265 migrants rescued by the Italian coastguard from a 20-metre fishing boat found adrift in the Mediterranean after leaving Libya, the NCA said, while in April two search and rescue operations which followed distress calls to the coastguard found more than 600 migrants on each boat. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; editing by Michael Holden) By Martin Coulter and Hakan Ersen (Reuters) -A social media content moderator in Germany has been put on paid leave pending an internal investigation by his employer TELUS International, the union Verdi said, after he publicly called on lawmakers to improve industry working conditions in Germany. Cengiz Haksoz, a moderator at outsourcer TELUS International, appeared before the Bundestag's Digital Council last week, where he told lawmakers his work screening social media platforms for harmful material left him "mentally and emotionally drained". Following his appearance, trade union Verdi said Haksoz had been placed on a paid leave of absence pending an internal investigation by TELUS, one of a number of well-known outsource providers of content-moderation services for Facebook, among others. TELUS International Chief Corporate Officer Marilyn Tyfting said that Haksoz had been suspended "because he did not honour their employment agreements". "The recent allegations made by our team member at the Bundestag and in the media do not accurately reflect the reality of our business and the health and wellness resources we offer our team members," Tyfting added. Meta and other social media companies have faced criticism over the working conditions of content moderators who aim to keep their platforms free from harmful material. In 2020, the firm paid a $52 million settlement to American content moderators suffering long-term mental health issues. Martha Dark, a director at the nonprofit Foxglove, which has helped organise a content moderators' campaign over their work conditions, described Haksoz's suspension as "outrageous bullying". "Cengiz was invited to testify to the German parliament about the dangerous working conditions on social medias factory floor. He had every right to do so," Dark said. As part of his testimony, Haksoz delivered a petition to German lawmakers, signed by more than 300 content moderators, calling for a new set of legal protections for those in the industry, including improved access to mental health services, a ban on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and improved pay and benefits. Reuters asked Haksoz for further comment, but did not immediately receive a reply. Christoph Schmitz, an organiser at Verdi, said that TELUS had violated Haksoz's civil rights and that the union planned to take legal action against the firm. "TELUS's actions are not only illegal but also show a disregard for democracy," Schmitz said. (Reporting by Martin Coulter and Hakan Ersen; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Conor Humphries) FILE PHOTO: The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, dives in an undated photograph. OceanGate Expeditions/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo By Joan Faus and Horaci Garcia LA MASSANA, Andorra (Reuters) -The daughter of French oceanographer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, one of five people inside a submersible missing near the Titanic wreck, said on Thursday she held hope they will be rescued but she is comforted by the knowledge that he is in the place he loved most. Sidonie Nargeolet told Reuters she was living with "a lot of stress, very mixed emotions" as the search for the submersible in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean entered a critical phase, with air expected to run out for the five people aboard. "I really hope they will find them and safe. I think we have to trust what they are doing and be confident," Nargeolet, 39, told Reuters in the town of La Massana, Andorra, where she lives. Nargeolet said her 77-year-old father's vast experience with submarines made him "know how to react to problems" and she was confident he was able to manage the situation well. "He is very passionate about the Titanic since they found it 30 years ago and I know now he is at the place he would like to be." Her father's colleagues have described him as a leading expert on the Titanic with more than 35 dives to the wreck under his belt after a two-decade career in the French navy. His daughter said she learned about the accident on Monday, when she received a text message from her father's spouse saying he should have been back at 6 p.m. on Sunday. "I cried a lot," she said of her reaction to the news. She had last seen her father just before Christmas last year in Andorra. "He sent me a message a week before (getting in the submersible) telling me the weather was bad, so they hadn't been able to go down, but that there was a great atmosphere," she said. "I sent him a message on Sunday for Father's Day but he didn't reply." Nargeolet said her father had made his first trip to the wreck in 1987. On one trip in another vessel operated by U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions, he told her that he was not sure he would return safely, although he eventually did. "He knows how to handle a crisis situation. He is prepared for it. Here, I think that with the other people he would have explained to them, therefore, to breathe gently, so that we use less oxygen. And we also knows how to reassure them, that's very important. Maybe kick the submarine, so they can hear it," she said. But she was realistic about time running out. "What worries me is that they are not being found because there will be a moment in which they will run out of oxygen," Nargeolet said. "Sometimes I don't check (the news) because I don't want to hear them saying that they now have very low oxygen. I prefer to listen to positive things, to hope, that they will continue looking for them," she said. "If they are not found, it will be very sad for us because we will not see him again. What he liked the most was to be in a submarine, (near) the Titanic. He is where he really loved being. I would prefer him (dying) at a place where he is very happy," Nargeolet said, struggling to hold back her tears. "So whether he's in a submarine and whether he's in the Titanic, I know he likes it. I hope there will be a good outcome, that they will find him. In any case he is happy where he is That's reassuring." (Reporting by Joan Faus; Editing by Jon Boyle and Angus MacSwan) The flags of the United States and India are displayed on the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz By Trevor Hunnicutt and Ted Hesson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States, using this week's state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help some skilled workers enter or remain in the country, according to three people familiar with the matter. The State Department could announce as soon as Thursday that a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas will be able to renew those visas in the U.S., without having to travel abroad, one of the sources said, part of a pilot program that could be expanded in coming years. Indian citizens are by far the most active users of the U.S. H-1B program and made up 73% of the nearly 442,000 H-1B workers in fiscal year 2022. "We all recognize that mobility of our people is a huge asset to us," said another U.S. official. "And so our goal is to approach that in a sort of multifaceted way. The State Department already has been working very hard to find creative ways to make changes to things." A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on questions about which visa types would qualify or the timing of the pilot launch. Plans for a pilot program were first reported by Bloomberg Law in February. "The pilot would begin with a small number of cases with the intention to scale the initiative over the following one to two years," the spokesperson said, while declining to define small. The steps could change and are not finalized until they are announced. The White House declined to comment. Each year, the U.S. government makes 65,000 H-1B visas available to companies seeking skilled foreign workers, along with an additional 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees. The visas last for three years and can be renewed for another three years. The companies using the most H-1B workers in recent years include the Indian-based Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services as well as Amazon, Alphabet and Meta in the U.S., according to U.S. government data. The ability for some of the temporary foreign workers to renew visas in the U.S. would free up resources for visa interviews in consulates abroad, the spokesperson said. The pilot program would also include some workers with L-1 visas, which are available to people transferring within a company to a position in the U.S., one of the sources said. A separate initiative to clear a backlog of visa applications at U.S. embassies in India is finally showing signs of progress, according to another one of those sources, and is expected to be figure into the discussions between the two countries' delegations in Washington this week. India has long had concerns with the difficulty its citizens face in receiving visas to live in the United States, including technology industry workers. More than 10 million jobs stood open in the United States at the end of April, according to the Labor Department. Some H-1B visa holders in the U.S. have been among the thousands of tech workers laid off this year, sending them scrambling to find new employers within a 60-day "grace period" or return to their home country. The Biden administration has spent months working to improve visa access for Indians, trying to get around the lack of political will in Congress to comprehensively reform U.S. immigration policy. President Joe Biden wants to knit together the world's two largest democracies, partly in a bid to better compete with China. U.S. visa services are still attempting to clear a backlog after Washington halted almost all visa processing worldwide in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The visa backlog has led to some families being separated for extended periods of time, with some taking to social media to lament their situation. (Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Ted Hesson in Washington; Editing by Heather Timmons and Lincoln Feast.) ATHENS Reuters) - Following is the political backdrop to Greece's parliamentary election on Sunday. Opinion polls show former Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' New Democracy party winning by a wide margin over the leftist Syriza party, which ruled in 2015-2019 at the peak of the Greek debt crisis. MAY ELECTION New Democracy won May 21 vote with a 20-point lead over Syriza, a margin Greece has not seen since the 1970s. But it fell short of the majority needed to rule alone due to a proportional voting system in place for that poll. Mitsotakis did not seek coalition allies, saying Greece needs a strong and stable government to push on with necessary reforms. The other parties decided against forging their own coalition, leading the country to a repeat election. Mitsotakis then stepped aside for the country to be run by a caretaker government, as required by the constitution. OPINION POLLS Opinion polls conducted since then show New Democracy (ND) widening its lead further ahead of Sunday's vote. A poll conducted by RASS polling agency published on June 19 put ND at 42.9% versus 17.9% for Syriza, and showed it winning a comfortable 166-seat majority in the 300-seat parliament. The Socialist PASOK party ranked third with 12.3%. Opinion polls suggest that up to seven parties could enter parliament, including the leftist Plefsi Eleftherias, founded by former Syriza lawmaker Zoe Konstantopoulou, and a newly set up far-right party called Spartans. THE SYSTEM The repeat election will be held under a semi-proportional representation, or reinforced proportionality, with a sliding scale seat bonus. Parties need to secure at least 3% of the vote to enter parliament for a four-year term. Under the new system, the winning party is awarded a bonus of 20 to 50 seats. It receives 20 seats outright if it gets at least 25% of the vote, and can get up to 50 seats if it gets about 40% of the vote. Over 9.9 million Greeks aged over 17 are eligible to vote. CURRENT PARLIAMENT (as formed after May 21 election) Parties in the current parliament (with number of seats): New Democracy, centre-right. Leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis (146) Syriza, left wing. Leader Alexis Tsipras (71) PASOK-KINAL, centre-left. Leader Nikos Androulakis (41) KKE, communist. Leader Dimitris Koutsoumbas (26) Hellenic Solution, right-wing. Leader Kyriakos Velopoulos(16) The leftist Mera25 party, founded by former finance minister under Syriza's rule Yanis Varoufakis, did not make it into parliament on May 21. (Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Frances Kerry) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks on during a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the Intercontinental O2 Hotel in London, Britain, June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/Pool By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Group of Seven countries affirmed their unity and stressed the need for close coordination in dealing with China, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with G7 representatives in London. "The G7 noted the importance of close coordination on the PRC (People's Republic of China) and reaffirmed that the G7 is more united than ever," the State Department said in a statement. Blinken met representatives from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union on the sidelines of a conference in London and briefed them on his meetings with leaders in China on a recent trip, the State Department said. Blinken's G7 meeting came a day after U.S. President Joe Biden referred to Chinese President Xi Jinping as a "dictator." China said that Biden's remarks, made at a fundraiser, were absurd and a provocation. Blinken recently completed a visit to China aimed at stabilizing relations between the U.S. and China that Beijing says are at their lowest point since formal ties were established in 1979. Blinken met Xi during his China trip, and they both agreed on Monday to stabilize the U.S.-China rivalry so it did not veer into conflict. While the visit did not yield breakthroughs, both sides agreed to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by U.S. officials in the coming weeks and months. Blinken, in his meeting with the G7, also discussed support for Ukraine amid Russia's invasion, according to the State Department. He met Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Wednesday and discussed the need for Ukraine to continue to implement reforms to establish an environment for investment, the State Department added. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Sandra Maler and Leslie Adler) By Angeliki Koutantou ATHENS (Reuters) -Former Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' conservatives appear set to win a repeat election in Greece on Sunday after an inconclusive vote on May 21, putting him back in office. Mitsotakis's New Democracy party won in May, 20 points clear of the leftist Syriza party that ruled Greece from 2015 to 2019, but fell just short of the outright majority needed to rule without forming a coalition, prompting the second vote. Sunday's election is being held in the shadow of a migrant shipwreck on June 14 in which hundreds of people are feared to have perished. One of the worst migrant disasters in years, it has shown the parties' divisions over migration. Opinion polls show New Democracy with more than 40% percent of the vote, with Syriza headed by Alexis Tsipras trailing at about 20%. Mitsotakis, prime minister since 2019, stepped down in favour of a caretaker premier following the inconclusive May vote as required by the constitution. Analysts said a row over who was to blame for the shipwreck had likely slightly boosted Mitsotakis, who tore into his arch rival Tsipras for suggesting Greece didn't do all that it could to prevent the disaster. "(The debate) has helped New Democracy because Syriza's first, instinctive reaction was to voice doubts over the coast guard (and its handling), while New Democracy appeared to be protecting the borders," said Apostolos Pistolas, a voting behaviour analyst. Rescuers found 104 survivors but up to 750 people were thought to have been packed on the ramshackle vessel that had sailed from Libya and was heading to Italy. The boat had been shadowed by the Greek coast guard before it sank: the coast guard has said that the occupants refused all offers of help. Mitsotakis, whose administration has taken a hard stance on migration, said "wretched traffickers" were to blame for the disaster and praised the coast guard for rescuing people. Tsipras has questioned why the coast guard did not intervene earlier. Under the previous Syriza administration, more than one million refugees and migrants reached Greek islands as they tried to come to Europe in 2015 and 2016. The disaster sidelined other issues in the run-up to the election, including a cost of living crisis, and a deadly rail crash in February that exposed shortcomings on the public transport system. REPEAT VOTE, DIFFERENT RULESSunday's vote takes place with different rules to the May election - the front-runner wins bonus seats in the 300-member parliament allowing it an absolute majority. Behind the bigger names are a number of smaller parties, including MeRA25, headlined by Yanis Varoufakis, a former finance minister noted for unconventional tactics at the peak of Greece's debt crisis a decade ago. Leftist Zoe Konstantopoulou, another veteran of Greece's turmoil remembered for making hours-long speeches ripping into Greece's lenders while speaker of parliament, is also seeking a seat. Also running are the Spartans, named after the formidable warriors of Sparta in ancient Greece, who say the country is threatened by uncontrolled migration. The nationalist group was catapulted from relative obscurity after support from Ilias Kasidiaris, a frontman of the now-banned Golden Dawn far right party. He is currently in jail. (Reporting by Angeliki Koutantou and Michele KambasWriting by Michele KambasEditing by Frances Kerry) FILE PHOTO: Police remove Greta Thunberg as they move climate activists from the organization Ta Tillbaka Framtiden, who are blocking the entrance to Oljehamnen in Malmo, Sweden, June 19, 2023. TT News Agency/Johan Nilsson via REUTERS/File Photo PARIS (Reuters) - Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg said on Thursday that campaigners were being "systemically targeted with repression" in France, where she attending a finance summit. "We are seeing extremely worrying developments where activists all over the world are experiencing increased repressions just for fighting for our present and our future," the 20-year-old Thunberg said. "For example, here in France just the other day," she added. "They are paying the price for defending life and for the right to protest." On Wednesday, the French government shut down the environmental activist group Les Soulevements de la Terre for provoking armed protests or violent actions, a move immediately criticized by the leftist opposition and NGOs. The French interior ministry wasn't immediately available for comment. (Reporting by Richard Lough; Editing by Mark Potter) (Bloomberg) -- Citigroup Inc. has begun telling managers to let staffers know theyll face consequences if they dont comply with policies for office attendance. Most Read from Bloomberg While the vast majority of staffers are following the firms rules for hybrid work, the moves are focused on those employees with persistent, unexplained absences, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Managers will consider compliance with the rules when rating performance and crafting pay packages, the person said, asking not to be identified discussing information that isnt public. We are committed to our hybrid work model and proud of the flexibility it provides our colleagues to work at least three days per week in the office and up to two days remotely, Citigroup said in a statement. We have firm expectations for office attendance and know that the majority of our employees are compliant with their requirements. As necessary, we hold colleagues accountable for adhering to their in-office days. Citigroup is widely seen to be among the most amenable financial firms when it comes to flexible work arrangements following the Covid-19 pandemic. The vast majority of its roughly 240,000 employees are considered hybrid, meaning they are expected to come into the office at least three days a week, and the bank has used the policy to retain and attract employees across its businesses during Chief Executive Officer Jane Frasers time atop the firm. The recent push comes as Citigroup has readied managers for midyear performance conversations. The New York-based company has asked managers to discuss return-to-office policies with staffers who havent been coming to the office regularly, and ensure they understand the consequences of continued noncompliance, according to the person with knowledge of the matter. As part of an effort to better understand office-attendance trends, Citigroup is considering tracking staffers building-entry data in the UK. It has already been collecting such data at major offices across the US. The company is discussing a proposal with its employee-engagement forum in the UK that would allow it to track individual staffers office attendance on a monthly basis, according to a memo to staffers seen by Bloomberg News. The proposal would also allow Citigroup to collect aggregated office data every two weeks for the firms offices in London, Edinburgh and Belfast. One swipe per person, per day, per location will be captured, according to the memo. The number of hours spent in the office will not be captured in these reports. The focus of the reporting will be on employees with consistent office absence. Reports may then be shared with managers as appropriate to prompt further discussion. For now, the US data has been shared with only the most senior executives at Citigroup, though the firm is weighing creating a dashboard that would allow line managers to have easier access to the data, according to the person with knowledge of the matter. --With assistance from Donal Griffin. (Updates with size of workforce in fourth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. FILE PHOTO: The Tim logo is seen at its headquarters in Rome, Italy November 22, 2021. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo By Elvira Pollina and Giuseppe Fonte MILAN (Reuters) -Telecom Italia (TIM) has granted U.S. fund KKR a period of exclusive negotiations for the sale of its landline grid, the Italian phone group said on Thursday. TIM's board unanimously mandated CEO Pietro Labriola to start talks with KKR aimed at obtaining a binding offer no later than Sept. 30, the group said in a statement. KKR, whose bid could be worth around 23 billion euros ($25.19 billion) in total, prevailed over a consortium formed by Italian state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and Australian fund Macquarie. A number of efforts have been made over the years to restructure TIM, Italy's former national phone monopoly. The U.S. fund has already invested 1.8 billion euros in the grid and had a bid to take the entire company private rejected last year. It is now seeking to buy a unit comprising TIM's entire domestic fixed access network and submarine cable business Sparkle. A deal to sell the grid will need the approval of the Italian government, which can use a "golden powers" rule to set conditions or block bids for strategic assets such as TIM's network. To win Rome's nod, KKR is open to Italy's Treasury or other state-backed entities infrastructure fund F2i a co-shareholder in the network company, people familiar with the matter have said, adding the U.S. fund had concerns on teaming up with CDP due to antitrust issues. The state lender and Macquarie jointly own TIM's smaller rival Open Fiber. For Rome, the priority is to secure a stake in the network so the government has oversight of the asset, a government official told Reuters on Thursday. The network sale is a key plank of Chief Executive Pietro Labriola's strategy to relaunch TIM by slashing the former phone monopoly's 25 billion euro debt. But Labriola's plans have run into strong resistance from Telecom Italia's top investor Vivendi, the French media group, which wants the landline grid - the company's main asset - to fetch at least 31 billion euros in any sale. With its 24% stake in TIM, Vivendi also wants any decision on the grid to go through an extraordinary shareholder vote, which would make it easier for it block a deal. The exact value of KKR's bid hinges on the terms of the contracts between the grid it will take over and TIM's remaining business as well as some performance targets. ($1 = 0.9131 euros) (Editing by Alvise Armellini and Deepa Babington) Participants react with Pride rainbow flags as they attend the Badilika festival to celebrate the LGBT rights in Nairobi, Kenya, June 11, 2023. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi By Ayenat Mersie and Mukelwa Hlatshwayo NAIROBI (Reuters) -Mohamed Ali doesn't believe gay Africans exist. He says homosexuality is a Western invention imposed on the continent. Openly gay Africans are liars seeking visas to the West or money from rights groups, he adds. Ali is a member of Kenya's parliament. He is desperate to follow neighbour Uganda by unleashing a sweeping legislative crackdown on LGBTQ people. Even if he happened to be sick in intensive care, he would ask to be dragged to parliament to approve it. "I will ask them to take me to vote for that, to kick them out, kick LGBT people out of Kenya completely," he said. Weeks after Uganda enacted one of the most draconian anti-LGBT laws on Earth, Kenya could be poised to follow suit with a similarly formulated bill that punishes gay sex with prison or even death in some cases, according to a draft of the law and two lawmakers backing it in parliament. Similar moves are also afoot in Tanzania and South Sudan, parliamentarians in those nations told Reuters, revealing for the first time a broad anti-LGBT legislative drive across East Africa. Some regional lawmakers frame the issue as an almost existential battle to save African values and sovereignty, which they say have been battered by Western pressure to capitulate on gay rights. The draft of Kenya's Family Protection Bill, seen by Reuters, mirrors many aspects of the Ugandan law, which was signed by President Yoweri Museveni at the end of May to the dismay of the LGBT community, human rights campaigners and Western capitals. Gay sex is punishable by at least 10 years in jail under the proposed Kenyan law, while "aggravated homosexuality", which includes gay sex with a minor or disabled person or when a terminal disease is passed on, brings the death penalty. "It is a hateful piece of legislation that will truly make the lives of queer Kenyans unbearable if passed," said Annette Atieno of the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission campaign group. Spokespeople for the Kenyan presidency and government didn't respond to requests for comment about the proposed bill. In South Sudan, parliamentary spokesperson John Agany told Reuters that an anti-LGBT law with the same content as the Ugandan legislation was being drafted and would be put to a vote "very soon". He didn't elaborate on the bill, and the Juba government didn't respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, Tanzanian lawmaker Jacqueline Ngonyani said she planned to introduce a private motion in parliament later this year to clamp down on gay activity in an attempt to "control the ongoing moral decay". "If these (gay) people increase, this will be the end of generation," she added. "This is the same as drugs do to our youth." Asked whether she had specific punishments in mind, Ngonyani said she would not share anything until she was advised by legal experts. Tanzania's minister of constitutional and legal affairs, Damas Ndumbaro, said there was little room to tighten existing colonial-era laws against homosexuality, though. "Do they want 100 years in prison while we already have a life sentence?" he told Reuters. "Let us review why the problem is persisting," he said, referring to gay activity. "The government is still collecting opinions on how to solve the problem." 'PROMOTING' HOMOSEXUALITY: 5 YEARS The Kenyan anti-gay bill is being vetted by a parliamentary committee, which can then refer it to the full chamber for a vote. Officials have given no indication of the possible timeline. The LGBT community fears the worst, three rights groups told Reuters. In a debate in parliament initiated by Ali in March about whether to ban speech or publications that promote same-sex relations, more than 20 lawmakers spoke out against LGBT rights and none in support. Several called for legislation to strengthen penalties for same-sex acts, including the deputy majority leader, who said gay sex could be punished by hanging. President William Ruto, an evangelical Christian, has criticized a February supreme court decision allowing an LGBT rights group to register as a non-governmental organization. "We cannot travel the road of women marrying their fellow women and men marrying their fellow men," he said at the time. The proposed Kenyan law reflects a significant degree of agreement and coordination on anti-gay policies between lawmakers across the region, according to the draft of the bill as well as Reuters interviews with the Kenyan MPs and activists. Several new crimes appear in both Uganda's law and the proposed Kenyan one, including the aggravated homosexuality offence, "promoting" homosexuality and allowing gay sex on your property, which affects landlords. The latter two carry prison terms of at least 10 and five years respectively, the draft shows. The Kenyan bill's author, lawmaker Peter Kaluma, said the push to pass similar legislation to Uganda's was in part motivated by solidarity with its smaller neighbour, which has faced Western criticism over its law and seen the United States impose visa restrictions on some officials. "Across the continent we want to have these laws," Kaluma added. "If they were to sanction Uganda, let them sanction the entirety of Africa." He said the proposed law was influenced by discussions at a conference organized by Ugandan lawmakers in March in the city of Entebbe where he said parliamentarians from several African nations discussed strengthening anti-LGBT laws. The conference, about African family values and sovereignty, was attended by around 80 lawmakers from 14 countries, according to a communique issued afterwards. Uganda was best represented, contributing over half of the delegates, followed by South Sudan. The delegates called for action on issues ranging from the sexual exploitation of children to pornography. They urged nations to ban "transgender medical interventions" and make foreign donors pledge that none of their funding would go to "abortion, comprehensive sexuality education and/or the LGBTQ agenda". A U.S. State Department spokesperson said Washington opposes any law that curtails a vulnerable group's human rights and said governments should work to ensure all individuals can enjoy fundamental freedoms. "The United States advances efforts around the globe to protect LGBTQI+ persons from violence and abuse, criminalization, discrimination, and stigma, and to empower local LGBTQI+ movements and persons," the spokesperson said in response to questions about this story. FEAR REIGNS AT NAIROBI PRIDE The Kenyan bill would toughen up a colonial-era statute under which gay sex was already illegal, though the older, less detailed law was rarely enforced. The proposed law would signal the death knell for Kenya's status as a place of relative refuge for gay people in East Africa as the only country in the region to host refugees fleeing persecution because they are LGBT. The draft bill stipulates that no one should be granted asylum on grounds of persecution linked to sexual orientation. Anticipation of the new legislation, and the anti-gay rhetoric in politics and the media from public figures such as Ali and Kaluma that has accompanied it, is already casting a chill over the LGBT community, according to organizers of the Pride event in Nairobi this month. Stella Kachina, one of the organizers, said that unlike in previous years the location was not disclosed in advance out of fear that anti-gay activists would target the event. Instead, participants were picked up and brought to the venue. Attendee Marylize Biubwa said the current climate was frightening for gay people. "Kenya as a country doesn't feel like home anymore," she said. Both advocates and opponents of the Family Protection Bill say it has a good chance of becoming law, boosted by the enactment of the Ugandan law and well-organized and financed anti-LGBT political campaigners. Lorna Dias, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya, also cited last year's election of Ruto. "The mere fact that we have a religious-leaning president who has openly declared his stand ... people have been emboldened by his religious proclamations," Dias said. (Additional reporting by Nuzulack Dausen in Dar es Salaam, Waakhe Simon Wudu in Juba and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Aaron Ross and Pravin Char) FILE PHOTO: Meta logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo (Reuters) - Meta Platforms' Oversight Board has asked the social media firm to evaluate efforts to prevent promotion of political violence on its platforms, after it allowed a video calling for violence post the 2022 Brazilian election to stay online. The board said on Thursday that Meta's original decision to leave up the Facebook video, which featured a Brazilian general calling people to "hit the streets," raised concerns about the effectiveness of the company's election integrity efforts. "In this case, the speaker's intent, the content of the speech and its reach, as well as the likelihood of imminent harm ... all justified removing the post," said the Oversight Board, whose recommendations are not binding on Meta. After initially letting the video stay up, Meta took it down on Jan. 20, after the board selected the case. The company's election preparedness efforts are in focus as the United States prepares for the presidential elections next year. Meta's Facebook and Instagram, two of the most popular social media sites in the world, have been in the past used to spread misinformation and incite violence on the ground. In 2020, the company said that its platforms were used by certain Russian groups to influence U.S. voters during the 2016 elections, where Republican Donald Trump emerged victorious. The company was also among the social media platforms that suspended Trump in 2021 after the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot, determining he had incited violence. The former U.S. president was reinstated earlier this year. Meta, in a response to the board, said that it does not currently have metrics for measuring the success of its election integrity efforts generally. The Oversight Board was created in late 2020 to review Facebook and Instagram's decisions on taking down or leaving up certain content and make rulings on whether to uphold or overturn the social media company's actions. (Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K) Migrants wait to disembark from a Spanish coast guard vessel, in the port of Arguineguin, on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain June 22, 2023. REUTERS/Borja Suarez By Borja Suarez ARGUINEGUIN, Spain (Reuters) - A total of 227 migrants were rescued on Thursday near Spain's Canary Islands, emergency services said, one day after migrant charities said they feared more than 30 migrants had died after their inflatable dinghy sank on the same route. The Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa have become the main destination for migrants trying to reach Spain, with a much smaller number also seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the Spanish mainland. Summer is the busiest period for all attempted crossings. Spanish officials said on Wednesday that the bodies of a child and a man had been recovered and a Moroccan patrol boat had previously rescued 24 people on a dinghy that was sinking. Migration-focused organisations said 59 people had been on the vessel and at least 30 were missing, and criticised Spain and Morocco for not intervening earlier. Canary Islands officials said on Thursday that during the night emergency services had assisted 114 migrants in two boats. A total of 53 people were taken to Lanzarote, while 61 migrants, including a baby and his mother who were taken to hospital, went to Gran Canaria. TV footage showed some of the migrants covered in red blankets arriving at Arguineguin port in Gran Canaria and rescuers helping a toddler and other arrivals to disembark. On Thursday morning a third boat was spotted by the coastguards and taken to Lanzarote with 54 people on board. They were in good health, the emergency services added. Later in the day, a rescue boat with 59 migrants on board arrived to Arguineguin. TV footage showed three children among the passengers. The Atlantic migration route, one of the deadliest in the world, is typically used by migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. At least 559 people - including 22 children - died in 2022 in attempts to reach the Canary Islands, according to data from the U.N.'s International Organisation for Migration. RISE IN ARRIVALS There has been a rise in arrivals in the Canary Islands this month. "Numbers were falling so far this year, but there was an increase this month that surprised everybody. Only in June, close to 2,000 people have arrived," said Canary Islands migration lawyer Loueila Mint El Mamy. A source working in a migrant camp on one of the Canary Islands told Reuters they had received around 1,000 new arrivals in the past few days, compared with 100 in the same period last year. Better weather conditions during the early summer could have brought forward the migration season that has previously taken place later in the year, a Spanish government source said. Spanish government data showed 5,914 people arrived in the Canary Islands between January and mid-June this year, a 31.5% drop compared with the same period last year. But around 41% arrived in just one month between May 15 and June 15. Meanwhile, in Italian waters in the Mediterranean, the Spanish rescue ship Aita Mari, belonging to the NGO Salvamento Maritimo Humanitario (SMH), said it took part in the rescue of 294 people from a migrant ship off the Italian island of Lampedusa on Thursday. SMH said a joint operation took place with the Nadir rescue vessel belonging to the NGO ResQship and the Italian coastguard to recover everyone onboard. (Reporting by Emma Pinedo, Corina Rodriguez and Inti Landauro; Writing by Emma Pinedo; Editing by Aislinn Laing, Frances Kerry and Alex Richardson) FILE PHOTO: Facebook app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration By Sara Merken (Reuters) -Plaintiffs' lawyers have asked a San Francisco federal judge to award more than $181 million in legal fees as part of a $725 million data privacy settlement with Facebook parent company Meta Platforms resolving claims over sharing of user information with third parties. Co-lead counsel at plaintiffs law firms Keller Rohrback and Bleichmar Fonti & Auld said in a motion filed late Wednesday the fees would represent 25% of the settlement fund which is "within the range awarded in comparably sized cases." The lawyers said in the filing that the $725 million settlement is the largest data-privacy recovery in history and the largest private settlement Facebook has ever agreed to. Class counsel worked more than 149,000 hours on the case over nearly five years, they said. "Our fee petition reflects the effort this case required of our teams and the named plaintiffs," said Derek Loeser of Keller Rohrback and Lesley Weaver of Bleichmar Fonti & Auld in an email on Thursday. Meta and an outside lawyer for the company from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the fee request on Thursday. While a 25% fee amounts to $181,250,000, the fees paid from the settlement fund would be about $180,449,782, the lawyers wrote. The company and its outside law firm, Gibson Dunn, already paid about $800,217 in sanctions, which can be deducted from the total fees, they wrote. U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in February ordered Meta and Gibson Dunn to pay about $925,000, which included fees and costs, over what he said was an effort to make the litigation unnecessarily difficult and expensive for the plaintiffs. The long-running lawsuit was sparked by revelations in 2018 that Facebook had allowed British political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica to access data of as many as 87 million users. The company did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement, which the judge granted preliminary approval of in March. A final approval hearing is scheduled for Sept. 7. Read more: Meta, law firm Gibson Dunn sanctioned in Facebook privacy case Facebook, Gibson Dunn sanction order is light on dollars, heavy on message Facebook parent Meta to settle Cambridge Analytica scandal case for $725 million (Reporting by Sara Merken; editing by Leigh Jones) U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the National Safer Communities Summit at the University of Hartford, in West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S., June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Tom Brenner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and India declared themselves "among the closest partners in the world" on Thursday during a state visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington hosted by President Joe Biden. Washington has been frustrated by India's close ties with Russia while Moscow wages war in Ukraine. Modi did not address China or Russia directly, and Biden only mentioned China in response to a reporter's question. But a joint statement issued by the two after their 2.5 hour private meeting seemed to take aim at both nations. INTERNATIONAL ORDER The two sides emphasized the importance of "rules-based international order," saying "the contemporary global order has been built on principles of the UN Charter, international law, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states." "The United States and India reaffirmed their resolve to counter any attempts to unilaterally subvert the multilateral system." UKRAINE TRAGEDY The two leaders "expressed their deep concern over the conflict in Ukraine and mourned its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences," noting the "serious and growing impacts of the war on the global economic system, including on food, fuel and energy security, and critical supply chains." Both countries pledged "continuing humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine" and "concurred on the importance of post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine." INDO-PACIFIC AND SOUTH CHINA SEA The two "reiterated their enduring commitment to a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous India-Pacific region with respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, and international law," while expressing "concern over coercive actions and rising tensions" and opposition to "destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force." The leaders "emphasized the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight, in addressing challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the East and South China Seas." (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Heather Timmons; Editing by Jamie Freed) The logo of Renault is seen at the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France, June 15, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/FILE PHOTO SEOUL (Reuters) - Renault Korea Motors plans to build infrastructure at its plant in the southeastern city of Busan to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs), the Busan city government said. The automaker aims to produce 200,000 EVs a year at its Busan facilities, a statement issued by the city cited Renault Group Executive Vice President Guido Haak as saying. The plan was unveiled when Haak met with Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon during a visit to France this week, where Haak called for South Korea's support to turn the Busan plant into its future manufacturing hub, Park's office said. It was not immediately clear how much Renault planned to invest to build the EV production facilities. Renault Korea did not have an immediate comment. The announcement comes after Hyundai Motor said in May it will invest around 2 trillion won ($1.54 billion) in Ulsan, South Korea, to build a designated EV factory. ($1 = 1,294.7800 won) (Reporting by Heekyong Yang and Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Ed Davies) FILE PHOTO: Founder of Wagner private mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin speaks with servicemen during withdrawal of his forces from Bakhmut and handing over their positions to regular Russian troops, in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in an unidenti By Andrew Osborn (Reuters) - Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin added fuel to his feud with the top brass on Thursday, accusing them of lying to President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people about the scale of Russian losses and setbacks in Ukraine. Prigozhin, whose Wagner private militia spearheaded the Russian capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut last month, is resisting an order for mercenary groups like his to sign contracts with the Defence Ministry before July 1. Prigozhin portrays Wagner as Russia's most effective fighting force, and has enjoyed unusual freedom to publicly criticise Moscow - albeit not Putin, on whose support he and Wagner ultimately depend. Yet the order to bring militias under Moscow's direct control suggested to some that he may have outlived his usefulness to Putin in challenging a military hierarchy that has failed to deliver the rapid victory he had hoped for. In a series of emotional audio messages over two days, Prigozhin escalated his repeated criticism of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, a close Putin ally, and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff - by accusing them of hiding Russia's "very serious losses on the front" from Putin. "Total trash is being put on the president's desk. Shoigu and Gerasimov have a simple approach. The lie must be monstrous for people to believe it. That is what they are doing," Prigozhin said in one message. "It's all being hidden from everyone. Russia will wake up one day and learn that (Russian-annexed) Crimea has been handed over to the Ukrainians ... "They are misleading the Russian people and if it keeps on like this we'll be left without the most important thing: Russia." There was no immediate response from the Defence Ministry, which has ignored previous complaints, in public at least. But it repeatedly says Russian troops have repelled all the attacks that Ukraine has launched in its two-week-old counteroffensive, inflicting a heavy cost in equipment and manpower while suffering only small losses itself. Ukraine for its part has reported modest advances, which President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says have been "slower than desired". Reuters is unable to verify the battlefield accounts. (Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Kevin Liffey) FILE PHOTO: Buildings used on the set of the movie "Rust" are seen near a chapel which will not be used, on the first day that filming resumed after the 2021 shooting death in New Mexico of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, in Livingston, Montana, U.S. Apr By Andrew Hay (Reuters) -The armorer for the movie "Rust" transferred drugs to someone on the day the film's cinematographer was shot dead in 2021, special prosecutors said on Thursday as she faced a new charge of tampering with evidence. Prosecutors said the additional charge against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed related to the Oct. 21, 2021, transfer of "narcotics to another person with the intent to prevent the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of herself." Gutierrez-Reed's lawyer Jason Bowles said in a statement that she intended to plead not guilty to the new charge as well as an existing one of involuntary manslaughter for the death of Halyna Hutchins on a film set outside Santa Fe, New Mexico. The new charge was announced as the lead investigator for the Santa Fe district attorney's office, who is set to step down in July, raised serious concerns about the local sheriff's investigation into the shooting and its October 2022 final report. "The conduct of the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office during and after their initial investigation is reprehensible and unprofessional," Robert Shilling wrote in an email sent to prosecutors on Tuesday after they decided to remove him from the case. "Not I or 200 more proficient investigators than I can/could clean up the mess delivered to your office in October 2022. Shilling declined further comment on the email made public by Bowles in a Thursday court filing. Special prosecutors and the SFCSO did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bowles was sent Shilling's message in error then asked to delete it by prosecutors, according to emails in the court filing. Bowles called the new charge "retaliatory and vindictive" and described the email exchange as "beyond troubling," saying it backed his motion for the case to be dismissed." Gutierrez-Reed is the only person still facing charges for Hutchins' death. The cinematographer died after Gutierrez-Reed said she mistakenly loaded a live round into a revolver actor Alec Baldwin was rehearsing with, according to a transcript of a police interview (Reporting by Andrew HayEditing by Chris Reese, Matthew Lewis and Diane Craft) The Titan submersible, operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of the sunken Titanic off the coast of Newfoundland, dives in an undated photograph. OceanGate Expeditions/Handout via REUTERS By Joseph Ax and Steve Gorman (Reuters) -A deep-sea submersible carrying five people on a voyage to the century-old wreck of the Titanic was found in pieces from a "catastrophic implosion" that killed everyone aboard, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday, ending a multinational five-day search for the vessel. A robotic diving vehicle deployed from a Canadian ship discovered a debris field from the submersible Titan on Thursday morning on the seabed some 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the Titanic, 2 1/2 miles (4 km) beneath the surface, in a remote corner of the North Atlantic, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger told reporters. The Titan, operated by the U.S.-based company OceanGate Expeditions, had been missing since it lost contact with its surface support ship on Sunday morning about an hour, 45 minutes into what should have been a two-hour dive to the world's most famous shipwreck. Five major fragments of the 22-foot (6.7-meter) Titan were located in the debris field left from its disintegration, including the vessel's tail cone and two sections of the pressure hull, Coast Guard officials said. No mention was made of whether human remains were sighted. "The debris field here is consistent with a catastrophic implosion of the vehicle," Mauger said. Even before the Coast Guard's press conference, OceanGate issued a statement saying there were no survivors among the five men aboard the Titan, including the company's founder and chief executive officer, Stockton Rush, who was piloting the Titan. The four others were British billionaire and explorer Hamish Harding, 58; Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his 19-year-old son, Suleman, both British citizens; and French oceanographer and renowned Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, who had visited the wreck dozens of times. "These men were true explorers who shared a distinct spirit of adventure, and a deep passion for exploring and protecting the world's oceans," the company said. "Our hearts are with these five souls and every member of their families during this tragic time." Search teams and support personnel from the U.S., Canada, France and Britain had spent days scanning thousands of square miles of open seas with planes and ships for any sign of the Titan. Intense worldwide media coverage of the search largely overshadowed the aftermath of a far greater maritime disaster stemming from the wreck of a migrant vessel off the coast of Greece last week, killing hundreds of people. SOUNDS FROM THE DEEP Mauger said it was too early to tell when Titan met its fate. Search teams had sonar buoys in the water for more than three days in the area without detecting any loud, violent noise that would have been generated when the submersible imploded, Mauger said. But the position of the debris field relatively close the shipwreck and the time frame of the last communication with the Titan seemed to suggest the failure occurred near the end of its descent on Sunday. The U.S. Navy separately acknowledged that an analysis of its own acoustic data had detected "an anomaly consistent with an implosion or explosion" near the submersible's location when its communications were lost. "While not definitive, this information was immediately shared" with commanders of the search mission, a senior Navy official said in a statement first quoted by the Wall Street Journal. The Journal, citing unnamed U.S. defense officials, said the sound was picked up by a top-secret system designed to detect enemy submarines. In an interview with Reuters on Thursday, filmmaker James Cameron, who directed the Oscar-winning movie "Titanic" and has ventured to the wreck in submersibles himself, said he learned of the acoustic findings within a day, and knew what it meant. "I sent emails to everybody I know and said we've lost some friends. The sub had imploded. It's on the bottom in pieces right now. I sent that out Monday morning," he recounted. Sonar buoys dropped by aircraft had picked up some sounds on Tuesday and Wednesday that temporarily offered hope that the Titan was still intact and that its occupants were alive and trying to communicate by banging on the hull. But officials said analysis of the sound was inconclusive and that the noises probably emanated from something else. "There doesn't appear to be any connection between the noises and the location on the sea floor," Mauger said on Thursday. REMOTE-CONTROLLED VEHICLES Robotic craft on the seabed will continue to gather evidence, Mauger said, but it was not clear whether recovering the victims' remains will be possible given the nature of the accident and extreme conditions at those depths. "We will begin to demobilize personnel and vessels from the scene over the course of the next 24 hours," the admiral said. The search had grown increasingly desperate on Thursday, when the submersible's estimated 96-hour air supply had been expected to run out if the Titan were still intact, a countdown that proved irrelevant. The RMS Titanic, which struck an iceberg and sank during its maiden voyage in 1912, killing more than 1,500 people aboard, lies about 900 miles (1,450 km) east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and 400 miles (640 km) south of St. John's, Newfoundland. The undersea expedition to the wreck, which OceanGate has been operating since 2021, cost $250,000 per person, according to the company's website. Questions about Titan's safety were raised in 2018 during a symposium of submersible industry experts and in a lawsuit by OceanGate's former head of marine operations, which was settled later that year. The sweeping search covered more than 10,000 square miles of ocean. On Thursday, the deployment of two specialized deep-sea robot vehicles expanded the search farther into the ocean's depths, where immense pressure and pitch-black darkness complicated the mission. The fate of the tourist submersible captured global attention in part due to the mythology surrounding the Titanic. The "unsinkable" British passenger liner has inspired both nonfiction and fiction accounts for a century, including the blockbuster 1997 "Titanic" movie, which rekindled popular interest in the story. (Reporting by Joseph Ax and Steve Gorman; Additional reporting by Rami Ayyub, Tyler Clifford, Richard Lough, Natalie Thomas, Edmund Blair, Ariba Shahid, Shivani Tanna, Caitlin Webber, David Ljunggren, William James, Steve Holland, Daniel Trotta, Brad Brooks, Gabriella Borter, Rollo Ross and Idrees Ali; editing by Grant McCool and Stephen Coates) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supporters in big tech admire his bomb-throwing ideological heterodoxy something they imagine themselves to possess too. (Hans Pennink / Associated Press) Silicon Valleys archetypal hero is the founder of humble beginnings he who, through grit, sweat and genius, unleashes a world-changing idea from his garage. Its hard to imagine someone more antithetical to that formula than a scion of the most powerful political dynasty in the nation. Yet Robert F. Kennedy Jr., notorious anti-vaccine crusader and presidential candidate, is the toast of the town among the elite tech set. Hes been championed by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, promoted on a live audio event hosted by Elon Musk, and embraced by the venture capitalist podcasters David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, who not only endorsed Kennedy for the Democratic nomination, but also threw him a fundraiser. LimeWire creator Mark Gorton set up a super PAC with $500,000 that has been buying up newspaper ads for the candidate. So why would Silicon Valley, which ostensibly prides itself on disruption and looking to the future, embrace a figure who not only oozes old money and hails from the most established of political establishments but also holds starkly anti-tech and anti-science views? Read more: Column: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a threat to your health and our democracy Why, just a decade and a half after embracing the Obama-Biden ticket in 2008, the chief executive of Google stumped for Obama, Musk sent in donations and a Facebook co-founder left the company to work for his campaign are the loudest voices in Silicon Valley throwing their weight behind a man who just claimed that Wi-Fi causes cancer and whom the New York Times described as a headache for Biden? The answers reveal quite a bit both about the state of our politics and the state of our tech titans. The first reason is pretty obvious: COVID and vaccine denialism is in vogue with a prominent subset of Silicon Valleys power players. Kennedy has spent the last two decades as one of the leading voices for the anti-vaccine movement , alleging a (spurious) link between vaccines and autism. So, when COVID rolled around, and that particular brand of skepticism found much wider purchase, RFK Jr. was ready for prime time. He was kicked off Instagram for spreading misinformation but embraced by figures such as Tucker Carlson, as the rights dalliance with anti-vax politics bloomed. That was also around the time when Musk became a prominent COVID skeptic too; in the early days of the pandemic, Musk tweeted that the coronavirus panic is dumb, predicted that wed be headed to zero new cases by the end of April 2020, and even initially refused to close a Tesla plant as those cases stubbornly mounted. Since then, even after being proved wrong, Musk has stuck to a similar strain of reactionary COVID politics that, if not necessarily descended directly from the rights vociferous anti-mask rallying, is of a stripe with it. Read more: Column: Elon Musk broke what made Twitter great. It's going to cost him and us Dorsey, the Silicon Valley figurehead who has most fully endorsed Kennedy , too, has been cozying up to anti-vaccine views of late, although he's long embraced other questionable health fads and self-styled gurus. In his first interview since Musk took control of Twitter, he explained that he only became aware of Kennedy earlier this year. Dorsey told the hosts of the "Breaking Points" show on YouTube that he became dedicated to Kennedys candidacy after I kind of went through all his podcasts almost every episode. Less mainstream tech figures, such as LimeWires Gorton and InfoSeek founder Adam Kirsch , have fully embraced the anti-vax movement and RFK Jr. too. Now, dubious scientific beliefs have not exactly been rare in the region the founding president of Stanford University, David Starr Jordan, was a leading eugenicist , after all but for the last few decades, Silicon Valleys most public figures have worked to cultivate an air of science-based beneficence. Those days appear to be past, and Silicon Valleys most visible celebrities most notably Musk and his cohort are openly turning to dark, conspiratorial and reactionary ideas, rather than trying to sell the public on an optimistic brand of "dont be evil" future making. That drift aligns rather naturally with Kennedys current MO. The second reason were seeing a surge of tech exec interest in Kennedy is even duller: political gamesmanship. Sacks, one of Musks biggest boosters and a full-throated supporter of GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis , probably has political reasons for backing Kennedys primary effort hes a lifelong Republican, and a leading donor to the effort to recall Gavin Newsom . Not much of a COVID skeptic himself, and not a natural ally of Kennedys anti-corporate views, Sacks is evidently helping to prop up Kennedy because he knows its embarrassing to President Biden to see a challenger polling in the double digits, forcing him to expend resources addressing the threat. (In a tweet, Sacks denied having "cynical" reasons for supporting Kennedy and laid out reasons for his support, including his avowed embrace of free speech and ending wars.) Read more: Meet David Sacks, Gavin Newsom's loudest critic in Silicon Valley As Axios pointed out , the support of Sacks, Chamath and other tech elites could help narrow the money gap and keep Kennedy in the race longer than a typical long shot. Its a power play, in other words if, perhaps, an ill-considered one, as DeSantis continues to struggle in the polls . Kennedy is an advocate of bitcoin he made his first presidential campaign event at a cryptocurrency conference so theres at least something that the tech set can point to as an area of interest thats plausibly future-forward. (Critics of Kennedy have pointed out the absurdity of a lifelong environmental advocate embracing bitcoin, a tremendous energy drain and contributor to climate change. He has also come out against windmill farms and other vital green infrastructure.) With crypto in the gutter, however, and the biggest exchanges facing Securities and Exchange Commission complaints and fraud charges, its hardly an ascendant voting bloc, and unlikely to eclipse his odd anti-tech musings on other fronts. Last week, on Joe Rogan's podcast, Kennedy said that exposure to Wi-Fi opens the blood-brain barrier and causes cancer. Kennedys supporters in Big Tech also no doubt admire his bomb-throwing heterodoxy, something they imagine themselves to possess too. RFK Jr. is fighting the corporations, Big Pharma, his own complacent political party, the establishment even if he is the establishment. Which is actually a pretty good encapsulation of modern Silicon Valley mind-set, and probably the arch reason that Kennedys campaign is resonating there so thoroughly. Read more: Column: Silicon Valley elites are afraid. History says they should be Its been a long time since Palo Alto could feasibly be called an underdog in any capacity at all, and not the utmost locus of American power and wealth. Not unlike Kennedy himself, Silicon Valley is thoroughly saturated in both, and operates from a position of unimaginable privilege and so it must manufacture obstacles and detractors to maintain the illusion that it is a scrappy force for disruption constantly being held at bay by other powers that be. This was already an illusion in the Obama era, when Facebook, Google and Tesla glommed onto the candidates inspiring message of transcendence Big Tech was already big, if not as big, and plenty powerful. Kennedys rise is occasion to recognize that the ideological alliance between the valley and liberal politics was always overstated, and always more transactional than aspirational. The tech set of the late 00s donated to Obamas campaign and proffered their social media tools and praise, and Obama rewarded them with subsidies from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and two presidential terms worth of kid-glove treatment when it came to regulation and antitrust policy. And he was sure to trumpet the innovation on display there, feeding the myth in the process. Musk donated to Obama , sure, but during the same campaign cycle, he donated to the Republican National Committee too. (Musk snagged a $465-million government loan for Tesla at a crucial juncture and years of cooperation with the administration in return.) Silicon Valley is like any other powerful industry this way its lobbyists, public-facing figures and attention-seeking executives try to guess which way the wind is blowing and place their bets accordingly. In 2008, when it behooved the industry to echo the calls for change, hope and progress, thats where it marshaled its resources. Now, after many of the giants, enjoying the fruits of the Obama years, have ossified into monopolies, scandals and crashes have marred the regions reputation and new innovations such as crypto havent panned out, the industry, as powerful and rich as ever, finds itself on uncertain cultural terrain. In Kennedy, the valley's power players see a familiar face, and see much of themselves the scrappy fighter to their rebel startup founder, taking on the establishment from the comfortable confines of the same establishment. Albeit with ever darker, ever more reactionary politics. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. El Safi Mahdi, Sudanese music professor sits next to his friend playing keyboard, as he waits to travel to his Sudanese musician wife Sohair Saddig Ali, who fled the fighting following the crisis, at the theatre of Novelists and Artists Union in the city By Khalid Abdelaziz DUBAI (Reuters) -Residents of the city of Kadugli in southwest Sudan began fleeing the city on Thursday as tensions escalated between the army and a powerful rebel group, threatening to open another area of conflict in the country's ongoing war, witnesses said. Mobilisation around Kadugli, capital of South Kordofan state, and an escalation of fighting in Darfur come after nearly 10 weeks of fighting focused in the capital, Khartoum, between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The United States and Saudi Arabia adjourned talks they had been facilitating in Jeddah, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Molly Phee said at a congressional hearing in Washington. "The format is not succeeding in the way that we want," she said, after a series of violated ceasefire agreements. Since mid-April the war has uprooted more than 2.5 million people from their homes and threatened to destabilise neighbouring countries suffering from a combination of conflict, poverty and economic pressures. In the fighting between the army and the RSF, army air strikes on Thursday morning hit areas of southern Khartoum and Omdurman, and the RSF responded with anti-aircraft weaponry, residents said. ESCALATION IN THE WEST The army on Wednesday accused the SPLM-N rebel group led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu, which controls parts of South Kordofan state, of breaking a long-standing ceasefire agreement and attacking an army unit in the city. The army said it had fought back the incursion but sustained losses. South Kordofan has Sudan's main oil fields and borders West Darfur State as well as South Sudan. The SPLM-N, which has strong ties to South Sudan, also attacked the army in the South Kordofan city of al-Dalanj on Wednesday, as did the RSF, residents said. Residents of Kadugli said the army had redeployed forces to protect its positions in the city on Thursday, while the SPLM-N was gathering in areas on the outskirts. There were electricity and communications outages as well as dwindling food and medical supplies, they said. The war has also brought an eruption of violence in Darfur, with the West Darfur city of El Geneina worst hit. In Al Fashir, capital of North Darfur, the army and the RSF clashed violently, including around the main market, witnesses said after having deployed across the city on Thursday, witnesses said. Nyala, capital of South Darfur and one of Sudan's largest cities, has also seen clashes between the army and RSF in recent days, amid electricity and communications blackouts. Both cities had been relatively calm after locally negotiated truces. (Reporting by Khalid AbdelazizWriting by Nafisa EltahirEditing by Aidan Lewis, Frances Kerry and Sandra Maler) El Safi Mahdi, Sudanese music professor plays guitar as he waits to travel to his Sudanese musician wife Sohair Saddig Ali, who fled the fighting following the crisis, at the theatre of Novelists and Artists Union in the city of Port Sudan, Sudan, June 16 By Khalid Abdelaziz PORT SUDAN (Reuters) - Elsafi Mahdi was separated from his wife and three younger children on June 1 near Sudan's border with Egypt. He does not know when he'll see them again. Like many families fleeing the war in the capital Khartoum, Mahdi, a prominent music teacher and conductor, left home without a visa required for entry to Egypt. His elder sons aged 19 and 17 needed their passports renewed, a task that became impossible as the conflict paralysed central government offices. Mahdi and the two elder boys turned back to Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, while the rest of the family headed north to Cairo. "I'm so close to my young children, they did not accept the idea," said Mahdi, whose family decided to leave Bahri, part of Sudan's wider capital, after hearing heavy air strikes from their home. "I was telling them that I will join them in two or three days in Egypt, but I knew it was not easy and that it would take a very long time." More than 2.5 million people have been uprooted by the conflict between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that erupted on April 15, including an estimated 600,000 who have crossed into neighbouring states. Over 250,000 have crossed into Egypt, which on June 10 began requiring that all Sudanese obtain entry visas. Previously, only men aged 16-50 needed visas, meaning that many women, children and elderly crossed while men stayed behind in the northern Sudanese town of Wadi Halfa waiting for days or weeks to apply for visas at the Egyptian consulate. On June 13, the United Nations said about 12,000 displaced families were staying in Wadi Halfa. Witnesses say some of those who reached the town have recently retreated to larger towns and cities in northern Sudan, hoping for a change in rules that would allow easier access for refugees. LIVING IN TENTS Women and elderly displaced people have been held up by the new visa rules. Saadia Abdullah, an 80-year-old with chronic health problems, said she left Khartoum before they were imposed. "They cannot prevent us from entering Egypt. I am ill, and there is no treatment in Sudan," she told Reuters by phone from Wadi Halfa last week, before travelling nearly 900km to Kassala city in eastern Sudan to wait for another chance to cross. Egypt says it brought in the new visa rules in response to "illegal activities". The foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on what such activities were and how they related to women, children and the elderly. The United Nations has appealed to Sudan's neighbours to keep their borders open. The U.N. World Food Programme said this week it had opened a humanitarian corridor to deliver food from southern Egypt to Wadi Halfa. Some of those still camping out in Wadi Halfa are hoping to catch up with family in Egypt, including Nader Ismail, a 48-year-old who said he had been there with his eldest son for six weeks. "We live in tents and in difficult conditions with the temperature rising," said Ismail. "My only hope is to get a visa so we can live as a single family again." Suheir Siddig Ali, Mahdi's wife, said at the time she crossed into Egypt with her three younger children after a long and difficult journey that it was the only country open to them. Now, she said, all they can do is wait until the rest of the family can join them. "We talk to them daily on the phone," she said. "But it is not easy." (Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Dubai, Ibrahim Mohamed Ishak in Port Sudan, and Sherif Fahmy in Cairo; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Hugh Lawson) (Reuters) -A tornado ripped through the northern Texas town of Matador on Wednesday, killing four people and injuring several others while damaging at least a dozen buildings, officials said. Touching down at 8 p.m. local time (0100 GMT), the "unprecedented tornado" brought high gusting and battering winds to the small community of about 600 residents, according to Lubbock Fire Rescue. The agency is one of multiple emergency crews from the region to join in search and rescue efforts. At least ten people were transported to area hospitals, of which one died, law enforcement said at a news briefing on Thursday morning. "A town of this size with such a small population, with the amount of damage that they experienced -- it's not only physical damage, but the economical and emotional impact that it will have on this town is very well significant," Lubbock Fire Rescue Public Information Officer Derek Delgado said. Video of the aftermath showed a string of homes flattened to a rubble and downed power lines. About two dozen emergency vehicles helped to illuminate the dark road in the video shared by the fire agency in nearby city of Lubbock. Power was knocked out to a majority of customers in Motley County, according to PowerOutage.us. Matador is the county seat. Widespread outages stretched 130 miles (209 km) south of Matador. Crews hope to restore power in Matador by Friday evening after the storm damaged a substation. The National Weather Service issued a warning about 8 p.m. about a tornado heading toward Matador and urged residents to take cover. Last week, Perryton, Texas, was struck by one or more tornadoes, which killed at least three people and injured dozens of others. Hundreds of homes, many of them in a trailer park, were damaged or destroyed. (Reporting by Lavanya Ahire in Bengaluru and Tyler Clifford in New York; Editing by Gerry Doyle) FILE PHOTO: E. Jean Carroll (center) exits the Manhattan Federal Court following the verdict in the civil rape accusation case against former U.S. President Donald Trump, in New York City, U.S., May 9, 2023. REUTERS/David Dee Delgado/File Photo By Luc Cohen NEW YORK (Reuters) -Donald Trump's push for a new trial in the civil case in which a Manhattan jury last month found the former U.S. president had sexually abused and defamed the writer E. Jean Carroll is "magical thinking," Carroll's lawyers said on Thursday. Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, on June 8 asked for a new trial after the jury awarded Carroll $5 million. Trump said the damages were excessive because the jury did not find Carroll was raped and because the alleged conduct did not cause her a diagnosed mental injury. In court papers filed Thursday in opposition to Trump's request, Carroll's lawyers maintained that the attack has harmed her ability to have romantic and sexual relationships, and that she has suffered intrusive memories. They pointed to a psychologist's testimony at trial that Carroll had some symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. "Trump's motion is nothing more than his latest effort to obfuscate the import of the jury's verdict by engaging in his own particular Trump-branded form of magical thinking," her lawyers wrote. Trump is also appealing the verdict. Joseph Tacopina, one of his lawyers, said on Thursday, "We are confident we will win on appeal." Carroll's lawsuit, filed in 2022, said Trump raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s, and defamed her by denying it happened. Trump has called Carroll's claims a "hoax." Carroll, a former Elle magazine advice columnist, filed a separate lawsuit in November 2019 for defamation only. That case has been bogged down in appeals over whether Trump was immune from being sued because he was president when he spoke. Carroll updated that lawsuit to seek $10 million from Trump after he called her account "fake" and labeled her a "whack job" in a CNN town hall after the jury's verdict in the 2022 lawsuit. The case is one of several legal woes facing Trump, the first current or former U.S. president to face criminal charges, as he seeks to return to the White House. Last week, he pleaded not guilty to 37 federal counts of retaining national defense documents at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and obstructing an investigation into his conduct. In April, he pleaded not guilty to New York state charges stemming from a 2016 hush money payment to a porn star. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Leslie Adler) FILE PHOTO: U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee member Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) attends the committee's hearing about Twitter's handling of a 2020 New York Post story about Hunter Biden and his laptop, in Washington, U.S. Februar By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Republicans turned aside an attempt by hardline conservatives to force an impeachment vote against President Joe Biden on Thursday, in the first of what could prove to be a series of impeachment efforts by members of the far right. The House of Representatives voted 219-208 along party lines to refer a privileged resolution offered by firebrand Representative Lauren Boebert to two congressional committees. Democrats had hoped to kill the measure outright. Boebert alleged that Biden violated his oath by failing to enforce immigration laws and secure the U.S.-Mexico border against the synthetic opioid drug fentanyl. Another hardliner, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, has announced plans for similar impeachment initiatives against Biden, two members of his Cabinet, FBI Director Christopher Wray and a U.S. attorney prosecuting participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Some Republicans are eager to impeach Biden as retribution after his predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, was twice impeached by the then-Democratic-controlled House, once over Ukraine and once for his actions ahead of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The impeachment effort is a new headache for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who is also facing pressure from roughly a dozen hardline Republicans who say they stand ready to block legislation as they seek greater influence over the lower chamber's agenda. With Republicans holding a narrow 222-212 House majority, as few as five hardliners can derail any bill that Democrats oppose unanimously. Under House rules, privileged resolutions pursued by Boebert and Greene must come up for a vote within two legislative days. Thursday's vote referred Boebert's resolution to the House Homeland Security and Judiciary committees. Greene said she would craft resolutions against Biden, Wray, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves. McCarthy opposes such initiatives on impeachment, saying he expects ongoing House committee investigations to produce evidence against Biden and members of his administration that can be used to build impeachment cases. But Greene, who had previously introduced formal articles of impeachment against Biden and others, told reporters that privileged resolutions could be necessary because internal Republican divisions have prevented the House Judiciary Committee from acting on impeachment. (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Jonathan Oatis) FILE PHOTO: The logo of Swiss bank UBS is seen at its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, October 25, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo ZURICH (Reuters) - The Swiss National Bank will consider closely the size of UBS following the completion of its takeover of Credit Suisse, the central bank's vice-chairman said on Thursday. "Of course because it is such a big bank it needs to have higher capital requirements," Martin Schlegel told an news conference in Zurich. He also said the size and the importance of UBS, as well as its business model, will be taken into account from a financial stability perspective. (Reporting by Noele Illien; Editing by Tomasz Janowski) Ignazio Cassis, Swiss Foreign Minister, Howard Graham Buffett, James Cowan, CEO of Halo Trust, Alex Lissitsa, CEO of the Industrial Milk Company, Yuliya Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, and Denise Brown, United Nations official, attend By Jorgelina do Rosario and Olena Harmash LONDON/KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine plans shortly to reinstate government tax collection to pre-war levels in a push to comply with its IMF programme, scrapping exemptions and relief introduced since Russia's invasion, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko told Reuters. The move would generate extra government income of up to 10 billion hryvnia ($271 million) for the remainder of 2023 once Ukraine's parliament has voted to restore it, Marchenko said in an interview late on Wednesday. "We expect the restoration will be (voted on) at the end of June or the beginning of July," said Marchenko, speaking on the sidelines of a two-day conference in London where Western donors have pledged billions of dollars more for Ukraine's recovery. "We can't even cover our military expenditure with our taxes, but at least we can cover a part, and it gives us some space of manoeuvre." The plan is part of commitments Kyiv has agreed under a nearly $15.6 billion International Monetary Fund loan programme approved in early April. However, that pales in comparison to Kyiv's funding needs which amount to billions of dollars. Measures introduced to help Ukraine's economy weather Russia's invasion, launched on Feb. 24, 2022, have included lowering value-added tax on profits for some businesses and lower tax rates for some private entrepreneurs. It also cut some taxes and duties on fuel products. They are all now expected to end. Marchenko said the government would also push for customs reforms during the second half of the year, including the introduction of a shared database with European Union countries "to avoid illegal trades". The minister did not elaborate. RECOVERY EFFORTS Ukraine said it needs to secure almost $7 billion for the next 12 months to finance recovery, as the war has destroyed homes, schools, hospitals and other critical infrastructure. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, speaking in London on Thursday, said he was confident that Ukraine would receive that sum, based on pledges made at the donors' conference. The World Bank has estimated Ukraine's reconstruction will cost at least $411 billion to cover damage suffered in the first year of the war - two times Ukraine's pre-invasion GDP. "We continuously discuss with donors and lenders how to move more rapidly from pledges to commitments in practical projects in Ukraine," Marchenko said. The government is also monitoring closely how proceeds from Russian assets could be used for reconstruction in the future. "This money could be part of the solution" for reconstruction, he said, emphasising Kyiv's desire for a swift resolution of the issue. Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. Congress introduced legislation last week that would make it easier for Ukraine to fund its war by using seized and frozen Russian assets. The Congress has approved more than $100 billion in military, humanitarian and economic aid for Ukraine since February 2022. Kyiv is also asking the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the world's financial crimes watchdog, to blacklist Russia at a meeting this week in Paris, a further step after the regulator suspended Moscow's membership in February. "We have provided facts and evidence for such a decision," Marchenko said. "For us, if Russia is blacklisted, it will be a tremendous success." Russia's Central Bank Governor Elvira Nabiullina said on Wednesday there were no technical reasons for Russia to be added to the FATF's blacklist, and that any such step would be "politically motivated". ($1 = 36.9250 hryvnias) (Reporting by Jorgelina do Rosario, editing by Karin Strohecker and Gareth Jones) FILE PHOTO: Flags of Ukraine fly in front of the EU Parliament building on the first anniversary of the Russian invasion, in Brussels, Belgium, February 24, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo By Andrew Gray BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Senior EU officials said on Thursday that Ukraine is making progress on political reforms to open the way for European Union membership talks but still needs to progress in five important areas. The assessment, by the EU's executive body, the European Commission, offered Kyiv hope that it could achieve its aim of getting the green light for membership talks in December even it fights to repel Russia's invasion. But it also made clear that Ukraine has a way to go just to complete the seven steps that the EU outlined last year when it granted Kyiv the status of a candidate for membership. "They are on track, they are working hard. After all, the country is under attack," said Oliver Varhelyi, the European Commissioner for relations with the EU's neighbours. "Compared to that, I think that they are delivering." In an update for the EU's member countries, Varhelyi said Kyiv had completed two of the seven steps, as reported by Reuters on Monday - reform of two judicial bodies and the adoption of media legislation in line with EU standards. He said Ukraine had made progress but had more work to do on constitutional court reform, on measures to fight corruption, money laundering and curb the influence of oligarchs, and on the treatment of minorities. He also stressed the European Commission would look at a broader range of factors in a full report in October on Ukraine's suitability for membership talks. "We are just in the middle of the work so it's too early to tell you where they are going to be," he told reporters after presenting his assessment to European affairs ministers from the bloc's 27 member countries in Stockholm. Jessika Roswall, Sweden's European affairs minister, said Ukraine's reform efforts had been "impressive" in the face of "extraordinary circumstances". "Ukraine has taken substantial steps forward," she said. Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European integration, said the assessment held no surprises. She told Ukrainian TV the government would now focus on the steps necessary to get a positive verdict in October and it was cautiously optimistic that it would achieve one. A decision on whether and when to start accession talks rests with the EU's member governments. Varhelyi also said Ukraine's neighbour Moldova had completed three of the nine steps outlined by the EU when it was granted membership candidate status at the same time as Kyiv last year. He said Georgia had completed three of 12 steps outlined by the EU on its bid to be a membership candidate. To join the EU, a country has to align its laws with many e EU standards ranging from climate to labour. That process usually takes many years. Ukraine's neighbours on the EU's eastern flank, Poland and the Baltic states, generally support a fast track for Kyiv, while western, older member states including France, Germany and the Netherlands are cooler on the idea. (Reporting by Andrew Gray in Brussels and Olena Harmash in Kyiv, Editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout) KYIV (Reuters) - Russia fired cruise and ballistic missiles and strike drones at targets in Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, causing damage in the cities of Odesa and Kryvy Rih, Ukrainian officials said. Ukrainian air defences downed three of the four drones fired in the overnight attack involving three Kinzhal hypersonic and three cruise missiles, the Air Force said in a statement. "...The enemy rockets did not reach their targets in the Dnipropetrovsk region... the occupiers are continuing their terror against the Ukrainian people, attacking Ukraine's critical infrastructure facilities," the air force said. The drones were shot down over the Black Sea region of Odesa in southwestern Ukraine, but one of them struck a warehouse, regional administration spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said. In the Kryvy Rih area, a Russian missile strike damaged at least 10 homes, the regional administration said. Russia has regularly carried out long-distance missile and drone attacks since October, and increased strikes in May as Ukraine prepared for a counteroffensive. (Reporting by Tom Balmforth and Aleksandar Vasovic; editing by Timothy Heritage) A view shows the damaged Chonhar bridge connecting Russian-held parts of Ukraine's Kherson region to the Crimean peninsula, following what Russian-appointed officials say was a Ukrainian missile attack, in this picture released June 22, 2023. Russian-inst By Andrew Osborn and Olzhas Auyezov (Reuters) -Ukrainian missiles struck the Chonhar road bridge connecting Crimea with Russian-held parts of the southern Kherson region overnight, forcing traffic to be diverted to a different route, Russian-appointed officials said on Thursday. The so-called "gate to Crimea", known by Russians with a different spelling as the Chongar Bridge, is one of a handful of links between Crimea - which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014 - and mainland Ukraine. It is on a route used by the Russian military to move between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine under its control. Kyiv says it wants to retake Crimea and drive all Russian forces from its territory. Yuriy Sobolevsky, a Ukrainian official on the governing body for the Kherson region, said the strike was "a blow to the military logistics of the occupiers". "The psychological impact on the occupiers and the occupying power is even more important. There is no place on the territory of Kherson region where they can feel safe," he said via the Telegram messaging application. Russian investigators said four missiles had been fired by Ukrainian forces at the bridge, the RIA news agency reported. It quoted a spokesman for military investigators as saying that markings found on the remains of one of the missiles suggested it had been made in France. LARGE HOLE Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, parts of which Russian forces have captured during what Moscow calls its "special military operation", said the road bridge had been damaged but that there were no casualties. One picture Saldo posted on Telegram showed a large hole in the bridge's surface with water visible beneath it and debris scattered nearby. Saldo suggested Ukraine may have used British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles for the strike. "The Kyiv terrorists want to intimidate Kherson residents and sow panic among the population, but they will not succeed. We know how to repair bridges quickly: vehicle passage will be restored in the very near future," he said. "We have an answer to every move by the enemy. A link between the Kherson region and Crimea continues to operate - a reserve route has been temporarily organised for vehicular traffic." Sergei Aksyonov, Crimea's Russian-appointed governor, told people to stay calm and said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume. (Additiona reporting by Aleksandar VasovicEditing by Simon Cameron-Moore, Andrew Cawthorne and Gareth Jones) Canadian Pacific Kansas City is adding 1,000 refrigerated intermodal containers to its Mexico-to-Chicago cross-border train service. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves) Americold Realty Trust plans to locate warehouse facilities along the rail network of Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) as part of wider plans to expand intermodal transportation options and cold storage offerings for markets in the U.S. Midwest and Mexico. The collaboration will also enable shippers to experience streamlined border crossing procedures, according to the two companies. CPKC is pleased to collaborate with Americold to provide innovative solutions for our customers throughout North America with this Kansas City facility, the first of many, CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel said in a Wednesday news release. CPKC (NYSE: CP) has single-line, expedited intermodal service between the Midwest and Mexico, along with a fleet of TempPro temperature-protected intermodal containers. The company also recently doubled its 53-foot refrigerated container fleet by adding 1,000 new containers as part of the railways expanded Mexico Midwest Express (MME) premium intermodal service for refrigerated shippers. Meanwhile, Americolds (NYSE: COLD) cold chain logistics network consists of producers and distributors. This partnership with CPKC leverages the strengths of both companies and enables us to offer solutions together that we would not be able to offer separately, Americold CEO George Chappelle said. The combination of Americolds vast North American facilities network and world-class cold chain operating model with CPKCs new MMX intermodal service and refrigerated assets will produce a new and unique offering to the food supply chain. CPKC said its MMX trains connect markets in Chicago, Kansas City, Missouri, and Texas with Mexico markets in Monterrey and San Luis Potosi. Service to and from Laredo is three days, service to and from Monterrey spans four days and service to and from San Luis Potosi is 4.5 days. The railway, which is seeking to capture market share away from trucks, said the average intermodal train takes more than 300 trucks off the road, resulting in 75% fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Subscribe to FreightWaves e-newsletters and get the latest insights on freight right in your inbox. Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Joanna Marsh. Related links: The post CPKC and Americold collaborate on refrigerated rail service offerings appeared first on FreightWaves. FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks to the media at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, May 14, 2023. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File Photo KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed into law a ban on the commercial import of books from Russia on Thursday, the latest move to reduce cultural ties between the two countries following Moscow's invasion. "I believe the law is right," Zelenskiy wrote on the Telegram messaging app, announcing he had signed a bill which also bans the commercial import of books printed in Belarus or in occupied Ukrainian territory. The bill, adopted by parliament a year ago, also makes its a requirement to obtain special permission to import books in the Russian language from third countries. Zelenskiy's office said on Twitter that the law would "strengthen the protection of the Ukrainian cultural and information space from anti-Ukrainian Russian propaganda". Ukraine has been carrying out what it describes as "derussification" process, saying it is necessary to undo centuries of policies it considered aimed at crushing the Ukrainian identity. Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko thanked the president for signing the bill. "The adoption of this draft law will protect the Ukrainian book publishing and distribution sector from the destructive influence of the 'russian world'," he said on Telegram. (Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka and Kyiv newsroom, Editing by Timothy Heirtage) FILE PHOTO: Khadeedja, 7, a Sudanese refugee who has fled the violence in Sudan's Darfur region, looks on as she stands by her shelter, near the border between Sudan and Chad in Koufroun, Chad May 15, 2023. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra/File Photo By Daphne Psaledakis WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday adjourned Sudan talks because the format was not succeeding in the way they wanted, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee said on Thursday. Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have brokered ceasefires between Sudan's army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) at talks in Jeddah, but there have been reports of violations by both sides. "On Wednesday, yesterday, we adjourned those talks ... because the format is not succeeding in the way that we want," Phee told a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on Thursday. Sudan's army and the RSF have been battling each other for more than two months, wreaking destruction on the capital, triggering widespread violence in the western region of Darfur, and causing more than 2.5 million people to flee their homes. Heavy clashes broke out in several parts of Sudan's capital on Wednesday as a 72-hour ceasefire, during which there were several reports of violations, expired, witnesses said. Phee said that while the ceasefires have not been fully effective, they have allowed the transmission of urgently needed humanitarian assistance. Phee called on other governments to join the United States in its sanctions, adding that the United Kingdom is considering doing so but that the European Union has been "rather slow" in making a decision to pursue sanctions. The United States is also in discussions with its Arab partners, Phee said. The United States earlier this month imposed sanctions on companies it accused of fuelling the conflict in Sudan, targeting two companies linked to the army and two companies tied to the rival paramilitary RSF. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is considering elevating the role of U.S. Ambassador to Sudan John Godfrey, Phee said when asked whether the State Department would look at a special envoy role to advance U.S. policy in the country. "The entire U.S. government is fully engaged in addressing this crisis given its impact not only for Sudan but for the region," Phee said. (Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Simon Lewis in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis) VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - A Vatican prosecutor said on Thursday he had uncovered new leads "worthy of further investigation" into the disappearance of a Vatican schoolgirl, who vanished 40 years ago. Emanuela Orlandi, the daughter of a Vatican usher, failed to return home on June 22, 1983 following a music lesson in Rome. She was 15 at the time and lived inside the Vatican City. Her disappearance is one of Italy's most enduring mysteries. The case drew fresh worldwide attention following the release late last year of the Netflix series "Vatican Girl". Vatican chief prosecutor Alessandro Diddi announced in January that he was reopening a previous, inconclusive Vatican investigation after he inherited files from his retired predecessor. On Thursday, he said his team had reviewed all the available evidence and spoken to people who had worked in "certain offices" four decades ago "confirming certain lines of enquiry worthy of further investigation". He said in a statement that he had recently handed over his findings to Italian prosecutors so that they could decide what best to do. The Vatican said Diddi would continue to pursue the case and was aware of the family's long-standing suffering. Pope Francis publicly criticised Orlandi's brother in April after he played an audio tape on national television from an alleged gangster who said girls were brought into the Vatican to be molested and that the pope at the time, John Paul II, knew about it. The brother, Pietro Orlandi, said on Thursday he would stage a protest in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, when Francis gives his weekly blessing to the faithful. "I told everyone to bring a photo of Emanuela," he told RAI radio. "I'm doing it because I really hope that (the pope) can say some words of hope." Theories about Orlandi's disappearance have run the gamut from speculation it was linked to a plot to kill Pope John Paul, to suggestions that she was kidnapped by the Rome underworld, to accusations she was the victim of a priestly paedophile group. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer and Alvise Armellini; Editing by Frances Kerry) By Victoria Waldersee BERLIN (Reuters) - While investors welcomed Volkswagen's decision to audit its jointly-owned plant in Xinjiang, China, some are questioning how it will be run and whether it is enough to eliminate the risk of forced labour in the supply chain. Deka, Union Investment and the Dachverband Kritische Aktionaere (Umbrella Organisation for Critical Shareholders) were among those to call on VW at its annual general meeting last month to commission an audit of the plant in Urumqi, Xinjiang, where it assembles cars for sale in the region. The UN and rights groups estimate that more than a million people, mainly Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities, have been detained in recent years in a vast system of camps in Xinjiang and used for low-paid and coercive labour. China denies any human rights abuses in the western region. Volkswagen's China chief visited the plant earlier this year and said he saw no signs of forced labour, but some investors demanded an external audit, with Union Investment warning Volkswagen in May that it would be removed from its sustainability funds if it did not do so within a month. On Wednesday, Chief Executive Oliver Blume committed to arranging an independent audit this year, but it is not yet known who will run it, how wide-ranging it will be and how the results will be shared. Volkswagen has said previously its joint-venture partner at the plant SAIC would have to agree to the audit. Blume said the two companies were in a "fruitful exchange". A Volkswagen spokesperson on Thursday declined to say whether SAIC had demanded conditions on the audit. "This audit must be carried out promptly for Volkswagen to remain investable," Janne Werning of Union Investment said, adding it must also be done by a reputable firm and the results shared publicly in full. Ingo Speich, head of sustainability and corporate governance at Volkswagen top-20 shareholder Deka, commended the decision to move ahead with the audit as a "clear signal towards creating transparency," but said a recognised firm must run the audit. Still, a sweeping crackdown on consultancy and due diligence firms in China, some of which refuse to audit in Xinjiang because of heightened difficulty of ascertaining reliable reports there, raises questions on how reliable the outcome will be, the Umbrella Organisation for Critical Shareholders said. "Germany's export control office urgently needs to clarify whether it considers measures such as external audits to be appropriate and effective in authoritarian states," co-director Tilman Massa said. That office oversees and enforces German law introduced this year which requires larger companies to establish due diligence procedures to prevent human rights and environmental abuses within their global supply chains. The audit will not dampen a legal case brought against the carmaker on Wednesday by Berlin-based rights group ECCHR, which demands more evidence on how Volkswagen tracks the risk of forced labour not only at its plant but at any suppliers or sub-suppliers with links to Xinjiang. "No worker can speak freely without putting himself and his family in danger," a spokesperson for human rights group World Uyghur Congress said. "We have serious doubts about how Volkswagen intends to conduct an independent review." (Reporting by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Josephine Mason and Alexander Smith) By Ali Sawafta and James Mackenzie RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - With the Israeli-occupied West Bank once again in turmoil after the latest bloodshed this week, uncertainty has deepened over the position of 87-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas with a negotiated peace looking as unlikely as ever. A gunbattle on Monday in which seven Palestinians were killed and over 90 wounded, followed a day later by the killing of four Israelis and a rampage by Israeli settlers through Palestinian towns, again underscored the West Bank's volatility. It also laid bare the weakness of the Palestinian Authority (PA)in the face of the hundreds of Palestinian militants in flashpoint cities like Jenin and Nablus, and the expansion of Israeli settlements that further dims Palestinian dreams of a state on land Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war. Set up 30 years ago as part of interim peace accords with Israel that Abbas helped craft, the PA has seen its popularity shrivel amid allegations of graft, incompetence and widely hated security cooperation arrangements with Israel. A rambling speech at the United Nations last month spawned a wave of mocking TikTok memes after Abbas repeatedly appealed to the world to "Protect us!" The theme was picked up on social media again this week as the PA, which exercises limited self-rule, stood by powerless while Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian towns. Widely known as Abu Mazen, Abbas has defied repeated prophecies of an end to his two decades in power and refused mounting demands to go, even as prospects of a lasting peace look more distant than ever. A chain smoker who has survived numerous health scares, he took over as Palestinian president almost two decades ago after the death of Yasser Arafat, the iconic founder of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and his departure could spark a shake-up of the entire Palestinian political system. Abbas, who combines the positions of chairman of the PLO and head of its dominant political faction Fatah, has named no favoured heir and has remained in power even though his term officially expired in 2009. PRESSURE TO RESIGN But almost 80% of Palestinians want him to resign, according to polling from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, and with international powers including the United States calling for a resumption of peace negotiations with Israel frozen since 2014, the pressure has risen steadily. In recent months, discussion over what will follow Abbas has been "greater than ever", said one senior Fatah official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue inside the party. An array of senior Fatah leaders have been jostling for position for months, in behind-the-scenes manoeuvring made more complicated by the fact that no elections have been held since 2006 and there is no clear mechanism to decide the succession. Potential successors include Hussein Al-Sheikh, one of Abbas' closest allies or Marwan Barghouti, a leader of the 2000-06 intifada (uprising) and hero to many Palestinians who has been imprisoned in Israel for the past two decades. Much will depend on what Israel is willing to accept but publicly at least, it has avoided taking sides. "Israel cannot choose the leadership of the Palestinians," a senior Israeli government official said. CHAOTIC SCENARIO In public at least, Fatah leaders generally seek to play down speculation but they acknowledge that a leadership debate is going on within the party. "There is a lot of exaggeration," said Mahmoud Al-Aloul, the deputy chairman of Fatah and one of the potential successors. "There are lots of issues being debated, including over leadership," he said. "This is being debated but there are no concerns, unlike what some people are trying to imply," he said, in comments made before the latest events in the West Bank. However many observers fear Abbas' departure could trigger an anarchic period, possibly leading to some form of civil war or at least "cantonisation" between leaders with different power centres in the West Bank. An expansion of Israel's arch-foe Hamas, which opposes any negotiated peace, outside its base in Gaza is also possible. "There are two bad alternatives - one is chaos and one is Hamas taking power in the West Bank and both must be prevented," Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said. For the Islamist Hamas itself, the departure of Abbas will present opportunities, which Israel and its international allies are determined to block, said Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official in Gaza. "I think he is the last one in Fatah who can still control (that) organization," he said. "All the rest don't have the power, the history, the charisma, the connections to control the organization and the West Bank." Hamas has run the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip since winning the 2006 Palestinian elections and defeating Fatah in a brief civil war in 2007. Hamas is now extending its sway into the West Bank, increasingly challenging Abbas' party on its home ground. It has long argued for elections to choose a new Palestinian leader, confident it would win, as in 2006. "We believe the only way to unite the Palestinians politically is to go for elections," Naim said. "Otherwise no one would have full legitimacy to represent the Palestinians." (Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza; editing by Mark Heinrich) People gather at a livestock market as Yemenis are left compelled between the choice of purchasing new clothing for their children or buying sacrificial animals for the Eid al-Adha celebrations amid an economic crisis, in Sanaa, Yemen June 21, 2023. REUTE By Mohammed Alghobari and Abdulrahman al-Ansi ADEN/SANAA (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and the Houthi authorities controlling north Yemen have exchanged 64 fighters' bodies in the third such recent deal, Houthi media said on Wednesday, the latest sign of progress in talks to end their eight-year conflict. The bodies were exchanged at the Saudi-Yemeni border where delegations from both sides met after weeks of negotiations in Saudi Arabia, footage and commentary from Houti-run Al Masirah TV on Wednesday showed. It was not clear exactly when the exchanges took place. A Saudi-led military coalition in 2015 intervened against the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that ousted Yemen's internationally recognised government from Sanaa in 2014. The war has destroyed Yemen's economy, plunged millions into hunger and killed tens of thousands, but talks to end it have picked up since Riyadh and Iran in March restored diplomatic ties. The Saudi delegation received six of its soldiers and allied fighters, and the Houthi group received 58 bodies. Footage showed body bags being exchanged between vans and trucks. There was no mention of the body exchange in Saudi media and the Saudi government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In another sign of thawing relations, Saudi Arabia last week said it would allow Yemen Airways to carry passengers into Saudi Arabia for Islam's annual Haj pilgrimage from the Yemeni capital Sanaa for the first time since war broke out in 2015. The first plane carrying 273 pilgrims left Sanaa for Jeddah on Saturday. A number of Houthi officials are in Saudi Arabia for the Haj including the deputy head of the Houthi Military Committee, Yahya al-Razami, Houthi-run Saba News said. The Saudi-led coalition has controlled Yemen's airspace since 2015 and only one commercial flight a week from Sanaa, to Amman in Jordan, had been running since May 2022. Before that, only United Nations flights had served Sanaa. (Reporting by Mohamed Alghobari; Writing by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) Zambias President Hakainde Hichilema arrives to attend the 36th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia February 19, 2023. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri By Leigh Thomas PARIS (Reuters) -Zambia has struck a deal to restructure $6.3 billion in debt owed to other governments, including China, marking a long-awaited breakthrough for indebted nations around the world that have faced lengthy negotiations with creditors. Zambia in 2020 became the first African country to default on its sovereign debt during the COVID-19 pandemic and struggled since then in protracted discussions to agree a deal. "Zambia has reached an agreement on a debt treatment with our official creditors a significant milestone in our journey towards economic recovery & growth," Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema said on Twitter. The agreement calls for Zambia's debt to be rescheduled over more than 20 years with a three-year grace period during which only payments on interest are due. China is the largest official creditor to Zambia. The debt earmarked for restructuring includes $1.3 billion in arrears, and private sector creditors are expected to do the same on the $6.8 billion owed to them, according to a French official who did not wish to be identified. Zambia is viewed as a test case for a debt restructuring framework backed by the Group of 20 wealthy nations intended to streamline relief for countries caught in a developing world debt crisis sparked in part by the pandemic. However, the process has been achingly slow for Zambia, a fact that has discouraged all but a handful of other struggling governments from seeking help under the mechanism. Beijing was keen not to be seen further holding up debt relief for Zambia at the summit, the French official said, adding that French President Emmanuel Macron's talks with Chinese authorities in Beijing in April also helped unblock the situation. Macron said on Twitter the debt restructuring deal was "a historic achievement". "We remain mobilised to ensure that other countries caught in debt trap benefit from a multilateral response," Macron added. The restructuring agreement with official creditors paves the way for Zambia to receive another $188 million tranche of money from the International Monetary Fund, part of a $1.3 billion package approved in August 2022. This agreement paves the way for the completion of the first review of Zambias three-year Extended Credit Facility Arrangement, which is helping put Zambia on a path toward sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction," Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, said in a written statement. The scale of the debt relief Zambia requires has been a concern for some of the country's main creditors. Some Western officials have accused China - Zambia's largest bilateral creditor - of dragging its feet in restructuring talks, something Beijing denies. Of the $6.3 billion in debt owed to government bodies, $4.1 billion was owed specifically to Export-Import Bank of China - which according to analysts underlined the significance of China's support to the debt relief deal. "I am pleased that the international community has come together to support Zambia in its time of need," U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement. "I urge all official bilateral and private sector creditors to quickly finalise the debt restructuring process that will provide relief to Zambian families and encourage the private investment that is needed to jump start the economy." Zambia's Hichilema was one of about 40 leaders attending a summit in France on Thursday and Friday aimed at easing the debt burden on some of the world's most vulnerable countries while freeing up billions of dollars in new funds for climate finance. Zambia's international bonds broadly traded flat on Friday but have rallied in recent months, with the 2024 issue hitting a nine month high in early trade. (Reporting by Leigh Thomas; Additional reporting by Chris Mfula in Lusaka, Jorgelina do Rosario in London, Nellie Peyton in Johannesburg and Dan Whitcomb in Paris; Writing by Karin Strohecker, Editing by Deepa Babington and Susan Fenton) UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 11-K FOR ANNUAL REPORTS OF EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE, SAVINGS AND SIMILAR PLANS PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 OR For the transition period from _______________ to _______________ Commission File Number 001-39180 A. Full title of the plan and the address of the plan, if different from that of the issuer named below: Bogota Savings Bank 401(k) Savings Plan B: Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan and the address of its principal executive office: Bogota Financial Corp. 819 Teaneck Road Teaneck, New Jersey 07666 Bogota Savings Bank 819 Teaneck Road Teaneck, NJ 07666-4501 What is the Summary Annual Report? .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. The Summary Annual Report (SAR) is a summary of a retirement plan's financial information. The following report provides a financial snapshot for BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK 401(K) SAVINGS PLAN from January 01, 2022 through December 31, 2022. Its purpose is to summarize information on the plan's annual report for current participants, former participants with an account balance and/or beneficiaries of a participant. You are not required to take any action, but you can request a copy of the full annual report or any individual parts of the report at any time. The following SAR document contains information about: Administrative expenses that the plan paid The amount of benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries The total value of plan assets A pension plan's compliance with the minimum funding standards, if applicable Your right to receive a copy or any part of the full annual report Have questions? We have answers. Log in to principal.com to access your plan statements. You'll also find valuable information about financial wellness and how you can plan for your best life in retirement. Summary Annual Report .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. This is a summary of the annual report for BOGOTA SAVINGS BANK 401(K) SAVINGS PLAN, EIN 22 0780560, for January 01, 2022 through December 31, 2022. The annual report has been filed with the Employee Benefits Security Administration, as required under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Basic financial statement Benefits under the plan are provided by an insurance contract and a trust fund. Plan expenses were $531,594. These expenses included $38,383 in administrative expenses, $493,211 in benefits paid to participants and beneficiaries and $0 in other expenses. A total of 83 persons were participants in, or beneficiaries of, the plan at the end of the plan year, although not all of these persons had yet earned the right to receive benefits. The value of plan assets, after subtracting liabilities of the plan, was $6,565,630 as of December 31, 2022, compared to $7,540,060 as of January 01, 2022. During the plan year, the plan experienced a decrease in its net assets of ($974,430). This decrease includes unrealized appreciation or depreciation in the value of the plan assets; that is, the difference between the value of plan's assets at the end of the year and the value of the assets at the beginning of the year or cost of assets acquired during the year. The plan had a total income of ($442,836), including employer contributions of $377,799, employee contributions of $373,749, and earnings from investments of ($1,194,384). Your rights to additional information You have the right to receive a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, on request. The items listed below are included in that report: Financial information Insurance information including sales and commissions paid by insurance carriers Information regarding any common or collective trusts, pooled separate accounts, master trusts or 103-12 investment entities in which the plan participates To obtain a copy of the full annual report, or any part thereof, write or call Bogota Savings Bank 819 Teaneck Road Teaneck, NJ 07666-4501 (201)862-0660 The charge to cover copying costs will be $1.00 for the full annual report or $.10 per page for any part thereof. You also have the right to receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, a statement of the assets and liabilities of the plan and accompanying notes, or a statement of income and expenses of the plan and accompanying notes, or both. If you request a copy of the full annual report from the plan administrator, these two statements and accompanying notes will be included as part of that report. The charge to cover copying costs given above does not include a charge for the copying of these portions of the report because these portions are furnished without charge. You also have the legally protected right to examine the annual report at the main office of the plan: 819 Teaneck Road Teaneck, NJ 07666-4501 and at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. or to obtain a copy from the U.S. Department of Labor upon payment of copying costs. Requests to the Department of Labor should be addressed to: Public Disclosure Room, Room N-1513, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210. The full annual report can also be found online at www.efast.dol.gov. The plan has met the requirements to waive the annual examination and report of an independent qualified public accountant. As of the end of the plan year, the following regulated financial institutions held or issued plan assets that qualified under the waiver: Participant Loans $66,431.00 Vanguard Group $510,816.30 Principal Global Investors Trust Co $2,541,594.96 The American Funds $10,783.53 Legg Mason $680,437.48 Dimensional Fund Advisors $13,992.71 PIMCO Funds $6,832.00 BlackRock $140,208.48 PGIM Investments $3,863.13 Janus International Holding, LLC $4,964.88 SEI TRUST COMPANY $69,131.31 Principal Funds Inc $99,145.86 Fidelity Investments $210,415.81 Wells Fargo $35,699.42 Loomis Sayles $737.91 American Century Investments $995,232.95 Principal Life Insurance Company $570,396.81 Bogota Savings Bank $604,944.91 The plan has been issued a fidelity bond by Wesco insurance Company in the amount of $6,000,000. The bond protects the plan against losses through fraud or dishonesty and covers any person handling plan assets. You have the right to examine or receive from the plan administrator, on request and at no charge, copies of statements from the regulated financial institutions noted above describing the qualifying plan assets and evidence of the required bond. If you are unable to examine or obtain these documents, contact the Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) for assistance by calling toll-free 1.866.444.EBSA (3272). A listing of EBSA regional offices can be found at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa. General information regarding the audit waiver conditions applicable to the plan can be found on the U.S. Department of Labor Web site at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa under the heading Frequently Asked Questions. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) (PRA), no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. The Department notes that a Federal agency cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless it is approved by OMB under the PRA, and displays a currently valid OMB control number, and the public is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3507. Also, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person shall be subject to penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if the collection of information does not display a currently valid OMB control number. See 44 U.S.C. 3512. The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average less than one minute per notice (approximately 3 hours and 11 minutes per plan). Interested parties are encouraged to send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Attention: Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-1301, Washington, DC 20210 or email [email protected] and reference the OMB Control Number 1210-0040. OMB Control Number 1210-0040 (expires 07/31/2023) Insurance products and plan administrative services provided through Principal Life Insurance Company , a member of the Principal Financial Group , Des Moines, IA 50392. Principal , Principal Financial Group and the Principal logo design are registered trademarks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a Principal Financial Group company, in the United States and are trademarks and service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., in various countries around the world. PT746 |1933474-122021 | 11/2019 AFFIMED N.V. Annual General Meeting Results On June 21, 2023, Affimed N.V. (Affimed or the Company) held its Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the 2023 AGM). The final results of each of the agenda items submitted to a vote of the shareholders are below. On June 22, 2023, Affimed issued a press release announcing the appointment of Dr. Constanze Ulmer-Eilfort to its Supervisory Board. Dr. Ulmer-Eilforts appointment was approved during the 2023 AGM. Agenda item 3: Adoption of the Statutory Annual Accounts for the financial year 2022 Affimed shareholders approved the adoption of the statutory annual accounts for the financial year 2022. For Against Abstain Broker Non-Votes 78,400,737 1,618,952 1,008,638 0 Agenda item 4: Advisory vote (non-binding) on Executive Compensation Affimed shareholders approved a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation. For Against Abstain Broker Non-Votes 39,489,285 39,413,705 2,125,337 0 Agenda item 5: Discharge of the managing directors for their management during the financial year 2022 Affimed shareholders approved the discharge of the managing directors for their management during the financial year 2022. For Against Abstain Broker Non-Votes 73,382,128 5,333,836 2,312,363 0 Agenda item 6: Discharge of the supervisory directors for their supervision during the financial year 2022 Affimed shareholders approved the discharge of the supervisory directors for their supervision during the financial year 2022. For Against Abstain Broker Non-Votes 73,292,444 5,391,623 2,344,260 0 Agenda item 7: Amendment of the Remuneration Policy for the Supervisory Board Affimed shareholders did not approve the amendment of the Remuneration Policy for the Supervisory Board. For Against Abstain Broker Non-Votes 28,271,194 35,581,087 17,176,046 0 Agenda item 8(a): Reappointment of Dr. Adi Hoess as a managing director Affimed shareholders approved the reappointment of Dr. Adi Hoess as a managing director. UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 SCHEDULE 13G Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )* Track Group, Inc. (Name of Issuer) Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (Title of Class of Securities) 81373R109 (CUSIP Number) CRC Founders Fund, LP 1040 S Gaylord Street, Suite 25 DENVER, CO 80209 (405) 830 - 3274 (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications) 06/14/2023 (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of This Statement) Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule is filed: Rule 13d-1(b) x Rule 13d-1(c) Rule 13d-1(d) *The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page. The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be filed for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Act) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes). Page 1 of 6 Pages CUSIP No. 81373R109 Page 2 of 6 Pages 1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON (ENTITIES ONLY) Denver J. Smith 2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) (a) (b) 3 SEC USE ONLY 4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION United States Of America NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH 5 SOLE VOTING POWER 0 shares 6 SHARED VOTING POWER 691,691 shares 7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 0 shares 8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 691,691 shares 9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 691,691 shares 10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) 11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11) 5.8% 12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON IN Denver J. Smith does not own these shares personally. He is the Lead Manager for the CRC Founders Fund, LP, and therefore may be deemed to beneficially own 691,691 shares of stock held by the CRC Founders Fund, LP. Page 2 of 6 Pages CUSIP No. 81373R109 Page 3 of 6 Pages 1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON (ENTITIES ONLY) CRC Founders Fund, LP 81-2726593 2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) (a) (b) 3 SEC USE ONLY 4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION Delaware NUMBER OF SHARES BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON WITH 5 SOLE VOTING POWER 691,691 shares 6 SHARED VOTING POWER 0 shares 7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 691,691 shares 8 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 0 shares 9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 691,691 shares 10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES (SEE INSTRUCTIONS) 11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11) 5.8% 12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON PN The CRC Founders Fund, LP is the direct owner of 691,691 shares of common stock. Page 3 of 6 Pages Item 1(a). Name of Issuer: Track Group, Inc. Item 1(b). Address of Issuers Principal Executive Offices: 200 E. 5th Avenue, Suite 100, Naperville, IL, 60563 Item 2(a). Name of Person Filing: CRC Founders Fund, LP Denver J. Smith Item 2(b). Address of Principal Business Office or, if none, Residence: Denver J. Smith lives at 350 S Race Street, Denver, CO, 80209. CRC Founders Fund, LP is located at 1040 S Gaylord Street, Suite 25, Denver, CO, 80209. Item 2(c). Citizenship: Denver J. Smith is a citizen of the United States of America. CRC Founders Fund, LP is a Delaware LP. Item 2(d). Title of Class of Securities: Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share Item 2(e). CUSIP Number: 81373R109 Item 3. If this Statement is filed pursuant to 240.13d-1(b) or 240.13d-2(b) or (c), check whether the person filing is a: (a) Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act; (b) Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act; (c) Insurance company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the Act; (d) Investment company registered under Section 8 of the Investment Company Act of 1940; (e) An investment adviser in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E); (f) An employee benefit plan or endowment fund in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(F); (g) A parent holding company or control person in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(G); (h) A savings association as defined in Section 3(b) of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813); (i) A church plan that is excluded from the definition of an investment company under section 3(c)(14) of the Investment Company Act of 1940; (j) A non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J); (k) Group, in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(K). If filing as a non-U.S. institution in accordance with Rule 240.13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J), please specify the type of institution: Item 4. Ownership. Provide the following information regarding the aggregate number and percentage of the class of securities of the issuer identified in Item 1. CRC Founders Fund, LP (a) Amount Beneficially Owned: 691,691 shares (b) Percent of Class: 5.8% (c) Number of shares as to which such person has: (i) sole power to vote or to direct the vote: 691,691 shares (ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote: 0 shares (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 691,691 shares (iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 0 shares Page 4 of 6 Pages Denver J. Smith (a) Amount Beneficially Owned: 691,691 shares (b) Percent of Class: 5.8% (c) Number of shares as to which such person has: (i) sole power to vote or to direct the vote: 0 shares (ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote: 691,691 shares (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 0 shares (iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of: 691,691 shares Item 5. Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class. If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the class of securities, check the following . Item 6. Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person. N/A Item 7. Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding Company. N/A Item 8. Identification and Classification of Members of the Group. Denver J. Smith is the Lead Manager for the CRC Founders Fund, LP, an investment partnership. Mr. Smith has the shared power to vote and dispose of the shares held by the CRC Founders Fund, LP. Item 9. Notice of Dissolution of Group. N/A Item 10. Certification. By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and are held in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of and do not have the effect of changing the control of the issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction having such purpose or effect for the time being. Page 5 of 6 Pages SIGNATURES After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. Dated: June 22, 2023 /s/ Denver Smith Name: Denver Smith Title: Self Dated: June 22, 2023 /s/ Denver Smith Name: CRC Founders Fund Title: Lead Manager Page 6 of 6 Pages Danaher (DHR) Gains As Market Dips: What You Should Know In the latest trading session, Danaher (DHR) closed at $237.71, marking a +0.47% move from the previous day. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.53%. Heading into today, shares of the industrial and medical device maker had gained 2.87% over the past month, outpacing the Conglomerates sector's gain of 2.23% and lagging the S&P 500's gain of 4.86% in that time. Investors will be hoping for strength from Danaher as it approaches its next earnings release, which is expected to be July 25, 2023. In that report, analysts expect Danaher to post earnings of $2.01 per share. This would mark a year-over-year decline of 27.17%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $7.1 billion, down 8.36% from the year-ago period. Looking at the full year, our Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $9.43 per share and revenue of $29.44 billion. These totals would mark changes of -13.88% and -6.45%, respectively, from last year. Any recent changes to analyst estimates for Danaher should also be noted by investors. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As a result, we can interpret positive estimate revisions as a good sign for the company's business outlook. Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. To benefit from this, we have developed the Zacks Rank, a proprietary model which takes these estimate changes into account and provides an actionable rating system. Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.08% lower within the past month. Danaher currently has a Zacks Rank of #4 (Sell). Investors should also note Danaher's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 25.09. This represents a premium compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 15.26. We can also see that DHR currently has a PEG ratio of 2.39. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. The Diversified Operations industry currently had an average PEG ratio of 1.76 as of yesterday's close. The Diversified Operations industry is part of the Conglomerates sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 169, which puts it in the bottom 33% of all 250+ industries. The Zacks Industry Rank includes is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1. To follow DHR in the coming trading sessions, be sure to utilize Zacks.com. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Danaher Corporation (DHR) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Hawthorne Elementary School teacher Melina Lozano doesn't need data to know the F-35 jets at Truax Field are a lot louder than the F-16s they replaced. When an F-35 recently flew above a group of first-graders outside the school, located just south of the airfield, she said they started screaming and covering their ears. One first-grader observed, "'Those planes are twice as loud as the old planes," Lozano said. With F-35 jets at Truax now a firm reality the first of 20 arrived in April those who fought the decision to station the jets with the Wisconsin Air National Guard's 115th Fighter Wing have turned their attention to measuring and monitoring how much noise the jets are really making. But the military and activists don't even agree on numbers. Safe Skies Clean Water Wisconsin, which fought vociferously against the military's decision to move F-35s to Madison, has installed noise monitors near Truax. The Federal Aviation Administration considers 65 decibels to be "incompatible" with residential use, though not uninhabitable. Children are especially susceptible to the health impacts of exposure to loud noise, which includes problems with cognitive development. Overall, health impacts from prolonged exposure to noise can harm the cardiovascular system, according to the World Health Organization. On June 1, Safe Skies had a reading of 116 decibels from a jet overhead at the intersection of North Fair Oaks and Home avenues, just south of East Washington Avenue. The F-16s typically had peak decibel readings in the low 100s, said Steve Klafka, an environmental engineer and member of Safe Skies Clean Water. "I think the physical observation is they're definitely louder but also it's a bigger sound," Klafka said. "It's definitely more obnoxious." Aviation and military authorities, though, assert that such monitoring is not a practical way to measure noise over a large area because sounds that come from things other than planes can influence the reading, among other considerations. Instead, airports such as the Dane County Regional Airport use noise modeling to determine the average noise a wide swath of land gets exposed to over time. Klafka counters, however, that because that modeling relies on averages, it doesn't factor in peak noise a person might experience in the moment. An Air Force environmental impact found that the presence of the F-35s will increase takeoffs from Truax by 27% and expose more than 1,000 homes to average daily noise of 65 decibels or more. Study ongoing The airport is completing a Noise Compatibility Program, which will conclude what the airport can do for land that's impacted by noise. On June 27, the public may give feedback on the airport's noise study. An open house will be held in the airport lobby between Terminal Doors 1 and 2 between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Scientific disagreements aside, Madison remains years away from retrofitting homes and apartment buildings for noise mitigation as federal and state agencies slog through grants, feasibility studies and community outreach to take advantage of the limited federal funding available for it. A recent $798,000 federal grant to the state Department of Military Affairs will fund a study so the state can explore potential options for noise abatement. From there, the department will make recommendations to the U.S. Department of Defense to get funding for noise abatement, which will be awarded in winter 2024, according to the defense department. But of the $75 million available through the Pentagon, only $5 million can go toward the few communities like Madison and Burlington, Vermont, that have transitioned to a new kind of aircraft such as the F-35 since 2019. The majority of the funding will go to active military and reserve installations. The question of noise mitigation could complicate future residential developments in the area around the airport. The city is moving forward on the redevelopment of Raemisch Farm to the west of the airport. The $150 million development would include market-rate housing, commercial space, parks and agricultural space. The farm sits between North Sherman and Packers avenues. Another developer is proposing a 192-apartment complex at 3100 E. Washington Ave. to the airport's south. Ald. Amani Latimer Burris, 12th District, represents much of the area around the airport. "I think we're a long way off from firm solutions. That's OK," she said, adding that she's unsure whether the city could require developers to include noise mitigation in their proposals. "The question is what is to be done about it and who's going to pay for it," she said. (c)2023 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) Visit The Wisconsin State Journal Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. NAPLES, Italy Col. Scott Horrigan, whose Army career spans more than two decades and includes multiple tours in Afghanistan, assumed command Thursday of U.S. Army Garrison Italy. Horrigan relieved Col. Matthew Gomlak at the garrisons Vicenza headquarters during a ceremony attended by more than 300 people, including Maj. Gen. Todd Wasmund, commanding general of the Armys Southern European Task Force, Africa. USAG Italy is home to the task force and several other commands, including elements of the 173rd Infantry Brigade, the 207th Military Intelligence Brigade and the 509th Signal Battalion. It also includes Camp Darby, a logistics hub near Livorno, that facilitates deployment of military vehicles and weapons worldwide. Most recently, Horrigan was an instructor at the School of Advanced Military Studies in Leavenworth, Kan., according to his biography on the garrisons web page. He also served as commander of the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment in the 10th Mountain Division and as commander of Task Force Southeast Afghanistan. Horrigan, a husband and father of four, was commissioned from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, according to USAG Italy. Gomlak, who served as commander of the garrison since July 2021, next will serve in Belgium as the executive offcer to Gen. Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander, Europe. A U.S. Coast Guard cutter steamed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, a day ahead of a group of Chinese navy vessels, including an aircraft carrier, making a similar trip. The USCGC Stratton transited through a corridor of international waters in the 110-mile-wide strait beyond the territorial sea of any surrounding state, according to a 7th Fleet news release the following day. The strait separates mainland China from the functional democracy Taiwan, which China claims as a renegade province it will one day reclaim. Chinas growing military strength, its stated intent to assert sovereignty over Taiwan and recent military exercises around the island give rise to international tension in the area. The strait is one of the most important shipping channels in the world. Strattons transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, the 7th Fleet statement said. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows. The Chinese coast guard tracked and fully monitored the Stratton during its transit, spokesperson Gan Yu said in a statement Thursday on the official China Military website. China Coast Guard will resolutely protect Chinas national sovereignty, security and maritime rights and interests, Gans statement reads. Also Wednesday, the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and its escorts passed southbound on the west, or Chinese, side of the strait, USNI News reported Thursday. The Stratton made its transit a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The Secretary underscored the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and reiterated there has been no change to the U.S. one China policy, which is based on previously stated U.S. policies and the Taiwan Relations Act, according to a State Department readout of the meeting. However, Xi declined Blinkens request to resume military-to-military communication channels, according to The Associated Press. Chinese diplomat Yang Tao attributed the denial to U.S. sanctions. CAMP SCHWAB, Okinawa Japans Defense Ministry is moving forward to complete a U.S. military runway on Okinawa, even as lawsuits attempting to stop the project play out in Japanese courts. The ministry solicited bids April 28 to fill two areas of Oura Bay at Camp Schwab, a Marine Corps base in rural northeastern Okinawa. The notice specifies 350,000 tons of stone to be in place by Sept. 30, 2024. The runway is to replace Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in urban Ginowan, which Japanese officials consider inherently dangerous due to its proximity to homes and businesses. Landfill in one area of the construction zone is nearly complete but a second, much larger parcel has been delayed by a flurry of lawsuits by Okinawa prefecture. It is unbelievable because we are under dispute with the government, Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki said during a press conference Friday, according to a report that day by public broadcaster NHK. The construction zone is divided into two main sections, 279 acres on the north side of Schwab and 91 acres to the south, according to the prefectures website. Development on the smaller parcel was 92% complete as of April 18, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada said at the time. The larger parcel has been on hold since April 21, 2020, when the Okinawa Defense Bureau, which represents the Defense Ministry on the island, asked Tamaki to approve changes to the construction plans. Tamaki declined, which spurred Tokyo to intervene. The prefecture then filed three lawsuits; two were dismissed and are on appeal. The work was only 14% complete in April. Hamada on Friday said work on the larger parcel may proceed under existing approvals despite the lawsuits. We think that there is no problem to solicit bids to be able to conduct the construction without interruption, he said at the ministry in Tokyo. Since the project's approval in 2013, successive Okinawa governors have attempted to use the courts to stop construction and move Marine air operations off island. They lost seven lawsuits and withdrew four. The prefecture says the seabed in Oura Bay is too soft to support a runway and that construction threatens the endangered dugong, a cousin of the manatee protected by Japanese law. The runway was supposed to be completed by 2014 but current estimates suggest 2032 or later. The projects cost, which is being paid for by the Japanese government, is estimated at $6.9 billion. WASHINGTON Gen. Eric Smith moved one step closer to becoming the top officer in the Marine Corps after the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday approved his nomination as the next commandant of the service. The committee also voted for the nomination of Maj. Gen. Leonard Anderson to be commander of the Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces South. The committee held voice votes on the nominations, and they received no objections. Both generals now must be confirmed by the full Senate. This remains a challenge as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., continues to block the Senate from making standard voice votes to approve military promotions over his objection to a Pentagon policy that provides travel money to troops for reproductive health care, including abortions. The nominees can be confirmed by the Senate one by one in a process that would consume months of the upper chambers floor time. During Smiths nomination hearing last week before the Senate Armed Services Committee, the general told senators that Tubervilles blocking of hundreds of military promotions could have an effect on national security. It certainly compromises our ability to be most ready, Smith said. Our readiness is national security. The four-star general said the blocked promotions, which include more than 200 military officers, have an impact on readiness, decision making and the effectiveness of the units hindered by the delays. We live in a dangerous world, Tuberville told Smith at the hearing. And I would hope some of your colleagues in the Pentagon would catch on to that a little bit and get politics out of this. I mean, politics is detrimental to a lot of things. Its good for some things, some things its not. For the military, its not. Smith, 58, was nominated by President Joe Biden last month to be the 39th commandant of the Marine Corps when Gen. David Berger retires next month. Hes been assistant commandant since late 2021. As commandant, Smith would be the services highest-ranking officer and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote a letter to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., last month that warned about the ripple effects from Tubervilles block and that the Defense Department expects to send about 650 general and flag officer nominees by the end of the year. These holds set a dangerous precedent and put our military readiness at risk at a time when our military is expected to defend the nation, meet the acute threat of Russia and adjust the pacing challenges of [China], Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Tuesday. But Tuberville argued in a Washington Post opinion piece published Thursday that is not the case. My hold is not affecting readiness. Acting officials are in each one of the positions that are due for a promotion, Tuberville wrote. The hold affects only those at the very top generals and flag officers. The people who actually fight are not affected at all. (Tribune News Service) A federal judge is expected to decide soon whether Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander of the Navy's Pacific Fleet, will have to sit for a deposition in a civil lawsuit brought by military and civilian families whose drinking water was contaminated with jet fuel from the Navy's Red Hill fuel facility in November 2021. The plaintiffs, whose numbers are expected to swell to about 1,500, are asking the federal government to compensate them for past and future pain and suffering, emotional distress, medical expenses and property loss, among other damages they say are attributable to their drinking water being poisoned. Attorneys for the Red Hill families already have deposed a number of high-level military and civilian officials who were overseeing the Navy's fuel facility in 2021. However, the federal government has balked at their request to depose Paparo, who is designated to become the next chief of naval operations, the Navy's senior military officer and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Attorneys for both sides sought to persuade Magistrate Judge Kenneth J. Mansfield to rule in their favor as they presented oral arguments in a downtown Honolulu courtroom Wednesday. Caroline Stanton, an attorney for the federal government, argued that deposing Paparo would not advance the plaintiffs' case and was an attempt to harass a high-ranking military official. James Baehr, an attorney for the Red Hill families, countered that Paparo was in fact central to their case having led the military's response effort, including its communications plan and water remediation effort. Paparo has "direct, personal knowledge" in the case, said Baehr, who countered that there was no intention to harass the admiral. In written filings, both sides based their arguments off of the so-called Morgan and DeVos doctrines, which have shielded high-ranking executive branch officials from being deposed in similar cases unless there are exceptional circumstances. Courts have been reluctant to require such top officials to testify out of concern that it would bog down the functioning of government and raise separation of powers concerns. Attorneys for the federal government argue that the plaintiffs have not shown that extraordinary circumstances exist or that Paparo's testimony is essential to their claims. They go on to argue that Paparo had only a limited role in Red Hill. As the Navy's senior officer in Hawaii, Paparo oversaw at least five separate commands with more direct oversight of Red Hill, they argue. "The deposition of Admiral Paparo under these circumstances would be unnecessary and unduly burdensome," they wrote. Attorneys for the Red Hill families counter that Paparo took a "hands-on leadership role" over Red Hill and cited daily emails Paparo sent to military officials briefing them on actions the Navy was taking once reports of odors in the drinking water started to pour in. "Paparo was intimately aware of the intense focus on Red Hill from the highest levels of the Pentagon and served as the main conduit to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Gilday, regarding issues at the facility," they wrote. "He also served as a conduit to state and federal government officials, including the Governor of Hawaii to whom he described his role as involving briefings 'almost every hour of every day.'" The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reached out to Paparo for comment. "In order to safeguard the integrity of the process, we don't comment on ongoing litigation," a Pacific Fleet spokesperson said in response. Mansfield indicated that he would issue a written decision in the case in the next few days. (c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit staradvertiser.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. A small two-person Canadian submersible was being hoisted to the surface by its mother ship off the coast of Ireland when things went wrong. A hatch was accidentally yanked open by the mother ship's A-frame lift, filling a part of the watercraft with two tons of seawater. The submersible instantly sank to depths of almost 1,600 feet. But three days later, on Sept. 1, 1973, Roger Chapman and Roger Mallinson emerged alive, making their rescue the deepest ever achieved. Fifty years later, the five-person Titan submersible is missing, potentially at a much greater depth. It lost contact with its surface ship almost two hours into a dive to explore the wreck of the Titanic at 12,500 feet. Going under the sea "is one of the most difficult tasks" people can undertake, said Roger Litwiller, a Canadian naval historian. "The latest technology is ever evolving. But still, the bottom of the ocean is still the bottom of the ocean. We know more about the moon." Chapman and Mallinson's submersible, the Pisces III, was a two-compartment vehicle conducting a routine mission to lay sea cable. As it was being pulled to the surface by its mother ship, the Vickers Voyager, the hatch to its rear compartment was unintentionally opened, completely flooding that part of the craft. The submersible instantly sank to the bottom, 1,575 feet underwater, with 72 hours of oxygen left in the ship. The two crew members were maritime professionals, having served in the British navy. They also benefited from having not lost communications, allowing them to tell their colleagues on the surface that they were "in good physical condition, with adequate water and a little food," according to an account by the U.S. Navy, which participated in the rescue. A rescue began almost instantly, grabbing the world's attention for the three-plus days it took to pull Chapman and Mallinson back to the surface. Rescuers ordered them to stretch their oxygen supplies by remaining "as inactive as possible." This meant they hardly spoke or moved. That strategy enabled them to stretch their initial 72-hour oxygen to about 84 hours. "They basically shut everything down, including themselves," Litwiller said. "They basically hibernated." "In a situation like this, every minute counts. When the Pisces III was brought to the surface, the oxygen they had left equaled 12 minutes. So for the Titan, it's not over," Litwiller added. The concern about the Titan is that its crew includes tourists, who may not be knowledgeable about methods of reducing oxygen consumption, Litwiller said. During the rescue of the Pisces III, Chapman and Mallinson's colleagues quickly organized an international rescue effort involving aircraft and ships from Britain, Canada and the United States. Likewise, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Canadian Coast Guard and OceanGate Expeditions, the company that operates the Titan, have created a unified command. French experts who can control remotely operated vehicles that can dive deep into the ocean were also on their way, U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick told reporters. But for the Titan's searchers, locating the vehicle appears to be more difficult than for those who participated in the 1973 rescue. As the Titan's oxygen supply dwindles, rescuers are combing through an area twice the size of Connecticut. Rescuers are also unsure whether the Titan is on the surface, on the seabed or somewhere between, The Washington Post has reported. The Pisces III, on the other hand, was able to maintain communications with surface rescuers, and the mother ship was able to retain sonar contact with the submersible, allowing it to release two buoys to mark the approximate location of the underwater vehicle. After rescuers attached specially designed toggles to the Pisces III via cable-controlled underwater recovery vehicles, or CURVs, the submersible was tugged to the surface. Once pulled out of the craft, Mallinson and Chapman took in a breath of fresh oxygen, smiling and waving. Mallinson, who is now in his 80s, said in an appearance on Britain's Sky News this week that he fears "something might be seriously wrong" for the crew members of the Titan because they have not been able to send out a signal. "I would have thought a hammer on a bit of a hole somewhere would be a good transmitter, and it would carry." Is getting a college degree worth it if it means going into debt? Not according to personal finance expert Dave Ramsey. On June 16, 2023, Ramsey tweeted from his Twitter account, Going to college is not necessary to exist on this planet. See: All of the States That Will Pay Off Your Student Loans Find Out: 3 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000 Education is absolutely wonderful and vital, and I think everyone who wants to go to college should. Just dont go thinking that a diploma will be your ticket to a successful life. And definitely dont go into debt to get a degree, Ramsey tweeted. Is Ramsey right? Should you avoid going into student debt to obtain a college degree? Does Going To College Equate a Successful Life? The answer to this question will differ for everyone. Justin Albertynas, CEO of Ratepunk, has never thought it was necessary to go to college or obtain a formal education to have a successful life. College can make it easier to acquire practical knowledge, connections and information you would miss by researching something on your own, but its by no means necessary if you are motivated enough to go out into the world and acquire the necessary knowledge and skills by yourself through various internships, apprenticeships and research, Albertynas said. Payments: Student Loan Pause Officially Ends in October Are You Ready To Start Making Average $503 Payments Again? A college education is also not the primary focus of a resume for employment at Albertynas company Ratepunk, which searches for the best hotel rates. Instead, the focus is on the practical skills and character of a potential new hire. Emphasizing these skill sets, Albertynas said, has made it possible to hire and build an amazing team. What it comes down to is your own personal drive and motivation. If youre learning on your own, youre not subjected to any grading and assessment system, so you have to find ways to assess yourself. College can make it easier to learn a craft and most of the time is an obvious choice, but we live in an age where its by no means necessary, Albertynas said. The Good Debt Side of Student Debt Despite Ramseys warning that it isnt worth it to go into debt for a college degree, its important to recognize that student loans occupy the category of good debt. There are two forms of debt: good and bad debt. Bad debt is made up of debt that can drag on your finances and make you financially vulnerable, like credit cards, medical loans and payday loans. Good debt, such as mortgages and student loans, is the kind of debt where there are reasonable monthly payments. Those who use their debt responsibly can often leverage it toward their own financial growth and stability. Robert R. Johnson CFA and professor of finance at Heider College of Business, Creighton University said he categorizes modest student loan debt as being good debt. In my opinion, student loans get a bad rap, Johnson said. Used judiciously and to earn degrees which truly build a persons human capital and earning power student loans can be an essential bridge to both personal growth and career success. This being said, however, its important to recall the adjective Johnson puts in front of student loan debt: modest. Before taking out excessive loans or incurring six figures worth of debt, Johnson recommends performing a cost/benefit analysis for financing a college degree. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Dave Ramsey: Definitely Dont Go Into Debt To Get a Degree An air raid by the Allies during World War II destroyed much of the nearly 300-year-old Lungshan Temple in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. The attack on June 8, 1945, burned down the temples main hall and part of an annex and destroyed many precious artifacts. But a statue of Guanyen, the Chinese goddess of mercy, remained intact. U.S. air raids killed 5,592 people and wounded almost 9,000 on Taiwan between Oct. 12, 1944, and Aug. 10, 1946, according to the Taipei Times in 2015. Lungshan was rebuilt after the war and Guanyen still stands inside the temples main hall, accompanied by statues of her many attendants. From the street, the temple rises above an array of colorful lanterns. Inside the gate, visitors will find a fishpond, waterfall and rooftop sculptures of dragons and phoenixes before they head deeper into the complex. The temples official website includes tips on how to make offerings to the deities inside and ask them for favors. Lungshan was established in 1738 during the Qing dynasty by settlers from mainland China and named after an older, 1,400-year-old temple in Fukien province, according to the temples website. It has been damaged numerous times, including during the war and in earthquakes and fires, but it has always been rebuilt. When youve had your fill of prayer and incense, you can get a bite to eat at Liang Xi Hao, a restaurant founded in 1921 that serves Taiwanese street food on nearby Xiyuan Road. Theres an English menu but locals order by circling items on a piece of paper. Once youve done that, head upstairs, find a table and wait for your food to arrive via dumbwaiter. The restaurants most famous and delicious meal is its fresh squid soup. Locals put rice directly into the soup bowl. On the QT Directions: A short walk from the Lungshan Temple subway stop on the Bannan Line. Times: Open daily, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m Costs: Free Food: Liang Xi Hao serves Taiwanese street food for $2-$3 per meal. Information: Online: lungshan.org.tw The drive south from the ancient city of Tangier spans decades of economic development in half an hour, winding through hills where shepherds tend their flocks, and then down into a valley that's home to Africa's biggest car-assembly factory. In this burgeoning industrial zone, there's room for businesses from both sides of the new Cold War. And like many key emerging economies, Morocco wants to keep it that way, even if walking the line won't be easy in a polarizing world. Western corporations are already here in droves and still moving in, riding the near-shoring wave. Just across the expressway from Renault's 8,000-employee plant is the 1,500-acre Tanger Automotive City, which hosts dozens of companies like Michigan-based seating supplier Lear and French component maker Valeo. Now China is stepping up its presence, trying to reach more markets globally. Among the newer operators in the auto cluster is the fiber-optic cable producer ZTT Group, an active player in Beijing's grand plan to crisscross the planet with Belt and Road infrastructure. Last month, battery maker Gotion High-Tech signed a memorandum of understanding with the kingdom to build a $6.4 billion factory for electric-vehicle batteries in Morocco, which would be one of the world's largest. "Today we have many Chinese companies that are considering Morocco and some announcements will be made very soon," Ahmed Bennis, managing director of Tanger Med Zones, said in an interview earlier this month. The location for many of them: Tanger Tech City, which envisions scores of Chinese companies in a "smart city," complete with public infrastructure, residential areas and tourist facilities. "Chinese companies initially were looking at expanding in Vietnam, or expanding in South Asia," Bennis said. "Now they're considering Morocco." All of this looks like globalization as it was widely envisaged in the decades after the last showdown of superpowers ended. But the escalating clash between Washington and Beijing leaves smaller economies from South Africa to Saudi Arabia caught in the middle, and under pressure to pick sides. "Morocco is watching what other countries are doing to see how they can balance these competing interests," and U.S. government officials in particular "are aware that Morocco hedges its bets," said Geoff Porter, the founder of North Africa Risk Consulting. "They would argue that that's perfectly within Morocco's rights to do, but when push comes to shove, Morocco will have to make a choice." Moroccan officials are betting they can avoid that for now, as the country's position on the doorstep of Europe and Africa and its free-flowing trade with the U.S. makes it attractive for firms from all over the world that want to produce for those markets. The logistics of manufacturing in Morocco depend on the Tanger Med deep-sea port and the foreign companies positioned to move the goods. Every day, 50 or 60 truckloads of goods operated by Greenwich, Conn.-based XPO board ferries headed across the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain. Most of XPO's business involves shipping between Morocco and Europe, and two of its main customers are Chinese auto-part makers. Luis Gomez, XPO's European president, says the company seeing its revenue in Morocco grow by about 30% a year. Helping increase the flow of trade is the Tanger Med port, which rivals some of Europe's most established trade gateways in volume and connections to markets around the world. And it's still expanding, with more berth space for container ships and capacity for car exports. On a recent morning, some of the first Moroccan-made electric vehicles were parked on the pier awaiting shipment. Morocco is building another massive port near the Mediterranean city of Nador, aiming to replicate the Tanger's success. Lately ports have been the subject of intense national-security debate, given China's vast reach in maritime shipping. But at Tanger Med, the terminals are mostly operated by Europe's biggest shipping companies including Germany's Hapag-Lloyd. Rolf Habben Jansen, the container carrier's chief executive, said Tanger's location serves a wide range of needs. "If you move cargo for example out of Asia, you can either use Tanger to distribute it in the west Mediterranean. You can also use it to move it into North Europe. You can also move it into Africa, or into the U.S. or into South America," he said in an interview. "We'd be happy to invest more in it." Morocco's relationship with the West runs deeper than the trade and investment ties. With 37 million people and an economy the size of Mississippi's, it's on a select list of countries designated as a "major non-NATO ally" of the U.S. That makes it eligible for defense and security cooperation, which comes in handy in regional territorial disputes. Such bonds are what makes China's strategy there all the more complicated. The U.S. dethroned France last year as the largest source of foreign direct investment in Morocco, according to government figures, while China crept into the top 10. Huawei Technologies and ZTE - two Chinese tech giants that western officials worry pose national-security risks - are already on the ground in Morocco and aggressively recruiting young engineers. By 2027, there may be some 200 more Chinese tech firms operating there if the plans pan out for the high-tech industrial zone. Few American executives have witnessed the country's two decades of transformation more closely than Julianne Furman, the Europe general manager for auto supplier Polydesign Systems, which makes interior trim and seating parts at a 1,600-person plant in the Tanger Free Zone - and ships them all over the world. The firm started out there with 50 employees in 2001, "back when it was empty fields with sheep grazing," she said. Furman sees geopolitical risks from the U.S.-China contest as real, but navigable. "It's a fine line to not irritate one while you make the other happy, but Morocco seems to be able to so far walk that line," she said. She cites some upsides of manufacturing there for global customers: Absenteeism and employee turnover is way lower than factories in central Europe that she used to manage. If Polydesign wanted to operate in a higher-cost country like the U.K. that has more automation, labor would cost 10 to 12 times more, Furman said. There remain plenty of obstacles to an investment-recruiting campaign that's used up about half the designated land. Morocco's labor market, for example, "doesn't seem in great shape to pick up this challenge," World Bank economist Federica Marzo said. Female participation is low, child-care options outside families are scarce and daily commutes are tough slogs for many workers. During shift changes at Renault, for example, convoys of buses back up traffic carrying the employees to and from the Tanger factory. About 150 of the shuttles come and go full of passengers each day who face round-trip commutes of three hours. Morocco opened a high-speed train in 2018 linking Tangier with the capital, Rabat, and Casablanca - but it's not much use to many rural Moroccan workers, because of the cost and limited stops. On top of mobility and better gender balance, the young workforce needs improved skills. That's where the U.S. and China are competing on the ground: Two programs that got underway in April showed the great-power rivalry in microcosm. U.S. aerospace giant Boeing teamed up with the Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communications to launch a four-month STEM training program for dozens of 18- to 25-year-olds. Meanwhile, Huawei's Moroccan unit held master classes at a local engineering school, with programs to strengthen IT skills. China is much more assertive when it comes to recruiting and training local students, said Rabia El Alama, managing director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Morocco. She lives near about 150 young Chinese executives who work at Huawei and ZTE. They speak the local dialect and assimilate well into the community. Huawei, for example, is "going into universities, setting up academies, giving grants, giving students scholarships to go to China," she said. "I wish the U.S. would give scholarships to students." Bloomberg's Caroline Alexander, Souhail Karam and Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report. RIO DE JANEIRO - For much of his presidency, Jair Bolsonaro worked to undermine confidence in the Brazil's democracy. Elections were rigged, he warned. Fraud was endemic. The electoral court was controlled by corrupt partisans. The barrage of allegations is blamed for helping to drive thousands of Bolsonaristas in January to storm the capital, where they invaded the congress, presidential palace and supreme court in an effort to reverse his election loss. Now comes Brazil's first attempt at holding Bolsonaro accountable. Bolsonaro is scheduled to face trial before the country's electoral court Thursday on charges of abusing power. If convicted, the 68-year-old former leader could be barred from running for public office for eight years - a serious dent in the political future of Brazil's most polarizing figure. The trial shows the different paths that Brazil and the United States are charting after suffering similar insurrections. In the United States, former president Donald Trump, battling criminal indictments on charges of mishandling classified materials and falsifying business records, is running to reclaim the White House. But in Brazil, Bolsonaro allies consider it only a matter of time before Bolsonaro is barred from trying for his own second term. He's facing more than a dozen other investigations, some of them criminal, that could put him behind bars. The difference between the countries is institutional. Brazil has a national electoral court, charged by the constitution with maintaining electoral integrity, staffed by a rotation of supreme court justices, federal judges and lawyers. The panel has the power to remove politicians from office and strip them of their political liberties. The United States has no equivalent authority. In Bolsonaro's case, an opposition party has alleged that Bolsonaro abused his power when he summoned foreign diplomats to the presidential palace last July and claimed without proof that Brazil's electoral system was vulnerable to fraud and corruption. The 45-minute presentation was broadcast on public television. The electoral court, in an investigation of its own, has questioned whether such statements led to the Jan. 8 uprising in Brasilia. Legal analysts and even top Bolsonaro aides expect the court to convict him. "Bolsonaro's predicting a bad outcome," said Ciro Nogueira, his former chief of staff. "We are hoping [the court] will see the error before it happens." But Bolsonaro nonetheless sounded defiant Wednesday afternoon. Speaking to reporters in Brasilia, he challenged characterizations of Jan. 8 as an insurrection even as he tried to distance himself from the event. "They're trying to create the air of a coup," he said. "There was an act of vandalism and destruction, which is abominable and which nobody agrees with. But a power grab? This didn't happen." A federal prosecutor has described Bolsonaro's role in the day's events very differently. In a sealed court filing reviewed by The Washington Post, prosecutor Paulo Gustavo Gonet Branco said Bolsonaro used his position as president to try to convince not just Brazilians but the world that the country's elections couldn't be trusted. Gonet Branco recommended the court convict Bolsonaro. "The protests were animated by people convinced the election had been rigged," Branco wrote. "The gravity of this speech against the integrity of the electoral system could not have been more obvious. His speech didn't win the most votes, but it was evidentially enough to shake the confidence that some had in the results." The court could return a verdict as soon as this month. Legal analysts say the court will want to make an example of Bolsonaro to deter future politicians from alleging electoral fraud without evidence. Gustavo Guedes, an electoral attorney who in 2017 defended center-right former president Michel Temer before the court against allegations of abuse of power, said the evidence against Bolsonaro is damning. Bolsonaro didn't just sow doubts among Brazilians, he said; he attempted to undermine faith in Brazil's electoral results in the international community. "He questioned the system itself," he said. "And it's even worse because he brought the contention outside of Brazil's borders. That's why there's a belief that the response must be severe." The political impact of a ban on Bolsonaro running would be significant. He remains the most powerful figure on the Brazilian right. He won 58 million votes in October, just short of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's 60 million in the closest presidential vote of Brazil's 40-year-old democracy. No politician has shown the same capacity to energize the country's conservatives, a base that had long been rudderless without a central leader. Political aides have tried to spin his likely conviction as a positive. They said it would allow him to play the role of the victim, and mount a comeback based on grievance. He can travel the country and campaign for other conservatives. "The death of Bolsonaro as a candidate does mean the death of the politics of Bolsonaro," said one senior adviser who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer his candid assessment. "He'll come back 20 percent stronger as a political kingmaker." There is precedent in Brazil for such a transformation. In 2018, the electoral court disqualified Lula, who had been convicted of money laundering and corruption. Later, the charges were thrown out, Lula's political rights were restored - and he went on to win the presidency once again. Could Bolsonaro do it, too? Some think it highly unlikely. "His support is fading," said Helio Silveira, a former senior official with the Brazilian Bar Association. "The economy is getting better, and while life is hard, I don't know that he'll be able to lead a populational revolt." Chinas refusal this week to restore military-to-military contacts with the United States reflects unwillingness to legitimize U.S. activity in the Indo-Pacific region, two experts in international relations told Stars and Stripes. Chinese authorities declined a request by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to reopen military contacts to cool escalating tensions in the South China Sea, where a Chinese destroyer and a fighter abruptly intercepted their U.S. counterparts in the past month. Blinken on Monday concluded a two-day visit to Beijing where he met with President Xi Jinping and Foreign Minister Qin Gang. While his discussions were candid and constructive, they failed to result in renewed contact between the two countries militaries, Blinken told reporters Monday. I think its absolutely vital that we have these kinds of communications, military to military, he said, according to a State Department transcript of his remarks. That imperative, I think, was only underscored by recent incidents that we saw in the air and on the seas. China suspended regular contact with the U.S. military in August after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan a move Beijing criticized as condoning Taiwan independence. The U.S. reported that China previously declined or failed to respond to more than a dozen Defense Department requests for top-level dialogues since 2021. Beijings decision to avoid reestablishing those contacts also avoids its validation of U.S. military activity in the region, according to James Brown, a professor of international affairs at Temple Universitys Japan campus. If China agrees to a communication channel to discuss U.S. military transits through the South China Sea, that may be interpreted as Chinas acceptance of these transits, Brown told Stars and Stripes email Wednesday. Beijing wants to avoid this appearance. China may also see the issue, which the Biden Administration has indicated is a priority, as a means of diplomatic leverage, according to Grant Newsham, a senior research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies. Beijing may hope to exploit the United States eagerness to establish communications in exchange for some concessions. The concession might not even be on the military front, the retired Marine colonel told Stars and Stripes by email Tuesday. It might be relaxing economic sanctions on [China], for example. Channels already exist for militaries to communicate with each other, Newsham said, and China routinely warns ships and aircraft from the U.S. and other countries to stay out of its claimed territory. Having some other 'communications link' isn't going to change anybody's mind. And when the [Chinese military] tries to ram or obstruct U.S. ships and aircraft, they know exactly what they are doing, Newsham said. Being able to call them up on a 'designated' line to tell them they shouldn't do what they are doing seems pointless. Brown said an open line to Chinas military is critical in a climate of tense relations between the two countries. Added to this, the U.S. military is committed to operating wherever international law permits, including the South China Sea, whereas China is opposed to this, he said. In this context, military incidents are inevitable. The quality of communication infrastructure will determine whether these incidents can be defused or whether they will escalate into more dangerous crises. KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Thursday that Russian forces were preparing a "terrorist act" at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest atomic power station, as officials in Moscow said the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, Rafael Grossi, would travel to Russia to meet with nuclear authorities on Friday. Ukrainian "intelligence has received information that Russia is considering the scenario of a terrorist act at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant a terrorist act with the release of radiation," Zelensky said in a video address released on social media Thursday morning. "They have prepared everything for this." Zelenskyy did not provide further details but said Ukraine would share "all the evidence" with Kyiv's international partners "all of them." He also warned that "radiation knows no borders" and "who it hits" will depend on the "direction of the wind." Russia rejected Zelenskyy's accusations. "Zelenskyy's words that Russia is allegedly preparing an act of terrorism at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant are another lie," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said shortly after the Ukrainian leader's video was released. Zelenskyy's warning was issued as concerns are growing over the Zaporizhzhia plant's security. Fighting in the region has intensified after Kyiv launched a counteroffensive against Russia's invading forces, while the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant in southern Ukraine has raised worries over water levels in the nuclear station's cooling pond. On Thursday, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying that Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, would meet the head of Russia's state nuclear company, Alexei Likhachev, in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on Friday. As fighting continued in eastern and southern Ukraine, Russian officials accused Kyiv of carrying out a missile strike on a bridge linking the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson to Crimea, which Russia invaded illegally annexed in 2014. Russian news outlets reported no casualties. Vladimir Saldo, the Kremlin-appointed governor of the Russian-occupied portion of Kherson region, said on social media that Kyiv's forces hit the bridge, near the settlement of Chongar, with British-made Storm Shadow missiles. Ukrainian officials did comment on the allegations. "Missile damage to the bridges that connect the Crimea and the Kherson region is another completely senseless action carried out by the Kyiv regime on orders from London," Saldo said in a Telegram post, sharing images and a video of the damaged bridge. "This will not affect the course of the special operation in any way there are other land routes to the Crimea," Saldo said, using Russia's euphemism for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (Bloomberg) -- Dealmakers brave enough to attempt big acquisitions are increasingly running into difficulties, as transactions get held up by everything from government haggling to regulatory worries. Most Read from Bloomberg In just the last week, news emerged of about $50 billion of deals running into trouble. Bloomberg News reported Wednesday that Chinese white goods giant Midea Group Co. has dropped its pursuit of Electrolux AB, the $3.7 billion maker of Frigidaire appliances. It wasnt able to fulfill demands for regulatory guarantees at a time of rising protectionism. SES SA on Thursday confirmed a Bloomberg News report that its ended talks on a potential merger with Intelsat that would have formed a dominant satellite operator valued at more than $10 billion including debt. They couldnt agree on terms of a deal and future strategy, people with knowledge of the matter said, and the transaction was always complicated by the Luxembourg governments big stake in SES. Meanwhile, Germanys acquisition of its largest power grid from Dutch state-owned TenneT Holding BV will be delayed until after the summer as government officials hammer out a deal. Negotiators have struggled to agree on terms of the deal, which could be worth as much as 30 billion ($33 billion), Bloomberg News reported Wednesday. Last week, a consortium backed by Apollo Global Management Inc. and former SoftBank Group Corp. executive Marcelo Claure ended talks on a takeover of $2.8 billion Latin American wireless operator Millicom International Cellular SA. That deal failure came against a backdrop of turbulent credit markets. Citigroup Inc.s planned $7 billion sale of its Mexican unit to local mining magnate German Larrea was scotched last month at the eleventh hour after the tycoon got into a dispute with the Mexican government. The US lender said it would instead pursue an initial public offering of the business. And there are signs that other potential big deals face tricky negotiations. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Covestro AG has rejected an initial takeover proposal from Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. valuing the German plastics firm at nearly 11 billion as too low. Meanwhile, private equity firms have are also having difficulty getting transactions over the line, with around $30 billion of deals hitting trouble in recent weeks due to heady price demands and difficult financing markets. --With assistance from Manuel Baigorri, Vinicy Chan and Liana Baker. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. At a bend in the Potomac River about 50 miles south of Washington, a Navy base sits next to the small town of Dahlgren, Va. On the base is the Naval Surface Warfare Center, where beginning in 1918, the Navy has tested large-caliber weapons and explosives by firing them into the Potomac. By the Navys own count, it fired about 33 million pounds of ordnance into the river in the first 90 years of operation, including 225 tons of the toxic heavy metal manganese and 15,000 tons of iron. It is still testing today. Vast, thunderous explosions in the water are commonplace to residents, boaters and watermen who make their living in or near the more than 50-mile stretch of the Potomac River Test Range. The Navy calls it the nations largest fully instrumented over-water gun-firing range. Now, as the Navy is moving to expand its test range, moving it closer to the Maryland shore, two environmental groups are suing the Navy and alleging it failed to abide by the Clean Water Act, which requires anyone discharging pollutants into a river to get a permit, and to regularly test the water to ensure it is safe for humans and wildlife. The suit was filed Wednesday in federal court in Maryland, because Maryland has jurisdiction over the Potomac almost up to the Virginia waterline, and it seeks an order forcing the Navy to apply for a permit from the Maryland Department of the Environment, which would then require the Navy to comply with dumping and other pollution regulations and laws. The suit was filed by the Potomac Riverkeeper Network and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Dean Naujoks, the Lower Potomac riverkeeper, said the group initially tried to meet with the Navy last year but was rebuffed. After the riverkeepers organization and NRDC sent a five-page letter in January expressing their intent to sue, the Navy met with them and a number of watermen from Virginia and Maryland, Naujoks said. The Navy has reported it fires about 4,700 projectiles per year into the river, and conducts at least 200 detonation events per year, sometimes fired from weapons on land, with others fired from barges, drones, helicopters or boats. Naujoks said the Navy agreed to protect endangered species in the river such as Atlantic sturgeon, but made no commitment to other species. Its kind of ironic, Naujoks said, that they agreed they had some impact on endangered species, but there isnt an impact that requires them to get a Clean Water Act permit. When contacted by The Washington Post, the Navy said that it does not comment on pending litigation. The Navy did a large environmental impact study in 2013 that considered, among other things, whether substances contained in the munitions posed a risk. The Navy said it performed modeled concentrations, or estimates, on the water and fish, and concentrations are considered to be at acceptable levels and no further evaluation is required. NRDC officials say that effort was not adequate. At the meeting earlier this year, the Navy declined to tell the NRDC whether it had actually tested any water in the river, an NRDC official said. The Navy has never performed any water quality monitoring or sediment sampling, the lawsuit alleges, to understand the impact of its weapons testing activities on the Potomac Rivers ecosystem and water quality or on public health. In the study, it became clear the Navy has closely charted every round it has fired into the Potomac since 1918, when it launched its first test: a 153-pound projectile that was fired from a big gun and traveled 11 miles. Up through 2007, the Navy had tested nearly 292,000 inert rounds and 52,000 live, large-caliber rounds, according to the impact study. Within one 2.3-square-mile area of the testing range, called the dense zone, the Navy estimated about 160,000 rounds had landed and settled on the bottom of the river, yielding a density of 69,686 rounds per nautical square mile. The Navys 2013 study posited that the munitions were simply sinking into muddy sediment at the bottom of the river, and gradually disintegrating. That cannot be accurate, Naujoks said. He pointed to the large projectile pulled out of the water in 2020, as well as National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration mapping of the main Potomac channel that shows the bottom is composed of hard clay, not muddy sediment. Numerous watermen have reported pulling up munitions in their nets over the years, Naujoks said. People who make a living by working the Potomac along Virginias Northern Neck and in southern Maryland along Charles and St. Marys counties, are concerned about any potential harm to fish or shellfish, said J.C. Hudgins, president of the Virginia Watermens Association. What are they going to put in the water? Hudgins said he asked of the Navy. They wont tell us exactly what theyre going to do. Naujoks said environmental testing is expensive, particularly searching for elements such as selenium, arsenic and mercury often associated with metals or using sonar to examine the river bottom. Why should the Potomac Riverkeepers have to pay for that? he asked. When a Clean Water Act permit is issued, then there will be limits on pollution and requirements for monitoring. When the weapons testing is happening, typically between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays, the Navy shuts down the 50-mile stretch of river, or forces boats to tack closely to the Maryland shore, which Hudgins said is shallow. Our main concern is access, he said, fearing that the proposed expanded range would reach across the entire river and block passage entirely. The base is located just north of the resort town of Colonial Beach, Va. It is near the Harry Nice Memorial Bridge, the Route 301 crossing between Virginia and Maryland. Naujoks noted that when it was determined that the pile-driving for a new bridge was disturbing the environment, Maryland ordered the state transportation department to stop the pounding from January to June to reduce its impact. The letter to the Navy pointed out that the Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of any pollutant into navigable waters unless authorized by a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, or unless the president grants an exemption. The release of ordnance from aircraft or from ships into navigable waters is a discharge of pollutants, a federal court ruled in 1982. The base in King George County, Va., formally called Naval Support Facility Dahlgren, is also an EPA Superfund pollution cleanup site. Its 1,600-acre explosive experimental area experienced accidental spills, leaks, and conventional waste disposal practices before the 1980s, according to a Navy update on the cleanup, and was added to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1992. The Navy is still remediating the site today, and its most recent report says that There is no disposal of ordnance or explosive hazardous waste at the [Explosives Experiment Area]; these items are disposed of at permitted facilities located outside of the Naval Support Facility Dahlgren. A former soldier who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a young child during his time assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, was sentenced Tuesday to 35 years in federal prison, according to the Justice Department. Trevor Dylan Lehew, 28, who left the Army in 2015 as a private first class, will serve the time after he completes a 20-year sentence in Texas for a separate incident involving sexual contact with a child and aggravated assault of a child. The abuse at Fort Bliss, which is located near El Paso, occurred between 2014 and 2015 in a home on the Army post, according to court documents. The victim, who was 6 years old at the time, disclosed the abuse in 2020 to a forensic interviewer. Details about how Lehew knew the child were not included in publicly available court records. The child victim in this case was extremely courageous to come forward about the horrible acts that this defendant committed years prior, said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas. That disclosure led to a successful investigation by our partners at the FBI, which has now resulted in the lengthy imprisonment of a dangerous child predator with repeat offenses. The FBI investigated the case and Lehew was remanded into federal custody on Jan. 6, 2022, according to the Justice Department. He was already in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for the state conviction. Lehew, who is from Plano near Dallas, pleaded guilty in August in federal court to one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. In the Texas case, Lehew took a plea agreement in 2020 for inappropriately touching an 8-year-old boy whom he was babysitting, according to Dallas County District Court records. The child reported the sexual contact to his father, who reported it to local police. A child should feel and be safe in their homes and community, said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Downey of the FBI El Paso Field Office. I hope this sentencing brings some closure to the victims knowing this predator will be in federal prison for a very long time. Lehew enlisted in the Army in April 2013 as a wheeled vehicle mechanic, according to his service record. He was discharged in November 2015. The record does not state the nature of his discharge. EAST PALESTINE, Ohio Nearly five months after a train derailment and fire unleashed a massive plume of toxic chemicals on this town of 4,700 people, federal investigators Wednesday reassured exasperated residents that they are thoroughly reviewing the incident and will make recommendations and fight to get them implemented to prevent another disaster. Dozens of residents packed a high school auditorium on the eve of an investigative hearing that has summoned railroad officials and federal regulators to East Palestine for two days of questioning and discussion about the Feb. 3 derailment. Some residents said too many questions remain about the incident, the chemicals that spilled and the continuing effects on their community, while others urged more accountability of the rail industry and federal regulators. "It's frustrating," Laurie Harmon, a resident who lives near the tracks, told National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy at the meeting. The meeting hosted by the NTSB preceded a rare, two-day hearing in East Palestine as part of the agency's ongoing investigation into what led the Norfolk Southern train to derail and the subsequent hazardous material release and fires. Since the incident, which drew national headlines for weeks, the U.S. Transportation Department has issued more safety measures and advisories, and called on Congress to update railroad laws. Ohio's two U.S. senators introduced bipartisan legislation to increase safety standards for railroads. The NTSB is expected to question witnesses, focusing on four areas of inquiry: the emergency response to the incident; the steps that led to the vent and burn of five vinyl chloride tank cars; the railroad's use of track defect detectors; and the integrity of the tank cars and rail equipment. "We are so sorry that this tragedy occurred. We are sorry for everything that you are going through," Homendy told the residents. While the NTSB could make recommendations during and at the completion of the investigation, some residents said they are concerned the recommendations will be implemented only voluntarily. "There is a lot of focus in Congress now about improving rail safety, and I am hopeful that they will take our recommendations seriously and implement those," Homendy said. "We'll continue to fight for them. This isn't just a paperwork exercise. ... We fight really hard." Although the odor of chlorine that filled the air in the aftermath of the derailment has faded, questions and concerns continue to linger months into the cleanup that led authorities to conduct a "controlled release" of vinyl chloride. Some residents say they still fear that the water, air, soil and surfaces in the village are not safe. The derailment caused widespread problems in East Palestine that also affected neighboring communities in Pennsylvania. No one was injured during the incident, but in the days afterward, residents reported they had developed rashes, sore throats, nausea and headaches, and linked the symptoms to the chemicals released after the train derailed. "People are still not back in their homes, they are actively being exposed, they are still sick," said Jami Wallace, who along with other residents Wednesday night wore a shirt that read, "We the People Have Had Enough." Homendy and the board's three other members took questions from residents who expressed distrust of officials' accounts, and anger including at the railroad company's efforts to remediate the impact of the spill. NTSB officials said they couldn't answer residents' questions focused on legal and environmental concerns, which are outside the panel's jurisdiction. The 1.8-mile-long train derailed on the night of Feb. 3, when 38 out of 149 train cars heading from Illinois to Conway, Pa., went off the tracks and caused an explosion that sent flames high into the air and a dense cloud of smoke across the landscape. Twenty of the derailed rail cars contained hazardous materials, including vinyl chloride a carcinogen that is highly flammable. Officials evacuated residents and authorities performed a "controlled release" and burn-off of hazardous chemicals from derailed train cars to avoid what they said could be a potential catastrophic explosion. Days later, residents were told that it was safe to return to their homes following air tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency. But some residents have remained skeptical of the test findings. Some still question how safe their community is, whether the air and water tests are valid, and the potential long-term health effects. About a mile from the high school, crews continue remediation work on the tracks. Some roads remain closed, affecting traffic in a residential and commercial corridor of the town. Heavy machinery was visible on the tracks Wednesday, while dump trucks drove in and out of areas closed to the public. Crews with HEPACO, an environmental and emergency services company, were on-site. Norfolk Southern, the Atlanta-based railroad company, said it has spent more than $62 million in remediation and community support since the derailment. That includes $17 million in assistance to nearly 10,000 families, the company said. The railroad said it continues to do routine monitoring of the air quality and is creating a training center for first responders to prepare them for future rail safety emergencies. Norfolk Southern said it has invested $7.7 million on initiatives for first responders and provided $7.5 million to support nearby communities across the Pennsylvania state line. The company faces multiple lawsuits from residents, the state and the U.S. Justice Department. WASHINGTON Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., on Wednesday launched a sprawling congressional effort to set new rules for artificial intelligence, touting a plan to more closely entwine lawmakers with outside experts in a race to catch up to Europes lengthy head start on a robust regulatory package. Schumer unveiled what he called a new process for fielding input from industry representatives, researchers and consumer advocates, a system designed to turbocharge lawmakers understanding of the complicated area and speed regulation along. In expansive remarks Wednesday, he urged officials to move cautiously to avoid hindering U.S. innovation while deputizing key lawmakers across the chamber to hammer out bipartisan proposals to head off concerns about the technologys impact on privacy, intellectual property and national security. The high-profile speech is expected to kick off a wave of legislative activity on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers face mounting pressure from advocates and AI ethicists to set new protections to prevent AI from being abused, but where the pace of negotiations massively trails behind the European Union, which last week advanced a sweeping AI bill after years of discussions. The White House and a slew of federal agencies have in recent months launched their own initiatives to keep AI tools in check and consider new guardrails for their use, but Schumers push marks the broadest congressional effort yet. Congress must join the AI revolution, Schumer said at an event hosted by a D.C.-based think tank, asking lawmakers to act with both urgency and humility in tackling the technology. Schumers push represents one of the most significant efforts to craft new tech regulations led by leadership on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers have struggled for years to advance rules on data privacy, competition and other major legislative areas. His status as the highest-ranking Democratic lawmaker in Washington lends the effort added heft and could help lawmakers overcome political hurdles that have bogged down previous talks. Still, the speech was light on details about what specific AI-focused laws could look like. Schumer said in an interview afterward that it would take months but not years for a legislative package to be presented to Congress. As part of the effort, Schumer said he has called on the Senates Democratic committee leaders, including the chairs of key panels with oversight over commerce, homeland security and competition, to cooperate with their Republican counterparts to get working on bipartisan AI proposals. But he also announced plans to hold a series of insight forums in the fall with top experts to solicit input on how lawmakers should move ahead on legislation. The comments could kick off a wide-ranging push to craft new AI policies and guardrails across the chamber. Lawmakers have introduced a slew of proposals in recent years to set new privacy protections for digital services and to require companies to vet their products for biases, but the bills have gained limited traction. Schumers focus on the issue could rekindle those efforts. Some consumer advocates, however, criticized Schumers address for not sufficiently acknowledging years of discussions over potential AI rules on Capitol Hill. Ben Winters, senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center advocacy group, said that casting AI as a novel challenge erases a lot of the progress that has been made about articulating the harms of AI . . . and what are some ideas to regulate it. And he expressed concern that Schumer is putting too much emphasis on boosting innovation rather than setting guardrails for the development and deployment of AI. It seems like they are prioritizing Schumer seeming forward-thinking rather than recognizing the reality of the circumstance, Winters said in an interview. Schumers comments arrive as policymakers across Washington race to develop a strategy to maximize the benefits of AI while containing its potential harms, which industry leaders and advocates have warned range from amplifying falsehoods to threatening human extinction. The booming popularity of AI-driven chatbots such as OpenAIs ChatGPT and Googles Bard has both captivated and concerned officials, who have said they are worried about again failing to protect consumers from the perils of Silicon Valleys latest craze. It has prompted lawmakers to hold a wave of public hearings and private meetings with industry leaders, researchers and advocates as they look to get their bearings in the quickly changing AI field. While federal lawmakers for years have hammered social media companies including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for purportedly undermining U.S. democracy and surveilling users with little discretion, Congress has been unable to pass any major regulations for the tech sector. The lack of movement on legislation to set guardrails for emerging technologies in Washington stands in stark contrast to the activity in Brussels, where policymakers in recent years have enacted sweeping proposals on data privacy, competition online and content moderation, with new AI rules on the horizon. Schumer said officials overseas have failed to capture the imagination of the world for what a government approach to AI could look like, and that the United States could still set a global regulatory standard that over countries looked to. He said he will work on developing an American approach to harnessing the technology that stands in contrast to more restrictive proposals from U.S. rivals such as China. Schumer urged his Senate colleagues to cast aside ideological hang-ups and political self-interest and work on a bipartisan basis to develop comprehensive AI legislation, a lengthy process that the Senate leader and his allies have said could take months to iron out. Schumers speech follows years of warnings from consumer advocates about the risks of AI, as they raise concerns that the technology will supercharge surveillance, misinformation and biases in society. The recent boom in generative AI has sparked new alarm, and some tech critics have converged on Washington in recent months to warn lawmakers that recent advances in AI could be as risky as the advent of nuclear weapons. Some have also expressed concern about industrys influence over pending AI regulations, as Schumer holds AI meetings with Tesla chief executive Elon Musk and Microsoft President Brad Smith. Sam Altman, the chief executive of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, has also been running an extensive Washington charm offensive, seeking to shape the regulatory debate over AI. Representatives from both Google and Meta said they welcomed the senators approach. We welcome [Schumers] bipartisan effort to develop regulation that helps the U.S. promote beneficial and responsible AI innovation, Google head of global affairs Kent Walker said in a tweet. Metas president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, called it a welcome intervention and said its incumbent on the tech companies building powerful AI technologies to do so in a spirit of openness & collaboration. We look forward to participating in this bipartisan initiative. Details about what legislation Schumer will pursue remain sparse, and his timeline for putting together a legislative package remains unclear. But he laid out five principles Wednesday to guide lawmakers on AI legislation including security, accountability and explainability that expand on a high-level framework he first teased in April. Its not going to be days or weeks, but its not going to be years. Months would be the proper timeline that I would give you, Schumer said in a brief onstage interview after the speech. In a memo broadly detailing the approach, Schumer called it an all-hands-on-deck effort in the Senate, with committees developing bipartisan legislation, and a bipartisan gang of non-committee chairs working to further develop the Senates policy response. The memo calls for requiring that AI systems align with our democratic values at their core, while supporting the deployment of responsible systems that tackle concerns about misinformation, bias and liability, support copyright holders and protect intellectual property. In addition to discussing potential guardrails, Schumer suggested that federal intervention may be needed to encourage innovation in the space. The remarks signal that the Senate may consider new funding to boost research and innovation on AI. Schumer nodded to concerns voiced by President Bidens antitrust enforcers and former federal advisers that large tech companies could come to dominate AI, saying in his address that Congress must ensure that innovation and competition is open to everyone, not just the few big powerful companies. Schumer last week held the first of three planned all-member AI briefings that he said will consider how the technology could impact the workforce, national security, copyright, privacy and other issues. We need the best of the best sitting at the table: the top AI developers, top executives, scientists, advocates, community leaders, workers, national security experts all together in one room, doing years of work in a matter of months, Schumer told a small crowd of researchers, consumer advocates and industry representatives Wednesday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Washington Posts Gerrit De Vynck and Cat Zakrzewski contributed to this report. The House on Thursday referred a long-shot effort to impeach President Biden to a pair of committees, part of a deal made by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to appease hard-right Republicans within his ranks and avoid a potentially embarrassing split vote among members of the party. The vote to refer passed 219-208, with four Democrats and three Republicans not voting. Instead of bringing the resolution to the House floor, where it was not expected to pass, it will be sent for review to the House Judiciary and Homeland Security committees. The articles of impeachment resolution, introduced by Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., cited a "dereliction of duty" and "abuse of power" over Biden's handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. By introducing the measure as a privileged resolution, Boebert bypassed the traditional legislative process and fast-tracked the bill directly to the House floor. The action also forced lawmakers to vote on the measure within two days. "Since his first day in office, President Biden has trampled on the Constitution through his dereliction of duty," Boebert said as the House floor debated the motion Thursday. "Every member should vote to hold President Joe Biden accountable." The top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, said that Boebert's impeachment attempt "has nothing to do with border security," calling it yet another attempt by Republicans "to distract from the legal peril facing their twice-impeached, twice-indicted party leader." Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., told reporters ahead of Thursday's vote, "We will dig deeply into it. I take very seriously our oversight responsibility and we're going to hold people accountable." Green is also leading the charge by Republicans to investigate Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over what the congressman has said is a dereliction of duty at the border. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, suggested Thursday that the "primary jurisdiction" for the Biden impeachment resolution will be in the Homeland Security committee. Boebert's move was a surprise to leadership and the rest of the conference when she formally introduced her privileged resolution Tuesday evening. Fast-tracking an impeachment vote, and skipping over ongoing GOP-led investigations into the Biden administration, irritated a majority of Republicans, who feel that far-right lawmakers have abused legislative mechanisms that undermine the regular order of governing. Every Republican who spoke to defend Boebert's resolution on the floor Thursday was a member of the conference's far-right flank. Given that a significant number of Republicans would have joined with Democrats to sink it, GOP leadership tried to convince Boebert to pull the resolution. Instead, they reached an agreement to change Boebert's resolution so it is sent directly to the Homeland and Judiciary committees to consider, which many in the conference believe is the appropriate course of action for considering an impeachment. McCarthy and Republican leadership have argued that their party needs to build a more concrete case against Biden and pointed out that Boebert's resolution would be dead on arrival in the Democratic-controlled Senate, according to two lawmakers familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail internal conversations. McCarthy also said ongoing investigations into the Biden administration are doing good work and if it uncovers anything that rises to impeachment level, he would be the first to sign on. During a House Rules Committee hearing Wednesday night, committee chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said that "many members on both sides of the aisle have differing opinions on Miss Boebert's resolution, which is of course their right." "At the same time, Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans are committed to fulfilling regular order and undertaking investigations prior to taking up the serious constitutional duty of impeachment," he added. The Rules Committee's leading Democrat, Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, called the impeachment resolution "absurd" and an attempt by Republicans to distract from former president Donald Trump's many alleged misdeeds. The rift over the resolution highlights McCarthy's delicate dance to appease a small faction of hard-right Republicans within his ranks. The speaker has emphasized his party's need to remain united to maintain their slim majority. But hard-right members - frustrated in particular that McCarthy didn't meet their demands during debt ceiling negotiations - have sought to circumvent usual legislative processes to advance their agenda. Boebert is the second lawmaker from the staunchly conservative House Freedom Caucus to introduce a privileged resolution this week, a sign that the small group of far-right Republicans is becoming more emboldened. The House on a party-line vote Wednesday supported a privileged resolution introduced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., to censure Rep. Adam B. Schiff, D-Calif. Thee court heard the accused had survived being shot in the head a number of years ago Scott Purdue, Shancastle Park in Clondalkin, was shot in the head a number of years ago A young man charged with violent disorder after four men allegedly ran into a Dublin school after a 16-year-old youth has been sent for jury trial. Scott Purdue (25) was served with a book of evidence when he appeared before Blanchardstown District Court. The accused, with an address at Shancastle Park in Clondalkin, is charged with burglary and violent disorder at a secondary school in the west of the city on October 13, 2022. In relation to the allegation, Garda Aishling Halligan previously claimed Mr Purdue and three others ran into a school after a 16-year-old. The incident took place just after lunch and students and teachers fled into the classrooms for safety when they saw the men. No one was injured, Gda Halligan said. A State solicitor said the book of evidence was ready and had been served on the accused, who goes forward to the present sittings of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Gerard Jones gave Mr Purdue the formal alibi caution and adjourned the case to the circuit court later this month. Mr Purdue has not yet indicated a plea. An application by garda to revoke Mr Purdues bail failed last month, after the court heard the accused had survived being shot in the head a number of years ago, and had suffered memory loss since. Mr Purdue had failed to sign on at his local garda station, his lawyer said, because his short-term memory was poor. Mr Purdues co-accused have also been sent for jury trial. Lauren Cullen developed retrograde amnesia after her head struck the ground during the event An Irish woman has been awarded nearly half-a-million euro in damages after being knocked to the ground by Australian police during a Sydney Invasion Day rally in 2017. Thousands of Australians mark the country's national day of celebrations with rallies in support of Indigenous people, many of whom describe the anniversary of the day a British fleet sailed into Sydney Harbour as "Invasion Day". Lauren Cullen developed retrograde amnesia after her head struck the ground during the event at Broadway in Sydney city centre six years ago, leaving her with no memory of the incident. Australian Supreme Court Justice, Michael Elkaim, ordered the state of New South Wales to pay the Irish woman damages in a judgment published on Thursday. Crowds mark Invasion Day Mr Elkaim found police were negligent when attempting to apprehend a protester on the day, amounting to "a reckless exercise of the power of arrest". The January 2017 incident erupted after cops saw a reveller preparing to light an Australian flag on fire and rushed in to apprehend the person. Hayden Williams, a protester in the crowd, saw a police officer filming events with a handheld camera and knocked it out of her hand, causing a Sergeant to hurry over in an attempt to arrest Mx Williams. The officer and protester were subsequently sent hurtling through the air, knocking bystander, Lauren Cullen, to the ground. The courts found the actions of police were responsible for Ms Cullen's injury as the decision to rush the protestor with the flag was the catalyst for the subsequent melee. "The officers initiated a domino effect, culminating in the injury to the plaintiff," Justice Elkaim said. The court found the Sergeant had a duty of care to not use excessive force unless reasonably necessary. Camera footage of the incident was enough to find police actions were "reckless and out of proportion" to the risk posed and to the possibility of injuring members of the crowd through the panic likely to ensue, Justice Elkaim found. "I think the conclusion that the officers acted recklessly or unreasonably ... is easily reached," he said. "Thus far I have found that the officers owed the plaintiff a duty of care, that the duty was breached, and the breach caused the injury to the plaintiff." The Australian state was also ordered to pay Ms Cullen's legal bills, in addition to the $800K. The dad was beaten by youths in front of his daughter, racially abused and made to apologise after giving out to another boy who squirted him with water A 16-year-old boy found guilty of attacking a Chinese national on a busy street in Dublin has been given a four-month deferred sentence. The Dublin Children's Court heard the father was beaten up by youths in front of his daughter, racially abused and made to apologise after giving out to another boy who squirted him with water. The teen had denied the charge claiming self-defence and that he was protecting his little brother, who had used a water gun before the incident, which "escalated" into a gang attack. However, he was found guilty by District Court President Judge Paul Kelly following a contested hearing in April. Judge Kelly asked for a victim impact statement and a probation report on the teen for his sentencing hearing. A bench warrant for the boy's arrest was issued on Wednesday but he turned up to the subsequent court sitting and the case proceeded. Judge Kelly imposed the four-month sentence but deferred activating it and adjourned the case until December to allow for further supervision of the boy who remains on bail. He also placed him on supervised probation for 12 months for a separate robbery incident. However, the boy did not come to court, and Judge Kelly issued gardai with a bench warrant. CCTV footage showed the boy repeatedly punching him while his teenage daughter stood nearby. He admitted that he hit the victim up to seven times before the others joined in, dragged the man along railings, and reined blows and kicks to his head and body. Garda Ciara Burke told the court that the man had a swollen eye, bloody face, and blood coming from his nose when he arrived at Store Street station minutes after the incident. The victim reported that he had spoken to a young boy who sprayed him with a water gun, but the accused became racially abusive and hit him before "a whole load of youths became involved". Afterwards, they followed him and "made him apologise", or they would not leave him alone. Garda Burke obtained CCTV footage from the scene and arrested the boy after overhearing him telling a person about the incident three days later. The teen told her, "I just swung until he backed off," the court heard. In evidence, the victim recalled telling the defendant's brother, who squirted him, "Stop it", and he put his hands out but not him. He was worried for his daughter and tried to walk away, but the accused started hitting him. Then, he said, "Some guys came across the road and hit me really bad. I was covered by my hat, so I did not see anything, and they kept hitting me; one guy hit me really bad." He agreed with State solicitor Mairead White that they made him apologise afterwards, telling the man, "If you don't say sorry, we won't let you go". The teen claimed in court that the victim had put his hand on his little brother and started giving out, so he went to defend him. He alleged the man came at him and kicked him, and he claimed he was using self-defence but backed off and kept his distance when the incident escalated. In cross-examination, the prosecution suggested he would have pulled his brother away if he had been protecting him. The defence that the boy had an "instinctive reaction" to defend his brother. Convicting him, however, Judge Kelly had held that the teen acted aggressively, not defensively. He was also guilty of taking part in a mugging of another boy whose bicycle during a separate incident. The boy cannot be identified because he is a minor. Christopher McDaid then shouted at his victim that he was going to get his son and put him in the boot of a car. A man who was stabbed in the face in a completely unprovoked attack says he fears for his son's safety after his attacker told him he was next. Alex McAnena suffered facial injuries after being set upon as he walked out of a shop in Stranorlar, Co Donegal on April 24th, 2021. His attacker, Christopher McDaid, appeared before Letterkenny Circuit Court charged with assault causing harm and also producing an article. McDaid initially lunged forward and head-butted Mr Anena before producing a knife and striking his victim in the face. Mr McAnena suffered a deep cut on his cheek and under his right eye and also suffered a blackened eye. McDaid, aged 33, then shouted at his victim that he was going to get his son and put him in the boot of a car. The victim ran back into the shop and Gardai arrived. Garda Ronan Morris gave details of the terrifying incident to the court. He told how CCTV footage from the shop showed some of the incident but not the actual assault although it did show McDaid lunging at his victim before going off camera again. Mr McAnena did not appear in court but did supply a victim impact statement which was read out in court. He told that since the incident he has been unable to go and see his son in Belfast as much as he is afraid of waiting at the bus stop to get a lift. He also said how he lived in fear and was always checking in and around his apartment as he lived on the ground floor and was afraid for his own safety. He said that since the incident he had seen McDaid, whose address was given as Hillhead, Castlefin on court documents, walking around the town with a hurley stick in his hand. He added that his main concern was for his son adding that if the issue is not addressed appropriately then he thought McDaid has the potential to "kill someone eventually." "I was cut in the eye but next time he could cut someone's throat," said Mr Anena. The court was also told that McDaid has seven previous convictions dating back to 2015 including charges for assault, having drugs for sale or supply, traffic and public order. Ms Rosemary Finn, the godmother and aunt of the accused man, said she has had a long connection with Christopher McDaid since the day he was born. The devoted relative said that McDaid's father, who is her brother, doesn't have a relationship with his son and basically doesn't want anything to do with him. Since this incident however, she said McDaid has been doing well and has abstained from all alcohol and drugs and is attending AA meetings. He still enjoys a good relationship with his two children and has been allowed to stay in his grandfather's home close to Ms Finn as long as he stays clean. "He is coping very well at the moment and is a changed man," said Ms Finn. The court was told that McDaid has also attended both Whiteoaks and Hope House treatment centres. Speaking on behalf of his client, barrister Mr Peter Nolan said McDaid had admitted the offence which he admitted was very stupid and something he was ashamed of. However, Mr Nolan added that his client had been diagnosed with paranoia and had dropped out of school early but had returned to education aged 22 to complete his Applied Leaving Certificate. He claimed McDaid said he had been attacked earlier on the day of the incident and that was the reason he was at the shop claiming "they play game against me, they're all against me, it's their weapon not my weapon." Mr Nolan said the reality was that his client had undergone three psychiatric admissions since the incident but the reality was that McDaid was a man with pre-existing psychiatric conditions but on this particular day it had come to a head. Mr Nolan read briefly from two reports by two different forensic psychologists. Judge John Aylmer asked if there had been any incidents with Gardai since this matter, Mr Nolan said he was not aware of any but Garda Morris said he could not say. Judge Aylmer adjourned the case until next week for final sentencing to allow him time to read the medical reports and also to clarify if the accused had come to the attention of the Gardai since. James Kenny also raised eyebrows when he was spotted attending the vigil of murdered Chloe Mitchell The 60-year-old thug was convicted of battering a woman in her own flat Thug James Kennys bid to convince the doubters of Ballymena hes now a man of God has taken a knock after he was charged with having a knife in public. The coward whos awaiting sentence for a vicious attack on a woman in a flat in Ballymena is due to face the fresh charge on Thursday. Court papers show hes accused of having a lock knife in January in a street in the bible-belt town. And sources in the town also raised eyebrows after Kenny was spotted attending the Wednesday night vigil of murdered Chloe Mitchell. We couldnt believe it when we saw James Kenny standing in silence at the vigil, said a source. Given the fact hes a lowlife who beats up women, he shouldnt have been anywhere near an event like that. Cowardly career criminal Jim Kenny But his appearance is being seen as another attempt for him to change his image. The 60-year-old convicted drug pusher has been helping out at a church, sweeping streets, cutting down trees and assisting OAPs. Sceptics suspect his newly found interest in religion and charity is an unsubtle bid to show the courts hes a new man before he is sentenced for the attack on the woman, which was caught on camera. In April we revealed the images of Kenny attacking a woman. Hes facing going back to prison after he was convicted of two counts of assault as a result of that shameful incident. But now we can reveal Kenny has another criminal case at the magistrates court to deal with before he faces sentencing for the assault. Its understood some people from the church in Ballykeel are uneasy at his involvement in charity work. Hes been taken in to be given another chance, said a source. I wont say second chance because Kenny has had loads of those. What he did to that wee girl was shocking and some people arent too happy to have him around the church but theyve given him the chance to prove himself. Now hes charged with having a knife before that attack on the wee girl is even dealt with. Some are wondering is this guy still a danger? How much of his work at the church is to make him look good? His first appearance for the knife charge will be in four days time thats two weeks before hes due for sentencing in Belfast for attacking the woman. Emma-Clare Louise Dunnett (49) was also charged with causing grievous bodily injury to a male victim on the same date A woman was charged today with causing the death of an east Belfast pensioner by careless driving. At Newtownards Magistrates Court, Emma-Clare Louise Dunnett (49) was charged with causing the death of Beryl Carson (87) by driving carelessly on the Portaferry Road in Kircubbin on August 27, 2020. Although she did not appear at court, Dunnett, from Wisborough Road in South Croydon, was also charged with causing grievous bodily injury to a male victim on the same date. None of the facts of the case were opened today but it was reported at the time how Ms Carson, who was from the Inverary area of east Belfast, was taken to hospital after the crash but died as a result of her injuries. Inspector Andy McLean said: It was reported that a black Citroen C3 and a silver Lexus were involved in the collision. Beryl, who was the front seat passenger of the Citroen, was taken to hospital but sadly died as a result of her injuries. The female driver and three children inside the Citroen were taken to hospital for treatment to injuries not believed to be life-threatening. The female driver of the Lexus was also taken to hospital, suffering minor injuries following the incident. The case against Dunnett had been scheduled to have a preliminary inquiry today, which would have seen the case elevated to the Crown Court, but defence solicitor Andrew Russell asked for that to be adjourned. There are a series of medicals to consider, Mr Russell told District Judge Mark Hamill, adding that a further complicating factor is that the defendant lives in England and he would want to have a consultation before the case can be progressed. Adjourning the case until August 4 for the preliminary inquiry, District Judge Hamill said Dunnett could appear by video-link at that stage. We are taking this matter very seriously. Award winning Irish hairdressers Peter Mark have been targeted in a cyber attack which has led to criminals hacking into their IT system. The iconic chain which first opened in 1961 on Dublins Grafton Street now has 69 salons nationwide and deal with thousands of clients every year and as such, retain large amounts of data. A Peter Mark spokesperson said: Following our detection of this issue, steps were taken to intercept and manage it. We have engaged highly specialised services to assist us with the investigation and help resolve the incident. The company gave a detailed update of the situation after the hackers gained access to their servers. This attack has not affected the ability of our salons to operate, and they remain fully open for business. Appointments can be booked as usual. "Our customer payment system which processes card payments is operated by a third-party provider and is not affected by this breach. Hacker The nature and extent of this breach remains under investigation, including what exact data on our systems has been affected. However, initial results of the investigation indicate that some Human Resources data has been compromised. It is not clear yet what other data was part of this breach, and we are continuing to investigate this matter. There is no evidence that any personal data has been leaked on the dark web, but we are continuing to monitor this, their statement stated. Peter Mark reported the attack to the relevant authorities in Ireland and Northern Ireland, including the Data Protection Commission, the UKs Information Commissioners Office, An Garda Siochana and the National Cyber Security Centre. We are taking this matter very seriously, they added. We are currently in the process of liaising with our staff to inform them of this incident and are working closely with all the relevant authorities and our external specialists who are assisting us. We will continue to provide any further updates to the relevant authorities and to affected individuals in line with our data protection obligations, Peter Mark concluded. Almost one in five Irish firms experienced a cyber attack or data breach in 2022, according to research by professional services firm Aon. The survey of 228 senior business leaders from companies across Ireland reveals that 18pc of Irish firms were hit with such an issue last year. The National Cyber Security Centre warned only last week that cyber risks are constantly evolving and that companies need to keep pace with the evolving threat. The Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center has received a grant from the New Economy Initiative, which will support its manufacturing and business leadership programming. The New Economy Initiative has announced a new round of funding for small and minority-owned businesses, including four grants for groups that can reach more underserved populations. The $2 million in grants comes from the philanthropic organization's Inclusive Small Business Support Network Fund that assists entrepreneurs in Wayne County. NEI is part of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. The small business community is constantly changing, and we're always looking to how do we best support entrepreneurs and where are they not getting support? said Wafa Dinaro, executive director of the New Economy Initiative. Grants will go to 18 organizations and range in size from $72,400 to $180,000 each. Adelante Michigan Lincoln Park One of the groups serving underserved populations to receive a grant is the Michigan Hispanic Fund, which is a part of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a statewide nonprofit business association that supports Hispanic entrepreneurs and other communities in its membership. Mark Moreno, executive director of the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said the organization plans to use the money to start a program called Adelante Michigan, which translates to moving forward. The program will assist small businesses in Lincoln Park, which is 21% Hispanic, according to Data USA. Moreno said businesses in this area need help networking with business and community leaders, along with digital marketing and accounting assistance. The Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce received a $100,000 grant from the New Economy Initiative. Adelante Michigan is geared to focus on equipping underserved Hispanic-owned micro businesses in Lincoln Park with relevant essential resources, technical resources, leadership training, entrepreneurial skill set training, startup training, strengthen new businesses, Moreno said. Really supporting those early-stage or existing businesses providing them those essential resources to adapt, profitably grow and become more sustainable. There are plans for this program to assist 50 Hispanic-owned businesses with a $100,000 grant it received from NEI. And the technical assistance can be provided to business owners in Spanish. Business owners can find out more at www.mhcc.org. Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center Wayne County Another group serving underserved people that got funding is the Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center. Its a nonprofit focused on standardized training and innovation in the fashion industry. It teaches ethical, profitable and sustainable domestic manufacturing, said Chandler Vaughan, program manager. No experience is required for training. The organization aims to teach people in underserved communities so that they can gain better skills, which can lead to higher wages. Funding from NEI will support a pilot program called the Manufacturing Business Unit, which features a Business Leadership Training Program. The training program will allow people to learn about the business itself, understand how to have a voice in the industry and how to make their own profits. Its a yearlong training where operators get to learn the financial management techniques like understanding profit and loss statements, understanding balance sheets and then also getting participatory management techniques to understand how to deliver feedback and work within a team to come to decisions, Vaughan said. Vaughan added: There's a huge disconnect between someone who's envisioning themselves as a brand owner or a designer, and actually executing and manufacturing in a way that they can be profitable. So there's really this disconnect between the academic institute, and we're bridging the creative side with the real business aspect that is often left out. The organization received a $150,000 grant from NEI. More information about this programming is available at isaic.org. The other two grantees in this category are the Detroit Regional LGBT Chamber Fund, and Grace in Action Collectives, a southwest Detroit-based network of collectives and worker-owned cooperatives, Grace's website says. Two NEI programs received funding: The Right to Start program and the Capital On Ramp Program, a microloan pilot program. Capital On Ramp Program Dinaro said she is continuously hearing that a lack of access to capital is the biggest gap for entrepreneurs, so the Capital On Ramp Program will be a part of the solution by providing entrepreneurs with a simple loan application process and technical assistance along the way. We really looked at all of the documents that traditional lenders asked for, and were like, What is absolutely necessary, what can we get rid of and how can we streamline the process? and have this one place where small business visitors can go apply, and then get approved and then go through technical assistance to support them and make sure that they pay back the loans. More: Oak Park's Star Bakery to close after 108 years, citing rising costs of labor, ingredients More: Detroit's oldest church celebrates 175th anniversary Over 50 business owners will be able to get access to microloans from $5,000 to $50,000. If the business owner starts struggling after taking out the loan, they can get a six-month pause on payments, Dinaro said. If all of their payments are made, they can receive six months of forgiveness or six months of technical assistance covered. Applications will open in July at neweconomyinitiative.org. Business owners can get funding through the CORP program through these nonprofit organizations: ProsperUS Detroit, Black Leaders Detroit, Michigan Women Forward and the Detroit Development Fund. Other spring 2023 grantees include: Black Leaders Detroit Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and the BuyDetroit Program Metro-Detroit Black Business Alliance Eastside Community Network E. Warren Development Corporation Endeavor Detroit Fair Food Network Great Lakes Womens Business Council Michigan Small Business Development Corporation Right to Start program As part of NEI's effort to turn its focus to policy over the next few years, it is working with Right to Start, a national organization that works on grassroots solutions for entrepreneurs. The goal is to help entrepreneurs talk about some of the issues that they face, and learn how to present that story to legislators. We have the (Michigan Microbusiness Coalition), a statewide coalition, and as we talk to legislators, the thing we keep hearing is, they never hear from small businesses, they don't hear from the entrepreneurs, Dinaro said. So we really want to make sure that those voices are heard and that they're understanding the issues, the concerns. This program was part of the New Economy Initiatives spring grant cycle, but it will officially launch in July at neweconomyinitiative.org. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated where business owners could get funding through CORP program. This version is correct. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New Economy Initiative giving $2M in grants to support entrepreneurs The former Sinn Fein councillor was back in court this week. State witness Jonathan Dowdall has been back in court appealing the length of a four-year sentence he was handed down after he pled guilty to facilitating the Hutch gang by making a room at the Regency Hotel available to them. The former Sinn Fein councillor whose evidence against Gerry The Monk Hutch was not accepted by the Special Criminal Court complained to the appeals court that he was duped and put in the firing line for the Regency Hotel attack. Appealing the severity of the four year sentence for facilitating the Regency attack he is asking for his jail term to be cut so he can join his family who have been accepted onto the witness protection programme. So has Dowdall done extraordinarily well as the Appeals Court President Mr Justice George Birmingham says or has he been too harshly treated? Nicola talks with Niall Donald about the Appeal and the on going denials of Jonathan Dowdall. Crime World Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud. MORE EPISODES 61-year-old Nicholas Wickham was arrested by gardai as he tried to fly out from Knock airport to the UK last week A retiree who lost almost 50,000 of her retirement fund by purchasing gold bars from alleged 1.2 million Ponzi Scheme operator Nicholas Wickham, says she hopes he is jailed and his assets seized. Christine Noel Christine Noel, who handed 47,000 to gold bullion dealer Wickham in exchange for two 500 gramme gold bars, said she was delighted when she heard the 61-year-old had been arrested by gardai as he tried to fly out from Knock airport to the UK last week. I thought he would be living somewhere from where they (the Gardai) would never be able to extradite him to Ireland to face justice, she said. Even though I knew the Gardai were trying their best, I didnt have a lot of confidence that he would be arrested. I hope he gets what he deserves. I hope they can find out where all the money went and seize any of his assets that they find. But Im also hopeful he will be sent to jail. Wickham (61), who ran Irish Gold and Silver Bullion Ltd from an office in upmarket Monkstown, South Dublin, was arrested last Sunday morning as he was about to fly out of the Ireland West Airport following a stay at a holiday home in Achill. He was then taken to Claremorris Garda Station, where he was quizzed about an alleged investment fraud in which 65 victims claim they were duped out of 1.2m. Wickhams arrest occurred 11 months after the High Court heard from chartered accountant and liquidator Myles Kirby, who said the company had been operated as a Ponzi Scheme that defrauded customers. Certificate given to Christine He said customers had transferred their money to the company to buy gold and silver on their behalf, believing that it would be sold-off at a higher price to generate a profit. But, he said, in reality payments were often used to pay other customers who had invested in Irish Gold and Silver Bullion at an earlier point in time. Meanwhile, other funds were diverted to third parties or entitles related to Mr Wickham, which Mr Kirby claims were used for the defendants own benefit. In addition, some customers were told the valuable metals were being stored at vaults at the world-famous Harrods Department store in London and were furnished with certificates from IGSB confirming their purchase. However, Mr Kirby said Harrods have confirmed to him that it had no dealings with the company since 2016 when it closed its accounts. This meant that the certificates issued were a fabrication and that gold customers believed had been purchased on their behaves did not exist, he said. Stephen Penrose is now regarded as the most dangerous prisoner in Ireland Stephen Penrose is being detained under Rule 63 in Mountjoy Prison A double killer is in protective custody and isolation after threatening to kill more prison staff, a source has claimed. Stephen Penrose is now regarded as the most dangerous prisoner in Ireland and is being detained under Rule 63 in Mountjoy Prison because of his security risk. He is currently serving a life sentence for murder but was given an additional two years by a court only last week for threatening to burn down the home of a warder. The notorious 40-year-old drug dealer is kept on his own in a special cell and is not allowed to mix with any other prisoners. He eats, sleeps and exercises on his own and is banned from mixing with the rest of the prison population. He could also be facing more prosecutions over his continual clashes with the jail staff. It is alleged he exposed himself to a female warder several weeks ago which is now under investigation by Gardai. A source said; "This fella is one of the worst prisoners we ever had. "He is extremely angry and violent. " Not a day goes by that he does not make a threat against warders - he hates each and everyone of us and is constantly giving us abuse. "We all know he would attack any of us given half a chance and he is watched like a hawk. "He is classified as a Rule 63 prisoner because of the threats he has made to staff. "There may be more cases going to court because of his threats and intimidation." Penrose has already been convicted in connection with the deaths of two people. Murder victim Philip Finnegan He was convicted of the murder two years ago of his best friend Philip Finnegan (24). He abducted him and stabbed him to death in a row over a debt before burying him in a shallow grave in a woods near Naas, County Kildare. The body was found by a dog walker who stumbled upon it three weeks later. Penrose was also previously convicted of the manslaughter of David Sharkey, 28, in 2010 from Navan, Co Meath in another row over drugs. He served just nine years in jail for that killing. He has also been convicted of assaulting three prison officers while in custody. The source added; " This guy is a really nasty piece of work." When I had the appointment with the oncologist she told me: Im very sorry, Caitriona, but you wont be able to have any more children. A CANCER survivor has revealed, having initially been told by doctors after she was diagnosed with the disease that she would never have children again, she was overjoyed when she fell pregnant with her second baby. Caitriona Greene, a teacher from Donegal based in Dublin, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. I had no experience of cancer, Caitriona tells presenter Evelyn ORourke on TG4s Biseach on Ailse. My aunt had cancer but she lived in England. I knew she was sick but I didnt know what she went through until I went through it myself. Its not a subject you want to know about. When youre in it then you have to learn a new vocabulary and everything associated with it very fast. It doesnt take you very long to know exactly whats involved. Caitriona Greene She was born and raised in Gort an Choirce, Co Donegal, and headed to Dublin where she studied there to become a primary school teacher The young teacher was there for 13 years right after college, teaching in an Irish language school in Ballymun and hoped to some day move home to Donegal and maybe have a family. I found out then I was pregnant and I had Dorothy in March 2018. Honestly I was completely happy, she recollects. That was when I found the lump in my breast. You never forget the day the doctor tells you you have cancer. When I had the appointment with the oncologist she told me: Im very sorry, Caitriona, but you wont be able to have any more children. My heart was broken. I went to Galway then to have the operation. A fortnight after the operation she was traveling in a car with her sister and mother when she became violently sick. I told my sister, Brid, you have to stop, I feel sick, I had shepherds pie last night, she recalls. I remember my mother, she turned around and said: Caitriona, when you were pregnant with Dorothy you were like that with shepherds pie, is there any chance you could be pregnant? I was like No, not at all. I took a test and came out, my mother and sister sat there and I said: Girls, Im pregnant!. And a mixture of emotions followed then. She then had to go through chemotherapy. So I had 10 rounds of chemotherapy. And then they decided to give me a C-section, it was the 26th of November, a Friday. They took out the baby and said: You have a little girl, she beams. I was like Oh my goodness! A girl, a girl! I was so smitten with her. Shes alive, shes safe and I was so happy she was there and healthy and that I was going to continue my treatment and that a life awaited the four of us when this was all over. Today she is thankful. You have to trust the research and think about the women who came before me who didn't have research. I think about the first pregnant woman to receive chemotherapy who didnt have research. She did that so women like me could sit in that chair and know that I was doing the right thing that I was getting my treatment and that the baby was safe, she reflects. One in two people in Ireland will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime and there are over 200,000 cancer survivors here. Researchers across the island of Ireland are tackling with incredible results thanks to the support of leading charities like Breakthrough Cancer Research. Biseach on Ailse is exploring innovative breakthroughs in cancer research in Ireland, backed by Breakthrough. In a heart-warming meeting of the minds, broadcaster, journalist and cancer survivor Evelyn ORourke brings two fellow cancer survivors face-to-face with dedicated cancer researchers to uncover the life-changing impact of cancer research. The well-known presenter has a keen interest in cancer research having had a personal experience with the disease 12 years ago. As well as Caitriona, Evelyn also meets with fellow cancer survivor Ann Marie OSullivan. Ann Marie was the first person in Munster to receive a new treatment (TCH-P) when she was diagnosed with cancer at the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020. The treatment was successful and she remembers the hope her medical team gave her. The documentary highlights how more people are surviving cancer in Ireland today thanks to investment in research and why there is a critical need for more research into poorer prognosis cancers. 50 years ago less than half of people diagnosed with breast and prostate cancer could look forward to more than five years survival. Today, thanks to investment in cancer research, the five-year survival rates for those cancers are 88pc and 93pc respectively. However, today some cancer survival rates are still less than 15pc (National Cancer Registry: Annual Statistical Report 2022). The programme also sheds light on the ground-breaking work being done by Breakthrough Cancer Research, whose vision is to create 100pc survival for 100pc of cancers by investing more research funding into the cancers that need the greatest improvement, those that are causing almost half of cancer deaths in Ireland, and by reducing the time it takes for lab discoveries to get to patients. An inquest heard five people have benefitted from Conor Cronins (26) organs following his death A young Dublin man, who suffered a brain injury from a fall while out running to raise funds for a charity, died just over 48 hours later after a sudden deterioration in his condition, an inquest has heard. Conor Cronin (26) hit his head during an unwitnessed fall while out jogging near Dublin City University on Ballymun Road around lunchtime on November 4, 2020. The cybersecurity analyst from Walnut Avenue in Drumcondra had been running as a team leader for his workplace, Edgescan, in aid of the mens health charity, Movember. An inquest at Dublin District Coroners Court on Wednesday heard Mr Cronin died in Beaumont Hospital on November 6, 2020 following unsuccessful emergency surgery to reduce extreme levels of pressure on his brain. Conor Cronin died after suffering a brain injury It was also informed that Conors family had agreed to donate his organs, as he would have wanted, which had benefited five other patients. Solicitor for Mr Cronins family, Jamie Hart, said the deceaseds relatives were concerned there had been a delay in transferring him to Beaumont from the Mater Misericordiae Hospital where he was originally brought after suffering the fall. However, a consultant neurosurgeon at Beaumont, Ciaran Bolger, said he believed the time of transfer between the two hospitals had made no difference as Mr Cronin had already been receiving maximum therapy after his pupils became fixed and dilated without any positive response. Prof Bolger, who had been consulting with colleagues in the Mater about the patient, said there had been no significant changes in two CT scans that had been conducted on Mr Cronin on the day he suffered the fall. Professor Ciaran Bolger, Consultant Neurologist at Beaumont Hospital Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin Tests showed he had some bruising of the brain and a skull fracture. Prof Bolger said Conor was classified with Category 2 injuries which were not deemed to require surgery and would be managed conservatively. However, he said the patient had become unresponsive the following day after which he was transferred to the Maters intensive care unit where his condition stabilised. The inquest heard that there was an agreement that an urgent transfer of the patient to Beaumont was required for better monitoring. The situation was upgraded to an emergency transfer after there was a further significant deterioration in Conors condition. Prof Bolger told coroner Clare Keane that Conor had received treatment about the usual level for a Category 2 patient. He said only 2% of Category 2 patients ever needed neurosurgery, while only 20% of those with more traumatic head injuries classified as Category 3 would ever need surgery. He observed that the condition of patients with mild head injuries very rarely deteriorated but Conors case was very unusual. It was extremely unfortunate as there was no indication from the original injury that Conor would ever need neurosurgery, he added. Prof Bolger said he could not explain why it happened but there were some types of swelling of the brain which could not be reversed. The inquiry heard that the low sodium levels were recorded in the patient which Prof Bolger acknowledged could affect swelling of the brain. However, he said he was unable to judge its significance in Conors case, before adding: It certainly did not help. He described the death of Mr Cronin as particularly tragic. It affected all of us, Prof Bolger remarked. He told the inquest that it was a death known as talk and die syndrome whereby someone with a relatively minor head injury, who appears to be fine, dies suddenly. In reply to questions from Mr Hart, he said 12 calls made between the two hospitals about Conors care was unusual for a Category 2 patient. While he agreed that staff at the Mater seemed anxious to get the patient transferred to Beaumont, Prof Bolger said that was true for all hospitals with patients with brain injuries. The inquest also heard from several doctors at the Mater that Mr Cronin had been given glucose for his diabetes which could reduce sodium levels in his body. The deceaseds brother, Ciaran Cronin, told Dr Keane that his late brother was in extremely good condition, despite being diagnosed with diabetes as a child, and was always working out and exercising. The witness said he travelled to the Mater and got to speak to his brother for 10 minutes before he was admitted to the emergency department after being alerted about the fall by a paramedic Mr Cronin said his brother had a lot of blood around his head and was confused but had recognised him. He said he was still not overly concerned when he was later informed that Conor was being transferred to the hospitals high dependency unit. Mr Cronin said he went into work the following day as he did not believe his brother was in a life or death situation. Ciaran Cronin, brother of the late Conor Cronin, pictured leaving the Dublin District Coroner's Court Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin However, he told the hearing that he was contacted just after 11am to be informed that Conor had been intubated and ventilated and was due to be transferred to Beaumont. Mr Cronin said he was later notified that his brother required emergency surgery as his condition was extremely grave. The inquest heard surgeons had removed a large piece of the deceaseds skull in order to reduce pressure on his brain but it had no impact. Mr Cronin described his brother as great fun and a lovely person who had a girlfriend and was enjoying his job. He was so much fun and was just getting into the prime of his life, he added. Its so sad that this happened, he remarked. In reply to questions from the coroner, Mr Cronin said his brother was a bit annoyed with himself over the fall. The person who discovered the deceased after his fall, Denise Clarke, said blood had been coming from his ear and he appeared unconscious although he soon came around. Ms Clarke said she did not think he had been lying on the ground for long as it was a busy road but he was shaking when she found him. The inquest was attended by a large group of Mr Cronins family and friends including his long-term girlfriend, Eavan Atkinson. The hearing was adjourned and will resume today. Oxygen is expected to run out at around 10am this morning A view inside the Titan showing how little space there is with several people aboard. Photo: PA The Titan submersible has five people on board: (from left) OceanGate founder Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Suleman Dawood and his father Shahzada The frantic last-ditch search for the stricken Titanic tourist submarine has ramped up, with more ships joining the rescue effort as oxygen levels on board dwindled. It is hoped that the additional personnel will be enough to save the five crew members on the OceanGate Expeditions sub before oxygen runs out at around 10am this morning. A second vessel has detected more underwater noises in the area where rescuers are searching for a submersible that went missing in the North Atlantic while bringing five people down to the Titanic. US Coast Guard officials have brought in more ships to search a narrowly defined area as time runs out to reach the Titan sub before the oxygen runs out at approximately 10am today. Rescue teams are continuing the search for the submersible tourist vessel which went missing during a voyage to the Titanic shipwreck with five people aboard (OceanGate Expeditions, PA) The full scope of the search was twice the size of Connecticut in waters 4km deep, said Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District. This is a search-and-rescue mission, 100pc, Capt Frederick said. When youre in the middle of a search-and-rescue case, you always have hope. Well continue to put every available asset that we have in an effort to find the Titan and the crew members. He revealed unexplained noises in the ocean had been detected for a second day yesterday, but we dont know what they are, to be frank. Retired Navy captain Carl Hartsfield, now the director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Systems Laboratory in Massachusetts, said the sounds had been described as banging noises, but warned that search crews have to put the whole picture together in context and they have to eliminate potential manmade sources other than the Titan. Even those who expressed some optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the vessels location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface assuming its still intact before the passengers oxygen supply runs out. Rescuers race against clock after noises heard from Titanic vessel search area The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan submersible went missing on Sunday is prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guards International Ice Patrol. After a Canadian military surveillance aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area, a robotic vessel was sent to scour the region but had so far yielded negative results, the Coast Guard said. Three search vessels arrived on-scene yesterday, including one that has side-scanning sonar capabilities. Authorities pushed to get salvage equipment to the scene in case the submersible is found. The Coast Guard statement about detecting sounds underwater came after Rolling Stone reported that search teams heard banging sounds in the area every 30 minutes. The report was encouraging to some experts because submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their submersibles hull to be detected by sonar. It sends a message that youre probably using military techniques to find me and this is how Im saying it, said Frank Owen, a submarine search-and-rescue expert. So, thats really encouraging if thats the case. A view inside the Titan showing how little space there is with several people aboard. Photo: PA Richard Garriott de Cayeux, the president of The Explorers Club, wrote an open letter to his clubs adventurers, saying he had much greater confidence about the search after speaking to officials in Congress, the US military and the White House. However, no official has publicly suggested they know the source of the underwater noises. Meanwhile, questions remain about how teams could reach the lost submersible, which could be as deep as about 3,800 metres below the surface near the watery tomb of the historic ocean liner. Newly uncovered allegations also suggest there had been significant warnings made about the submersibles safety during its development. Lost aboard the vessel are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers are a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert, who has family in Cork. Authorities reported the seven-metre carbon-fibre vessel overdue on Sunday night, setting off the search in waters about 700km south of St Johns in Newfoundland. The submersible had a four-day oxygen supply when it went to sea at around 6am on Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions, which oversaw the mission. Mr Owen said the estimated 96-hour oxygen supply is a useful target for searchers, but is only based on a nominal amount of consumption the average human might consume in doing certain things. Chris Brown, a British adventurer who paid a deposit to go on the Titan voyage but later withdrew because of what he called safety concerns, said word that the searchers had heard sounds was both good news and bad news. The submersible is used to visit the wreckage of the Titanic (OceanGate Expeditions/PA) If the sounds are coming from below the water indicator then that indicates that they may be alive in the water, but now weve got time pressures in getting them up to the surface, Mr Brown said on US TV. Mr Brown has previously criticised the use of a simple commercially available video game controller to steer the Titan. But OceanGate has said that many of the vessels parts are off-the-shelf because they have proved to be dependable. Its meant for a 16-year-old to throw it around, and is super durable, Mr Rush told CBC in an interview last year while he demonstrated by throwing the controller around the Titans tiny cabin. He said a couple of spares are kept on board just in case. The submersible had seven back-up systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. Aaron Newman, who has previously been a passenger on the Titan, told NBC that if the submersible is below a couple of hundred metres and without power, the passengers would be in complete darkness and cold. Coast Guard searching for Titan where noises have been heard It was cold when we were at the bottom, he said. You had layered up. You had wool hats on and were doing everything to stay warm at the bottom. Jeff Karson, a professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University, said the temperature on the ocean floor was just above freezing, and the vessel would be too deep for human divers to get to it. The best chance to reach the submersible could be to use a remotely operated robot on a fibre-optic cable. Meanwhile, documents show OceanGate had been warned there might be catastrophic safety problems posed by the way the experimental vessel was developed. David Lochridge, OceanGates director of marine operations, said in a 2018 lawsuit that the companys testing and certification was insufficient and would subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible. The company insisted that Lochridge was not an engineer. The Titan submersible has five people on board: (from left) OceanGate founder Stockton Rush, Hamish Harding, Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Suleman Dawood and his father Shahzada More noises have been heard in the area where the Titanic submersible went missing. Rescuers continuing to search for the craft are hopeful that new underwater banging noises are signs of life, according to the US Coastguard. Tapping sounds were detected on Tuesday and then again on Wednesday but searchers "don't know what they are," Captain Jamie Frederick of the US Coastguard has said. The five people inside the submersible have until approximately 11am on Thursday (BST) before their emergency oxygen runs out, says Captain Frederick. He said: "Yesterday a Canadian P3 detected underwater noises in the search area. "As a result ROV (remotely operated vehicle) operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises. Although the ROV searches have wielded negative results, they continue. "The surface search is now approximately two times the size of Connecticut, and the sub-surface search is up to 2.5 miles deep, exponentially expanding the size of the search area. "With the respect to the noises specifically, we don't know what they are, to be frank with you, they're P3 detected noises, that's why they're up there, that's why they're doing what they're doing, that's why they put sonar buoys in the water." A specialist rescue vessel has now been tasked to help find the missing Titanic wreckage voyagers that have not made contact with land since Sunday. Heavy machinery and supplies were loaded onto the Horizon Artic, which set sail shortly after 12am today from where the OceanGate expedition left on Saturday St Johns in Newfoundland, off the coast of Canada. According to The Daily Mail, at the docks, a man who claimed to be on standby to travel with the vessel said: There's enough air and water assets right now that they're not letting anybody else go right now. There's only so much you can do on the surface. This is the last kick at it. This is the last chance. There's no other chance other than this ROV (underwater vehicle). The rescue vessels journey will take 15 hours to reach the search zone around the Titanic shipwreck, roughly 400 miles out to sea, just as the five men in the lost submersible begin to exhaust their last hours of oxygen. In a statement on Twitter, the US Coast Guard said: "Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area. As a result, ROV operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises. Those ROV searches have yielded negative results but continue. "Additionally, the data from the P-3 aircraft has been shared with our U.S. Navy experts for further analysis which will be considered in future search plans." It usually serves as a tourist or research vessel, with guests believed to pay around $250,000 (around 195,000) to see the Titanic wreck, which lies 12,500ft beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content The Explorers Club, which two of the people on board are members of, shared an upbeat message on Wednesday morning. President Richard Garriot de Cayeux said in a statement: There is cause for hope, that based on data from the field, we understand that likely signs of life have been detected at the site. They precisely understand the experienced personnel and tech we can help deploy We believe they are doing everything possible with all the resources they have. Mr Garriot de Cayeux said they are ready to provide the UK-based Magellans remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that is certified to travel as deep as 6,000 metres. An internal email from the Explorers Club president reads: "It is being reported that at 2 a.m. local time on site that sonar detected potential tapping sounds at the location, implying crew may be alive and signaling. The Boston Coast Guard, which is leading the search effort, hasn't yet commented on the nature of the sounds. Meanwhile, US media outlet Rolling Stone reported an internal US government memo said banging was detected by Canadian search aircraft in 30-minute intervals on Wednesday. British billionaire and famous explorer Hamish Harding is among the five people trapped on the submarine, alongside Pakistani-British business advisor Shahzada Dawood and his son, who also reside in the UK. Search continues for Titanic tourist submarine missing in Atlantic with five people aboard It is understood the King is being kept informed of the search efforts, as Shahzada Dawood is a long-time supporter of The Princes Trust International and The British Asian Trust, both of which are charities founded by Charles. French veteran pilot and diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet and chief executive and founder of OceanGate Expeditions Stockton Rush are also on the vessel, according to reports. Mr Nargeolet has family in Cork, including a grandson being educated in the city and two adult children. CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, which owns the submersible, Stockton Rush, is also on board. The submersible was reported overdue on Monday but contact was lost 1 hour 45 minutes into its dive on Sunday afternoon, the coast guard said. Irish oil executive Oisin Fanning, who has previously made the OceanGate voyage himself, expressed confidence in the Titan crew and said "there's a very good chance they will be found. Onboard the Titan submersible's trip to the Titanic with OceanGate that is now subject of frantic search He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he had been on the submersible with Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Stockton Rush. "The two guys on the sub currently, Paul and Stockton, are both consummate professionals," he said. "I mean, to be honest, if I was in trouble, I'd want to be on a sub with them. "They will be conserving energy from day one. So I wouldn't be surprised if the action lasts a lot longer because they'll know exactly what to do. "I mean, you're talking about people who have dived to the Titanic alone 38, 40 times - you know, their careers (are) about diving." They will be advising the people on board with them "not to panic", he added. "I think there's a very good chance they will be found. These are not fly-by-nighters, these are very highly professional people." However, retired navy rear admiral Chris Parry told LBC: "I'm afraid the odds are vanishingly small. He said that without an "emitting signal" from the vessel, it will be "impossible" to find them in the timescale. A very royal welcome home. Missy Keating has been pictured downing champagne with former Boyzone star dad Ronan as they took a private chopper to the horse racing at Royal Ascot. The influencer had been living in Australia and travelling around Indonesia and Mexico but has just returned to her fathers base in the UK to be reunited with her family, And it seems she made it just in time for one of the biggest events on the English horse racing calendar. A very royal welcome home, Missy captioned the photo. The Keating family Missy posted further images of her brother, Jack, as well as Ronans wife, Storm, as they prepared to board the helicopter. On Fathers Day last week, Missy wrote: Travelling the last nine months has been absolutely incredible and I am very grateful for all my adventures. However I was missing my family my rock. I feel whole again today. Thank you for everything dad. Brother Jack became a first-time dad this year, and Missy was able to meet her niece Maya Ann, who was born in March. Ronan, Storm, Missy and Jack Keating Royal Ascot is attended by some of the UK's most well known personalities, including King Charles and Queen Camilla who made the journey to the Ascot Racecourse for the opening day. Fans were enamoured by the Keating gang, with one writing; 'Gorgeous family x love both dresses.' Royal Ascot 'You all look fabulous; enjoy; hope you bet on the right horses,' another added. 'Omg what a dream way to go the races, looks amazing xx,' a third wrote, with many in awe of both Missy and Storm's clobber. Veteran jockey Frankie Dettori grabbed the winner at his final Royal Ascot when he landed the Queens Vase on Gregory on Wednesday and the Gold Cup this afternoon on Courage Mon Ami. A worker could find himself out of a job if his company fears its clients sensitive information could be at risk of being accessed by an unauthorized person. Why does someone stay in a romantic relationship with a con artist? We are talking about a responsible person who should be aware that their significant other is dishonest and capable of causing them and their employer significant harm. How Not to Conduct a Job Interview Is there a way for their employer, family and friends to help them see the light and get out of the toxic relationship? And if the employee refuses all offers of help, could that be a basis for termination? Todays story began with a phone call from the CEO of an accounting firm. One of our CPAs is involved in a relationship with a woman who is an emotional con artist. I am hoping that you can help him see the quagmire that he is in and the danger it creates for our firm. The following day, Chuck dropped by the office. It was instantly clear that his extreme fear of being alone and obsessive need for companionship had exposed him to a peril he refused to see, or even accept that it was a possibility. Wonderful gal turns out to be a liar and con artist I am dating a wonderful gal who is the emotional answer to my needs, said Chuck, who is divorced and has a son. My employer hates her because she goes by different names, exaggerates and has claimed to be an M.D., which I found not to be true. Im not worried despite what everyone is telling me. I cant survive without being loved, having someone to love. It makes me so happy to see how appreciative she is when I give her presents; my ex never even said thank you! I would do anything she asks. Chuck added, rationalizing, I am keeping just close enough to the campfire to be kept warm, but not get burned. Or so he thinks. A con artist knows what their victims insatiable need is and meets it I spoke with Southern California clinical psychologist Dr. Kathe Lundgren and Luis Vega, psychology professor at California State University at Bakersfield, and had two questions for them: What is the psychological mechanism for how an obviously bright guy like Chuck can get into this situation? Can Chucks friends, family or employer help him? What can be done? The relationship is literally just like drug addiction She meets and is fixing his extreme need, Lundgren says. She is his cocaine. He would go through withdrawal without her presence. A con artist knows what their victims insatiable need is and meets it. You disregard what everyone around you is saying because they are filling that hole in you. Everyone is trying to talk sense to you, but they do not see the hole. The victim becomes addicted to the behavior created by the con artist literally just like drug addiction. He is living a fantasy romance without seeing day-to-day problems or solutions. Thinking of Starting a Business? Tips for Avoiding Failure Vega offers this take: Once we commit to allowing a con into our life, we short-circuit our mind and heart in order to justify the relationship even when wrong signals appear. It is easier to say, I really love this person, compared to thinking and feeling fooled conned which others are telling us has happened. The commitment this vicious commitment not only blinds us, but also binds us to what we might otherwise see, in a perfect state of mind, as a deceitful, conniving manipulator when the alert, alert signs start to flash. What can family, friends or an employer do? Chuck needs to invite her to family activities, Lundgren recommends. She will tell different stories and will not be able to keep up with all of her lies and this will get back to him. You want to create the environment where this can happen. Be careful, Vega warns, that your feedback does not create a boomerang of adding wood to the fire. This would predictably cause her to isolate him from family and friends in order to preserve their relationship. That is a real danger he faces. Both are a clear and present danger to the CPA firm I checked in with David D. Schein, attorney and business law professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, on what risks lurk for Chucks employer, a CPA firm. Just picture Chuck working from home, his computer having accessed client files, and he takes a nap, Schein says. This becomes an invitation for the girlfriend to search client files for her next mark. Schein recommends, Either she agrees to a detailed background check, including fingerprints, photo scan and DNA analysis, or Chuck could be out of a job. It is that serious when you have a known con artist in such a close relationship to your employee, especially for a CPA firm. Even then, Chuck may be too great of a risk to the firm. ADA Violation or Just Bad Business? Honey, I Shrunk the Menu! So while Chuck might not listen to reason from friends and family, the threat of losing his job as his employer seeks to protect its clients from the machinations of Chucks con artist girlfriend could help him shed his romantic blinders. Dennis Beaver practices law in Bakersfield, Calif., and welcomes comments and questions from readers, which may be faxed to (661) 323-7993, or e-mailed to Lagombeaver1@gmail.com. And be sure to visit dennisbeaver.com. A panel which spent two years reviewing the state of local government by talking to councils up and down the country has concluded a radical overhaul is needed. The Future for Local Government report - He piki turanga, he piki kotuku - said the relationship between central government and local government needed to be improved to better serve New Zealand communities. It laid out 17 recommendations under five different themes, panel chairman Jim Palmer telling RNZ if implemented, they could be "world-leading". The 135-page report, with over 800 pages of supporting material, says a requirement for councils to develop better partnerships with hapu/iwi was needed, terms should be extended to four years, and the voting age for local government lowered to 16. It also wanted to establish a dedicated Crown department to facilitate a more effective working relationship between local and central government. Why was this needed? The review is the most "significant" report on local government that has been done since the 1989 reforms and 2002 Local Government Act, the panel says. It comes at a time when New Zealand is responding to "economic, social and environment challenges". It was announced by then-Minister of l Local Government Nanaia Mahuta on April 23, 2021, to focus on how the local democracy system needed to evolve over the next 30 years. At the time, Mahuta said now more than ever, local governance participation and democracy needed to be strengthened. "It is about our people," she says. "LGNZ believes that the time is right to review proactively the local government framework in order to ensure we are locking in the strengths of the existing system while addressing its weaknesses and enabling democratic decision-making at the appropriate level." What did the review panel say about it? Review panel chairman Jim Palmer says it had taken two years to prepare and provide the report to Local Government New Zealand and Local Government Minister Kieran McAnulty. It was up to them to consider the recommendations and decide the next steps, with the panel recommending a steering group be established - made up of representatives from both local and central government - to do this. Palmer says the panel believed local government needed to be strong to build community resilience and strong local democracies. "Currently, local communities are not well served by the relationship between local government and central government and a reset in that relationship is required. Our communities must be empowered to develop local solutions with more support and funding from central government." The five-person panel engaged with local councils for two years as part of the review, travelling widely up and down the country. They heard a "wide range of views" but nothing that was particularly surprising. "Many of the issues that we have raised in our report have been longstanding for quite some time now," says Palmer. "What we see is 17 impactful recommendations that if implemented, will create a system of local government that is both fit for the future and world-leading." What did the local government minister say about the review? McAnulty told Local Democracy Reporting the report was an opportunity to work with local government and consider the issues raised, after the upcoming election. Minister for Local Government Kieran McAnulty. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone "We need to know how our system of local government needs to evolve so it is better able to support programmes critical to communities, such as our emergency management system, our climate resilience profile, improvements to housing supply and councils as enablers of community wellbeing. "Reforming local government is important, but 'bread-and-butter' issues and recovery from recent disasters take precedence in the short-term." What did LGNZ say about the review? In a statement, LGNZ president Stuart Crosby says not every council would agree with every recommendation, with but local government was "united in the need for change". Local Government New Zealand president Stuart Crosby. Photo: Supplied. "It's time to face into the future. With a roadmap to a brighter, more sustainable future now delivered by the panel, it is time for local government to pick up the mantle. "Central government cannot solve the issues communities face on its own. If we look at the big issues such as climate change, dealing with regional inequalities, building social cohesion and planning for growth, local government is best placed to take a leadership role." Central Hawke's Bay Mayor Alex Walker says it is an "exciting time" to be an elected member in local government. "We urge politicians not to take the easy road and play politics with the report. Local government matters too much to our communities. Let's look at the recommendations through a localism lens." Walker says every recommendation needed to be considered thoughtfully. What were the recommendations in full? The panel split its 17 recommendations into five different themes. Embedding local government's purpose and wellbeing focus Entrench the purpose of local government, as set out in the Local Government Act 2002, to embed intergenerational wellbeing and local democracy at the heart of local government. Introduce statutory provisions to reinforce and give effect to the purpose of local government in the Local Government Act 2002, by: councils setting wellbeing goals and priorities each term, in conjunction with community and hapu/iwi and Maori central and local government committing to align wellbeing priorities and agree place-based investment plans. Growing authentic Te Tiriti-based partnerships Introduce new provisions in the Local Government Act 2002 that explicitly recognise local government as a partner to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te ao Maori values to strengthen authentic relationships in the local exercise of kawanatanga and rangatiratanga. Introduce a statutory requirement for councils to develop partnership frameworks with hapu/iwi and Maori to give effect to new Te Tiriti provisions in the Local Government Act 2002 that create new governance arrangements and complement existing ones. Central government leads a comprehensive review of requirements for engaging with Maori across legislation that impacts local government, considering opportunities to streamline or align those requirements. Amend the Local Government Act 2002 to require councils (elected members and chief executives) to prioritise and invest in developing and strengthening their capability and capacity in the areas of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te ao Maori values, matauranga Maori, tikanga, and the whakapapa of local government in order to make local government a better Te Tiriti partner. System renewal Initiate a reorganisation of local government to strengthen, support, and resource councils to plan for and respond to increasing challenges and opportunities, and to set local government up for a more complex future. Establish a dedicated Crown department to facilitate a more effective working relationship between local and central government that focuses on: a relational-based operating model to align priorities, roles, and funding brokering place-based approaches and agreements to address complex challenges and opportunities research, development, and innovation capability that equips local government to maximise intergenerational wellbeing for its communities. Establish a new local government stewardship institution to strengthen the health and fitness of the system. This entity should: provide care for and oversight of the local government system, including the health of local democracy and local government's future-fit capability and capacity foster common purpose and relationships support and enable the health of the Maori-local government relationship incorporate the current roles and responsibilities of the Local Government Commission. Strengthening local democracy and leadership Local government and councils develop and invest in democratic innovations, including participatory and deliberative democracy processes. Enhance local democracy in order to increase access and representation by: providing for a four-year local electoral term adopting ranked voting (also known as single transferrable vote or STV) as nationwide method for local elections lowering the threshold for the establishment of Maori wards enabling Te Tiriti-based appointments to councils lowering the voting age for local elections to 16. Local and central government coinvest to build adaptive leadership capability focusing on leading change and system renewal valuing civic leadership and public service partnership and collaboration innovation and experimentation. Increasing funding In order to prioritise and deliver on wellbeing, central government makes a greater investment in local government through: an annual transfer of revenue equivalent to GST charged on rates significant funding to support local priorities, place-based agreements, and devolution of roles. Central government pays rates on Crown property. Central government develops an intergenerational fund for climate change, with the application of the fund requiring appropriate regional and local decision-making. Cabinet is required to consider the funding impact on local government of proposed policy decisions. Central government commits funding to support and enable the future transition by: resourcing a transition unit to support the change and system renewal of local government supplementing local government capacity funding to enable hapu/iwi and Maori to partner with councils supporting councils to: build Te Tiriti and te ao Maori capability and grow mana whenua relationships; lift their immediate capacity and capability to innovatively deliver wellbeing priorities for their communities; trial and grow participatory and deliberative democracy practices. Will these recommendations actually be implemented? Well, that is yet to be determined. McAnulty told Local Democracy Reporting the government would consider the report once the election was over. "In the meantime, we are interested in hearing from councils their initial views on the final report. "We are conscious of other sensitive areas of work that require focus and resources, such as helping New Zealanders through complex economic circumstances and recovery from recent weather events." McAnulty says the election gave local government time to get together, look over the recommendations and decide what it did and did not like. "Then, after the election, we can sit down and agree on how to progress things." RNZ BEIJING, June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony took place in Beijing, China, and signifies an important step for European Wellness Biomedical Group (EW Group) through its Malaysian subsidiary, European Wellness Academy (EWA), to build a digital technology platform in partnership with Shenzhen Dumbo Future Technology Co. (SDFT Co.), the global marketing service provider of TikTok Digital, the world's leading short-form video platform. A visit to ByteDance's HQ in Beijing. A warm welcome from SDFT Co. Director, Mr. Zhang De Ping The collaboration represents a key step forward in EW Group's efforts to incorporate Integrative Biological Wellness into their platform, by leveraging digital technology to reach a worldwide audience and market. Witnessed by The Honourable Dato' Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim, the 10th Prime Minister of Malaysia, the MOU was signed by EW Group Chairman, Prof Dato' Sri Dr Mike Chan and SDFT Co. Director, Zhang De Ping. A digital education platform known as the "European Wellness Digital Education Center for Biological Wellness" will be established to deliver high-quality educational content related to Integrative and Biological Wellness in cooperation with TikTok Digital and supported by EW Group. This specially curated programme bears the potential to be a valuable and powerful digital tool for world-class medical and healthcare practitioners to engage and educate digital communities about healthcare and wellness-related topics. The partnership also involves the creation of a technologically advanced "Digital Wellness Corridor", wherein both parties are expected to explore the potential for cooperation digital technologies. With this connection, global wellness travellers gain access to integrative healthcare and wellness services based on EW Group's signature standard of procedures, encompassing diagnostics, detoxification, repair interventions and rejuvenation therapies, known as the DDRRTM Protocol. These services will be accessed through online telemedicine and wellness retreat travel programs via digital platforms and offline channel marketing platforms. Additionally, SDFT Co. will exclusively distribute the Swiss world-renowned brand of MF3 Switzerland nutraceuticals, skincare and cosmeceuticals, and therapeutics products. This collaboration will enable the expanded distribution and availability of the prestigious products to a wider audience and market all over China. This objective will be achieved by facilitating the delivery of its high-quality, evidence-based nutraceuticals and cosmeceuticals prescribed by EW Group through the digital technologies and offline channel marketing platforms developed through this partnership. The cooperation is expected to help Malaysia bolster its digital economy, which would in turn stimulate local digital economic growth and contribute to the national economy in the future, particularly in the rapidly emerging integrative healthcare and wellness industry. European Wellness Biomedical Group An award-winning European group, most renowned for its pioneering developments in organ-specific precursor (progenitor) stem cell therapeutics, biological and synthetic peptides, biological-regenerative medicine, immunotherapies, and nutraceutical and cosmeceuticals. EW Group's multinational business divisions include research and developments, bio-manufacturing, biomedical academies, hospital and wellness centres and nutraceutical product distributions across 80 countries worldwide. EW Group also owns and operates a growing network of internationally accredited Hospital and Medical Centres specializing in Regenerative Bio-Medicine and luxury Wellness Centres globally. EW Group is headquartered in Germany and Malaysia (Asia Pacific) with research vested in Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic and United Kingdom. MFIII of Switzerland The brand that carries pioneering Softgels Switzerland, initially developed under LABDOM Suisse, MF3's revolutionary PE and VP Softgels Advanced Formula supplements became the forerunner of placenta supplements in the market and capture worldwide fans for their superior quality and proven results. With a new brand identity, MF3 continues to deliver revolutionary high performing products to meet consumer demands and needs worldwide. Media Contact: Ferellica Martin media@european-wellness.com Logo (PRNewsfoto/European Wellness Biomedical Group) Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/european-wellness-signs-a-multi-million-mou-for-mf3-of-switzerland-supplements--skincare-exclusivity-distribution-for-china-301857450.html SOURCE European Wellness Biomedical Group Lawton, OK (73501) Today A mix of clouds and sun. Hot. High 103F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 73F. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Syracuse was shut down on June 21, 1910. Mayor Ed Schoeneck had declared a city-wide holiday so that every interested citizen could gather together in Clinton Square for the long-awaited dedication of the magnificent new Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Rising some one-hundred feet into the heavens from the concrete terrace below, the awe-inspiring white granite pylon contained four massive panels measuring eight feet across, between four Ionic columns, all topped with an enormous globe, eleven feet in diameter. Built at a cost of approximately $75,000 ($2.3 million in 2023) appropriated by the Onondaga County Board of Supervisors, this stirring monument was dedicated to the Brave sons of Onondaga, who served their country on land and sea, that the union might be preserved and the Constitution maintained. Interestingly, there is no mention of slavery on the monument. Designed by architect C.H. Blackall of Boston, the stirring scenes bronze sculptures some twenty-four feet high, were the work of Massachusetts-based, Cyrus E. Dallin, had been cast in Paris, where both men studied at the some of the worlds finest schools. Blackall, a student of the Ecole des Beaux Arts, and Dallin, who studied at the Academie Julian. were nationally recognized in their respective fields. Dallins involvement was particularly noteworthy. In 1884, he had burst onto the national art scene as a precocious twenty-two-year-old, when he unexpectedly entered and won a city-wide competition in Boston to sculpt a monument to the legendary patriot silversmith and revolutionary, Paul Revere, in the citys north end (this iconic equestrian sculpture was not completed until 1940). Both before and after his work on the Syracuse monument, Dallin cultivated a reputation as one of the nations pre-eminent sculptors of tributes to Americas Indigenous peoples, whom he admired greatly since his childhood in Utah. - Mrs. Max Schwartz. Onondaga Historical Association Onondaga Historical AssociationOnondaga Historical Association His most famous work in this genre, Appeal to the Great Spirit, was installed in front of Bostons Museum of Fine Arts, in 1909. Dallin, who was born in 1861, was inspired by the righteousness of the war. As such, his sculptures convey the scale and the heroism of the conflict and its victorious combatants. His design beat out five other competitors in a contest held in the spring of 1906. Originally, Dallin envisioned two massive equestrian statues as well, but those were scrapped due to budgetary constraints. On the eastern panel of the monument stands the massive piece entitled, The Call to Arms. Here Dallin represented all four branches of the Union forces: The U.S. Army--the artillery, infantry, cavalry, and the U.S. Navy. Behind them flew Liberty, an allegorical female character, carrying the American flag and sounding the call to arms on her horn. On the western panel, Dallin crafted a scene from Culps Hill at Gettysburg, wherein members of the 149th New York Infantry Regiment had fought and died so bravely. Entitled Mending the Flag, it portrays in the most vivid form, William C. Lilly, the color bearer for the 149th, who knelt down to mend the splintered flagstaff with a strap from his knapsack and hold it aloft amidst a barrage of gunfire. The flag had more than eighty holes in it. Behind him, the commanding officer, mounted on horseback, orders the men to move forward and into the fray. The 149th NY Volunteers immortalized in bronze lost six men that day. In total, 1,270 mustered in at Syracuse on September 18, 1862; 620 never made it back. The 149th New York was only one regiment of many from Onondaga County. Between April 1861 and April 1865, Onondaga County sent 12,265 men, both White and Black, to fight in the War of Rebellion. Inscribed on the pylons pedestal, which measures some twenty-four by twenty-six feet, is every battle and engagement they fought in. This astonishing list of 176 inscriptions includes some of the most important battles of the war, Fort Sumter, Antietam, Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, Cold Harbor, Atlanta, and Appomattox Courthouse, to name just a few. One of those 12,265 men was the brother of Mrs. M.H. Schwartz, who had gone off and enlisted in a Wisconsin regiment and never came home. In 1903, Mrs. Schwartz and her friend, Mrs. Dwight H. Bruce began their tireless crusade to erect a proper monument to the sacrifice of men like her brother. With the help fellow citizens like retail magnates Donald Dey and Dennis McCarthy and nine others, including John Hayden and Theodore E. Hancock and Civil War Veterans Col. Nicholas Grumbach and William Sears, they formed an association in 1904 to meet their patriotic challenge. The community support was overwhelming and the project moved forward with great dispatch. The Hon. Frank Hiscock threw his considerable weight behind the project and gave several stirring speeches in favor of it, including one at annual gathering of veterans at Long Branch Park in 1905. Hiscock, like many Syracusans, thought the monument was long overdue. For Dennis McCarthy, this work was a decades long family crusade. His father, Dennis McCarthy Sr., retailer, former Mayor and U.S. Congressman, Rev. Samuel May and about a dozen other men formed the citys first monument committee in May 1865, just a few weeks after Lees surrender at Appomattox Court House. For a host of reasons, the project never came to fruition. At various time over the ensuing decades, there were rumblings in the press but nothing came of it. As more and more veterans of the war began to pass-away in the 1890s, there was a renewed call to action. As A Veteran wrote in a correspondence published in The Post Standard in 1899, the lack of a memorial was a burning shame and disgrace to the county. In the end, it took the pugnacity of Mrs. Schwartz and her compatriots to make the monument a reality. - The Soldiers and Sailors Monument under construction, 1909. Cyrus Dallin sculpted both panels in Massachusetts; he then went with them to Paris to have them enlarged and cast in bronze. Onondaga Historical AssociationOnondaga Historical Association Thus, a grateful city gathered on that June afternoon, 113 years ago. Included amongst the estimated crowd of 40,000 people were nearly 500 Union veterans, many moved to tears according to some accounts. Accordingly, Judge Hiscocks speech was said by one observer to have breathed a message of public appreciation and gratitude that will long echo in the hearts of every listener and reader. The final speaker at the dedication was the nations Vice-President, James Sherman, a Utica native. Sherman talked of union and of slavery, the cornerstone of the Confederacy. In front of the veterans whose deeds were being memorialized, the Vice-President spoke of legacy. After the final summons has been answered by the last survivor, for ages to come, their souls, their example, the results of their achievement, will, like John Browns soul, still go marching on. The inscription on the monuments north side reads as follows: This monument is erected by a grateful people of Onondaga in appreciation of the glorious achievements of the men who volunteered their services in defense of the nation, 1861-1865. May their example speak to coming generations. After the festivities, Mrs. Schwartz told The Post Standard, Syracuse has not realized what a monument it has. She believed it would take some time. Over a century later, one hopes that Syracusans have come to that realization. For 113 years, the monument has towered over countless gatherings, concerts, ethnic festivals, and a host of other events that try and bring the community together. The work to create a more perfect union, a union saved by the courageous men memorialized in Clinton Square, continues on. Artist Kevin Carr, who grew up in Canandaigua and now lives in Farmington, N.Y., creates multimedia pieces with a strong focus on textiles and quilting while also pulling from the canon of painting. But it took him a while to get there. He attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for a masters degree in painting and drawing, seeking an expanded and interdisciplinary focus to painting. The first months there, I hated everything I made, he said. I ended that semester feeling so defeated. Then Carr realized that he didnt move to Chicago to create traditional paintings; he came to experiment and play with different materials. The outgrowth of those experiments can be seen in I Am a Friend of Dorothy, on display in Schweinfurth Art Center and Cayuga Museum of History & Art through Aug. 20, 2023. He is the second Emerging Artist to be featured this year in both institutions as part of a joint project. Carrs foray into fabric began during his undergraduate work at Alfred University in a class called Mixed Materials. Every student was given a 10 by 14 foot piece of muslin to create a work with. I tore it into long strips and dyed it with watered-down house paint, he said. Using the strips, I created a woven installation. I even asked for 20 more feet of muslin to make it larger. His love for textiles was cemented when he inherited boxes of denim scraps from his grandmother, who moved to a senior living community. I made this huge sculpture about the size of a mattress standing on its edge, he said. Thats where the quilting started. Undated portrait of Kevin Carr. He attended Alfred University for his undergraduate degree and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for his masters degree. He is interested in all aspects of quilting, especially its history. During summer 2022, Carr visited the International Quilt Museum in Nebraska. Through that visit and subsequent research, he learned that quilting dates back hundreds of years. The earliest depiction of a patchwork textile is found in Egyptian hieroglyphics, and the earliest physical quilts that still remain come from the Middle East and northeast India, he said. We can even find the pattern called The Flying Geese by U.S. quilters in central Asian patchworks from hundreds of years ago. He traces his interdisciplinary nature and passion for formalism to two queer modernist artists: minimalist painter and sculptor Ellsworth Kelly and sculptor and installation artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres. Kelly is known for his color field paintings and large, minimal, color forms. On the other hand, Gonzalez-Torres used readymade objects like candy, lightbulbs, and strings of beads to speak about love and loss. Carr also explores concepts of queerness in his work. I Am a Friend of Dorothy is my way of claiming space for myself and others, he said. The project is meant to be a window into the joy that queer relationships, both romantic and platonic, can create. The title references the movie Wizard of Oz and is a phrase that was used covertly to identify LGBTQ people in the 20th Century. The use of the phrase has declined in recent decades due in part to LGBTQ acceptance becoming fashionable. However, threats remain for the community, Carr added. In the current political climate, members of the LGBTQ community are not only fighting for their rights but also the very breath they breathe, he said. My show is supposed to give anyone who knows the referenced film a place to connect to the concepts being referenced. He Came to Me in the Night, by Kevin Carr, 2022. Carr is leading two workshops July 1, 2023, a morning Family Fabric Painting Workshop for families with children aged 5 and older and an afternoon Improvised Scrap Quilting Workshop for people aged 16 and older. The morning session meets 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and costs $10 a person. The afternoon workshop meets 1:30 to 5 p.m. and costs $45 a person. Space for both workshops is limited, and those interested can sign up at https://schweinfurthartcenter.org/i-am-a-friend-of-dorothy/. The workshops are my way of sharing a piece of my art practice with the participants, he said. They are meant to spark creativity while also giving participants a look into my process. Each workshop includes an artist-led tour of his exhibit. Carrs goal in creating this exhibit was to honor the people he loves. When I think back to the people that have made the biggest impact on me besides my family it is the LGBTQ people, specifically gender non-conforming individuals and queer womxn, he said. I hope they feel seen amongst the work. The Schweinfurths summer 2023 exhibits are sponsored by Osborne Memorial Association, Nelson B. Delevan Foundation, and New York State Council on the Arts. If you go WHAT: I Am a Friend of Dorothy exhibition by artist Kevin Carr WHEN: June 10 to August 20, 2023 WHERE: Schweinfurth Art Center, 205 Genesee St., Auburn, and Cayuga Museum of History & Art, 203 Genesee St., Auburn SCHWEINFURTH GALLERY HOURS: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays CAYUGA MUSEUM GALLERY HOURS: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays ALSO ON DISPLAY: Nancy Crow: Sequences, Riffs, and Drawings and The Palace at 3AM by artist Gary Sczerbaniewicz COST: Admission to the Schweinfurth is $10 per person; joint tickets to both facilities are $15 per person WORKSHOPS: Family Fabric Painting Workshop; 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 1, 2023; $10 per person; for ages 5 and up Improvised Scrap Quilting Workshop; 1:30 to 5 p.m. July 1, 2023; $45 per person; for ages 16 and up Space is limited; sign up at https://schweinfurthartcenter.org/i-am-a-friend-of-dorothy/ RELATED EVENT: Schweinfurth and Cayuga Museum are closing Carrs exhibit with A Night with the Friends of Dorothy drag shows at 5 and 7 p.m. Aug. 19, 2023. Each set will feature live drag and singing performances, starting at the Cayuga Museum and ending at the Schweinfurth. Tickets are $40 and reservations are required. The Syracuse school board plans to review its policies after syracuse.com | The Post-Standard reported that a church is using Nottingham High School for worship services on Sundays. After the story ran, the teachers union called on the district to end its arrangement with Radiant Church. Parents and students have also complained to the district about a lack of separation of church and state. Many also complained that the church considers homosexuality a sin. The arrangement also appears to violate the districts own rules. School Board President Tamica Barnett said the board will not discuss the issue this month because some members cannot make a meeting. But she said the board expects to give the issue a deep look next month. Syracuse.com|The Post-Standard surveyed board members and candidates on whether a church should be able to hold worship services in a school. Of the 12 persons questioned, five answered, three wouldnt answer and four did not respond to multiple requests for comment. The board members said they were speaking on their own behalf and not for the board. Heres what they said: Tamica Barnett, board president and candidate for re-election: I dont think [a school] should be the home of any worshiping space, she said. They should have their own facility. She believes the districts decision to allow a church to use Nottingham High School for worship services may be in violation of school policy. She would not renew the churchs contract when it expires at the end of the month. Katie Sojewicz, board vice president: I do think there is merit to separating church out of public education, Sojewicz said. She said she is listening to the concerns of everyone who comes forward. She received phone calls and emails from community members, all of whom are opposed to the district allowing Radiant Church to use Nottingham. Sojewicz said the board will be conducting a review of the building-use policy this summer, which will influence her opinion on whether she believes the district is violating board policy. Commissioner Karen Cordano: Cordano declined to answer questions and read a prepared statement that was shared with Barnett prior to the interview. I support the superintendent. I am one of seven board members. And Im interested in revisiting policy about who rents space. Because I do not speak for the board, I will not muddy the waters of a sensitive topic by giving my personal opinion when the solution we reach will be as a single body. Commissioner Twiggy Billue: Billue declined to answer questions but said she supports Barnetts statements. Commissioner Dan Romeo: Romeo declined to comment, citing the boards practice of having only the president speak with the media. Commissioner Nyatwa Bullock: Did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Commissioner Mark Muhammad: Did not respond to multiple requests for comment. - Barnett and four other candidates are running Tuesday in the Democratic primary for school board. Republican Magnolia Mumm is running in the general election in November. Heres what the candidates said: Magnolia Mumm: When it comes to religion, I dont discriminate what kind of religion you are, what you believe in. Mumm said. But a school is a school. Thats where youre going to send your kids. I think its not okay for them to use the school facilities. Mumm said the district is violating school policy and she would not renew the churchs contract. Mumm also took issue with the district not informing Nottingham parents that the church would be using the school. Putting religion in the school facilities without informing parents first?, Mumm said. I think thats a big no-no. Thats a big deal. Mary Habib: A situation where students are being greeted at the front door by church members when they are coming in for a play rehearsal is not something that should be happening, Habib said. Some Nottingham parents were unaware of the districts arrangement with Radiant until they dropped their kids off for musical rehearsal on a Sunday in April. They were surprised their children would be sharing their school with a church. That led to complaints to the district. Habib said the arrangement violates district policy. She would not renew the churchs contract. I think they need to take a good long, hard look at how this fits into the other initiatives in the district, she said. You know, diversity, equity, and inclusion is something that we are very committed to in the district. It would seem that the views of this organization do not support those initiatives. Michael Root: It seems clear, to my understanding, that they are in violation of the board policy, Root said. Root said he is not in favor of religious groups using school buildings. He believes the district should refuse building use to any religious group conducting worship services. He said that would also prevent any accusation of discrimination for allowing some groups and denying others. Its exclusive, Root said of Radiant. And Nottingham should not be a part of that. Ranette Releford: She said she would read the story on Radiant Church and call back to respond. Releford did not call back or respond to additional requests for comment. Gwendolyn Raeford: Did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Watchdog/Public Affairs reporter Melissa Newcomb covers education, including Syracuse University and the city schools. For tips, contact her anytime at mnewcomb@syracuse.com, 315-679-1068, or @melissarnewcomb on Twitter. (Bloomberg) -- Cloud networking provider Aviatrix Systems Inc. has a new chairman and chief executive officer: former Splunk Inc. CEO Doug Merritt. Most Read from Bloomberg Aviatrix was valued at $2 billion by investors in 2021. Since then, the market for cloud computing has been upended. Many cloud customers are delaying or cutting back on spending overall, eating into the revenue of companies like Aviatrix. At the same time, businesses continue to shift their applications to the cloud. The number of mission-critical applications in cloud is relatively small and will grow, Merritt said. The networking, and the networking security element, has got to follow. Aviatrixs products help customers systems including routing, firewalls and logins work smoothly across the various cloud services from Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc.s Google. Santa Clara-based Aviatrix, founded a decade ago by Sherry Wei, is on track for annual revenue of around $100 million, said outgoing CEO Steve Mullaney. Im the one to one-hundred-million guy, Mullaney said of his pending departure. Im not a 100 to a billion guy. At Splunk, Mullaney said, Merritt took revenue past $1 billion after joining the company in 2014 and eventually becoming CEO. He left in 2021, six months after Silver Lake invested $1 billion into the company. Splunk currently has a $17 billion market cap. Aviatrix likely wont need another funding round, Merritt said, and could be ready for an initial public offering in 2025, assuming market conditions improve. He will assume the CEO role effective July 6. Aviatrix currently employs around 350 people and works with customers like Adobe Inc. and Heineken NV. Before joining Aviatrix, Mullaney sold Nicira Networks, a company that pioneered the use of cloud-based servers, to VMware Inc. in 2012 for $1.26 billion. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Roy S. Gutterman is a professor and director of the Tully Center for Free Speech at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. To the very end, Daniel Ellsberg stood by his beliefs. Ellsberg died last week at the age of 92. Though he was an icon of the anti-Vietnam movement in the late 1960s and 70s, when he was branded by the Nixon administration as the most dangerous man in America for leaking classified documents to newspapers, he never fully receded from the public spotlight or the discussion of important public issues. Ellsberg, a former Marine officer and a Harvard Ph.D., bolted into the national spotlight in 1971 when he gave the New York Times, and later the Washington Post, 7,000 pages of classified documents which became known as the Pentagon Papers. These documents, which he co-authored while working at the Rand Corporation, were a Defense Department-sponsored analysis of military data revealing decades of misinformation and lies that led the United States into the Vietnam War, and then kept the war going. For his civil disobedience, the Nixon administration publicly discredited and lambasted Ellsberg and tried to prosecute him on various criminal charges, including violating the Espionage Act. Ellsberg faced 115 years in prison. The case also generated one of the most important First Amendment precedents in the 20th Century, New York Times Co. v. United States, which for 50 years has stood as rock against government censorship or prior restraints. Daniel Ellsberg, co-defendant in the Pentagon Papers trial, talks to reporters after he testified in Los Angeles, April 12, 1973, as his wife, Patricia Ellsberg, looks on. Ellsberg, the government analyst and whistleblower who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971, died June 16, 2023. He was 92. (AP Photo, File)AP Every media law or First Amendment law course, especially those taught at the Newhouse School, introduces Ellsberg to students in discussions of the Pentagon Papers case and other leak issues. Ellsberg was never far from the eye of the public storm. He was an outspoken proponent of leakers and whistleblowers, taking up the mantle of such modern and controversial figures as Chelsea Manning, Edward Snowden and Julian Assange. He added his voice to other causes, including the free flow of information, government corruption, nuclear disarmament and other international issues. Further, he also found a place in modern pop culture with depictions in the Steven Spielberg film The Post, which dramatizes the Washington Posts and New York Times court battle against Nixon administrations attempts to block publication of the Pentagon Papers. Most recently, though not depicted in the HBO series The White House Plumbers, he was repeatedly referenced and part of the historical framework that led to the Watergate break-in and President Nixons eventual resignation. In short, Ellsberg remained part of the public awareness and zeitgeist for more than 50 years, even if it was under the surface. Locally, Ellsberg made two high-profile appearances on the Syracuse University campus. Most recently, in March 2011, he filled to overflowing the Hergenhan Auditorium at the Newhouse School as a guest of the Tully Center for Free Speech. Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg speaks at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, March 8, 2011. Ellsberg was a guest of the Tully Center for Free Speech. (Andrew Hida photo courtesy of the Tully Center for Free Speech)Andrew Hida photo courtesy of the Tully Center for Free Speech Students, faculty and community members sat on the edge of their seats as an 80-year-old Ellsberg railed against contemporary militarism and government efforts to squelch dissent. He noted parallels between the Pentagon Papers and the emerging similarities to the Wikileaks case. He described the language the Nixon administration used to discredit him, calling him a traitor and a criminal, and the legal authority the administration used to punish him and the press. Ellsberg drew further comparisons to Wikileaks, which in 2011 caused a public controversy and embarrassed the government by publishing secret State Department cables. The government accused the website of jeopardizing national security, similar to its argument against the newspapers in 1971. The comparison between Ellsberg and Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning was obvious, he said. Over the past decade, Ellsberg was an outspoken advocate for Manning, since released, and Wikileaks imprisoned founder Julian Assange. His earlier visit, in September 1981, a big debate hosted by the University Union titled, Watergate and the Pentagon Papers: Do the Ends Justify the Means pitted him in a head-to-head debate with his arch enemy G. Gordon Liddy. Liddy was chief of the White House Plumbers, who broke into Ellsbergs psychiatrists office seeking information to discredit him. Billed as the first post-Watergate, in-person encounter between the two ideological adversaries, a packed Hendricks Chapel booed, cheered and hissed at various times as Ellsberg and Liddy sparred on the Vietnam War, Nixons dirty tricks and other public policy issues of the day. The debate was punctuated by moments of hostility, levity and sarcasm, as well as serious debate about war and politics. Coverage of the debate between Daniel Ellsberg and G. Gordon Liddy appears on the front page of the Syracuse Herald-Journal, Sept. 17, 1981. (Post-Standard archive)Post-Standard archive Putting two of the countrys most polarizing figures together on stage created some newspaper headlines and a theatrical public spectacle. But the real fireworks apparently blew up offstage. The two nearly came to blows in a reception in a lounge at the Newhouse School, according to the man who witnessed it, and perhaps even had a role, retired professor, radio personality and local historian, Roosevelt Rick Wright. Dr. Wright has recounted how he showed Ellsberg a plaque commemorating President Lyndon Johnsons Gulf of Tonkin speech, which was given at Newhouse Schools 1964 groundbreaking. The speech is largely credited with escalating the war in Vietnam. Dr. Wright recounts that after seeing the plaque, and enraged Ellsberg confronted Liddy and the two had to be physically separated. This might be an apocryphal tale that lives on in the memories of only a few eyewitnesses. But given the emotions and combustibility generated by the Vietnam War, as well as the personalities involved, it is a plausible story. The plaque still sits at the entrance of the Newhouse 1 building. Some campus tour guides with a taste for history point it out. But there are people behind history and sometimes we encounter them. This helps us fulfill an educational mission beyond a textbook and appreciate the people like Ellsberg who faced significant risk to educate the public and influence public policy. History judges people like Ellsberg. As polarizing as he was, history should be a kind judge for someone as unique, conscientious, passionate and ultimately correct as Ellsberg was. More from our guest columnists. By Tim Balk | New York Daily News The state Assemblys work for the year drew to a close Wednesday, after lawmakers approved a final flurry of bills to protect New York workers and the environment. Unable to complete its business during the regular session that ended June 10, the Assembly spent an extra two days considering dozens of bills previously approved by the state Senate. In the special session, the Assembly approved legislation banning noncompete labor agreements and offering legal protection to New York doctors who provide abortion medication to out-of-state patients. The Planned Offshore Wind Transmission Act, a controversial bill that would clear the way for an offshore wind power development 14 watery miles from Jones Beach State Park, sailed to passage Wednesday despite intense GOP headwinds. The measure has also been opposed by some locals in Long Beach, L.I., which would be affected by the project. The development, Empire Wind 2, would be supported by an operations base in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Assemblyman Ari Brown, a Republican who represents Long Beach, opposed the legislation. The local state senator, Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, a Republican, opposed it, too though she introduced more limited legislation to move the project forward in the winter before Democrats folded her measure into their own bill. On the floor of the Assembly, Republicans said Wednesday that the bill should not pass without a so-called home rule message from locals supporting it. But the Democratic majority overruled repeated last-minute appeals by Assemblyman Andy Goodell, the Republican minority leader pro tempore. Long Islanders are concerned about the location of the transmission cable routes, the height of a soaring transfer station and effects on water views, Brown has said. This is a shameful, shameful situation going on, Brown declared Wednesday, painting the bills Democratic sponsor, Assemblywoman Marcela Mitaynes of Sunset Park, as an interloper ill-suited to carry legislation impacting Long Island. But Brown was powerless to stop the bills passage in the Democratic-controlled chamber. Democrats said the bill was no trifling local measure, given climate changes broad implications. We need to think about our country and our state and our future, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, a Long Island Democrat, told her colleagues. The bill passed 85 to 50. A day earlier, the Assembly also passed legislation that would ban the discharge of nuclear waste water into the Hudson River from the decommissioned Indian Point power plant in Buchanan. That measure, however, was driven by community concerns about the rivers water. Though some viewed this years legislative session in Albany as a bust ruling Democrats could not reach any deal on significant housing legislation bills authorized in the special session could have far-reaching effects on New Yorkers, and touch people beyond the states borders. The legislation banning noncompete agreements could put New York at the forefront of protecting workers against restrictive contracts. Opponents say noncompete contracts shackle employees and depress wages. About 44% of employers statewide subject some workers to noncompete agreements, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit. In January, the Federal Trade Commission outlined a rule that would ban noncompete agreements nationally, but the ban is pending. A handful of states have barred the contracts. The abortion medication bill would likewise put New York at the vanguard of a fast-shifting issue. The legislation, passed in the Assembly on Tuesday evening, would offer a legal shield to abortion providers who ship pills to states where abortion is outlawed. Under the bill, New York would not cooperate with authorities outside New York seeking to prosecute the providers. It is our moral obligation to help women across the country with their bodily autonomy by protecting New York doctors from litigation efforts from anti-choice extremists, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, a Bronx Democrat, said in a Tuesday statement. Gov. Hochul, a Democrat, has sought to position New York as a sanctuary for reproductive rights. She appears all but certain to sign the pill legislation. Hochul has generally shied away from publicly saying whether she will approve or veto hundreds of bills headed to her desk. But at a news conference Wednesday in Manhattan, she seemed to signal her support for one bill: the Clean Slate Act, which would seal the criminal records of some New Yorkers who have served their time. Were making real, meaningful changes, she said of the bill. This is driven by the business community to get more people into the workforce. 2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Syracuse.com photographers have captured thousands of images this spring of Central New York teens enjoying their high school proms and dances. One thing thats standard at proms, of course, is music and dancing. By Rocco Parascandola, Janon Fisher | New York Daily News An emotionally disturbed man with a sign claiming Google tortured me struck four pedestrians and crashed his car near the tech giants New York City headquarters on Tuesday night, according to the NYPD. Witnesses say they first saw Jason Bitton behind the wheel of a white Ford Fusion at the corner of W. 15th St. and 10th Ave. in Chelsea just after 6 p.m. Apparently without warning, he turned the wheel of his car all the way to the left and drove into four people walking on the street, according to cops. He continued onto the sidewalk and ultimately crashed into a building at 60 10th Ave., police said. Cops responding to the scene found a red gas can in a shopping bag and a sign in his car that said, Google tortured me, according to the NYPD. Bitton has a history of mental health problems and had been arrested five times before the incident. Most recently, he was arrested on March 17 and charged with petty larceny, cops said. Bitton, 35, sued Google in Manhattan Supreme Court in 2019 for $10 billion, claiming that he came down with photophobia due to the uncontrollably excessive blinding and disorienting flashing/brightness on various Google LLC products. The case appears to have been dismissed because the judge deemed New York courts to be the improper value. Bitton, of the Bronx, has appealed, according to court records. Jeffrey Vanacore, the lawyer representing Google in the suit, did not immediately return a call for comment. 2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. New York, 21 June 2023 - Norvic Shipping today announces the expansion of its tanker division as part its ambitious growth strategy. To kick-start its growth plans, the New York-headquartered company has purchased Pro Alliance, an aframax LR2 tanker from SK Energy in South Korea. The acquisition of the vessel, which has been renamed Norvic Monia, sees Norvic owning its first ship outright, marking a strategic shift from an operator to owner-operator model. While deploying Norvic Monia, a 105,348 dwt aframax LR2 vessel, on routes around the world, Norvic will consider buying more tankers to grow the fleet and to expand its tanker division. Meanwhile, the company is pushing ahead with plans to take delivery of three newbuild dry bulk vessels from Japanese yards, which have been taken on long-term charters. This includes two handymax vessels from Onomichi Yard and one ultramax from Imabari yard. All vessels will be delivered between Q3 and Q4 of this year. The company is also in talks to to take further newbuild dry bulk vessels on long-term charters. Purchasing Norvic Monia marks a return to Norvics origins with the company launched as a tanker operator in 2006 in Canada. Since expanding to dry bulk in 2012, Norvic has grown into a US$1.3 billion+ turnover company. Going back to our roots and growing the tanker division makes strategic sense given the combination of the ongoing global need for crude oil and finished products and shortage of tonnage in the tanker sector, commented AJ Rahman, Group Chairman and CEO. He continued: Unlike dry bulk, the tanker segment is relatively stable with demand expected to grow faster than supply this year and next. Demand in 2024 for crude tankers will be up 4.5% to 6.5% from 2022, according to BIMCO, while supply is likely to fall 0.6%. Given the lack of a new order book in the tanker segment, we believe the time is now to move into ownership. Mr Read spent four years as chief executive of Vodafone - Vodafone/Reuters Former Vodafone boss Nick Read took home more than 4m in pay and bonuses last year despite being ousted following a dramatic slump in the companys share price. Mr Read, who left Vodafone in December after four years as chief executive, received a payout of 3.9m in the year to March, which included a 900,000 annual bonus. He was also handed 270,000 in the first three months of 2023 for his work advising the board and will be paid more than 730,000 over the remainder of his 12-month notice period. In its annual report published today, Vodafone also said it will provide 7,000 towards legal fees linked to his departure, as well as 50,000 to help him find a new job. Mr Read was this week named chairman of Exa Infrastructure, a London-based company that owns fibre networks and subsea cables connecting Europe with North America. The payday comes despite a troubled tenure for the former Vodafone boss, who was ousted amid pressure from activist investors over the companys lacklustre performance and a near-50pc drop in its share price. Mr Read announced a 1bn (860m) plan to cut costs, slash jobs and increase prices in November, but was sacked just weeks later. Vodafone launched a protracted five-month search for his successor before eventually elevating chief financial officer Margherita Della Valle to the top job. Since taking the helm, Ms Della Valle has unveiled plans to cut 11,000 roles as she admitted the ailing telecoms giant must change. Earlier this month she also announced a 15bn merger with rival network Three after more than a year of wranglings over price and delays caused by Mr Reads exit. The new chief executive is looking at other deals to slim down its sprawling business. The company has reportedly hired Morgan Stanley to consider options for its Spanish division. Ms Della Valle was paid 3.7m last year, including the three months as interim chief executive to the end of March. Her new salary has been set at 1.25m, plus bonus and benefits. She also remains chief financial officer while Vodafone searches for her replacement. Vodafone revenues stagnated at 45.7bn last year, while earnings fell 1.3pc, which the company blamed on high energy costs and continued underperformance in Germany. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. Overseas Shipholding Group awarded government contract Military Sealift Command awards time charter to Overseas Mykonos TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 21, 2023-- REISSUED/REVISED Overseas Shipholding Group , Inc. (OSG), a publicly traded energy transportation company headquartered in Tampa, Florida , today announced that the Military Sealift Command (MSC) has awarded the Overseas Mykonos, a vessel in OSGs fleet, a time charter contract to provide ongoing fuel transportation services to MSC in support of our nation's defense. The contract was awarded in a competitive bidding process. "OSGs fleet has supported the critical mission of the MSC for many years. We are honored that MSC has chosen to award one of these contracts to the Overseas Mykonos. This ship and its crew have the capability to provide maritime transportation services using equipment and communication technologies that are in sync with the needs of the Department of Defense and Navy ," said OSG's CEO and President, Sam Norton . This award highlights the benefits of cooperation between the merchant marine industry and the military. By working together, we are providing loyal and experienced U.S. citizen mariners, reliable vessels, and advanced equipment for our nations benefit. The Overseas Mykonos support to MSC will bolster our involvement in deepening and broadening the pool of domestic merchant mariners supporting a U.S. - flagged tanker presence in international waters," added Mr. Norton . The time charter awarded is for a 1-year base period with the MSC holding additional option periods to extend the contract out to a maximum period of five and one half years. The Overseas Mykonos will be delivered to MSC at Pearl Harbor in August. The Overseas Mykonos, built in 2010, is a medium range product tanker with 12 cargo tanks and a cargo capacity of 333,000 barrels. The ship has the ability to perform consolidated cargo replenishment at sea operations (CONSOL), providing flexibility and options for refueling the U.S. military fleet while underway. The Overseas Mykonos has also made other militarily useful modifications, including those to meet TRANSCOM requirements. Shift Clean Energy, Gebhard and Werkina deliver hybrid chemical tanker for GEFO Shift Clean Energy with Gebhard and Werkina deliver hybrid chemical tanker for GEFO in first-of-its-kind venture VANCOUVER; 20 June 2023: Shift Clean Energy (Shift) has announced today the completion of the TMS Canaletto, a diesel-electric, hybrid inland tanker for GEFO Shipping Group (GEFO). Working in partnership with Gebhard Electro and Werkina Werkendam, the ship has been fitted with 157.5 kWh of Shifts advanced energy storage system, significantly reducing emissions and improving performance. Shifts ESS will primarily be used for peak shaving and optimizing the power managements capability to use the variable speed generators feeding the DC grid. During berthing time, the ESS also supplies the hotel load. Dirk Sobotka, Technical Director of GEFO, said, The implementation of batteries to optimize and increase the efficiency of power generation and feed it into the DC grid by means of an intelligent power management system is a significant step in the future implementation of new propulsion concepts, technologies and fuels on the way to decarbonizing inland navigation, one of the most important modes of transport for the logistical supply of large industries. Canaletto is optimized for extreme low-water situations, transporting special chemicals across some of Europes largest inland waterways. The ship will be GEFOs first vessel to adopt hybrid electric operations. The project aims to be the anchor point for all future decarbonization efforts across the companys fleet and operations. Paul Hughes, President of Shift Clean Energy, said, We are very proud to have been chosen by GEFO for this important project. Hybridizing the Canaletto is a significant first step towards the decarbonization of the inland waterways of Europe and a more sustainable future. Marty Vos, Head of Engineering and Service at Werkina, said, New power technologies enter the market in a rapid pace. For ship owners, operators and also classification companies to get comfortable with these new technologies, the merging of multiple energy sources to enable a solid and secure power supply for marine transport is a must. Investments in decarbonization efforts now and in the future with the help of a flexible power management system supports and rewards these efforts to a great extent. The use of batteries significantly improves the flexibility in these installations. By transitioning away from fossil fuels, the marine industry can significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions while increasing efficiency, reducing operating costs, and providing a quieter, smoother ride for crew. Gerard Kraaij, Managing Director of Gebhard Electro said: We are proud to contribute to this hybrid tanker of GEFO with the delivery of the Shift ESS to our client Werkina. With our goal the support making the maritime industry more sustainable. Shift Clean Energy provides energy storage solutions to decarbonize the marine transport industry and other hard-to-abate sectors. Their advanced technology enables customers to meet climate action and ESG goals with clean energy solutions based on leading-edge energy storage systems. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. Mr Ingenlath says he is shocked by the lack of a lets-do-it-and-develop-it mindset on the Continent - Polestar European negativity is handing China control of the electric vehicle industry, Swedish carmaker Polestar has warned. Thomas Ingenlath, the chief executive of Polestar, said Europe had adopted a fatalistic attitude towards electric vehicle production, adding: I always feel a bit frustrated how Europe generally is so quick in saying, Oh, theres a big problem finding the materials that we need for electrification. Im always shocked about how little the lets-do-it-and-develop-it mindset exists. China has more than 100 gigafactories, making batteries for electric cars and other uses, while Europe and the US each have a handful, which limits domestic efforts to gear up production. Polestars cars are currently manufactured for sale in China. Mr Ingenlath, speaking at the firms research centre near Nuneaton, warned the infrastructure to supply the plants with minerals was also needed in Europe. However, he said the region could catch up by building factories, supply chains such as refineries and even mines, as China has done. Mining and refining the likes of lithium a critical part of a battery is a tedious and sometimes not so clean process, but guess what, you can with modern methods make it clean, Mr Ingenlath said. He added that European competitors should be looking at the growth of battery makers in South Korea for inspiration. Chinese and South Korean companies are coming and putting the factories here in Europe. Of course you can produce battery cells here in Europe... European companies, you can go and establish your own mining and sourcing. The electric car chief said companies dragging their feet over electrification should consider how they would pitch the combustion engine, which spews pollution into the nearby air, to customers today. People will laugh at you, they will think are you crazy? Are you crazy to put such a thing in a car? Polestar has grown its presence in the UK to 500 engineers, many of whom are working on its latest Polestar 5 model, a grand tourer which will go on sale in 2025. He praised the UKs pedigree in luxury and high performance cars, which has helped the company develop its latest luxury model, adding: Theres a high competence of what I call low volume engineering and production. The company has built and tested its early prototypes in Britain. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer. What just happened? Google has launched a set of ads that throw plenty of shade at Apple's iPhone, mocking the 14-year-old device for having plateaued and being an aging smartphone that was once great but can no longer keep up with fancy new handsets, such as the Pixel 7 Pro, and their AI features. Google's "BestPhonesForever" ad campaign is a series of five ads that invoke the memory of Apple's old 'I'm a Mac and I'm a PC ads' due to the amount of jabs they contain, though the target this time is the iPhone. The 'Plateau' ad is a highlight, the name itself referring to the iPhone peaking. The Pixel explains that it can unblur the iPhone's photos before Apple's handset reels off all the Pixel features it doesn't have and confesses to being jealous of its AI abilities. There's also a reference to iMessage's blue bubbles, which the iPhone says is the only thing it's famous for. The handset then runs out of power and the Pixel calls for a Lightning cable though this year's iPhone 15 models are expected to feature USB-C instead of Apple's long-used proprietary port. The Seeing Stars ad again focuses on the Pixel's camera, as well as its Astrophotography mode. Sketchy Wi-Fi is about Google including a VPN in the Pixel. Lifesaver, which has a Ted Lasso reference, is focused on the Pixel's power-sharing feature. And Opening Up shows off the Pixel Fold, which is a jab at Apple for not yet having a foldable device in its lineup. For all that Google wants to talk about the iPhone having plateaued and not offering some of the Pixel's high-end features, the truth is that eight of the top 10 best-selling smartphones globally in 2022 were iPhones the other two were Samsung models. Looking at shipments, Apple moved around 224.7 million iPhones across the whole of last year, while Google shipped just 9 million Pixel smartphones during the same period. Still, the ads are pretty good, and it's a change from seeing similar adverts from Samsung, which once mocked the Pixel 3 XL notch. Facepalm: After accusing Microsoft of antitrust violations in Europe, Google is now bringing the same case before the US government. This could be the Internet Explorer legal mess all over again, with a new twist as Google has been repeatedly accused of being a monopolistic company as well. After recently doing the same in Europe, Google has now publicly accused Microsoft of anti-competitive behavior over the US cloud market. Mountain View singled out Microsoft in a letter sent to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which was seeking industry comments about the business practices of cloud computing providers that could "impact competition and data security." In its letter to the federal agency whose main mission is to enforce antitrust laws in the United States, Google said that Microsoft is using its dominant products for computer and productivity markets (Windows Server, Office) to "lock in clients." Redmond is making it difficult for its userbase to consider third-party infrastructure offerings outside its own Azure cloud platform, Google says. Microsoft's licensing restrictions are a "complex web" of rules and limitations designed to prevent business diversification, Google states, which is essentially the same thing the advertising corporation said to European regulators earlier this year. Microsoft (and Oracle as well) are forcing customers "toward a monolithic cloud model," Google says, while limiting freedom of choice, increasing costs for end customers, and "disrupting growing in digital ecosystems in the US and around the world." Furthermore, the internet corporation accuses Microsoft of representing a national and cybersecurity risk. Microsoft products are routinely compromised by advanced and dangerous threats like SolarWinds, Google highlights, providing enemy countries with a route toward the heart of America's digital infrastructure. Microsoft has a long, troublesome history with antitrust authorities. The legendary United States v. Microsoft Corporation case forced the Windows maker to partially modify its business practices in the web browser market, but Microsoft is now seemingly trying the monopoly route once again in the cloud business and elsewhere. The UK's CMA recently blocked the Activision Blizzard acquisition stating that the Redmond corporation could extend its monopoly over the cloud gaming business. According to Corey Quinn, chief cloud economist at consulting company The Duckbill Group, all the major cloud providers are actively focused on making it nigh on impossible for customers to switch between cloud providers And that's what Google is doing as well. Google has its own antitrust lawsuits to attend to while accusing Microsoft of anticompetitive practices. In October 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice under the Trump administration accused the company of exploiting its monopoly over web search to cut off competition. Furthermore, three other antitrust cases brought by a group of state attorney generals are focused on Mountain View's advertising practices. Bottom line: Here's one I didn't have on my bingo card this week a potential cage match between two of tech's most well-known personalities. It's almost certainly never going to happen, but it's fun to think about what could transpire if it did. Update: This might have some legs to it after all. UFC boss Dana White told TMZ on Thursday that he's been in talks with Zuckerberg and Musk since Wednesday night and that "both guys are absolutely dead serious about this." Tesla and Space X chief Elon Musk said in a recent tweet that he would be "up for a cage match [with Meta's Mark Zuckerberg] if he is." According to The Verge, Zuck responded on Instagram with a screenshot of Musk's tweet and the caption, "Send Me Location," which is a reference to former UFC champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and his feud with Conor McGregor. UFC president Dana White spoke to Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg about their cage fight and says they're 'dead serious' "This would be the biggest fight in the history of the world" PPV would cost $100 and all proceeds would go to charity pic.twitter.com/tF9UQy1pfr Culture Crave AA (@CultureCrave) June 22, 2023 Musk later fired back with, "Vegas Octagon." Musk then said he had a great move called The Walrus, where he just lies on top of his opponent and does nothing. It's all fun and games at this point, and you probably should not expect much of anything to come of it. But if the stars were to align just right and the two were to find themselves face to face in competition, how might it play out? Neither man is exactly a spring chicken at this point. Zuckerberg just celebrated his 39th birthday and Musk will be turning 52 later this month. What's more, Meta's chief started training in both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts in 2022. He also attended a UFC event in October and sat cageside with his wife and UFC president Dana White. Just last month, he won gold and silver medals at a BJJ competition in Redwood City, California. As far as we know, Musk has no formal training under his belt. Factoring in training and age alone, we would have to give the edge to Zuckerberg in a grappling or MMA match. Size isn't much of a factor, especially when your opponent has been training. Again, nothing is likely ever going to materialize between the two. But if it did, it would be a spectacle for sure and one that could raise a lot of money for charity if done right. In a remarkable feat of engineering, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Stuttgart have unveiled a medical robot that draws inspiration from the extraordinary body of a pangolin. This soft robot, controlled by magnetic fields, possesses a flexible structure that enables it to function as a miniature surgeon within the human stomach. The research showcases the robot's ability to change shape to adapt to challenging environments, emit heat, and perform various medical tasks. Robot Inspired by Pangolins Pangolins are the only mammals covered entirely in hard scales composed of keratin, similar to human hair and nails. The scales interlock, seamlessly connected to the soft skin beneath, allowing pangolins to swiftly curl up into a protective ball when threatened. Driven by the pangolin's ability to coil its scale-covered body rapidly, the scientists from the Physical Intelligence Department at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems embarked on an ambitious endeavor. Led by Prof. Dr. Metin Sitti, they created a robot consisting of soft and hard components that mimic the pangolin's capacity to transform into a spherical shape at a moment's notice. In a remarkable addition, this robot possesses the ability to emit heat when required. The research paper, authored by Ren Hao Soon and his colleagues, outlines the robot's design, measuring a mere two centimeters in length. It comprises two layers: a soft polymer layer embedded with magnetic particles and a hard layer composed of metal elements arranged in overlapping configurations. Despite the presence of solid metal components, the robot retains its softness and flexibility, making it suitable for internal use within the human body. Read Also: New Robot Vacuum Can Climb Stairs - MIGO Ascender Is Now Available for Preorders but There's a Catch Controlling the Robot Through exposure to a low-frequency magnetic field, the researchers gain control over the robot, enabling them to roll it up and maneuver it with precision. The metal elements protrude akin to the pangolin's scales, ensuring that the surrounding tissue remains unharmed. Once curled up, the robot can transport various substances, including medicines, with the vision of navigating through the human digestive system. The robot's versatility extends beyond its mobility. When subjected to a high-frequency magnetic field, the built-in metal components heat up to temperatures exceeding 70 degrees Celsius. This capability allows the robot to contribute to critical medical procedures, such as treating thrombosis, cessation of hemorrhage, and removing tumor tissue. The rarity of untethered robots, which can move freely while emitting heat through hard metal components, underscores the significance of the pangolin-inspired creation. Promising prospects emerged as the robot could potentially access the most delicate and constricted regions of the human body, ensuring minimally invasive procedures while providing necessary thermal energy. The findings of the team were published in the journal Nature Communications. Related Article: Jizai Arms is Using AI to Control Robotic Arms Strapped on Your Back, Like the 'Iron Spider' Spider-Man Suit 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Archaeologists have found portions of a long-lost Maya city in southern Mexico's deep forests. The Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said Tuesday that Ocomtun, the excavated city, was likely a vital hub more than a millennium ago, Reuters reported. The latest finding provides fascinating insights into the civilization's lengthy history. The freshly discovered city is home to an astonishing collection of buildings, including enormous pyramid-shaped structures, stone columns, and three plazas decorated with imposing constructions. Due to the careful planning and expertise of the Maya civilization, these architectural wonders are organized in almost concentric rings. The central lowland section of the Yucatan Peninsula's Ocomtun Peninsula was home to a significant town during its heyday, according to INAH, between 250 and 1000 AD. The settlement was buried for centuries by the thick jungle, which prevented further investigation of the vast Balamku natural reserve. Impressive Ancient Structures Found The finding was made after a comprehensive survey between March and June using LiDAR, a sophisticated airborne laser mapping technique. Using this innovative technology, researchers could see through the thick forest canopy, exposing the enormous Ocomtun ruins. Ancient Maya city discovered in Mexican jungle https://t.co/rzgZ7offAm pic.twitter.com/wMsKDo7Jzg Reuters (@Reuters) June 21, 2023 A critical period in the history of the Western Hemisphere may be attributed to the Maya civilization, which is famous for its magnificent pyramid temples and impressive stone constructions. The Maya civilization's heritage, which once covered what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize, continues to enthrall academics and fans. Read Also: Archaeologists Reconstruct Face of 7th-Century Anglo-Saxon Woman Buried Near Cambridge Ivan Sprajc, the lead archaeologist, expressed surprise at seeing a high landscape surrounded by marshes, per the BBC. This distinctive topography displayed impressive constructions, including pyramid-shaped buildings taller than 15 meters. According to Sprajc, Ocomtun was an important regional hub that had a significant impact on the socio-political climate of the time. The cylindrical stone columns captivated the scholars, which gave the city its unusual name, Ocomtun. These columns are thought to function as entrances to the structures' upper-level chambers. These astounding discoveries make it clear that Ocomtun underwent substantial changes between 800 and 1000 AD before succumbing to the fall of the Lowland Maya civilization in the 10th century. New Discoveries Change Perceptions of Ancient Maya Civilization This most recent discovery comes after a recent advance in studying Maya civilization. Researchers in northern Guatemala utilized LiDAR technology to survey a forest-covered region, revealing a complex network of 417 cities linked by around 110 miles of high-tech roads. Ancient Mayan civilization was far more advanced than thought. Beneath 1350 sq miles of jungle in Guatemala, scientists find 417 Mayan cities dating back to1000 BC w hydraulic systems & agricultural infrastructure & connected by 110 mile superhighway https://t.co/puG2SZM0el Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) May 20, 2023 The finding disproves earlier theories about the Maya civilization by exposing its sophisticated political, social, and economic structures that date back over two millennia, according to a Washington Post story. The belief that the Maya were predominantly hunter-gatherers has been reevaluated in light of the recently found ancient Maya metropolis and the interconnected network of cities in Guatemala. These ground-breaking discoveries have helped researchers better understand the rich cultural legacy and intricate civilization that flourished in Central America throughout the middle to late Preclassic Maya era. Related Article: 3,000-Year-Old Mummy Uncovered at Lima Trash Dump Site; What Does it Say About Ancient Peru? 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Reddit was recently in chaos, but the company's solution is to remove these mods that allowed NSFW content to be known as safe for work subreddits as part of their protests against the new API pricing and policy. At this time, Reddit replaced these mods with new ones that will help organize the platform and maintain order in each subreddit. However, this is not yet the end for some as reports claimed that some moderators were given their position back to manage communities, confusing users. Reddit Removes Mods After Allowing NSFW Content in Subreddits (Photo : Brett Jordan from Unsplash) Ars Technica reported that a massive protest took place in Reddit in the past few days, and this is in the form of mods allowing NSFW (not safe for work) content in several subreddits that are not meant for it. This led to Reddit taking up arms and removing these mods from their posts, and they believe that this action from the company is a way to silence them. The once innocent or SFW (safe for work) subreddits were filled with graphic or explicit media, as part of the protest by moderators. According to Reddit, the mods that took part in this protest violated the platform's Content Policy, one where segregation of content is highly enforced by NSFW labels. The spokesperson also said that some of these mods violated the Moderators' Code of Conduct. Read Also: Reddit Blackout Protest is Far From Over-Huffman Doesn't Care Some Mods Were Replaced, Reinstated, but Some, Unmoderated That being said, Reddit also removed the moderators that took part in the protest and changed their subreddits. Reports claimed that some of them already saw replacements, but the Redditors claimed that they do not recognize them as they do not represent their views. Still, a large number of subreddits remain unmoderated, and oddly, some mods were reinstated by Reddit to keep content in several communities in line. The Reddit API Policy and Pricing The famed social news aggregator website, Reddit, is seeing massive controversies in its present operations, and this was because of its API changes that enforce new pricing for those that use it. This led to the shutdown of several third-party apps that rely on Reddit's API to bring their services to the public, initially free access for developers. Since Reddit asked for payments on the use of its API, many have taken the high road and went on protest against the company's new policies. This led to different subreddits going on a blackout of their respective communities which caused a significant outage for the platform, with some only having it for 48 hours, but others, indefinitely. Mayhem spread across Reddit since then, and there is still an ongoing one, especially for the recent changes some mods have enforced, one that allowed NSFW content on once innocent communities. Reddit enforced its iron fist against some but showed mercy for others, but it is unknown how this will turn out in the future should it continue. Related Article: Hackers Threaten Reddit with Data Leak and Ransom Demand Following Breach 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Website monitoring is important for business operations in providing a positive client experience. This process ensures that a company's website works as expected and aids the firm in delivering anticipated outcomes. User monitoring tools for eCommerce websites are vital because inferior website performance could lead to plummeting company performance. Indicators of a poor website experience are driven by glitches or bugs and downtime. Additionally, a website is not in good shape when it delivers a negative user experience, leading to customer frustration. Customers would likely navigate away from the website and take their business elsewhere. Thus, using website performance monitoring software is crucial. In this article, readers will learn about high-quality website monitoring tools. They will also discover five service providers that stand out in the market, aiding companies in keeping their positive reputations. Why Should Companies Use Website Monitoring Software? Website performance monitoring software is essential for businesses. After all, a company's website is one of the firm's most significant communication lines with its clients. Hence, website performance is vital in maintaining a high-quality business-client connection. Website performance monitoring software is a cornerstone of any digital business. It facilitates customer conversion of clients who can interact seamlessly with the website. Availing of the services of website performance monitoring software providers has other benefits like the following: 1. Facilitates profitability eCommerce error detection tools make company websites easy to navigate. These eCommerce software solutions prevent potential customers from going elsewhere and the company from losing revenue. The business can also be found easily, translating to more advertisement views and sales. 2. Safeguards company reputation eCommerce tools for monitoring website performance make a company's site work properly as customers expect. Visitors gain confidence in a business if the company website does not have any flaws and is convenient to use. 3. Resolves website or hosting issues and helps maintain SEO rankings User monitoring tools for eCommerce platforms aid in identifying site or hosting problems. Uptime monitoring can assist a firm in determining if the software it uses works properly or needs to get replaced. Additionally, eCommerce monitoring software positively affects a company's search engine rankings. It can address hacking, poor user experience, and downtimes adversely impacting a business's search engine optimization or SEO status. These three benefits of website performance monitoring help a company as it takes the path toward revenue generation and customer satisfaction. There are countless options of service providers from which companies can select. Here are the best ones that can positively affect a business. Best Website Monitoring Software Consistent website monitoring is the key to keeping a high-performing and successful business site. This process aids a company in zeroing in on website problems. It also enables clients to discover fast solutions and minimize the adverse effect on user experience. The top providers of user monitoring tools for eCommerce assist companies in keeping their brand's positive reputation intact. With the following recommended solutions by third-party providers, companies can be saved from the time-consuming and labor-intensive process of website performance monitoring: With the following recommended solutions, companies can be saved from the time-consuming and labor-intensive process of website performance monitoring: 1. Noibu Noibu is a company founded in 2017. Its pioneers are Kailin Noivo, Robert Boukine, and Filip Slatinac, alumni of the University of Ottawa. Noibu offers website monitoring software-as-a-service or SaaS for eCommerce businesses. This website performance monitoring tool facilitates error detection, resolution, and prioritization. Furthermore, Noibu's software is one of the top examples of user monitoring tools for eCommerce as it is built specifically for eCommerce teams. This solution offers clients insight into their eCommerce website's overall health. Business organizations' professional teams also obtain information needed to accurately quantify the effects of a website's error on the business's bottom line. Noibu's product enables companies to analyze all errors' root causes and resolve them more efficiently. The following are the advantages of choosing Noibu's eCommerce monitoring software: a. Addresses 100% of website errors Noibu's website performance monitoring software is designed to capture and address all defects that can affect the performance of businesses' official websites. This includes HTTP, GraphQL, JavaScript, React, Vue, and PWA issues. By utilizing Noibu's software, organizations can identify and resolve these defects, ultimately enhancing their websites' performance and user experience. This software development kit is unlike other user monitoring tools that can only capture 30% of console errors. This is because up to 70% of website errors do not get thrown in the console for visibility. Noibu captures 100% of errors, so you are always fully aware of what negatively affects your customers. b. Reproduce faster, the ultimate eCommerce error resolution platform Noibu's platform is a technology that reduces error resolution time by 70%. by providing technical teams with all the information they need to reproduce and resolve errors, all in one place. Noibu allows eCommerce professionals to view stack traces, browser details, last reproduction steps, HTTP information, and more for any issue at hand. Access to this level of relevant details means faster and better reproduction. Moreover, Noibu's software gets implemented via one code line integrated into a customer's website, set up in just minutes. It picks up on client-affecting problems that prevent consumers from checking out products. Noibu's software demonstrates the associated loss in revenue and its effect on conversion rates across a client's eCommerce funnel. It also gathers session replays to better comprehend genuine client effects. c. Meticulous root cause identifier Unlike other monitoring tools, Noibu's website performance monitoring tool makes it easier to connect customer complaints to actionable issues and their root cause. Noibu's software presents the root causes of website errors down to the exact line of code. This critical data enables eCommerce leaders to understand the effect of any bug on their business' revenue. Hence, these company executives can make timely and information-driven decisions confidently. Furthermore, Noibu's solution drastically decreases the time it takes to reproduce a bug. This facilitates a faster resolution time and an efficient workflow, especially for a company's engineers and software developers. d. eCommerce-specific Noibu's eCommerce error detection software assists companies in identifying revenue-affecting bugs on their official websites. This tool, which also offers the data to clients for error resolution, supports both custom and all eCommerce platforms. Some popular ones include: SAP Hybris SAP Commerce Cloud Magento Big Cartel Shopify Plus IBM WebSphere Kibo Dynamics 365 PrestaShop nopCommerce Magento 2 Salesforce Commerce Cloud BigCommerce Oracle WooCommerce Moreover, the Ontario-based firm's notable customer list includes a range of small and medium business organizations, enterprises, and mid-market retailers based worldwide. They include Guess, Hellofresh, Levi's, and Air Transat. Frontier Airlines, Champion, Lindt & Sprungli, Barstool Sports, Simons, Roots, Tom Ford, Moschino, and Carrefour are also customers who have partnered with Noibu. In 2022, this website performance monitoring platform's three-year revenue growth exceeded 1,600%. Furthermore, Noibu is an award-winning company. Among its many accolades are The Globe and Mail's 28th fastest-growing Canadian company and the Best Performance in Sales Award in the 2021 Best Ottawa Business Awards. 2. Datadog Datadog's website performance monitoring solution is the brainchild of its two founders, Alexis Le-Quoc and Olivier Pomel. They began their software services in 2010. Datadog monitors clients' services, tools, servers, and databases via a SaaS data analytics platform. This top-rated website monitoring package particularly concentrates on the performance testing and web monitoring of a company's official web page. The other advantages of Datadog's eCommerce error detection solution include the following: a. Uses artificial intelligence techniques to differ user journeys During test runs, Datadog's website performance monitoring solution facilitates user-journey modeling. This process checks for inferior website design, programming mistakes, and load errors. The Datadog eCommerce monitoring software also compiles site evaluations via Internet browser recording. These tests are conducted via actual web browsers for users' real-life experience. b. Conducts website monitoring at various sites worldwide Datadog's cloud-based site monitoring team comprises remote agents. This team does the performance and availability tests as well as the response and uptime monitoring using servers located globally. Datadog has continuously expanded as cloud adoption surged. It covers companies like OpenStack, Red Hat OpenShift, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon Web Services. Other service providers include Google Cloud Platform and VMware. For interested clients, Datadog offers a free trial for two weeks. 3. Raygun Raygun is an award-winning provider of website performance monitoring services for contemporary software groups. It began its operations in 2007. Raygun's headquarters is in Wellington, New Zealand, and its branch office is in Seattle, Washington. Raygun's eCommerce monitoring solution offers clients instant visibility into their website's performance and quality. It aids companies in proactively discovering, diagnosing, and resolving website performance issues and software glitches before these problems inconvenience users. Clients recommending Raygun's website monitoring software cite the following advantages: a. Allows the tracking of application and website performance trends in real time Raygun's tool can recognize and diagnose website and application performance bottlenecks. They work by drilling into slow web pages and obtaining instance-level diagnostics. Raygun's website performance monitoring software looks for the causes of inferior webpage performance more rapidly than other options. Clients receive a complete load time waterfall breakdown across secure sockets layer or SSL, latency, domain name system or DNS, transfer, and server times. b. Facilitates first-rate visibility into a client's front-end performance The Raygun eCommerce tool allows the surfacing of real user insights that its clients can trust. The solution also comprehends how an application or website works for users across mobile and desktop. The Raygun software offers first-class language support for Android, JavaScript, iOS, Xamarin, Angular, and React. Its setup is fast, with lightweight software development kits or SDKs and merely a few code lines. Moreover, Raygun offers its website performance monitoring tool at an affordable and flexible usage-based cost with unlimited applications and team members. The company has served thousands of ingenious business organizations such as Microsoft, HBO, Coca-Cola, Domino's, Automile, and JustGiving. Furthermore, Raygun has bagged several accolades. At the New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards, the firm took home the Innovative Hi-Tech Software Product of the Year 2014. Then, in 2015, Raygun won the New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards Startup of the Year. 4. Sentry Sentry is a technology company that offers error and website performance monitoring solutions. Its platform aids every developer in diagnosing, fixing, and optimizing their code's performance. Additionally, Sentry assists developers worldwide in saving time and energy. It supports over 30 coding languages. The website performance monitoring service provider integrates with many other useful tools such as Jira, GitHub, and Slack. Among Sentry's notable customers are Microsoft, Disney, Atlassian, Peloton, VMWare, Reddit, and Cloudflare. Sentry's customers recommend this company as it offers the following advantages: a. Fast performance With Sentry's website performance monitoring software, they can set up the tool with merely five code lines. Additionally, Sentry allows clients to view webpage performance mistakes and problems immediately. The software does not require professional services or agents. Sentry's solution lets companies catch website performance degradation, get alerts, and solve these problems before webpage discoverability or ranking gets adversely affected. b. Provides full-stack visibility to identify root causes Sentry offers its clients a unified perspective of their frontend-to-backend flow. Its tool traces web pages that sluggishly load, all the way to inferior-performing application user interface or API calls, and presents any related mistakes. Sentry performs this measure to rapidly identify the root cause of a website's problem. This technology firm also aids clients in trimming their API request execution time by 90%. It connects its tool to clients' existing problems with endpoints that perform slowly. 5. LogRocket LogRocket, Incorporated is a product analytics and front-end monitoring platform. It started its operations in 2016 with Matthew Arbesfeld and Ben Edelstein as its founders. LogRocket is based in Boston, Massachusetts. This firm aids product teams in developing better user experiences by recording videos of their user sessions with network data and logs. Moreover, LogRocket identifies user experience issues and reveals every bug's root cause. It shows impactful mistakes on a webpage and the process of reproducing them. LogRocket allows clients to replay issues and operate despite the framework or language. It also enables developers to obtain granular experience. Clients recommend LogRocket because of the following benefits it offers: a. Machine learning for the most crucial problems LogRocket's website performance monitoring solution uses machine learning to cut through the noise. This feature allows clients to stop missing significant problems. Additionally, the machine learning feature removes the non-stop alerts stream that is full of false positives. LogRocket models employ billions of interactions and learn from clients' feedback, which becomes more accurate and invaluable over time. b. Understands every customer and website error problem LogRocket's website monitoring tool can replay issues as if they took place in the client's Internet browser. It facilitates the comprehension of each bug and customer's dilemma. Clients can watch a pixel-perfect replay of precisely what users witnessed. Furthermore, LogRocket's solution highlights navigation and click happenings, usability issues, and technical errors. Sessions are cropped and shared fast to communicate what is incorrect. c. Provides detailed technical information LogRocket's clients benefit from the firm's technical data, enabling them to comprehend their site's issues in minutes. Customers can view JavaScript errors, network logs, and performance telemetry for in-depth debugging. Moreover, LogRocket's solution facilitates the original code's inspection. This step facilitates the understanding and reproduction of user interface bugs or errors on the spot. Noibu, Datadog, Raygun, Sentry, and LogRocket are five of the best providers of website monitoring solutions today. Clients recommend these firms' real user monitoring tools for eCommerce websites, for they are proven reliable in diagnosing and resolving webpage bugs and performing other important capabilities. These five top-rated companies help businesses deliver great customer experience and achieve profitability in the long term. 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Bipartisan House and Senate Groups both reintroduced a landmark federal shield bill, providing journalists with greater protection. The PRESS Act would implement safeguards against government attempts to comb through news gatherers' data. (Photo : Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 01: The U.S. Capitol Building on June 01, 2023 in Washington, DC. Reintroducing the PRESS Act The Protect Reporters from Excessive State Suppression (PRESS) Act was reintroduced in both the Huse and Senate on a bipartisan basis. According to a report from Engadget, this will limit the government's ability to collect data disclosures that might reveal journalists' sources. The draft bill was previously cut from the US Spending Bill for 2023 later last year. Almost all states in the country and the District of Columbia have either a protection law or court recognition of qualified privilege for sources. But that stops there as there is no federal law in place for this. Among the senators who reintroduced the bill were Senators Ron Wyden, Mike Lee, and Richard Durbin. As per Wyden in a press release, identifying sources by spying on news reports is a finger in the eye of the First Amendment. "Our bipartisan legislation creates strong protections for reporters, with common sense exceptions for cases when the government truly needs information immediately," Wyden added. He added that this will make it harder for journalists as its scars off sources and reporters who are essential to well-function democracy. Meanwhile, Lee supported this statement and believes that this is necessary to protect the public's right to access information, hold elected officials accountable, and participate in representative democracy. "In a world where information is power, the role of reporters as truth-seekers and watchdogs cannot be understated," Lee noted. The senators point to instances from both Democratic and Republican administrators where the law subpoenaed data in order to obtain sources. Meanwhile, Representatives Kevin Kiley ad Jamie Raskin are both set to introduce companion legislation in the House of Representatives, which passed the House in the previous Congress. Raskin, a Democrat from Maryland, stated that the bipartisan bill vindicates the promise of journalism freedom in the country. Also Read: Meta to Remove News Content in Canada if Online News Act Passes The PRESS Act was close to being passed but was previously cut when it was included in the omnibus spending bill. Voa News reported that Senator Tom Cotton's concern about potential leaks threatening national security led to the bill being cut. Response from the Media Reintroducing the bill was applauded by the News/Media Alliance. According to their released statement, they believe this establishes reasonable ground rules for when the government can obtain confidential data from important sources from the media and their third-party providers. News/Media Alliance President and CEO Danielle Coffey stated that the organization proudly supports this move from the senators and the representatives, proving their leadership and commitment to protecting a free and independent press. By passing this bill, Coffey believes that it will ensure that they can maintain editorial independence. Related Article: US Senate Passes Bill That Will Increase the Production of Semiconductors in the Country 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A cyber regulator in Australia demanded social media platform Twitter to explain how the company is handling online hate on the platform. Twitter has become the most complained-about platform in the country after 62,000 banned accounts have been lifted. (Photo : ALASTAIR PIKE/AFP via Getty Images) The Twitter logo is seen on a computer in this photo illustration in Washington, DC, on July 10, 2019. Demanding Explanation Regarding Online Hate Twitter is facing another investigation regarding its operations. According to a report from Reuters, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant sent a legal notice to Twitter, demanding an explanation after receiving one-third of the complaints she received about the online hate concern from the platform. Inman Grant released a statement, saying that Twitter appears to have the ball on tackling hatred on the platform. "We need accountability from these platforms and action to protect their users, and you cannot have accountability without transparency and that's what legal notices like this one are designed to achieve," she added. The commissioner also noted that the complaints increased when the platform reinstated 62,000 banned accounts when Musk took over and acquired the company last October, including high-profile accounts of individuals who espouse Nazi rhetoric. Inman Grant described these accounts as the "worst of the worst," who contributed an outsized impact on toxicity. In her sent letter, Twitter was called out by the commissioner to explain its impact assessments when reinstating banned accounts, how it engaged with communities who were subject to online hate, and how the company is enforcing its own policies to ban hateful conduct on the platform. Requiring to Abide by Australian Laws While Twitter's policies prohibited hateful conduct on the platform, the commissioner argued that the rising complaints sent to her and reports of the toxic content remaining on the platform just showed that the company was probably not enforcing its own policies and restrictions The Guardian reported that nearly one out of five Australians had experienced a form of online hate. Twitter was given 28 days to respond in order to avoid a fine of nearly $473,480 (AUD 700,000) per day for continuing breaches. If Twitter wants to continue serving in Australia, the platform is required to abide by Australian laws. Inman Grant has also been working with regulators across the world to improve their standards regarding the platform's operations. Al Jazeera reported that among the affected Australians due to online hate was prominent indigenous television host Stan Grant, which had cited targeted abuse on Twitter when he announced a break from the media last month. The National Indigenous Television specialist broadcaster also announced its break from the platform due to racism and hate they receive. Also Read: Twitter 2.0 is Seeing An All-Time High, says Elon Musk-It is Not Even in Full Blast Yet This notice comes after the commissioner previously demanded Twitter, Meta, and other platforms in August last year for demanding an explanation over how they tackle online child abuse on their platforms. While Twitter responded to the notice, she has yet to say whether the response was acceptable or not. Related Article: Australia Explores Regulatory Framework for AI Following Similar Moves from the US, Europe 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New research suggests that astronauts may experience weakened immune systems while in space, making them more susceptible to infections. Studies conducted on astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have revealed common occurrences of skin rashes, respiratory and non-respiratory diseases, and increased shedding of live virus particles. These findings have raised questions about the potential immune deficits caused by space travel. The Effects of Space Travel Dr. Odette Laneuville, an associate professor at the University of Ottawa's Department of Biology and lead author of a new study, stated, "Here we show that the expression of many genes related to immune functions rapidly decreases when astronauts reach space, while the opposite happens when they return to Earth after six months aboard the ISS." The study, funded by the Canadian Space Agency, examined gene expression in leukocytes (white blood cells) from a group of 14 astronauts who spent between 4.5 and 6.5 months on the ISS between 2015 and 2019. The research identified 15,410 genes with differential expression in leukocytes. Included in these genes are two distinct clusters consisting of 247 and 29 genes, respectively. The genes in the first cluster were found to decrease in expression upon reaching space and increase upon returning to Earth, while the genes in the second cluster exhibited the opposite pattern. The majority of genes in both clusters were associated with protein-coding, but the first cluster primarily involved genes related to immunity, while the second cluster was associated with cellular structures and functions. These findings indicate that space travel leads to rapid immune system weakening due to changes in gene expression. Dr. Guy Trudel, a rehabilitation physician and researcher at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa's Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, emphasized the implications of a weakened immune system for astronauts, stating, "A weaker immunity increases the risk of infectious diseases, limiting astronauts' ability to perform their demanding missions in space." Read Also: [WATCH] NASA's ISS Reveals the Enchanting Glow of Earth at Night Positive Aspect of the Discovery However, there is a positive aspect to this discovery. The data also revealed that most genes in either cluster returned to their pre-flight levels of expression within one year after returning to Earth, with the majority returning much sooner, often within a few weeks. This suggests that astronauts face an elevated risk of infection for at least one month after returning to our planet. The duration required for immune resistance to fully restore its pre-flight strength is still unknown. It is expected to vary based on factors such as age, sex, genetic differences, and childhood exposure to pathogens. Scientists propose that the alteration in gene expression of leukocytes in microgravity is triggered by the phenomenon known as the "fluid shift." During this process, blood plasma is redistributed from the lower to the upper body and the lymphatic system. As a result, the volume of plasma decreases by approximately 10% to 15% in the initial stages of space travel. It is well-established that the fluid shift induces significant physiological adaptations, including changes in gene expression. Looking ahead, the main objective is to utilize these findings to devise strategies that can mitigate immune suppression during space journeys, especially those of extended duration. Dr. Laneuville underscored the significance of early identification of immune dysfunction and sub-clinical inflammation in the health of astronauts while in space. Early detection would open doors for timely intervention, aiming to prevent the progression of these conditions into severe symptoms. The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Frontiers in Immunology. Related Article: SpaceX Dragon Capsule Reaches ISS with 7,000 Pounds of Supplies 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Advanced technology is being hurriedly sent to the North Atlantic Ocean to find and save the five people onboard a submersible that disappeared on Sunday as it descended to the ocean bottom. Every time the Titan submarine sets out to examine the Titanic's debris, it has around 96 hours of life support left, according to CNN. This makes Thursday morning a critical time in the search and rescue efforts. On Thursday morning, the Northeast District of the US Coast Guard stated that a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is now searching the ocean bottom for the submersible. The Magellan, another ROV that can connect lifting cables to the Titan submersible and has already performed a digital study of the Titanic disaster, is also on its way to provide aid, according to officials from the Explorers Club, #Titanic #OceanGate A look at the ships in or near the search area currently. Of note are the scan tracks of Deep Energy and Skandi Vinland. #vesseltracking by @BigOceanData pic.twitter.com/EvICykqQSB Jay Lowe (@jaysguitars) June 22, 2023 Capt. Jamie Frederick, the response coordinator for the First Coast Guard District, says aircraft are now scouring a search area twice the size of Connecticut that extends as deep as 2 1/2 miles. Hyperbaric chamber specialists and deep-sea medical workers are also coming to the site, per ABC Action News. Authorities Remain Hopeful The situation is becoming increasingly grim, yet search crews hold onto hope. Experts' growing anxiety over the submersible's declining oxygen levels only emphasizes how critical cutting-edge technology is for reaching the North Atlantic Ocean as soon as possible. The most crucial stage of this complex global search operation is currently in progress. According to authorities, the 21-foot Titan submersible contained a small food and water supply, had basic controls, and had a small cabin. Comparing the mission to locating a needle in a haystack, the discovery of pounding sounds underwater on Tuesday and Wednesday inside the broad search area has given rise to some optimism. Read Also: EU Mandates Removable Batteries in Cell Phones Capt. Frederick noted that the number of resources involved in the search effort for the missing Titan submersible is anticipated to quadruple over the next few days as aircraft continue their aerial searches and remotely controlled vehicles explore the depths. Pounding Sounds From the Deep Detected On Tuesday and four hours later on Wednesday, the crew looking for the Titan submersible reported hearing pounding sounds at 30-minute intervals. The US Coast Guard said the oxygen supply in the missing submersible will run out by 1 p.m. UK time on Thursday, per The Independent. Along with British millionaire adventurer Hamish Harding, famous French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, OceanGate Expeditions CEO and founder Stockton Rush, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood is also on board the Titan. On Sunday morning, the watercraft sank from its support vessel and set off for the Titanic ruins at a depth of 12,500 feet. An hour and a half later, the Titan lost communication with the Polar Prince, the missing submersible's surface vessel. Related Article: US Officials to Implement Safeguards Against Government Attempts to Compel Data from Journalists 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Ahead of Prime Day 2023, Amazon is running a special promotion that families with kids won't want to miss. For a limited time, you can purchase two Echo Show 5 Kids devices for the price of one. These smart displays, released in 2023, usually retail for $100 each, but with the current offer, you can get two of them for a total of $99.98. To take advantage of this deal, simply input the code SHOW5KIDS at checkout or click the "Redeem" button on the product page to have the discount automatically applied. Score Amazon Echo Show 5 Kids With a Big Discount Young children often stay at home to enjoy watching movies on TV. If they want a more portable version of television, they can use Amazon Echo Show 5 Kids, which boasts a smart display. According to Engadget, this gadget is not only for smart home viewing, as it can also serve its purpose as an alarm clock that you can place in your child's room. What's more, the e-commerce firm also launched it with a space-themed design making it more visually appealing to kids who love learning about planets, galaxies, and other space-related adventures. As a parent, proper guidance is needed when your kid is using a gadget. The Echo Show 5 Kids features an advanced set of parental controls, making it even more child-friendly to a youngster. Related Article: Amazon Launches New Echo Lineup with Echo Pop, Echo Buds, and More What Can Kids Do With Echo Show 5? Equipped with Alexa, the Echo Show 5 Kids allows children to interact with smart home devices, such as bulbs or plugs, in their rooms. They can also ask the AI assistant questions, receive both visual and audio responses, and enjoy their favorite music from popular streaming platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Music. More importantly, the Echo Show 5 Kids is effective in filtering out explicit content, ensuring a safe digital environment for your little loved ones. Parents will appreciate the connected parent dashboard, which offers control over time limits and approved contacts and the ability to monitor their children's activities. If you're worried about your child's privacy, the device includes a physical camera shutter that can be easily closed when video calling is not in use, giving parents peace of mind. Amazon Adds Disney Voices to Echo Devices As a bonus, Amazon recently joined forces with Disney to introduce character voices to Echo devices. Kids can now engage with beloved characters like Olaf from Frozen or C3PO from Star Wars. Simply saying "Hey, Disney'' enables children to have Mickey Mouse read the weather or enjoy interactive trivia games, creating a truly magical experience. Amazon Kids+ subscription is all you need to have unlimited access to ebooks, games, and other kid-focused content that your child will surely love. Access to these character voices and more comes with an Amazon Kids+ subscription, which also provides unlimited access to a wide selection of kid-friendly shows, movies, audiobooks, games, and ebooks. When you purchase the Echo Show 5 Kids, you'll receive one year of Amazon Kids+ subscription for free. After that, it's available for $8 per month or $5 monthly for Prime members. In the meantime, here's how to snag the best-selling items for the upcoming Amazon Prime Day, which will run from July 11 to 12. Read Also: 2-Day Amazon Prime Day 2023 t to Kick Off on July 11-12: What to Expect 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. US authorities have approved the sale of chicken created from animal cells for the first time. Two California-based firms, Upside Foods and Good Meat, may now sell "lab-grown" meat to restaurants nationwide, aiming to sell it in supermarkets. The US Agriculture Department's clearance denoted a substantial change in the methods used to produce meat. In the battle to make meat from cells grown in a lab rather than animals killed for food, Upside Foods and Good Meat have been at the forefront, according to AP News. This breakthrough, also known as "cell-cultivated" or "cultured" meat, intends to end animal suffering and drastically minimize the environmental effects of conventional meat production, such as land use, water use, and animal waste. Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Eat Just, the organization that owns Good Meat, expressed excitement for the novel strategy. He emphasized the advantages of the new food technology of producing meat in "a different way" without "all of that land and all of that water that's used to feed all of these animals that are slaughtered." A Welcome Development Upside Foods and Good Meat completed stringent government inspections and obtained the required certifications to sell meat and poultry in the United States. The US Food and Drug Administration evaluated both firms' goods for many months before determining they were safe for eating. The meat produced by Upside Foods and Good Meat will be identified as "cell-cultivated chicken" when it is sold to customers. A manufacturing business working with Good Meat, Joinn Biologics, also received authorization to create these cultured meat products. The sale of Good Meat's cell-cultivated meat has already been authorized in Singapore, where it has been readily accessible since December 2020, CNBC reported. This past weekend, we recognized #SustainableGastronomyDay with the @UN. With GOOD Meat, we can preserve both our planet and our culinary traditions. : pomme puree grilled cultivated chicken vegetable demi glaze golden beet purple cauliflower romanesco pic.twitter.com/znCImELZnf GOOD Meat (@GOODMeat) June 20, 2023 The industry's reaction to the US government's clearance of cultured meat has been enthusiastic. Famous chef Jose Andres ordered Good Meat's cultured chicken for an unknown Washington, DC, restaurant. Similarly, San Francisco's Bar Crenn will serve a limited quantity of developed chicken from Upside Foods. Read Also: Archaeologists Unearth Ancient Maya City in Mexico's Jungle Investors have been aggressively backing these cutting-edge businesses because they see the promise of the cultured meat sector. According to PitchBook statistics, Upside Foods has attracted $608.4 million in investment, while Eat Just, the parent company of Good Meat, has garnered a remarkable $978.5 million. How Is Cell-Cultivated Meat Made? Starting with adequately chosen cells, the meat-growing process may begin. Live animal cells are used by Upside Foods, especially those with appealing flavor characteristics and reliable reproduction capacity. These cells are mixed with a nutrient-rich solution in enormous tanks called cultivators. The cells quickly proliferate over three weeks to produce huge sheets of bird flesh molded into cutlets, sausages, and other items. A commercially available chicken cell line was used to create the master cell bank that Good Meat uses, as per a New York Post report. A broth-like substance containing the vital nutrients needed for development is mixed with the cells. The cells grow into large masses within the cultivators, ultimately forming various meat products. Although initial production would be modest, Upside Foods plans to increase its Emeryville facility's ability to produce up to 400,000 pounds of developed meat products yearly. The United States, in comparison, presently produces around 50 billion pounds of chicken annually. Related Article: Bolt, Starship Technologies to Launch Self-Driving Robot Food Delivery Service 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at a campaign event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 10, 2023, as he seeks the GOP nomination for president. (NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK) The leader of the Florida Democratic Party filed ethics complaints against three top Gov. Ron DeSantis staffers who asked lobbyists and lawmakers for donations to the governors presidential campaign. Party chairperson Nikki Fried said she filed complaints with the states Commission on Ethics and the Florida Elections Commission. These allegations represent a gross violation of state laws and ethics and we could not in good conscience ignore them, Fried said in a statement. If true, they are yet another example of Ron abusing his public office for personal gain. The governors office has defended the fundraising, saying that the staffers did so on their own time. DeSantis press secretary Jeremy Redfern said in a statement Wednesday that he was adding the complaints to the list of politically motivated attacks. If the executive team wants to fundraise, knock doors, or volunteer their free time, more power to them they have First Amendment rights like every American, Redfern said. Fried, citing news reports, filed the complaints against three top DeSantis officials, who each earn six-figure salaries as government employees: Chief of Staff James Uthmeier, Legislative Affairs Director Stephanie Kopelousos and Policy and Budget Director Chris Spencer. The fundraising was first reported by NBC News, which wrote that DeSantis officials were asking lobbyists to donate to the governors White House campaign. The fundraising, which was confirmed by the Herald/Times, was considered a surprising breach of norms even for the boundary-pushing governor. DeSantis had not yet signed the state budget and therefore could have vetoed spending in which lobbyists clients could benefit. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, citing unnamed sources, reported that DeSantis staff also asked state lawmakers to donate to DeSantis presidential campaign. (When DeSantis issued his vetoes last week, a GOP senator from Sarasota accused the governor of targeting his district because he endorsed former President Donald Trump in the presidential primary.) Frieds complaints say that if the reporting is true, the officials might be misusing their position and violating a state law against state workers participating in a political campaign for elective office while on duty, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. In March, Fried filed a different complaint against DeSantis and his state campaign committee, accusing him of accepting gifts from his committee in violation of state law. The complaint alleged that $235,000 the campaign spent for DeSantis three-day Palm Beach retreat in February at the Four Seasons with donors and Republican lawmakers didnt serve the purpose for which the committee was created: to serve his campaign for governor. DeSantis and his committees received another complaint on Wednesday, filed by the advocacy group End Citizens United with the Federal Election Commission. The complaint alleges that the transfer of $82.5 million from DeSantis former state committee to a super PAC backing his presidential campaign was prohibited under federal law. Herald/Times Tallahassee bureau reporters Ana Ceballos and Mary Ellen Klas contributed to this report. GUANGZHOU, China, June 22, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GAC MOTOR continues to expand its range of high-quality vehicles in South America as the brand rolls out EMKOO, the newest SUV model, to the market. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621873773/en/ Positioned as a "Technology Pioneering SUV" with an eye-catching design and the latest car tech, the model is expected to become a strong contender in the subcompact SUV segment of the market. GAC MOTOR introduced EMKOO to Bolivia and Panama this June. Other countries in the region, including Chile, will be seeing its launch within the next two months. A Model For The Future Featuring a futuristic appearance, the EMKOO adopts a V-shaped grille that is accentuated by its LED-powered light matrix modules, echoed by laser sword-shaped taillights and turbo-shaped exhaust in the back. The models sleek outlines are enabled by hidden door handles that pop out when activated, capturing a distinctly modern look that continues in the spacious interiors through rolling vent outlets and ambient light. Inside, the EMKOO is packed with GAC MOTORs latest technology and connectivity features, including a hands-free phone system that can be accessed through a 10.1-inch touchscreen. Other highlights of this brand-new SUV model include wireless phone charging, advanced driver assistance system features, and world-leading engine thermal efficiency for a comfortable, safe, and economical driving experience. In preparation for the EMKOO launch in Panama, GAC MOTOR joined hands with artist Diego Fabrega, one of the countrys leading oil painters, to create an exclusive vinyl wrap for the models "Mystery Tour" around the capital. Over the course of April and May, GAC MOTOR sent a bold message about EMKOO to the Panama City streets by capturing the publics eyes with the colorful graffiti print, teasing the local crowd for the upcoming launch of this daring and imposing SUV model. Extensive press coverage has been building up online in anticipation of the EMKOO launch. South America is an important region to GAC MOTORs brand-building strategy. GAC MOTOR has been consistently delivering high-quality products that have attained international acclaim in the region. In Panama, sales reached a record high in March, enabled by a strong brand reputation and extensive product portfolio. With the launch of EMKOO, GAC MOTOR will continue to reinforce itself as a brand that delivers premium quality and innovative design through mobility in South America. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621873773/en/ Contacts GAC MOTOR International Emma Ren renhb@gac-international.com These are the best roads in the Balearic Islands to travel on foot Origin of life: Have you cracked the mother of all questions, Ulrich Schreiber? Why "no homework in principle"? What is the aim of the school that started the initiative? In Akita City, which was flooded by heavy rain, the "Hikiyama Event of the Tozaki Shinmeisha Festival" begins "Barbie": can you really go see Greta Gerwig's new film with your children? Snooker Champions League: Xiao Guodong made the thrilling advance to become the first Chinese player to advance to the quarterfinals Van Aert leaves the Tour due to the imminent birth of his son: "It's not a dilemma" New Zealand's World Cup success against Norway: Football history in the very first game "As if the vaccine has been delivered": Mashyanov - about Bivol's hard work, Alvarez's "escape" and Beterbiev's fee The huge prize of the Las Vegas World Poker Championship: four times more than Alcaraz at Wimbledon Acroyoga, nine hours of swimming pool and surgical precision to perform the best artistic swimming World Cup in Spanish history New Zealander Wilkinson, a striker who wants to make football equal to rugby in her country GDP growth rate forecast for this fiscal year is 1.3% in real terms, the highest level in 32 years Cabinet Office From the perspective of a piece of wood, why does "China's solid wood home capital" "buy and sell globally"? My country has become one of the few countries in the world that has mastered fourth-generation nuclear energy technology China's Bohai Sea has made great progress in the construction of the first 100 billion square meter atmospheric field project Calvino now avoids confirming that next year there will be no tolls on the highways National Development and Reform Commission: A new version of the negative list for market access will be introduced National Development and Reform Commission: Two supporting policy documents to promote the development and expansion of the private economy will be issued soon The State Duma adopted an amendment banning the publication of photos on the network for employees of the National Guard The Rules for the Supply and Consumption of Electricity in the Guangdong-Macao Intensive Co-operation Zone in Hengqin were released to deepen the connection between Guangdong and Macao Sanchez and the PSOE launch to wear down Feijoo with Marcial Dorado: "It is disturbing that he has had relations with a narco" Sudan.. Mutual shelling in Khartoum and El-Obeid and the governor of the island talks about a difficult humanitarian situation Islam expert: Why the reactions to the Koran burnings are so strong Wagner will leave the Ukrainian front for "a new path to Africa", according to Yevgeny Prigozhin Yue Wai-man: Hong Kong's financial system remains stable and continues to deepen its connectivity with the mainland War in Ukraine: New Russian "night of hell" in Odessa and the south of the country Russian military correspondent RT - about Maryinka: the Armed Forces of Ukraine have only four quarters under control Shandong has promulgated the "Sixteen Articles" to ensure the ecological security of the Yellow River Basin in accordance with the law "Unfortunately, it was not without casualties": the head of Crimea reported the death of a teenager as a result of a drone strike Three activists arrested for sneaking into Ibiza airport sticking to a private jet and spraying it with paint The astonishing data of the time trial in which Vingegaard swept Pogacar: "He scored more watts than expected" (m+) That's it for the Internet: Oliver Samwer shuts down his start Washington still without news of US military who fled to North Korea The Palacios Group asks not to consume its tortillas sold in Carrefour, El Corte Ingles, Dia and 9 other supermarkets RaHDit hackers published the routes of ships from which they could hit the Crimean bridge Communities 2019 - Privacy The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them. CORRECTS TO WEDNESDAY, NOT THURSDAY - In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, firefighters work at the site of an explosion at a restaurant in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Wednesday, June 21, 2023. A massive cooking gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China killed dozens and injured some, Chinese authorities said Thursday. (Wang Peng/Xinhua via AP) HONG KONG (AP) China's president ordered a national safety campaign on Thursday after a massive cooking gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the northwest killed 31 people and injured seven others on the eve of a long holiday weekend. The blast tore through the restaurant at around 8:40 p.m. Wednesday on a busy street in Yinchuan, the capital of the traditionally Muslim Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, as people gathered ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The explosion left many people unconscious and they needed to be carried out of the shop, according to the online news site The Paper, which quoted a member of the search and rescue team. Victims included elderly people and high school students, it said. An hour before the explosion, employees noticed the smell of cooking gas and discovered that a gas tank valve was broken, according to Xinhua. The blast occurred while an employee was replacing the valve. Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded urgent medical care for the injured and a safety overhaul after the explosion, Xinhua said. He urged efforts to quickly determine the cause of the accident and hold people accountable under the law. Xi also said all regions and related departments should address "all types of risks and hidden dangers" and launch campaigns to promote workplace safety. At a news conference Thursday, the deputy party chief of Yinchuan apologized to all people in the city, according to the news site Huanqiu.com. Before the news conference began, participants bowed their heads in silence. Nine people have been detained by authorities, including the owner of the restaurant, shareholders and employees. Their assets have also been frozen, according to Xinhua. The blast happened at an outlet of Fuyang Barbecue, a chain restaurant in Yinchuan popular for its grilled skewers and stir-fried dishes, The Paper said. The two-floor restaurant could seat 20 people on the ground floor and offered private dining rooms on the second floor where customers could also sing karaoke. A video on social media platform Douyin showed rescuers on ladders trying to reach victims on the second floor. People who appeared to have minor injuries waited for help at the side of the road. Other videos showed at least six fire trucks at the scene and some onlookers weeping. A staff member at the emergency clinic at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University confirmed that some victims were being treated there but declined to give further information. The Paper cited a woman identified only by her surname, Chen, as saying she had been about 50 meters (160 feet) from the restaurant when she heard the explosion. She described seeing two waiters emerge from the restaurant, one of whom collapsed immediately, while thick smoke billowed and a strong smell of cooking gas permeated the area. The central government's Ministry of Emergency Management said on social media that search and rescue work at the restaurant was completed early Thursday morning and investigators were working to determine the cause of the blast. The Dragon Boat Festival is a holiday devoted to eating rice dumplings and racing boats propelled by teams of paddlers. While the majority of Yinchuans population is Han Chinese, a third are Hui people, or Chinese Muslims. Industrial accidents of this type are a regular occurrence in China, usually attributed to poor government supervision, corruption, cost-cutting measures by employers and little safety training for employees. At least nine people were killed in an explosion at a Chinese petrochemical plant, and three others died in a helicopter crash during the countrys May Day holiday. In February, 53 miners were killed in the collapse of a massive open-pit coal mine in the northern region of Inner Mongolia, leading to numerous arrests, and four people were detained over a fire at an industrial trading company in central China in November that killed 38 people. The central government has pledged stronger safety measures since an explosion in 2015 at a chemical warehouse in the northern port city of Tianjin killed 173 people, most of them firefighters and police officers. In that case, a number of local officials were accused of having taken bribes to ignore safety violations. ___ AP video producer Penny Wang in Bangkok contributed to this report. A hotshot millennial investment adviser who made a name for himself setting up a fund to invest in one of the best cars in the world has been hit with a temporary travel ban amid an investigation by the corporate watchdog. Magnolia Capital boss and real estate industry identity Mitchell Atkins hit the headlines in 2021 spruiking his car fund, which was intended to buy a Lamborghini Essenza SCV12, a $30 million limited-edition vehicle of which only 40 units were ever produced. The scheme formed part of Atkins sprawling funds empire that managed, at one stage, $28 million for other people. Magnolia Capital managing director Mitchell Atkins. He was also a director and major shareholder of listed real estate group called The Agency and was involved in a board stoush over the direction of the company, attempting to push it into administration after a takeover offer by Magnolia was rejected by other investors. Atkins business empire is now in tatters after his group collapsed into liquidation in November 2022 following complaints from investors. In March, the 30-year-old from the Central Coast of NSW was declared bankrupt. FILE PHOTO: The logo of U.S. conglomerate General Electric is pictured at the site of the company's energy branch in Belfort (Reuters) - General Electric's aerospace unit said on Thursday it has signed an agreement with India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to make fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force. The development comes at a time when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on an official state visit to the United States. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India and the engines will be used to power Tejas fighter jets, GE said. Washington is working to deepen ties with the world's largest democracy and sees deeper military-to-military and technology ties with India as a key counterweight to China's dominance in the region. Hindustan Aeronautics previously said it planned to use the engine for a second generation of light combat aircraft and it was in talks over domestic production of the engines. Reuters reported in May the Biden administration was poised to sign off on a deal that would allow GE to produce jet engines powering Indian military aircraft. GE first began working with Hindustan Aeronautics and the Aeronautical Development Agency in 1986 to support the development of India's light combat aircraft with F404 engines. (Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K and Shounak Dasgupta) Network 10 has officially pulled out of the race for the rights to the Melbourne Cup, as Tabcorp and the Victorian Racing Club get ready to field pitches from Seven West Media and Nine Entertainment Co. Ten confirmed it had withdrawn from the bidding process to secure the sublicencing rights on Thursday. Sources close to the negotiations confirmed Seven and Nine, the owner of this masthead, are expected to make their pitches as early as next week. Tabcorp is looking to sublicence the Melbourne Cup broadcast rights. Credit: Racing Photos Sources close to Tabcorp and the VRC said they ruled Ten out due to its inferior ratings when compared with the two bigger broadcasters. Meanwhile, broadcasting sources suggested Tabcorps involvement in production, as well as retention of 50 per cent of all advertising assets was a concern for all networks. As a result, Seven and Nine are expected to table offers below Tabcorps expectations, according to sources close to the networks. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the June 24 edition of Good Weekend. See all 18 stories . My 10-year-old son is dressing for school when I notice he has become very thin. He has always been lean, but with his T-shirt off I can see his ribs protruding. Instead of taking two sandwiches for lunch, he wants only one. He starts running to and from school and around the oval at recess. I find his snacks in the bin. Sometimes he reaches for a biscuit and checks himself. I try to squeeze calories into him. He has seen another boy being teased about his weight and is worried. If he is not skinny, my son says, he will be a nobody. Some of the popular kids have thin arms. He thinks his arms are too fat so he wears long sleeves, even when it is boiling hot. I take him to a hospital eating-disorders unit as an outpatient. He meets the criteria for an Eating Disorder Plan and qualifies for up to 40 sessions of subsidised psychological help. Four years later, my son starts going to the gym. He wants two sandwiches for lunch and a container of nuts and a supplement drink and cheese. He counts calories and grams of protein. He wants to put on 10 kilos. He starts talking about his wrist-to-forearm ratio, bulking and cutting, sets and reps. His friends start going to the gym, too. They appraise each others bodies and lifting capacity online and in person. One boy tells him his forearms are too thin. YouTubes algorithms bombard him with videos of oiled-up muscly influencers instructing him on how to improve his physique. He buys grip strengtheners and performs dead hangs from an overhead bar he installs in his bedroom doorway. He puts on 10 kilos, but still feels skinny and weak. Among the social media accounts run by his classmates is one requesting comments on students appearances. Threats of physical violence are constant and made for the flimsiest of reasons. Boys he doesnt like are bigger than him. They could bash him, and he imagines looking pathetic, lying on the ground. Hypothetically, my son asks me, if someone punched me in the face, how hard would my head have to hit the ground for me to die? He wants to be the biggest in his class. He sneaks food. Sometimes he seems full, but he forces himself to eat more. The first time he vomits, it is loud and forceful and the rest of the family rushes to the bathroom at the centre of our small home. He says he is such an idiot. He is distressed because he has just lost all those calories. Going to the gym makes my son feel confident, but he is scared people wont like him if he loses weight. He goes more often and his workouts get longer. He puts on another 10 kilos, and it is still not enough. He feels like hes in competition with every male in the world, even though he knows its a competition he cant win. I try to give him smaller dinners. Advertisement Loading Dr Google diagnoses my son with muscle dysmorphia, a form of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), also known as bigorexia. Both Eating Disorders Victoria and the Butterfly Foundation emphasise this is not an eating disorder, although one article by the Butterfly Foundation (The Rise of Muscle Dysmorphia) says, the causes of muscle dysmorphia may be similar to other eating disorders, such as low self-esteem, perfectionism and the importance of appearance to ones self-worth. BDD is a subset of obsessive compulsive disorder, in which people focus on perceived physical flaws generally unseen by others. Suicide rates of BDD sufferers are high. I tell an actual doctor I am worried my son has put on more than 20 kilos in nine months and is eating and exercising in an unhealthy manner. The doctor tells me he was probably underweight, and now hes just catching up; his weight is in the healthy range. I tell him I understand that, but I am worried he is damaging his health. I want blood tests. I insist. Surely, his cholesterol will be high, and he will be shocked out of his behaviour. The doctor orders them but acts as if I am overreacting. When the tests come back fine, he is smug. The doctor is not alone in failing to detect problematic eating and exercising behaviours in boys. The SCOFF test is a widely used five-question screening tool for eating disorders. Two or more yes answers to questions about: purposely vomiting; worrying about losing control over eating; losing more than six kilograms in three months; believing you are fat when others say you are thin; and thoughts about food dominating your life, indicate the possibility of an eating disorder. It is no surprise to me that a review of studies using the SCOFF test across 16 countries found significantly more disordered eating in girls. Disordered eating in males often differs from the typical presentations in females, upon which almost all assessment and diagnosis tools are based. But an article in the British Journal of Psychiatry argued unhealthy eating and exercising in males are comparable, in terms of the distress and disability that they engender, to the weight-control behaviours characteristic of eating disorders in females. Working out is good for you, but my sons aim is to be big and strong, not fit and healthy. His body is his defence, his only social capital. When I go through the list of psychologists Eating Disorders Victoria sends me, none treats children for BDD. The few that I find myself have year-long waiting lists. I contact researchers and enrol my son in a university study that confirms his diagnosis. Advertisement While he spends up to three hours per day thinking about his appearance and performing appearance-related behaviours including going to the gym and checking his body in reflective surfaces, he does not meet criteria for an eating disorder, given his eating behaviours are intended to help him gain weight and vomiting is accidental rather than a compensatory behaviour. He does not qualify for the 40 sessions of subsidised psychological therapy provided by an Eating Disorder Plan. But given I cant find an expert to help him within a reasonable time frame, this is a secondary concern. Sometimes I think, at least he is not drinking, taking drugs or sitting in front of a screen. He occasionally meets other kids at the gym and no longer hangs out with boys who criticise his body. But even the kind boys reinforce his behaviour with their own insecurities, encouraging each other to improve their benching records and mindsets. Working out is good for you, but my sons aim is to be big and strong, not fit and healthy. His body is his defence, his only social capital. He is always tired; he doesnt socialise, has no time for homework and his concentration and schoolwork suffer. Talking to my son and other parents, I am stunned at the number of boys we know who are consumed by concerns about their muscularity. Australian research published in 2016 found 60 per cent of males were dissatisfied with their bodies. In a survey of 20 US urban high schools, more than 90 per cent of boys said they exercised more to build up their muscles in the past year. A study of 237 students at one Melbourne high school, published in 2020, revealed that nearly 50 per cent were taking protein powder. Protein and other supplements are part of a growing multibillion-dollar industry. Eventually, I get an appointment with a psychologist. The treatment for BDD is exposure therapy, but my son cannot imagine taking a single small first step towards eating and exercising less. He cant imagine a time when worrying about his body is not a part of his life. One night I watch him struggle to finish his plate after he has eaten more than his share of bread. I warn him he will be sick. He says he will not. When I hear choking and a gush of vomit from behind the bathroom door for the sixth or seventh time, I lose my cool. I tell my son this is ridiculous. From now on, I will control what he eats. When he has brushed his teeth, we sit together on the couch, and he tells me very calmly that if I want to do that and he has a bad day which he links to being skinny, he will kill himself. I backtrack very quickly, and discuss it with the psychologist. We hope he is just expressing how upsetting the idea of change is. Of course, there is no taking risks. I observe him closely and make him promise he will always talk to me if he feels like hurting himself. Advertisement Given his resistance to change, there is no point continuing therapy. I decide, in the end, that I can do nothing to stop him overeating and vomiting or spending hours at the gym six days a week. I hope that time, talking with him regularly and moving to a less poisonous school environment will help. Adolescence is brutal. When I sit on the edge of my sons bed and tell him it is the person you are that matters, that can give you real confidence if you are kind, generous, a good friend I know my words will be buried within hours by the relentless, toxic torrents of electronic sludge spewing from his peers and the likes of Andrew Tate. Loading But male body image ideals are not created from these extremes alone. My son, now 15, does not look unwell. He looks, in fact, fantastic. He is five foot 10 and 74 kilograms of muscle. In the past year and a half, his body mass index has moved from being in the lightest 20 per cent for his height and age to the heaviest. His regimen is vindicated by positive feedback. People who have not seen him recently comment on how much hes grown, how good he looks. Men ask if he is working out, slap him on the back, shake his hand firmly and say, Good on you! or, Dont bash me! One day, he comes out of the gym while teenagers are harassing passers-by. He tells me that when he hears one suggest they follow him, another says, No, look at the size of him. Even I, hearing this, am secretly glad his body has protected him. Our kids are suffering, with both eating disorders and muscle dysmorphia on the rise. My son has experienced both, even though the thoughts and behaviours are effectively the same, flipped 180 degrees. Every child deserves timely access to effective treatment and we, as a society, need to question the body image and gender role messages were sending boys. Im so glad Australian of the Year and body image activist, Taryn Brumfitt, has used her platform to raise this issue. So many gorgeous young men are standing before us, needing our help. But when you dont know what youre looking for, its hard to see them. * Name has been changed for privacy reasons. Lifeline: 13 11 14; Butterfly Foundation: 1800 33 4673. Advertisement Thats because Geelong Grammar, King Charles Australian alma mater, where youll pay $33,000 a year for your third-grader to attend, had its annual giving day last week the one day of the year when school community families are tapped to raise funds for the schools scholarship program. So far, theyve raised more than $1.55 million. And counting, without a single snag cooked onions, sauce, nothing or cake baked or raffle ticket sold. Looks like some tins rattle much louder than others. STAND-UP GUYS When PM Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton deliver their traditional, self-deprecating roast speeches at Canberras night of nights, nothing is sacred. There are always plenty of elephants in the room during these things, and at Wednesday nights Midwinter Ball, right in front of some of the ABCs top brass, both Albanese and Dutton savaged Aunty over recent cuts, which included sacking political editor Andrew Probyn. Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Haydon arrive for the Midwinter Ball. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Good to see the ABC here tonight. You guys have had a bit of a week. No money for a political editor. No money for an arts division. But enough money for The Weekly to have multiple episodes of a segment called Albos f---king dog, the PM said. His opposite number went even harder. Like many here tonight, I thought the recent treatment of Andrew Probyn was a disgrace, Dutton told Canberras glitterati. I think the ABC should be ashamed of its actions. The joke speeches were traditionally off the record until then Nine political editor Laurie Oakes published leaked footage of Malcolm Turnbull impersonating former US president Donald Trump in 2017. With that Rubicon crossed, it didnt take long for Wednesday nights speeches to land on CBDs desk. Loading Friends and foes alike copped it, with Albanese ribbing Paul Keating over his vociferous attacks on the AUKUS pact. When we get the first nuclear submarine under the AUKUS deal, we will name it HMAS Paul Keating, the PM said. Paul sometimes has difficulty getting his message across. He sometimes is just too subtle. But reading between the lines, Im pretty sure thats what he wants. Dutton, meanwhile, had a few choice words for our new ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, or the Ruddster as the Liberal leader termed him. Can you imagine the resilience training that DFATs undertaken in preparation? Dutton said of the former PMs appointment in Washington. Peter Dutton and wife Kirilly. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Albanese and Dutton dont often agree on much, but both their roasts found a common target in the Greens. I only made one song request to the DJ for later on. The Rolling Stones classic Gimme Shelter. But unfortunately the Greens have vetoed that, Albanese said. Dutton went on an extended riff about asking ChatGPT who would win a hypothetical cage fight between Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather and Albanese. Its a tough call, but my moneys on the prime minister. After all, hes been dodging promises longer than [Floyd] Mayweathers undefeated streak. RUFF ROOM Speaking of Albos f---ing dog, were coming around to The Weekly show host Charlie Pickerings way of thinking about Totos levels of exposure. The morning of the ball, with the capital shivering through its coldest morning so far this year, the PM or one of his people sent the local ABC a pic of Toto, rugged up against the chill on the frosty lawns of The Lodge. The hope was that the snapshot might be featured as the weather photo on the Canberra news bulletin that night yes, they do that there too. ABC Canberra was sent a weather photo on Wednesday featuring the Prime Ministers dog Toto Now, as luck would have it, Friday is Take Your Dog To Work Day, and you can make a donation to the RSPCA for the privilege. We would humbly suggest that the PMs household go the other way and declare a Leave Our Dog At Home Day. LOBBY BOBBY We wouldnt normally associate former Greens leader (Saint) Bob Brown with the dark arts of political lobbying. But the foundation that bears his name just made an entrance on the federal lobbyist register this week, because it turns out even granola-munching greenies need to play Canberra power games sometimes. Their only registered lobbyist is Vesna Cerroni, meaning Brown hasnt joined the growing throng of orange-passholders walking the corridors of power. The foundations campaign manager, Jenny Weber, told CBD the 2022 change of government (they didnt even bother trying to court the last lot) had got them interested in pushing for World Heritage listing for the takayna/Tarkine in Tasmania and other environmental issues. A real passion of Bobs is to build environmental lobbying back into parliament, Weber said. She conceded the Bob Brown Foundation couldnt match the big corporate players for money and access, but said it wanted to keep its lobbying in-house. The Australian Federal Police flew officers 2000 kilometres away to New Caledonia to investigate allegations a Sydney woman was forced to have sex with a dance teacher in a hotel room, a jury has been told. Felix Azarias Lara has pleaded not guilty to recklessly causing serious harm to an Australian citizen, being a 23-year-old woman he knew, in Noumea in 2015. Felix Lara outside the District Court in Sydney. Credit: Dan Himbrechts The court has heard Lara instructed Kizomba dancing in Sydney, considered an African tango, and had travelled to the French territory for an event. The Crown alleges the 38-year-old trapped the woman in the bathroom of a hotel, put her in a bath partly filled with water, pushed her against the wall by the neck with his arm, and refused to let her leave until she would tell him who she was seeing and gave in to his demands to have sex. Warning: Graphic and distressing content The managing director of a Queensland auction house which sold Nazi memorabilia including gruesome photos from German concentration camps claimed federal politicians are among his clients. Danielle Elizabeth Auctions at the weekend hosted an auction titled, Huge Militaria Sale !! Get it Before History is Banned & Erased, which came 10 days after Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus revealed proposed new laws would ban the display or sale of Nazi hate symbols. The Danielle Elizabeth Auctions website. Credit: Danielle Elizabeth Auctions In a reply to a complaint from a member of the public, who argued auctioning Nazi items was absolutely despicable, the Danielle Elizabeth Auctions email account wrote back on Wednesday night, claiming: I had two winning bidders in this Auction who are in federal parliament, and one in Shadow cabinet who only buy under the guarantee of anonymity due to people like you. Accused high country killer Gregory Lynn will face trial over the alleged murders of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay next February. However, Lynns financial woes could delay proceedings as he struggles to fund his legal team. Russell Hill and Carol Clay. Credit: The Age The former airline pilot faced the Supreme Court on Thursday where a trial date of February 13 was scheduled. The trial is expected to run for up to six weeks. Dog bite injuries are a growing problem across the suburbs with nearly 12,000 dog attacks reported across 11 WA local government areas in five years. The highest number of dog attacks were recorded in the City of Wanneroo (2087), followed by the City of Swan (2025) and City of Mandurah (1473), a parliamentary report reveals. Liberal MP Tjorn Sibma said he was staggered by the number of dog attacks reported from just 11 out of the states 137 councils. He said that was the tip of the iceberg with many more attacks going unreported. Lin-Hua Wu will join General Motors as senior vice president and chief communications officer, the automaker announced Thursday. Wu comes to GM from Google, where she has been vice president of global communications and public affairs since 2021. Her appointment is effective Aug. 21. Wu will report to GM CEO Mary Barra. Wu replaces Craig Buchholz, who left the automaker May 1, said GM spokesman Pat Morrissey. Lin-Hua Wu, former vice president of global communications and public affairs at Google, will join General Motors as senior vice president and chief communications officer, effective Aug. 21, 2023. Wu, 52, brings experience from corporate, agency and tech industry communications. Before Google, she worked at Dropbox file hosting service from 2016-21, including serving as chief communications officer, GM said in its news release. Prior to Dropbox, she was head of corporate communications for Square (now Block), the mobile payments company used by small businesses. From 2013-15, Wu was a partner with the Brunswick Group, a critical issues advisory firm. She also served as managing director at Kekst and Company global communications firm, now owned by Publicis Groupe, from 2004-12. She began her career as an associate at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, a prominent Silicon Valley law firm in Palo Alto, California, according to the news release. Lin-Huas broad experience and background will help drive more effective internal and external communications around our EV transformation and accelerated growth strategy, Barra said in the news release. Her extensive technology and Silicon Valley experience is the perfect fit for communicating our story as a technology-driven company that enables a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. Wu earned both her bachelors degree in international relations and a law degree from Stanford University. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Glide, a historic church in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco known for its civil rights activism and charity, and a board member of the nonprofit Stellar Development Foundation, GM said. More: GM hires former Apple, Twitter exec Mike Abbott to run its entire software development More: GM looks to hire tech talent from massive job cuts in Silicon Valley More: GM hires former Tesla executive Zach Kirkman for corporate development role Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-618-1034 or phoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: General Motors hires Google exec to run public affairs, communications Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has dismissed an appeal from Peter Dutton to call off or rethink the upcoming referendum, insisting constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians must be achieved by enshrining a Voice to parliament in the nations founding document. At the end of a week dominated by a bitter debate over the Voice, mental health advocacy group the Black Dog Institute warned there were early signs the tenor of the national discussion was already taking a toll on Indigenous Australians. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during question time in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra. Credit: Rhett Wyman There isnt any official research on it, but what we are witnessing at a ground level is that there is definitely an increase in tension in our communities, which we can relate to the current conversations that are going on around the Voice and the referendum, said Dr Clinton Schultz, director of First Nations partnership and strategy at the Black Dog Institute. When weve got people who are being positioned as sitting in either a Yes camp or No camp, thats putting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in direct competition with each other when were already largely an oppressed and attacked group in Australian society. Police Minister Yasmin Catley has refused to reveal when the family of 95-year-old Clare Nowland was told she had been Tasered by a police officer, as pressure grows on the government to launch an inquiry into the force following a string of high-profile controversies. Catley on Thursday again had to defend the NSW Police over its removal of key details from a public statement about Nowlands Tasering inside a Cooma nursing home last month. NSW police minister Yasmin Catley refused to answer questions about an altered police statement related to the Tasering of 95-year-old Clare Nowland during a grilling in parliament. Credit: Nikki Short Both Catley and the police commissioner, Karen Webb, have backed that decision on the basis that members of the Nowland family had not been informed about the incident. But grilled by the opposition in question time on Thursday, Catley refused to say when the family had been notified, labelling it an operational matter. Former Victorian treasurer and Labor giant Tom Roper, a minister in the Cain and Kirner governments, has died aged 78. Roper went onto work in environmental policy after resigning as member for the former seat of Coburg in 1994, following 21 years in the Victorian parliament, including 10 as a senior government minister. Tom Roper in 1991. Credit: Geoff Ampt Premier Daniel Andrews farewelled Roper on Thursday. I knew Tom well. Tom was a Labor giant, someone who served his local community in the inner north with great pride. He was a very, very effective local member, longstanding minister and someone who made a really significant contribution to our state and indeed beyond, Andrews said. 2023 New Vehicle Quality Tanks - TAC Opines, Too Much Stuff Too Soon? Quality Takes a Back Seat to Innovation as Problems Reach a Record High, J.D. Power Finds TROY, Mich.: 22 June 2023 New vehicles are becoming more problematic, evidenced by the number of problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) rising a record 30 PP100 during the past two years. According to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Initial Quality StudySM (IQS), released today, the rise in problems is 12 PP100 greater than in 2022, which follows an increase of 18 PP100 in 2022 from 2021. In 2023, the industry average is 192 PP100. A lower score reflects higher vehicle quality. The continuing decline in quality can be attributed to multiple factors such as greater usage and penetration of technology; continued integration of known problematic audio systems into other new models; poor sounding horns; cupholders that dont serve their purpose; and new models with 11 PP100 more than carryover models. The automotive industry is facing a wide range of quality problems, a phenomenon not seen in the 37-year history of the IQS, said Frank Hanley, senior director of auto benchmarking at J.D. Power. "The industry is at a major crossroad and the path each manufacturer chooses is paramount for its future. From persistent problems carrying over from years past to an increase in new types of problems, todays new vehicles are more complexoffering new and exciting technologybut not always satisfying owners. The U.S. Initial Quality Study, now in its 37th year, is based this year on responses from 93,380 purchasers and lessees of new 2023 model-year vehicles who were surveyed early in the ownership period. The study is based on a 223-question battery organized into nine vehicle categories: infotainment; features, controls and displays; exterior; driving assistance; interior; powertrain; seats; driving experience; and climate. The study is designed to provide manufacturers with information to facilitate the identification of problems and to drive product improvement. The study was fielded from February through May 2023. While problems with driving experience are flat year over year, quality declines in all other categories. The largest year-over-year increase in the number of problems is in the features, controls and displays category (+3.2 PP100), followed by infotainment (+2.3 PP100). Following are key findings of the 2023 study: Vehicle basicdoor handlesare increasingly problematic: Opening a door was once a non-discussion pointan aspect of a vehicle that had been examined, engineered and mastered. The basic touch point of door handles is now a percolating problem area as manufacturers attempt to redesign them. Owners are having issues with high-tech approaches to this basic function; seven of the 10 most problematic models in this area are battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Safety systems causing problems: More than three-fourths (80%) of owners say their new vehicle includes all four of the primary driver assistance featuresforward collision warning; lane keeping assistance; lane departure warning; and blind spot warning. However, problems owners encounter in the driver assistance category have increased 1.8 PP100 year over year. The most problematic areas are lane departure warning/lane keeping assistance (7.2 PP100) and forward collision warning/automatic emergency braking (5.0 PP100) for those that have these features. Owners increasingly happier with apps: Manufacturer smartphone apps improve 0.4 PP100 this year as the market penetration rate grows to 76%. BEV owners in particular use their app at least 68% of the time, primarily to monitor the charging process and to view their vehicles available range. The higher usage and unique BEV use cases translate to more problems experienced using the app in comparison to those with an internal combustion engine vehicle. Android Automotive Operating System (AAOS) issues: A 21.5 PP100 gap exists between vehicles that have an Android Automotive OS without Google Automotive Services (51.1 PP100) and those vehicles that dont have this system (29.6 PP100). This is only for the operating system for in-vehicle infotainment, not for the smartphone mirroring systems of Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Smartphone charging becomes most deteriorated problem : Across all 223 problems measured in the study, wireless charging pad not working properly has increased by a sizable 1.1 PP100 and is driven by both increased penetration and more usability issues with the technology. Users are experiencing several problems, including poor location; phone overheating; and intermittent charging, if at all. This is the area where manufacturers really have the opportunity to delight customers with this convenience, but instead are creating a problem for them, Hanley said. Biggest movers and shakers : Brands that show the largest year-over-year improvement are Maserati (73 PP100 improvement), Alfa Romeo (68 PP100 improvement) and Ram (45 PP100 improvement). Unofficially ranked automakers fill bottom spots : Tesla Motors, with 257 PP100, increases 31 PP100 year over year, while Polestar (313 PP100) improves 15 PP100 year over year. Lucid Motors (340 PP100) and Rivian Motors (282 PP100) are included in the industry calculations for the first time but have too small a sample size to be award eligible. These automakers are not officially ranked amongst other brands in the study as they do not meet ranking criteria. Unlike other manufacturers, they do not grant J.D. Power permission to survey its owners in states where authorization is required. Nonetheless, a score was calculated based on a sample of surveys from owners in the other states. Highest-Ranking Brands and Models Dodge is the highest-ranking brand overall in initial quality with a score of 140 PP100. Among mass market brands, Ram (141 PP100) ranks second and Buick (162 PP100) ranks third. Among premium brands, Alfa Romeo ranks highest with a score of 143 PP100. Porsche (167 PP100) ranks second and Cadillac (170 PP100) ranks third. The parent corporation receiving the most model-level awards is General Motors Company (seven awards), followed by Hyundai Motor Group (five) and Toyota Motor Corporation (four). Among brands, Chevrolet and Kia receive the most segment awards (four). General Motors Company models that rank highest in their respective segments are Buick Encore GX , Cadillac Escalade , Cadillac XT6 , Chevrolet Camaro , Chevrolet Corvette , Chevrolet Equinox and Chevrolet Tahoe . Hyundai Motor Group models that rank highest in their respective segments are Genesis G80 , Kia Carnival , Kia Forte , Kia Rio and Kia Stinger . Toyota Motor Corporation models that rank highest in their respective segments are Lexus GX , Lexus IS , Toyota Camry and Toyota 4Runner . Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has the highest-ranking model overall, the Nissan Maxima with 106 PP100, and the Nissan Murano ranks highest in its respective segment. Plant Quality Awards Toyota Motor Corporations Tahara Lexus, Japan, plant, which manufactures the Lexus IS, Lexus LS and Lexus NX, receives the Platinum Plant Quality Award. Plant quality awards are based solely on defects and malfunctions and exclude design-related problems. General Motors Companys plant in San Luis, Potosi, Mexico, which produces the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain, receives the Gold Plant Quality Award for North/South America. BMW AGs plant in Born, Netherlands, which produces the MINI Cooper and MINI Countryman, receives the Gold Plant Quality Award for Europe and Africa. For more information about the U.S. Initial Quality Study, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/automotive/us-initial-quality-study-iqs. About J.D. Power J.D. Power is a global leader in consumer insights, advisory services and data and analytics. A pioneer in the use of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic modeling capabilities to understand consumer behavior, J.D. Power has been delivering incisive industry intelligence on customer interactions with brands and products for more than 50 years. The world's leading businesses across major industries rely on J.D. Power to guide their customer-facing strategies. J.D. Power has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the companys business offerings, visit JDPower.com/business. The J.D. Power auto shopping tool can be found at JDPower.com. SASKATOON, SK, June 22, 2023 /CNW/ - The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan today announced the grand opening of eight new affordable homes for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health challenges in Saskatoon. Logo: Government of Saskatchewan (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion,and Social Services Minister and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation Gene Makowsky, alongside representatives from the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, the City of Saskatoon and the National Affordable Housing Corporation (NAHC), officially celebrated the opening of eight new homes at Aspen Heights in Saskatoon. The newly constructed homes are located at 345 Feheregyhazi Boulevard in Saskatoon and include eight stacked townhome units, consisting of six two-bedroom units, and two three-bedroom units. The project provides affordable housing to ten individuals with intellectual disabilities or mental health challenges. Funding provided to the Aspen Heights project includes: $280,000 from the Canada Saskatchewan Bilateral Agreement under the National Housing Strategy $260,000 from the National Affordable Housing Corporation $204,130 from the City of Saskatoon Quotes: "Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. That's why the Government of Canada is building eight new affordable homes for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health challenges in Saskatoon. This investment, and others like it across the country, represent the Government of Canada's commitment to improving the quality of life for Canadians most in need. This is just one of the many ways the National Housing Strategy is ensuring no one is left behind." The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion "The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to support this project that allows people to live independently in their community. Our government will continue to work with partners to meet our commitment to improve housing affordability and better support people and families in greatest housing need." - The Honourable Gene Makowsky, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) "Every project across the entire housing spectrum is critically important to our community at this time. Affordable housing is especially important. In this 56-unit rental development, 17 units will be affordable rental units, of which 8 will be supportive units made available to high needs individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental health afflictions in Saskatoon. Thank you to all funding partners involved in this project and for making these units available to those who need them most." - His Worship Charlie Clark, Mayor of the City of Saskatoon "Expanding our affordable rentals to persons supported by our partners at the Canadian Mental Health Association Saskatoon was an easy decision for the NAHC. For years we've heard from health professionals, community organizations and people living with mental health afflictions that there is a growing and desperate need for safe, independent supportive living options in Saskatoon. "Thanks to contributions from CMHC, SHC and the City of Saskatoon we have been able to deliver inclusive, supportive and welcoming housing options to help address this gap for the community; we are hopeful that we will be able to offer more units like this in the future." - Tyler Mathies, Chief Executive Officer of the National Affordable Housing Corporation. Quick Facts: Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $82-plus billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home. In 2019, the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada entered into an agreement through the National Housing Strategy. The Canada-Saskatchewan Bilateral Agreement will invest $449.9 million over 10 years, which is cost matched by the federal and provincial governments. NAHC is a non-profit organization that works with private home builders, government units, and other non-profit organizations to facilitate the construction of affordable housing units in Saskatchewan. Since 2020, SHC have worked with NAHC to develop 31 affordable housing units (including this project) in Saskatoon and Regina, through the RDP. Associated Links: As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC's aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook. To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, please visit www.placetocallhome.ca. In November 2019, the Government of Saskatchewan released the Saskatchewan's Growth Plan: the Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030, which sets out the Government's vision for a province of 1.4 million people by 2030. The Plan identifies principles, goals and actions to ensure Saskatchewan is capturing the opportunities and meeting the challenges of a growing province. Since 2007, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested more than $806 million to develop or repair more than 18,000 housing units across our province. To learn more, visit www.saskatchewan.ca. Government of Canada Logo (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2023/22/c6679.html OKLAHOMA CITY, June 21, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gulfport Energy Corporation (NYSE: GPOR) ("Gulfport" or the "Company") today announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 1,300,000 shares of its common stock by certain stockholders at a price to the public of $95.00 per share (the "Offering"). Such selling stockholders granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 195,000 shares of the Companys common stock to cover any overallotments. Gulfport will not sell any shares of its common stock in the Offering and will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares being offered by the selling stockholders. The Offering is expected to close on June 26, 2023, subject to customary closing conditions. Concurrent with the closing of the Offering, the Company intends to purchase from certain of the selling stockholders approximately $25 million of shares of the Companys common stock at a price per share equal to the per share purchase price to be paid by the public in the Offering specified above (the "Concurrent Repurchase"). The Concurrent Repurchase is part of the Companys existing $400 million share repurchase program and will reduce remaining availability thereunder. The Offering is not conditioned upon the closing of the Concurrent Repurchase, but the Concurrent Repurchase is conditioned upon the closing of the Offering. BofA Securities, J.P. Morgan and Evercore ISI are acting as joint book-running managers for the Offering. The Offering is being made only by means of a prospectus supplement and the accompanying base prospectus, which was filed as part of an effective shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on Form S-3 (File No. 333-264674). Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus relating to the Offering, as well as copies of the final prospectus supplement once available, may be obtained on the SECs website at www.sec.gov or by contacting: BofA Securities, at NC1-022-02-25, 201 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001, Attention: Prospectus Department, or by email at dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, at 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at (866) 803-9204, or by email at prospectus-eq_fi@jpmchase.com; or Evercore Group L.L.C., at 55 East 52nd Street, 35th Floor, New York, New York 10055, Attention: Equity Capital Markets, by telephone at (888) 474-0200, or by email at ecm.prospectus@evercore.com. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy or an offer to purchase or sell any securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. About Gulfport Gulfport is an independent natural gas-weighted exploration and production company focused on the exploration, acquisition and production of natural gas, crude oil and NGL in the United States with primary focus in the Appalachia and Anadarko basins. Our principal properties are located in eastern Ohio targeting the Utica formation and in central Oklahoma targeting the SCOOP Woodford and SCOOP Springer formations. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements are statements other than statements of historical fact. They include statements regarding the Offering, including the expected closing thereof. Although Gulfport believes the expectations and forecasts reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, Gulfport can give no assurance they will prove to have been correct. They can be affected by inaccurate or changed assumptions or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Important risks, assumptions and other important factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are described under "Risk Factors" in Item 1A of Gulfports annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and any updates to those factors set forth in Gulfports subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K. Gulfport undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements, to report events or to report the occurrence of unanticipated events. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621168712/en/ Contacts Investor Contact: Jessica Antle Director, Investor Relations jantle@gulfportenergy.com 405-252-4550 (Bloomberg) -- Republican pragmatists in the US House are beating back a rush by ultra-conservatives to fast-track impeachments of President Joe Biden and other top US government officials, intensifying GOP divisions and underscoring the fragility of the partys House majority. Most Read from Bloomberg The impeachment maneuvers including an effort aimed at Biden Thursday come as the far-right tries to dictate deep domestic spending cuts and wrench control of the partys agenda amid their anger over Speaker Kevin McCarthys deal with the White House to avert a debt default. Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado initially sought to force colleagues to vote Thursday on her articles of impeachment against Biden, bypassing committees to bring the measure straight to the floor. The measure accuses Biden of dereliction of duty in handling US-Mexico border issues. But McCarthy and his lieutenants, after a tense closed-door party conference Wednesday morning, convinced Boebert to allow the House Judiciary and Homeland Security committees to review the resolution. The referral passed Thursday 219-208. Even so, the episode exacerbated internal GOP backbiting. Swing-district Republicans and committee chairs are growing increasingly frustrated by hard-liners scorched-earth strategies. A Boebert ally, Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, egged on detractors of the Boebert resolution. Where does your representative stand? he tweeted. But Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, a moderate Republican, said rushed impeachment resolutions like Boeberts threaten to turn a serious process into a frivolous one. It shouldnt be playground games, he added. Freshman Republican Mike Lawler, who flipped a New York district in the 2022 election, struck a similar cord. Anybody who brings forward a privileged resolution, censure, sanction it needs to be referred for investigation, Lawler said. After Thursdays vote to refer the Boebert resolution to committee, McCarthy warned that any other attempts to bypass committees to force an impeachment vote probably wont go anywhere. House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer, whose panel is investigating alleged wrongdoing in Biden family finances, said he wished colleagues would hold off on their individual impeachment resolutions and allow panels to conduct their probes. I think our investigation has been very productive, he said. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia had said she plans to draft a privileged resolution to impeach Biden, as well as Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and Matthew Graves, the US attorney for the District of Columbia. But after Thursdays vote, Greene said she believes that the committee referral process now will be the standard. --With assistance from Zach C. Cohen. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Cheyenne, WY (82001) Today Cloudy this morning with thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High around 65F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 52F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Herbal Essences, a proud brand of Procter & Gamble (P&G), partnered with Asia's leading health and beauty retailer, Watsons for the "Feed The Hungry" initiative in an effort to end food poverty for underprivileged communities in Malaysia. Herbal Essences and Watsons Malaysia joined forces to support underprivileged communities in Malaysia Through the initiative, consumers joined hands to support the cause by purchasing Herbal Essences products at Watsons. Accordingly, for every Herbal Essences bio:renew bottle purchased at any offline and online Watsons store nationwide, RM0.5 was donated to The Lost Food Project Foundation (TLFP) to support B40 communities across Malaysia. Mr. Nantha Kalimuthu, Country Manager, P&G Malaysia, shared "In our commitment to citizenship in Malaysia, we take great pride in collaborating with our trusted partners to bring forth this significant endeavor. We express gratitude to the consumers who have joined us in this noble cause. This initiative stands as one of the many impactful social endeavors that P&G has passionately undertaken in Malaysia as a #ForceForGrowth and a #ForceForGood." This initiative is part of P&G's long-term efforts to help people, especially those in underprivileged communities who are disproportionately impacted in needed times. In 2022, together with TLFP, P&G Malaysia launched #LeaveNoOneHungry campaign that raised more than 12,000 meals for those in need and ensured no one goes to bed hungry or gets left behind. "Watsons Malaysia is honored to once again collaborate with P&G Malaysia and The Lost Project in the Feed The Hungry Initiative, which aims to impact the local community positively. Through this initiative, we are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of those struggling to put food on the table. We believe that by coming together and supporting one another, we can make a meaningful impact and bring hope to those in need." said Caryn Loh, Managing Director, Watsons Malaysia. ------ ABOUT HERBAL ESSENCES BIO: RENEW THE MOST AUTHENTIC HAIRCARE BRAND THAT IS NATURALLY LEGIT Herbal Essences rises to the occasion with the repackaged bio:renew range, featuring an all-natural blend of botanicals sustainably sourced from real plants while boasting a PETA cruelty-free and vegan formulation. Believers of ingredients with intent, Herbal Essences works hand-in-hand with leading scientists to unlock the secrets of nature and bring them straight to your shower. With Herbal Essences bio:renew shampoos and conditioners, you can trust that they are naturally legit with real botanicals in every bottle. This is a haircare brand that truly does beautiful things for your hair and your mind. ABOUT WATSONS Watsons is the leading O+O (Offline plus Online) health and beauty retailer in Asia, currently operating over 8,000 stores and more than 1,500 pharmacies in 15 Asian and European markets. Watsons continually sets the standards in the health, wellness and beauty market, providing personalised advice and counseling in health, beauty and personal care on top of its market-leading product range, making customers LOOK GOOD, DO GOOD, FEEL GREAT every day. Since 2009, Watsons has been the No. 1 Pharmacy/ Drugstore brand in Asia*. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/herbal-essences-and-watsons-malaysia-join-forces-to-end-food-poverty-through-the-feed-the-hungry-initiative-301858088.html SOURCE Procter & Gamble Batavia, NY (14020) Today Mostly sunny early then becoming mostly cloudy later in the day. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 84F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Thunderstorms. Low 64F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Batavia, NY (14020) Today A few isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon under partly cloudy skies. High 84F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Thunderstorms likely this evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms overnight. Potential for severe thunderstorms. Low 63F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. HKEX sounds the gong on New York office, opens Rockefeller Center outpost in quest for new listings, more overseas investment Bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) has brought its signature gong-striking ceremony to the United States with the opening of its New York office overnight on Wednesday. Nicolas Aguzin, HKEX's CEO, and Kevin Rideout, its co-head of sales and marketing, sounded the ceremonial gong in an opening ceremony held at New York's famous Rockefeller Center. The gong ceremony is traditionally held at Connect Hall in Hong Kong to mark new listings and important product launches. "The opening of our New York office is a great cause for celebration, as we bring the Hong Kong and HKEX story to North America," Aguzin said during the ceremony. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. "This new office will better connect two of the most important financial centres in the world, and - together with our recently announced London office - will further connect international capital with exciting opportunities in Asia." The HKEX New York office opening ceremony overnight on Wednesday. Operating as HKEX (US) LLC, the office will provide on-the-ground services to North American clients during their working hours. Photo: Handout alt=The HKEX New York office opening ceremony overnight on Wednesday. Operating as HKEX (US) LLC, the office will provide on-the-ground services to North American clients during their working hours. Photo: Handout> HKEX has had offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Singapore for many years, and the addition of the outposts in New York and London comes as the bourse eyes more international listings and more overseas investors trading in Hong Kong. Trading by international investors represents half of all the cash-market turnover of the Hong Kong stock exchange and about a third of its derivatives turnover, according to exchange data. Moreover, more than 70 per cent of all international investment into A shares listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen is routed through Hong Kong's Stock Connect schemes. The first Stock Connect scheme for cross-border trading was launched between Shanghai and Hong Kong in 2014, before the Shenzhen leg was added in 2016. These schemes have been followed by the Bond Connect, the Wealth Management Connect, the ETF connect and the Swap Connect, which was launched last month. The New York opening ceremony was attended by scores of investment bankers, fund managers, company executives and other VIPs. Operating as HKEX (US) LLC, the New York office will provide on-the-ground services to North American clients during their working hours. It will also provide information and promote Hong Kong's capital markets as a fundraising centre, yuan-trading hub and green financing centre. "Supporting our international clients around the world by being on the ground and listening to their needs is critical so that we can deliver shared [and] sustained success," Aguzin said. "This is part of HKEX's ongoing commitment to further broaden international participation in our markets, strengthening Hong Kong's position as a superconnector between East and West." Supporting HKEX's international clients around the world by being on the ground and listening to their needs is critical to the firm delivering sustained success, Aguzin says. Photo: Handout alt=Supporting HKEX's international clients around the world by being on the ground and listening to their needs is critical to the firm delivering sustained success, Aguzin says. Photo: Handout> The New York office is located on the 7th floor of 1270 Avenue of Americas and will be led by Roger McAvoy, managing director and head of business development, North America. "There is immense appetite for better insight and access to Asia capital markets in the US, and in opening up an HKEX office in New York, we can better align with our clients' interests and ambitions," McAvoy said. "This is about bringing opportunities and expertise closer to our customers and we look forward to helping them tap into the Asia growth story in the future." The opening of HKEX's New York office comes a week after Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said he would like to see the bourse operator continue to develop products and services that help Hong Kong in its quest to become the world's "leading green technology and green finance centre", and improve its standing as an offshore yuan-trading hub. Hong Kong has been the largest initial public offering market worldwide in seven out of the past 14 years, and is also the largest offshore yuan-trading centre. Just this week, it launched yuan share trading counters for international investors, which will allow them to trade the shares of 24 companies listed in Hong Kong in the Chinese currency. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. [Source] A Japanese restaurant in Taiwan will be serving a limited-edition durian ramen. Durian lovers: The Shan He Tang Lamian restaurant in Kaohsiung announced the new dish made for durian lovers in a Facebook post on Tuesday. The owners of the restaurant created the dish due to their own shared love for the fruit. They were inspired to experiment after visiting a restaurant in Malaysia that also served durian ramen. After two weeks of developing their own recipe, the durian ramen will be available to customers starting June 22. Ingredients: The dish, which is served in a durian shell, blends fresh durian puree with the soup base of its ramen, which is made from coconut milk and tonkotsu, a pork bone broth. More from NextShark: Man Yells Sexist and Homophobic Slurs, Spits on Pregnant Asian Woman in Oakland In addition to eggs and dried bamboo shoots, the dish also includes water chestnuts, white radish, apples, potatoes, lemongrass and fresh durian pulps. Limited bowls: According to the restaurant, they will only be serving a total of 20 bowls of durian ramen per day 10 in the morning and 10 in the evening due to the dishs extensive preparation process. More from NextShark: Brother of student found dead in rented Tesla launches fundraiser to reunite with his family in China The limited ramen dish is priced between $680 and $780 New Taiwan dollars (approximately $22 to $25). Original durian ramen: The unique durian dish was first spotted being served at Menya Shi Shi Do in Selangor, Malaysia, in May. Similarly, the dish also comprises of ramen in tonkotsu soup and is also served in a durian shell. The restaurant is known to experiment with unusual ingredients in their ramen, including chili crab, croissant, chocolate and boba. More from NextShark: 'You Brought This Disease Here': Racist Motorcyclist Tries to Run Over Pasadena Couple Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! North Korea firing of ballistic missile into sea deemed 'absolutely unforgivable' by Japan If youre keen to get your mitts on one or all of the new flavours, keep your eyes peeled in supermarkets and dairies across the nation. And remember, for now, theyre only available for a month. 3 Hurt When Google Critic Crashes Car Into Building Near Companys NYC Headquarters, Police Say The Manhattan Google headquarters in New York City on Jan. 25, 2021. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) NEW YORKA man who has claimed for years that Google was torturing users with flashing lights crashed a car into a building near the companys New York City headquarters, injuring three pedestrians, authorities said. The man, 34, drove onto the sidewalk and crashed his Ford Fusion into a building on West 15th Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattans Chelsea neighborhood just after 6 p.m. Tuesday, police said. A 12-year-old girl and two women ages 50 and 47 were hit by the car, a police spokesperson said. They were hospitalized in stable condition. The driver was arrested on charges including assault and attempted assault, police said. He had not yet been arraigned as of Wednesday and it was not clear if he had an attorney who could speak for him. Images posted on social media show a homemade sign that says Google Tortured Me! and what appears to be a gasoline can at the crash scene, which is about a block from Googles 15-story New York headquarters. The man, who has worked as an Uber driver, filed a lawsuit in New York state court in Brooklyn in 2019 accusing Google of using blinding lights to operate a social control program. He claimed in a 2021 Facebook post that Googles Android operating system was flashing users in the eyes for purposes of maliciously injury. He wrote in another Facebook post that year, I guess Google thinks its ok to torture someone across their entire Android O.S ecosystem system, no security updates for almost 4 years. Activists Say Ballot Harvesting, Once Shunned by GOP, Now Key to Winning in 2024 A voter holds her child as she casts her ballot at a polling station in Rose Hill Elementary School during the midterm primary election in Alexandria, Va., on June 21, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Scott Presler, though unfailingly polite in conversation, isnt afraid to speak bluntly about the massive threat conservatives face in 2024. Its my contention that, currently, Joe Biden is cruising to reelection if we dont have the infrastructure necessary, with things such as voter registration, early voting, legal ballot harvesting, the Millennial Republican activist told The Epoch Times earlier this month. If we dont have those things, then a Republican is simply not able to win. Although Republican former President Donald Trump has recently pulled ahead of Democrat President Joe Biden in national polls, his edge is only about 2.4 percent, according to the RealClear Politics average as of June 22. Presler is among the political insiders and analysts who told The Epoch Times that Republican Party leaders and candidates need to change course now if they want to win the presidency and other coveted political prizes in the 2024 election. Conservative activist Scott Presler. (Facebook/Scott Presler) Traditionally, the GOPs mantra had been: Vote in person on Election Day only. Republicans frowned upon early voting and mail-in ballots. They also have eschewed ballot harvesting, which is legal in some states. Ballot harvesting involves surrogates collecting voters absentee ballots and delivering them to election officials. Many conservatives expressed distrust of those methods, believing they could be vulnerable to manipulation and cheating. But ballot harvesting can also be seen as a safeguard against sometimes inevitable life circumstances that prevent people from making it to the ballot box on Election Day: a broken down car, a medical emergency, death in the family, or something as simple as a memory lapse on a busy day. To avoid some of such attrition, groups and campaigns have employed ballot chasing, a practice of following up with likely voters to make sure they cast ballots. Recently, Republican attitudes about pursuing votes and voters have begun to shift, especially after the GOPs lackluster showing in the 2022 midterm elections. A predicted red wave of Republican victories didnt materialize. Analysts cited many reasons for the disappointing results, including Big Techs manipulation of online information and influence. But another concern, high on the list of factors, was the failure of Republicans to alter their voter-engagement tactics. FreedomWorks, a grassroots organization with millions of activists nationwide, recently produced a video explaining the significance of ballot harvesting and ballot chasing. The Left has built a well-oiled machine to absentee ballot harvest and chase. The Right has fallen behind significantly. And if this strategic gap isnt filled quickly, our future is bleak, the video says. The political battlefield has changed drastically since 2016, says FreedomWorks, noting that more than 70 percent of ballots cast during the 2020 election were cast before Election Day. We may not like this trend, but its accelerating. In recent months, many leading Republicans, including Trump, have changed their tune; they recognize that to beat Democrats, they need to take advantage of every legal means to pump up Republicans vote tallies. Former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, who continues contesting her 2022 election loss to Democrat Katie Hobbs, recently announced a ballot-chasing operation. However, some conservative advocates see signs that the national GOP may lack the will, the apparatus, and the focus to set up the Party for success. So, grassroots activists are stepping up. But they worry that Republicans may once again find themselves outplayed and outgunned. Mobilizer Ignored? Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, a nonprofit group for young conservatives, dislikes seeing Republican candidates spending lots of money on negative TV advertisements. He thinks the money would be more wisely spent to help inspirational mobilizers such as Presler. We need 1,000 Scott Preslers not Ron DeSantis-versus-Donald Trump television advertisements, Kirk said during a recent podcast. Were gonna waste $1 billion on a primary, where $100 million, $50 million, whatever, could make the difference. Presler, known as #ThePersistence on social media, recently received a $5 million pledge from Kirks organization for GOTV [get-out-the-vote], early voting, and other ballot-chasing initiatives in the state of Wisconsin ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Wisconsin ranks among four states that are at the epicenter of the fight for the White House, according to Nathan Gonzales, editor of InsideElections.com. The other toss-up states are Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. Election officials wait as procedural issues are argued during the process of recounting ballots from the Nov. 3 election at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, on Nov. 20, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) With more than a million followers on Twitter, Presler delivers a popular, uplifting message for the Republican base. Hes the type of grassroots activist youd assume that Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee (RNC) chairwoman, would be eager to know. Yet Presler says McDaniel has not responded to his repeated and ongoing attempts to contact her. For more than two months, he has sent messages to McDaniel via social media, text, and emailto no avail. Theres been no communication from the chairwoman or the RNC, he told The Epoch Times. Im a team player, and Im a collaborator. And look, at the end of the day, Im here to win and make Joe Biden a one-term president. If the chairwoman were to call me, I would immediately take the call. The Epoch Times sought comment from McDaniel without success. After considerable pressure from Presler and other prominent Republican voices, McDaniel and the RNC recently announced a program to secure more Republican votes. BankYourVote.com will encourage voters to pledge to bank their vote, which will activate digital reminders from the RNC on all applicable pre-Election Day voting options, the RNCs announcement on the initiative states. Machinery Needed With Republican infighting over 2024 heating up, Presler is calling for unity. The enemy is not amongst us. And really, the enemy isnt even the Democrats, he said. But what we do know is that Joe Biden has been a reckless president whos putting national and global security at risk. Decisive steps must be taken now, Presler said. As Kirk recently wrote on Twitter, the Republican field of presidential hopefuls has grown. But, he said, It wont matter who the nominee is unless we make the investments today in ballot chasing, harvesting, voter reg[istration], and signature verification. Charlie Kirk speaks at the Young Womens Leadership Summit at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, on June 10, 2023. (Bobby Sanchez/The Epoch Times) 2024 is being decided now by the community organizers, Kirk wrote. We can beat them if we invest early in the machinery that will make the difference. Ignore the noise. Build the machine to win. Presler, Kirk, and others argue that the Republican Partys problems with reaching and activating supporters are symptomatic of more profound deficiencies. Democrats seem to have a more organized, solidified network of support. They have these nonprofit organizations, Presler said. And theyre all working in solidarity with the same message of either voter registration or data collection, and then ultimately mobilizing those people based on that data. In his view, the RNC needs to do the same. If the RNC is not getting the job done, then the job simply isnt going to get done, because we dont have the infrastructure as a conservative movement to be able to fill the voids necessary, Presler said. Not a Lost Cause Across the nation, disconnected from the RNC, many individuals and small groups are pitching in, hoping their work to educate, register, and activate voters will move the needle for Republicans. Some of these efforts are concentrated in states that conservatives have largely written off. Ian Camacho, director of research for Look Ahead America (LAA), told The Epoch Times: I think Virginia is one of the states that we think could be flippable, but a lot of people on the Right have given up on it. Virginia has become a focal point for Camachos organization, which calls itself the nations leading America First community organizer. Trump, who touts an America First agenda, lost Virginia to Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, but won the presidency; in 2020, he lost the state and the presidency to Biden. Ian Camacho, director of research for LookAheadAmerica.org. (Courtesy of Ian Camacho) We were founded with the twin missions of ensuring election integrity and registering and turning out to vote disaffected patriotic Americans of rural and blue-collar backgrounds, LAAs founder, Matt Braynard, wrote in a May memo outlining the groups voter turnout project in Virginia. While much attention is devoted to the 2024 presidential race, LAA is spotlighting state and local contests. The state senate is two seats shy of securing a Republican majority. Theres a lot at stake in Virginia this year, said Camacho. Its very possible that the Senate could be flipped and its kind of a swingy state. If that flip happens, it would give Republicans full control of the state governmentand the Republican presidential nominee might benefit from that additional clout and attention in the 2024 election. Started in 2017, LAA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, a type of group that the Left has long used to increase voter turnout, Camacho said. He noted that such organizations have many built-in advantages, including the ability to raise unlimited tax-deductible money from any sourcewithout having to disclose information about donors. Too many people waste too much time and effort complaining about the Lefts tactics rather than responding with countermeasures, Camacho said, underscoring points made by Presler, Kirk, and other insiders. Negative vs. Positive Gain LAA is working on not only registering voters but getting them to vote, whether its going early, whether its going by mail, whether its voting in person, Camacho said. Its a tough sell lately, as people remain concerned about election improprieties making their votes moot. Many people feel that their vote does not matter and it doesnt make a differenceand that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, he said. LAA also supports election-integrity efforts, including one in North Carolina, a state that Trump narrowly won in 2020. You hear so many people talking about voter fraud and voter integrity, voter cheating and all this kind of stuff. And yes, it does happen. And working on that and cleaning that up absolutely does need to happen, Camacho said. But I would say thats negative gain. Its important to also concentrate on positive gain, adding new voters to the rolls, he said. Sign used to recruit election integrity volunteers, at a Loudoun County Virginia Republican election event on June 8, 2023. (Masooma Haq/The Epoch Times) A private donor has contributed funds for the Virginia turnout effort as a pilot project. If we can show an effective model in 2023 in Virginia, then we can, ideally, raise funds to expand across the country for the 2024 general election, Camacho said. LAAs campaign is multifaceted. The group intends to hit disengaged voters with repeated messages about the importance of voting. They will contact voters via door-to-door canvassing, direct mail, live phone calls, texting, and social media. Because our efforts include registering these voters for the states permanent absentee list, we believe many of them will continue voting for many elections to come, Braynards plan states. After the 2023 election, LAA will use public records to find out whether the targeted voters showed up at the polls. That data will measure the voter-activation programs success. Sick of Failing Columnist Kurt Schlichter is one of the well-known conservatives putting pressure on McDaniel and other Republican leaders to step up their game. In a June 1 article on Townhall.com, Schlichter said Republicans are sick of failing, exhausted by defeat, and looking back longingly to the time not so long ago when we were tired of all the winning. He said he has yet to see any plan from the RNC for correcting its course and harnessing workhorses such as Presler. This guy [Presler] is busting his hump doing the hard, tiring work of exactly the kind that Ronna should be organizing, and shes ignoring him. Which means she is ignoring us, Schlichter wrote. We have to win in 2024have to. The left is not the moderate (in todays terms) liberals of yesteryear but a collection of hardcore, commie-curious aspiring tyrants who want us, at best, defeated, disarmed, and disenfranchised, Schlichter wrote, adding, the more aggressive of them want us dead. He said the next election is serious business, not merely some notional competition between Beltway teams Its a big deal, and we need a serious effort to fix the administrative and logistical problems that plague our party. Maybe there is a plan, Schlichter wrote. But, so far, he hasnt heard of one. And Im paying attention, he said. Failing to plan for victory is planning for defeat. Lessons From Democrats Academics with expertise in American politics say Republicans should have learned from their past mistakes. Democratic consultant David Carlucci said the 2022 election should have been a wake-up call for Republicans when it comes to capturing votersand votes. Major political events like the Mar-a-Lago raid did little to change public opinion for either end of the political spectrum, Carlucci said, referring to the FBIs search of Trumps Florida home on Aug. 8, 2022, two months before the November general election. This means that the only factor that could change the outcome of the 2022 midterms was which party got their base to get out and vote, he told The Epoch Times. I Voted By Mail stickers sit on a table waiting to be stuffed into envelopes by absentee ballot workers at the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections office in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 4, 2020. (Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images) The Republicans greatest weakness this cycle was the blatant hostility toward the modern voting system, Carlucci said. Skepticism about stolen elections, early voting, and mail-in ballots, in turn, demobilized the Republican base. On the other hand, Democrats ran with the modern reality of voting to bring in a higher turnout than expected, he said. It might seem obvious, but a candidate only wins an election by getting more votes than their opponent. Writing for RealClearPolitics, James Campbell of the University at Buffalo found that Democrats strong performance in the 2022 midterms could be chalked up to easy mail-in voting provisions, effective mobilization programs, and massive campaign spending. Also, Campbell told The Epoch Times in a recent email interview: Republicans have no realistic option but to try to match the mobilization operations the Democrats so successfully used in recent elections. How 2024 Differs From 2022 He said the obvious plan for Republicans, post-2022, is twofold: First, to ensure strict adherence to election rules with squadrons of lawyers. Second, to assemble extensive mobilization organizations, especially in swing states, to get out the vote of those leaning or likely leaning toward the Republicans, but might not otherwise bother to vote, he said. I dont know what McDaniel is doing about this, but I cannot imagine anything more important for the Republicansespecially after they were caught flat-footed in the midterm, Campbell added. Going into the 2024 contest, Republicans need to raise a ton of money, allocate it to the right states (follow the Democrats), and spend it wisely to track down those who are inclined towards them, Campbell wrote. He thinks Democrats still have an advantage because they have organizational structures that might be adapted to mobilization campaigns (unions, government workers, teachers, etc.). Republicans are appealing to working-class and non-college-educated voters, segments of the population that are harder to reach en masse. But at least some elements of the 2024 picture look more favorable for the GOP than they did in 2022, Campbell said. Democrats will be defending about twice as many [Senate] seats as Republicans, he said. At this point, the Republican nomination seems likely to be the more divisive, Campbell said, but President Bidens age and controversies may shake up that nomination process as well. Make This Most of Ripe, Juicy Tomatoes in This Delicious Dish At Least 31 Killed in Gas Explosion at Barbecue Restaurant in Northwestern China Smoke rises from a building following a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan, Ningxia, China, on June 21, 2023. (Video obtained by Reuters/Handout via Reuters) At least 31 people were killed in an explosion at a barbecue restaurant in Chinas northwest region of Ningxia, state-run media reported. Seven people were injured, including one whos in critical condition, according to state broadcaster CCTV. The explosion at Fuyang Barbecue Restaurant was caused by a leak of liquefied petroleum gas, CCTV said. The blast happened during peak dining time on June 21, the day before the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, when millions in China gather and go out for meals with families and friends. The restaurant is located on a busy street in Yinchuan, the provincial capital of Ningxia, and is a chain restaurant brand thats well-known among locals, according to local media and residents. High school students and the elderly are said to be among the victims. We heard a loud explosion and thought it was caused by fireworks, a resident told The Epoch Times on June 21. The stores window was blown up and pieces of glass strewn across the street. The restaurant has two floors and is often full of customers, according to the resident, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. [The police department] doesnt allow us to take photos or discuss it, she said. The resident said the blast slightly damaged the two neighboring shops and affected people in the residential block behind, noting that these residents are now living in a nearby hotel for fear of another explosion. Another resident said all shops on the street were ordered to shut down for the day. Firefighters work at the fire scene following a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan in Ningxia, China, on June 21, 2023. (Video obtained by Reuters) The rescue work concluded early in the morning on June 22, according to authorities. The explosion prompted Chinese leader Xi Jinping to order a safety overhaul across China, calling on all regions to rectify safety risks and hidden dangers. According to official media outlet Xinhua, nine people, including the restaurants owner, employees, and shareholders, were arrested and detained. Two restaurant staff said they had smelled the gas about an hour before the explosion and found that the valve of the liquefied gas tank was broken, state media reported, citing investigation records by the fire department and police. When another employee was replacing the valve, the explosion occurred, it stated. Accidents due to gas and chemical blasts arent uncommon in China. In 2021, a gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the northeastern city of Shenyang killed at least four people and wounded 47, with the powerful blast destroying the shops facade and shattering the windows of nearby buildings. Hong Ning and Reuters contributed to this report. At Least 46 Killed Following Riot in Womens Prison in Honduras Security forces operate outside the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social (CEFAS) women prison following a deadly riot in Tamara, on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on June 20, 2023. (Fredy Rodriguez/Reuters) TEGUCIGALPA, HondurasThe death toll from a riot at a womens prison in Honduras rose to 46, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday, as anxious relatives demanded information about the fate of incarcerated family members. Relatives of inmates gathered at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social, the 900-person womens penitentiary around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the capital city Tegucigalpa, where gang violence erupted a day earlier. At Tegucigalpas main public morgue, workers were running out of space for victims remains as relatives arrived, with some asking that officials release a list of the victims from Tuesdays violent incident. Identifying victims is a challenge, as many of which were charred or reduced to ash, according to Yuri Mora, spokesperson for the public prosecutors office. The riot had been planned by gang members with guards knowledge, Honduran President Xiomara Castro said on Twitter on Tuesday, saying she would take drastic measures to address the deaths. Angel Garcia, 34, arrived at the morgue Wednesday and discovered his wife and two sisters were among the victims, questioning how authorities let this happen in a country with a history of deadly prison incidents. Everybody passes the ball everything goes unpunished, Garcia said. It is unfair that we are suffering because of corruption. The clash took place when armed members of the Barrio 18 gang held back guards and attacked members of the rival Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), police spokesperson Miguel Martinez said on local television. The gangs, which both have roots in Los Angeles, have long battled for control of the drug trafficking and extortion industries, with the bloody conflict making Central America one of the worlds most dangerous regions. The riot was likely in reaction to a government crackdown in recent months on corruption within prisons, said Julissa Villanueva, head of the penal system, on Tuesday, describing the riot as a terrorist attack. Since December, Honduras government has implemented a state of exception, following a model pursued by neighbor El Salvador, which suspends some constitutional rights and allows security forces to detain people who they consider are associated with crime. Australians Remain Frosty Towards China as Wariness Over Taiwan Military Threat Grows Chinese paramilitary police guard an alley in a street next to Tiananmen Square ahead of an overnight rehearsal of a military parade to mark Communist China's 70th anniversary, in Beijing on Sept. 7, 2019. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) A new study has revealed that in the event of a military conflict between Beijing and Washington over Taiwan, just over half of Australians would be against physically entering the contest on Taiwanese soil. However, Australians were keen to still support Taiwan, with 80 percent saying they would accept Taiwanese refugees into Australia, 76 percent supporting the imposition of economic and diplomatic sanctions on Beijing, 64 percent supporting the supply of military aid, and another 61 percent supporting the use of the Australian Navy to prevent China blockading the region around Taiwan. The poll, completed by Sydney-based Lowy Institute, also shows that Australians persist in seeing China as a security threat, with a majority of the country continuing to believe it is very or somewhat likely that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will become a military threat to the country within the next 20 years. Australians dont want to see a conflict in our region and are cautious about the countrys involvement if a war did break out, said Ryan Neelam, the Director of the Lowy Institutes Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program. But they are also prepared to stand by democracies that come under threat. The USS Chung-Hoon observes a Chinese navy ship conduct what it called an unsafe Chinese maneuver in the Taiwan Strait on June 3, 2023. The Chinese navy ship cut sharply across the path of the American destroyer, forcing the U.S. ship to slow to avoid a collision. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Andre T. Richard/U.S. Navy via AP) Meanwhile, Australias trust in China has remained consistently low at just 13 percent, nearly identical to the polling results of the previous year. Commenting on the 2022 results, Fullilove said the loss of trust resulted from the belief that the communist regime had changed. Its foreign policies have hardened, and its willingness to accept criticism has disappeared, he said in 2022. The changing attitude follows Beijings wolf warrior diplomatic campaign against Australia, which at its height saw Beijing utilising trade coercion and threats to manipulate the Australian government and media. The Chinese embassy in Australia even issued a list of 14 grievances that it said the country needed to address before diplomatic relations could be normalised. These included stopping negative commentary by Australian media and MPs about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); ending calls for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19; haltering the governments cooperation-building efforts with Indo-Pacific partners; removing the ban on Huawei from the nations 5G network in 2018, and Australias foreign interference laws. Russia Also Cant Be Trusted But China is not the only country in the proverbial doghouse with Aussies. Australians also believe that Russia, like China, is not able to act responsibly in the world, as opposed to Japan, the United Kingdom, and France, which top the countries that Australians trust the most. It is hard to see trust in Russia recovering in the face of its ongoing aggression in Ukraine, said Michael Fullilove, the executive director of the Lowy Institute. Well into the second year of the conflict, as Ukraine prepares its counter-offensive, Australians remain overwhelmingly in favour of providing assistance to Kyiv. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is seen as he visits Maidan Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, July 3, 2022. Mr Albanese made a 12-hour-long visit to Kyiv, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch) Almost 85 percent support accepting Ukraine refugees, while over three-quarters support providing military aid to Ukraine. Meanwhile, two-thirds of Australians are either strongly or somewhat in favour of the decision to acquire nuclear submarines under the AUKUS agreement. However, more than half are uncertain or hold the belief that the submarines will not affect regional security. Almost half of Australians also dont believe it was worth the estimated $386 billion (US$262 billion) price tag. Security of Supply Chains Important to Australians Additionally, the survey showed that 70 percent of Australians believed the nation needed to ensure that its supply chains ran through friendly countries, even if that meant higher prices. Conversely, 29 percent wanted to keep costs as low as possible, even if that meant supply chains went through unfriendly countries. The results come after Australia faced a significant blow to its export industry when the CCP slapped arbitrary trade sanctions on various Australian products in retaliation to the Morrison governments request for an independent investigation into the origins of COVID-19. The ongoing situation has cost the Australian economy an estimated $20 billion (US$13.5 billion). A Chinese paramilitary police officer gestures and speaks over his two-way radio while standing at the entrance gate of the Australian embassy in Beijing on July 9, 2020. (Nicolas Asfour/AFP via Getty Images) Many Australians are also wary of Beijings actions in the Pacific region, with almost 90 percent of Australians remaining concerned about the potential for Beijing to open a military base in a Pacific Island country. This deep concern follows revelations that the Solomon Islands signed a security deal with Beijing allowing troops, weapons, and naval ships to be stationed within their territory, which borders a vital regional trade route. In March, the Solomon Islands government granted a multi-million-dollar contract to Chinas largest construction company to upgrade its international port. The Chinese state-owned construction company was reportedly the only company to bid for the project. Australias Banks Caught up in Russian Cyber Attack Australian banks have launched a new digital platform to help combat fraudulent transactions. (Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images) The recent Russian cyberattack on law firm EWL Ebsworth has claimed another set of victimsthis time, Australias four major banks. This comes as over 40 Australian government agencies are feared to have been impacted by the database hacking of HWL Ebsworth by the Russian cybercriminal group AlphV. While the four banksANZ, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), National Australia Bank (NAB), and Westpachave confirmed that they have engaged the firms legal services, they have assured customers and staff that their systems have not been impacted. We are aware that HWL Ebsworth, a law firm engaged by NAB for some legal services, has been impacted by a cyber-attack. NABs systems were not impacted and remain secure. We are working with HWLE as they continue to get more information in relation to the content of these matters, a NAB spokesperson said in a statement. The ANZ has issued a similar response but added that it will contact employees and customers who may have been impacted and need to be notified. The CBA told The Epoch Times it is in regular contact with the law firm and is managing the cyber attack as an urgent priority. The Epoch Times has also reached out to Westpac but is yet to receive a comment. Meanwhile, AMP, one of Australias oldest financial services companies, confirmed to The Epoch Times that they are also clients of HWL Ebsworth and are working with the law firm and others to address and understand the issue. Australias Corporate Watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), has also fallen victim to the cyberattack telling The Epoch Times that it has only engaged with EWL Ebsworth in a limited capacity in recent years. At this stage we understand that a very small number of ACCC documents may have been affected by the recent data breach, an ACCC spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. We are continuing to monitor and receive updates and are working through the implications of the situation. While the hacking incident has only impacted HWL Ebsworths database rather than the banks and government agencies, there are concerns that sensitive data will be compromised. Such data includes company credentials, client documents, and legal advice provided to the agencies. Hacking of Australias Largest Commercial Law Firm In April, Russian cybercriminal BlackCat, also known as AlphV, hacked into the database of HWL Ebsworth and stole four terabytes worth of company information. Approximately 1.45 terabytes of sensitive information were then published by the hacking grouping on the dark web on June 8. On June 12, HWL Ebsworth was granted an injunction by the Supreme Court of NSW to prevent hacking group AlphV from disclosing the stolen data online. The hacking group was also ordered to take down the data immediately. The injunction order was served using the contact information provided in three emails that demanded a ransom payment, which HWL Ebsworth had previously said it would not be paying. Meanwhile, HWL Ebsworth managing partner Juan Martinez admitted that there are practical limits to enforcing the injunction, telling the Australian Financial Review (AFR) that he believes this to be the first time in Australia that an injunction has been granted against cyber hackers in circumstances such as these. The Epoch Times has reached out to EWL Ebsworth. In a published statement, HWL Ebsworth said that it continues to be engaged in a comprehensive investigation into the extent of the cyberattack. We are conducting a detailed and comprehensive review of the impacted data and informing impacted third parties and individuals as swiftly as we can, the company said. We have an ongoing engagement with relevant authorities in relation to this process, including the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, the Australian Cyber Security Centre and law enforcement agencies in their ongoing investigation into the incident. We will continue to provide relevant updates to staff, clients, regulators and other stakeholders and provide support to those impacted. Working Group Established to Analyse Cyber Attack The Attorney-Generals Department has established a working group to analyse the extent of the cyberattack, reported The Australian. The Epoch Times has previously contacted the Attorney-Generals Department to seek clarification on the operations of the working group but was referred to the Department of Home Affairs. The Department of Home Affairs told The Epoch Times in an email that the government continues to actively engage HWL Ebsworth as it investigates the extent of the breach, including impacts on Commonwealth information. The Government is continuing to work with HWL Ebsworth to understand and manage potential consequences of the publication of the data, the spokesperson said. However, the spokesperson did not detail the operation of the working group. Opposition cyber security spokesman James Paterson said on June 16 that the Coalition was concerned by the hacking of government data. Protecting Australian Government data is more important than ever in light of recent significant cyber incidents and our current strategic environment, Paterson said. Other agencies reported to be impacted by the cyberattack include the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Taxation Office, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), the Defence Department, the Australian Federal Police, and the Department of Human Services and Medicare. The Epoch Times has also reached out to the Department of Human Services and Medicare, and was told by a Services Australia spokesperson that it is currently engaging with EWL Ebsworth over the hacking incident. Beijing Convenes Emergency Economic Meetings, as Analyst Predicts Chinas Economy Faces Dead End The latest official economic data released by the Chinese authorities shows that Chinas economy has experienced an overall decline. Insiders reveal that senior Chinese officials have recently held at least six emergency economic meetings with business leaders and economists, and the tone of participants was unusually urgent. One political and economic analyst says that Chinas economy is facing a dead end and that the communist system has caused many problems that cannot be solved, rendering these emergency meetings useless. According to state-run Xinhua News, Chinese premier Li Qiang chaired an executive meeting of the State Council on June 16. The meeting concluded that more vigorous measures must be taken to boost Chinas economy and stressed that policies and measures must be introduced promptly and implemented rapidly whenever possible. Bloomberg also reported on June 14 that high-level Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials and business leaders recently held a series of emergency meetings, and the tone of the participants was unusually urgent. Senior CCP officials were seeking advice from business leaders and economists on how to restructure the economy, the article said. According to a source, senior Chinese officials have recently held at least six consultations with these executives. Top Chinese officials asked attendees for input on how to stimulate the economy, restore confidence in the private sector and revive the real estate sector, the source revealed. In response, business leaders and economists called on the authorities to urgently revise their policies and adopt a more market-driven, rather than planning-led, approach to growth. At a meeting around the end of May, top Chinese officials and about 10 other participants reached a consensus that more and better-coordinated monetary and fiscal stimulus is needed, according to one participant. Additionally, all attendees expressed shared concerns regarding the timing and content of any proposed stimulus package. Economy Facing Total Collapse The Chinese economy is unlikely to adjust and develop in the direction suggested by these business executives or economists, according to U.S.-based political and economic commentator Lu Tianming. In an interview with The Epoch Times on June 18, Lu said, These people suggest taking a market-oriented approach, which would mean loosening or even removing government controls, but now the Xi Jinping administration is facing a deadlock. Chinese leader Xi Jinping attends a press conference at the China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, in Chinas northern Shaanxi Province on May 19, 2023. (Florence Lo/AFP via Getty Images) Lu said if control is lifted or relaxed, Xis political opponents will create problems for him in various fields, especially by using their economic power to keep him in trouble and try to weaken his position. For Xi Jinping, the consequences of losing power are very serious, even to the point of losing his life. Thats why he has been consolidating power, Lu said. More power centralization means more control in all areas, so its impossible to follow the market-oriented route. On the other hand, a planned development route cannot lead to sound economic development. Therefore, it is inevitable that Chinas economy will be tightly controlled and come to a total collapse in the end, he said. Therefore, Xi Jinping is facing a dilemma: if he continues to centralize power, Chinas economy will continue to decline; if he loosens control, the economy may recover, but political turmoil may cause him to lose power or even his life. For the CCP regime, this has become an unsolvable dilemma. Data Points to Overall Downturn On June 15, the CCPs National Bureau of Statistics released economic data for May, showing a collective weakening of key economic indicators. In May, the added value of Chinas industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 3.5 percent year-on-year, a decrease of 2.1 percentage points from the previous month; the total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 12.7 percent year-on-year, a decrease of 5.7 percentage points from the previous month; the national industrial producer prices fell by 4.6 percent year-on-year and 0.9 percent from the previous month. People wait to cross a street in Beijing on June 20, 2023. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) The national surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.2 percent, unchanged from the previous month. The youth unemployment rate reached a new high of 20.8 percent, the highest since the regular release of this data in January 2018. In addition, private fixed asset investment experienced negative growth for the first time this year from January to May, falling 0.1 percent year-on-year. The last time private investment showed negative growth was in 2020. Lu said that the CCP has always falsified its data, and the actual situation should be much more serious. As the gloomy situation can no longer be covered up, the regime has to admit this situation to a certain extent. As for whether some stimulus measures by the CCP will be effective, he said: To a certain extent, it may work a little bit, and bring some rebound and growth in the short term. But it is not a fundamental solution, and in the long run, it is just a way of drinking poison to quench thirst, which will lead to more serious consequences. So, this is also a dilemma, Lu said. If no stimulus measures are taken, and the currency is not injected into the market, the economy will continue to decline, and all aspects will go downhill. However, monetary easing will only bring short-term effects far from its desired result. In the long run, the consequences will only be more serious, and the economy will get worse. Therefore, the CCP is facing a doomsday situation, and these problems are already insurmountable under its rule. Lu points out that many of the problems are caused by the CCPs dictatorial system, which by its very nature would inevitably restrict and suppress all areas. If the system does not change, any problem will become an unsolvable problem. Therefore, the series of economic meetings are just a rescue effort in pretense, he said. President Joe Biden called communist Chinas leader Xi Jinping a dictator at a fundraiser in California. Beijing described the use of the word as extremely absurd and irresponsible. The war of words comes just days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Xi in Beijing, where he called for mutual respect. Will U.S.-China ties take another turn for the worse? Is Biden speaking too freely when the cameras are off? Topics in this episode: Biden Stands by Referring to Xi As Dictator, Sees No Change in Relations With Beijing President Joe Biden delivers remarks during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on June 22, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) President Joe Biden stated on June 22 that his referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator will have no real effect on the U.S.China relationship. During a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Biden said that he stood by his remarks on Xi. When asked by a reporter whether his words would undermine or complicate his administrations efforts to maintain a relationship with China, he said no. He added that avoiding telling the truth about the U.S.China relationship is something he isnt going to change. The president smiled as he said: We had an incident that caused some confusion, you might say. But Secretary Blinken had a great trip to China. I expect to be meeting with President Xi sometime in the future, in the near term, and I dont think its had any real consequence. Biden made comments about Xi during a fundraiser event in California on June 20. He unexpectedly referred to the Chinese leader as a dictator while recalling the recent spy balloon incident. Biden said the Chinese spy balloon, which was shot down in February by the U.S. military after being blown off course over the United States, had caused great embarrassment for Xi. The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didnt know it was there, Biden said at the event. Thats a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didnt know what happened. That wasnt supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course. Bidens comments came a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his meetings in Beijing. Blinken described his China trip, which included a meeting with Xi, as robust, adding that both parties agreed on the importance of stabilizing the difficult relations between the two powers. I came to Beijing to strengthen high-level challenges of communication, to make clear our positions and intentions in areas of disagreement, and to explore areas where we might work together when our interests align on shared transnational challenges. And we did all of that, Blinken said at a press conference following his meeting with Xi. Xi also expressed satisfaction with the progress made over the two days of talks between top U.S. and Chinese officials. Blinken, however, noted that the Chinese communist regime refused the United States request to resume bilateral exchanges at the military level. The Chinese Foreign Ministry called Bidens remarks extremely absurd and extremely irresponsible. On June 21, Chinese Ambassador to the U.S. Xie Feng made strong protests to senior White House and U.S. State Department officials about Bidens comments, according to media reports. We urge the U.S. side to immediately take earnest actions to undo the negative impact and honor its own commitments. Otherwise, it will have to bear all the consequences, the statement from the embassy said. These developments are expected to disrupt Bidens efforts to mend relations with the Chinese regime. During a press conference at the end of the G-7 summit of leading developed nations in Japan in May, Biden projected a thaw in relations with China in the near future. Biden blamed the worsening in relations on a silly balloon that flew over the breadth of the United States with spy equipment before finally being shot down by a U.S. fighter plane over the Atlantic Ocean. Biden has been pursuing another summit with Xi, but Beijing has reportedly been turning him down. Both leaders last met on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 14, 2022. The Chinese Communist Party is widely seen as a threat by members of both parties in the U.S. Congress. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) declined to comment on Bidens characterization of Xi but told reporters, I would characterize what is happening with the Chinese Communist Party and their repression of their citizens as highly problematic, inconsistent with our values as Americans, and that were going to continue to stand on the side of freedom. Aldgra Fredly contributed to this report. Biden Warns Threat of Putin Using Tactical Nuclear Weapons Is Real (Left) President Joe Biden waits to speak as he visits the Sportrock Climbing Centers in Alexandria, Va., on May 28, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images); (Right) Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a meeting with members of the Council of Legislators of the Federal Assembly, at the Tauride Palace, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on April 27, 2021. (Alexei Danichev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) President Joe Biden warned this week that the threat of Russian President Vladimir Putin using tactical nuclear weapons is real, days after Moscow announced that the first warheads have arrived in Belarus amid international condemnation of the move. When I was out here about two years ago saying I worried about the Colorado River drying up, everybody looked at me like I was crazy, Biden told a group of donors in California on Monday. They looked at me like when I said I worry about Putin using tactical nuclear weapons. Its real. Bidens latest comment on the development comes days after he addressed reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, saying Putins announcement that Russia had deployed nuclear warheads in Belarus was absolutely irresponsible. Last week, Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed that the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus has begun. Some of the warheads are expected to be three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the United States dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II in 1945. As you know, we were negotiating with our allyBelarusian President Lukashenkothat we would move a part of these tactical nuclear weapons to the territory of Belarusthis has happened, Putin said on June 16 while speaking at an economic forum in St. Petersburg. The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first ones, the first part. But we will do this job completely by the end of the summer or by the end of the year. The move marks Moscows first deployment of such tactical nuclear warheadsshorter-range, less powerful nuclear weapons that could be used on the battlefieldoutside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. Putin first described plans to deploy the nuclear warheads in Belarus in March, pointing to U.S. deployment of similar weapons at NATO bases in a number of European countries over many decades. The announcement comes amid top Kremlin officials repeatedly threatening the possibility of using nuclear weapons as the war in Ukraine goes on. Stark Warning The Russian deployment is being watched closely by the United States and its allies, as well as by China, which has repeatedly cautioned against the use of nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine. Last autumn, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom warned Russia that if it used nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the trio would retaliate with a conventional strike. The United States also said last month that it has no intention of altering its stance on strategic nuclear weapons in response to the deployment, noting it has not seen any signs that Russia is directly prepared to use a nuclear weapon. The United States said it will continue to monitor, certainly, the implications in Moscow and Minsk. In May, Russia dismissed U.S. criticism of its plan to move tactical nuclear weapons to its neighboring ally, saying Washington and its NATO allies have deployed nuclear weapons in NATO states for decades. Lukashenko, meanwhile, recently described the deployment as a unique chance for Belarus and Russia to unite, saying the deployment of nuclear weapons in his country will boost its security and act as a deterrent against potential aggressors. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko walk during a meeting in Sochi, Russia, on May 23, 2022. (Sputnik/Ramil Sitdikov/Kremlin via Reuters) [The deployment] was my demand. It wasnt Russia who imposed it on me. Why? Because no one in the world has ever gone to war with a nuclear power. And I dont want anyone to go to war with us. Is there such a threat? There is. I must neutralize that threat, Lukashenko said, according to the Belarusian news outlet BelTA. Putin reiterated Lukashenkos comments last week, insisting that the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus will act as an element of deterrence to all powers who are thinking about inflicting a strategic defeat. Nuclear weapons have been made to ensure our security in the broadest sense of the word and the existence of the Russian state, but we have no such need [to use them], the 70-year-old Russian leader said. Neither Putin nor Lukashenko has revealed how many tactical nuclear weapons would be moved to Belarus, which borders Ukraine, as well as Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, which are members of NATO. According to data from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Russia accounts for the largest number of nuclear warheads in the world. Out of the 12,700 warheads worldwide, 5,977 are Russias, followed closely by the United States 5,428. Reuters contributed to this report. From NTD News California AG Announces Collaborative Agreement to Address Organized Retail Theft Crime Retailers in California are joining forces with online marketplaces and the states top law enforcement agency to stop the spread of retail theft in the state. A statement (pdf)signed by Attorney General Rob Bonta and a group of 12 retailers and online companiesreleased June 20 highlights the threats to public safety and the economy due to organized criminal activity, noting that theft has increasingly plagued California businesses in recent years. The fact is, we are stronger when we work together as a united front, Bonta said in the press release announcing the agreement. Organized retail crime costs businesses, retailers, and consumersand puts the public at risk. This new partnership signals a robust and genuine commitment shared by the retail marketplace and law enforcement to crack down on these crimes. Outlined in the document are commitments to resolving the problem and the methods by which the group will investigate organized criminal activity. Retailers declared their intent to report all incidents to local authorities, maintain video recordings and documentation related to crimes, and communicate with all stakeholders and investigators about trends and changes in their effective enforcement techniques. For their part, online marketplaces agreed to train staff on how to monitor suspicious activity, report it, and maintain records, while collaborating with brick-and-mortar retailers and law enforcement. Todays announcement demonstrates Californias resilience and tenacity in tackling these challenges, Bonta said. Whether it is law enforcement, online marketplaces, or retailerswe will not tolerate organized retail crime in our state. The agreement follows a number of legislative efforts to address retail theft, with two passing last year. Senate Bill 301, which took effect in January, regulates online marketplaces by requiring that all sellers with annual sales of at least $20,000 provide bank account or payee identification information to the company hosting the sales platforms, creating a trackable database of individuals potentially selling stolen items that can assist investigators and prosecutors handling theft cases. Another piece of legislation, Assembly Bill 1700, broadens the definition of organized retail crime by including any theft involving more than one person with the intention of reselling stolen goods and creates a reporting process to identify items being fencedthe act of reselling stolen merchandiseonline. Other bills were unsuccessful, including Assembly Bill 1708designed to reinstate petty theft and increase penalties for those with multiple theft convictions, and allow for the aggregation of stolen amounts to equal the states current $950 felony thresholdbeing denied by the Assembly Public Safety Committee earlier this year. Such was to provide consequences to repeat offenders who continue to go into our stores and steal, Rachel Michelin, president and CEO of the California Retailers Association, told The Epoch Times by email on June 21. The committee has been scrutinized by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle for holding back bills related to retail theft, criminal activity, and fentanyl distribution this year. While disappointed with the lack of progress on AB 1708 and steadfast in its disapproval of Proposition 47a law passed in 2014 recategorizing many felony offenses to misdemeanors, including theft under $950the association is looking forward to working with those interested in solving the problem, according to Michelin. We are always open to collaborating with any policymakers who want to work with us to protect our employees, customers and neighborhoods in which we operate from the growing problem of retail theft, she said. Online marketplaces play a unique role in the process, as many items are stolen from retail establishments and resold on various platforms, including eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and others. Lego sets and other items with value that are relatively easy to sell and difficult to track make up most of the items targeted by organized criminal rings, and eBay is a favored platform for reselling stolen products due to its ease of access and large customer database, according to experts. The online sales and auction giant is well aware of the situation and is one of those who signed the agreement with Bonta. eBay is committed to providing a secure online shopping experience to millions of people globally and has been very serious about battling stolen goods, Zhi Zhou, chief risk officer at eBay, said in the press release announcing the collaboration. We have zero tolerance for criminal activity on our platform and are proud to support Attorney General Bonta and other online marketplaces in this effort to curtail organized retail theft and support criminal prosecutions against those who try to use our platform to sell stolen goods. Assisting effort is a network of technology executives at TechNeta bipartisan innovation economy group located in Washington, D.C.providing data and expertise to allow for comprehensive analyses. Organized retail crime not only jeopardizes consumer safety, but costs businesses billions annually, Lia Nitake, TechNets deputy executive director of California & the Southwest said in the press release. Our members have invested significantly in technologies, personnel, and processes to help stop bad actors from harming consumers and businesses. Since 2020, retail crime has risen in the state, with some businesses in San Francisco fleeing in record numbers due, in part, to unprecedented theft. Multiple charges have been filed this year against organized criminal elements involving thefts exceeding $1 million. Suspects were charged in February with overwhelming employees and preventing customers from entering multiple Apple retail stores in 11 counties across the state between August of last year and January and reportedly stealing thousands of dollars worth of tablets and phones from each location. Another group was charged in March with stealing Xbox and Acer products from trucks at facilities belonging to Microsoft located throughout Californiaincluding Tulare, Tehama, Kern, and Los Angeles countieswith two suspects remaining at large following arrests in February, according to the attorney general. The California Highway Patrol was tasked with investigating organized retail theft in 2019 and identified three areas where the crimes were occurring: the Bay Area, the greater Los Angeles area, and the region encompassing Orange and San Diego counties. In collaboration with the states Department of Justice, the highway patrol developed a task force for each of the three regions to help combat the issue. Statistics from the National Retail Federation estimate the economic loss of such theft at $30 billion per year nationally. The attorney general is also asking the public to report any incidents of organized retail theft. California Bill Allowing Minors to Consent to Mental Health Care Stirs Controversy Amid Gender Ideology Debate The California senate judiciary committee has voted in favor of controversial proposed legislation that opponents involved in the national debate over gender ideology have called child emancipation and state sanctioned kidnapping. State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblywoman Wendy Carillo (D-Los Angeles), the authors of Assembly Bill 665, claim the criticisms of the bill are misinformation. The committee on June 20 voted 9-2, with Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) and Sen. Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks) opposed, to pass the bill, which experts say would allow children as young as 12 years old get mental health counseling, place themselves in a group homeor bothwithout parental consent. Nicole Pearson, an Orange County attorney and founder of Facts, Law, Truth, and Justicean organization that strives to protect civil liberties and basic human rightsaccused Carillo and Wiener of low-balling the full impact of the bill and using minorities and the LGBT communities to hide the actual intent. Its about taking children from parents without a claim of abuse, she said at the hearing. Pearson claimed AB 665 is a badly written dangerous bill thats too broad and unclear. Nicole Pearson, an Orange County attorney and founder of Facts, Law, Truth, and Justice, speaks at a state Senate committee meeting in Sacramento on June 20, 2023. (Screenshot via Senate Judiciary Committee) AB 665 is not about obtaining medical coverage or aligning to codes. Its about taking children from parents without a claim of abuse, Pearson said. The authors want to change the law to let a 12-year-old to opt out of their home on a whim, invoking parental separation and emancipation of minors without any claim of danger or parental consent. This is child emancipation. If the bill aims to expand access to mental health care, she said the bills authors could have simply proposed striking the word not from Section 124260 of the Health & Safety Code which states that such mental health services shall not apply to the receipt of benefits under the Medi-Cal program, Pearson argued. But they didnt, she said. Instead, they want to amend the Family Code and strike 44 years of guardrails that ensure that mental health providers only place a child into a residential shelter if that child is in danger of abuse, incest, or harm to themselves or others. Wendy Minas, a Los Angeles mother of five children, said people in her community are not happy with the proposed legislation. They are shocked and angry that you would consider passing an extreme bill that would break apart families during a childs most difficult and challenging years, she told the committee. Kids can be impulsive, influenced and rebellious. Instead of emancipating them, we should be creating programs that support human communication and keeping families together. If AB 665 becomes law, Minas said a child could go to school one day and not come home, as they enter themselves into the child welfare system as wards of the state, while parents will be left trying to find them and fighting to get them back. What about when your daughter starts talking to a much older boy or your son is accessing unhealthy media sites? Or, what if they are just hanging out with kids that are getting in trouble, and you try and guide them through that with boundaries, and they rebel? she asked. The bill, Minas said, would emancipate children to leave home and enable such dangerous behavior to continue at a group home. Wendy Minas, a Los Angeles mother of five children, speaks at a state Senate committee meeting in Sacramento on June 20, 2023. (Screenshot via Senate Judiciary Committee) Taylor Chambers, an attorney for the National Center for Youth Law, and a co-sponsor of the bill, told the committee that AB 665 would address deeply inequitable policies that create barriers for youth on Medi-Cal who seek mental health counseling. Youth who rely on Medi-Cal must meet significantly higher levels of acuity before insurance will pay for their care, which means that youth on private insurance can access needed care at an earlier stage, while youth on Medi-Cal must effectively be in crisis before the insurance will pay for their care, she said. Chambers said youth on Medi-Cal are predominantly youth of color and youth experiencing poverty. U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) studies showing an increases in feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness and a rise in attempted suicide rates among youth make it even more important to open every possible door to care, Chambers said. AB 665 passed the state Assembly on April 10 with a 55-9 vote with 16 abstentions. Esther Lau, a student advocate from the San Francisco Bay Area said she supports the bill because she believes it would hold MediCal to the same standards as private insurance companies. In my sophomore year of high school during the height of the pandemic, I was struggling with mental health, like many others were at the time, Lau said. My parents were incredibly understanding and supportive, encouraging me to seek medical support but as first-generation immigrants they were quite unfamiliar with the healthcare system so I navigated the medical system myself. Lau claims she was initially denied mental health care due to long waiting lists and administrative complications involved in the bureaucracy of the health care system, but eventually found a clinic that provided free short-term therapy to youth. As a low-income student who certainly has heavily benefited from public assistance programs, including Medi-Cal, CalFresh and Section 8 housing, Ive experienced what its like to seek mental health support throughout the medical system, Lau said. AB 665 affirms that access to mental health services is essential health care and a human right. Wilk, who recently advised California to flee the state if they know whats best for their children, asked Carillo why she didnt simply propose striking the word not from the existing code. All we had to do was strike not and then all those groups of children would be able to access, so Im just curious why we took this other approach when that was very simple and eloquent, Wilk said. Assemblywoman Wendy Carillo speaks at a state Senate committee meeting in Sacramento on June 20, 2023. (Screenshot via Senate Judiciary Committee) Carrillo defended the bill, stating it is about expanding access to mental health care for young people. She claimed it is not usurping parental authority, and accused opponents of waging a misinformation campaign on social media against the bill. She cited an Associated Press fact check in which she is quoted. She said AB 665 would simply extend SB 543, a law enacted in 2010 which allows minors aged 12- to 17-year-olds to access outpatient mental health treatment without parental consent to include recipients of Medi-Cal. This bill does not take away parental rights. This bill does not allow an opportunity for a parent or guardian to be involved. It does, however, align itself with existing policy. Unfortunately, the conversation has far exceeded what the intent of this bill is, she told the committee. Its now a national conversation related to mental health and young people that also brings into the national conversation about LGBTQ plus rights. The two issues are separate. Wiener accused critics such as Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) of creating extreme misinformation. It generates just an avalanche of vile, toxic, horrible stuff, he said. Wiener said AB 665 is a common sense bill intended to expand access to counseling for young people who need it, including a growing number of homeless youth. They are on their own on the streets, and to put them through hoops to try to access residential shelter is incredibly inhumane. They should simply be able to obtain it, he said. He accused opponents of trying to stoke outrage on social media and creating absolutely false moral panic that people are running around trying to steal peoples children. The outrage machine completely undermines our efforts to address actual children at risk by making pretend that all children are somehow being targeted, and that the mental health profession is targeting them, and their teachers are targeting them, and LGBTQ people are targeting them. It is outrageous. Erin Friday, a Democrat, an attorney and the western U.S. regional co-leader of Our Duty, a parental rights group that opposes transgender ideology, told the Assembly judiciary committee on March 28 that AB 665 would violate parental rights under federal and state constitutional law. She called AB 665 state-sanctioned kidnapping. Friday is featured in a recently released docudrama, Gender Transformation: The Untold Realities, that exposes gender ideology and transgenderism. California Bill Would Expand College Financial Aid to Asylum Seekers Students walk through Sproul Plaza on the University of CaliforniaBerkeley campus in Berkeley, Calif., on April 23, 2012. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) A California bill that would expand college financial aid to those seeking asylum passed the state Assembly and will now be heard in the state Senate. Currently, Cal Grant financial aid awards are available only to U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens, such as those who possess a visa or those who are a part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivalscommonly known as DACAprogram. State Assembly Bill 888introduced in February by Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes (D-Riverside)would expand all such financial aid to immigrants who have applied for asylum and who have a valid employment authorization document and social security number. Under current law, asylum seekers are not eligible to receive Cal Grants if they have been in California for fewer than three years, Cervantes said in a March statement. Federal immigration courts can take up to four or five years to schedule an asylum hearing in California, but Cervantes said those who have a pending application for six months may obtain a social security number and work authorization, and he argued if they are able to work and participate in the economy, they should also be able to get an education. However, because they and their family members often are only able to get low-paying jobs, the cost of education in California is well beyond their financial means, she said. The assemblywoman noted that California recently had an influx of asylum seekers from both Afghanistan and Ukraine. Among these asylum seekers are prospective college students and individuals who were attending university in their home countries who now wish to attend a California university to begin to [make] a new life for themselves, she said. The fiscal impact is currently unknown, according to an Assembly floor bill analysis, because [n]either the states colleges and universities nor [the California Student Aid Commission] collect data on the number of asylum-seeking students. The Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, an organization representing more than 80 independent higher education institutions, expressed support in a statement submitted to the bills legislative file. California higher education institutions play an important role in welcoming displaced students and supporting their long-term success and contribution to the states workforce and economy, the organization stated. A diverse student body with different lived experiences benefits everyone as students, faculty, and community members gain a greater understanding and appreciation of individuals from different backgrounds. The bill has also garnered support from groups such as First Gen Empower, Harbor Institute for Immigrant and Economic Justice, John Burton Advocates for Youth, Los Angeles United Methodist Foundation, and University of California Student Association. It has received no recorded opposition as of June 20. The bill passed the state Assemblys Higher Education Committee, its Appropriations Committee, and the Assembly floor last month, and is scheduled for a hearing in the state Senates Education Committee on June 28. ReportLinker Summary. Latin America and the Caribbean currently play a minor role in the global hydrogen market, accounting for an almost negligible share of the current global low-carbon hydrogen capacity. New York, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Latin America and the Caribbean Hydrogen Market Size and Analysis by Application Areas, Upcoming Projects, Policies and Key Players to 2030" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06469913/?utm_source=GNW However, a combination of favorable conditions for renewable energy, increasing policy support for hydrogen initiatives, and growing interest at the company level has created 6.7 mtpa of pipeline capacity, representing 11% of global pipeline hydrogen capacity. The environmental conditions across Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) create the opportunity for a vast array of renewable resources that can be harnessed for green hydrogen production, including wind, solar, biomass, and hydropower.However, water availability may pose a problem to hydrogen production in the regions most arid areas. To date, Brazil, Chile, Panama, and Argentina have the most upcoming green hydrogen capacity.Although, other countries are also demonstrating keen interest in the sector. The strong potential for renewable energy means that despite existing hydrocarbon production in several LAC countries, all active and upcoming plants are green hydrogen, not blue.The majority of green hydrogen plants in LAC expect to supply the transportation market, on either a domestic or international basis. This is due to green hydrogens potential for decarbonizing long range and heavy transport. LAC will be a net exporter of green hydrogen, having a relatively small demand in comparison to North America, Europe, and Asia. The region is conveniently situated to be able to export to all of these markets. A few countries in the region already have experience in this space, acting as net exporters of grey hydrogen for several years. Early adoption within the region will likely come within refining and industrial sector applications, where hydrogen is already used. Five LAC countries have released national hydrogen plans or strategies. Hydrogen partnerships and M&A deals in LAC have totaled $9.6 billion between January 2019 and May 2023. The LAC companies driving this M&A activity are chiefly situated in the power, oil and gas sectors. Key Highlights - Over the last 10 years, the cost of generating electricity from onshore wind and solar has fallen by 35% and 76%, respectively, and is foreseen to continue falling by another 4% and 10% respectively by 2025. - With a high incidence of solar radiation, Northern Chiles Atacama Desert has some of the best solar resources in the world. The southern regions of Chile and Argentina and the Caribbean coast of Colombia also have excellent wind resources. Scope - Hydrogen country market analysis - Total upcoming capacity and 2030 market size scenarios, highlighting recently announced projects by capacity. - Demand across different application sectors. - National policy support and financial incentives Reasons to Buy - Identify the market trends within the country and key players in hydrogen technologies. - Develop market insight of current, in development and announced capacity and latest trends of the sector. - Understand LAC countrys different scenarios for 2030 based on the likeliness of the projects. - Look at the demand in key application areas for the country. - Facilitate the understanding on how and where the market is growing as it is rapidly scaling up to position as one of the main topics of the international and national agenda. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06469913/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 California Is Cooperating in Chinas Eco-Scams Commentary One of the people with the best insights into whats going on inside the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) is Winston Sterzel. He lived there for 13 years, leaving in 2019 after he received death threats. On June 15, he shared a video on his YouTube channel of a massive field of electric cars that are rotting away, Sterzel said. Theyre 2021 models with less than 31 miles on them, all with license plates and fully registered. He pointed out headlines stating that Chinas electric vehicle sales outpace the rest of the world. But what youre not taking into account is China is the land of shortcuts and facades, he said. And the abandoned cars are counted in those numbers. (Screenshot via YouTube/serpentza) Neta V, BYD, and other Chinese car brands need high numbers to get subsidies from Beijing and to prove that theyre selling more than Tesla. Its also a Ponzi scheme to get more investment. A similar bicycle-sharing scheme failed in 2018, shifting money to a new shared cars scheme, which also failed. The bigger problem: The electric batteries in EVs depend on minerals mined in hazardous conditions in poor countries with few worker protections, something I covered in The Epoch Times a month ago in California Zero-Carbon Mandates Boost Chinas Control of Cobalt. Sterzel said: [The cars] create even more environmental damage, because theyre going to sit there for however long, with all these chemicals and batteries in them and theyre going to pollute the environment further. This is where China tricks everyone. This is where you hear about their great green initiatives. But what youre not seeing is China actually is destroying the earth at a rate never before seen. People still dont seem to get this. They block all this information from the rest of the world. Chinas green technology initiatives that you hear about are mostly B.S., a smokescreen, to hide the fact that theyre doing all sorts of environmental crimes. Its a propaganda push, and its a money grab. So think twice before investing in China. The CaliforniaChina Nexus This is where California comes in because its own environmental initiatives are tied in deeply with Chinas. Start with the Berkeley California-China Climate Institute, part of the University of CaliforniaBerkeley. Its chaired by former California Gov. Jerry Brown. The website features a short YouTube video of him explaining: This is an organization that has come out of the work I did as governor of California. When I met with President Xi [Jinping] several years ago it was very clear to both of us that climate change was something that affected California, China, America, the whole world. And we are committed at the Institute to research, to training, and to bringing scholars and experts from both China and Californiain fact from the whole worldto get at this huge, profound problem called climate change. Join us. Brown was referring to his meeting with Xi in June 2017, when his office stated: Taking Californias climate push to the global stage, Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today met with President Xi Jinping of the Peoples Republic of China and signed an agreement with Chinas Minister of Science and Technology to deepen cooperation on the development of green technology. Governor Brown met with President Xi for approximately 45 minutes at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The Governor and President discussed the importance of expanding cooperation on green technology, innovation and trade. California is the leading economic state in America and we are also the pioneering state on clean technology, cap and trade, electric vehicles and batteries, but we cant do it alone, said Governor Brown during his meeting with President Xi. I have proposed that California will cut its greenhouse gases 40 percent below 1990 levels and that well have 50 percent of our electricity from renewables. To keep that goal, we need a very close partnership with China with your businesses, with your provinces, with your universities. Browns office also provided pictures: Then-California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on June 6, 2017. (Courtesy of the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.) Then-California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on June 6, 2017. (Courtesy of the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr.) 2023 California-China Business Forum Back to the institute. It includes a link to a May 29 article from China Daily, the propaganda organ of the Chinese Communist Party, titled Clean energy focus of California-China cooperation: Clean energy has been a focus of cooperation between California and China in various sectors, said US officials who are looking forward to deepening the engagement to achieve ambitious climate goals and economic benefits. The cities of Shanghai and Los Angeles provide an example of collaboration to decarbonize the supply chains between the worlds two largest economies. With the help of the C40 climate network, our ports have launched a green shipping corridor. Together, were partnering to decarbonize the supply chains that connect our companies and our consumers, said Erin Bromaghim, deputy mayor of Los Angeles, at the 2023 California-China Business Forum in Los Angeles on May 22. It also quoted California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who attended the forum and said: California and China have built a notable record of collaboration in climate resiliency and environmental protection. Over the last 10 years, we have signed over 20 memoranda of understanding at the national, provincial and municipal level. China Decarbonization? An article called Decadal and Regional Planning for Chinas Power Sector Decarbonization from the Berkeley California-China Institute on May 15 also shows what theyre up to (please excuse the verbiage): China has many pathways to reach its decarbonization goals. All of them require a large increase in low-carbon renewable energy and complementary infrastructure, including storage and transmission. How can China plan for this transformation? What steps are necessary to consider in the near- and long-term? A new California-China Climate Institute report, produced with colleagues from UC San Diegos Power Transformation Lab and the Institute of Energy, Environment and Economy at Tsinghua University, developed a novel modeling approach with a high spatial and temporal resolution to identify feasible and efficient pathways for deploying renewables, storage systems, and transmission lines, by decade, from 2020 to 2060. This new research highlights potential changes to the energy technology choices, the pace of renewable deployment, and the uneven local impacts over time and space. From this new report, heres the timetable: (Screenshot via California-China Climate Institute) The 37-Year Plan Meanwhile, as Ive detailed in several articles in The Epoch Times, China is barreling ahead, building carbon-spewing coal plants at a record pace. At least when Mao imposed his Great Leap Forward, which killed up to 45 million people, it was a Soviet-style Five-Year Plan, then abandoned after three years, in 1961. The new one is a 37-Year Plan. Of course, its not even going to last four years. Its just a way to gull the Californians and make them feel important. Beijing obviously can see that California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has replaced Brown as the states main eco-guru, well could become president of the United States. As Ive noted before, on April 18, 2022, Newsom and Chinas minister of ecology and environment, Huang Runqiu, signed a memorandum of understanding on climate change and the environment in a virtual meeting. Like all those thousands of EVs sitting rotting and polluting in vast fields in the PRC, its all fake. John Seilers email: writejohnseiler@gmail.com Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. California Leaders Demand More Diversity, LGBT Themes in Schools California leaders demand more diversity in education, including LGBT themes, and vow more oversight for resisting school boards. Californias Department of Education and legislators joined forces and came together on Wednesday to call on textbook publishers to commit to producing educational resources and materials free from discrimination and inclusive of the diverse narratives that reflect the student body of California. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond vowed more oversight with potential penalties on school boards that resist state policies on inclusive materials. Attendees react to the Temecula Valley Unified school boards decision to terminate the districts superintendent amid controversy surrounding critical race theory and school curriculum during a board meeting in Temecula, Calif., on June 13, 2023. (Micaela Ricaforte/The Epoch Times) Many of our textbooks havent kept up with that diversity. This is a chance to diversify those narratives, Thurmond said during the press conference. This is all happening against the backdrop of where you have governors in other states literally trying to strip out any representation about race, about the experience of LGBT students, students with disabilities. Californias going in the other direction. Thurmond questioned the publishers motives and financial interests versus doing whats best for Californias educational system. The question is, Thurmond asked. Do you believe it is in your financial best interest? These efforts that youre talking about, do they contribute to a financial benefit to your company and if they havent, do you think that they could? California pays textbook publishers nearly $500 million a year, according to Thurmond. Representatives from the College Board and the Benchmark Education Co. testified in the California Capitol on Wednesday that they are committed to diversity and inclusion. California approved social content standards a decade ago that require schools to portray accurately and equitably cultural and racial diversity and to avoid gender stereotypes. The state also has laws in place mandating comprehensive sex education and LGBT history lessons. The conversation today is not simply a reaction to whats happening in our country. It is a commitment on behalf of the state of California. This is a commitment that we had 10 years ago and that we have today and will have in another 10 years, California Sen. Monique Limon (D) told the LA Times. These are the California values. In 2021, California became the first state to require ethnic studies as a graduation requirement for high school students. Last Month the Temecula Valley Unified School District Board of Education came under fire when the board rejected a Social Studies Alive program for grades 1 through 5. California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to the school districts decision to decline this educational material and the inclusion of LGBT students in the classroom. In the Golden State, our kids have the freedom to learnand there are consequences for denying that freedom, Newsom said in a statement. California is closely watching the actions of malicious actors seeking to ban books, whitewash history, and demonize the LGBTQ+ community in Temecula and across the state. If the law is violated, there will be repercussions. Newsom, Thurmond and Attorney General Rob Bonta wrote a letter (pdf) to superintendents and principals this month, informing them about 1st Amendment protections and state laws regarding a representative and unbiased curriculum. California is one of the leading states mandating LGBT materials in schools, where many Republican states are moving in the opposite direction. Newsom took aim at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential hopeful, as the governors spar over whats best for childrens education in their respective states. Conservatives Reject Book Ban Accusations DeSantis signed legislation to limit teaching LGBT ideology to children before the fourth grade, known by critics as the Dont Say Gay bill. DeSantis has fought back against allegations that Florida is banning books, calling it a hoax. Theres not been a single book banned in the state of Florida, DeSantis said in his May 24 presidential campaign launch on Twitter Spaces. You can go buy or you can use whatever book you want. Florida districts are now facing lawsuits from students and publishers as DeSantis defends his stance. Parents have flagged books in schools that, for example, teach middle school kids how to use sex apps that provide graphic depictions of sex acts and sex toys for people as young as fifth grade, DeSantis said. And so clearly, that is not appropriate. California Drought Is Over, Major Reservoirs Overflowing This aerial combination photo created on April 17, 2023, shows Lake Oroville in Oroville, Calif., on Sept. 5, 2021 (top), and on April 16, 2023 (below). (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) The historic barrage of storms this winter offered some breathing room for Californias extreme dry conditions, with 95 percent of the state now reported to be out of drought, according to the newest drought monitor map, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Climate Prediction Center, released June 13. The update showed that now only about 5 percent of the state is in moderate drought and 27 percent is considered abnormally dry. Last year, the state was almost in 100 percent moderate-to-exceptional drought. However, water experts say there is far more work ahead to prepare for future dry years. This one wet winter was not able to recharge our groundwater basins, Darcy Burke, board director of Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District told The Epoch Times. Water needs to slow down, needs to stay in place, and needs to slowly percolate through. We need more storage. According to Burke, over 26 million-acre-feet of waterenough for 75 million householdshad to be released into the ocean between October and May this year. Reservoirs are full, she said, and some water has been lost that was needed for other purposes. We have no place to put it, she said. [Lake] Oroville is full and its spilling. All the excess water is going off the spillway not generating electricity. Water Flushed to Ocean as Reservoirs Overflowing Lake Oroville, Californias second-largest reservoir, reached 100 percent capacity on June 6, with several others following, according to the California Department of Water Resources. In contrast, in January, among the states 17 major reservoirs, only its smallestthe Cachuma Reservoir northwest of Santa Barbarawas nearly full, according to the water department. The rest were partially filled, ranging from about 30 to 80 percent. According to the department, aging facilities made water storage and moving it through pipelines, canals, or ferries inefficient. But some say the winters water was not stored because it was flushed to the ocean to help replenish some endangered fish species, like the Delta smelt. Its a political problem, Don Jackson, an almond farmer and a water board member of Kern County, said on a recent episode of EpochTVs California Insider. Were flushing all the water out instead of sending it to the peoplewhich the aqueduct system was built for. Farmland Flooded but Pumping Still Restricted A major part of Californias economy is agriculture, which generates over $50 billion in annual revenue and employs over 420,000 people, according to a study by the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonprofit research institution based in San Francisco. While the rainfall eased the drought, it also flooded land, which is still not able to be used, said Burke from Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District. Additionally, with so much flooded land, some dairy farmers were left with no place for their livestock. Theres no Motel Six to take a cow, she said. Tens of thousands of dairy cattle were either sold or were [slaughtered for food] because there was no place to put them. On the other hand, some local farmers have expressed concern over state-mandated restrictions on pumping water for irrigation and associated long-term impacts. California farmers are limited in the amount of groundwater they can extract under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, passed in 2014 to preserve groundwater. But such restrictions have led many of them to let their land go idle during the growing season because they cant make ends meet, Steve Jackson, son of Don Jackson, who is also an almond farmer, and a water board member, said on California Insider. Were looking at a million acres of ground that would potentially be fallowed permanently, he said. Thats thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of produce that will never come back. Mark Nakata, a fifth-generation farmer and CEO of California United Water Coalitiona nonprofit aiming at ensuring water access for all Californians and protecting residents water rightstold The Epoch Times that the economic impact if farmers went out of business will be unimaginable. Itd be an economic disaster like weve never seen here, he said. Nakata said that building more water infrastructure is the solution. Such, he said, could help release water on dryer days or capture it to prevent flooding. He said the lag of new infrastructure constructionthe last major project was built in the late 1990sis due to special interest and environmental justice groups that sue to stop such projects over environmental concerns. Water is not a political issue. Water is a human issue, the ability to feed our people is a human issue, and the ability for everybody to have clean water is a human issue, he said. Care Home Visiting Rights Should Be Legally Protected: UK Government A care home resident talks with a carer outside a care home in Scunthorpe, northern England on May 4, 2020. (Lindsey Parnaby/AFP via Getty Images) Care home residents, as well as hospital and hospice patients, should have a legally protected right to have visitors, the government has announced. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) launched a consultation on Wednesday to seek views on introducing legislation that will protect visiting as a fundamental standard across providers, regulated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Among services regulated by the CQC are those provided by hospitals, dentists, ambulances, care homes, and the care given in peoples own homes. The emergency COVID-19 measures, introduced during the pandemic, restricted visits in care homes and other health care facilities in an attempt to control the risk of transmission among patients and residents. Minister for social care Helen Whately recognized the restrictions were detrimental and distressing for people in care homes and hospitals, as well as their families and friends. Visits from loved ones are vital to the health and wellbeing of people receiving care in care homes, hospitals and hospices. We know how much these connections matter, whether through the practical care an individual provides to a loved one, support and advocacy during a difficult medical appointment, or the comfort provided from a held hand or a hug, Whately said in the foreward to the consulation. She added that visiting was not merely a nice thing to have but a vital part of care. As health care providers move away from the emergency pandemic measures, the DHSC guidance for care homes and hospitals is that visits should be facilitated in a risk-managed way. Care home visitors may be asked to wear masks or see the number of visitors reduced, based on the risk assessment by the provider. Hospital patients are, as a standard, to be allowed visiting for at least one hour per day, ideally for longer, for two visitors at the bedside. Current CQC regulations dont explicitly mention visiting, apart from it being considered that any restrictions should be reasonable, proportionate, and time limited. The policy intention behind the government consultation is to ensure that visiting is protected and remains a priority for providers. We therefore propose to do this by introducing secondary legislation (regulations) to amend CQC regulations to include a specific visiting requirement, the announcement said. It would help regulators identify breaches by care homes or hospitals, as well as put pressure on them by using civil enforcement powers to address the breach. Visits from loved ones can mean the world in care homes and hospital thats why were protecting them in law, Whately said on Twitter. Profound Pain The Rights for Residents campaign launched in 2020 by the families of those directly affected by visiting restrictions said that the government consultation was a cause for celebration. However, the group vowed to keep campaigning for the right to receive visits to be enshrined in law. From the onset of the pandemic there have been more than 45,000 deaths of care home residents in England and Wales involving COVID-19 up until January 2022. The governments handling of the crisis with respect to care homes caused bitterness and concern among families whose relatives and friends had passed away while in care. The Rights for Residents ambassador, actress Ruthie Henshall, told The Guardian that her mother Gloria, a care home resident during the pandemic, was denied basic human rights. While MPs were drinking and snogging I was waving at mum through a care home window, Henshall said. Her comments came amid the governments probe into the Partygate scandal, involving the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his colleagues, and his staff. The House of Commons Privileges Committee has found that Johnson misled Parliament when he said he didnt know about lockdown-breaking social gatherings in and around Downing Street. The COVID-19 Inquiry heard last week that the government guidance on self-isolation and social distancing during the pandemic caused profound loneliness, pain, and anguish for British families. Fiona Scolding, KC, representing the DHSC, told the inquiry that people were unable to visit and comfort loved ones who were unwell or dying, recognising the stoicism and forbearance of the families who lost loved ones during the pandemic. An advisory committee to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on June 21 voted to recommend that adults aged 65 and over receive one of the newly approved vaccines for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 95 in favor of recommending two different RSV vaccinesGlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Pfizers RSV shotstaken in a single dose, for people aged 65 and older following shared decision-making between doctors and patients. While some panelists wanted broader recommendations, others raised concerns that there was not enough data showing how effective the shots are in individuals over the age of 75 and other high-risk groups. Those who are at high risk for disease and [are at] high risk for hospitalizations and death were actually not included in the trials, said committee member Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot. The patient population that participated in the study were younger and healthier and had fewer comorbid conditions, were not immunocompromised and were not living in nursing homes. The committee also voted 130 in favor of permitting individual adults between the ages of 60 and 64 to receive a single-dose RSV vaccine following clinical decision-making, between doctors and patients. One panel member abstained from that vote. Outgoing CDC Director Rochelle Walensky will decide whether to accept the panels recommendations in the coming days. RSV is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild illness and symptoms such as a runny nose, decreased appetite, coughing, wheezing, and fever in most healthy adults. Generally, individuals recover within a couple of weeks, according to the CDC. A human respiratory syncytial virus, also known as RSV, shown in a 1981 electron microscope image. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP) Clinical Data Results However, in serious casestypically among older adults and infants younger than six months of age or those with weakened immune systemsit can develop into a severe infection such as bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia, requiring hospitalization. The CDC estimates that 60,000 to 160,000 adults aged 65 years and older are hospitalized for RSV infections each year, with the virus leading to the deaths of 6,000 to 10,000 annually among that age group. Both Pfizers vaccine, known as Abrysvo, and GlaxoSmithKlines vaccine, called Arexvy, were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May for use in individuals 60 years and older to prevent RSV infections. The FDAs approval of GlaxoSmithKlines vaccine was based on its analysis of data from an ongoing, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study conducted in the United States and internationally in individuals aged and older. In that study, approximately 12,500 participants received Arexvy and 12,500 participants received a placebo. The results showed that among those who received Arexvy and those who received a placebo, the shot significantly reduced the risk of developing RSV-associated LRTD by 82.6 percent and reduced the risk of developing severe RSV-associated LRTD by 94.1 percent, according to the FDA. However, more recent results published by GlaxoSmithKline on Wednesday showed that its efficiency fell to 77.3 through the middle of the second RSV season, and 67.2 percent over two seasons. Against severe disease, efficacy was 94.1 percent during the first season, 84.6 percent at mid-season, and 78.8 percent over two seasons, according to the results. Vaccine Pricing Pfizers approval was based on data from its pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, a global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study comprised of approximately 37,000 participants. That study found that the vaccine prevented RSV-associated lower respiratory tract illness and RSV-associated acute respiratory illness in individuals aged 60 and over without evident safety concerns. Specifically, the study found that it reduced the risk of symptomatic illness by as much as 86 percent. However, data presented by Pfizer to the CDC did show that protection waned slightly at around 18 months following vaccination, though it was still as high as 78 percent, according to a study published by the New England Journal of Medicine. During the meeting, Pfizer said it expects to price the vaccine to be around $180 to $270 per dose, although this could change, citing competitive price negotiations on the shots. GSK, meanwhile, said it expects to price its shot between $200 and $295 per dose. Both companies have said they expect the RSV vaccines to eventually become multibillion-dollar sellers. Signage for GlaxoSmithKline on its offices in London, Britain, March 30, 2016. (Reuters/Toby Melville/File Photo) Side Effects Both of the vaccines come with side effects including pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain. In participants who were injected with GSKs vaccine, atrial fibrillation (abnormal heartbeat) within 30 days of vaccination was reported in 10 participants who received Arexvy and 4 participants who received the placebo. Still, GSKs senior vice president and global head of vaccines research and development, said last month that the company aims to make its RSV vaccine available in the fall ahead of the next RSV season. Earlier this month, a panel of outside advisers to the FDA voted unanimously to approve a preventative antibody treatment called Nirsevimab for RSV in newborns and infants. Currently, the only approved preventative treatment in the United States against RSV for infants is palivizumab, which is sold under the brand name Synagis, although it is generally targeted towards pre-term infants or high-risk infants and children and provides short-term protection whereas Nirsevimab is a long-acting treatment. On Thursday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will look at whether or not to recommend giving pregnant women an RSV vaccine. Advisers to the FDA voiced support in May for Pfizers maternal RSV shot to help prevent RSV in infants, despite concerns over premature births; with trial data showing there were more premature deliveries in vaccinated patients than those who received a placebo. The FDA declined to comment on the premature births during the meeting on the vaccine but staff members did acknowledge that there was potential uncertainty regarding premature births. Mimi Nguyen Ly and Reuters contributed to this report. What topics would you like to read about? Please let us know at health@epochtimes.nyc Censorship Unhealthy for Public Discourse, Big Tech Manipulating Elections For Some Time: Musk Musk opened up in a recent interview with Zuby regarding parenthood, digital intelligence, and online censorship Billionaire Elon Musk expressed his concern about threats to freedom of speech online and warned that big tech firms like Facebook and Google have been manipulating elections globally for some time. One of the main factors that motivated Musk to buy Twitter was that he was becoming increasingly concerned about the lack of freedom of speech and a lot of censorship, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO said in a June 17 interview with podcast host and rapper Zuby. I thought thats really unhelpful and unhealthy for public discourse. So, how are people in a democracy supposed to make the right decision if they dont have the right information, if theyre being misled, or [if] important information has been withheld, which obviously was the case in the Infamous Hunter Biden laptop situation. Back in December, Musk and independent journalist Matt Taibbi revealed that former execs at Twitter suppressed the New York Posts Hunter Biden laptop story in the weeks leading to the 2020 presidential election. To suppress the New York Post report, executives marked the story as unsafe, thereby limiting its spread and even blocking it from being shared through Twitters direct messaging function. Such severe restrictions are usually reserved for content like child pornography, Taibbi noted. Talking about the suppression in his interview with Zuby, Musk said that Everyone knows about that. But there are thousands of other smaller situations like that. The Twitter owner pointed out that tech companies like Facebook, Google, and YouTube have put their thumb on the scale of elections worldwide. And they have done for some time. And a lot of times, its so subtle you dont even really notice it. Frankly, Google might be the most pernicious in that its very easy for them to slightly de-rank a search, so its on page four or five if youre looking for something. And nobody ever goes there. Musk noted that most of the influential social media companies are in the Bay Area, and the region has a very sort of far left position, especially in San Francisco. AI Threat, Neuralink Project On the question regarding what he believes is the greatest threat to humanity, Musk pointed to digital superintelligence or artificial general intelligence. In fact, Musk thinks AI will more likely be good than bad. However, its just that the probability of a bad outcome is not zero. And I think, probably, the more we worry about a bad outcome, the less likely it is to occur. So, I think we should just try to steer the AI in a good direction. Regarding his controversial Neuralink project, Musk said that its not going to like sort of pounce on us overnight. Youll see it coming. Its going to be very slow. Neuralink is an implant that aims to allow a person to control a computer with their thoughts. I really think that artificial general intelligence or digital super intelligence is likely to arrive before we have really advanced Neuralinks. At least, thats where the trend is right now, he said. Ultimately, the idea would be to achieve symbiosis between our biological mind and our kind of digital mind. According to Musk, the initial Neuralink devices will focus on restoring functionality to people who have lost the connection between their body and brain, like a quadriplegic. The second application will seek to restore eyesight to people who have gone blind. Despite Musks optimism, experts are worried about data security on Neuralink. Currently, Neuralink communicates with a computer through Bluetooth, which can be hacked using a variety of easily available tools, according to Gary Miliefsky, a cybersecurity expert, head of Cyber Defense Media Group, and a founding member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. If implants are designed to access memory processing centers of the brain, it could open a floodgate of privacy issues, ranging from theft of passwords to corporate and national secret exfiltration, he warned. There is not a single computer on the internet that I would say is safe and secure from a loss of privacy or having enough security that you could say, Jimmy, whos got the implant, all of his private thoughts are still secure. And its not going to happen. Having Children, Being a Parent In the interview with Zuby, Musk also touched upon having children. You will absolutely be happier if you have kids. Absolutely. Were literally evolved to have that, he said. You can take an alley cat or something like a bobcat, like some like wild creature that would normally be quite fierce and unfriendly and like kill anything it came across. But the moment it has cubs or puppies or kittens, it becomes a loving mom. The cat that was really mean is like taking care of its little kittens. Its Instinct. Its genetic programming. So, people should really expect that if they have kids, they will improve their quality of life, not make it worse, Musk stated. In May last year, Musk warned about the declining birth rate in the United States, saying that people should celebrate having kids. USA birth rate has been below min sustainable levels for ~50 years, Musk wrote in a May 24, 2022, post on Twitter. Contrary to what many think, the richer someone is, the fewer kids they have. I am a rare exception. Most people I know have zero or one kid. A British rapper, Zubys real name is Nzube Olisaebuka Udezue, and he is a growing prominent social commentator on Twitter. Chaos Erupts on House Floor as Democrats Protest Republican Censure of Adam Schiff Clause fining Schiff $16 million, half the cost of investigating Russian collusion claims against Trump, was dropped U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) listens during the third hearing by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington on June 16, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Chaos erupted on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives on June 21 as Democrats contested House Republicans vote to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). The House voted to censure Schiff a week after an initial resolution brought forward by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) was tabled. An earlier clause fining Schiff $16 millionhalf of the amount paid by the federal government to investigate debunked claims of Russian collusion with President Donald Trump in 2016was removed, leading Republicans who initially voted against the measure to give it their support. The tally was 213-209. Six voted present. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who gave his backing to the measure, presided over the hearing. A censure resolution is a punitive action that can be undertaken by the House to discipline members for actions that fall short of grounds for expulsion from the lower chamber. Schiff is only the 25th member of the House in American history to face such an action out of over 10,505 who have served in the lower chamber. The new resolution, like the tabled one, condemns Schiff, who was chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, for perpetuating the notion there was collusion between former Trumps 2016 campaign and Russia. That was debunked by special counsel Robert Mueller in 2019, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz later the same year, and special counsel John Durham in May. The $16 million fine initially proposed by Luna was half of the $32 million cost to the taxpayer for the Mueller probe alone. Read More Internal Twitter Documents Show Prominent Democrats Pushed Russiagate Lie After the House voted to censure Schiff, Schiff was asked to come to the House well to have the charges against him read aloud. Prior to the end of voting, Democrats gathered along the House floor around Schiff in a show of solidarity with the California Democrat. Democrats gather on the House floor in support of Rep. Adam Schiff (R-Calif.) following a Republican vote to censure the representative for misleading comments regarding President Donald Trumps collusion with Russia. (Screenshot/C-SPAN) As McCarthy began to read out the final vote tallies, Democrats on the House floor began to interrupt, chanting, Shame, shame, shame. After this outburst, McCarthy banged the speakers gavel and called for order in the lower chamber to no avail, as Democrats continued to chant. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the former speaker of the House, could be seen among the throng of Democrats joining in the chant. Disgrace, disgrace, cried another Democrat in the crowd. The House McCarthy began to call for a return to order as Democrats continued to speak and shout comments toward the speakers dais. A Democrat in the crowd could be heard mentioning Santos, a reference to Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), a first-term congressman who has been disgraced by a series of lies he made about his personal background while on the campaign trail. He has pleaded not guilty to multiple federal charges of fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds. McCarthy and others have evaded seeking a censure or expulsion of Santos. Shame on you, another shouted. John Lewis would not like this, said another Democrat, referencing the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). What goes around comes around, shouted another member, though its unclear if the comment was shouted by a Republican or a Democrat. You support Santos! shouted another Democrat. The House will come to order, McCarthy repeated. The House is not in order, a Democrat replied. Will Representative Schiff present himself in the well? McCarthy asked as the tumult began to calm. Republicans clapped as McCarthy finished, followed by a round of Democrats applauding as Schiff made his way to the front of the House chamber. Adam, Adam, Adam, Democrats chanted as Schiff came to the front of the House. By its adoption of House Resolution 521, the House has resolved that the House of Representatives censures Adam Schiff, representative of the 30th congressional district of California McCarthy began to read before being interrupted by a collective groan and protestations from Democrats. Santos! several could be heard shouting. Where do you stand on Santos Mr. Speaker? one cried. I will begin again, McCarthy replied, continuing to read the resolution before again being interrupted. Spiteful power, one Democrat yelled. He did his job, he did what the people elected him to do, said another. After facing a third interruption, an exasperated McCarthy told the House, I have all night. McCarthy continued to read the resolution, ignoring Democrat interruptions: the House of Representatives censures Adam Schiff, representative of the 30th congressional district of California, for misleading the American public, and for conduct unbecoming of an elected member of the House of Representatives, that Adam Schiff will forthwith present himself in the well of the House for the pronouncement of censure, that Adam Schiff will be censured with a public reading of this resolution by the speaker, and that the Committee on Ethics shall conduct an investigation on Adam Schiffs falsehoods, misrepresentations, and abuse of sensitive information. After the reading was concluded, Democrats repeated their chant of Adam, Adam, Adam. Several Democratic congressmen could be seen hugging their colleague from California. The resolution fulfills a promise made by McCarthy during the last Congress when the then-Democrat-controlled House, under Pelosis guidance, voted to censure Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) over a controversial video. What [Democrats] have started cannot be easily undone, McCarthy, then the minority leader, said at the time, vowing that Republicans would use the same tools when they claimed majority. Charter School Teachers Happier Than District Public School Teachers, Survey Finds Charter school teachers 'keep their motivation high, even in tough times' Insights provided by a new survey show that public charter school teachers are happier at their jobs than teachers at public district schools. According to the preview of a national survey, commissioned by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and conducted by The Harris Poll from May 1030, 2023, teachers at public charter schools are more satisfied with their jobs than their counterparts at district public schools. The surveyconducted online with over 1,200 public school teachersexplored teachers experiences and their opinions to gain insight into their motivations for entering, remaining in, or leaving the education field. The survey also asked teachers about the challenges they are faced with in Americas public education system. District public schools are run by the local district, funded by public tax dollars, and must adhere to state and federal election laws. Charter schools are independent, funded by both public tax dollars and private donors, and they generally have more freedom to operate under their own guidelines and with their own curriculum. While both school types are free to attend, a key difference between charter and district schools is that students must apply and be accepted to attend a charter school, often due to limited enrollment capacity. Another difference between district and charter schools, revealed by the survey, is that teachers experiences appear to vary considerably, especially when it comes to job satisfaction. In fact, not only did the survey confirm that charter school teachers are happier with their jobs overall, but their motivation to teach seems to grow more the longer they are in the classroom. Job Satisfaction Of the 1,211 teachers who participated in the survey, nearly all of them, 97 percent, say they are satisfied in their job as a teacher, a significantly higher proportion than the 83 percent of district teachers who said they feel the same way. Charter school teachers are also more inclined than their district colleagues to agree that being a teacher is the most rewarding job in the world, 90 percent to 74 percent, respectively. In addition, 92 percent of charter school teachers are also more apt to agree they are fulfilling their true purpose in life by being a teacher, compared to 84 percent of district school teachers who feel the same. While 79 percent of charter school teachers say they feel more motivated at their job than when they initially entered the profession, only 34 percent of district teachers share that sentiment. Sixty-six percent of district teachers say they feel less motivated the longer they remain at their job, while only 20 percent of charter teachers report feeling less motivated now than when they entered the field. Of the charter school teachers surveyed, 96 percent believe their schools culture is aligned with their values and beliefs about education. Just 75 percent of district teachers feel the same. Teachers Feel Valued Charter school teachers are also far more likely to feel valued by their schools administration than their district counterparts90 percent to 68 percentand 87 percent of charter school teachers said the administrators at charter schools are receptive to feedback or ideas that come from their teachers, compared to 67 percent of district teachers. Additionally, 82 percent of charter school teachers say their school ensures that they receive the tools they need to meet the needs of their students, compared to just 69 percent of district teachers who feel the same. Debby Veney, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. (Courtesy of Debby Veney) It looks like there is something interesting happening in charter schools and its helping to create conditions for happier teachers who can keep their motivation high, even in tough times, Debbie Veney, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and author of the report, said in a statement. These findings suggest there might be practices in charter schools that could be replicated to better support teachers in other kinds of schools. Teachers Are Aligned One surprising revelation that comes from the survey is that, while politics matters to both district and charter public school teachers, Veney says the majority of them support school choice and want to keep politics out of their classrooms. An overwhelming 94 percent of teachers, both charter and district, say they just want to teach, and 91 percent say they feel like theyve been caught in the crossfire of a culture war. Still more, 97 percent, overwhelmingly agree that politicians and decision-makers should dictate less and listen more to students, families, and teachers. Though school choice is believed to be a polarizing topic among educators, 87 percent of charter school teachers and 78 percent of district school teachers actually support public school choice. Across the board, whether a teacher is from a district public school or a charter public school, theres a lot of support for school choice. About two-thirds of all teachers say they believe there should be more options in public education, Veney told The Epoch Times. We also know that almost 100 percent of teachers say that one size doesnt fit all in education. Its common sense, but its delightful to hear that teachers are aligned on that. The other thing thats really important is that teachers dont want politics in their classrooms. Theyre tired of that, and we looked at this from across the political-ideological spectrum, too. So whether they were Democrat, Republican, or independents, 94 percent of teachers say they just want to teach. Teachers Union Against Charters In stark contrast, the National Education Association says that while educators originally supported charter schools as a place to experiment with educational ideas within the school system, they say political cynics and billionaire hobbyists have turned charter schools into a separate, overlapping set of schools that play by their own rules. Asked about the contradiction, Veney said the opinions of the NEA dont reflect the sentiments shared by teachers. There is no trade association or special interest group that speaks for everyone in the profession, Veney explained. Teachers are a thoughtful, smart bunch who can speak for themselves. When we cut through the gatekeepers and listen directly to what they have to say, it might be surprising to learn that they are not ideologically rigid about charter schools. Its just their spokespersons who might be. Teachers want whats best for kidsregardless of the public school setting. Asked about the predominance of stories in the news about teachers pushing politics and social issues like critical race theory, sexually-explicit books in school libraries, and LGBT ideology in the classroom, Veney insists the data is showing they are in the minority. Teachers stand together in support of other teachers, Veney said. There is greater solidarity in the teaching profession than there is polarization around politics. Veney said the full report will be released in late summer. Chief of Chinese Police Bureau With Remote Offices in Canada Says Stations Used for Surveilling, Suppressing Dissidents The unofficial overseas Chinese police stations around the world that have grabbed headlines in recent months are used to surveil and suppress dissidents, says a Chinese police chief in a 2019 paper he authored on these so-called overseas police service stations. Details about the operation of the stations are documented in an April 2019 journal paper penned by Yan Huarong, then-police chief of the Public Security Bureau of Qingtian County in Chinas eastern Zhejiang Province. There are at least seven of these covert Chinese police stations in Canada, including three in the Greater Toronto Area run by the Qingtian County police, according to a September 2022 report released by Spain-based NGO Safeguard Defenders. Two locations in Metro Vancouver are also suspected of being Chinese police stations, including one identified by The Epoch Times. The RCMP also announced ongoing investigations into two Chinese community service centres in Quebec suspected of doubling as overseas Chinese police stations. Safeguard Defenders has identified a total 102 Chinese police stations in 53 countries, including in the United States, Australia, and a number of European countries. Countries with known versus newly revealed overseas Chinese police stations, comparing the two reports published by Safeguard Defenders in September 2022 and December 2022. (Safeguard Defenders) The NGO warned that some of the stations have been involved in the harassment, intimidation, and forced repatriation of Chinese nationals and dissidents living overseas. Tactics include sending agents abroad to directly coerce targets to return to China and harassing their relatives back home in order to persuade the targets to return. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa told CBC News in a statement last October that the stations in Toronto are staffed by volunteers who are not Chinese police officers and that their main purpose is to provide overseas Chinese with free assistance such as drivers licence renewal during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Yans paper indicates that the Qingtian police bureaus overseas stations have been going well beyond such services to include activities that he says are required to maintain social stability. Social Stability Maintenance One of the items that Yan said his police force focuses on is extending Beijings public security program abroad to carry out activities that include suppressing dissidents, rights activists, and persecuted groups. Used for the purpose of social stability maintenance, the program received a projected budget of 208.972 billion yuan (US$30.5 billion) for 2023, according to figures released by the Chinese regime in March. It covers expenditures on all aspects of public security, from personnel and facilities to the instalment and maintenance of equipment such as surveillance cameras, computer networks, and recognition systems. Yans paper provided examples of this overseas work by the Qingtian police bureau. The bureau has successfully dealt with at least 15 protests launched by overseas Chinese during visits by the Chinese leader abroad, he wrote. He also said the police stations are actively involved in visiting the family members of individuals living abroad who are targeted for stability maintenance. After those targets are persuaded to return to China, they would receive education and guidance so as to establish a legal deterrence, the paper said. Furthermore, the police stations are active in intelligence collection online, with Yans paper emphasizing their efforts in establishing a network of overseas information officers to fully leverage their intelligence capabilities. In 2014, the Qingtian police bureau provided timely guidance and assistance to an overseas Chinese association in Spain, mobilizing it to launch a campaign to disrupt a performance by Shen Yun Performing Arts in Barcelona. New York-based Shen Yun is a traditional Chinese performing arts company affiliated with Falun Gong. Chinese embassies and consulates continue to threaten and intimidate local theatres in Spain and other countries to cancel Shen Yun performances. Falun Gong adherents gather outside the Chinese Consulate in Toronto at a rally on April 25, 2023, to commemorate a peaceful appeal in Beijing 24 years earlier, on April 25, 1999, that saw thousands of Chinese citizens attending. (Andrew Chen/The Epoch Times) Falun Gong is a spiritual practice rooted in Buddhist traditions that involves meditative exercises and moral teachings based on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. In July 1999, then-Chinese Communist Chinese (CCP) leader Jiang Zemin launched a violent persecution campaign aimed at eradicating the practice, as he viewed its teachings and popularity as a threat to the regimes atheist ideology and totalitarian rule. In the past 24 years, Beijing has continued to target Falun Gong adherents living in China as well as abroad. Another case in 2013 involved a 3-year-old girl who Yan said died in an accident in Qingtian County and who had relatives overseas. His bureau successfully suppressed a large number of negative comments online initiated by the childs family members in Hungary and some people in China, he wrote. Overseas Collaboration Safeguards The title of Yans paper, Exploration and Practice of Overseas Fengqiao Experience in the New Era Taking Qingtian County as an Example, suggests the extent to which the overseas police stations have been working with official and civil bodies in other countries to advance Beijings interests and exert control over the Chinese diaspora. Fengqiao Experience refers to mobilizing the masses in order to strengthen the dictatorship over class enemies, according to the China Media Project. It is a term coined by CCP leader Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s as he urged Party members to learn from the experiences of Fengqiao Township, Zhejiang Province. Yans paper describes the work of mobilizing Chinese organizations in other countries to advance Beijings political agenda as one of three overseas collaboration safeguards. He said the Qingtian police bureau has established regular cooperation mechanisms with over 230 Chinese community organizations and maintains regular contact with over 150 influential Chinese community leaders. Their collaboration involves the bureau guiding these overseas entities and individuals to actively participate in various global conferences on anti-separatism and promotion of reunification [with Taiwan]. He said this work has actively contributed to work of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) overseas. In an issue paper published in 2020, Public Safety Canada cited an analysis by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute on the CCPs use of the UFWD as a primary foreign interference tool. Another collaboration safeguard described by Yan is strengthening close cooperation with Chinese embassies worldwide. He said that through close communication and cooperation with police liaison officers stationed abroad and with local overseas Chinese leaders, Chinese police successfully blocked a plan to protest the Chinese leaders high-level visit to Germany in 2017 and his attendance at the G20 summit in Hamburg that year. The third collaboration safeguard Yan discussed is strengthening close cooperation with former Chinese police officials and their family members living abroad, and establishing various bodies overseas such as police liaison mechanisms, Chinese public security associations, anti-cult associations, and mediation committees in order to jointly handle major cases involving overseas Chinese nationals and resolve conflicts and disputes. Yans paper was published in the Public Security Science Journalalso called the Journal of Zhejiang Police Collegebut has since been removed. The publication is run by the Zhejiang provincial police bureau and co-managed by the Policy Research Office of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee of the CCPs Zhejiang Provincial Committee. After the paper was published, Yan was promoted from his county-level post to the position of deputy police chief in Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, in November 2020. Chinas One-and-Done Arms Buyers J-15 fighter jets on China's sole operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, during a drill in the East China Sea in April 2018. (AFP via Getty Images) Commentary What is the secret to success as an arms exporter? Repeat business. Countries buy arms from certain suppliers for specific reasons: performance, reliability, cost, alliance politics, and so on. An important sign of success as an arms producer is building up a large and reliable overseas customer basecountries that return, year upon year, to buy additional weapons. Here is where China has always suffered as an arms exporter. True, it consistently accounts for around 5 percent of the global arms-transfer business, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). This puts it in roughly the same position as Britain, France, Italy, and Germanybut far behind Russia and the United States (those two states account for 16 percent and 40 percent of total arms exports, respectively). As it stands, China remains pretty much a niche player in the global arms market. It sells most of its weapons to a very small number of countries. Over the past 20 years, for example, more than 60 percent of all Chinese arms sales went to just three countries: Bangladesh, Burma (Myanmar), and Pakistan. Beijing has had several customers who bought Chinese weaponryin some cases, quite a lotfor a period of time but then ceased. Examples include Algeria, which, between 2014 and 2016, purchased $900 million worth of arms from China but then pretty much halted further buys. Egypt, Iran, Sri Lanka, and Turkey all acquired Chinese weaponry during the 2000s but then stopped buying in the 2010s and 2020s. In comparison, over the same period (20032022), more than three dozen countries consistently purchased (that is, almost every year) arms from the United States. This begs the question: if current Chinese weapons systems are really that good, then why is their appeal so limited? Why is their traditional customer base still so small? In fact, one might infer from the large number of one-shot sales that most Chinese arms, while certainly better than what they used to be, are still no more than good enough for government work, and that other foreign weapons systemsWestern, Russian, and Israelistill outclass Chinese arms in most respects. Going back to the 1980s and 1990s, anecdotal evidence has abounded as to the inferiority of Chinese weaponry. A Western military writer visiting Thailand in 1989 revealed that Chinese-made Type-69 tanks in that countrys inventories sported crude welding, suspect steel quality, and a smoky, oil-gushing engine; more critically, the tanks fire-control system and gun were not stabilized, causing the gun to wander and degrading firing accuracy. During that same period, Western journalists who toured Chinese aircraft production facilities found rough lap joints, sloppy cockpit transparency sealing, and coarse rivet finishing in various types of Chinese fighter jets. Chinese weapon systems in the 21st century might be improved, but they still have problems. In the mid-2000s, for example, Nigeria bought 15 F-7 fighter jets (Chinese versions of the Soviet MiG-21) from Beijing. Since then, several have been lost to accidents, while seven had to be sent back to China for deep maintenance and repair. The Chinese-made radar on JF-17 combat aircraft sold to Burma has poor accuracy, and the aircraft itself lacks the capacity for beyond-visual-range missile interception. This and structural cracks have led to the grounding of JF-17s in the Burmese air force. A mockup of the jet trainer K-8 is on display during the 13th Beijing International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition at CIEC in Beijing on Sept. 25, 2009. (Shutterstock) Bangladesh, another major customer of Chinese arms, has experienced problems firing ammunition loaded into its Chinese-built K-8 light attack aircraft. Moreover, two Ming-class submarines delivered to the Bangladeshi navy are considered unusable and unserviceable, while the countrys air force refused to accept Chinese-made Y-12 and MA60 transport aircraft. Other examples include Chinese-made armored personal carriers sold to Kenya that were subsequently found to offer little protection to soldiers inside of them, and Chinese-made C-705 anti-ship cruise missiles in Indonesias navy that failed to hit their targets during military exercises. Even Pakistan, Beijings largest and most consistent customer, has experienced considerable frustrations with the weapons it has acquired from China. In the mid-2000s, Pakistan bought four Chinese-made F-22P frigates; these were delivered with various technical problems with the ships engine, air-defense systems, and radar. In particular, the Pakistanis discovered the onboard imaging infrared sensor on the ships key air-defense missile was defective, making the missile unable to lock onto its targets. In addition, a Pakistani tank co-developed with China, as well as a Chinese-built howitzer sold to Pakistan, failed their firing trials and other testing, forcing a delay in acquisitions. Moreover, in many cases, the Chinese were uninterested making right its poor quality and performance. Islamabad couldnt get Beijing to repair and overhaul the frigates it sold to Pakistan, so it contracted out the upgrade program to Turkey. Overall, few countries are lining up to buy other Chinese weapons systems, or, if they are, they are throwing out Chinese parts and replacing them with Western systems. This is because Chinas defense industry is still very weak when it comes to key technologies like jet engines and electronics. Algeria, for example, bought corvettes from China but subsequently outfitted them with French radar and communications gear. Meanwhile, Thailand turned to Saab of Sweden to upgrade its Chinese-built frigates, while Pakistani JF-17 jets use a Russian engine and a British ejection seat. Chinas strength as an arms exporter remains, as it had for decades, at the low end of the business, offering basic equipment at rock-bottom prices with few strings attached. In particular, Beijing tries to dominate those types of armaments that could be considered commoditiesweapons that are basically the same in terms of technology, are not technologically demanding, and where low cost is often the key determining factor. Examples include small arms, ammunition, artillery rounds, and light armored vehicles. China has also carved out a particularly lucrative niche for itself in selling armed drones. Even then, factors like quality, reliability, and performance will continue to affect Chinese sales, especially follow-on orders. If China cannot improve in these areas, many of its first-time customers will drift away. They will truly be one and done. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. (Bloomberg) -- Nineteen Democratic lawmakers proposed a ban on buy-now, pay-later loans to finance semiautomatic weapons that would include levying hefty fines on companies that enable the transactions and dealers that accept them. Most Read from Bloomberg The Assault Weapon Financing Accountability Act, which will be introduced Thursday by Connecticut Representative John Larson and co-sponsored by 18 other US House members, would prohibit loans payable in four or fewer installments, not including down payments, to purchase semiautomatic weapons, according to a copy of the bill reviewed by Bloomberg News. Violators would be subject to a $100,000 penalty. Regulators have stepped up their scrutiny of BNPL companies amid concerns the industry markets toward younger consumers and people who may be at higher risk of getting stuck in a cycle of debt. Such installment loans for weapons drew heightened scrutiny after the Uvalde, Texas, school shooter was found to have purchased a gun manufactured by Daniel Defense, which offers financing plans through Credova Financial LLC. The company told Bloomberg that it didnt finance the gunmans purchase of firearms. Read more: Gun Sellers Push Quick Buy Now, Pay Later Financing Last year, lawmakers, including Larson, sent questions to Credova expressing strong concern over its financing and marketing of online firearm purchases. Still, Credova has filled a void in the gun financing space as most other BNPL companies like Affirm Holdings Inc., Klarna Bank and Afterpay wont touch firearms. Gun dealers using Credova financing have advertised to potential buyers with slogans such as shoot now pay later and get protected now, pay later. Some of Credovas offers were costly. In one instance, a $415 Glock G44 cost a borrower more than $1,100 after a lease was paid off. That financing wasnt structured as a pay-in-four loan, which Credova introduced last summer. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A Christian doctor in the UK was fired for refusing to use hypothetical transgender pronouns for patients during a training session. A court ruling followed by two separate appeals supported his being terminated; it is believed to be the first time in the history of English law where a judge ruled that free citizens must engage in compelled speech pertaining to transgender ideology. Disappointed, the doctor in question, Dr. David Mackereth, 60, has since been partially vindicated by a UK professional regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC). Mackereth is now pursuing an appeal for justice from the European Court of Human Rights. A practicing doctor for 26 years, Mackereth refused to call a man a woman or vice versa during a training session, citing that his biblical Christian beliefs prohibited it. That resulted in Mackereth being fired from his position as a health and disability assessor by his employer, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP said his failure to accommodate patients gender preferences amounts to harassments under the Equality Act 2010. Department for Work and Pensions London headquarters. (Left: Screenshot/Google Maps; Right: TK Kurikawa/Shutterstock) In response, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, Mackereth then launched a legal claim accusing the DWP of discriminating against his Christian and philosophical beliefs, though that claim fell short before the Employment Tribunal. His dismissal was deemed lawful. Despite the verdict being partially overturned by the Employment Appeals Tribunal in May 2022, both the tribunal and, subsequently, the Court of Appeals also ruled that the firing was justified. Yet, Mackereth recently received vindication in a response from the GMC regulative body. Without other avenues, Mackereth had self-referred to the GMC asking them to determine whether his fitness to practice was impaired by his Christian and gender-critical beliefs. Responding, a letter from the GMC to Mackereth in June 2023 amounted to what some called the first time a professional regulator have considered the issue of misgendering and ruled in favour of one of their members, the Christian Legal Centre stated in a press release. In a hypothetical situation, Mackereth had been confronted with whether he would call a 6-foot bearded man madam, which he refused to do. Yet he insisted, as a Christian doctor, he would never refuse to treat a patient who was in need; and at no point in his career had he encountered a patient who asked to be identified as a different gender. Correspondingly, the GMC wrote in their letter: In our view it would not be proportionate to consider what might happen in a hypothetical situation such as if you were to be approached by a transgender patient for instance and we could not open an investigation on this basis. Assessing all the rulings and legal documents, they concluded: We also note the tribunals comments around whether your views might contravene GMC guidance, however, again there is no evidence to indicate that you have provided inappropriate advice or care to patients based on your views. Mackereth said he was delighted, grateful, and encouraged by the letter. This significant response also coincides with a new appeal now moving forward. All domestic remedies exhausted, Mackereth launched an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to rule on the present case. He is asking the court to address the implications surrounding compelled speech and forced adherence to gender identity belief as a condition of employment. Dr. Mackereth. (Courtesy of Christian Concern) Lawyers argue that both his Article 9 rights of freedom of thought, belief, and religion, as well as his Article 10 rights of freedom of expression, were violated by his employer, the Christian Legal Centre stated. The ECHRs decision is expected within the next six months. The DWP told The Epoch Times in a statement, Dr. Mackereth resigned from his post. Dr. Mackereth brought a claim in the Employment Tribunal which was dismissed, and this decision was subsequently upheld on appeal. The CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, Andrea Williams, called the assertion that Dr. Mackereth has resigned disingenuous and untrue, adding that as a matter of record [t]he DWP pressed Dr. Mackereth to pledge to use transgender pronouns whenever they are wanted; Dr. Mackereth responded: I am a Christian and in good conscience I cannot do what the DWP is requiring of me; DWP replied, [T]hank you for your resignation which we accept; Dr. Mackereth rejoined, I have not resigned, though I do understand that I have been sacked. Now, Dr. Mackereth is calling for some much-needed sanity, and maintains that his claims are firmly rooted in Genesis 127that God created man in his own image, man and woman. He stated: Everyone in the NHS should be able to say publicly without fear that a person cannot change sex, but instead we are being forced to accept a massive change to our concept of the medical reality of sex, with no scientific basis for that change. No doctor, or researcher, or philosopher, can demonstrate or prove that a person can change sex. Without intellectual and moral integrity, medicine cannot function. I believe this conclusion from the GMC brings some much-needed sanity to these issues in the medical profession. He added that being a Christian makes him a better doctor, and that he requires freedom of conscience to practice medicine. Williams stated that Mackereth has sacrificed his distinguished professional career for his beliefs, adding that the compelled use of transgender pronouns defies both common sense and Christian faith. If we tolerate this as a society, if we give in on the essential freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, no other freedom is safe, Williams said. We are determined to fight all the way to secure justice in this case. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Coast Guard Halts Search for Missing Sailor U.S. Coast Guard crew members and LA firefighters investigate a light plane reportedly down off of San Pedro, Calif. on Feb. 5, 2016. (Chuck Bennett/Daily Breeze via AP) SAN PEDRO, Calif.The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its active search on the evening of June 21 for a sailor who fell overboard from a bulk carrier vessel 14 miles southwest of Point Conception. Coast Guard crews searched by air and sea for nearly 15 hours, covering more than 200 square nautical miles in an attempt to find the crew member that went overboard from the African Cardinal, which was sailing the Santa Barbara Channel Traffic Separation Scheme en route to the Port of Long Beach. We extend our deepest sympathies to this crew members friends and family, said Chief Warrant Officer John Rose, search and rescue mission coordinator at Sector Los Angeles/Long Beach. The decision to suspend an active search is never easy and is only made after exhaustive efforts to find the missing person. The Coast Guards Long Beach Command Center received a report at approximately 5 a.m. of the crew member who had gone overboard, the Coast Guard said. The centers watchstanders immediately issued an urgent marine information broadcast, stating the nature of the situation. According to the Coast Guard, a rescue helicopter took off from Forward Operating Base Point Mugu, a small boat crew departed from Coast Guard Station Channel Islands, and the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Ward was diverted to search for the crew member. Anyone with information regarding the rescue was urged to call the Coast Guards Los Angeles-Long Beach Sector at 310-521-3801. Collusion Between Feds, Big Tech on COVID Censorship Violated First Amendment, State Officials Say Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks to his staff in March 2023. (Courtesy of the Missouri Attorney General's Office) Missouri and Louisiana sued the federal government over COVID-19 pandemic policies they claim violated the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans by colluding with Big Tech to censor anyone who dissented from the official line. In May of last year, Missouri filed a landmark lawsuit against dozens of officials in the federal government to stop the biggest violation of the First Amendment in the history of this nation, Missouris Attorney General Andrew Bailey told a House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on June 21. Elizabeth Murrill, Louisianas Solicitor General, agreed. She presented written testimony to the committee about her 17-year-old sons reaction to the COVID vaccine. The teen was required to be vaccinated to take a camp counselor job. Thirty-six hours after his second dose, he was rushed to the emergency room. He spent four days in the pediatric ICU and underwent several medical procedures, including a 15-hour medicine infusion. He left with a diagnosis of myocarditis and $100,000 in medical bills. As Murrill researched treatment options, she said it became clear that some medicines were off-limits. The censorship pushed by the federal government against these off-label drugs, the physicians who promoted them, and any form of vaccine hesitancy was vast and far-reaching, Murrill told the committee. In fact, if I had posted on social media regarding my familys experience with the COVID-19 vaccines, it is likely that I would have been censored. Health workers prepare to give free COVID-19 tests on May 26, 2020, at a drive-through/walk up testing center at Barcroft Community Center in the Arlington, Va., zip code with the highest concentration of Coronavirus cases. (OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images) Misha Tseytlin, a partner with the law firm Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders said that, in one respect, Murrills son was fortunate that his family had the resources, skills, and ability to fight for him. Tseytlin said he spent two years defending people with nowhere to turn for help. He told the committee about a disabled Illinois man who was forced from a job he had held for 20 years because the state didnt think it could trust disabled people to keep their masks on. The courts struck down that policy and others he fought, Tseytlin said. But, he said, many more people were subjected to conflicting and arbitrary rules with no recourse because they could not afford to go to court. He asked the committee to consider reforming the law to make it easier for individuals to take action if the government violates their rights. When the state violates your constitutional rights, the state should have to pay, not the individual, he said. One witness acknowledged that restrictions had been placed on religious services. But, he said they were necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. He said this was especially important early in the pandemic when little was known about how the virus spread and what could be done to treat it. Ultra-Orthodox Jews celebrate Tu BiShvat, or New Year of the Trees, at a synagogue in the Israeli central city of Rehovot on Feb. 6, 2023. (GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images) In the Jewish tradition, the principle of pikuach nefeshthe saving of a lifeoverrides all other commandments, said Micah Schwartzman, professor at the University of Virginia School of Law. Schwartzman told the committee that the pandemic restrictions were burdensome for everyone. He said the country was dealing with a virus that few people knew anything about. He said it was incumbent upon all people of faith to set aside their desires for the community. We did it to save lives. That was in accordance with the rule of law and with our religious obligations, Schwartzman said. Its easy to forget how dire things were. He said the virus was responsible for more than 1 million deaths. According to Schwartzman, public health officials were trying to balance rights against the danger posed by the virus. So they had to determine which types of contact posed the most significant risks. Schwartzman said the government had a compelling interest in protecting the public, and the Constitution recognizes that some rights might have to be limited to ensure everyones rights are protected. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks to his staff in March 2023. (Courtesy of the Missouri Attorney Generals Office) The Missouri Attorney Generals office has over 20,000 documents about the governments pandemic response, said Bailey. In addition, he told the committee he has deposed numerous officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, officials from the FBI, U.S. State Department, Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Surgeon General, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These documents reveal specific incidents of federal officials unlawfully pressuring Big Tech companies to take down constitutionally protected speech: Backed by overt and implicit threats of legal retribution, Bailey, a Republican, told the committee. Select Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) said the governments pandemic policies were unnecessary and arbitrary. He said its important to look at everything that happened during the pandemic and not just focus on specific data points. We cant just say it saved lives without looking at all the data, Wenstrup said. Focus on Saving Lives Ranking Member Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) took issue with the claims that the policies were arbitrary. He said the guidelines were based on basic science. He said officials did the best with the information they had at the time. Public health officials knew what would help. Their sole focus was on saving lives and reducing harm, he said. Ruiz said the criticisms raised attempted to weaponize the committees work. He said it is time to get past the debate and learn from the pandemic. He said the policies were not intended to discriminate against anyone or limit individuals rights. This kind of partisan rhetoric needs to stop. This was not an attack on faith, Ruiz said. Wenstrup said it appears that favoritism played a role in the policy decisions. The right to peacefully assemble appeared to be held up for some, but not others, Wenstrup said. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) said Orthodox Jews in New York were subjected to those decisions. She said that Black Lives Matter riots were encouraged by the same public officials who told the Jewish community and others that they could not gather. This is not science; this is hypocrisy, she said. Bailey said the evidence uncovered in his states lawsuit shows the pandemic became an avenue for the government to force Big Tech to put in place systems and policies to deal with dissent. Its a vast censorship enterprise that goes beyond COVID. COVID was the Trojan Horse, COVID was the excuse to get the enemy behind the wall, and its now spreading. he said. We need a wall of separation between Tech and State. Congressional Bill Aims To Protect Journalists From Government Surveillance Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) speaks during a Senate Finance Committee hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill, on Oct. 19, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/Pool via Reuters) American journalists may soon have protection from Congress against attempts by the federal government to seize their private data. A bipartisan coalition in the House and Senate reintroduced the PRESS Act (Protect Reporters from Exploitive State Spying) on June 21 to limit the governments ability to compel reporters to disclose data that might reveal the identities or endanger their sources. The Senate bill, which is backed by Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), and Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), will extend disclosure exemptions and standards to protect emails, phone records, and other info from third parties. The proposed legislation will shield journalists against unnecessary government surveillance that makes it harder to hold the government accountable and harms reporters First Amendment rights, said a press statement from Wydens office. Reps. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) and Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) will introduce equivalent legislation in the House. The previous attempt to pass the bill succeeded unanimously in the House during the last Congress. Democrats and Republicans Call for Protection of Journalists Rights The senators introduced the act after pointing to incidents where law enforcement agencies in both Democratic and Republican administrations had secretly subpoenaed emails and phone records from reporters in order to determine their sources. If passed, reporters will be protected from being compelled by the government to disclose their confidential sources or research files and to protect their data held by third parties like phone and internet companies from being secretly seized without the opportunity to challenge those demands in court. The PRESS Act would require that federal authorities give reporters a chance to respond to data requests from law enforcement, but the courts will still have the right to demand disclosure if it is necessary to identify terrorists and prevent threats of imminent violence or harm. Wyden said that the bill is vital to protecting First Amendment press freedoms and that anonymous sources help keep the government accountable. Spying on reporters to learn the identity of their sources is a finger in the eye of the First Amendment. Unnecessary surveillance of journalists makes it harder to bring waste, fraud and abuse to light by scaring off sources and reporters who are essential to a well-functioning democracy, Wyden said. Our bipartisan legislation creates strong protections for reporters, with common sense exceptions for cases when the government truly needs information immediately. The congressman from Oregon added that harassment of the press by authorities could deter reporters and sources worried about retaliation. The First Amendments guarantee of a free press is fundamental to holding politicians and others in power accountable, said Durbin. Journalists rely on sources to ensure that the public has the full story. Im joining my colleagues in reintroducing the PRESS Act to ensure that journalists have the necessary protections to speak with their sources and do their jobs effectively without undue government interference. Lee said that the Act would preserve the publics right to access information so that a representative democracy can function. In a world where information is power, the role of reporters as truth-seekers and watchdogs cannot be understated. Recent events, however, have cast a chilling shadow over their pursuits. Law-enforcement agencies have resorted to clandestine tactics, subpoenaing emails and phone records in an effort to unmask confidential sources, said Lee. Not only is this legislation imperative to shield journalists from unnecessary government surveillance, but it is also necessary to protect the publics right to access information, hold their elected officials accountable, and actively participate in representative government. We must seize this opportunity and ensure that the Fourth Estate remains an indomitable force in its quest for truth. No Federal Protection Exists for Reporters Privileges Although 48 states and the District of Columbia have some form of shield law to protect reporters privileges, there is no shield law on the federal level. Protections vary significantly from state to state, and local laws do not apply to investigations by the Department of Justice and other government agencies, which can quietly grab data from telecoms and other data providers with no legal restrictions. Our Constitution provides that no law shall abridge the freedom of the press and inspires us to protect journalists against government overreach and abuse of the subpoena power, said Raskin. Our bipartisan PRESS Act vindicates the promise of journalistic freedom. Im grateful to Rep. Kiley and Sens. Wyden, Lee and Durbin for their partnership on this legislation and their recognition of press freedom as a fundamental democratic imperative. The PRESS Act was written to cover that hole and minimize the power of the federal government over the press. The White House has yet to say whether President Joe Biden would sign it into law, but the bipartisan push in Congress is likely to help. Florida Rule Banning Medicaid for Transgender Treatments Blocked by US Judge A transgender flag sits on the grass outside of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, on May 22, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Floridas ban on Medicaid coverage for transgender treatments was struck down by a federal judge, even as the states regulator for the health insurance program warned that such procedures can result in harm. In August 2022, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) adopted a rule that prohibited state residents from using Medicaid to cover the cost of hormone replacement therapy, puberty blockers, or any other form of procedure aimed at altering the primary or secondary sexual characteristics of an individual for the purpose of treating gender dysphoria. A lawsuit against the rule was filed in September 2022 in the Northern District of Florida. In a 54-page decision on June 21, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle, appointed to the court by President Bill Clinton, struck down the new rule adopted by AHCA. ACHA had earlier claimed that treatments for gender dysphoria may result in potentially harmful effects over the long term. There is no rational basis for a state to categorically ban these treatments or to exclude them from the states Medicaid coverage, Hinkle said in his ruling (pdf). He added that Floridas denial of Medicaid coverage for hormone therapy also violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The judge insisted that Floridas action was purposeful discrimination against transgenders and that it wasnt related to legitimate state interest. Hinkle deemed the ban on Medicaid payment for puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for gender dysphoria as invalid. The plaintiffs in the case are two transgender adultsAugust Dekker and Brit Rothsteinas well as two transgender minors who filed under pseudonyms. The defendants were the AHCA and the organizations secretary, Jason Weida. AHCAs Warning Before banning the use of Medicaid for transgender treatments, the AHCA had issued a 46-page report in June that reviewed medical evidence related to gender-affirming care for individuals experiencing gender dysphoria. It concluded that many of the treatments for the condition, such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, are not consistent with generally accepted professional medical standards and that they are experimental and investigational with the potential for harmful long-term effects. There is insufficient evidence that sex reassignment through medical interventions is a safe and effective treatment for gender dysphoria, the report said. Instead, the available evidence points to such interventions causing irreversible physical changes and side effects that can affect long-term health. Earlier this month, Hinkle also temporarily blocked a part of a Florida law that banned transgender procedures for minors, insisting that the rule is likely unconstitutional. Negative Effect of Treatments In a recent interview with NTD, James Esses, a commentator and co-founder of Thoughtful Therapists, warned about the dangers of transgender treatments on children, pointing out that such procedures negatively impact brain development and bone growth. Cross-sex hormones can have irreversible physical impacts, he said. One of the most concerning things is, if a child starts puberty blockers before commencing puberty, and then goes on to take cross-sex hormones straight after that, they can be left permanently infertile. Esses expressed concerns about gender ideology invading classrooms. I often have parents contact me who are absolutely terrified because of what their children are being taught at school, where theyre not able to monitor it. And often they have a real difficult time even getting hold of the materials that children are being taught at schools. Some children have also died while participating in transgender medical studies. On May 9, 15 Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to Dr. Lawrence Tabak, acting director at the National Institutes of Health, after it came to light that two young people committed suicide while taking part in a transgender hormone study funded by the organization. In addition, 11 participants reported having suicidal thoughts during the study. The lawmakers wrote, Rather than shutting the study down after such serious adverse events, the researchers published their paper, concluding that the study was a success because cross-sex hormones had altered subjects physical appearance and improved psychosocial functioning. Cyber Threats From China and Russia Commentary Increasing cyberattacks, particularly against the energy sector, demonstrate the cyber threats posed by China and Russia. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reported on June 15 that a number of government departments experienced intrusions linked to MOVEit, a file transfer software. The Russian ransomware gang known as CLOP or TA505 claimed responsibility for the attack, and posted a message on its site on the dark web, which reads (in all caps), If you are a government, city, or police service, do not worry, we erased all your data. On June 7, the CISA and the FBI issued a warning about CLOP exploiting vulnerabilities within MOVEit to steal data. This marks the third time in three years that foreign hackers were able to breach U.S. government agencies. The latest attack comes just weeks after the targeting of crucial infrastructure in the United States and Guam by Chinese-linked hackers. This could be a training exercise to cut off communications between the United States and Asia in the event of a war. If a conflict between the United States and the Chinese regime were to break out, Guam would be a critical transit point for U.S. forces. The 2023 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community identified China and Russia as the largest threats to U.S. security, with cyber being a primary area of concern. The threat from the Chinese regime includes technology and information theft, surveillance, economic espionage, and cyber theft. Another dimension of the regimes cyber threat to the United States is the information sphere, controlling information and disseminating propaganda and other misinformation. Moscow is considered a more successful purveyor of fake news and disinformation but poses a significant military and hacking threat, including cyber theft. At the outset of the Russia-Ukraine war, Kremlin-linked hackers attacked military satellite communications in Ukraine. Russian military hackers also infiltrated European military networks, as well as energy and transportation infrastructure. Prior to the Russian invasion, Cadet Blizzarda new hacking unit within the GRU (Russian military intelligence)carried out operations targeting Ukrainian infrastructure. The group has been linked to other nefarious cyber activities, such as general attacks, defacement of websites, cyber espionage, collecting and sharing stolen data, and hack-and-leak operations. A different Russian hacking group has been implicated in the Mt. Gox hack, making off with roughly 850,000 bitcoins. A major concern of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a cyberattack against critical U.S. infrastructure. Another possibility is cyberattacks against U.S. military installations overseas. This type of attack could prevent the U.S. military from responding to a physical threat to the United States or its allies. Disrupting critical infrastructure services within the United Statessuch as energy infrastructure, oil and gas pipelines, and transportation systemscould cause general panic and chaos. The Department of Energy (DOE) is among the U.S. agencies repeatedly targeted in cyberattacks. One of the victims of the latest attack was Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where nuclear research is conducted. The breach may have compromised the personal information of as many as tens of thousands of DOE employees and contractors. The DHS is concerned about assaults on U.S. energy infrastructure. The U.S. grid is old and vulnerable to both cyber and physical attacks. Some 70 percent of transmission lines are at least 30 years old, while 60 percent of circuit breakers are over 35 years old. In 2022, 10.7 percent of cyberattacks targeted the energy industry, including an attack in February on Ohio-based Encino Energy. In March, the Energy Threat Analysis Center Establishment Act was introduced to Congress to enhance the protection of U.S. energy infrastructure. Advanced and disruptive technologies are being developed that could neutralize U.S. defense assets. An electronic magnetic pulse (EMP) generated from a geomagnetic solar flare or a missile exploding in the atmosphere could cause all affected electronics to fail. As militaries worldwide become more reliant on cyber and space capabilities, hacking will become a more important weapon, damaging a countrys ability to wage war. To this end, Russia has been training its space elements, developing anti-satellite weapons and satellite-jamming capabilities. Moscow is also developing direct energy weapons and both ground- and space-based weapons, which can destroy or disrupt U.S. and allied satellites. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Drugs and Propaganda: Drastic Things Are Happening in Canada Methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine from a "safer supply" group being handed out to drug users in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver on Aug. 31, 2021. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press) Commentary According to Aldous Huxley, the tyrant of the future will use drugs and propaganda to convince the individual to love his slavery. In a 1958 interview with Mike Wallace, Huxley explained as follows: You have to get the consent of the ruled. And this they will do partly by drugs, as I foresaw in Brave New World, and partly by these new techniques of propaganda. Huxley believed that these two weapons would build the tyrants dream of an obedient society. It is Canadas strange fate that these things, drugs and propaganda, are hot-wire issues in 2023. Todays drama is so intense that one might ask if Canada is fulfilling Huxleys haunting prediction. Canadians are living with a national government that is driven, more than any other, to instruct and educate its population. Foremost is the governments agenda on climate action, gender politics, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Almost daily, these agenda issues infiltrate federal directives big and small. With a singular voice, the supporters of these ideas declare: the planet is on fire, transgender women are women, and DEI must be the Bible of every institution. Along with the CBC, this is dutifully supported by Canadas mainstream media, who were paid $595 million by the federal government in 2019, and much more since. According to Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, paying this money to so-called Qualified Canadian Journalism Organizations is done to ensure reliable and credible information. Some may believe this, but many critics call mainstream media echo-chamber newsand now and again propaganda. Today, many Canadians are critical of climate action, gender ideology, and DEI. Many sensible people believe these issues have often become radical and illogical. But it appears the government has little tolerance for dissent and no interest in robust and wide-open debate, and so these opponents are now in the crosshairs of a censorship assault. As the saying goes, propaganda is impossible without censorship. In their party platform, the Liberals stated they intend to put a stop to harmful online content and tackle extreme and harmful speech. The Western Standard reports that Minister Rodriguez remains determined to suppress speech the prime minister described as destabilizing for democracya startling comment. It turns on its head the U.S. Supreme Court statement that government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable. These censorship promises have been put into action. In 2022, the Twitter Files disclosed over 200 episodes where the government asked social media companies to delete data, at times complaining the material was offensive. More substantially in 2023, the government rolled out censorship powers in the Online Streaming Act and the Online News Act. And more is coming. Before year end, Canadians can expect to see the Online Harms Act together with its ominous Digital Safety Commissioner. Freedom of expression in Canada is in jeopardy. So much so that Elon Musk recently advocated for a new government in Canada that would respect free speech rights. Musk believes in a marketplace of ideas, or as George Orwell said, If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. Meanwhile, as if to follow Huxleys prediction, Canadas government has also become a world leader in legalizing and distributing illicit drugs. Indeed the government will not condemn drugs and has stated it will invest millions in public education to reduce the stigma. Cannabis was legalized in 2019 and today over 3,700 stores sell the products across the land. Before long, drugs like fentanyl were decriminalized in British Columbia. And just as fast, radical policies unfolded for so-called safer supply of drugs and safe injection sites. A recent National Post op-ed said these policies could have been devised by the drug cartels. Similarly, the Washington Examiner says Canadian drug policies are controlled by a clique of ideologically driven researchers who simply do not believe that rehabilitation is possible and who push for hyper-libertarian policies that minimize exposure to recovery-based treatments. Canadians are now observing an avalanche of drugs, all sponsored by a government that claims more and better drugs will cure addiction, and that enabling addicts is a form of healing them. Drastic things are happening in Canada. But this liberalized drug policy fits hand in glove with the suppressive censorship policy. Two dystopian novels predicted that drugs, like censorship, would be used to stifle opposition. In Huxleys Brave New World the drug soma is distributed to create conformity and stability. And in Lois Lowrys novel The Giver, drugs are handed out to prevent dissension or stirrings. The novels present a depraved but simple message: A fried society is a compliant society. Or in the Canadian context: Drug addicts dont organize freedom convoys. Very recently, drugs and censorship have washed over Canadians like a fast-water tide. In their own way, each of these weapons attempts to make Canadians more compliant and less resistant. But in truth they are attacks on bedrock principles. These are turbulent times and Canadians are searching for answers. John F. Kennedy may have diagnosed the current Canadian governments mindset when he said, A nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. EPA Criticized Over Disappointing Ethanol Mandates in New Renewable Fuel Standards E85 ethanol fuel is shown being pumped into a vehicle at a gas station selling alternative fuels in the town of Lowa, Nev., on Dec. 6, 2007. (Jason Reed/Reuters) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 21 unveiled its Renewable Fuel Standard, increasing the amount of biofuels that American refiners must blend into the nations fuel supplies from 2023 to 2025, but keeping in place lower mandates for homegrown corn-based ethanol. Under the new fuel standards, biofuel blending volumes are set at 20.94 billion gallons in 2023, 21.54 billion gallons in 2024, and 22.33 billion gallons in 2025, according to the EPA. Thats in comparison to the EPAs initial proposal announced in December of 20.82 billion in 2023, 21.87 billion in 2024, and 22.68 billion in 2025, and higher than levels set for 2022 and earlier years, The Associated Press reported. Overall, volumes of conventional renewable fuels, which includes corn ethanol, are set at 15 billion gallons for the next three years, along with a supplemental volume requirement of 250 million gallons of renewable fuel for 2023. That amount represents a decrease from Decembers original proposal, which included 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels in 2023 and 15.25 billion in both 2024 and 2025. Roughly 30 percent of field corn produced in the United States goes into fuel ethanol annually, according to the National Corn Growers Association and in 2019 alone, the domestic ethanol industry helped support nearly 349,000 direct and indirect jobs. Currently, the majority of gasoline sold in the United States is 10 percent ethanol, despite a handful of ethanol plants being forced to shut down amid waning fuel consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. Corn is delivered to the Green Plains ethanol plant in Shenandoah, Iowa, on Jan. 6, 2015. (Nati Harnik/AP Photo) Industry Backlash The administrations cut to ethanol came as a disappointment for members of the biofuel industry and farm advocates. While we are encouraged that EPA continues to call for higher volumes of renewable fuels year over year, we are disappointed that the final RVOs [renewable volume obligations] are significantly lower than originally proposed for conventional and cellulosic biofuels, Reid Wagner, executive director of the Nebraska Ethanol Board, said in a statement Wednesday. Our current ethanol infrastructure has the capacity today to easily meet the originally-proposed 15.25 billion gallons of conventional biofuel requirement, and a growing number of ethanol producers are deploying technologies for processing corn kernel fiber into ethanol, which will contribute significant volumes of cellulosic biofuel soon, Wagner continued. Ensuring adequate RVOs aids in market development as the ethanol industry works to expand access to its products. By sidelining these low-carbon biofuels options, EPA is effectively leaving tools in the box that could be used to accomplish their decarbonization goals, he added. Emily Skor, CEO of biofuels trade association Growth Energy, took aim at the new fuel standards, stating that EPAs decision to lower its ambitions for conventional biofuels runs counter to the direction set by Congress and will needlessly slow progress toward this administrations climate goals. We should be expanding market opportunities for higher blends like E15, not leaving carbon reductions on the table, Skor said in a statement. While the final rule offers a modest improvement in advanced volumes, EPA inexplicably failed to extend that recognition to conventional biofuels. The bioethanol industry has more than adequate supply to meet the higher volumes that were originally proposed in December 2022. Choosing not to put that supply to good use in decarbonizing the transportation sector runs counter to this administrations previously-stated commitments and undermines the goal of reaching net-zero by 2050, Skor concluded. The Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington on March 23, 2023. (Richard Moore/The Epoch Times) Inexplicable and Unwarranted Elsewhere, the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) called the EPAs decision inexplicable and unwarranted adding that it misses a valuable opportunity to accelerate the energy sectors transition to low- and zero-carbon fuels. By removing half a billion gallons of lower-carbon, lower-cost fuel, todays rule needlessly forfeits an opportunity to further enhance U.S. energy security and provide more affordable options at the pump for American drivers, RFA President Geoff Cooper said in a statement. However, in a statement announcing the new renewable fuel standards, the EPA said the final rule builds on the Biden administrations commitment to strengthen the nations energy independence, advance low-carbon fuels, and support agricultural communities. The agency said the new rule will strengthen domestic energy security by reducing reliance on foreign sources of oil by around 130,000 to 140,000 barrels of oil per day over the next three years. Additionally, the anticipated value of the energy security benefits to the U.S. economy could reach up to $192 million per year over the three-year period, according to EPA estimates. EPA Administrator Michael Regan went on to praise the agencys commitment to the growth of renewable fuels which he said play a critical role in diversifying our countrys energy mix and combating climate change, all while providing good paying jobs and economic benefits to communities across the country. Todays final rule reflects our efforts to ensure stability of the program for years to come, protect consumers from high fuel costs, strengthen the rural economy, support domestic production of cleaner fuels, and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Regan said. Notably, Wednesdays final rule also did not include widely-anticipated pathways for electric vehicle manufacturers to generate credits under the new standards, despite such pathways being included in Decembers original proposal. However, it did include incentives sought to bolster the use of biogas from farms and landfills, among others. Reuters contributed to this report. EPA Official Finally Testifies to House on Controversial Emissions Rules After Refusal in May The House is no longer Waiting for Goffman, a top Environmental Protection Agency official who appeared before Congress on June 21 after declining to show up to a similar May 17 hearing. In both cases, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability wanted the Office of Air and Radiations Joseph Goffman to discuss his agencys proposed tailpipe emissions rules. The EPA anticipates its rules will help drive a mass-scale transition to electric cars in the next decade. It predicts that two-thirds of new light-body vehicles sold in the United States will be electric by 2032. Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) wasted no time in asking Goffman the obvious question: why didnt he show up last time? Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) speaks during the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 8, 2022. (Jason Andrew-Pool/Getty Images) For my part, as with many things, it was primarily scheduling, Goffman responded. However, the bureaucrats official EPA calendar was empty from April 1 onward, including on May 17. The Epoch Times has reached out to the EPA seeking comment. When Fallon asked Goffman whether the choice to refuse had come from another agency official, Goffman said he had participated in the decision. So you couldnt change and adjust your schedule for the United States Congress? the Texas congressman asked. It was difficult, replied Goffman, a veteran of the Obama EPA whose LinkedIn profile credits him with a leading role in developing that administrations Clean Power Plan and standards for carbon pollution. The Biden official has also served as counsel for Senate Democrats in that chambers environmental committee. He was also a senior attorney at the environmental group now called the Environmental Defense Fund and, more recently, executive director of the Environmental Law Program at Harvard Law School. What was more important? Fallon asked. Goffman dodged the question: Well, let me assure you, Mr. Chairman, that I am pleased to be here today. I understand that its my obligation and commitment not only to be here today but to continue to provide this committee and the Congress with I think this is an institutional thing, Fallon interrupted, calling for bipartisan, frankly, outrage over the EPAs decision not to attend the May hearing. I would hope that in the future you would clear your calendar for Congress, he continued. Goffman Awaits Confirmation Amid Controversy Goffmans back-and-forth with Fallon comes amid a number of conflicts and controversies involving the official, who Biden nominated to lead the EPAs Office of Air and Radiation. The nomination finally passed through a key Senate committee in April of this year, weeks after the EPA released its controversial vehicle emissions proposalsand weeks before Goffman chose not to appear at the House hearing to respond to those proposals. Mr. Goffman has demonstrated a dedication to public service and a deep sense of integrity. He has implemented the law in a way that provides cleaner air and a safer climate for all, while also giving industry predictability and certainty, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) said after Goffman moved forward in a 10-9 vote. Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (left-right) walk out of a Democratic Caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 19, 2018. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images) The same committee deadlocked in a 10-10 vote on Goffmans nomination in November 2022, when the Senate was split down the middle. Both throughout his [Goffmans] previous service in the Obama administration and during the 22 months he has been at EPA in the Biden administration in a non-Senate-confirmed role, he has made his leadership style and policy views clear, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (D-W.Va.) said at the time. He has worked to develop regulations that harm our energy sector, will raise prices on American families and businesses, and are based on overreaching, illegal interpretations of the Clean Air Act as found by the Supreme Court, she added. Protect the Publics Trust, a group founded by Trump administration veteran Michael Chamberlain, has been calling for transparency over apparent ethics violation involving Goffmans former employer, Harvard. In April 2021, Goffman communicated with a former Harvard colleague in connection with the arrangement of a meeting. Joseph Goffman appeared to violate the Biden Administration Ethics Pledge (EO 13989) prohibiting him from participating in any particular matters involving his former employer, Harvard University, Protect the Publics Trust wrote in an August 2021 ethics complaint to the EPA and its inspector general. In records obtained via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the agencys ethics director, Justina Fugh, characterized Goffmans move as an oops that occurred. Although a technical violation of the pledge, I dont see that there are any ramifications. The error has been corrected. I have notified the EPA Chief of Staff and the White House already, and White House Counsels office has declined to take any further action on the pledge violation, she wrote in a May 2021 email contained in those records. The Epoch Times has also sought comment on this from the EPA. Racial Justice Through Direct Climate Action Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) defended Goffman and the EPAs vision. While we have a different witness today, the science and the facts remain the same, she said. Pollution is nonpartisan. It impacts all our communities differently, Bush told her colleagues before detailing the higher asthma rates among black children relative to white children. (L-R) U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Ca.), Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) participate in a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on Dec. 8, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) The Missouri representative said that putting the agencys rules in place would yield racial justice through direct climate action and praised Goffman for leadership. Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.), whose district covers the westernmost tip of North Carolina, asked Goffman how the rules affect vehicle affordability for families? Its a central preoccupation of ours as well, Goffman responded. Among other things, we are working with the auto industry itself, he added. The official said that automakers have already carefully mapped out business plans involving more electric vehicles over the decade now unfolding. Citing the Schumer-Manchin bill and infrastructure bill passed last session, Goffman said Congress has introduced into the economy a number of measures whose purpose and ultimate effect will be to make the manufacturing of these vehicles less expensive, and therefore give the car companies the opportunity to sell the vehicles theyre planning to market at affordable prices. Edwards remained skeptical. Theres a huge concern from the people that I represent for them being forced to buy a vehicle that is well, well out of their range, he said. Facebooks Zuckerberg Responds to Cage Match Challenge From Twitters Musk Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, the owners of competing social media platforms, could soon get into a cage match if their talk on social media is to be believed. Zuckerbergwho co-founded Facebook and whose Meta Platforms Inc. owns Instagramhas reportedly been preparing a new social media platform to compete with Twitter. Musk, who bought out Twitter in October, knocked the idea of Zuckerberg expanding his presence in the social media industry. Im sure Earth cant wait to be exclusively under Zucks thumb with no other options, Musk tweeted. Better be careful @elonmusk I heard he does the ju jitsu now, another Twitter user replied. Indeed, Zuckerberg, 39, has been training in the Japanese martial art of jujitsu. Last month, the social media mogul took to Instagram to tout his gold and silver medal wins at his first jujitsu tournament. Musk, who turns 52 later this month, was apparently undeterred by his social media rivals martial artistry. Im up for a cage match if he is lol, Musk wrote on Twitter. Zuckerberg: Send Me Location Word of Musks cage match proposal eventually found its way to Zuckerberg, who answered to the challenge in a post on his Instagram story. Send Me Location, Zuckerberg wrote next to a screenshot of Musks cage match proposal. Mark Zuckerberg responds to a cage match challenge from Elon Musk. (Screenshot via Mark Zuckerbergs Instagram Account) Musk just continued to up the ante in his challenge, writing Vegas Octagon. Dueling Social Media Empires Zuckerberg played a major role in the formation of Facebook and he has been in the social media business since at least 2004, when he first started coding for the platform. Musk, by comparison, made his fortune through a variety of different startups and later acquisitions. He co-founded the online city guide software firm Zip2. He also co-founded the online payment processor X.com, which merged with PayPal. Musk would go on to found the private space exploration company SpaceX, and then became CEO of the electric car company Tesla. The ownership of powerful social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter has become an increasingly political issue. Executives from both platforms have been called before Congress to testify about their content moderation practices and how those practices are influenced by U.S. law. Musk had accused the platform of failing to adhere to free speech principles and suggested he would change Twitters content moderation practices after buying out the platform. Musks acquisition of Twitter last year had been a contentious process between the billionaire entrepreneur and the platforms prior owners. After putting in an initial offer to buyout Twitter, Musk signaled hesitance to close the deal and raised questions about the number of bot accounts on the platform. Twitters prior owners sued Musk after he stalled the deal. Once Musk did acquire Twitter, he began reinstating accounts that were banned or limited under the platforms prior moderation practices. Musks Twitter buyout also preceded the release of the platforms internal documents in a series of Twitter Files exposes. The Twitter Files have revealed the platforms communications with U.S. government officials before making content moderation decisions like censoring reporting about the contents of a laptop that then-presidential candidate Joe Bidens son Hunter Biden had allegedly abandoned at a computer repair shop. Last August, Zuckerberg revealed Facebook also suppressed the Hunter Biden laptop reports following communications with the FBI. Musks Twitter buyout has sparked debate about the platforms past and present biases. In a May 2022, Musk said Twitter [obviously] has a strong left wing bias. After Musks buyout, some on the platform began suggesting people migrate over to alternative platforms like Tribel, a site founded by liberal political activist Omar Rivero. Prior to his takeover, Twitter had awarded blue verification checks to a limited number of users, with the criterion that they had to be active, notable, and authentic. Some had complained that this criterion, especially the notability factor, could feel arbitrary. Musk phased out Twitters original blue verification check and replaced it with a subscription system that allows users to pay for verification. While the verification became less arbitrary, politicians, journalists and celebrities who had enjoyed their verified status under the old system risked losing their account verification if they refused to pay $8 per month under the new subscription model. Metas Twitter alternative, currently dubbed Project 92 or P92, could add a new wrinkle to the battle for dominance in the social media industry. In an interview with the Verge to preview P92, Metas chief product officer Chris Cox called the product our response to Twitter. In an apparent dig at Musks handling of Twitter, Cox said, Weve been hearing from creators and public figures who are interested in having a platform that is sanely run, that they believe that they can trust and rely upon for distribution. From NTD News (Bloomberg) -- US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said at a summit in Paris that she was encouraged by Chinas role in addressing debt challenges facing developing countries after a restructuring agreement in principle was reached for Zambia. Most Read from Bloomberg French President Emmanuel Macron hosted world leaders over two days including Brazils Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, as well as Yellen and the Chinese premier, Li Qiang, to discuss new ways to raise climate financing. The talks were aimed at building momentum for an overhaul of the global lending architecture so that multilateral institutions like the World Bank can do more to help developing nations deal with climate change and raise private investment. Bloomberg Philanthropies was one of the official sponsors of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. Key Developments: Yellen Shares Stage With Chinese Premier Amid Thaw in Relations Zambia Wins Debt Relief, Sets Precedent for Stressed Nations Frances Macron Champions Global Taxation for Poverty, Climate Citi Executive Backs Pause Clauses for Some Emerging-Market Debt Yellen Says US Is Prepared to Consider Global Shipping Tax (1:42 p.m.) US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said French President Emmanuel Macrons push for a global tax on shipping to help finance fighting poverty and climate change is a very constructive suggestion. We are very open to innovative approaches and hopefully we have put some on the table ourselves, Yellen said. I think I would agree with President Macrons description of the logic of why it would be appropriate, and its something the US will look at. Georgieva Says IMF to Boost Trust to Help With Climate Challenges (1:20 p.m.) The International Monetary Fund will boost a trust that helps countries with climate change challenges by 50% after rich countries met their pledges for channeling resources to the Washington-based institution. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said earlier at the summit that wealthy nations have now met an objective of re-lending $100 billion of reserve assets known as Special Drawing Rights back to the fund. The Resilience and Sustainability Trust is one of the mechanisms the IMF can then use to recycle those SDR. We are lifting up our ambitions to increase by 50% the Resilience and Sustainability Trust so we dont have to ration financing and we can respond to needs, Georgieva said during the closing news conference at the summit. Yellen Encouraged by China Role to Address Developing-Nation Debt (1:05 p.m.) US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said she was encouraged by Chinas role in addressing debt issues in developing countries. I just saw Premier Li at the high-level panel and Im encouraged that China is moving to help address the debt challenges facing developing countries, she said during the closing news conference. Yellens comment comes a day after Zambia reached an agreement in principle to restructure its debt with bilateral lenders, a deal the US had argued China was obstructing. She said she was pleased that creditors have come to an agreement under the leadership of the Chinese and French co-chairs. Read More: Yellen Sees Lower Recession Risk, Says Consumer Slowdown Needed Kenyas Ruto Says Tensions Between West and China Are Unhelpful (12:55 p.m.) Kenyan President William Ruto said tensions between rich countries and China are damaging efforts to find ways to urgently build scale of affordable financing for poor countries. We also have a wonderful relationship with China: They finance our infrastructure development, Ruto said at the closing news conference. The tension between the West and China is unhelpful, is unnecessary, and is as useless as the tension between North and South when we discuss climate change. Lula Says Global Inequality Is as Urgent as Climate Change (11:43 a.m.) Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged the international community to address global inequality and treat it like a challenge as important as climate change. If economic and education inequality are not tackled urgently, climate concerns will become a joke compared with the magnitude of the problems facing the world, he said. Still, Lula insisted that Brazil will meet all its environmental commitments and doesnt need to cut trees. The Brazilian president took a swipe at the world order, blasting the United Nations and Bretton Woods institutions for being incapable of addressing global issues and assisting those in need. He said global trade should be conducted using a variety of currencies, not only the US dollar. Lula also criticized the European Union for the so-called side-letter it sent to the Mercosur bloc of South American countries with new demands ahead of a potential trade agreement. Scholz Calls for Action to Provide Developing Nations With Green Funding (11:20 a.m.) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said its time for action to provide developing countries with better access to the funds needed to boost investment in the green transition. Its important that we always walk as we talk, Scholz said at the summit. So its always important that especially the economically more stable and successful countries make their contributions and that they stick to the things they say all the time. Scholz said private companies will also play an important role in providing the needed funds and that the G-20 process known as Compact with Africa is key in pushing ahead with reforms on the ground in those countries so that businesses are more willing to invest. Public subsidies alone cannot solve the problem, the chancellor added. Chinas Li Defends Economic Momentum, Rejects De-Coupling Call (10:13 a.m.) Premier Li Qiang told the summit that the Chinese economy has shown upward momentum this year and fundamentals for long-term sound economic development are unchanged. He reiterated that China opposes de-coupling and said the countrys development isnt a threat to the world, but a big opportunity instead. He said China will join hands with other nations on Green development and improving global financial governance, and he urged developed nations to take responsibility on climate change. New 1.5 Billion Platform Launched for Healthcare in Developing Economies (9:50 a.m.) A 1.5 billion platform to stimulate investment in primary healthcare in developing economies has been launched by a consortium comprised of the African Development Bank, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank and the World Health Organization. The platform will offer concessional loans and grants and focus on serving the most vulnerable, according to a statement by the group. The climate crisis is a health crisis, said Vanessa Kerry, director-general special envoy for climate change and health at the WHO. No country is immune. The platform was welcomed by Mia Mottley, prime minister of Barbados. Our task is about securing a safer world and planet, and that means dealing with global public goods, she said. Theres no better way than through primary healthcare. ECBs Lagarde Says Economies Must Be Future-Proof (9:12 a.m.) Climate change is a key issue for central banks as it affects inflation and their balance sheets, and because it matters for commercial banks under their supervision, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said. We have made climate change a priority in our strategy, Lagarde said. We do that because climate change affects inflation, and inflation is a beast that all central bankers whether they wear a green jacket or not want to tame or discipline. She added: We must forge ahead with a global transition to ensure our economies are future-proof. Macron Champions Global Taxation for Poverty, Climate (8:51 a.m.) Emmanuel Macron called for another overhaul of the global taxation system to finance the fight against poverty and climate change, building on recent efforts for a minimum levy on corporations. The new taxation could hit airline tickets, financial transactions or shipping, the French president said at the summit. For it to be successful, countries would have to work together to avoid businesses relocating activity to avoid national levies, he said. A century ago we said socialism in one country doesnt work well, international tax in one country doesnt work either, Macron said on France Info radio on the sidelines of the summit. Macron Says France to Channel More IMF Resources to Poor States (8:30 a.m.) France will boost the volume of International Monetary Fund resources it channels back to the institution for lending to the poorest countries facing climate risks, Emmanuel Macron told France Info radio on the sidelines of the summit. The French president set a target two years ago to boost financing for poor countries by having the richest lend 20% of their share of IMF reserve assets known as Special Drawing Rights. We have pushed everyone to meet their commitments and now we will recycle 40% of our SDR, he said. Zambia Wins Debt Relief, Sets Precedent for Stressed Nations (Thursday evening) Zambia reached an agreement in principle to restructure $6.3 billion of debt with bilateral lenders, setting a precedent for a growing list of countries struggling to service their liabilities. The nations dollar bonds rose. Read More: Zambia Debt Deal Spurs Rally Across Distressed Emerging Markets On Twitter, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema called the agreement a significant milestone in our journey toward economic recovery and growth. The accord marks the first major relief won by a developing country under the Group of 20 nations Common Framework that brings the traditional creditor nations of the Paris Club around the same negotiating table with China and India. --With assistance from Natasha White, Samy Adghirni, Li Liu and Michael Nienaber. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. FBI Verified Laptop Belonged to Hunter Biden: Whistleblower FBI Director Christopher Wray prepares to testify before the House Homeland Security Committee in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 15, 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) The FBI verified that a laptop computer later widely reported as belonging to the son of President Joe Biden did indeed belong to him, a whistleblower says. Gary Shapley, an IRS criminal special agent, was assigned to work on an investigation into Hunter Bidens taxes. He says he was removed by the U.S. Department of Justice in May after raising concerns about deviations from normal procedures. Shapley said that the probe of Hunter Biden was opened in November 2018. About a year later, FBI officials became aware of a laptop computer allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden being at a repair shop and learned the computer might contain evidence of a crime. The FBI verified its authenticity in November of 2019 by matching the device number against Hunter Bidens Apple iCloud ID, Shapley told Congress in a May 26 interview, a transcript of which was released on June 22. When the FBI took possession of the device in December 2019, they notified the IRS that it likely contained evidence of tax crimes, he added. A lawyer for Hunter Biden didnt respond to an inquiry. The FBI declined to dispute Shapleys account or otherwise comment. John Paul Mac Isaac, who owned a computer store in Delaware, has said that Hunter Biden dropped off a laptop at his store on April 12, 2019. He has presented an invoice that lists the person to bill as Hunter Biden, with an iCloud ID. Hunter Biden two days later gave Mac Isaac a hard drive to which he asked Mac Isaac to transfer information from the computer. But after Mac Isaac contacted Hunter Biden to let him know the work was complete, Hunter Biden didnt respond, according to court filings. Mac Isaac has said that he eventually gave the Apple MacBook Pro computer to the FBI. A subpoena signed by an FBI agent instructed Mac Isaac to appear before a grand jury and bring the computer and an external hard drive with him. Mac Isaac says he kept a copy of the drive in case he was ever thrown under the bus and later passed the contents to Rudy Giuliani, who conveyed it to the New York Post. Shapley said that an FBI agent asked for and received the computers device number from Mac Isaac and confirmed the computer belonged to Hunter Biden. The Post published an article in October 2020 about some of the contents, but the article was suppressed by Big Tech companies such as Twitter, which claimed the story was based on hacked materials. Other people claimed, without evidence, that the story was the result of Russian disinformation. FBI officials had warned the companies that Russia would be creating propaganda regarding the election. The FBI has confirmed it issued a warning but also said that it cannot ask, or direct, companies to take action on information received. Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, at the White House on April 18, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) DOJ Official Blocked Investigators: Shapley Shapley said that he emailed a top Department of Justice official around the same time raising concerns about the FBI making certain representations about the device. Shapley said his team still hadnt been allowed to access the computer or its contents. During a subsequent meeting on Oct. 22, 2020, assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf said prosecutors decided to keep the data from investigators. This decision is unprecedented in my experience, Shapley said. Investigators assigned to this investigation were obstructed from seeing all the available evidence. It is unknown if all the evidence was reviewed by agents or by prosecutors. The Department of Justice declined to comment. Shapley also quoted Wolf as saying, We have no reason to believe there is anything fabricated nefariously on the computer and/or the hard drive. Another whistleblower, whose name wasnt released, told Congress that investigators obtained electronic search warrants, including for email accounts, Microsoft QuickBooks accounts, an Apple iCloud account, and the laptop. Hunter Biden has admitted to violating federal tax law, according to court documents made public on June 20. He also was charged with a gun crime, but has entered pretrial diversion and may end up having the charge dropped. Hunter Biden has in the past declined to say whether the computer belonged to him. I really dont know what the answer is, he told CBS in 2021 when asked whether the computer was his. There could be a laptop that was out there that was stolen from me, it could be that I was hacked, it could be that it was Russian intelligence, it could be that it was stolen from me. Lawyers for Hunter Biden said in February that the data Mac Isaac shared was from Hunter Biden but also said they werent confirming that it came from a computer belonging to the presidents son. There has never been, to my knowledge, an acknowledgment that this so-called laptophe continuously calls it Hunter Bidens abandoned laptop, Brett Langdon, another lawyer representing Hunter Biden, said during a recent court hearing. When a judge asked whether it was Hunter Bidens computer, Langdon said he couldnt answer that question. Federal Court of Appeal Overturns CRTC Ruling Against CBC for Broadcast of N-Word The CBC News logo is projected onto a screen during the CBC's annual upfront presentation at The Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto on May 29, 2019. (Tijana Martin/The Canadian Press) The Federal Court of Appeal has overturned a previous decision made by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) that penalized CBC Radio over a program that used the N-word, a racial slur. The decision issued by the Federal Court of Appeal on June 22 found that the broadcast regulator made errors in its ruling against SRC, the French-language segment of CBC/Radio-Canada. The CRTC overstepped its jurisdiction by sanctioning the SRC on the sole basis that the content broadcast on the air was, in its opinion, inconsistent with the Canadian broadcasting policy, wrote Justice Marc Noel. The case centred around the CBC broadcasting an offensive word on the air during a French program, Le 15-18. The guest and host on the program discussed a 1968 book written by FLQ bomber Pierre Vallieres, which contains the N-word in its title. This title, which the CRTC mentions in French in its decision was quoted four timesthree times in French and once using its English translationduring a segment called Actualite avec Simon Jodoin: Certaines idees deviennent-elles taboues? which was broadcast on August 17, 2020 during the radio program Le 15 18, the court said. The segment in question, which lasted 6 minutes and 27 seconds, dealt with a petition demanding the dismissal of a Concordia University professor who had mentioned Pierre Vallieress book by its title in class. The court has returned the matter to the CRTC, the CBC said in a news story on the decision, adding that it will wait for their direction on next steps. It is important to remember that this does not affect the policies we have already put in place to minimize the use of hurtful or offensive language. Complaint An initial complaint to the CRTC was received on Aug. 28, 2020, and the head of content for the program dismissed it, stating that the use of the N-word during the segment had not been abusive or inconsiderate, according to the court. The person writing the complaint then asked the French Services Ombudsman for review. He refused to intervene, according to the court, stating that the use of the word complied with CBCs policies. The complainant continued to appeal the decision, and eventually the case ended up before the CRTC. In a decision on June 29, 2022, the CRTC said the use and repetition of the N-word on this program was inconsistent with the objectives of the Broadcasting Act, and suggested CBC did not take the necessary measures to mitigate the impact of the N-word on its audience. The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and the wave of global protests following the death of George Floyd in May 2020 represent an axis of societal change that propelled public reflection on issues related to racism and systemic racism, suggested the CRTC. CBC was told to apologize to the individual who made the complaint. In making the decision, the CRTC said broadcasting should be of high standard and serve to safeguard, enrich and strengthen the cultural, political, social and economic fabric of Canada. The CRTC decision said that anything CBC aired should reflect the multicultural and multiracial nature of Canada. The Federal Court of Appeal justice did not agree, stating the section of the Broadcasting Act cited by the CRTC did not give the CRTC this power and was being cited improperly. The CRTC overstepped its jurisdiction by sanctioning CBC Radio on the sole basis the content broadcast on the air was in its opinion inconsistent with Canadian broadcasting policy, wrote Noel. The justice also noted that the decision made by the regulator makes no mention of CBC Radios freedom of expression. Its structure revolves exclusively around the issue as to whether the broadcast of the N-word on the air is consistent with Canadian broadcasting policy. Given that Parliament has mandated the CRTC to act as the initial decision-maker with respect to what can and cannot be said on the air, I would return the matter to the CRTC so that it may re-determine the merits of the complaint, said Noel. Universities Should Be Mandated to Disclose Research Ties With Foreign Actors, House Committee Hears The Parliament Hill Peace Tower is framed in an iron fence on Wellington Street in Ottawa on March 12, 2020. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) Witnesses testifying before a House committee Tuesday said universities across Canada have partnered with Chinese agencies and will continue to do so unless Parliament mandates educational institutes to disclose these relationships. Lawyer James Hinton, associate professor at Western University and senior fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation, appeared as a witness at the June 20 meeting of the House of Commons Science Committee. As reported by Blacklocks Reporter on June 21, Hinton said the federal government has been complicit in allowing Canadian academic research to be compromised, specifically by Chinas Huawei Technologies, which is allegedly tied to the Chinese military. We need to know who is working with Canadian research institutions and how much they have been benefiting, he said. We really dont know. Hinton said Canada needs to consider legislation similar to what Australia has adopted to review and, if necessary, cancel international agreements made by universities. He also said universities receiving public funding should be forced to track and report their research efforts with annual and concrete disclosure, including how much and who theyre working with. The federal government needs to take control of the situation [to] ensure that publicly funded intellectual property and data assets benefit Canadians, not foreign militaries, said the professor. Naming Names Hinton went on to provide the committee with a list of more than 20 universities that partnered with Huawei before the government banned Huawei from participating in Canadas 5G telecommunication network due to security concerns on May 19, 2022. I am naming these names so there is no longer a veil of secrecy in these deals, said Hinton. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Huawei has received intellectual property from the University of Waterloo, the University of Toronto, McGill University, the University of British Columbia, the University of Calgary, the University of Ottawa, the University of Laval. He also named the University of Regina, McMaster University, Western University, and Carleton University. Significant public funding, millions of dollars and resources, are being used, said Hinton. Hundreds of patents have been generated for Huawei through these deals. The commercial rights go to Huawei and they can use this technology in any manner they want. During questions from the committee, Conservative MP Dan Mazier asked what he thought of researchers who have claimed scrutinizing national security threats of research funding is a threat to academic freedom. I teach at Western, I know academic freedom well, said Hinton. Academic freedom requires an environment of enabled autonomy [where] researchers are free from undue external influence. State military actors are undue influencers, whether academics like to admit it or not. I dont think that universities are capable of screening national security issues, added the professor. He said foreign countries are using Canadian research to advance their national agendas, and putting the countrys national security at risk. End Deals We should stop doing these terrible deals. End them now, Queens University professor Christian Leuprecht told the committee. Leuprecht, who is a professor at the Royal Military College of Canada and Queens University, as well as a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, said he had flagged concerns about research collaboration between Canadian universities and academics, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as early as 2018. Canadian institutional researchers know full well that their Chinese interlocutors are highly problematic. In other cases, they are unwitting participants, he said. Leuprecht said the University of Waterloo, the University of Toronto, and McGill University had been identified as the three Canadian universities ranking in the top 10 of universities outside of China that had developed collaborations with the Peoples Liberation Army, the armed wing of the CCP. To be clear, research data obtained in Canada has direct application to weapons development and other strategic military purposes, Leuprecht told the committee. Florida Town Quarantined to Eradicate Giant Invasive Snails A community in Broward County, Florida, is under quarantine by state officials in a bid to eradicate a species of invasive giant African land snail that can transmit a parasite and also do massive amounts of agricultural damage. The giant snails, which can grow up to 8 inches in length, were found in Miramar earlier in June, officials said. On Tuesday, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services ordered the community to be placed under quarantine. The agency says the snail species, Lissachatina fulica, doesnt only transmit the parasite, but it poses a significant threat to local agriculture, wildlife, and even property. The agency noted the species is one of the most damaging snails in the world, consuming at least 500 different types of plants and can reportedly eat plastic, street signs, stucco, and other inorganic material. Their shells are reportedly able to puncture car tires. Under the quarantine, it is unlawful to move a giant African land snail or a regulated article, including, but not limited to, plants, plant parts, plants in soil, soil, yard waste, debris, compost or building materials, within, through or from the defined quarantine area without a compliance agreement, the news release said. To deal with the snails that were found in Miramar, the agriculture department said it will continue to use the same treatment methodology for this pest which is a metaldehyde-based molluscicide (snail bait) and is approved for residential use. Florida state officials set up two treatment areas within the Miramar quarantine zone, showing a map (pdf) released by the agency. Lifespan of a Giant African Land Snail. (Courtesy, Florida Agriculture Commission) These snails could be devastating to Florida agriculture and natural areas as they cause extensive damage to tropical and subtropical environments, according to the news release. The snails also pose a serious health risk to humans by carrying parasite rat lungworm, known to cause meningitis in humans. Giant African land snails are illegal to import or possess in the United States without a permit. Do Not Eat Them Rat lungworm, a parasitic nematode, is primarily transmitted through snails and is considered the most common cause of eosinophilic meningitis in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean Basin. Parasitic meningitis can infect the eyes and can lead to coma, paralysis, and death in certain cases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There is no treatment for the condition. If you see one of these snails, do not touch it, former Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said last year in a news conference. Most importantly, do not eat them. This is not a snail to be put on butter and oil and garlic. A rout of giant African snails gather, in a corner in Havana, Cuba, on Aug. 28, 2019. (Ismael Francisco/AP Photo, File) Floridas agriculture agency did not say where it suspects the Broward County snails, which are native to East Africa, had originated. Previously, authorities have tied the African giant species to the wildlife and pet trade. Tuesdays quarantine marks yet another time the species has been found in Florida in recent years, according to the Washington Post. In 2022, more than 1,000 invasive giant African land snails were detected in Florida, north of Tampa. In 2011, the snails were found in Miami-Dade County in 2011, and it took officials 10 years and $23 million to eradicate the animals. And in the 1960s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said it took officials 10 years and $1 million to eradicate the snail after it was found in South Florida. There are currently three quarantine areas throughout Florida, says an update posted on the Florida Department of Agricultures website. These quarantines are in Broward, Lee and Pasco counties. It is unlawful to move the giant African land snail or a regulated article, including, but not limited to, plants, plant parts, plants in soil, soil, yard waste, debris, compost or building materials, within, through or from a quarantine area without a compliance agreement. In previous infestations, according to Smithsonian Magazine, Florida used specially-trained dogs to hunt the giant snails. Giant African land snails are seen as the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announces it has positively identified a population of the invasive species in Miami-Dade County in Miami, Fla., on Sep. 15, 2011. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) The giant African land snail is one of the most invasive pests on the planet, causing agricultural and environmental damage wherever it is found, the USDA says on its website about the species. This snail is a federally prohibited organism that cannot be legally sold or possessed in the USA, the notice says. Smugglers often bring the snails into the United States as pets or as a delicacy. Earlier this year, a man in Detroit was caught with six living giant African snails in his briefcase, according to reports. Ford Set to Axe Hundreds of Aussie Jobs in Bid to Improve Efficiency Photo of Ford motor car plant in Geelong, Victoria, Australia taken on May 24, 2013. (AAP Image/David Crosling) Vehicle manufacturing giant Ford has announced plans to cut 400 jobs from its Australian workforce as the company seeks to improve efficiency. This follows a global culling of approximately 3,000 jobs as the company moves towards electrification and comes as Ford announced in March plans to cut 250 jobs from its Geelong and Broadmeadows plants. The City of Geelong will be hardest hit, with most of the hundreds of job losses expected to start in September. We have begun consultation with our employees and unions on our intention to offer a separation program for approximately 400 or 1,800 employees in Australia, the company said in an email to The Epoch Times. The majority of these will be in product development and design, with a small number in other functions. The changes are part of Fords global drive to improve efficiency and transform its operations to meet future needs. Australia will continue to be the centre of development for the Ranger and Everest globally. Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) Vehicle Industry Coordinator, Vince Pepi, said voluntary redundancies would take effect in September and that union members could access transition support services. Of the 400 jobs set to go, 350 are white-collar workers, with around 50 being blue-collar workers, Pepi said. We understand that this news will be difficult for many workers and their families, and we want to ensure they have all the resources they need, Pepi said in a statement to The Epoch Times. As part of our commitment to supporting our members during this challenging time, AMWU members are entitled to a redundancy outplacement program, along with a payment of 4.1 [weeks of wages per year] of service and $500 for financial advice. We will continue to work closely with our members and their Ford management as the situation progresses. Victorian Ministers Respond Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said on June 22 that his government has engaged with affected employees. This will be a tough time for those Ford workers and their families, he said at a press conference. This is a decision out of the United States. And it will be a very challenging time. We are already engaged in providing support to those workers. Meanwhile, Victorian Jobs and Manufacturing Minister Ben Carroll said the state government would support Geelongs Ford workers. Its always difficult when anyone loses a jobit can be one, or it could be 10, or it could be 50, he said on June 22. Its always felt very hard by those families in those communities. I have every confidence that well find solutions for these workers and be able to do tailor-made solutions to support them going forward. The jobs minister said that the soon-to-be ex-employees are well trained and that the state government has a great partnership with the automotive sector. Global and Local Job Losses The news of the job losses follows an announcement in August 2022 that the car giant would cut approximately 3,000 jobs, mainly in North America and India, as the company moves to catch up with Tesla and gears towards electric vehicle production. Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley said in a memo to staff that the company needed to restructure in order to be more competitive. Building this future requires changing and reshaping virtually all aspects of the way we have operated for more than a century, Farley said. It requires focus, clarity and speed. And, as we have discussed in recent months, it means redeploying resources and addressing our cost structure, which is uncompetitive versus traditional and new competitors. Meanwhile, approximately 900 jobs (or 40 percent) of Ford Australias workforce have been cut since June 2022, reported Drive. These job cuts have occurred in the 18 months proceeding the launch of the Ranger ute and Everest SUV, which arrived in showrooms in June 2022 and August 2022. Ford also saw an increase in new vehicle sales, up 29 percent since June 2023. For example, Fords Ranger ute saw 21,407 sales this year. Vehicle Manufacturing in Australia At its height during the 1970s, the car manufacturing industry had around 90,000 workers and produced nearly half a million vehicles a year. However, the winding back of support against the backdrop of a high domestic exchange rate, the introduction of free trade agreements with other vehicle-producing countries, and shifting consumer preferences ultimately forced the closure of domestic vehicle production, according to a 2020 Department of Industry, Innovation, and Science report (pdf). Fords Geelong and Broadmeadows plants were car manufacturing hubs prior to the end of Australias car manufacturing in 2016. The 2016 closure of Fords Geelong and Broadmeadows plants saw 600 job losses and thousands of redundancies nationwide. Holden and Toyota closed their manufacturing plants in 2017. The announcement of Ford, Holden, and Toyotas plant closures occurred within eight months from May 2013, when the companies found low sales of locally made vehicles and Australias high exchange rate were neither favourable nor profitable for the car manufacturers. This was despite tariff reductions and subsidies worth tens of millions of dollars from the government for car manufacturers to expand their operations. Both the federal and state governments provided transition support services for workers who sought new employment industriessimilar to what the state government is offering for those affected by the recent announcement. Victorian Minister for Employment and Industry Ben Carroll has said that the local defence industry is one avenue for new employment opportunities. We already are building the $170 million Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence through [South Korean defence company] Hanwha. These are great skills. They are jobs that are in demand. And we know that the automotive sector, with the Andrews Labor government, has a strong friend, he said. From Tech Hero to Alleged Spy: Former Samsung Exec Accused of Cloning Factory for China Drama plays out as China calls for 'cooperation' in chip industry to overcome U.S. sanctions The logo of the Samsung Electronics Co. is seen at its office in Seoul, South Korea on Jan. 31, 2023. (Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo, File) Korean chip industry authority. Master of yield. Top expert in memory production engineering. A South Korean tech industry veteran, once lauded with these titles for his innovation, hands-on approach, and round-the-clock dedication, is back in the news. This time, the government that honored him as a national tech hero is accusing him of industrial espionage on a grand scale. Meanwhile, China last weekend called for openness and cooperation in its chip industry in order to overcome U.S. tech sanctions. High Profile Theft Dealt with National Core Technology On June 12, South Korean prosecutors charged the former Samsung Electronics executive with allegedly stealing design data from a Samsung Electronics semiconductor factory and attempting to build a replica factory in China. He is charged under South Koreas Industrial Technology Protection Act and Unfair Competition Prevention Act with leaking trade secrets to foreign countries. The theft is high profile because it dealt with data that had been designated national core technology. The special status refers to highly valuable technology that could adversely affect South Korean national security and economic development if it falls into the hands of other countries. Because of the scale of the crimethe suspect attempted to replicate and build an entire semiconductor factory in Chinathe prosecution said it is difficult to compare this case with individual semiconductor technology leakage cases. The extent of the loss is staggering, with the damage to Samsung estimated in hundreds of millions of dollars. Its a grave crime that could deal a heavy blow to our economic security by shaking the foundation of the domestic chip industry at a time of intensifying competition in chip manufacturing, the prosecutors office said. The defendant has denied the allegations. From Chip Superstar to Accused Traitor Due to local privacy laws in South Korea, defendants arent usually named. The Suwon district prosecutors office, however, provided detailed information about the defendant, a 65-year-old former employee of what it called Company A. South Korean authorities said the defendant worked at Company Athe worlds number one market share holder in the memory and semiconductors fieldfor about 18 years and then served as vice president of another firm, referred to as Company B, for about 10 years. Based on the information given by prosecutors, Company A and Company B were identified as global chip giants Samsung and SK Hynix, their chief rivals. Prosecutors described the defendant in a statement as an undisputed top domestic expert in semiconductor manufacturing. The defendant later created chip manufacturing companies in China and Singapore with the backing of Chinese and Taiwanese investors and lured more than 200 chip experts from Samsung and Hynix with higher pay before arranging to smuggle out crucial technologies from Samsung, prosecutors said. His most damning crime, however, was an attempt to replicate a semiconductor plant in Xian, China, just a mile away from a Samsung plant, using blueprints and engineering secrets stolen from Samsung. How did a South Korean chip guruin essence, a national herobecome an industrial spy for China? An Industry Legend Citing people familiar with the case, the Wall Street Journal said the unnamed defendant is a former Samsung executive surnamed Choi. Choi was once known as the top expert in memory production engineering in South Koreas semiconductor industry. He worked in the memory semiconductor division of Samsung for 18 years and served as its managing director, during which time he won several internal awards, said the Wall Street Journal. In 2001, he moved to Hynix Semiconductor (now SK Hynix). SK Hynix is now the worlds second-largest chipmaker. At the time, however, it was under the management of creditors due to a liquidity crisis, lagging behind Samsung Electronics in terms of technology. The SK Hynix flag (R) and the South Korean national flag (L) flutter outside the companys Bundang office in Seongnam on Jan. 29, 2021. (Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images) By improving equipment, reengineering, and sheer hard work, Choi turned around Hynixs technical capabilities, revitalizing the dying company and setting it on the path to todays position as global number two in the semiconductor industry. His achievements earned him a promotion to Chief Technology Officer. However, he resigned as vice president of Hynix in 2010, after losing out on the companys top job. Choi was honored by the South Korean government for his efforts. In 2009, he received the nations Order of Industrial Service Merit for his contributions to semiconductor chip production. After leaving Hynix, Choi spent several years working at other South Korean manufacturing companies. Turning to China The indictment alleges that the defendant then established a Singapore-based company, with long-range plans to pursue the construction of a chip factory in Xian, China. Although the indictment does not name the Singapore-based company, it is known that in 2015, Choi established a chip technology consulting firm, Jin Semiconductor, in Singapore. According to the indictment, in 2018 Choi signed an 8 trillion won (about $6.3 billion) investment agreement with a Taiwanese electronics manufacturer in order to finance his plans, which included hiring professionals away from South Korea with large salary increases. The prosecution alleges that Choi hired 200 key semiconductor industry professionals away from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. According to the Wall Street Journal, Choi established Zhenxin Semiconductor in China in 2019. Chinese company filings reveal a connection between the Singapore-based company and the Chinese company, said the Journal, listing the Jin Semiconductor home page as the Zhenxin Beijing Semiconductor website. Zhenxin Semiconductor then became a major investor as Choi worked with the municipal government of Chengdu, China, to establish a semiconductor joint venture company, Chengdu Gaozhen Technology. The venture began test production of semiconductors this year, said prosecutors. The defendant is charged with actively ordering employees of his Singapore-based firm to procure technology from Samsung. Copycat Chip Factory Chois most audacious plan was the construction of the chip factory in Xian, located just 1.5 km from a Samsung factory, which it was to copy closely. According to prosecutors, the new plant employed BED (Basic Engineering Data) from the nearby Samsung factory, together with process layout drawings, blueprints, and other trade confidential information. BED is a core semiconductor technology that creates an optimum manufacturing environment by preventing impurities in the manufacturing space (clean room). The stolen technology included manufacturing technology for DRAM and NAND flash memory under 30 nanometers, including mobile phone manufacturing. Six former employees of Samsung Electronics and its partner companies were charged with illegally obtaining design materials from Samsungs semiconductor plant under Chois instructions and using them without permission. The project fell through when it failed to obtain promised funding from its Taiwanese backer. Although the scheme did not come to fruition, industry sources believe that key information could have already been leaked to Chinese companies, according to JoongAng Daily, since Choi had operated the Chengdu-based CHJS since 2020. The data, which Samsung Electronics obtained through more than 30 years of research and development, is worth 300 billion to trillions of won (about $200 million to billions). It is not only a companys trade secret, but also a national core technology, prosecutors said. Chinas Hunt for South Korean Talent The logo of Samsung Electronics is seen at its office building in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug. 25, 2017. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters) As the United States has stepped up its efforts to curb the Chinese semiconductor industry, Chinas hunting for high-tech talents in South Korea has become more aggressive. The Chinese semiconductor industry not only uses high annual salaries as a lure, but also establishes research and development centers in South Korea, encouraging senior semiconductor talents to quit their current jobs by promising them they wont have to move to China. For the past few months, South Korean police have been conducting a special crackdown to uncover industrial technology leakage. On June 11, South Koreas Yonhap News Agency reported 77 arrests in connection with 35 industrial espionage cases. An interim investigation showed that eight of the incidents were related to the leaking of technology abroad, including to China. Seoul takes the issue so seriously that it is creating a database of chip engineers working for South Korean companies in order to monitor their travel in and out of the country, said the Financial Times in a May 16 article. According to South Koreas National Intelligence Service, the estimated loss of industrial technology leaks from 2018 to 2022 totaled about 25 trillion won (about $19.6 billion). Easier Targets The primary target of Chinas technology theft remains the United States, Li Jixin, a Japan-based electronics engineer told The Epoch Times on June 15. However, the United States has been pushing back, causing China to turn to easier targets. When the United States began to realize that [its] technology is seriously stolen and began to strictly scrutinize, the main target of theft began to extend to Europe and Japan; when Europe and Japan began to guard against [it], the target of technology theft became South Korea, which still has a lot of investment in China and no strict prevention, he said. Li said South Koreas semiconductor companies have been investing heavily in China and relying on China for their exports, so they have been turning a blind eye to Chinas technology infringement, which has made China even more reckless. South Korea must warn and scrutinize as the United States and Japan have done in order to put an end to Chinas technology theft crimes. Meanwhile, a Chinese semiconductor expert told an industry forum that China needs to increase openness and cooperation in its chip industry to overcome U.S. tech restrictions and sanctions. Our goal is to shatter the blockade and containment to achieve self-sufficiency, but it has to be noted that self-sufficiency doesnt mean to close ourselves off, Wei Shaojun, director of the Institute of Microelectronics of Tsinghua University, told an industry forum in Guangzhou last weekend. Reuters contributed to this report. GOP Divided Over Boebert Forcing Biden Impeachment Vote Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) speaks during a news conference with the House Freedom Caucus on the debt limit negotiations at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on March 10, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) In a move that showed division in the party, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) has urged Republican lawmakers to oppose Rep. Lauren Boeberts (R-Colo.) impeachment resolution (pdf) targeting President Joe Biden. During a closed-door meeting of the GOP conference, McCarthy expressed his reservations about the resolution and emphasized the importance of a thorough investigation before taking such a serious step. I dont think its the right thing to do Youve got to go through the process. Youve got to have the investigation throwing something on the floor actually harms the investigation that were doing right now, McCarthy told reporters, according to The Hill. He also revealed he had requested that Boebert discuss her resolution with the House GOP conference before initiating a vote, but she proceeded without doing so. Boebert did not attend the subsequent meeting. Despite McCarthys advice, Boebert went ahead and introduced the privileged motion to force a vote on the impeachment resolution, generating mixed reactions within the Republican Party. The House Oversight Committee Chairman, James Comer (R-Ky.), expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which Boebert bypassed the committee process. Comer, whose committee has been conducting an investigation into corruption accusations against the Biden family, revealed that new information was being uncovered almost daily. While he did not indicate his support for Boeberts resolution, Comer voiced concerns about the lack of committee involvement. I dont like how she presented it by bypassing the committee process, especially when the investigation in the Oversight Committee, which shes on, is producing new information almost daily, Comer told Fox News Digital. More Republicans Reactions Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) responded to questions about impeachment by saying, I believe it should go through thorough and proper vigorous debate and through assigned committees and the people should be present and witness said debate. The founders established the highest thresholds for impeachment, intended it to be almost impossible to impeach a president and very difficult to impeach a secretary. When asked point blank if he would support the measure, he said he didnt fully agree with the resolution, and would not support it. Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) told The Epoch Times, I support impeachment, but I dont know if I support that resolution just because I havent read the articles yet. But I think hes done more than enough to warrant impeachment. When asked what the president has done to warrant impeachment, Fulcher cited the border and the lack of willingness to enforce U.S. law. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) offered a ringing endorsement for the effort, telling Reporters on Capitol Hill, I will not be voting to table it. I would support it if it comes to the floor I think theres enough evidence there to impeach, and if new evidence comes to light impeach again, the lawmaker said, asserting that his district would want him to support the effort. When asked about his stance on Boeberts resolution, Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) told The Epoch Times that a successful impeachment required building a case before a majority of American voters. I think we will be in a better position to vote on that in a month and maybe two months, Grothman said. History has shown that if you want a successful impeachment, you have to build the case before a majority of the American voters. I think every couple of weeks on the Oversight Committee we learn more, but to bring forth a resolution as significant and drastic as impeachment will not necessarily be helpful. I think most people believe. I think most people believe that if Joe Biden were impeached, it would raise his popularity right now and make him look a little bit like a martyr. Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) expressed his support for a process that involves presenting evidence to the American people before considering impeachment. He emphasized the need to avoid following the Democrats approach from the previous Congress. I believe in a process Im a Republican, not a Democrat. We dont go around impeaching presidents like that, Gimenez told The Epoch Times. We need to go through a process. The American people need to see the President should be impeached. We shouldnt follow what the Democrats said the last Congress. Moving Forward While some party members caution against hasty decisions without comprehensive investigations, others view the privileged resolution as an opportunity to address critical issues such as border security. As the impeachment vote approaches, the House will witness a critical moment in the ongoing political battle between Republicans and Democrats. Typically, an impeachment investigation begins with the Judiciary Committee. Bypassing the committee procedure results in only two days for House leaders to schedule a vote. Notably, Boeberts ideological ally, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), recently forced a vote on censuring Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) for his handling of investigations into Trump and the first Trump impeachment. Late in the day on June 21, the House voted 213209 on a revised resolution to censure Schiff. Six voted present. Government Doesnt Have a Delivery Plan to Decarbonise the Power Sector: Spending Watchdog The government cant decarbonise the UK power sector by 2035 because it doesnt have a delivery plan, according to a report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). A report from PAC published on Wednesday cast doubt on the governments net zero plans to decarbonise the power sector by 2035, saying that it lacks an overarching delivery plan and has much to do so that the lights stay on. PAC is a cross-party committee that examines the value for money of government projects, programs, and service delivery. It also said that it was skeptical that plans for expanding nuclear, solar, and wind power are credible. The government denied the claims. 12 Years Left In 2019, the UK passed laws to require that all greenhouse gas emissions be reduced to net zero by 2050, though it plans to fully decarbonise its power system by 2035. This means areas such as transport and heating in buildings, will need to switch to using electricity instead of fossil fuels such as natural gas. The lack of an overarching delivery plan jeopardises [the] governments achievement of its challenging ambition to decarbonise the power sector by 2035, the committee wrote. The committee said that With only 12 years left to hit its ambition the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has a lot to do if it is to achieve its ambition, adding that it needs to prove the costs to bill payers and taxpayers, all while ensuring security of supply so that the lights stay on. It wrote that the government has set itself highly challenging electricity generating capacity ambitions for nuclear (24GW by 2050), solar (70GW by 2035), and offshore wind power (50GW by 2030) and that by comparison, the UKs current operating capacity is less than a quarter of each of these ambitions. Construction work on the circular reinforced concrete and steel home of a reactor at Nuclear Island 1, at Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant near Bridgwater in Somerset, England, on Sept. 23, 2021. (Ben Birchall/PA) The report also said that decarbonising the power sector while servicing such an increase in electricity demand will require substantial new zero and low-carbon electricity generating capacity. The committee added that the department has not yet set out how it expects such a policy will impact energy bill payers and taxpayers. It said that the department was unable to tell it when billpayers would see lower bills as a result of investment in zero and low-carbon generating infrastructure. It also noted that in the last two decades, the government has only agreed to one nuclear project, at Hinkley Point, and warned that its ambitions rely on using untested technology such as small nuclear reactors, which are not used at scale anywhere in the world. The government has estimated that 280 billion to 400 billion of public and private investment in new generating capacity will be needed by 2037. When asked in March if the grid will be ready for net zero by 2030, Akshay Kaul, Ofgems executive director, Infrastructure and Security of Supply, said an immense amount of investment in grid capacity will be needed alone. Kaul estimated that somewhere between 200 billion to 300 billion will be needed to reach a 2050 target. Net Zero There has been increasing scrutiny of Net Zero energy plans. In May, a report from Citizens Advice found that British homeowners face financial obstacles to making net-zero upgrades to their homes, citing upfront costs and a lack of interest in borrowing as significant factors. Citizens Advice warned that the average 15,000 cost of retrofitting homes to go green would be unmanageable for most homeowners. Last month, UK solar farm developers warned they face a 1520 year wait to connect to local electricity grids. Blockages in the network mean that some solar farm developers will only be connected to local electricity grids by the 2030s, with the government recognising the challenge of connection delays. A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email: Far from the committees claims, our plans to power up Britain seizes opportunities from our transition to a decarbonised energy system. We have already attracted 120 [billion] of private investment in renewables since 2010 and expect to attract a further 100 billion of investment which will support up to 480,000 jobs by 2030. This will build on our world-leading record on delivering cheaper, cleaner, and more secure energy, having the worlds four largest operational wind farms off our shores and renewable sources now accounting for 40% of our electricity supplyup from just 2% in 2010. Government Probes Claims British Universities Helped Iran Develop Suicide Drones Drones during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran in an undated photo. (Iranian Army/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via Reuters) The government is investigating media reports that British universities have helped the Iranian regime develop suicide drones, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said. The Jewish Chronicle (The JC) reported earlier this month that several British universities have worked with Iranian researchers on drone technologies that have potential military applications. At Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Conservative MP David Davis cited the report and urged Sunak to initiate an investigation into this and take action to stop the failure of our sanctions regime before it does any more harm to the national interest of the United Kingdom and our allies. The prime minister responded: We take all allegations of breaches of export controls seriously, and my understanding is that officials in the Department for Business and Trade are currently now investigating the allegations made in the recent press article cited. We will not accept collaborations which compromise our national security, and thats why we have made our systems more robust, including expanding the scope of the academic technology approval scheme to protect UK research from ever-changing global threats. Sanctioned Entities Among thousands of scientific papers published since 2017, The JC identified hundreds of projects that involved collaborations between British researchers and institutions and Iranian universities that have been sanctioned over their involvement with the Iranian regimes nuclear programme. While most of the papers are on subjects about civil technologies, at least 16 studies involving 11 British universities had potential Iranian military applications, it said. One of the papers that was highlighted investigated the effect of two-stroke engines using an electronic fuel injection system in drones. It was published in 2019 by Ahmad Najjaran Kheirabadi, then a postgraduate researcher at the Imperial College London (ICL), and two scientists from Irans Shahrood University of Technology and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. According to The JC, the drones that use that type of engine include the Iran-developed suicide drone HESA Shahed 136, which has been used by the Russian military in Ukraine. The JC also said the study was supported by the Iranian regimes Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology. Academics at the ICL also co-wrote another paper in 2019 on using laser technology to produce parts that have a wide range of applications in the aerospace industry, with researchers from Irans Sharif University of Technology, the UKs University of Liverpool, and a number of universities in Europe, the United States, and Singapore. The Sharif University of Technology is also on the UKs sanctions list along with dozens of Irans aerospace manufacturers and organisations. Another paper highlighted was written by Soheil Jafari, a lecturer at Cranfield University, which specialises in defence and security, and a Tehran-based researcher. Both authors previously worked at the Sharif University of Technology. The research, published in 2021, examined fuzzy controller structures for aero engines and referred to potential military applications. More Robust Systems A government spokesperson said: We take all credible allegations of breaches of export control seriously and we will not accept collaborations which compromise our national security. We are investigating the recent reports. In the meantime, we have made our systems more robust and expanded the Academic Technology Approval Scheme to protect UK research from ever-changing global threats, and refuse applications where we have concerns. In an email to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for Cranfield University said, In an increasingly complex global operating environment, Cranfield University takes a thorough and robust approach to international collaborations and the security of our research. We review our security policies and processes on a continual basis to ensure that research activities fully comply with guidelines and legal obligations, the person added. Imperial College said, We have comprehensive guidance for our academics to ensure that they are aware of and comply with the appropriate national security legislation and their responsibilities when working with international collaborators. Lily Zhou and PA Media contributed to this report. Like so many ailments, it begins with a fever. A crushing headache grips the afflicted, creating blurry vision alongside other trademark symptoms like joint pain, sick stomach, skin sensitivity, and extreme fatigue. After the first 24 hours, the fever wont break and has soared past 102 F. Luckily, its just a mild case of the mosquito-transmitted virus known as dengue. Its the fastest-spreading tropical disease in the world, but unlike fellow vector-borne diseases like West Nile and Zika, dengue is much more dangerous. Known in Africa and South America as breakbone fever due to the pain it inflicts, dengue carries an average mortality rate of up to 20 percent for untreated patients who develop hemorrhagic symptoms. A second infection increases the likelihood of developing internal bleeding and pushes the mortality rate of untreated cases to 50 percent. By comparison, even the most damaging strains of COVID-19 carry an average fatality rate of less than 5 percent. The rapid territory expansion of the mosquito that carries dengueAedes aegyptihas allowed dengue and similar viruses to spread alarmingly fast in places not normally associated with equatorial diseases, like the United States. Medical professionals, including the World Health Organization (WHO), say the expanding territory of these mosquitoes due to warmer climate conditions is the harbinger of a potential public health crisis. Slow Moving Pandemic The threat of another pathogen emerging with even deadlier potential remains, WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, in May. And though Ghebreyesus noted COVID-19 is still a threat, he stressed other diseases could be far more challenging to global health care infrastructure. The WHO already dropped hints about this earlier this year. In April, the organization noted nearly half of the worlds population is now at risk of contracting dengue, with upwards of 400 million reported annual cases and a hazard zone spanning 129 countries. One report states cases of the virus skyrocketed from barely half a million globally in 2000 to 5.2 million in 2019. Between 2021 and 2022, the number of infected in the Americas more than doubled, spiking from 1.2 million to 2.8 million. In 2013, the WHO predicted dengue would become a pandemic threat. Ten years and one global pandemic later, the mosquito-transmitted pathogen is back on everyones radar as several countries in the Americas struggle to control massive dengue outbreaks. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus holds a press conference at the World Health Organizations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Dec. 14, 2022. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images) But theres a silver lining: the progression of dengue within U.S. borders will likely be gradual. This is going to be a slow-moving pandemic if you want to call it that, Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told The Epoch Times. Schaffner noted warmer weather and rainfall volumes would be the biggest determining factors for the distribution and behavior of mosquito vectors. It not only gives the mosquitos a warmer environment to live, but also more pools to do their breeding, Shaffner said. Increasing rainfall and advancing temperatures can expand the geographic area where the vector Aedes aegypti [mosquito] could flourish in the United States. Unlike most mosquitos, the Aedes aegypti is unique because it needs very little water to breed. Schaffner said an upturned bottle cap is enough to hatch dozens. The Aedes aegypti spreads dengue, along with diseases like yellow fever, chikungunya, and zika. Its also known as a day biter. The tricky thing about the Aedes, they bite any time of the day, and theyre also likely to be household related. Dangerously Unprepared Health care systems getting blindsided by dengue are not unusual in equatorial climates. Yet South America has witnessed dengue outbreaks on an unprecedented scale this year. In February, Bolivia reported the highest caseload of dengue infections attributed to a single outbreak in its recorded history, lasting more than 90 days. Argentina and Peru have also grappled with unusually high caseloads. This month, the Peruvian government declared a state of emergency over the nearly 150,000 residents infected with the virus. More than 1,000 patients are reportedly being hospitalized daily. U.S. health care officials have kept a wary eye on the situation since most countries in Central and South America are pros at dealing with dengue. Rapid testing kits, education on which medications to use for supportive treatment, and vector elimination campaigns are well-established and funded. Yet hospitals have been completely overrun. Moreover, the dengue death toll this year from Bolivia and Perus outbreaks alone number in the hundreds. This has prompted many health care providers to sweat over the damage a serious outbreak could cause in the United States. If a particularly virulent strain of dengue or chikungunya occurred, we would be hard-pressed to handle the emergency, Dr. Joe Alton told The Epoch Times. In addition to being a licensed physician, Alton is a medical preparedness advocate and bestselling author of health-related literature like Altons Antibiotics and Infectious Disease. He noted it wouldnt take much to overwhelm U.S. hospitals during a dengue outbreak. Alton pointed to a 2020 study that stated for every 10,000 U.S. residents, there are 24.2 inpatient beds, 2.8 adult ICU beds, and 1.4 isolation beds. Of these, 62.8 percent are occupied even without an outbreak of dengue or chikungunya, he said. Beds are prepared in the intensive care unit section of the Navy hospital ship U.S.N.S. Comfort during a media tour of the ship Jan. 15, 2010 in Baltimore, Md. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Schaffner confirmed this, saying his hospital also carries a high bed occupation-to-patient ratio. Most places in the United States have a very tight capacity in hospitals. Theres isnt a lot of surge capacity, he said, adding, If dengue started to spread beyond these small enclaves we have in Florida and along the Gulf Coast, wed have real challenges to the health care system. But heres the thing, Its already happened. During the 18th and 19th centuries, yellow feveran even deadlier disease carried by the same mosquitoplagued the United States as far north as Boston. Historical data observes the disease was imported into the country from the Caribbean and the southern Americas. While infected humans cant spread diseases like dengue and yellow fever directly, the illness is passed to non-infected mosquitoes that bite someone carrying the virus, which then spreads to subsequent generations of the vectors. So basically, we get mosquitos sick. Then infected mosquitoes get people sick. Coupled with an expanding mosquito territory, medical professionals say its a powder keg waiting to go off. A female mosquito begins to bite the photographers hand in a file photo. (Tom Ervin/Getty Images) Savannah, Georgia, was the site of a number of mosquito-borne yellow fever epidemics in the 18th and 19th centuries, killing thousands, Alton said. He also thinks theres no reason to believe dengue wont continue to spread. Diseases passed by arthropod vectors are most certainly on the rise In twenty years, cases of the most common vector-borne disease, dengue fever, have increased ten-fold. Americas raging chronic disease crisis is another factor. Nearly half of all U.S. residents are now afflicted by a chronic illness like diabetes, obesity, or heart disease. Schaffner offered a reality check: Around 4 percent of the U.S. population is severely immunocompromised by conditions or medication to treat conditions. That means millions of Americans could suffer severe health consequences in a prolonged dengue outbreak. Plan of Action Hospitalization rates for dengue range from 20 to 30 percent of reported cases. Comparatively, hospitalization rates for COVID-19 in the United States average 15 percent. Anything more than an isolated dengue outbreak could quickly spiral for health care providers and patients alike. Schaffner said training and education of medical staff, along with eliminating mosquito breeding sites, are pivotal mitigation strategies. He asserts that most medical professionals learned about diseases like dengue in school, but few have dealt with it hands-on. This could result in a delayed diagnosis. That could easily prove fatal for someone with a severe case or who develops internal bleeding symptoms. While theres no silver bullet or effective preventatives for dengue, some studies have shown Ivermectin could be a promising drug to inhibit the progression of the diseases severity. Schaffner said vaccine science is racing to address the problem, We have a dengue vaccine now. Its had a bit of a false start and got a bad reputation. But now, in Puerto Rico, theyre starting to use the vaccine. Though fast, accurate testing and destroying mosquito breeding zones remain the most effective weapons to combat the virus. Schaffner gave examples of birdbaths, rain gutters, and outdoor sandboxes as everyday features around the home that should be monitored and sanitized to control mosquitos. Alton also offered a ray of hope, Dengue is less likely to reach worldwide pandemic levels than airborne viruses. Areas of the southern United States, however, can expect higher numbers of dengue cases in the future. What topics would you like to read about? Please let us know at health@epochtimes.nyc (Bloomberg) -- Meta Platforms Inc. said it will end the availability of news on Facebook and Instagram for all users in Canada after the country passed a law requiring digital platforms to pay local publishers. Most Read from Bloomberg The Online News Act, which received parliamentary backing Thursday, is designed to ensure companies including Meta and Alphabet Inc. enter into financial agreements with news organizations, essentially forcing them to pay outlets for linking to news. The bill is based on similar legislation in Australia, which prompted Meta to temporarily restrict users from seeing news content and posting links to stories in that country in 2021. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government has been ramping up its efforts to regulate the tech industry. The passage of this bill and another act aimed at siphoning profits of streaming services into local funds to support Canadian artists as well as planned legislation to address harmful online content make the country a likely battleground for tech companies trying to set an example to other jurisdictions looking at imposing rules on the sector. The passage of the law, which has yet to come into effect, puts Canada on a collision course with tech giants. Both Google and Meta already began blocking news content for a small number of users in the country, with the latter threatening to end the availability of news content in Canada permanently following the passage. Meta confirmed in a statement on Thursday that it will follow through on its threat. Google spokesperson Shay Purdy said by email that the company is doing everything we can to avoid an outcome that no one wants and is continuing to urgently seek to work with the government on a path forward. The government has said the bill would help level the playing field, diverting some advertising revenue to the Canadian media sector that saw 450 outlets close between 2008 and 2021. Tech giants argued that they would be unfairly forced to pay for content that has no economic benefits, and critics said the bill risks making journalism dependent on funding for tech companies. An organization representing news outlets in Canada applauded the bills passage, calling it an important first step to address the significant market power imbalance between publishers and platforms. Real journalism, created by real journalists, continues to be demanded by Canadians and is vital to our democracy, but it costs real money, said Paul Deegan, president and chief executive officer of News Media Canada, in a statement. Columbia University journalism professor Bill Grueskin, who studied the Australian legislation, estimated by extrapolation of the market size that about C$300 million ($228 million) could be raised annually from the deals between tech giants and news outlets in Canada. (Retops with Meta following through on pledge to block news.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A new study finds that plant extracts used by indigenous people hold promise for the treatment of ataxia. Extracts from plants used by the Kwakwakawakw First Nations peoples in their traditional botanical medicine practices rescue the function of ion channel proteins carrying mutations that cause human episodic ataxia, the researchers report. Episodic Ataxia 1 (EA1) is a movement disorder caused by inherited mutations in the human KCNA1 gene, which encodes Kv1.1, a voltage-gated potassium channel essential for normal function of the human nervous system, says Geoffrey W. Abbott, vice dean of basic science research and professor in the physiology and biophysics department at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. We found that extracts of stinging nettle, bladderwrack kelp, and Pacific ninebark can all correct function of the mutation-carrying proteins causing a specific form of ataxia. Abbotts research team also found that two compounds contained in these plants, tannic acid and gallic acid, are each able to rescue activity of the EA1-linked mutation-carrying ion channel proteins. The plant compounds are the first known compounds to rescue the activity of Kv1.1 carrying EA1-linked loss-of-function sequence variants, Abbott says. Gallic acid in particular is of therapeutic interest because it is already available over the counter as a nutritional supplement and is very well tolerated in toxicity studies. Individuals with ataxia exhibit abnormal gait, slurring, eye movement abnormalities, difficulties with balance and walking, tremors, and disruption of fine motor skills. These mutations can cause other disorders, including epilepsy, and so there is therapeutic potential for those conditions as well, Abbott says. We have discovered that where modern synthetic drug development techniques have failed to produce a drug that directly rescues EA1-linked mutant channel function, traditional botanical medicine developed by North American First Nation peoples has succeeded. Further research is now needed to explore the efficacy of the plant-derived compounds in preclinical and clinical studies. We have made a mouse model of a relatively severe form of human EA1 so that we can test the efficacy and safety of gallic acid and also whole plant extracts, says Abbott. If the preclinical studies go well, our goal is to move to clinical trials. Concurrently, we are synthesizing and testing other plant compounds and derivatives to discover other compounds with potential for treating EA1 and related disorders. There are several forms of ataxia, which is an umbrella term describing loss of coordination or balance. The study appears in Nature Communications. The National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences supported the work. This article was originally published by UC Irvine. Republished via Futurity.org What topics would you like to read about? Please let us know at health@epochtimes.nyc House Digs Deeper Into Chinese-Owned Battery Companys Rescinded Grant From Biden DOE DOE official says 'in-depth vetting began' only after announcements of billions in funding, which boosted stock prices for grantees A workers reflection on a mirror framing a lithium-ion battery production line at a plant in Huzhou, China, owned by Microvast Holdings, whose Texas-based subsidiary qualified to negotiate for a $200 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to build lithium batteries in the U.S. (Stringer/Reuters) House Republicans have voiced concerns about the Biden administrations energy-related spending, questioning a Department of Energy (DOE) official about how a Chinese-owned battery manufacturer was on pace to get hundreds of millions in taxpayer money before the Biden administration rescinded the money in May. That company, Microvast, somehow qualified for a $200 million grant to build a battery separator facility in Tennessee as part of spending doled out through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The Department of Energy announced the decision in October 2022 as part of $2.8 billion in what its announcement repeatedly described as funded projects for the U.S. battery sector. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said the money would supercharge the private sector to ensure our clean energy future is American-made. Shortly after the announcement, Microvasts association with the Chinese Communist Party became apparent, Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) said in his opening statement at the June 21 hearing. Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) asks questions during a hearing in Washington on May 14, 2020. (Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images) According to Microvasts own SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] filings, the governmentreferring to the Peoples Republic of Chinaexerts substantial influence over the manner in which we must conduct our business activities, and may intervene at any time with no notice,' Griffith continued. Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could limit the legal protections available to you and us, that same filing states. It also describes the firms receipt of Chinese government subsidies and states that most of [Microvasts] current customers are in China. Obama Commerce Department Official Appears in Filing Stefan M. Selig, U.S. under secretary of commerce for international trade. (U.S. Department of Commerce) Another notable name that crops up in the filing is Stefan M. Selig, who was a member of the board of Tuscan Holdings Corp., a blank check company that entered a business combination with Microvast. Selig served as undersecretary of commerce for international trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce under President Barack Obama, where he described the Trans-Pacific Partnership arrangement as a win for American businesses and workers. When President Donald Trump took office, he removed the United States from that trade deal soon after his inauguration in 2017, saying he preferred bilateral trade deals over regional or multilateral agreements. Pressure Mounted Over Chinese Battery Firm December 2022 reporting in the Washington Free Beacon helped draw attention to Microvasts close ties to China. Soon, pressure began to come from top lawmakers, including Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). In a Dec. 7, 2022, letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Barrasso explained his concerns about Microvast. One big issue was already evident to the federal SEC, thanks to a 2020 law that sailed through the House and Senate with unanimous votes before being signed by Trump: the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA). Before Microvast received its grant from DOE, it was listed by the SEC in May of 2022 as a company not in compliance with the [HFCAA]. This law is intended to prevent companies that employ China-based auditors, as does Microvast, from obscuring their financial records from U.S. regulators, Barrasso wrote. In an April 2022 statement issued after that move by the SEC, Microvast described the HFCAA as part of a continued United States regulatory focus on access to audit and other information currently protected by laws in jurisdictions outside of the United States (in particular, China). Earlier this year, Barrasso, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), and others questioned DOE Deputy Secretary David Turk about the money then apparently destined for Microvast. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) speaks during a hearing in Washington on Feb. 24, 2021. (Sarah Silbiger/Pool Photo via AP) Although the DOEs October 2022 announcement spoke rather definitively of funded projects, using the word will rather than may or might, Turk told the senators in February this year that the firm was merely selected to negotiate an award. There are no taxpayer funds going to Microvast or to any of the other 20 companies [announced last year] right now, he said. In another letter to Turk sent several weeks later, Barrasso questioned Turk on what he characterized as misleading claims in the earlier funding announcements. Companies and investors clearly believe award negotiations are a formality. They believe the Departments award announcements are meaningful, as is evident by looking at the share prices of publicly traded companies selected for awards. Of the twenty companies selected for awards, share prices of those that were publicly traded averaged an increase of almost 14% between the day before and day of the Departments respective award announcement, the Wyoming lawmakers letter states. On May 22, the DOE announced that Microvast wouldnt be getting any money. The company was selected for an award and going through contract award negotiations. No money has gone out the door. It would be inaccurate to say DOE canceled a grant or that DOE pulled back an award as no award has been provided, the DOE told The Epoch Times at the time. The decision came just a day before a May 23 House hearing probing the flow of public money to what Griffith and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) characterized as shell companies with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) attends a House hearing on Capitol Hill on April 2, 2019. (Zach Gibson/Getty Images) The DOE declined to send a witness and didnt clarify why, according to Republican lawmakers announcement of the June 21 hearing. As federal agencies are under increased scrutiny from a divided Congress, there have been several instances of their noncompliance with congressional requests. The Environmental Protection Agency didnt send a witness to a May 17 House hearing on its April vehicle tailpipe emissions proposals. At a June 21 hearing on the same theme, EPA official Joseph Goffman blamed his absence on scheduling. Yet Goffmans official calendar is blank for May 17, the date of the previous hearinga discrepancy on which The Epoch Times has sought comment from the EPA. When Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) asked Goffman what took priority over a House hearing, the bureaucrat dodged the question. Let me assure you, Mr. Chairman, that I am pleased to be here today, he told the lawmaker. In-Depth Vetting Comes Late At the June 21 hearing on Microvast, Griffith and his colleagues questioned David Howell, principal deputy director of the DOEs Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains. The Virginian asked Howell how companies are vetted by the DOE for funding. The DOE official said detailed negotiations are started over BIL grants after selections are made. Most of us did not understand that, because it appeared from the press statements that these people were awardees, Griffith said. The in-depth vetting began the day after those announcements, Howell said, before stating that previous in-depth vetting of the applicants focused on technical capacity and capabilities of the companies. Griffith pressed Howell on the officials assertion that Microvast is a majority-U.S. owned company. If theyre majority U.S.-owned why would they say that they could be stopped or change course because of what the government said in China? he asked. Simply because Microvasts major production operations are in China, Howell answered. All of the other companies that you vetted do not have that problem? Griffith asked. That is correct, Howell responded. Microvast was seeking a $200 million grant to build EV batteries at this General Motors plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. (Harrison McClary/Reuters) Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.) asked how Howell has since enhanced the process of vetting companies for awards. The deputy director drew attention to the language on foreign entities of concern in the BIL, saying it was actually the first time that the Department of Energy actually received that type of language in appropriation. Castor appeared to defend Microvast, calling it a U.S. company with an owner who is a U.S. citizen, as far as I know. Im sure there are a lot of American companies that are doing business in China that are not arms of the Chinese Communist Party, she said. Read More Doing Business in China Is Now That Little Bit More Risky John Haughey contributed to this report. House Republicans Fail to Overturn Bidens Veto of Debt Relief Plan President Joe Biden delivers remarks following a briefing on Interstate-95 highway emergency repair and reconstruction efforts, in Philadelphia, Pa., on June 17, 2023. (Julia Nikhinson/AFP via Getty Images) The attempt by House Republicans to overturn President Joe Bidens veto of a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution aimed at nullifying the presidents debt relief plan has failed with a vote of 221206. To successfully override Bidens veto, it would have needed a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate, both of which initially passed the resolution. Bidens proposal would see the cancellation of up to $20,000 of student debt for around 37 million peopleroughly costing taxpayers half a trillion dollars over the next decade. Republican lawmakers argued the plan doesnt forgive debt, but rather transfers it from the people who willingly took out the loans to those who never attended college or who have already repaid their loans. Two House Democrats joined with 216 Republicans in condemning the presidents plan to forgive the debt. The presidents plan is being challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court by plaintiffs who argue that it goes beyond the scope of the Heroes Act of 2003. This act grants the U.S. secretary of education the authority to modify the federal student loan system during times of national emergencies. Biden administration officials argue the president is acting within the law, but the plaintiffs challenging the program assert that the law allows only narrow applications of relief, not the widespread loan cancellation desired by the president. Resolution Earlier this year, Republicans introduced a CRA measure in the House with the intention of halting student debt relief. This came after the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that Bidens plan fell under the jurisdiction of the CRA, which empowers Congress to suspend actions initiated by the president. In May, the resolution was approved by the House in a vote of 218203, receiving support from all Republicans and two Democrats, namely Reps. Jared Golden of Maine and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington. Shortly thereafter, the Senate passed the resolution with a vote of 5246, as Democratic Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, along with Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, joined forces with Republicans to reject the plan. The Senate passed the resolution hours before the House was expected to vote on the debt limit deal struck between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and President Joe Biden in late May. The Fiscal Responsibility Act, which would suspend the national debt limit until January 2025, also includes a provision that would require the government to resume the collection of student loan payments and interest, which have been frozen for the last three years. The government is expected to resume collecting student loan payments at the end of August. Legal Challenges Bidens plan for sweeping debt forgiveness is unprecedentedwith an estimated price tag of $400 billion, the policy would be among the most expensive executive actions in U.S. history. Under the constitutional system of the United States, Congress must expressly authorize the president to issue rules having enormous economic and political consequences. In this case, Congress did not provide that authorization to Biden. Critics say the president acted improperly, and therefore the student loan relief plan should be declared invalid. The Supreme Court has also been deliberating over Bidens program in relation to two separate cases challenging his authority to implement it. Before the Court can rule, it must first assess whether the challengers have standing. This requires the plaintiffs to demonstrate a tangible injury that the Court can address. The Supreme Court is currently considering two legal challenges brought by six Republican-led states (Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and South Carolina), as well as another challenge supported by the Job Creators Network Foundation, a conservative advocacy organization. The Court is expected to rule on the matter by the end of June. House Republicans Sidestep Vote on Boeberts Biden Impeachment Resolution Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) listens to testimony from witnesses during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on the U.S. southern border, in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on Feb. 7, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) House Republicans on June 22 managed to stave off a vote on a resolution to impeach President Joe Biden introduced by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), instead sending it to two committees. The 219208 party-line vote sent the resolution to the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees, which oversee impeachments and immigration policy, respectively. Usually, an impeachment investigation begins with the Judiciary Committee. However, Boebert bypassed that path with her privileged resolution, skipping the committee procedure resulting in only two days for House leaders to schedule a vote. The shock move threatened to divide the party and disrupt its ongoing investigations into the Biden family. Joe Bidens unconstitutional dereliction of his Article II duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed warrants impeachment, Boebert said in a statement to The Epoch Times. He has willfully created a border crisis that has enabled the horrific trafficking of children. As a mother, it breaks my heart to watch Joe Biden turn a blind eye to victims of child sex trafficking. Bidens Border Crisis has allowed millions of illegal aliens to pour into our country, threatened our national security, and killed more than 100,000 Americans from fentanylincluding more than 1,800 Coloradans. I am pleased that House leadership worked with me on my impeachment bill to protect our constitutional republic. In a move that signaled division in the party, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) urged Republican lawmakers to oppose the measure. During a closed-door meeting of the GOP conference earlier in the week, McCarthy expressed his reservations about the resolution and emphasized the importance of a thorough investigation before taking such a serious step. I dont think its the right thing to do. Youve got to go through the process. Youve got to have the investigation. Throwing something on the floor actually harms the investigation that were doing right now, McCarthy told reporters, according to The Hill. He also revealed that he had requested that Boebert discuss her resolution with the House GOP conference before initiating a vote, but she proceeded without doing so. Boebert didnt attend the subsequent meeting. Despite McCarthys advice, Boebert introduced the privileged motion to force a vote on the impeachment resolution, generating mixed reactions within the Republican Party. Boeberts Justification for Moving Forward Boebert defended her decision to push for a vote on impeachment during an appearance on former Trump adviser Steve Bannons show. The Colorado lawmaker argued that sufficient work hadnt been done by the committees on the subject, expressing her hope that the resolution would generate enthusiasm among the Republican base and prompt their engagement with their respective members of Congress. I would love for committees to do the work, but I havent seen the work be done on this particular subject, Boebert said. This, Im hoping, generates enthusiasm with the base to contact their members of Congress and say, We want something done while you have the majority.' House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which Boebert bypassed the committee process. Comer, whose committee has been conducting an investigation into corruption accusations against the Biden family, revealed that new information was being uncovered almost daily. While Comer didnt indicate his support for Boeberts resolution, he voiced concerns about the lack of committee involvement. I dont like how she presented it by bypassing the committee process, especially when the investigation in the Oversight Committee, which shes on, is producing new information almost daily, Comer told Fox News Digital. Republican Resistance Rep. Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho) told The Epoch Times: I support impeachment, but I dont know if I support that resolution just because I havent read the articles yet. But I think hes done more than enough to warrant impeachment. When asked what the president has done to warrant impeachment, Fulcher cited the border and the lack of willingness to enforce U.S. law. When asked about his stance on Boeberts resolution, Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) told The Epoch Times that a successful impeachment required building a case before a majority of American voters. I think we will be in a better position to vote on that in a month and maybe two months, he said. History has shown that if you want a successful impeachment, you have to build the case before a majority of the American voters. I think every couple of weeks on the Oversight Committee we learn more, but to bring forth a resolution as significant and drastic as impeachment will not necessarily be helpful. I think most people believe that if Joe Biden were impeached, it would raise his popularity right now and make him look a little bit like a martyr. Republican Victory on Schiff Censure Republicans recently saw a victory in the House when Boeberts ideological ally, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), forced a vote on censuring Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) for his handling of investigations into the Trump presidential campaign and the first Trump impeachment. The House voted to censure Schiff on June 21 in a 213209 vote, with six voting present. Chaos broke out on the House floor as Democrats disputed the decision by House Republicans. This came just a week after Lunas original resolution was put on the table. Republicans who had previously opposed the proposal changed their minds once a section fining Schiff $16 million was deleted. This was half of the sum paid by the federal government to look into now-discredited accusations of Russian connection with Donald Trumps presidential campaign in 2016. House Votes to Censure Rep. Adam Schiff House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) questions Special Counsel John Durham during a break in a hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 21, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) The House of Representatives voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on June 21, a week after an initial resolution to do so was tabled. The measure passed along party lines on a vote of 213209. Six Republicans voted present. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), denounces Schiff, a Democrat, for allegedly perpetuating misinformation against former President Donald Trump. With the passing of the resolution, Schiff has been referred to the House Ethics Committee for investigation. The resolution was privileged and therefore triggered a House vote. In last weeks vote, 20 Republicans joined 205 Democrats to table the initial resolution. The revised resolution was similar to the initial one, with the notable difference being that it doesnt include a $16 million fine for Schiff should he be held accountable by the House Ethics Committee for his alleged falsehoods, misrepresentations, and abuses of sensitive information. The proposed $16 million fine is half of the taxpayer cost of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation. The new resolution, like the tabled one, condemns Schiff, the former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, for perpetuating the notion there was collusion between Trumps 2016 campaign and Russia. That was debunked by Mueller in 2019, Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz later the same year, and special counsel John Durham in May. Durham testified on June 20 at a closed-door hearing before the House Intelligence Committee and also gave testimony in a public hearing on June 21 in front of the House Judiciary Committee. Additionally, the new resolution didnt state that Schiff used his position and access to sensitive information to instigate a fraudulently based investigation, which he then used to amass political gain and fundraising dollars. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) gave credence on June 15 to the 20 House Republicans that joined Democrats in tabling the initial resolution. I think everybody knows my thoughts of Adam Schiff, McCarthy told The Epoch Times. Thats why I removed him from [the House Intelligence Committee]. You have a number of members on principle that sat and argued for the last four years with President [Donald] Trump that you had to have due process and voted that way. And I think a number of them believe that they should [have] gone to [the House Ethics Committee] first. Ahead of the vote on the revised resolution, Schiff appeared defiant on the House floor. To my Republican colleagues who introduced this resolution, I thank you. You honor me with your enmity. You flatter me with this falsehood, he said. You who are the authors of the Big Lie about the last election must condemn the truth-tellers and I stand proudly before you. Your words tell me I have been effective in the defense of our democracy and I am grateful, Schiff continued. And yet this false and defamatory resolution comes at a considerable cost to the country and to the Congress. Following the vote on the revised resolution, McCarthy, who has expressed contempt toward his fellow Californian, called Schiff to the well of the House floor that is below the dais where the clerks and speaker preside. Will the gentleman from California present himself in the well? By its adoption of House Resolution 521, the House has resolved that Representative Adam Schiff be censured, McCarthy said. That Representative Adam Schiff forthwith present himself in the well of the House for the pronouncement of censure, he said after Schiff went to the well. That Representative Adam Schiff be censured with the public reading of this resolution by the Speaker. With a strike of the gavel, McCarthy concluded the censure. In interviews on June 20 with The Epoch Times, Republicans were in favor while Democrats expressed opposition to the censure resolution. This guys for however many years been walking out of classified briefings and saying to the press, I heard that President Trump, I was told that President Trump did this, this, this, this or this,' said Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), referring to Schiff. So one, if members of Congress had to fill out an SF-86, like every other normal American to get a security clearance, he would have his denied, revoked, whatever, in about 10 seconds. An SF-86 form is the application to obtain a security clearance. And so I think thats well worth censuring, given that its a direct violation of his duties to keep it simply on that, Mast said. So I could say a lot about the guy. None of it nice. Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) said Schiff lied to the American people for years. He was extremely destructive, and I believe that he needs to be held accountable. However, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) remarked that the censure would be in-kind contributions to Schiffs 2024 Senate campaign to succeed retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) also came to her fellow Californians defense, saying that Schiff has done good work, honorably and that the effort to try and change a policy dispute into some kind of sanction is unprecedented and unwise. Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) stated simply, I believe that good behavior should be rewarded and bad behavior should be censured. Hua Tuo was a Chinese medical doctor regarded as an immortalfor both his youthful appearance despite his old age, and for the magic-like diagnoses and treatments he performed. He is said to have diagnosed a tumor in the brain of the warlord Cao Cao in the 2nd century, long before CT scanners. Hua Tuo said he could operate on Cao Cao to remove the tumor but Cao Cao had him killed thinking Hua Tuo meant to murder him. Cao Cao summoned him to serve as his personal physician, and either became enraged with Hua Tuos hesitancy to return again later to provide more treatments or suspected an assassination attempt when Hua Tuo suggested brain surgery as a treatment for his severe headaches, writes Subhuti Dharmananda, director of the Institute for Traditional Medicine in Portland, Oregon, on the institutes website. Another account of this is given in the article The Life and Medical Practice of Hua Tuo published in the Pacific Journal of Oriental Medicine. Tuo examined Cao and informed him that his headaches were due to air and fluid building up inside his skull. He said that medicine would be of no use and that he needed to give Cao an anaesthetic, open his skull and remove the accumulation, wrote Brian May, adding that this was taken from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. How did Hua Tuo come to the diagnosis that the pain Cao Cao was feeling was the result of a tumor? How did he diagnose any of his patients for the issues that they had inside their bodies? His fame comes from many cases of successful diagnosis and advanced treatment before his ill-fated attempts to treat Cao Cao. He is accredited for spearheading the practice of laparotomies and organ transplants, using anesthetics, and he was the first Chinese surgeon to operate on the abdomen including performing splenectomy and colostomy. Neurologically, Hua Tuo is said to have performed procedures to treat headache [and] paralysis, says the article Chinas first surgeon: Hua Tuo, co-authored by R. Shane Tubbs, a neurosurgery professor at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. The article was published in the journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery in 2011. How Did Hua Tuo See Inside the Body? Chinese medicine has some tools for discovering whats going on inside the body by detecting outward symptoms. One technique is through feeling the pulse. The sensitivity of the pulse changing as the body changes is something that great Chinese medicine doctors were attuned to. But even if an anomaly was detected in the head, how did Hua Tuo know it was a tumor? It is said that some ancient TCM [traditional Chinese medicine] doctors are clairvoyant or clairsentient, meaning they have high intuitive powers to sense, see and feel beyond the physical, said Dr. Xiang Jun., Ph.D. in Acupuncture, said on her website. Hua Tuo was known for practicing Taoism (Daoism). He is said to have looked to the divine for guidance and to have improved himself and his abilities this way. The Taoists of Chinese legend are often said to have supernormal abilities. Some modern scientists have also looked at how spiritual practices might help people develop powers considered supernormal. For example, Dean Radin, chief scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, has written extensively about spiritual practitioners and reported supernormal abilities throughout the course of history. In his book Supernormal: Science, yoga, and the evidence for extraordinary psychic abilities, Radin said: For a Western-trained academic, the mere existence of, say, telepathy would be considered supernormal and thus wildly extraordinary. But for an experienced yogi, its just a boringly normal minor siddhi [a Sanskrit term for a meditation attainment, or power]. Dharmananda wrote of Hua Tuo: Being an accomplished Taoist and following its principles, he did not seek fame or fortune, though much praise was heaped upon him. Cao Cao reportedly had Hua Tuo killed in 207 A.D. at the age of 97, Dharmananda said, citing Records of the Wei Dynasty (Wei Zhi). Even at 97, it is said that Hua Tuo was a healthy and youthful-looking man. Knowing well the way to keep one in good health, Hua Tuo still appeared in the prime of his life when he was almost 100, and so was regarded as immortal, Dharmananda wrote. Both the [historic records] San Guo Zhi and Hou Han Shu say that people in his time thought he was approaching 100 years of age. The Hou Han Shu adds that following his death he became an immortal, wrote May, Takako Tomoda, and Michael Wang, co-authors of The Life and Medical Practice of Hua Tuo. The First Widely Known Surgeon in China Surgery is not widely seen in Chinese medical practices today but there are many records of Hua Tuo performing surgery with his own version of anesthesia to help his patients. One of Hua Tuos feats, an abdominal surgery he performed on a patient, is recounted in Chinas first surgeon: Hua Tuo: In the event of an abdominal surgery, Tuo directed his patient to drink a herbal concoction, and as soon as the patient lost consciousness, Tuo would make his incision. The herbal concoction mentioned in the article is an anesthetic that Hua Tuo invented to help the patient feel little to no pain during surgery. Dharmananda also included an account of Hua Tuo performing abdominal surgery. A patient who suffered from abdominal pain for more than 10 days and had depilation of his beard and eyebrows asked Hua Tuo for treatment. The doctor diagnosed him as having a deterioration in the abdomen, asked him to drink the anesthesia, then explored his abdomen and removed the deteriorated part, sutured and plastered the abdomen, and administered some herbs. The patient recovered after 100 days. Acupuncture Master In Chinese medicine, illness can be healed or temporarily relieved through acupuncture. Hua Tuos acupuncture skills were said to be great and he is known as one of the best acupuncturists in history. He has a series of acupuncture points named after him called the Hua Tuo Jiaji. The Hua Tuo acupuncture points, known as Hua Tuo Jiaji (jia = lining; ji = spine), are located in a row along side the spine, bilaterally. The points are attributed to Huo Tuo because it is said that he preferred treating certain conditions with these points, Dharmananda wrote. Although Hua Tuo recorded his knowledge and experiences in books, those books were lost. However, accounts of his brilliance have survived. One such extraordinary case of acupuncture saving a life was when Hua Tuo reportedly helped a woman who had a stillborn baby. Following a miscarriage, a woman approached Tuo, complaining of severe abdominal pain. Upon evaluating the womans pulse, Tuo diagnosed the woman with a twin pregnancy, solidifying the presence of a dead fetus inside her abdomen. With a mere session of acupuncture, Tuo evoked the stillbirth, wrote Tubbs and co-authors of Chinas first surgeon: Hua Tuo. IRS, DOJ Interfered in Hunter Biden Tax Fraud Investigation: IRS Whistleblowers House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) reveals at a June 22, 2023 hearing in Washington that Hunter Biden received "preferential treatment" from the IRS and DOJ over his tax fraud allegations. (Joseph Lord/The Epoch Times) WASHINGTONHunter Biden received preferential treatment from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), in part at the behest of President Joe Bidens Department of Justice (DOJ), whistleblowers from the agency have told the Ways and Means Committee. In a party-line 2518 vote, the panel voted to release transcripts of IRS whistleblower testimony relating to the allegations, which Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) discussed following the closed-door hearing on the whistleblower testimony. Every Democrat on the committee voted against making the transcripts public. The transcript from the first whistleblower, Gary Shapley, can be viewed here (pdf). The testimony from the second whistleblower, who asked that his name not be published, can be viewed here (pdf). The vote came after members of both parties were given a full opportunity to view and discuss the transcripts in the closed-door hearing. Members of the House Ways and Means Committee during a hearing before voting on June 22, 2023, to make public whistleblower allegations that Hunter Biden received unfair treatment from the IRS and DOJ over tax fraud. (Joseph Lord/The Epoch Times) At a press conference after the hearing, Smith reported that the panel had heard whistleblower testimony alleging government abuse that has resulted in preferential treatment for the presidents son, Hunter Biden. This preferential treatment comes at a time when Americans are particularly concerned about the weaponization of government against them. Mr. Biden has been under investigation for tax crimes that include evading taxes on income from foreign sources, Smith said. There are three areas of focus in the transcripts [and] interviews with whistleblowers, he continued. Number one, the federal government is not treating taxpayers equally when enforcing tax laws. Number two, whistleblowers claim the Biden Department of Justice is intervening and overstepping when it comes to the investigation of the presidents son. Number three, these whistleblowers report they have received almost immediate retaliation. Smith emphasized that this testimony came from not one, but two IRS employees. The whistleblowers in question began to work on the investigation into the presidents son in November 2018 as an offshoot of a separate investigation into a corporation by the IRS. Let me emphasize: this was an investigation in the ordinary course of work at the IRS. It was not ordered by any individual, any chairman, or any political entity, he said. The IRS ultimately recommended three charges against Hunter Biden: a felony attempt to defeat or evade tax charge, making felony fraudulent or false statements, and willful failure to file returns, supply information, or pay tax. In total, Smith reported, the tax crimes account for around $2.2 million in unreported taxable income from global sources in Ukraine, Romania, and China. In total, Smith reported, Biden received around $17.3 million in total from these foreign sources. That included $663,000 to Biden from the Chinese company State Energy HK, a large diamond worth $80,000, and a new Porsche worth $142,000. These payments are just a fraction of the total, but they provide insight into a world of wealth and influence that no ordinary American would recognize, Smith said. And what plea deal did Mr. Biden just receive? A slap on the wrist for these charges that have put other Americans behind bars, Smith continued, referencing a recent plea deal Biden made with the DOJ. The presidents son admitted to intentionally failing to pay federal income tax, U.S. Attorney David Weiss said in a letter to the U.S. court in Delaware. Hunter Biden plans to plead guilty in an upcoming hearing to violations of a law that forbids people from willfully fail[ing] to file tax returns or pay taxes. The federal government is not treating all taxpayers equally, Smith repeated. DOJ Accused of Hamstringing Investigation The DOJ, both prior to Joe Bidens nomination for the Democratic Party in 2020 and after he took over, faced accusations of hamstringing the investigation. A whistleblower said, After former Vice President Joe Biden became the presumptive Democratic nominee for President in early April 2020, career DOJ officials dragged their feet on the IRS taking these investigative steps. Smith relayed that testimony from whistleblowers details a lack of U.S. attorney independence, recurring unjustified delays, unusual actions outside the normal course of any investigation, a lack of transparency across the investigation and prosecution teams, and bullying and threats from the defense counsel. This was a campaign of delay, divulge, and deny, Smith said. In one case, the IRS investigators were able to authenticate a WhatsApp message in which Hunter Biden demanded payment from Chinese officials. In the text, Biden highlighted that his father was in the room with him by way of a threat. I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled, Biden wrote. Biden expressed the wish to resolve this before it got out of hand. Now means tonight, Biden said, warning that if anyone but the Chinese official he was in communication with tried to reach out about the payment disagreement, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father. The whistleblowers said IRS investigators were told by a U.S. attorney that because evidence needed for the investigation would be found in a guest house owned by Joe Biden, there is no way that a search warrant for evidence would ever get approved. Few Americans qualify for such soft glove treatment from federal investigators, Smith said. Additionally, Hunter Bidens attorneys were allegedly given crucial information about the investigation. In such an instance, Bidens attorneys were made aware that the IRS knew about documents stored in a Northern Virginia storage unit, giving the attorneys time to remove any documents that could be used in the case against Biden. Testimony also showed that in March 2022, U.S. Attorney David Weiss sought to bring charges against Biden in the District of Columbia, but was denied. After this, Weiss sought to receive the status of special counsel from the DOJ, a status that would give him significant insulation from the DOJ and political office holders, but also had this request refused. In Fall 2022, Weiss again sought charges in the Central District Court of California. Again, the request was denied in January 2023. Yet, Attorney General Merrick Garland told Congress that Weiss had all the authority necessary to pursue the charges, Smith said. Well, which is it? Whistleblowers Face Retaliation The two whistleblowers reported facing almost immediate retaliation for coming forward with their testimony, despite myriad protections in both U.S. law and the IRS code protecting such whistleblowers. The whistleblowers reported trying on multiple occasions to sound the alarm about their concerns internally through the IRS. Their concerns were not given fair consideration, Smith reported. One of the two whistleblowers reported being passed over for a position despite being more qualified for the job than the candidate ultimately chosen. Now that they have testified to Congress, they have been removed from the investigation, Smith told reporters. These investigators are risking their careers and their reputations to do the right thing. Huntington Beach Advances Ordinance Screening Childrens Library Books for Obscene Content A Huntington Beach City Council meeting in Huntington Beach, Calif., on June 22, 2023. (City of Huntington Beach/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) The City of Huntington Beach is moving forward on June 22 with a proposal to require the citys libraries to screen childrens books for obscenity and pornographic content. The City Council voted 43 to approve the proposal, introduced by Councilwoman Gracey Van Der Mark, which directs the city manager and city attorney to develop several different screening methods and present them to the board in September. Councilors Van Der Mark, Pat Burns, Casey McKeon, and Mayor Tony Strickland voted to approve the proposal, while Councilors Dan Kalmick, Natalie Moser, and Rhonda Bolton dissented. Van Der Mark said she proposed the measure because parents had brought to her attention books with obscene and age-inappropriate content in teen sections of the citys libraries. In a presentation at the meeting, Van Der Mark presented examples of such books. One, aimed at children ages 36, called Granddads Pride, shows a young child at a Pride parade with his grandfather, where two men in harnesses fondle each other in public. Another book called Gender Queera graphic illustrated memoir for grades 712, recounts the authors exploration of sexuality from adolescence onwardand discusses and visually depicts characters dealing with gender dysphoria, masturbation, sex toys, and sex acts. One scene, censored by Van Der Mark, illustrates full nudity as characters engage in oral sex. Another book, called The V Word, describes female-on-female oral sex and sex acts in explicit detail, while the book S.E.X., describes and illustrates disturbing sex acts. The proposal drew hundreds of passionate parents, teachers, and community members on both sides of the issue to the meeting. Many spoke during public comment, extending the meeting past 1 a.m. Some parents likened the proposal to book banning. By banning books, youre basically saying you dont trust us with our families. Youre on a slippery slope, one public commenter said. Others commended Van Der Mark for what they said was looking out for children. We dont want to ban anything. We simply question whether it is the role of a public library to interfere with the most intimate aspects of childrens lives by exposing them to sexually explicit material not authorized by their parents, said another public commenter. Van Der Mark said she wasnt looking to ban such booksjust for ways to protect children from certain content. What I am asking is that we look into different ways to protect kids from this, she said during the meeting. Parents, check these books out. If this is what you want for your kids, go for it. Strickland, the mayor, said he initially had some concerns about the proposal, but that he was floored by whats in those books. And Councilman McKeon said, To me, this all boils down to a simple question: is pornography allowed in the library thats paid for by tax-paying residents? Councilwoman Bolton said she trusted the libraries and the booksellers safeguards against obscenity, and urged parents to attend to what their children check out of the library. There are safeguards against obscenity at every step. Thats just the way the book business works, she said. The default is, the government doesnt get involved. The parents decide [what books their children should read]. The proposal also instructs the city attorney to ensure the ordinance complies with the First Amendment, and to consider the definition of obscenity within its context and for the city manager to look into its agreement with the American Library Association to see if its and the citys perspectives on the matter are aligned. Huntington Beach has five public libraries. I Am Sitting Here With My Father, Hunter Biden Says in WhatsApp Message to Chinese Businessman: Whistleblower President Joe Biden (L) waves alongside his son Hunter Biden after attending mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Johns Island, S.C., on Aug. 13, 2022. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Hunter Biden sent a Whatsapp message to a Chinese businessman during a dispute saying he was sitting here with my father, and used his fathers name and connections to threaten him to follow Hunters direction, according to allegations made by an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblower. The message was made to Henry Zhao, a Chinese business associate of Hunters who has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party. If true, this information would contradict President Joe Bidens oft-repeated claim that hes never been involved in or discussed his sons business ventures. On June 22, the House Ways and Means Committee unveiled bombshell whistleblower allegations claiming that the IRS and Department of Justice (DOJ) had given Hunter Biden preferential treatment, interfering in the investigation to shield Hunter Biden from having search warrants or charges pressed against him. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) reveals at a June 22 hearing in Washington that Hunter Biden received preferential treatment from the IRS and DOJ over his tax fraud allegations. (Joseph Lord/The Epoch Times) According to testimony by Gary Shapley, an official at the IRS, he and his fellow investigatorswhile looking into a felony tax fraud case into Hunter Bidenwere able to authenticate a July 30, 2017, WhatsApp message sent from Biden to Henry Zhao (pdf). The Epoch Times has not been able to independently verify the message. Zhao, also known Zhao Xuejun, is the president and CEO of Beijing-based investment firm Harvest Capital Management, and also head of the firms Chinese Communist Party cell. Zhaos firm participated in the establishment of a Shanghai-based investment firm called BHR Partners that Hunter Biden had also helped set up. Hunter was an unpaid board member of BHR until April 2020 and held a 10 percent stake in the company but was divested as of November 2021, according to his lawyers. In a message, Hunter Biden appears to demand payment from Zhao. I am sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled, the younger Biden wrote, according to Shapleys testimony. He then expressed the wish to resolve this before it got out of hand. Now means tonight, Biden said, warning that if anyone other than Zhao, Zhang, or the chairman tried to reach out about the matter, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father. Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden attend the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on April 10, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Its unclear what exactly the dispute was over, but the communitation, if true, conflicts with the presidents consistent claims that he was not involved in Hunter Bidens business dealings. In 2019, Joe Biden said, I never talked with my son or my brother or anyone elseeven distant familyabout their business interests. Period. The White House did not return an inquiry from The Epoch Times. The whistleblower said that messages like the above made it clear that the IRS needed to search Joe Bidens guest house, where Hunter had stayed for a while. But in a September 2020 meeting, a DOJ official told IRS investigators there is no way a search warrant for evidence would ever get approved, given that optics was a primary consideration. At the time, Joe Biden was a candidate in the 2020 presidential election. Bobulinskis Claims In the weeks before the 2020 election, the New York Post published an email from Hunter Bidens laptop, which has since been authenticated, detailing proposed payout packages and equity shares in a Biden venture with a now-defunct Chinese energy conglomerate. The now-infamous email, written by Hunter Biden, states 10 held by H for the big guy? Tom Bobulinski, a former business associate of Hunter Biden, later publicly confirmed that the big guy was a reference to the elder Biden. I am making this statement to set the record straight about the involvement of the Biden familyVice President Biden, his brother Jim Biden, and his son Hunter Bidenin dealings with the Chinese, Bobulinski said in a press conference in October 2020. I have heard Joe Biden say he has never discussed business with Hunter, Bobulinski said. That is false. Tony Bobulinski, former associate of Hunter Biden, speaks to reporters at a hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 22, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Before moving into his claims about the Biden familys business dealings, Bobulinski insisted that he could corroborate everything he was saying. To demonstrate the point, Bobulinski gestured to several of his old cell phones spanning the 2010s, which Bobulinski said had never been held by anyone but him. Im a patriot and a veteran, Bobulinski said. To protect my family name and my business reputation, I need to ensure that the true facts are out there. Bobulinski then relayed the details of his years-long involvement with the Bidens, which he said began in 2015 when he was approached by one of Hunter Bidens business associates about getting involved in a business deal concerning the Chinese firm CEFC Energy. Bobulinski was told at the time, when Joe Biden was still the sitting vice president, that other partners would include members of one of the most prominent families in the United States. On May 2, 2017 I was introduced to Joe Biden by Jim Biden and Hunter Biden, Bobulinski said. During their hours-long conversation that night, Bobulinski said, the elder Biden demonstrated a strong familiarity at a high level with the younger Bidens business dealings. Bobulinski then turned to the May 13, 2017, email referencing the big guy. In that email theres no questionthe H stands for Hunter Biden, the big guy for his father, Bobulinski confirmed. Bobulinski also indicated that the elder Biden was aware of the potential ethical concerns in being involved and said that he quickly learned that Joe Biden was not to be mentioned in writing or on the phone but only during face-to-face meetings. Following this statement, Bobulinski turned his documents and communications with the Bidens over to the FBI. Earlier this week, the Justice Department announced Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and admitted to illegally possessing a gun despite being a drug user, moves that will likely see Hunter avoid jail time. Modis Washington Visit Boosts USIndia Relations as China Signals Unease U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) to the White House on June 21, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) NEW DELHIWhile Narendra Modi has visited the United States as Indias prime minister in the past, this time hes being welcomed for an official state visit, the highest form of U.S. diplomacy. The three-day trip is expected to focus on strengthening defense and technological cooperation between the two countries, as Modi seeks to bolster Indias place at the worlds top table. Modi is just the third world leader to be honored by a state visit under President Joe Biden, after Frances Emmanuel Macron and South Koreas Yoon Suk Yeol. The event has drawn headlines in China as well, where communist leaders and media alike have traditionally downplayed U.S.India relationsand now accuse the United States of fomenting even deeper discord between India and China. However, Modi said in a pre-departure interview with The Wall Street Journal that any improvement in IndiaChina relations would depend primarily upon the situation on their mutualand hotly disputedborder in the Himalayas. Highlights from the first two days of Modis state visit included a series of meetings with U.S. thought leaders, think tanks, members of the Indian diaspora in the United States, U.S. industry leaders, and CEOsincluding Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and Tesla and Twitter boss Elon Musk. The Indian leader also met with actor Richard Gere at a yoga event organized at the United Nations headquarters in New York on June 21. Gere has been banned from Chinaand even received a 20-year ban from attending the Academy Awards in Hollywood in 1993due to his speaking out against the Chinese Communist Partys (CCPs) brutal human rights violations in Tibet. Also on June 21, Modi was invited to a private dinner at the White House hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Other guests included U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval. There has been speculation that significant announcements on cooperation could be made on June 22 before Modi addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the evening. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi practices yoga on the North Lawn of the United Nations headquarters in New York, on June 21, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Indias Emergence In interviews and speeches related to his U.S. visit, Modi has taken great pains to highlight Indias emergence on the global stage, and to point out the strength and depth of the ties between India and the United Statesincluding in terms of the interpersonal relationship and an unprecedented trust between the two countries leaders. Modi hailed growing U.S.India defense cooperation as an important pillar of our partnership, which he said extends further to trade, technology, and energy. The United States is Indias largest trading partner, and bilateral trade between the two countries rose in 2022-23 by more than 7.65 percent to reach a record of $128.55 billion, according to statistics from Indias Commerce Ministry. The increase occurred at a time when Indias bilateral trade with China fell by 1.5 percent to $113.38 billion. Modi has sought a greater role for India in the global arena, and has been eager to portray the worlds largest democracy as the natural leader of the global Southa region that is also the prime focus of Chinas foreign policy. Modi said India can give a voice to developing countries long-neglected aspirations. India deserves a much higher, deeper, and wider profile and a role, he said. Despite speculation about India soon replacing China as a global economic powerhouse, Modi emphasized that India doesnt want to emulate any other country, but seeks to forge its own unique path to global prominence. Let me be clear that we do not see India as supplanting any country. We see this process as India gaining its rightful position in the world, Modi said. The world today is more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. To create resilience, there should be more diversification in supply chains. Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) and U.S. First Lady Jill Biden listen to Anchal Sharma (R), a doctoral candidate at the Indian Institute of Technology, during a visit to the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 21, 2023. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Chinese Dilemma Both Indian and Chinese media are portraying Modis U.S. trip as conveying a silent message to China. The trip has created a geo-political tug-of-war between the two media blocs, with political leaders from both sides weighing in. Modi reiterated, however, that bilateral relations between the two nations are conditional on the preservation of peace on the India-China border. For normal bilateral ties with China, peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential, Modi said. We have a core belief in respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, observing the rule of law, and peaceful resolution of differences and disputes. At the same time, India is fully prepared and committed to protect its sovereignty and dignity. A day before Modi left for the United States, Chinas former top diplomat, Wang Yi, wrote an opinion piece for the state-run Global Times newspaper. Wang said that the United States has introduced geo-political calculation in order to increase trade and commerce with India. He claimed that China was observing the misgivings of the Indian elites regarding their nations closer ties with the United States. The U.S.s geopolitical calculations are not difficult to read, Wang wrote. As feared by many Indian elites, Washingtons vigorous efforts to strengthen economic and trade cooperation with India is primarily to slow down Chinas economic development. However, this geopolitical calculation of the U.S. is doomed to fail, because Chinas position in the global supply chain cannot be replaced by India or other economies, Wang claimed. On the eve of Modis arrival, however, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a news conference that the visit would demonstrate Indias willingness to join the United States in protecting and advancing a shared vision of a free, open, and rules-based global order. The visit will strengthen our two countries shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific, and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defense, clean energy, and space, Kirby said. India will be a critical strategic partner for the United States in the coming decades. FILE PHOTO: The company logo is seen on the Micron Technology Inc. offices in Shanghai OAKLAND, California (Reuters) - U.S. memory chip firm Micron Technology, Inc said on Thursday it would invest up to $825 million in a new chip assembly and test facility in Gujarat, India, its first factory in the country. Micron said that with support from the Indian central government and from the state of Gujarat, the total investment in the facility will be $2.75 billion. Of that total, 50% will come from the Indian central government and 20% from the state of Gujarat. Reuters reported earlier this week that India's Cabinet approved the project ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the U.S., which kicked off on Wednesday. Micron said construction of the new facility in Gujarat is expected to begin in 2023 and the first phase of the project will be operational in late 2024. A second phase of the project is expected to start toward the second half of the decade, it said. The two phases together will create up to 5,000 new direct Micron jobs. (Reporting By Jane Lanhee Lee in Oakland, California; Editing by Leslie Adler) Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb Endorses Mike Pence in 2024 Presidential Race Former Vice President Mike Pence meets with guests at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition in Clive, Iowa, on April 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb has endorsed Mike Pence for U.S. president in 2024, marking his highest-profile endorsement so far. The former vice president, who officially entered the race on June 7, announced Holcombs endorsement in a lengthy statement posted to Twitter in which he thanked his fellow Hoosier for his support. Karen and I are truly humbled by Governor Holcombs endorsement as we set out to make America stronger and more prosperous, said Pence, an Indiana native. Governor Holcomb was a steadfast partner as we cut taxes, achieved record employment, expanded school choice, and stood for the right to life here in the Hoosier State, and I am grateful for his unwavering support, he added. Holcomb, meanwhile, said he has known Pence for decades and praised the former vice presidents honesty and experience. Pence served as governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017 while Holcomb served under him as lieutenant governor from 2016 to 2017. Pence then left to serve as vice president in the Trump administration and Holcomb went on to succeed him as governor of the state. Never once has he sacrificed an ounce of integrity in service to our state and nation as Congressman, Governor, and Vice President, Holcomb said of Pence. Mikes long been known to be forthright on the issues of the day, convicted in thought, and a consistent messenger regarding Americas role, at home and abroad, as a powerful force for good, Holcomb continued. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the Statehouse, in Indianapolis, on Jan. 11, 2022. (Darron Cummings, File/AP Photo) Pence Distances Himself From Trump Hes experienced, allergic to personal scandal, and prepared to serve as our next President on day one. As one Hoosier Governor to another, I look forward to supporting him as the weeks and months ahead unfold, the governor concluded. Pence announced he was entering the presidential race earlier this month with a video released on Twitter in which he criticized President Joe Biden and the radical left for weakening the United States both at home and abroad and dragging down the economy. His video stopped short of making any reference to the former president and current Republican competitor Donald Trump, whom Pence staunchly supported throughout his first two presidential campaigns and most of his presidency, but whom the Republican has sought to distance himself from recently. Trump announced in November that he is running for president again. Speaking at a CNN town hall in Des Moines, Iowa on June 7 after announcing his 2024 bid, Pence took a different stance to Trump on issues such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, government spending, and the Jan. 6 breach of the U.S. Capitol in an effort to distinguish himself from his competitor, who has already garnered vast support. Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the Georgia state GOP convention at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center in Columbus, Ga., on June 10, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Trump Leading in Polls Pence told the audience that, unlike Trump, he would not be granting pardons to any of the individuals who have been charged for taking part in the breach if he were to be elected president. I have no interest or no intention of pardoning those that assaulted police officers or vandalized our Capitol. They need to be answerable to the law, Pence said. He also criticized Trump for describing Putin as a genius for his invasion of Ukraine and took aim at Trumps questioning of the 2020 election results. Polls show that Trump is currently leading among Republican primary voters despite his court appearance earlier this month as part of the federal governments classified document case. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 37 felony charges related to his alleged improper possession of classified records at Mar-a-Lago. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is polling in second place among GOP candidates while Pence is polling in third place, polls show. Pence has also been endorsed by his brother, Greg Pence, and speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives, Todd Huston. The Indigenous adolescents danced in a circle under the thatched-roof hut from near dawn to dusk while parents looked on from the perimeter. Some of the adults smoked tobacco mixed with the wood from a local tree in Brazils Amazon rainforest. The seemingly endless loop of the procession, taking place over six long days this June, was leaving some Tembe Tenehara youngsters with swollen and bandaged feet. They were receiving little to eat and spending each night sleeping in hammocks slung in the hut. But in the Alto Rio Guama territory, it is all part of a vital rite of passage known as Wyrawhaw. Indigenous Tembe Tenehara adolescents perform the Wyrawhaw rite of passage under a thatched roof in Brazils Amazon rainforest. (Eraldo Peres/AP Photo) A Tembe Tenehara elder leads adolescents in performing the Wyrawhaw rite of passage in Brazils Amazon rainforest. (Eraldo Peres/AP Photo) Girls taking part in the coming-of-age ritual had already had their first period. The boys voices had begun to slip into lower registers. Upon the final day, the girls and boys would be viewed by the Teko-Haw village as women and men, and assume their roles leading the community. We know of other ethnic groups in Brazil that have already lost their culture, their tradition, their language. So we have this concern, Sergio Muti Tembe, leader of the Tembe people in the territory, told The Associated Press. Indigenous people in the Brazilian Amazon customarily adopt their ethnic groups name as their surname. Their culture has been increasingly threatened over recent years, he added. The Alto Rio Guama territory is a 280,000-hectare (1,081-square-mile) triangle of preserved forest surrounded by logged landscape in the northeastern Amazon, home to 2,500 people of the Tembe, Timbira, and Kaapor ethnicities. A Tembe Tenehara adult smokes and watches on as Indigenous adolescents perform the Wyrawhaw rite of passage in Brazils Amazon rainforest. (Eraldo Peres/AP Photo) A Tembe Tenehara adolescent girl partakes in the Wyrawhaw rite of passage in Brazils Amazon rainforest. (Eraldo Peres/AP Photo) But it has also been occupied by some 1,600 non-Indigenous settlers. Some of those migrants have been there for decades. Many log the territorys trees or grow marijuana, according to public prosecutors in Para state. State and federal authorities last month put into motion a plan to remove them. The operation represents the first effort under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to remove irregular settlements, following an initiative to remove gold miners from the Yanomami peoples territory. Authorities threatened forcible expulsion of the settlers who failed to leave and pledged to eliminate access roads and irregular installations, according to a prosecutors statement detailing plans. As of last week, 90 percent of settlers had voluntarily departed, with rain-ravaged roads impeding the rest, according to a statement from the general secretariat of Brazils presidency. Tembe Tenehara adolescent boys partake in the Wyrawhaw rite of passage in Brazils Amazon rainforest. (Eraldo Peres/AP Photo) A Tembe Tenehara mother paints the childrens bodies with the juice of the genipap fruit in the Wyrawhaw rite of passage in Brazils Amazon rainforest. (Eraldo Peres/AP Photo) The expectation is that, by the end of the week, we can complete the total eviction, Nilton Tubino, the operations coordinator, was quoted as saying in the statement. Sergio Muti Tembe, the Indigenous leader, reportedly supported the expulsion. On the second to last day of the Wyrawhaw ritual, mothers painted their childrens bodies with the juice of the genipap fruit. Within hours, it had dyed their skin black; girls were transformed from head to toe, while boys exhibited designs and an upside-down triangle across the lower half of their face, almost resembling a beard. The following morning, each adorned adolescent was given a white headband with dangling feathers. Pairs of boys and girls locked arms as they skipped barefoot around villagers gathered in the circles center, and made their final approach to adulthood. Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter Indigenous Minister Says Changing Constitution Is Not About a Culture War Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney and Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health Senator Malarndirri McCarthy announce new renal dialysis units for remote First Nations patients, Darwin, NT on April 13, 2022. (AAP Image/Annette Lin) Australias Indigenous Minister Linda Burney has been forced to reassure voters that a contentious change to the countrys Constitution will not result in wide powers being used to affect everyday peoples lives. The Labor minister faced probing questions over the extent of power an Indigenous advisory body to parliament will receive if a national referendum succeeds later this year. She assured sitting MPs in parliament that The Voice would only make representations that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and that it would not run programs, it will not deliver funding, and it will not have the power of veto. I can tell you what The Voice will not be giving advice on: it wont be giving advice on parking tickets, it wont be giving advice on changing Australia Day. It will not be giving advice on all of the ridiculous things that this side has come up with, she said in reference to the federal opposition on June 21. Yet a leading member of the referendum working group on The Voice, George Williams, a constitutional law expert, has said it was conceivable they would make representations on changing Australias national day in comments obtained by The Australian newspaper. Later this year, Australians will vote at a national referendum to decide whether to alter the Constitution to change its preamble to recognise Indigenous peoples and to also set up an advisory body to Parliament. This near-permanent advisory body would have the power to make representations to the executive and legislative arms of government on all matters deemed relevant to Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. Advocates see The Voice as the latest advancement in reconciliation and dealing with chronic issues in Indigenous communities, such as unemployment, domestic violence, alcoholism, youth crime, and welfare dependency. Not About Culture Wars: Minister When further probed about whether The Voice would result in Australia Day being abolished, Burney said the body would not be bothered by culture wars. It will focus on the practical differences in terms of closing the gap it will focus on matters specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, she said. Burney was later asked whether she misled parliament on The Voice; in turn, she responded, It is not the policy of this government to change the date of Australia Day. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have strong views on the date of Australia Day, but it is the parliament that makes those decisions. It is clear from the question that we are putting to the Australian people that the power of the Parliament will not change. The Voice may give advice, but the Parliament retains its primacy, she said. This is not about culture wars; this is about closing the gap. This isnt about division; this is about bringing people together. This isnt about tokenism; its about making a practical difference. Her comments come as the federal opposition ups the pressure on the Labor government as several polls indicate declining support for the referendum. Frankly, I think the prime minister, [Anthony Albanese], is at a point where if he realises The Voice is going down, and thats what all of the polling is indicating at the moment, then he should make a decision thats in our countrys best interest and say, Look, Im going to call it off because it is just going to divide the country down the middle, said Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, in an interview with 2GB radio. The Voice the Thin Edge of the Wedge For Some The Albanese government has been criticised for the lack of detail over how much power the advisory body to parliament would have and whether it could potentially hold up decision-making. While ministers have been keen to hose down suggestions that The Voice could effectively be a third chamber to the executive and legislature, members of the referendum working group have outlined vastly different visions. Thomas Mayo (or Mayor), the national Indigenous officer of the Maritime Union of Australia and author of the Voice to Parliament Handbook, has said The Voice is just the first step before more Indigenous-focused policies are rolled out. [The Voice and Uluru Statement] doesnt say this is the answer, it says this is how we can get there, he told the Address to the Search Foundation. Pay the Rent, for example, how do we do that in a way that is transparent and that actually sees reparations and compensation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people beyond what we say and do at a rally? Industry Expert Reveals What Bud Light Must Do to Get Its Customers Back Bud Light will need to pivot its marketing strategy and stay true to its longtime messaging campaign if it wants to recapture some of its customer base, according to a brand strategist. In recent weeks, Bud Light has seen its sales plummet after it embarked on a promotional campaign with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney in early April, sparking a boycott against the company. Industry data shows that there are no signs that the boycott will be ending anytime soon, with Bud Lights sales again dropping 26.8 percent year-over-year for the week ending June 10. If Im Bud Light, Im going back to what worked and thats the brand positioning and DNA, Ethan Stienstra, founder of Ahead of The Curve Strategy and The E-Premise Group, told Fox News in an interview Thursday. Its funny, its witty, maybe a little sophomoric, but thats their base, which theyve alienated. They need to come back strong with something. What Bud Light should do, is poke fun at itself and say it was wrong, he said. Everyone loves somebody thats self-depreciating. After the backlash erupted around its decision to produce a beer can with Mulvaneys face on it, Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch executives have attempted to pivot away from the controversy. Last month, in a call with analysts, Anheuser-Busch CEO Michel Doukeris said that one can was produced with Mulvaneys face, and that the company would be tripling its investment into Bud Light. People often talk about this topic in social media like noise, Doukeris told the Financial Times in a later interview, blaming the backlash on social media-driven misinformation and confusion. You have one fact, and every person puts an opinion behind the fact. And then the opinions start to be replicated fast on each and every comment. By the time that 10 or 20 people put a comment out there, the reality is no longer what the fact is, but is more [about] what the comments were. In response, Bud Light has appeared to center its advertising around what appears to be American patriotism, including imagery of U.S. flags, landmarks, and other iconic imagery. However, that drew backlash from a number of social media users, who claimed the company was engaging in pandering. Lost No. 1 Spot For the month of May, Bud Light lost its No. 1 spot to Constellation Brands-owned Modelo Especial in the United States, according to Bump Williams industry data. Its not looking pretty, Stienstra noted in the interview. Theyve lost their number one positioning. Summer weeks and weekends are the glory periods of beer, Stienstra continued. This could not have come at a worse time to be happening in April, and now were in June and its not letting up. Bump Williams, the head of the eponymous consulting firm, told the New York Post Wednesday that Bud Light is still the No. 1 brand in the country for the year, adding its unlikely Modelo will become Americas top-selling beer on a 52-week basis. In some instances, the trends for a particular brand may be healthy in some local areas across the country and worse in others, Williams stated. Cans of Modelo Especial beer at a supermarket in New York on June 14, 2023. (Peter Morgan/AP Photo) This was a tough week for Bud Light and other beer brands that are owned by Anheuser-Busch. His firm noted that sales of Budweiser were down 10 percent, Natural Light was down 2.3 percent, and Michelob Ultra was down 2.4 percent. Notably, Budweisers sales were down 7.8 percent the previous week, the data show. Several days ago, an executive with Bud Light maker Anheuser-Busch spoke out about the boycott as he received an award during the Cannes Lions International Festival in the south of France. Its tough to see the controversial and divisive debates that have been happening in the U.S. in the last couple of weeks involving lots of brands and companies, including and especially Bud Light, Anheuser-Buschs global chief marketing officer, Marcel Marcondes, told the Cannes Lions International Festival, according to AdAge. Its tough exactly because what we do is all about bringing people together. As he received the Creative Marketer of the Year at the Cannes festival, Marcondes said the backlash was a wake-up call for marketers like himself to be very humble amid controversy and during times like this. Thats what were doing, being very humble, and really reminding ourselves of what we should do best every day, which is to really understand our consumers. Which is to really celebrate and appreciate every consumer that loves our brandsbut in a way that can make them be together, not apart, Marcondes told a crowd at the festival. JPMorgan Fined $4 Million for Deleting 47 Million Emails: SEC A customer exits the lobby of JPMorgan Chase & Co. headquarters in New York on May 14, 2012. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fined JPMorgan Chases broker-dealer arm $4 million for deleting tens of millions of emails from early 2018, with some relating to subpoenas in regulatory investigations. According to a June 22 administrative order, the federal regulator stated that JPMorgan Securities erased 47 million emails during the period of Jan. 1, 2018, to April 23, 2018. These electronic messages were requested by subpoenas in at least a dozen regulatory probes and could relate to potential future investigations, legal matters, and regulatory inquiries. In 2016, JPMorgan launched a project to eliminate older communications and documents, such as emails, instant messages, and communications shared over Bloomberg, from its system that were no longer required to be retained. After several glitches, the deletions started after the largest U.S. banks corporate compliance technology department explored assistance from an external vendor taking care of the financial institutions email storage. The SEC noted that this vendor didnt apply the three-year retention setting to Chase emails. As a result, the troubleshooting exercise permanently deleted all of the emails in that domain from that period which were not subject to legal holds, the cease-and-desist order states. The emails, which were deleted in 2019, involved roughly 8,700 email inboxes and up to 7,500 employees who maintained regular contact with Chase clients. They contained business records that the company was mandated to keep under federal securities laws for three years. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon in Paris on June 29, 2021. (Michel Euler/Pool via Reuters) Until October 2019, no one at JPMorgan realized that the electronic communications from that time period had been permanently deleted as a result of the deletion task, the SEC stated. In October 2019, JPMorgans legal discovery team detected that electronic communications were missing from the early 2018 time period. The eComm Tech team and the vendor investigated the issue, and learned that electronic communications in the Chase domain which had been the target of the troubleshooting tasks had not, in fact, been properly coded by the vendor with the 36-month default retention and actually had been deleted. JPMorgan reported the deletion incident to the SEC in January 2020. The firm is now unable to comply with at least 12 civil securities-related regulatory probes to comply with subpoenas and document requests for communications that had been permanently deleted. The bank provided a settlement offer ahead of the federal proceedings, and the SEC accepted the proposal. JPMorgan Chase will pay a civil money penalty of $4 million and is censured. The SEC ordered the institution to cease and desist from committing any future violations. But the company didnt admit or deny any wrongdoing in the civil settlement. JPMorgan shares tumbled by more than 1 percent during the trading session on June 22. Troubles in the Past This isnt the first time that JPMorgan has gotten into trouble relating to emails. In 2021, JPMorgan paid $125 million in penalties for widespread recordkeeping failures relating to text messages and other electronic communications between January 2018 and November 2020. Recordkeeping requirements are core to the commissions enforcement and examination programs, and when firms fail to comply with them, as JPMorgan did, they directly undermine our ability to protect investors and preserve market integrity, Gurbir S. Grewal, director of the SECs division of enforcement, said in a 2021 statement. As todays order reflects, JPMorgans failures hindered several commission investigations and required the staff to take additional steps that should not have been necessary, said Sanjay Wadhwa, the deputy director of enforcement. This settlement reflects the seriousness of these violations. Firms must share the mission of investor protection rather than inhibit it with incomplete recordkeeping. In 2005, the Wall Street titan paid a $700,000 fine for not maintaining electronic records from 1999 to 2002. JPMorgan has paid millions in other fines. In 2011, the bank settled with the Treasury Department on an $88.3 million payout for violating U.S. embargo laws and trade sanctions in three separate incidents between 2005 and 2011. The company was accused of executing multiple transactions involving Cuba, Iran, and Sudan totaling more than $181 million. JPMorgan Chase has faced additional legal troubles this year. The company recently agreed in principle to settle a class-action lawsuit with a victim of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. The proposed settlement includes $290 million, but it still requires approval from a judge. The parties believe this settlement is in the best interests of all parties, especially the survivors who were the victims of Epsteins terrible abuse, JPMorgan said in a statement. Any association with him [Epstein] was a mistake, and we regret it. We would never have continued to do business with him if we believed he was using our bank in any way to help commit heinous crimes. JPMorgan, one of the worlds largest banks, is also facing a lawsuit by the U.S. Virgin Islands government. Epstein owned two neighboring islands and allegedly assaulted victims in his residences. Epstein was a JPMorgan client from 1998 to 2013. Judge Sets Hunter Bidens Date in Court Over Tax and Gun Charges Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, at the White House on April 18, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) A federal judge has scheduled the first court appearance for President Joe Bidens son, Hunter Biden, who faces tax and gun charges. U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, on Wednesday issued an order (pdf) requiring Hunter Biden to appear in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, on July 26. Noreika will be presiding over the case against Hunter Biden, who after a five-year criminal investigation was on Tuesday charged with federal crimes. The presidents son has been charged with two counts of failure to pay income tax and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. He has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to the tax offenses and enter into a pretrial diversion agreement with respect to the firearm charge at the July 26 proceeding, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. Experts say that if Noreika accepts Hunter Bidens plea deal at the hearing, its likely he will avoid prison. Under a pretrial diversion agreement, defendants may get charges dismissed or face lighter punishment if they meet certain criteria. Christopher Clark, a lawyer for Hunter Biden, said in a statement to media outlets that it was his understanding that the five-year investigation had now been resolved. I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life, Clark said. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward. However, even though Hunter Biden has agreed to a plea deal, the investigation remains ongoing, according to David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. The Epoch Times has reached out to Weiss office for clarification about which aspects of the investigation remain ongoing but did not receive a reply by publication. Joe Biden, with son Hunter Biden, arrives at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Details of Charges When Hunter Biden appears in court on July 26, he is expected to formally enter a guilty plea to two counts of failing to file and pay federal income taxes on time in 2017 and 2018. He received more than $1.5 million in taxable income in 2017 and more than $1.5 million more in 2018, according to court documents filed Tuesday. He was legally required to pay more than $100,000 in income tax for his earnings each of those years but he did willfully fail to pay the tax. Both counts are misdemeanors with a possible penalty of up to one year in prison for each. Hunter Biden also faces a separate charge for buying a handgun illegally in 2018. His indictment states that Hunter Biden, in 2018, knowing that he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance did knowingly possess a firearm, that is, a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver with serial number RA 551363, said firearm having been shipped and transported in interstate commerce. The law in question forbids people convicted of a crime punishable by a prison term of more than one year or who illegally use or are addicted to a controlled substance as defined in the Controlled Substance Act from possessing firearms. The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. Several news outlets have reported that Hunter Biden possessed a gun in 2018 and he said in his autobiography that he was using crack cocaine that year. Hunter Bidens attorney said in a statement that his client believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward, Clark added. Reactions The White House on Tuesday issued a response Hunter Bidens guilty plea to federal crimes. The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life, White House spokesperson Ian Sams told The Epoch Times in an email. We will have no further comment. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) reacted to Hunter Bidens plea deal on Tuesday morning, telling ABC News it continues to show the two-tiered system in America. If you are the presidents leading political opponent, the DOJ tries to literally put you in jail and give you prison time, McCarthy said. If you are the presidents son, you get a sweetheart deal, he added. Former President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that The corrupt Biden DOJ just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere traffic ticket. Our system is BROKEN! Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a tweet that Hunter Biden received a sweetheart deal and managed to avoid jail thanks to his connections to the elite DC class. Several 2024 presidential candidates reacted to the news. The deal only raises further questions about the presidents son and a double standard of justice in the federal government, Nikki Haley said in a statement to CNN. There is clearly a lot more the Biden family has to answer for. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement that, the admission of guilt is an important step, while Vivek Ramaswamy called the plea deal a joke and farcical. Its no accident that the farcical Hunter Biden plea deal comes right after the Trump indictment: its the perfect fig leaf to pretend that no one is above the law, while absolutely putting certain people above the law, he told CNN in a statement. Democrats have been mostly silent on the charges. The Biden campaign has declined to comment. Veteran Democratic strategist Stephanie Cutter has suggested that Hunter Bidens prosecution is not on most Americans radar. Zachary Stieber and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Key Figure Departs From Biden Administration, Accused of Leading Vast Censorship Enterprise The White House in Washington, D.C. on July 4, 2019. (Office of U.S. First Lady) President Joe Bidens digital director Rob Flaherty, a central figure in the administrations efforts to shape social media narratives as part of a censorship-by-proxy effort, is leaving the White House by the end of the month, a court filing shows. Flaherty, a veteran of Bidens 2020 campaign, has been overseeing the biggest-ever White House digital team as the director of the Office of Digital Strategy. His last day on the job will be June 30, 2023, according to a recent court document (pdf) filed as part of a lawsuit by Republican attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana that accused the Biden administration of violating the First Amendment by censoring users on social media. The evidence presented by the plaintiffsLouisiana attorney general Jeff Landry and former Missouri attorney general Eric Schmittled to the judge overseeing the case approving the depositions of eight officials believed to be or confirmed to be part of the administrations censorship campaign, with Flaherty one of those flagged for deposition. However, due to Flahertys imminent departure, his as yet unnamed successor will take his place as a defendant in the lawsuit, per the court document, which was filed in the U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana on June 16. Mr. Flaherty will no longer hold that position and will no longer be employed in any capacity by the U.S. Government, the filing states, with the defendants expected to file a notice of substitution once Flahertys successor is named. On the same day as the court filing was made, Biden also announced that Flaherty would be leaving the White House but with no details about the timing and a hint that the two would work together again in some capacity in the future. Under Robs leadership, weve built the largest Office of Digital Strategy in history, Biden said in a statement. His team has pioneered new methods of communication, and operated with unparalleled creativity, innovative spirit and a bias toward action, the president continued, adding that he looks forward to our continued work together in the future. There have been unconfirmed rumors that Flaherty will join Bidens 2024 reelection campaign. The Epoch Times has reached out to the White House with a request for confirmation but did not receive an immediate reply. In a statement reacting to news of Flahertys imminent departure, the former Missouri attorney general wrote on social media: Rob Flaherty is gone. He was a central figure in the Biden Administrations vast censorship machine. Schmitt is now serving as a U.S. Senator and has been superseded in his role as Missouri AG by Andrew Bailey. Judge to Decide If Government Improperly Censored Social Media Users The judge overseeing the suit against the Biden administration in a March ruling (pdf) refused to dismiss the case, finding Louisiana and Missouris free-speech claims plausible and worthy of further litigation. The judge, Terry A. Doughty, also permitted the plaintiffs to collect evidence, such as email communications between the White House and social media companies. While there are other lawsuits accusing the Biden administration of censorship-by-proxy by leaning on social media companies to suspend accounts or take down posts, this case has advanced further than any other. This suit arises out of the alleged coercion by the Biden Administration and various government agencies and officials of social-media companies, urging those companies to censor viewpoints and speakers disfavored by the Left,' the judge wrote in his March ruling that denied the Biden administrations request to dismiss. According to the judge, the plaintiffs allege that this censorship was encouragedperhaps even mandatedby the Biden Administration and several key governmental departments. Over 50 officials in the Biden administration across a dozen agencies were involved in efforts to pressure big tech companies to censor alleged misinformation, according to documents released last year. Emails disclosed in court cases and through Freedom of Information Act requests have shown that U.S. officialsincluding Flahertypressured Facebook and Instagram to take action regarding social media posts. One email showed that Flaherty pushed Facebook to take action against mis- and -disinformation as well as hesitancy-inducing content. What we uncovered in our lawsuit Louisiana and Missouri v. Biden et al. was that the decision to vaporize you went all the way to the topor as Bidens director of digital media, Rob Flaherty, emphasized in an email to a major social media platform, it went all the way to the highest (and I mean highest) levels of the White House,' Landry wrote in a recent op-ed for The Epoch Times. Landry referred to a court hearing in early June at which Doughty asked the White House lawyer if statements made on social media such as the vaccines dont work or the 2020 election was stolen were considered protected speech under the First Amendment. He answered that it depends on whether those statements were spoken by a Russian operative, Landry wrote, while characterizing the statements made by the White House attorney as a defense of censorship-by-proxy on grounds that asking social media companies to take action on content ostensibly premised on violations of their terms of service werent illegal. Like a cancer, this violation of the First Amendment has seeded itself deep within our federal institutions, and these government actors neither believe what they did was wrong nor have any qualms about doing it again, Landry wrote. The Louisiana AG vowed to continue pressing the case forward. We will continue to fight for your First Amendment right to be an individual, to speak your mind, and to create the future you envisionboth online and off, he wrote. This article has been corrected to reflect the fact that Schmitt is no longer serving as Missouri AG and has been superseded in this role by Andrew Bailey. Left vs. Left: Labor PM Says Greens Stonewalling Housing Fund for Political Gain Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has lambasted the Australian Greens for taking a hardline stance on the Housing Affordability Future Fund (HAFF), which could result in a potential double dissolution showdown. For the Greens political party, this isnt about the Australian people. This is about them. They want the issue, not the outcome. They deal in protests; we focus on progress, the prime minister told Parliament on June 21. Albanese cited an article by the Greens housing spokesperson and MP for the Brisbane seat of Griffith, Max Chandler-Mather, in the Jacobin, a left-wing American socialist journal, while accusing the minor party of trying to gain political traction. You dont have to think that thats the case because the member for Griffith has carefully and clearly said the quiet bit in an article thats been written in the Jacobin magazine. He wrote: This parliamentary conflict helps create the space for a broader campaign in civil society. Albanese said the Greens opposed HAFF because it could demobilise a potential voter base. Allowing the HAFF to pass would demobilise the growing section of civil society that is justifiably angry about the degree of poverty and financial stress that exists in such a wealthy country, Chandler-Mather wrote. The Epoch Times has reached out to Chandler-Mathers office for comment. The HAFF bill was a core election promise of the federal government and from Prime Minister Albanese, who himself grew up in social housing. Under the plan, the Australian federal government would create a $10 billion fund (US$6.7 billion) to address the lack of social and affordable housing across the country, with the government hoping the legislation could help build at least 30,000 homes over five years. The fund would also exist in perpetuity, and each year, the government would use its returns to invest in housing across the country with the federal government guaranteeing a minimum $500 million per year would be used to build new housing. Delay Costing Australians More Than a Million Per Day: PM The delay in passing the HAFF bill is costing Australians $1.3 million per day, according to the prime minister who cited the funds potential earnings on June 20. I say to the Greens political party: there are more people involved in this than you, Albanese said. Understand who you are saying no to. Youre saying no to people who are at risk of homelessness, who are veterans. Youre saying no to women and children escaping domestic violence. Youre saying no to Indigenous Australians in remote communities. And you are saying no to those housing groups who stood up before this vote in the Senate yesterday, calling for the HAFF to pass. Greens leader Adam Bandt has said its hardline stance has forced the government to provide a further $2 billion for social housing and to make other concessions on the bill. And just like Labor changed their mind on spending for housing, we want Labor to take the rental crisis seriously, Bandt said. Housing Advocates Want Bill Passed But housing advocates have called on the Greens to pass the bill. Homelessness Australia CEO Kate Colvin called the situation in Australia a catastrophe. We need the housing that will be created by the housing legislation to get going, she said. While the Property Council of Australia CEO Mike Zorbas said the housing bill needed to be passed as soon as possible. I urge all senators who havent yet made up their mind to really seriously think about the opportunity that is presented to them, he said Man Arrested for Allegedly Starting Californias Devastating 2022 Oak Fire A home burns as the Oak Fire moves through the area on July 23, 2022 near Mariposa, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) CAL FIRE announced the arrest of Edward Wackerman of Mariposa County for allegedly starting last years Oak Fire that ravaged Californias Yosemite National Park area. This fire has become the most devastating fire in Mariposas history. And as a community, we stay engaged to support one another, said Mariposa County Sheriff Jeremy Briese at a press conference held Tuesday morning in front of the Mariposa County Courthouse. The fire started in late July 2022 and destroyed 127 homes and 66 outbuildings, burning through 19,244 acres. In the days leading up to the Oak Fire, a series of three separate fires were intentionally set in the Carstens Road area of Mariposa County, said Walter W. Wall, Mariposa Countys District Attorney, at the press conference. On July 22, 2022, a fourth fire was set in the same area in dry forest brush of Carstens Road. This fire became known as the Oak Fire. A screenshot of a now-removed GoFundMe page for Oak Fire arson suspect Edward Wackerman. (Screenshot via GoFundMe.com) According to a GoFundMe page which has been taken down now, Wackerman is reportedly a retired firefighter of 12 years. At the press conference, Sheriff Briese was asked whether Wackerman had actually been a fireman at one time. I dont know the answer. But I believe the answer is yes, Briese said. The GoFundMe page stated it was started by Wackermans neighbor. It was asking for funds to help Wackerman repair his water system, damaged by the very fire hes accused of starting. The suspect was taken into custody June 16 and is facing multiple felony charges, including aggravated arson, arson that causes great bodily injury, and arson causing damage or destruction of inhabited structures. The arrest of the arson suspect, Edward Wackerman, is a step towards justice, but it cannot undo the damage already done. My thoughts are with those who have been affected by this tragedy, and I hope that they are able to find comfort and support and continue to heal and rebuild their lives, said Sheriff Briese. I have 100% confidence that the Mariposa County District Attorneys Office will carry this case to the finish line. The suspect Edward Fredrick Wackerman. (Courtesy of Mariposa County Sheriffs Office) If convicted, Wackerman could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison. He is being held at the Mariposa County Jail on a no-bail detention. His continued arraignment is set for Sept. 14 at the Mariposa County Superior Courthouse, according to the Mariposa County District Attorneys Office. An alleged motive has not been publicly released by authorities at this time. Man With Hit-and-Run History Jailed After Crash Kills 5 Young Women in Minneapolis MINNEAPOLISA man who served a hit-and-run sentence in a California prison until his release earlier this year remained jailed Tuesday, awaiting charges after a crash killed five young women in Minneapolis when a speeding driver blew past a state trooper, ran a red light and slammed into their car. Derrick John Thompson, 27, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, was evaluated at a hospital and then booked into the Hennepin County Jail on Monday in the aftermath of Fridays crash. The victimsSalma Abdikadir, Siham Adam, Sabiriin Ali, Sahra Gesaade, and Sagal Hersiwere all between 17 and 20 years old. Thousands of mourners from the areas large Somali American community attended the young womens funeral Monday at the Dar Al-Farooq mosque in Bloomington, where the five had been active members. They were returning home from a Somali mall where they had henna applied in preparation for a friends wedding scheduled for the next day when their car was struck. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said her office was reviewing the case and would make a charging decision soon. Our community is grieving the loss of the five bright young people whose lives were cut short in a senseless, selfish act of reckless driving, Moriarity said in a statement. Instead of celebrating a joyous wedding, these families were forced to plan funerals and deal with the devastation of this tragedy. California court records show that Thompson was released from a prison there earlier this year after serving part of an eight-year sentence for his conviction in a 2018 hit-and-run that severely injured a woman in Montecito, California. Minnesota court records also show he was convicted twice of fleeing police in his own state. Jail records dont show whether he currently has an attorney. In Fridays crash, a state trooper first spotted a speeding driver on Interstate 35W in Minneapolis around 10 p.m., police said in a statement. The driver exited the highway before the trooper could attempt a traffic stop and crashed into another vehicle with four women and a girl inside. All five died at the scene. Police said the driver ran from the scene. Officers searched the area before taking Thompson into custody. He was evaluated at a hospital and then booked into the jail Monday. Minnesota court records show that Thompson is the son of former state Rep. John Thompson, of St. Paul, who was a sharp critic of police during his one term in office. The elder Thompson became a Black Lives Matter activist following the police killing of his friend, Philando Castile, in suburban St. Paul in 2016. Minnesota House Democrats expelled him from their caucus in 2021 after old allegations of domestic abuse resurfaced, following an acrimonous traffic stop in St. Paul in which he claimed he was racially profiled, and he lost his primary election last year. A working number for the father could not immediately be found. By Steve Karnowski and Trisha Ahmed The energy sector has seen a reversal of fortunes this year following a spectacular 2022. The S&P 500's Energy Select Sector (XLE) is down roughly 10% year-to-date, compared to last year's rise of 57.6%. Houston-based Occidental Petroleum (OXY), backed by Warren Buffett, has followed a similar trend. The stock has pulled back 8% year-to-date, after rising a whopping 117% last year, making it the best-performing S&P 500 company of 2022. The stock's move downward creates an opportunity for investors, according to Lee Munson, president and chief investment officer of Portfolio Wealth Advisors. Munson sees Occidental Petroleum as a top-pick value play. "I love that they have cheap production. I love that this place has half of the Permian Basin in their back pocket," said Munson, referring to the oil-and-gas-producing area located in West Texas. "The Permian Basin is America's easy oil. It's huge, the fields are nice and rich, and it's easy to extract it," he added. Munson points out that Occidental Petroleum has proprietary processes related to fracking, which decreases its dependence on oil services companies. "I think it's a good deal. I think that goes for the energy sector in general. It's beat up," said Munson. He added, "I understand that it did really well, but I think going forward you have to think, how is this going to compound for the next five years? At what valuation? And things start looking attractive." Berkshire Hathaway's (BRK-A, BRK-B) Warren Buffett has been increasing his position in the stock during pullbacks. "I'm not going to lie, it's nice to see Grandpa Buffett having a little floor on this and feeling like he's going to step in around that $59 level," Munson said. Occidental Petroleum has made it a point to prioritize returning money to investors through share buybacks. During the company's earnings call in May, CEO Vicki Hollub said, "The corporation's capital is going to be invested in a way that fits with the priorities that we've established, one of which and as important as any of the others, is investing in and ourselves, that is the repurchase of shares." The logo for Occidental Petroleum is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., April 30, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Investors have pulled back on energy-related stocks this year in favor of technology, communication services, and consumer discretionary equities. The price of oil has been on a downward trend this year amid concerns of a recession and a weaker-than-expected recovery in China. Ines is a senior business reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @ines_ferre Click here for the latest economic news and economic indicators to help you in your investing decisions Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Meta Confirms Canadians Will Be Blocked From Accessing News on Social Media Due to Passage of Bill C-18 Three screens display the splash page for the Meta page on the Facebook website in London, England, on Oct. 29, 2021. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) Tech-giant Meta has confirmed that Canadians will lose access to news on its social media sites due to Bill C-18, the Online News Act, becoming law. We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18 content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada, Meta said in a media statement on June 22. The announcement comes a day after the federal government passed Bill C-18, which will require companies like Google and Meta to negotiate deals with Canadian media outlets and pay them for the content they link to on their websites and platforms. The legislation would also give the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission the power to require media organizations to follow a code of ethics in order to be eligible for news-sharing negotiations with digital platforms. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez, who is holding last-minute talks with Google on Thursday, said that Facebook knows very well that they have no obligations under the act right now. Following Royal Assent of Bill C-18, the Government will engage in a regulatory and implementation process. If the Government cant stand up for Canadians against tech giants, who will? he asked. Kevin Chan, Metas global policy director, previously told the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on May 8 that the legislation put the company in an unfavourable situation, as it would have to either operate in a flawed and unfair regulatory environment, or end the availability of news content in Canada. Its not something we want to do, but it is what we will have to do, he told the committee. Chan also called the legislation Robin Hood in reverse, arguing it would subsidize big broadcasters at the expense of independent publishers and digital news sites, making it more difficult for smaller media outlets to survive. During a press conference on May 9, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the argument Meta had put forth against Bill C-18 was dangerous to our democracy and to our economy. Putting aside the jobs and communities that are supported by local journalism, by professional journalists, understanding whats going on in the world around us, is an essential service, he said. MPs Question Finance Officials on Ottawas Investment in Asian Infrastructure Bank The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) building in Beijing, China, on Jan. 13, 2016. (VCG via Getty Images) Officials from the Department of Finance declined to answer questions from MPs this week while appearing before a House of Commons committee studying the federal governments recent suspension of activity with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). James Wu, director general of the finance departments funds management division, and Kathleen Wrye, director of the departments financial crimes and security division, told the Commons Standing Committee on Canada-China Relations on June 19 that the governments decision relating to the AIIB was beyond their purview, as first reported by Blacklocks Reporter. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced on June 14 that Ottawa was ceasing all activities with the AIIB while it investigates allegations made by the banks Canadian global communications director, Bob Pickard, after declaring his resignation. Pickard alleged that the AIIBfounded in 2016 to finance railways and other infrastructureis dominated by the Chinese Communist Party. Freeland told reporters at the time that Ottawa would also be discussing the issue with Canadas allies and partners who are members of the bank. China, as the worlds second-largest economy, needs to play a role in solving global problems which affect every country, she said. The governments action on the matter comes about six years after Parliament passed the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Agreement Act in 2017, which permitted the Finance Department to buy up to US$375 million worth of AIIB shares. Conservative MP Garnett Genuis asked Wu and Wrye during their committee appearance to explain the governments current stance on the AIIB and what it means to suspend activity with the bank. Is this just kind of a say were reviewing it to get it out of the news issue, or is there an actual serious review where we are going to hear back a decision? Genuis said, while also asking for more information beyond what Freeland gave previously. Wu said he could not provide any further information, and Wrye said she was not able to answer questions with respect to the bank. Then-deputy finance minister Michael Sabia told the Commons Standing Committee on Public Accounts in November 2022 that the AIIB is not a Chinese-controlled investment bank. Pickard said, when resigning from his position on June 14, that the CCP runs the AIIB. The Bank is dominated by Communist Party members and also has one of the most toxic cultures imaginable, he wrote on Twitter on June 14. I dont believe that my countrys interests are served by its AIIB membership. Matthew Horwood contributed to this report. Murder, They Spun: Selective Stats Leave Suspicious Fingerprints All Over the Crime Debate News Analysis As gun violence has spiked across the country, Republicans have pointed to the steady stream of shootings in Democratic-controlled cities such as Chicago, Detroit, and St. Louis to argue that strict gun laws are not the main driver of mayhem. In response, Democrats and their supporters have tried to turn the tables on the GOP by noting that gun violence is highest in Republican states: Gun Violence Worse in Red States. Its Not Even Close, a headline in Politico proclaimed; Red States Have Higher Gun Death Rates Than Blue States, Forbes reported. The conflicting storylines underscore how various data sets and definitions can be used to politicize and spin the problem of violent crime in the United States, proving again Mark Twains caution about lies, damned lies and statistics. Depending on the framing, accurate sets of numbers can be assembled to tell starkly different stories about mass shootings, school shootings, and the overall correlation between gun ownership and gun violence. You have two problems with these discussions, noted Carl Moody, an economics professor at the College of William & Mary. Even if you are going to look at one year for state data, you have to be very careful that the results dont depend on the particular year that you pick. In addition, states dont enforce the laws, local governments enforce themmeaning success or failure in law enforcement lies with the latter. On March 30, for example, California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a video stating that blue states have lower murder rates than red states. His claim was based on a 2023 study by the center-left organization Third Way, titled The Two-Decade Red State Murder Problem, which reported that eight of the 10 states with the nations highest murder rates in 2020 were won by Donald Trump. In fact, these mostly southern states have long had the nations highest murder rates. How are we losing these debates? Newsom said. We got to go on the offense. Fact-checkers looking at data for 2020 find that the claim is mostly true. But the numbers are presented selectively. Newsom is correct that the average murder rate in states that voted for Biden in 2020 was 5.099 per 100,000 people compared with 6.962 for states that voted for Trumpa 27 percent lower rate. Including Washington, D.C., in the list of places that voted for Biden raises the blue state rate to 5.987. Newsoms statement, however, left out the figures for 2021, which were available when he made the claim, and they show something very different. Murder rates had risen between 2020 and 2021 for both blue and red states, particularly in those states supporting Biden. In 2021, the average murder rate for states supporting Biden was 10.8, and 7.3 for those that supported Trumpa 48 percent higher rate. Even this figure probably understates the case, because 7,000 police agencies accounting for about 35 percent of the U.S. population didnt report crime data to the FBI in 2021, so we dont have reliable county-level data for 2021. Among the missing jurisdictions are two huge high-homicide cities: New York and Los Angeles. Their absence also affects state-level data. Most of the missing jurisdictions appear to be Democrat-run areas with some of the largest increases and thus the increase in murders in Democrat jurisdictions might be underestimated. There is a second, perhaps even more important qualification to state-to-state comparisons of gun violence: controlling crime is primarily a local decision. While state legislatures enact the criminal penalties for different offenses, local governments set the policies that determine whether someone is arrested and convicted. Cities and counties set spending on police and sheriff departments and policing policies. Most states have local elections for district attorneys and trial court judges. In the last few years, many Democrat district attorneys have been accused of going soft on violent criminals. They may also not request bond for criminals. Judges have also released large numbers of inmates from many local jails over the last few years. The consequences of those factors are stark. Original research by the Crime Prevention Research Center shows that violent crime is higher in U.S. counties that voted for Biden than in those that voted for Trump. For example, this more granular analysis of the 2020 baseline used by Newsom and Third Way shows that the murder rate for counties that Biden won is much higher than for the counties that Trump won5.97 versus 2.58 per 100,000 people131 percent higher. And the county breakdown clearly shows that the higher murder rates in Trump states are driven by the murder rates in Biden counties. Unfortunately, we cant break this down for 2021 because the FBI didnt report the data. While the murder rates in Trump counties in the states Trump won are only slightly higher than those in Trump counties in states Biden won, the Biden counties in Trump states had an 83 percent higher murder than in Biden states. This may say more about law enforcement and demographics than it does about state gun control laws. For example, African Americans commit half the murders in the United States, though they comprise only 13.6 percent of the population. The counties that Biden won have almost four times the percentage of black voters. That gap is even larger in the counties in the states that Trump carried than the states that Biden carried. Breaking out large counties with over 100,000 people, which is where 88 percent of murders in the United States occur, shows a similar, though even more extreme, difference. The murder rate data for counties that Biden won is much higher than for those that Trump won. The difference between Biden and Trump states is again driven by the Biden counties in the Republican states having much worse murder rates than those in the Democrat states and those are also the counties with the largest black populations. The murder rates are much higher for Democrat counties both in states that voted for Biden and states that voted for Trump, but it is the high murder rates in Democrat counties that are causing the higher murder rates in Republican states in 2020. The Biden counties in Republican states averaged a murder rate of almost eight per 100,000 people, up from 4.4 in Democrat states. The Trump counties had only slightly higher murder rates in the Republican states. Consider two very heavily Democrat jurisdictions in heavily Republican states: St. Louis, Missouri; and New Orleans, Louisiana. Over 80 percent of the voters in both places voted for Biden, though only about 40 percent of the voters in those states voted for him. Their murder rates are also extremely high, with St. Louis at 52 per 100,000 people and New Orleans at 50. With their large populations, they were a major reason why Missouris and Louisianas murder rates were 11.8 and 15.8 per 100,000 people, respectively. By contrast, the murder rate for the United States as a whole was 6.5. Thus, the CPRC research shows that blue pockets scattered across the U.S. map are the zones where most violent crime is committed, and it underscores how the generalizations on one partisan side or the other can mislead. Such generalizations also shape other public debates about gun violence. In most instances, people equate gun violence with violent crime, murder, and random shootings. Almost 70 percent of all gun deaths are, in fact, suicides. And while President Biden has repeatedly called for limits on the sale of AR-15 semi-automatic rifles, which, he said, have turned too many schools, too many other everyday places into killing fields, battlefields here in America, those weapons are used only in about 2 percent of homicides. Even for mass public shootings, rifles of any type are not the weapon of choice for most of these mass murderers. Over the last 25 years, 14.9 percent of these attacks involve only rifles. Or consider school shootings. The majority of school shootings, as recorded by law enforcement and criminologists, do not involve students. Instead, 70 percent of them occur outside school buildings but on school property, according to Northeastern University professor James Alan Fox, whose tracking of mass killings is considered one of the most meticulous. The chances of a K-12 student getting shot and killed at school in the U.S. is 1 in 10 million, Fox said, notwithstanding the highly publicized carnage at Columbine, Sandy Hook, or Uvalde. Fox notes that one huge difference in the numbers comes from gunfire that leaves four or more people hit and gunfire that kills four or more people. Using the latter, stricter, definition, the number of such incidents in the United States drops dramatically. Such differences can sometimes warp a national discussion about what is happening. Nothing in the phrase mass shooting says people are dying, Fox told RealClearInvestigations. The mass shootings we read about are usually conflating those where four or more people were shot and those where four or more people were shot and killed. So, should we be talking about shootings or fatalities? You have to be very careful about the definition or you are comparing apples and oranges, Professor Moody warns. Mass shootings involving gangs or robberies are not the type of attacks that get attention. What makes people nervous and gets international news attention are people being randomly shot in a public place where the goal of the murder is to become famous by killing as many people as possible. From RealClearInvestigations Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Musks Twitter Threatened With $700,000 Daily Fine Unless It Tackles Hate Speech Australias eSafety commissioner has issued Elon Musks Twitter with a legal notice to explain what it is doing to tackle hate speech on its platform. The commissioner says it has received more complaints about online hate on Twitter in the past 12 months than any other platform and alleges an increasing number of reports of serious online abuse since Musk took over in October 2022. If Twitter fails to respond to the notice in 28 days, the tech giant will face a maximum fine of $700,000 (US$476,000) per day for continuing breaches. We are seeing a worrying surge in hate online, said Julie Inman Grant in a statement on June 22. eSafety research shows that nearly 1 in 5 Australians have experienced some form of online hate. This level of online abuse is already inexcusably high, but if youre a First Nations [Indigenous] Australian, you are disabled or identify as LGBTIQ+, you experience online hate at double the rate of the rest of the population, she said. Twitter appears to have dropped the ball on tackling hate. A third of all complaints about online hate reported to us are now happening on Twitter. Staff Cuts Blamed for Hate Speech Growth The commissioner also apportioned blame for the increase in hate speech on Musks decision to cut Twitters global workforce from 8,000 to 1,500 (including its trust and safety teams) and ending its public policy presence in Australia. Musk has indicated that the staff cuts were necessary because the company was inefficient and overstaffed. Despite being publicly listed and widely used, Twitter is yet to turn a profit consistently. We are also aware of reports that the reinstatement of some of these previously banned accounts has emboldened extreme polarisers, peddlers of outrage and hate, including neo-Nazis both in Australia and overseas, Inman Grant said. She pointed to the 62,000 accounts reinstated by Musk when he took over the company, including 75 accounts with over one million followers. The eSafety commissioner claimed Twitter was not enforcing its own terms and policies around stopping hateful conduct on its platform. The Epoch Times has reached out to Twitter for comment. No Guaranteed Freedom of Speech in Australia In response, Rob Nicholls, an associate professor at the University of New South Wales, said there is no right to freedom of speech in Australia, and there is only an implied right of political communication. This right is not legislated either but was extracted from common law by judges. As usual in an Australian environment, not doing what you say is more problematic from a regulatory perspective than problematic conduct, he told The Epoch Times via email. Its important to note that the eSafety commissioners comments were about Twitter promoting hate speech when it has a policy to prohibit hateful conduct on the platform. The latest move from Australian authorities comes as the European Union (EU) also finds ways to pressure Twitter over disinformation. In May, Musk withdrew Twitter from the EUs voluntary code of practice to control discussion around topics like election manipulation, cyber violence against women, and harmful content towards minors. Twitter leaves EU voluntary Code of Practice against disinformation, said Thierry Breton, the EUs internal market commissioner, on his Twitter account. But obligations remain. You can run, but you cant hide. Beyond voluntary commitments, fighting disinformation will be legal obligation under [the Digital Services Act] as of August 25. Our teams will be ready for enforcement, he wrote. One Persons Hate Speech Is Anothers Free Speech While Twitter continues facing pressure from interest groups and authorities over an alleged proliferation of hate speech, many have praised Musks takeover for allowing public discussion about contentious issues like the COVID-19 lockdowns, climate change, and transgender issues. It felt almost incredible to hear major experts on important topics freely speaking their minds. I can recall thinking: how is it possible that this is allowed? I kept having to remind myself that this is how it is supposed to be, wrote Jeffrey A. Tucker, founder of the Brownstone Institute, in The Epoch Times. The most salient and shocking fact of the last three years has been the manufactured consensus on the most radical and extreme attack on liberty and rights in our lives. It was particularly spooky because the entire machinery of oppression was blessed by the mainstream media, the corporate elite, the scientific establishment, plus government. At the same time, some research bodies have found a decline in hate speech on Twitter. An assessment by Springklr, an AI-based Toxicity Model, measured hate speech differently from other researchers by evaluating slurs in the nuanced context of their use. Sprinklrs analysis found that hate speech received 67 percent fewer impressions per post than non-toxic slur posts on Twitter. New Texas Law: Drunk Drivers Financially Responsible for Children Whose Parents Are Killed Texas Department of Public Safety Troopers look over the scene of a fatal car wreck, half of a mile north of State Highway 115 on Farm-to-Market Road 1788 in Andrews County, Texas, early on March 16, 2022. (Eli Hartman/Odessa American via AP) Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law that will require drunk drivers who kill a parent to pay child support. Earlier this month, Abbott signed House Bill 393 requiring drunk drivers convicted of intoxicated manslaughter to make restitution payments for the support of a child under 18 whose parent or guardian was killed in a drunk driving crash (pdf). In 2022, someone was killed by a drunk driver every seven hours and 32 minutes in Texas, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). MADD supports Bentleys Law because it holds drunk driving offenders accountable for robbing children of a future with their parents. The sad reality is that every child in Texas is at risk of losing a parent because no one is safe from impaired driving, said MADD National President Tess Rowland in a statement to The Epoch Times. MADD thanks Texas legislators and Governor Abbott for Bentleys Law, which provides a sense of justice to victims and survivors of someone elses dangerous and preventable choice to drive impaired. Republican Rep. Craig Goldman sponsored the bill, also known as Bentleys Law, that passed in the House, 142-0, with one present and not voting. The Senate unanimously approved the bill in a vote of 31-0. The mandatory monthly payments will be made until the child turns 18 or graduates from high school, whichever comes later, the bill states. The law will take effect on Sept. 1. Gov. Gregg Abbotts office did not respond to The Epoch Times request for comment. How Much Will Be Paid to the Child? The court will determine the amount to be paid to the victim as it deems reasonable and necessary to support the child. A number of factors will be considered in determining the amount of restitution payments, including the financial needs and resources of the child. When applicable, the court will also consider the needs and resources of the surviving parent or guardian or the financial resources of the state for children who are under the guardianship of the Department of Family and Protective Services. The court will also look at the standard of living to which the child is accustomed, as well as the childs physical, emotional, and educational needs. If a surviving parent has work-related childcare expenses, that will also play a role in determining the payments. The restitution will be deducted from any civil judgment against the drunk driver. The order is also enforceable by the Texas attorney general, similar to child support payments by a non-custodial parent. If the drunk driver cannot make payments because they are in prison, they will be required to begin making payments no later than one year after they are released. Why Is the Bill Named Bentleys Law? Bentleys Law is named for Cecilia Williams grandson, Bentley, whose parents, Lacey Newton and Cordell Williams, and their four-month-old son were killed by a drunk driver on April 13, 2021. That morning, Williams was sleeping when she received a knock on her door that changed her life forever. I got up out of bed to an officer and a state trooper standing at my door, Williams told KSDK-TV in an interview in August 2022. They told her that her son, daughter-in-law, and grandson were killed in a drunk-driving crash on a highway in Jefferson County, Missouri. They repeatedly told me that they had died in a fiery crash, she said. It was then that she decided things needed to change. Williams began working with legislators to create Bentleys law. Bentleys Law was created out of a tragedy that has affected the lives of two beautiful boys, Bentley and Mason, and the lives of our family. These crashes are totally preventable, and I will continue to fight for change for all who have suffered from impaired drivers. Many families like mine suffer such a loss every second of every day, and Bentleys Law will bring change to hold the offender accountable for such horrific actions, Williams said in a statement on the MADD website. Similar Legislation in Other States Tennessee was the first state to pass Bentleys law, renamed Ethans, Haileys, and Bentleys law. It was signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee in late May 2022. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed Melanies Law on June 13. The law will hold intoxicated drivers financially responsible for the children of victims who are killed or disabled, WSAZ-TV reported. A similar bill in Maine and another in Louisiana, which was renamed Codys Law, passed this legislative session. Both bills are awaiting the governors signatures. Drunk Drivers in Texas Texas is among the worst states in the nation for drunk driving. Texas ranked third as the worst state for the highest rate of drunk drivers, according to a Forbes analysis in late 2022. Montana is the worst state, followed by Wyoming. The analysis found that Texas has the most underage drunk drivers involved in fatal crashes at approximately 1 per 100,000 residents. More than 8 drunk drivers per 100,000 were involved in fatal crashes, the second-highest number behind Montana, the report showed. And nearly 40 percent of all traffic fatalities in the Lone Star State were caused by drunk drivers. New Zealand Prime Minister Disagrees With Bidens Assessment Xi is a Dictator New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins departs after a post-cabinet press conference at Parliament on January 25, 2023 in Wellington, New Zealand. Chris Hipkins was sworn-in today as the new Prime Minister of New Zealand following the resignation of previous Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has indicated that he believes Chinese leader Xi Jinping is not a dictator. Ahead of his first trip to China as prime minister, Hipkins was asked if he agreed with Bidens comments referring to Xi as a dictator. No, Hipkins said in reply to the question, adding that the form of government that China has is a matter for the Chinese people. This is despite the fact that Chinese citizens are only able to choose between candidates that have been approved by the communist party. Hipkins will arrive in China on June 25, leading a business delegation of 29 people in hopes of pulling New Zealand out of its current economic recession as soon as possible. A meeting with Xi is included in his agenda. Official data released on June 15 showed that New Zealand had slipped into a technical recession after the economy shrank in the December and March quarters. Since becoming Prime Minister, Ive prioritised working in partnership with business to boost export growth in order to grow our economy, Hipkins said in a statement about his trip. China represents nearly a quarter of all our exports, was our second largest source of tourists pre-COVID and is a significant source of international students, so its a critical part of our economic recovery. Minister Chris Hipkins looks on during Labour Party Congress at Te Papa in Wellington, New Zealand, on May 27, 2023. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images) When first announcing his trip, Hipkins had denied that New Zealand was putting its eggs all in one basket in the light of warnings to diversify trade partners. He acknowledged that China was a valuable trade partner to New Zealand while also highlighting that the Labour government had made efforts in advancing free trade agreements with the EU, UK, and other trade partnerships, like the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) However, New Zealand has already significantly upgraded its free trade agreement with China in 2022, which included providing tariff-free access for 99 percent of New Zealands wood and paper trade. Hipkins also insisted that New Zealand had always prided itself on maintaining a stable and consistent position in its balancing act with Beijing. That means that where we have human rights concerns, we will raise them; where we have concerns around trade or any other foreign-policy issue, we will raise those, he told reporters. So our relationship with China has always been based on setting out clearly our position and, you know, being consistent in our position, and well continue to do that. New Zealand Marching to Its Own Drum Hipkins recent comments, which disagree with President Bidens, have broken the perception that New Zealand was becoming more closely aligned with its Western allies. On June 9, New Zealand, along with the United States, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Japan, condemned economic coercive practices in a joint declaration aimed at Beijing. Trade-related economic coercion and non-market policies and practices threaten the livelihoods of our citizens, harm our workers and businesses, and could undermine global security and stability, the group said. Hipkins has also confirmed that he will attend the NATO leaders summit in Lithuania in July, where security concerns about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are expected to be high on the agenda. The New Zealand parliament has also issued bans for the social media app TikTok on all government devices, citing security risks. This shows the country is clearly aware of security risks when it comes to the CCP. Its ministers have also called out the CCP on its record of human rights abuses and failure to condemn Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine on multiple occasions. New Zealand Government Questioned Over Soft China Policy The comments from Hipkins have reignited questions about the New Zealand governments relationship with and stance on the CCP. During COVID-19, New Zealand refused to criticise China over concerns that Chinese authorities interfered with the World Health Organisations COVID-19 investigation in 2021. Also in 2021, UK Conservative MP Bob Seely described the country as an ethical mess for being too soft on Beijing, while other critics accused New Zealand of being the soft underbelly of the Five Eyes alliance. The same concerns also apply to New Zealands main opposition party, the National Party, with donation records revealing close CCP ties or, at the very least, significant CCP influence. The leading CCP donor, Shanghai-based Lu Xinyan, is the acting head of the Australia and New Zealand offices of Peoples Daily Overseas Edition. She is also the president and chairman of the board of Atlantic Media Group in New Zealand. But the soft approach to Beijing comes not just from the Labour Party in New Zealand. The National Partys foreign affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee also has a history of parroting CCP propaganda, including calling the situation in Xinjiang a terrorism problem when discussing a United Nations report that found credible evidence of human rights violations in the region. Brownlee has also been extremely critical of the AUKUS security arrangement, claiming it will make New Zealand less safe. This comes as New Zealand has witnessed its closest neighbour, Australia, be subjected to arbitrary trade sanctions by the CCP and had all its ministerial contact cut off during COVID-19 as a mechanism to pressure the Australian government to fall in line with the communist regimes agenda. The Chinese embassy in Australia also issued a list of 14 grievances that it said the country needed to address before diplomatic relations could be normalised. These included stopping negative commentary by Australian media and MPs about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP); ending calls for an inquiry into the origins of COVID-19; haltering the governments cooperation-building efforts with Indo-Pacific partners; removing the ban on Huawei from the nations 5G network in 2018, and Australias foreign interference laws. Oxygen was running low as the search continued on June 22 for a submarine with five men on board missing near the wreck of the Titanic. The U.S. Coast Guard said a remotely operated submersible had been deployed for the rescue mission. EPA official Joseph Goffman testified on June 21 before a House subcommittee on controversial emissions standards for light vehicles. Lawmakers had been growing impatient after Goffman missed a similar hearing in May, resulting in a rocky start to his testimony. A new report accuses the largest Catholic health system in the nation, CommonSpirit Health, of funding and performing transgender surgeries and abortions. NTD spoke with Lepanto Institute founder Michael Hichborn, who wants it stripped of its status as a Catholic organization. Topics in this episode include: 1. Missing Titanic Sub Search Continues 2. Wife of Missing Subs CEO Related to Titanic Victims 3. Sub Passengers Friend Opted Out of Trip 4. East Palestine Train Derailment Hearing 5. EPAs Proposed Emissions Standards Debated 6. Report Alleges Catholic Hospitals Linked to Transgender Procedures 7. Former FBI Analyst Took 386 Classified Docs 8. 3 Soros-Backed Prosecutors Win VA Primaries 9. Rights Concerns Loom as Biden Welcomes Modi 10. Terror List Arrests: All Time High at Border 11. Musk and Zuckerberg Agree to Hold Cage Fight 12. AI Hype Like Dot-Com Bubble?: Analysis 13. CCP Set to Put Military Bases in Cuba 14. Blast at BBQ Restaurant in China Kills 31 15. Moscow Court Rejects WSJ Reporters Appeal 16. UK Hikes Rates by a Surprise Half-Point 17. UK Schools Let Students Identify as Animals 18. UK: Eating Disorders Go Up During Lockdowns 19. Pizza Makers Report Pricey Basic Ingredients 20. Cuddly Pair of Alpacas Wins Fans in Tokyo 21. Lab-Grown Chicken Approved for Sale in U.S. 22. Anxiety Screening for Adults Under 65: Panel 23. Yogis Takeover Time Square OceanGate Co-founder Has Major Update on Time Window for Titanic Submarine Rescue A co-founder of OceanGate Expeditions gave a somewhat optimistic view about rescuing the five-man crew of the missing Titan submarine after it went incommunicado earlier this week amid concerns that the vessel will run out of oxygen. In a statement posted on social media, OceanGate co-founder Guillermo Sohnlein, who left the firm in 2013, said that the public and media should remain hopeful for the crews rescue and avoid speculation about their fate. An international rescue effort has continued since the submarine was declared missing on Sunday evening and as the company said that there is a limited supply of oxygen on board. For the past three days, I have watched from afar as hundreds of dedicated professionals worked tirelessly to find and rescue the crew of the research submersible, Titan, with which communication was lost during its science expedition to the wreck of the Titanic. The pilot is my co-founder and friend, Stockton Rush, Sohnlein wrote on social media. He added that Thursday will be a critical day in this search and rescue mission, as the subs life support supplies are starting to run low, adding, Im certain that [other co-founder] Stockton [Rush] and the rest of the crew realized days ago that the best thing they can do to ensure their rescue is to extend the limits of those supplies by relaxing as much as possible. I firmly believe that the time window available for their rescue is longer than what most people think, he said. But on Thursday morning, air was expected to run out for the five people aboard. Officials vowed to continue scouring the remote North Atlantic. A remotely operated vehicle deployed from a Canadian vessel reached the ocean floor to begin searching, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Thursday morning, while another robotic craft from a French research ship was also preparing to dive to the seabed. The submersible set off with 96 hours of air, according to the company, which means the oxygen would be exhausted by Thursday morning, assuming the Titan is still intact. Precisely when depends on factors such as whether the craft still has power and how calm those on board are, experts say. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush emerges from the hatch atop the OceanGate submarine Cyclops 1 in the San Juan Islands, Wash., on Sept. 12, 2018. (Alan Berner/The Seattle Times via AP) OceanGate Expeditions Titan submersible in a file photo. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP) Rescuers and relatives of the Titans five occupants took hope when the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday that Canadian search planes had recorded undersea noises using sonar buoys earlier that day and on Tuesday. But remote-controlled underwater vehicles searching where the noises were detected had not yielded results, and officials cautioned the sounds might not have originated from the Titan. Despite the fading hopes, U.S. Coast Guard rear admiral John Mauger told broadcaster NBC News the search would continue throughout Thursday. Sohnlein stated theres reason to hope the crew can be rescued after the deadline. I would encourage everyone to remain hopeful for getting the crew back safely. In 1972, a similar rescue operation was able to retrieve two pilots trapped in a downed submersible with only 72 hours of life support. I continue to hold out hope for my friend and the rest of the crew, he wrote. He added: While I completely understand the publics interest in this situation and the medias need to cover it as a notable story, I ask that we wait until after the crew returns and conducts a proper debrief to speculate on what happened. We need to give those involved with the rescue enough room to focus on their work, and we need to give the crews families privacy to deal with their emotions in their own personal way. Officials have said that other than the oxygen running out, there are other problems at play. Rescuers would have to find the location of the submersible, reach it with rescue equipment, and bring it to the surface if it is still intact. The OceanGate logo is pictured on a trailer at the Port of Everett Boat Yard in Everett, Washington, on June 20, 2023. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images) Those onboard the vessel include British billionaire and adventurer Hamish Harding, 58, Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, with his 19-year-old son Suleman, French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, and Rush, 61, founder and chief executive of OceanGate. In Boston, near the Coast Guard base that has been delivering public updates on the search, paralegal Jenna Roat said on Wednesday that she had been captivated by the rescue efforts along with her family and friends. Her wish for a miracle was waning with the approach of Thursday morning, when experts estimated the Titan would run out of oxygen. Theres not a lot of hope, she said. Reuters contributed to this report. Our Nations Long Dark Night of the Soul Commentary Forty months ago began the lockdowns that set in motion a grim trajectory of misery for Americans and the world. It was the long dark night of the soul, in the words of St. John of the Cross. It was a challenge to everyone and everything. Do you really believe in freedom and human rights? If so, are you willing to speak and act on that belief? That was a great test. The test occurred during the darkest times as our rights were under assault in ways that we never imagined possible. The demoralization of the population was assisted by the national media, which worked to shame anyone who had doubts about the government line and the excuses for the lockdowns. It took great courage in these days to speak out. St. Johns book on the dark night is from 16th-century Spain, and its purpose is to describe the life cycle of the human spirit. He explains that when we are young, there is innocence and protection that comes from being under the care of parents. The presence of God is tactile and comforting but as we age, we encounter situations in which Gods presence is less apparent. The dark night of the soul occurs in most everyones life as a feeling of having been abandoned. In addition, the presence of evil blots out the hearts imagination of good. The idea here is that during this period, we reach deeply within to find resources to migrate out of the darkness. We emerge on the other side with greater maturity, stronger characters, and greater understanding of the task of living. We are better positioned to defeat evil in our lives and in the world. In some ways, this describes what happened to many of us 40 months ago. The experts failed. Leadership failed. Media failed. Schools failed. Mainline religions too. Academia, medicine, and governments at all levels failed. We felt abandoned and lost as the courts were not there for us and the U.S. Constitution seemed to have become a dead letter. Many did not survive, spiritually and physically. All of us who have emerged on the other side are wounded and scarred from the experience. It is incumbent on all of us to celebrate those who help lead us to the other side. There were many points of light in this period but one of the biggest and brightest was Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. His voice came across like a comet in a dark sky. He spoke truth day after day, despite the ridicule, censorship, and cancellation. His leadership of the anti-lockdown movement emerged organically, a result of his command of the facts and his erudition. I was honored just a bit ago to introduce him at his speech at Porcfest. My message was short: RFK Jr. brought light in the darkest times. He did it in every way he possibly could with speeches, podcasts, books, and media appearances. His book The Real Anthony Fauci is much more than an attack on a bureaucrat. It is a reconstruction of the rise of the biomedical security state from the end of the Second World War until the present. The contents were remarkable. It is this book which revealed that the lockdowns were not a mere mistake, nor just a misapplication of bad data; it was the culmination of a long campaign by the national security state to test totalitarian powers over the population. His speech today marched through this history in great detail. Speaking without notes, he explained how the CIA maneuvered to innovate the poor mans nuclear weapon, which is a bioweapon. That very branch of government is what took charge of the COVID response from March 13, 2020, and onward. The public health bureaucracies took all the blame but they were not in the role of making the rules. In effect, what took place was a quasi-coup detat, which is why these days felt a bit like martial law. Its also not entirely clear these 40 months later whether and to what extent the security bureaucrats have relinquished their control. The sheer absence of apologies and accountability is striking. It is clear that if the public is ever going to get the truth, it will have to come from outside agitation. And it must occur on all levels from every direction. That includes politics. Even if RFK Jr. had not declared for president, he would have already earned himself a big place in the history of our times. And yet by daring to challenge Biden, he has emerged as the most disruptive candidate in our lifetimes, even more than Trump in 2016. This is because he is running as a true Democrat in the model of his father and his uncle. His connection to the modern history of the party very well could resonate with many people in the party who might have noticed that many things have gone very wrong. Each time this subject comes up, people say something like I like him but he can never come close to winning. Im not certain that we know that. For sure, the party machine will oppose him at every turn but what happens when he wins the New Hampshire primary and others besides? At what point will the party have to recognize that the current front runner is not a viable candidate? If the American system is not entirely and hopelessly broken, he might indeed stand a chance. And this is part of his appeal: RFK Jr. remains optimistic about the future of this country, the world, and freedom itself. Ive noticed too that the energy of the movement at the grass roots is very intense. There is nothing artificial about it. His citizen movement is highly motivated and educated. The number 40 carries great significance in the history of the Judeo-Christian tradition. The flood lasted 40 days and 40 nights. Moses spent 40 years in the wilderness before God called him to deliver the Israelites from slavery. The Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before beginning his ministry. Is the 40th month after lockdowns the beginning of the turning point? Pray that it is. The dark night of this nations soul needs to end. We cannot wait 40 years. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Over 10% of Canadians Did Not Disclose True Vaccine Status When Polled: Federal Memo People wear face masks as they walk along a street in Montreal on Nov. 7, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic picks up steam. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes) More than 10 percent of Canadians did not disclose their actual vaccination status when asked by federal pollsters if they received three doses of COVID shots, according to an internal memo by the Privy Council Office. The March 2022 memo, which was obtained by Blacklocks Reporter through an Access to Information request, found that although 68 percent of Canadians claimed to have received the shots at the time, the rate reported by Health Canada was 55 percent. There are a few possible reasons for the discrepancy between the survey results and official figures for booster update, said the memo, titled Considerations on the Discrepancy Between Booster Dose Uptake. Researchers cited social desirability as one of the possibilities where respondents tend to answer questions in a manner that will be viewed favourably by others. The federal poll was conducted at a time when individuals who did not take the COVID shots were denied access to public services and threatened with job loss. Some respondents may be counting intention to be vaccinated or having an appointment as having been vaccinated, wrote researchers. The most institutionally mistrustful are less likely to participate in surveys and they are the least likely to be vaccinated. The Privy Council noted a similar trend in the way Canadians reported their vaccination status a year prior to its March 2022 findings. Pollsters said they observed a similar trend during the initial rollout of vaccines in the spring of 2021 where the proportion of respondents who indicated they had received a vaccine was roughly 20 points too high, said the memo. Similarly the same pattern emerged during the summer of 2021 where the proportion of respondents who said they had received two doses was 10 points too high. In other research published on March 12, 2021, the Privy Council found that Canadians were sharply divided over vaccine mandates imposed by governments. Some 22 percent were lukewarm about getting the Covid-19 vaccine while 11 percent expressed very strong mistrust of all institutions, including Health Canada, according to the study, titled Psychographic Segmentation Of Canadians Regarding Covid-19, obtained by Blacklocks Reporter. Another 29 percent said government restrictions have not gone far enough while 21 percent were afraid personally of getting the virus. (Bloomberg) -- Michael Platts investment firm BlueCrest Capital Management, which is fighting a multi million pound UK fine, won a court bid to block the financial watchdogs attempt to demand more than $700 million in compensation for investors. Most Read from Bloomberg BlueCrest was hit with a 40 million ($51 million) fine by the Financial Conduct Authority in 2021 over allegations it favored partners over external investors in an internal fund. The firm allocated portfolio managers to the fund, open only to its employees, creating conflicts of interest, the FCA previously said. As part of the investigation the watchdog had also sought to demand that the fund pay compensation calculated at more than $700 million, according to a FCA calculation cited in a ruling published Wednesday. The FCA alleged that BlueCrests failure to manage the conflict resulted in a sub-standard service being provided to the external fund and its investors who paid excessive management and performance fees. BlueCrest challenged the findings in a London court and won the ruling blocking any payout. The FCA had no freestanding power to impose such a requirement, Judge Timothy Herrington said, striking out the regulators proposed case. In December 2021, the FCA outlined how BlueCrest moved its traders from the main client fund to the internal one. They were in part replaced with an under performing algorithm, which generated significantly less profit and more volatility. It said investors ought to get back a proportion of management and performance fees. The case was unusual in that BlueCrest skipped the FCAs own internal regulatory panel to challenge the findings directly to court. The FCA themselves said that the findings were provisional. Its still to challenge the the full penalty in court and the firm said Thursday it will continue to defend its position vigorously in this matter. The conduct in question relates to activity under a previous business model no longer relevant to BlueCrests operations today, BlueCrest said. The judge also criticized the FCAs formal notice of the penalty. The decision notice is not an impressive document, Herrington said. It demonstrates a considerable amount of muddled thinking on the part of the authority. In the US, BlueCrest agreed to pay $170 million to ex-clients one of the largest penalties the Securities and Exchange Commission ever levied against a hedge fund. The regulator said at the time that the London-based firm failed to act in the best interests of its investors. The FCA didnt respond to a request for comment. --With assistance from Nishant Kumar. (Updates with background in the six paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. More than 500 additional deaths a week involving heart diseases have been recorded in England since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has said. Based on data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, the BHF revealed in a report (pdf) that, since February 2020, there has been a total of 96,540 excess deaths involving cardiovascular conditionsan umbrella term for a range of heart and blood vessel conditions, including heart attacks and strokes. It is deeply troubling that so many more people with cardiovascular disease have lost their lives over the past three years, BHF Chief Executive Dr. Charmaine Griffiths said. In the first year of the pandemic, COVID-19 infection drove high numbers of excess deaths involving cardiovascular disease. While deaths from COVID-19 have since fallen year-on-year, the number of deaths involving cardiovascular disease have remained high above expected levels, the BHF analysis stated. Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, associate medical director at the BHF and consultant cardiologist, said, COVID-19 no longer fully explains the significant numbers of excess deaths involving cardiovascular disease. She said there may have been other contributing factors, including the disruptions to the NHS over the past few years. NHS Disruption The charity said a major contributing factor has been the severe, ongoing disruption to heart care in the NHS. The number of people waiting for time-sensitive cardiac care was at a record high of nearly 390,000 at the end of April in England, according to NHS England. Average ambulance response times for heart attacks and strokes have consistently been more than 30 minutes since the beginning of 2022. There has also been significant disruption to the detection and management of high blood pressure and other conditions that put people at much greater risk of a heart attack or stroke, the charity said. Babu-Narayan said: Long waits for heart care are dangerousthey put someone at increased risk of avoidable hospital admission, disability due to heart failure, and premature death. Yet people are struggling to get potentially life-saving heart treatment when they need it due to a lack of NHS staff and space, despite cardiovascular disease affecting record numbers of people. Vaccine Link The BHF also said that COVID-19 may potentially have caused a rise in heart problems. It cited a separate study showing that those who were infected before the vaccine rollout were five times more likely to die in the 18 months after infection. Some studies have linked myocardial inflammation to the mRNA vaccines, but the BHF played down the risks posed by vaccines. COVID-19 vaccine associated myocarditis has been rare, more common in young men after a second vaccine dose, and fortunately shows a favourable clinical course in the vast majority of those affected. Myocarditis can cause heart scarring that can be detected with cardiac MRIto mitigate the small chance of scarring causing a life-threatening arrhythmia in the future, it is likely that affected individuals will be offered long-term follow-up and monitoring, it stated. Between December 2020 and February 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency recorded 72 UK deaths suspected to be related to the COVID-19 vaccine. But the BHF said, The benefits of receiving COVID-19 vaccines in reducing severe outcomes from COVID-19 infection in people living with cardiovascular disease greatly outweigh the risk of extremely rare side effects. Not Surprising Professor John Greenwood, president of the British Cardiovascular Society, said: The high numbers of excess cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths published today are worrying, but unfortunately not surprising. We know that COVID-19 has caused direct (COVID-19 leading to new CVD), indirect (reduced treatment and prevention of CVD), and long-term effects (CVD and Long COVID-19). Griffiths urged the government to take control of this crisis by prioritising NHS heart care, better preventing heart disease and stroke, and powering science to unlock future treatments and cures. A government spokesperson said: We are cutting waiting lists, ambulance response times are falling, staff increasing and we are improving access to blood pressure and health checks. We know there is more to do which is why we are consulting on a Major Conditions Strategy to tackle cardiovascular diseaseincluding strokes and diabetesand we have opened 108 community diagnostic centres that have delivered over 4 million tests, scans, and checks including for those with cardiovascular disease. The government is also working with NHS England to combat some of the causes of cardiovascular disease, with schemes to support increased physical activity, reduce obesity rates, and encourage people to stop smoking. What topics would you like to read about? Please let us know at health@epochtimes.nyc Oxygen on Missing Titanic Sub Projected to Deplete by Thursday Morning A submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP) The crew of five men aboard a missing submersible vessel on an expedition to explore the Titanic wreckage is projected to exhaust their oxygen supply by 7 a.m. EDT Thursday morning, according to U.S. Coast Guard projections. The vessel, named Titan and measuring 21 feet in length, vanished in the waters of Newfoundland on Sunday morning during an OceanGate Expeditions mission. Officials confirmed on Monday that the submersible had a 96-hour supply of emergency oxygen. This means that the crew will run out of breathable air by roughly 7 a.m. on Thursday. Our previous estimates were based on the approximate oxygen capacity of the vessel at the time of deployment (about 96 hours), a Coast Guard spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email early Thursday morning. As our only information was based on that initial 96 hours, any further estimates are too uncertain for us to confirm. During a press briefing held earlier on Wednesday, Coast Guard Capt. Jamie Frederick didnt explicitly disclose the precise time when the oxygen supply is expected to deplete. He said that he would discuss this matter with the crews family before providing updates to the public. He noted that the submersible vessel was equipped with limited food and water rations. Frederick, joined by officials from the Coast Guard, Royal Navy, and an oceanographic research institute, emphasized that the primary focus of the search efforts remains on search and rescue rather than search and recovery. U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Capt. Jamie Frederick speaks to reporters about the search efforts for the Titan submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic, at Coast Guard Base in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 21, 2023. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images) Search Continued Wednesday The search for the missing submersible vessel continued on Wednesday, led by a unified command consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Canadian Coast Guard, and OceanGate Expeditions from the Research Vessel Polar Prince. The submersible, owned by the Canadian Research Vessel Polar Prince, carried a crew of five individuals whose expedition was to explore the wreckage of the Titanic, located approximately 900 nautical miles East of Cape Cod. We will continue to work as hard and as quickly as possible in an effort to locate them, Frederick told reporters on Wednesday. The search operation, described as highly complex by Frederick, involved covering a surface area twice the size of Connecticut. Underwater search efforts were conducted at a depth of around 2.5 miles. The submersible Titan is prepared for a dive into a remote area of the Atlantic Ocean on an expedition to the Titanic on June 18, 2023. (Action Aviation via AP) On Sunday, at 5:40 p.m. EDT, the Coast Guard was informed that the submersible was overdue. It had been launched at 8 a.m. and was scheduled to resurface at 3 p.m. However, contact with the Polar Prince was lost about one hour and 45 minutes into their dive. On Tuesday, underwater banging noises were detected, prompting the deployment of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) in the designated search areas. Unfortunately, the ROV searches did not yield any results, according to Frederick. The U.S. Navy is currently analyzing the recorded sounds to guide the search plans and strategies. The good news, what I can tell you, were searching in the area where the noises were detected, Frederick said. We hope that when were able to get additional ROVs there in the morning, the intent will be to continue to search in those areas where the noises were detected and put ROVs down in the last-known position where the noises were taking place. Rescue Efforts Face Enormous Complexity As the search continues, the rescue experts are facing numerous challenges due to the constantly changing weather conditions, currents, and sea states, which are expanding the search area. There is an enormous complexity associated with this case due to the location being so far off-shore and the coordination between multiple agencies and nations, Frederick said. International experts have been lending their support to the search, including from France and the UK. Canadian partners have been providing critical leadership and significant response capabilities in the search, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. On Wednesday morning, the Canadian Coast Guard vessel John Cabot, equipped with sonar technology, joined the search effort. Two commercial Canadian vessels, Skandi Vinland and the Atlantic Merlin, have also joined the search operation. Furthermore, a crew from the Coast Guard C-130 aircraft has arrived at the scene to continue the ongoing search. Canadas air force shared a video on Wednesday of one of its CP-140 Aurora aircraft providing surface search and sub-surface acoustic detection capabilities. As part of the @CanadianForcess support to the search for a missing submersible, 380 NM south of St. Johns NL, an @ARC_RCAF CP-140 Aurora from 14 Wing Greenwood, NS is providing surface search and sub-surface acoustic detection capabilities. pic.twitter.com/j4fwfwQkki Canadian Armed Forces Operations (@CFOperations) June 21, 2023 The Coast Guard indicated on Wednesday that several additional assets are en route to the location. These include the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CGS) Ann Harvey and the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CGS) Terry Fox. This is an incredibly complex search operation, requiring both surface and subsurface elements, said Frederick. Our unified approach is critical. Despite the remoteness of the search zone making it hard to mobilize equipment quickly, the joint search efforts have deployed air, surface, and subsurface assets. The Motor Vessel Horizon Arctic, equipped with an ROV, was also en route Wednesday, along with the French Research Vessel LAtalante, which also carries an ROV onboard, the Coast Guard said. His Majestys Canadian Ship Glace Bay, transporting a mobile decompression chamber and medical personnel, was also on its way. Additionally, an Air National Guard C-130 aircraft and an ROV from the vessel Magellan are heading to the location to provide further support. Parliament Adjourns for the Summer 2 Days Early, Ending Spring Sitting A view of Centre Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, the seat of Canadas government, in a file photo. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times) All parties agreed on June 21 to adjourn the House of Commons for the summer two days earlier than scheduled despite the Liberal government not yet having established a public inquiry into foreign election interference allegations. Both Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre and Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet had called on the government to establish an inquiry before the end of Parliaments spring session. Negotiations between the government and opposition parties are ongoing, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau telling reporters that Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc is still working rapidly with the party leaders to come to an agreement on the matter. Were working very, very hard, Trudeau said on June 21 in Ottawa, adding that LeBlanc is ensuring any inquiry process decided upon has acceptable reference terms for all parties and a chief that all party leaders agree upon. Were very much looking to work collaboratively with the other parties, but there has to be clarity around the fact that theyre all committed and in agreement with the process we have, Trudeau said. The House unanimously agreed to a motion introduced by Government House Leader Mark Holland after question period on June 21 to adjourn until Sept. 18. MPs continued the Houses business until 12:30 in the morning on June 22 when the speaker declared the Commons adjourned for the summer recess. Public Inquiry Since former governor general David Johnston resigned from his role as special rapporteur on foreign interference in Canadas elections, LeBlanc has been consulting with legal scholars and opposition party leaders to determine what the next steps should look like and determine who best may be suited to lead this public work. Poilievre, Blanchet, and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh held several meetings this week with LeBlanc on the matter, and Holland said on June 21 that he expects to hear news on the matter very, very soon given the productive nature of those conversations. Conservative MP Larry Brock told reporters on June 21 that the Tories have submitted some very non-partisan names as suggestions for individuals who could lead a potential inquiry, while the Bloc submitted their own list of names last week. The government has an onus to actually call it, he said. We just want pure openness, full transparency, full accountability. The Canadian Press contributed to this report. Plane That Flew Over DC Crashed Almost Straight Down at High Speed, Report Says Authorities secure the entrance to Mine Bank Trail, an access point to the rescue operation along the Blue Ridge Parkway where a Cessna Citation crashed over mountainous terrain near Montebello, Va., on June 4, 2023. (Randall K. Wolf via AP) An unresponsive business jet that flew off course over the nations capital plunged in a near-vertical descent into a Virginia mountain at a high velocity before bursting into flames, according to a federal report released Wednesday. The preliminary findings shed little light on what might have caused the June 4 crash, which killed four people. However, outside observers and the planes owner have theorized that a lack of oxygen may have led to the crash. Federal investigators found no cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder at the crash site, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report said. The plane took an erratic flight pathturning around over New Yorks Long Island to fly directly over Washington, some of the most heavily restricted airspace in the nation. That alarmed the U.S. military and prompted the Pentagon to scramble six F-16 fighter jets to intercept, causing a loud sonic boom over the region. Pilots of the fighter jets reported that the small planes pilot appeared slumped over. The planes cockpit was destroyed by the crashs impact, while the wreckage was fragmented and scattered around a main crater, the NTSB said. Maintenance inspection records indicated that the plane was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder, the report stated, although the aircraft was not required to have a flight data recorder, which monitors things like altitude, airspeed, and heading. Air traffic controllers were initially in normal communication with the pilot. He was cleared for higher and higher altitudes as the plane began its ascent from Elizabethton, Tennessee. But after about 15 minutes, the pilot stopped responding, the NTSB report stated. An air traffic controller instructed the pilot to stop his climb at 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) because of crossing air traffic, the report said. The pilot did not respond and continued to climb to 34,000 feet and leveled off. The plane kept flying past its intended destination on Long Island, then reversed course, traveling directly over Washington before crashing. Family and friends identified two of the victims as an entrepreneur known in New York real estate circles and her 2-year-old daughter. John Rumpel, the owner of the plane, said his daughter, Adina Azarian, granddaughter, Aria, and the girls nanny were the victims, along with the pilot. He said they were returning to their home on Long Island, after visiting his house in North Carolina. Adina Azarian poses for a picture in East Hampton, N.Y., in a file photo. (Lakhinder Vohra via AP) Rumpel told The Associated Press earlier this month he believes the pilot, who he identified as Jeff Hefner, probably lost consciousness from a lack of oxygen. Rumpel said Hefner had recently had a physical and he was not aware of any concerning medical conditions. He was top shelf, absolutely top shelf. I wouldnt have had my daughter and my grandbaby fly with him if he wasnt, Rumpel said Tuesday. Outside aviation experts speculated earlier this month that the pilot likely lost consciousness from a lack of oxygen inside the jet when it climbed above 10,000 feet (3,000 meters), the altitude that typically requires cabin pressurization. The most likely scenario right now is a pressurization failure or a mis-setting of the pressurization system, said Alan Diehl, an aviation psychologist who previously worked for the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Air Force. In the late 1960s, Diehl also helped design the original model of the plane that crashed, a Cessna Citation. By Ben Finley Political Negotiations on Inquiry Into Foreign Interference Nearing Agreement Prime Minister Justin Trudeau makes his way into the West Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on June 21, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) The federal government appeared to be on the verge of calling a public inquiry on foreign interference Wednesday after months of resisting calls from the opposition to do so. Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc is leading what the government called ongoing and productive discussions with the Conservatives, NDP and Bloc Quebecois about how to move forward on the foreign interference quagmire that has clouded the government and this parliamentary sitting for months. I expect news on that very, very soon given the productive nature of those conversations, government House leader Mark Holland said Wednesday afternoon. The discussions are happening in the waning days of the spring sitting of Parliament, which is currently scheduled to end on Friday. The public inquiry is on the negotiating table as the government seeks to get priority bills passed and avoid the possibility of hundreds of votes on Conservative amendments to the governments main estimates, which lay out specific amounts that can be spent on hundreds of government programs. The governments usual end-of-session motion agreeing to fast track some final pieces of legislation through various stages of debate passed Wednesday with unanimous consent. But that motion would typically include the date the parties agree to rise. And this time it did not, because unless a public inquiry was announced, not all opposition parties would consent to rising earlier than planned. Allegations that the Chinese government attempted to interfere in the results of the last two federal elections have hounded the government since the beginning of the year. All parties agree that the 2019 and 2021 federal election results were not compromised, but opposition MPs say a public inquiry on foreign meddling attempts is the only way for Canadians to feel confident in the electoral system. They voted in favour of three motionstwo from the NDP and one from the Conservativesdemanding an inquiry. The last motion from the NDP passed on May 31. It sought an inquiry headed by a commissioner backed unanimously by the House of Commons, who would have the power to review all aspects of foreign interference from all states, including, but not limited to, the actions of the Chinese, Indian, Iranian and Russian governments. Per the NDP motion, that commission would present its report and recommendations before the next federal election. The Liberals voted against all three motions. Instead, Trudeau appointed former governor general David Johnston in March as a special rapporteur to review documents, interview some of the people involved and decide by the end of May if an inquiry was warranted. Johnstons initial report on May 23 said an inquiry was not the right choice, largely because so much of the material involved classified evidence that could not be made public. But the opposition parties skewered that decision and accused Johnston of being too affiliated with Trudeau. Johnston was to continue his work, hold public hearings and issue a final report in the fall, but has said he will resign before the end of the month because the work has become too hyper-partisan. A final report from Johnston is still expected before July. After Johnston announced his resignation, Trudeau appointed LeBlanc to try and figure out how to move forward on the matter. The Liberals also asked the opposition to come forward with their ideas and possible names for someone who could lead the effort to investigate foreign interference. Opposition leaders met last week to try and come to a consensus on what they wanted the government to do. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said this week his party would only put forward names after an inquiry is officially called. He also said the government has asked for a meeting with all parties on Thursday. Trudeau said hes glad opposition parties are ready to work together to find a consensus, but said hes wary given how opposition parties behaved in the last months towards Johnston. We want to make sure that everyone agrees on the framework, the people who will participate and we dont want to fall back into personal attacks, which will undermine Canadians confidence in their institutions, he said in French. Bloc Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet said Wednesday morning he hoped an agreement on the inquiry could even be hours away. Blanchet suggested the inquiry would focus on allegations that the Chinese government had interfered in Canadian democracy, but that it would not be restricted to that subject. He said he believed that at a minimum, the Bloc and the Liberals would agree on details of the inquiry and that it might also be supported by the NDP and Conservatives. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said Wednesday he was not confident about the timing of an agreement on an inquiry, but said he had seen more openness from the government to calling one. We are not going to let up pressure, he said in an interview with The Canadian Press. We are feeling hopeful but cautiously hopeful. Professionalism Policy Aimed at Oakville Teachers Controversial Attire Rejected by School Board A local mother and her child protest outside Oakville Trafalgar High School on Sept. 23. against a teacher wearing large prosthetic breasts to class. (Peter Wilson/The Epoch Times) After months of outcry against an Oakville, Ontario, teachers controversial attire, the main solution the school board put fortha professionalism policyhas been voted down. The Halton District School Board (HDSB) started working on a professionalism policy for staff in January as Oakville Trafalgar High School teacher Kayla Lemieux, formerly Kerry Lemieux, gained international attention for wearing tight shirts over large breasts with protruding nippleslong assumed to be prosthetic, though Lemieux has claimed they are real and grown with hormone treatments. HDSB presented a draft policy on March 1 and opened it up for public comment. The board unanimously voted against the policy at its June 21 meeting. Vice Chair Tanya Rocha said she voted against it because it draws together parts of pre-existing policies without providing any further clarity. Her reasoning was was echoed by other trustees. I think its been made abundantly clear that we do have the policies, procedures, and regulations in place that address all forms of professionalism. And when I looked at the draft policy thats been presented, theres really nothing new. Its really just a summary of everything that exists, so it begs the question do we really need this? Rocha said. Chair Margo Shuttleworth said it would be better to focus on adding clarification to the existing policies. Rather than create a new document which might muddy the water, we need to ensure that the language is clear in the policies that we have to ensure that professionalism is at our schools, she said. Education Director Curtis Ennis said he agrees to strengthening existing policies. That is something that I am committed to doing along with staff, he said. Ennis has said at previous meetings that a statutory freeze currently in place due to labour negotiations makes it impossible to implement a new policy. Thats why the new blueprint was cobbled together from parts of existing policies. This has gone on for nearly 10 months and the board has accomplished nothing, said Students First Ontario in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times. Students First Ontario is a group formed by Oakville Trafalgar parents to bring attention to the situation and call for action. Here we are at the end of the school yearno further ahead than when we started. The group noted the cost and time dedicated to stakeholder surveys, policy requests, and proposals. All have led nowhere. The board discussed at the June 21 meeting a survey of nearly 8,700 stakeholders regarding the draft professionalism policy. About 60 percent of the respondents were parents, and the rest mostly staff and students. Respondents found the policy was most effective in ensuring every person is free from discrimination and harassment in the schools. But they said it was least effective in its stated purpose, in providing clarity of expectations regarding staff professionalism, including dress and decorum. Respondents called for greater clarity and specificity on monitoring and implementing staff professionalism expectations. Education Minister Stephen Lecce has criticized the school board for its handling of the situation. Its unacceptable and an abdication of responsibility of the school board for not defending and upholding the interests of children, he said at Queens Park on Feb. 21, according to the Toronto Star. Lemieux is no longer teaching the schools shop class and has been on paid leave since February. Proposed Tory Legislation Threatens Jail for Animal Rights Protesters Trespassing on Farms Conservative MP John Barlow rises during question period on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on April 7, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) The federal Conservatives are proposing legislation that threatens jail for animal rights protesters who trespass on farmers private property and endanger their animals health. Bill C-275, or An Act to amend the Health of Animals Act (biosecurity on farms), passed second reading in the House of Commons on June 21 after MPs voted almost unanimously in favour, by a vote of 313 to 3, as first reported by Blacklocks Reporter. Only Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and the two Green Party MPsElizabeth May and Mike Morricevoted against the private members bill, which will now move to the next stage to be considered by the Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. Speaking to his bill during Commons debate on May 1, sponsor Conservative MP and agriculture critic John Barlow said there have been numerous actions of protesters on farms. It is becoming more and more daring and reckless. Barlow introduced Bill C-275 in November 2022 after having introduced similar legislation earlier that lapsed as a result of the 2021 general election. His previous Bill C-205 had passed both second reading in the House and consideration by the Commons agriculture committee between March and June 2021. His new legislation aims to amend the Health of Animals Act to make it a federal offence to enter, without lawful authority or excuse, a place in which animals are kept if doing so could result in the exposure of the animals to a disease or toxic substance that is capable of affecting or contaminating them. The bill threatens a fine of up to $250,000 or up to two years in jail or both for individuals. Animal rights groups that organize farm protests would be subject to a fine of up to $500,000. During debate on May 1, Barlow noted that it would not, in any way, disallow protesters from protesting on public property about the issues that they are passionate about and that are important to them. They can hold those rallies and protests outside the farm gate, but there has to be a line in the sand, Barlow said. When they cross that line onto private property and put the health of animals at risk as well as the mental health of our farm families at risk, there has to be a line there. There have to be strict rules in place to deter that action. Animal Diseases During debate on the bill on June 15, Barlow said animal diseases have been spread in recent years as a result of the protesters. There was an outbreak of rotavirus in Quebec when protesters were found at a hog operations in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Barlow said. Mink farms in Ontario had an outbreak of canine distemper when protesters were on the farms. Agricultural groups including the Chicken Farmers of Canada (CFC) previously voiced support for Barlows similar Bill C-205 during committee hearings in 2021, while animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has urged Canadian lawmakers to reject Barlows new Bill C-275. This law is detrimental to animals because its intended to deter people from exposing cruelty to animals, PETA writes on its website. Nick de Graaf, then-vice chair of the CFC, told the Commons agriculture committee on June 3, 2021, that Canadian farmers have feared the possibility of activists trespassing on our properties and into our chicken barns for years. Biosecurity is critical to the prevention of disease in flocks, he said. On my farm, I track visitors and know who is on the property to mitigate the risks of introducing a domestic, reportable or emerging disease on the farm. Putin Deploys Nuclear Weapons in Belarus, Breaching Agreement With China Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) and Chinese leader Xi Jinping enter a hall during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on March 21, 2023. (Alexey Maishev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on June 16 that he had delivered the first batch of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, three months after announcing the plan. Political analysts say Putins move is a slap in the face to Chinese leader Xi Jinping and ruined the Chinese regimes attempts to masquerade as a war mediator, as Putin has unilaterally torn up an agreement between China and Russia that opposes the transfer of nuclear weapons to a third country. We have acquired missiles and bombs from Russia, Lukashenko said in a media interview on June 13. Lukashenko boasted that some of these weapons were three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the United States dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945. He also claimed that there is currently no need to deploy strategic nuclear weapons in Belarus. This is the first time Russia has deployed the shorter-range, less powerful nuclear weapons outside its territory since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Lukashenko is a close ally of Putin. He told Russian state television that Belarus has many nuclear storage facilities left over from the Soviet era, and has rehabilitated five or six of them. He also said he has the facilities to deploy long-range missiles if needed. Putin confirmed the deployment while speaking at a Russian economic forum in St. Petersburg, Russia. The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first ones, the first part. But we will do this job completely by the end of the summer or by the end of the year, Putin said. The move aggravates Russias confrontation with the U.S. and NATO military alliance, which has provided Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weaponry to help Ukraine repel the Russian invasion forces. China-Russia Joint Statement Becomes Empty Promise Putins joint agreement with Xi signed on March 21 articulated that all nuclear powers must not deploy nuclear weapons outside their national territories. From March 20 to 22, shortly after Xi secured his third term in office, he visited Russia and emphasized the importance of Sino-Russian relations in the foreign policy of both countries. On the afternoon of March 21, Xi and Putin signed and issued a joint statement, declaring that with the unremitting efforts of both sides, the China-Russia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination for a New Era has reached the highest level in history and continues to move forward. The statement also said that China and Russia regard each other as priority cooperative partners, and that Russia needs China and China needs Russia. On the issue of nuclear weapons, the two sides reaffirmed in the statement that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought and that all nuclear powers must not deploy nuclear weapons outside their national territories and must withdraw all their nuclear weapons placed abroad. Both sides also stressed their commitment to the NPT and their continued cooperation. Beijings Attempt to Play War Mediator Has Failed Li Yuanhua, a former professor at Capital Normal University, said in an interview with The Epoch Times that Putins deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus is actually a demonstration to the United States and free society, implying that he will use nuclear weapons if he is at a disadvantage on the battlefield. This also directly led to the bankruptcy of the CCPs hypocritical pretense as a war mediator. Li believes that the agreement signed by Putin and Xi was the result of mutual exploitation between the two regimes, and that no one took the signed agreement seriously. Russia has not kept its promises, but at the same time, Xi Jinpings promises to Putin may not all be honored, so both sides know it well. The treaty is only a superficial measure, put on display for other countries to see, he said. He pointed out that Russia, a nuclear power, is currently facing a strong counteroffensive from Ukraine and is at a military disadvantage. Now Russia not only deploys nuclear weapons at home, but also outside its territory. This actually shows its intention to confront the free world, he said. Moreover, now that Russia has unilaterally broken the agreement, it is a blatant slap in the face of the Chinese Communist Party, which has gone bankrupt in its attempt to masquerade as a war mediator. This incident also reminds the world that the possession of nuclear weapons by authoritarian dictatorships poses a great threat to world peace. U.S.-based China expert Tang Jingyuan told The Epoch Times on June 17 that when Putin and Xi signed the agreement, the provision that nuclear weapons must not be deployed abroad was actually aimed at the United States, which is the only country that has deployed some of its tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, but that was a legacy of the Cold War to counter the Soviet Unions nuclear threat. Putin is now deploying nuclear weapons abroad during wars of invading other countries, which is equivalent to giving Xi Jinping a slap in the face. In other words, he is not only blatantly breaking his own promise and the international treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, but also showing that he does not really take Xi Jinping seriously, Tang said. Putins Move a Sign of Escalation According to Tang, the most fundamental reason for Putins deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus is that Russia is becoming increasingly passive on the Ukrainian battlefield. With Ukraines counterattack, Russia may not only lose the land it has occupied, but even its homeland may be hit. Therefore, Putin needs to make such a move as a way of military blackmail, with the purpose of forcing NATO to limit military aid to Ukraine. This is also the first time since the end of the Cold War that a nuclear power has deployed nuclear weapons to other countries, which has seriously undermined the Non-Proliferation Treaty and may force some of the weaker countries to take an extra layer of concern when it comes to military assistance to Ukraine, Tang said. But on the other hand, this move also exposed Putins weakness, indicating that his increasingly difficult situation on the battlefield has seriously affected the security of his power position. The expansion of nuclear weapons deployment is basically his last card, strictly speaking he does not really want to use nuclear weapons to win the war, but to use nuclear weapons to keep his position, he continued. He also said that for the CCP, Putins move can be described as both good and bad. The good news is that Russias nuclear blackmail has escalated, which can further attract the attention of the United States and Europe, thus reducing the pressure on the CCP itself. The bad news is that Putin does not really respect Xi Jinping, and does not care whether the interests of the CCP will be damaged. He only cares about his own interests, which is bound to significantly weaken the foundation of Xi Jinpings alliance with Russia to resist the United States. Moreover, if a major defeat of the Russian army endangers Putins regime, the CCP cannot rule out the possibility of Putin taking reckless moves, which could drag the CCP into a war beyond its control, thus leading to a regime crisis for the CCP itself. Kane Zhang contributed to this report. Reparations Revisited California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs into law a bill that establishes a task force to come up with recommendations on how to give reparations to Black Americans in Sacramento, Calif. on Sept. 30, 2020. (Office of the Governor via AP) Commentary The drive for reparations to be paid to African Americans in the United States has been gaining momentum in places such as California and New York. Ive written before about how morally dubious reparations to descendants of slaves would be. But even if we assume, for the sake of argument, that reparations can be morally justified, reparations arent a viable public policy because of overwhelming logistical and practical considerations. Heres the crux of the problem: how to determine exactly who should receive reparations. The first step would be to identify which Americans of African ancestry are descended from people who were slaves here in the United States. At first glance, this seems to be the low-hanging fruit, the easiest part of the problem to solve. But the task is far more complicated than it appears. For example, what should be done about descendants of todays African Americans whose African ancestors captured fellow Africans and sold them to be shipped to the United States? There were Africans on both sides of the slave tradethose who profited from the abominable practice and those who suffered from those abominations. Would it be just for descendants of Africans who profited from slavery to profit now from reparations? Another complication: What about mixed-race individuals? Are we going to have to start dealing with fractionsPerson A is five-eighths black, Person B one-eighth, and so forth? What if a person is descended both from a slave and a slaveowner? Should the government assess a penalty to the portion of the person whos descended from the slaveowner but give compensation to the portion of the person descended from slaves? As you can see, deciding who gets paid reparations for slavery presents formidable challenges. Unfortunately, that issue has been further complicated by some of the recommendations of the official pro-reparations task force in California. Theyre calling for reparations to be paid not only to descendants of slaves but also to black Americans descended from free American black people with no instances of slavery in their lineage. The California task force seeks compensation for several categories of community harms, including health disparities, mass incarceration and over-policing, and housing discrimination, according to The Guardian. Yikesmore complications! How would one go about quantifying over-policing? What about health disparitieswould they be calculated on a racial basis or an economic one whereby poor black people and poor white people would be compared? The California taskforce recommends two avenues for compensation: cumulative compensation for an eligible class and particular compensation for individuals for provable harms, such as those listed in the previous paragraph, according to The Guardian. And here it gets dicey again: Unlike particular compensation, cumulative compensation would not require any member of the eligible class to provide evidence documenting their harm. No evidence of harm required? Is that just? Doesnt that imply that one is receiving money simply for being a member of a particular race? Heres another odd (some would say indefensible) aspect of the reparations plan being cooked up in California: While they propose that some black people not descended from slaves receive reparations, other such black people are to be cut out of the action. Yes, the task force actually voted last year to recommend limiting reparations to Californians who are descendants of enslaved or free Black people who were in the U.S. by the end of the 19th century, The Guardian reported. The omission from the list of eligible recipients of any African American whose descendants first came to the United States after 1900 seems arbitrary and unjust. It also brings up the fractional person problem again; e.g., Mr. Bill Johnson, although 100 percent black, is one-quarter descended from black people who were in the United States before 1900 and three-quarters descended from black people who arrived after 1900. Oh, boy. Dont get me wrongIm against reparations, period. And in one sense, perhaps we should be grateful that the pro-reparations crowd appears willing to place some limits on their monetary requests by not asking for universal reparations to all American black people. I would be willing to bet, however, that many African Americans who are descended from slaves are better off today than some African Americans who are descended from people who arrived in the United States after 1900. The fact is, not only slavery but various 20th-century public policies, concocted and implemented (you could say imposed) primarily by Democrats, have wrought havoc on African Americans social and economic well-being. If the point of reparations is to compensate for harm suffered as a result of white-imposed policies, then wheres the justice in compensating black people who are relatively well off while excluding other black people who languish behind? The damage attributable to 20th-century government policies, such as the minimum wage laws that have disproportionately hurt black people, the anti-family welfare policies of the war on poverty, and the persistent imprisonment of black children in underperforming union-dominated public schools, is considerable. Decades of cynical progressive/Democratic policiespolicies that were pro-black in rhetoric, but anti-black in practicehave done much harm to millions of black Americans. Finally, theres one more practical problem that could render any reparations program unjust: Most government handouts are plagued by fraud. The larger the payouts, the greater the incentive to fudge ones identity. Just think of all the fraudulent claims that were successfully filed when Uncle Sam was handing out big bucks for emergency COVID-19 reliefallegedly more than $45 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims alone. It isnt difficult to picture something similar happening in connection with reparations. Dont be surprised if enterprising individuals would quickly invent ways to provide documentation certifying bogus family trees that would make people eligible to receive payments. A lot of ineligible people would scheme to get a piece of the reparations pie. The sad fact is that, like so many other government handouts, reparations would be characterized by poor execution and widespread fraud. Some things never change. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. RFK Jr. Has Democrats Worried About Appearance at Libertarian Festival The New Hampshire Democratic Party, already reeling from the likely absence of President Joe Biden on the states influential primary ticket, has publicly urged Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to cancel his appearance at the states annual PorcFest, one of the biggest libertarian events in the country. In a letter posted on social media, Ray Buckley, chairman of the N.H. Democratic Party urged Kennedy not to participate in an event run by an extremist group that predominantly votes Republicans, is against common-sense gun control, advocates for cuts in public school funding, and wants New Hampshire to secede from the United States. We respect your dedication to public service and your familys irreplaceable role in the history of our Republic. However, we must express our serious disappointment and grave concerns about your planned participation in this event, wrote Buckley. Kennedy, who is scheduled to give a two-hour speech on Thursday at Porcfest, posted a sharp response to Buckleys letter accusing Democratic Party Bosses of trying to censor him and control the primaries outcome. The Democratic Party Bosses who promote censorship, who have stripped New Hampshire of its rightful First in the Nation primary status, who have shut down debate, who refuse to campaign in New Hampshire, are in no position to tell me who to talk to. Im going to speak at Porcfest because I believe in freedom, unity, healing the divide, and truth.#LiveFreeorDie, Kennedy posted on Twitter. Free State Project PorcFest, short for The Porcupine Freedom Festival, is sponsored by the Free State Project, which seeks to attract like-minded libertarians to settle in New Hampshire and encourage progressives to leave the New England state. The group is especially pro-Second Amendment. One of several performances at New Hampshires annual PorcFest. (The Porcupine Freedom Festival) The week-long campout, which kicked off June 19 in Lancaster, features over 1,000 events spread out over 100 different mini-sites called hubs. Kennedy is slated to give a two-hour speech inside a building called the pavilion at the festival. Head organizer Dennis Pratt, who approved Kennedys appearance despite it being conditional that the pavilion be gun free during his speech, told The Epoch Times he expects Kennedy to be one of the biggest draws in the festivals 20-year history. If he didnt ask people not to bring their weapons, it would be even more, said Pratt anticipates a crowd of at least 3,000 this year. Pratt said he has had several requests from festival participants to pipe Kennedys speech into their hubs. Kennedy, who has theorized that the CIA was behind the killing of both his uncle President John F. Kennedy, and his own father U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, recently said he has concerns that he could be the agencys next target and, therefore, must take necessary precautions when he speaks in public. Pratt, who said he has always voted strictly Libertarian except for 1980 when he voted for Jimmy Carter, said he likes Kennedy for his anti-war position and for his stance against government-imposed COVID vaccine mandates. A gun hub at a past PorcFest in New Hampshire. The annual week-long campout is expected to draw at least 3,000 participants this year. (The Porcupine Freedom Festival) New Hampshire Republican Carla Gericke, former president and current board member of the Free State Project, told The Epoch Times that she believes Buckley wrote his letter to Kennedy because he knows he is gaining in popularity in both parties as well as among independent voters. Rays letter smacks a little bit of desperation, said Gerick. I think the establishment Democrats are scared of Kennedy. He has worldwide name recognition. Gericke, along with others, told The Epoch Times that she is aware of a movement by Republicans to vote in the Democratic primaries in an effort to give Kennedy a win over Biden for the Democratic party nomination for president. She believes that Democrats underestimated just how much Kennedys anti-vax views are actually a benefit to him as a candidate instead of making him out to be a kook. Some of Kennedys own family has denounced him for warning about the dangers and financial motives behind vaccines. Gericke said she in fact believes the more Kennedy talks about how corrupt the lockdowns were during the so-called pandemic the more, she believes, he will gain in popularity. She said the fight back movement, as she called it, is in his favor, with new Twitter owner Elon Musk hosting RFK Jr. on Twitter Space along with his well-watched appearance on the Joe Rogan show. Combined, both shows reached more than 14 million viewers and listeners. Rogan and Musk added more fuel to the firestorms over Kennedy when they publicly challenged Dr. Peter Hotez, who frequently appeared on national tv touting the vaccine along with mask-wearing and lockdowns, to debate Kennedy on the science of vaccine safety and effectiveness. Hotez has mocked Kennedy for spreading what he called dangerous misinformation. Kennedy has called Hotez a shill for the pharmaceutical industry. Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Dr. Peter Hotez in file photos. (Lisa Lake/Getty Images for SiriusXM; John Mone/AP Photo) While Kennedy jumped at the opportunity to debate Hotez, the vaccine scientist declined. Since declining the invite Hotez, the co-director of the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development and professor of Baylor College of Medicine, said he has been stalked and harassed by anti-vaxxers. Radical Goals In his letter to Kennedy over his PorcFest appearance, Buckley accused Kennedy of endorsing radical goals. Your presence will lend legitimacy to an extremist movement that aggressively works against the interests of New Hampshire residents, said Buckley. We invite you to engage with the people of New Hampshire through other venues and forums that better align with the Democratic Partys vision for a fair, inclusive, and prosperous society. Kennedy is also in the eye of the controversy over New Hampshires refusal to abide by the Democratic National Committees new primary schedule that, for the first time in 103 years, would put its first in the nation primary second to another statebeing South Carolina. The move was pushed for by Biden, who was nearly treated like a fringe candidate in New Hampshire, where he was the first presidential nominee in history that failed to achieve at least 15 percent of the party vote. He won big in South Carolina where he took home 39 of the states delegates compared to the zero he garnered in New Hampshire. Biden has vowed not to campaign in New Hampshire, and it is likely he wont be on the primary ballot in New Hampshire, leaving Kennedy to be, by the very least, the winner by defaultalthough Gericke thinks Kennedy would win even with Biden on the New Hampshire primary ballot. I think the Democrats are out of their league, at least here in New Hampshire, she said. (Bloomberg) -- A criminal hacking gang has added more names to its lists of alleged victims from a recent campaign that exploited a vulnerability in a popular file-transfer product. Most Read from Bloomberg The group, known as Clop, threatened to post internal data from professional services firms Pricewaterhousecoopers LLP and Ernst & Young LLP unless they pay a ransom fee. The scope of the incidents werent immediately clear. The Russian-speaking gang has in recent weeks launched scores of attacks after discovering a vulnerability in MOVEit, a file-sharing software from Progress Software Corp. Pricewaterhousecoopers in a statement confirmed it used MOVEit software, and that the hack had a limited impact on PwC. The firm stopped using the MOVEit platform upon learning of the incident, it said. We have reached out to the small number of clients whose files were impacted to discuss the incident, a company spokesperson said. Data security is a key priority for PwC and we continue to put the right resources and safeguards in place to protect our network. Ernst & Young has previously said it had launched an investigation into its use of the MOVEit tool and took urgent steps to safeguard any data. We have verified that the vast majority of systems which use this transfer service across our global organization are secure and were not compromised, the spokesperson said in a statement from June 16. We are manually and thoroughly investigating systems where data may have been accessed. Our priority is to first communicate to those impacted, as well as the relevant authorities. Our investigation is ongoing. The largest US public pension fund, the California Public Employees Retirement System, or CalPERS, also said the personal data of about 769,000 members including Social Security numbers, dates of birth and potentially the names of family members have been exposed due to the same MOVEit issue. CalPERS said a third-party vendor that CalPERS used to help make payments to retirees and other beneficiaries notified the company on June 6 that a MOVEit vulnerability allowed data to be downloaded by an unauthorized party. This external breach of information is inexcusable, said CalPERS Chief Executive Officer Marcie Frost in a statement. Our members deserve better. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on June 1 issued an advisory about a vulnerability in MOVEit software, warning that a cyber threat actor could exploit this vulnerability to take over an affected system. Progress has since released a patch to fix the vulnerability, but about 90 companies are so far known to have been affected by the hack, according to cybersecurity researchers. Last week, Shell Plc said it was investigating a possible data breach after it was targeted by Clop. The gang listed Shell among dozens of other victims including a US university, insurance and manufacturing firms, as well as banks, investment and financial services companies. US government agencies have also been affected. Clop has been among the most prolific cybercriminal gangs in recent years, causing hundreds of millions of dollars of damage internationally, according the cybersecurity firm Trend Micro Inc. In a statement posted on its dark web page last week, Clop invited victims to reach out and negotiate. We have information on hundreds of companies so our discussion will work very simple, the gang said, claiming it had downloaded a lot of your data as part of exceptional exploit. --With assistance from Katrina Manson. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Romanian Couple Plead Guilty to Laundering $1.4 Million From Thefts Targeting Elderly SAN DIEGOA Romanian husband and wife pleaded guilty June 20 to laundering money that federal prosecutors allege was proceeds from a string of thefts targeting elderly victims across San Diego County. Eduard Ghiocel, 47, and Floarea Ghiocel, 48, were charged along with four others with taking part in 17 jewelry thefts in elderly communities in San Diego. The Ghiocels co-defendants, who include their two sons, a daughter-in-law, and a girlfriend of one of the sons, remain at large, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Prosecutors say around $1.4 million was laundered. A criminal complaint alleges the crimes typically targeted senior citizens in shopping center parking lots or residential areas. Victims were often distracted by the suspects while their jewelry or other valuables were taken through sleight-of-hand techniques. Prosecutors allege the Ghiocels pawned the stolen items at Los Angeles-area jewelry stores, then laundered the cash they received by sending wire transfers to Romania, as well as by buying gold bars, gold coins, and vehicles, then shipping those items to Romania. Additionally, the U.S. Attorneys Office alleges that the defendants took $32,250 in state unemployment benefits by filing false unemployment claims, and laundered that money as well. As part of the plea, the Ghiocels have agreed to forfeit assets that include cash, cars, and gold coins. The U.S. Attorneys Office said it will seek restoration of the forfeited property to pay restitution to the victims. Russia is readying its nuclear arsenal, as it reviews the state of the war and prepares for a drawn-out conflict. Meanwhile, lab-grown meat has now gotten approval in the United States. And the U.S. House of Representatives has voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). In this live Q&A with Crossroads host Joshua Philipp, well discuss these stories and others, and answer questions from the audience. Sen. Tim Scott Vows to Finish Biden Probe; Fire Garland, Wray If Elected President Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who is seeking the Republican nomination for president, said he will remove the current heads of the Justice Department and FBI if elected to the White House. During Tuesdays town hall forum hosted by Sean Hannity of Fox News, Scott was asked about his opinion on the plea deal that Hunter Biden agreed to earlier that day. Under his deal with the Justice Department, Hunter Biden, who has been under federal investigation since 2018, is able to avoid jail time by pleading guilty to two tax misdemeanors and entering a probation agreement for a felony gun possession charge. Many Republicans criticized the deal as letting Hunter Biden off easy, a stark contrast to the legal treatment former president and Republican 2024 frontrunner Donald Trump has received. Sad to say, I dont believe right now in America that we have equal justice under law or equal application of our laws, Hannity said in his opening question. I worry if we dont have equal justice. We all know this, that the Big Guy has some explaining to do, without any question, Scott replied, referring to what President Joe Biden was called by an executive of Ukrainian energy company Burisma, where Hunter Biden was hired to serve on its advisory board from 2014 to 2019 despite having no experience in the energy industry. We cannot be the city on the hill if we are not first a nation of law and justice, he continued. We cannot fulfill our destiny as America if we do not have the Lady of Justice wearing a blindfold. Scott moved on to say that the public should thank Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) for keeping the pressure on the ongoing investigation into the Biden family. Last month, Grassley and Comer demanded that the FBI provide a document detailing what they call a criminal scheme involving Joe Biden when he was vice president. In response to the demand, an FBI official told the senators that the agency would begin the constitutionally mandated accommodation process, but did not provide the document or confirm whether it exists, saying that the mere existence of such a document would establish little beyond the fact that a confidential human source provided information and the FBI recorded it. Scott vowed to complete the probe during his presidency, if Grassley and Comer dont complete it before then. If they cant finish their investigation, President Tim Scott will finish it, Scott told a cheering audience. We are going to fire Joe Biden, and then we are going to fire [Attorney General] Merrick Garland and fire [FBI Director] Christoper Wray, and we are going to restore confidence and integrity in our Department of Justice. Scott pointed to the Justice Departments targeting of pro-life activists and the tagging of parents who speak against at school board meetings about their childrens education as a domestic threat in FBIs database. It is unacceptable and un-American to weaponize the Department of Justice against your political opponents, he said. Republican Contenders on DOJ Tim Scott is not the first 2024 Republican nomination contender to promise changes to the Justice Departments leadership. Last month, during his Twitter-broadcasted presidential campaign announcement, GOP 2024 candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would not keep Chris Wray as director of the FBI. Therell be a new one on day one, the governor said. The DOJ and FBI have lost their way. In terms of an attorney general, you need someone thats got a really strong backbone, DeSantis added. You need somebody that knows youre going in there and youre taking care of business. The Washington Post is not going to like you, New York Times is not going to like you, youre going to get attacked by CNN, and you got to wear that as a badge of honor. You cant try to please polite society because otherwise, youll just get captured by the institution itself. Meanwhile, candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is advocating for the FBIs dissolution, arguing that the agency has become too corrupt to be saved. Thats the same Edgar J. Hoover FBI that actually wrongfully spied on Martin Luther King [Jr.] that denied him concealed carry permit. Thats the same FBI that today engages in political behaviors often targeted against conservatives, Ramaswamy said last month at a town hall event hosted by WMUR, an ABC affiliate in New Hampshire. We should want a federal law enforcement agency that doesnt pay attention to politics at all but just enforces the law, he said. Build a federal law enforcement apparatus that respects the law instead of making it up, but do it in a way that doesnt put Americans at risk. Senate Democrats Shoot Down Measure to Block Biden Pistol Brace Rule The Senate on Thursday shot down a Republican-backed joint resolution that disapproves the Biden administrations new rule on pistol braces. The resolution, originally sponsored by 182 Republican members of Congress, passed the House last week by a largely party-line vote of 219-210. It failed by one vote, 49-50, in the Senate. The measure would have nullified a rule finalized in January by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which mandated gun owners across the nation to register their AR-15-style pistols before June 1. Under the rule, AR pistols fitted with arm braces that could potentially allow the weapon to be fired from the shoulder are now classified as short-barreled rifles regulated by the National Firearm Act and must be registered as such. The ATF tells Americans possessing such weapons that they can also replace the short barrel with a 16-inch or longer one, destroy the brace, or even forfeit or destroy the weapon. Those who fail to comply with the regulation by the June 1 deadline can face felony charges, punishable by up to 10 years in jail or $10,000 in fines or both, according to ATF. Republicans and Second Amendment advocacy groups have fiercely opposed the ATF rule since its proposal in 2021, arguing that it would turn millions of otherwise law-abiding Americans into federal felons unless and until they submit themselves to a long, expensive, and red tape-plagued process or destroy the accessory they legally obtained in the first place. During Thursdays debate, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) brought a pistol brace to the Senate floor to demonstrate how it is supposed to be used. He argued that the device is designed to simply help people who have disabilitiesparticularly handicapped military veteransbetter defend themselves. Some studies have shown that there are as many as 40 million pistol braces in the United States that President Biden wants to outlaw, Kennedy said. Virtually all of them are owned by law-abiding citizens. A regulatory agency like the ATF does not have the power under our Constitution to decide major questions like banning pistol braces unless Congress says its OK, he argued. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) condemned the regulation as an unconstitutional power grab that uniquely impacts our nations disabled veterans. For some of these individuals who risked their lives for freedoms, for our freedoms, a pistol brace is the only option for safe and effective firearm use, Marshall said. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) denounced the Republicans for supporting the joint resolution, claiming that pistol braces are deadly devices that can modify an AK-style pistol into something that looks like a machine gun, which an assailant could use to commit mass shootings. At issue is a commonsense rule released by the ATF regulating the use of pistol braceswidely available accessories that modify AK-style pistols so that they function identically to short-barreled rifles, Schumer said in his Senate floor speech. If youve ever seen a gunman fire what looks like a machine gun with one hand, thats what pistol braces allow you to do. Todays Republican push to ease access to deadly pistol braces is an insult to countless families who have lost loved ones because of these enhanced weapons. This proposal is a shameful, shameful step backward in Americas fight against gun violence, Schumer continued, describing the Republicans effort as utterly confounding. Biden, whose son Hunter this week admitted to illegally possessing a gun while a drug user, pledged last month to veto the joint resolution had it passed the Senate. This Administration has no higher priority than keeping the American people safe, which is jeopardized with a vote in support of a resolution that makes it easier for mass shooters to obtain these deadly weapons, the White House said. Senate Votes Ratify US-Chile Tax Treaty, Securing American Lithium Access Aerial view of brine ponds and processing areas of the lithium mine of the Chilean company SQM (Sociedad Quimica y Minera) in the Atacama Desert, Calama, Chile, on Sept. 12, 2022. (Martin Bernetti / AFP) It was a landslide final vote in the Senate on June 22, which favored ratification of the critical U.S.-Chile tax treaty. One day prior, the legislative body surpassed the two-thirds supermajority required to approve treaties at 952. The U.S.-Chile tax treaty has been in the works since 2010, but clearing the final legislative hurdles this week was a buzzer-beater for U.S. companies operating in the South American nation. Otherwise, Chiles government would enforce up to a 47 percent tax rate on existing mining operations, challenging current projects to remain solvent amid lingering uncertainty surrounding access to the countrys rich lithium and copper reserves. The initial draft of the treaty failed to clear the necessary Senate votes due to opposition led by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who raised concerns over some aspects of the legislation that would facilitate information security risks for U.S. citizens with foreign tax officials. Paul and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) were the only no votes in the final round. Once ratified by President Joe Biden, Chile will be the third Latin American nation to have a double tax treaty with the United States. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) extolled the legislation. Chile is the home to the worlds largest lithium reserves, the precious metal used in emerging technologies like iPhones, EV batteries, and renewable energy storage. So, as the world races to advance clean energy technologies, Chile will be a critical ally for anyone looking to lead the way. The U.S.-Chile treaty is consistent with other tax treaties we have with more than 60 countries, which boosts American competitiveness on the global stage. Chilean Congress approved the treaty in 2015. Benefits include an investment boost between nations, a reduction in what Chile pays in withholding tax rates on interest payments and royalties. It also slashes the Chilean capital gains tax rate. This is critical since American mining operations in Chile are substantial. Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. out of Arizona, and the North Carolina-based Albemarle Corporation, are the leading U.S. mining extraction companies. Chiles tax reform passed the lower house of Congress in May, which seeks to generate millions in additional government revenue. The initial tax hike applies to large-scale copper operations producing more than 80,000 tons yearly. However, the reform is expected to extend to lithium and other commercial mineral projects within the sector. In May, Chiles Minister of Finance, Mario Marcel, lauded the higher tax rates as a means of preventing resource exploitation. With this legislation, we seek to avoid what happened many times with our countrys natural riches: they were exploited, they disappeared, which left very little for the country and its future development. he said. In addition to lithium, Chile is also the worlds largest copper producer. Washingtons steps to gain a competitive edge over China for access to South Americas vast mineral wealth couldnt be more timely. Beijing has been currying favor among governments in Latin Americas resource-rich countries, including Chile, for years with its alleged checkbook diplomacy. It occurs amidst the backdrop of Bidens push to ramp up U.S. electric battery production for cars. This creates increased competition with China for lithium access in places like Chile and Mexico, both of which are acutely aware of the soaring demand for lithium or white gold. Riding this wave, Chile unveiled plans to expand its lithium sector back in April. Senators Introduce Bill Restricting Retired Military From Working for Foreign Powers Two top senators introduced a new legislation on June 20 that, if made into law, would require public reporting on retired U.S. service members working as consultants and contractors for foreign governments and creating civil penalties if they break the law. The bipartisan Retired Officers Conflict of Interest Act, co-sponsored by senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), would amend current law to impose more stringent review guidelines for the State Department and military service. The new constraints include a prohibition on service members negotiating a post-retirement job with foreign governments while still on active duty; public reporting of the name, job duties, and salaries of a person approved to work for a foreign government; a 30-month gap after retirement before military intelligence personnel can work for another country other than close allies; and higher financial penalties for those who violate the law. Under federal law, retired troops require approval from their branch of the armed forces and the State Department before they can work for foreign governments. Any service member who fails to secure such approval risks losing retirement pay. The Department of Defense is letting too many retired military officers trade their military service and experience to foreign governments for cash, creating serious risks to our national security, said Warren, who chairs the Senate Armed Services personnel subcommittee, in a statement. This system needs serious transparency and accountabilityand my bipartisan bill will do just that by requiring public reporting on service members working for foreign governments and putting real penalties in place if they break the law. The lawmakers acted in response to a Washington Post report last year that found more than 500 retired U.S. military personnel, including generals and admirals, had taken lucrative jobs with foreign governments since 2015. The Post found that approval is almost automatic, with about 95 percent of applications being granted authorization. The Post had to sue the Army, the Air Force, the Navy, the Marine Corps and the State Department in federal court to obtain more than 4,000 pages of documents that shed light on the matter. Its no surprise that foreign governments would wish to capitalize on the knowledge and expertise of retired U.S. military members, but its critical to our national security that we be judicious in how we allow other countries to leverage their skills and experience. Unfortunately weve seen that the current safeguards arent sufficient. This bipartisan proposal seeks to improve compliance through additional transparency and new penalties, said Grassley, the senior Republican on the Senate Budget Committee. Previously, Warren and Grassley requested in November 2022 that the Department 0f Defense (DoD) provide a list of retired officials who had requested permission to work for foreign countries. When the agency returned with a heavily redacted response, they responded in an April letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin that such information should be public. Congress and the public have a right to know which former DoD personnel have applied for approval to work, or who are currently working, for foreign governments, regardless of their rank, Warren and Grassley told Austin at the time. Separately, the U.S. Department of Commerce recently added dozens of China-based and other firms to its Entity list (pdf), citing concerns regarding national security and foreign policy risks. They were sanctioned for providing training to Chinese military pilots using Western and NATO sources, the department stated. The agency deemed these activities as contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. Hannah Ng contributed to this report. Several US Agencies Set Up New Crypto Task Force in Arizona to Combat Illegal Online Activity A visual representation of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency is pictured in London on May 30, 2021. (Edward Smith/Getty Images) Federal agencies have joined forces to combat crimes involving cryptocurrencies in Arizona after seeing an increase in digital transactions related to narcotics, firearms, and other illicit activity. On June 15, Homeland Security Investigations in Arizona and representatives from four other federal agencies signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the Darknet Marketplace and Digital Currency Crimes Task Force, according to a June 20 press release by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The other agencies who signed the agreement are the IRS, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. Over the past several years, federal agencies have seen an increase in the use of the internet to facilitate illegal transactions involving narcotics, personal information, firearms, and other contraband, the report said, adding that the use of digital currency to facilitate these transactions has also risen. The task force aims to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations that exploit the appearance of anonymity on the darknet or use digital currency to facilitate criminal activities, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, theft of personal information, and child exploitation. The new task force is expected to serve the needs of Arizona. Darknets are internet-based networks that require special software and authorization to access. Theyre designed to provide anonymity, making them a haven for criminal activity. Illicit Crypto Activity According to a February 2023 report by forensic cryptocurrency firm Chainalysis (pdf), the illicit transaction volume in the cryptocurrency market rose to $20.6 billion in 2022 from $18.1 billion in 2021 and $8.4 billion in 2020. The share of illicit activity in the overall cryptocurrency activity stood at 0.24 percent. Although this is the second-lowest number in six years, it is up from 0.12 percent in 2021. Darknet markets and fraud shops made an estimated $1.5 billion in 2022, down from $3.1 billion in 2021, the report said. The reason for the drop is attributed to the shutdown of Hydra Market, a leading darknet marketplace. Hydras closure prompted a sector-wide decline in darknet market revenues, with average daily revenue for all markets falling from $4.2 million just prior to its closure and to $447,000 immediately after. While drug markets collective revenue hasnt recovered fully, it climbed slowly back toward previous levels in the second half of 2022. Fraud shops, however, have continued to decline, the report said. When it comes to scams, U.S. victims of cryptocurrency scams lost five times more money in 2022 compared to other types of internet crimes, according to a June 6 study by cybersecurity company Surfshark. Each American victim is estimated to have lost an average of $86,000 per year due to cryptocurrency scams compared to the average loss of $16,000 per year in scams involving traditional payment methods. In total, over $2.3 billion worth of cryptocurrencies are calculated to have been lost to internet crimes across the United States last year. Crypto Use by Sanctioned Entities The Chainalysis report also pointed out that 43 percent of 2022s illicit transaction volume came from activity associated with sanctioned entities. It gave the example of cryptocurrency exchange Garantex, which accounted for the majority of the sanctions-related transaction volume last year. The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Garantex in April 2022, but as a Russia-based business, the exchange has been able to continue operating with impunity, the report said. Transactions associated with Garantex or any other sanctioned crypto service represent, at the very least, substantial compliance risk for businesses that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction, including fines and potential criminal charges. Americas rivals like China and North Korea also use cryptocurrency for illicit activities. A June 11 report from The Wall Street Journal claimed that North Korea stole more than $3 billion in cryptocurrency and used it to fund about half of its ballistic missile program. A May 23 report by Elliptic highlighted Chinas use of cryptocurrencies in its fentanyl trafficking operations. Elliptics blockchain analysis shows that the cryptocurrency wallets used by these [Chinese fentanyl precursor] companies have received thousands of payments, totaling just over $27 million, and that the number of transactions has increased by 450 percent year-on-year, the study said. $27 million would purchase enough precursor to produce fentanyl pills with a street value of approximately $54 billion, it said. Special Counsel John Durham, Rep. Adam Schiff Clash Over 2016 Trump Tower Meeting Special counsel John Durham leafs through his report while testifying to the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on June 21, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) challenged special counsel John Durham during a Wednesday congressional hearing, as Durham defended a recent report he issued that criticized the FBIs handling of a 2016 investigation into then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. During a congressional hearing on Wednesday, Durham detailed his findings from the special counsel report he released last month and defended the reports conclusion that the FBI should not have launched its 2016 investigation into Trump. As Durham addresses his conclusions, Schiff opened up a line of questioning about a June 9, 2016, meeting at Trump Tower involving Trumps son Donald Trump Jr.; his son-in-law Jared Kushner; his campaign manager Paul Manafort; and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya. On June 3, 2016, publicist Rob Goldstone emailed Trump Jr., claiming he had incriminating information against then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Trumps 2016 rival. Trump Jr. and Goldstone continued to communicate at several points between June 3 and the June 9, 2016, meeting. Don Jr. was informed that a Russian official was offering the Trump campaign very high-level and sensitive information that would be incriminating of Hillary Clinton and was part of Russia and its government support of Mr. Trump. Are you aware of that? Schiff asked Durham. People get phone calls all the time from individuals who claim to have information like that, Durham replied. Really? The son of a presidential candidate gets calls all the time from a foreign government offering dirt on their opponent? Is that what youre saying? Schiff replied. I dont think this is unique in your experience, Durham responded. Durhams comment may have been in reference to an incident in which Schiff spoke with Russian prank callers who posed as Ukrainian Parliament Speaker Andriy Parubiy and claimed to have compromising photos of Trump in a state of undress. A spokesperson for Schiffs office confirmed the prank call did occur and said they notified law enforcement personnel before and after the call. Obviously, it was boguswhich became even more evident during the callbut as with any investigation that is global in scale, we have to chase any number of leads, many of which turn out to be duds, Schiffs spokesperson told the Daily Mail in 2018. The 2018 prank call incident was referenced in a 2019 Republican resolution seeking to censure Schiff. The censure resolution was shelved by the then-Democratic majority House. Trump Tower Meeting As Durham and Schiff continued to discuss the controversial 2016 Trump Tower meeting, Durham noted that while incriminating information was offered to the Trump team ahead of the meeting, that information never materialized during the actual meeting. Im not trying to diminish it at all, but I think the more complete story is that [Trump Jr. met with Veselnitskaya] and it was a ruse and they didnt talk about Mrs. Clinton, Durham said Wednesday. Trump Jr. released his email exchange with Goldstone in 2017 and said Veselnitskaya had denied having connections to the Russian government. Trump Jr. said Veselnitskaya provided no information about Clinton during their 2016 Trump Tower meeting and instead chose to talk about adoption laws and a sanctions law known as the Magnitsky Act. It became clear to me that this was the true agenda all along and that the claims of potentially helpful information were a pretext for the meeting, Trump Jr. said in a 2017 statement. While Veselnitskaya has denied having connections to the Russian government, she did meet with Glen Simpson before and after the Trump Tower meeting. Simpson is the founder of Fusion GPS, an opposition research firm that hired former British spy Christopher Steele to compile a dossier of negative allegations against the Trump campaign. According to the Durham report (pdf), the Steele Dossier was used to justify aspects of the FBIs 2016 investigation into the Trump campaign, such as a surveillance warrant application against Trump campaign foreign policy adviser Carter Page. Durham: Meeting Not Illegal Schiff pushed back after Durham described the 2016 Trump Tower meeting with Veselnitskaya as a ruse. You think its insignificant that he had a secret meeting with a Russian delegation for the purpose of getting dirt on Hillary Clinton? And the only disappointment expressed in the meeting was that the dirt they got wasnt better. You dont think thats significant? Schiff asked. Durham replied to Schiff saying Trump Jr.s decision to take the meeting was ill-advised but it was not illegal. Well, it is illegal to conspire to get incriminating opposition research from a hostile government that is of financial value to a campaign. Wouldnt that violate campaign laws? Schiff asked. I dont know all those facts to be true, Durham replied. Whether or not a political campaign can receive opposition research from a foreign entity is a subject of legal debate. Campaign finance law prohibits foreign nationals from making a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State, or local election; or a contribution or donation to a committee of a political party. Campaigns, similarly, cannot solicit, accept, or receive such contributions or donations. An October 2019 report by the Congressional Research Service, by contrast, states the rules governing uncompensated services related to opposition research and the sharing of negative information about domestic candidates remain murky. From NTD News Suddenly, School Choice: Its Rapid Post-Pandemic Expansion Sets Up a Big Pass/Fail Test for Education News Analysis A growing number of states are adopting a comprehensive new type of school choice program that would pose a threat to public schools if many students were to leave them for a private education. Eight statesincluding Arizona, Florida, Indiana, and West Virginiahave approved universal or near-universal school choice laws since 2021. They open the door completely to school choice by making all students, including those already in private schools and from wealthy families, eligible for about $7,000 to $10,000 in state funding each year for their education. Whats more, most of these states have also enacted education savings accounts, or ESAs. They give families much more freedom than traditional tuition vouchers, depositing state funds into private accounts to spend on virtually anything related to learning, from homeschooling and online classes to therapy and supplies. The universal laws amount to a bracing change in school choice. Such programs have existed for decades but until now have been limited to a narrow set of students, such as those from low-income families, or in poor performing public schools, or in need of special education. By making all students eligible, regardless of their ability to pay for a private education, universal programs in the eight states expand the pool of possible participants by about 4 million students, according to an estimate by EdChoice, an advocacy group. Thats a 40 percent increase in eligibility since 2021, bringing the total to 13.6 million students after the programs start in the next few years. School choice advocatesled by grassroots conservative Christian groups, big money political lobbies like American Federation for Children, and education nonprofits like EdChoicecall the universal programs a major milestone in their long and contentious battle for parental rights. They argue that parents, not the government, are best suited to direct the education of their children and should receive taxpayer support to do so as a competitive check on public schools they also pay for but consider failing or inadequate. But over the years, school choice has suffered from a low participation rate, with fewer than 1 million students partaking in state programs today, mostly to attend religious schools, in a nation with about 50 million public school students. The big question is whether universal laws, paired with the flexibility of ESAs to customized learning, will spur a major exodus to private schooling. Universal choice is really a significant move beyond the existing programs we have now, says Professor Patrick Wolf at the University of Arkansas, who has studied school choice for 25 years. In terms of regulating education providers, this is a much stronger move into the free-market provision of K-12. Why Now? This sudden success reflects both long-term trends and recent events. Americans satisfaction in public education has slowly eroded over the last two decades. And during the pandemic, student test scores in math and English plummeted as a result of ineffective remote learning, with satisfaction dropping sharply from a majority before COVID to a mere 42 percent last year, according to Gallup. Advocates in Republican-controlled states seized the opportunity created by COVID, when teachers unions blocked the reopening of schools, spurring parents to search for educational options, including homeschooling, to keep their kids from falling behind. Parents saw there were many ways to educate kids, says Robert Enlow, president of EdChoice. It opened up a world of possibilities for them. At the same time, the spread of a woke curriculum following the police murder of George Floyd in 2020 provided some parents with another reason to seek alternatives to public schools. In cities from Seattle to Buffalo, students have been taught a version of history casting white Americans as privileged oppressors and blacks and Latinos as powerless victims of structural racism. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis made these two related educational crusadescurbing political correctness and passing universal choicehis own in the runup to his campaign for president. In 2022 he spearheaded a Florida ban on teaching that America is racist at its core, and also won restrictions on instruction about sexual orientation and gender identityprohibitions embraced by several other states as well. Then earlier this year, DeSantis won legislative approval of a universal law, making Florida the largest state to adopt school choice for all. But just as progressives have embraced a race- and transgender-conscious agenda that has spurred a backlash in many states, the universal choice program pushed by conservatives is stirring much controversy, too. In addition to solid opposition from Democrats, who fear a flight of students and funding from public schools, some Republicans, particularly in rural areas, also object to the costs of giving taxpayer dollars to wealthy families to pay for private schooling. Although Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Utah have joined the four other red states in approving universal choice, Republicans in Texas have joined Democrats in blocking efforts to pass it, suggesting the program may have limited room to run nationwide. Universal choice is also untested. Parents looking to control their kids education could find themselves in the dark because theres little publicly available information about the quality of private and religious education. Homeschools and various types of private instruction are mostly unregulated and dont require teacher credentialing or student testing in many states, leaving parents without objective ways to evaluate them. At public schools, at least parents have an inkling, based on public test score data, of what to expect. Academic research can only hint at the value of universal choice programs, which have never been studied. The exhaustive research on restricted school choice has shown neutral to negative effects on test scores in statewide programs, which include middle-income students. But the programs have had clear positive benefits on scores for low-income students in particular and have improved high school graduation and college admission rates for some students. Universal choice is a great leap into the unknown, says Professor Wolf. Parents are experts on their childs needs, but parents are not experts on private educational providers. They need accurate and complete information about them. The Godfather of Universal Choice Milton Friedman, who won the Nobel Prize for economics, is considered the first prominent proponent of universal choice, bringing his theory of efficient competitive markets to education in a 1955 paper. He and his wife Rose later started a foundation for educational choice in their names that morphed in 2016 into EdChoice. Friedman said you cant create opportunity and access for people unless you give everyone choices in a marketplace, says Enlow of EdChoice. If you really had a competitive marketplace that included public, private, charter, and other school options, many new schools would spring up and it would have a positive impact on education. While true believers have always embraced Friedmans idea, it didnt gain traction in a nation where harried working parents have long accepted government-run public education and many have embraced it to promote equality. Critics said Friedmans belief that all student boats would rise in a free market of schools was naive. Students in families without enough information or experience to pick the best schools and those gullible enough to be deceived by unscrupulous operators would not fare well in an unregulated marketplace, says Chester Finn, a leading education scholar and president emeritus at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, which supports school choice. What first emerged in the 1990s were choice programs limited to students who needed special services or were trapped in poor performing schools, particularly in urban areas like Milwaukee, site of the first school choice voucher program. Slowly, the number has expanded to about 78 programs, which provide vouchers, tax credits, and ESAs in 32 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, according to EdChoice. States have financial incentives to adopt these restricted programs: Under certain conditions, they generate savings for taxpayers, according to a study by Martin Lueken, director of EdChoices fiscal research and education center. When public school students enroll in choice programs to pay for a private education, they generally receive access to about 90 percent of what the state would have allotted to their district per pupil. But they dont get any of the local and federal funding for public schools. So, on average, state funding per pupil for choice programs is only 36 percent of the total per-pupil funding for public schools, saving states billions of dollars, according to Lueken. Limited Appeal But despite the availability of choice programs stretching from Maine to Florida to Nevada, participation hasnt taken off. On average less than 3 percent of eligible students actually sign up for school choice after 10 years, according to another study by Lueken. Why such low participation? Wolf says parents are cautious when it comes to their childs education and will only switch to a private option when they are convinced that it will produce a better academic or social outcome. And many families are simply unaware of the availability of choice programs, according to surveys. The upshot is that, despite the political acrimony around school choice, its not yet eroding public schools funding. Although teachers unions repeatedly make that claim in opposing school choice laws, a significant student exodus from public schools has yet to materialize. The notion that choice harms public schools by draining resources from them doesnt hold water, Lueken says. If choice harms students who remain in public schools, then we would expect to see outcomes diminish for those students after choice enters the picture. But thats not the case. Choice programs in some cases appear to benefit public schools. The competition for students that choice programs create has produced small improvements in public school achievement, according to a 2019 meta-analysis of 92 studies, perhaps by prompting administrators to make changes in instruction. Expanded Participation Takes Off Universal laws, which hold the potential to significantly expand the number of students who participate in choice programs, were the work of many advocacy groups. Christian conservatives, who have been at the forefront of the movement, rallied the grassroots in Arizona and other states. EdChoice, which collects data and produces policy research papers, informed local advocates on the fiscal and academic effects of universal programs. And the American Legislative Exchange Council, a free-market advocate, provided lawmakers with model legislation to customize for their states. Perhaps the most important role was played by the American Federation for Children (AFC), a conservative campaign finance and advocacy group founded by billionaire and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. It provided the crucial legislative arm twisting. AFC didnt hesitate to target Republicans who opposed the universal programs. Rural Republicans in general remain committed to public education because there are few if any private schools in their districts. Some suburban Republicans in areas with good public schools also dont see the need for universal choice. The lobby group spent $9 million across its affiliates in elections in 2022, its biggest election year investment ever. AFC won 76 percent of more than 350 state legislative races in which it engaged, and took out 40 anti-school choice lawmakers in the process, Tommy Schultz, the head of AFC, said in an email. Every lawmaker across the country should know that they need to listen to the demands of families, or else theyll face the consequences in their next election, Schultz said. But AFCs hardball tactics backfired in Georgia, where voters received its mailers in 2022 associating their Republican lawmakers with the radical left if they didnt support a choice proposal, according to a local media report. The mailers incensed rural Republicans who defeated a choice measure the following year. In Arizona, a key early battleground state for universal choice, a proposal in the House last year needed the support of almost every Republican. With little room for defections, AFCs Arizona PAC poured $575,000 into the state, according to Transparency USA. Some moderate Republicans told me they were under extreme pressure to vote for universal ESAs, says Beth Lewis, a former public school teacher and director of Save Our Schools Arizona, an influential opposition group. They were hearing from AFC that the group would spend big against them in the upcoming primaries if they didnt vote for it. And they made good on the threats. However, to win the support of the final few GOP holdouts, the Republican-controlled legislature also had to significantly boost spending on public schools by $1 billion in a state with nearly the lowest per-pupil allocation to education in the country. Arizona Republicans kicked off a pattern of boosting public school funding in tandem with passing universal choice laws that has been repeated in almost all of the eight states. The Cost of Choice The bigger issue for Republicans who back universal choice is the cost of the program itself. Universal choice can be expensive because students already in private school at no cost to the state are allowed to sign up in large numbers. This is a new education expense for taxpayers that doesnt exist in the older choice programs restricted to public school students, in which the state essentially transfers funding from public to private schools. Enlow defends state funding for kids already in private school, even those from Americas richest families. He says since the state is willing to pay for the children of billionaires to go to public schools, it should also pay for them to go to private schools if thats what families want. But other school choice supporters disagree. Im not against helping middle class families with private school tuition, says Finn of the Fordham Institute. I am against asserting that everybody, including the grandchildren of Bill Gates and children of Mark Zuckerberg, should be given public dollars to educate their kids. Thats not a good use of public dollars. Arizona, which has finished its first full year of universal choice, shows how the costs of the program can escalate. A legislative committee in Arizona initially said the universal program would increase general fund costs by about $33 million this year and $64 million in 2024. It added that this estimate was highly speculative since officials couldnt determine how many of the states 60,000 private schoolers would enroll in universal choice to pay their tuition. Those estimates were used to sell the program to lawmakers as affordable, but the numbers are now considered nonsense. The price tag quickly skyrocketed into the hundreds of millions of dollars. It turns out that half of the 58,000 students who enrolled were already in private school, thanks in part to advertising by the private schools and AFC encouraging them to take advantage of the funding. The Arizona Department of Education said in May it anticipates a total of 100,000 enrollees next year, or about 9 percent of all K-12 students. If half of those students are already in private school, it could cost the state about $450 million next year to pay their tuition, according to this reporters calculations. Thats seven times the initial government estimate. Arizona Republicans support the funding increase as the price of providing universal choice for all families. Democrats tried unsuccessfully to cap the number of participates, and in a bit of hyperbole, claim the rising costs will bankrupt the state. But universal choice could create pressure to cut other programs. Without a cap, the program is placing Arizona at a significant financial risk, says Democratic Senator Christine Marsh. To be giving away these tax dollars to families who can already afford private school when we have so many other needs, like our homeless situation, is irresponsible. With an eye on Arizona, Republicans in other universal choice states have sought to contain costs. While Indiana is budgeting $500 million for its program, Utah is capping costs at $42 million a year. Oklahoma set up funding tiers based on income, giving households making more than $250,000 a year a smaller tax credit than those making less than $75,000. All Eyes on Texas Will more states join the universal choice parade this year? Schultz of AFC thinks so. He said Texas is one of the additional states with the best chance of passing massive legislation in 2023. With more than 5 million K-12 students, Texas would be the biggest prize so far. But rural Republicans in the state have thwarted their own party leader, Gov. Greg Abbott, in his full-throttle push for universal choice. Abbott now appears to be making good on his threat to call a special session this year to muscle a program through the legislature. In states with universal programs, Wolf at Arkansas foresees a gradual increase in the number of students who participate, eventually attracting 15 percent to 20 percent of all students in a state. That wouldnt be the end of public schools, but it would mark a significant increase in the number of students who choose their own educational path with the support of the state. From RealClearInvestigations Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Almost exactly one year ago, the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a monumental ruling on American gun rightsa ruling that has spawned hundreds of lawsuits across the nation, aiming to peel back decades of anti-gun legislation. And those lawsuits are beginning to actually bear fruitmeaning that advocates of gun rights are beginning to win. Episode Resources: ? National Assoc for Gun Rights: https://ept.ms/3Pr81P0 ? Lawsuits: https://ept.ms/42RhhyP ? Colorado Court Order: https://ept.ms/43TO4oa ? Bruen Decision: https://ept.ms/3pgJ3Hj ? Heller Decision: https://ept.ms/3pfn3MW In this in-depth article, we'll list the top countries producing rare earth metals to see how they are impacting this market. If you want to skip the detailed knowledge of rare earth metals' use, market trends, and mining developments, read Rare Earth Metals Production By Country: Top 5 Countries. China leads the pack with regard to rare earth metals production by country and will stay ahead of others in the foreseeable future. Other leading producers of rare earth metals are the United States, Australia, Myanmar, and Thailand, among others. Where China accounts for 70% of the global production of rare earth metals, the United States, Australia, and Myanmar collectively make up 24% of the world's total throughput of rare earth metals. Rare earth metals comprise a group of 17 chemically similar metallic elements, including the 15 lanthanides, along with scandium and yttrium. REEs are used in consumer electronics, renewable energy systems, and military equipment. Moreover, certain REEs like neodymium and dysprosium are used to manufacture permanent magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicles. High heat resistance, electrochemical and magnetic characteristics, and specific luminescent properties of rare earth metals make them useful in an array of advanced technological fields. For instance, REEs are integral to the production of high-strength magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicles, thereby playing a crucial role in green energy solutions. Their magnetic properties also serve a vital role in miniaturizing components in digital technology, like hard drives, smartphones, and other electronic devices. If you want to invest in profitable metal businesses, learn more about the 11 Best Metal Stocks To Buy Now and strengthen your investment strategy. Which Country Is The Largest Producer Of Rare Earth Metals? China is the largest global producer of rare earth metals. China generated approximately 0.21 million metric tons of these elements in 2022. Further, China possesses 44 million metric tons of reserves of rare earth elements, which are yet to be exploited. So doubtlessly, China is the largest producer of rare earth metals, owing to its diverse mining sector and geological treasure. Where Are Rare Earth Metals Found In The World? The primary global source of REEs is China, which accounts for approximately 70% of the global REEs mining output. China's dominance in rare earth metal production by country comes largely from the Bayan Obo Mining District in Inner Mongolia, the world's largest known REEs deposit. Outside of China, the Mountain Pass Mine, situated in southeastern California, is the primary rare earth metal deposit in the United States. Moreover, the Mount Weld Mine in Australia represents a significant source of REEs in the country. Exploration efforts have also identified substantial REEs deposits in Canada (8.3 million metric ton reserves), South Africa (0.79 million metric ton reserves), Tanzania (0.89 million metric ton reserves), and Greenland (1.5 million metric ton reserves of REEs), among others. However, these countries are not actively mining REEs because of the complexity of extraction and separation processes, alongside environmental considerations and cost-prohibitiveness. What Is The Main Issue With Rare Earth Extraction? Irrespective of their name, rare earths are relatively abundant within the Earth's crust. However, they're often found dispersed in low concentrations. Therefore, their extraction and processing are economically challenging and environmentally detrimental. As the widespread distribution necessitates large-scale and invasive mining operations to obtain economically viable quantities, it results in high extraction costs. Further, the scatter and consequent low concentration make rare earth deposits less commercially viable to mine compared to other minerals, as more extensive energy and resources are required for extraction and subsequent refinement. Another chief issue in rare earth extraction is the extensive environmental degradation and public health risks it poses. Most extraction methods consist of significant physical disruption of landscapes through open-pit mining and create large quantities of waste material. Rare earths refinement is an energy-intensive and chemically complex process involving hazardous substances like concentrated acids. Accidental leaks or inappropriate disposal of these substances can lead to devastating ecological impacts and human health hazards. One infamous example is the Bayan Obo mining district in China which has witnessed severe groundwater contamination and associated health risks. The Financial Side of Rare Earth Metals The rare earth metals industry was valued at $7 billion in 2021. Moreover, forecasts predict this market will reach $15 billion by 2030, advancing at a solid CAGR of 9.1%, indicating rapidly increasing demand. Such growth stems from the role these metals play in advanced technology applications like renewable energy, electronics, and defense technologies, among others. Furthermore, the world trade value for rare earth metals was reported to be approximately $2.71 billion in 2021. Burma (Myanmar), despite its complex socio-political landscape, surfaced as the top exporter of rare earth metals in 2021, with net exports valued at around $803 million. Since the country has abundant rare earth reserves and is possibly aided by foreign investment, it's a leading exporter of REEs. Conversely, China, despite being the largest producer of rare earth metals, was the largest importer of these resources in 2021, as its net imports were valued at an identical figure to the global trade value of $2.71 billion. Such intense imports of rare earth elements might appear paradoxical at first, but it can be rationalized by analyzing China's domestic and international strategic policies. Major Rare Earth Mining Companies and Stocks Energy Fuels Inc (NYSE:UUUU) is a leading US uranium company with a current current market cap of $1.01 billion that works in the uranium supply line for nuclear facilities. And since uranium is also present as a by-product in rare earth metals, Energy Fuels Inc (NYSE:UUUU) is expanding its REE (rare earth element) capabilities. In 2021, Energy Fuels Inc (NYSE:UUUU) sold its three wholly owned subsidiaries to enCore Energy for $120 million. Energy Fuels Inc (NYSE American:UUUU) aims to utilize this cash to expand its REE, uranium, vanadium, and medical isotope business plans for the next two to three years. Moreover, Mp Materials Corp (NYSE:MP) is the biggest producer of rare earth metals outside China. The company focuses on high-purity separated neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) oxide. The market cap of Mp Materials Corp (NYSE:MP), as of the writing of this article, is $4.044 billion, which is substantial given the curtailed market footprint of REEs. Mp Materials Corp (NYSE:MP) operates Mountain Pass, which is the only integrated rare earth mining and processing site in North America. Another REE stock to look out for is Tronox Holdings plc (NYSE:TROX), a manufacturer of virtually integrated titanium dioxide (TiO2), that is used in paints, plastics, and coatings. The current market cap of Tronox Holdings plc (NYSE:TROX) is $2.017 billion, owing to its expansive operations in the US, UK, Africa, and Australia. As rare earth metals are expected to stay in demand, Tronox Holdings plc (NYSE:TROX) is smart to invest in. Rare Earth Metals Production By Country: Top 10 Countries Our Methodology We referred to the 2022 USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries published in 2023 to rank rare earth metals production by country. This document provided credible data on rare earth metals, as USGS is a leading authority in the mining and mineral industry. The 2023 edition provided a country-by-country breakdown of rare earth metals production so we could precisely map global production trends. Our sources for financial data and forecasts about rare earth metals included OECD and MarketWatch, among others. Based on the USGS data, here is rare earth metals production by country: 10. Brazil Rare Earth Metal Mine Production in 2022: 80 metric tons Brazil's rare earth metal production in 2022 was 80 metric tons, making it the 10th largest rare earth metal producing country. This mine yield came down from 500 metric tons and 600 metric tons in 2021 and 2020, respectively. However, this contraction does not reflect a depletion of resources as Brazil has expansive reserves, estimated at approximately 21 million metric tons of rare earth metals. 9. Madagascar Rare Earth Metal Mine Production in 2022: 960 metric tons The island nation of Madagascar registered 960 metric tons of rare earth metal production. While considerable, this output decreased from 3,200 metric tons reported in 2021. This drastic drop in production represents a decrease of over 70% and suggests a consequential shift in Madagascar's mining industry, with potential implications for the global supply chain of these critical components. 8. Russia Rare Earth Metal Mine Production in 2022: 2,600 metric tons When it comes to rare earth metals production by country, Russia ranks eighth on our list. Russia contributed notably to the global supply of rare earth metals by producing 2,600 metric tons in 2022. Notably, this is just a fraction of the country's potential output, owing to its significant reserves. As of recent estimates, Russia harbors 21 million metric ton reserves of these invaluable elements, which will impact the global mining sector in the foreseeable future. 7. India Rare Earth Metal Mine Production in 2022: 2,900 metric tons India is amongst the leading rare earth metals producing countries, owing to its 2,900 metric tons yield in 2022. India's efforts towards locating rare earth elements have resulted in the identification of a considerable reserve of these metals. As per current estimations, India has a stockpile of 6.9 million metric tons of rare earth metals. Given these generous reserves that are yet to be exploited, India is surely a key player in meeting the global demand for rare earth metals. Future trajectories in this field will also significantly influence the global supply chain, given the expanding demand for these vital resources. 6. Vietnam Rare Earth Metal Mine Production in 2022: 4300 metric tons Vietnam's mine throughput for rare earth metals was 4,300 metric tons in 2022, up from a humble mine yield of 400 metric tons in 2021. This achievement shows the country's growing expertise and commitment to rare earth extraction. Concurrently, the country holds substantial potential with an estimated reserve base of 22 million metric tons of these crucial elements, asserting itself as a potential powerhouse in rare earth resources. Click to continue reading Rare Earth Metals Production By Country: Top 5 Countries. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. Rare Earth Metals Production By Country: Top 10 Countries is originally published on Insider Monkey. Supreme Court Rules Against Navajo Nation in Water Dispute A view of the Colorado River from the Navajo Bridge in Marble Canyon, Ariz., on Aug. 31, 2022. (ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) The Supreme Court ruled 54 on June 22 that the federal government has no obligation to help the Navajo Nation gain access to water, finding that a 19th-century treaty with the government imposes no such duty. Oral arguments in the case, which took place on March 20, centered on the Navajo Nations desire to draw water from the Colorado River over the opposition of several thirsty nearby states. The case pits the Navajo Nationa large Indian reservation occupying territory in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utahagainst the states of Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Navajo Nation is one of the largest tribes in the United States, with more than 300,000 enrolled members, roughly 170,000 of whom live on the Navajo reservation created by the treaty. The reservation is one of the largest in the countryabout the size of West Virginiaspanning more than 17 million acres across Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. The decision follows rulings by the high court in other cases involving Native American tribes in recent weeks. On June 16, the court ruled 81 that federal bankruptcy law supersedes tribes sovereign immunity. The day before, the court upheld by 72 the federal Indian Child Welfare Act, a law aimed at preventing non-Indian families from adopting Native American children. The case at hand is actually two proceedings that were consolidated: Arizona v. Navajo Nation (court file 21-1484) and Department of the Interior v. Navajo Nation (court file 22-51). The majority opinion (pdf) was written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Chief Justice John Roberts, along with Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Amy Coney Barrett, joined the opinion. Thomas wrote a separate concurring opinion. Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote a dissenting opinion, which was joined by the three liberal members of the courtJustices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The Merrick Butte in the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Utah, on May 16, 2015. (Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images) Trust Relationship With Native Americans Indian law and water law are complex. The Supreme Court held in United States v. Mitchell (1983) that a general trust relationship between the United States and the Indian people has long existed. That the federal government has a duty to honor its treaty commitments is called the doctrine of trust responsibility. About 100 years ago, an interstate compact spelled out the water rights relating to the Colorado River. The Navajo Nation, based in the arid Western part of the country, said it needed access to the river because many of its members rely on wells for water. The tribe sued in 2003, seeking access to the main section of the river, and litigation has been pursued since then. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled in February 2022 that the tribe could move forward with its lawsuit, which prompted the affected jurisdictions and the federal government to ask the Supreme Court to intervene. The Supreme Court found in Winters v. United States (1908) that creating Indian reservations from land that was part of Indian land cession treaties created Indian water rights. These rights make sure a reservation would have sufficient water to maintain its land, according to a SCOTUSblog summary. Tribes participated in many important settlements in recent decades, but settlements regarding the Colorado River took place before that in an era when the federal government asserted it had the power to decide for tribes what water rights to claim, the summary stated. Writing for the court, Kavanaugh said a treaty from 1868 that ended hostilities between the U.S. government and the Navajo Nation didnt require the government to do anything to help the tribe obtain water. The treaty included provisions about the land, the minerals below its surface, timber, and the right to use needed water on the reservation that was established by the treaty, the justice wrote. The Navajos claim is not that the United States has interfered with their water access. Instead, the Navajos contend that the treaty requires the United States to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Navajosfor example, by assessing the Tribes water needs, developing a plan to secure the needed water, and potentially building pipelines, pumps, wells, or other water infrastructureeither to facilitate better access to water on the reservation or to transport off-reservation water onto the reservation. In light of the treatys text and history, we conclude that the treaty does not require the United States to take those affirmative steps. And it is not the Judiciarys role to rewrite and update this 155-year-old treaty. Rather, Congress and the President may enactand often have enactedlaws to assist the citizens of the western United States, including the Navajos, with their water needs. The Supreme Court reversed the prior decision rendered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. In his concurring opinion, Thomas expressed support for the majority opinion but expressed concerns about the governments trust relationship with Native Americans. The influence of the trust relationship idea on other areas of the law is troubling because it appears to lack any real support in our constitutional system or in history, he wrote. The text of the Constitution (which mentions Indians only in the contexts of commerce and apportionment) is completely silent on any such trust relationship. In future cases, we should clarify the exact status of this amorphous and seemingly ungrounded trust relationship, Thomas wrote. Fight Again Justice Gorsuch wrote in his dissent that the Navajo Nation was making a simple request. The tribe wanted the United States to identify the water rights it holds for them. And if the United States has misappropriated the Navajos [sic] water rights, the Tribe asks it to formulate a plan to stop doing so prospectively. Because there is nothing remarkable about any of this, I would affirm the Ninth Circuits judgment and allow the case to proceed, he wrote. Members of the Navajo Nation have had to fight for their rights for a long time already, but they must fight again for themselves to secure their homeland and all that must necessarily come with it. Supreme Court Rules Green Card Holders Can Be Deported for Obstruction of Justice Justices of the Supreme Court pose for their official photo at the Supreme Court in Washington on Oct. 7, 2022. (Seated from left) Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Samuel Alito and Associate Justice Elena Kagan, (Standing behind from left) Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 22 that obstruction of justice is a serious enough crime to justify the deportation of lawful permanent residentsalso known as green card holderswho have been convicted of it. The somewhat technical new decision is expected to make it easier for the federal government to deport certain lawful U.S. residents convicted of crimes even if they have been living in the country for years. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion in Pugin v. Garland (court file 22-23). Joining the opinion were Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson, and Chief Justice John Roberts. Jackson wrote a separate opinion concurring with the judgment of the court. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote a dissenting opinion that two other justices joined. The case involves Jean Francois Pugin, a citizen of Mauritius who was admitted as a U.S. permanent resident in 1985, and Fernando Cordero-Garcia, a citizen of Mexico who was admitted in 1965. Pugin was convicted under Virginia law of being an accessory after the fact to a felony in 2014. Cordero-Garcia was convicted in 2009 under California law of various offenses, including dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. But a so-called circuit split occurred when federal courts of appeal arrived at opposite conclusions as to whether the individuals actions fell under the definition of an aggravated felony because at the time of the commission of the permanent residents offenses, official investigations related to those crimes were not yet underway. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pursued the removal of both men, arguing they were deportable because they had convictions for aggravated felonies related to obstruction of justice. In both cases, immigration judges and the Board of Immigration Appeals found for DHS. The men appealed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit determined that Pugins conviction constituted an offense related to obstruction of justice. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit went the other way, finding Cordero-Garcias conviction for a kind of witness tampering was not an offense related to obstruction of justice because the California law did not require that an investigation or a legal proceeding was pending at the time the predicate offense was committed. Justice Kavanaugh wrote (pdf) for the majority that federal law provides that noncitizens convicted of an aggravated felony are removable from the United States. The definition of aggravated felony includes federal or state offenses relating to obstruction of justice. The question here is whether an offense relat[es] to obstruction of justice under [the Immigration and Nationality Act, or INA] even if the offense does not require that an investigation or proceeding be pending. That question arises because some obstruction offenses can occur when an investigation or proceeding is not pending, such as threatening a witness to prevent the witness from reporting a crime to the police, Kavanaugh wrote. We conclude that an offense may relat[e] to obstruction of justice under [the INA] even if the offense does not require that an investigation or proceeding be pending. An extensive body of authority on the legal issue, including dictionaries, federal laws, state laws, and the Model Penal Code supports the court majoritys position, the justice wrote. Individuals can obstruct the process of justice even when an investigation or proceeding is not pending. For example, a murderer may threaten to kill a witness if the witness reports information to the police. Such an act is no less obstructive merely because the government has yet to catch on and begin an investigation. As the Solicitor General [Elizabeth Prelogar] persuasively states, one can obstruct the wheels of justice even before the wheels have begun to move; indeed, obstruction of justice is often most effective when it prevents an investigation or proceeding from commencing in the first place. The Supreme Court affirmed the 4th Circuits ruling regarding Pugin and reversed the 9th Circuits decision regarding Cordero-Garcia, remanding the latter case to that circuit court for further proceedings consistent with this opinion. Justice Jackson wrote that she agreed with the majority that the 9th Circuit wrongly embraced a pending-proceeding requirement and that the 4th Circuit rightly rejected any such pending-proceeding requirement. Jackson said there may be a reason why a predicate offense need not have a nexus to a pending or ongoing investigation or judicial proceeding in order to qualify as an offense relating to obstruction of justice within the meaning of this immigration statute. [W]hen Congress inserted the phrase offense relating to obstruction of justice into [the INA] it might well have been referencing a specific and previously designated category of offensesthe offenses that are grouped together in Chapter 73 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, under the heading Obstruction of Justice. And not all of the offenses that are addressed in Chapter 73 contain a pending-proceeding requirement, the justice wrote. Justice Sotomayor disagreed with the court majority and filed the sole dissenting opinion. It was joined in full by Justice Neil Gorsuch and in part by Justice Elena Kagan. From early American laws, to dictionaries, to modern federal and state obstruction statutes, interference with an ongoing investigation or proceeding is at the core of what it means to be an offense relating to obstruction of justice. The Court circumvents this ample evidence only by casting a wide net and then throwing back all but the bycatch. That approach turns the categorical approach on its head, and subverts the commonly understood meaning of obstruction of justice when Congress enacted [a section of the INA] in 1996. In a conversation held by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) at 3:30 p.m. ET on June 22, Rob Reich, Faculty Associate sirector, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, and Jeremy M. Weinstein, senior fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, discuss the effects and implications of Big Techs operations. Taiwan Reports Chinese Aircraft Carrier Sailed Through Strait Sailors and fighter jets on the deck of the Chinese navy's aircraft carrier Liaoning in the sea near Qingdao, in eastern Chinas Shandong Province on April 23, 2019. (Mark Schiefelbein/AFP via Getty Images) TAIPEIA Chinese aircraft carrier group led by the vessel Shandong sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, Taiwans defense ministry said, amid heightened military tension over the island Beijing claims as its own territory. The ministry said the Shandong, commissioned in 2019, had sailed in a southerly direction through the western part of the strait, and it had dispatched appropriate forces to monitor the Chinese activities. The aircraft carrier participated in Chinese military drills around Taiwan in April, operating in the western Pacific. In March last year, it sailed through the Taiwan Strait, just hours before the leaders of China and the United States were due to talk. The Chinese communist regime, which has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control, has stepped up military activities near the democratically governed island to force it to accept Chinese sovereignty. Taiwan strongly disputes Beijings sovereignty claims and vows to defend itself if attacked. Tech Startup Gan Jing World Unveils New HQ Ahead of 1st Anniversary Local communities recognize and support the company's mission Gan Jing World holds the opening ceremony of its first headquarters building, dubbed "MT0" or "Middletown Zero," in Middletown, N.Y., on June 22, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. In less than a year, Gan Jing World, a new social media platform, has built a solid infrastructure with its own data center and cloud server to facilitate a censorship-free experience, according to the companys executive vice president of technology James Qiu. Gan Jing means clean, and the platform is committed to providing content free from violent, erotic, criminal or harmful material, according to the startups website. Qiu said the market had responded positively; the new social media platform has achieved over 30 million pageviews in less than a year. The timing of the startups new headquarters buildingMT0, or Middletown Zerocoincided with its first anniversary. Over 200 people attended the event, including local politicians, business and community leaders, and content creators. Many guests said they were energized by the entrepreneurial vibe and collective goodwill to use the technology for good. If you believe in a positive America, come to Gan Jing World. If you believe in the next generation, come to Gan Jing World; if you believe in traditional values and divine culture, come to Gan Jing World, said Nick Janicki, the platforms director of media relations, who urged the guests to spread the message. This is a platform that is going to grow very, very quickly and something that the human race essentially needs, he added. James Qiu, executive vice president of technology of Gan Jing World, at the companys opening ceremony of its first headquarters building, dubbed MT0 or Middletown Zero, in Middletown, N.Y., on June 22, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) People First Approach Sherry Yin, executive vice president of business, summarized Gan Jing Worlds approach as people first. Putting traditional values before technology is the groups core value. Qiu and his colleagues saw a need in a technology-driven society for restoring traditional values and moral systems that are often overshadowed, he said. As social media got parents attention during the pandemic lockdowns, he also took notice of young peoples addiction and how the virtual world might polarize ones perceptions due to content recommendation algorithms. The starting point of a technology company is so critical when looking at the moral values and everything needed to build the next generation of the future, Janicki echoed. According to Qiu, a former Apple executive, Silicon Valley companies started with technology, and the algorithms dont differentiate on good or bad content but on popularity. However, Gan Jing organizes its content differently, reflecting its different design by starting with traditional values and using technology for their restoration. He told The Epoch Times that Gan Jing World had built what they called information architecture: The analogy of content architecture is more like the traditional architecture in the city. So you go to a city, look at architecture, and know here is the city hall. So around this area, a building is probably a government building. And another street looks like a financial district. Inside Gan Jing Worlds website, content gathers around such a meta or foundational structure, he said. Therefore, the algorithm allows content viewers to set up categories they want to learn about so technology can work for them to facilitate their learning. Sherry Yin, executive vice president of business of Gan Jing World, speaks at the opening ceremony of its first headquarters building, dubbed MT0 or Middletown Zero, in Middletown, N.Y., on June 22, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) User Protection Sherry Yin is another executive who moved from Silicon Valley to Hudson Valley to join Gan Jing World. Like her colleagues, she, too, wanted to make technology do good for society. She pledged to never sell user data and said that user privacy is a top priority for the company. We collect the absolute minimum amount of user data compared to other platforms. We allow users to freely access our website and download our app without the need for registration, she told the guests, adding that Gan Jing World only collects data required by regulatory compliance. We do not engage in the active collection of user information or track user behavior. With our private data center, we ensure user privacy and uphold our commitment to censorship-free experiences. Our cutting-edge cloud solution protects user data from threats and prevents unauthorized access, she added. Our algorithm seeks to enrich peoples minds by introducing them to programming and topics that broaden their knowledge and nourish their souls. Joseph DeStefano, mayor of Middletown, speaks at the opening ceremony of Gan Jing Worlds first headquarters building, dubbed MT0 or Middletown Zero, in Middletown, N.Y., on June 22, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Promises Made and Promises Kept Many guests spoke about their excitement fueled by Gan Jing Worlds vision and growth. The arrival of this high-tech firm brings with it a myriad of opportunities for economic advancement and job creation in our city, said Joseph DeStefano, mayor of Middletown. He said he was promised a year ago fast growth and the quick opening of a new building by renovating an old one, which he called promises made and promises kept. Joseph Paone, a representative from Rep. Patrick Ryans (D-N.Y.) office, grew up in Middletown. He spoke highly of Gan Jing Worlds core values: Even if youre not a techie, Gan Jing represents ideals and values in its name itselfthe exact translation is clean. What that stands for are the guiding principles of no violence, no crime, no pornography, no drugs. Whatever your level of technology is, you can rally behind ideals like this. Joseph Paone (L), a representative from Rep. Patrick Ryans (D-N.Y.) office, presents the congressmans certificate of appreciation to Nick Janicki, director of media relations of Gan Jing World, at the companys opening ceremony of its first headquarters building, dubbed MT0 or Middletown Zero, in Middletown, N.Y., on June 22, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Lester Chang (R-Brooklyn), the first Asian American to represent Brooklyn in the New York State Assembly, attended the event after the state legislature wrapped up its 2023 sessions the night before. He said Gan Jing World made a wise decision to select the business location and would provide young people jobs in upstate New York. The state legislator on the education committee is concerned about the addictiveness of social media and that moral values are lacking in school education. He hopes Gan Jing Worlds efforts will lower violence, citing specific concerns of music promoting sex and violence to youth. Weve got to go back to the basics, he told The Epoch Times. Im sure theres a positive market, he said, adding that he was confident Gan Jing Worlds mission would resonate with people because of the family values of immigrants and citizens alike. Lester Chang (R-Brooklyn), the first Asian American to represent Brooklyn in the New York State Assembly, speaks at Gan Jing Worlds opening ceremony of its first headquarters building, dubbed MT0 or Middletown Zero, in Middletown, N.Y., on June 22, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Steven Gross, economic development director of Orange County, where Middletown is located, spoke on behalf of county executive Steven Neuhaus. He called Gan Jing Worlds MT0 building a showcase to the community to bring next-generation jobs to the county. But what this is going to do is really provide that safe opportunity for young people and everybody to surf the web without being exposed to some of that stuff that sometimes theyre exposed to, Gross said, complimenting the companys mission. And thats a great opportunity and venue for this Gan Jing World to really provide a service thats really needed in the world today. Gan Jing World holds the opening ceremony of its first headquarters building, dubbed MT0 or Middletown Zero, in Middletown, N.Y., on June 22, 2023.(Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Actress and author Jacqui Phillips at Gan Jing Worlds opening ceremony of its first headquarters building, dubbed MT0 or Middletown Zero, in Middletown, N.Y., on June 22, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) No Political Censorship Jasper Fakkert, editor-in-chief for The Epoch Times, said, The mission of Gan Jing World to provide people with wholesome content to focus on character, to focus on morals is something that we have loved. Gan Jing World is built on the idea that there is no political censorship and that people can freely express their opinions, live, and encourage civil discourse. And these are all things that we, as a media organization, cherish and promote as well, he added. Gan Jing World holds the opening ceremony of its first headquarters building, dubbed MT0 or Middletown Zero, in Middletown, N.Y., on June 22, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Filmmaker and actress Jenn Gotzon Chandler at Gan Jing Worlds opening ceremony of its first headquarters building, dubbed MT0 or Middletown Zero, in Middletown, N.Y., on June 22, 2023.(Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Energizing Gan Jings mission resonated with Sally Chetwynd, an author in the greater Boston metropolitan area. She learned about the new tech platform at a local event earlier this month and came to join the opening ceremony of Gan Jing Worlds first corporate building. She now wants to open a channel on the Gan Jing World platform. She described the event as amazing, refreshing, and exciting. She said she thought Gan Jing World would clean up social media by providing clean, wholesome, family-friendly materials and options. Now, she has a refined view of what the company does. In a lot of ways, I see Gan Jing as the mouse that bells the cat. So the social media we see thats so corrupted is the cat. And so somebody, a mouse, has finally stood up and said, We need to bell the cat. Okay, Im belling the cat. And all the other mice are going to rally, she told The Epoch Times, adding that more and more people see the catthe manipulative algorithm of Big Tech. I think were going to have a lot of people rallying to this. You cannot help not being energized by this kind of energy, she added. Sally Chetwynd, an author in the greater Boston metropolitan area, at Gan Jing Worlds opening ceremony of its first headquarters building, dubbed MT0 or Middletown Zero, in Middletown, N.Y., on June 22, 2023. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) More information of the event is available on the companys hashtag aggregation page. Texas State Sen. Paxton Barred From Voting in Husbands Impeachment Trial Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, the wife of Attorney General Ken Paxton, will not be allowed to vote during his impeachment trial slated to begin on Sept. 5. The Republican-controlled Senate approved 31 rules regarding the upcoming impeachment trial during a hearing on June 21, including that Sen. Paxton may not be allowed to participate in the trial in any way, including in closed session or deliberations, citing a conflict of interest. She will, however, be allowed to be present for the trial. Ive never seen 31 senators more united, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Senates presiding officer, following the vote. Youre united to take an Oath so that justice prevails so that everyone will do their job to the utmost, fairness in this impeachment trial upcoming in September. The citizens of Texas can count on the Senate of Texas to have a fair and just trial, said Patrick. A vote to convict Paxton in the Senate would require a two-thirds threshold in the 31-member chamber, which is made up of 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats. If all Democrats vote to convict him of the charges, nine Republicans would have to join them in order to have him removed from office permanently. Sen. Paxton had said in an earlier statement this week that she planned to carry out her obligations as a member of the Senate ahead of her husbands trial but stopped short of stating exactly whether or not she would recuse from a vote to remove the attorney general from office. I have twice been elected to represent the nearly one million Texans who reside in Senate District 8, and it is a tremendous honor and privilege to be their voice in the Texas Legislature, she said. Each time I was elected, I took an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws of this great state, and Texas law compels each member of the Senate to attend when the Senate meets as a court of impeachment. Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, wife of impeached state Attorney General Ken Paxton, arrives at the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas, on May 29, 2023. (Eric Gay/AP Photo) Articles of Impeachment Against Paxton As a member of the Senate, I hold these obligations sacred and I will carry out my duties, not because it is easy, but because the Constitution demands it and because my constituents deserve it, the senator concluded. The GOP-led Texas House voted 12323 to adopt 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton on May 27. The articles of impeachment include allegations of false statements, obstruction of justice, bribery, and abuse of public trust. They accuse Paxton of conducting a sham investigation into whistleblower complaints made by employees at his office whom he allegedly fired in retaliation for reporting him to federal law enforcement for alleged illegal acts and improper conduct. The whistleblowers accused Paxton of improperly issuing legal opinions to benefit real estate developer Nate Paul and had previously reached a tentative settlement agreement with Paxton for $3.3 million, which prompted the Texas House committee investigation. According to the articles of impeachment, Paxton benefited from Nate Pauls employment of a woman with whom Paxton was having an extramarital affair. Paul received favorable legal assistance from, or specialized access to, the office of the attorney general. The articles also accuse Paxton of having benefited from Paul providing renovations to Paxtons home in exchange for favorable legal assistance and specialized access to the office of the attorney general. Other charges date back to Paxtons pending 2015 felony securities fraud case, shortly after he won his first attorney general election, and include making false statements to state investigators. Paxton, a longtime ally of former President Donald Trump who was reelected to a third term as attorney general in November, was immediately suspended from office pending the outcome of his trial. He has denied the charges and previously called the impeachment a politically motivated sham from the beginning. RINOS and far-left radicals have established a kangaroo court in the TX Lege. to eliminate Americas most conservative Attorney General. Help me fight back! Would you donate $1, $5, $50, $100 today to show Austin you are in this fight w/me? he wrote on Twitter earlier this week. President Donald Trump waves upon arrival, alongside Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton (L) in Dallas, Texas, on June 11, 2020. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Impeachment Trial Politically Motivated Paxtons trial will be largely open to the public, save for closed-door deliberations. Other rules passed Wednesday include that both sides will have the right to present evidence, and call and cross-examine witnesses. They will also have roughly one hour to present for both opening and closing statements. Trump has condemned Paxtons impeachment, calling him one of the most hard-working and effective Attorney Generals in the United States. Elsewhere, Matt Rinaldi, chair of the Republican Party of Texas, has called the impeachment proceedings against Paxton the latest front in the Texas Houses war against Republicans to stop the conservative direction of our state. This sham impeachment is the result of the Phelan leadership team empowering Democrats, allowing them to hold leadership positions and letting them control the agenda, Rinaldi said in May. Earlier this week, the Republican Party of Texas issued a resolution condemning the impeachment which it said is both illegal and politically motivated, noting that Paxton was not granted any opportunity to offer any rebuttal evidence or testimony despite his offer to do so, something that Paxton has previously pointed out. Paxton previously said his office had made every effort to present evidence, testimony, and irrefutable facts that would have disproven the countless false statement and outright lies advanced by Speaker Dade Phelan and the Murr-Johnson panel he appointed. Unfortunately, they refused to consider anything that would interfere with their desired result, Paxton said in May. Only two Texas officials have ever been impeached: Gov. James Pa Ferguson, a Democrat who was removed from office in 1917 after being charged with misapplication of public funds, embezzlement, and the diversion of a special fund, and State Judge O.P. Carrillo, who was removed from his position in 1975 after being found guilty for the personal use of public money and equipment and filing false financial statements. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Chinese Military Wont Talk to Us. So What? U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 3, 2023. (Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images) Commentary If you want to make Americans uncomfortableor desperatedont talk to them. During his recent visit to China, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken repeatedly asked his hosts to set up a military-to-military crisis communications hotline. They declined. John Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, complained earlier this year that the Chinese ignored his requests to establish direct communications channels with the Peoples Liberation Armys (PLA) regional commands. And U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was rebuffed when he sought a meeting with Chinas defense minister during the Shangri-La Dialogue in early June. Top U.S. civilian and military officials may be fretting. Still, they might better worry about having too few Navy ships, submarines, or stocks of anti-ship cruise missiles instead of having their Chinese counterparts on speed dial. The U.S. military has been jousting with the Chinese military in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait for a number of yearsand its a stroke of good luck that nobody has gotten hurt or killed. How critical is it to have a designated communication line with the PLA? It doesnt matter that much. The PLA knows how to get in touch with the U.S. military in the area if it wants to. Communication channels already exist for all militaries operating in the sea and air to communicate with each other. Youll notice that the Chinese military routinely contacts U.S., Australian, Japanese, and Canadian ships and aircraft (and others) to warn them to stay out of what the Chinese regime says is its territory. The Chinese think the Americans (and everyone else) shouldnt be operating in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait without Beijings permission, so that sets the tone for the relationship. Having some other or special communications link isnt going to change anybodys mind. The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain is seen with a hole on its portside after a collision with an oil tanker outside Changi Naval Base in Singapore on Aug. 21, 2017. An admiral in the PLA Navy celebrated the collision, which involved the loss of American life. (Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images) And when the PLA tries to ram or obstruct U.S. ships and aircraft, it knows exactly what its doingand the orders come from on high. Being able to call the Chinese up on a designated line to tell them they shouldnt do what theyre doing seems pointless. The Chinese know we arent happy. They dont care. Why wont China agree to these mil-to-mil hotlines? In large part because the Americans are so eager to have such a communications channel. If the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) refuses to join such a link, its possible (indeed, likely) that Washington will offer some concession in order to get Beijing to agree. Say, for example, not making an issue of a Chinese spy balloon over the United States. The concession might not even be on the military front. It might be relaxing economic sanctions on China, not complaining about CCP human rights abuses and intellectual property theft, or pretending that Chinese leader Xi Jinping knows nothing about the fentanyl that killed more than 71,000 Americans from January 2021 to January 2022. Does this absence of communication between the two militaries affect U.S. operations in the Indo-Pacific region? Not really. The Chinese know what theyre doing and what they intend to do. Their objective is to drive the Americans out of the Asia-Pacific and for the CCP to dominate the region. Theyve been clear enough about this. Its an adversarial relationshipowing to communist Chinas position and objectiveand no communication or engagement with Beijing or the PLA will make a difference. The U.S. military went all out on communication and engagement with the PLA for a few decadesuntil the Trump administration. The PLA was twice invited to RIMPAC, the U.S. Navys premier regional exercise. And what did we get from this engagement policy? A Chinese military that has caught up with us in many areas and has surpassed us in others. In certain circumstances, the PLA could give the U.S. military a bloody nosea very bloody nose. Its jaw-dropping that some U.S. officers are now calling for a return to unrestrained engagement with the PLA and Chinese regime. This will cost American lives at some point30 years of empirical evidence ought to be instructive. Its an American conceit, however, that if we can just talk to somebody, we can solve any problem. Will the United States keep trying to set up these communication channels with the Chinese military? How about a different approach or strategy? Im sure the United States will continue begging for new communications channels with China like a desperate suitor. Nothing good comes from appearing to be a supplicant when dealing with the CCP. Why not try a different approach? Perhaps. There doesnt seem to be any form of self-abasement that Washington wont try with Beijing. However, any U.S. officer or official calling for dialogue and engagement with the PLA should be required to explain how itll produce good results (this time). And a note: Dialogue is always good isnt a sane answer but a very American one. Its better to be in a bigger hurry to get the U.S. military ready to fight and win rather than having rap sessions with the Chinese. Theyve been getting ready to fight while weve been more interested in engaging and talking. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. In Chapter I of The Novel, Who Needs It? Joseph Epstein includes this snippet of dialogue from Bernard Malamuds novel The Assistant: He asked her what books she was reading. The Idiot, do you know it? No. Whats it about? Its a novel. Id rather read the truth, he said. It is the truth. The truth she is referring to, Epstein then writes, is the truth of the imagination. Woman Reading a Book, 17th century, by Gerard ter Borch. Oil on canvas. National Museum in Warsaw, Poland. (Public Domain) The 86-year-old Epstein has devoted much of his life to writing and to teaching literature. He is the author of 31 books, most of them nonfiction, and served for more than 20 years as editor for The American Scholar. He is celebrated in particular for his mastery of the essay, many of which have reflected his literary interests. Now, in The Novel, Who Needs It? Epstein offers a ringing defense of what he calls the serious novel or, at times, the successful novel, explaining why the best of this genre provides truths of an important kind unavailable elsewhere in literature or anywhere else. He also spends several chapters critiquing the current state of the novel and the factors militating against good literature in todays culture. In Defense of Fiction Famous literary works by Jane Austen on display in her former home in Chawton, England. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) Epstein devotes over half of his book to the origins of the novel and its evolving genres, like the picaresque, family chronicles, and satire; its profound influence on both the reader and the author; and the unique opportunities it provides for delving deep into human nature. Along the way, he musters dozens of writers to support his arguments, some of them old masters like Willa Cather, Leo Tolstoy, and Jane Austen, others closer to our own time like Vladimir Nabokov, Tom Wolfe, and Milan Kundera. That above paragraph does a disservice to Epstein, as it sounds dry as dust when in fact Epstein skillfully weaves together authors, plots, asides, and commentary into a fascinating literary tapestry. With the insight and wit found in his previous books, he also undertakes frequent side expeditions on this tour. At the beginning of Chapter VI, for instance, he mentions figures like economist John Maynard Keynes, jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., and sociologist Edward Shils, and then notes that all were devoted readers of novels. He next shares this anecdote: The English philosopher Gilbert Ryle, when asked if he read novels, answered, Yesall six, by which he meant the six novels of Jane Austen, which one gathers he read over and over. In this same paragraph, Epstein asks: What was it, do you suppose, that these men, towering intellectuals all, found in novels that they couldnt find in economics, philosophy, jurisprudence, political science, sociology, and anthropology? He begins the next paragraph by answering that question: What such impressive intellectual figures found in novels, I believe, is a respect for the complexity of experience unavailable anywhere else. Guides to Our Humanity The unfinished painting Dickenss Dream, 1875, by Robert William Buss. Watercolor. Charles Dickens Museum, United Kingdom. (Public Domain) This complexity of experience as investigated by serious novelists is a major theme of The Novel, Who Needs It? Of his boyhood readingwhen he like so many of us read novels like Black Beauty but also Classics Illustrated with their encapsulated and illustrated stories by writers like Dickens and TwainEpstein writes: The novel took me to places I hadnt known existed, but in which I was delighted to find myself; it expanded my world like nothing else I had known, or, for that matter, still know. Epstein shares the ways this expansion works for so many readers. He writes, for instance: What the novel does better than any other form is allow its readers to investigate the inner, or secret, life of its characters. That, of course, is only a part of the effects of a worthy novel on its reader. It can as well broaden our vision of the world, enhance our sympathies for others, and take us on journeys inside of ourselves. Certain characters in a novel, as Epstein points out several times, can also serve as exemplars, figures who inspire in readers the desire to become better persons. I myself had that experience reading Mark Helprins A Soldier of the Great War, a novel not mentioned by Epstein. Here, a retired professor of aesthetics, Alessandro Giuliani, tells his life story to a young, 17-year-old hiking companion. As Alessandro reflects on the sufferings and horrors of World War I, and his trials afterward, I came to deeply admire this tall, elderly professor. With each terrible challenge he faces, he grows in nobility of character, undoubtedly creating in many readers, in addition to myself, the desire to wear that same cloak of dignity. The Novel Besieged Engraving of a group of men pushing philosophers toward a fire with burning books, circa 15151527, attributed to Marco Dente. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. (Public Domain) While lauding the serious novel, Epstein doesnt shy away from that perennial topic the death of the novel. Though that interment was often prematurely announced in the past, he feels a foreboding about present circumstances: Yet just now talk about the death of the novel has a credibility it has never had before. The reasons for this possible demise are plentiful. Epstein praises our digital age for its ready wealth of information and other advantages, in his case as a writer, yet he accuses its addictive powers of distraction as destructive to reading. He notes the shortened attention span that our electronic devices have wrought on young and old, including himself, and the diminishing numbers of serious readers in our culture. He then turns to social media with its frequent insistence on political correctness, which is another enemy of the novel. Not only does political correctness inhibit novelists in their writing, but it can also create Sanctimony Literature, which is the title of an essay on this topic by Becca Rothfeld. Epstein offers this quote from Rothfeld: The sanctimonists maintain a tidily bifurcated interest in good people and bad people, when in fact what they should be studying is the good and the bad in all peoplethe full murk of human motivation, the tangle of tensions and contradictions, of desires and principles, that is the permanent condition of human choice. Creative writing programs, which often breed more teachers of writing than serious novels, publishers who care less about serious literature and more about the bottom line, and the explosion of graphic novels also have eroded the novels standing. But perhaps the most subtly pernicious enemy of the novel, observes Epstein, may be what Philip Rieff, in an important 1966 book, called The Triumph of the Therapeutic. As he does with the internet, Epstein praises the good done by therapy and pharmacology for those afflicted with diseases like schizophrenia or suffering from depression. Yet a therapeutic culture like ours, Epstein writes, is intent on personal happiness and self-esteem, whereas for the serious novelist, self-esteem and so much else in the therapeutic realm is tosh. Great literature, he reminds us, is about destiny, moral character, and human frailties and strengths. Taking Stock Portrait of American novelist Henry James, circa 1866, by Bendann Bros. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. (Public Domain) Near the end of his book, Epstein brings up the so-called canon, or elite grouping or body, of the great novels on which most people would agree. After a brief look at the selections made by some major literary critics, such as Harold Bloom and Lionel Trilling, Epstein gives us his personal canon of great writers of fiction. Their names appear throughout The Novel, Who Needs It? and in his essays of the last 50 years: the Russians including Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Victorians like George Eliot and Charles Dickens, Americans like Henry James and Willa Cather. Of the latter, he comments that she did all these things with consummate literary skill, a calm philosophical detachment, and an unwavering confidence in the truth of the imagination. Epstein then goes a step farther and lists 26 lesser known novels and novelists who have brought him pleasure and broadened his worldview. In this company are such luminaries as Paul Scott and his Raj Quartet, Penelope Fitzgerald, Muriel Spark, Richard Wright, and Anthony Powell. Here, readers will surely find, as I did, some books theyve never read that will pique their interest. Answering the Question In his conclusion, Epstein asks about the novel: What really have we gained by reading about people who never really existed living through events that didnt actually happen? He answers that without the novel, the hope of gaining a more complex view of lifeits meaning and mysteryis lost. We are then left with the ideas and guidelines for living with the likes of social science, pop psychology, and journalism. And so, Epstein concludes: To turn to the question put by the books title, The Novel, Who Needs It? the answer is that we all do, including even those who wouldnt think of reading novelswe all need it, and in this, the great age of distraction we may just need it more than ever before. Cover for the 2023 book The Novel, Who Needs It? by Joseph Epstein. The Novel, Who Needs It? By Joseph Epstein Encounter Books, July 18, 2023 Hardcover: 152 pages Logic, data, and an open mind can help us avoid falling victim to this bias Ignaz Semmelweis (18181865) is hardly a household name, but it should be. In 1844, the young Hungarian physician was assigned to an obstetrics hospital in Vienna, where puerperal fever, described today as postpartum infection, was rampant among mothers who had delivered babies. In one clinic, Semmelweis noticed that the death rate among these mothers was about 20 percent, while in another facility the rate was about one third of that percentage. The only difference between the two clinics was that the first was serviced by medical students, who often came straight from the dissection table, while the second clinic was a training ground for midwives. Deducing that the medical students were in some way carrying infection to the mothers, Semmelweis hit on the idea of having them wash their hands in a mixture of chlorinated lime, and the death rate quickly plummeted. Though he spent years afterward promoting this ideaseveral hospitals adopted the practice, with stunningly positive resultsthe medical authorities in general scoffed at his findings and rejected his teachings. Authority and tradition crushed both Semmelweis, who died after a short stay in an insane asylum, and his discovery. From his tragic history came the modern term Semmelweis Reflex bias, describing the tendency to reject a piece of information that demonstrates that something we believe is wrong. Whether subconsciously or deliberately, when we turn our back on facts and data that prove that we are in error, we have surrendered to this bias. This is not an uncommon occurrence. In the 1920s, for example, U.S. Army Gen. Billy Mitchell offered proof that aircraft had rendered battleships obsolete in naval warfare. His criticism of the upper echelons of command for ignoring this premise led to a conviction of insubordination, and Mitchell resigned from the service. By the end of World War II, however, battleships were becoming obsolete, and aircraft had become the key to victory in naval engagements. Weve seen similar examples of the Semmelweis Reflex in our own times. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, some scientists and physicians who had devised effective ways to fight the virus were silenced by the establishment and banned from social media. Authority trumped valid innovation. In our own lives, this bias also can come into play. We become accustomed to a certain way of thinking or doing things, and are loath to change. A supervisor assigned to make a shipping department more efficient meets resistance from longtime employees. Two friends who are polar opposites in politics discuss some hot topic of the day, and though one of them cites a wealth of data and facts to support his point, the other refuses to concede. A financially strapped couple sit down to discuss their summer budget, but the husband adamantly resists giving up the week renting a house with friends at the Outer Banks. Weve always done it this way, he says. What would they think of us? To avoid falling into this rut, imitate the same procedures employed by Semmelweis. When you notice that some long-accepted way of thinking or acting may be wrongheaded, consider the facts and data, then experiment to discern if this new way does indeed work better. If the experiment succeeds, make a change. If it fails, return to your time-tested path. Writer Somerset Maugham once noted, Tradition is a guide and not a jailer. With tradition as our guide, but with common sense and logic as our companions, we can avoid the Semmelweis Reflex. The T-90M Tank, Cost Has a Quality All of Its Own Commentary In my opinion, this [T-90M tank] is now the best tank in the world. It is certainly better than Leopard, Challenger, Abrams [tanks], including in terms of its tactical and technical data, even in terms of such a component as mass, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, reportedly said. Boasts are one thing, but just how good is the T-90M Proryv-3? And how important is the T-90 tank as a main battle tank on the world stage? On the issue of importance, there are a number of factors that strongly suggest that the T-90 and its variants are, and will continue to be, some of the most influential tanks on the world stage for many years to come. Firstly, and most immediately, hundreds of T-90M tanks are playing, and will continue to play, a major role in the UkraineRussia war. Secondly, Russia has reportedly announced that it will be producing 1,500 T-90Ms per year going forwardmaking it the most produced tank in the world. And thirdly, since 2000, Russia has sold over 1,500 T-90 variants to other countries, making it the biggest selling tank of the 21st century. Acquisition Cost So, as is the case with the T-72, the T-90M is and will continue to be a highly relevant battle tank for decades to come. But back to the original questionhow good is it? The high-level answer is that its very good, especially when you consider the price. Indeed, export versions of the T-90 can be purchased for $2.5 million to $3.5 million. And even the most advanced, capable version of the T-90, the T-90M, comes in at only about $4.5 million. This makes the T-90M far more affordable than Tier 1 Western main battle tanks, such as the M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams at well over $10 million, the Challenger 2 at roughly $8.6 million or more, and Leopard 2A6/2A7 tanks at $11 million to $15 million each. Fuel, Operating, and Support Costs What kind of mileage a tank gets will vary wildly by terrain and how its being used. Also, its important to note that the commonly published figures cited for a tanks range are typically best-case scenarios. And in the case of Western tanks, such as the M1A2 Abrams, they are often out of date as they dont take into account the large growth in weight they have experienced since they first went into service. When analyzing fuel usage, well break down tanks by the two main power plants in use today, diesel and gas turbine. To compare the diesel-powered T-90 to the diesel-powered Challenger and Leopard, we will assume that Russian and Western tanks designs are roughly comparable in optimizing the fuel efficiency of their diesel-powered tanks. This allows us to estimate relative fuel usage based on weight, i.e., fuel use will be proportional to the weight of the tanks. Using this simplified approach, we expect that the 48-ton T-90M real-world battlefield fuel use to be roughly 64 percent of that of a 75-ton Challenger 2 and about 70 percent of that of a 70-ton Leopard 2. When comparing the diesel-powered T-90M fuel use to that of the gas turbine M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams, we will use data provided by POGO for the older lighter, less thirsty M1 Abrams that found that the M1 Abrams was averaging 7.1 gallons per mile. Other data from the 1993 Swedish trials of the M1 Abrams and the Leopard found that the Abrams required twice the fuel of the Leopard 2. This, plus the analysis in the preceding paragraph, allows us to estimate the T-90s fuel usage as being about 35 percent that of the M1A2 Abrams. Though these back-of-the-napkin fuel estimates are rough, the fact remains that, all other things being equal, a lighter, smaller tank is going to burn less fuel and that diesel-powered tanks are far more fuel efficient than gas-turbine-powered tanks. When it comes to other operating and support costs, no hard data is specifically available for the T-90M, but the T-72 platform on which its based has a long history of having a low cost of operation and ease of maintenance. In contrast, Western tanks, especially the M1A2 Abrams, have a long history of being costly to operate and maintain (pdf) and require many skilled maintainers to keep operational when deployed. So, when looking at fuel and other operating and support costs when deployed into a battlefield, a T-90M will conservatively be 30 to 70 percent less costly to operate than their extremely heavy and complex Western counterparts. More specifically, the T-90Ms operating and support costs could be as little as a third that of the 73.2 ton, gas-turbine-powered, gas-guzzling, maintenance-intensive M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams. This adds all add up to Russia being able to acquire, field, and support two to three tanks for the same cost the United States and its allies pay to field a single Tier 1 Western tank. Lethality Plus Relatively Low Profile Equals Big Bang for the Buck So, the T-90M has a huge cost advantage over the Tier 1 Western tanks that can translate into an advantage in numbers, but if its mere cannon fodder for those same tanks, the cost advantage becomes largely moot. However, the T-90M is a highly advanced tank featuring excellent armor, advanced stabilized fire control, a 125 mm smoothbore gun comparable in power to the guns of its Western counterparts, and it can fire laser-guided anti-tank missiles from its main gun at ranges exceeding those of the other tanks guns. Consequently, while the T-90M is far from being invulnerable, its also far from being cannon fodder. Following in the tradition of the legendary T-34, the T-90Ms smaller, lower profile makes it harder to spot and be targeted, allowing it to take better advantage of terrain than larger tanks. Its also lighter on its feet, allowing it more mobility where tank tread ground pressure is important. Hence, in a one-on-one engagement, a properly supported T-90M with a skilled crew can certainly defeat any of the aforementioned Western tanks, but it could also lose to any of those same tanks. How often the T-90M would prevail or lose would be contingent on the exact scenario, the terrain, engagement range, tank shell type, crew skill, and any number of other factors, including chance. Army Recognition summarizes how the T-90M would stack up against a Leopard 2A6: The Leopard 2A6 and the T-90M both possess advanced capabilities in terms of firepower, mobility, protection, and networking. While the Leopard 2A6 may have an edge in terms of firepower and mobility, the T-90Ms upgraded armor and protection systems make it a formidable adversary. The outcome of a potential engagement between these two tanks would depend on various factors, such as crew training, tactics, and the specific combat situation. The above statement remains true if you substitute M1A2 Abrams or Challenger 2 for the Leopard 2A6. Of course, most tank battles will not be one on one, and if the cost advantage allows Russia to significantly outnumber its opponents, the T-90M becomes all that much more lethal. By now it should be clear that the T-90M is a very capable tank that can compete with the best of Western tanks. But when you factor in cost and its bang-for-the-buck value, a strong case can be made that it is superior to its costly Western counterparts. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A growing trend of phantom online postings are haunting frustrated job seekers heres whats behind the phenomenon and how it might hurt you A growing trend of phantom online postings are haunting frustrated job seekers heres whats behind the phenomenon and how it might hurt you The U.S. Department of Labor claims there are over 10.1 million job openings across the country. That might sound like plenty, but the average job seeker scrambling to find a new role these days might tell you a different story. One such frustrated applicant described the overall situation to the Wall Street Journal as really disheartening. Don't miss Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds Here's the annual income you need to fall in America's lower, middle, and upper class plus 3 simple tips to boost you up the ladder This janitor in Vermont built an $8M fortune without anyone around him knowing. Here are the 2 simple techniques that made Ronald Read rich and can do the same for you Part of whats contributing to that challenging environment is that many companies are now posting jobs theyre not necessarily hoping to fill, according to a survey from Clarify Capital of over 1,000 hiring managers. About 27% of managers had jobs posted for longer than four months and many of them didnt expect to fill them anytime soon. Why? Well, nearly half of the managers surveyed said they kept the positions active because they were always open to new recruits. However, 43% of them said they did so to keep current employees motivated and to give the impression that the company is growing. Simply put, corporations keep positions active to cement loyalty from their current workforce and possibly attract more capital from investors by giving the impression that theyre rapidly expanding. And its a trend thats catching more steam, even as many companies cut their hiring budget and commence layoffs. Whats behind this growing trend A study by Harvard Business School found that recruiters started posting ghost jobs after the pandemic made companies more desperate for talent. Remote work and rapid growth during that era put many sectors of the economy into an intense battle for talent. Some sectors still have a persistent gap in the number of job openings and the number of people with the right skills to fill them. However, the trend of ghost jobs extends beyond this and is creating a frustrating experience for job hunters. I keep seeing articles about how a lot of job posts are fake. Either 1. To seem like the company is growing 2. To fool overworked employees that help is on the way, says one Twitter user. Ive applied to like 200 jobs and all I get is auto rejections. Now these phantom job posts are potentially adding strain to an already stretched job market. According to the quarterly ZipRecruiter Job Seeker Confidence Index, job-seeker sentiments about the current job market, financial well-being and expectations had all declined since 2022. Applying and getting rejected by fake jobs could be playing some part in this trend. Read more: 3 big mistakes people make with cash back credit cards that cost them every time they swipe How to avoid ghost jobs Job seekers can reduce their chances of wasting time on a ghost job application by narrowing their search to only recent jobs. While this method isnt foolproof, it reduces the chances of applying for out-of-date or stale job posts. Companies that have posted a new position within a few days could be more likely to need urgent help in that segment of their business. Another way to verify job posts is by seeking out information about the company to see if its genuinely expanding. A company that has launched a new branch in your city or raised funds from investors in a recent funding round is more likely to be seeking real employees. Finally, going beyond job posts and social media platforms to contact recruiters and C-suite executives directly is a sure-fire way to gauge interest. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. The Victoria State Government Allocates $1 Million to mRNA Treatments to Help Cancer Patients Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews delivers his victory speech at the Labour election party in his seat of Mulgrave in Melbourne, Australia on Nov. 26, 2022. (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images) The Andrews Labor government will allocate $1 million (US$678,100) to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre to develop new mRNA cancer treatments. During the visit, Minister for Industry and Innovation Ben Carroll told the staff at the centre that what they are doing is not only saving lives but also creating jobs. Researchers at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre are building our mRNA industry to not only save lives but also to create secure jobs for workers across the state, said Carroll. The fund will provide a one-off grant of up to $500,000 to support research that focuses on infectious diseases like COVID-19 and non-communicable diseases like cancer, metabolic diseases, degenerative diseases and auto-immune diseases. Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre CEO Professor Shelley Dolan said that the potential for mRNA to treat cancer is huge, and once developed, the mRNA treatment will benefit millions of cancer patients in the world. The potential for mRNA to treat cancer is huge. Our world-renowned researchers are building on decades of research excellence to harness the power of mRNA to treat cancer, with benefits for millions of cancer patients worldwide. The $1 million grant announcement is part of a $2.7 million fund Victoria has allocated for research into 16 mRNA projects targeting treatments for a range of diseases, including different types of cancer, Tuberculosis, malaria, and Parkinsons Disease. In addition, the Andrews Labor government has invested $12.3 million in its 2023/24 Budget to develop mRNA technology and aims to establish the centre as a global leader in medical research and develop some groundbreaking new mRNA cancer treatments to deal with numerous hard-to-treat cancers such as prostate, bowel and breast cancer. Currently, Victoria is leading the development of mRNA technology in Australia, following the state securing Modernas mRNA Vaccine manufacturing facility in Clayton, which is now under construction. Once completed, it will have the capacity to produce 100 million vaccine doses per year. Victoria is already a world leader in medical research and mRNA technology researchers are now one step closer to leading mRNA therapies for treatments for cancer that will change the lives of cancer patients and their families, said Premier Daniel Andrews. Currently, Victoria exports nearly 60 percent of Australias pharmaceutical goods, regarded as the most high-value advanced manufactured export. Top Executive for Bud Light Parent Wins Creativity Award, Despite Losing $20 Billion Over Trans Fiasco The top marketing executive for Bud Light parent Anheuser-Busch InBev won the Creative Marketer of the Year award, despite costing the company $20 billion over its recent transgender fiasco. Bud Light has lost billions of dollars in revenue due to massive boycotts after the beer company decided to pair the brand with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, who claims to be a woman. A marketing campaign by the company had Mulvaney posting images and videos touting Bud Light. The beverage lost its place as the best-selling beer in America in May, according to the latest sales figures, due to a backlash from its conservative base. Long-time customers vowed to boycott Bud Light and its sister brands and to never return to the beer. Anheuser-Busch InBev Acceptance of the Award Turns Heads On June 19, Anheuser-Busch InBev executives attended the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the south of France, a prestigious event equivalent to the Oscars in the advertising industry, to collect one of the highest honors in the business. In a press release in March, the festival annnounced, The award [Creative Marketer of the Year] recognizes AB InBevs sustained creative excellence that has driven sustainable business growthas well as their body of Lion-winning work amassed over a sustained period of time, and reputation for producing brave creative and innovative marketing solutions. Marcel Marcondes, the winner of the award, has been at Anheuser-Busch InBev for almost two decades, before the Mulvaney controversy exploded in early April, Marcondes told his industry peers at the Cannes Lions marketing gala that the Mulvaney saga served as a wake-up call for the industry, reported the New York Post. In times like this, when things get divisive and controversial so easily, I think its an important wake-up call to all of us marketers, for us to be very humble, he said. Anheuser-Busch InBev is really reminding ourselves of what we should do best every day, which is to really understand our customers, which is to really celebrate and appreciate every customer that loves our brands, but in a way that can make them be together, not apart, he continued. The Anheuser-Busch InBev executive refused to offer an apology for the Mulvaney fiasco, which the company continues to blame on an unnamed third-party marketer. Its tough to see all the controversial and divisive debates happening in the United States the last couple of weeks involving lots of brands and companies, including, especially, Bud Light, Marcondes told AdWeek. However, some in the industry told The Wall Street journal that it would have been better for him and the company to decline the award in light of the Bud Light boycott, which cost the company nearly $20 billion in value. Other marketers in attendance said that the years of work that the company has made outside of the Mulvaney episode should not negate its other creative achievements in the industry. Leila Fataar, founder of cultural and marketing strategy firm Platform13, wrote in a tweet: In the spirit of fairness and credibility, I think it would be a big and the right gesture for AB InBev to give the 2023 award back, make the changes necessary, and come back even stronger. Bud Light Loses Top Spot to Mexicos Modelo Bud Light was replaced as Americas favorite beer by the Mexican lager Modelo Especial, whose international distribution happens to be controlled by Anheuser-Busch InBev, but whose North American operations are owned by Constellation Brands. Sales of Bud Light fell by 23 percent year over year in May, to $297.3 million, according to the research firm Circana. In the week that ended on June 3, sales of Bud Light were down 24.4 percent compared to the syear-ago week, according to Bump Williams, a consulting firm. This month, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth, who is in charge of Anheuser-Busch InBevs U.S. operations, said that the parent company will cut checks to wholesalers and distributors selling Bud Light. Whitworth said the discussion surrounding our company and Bud Light has moved away from beer, after announcing a new three-step plan to revive the tarnished brand on June 15. He offered a financial strategy that will involve investing to protect the jobs of our frontline employees and has plans to launch a new ad campaign this summer, to sell the beer as easy to drink, easy to enjoy. We are providing financial assistance to our independent wholesalers to help them support their employees, Whitworth added. He also said the company would reimburse distributors for the freight/fuel surcharge through the end of 2023 as cases of Bud Light sit unsold on store shelves. Treating the Common Cold With Telehealth, Brought to You by COVID-Era Madness Lindsay Lohan sneezes during her hearing at the Beverly Hills Courthouse, Calif., on July 6, 2010. (David Mcnew/AFP via Getty Images) Commentary Have you ever experienced a persistent and severe common cold, only to be advised by your healthcare provider to schedule a telehealth appointment with your treating doctor? Nowadays, medical clinics discourage patients from visiting their doctors in person, presumably to avoid the risk of infection for their staff who are required to wear masks. Current treatment for persistent cough often involves an irrational response to the common cold, leading to concerns about the future of telehealth. Telehealth medical treatment was introduced by Australias universal healthcare program, Medicare, to minimize the risk of community transmission of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, including the common cold. Prior to the pandemic, Medicare did not provide refunds for telehealth services, and treating doctors were not reimbursed for these professional services. Originally intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the temporary telehealth arrangement has now become a permanent feature of Medicare and is firmly established in the provision of healthcare services. During the pandemic, it often became impossible for doctors clinics to welcome patients to their premises because the bureaucratic requirements of lockdowns, quarantine, and isolation frustrated efforts to see them in person. The applicable regulations provide that telehealth services, which include telephone and video meetings between the patients and treating doctors, may only be offered where it is safe and clinically appropriate to do so. Also, the patient must have an established clinical relationship with the treating doctor. A government-sponsored poster warning of the spread of the flu is posted in an office building in New York City, on Sept. 16, 2009. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Not All Is Bad The Australian Digital Health Agency revealed that telehealth services were provided to 18 million patients in Australia between March 2020 and July 2022, with over 118 million services offered. Over 95,000 practitioners utilized these services during this time. The statistics demonstrate that telehealth has made a significant impact on Medicare and played a crucial role in ensuring the continuity of care for countless Australian patients. There is little doubt that the availability of telehealth has major advantages. Specifically, it is a welcome tool for people who live in remote areas and, therefore, have difficulties accessing a health clinic in person. For them, the telehealth service is instrumental in monitoring and protecting their health. Of course, it does not offer a complete solution to the health problems of patients because they would still need to go to clinics for imaging tests and pathology services. In addition, the security of personal health data transmitted electronicallyall made possible by telehealthis a major issue. This was highlighted last year when a major data breach rocked Medibank Private. Medibank has since admitted that the cybercriminal responsible for the breach claimed to have solen 200 gigabytes of data, including the names and addresses, date of birth, Medibank numbers, telephone numbers, and the claims history of its members. The personal information of unsuspecting people was compromised and stolen. The Verdict on Telehealth So is telehealth a functional substitute for an in-person examination of a patient? Clearly not. There is anecdotal evidence that telehealth is often no more than a convenient method to obtain an electronic prescription, enabling them to buy their medicines. A proper diagnosis can hardly be made on the telephone or in a video meeting. Nevertheless, although the pandemic has been conqueredsomehowtelehealth has become an opportune tool to further bureaucratise the health services of the nation. Returning to the issue of the common coldAustralian adults can expect between two to four colds per yearif the patient has a cough, he or she is likely to be told to organise a telehealth session with their doctor. In the past, the common cold was treated merely as an unpleasant inconvenience that did not bother other people very much. Now, those who suffer from a common cold are almost regarded as appallingly as people who suffer from leprosy, and they are positively discouraged from coming into the clinic. Indeed, having a cold is nowadays as worse a fate as leprosy was in the past: sufferers need to isolate and are barely tolerated in civil society. And if patients turn up at the clinic, they often must wait on a bench outside. It is not uncommon for clinics to display prominent notices that those with a common cold must not enter the premises. This modern-day victimisation has been caused by COVID-19 hysteria and the governments treatment of those who are thought to be capable of transmitting the virus. A COVID-19 testing associate dressed in personal protective equipment (PPE) watches a man cough at Lincoln Park in Los Angeles, Calif., on July 7, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) The pressure upon people who are suffering from a common cold to access telehealth may well have adverse consequences for their health, especially those who also need specialist care. For example, patients who have lung disease often have a persistent cough, which cannot be easily treated because antibiotics will not satisfactorily ameliorate the situation. These people, who obviously need the in-person caring and expert oversight of competent doctors, often find that they are relegated to a meaningless telehealth sessionoften because the situation restricts the doctors ability to make any helpful recommendations that are more promising than those revealed in a Google search. This leads to a wider issue. Telehealth, because it is so readily accessible, tends to be overused. This, in turn, results in the squandering of financial resources and contributes to the bureaucratic breakdown of the medical system. Surely, if a patient has an ongoing illness, such as a persistent common cold, they should not be forced to use the telehealth service but, instead, should be seen by their treating doctor in the clinic. Indeed, to deprive people with a persistent cough from seeing a doctor in person is like being treated as a modern-day person with leprosy. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. After a long bout with Europes information police, Twitter CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that Twitter will bow to new laws on censorship currently being rolled out under the European Union. The news comes from an interview Musk gave on French TV. During a back and forth with the interviewer, Musk defended the rights of Twitter users to speak relatively freely. He initially explained why he refuses to censor content on Twitter. Then Musk explained the condition where he would allow censorship on the platform. This would be if there were laws that forced the removal of content. He said, If a law is enacted, because the law in a democracy represents the will of the people, if the law represents the will of the people, we must respect it. Unvaccinated Canadian Woman Denied Organ Transplant Finds US Hospital to Perform Surgery Surgical instruments are used during an organ transplant surgery at a hospital in Washington on June 28, 2016. (The Canadian Press/AP-Molly Riley) An Alberta woman who was removed from a high-priority organ transplant list for not receiving a COVID-19 vaccine has found a hospital in the United States that is willing to perform the surgery. Sheila Annette Lewis was diagnosed with a terminal illness in 2018 and was told she would not survive without an organ transplant. She was placed on an organ waiting list in 2020, but in 2021 she was informed that a COVID-19 vaccine was required to receive the transplant. Lewis had all her childhood vaccinations updated in 2021 but decided not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine because she was concerned about side effects. According to a GiveSendGo fundraising campaign set up to help pay for Lewiss surgery, she had tested positive for COVID-19 twice and received a COVID antibody test where she was found to have extremely high levels of antibodies, however, was still required to take the vaccine in order to receive the transplant in Canada. With the help of her friends, Lewis has now found a hospital in the U.S. that would not require her to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to be a transplant recipient. The testing is estimated to cost $100,000 and, after Lewis finds a suitable transplant donor, the surgery will cost another estimated $500,000. Over $35,000 has been raised on the GiveSendGo platform for Lewiss testing and surgery to date. Court Cases Arguing that the transplant policies at the Canadian hospital violated her charter rights, Lewis had previously brought her case to the Alberta Court of Queens Bench and the Alberta Court of Appeal. But the courts ruled against her, claiming the charter does not cover specific COVID-19 vaccine policies. Lewis then took her case to the Supreme Court of Canada. On June 8, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), which represented Lewis, announced the court had refused to hear her case. Additionally, the court decreed that Lewis needed to pay the costs incurred by Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the transplant doctors in the two trials Lewis lost. Ms. Lewis is deeply disappointed that the Supreme Court of Canada decided not to hear her case, said Allison Pejovic, legal counsel for Lewis, in a release. She had hoped that justice would prevail in the courts for herself and other unvaccinated transplant candidates across Canada. Unfortunately, her constitutional challenge has ended today, while the unscientific COVID-19 vaccine mandate persists with no end in sight. Lewis told the National Citizens Inquirywhich examined how the pandemic measures put in place by all levels of government impacted Canadiansthat the Supreme Courts refusal to hear her case meant she was taken off the organ transplant list and would never get back on. Lewis filed a separate legal action against the AHS, unnamed transplant doctors, and an Alberta hospital. Lewis is accusing them of medical malpractice and negligence and will ask the court to reinstate her to the high-priority transplant list immediately. US Approves Nations First Lab-Grown Meat for Sale This comes despite concerns over new cell culture technology A prepared dish of Good Meat's cultivated chicken is shown at the Eat Just office in Alameda, Calif., on June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) U.S. regulators have approved the nations first lab-grown meat for salechicken products grown from animal cells. The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) on Wednesday gave the OK for two California companies to sell their chicken products to restaurants, and eventually, supermarkets. Startups Upside Foods, formerly known as Memphis Meats, and Good Meat, a subsidiary of Eat Just Inc., made announcements of their USDA approvals on Wednesday. The USDA decisions mean that from now on, the agency will inspect the companies cultured meat facilities, just as it already does for regular meat processing plants. The two companies plan to serve the new food first in exclusive restaurants. Upside Foods has partnered with a San Francisco restaurant called Bar Crenn, while Good Meat dishes will be served at a Washington, D.C., restaurant run by chef and owner Jose Andres. The companies and others like them say their new tech-enabled meat products will be able to feed humans without killing animals, and without the environmental impacts associated with grazing, growing feed for animals, and animal waste. Cell Culture Technology and Concerns Upside Foods and Good Meat sell what they refer to as cultivated chicken or cultivated meat. Their meat will be labeled as cell-cultivated chicken when sold to consumers. Cell-cultivated meatalso known as cell-cultured meat, as well as cell-based or lab-grown proteinis made via animal cell culture technology. It involves taking cells from a living animal, a fertilized animal egg, or a special bank of stored cells, and putting that into a culture medium so the cells can be fed. Some companies also use animal stem cells. Scientists work in a bioprocess lab at Eat Just in Alameda, Calif., on June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) The medium is subsequently placed into large tanks known as bioreactors or cultivators, to help foster the cells growth. In the tanks is a broth-like mixture that includes the amino acids, fatty acids, sugars, salts, vitamins, and other elements cells need to grow. Most forms of lab-grown meat, including that of Upside Foods and Good Meat, are made with immortalized cell lines. The term refers to a population of cells that would normally not divide indefinitely but due to mutation, can keep undergoing cell division without end. The mutation may have taken place spontaneously or via intervention, such as exposure to radiation, genetic modification, or the use of an enzyme. Upside Foods, in a submission to the FDA (pdf), said it may use intrinsically immortal cells (e.g., stem cells) or uses well-established, safe methods to bioengineer the cells to intentionally delay senescence. The Center for Food Safety, a non-profit based in Washington, D.C., said in a blog in 2020 there are several human health concerns about genetically modified cell lines used in creating the meat products because these lines exhibit the characteristics of a cancerous cell which include overgrowth of cells not attributed to the original characteristics of a population of cultured primary cells. Meanwhile, [i]f they are using stem cells, cell-based meat companies need to pay attention to the risk of cancer cells emerging in their cultures, the authors also wrote. They said Harvard researchers found that stem cell lines grown in a lab environment often acquire mutations in a gene that is an important tumor suppressor responsible for controlling cell growth and division. Their research suggests that inexpensive genetic sequencing technologies should be used by cell-based meat companies to screen for mutated cells in stem cell cultures so that these cultures can be excluded, authors wrote. In the case of Good Meat, cells are created from a master cell bank formed from a commercially available chicken cell line. The cells from the chicken cell line are not recombinant or engineered (i.e., non-GMO) and have not been exposed to any viruses or viral DNA, and also do not have tumorigenic potentialthe ability to form tumorsthe company said in a dossier (pdf) submitted to the FDA. However, in the same document, Good Meat also notes that growth factors are used as part of its growth medium for the cells. Machines are shown in the bioreactor suite at Eat Just in Alameda, Calif., on June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Upside Foods similarly described the use of growth factors to help culture the cells, although it notes in its submission to the FDA that all growth factors it uses in cultured meat production are present in store-bought commercial chicken meat samples. The Center for Food Safety expressed concerns that the use of growth factors could promote the development of cancer-like cells in lab-cultured meat products, and that it is possible certain growth factors can be absorbed in the bloodstream after digestion. US 2nd Country to Approve Lab-Grown Meat With the latest USDA approvals, the United States is now the second country in the world to approve the sale of cultivated meat. The two companies earlier received the green lights from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which determined the companies lab-grown meats are safe for human consumption. Upside Foods received the FDAs safety determination in November 2022, and Good Meat followed suit in March. Joinn Biologics, a manufacturing company that works with Good Meat, was also cleared to make the products. Good Meat became the first company in December 2020 to sell its cultivated meat in the worldin Singapore, where its cultivated chicken is being served in select restaurants. Pieces of Good Meats cultivated chicken is shown at the Eat Just office in Alameda, Calif., on June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Both companies emphasized that initial production of its chicken products will be limited. Officials from Upside Foods told The Associated Press its facility can produce up to 50,000 pounds of cultivated meat products a year, and it aims to expand to 400,000 pounds per year. Meanwhile, Good Meat officials wouldnt estimate a production goal. By comparison, the United States produces about 50 billion pounds of chicken per year. Globally, more than 150 companies are focusing on meat from cells, not only chicken but pork, lamb, fish, and beef. Since 2019, the USDA and FDA have been collaborating on oversight over animal cell technology food products to ensure that any cultivated meats are properly labeled and deemed safe by the agencies. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Editors note: This article has been edited to provide additional information. US Working to Disrupt Chinese Expansion in Cuba: State Department The podium at the State Department in Washington on April 11, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times) WASHINGTONThe United States is working to disrupt Beijings ongoing efforts to expand its presence in Cuba, the State Department has told The Epoch Times. Broadly, we are monitoring and responding to any PRC [Peoples Republic of China] attempts to expand its military or security presence around the world, and we watch how potential PRC actions may impact the United States, the departments principal deputy spokesperson, Vedant Patel, told The Epoch Times in a press briefing. The Chinese communist regime, he said, will keep trying to enhance its presence in Cuba, and the United States will keep working to disrupt it. Our experts assess that our diplomatic efforts have slowed the PRC down, and there, of course, continue to still be challenges, but we continue to be concerned about the PRCs longstanding activities with Cuba, he said. Patel made the remarks as reports suggest that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is actively trying to bolster its surveillance capacity on the island, located just some 100 miles off the coast of Florida, which is home to a number of U.S. military installations. U.S. intelligence from the Trump administration showed staffers from blacklisted Chinese telecom companies Huawei and ZTE going in and out of facilities suspected of hosting the CCPs spying operations in Cuba, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous sources. Socialist-led Beijing and Havana are reportedly negotiating a deal to establish a new joint military training station in Cuba, a revelation that comes on the heels of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkens Beijing meeting with senior Chinese officials, including the regimes leader Xi Jinping. This is not surprising, Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.) told The Epoch Times. Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.), a member of the Congressional Hispanic Conference, speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 1, 2023. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Cuba is an adversary, they will do anything they can to undermine U.S. interests, and so is China. So theyre going to be allies and they are allied in their quest to undermine the United States. In London, when asked about the military activities, Blinken said he made very clear Washingtons deep concerns about PRC intelligence or military activities in Cuba in his meetings with CCP leaders in Beijing. He said that U.S. officials have engaged a number of countries where the CCP eyed expansion of its intelligence or military efforts, and have had some success in slowing down these efforts. Chinese military ships moor at the port of Havana on Nov. 10, 2015. (Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images) This is something were going to be monitoring very, very closely, and weve been very clear about that. And we will protect our homeland; we will protect our interests, Blinken said. The White House initially dismissed a reported deal for a Chinese surveillance base in Cuba, characterizing it as inaccurate without elaborating. However, days later, the administration confirmed the existence of such a facility but said the development dates back to 2019. Regarding those statements, retired U.S. Marine Col. Grant Newsham, who is an Epoch Times contributor, said he thinks the administration was not being entirely forthcoming. From another perspective, he said, both the spy facility and the military training station speak plainly about how Beijing views the relationship with Washington. There are things a country doesnt do if its interested in good relations, he said in an interview with The Epoch Times sister outlet NTD. They have a plan of attack, he said. And theyre carrying it out. Jackson Richman contributed to this report. Why Biological Men Are Entering Womens Prisons Across America: Libby Emmons Interview Demonstrators listen to the speaking program during an "Our Bodies, Our Sports" rally for the 50th anniversary of Title IX at Freedom Plaza in the District of Columbia on June 23, 2022. The rally, organized by multiple athletic women's groups was held to call on President Joe Biden to put restrictions on transgender females and "advocate to keep women's sports female." (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Biological men are transferring into female prisons across America by claiming themselves to be womena situation arising as a result of the Biden administration trying to change the definition of woman, according to Libby Emmons, editor-in-chief of The Post Millennial. In an April 15 interview with Jan Jekielek on the American Thought Leaders program, Emmons pointed out that there are male prisoners who decide theyre women after being locked up and then seek entry into womens prisons. That happens a lot, as it turns out. I dont think those men are doing anything other than trying to get a better housing situation for their time in lockup, really. Many of the men who are put in female prisons are violent, and many of these men have committed crimes against women. There are multiple benefits for men wanting to enter womens prisons. They find themselves then surrounded by women in prisons that are remarkably less secure and locked down than the male prisons are. Even though womens prison might technically be maximum security, it differs massively from mens, Emmons pointed out. A womens maximum security prison is more like a mans medium security prison. You get a lot more benefits and freedoms, such as they are, than you would in a male prison. Emmons blamed the Biden administration and changes in law and in the definition of words for the situation. President Biden has been working really hard with his team to change the definition of woman to be anyone who identifies as a woman, she said. Then, he is using this definition and tasking every single federal agency to use this new definition of women as they introduce and implement their policies. [Biden] put out a couple of executive orders about this, saying, Department of Agriculture, Department of Education, Department of Health and Human Services, I need you to use this new definition of woman. Reassess all of your policies and programs, and make sure that youre not being biased against men who say that theyre women. Use this new definition. Emmons warned that by conflating biological sex and gender identity and changing the definitions, all laws that exist to protect women are being rewritten, and the structure of society itself is being changed. Federal prisons have been tasked with making sure that they are not transphobic by allowing men who identify as women into womens federal prisons. Theyre working on that, she said. New Jersey and California In New Jersey prisons, men are given access to womens prisons simply by saying that they are female, she said. A man, whose trans name was Demi Minor, impregnated two women while in a female prison, was removed, and is trying to get his way back in, Emmons said. The dynamic in womens prisons changes when a man is introduced, she stated. In the Central California Womens Correctional Facility, an eight-woman prison cell will be cleared so that a man can be housed there, Emmons said while citing a prison inmate. Emmons criticized The Transgender Respect, Agency, and Dignity Act signed into law in California in 2020 by Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom. Authored by California State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat, it allows men who identify as female to be housed in womens prisons. As soon as it was signed into law, inmates in male correctional facilities petitioned to be moved into womens correctional facilities, 261 trans-identified inmates. Of these, there were hardly any trans men, Emmons said. And the trans mens petitions to be moved into the male prisons were denied, clearly for their own safety. Yet, no one had any concern about the women who were going to be impacted by the men transferring in. Emmons pointed out that the issue is not just limited to the United States alone but also in other Western nations like Australia, New Zealand, England, and Scotland. In England, they decided to create separate sections for trans inmates because they were finding that there was trouble. California Prison Situation In a January interview with EpochTVs California Insider, Amie Ichikawa, who runs a nonprofit for incarcerated women, said that Californias law allowing men identifying as women to be housed at female prisons is creating an environment of total chaos emotionally within the womens prison system. Its the worst human science project Ive ever seen, she said. This is very callous and brazen psychological warfare that is occurring right in our own state, being fully funded by taxpayers dollars. Since Newsom signed the bill in 2020, Ichikawa claims to have received more phone calls, letters, and emails from incarcerated women who express fear about their safety, STDs, and pregnancy. Womens cells in California house eight inmates. This has led to concerns among some female prisoners that they might end up getting housed with a man who identifies as a female and has a history of rape. According to a March 4 post on Twitter by advocacy Women Are Real: Beginning in [January] 2021, California allowed incarcerated men to be housed in womens prisons and gave men a right to insist their bodies be searched by female staff (regardless of whether female staff felt comfortable with this). The requests of these men could not be denied based on physical anatomysuch as intact genitalia or crimes committed by these menas long as at least one woman at the facility had also committed a similar crime. (For example: if a woman who had killed her abusive husband was housed at a facility, then a male mass murderer of women could not be denied on the basis of his crime.) Wife of OceanGate CEO Onboard Missing Tourist Submarine Is Descendant of Titanic Victims: Report The OceanGate logo is pictured on a trailer at the Port of Everett Boat Yard in Everett, Washington, on June 20, 2023. (Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images) The wife of the OceanGate CEO on board the tourist submarine that went missing while surveying the Titanic shipwreck in the Atlantic Ocean is a descendant of two passengers who died on the Titanic, according to a new report. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, 61, founded the company in 2009 and also oversees its financial and engineering strategies, according to the companys website. The company, which provides submersibles for tourism and research purposes, confirmed that Rush is onboard the missing vessel in a statement earlier this week, noting that hes a member of the crew. The CEO and aerospace engineer married Wendy Rushborn Wendy Hollings Weilin 1986, according to a New York Times wedding announcement. Shes the communications director at OceanGate, according to her LinkedIn profile. Shes also a great-great-granddaughter of businessman and politician Isidor Straus and his wife, Ida, both of whom were passengers on board the Titanic and were among the wealthiest first-class passengers to die, according to The New York Times. Joan Adler, executive director of the Straus Historical Society, told the publication that Isidor and Ida Straus had a daughter named Minnie Straus, who married Dr. Richard Weil in 1905. Their son, Dr. Richard Weil III, is Wendy Rushs father, according to Adler. Isidor Straus previously co-owned Macys department store with his brother Nathan, according to the National Archives. A submersible vessel named Titan used to visit the wreckage site of the Titanic. (OceanGate Expeditions via AP) Where You Go, I Go After a visit to their native Germany, Isidor and Ida were traveling back to the United States with Idas recently-appointed maid, Ellen Bird, and Isidors manservant, John Farthing, the National Archives read. Though the Strauss [sic] usually traveled on German vessels, the lure of the newly-commissioned Titanic and all the luxury she could offer probably proved too much of a temptation for the journey home. Both Isidor and Ida died when the Titanic hit an iceberg on the night of April 14, 1912, according to the National Archives, despite the couple being directed toward lifeboat eight. The aging Isidor refused to board the lifeboat while there were younger men being prevented from boarding, the National Archives read. Ida also refused to get into the lifeboat saying, Where you go, I go. Her maid Ellen was put into the lifeboat and Ida gave Ellen her fur coat, saying she had no further use for it. The couple were reportedly last seen together holding hands on deck before they were swept into the sea. Isidors body was later recovered, and he was buried in New Yorks Woodlawn Cemetery. Idas body was never found. Her maid survived the sinking of the Titanic and died in 1949, but Farthings body was lost with the ship and never recovered, according to the archives. Along with Stockton Rush, four other passengers are onboard the missing tourist submarine reported missing on June 18 about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. Johns, Newfoundland. Representatives for OceanGate didnt respond by press time to a request by The Epoch Times for further comment. U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Capt. Jamie Frederick speaks to reporters about the search efforts for the Titan submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic, at Coast Guard Base Boston on June 21, 2023. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images) Underwater Noises Billionaire Hamish Harding, chairman of Dubai-based Action Aviation, a global sales company in business aviation; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman; and French diver and Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet were also on board. Multiple agencies, led by the Boston Coast Guard, are currently conducting a search and rescue operation to find the submersible, called Titan. On June 20, the U.S. Coast Guard said a Canadian P-3 aircraft had picked up underwater noises in the search area, prompting remotely operated vehicles to be relocated to explore the origin of the sounds. However, those searches had ultimately yielded negative results, according to the agency. Experts have said that the oxygen supplies onboard the missing vesselwhich was only on its third trip since OceanGate Expeditions began offering trips in 2021, according to reportsis quickly running out. According to OceanGate, such trips to view the wreckage of the Titanic cost $250,000 per person. In an interview with CBS journalist David Pogue last year, Stockton Rush stressed that expeditions on board vessels such as the 22-foot (6.7-meter) carbon-fiber one thats currently missing are generally safe. You know, at some point, safety is just pure waste. I mean, if you just want to be safe, dont get out of bed, dont get in your car, dont do anything. At some point, youre going to take some risk, and it really is a risk-reward question, Rush said. Edible oil prices to remain under pressure Business Bureau The edible oils prices, excluding groundnut oil, seem to be under pressure on account of lower demand and good supplies in the wholesale market, said Rajesh Thakkar, Director of Shantilal Oils Pvt Ltd, Itwari and President of Oil Merchants Association while speaking to The Hitavada. The reason for the decline in the soyabean oil prices can be attributed to lower demand in the domestic market coupled with massive fall in edible oil prices in the international market. Currently, the soyabean oil is imported from Brazil and Thailand to meet the shortfall in domestic demand. At present, in the wholesale market, the soyabean oil price is being quoted at Rs 1,560 per 15 kg tin. Earlier about 15 days ago, soyabean oil was quoted at Rs 1,530 per 15 kg tin, a marginal increase of Rs 30 per 15 kg tin. Similarly, sunflower oil price is being quoted at Rs 1,560 per 15 litre tin, as compared to Rs 1,530 per 15 litre tin 15 days ago. Also, rice bran is being quoted at Rs 1,450 per 15 kg tin, as compared to Rs 1,430 per 15 kg tin 15 days ago and palm oil at Rs 1,490 per 15 kg tin, compared to Rs 1,430 per 15 kg tin 15 days ago. Apart from this, groundnut oil price is being quoted at Rs 2,600 per 15 kg tin. The prices of groundnut oil has not changed much during the entire season and have remained in the range of Rs 2,600 to Rs 2,800 per 15 kg tin, as it is being exported in huge quantities to China, he added. A large number of branded edible oil companies sell soyabean oil, rice bran oil and sunflower oil in 1 litre packets. In the wholesale market, the 1 litre soyabean oil packets are available at Rs 100 per litre. Thakkar added that edible oil prices are under huge pressure as India has imported record quantity of palm oil from Thailand, soyabean oil from Brazil and Argentina and sunflower oil from USSR and Ukraine. At present, in the United States of America (USA) which is one of the largest soyabean crop producers in the world, the sowing season of soyabean crop is late by one month due to delay in rains. The situation in India is also similarly and also late by one month affecting the seeding season. According to Thakkar, the edible oil prices except groundnut oil have hit their lowest levels about 15 days ago. He suggests that the edible oil prices will remain in a narrow range in June and July until the festive season begins from August. (Bloomberg) -- Fast-fashion giant Shein will strengthen its presence in Europe and Mexico, including selling more locally made products, in a bid to diversify its China-centric supply chain. Most Read from Bloomberg The company will launch an online marketplace in Mexico this month, where products from third-party sellers can be bought alongside Sheins own brand of $10 dresses and $12 jeans. Thatll be followed by roll outs in Germany, Spain, France and Italy, in the third quarter. The move builds on existing offerings in Brazil and the US and reinforces the entire localization strategy worldwide, Leonard Lin, global head of public affairs, said in an interview at the companys headquarters in Singapore. Well be prepared to grow the diversification and work with manufacturing suppliers in other countries as well. Sheins pivot to selling products other than its own, including Skechers shoes and Lansinoh mother-care items, brings it closer to what rival Temu offers. The bargain shopping app backed by China e-commerce heavyweight PDD Holdings Inc. has surged in popularity in the US and saw sales top Sheins in May, with its wide array of items from clothing to socket wrenches. Read more: US Shoppers Propel Chinas Bargain App Temu Past Rival Shein Lin said Sheins expansion isnt a reflection of what competitors are doing and the firm will continue to focus on what it can offer to the young female shoppers that are its core clientele. Theres been a huge increase in demand from customers for more product variety, he said. China Reliance Despite its diversification push, the company remains heavily reliant on a vast network of contract manufacturers in China that churn out new designs in about 10 days to meet the fast-changing whims of Western consumers. While the system has underpinned Sheins rapid ascent it far surpasses Zara and H&M in the US fast-fashion market its also left the company mired in the middle of US-China tensions that are rippling across a raft of sectors. The firm has also long faced criticisms that run the entire gamut of its operations from accusations about stealing designs, to links to forced labor and its contribution to overconsumption thats harming the environment. Read more: Fashion Giant Shein Cleans Up Its Image With Mega-IPO in Sight The company has spent millions to address those concerns, including upgrading factories and launching a program that showcases independent designers work and gives artists a cut of the profits. Lin said Shein takes copyright infringement seriously and uses automated and manual checks to review products from suppliers and third-party sellers before offering them for sale. The company also monitors geopolitical developments and is committed to complying with local laws and regulations, he said. We take visibility across our entire supply chain seriously and were committed to respecting human rights and adhering to local laws in each market we operate in, Lin said. We have zero tolerance toward forced labor. Supply Shifts Efforts to shift further away from China are also likely to remove one of its biggest disadvantages: long delivery times. The company already has distribution centers in the US Midwest and California to get items to customers quicker, has opened a warehouse in Toronto and has a facility in Poland. Local production is being considered in India under a partnership with Mukesh Ambanis Reliance Industries Ltd. and there are about 1,000 manufacturers of Shein-branded items across Turkey and Brazil. The company wants the South American country, the first to get a Shein marketplace, to have 85% of sales from local producers and merchants by 2026, Lin said. Shein is already rolling out the red carpet to entice businesses. It will offer training and incentives, like waiving commission for certain periods of time, to potential top vendors. It wants 100,000 sellers across all marketplaces to achieve annual sales of $100,000, with another 10,000 hitting $1 million in three years, according to Lin. Some of the companys current sellers have managed monthly sales that top $1 million within three months of joining the platform. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Armed Forces celebrate Yoga Day with zeal Staff Reporter In the true spirit of yoga, Armed Forces celebrated International Day of Yoga with great enthusiasm and fervour across the country, on Wednesday. To mark this momentous occasion, as the first rays of sunlight hit Cobra Integrated Sports Complex on iconic Hoshiar Singh, PVC Marg in Jabalpur Cantt, Headquarters Madhya Bharat Area celebrated the 9th International Day of Yoga. More than 3,300 individuals participated in the event to make it a grand success. Participants from all walks of life, including Army personnel, women, children and civilian employees displayed heartfelt and impassioned commitment to age old practice of yoga. Recognising the significance of ancient practice of yoga as an effective stress buster and an alternative physical regime, the Indian Armed forces embraced the theme for the International Yoga Day 2023: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The celebration aimed to raise awareness about holistic benefits of yoga and promote it as a regular regime worldwide for enhanced well-being. Emphasising that yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition, he expressed that the world needs yoga and meditation now more than ever. In the practice session which ensued, various Asanas, Pranayama and meditation were demonstrated and performed by all. As soldiers of Indian Army are posted in different terrains varying from glaciers to deserts in harsh climatic conditions, Yoga helps them to combat diseases, psychological stress and fatigue. The respiratory adaptations of Pranayama help soldiers to adapt to the environment where the oxygen levels are low and make them even more fit to operate in challenging environments. Lt Gen MK Das, General Officer Commanding, MB Area wished good health to all and urged to take a resolution to incorporate yoga into their lives for a healthier and happier existence. CG witnesses massive turnout for state-level yoga event Staff Reporter RAIPUR, THE International Yoga Day commenced with a resounding message of Har Ghar Aangan Yoga and One World, One Health as more than 21,000 enthusiasts, spanning across various age groups, gathered at Jora Maidan at the State Capital for the state-level Yoga programme. This grand event showcased the unity of mind, body, and nature through the practice of Yoga. The programme commenced with esteemed guests lighting the ceremonial lamp and inaugurating the event with the state song, fostering a sense of enthusiasm and unity among the participants. Gyanesh Sharma, Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Yoga Commission, emphasised the transformative power of yoga in promoting good health and alleviating diseases. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the Yoga Commission has been actively working towards creating an atmosphere of yoga in Chhattisgarh. Sharma expressed his delight in witnessing the increased awareness and participation in yoga, urging people from all walks of life to adopt yoga as a means of attaining a healthy lifestyle. He also emphasised the importance of spreading awareness about the significance of yoga among the masses. Vikas Upadhyay, Parliamentary Secretary, highlighted the necessity of regular yoga practice for maintaining overall well-being. He praised the efforts of the Yoga Commission in raising awareness about yoga, resulting in the establishment of over 40 yoga centers throughout State. Upadhyay acknowledged the pivotal role of yoga as a lifeline during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. MLA Satyanarayan Sharma reiterated the importance of daily yoga practice, emphasising its role in maintaining good health and preventing unnecessary expenses related to medical treatment. The concerted efforts of the Chhattisgarh Yoga Commission, under the guidance of Chairman Gyanesh Sharma, have significantly contributed to the growing awareness and integration of yoga into people's lives. This transformation has led to a significant change in people's lifestyles. Mohan Markam, MLA and CPCC President, extended his congratulations on Yoga Day, encouraging everyone to embrace yoga as a means to stay fit, highlighting its ancient origins and scientific benefits. During the state-level yoga programme, yoga instructor Chhabiram Sahu provided training in various yoga techniques, emphasising that yoga symbolises the harmony between the body, mind, and nature. Sahu explained that yoga encompasses the eight limbs known as Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, and Samadhi. By practicing these components, one can achieve freedom from physical and mental ailments, attain mental tranquility, and increase physical energy levels. Sahu stressed the significance of meditation and wholehearted engagement in yoga, enabling individuals to tap into infinite inner energy. The participants at the state-level yoga programme enthusiastically practiced a range of yoga asanas, including Padmasan, Tadasan, Halasan, Ardhachakrasan, Vajrasan, Dhanurasan, Makarasan, Naukasan, Pawan Muktasan, Bhujangasan, Shavasan, Kapalbhati, Grivachalan, and Anulom-Vilom. Dharsinwa MLA Anita Yogendra Sharma, Raipur Municipal Corporation Mayor Ejaz Dhebar, Zila Panchayat President Domeshwari Verma, Raipur Divisional Commissioner Dr Sanjay Alang, Director of Social Welfare Ramesh Kumar Sharma, Collector Dr. Sarveshwar Bhure, and IG Ratanlal Dangi were among the esteemed guests, along with a large number of yoga enthusiasts, public representatives, and government officials who graced the event. ED raids at residence of Sanjay Rauts aide, others in COVID centres scam MUMBAI : THE Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday raided 15 locations in Mumbai in connection with a money laundering case related to an alleged COVID centres scam against businessman Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, and others, an official said. Raids were also being conducted at the residence of Suraj Chavan, a core committee member of Yuva Sena (Thackeray faction) and at the locations of some officials of Mumbai civic body and others, including IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal, in connection with the alleged hospital management contracts scam, he said. Patkar and his three partners allegedly bagged Mumbai civic body contracts fraudulently for managing COVID-19 field hospitals during the pandemic, the official said. The ED team raided the residences of Patkar, Jaiswal, and Chavan at Santacruz, Bandra, and Chembur, respectively. Chavan identifies himself as a secretary of Shiv Sena and a core committee member of Yuva Sena on his social media handle. Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sachin Ahir termed the raids unfortunate and wondered whether the intention was to exact political revenge. The Mumbai Police had registered a forgery case against Lifeline Hospital Management Services firm, Patkar, and his three partners in August last year. Based on the FIR at Azad Maidan police station in south Mumbai, the ED registered a case to investigate the money laundering angle, the official said. In January, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal appeared before the ED in connection with alleged irregularities in the award of contracts for the health facilities during the pandemic. As per the FIR, the hospital management firm partners in June 2020 submitted an alleged fake partnership deed to the BMC and obtained contracts for jumbo COVID-19 centres at NSEL, Worli, Mulund, Dahisar (in Mumbai) and Pune without having any experience in the medical field. After verification it was found that staffers and doctors at these COVID-19 centres did not have medical certificates and allegedly failed to provide proper treatment due to which people suffered, the FIR said. Ahir alleged, By raiding Chavan, the agency wants to send a message that he is the secretary of Yuva Sena. He said Chavan did not hold any administrative post in the BMC. Had it been done with transparency, we would have accepted it that we have to face it, but doing this with a political motive to create a picture.They should take the same position in Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pimpri-Chinchwad or in MMRDA or Urban Development department, Ahir added. HC orders CBI probe against WB poll officer for tampering with papers KOLKATA : THE Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the CBI to probe into an allegation of tampering with documents and misrepresenting information by a Returning Officer in Howrah districts Uluberia I block for the July 8 West Bengal panchayat elections. Two petitioners, who are candidates, raised the allegation against the panchayat poll Returning Officer of the block, claiming that the officer concerned had tampered with the documents filed by them at the time of filing nomination. The petitioners lawyer Sabyasachi Chatterjee submitted that both the candidates are of OBC-A category having proper certificates, but in the documents of the panchayat election officer it was mentioned SC-W and that it was pending in their record. Justice Amrita Sinha directed the Joint Director, CBI to probe into the allegation by July 5 and submit a report before the court on July 7, when the matter would be heard again. The petitioners prayed for an investigation by an independent agency into the allegation of tampering. It is alleged such incidents have happened in other places also. The counsel of the State Election Commissioner (SEC) and that of the State Government submitted that they be allowed to probe into the allegation. Justice Sinha observed that the contention of the State and SEC cannot be accepted since the officer against whom the allegation is made is in service with the State authorities and responsible for fairly conducting the election. The court directed that video footage along with the instruments used for recording the proceedings at the panchayat election office in Uluberia I block be preserved and handed over to the CBI when required. India slams China for blocking move to blacklist Mir at UN UNITED NATIONS, INDIA has hit out at China for blocking a move to designate Pakistan-based LeT leader Sajid Mir as a global terrorist by the UN, saying it shows a lack of genuine political will to fight the scourge of terrorism. China on Tuesday blocked a proposal moved by the US and co-designated by India to blacklist Mir under the 1267 Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council as a global terrorist and subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist Mir is wanted for his involvement in 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. In a strongly-worded statement, Joint Secretary at Indias permanent mission in New York Prakash Gupta said on Tuesday that if efforts to ban terrorists fail due to petty geopolitical interests, then we really do not have the genuine political will to sincerely fight this challenge of terrorism. The first and most critical gap we feel addressing is avoiding double standards, and this self-defeating justification of good terrorists versus bad terrorists. A terror act is a terror act, plain and simple. Any justification of any kind being used should not be countenanced by anybody, he said at United Nations counter-terror meeting. In this day and age of accountability and transparency, can evidence-based listing proposals be blocked without giving any reason? Gupta asked. Modi leads historic Yoga session at UN HQ By Yoshita Singh : UNITED NATIONS Prime Minister Modi describes Yoga as truly universal and free from copyrights and patents The historic Yoga session was attended by top UN officials, ambassadors, envoys, delegates from Member States as well as prominent members of global and diaspora community The Modi-led session created a Guinness World Record for the participation of people of most nationalities PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described Yoga as truly universal and free from copyrights and patents as he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by top UN officials, envoys from across and the world, prominent individuals. Modi, who is here on the first leg of his maiden state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, began the celebration by paying respects to the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the North Lawn of the UN headquarters. The bust was installed in December last year under Indias presidency of the UN Security Council. The Prime Minister, wearing an especially customised white Yoga T-shirt and trousers, began his address with a Namaste and thanked people for coming here from far away to attend the celebration. Im delighted to see you all. And I thank you all. Im told that almost every nationality is represented here, Modi said. Yoga comes from India and it is a very old tradition. Yoga is free from copyrights, patents and royalty payments. Yoga is adaptable to your age, gender and fitness level. Yoga is portable and is truly universal, Modi told the gathering. Hundreds of yellow Yoga mats were placed on the ground where Yoga enthusiasts and practitioners, wearing customised white Yoga T-shirts, joined the event. The Modi-led celebration created a Guinness World Record for the participation of people of most nationalities, officials said. LED screens playing videos of Indian culture and heritage were set up on the lawn. Yoga means to unite...I remember about nine years ago, right here, I had the honour to propose celebrating the International Day of Yoga on 21st June. It was wonderful to see the entire world come together to support the idea, Modi said. The historic Yoga session was attended by top UN officials, ambassadors, envoys, delegates from Member States as well as prominent members of the global and diaspora community. I am excited for everyone who is participating in Yoga Day, said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN. President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly Csaba Korosi, Hollywood actor Richard Gere, Mayor of New York City Eric Adams and Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Amina J Mohammed were among prominent personalities who attended the event. The feeling here is so open and embracing, I hope this feeling intoxicates the entire building. Its a really nice feeling here today, Gere said ahead of the event. People from more than 180 countries participated in Prime Minister Modi-led Yoga Day celebrations here, representing different walks of life and comprising diplomats, artists, academicians and entrepreneurs among others, sources said. You can see the vibrations and excitement. Hundreds of people are lining up for International Yoga (Day celebrations) with Prime Minister Modi. Such a great feeling, said Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner for New York City Mayors Office for International Affairs. Ruchika Lal, Yoga and Meditation Instructor, Art of Living, said people are excited. They have been waiting outside since 6 am, she said. People were seen standing in queues outside UN headquarters to take part in the Yoga session since early morning. The first International Day of Yoga was commemorated in 2015 and has since then been marked with several sessions and events highlighting the benefits and universal appeal of Yoga at the UN, Times Square and iconic locations across the world. The UN underlined that Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word Yoga is derived from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolising the union of body and consciousness. Today it is practised in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity. PEACE SEEKER A firm advocate of diplomacy to resolve conflicts and hostilities, India has once again raised the pitch for normal relations with China by working on the core belief of respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of each other. The latest observation has come from Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi as he shared his ideas of a peaceful world with an American publication before the much-talked about State visit to the United States. The Prime Minister has spoken about the problems with China as per the set policy where India has stood firm against the Chinese aggression while advocating dialogue at all levels for maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas. It is the biggest imperative for having normal relations with China, the Prime Minister has rightly reminded the world, even as he announced Indias preparedness in protecting its sovereignty and dignity. India has been maintaining that its ties with China could not be normal unless there was peace in the border areas. It was articulated in a crystal-clear manner first by External Affairs Minister Mr. S Jaishankar who called for a middle way out by both countries to step back from potential confrontation in the western Himalayas. Mr. Jaishankar had conveyed the Indian position to his counterpart during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in India last month that India wished to improve relations with China but it would happen only when there was peace and tranquility on the border. The Prime Minister has taken it ahead by reminding China that it had to give up its acts of coercion along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to resume normalcy in bilateral relations with India. The onus is totally on the Chinese side as Beijing is the culprit in the latest episode that erupted in May of 2020 with the eastern Ladakh border standoff. The freeze in ties was result of the bloody clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan in which China ended up with a bloodied nose and had to hide the heavy casualties it suffered. Since then, the Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a confrontation at various friction points in eastern Ladakh. Though the two sides have completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks the 18 rounds of dialogue have still not yielded complete closure. The Chinese side has been dragging its feet on the issue even as India has ramped up its security forces and critical infrastructure in the eastern Ladakh area as well as other friction points along the LAC. The China question is set to take a new shape during Mr Modis visit to the United States which began with a rousing welcome and continued with fruitful meetings with the top business, industry and intellectual leaders in America. In the course of the visit, the China issue will be on the table with US President Mr. Joe Biden and Mr. Modi has already prepared the groundwork by asserting the Indian position vis-a-vis the military stand-off at the border. The US is set to present its security plans involving India to counter China in the Indo-Pacific and it was necessary for Mr. Modi to explain the policies on which New Delhi works in an alliance. The Prime Minister wisely used the mode of a guarded diplomacy to convey the message. By no means the security alliance with the US should result in instigation of a conflict with China is the clear message by New Delhi as Mr. Modi talked about the core belief of respecting territorial principles guiding the Indian policies with its immediate neighbours. It is a clear hint to the international community that India would do everything to protect its own borders even if it calls for military help from the US but it would not be a partner in launching offensives for serving geopolitical ambitions of a superpower. PM Modi to receive ceremonial welcome at White House NEW YORK, PRIME Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a maiden state visit to the US, emplaned for Washington DC on Wednesday after overseeing a special Yoga session on the lawns of the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The event, organised to mark the 9th edition of the International Day of Yoga, also created a Guinness World Record for most nationalities performing Yoga together. After landing in Washington DC, PM Modi will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a State Dinner in honour of Prime Minister Modi the same evening. PM Modi will also address a joint sitting of the US Congress on the same day. On June 23, Prime Minister Modi will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In addition to official engagements, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to have several interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders. He is a product of Indian culture: Richard Gere heaps praise on PM Modi: ACTOR Richard Gere on Wednesday heaped praise on PM Narendra Modi, hailing his message of universal brotherhood and sisterhood while leading a special Yoga session at the UN headquarters in New York City. The veteran actor, who toplined several Hollywood hits including Pretty Woman, Primal Fear, An Officer and a Gentleman, Chicago, Days of Heaven, and Intersection, was pictured sitting opposite PM Modi and performing Yoga on the lawns of the UN headquarters in New York. Speaking to ANI, Gere said, It is a lovely message. He (PM Modi) is a product of Indian culture and comes from a vast place like Indian culture does. This message of universal brotherhood and sisterhood is the one we want to hear again and again. PMs leadership has enhanced nations credibility across the globe: VD Sharma Staff Reporter BJP State President and Member of Parliament Vishnu Datt Sharma lauded the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his 9 years tenure has changed the lifestyle of citizens and improved credibility of India throughout the world. UN had declared June 21 as International Yoga Day on the initiative of PM Modi which is being unanimously observed in 180 countries. Sharma was addressing workers of Jabalpur East Assembly Constituency at Divisional Office, on Wednesday. Addressing the meeting, State President added that under the leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Madhya Pradesh Government has strengthened women through Ladli Bahna Yojana and more than 1.25 lakh women have been benefited under the scheme. Women have shown their faith on BJP Government with the unique scheme. It is a proven fact that the residents are satisfied with the works of State Government. On the basis of publics faith, BJP will definitely accomplish its target of winning above 200 seats in forthcoming Assembly elections in the State. It is the responsibility of party workers for publicising development and welfare works of Central and State Governments amongst public. State Treasurer, Akhilesh Jain, District President, Prabhat Sahu, District General Secretary, Pankaj Dubey, Vinay Amlathe, Assembly Constituency in-charge, Pankaj Mishra and others were present. Police Inspector found drunk in office, SP orders inquiry Staff Reporter A Police Inspector (PI) of Nagpur Rural police was captured on video engaging in a heated argument with office staff under the influence of alcohol. The video quickly went viral on social media, prompting senior police officials to order an inquiry. Sources informed that the PI had been on leave for the past three days, but unexpectedly appeared at the Police Bhavan on Monday evening. Being in-charge of Wireless Department of Rural Police, the officer proceeded to take a seat and began questioning three staffers. A staffer got angry over the misconduct with the official and engaged in heated arguments. Another staffer discreetly recorded the incident using a mobile phone, later sharing it on social media platforms. Superintendent of Police (SP) Vishal Anand said that a serious note of the misconduct has been taken Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) rank officer would launch a Preliminary Enquiry (PE). He was mandated a quick submission of the report to shed light on the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. The SP stated that the findings of the report would determine the course of action. (Bloomberg) -- The Church of England Pensions Board will offload its stake in Shell Plc as part of a total exit from oil and gas, as the influential investor turns its back on companies it says are failing to address climate risks. Most Read from Bloomberg After years of trying to engage with management boards, its now clear that Shell and a number of its peers dont have sufficient ambition to decarbonize in line with the aims of the Paris Agreement, John Ball, chief executive officer of the CofE Pensions Board, said in an emailed statement on Thursday. Read More: Shell Called On by UKs Top Fund Manager to Explain CO2 Math Shell said last week it intends to devote an ever larger chunk of annual spending to oil and gas, a strategy thats been dubbed catastrophic by climate activists. Shell says it can still deliver on its pledge to shareholders to eliminate emissions by mid-century, but hasnt said how. At the same time, the company signaled it will restrict spending on renewable energy projects to those it thinks can compete with the returns of its fossil-fuel business. The move is not only angering investors but also some employees. Steffen Krutzinna, a power trader at Shell, decided to quit because of his employers renewed embrace of oil and gas, according a post on LinkedIn. Exits driven by concerns around environmental, social and governance metrics have coincided with sagging share prices for many of the stocks being targeted. After adding 43% in 2022 amid an energy crisis fueled by the war in Ukraine, Shells share price is largely unchanged in 2023. Other investors voicing concerns over Shells strategy pivot include Legal & General Investment Management, the UKs largest asset manager. The firm has called on Shell to explain how it can continue to cut emissions while ratcheting up investments in fossil fuels. Velliv, a Danish pension fund, is in the process of dumping Shell as part of a $3.4 billion exit from high-carbon assets. The Church of England Pensions Board most recently held 1.35 million ($1.73 million) across equity and debt in Shell, and about 7 million in equity and debt across oil and gas companies in its common investment fund, it said. A separate Church investing body, the Church Commissioners for England which manages a 10.3 billion endowment fund, said on Thursday its now also blacklisting oil and gas majors. Whats more, the investor will exclude all other companies primarily engaged in the exploration, production and refining of oil or gas, unless they are in genuine alignment with a 1.5C pathway, by the end of 2023, it said. In 2021, the Church Commissioners excluded 20 oil and gas majors, and will now also exclude BP, Ecopetrol, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, Pemex, Repsol, Sasol, Shell, and Total, after concluding that none are aligned with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. The CofE Pensions Boards decision to divest from oil and gas marks a rare exit by the investor, which typically prefers to work with companies to help them transition. Other notable divestments to date include iron ore and nickel producer Vale SA, after a mining waste damn collapsed and killed 270 people. Though the CofE Pensions Board only looks after about 3.2 billion in assets, its managed to punch above its weight due to its key role in a number of investor coalitions. The investor has a particular history with Shell, after it co-led engagement with the oil major on behalf of a $68 trillion investor group, Climate Action 100+. That work was seen as instrumental in bringing about Shells 2020 net zero emissions pledge. Read More: Churchs $40 Trillion Social Investing Push Gets a Reality Check There is a significant misalignment between the long-term interests of our pension fund and continued investment in companies seeking short term profit maximization at the expense of the ambition needed to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, Ball said. Recent signals have undermined confidence in the sectors ability to transition. (Adds reference to fossil-fuel returns in fifth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Stable US-China Ties? By Girish Linganna AT A meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing on Monday, June 19, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping has stated that the world required a stable US-China relationship and that the two countries should handle ties responsibly, according to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV). China will neither challenge, nor replace the US and Washington should respect Beijing and not hurt its legitimate rights and interests, Chinese President Xi Jinping said, urging the two world powers to overcome obstacles and repair tense relations. Whether China and the US can get along correctly has an impact on the future and destiny of humanity, he said, adding that each countrys prosperity should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a threat. The Chinese leader stated that countries throughout the world had expressed concern about deteriorating US-China relations and that they did not want to see conflict or confrontation between the two great powers. Neither side can change the other to fit its own needs, let alone stop the other from growing as it should. There are growing concerns that the two largest economies in the world may engage in a military conflict, with Taiwan being one of the potential flashpoints. As the island approaches a presidential election next year, calls for re-engagement and communication have got louder. Blinken later reciprocated, saying he hoped for and expected more communication and engagement moving forward. US President Joe Biden, on his part was effusive in his praise of Blinken and stated that he thought relations between the two countries were on the right path, indicating the progress made during Blinkens trip. When reporters asked him if he felt progress had been made, he replied, I dont feel. You know its been made. He did a hell of a job! Other top US officials are expected to visit China in the coming weeks. Matthew Miller, State Department spokesman, said the two sides had agreed to continue talking about creating guiding principles for their bilateral relationship and urged more advancement, especially through the joint working groups. Both sides stressed the importance of cooperating in order to tackle issues including global macro-economic stability, food security, public health and drug enforcement that affect both domestic and foreign policy. While Xi said agreements on some specific issues had been reached in the Secretary of States earlier discussions with Chinas top diplomat, Wang Yi, and Foreign Minister Qin Gang and that China wished for the restoration of healthy and stable relations with the US the US State Department went on record to say that Blinken had visited Beijing because US President Joe Biden believed both the US and China had obligation and responsibility to manage bilateral relations. According to the Chinese statement on the meeting, Blinken stated that Washington did not want a new Cold War, nor did it wish to modify Chinas system or oppose Beijing by developing alliances. While the deliverables of Blinkens trip were modest, both countries used it to help stabilise ties that had been lurching towards dangerously intense confrontation, according to Daniel Russel, former Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs at the US State Department. Both sides expected Blinkens visit to lower the temperature, not to resolve fundamental disagreements, he added. In keeping with Bidens laudatory remarks, Blinken, in fact, exceeded expectations by meeting Xi, holding extensive discussions with top Chinese officials and unclogging the pipeline of official bilateral contacts, according to Russel, who is Vice-President for international security and diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute. What was important on Blinkens visit was the reaffirmation that both the sides discussed the fundamental principles that should guide the relationship. While it seems unlikely that Washington would bend to Chinese obfuscations, such as mutual respect and win-win cooperation, or that China would commit to concrete principles, such as freedom of the seas, engaging in this kind of strategic dialogue is essentially an infallible tool for smoothening ruffled feathers. According to Zhu Feng, an international affairs professor specialising in US-China relations at Nanjing University, President Xis meeting with Blinken shows the importance that Chinas upper echelons place on his visit. Wang Yi, top foreign policy advisor of Xi, encouraged the US to reflect deeply on its differences with Beijing, blaming deteriorating relations on Washingtons erroneous perception of China. Wang urged the US to end unilateral sanctions against China, cease stifling Chinas technology growth and refrain from interfering in Beijings internal affairs. On Taiwan, Wang emphasised that preserving its national unity would always be at the heart of Chinas vital interests, with no room for compromise. Blinkens discussion with Wang came a day after he met Qin and both parties described the nearly six-hour encounter as candid and constructive. While urging the two countries to maintain high-level contacts, Qin warned that Taiwan was the core of Chinas core interests and posed the most prominent risk to bilateral relations. Beijing regards self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province that must be subduedby force, if necessary. Washington, on the other hand, opposes any move to seize the island by force. World joins India to celebrate 9th International Yoga Day NEW DELHI, YOGA was the mantra and asanas the discipline as millions across the globe and distant corners of India stretched for the skies and dived for their toes, breathed in and out - mindfully - and twisted and turned to celebrate the International Day of Yoga on Wednesday. The day began with Prime Minister Narendra Modis early morning video message from the US, saying India has always nurtured traditions that unite, adopt and embrace. We have to eliminate our contradictions, blockages and resistances through Yoga. We have to present the spirit of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat as an example to the world, Modi said. Yoga Day celebrated at Raj Bhavan Staff Reporter RAIPUR, International Yoga Day was celebrated at Raj Bhavan with Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan engaging in Yogasana and Pranayama. Officials and employees from Raj Bhavan also participated. Gyanesh Sharma, the Chairman of Chhattisgarh Yoga Commission and Amrit Khalkho, Secretary to the Governor also participated . During the event, Governor Harichandan emphasised the ancient origins of yoga, spanning thousands of years. He highlighted the global recognition it garnered after Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the celebration of International Yoga Day on June 21, 2015, as designated by the United Nations. Since then, people worldwide have become more aware of yoga and its numerous physical and mental health benefits. The Governor described yoga as a spiritual discipline, rooted in a profound science that establishes harmony between the mind and body, enabling a healthy way of life. He further mentioned that this years International Yoga Day theme was Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbankam which signifies the unity of humanity as one global family. The Governor emphasizsed the collective significance of practicing yoga for the welfare of all, highlighting Prime Minister Modis participation in the International Yoga Day program at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. Over 180 countries were represented in the event, a moment of immense pride for India. Governor Harichandan expressed the need to go beyond mere asanas and pranayama, emphasising the importance of understanding meditation as a means to achieve a meditative state. He stated that yoga harmonises the body and mind, thoughts and actions, as well as humankind and nature. The practice paves the way for overall health and well-being, transcending exercise to foster a sense of oneness with oneself, the world, and nature. Gyanesh Sharma, stressed that yoga should not be treated as a mere formality, but rather integrated into ones daily life. He highlighted the Yoga Commissions efforts in organising regular free yoga camps across various locations in Chhattisgarh. The yoga session at Raj Bhavan saw enthusiastic participation from various officials and employees, including Legal Advisor Rajesh Srivastava and Deputy Secretary Deepak Agarwal. Under the guidance of Yoga instructor Anand Sahu and his team, yoga exercises were conducted, and the Governor extended his appreciation by presenting certificates to the instructors. Yoga Day has become a world festival: V-P Staff Reporter Practicing yoga with thousands of Jabalpurians at Garrison Ground, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar proudly mentioned that with Indias efforts, Yoga Day has become a world festival. Despite being an integral part of Indian culture, yoga is accepted worldwide for welfare of entire humanity. Vice-President Dhankhar joined national programme of 9th International Day of Yoga celebrations in Jabalpur on Wednesday. Dhankhar noted that yoga ensures unity of body, mind and soul and this ancient science not just focuses on welfare of individuals, but also the well-being of entire humanity. In this context, he made reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modis statement, underlining Yoga as Zero-budget health assurance. He further emphasised that yoga is not for a single special day or occasion, but one that should be an integral aspect of peoples daily lives. Referring to the theme of this years International Day of Yoga- Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam- the Vice-President drew attention to consonance of this theme with that of Indias G20 Presidency, which is One Earth, One Family, One Future. The essence of both is a reflection of Indias commitment to unite countries and amplify the message of global peace and friendship, he said. Lauding the leadership role played by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in proposing to mark June 21 as the International Day of Yoga, he underscored the significance of the fact that the proposal was adopted almost unanimously by 193 countries in the shortest ever time. Highlighting that yoga has been an inalienable facet of Indias cultural and civilizational ethos, the Vice-President recognised its key role in facilitating the progress of the nation and expressed his appreciation for energy and enthusiasm with which countries across the world have been participating in the celebration. Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister for AYUSH, Sarbananda Sonowal, Padma Bhushan recipient and President, Ram Chandra Mission, Daaji Kamlesh Patel, Members of Parliament and other dignitaries were also present. Yoga performed at Madhya Pradesh Bhavan, Madhyanchal Staff Reporter On the occasion of the 9th International Yoga Day, mass yoga exercises were conducted at Madhya Pradesh Bhavan and Madhyanchal in New Delhi. On the theme of Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, this yoga exercise was conducted by yoga instructors. Resident Commissioner Pankaj Rag, Additional Resident Commissioner Prakash Unhale and other officers and employees of Madhya Pradesh government participated in the programme. Live telecast of National Yoga Programme organised in Jabalpur was seen before the yoga practice. The participants watched the addresses of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Governor Mangubhai Patel and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and special video message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Medical Education Minister Sarang performs yoga with citizens: Yoga is not a religious process but a very important dimension of our health and physical and mental progress. It is an integral part of our culture and philosophy. Medical Education Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang participated in the mass yoga program organised at Narela Assembly on World Yoga Day. He practised various yoga postures including Pranayama and Surya Namaskar with the citizens. A large number of residents including local public representatives, eminent citizens participated in the mass yoga programme. Minister Sarang said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given Yoga a new identity on the world stage. FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc, is seen in Wichita By Valerie Insinna, Abinaya V and Shivansh Tiwary PARIS (Reuters) -Spirit AeroSystems will suspend factory production on Thursday at its plant in Wichita, Kansas, the company said, after workers rejected a proposed four-year deal and announced a strike to begin on June 24. Spirit is one of the most consequential suppliers for aerospace heavyweights Boeing and Airbus. The Wichita site makes the entire fuselage for Boeing's bestselling 737 MAX narrowbody jet and the forward sections for most of its other aircraft, as well as pylons for the Airbus A220. Shares of Spirit tumbled about 9% in afternoon trade, while those of Boeing fell 2.4%. Paris-listed shares of Airbus shed 1.7%. A prolonged work stoppage at Spirit could have ripple effects for the aircraft makers it supplies, eventually forcing them to slow or stop jetliner assembly at a time when both Airbus and Boeing are ramping up production. "It's not a welcome development," said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst with AeroDynamic Advisories. "I think the general feeling is that (Spirit) had it under control with what appeared to be a reasonable agreement," he said. But after more than a decade of cost pressure on the aerospace industry, "labor feels like they have some power." Spirit will suspend factory production prior to the expiration of its contract with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) on June 24, but will continue to pay employees, it said. "Despite this setback, we are not distracted from the task at hand. We look forward to continued meetings with IAM leadership," Spirit said. Although IAM and Spirit reached a tentative contract agreement last week, 79% of workers voted to reject the contract and 85% voted to strike, the union said on Thursday. IAM added it would regroup and begin planning "the following steps to bring the company back to the table." About 55% of Spirit's U.S. workers were covered by the agreement, which will expire this month. Spirit had 12,735 workers in its six U.S. facilities, of which 11,000 were located in Wichita. Boeing said it continued to monitor the situation and support Spirit. Stan Deal, the head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes business, encouraged employees to "stay focused on our task at hand, which is to continue to build and deliver the finest airplanes in the world," in an internal email seen by Reuters. The planemaker has been working to boost output of its 737 MAX jets to 38 per month from the current level of 31, and 787 jets to five per month from the present level of four this year. "(The upcoming strike) threatens Boeings pace of production on these programs," J.P.Morgan analyst Seth Seifman said in a note. Boeing has more than 100 MAX planes in its inventory, so it could shift workers from production to modifying inventory jets to keep deliveries flowing in the event of a stop at its production facility in Renton, Washington. Airbus, while not commenting on the work stoppage itself, said it conducted regular assessments with suppliers to mitigate potential risks to production. The strike is yet another setback for Spirit, which has been grappling with a recent quality issue on 737 fuselages and is experiencing cash flow pressures. In May, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said it would be difficult to make contingency plans for a strike at Spirit. "Even if they tried to get ahead of it by virtue of their current production, that will be measured in weeks not in months, so we're supporting them in every way possible to get to a constructive answer," he said. (Reporting by Valerie Insinna, Abinaya Vijayaraghavan, Shivansh Tiwary and Abhijith Ganapavaram; Editing by Jason Neely, Mark Potter and Pooja Desai) (Bloomberg) -- Sequoia Capital partner Alfred Lin said if his venture firm was evaluating cryptocurrency exchange FTX again for the first time, it would likely make the same decision to invest in the now-bankrupt company. Most Read from Bloomberg I looked at the work we did 15 different ways, Lin said Thursday at the Bloomberg Technology Summit. We probably would have made the investment again. Sequoias business lies in trusting founders and taking calculated risks, he said, and the lesson learned is sometimes the investments wont deliver. It stinks, he said. Then again, the $115 million investment Sequoia lost on FTX was just 2% to 3% of its global growth fund, he said, adding that the firm was still very excited about the concepts of crypto. On Sequoias recent announcement that it was separating its China and India businesses from its US brand, Lin said geopolitics played a role, but was not the primary driver. Sequoia has come under increasing pressure in Washington over its investments in Chinese companies such as ByteDance Ltd.s popular video app TikTok. Overall, Lin said, while the current environment has created higher capital costs for founders, its still a good time for building resilient startups. Bloomberg News is hosting its annual US Technology Summit in San Francisco, focused on the industrys most intriguing topics, from artificial intelligence and the future of transportation to social media and cryptocurrencies. At the event Thursday at SVN West, titled Techs Turning Point, speakers include OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman, Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky, venture capitalist Reid Hoffman and Airbnb Inc. CEO Brian Chesky. Watch LIVE here. All times are local in San Francisco. Fintech Startup Brex Says IPO Is Years Away (4 p.m.) Henrique Dubugras, co-founder and co-chief executive officer of finance-tech startup Brex, said his company is committed to going public, but it probably wont happen until the six-year-old startup reaches the 10-year mark. We absolutely want to be a publicly traded company, he said. Were definitely not in the category of, We could stay private forever if we could. The company saw a record inflow of deposits when Silicon Valley Bank collapsed in March, according to Dubugras. Brex had attempted to set up an emergency loan program prior to the bank being backstopped by the federal government. Dubugras said many of the new clients stuck with Brex, even after SVBs situation was resolved. The startup has surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue for its Empower spending-management business, Bloomberg reported in May. Dubugras said during the summit that profitability is important to the company and that Brex wont need to raise fresh funding anytime soon. Wendy Cai-Lee, founder and CEO of commercial-banking startup Piermont Bank, offered a different perspective on going public, noting that someone can just short your stock and create a ton of volatility to your operations and your survival. Artificial Intelligence Will Democratize Hollywood, AI Backers Say (3:40 p.m.) Despite its reputation as a threat, artificial intelligence has the power to democratize and expand the way that entertainment is created in Hollywood. Thats according to Sarah Guo, founder of venture capital firm Conviction, and Cristobal Valenzuela, head of Runway AI Inc., a company that builds AI models for content creation. New AI tools will allow creators from all backgrounds to turn any media into a form that their audience wants, Guo said in a panel at the Bloomberg Technology Summit in San Francisco. Valenzuela compared AI to a new form of camera that will enable things that werent possible before. AI may decrease jobs in creation to cut down on some of the toil, but Guo believes it wont eliminate creative jobs from production. Theres a human element that people will always want, Guo said. Panel Warns That Rush for Generative AI Cant Ignore Ethics (2 p.m.) Experts on technology and ethics urged lawmakers and companies developing artificial intelligence to keep a close watch on the potential dangers as the technology continues to move forward. Firm ethical and regulatory guidelines are needed for generative AI as companies race to add the technology to their products to gain a competitive edge, said Navrina Singh, founder and CEO of Credo AI, which helps companies develop responsible AI. Generative AI is often advertised as the future of work, said Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation, but its important to remember whose future is at stake when people talk about AI replacing jobs, citing, for example, issues raised in the Hollywood writers strike. Amazons Zoox Races to Beat Robotaxi Rivals (1:45 p.m.) Zoox, the self-driving unit of Amazon.com Inc., is still in the race to win key markets for future robotaxi services, according to Chief Executive Officer Aicha Evans. Thats despite the business having no current commercial or public services. Im not conceding I am behind, Evans said in an interview at the Bloomberg Technology Summit in San Francisco. Evans said New York City was the ultimate prize, but more testing along with judicious spending was required. The business is testing the capabilities of its robotaxi, which has no steering wheel or pedals and features inward-facing seats. That includes seeing how it handles snowy conditions. Zoox operates a limited pilot project where its robotaxi ferries employees between two office buildings over a one-mile stretch in Foster City, California. It also puts the autonomous shuttle through its paces on a private test track, which replicates real-world roads and scenarios. Meanwhile, industry competitors Waymo, owned by Alphabet Inc., and Cruise, backed by General Motors Co., have semi-commercial robotaxi services in multiple cities. Self-driving technology will help make US roads safer, Evans said. There are about 40,000 human-induced fatalities each year, she said, adding that the majority of them are due to somebody doing something dumb. That is unacceptable. The startups valuation has also grown since Amazon acquired it, she said. Chesky Says Airbnb Aims to Be Ultimate AI Concierge (12:10 p.m.) Airbnb Inc. CEO Brian Chesky said he envisions artificial intelligence to be at the core of the future of the home-sharing travel site, where it will be in the business of connecting people. Airbnbs opportunity in AI is built around personalization, with the help of the large amount of customer data it has collected and reviews left by travelers, Chesky said. The better we can understand you, the more we can be like the ultimate AI concierge pointing you to places, community homes, experiences and many more things. Chesky, who helped start the company by sharing his apartment to make rent in San Francisco, also called for a closer relationship between the city and the tech and business community to address ongoing issues such as homelessness, crime and empty offices. He also had suggestions for revitalization such as rezoning commercial spaces to be residential and creating mixed-use and communal spaces. If we have more dialogue and a little less ideology, were going to actually start to solve problems, he said. San Francisco Mayor Urges Downtown Makeover (11:30 a.m.) San Francisco Mayor London Breed called on investors to redevelop the citys struggling downtown core by converting or even demolishing empty buildings to make way for new growth. I think we have to start reimagining what the downtown can be, Breed said. Lets look at whats possible rather than dwelling on the stories of another store closing there are a lot of people who may not even shop in those places because of the increase in online shopping. San Franciscos troubles are mounting as the tech industry downsizes its operations and retailers flee the citys downtown area. In a major blow for the city, Westfield announced this month that its giving up its San Francisco mall located in one of the main downtown shopping and tourist areas. Breed highlighted the potential to convert office towers into housing, tear down buildings for construction and encourage new startups to plant their roots. Stability AI CEO Says Better Data Needed to Train AI Models (10:30 a.m.) Stability AI CEO Emad Mostaque called for countries to have more open data to help improve artificial intelligence models, noting that garbage data is contributing to poor results from the technology. Lets build AI so it works for us, not against us, he said. Stability AI also released a new model for creating AI-generated images on Thursday. Mostaque said artificial intelligence is the biggest economic phenomenon of our lifetime, but that the industry is still figuring out issues around ethics and securing better data to train AI models. The massive impact of the technology hasnt yet been realized, Mostaque said, noting that this is like Covid before Tom Hanks got it. Mostaque said Stability AI isnt currently fundraising. Bloomberg reported in March that the company was aiming to raise at a $4 billion valuation. Bloomberg News is hosting its annual US Technology Summit in San Francisco, focused on the industrys most intriguing topics, from artificial intelligence and the future of transportation to social media and cryptocurrencies. At the event Thursday at SVN West, titled Techs Turning Point, speakers include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Amazon Web Services CEO Adam Selipsky, venture capitalist Reid Hoffman, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Airbnb Inc. CEO Brian Chesky. Watch LIVE here. All times are local in San Francisco. Qualcomm Says Power of AI Will Transform Smartphones (9:45 a.m.) Qualcomm Inc. Chief Executive Officer Cristiano Amon said his company has been working on high-performance chips that should soon help power generative artificial intelligence applications on smartphones. Amon said as soon as next year, some smartphone models powered by Qualcomm chips may have the power to use generative AI applications for photos and images, such as Stable Diffusions model. Were just at the very beginning of understanding generative AI, Amon said in an interview with Bloomberg Televisions Ed Ludlow. There are going to be so many applications. The CEO said generative AI will also be useful in self-driving cars, particularly when a rider gives the automated system complicated directions. AI processors in these cars need to make decisions in real time, Amon said, and that computation needs to happen locally with powerful chips in the car rather than relying on the computing power of the cloud. Amazon Spending $100 Million to Help Cloud Clients with AI (9:30 a.m.) Amazon.com Inc.s cloud unit is building a program to help customers develop and deploy new kinds of artificial intelligence products as the biggest seller of cloud services tries to match Microsoft and Google in the market for so-called generative AI. Amazon Web Services is investing $100 million to set up the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center, which will link customers with company experts in AI and machine learning. Theyll help a range of clients in health care, financial services and manufacturing build customized applications using the new technology. Read More: Amazon Is Spending $100 Million to Teach Cloud Clients About AI Inflection AI Drops New Model for Personal Assistant (9:21 a.m.) Artificial intelligence startup Inflection AI announced at the tech summit that its releasing a new large language model the kind of AI system that underlies generative tools like ChatGPT to power its Pi personal assistant product. Called Inflection-1, the LLM is supposed to outperform OpenAIs GPT-3.5, according to the company. Inflection AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman called artificial intelligence the most radical transformation of our lifetime during a panel discussion at the summit. Reid Hoffman, who co-founded LinkedIn and is a partner at VC firm Greylock Partners, added that Inflection AIs Pi chatbot takes a more personal, emotional approach compared with ChatGPT. IQ is not the only thing that matters here, he said. EQ matters as well. Sam Altman Cautions Against Over-Regulation of AI: (8:45 a.m.) Sam Altman, chief executive officer of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, said lawmakers around the world should be careful not to overdo regulation of artificial intelligence and that it should be limited to existential risk-level systems. In an onstage interview, Altman said all powerful technologies can be used in dangerous ways, and AI is no different: Things will go wrong, he said, citing potential cybersecurity risks among others. The world can manage those risks through global regulation, Altman said, but regulations should only be on these powerful existential risk-level systems and you dont want to overdo it. The upsides to developing and improving upon AI systems are so tremendous that the world shouldnt try to stop the technologies from happening, Altman said, citing the potential for better educational systems and healthcare. At this point, given how much people see the economic benefits and potential, no company could stop it, he said. But global regulation can help make it safe which is a better answer than stopping, Altman said. I also dont think stopping it would work. Read More: OpenAI CEO: AI Most Important Step Yet For Humans and Tech --With assistance from Eari Nakano, Priya Anand, Hannah Miller, Ed Ludlow, Eliyahu Kamisher, Tom Giles, Caelyn Pender, Lucas Shaw, Emily Chang and Natalie Lung. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Courtesy of Antoine Moussalli EDWARDSVILLE As multiple readers notified us after we printed a story about 1818 Chophouse getting three Feast magazine award nominations, Edwardsville has far more places and people nominated in a variety of categories. St. Louis-based Feast magazine asked readers for their choices from May 30-June 6 for its 2023 Feast 50 Awards. Now, readers can vote for their favorites through Friday, June 23, and winners will be announced July 14. PeopleImages / Getty Images/iStockphoto A trio of U.S. House Democrats have introduced legislation that would reinstate the expanded child tax credit and provide a $2,000 baby bonus for families with newborns. See: Stimulus Payments Are Coming to These States in June 2023 Find: How To Build Your Savings From Scratch U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, Suzan DelBene of Washington and Ritchie Torres of New York included the bonus as part of a larger bill to reintroduce the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act. The act gave eligible households an extra $250 per month for each qualifying child ages 6 to 17 and $300 per month for each qualifying child under age 6. That program ended in 2021, and efforts to revive it have fallen short. The new bill sponsored by DeLauro, DelBene and Torres and co-sponsored by more than 200 others would make the expanded CTC permanent. When we expanded and improved the Child Tax Credit in 2021 under the American Rescue Plan, it provided unprecedented economic security for American families. It was the largest tax cut for middle-class and working families in generations, DeLauro stated in a June 7 press release. These monthly payments helped parents pay bills, keep healthy and nutritious food on the table, afford school clothes and supplies, pay for a music lesson or a new pair of cleats, or manage a mortgage or rent payment. It lifted nearly 4 million children out of poverty in one year alone. In addition to making the expanded CTC permanent, the new legislation would also increase the size of the credit in the month a baby is born to $2,000, Roll Call reported. For a child born in January, the household could receive a total amount worth up to $5,300 for the year, though it would decrease to the typical $3,600 the following year. Parents of children born all the way through June would still receive a larger credit than the original 2021 amount in the first year, according to Roll Call. Any newborn bonus advantage shrinks over time, Roll Call added. The total lifetime per-child benefit is ultimately the same because monthly credits disappear once the child turns 18. The baby bonus feature has not been included in prior versions of the bill, nor is it part of a Senate companion bill that also includes an expansion of the child tax credit. As previously reported by GOBankingRates, the Senate bill led by six Democrats would increase the CTC so that monthly payments would be as high as $3,600 for eligible households. Sponsors of the Senate bill aim to lead 41 Senate Democrats in reintroducing the Working Families Tax Relief Act, which would cut taxes for workers and families by expanding the CTC and Earned Income Tax Credit. Although Republicans and Democrats tend to be far apart when it comes to government programs that might result in higher taxes, there could be room for compromise this time around. Thats because congressional Republicans want to push through a tax reform bill, and see the expanded CTC as a bargaining chip in negotiations. Its unclear whether they would agree to the baby bonus legislation, however. As Roll Call reported, the bonus didnt come up during debate in the Ways and Means Committee recently, when DelBene sought to offer it as an amendment to the GOP tax bill. DelBenes amendment was ruled nongermane, and Republicans rejected an attempt to overturn the ruling. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Stimulus Update: New Child Tax Credit Proposal Could Include $2,000 Baby Bonus Who Would Qualify? China Resources Power Holdings Company Limited (OTCMKTS:CRPJY Get Rating) reached a new 52-week high on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $34.13 and last traded at $34.13, with a volume of 0 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $33.46. China Resources Power Stock Up 2.0 % The company has a fifty day moving average price of $33.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $31.59. Get China Resources Power alerts: China Resources Power Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 4th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 14th will be issued a dividend of $0.6701 per share. This represents a yield of 2.99%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 13th. This is an increase from China Resources Powers previous dividend of $0.35. China Resources Power Company Profile China Resources Power Holdings Company Limited, an investment holding company, invests in, develops, operates, and manages power plants and coal mines in the People's Republic of China. The company operates in two segments, Thermal Power and Renewable Energy. It operates and manages coal- and gas-fired power plants, wind farms, photovoltaic power plants, hydro-electric power plants, and other clean and renewable energy projects. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for China Resources Power Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Resources Power and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX Get Rating) had its target price upped by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from $35.00 to $38.50 in a report released on Wednesday, The Fly reports. Morgan Stanleys target price indicates a potential downside of 3.22% from the stocks previous close. A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on FCX. UBS Group lifted their target price on Freeport-McMoRan from $32.00 to $41.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, February 27th. Raymond James dropped their price objective on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $48.00 to $47.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Sunday, April 23rd. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Freeport-McMoRan from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $41.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Freeport-McMoRan from $24.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Freeport-McMoRan from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, June 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $39.13. Get Freeport-McMoRan alerts: Freeport-McMoRan Price Performance Freeport-McMoRan stock traded up $0.38 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $39.78. 10,524,748 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 12,784,822. Freeport-McMoRan has a 12-month low of $24.80 and a 12-month high of $46.73. The company has a market cap of $57.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.22 and a beta of 2.00. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $37.56 and a two-hundred day moving average of $39.68. The company has a quick ratio of 1.71, a current ratio of 2.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. Insiders Place Their Bets Freeport-McMoRan ( NYSE:FCX Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Friday, April 21st. The natural resource company reported $0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $5.39 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.25 billion. Freeport-McMoRan had a net margin of 12.07% and a return on equity of 11.07%. The businesss revenue was down 18.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.07 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Freeport-McMoRan will post 1.79 earnings per share for the current year. In other news, Director Sara Grootwassink Lewis purchased 4,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $34.90 per share, with a total value of $139,600.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 17,800 shares of the companys stock, valued at $621,220. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.78% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in Freeport-McMoRan by 131.5% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 10,414,862 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $395,765,000 after acquiring an additional 5,916,905 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its position in Freeport-McMoRan by 102.9% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 8,698,016 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $355,838,000 after purchasing an additional 4,410,429 shares in the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC grew its stake in Freeport-McMoRan by 103.0% in the third quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 7,977,270 shares of the natural resource companys stock valued at $218,140,000 after purchasing an additional 4,048,053 shares during the last quarter. Carmignac Gestion bought a new position in Freeport-McMoRan in the first quarter worth about $117,323,000. Finally, Alphinity Investment Management Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Freeport-McMoRan during the first quarter valued at about $113,926,000. 79.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Freeport-McMoRan Company Profile (Get Rating) Freeport-McMoRan, Inc engages in the mining of copper, gold, and molybdenum. It operates through the following segments: North America Copper Mines, South America Mining, Indonesia Mining, Molybdenum Mines, Rod and Refining, Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining, and Corporate and Other. The North America Copper Mines segment operates open-pit copper mines in Morenci, Baghdad, Safford, Sierrita, and Miami in Arizona and Chino and Tyrone in New Mexico. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Freeport-McMoRan Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Freeport-McMoRan and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of American Shared Hospital Services (NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Get Rating) in a report issued on Sunday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the stock. Separately, TheStreet lowered American Shared Hospital Services from a c- rating to a d+ rating in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Get American Shared Hospital Services alerts: American Shared Hospital Services Stock Performance American Shared Hospital Services stock opened at $2.56 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $2.78 and a 200 day simple moving average of $2.93. The company has a quick ratio of 3.95, a current ratio of 3.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. American Shared Hospital Services has a 12-month low of $2.21 and a 12-month high of $3.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.19 and a beta of 0.86. Hedge Funds Weigh In On American Shared Hospital Services American Shared Hospital Services ( NYSEAMERICAN:AMS Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 24th. The company reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. American Shared Hospital Services had a return on equity of 5.78% and a net margin of 6.71%. The business had revenue of $5.04 million during the quarter. Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. CI Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services during the 4th quarter worth approximately $470,000. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 73.8% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 45,200 shares of the companys stock worth $127,000 after purchasing an additional 19,200 shares in the last quarter. Canton Hathaway LLC raised its stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 50.0% during the 1st quarter. Canton Hathaway LLC now owns 30,000 shares of the companys stock worth $84,000 after purchasing an additional 10,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of American Shared Hospital Services by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 166,056 shares of the companys stock worth $467,000 after purchasing an additional 7,375 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 13.25% of the companys stock. About American Shared Hospital Services (Get Rating) American Shared Hospital Services provides radiosurgery and radiation therapy equipment to health care providers. The company offers radiosurgery equipment for the Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, a non-invasive procedure to treat malignant and benign brain tumors, and arteriovenous malformations, as well as for trigeminal neuralgia. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for American Shared Hospital Services Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Shared Hospital Services and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Grandview Asset Management LLC lessened its position in shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC Get Rating) by 27.4% in the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,631 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,369 shares during the quarter. Grandview Asset Management LLCs holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated were worth $302,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 29,812,081 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,124,707,000 after buying an additional 321,099 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 13,756,198 shares of the companys stock valued at $980,404,000 after buying an additional 564,889 shares in the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 92,736.4% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,770,708 shares of the companys stock valued at $478,334,000 after buying an additional 5,764,492 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 5,302,970 shares of the companys stock valued at $438,789,000 after buying an additional 90,325 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC grew its holdings in McCormick & Company, Incorporated by 15.6% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 2,212,155 shares of the companys stock valued at $183,366,000 after buying an additional 299,244 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.92% of the companys stock. Get McCormick & Company Incorporated alerts: Insider Activity In other news, CEO Lawrence Erik Kurzius sold 39,906 shares of McCormick & Company, Incorporated stock in a transaction on Friday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.02, for a total value of $3,592,338.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 159,579 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,365,301.58. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 19.00% of the companys stock. McCormick & Company, Incorporated Stock Up 0.5 % NYSE MKC traded up $0.46 on Thursday, reaching $93.77. 154,746 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,415,837. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a current ratio of 0.73. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $88.42 and a 200-day moving average price of $82.25. The company has a market cap of $25.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.78, a PEG ratio of 4.71 and a beta of 0.58. McCormick & Company, Incorporated has a 12 month low of $70.60 and a 12 month high of $94.25. McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 28th. The company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.49 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.57 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.54 billion. McCormick & Company, Incorporated had a return on equity of 14.34% and a net margin of 10.42%. McCormick & Company, Incorporateds revenue was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.63 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that McCormick & Company, Incorporated will post 2.62 EPS for the current fiscal year. McCormick & Company, Incorporated Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 10th were issued a $0.39 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.66%. McCormick & Company, Incorporateds dividend payout ratio is presently 63.16%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $69.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. UBS Group began coverage on McCormick & Company, Incorporated in a research note on Friday, March 10th. They issued a sell rating and a $71.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price target on McCormick & Company, Incorporated from $75.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Tuesday, March 21st. Finally, Bank of America raised McCormick & Company, Incorporated from an underperform rating to a buy rating and raised their price target for the stock from $75.00 to $100.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $82.60. About McCormick & Company, Incorporated (Get Rating) McCormick & Co, Inc engages in the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of spices, seasoning mixes, condiments, and other flavorful products to retail outlets, food manufacturers, and foodservice businesses. It operates through the Consumer and Flavor Solutions segments. The Consumer segment sells spices, seasonings, condiments, and sauces. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MKC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for McCormick & Company, Incorporated (NYSE:MKC Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for McCormick & Company Incorporated Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for McCormick & Company Incorporated and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. HH&L Acquisition (NYSE:HHLA Get Rating) and Enzo Biochem (NYSE:ENZ Get Rating) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, profitability and institutional ownership. Profitability This table compares HH&L Acquisition and Enzo Biochems net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get HH&L Acquisition alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets HH&L Acquisition N/A -55.99% 2.76% Enzo Biochem -64.19% -116.13% -53.28% Insider and Institutional Ownership 49.9% of HH&L Acquisition shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 59.0% of Enzo Biochem shares are held by institutional investors. 0.4% of HH&L Acquisition shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 15.5% of Enzo Biochem shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Risk and Volatility Valuation & Earnings HH&L Acquisition has a beta of -0.01, indicating that its stock price is 101% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Enzo Biochem has a beta of 1.04, indicating that its stock price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500. This table compares HH&L Acquisition and Enzo Biochems top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio HH&L Acquisition N/A N/A $17.69 million $0.19 55.27 Enzo Biochem $107.07 million 0.91 -$18.26 million ($0.93) -2.11 HH&L Acquisition has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Enzo Biochem. Enzo Biochem is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than HH&L Acquisition, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current recommendations for HH&L Acquisition and Enzo Biochem, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score HH&L Acquisition 0 0 0 0 N/A Enzo Biochem 0 0 0 0 N/A Summary HH&L Acquisition beats Enzo Biochem on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks. About HH&L Acquisition (Get Rating) HH&L Acquisition Co. does not have significant operations. It focuses on effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The company intends to focus on healthcare or healthcare-related companies in Asian markets. HH&L Acquisition Co. was incorporated in 2020 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. About Enzo Biochem (Get Rating) Enzo Biochem, Inc. is an integrated diagnostics, clinical lab, and life sciences company, which focuses on delivering and applying advanced technology capabilities to produce affordable reliable products and services that enable customers to meet their clinical needs. It operates through the following segments: Products, Clinical Services, and Therapeutics. The Products segment develops, manufactures, and markets products to research and pharmaceutical customers. The Clinical Services segment provides diagnostic services to the health care community. The Therapeutics segment conducts research and development activities for therapeutic drug candidates. The company was founded by Elazar Rabbani, Barry W. Weiner and Shahram K. Rabbani in 1976 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Receive News & Ratings for HH&L Acquisition Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HH&L Acquisition and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tri City Bankshares (OTCMKTS:TRCY Get Rating) is one of 215 publicly-traded companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its competitors? We will compare Tri City Bankshares to related companies based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, earnings and risk. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Tri City Bankshares and its competitors top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Tri City Bankshares alerts: Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Tri City Bankshares N/A N/A 12.21 Tri City Bankshares Competitors $2.79 billion $680.11 million 365.79 Tri City Bankshares competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Tri City Bankshares. Tri City Bankshares is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Institutional and Insider Ownership Analyst Recommendations 32.2% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by institutional investors. 4.8% of Tri City Bankshares shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 16.2% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. This is a summary of current ratings for Tri City Bankshares and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Tri City Bankshares 0 0 0 0 N/A Tri City Bankshares Competitors 986 2756 2731 5 2.27 As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 514.61%. Given Tri City Bankshares competitors higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Tri City Bankshares has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors. Profitability This table compares Tri City Bankshares and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Tri City Bankshares N/A N/A N/A Tri City Bankshares Competitors 37.83% 8.70% 0.76% Dividends Tri City Bankshares pays an annual dividend of $0.21 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.6%. Tri City Bankshares pays out 19.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 11.8% and pay out 15.2% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Tri City Bankshares lags its competitors as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio. Summary Tri City Bankshares competitors beat Tri City Bankshares on 10 of the 10 factors compared. Tri City Bankshares Company Profile (Get Rating) Tri City Bankshares Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services primarily in Southeastern Wisconsin. The company accepts checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, youth and health savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. Its loan products include home mortgage loans, home equity loans, auto loans, construction and land loans, personal and business loans, commercial real estate loans, business lines of credit, and small business loans. The company also offers credit and debits cards; and digital banking, refinancing, overdraft protection, merchant services, remote deposit capture, bill pay, payroll, ATM, gift card, telephone banking, direct deposit, safe deposit boxes, and investment services. Tri City Bankshares Corporation was founded in 1963 and is based in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Receive News & Ratings for Tri City Bankshares Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tri City Bankshares and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Get Rating) insider Vicente Reynal sold 27,169 shares of Ingersoll Rand stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.00, for a total transaction of $1,765,985.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 73,877 shares in the company, valued at $4,802,005. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Ingersoll Rand Trading Up 0.0 % Shares of IR traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $64.13. The stock had a trading volume of 2,810,780 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,340,669. Ingersoll Rand Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $39.28 and a fifty-two week high of $65.24. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $59.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $56.74. The firm has a market cap of $25.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.59 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a current ratio of 2.16, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The industrial products company reported $0.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.48 by $0.15. Ingersoll Rand had a return on equity of 10.69% and a net margin of 10.66%. The business had revenue of $1.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.48 billion. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Ingersoll Rand Inc. will post 2.57 EPS for the current year. Ingersoll Rand Announces Dividend Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ingersoll Rand The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 22nd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 24th will be paid a dividend of $0.02 per share. This represents a $0.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 23rd. Ingersoll Rands dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 4.94%. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 23,061 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $998,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Keybank National Association OH boosted its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 7,805 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $408,000 after acquiring an additional 195 shares in the last quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 8.0% during the 4th quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 2,671 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $140,000 after acquiring an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 68,645 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $3,994,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Field & Main Bank boosted its position in shares of Ingersoll Rand by 42.3% during the 1st quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 673 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 94.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages recently weighed in on IR. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $66.00 in a research report on Friday, May 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on Ingersoll Rand from $55.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $62.00 to $61.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $64.00 to $65.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Ingersoll Rand from $57.00 to $62.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ingersoll Rand presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $60.36. Ingersoll Rand Company Profile (Get Rating) Ingersoll Rand, Inc provides a broad range of mission critical air, fluid, energy, specialty vehicle and medical technologies, providing services and solutions to increase industrial productivity and efficiency. It operates through the following segments: Industrial Technologies and Services, Precision and Science Technologies, High Pressure Solutions, and Specialty Vehicle Technologies. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Student Loan Forgiveness: Waiting for the Supreme Court Ruling Is Nerve-Wracking for Many Americans Heres Why Its Taking So Long urbazon / iStock.com When President Joe Biden announced his federal student loan forgiveness plan on Aug. 24, 2022, millions of borrowers entertained hopes of having up to $20,000 in debt cancelled. Ten months later, the plan is still in limbo and the U.S. Supreme Court, which will decide its fate, seems determined to delay its decision until the very last minute. See: All of the States That Will Pay Off Your Student Loans Student Loan Forgiveness: 10 Expenses To Cut From Your Budget When Payments Resume The SCOTUS has still not ruled on the case even though justices are scheduled to break for summer recess within two weeks. A decision is expected by June 30, but the clock is ticking, and many student loan borrowers are anxious to know when and if theyll have to resume payments. Student Loan Payments: Heres the Official Date You Need To Start Paying Again Waiting to hear whether or not it will pass is nerve-wracking at best, debilitating at worst, Richelle Brooks, 35, a single mother in Los Angeles and student loan borrower, told CNBC. Were all staying tied to our phones each week. The Supreme Courts delay in making a decision might be frustrating for borrowers, but its not necessarily surprising because of the complexity of the loan forgiveness case. Given all the moving pieces and given the cases significance Im not surprised to see it come so late in the term, Steven Schwinn, a law professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, told CNBC. That point was echoed by Northeastern University law professor Dan Urman, who told CNBC that the more complicated, difficult cases tend to take longer. Most legal experts expect the conservative-majority SCOTUS to rule against the Biden plan. Following oral arguments in early March, the AP reported that conservative justices showed skepticism about the legality of the plan. Several justices suggested that the White House had exceeded its authority by canceling an estimated $400 billion in debt. So why have those same justices taken so long to issue a ruling? As CNBC noted, theres no precedent for this kind of program, which ranks among the costliest executive actions in U.S. history. Sorting through the various arguments takes time especially when considering whether the administration can use an executive action to implement such an ambitious program. As previously reported by GOBankingRates, the Biden administration contends that the Heroes Act of 2023 grants presidential authority for student loan relief. The act grants certain powers in the event of war or national emergency and in the case of loan forgiveness, the national emergency was the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent end of national emergency undercuts that argument, however. Meanwhile, plaintiffs against the administration argue that the Heroes Act only allows for narrow applications of relief and not the sweeping plan Biden proposes, CNBC reported. At the same time, the SCOTUS must consider if the plaintiffs have made a convincing argument of being harmed by the Biden plan. This typically requires gaining the right to sue and justice Amy Coney Barrett seems especially unconvinced that the plaintiffs have proven harm, according to Jed Shugerman, a law professor at Fordham University and Boston University. Barrett was vocally and deeply uncomfortable about ruling that any of the plaintiffs had standing, Shugerman told CNBC, adding that at least one or two other conservative justices seem conflicted over the issue. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Student Loan Forgiveness: Waiting for the Supreme Court Ruling Is Nerve-Wracking for Many Americans Heres Why Its Taking So Long Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY Get Rating) (NYSE:RY) Director David Ian Mckay sold 4,131 shares of Royal Bank of Canada stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of C$124.79, for a total value of C$515,507.49. Royal Bank of Canada Price Performance Shares of RY traded down C$0.17 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting C$124.59. The stock had a trading volume of 2,248,622 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,376,058. The firm has a market cap of C$173.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.31, a PEG ratio of 4.62 and a beta of 0.77. The business has a fifty day moving average price of C$128.10 and a 200-day moving average price of C$131.11. Royal Bank of Canada has a 52 week low of C$116.75 and a 52 week high of C$140.18. Get Royal Bank of Canada alerts: Royal Bank of Canada (TSE:RY Get Rating) (NYSE:RY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 25th. The financial services provider reported C$2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$2.79 by C($0.14). Royal Bank of Canada had a net margin of 27.81% and a return on equity of 13.28%. The company had revenue of C$13.52 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of C$12.88 billion. As a group, research analysts expect that Royal Bank of Canada will post 11.5114784 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Royal Bank of Canada Increases Dividend Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 24th. Investors of record on Wednesday, July 26th will be paid a dividend of $1.35 per share. This represents a $5.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.33%. This is a positive change from Royal Bank of Canadas previous quarterly dividend of $1.32. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, July 25th. Royal Bank of Canadas payout ratio is presently 53.36%. Several research firms have weighed in on RY. National Bankshares cut their price objective on Royal Bank of Canada from C$142.00 to C$136.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Cormark cut their price objective on Royal Bank of Canada from C$152.00 to C$142.00 in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Credit Suisse Group cut their price objective on Royal Bank of Canada from C$149.00 to C$141.00 in a research report on Friday, May 26th. CIBC cut their price objective on Royal Bank of Canada from C$142.00 to C$139.00 in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on Royal Bank of Canada from C$124.00 to C$122.00 in a research report on Friday, May 26th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$135.76. Royal Bank of Canada Company Profile (Get Rating) Royal Bank of Canada operates as a diversified financial service company. The company operates through five segments: Personal & Commercial Banking, Wealth Management, Insurance, Investor & Treasury, and Capital Markets. The Personal & Commercial Banking segment offers checking and savings accounts, home equity financing, personal lending, private banking, mutual funds and self-directed brokerage accounts, guaranteed investment certificates, credit cards, and payment products and solutions, as well as indirect lending, including auto financing; and lending, leasing, deposit, investment, foreign exchange, cash management, auto dealer financing, trade products, and services to small and medium-sized commercial businesses. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Royal Bank of Canada Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Royal Bank of Canada and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE:IPG Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Monday morning. A number of other equities analysts have also commented on the company. BNP Paribas lowered Interpublic Group of Companies from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $40.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Bank of America upgraded Interpublic Group of Companies from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the company from $38.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. Finally, Barclays lowered their price target on Interpublic Group of Companies from $42.00 to $40.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $40.50. Get Interpublic Group of Companies alerts: Interpublic Group of Companies Price Performance IPG opened at $39.55 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $15.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.12, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 1.12. Interpublic Group of Companies has a 1 year low of $25.14 and a 1 year high of $40.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $37.69 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.19. Interpublic Group of Companies Announces Dividend Interpublic Group of Companies ( NYSE:IPG Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The business services provider reported $0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.07. Interpublic Group of Companies had a return on equity of 29.28% and a net margin of 8.31%. The company had revenue of $2.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.19 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.47 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Interpublic Group of Companies will post 2.95 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 20th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 6th were paid a $0.31 dividend. This represents a $1.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 5th. Interpublic Group of Companiess payout ratio is presently 53.68%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Interpublic Group of Companies A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Interpublic Group of Companies by 14.5% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 23,035 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $817,000 after purchasing an additional 2,915 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC acquired a new stake in Interpublic Group of Companies in the 1st quarter valued at about $243,000. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund acquired a new stake in Interpublic Group of Companies in the 1st quarter valued at about $133,000. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS lifted its stake in Interpublic Group of Companies by 6.6% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 52,667 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,867,000 after purchasing an additional 3,244 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Interpublic Group of Companies by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 63,184 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $2,240,000 after purchasing an additional 595 shares during the last quarter. 98.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Interpublic Group of Companies Company Profile (Get Rating) The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc provides advertising and marketing services worldwide. It operates in three segments: Media, Data & Engagement Solutions, Integrated Advertising & Creativity Led Solutions, and Specialized Communications & Experiential Solutions. The Media, Data & Engagement Solutions segment provides media and communications services, digital services and products, advertising and marketing technology, e-commerce services, data management and analytics, strategic consulting, and digital brand experience under the IPG Mediabrands, UM, Initiative, Kinesso, Acxiom, Huge, MRM, and R/GA brand names. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Interpublic Group of Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Interpublic Group of Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NOW (NYSE:DNOW Get Rating) was upgraded by research analysts at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report issued on Wednesday. A number of other brokerages also recently commented on DNOW. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on shares of NOW from $16.00 to $14.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Susquehanna reduced their target price on shares of NOW from $14.00 to $12.50 in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of NOW from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research note on Friday, May 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $13.83. Get NOW alerts: NOW Stock Up 1.3 % Shares of NYSE DNOW traded up $0.12 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $10.10. The company had a trading volume of 892,098 shares, compared to its average volume of 748,928. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $9.92 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $11.52. NOW has a fifty-two week low of $8.79 and a fifty-two week high of $14.86. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.86 and a beta of 1.60. Institutional Inflows and Outflows NOW ( NYSE:DNOW Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The oil and gas company reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $584.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $566.63 million. NOW had a net margin of 5.74% and a return on equity of 14.67%. NOWs quarterly revenue was up 23.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.14 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that NOW will post 1.02 earnings per share for the current year. Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in NOW by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,119,251 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $12,345,000 after purchasing an additional 30,031 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. raised its position in NOW by 5.1% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 105,268 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,161,000 after purchasing an additional 5,070 shares during the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in NOW by 60.9% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 6,725 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 2,546 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in NOW by 63.5% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 57,892 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $639,000 after purchasing an additional 22,488 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its position in NOW by 14.1% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 95,313 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,051,000 after purchasing an additional 11,752 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.12% of the companys stock. NOW Company Profile (Get Rating) NOW Inc distributes downstream energy and industrial products for petroleum refining, chemical processing, LNG terminals, power generation utilities, and industrial manufacturing operations in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It offers its products under the DistributionNOW and DNOW brand names. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for NOW Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NOW and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Raytheon Technologies (NYSE:RTX Get Rating) updated its FY 2023 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided EPS guidance of $4.90-$5.05 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $5.02. The company issued revenue guidance of $72.00 billion-$73.00 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $72.75 billion. Raytheon Technologies Stock Performance Shares of NYSE RTX traded up $1.37 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $99.07. The stock had a trading volume of 4,736,361 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,538,684. Raytheon Technologies has a one year low of $80.27 and a one year high of $108.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.44, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.13. The stock has a market cap of $144.76 billion, a PE ratio of 26.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.99. The firms 50 day moving average price is $97.70 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $98.42. Get Raytheon Technologies alerts: Raytheon Technologies (NYSE:RTX Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 25th. The company reported $1.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.13 by $0.09. Raytheon Technologies had a return on equity of 9.81% and a net margin of 8.08%. The firm had revenue of $17.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16.98 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.15 EPS. The firms revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Raytheon Technologies will post 5.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Raytheon Technologies Announces Dividend Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 7th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.59 per share. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 17th. Raytheon Technologiess dividend payout ratio is 62.93%. Several brokerages recently issued reports on RTX. Jefferies Financial Group downgraded Raytheon Technologies from a buy rating to a hold rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $115.00 to $110.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on Raytheon Technologies from $106.00 to $115.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Susquehanna increased their target price on Raytheon Technologies from $116.00 to $117.00 in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. StockNews.com began coverage on Raytheon Technologies in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Raytheon Technologies from $106.00 to $113.50 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Raytheon Technologies presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $111.88. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of Raytheon Technologies by 3.9% during the first quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 711,796 shares of the companys stock worth $69,705,000 after buying an additional 26,432 shares during the period. Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its position in shares of Raytheon Technologies by 14.8% during the first quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 15,082 shares of the companys stock worth $1,469,000 after buying an additional 1,942 shares during the period. KB Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Raytheon Technologies during the first quarter worth about $116,000. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Raytheon Technologies by 17.6% during the first quarter. MidWestOne Financial Group Inc. now owns 16,419 shares of the companys stock worth $1,608,000 after buying an additional 2,459 shares during the period. Finally, Waverly Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Raytheon Technologies by 2.2% during the first quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 5,686 shares of the companys stock worth $557,000 after buying an additional 122 shares during the period. 78.72% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Raytheon Technologies (Get Rating) Raytheon Technologies Corporation, an aerospace and defense company, provides systems and services for the commercial, military, and government customers worldwide. It operates through four segments: Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space, and Raytheon Missiles & Defense. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Raytheon Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Raytheon Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shell (LON:SHEL Get Rating) had its price objective increased by UBS Group from GBX 2,750 ($35.19) to GBX 2,800 ($35.83) in a research report report published on Monday morning, The Fly reports. Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Shell in a research report on Thursday, June 8th. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Shell to an overweight rating and reduced their target price for the stock from GBX 2,625 ($33.59) to GBX 2,405 ($30.77) in a report on Tuesday, March 21st. Royal Bank of Canada set a GBX 2,900 ($37.11) price target on shares of Shell in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a GBX 3,000 ($38.39) target price on shares of Shell in a report on Wednesday, May 17th. Finally, Berenberg Bank lowered their price objective on Shell from GBX 3,000 ($38.39) to GBX 2,850 ($36.47) and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Shell presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of GBX 2,898.55 ($37.09). Get Shell alerts: Shell Price Performance Shares of LON:SHEL opened at GBX 2,363.50 ($30.24) on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 43.54, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.47. The firm has a market cap of 161.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 488.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 0.66. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 2,372.57 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 2,386.57. Shell has a fifty-two week low of GBX 1,908.60 ($24.42) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 2,613.50 ($33.44). Shell Dividend Announcement Shell Company Profile The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 26th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 18th will be paid a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. This represents a yield of 0.99%. Shells dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 1,900.83%. (Get Rating) Shell plc operates as an energy and petrochemical company Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa, the United States, and Rest of the Americas. The company operates through Integrated Gas, Upstream, Marketing, Chemicals and Products, and Renewables and Energy Solutions segments. It explores for and extracts crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids; markets and transports oil and gas; produces gas-to-liquids fuels and other products; and operates upstream and midstream infrastructure necessary to deliver gas to market. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Shell Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Shell and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Get Rating) by 1.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 40,049 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 480 shares during the quarter. Venture Visionary Partners LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $3,895,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. grew its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Fairfield Bush & CO. now owns 26,141 shares of the companys stock worth $2,456,000 after buying an additional 281 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 35.6% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,939 shares of the companys stock worth $463,000 after buying an additional 1,296 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P grew its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 24.7% during the 1st quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 3,065 shares of the companys stock worth $288,000 after buying an additional 608 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd grew its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 54.9% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 525 shares of the companys stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the period. Finally, Mather Group LLC. grew its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 14.7% during the 1st quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 8,987 shares of the companys stock worth $844,000 after buying an additional 1,154 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.43% of the companys stock. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $114.00 price target for the company. UBS Group raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $106.00 to $116.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and lifted their price target for the company from $109.00 to $116.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $109.00 to $117.00 in a research report on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $111.40. Philip Morris International Stock Down 1.7 % NYSE:PM traded down $1.64 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $94.71. 674,066 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,435,458. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $94.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $98.23. Philip Morris International Inc. has a one year low of $82.85 and a one year high of $105.62. The company has a market cap of $147.01 billion, a PE ratio of 17.24, a PEG ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 0.68. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $8.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.03 billion. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 128.55% and a net margin of 10.80%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.56 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.19 EPS for the current year. Philip Morris International Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.27 per share. This represents a $5.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.36%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals payout ratio is 90.88%. About Philip Morris International (Get Rating) Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products that are sold in markets outside the United States. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. By Noele Illien ZURICH (Reuters) -The Swiss National Bank (SNB) on Thursday said it was crucial to draw lessons from the Credit Suisse crisis that led to the bank's downfall and forced rescue by rival UBS and consider measures that would prevent such events in the future. "These measures need to strengthen banks resilience in order to prevent a loss of confidence wherever possible, and ensure a broad range of effective options to stabilise, recover or wind down a systemically important bank in the event of a crisis," the central bank said in its 2023 financial stability report. Among the measures, the SNB called for banks to be required in the future to prepare a minimum amount of assets that could be pledged for central banks, a step designed to help banks access emergency liquidity if worried customers rapidly withdrew cash. Switzerland's largest bank recently grew even bigger, following its rescue of embattled Credit Suisse in a takeover engineered by Swiss authorities in March and formalised by UBS on June 12. Politicians and economists have raised concerns whether Switzerland can effectively oversee a bank that now has a balance sheet of $1.6 trillion and 120,000 employees worldwide, and risks associated with that. The SNB said it was not yet able to judge how resilient the newly merged bank would be. "The currently available data are not sufficient for a comprehensive assessment of the combined banks resilience in such a forward-looking analysis," the report said. Still, lessons needed to be learned "in view of the higher systemic importance of the combined bank and the associated risks for Switzerland," the SNB said. The central bank said there were, however, three key observations to come from the crisis, including that compliance with capital requirements is necessary but not sufficient to ensure confidence in a bank. Capital instruments designed to absorb early losses were not effective, the SNB said. "AT1 capital instruments absorbed losses only as the point of non-viability was imminent and state intervention became necessary," the report said. The SNB also said that the scale and pace of deposit outflows at Credit Suisse that resulted from the loss of confidence were unprecedented and more severe than assumed under the liquidity regulations. In a statement published the day the biggest banking deal since the 2008 financial crisis officially closed, Swiss regulator, FINMA, said one of the most pressing goals for the new merged bank was to quickly reduce the risk of the former Credit Suisse investment bank, but was confident this could be achieved. (Reporting by Noele Illien and John Revill Editing by Tomasz Janowski) Freeman: The indictment of former President Donald Trump calls for serious examination How can democracy be at the service of the best candidate; a candidate without blemish; a candidate that is not morally bankrupt? Does the very word, Democracytruly mean government by the people if the electorates cannot exercise their voting rights to decide who leads them as president in any given political dispensation? This is certainly what democracy ought to be because were taught that as a political system or machinery, it is operated by the people. And yet the political system of Nigeria, which boasts of being democratic, coexists quite comfortably with the most undemocratic economic structure, in which a smaller and smaller group of millionaires and billionaires owns and controls more wealth than the vast majority at the other end of the social spectrum. Anyone who has been pondering over how the last presidential election in Nigeria went, particularly about how the then Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged as the winner must be struck by this seeming contradiction. But a closer look at how Nigerias electoral system has functioned since 1999 when the ongoing democratic system of government was adopted shows that there is no contradiction. The kind of democracy that exists here has been very well-suited for perpetuating the rule of a privileged few while giving the appearance of being at the service of all the people. Thus, the word democracy in Nigeria arguably refers to the kind of political system prevalent in much of the capitalist world today. To this writer, Democracy is somewhat of a Free Market which stands as a pedestal for the privileged few to stand on for a form of government that is as much for sale as the commodities around which economic life is centered. Thus, with each passing political dispensation, not a few Nigerians witnessed how presidential elections are prepared for as billions of Naira are raised by the candidates from their moneyed godfathers and an array of supporters to make the exercise look like what could contextually be called an Electoral Market where the wealthiest gets the highest vote. What should anyone expect in a market where virtually every stakeholder can be bribed to compromise his or her conscience? As venal as this democracy may be, however, the process whereby the wealthy capture the votes of the many is not simple. History can never be scripted, and life is full of surprises. While most Nigerians erroneously think that the candidates with the most money behind them usually win, political history has also shown us that there are exceptions to that rule. The reason for the foregoing cannot be farfetched as mass struggles will impact elections, even though these struggles are usually resolved through other means. For instance, at the deathof the leader of the Yoruba people, Chief Obafemi Awolowo in 1987, Emeka Ojukwu, in a tribute, described him as the best President Nigeria never had. In a similar vein, it is no more news that following the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25, 2023 elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), that Peter Obi of the Labour Party, who came third, proceeded to court, demanding the cancellation of the exercise. The foregoing are the most prominent, or resounding electoral outcomes that can be made reference to in this context to buttress this writers view. Similar instances abound at every stage across electoral constituencies. As a Christian, it is expedient I make this opinion more explanatory by opining that after a Carpenter selects the boards he wants for a project he would take the measurements, cut, smooth, and shape them. Sometimes the board requires him to do extensive work to get it to the condition he needs for the project he is creating. Normally, there would be defects to remove any imperfections to work around. Often there would be grain patterns of beauty that he would want to highlight and emphasize. Being a creative endeavor, there is no denying the fact that the action takes time and requires effort. In a similar vein, when God makes a leader he measures, cuts, and smooths slowly and purposefully so that such leader becomes a godly leader for his glory and his Kingdom. Without a doubt, God is by each passing minute involved in this process in everyones life even when suchpeople are oblivious to the fact that God exists. Mind you, God does not mind whether anyone sleeps in the church or mosque 24/7 or not. In my own conviction, God is the father of everyone. He does not discriminate, even when you did not know that he loved you, and even when you did not care about him at all. The key for us is to realize that time, pain, pressure, and even failure are among Gods primary tools in shaping leaders. Many times the history of our lives has been the knife that God has used to carve and shape us so that we are sensitive to others and submissive to him. These difficulties force us to focus on God alone and learn to find our full sufficiency in him.Thus, Paul the Apostle can say that the difficult thorn in his flesh is actually a blessing of good (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).The hardships of life protected him from pride that would lead to his failure as a disciple and a leader. Given the foregoing, it should no longer be difficult for anyone to be seeing Tinubus emergence as todays president of Nigeria as a lesson on how God makes a Leader. At this juncture, it is expedient to opine that man always looks to someone who appears to be strong and has leadership qualities. In any group, someone rises up to lead the pack, whether he or she is the loudest person in the classroom, the one most professional in the office, the one who sounds "anointed" in church, or simply the one who is most vocal among our peers. Unfortunately, man's criteria for choosing a leader most often, if not always, differ from how God chooses someone whom He wants to lead His people. "What does He look for in a leader anyway?" The answers to the foregoing questions cannot be farfetched when it is seen from the perspective of the fact that when we humans choose a leader without knowing what God wants, it is expedient we look out for certain qualities in a leader: We look at his experience which may dwell around his antecedent and background as a political leader, even as we will look at the level of his knowledge or skill as we resort to being querying the authenticity of his or her certificate. We may even begin to question whether he or she is a leader that is tall or big and someone who is vocal about his opinions. Let us admit it: We almost always look for a good-looking and nice person to be our leader. Sadly, this is not how God chooses a leader. For those that are in Christendom, looking at how God appointed David should speak volumes, particularly as he was that young shepherd boy, and as leader of Israel. God commanded Samuel to appoint the next king of Israel, as stated in 1 Samuel 16:7, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees. For man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." Contextually put, we can learn from the story of Tinubu as the incumbent President of Nigeria that God does not choose leaders the way we do. The reason for the foregoing cannot be farfetched as we were looking for a president that was robustly healthy. We were looking for a president that never smoked or drank throughout his life even as Bode George, a Peoples Democratic Party stalwart was searching for the leader he played with as a teenager. The childhood friend whose parents he has gone on errands for. The childhood friend he saw as a teenager running around the streets. Disappointingly, God sees the heart of man. No matter how much we learned or trained ourselves to be a leader, our skills would not cut it with God. He sees our hearts, and looks beyond the externals to proceed to what really matters: What is inside us. So what should we have inside of us that would make God want to use us to lead His people? In 1 Samuel 13:14, we find Samuel talking to Saul, the deposed king, about what God wants: "But now your kingdom will not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over His people because you have not kept that which the Lord commanded you." In fact, God does not want someone with skill or stature. He wants someone who loves Him and seeks His heart above all. OK, so you say you love God and seek Him, but He does not make you a leader yet. There's one thing that's missing, one thing that God really wants in a leader. In Acts 13:22, we read Paul testifying why God chose David: "When God had removed Saul, He raised up David to be their king, of whom He testified, saying, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will fulfill my entire will. You might have asked, Why was David promoted, and not someone else? It is difficult to understand but one fact is clear. The fact is that God appointed David because he will do what God wants him to do. Thus, besides being well educated, being a teetotaler, and being an Angel, before God makes anyone become a leader, he or she will need to love God and the people that surround him. .At this juncture, if you ask this writer what life lessons Nigerian need to learn from Tinubus emergence as the president of Nigeria, his answer will be Nigerians must always rely on the Lords strength, not their own, this is as Psalm 20:7 says Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God, Trusting the Lord means resting in Him and letting Him do the work, In a similar vein, Psalm 94:1718 says, Unless the LORD had been my help, My soul would soon have settled in silence, emphatically as verse18 says, "My foot slips," Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up, and again Isaiah 25:4 says, For You have been a strength to the poor, A strength to the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, A shade from the heat; For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged foreign investors to embrace Nigeria for investment explorations. Tinubu said this on Thursday in Paris France, adding that ongoing reforms, starting with removal of fuel subsidy and streamlining of exchange rate, will be sustained for a more competitive economy that attracts Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). We are ready for business, prepared to welcome investments, he said, while receiving President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of African Export-Import Bank (Afrexim), Prof. Benedict Oramah and President of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Odile RenaudBasso, in separate meetings, on the sidelines of the Summit for New Global Financing Pact. The Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communication and Strategy, Dele Alake, made this known in a statement on Thursday. He said Tinubu assured the delegation of AfreximBank Executives led by Dr Oramah that the Federal Government will continue to stimulate the economy with policies that support investments in areas of Nigerias competitive advantage, particularly agriculture. We need reforms for national survival, he added, noting that it would take boldness and courage to reposition the economy, calling for more collaboration to solidify the economy. We must stimulate recovery for the growth and prosperity of our people, which will not be far away. Nigeria is ready for global business and our reform is total. Nigeria is blessed with human and material resources, President Tinubu told the delegation, who had earlier listed areas of interventions to buoy the economy, like infrastructure, health, energy and agriculture. The President of AfreximBank commended President Tinubu for the bold steps in removing the fuel subsidy and unification of the exchange rate, assuring the Nigerian leader of the full support of the financial and development institution on the ongoing reforms. Dr Oramah said the bank was already building the first African Specialist Hospital in Abuja, and Energy Bank, pledging to inject more money into the economy to further build confidence of investors. In the meeting with the EBRD, President Tinubu said, We are challenged in terms of reforms, and we have taken the largest elephant out of the room with removal of fuel subsidy, and multiple exchange rates are equally gone. We are determined to open up the economy for business. Consider us a stakeholder in the Bank. He told the EBRD President that Nigerias economy was too large and potent to be ignored, adding, Ignoring Nigeria will be a peril to the universe. Renaud-Basso said it would be a mistake for the development bank not to invest in Nigeria, after considering six potential economies for investment. She explained that focus would be on the private sector, especially Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs). Telecom Italia sounds out buyers for stake in enterprise unit -Bloomberg News (Reuters) - Telecom Italia is restarting its efforts to sell a minority stake in its enterprise unit, potentially valued at more than 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion), Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter. The company's CEO Pietro Labriola started sounding out potential investors about a deal earlier this month by sending invitation letters, Bloomberg said, adding that the move is part of a push by the company to slash its 30 billion euros ($33 billion) gross debt. Telecom Italia did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. The company set out to launch a sale process for a minority stake in its enterprise service arm last year. The enterprise business unit combines the phone group's connectivity services as well as cloud, cybersecurity and internet of things (IoT)operations. The telecom company rejected a nonbinding bid by CVC Capital Partners last year for a stake of up to 49% in its enterprise business. ($1 = 0.9101 euros) (Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Jacqueline Wong & Shri Navaratnam) Phra Metta flood-prevention works underway PHUKET: Patong Police have issued a map providing an alternative route now that a one-kilometre section of Phra Metta Rd, one of the main roads through the tourism town, has been closed for flood-prevention works to be carried out. patongconstructiontransport By The Phuket News Thursday 22 June 2023 01:08 PM The section of Phra Metta Rd affected is from Soi Banzaan to Soi Nanai Ruamjai (Soi Nanai 8). The section of road was closed to all traffic on Tuesday (June 20). The road was originally announced to be closed to all traffic until Aug 26. However, according to the notice issued by Patong Police, the alternative routes around the flood-prevention works are to remain in effect until only July 5. No clarification has been provided. The road was closed to traffic so work can be carried out on installing "sand trap (SP1)" near the wastewater treatment plant, police explained in their initial announcement. Patong Police in their latest notice explained that southbound traffic approaching the closed section of road are advised to turn left onto Soi Banzaan then turn right onto Nanai Rd and continue their journey southbound. Traffic entering Patong from the south are advised to either turn left or right at the roundabout at the southern end of the town to avoid the affected area altogether. Northbound traffic can either turn left along Prachanukroh Rd and continue their journey north along the Thaweewong Rd (the Patong beach road). Alternatively, motorists can turn right and continue north along Nanai Rd, then turn left onto Soi Banzaan, then right back onto Phra Metta Rd and continue their journey northbound from there. The southern section of Phra Metta Rd, before it was given the temporary name Phang Muang Sai Kor Rd (literally Town Plan Route B), was known simply as Soi Tun (literally Dead End Street). The section of road is now again literally a dead end. FLOOD PREVENTION Patong Deputy Mayor Sanakorn Kisin on Tuesday (June 21) inspected the road closure to discuss the impact on traffic with police. Joining Deputy Mayor Sanakorn were fellow Patong Municipality councillors and officers from the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning. The construction of the sand trap, called SP1, is part of the flood-prevention system, said a report by Patong Municipality. The construction period is 70 days, from June 20 to Aug 26. . People were asked to avoid using the said route. Of note, the affected section of Phra Metta Rd was originally announced to be closed to all traffic until Aug 26. However, according to the notice issued by Patong Police, the alternative routes around the flood-prevention works are to remain in effect until only July 5. No clarification has been provided. The section of area to undergo the installation of a sand trap was identified as the main cause of extensive flooding in the area in November last year. The incident drew the attention of Pongrat Piromrat, Director-General of the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning for the whole country, who travelled from Bangkok to inspect the construction site firsthand. Mr Pongrat was told that construction of the project to expand the drains had been ongoing since 2016. Under the government contract, the deadline for completing the project is this month, November 2021, said an official report of the visit. However, the project, operating under a budget of about B222 million, had not yet been completed. BUSINESS IMPACT The works finally continuing will have a dire impact on many businesses along the affected section of road. However, owners and operators of hotels, guesthouses and other businesses along the west side of Phra Metta Rd near the intersection with Soi Rat U-Thit 200 Pi 2 (which passes the wastewater treatment plant and was once called Soi Nam Sia literally Wastewater Street), may find the works a blessing. The west side of the street along that section of Phra Metta Rd has been closed for years due to a roadworks project remaining incomplete for reasons that remain unexplained, other than the contractor has yet to complete it. Operators along that section of road have suffered with no direct street access to the businesses, and without even streetlights installed, Patong Municipality has been blamed for rising crime in the area. Thank you for the support PHUKET: Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has issued a statement directly thanking all those who stood strong in their support in Phukets bid to host the World Sepcialised Expo 2027/28. tourismeconomics By The Phuket News Thursday 22 June 2023 09:45 AM Thailand failed in its bid for Phuket to host the Expo in the final voting held at the 172nd general assembly of the event organiser, the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), in Paris yesterday (June 21). The winner was Belgrade, Serbia. Team Thailand extends their heartfelt appreciation to all sectors involved in this extraordinary bidding process. Your unwavering support and dedicated efforts have been instrumental in shaping this remarkable journey , Governor Narong said in a Facebook post immediately after the results were announced last night. Phuket continues to open its arms and welcome visitors from around the world to experience its captivating beauty, rich cultural diversity, and genuine warm hospitality. In a separate announcement later, Governor Narong said, Team Thailand would like to thank all sectors for their support. pushing Phuket to become the host of the world-class expo Phuket Expo 2028 this time. Although what we are trying to push will not be achieved in accordance with the goals we set, we can still use the experience we gained from preparing this time. [It has been a] Good lesson for bidding for the right to organise other events in the future, he added. Over the past four years, we have seen the determination of local people, all departments both public and private. Believe in the future. If we continue to work together with determination [being a] destination for the next expo is certainly not out of reach. Thank you Team Thailand and all Phuket people who always support us well, Governor Narong concluded. The failure of Thailand to win previous bids to host international expo events have been blamed on poor government support. That has not been true in the bid for Phuket to host the World Specialised Expo. It has been impossible for any visitor, or resident, to not know that Thailand was contesting to host the event, which was touted to generate up to B50bn in economic value and attract about 5 million visitors, and create 113,439 jobs on the island. The government set aside a B4.18 billion budget to host the event, which was to be organised by Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the Public Health Ministry, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and related sectors, and conducted an intensive public awareness campaign since entering its initial bid in 2020. Venues across the island held events for people to watch the final presentation and voting conducted in Paris yesterday. Phukets three Vice Governors Amnuay Pinsuwan, Anupap Rodkwan Yodrambam and Danai Sunantarod led the main event at the Dibuka Cafe & Restaurant on Dibuk Rd in the heart of Phuket Old Town, where the event was live streamed over the internet from 2:30pm to 7:30pm. The event, joined by a host of other leading provincial figures, drew loud cheers from the crowd as Team Thailand delivered their final presentation on stage in Paris, and cheered Thailand as it progressed through the voting. Two Naga MLAs meet Kuki MLAs | GUWAHATI, Jun 21 : In the midst of the ongoing fight, unrest, and violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities in Manipur, two Naga legislators held a meeting with six Kuki MLAs in Guwahati today. A source however informed The Sangai Express that no formal meeting took place today. As per sources, a detailed meeting will be held along with all the MLAs consisting of Naga and Kuki MLAs in New Delhi next week which will bring out more clarity on the next course of action. However, the source close to the development did not disclose the agenda of the meeting, claiming it to be too early to reveal. (Bloomberg) -- Thailand plans to tighten listing rules as a major accounting scandal, debt defaults and unexplained share gyrations rattle investors, putting the nations key stock index on course for its first back-to-back quarterly loss in three years. Most Read from Bloomberg The Stock Exchange of Thailands board on Wednesday approved a sweeping revamp of listing regulations that includes increasing the ratio of free-float and setting a higher threshold for profitability and shareholders equity. The new rules, once endorsed by the market regulator, will also apply to the Market for Alternative Investment board for smaller companies, the bourse said in a statement. Thai stocks are the worst performers in Asia this year with foreign investors offloading a net $3.1 billion so far this year, the most among Asias emerging markets. Excessive volatility in some shares, including the nations most-valuable company, and an accounting scandal thats led to a bond default at a listed electric cables maker are among the latest events to shake investor confidence in the $535 billion market. There is an urgency for all related agencies to take serious action to prevent any future incidents, said Niwes Hemvachiravarakorn, a high-net worth individual investor and founder of Thai Value Investor Club. Any further delay would affect investors confidence in the Thai market. About $9 billion of Delta Electronics (Thailand) Pcls market value was shaved off in a single day after the exchange placed curbs on trading this week when the company failed to explain the reasons for a sharp rally in prior sessions. The gyrations prompted warnings from analysts including Koraphat Vorachet at of Krungsri Securities Co. that the stock may be axed from some indices, triggering more volatility. Delta attributed its share-price fluctuations to market conditions and external factors beyond our control. Investors have also been hit by a slump in Stark Corp. thats seen its shares plummet to near-zero slashing its value to about $11 million from this years peak of $1.2 billion. The company has defaulted on its bonds and a special audit revealed accounting irregularities in the past two years thats left it with liabilities exceeding assets. All Inspire Development Pcl and Cho Thavee Pcl are among other local companies that have recently defaulted on bond payments. The market turmoil prompted Finance Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith to urge the Securities and Exchange Commission to take steps to protect the interests of investors and rebuild confidence. Srettha Thavisin, a prime ministerial candidate of the Pheu Thai Party thats part of a coalition seeking to form the next government following Thailands May 14 election, said on Twitter that the troubles in the market were the results of regulatory loopholes. Harsher Punishments Srettha, a former business tycoon, called for harsher punishment of capital market offenders, including jail terms to rid the impression that Thai stock market is a market that can be easily manipulated. Otherwise, these events will repeat over and over again until both Thai and foreign investors lose confidence in the Thai market. Thailands benchmark SET Index fell 0.8% to close at 1,509.31 on Thursday, the lowest level since March 2021. The gauge is down 6.2% this quarter, extending this years slump to 9.6%, the biggest decliner in Asia. On Thursday, the Securities and Exchange Commission held an online seminar for about 800 directors of listed companies to remind them of the importance of corporate governance and their roles and duties in ensuring a robust capital market, the regulator said in a statement. The exchange aims to curb stock volatility and the future collapse of companies by raising the free-float criteria and paid-up capital rules. The measures, that could be implemented by the end of this year, will also boost liquidity in the secondary market and protect investors, the bourse said. The regulatory overhaul is part of SETs three-year strategic plan to widen the scope for fund-raising for companies and address the current pain points, President Pakorn Peetathawatchai said. Highlights of other regulatory changes: Same minimum paid-up capital requirement for companies listing on SET and MAI Raise requirements on free-float and the public offering allocation ratio of small-sized companies Deteriorating financial position or operating performance such as low operating income or continued losses, default on payment of debts or other instruments and auditor disclaimers and targets of backdoor listing may trigger warnings to investors SET to delist companies that are unable to rectify all causes of delisting and resume trading within the specified period SET to seek public feedback in the third quarter before implementing the new rules with SEC approval (Updates with stock market close .) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Rubbishing the false narratives Points from PAPPM, WMC | Most probably a minutely researched and excellently articulated piece. No beating around the bush and no beating of the chest but straight on target. This was the Peoples Alliance for Peace and Progressive Manipur (PAPPM) in a rejoinder to the statement issued by the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) on June 18. PAPPM delivered a powerful statement in recalling the hoary and violent past, most notably the Kuki-Paite clash of 1997-1998, the aggression against the Kabuis and Tangkhuls during 1917-1919, against the Hmars in 1959-1960, against the Nagas in 1992-1997, against the Karbis in Assam in 2003-2004 and the clashes with the Burmese, the Shans and the Kachins in Myanmar. It is also on record that the Chin-Kuki National Army has been waging a war at the Chittagong Hills Tract in Bangladesh. The unsaid but loudly audible point delivered by the PAPPM can be summed up in the words trouble makers wherever they are. And now it is against the Meiteis in Manipur, a point so powerfully brought out by the World Meetei Council during a media briefing at Press Club of India at New Delhi on June 20. Unfortunate it is but despite having had their say in the media, neither KIM nor the high sounding Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) nor the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) have deemed it important to question who first struck the match stick that sent numerous houses up in flames at Torbung, after the Tribal Solidarity March on May 3. Torbung is situated more than 10 kilometres away from Churachandpur district headquarters and how did the rallyists, accompanied by gun wielding elements, march up to this settlement and set the houses on fire, forcing many to flee. And who set the Anglo-Kuki War Centenary Gate at Leisang village on fire, which is just 7.5 kms away from Churachandpur town and just 5 kms away from the DC office of Churachandpur ? Who are the inhabitants of Leisang village ? Would any Meitei venture to a place located just 7.5 kilometres from Churachandpur on the day of the Tribal Solidarity March and have the temerity to set it on fire ? Didnt KIM, ITLF of CoTU ever raise these questions inwardly ? Selective picking of points will not fool anyone and the pathetic attempts to play the victim card will find no takers in the long run. The deliberately doctored narratives should be set right. Was the Tribal Solidarity March really about opposing the demand that the Meiteis be granted the Scheduled Tribe status ? If the answer is in the affirmative then why did the rally wound up peacefully in the Naga dominated districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong and not at Churachandpur ? Why hasnt a supposedly responsible body like KIM ever attempted to answer these questions ? Not the first time that The Sangai Express has raised these questions, but it is more than evident that these posers have been conveniently looked over or brushed aside for it is a case of coming too close to the truth for comfort ? Moreover are the bunkers, which have been dismantled by the Central security forces put up only for self defence or for something else ? The truth will not come out but these very questions should underline the point that playing the victim card will not work. Solution first, peace later may be the one line slogan strikingly coined but to take any step closer to whatever solution one wants, it should start by speaking and walking the truth. The fact is out there in all the posers that have been raised. Enough people have died, thousands have been rendered homeless and are now staying at Shelter Homes. This is about those who do not have the means to fly to New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Guwahati or proceed to Mizoram and everyone knows who are the ones who have gone to the metros and who are the ones staying at Shelter Homes. Or will this be tailored in such a way that it suits the narrative that will be spelt out to suit the victim image they want to portray ? Separate AdministrationMalarkey or Existing Reality ? | Ngangom Junior Luwang (Advocate, Supreme Court & Corporate Lawyer) The answer to the captioned question hinges on ones understanding of the term Separate Administration. The answer is Malarkey, if one goes by the understanding of the term by some members of the Chin-Kuki-Zomi-Hmar & Mizo community (ostensibly Mizoram CM, Zorathangas) and the answer is a resounding Existing Reality, if the term is understood in the context of the Manipur Hills Areas Autonomous District Councils Act, 2000 (erstwhile Act of 1971) and 5th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Surprisingly, Separate Administration has been in existence for our Manipuri tribal communities since the last more than 50 years and hold on, with additional legal/Constitutional safeguards (otherwise unavailable to other tribal communities in the rest of India) ! Under the Indian Constitution, more especially under Article 244, separate administration for Scheduled Tribes in India is governed either by the 5th Schedule or the 6th Schedule. 6th Schedule has been extended to only 4 StatesAssam, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya, evident from the ten Autonomous Territorial Councils spread across four Statesfor Bodos, Karbis, Dimasas in Assam, for Khasis, Garos, Jaintias in Meghalaya, for Chakmas, Lais and Maras in Mizoram and one Autonomous District Council for the Tribes in Tripara. For Scheduled Tribe communities in other States, Article 244 provides for application of the 5th Schedule. Here, its worth clarifying that no provision of the Indian Constitution (including 5th or 6th Schedule) provides for a separate administration for any Tribal community, independent of the concerned State Administration. Coming to Manipur, there is no clear extension of the 5th Schedule and the Manipur Hill Areas Autonomous District Council Act, 2000 does not expressly derive its legislative competence from either Article 244 or the 5th Schedule, but one sees traces of the said Article and said Schedule in the Act. For instance, the definition of Scheduled Tribes in Section 2(n) of the Manipur Hill Areas Autonomous District Council Act, 2000 has reference to Article 342 of the Constitution and Article 244 provides for the 5th Schedule for Scheduled Tribes (understandably other than 6th Schedule Tribal Areas). Second, though Manipur is yet to have a Tribal Advisory Council under Clause 4 of the 5th Schedule, Clauses 5 and 6 of the same Schedule enable the State Government to make special legal framework for Separate Administration (even by excluding Central or State laws) for Scheduled Tribe areas, an intent reflected in the Manipur Land Revenue & Land Reforms Act, 1960 and the Manipur Hill Areas Autonomous District Council Act, 2000. Thus, the 5th Schedule stands extended to Manipur through 6 elected Hill Areas Autonomous District Councils (Churchandpur, Sadar Hills, Kangpokpi, Chandel, Ukhrul) in Manipur under the Manipur Hill Areas Autonomous District Council Act, 2000. Needless to say, the 6 Hill Areas Autonomous District Councils in Manipur do have substantial powers and functions, though little less empowered than the Territorial Councils under the 6th Schedule, but clearly more than compensated by other additional legal/Constitutional safeguards (nowhere bestowed on any other Tribal community in India). It is often forgotten that the six Autonomous District Councils in Manipur have been exercising substantial legislative, financial and executive powers. Each Autonomous District Council, consisting of 26 elected members and 2 members nominated by the Governor of Manipur, has such wide executive powers like management of forests, establishment of town committees & village councils, dealing with Public Health, inheritance, social customs (including marriage, divorce), agriculture, cottage & small industries, land, drinking water, roads, primary and secondary education, women and child development, adult & non-formal education, physical education, games and sports, student welfare, rural electrification, making financial grants etc. Even each Autonomous District Council has powers to levy and collect fees for maintenance & development of schools, dispensaries, roads, entry of goods, tolls on passengers and goods, vehicles & boats, animals etc. and manage its own budget & fund etc. The above Separate Administration legal framework apart, our Tribal brethren in Manipur enjoy much more autonomy and Separate Administration functions than other Tribes in the rest of India, as evident from their exclusive land rights over 90% of Manipurs territory (to the exclusion of valley people), despite their 40% population ratio with equal rights to buy and own land in even the remaining 10% of Manipurs territory. Second, no law relating to the Hills (except for Money Bills) can be passed by Manipurs State Assembly without reference to the Hill Areas Committee (consisting of 20 MLAs from Hill Areas). Which other Tribe in India enjoy such privileges & Constitutional safeguards!! To this extent, Manipurs tribal community is a privileged lot and it is indeed a high time to rectify such a history of depravity, at least on the land front. Either the Manipur Land Revenue & Reforms Act, 1960 be extended to the hill areas as well to give the valley people equal land rights in the hill areas as well or at least amend the definition of Hill Areas in Section 2(j) of the said Act so as to make it proportionate to the size of the Tribal community population in Manipur. Given the position above, most of us must be bewildered when our Kuki brethren recently came with up with a Separate Administration demand, without initially spelling out what it actually meant (as reflected in the Press Statement of May 12, 2023 by 10 Kuki MLAs)! But of late, there has been some clarity unfolding, going by the interviews of Mr Paolanlien Haokip, BJP MLA from Saikot Constituency on June 10, 2023 to NorthEast Live and of Prof. Kham khan Suan Hausing, Hyderabad University to The Wire (Karan Thapar) on June 17, 2023 ! While Mr. Paolanlien Haokip propounded a wide range of possibilities-separate State/Union Territory or amalgamation of Kuki dominated areas with Mizoram or a Separate Administration within Mizoram (presumably under the 5th or 6th Schedule of the Constitution), Prof. Haosing narrowed it down to a Separate Administration of Kukis within Mizoram, a narrative seemingly shared by the Mizoram CM, Zoramthanga. Such a narrative has been sought to be pursued by the Core Committee on Separate Administration Movement, apparent from its Press Statement of June 19, 2023 issued after the Joint meeting of MLAs, Tribal Apex Bodies & CSOs of Chin-Kuki-Hmar-Zomi-Mizo tribes on June 17, 2023 in New Delhi. The genesis of such of a demand can perhaps be traced to the outlandish Greater Mizoram graffiti at Chura= chandpur in May, 2023. All put together, be it a separate Kuki State/Union Territory or amalgamation of Kuki habituated areas in Manipur with Mizoram or a Separate Administration for Kukis within Mizoram, Kukis conceptualization of a Separate Administration involves dilution of Manipurs territorial integrity. When opting for a Separate Administration out of Manipur, what is impliedly express is the demand for invocation of Article 3 of the Indian Constitution to create a greater Mizoram by taking out the chunk of the Kuki habituated areas of Manipur ! Such a demand is as good or as worse as a separate State or Union Territory for the Kukis and should be equally unacceptable to the Central Government. Our Kuki brothers Separate Administration demand is by all considerations (political, topographical, ethnical) next to impossibleUtopian or at best an El Dorado. Politically unfeasible in as much as a person not less than the Union Home Minister of India has ruled out any compromise on Manipurs territorial integrity. Second, the latest avatar of Separate Administration is and will be without any doubt unacceptable to the Meitei community as much as it is to the Union Government. When three words without Territorial Limits almost brought Manpur to a complete halt in June, 2001 and coerced LK Advani to retract the said three words, there is every reason to believe that the Central Government might not want to repeat the same mistake and push Manipur to a bigger flame ! Third, if Kukis were to be allowed to move away from Manipur under the garb of the so-called Separate Administration, there is no good reason to deny such rights to deny Greater Nagaland to our Naga brethren (should it be the majority demand)! Fourth and most importantly, the inevitable devastating consequence of the Central Govt. succumbing to Kukis demand for a Separate Administration outside Manipur (as it has seemingly evolved) will leave only 10% of Manipurs present territory to be called Manipur, with our Tribal brethren walking out with most of Manipurs territories. Going by their social media space, our Kuki brothers seem to see no issue in the present Manipur being split up into three parts on communal lines, justification being economic viability of hill areas as separate geographical entities on account of the claimed (howsoever wild) substantial hydrocarbon deposits beneath Manipurs hills and mountains ! Topographically, it is difficult to fathom a Separate Administration for Kukis outside Manipur on account of the scattered Kuki population as dispersed as Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Moreh etc. Should Zoramthanga be so interested in getting all Zo Tribe population under one political establishment, Zoramthanga ought to be generous enough to accommodate all of the Manipuri Chin-Kuki-Zomi-Hamar & Mizo community in Mizoram, without diluting Manipurs territorial integrity ! Ethnically, just as our 10 Naga MLAs have expressly made it loud and clear, our Naga brethren could be opposing 6th Schedule Autonomous Councils for the Kukis for the same reason(s) they could be opposing a separate Kuki State/Union territoryambiguities on Kuki and Naga habituated areas, compounded by the Indo-Naga peace talk! For reasons given above, Separate Administration, as currently mulled by the Chin-Kuki-Zomi-Hamar & Mizo community, is nothing more than a Utopia, a far flung from political reality. Straightway, our Kuki brethren could have demanded a separate Kuki State, instead of going in for the euphemism Separate Adminis- tration, since all that they want is nothing less than a separate Kuki State or unification of Kuki habited areas with Mizoram. Stretching it one bit, if our Kuki brethren are contemplating a Separate Administration independent of Manipur, the same will only reflect their ignorance of or rather indifference to the laws and Constitution of India. Of Course, our Kuki brethren may still demand Autonomous Territorial Councils under the Sixth Schedule on the lines of such Councils in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. But if such Councils are to be extended to our Kuki brethren, the same would need to be extended to Nagas as well and the same cannot be without major concessions to the Meiteis (ST tag land rights in Hill areas) on a quid- pro-quo basis (though Meities may deserve what they demand on stand alone basis, not necessarily out of any quid pro quo arrangement), but still our Naga brethren may not be ready for 6th Schedule Territorial Councils on account of issues associated with land demarcation on tribal lines. Arent we then back to square one on Separate Administration the Status Quo! The unfolding KukiMeitei conflict in Manipur | Pushpita Das (Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses) Contd from previous issue The forcible destruction of illicit poppy cultivation and arrests of villagers, however, is perceived by the Kuki community as depriving them of their livelihood because the affected cultivators never received the compensation promised by the State Government. Consequently, these drives against encroachers and illicit poppy cultivators attracted large-scale protests, especially in the Kuki-dominated districts. Many of such protests also turned violent, the most recent being the one held on 27 April 2023 in Churachandpur. The State Government views the protests as anti-Government and claims that the protesters were heavily influenced and instigated by the Kuki militant organisations especially the Kuki National Army (KNA) and Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), who were not only providing shelter to illegal migrants from Myanmar, but also encouraging illegal poppy cultivation and drug trade. In fact, on 10 March 2023, the Biren Singh Government decided to withdraw from the tripartite Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with the Kuki militant organisations. This unilateral withdrawal from the agreement has not only upset the Kuki community but also put a question mark on the resolution of the Kuki militancy problem in the State. The peace talks between the Government and the militant groups, which started in 2016, had generated hopes among the Kuki community that after all their demand for a separate Kukiland will be met. This hope had, in fact, propelled them to support the BJP during the 2022 Manipur elections. Demand for a separate Kukiland The Kukis have been demanding self-determination for their community since long. The earliest case where the Kukis demanded a separate State for themselves was in 1960, in the aftermath of the 1957 elections to elect village chiefs in the State. The Kuki community argued that the system of electing the village chief under the Village Authorities Act of 1956 was a means to do away with the rights of the chiefs over land, and given that the Kukis had traditional system of unelected village chieftains, they opposed it. This desire to safeguard their interests was also reinforced by the fact that the Kukis do not share a cordial relationship with the Meiteis and the Nagas. The Kukis are resentful towards the Meiteis because they feel that the Meitei-dominated State Government kept their areas backward and did not provide them adequate political representation. Their unease with the Naga community stemmed from the demand of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN) to include the area inhabited by the Kukis into the Greater Nagalim. The demand for a separate State, however, became prominent following clashes with the Nagas in 1990s. Between 1992 and 1997, the Kukis were subjected to ethnic cleansing by the Naga militant groups, following which multiple Kuki armed groups demanding separate/independent Kukiland cropped up in the State. After years of violence, 23 insurgent outfits (later increased to 25) belonging to the Kuki, Zo, Paite and Hmar groups organised themselves under two umbrella organisationsKNO (Kuki National Organisation) and UPF (United Peoples Front)and signed a SoO with the Union and the Manipur Governments in August 2008. In 2016, eight years after signing of the SoO agreement, the Union and the State governments started peace negotiations with the KNO and UPF. Even after several rounds of talks, no headway could be made because of the difference in the demands of the KNO and the UPF. The KNO demanded a separate Kuki State while the UPF insisted on a State-within a State under Article 244A of the Indian Constitution. At present, it appears that both the groups have reconciled their differences and have come around to accepting a Kukiland Terri- torial Council carved out of Kuki-inhabited districts of Churachandpur, Pherzawl, Chandel, Tengnoupal, Kangpokpi and Kamjong. The Territorial Council, according to them, should be modelled on the Bodoland Territorial Council which was established under the Sixth Schedule in 2003. In fact, the impressive win of the Hill Peoples Alliance (HPA), an alliance of independent candidates backed by the UPF in Chura-chandpur district in 2015 Autonomous District Council elections also indicate a strong desire among the Kukis for a Kukiland Territorial Council. (To be contd) The memorandum addressed to the PM | New Delhi : the 19th June 2023 To, the Honourable Prime Minister, India Subject : Memorandum in connection with the ongoing restlessness in Manipur. The present unrest and violence in the State of Manipur which started on 3rd of May 2023 has completed 45 days, More than 100 innocent lives have been lost and valuable properties damaged due to the ongoing violence and despite many steps that have been taken up to bring the situation under control, not much improvement is seen on the ground. There is a complete breakdown of law and order in the State. Every section of the society has been affected badly and people are suffering most. Every community, every person irrespective of caste, creed and religion want immediate restoration of peace in the State. At present, there is no trust and confidence in the Government and administration. Public have lost complete faith in the present State Government. Some special measure for proper administration and function of the Government by following Rule of Law may kindly be restored so that the trust and confidence of the general public is restored. Following are some of the suggestions which may kindly be considered for restoration of peace and tranquillity in the State. - Proper and rational deployment of CPMF (Central Para Military Force) along with the State police. -Strict enforcement of ground rules of SoO (Suspension of Operation) groups. - Demand for separate administration by any community should not be considered at any cost and integrity of the State should not be disturbed. -Strong action to check the infiltration and involvement of CDF (Chin-Kuki Defence Force) in the present violence as there is strong apprehension by the general public. This may be a threat to National Security. A meeting of Kuki MLAs and Meitei MLAs may kindly be arranged to enable us to find a solution on the issue of the State by interacting and exchanging ideas, as since 3rd of May 2023, we have not met due to the prevailing situation. Signatories - Karam Shyam, Langthabal A/C MLA, Dr Th Radheshyam, Heirok A/C MLA, Nishikant Singh Sapam, Keishamthong A/C MLA, Kh Raghumani Singh , Uripok AC MLA, S Brojen Singh, Wangjing A/C MLA, T Robindro Singh, Thanga A/C MLA, S Rajen Singh, Lamsang A/C MLA, S Kebi Devi, Naoriya Pakhanglakpa A/C MLA and Dr Y Radheshyam, Hiyanglam AC MLA Focus on the detected illegal immigrants Setting up settlements | Over 2000, correction 2,187, illegal immigrants detected and what is alarming is the report from the Cabinet sub-committee that these 2,187 immigrants, all from Myanmar, had set up settlements on the soil of Manipur. Read the set up settlements line against the backdrop refused to be moved to designated centres and things become all that more disturbing. This grim reality comes with the qualifying two words initial findings and all things point to the distinct possibility of many more such illegal immigrants having entered Manipur and then going ahead to set up settlements and refusing to move or be moved to designated centres, or more precisely shelter homes, a term which has been given its distinct Manipur flavour courtesy the BJP led Government at Imphal. Not the shelter homes which has gained currency following the ethnic clash since May 3, but centres designed to house the refugees from Myanmar who had fled their homes and hearths to escape the crackdown launched by the military junta on the pro-democracy group, which has its own armed group, the Peoples Defence Force (PDF). That the refugees from the neighbouring country would have gone ahead and set up their own settlements should not come as too much of a surprise for the Government at Imphal had for long refused to see the reality and take up steps to monitor the movements of the refugees who enter Manipur. It was with a reason why The Sangai Express had suggested back in June, 2022 or to be more precise on June 30, 2022 that Manipur too should take a leaf or two out from neighbouring Mizoram, acknowledge the entry of the refugees and accordingly set up refugee camps. Understanding the reality was what the situation demanded but unfortunate it is that the State Government deemed it better to look the other way. This suggestion or commentary was made on June 30, 2022, and fast forward to the fag end of March 2023 and the Government came up with the grand idea of sheltering around 5000 refugees from across the border at centres, which they christened shelter homes. Any sensitive Government should have acknowledged the sensitivity of the matter at hand and taken up steps to ensure that refugees from across the border did not merge with the local population and it was only after a lapse of more than two years of the military coup in Myanmar that the State Government woke up to the reality of refugees from the neighbouring country streaming into Manipur. It was on April 24 this year that the Cabinet sub-committee submitted its findings of the 2187 illegal immigrants having set up their own settlements to the Government. The question now is, what has the Government done with them ? Where are they ? Or is it a case of with the ethnic clash having erupted on May 3, the Government has not had the time to deal with the matter ? These questions are crucially important, in the face of the ongoing ethnic clash and the unconfirmed but widely believed reports coming in that many from across the border could be involved in the clash. This is where one would need to go beyond the obvious and try to understand why the Government in exile of Myanmar or National Unity Government (NUG) had issued a directive to its people in India on June 15, to refrain from any acts that are prejudicial to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India. Avoid unnecessary involvement in Indias politics and administrative activity and live in harmony with the host communities, was the instruction or suggestion to the Myanmar natives currently taking shelter in India. Is it a case of the NUG saying this actually out of their own conviction or at the suggestions of some allies, whose friendship is crucial in the ongoing war against the military regime in Myanmar ? No clear cut answers here, but the fact that such a standing directive was issued is crucial and it is important for the discerning to delve into it deeper. The unfolding KukiMeitei conflict in Manipur | Pushpita Das (Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses) Contd from previous issue The State Government dominated by the Meiteis is, however, against the creation of Kukiland Territorial Council as they see it as the first step towards creation of a separate Kuki State. In fact, when 10 MLAs including seven from his own party, demanded separate administration for the Kuki community in May 2023, Biren Singh categorically rejected the proposal and asserted that the territorial integrity of Manipur will be protected at all costs. The ongoing conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities is also a manifestation of the larger Valley-Hill divide which has bedevilled the process of peace and reconciliation in Manipur. The Valley-Hill Divide Manipur has two distinct geographical featuresthe Imphal Valley and the Hills which surround the Valley. The Valley constitutes the five districts and the Hill constitutes 10 districts.The Imphal Valley covers 10 per cent of the land area of Manipur and rest 90 per cent is covered by the Hills. Ethnically, Manipur has three main groupsthe Meiteis, the Nagas, and the Kukis. The Meiteis constitute 53 per cent of the total population and are primarily settled in the Valley districts of East and West Imphal, Thoubal, Kakching, Bishnupur and Jiribam. The Naga (17 per cent) and Kuki communities (26 per cent) which together constitute 41 per cent of the population are categorised into 34 Scheduled Tribes in the State. The Nagas are concentrated in the North consisting mainly of Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Chandel districts. The Kuki tribes primarily populate the southern hills comprising Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, Chandel and Tengnoupal districts. This disproportionate spatial distribution between the Meitei community and the Tribes people is the crux of the problem. The Meitei community feels that even though they constitute 53 per cent of the population, they are confined to only 10 per cent of the land in the valley. Even in the valley, they argue that they are getting squeezed because tribes people are buying land and settling there, while being non-tribal, they cannot buy land in the hills because of the protection provided to the tribes people under Article 371 (c) of the Constitution. The Meitei community further claims that in addition to the tribes people, many outsiders including illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar and people from rest of the country are settling in their land. They, therefore, argue that if the community has to preserve and save the ancestral land, tradition, culture, and language, they need the ST status. The Tribal communities, as evident, are opposed to the demand of the Meitei community for ST status on the grounds that Meiteis are a dominant community in the State with 40 of the 60 legislative seats occupied by them. They further argue that Meitei language is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and they are educationally, socially and economically better off than the tribes people. Therefore, if ST status is bestowed upon the Meiteis, they will not only corner all the Government jobs and other benefits, hitherto granted to the tribes by the Constitution, but also grab land belonging to the tribes people as restrictions on purchasing land in the hills will not apply to them. The fear of losing their land has become so prominent among the Meitei community that they started demanding the extension of Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the State to protect the rights of Manipuri indigenous people. Subsequently, in December 2019, the Union Government extended the ILP in the State. The State Government in June 2022 decided that 1961 shall be the base year to decide who is a native resident. This Government order is opposed by the tribes people. They assert that in 1961, hardly any census official visited their villages because of poor connectivity. In addition, during that time, most of the village chiefs were illiterate and therefore did not keep records of the villagers. As a result, the tribes people do not have the required documents to prove that they are native residents of Manipur. The Hill-Valley divide is most evident in the administration of these two geographical entities. During the colonial times, the British deliberately introduced the hill-valley divide by separating the administration of the hills from the plains.19 This divide was also accentuated by the religious divide between the two wherein the Meiteis embraced Vaishnavism patronised by their Kings of Manipur and the hill people were converted to Christianity by the missionaries who were allowed to function in the hill areas. The British policy of keeping the tribes administratively separated from the valley finally ended with lapse of British paramountcy and the enforcement of the Manipur State Constitution Act in 1947, wherein the responsibility of administering the hill areas was entrusted to the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers had two elected persons from the hills who were in charge of hill affairs, forests and agriculture. Autonomous (Hill Areas) District Councils A significant step towards the administration of the hill areas of the State was taken with the insertion of Article 371 (C) in the Constitution of India. This Article provided for the enactment of the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils Act in 1971, which was enforced in 1973 after Manipur attained Statehood. Under the Act, the hill areas of Manipur were divided into six Autonomous District Councils (ADCs). In addition to the ADCs, the Hill Area Committee (HAC) was constituted under the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) order of 1972. The members elected from the hill areas of Manipur comprise its members, who then elect a Chairman and a Vice Chairman. The HAC is the highest body at the legislative level to oversee the planning, implementation and monitoring of all development activities in the hill areas of the State. Furthermore, as provided under Article 371(C) of the Constitution of India, the HAC also vets all laws affecting these hill districts. The ADCs of Manipur are, however, fundamentally different from that of the ADCs in the other four North Eastern States. Firstly, the ADCs in Manipur was established by an Act of Parliament and not under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India as Sixth Schedule was meant only for the Hill Districts of the undivided Assam. Secondly, unlike the ADCs under the Sixth Schedule, the ADCs of Manipur are not entrusted with judicial and legislative powers. Thirdly, the ADCs were also given limited financial powers which means that the ADCs had limited ways to raise revenue. Fourthly, the 17 subjects that were supposedly under the control and administration of the district councils were not so in reality because they were subjected to exceptions and conditions imposed by the Administrator. As a consequence, the district councils were reduced to weak and ineffective executive and administrative agencies. In fact, between October 1988 and December 1990, the six ADCs were superseded and their administration was entrusted to the district officials due to continuous resistance by the tribal groups. Meanwhile, the tribes people of the Manipur hill areas could see that the ADCs in the Sixth Schedule areas were much more powerful and autonomous, and, therefore the demand for extending the Sixth Schedule in Manipur as well was made. In response to these demands, the Manipur State Cabinet passed three resolutions in favour of extending the Sixth Schedule to the hill areas with certain local adjustments on 13 May 1991, 17 August 1992 and 28 March 2001. (To be contd) Today Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 85F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Some passing clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 54F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow Sunshine. High 89F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Three Arrows Co-Founders Are Back With a New VC Fund. Is Anyone Buying? The recently launched Open Exchange (OPNX), a trading platform specializing in claims against bankrupt cryptocurrency entities, made waves on Wednesday as it revealed its latest ecosystem partnerone that uses the same name and the same logo as the now-bankrupt hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC). Details of the new entity, 3AC Ventures, are sparse, with a landing page stating it is focused on superior risk-adjusted returns without leverage and providing a contact email. In a Twitter post Wednesday, OPNX said the collaboration aims to provide investment support to projects that are developing within the OPNX ecosystem and working towards a decentralized future. OPNX co-founder Kyle Davies told Decrypt that 3AC Ventures has launched with a focus on driving innovation and fostering wider adoption of crypto. We are excited to announce OPNX's ecosystem partner 3AC Ventures. The partnership will invest in projects building in the OPNX ecosystem and working towards a decentralized future. https://t.co/EUi5bejTlH OPNX (@OPNX_Official) June 21, 2023 What happened to Three Arrows Capital? OPNX was established by Davies along with his business partner Su Zhubetter known as the co-founders of the now-defunct Singaporean hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC). 3AC, which at one point had about $10 billion under its management, according to data firm Nansen, frequently used leveraged positions, meaning exchanges allowed it to trade with more funds than it actually had in hand. Its a risky strategyand one that didn't work for 3AC in the long term, with the firm eventually filing for bankruptcy in July last year. Three Arrows Founders Roll Out Bankruptcy Claims ExchangeBut US Residents Are Barred The 3AC bankruptcy also contributed to the broader crypto contagion that was set off last year with the collapse of the Terra ecosystemin which 3AC claimed to have personally lost money as well. Given that another co-founder of OPNX is Mark Lamb, the CEO of another troubled crypto derivatives exchange, CoinFLEX, news of the launch of 3AC Ventures was greeted with some skepticism on social media. Same logo, same people. Same name. While running away from creditors. The audacity is transdimensional in magnitude, commented one user on Twitter. Same logo, same people. Same name. While running away from creditors. The audacity is transdimensional in magnitude. Thing is, greed begets opportunity. It also begets hatred. Hatred begets faders, and faders later on fuel pump-in-motion. And 3AC do know how to pump. I hate it https://t.co/dEl3Bg75Av Shual (@0xShual) June 21, 2023 "Understandable" skepticism Still, some industry players believe theres a possibility of the new venture eventually delivering results. "Given the past issues of 3AC including the bankruptcy, primarily related to leveraged trades going wrong and leading to substantial financial loss, the skepticism around trust is understandable, Yusuf Sevim, CEO and founder at blockchain platform MetaTime, told Decrypt. However, the stated aim of 3AC Ventures to focus on superior risk-adjusted returns without leverage suggests a shift in strategy that might assuage some concerns. Sevim also pointed to the success of the OPNX exchange, which has managed to achieve substantial daily trading volumes, while its native token OX soared 39% over the week. According to him, this indicates a potential for recovery and redemption for the 3AC co-founder. Trust, in this case, may be regained through transparency, the delivery of promised results, and evidence of responsible management to avoid past mistakes, said Sevim. In the face of today's market adversities, we stand resolute in our conviction that the true market transformers are the 'oxen'those relentless innovators and builders who work regardless of conditions. The commitment at 3AC Ventures is to support these individuals as they drive long term crypto adoption, Davies told Decrypt. Thryv kicks off U.S. tour in Portsmouth to celebrate local small businesses Thryv kicks off U.S. tour in Portsmouth to celebrate Local small businesses. PORTSMOUTH In support of U.S. small businesses, Thryv, the leading all-in-one small business management platform serving over 52,000 small businesses, will kick off its 12-stop, cross-country Thryv Tour in Portsmouth, N.H., on Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24. Over these two days, the event brings together community and business leaders for games, prizes, learning and networking opportunities in partnership with The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth and the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce. First up, Thryv hosts local business owners and organizations at The Press Room on Friday, June 23 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. for a networking mixer. A ribbon cutting will commemorate Thryv as the newest member of the Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth. Chief Collaborator and President Ben VanCamp will be in attendance as well as Nate Hastings, Membership and Development Manager. Next, the tour stops at the Beach & Brew Festival from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 24 with food, games, prizes and more, hosted by Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information about Thryv, please visit Thryv.com. Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce welcomed two new members in June DOVER The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce held ribbon-cutting ceremonies recently to welcome two businesses as new Chamber members. The Printing Press The Printing Press is a new local print shop at 44 Portland Avenue, unit 9 in Dover. This family run, eco-friendly, local print shop offers everything from simple copies, fax and email to full wedding packages, posters and blueprints. The Printing Press offers all of the same services as large printing stores, but places much more of an emphasis on the customer and their individual needs. Owner and founder Heather Bartle was inspired to open The Printing Press after her experience working at a big box store left her disillusioned. Bartle was able to see her dream of creating a more customer-centered printing experience on May 9 when The Printing Press officially opened. The Printing Presss services can be broken into three categories: print, design, and connect. Printing entails bringing pre-existing materials in to be printed on various materials, ranging from posters to business cards and everything in between. The design services offer clients assistance in creating what they had in mind for their print. The connect services consist of traditional fax services, scan to email, access to a self-serve computer, and notary services. In addition to those three main service offerings, The Printing Press also offers a privacy printing service. When privacy printing, the client is given the opportunity to take the printer into a private room to print sensitive or personal documents. Bartle was inspired to include this service in her business to help contribute to the optimal customer experience that she hopes to create. For more information about The Printing Press, call 603-988-6942, email printme@theprintingpressdover.com, or head to their website https://www.theprintingpressdover.com/. Aplomb Gallery The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting at Aplomb Gallery to commemorate The Aplomb Projects status as a 501(c) nonprofit. Aplomb Gallery is a portrait gallery and studio space located at 15 Mechanic Street, Suite 117 in Dover owned by Danielle Festa, a contemporary realist and former Dover Art Walk Director. The creative space in downtown Dover features group/solo exhibitions and workshops. In addition to being an art gallery, Aplomb Gallery is also home to The Aplomb Project. The Aplomb Project uses the transformative power of art to uplift trauma survivors, promotes creative healing and presents inclusive opportunities. Through her artwork, Festa captures the resilience of trauma survivors, gifting the resulting oil portrait to the voluntary participants to celebrate their courage and strength. Contact The Aplomb Project by emailing danielle@theaplombproject.or or visiting theaplombproject.org. The Granite YMCA acquires Somersworth Early Learning Center SOMERSWORTH After ten months of due diligence, the Boards of Directors of both The Somersworth Early Learning Center and The Granite YMCA voted unanimously to integrate. The merger became official as of June 1, enabling The Granite YMCA to assist The Somersworth Early Learning Center with expanding access to child care, offering financial assistance, and planning for additional youth and family programs in the fall. The new name of the center is officially: The Granite YMCA of Somersworth, a community child care branch. The Somersworth Early Learning Center has been an important asset to the community and has played a critical role in providing a safe, nurturing environment where children can learn, grow, and thrive, said Michele Sheppard, CEO and President, The Granite YMCA. Financial pressures led to our discussions and the immediate collective goal was to ensure that they never had to close their doors. Everyone involved understood the dire impact closure would have had on this local resource that serves at least 45 children and their families and employs 15 dedicated staff members. We are all extremely proud to have come together to essentially save jobs and needed child care services that families depend upon, and we look forward to expanding access to new programming for this community, Sheppard added. The Granite YMCA had help in this process. The partners who played a pivotal role in addressing initial financial needs included the Granite United Way, giving over $33,000 and the NH Charitable Fund (NHCF), contributing roughly $30,000. Additional private donor funding of at least $20,000 received through NHCF was from the George Merck Foundation on the recommendation of Patience and Tom Chamberlain. Other individuals and organizations that made the merger a success include the Strafford City Economic Development Center (deferring the loan payment for the mortgage from March through June), City of Somersworth, the Somersworth School District, Ready Together Coalition, and the Somersworth Early Learning Center Board of Directors, led by Chair Rob Silva. The integration goals and objectives are being met because of the collective efforts of these organizations. Given the lack of child care resources state-wide and the need to sustain centers such as the Somersworth Early Learning Center, everyone stepped in with a singular initial focus and that was to keep the doors open, explained Sheppard. This is an enormous win and a very proud moment for everyone involved. We cannot thank our friends, colleagues and partners enough for their efforts in helping us sustain child care services for the Somersworth community, Sheppard said. Rob Glew, Granite YMCA Chief Volunteer Officer for the Board of Trustees concurs. The ability to step in and with the help of partners, allow for seamless child care services to a community that is dependent upon this center gives us a great deal of pride. We know that there will be many new and innovative programs coming to Somersworth as we welcome them to The Granite YMCA family, said Glew. A Granite YMCA of Somersworth open house and integration celebration is being planned for the fall. Joseph H. Guyton recognized as 15-Time Presidents Council Qualifier Joseph Guyton PORTSMOUTH Rye Beach resident Joseph Guyton, owner of Portsmouth-based firm The Guyton Group, has been named as a Presidents Council qualifier by the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America (Guardian). Presidents Council is one of the highest honors awarded each year by Guardian to financial professionals who demonstrate outstanding service and dedication to their clients. This is the 15th time Guyton has been recognized for this distinction. Im honored to be recognized with this prestigious award for the high level of service I provide to my clients. I really enjoy bringing my extensive knowledge and experience to each client, giving them confidence in their planning, and helping them prepare for their long-term financial health, Guyton explained. Being named to the elite group of Guardian Presidents Council is not something I take lightly. I will continue to do my best work for my clients and provide exceptional service every day. Guyton and his team work with clients on a wide range of issues, including financial protection and wealth accumulation strategies, using a comprehensive planning method that coordinates all aspects of their personal economies. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Thryv comes to Portsmouth, Chamber welcomes members: Seacoast business news (Bloomberg) -- TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Chew said that V. Pappas, the social media giants chief operating officer, is stepping down to focus on entrepreneurial passions. Most Read from Bloomberg Adam Presser, the companys chief of staff, will become head of operations. Zenia Mucha, former head of communications at Walt Disney Co., is joining as chief brand and communications officer, a new position. Pappas has been the longtime public face for TikTok in the US as the company has tried to fend off a ban under two presidential administrations. The COO represented the company at a Senate hearing in September as the most recent wave of criticism ramped up. Pappas will continue as a strategic adviser. TikTok, a division of Chinas ByteDance Ltd., has risen to become one of the most popular social media apps in the world on the strength of user-generated, short-form videos. Given its Chinese ownership, the product has raised concerns among both Republicans and Democrats that the government there may use it to gather intelligence about US citizens. TikTok has denied any influence from the Chinese Communist Party. Pappas unveiled a plan called Project Texas, where TikTok said its walling off US user data and housing it on the servers of American tech company Oracle Corp. While public scrutiny of the company has cooled as Congress has dealt with issues like the debt ceiling debates, there are still multiple bills proposed that could ban the app, as well as an ongoing federal national security review. Read more: How TikTok Became a US-China National Security Issue (Updates with background on Pappas in third paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Dave Ramsey Investing is an essential component of growing your wealth, but knowing what to invest in and how to create the appropriate strategy can get tricky -- especially during a volatile market. To help get some clarity, GOBankingRates asked our Top Money Experts for their best tips for investing in 2023 -- here's what they had to say. See Our List: 100 Most Influential Money Experts Learn More: 3 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000 BearBullTraders Focus on the Long-Term, Diversify and Stay on Top of Trends Andrew Aziz, proprietary fund manager at Peak Capital Trading and author of "How To Day Trade for a Living," said it's important to focus more on the big picture rather than the day-to-day swings. "Maintain a long-term perspective when it comes to investing," he said. "This means resisting the urge to make impulsive decisions based on short-term market fluctuations or news events, and instead, stay focused on your long-term financial goals." Aziz also emphasized the importance of diversification. "By spreading your investments across different asset classes, sectors and regions, you can help manage risk and potentially earn more stable returns over time," he said. Finally, Aziz noted that the best investors stay informed about what's going on in the markets and the economy at large. "It's important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in the financial markets," Aziz said. "For example, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and 5G may present new investment opportunities in the coming years. Similarly, keeping an eye on geopolitical developments, such as trade negotiations or regulatory changes, can help you anticipate potential risks and opportunities." How To Buy ChatGPT Stock: Your 2023 Guide to AI Investing See: 10 Stocks That Could Be the Next Apple or Amazon iStock.com Invest in Mutual Funds Dave Ramsey, author of "The Total Money Makeover," said that mutual funds are his preferred investment vehicle. "Mutual funds are the way to go," he said. "They cast a wide net across many companies, helping you avoid the risks that come with the trendy stuff, like crypto." Take Our Poll: What Kind of Money Advice Would You Most Trust From a Celebrity Expert Such as Warren Buffett, Mark Cuban or Suze Orman? Chris Hill Invest in Large Companies Chris Hill, host of the "Motley Fool Money" podcast, said that his best advice for investing in 2023 is to "go big." "Invest in large, profitable companies," he said. "2023 is proving to be a better environment for big businesses than smaller ones. If you don't already own shares of companies with a market cap over $100 billion, this would be a good time to start." Danetha Doe Invest in Alternative Assets In addition to investing in large companies, Danetha Doe, founder of the personal finance blog Money & Mimosas, recommends adding alternative assets to your portfolio. "I believe investors should focus on alternative investments to diversify their portfolios in 2023," she said. "This can be equity crowdfunding, international stocks or other opportunities." Mike Dawkins / Jully-Alma Taveras Avoid Investments You Don't Understand You may be tempted to invest in something because it's buzzy and other people are doing it, but if you don't understand exactly what you'd be putting your money into, it's best to step away. "It's important to avoid investments that you are not familiar with or that have a very limited track record or history of proven concepts," said Jully-Alma Taveras, founder of the Investing Latina blog and YouTube channel. "Although it's important to take risks, make sure that you know enough about an industry or category before investing into it." I'm a Self-Made Millionaire: These Are Investments Everyone Should Avoid During an Economic Downturn Learn the Rules Before You Break Them If you're new to investing, it's important to master the basics before taking big risks, said personal finance YouTuber Andrei Jikh. "Investing has rules, and the rules are simple -- [start by] buying low-cost broad market index funds," he said. "Once you know the rules, then you can start breaking them. Unfortunately, most people start the other way around." More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Top Money Experts Share 6 Tips for Investing in 2023 (Bloomberg) -- American pig farmers are losing so much money that some may soon start selling the corn they would normally use to feed animals, according to the worlds largest hog producer. Most Read from Bloomberg Its a sign that producers will soon take steps to shrink their herds, with growers losing as much as $80 a head, said Shane Smith, chief executive officer of Smithfield Foods. Demand from top buyer China is waning as the cost to feed animals is surging. A drought in the Midwest has deteriorated crops, with corn at its worst conditions for this time of year since 1992. Thats squeezing profits and making it more appealing for growers to sell the grain, which has risen more than 20% from its May lows. Theres a concentration of people in the industry who grow their own corn, they grow their corn and they feed it to the animal, he said in an interview Wednesday at the Wall Street Journals Global Food Forum in Chicago. Theyre going to have to make a decision. Do I sell my corn and just forget about the animal? US growers usually only start shrinking herds when they face cash flow losses, and that is already happening, Smith said. He declined to comment on whether Smithfield, owned by Hong Kong-listed WH Group, is planning to cut back as well. The US meat market is facing a glut that may take until the end of next year and into 2025 to normalize, he said. Thats all happening just as only 55% of the US corn crop was rated good to excellent, the lowest for this time of year in more than three decades, according to data from the US Department of Agriculture. California Rules To make matters worse, California which consumes about 15% of the nations pork passed a law requiring meat sold in the state to come from animals raised in larger spaces, raising costs for producers. Beginning July 1, only meat from animals raised under the new regulations can be sold in the state, although pork thats already in the supply chain by that date can be sold until the end of the year, the California Department of Food and Agriculture said Wednesday. Smithfield stopped slaughtering hogs at its only California plant earlier this year. Smith said hes now worried other states may add their own laws, forcing more costly farm conversions. My concern is that at some point without intervention from the USDA or other federal bodies, were going to end up with a patchwork of 50 different rules to govern how food is processed, it doesnt just have to be pork or chicken, he said. Meanwhile, a lack of available workers for US meat plants and little movement in immigration policy means the labor issue wont be solved any time soon, he said. This industry is in an incredibly difficult cycle, Smith said. (Adds comments on California in eighth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- The UKs market regulator had only superficial engagement with the London Metal Exchange as it sleepwalked into last years nickel crisis, according to information made public as part of a legal battle between the exchange and aggrieved traders. Most Read from Bloomberg For much of March 7, as nickel prices surged and for hours after a large Chinese bank missed a margin call, the Financial Conduct Authority was largely passive in its interactions with the LME, according to an account by LME Chief Executive Officer Matthew Chamberlain. The following morning, nickel had already more than tripled in little over 24 hours in an epic short squeeze, when it sent a set of questions inquiring about the reason for the continued price surge. By that time, the LME was in full-blown crisis mode, as it prepared to issue a statement announcing the suspension of the nickel market. A senior LME executive complained at the time the regulators questions were ridiculous, according to a redacted transcript from a group Whatsapp chat provided to Bloomberg on Thursday. Read: What Really Happened the Night the Nickel Market Broke The interaction is embarrassing for both the FCA and the LME. For the exchange, it highlights the uncomfortable truth that the LME didnt actually have a grasp on the reason for the price spike. But it is also one of several revelations that shows how little involvement the FCA had in supervising the chaos in the nickel market. An FCA spokesperson said that the information disclosed in court outlines Chamberlains interaction with the FCA and does not include any additional interaction the FCA may have had with other people at the LME or the timings of those. The LME declined to comment. [08/03/2022, 08:13:18] Kirstina Combe: Have spoken to FCA answered their ridiculous questions and explained plan. Will send notice once finalised for their info [08/03/2022, 09:05:50] Matt Chamberlain: Thanks. Chris - have all members made last nights margin calls? Gay is chasing... [08/03/2022, 09:05:59] +44 [redacted]: Yes [08/03/2022, 09:06:13] +44 [redacted]: We have full payment from all members The FCA has been probing the LMEs actions since the crisis, in which the exchange caused outrage among hedge funds by deciding to cancel billions of dollars in trades rather than trigger a wave of margin calls it says would have been a death spiral for its market. In March, the regulator launched an enforcement investigation into the LME the first time it has ever taken such action against an exchange. The court hearings this week have revealed how the LME itself was woefully unprepared for the situation, having failed to grasp the scale of the short position held by top nickel producer Tsingshan Holding Group Co. It was also accused of helping to fuel the price spike by removing volatility controls on the morning of March 8, although the LME said this week the removal of the price bands didnt make a difference to the situation. Read: Elliott Says LME Fueled Nickel Chaos by Lifting Circuit Breakers But while the revelations in court this week have laid bare the flaws in the LMEs processes and decisions, they have also cast the UK markets regulator in an unflattering light. On March 7, when nickel prices surged as much as 90% and several LME members were late paying margin calls, it was LME CEO Chamberlain who contacted the FCA to give them an update. According to the events recounted in the Chamberlains witness statement, the regulators only contribution later that afternoon was to ask for an update on the outcome of a meeting of the LMEs special committee, which he provided later that night. Executives had discussed suspending nickel trading or adding price controls during the day, but decided against intervening because they believed the market remained orderly and that the rally was being driven by concerns about the impact on supply from Russias invasion of Ukraine. But the following morning, prices exploded in a dizzying ascent. Chamberlain woke up around 5:30 a.m., and shortly afterward initiated a discussion in the group chat about suspending the market. [08/03/2022, 06:07:50] Matt Chamberlain: Nickel is up 100% this morning [08/03/2022, 06:07:55] Matt Chamberlain: image omitted [08/03/2022, 06:08:40] Matt Chamberlain: Just spoke to [redacted] - they will default if we margin at these levels. I suspect others too [08/03/2022, 06:08:47] Matt Chamberlain: Think we do need to suspend now [08/03/2022, 06:09:15] Matt Chamberlain: Or at least before 0900 margin calls [08/03/2022, 06:09:18] Adrian Farnham: Agreed. A little over an hour later, the CEO received an email from the FCA with a set of questions. He passed this to LME chief regulatory and compliance officer Kirstina Combe, who was a key point of contact for the FCA. The FCA had asked for the LMEs understanding of what is driving this continued spiralling increase in price, among other things, according to Chamberlain. Have spoken to FCA answered their ridiculous questions and explained plan, Combe wrote in the chat. Ironically, the FCA may have been uniquely well placed to anticipate the nickel short squeeze. One of the reasons that the LME didnt realize the scale of the short position held by Tsingshan is that the vast majority of the position was held off-exchange, in over-the-counter deals that were out of its view. The FCA requires UK firms to report details of their over-the-counter contracts to an FCA-registered or -recognized repository meaning it may have had access to more information than the LME. Still, there are also issues with this data, which doesnt differentiate between metals such as nickel and copper, simply reporting all base metals as a single category. (Updates with comments from the FCA in fifth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. FILE PHOTO: The logo for Morgan Stanley is seen on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Manhattan, New York City US banks push back as regulators prepare international capital hikes FILE PHOTO: The logo for Morgan Stanley is seen on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Manhattan, New York City By Pete Schroeder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. banks are pushing to soften a major regulatory proposal to hike bank capital requirements, worried it could prove too onerous, especially for lenders still reeling from the March banking crisis, according to six people briefed on the matter. Bank regulators led by the U.S. Federal Reserve are finalizing the proposal which would implement international capital standards agreed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision in the aftermath of the 2007-2009 financial crisis. Bankers are particularly concerned by an aspect of the draft proposal that would apply higher capital charges on non-interest revenue, such as the fees lenders charge on credit cards or investment banking services. That capital charge is part of the package agreed by the Basel Committee in 2017, but the industry says it overstates the risk for banks that have a high proportion of non-interest income and had hoped U.S. regulators would mitigate its impact, the people said. Bank groups are pushing for regulators to cap the proportion of assets on which such charges would apply, said three people, but it was unclear if the agencies would take that approach. Non-interest services income has been a key focus of many lenders' growth strategies in recent years, one industry official noted. American Express, Morgan Stanley and the U.S. units of UBS, Deutsche Bank and Barclays are among banks with a high proportion of non-interest income, according to a 2022 blog by Washington group the Bank Policy Institute. Barclays, Deutsche Bank, and Morgan Stanley declined to comment. UBS and American Express did not immediately provide comment. On Wednesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell told Congress it was critical banks have strong capital, but regulators must be mindful of the tradeoffs. WALL STREET CRACKDOWN While the Basel rules were agreed years ago, the U.S. regulations to comply with them are being drafted in the wake of this year's banking crisis in which deposit runs caused Silicon Valley Bank and two other lenders to fail. The proposal is the first major rule led by Fed Vice Chair for Supervision Michael Barr, who has launched a sweeping review of capital rules and is expected to be tough on Wall Street. "The baseline has shifted to an assumption that the scale and scope of the proposal is going to be far more punitive than anyone expected at the end of last year," said Isaac Boltansky, director of policy research for brokerage BTIG. Industry executives argue the bank failures were caused by mismanagement and liquidity issues, and that system-wide capital is already ample. The proposal is also expected to apply stiffer capital rules to smaller lenders with over $100 billion in assets, which would include some that experienced liquidity problems this year, three sources said. Given investor jitters over the health of the industry and the broader economy, bankers say, hiking capital now could backfire, putting pressure on banks and hurting lending. Republican officials at the agencies have flagged similar concerns, two people said, while Republican lawmakers on Wednesday also raised worries over capital rules with Powell. Its extremely important for the agencies to be mindful of the economic costs at a time of great uncertainty," said Kevin Fromer, CEO of the Financial Services Forum whose members, the country's largest eight banks, have roughly $900 billion in common equity capital. "It's not in the interest of the U.S. economy to raise capital requirements on institutions that are already well-capitalized." The Fed is drafting the Basel rules with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC). Regulators had hoped to unveil the proposal this month but staff are still working on the draft and the timeline has slipped to later in July, five people said. The FDIC and OCC declined to comment. In a speech on Thursday, FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg said regulators would propose the Basel rules soon but will likely not complete them before the middle of 2024. Speaking to reporters last week, acting Comptroller Michael Hsu said banks had "not been shy about sharing their concerns" which regulators were taking into account. (Reporting by Pete Schroeder; additional reporting by Niket Nishant, Lananh Nguyen, Tatiana Bautzer and Michelle Price; Editing by David Gregorio and Michelle Price) Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6) Today A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%. By Chavi Mehta (Reuters) - Generative AI-related job postings in the United States jumped about 20% last month as companies look to harness a technology that has been widely touted as the next big growth driver, according to data from job portal Indeed. The May figure, at 204 per million job postings, was also more than double the 2021 level and underscored the buzz around AI, sparked by the runaway success of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Data scientist roles made up 5% of the AI job postings on Indeed's U.S. platform, while roles such as software engineer, machine learning engineer and data engineer were also in demand. "There has been a notable increase in job seeker interest in AI-related jobs, especially since the introduction of ChatGPT," said Nick Bunker, director of economic research at Indeed. The jump comes at a time when the broader tech job market is under pressure from mass layoffs at companies such as Meta Platforms and Amazon.com Inc, which are tightening their belts to cope with an uncertain economy. Overall, tech jobs are down 43.6% in the United States from June last year, Indeed said, adding the number of available AI jobs was not keeping up with the interest from job seekers. Indeed's data showed that searches for generative AI jobs jumped to 147 per million total jobs searched in May from virtually zero a year earlier. Its U.S. website showed generative AI job listings from companies such as Meta Platforms, Apple, Tiktok, Pinterest and Amazon.com. (Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva) (Bloomberg) -- The US should build a coalition of countries to stop China from applying its playbook of stealing intellectual property to advance in artificial intelligence and other key technologies, according to Nathaniel Fick, Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy. Most Read from Bloomberg He said cybertheft has allowed China for decades to build next-generation wireless networks while subsidizing domestic companies to the point they can now develop globally competitive products on their own. If we allow the Chinese to run it again, theyll run it in cloud computing, theyll run it in AI, theyll run it in every core strategic technology area, he said Wednesday at a Hudson Institute forum. We have to build the biggest coalition we can. China has repeatedly denied US allegations that it engages in theft of intellectual property. The Chinese embassy in Washington didnt immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Ficks comments Wednesday. Fick didnt say whether the US would seek to create a formal group of governments, but he said the US should articulate its vision to consequential hedging states in the middle. He also said countries are starting to see national security and economic consequences from relying on what he called untrusted networks. They are looking for a way out, he said. It feels like the wind is shifting a little bit. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said theres a pressing need to bolster the finances of the International Monetary Funds flagship trust that tackles poverty, and that richer nations must do more to support poorer countries facing debt stress. Most Read from Bloomberg I see great urgency in bringing the IMFs concessional window, the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, to a more financially sustainable footing, she said in Paris Thursday. This is critical to make sure lower-income countries have adequate resources at the fund. Yellen is among global finance chiefs gathering in the French capital for the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, hosted by President Emmanuel Macron. The forum aims to tackle issues ranging from the reform of multilateral development banks and addressing debt overhangs to financing green infrastructure and mobilizing financing for countries vulnerable to climate change. Read More: Macron Gathers Global Leaders Seeking Elusive Deal on Lending The IMF in March called on its wealthier member countries to help it meet a fund-raising target of about $6.3 billion for the trust its main vehicle for providing interest-free loans to the lowest-income countries at a time of rising demand from economies in distress. The US plans to pledge about $21 billion for the IMFs trusts that support nations in need, a senior Treasury official told reporters Wednesday, but authorizing some types of additional capital for international financial institutions would require approval from Congress. I would emphasize that it is an absolute top priority for the Biden administration, and for Treasury in particular, to gain congressional approval to re-channel $21 billion, not necessarily in the form of contributing or lending SDR to the IMF we can lend dollars as well but to some combination of the PRGT and the Resilience and Sustainability Trust, she said, referring to special drawing rights, or the reserves that the fund issues to members. It involves a small budgetary amount that weve already received funding for. And so its really a question of gaining Congresss permission to lend these resources to the IMF, and it is our top priority really with Congress, Yellen said. Debt Processes Yellen said the US will redouble its commitment to improving the multilateral debt-restructuring process for struggling countries. Disagreements between China and members of the Paris Club of creditors on how to treat some loans have hobbled negotiations for countries including Zambia. The southern African nation has been a test case for the Group of 20s Common Framework for debt restructuring, and an agreement has been in the making for more than three years. Yellen said she had been encouraged by progress on debt restructuring talks for Zambia, adding to optimism in recent days among officials from the African nation and its creditors. The talks in the Paris Club have been quite encouraging and were hopeful for really clear and meaningful progress in the near future, she said. We are very encouraged by what were seeing there. She added that other urgent pending cases, such as those of Ghana and Sri Lanka, must also move forward quickly. Yellen is meeting with the presidents of those two nations in Paris Thursday. Unlike in several past instances in which she called for progress on the issue, Yellen did not single out China for criticism in her remarks. Her comments come amid rising optimism that Zambias creditors, including China, are close to approving a restructuring deal. The Treasury official who spoke on Wednesday told reporters they hoped an agreement was imminent. Easing Pressures The Treasury chief said the US is also exploring new ways for the World Bank to deliver favorable loans, including those with special provisions designed to protect developing countries from climate risk. We would also like to see the World Bank offer borrowers the option to add climate-resilient debt clauses to their loan agreements, she said. These clauses will help ease pressures on countries if a natural disaster strikes. Bloomberg Philanthropies is one of the official sponsors of the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. (Updates with Yellen comments starting in sixth paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- Zambias currency and dollar bonds traded near multi-month highs, having chalked up double-digit gains so far this month on expectation that the nation is about to clinch a debt restructuring deal with official creditors, possibly as soon as Thursday. Most Read from Bloomberg The kwacha has strengthened 11.4% this month, the biggest gain among about 150 currencies tracked by Bloomberg, rising on Thursday to approach a two-month high versus the dollar. Zambias eurobonds have returned 10.1%, a performance bested only by El Salvador and Argentina. That compares with the 1.5% average return for emerging and frontier peers in a Bloomberg index. The bond due 2027 is trading near the highest since September. A senior US Treasury official said Wednesday they hoped a deal to restructure Zambias crippling debt load was imminent. President Hakainde Hichilema said, meanwhile, he was confident a deal would be wrapped up, suggesting it could be announced this week in Paris, together with French President Emmanuel Macron and Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday an agreement could be reached this week. The rally will have further legs if the IMF unlocks the delayed disbursement and investors find the conditions of the deal comforting, said Gergely Urmossy, an emerging market strategist at Societe Generale in London. Zambia has been struggling to revamp $12.8 billion in external loans since becoming Africas first pandemic-era defaulter in November 2020. A restructuring would mark the first major debt relief won by a developing country under the Group of 20 nations Common Framework, which brings the traditional Paris Club creditor nations around the same negotiating table with China. An agreement by official creditors is essential for the IMF to disburse a $188 million loan tranche to Zambia, part of a total $1.3 billion support package. More broadly, it could pave a way for other Common Framework restructurings in countries such as Ghana, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia. Positive sentiment over a Zambia deal could spill into other distressed credits such as Ghana, if investors take the view that it makes sense to extrapolate these announcements, Urmossy added. READ MORE: Zambia Caps Primary Bond Sales to Foreigners at 5% of Issuance Zambias external public debt, including interest arrears for central government and state-owned companies, amounted to $18.6 billion at the end of last year, from $17.3 billion a year earlier, finance ministry data shows. About $6.6 billion of that is owed to China, Johns Hopkinss China Africa Research Initiative estimates. The talks with creditors center around restructuring $12.8 billion of that debt. Zambian authorities are also negotiating to restructure $3 billion in eurobonds. Further gains in the kwacha could be capped, however, with the central bank probably not in favor of it rising too far. I think the currency has already priced most of it in, Urmossy said. I think it would be surprising if the Bank of Zambia allowed the kwacha to appreciate further. (Adds market moves, updates with Zambia debt matrix) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Direct selling is a business model where companies sell their products or services directly to consumers without the involvement of traditional retail outlets. The direct selling industry in India has gained significant popularity in recent years. However, like any other industry, it faces its fair share of challenges. Among the most impacted are the industry distributors, who face many challenges as they strive to make a living in the space. Deepak Sood, founder and director at Vestige Marketing, recently discussed these issues. Below are some struggles that he highlighted: Lack of Regulatory Clarity: One of the primary challenges distributors face in India's direct-selling industry is the lack of clear regulations. While direct-selling is a legitimate business model, there have been instances of fraudulent practices tarnishing the industry's reputation. This has led to confusion and scepticism amongst distributors and consumers alike. The absence of clear guidelines makes it difficult for distributors to navigate the legal and regulatory landscape, leaving them vulnerable to potential legal issues. There is a pressing need for organizations that support them and instil a sense of confidence in consumers to keep the supply chain functional. Negative Perception and Misconceptions: The direct selling industry in India often faces negative perceptions and misconceptions, primarily due to the actions of a few unethical companies. Many people still associate direct selling with get-rich-quick schemes. This misconception affects the trust and credibility of distributors and makes it challenging for them to build a customer base. Educating the public about the legitimate nature of direct selling is an ongoing challenge for distributors, and this is where organizations can step in and bust the misconceptions. Recruitment and Training: Recruiting and training a robust sales force is crucial for distributors in the direct selling industry. However, finding motivated individuals willing to invest time and effort into building their own businesses can be challenging. Moreover, providing effective training and support to recruits can be time-consuming and requires dedicated efforts from distributors. Distributors may struggle to succeed without proper training and mentorship, impacting their earnings and overall business growth. Inventory Management and Product Quality: Distributors in direct selling often face challenges related to inventory management. They must balance maintaining an adequate stock of products while avoiding excess inventory that can tie up their capital. Additionally, ensuring consistent product quality is essential for customer satisfaction and repeat business. Distributors must be vigilant about the quality of products they sell and rely on the reputation of the company they represent. It is essential to choose manufacturers who have the right ethics. Competition and Market Saturation: With the rise in popularity of direct selling in India, the industry has become increasingly competitive. Distributors face the challenge of differentiating themselves from other distributors and companies in the market. As more individuals join the industry, the market can become saturated, making it harder for distributors to find new customers and expand their networks. It requires continuous efforts, innovation, and effective marketing strategies to stay ahead of the competition. FARIDABAD / June 22, 2023: A 40-year-old man from Gorakhpur suffering from a tear in the aorta, the largest artery in the body that carries blood from the heart to organs and tissues, was successfully operated upon by doctors at Sarvodaya Hospital, Sector-8, Faridabad, saving his life. For more than ten days leading up to the surgery, the patient Ajay was complaining of severe chest pain that radiated to his back. He also used to get breathless while walking. He visited three well-known hospitals in Delhi-NCR but could not find any relief. Thereafter, Ajays family members rushed him to Sarvodaya Hospital, Sector 8, Faridabad, where doctors diagnosed him as suffering from Type A aortic dissection. Said Dr. Ved Prakash, Sr. Consultant - Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, Sarvodaya Hospital, Sector-8, Faridabad: Type A aortic dissection is a life-threatening heart condition can arise due to causes like uncontrolled hypertension, atherosclerosis and connective tissue disorders. It is an emergency situation in which the risk of rupture of aorta and patients death increases with every hour. In fact, 40-45% of patients are unable to reach a hospital in time, leading to sudden death in absence of treatment. Many people arrive at the hospital late because symptoms of aortic dissection are similar with other diseases, leading to delay in treatment and diagnosis. The wall of the aorta consists of inner, middle, and outer layers. Aortic dissection occurs when there is a tear in the inner layer. Through this tear, the blood enters the space between the inner and middle layers, causing them to separate or dissect. If the blood goes through the outside aortic wall, aortic dissection is often deadly. The condition is usually seen in elderly people above 60 years of age, so a 40-year-old individual suffering from it was uncommon. Said Dr. Ved Prakash, who led the surgery: Upon diagnosis, the patient was immediately taken to the operating theatre, where a team of cardiac surgeons, cardiac anesthetists, and perfusionists conducted the surgery that lasted eight hours. To correct the problem, we did the Bentall procedure. This involved removal of the ascending aorta (initial part of the artery) and aortic valve, temporary removal of the coronary arteries, inserting an artificial aortic graft (tube) with a built-in valve, making two holes in the graft, and re-attaching the coronary arteries. He added: This is a very complex operation that required us to stop the heart while continuing blood supply to the brain through the artery of the arm. Meticulous anastomotic skills are needed for leak-proof cross-connection between the graft and the arteries of the heart. The surgery was specially challenging that the tear in the artery was almost two-weeks old, leading to friable tissue that is easily irritated, making it more prone to inflammation, bleeding, or tearing. Said Dr. Ved Prakash: Despite the risks, the patients recovery was quite fast. He was put on ventilator for 15 hours. He started walking on third day after surgery and discharged on post-operative day five. He is required to take blood thinner medication life-long but can lead a normal life now with some restrictions. Aortic valve dissection is a complex situation with high mortality risk. Very few hospitals in India are equipped with expertise in its treatments. Patients should not loose precious time in exploring hospitals without advanced cardiac care facilities, like the case with Ajay, as timely intervention has excellent outcomes, Dr. Ved Prakash added. Audit firm Deloitte has resigned as auditors of BYJU'S citing a delay in submission of financial statements while almost simultaneously three of the edtech firm's board members have quit in what is being seen as a deepening crisis at the decacorn. Deloitte Haskins & Sells, which was slated to audit BYJU'S until 2025, stepped down with "immediate effect" mid-term stating that "the financial statements of the company are long delayed. In a letter sent to the board of Think & Learn Pvt Ltd (known as BYJU'S), Deloitte said it has not been able to start an audit due to the delays and that will have a "significant impact" on its ability to "plan, design perform and complete" the audit as per standards. BYJU'S in a statement said it has appointed BDO as its new auditor, adding this would help it "uphold the highest standards of financial scrutiny and accountability. Separately, three of BYJU'S board members, including G.V. Ravishankar, M.D. of early-backer Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India), Russell Dreisenstock of Prosus and Chan Zuckerberg's Vivian Wu have resigned, sources said. The reasons for the resignation of the directors were not immediately known. The BYJU'S board now comprises the founder family - chief executive Byju Raveendran, his wife Divya Gokulnath, and brother Riju Raveendran. When contacted, a BYJU'S spokesperson said that media reports suggesting the resignations of board members from BYJU'S are entirely speculative. "BYJU'S firmly denies these claims and urges media publications to refrain from spreading unverified information or engaging in baseless speculation. Any significant developments or changes within our organization are shared through official channels and announcements. "We request media outlets to rely on verified sources and official statements for accurate information regarding BYJU'S," the spokesperson said. The developments have come at a time when the company is dealing with a $1.2 billion loan payment issue. BYJU'S, which skipped a $40 million repayment due earlier this month, has sued its lenders over alleged harassment in the recovery of the loan. In a letter to the BYJU'S board, Deloitte Haskins and Sells said that it is resigning as auditor of Think & Learn three years prior to the expiry of its contract due to a long delay in the edtech firm's financial statement for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, the audit firm said in a regulatory filing. The edtech firm separately announced that it has appointed BDO (MSKA & Associates) as its statutory auditors for the year commencing from the financial year 2022 for the next five years. Deloittee said it frequently wrote to BYJU'S managing director Byju Raveendran with a copy to the board of directors but it has not been able to commence the audit as on date and hence decided to quit. "We have not been able to comment on the audit as on date. As a result, there will be a significant impact on our ability to plan, design, perform, and complete the audit in accordance with the applicable auditing standards. In view of the aforesaid, we are tendering our resignation as statutory auditors of the company with immediate effect," Deloittee Haskins & Sells said in a letter to the Byju's board. Deloitte has been working with BYJU'S since 2016 and it was re-appointed as statutory auditor of Think and Learn Private Limited, which operates under BYJU'S brand, for a five-year period starting April 1, 2020. "The financial statements of the company for the year ended March 31, 2022, are long delayed. In accordance with the Companies Act, 2013, the audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2022 were due to be laid before shareholders in the Annual General Meeting by September 30, 2022," Deloitte said. The audit firm said that it had written an email to Byju Raveendran with a copy to the board of directors on September 30, 2022, and November 5, 2022, and thereafter to the board on November 12, 2022, December 24, 2022, and a letter on March 29, 2023, for statutory audit for the year ended March 31, 2022. The audit firm said that it did not receive any communication on the resolution of the audit report modifications for the financial year 2021 and the status of audit readiness of the financial statements and related documents for FY 2022. Sources privy to the development at BYJU'S on the condition of anonymity said that the company's audit process got delayed as it was waiting for a new chief financial officer to take charge. BYJU'S new group CFO Ajay Goel joined the company about a month ago and the company is now set to start the audit process from next week onwards. "BDO's experience as an auditor for BYJU'S subsidiaries ensures their familiarity with the organization's operations, enabling a streamlined completion of the group-level audit anticipated to be finalized in the upcoming quarter," BYJU'S said. BDO will cover the holding company - Think and Learn Pvt Ltd, its material subsidiaries such as Aakash Education Services Limited as well as the overall group consolidated results. "This comprehensive audit coverage will provide a holistic view of BYJU'S financial performance and ensure transparency across the organization," BYJU'S said. It said that the selection of BDO as BYJU'S auditors was finalised after a rigorous selection process by Goel. "We have chosen BDO as our auditors with great confidence following a well-structured selection process. Their exceptional capabilities and expertise in providing audit services to globally diversified large-scale companies make them the perfect fit for our organisation. We are excited to collaborate with BDO to uphold the highest standards of financial scrutiny and accountability," Goel said. BDO at present audits firms like ICICI, Cisco, IndusInd Bank etc and is considered to be among top five global audit firms in terms of turnover. By 2025, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur will have a fully functional 500-bed capacity hospital in its campus along with a medical school that will bring in engineering and technical education in medical sciences. Professor Sandeep Verma, professor-in charge of Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology at IIT Kanpur and professor in IIT-Ks chemistry department, says the work began last year on all fronts, including the academic and research components. They are coming up with international collaborations to create the right footprints in reimagining medical education where we would like to bring in engineering and technical education in medical sciences, he said. According to Professor Verma, various IITs and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have been contemplating having hospitals inside their campuses for several years now, and he hopes they announce their developments soon. The hospital at IIT-K will have 450 beds for patient care and 50 for cancer care. In all, 500 beds will be aligned with major national missions like National Health Mission and Ayushman Bharat. The hospital will be named after IIT Kanpur alumnus Yadupati Singhania, the late former managing director of JK Cement that funded the hospital. The Yadupati Singhania Super Specialty Hospital will be one of the three main components of the Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology, which received Rs 100-crore funding from IndiGo co-founder Rakesh Gangwal in 2022. The other two facilities include academics, focusing on research, innovation and entrepreneurship with super-specialty post-graduate medical programmes and R&D Centers of Excellence (CoE) that will serve as a major hub for MedTech innovation in futuristic medicine. The entire project is being funded by philanthropists, IIT-K alumni, and corporates. The much-awaited visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to tribal-dominated Balaghat of Madhya Pradesh was scuttled by bad weather as the helicopter carrying him could not land. Shah returned to Raipur in Chhattisgarh from where he had started for Balaghat after a public meeting at Durg. The home minister was expected to return to New Delhi from the Chhattisgarh capital. In Durg of Chhattisgarh, Shah attacked the Congress government, led by Bhupesh Baghel, accusing it of breaking poll promises, and said the huge gathering indicated that the countdown for the Baghel government had started. Baghel sahib, you should be ashamed, you have broken so many promises that the people are now eagerly awaiting the polls. As soon as elections are held, your chair will be gone and a BJP government will be formed, the Union home minister said. Shah also administered an oath to the people to form a BJP government in Chhattisgarh in the 2023 assembly polls and 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He listed the achievements of the Narendra Modi-led Union government, which completed nine years in power and attacked the previous Congress governments at the Centre. He said there were scams amounting to Rs 12 lakh crore during the 10-year rule of Congress preceding 2013, whereas PM Modi has given a transparent government. He said the Congress insulted Lord Ram for 70 years after Independence and mentioned that the temple at Ayodhya will be open to the public in January 2024. He targeted the Congress government in the state for failing to provide employment or employment allowance to youth, giving just Rs 12,000 crore for rice procurement against Rs 74,000 crore by the Union government, increasing the debt on the state to Rs 1 lakh crore, deaths of newborn babies and poor health infrastructure among others. He claimed that the Centre provided Rs 3 lakh crore to Chhattisgarh during the past nine years. Baghel, who had tweeted earlier in the day asking Shah to ban the movie Adipurush, which has maligned the image of Ramayan and Lord Ram during his visit to the state that was the abode of the maternal grandparents of Lord Ram, later expressed regret through another tweet that no such ban was announced. Chouhan holds fort at Balaghat As Shahs programme got cancelled, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state BJP chief V.D. Sharma held the fort at Balaghat public meeting, but the enthusiasm seemed to have died down. Chouhan, for a while, forgot to mention the flagging off of the Rani Durgavati Gaurav Yatra a five-day rally of the BJP to honour the 16th-century tribal queen of Gondwana kingdom whose martyrdom day is on June 24, 1564. He had finished his speech and started to leave, and then came back to announce the flagging-off of the rally to be led by Union minister Faggan Singh Kulaste. The rally was to be flagged off by Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to be present at Shahdol on the conclusion of the rally on June 27. Five rallies are being simultaneously taken out from five points Balaghat, Chhindwara, Singrampur in Damoh and Dhauhni of Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh and Kallinjar fort in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh (birthplace of Rani Durgavati) and converge at Shahdol. This public event of Shah that was to include a road show too, though planned as part of the mega outreach campaign (maha jansampark abhiyan) of the BJP on the occasion of the completion of nine years of PM Modis rule at Centre, was being considered an election campaign launch event for the Madhya Pradesh BJP and thus crucial. It was also being looked upon as an important step in BJPs outreach to the tribal voters of Madhya Pradesh Balaghat being a tribal-dominated district of Mahakoshal region where the Congress has upper hand. In absence of Shah, Sharma enumerated the achievements of the Modi government at the Centre during the past nine years and Chouhan government in the state, highlighting the fact that service to the poor and their welfare was the main aim of the party. Chouhan spoke of his pet schemes like the Ladli Behna Yojana, the earn-and-learn scheme for the youth, an additional Rs 6,000 per year for the farmers under Kisan Samman Nidhi and targeted the Congress for keeping the state in bad shape before 2003 and failing to fulfill promises during the 15 months government between 2018-2020. He also said the Kamal Nath government had discontinued many welfare schemes meant for women and youth. The CM announced that from next year, the state government will purchase the summer paddy too at minimum support price (MSP). He then administered an oath to people saying that they will work to ensure the saffron party's victory in the state in the 2023 assembly polls and at Centre in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, the Congress took a dig at the cancellation of Shah's programme. Media advisor to MP Congress, Piyush Babele, shared a video apparently showing empty chairs at Balaghat venue and questioned whether cancellation of Shah's visit was due to bad weather or indifference of the people. Spokesperson Sangeeta Sharma tweeted "today showers of rain stopped showers of jumlas (false statements. Amit Shah's Balaghat visit cancelled." Underlining the whole-of-the-nation approach of the Narendra Modi-led government that has been the cornerstone strategy in tackling challenges, Union minister for forest and environment minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday stressed the primacy of national security. Asked on the issue relating to several military infrastructure and strategic projects of the Indian military that are reportedly being stalled due to delayed forest and environmental clearances, Yadav told THE WEEK on the sidelines of a press conference: National security is paramount. The ministers stand is in alignment with the government push for changes are contained in the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 that was laid down in the Lok Sabha on March 29. The bill seeks to exempt upto 100 km from the borderin the entire sweep along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistanfrom the purview of the law so that road construction and setting up of military infrastructure is not held back especially in the backdrop of a frenetic construction activities by both India and China at the border. The extant law is the Forest Act of 1980. With large stretches of the LAC-LoC being forested and green-covered, any construction activity in this swath requires adherence to green norms and accordingly permission from the relevant authorities. The media meet was organized to mark the achievements in the nine years of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. A key achievement highlighted was the sharp reduction in average time taken for environmental clearances at the central level from an average period of more than 600 days before 2014 to less than 75 days in 2023. For forest clearance, the average time taken has come down to less than 135 days in 2021-2022. The Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government swept to power in 2014. In wildlife conservation, the report card showed an increased population of tigers (42.27% increase), Asiatic lions (28.9%), leopards (81.26%) and the one-horned rhinoceros (15.38%) in the nine-year period from 2014 to 2023. A notable effort was the Project Cheetah which involved the first ever continental translocation project in the wild from Africa to India. In the conservation and restoration sector, there was a 188% increase in the number of Ramsar Sites from 26 in 2014 to 75 in 2023. In 2021, India was designated as a Global Champion for Energy Transition during the UN High Level Dialogue. India now stands fourth in terms of installed renewable energy capacity, fourth in terms of wind installed capacity and fifth in terms of solar installed capacity. In a landmark announcement, GE Aerospace on Thursday said it has inked a pact with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly produce fighter jet engines for Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk-IITejas. The announcement came during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospace's F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this," the US firm said in a statement. It described the Memorandum of Understanding with HAL as a key element in strengthening defence cooperation between India and the US. This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL, said H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. Mindset of parents must change to see that sports can also be a career, she said By Riyad Mathew, Pooja Biraia Jaiswal and Dnyanesh Jathar Ahead of the opposition show of unity in Patna, BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday termed the meeting organised by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as more about shaking hands than joining hearts. Mayawati has not been invited for the opposition meeting on Friday, with JDU chief spokesperson K C Tyagi saying, "We have invited those parties that are willing to fight against the BJP in 2024." "The BSP says it will not become a part of the alliance, then why should we waste our invitation," he told PTI. Targeting the parties slated to participate in the meeting, Mayawati said it does not seem from their attitude that they are serious about their objective in Uttar Pradesh. "The 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP are said to be the key to electoral success, but it does not seem from the attitude of the opposition parties that they are serious and truly concerned about their objective here. Without the right priorities, will the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections here really bring about the necessary change?" she said. In a series of tweets in Hindi, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "It is clear from the condition of Bahujans in the country that parties like the BJP and Congress are not capable of implementing the humanistic, egalitarian Constitution framed by B R Ambedkar." In such a scenario, she said, the Patna meeting of opposition leaders by Nitish Kumar on June 23 is more about shaking hands than joining hearts - "Dil miley na miley, haath milatey rahiye". Keeping in mind the preparations for the next Lok Sabha elections, it would have been better if these parties had tried to instil general confidence in the people with clear intentions. "How long will 'Muh me Ram bagal me chhuri' last?" she added, using the Hindi phrase that suggests back stabbing. Top leaders of Opposition parties will brainstorm at a meeting in Patna on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, her Delhi counterpart and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Maharashtra's former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP president Sharad Pawar are among the leaders expected to attend the first high-level opposition meeting. It is being hosted by the Bihar chief minister and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav. From Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will be attending the meet. On reports that Mayawati will be skipping the meeting, Tyagi said, "When we have not invited them (BSP), then why are they saying they are not coming to attend the meeting". The top leadership of around 18 political parties will hold a meeting at Patna on Friday, touted to be the first major discussion of the opposition bloc to work out an alliance against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The exercise is being undertaken, though the differences within are well-pronounced even on the eve of the meeting. The grand opposition meet, hosted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is being seen as the first step towards the opposition parties finding the elusive common ground and unity in their desire to unseat Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. The faultlines in the opposition grouping are only too visible even as an attempt is being made to ensure that the parties are able to arrive at an understanding, electorally as well as in terms of issues to be raised to take on the BJP government at the centre. The Congress, the principal opposition party, has in the recent past stressed that it is ready to make sacrifices for the sake of bringing the various parties together in the fight against the BJP. However, the strong views expressed by its leaders in Delhi and Punjab against having any kind of understanding with the Aam Aadmi Party or supporting it with regard to the Centre's ordinance on Delhi's services lays bare the difficulties involved in bringing the opposition together. The AAP, it is learnt, could walk out of the opposition meeting if the Congress fails to make it clear in the meeting that it will oppose the ordinance in Parliament. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is slated to attend the meeting, had sought time from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi to discuss the ordinance issue, but in vain. The Congress has so far not made it clear whether it will oppose the ordinance in Parliament. Kejriwal, meanwhile, has upped the ante over the ordinance on the eve of the meeting, writing to the opposition leaders to urge them to keep it on top of the meeting's agenda. He has also said that the Congress will have to make its stand on the ordinance clear in the meeting. Kejriwal has met several opposition leaders, some of them staunch allies of the Congress, and secured their support on the ordinance issue. The Congress-AAP war of wits over the ordinance issue is an example of the Congress' difficulties in accepting regional parties as the major players in certain states even as its leaders have spoken about making sacrifices for the sake of opposition unity. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the meeting could result in the opposition parties adopting a resolution with regard to caste-based census across the country in a bid to blunt the Hindutva-based politics of the BJP. Also on the table is the proposal that one-against-one fights are ensured between the opposition and the BJP in a majority of the Lok Sabha seats to ensure that the opposition vote does not get divided. The meeting is slated to be attended by the apex leadership of around 18 parties. The Congress will be represented by Kharge and Rahul. The many regional heavyweights in the meeting will include West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, Kejriwal and his colleague from Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah. RJD President Lalu Prasad and his son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, who have along with Nitish played an important role in laying the groundwork for the meeting, will also be present. CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI General Secretary D. Raja and CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya are among the Left leaders who will attend the meeting. Nitish, who had in September 2022 severed his ties with the NDA, has since shown keenness in bringing the opposition together ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Over the last few months, he travelled to many parts of the country to meet various opposition leaders and get on the same page as regards the fight against the BJP. The Trinamool Congress considers Friday's opposition meeting in Bihar's Patna as a "good beginning" ahead of the 2024 general elections and emphasised the significance of anti-BJP parties uniting against "undemocratic and authoritarian policies". Leaders as diverse as Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, M K Stalin, Sharad Pawar, Mehbooba Mufti and Hemant Soren and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal are expected to take part in the meeting convened by Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar, who dumped the BJP last year. Banerjee will be accompanied by TMC national general secretary and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee for the opposition meeting. "A good beginning even before reaching Patna...All parties working to save the Constitution of the country are on the same page on many issues. For now, we have a date, a venue and an agreement that the head of every party will attend the meeting. "Subsequently, the date and venue for the next meeting will be decided in Patna. Beyond this, it is not advisable for anyone to jump the gun and speculate," TMC's Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien said. The idea of hosting a meeting of opposition leaders in Patna was floated by Banerjee, who had invoked the memory of Jayaprakash Narayan upon meeting Kumar in Kolkata in April. The aim should be to ensure that the opposition unity takes shape at the earliest as less than a year is left before the 2024 general elections, Senior TMC leader Sukhendu Shekhar Roy told PTI. "The BJP has destroyed the country's democracy and is trying to subvert the Constitution. If the parties, which are opposed to the BJP and are fighting against it, fail to come together to put up a united fight, it would be unfortunate for the country," he said. Roy said the efforts to cobble up opposition unity had begun last year during the selection of opposition candidates for the presidential elections. When asked whether the issue of leadership of the opposition front would throw a spanner into the efforts, Roy said, "Only media and BJP are bothered about it. Neither the opposition parties nor the people of this country are bothered about such a leadership issue." Another TMC leader, who did not wish to be named, said the ongoing crisis in Manipur, where ethnic violence has claimed over 100 lives, would also feature in the discussions. After the Congress' massive victory in the Karnataka polls earlier this month, the TMC supremo had said her party would support the grand old party where it is strong in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but had asserted that she would expect a seat-sharing formula to give priority to regional players in areas where they were strong. Kumar, the JD(U) 's supreme leader, has been pitching for "opposition unity" ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year. The BJP dubbed the proposed opposition meeting a "futile exercise" and said such an "opportunistic alliance would not yield any result". "These are futile exercises. We saw such efforts in 2014 and 2019, and the results are before us. The people of this country trust the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They would never vote for an unstable and opportunistic alliance," BJP's West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar said. The Congress on Thursday termed the all-party meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah on the Manipur situation as "too little, too late," and said efforts to bring warring factions on the discussion table will lack seriousness if they are done sitting in Delhi. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government. "Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi," he said on Twitter. "After 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, Home Minister Amit Shah's call for an all-party meeting is too little, too late". The government only woke up after Sonia Gandhi's address to the people of Manipur, he said. Shah has called an all-party meeting on the situation in Manipur on June 24. "At the outset, the PM's absence from such a serious meeting shows his 'cowardice' and 'unwillingness' to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them," the Congress leader alleged. Noting that the Home Minister himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, he said in fact things have "worsened" since his visit. "Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship," he asked. "Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty," Venugopal charged. The Congress has been seeking the Centre's immediate intervention in bringing peace to the north eastern state which has been struck by violence since May 3. The party has also blamed the alleged divisive politics of the BJP for the current situation in Manipur. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 are injured. Shah had also visited the state for four days last last month and met a cross sections of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state. On the eve of a crucial meeting of the opposition parties in Patna, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that all parties will fight together the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Will fight together, will fight like a family, she said while talking to reporters outside the residence of Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, where she met his father and RJD president Lalu Prasad. The Trinamool Congress chief was accompanied by her nephew Abhishek Banerjee, an MP. Banerjee took no queries from reporters at the airport, and waved at them from inside her car. She drove straight to the 5, Desh Ratna Marg residence of Tejashwi Yadav. Earlier, talking to reporters in Kolkata before flying to Patna, Banerjee expressed hope that the opposition meeting would be constructive and asserted that the BJP must be defeated in the next Lok Sabha polls to save the country from disaster. She said it is due to the policies of the saffron camp that the northeastern state is on the boil and the convening of the all-party meeting on June 24 was a "late decision". "Tomorrow is our opposition meeting. We hope it will be good and collective decisions will be taken. I feel that to save the country from disaster, people will vote against the BJP," said Banerjee. A day after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to opposition leaders, asking them to discuss the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital, at the June 23 meeting of non-BJP parties in Patna and clear their stand on the issue, the AAP has issued an ultimatum to the opposition parties. The Centre had, on May 19, promulgated an ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi. The AAP said it will walk out of the opposition meeting if the Congress does not promise its support against the Centre's ordinance. "The AAP will stage a walkout of the meeting if the Congress does not promise its support against the ordinance," PTI quoted an AAP source as saying. The meeting of opposition parties has been called by Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar to chalk out a joint strategy to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. On Wednesday, the Delhi CM had asked the opposition leaders not to think of the ordinance issue as a "Delhi-centric problem" and claimed that if not resisted the BJP-led Centre may bring similar ordinances for other states too. "The Centre has carried out an experiment in Delhi by bringing this ordinance. If it is successful, it will bring similar ordinances in non-BJP states and snatch away the powers with respect to subjects in the concurrent list," Kejriwal had said in the letter dated June 20. "The day is not far when the prime minister will run 33 states through lieutenant governors and governors," Kejriwal said, adding, "I request all parties to clear their stand on the ordinance in the meeting and also discuss the strategy to defeat this in parliament." "I have studied this matter thoroughly. It would be wrong to assume that such an order can only be imposed in the context of Delhi because it is a half-state. Through a similar order, the Central government can strip the rights of any full-fledged state mentioned in the concurrent list. "Hence, it becomes extremely crucial for all parties and individuals to come together and ensure that it is not passed in Parliament under any circumstances," he wrote. With PTI inputs Amsterdam-based company Fairphone, known for its commitment to sustainability and repairability in the electronics industry, has expanded its product range to include user-repairable wireless headphones. The newly-launched Fairbuds XL over-ear headphones follow the same principles as the company's modular smartphones, offering consumers an alternative to the disposable nature of many electronic devices. What sets the Fairbuds XL apart is their design, which incorporates nine modular components that can be easily replaced or repaired. The components include the battery, speaker-to-speaker cable, earcap covers, headband, ear cushion, headband base, speakers, and headband cover. Customers can order these components through the company's website or the Fairbuds app, enabling them to extend the lifespan of their headphones and reduce electronic waste. Customers can order the components through the company's website or the Fairbuds app, enabling them to extend the lifespan of their headphones and reduce electronic waste Priced at 249, the Fairbuds XL headphones are primarily sold in Europe, although some authorised resellers ship them to other parts of the world. These headphones feature several impressive specifications, including a 30-hour battery life, 40 mm dynamic drivers for high-quality sound, and active noise cancellation. They also come equipped with a USB-C connector for charging, a 10-meter Bluetooth range, and support for smart assistants. Fairphone emphasizes the environmental and social impact of its products. The Fairbuds XL are made from 100 percent recycled plastics, aluminum, and tin solder paste whenever possible. Additionally, the company pledges to pay $0.55 per headphone to fill the living wage gap for production line workers, further promoting fair working conditions. Aligning with the European Union's goals to reduce e-waste and transition to a circular economy by 2050, Fairphone's approach aligns with upcoming policies such as the Right to Repair and Ecodesign for Sustainable Products. In terms of functionality, the Fairbuds XL deliver impressive sound quality and active noise cancellation. They offer a frequency response range of 20Hz to 20KHz and support Bluetooth 5.1 with dual-point connectivity, allowing users to connect and switch between two paired devices. Fairphone has also partnered with Sonarworks, a sound calibration company, to provide SoundID software, enabling users to customise their audio profiles for a more personalised listening experience. While the Fairbuds XL design may not match the cutting-edge aesthetics of some high-end headphones, their focus on sustainability and repairability sets them apart. Fairphone's commitment to providing user-repairable and eco-friendly products contributes to the company's mission to create a more sustainable and ethical electronics industry. By empowering consumers to repair and replace components, Fairphone aims to reduce electronic waste and promote a circular economy while offering a quality audio experience. The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 22 Indian fishermen on board four trawlers for allegedly poaching in the country's territorial waters northwest of Delft Island, Jaffna, officials said on Thursday. The Sri Lanka Navy conducted a special operation to chase away Indian trawlers engaged in illegal fishing in Sri Lankan waters late on Wednesday, a statement by Lanka Navy said. The fishermen from Tamil Nadu, reportedly hailing from Ramanathapuram, Pudukottai and Nagapattinam districts, were picked up from near Neduntheevu late on Wednesday, and four boats were also seized, it said. They were later taken to Kankesanthurai harbour and handed over to the Mailadi Fisheries Inspector for further legal action. The Navy conducts regular patrols and operations in Sri Lankan waters to curb illegal fishing practices of foreign fishing trawlers. Dr S Ramadoss, founder of the political party Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Tamil Nadu, has slammed the arrest of the fishermen from the state by the Sri Lankan Navy. In a tweet, he said an Indo-Lanka joint panel formed to discuss various matters, including the fishermen issue, should be convened immediately to find a lasting solution to the apprehension of Indian fishers. The fishermen issue is a contentious one in the ties between India and Sri Lanka, with the Lankan Navy personnel even firing at Indian fishermen in the Palk Strait and seizing their boats in several alleged incidents of illegally entering Sri Lankan's territorial waters. The Palk Strait, which is a narrow strip of water separating Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka, is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries. There have been periodic instances of Indian fishermen being apprehended by Sri Lankan authorities for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line and fishing in Sri Lankan waters. Illegal fishing in the Sri Lankan waters by Indian fishermen has been a recurrent problem despite many high-level talks held between the two sides. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The couple hosted the prime minister for an intimate dinner for which, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval were present. Gifts were of course exchanged at the event-- Modi presented Biden a copy of the first edition print of the book, The Ten Principal Upanishads published by Faber and Faber Ltd of London. The translated work, published in 1937 and co-authored by Shri Purohit Swami and WB Yeats was one of the final works of Yeats. He also gifted Biden a special sandalwood box with intricately carved flora and fauna patterns handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan and made from sandalwood sourced from Mysore, Karnataka. In the box is a silver idol of Lord Ganesh and a diya or an oil lamp, handcrafted by the artisans from the family of fifth-generation silversmiths in Kolkata, West Bengal. The box also contained das danams or donations of ten different kinds--Gaudaan (cow), Bhudaan (land), Tildaan (sesame seeds), Hiranyadaan (gold), Ajyadaan (ghee or clarified butter), Dhaanyadaan (food grains), Vastradaan (clothes), Guddaan (jaggery), Raupyadaan (silver) and Lavandaan (salt)-- during 'Sahasra Poorna Chandrodayam' celebrations. He also gifted Jill Biden, a 7.5-carat green diamond. The diamond symbolises responsible luxury as solar and wind power were used in its making. It also symbolises Indias 75 years of freedom and sustainable International relations. The diamond was contained in a Papier mache, box, known as kar-e-kalamdani, Kashmirs exquisite Papier mache involves sakthsazior meticulous preparation of paper pulp and naqqashi, where skilled artisans paint elaborate designs. The Bidens, in turn, gifted Modi a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century along with a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastmans Patent of the first Kodak camera, a hardcover book on American wildlife photography, and a signed, first edition copy of 'Collected Poems of Robert Frost'. On Thursday night, the Bidens will host him again, for a state dinner. It is expected to be attended by 400 guests. The theme of the dinner will be inspired by India's national bird peacock and will feature decor inspired by the tricolour. Bearing in mind that PM Modi is a vegetarian, a plant-based fare will be on the menu. Chef Nancy Curtis, who specialises in plant-based cuisine has been roped in by Jill Biden to work with the staff at the White House. While the menu will mainly be vegetarian, guests will have the option to add fish to their main course. Here are some of the dishes that will be served: marinated millet, grilled corn kernel salad, compressed watermelon and tangy avocado sauce. Other dishes include stuffed portobello mushrooms, creamy saffron-infused risotto, sumac roasted sea bass, lemon-dill yoghurt sauce, crisped millet cakes and summer squashes. According to an AP report, food will be delivered to the guests in trolleys. Lotus flowers will be incorporated throughout and the dinner will be candlelit, reflecting the first ladys love of candles. After dinner, guests will enjoy music by American violinist Joshua Bell; Penn Masala, a South Asian a cappella group founded by students at the University of Pennsylvania; and the U.S. Marine Band Chamber Orchestra. They will exit the grounds by walking across a lawn illuminated by hundreds of glowing lanterns. Five days since Titan, the tourist submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions to explore the wreckage of Titanic, went missing in the North Atlantic, rescuers are racing against time in a last-ditch effort to rescue the five men onboard the vessel. The oxygen supply onboard is rapidly dwindling as the 96-hour emergency capability will likely run out Thursday evening (local time). US Coast Guard said the search is currently focused on a remote patch of the North Atlantic sea after the search team detected underwater sounds but officials said they aren't certain that the sounds originated from the vessel. Onboard the 21-foot-long vessel is renowned British adventurer Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, French diving expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet and OceanGate chief executive Stockton Rush. The submersible was on the way to view the wreck of Titanic, lying nearly 3.8km below the surface, when it lost contact with the mother ship. The small vessel, the size of a minivan, disappeared on Sunday, about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its descent. Equipment supplied via a US Airforce airlift is loaded onto the Horizon Arctic as it prepares to depart in support of the search for the missing OceanGate Expeditions submersible | Reuters The U.S. Coast Guard has deployed Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) near where the undersea noises were captured by the sonobuoys on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, the search ended in vain. US Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick told reporters that analysis of the noises has been "inconclusive." "When youre in the middle of a search-and-rescue case, you always have hope. With respect to the noises specifically, we dont know what they are," Frederick said. He added that the surface search was an area equivalent to twice the size of Connecticut and 4km deep. The Coast Guard has also sought the service of the French research ship Atalante which boasts of a submersible robot, dubbed the Victor 6000. Victor 6000 is equipped with a special salvage system designed to lift large and heavy undersea objects such as sunken aircraft or small vessels, reported Reuters. Besides, 10 extra ships and several remote submarines have joined the search during its most critical hours. Even if the Titan surfaces - it is equipped with the technology to return to the surface after 24 hours - those stuck inside cannot free themselves as the locks cannot be unlatched from outside. Another possibility is that the submersible is stuck on the ocean floor. In this scenario, retrieving it is not easy because of the massive pressures and total darkness at a depth of more than 2 miles. Questions raised about safety As the focus shifts to the safety of the submersible, reports have emerged that two OceanGate employees had raised concerns about the safety, concerning the thickness of its hull and the materials used. The 23,000-pound craft is made of highly engineered carbon fibre and titanium. The concerns about the hull were raised by OceanGates former head of marine operations, David Lochridge, during a 2018 symposium. He argued that the vehicle cannot withstand extreme pressure. A lawsuit was filed later by Lochride over his termination. As per OceanGate's claim, Lochride refused to accept assurances from the companys lead engineer and breached the company's confidentiality policy. Industry leaders had also expressed unease about OceanGate's "experimental approach" to the Titan and its planned Titanic trip in 2018. "There are 10 submarines in the world that can go 12,000 ft and deeper," said Will Kohnen of the Marine Technology Society. "All of them are certified except the OceanGate submersible." Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a four-day visit to the United States, will join US President Joe Biden for a press conference on Thursday, said the White House. It is rare for the Prime Minister to hold press meets, having not addressed a single one since coming to power in 2014. The White House said it understood that the event was a "big deal". "We are just grateful that Prime Minister Modi is participating in a press event at the end of the visit," White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said. "We think that's important and we're glad he thinks that's important too," he said. The format of the Press Meet is such that the heads of the states take one question from the U.S. press and one from an Indian journalist, reported Reuters. Interestingly, the White House press conferences with other world leaders are controlled affairs and they feature a limited number of questions. The U.S. officials also designate reporters beforehand from the American and foreign media for Biden and his guest to call upon. Visa norms In an exciting move for Indians in the US, the Biden administration has decided to ease visa norms for Indian skilled workers to enter or remain in the country, said reports. The move coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit. The US State Department is likely to announce the plan on Thursday, wherein a small number of Indians and other foreign workers on H-1B visas will be able to renew those visas in the US without having to travel abroad. The pilot programme could benefit Indians the most as they are the most active users of the H-1B program. They amount to over 73% of the nearly 442,000 H-1B workers and the companies using the most H-1B workers include Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta. "We all recognise that mobility of our people is a huge asset to us," Reuters quoted a U.S. official. "And so our goal is to approach that in a sort of multifaceted way. The State Department already has been working very hard to find creative ways to make changes to things." More details, including which visa types would qualify or the timing of the pilot launch, have not yet been revealed by the State Department. Candidates who were endorsed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin won in all primary races Tuesday, including in the Fredericksburg-area 27th Senate District, where Del. Tara Durant beat restaurant owner Matt Strickland, who campaigned under the slogan Crush the Establishment. For the Republicans, the primary contest was good news for Gov. Youngkin, said Stephen Farnsworth, professor at the University of Mary Washington and director of the universitys Center for Leadership and Media Studies. The candidates that he backed pretty consistently won their primaries around the Commonwealth and so the governors effort to secure a majority in the legislature was strengthened by Republican primary voter preferences. Durant won the primary with 57% of the vote compared to Stricklands 42.9%, according to preliminary results posted by the Virginia Public Access Project. The redrawn 27th Senate District includes all of Fredericksburg, 31 precincts in Stafford County and 12 precincts in Spotsylvania County. Strickland did best in Spotsylvania, where his restaurant, Gourmeltz, is located and where he lost to Durant by only 12 votes, according to VPAP. But he is not as well known in Stafford, which is Durants home base and where the lions share of the electorate in the district is located, Farnsworth said. When you have a financial advantage and youre an incumbent and you have the governors support, its a real uphill environment for a challenger. Durant won almost 59% of the Republican primary votes in Stafford and 71% of those in Fredericksburg. In a post on her campaign Facebook page, Durant said she is honored to be your Republican candidate and called for the party to unite so we can tear down the Democrats brick wall in the Senate and send a Republican majority to Richmond in November! The Democrats also held a primary race in the 27th Senate District, and results bucked a statewide trend that favored more progressive candidates, Farnsworth said. In Northern Virginia, several senior Democratic incumbents were defeated by challengers, redefining the party in a more liberal direction, Farnsworth said. But in the Fredericksburg area, Joel Griffin a moderate Democrat who came to the race relatively recently but with the backing of party officials beat progressive candidate Ben Litchfield with 59.7% of the vote. (Rep. Abigail) Spanberger and former delegate Cole in particular were key voices to help shape the preferences of a number of Democratic voters in the district, Farnsworth said. Neither Griffin nor Litchfield were all that well known, and so when a candidate doesnt have a lot of name recognition, endorsements can be more powerful. The other area Senate primary, in the 29th district, which includes six Stafford County precincts as well as most of Prince William County, is headed for a recount on both sides. Incumbent Democratic state Sen. Jeremy McPike is leading challenger Elizabeth Guzman by 46 votes and on the Republican side, Nikki Rattray Baldwin is ahead of Maria Martin by just 10 votes. The 29th district leans blue, Farnsworth said, and neither Baldwin nor Martin were endorsed by Youngkin. There was also a Republican primary for the 65th House District, which includes all of Fredericksburg, four precincts in Spotsylvania and 10 in Stafford. Lee Peters, a captain in the Stafford Sheriffs Office, won that race by a wide margin over Michael Kasey, who endorsed Strickland and garnered just 23% of the vote. Peters will face pastor and former delegate Joshua Cole in November. Stafford County also held a primary for treasurer. According to preliminary results, deputy Commissioner of the Revenue Mike Sienkowski narrowly won with 50.9% of the vote to Heather Mitchells 49%. Farnsworth said Fredericksburg-area voters should expect a really intense fall campaign season, as control of the state Senate could come down to the 27th District. For Republicans, the key issue has been Democratic opposition to the governors agenda, he said. If Gov. Youngkin is able to secure Republican majorities in the legislature, his final two years will be a lot more successful than his first two. For Democrats, were talking about the mirror image. Democrats are likely to run on, What would happen if the Republicans did control Virginia across the board? US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House on Wednesday, later hosting an intimate dinner for the visiting premier. Footages showed Modi chatting with Biden and his wife before being led inside the building. "When friends meet! PM @narendramodi arrives at the @WhiteHouse for a private engagement with @POTUS @JoeBiden, @FLOTUS @DrBiden and family. An occasion for two leaders who share close bonds of friendship to cherish special moments together," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. The Prime Minister, who is on a four-day visit to the United States arrived at Washington DC on Wednesday from New York where he held meetings with eminent personalities from all fields and CEOs, including Elon Musk. He started his day in the capital with 'Skilling for Future' event hosted by Jill Biden at the National Science Foundation. He also met Gary E Dickerson, president and CEO of Applied Materials, Sanjay Mehrotra, president-CEO of Micron Technology and H Lawrence Culp Jr, chairman and CEO, of General Electric and CEO of General Electric Aerospace. The President also hosted an intimate dinner for Modi. They were joined by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, the White House said. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy Chief of Protocol Aseem Vohra were seen entering the White House. A musical tribute to the regions of India was also held. President Joe Biden and the First Lady will host a State Dinner at the South Lawn of the White House on Thursday for the Prime Minister, which is expected to be attended by 400 guests. Modi will also address a joint session of the US Congress on Thursday. Gifts to the PM The President and the First Lady will present Prime Minister Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. They will also gift Modi a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, it said. Former US President Barack Obama on Thursday said that if the rights of ethnic minorities aren't protected in India, there is a possibility that the country may start pulling apart. Obama made the comments in an interview with CNN. In the interview, Obama said, Democratic institutions in the United States and around the world have grown creaky. It remains incumbent on American leaders to find ways to sustain them into the future. Obama is in Athens to discuss issues concerning democracy. Obama said that no democracy could thrive with high levels of social or economic inequality. Responding to a question on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly demonstrating a drift toward authoritarianism and alleged discrimination against Muslims, Obama said, Raising concerns about Indian democracy must also enter into diplomatic conversations. Part of my argument would be that if you do not protect the rights of ethnic minorities in India, then there is a strong possibility India at some point starts pulling apart. And weve seen what happens when you start getting those kinds of large internal conflicts, Obama told CNN. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a state visit to the US and held talks with President Joe Biden on Thursday. Modi would also be addressing a joint session of the US Congress. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy charged that Russia is planning an attack at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility on Thursday. Zelenskyy said intelligence agencies have received information in this regard. In a video address, Zelenskyy said, Concerning the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. I remind those who have forgotten: this is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Zelenskyy charged Russia is occupying the plant and using it as an element in its aggression. It uses it to cover the shelling of neighbouring cities. It keeps weapons and troops there, Zelenskyy said. Our intelligence has received information that Russia is considering a scenario of a terrorist attack at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. A terrorist attack with radiation leakage. They have prepared everything for this, Zelenskyy charged. On the recent attack on Kakhovka dam and hydroelectric power plant there, Zelenskyy charged that it was a premeditated attack by Russia. It was an absolutely deliberate, premeditated crime. In the occupied territory, at a plant that was under the full control of the occupiers, Zelenskyy said. However, Russia denied the charges. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the claim another lie, Al Jazeera reported. The publication quoted Peskov as saying that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency had just visited the plant and rated everything highly. IAEA head Rafael Grossi is expected to visit the plant on Friday. Grossi would hold talks with Alexei Likhachev, the head of Russia's state nuclear energy company Rosatom, Reuters reported. Russia-appointed officials, on Thursday said that Ukraine struck a bridge connecting Ukraine's Kherson region and Crimea. According to officials, the missile strike damaged the Chonhar bridge and traffic needed to be diverted. Russia's Investigative Committee said four missiles had been fired at the bridge by Ukrainian forces, DW reported. The two parallel Chonhar bridges were both damaged but no one was hurt, the Russian-installed governor in occupied Kherson Vladimir Saldo told BBC. He said it was likely British Storm Shadow missiles were used in an attack "ordered by London". According to Russia's Investigative Committee, the Ukrainian forces had fired four missiles at the bridge. Crimea had been illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. The bridge, which is the shortest route from Crimea to the front line in the south, is also an important link to the occupied city of Melitopol. Melitopol is viewed to be one of the targets of Ukraine's counter-offensive. Ukraine, so far, has recaptured eight villages, with the counter-offensive that began earlier in the month. Britain, last month, became the first Western country to provide Ukraine with the long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Last week, Russia threatened to strike Kyivs decision-making centres if Western-supplied missiles were used against Crimea, the Guardian reported. MUMBAI, India, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Good Flippin' Burgers, the renowned burger chain celebrated for its mouth-watering burgers, has successfully raised $ 4 million in its latest Series A round of funding via Tanglin Venture Partners. This cash infusion not only bolsters the company's financial resources for growth but also solidifies its ambitions as it continues its journey of becoming the most loved burger brand in India. Good Flippin' Burgers raised $1 million in April 2022 and have grown 3X this past year. Founded by Viren Dsilva, Sijo Mathew, and Sid Marchant, who left their corporate careers to pursue their dream of serving the perfect burger. Looking towards the future, Good Flippin' Burgers has set ambitious plans for the next 12 months post this round of funding. The company will primarily concentrate on geographical expansion, reinforcing its supply chain, and further refining its dining and quick service models. These strategic initiatives will position Good Flippin' Burgers as a dominant player in the market, poised to meet the growing demand for delicious burgers across diverse regions. Ashika Capital was a financial advisor to this round. "We are thrilled to have secured this funding and garnered the support of respected investors," Viren DSilva, Co-founder: Good Flippin' Burgers said as he commented on the latest round. "This investment is a significant milestone for us and will empower us to expand our operations, fortify our supply chain, and bring our delicious burgers to an even wider customer base. We are grateful for the overwhelming love and support we have received from our loyal patrons and will continue to keep delighting them with our product portfolio." "Viren, Sid and Sijo are exceptional founders with extreme customer obsession and process orientation. They have built a strong brand in Good Flippin' Burgers with extraordinary customer love. We are really impressed with their focus on supply chain capabilities which has enabled them to maintain highest level of quality as well as consistency across their store footprint. At Tanglin, we are extremely excited to be partnering with the team and look forward to working with them towards building an enduring business," said Sankalp Gupta, Partner at Tanglin Venture Partners. What truly distinguishes this team is its unwavering focus on people, processes, and scalable operations. The brand adheres to the principle of being built for scale, with a conscious approach to every aspect of its operations. By prioritizing four key pillarspeople, processes, product, and patronsthe company has established itself as an industry leader, delivering excellent dining experiences to its valued customers with an exceptional product portfolio. From all-time favourites adored by celebrities to innovative offerings that cater to a range of tastes, Good Flippin' Burgers is steadfast in its commitment to becoming India's most beloved burger chain. About The brand: GOOD FLIPPIN' BURGERS was launched in 2019 in Mumbai. The brand currently has a total of 23 outlets and rising across Mumbai and Delhi with a headcount of more than 295+ employees. With 16 stores across Mumbai, the brand has also made inroads in Delhi with 7 outlets. It started with the simple aim of creating a haven for foodies that serves fresh delicious burgers that are priced right. Since then, the burger chain has been flippin' hearts from one customer to the next, every day across all its outlets. https://goodflippin.com/ Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2108525/GoodFlippinBurgers_Cofounders.jpg (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR HYDERABAD, India, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- iHub-Data in association with IIIT Hyderabad will be organising a two-week Executive Training Program on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in October, this year. The program is aimed at young scientists/analysts working in government research institutions or other similar public sector undertakings. Participants would be introduced to a brief theoretical overview of contemporary problem-solving paradigms involving AIML techniques and enabling practice in terms of (i) use of AIML tools/libraries (ii) use of public resources (datasets, trained models), and (iii) systematic training of ML models and their evaluation. Prof. CV Jawahar, Dean R&D, at IIIT Hyderabad opined, "This program would also explore and map vital gaps in formulating, implementing or evaluating problem-statements pertaining to AIML research/production environments. It would also help the research scientists familiarise with differing state of the art results that could be of practical help, with special focus on computer vision and natural language processing." Key Dates: Program Dates: October 3-18, 2023 Venue: IIIT Hyderabad, Telangana, India Last date to express willingness: July 31, 2023 More details at: https://ihub-data.iiit.ac.in/programs/courses/two-week-executive-training-program-on-aiml/ About IIIT-Hyderabad: The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through inter-disciplinary research that has a greater social impact. Some of its research domains include Visual Information Technologies, Human Language Technologies, Data Engineering, VLSI and Embedded Systems, Computer Architecture, Wireless Communications, Algorithms and Information Security, Robotics, Building Science, Earthquake Engineering, Cognitive Science, Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics, Education Technologies, Power Systems, IT in Agriculture and e-Governance. Website: www.iiit.ac.in Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1900509/IIITH_Logo.jpg (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR Chandigarh, Jun 22 (PTI) Pharma major Venus Remedies Limited on Thursday said it has secured marketing authorisation from Spain for its generic antibiotic meropenem. The company, which has got the approval through its German subsidiary Venus Pharma GmbH for 500mg, 1g and 2g injections of this last-recourse antibiotic, happens to be the largest exporter of meropenem from India in the last three years, Venus Remedies said in a statement. "With plans to launch the product in December this year, we will be able to capture a 10 per cent share in the USD 6.34-million meropenem market of Spain... It will help us strengthen our position in the European market as well," Saransh Chaudhary, President, Global Critical Care, Venus Remedies, said in the statement. Meropenem, a broad-spectrum antibiotic of the carbapenem class used in intensive care units of hospitals as a last resort for the treatment of life-threatening infections, contributes to 40 per cent of the company's total sales, it said. The market size for this product in Europe is about USD 70.34 million. Venus Remedies has launched this drug in major European markets under its own brand name and through strategic alliance partners by way of tie-ups. The company has already got more than 120 marketing authorisations for meropenem from countries like the UK, France, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, Portugal, Cyprus, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico, among others. "Riding on the upcoming marketing approvals for meropenem across Europe, we expect Venus Pharma GmbH to achieve a significant increase in turnover in the coming quarters. We are holding talks for more strategic tie-ups with multinational companies in other regulated markets," said Venus Remedies Executive Director Akshansh Chaudhary. New Delhi (India), June 22: It is well known that stress activates the immune system and causes inflammatory responses in the body. It may worsen psoriasis symptoms, creating flare-ups and making the condition more difficult to control. Stress is a common cause of psoriasis flares that can also aggravate itching. As a result, stress management is an especially crucial ability for persons with psoriasis. According to the National Centre of Biotechnology Information, 31-88% of patients indicate stress as a trigger for their psoriasis. Psoriasis represents a persistent inflammatory illness that causes red, scaly areas on the top surface of your skin, there is evidence that stress may contribute to its progression and aggravation. Medicines that inhibit immunity are frequently used for treating psoriasis. Stress, on the other hand, might counteract the benefits of these medications, making them less effective. Stress has been shown to have a substantial impact on psoriasis. While it is difficult to eradicate stress entirely from a person's life, there are ways to manage stress and lessen its impact on psoriasis. Mindfulness practices, exercise, relaxation techniques, and seeking help from a mental health professional are among the examples. Symptoms and Diagnosis of Psoriasis Stress can induce an increase in inflammation throughout the body, triggering psoriasis flares, as well as an overproduction of skin cells, resulting in the thick, scaly patches of skin that are characteristic of psoriasis. Stress can cause an increase in nerve sensitivity, which can make psoriasis symptoms feel more intense. Psoriatic arthritis, a type of arthritis that can develop in people with psoriasis, can be triggered by stress and can cause joint pain and swelling. Stress can cause fatigue and exhaustion, which can make it more difficult to manage psoriasis symptoms. Psoriasis is usually diagnosed based on a physical examination of the affected skin, a review of medical history, and sometimes a skin biopsy. However, it can be difficult to definitively diagnose psoriasis due to stress, as the symptoms can be similar to those of other types of psoriasis or skin conditions. Homeopathic treatment of Psoriasis due to stress Homeopathy is a proven science that helps in the treatment of psoriasis. It provides effective and long-lasting results without any possibility of side effects. As stated in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (JEADV), psoriasis patients who received homeopathic treatment saw substantial improvements in their quality of life (QOL) and a reduction in their psoriasis symptoms. Homeopathy is cost-effective and follows a holistic approach to treatment that treats the patients condition by getting to the root cause of the ailment. Our team of top skin doctors takes a patients physical and psychological well-being into consideration. Homeopathy doctors too conduct in-depth sessions to understand the patients condition better. Mezereumfor scalp, Kali Ars is used for reduce redness and itching of the skin. Natrum Muriaticum 200 is the best medicine to cure Psoriasis occurs after emotional upset. It is helpful for the patient who suffers from dry psoriatic patches mostly on the scalp, hairy margin, behind the ears, bends of joints, and most of the exposed areas of skin. Homeopathic medicines are to be taken in 30 C, 4 pills twice a day till symptoms subside. SKIN TECHNOLOGY ADVANTAGE AT DR BATRA'S A Wood's lamp is a medical instrument that doctors use to look for skin abnormalities in the skin that are not visible to the naked eye. The lamp generates long-wave UV light, which assists your doctor in diagnosing your skin condition and, in some situations determining the source of your skin disease. Derma Heal is another procedure that has revolutionized skin care. A ground-breaking skincare therapy that combines the benefits of UVB light rays and homeopathy to treat skin disorders safely and organically. The scope of Homeopathic treatment extends beyond the physical symptoms and corrects the root cause of Psoriasis thereby giving long-lasting results. It helps to bring back the deranged immunity to normal. This results in better management of psoriasis and also controls the further progression of the disease. It is advisable to take guidance from a healthcare expert for the treatment of Psoriasis. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR In the present compulsive worker culture, finding some kind of harmony among work and life can be a critical test. It is entirely expected for representatives to work extended periods, disregarding their own lives and wellbeing. Notwithstanding, keeping a balance between fun and serious activities is basic for the general prosperity of a person. In this article, we will investigate the significance of balance between serious and fun activities and workplace in upgrading a singular's maximum capacity. Balance between fun and serious activities alludes to the harmony between a singular's work and individual life. It is the capacity to oversee work requests while likewise keeping a sound and satisfying individual life. An absence of balance between serious and fun activities can result in burnout, stress, and, surprisingly, physical and psychological well-being issues. Balance between fun and serious activities is fundamental in upgrading a singular's maximum capacity. It empowers them to zero in on their work while additionally dealing with their prosperity. By getting some much needed rest work to take part in exercises that they appreciate, representatives are bound to be useful, imaginative and fulfilled in their work. At Ink Revenue, we accept that accomplishing an amicable balance between serious and fun activities is fundamental for the prosperity and outcome of our group. We place a high priority on creating an environment where our employees can thrive personally and professionally through our initiatives like hybrid working culture, employee engagement dinners, fun off-site work trips, and parties, says Aditya Saraswat, Co-founder, InkRevenue. Mr. Saksham Khanda, co-founder, InkRevenue says, we are committed to creating a welcoming and enjoyable work environment that encourages happiness, creativity, and productivity. We're redefining work-life balance and giving our team the tools they need to live their best lives together. Businesses ought to guarantee that they give a climate that supports balance between fun and serious activities. This could incorporate adaptable work hours, telecommute choices, and liberal excursion strategies. Managers ought to likewise urge representatives to enjoy reprieves all through the working day to rest and re-energize. Representatives can deal with their time really by focusing on their work and appointing errands when vital. They ought to likewise figure out how to express no to errands that are not fundamental and try not to over-commit themselves. Businesses ought to think about the significance of non-paid work, for example, chipping in and local area association. Empowering workers to partake in such exercises can cultivate a feeling of direction and satisfaction, adding to their general prosperity. A sound balance between fun and serious activities can assist with representative maintenance and work fulfilment. Representatives who feel upheld in their own lives are bound to be locked in and spurred in their work, prompting expanded work fulfilment and unwaveringly. All in all, balance between fun and serious activities and a strong workplace are basic parts of a sound and satisfying life. Businesses and representatives ought to cooperate to establish a climate that supports balance between fun and serious activities, prompting more joyful and more useful people. (Disclaimer: The above content is a press release and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR New Delhi (India), June 22: In the contemporary world where numbers often narrate a tale of triumph, Xcellance Medical Technologies Pvt Ltd, globally known by its brand name Shalya, stands tall as a paragon of innovation. With a colossal manufacturing facility spread over an impressive area of 5000 square meters, a workforce of over 300 dedicated employees, a strong Research & Development team comprising more than 25 engineers, and a staggering 15 global patents to its name, Shalya has carved a niche for itself in the competitive sphere of medical technology. Shalyas relentless pursuit of excellence has not gone unnoticed, and the companys impactful contribution to the field of medical devices was recently celebrated at the MedTech Policy Mahotsav Conclave 2023. Taking place on June 17 in Delhi, this prestigious event was organised by Medgate Today Magazine, a respected voice in the realm of medical technology and healthcare. Shalya was bestowed with "The Good Samaritan Award," honouring the company's dedication and persistent efforts to serve humanity and the nation through its revolutionary innovations. Shalya's unwavering commitment to propel the boundaries of innovation in the medical device industry has made it one of Indias leading players in this field, and this recognition amplifies the positive impact of its work. The MedTech Policy Mahotsav Conclave 2023 also saw the participation of Mr. Pradeep Narkhede, Founder and Managing Director of Shalya. Mr. Narkhede was invited as a panelist during the event, where he addressed the topic, "Navigating challenges and opportunities in public procurement of medical devices under the Make in India vision". This platform provided Shalya with an opportunity to share insights about the influence of the Make In India initiative and discuss the hurdles that Indian MedTech manufacturers continue to face when it comes to public procurement. Shalya prides itself on its innovative ethos, built on the dedication of its exceptional team, which constantly strives to address the evolving needs of healthcare professionals by leveraging emerging technology. The company has proved its mettle time and again by offering comprehensive equipment solutions for electrosurgery, laparoscopy, operating room lights, pendant, tables, and operating room (OR) integration system. Shalya's product line, which includes customizable OR lights and pendants, is complemented by an efficient turnaround time for delivery, further distinguishing the brand in the industry. The companys ground-breaking hand-activated laparoscopic bipolar cutting device is used globally, further testament to its pioneering spirit and a clear demonstration of its commitment to serve the healthcare industry. Shalya's commendable achievement at the MedTech Policy Mahotsav Conclave 2023 underlines its unwavering dedication towards touching lives by innovation. Founded by Mr. Pradeep Narkhede over two decades ago, Shalya was born from a desire to bridge the gap between advanced medical technologies and affordable healthcare solutions in India. Over time, the company has responded to the changing needs of healthcare, evolving into an award-winning enterprise known for its cutting-edge electrosurgical technology, including advanced electrosurgical units for cardiac, neurosurgical, and advanced laparoscopic applications, and saline plasma resection. Today, Shalya - Xcellance Medical Technologies Pvt Ltd stands as Indias first medical equipment manufacturing company to acquire CE certification in electrosurgery and meet other global regulatory requirements thus cementing its reputation for surgical precision and safety, serving more than 70 countries globally. For more information visit: https://www.shalya.in/ (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PNN and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR Four months before Abraham Lincoln issued his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, John Washington, an enslaved man from Fredericksburg, took matters into his own hands. On April 18, 1862, Union troops arrived at Falmouth, across the Rappahannock River from Fredericksburg, and white residents of the city were fleeing. Washington was the personal enslaved servant of a Fredericksburg woman, but also hired himself out as a bartender at the Shakespeare House, a hotel on Caroline Street. That evening, on his way out of town, the hotel manager gave Washington a handful of bills and instructed him to pay off the employees and shut up the building. Instead, after the manager left, Washington poured drinks for all of the bars enslaved laborers and they toasted the Yankees health. Then, he crossed the river to the Union side, thereby joining thousands of other enslaved Black men and women who self-emancipated, or freed themselves by escaping into Union-occupied territory. This is under-told history, said Tim Roberts, community outreach manager for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, at a ceremony unveiling a new state historic marker to Washington. We are bringing agency back to people in the past. The marker, which is titled Great Exodus from Bondage is the sixth new marker telling an aspect of Fredericksburgs Black history that has been installed in the city since December 2020, said Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw. Among the new markers are one dedicated to the first stop on the 1961 Freedom Rides and one to the 1950 civil rights protest by the graduating class of the all Black Walker-Grant High School, who were denied a request to hold their graduation ceremony at the Fredericksburg Community Center (now known as the Dorothy Hart Community Center). In February, the city and the University of Mary Washington introduced a Civil Rights Trail that has been years in the making. These markers, along with the Washington marker, are part of the trail. Many people were involved in the research and installation of the Washington marker, including UMW faculty, staff and students; the Fredericksburg Area Museum; City Council; staff of the citys tourism, planning and public works departments; DHR staff; and community members. The marker stands in front of the old Farmers Bank building at 900 Princess Anne Street, which now houses the restaurant Foode. Washington lived on the second floor of the building with his enslaver. Foode owners Joy Crump and Beth Black now own the building along with developer Mike Adams. In her remarks, Crump spoke about how she and Black were moved by reading Washingtons memoir especially by one passage in which Washington describes Virginias natural beauty and his despair at not having the freedom to enjoy it. Crump and Black enlisted local artist Gabriel Pons to create an image of Washington crafted from these words that now hangs in the restaurant. Crump juxtaposed her position today as a Black female business owner, community member and voter with what Washington experienced living in the same building 160 years ago. This is the place where Washington lived, but he couldnt speak or play or vote or dance, Crump said. Gaila Sims, curator of African American history and special projects at the Fredericksburg Area Museum, said she hopes the marker inspires people to learn more about Washington. The memoir he wrote of his enslavement, self-emancipation and later life, Memorys of the Past, was passed down through generations of his family but remained unpublished until 2007 and 2008, when it appeared in two scholarly works. Sims also said she hopes the marker serves as inspiration to learn more about and honor the thousands of enslaved men and women who reached across the Rappahannock River for their freedom. MUMBAI, India, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- India has the potential to grow at 6.5-7 per cent and will become a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025-26 and USD 7 trillion by 2030 depending on global economy situation. The promising economic growth has attracted huge foreign direct investments and influx of foreign companies visiting India to explore business opportunities. The trade relation between Malaysia and India always in good relations and has been a strong partner in India's growth story over the last few years said Mr Norman Dzulkarnain Nasri, Trade Consul, Consulate General of Malaysia in Mumbai. Speaking to the media, the Trade Consul of MATRADE said that the country has always been a very important market and Malaysia's biggest trading partner in South Asia. In 2022, India was Malaysia's 11th largest global trading partner and among ASEAN countries, Malaysia was India 3rd largest trading partner after Singapore and Indonesia. With two free trade agreements already implemented, ie. MICECA and AIFTA, Malaysia India trade relations has grown rapidly from US$ 15.57 billion in 2018 to US$ 19.61 billion in 2022. Both countries are benefiting from the free trade agreement. In term of exports, in 2022, Malaysia's export to India grew by 21 per cent to US$ 12.44 billion. This makes India as Malaysia's 8th largest export destination. Major products exported to India were palm oil & palm oil based agriculture products, electrical & electronic products, chemicals & chemical products, crude petroleum and manufactures of metal. Malaysia's imports from India also increased by 28.2% to US$7.17 billion and makes India as Malaysia's 12th largest source of imports. Major products imported from India were petroleum products, agricultural products, chemicals & chemical products, manufactures of metal and iron & steel products. Mr Norman Dzulkarnain Nasri, the Trade Consul said, Acknowledging the importance of the market and the need to expand trade with India, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), the National Trade Promotion Agency through its office in Mumbai will facilitate Malaysian companies and Indian companies for business and trade opportunities. He added that Malaysia has established itself as one of the most trade-friendly countries in the world, exporting a competitive range of products to more than 200 global markets. The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) here in Mumbai invites Indian companies to source more from Malaysia. Indian companies to consider Malaysia as their sourcing destination to source for reliable products & services. Both Malaysian exporters and Indian companies who are serious to look for new markets for their products should seriously look at India as a potential market and leverage on the two FTAs. Although Malaysia is better known as a holiday destination among Indians, interest among Indian businessmen and importers on Malaysian products, has grown significantly too. MATRADE always works closely with Chamber of Commerce and Trade Association to do business with reputable companies. This can be seen with the increasing number of Indian importers participating in MATRADE's programmes in Malaysia. Besides looking for quality products to be imported, Indian companies are interested to acquire new technologies and are also looking for partners to manufacture products. Indian importers are invited to participate in the International Sourcing Programme (INSP) that organise by MATRADE particularly MIHAS. MATRADE will be organised the 19th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2023 in Kuala Lumpur from 12 to 15 September 2023. In conjunction with MIHAS 2023, MATRADE will be organizing the International Sourcing Programme (INSP) MIHAS both virtual and physical. The Trade Section (MATRADE), Consulate General of Malaysia encourages Indian and Malaysian companies to leverage at their office in Mumbai. MATRADE also has another office in Chennai covers Southern and Eastern India. Companies that are keen to explore the market can contact the office by contacting the Trade Consul at mumbai@matrade.gov.my. About MIHAS 2023 The 19th edition of the Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) is well positioned to become the major gateway for global businesses seeking to access the fast-growing global halal trade and industry post-pandemic. MIHAS 2023 which is hosted by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Malaysia and organised by Malaysia's trade promotion agency, the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) will be held over four days, from 12th to 15th September 2023 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in Kuala Lumpur. In conjunction with MIHAS 2023 trade fair, MATRADE is also organising the International Sourcing Programme (INSP). The INSP is a one-on-one business meeting programme between foreign buyers and Malaysian exporters, currently on going virtually and will also be held physically during MIHAS 2023 in Kuala Lumpur. Apart from the showcase and INSP, MATRADE will also be organising MIHAS Knowledge Hub, which is a programme that focuses on knowledge sharing on issues related to the global halal industry. The Knowledge Hub will consist of a series of conferences, forums, and seminars involving leading keynote speakers, industry experts, and thought leaders. MIHAS is expected to be the largest post-pandemic as it is expected to attract over 35,000 international visitors, and 1,500 booths, targeting 40 country pavilions. Last year's edition of MIHAS saw participation of exhibitors from 33 countries represented through 1,200 booths. MATRADE Mumbai is also currently actively organising virtual business meeting under the International Sourcing Program for MIHAS 2023. Interested Indian buyers who are looking to source for halal and other related products and services from Malaysia can contact MATRADE Mumbai at mumbai@matrade.gov.my. Issued by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) on Thursday, June 22, 2023 Ruche Communications Unmesh Vichare Mobile: +91 98216 44321 unmesh@ruche.in Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2107464/ConsulTradeMATRADE.jpg (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR PWR New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Thursday said the country has seen massive increase in employment opportunities in the last nine years and about 1.25 crore new jobs have been created since 2014. Referring to a number of institution-based labour surveys done by the ministry, Yadav said that there has been a massive increase in employment during the period from 2014 to 2022. The minister was addressing a press conference on the performance of the labour ministry during the last nine years. About 1.25 crore jobs were generated in the country during the period, he said. The minister referred to the data of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) to substantiate his statement. "If you see the EPFO data, the number of pensioners (under the Employees' Pension Scheme 1995) has increased from 51 lakh in 2014-15 to 72 lakh in 2021-22. If you see that around 22 lakh people retired but the registrations under the social security scheme run by the EPFO have increased," he explained. The EPFO data showed that the total number of registered subscribers was 15.84 crore in 2014-15, which increased to 27.73 crore in 2021-22, he said. He also referred to the latest payroll data of the EPFO released earlier this week, which showed that 17.20 lakh net new additions of members in April this year. The new members' enrolment with EPFO was 1.38 crore in 2022-23, higher than 1.22 crore in 2021-22, and 77.08 lakh in 2020-21. About 78.58 lakh members were added in 2019-20 (pre-Covid) and 61.12 lakh in 2018-19, according to the data. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi we focussed on three subjects 'Sewa, Sushasan, Kalyaan' ( Service, Good-Governance, Welfare). When we talk about Sewa (Service) and 'Sabka Saatha Sabka Vikas' (together all and welfare for all) then you may recall that we took care of both organised and unorganised workers in the country," he said. He noted that the organised workers are just 10 per cent of total workforce and 90 per cent fall in the informal sector. He said, there have been talks even during the Congress regime in this country about the authentic data about the informal sector and about efforts of providing benefits to this workforce under welfare schemes. Talking about JAM (Jandhan Aadhaar Mobile), the minister said that today "we are able to enrol about 30 crore workers under the e-Sharam portal (a national database for informal workers) engaged in 400 different occupations. He told that initially there were 120 categories of occupations for enrolment on the e-Sharam portal, which was later increased to 400. The e-Shram portal was launched on August 26, 2021 with an objective to create a national database for unorganised workers. He said that he has directed his officers to identify different occupations for rag pickers like in the case of coffee, rubber, tea and lichi plantations workers in the country. He explained that the classification of occupation helps in making right policies for increasing employment generation in a particular sector. He talked about the ministry's initiative about institution-based labour surveys and said that soon the area-based survey results would be released, which would help in making evidence-based policies. The minister also talked about the National Career Service (NCS) portal which helped in mobilisaing 1.39 crore vacancies during the last nine years. The NCS portal has 3.20 registered jobseekers, 11.25 lakh active employers and 6.42 lakh active vacancies at present. He also told that the number of beds in hospitals of the Employees State Insurance Corporation would soon be increased by 10,120 beds. At present the ESIC hospitals have 20,231 beds in the country. New Delhi/Zurich, Jun 22 (PTI) Funds parked by Indian individuals and firms in Swiss banks, including through India-based branches and other financial institutions, declined by 11 per cent in 2022 to 3.42 billion Swiss francs (nearly Rs 30,000 crore), annual data from Switzerland's central bank showed on Thursday. The decline in aggregate funds of Indian clients with Swiss banks, from a 14-year-high of CHF 3.83 billion in 2021, follows two consecutive years of increase and was largely driven by a sharp plunge of nearly 34 per cent in customer deposit accounts from a seven-year high. These are official figures reported by banks to the SNB and do not indicate the quantum of the much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. These figures also do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of third-country entities. The total amount of CHF 3,424 million, described by the SNB as 'total liabilities' of Swiss banks or 'amounts due to' their Indian clients at the end of 2022, included CHF 394 million in customer deposits (down from CHF 602 million at 2021-end), CHF 1,110 million held via other banks (down from 1,225 million), CHF 24 million (up from CHF 3 million) through fiduciaries or trusts, and the highest component of CHF 1,896 million (down from 2,002 million) as 'other amounts due to customers in form of bonds, securities and various other financial instruments. The total amount stood at a record high of nearly 6.5 billion Swiss francs in 2006, after which it has been mostly on a downward path, except for a few years including in 2011, 2013, 2017, 2020 and 2021, as per the Swiss National Bank (SNB) data. While all four components had declined during 2019, the year 2020 saw a significant plunge in customer deposits, while there was a surge across all categories in 2021. During 2022, only the fiduciaries segment saw an increase. According to the SNB, its data for 'total liabilities' of Swiss banks towards Indian clients takes into account all types of funds of Indian customers at Swiss banks, including deposits from individuals, banks and enterprises. This includes data for branches of Swiss banks in India, as also non-deposit liabilities. On the other hand, the 'locational banking statistics' of the Bank for International Settlement (BIS), which have been described in the past by Indian and Swiss authorities as a more reliable measure for deposits by Indian individuals in Swiss banks, showed a decline of over 18 per cent during 2022 in such funds to USD 94.4 million (Rs 781 crore). It had dropped by over 8 per cent in 2021, after rising by nearly 39 per cent in 2020. This figure takes into account deposits as well as loans of Indian non-bank clients of Swiss-domiciled banks and had shown an increase of 7 per cent in 2019, after declining by 11 per cent in 2018 and by 44 per cent in 2017. It peaked at over USD 2.3 billion (over Rs 9,000 crore) at the end of 2007. Swiss authorities have always maintained that assets held by Indian residents in Switzerland cannot be considered as 'black money' and they actively support India in its fight against tax fraud and evasion. An automatic exchange of information in tax matters between Switzerland and India has been in force since 2018. Under this framework, detailed financial information on all Indian residents having accounts with Swiss financial institutions since 2018 was provided for the first time to Indian tax authorities in September 2019 and this is to be followed every year. In addition to this, Switzerland has been actively sharing details about accounts of Indians suspected to have indulged in financial wrongdoings after the submission of prima facie evidence. Such exchange of information has taken place in hundreds of cases so far. The overall funds of foreign clients, including of institutions, declined to CHF 1.15 trillion (over Rs 125 lakh crore) in 2022. In terms of assets, Indian clients accounted for CHF 3.99 billion at the end of 2022, marking a decline of nearly 15 per cent. This included dues from Indian customers worth about CHF 164 million, which almost halved from CHF 323 million at the end of 2021. While the UK topped the charts for foreign clients' money in Swiss banks at CHF 309 billion, it was followed by the US (CHF 133 billion) at the second spot -- the only two countries with 100-billion-plus client funds. These two were followed in the top 10 by West Indies, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, Bahamas and the Netherlands. UAE, Guernsey, Cyprus, Italy, Australia, Jersey, Cayman Islands, Russia, Japan, Panama, Spain, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, China and Israel joined them in top-25. India was placed at 46th place, down from 44th a year ago, ahead of countries like South Korea, Sweden, Argentina, Bahrain, Oman, New Zealand and Mauritius and Pakistan, which also saw a sharp dip to CHF 427 million (from CHF 712 million). Bangladesh also saw a sharp plunge from CHF 871 million to CHF 55 million. Just like in India, the issue of alleged black money in Swiss banks has been a political hot potato in the two neighbouring countries as well. After the annual data release in 2021, the Indian government had sought details from Swiss authorities on the relevant facts along with their view on possible reasons for changes in the funds parked by individuals and entities that year. In its statement, the Finance Ministry had said then that the figures "do not indicate the quantum of much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in Switzerland. Further, these statistics do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of third-country entities." It had also listed out the reasons that could have led to the increase in deposits that year, including rising business transactions by Indian companies, rise in deposits owing to the business of Swiss bank branches located in India and increase in inter-bank transactions between Swiss and Indian banks. Besides, capital increase for a subsidiary of a Swiss company in India and increase in the liabilities connected with the outstanding derivative financial instruments could be the other potential reasons for this jump in deposits, the ministry had explained. It also said that exchanges of financial account information in respect of residents of each country have been taking place and there did not appear to be any significant possibility of the increase of deposits in the Swiss banks which is out of undeclared incomes of Indian residents. Washington, Jun 22 (PTI) In a landmark announcement, GE Aerospace on Thursday said it has inked a pact with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to jointly produce fighter jet engines for Indian Air Forces Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Mk-II -- Tejas. The announcement came during Prime Minister Narendra Modis first state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden. The agreement includes the potential joint production of GE Aerospaces F414 engines in India, and GE Aerospace continues to work with the US government to receive the necessary export authorisation for this," the US firm said in a statement here. It described the Memorandum of Understanding with HAL as a key element in strengthening defence cooperation between India and the US. This is a historic agreement made possible by our longstanding partnership with India and HAL, said H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. The agreement will advance GE Aerospaces earlier commitment to build 99 engines for the IAF as part of the LCA-Mk-II programme. It puts the company in a strong position to create a family of products in India, including the F404 engine that currently powers the LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk1A aircraft and GE Aerospaces selection for the prototype development, testing and certification of the AMCA programme with our F414-INS6 engine, the statement said. The pact is significant as India has been sourcing its military jets from Russia and European consortia. Recently, the IAF bought 36 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault, a French manufacturer of combat aircraft. In addition, GE will continue to collaborate with the Indian government on the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Mk2 engine programme. We are proud to play a role in advancing Biden and Modis vision of closer coordination between the two nations. Our F414 engines are unmatched and will offer important economic and national security benefits for both countries as we help our customers produce the highest quality engines to meet the needs of their military fleet, the US firm said. Currently, HAL uses GE 404 engines for the 83 light combat aircraft it is manufacturing for the IAF. GE Aerospace has operated in India for more than four decades with wide engagement in the industry including engines, avionics, services, engineering, manufacturing, and local sourcing. GE Aerospaces F404 and F414 have been part of the development and production of LCA Mk1 and LCA Mk2 programmes. In total, 75 F404 engines have been delivered and another 99 are on order for LCA Mk1A. Eight F414 engines have been delivered as part of an ongoing development programme for LCA Mk2, the US firm said. Mumbai, Jun 22 (PTI) Popular South Korean band Tomorrow x Together (TXT) and American trio Jonas Brothers are set to release "Do It Like That", their collaborative digital single, on July 7. According to a press release, the makers said the song "promises to be the ultimate summer anthem of the year". After teasing fans for a few days, the two music groups confirmed their collaboration on social media on Wednesday night. "Tomorrow x Together and Jonas Brothers will release the digital single, 'Do It Like That', on Friday, July 7, 2023," BigHit Music, the agency behind TXT, posted an update on global fan community forum Weverse. Nick Jonas, one of three members of Jonas Brothers, took to Twitter to update fans and followers about the new song. "This is gonna be fun. Let's get it @txtbighit! #DoItLikeThat drops July 7th! #TOMORROWX_TOGETHER," the vocalist wrote. While TXT is a quintet comprising members Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun and HueningKai, Kevin Jonas and Joe Jonas are the other two members of the American band. Washington, Jun 22 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Joe Biden at the White House on Thursday and the two leaders would discuss a wide range of issues of mutual and global interests to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies. Modi met Biden one-on-one in the Oval Office of the White House before holding delegation-level talks. This is the second interaction between the two leaders within 24 hours. President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted Prime Minister Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House a day earlier during which they discussed a range of issues, exchanged gifts and enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India. The day began with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeting Prime Minister Modi for the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn. The two national anthems were played along with a 21-gun salute to the visiting leader. Indian Americans were chanting 'USA USA' and 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Modi Modi.' In his remarks at the ceremony, Modi said he will soon hold talks with President and discuss regional and global issues. "I am sure our talks will be positive." Modi said India and US are committed to working together for global good and peace, stability and prosperity. President Biden described the relationship between the US and India is one of the most defining relationships in the 21st century. Boston, Jun 22 (AP) The US Coast Guard said on Thursday that an underwater vessel has located a debris field near the Titanic in the search for a missing submersible with five people aboard, a potential breakthrough in an increasingly urgent around-the-clock effort. The Coast Guard's post on Twitter gave no details, such as whether officials believe the debris is connected to the Titan, which was on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic. The search passed the critical 96-hour mark on Thursday when breathable air could have run out. The Titan was estimated to have about a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic but experts have emphasised that was an imprecise approximation to begin with and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And it's not known if they survived since the sub's disappearance. Rescuers have rushed ships, planes and other equipment to the site of the disappearance. On Thursday, the US Coast Guard said an undersea robot sent by a Canadian ship had reached the sea floor, while a French research institute said a deep-diving robot with cameras, lights and arms also joined the operation. Authorities are hoping underwater sounds might help narrow their search, whose coverage area has been expanded to thousands of miles twice the size of Connecticut and in waters 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) deep. Coast Guard officials said underwater noises were detected in the search area Tuesday and Wednesday. Jamie Pringle, an expert in Forensic Geosciences at Keele University, in England, said even if the noises came from the submersible, "The lack of oxygen is key now; even if they find it, they still need to get to the surface and unbolt it." The Titan was reported overdue Sunday afternoon about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John's, Newfoundland, as it was on its way to where the iconic ocean liner sank more than a century ago. OceanGate Expeditions, which is leading the trip, has been chronicling the Titanic's decay and the underwater ecosystem around it via yearly voyages since 2021. By Thursday morning, hope was running out that anyone on board the vessel would be found alive. Many obstacles still remain: from pinpointing the vessel's location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface assuming it's still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers' oxygen supply runs out. Dr. Rob Larter, a marine geophysicist with the British Antarctic Survey, emphasised the difficulty of even finding something the size of the sub which is about 22 feet (6.5 meters) long and 9 feet (nearly 3 meters) high. You're talking about totally dark environments," in which an object several dozen feet away can be missed, he said. "It's just a needle in a haystack situation unless you've got a pretty precise location. Newly uncovered allegations suggest there had been significant warnings made about vessel safety during the submersible's development. Broadcasters around the world started newscasts at the critical hour Thursday with news of the submersible. The Saudi-owned satellite channel Al Arabiya showed a clock on air counting down to their estimate of when the air could potentially run out. Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District said a day earlier that authorities were still holding out hope of saving the five passengers onboard. This is a search-and-rescue mission, 100 per cent, he said Wednesday. Frederick said while the sounds that have been detected offered a chance to narrow the search, their exact location and source hadn't yet been determined. "We don't know what they are, to be frank, he said. Retired Navy Capt. Carl Hartsfield, now the director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, said the sounds have been described as banging noises, but he warned that search crews have to put the whole picture together in context and they have to eliminate potential manmade sources other than the Titan. The report was encouraging to some experts because submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their submersible's hull to be detected by sonar. The US Navy said in a statement Wednesday that it was sending a specialized salvage system that's capable of hoisting large, bulky and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels." The Titan weighs 20,000 pounds (9,000 kilograms). The US Navy's Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System is designed to lift up to 60,000 pounds (27,200 kilograms), the Navy said on its website. Lost aboard the vessel is pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate. His passengers are: British adventurer Hamish Harding; Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman; and French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet. In the first comments from Pakistan since the Titan vanished, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra said Thursday that officials have confidence in the search efforts. We would not like to speculate on the circumstances of this incident and we would also like to respect the wishes of the Dawood family that their privacy may be respected, she said. At least 46 people successfully travelled on OceanGate's submersible to the Titanic wreck site in 2021 and 2022, according to letters the company filed with a US District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, that oversees matters involving the Titanic shipwreck. One of the company's first customers characterized a dive he made to the site two years ago as a kamikaze operation. Imagine a metal tube a few meters long with a sheet of metal for a floor. You can't stand. You can't kneel. Everyone is sitting close to or on top of each other, said Arthur Loibl, a retired businessman and adventurer from Germany. You can't be claustrophobic. During the 2.5-hour descent and ascent, the lights were turned off to conserve energy, he said, with the only illumination coming from a fluorescent glow stick. The dive was repeatedly delayed to fix a problem with the battery and the balancing weights. In total, the voyage took 10.5 hours. The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. Nicolai Roterman, a deep-sea ecologist and lecturer in marine biology at the University of Portsmouth, England, said the disappearance of the Titan highlights the dangers and unknowns of deep-sea tourism. I think it is important to remember that to us humans, the deep sea is a very inhospitable place," he said. Even the most reliable technology can fail, and therefore accidents will happen. With the growth in deep-sea tourism, we must expect more incidents like this.(AP) RUP RUP Moscow, Jun 22 (AP) A Moscow court on Thursday ruled that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich must remain in jail on espionage charges until at least late August, rejecting the American journalist's appeal to be released. The 31-year-old US citizen was arrested in late March while on a reporting trip. A Moscow court ruled last month to keep him in custody until August 30, but his lawyers had challenged the decision. Gershkovich, wearing a black T-shirt and light blue jeans, looked tense and paced inside a glass defendant's cage while waiting for the hearing to begin at the Moscow City Court. Then other journalists in the courtroom were asked to leave and the proceedings took place behind closed doors. The ruling was broadcast to reporters, who watched it on two large TV screens in a separate room in the courthouse. While waiting for the judge, Gershkovich smiled and chatted with his parents, who were present. US Ambassador Lynne Tracy also attended. Evan continued to show remarkable strength and resiliency in these very difficult circumstances, she told reporters afterward. Tracy said she was extremely disappointed by the ruling, reiterating that Gershkovich was an innocent journalist and Russia's charges against him were baseless. Such hostage diplomacy is unacceptable, and we call on the Russian Federation to release him, she said. The Wall Street Journal said in a statement after the hearing that Gershkovich has been wrongfully detained for more than 12 weeks for nothing more than doing his job as a journalist," and it again called for his immediate release. Gershkovich and his employer have denied the allegations, and the US government has declared him to be wrongfully detained. His arrest in the city of Yekaterinburg rattled journalists in Russia, where authorities have not detailed what, if any, evidence they have to support the espionage charges. Gershkovich is being held at Moscow's Lefortovo prison, which is notorious for its harsh conditions. Tracy said the US Embassy was denied consular access to Gershkovich on three occasions since she last visited him in jail in April. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters the ministry is considering another visit request from the embassy. Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips in soaring US-Russian tensions over the Kremlin's military operation in Ukraine. At least two US citizens arrested in Russia in recent years including WNBA star Brittney Griner have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the US. Ryabkov has cautioned, however, that the possibility of a swap in Gershkovich's case could only be considered after a court delivers its verdict. Prominent lawyers who worked on espionage cases told The Associated Press that the investigation alone could take up to 18 months. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released without charge 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Union's UN mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges.(AP) RUP RUP Washington, Jun 22 (PTI) US Chuck Schumer on Thursday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Washington on his state visit and said he is looking forward to meet the Indian leader to stress the importance of democratic values and the urgency of the two nations working together. Prime Minister Modi arrived here on Wednesday on the second leg of his maiden state visit to the US. He held bilateral talks with President Joe Biden and is set to address a joint session of the US Congress. "Later this afternoon, Ill join Congressional leaders in welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to the US Capitol, where hell speak before a joint meeting of Congress," Schumer said on the Senate floor. He said he would tell Prime Minister Modi the same thing he told him earlier this year when he led the largest Senate Congressional delegation ever to India. "Our two nations will need each other if we are to beat back the forces of autocracy. When I visited India, I got to see the vibrancy and future potential of that society. Its astounding and India will grow in power and strength over the next century. "And if we want to hold firm against the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, then the worlds two largest democracies must work in unison to ensure peace. It means expanding trade and expanding opportunities for workers to come to the US. It means safeguarding our common defence, which he said will be one of the big announcements during the visit. "But I also told Prime Minister Modi during our meeting that we cannot lose sight of the values that define us as democracies in the first place, like freedom of expression, minority rights, and civil liberties. I told this to him in person, because without that, no democracy, no democracy, can long thrive," Schumer said. "So I look forward to meeting, for the second time this year, with the Prime Minister later this afternoon, to stress the importance of democratic values and the urgency of our nations working together," he added. Dubai, Jun 22 (AP) The search for the missing submersible on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic neared the critical 96-hour mark Thursday when breathable air is expected to run out, reaching a vital moment in the intense effort to save the five people aboard. The Titan submersible was estimated to have about a four-day supply of breathable air when it launched Sunday morning in the North Atlantic. That puts the deadline to find and rescue the sub at roughly between 6 am EDT (1000 GMT) and 8 am EDT (1200 GMT), based on information the US Coast Guard and company behind the expedition have provided. Experts emphasised that is an imprecise estimate and could be extended if passengers have taken measures to conserve breathable air. And it's not known if they survived since the sub disappeared Sunday morning. Frank Owen, a submarine search-and-rescue expert, said the oxygen supply figure is a useful target for searchers, but is only based on a nominal amount of consumption. Owen said the diver on board the Titan would likely be advising passengers to do anything to reduce your metabolic levels so that you can actually extend this. Broadcasters around the world started newscasts at the critical hour with news of the submersible. The Saudi-owned satellite channel Al Arabiya showed a clock on air counting down to their estimate of when the air could potentially run out. Rescuers have rushed more ships and vessels to the site of the disappearance, hoping underwater sounds they detected for a second straight day might help narrow their search in the urgent, international mission. They have expanded the coverage area to thousands of miles twice the size of Connecticut and in waters 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometres) deep. The Titan was reported overdue Sunday afternoon about 435 miles (700 kilometres) south of St John's, Newfoundland, as it was on its way to where the iconic ocean liner sank more than a century ago. OceanGate Expeditions, an undersea exploration company that is leading the trip, has been chronicling the Titanic's decay and the underwater ecosystem around it via yearly voyages since 2021. By Thursday morning, hope was running out that anyone on board the vessel would be found alive. Many obstacles still remain: from pinpointing the vessel's location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface assuming it's still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers' oxygen supply runs out. Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District said authorities were still holding out hope of saving the five passengers onboard. This is a search-and-rescue mission, 100 per cent, he said Wednesday. The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan vanished Sunday is also prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol. Meanwhile, newly uncovered allegations suggest there had been significant warnings made about vessel safety during the submersible's development. Frederick said while the sounds that have been detected offered a chance to narrow the search, their exact location and source hadn't yet been determined. "We don't know what they are, to be frank, he said. Retired Navy Capt. Carl Hartsfield, now the director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, said the sounds have been described as banging noises, but he warned that search crews have to put the whole picture together in context and they have to eliminate potential manmade sources other than the Titan. The report was encouraging to some experts because submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their submersible's hull to be detected by sonar. The US Navy said in a statement Wednesday that it was sending a specialized salvage system that's capable of hoisting large, bulky and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels." The Titan weighs 20,000 pounds (9,071 kilograms). The US Navy's Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System is designed to lift up to 60,000 pounds (27,216 kilograms), the Navy said on its website. Lost aboard the vessel are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate, a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert. At least 46 people successfully travelled on OceanGate's submersible to the Titanic wreck site in 2021 and 2022, according to letters the company filed with a US District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, that oversees matters involving the Titanic shipwreck. One of the company's first customers characterised a dive he made to the site two years ago as a kamikaze operation. Imagine a metal tube a few meters long with a sheet of metal for a floor. You can't stand. You can't kneel. Everyone is sitting close to or on top of each other, said Arthur Loibl, a retired businessman and adventurer from Germany. You can't be claustrophobic. During the 2.5-hour descent and ascent, the lights were turned off to conserve energy, he said, with the only illumination coming from a fluorescent glow stick. The dive was repeatedly delayed to fix a problem with the battery and the balancing weights. In total, the voyage took 10.5 hours. OceanGate has been criticised for the use of a simple commercially available video game controller to steer the Titan. But the company has said that many of the vessel's parts are off-the-shelf because they have proved to be dependable. It's meant for a 16-year-old to throw it around and is super durable, Rush told the CBC in an interview last year while he demonstrated by throwing the controller around the Titan's tiny cabin. He said a couple of spares are kept on board just in case. The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. Jeff Karson, a professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University, said the temperature is just above freezing, and the vessel is too deep for human divers to get to it. The best chance to reach the submersible could be to use a remotely operated robot on a fiber optic cable, he said. I am sure it is horrible down there, Karson said. It is like being in a snow cave and hypothermia is a real danger. The passengers lost on the Titan are British adventurer Hamish Harding; Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, whose eponymous firm invests across the country; and French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet. Retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, who is now deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University, said the disappearance underscores the dangers associated with operating in deep water and the recreational exploration of the sea and space. I think some people believe that because modern technology is so good, that you can do things like this and not have accidents, but that's just not the case," he said. (AP) FZH Dubai, Jun 22 (AP) The president of the United Arab Emirates met with Iran's visiting foreign minister on Thursday in the latest sign of improving relations between Arab Gulf countries and the Islamic Republic. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have long harboured suspicions about Iran because of its nuclear program and support for militant groups across the region, and have cultivated close defence ties with the US But in recent months they have charted a more independent path, reaching out to US adversaries as Washington increasingly focuses on Russia and China. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian discussed the importance of building on positive developments to benefit the people of the region and enhance regional stability and prosperity, the UAE's state-run WAM news agency reported. Iranian state TV said the two met for 90 minutes and discussed further cooperation in different fields. It said the Iranian foreign minister invited Sheikh Mohammed to visit Iran and that the UAE president invited Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi to visit the Emirates. The meeting follows similar recent outreach by Saudi Arabia, which agreed to normalise relations with Iran for the first time in seven years in a deal brokered by China in March. The two countries have since reopened embassies and held high-level official visits. The UAE, home to the futuristic cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, is a close US military ally that hosts some 2,000 American troops at the Al-Dhafra Air Base. US forces based there and in other Arab Gulf countries have long been seen as a deterrent to Iran. The UAE was also the driving force behind the so-called Abraham Accords, in which it and three other Arab countries forged ties with Israel. Israel views Iran as its greatest threat and hopes to further isolate it by pursuing closer ties with Arab states. Israel and the US are keen to reach a normalisation agreement with Saudi Arabia. Saudi officials say any such agreement would have to be linked to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (AP) FZH Ahmedabad, Jun 22(PTI) The Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), an institution of national importance under the Ministry of Home Affairs, on Thursday signed an MoU with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), an official said. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the presence of RRU Vice-Chancellor Professor Bimal N Patel and CRP Director General Dr Sujoy Lal Thaosen, said a release by the Gandhinagar-based university. "Under the MoU, the CRPF's training programmes for its personnel would be recognised by RRU as diploma or degree courses. The varsity may prepare customized courses and training modules for CRPF personnel and also allow them to conduct research at the university," said the release. The MoU will allow exchange of ideas and thoughts between CRPF instructors and RRU faculty, and give a chance to jawans of the paramilitary force to learn subjects like forensic science, Information Technology, law and criminology etc, the release added. On the occasion, Professor Patel highlighted that more than 12,000 persons from India and 48 foreign nations have benefitted through more than 150 training programmes offered by RRU. The RRU is committed to provide high standard training with the best resource persons from across the globe with the support of ITEC-Ministry of External Affairs in order to make CRPF forces ahead-of-the-curve in anticipating, mitigating and eliminating internal security and order challenges, the release said. Thaosen hailed the RRU for being able to provide specialised programmes for mental well-being as well as psychological endurance enhancement training to the forces, the release said. Patna, Jun 22 (PTI) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has sidestepped queries on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal making a pitch for keeping the contentious central ordinance on top of the agenda of the June 23 opposition meet. The RJD leader also said, This is not the first meeting of opposition leaders nor is it going to be the last. Leaders of different hues have agreed to meet and they will all raise issues that they feel strongly about. There is no problem with that. He was responding to queries from journalists, late in the evening on Wednesday, on the statement by the Aam Aadmi Party chief, who has been galvanising regional leaders in support of his fight against the ordinance that brings Delhi's bureaucracy under the control of the Lieutenant General, who is an appointee of the Centre. It is being speculated that the Delhi CM has sought to throw a bait for the Congress, which has so far avoided supporting him on the issue. Yadav also mocked the slogan aayega to Modi hi that the BJP often raises, to assert that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's return to power for a third term was inevitable. They (BJP) seem to have forgotten that nothing is permanent. Nobody is immortal. We ruled the state but then came a time when we had to sit in the opposition, said the RJD leader whose party now shares power with Nitish Kumar, once arch-rival of the party's supremo Lalu Prasad. He added, The coming Lok Sabha elections, though, are not going to be about one particular leader. It is going to be about the issues faced by the people which seem to have been forgotten. The opposition meeting will aim at devising a programme in which the issues of the people get the political centre-stage. Leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, M K Stalin, Sharad Pawar, Mehbooba Mufti and Hemant Soren, besides Kejriwal, are expected to take part in the meeting scheduled here on Friday. Patna, Jun 22 (PTI) Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti arrived here on Thursday to take part in the opposition meeting, a day ahead of the conclave. Mufti, who heads the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party, did not take questions from journalists at the airport here and went straight to the guest house where invitees are being put up. The meeting on June 23 was convened by Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) supremo Nitish Kumar in a bid to forge an opposition unity ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Kumar has been pitching for opposition unity ever since he snapped ties with the BJP in August last year. Notably, Mufti headed a coalition government with the BJP before differences with the ally led her to resign after which the Jammu and Kashmir remained under President's rule until the abrogation of Article 370 and its split into two Union territories. (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI) New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru is on a three-day official visit to Kenya from June 21-23, where he will oversee the Harbour Phase activities of the ongoing Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) between the two countries' navies, Defence Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Vice Admiral Mahindru's visit coincides with Indian Naval Ship Sunayna making port call at Mombasa as part of the Ocean Ring of Yoga initiative conceptualised to celebrate ninth International Day of Yoga. The Deputy Navy Chief called on Aden Bare Duale, Cabinet Secretary in the Kenyan Ministry of Defence, on Wednesday and discussed historical ties between the two maritime neighbours and stressed on strengthening defence relations between them. Mahindru also called on General Francis O Ogolla, Chief of Defence Forces, Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF). Key aspects of enhancing coordinated operations in the maritime domain and bolstering interoperability between the Indian Navy and the Kenyan Navy were discussed during the interaction. "Reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace, stability and good order in the region through joint and coordinated operations, the need to further collaborate and tackle common maritime challenges was also highlighted," the Defence Ministry said. The DCNS also interacted with the members of GLOCEPS (Global Centre for Policy and Strategy) at Nairobi. The Vice Admiral is scheduled to visit Mtongwe Naval Base, Mombasa, and interact with Commander, Kenya Navy at the Kenya Navy Headquarters (KNHQ). He, along with the Kenyan Chief of Defence Forces, will oversee the Harbour Phase activities of the MPX between the two navies and would also interact with the crew of INS Sunayna. He would also be providing insights to the Kenya Naval Training College and Kenya Shipyard Limited in Mombasa. "The visit of the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, reaffirms the strong and longstanding relationship between Kenya and India and will further consolidate bilateral defence cooperation with Kenya, particularly in the maritime realm," the Defence Ministry said. New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday termed the all-party meeting convened by Home Minister Amit Shah on the Manipur situation as "too little, too late," and said efforts to bring warring factions on the discussion table will lack seriousness if they are done sitting in Delhi. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said the entire nation expects a serious intervention from the Union Government. "Any effort for peace must take place in Manipur, where the warring communities are brought on the discussion table and a political solution is arrived at. This effort will lack seriousness if it is done sitting in Delhi," he said on Twitter. After 50 days of death and destruction in Manipur, he said, "Home Minister Amit Shah's call for an all-party meeting is too little, too late". The government only woke up after Sonia Gandhi's address to the people of Manipur, he said. Shah has called an all-party meeting on the situation in Manipur on June 24. "At the outset, the PM's absence from such a serious meeting shows his 'cowardice' and 'unwillingness' to confront his failures. Even when multiple delegations sought meetings with him, he had no time for them," the Congress leader alleged. Noting that the Home Minister himself has presided over this situation and made no progress, he said in fact things have "worsened" since his visit. "Can we expect genuine peace under his stewardship," he asked. "Moreover, the continuation of the partisan state government and non-implementation of President's Rule is a travesty," Venugopal charged. The Congress has been seeking the Centre's immediate intervention in bringing peace to the north eastern state which has been struck by violence since May 3. The party has also blamed the alleged divisive politics of the BJP for the current situation in Manipur. Violent clashes broke out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. So far, nearly 120 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 are injured. Shah had also visited the state for four days last last month and met a cross sections of people in his efforts to bring back peace in the northeastern state. Pahalgam (JK), June 22 (PTI) National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday gave his wishes to the Amarnath yatris and exhorted them to return to their native places with a message of love from Kashmir. "The yatris should come here and return with the message of love. They should take the message that this country belongs to all the Hindus, the Muslims, the Sikhs, the Christians, the Buddhists, everyone," Abdullah told reporters after reviewing the arrangements for this year's Amarnath yatra at the south Kashmir resort town, 100 kms from Srinagar. "We are all equal and there are no differences. This is what our Constitution has proved," he said. Abdullah, who is Lok Sabha member from Srinagar, was accompanied by south Kashmir MP Hasnain Masoodi. The leader said Muslims have been taking care of the Amarnath pilgrims ever since the yatra began. "Who takes care of the yatris here? It is the local Muslims. This has been happening for ages. There is no hatred," he said The NC president said he was thankful to the government for making good arrangements for the pilgrims. "The arrangements are very good. There is a good small hospital here. The only drawback is the lack of nursing staff. Rather than getting nurses from the hospital here, we can give temporary employment to trained nurses for two months. "That way, they will get employment, and the yatris will also get the care. We will surely write to the government on this issue," he added. Chandigarh, Jun 22 (PTI) Punjab Police on Thursday said it foiled a cross-border weapons smuggling bid after recovering four pistols from an area in Kakkar village in Amritsar. A team of the Counter Intelligence carried out a search operation in the area of Kakkar in Lopoke and recovered four .30 bore pistols along with magazines from a field following secret information regarding cross border smuggling of arms and ammunition, Additional IG of Counter Intelligence (CI), Punjab Police, Amritsar, Sukhminder Singh Mann said. He said it seems that the consignment was delivered via a drone but could not be retrieved due to heightened activities of the BSF and the state police. Investigation is underway to identify the sender and retriever of the consignment, he added. A case has been registered in this regard at police station, State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar, a official statement quoted Mann as saying. It is the third such cross-border weapons smuggling module busted by the Amritsar Counter Intelligence in less than a week, taking the total recovery of weapons to 11 pistols along with ammunition, the statement said. Earlier on June 16, the CI Amritsar had arrested Rajinder Kumar alias Ghudi, Jagjit Singh, Inderjit Singh alias Malhi and Jashandeep Singh alias Boora, all residents of Amritsar, after recovering four pistols from their possession. Similarly, on June 19, a person, identified as Rajan Singh of Patti, Tarn Taran, was arrested with three .32 bore pistols along with ammunition. Ballia (UP), Jun 22 (PTI) Opposition leaders are "scared" and are gathering in Patna to protect their "own interests", BJP MP and actor Ravi Kishan charged on Thursday, a day before a scheduled meeting of Opposition parties in Bihar's capital. "People born in air-conditioned rooms will not be able to stand in front of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi.... The Opposition has no face. Don't know what welfare they will do for the country. They are gathering in Patna for their own interests," he told reporters here. He asserted that his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will win 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "The opposition will lose the election badly.... Only a handful of people in the country are opposing the Modi government by appearing in TV and newspapers. Modi is the voice of 140 crore people," the Lok Sabha member from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh said. "Leaders of Opposition parties are scared of action by ED (Enforcement Directorate). They are out on bail, everyone is scared...the scared Opposition has come together," he said. Leaders of at least 15 Opposition parties are set to meet in Patna on Friday to chalk out a roadmap for the formation of an anti-BJP front for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Targeting the Congress, Ravi Kishan said its leaders are always making trips to abroad and do not have any time left for villages of the country. "The Congress party destroyed the country and the countryside," he charged. Targeting the Samajwadi Party, he said its president Akhilesh Yadav doesn't like the Yogi Adityanath government because it has put an end to the mafia raj in Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi, Jun 22 (PTI) The New Delhi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Thursday assigned the sexual harassment case lodged by six female wrestlers against BJP MP and outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh to a city court, already hearing a related matter, for taking forward the proceedings. CMM Mahima Rai Singh delegated to Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal the matter related to alleged sexual harassment of the women wrestlers whose cause was taken up by decorated grapplers like olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, and Asian Games champion Vinesh Phogat. The protest by celebrity grapplers drew support from a host of opposition parties and farmer organisations. The city police had filed a charge sheet in the case against Singh on June 15 for the alleged offences of sexual harassment and stalking. CMM Mahima Rai Singh sent the matter and the charge sheet to Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal, after taking into account the Delhi police prosecutor's submission that Jaspal has been handling a related plea by the women wrestlers seeking a court monitored probe into their allegations. The matter will come up for Jaspal's consideration on June 27. The Delhi Police had on June 15 filed a final report seeking cancellation of the minor wrestler's allegation of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Saran Singh. A cancellation report is filed in cases where police fail to find corroborative evidence after due investigation. She was among the seven women grapplers who had accused Singh of sexual harassment. In a startling revelation, the father of the minor wrestler had told PTI that he and his daughter had filed a "false" police complaint of sexual harassment against Singh because they wanted to get back at him for the perceived injustice against the girl. The city police had filed the charge sheet against Singh on June 15 under sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. It was to be taken up for consideration on June 22, and the CMM decided to assign the case to Jaspal. The charge sheet had also named Vinod Tomar, the suspended assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), for offences under sections 109 (abetment of any offence, if the act abetted is committed in consequence, and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 354, 354A and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. Srinagar, Jun 22 (PTI) The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday attached the residential house of a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant associate in Anantnag district, police said. Continuing its crackdown on harbouring terrorists and providing logistic support to them, the SIU Shopian attached the residential house of the terrorist associate in the Subhanpora Bijbhera area of Anantnag in south Kashmir after obtaining necessary sanctions from competent authority, a police spokesman said. He said during the course of the investigation in case FIR No 22/2022 registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, a residential house of Abdul Rehman Ganai, the father of terrorist associate Zubair Ahmad Ganai, was found used by terrorists of proscribed outfit LeT. Accordingly, process for attachment of property belonging to the accused falling within the ambit proceeds of terrorism was initiated by the SIU Shopian under section 25 of UA(P)A, the spokesman said. An Iranian man arrested in western Germany earlier this year after a tip from U.S. officials has been charged with plotting an Islamist attack using ricin or cyanide, German prosecutors said Wednesday. The 26-year-old, identified only as J.J. in line with Germanys privacy rules, was arrested in January along with his brother in Castrop-Rauxel, a city in the industrial Ruhr region. Prosecutors in Duesseldorf said he was charged with preparing a serious act of violence and terror financing. An indictment was filed in the state court in Dortmund. A case against the suspects 32-year-old brother, who initially was suspected of involvement in the plot, was dropped for lack of sufficient evidence, prosecutors said. They said the younger man had decided by the end of October to carry out an attack in line with the ideology of the Islamic State group by spreading ricin or a cyanide compound, and intended to kill as many people as possible by spreading the chemicals. Even small amounts of ricin, which is produced from the seeds of castor oil plants, can kill an adult if eaten, injected or inhaled. The Duesseldorf prosecutors didnt say if there was an intended target. The suspect is alleged to have been in contact via messaging services with extremists who gave him instructions on how to make the toxins. He is also accused of acquiring substances needed to make them. Authorities said at the time of his arrest that information from authorities in the United States led to the operation, but they didnt elaborate. It will be up to the court in Dortmund to decide whether and when to send the case to trial. (AP) Recent polling data indicates a decline in support for former President Donald Trump, as revealed just weeks after his indictment on 37 felony charges. These charges include allegations of willfully retaining national defense information and conspiring to obstruct justice, offenses that could potentially lead to prison time if he is convicted. According to a CNN poll, Republican support for Trump has waned since the indictment. The survey found that 47% of Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters now consider Trump their first choice for the Republican nomination, down from 53% in a previous CNN poll conducted in May. The CNN poll, conducted entirely after Trumps arraignment, also shed light on public opinion regarding his indictment. The majority of Americans surveyed expressed approval of Trumps indictment. However, 71% of respondents believed that politics played a role in the decision to charge the former president. In terms of favorability among Republican-aligned voters, Trump experienced a decline of 10% since the last CNN poll in May, now standing at 67%. A FiveThirtyEight polling average displayed a slight decrease in Republican support for Trump following the indictment, with numbers dropping from 53.8% to 53.5%. Regarding the potential candidates vying for the Republican nomination, the CNN poll found that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Trumps chief challenger at present, maintained steady support at 26%. Former Vice President Mike Pence experienced a slight increase in support, rising from 6% to 9%, while Senator Tim Scott saw a small boost from 2% to 4%. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, however, witnessed a decline from 6% to 5%. Polling conducted subsequent to the indictment has yielded varying results, with some surveys indicating growing support for the former president, while others show diminishing support among GOP voters. A Morning Consult poll released last week demonstrated that 59% of potential GOP primary voters would choose Trump if the primary were held that dayan increase from the previous weeks 55% prior to the indictment. In contrast, a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted after the indictment indicated only a slight dip in support for Trump. About 43% of self-identified Republicans stated that Trump was their preferred candidate, compared to 49% in May. However, its worth noting that the Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted before DeSantis entered the race. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Prosecutors have dropped charges against two of three men accused of killing an off-duty Chicago police officer, including a man who spent nearly 12 years in jail awaiting trial as authorities challenged allegations of police and prosecutorial misconduct. Tyrone Clay faced nearly 80 counts and Edgardo Colon almost 20 counts in the shooting death of Officer Clifton Lewis during the robbery of a convenience store where Lewis was working as a security guard in December 2011. Colon was convicted in 2017 but the verdict was overturned in 2020 after he argued that police obtained a confession even though hed asked for an attorney during an interrogation that lasted some 50 hours. Clay has spent almost a dozen years in jail awaiting trial while prosecutors appealed a judges ruling that he, too, had repeatedly asked for an attorney before giving an incriminating statement. Prosecutors dropped the charges Wednesday just ahead of a hearing where detectives and prosecutors would have had to testify about how they handled the case, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Assistant States Attorney Kevin DeBoni told a judge that the state couldnt meet its burden of proof. Clay could be released from jail as soon as Wednesday. Colon has been free on bond pending a new trial. The third defendant, Alexander Villa, has been awaiting sentencing since his conviction in 2019. He, too, has sought a new trial. His attorney uncovered evidence he claims prosecutors failed to turn over, including cellphone records that indicate the three men werent at the scene of Lewis death. Colons lawyer, Paul Vickrey, had asked the judge to sanction prosecutors for withholding the information. That motion was rendered moot when the charges were dropped. There was a shocking amount of hidden and destroyed evidence in this case, Vickrey said in a statement. While we are gratified for Edgardo, our hearts go out to the family of Clifton Lewis. A rush to charge and convict was the worst way to honor the short life of a dedicated officer. (AP) A California man who drove a stun gun into a police officers neck during one of the most violent clashes of the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced on Wednesday to more than 12 years in prison. Daniel D.J. Rodriguez yelled, Trump won! as he was led out of the courtroom where U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced him to 12 years and seven months behind bars for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. Only two other Jan. 6 defendants have received longer prison terms so far after hundreds of sentencings for Capitol riot cases. The judge said Rodriguez, 40, was a one-man army of hate, attacking police and destroying property at the Capitol. You showed up in (Washington) D.C. spoiling for a fight, Jackson said. You cant blame what you did once you got there on anyone but yourself. Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone s body camera captured him screaming out in pain after Rodriguez shocked him with a stun gun while he was surrounded by a mob. Another rioter had dragged Fanone into the crowd outside a tunnel on the Capitols Lower West Terrace, where a line of police officers was guarding an entrance to the building. Other rioters began beating Fanone, who lost consciousness and suffered a heart attack after Rodriguez pressed the stun gun against his neck and repeatedly shocked him. Fanone addressed the judge before she imposed the sentence. The former officer described how the Jan. 6 attack prematurely ended his law-enforcement career and turned him into a target for Donald Trump supporters who cling to the lie that Democrats stole the 2020 election from the Republican incumbent. Fanone left the courtroom in the middle of Rodriguezs statement to the judge. He didnt miss an apology from Rodriguez, who has been jailed for more than two years and will get credit for that time already served. Im hopeful that Michael Fanone will be okay some day, Rodriguez said. It sounds like hes in a great deal of pain. Fanone said he left the courtroom because he didnt care to hear his assailants rambling, incoherent statement. Nothing he could have said to me today would have made any difference whatsoever, he said. Prosecutors recommended a 14-year prison sentence for Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty in February to charges including assaulting Fanone. They also sought a fine of nearly $100,000 to offset the cost of Fanones medical bills and medical leave. Fanones injuries ultimately ended his career in law enforcement. He has written a book about his Jan. 6 experience and testified in front of a House committee that investigated the insurrection, which disrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Bidens 2020 electoral victory. Rodriguezs criminal conduct on January 6 was the epitome of disrespect for the law; he battled with law enforcement at the U.S. Capitol for hours, nearly costing one officer his life, in order to stop the official proceeding happening inside, prosecutors wrote in a court filing. Rodriguez pleaded guilty to four felony charges, including conspiracy and assaulting a law enforcement officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon. He entered the guilty plea about two weeks before his trial was scheduled to start in Washington, D.C. On Jan. 6, Rodriguez attended then-President Donald Trumps Stop the Steal rally before joining the mob of rioters who attacked police in the Lower West Terrance tunnel. Rodriguez made his way to the front of the line of rioters battling the officers, yelling into his bullhorn at the beleaguered line, prosecutors wrote. Rodriguez deployed a fire extinguisher at police officers in the tunnel and shoved a wooden pole at the police line before another rioter, Kyle Young, handed him what appeared to be a stun gun, according to prosecutors. Fanone was at the front of the police line when another rioter, Albuquerque Cosper Head, wrapped his arm around the officers neck and dragged him out onto the terrace steps, then restrained Fanone while other rioters attacked him. Rodriguez shocked Fanones neck with the stun gun, below the left ear of his police helmet. Fanone managed to retreat and collapsed behind the police line before he was taken to a hospital. Once inside, when officers were able to revive him after 2 minutes and 21 seconds, the first thing Officer Fanone asked was did we take back that door? prosecutors wrote. Rodriguez entered the building and smashed a window with a wooden pole before leaving Capitol grounds. Head was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to an assault charge. Young also was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for his role in the officers assault. Young grabbed Fanone by the wrist while others yelled, Kill him! and Get his gun! During an interview with FBI agents after his March 2021 arrest, Rodriguez said had believed that he was doing the right thing on Jan. 6 and that he had been prepared to die to save the country. He cried as he spoke to the agents, saying he was stupid and ashamed of his actions. In the days leading up to Jan. 6, Rodriguez spewed violent rhetoric in a Telegram group chat called PATRIOTS 45 MAGA Gang. There will be blood. Welcome to the revolution, Rodriguez wrote a day before the riot. Rodriguezs attorneys said he idolized Trump, seeing the the former president as the father he wished he had. Mr. Rodriguez trusted Trump blindly and admired Trump so much that he referred to him as dad in his social media chats leading up to Jan. 6th, defense attorneys wrote, seeking a prison sentence of five years and five months for their client. The same judge who sentenced Rodriguez also convicted a co-defendant, Edward Badalian, of three riot-related charges and acquitted him of a fourth after a trial without a jury. Jackson is scheduled to sentence Badalian on July 21. More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot. Over 700 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted after trials. And approximately 550 of them have been sentenced, with over half receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 18 years. (AP) A surprise effort by hard-right House Republicans to impeach President Joe Biden has been sidelined for now, but the ability of GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert to force the issue to a House vote demonstrates the ever-escalating challenge Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces in controlling his Republican majority. The impeachment resolution, which charges Biden with high crimes and misdemeanors over his handling of the U.S. border with Mexico, angered GOP colleagues who were caught off guard by the unscripted move. Even though it was not expected to pass Thursday, the vote would have been politically tough for GOP lawmakers and a potentially embarrassing spectacle for McCarthy, splitting his party. Instead, McCarthy negotiated a deal with Boebert, the Colorado Republican, to send the Biden impeachment resolution for review to the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees, fending off a vote for some time. I think its best for everybody, McCarthy told reporters late Wednesday. But in a sign of the right flanks determination to push ahead, Boebert said that if the committees slow-roll action, shell bring her resolution back to the floor every day for the rest of my time here in Congress, forcing a House vote on Bidens impeachment. The tense, 24-hour episode underscores the hold the House conservative flank exerts over McCarthy, forcing the speaker to accommodate hard-right priorities if he wants to stay in power. And it shows the power of a single lawmaker to use the rules of the House to force a snap vote on such weighty measures as a presidential impeachment. Its the same method another hard-right conservative, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., used Wednesday to force a separate vote to censure Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff over his investigations into Donald Trumps ties to Russia. Theres going to be no end to this, Schiff told The Associated Press and others at the Capitol. Kevin McCarthy has no control over his conference, Schiff said. The race to the extreme is now running the House of Representatives and of course its doing terrible damage to the institution. Conservatives are lining up other such votes to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, to censure Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, who was the chairman of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol as they rush ahead with their agenda. Its all part of the right flanks broader effort to steer control of the House away from the traditional centers of power, including the speakers office. This is what we were talking about, said Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a leader in the conservative efforts to block McCarthys rise to speaker as they brokered greater say in the House process. Behind closed doors Wednesday, McCarthy encouraged lawmakers to consider the traditional process for bringing such consequential legislation forward. He noted that House committees are probing Biden and his family, and McCarthy signaled that Boeberts sudden move to file the impeachment measure was not part of that process. The morning meeting was the most somber yet, said one Republican lawmaker, who was granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door session. Its a tough vote, said Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia, who said he was sure he would be hearing from voters back home who want to impeach Biden. I cant vote for the impeachment at this point because theres been no investigation, he said. Everybody has to be given due process. Rank-and-file Republicans were angry at being forced into the position of having to vote on a resolution to impeach Biden even though they had not gone through the traditional process of an impeachment inquiry. They resented a single lawmaker jumping the queue of priorities. In one fiery exchange overheard on the House floor, hard-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene laid into Boebert for taking the Biden impeachment on her own. Greene has her own articles of impeachment against the president. Greene confirmed the exchange later and said of Boebert, She has a great skill and talent for making most people here not like her. Boebert declined to comment about the conversation, only saying its not middle school. I wish the anger thats been directed towards Ms. Boebert was directed towards the president and his policies, said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., a member of the Freedom Caucus. Hoping to quell the uprising, McCarthys team worked furiously behind the scenes to engineer the possible solution. McCarthy met privately with Boebert. Then he met with Republicans on the House Rules Committee, which called a hasty session to set a procedural action in motion. The full House is expected to vote Thursday on the agreement to send Boeberts Biden impeachment resolution to the Homeland Security and Judiciary committees. Gaetz noted that when Democrats had control of the House they went through failed Trump impeachment efforts by renegade lawmakers before the majority backed the effort and the former president ultimately was impeached. That did help the Democrats build momentum, so maybe this is our version of that, said Gaetz. Trump was impeached twice on corruption and obstruction charges over withholding military aid to Ukraine while seeking political dirt on Biden, and later on charges of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol trying to overturn Bidens election. Both times, Trump was acquitted by the Senate. (AP) Only hours after four Israelis, including two teens, were murdered in a terror attack in Eli, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides issued an outrageous statement equating their deaths with those of heinous terrorists. Deeply concerned about the civilian deaths and injuries that have occurred in the West Bank these past 48 hours, including that of minors, he wrote. Praying for the families as they mourn the loss of loved ones, or tend to those injured. His statement was met with widespread outrage and condemnation. Israels Ambassador to the US Michael Herzog chastised Nides on Twitter, stating: Today, yet another heinous Palestinian terror attack claimed the lives of 4 innocent Israeli civilians. There is no justification whatsoever for the targeting and killing of innocent civilians. It must be unequivocally condemned. Any attempt of a so-called balanced condemnation is misguided and disrespectful to the memory of the victims. Deeply concerned about the civilian deaths and injuries that have occurred in the West Bank these past 48 hours, including that of minors. Praying for the families as they mourn the loss of loved ones, or tend to those injured. Ambassador Tom Nides (@USAmbIsrael) June 20, 2023 Religious Zionism MK Ohad Tals response, among countless others, was: Mr. Ambassador, It seems that you are confused there are no civilian deaths here, there are despicable murderers on the one hand and people defending their lives on the other. As a senior diplomat, you should know how to differentiate between good and evil and between light and darkness. In contrast, in comparison, the UKs Ambassador to Israel Neil Wigan wrote: I am horrified by the attack today near Eli that killed four Israelis. Such terrorism has no justification. My deepest condolences to the families of those killed. German Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert wrote: I am appalled and sad to hear of the death of four Israelis in a terror attack near the settlement of Eli. My thoughts are with their families and with the injured who I hope will recover fully. Herzog also wrote: In recent months, terror activities in the northern part of the West Bank have escalated as the Palestinian Authority has lost effective security control. Jenin, where the IDF recently operated, has become an Iranian terror stronghold, located just minutes away from Israeli population centers. Replete with hundreds of armed terrorists and laboratories working to produce lethal explosive devices and rockets, this capital of terror has become the main springboard of terror attacks against Israelis. Israel will do whatever it takes to protect Israeli citizens and stop this wave of terror. Nides later issued another tweet, stating: I condemn in the strongest terms the senseless murder of four innocent Israelis today my heart is with their grieving family members. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) WASHINGTON The House voted Wednesday to censure California Rep. Adam Schiff for comments he made several years ago about investigations into Donald Trump's ties to Russia, rebuking the Democrat and frequent critic of the former president along party lines. Schiff, who will stand in front of the House while the resolution is read, becomes the 25th House lawmaker to be censured. He was defiant ahead of the vote, saying he will wear the formal disapproval as a badge of honor" and charged his GOP colleagues of doing the former president's bidding. I will not yield, Schiff, who is running for the Senate in his home state, said during debate over the measure. Not one inch. More than 20 Republicans voted with Democrats last week to block the censure resolution, but they changed their votes this week after the measure's sponsor, Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, removed a provision that could have fined Schiff $16 million if the House Ethics Committee determined he lied. Several of the Republicans who opposed the resolution last week said they opposed fining a member of Congress in that manner. The final vote was 213-209. The revised resolution says Schiff held positions of power during Trumps presidency and abused this trust by saying there was evidence of collusion between Trumps campaign and Russia. Schiff was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president as both the Justice Department and the Republican-led House launched investigations into Trumps ties to Russia in 2017. Both investigations concluded that Russia intervened in the 2016 presidential election but neither found evidence of a criminal conspiracy. Representative Schiff purposely deceived his Committee, Congress, and the American people, the resolution said. Schiff, the former Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and the lead prosecutor in Trumps first impeachment trial, has long been a top Republican political target. Soon after taking back the majority this year, Republicans blocked him from sitting on the intelligence panel. The House has only censured two other lawmakers in the last 20 years. Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona was censured in 2021 for tweeting an animated video that depicted him striking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., with a sword. Former Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York was censured in 2010 for serious financial and campaign misconduct. The censure itself carries no practical effect, except to provide a historic footnote that marks a lawmakers career. But the GOP resolution would also launch an ethics investigation into Schiff's conduct. While Schiff did not initiate the 2017 congressional investigation into Trump's Russia ties then-House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, a Republican who later became one of Trumps most ardent defenders, started it Republicans arguing in favor of his censure Wednesday blamed him for what they said was the fallout of that probe, and of the separate investigation started that same year by Trump's own Justice Department. Luna said that Schiff's comments that there was evidence against Trump ripped apart American families across the country and that he was permanently destroying family relationships. Several blamed him for the more than $30 million spent by then-special counsel Robert Mueller, who led the Justice Department probe. Schiff said the censure resolution would accuse me of omnipotence, the leader of some a vast Deep State conspiracy, and of course, it is nonsense. Democrats aggressively defended their colleague. Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, who led Trump's second impeachment, called the effort an embarrassing revenge tour on behalf of Donald Trump. Read the full story: A major and unusual security lapse occurred two weeks ago when a Hezbollah cell infiltrated Israel and set up an armed outpost, Kan News reported. The position consists of two tents set up over the Blue Line in the Har Dov area manned by three to eight armed Hezbollah operatives at any given time stationed within the sight of IDF soldiers within the sovereign territory of the State of Israel. Israel had not acted until now to remove the post, a major erosion of Israeli deterrence. According to reports, the IDF believes that the establishment of the post is not a threat, viewing it as an act of provocation by Hezbollah, and not wanting to escalate the situation, has hidden the incident from the public. At the same time, efforts are being made to have the post removed via diplomatic means. If diplomacy fails to succeed, the IDF will remove the post by force. The incident was revealed during a discussion held last week in the high-level Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, in which Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu participated. According to a response to the report from the IDF spokesperson, the matter is known and is being handled by all relevant authorities. Less than two weeks ago, dozens of Lebanese rioters threw stones at IDF troops on Israels northern border and tried to vandalize the security barrier. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Your Ultimate Investing Toolkit Sign up for MarketBeat All Access to gain access to MarketBeat's full suite of research tools: Portfolio Monitoring Top Stock Lists Premium Reports Stock Screeners Live News Feed Premium Support Free for your first month. ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. provides electric vehicle (EV) charging networks and charging solutions in the United States and internationally. The company provides comprehensive solutions for any size fleet and is fundamental to the build-out of global EV charging infrastructure. The company was founded in 2007 as a pure-play focused on EV infrastructure with the intention of serving the needs of EV drivers and the EV industry at large. The company is headquartered in Campbell, California, and has offices across the US and Europe. ChargePoint Holdings offers a portfolio of hardware, software, and services that provide an end-to-end solution for EV charging needs of all varieties. The company serves the commercial, fleet, and residential markets and lays claim to a network of more than 18,000 EV charging stations and growing. Among the many attractive features of ChargePoints stations is the open nature of the network. Individuals, businesses, and OEM manufacturers can easily join and use the stations at any public location, worldwide while tracking their activity with cloud-based software. Solutions for fleet management include charging stations, fleet management software, and cloud-supported hardware. Solutions for businesses include in-house charging points that can be used internally, provided to clients and customers as an amenity, or used as a source of income. Solutions for individuals include propriety, award-winning hardware installed in-home, and access to the worldwide network of charging stations. The network of charging stations can be located and accessed via a mobile app. The app shows all charge points within a set distance and indicates which ones are free or in use. The app can also control the charging session and other account features including payments. As of 2022, company stats indicated a charge was completed every second of the day and the pace was accelerating. In regard to the companys scope and reach, more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies are customers and that figure is only limited because there is so much competition in the market. The four key differences that set ChargePoint apart from its competition are its networked charging stations, complete cloud-based software solutions for all verticals, the mobile app, and 24/7 service for clients. The networked charging system alone allows for easy access to stations as well as improving uptime, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. The Investment Company plc is a closed-ended balanced fund launched and managed Fiske Plc. The fund invests in the public equity and fixed income markets across the United Kingdom. It primarily invests in a portfolio of equities, preference shares, loans, stocks, and long-term debentures. The Investment Co. plc was formed in 1868 and is domiciled in the United Kingdom.The Investment Company plc is a closed-ended balanced mutual fund launched by Miton Asset Management Limited. The fund is managed by Miton Trust Managers Limited. It invests in the public equity and fixed income markets of the United Kingdom. The fund seeks to invest in securities of companies operating across diversified sectors. It primarily invests in dividend paying growth stocks of companies across all market capitalizations, with a bias towards small cap companies. The fund also invests in loan stocks, debentures, convertibles, and other related instruments. It employs fundamental analysis with a bottom-up security selection approach, focusing on such factors as yield, growth prospects, market positions, caliber of management, risk, and cash resources to create its portfolio. The Investment Company plc was formed in 1868 and is domiciled in the United Kingdom. MDU Resources Group, Inc. engages in the regulated energy delivery, and construction materials and services businesses in the United States. It operates through five segments: Electric, Natural Gas Distribution, Pipeline, Construction Materials and Contracting, and Construction Services. The Electric segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity for residential, commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming; and operates 3,400 miles of transmission lines, 4,800 miles of distribution lines, and 84 transmission and 294 distribution substations. The Natural Gas Distribution segment distributes natural gas for residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming; and offers related value-added services. The Pipeline segment provides natural gas transportation and underground storage services through a regulated pipeline system primarily in the Rocky Mountain and northern Great Plains regions; and cathodic protection and other energy-related services. The Construction Materials and Contracting segment mines, processes, and sells construction aggregates; produces and sells asphalt; supplies ready-mixed concrete; and sells cement, finished concrete products, merchandise and other building materials, and related contracting services. The Construction Services segment constructs and maintains electrical and communication wiring and infrastructure, fire suppression systems, mechanical piping, and services; overhead and underground electrical, gas, and communication infrastructure construction and maintenance services; and manufactures and distributes transmission lines construction equipment and tools. It serves manufacturing, commercial, industrial, transportation, institutional, and renewable and government customers, as well as utilities. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota. Wells Fargo & Company is a multinational financial services company that has established itself as a prominent player in the global financial industry. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Wells Fargo operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. Its rich history and successful mergers and acquisitions have contributed to its significant global presence. As a comprehensive financial services provider, Wells Fargo offers a wide range of banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer financial services. The company's mission is to satisfy its customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo aims to achieve this by providing exceptional service, acting with integrity, fostering diversity and inclusion, and contributing positively to the communities it serves. Wells Fargo's extensive product and service portfolio caters to various market segments. The company serves individual consumers, small businesses, corporations, and institutional investors. Its key customers encompass a broad spectrum, ranging from everyday banking customers to high-net-worth individuals and large corporations. Wells Fargo aims to meet the diverse financial needs of its customers through personalized solutions and innovative offerings. The company has achieved several notable milestones and received recognition for its contributions to the financial industry. Wells Fargo has been ranked as one of the "Big Four Banks" in the United States, alongside JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup. It is also recognized as one of the largest banks in the country by total assets, deposits, and market capitalization. Wells Fargo's commitment to delivering quality financial services has earned it a position among the most valuable bank brands. Wells Fargo is led by an experienced and capable management team that guides the company's operations and strategic direction. The leadership team consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds and extensive finance, banking, technology, risk management, and customer service expertise. The Chief Executive Officer and President of Wells Fargo is Charles W. Scharf, who brings a wealth of experience in the financial industry. The management team also includes key executives such as Michael J. Santomassimo as the Chief Financial Officer and Scott Powell as the Chief Operating Officer. Each management team member contributes their professional background, accomplishments, and expertise to ensure the company's success. Wells Fargo has demonstrated consistent financial performance over the years, driven by its diverse business segments and strategic initiatives. The company has reported steady revenue growth, reflecting its ability to attract and retain a large customer base. Wells Fargo's revenue metrics indicate its success in generating income through its various financial services and product offerings. Earnings metrics illustrate the company's profitability and stability. Wells Fargo's focus on prudent risk management practices and diversified revenue streams contributes to its ability to generate sustainable earnings. Profit margin metrics showcase the efficiency of Wells Fargo's operations. The company's ability to manage costs effectively while generating revenue is key to maintaining healthy profit margins. Debt levels play a significant role in evaluating the company's financial position. Wells Fargo's management strives to maintain a conservative approach to managing debt, ensuring a strong balance sheet and financial stability. Wells Fargo's valuation metrics are influenced by a range of factors, including its market position, financial performance, growth prospects, risk profile, and investor sentiment. Factors driving Wells Fargo's valuation include its brand recognition, customer base, diversified business segments, and ability to generate consistent earnings. Changes in investor sentiment, market conditions, and regulatory developments can also impact the company's valuation over time. Investors closely monitor Wells Fargo's stock performance, assessing its ability to deliver value over the long term. The stock has had issues in the past due to news or events that have affected the company's share price, such as regulatory actions, the global pandemic, and strategic initiatives. These factors should be considered in analyzing its market performance. Wells Fargo operates in the highly competitive financial services industry, which is subject to evolving regulatory frameworks and technological advancements. Understanding the broader industry in which the company operates is crucial to assessing its competitive positioning. Wells Fargo competes with other major banks and financial institutions domestically and internationally. The company leverages its brand recognition, extensive product and service offerings, customer relationships, and technological capabilities to gain a competitive advantage. However, it also faces challenges such as regulatory compliance, changing customer preferences, and disruptive market forces. Wells Fargo has identified several growth opportunities within its diverse business segments. The company aims to deepen relationships with existing customers, attract new customers and expand its presence in key markets. In consumer banking, Wells Fargo focuses on enhancing digital capabilities, improving customer experience, and providing innovative solutions to meet evolving customer needs. The company seeks to leverage its strong brand and customer base to drive growth and increase customer loyalty. In wealth and investment management, Wells Fargo aims to capitalize on the growing demand for comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. The company's expertise in wealth management positions it well to capture opportunities in an increasingly complex investment landscape. As with any financial institution, Wells Fargo faces various risks and challenges. It is important to comprehensively analyze potential risks and challenges to understand their potential impact on the company's performance. Factors such as regulatory changes, cybersecurity threats, economic downturns, and reputational risks pose challenges to Wells Fargo's operations. The company has implemented robust risk management strategies, invested in technology and security measures, and enhanced compliance frameworks to mitigate these risks. Ongoing efforts to prioritize ethical conduct, transparency, and stakeholder trust are integral to managing risks effectively. Dominion Energy, Inc. produces and distributes energy in the United States. It operates through four segments: Dominion Energy Virginia, Gas Distribution, Dominion Energy South Carolina, and Contracted Assets. The Dominion Energy Virginia segment generates, transmits, and distributes regulated electricity to approximately 2.7 million residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental customers in Virginia and North Carolina. The Gas Distribution segment is involved in the regulated natural gas sales, transportation, gathering, storage, and distribution operations in Ohio, North Carolina, Utah, southwestern Wyoming, and southeastern Idaho that serve approximately 3.0 million residential, commercial and industrial customers. It also has nonregulated renewable natural gas facilities in operation. The Dominion Energy South Carolina segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 782,000 customers in the central, southern, and southwestern portions of South Carolina; and distributes natural gas to approximately 435,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in South Carolina. The Contracted Assets segment is involved in the nonregulated long-term contracted renewable electric generation and solar generation facility development operations; and gas transportation, LNG import, and storage operations, as well as in the liquefaction facility. As of December 31, 2022, the company's portfolio of assets included approximately 31.0 gigawatt of electric generating capacity; 10,600 miles of electric transmission lines; 78,500 miles of electric distribution lines; and 93,500 miles of gas distribution mains and related service facilities. The company was formerly known as Dominion Resources, Inc. Dominion Energy, Inc. was incorporated in 1983 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. GOTHENBURG Gothenburg Improvement Co. invites the public to join the celebration as they announce a $750 million business investment in their community on Wednesday. This electrolyzer-based liquid fertilizer facility is the largest single private investment west of Lincoln in recent memory. The project will have a significant impact in the Corn Belt region, according to a press release. A free lunch will be provided from 1-2 p.m. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. with remarks from Gov. Jim Pillen and other dignitaries. The celebration will take place in the Wearparts building in Gothenburgs industrial park, east of Landmark Implement. Road signs will help direct traffic to the location. The business was successfully recruited through several local partnerships. The Gothenburg Improvement Co. and the city of Gothenburg spearheaded the project. A carbon-free energy resource will be provided by the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District and Dawson Public Power District, who currently are in the process of merging to become Platte River Public Power and Irrigation District. Nebraska Public Power District, the wholesale power supplier for Dawson Public Power District and the city of Gothenburg, is working with Dawson PPD and the city to provide the power supply and electrical service needs of the business. Central Platte Natural Resources District coordinated the usage of groundwater for the plant. Walmart Inc. is the worlds biggest company by revenue and its largest employer with over 2.2 million globally. It is a general merchandise discount retailer founded in 1962 by Sam Walton and remains a very tightly-held family-owned company to this day. At last look, the Walton family and its heirs owned more than 50% of the company through the family-holding company Walton Enterprises and individual holdings. As of October 2022, the company operated nearly 10,600 stores in 24 countries under 46 different banners. For example, Walmart de Mexico is the Mexican branch while Flipkart Wholesale is the companys operations in India. Sam Walton began his crusade to undercut retail competitors began in the early 1950s. He opened the first Wal-Mart Discount City store in 1962 and was able to leverage the brand to great success. It became a publicly traded company in 1972 and was the US's most profitable retailer by 1988. The chain went nationwide in the early 1990s and expanded to international markets soon after that. While the company has seen some success outside the US, those remain limited, and the US is the primary market and produces well over 60% of the revenue and earnings. Today, the company operates through three segments that include Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sam's Club. The stores offer groceries, health, beauty, apparel, footwear, household, furniture, automotive, electronics and recreational products among others. In addition, the company offers a wide variety of ancillary services that include automotive repair, tire change, vision/eyeglass services and financial services that include gift cards, prepaid wireless, check cashing and money transfers. Sams Club, launched in 1989, is the companys membership club brand. It is the second-largest membership club in North America and about 12% of Walmarts total revenue. Walmart is a Dividend Aristocrat with nearly 50 years of consecutive annual dividend increases to its credit. Based on the 2022 financial metrics, the company is capable of sustaining another several decades of increases at a low single-digit pace. Once a laggard in ESG, Walmart is now a leader in environmental, social, and governance issues. The companys efforts include increasing the efficiency of its truck and vehicle fleets to include the upgrade to electrification or hydrogen fuel cells. In terms of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles alone, the company had upgraded more than 9,500 of its warehouse and facility service machines to fuel cells as of mid-2022 and was also working to electrify its vehicle fleets. Visa Inc. is a US-based multinational financial services company formed from a consortium of US banks. It is the 2nd largest payment processor globally and the leading payment processor outside China. Its market share in 2021 was roughly 50% of global transaction volume x-China. Transactions are processed in 1 of 4 hardened data centers in key regions worldwide. The data centers are hardened against internal and external attacks, both physical and digital, and can operate independently of each, providing ample redundancy for the system. As of 2022, the company can process more than 30,000 transactions per second, making it the most viable solution for most use-case scenarios. Visa Inc. was founded in 1958 by Bank of America as the BankAmericard Credit Card network. Not only is the card itself of historical importance, but how it was launched is also. Bank of America launched the program with the first mass mailing of unsolicited credit cards, changing the nature of the entire consumer credit market. At the time, consumers often had several credit accounts with local merchants, which was cumbersome for financial record-keeping; by introducing a consumer-friendly credit card, Bank of America unified merchant credit accounts into one billing statement. The BankAmericard network was so popular, and to compete again with the then-number 1 MasterCard, Bank of America opened use to other financial institutions. By 1970 Bank of America had relinquished direct control of the institution allowing a consortium of financial institutions to operate the company. It was rebranded as Visa in 1976 and grew to become the dominant payment processing network in the decades since. Visa Inc is not a card issuer; it does not extend credit to consumers and does not set rates or fees for consumers. It is in business to provide electronic funds transfers services or EFT to financial institutions, banks, government and businesses. Entities needing financial payment processing infrastructure can enroll in VisaNet and issue Visa-branded cards and services to their clients and customers. Visa operated as four separate entities serving different regions of the globe until restructuring in 2006. The restructuring resulted in the merger of 3 of the four assets into Visa Inc, leaving Visa Europe as a stand-alone entity. The new Visa Inc held its IPO in 2007, selling half of its shares, raising nearly $18 billion or almost double the targeted amount. Visa Europe was later acquired by Visa Inc, forming the unified company traded today. Visa employs more than 26,500 individuals globally and brought in roughly $15 billion in revenue for fiscal 2021. The company has more than 3.9 billion active cards out globally; it has processed more than 255 billion transactions and is used by more than 80 million merchant locations. As a forward-thinking company, Visa is also engaged to some degree with the cryptocurrency markets and has partnerships with Coinbase and Crypto.com, among others. Eli Lilly and Company is a US-based multinational pharmaceutical company. It is the 12th largest pharmaceutical company by revenue and has offices in 16 countries. Its medicines are sold in at least 125 countries including its 8 blockbuster drugs. The company is a member of the S&P 500 and S&P 100 indices, it brought in roughly $5.5 billion in revenue for 2021 and employs more than 35,000 people across its network of research and production facilities. Eli Lilly and Company was founded in 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly. The colonel, a veteran of the Civil War, had recently dissolved an unsatisfactory partnership and set on his own to produce and develop medicinal chemicals. Colonel Lilly remained as president until his death in 1898. His charge to his family, company and coworkers was to take what you find here and make it better and better. The company is well-known for many drugs, including the first mass-marketing of quinine to treat malaria. The company brought in $4,470 in its first year and saw that figure grow 10X over the next 3. Among the many innovations during this time period is the addition of gelation coatings for pills which helped set the company up for rapid expansion. The company was incorporated in 1881 as Eli Lilly and Company issuing stock to family and friends. The 1900s brought about more change for the company, change in the form of expansion which included international markets. Advancements during the war years included increases in efficiency due to increased automation and the development of precision technologies. Among the technologies was pill manufacturing which included injecting medicines directly into a gelation capsule. This method allowed for more exact dosing, setting the standard for modern production. The company produced capsules for itself and sold excess capacity to competitors. Other major advancements include fruit flavorings in medicine, straight-line manufacturing and a method of blueprinting manufacturing tickets to prevent errors. The modern period saw the company grow and discover new, world-class pharmaceuticals. Today, the company is engaged in the discovery, development and marketing of human pharmaceuticals. It offers a wide range of treatments, including Prozac but is perhaps most noteworthy for its work with insulin. The company is the first to mass produce insulin and has made numerous advances in treating diabetes in the time since. While other drugs are more widely known, its diabetic drugs Basaglar, Jardience, Trulicity, Humalog and Humulin are its top-sellers and contribute the bulk of revenue and cash flow. Along with Diabetic research, the company also focuses on Alzheimer's, Oncology, Immunology, Obesity and Pain care. At the end of 2022, the company pipeline had 23 compounds in Phase 3 clinical trials and 1 in review. There were another 18 in Phase 2 trials and more than 2 dozen in Phase 1 trials. The average cost to discover a new drug was running at $2.6 billion with a 10-year discovery-to-patient timeline. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is a leading global biopharmaceutical company with a long and impressive history of innovating and developing medicines that improve the lives of patients around the world. Founded in 1887 when William McLaren Bristol and John Ripley Myers purchased the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company, the company was initially named Bristol, Myers and Company. Its first nationally recognized product, Sal Hepatica, was released in the 1890s. Bristol Myers-Squibb offers chemically synthesized drugs and biologics administered through injections or infusions to patients. The company's pharmaceutical portfolio includes a large number of well-known products. BMS's primary research and development sites are in New Jersey, California, Spain, Massachusetts, New York, Belgium, Japan, India and Massachusetts. The company's products sell to wholesalers and distributors around the world. Bristol Myers-Squibb has a robust pipeline of investigational medicines in its pipeline. In addition, the company has established strategic collaborations and partnerships with various companies, successfully launching new products. These partnerships and investments generate portions of the company's revenue. Bristol Myers-Squibb has acquired several companies over the years, including Medarex in 2009, ZymoGenetics in 2010, Inhibitex Inc. in 2012, Amylin Pharmaceuticals in 2012, iPierian in 2014, Flexus Biosciences in 2015, Cardioxyl in 2015, Padlock Therapeutics in 2016, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals in 2017, IFM Therapeutics in 2017, Celgene in 2019, Otezla in 2019, Forbius in 2020, MyoKardia in 2020 and Turning Point Therapeutics in 2022. In 2005, the company divested individual consumer products and its subsequent consumer products businesses. In December 2014, the company received FDA approval for its cancer drug, Opdivo, used to treat skin cancers that do not respond to drug therapies. In 2019, the company divested its consumer health business, UPSA, to Taisho. The company has also faced several scandals, lawsuits and investigations over the years, the biggest of which is the ongoing $1 billion lawsuit from Guatemala for the company's role in a 1940s experiment that infected hundreds with syphilis. In 2001 BMS faced an accounting scandal that resulted in a restatement of revenues from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, BMS faced a lawsuit based on illegally maintaining a monopoly on Taxol, a chemotherapy medication. The former head of the pharma group and the ex-CFO were indicted for federal securities violations in 2005. In July of 2006, an FBI raid on the company's corporate offices revealed that the company took steps to delay the release of a generic version of one of its drugs. BMS began a significant restructuring in 2009, focusing on the pharmaceutical business and biologic products, productivity initiatives and cost-cutting. The U.S. attorney forced the company into oversight and appointed a monitor as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. Lou Schmukler joined Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2010 as global product development and design president. In 2013, Forbes magazine ranked the company as the drug company of the year. Dr. Giovanni Caforio took the reigns as CEO in 2015. In 2017, reports began to surface that activist investor Carl Icahn took a stake in the company, widely seen as a signal for a potential future takeover. As Bristol-Myers Squibb continues to experience success and growth, the company is committed to delivering innovative treatments to patients and staying ahead of the curve in the biopharmaceutical industry. With its focus on research and development and a long and rich history of delivering innovative medicines, BMS offers an excellent long-term investment opportunity. Episode 95: As we prepare to celebrate our nations 245th birthday, many Americans seem to have a distorted view of what it means to be patriotic or dont consider themselves to be patriotic at all. When asked, many people of all political persuasions say were doing so many things wrong in this country, we dont have a reason to celebrate. Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada talk about why patriotism is important and what steps we can take to bring back this important virtue. Links to stories discussed during the podcast: The necessity of patriotism (even in times like these), by David Brooks, The New York Times How Americans view the American flag, and other symbolic flags, in 2022, Linley Sanders, YouGov About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. WASHINGTON (AP) Eager to impeach President Joe Biden, hard-right House Republicans forced a vote Thursday that sent the matter to congressional committees in a clear demonstration of the challenge that Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces in controlling the majority party. The ability of single lawmaker in the 435-member House to drive an impeachment resolution this week caught Republicans off guard and many of them viewed it as a distraction from other priorities. The measure charges Biden with high crimes and misdemeanors over his handling of the U.S. border with Mexico. Rep. Lauren Boebert, backed by allies, was able to use House rules to force a snap vote on such a grave constitutional matter. The 219-208 party-line vote sent her resolution to committees for possible consideration, like any other bill. They are under no obligation to do anything. Still, Boebert, R-Colo., argued during debate, The House is taking historic action." The episode underscores the hold that the House conservative flank exerts over McCarthy, compelling him to accommodate their hard-right priorities if he wants to stay in power. Conservatives are gearing up for more. The process Boebert employed is the same method that Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., relied on to force a vote Wednesday to censure Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff over his investigations into Donald Trump's ties to Russia. Theres going to be no end to this, Schiff said. Kevin McCarthy has no control over his conference, Schiff said. The race to the extreme is now running the House of Representatives and of course its doing terrible damage to the institution. During Thursday's debate, Republicans were admonished multiple times by the presiding officer to tone down their remarks. Democrats argued that the case against Biden made a mockery of the seriousness of impeachment and was merely an attempt to distract from the twice-impeached Trump, the former Republican president now indicted for hording classified documents under the Espionage Act. Today they're dishonoring this House and dishonoring themselves by bringing to the floor this ridiculous impeachment referral resolution, said Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, suggesting Trump put his allies up to it. "This body has become a place where extreme, outlandish and nutty issues get debated passionately, and important ones not at all," McGovern said. In short, the Republican Party is a joke. The vote capped days of maneuvering by McCarthy, R-Calif., to quell the uprising within his party over a roll call that many did not to take. A sudden vote to impeach Biden would have been politically difficult for GOP lawmakers and a potentially embarrassing spectacle for McCarthy, splitting his party. In a private meeting Wednesday, McCarthy encouraged lawmakers to consider the traditional process for bringing such consequential legislation forward. Boebert had used what is called a privileged resolution to force the vote. In the end, McCarthy negotiated a deal with her to send the Biden impeachment resolution for review to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee, fending off a vote for some time. I think its best for everybody, McCarthy said. But conservatives said more such votes are ahead. We are just beginning, said Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, an influential member of the House Freedom Caucus. Conservatives are lining up votes, for example, to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and censure Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, who was the chairman of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Its part of their effort to steer control of the House from the traditional centers of power, including the speakers office. This is what we were talking about, said Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a leader in the conservative efforts to block McCarthys rise to speaker. Boebert said that if the committees drag their feet, she would bring her resolution back to the floor every day for the rest of my time here in Congress, forcing a House vote on Bidens impeachment. Rank-and-file Republicans were angry at being forced into the position of having to vote on a resolution to impeach Biden even though they had not gone through the traditional process of an impeachment inquiry. They resented a single lawmaker jumping the queue of priorities. In one fiery exchange overheard Wednesday on the House floor, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., laid into Boebert for taking the Biden impeachment on her own. Greene has her own articles of impeachment against the president. Greene confirmed a report about the exchange later and said of Boebert, She has a great skill and talent for making most people here not like her. Boebert declined to comment about the conversation, only saying it's "not middle school." Trump was impeached twice on corruption and obstruction charges over withholding military aid to Ukraine while seeking political dirt on Biden, and later on charges of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. Both times, Trump was acquitted by the Senate. An Israeli drone killed three militant gunmen in the West Bank on Wednesday, in a rare strike that came hours after settlers attacked Palestinian towns, torching cars and buildings in retaliation for an attack by Hamas gunmen a day earlier. The strike near the flashpoint city of Jenin came amid a surge in violence over recent days in the occupied West Bank, where for over a year the military has been conducting regular sweeps leading to repeated clashes with Palestinian fighters. The Israeli military (IDF) said a squad of militants was identified in a vehicle after they carried out a shooting attack near the town of Jalamah. A statement by the Islamic Jihad militant group said two of the men were Islamic Jihad fighters while the third was from the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades armed wing of the Fatah movement. Although surveillance drones are commonplace, the strike by an Elbit Hermes drone, which followed a rare use of helicopter gunships in the operation in Jenin, was the first by the Israeli military in the West Bank since 2006, the IDF said. This is about removing a threat we identified a vehicle shooting at the crossing and removed the threat, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a tweet. Hours earlier, Israeli settlers rampaged through Palestinian towns in the West Bank in retaliation for the killing of four Israelis by Hamas gunmen who opened fire on a roadside restaurant near the settlement of Eli. In Turmus Ayya, a prosperous town near Ramallah, footage showed cars ablaze with thick clouds of black smoke swirling above and people carrying an injured person to an ambulance. They tried to enter the courtyard, they set the cars on fire, they started shooting towards the house using live bullets and stones and they broke the balconies, said resident Noman Shalab. The IDF said troops had entered Turmus Ayya to put out fires and prevent clashes and it said the Israeli civilians had left the town. We will not accept any provocations to the police or the security forces in these places or anywhere else, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. One Palestinian was shot dead during the attack while at least one other was critically injured, Palestinian health officials said. Residents of a number of other Palestinian towns reported settler attacks after the killings and senior ministers in Netanyahus government called for a full-scale military operation across the West Bank. Yaqoub Oweis, chairman of the village council of Al-Lubban Al-Sharqeya near Ramallah, said Israeli soldiers and police stood by as a large group of settlers burned a petrol station, orchards, a cement factory and dozens of cars. The attack was unprecedented and abnormal, he said. There was heavy gunfire but we couldnt distinguish whether it came from settlers or the soldiers because of the darkness. WE NEED TO FLATTEN BUILDINGS The U.S. condemned the settler violence and called for Israeli authorities to immediately stop the violence, protect U.S. and Palestinian civilians, and prosecute those responsible. Both Egypt and Jordan, which have diplomatic relations with Israel, condemned the attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement. It is crucial to reduce tensions and to prevent further escalation. Israel, as the Occupying Power, must ensure that the civilian population is protected against all acts of violence, and that perpetrators are held to account, Haq said. Even as the settler attacks took place, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, from one of the hard-right parties in Netanyahus religious-nationalist coalition, led calls for tougher action against Palestinian militants. We need a military operation, we need to flatten buildings, we need targeted killings, he told parliament on Wednesday. Thats how you act against terrorism. Some other ministers played down the demand for additional measures. Theres no need for any new decisions, only adaptation of existing ones, Energy Minister Israel Katz, a member of the government Security Cabinet, told Army Radio. Netanyahus office said Israel planned to add 1,000 new homes to the Eli settlement, defying international calls for a halt to new settlement projects. Palestinians have complained repeatedly of attacks by settlers in the West Bank, an issue that has also drawn mounting international concern. There has been no sign of any new effort to find a political solution, however. U.S.-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, collapsed in 2014. Netanyahus government includes members who rule out a Palestinian state while Hamas, which advocates armed resistance against Israel, has been steadily expanding its operations in the West Bank. Mondays military arrest raid in Jenin, the apparent trigger for the killing of the four Israelis, touched off hours of fighting with heavily armed Palestinian militants. Seven Palestinians died, more than 90 were wounded and seven Israeli personnel were wounded. So far this year, 174 Palestinians, most of them militants but several of them civilians, have been killed by Israeli forces. At the same time, 24 Israelis and one foreigner have been killed in attacks by Palestinians in the West Bank, around Jerusalem and in some Israeli cities. SOURCE: REUTERS Follow along for live updates on the submersible that imploded deep in the Atlantic Ocean, killing all five people aboard during a voyage down to the Titanic shipwreck. TITAN'S CATASTROPIC IMPLOSION LIKELY KILLED 5 OCCUPANTS INSTANTLY Experts say the Titan submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion that likely killed its pilot and four passengers instantly amid the intense water pressure in the deep North Atlantic. Maritime researchers called an implosion the worst possible outcome of all the scenarios envisioned during the desperate round-the-clock search to find the missing vessel. Experts had cautioned that under intense pressure at extreme depths the Titans hull could implode, which would result in instant death for anyone aboard the vessel. The 22-foot long (6.7-meter long), 23,000-pound (10,432-kilogram) Titans larger internal volume while still cramped with a maximum of five seated people meant it was subjected to more external pressure. The water pressure at 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) below the surface at the site of the Titanic wreck is roughly 400 atmospheres or 6,000 pounds per square inch. What to know: What caused the Titan to implode? Right now, its not even clear who will lead the investigation How the unconventional design of the Titan sub may have destined it for disaster A Titanic expert, an adventurer, a CEO, and a father and son were killed in Titans implosion Tourist subs implosion draws attention to murky regulations of deep-sea expeditions Titanic director James Cameron says the search for the missing sub became a nightmarish charade How much did Titan submersible search cost? US Coast Guards bill alone will be in the millions The latest on the Titan submersible tragedy and whats next in the recovery efforts TITAN PASSENGERS LIKELY SIGNED WAIVERS TO ACKNOWLEDGE RISK The four passengers who died this week when the Titan imploded were most likely asked to sign liability waivers. One of the waivers, signed by a person who planned to go on an OceanGate expedition, required passengers to acknowledge risks involved with the trip on the Titan vessel and any support vessels. The waiver, which was reviewed by The Associated Press, said that passengers could experience physical injury, disability, emotional trauma and death while on board the Titan. Passengers also waive the right to take action for personal injury, property damage or any other loss that they experience on the trip, the document states. The form also makes it clear that the vessel is experimental and constructed of materials that have not been widely used for manned submersibles. The waiver could play an outsized role as families of those who died consider their legal options. Legal experts said that what the investigation into the disaster uncovers will determine much about the case, including what caused the vessel to implode. CANADAS TRANSPORTATION BOARD LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION The Transportation Safety Board of Canada said Friday its launching an investigation involving the loss of the Titan that will focus on the cargo vessel Polar Prince. Polar Prince is a Canadian-flagged ship that served as mothership to the Titan submersible. The Transportation Safety Board will investigate the Polar Prince in its role as a support vessel and will conduct a safety investigation into the circumstances of the operation, the agency said. The agency said a team of investigators is traveling to St. Johns, Newfoundland and Labrador to gather information and conduct interviews. It said it will coordinate with other agencies in the days ahead. There were 17 crew members and 24 people on board the Polar Prince, the agency said. TITANS UNCONVENTIONAL DESIGN SUBJECTED CRAFT TO MORE WATER PRESSURE The deadly implosion of the Titan submersible raises questions about whether the vessel exploring the Titanic wreckage was destined for disaster because of its unconventional design and its creators refusal to submit to safety checks that are standard in the industry. The Titan, owned and operated by OceanGate Expeditions, first began taking people to the Titanic in 2021. It was touted for a design that included a carbon fiber composite hull and an elongated chamber for crew and passengers a departure from more traditional spherical cabin areas and all-titanium construction. Experts say the cabin where people sit in most submersibles is spherical because water pressure is exerted equally on all areas. By comparison, the Titans chamber was a larger, more elongated tube shape. The 22-foot long (6.7-meter long), 23,000-pound (10,400-kilogram) Titans larger internal volume while still cramped with a maximum of five seated people meant it was subjected to more external pressure. While OceanGate promoted the Titans carbon fiber and titanium construction as lighter in weight and more efficient to mobilize than other deep diving submersible, experts say carbon composites have limited life when subject to excessive loads or poor design which leads to stress concentrations. ADVENTURERS DROP OCEANGATE FRAUD LAWSUIT AFTER TITAN TRAGEDY A pair of adventurers who sued OceanGate for fraud said they have dropped their lawsuit against the company that owned the Titan submersible. Sharon and Marc Hagle sued OceanGate after they put money down for a trip to the Titanic wreckage site and the voyage never happened. The couple said the trip was both rescheduled and canceled, and they were told they would not receive a refund. The Hagles are adventurers who became the first married couple on a commercial space flight last year, according to Purdue University, Marcs alma mater. The couple said in a statement to The Associated Press on Friday that they have decided to drop their legal action in the wake of CEO Stockton Rushs death, along with four passengers, and the loss of the Titan at sea. Money is a driving force in our economy, but honor, respect and dignity are more important to the human soul, the statement read. We wish the entire OceanGate family and the families of those aboard the Titan the very best as they grieve the loss of their loved ones. COST OF SEARCH FOR TITAN WILL EASILY STRETCH INTO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS The cost of the search for the missing Titan submersible will easily stretch into the millions of dollars for the U.S. Coast Guard alone. The Canadian Coast Guard, U.S. Navy and other agencies and private entities also rushed to provide resources and expertise. Theres no other comparable ocean search, especially with so many countries and even commercial enterprises being involved, said Norman Polmar, a naval historian, analyst and author based in Virginia. The aircraft, alone, are expensive to operate. The Pentagon has put the hourly cost at tens of thousands of dollars for turboprop P-3 Orion and jet-powered P-8 Poseidon sub hunters, along with C-130 Hercules, all utilized in the search. Some agencies can seek reimbursements. But the U.S. Coast Guard is generally prohibited by federal law from collecting reimbursement pertaining to any search or rescue service, said Stephen Koerting, a U.S. attorney in Maine who specializes in maritime law. The first priority in search and rescue is always saving a life, and search and rescue agencies budget for such expenses, said Mikki Hastings, president and CEO of the National Association for Search and Rescue. Rescue agencies dont want people in distress to be thinking about the cost of a helicopter or other resources when a life is in danger. Every person who is missing they deserve to be found. Thats the mission regardless of who they are, Hastings said. TITANS IMPLOSION HIGHLIGHTS MURKY REGULATIONS FOR DEEP-SEA VOYAGES The Titans voyage down into the North Atlantic highlights the murkily regulated waters of deep-sea exploration. Its a space on the high seas where laws and conventions can be sidestepped by risk-taking entrepreneurs and the wealthy tourists who help fund their dreams. At least for now. Thursdays announcement by the U.S. Coast Guard that the Titan had imploded near the Titanic shipwreck, killing all five people on board, has drawn attention to how these expeditions are regulated. The Titan operated in international waters, far from the reach of many laws of the United States or other nations. It wasnt registered as a U.S. vessel or with international agencies that regulate safety, nor was it classified by a maritime industry group that sets standards on matters such as hull construction. Stockton Rush, the OceanGate Expeditions CEO and Titan pilot who was among the dead, had said he didnt want to be bogged down by such standards. Experts say wrongful death and negligence lawsuits are likely in the Titan case and they could be successful. But legal actions will face various challenges, including waivers signed by the Titan passengers that warned of the myriad ways they could die. CRITICS POINT TO LACK OF CERTIFICATION FOR TITAN SUBMERSIBLE Bob Ballard, a member of the research team that found the Titanic wreck in 1985, called the lack of certification by outside experts the smoking gun in the case of the Titan submersible. The U.S. Coast Guard announced Thursday that the Titan, a small craft headed to the wreck of the Titanic, suffered a catastrophic implosion, killing all five aboard. Weve made thousands and thousands and thousands of dives with other countries as well to these depths and have never had an incident, Ballard said Friday on ABCs Good Morning America. So this is the first time, and the smoking gun is that this is the first time by a submarine that wasnt classed. Appearing on the same show, Titanic director James Cameron called the lack of certification by an engineering entity or classing bureau a critical failure. He described several potential problems with the Titans design, but said the weakest link was the carbon fiber composite hull. You dont use composites for vessels that are seeing external pressure. Theyre great for internal pressure vessels, like scuba tanks, for example, but theyre terrible for external pressure, he said. So this was trying to apply aviation thinking to a deep submergence engineering problem. And we all said this was a flawed idea. COAST GUARD SAYS FOCUS REMAINS ON SEARCH, OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION YET TO BE LAUNCHED Still focused on the search, the U.S. Coast Guard said Friday that an official investigation has yet to be launched into the disappearance and implosion of the Titan submersible. Coast Guard officials announced Thursday that the craft that was headed to the wreck of the Titanic suffered a catastrophic implosion, killing all five aboard. On Friday morning, the Coast Guard said an official investigation had not yet been launched because the agencies involved were focused on the search and still determining who has the appropriate jurisdiction and authority to lead it. Possibilities include the U.S. Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard, other federal or international agencies, or a joint effort. The Coast Guard also said it was too soon to say whether any policy changes would be made. Rescuers on Wednesday rushed more ships and vessels to the area where a submersible disappeared on its way to the Titanic wreckage site, hoping underwater sounds they detected for a second straight day might help narrow their search in an increasingly urgent mission. Crews were scouring an area twice the size of Connecticut in waters 2 1/2 miles deep, said Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District, who noted that authorities are still holding out hope of saving the five passengers onboard the Titan. This is a search and rescue mission, 100%, he said. ... Well continue to put every available asset that we have in an effort to find the Titan and the crew members. But even those who expressed optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the vessels location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface assuming its still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers oxygen supply runs out, which some have estimated might happen as early as Thursday morning. Meanwhile, newly uncovered allegations suggest there had been significant warnings made about vessel safety during the submersibles development. The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan went missing on Sunday is prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guards International Ice Patrol. The lost submersible could be as deep as about 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) below the surface near the watery tomb of the Titanic. Key to the search are camera-equipped remote-operated robots, which are designed to scan the seafloor in real-time at depths other vessels cant reach. Two were operating in the area Wednesday and more were on the way, officials said. Frederick said while the sounds that have been detected offered a chance to narrow the search, their exact location and source hasn't yet been determined. "We don't know what they are, to be frank, he said. Retired Navy Capt. Carl Hartsfield, now the director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, said the sounds have been described as banging noises, but he warned that search crews have to put the whole picture together in context and they have to eliminate potential manmade sources other than the Titan. The report was encouraging to some experts because submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their submersibles hull to be detected by sonar. A U.S. Navy official said during a media briefing Wednesday that a special naval salvage system that could be used to pull the Titan to the surface has arrived in St. Johns, Canada, but it is expected to take another 24 hours to prepare it for use. The Navy said in a statement that the equipment is capable of hoisting large, bulky and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels." The Titan weighs 20,000 pounds (9,071 kilograms). The Navys Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System is designed to lift up to 60,000 pounds (27,216kilograms). The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon. Lost aboard the vessel are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers are a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert. Authorities reported the 22-foot carbon-fiber vessel overdue Sunday night, setting off the search in waters about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. Johns. The submersible had a four-day oxygen supply when it put to sea around 6 a.m. Sunday, according to David Concannon, an adviser to OceanGate Expeditions, which oversaw the mission. Frank Owen, a submarine search and rescue expert, said the estimated 96-hour oxygen supply is a useful target for searchers, but is only based on a nominal amount of consumption." Owen said the diver on board the Titan would likely be advising passengers to do anything to reduce your metabolic levels so that you can actually extend this." Titans passengers were likely enduring extremely difficult conditions, including temperatures just above freezing, said Jeff Karson, a professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University. I am sure it is horrible down there, Karson said. It is like being in a snow cave and hypothermia is a real danger. At least 46 people successfully traveled on OceanGates submersible to the Titanic wreck site in 2021 and 2022, according to letters the company filed with a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, that oversees matters involving the Titanic shipwreck. But documents show that OceanGate had been warned there might be catastrophic safety problems posed by the way the experimental vessel was developed. David Lochridge, OceanGates director of marine operations, said in a 2018 lawsuit that the companys testing and certification was insufficient and would subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible. The company insisted that Lochridge was not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan. The firm also says the vessel under development was a prototype, not the now-missing Titan. The Marine Technology Society, which describes itself as a professional group of ocean engineers, technologists, policy-makers, and educators, also expressed concern that year in a letter to Rush, OceanGates chief executive. The society said it was critical that the company submit its prototype to tests overseen by an expert third party before launching in order to safeguard passengers. The New York Times first reported on those documents. Chris Brown, a British adventurer who paid a deposit to go on the Titan voyage but later withdrew because of what he called safety concerns, has criticized the use of a simple commercially available video game controller to steer the Titan. But OceanGate has said that many of the vessels parts are off-the-shelf because they have proved to be dependable. Its meant for a 16-year-old to throw it around, and is super durable, Rush told the CBC in an interview last year while he demonstrated by throwing the controller around the Titans tiny cabin. He said a couple of spares are kept on board just in case. The search for the missing vessel has drawn international attention. In Dubai, where the missing British adventurer Hamish Harding lives, Crown Prince Hamadan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum wrote: Dubai and its people pray for their safety and hopeful return home. Others aboard include Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, whose eponymous firm invests across the country. In Pakistan's port city of Karachi, employees at his firms said they prayed for the two's safe return, as did government officials. French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet also was on the vessel. Retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, who is now deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University, said the disappearance of the submersible underscores the dangers associated with operating in deep water and the recreational exploration of the sea and space, "two environments where in recent past weve seen people operate in hazardous, potentially lethal environments, Murrett said. I think some people believe that because modern technology is so good, that you can do things like this and not have accidents, but thats just not the case," he said. Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Ben Finley in Norfolk, Virginia; and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report. MINISTER for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, has announced funding of 1 million to support 122 agricultural shows across the country. The investment, announced this Thursday, represents a 40% increase on last years allocation and brings the total of overall investments to 3.3 million. The Department of Rural and Community Development says it will work with the Irish Shows Association to administer the Scheme. The grants from the Department of Rural and Community Development will support show committees in staging their events over the summer season. Announcing the funding, Minister Humphreys said: Our agricultural shows sum up all that is good about rural Ireland. They are intrinsically linked to that sense of community that our rural towns and villages are known for. The shows are key dates in the summer calendar and are a central point for the agri-food industry, the farming community and our local artisan producers. These shows are also a fantastic family day out, where people come to catch up and enjoy a truly unique experience. Welcoming the funding today, National Secretary of the Irish Shows Association, Jim Harrison, said: Our agricultural Shows are so important in rural Ireland for two reasons, their economic value and their social value. They bring great economic benefits to our rural towns and villages. They also bring such social benefits, which can never be bought. OSCAR-winning actress Judi Dench is to be presented with the Irish Academy Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the world of film and television. The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA), which celebrates 20 years this year, will present Dame Judi Dench with her award on July 6. This special Irish Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recognises Dame Judi's body of work and her remarkable achievements. From Shakespearean stage roles to iconic film performances, Dame Judi Dench is one of the worlds most versatile and respected actors, with an illustrious career that spans over six decades. Beloved by her peers and public alike, her performances have earned her awards and accolades across the globe. Dame Judi Dench expressed how honoured she feels to be acknowledged here in Ireland for her body of work. "It's especially wonderful for me to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish Film and Television Academy, as my family are from Ireland and it gives me a wonderful excuse to return to Dublin." AN ELECTRICIAN has been jailed for three years after he admitted money laundering almost 270,000 in cash which was found in bundles scattered around his home and in his van. Patrick O'Reilly, aged 36, of Parsons Court, Newcastle, County Dublin came before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last month on signed District Court pleas. He pleaded guilty to possessing 269,280 in various amounts of cash which were discovered in his home and in a breakfast cereal box in his work van on June 14, 2022. O'Reilly also admitted possessing a small quantity of cocaine on the same date and having the Signal messaging app on a mobile phone in order to assist in committing money-laundering. At a hearing this Thursday, the court heard that O'Reilly told gardai who arrived to search his home that he owed a debt. Passing sentence, Judge Orla Crowe said this explanation of a debt was hard to square given that O'Reilly had 20,000 in savings in a bank account at the time. He was caught red-handed, said the judge. He had been entrusted with a huge amount of money on behalf of a West Dublin-based gang operating internationally in the importation of drugs, she added. Judge Crowe set a headline sentence of four years and described O'Reilly as vital cog in the money laundering operation, whose role was to count, bundle and seal significant amounts of cash with a vacuum packer. She reduced the sentence by one year based on several mitigating factors including O'Reilly's early plea in the District Court, his cooperation with gardai and the fact that it was his first time to engage in this type of offending. The court heard that O'Reilly was one of six people arrested as part of an investigation into the activities of an organised crime group based in West Dublin which is involved in the importation and distribution of controlled drugs. Detective Garda Liam Mangan from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau said O'Reilly came to their attention in connection with suspected money-laundering linked to the group. Det Mangan told the court that O'Reilly's apartment was searched in June 2022 on foot of a warrant. The detective agreed with Edward Doocey BL, prosecuting, that gardai entered the apartment by force and found the accused in a ground floor bedroom, with large amounts of cash around him. Further quantities of cash were found stacked in bundles in different rooms, totalling 179,000. Three mobile phones and vacuum-packing equipment were also seized. A further search of O'Reilly's work van yielded just under 90,000 in cash concealed in a breakfast cereal box and a tool box. Gardai also found a small quantity of cocaine, which O'Reilly said was for his own personal use. O'Reilly told gardai that he had received the cash two days earlier and that none of it was his. This is my first time involved in criminality. I've not made any money or profited from this. I owe a debt, that's it, O'Reilly told gardai. The mobile phones were analysed and one of them revealed the encrypted messaging application Signal, which can delete messages once they have been read. This phone was found to contain messages between a number of people to arrange collection of the cash in the hours and days before the apartment was searched. These communications led to another person being arrested. The court heard that O'Reilly has had full-time employment as an electrician and was in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payment in 2020 and 2021. O'Reilly has two previous convictions for public order offences stemming from a single incident in 2007. John Berry BL, defending, said his client was using cocaine at the time of the offence; that he had accumulated a debt and that was how he involved himself in criminality. Defence counsel presented several testimonials on behalf of O'Reilly, including one from the company where he has worked for seven years, describing him as one their best employees. The reference described O'Reilly as hardworking and dedicated and said they would happily take him back. Another letter from O'Reilly's ex-partner and the mother of their child described him as a good and reliable father who was fully engaged in the raising of their teenage son. O'Reilly also wrote a handwritten letter to the court apologising and taking full responsibility for the offence. He said that in 2021 he had found himself struggling to cope after the loss of a friend and had turned to drink and drugs. O'Reilly said it had been a downward spiral and that he had run up a huge bill using cocaine. Judge Orla Crowe also ordered the confiscation and forfeiture of the cash. June 22, 2023 Students in schools and colleges struggle with completing assignments on time. The process of writing an essay, even a short 500-word one, requires a lot of researching and turning data into a workable outline. Then comes the phase to write text under headings and give the essay its ultimate shape. We have seen in our observations that writers in their early academic lives do not have much training and expertise to compose unique essays. Since they want to secure excellent grades, finding the best essay writing services becomes almost a necessity. Thats why this post will help you find the right essay writing company in the USA and Canada. Need For The Best Essay Writing Service in Canada There are many reasons why professional companies are better than more qualified peers and siblings. First, they have academic writers who hold advanced degrees in their relevant disciplines and extensive experience in writing and editing papers and essays. Second, they have a system in place to accept orders and process them timely. Third, you can get revisions and reviews on the order. Companies like WME offer multiple revisions until you are satisfied. Last but not least, when you find a reliable brand, they do not charge much and provide good value for money. Finding Top Essay Writing Services in the USA So, you have made up your mind to find top essay writing services in Canada https://writemyessay.ca/ and USA. But the real work starts here as you do not know what a reliable company looks like. But fret not, we have designed a complete guide that can help you find the right service provider for your academic needs. Customer Reviews This is something that is not exclusive to the academic writing company. Customer reviews can help you look at the company from the eyes of a former client. In many cases, you can get answers to your questions, such as timeliness, reliability, and overall quality of the finished products from customer reviews. In finding the right academic essay writing service, it is necessary to go through customer reviews before moving forward. Qualified Native Writers Again, this is a no-brainer for academic writing companies to have qualified native writers. WriteMyEssay prides itself on recruiting the best writers and editors in the market. We take great pains in hiring them through multiple tests and interviews. During the employment period, we arrange multiple workshops and seminars to make sure that they have advanced knowledge of the field. Work Samples All professional companies use their samples as marketing materials. They know that students will ask for samples once they decide so they put them out on the display. If a company is not already showing samples, you can ask for them to send you a couple. If they dont, this is a bright red flag and you must avoid the brand at all costs. Pricing Structure Price can be a deal-breaker for students since they always seek cheap essay writing services in Canada and the USA. In other terms, they look for better value for money, above everything else. This is another area where WriteMyEssay shines through. For reference, we only charge around $13 for a page of an essay with complete references and citations. Delivery Slots In many cases, students place their orders when only a couple of days or even hours left before the deadline. They need a brand that can deliver best essay writing services https://trustanalytica.com/online/best-urgent-essay-writing-services in a tight frame. WriteMyEssay has quick delivery slots, ranging from one hour to six hours before the deadline. Get The Best Essay Writing Service in USA and Canada When you find and hire a reliable company for academic writing, you get more than half of your work right there. They will take care of the researching, writing, and editing processes and deliver you a flawless piece of writing. So, what are you waiting for? Place your order now! [June 21, 2023] IPLUSMOBOT's Intelligent Mobile Robot Products Debut at the 2023 Manufacturing World Tweet TOKYO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- From June 21-23, the 2023 Manufacturing World Tokyo Station took place at the Big Sight Exhibition Hall. IPLUSMOBOT, one of the high-tech companies independently researching and manufacturing intelligent mobile robots, showcased its series of solutions for flexible intralogistics in smart manufacturing factories at Hall 7, booths 59-60, attracting numerous visitors for visiting and discussion. As smart manufacturing & automation technologies continues to develop, IPLUSMOBOT, with the support of its Japanese system integrator partners, has successfully launched various series autonomous mobile robot solutions in Japanese market, creating intelligent logistics pplications for different industries and scenarios. This has helped customers achieve unmanned handling and addressed the problem of insufficient labor force for heavy object handling and transportation. At this exhibition, IPLUSMOBOT brought its EMMA and FOLA product series. The EMMA 400L features a compact body design with a 400 kg payload capacity, capable of navigating through narrow passages as small as 70 cm. By equipping different tools such as collaborative arms, rollers, and customized top modules, it can easily accomplish automated transfer and loading/unloading of various materials, finished products, and semi-finished products between different production processes. The FOLA QN1416 reaching truck unmanned forklift has a rated load capacity of 1400 kg and a lifting height of 1600 mm, making it apply to the automatic loading/ unloading, inbound/outbound and transportation of various types of pallets in warehouses. Its wide range of applications is made possible by its laser SLAM, vision, and IMU-based navigation technology, allowing the QN1416 to operate in rainy weather and seamlessly switch between indoor and outdoor environments while maintaining high efficiency. Additionally, its 360 directional moving design further adapts to the flexible operation needs of narrow aisles. In the future, IPLUSMOBOT will continue to establish its presence in the Japanese market, working closely with its automation system integrator partners to provide local users with stable, reliable smart manufacturing logistics solutions and services, and creating higher comprehensive values for clients. Contact us: [email protected] Official website: http://www.iplusmobot.jp View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/iplusmobots-intelligent-mobile-robot-products-debut-at-the-2023-manufacturing-world-301857104.html SOURCE IPLUSMOBOT [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 21, 2023] Bud marks third birthday with new service offering and playbook for startups Tweet SINGAPORE, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bud, an award-winning PR and content agency for disruptor brands, marks its third anniversary with the launch of Moonshot, a new offering specifically designed for Asia-Pacific's hottest start-ups. Moonshot is a lightweight yet powerful program aimed at early-stage startups looking to take their communications to the next level. This is achieved by establishing their press office, developing their core messaging across different audiences, preparing their spokespeople for the limelight and rolling out their first communications plan. Bud created Moonshot after identifying a gap in the PR & Communications agency landscape for a lightweight, cost-effective plug and play solution for early-stage startups. In tandem, Bud has also released a primer for startups looking to get their foot on the communications & PR ladder. Entitled Startup to Scale-Up: How PR & Communications can help young businesses earn trust, secure funding and build their dream teams, the playbook covers a range of foundational points for start-up founders, from honing your employee communications, giving informed viewpoints on trending news topics, to ligning a founder's personal brand with their company's. "Bud has always been invested in enabling transformative startups to thrive", said Oliver Budgen, CEO & Founder of Bud. "Many startups aren't ready to invest in full-blown agency retainers and so we built Moonshot to offer fit-for-purpose PR, helping early-stage startups to get a leg-up and achieve the recognition they deserve in the market." "In our experience, many critical challenges that startups face can benefit from the application of a practical communications strategy from the start. With Moonshot, we hope to empower early-stage startups to tell their stories, build credibility, and achieve their ambitious goals from day one," Oliver concluded. For startup founders looking for more information about Moonshot, please contact [email protected] or visit www.budcomms.com . To download a copy of Startup to Scale-Up: How PR & Communications can help young businesses earn trust, secure funding and build their dream teams, visit https://www.budcomms.com/startup-pr-communications-playbook . About Bud We are a refreshingly effective PR & Content agency who solve communications problems by crafting stories and strategies that build trust, earn fandom and provoke action. Our integrated communications services are designed for ambitiously disruptive organisations positively changing the world through ideas, technology or both. Since launching in 2020, we've been recognised as APAC's leading independent Boutique Agency of the Year by PR Week, PRCA and Marketing Interactive. Visit us at www.budcomms.com to learn more. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/bud-marks-third-birthday-with-new-service-offering-and-playbook-for-startups-301856874.html SOURCE Bud [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] PARIS SUMMIT: World Leaders and the Public Urged to 'Listen to Mia' at 'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' Global Event as Richard Curtis launches new video to mark the occasion Tweet LONDON, June 22, 2023 /CNW/ -- World-famous screen writer, director and UN Advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals Richard Curtis, is urging everyone - including World Leaders - to 'Listen to Mia' at Global Citizen's Power Our Planet: Live in Paris event, being held in Paris on 22nd June to coincide with The Summit for a New Financial Pact. A new video, featuring Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and created by Curtis, will be played to a crowd of twenty thousand at the free, ticketed event, which will include performances from global superstars such as Lenny Kravitz and Billie Eilish. Curtis created the film to amplify the voice and profile of Prime Minister Mottley - Co-Chair of the Power Our Planet campaign and also Co-Chair of the UN Advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals. Power Our Planet: Live in Paris is taking place on the sidelines of the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, hosted by President Macron. The Summit is attempting to lay the groundwork for a new financial system that is fairer and more equitable globally, and will see world leaders come together to take action on thes global challenges and accelerate the much-needed transition. The Power Our Planet event, which takes place in front of the Eiffel Tower, aims to drive commitments from world leaders and the private sector in support of Global Citizen's campaign, which is calling for a seismic shift in the way the world's financial systems work to give the world's poor and developing nations access to the financing they urgently need. Richard Curtis, co-founder and the creative director of Project Everyone, said: "This is a crucial moment for action. There is real momentum behind Mia Mottley's Bridgetown Initiative, and combined with new leadership at the World Bank, we have a rare window of opportunity for transformative change. "Global finance systems desperately need an upgrade to respond to today's crises and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. With bold leadership from world leaders from the G7 as well as from Ajay Banga, the new President of the World Bank, we all stand to benefit from a safer, secure and sustainable planet." Images to support the campaign and a link to the full press release can be found HERE. Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2107652/Project_Everyone.mp4 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2107659/Project_Everyone.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/paris-summit-world-leaders-and-the-public-urged-to-listen-to-mia-at-power-our-planet-live-in-paris-global-event-as-richard-curtis-launches-new-video-to-mark-the-occasion-301857416.html SOURCE Project Everyone [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] Resilience Launches into European Market, Opens Operations in Ireland, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and Denmark Tweet LONDON, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Less than a year after launching in the United Kingdom, Resilience is expanding operations in the European market supporting clients in Ireland, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and Denmark with other countries following soon. In a deal brokered by Lockton Re LLP, European clients will have access to the newly launched Resilience Solution and up to $5 million in limits, with coverage backed by HDI Global Specialty SE, A.M. Best: A+ rating. This builds on Resilience's successful partnership with Intact Insurance. As companies based across continental Europe fight the wave of cybercrime, the European market has struggled with high prices, limited policy terms, and legacy approaches to underwriting. The Resilience Solution provides brokers in the E.U. with access to a new way to assess, measure, and manage their clients' cyber risk. Built on the company's financially proven AI platform, the Resilience Solution enables policyholders to quantify their cyber risk and prioritize their security program based on a return-on-investment analysis of their cntrols. "We've built an approach to help enterprises better manage their cyber risk with measurable results. Even as threats like ransomware surged in late 2022, we saw the benefits of building a continuous relationship with our clients - and they saw a marked improvement from the status quo," said Vishaal "V8" Hariprasad, CEO & Co-Founder of Resilience. "Together with our growing team and incredible set of partners, we are opening the doors to serve more clients in Europe, bringing this approach to more businesses around the world." "The European market is incredibly complex in terms of cyber and regulatory risk," said Mario Vitale, President of Resilience. "Having a solution that not only provides risk transfer but also helps clients understand their unique threat exposure is a game changer for enterprises across the continent." Resilience's broker partners will be supported by a team of industry-leading underwriters with decades of combined experience in the cyber market. Joining the Resilience team to support European operations are: Andrea Nicelli , Head of Italy and Spain , Head of and Edoardo Zorzin , Senior Underwriter, Spain , Senior Underwriter, Cailee Steininger , Senior Underwriter, Ireland and Nordics , Senior Underwriter, and Nordics Giusy Boccia , Underwriting Assistant, Europe The Resilience Solution is provided through all Resilience broker partners and is available to clients in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Europe. For more information, visit www.CyberResilience.com . View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/resilience-launches-into-european-market-opens-operations-in-ireland-spain-italy-sweden-and-denmark-301857266.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] NEW REPORT FROM GENERATION REVEALS HOW EMPLOYERS MUST ADAPT HIRING PRACTICES TO ATTRACT ENTRY-LEVEL TECH TALENT Tweet Despite rhetoric around skills-based hiring, 61% of employers added work or education screening requirements for entry-level hires over the past three years Companies that removed degree or work requirements see a significant increase in number of applicants and comparable on-the-job performance WASHINGTON, June 22, 2023 /CNW/ -- New data from Generation, the global employment non-profit, reveals that organizations must radically rethink hiring practices for entry-level tech talent and lays out first steps to take. A number of companies have already broken the mold and removed degree or work requirements over the past three years, and they are reaping the benefits. Nearly 60% of organizations that eliminated these requirements saw an increase in the number of applicants, allowing them to hire more people more quickly, and tapping into new candidate pools that can fuel talent diversity. Better still, they saw little trade-off in terms of performance once candidates were in the jobwith 84% of companies saying that people they hired without degree or education requirements performed the same or better than people hired using traditional methods. These findings come from Launching a Tech Hiring Revolution, a study of thousands of employers, entry-level tech employees, and jobseekers, spanning eight countries: Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the UK, and the US. The research was supported by The Hg Foundation as well as Bank of America, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, and MetLife Foundation. Globally, 86% of surveyed employers say they are hiring for entry-level tech roles. Organizations across various sectors, including banking, manufacturing, and retail, all have tech needs, forcing them to compete for talent. And they are struggling, with 62% of employers saying that entry-level tech recruitment processes need to change. True entry-level tech jobs have disappeared, with 94% of employers saying their hiring requirements for "entry-level" tech roles include prior work experience in a related field. But despite the continued rhetoric around skills-based hiring, nearly two-thirds of employers globally (61%) added education or work requirements over the past three years for entry-level tech roles. And not just technical skills, as 40% increased behavioral skill requirements as well. As those employers that defied that trend have shown, shifting hiring to focus on skills rather than degrees is a way to access new talent pools. Focusing on skills-based techniques was a key part of employer success for the group that removed requirements, with tech industry certifications playing an important role. Howeer, while certifications served as a hiring process equalizer across ethnicities, gender bias persisted. Men without certifications received more job offers per interview than women with certifications. Even though employers are strongly motivated to expand entry-level tech pipelines, those that are struggling to change cite tight budgets and a lack of executive support as tough obstacles. The report concludes there are four ingredients to unlocking the needed shift, including: Expand applicant pools by removing work experience and degree requirements, and instead prioritizing certifications and other skills indicators. During the hiring process, use technical assessments to ensure that applicants have the necessary skills for the job. Throughout, pay attention to both behavioral and technical skills. Rethink hiring teams to reduce tacit bias and increase talent diversity. To continue to explore the possibilities of a skills-based approach, Generation will assemble a coalition of global employers that want to make the kinds of changes the research calls for and share results publicly to create durable solutions that can be applied across sectors and around the globe. You can read the whole report here. Mona Mourshed, founding global CEO of Generation said: "The first rung of the tech job ladder is broken. Every day, at Generation, we sit at the intersection of thousands of employers and learners, and we see the friction in the hiring process that makes it hard for talented people, who come from backgrounds that have been historically overlooked, to get in the door. That's why we undertook this research to help employers and society unclog that vital entry-level tech pipeline. The next step is to go deeper in exploring what works, and I'm excited to partner with a coalition of global employers that are committed to opening up opportunity in tech to more people." Martina Sanow, Trustee of The Hg Foundation, a grant-giving charity with a focus on removing barriers to education and skills in technology, and Partner at Hg said: "Those from diverse backgrounds and who haven't followed traditional pathways represent a huge pool of potential talent for the tech sector. This landmark research represents a step change in our understanding of the global entry-level talent market and where the challenges and opportunities lie. The next crucial step is to build on the report's recommendations and to trial with employers innovative recruitment approaches that harness the abilities of under-served groups." Notes to Editors Methodology The findings in this report are drawn from a survey commissioned by Generation that was in the field from November 4, 2022, to January 9, 2023. The study included employed people (aged 18 and over), unemployed people (aged 18 and over), and hiring and technical managers at employers. The survey drew 4,023 responses from employed and unemployed people, and 1,325 responses from employers, across Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. About Generation Generation is a global employment nonprofit network that supports people to achieve economic mobility so they can change their lives. We train and place adults into careers that would otherwise be inaccessible and seek to improve how education to employment systems function. Generation launched in 2015 and consists of a global hub and a network of in-country affiliates that spans 17 countries. To date, Generation has more than 80,000 graduates who have earned more than $630 million in wages, and works with more than 11,000 employers, implementation partners, and funders. For more, visit generation.org. About The Hg Foundation The Hg Foundation's vision is that the tech workforce of the future harnesses the talents of all, regardless of background. It does this by supporting education and employment-based programmes across the UK, USA, and Europe where it can demonstrate measurable, long-term and scalable impact and make a difference to those that need it most. To date it has committed $14m to programmes that will reach 10,000 young people and adults from under-represented backgrounds. The Hg Foundation is registered Charity no. 1189216. Find out more at https://www.thehgfoundation.com/ View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-report-from-generation-reveals-how-employers-must-adapt-hiring-practices-to-attract-entry-level-tech-talent-301857216.html SOURCE Generation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] On Wednesday, the Pikes Peak Range Riders are offering scrambled eggs with a side of Western heritage. The annual Colorado Springs Western Street Breakfast will take place from 5:30-9 a.m. in downtown Colorado Springs. The street breakfast, whose funds help support local military families, will send off the Pikes Peak Range Riders on their ride around Pikes Peak to promote the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo in July. And this year, according to one of the event coordinators, Katherine Toman, there is one major change. Were serving sausage, Toman said. Its our first year doing that! Todays downtown Colorado Springs looks a lot different from 1936 when the first street breakfast took place only 35 people gathered. This year, the Range Riders expect more than 8,000 guests with Toman hoping as many as 10,000 will attend. Country music trio Exit West will kick off the event as it opens, followed by Flying W Wranglers, who are the worlds second oldest Western singing group, debuting in 1953. Students from the Colorado Springs Conservatory and the Sweetwater Native American dancers will also perform. For kids, there will be a Kids Corral with various events like the Lil Cowboys and Cowgirls Round Up, a costume competition. Attendees can even purchase commemorative wooden tokens to remember the breakfast by. Sponsored by Bryan Construction, the tokens will be available for purchase at the event (cash only) or online. The tokens are a long-standing tradition, Toman said. Its a fun little sign of appreciation that people can collect over the years. [June 22, 2023] SGS partners with Global Trade Plaza to enhance trust during online transactions Tweet SGS partners with India's Global Trade Plaza online platform to provide comprehensive risk management services. MUMBAI, India, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- SGS , the world's leading testing, inspection and certification company, is pleased to announce a new partnership with India's Global Trade Plaza (GTP). Utilizing its ValiTrade program, SGS will provide the online trading platform with comprehensive risk mitigation services encompassing customized and pre-defined on- and off-site verification of trade partners and products. This will enhance transparency on GTP's reputable B2B platform and allow them to offer trading parties exceptional risk management, fraud detection and quality controls for their online transactions. ValiTrade delivers transparency along the complete supply chain. By utilizing ValiTrade, GTP is further strengthening its extensive international trading network of trusted suppliers and buyers by providing complete visibility and real-time reporting that enhances credibility in all transactions. Mr. Sunil Yeole, Director Trade Facilitation Services, Connectivity & Products Division, SGS in India said: "We are very happy to be collaborating with Global Trade Plaza. The biggest challenges facing online platforms are transaction security and trade partner authenticatio. Rapid growth in e-commerce has increased levels of transaction fraud, which has a detrimental impact on customer confidence and trust in online platforms. "Through our ValiTrade program, we will provide verified data and confirm the authenticity of trading partners. This will speed-up trade transactions worldwide while also building customer trust." Mr. Pulkit Dwivedi, Co-founder of Global Trade Plaza, said, "This strategic alliance will help Global Trade Plaza to move forward towards more secure transactions. We began Global Trade Plaza with the aim of simplifying international business by streamlining the complicated compliance requirements associated with imports and exports. Merchants are freed to worry less about the paperwork and focus more on selling quality goods. The Global Trade Plaza platform already offers smartly designed features that help drive trader prosperity within a healthy trading environment. By collaborating with SGS, we are moving a significant step closer towards our goal of delivering a safe deal for all customers." Mr. Satyakam Sahoo, co-founder of Global Trade Plaza, said: "SGS is known all over the world for its quality control. We believe this partnership will strengthen our service and reputation by ensuring traders and customers never enter a fraudulent deal, giving them the knowledge that they can continue to safely do business on our platform." For further information, please contact: Sameer Prabhughate, Head Projects, Trade Facilitation Services, Connectivity & Products, SGS, Email: [email protected]; ABOUT SGS We are SGS the world's leading testing, inspection, and certification company. We are recognized as the global benchmark for sustainability, quality, and integrity. Our 97,000 employees operate a network of 2,650 offices and laboratories, working together to enable a better, safer, and more interconnected world. ABOUT GLOBAL TRADE PLAZA Global Trade Plaza is a pioneering global B2B marketplace based in India. Their purpose as a leading B2B eCommerce marketplace is to assist clients in making a profitable business while enhancing the quality of supply chain management. They aim to make online B2B trade effortless and streamlined for exporters and importers operating in India and across the globe and provide a robust platform that encompasses an international B2B marketplace with numerous active sellers and buyers. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/724727/3750542/SGS_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/sgs-partners-with-global-trade-plaza-to-enhance-trust-during-online-transactions-301857833.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] Application Modernization Services Market to Reach $69.8 Billion, Globally, by 2032 at 16.5% CAGR: Allied Market Research Tweet The growth of the global application modernization services market is driven by an increase in the integration of cloud and DevOps technology in application modernization and a rise in demand for improved software functionalities PORTLAND, Ore., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report titled, "Application Modernization Services Market by Service Type (Application Portfolio Assessment, Cloud Application Migration, Application Re-platforming, Application Integration, and UI Modernization), Deployment Mode (Public Cloud and Private Cloud), Enterprise Size (Large Enterprise and SMEs), and End User (BFSI, IT & Telecom, Energy & Utilities, Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032." According to the report, the global application modernization services industry generated $15.5 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to reach $69.8 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 16.5% from 2023 to 2032. Prime Determinants of Growth: The growth of the global application modernization services market is driven by an increase in the integration of cloud and DevOps technology in application modernization and a rise in demand for improved software functionalities. In addition, the rise in government support for promoting the use of application modernization services is fueling market growth. However, the high implementation cost of application modernization services and the lack of skilled employees with expertise in application modernization hamper the growth of this market. Furthermore, the proliferation of AI and ML technologies and the rise in the trend of microservices architecture are anticipated to provide numerous opportunities for the expansion of the market during the forecast period. Download Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/11910 Report Coverage & Details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $15.5 Billion Market Size in 2032 $69.8 Billion CAGR 16.5 % No. of Pages in Report 340 Segments Covered Service Type, Deployment Mode, Organization Size, End User, and Region Drivers Increased integration of cloud and DevOps technology in application modernization Rise in demand for improved software functionalities Opportunities Proliferation of AI and ML technologies Increase in the trend of microservice architecture Restraints High implementation costs of application modernization services Lack of skilled employees with expertise in application modernization COVID-19 Scenario The application modernization services market has witnessed stable growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, Due to the increasing number of people working remotely and relying on online communication tools, the risk of cyber-attacks increases, making application modernization services solutions more essential for businesses to protect against these threats during the pandemic. Moreover, several companies are now investing to incorporate advanced and innovative solutions as well as advanced security operations for seamless transfer of condition-based and predictive cyber security requirements, which, in turn, is contributing to the growth of the market. Buy Complete Report (340 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/application-modernization-services-market/purchase-options The application portfolio assessment segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period- Based on service type, the application re-platforming segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than one-fourth of the global application modernization services market revenue, as it helps to update the application's underlying architecture and technologies, such as upgrading from a monolithic architecture to a microservices-based architecture, adding new features, improving the user experience, and improving security and compliance. Furthermore, the application portfolio assessment segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. On the other hand, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 19.3% from 2023 to 2032, owing to the rising need to improve business performance and reduce operational costs to boost demand for the application portfolio assessment services. The large enterprise segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period- Based on organization size, the large enterprise segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly two-thirds of the global application modernization services market revenue, owing to the rising adoption of advanced software functionalities in business applications to increase business efficiency. However, the small and medium sized enterprises segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 20.1% from 2023 to 2032, owing to an increase in adoption of application modernization services among SMEs across the globe. The healthcare segment to maintain its dominance by 2032- Based on end user, the BFSI segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to nearly one-fourth of the global application modernization services market revenue. Due to the increase in usage of integrated AI and automation features, businesses can automate routine tasks such as data entry and customer service. On the other hand, the healthcare segment is expected to maintain its dominance by 2032. However, the IT and telecom segment is expected to portray the most prominent CAGR of 19.8% from 2023 to 2032. , owing to the high rate of technological adoption and increasing demand for high-end security among enterprises. North America to rule the roost by 2032- Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for around two-fifths of the global application modernization services market revenue, and is projected to rule the roost by 2032. owing to the development of infrastructure and the rise in investments in the application modernization service market. However, the Asia-Pacific region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 20.0% from 2023 to 2032. Due to the rise in the adoption of new technology among leading companies. Enquiry Before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/11910 Leading Market Players: - Infosys Limited Accenture IBM Corporation Cognizant HCL Technologies Limited Atos SE Wipro Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. Oracle Corporation DXC Technology Company The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global application modernization services market. These players have adopted different strategies, such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, agreements, and others, to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolios, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Trending Reports in ICT & Media Industry: Post Production Market Expected to Reach $46.5 Billion by 2031 Warranty Management System Market Expected to Reach $16.1 Billion by 2032 AI Text Generator Market Expected to Reach $2.2 Billion by 2032 5G Smartphone Market Expected to Reach $13633.3 Billion by 2032 Digital Asset Management Market Expected to Reach $20.6 Billion by 2032 AVENUE- A Subscription-Based Library (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model): AMR introduces its online premium subscription-based library Avenue, designed specifically to offer cost-effective, one-stop solution for enterprises, investors, and universities. With Avenue, subscribers can avail an entire repository of reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and more than 12,000 company profiles. Moreover, users can get an online access to quantitative and qualitative data in PDF and Excel formats along with analyst support, customization, and updated versions of reports. Get an access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 [email protected] Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/reports-store/information-and-communication-technology-and-media Follow Us on Blog: https://www.technologyplz.com/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/3950895/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/application-modernization-services-market-to-reach-69-8-billion-globally-by-2032-at-16-5-cagr-allied-market-research-301857857.html SOURCE Allied Market Research [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] Essence Security Partners with Videor to Bring its Innovative MyShield Security Solution to the DACH Region Tweet Essence, a leading provider of IoT-based security solutions, will leverage Videor's vast distribution network and integration with Insocam to offer its most advanced product to German, Austrian and Swiss markets HERZLIYA, Israel, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Essence Security, a leading global provider of IoT-based security solutions, today announced its strategic partnership with Videor, a top German distributor of video and security technology. This collaboration comes on the heels of Essence Group integrating its security solutions with Insocam, a German software and information management provider, opening the availability of Essence Security's innovative security solution, MyShield, the world's first all-in-one battery operated IoT smoke-generating intruder intervention and deterrence system, to the DACH market. The partnership between Essence Security and Videor will provide German security installers and end customers with convenient access to the MyShield active security solution. MyShield is designed for a variety of businesses and residential locations, such as retail stores and warehouses, which can leverage its compact footprint and flexibility through additional interconnected security devices to provide preventative security across different contexts. As part of the agreement, Videor, with its extensive network of over 3,000 professional security installers, will distribute the MyShield product. Essence Security has also integrated its security solutions within the AM/Win-system from Insocam, a German software and information management provider, to allow any monitoring station using Insocam's software to seamlessly incorporate MyShield into its services. Now, through this partnership with Videor, installers and end customers can purchase MyShield locally and connect it to a range of monitoring service providers, granting 24/7 monitoring-as-a-service and a smoke function activation in the event of a verified intruder. We are thrilled to join forces with Videor to bring the MyShield security solution to thousands of professionals in Germany and cement our presence in a new market," said Dr. Haim Amir, CEO and Founder at Essence Group. "Working with Videor, we will continue to build out the proactive, preventative security ecosystem, while ensuring large-scale availability of the MyShield solution throughout Germany and promoting peace of mind for individuals across the region." Through strategic investments and cultivating a depth of industry knowledge, Essence Security has created an ecosystem to deliver advanced security solutions accessible to the mass market at an affordable price point. By providing a compact, self-contained, and easy-to-install security solution, MyShield makes intruder intervention accessible to everyone. Unlike traditional smoke-generating systems that are large, expensive, and require arduous installation, MyShield offers a cost-effective alternative that can be installed in various locations, ensuring active intrusion prevention for all. "This collaboration is indicative of our commitment to empowering individuals and organizations from both the retail and private sectors with advanced security solutions," said Daniel Groeloh, Head of Product Management at Videor. "With the MyShield intervention solution, we are able to offer our customers a state-of-the-art and user-friendly security product. We look forward to working with Essence Security to establish itself and benefit installers and customers across Germany and the DACH region." Essence Security will be attending Europe's premier security conference, SicherheitsExpo. The event brings together security professionals and industry experts to foster collaboration and innovation. Essence Security will showcase the MyShield solution at the SicherheitsExpo in Munich on June 28-29, 2023 at stand G14. About Essence Group Essence Group is a global technology leader with a mission to develop and deploy innovative, cloud-based end-to-end security and healthcare solutions, underpinned by supporting services, that provide peace of mind to users. For over a quarter of a century, Essence has challenged convention by making care and safety both accessible and affordable. With over 80 million connected devices deployed worldwide, Essence helps people to live safer and more independent lives. For more information: https://www.essence-grp.com/ Follow Essence Group on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook About Videor VIDEOR E. Hartig GmbH is the leading distributor for professional video and security technology. As an independent and reliable partner, VIDEOR links up leading, innovative manufacturers and users from the fields of security, broadcast, imaging, digital signage, access control and cloud services. VIDEOR supports customers in becoming more efficient through competent consulting, individual solutions and innovative services, and reduces the complexity of both their daily and project business. Vendors, installers, system houses and professional users appreciate the VIDEOR portfolio of products, solutions and services. With comprehensive market and product knowledge and efficient logistics, VIDEOR has stood for successful, binding and cooperative partnerships for 45 years. For more information: https://www.videor.com/en/ Essence Media Contact: Mushkie Meyer Headline Media [email protected] US: +19143364035 UK: +442037694034 Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2108581/Essence_Security.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1705604/Essence_Group_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/essence-security-partners-with-videor-to-bring-its-innovative-myshield-security-solution-to-the-dach-region-301857932.html SOURCE Essence Group [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] Hillcrest Commences Manufacturing of ZVS-enabled Power Modules and Provides Additional Shareholder Updates Tweet Manufacture of first ZVS-enabled power module underway ZVS-enabled power modules to be integrated into Hillcrest SiC traction inverter Dynamic load demonstration testing underway with Global Tier One Automotive Supplier's motor subsystem VANCOUVER, BC, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Hillcrest Energy Technologies (CSE: HEAT) (OTCQB: HLRTF) (FRA: 7HIA.F) ("Hillcrest" or the "Company"), an innovative clean technology company revolutionizing power conversion technologies and advanced control system solutions, is pleased to provide shareholders an update on recent activities. Manufacture of Hillcrest ZVS-enabled Power Modules With the design phase now complete, the Company is now manufacturing the EV industry's first silicon carbide (SiC) power module prototype optimized for Hillcrest's proprietary Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS) technology. Manufacturing is taking place at the facilities of the Company's strategic partner, Systematec GmbH, in Germany. The integration of the Company's ZVS-enabled power module into the Hillcrest SiC traction inverter will create the world's first ZVS-optimized SiC traction inverter. Hillcrest Chief Technology Officer, Ari Berger, commented, "We've already demonstrated industry-leading results with our current ZVS-enabled SiC traction inverter. Integrating these new power modules into our inverter allows us to maximize the benefits of our ZVS technology. We are now able to deploy further improvements in switching control and operation at higher switching frequencies to achieve even more impressive levels of power density, system efficiency and further reductions in electromagnetic interference (EMI) behaviour for applications up to 1,000 volts." Hillcrest Chief Commercialization Officer, James Bolen, added, "The EV industry is shifting toward the use of power modules and away from the use of discrete power solutions because they are complicated, have significant power limitations and take up valuable space. The Hillcrest ZVS-enabled power module addresses this trend and offers all the advantages of our ZVS technology coupled with the significant improvements in size, reliability, design capabilities and reduced time to market." Power modules are a critical component in all high energy-density power conversion equipment, such as automotive traction inverters. They consist of a substrate containing power semiconductor devices (silicon carbide dies), connected to form a circuit that provides excellent electrical ad thermal contact and insulation. Hillcrest's ZVS power module prototypes are being developed in collaboration with the Company's strategic partner, Systematec GmbH, with Hillcrest retaining all intellectual property. The Hillcrest SiC traction inverter harnesses the power of the Company's proprietary ZVS technology platform. Extensive lab tests and simulations have showcased substantial improvements in system-level efficiency, performance, and reliability for electric systems such as electric vehicles and stationary energy generation and energy storage systems. Demonstration Testing with Global Tier One Automotive Supplier Dynamic load demonstration testing with a specialized motor provided by a Global Tier One Automotive Supplier is underway at Hillcrest's R&D lab in Vancouver. Completion of the tests and the Global Supplier's acceptance of the results are expected next month and will conclude milestone two of the Company's previously announced joint development project. Work then starts on the next milestone which includes a series of on-site demonstrations at the customer's facilities. Upon successful completion of all milestones, Hillcrest and the Global Tier One Automotive Supplier anticipate entering into a definitive commercial agreement. CEO Don Currie Participates in Interview to Discuss Achievements and 2023 Outlook Hillcrest CEO, Don Currie sat down to discuss recent Company achievements and the opportunities on the horizon for 2023. Topics included the Company's core technologies centered around the proprietary implementation of Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS), milestones and the path to commercialization, and additional applications for the Hillcrest ZVS technology beyond electric vehicles. Access the full interview at this link. About Hillcrest Energy Technologies Hillcrest Energy Technologies is a clean technology company delivering high-value, high-performance power conversion technologies and digital control systems for next-generation powertrains and grid-connected renewable energy systems. From concept to commercialization, Hillcrest is investing in the development of energy solutions that will power a more sustainable and electrified future. Hillcrest is publicly traded on the CSE under the symbol "HEAT," on the OTCQB Venture Market as "HLRTF" and on the Frankfurt Exchange as "7HIA.F". For more information, please visit: https://hillcrestenergy.tech/. NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAS REVIEWED OR ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information Some of the statements contained in this news release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "expects," "intends," "is expected," "potential," "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "should," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. This forward-looking information is provided as of the date of this news release. The forward-looking information reflects our current expectations and assumptions and is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. No assurance can be given that these assumptions will prove correct. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are advised to consider the risk factors under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's MD&A for the year ended Dec. 31, 2022, available at www.sedar.com for a discussion of the factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from any anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hillcrest-commences-manufacturing-of-zvs-enabled-power-modules-and-provides-additional-shareholder-updates-301857513.html SOURCE Hillcrest Energy Technologies Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] PLS Logistics Services Recognized as Mars Wrigley's Broker Carrier of the Year Tweet CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PLS Logistics Services, a leading provider of third- party logistics and freight brokerage services, was announced today as the recipient of the prestigious Broker Carrier of the Year award for Mars Wrigley. The award was presented to PLS representatives on Tuesday May 20th at a strategic carrier meeting held at the Mars Wrigley offices in Dallas, TX. Chosen among Mars Wrigley's entire Transportation partner network, PLS Logistics has been recognized as delivering outstanding on-time performance, class-leading customer service and overall value as a partner. This esteemed recognition highlights PLS Logistics Services' commitment to delivering exceptional shipping solutions and solidifies their position as the preferred choice among Mars Wrigley's xtensive network of carriers. "We are extremely grateful to receive the recognition of Broker Carrier of the Year award from Mars Wrigley the world's leading manufacturer of chewing gum, chocolate and fruity confections and known for setting high standards with their logistics operations," said Greg Burns, CEO of PLS Logistics Services. "This award highlights the power of PLS Logistics National Account Solutions which combines highly competitive pricing with class leading on-time service performance for some of the most demanding shippers in North America. It is most gratifying to see our service performance recognized by one of the most forward-thinking shippers in North America." "Customer satisfaction is at the core of our business," said Joe Bielawski, Chief Operating Officer of PLS Logistics. "It is always a pleasure to work with teams that share the same standards of service excellence that we aim to provide every day. We've made it a point to understand their processes at warehouses, production sites, and off-site locations and we are proud to deliver for Mars Wrigley each day." PLS Logistics Services is a leading multi-modal transportation and technology provider delivering class leading customer service and performance with customized technology solutions. With an extensive network of over 68,000+ qualified carriers, 6,000+ active shipping customers, and over 700+ global employees, PLS Logistics Services is one of the largest firms in the freight brokerage industry with an extensive network to drive efficient and reliable shipping solutions for all types of shippers in North America. Website: www.plslogistics.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pls-logistics-services-recognized-as-mars-wrigleys-broker-carrier-of-the-year-301857673.html SOURCE PLS Logistics Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] ParcelShield Announces Partnership with Triose Tweet ParcelShield Holdings, LLC ("ParcelShield"), the leading provider of technology-enabled predictive parcel tracking and patient engagement solutions for the healthcare industry, announces that Triose, Inc., part of AmerisourceBergen and the leading provider of intelligent healthcare supply chain solutions, has partnered with ParcelShield, using the company's technology to help ensure its hospital, health system and healthcare network customers receive life-critical, time-sensitive medical shipments on time. With the use of ParcelShield's solution, Triose will gain a more nuanced view of the delivery of critical medications to its healthcare provider customers and their patients. ParcelShield's predictive analytics, tracking and monitoring capabilities will enable Triose to track and monitor the entire patient medication delivery journey, as well as predict, identify, and manage packages at risk of shipping delays. The solution will also allow Triose to enhance its communications with customers by giving proactive, real-time package tracking and delivery updates. Finally, the solution will capture proper documentation to support Proof of Delivery information and securely store it to provide on-demand access to the data to help support a case for full reimbursement for patient medication delivered successfully and reduce the chance of costly audits. "Our partnership with ParcelShield expands Triose's capabilities - both in helping to remove patient barriers to receiving high quality, affordable care, as well as maintaining security and visibility with pinpoint accuracy and high-speed delivery across the entire healthcare supply chain," said Nick Pierce, Triose's Vice President & General Manager. "Ultimately, leveraging ParcelShield's solution furthers Triose's mission to provide solutions and expertise that help healthcare provider customers realize savings and efficiencies while focusing on what matters most - the patient." ParcelShield's solution calculates shipping recommendatins using over 40 data points including weather forecasts, natural disasters, civil disturbances, origin shipping locations, recipient addresses, carriers, and airplane flight status. Healthcare providers can improve their operations by comparing ParcelShield's insights to their daily back-end fulfillment capacity and recommending optimal dates and carrier service levels. Kirk Nilson, CEO of ParcelShield, explained that "we are working with Triose to leverage ParcelShield's proprietary artificial intelligence and predictive solution in order to make better and more informed decisions about when and how to ship critical healthcare supplies, identify packages at risk throughout the delivery journey, and provide customers the best experience possible." To learn more about ParcelShield, please visit https://www.parcelshield.com/. To learn more about Triose, part of AmerisourceBergen, please visit https://www.triose.com/. About ParcelShield ParcelShield provides predictive analytics and support services that reduce risk for shippers and help improve patient outcomes or end user satisfaction. ParcelShield has artificial intelligence and machine learning predictive models that provide real-time, carrier agnostic, deliverability risk-insight to prevent package distress before it happens. And when disruption and distress are unavoidable, ParcelShield deploys support services to track, communicate, and intercept critical packages to close the final mile, reduce loss, and deliver for the patient or end user. For more information visit www.parcelshield.com. About AmerisourceBergen AmerisourceBergen is a leading global pharmaceutical solutions organization centered on improving the lives of people and animals around the world. We partner with pharmaceutical innovators across the value chain to facilitate and optimize market access to therapies. Care providers depend on us for the secure, reliable delivery of pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, and solutions. Our 44,000+ worldwide team members contribute to positive health outcomes through the power of our purpose: We are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures. AmerisourceBergen is ranked #10 on the Fortune 500 and #21 on the Global Fortune 500 with more than $200 billion in annual revenue. Learn more at www.amerisourcebergen.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622055248/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] StealthTest and Blocksee CRM team up to improve privacy, safety in web3 marketing Tweet This partnership includes a full-scale integration of the StealthTest API, safeguarding in-app minting of NFT's within the Blocksee infrastructure. WILMINGTON, Del., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Blocksee, the first web3 customer relationship management (CRM) platform, and StealthTest, web3's only secure, cloud-based private environments that enable teams to create their own blockchain test networks, have partnered to release an integration to better safeguard customer privacy and security for brands, creators, and artists. StealthTest, now integrated by Blocksee CRM, is web3's only secure, cloud-based private testnet. The integration will equip web3 builders and project owners with the following technical capabilities: In the Blocksee dashboard, users can mint NFTs, grant access or assign tickets to any of StealthTest's private test networks, avoiding the need to expose sensitive IP to public testnets before deployment; Builders can test their airdrops for contract errors and security vulnerabilities without paying gas fees; Teams avoid costly mistakes by being able to collaborate globally with stakeholders, including development agencies and brands, prior to launching marketing initiatives. This move is a response to the growing demand for enterprise-grade experiences, data analytics, and quality assurance in web3 today. "It's about strengthening the integrity of digital interactions," explains Eric Forst, Co-founder & CEO of Blocksee. "Blockchain is currently the best solution that exists today for human beings to maintain ownership and proper consent protocols for how their data gets used." "Despite the lack of regulatory clarity for web3 in the U.S. today, iconic global brands like Starbucks, Nike, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and others continue to test and implement experimental web3 strategies by building customer rewards and loyalty programs, and finding new ways to listen to and engage with their most active and dedicated consumers," says Collin Woodward, President of StealthTest by nameless. Blocksee and StealthTest recognize the importance of prblem-solving and committing to thoughtful R&D that supports web3's potential to protect data ownership and privacy rights and champion a user-owned internet. That means developing tools to prioritize security and tactical solutions to prevent threats from bad actors. As a web3 CRM, Blocksee is dedicated to giving users control of their data and their content. Because blockchain data is public, anyone in the world can look up a smart contract and all the wallets that interact with it. Blocksee provides creators and marketers with all of this public, on-chain data in a way that is completely compliant with GDPR and CCPA data privacy laws. Users choose whether or not they want to opt-in with a name or email address that gets added to a wallet address in a Blocksee user profile. With StealthTest integrated into the Blocksee platform, users can test a mint or airdrops to tens of thousands of wallets to make sure everything is secure and working as intended before a drop or mint goes live. "Security and human privacy are cornerstones of what web3 has the potential to enable on a global scale," adds Woodward. "But it's not just going to happen, and we can't expect it to be built from the top down. The world's technical architects need to build what we want to see in the world with integrations at their core." "It's important to maintain perspective. Web3 is still in its early stages," says Forst. "What we've built so far is part of what will inevitably be a series of many steps forward." At StealthTest, we are dedicated to expanding our range of supported blockchains. In addition to our current offerings, we are actively working on integrating more EVM-compatible blockchains. We are also thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of pre-configured environments and customized network configurations. These new features will empower users by providing them with greater control over the functionality and behavior of their blockchain instances. Our aim is to enhance flexibility and customization options, ensuring a seamless and tailored experience. About StealthTest Current web3 testing options are full of limitations and risks. From content leaks to smart contract exploits, major challenges exist in quality assurance and consistent delivery. StealthTest is a comprehensive infrastructure solution specifically designed to support crucial aspects of smart contract development and testing within a cloud-based, secure, and private testing environment. Our platform provides instantaneous blockchain infrastructure, enabling developers to focus on building innovative applications instead of focusing on complicated node deployments and environmental variables. StealthTest is engineered to minimize maintenance and maximize cost efficiency through resource autoscaling and seamless network upgrades. All of this is done through an established, repeatable node deployment via Kubernetes and a management strategy that eliminates current pain points associated with managing your own nodes. StealthTest is setting new industry standards for quality assurance, security, and compliance by giving developers the ability to test any EVM-compatible smart contract along with their full user experience, prior to deploying to public testnets. About Blocksee Current web3 marketing tools are cumbersome and difficult to use. It takes a full IT staff and hours of manual work to research lists of wallets, sort the data, build allow lists, mint NFTs, and run airdrops. Web2 and web3 marketers use Blocksee to speed all of these tasks in a secure, compliant, and easy to use dashboard. Blocksee makes it easy to look up on-chain data, find all of the wallets in a community, and mint and distribute digital assets, rewards, tickets, flyers, coupons, and collectibles. Blocksee uses a freemium model that lets any brand or creator add token-gated chat and an NFT marketplace widget to their websites. With frictionless registration and checkout, web2 users can engage in web3 with only an email address and credit card. Read more about Blocksee + StealthTest at nameless magazine: Disclosure statement: Copyright 2023 nft42, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material is for informational purposes only. This material is not offered or intended to be used or relied upon as investment, accounting, financial, legal, tax, or other advice. The opinions expressed herein represent the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or editor. By using this site, you agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy. If you have any questions, please contact us using the information provided in those documents. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stealthtest-and-blocksee-crm-team-up-to-improve-privacy-safety-in-web3-marketing-301858162.html SOURCE StealthTest by nameless; Blocksee [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] Pacifico Energy Started Commercial Operation of Japan's First Market bidding Large Scale Energy Storage Systems (ESS) in Kyushu and Hokkaido Tweet Pacifico Energy K.K. (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Hiroki Matsuo, President & CEO; hereinafter referred to as "the Company") is delighted to announce the successful commencement of commercial operations for two Energy Storage System (ESS) facilities developed by the Company in Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and Sapporo City, Hokkaido (referred to as the "ESS Projects"). These projects, which began operating in June 2023, mark a significant milestone as Japan's first large-scale grid-connected ESS facilities involved in market bidding*. The ESS facilities have been specifically designed to enhance the stability of the power grid by providing ancillary services, capacity services and energy arbitrage. These projects were chosen by the Ministry of Energy, Trade, and Industry (METI) under the "Subsidy for Grid Storage Battery Installation Support Project for Accelerating the Introduction of Renewable Energy in 2021" initiative. Pacifico Energy has an impressive cumulative total of 1,172 MW (DC basis) of completed solar power plants to date, establishing itself as the largest renewable energy developer in Japan. As a leader in renewable energy development, the Company established battery storage business department in 2021, and within a span of two years, it had successfully achieved commercial operation of these poneering ESS plants. Advancing the integration of ESS facilities into Japan's power system is crucial for advancing renewable energy (which may fluctuate under the actual weather conditions) as the primary power source in the country. By mitigating the impacts of weather-related fluctuations in renewable energy generation and grid bottle necks, ESS facilities play a vital role in achieving this goal. Having utilized our global network and knowledge in both renewable energy power sources and ESS facilities, Pacifico Energy remains committed to tackling this challenge by expanding both renewable energy power sources and ESS facilities. Our ultimate goal is to introduce a reliable and sustainable long-term power source while striving and materializing our future grid parity in the renewable energy sector. Furthermore, the Company is dedicated to the development and operation of power sources that are deeply integrated into local communities and promote coexistence with them. Its objective is to foster the widespread adoption of safe, clean, and affordable renewable energy solutions. *Projects that are not co-located with attached to an existing power source and are commercially viable through market trading of ESS services Project Summary Name of ESS Plant: Pacifico Energy Itoshima Energy Storage Plant Location: Itoshima City, Fukuoka Prefecture Output: Approx. 8MWh (2MW for 4 h) Start of construction: September 2022 Commercial operation: June 6, 2023 Name of Energy Storage Plant: Pacific Energy Shiroishi Energy Storage Plant Location: Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo City, Hokkaido Output: Approx. 8MWh (2MW for 4 h) Start of construction: September 2022 Commercial operation: June 13, 2023 About Pacifico Energy Pacifico Energy, founded in 2012, is one of the largest developers of renewable energy in Japan. The company engages in the entire development process - from initial project considerations through to investment, construction and asset management - and has developed 15 solar power projects in Japan with a total output of approximately 1,300MW and 2 ESS Projects. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230621010489/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] Transact Campus Secures One Million Mobile Credentials Tweet Transact Campus "Transact," the award-winning leader in innovative Mobile Credential and payment solutions for a connected campus today announced that more than one million students have provisioned Transact Mobile Credential, marking a momentous milestone for the revolutionary contactless student ID. Launched in 2018, Transact Mobile Credential represents more than 80% of the market of mobile Student IDs on client campuses and has processed over $230 million in financial transactions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622225606/en/ Transact Campus Secures One Million Mobile Credentials (Graphic: Business Wire) Transact Mobile Credential provides campus-wide acess to students using NFC-enabled Mobile Credential with no physical student ID card required for effortless, campus-wide financial transactions and access privileges. Transact was the first Mobile Credential solution provider to offer native NFC contactless mobile IDs leveraging mobile wallet technology, which runs on billions of devices worldwide including wearables. The solution creates a seamless experience for students navigating campus interactions by offering secure access to facilities, residence halls, and lockers, as well as the ability to make payments for dining, laundry, printing, vending, and retail. "In the past two years, Transact has doubled the number of schools using Mobile Credential, signing a wide range of colleges and universities worldwide," said Nancy Langer, CEO, Transact. "These numbers and this milestone not only speak to the quality of the product, but also showcases the strong demand for mobile IDs in higher education." Like all the Transact solutions, Mobile Credential supports integration with critical systems like ERP, financial, door access, lockers, and building/security systems. Students can quickly and simply add Transact Mobile Credential to their phone or watch, which provides students with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for a secure experience. Students using mobile phones simply present their phones to NFC-enabled readers on campus to open doors, buy meals, or conduct financial transactions that are secure and completed in less than a second. "Transact takes pride in offering the most extensive range of partner integrations and hardware support in the industry. Our commitment to compatibility ensures that our clients have a seamless experience," explained Rasheed Behrooznia, SVP & General Manager, Campus ID Solutions, Transact. "Transact Mobile Credential infrastructure is built to handle the highest scale, ensuring uninterrupted service for clients. With the highest uptime and unmatched reliability, Transact is the go-to choice for institutions looking for a dependable Mobile Credential solution." "Transact is a true leader in innovation and software development," stated Duane Terrazas, Vice President, Software Development, Transact. "Understanding and responding to the needs of students is at the heart of Transact's success. Announcing one-million Mobile Credentials reinforces the company's commitment to an unbeatable future-oriented campus experience." Transact will continue to seek global expansion of Mobile Credential, with universities in Canada and Australia already onboarded. Additionally, Transact Mobile Credential addresses several corporate social responsibility pillars, providing students and staff with an emergency hotline and the ability for students to enter their preferred name. Thanks to Mobile Credential, Transact has saved 5.2 tons of plastic cards from being printed or discarded, and has made universities 95% more energy efficient with sustainable cloud infrastructure. About Transact Transact is the leader in innovative payment and Mobile Credential solutions for a connected campus. Its highly configurable, mobile-centric campus technology ecosystem simplifies the student experience across the full spectrum of student life. Transact's offerings include integrated solutions for tuition and other student expense payments, multi-purpose campus IDs, and campus commerce. With a long-standing reputation in the education community, Transact proudly serves over 12 million students across more than 1,850 client institutions. Its fintech solutions facilitate $49 billion in payments annually and have enabled more than 227 million contactless mobile wallet transactions and $293 million in mobile orders in less than three years. For more information, visit www.transactcampus.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622225606/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] On Tap Credit Union Mortgage Executive Daisy Perez Recognized in NAHREP Top 250 List for 2023 Tweet On Tap Credit Union, a leader in providing consumers in local Colorado communities with innovative financial solutions for nearly 70 years, is proud to announce its inclusion in the prestigious NAHREP (National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals) Top 250 List for 2023. This recognition highlights the credit union's commitment to excellence and its impact on the Hispanic community. The NAHREP Top 250 List is an annual ranking that identifies the top Latino mortgage originators in the United States. It recognizes the professionals and institutions that have demonstrated outstanding performance in the mortgage industry while also promoting homeownership and financial education among Hispanic homebuyers. As a recipient of the NAHREP Award, Perez continues to craft solutions that champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in the financial industry, advocating for equal opportunities and providing the necessary tools and support for Hispanic individuals and families to achieve their goals. Perez and On Tap are actively involved in empowering Hispanic homebuyers by offering a range of tailored mortgage products, down payment assistance programs, and educational resources. By fostering financial literacy and providing persnalized guidance, the credit union has helped numerous families navigate the home-buying process and achieve their homeownership goals. "We are honored to be recognized in the NAHREP Top 250 List for 2023," said CEO and President Tracie Wilcox. "This achievement reflects our dedication to providing exceptional financial services to our members and our commitment to promoting sustainable homeownership opportunities for the Hispanic community. We are proud to support our members in achieving their dreams of owning a home." To apply or learn more about grant and downpayment assistance programs offered through On Tap, visit our website or call 303.279.6414 to get started. About On Tap Credit Union Formerly Coors Credit Union, On Tap Credit Union is a full-service cooperative financial institution serving people living and working in Jefferson, Denver, Boulder, and Larimer counties. Founded in 1954, the credit union has over $370 million in assets and 20,000 members who are also owners of the organization. The credit union provides personal consultation and financial solutions including vehicle, mortgage, and home equity loans, credit cards, insurance, savings and investment accounts, and financial guidance, as well as a full suite of business services including a variety of commercial lending solutions. For more information, please visit www.OnTapCU.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622222309/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Colorado Springs woman has been sentenced to 18 years in the Department of Corrections after pleading guilty in the death of her 5-year-old daughter. Brianne Escamilla, 27, was originally charged with first-degree murder in the death of Emily Canales after prosecutors say she and her boyfriend, Matthew Urias, abused the young girl, who was Escamilla's daughter. At a hearing last month, Urias and Escamilla entered guilty pleas to child abuse knowingly or recklessly causing death, a Class 2 felony. The charge of first-degree murder was dismissed as part of the plea agreement. An affidavit acquired by The Gazette detailed the abuse suffered by Canales, and the significant and obvious decline in her health in the days leading up to her death. Urias and Escamilla recognized that Canales was acting strangely and said she was not feeling well in the days leading up to her death, but neither called 911 until she died on Jan. 13, 2022. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. At the preliminary hearing for the couple last year, attorneys representing Escamilla attempted to paint Urias as the primary abuser, while Urias' attorneys did the opposite, claiming Escamilla was the main abuser in the household. At the end of the preliminary hearing Judge Marcus Henson determined that Urias and Escamilla were at least partially responsible for Canales' death, and had charges bound over for both of them. On Tuesday, court records show, Escamilla was given her sentence by Judge Henson: 18 years in the Department of Corrections with 350 days of credit for time served. Urias is due in court for his sentencing hearing on July 11, when Henson will determine his sentence. [June 22, 2023] Janet Burke Joins Cetera Advisors Tweet Experienced female advisor overseeing $50 million in assets under administration, has joined Cetera from Ameriprise Financial LOS ANGELES, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group (Cetera), the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub where financial advisors and institutions can optimize professional control and value creation, announced today that Senior Financial Advisor Janet Burke*, CRPC**, has affiliated with Cetera Advisors by joining Sunrise Wealth Advisors. Burke, who oversees approximately $50 million in assets under administration as of May 31, 2023, was previously affiliated with Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC (Ameriprise). These assets will now be housed with Cetera Advisors. "As a woman in the wealth management field, I'm thrilled to join Cetera, where I feel my unique experiences and voice are both heard and understood," Burke said. "I'm also excited by the prospect of offering a boutique-style investment experience to my clients, which is a trademark of Sunrise Wealth Advisors and I know that's enabled by Cetera's unique platform." "Janet's years of exemplary experience in a traditionally male-dominated field brings a fresh perspective we're thrilled to welcome to Cetera," said Genevieve Sisco, divisional business development director at Cetera. "I have no doubt she will make an excellent addition both to the outstanding service already provided by Sunrise Wealth Advisors and to our community of advisors at Cetera." Burke began her career at Lazard Freres in the equity sales department and then worked in several roles within the financial sector including as Vice President of Sales at Bluestone Capital Corporation before moving to Ameripise as a financial advisor in 2005. As a Senior Financial Advisor at Sunrise Wealth Advisors, Burke will join an independent, full-service financial firm based out of central Florida that caters to individuals, families and small businesses across the country. The addition of Burke signals the second quarter as another strong one for Cetera's business development, following the firm's impressive $3 billion organic recruiting results in Q1. Visit www.Cetera.com and www.sunrisewealthadvisors.com for more information. About Cetera Financial Group Cetera Financial Group (Cetera) is the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub where financial advisors and institutions optimize their control and value creation. Breaking away from a commoditized and homogenous IBD model, Cetera offers financial professionals and institutions the latest solutions, support, and services to grow, scale, or transition with a merger, sale, investment, or succession plan. Cetera proudly serves independent financial advisors, tax professionals, licensed administrators, large enterprises, as well as institutions, such as banks and credit unions, providing an established and repeatable blueprint for scalable growth. Home to more than 8,000 financial professionals and their teams, Cetera oversees approximately $330 billion in assets under administration and $116 billion in assets under management, as of March 31, 2023. In a recent advisor satisfaction survey of more than 21,000 reviews, Cetera's Voice of Customer (VoC) program vigorously measures advisor experience and satisfaction 24/7. Currently, it's ranked 4.8 out of 5 stars. Visit www.cetera.com, and follow Cetera on LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. "Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. All firms are FINRA/SIPC members. Located at: 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101. Individuals affiliated with Cetera firms are either Registered Representatives who offer only brokerage services and receive transaction-based compensation (commissions), Investment Adviser Representatives who offer only investment advisory services and receive fees based on assets, or both Registered Representatives and Investment Adviser Representatives, who can offer both types of services. * Registered Representative offering securities through Cetera Advisors LLC, member FINRA/SIPC, a broker/dealer. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. ** Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/janet-burke-joins-cetera-advisors-301857493.html SOURCE Cetera Financial Group [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] Rewiring the brain: More than $25 million to advance Sunnybrook's Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation Tweet TORONTO, June 22, 2023 /CNW/ - Sunnybrook Foundation and the University of Toronto are pleased to announce a landmark gift from David Harquail, Birgitta Sigfridsson-Harquail and family that will secure and expand the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre a global centre for a leading-edge, less- to non-invasive neuromodulation therapies for some of the most difficult-to-treat brain disorders. The family's new gift of $12 millionwhich brings the combined commitment from the Harquails and Sunnybrook Foundation to more than $25 millionwill accelerate the Harquail Centre's world leading work in neuromodulation research, education and patient care. It builds on their earlier commitment to Sunnybrook in 2018, which launched the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation as one of the world's most comprehensive centres offering a complete range of neuromodulation treatments under one roof, including MRI-guided focused ultrasound and deep brain stimulation. "Ambitious, exciting and brave work is underway at the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation, where clinical care is inextricably linked to research, innovation, education and advocacy," said David Harquail, an alumnus of U of T's Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. "We hope our gift will inspire others to join in our shared vision to transform brain health." The Harquail family's new commitment to both Sunnybrook and U of T's Temerty Faculty of Medicine will double the Harquail Centre's annual funding over the next five years: establishing new professorships, supporting learners and advancing vital research projects. The gift will also endow a new Harquail Chair in Neuromodulation to be held by the Harquail Centre's director. "The Harquail family's generous foundational support established the Harquail Centre as a global leader in brain therapy," said Dr. Nir Lipsman, director of the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation and associate professor of surgery at U of T, who will be the inaugural Harquail Chair in Neuromodulation. "This new gift ensures that the Harquail Centre investigators continue pushing the envelope of what neuromodulation can achieve, enhancing our understanding and treatment of the most challenging brain conditions, with the potential to impact patients across Ontario, Canada and the world." "This gift demonstrates the tremndous power of partnership and collaboration," said Dr. Trevor Young, dean of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and vice-provost, relations with healthcare institutions at U of T. "Temerty Medicine is delighted to partner with Sunnybrook on this next phase of the Harquail Centre and is very grateful to the Harquail family for their visionary support." In addition to the Harquail family's investment, Sunnybrook Foundation and U of T have committed $3 million and $1 million respectively in matching funds to the Harquail Centre for Neuromodulation. They will seek to raise an additional $8 million in future philanthropic support. "When donors join together with hospitals and universities, we can accelerate change on a massive scaleultimately impacting patients here in Toronto, but also across Ontario, Canada and around the world," said Kelly Cole, president & CEO, Sunnybrook Foundation. The Harquail Centre's work also will be enhanced in the coming years by its new home within Sunnybrook's Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre: a state-of-the-art new facility that will bring together multidisciplinary teams of experts to improve care and innovation. "The Harquail family's investment, coupled with the new collaborative opportunities that will be made possible through the Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre, is unleashing a revolutionary new era in brain health in our cityand for the world," said Dr. Andy Smith, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre's president and CEO, as well as a professor of surgery at U of T. "With this gift from the Harquail family, we will see better outcomes with fewer complications related to some of the most pernicious brain disorders," said Meric Gertler, president of the University of Toronto. "Today's announcement is a boon for patients in Canada and globally and reflects our shared leadership in one of today's most promising areas of medical science." With the power to influence brain circuitry, neuromodulation is a highly promising approach for a wide range of psychiatric and brain disorders. Sunnybrook's Harquail Centre of Neuromodulation quickly built upon Sunnybrook's early success in focused ultrasound, launching world-first clinical trials using focused ultrasound in Alzheimer's disease, ALS and Parkinson's disease; the first North American clinical trials for severe depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder; and deep brain stimulation in post-traumatic stress disorder, treatment-resistant alcohol use disorder and more. Deeply interdisciplinary in its approach, the Harquail Centre supports a critical mass of experts in surgery, internal medicine, psychiatry, neurology and other fields. About Sunnybrook Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre is inventing the future of health care for the 1.3 million patients the hospital cares for each year through the dedication of its more than 10,000 staff and volunteers. An internationally recognized leader in research and education and a full affiliation with the University of Toronto distinguishes Sunnybrook as one of Canada's premier academic health sciences centres. Sunnybrook specializes in caring for high-risk pregnancies, critically ill newborns and adults, offering specialized rehabilitation and treating and preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and psychiatric disorders, orthopaedic and arthritic conditions and traumatic injuries. The Hospital also has a unique and national leading program for the care of Canada's war veterans. About the University of Toronto Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto is Canada's top university with a long history of challenging the impossible and transforming society through the ingenuity and resolve of its faculty, students, alumni and supporters. We are proud to be one of the world's top research-intensive universities, bringing together top minds from every conceivable background and discipline to collaborate on the world's most pressing challenges. Our community is a catalyst for discovery, innovation and progress, creating knowledge and solutions that make a tangible difference around the globe. And we prepare our students for success through an outstanding global education rooted in excellence, inclusion and close-knit learning communities. The ideas, innovations?and contributions of more than 660,000 graduates advance U of T's impact on communities across the globe. Together, we continue to defy gravity by taking on what might seem unattainable today and generating the ideas and talent needed to build a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous future. SOURCE Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] Maximus Canada Secures Two-Year Contract Extension to Deliver the Service BC Contact Centre for Ministry of Citizens' Services Tweet Maximus, a leading employer and provider of government services worldwide, has been granted a two-year contract extension to support government programs on behalf of British Columbia's Ministry of Citizens' Services (CITZ). "The decision to extend our Service BC contract reflects the high quality of work that Maximus continues to deliver throughout the province," said Rajeev Purewal, Assistant Vice President, Maximus. "For six years, we've consistently demonstrated our strong performance and our ability to adapt to the client's emerging needs." Through the Service BC Contact Centre, Maximus has been delivering multi-channel contact centre services on behalf of CITZ since 2017. The extension, which spans from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025, will build on the enhanced citien services and innovation that Maximus has delivered in the contract to date. This continued delivery will support the Ministry of Citizens' Services vision in the next phase of BC's Public Service digital transformation. The new contract also includes an extra one-year option that could further extend the agreement to December 31, 2026. "This contract extension is fantastic news for our organization and reinforces our commitment to operational excellence," said Christian Gingras, Canada's Managing Director, Maximus. "We are very proud of our team and the exceptional work they continue to deliver for citizens on behalf of Service BC." About Maximus As a leading strategic partner to governments across the globe, Maximus helps improve the delivery of public services amid complex technology, health, economic, environmental, and social challenges. With a deep understanding of program service delivery, acute insights that achieve operational excellence, and an extensive awareness of the needs of the people being served, our employees advance the critical missions of our partners. Maximus delivers innovative business process management, impactful consulting services, and technology solutions that provide improved outcomes for the public and higher levels of productivity and efficiency of government-sponsored programs. For more information, visit maximus.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622505809/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] SHARE Names New Directors Tweet TORONTO, June 22, 2023 /CNW/ - The board of directors of SHARE (Shareholder Association for Research & Education) is pleased to announce the appointment of four new directors to its volunteer board. Ioana Circo is the Investment Advisor at University of Montreal Pension Plan and Former Chair of the Advisory Committee, PRI Quebec Network; is the Investment Advisor at Pension Plan and Former Chair of the Advisory Committee, PRI Quebec Network; Jessica Keeshig Martin is a consultant with Shared Value Solutions and the former Education, Language and Culture Coordinator, Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Board of Education; is a consultant with Shared Value Solutions and the former Education, Language and Culture Coordinator, Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation Board of Education; Adrie Naylor is a Researcher with the United Steelworkers national office and a Trustee on the Steelworkers Pension Plan; and is a Researcher with the United Steelworkers national office and a Trustee on the Steelworkers Pension Plan; and Hermender Singh Kailley is the Secretary Treasurer of te BC Federation of Labour and a member of the Executive board of the New Westminster and District Labour Council. "Each of our board members brings a wealth of experience, expertise and insight to support the mission of SHARE," said Colette Murphy, CEO of the Atkinson Foundation and chair of the SHARE board. "We're excited to welcome new members and to work with them to build a more just economy." "We are lucky to be able to draw on the contributions of our board to help shape and oversee SHARE's strategy and future directions," said Kevin Thomas, CEO of SHARE. "Our board and staff are values-driven and committed to working collaboratively with others to advance a sustainable, inclusive and productive economy." Through shareholder engagement, advisory services, and cutting-edge research, SHARE mobilizes investor leadership for a sustainable, inclusive, and productive economy. SHARE is the secretariat for the global Committee on Workers Capital, the Reconciliation & Responsible Investment Initiative, the Canadian Capital Stewardship Network, the University Network for Investor Engagement, and co-Secretariat for the Climate Engagement Canada initiative. We are a non-profit organization, a unionized workplace, and a certified living wage employer. The board would like to thank the directors who stepped down this year for their invaluable contributions to SHARE, including: Doug Olthuis, United Steelworkers, retired; Sussanne Skidmore, recently elected President of the BC Federation of Labour; and Leslee White-Eye, Governance Director at the First Nations with Schools Collective. About: SHARE is an award-winning non-profit organization dedicated to mobilizing investor leadership for a sustainable, inclusive and productive economy. It does this by supporting its investor network and amplifying their voices to improve corporate sustainability practices and implement better rules and regulations that govern capital markets. For more information on SHARE, visit www.share.ca. SOURCE SHARE (The Shareholder Association for Research and Education) [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] Watch Out Latest Research Reports on Australia Data Center Market & New Zealand Data Center Market: Get Insights on Investment, Opportunities, Latest Trends & Analysis 2023-2028 - Arizton Tweet CHICAGO, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Arizton publishes latest research reports on Australia data center market & New Zealand data center market. A detailed study on Australia & New Zealand data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about market size during the forecast period. Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and Australia colocation market revenue. The Australia Data Center Market Will Witness Investments of Over USD 9 billion by 2028 Get Insights on 136 Existing Data Centers and 22 Upcoming Facilities across Australia. In Australia, colocation operators and cloud service providers are the top investors in data center infrastructure. This trend has been fueled by the widespread adoption of cloud computing, AI, and big data technologies. As the market continues to grow, it is expected that new players such as STACK Infrastructure and Vantage Data Centers will enter and contribute to further increase in data center investments. Australia Data Center Market Report Scope Report Attributes Details Market Size USD 9.49 Billion (2028) Market Size (Area) 1,563 thousand Sq. Feet (2028) Market Size (Power Capacity) 333 Mw (2028) CAGR Investment (2022-2028) 7.05 % Historic Year 2021-2022 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2028 The retail colocation sector is still a big player in the Australia data center market contributed by data center operators such as Digital Realty, Equinix, DC Two, CDC Data Centres, among others but we anticipate a surge in wholesale colocation facilities due to massive investments from hyperscale giants such as Microsoft in the upcoming years. In Australia, cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Darwin constitute the prime locations for data center expansion. As of 2022, Sydney garnered the most significant share of data center investments. In the data center landscape, we have observed the rise of new entrants such as STACK Infrastructure and GreenSquareDC. These organizations are construction or have disclosed their intentions to construct data centers and campuses in various cities across Australia. The surge in the digital transformation initiatives undertaken by various organizations has propelled the demand for cloud-based services. The Australian government has executed a digital transformation strategy aimed at facilitating the seamless migration of enterprises to the cloud platform. Australia can make a significant contribution to the development of a net zero emissions global economy, as the country boasts substantial capabilities to generate solar and wind electricity. It targets 100% instant renewable energy for its primary grid by 2025. Investment Opportunities in the Australia Data Center Market The growth of the Australia data center market has been driven by various factors, including investments in 5G, big data, IoT, and renewable energy. Numerous organizations are presently transferring their workloads to the cloud and embarking on digitalization projects to enhance their customer experience and overall efficiency. These actions will also help the organizations establish a long-term, sustainable presence in a highly competitive market environment. data center market has been driven by various factors, including investments in 5G, big data, IoT, and renewable energy. Numerous organizations are presently transferring their workloads to the cloud and embarking on digitalization projects to enhance their customer experience and overall efficiency. These actions will also help the organizations establish a long-term, sustainable presence in a highly competitive market environment. In June 2022 , STACK Infrastructure expanded its presence in Australia and planned to construct data center facilities across three Australian cities such as Melbourne , Canberra , and Perth . A 72 MW data center is currently under development in Melbourne with is expected to be operational by Q1 2023. , STACK Infrastructure expanded its presence in and planned to construct data center facilities across three Australian cities such as , , and . A 72 MW data center is currently under development in with is expected to be operational by Q1 2023. Australia received significant investments from hyperscale operators. For instance, In January 2023 , AWS unveiled its new cloud region in Melbourne , which serves as its second region in Australia . This move expands our capacity to offer technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence to our customers with reduced latency. In addition, AWS launched a local zone in Perth and has plans to develop another one in Brisbane . Looking for More Information? Download the Free Sample Report of Australia Data Center Market: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3883 Vendor Landscape IT Infrastructure Providers: Arista Networks, Atos, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, NetApp. Arista Networks, Atos, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, NetApp. Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors: AECOM, Arup, Aurecon, Beca, Hawkins, Mott MacDonald, Norman Disney & Young (NDY), The Building Intelligence Group, TransWorks, WT. AECOM, Arup, Aurecon, Beca, Hawkins, Mott MacDonald, & Young (NDY), The Building Intelligence Group, TransWorks, WT. Support Infrastructure Providers: 3M , ABB, Alfa Laval, Airedale International Air Conditioning, Black Box, Climaveneta, Cummins, Cyber Power Systems, EcoCooling, Eaton, KOHLER-SDMO, Legrand, Rittal, Rolls-Royce, Schneider Electric, STULZ, Thycon, Trane, Vertiv. , ABB, Alfa Laval, Airedale International Air Conditioning, Black Box, Climaveneta, Cummins, Cyber Power Systems, EcoCooling, Eaton, KOHLER-SDMO, Legrand, Rittal, Rolls-Royce, Schneider Electric, STULZ, Thycon, Trane, Vertiv. Data Center Investors: AWS, Canberra Data Centres, Datacom, Data Vault, DCI Data Centers, DataCentre220, Microsoft, Spark Digital. Post-Purchase Benefit??????????? 1hr of free analyst discussion 10% of customization The New Zealand Data Center Market Will Witness Investments of USD 1.69 billion by 2028 Get Insights on 31 Existing Data Centers and 5 Upcoming Facilities across New Zealand New Zealand has emerged as a prominent destination for data center development due to its robust network connectivity and widespread Internet access. Auckland is favored for its proximity to end users. Currently, the market is attracting several international players, which will play an instrumental role in its future growth. Previously, local players and smaller facilities dominated the data center landscape in the country. Data centers in New Zealand primarily use air cooling, a method promoted by the country's active endorsement of free cooling. However, the overdependency on air-based cooling techniques tends to expose data center operations to disruptions caused by natural disasters such as bushfires. Different cities in the country offer varying tax incentives to encourage the construction of data centers. The country has set ambitious environmental goals to achieve 100% renewable energy generation by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Currently, several hyperscale data centers are under construction or are undergoing upgrades with investments from major players such as Microsoft and Amazon. The entry of international players is expected to positively impact the growth of the New Zealand data center market, which was previously dominated by local players and smaller facilities. New Zealand Data Center Market Report Scope Report Attributes Details Market Size USD 1.69 Billion (2028) Market Size (Area) 317 thousand sq. Feet (2028) Market Size (Power Capacity) 63 MW (2028) CAGR Investment (2022-2028) 9.23 % Historic Year 2021-2022 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2028 Investment Opportunities in the New Zealand Data Center Market New Zealand is the most preferred location with exceptional network connectivity and Internet penetration. Auckland is the most preferred location for data center development due to its proximity to end users. Over the past few years, Auckland has emerged as a prominent financial and economic hub in the country. is the most preferred location with exceptional network connectivity and Internet penetration. is the most preferred location for data center development due to its proximity to end users. Over the past few years, has emerged as a prominent financial and economic hub in the country. Auckland has established an international connectivity hub known as the New Zealand Internet Exchange (NZIX), which connects the Internet exchange with other countries. has established an international connectivity hub known as the New Zealand Internet Exchange (NZIX), which connects the Internet exchange with other countries. High levels of digitalization in the country, especially with 5G coming into play, will contribute to a surge in data generation and generate data traffic and data storage and computation requirements. These factors will generate a high demand for data centers in the country. Several cloud service providers are likely to develop cloud regions to expand their reach in New Zealand . . According to the World Bank, New Zealand is the most business-friendly country worldwide. There are no limitations on the flow of money into or out of the country, including capital, profits, interest, dividends, and royalties. The Overseas Investment Office regulates some activities and there is no capital gains tax, stamp duty, or payroll tax. Also, the country levies a business tax of 28%, which is competitive internationally. Looking for More Information? Download the Free Sample Report of New Zealand Data Center Market: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3865 Vendor Landscape IT Infrastructure Providers: Arista Networks, Atos, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, NetApp. Arista Networks, Atos, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Dell Technologies, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, Hitachi Vantara, IBM, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, NetApp. Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors: AECOM, Arup, Aurecon, Beca, Hawkins, Mott MacDonald, Norman Disney & Young (NDY), The Building Intelligence Group, TransWorks, WT. AECOM, Arup, Aurecon, Beca, Hawkins, Mott MacDonald, & Young (NDY), The Building Intelligence Group, TransWorks, WT. Support Infrastructure Providers: 3M , ABB, Alfa Laval, Airedale International Air Conditioning, Black Box, Climaveneta, Cummins, Cyber Power Systems, EcoCooling, Eaton, KOHLER-SDMO, Legrand, Rittal, Rolls-Royce, Schneider Electric, STULZ, Thycon, Trane, Vertiv. , ABB, Alfa Laval, Airedale International Air Conditioning, Black Box, Climaveneta, Cummins, Cyber Power Systems, EcoCooling, Eaton, KOHLER-SDMO, Legrand, Rittal, Rolls-Royce, Schneider Electric, STULZ, Thycon, Trane, Vertiv. Data Center Investors: AWS, Canberra Data Centres, Datacom, Data Vault, DCI Data Centers, DataCentre220, Microsoft, Spark Digital. Arizton's Expertise in Data Center Industry Exhaustive syndicated reports, databases, country-wise market analysis, & customized consulting projects are published by our team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who possess exemplary skills in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research. Subscribe to our exhaustive portfolios to gain access to premium research reports at competitive prices. Partner with Arizton for your next strategic business decision and gain a competitive advantage with real-time, data-driven research. Check Out Some of the Top-Selling Research Reports:???? Japan Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2023-2028 Malaysia Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2023-2028 Thailand Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2023-2028 Singapore Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2022-2027 About Us:??????? Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovative and quality-driven firm that offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients worldwide. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.?????? We offer comprehensive market research reports on consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, materials, I.T. and media, logistics, and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts.?????? Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.????? CONTACT US??????? Call: +1-312-235-2040?????? ????????? +1 302 469 0707????? Mail:?[email protected]??????? Contact Us:?https://www.arizton.com/contact-us??????? Blog:?https://www.arizton.com/blog??????? Website:?https://www.arizton.com/???? Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/818553/Arizton_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/watch-out-latest-research-reports-on-australia-data-center-market--new-zealand-data-center-market-get-insights-on-investment-opportunities-latest-trends--analysis-2023-2028---arizton-301857946.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] American Academy of Dermatology launches innovative project to improve outcomes for patients with life-threatening pustular psoriasis Tweet ROSEMONT, Ill., June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Dermatology, with critical support from Boehringer Ingelheim, and powered by OM1's data aggregation system and its PhenOM artificial intelligence (AI) platform, is launching an innovative breakthrough project to develop educational resources to improve the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of patients suffering from generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare form of psoriasis that causes widespread, pus-filled blisters, called pustules. Patients with GPP require immediate medical care; however, they often go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, delaying treatment and potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The AAD's new Generalized Pustular Psoriasis Education Initiative aims to transform the care of these patients by leveraging the power of data in the Academy's DataDerm dermatology patient registry. The project will connect DataDerm's 50 million deidentified patient encounters with OM1's AI-based Patient Finder tool to improve understanding of GPP patients' journey, treatment patterns, disease progression, and outcomes. The insights gathered will help inform the development of a range of breakthrough educational resources and tools for dermatologists, referring physicians, and patients aimed at improving the quality of life for GPP sufferers, many of whom currently experience delayed diagnosis and care and prolonged suffering. "The American Academy of Dermatology is committed to excellence in dermatology and finding innovative approaches to improve patient care," said AAD President Terrence A. Cronin Jr., MD., FAAD. "Though rare, GPP can cause patients incredible pain and suffering. While maintaining our focus on patient privacy, this project will break new ground and provide us with resources that will have a significant impact on these patients' lives." "We are proud to support this important initiative by the American Academy of Dermatology," said Dr. Lennart Jungersten, US Medical Director, Boehringer Ingelheim. "We believe that our joint efforts can generate more awareness and improve the quality of care for patients living with rare skin conditions including GPP." "OM1 is excited to suppor the American Academy of Dermatology's work in expanding resources to serve GPP patients," said Joseph Zabinski, PhD, managing director of AI & Personalized Medicine, OM1. "Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool for understanding patterns in rare disease patients' journeys, and we look forward to using AI to study these journeys in DataDerm to improve outcomes in GPP." Findings from the first phase of the project will be shared at the American Academy of Dermatology's 2024 Annual Meeting, March 8 12 in San Diego. About the AAD Headquartered in Rosemont, Ill., the American Academy of Dermatology, founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of more than 20,800 physicians worldwide, the AAD is committed to advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical, and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair, and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education and research in dermatology; and supporting and enhancing patient care because skin, hair, and nail conditions can have a serious impact on your health and well-being. For more information, contact the AAD at (888) 462-DERM (3376) or aad.org. Follow @AADskin on Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube and @AADskin1 on Instagram. About Boehringer Ingleheim Boehringer Ingelheim is working on breakthrough therapies that improve the lives of humans and animals. As a leading research-driven biopharmaceutical company, the company creates value through innovation in areas of high unmet medical need. Founded in 1885 and family-owned ever since, Boehringer Ingelheim takes a long-term perspective. Around 52,000 employees serve more than 130 markets in the three business areas, Human Pharma, Animal Health, and Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing. Learn more at www.boehringer-ingelheim.com. About OM1 With specialization in chronic conditions, OM1 is re-imagining real-world data and evidence by developing large electronically connected networks of clinicians and health data in rheumatology, dermatology, gastroenterology, cardiometabolic, respiratory, mental health, central nervous system, and other specialty areas. Leveraging its extensive clinical networks and artificial intelligence (AI) platform, OM1 offers industry-leading enriched healthcare datasets, research analytics, data modeling, decision support, and retrospective and prospective clinical studies. With a focus on high-quality data and clinical outcomes, the offerings are used for accelerating research, demonstrating treatment effectiveness, supporting regulatory submissions, monitoring safety, and informing commercialization. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-academy-of-dermatology-launches-innovative-project-to-improve-outcomes-for-patients-with-life-threatening-pustular-psoriasis-301858476.html SOURCE American Academy of Dermatology [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] Applied Value Group Announces the Acquisition of ES Solar, a New Platform Investment. Tweet Applied Value Group, an Investment, Management Consulting and Social Impact group, is excited to announce its acquisition of ES Solar, Utah's largest residential and commercial solar and battery installer. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622712589/en/ With operations in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, ES Solar has cemented itself as a market leader and boasts a unique specialization in energy storage, with over 90% of installs featuring a battery. With its focus on cutting-edge technologies, premier partnerships, and exceptional customer service, ES Solar continues to contribute to the advancement of clean energy deployment. "We are very excited to announce the acquisition of ES Solar," stated Bruce Grant, Executive Chairman of Applied Value Group. "ES Solar has demonstrated tremendous growth, and we can't wait to help further accelerate their journey." Maximillian Sultan, a Partner with Applied Value Group, added "We were extremely impressed with the quality of ES Solar's management team and culture. ES Solar's agility will allow the company to continually improve its market position". Ryan Huff, Applied Value's Consulting CEO, commented, "The residential storage industry is projected to grow by over 30% per year, and ES Solar has proven they are uniquely positioned to capture a significant partof that growth." The existing ES Solar team, led by CEO Chris Loock and COO Jeff Dimond, will remain in place, leveraging their expertise to collaborate closely with Applied Value Group's resources. Through this partnership, ES Solar aims to expand into new markets, launch new products, and strengthen its leading position in its existing locations. Chris Loock, CEO of ES Solar, expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition, stating, "We are thrilled to join forces with Applied Value Group. This strategic partnership not only strengthens our position in our core markets but also enables our ability to rapidly expand into other geographies. Jeff Dimond, ES Solar's COO, said "This will further the adoption of clean energy by accelerating the deployment of residential and commercial solar and storage systems." About Applied Value Group: Founded in 1997 by Executive Chairman Bruce Grant, Applied Value Group is a global Investments, Management Consulting and Social Impact group. With decades of experience growing and transforming organizations through hands-on value creation, group companies leverage Applied Value's consulting resources to accelerate growth and implement operational improvements. Applied Value Group has made more than 50 total investments across industries, and has offices in New York, Miami, Stockholm, Istanbul, and Shanghai. www.appliedvaluegroup.com About ES Solar: ES Solar was founded in 2009 by co-founders Chris Loock and Jeff Dimond. It is one of the most experienced and the largest Solar Electric Contractors in Utah. Offering customized renewable energy systems, with a specialization in battery storage solutions with solar for residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Focusing on cutting-edge technology and exceptional customer service, ES Solar helps clients harness the power of solar energy to reduce their environmental impact and achieve energy independence. www.essolar.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622712589/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] SAIC Awarded $1.3B Contract to Lead the U.S. Department of Treasury Adoption of Enhanced Cloud Services Tweet Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC) has been awarded a $1.3 billion single source seven-year contract by the Department of the Treasury to provide T-Cloud, a complete range of cloud and professional services. "T-Cloud will enable the Treasury Department to rapidly and securely adopt a modern, flexible and cost-effective approach to utilizing and consuming data in the cloud," said Bob Genter, President, Defense and Civilian Sector at SAIC. "SAIC is honored to be the Treasury Department's cloud services digital transformation partner." The T-Cloud contract supports Treasury's adoption and transformation of a multi-cloud environment by centralizing management of the systems infrastructure, platform and software-as-a-service by a single broker. In addition to full suites of AWS, Microsoft, Google, IBM and Oracle cloud services, there is additional opportunity to onboard new cloud service providers. SAIC is responsible for delivering a shared service cloud infrastructure model that provides enterprise-wide efficiencies in access, contracting and security. SAIC will also provide services for business operations, technical, security, network, service desk, subject matter expert support and transition services. The T-Cloud contract aligns with SAIC's strategy to focus on Growth and Technology Accelerants (GTAs), in the area of secure cloud capabilities. This includes SAIC's unique suite of cloud migration tools called CloudScend. As the prime industry partner for the U.S. Air Force Cloud One program, SAIC continues to lead cloud transformation across the DOD and now for the civilian market. About SAIC SAIC is a premier Fortune 500 technology integrator driving our nation's technology transformation. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in engineering, digital, artificial intelligence and mission solutions. Using our expertise and understanding of existing and emerging technologies, we integrate the best components from our own portfolio and our partner ecosystem to deliver innovative, effective and efficient solutions that are critical to achieving our customers' missions. We are approximately 24,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion, which is core to our values and important to attract and retain exceptional talent. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $6.9 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release contain or are based on "forward-looking" information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "guidance," and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this release may include, among others, estimates of future revenues, operating income, earnings, earnings per share, charges, total contract value, backlog, outstanding shares and cash flows, as well as statements about future dividends, share repurchases and other capital deployment plans. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results may differ materially from the guidance and other forward-looking statements made in this release as a result of various factors. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause or contribute to these material differences include those discussed in the "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Legal Proceedings" sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our website at saic.com or on the SEC's website at sec.gov. Due to such risks, uncertainties and assumptions you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SAIC expressly disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statement provided in this release to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in SAIC's expectations. SAIC also disclaims any duty to comment upon or correct information that may be contained in reports published by investment analysts or others. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622823235/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] IRBM Extends Peptide Therapeutics Collaboration with Merck & Co. Inc., Rahway NJ USA Tweet ROME, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IRBM, an innovative contract research organization, today announced it has signed a new agreement with Merck & Co. Inc., Rahway NJ USA, known as MSD outside the USA and Canada, to continue their collaboration in the peptide therapeutics area. The success of this collaboration is reflected by the outstanding achievements in the delivery of orally available peptide candidates, said Elisabetta Bianchi, Senior Director of Peptide Chemistry at IRBM. We are thrilled to continue this collaboration as part of our mission to advance impactful agents into the clinic. IRBMs Chief Science Officer Carlo Toniatti said, We are immensely proud to combine IRBMs first-class scientific expertise in peptide design and synthesis with Merck & Co. Inc., Rahway NJ USAs exceptional drug development capabilities with a focus on delivering innovative therapies to patients in need. At MSD, we continue to evaluate the opportunities for peptide-based therapeutic candidates across multiple indications, said Rob Garbaccio, Vice President, Head of Discovery Chemistry at MSD Research Laboratories. We loo forward to continuing our productive collaboration with our colleagues at IRBM in this compelling area of research. In recent years, significant advances have been made in peptide discovery through the well-established phage and mRNA display platforms and with major progress achieved for half-life extension strategies and the use of formulation enhancers to support oral route administration. The collaboration has taken advantage of these novel technologies to develop peptide candidates that progress into the clinic. IRBM has built broad expertise in peptide drug development. The established integrated platform covers the entire range of activities required to discover and develop novel peptide hits into optimized leads. The delivery of safe and effective candidate peptide drugs is supported by the use of phage display peptide libraries for hit identification, advanced synthetic strategies from macrocycles to proteins, molecular design and engineering, structural biology, biochemical, biophysical and cell-based assay to enable structural activity relationship studies as well as in vitro and in vivo ADME studies. Background Information IRBM IRBM is an innovative contract research organization working across all aspects of drug discovery and early development for different modalities small molecules, peptides, and antibodies. We foster collaborations with organizations from the pharmaceutical, biotech and academic sectors to accelerate drug discovery from target validation and hit identification to candidate nomination. Our multidisciplinary team work at a state-of-the-art R&D facility near Rome where projects are carried out under one roof enabling rapid cycle times and close integration of the scientific teams. IRBMs scientists have discovered several drugs that are on the market, and more than 25 compounds have gone into clinical testing. The company was founded in 2010, as a spin-off from Merck & Co. Rahway NJ USA. Now in our 14th year as an independent research organisation, we have laid the foundations to become a global centre for excellence in all aspects of drug discovery and early development. Media contact [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [June 22, 2023] KBRA Affirms Ratings for Nicolet Bankshares, Inc. Tweet KBRA affirms the senior unsecured debt rating of BBB, the subordinated debt rating of BBB-, and the short-term debt rating of K3 for Green Bay, Wisconsin based Nicolet Bankshares, Inc. (NYSE: NIC) ("Nicolet" or "the company"). In addition, KBRA affirms the deposit and senior unsecured debt ratings of BBB+, the subordinated debt rating of BBB, and the short-term deposit and debt ratings of K2 for lead subsidiary, Nicolet National Bank. The Outlook for all longterm ratings is Stable. Key Credit Considerations The ratings are supported by our favorable view of NIC's management, which is long tenured with deep ties to the company's operating markets and maintains a generally conservative credit philosophy. Additionally, notwithstanding earnings in 1Q23, NIC has generally posted better-than-peer core performance over recent years, owing to the company's healthy contribution from fee income sources and lead positioning in its markets. Relatedly, Nicolet's strong deposit base has been a core credit strength of the organization through time as demonstrated by solid positioning in the company's command of market share, which is second in Wisconsin among in-state headquartered banks. NPAs, while modestly above peer levels, are largely loans acquired through 2021 and 2022 transactions and have been trending favorably, while losses have been negligible, consistent with the industry to date. We acknowledge that the complexion of NIC's loan profile materially shifted in 2021 through M&A, which saw an influx of primarily dairy agriculture lending exposure. Though agriculture lending can demonstrate higher volatility, Nicolet retained talent through the transaction and, married with its conservative credit philosophy, the portfolio has remained largely stable. Other aspects of the company's loan portfolio are generally considered favorably, including the granularity of portfolio and diversity of industries served, though these are somewhat offset by a relatively concentrated geographic operating footprint. The primary credit constraint for NIC is the company's degraded capital position, which is currently ~200 bps below peer levels. Lower capital levels have been driven by balance sheet growth owing to moderate organic loan growth and successive M&A transactions over preceding years, coupled with cash consideration in certain transactions. We note a partial mitigant in the company's recent balance sheet restructure, which effectively neutralized the deferment of capital impactfrom HTM holdings such that the company's current and go-forward capital profile is wholly reflective of MTM impact. Nonetheless, acuity increases in our assessment of emergent asset quality issues, should they arise, on a comparatively thinner capital base, all things being equal. Rating Sensitivities Given the Stable Outlook, positive rating momentum is not expected in the medium term. Over a longer term, betterthan-peer core capital, coupled with growth in uncorrelated fee income contribution to previous levels could drive positive rating momentum. Conversely, negative rating sentiment could develop if the company's capital profile fails to migrate to peer levels-above 10% CET1-over the course of several quarters. Additionally, the emergence of asset quality issues beyond our expectations, both in absolute levels and relative to peers, could drive downward pressure on ratings, particularly against the prospect of potentially lower earnings power given industry trends in margin compression. To access rating and relevant documents, click here. Methodologies Financial Institutions: Bank & Bank Holding Company Global Rating Methodology ESG Global Rating Methodology A description of all substantially material sources that were used to prepare the credit rating and information on the methodology(ies) (inclusive of any material models and sensitivity analyses of the relevant key rating assumptions, as applicable) used in determining the credit rating is available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) located here. Information on the meaning of each rating category can be located here. Further disclosures relating to this rating action are available in the Information Disclosure Form(s) referenced above. Additional information regarding KBRA policies, methodologies, rating scales and disclosures are available at www.kbra.com. About KBRA Kroll Bond Rating Agency, LLC (KBRA) is a full-service credit rating agency registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an NRSRO. Kroll Bond Rating Agency Europe Limited is registered as a CRA with the European Securities and Markets Authority. Kroll Bond Rating Agency UK Limited is registered as a CRA with the UK Financial Conduct Authority. In addition, KBRA is designated as a designated rating organization by the Ontario Securities Commission for issuers of asset-backed securities to file a short form prospectus or shelf prospectus. KBRA is also recognized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners as a Credit Rating Provider. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230622530965/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Colorado Springs City Council may annex 3,200 acres southeast of the city limits this year that could be transformed into neighborhoods with up to 9,500 homes. Some councilmembers praised the potential for more homes to help address the housing crisis, while asking hard questions about the development's need for water, at an informal discussion about the project Monday. "I believe you will provide a service to the city," Councilman Bill Murray told developers. The proposed community known as Amara could need up to 3,500 acre-feet of water annually once it is completely built out. The water requirement comes at a time when the West is facing intense drought and many communities are looking for ways to cut consumption. About 70% of Colorado Springs' water comes from the Colorado River Basin, an area that has seen such intense drought the federal government has asked all states that rely on it, including Colorado, to cut consumption next year by 2 million to 4 million of acre-feet. "This water issue for the Amara annexation is critical," Council President Tom Strand said. City and Colorado Springs Utilities staff members also presented information about other services the development will need, such as natural gas, electricity, police and fire service to Amara, an area split into two properties Amara is asking to come into the city of Colorado Springs even though it is adjacent to Fountain, not Colorado Springs, because Fountain cannot provide the water, said Doug Quimby, president of La Plata Communities, a partner in the project. Quimby's company developed Briargate, a 10,000-acre master-planned community that is just finishing up, he said. If Amara was annexed into Colorado Springs, it would be a "flagpole" annexation, named because it would be annexed along a road within the city boundaries, which functions as the pole or connection to Colorado Springs. "It probably seems like not an ideal situation to you," Quimby told the council. However, the master-planned community that includes parks could help meet the demand for housing with far more attainable homes than are offered in other areas of town, including Briargate. "Our real intention is to have a broader spectrum and a lot more lower-price homes," he said. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. For example, townhomes in the new community could sell for $350,000, he said. Colorado Springs also has water it could provide to the project. Colorado Springs Utilities staff members told the council the city can currently provide 95,000 acre-feet of water annually, and the average annual demand for water is 73,000 acre-feet of water a year. Utilities may need to purchase additional water rights, add water storage, and take additional steps to meet the potential demand for water as the city develops. Much of Banning Lewis Ranch, a 24,000-acre area on the city's eastern edge, has not been developed and will require more water in the coming decades. While the city's consumption has been flat, as indoor fixtures have become more efficient, Utilities expects demand for water will grow at about 2% per year because the gains to be made through indoor efficiency have likely been fully tapped at this point, said Abby Ortega, general manager of infrastructure and resource planning. Right now, the city expects to have enough water to meet demand through 2041 and will continue working on projects to meet demand beyond that, she said. "I know we will continue to be diligent," she said. La Plata Communities' required fees to cover water infrastructure could reach into the tens of millions of dollars over time, Quimby said. The design of the community would also be water-conscious, with smaller lots, he said. Councilwoman Nancy Henjum raised some questions about providing other services, such as police protection, to Amara because officers would need to drive across El Paso County's and Fountain's property to get to Amara. Deputy Chief Mary Rosenoff told the council she could not provide estimated response times to that area at this time. The Colorado Springs Police Department has not requested a substation in the Amara area as part of the proposed annexation agreement. The City Council expected to hear a more complete breakdown of costs and economic returns associated with Amara on Tuesday morning. The board may vote on whether to annex the property before the end of the year. La Plata Communities could get started on development next year on the first 770 lots, Quimby said. The company also would like to build out an additional 2,500 acres that is currently within the town of Fountain's limits adjacent to Amara and asked the town council to remove it from the community's limits earlier this year. The town council declined. [June 22, 2023] Sernova to Present Updated Interim Phase 1/2 Clinical Data on Cell Pouch System During Oral Presentation at American Diabetes Association 83rd Scientific Sessions Tweet LONDON, Ontario, June 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sernova Corp. (TSX: SVA) (OTCQB: SEOVF) (FSE/XETRA: PSH), a clinical-stage company and leader in cell therapeutics, will be presenting updated interim data from its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial of the Cell Pouch System in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and hypoglycemia unawareness at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 83rd Scientific Sessions, to be held June 23-26, 2023, in San Diego. The abstract, which was submitted several months ago, written by Dr. Piotr Witkowski, M.D., Ph.D. and his team at The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, was released by the ADA and shows that five of the six patients receiving the Sernova Cell Pouch remain insulin independent (>2.5 years, >1 year, 10 months, 2 months, and 1 month). With the 6th patient awaiting a final protocol-mandated islet transplant. The oral podium presentation will contain additional updated information and will take place on Saturday, June 24. In alignment with the ADA embargo policy, the additional data updates will be shared by Sernova following the completion of the presentation. The abstract for the oral presentation can be accessed here. Presentation details: Abstract: #240-OR #240-OR Title: Islet Allotransplantation into Pre-vascularized Sernova Cell PouchEarly Results from the University of Chicago Islet Allotransplantation into Pre-vascularized Sernova Cell PouchEarly Results from the University of Chicago Abstract Session: Clinical Islet-Cell Transplantation Clinical Islet-Cell Transplantation Date: Saturday, June 24, 2023 Saturday, June 24, 2023 Time: 5:15 PM PT 5:15 PM PT Location: Room 30 Room 30 Authors: Mateusz Ogledzinski, Sarah Gondek, William Lin, Kamila Milejczyk, Braden Juengel, Lisa Potter, Piotr K. Bachul, Lindsay Basto, Laurencia Perea, Lingjia Wang, Martin Tibudan, Rolf Barth, John Fung, Piotr Witkowski Sernova will host an in-person analyst and investor event following the presentation at ADA: Date: Saturday, June 24, 2023 Saturday, June 24, 2023 Time: 6:30 PM PT 6:30 PM PT Location: The Hilton San Diego Bayfront The Hilton San Diego Bayfront Room: Aqua 310B Register for the event here. Abstracts for the ADA 83rd Scientific Sessions can be accessed here. ABOUT SERNOVA CORP. AND THE CELL POUCH SYSTEM PLATFORM FOR CELL THERAPY Sernova Corp. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that is developing therapeutic cell technologies for chronic diseases, including insulin-dependent diabetes, thyroid disease, and blood disorders that include hemophilia A. Sernova is currently focused on developing a functional cure for insulin-dependent diabetes with its lead asset, the Cell Pouch System, a novel implantable and scalable medical device with immune protected therapeutic cells. On implantation, The Cell Pouch forms a natural vascularized tissue environment in the body for long-term survival and function of therapeutic cells that release essential factors that are absent or deficient in the bodies of patients with certain chronic diseases. Sernovas Cell Pouch System has demonstrated its potential to be a functional cure for people with T1D in an ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical study at the University of Chicago. Sernova is also advancing a proprietary technology in collaboration with the University of Miami to shield therapeutic cells from immune system attack with the goal to eliminate the need for chronic, systemic immunosuppression. In May 2022, Sernova and Evotec entered into a global strategic partnership to develop an implantable off-the-shelf iPSC (induced pluripotent stem cells) based islet replacement therapy. This partnership provides Sernova a potentially unlimited supply of insulin-producing cells to treat millions of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes (type 1 and type 2). Sernova continues to progress two additional development programs that utilize its Cell Pouch System: a cell therapy for hypothyroid disease resulting from thyroid gland removal and an ex vivo lentiviral factor VIII gene therapy for hemophilia A. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Corporate: Investors: Media: Christopher Barnes VP, Investor Relations Sernova Corp. [email protected] Tel: 519-902-7923 www.sernova.com Corey Davis, Ph.D. LifeSci Advisors, LLC [email protected] Tel: 212-915-2577 Hannah Holmquist LifeSci Communications [email protected] Tel: 619-723-4326 FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This release contains statements that, to the extent they are not recitations of historical facts, may constitute forward-looking statements that involve various risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including, without limitation, statements regarding the prospects, plans, and objectives of the company. Wherever possible, but not always, words such as "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential for" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur are used to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect managements beliefs with respect to future events and are based on information currently available to management on the date such statements were made. Many factors could cause Sernovas actual results, performances, or achievements to not be as anticipated, estimated or intended or to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Such factors could include, but are not limited to, the companys ability to secure additional financing and licensing arrangements on reasonable terms, or at all; ability to conduct all required preclinical and clinical studies for the companys Cell Pouch System and or related technologies, including the timing and results of those trials; ability to obtain all necessary regulatory approvals, or on a timely basis; ability to in-license additional complementary technologies; ability to execute its business strategy and successfully compete in the market; and the inherent risks associated with the development of biotechnology combination products generally. Many of the factors are beyond our control, including those caused by, related to, or impacted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. Investors should consult the companys quarterly and annual filings available on www.sedar.com for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statements. Sernova expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Actually, he has a point about low turnout . . . And here's the word as he builds up frequent flyer miles from Virginia . . . Clay Chastain press release: Foremost, I wish to sincerely thank the people who voted for me in my election loss to Lucas. But do not despair. With only 13% of registered voters voting, a biased media against me (led by the Star & KCUR) and a cowardly-acting Mayor refusing to debate me, the results were meaningless and no real indication who the majority of everyday citizens wanted to be Mayor of Kansas City. The appalling lack of voter participation (87% of voters were no-shows) is not surprising. While passing out campaign flyers, many told me they didn't even know about the election. No doubt because the media down- played it including the far-left media (led by the Star's Hendricks & KCUR's Janovy) who totally blackballed me. The scant turnout also signifies that most people don't really care anymore. Can you blame them? They don't trust City Hall; don't trust the manipulative media to truthfully inform them; and believe the whole political process is rigged in favor of those in control. Lucas refused to debate, and none of the hapless media were brave enough to approach our Emperor and ask him why! As a result, there was little interest in this sorry election, and it was thus decided by a paltry number of voters (mostly composed of radical fringe groups...liberal blacks, Woke whites and people angry at me for not being able to reside in KC full time). Thus, the liberal biased media and the corporate establishment (behind (No debate) Lucas) got the result they wanted. I know the limited number of people I encountered (passing out campaign flyers) unanimously agreed with my solutions to our problems and with my vision for Kansas City. I am not diminished whatsoever. So take heart, supporters. The battle to save KC, may not be over just yet. All we know for certain is that the 8% of KCMO registered voters voted for Lucas while overlooking these facts: Lucas cared more about his political-self than debating the issues before the people; Lucas did not keep his promise to reduce homicides; Lucas has his eyes on DC-not KC; and Lucas has no real answers to our problems or vision to prosper our City. His win is as hollow as is his sincerity. But I am sincere. I have vision. And I will be back. Clay Chastain ######## Developing . . . For local voters, the most important part of this post is that it reveal very little communication amongst our lawmakers and authorities . . . Check-it . . . Ive never even talked to the prosecutor, Governor Parson said. Theres never been a conversation. One, the first time I knew anything, was when she sent a letter to her office. So theres a lot of propaganda out there about that. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . . In visit to Kansas City, Parson addresses talks surrounding pardoning former Kansas City police detective Eric Devalkenaere, a former Kansas City police detective, was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison for the death of Cameron Lamb. Parson responds to letter on pardon rumors for ex-KCPD detective Gov. Parson says Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker's letter on a potential pardon for Eric DeValkenaere was "irresponsible." Missouri governor says he hasn't considered pardoning convicted KCPD Det. Eric DeValkenaere Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he's not currently considering pardoning a former Kansas City detective who was convicted in the shooting death of Cameron Lamb in 2019. Developing . . . Don't be a hater . . . Even amid lower turnout this is a VERY IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENT for all of Kansas City. In fact . . . THIS KIND OF REPRESENTATION PROVES KANSAS CITY IS DEDICATED TO PROGRESS AND NOT 'RACIST' AS CYNICS CLAIM!!! Here's the word from an important local political group . . . Shirleys Kitchen Cabinet Applauds Historic General Election Shirleys KC applauds the election of three black women to city council, the highest number of Black women elected to serve on the city council at the same time. Kansas City, Mo. Shirley's Kitchen Cabinet (Shirleys KC), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to amplifying the voices and power of Black women, applauds the election of three black women to Kansas City Council. With incumbent Councilwoman Melissa Robinson winning re-election, Councilwoman Ryana Parks-Shaw running unopposed and Dr. Melissa Patterson-Hazley winning the 3rd District at large race, this is the highest number of Black women elected to serve on the city council during the same council term. "The election of a record number of black women to the city council is a significant milestone in our citys history, a testament to the untiring efforts of those who fought for equal representation and a beacon of hope for those who continue to strive for a more just and equitable Kansas City," Parks-Shaw said. Janey Manleys ability to close a double digit vote gap in the Northland as a first-time candidate vying to be the first Black woman to hold that seat is evidence of voter alignment with the issues she ran on and voter support for her candidacy. And Sheri Halls race gave 3rd District voters a chance to vote for the greater of two amazing candidates, a rare opportunity for Black voters and all voters, said Michele L. Watley, Shirleys Kitchen Cabinet founder. We are immensely proud of all of these women and we are excited to see what they do next. Black women currently serving on city council have championed impactful policies - from the multi-million dollar allocation of funding to combat violence through the KC Blueprint for Violence Prevention and A Safe and Healthy Community, the historic passage of the Crown ACT, the creation of the first Office of Racial Equity and Reconciliation, appointing Black women to city boards and commissions, recognition of the disparities in Black maternal healthcare, establishment of the Commission on Reparations, to naming racism as a public health crisis. In advancing policies that directly address systemic inequities, Park-Shaw and Robinson illustrate whats possible when Black women have a seat at the table. I am ready to get to work by contributing my skills and experience, and working with two experienced (Parks-Shaw and Robinson) councilwomen will help me hit the ground running, said Dr. Patterson-Hazley, councilwoman elect. It is important that we work together to meet this historic moment to move Kansas City forward. Hopefully the newly elected and current council members can craft a shared policy agenda to continue to drive dynamic change for Kansas Citys Black community and other communities that have historically gone unrepresented in city leadership, Watley said. # # # Developing . . . Not really given that the latter is related Presidential Records Act . . . Or at least that's the legal argument. Still . . . Here's the argument from the newspaper & local media . . . "The sentencing for willful retention of national defense information was the first since a federal grand jury indicted Trump earlier this month, accusing him of hoarding classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, keeping boxes of documents not only in a storage room but in a ballroom and bathroom as well." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Ex-FBI analyst who kept classified info in bathroom like Trump going to prison in KC case "I cannot fathom why you would jeopardize our nation by leaving these types of documents in your bathtub," U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Bough said. Former Kansas City FBI analyst sentenced to prison for hoarding secret documents Kendra Kingsbury worked as an FBI intelligence analyst for 12 years. Over that time, prosecutors say she illegally collected dozens of intelligence documents including some containing information about al-Qaida members. Former Kansas City FBI analyst sentenced to nearly 4 years for retaining classified documents at her home A former analyst at the FBI's Kansas City Field Office will serve nearly four years in federal prison after a admitting to illegally bringing home and storing classified intelligence documents. Developing . . . Right now hottie legacy Brook inspires our peek at pop culture, community news and top headlines. Check TKC news gathering . . . Local Job Fix Ace Hardware plans distribution center at new industrial park near KCI Ace Hardware Corporation will open a new retail support center at the KCI 29 Logistics Park near Kansas City International Airport. End Of KC Pupper Era New York private equity firm acquires Three Dog Bakery - Kansas City Business Journal Founded in 1989, Three Dog Bakery sells dog treats in standalone stores and with major retailers like Amazon, Chewy and Walmart. It was acquired by a New York private equity firm. Glory Days Well-Remembered Now with Rangers, former Kansas City Royals exec Dayton Moore recalls best times in KC Explaining Royals losing or dwelling on his final seasons is a path former executive Dayton Moore won't travel Community Refuge Debuts Ga'Avah KC offers safe space for LGBTQ+ members of Jewish faith Since 2020, Ga'Avah KC has worked to be a welcoming force for LGBTQ+ people who are also members of the Jewish faith. Cowtown Hollywood Coming Soon Film Row Projects Underway, Latest Crossroads Investment by Helzberg By Kevin Collison Work is set to begin on a big Crossroads redevelopment project that includes renovating two Film Row buildings and transforming a parking lot at 18th and Baltimore into a landscaped courtyard. The project is being done by philanthropist and developer Shirley Bush Helzberg, her latest investment in the historic Film Row area... Brooke Shares Life Lessons Brooke Burke EXCL: talks meditation, 'junk' salads, Oura rings, ketone this month the 51-year-old shared with DailyMail.com how she has come up with a new 21 day plan to help get her followers in bikini shape for the hot months of summer. 'It's time to reset,' she said. Prez Performs Power Move Biden, Modi announce major deal on fighter jet engines, drones The agreement, which is subject to congressional review, is a clear sign of closer defense ties between two countries that share concerns about China's increasing military might. Moguls Offer New Distraction Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg say they're ready for a cage fight | CNN Business Business rivalry seemingly isn't enough for two of the tech industry's most powerful billionaires. Now Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg say they want to settle their scores in a cage fight. Vlad Shares Accusations Russia accuses Ukraine of using UK-supplied missiles to strike bridge to Crimea Chonhar Bridge is one of a handful of infrastructures linking Crimea with the mainland Water Rights Fight Stays Losing Supreme Court rules against Navajo Nation in water supply case | CNN Politics The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against the Navajo Nation, dismissing a lawsuit arguing that the federal government has the legal duty under treaties signed in the 1800s to develop a plan to provide the tribe with an adequate water supply. Diva Offers Inside Look Inside Gwyneth Paltrow's $1,600 hormone summit there's plenty of Goop, but also some good Gwyneth Paltrow gathered the Gooperati in Santa Monica to talk menopause and hormones, which have become the boogeyman in women's wellness. Clowning Kansas City Cuisine McDonald's rarely opens new Kansas City area locations. This one just broke ground The hamburger chain restaurant will have a double-drive thru, curbside parking and home delivery. It's the area's first in nearly a decade. Golden Ghetto Breakdown Lenexa Ad Astra swimming pool closed due to water main break Lenexa closes Ad Astra Pool because of a water main break that needs repaired. Katie Calls Weather Right Now Hazy sunshine is on tap for Thursday A chance of rain is in the weekend forecast Flashdance What a Feeling Irene Cara was Billboard #1 in June of 1983 and serves as the song of the day . . . This is the OPEN THREAD for right now. The result of the first round [on May 21] provides us with a good indication of how the voters will lean in the June 25 elections Our greatest enemy at the ballot box is complacency, New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview on Mega TV on Thursday, and that sense that the electoral result is already set, ANA reports. "Nothing should be taken for granted. The result of the first round [on May 21] provides us with a good indication of how the voters will lean in the June 25 elections. I will be happy if participation rises," Mitsotakis noted. The ND leader clarified that there will be no new tax hike under his party's second term, but further decreases instead. "My goal is to examine permanent reductions in VAT toward the end of the four-year term," he underlined, turning down the main opposition's price reduction proposals. "If the economy is effective, I believe it will be a feasible target in the second half of the four-year term," Mitsotakis added. Speaking about the recognition of the academic status of private universities, the discussion to change the Constitution's Article 16 will open in 2025. "Universities can be private as well, on condition that the state keeps strict control. I will insist on this very much. They will have high credentials. But my focus will be on public universities," he said, adding that Greece is beginning to become a center of training. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Over the first two-year cycle of "Horizon Europe" (2021-2022), project proposals were submitted by businesses, universities, research centers, and other public agencies of Greece, as well as by nonprofits Greece ranks 7th among the European Union's 27 member states both in approved projects and in funding for the "Horizon Europe" program in research and innovation over 2021-2022, the National Documentation Center said on Thursday, ANA reports. Greece accounted for 829 projects or 16.5% of all EU states' projects and for approved funding of 644.72 million euros, or 4.5% of all EU projects. A total of 505 unique Greek entities and 1,716 participants from all 13 regions of Greece were involved in the projects. The greatest number of participants and the greatest share of funding was found in the sectors of "Digital technologies, Industry, and Space" and "Climate, Energy, and Mobility". In addition, Greek entities formed alliances with entities in another 92 countries. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: pixabay.com Cinematographer Ed Regan is a 2023 recipient of the Debwewin Citation for excellence in storytelling from the Anishinabek Nation, whom he has worked with over the last two decades. - Regan Pictures photo Andrew Palamarchuk is a reporter with Metroland Media Toronto and toronto.com. He has been covering the crime beat since 2002 and has a passion for giving a voice to those affected by tragedy and looking at societal issues that may have contributed to it. The El Paso County Redistricting Commission convened for its second meeting Wednesday and fielded residents' questions concerning divided communities of color and other areas of interest. The meeting, held at Mountain View Academy in District 2, was the second of five meetings, each to be held in a current commissioner district. The redistricting commission, consisting of the current five members of the El Paso County Board of Commissioners, has until the end of September to redraw their constituent districts. Under House Bill 21-1047, passed in 2021, counties cannot see more than 5% in population deviation between their most and least populous districts. The bill also encourages, as much as possible, preserving "communities of interest such as urban, rural or trade areas, or other factors like education, environment or water needs to ensure "fair and effective representation." Each new district should have a population of roughly 146,550 based on 2020 U.S. Census data, El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Steve Schleiker has said. Schleiker presented the commission with three new maps that they requested at its previous June 12 meeting. Based on resident requests to keep Monument in one district rather than split it along Interstate 25 between Districts 1 and 3, Map No. 1 moved voting precincts in Palmer Lake and Monument into District 1. The Patty Jewett neighborhood, largely located just east of Old North End, was moved to District 3, as residents said during the June 12 meeting that the neighborhood is similar to and better off grouped with Old Colorado City and the west side than being split into multiple districts. The map also focused on incorporating more of southeast Colorado Springs into District 5 as a community of interest rather than splitting it up. Map No. 1 would see 16 precincts moved, and a 4.6% population deviation after shortchanging Districts 1, 2 and 4 to accommodate for growth. Map No. 2 was a new version of a previous map requested by commissioners that showed a minimum amount of voter precincts moved between districts, but it was reworked to keep Fort Carson in District 4 and move both the U.S. Air Force Academy and most of Palmer Lake and Monument from District 1 to District 3. Map No. 2 moved 12 precincts and also saw a 4.6% population deviation after underpopulating the fast-growing northern and eastern districts. Map 2 also created the least racially and politically diverse districts. Map No. 3 showed similar efforts to keep Monument and Palmer Lake in District 1 and incorporate Patty Jewett into west side District 3, and southeast Colorado Springs neighborhoods into District 5, to avoid gerrymandering minority areas, Schleiker said, but also prioritized keeping school districts together, especially D-49. Map No. 3 saw the highest number of precinct moves with 38, as well as a population deviation of 4.9%. A fourth map created by resident Katherine Czukas was presented by Schleiker and can be seen here. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Many communities of interest highlighted by residents during public comment were at play, including appeals to better define Falcon as a prominent community of interest, preferring to keep the Air Force Academy in District 1, and keeping certain precincts west of Powers Boulevard in District 5, rather than District 2. Commissioners have repeated the argument that, given the vast number of possible communities of interest within the county and their locations, keeping each group brought forward by residents is impossible. But the most contentious point of public concern has been the perceived gerrymandering of minority communities on Colorado Springs' southeast side. Jacqueline Armendariz Unzueta, a resident of that part of the city, told commissionerst she and many fellow residents believe the best definition of "southeast" includes just under 30 "contiguous precincts in (that area) with a minority population of 45% or greater, based on census data. "Let me repeat that this is not a Democrat or Republican issue," she said. "This is an issue of justice, integrity and democracy. ... It is possible to choose a map that is fair, follows the law, and isn't racist." Commissioner Longinos Gonzalez, who represents much of the southeast part of the city, disputed comments that the board has not been listening to residents, and said he was "very happy" with the maps that, he believes, shows direct effort to consolidate Patty Jewett and southeast neighborhoods. "(Maps 1 and 3) are bringing together the southeast, just as we recommended and discussed last time, because this board is open and listening," Gonzalez said. "Some statements ... saying that's not accurately being done, is not accurate." Ahead of the next redistricting meeting, to be held July 6 in District 4, commissioners tasked county staff with drawing and presenting six new maps, including moving the Air Force Academy and some Black Forest precincts back into District 1, and "heat maps" that show strong racial and ethnic minority and political party locations. The new maps also include recommendations submitted by a resident, Zuri Horowitz, and Commissioners Stan VanderWerf and Cami Bremer to better group majority-minority precincts. Map No. 2 was also removed from "active" consideration. Click or tap here for Maps 1, 2 and 3. Click or tap here for more information on the county Redistricting Commission, how to create and submit redistricting map proposals and further resources. Mike Adler is a reporter with toronto.com and Metroland Media Toronto who covers Scarborough and other overlooked parts of Toronto. He worked previously for Metroland in York Region. Rajasthan Tours, a renowned tour and travel company established in 1959, is proud to offer unparalleled luxury travel experiences in Rajasthan, India's captivating state. (TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - June 22nd, 2023 - As pioneers of tourism in Rajasthan, we have perfected the art of custom-made holidays, ensuring that every aspect of your trip is personalized to your preferences. From exploring majestic palaces to immersing yourself in rich cultural heritage, our team will plan a journey that exceeds your expectations. Our commitment to excellence extends to our travel planning services, where we plan smooth itineraries and manage every detail of travel so you can relax and enjoy your trip to the fullest. Additionally, we are well known for our skill in planning magnificent weddings in Rajasthan. Being a family-run company, we take great pride in providing a friendly and warm approach to every traveller. With our deep knowledge and insider experiences, we offer unique insights and creative ideas to make your trip truly exceptional. We have locations for our offices all over India, including Rajasthan. We have the experience to meet your needs for luxurious travel in this area and internationally. Our experienced staff ensures that you receive only the best service throughout your tour. Discover the magic of Rajasthan with Rajasthan Tours. We invite you to join us in creating unforgettable memories and experiencing the true essence of this incredible destination. For media inquiries or further information, please contact: Rajasthan Tours Website: https://rajasthantours.travel/ Email: info@rajasthantours.travel Phone: 9982815111 ### The titanic issues of limited water supply and the housing shortage clashed at the Colorado Springs Utilities board meeting Wednesday, along with major players in the housing industry. At the center of the debate is a proposed city ordinance that would require Utilities to have 130% of the water required to serve existing demand and the projected demand from undeveloped land asking to be annexed. The requirement, as proposed, would block the annexation of a 3,200-acre proposed community southeast of town, called Amara, if it took effect before the vote on Amara's annexation in November. The board did not take any action on the rule, proposing instead to take additional public comment after hearing fierce opposition and concerns about unintended consequences of limiting affordable housing and growth. An updated version of the proposed rule could be presented to the Colorado Springs City Council during a work session on Monday. The members of the Utilities board also serve on the City Council. Utilities board member Bill Murray pointed out the new proposal was a radical shift from last week when Utilities staff said it could serve the development proposed by La Plata Communities, which also developed a large portion of Briargate. "Monday I was told very precisely that a project like Amara could be handled," Murray said. La Plata Communities President Doug Quimby accused Norwood, another major developer in town, of writing the proposed ordinance that would block Amara, limit competition and potentially increase housing costs. "It was drafted in such a way to preclude the Amara annexation," Quimby said. He said Utilities staff had assured him it could serve his proposed development, but last week between Monday and Wednesday the proposed ordinance appeared. Asked whether his company drafted or suggested the proposed ordinance, Norwood's Senior Vice President Tim Seibert said in an email that the company has become increasingly concerned about drought conditions across the West and the community's reliance on the drought stricken Colorado River basin. Colorado Springs receives about 70% of its water from the basin. "This has become an urgent matter for Colorado Springs and for virtually every municipality across the West. We, like many others, have met with city leaders on this subject and suggested specific solutions for discussion," he said. During the meeting, Seibert voiced concerns about flag pole annexations including Amara that are connected to the city limits by a road rather than being adjacent and the pressures that could put on city infrastructure. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. "The question ultimately is how do you want to grow," Seibert told the board. Norwood owns a major chunk of Banning Lewis Ranch, a 28,000-acre property that is largely undeveloped, but is within city limits on the east side. The undeveloped property within Norwood would not be subject to the new water rule. Under the proposed 130% requirement, Utilities would be a few thousand acre-feet shy of what it would need to allow Amara to annex. Utilities estimates it provides on average 75,000 acre-feet of treated water to the community and it could provide 95,000 acre-feet of treated water, a significant existing buffer, according to slides presented during the meeting. An acre-foot of water can serve about three households. The city could lower its average use to allow more annexation or add additional water treatment capacity and infrastructure under the proposed rule. The city is considering the rule as the West and particularly the Colorado River are facing a megadrought and the Bureau of Reclamation is asking the seven states that rely on the river to come up with 2 to 4 million acre-feet of savings next year. Utilities CEO Aram Benyamin said the staff arrived at the 130% buffer because it was an achievable goal. It was developed after "months and months of discussion," Colorado Springs Chief of Staff Jeff Greene told the board. But Renee Zentz, CEO of the Housing & Building Association, said her group had not had enough time to take a position on the proposed water rule since last week. "We are asking to have a seat at the proverbial table," she said. Several Utilities board members called for greater public involvement for the proposed rule and suggested whether including it on the Monday work session would be best. Chairman Wayne Williams said releasing an updated proposed ordinance on Monday would give the public a chance to see tweaks. Following the work session, there could be a chance for major revisions, such as changes to required percentages, Williams said. If the City Council does not act, board members said there could be a question placed before voters that could guide water requirements for annexations. "I want it on our shoulders," board member Randy Helms said. The drought across the West dominated concerns at a Colorado Springs town hall Tuesday about the possibility of adding 3,200 acres southeast of town that could be transformed into a new community of about 9,500 homes. The proposed community, known as Amara, is bounded on three sides by the city of Fountain and does not share a boundary with the city of Colorado Springs. Under state law, Colorado Springs can add it as a "flagpole" annexation, with Bradley Road serving as the pole. Proponents for the project have argued it could provide necessary housing and about 8,800 jobs. Those opposed are concerned about the overall drain on resources, particularly water, to serve an area that is not directly adjacent to the city. Colorado Springs and Fountain residents raised concerns that the addition of thousands of new homes and potentially 2 million square feet of commercial space in Amara could be a drain on water resources at a time when the seven states that rely on Colorado River must make cutbacks. Colorado Springs relies on the Colorado River for 70% of its water. "The Colorado River Basin cannot support the current demands on it. ... Money does not translate into water, when the supply of water is not there," said Anna Lopez, a Colorado Springs resident. Water has been at the center of the debate around Amara in recent weeks for city and Colorado Springs Utilities officials, as well, because they are mulling a requirement that could prohibit Amara from annexing. The rule introduced for the first time publicly last week would require Utilities to have 130% of the water needed to serve a three-year average of city demand and the projected future demand from land asking to annex. Utilities is a few thousand acre-feet shy of having enough to serve Amara's projected long-term demand under the proposed rule. Utilities can provide 95,000 acre-feet of treated water well above the three-year average demand of about 75,000 acre-feet. An acre-foot of water can serve about three homes for a year. At full build-out, Amara estimates that it could require 3,500 acre-feet of water, meaning Utilities has water that could serve the project that would provide badly needed housing for Colorado Springs that has become more and more unaffordable, said Doug Quimby, president of La Plata Communities. Quimby's company built a major portion of Briargate. La Plata Communities also would pay $65 million in fees during the project to help develop Utilities' water system, he said. La Plata Communities expects to work with Utilities for gas, electric and sewer services, as well, but would likely rely on some of Fountain's infrastructure, Quimby said. For example, La Plata Communities could use some Fountain's electric lines and work through Colorado Springs Utilities to have its wastewater treated by the Fountain Sanitation District. Those agreements have not been finalized, he said. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Traffic from Amara also would likely flow through the old portion of Fountain, placing pressure on the community's roads, Deputy City Manager Todd Evans said. Upgrading all the road infrastructure needed to support the project, including extending Powers Boulevard south, could hit $1 billion, he said. La Plata Communities has not worked with Fountain on an agreement to improve impacted roads yet, he said. "It is going to be a huge challenge logistically," Evans said. Quimby said his company would improve roads adjacent to the property or pay a portion of those improvements. Police service also is a concern for Fountain, because the Colorado Springs Police Department is not proposing to have a substation in Amara. So Fountain police probably would have to respond first to calls within Amara, Evans said. Colorado Springs police did not provide an estimate for how long it could take for officers to respond to Amara during an earlier meeting. Residents voiced some concern about traffic and public safety, but focused mainly on water, with some residents supporting the new rule proposed by Utilities. Resident Joseph Boyle noted the 30% buffer built in the proposed water rule seemed minimal and called on Utilities to hold itself to prudent and careful standards. "We could be risking more than we realize," he said. Lenovo simplifies deployment for businesses with additional US$1 billion investment in portfolio expansion and one-stop enablement wherever data resides, from the pocket to the cloud Lenovo AI Innovators program delivers 150+ turnkey solutions, helping businesses implement generative AI, immersive metaverse simulations and cognitive decisions at scale Expanded AI-ready portfolio of smart devices and edge-to-cloud infrastructure includes new Lenovo ThinkEdge and ThinkSystem platforms purpose-built for enabling AI workloads United Arab Emirates, Dubai - June 14, 2023: Today, Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) announced it has reached record annual AI infrastructure revenue of over US$2 billion and unveiled the next phase of its growth strategy, with an additional US$1 billion investment over three years to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) deployment for businesses around the world. Fueled by increased global digitalization and demand for IT infrastructure upgrades, Lenovo is simplifying the often-complex implementation of new AI capabilities by delivering AI to the source of data and harnessing its vast network of best-in-class partners to build next-generation turnkey solutions that enable computing intelligence directly at the edge. The investment will further expand the companys industry-leading AI-ready portfolio of smart devices, infrastructure solutions and services to help accelerate innovation, enabling the use of generative AI and delivering cognitive decisions at scale throughout remote locations across financial, manufacturing, healthcare, retail and smart city applications. As part of the additional investment, Lenovo is committing US$100 million to grow the Lenovo AI Innovators program, which has delivered a record 150+ cutting edge AI solutions created with 45 leading ISV partners in the programs first year. Leveraging the AI Innovators end-to-end ecosystem, the new solutions are bringing AI from the lab to scale and enabling the dramatic technology shifts underway within high-growth sectors. With the new solutions, customers can more rapidly deploy and leverage cutting-edge AI capabilities, like generative AI, computer vision, voice AI and virtual assistants. Building on our more than 150 AI solutions, this pivotal investment further expands the development of AI-ready infrastructure solutions that will help customers overcome deployment complexities and more easily implement AI to deliver transformative services and products to the market, said Kirk Skaugen, President of Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group. As we continue our path to become the worlds largest end-to-end infrastructure solutions provider, Lenovo is committed to being the most trusted partner and empowering our customers intelligent transformation by bringing AI to the source of their data, at the edge. Enabling AI Discovery and Accelerating Adoption AI is driving a new wave of opportunities for businesses, but many companies face implementation challenges due to resource limitations and infrastructure complexities, stalling its rollout. The Lenovo AI Innovators program includes an ecosystem of best-in-class software partners collaborating with Lenovo to provide customers with tailored, proven and ready-to-deploy AI solutions for their end-to-end operations, including computer vision, audio recognition, prediction, security, and virtual assistants for every industry. Lenovo is helping customers harness the value of their data, deploying purpose-built, AI solutions to transform their business with more predictable outcomes. These include NVIDIAs accelerated computing platform to deliver the fastest time to solution across customer industry verticals at the lowest total cost of ownership. As the retail, food service and hospitality industries adapt to the post-pandemic era, businesses are reimagining front-end and back-end operations to enable improved customer service, mitigate waste and address shifts in the labor market. Lenovo is partnering with DeepBrain AI to offer an end-to-end solution for generative AI virtual assistants that can be paired with powerful large language models (LLMs) to deliver 24/7 automated concierge service in hospitality and retail settings. With Lenovo and Vistry, quick service restaurants around the globe use computer vision to automate cook times and help predict supply quantities to prevent food waste, ensuring quality standards while helping improve customer retention and profitability. As manufacturing operations around the globe seek digitalization to drive future growth and differentiation amidst economic disruptions, innovative AI solutions from Lenovo and Guise help industrial customers reduce unplanned downtime with up to 14 days of advanced prediction, as well as understand customer behavior and optimize processes with computer vision, predictive maintenance, and anomaly detection on the production line. Lenovo is also delivering its AI solutions via TruScale Infrastructure as a Service for ultimate flexibility as the company continues its service-led transformation. AI Innovators partner, Al Hathboor Bikal.ai and Lenovo are pioneering the service-based rollout of an AI-enabled data center at Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Leveraging Lenovo TruScale HPC and AI as a service, the collaboration is providing public and private organizations with the ability to access AI capabilities to support citizen safety and security through digital transformation projects across education, R&D, retail, oil & gas sectors. The AI-enabled data centers computing resources will also help organizations bring the benefits of advanced AI features, like GPT-3 to their own operations. Designed to align with the UAE Net Zero 2050 policy, the data center is the first in the region to use industry-leading Lenovo Neptune direct water-cooling to deliver enhanced performance and efficiency while lowering power consumption. Al Hathboor sees this collaboration as a way to give the UAE a technological advantage to the innovation ecosystem, create jobs and opportunities for our youth and develop tech for solving regional and global challenges. Lenovo, NVIDIA AI and Intel with SRTIP gives us a joint capability in tech transfer and we look forward to working with our universities, businesses, and government, said Mohammed Al Hathboor, Management Committee Member of Al Hathboor Bikal.ai. The new Lenovo AI Discover Center of Excellence provides access to Lenovo data scientists, AI architects and engineers to help explore, deploy and scale AI solutions. The service also guides customers to the most appropriate software partners, AI-optimized infrastructure and responsible AI guidance through the Lenovo Responsible AI Committee. As companies learn to deploy AI, the committee helps customers with their approach to designing, deploying, and using AI ethically, helping organizations understand and address privacy, fair usage, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility considerations. Bringing AI to Your Data As the amount of worldwide data grows exponentially, next-generation infrastructure technologies that deliver data center-like computing to the edge are critical to empowering AI for improved emergency response, public safety, accessibility, tourism and retail experiences. With more enterprise data being processed outside of the data center, Lenovo is committed to supporting AI workloads everywhere, ensuring purpose-built performance for remote settings. Today, Lenovo extends its comprehensive portfolio of AI-ready infrastructure to over 70 products, with new AI-optimized edge-to-cloud server platforms that help address any AI workload. With emerging innovations like LLM and the continuous expansion of computer vision deployments, more processing power is needed where the data is being generated to run real-time inferencing at the edge. The new Lenovo ThinkEdge SE360 V2 is the latest purpose-built edge server that delivers more power to enable AI solutions ranging from computer vision, voice AI and generative AI. Whether for a store, factory or office, the new server provides extended accelerated computing supportive of Intel Data Center GPU Flex Series, the NVIDIA AI platform, including NVIDIA L4 Tensor Core GPUs and NVIDIA AI Enterprise software, as well as Qualcomm Cloud AI 100 platforms to enable intense workloads at the source of data creation. The ThinkEdge SE360 V2 delivers the highest GPU density in the smallest form factor available and is at least twice as quiet compared to competitive products, allowing edge AI to be deployed in the most remote and rugged sites. The new range of AI-ready edge solutions also includes the Lenovo ThinkEdge SE350 V2 for hybrid cloud and modern HCI deployments, offering twice the storage capacity and leveraging the Intel Xeon D processor to help customers run AI while easily consolidating workloads, data backup, collaboration and content delivery in the smallest form factor on the market. In the data center, the new Lenovo ThinkSystem SR675 V3 is the most versatile, accelerated computing platform on the market and purpose-built for AI with three server configurations in one, including support for NVIDIA HGX 4-GPU systems, or 4-DW PCle GPU or 8-DW PCle GPU servers in a compact 3U footprint. As fully simulated digital replicas of entire buildings, factories, distribution centers, retail stores or cities, digital twins are combined with AI to generate improved business processes and design outcomes. Lenovo is collaborating with NVIDIA on its latest NVIDIA OVX system for building and operating virtual worlds, delivering powerful performance for NVIDIA Omniverse Enterprise workloads in the data center. The ThinkSystem SR675 V3, based on the OVX architecture, features up to eight NVIDIA L40 GPUs to maximize performance and deliver the most advanced ray tracing with RTX-accelerated graphics and AI capabilities in a robust and scalable platform, allowing customers to explore and unlock the full potential of digital twins for businesses of all sizes. Beyond infrastructure, Lenovo is implementing AI from the pocket to the cloud, with cutting-edge smart devices and solutions, that ensure data science is accessible across all industries in the new hybrid and remote work era. For improved collaboration, new Lenovo ThinkPad commercial laptops include a new Lenovo View application, offering AI-enabled computer vision technology for enhanced video image quality and tools. Lenovo ThinkReality XR solutions help users access immersive simulations, while purpose-built Lenovo ThinkStation and ThinkPad P Series Data Science workstations deliver the high-performance necessary for mission-critical AI model development, data prep and training tasks. With its AI-ready servers, cutting-edge smart devices and ecosystem of leading ISVs, Lenovo will bring pre-validated, performance optimized AI solutions to the source of customer data, even in the most unique edge settings. Together, these advancements serve to simplify the rollout of AI, making it accessible to organizations of all sizes and enabling transformative intelligence across all industries. Visit https://lenovo.com/nextlevelAI to learn more. ### About Lenovo Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$62 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #171 in the Fortune Global 500, employing 77,000 people around the world, and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. Focused on a bold vision to deliver smarter technology for all, Lenovo has built on its success as the worlds largest PC company by further expanding into growth areas that fuel the advancement of New IT technologies (client, edge, cloud, network, and intelligence) including server, storage, mobile, software, solutions, and services. This transformation together with Lenovos world-changing innovation is building a more inclusive, trustworthy, and smarter future for everyone, everywhere. To find out more visit https://www.lenovo.com, and read about the latest news via our StoryHub. LENOVO, THINKSYSTEM, THINKEDGE, THINKREALITY, THINKPAD, THINKSTATION and TRUSCALE are trademarks of Lenovo. NVIDIA is a trademark of NVIDIA Corporation. Inc. Intel and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries. Qualcomm is a trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Qualcomm Cloud AI 100 is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 2023 Worldwide Zeno Group, LenovoISG@zenogroup.com Claire Simmons, csimmons1@lenovo.com EMEA Ella Hulbert, ehulbert@lenovo.com APAC Shonali Chakravarty, schakravarty@lenovo.com, +91 9833059832 LATAM Valkiria Suzuki, vsuzuki@lenovo.com, +5511996563108 By Jeff Murphy, June 22, 2023 Ray Walters, manager of multimedia technology support services in the University of Central Missouri's Office of Technology, gives a big thumbs up to Sony's display at InfoComm 2023 featuring a case study on how UCM uses technology to transform the online and in-person classroom experience. WARRENSBURG, MO Amid a myriad of technology displays individuals who attended InfoComm 2023 in Orlando, Florida, June 10-16 had the opportunity to learn more about the University of Central Missouris relationship with Sony and the power and engagement of artificial intelligence (AI) to help transform the learning experience. Attended by thousands of individuals, InfoComm is considered North Americas largest professional audiovisual trade show. The worlds top technology companies come together annually for this event to introduce products for audio, unified communications and collaboration. The event also included professional networking opportunities and a variety of educational sessions to help participants to stay abreast of current and top industry trends and forecasts. At the Sony exhibit, a display monitor provided a quick glimpse of a case study that was highly publicized by Sony in 2022. It demonstrates how UCM is employing the latest technology integrated by the leading digital enablement provider, AVI-SPL, utilizing Sonys customizable artificial intelligence (AI) enabled Edge Analytics solution (REA-1000) and SRG-X120 pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras. According to a 2022 press release by Sony, as COVID changed the educational landscape, and there was need for more flexible and dynamic presentation solutions, UCM began to implement this new equipment into more innovative classroom setups. With partial funding provided via the federal CARES Act, AVI-SPL initially installed more than 30 Edge devices - with presenter tracking and handwriting extraction enabled - that are connected to Sony PTZs to create what has become the standard for UCMs technologically enhanced classrooms. Ray Walters, manager of multimedia technology support services in UCMs Office of Technology, was among university members attending InfoComm 2023, and played a major role in carrying out this initiative. In the initial news release announcing UCMs use of these Sony products, he noted, Prior to the pandemic, UCM was seeing a shift in how it was delivering classroom content. At the same time, I was receiving numerous requests from academic deans and educators to enable the hybrid classrooms where lectures could be recorded and presented in an asynchronous format. Throughout the global pandemic, remote learning became a requirement, Walters added. I can honestly say that because we had Sonys Edge Analytics devices as our standard, we were ready for the unique way education adapted. While UCM has transformed its predominantly in-person learning experience through this initiative, positive outcomes received from this endeavor have included more engaged teaching and learning; enabling hybrid education, combining live and recorded lecture presentations; and creating connected experiences. Having attended the InfoComm 2023, Walters said he was excited that Sony shared information about this UCM project in a highly visible way. Tens of thousands of people walked by Sonys booth, so this was really great to see, he said. Estonia will hand over a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, which includes anti-drone capabilities. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense of Estonia on Twitter, Ukrinform saw. As noted in the tweet, Estonia, in cooperation with Ireland, will hand over a military hospital to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The aid package also includes medical, demining, and counter-drone equipment. "We need to continue to stand with Ukraine in order to stop Russian aggression," the statement concludes. As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Estonian government approved the principles of utilizing frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Thus, Estonia became the first European nation to develop such a legal solution. A Russian Mi-24 attack helicopter crashed in the Baranovichi district of Belaruss Brest region. This is reported by Ukrinform with reference to the Telegram channel of the Belarusian Ministry of Defense. "Today, at about 13:30, a Mi-24 helicopter made a hard landing in the Baranovichi district. Members of the helicopter's crew were injured. No damage or casualties were reported on the ground," the report said. The commission is working to establish the causes of the accident. The Charter-97 Telegram channel clarifies that the aircraft belongs to the Russian Armed Forces. The platform also published a photo from the crash site. The Mi-24 Crocodile is a Soviet/Russian attack helicopter, manned by a crew of three, able to carry up to eight paratroopers. The Hungarians are in fact holding captive the Ukrainian military personnel handed over to them by Russia. Dmytro Lubinets, the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, stated this on the air of the national telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "In fact, they are in isolation, they have a limited circle of communication, their mobile phones have been seized. We know that relatives have visited some of them. Again, we don't know how the communication took place or how long it lasted no details whatsoever," the ombudsman noted. Answering the question of what Ukraine is doing so that these soldiers return home, Lubinets said that Ukrainian diplomats are primarily working on the issue. Read also: MFA demands to allow consul to visit Ukrainian prisoners held in isolation by Hungary "We are really trying to establish contact with eight former prisoners of war, citizens of Ukraine. We know where they are, but we do not understand Hungary's position, why our diplomats have not been allowed to visit them until now. And we don't know why these citizens of Ukraine, being on the territory of Hungary, are actually in the same situation as prisoners of war," said the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights. He said Hungary had violated international humanitarian law because it is impossible to simply take prisoners of war from the territory of the Russian Federation. "Even if they had some humanitarian reasons, first of all they should have informed Ukraine. Second, they had to inform the ICRC. This morning I had a separate meeting with the head of the ICRC mission in Ukraine, and I separately asked: has there been any information from Hungary or the Russian Federation regarding the transfer of 11 Ukrainian prisoners of war to the territory of Hungary? The answer was that they learned about it only through public channels, when these reports appeared in mass media," the ombudsman noted. Separately, he explained that these persons are considered prisoners of war in the territory controlled by one of the parties to the international military conflict, that is, the Russian Federation. Read also: Embassy takes three Ukrainian prisoners of war out of Hungary "As soon as the Russian Federation transferred them to the territory of Hungary, even in violation of international humanitarian law, they are automatically legally no longer considered prisoners of war," Lubinets said. The Ombudsman stated that the Ukrainian soldiers no longer have the legal status of prisoners of war, but in fact Hungary treats them as such: "Then I don't understand why they impose restrictions on them. They are free citizens. They have not committed any criminal offences. We do not know why Hungary does not allow Ukrainian diplomats to visit them." As an example, the Human Rights Commissioner cited the situation of Turkey, which previously initiated the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war. According to him, the representatives of Turkish authorities immediately informed Ukraine, and Ukraine was part of the negotiations, as well as the entire transfer of Ukrainian servicemen from the Russian Federation to Turkey was accompanied by the Ukrainian side. "There, on the territory of Turkey, diplomats were immediately granted access, and the authorities of Ukraine were given the opportunity to meet them. That is, they showed that the state really cares about the rights of former prisoners of war. Instead, Hungary continues to behave like a unit of the Russian Federation, also holding our soldiers in captivity, in a limited, restricted capacity, without any explanation," he said. Answering the question of whether he is aware of how these soldiers got to Hungary, the ombudsman noted that at the moment he has no such information. "Into this fact, I wrote a letter separately to the ombudsman of Hungary and separately to the ombudsman of the Russian Federation, asking them to inform me how in a strange way the prisoners of war from the Armed Forces of Ukraine made it from the territory of the Russian Federation and into the territory of Hungary be it by air or someone transferring them otherwise. And I'm still waiting for the answers," said Lubinets. As reported, on June 9, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine summoned Hungarys charge daffaires in Ukraine, handing him a request to provide detailed information about the Ukrainian prisoners of war handed over by Russia and to immediately ensure consular access to these citizens. It was also reported that the Ukrainian government had not been informed about the relevant negotiations held by the Hungarian and Russian parties. The Ukrainian side found out about the fact that Russia handed over 11 Ukrainians of Hungarian origin to Budapest from the public statements of the Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary Zsolt Semjen to the Hungarian mass media. Currently, with the assistance of the Embassy of Ukraine in Hungary, three Ukrainian citizens from among the prisoners of war handed over from Russia have made it back to Ukraine. NATO is eyeing the option of placing a base for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets in Romania. This was reported by Ukrinform with reference to Politico. Three sources familiar with the planning of the training process told Politico that NATO member states are close to launching a training program for Ukrainian pilots, and that one of the sites for their future training could be in Romania. According to former and current Pentagon officials, work is underway to conclude a contract for conducting the aircraft training in Romania. They also explained that it is highly likely that Lockheed Martin, the company manufacturing F-16s, will lead the effort. There has been no official confirmation of this report, but a representative of the Dutch Ministry of Defense said Ukrainian partners are working on creating a training center for F-16 pilots in Eastern Europe. At the same time, the issue of which countries will provide Ukraine with the said warplanes is yet to be resolved, Politico notes. Lockheed said they are ready to train Ukrainian specialists to fly and maintain the F-16 as soon as Western countries agree to send them. Acting Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen of Denmark expressed hope that the concept, which will take into account both the supply of F-16s to Ukraine and the training of pilots, will have been drafted ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius. Denmark, along with the Netherlands, is a key member of the "fighter jet coalition". Politico also requested a comment from the Ministry of Defense of Romania, receiving no direct response. The ministry said Romania "welcomes the initiative to establish a coalition of NATO Allies to provide training of pilots for F-16s" and confirmed that Romania is "working closely with its NATO allies, EU partners, its strategic partners and the leadership of Ukraine to ensure that the Ukrainian nation has the ability to withstand and effectively resist the illegal Russian aggression and occupation of the Ukrainian sovereign territory." It should be recalled that the Romanian Air Force currently operates 17 F-16 fighters purchased from Portugal, while another 32 aircraft are expected to be delivered from Norway. At the same time, Bucharest recently approved a plan to purchase more advanced F-35s. France will allocate an additional EUR 40 million euros in financial aid to Ukraine for 2023. "I am happy to inform that my ministry will be providing an additional 40 million euros in donations to Ukraine in 2023. This support will be used primarily for the emergency reconstruction of critical infrastructure, health equipment and, if needed, the necessary resilience in anticipation of the next winter," Catherine Colonna, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, said at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. According to Colonna, France prepares a multi-year civilian aid package to Ukraine which will include humanitarian, stabilization, economic, and financial support. "I am pleased to add that the aid will mostly be comprised of grants so as to avoid increasing the pressure on Ukraines public finances," the minister noted. The time will come when the war ends and Ukraine is a strong, sovereign, united, and democratic country, she stressed. As reported, Ukraine Recovery Conference is taking place in London on June 21-22. The event is a continuation of the annual Ukraine reform conferences which have been held since 2017. The Japanese government will continue to support Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion and post-war reconstruction, intending to hold a special meeting for Japanese companies and corporations to encourage CEOs to participate more actively in Ukraine's economic recovery projects. This was stated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Yoshimasa Hayashi, who spoke at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Ukrinform reports referring to Kyodo. According to the minister, an event dubbed the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Reconstruction may be held late this year or early 2024. "The Japanese public and private sectors can strongly support the recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine," he emphasized. Hayashi noted that after his speech at the London conference, he met with the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, inviting him to the Japan meeting, adding that the head of the Ukrainian government accepted the offer. "The new conference underscores Tokyo's commitment to taking part in Ukraine's reconstruction efforts aggressively through the public and private sectors," reads the report. As this year's chair of the G7, Japan, along with other G7 nations, pledged unwavering unity in support of Ukraine at the Hiroshima summit last month. In May, the Japanese government held the first meeting of the inter-ministerial council on the Ukraine recovery, at which Prime Minister Fumio Kishida promised to promote public-private cooperation in projects such as demining and infrastructure recovery in Ukraine. Tokyo has repeatedly expressed readiness to implement in Ukraine unique forms of reconstruction since Japan has experience in reconstruction after the large-scale destruction of World War 2 and numerous natural disasters, including powerful earthquakes and tsunamis. As part of his five-day trip to Europe through Saturday, Hayashi met his G7 counterparts in London and affirmed that the major industrialized democracies will work together closely to restore peace and prosperity in Ukraine, according to the ministry. As reported by Ukrinform, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Yoshimasa Hayashi, told the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London that Japan would provide Ukraine with water purifiers, generators, and construction machines to overcome the consequences of the explosion at the Kakhovka HPP. Seven people were rushed to the hospital and up to 90 others were treated on the scene after they were hit by what one person described as apple-sized hail during a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison on Wednesday night, rescue officials said. The injuries included cuts and broken bones, according to West Metro Fire Rescue. Louis Tomlinson, a former member of One Direction, was scheduled to play at the popular live music venue. Chris Bianchi, a meteorologist with Denver Gazette partner 9News, said on Twitter that the Red Rocks organization announced a weather delay at 9:14 p.m. even though the National Weather Service issued a severe T-Storm warning for the amphitheater at 9:04 p.m. If there was a 10-minute gap, that would be completely unacceptable, he wrote. The timeline of events began around 8:07 p.m., when the first shelter alert went out to fans. Timeline 8:07 p.m.: Red Rocks announced on Twitter that the venue is in a weather delay. Please seek shelter in your vehicle and well let you know when weve received the all clear, Red Rocks said. in the tweet. 8:35 p.m.: Red Rocks announced on Twitter it received the all-clear and fans could return to the amphitheater. The show will resume shortly, the group wrote. 9:04 p.m.: A concertgoer, @howe_howell, posted a video on Twitter of the incoming storm, in which you can see lightning striking above the venue. The concertgoer said the video was taken at 9:04 p.m. 9:14 p.m.: Red Rocks announced it was back in a weather delay due to approaching severe weather and urged fans to seek shelter until further notice. 9:26 p.m.: The National Weather Service put out an alert on Twitter for a significant storm near Morrison with radar indicating golf ball-sized hail or larger near Red Rocks. Take cover with this storm!! NWS said. 10:25 p.m.: Red Rocks announced that the show had been officially postponed. Please be safe exiting the amphitheater, the group said on Twitter. Well have more information for ticket holders soon. 11:56 p.m.: Tomlinson, the artist, tweeted a message to fans. Devastated about the show tonight, hope everyones ok, Ill be back, he wrote. Even though we didnt play the show, I felt all of your passion! Sending you all love! The scariest night A concertgoer named Nicole called it the scariest night of (her) life. It started pelting people with hail at Red Rocks and my sister and I luckily found shelter under a sign, she said, adding, I am bleeding and have huge bumps on my head from the hail. Hoping everyone made it out safely. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. On Twitter, Nicole posted a video of the hail that shows several people running to find shelter, and screams can be heard. Nicole also thanked the random guys at Red Rocks who sheltered us in their car during the hail storm after the sign we were hiding under broke. Literally saved our lives, if not a serious concussion, she said. Another person said the hail that fell down was literally apple sized, adding the that ground looked like it snowed. My partners windshield is literally shattered. Another concertgoer posted a video on Twitter showing ice and water flooding the amphitheaters stairs. It was straight out of a horror movie, the concertgoer said. Red Rocks spokesperson Brian Kitts said weather-related injuries at the venue are incredibly rare, and that, in the time the venue has been open, there has never been an injury-inducing weather event as big as the one Wednesday. Last night, the hail ended up being larger than I think anyone expected, Kitts said. Any outdoor venue is subject to this type of activity. The venue is subscribed to a service called Sky View to track weather for its shows, Kitts said. Any decision to delay or cancel shows based on weather comes with the help of meteorology services, Kitts added. In case of emergencies, the venue always has emergency responders on standby, Kitts said. For most ticketing purchases at any venue, this kind of event is covered in an Act of God Clause, Kitts said, meaning injured concertgoers cant sue the venue in the case of extreme weather or other unanticipated natural occurrence. We cant control the weather. So, unless youre going to sue Mother Nature, it can be rough, Kitts said. West Metro Fire spokesperson Ronda Scholting said its difficult to quantify how often Red Rocks has weather-related injuries during concerts since they also respond to weather incidents involving hikers and climbers in the area affected by heat, lightning strikes and hail. The last time WMFR responded for a hail event occurred about six years ago, Scholting said. Responders with WMFR are able to protect themselves using structure fire gear, which includes a helmet and padding, Scholting said. The opening band for Tomlinson, the Snuts, sent its love and concern to fans on Twitter Thursday morning. Wishing everyone a speedy recovery mentally and physically, the band wrote. We would also like to thank the Louis touring crew and our own crew for their selfless response and care for the audience under such extreme circumstances. The United States will allocate $8.2 million to support refugees from Ukraine and organizations that provide assistance to them in the Czech Republic. This was reported by Radio Prague International with reference to the U.S. Embassy in Prague, Ukrinform learned. It is noted that this amount is part of more than $107 million, which the United States provides to European nations to help Ukrainians who fled the country due to the Russian war. The largest part of the funds bound for the Czech Republic, $3.3 million, will go to UNICEF. The World Health Organization will receive $2 million, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will get another $1.5 million, and the International Organization for Migration will be given $1.4 million. Read also: Czech president believes surveillance of all Russians in West should be strengthened As Ukrinform reported earlier, in March 2023, the Czech government extended the rules for crisis accommodation for Ukrainian refugees for another year. Since the outset of the war unleashed by Russia, more than 470,000 citizens of Ukraine have been granted temporary protection in the Czech Republic. Volodymyr Horbulin and Valentyn Badrak analyse factors able to lead Ukraine into NATO when combined together Son, dont believe this document, you will be deceived, said President of France Francois Mitterrand to President Leonid Kuchma about the Budapest Memorandum after its signing on 5 December 1994. With the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, the all-and-out genocide of the Ukrainian people and an unveiled strategy of scorched earth, many in Ukraine accurately concluded that Ukraine will be under threat of extreme danger from the east until Russia exists in its current form. In 202223, the death roller of this extra-aggressive country was ready to crush almost the entire population of Ukraine to start everything from the clean slate. The goal was to populate the country with a human element that would be completely under Moscows control with its shameful medieval habit of enslaving territories and killing its subjects, rather than just reigning there, while also threatening half of the world. UKRAINE IS GRADUALLY BECOMING AN ASSET FOR THE ALLIANCE THANKS TO ITS SUCCESSFUL DEFENCE OF NATOS EASTERN FLANK Historically, Russia has been a territory where the life and liberties of individuals have not been given due consideration, and this abominable genetic code persists even in the 21st century. The Russians, instead of lusting for liberty and self-determination, have been vaccinated with constant informational doses of fanatical unavoidable chauvinism, which the authorities successfully employ as compensation in tandem with the encouragement of violence and theft. The 202223 war demonstrates that nothing has changed in Russia since Muscovy times. Tsars in that area were called great because of their ferocity and persistent desire to torture and kill people. And, as generally known, every Tsar Ivan has his own Malyuta Skuratov. Moreover, there will always be enough oprichniks (tsars life-guardsman) in Russia, even though the necrophilic Tsar Peter liked to personally cut off the heads of those unbowed. These archetypal details about Russias history help explain why there are so many social monitors in the country. On the contrary, this state of affairs elucidates the fervent aspirations of the most radical Ukrainians to achieve victory in the war against the Russian Federation, not solely through the complete cessation of occupation, but rather through a fundamental transformation of the political system or even better nuclear disarmament. The swift transformation of the Russian Federations political structure can quickly convert into Ukraines full participation in NATO, and the gradual nuclear disarmament will make any further Russian attack impossible for at least the next decade. Even in mid-2023, it seems like a fantasy, but wasnt the transfer of Patriot anti-missile systems to Ukraine an impossible dream? Ukraine is gradually proving to be an asset to the Alliance, as it has demonstrated remarkable success in defending NATOs eastern flank. Unfortunately, it is paid for with the blood of Ukrainians. The Ukrainians have mastered the state-of-the-art Patriot missile defence system. THE HISTORICAL EXPERIENCE PROVES THAT GUARANTEES CANNOT BE ABSTRACT We must repeat what everyone has known for a long time, an unlearned historical lesson. Upon gaining independence in 1991, Ukraine had the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world. However, pressured by global game players, it agreed to have a non-nuclear status in exchange for security guarantees. In December 1994, a significant document, as we had previously believed, was signed, namely the Memorandum on security assurances in connection with Ukraines accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Nuclear Russia, Great Britain, and the United States undertook to assure the security of non-nuclear Ukraine. But it hasnt even been twenty years since one of the guarantor countries turned into an aggressor and started to destroy Ukrainian statehood. Budapest Memorandum of 1994 The fact that ex-US President Bill Clinton admitted in April 2023 to the Irish broadcaster RTE that he regretted his personal role in the nuclear disarmament of Ukraine in the 1990s is probably telling. He is convinced that Russia would be unable to unleash a war against nuclear Ukraine. It is no less telling that the then French President Francois Mitterrand did not believe that such an agreement would be effective. President Kuchma told about it in 2009 at the international conference in Jerusalem. He did not believe because only very practical, applied things could serve as guarantees, like help in creating real military capabilities against the backdrop of the guarantor countries awareness of the danger to themselves. Guarantees cannot be abstract, they must reflect actual opportunities for the states defence and general potential. Only a cursory examination of the activities of South Korea or Israel in this domain may provide comprehensive illustrative examples of the effectiveness of guarantees when they are properly constructed. Ukraine has lost lots of time. Yet during bloody 202223, Ukrainians earned the right to freedom and independence this is acknowledged by the entire world, even by geographically remote Japan and Australia. Hence, the official Kyiv strongly asserts that the right to freedom and independence must be safeguarded by tangible assurances. Only Ukraines full-fledged NATO membership may serve as such. Nonetheless, it is evident that the Alliance harbours apprehensions regarding a military confrontation with Russia and is seeking an interim option. Ukraines partner countries intend to announce their decision during the next historical milestone the summit of the North Atlantic Alliance in Vilnius. For some time now, the terms and content of new guarantees have been actively and confidentially discussed, and a joint decision is expected to be made in June. Multiple factors clearly impact the form and content of new guarantees: primarily, the results of the offensive of the Ukrainian Defence Forces on the Russian occupiers; the situation within the RF; the factor of China, and Irans and North Koreas share of participation in helping the Kremlin; and finally, the upcoming Presidential elections in the US. Chinese factor significantly influences the position of the West BY IRON AND BLOOD. TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANTAGES ALLOW DOMINATING IN THE MODERN WAR The world has exhibited a significant degree of interdependence and sensitivity on a global scale. Yet hardly anything has changed in the world since Bismarck, and just as before, Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided, but by iron and blood. In the meantime, new trends did appear. Although success on the battlefield is determined by state-of-the-art technologies, such as perfect intelligence tools and high-precision weapons and any accessories used to make them work, nuclear arsenals are still growing in the world. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has found that Russia, China, North Korea, and India, just like the UK, Israel, the US, and France, are all working on upgrading and expanding their nuclear developments since the Russian continental war started. International tensions are continuously growing, and China may develop a nuclear arsenal comparable to the American and Russian ones by the end of the decade. In fact, the significance of the devastating Russian-Ukrainian war goes beyond the current security of the region. Its outcomes will have a significant impact on the fate of the entire planet, as the issue at hand is whether the world can establish a fresh framework for international security already during this war. In 2022, Putins Moscow ruined not only the existing global security system but also recklessly violated the nuclear balance of powers. The announcement of the transfer of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus and the secret assistance provided to Iran in the advancement of its nuclear programme are not the only aspects of this situation. The Kremlin's recklessness and terrorism, coupled with its irrational nuclear blackmail, have already resulted in a situation where the global consensus on the future of the entire planet is at stake: either numerous nations will possess nuclear weapons, or nuclear weapons will turn into a military rudiment, and the age of nuclear deterrence will recede into the historical distance. In this context, it would be expedient to listen to the recommendation of Timothy Snider, Professor at Yale University, who believes that to prevent Russias nuclear blackmail, Ukraine must win this war using conventional weapons. Therefore, support for Ukraine reduces the likelihood of nuclear war in the future. This is a good idea when the world is united and puts pressure on the country that placed all its bets on terror. And today, the number of its (Ukraines ed.) supporters in the Western camp is growing. We would like to add that the preliminary calculations are confirmed. Modern war is won by using new technologies: cutting-edge technology that ensures continuous and accurate intelligence, high-precision control and strikes, and the combination of inconspicuousness and power and massive use of new and relatively cheap weapons systems are significantly superior to conventional military capabilities of the fourth generation. New technologies have greatly improved the ability of small units to act independently and simultaneously powerfully, but the Russian-Ukrainian war is an armed battle of an intermediate period, a clash of mixed weapons from both old and new generations. Switchblade WESTERN PARTNERS STILL DONT SEE THE POSSIBILITY OF LIBERATING CRIMEA FROM RUSSIAN OCCUPIERS There is no magic wand in a modern war. Even with the Defence Forces tactical triumphs on the battlefield in early June 2023, there is still no indication that the entire NATO is aiming for the exact kind of victory that the Ukrainian people are looking for. And in this instance, we are not even discussing the dissolution of Putins regime or the nuclear disarmament of a nation that has violated international norms. It is about the Defence Forces returning to the borders of 1991. The Biden Administration still fears this, and it seems like President Macron doesnt really want it either. Chancellor Scholz is trying to align Berlins position with that of Washington. London understands the need for a Ukrainian victory better than anyone else, but it is difficult to act without a consensus within the Alliance. Hence, Ukraine still does not have operational and tactical ATACMS missiles for HIMARS, though the AFU artillerymen dont even need to learn them, but just take and use. Until now, the West has refrained from attacking Russia and pressing it mercilessly. Because of this, a decision to transfer German analogues of Storm Shadow transferred by Britain is not being made. German Taurus cruise missiles with a range of up to 400500 kilometres would be of great help in liberating Crimea. Ten years ago, about 600 of them were purchased for the Bundeswehr, however, currently, only about 600 are in service. The West, which has already greatly enhanced its philosophy of military and technical assistance to Ukraine in favour of the Armed Forces, requires the same missile alliance as it has in the situation with tanks. ATACMS missile Experts have a valid argument that the ground launch system of ATACMS missiles confers a significant advantage over cruise missiles, and it is also less susceptible to Russian air defence. But in fact, Ukraine needs more missiles various high-precision means of destruction. And 200300 operational-tactical ground-to-ground and air-to-ground missiles with a range of 300400 km that were not provided in June 2023 would undoubtedly expedite the resolution. At the same time, we will assume that the matter of the transfer of F-16 to Ukraine is nearly resolved, but it will not happen until at least the end of 2023. The more land the Ukrainians are able to liberate, the stronger their hand will be at the negotiating table, and the more likely it is that Russian President Vladimir Putin will understand that he will never win on the battlefield, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted on 13 June during his meeting with US President Biden. The politicians doubts about Ukraines ability to de-occupy all territories, including Crimea, and win are reflected in these words. Negotiations following the Defence Forces return to the borders as of 24 February 2022, and subsequent negotiations with Putins terrorist regime, appear to be a more appealing scenario for the collective NATO than a risky attack on Crimea. Because this is where an egg is with the Kremlin Koshcheis (the Immortal) death on the tip of the needle. NATO leaders still stick to the idea of a phased war and war management, as shown by the dosed military assistance to Ukraine. At this stage (June 2023), the prospect of liberating Crimea from the Russian invaders is still not considered by Western partners. This is confirmed by well-informed media, like The Economist. Three scenarios were considered for the Ukrainian offensive in the first ten days of June, but none of them envisaged the de-occupation of Crimea. New Ukrainian brigades armed with Western weapons could achieve a positive outcome by breaking the land bridge between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula and approaching a point where they could threaten the Russian positions in Crimea, the media asserted on 6 June. This means that Western allies have set themselves the task of doing this. If this goal is achieved, there will be a meaningful discussion about missiles and aircraft. Why? The answer is simple: to pressure Putins regime carefully and consistently. It appears to be too risky for the West to attack Crimea with many missiles, given the constant escalation by the principal criminal and the first carpetbagger of the new century, Putin. His decision to blow up the Kakhovka dam was clearly seen as the beginning of resorting to the last arguments, and its possible that a cornered crazy rat will try something that may have serious consequences for humanity. Putin has long been ready for large-scale catastrophes with mass casualties, and man-made disasters are a priority for him. Ukraine has started the offensive The Permissive disclosures of the criminal on the throne on TV, like saying that there are no chances of having good relationships with his neighbours the brotherly Ukrainian people, shows his hopeless detachment from reality. Indeed, this position of the West is not entirely fair or justified. After all, already during the offensive that has just started, the Ukrainian Defence Forces also applied NATOs military principle of FOFA simultaneous combat with the second echelon during the assault. They managed to destroy the enemy column completely near Enerhodar in the first days of June and film the episode. One can only imagine how excited the troops would be if there were powerful strikes on military facilities on the peninsula during the offensive in June. But we are where we are. This includes the belief that this position of the West will not deter Ukraine from pursuing its goal of gaining control of its lands for long, which is only following the demonstration of successful counteroffensive. All this is happening against the backdrop of the profound awareness of the significance of the devastating strike on Russian troops and logistical hubs on the peninsula. Serious pressure on Crimea is the fastest way to end the war on terms acceptable to Ukraine. Kyiv does not want a truce, which Moscow will use to rearm and resume the war at a more favourable time. This was written by John Herbst, Senior Director at the Atlantic Councils Eurasia Centre, and Daniel Fried, former State Departments Coordinator for Sanctions Policy in their joint article for the Washington Post, and this is a clear confirmation that a deliberate deterrence of Ukraines Defence Forces is taking place. However, on a positive note, not everyone in the overseas government is satisfied with this situation. On 9 June, a bipartisan resolution appeared in the US Congress regarding the immediate transfer of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. DEFENCE OF UKRAINE AS PART OF NATO IS LESS EXPENSIVE THAN WEAPON SUPPLIES The history of this war shows, without a doubt, that persistent pressure on Western allies, coupled with the unfailing resolve of Ukrainian defenders, can swiftly prompt the West to change its views. So, lets go back to the NATO summit on 1112 July 2023. It is clear that Ukraine will desperately need to get a clear signal about when it is going to become a de jure NATO member. It is already known that the new security agreement has the potential to serve as a legal framework document, as per the Israeli model. It is possible that it will include the obligation for NATO countries to provide Ukraine with weapons and technologies to ensure its ability to fight Russia in a long-term. Analysts who study global security think that Ukraine should get guarantees before joining NATO, not instead it. An annual subsidy for good defence against the enemy in the east is possible under this framework agreement with Ukraine. How powerful will the agreement be, and how much will it act as a safeguard? It is obvious that while the trading continues, not everyone believes in it. For example, former NATO Secretary General Rasmussen took a very active position, proposing that Western countries first provide substantial guarantees to Ukraine, ideally on the eve of the summit. And the summit contained a signal that Ukraine would receive an invitation to the Alliance the following year. One of Rasmussens interesting arguments is that defending Ukraine within NATO would be less costly than supplying weapons to combat Russia incessantly. He notes that guarantees must act as a bridge to the membership, rather than its alternative. Moreover, Rasmussen observed that if there were no sufficient guarantees from NATO, some of its members might contemplate the possibility of deploying their contingents on the territory of Ukraine. Clearly, it is so unlikely that some NATO countries would send troops to Ukraine that it might require ritual dances to make such a significant investment into Ukraine. Rasmussen remains sceptical about the likelihood of this happening. And technology transfer is another powerful argument. First, the technological gap between Ukraine and enemy Russia is an element of guarantees resulting from the development of technological advantages. Second, the arrival of world-class Western defence giants in Ukraine (the German Rheinmetall and the British BAE Systems have already announced their intention) is not only the organization of projects to repair the military equipment available in the AFU and their development (Western ed.) but also joint manufacture of modern armaments. Third, Ukraine has made big advances of its own. Getting some technology from the West might help with overcomplicated technological and political tasks. In this particular context, it is no coincidence that in early June, Defence Minister Reznikov announced the creation of a Ukraine-manufactured missile with a range of over 1,000 kilometres, intending for this to be heard in the Western world. It would be better for everyone if, during the post-war confrontation, Ukraine produced (alone or in cooperation) a couple of thousand cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 500 to 1,000 km. And this is in addition to a certain amount of missiles provided by NATO countries. JDAM-ER missile NATO SUMMIT IN JULY MAY DO A LOT FOR UKRAINES VICTORY Aid will always fall short of expectations for technical, technological, administrative, and political reasons. Overall, they are objective. This is clearly seen from the following example: President Zelenskyi said that 50 Patriot batteries are needed to close the sky of Ukraine from enemy missiles. Within a few days, a response came from the CEO of Raytheon Technologies, Greg Geiss: Ukraine will receive 5 more Patriot batteries by the end of 2024. Furthermore, the CEO of the anti-missile defence manufacturer also revealed that the company intended to ramp up production to twelve systems a year. It is about the balance between realities and desires. This should encourage the development of own capabilities all the more. Therefore, the NATO summit in July will have a significant impact on Ukraines victory. The enhanced technological level of weapons for the Defence Forces is an important form of guaranteeing Ukraines security. These are the systems that Ukraine has already started receiving in 2023. Simultaneously, a crucial aspect of guaranteeing Ukraines long-term security is the incorporation of its scientific, defence and industrial developments in the process of enhancing the states defence capabilities. This is not only about the support of the Ukrainian defence industry: targeted investments in the defence industry and technology development initiatives from the United States and Europe should encompass the preparation for a long war and the development of the Ukrainian army capabilities for a prolonged period. Clearly, the development of the Technologies for the Revival of Ukraine project will become an important task, which will encompass not only investments in purely military technologies but also the creation of joint strategic industries or their sub-sectors (the production of titanium, lithium, zirconium, and others), as well as dual-use projects, for example, in the rocket and space sector. Introducing such approaches will serve as motivation for US and European businesses, will allow for the joint elaboration of technologies, and will become an accelerator for the development of the defence sector, where most technologies are dual-purpose. Therefore, novel and powerful weapons for the Ukrainian Defence Forces, cutting-edge technologies and achievements that consolidate Ukraines technological advantages, and the truly effective technological restrictions on the Russian Federation are the essential components of realistic guarantees for the present. This will help Ukraine win and get more guarantees, like being a full member of NATO. Sustainable peace can only be achieved in a combined way the technological development of Ukraine and the technological containment of the Russian Federation. Volodymyr Horbulin, First Vice President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Valentyn Badrak, Director of the Centre for Army Conversion and Disarmament Studies (CACDS) Ukraine expects that Japan will strengthen sanctions against the nuclear industry of the Russian Federation after the Russians blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal wrote this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports. "We continue to build strategic ties with Japan. On the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, I met with Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Yoshimasa Hayashi," Shmyhal wrote. The Ukrainian Prime Minister of Ukraine and the Japanese Foreign Minister discuss the rapid reconstruction of Ukraine, as well as the priority of humanitarian demining. Shmyhal also noted that the Russian terrorist attack at the Kakhovka HPP is one of the biggest environmental disasters in Europe. In this context, nuclear safety and the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP are also important. Russia has turned the ZNPP into a military facility that threatens not only Ukraine, but also the entire world, the Ukrainian Prime Minister stressed. "In response, we have to strengthen sanctions against Russias nuclear industry, and we expect Japan will help us in this matter. Especially considering the fact that the country is chairing the G7," Shmyhal said. He thanked his Japanese colleague for financial support to Ukraine and active participation in the "financial Ramstein" meetings. As reported, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is participating in the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. The event will allow coordinating the efforts of the government of Ukraine, the European Commission and other international partners for Ukraines rapid recovery that will begin even before the end of the war. Photo: Denys Shmyhal/Telegram The wife of the President, Olena Zelenska, visited the Cultural Center of Ukraine at the Embassy of our country in Israel, where the Heritage exhibition is taking place. According to Ukrinform, she reported this on Telegram. "Once upon a time, Golda Meir, one of the creators of the State of Israel, born in Kyiv, said of this creation: "We could not afford the luxury of pessimism." I think that all Ukrainians will now sign on to these words - wherever the war unleashed by Russia has thrown them. Ukrainians abroad are literal ambassadors of our language, culture, history, and modernity. They have shown how to unite, find friends, and help each other and their homeland. The Cultural Center of Ukraine at the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Israel, which I visited today, is just such a center that unites Ukrainians and our friends in this country," Zelenska said. Read also: Ukrainian journalists draw list of Putinism agents in 19 European countries She said that the Center welcomed her with the exhibition "Heritage": 12 works by five artists from different regions of Ukraine depict the life of the Ukrainian people, their tangible and intangible values, periods of devastation and prosperity. "Each such event, like every center of Ukrainians, is our cultural checkpoint in the world, protecting not only the heritage, but also the present and the future," Zelenska emphasized. As reported, President's wife Olena Zelenska has been on a visit to Israel since June 19. facebook like button Tweet tweet button for twitter Published June 22, 2023 CAPTION: Dr. Jeffrey Anderson traveled to Senegal for his research on the Voodoo religion. MONROE, LA Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, Associate Director of ULMs School of Humanities and History Program Coordinator, was recently featured in the May 2023 edition of Nova Religio, The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, published by the University of California Press. Andersons article, entitled Mississippi River Valley Voodoo: A Living Tradition? examines the history of the religion and how it has evolved over the years. Voodoo is an important aspect of Louisianas identity, especially in the eyes of outsiders, said Anderson. The problem is that most people only understand Voodoo as a caricature. To the average person, it was evil magic concerned with death and zombies. In reality, it was a full-fledged religion, complete with deities and communal rituals, he said. Dr. Ruth Smith, Director of ULMs School of Humanities, says"Jeff Anderson's article provides a concise and fact-based comparison of the Voodoo practiced pre-1940's in the Mississippi Valley and New Orleans with the emerging New Orleans Voodoo which shows characteristics of the African diasporic belief. His analysis demonstrates that the current practices do not have a strong connection with the historical Voodoo religion of the region. Rather the new developing religion shows a much clearer connection to the Vodu of Haiti or the Vodun of West Africa which is being added to the legacy of Voodoo." Anderson says his fascination with Voodoo began when he was in college and wrote a paper on conjure, a magical practice similar to the supernaturalism one finds in Voodoo. I found it difficult to locate good information. Since that time, I have kept trying to make my understanding more accurate, and I discovered that much of what passes for fact online and even in some print sources is very far from it, said Anderson. To expand his knowledge of the religion, Anderson made a series of trips in 2015 and 2016 that included stops in Senegal, Benin, Togo, the Republic of Congo, Haiti, and Cuba, which were funded mostly by the William R. Hammond Professorship of Liberal Arts from the ULM Foundation. My goal was to see the closest living relatives of Mississippi River Valley Voodoo as they operate today. Basically, the Voodoo one would have once seen along the Mississippi is a mixture of elements from Senegal, Benin, and the Congos with later influence coming from Haiti, he said. Anderson says his article is a modified version of the last chapter of a forthcoming book he authored. In it, I try to lay out every significant fact about the faith and provide some plausible reconstructions for major aspects that were never documented, he said. The abstract of the article reads: When visiting New Orleans, it is easy to assume that Voodoo, as practiced by the likes of the nineteenth-century Voodoo Queen of New Orleans Marie Laveau, is alive and well, as evidenced by the Voodoo-inspired tourist shops, merchandise, and art that are ubiquitous in the French Quarter. Such is not quite the case. Following more than a century of suppression, the religion that throve into the late nineteenth century was struggling to survive by the 1940s and may have ceased to exist as a living faith shortly thereafter. While some scholars have suggested that the African American Spiritual churches of New Orleans are modern manifestations of Voodoo, these congregations lack key features of the historical Voodoo religion and have but a tenuous connection with it. The citys current practitioners of Voodoo, meanwhile, tend to be initiates of Haitian Vodou or West African Vodun. Ultimately, Lower Mississippi River Valley Voodoo, both in New Orleans and elsewhere, is best understood as a historical religion rather than a living tradition. Contemporary practitioners of New Orleans Voodoo are constructing an emerging religion from elements of African diasporic belief in a city deeply imbued with a legacy of Voodoo." The full article is available on the Nova Religio website here. Max Morath, the Colorado Springs native whose illustrious career as a ragtime pianist earned him the moniker "Mr. Ragtime," died Monday in Duluth, Minn. He was 96. Morath is survived by his wife, Diane Fay Skomars; three children, Kathryn Morath, Christy Mainthow and Frederic Morath; and a stepdaughter, Monette Fay Magrath. Morath was born Oct. 1, 1926, to Frederic Palmer Morath, founder of the AdAmAn Club, a group of mountaineers who hike Pikes Peak every year to set off fireworks on New Year's Eve, and Gladys Ramsell Morath, a former society editor at The Gazette. It was Gladys, a pianist, who instilled a love of music in her son. When asked for his favorite memory from his life in music, Max told The New York Times in 2019: It was when I was 7 and I heard my mother play something (Scott) Joplin wrote, called The Original Rag. It was published in Kansas City, and somehow my mother got ahold of it. We had a piano bench full of good stuff, mostly show tunes. But Original Rag was my favorite. Max graduated from Colorado Springs High School in 1944 and went on to attend Colorado College, where he earned a bachelor's in education in 1948 and paid for his schooling with jobs as a radio announcer and pianist for KVOR. Post-graduation, he prospered as a ragtime pianist and musical director with melodrama companies around Colorado, including the Iron Springs Chateau in Manitou Springs and the Imperial Hotel melodrama in Cripple Creek. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. According to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, which inducted Max in 2016, the pianist made numerous appearances at the Gold Bar Room in Cripple Creek in the '50s; wrote, announced, acted and sang at KKTV; and created the "Ragtime Era" series, 26 half-hour TV programs about early American popular music, comedy and social history for National Educational Television. By the early '60s Max was performing at colleges and nightclubs around the country with his Original Rag Quartet. He moved from Colorado to New York City, where his hit off-Broadway, one-man show, "Max Morath at the Turn of the Century," was followed up by other productions, including "The Ragtime Years" and "The Ragtime Man." The ragtime expert went on to record 30 albums, lecture and consult around the country, published numerous articles, a screenplay and two books, including the 1999 memoir, "The Road to Ragtime." A Christian preschool in Buena Vista filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Colorado over its universal preschool program, arguing the school's religious exemption denial is unconstitutional. Filed on Tuesday, the civil rights lawsuit seeks to prevent the Colorado Department of Early Childhood from forcing a Christian preschool to surrender its religious character, beliefs and exercise to participate in the states new universal Pre-K program. The Constitution is clear: The government may not deny participation in a public program simply due to a schools internal religious exercise, Jeremiah Galus, senior counsel with the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), said in a statement. ADF is representing Darren Patterson Christian Academy in Buena Vista, which is about 120 miles southwest of Denver. Universal Pre-K is new to Colorado. Alliance Defending Freedom, which formed in 1994 and describes itself as the worlds largest legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, parental rights and Gods design for marriage and family, has been involved in several landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases, including, most notably, Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, in which justices ruled that the birth control mandated in employee-funded health plans is unconstitutional. The group also represented Jack Phillips, owner of a cake shop in Lakewood, who won his own appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court on narrow grounds after he refused to bake a cake for a same-sex couple. In that case, the justices concluded the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, which determined that Phillips violated the state's anti-discrimination laws, was palpably hostile and therefore its decision "must be set aside." ADF is also currently litigating a related case out of the federal appeals court based in Denver, which held Colorados anti-discrimination law could compel a Christian graphic designer to create wedding websites for same-sex couples despite her religious beliefs. In that case, Lorie Smith, who owns 303 Creative LLC, a website and graphic design business, wants to create wedding websites but argues that her religious beliefs preclude her from recognizing same-sex marriage. Passed by Colorado lawmakers last year, the universal Pre-K program will provide up to 15 hours of free preschool for all Colorado children each week the year before they enter kindergarten. The program is estimated to save Colorado parents, on average, $6,000 a year, according to Gov. Jared Polis administration. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. The program's long-awaited launch comes as Colorado struggles with an acute child care shortage, exacerbated in the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Tuesday, more than 27,000 families have had children placed in the first two rounds of placement, saving Coloradans $164.7 million, according to the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. Statewide, there are roughly 56,800 available Pre-K seats, of which 57% are filled. Chaffee County, where Darren Patterson Christian Academy is located, has 204 Pre-K seats, of which 119 have been filled, state data show. Darren Patterson Christian Academy applied for and received according to the lawsuit participation approval to the universal Pre-K program, which includes state funding. But the preschool was denied a religious exemption. The Academy took issue with what was described in the lawsuit as a requirement that it hire employees who do not share its faith and alter internal rules and policies that are based on the schools religious beliefs about sexuality and gender including those that relate to restroom usage, pronouns, dress codes, and student housing during expeditions and field trips. Founded in 1982, Darren Patterson Christian Academy is a kindergarten through eighth grade school in Chaffee County. The denial, according to court documents, was based on provisions that prohibit discrimination against any person based on religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. The preschool has been matched with 17 preschool children for the upcoming school year, according to the lawsuit. The Denver Gazette reached out to the Colorado Department of Early Childhood for comment, but has not received a response. Paris, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2023 ) :European airlines have been hit by a consumer complaint filed with the EU's executive arm accusing the 17 companies of greenwashing, the practice of making misleading climate-related claims. The European Consumer Organisation, or BEUC, said Thursday the claims made by the airlines breach EU rules on unfair commercial practices. The BEUC called for a Europe-wide investigation and for airlines to "stop making claims that give consumers the impression that flying is sustainable". "We urge authorities to take the matter into their hands and crack down on this greenwashing practice seriously misleading consumers," BEUC deputy director general Ursula Pachl said in a statement. "Airlines must stop giving consumers the false impression that they are choosing a sustainable transport mode," Pachl said. The BEUC said 23 of its member organisations from 19 countries had joined the complaint to the European Commission. Greenwashing is when companies use deceptive claims to convince the public that its products or operations are environmentally friendly. The complaint targets Air Baltic, Air Dolomiti, Air France, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Finnair, KLM, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Ryanair, SAS, SWISS, TAP, Volotea, Vueling and Wizz Air. The BEUC said airlines are misleading consumers by charging them more to contribute to the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which are "not market-ready" and will only represent a minor share of a plane's fuel mix once they finally become widely available. The group also denounced claims that paying extra credits can "offset" or "compensate" for a flight's CO2 emissions. The BEUC said consumer protection authorities should ask airlines to reimburse customers who paid such extra "green" fees. Airlines for Europe (A4E), an industry association, said in a statement that companies "fully recognise the importance of transparent communications on sustainability". A4E said that while offsets currently play a role, "their significance will diminish as the industry bring in more fuel-efficient aircraft and invests in more SAF" to meet a target to of net-zero emissions by 2050. "We continuously learn and improve our sustainability communication, carefully reviewing all messaging to enhance transparency," A4E said. "We are dedicated to assessing what can be improved and made even more transparent to effectively communicate our efforts and progress in sustainability."An Air France-KLM spokesman said the Franco-Dutch group was "paying increased attention to the precision of these messages" and that it was the world's biggest buyer of sustainable aviation fuels last year. Germany's Lufthansa said it plans to slash its net emissions by half by 2030 compared to 2019 levels and has a "constant dialogue" with customers. (@ChaudhryMAli88) PARIS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2023 ) :Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday met United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the Summit for New Global Financing Pact here and discussed the challenges of climate change being faced by the world, especially Pakistan. The prime minister warmly welcomed the UN Secretary General and expressed his best wishes for him. In response the Secretary General also expressed goodwill to PM Sharif. Shehbaz Sharif told the UN Secretary General that he considered him the benefactor of Pakistan as "we cannot forget your help during the last year's floods". He said the UN Secretary General himself was a witness to the of devastation caused by the climate change in the country. The prime minister also informed the UN Secretary General about the measures taken by the government for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the flood-hit areas. "Reconstruction of the infrastructure affected by the floods and rehabilitation of the flood affected people is the government's top priority," he added. He said due to the climate changes, financial burden on the developing countries had been increased manifold as they were facing new challenges to raise the economic growth and maintain fiscal balances. PM Shehbaz called for utilizing the Loss and Damage Fund to provide financial assistance to the developing countries. The summit in Paris for the New Global Financing Pact was a good start in the right direction, he added. He said along with climate justice, a fair attitude was also required in the distribution of global financial resources with developing countries. The UN Secretary General appreciated the commitment of the prime minister and his government for the rehabilitation of the flood victims. The South American nation of Ecuador has signed on to the US-crafted and led Artemis Accords on space exploration, the Department of State announced on Thursday WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2023) The South American nation of Ecuador has signed on to the US-crafted and led Artemis Accords on space exploration, the Department of State announced on Thursday. "In a ceremony held at its embassy in Washington, DC, the Republic of Ecuador became the 26th nation to sign the Artemis Accords, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable and transparent space activity," the release said. Minister of Foreign Affairs Gustavo Manrique signed on behalf of Ecuador, making it the third South American nation to join the accords, the State Department said. The US government describes the Artemis Accords as a set of non-legally binding principles to guide sustainable civil space exploration. The principles include transparency, peaceful purposes, registering of space objects and release of scientific data to help make the space environment safer and more predictable, the State Department said. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2023) Australia's online safety body accused Twitter on Thursday of allowing "toxicity and hate" on the social media platform and gave CEO Elon Musk 28 days to remedy the problem. "If Twitter fails to respond to the most recent notice within 28 days, the company could face maximum financial penalties of nearly $700,000 a day for continuing breaches," the eSafety commissioner said in a statement. The commissioner said eSafety had issued a legal notice to Twitter to inquire about what the social media giant was doing to tackle the growing number of complaints since Musk's takeover in October. Disabled people and those identifying as LGBT were targeted at "double the rate of the rest of the population" in Australia, eSafety estimated. It said Twitter appeared to have "dropped the ball" on tackling online hate since it reinstated tens of thousands of suspended or banned accounts to the platform under what Musk described as a "general amnesty." US President Joe Biden will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday for an official state visit meant to strengthen bilateral ties - from trade to defense cooperation - while addressing challenges concerning competition with China in the military and tech domains WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2023) US President Joe Biden will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday for an official state visit meant to strengthen bilateral ties - from trade to defense cooperation - while addressing challenges concerning competition with China in the military and tech domains. Although Modi has visited the United States five times as prime minister, this week's visit marks the first with the diplomatic status of a state visit. Modi's visit comes at a significant time when the United States seeks to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific, and globally, and further isolate Moscow from India. Biden and Modi on Thursday will deliver remarks and take questions from the press after their meeting, according to the White House. Details of their meeting are still pending. White House officials earlier this week tried to underscore that the Indian leader's visit and White House meeting would not be centered on China or Russia. However, on Wednesday, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan suggested China would be a key agenda item during Modi's visit. Although, at the same time, he too tried to downplay its importance. "This visit is not about China. But the question of China's role in the military domain, the technology domain, the economic domain will be on the agenda," Sullivan said as quoted by The Washington Post. US administration officials also confirmed that issues related to Russia and Ukraine will be discussed during the meeting between the two leaders. According to White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, Biden and Modi will have "deliverables" to announce regarding defense cooperation, climate change, technology, space and cyber issues. These will include announcements on the "co-development and co-production of military systems, including some very advanced systems," Reuters reported, citing a US official. A senior US administration official told reporters on Wednesday that India is actively engaged in diversifying away from Russian military equipment, which is something that should be made clearer on Thursday during Modi's state visit. Modi and Biden are also expected to announce that India will commit to purchasing American-made MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones. In addition, a US official confirmed that General Electric and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited signed an export license agreement and memorandum of understanding (MOU) to jointly produce F414 jet engines in India, which are used on the F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets. NASA and India's space agency ISRO have agreed to a joint mission to the International Space Station in the year 2024, a US official said, adding that India will also join the US-led Artemis accords. Senior US administration officials will also announce new deals struck by US and Indian firms, especially in areas of semiconductor and critical mineral supply chains. The expected business agreements will be crucial to artificial intelligence and quantum computing, US officials said. Micron Technology with support from the Indian National Semiconductor Mission announced an investment of more than $800 million that together with additional financial support from Indian authorities will amount to a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India. Moreover, US officials said Applied Materials announced a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Research, another US semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, is going to announce a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers to accelerate India's semiconductor workforce development goal. Earlier this week, ahead of White House talks, Modi met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who hinted that he may soon announce a significant investment in India following their meeting. Media reported that India seeks to grow its electric vehicle market to keep up with China, as the United States aims to break reliance on Chinese manufacturing. The United States on Thursday will also announce its support for India to become a member of the Mineral Security Partnership led by the US State Department. Biden has been called on by both sides of the political aisle in the US to push Modi on human rights issues, a topic that has gotten much attention in the US media this week. US representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar said they would boycott the joint address to Congress Modi is slated to give during the trip due to his treatment of Muslims. Sullivan told reporters on Wednesday that Biden is expected to discuss with Modi US concerns about democratic back sliding in India under Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. A senior US administration official said during a conference call that Biden will not shy away from discussing with Modi issues related to human rights, including religious discrimination, treatment of minorities, and issues of press freedoms. US officials were unclear if Biden and Modi will discuss India's purchase of Russian oil, but Kirby told reporters during a preview of the meeting that Washington accepts that India will continue buying Russian oil, as long as it does so "at rock bottom prices" below the price cap agreed by the Group of Seven (G7) countries and Australia. MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2023) Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez has arrived in Paris as part of a tour of Europe after visiting Italy, the Vatican and Serbia, the presidential office said. "President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez has arrived in France, where on June 22 and 23 he will take part in a summit to discuss a new financial pact. On Wednesday, he paid an official visit to Serbia," the office said on Twitter. Diaz-Canel is accompanied on his tour by his wife Lis Cuesta Peraza, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla and First Deputy Foreign Trade and Investment Minister Ana Teresita Gonzalez Fraga. Cuba chairs the Group of 77 - China summit, to be held Thursday and Friday at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. During the meeting, the global leaders intend to agree on a new financial pact between the countries of the North and the South, which will determine the basis for interaction between developed and developing countries in overcoming poverty and combating climate change. The day before, Diaz-Canel held an official meeting in Serbia with President Aleksandar Vucic. The Serbian leader said at a joint press conference the two countries were interested in developing ties in agriculture, tourism, healthcare, biotechnology, scientific and innovative projects, pharmacology and IT, and also expressed readiness to discuss cooperation in the production of missile weapons. (@FahadShabbir) SIMFEROPOL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2023) The Ukrainian armed forces have attacked bridges on the administrative border between the Kherson Region and the Crimea near the village of Chonhar, Acting Kherson Governor Vladimir Saldo said early on Thursday. "The criminal Kiev regime committed barbaric shelling of civilian objects - bridges on the administrative border between the Kherson Region and the Crimea near Chonhar," Saldo said on Telegram. He added that Kiev wants to intimidate residents of the Kherson Region and sow panic among the population, but they will not succeed. "We know how to repair bridges quickly: the passage of vehicles will be restored very soon," he added. Saldo said that the United Kingdom's Storm Shadow missiles were used in the attack, according to the preliminary assessment. "The roadway on the bridges was damaged. There are no human casualties," he said. The traffic between the Kherson Region and the Crimea continues on reserve routes, Saldo added. A Sputnik correspondent reports that markings on the wreckage of the missile that hit the bridge in Chonhar confirm that the strike was carried out using Storm Shadow cruise missiles. Crimean head Sergey Aksenov said on Telegram that bomb disposal technicians were examining the sites of the Ukrainian strike on the Chonhar bridge. He confirmed that there were no casualties, adding that the information about the possibility of traffic across the bridge would be available within an hour. Oleg Kryuchkov, Aksenov's adviser on information policy, said the shelling of the bridge would not be able to seriously disrupt the logistics of the land transport corridor between the Kherson Region and Crimea. "Three checkpoints connect Crimea with the Kherson Region: two near Armiansk and one near Dzhankoi. The failure of one of them cannot drastically disrupt the transport logistics of the land transport corridor," he posted on Telegram. The Crimean Transport Ministry said that traffic flows between Crimea and the Kherson Region were redirected to other remaining checkpoints. The head of the department, Nikolai Lukashenko, said that traffic across the Crimean bridge was carried out as usual and the ferry service was operating without any issues. Last week, Aksenov said that nine drones were detected over Crimea. Six of them were shot down and three were grounded by electronic warfare. On Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Ukraine was planning to strike Crimea and other territories with HIMARS and Storm Shadow cruise missiles. (@ChaudhryMAli88) WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2023) The US House of Representatives on Thursday sent a resolution with articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden to the House Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees, following an attempt by Congresswoman Lauren Boebert to fasttrack the legislation. House lawmakers passed a resolution referring the impeachment bill to the two panels in a vote of 219-208. Earlier this week, Boebert brought articles of impeachment against Biden via privileged motion, forcing action on the matter. On Wednesday, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy urged members to oppose the fast-tracked resolution, instead arguing it should go through a committee process. During floor remarks on Thursday, Boebert expressed support for sending the impeachment resolution to the committees to assemble a collection of evidence. "This bill allows impeachment proceedings to proceed through the traditional institutional channels, by building a body of evidence at the committee level, through the committees," Boebert said. The process will provide an evidentiary record for a possible impeachment trial in the Senate, Boebert said. Boebert has pointed to Biden's handling of the southern border, the fentanyl crisis and crime as reasons for impeachment. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd June, 2023) USS Michigan, a US Ohio-class strategic nuclear-powered guided missile submarine, took part in joint drills with the South Korean navy during the stay in the country in line with the Washington Declaration, South Korean Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday, citing its military. USS Michigan arrived at the Korean Peninsula on June 16, the day after North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan. The submarine is set to leave South Korea this Thursday. This is the first time since October 2017, when the United States has sent a submarine of this class to South Korea. South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Jeon Ha-kyu told reporters that the submarine took part in the joint special operations training with the South Korean navy during its stay in the country without providing details. In April, the leaders of South Korea and the United States adopted the Washington Declaration that provides for the establishment of a regular bilateral consultation mechanism on extended deterrence and strategic planning. South Korea also secured a US promise to promptly deploy "the entire force of the alliance," including nuclear weapons, in the event of a nuclear attack by North Korea. Washington also assured Seoul it would use all measures, including nuclear weapons, in the case of aggression from Pyongyang, and promised to send nuclear missile submarines to the Korean Peninsula. Caleb Hill The University of Wyoming will receive a $300,000 award from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support the establishment of a nuclear chemistry core facility on campus. The award is part of $6.3 million in funding from DOE to bolster infrastructure and upgrade research reactors at universities as part of its Nuclear Energy University Program. Led by Caleb Hill, the UW project will launch a nuclear chemistry core facility that will enable the first practical nuclear chemistry research and educational programs in Wyoming. Hill is UWs J.E. Warren Chair, Nielson Faculty Fellow, an associate professor of chemistry and co-director of the Nuclear Energy Research Center (NERC) in the School of Energy Resources (SER). This award is a critical first step in advancing the integration of nuclear-related education into the curriculum at UW, Hill says. While we have made significant progress in our efforts through NERC to build capacity and interest in nuclear energy at UW, the ultimate success of these initiatives will depend on advancing the laboratory infrastructure to enhance nuclear-focused research and teaching activities moving forward. The core facility will be used to enable wet chemistry and analytical work involving radioactive materials to be carried out by UW researchers and students. Work toward this goal will include the installation of necessary safety and analytical equipment, as well as the establishment of appropriate protocols for use of the core facility. Safety is obviously a critical concern when it comes to nuclear-focused research, Hill says. Standing up a new nuclear facility on UWs campus from the ground up is a great opportunity because it will give us the opportunity to be strategic and to develop it going forward in a way that will best serve students, faculty and the state. Once fully established, the lab will facilitate nuclear-focused educational opportunities for UW students such as the development of a nuclear energy certificate program, which will prepare students to pursue nuclear-focused research at UW and provide them the background needed to meaningfully engage with nuclear topics. The newly announced DOE award comes only a few months after NERC was named a recipient of a Faculty Development Advancement Award as part of the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research University Nuclear Leadership Program. Between these two awards, we are really driving the development of physical and human infrastructure needed to support nuclear-focused research at UW, Hill says. The announcement of TerraPowers Natrium nuclear power plant has generated a great deal of excitement across the state for nuclear energy and, now, UW is one step closer to supporting that new industry. Another important feature of the award is that it will allow for the development of impactful research programs at UW, which could be competitive for future funding opportunities. When SER stands up a faculty-led Center of Excellence such as NERC, it is with the expectation that the initial support will lead to new, external sources of funding investment and growth, says Scott Quillinan, SER senior director of research. Under the leadership of Caleb and Tara Righetti, our other co-director of NERC, the center has completely flourished and is accomplishing everything it set out to do. We are delighted to see their efforts result in such levels of success. To learn more about NERC, go here. From left, Zachary McCulley, Gregory Hinton and Jed Huntzinger take part in the reading of A Sissy in Wyoming at UWs Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts Thrust Theater Sept. 30, 2022. One of Larry Sissy Goodwins favorite outfits is on a mannequin behind the performers. (Matthew Greenberg Photo) The American Heritage Center (AHC) at the University of Wyoming has received the prestigious Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) in the rapid response project category, alongside playwright and producer Gregory Hinton. The AASLH award recognizes the outstanding achievement of the AHC and Hinton for their collaborative efforts in bringing the Wyoming tour of the play A Sissy in Wyoming to fruition last fall. Wyoming Humanities, the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, the Wyoming Arts Council and the Wyoming Historical Society supported this pioneering tour, which garnered widespread acclaim. A Sissy in Wyoming vividly portrays the extraordinary life of Larry Sissy Goodwin (1946-2020), a Wyoming educator, power plant operator, activist and cross-dresser. The thought-provoking play, written and read by Hinton, draws upon oral interviews conducted by Leslie Waggener, AHC Simpson archivist, with Sissys wife, author and activist Vickie Jones Goodwin. The play serves as a tribute to Sissys remarkable journey, highlighting the complexities and triumphs of his life in the Cowboy State. The Wyoming tour of A Sissy in Wyoming took place Sept. 30-Oct. 9 in Casper, Cheyenne, Cody, Douglas, Laramie, Jackson, Rock Springs, Riverton and Sheridan. All performances were open to the public, with either no admission fee or a nominal charge. Following each reading, Hinton and Goodwin engaged in enlightening question-and-answer discussions about the plays themes, providing an opportunity for community members to explore and reflect upon the profound issues it addresses. The recognition received from the AASLH with the Award of Excellence highlights the exceptional contribution of the AHC and Hinton to the preservation of state and local history. Established in 1945, the AASLH Leadership in History Awards represent esteemed accolades in the field, celebrating achievements in the collection, preservation and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States. The award acknowledges the AHC and Hintons commitment to excellence; their dedication to advancing historical understanding; and their significant role in fostering dialogue about important societal issues. AASLH empowers the history community, making the past meaningful through research, advocacy and professional development, connecting practitioners and advancing public history. Gregory Hinton reads from his play, A Sissy in Wyoming, at Central Wyoming College in Riverton Oct. 7, 2022. On the screen is Larry Sissy Goodwin wearing one of his favorite outfits. (Leslie Waggener Photo) Receiving the Award of Excellence from the AASLH is a tremendous honor that recognizes the transformative impact of A Sissy in Wyoming and the profound dedication of Gregory Hinton and the center, AHC Director Paul Flesher says. This recognition underscores the AHCs commitment to preserving the memory and stories of the different ways Wyomings people live their lives and the ways in which their lives were interwoven with and influenced by those around them. In addition to the AASLH award, Hinton has been honored with the Diversity Award from the Society of American Archivists (SAA) for his outstanding contributions in advancing diversity within the archival record. Hintons work on the tour of A Sissy in Wyoming and his instrumental role in establishing and developing Out West in the Rockies with the AHC played a significant part in his recognition. SAA is a professional organization that promotes the understanding, value and accessibility of archives and archivists work to support the preservation and interpretation of our collective cultural heritage. Out West in the Rockies is a groundbreaking regional LGBTQ+ archive of the American West, co-founded by Hinton and the AHC in 2015. It serves as a vital resource for collecting and preserving the history and culture of the LGBTQ+ community in Wyoming and the seven surrounding Rocky Mountain states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. A longtime resident of Southern California, Hinton found himself longing to return to Wyoming, but I wanted to come home as who I am. Hintons work extends beyond A Sissy in Wyoming, encompassing various media such as novels, films and plays. Notable among his works are the border novels Cathedral City and Desperate Hearts; the feature film Circuit; and several verbatim plays including Beyond Brokeback, Diversity Day and Walking Steven Home. Moreover, Hinton created and produced Out West, a national museum program series that illuminates the history and culture of the LGBTQ+ community in the American West through lectures, plays, films and gallery exhibitions. Reflecting on the awards, Hinton says, This is such an honor, and it recognizes the importance of preserving and promoting diverse voices within the archival record. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the documentation and celebration of LGBTQ+ history and culture through the Wyoming tour of A Sissy in Wyoming and Out West in the Rockies, he adds. About the American Heritage Center UWs AHC serves as the universitys repository for manuscripts, rare books and university archives. Internationally renowned for its historical collections, the AHC provides free and open access to a diverse range of researchers, from undergraduates to international scholars and the public. Established in 1945, the AHC boasts over 90,000 cubic feet of historic documents and artifacts across more than 3,500 collections, making it one of the largest nongovernmental archives in the nation. Notable holdings include the universitys history; significant materials related to Wyoming and the West; transportation; mining and energy extraction; entertainment and popular culture; journalism; natural resources and the environment; and military history. Colorado Springs Utilities has enough water to adequately serve the proposed 3,200-acre Amara development that wants to annex into city limits, but the project as currently submitted does not meet new local requirements for contiguity, Utilities staff told board members Wednesday. The board, whose members are also members of City Council, voted 6-3 to recommend the annexation on the condition that developer La Plata Communities revise its currently submitted application to demonstrate that the project can meet contiguity requirements. The project must still receive future approval from the Planning Commission and City Council. The board's decision comes about four months after the council adopted a new highly controversial water rule that requires the city-owned utility to have 128% of the water needed to serve existing demand as well as all the projected need of future properties looking to annex into Colorado Springs. The new water supply rule also requires 25% of the perimeter of the proposed annexation area be contiguous with city limits. The proposed Amara project lies south and east of Colorado Springs in El Paso County and is surrounded on three sides by the city of Fountain. If it annexed into Colorado Springs, it would be a "flagpole" annexation along Bradley Road, which would function as the connection to Colorado Springs. When it is fully built out, Amara could require 3,506 acre-feet of water a year, Utilities Development Projects Manager Bryan English told board members Wednesday. An acre-foot of water is enough to cover an acre of land to a depth of about 1 foot and is considered the amount needed by a family of four for about a year. Figures English presented Wednesday show Utilities provides on average 71,200 acre-feet of treated water to the community, calculated using a five-year average for the years of 2018-2022, normalized for weather. Utilities could reliably provide 95,000 acre-feet of treated water, he said. Multiplying existing water usage by the required 128% buffer, then adding Amara's projected demand of 3,506 acre-feet a year, means Colorado Springs Utilities needs to provide at least 94,642 acre-feet of treated water a figure that falls within the city's current reliably met water demand, English said. In previous public discussions with City Council about the water rule in the fall, Utilities staff said Amara would not meet the threshold for annexation because of the water requirement. La Plata Communities President and CEO Doug Quimby, who did not address the board during the meeting, said in an interview Wednesday the development is now projected to meet the water requirement because citywide water usage is down. When discussions were ongoing in the fall and winter about the water rule, Utilities estimated it provided an average 75,000 acre-feet of water to its customers. During those discussions, Utilities also revised how it calculates existing water usage, choosing to use a five-year rolling average instead of a three-year rolling average, he said. A five-year average provides for "a more level time span" to determine current usage, Utilities spokeswoman Jennifer Jordan said. Colorado Springs Planning Director Peter Wysocki told the board the developer has submitted an exhibit illustrating Amara can meet the city's 25% contiguity requirement but has not yet submitted the survey maps verifying it. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. When La Plata Communities previously submitted its annexation application in November 2021, it only had to and did meet state requirements that at least one-sixth, or 16.67%, of the perimeter of the proposed annexation area be contiguous with city limits, English said. La Plata's Chief Operating Officer Mike Ruebenson said city planners initially advised the company, after City Council approved the water rule in February, to hold off on submitting updated documents proving Amara meets the new connection requirement. Planners first wanted to ensure the development would meet the new water supply provision, he said. Ruebenson promised the company would submit the necessary documents before the Planning Commission hears the proposal. No representatives from La Plata presented on the Amara project Wednesday. Ruebenson was the only representative from the company who addressed the Utilities board during a short public comment period. "It's coming up on two years before we've had our hearing on this (project)," Ruebenson said. "... At this point, I hope we're just looking at (the water ordinance requirements). Staff has shown Amara does qualify under the ordinance to move forward. That's all we're asking for today." Proponents of the project previously said it could provide necessary housing and about 8,800 jobs. Residents who previously said they were opposed have raised concerns about the potential overall drain on resources, such as water, to serve an area not directly adjacent to the city. Colorado Springs' new water rule was handed down at a time when the seven states that rely on water from the Colorado River, including Colorado, must make cutbacks. Residents also had previous concerns about traffic and public safety response times. Before later voting to recommend approving Amara's annexation, Utilities board member Nancy Henjum said it was "challenging to make a determination" on the project "without looking at the bigger picture" of regional water availability. She suggested the city consider a moratorium on annexations "until we've had that bigger conversation." Board Vice Chairman Mike O'Malley said the project wasn't appropriate for the city. "We are spending all this staff time and resources, which is significant, on something that's obviously not a fit," he said before voting against recommending the annexation. Utilities Board Chairman Dave Donelson and board member Yolanda Avila, who both supported the recommendation, said it was important to determine whether the project meets water-rule requirements before debating its potential benefits and drawbacks at Planning Commission and City Council. "We have created a standard and the applicant meets it. I recommend this is not the place to reach a final decision about annexation. That is over at Planning Commission and City Council, when there's a full presentation by all sides," Donelson said. The Colorado Springs Police Department on Wednesday welcomed its 75th class of new police officers in a graduation ceremony at Radiant Church. For the 42 recruits, it was the culmination of a 28-week process that included rigorous hands-on training and intensive classroom study. For new Mayor Yemi Mobolade, it was the first wave of a planned effort to bolster an understaffed police force. Mobolade joined several public safety officials and city leaders in congratulating the academy graduates. He became visibly emotional at several points in his address. Today, I am especially humbled to stand before such an exceptional group of leaders, to congratulate you on your achievement, and to thank you for choosing this career path of service, courage and sacrifice, Mobolade said. Police Chief Adrian Vasquez was attending an international policing summit overseas, but he addressed the graduating class via video. Remember what you do is important, Vasquez said. You protect the constitutional rights of all our citizens. Remember that each call for service is an opportunity to show the care and compassion that is a trademark of our profession. The 75th recruiting class is an amalgam of eclectic backgrounds, officials said. They represent 14 different U.S. states. Five graduates are from other countries one from Peru, one from New Zealand and three from Germany. Nine of them are at least bilingual. Twenty-five of them have served or are serving in the military. Twenty-one hold bachelors degrees, 16 have associates degrees, and all have some college experience. Daniel Brom, whom the class selected to address the hundreds of families, friends and supporters at the ceremony, marveled at the training academy staffs ability to turn so many disparate backgrounds and personalities into a single, cohesive unit. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. On day one, we all arrived to the academy as individuals, coming from backgrounds from prior military, insurance agents, to restaurant workers, Brom said. No matter where we came from, we were all in this together. About halfway through the ceremony, a video recapped the six months of training that brought them to this point, including driving techniques, marksmanship, arrest control, de-escalation and a host of other demanding tasks. Sometimes, the recruits laughed as they remembered being shocked with a Taser. Others grimaced as they recalled taking pepper spray in the face. And an occasional tear was shed as they acknowledged that they couldnt have gotten through it without leaning on one another. I think when people leave the military, they wonder if theyre ever going to have that sense of camaraderie again, said Jesse Estrada, who spent eight years in the Marine Corps before applying to the police academy. The cohesion and the caliber of this class just blew me away. It was such a smooth transition going from the Marine Corps to this academy, and this department. All the graduates have passed the Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training certification exams, and are now sworn police officers, but their schooling is not yet complete, officials said. For the next 15 weeks, theyll be learning on the job as they undergo field training. Once theyve completed that, theyll be ready to respond to calls on their own. Im looking forward to it all, Estrada said. The next CSPD training academy begins July 24, and another will take place in October, Mobolade said. What touches me the most is knowing that they are choosing a career and profession where they are willing to lay down their lives for their fellow women and men, and their fellow citizens, the mayor said. That is the noblest of all callings. Im inspired by them. Working with EU Investors for Vietnamese Food Processing Firms & Vice Versa Vietnamese food processing enterprises are reportedly looking for investors as a result of broad economic challenges. In this article, we run through what EU and Vietnamese firms should know about working with each other. Food processing accounts for the bulk of the production value of Vietnams processing and manufacturing industry. In fact, in 2020, despite the economic downturn inflicted by the Covid-19 epidemic, the growth rate of the industrial production index of food manufacturing and processing still reached 4.5 percent. The sector has recently, however, faced a number of setbacks. Rising input costs, a shortage of capital, and slowing demand are all contributing to a challenging business environment. This has seen firms reaching out to foreign investors from markets like the EU, to help boost their bottom lines and ensure their operations moving forward. In this article, we look at international agreements that govern cross-border trade and investment between Vietnam and the EU, how to comply with their requirements, and what is needed to find suitable investors. EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) The Investment Protection Agreement between the European Union and Vietnam (EVIPA) is the little brother of the European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). This agreement aims to create a solid investment environment in Vietnam to attract more investment from the EU. It aims to do this by establishing clear procedures for settling disputes between investors from either party. Investment treatment Fair and equal treatment for investors is the primary function of this agreement. A party can be said to have breached this agreement when its actions lead to one of the following: a refusal to hear criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings; a fundamental violation of fair judicial and administrative due process; discriminating against investors on non-commercial grounds such as gender, ethnicity or religious belief; or coercion, an abuse of power, or similar misconduct. In the event that a party has a disagreement, the EVIPA also provides stipulations for dispute resolution. Dispute resolution When there is a dispute between parties, the parties shall endeavor to resolve it through open dialogue with the aim to reach a mutually agreed-on solution. One party shall submit a request for mediation in writing to the other party. This should clearly define the dispute and the relevant provisions of this agreement that have been breached. If the parties are unable to resolve the dispute through consultation, the party that raised the dispute may suggest the parties move to more formal arbitration. There are a number of mechanisms in place to do that for example the Permanent Court of Arbitration to which the EU and Vietnam are both a party. For more information see: Settling Business Disputes: Commercial Arbitration in Vietnam Key treaty regulations for food processing firms The European Union-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) came into force in August of 2020. This agreement will see tariffs on most goods traded between Vietnam and the EU reduced to zero by 2027. Aside from tariffs, however, the agreement provides rules of origin requirements that can impact food processing export operations. Rules of origin Rules of origin require that the bulk of goods for export are made within the economic jurisdiction of the parties involved. For example, there are limits on what percentage of the ingredients of a bottle of ketchup can come from other countries before it is no longer considered a product of the member state. Goods are regarded as having EVFTA origin when falling into one of the two cases below. Goods of pure origin This category is for goods that are naturally formed in the territory of Vietnam or the EU (e.g. animals that are born and raised in Vietnam or the EU, fish that are caught by Vietnamese or EU fishing trawlers, or raw fruits or vegetables grown in Vietnam or the EU). Goods that have undergone full processing This case includes manufactured or processed goods formed from materials originating wholly or partly in the EU or Vietnam. In this situation, there are some key criteria firms need to be aware of. They must use clear commodity (HS) codes This requires that the HS code of the finished product should be different from the HS code of any non-originating materials. For example, the finished product, ketchup (HS code: 2103.10), is categorized under Miscellaneous edible preparations. However, the non-originating materials used in the production, such as imported tomatoes have a different HS code (0702.00), which belongs to the category Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers. They must not exceed non-origin maximum rates This limits the volume of materials from countries not party to the agreement that can be used in manufacturing or processing before the goods are no longer considered under the agreement. For example, suppose a Vietnamese ketchup manufacturer operates under a trade agreement that sets a non-origin maximum rate of 15 percent for tomatoes. This means that if the non-originating tomatoes used in the production of the ketchup exceeds 15 percent of the total value of the tomatoes in the finished ketchup product, then it may not receive preferential tariffs. They have to be processed in a country party to the agreement If the raw materials are not made in Vietnam or the EU then they must at least be processed within the boundaries of one party or the other in the agreement. For example, if the tomatoes used in a bottle of ketchup are imported then the ketchup must be processed within Vietnam or the EU. This could involve activities such as sorting, washing, peeling, cooking, and blending the tomatoes to create the ketchup. Ergo, if the tomatoes come from China and the ketchup is made in Laos it cannot then be shipped to Vietnam to be shipped to the EU and receive the benefits of the EVFTA. Certificates of Origin In terms of goods exported from Vietnam: For shipments valued at lower than 6,000 euros (US$6,500), exporters can self-certify the origin of the goods; and For shipments valued at over 6,000 euros (US$6,500), an authority such as the Ministry of Industry and Trade or the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) can issue Certificates of Origin to the exporter after confirming the origin of the goods. Examples of food products with rules of origin Products EVFTA Rules of Origin Meat Meat materials and edible meat by-products after slaughter must be of pure origin Vegetables Vegetable ingredients used must be of pure origin Seafood Fresh or semi-processed seafood must be of pure origin Processed seafood must be of pure origin Note: For aquatic products, pure origin is understood as Born or raised in Vietnam, which means importing seed from outside Vietnam is allowed. Dairy products The raw materials used are of pure origin. Fresh and semi-processed fruit All citrus or melon ingredients must have pure origin. Imported goods related to deforestation To combat climate change and protect biodiversity, the EU requires that the production of goods for sale in the EU should not lead to deforestation and forest degradation. Specifically, the EUs regulation bans the import of agricultural products produced on land originating from deforestation or causing forest degradation after December 31, 2020. Products impacted by this regulation include but are not limited to cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soybeans, fodder, leather, chocolate, furniture, and charcoal. See also: EU Deforestation-free Regulations and Vietnams Exports Overcoming differences in business management and communication In order to get on well and have a sustained partnership with an EU investor, there are several cultural differences that Vietnamese firms should be aware of. These include: Communication style: EU investors generally emphasize direct and explicit communication, with a focus on facts and logical arguments. Conversely, Vietnamese investors often value indirect and implicit communication, relying on non-verbal cues and contextual information. Decision-making process: EU investors tend to follow a structured decision-making process, involving analysis, evaluation, and consultation with stakeholders. Vietnamese investors, on the other hand, prioritize consensus-building and decision-making based on hierarchical structures and seniority. Negotiation styles: EU negotiators generally value a win-win approach and strive for objective criteria in negotiations. Vietnamese negotiators employ a more relationship-focused approach, emphasizing mutual trust and concessions as a way of avoiding conflict. Examples of foreign-invested food firms in VN The Vietnamese food processing industry has attracted a lot of attention from a range of foreign firms. Some examples are stated below. Morinaga Milk Industry Corporation (Japan) Morinaga Milk Industry Corporation is one of the leading dairy manufacturers in Japan. In 2021, Morinaga acquired the Elovi factory in Thai Nguyen and established Elovi Vietnam to manufacture and distribute milk and yogurt products. Most recently, it formed a joint stock company with Le May Production Trading Service Company to distribute milk formula for babies. Daesang (Korea) Daesang Group is a multinational corporation in Korea specializing in manufacturing and supplying products such as frozen food. Daesang Group decided to buy Duc Viet after thoroughly researching the meat processing industry in Vietnam. The deal was valued at US$32 million. Where to meet investors Networking and industry events Industry conferences, trade shows, and networking events are a great way to meet investors. These events often attract investors, venture capitalists, and business professionals who are interested in investing in F&B businesses. For example, Vietnam Foodtech is a comprehensive trade event held annually for the purpose of promoting and connecting domestic and foreign businesses in the fields of food and beverage, and related processing technology. Professional services providers Consult with professional services providers, such as investment advisors, consultants, and law firms that specialize in helping businesses attract foreign investment. These professionals often have extensive networks and can provide guidance on how to connect with potential investors in the F&B industry. Government agencies and trade organizations Contact relevant government agencies and trade organizations that promote foreign investment and trade. These entities often have resources and databases that can help you identify foreign investors interested in the F&B sector. For example, the European Chamber of Commerce (EUCHAM). See also: How Our Business Matchmaking Services Can Help Your Vietnam Market Strategy What needs to be prepared Pitch deck: A visually appealing presentation that accompanies your investor pitch. The pitch deck should be concise, and engaging, and highlight the key aspects of your F&B business, such as the market opportunity, competitive advantage, financial performance, growth plans, and investment requirements. Financial statements and accounting books: Historical financial statements, provide investors with a clear understanding of your F&B businesss financial performance over time. In addition, an accounting book may need to comply with international standards as opposed to VAS. Intellectual property documentation: If you have intellectual property assets, such as patents, trademarks, or copyrights, prepare the relevant documentation to showcase the uniqueness and value of your intellectual property. This helps investors understand the proprietary aspects of your F&B business and its competitive advantage. Legal and regulatory documentation: Gather all necessary legal and regulatory documents, including business licenses, permits, certificates of compliance, and any other documentation required for operating an F&B business in your target market. This demonstrates your commitment to legal and regulatory compliance and reduces potential risks for investors. Next steps The Vietnamese food processing industry has shown positive growth in the past few years. However, due to Covid-19 and the subsequent global economic downturn, many Vietnamese firms in this field have faced a number of problems that may require capital to resolve. There are many things, however, that firms need to know when finding and working with EU investors, and vice versa regarding investment protections, free trade agreements, and cultural differences. In this vein, the complex world of cross-border investment in the food and beverage industry can best be navigated with good quality support and advice. To learn more contact the business advisory experts at Dezan Shira and Associates. Transcript: The Inside Story: World Refugee Day Episode 97 June 22, 2023 Cold Open: This week on the inside story... World Refugee Day. The United Nations tries to focus attention on tens of millions of refugees. From Afghanistan to Ukraine... Sudan to Syria we share the stories of those who fled their home countries, and examine the conditions that turned citizens into refugees. Now... The Inside Story: World Refugee Day. The Inside Story: ELIZABETH LEE, VOA Correspondent: Welcome to The Inside Story Im Elizabeth Lee in Washington. 146 countries around the world in 1951 agreed to abide by a United Nations treaty called the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The World marks the passage of that treaty on June 20th every year on World Refugee Day. The treaty was originally intended to help Europeans driven from their homes by World War 2, but over time has expanded to include anyone driven from their homes by conflict or political persecution. And in the current day and age, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the number of people around the world forcibly displaced from their homes is at an all-time high of 108 million. Well tell some of their stories today, on The Inside Story. After more than a year of fighting, the damage caused by Russia's invasion still haunts a vast majority of the Ukrainian population. While some opted to stay, the Ukraine government says around 18 percent of Ukraines population fled their homeland. Thousands sought refuge in neighboring Poland. As part of our World Refugee Day coverage, VOA traveled to the outskirts of Warsaw to visit a center that serves as a temporary home for thousands of displaced Ukrainians. VOA's Lesia Bakalets has more. LESIA BAKALETS, Reporting for VOA: This building on the edge of Warsaw once served as a Global Expo exhibit hall. Since March 2022, it has become a refugee center for Ukrainians. Sixty-year-old Tayanna Lada has lived here for about a year. Kuzya the cat and a collection of silver rings the main treasures Lada has brought from her hometown, Zaporizhzhia. She decided to flee after Russian forces shelled her neighborhood. Tayanna Lada, Ukrainian refugee: A rocket landed next to the house. It was almost 5 a.m. And, in principle, it is not scary to die. It's scary when you get mutilated. LESIA BAKALETS: The refugee center where Tayana lives is private. It is financed by Polish and Ukrainian businesspeople and nonprofit organizations. Here, she has as many as one thousand neighbors, the majority women and children. All live in this huge hall. At the beginning, cots lay near each other. Several months ago, short plywood dividers were built. This is the only privacy refugees can count on: doors and walls are prohibited for fire safety. Tayanna Lada, Ukrainian Refugee: This is our home now, maybe, for a long time. LESIA BAKALETS: There are washing machines and showers. Each aisle has charging stations. The dining hall is in the next room. Olena Kondratiuk from Vinnytsia is in charge here. Olena Kondratiuk, Ukrainian Refugee: Three of my kitchen team members are from Crimea; they fled through Russia. Four are from Donetsk, two are from Zaporizhzhya. There is nowhere for them to return until the war ends. At the time I arrived, we had two halls wholly filled. It was like this - a bed next to a bed. There were about two thousand people: children were screaming, and dogs and cats. Inna Zakharchenko, Ukrainian Refugee: In the elementary school, we have 23 students from first to fourth grade. We work according to the program of the Ukrainian school. We comply with all norms, and all types of work, as we learned in Ukraine. LESIA BAKALETS: Zakharchenko is a teacher and lives in the center as well. She and her daughter fled from Nova Kakhovka. She says she finds consolation in teaching here. Inna Zakharchenko, Ukrainian refugee: For me, this is an opportunity to get out of bed. Because I fell into depression, I had a feeling that life is over for me. LESIA BAKALETS: Many of the center's residents share those feelings. Volunteers try to help them to find a job or better accommodation if they can afford it. But most cannot. Some are dreaming of returning home, while others have come to accept that this may never happen. ELIZABETH LEE: Turkey is known for its cultural diversity. It also hosts more refugees than any other country in the world, including over 3 million Syrians escaping the civil war. Newly reelected Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is standing by his refugee policy of admitting millions of refugees, mainly Syrians, into Turkey and allowing them to stay despite growing public opposition. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul. DORIAN JONES, VOA Correspondent: Many Syrian refugees who fled to Turkey lost more than their homes and their country. 18-year-old Semir, who only wanted to be identified by his first name, lost his parents and four siblings in the civil war; he lost his legs, but says he hopes to walk again. Semir, Syrian Refugee: They helped me a lot with everything, praise be to God. DORIAN JONES: The Istanbul orthotic prosthetic center was set up by Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation as well as the International Doctors Association. It uses state-of-the-art technology under the supervision of Dr. Yasar Tatar. Dr. Yasar Tatar, Istanbul Orthotic Prosthetic Center. Especially in Syria, there are a high number of amputees involving multiple limb loss. Burns caused by barrel bombs also posed major challenges for us. We have served around 2,045 amputees, and we have made approximately 4,000 prosthetic limbs. This is a huge number. Few centers in the world can make so many prostheses in such a short time. DORIAN JONES: February's deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria added to the center's work, as many people lost limbs in the disaster. Turkey hosts over three million Syrian refugees, along with large numbers of Iraqis and Afghans. Anti-refugee sentiment is growing, often reflected in graffiti. Mustafa Ozbek, Humanitarian Relief Foundation: Societal problems can arise from the arrival of a large number of refugees. Turkey's recent economic problems have added to this. On top of this, the elections saw some politicians in particular bring up the issue of refugees. DORIAN JONES: During May's presidential elections, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's challengers vowed to return millions of Syrian refugees. Analysts say Erdogan's victory comes as a relief not only to refugees but also to the European Union, which pays Turkey to host refugees. But Erdogan, possibly mindful of Turkish public unease over refugees, is now vowing to step up the building of homes in Syrian areas outside Damascus' control to facilitate the return of a million Syrians. How many will take that offer remains to be seen. ELIZABETH LEE: Along the U.S.-Mexico border, the distinction between who is a migrant and who is a refugee can be murky. Many migrants seek asylum. When they do, they become political refugees, a distinction that can affect their fate. Not murky is a grim U.S. Border Patrol statistic. More than 8,000 migrant deaths have been recorded along the border since 1988. VOA immigration reporter Aline Barros visited the county where the highest number of migrants who died ended their journey. ALINE BARROS, VOA Correspondent: A lot of attention has been focused on migrants crossing between ports of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border but Brooks County, about 130 kilometers north of the Rio Grande, faces a separate migrant crisis. More migrants have died in the country then in any other along the U.S.-Mexico border. Unidentiefied ranch manager: Right here, you can see all this trash. This is one of their layout spots. ALINE BARROS: Migrants who cross undetected into the United States often use Brooks County as a corridor to their next destination. To avoid the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias, the biggest town in Brooks County, they walk for days across remote private ranches. Some die from heat exhaustion, dehydration or hypothermia. Fernando Cervantes, Ranch Manager: Last year we found a total of about five bodies or remains. Some were recent; some had been there for a while. ALINE BARROS: The ground is sandy. Temperatures often rise to 38 degrees and above. Landmarks are few, and it's easy for migrants to get lost or walk in circles. Cervantes says those found alive receive help and are turned over to Border Patrol authorities. Fernando Cervantes, Ranch Manager: We have found, last year, the same thing. We found probably half a dozen people just wandering around. They were really, really close to death already. ALINE BARROS: Those who are lost or left behind can sometimes call for help. Benny Martinez, Brooks County Sheriff: Every single scenario is different, depending on the call. ALINE BARROS: Sheriff Benny Martinez says more migrants die in Brooks County than anywhere along the border. When migrants call 911 for help, dispatch stays on the call with them for as long as possible. Sheriff's office staff also work with U.S. Border Patrol officers to rescue migrants in distress. Or to remove migrants' remains. Benny Martinez, Brooks County Sheriff: In the hot days, which we usually have, within 72 hours, they pretty much be gone already. OK, now, Border Patrol is real good. They have the EMT people. They go out there and apply the IVs quickly, and they start the rescue right there with a beacon. ALINE BARROS: Unclaimed bodies are sent to Texas State University. In 2022, U.S. border officials found the remains of 858 migrants along the southern U.S. border. In 2021, that number was 657. In 2020, 255. But migrant advocates say those numbers are too low. Eduardo Canales, director of the South Texas Human Rights Center in Falfurrias, a nonprofit that runs a missing person recovery program, says over 200 bodies were discovered in the past two years in Brooks County alone. He says finding missing people is difficult. ELIZABETH LEE: The cruelty of war continues to plague Ethiopias Tigrayan population. After escaping to Sudan to avoid a civil war, the outbreak of violence there has them now searching for safety elsewhere. Caught between two wars, many are resorting to desperate measures to find freedom. VOAs Henry Wilkins has this report from NDjamena, Chad. HENRY WILKINS, Reporting for VOA: Since Ethiopias civil war started in 2020, neighboring Sudan has received 70,000 Ethiopian refugees. Now, many find themselves caught up in the maelstrom of Sudans civil war, which started on April 15th. An Ethiopian refugee in a camp near the Sudanese city of Gadarif, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear for his familys safety, told VOA by phone Tigray Refugee in Sudan: There is no medicine. Theres a shortage of water and food. Also, there is a high market price and there is also nowhere where the refugees can get money, even from family abroad since the banks are not working. HENRY WILKINS: He says this situation has persisted since Sudans war started. Although Ethiopias civil war has broadly come to an end, thanks to a peace process started in November, Ethiopias Tigray region is still far too dangerous for most refugees to return. On June 1st, Human Rights Watch said a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Tigrayans is ongoing despite the peace agreement. A report by the British newspaper The Guardian on May 15th said Ethiopian refugees in Sudan are falling into the hands of human traffickers who promise passage to Europe; some are even being kidnapped by them. Also, speaking before Sudans civil war broke out, another Tigray refugee, whose name we have changed to protect his safety. He is from the Ethiopian town of Humera. VOA visited Humera last year and heard testimonies of vicious bouts of ethnic cleansing. He says he tried paying traffickers to take him to Europe through Libya rather than stay in Sudan. Gebre Hadush, Refugee from Tigray: We spent about two weeks in a huge building like a warehouse. They used to give us water and two pieces of bread a day. There were no houses there, thats why we didnt leave the building. ELIZABETH LEE: The people of Afghanistan have known war for decades, and thousands have fled the fighting or the Taliban, who regained power in 2021. One of the places where Afghans have found a new home is Serbia, dozens of refugees enter Serbia every day, following a dangerous path West. VOA's Wali Arian spent time with refugees in Belgrade and filed this report, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard. BEZHAN HAMDARD: Dozens of Afghan refugees enter Serbia daily hoping to be registered and reach Western European countries. Shaukatullah, who only provided his first name, says before reaching Serbia, he was deported repeatedly back to Turkey from Bulgaria. Shaukatullah, Afghan Refugee: We were deported four times. Bulgaria arrested us. They made their dogs bite us. They beat us. Other than that, they take whatever you have. We aced many difficulties reaching Serbia. Now we are in Serbia in a camp. BEZHAN HAMDARD: The refugees here have taken treacherous routes to Europe, traveling through Iran, Turkey and Bulgaria to reach Serbia. For decades, Serbia served as an avenue for migrants to reach Western Europe; however, it is now more challenging for refugees to go from Serbia to their preferred destinations. According to a U.N. refugee agency report, Afghans made up 36% of the nearly 130,000 refugee arrivals in Serbia in 2022. Syrian refugees were in second place, with 29%. ELIZABETH LEE: Almost 900,000 Palestinians living in the West Bank are classified as refugees, meaning they were displaced from their homes by Israel since they became a nation in 1948. About a quarter of them live in refugee camps which are crowded and poor and have frequently been the scene of clashes with Israeli soldiers. Linda Gradstein has more from the Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank. LINDA GRADSTEIN, VOA Correspondent: In one of the Balata refugee camps cramped alleys, Umm Riyad Abu Shalal, mother of Palestinian militant leader Abdullah Abu Shalal stands in the rubble of her house. Umm Riyad Abu Shalal, Balata Refugee Camp Resident: The first time the Israeli soldiers came to arrest him, they fired through the windows and the door, but he escaped. The second time they destroyed the house, but he also escaped. But because they destroyed the house, and now the whole family of nine has no place to go. LINDA GRADSTEIN: As Abu Shalals mother recounts the Israeli raid from two weeks ago, young men start running through the alleys as news spreads that Israeli undercover troops have entered the camp again. Balata is the West Banks largest refugee camp. 30,000 Palestinians live in an area of just one quarter of a square kilometer. Like all refugee camps in the West Bank, it is run by the U.N., which is struggling after a drop in donations. A four-month strike that cut all services to the camp, including schools and health clinics, just recently ended. Almost two thirds of the Palestinians living in Balata are under the age of 25. They say they want an independent Palestinian state but dont see much chance of it. So, they have turned to guns and say they will force Israel and the Palestinian Authority to give them their rights. ELIZABETH LEE: Lack of funding is hampering the U.N. refugee agency and its ability to support thousands of displaced people living in Kenyas urban environments. This financial shortfall hasnt stymied progress but has become the catalyst to spark a refugee-led organization in building education, protection, and business skills. From Nairobi, VOAs Mohammed Yusuf has more on the Youth Voices Community. MOHAMMED YUSUF, Reporting for VOA: Funding shortages have caused UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, to reduce the assistance it offers to more than 570,000 refugees living in Kenyan camps and urban areas in recent years. The agency says as of June 15 it has received only 31 percent of the $153 million required funding to adequately meet the needs of these refugees. In response, urban refugees in Nairobi are learning new skills to survive and start their own businesses. They receive training in online product selling at the Youth Voices Community Center, a refugee-founded-and-led organization that empowers urban refugees. Founded in 2016, and in collaboration with other independent groups, at least 120 refugees have benefited from the business training in the past 12 months. Mirani Mamisa Refugee: As a refugee, my life can change anytime. If I start my business, it can change my life. I can't continue to live like this. MOHAMMED YUSUF: The theme for this year's World Refugee Day is 'hope away from home,' and this hope is being encouraged here in Kenya. ELIZABETH LEE: As we report on World Refugee Day, here is a story of overcoming obstacles. A Somali woman has announced her candidacy for mayor of St. Louis Park, a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. If elected, she would become the first Muslim and Somali mayor in the state. Mohamud Mascadde has this story from Minneapolis, narrated by Salem Solomon. Nadia Mohamed, St. Louis Park Mayoral Candidate: I am running for mayor of St Louis Park. SALEM SOLOMON, VOA Correspondent: Nadia Mohamed, an at-large member of the St. Louis Park, Minnesota, City Council is vying to become the first Somali mayor in the states history. Mohamed, 26, came to St. Louis Park, a western suburb of Minneapolis, as a 10-year-old refugee. In 2019, she made history by becoming the citys first Muslim and first Somali council member. She was also the youngest ever elected. Mohamed said her love for the city pushed her to run for the top public office. Nadia Mohamed, St. Louis Park Mayoral Candidate: I love the city. I love St. Louis Park. Ive grown to love every part of it. And I think this is a natural step away from towards the next step, right? SALEM SOLOMON: According to the U.S. Census Bureau, St. Louis Park has a population of about 50,000, mostly white, but its residents of color have nearly doubled since the 2000 census and now make up close to 20% of the population. Mohamed says she will focus on expanding access to affordable housing, promoting homeownership for people of color, and empowering small businesses. Nadia Mohamed, St. Louis Park Mayoral Candidate The home ownership rates in St. Lous Park for people of color is very, very low. So, I want to make sure that people are able to own their homes and build that wealth. I also want to focus on small businesses, making sure that people can come to St Louis Park, by their small business and own it. SALEM SOLOMON: Minnesota is home to the largest Somali community in the United States, and Mohamed says becoming a mayor is a way to show anything is possible. Nadia Mohamed, St. Louis Park Mayoral Candidate: I think it means that anybody can be anything. Honestly, I think visual representation absolutely matters, right? But we are not here just to represent. Were here so that we can do good work. SALEM SOLOMON: Mohamed is currently the only candidate. The election is slated to take place in November. For Mohamud Mascadde in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Abdulaziz Osman in Washington, Salem Solomon, VOA News. ELIZABETH LEE: Before we say goodbye, here is a preview of VOAs documentary Fear Freedom/Uyghur which will air in next weeks show. Kasim Kashgar, Uyghur in Exile: Sometimes, like mentally, sometimes you just lie in your bed, but you can't just get up. You ask yourself, what, what is this? Oh, that's fear. I've seen dozens of friends, personal mentors, teachers and some relatives being targeted. They had been interned, imprisoned, killed. Shohrat Zakir, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Then Governor: In fact, the vocational education and training centers in Xinjiang are schools. All trainees are given free board and lodging. Their personal dignity is inviolable. Kasim Kashgar: I work as a journalist at Voice of America. My beat at VOA is news about Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China. Every time I cover news, do interviews and read reports about the repression against the Uyghurs, to me, its always reliving the trauma that I have lived. ELIZABETH LEE: Stay up to date with all the news at VOANews.com. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook at VOA News. Follow me on Twitter at @ELeeTV1. Catch up on past episodes at our free streaming service, VOA Plus. For all of those behind the scenes who brought you todays show, See you then, for The Inside Story. ##### One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Twenty-five million women of childbearing age now live in states where the law makes abortions harder to get than they were before the ruling. Decisions about the law are largely in the hands of state lawmakers and courts. Most Republican-led states have restricted abortion. Fourteen ban abortion in most cases at any point in pregnancy. Twenty Democratic-leaning states have protected access. Heres a look at whats changed since the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling. Laws enacted in 25 states to ban or restrict abortion access Last summer, as women and medical providers began to navigate a landscape without legal protection for abortion, Nancy Davis doctors advised her to terminate her pregnancy because the fetus she was carrying was expected to die soon after birth. But doctors in Louisiana, where Davis lived, would not provide the abortion due to a new law banning it throughout pregnancy in most cases. At the same time, abortion opponents who worked for decades to abolish a practice they see as murder cheered the Supreme Courts Dobbs ruling. Anti-abortion groups said the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide was undemocratic because it prevented states from enacting bans. The Dobbs decision was a democratic victory for life that generations fought for, said E.V. Osment, a spokeswoman for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a major anti-abortion group. While some states scrambled to pass new restrictions, others already had enacted laws that were designed to take effect if the court overturned Roe. More than 25 million women ages 15 to 44, or about 2 in 5 nationally, now live in states where there are more restrictions on abortion access than there were before Dobbs. Davis received help from a fund that raises money for women to travel for abortions and went to New York for a procedure. The whole experience was heartbreaking, she said. A mothers love starts as soon as she knows shes pregnant. That attachment starts instantly, she said. It was days I couldnt sleep. It was days I couldnt eat. Abortion access has been protected in 20 states As some states restricted abortion, others locked in access. In 25 states, abortion remains generally legal up to at least 24 weeks of pregnancy. Twenty of them have solidified abortion rights through constitutional amendments or laws. CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health had for decades treated patients seeking abortions in Memphis, Tennessee. After Tennessees abortion ban kicked in last year, the clinic opened an outpost three hours away, in Carbondale, Illinois. Theyre coming from Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and even Texas," said CEO Jennifer Pepper. "But now theyre having to travel much farther. Number of abortions is not clear With lags and gaps in official reporting, the impact of the Dobbs ruling on the number of abortions is not clear. A survey conducted for the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research and supports abortion access, has found that the number has fallen to nearly zero in states with bans and risen in neighboring states with fewer restrictions. On balance the number of abortions is declining. But the survey does not capture self-managed abortions outside the traditional medical system, usually done with through a two-pill regimen. Before the Dobbs ruling, pills were already the most common method of abortion in the U.S. Now, there are more networks to provide access to pills in states with abortion bans. Some abortion opponents are calling for the abortion drug mifepristone to lose its government approval. The Supreme Court has preserved access for now. Lawsuits abound More than 50 lawsuits have been filed over abortion policy since the Dobbs ruling. Many challenges rely on arguments about the rights to personal autonomy or religious freedom. A Texas lawsuit alleges women were denied abortions even when their lives were at risk. Bans or restrictions are on hold in at least six states while judges sort out their long-term fate. The only states where the top court has permanently rejected restrictions since the Dobbs ruling are Iowa and South Carolina. Criminal courts have not been busy with abortion cases Theres little evidence that doctors, women, or those who help them get abortions are being prosecuted. The Mississippi attorney generals office says no charges have been brought under a new law that calls for up to 10 years in prison for anyone who provides or attempts to provide an abortion in cases where it wasnt to save the womans life or to end a pregnancy caused by rape or incest. Progressive prosecutors across the country, including in states with bans, have said that they would not pursue abortion-related cases, or that they would make them a low priority. Abortion remains a dominant political issue The political table has been reset, with Republicans entering a new election season weighing how to balance the interests of a base that wants the strictest bans possible against the desires of the broader electorate. Polling has consistently found that most Americans think abortions should be available early in a pregnancy, but that most also favor restrictions later in a pregnancy. Last year, voters sided with abortion-rights advocates in all six states with abortion-related ballot measures. The issue was also a major factor in why Democrats performed better than expected in 2022 elections. It has emerged as a key issue in the race for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's future in office hung in the balance on Thursday, as the country's federal electoral court (TSE) began a trial that could leave him in the political wilderness for nearly a decade. Bolsonaro, a far-right nationalist who in October narrowly lost Brazil's most fraught election in a generation, stands accused of abusing his presidential power last year when he summoned foreign diplomats to publicly vent unfounded attacks on the country's electronic voting system. Bolsonaro's accusers have also included in the charges against him a draft memo for how to overturn the election, found at the house of his former justice minister. The outlook appears bleak for Bolsonaro, a career politician who was until recently Brazil's most powerful man. He still retains significant backing from his core supporters, but many in Brazil have tired of his scorched-earth politics that culminated in the storming of government buildings in Brasilia on January 8 by thousands of his supporters. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro's fierce leftist rival who won last year's election, is meanwhile starting to reap the benefits of an improving economy. Tarcisio Vieira, Bolsonaro's lawyer, told Reuters this week that his polarizing client faces an "unfavorable" climate from the country's media and the political and judicial classes. On Thursday, Vieira told the court that if Bolsonaro misspoke during the meeting with ambassadors, he should be fined rather than losing his right to stand in elections. In an opening speech, Vieira said the case against Bolsonaro was "doomed to failure." The purported link with the January 8 riots was "inventive and fallacious," he added. If the TSE rules against Bolsonaro, the 68-year-old could find himself unable to run for public office until 2030. That may not be the end of his troubles, though, as he also faces multiple criminal investigations that could put him behind bars. Much of Brazil appears eager to move on from the fire and brimstone of the Bolsonaro years. Some of his former conservative allies are now publicly pinning their hopes on other right-wingers such as Sao Paulo Governor Tarcisio Freitas and Minas Gerais Governor Romeu Zema while others in the Bolsonaro clan, including his wife and lawmaker sons, may also harbor their own presidential ambitions. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. In the past few years, political tensions have derailed U.S.-Mexico cooperation in fighting the illegal trafficking of the synthetic opioid fentanyl. U.S. legislators and experts are now calling for a reset of bilateral relations. Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports. (Camera: Mino Dargakis) Heavy clashes resumed Wednesday morning between Sudans military and the Rapid Support Forces in and around Sudanese capital, Khartoum, after a 72-hour cease-fire expired. As the three-day truce elapsed early Wednesday, the sounds of gunfire and artillery could be heard in Khartoum and its sister city, Omdurman, sparking renewed fear among civilians. Khartoum resident Ammar Hassan reported hearing gunshots around the department of military engineering, an army-controlled building the Rapid Support Forces have tried to take several times without success. Hassan said fierce confrontations erupted this morning in the south of Omdurman specifically around the engineering department. He said the attack could be heard coming from Fetihab, Um Baddah El Mansura, Al Doha and Abbasia, among others. Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces have been fighting for more than two months, inflicting destruction on the capital, causing extensive violence in Khartoum and also in the western region of Darfur. More than 2.5 million people have fled their homes, according to the United Nations. The three-day cease-fire brought a rare lull in the fighting, and residents of Khartoum and Omdurman were able to leave their homes and find food. But Manal Osman, a resident of the Saleha neighborhood south of Omdurman, said as the fighting intensified, basic commodities were running out again and families were unable to access basic services. Osman described the situation as horrible. Some residents are trying to leave, he said. He said people continue to travel outside the city in large numbers, while there are those who stay behind, and life for them seems to be normal. South of Khartoum, witnesses reported that army aircraft carried out airstrikes on RSF troops stationed in the Olympic Stadium. Mohammed Abdallah, who resides in the Mayo neighborhood south of Khartoum, said at least one bomb hit a house in the al-Andalus area. He said a block of the al-Andalus neighborhood in Khartoum was hit by a bomb. It did not kill anyone, he said, because it fell on an empty house. Hassan said that as the two warring parties continue battling, health care is getting increasingly difficult to find. He said civilians and sick people are facing difficulties in accessing health facilities. He estimated that more than 60% of the areas health centers are located in and around the fighting area and they are out of service. Meanwhile, there also were unconfirmed reports of clashes in the Delenj region of South Kordofan state, between the army and a rebel group, the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement North or SPLM-North, a faction led by General Abdulaziz Al Hilu. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Ukrainian troops say the challenges are different and difficult as Russian attacks target civilians. The White House hopes to strengthen ties with India, whose longtime ally Moscow develops closer ties with its rival, China. The challenges of pregnancy and childbirth in a war zone. The death toll from a riot at a women's prison in Honduras rose to 46, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday, as anxious relatives demanded information about the fate of incarcerated family members. President Xiomara Castro's office said Honduras' military police would take control of most of the country's penal system after the riot, the latest in a spate of deadly prison incidents in the country. Honduras' government also expanded a state of exception implemented in December and said it would turn islands hundreds of kilometers off the coast into a penal colony for "highly dangerous" gang leaders. Relatives of inmates gathered at the Centro Femenino de Adaptacion Social, the 900-person women's penitentiary around 20 kilometers from the capital city Tegucigalpa, where gang violence erupted a day earlier. According to a spokesperson for Honduras' prosecutors' office on Tuesday, most of those killed burned to death, while others were shot and a further seven were being treated in a state hospital. At Tegucigalpa's main public morgue, workers were running out of space for victims' remains as relatives arrived, with some asking that officials release a list of the victims from Tuesday's violence. Identifying victims is a challenge, as many of which were "charred or reduced" to ash, according to Yuri Mora, spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office. Castro said Tuesday the riot had been planned by gang members with guards' knowledge and promised "drastic measures" to address the deaths. In a statement Wednesday, the regional director of the United Nations' children's agency, Garry Conille, said some of the women had been living with their children in detention. "These children are now left behind and highly vulnerable," he said. "I am deeply concerned about their well-being and safety." Angel Garcia, 34, arrived at the morgue Wednesday and discovered his wife and two sisters were among the victims, questioning how authorities let this happen. "Everybody passes the ball ... everything goes unpunished," Garcia said. "It is unfair that we are suffering because of corruption." The clash took place when armed members of the Barrio 18 gang held back guards and attacked members of the rival Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), police spokesperson Miguel Martinez said on local television. The gangs, which both have roots in Los Angeles, have long battled for control of the drug trafficking and extortion industries, with the bloody conflict making Central America one of the world's most dangerous regions. The riot was likely in reaction to a government crackdown in recent months on corruption within prisons, said Julissa Villanueva, then-head of the penal system who was removed from her post Wednesday. The government's emergency powers follow a model pursued by neighbor El Salvador, which suspends some constitutional rights and allows security forces to detain people they consider are associated with crime. US President Joe Bidens son Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to two minor criminal charges this week. While Republicans said the plea deal would not stop their inquiry into the president and his family, Democrats said those concerns did not compare to the charges faced by former president Donald Trump. VOAs Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more. An Israeli drone killed three militant gunmen in the West Bank on Wednesday, in a rare strike that came hours after settlers attacked Palestinian towns, torching cars and buildings in retaliation for an attack by Hamas gunmen a day earlier. The strike near the flashpoint city of Jenin came amid a surge in violence over recent days in the occupied West Bank, where for over a year the military has been conducting regular sweeps leading to repeated clashes with Palestinian fighters. The Israeli military (IDF) said a squad of militants was identified in a vehicle after they carried out a shooting near the town of Jalamah. A statement by the Islamic Jihad militant group said two of the men were Islamic Jihad fighters while the third was from the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades armed wing of the Fatah movement. Although surveillance drones are commonplace, the strike by an Elbit Hermes drone, which followed a rare use of helicopter gunships in the operation in Jenin, was the first by the Israeli military in the West Bank since 2006, the IDF said. "This is about removing a threat - we identified a vehicle shooting at the crossing and removed the threat," IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a tweet. Hours earlier, Israeli settlers rampaged through Palestinian towns in the West Bank in retaliation for the killing of four Israelis by Hamas gunmen who opened fire on a roadside restaurant near the settlement of Eli. In Turmus Ayya, a prosperous town near Ramallah, footage showed cars ablaze with thick clouds of black smoke swirling above and people carrying an injured person to an ambulance. "They tried to enter the courtyard, they set the cars on fire, they started shooting towards the house using live bullets and stones and they broke the balconies," said resident Noman Shalab. The IDF said troops had entered Turmus Ayya to put out fires and prevent clashes and it said the Israeli civilians had left the town. "We will not accept any provocations to the police or the security forces in these places or anywhere else," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. One Palestinian was shot dead during the attack while at least one other was critically injured, Palestinian health officials said. Residents of a number of other Palestinian towns reported settler attacks after the killings, and senior ministers in Netanyahu's government called for a full-scale military operation across the West Bank. The U.S. condemned the settler violence and called "for Israeli authorities to immediately stop the violence, protect U.S. and Palestinian civilians, and prosecute those responsible." Both Egypt and Jordan, which have diplomatic relations with Israel, condemned the attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned all acts of violence against civilians, "including acts of terror," deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement. "It is crucial to reduce tensions and to prevent further escalation. Israel, as the occupying power, must ensure that the civilian population is protected against all acts of violence, and that perpetrators are held to account," Haq said. Even as the settler attacks took place, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, from one of the hard-right parties in Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition, led calls for tougher action against Palestinian militants. "We need a military operation, we need to flatten buildings, we need targeted killings," he told parliament on Wednesday. "That's how you act against terrorism." Some other ministers played down the demand for additional measures. "There's no need for any new decisions, only adaptation of existing ones," Energy Minister Israel Katz, a member of the government Security Cabinet, told Army Radio. Netanyahu's office said Israel planned to add 1,000 new homes to the Eli settlement, defying international calls for a halt to new settlement projects. Palestinians have complained repeatedly of attacks by settlers in the West Bank, an issue that has also drawn mounting international concern. Ali Hussains mother can barely speak a sentence without breaking down. Her voice is hoarse from crying. Holding back tears, she says that she recites the Quran all day, praying for her sons miraculous return. Hussain is among the hundreds of Pakistanis missing since an overloaded fishing boat carrying up to 750 migrants capsized in the Mediterranean Sea on June 14. The accident near Greece could be one of the deadliest in recent history. Reports suggest the boat was carrying about 200 to 300 Pakistanis, the most from any single country. Pakistan observed a day of mourning this week. Hussain, 18, and his cousin Ali Jahanzaib, 21, who is also missing, paid a trafficking agent $3,000 each to fly to Libya from Pakistan. They committed to pay another $5,000 upon reaching Italy by boat. Sitting in a room full of relatives and friends comforting the family, Hussains father, Hafeez-ul-Rehman, told VOA he learned about the accident through social media. He had come back from midday prayers, Rehman said, when he opened Facebook and saw that the incident was trending as top news. He called the trafficking agent in Libya to find out if his son and nephew had been on that boat. He [the agent] was asleep. We asked him what was going on? He said he didnt know and would check. It was around midnight or so when he confirmed that it was indeed that ship, Rehman said. The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, known as Frontex, recorded about 54,000 attempts to illegally enter the continent in the first quarter of this year. In the same period, more than 440 died taking the perilous journey, according to the International Organization for Migration, making it the deadliest quarter since 2017. More than half of the illegal attempts, three times more than last year, were made via the central Mediterranean route, according to Frontex. After Ivory Coast and Guinea, Pakistan accounts for the greatest number of migrants on this route. Many come from the central areas of Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province, and Pakistani-administered Kashmir. Muhammad Ajmal, an acting deputy director of Pakistans Federal Investigation Agency, or FIA, told VOA that human trafficking thrives in these areas because of a mindset that says, We will send at least one of our children to Europe, at any cost. While growing economic desperation drives many, Ajmal said others leave because of the demonstration effect. People see that a neighbors son went overseas and now the family has a nice house, a car, and that pushes them to send their child, he said. Watching friends make it to Europe successfully also inspires many to take the perilous journey. Hussain and Jahanzaib, the missing cousins, belong to a family of gold jewelers. Rehman, Hussain's father, told VOA he had once gotten the trafficking agent to cancel the tickets, but the young men were adamant, so he caved in. In response to this tragedy and another earlier this year in which nearly 30 Pakistanis perished in the Mediterranean, authorities have cracked down on human trafficking. The FIA has arrested at least 17 suspects and registered 54 cases. The agency has collected 167 DNA samples from families to assist in identifying the remains in Greece. Ajmal rejected the notion the agency had been turning a blind eye to human smuggling or that its agents were involved in the crime, saying that without the deterrence it [trafficking] would be much more prevalent. He said agents were having trouble getting cooperation from families. We have sent our teams to every victims house. Some have simply refused to meet with us. Others say, 'We dont know anything,' that 'Our son managed this on his own,' and We dont know anything about the agent, and We dont want to disclose. Some say, We dont want to pursue any legal action. So, we are running into a lot of problems, Ajmal told VOA. Families are desperate for information. Mariam Bibi, a mother of two brothers on the boat, told VOA she just wants closure. We have hope, but we dont have any information, Mariam said, expressing her frustration. Someone says they [her sons] are fine, someone else says they are not. Rehman said he was prepared for any eventuality, but that his wife was not ready to accept her son might be dead. Asked if he would recommend that anyone let children attempt the perilous journey, Rehman said no, but he contended the latest tragedy would not deter many. Nobody stops. Even those that are already there [in Libya] know the ship has sunk, still they are going Rehman noted. The survivors tally stands at 104, and a dozen are Pakistani. Militance by separatist insurgents in Jammu, part of Indias Jammu and Kashmir territory, is resurfacing after a gap of 14 years, a former top military officer told VOA June 20. There have been at least six deadly attacks, resulting in the loss of 33 lives, including 10 civilians, since 2021. The first wave of militancy emerged in 1990. Deependra Singh Hooda, former general officer commanding-in-chief of the Indian armys Northern Command said two factors contribute to the resurgence difficulties the militants face in the Kashmir Valley because of tough Indian government response and a shifting of troops from Jammu to deal with border issues with China. The deployment of troops to address border tensions with China in Ladakh has resulted in a relatively lower presence of security forces in certain areas of Jammu, Hooda said. The reduced security presence provided an opportunity for terrorists to establish a foothold and to carry out their activities in the region, he said. Militants attacked an army vehicle in the Bhimber Gali area on April 20, an attack in which five soldiers were killed while one suffered serious injuries. The militants escaped into the dense forests spanning the districts of Rajouri and Poonch, which share a 225-kilometer section of the Line of Control, a de facto border with Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In response to the attack, a combined team of army and local police initiated an extensive search operation within the forests to locate the militants. However, two weeks later, on May 5, 2023, the militants ambushed the search party, resulting in the casualties of five commandos. Munshi Khan, a 65-year-old resident of Totta Gali in the Poonch district, told VOA that the region was peacful from 2007 to 2021, after the initial phase of militancy ended. In October 2021, militants carried out two deadly attacks on Indian forces in the Bhatta Durian forests spanning Rajouri and Poonch districts. The attacks led to the death of five soldiers on October 11 and another four on October 15. Government forces conducted a search operation in the hilly terrain for over a month, utilizing helicopter and drone services, but were unable to locate the militants hiding within the forest. However, on August 11, 2022, militants executed a suicide attack on an army camp in Rajouri in which five soldiers and two militants were killed. The resurgence of militancy has created an atmosphere of panic and fear among the locals, Khan said. During the first phase militants were visible as they were often seen roaming the streets but during the current phase they remain invisible as locals have not spotted them yet, he added. Residents of Poonch and Rajouri, according to Khan, used to venture into the forests to collect firewood and graze their domestic animals. However, their regular activities have been disrupted since the attacks. We risk becoming targets from both sides if we venture into the forest, so to avoid any trouble, we stay away, Khan said. Our normal activities have diminished, he added. Neither Haseeb Mughal, deputy inspector general of Poonch-Rajouri Range of J&K Police, nor Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand, public relations Officer of Indian army in Jammu, would comment on the matter. A senior police officer, speaking anonymously, acknowledged the resurgence of militancy in the Jammu region emphasizing that the number of militants is significantly lower than in the 1990s. Poonch and Rajouri districts are predominantly covered by dense forests, providing militants access to Kashmir, Jammu, and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, he said. We have not achieved success so far as militants have changed their strategies, he added. He claimed that militants avoid the use of electronic devices and prefer to remain disconnected from locals as they do not find the same level of support as they do in the Kashmir valley. The police and army are actively engaged in eliminating all terrorists involved in destabilizing the peace in the region, he said. We urge the people to remain patient and support us, he concluded. More than 30 migrants were feared dead after a small boat headed for Spain's Canary Islands sank Wednesday, two migration-focused organizations said, as they criticized Spain and Morocco for not intervening earlier to rescue the vessel's passengers. The groups, Walking Borders and Alarm Phone, said the boat held around 60 people. Spain's maritime rescue service confirmed the deaths of two of the dinghy's occupants, a child and an adult man, and said a Moroccan patrol boat had rescued 24 people. Neither Spanish nor Moroccan authorities would confirm how many people had been on board the vessel or how many might be missing. Walking Borders spokesperson Helena Maleno said in a tweet that 39 people had drowned, without giving further details, while Alarm Phone, which operates a trans-European network supporting rescue operations, said 35 people were missing. The tragedy sparked criticism from migrant rights activists who said the boat was in Spains search-and-rescue region under international law, meaning Madrid should have led the operation instead of Rabat. At the time of its sinking, the dinghy was in waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Although Morocco administers a majority of the former Spanish colony, its sovereignty remains under dispute and the United Nations lists it as a non-self-governing territory. Spain's state news agency EFE reported that a Spanish rescue service ship, the Guardamar Caliope, was about 46 kilometers, about an hour's sail, away from the dinghy Tuesday evening. The Guardamar Caliope did not aid the dinghy because the operation had been taken over by the Moroccan Rescue Coordination Centre in Rabat, which dispatched a patrol boat that arrived on Wednesday morning, about 10 hours after it had been spotted by a Spanish rescue airplane, EFE added. The EU has said it and member states have been intensifying efforts to establish an "effective, humanitarian and safe" European migration policy. Morocco's Interior ministry has not responded to a Reuters request for comment and Morocco has not made any official communication about what happened. The Canary Islands off the coast of West Africa have become the main destination for migrants trying to reach Spain, with a much smaller share trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to the Spanish mainland. The Atlantic migration route is one of the deadliest in the world. Attempts to reach the Canary Islands' shores saw at least 559 people, including 22 children, die in 2022, according to data from the U.N.'s International Organization for Migration. The migrants using the route are typically from several countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Plant-based courses of millet and stuffed mushrooms are on the menu for some 400 guests invited to Thursday's fancy White House state dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi is a vegetarian and first lady Jill Biden enlisted California-based chef Nancy Curtis, who specializes in plant-based cooking, to help in the kitchen. Biden previewed the menu and decor for the news media on Wednesday after she returned from an outing with the prime minister. She described the menu as "stunning." For her part, Curtis declared herself "so excited." "You must understand the pressure I'm under standing here before you, but it's a kind of pressure that is also an elation because, when you're asked by the first lady to come and join her at the White House, it's an experience that I hope many chefs get to have," she said. "This is definitely a pinnacle moment in my career and truly a pleasure to be able to work with the first lady and help her to bring her culinary vision to life," Curtis added. Politicians, CEOs, celebrities, White House and administration officials and other guests will dine on a salad of marinated millet, corn and compressed watermelon, stuffed Portobello mushrooms and saffron risotto, and a strawberry shortcake infused with rose and cardamom. Curtis said the menu "showcases the best of American cuisine seasoned with Indian elements and flavors." She said India is leading an international year of recognition for millet. Trolleys will deliver guests to a pavilion built on the south grounds for the affair. It will be decorated in the green and saffron colors of India's flag, with translucent walls offering views of iconic symbols of American democracy and history, including the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument. Lotus flowers, native to Asia and featured in Indian design, will be incorporated throughout, along with saffron-hued floral arrangements that differ from table to table. Dinner will be candlelit, reflecting the first lady's love of candles. Each table arrangement, she said, is "warm and unique. We hope guests feel as if someone has set that table just for them because we have." After dinner, guests will enjoy music by American violinist Joshua Bell; Penn Masala, a South Asian a cappella group founded by students at the University of Pennsylvania; and the U.S. Marine Band Chamber Orchestra. They will exit the grounds by walking across a lawn illuminated by hundreds of glowing lanterns. Earlier Wednesday, the first lady and Modi visited the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, for an event highlighting workforce training programs. He flew in from New York where earlier in the day he performed backbends and corpse poses during a yoga session with a multinational crowd on the lawn of the United Nations. "Our universities are partnering together, leading research, creating apprenticeships and internships that span the ocean," Biden said at the event. "And as we've seen here, students from both countries are learning and growing alongside of each other, discovering the people they want to become and building a better world together." Modi spoke about the emphasis India has placed on education, integrating learning and training. "Our goal is to make this decade a 'tech decade' or 'tech-ade,'" the prime minister said, speaking in Hindi. President Joe Biden, who extended the state visit invitation to Modi, could not join the outing because he was flying back from California after raising money for his reelection campaign. The president returned to Washington in the evening and he and the first lady hosted Modi at the White House for a more intimate dinner before Thursday's splashier affair. As the official gift, the Bidens presented Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th century, the White House said. The president also gave Modi a vintage American camera and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography, while the first lady gave him a signed, first-edition copy of "Collected Poems of Robert Frost." Despite deep differences with India over its record on human rights and its approach to Russia's war in Ukraine, Biden nevertheless extended to Modi the administration's third invitation for a state visit. With all the pomp and attention being paid to Modi, Biden hopes to firm up his relationship with the leader of a country the U.S. believes will be a pivotal force in Asia for decades to come. Biden hosted the presidents of France and South Korea on official state visits in December 2022 and April of this year, respectively. A court in Russia said Thursday that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich will remain in jail while he awaits trial on espionage charges. Gershkovich was arrested in late March during a reporting trip in the city of Yekaterinburg. A judge ruled in May that he remain in custody until August 30, a decision his lawyers unsuccessfully challenged Thursday. Gershkovich and The Wall Street Journal have denied the reporter engaged in spying activities. The U.S. government has said Gershkovich is being wrongfully detained and called for his immediate release. No date for his trial has been set. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. Sierra Leoneans head to the polls Saturday for presidential elections. Older voters say they are concerned that youths, who rioted last August to protest the country's economic challenges, may resort to violence. Senanu Tord reports on a campaign aimed at maintaining the peace on Election Day. Afghanistan's Taliban rejected a fresh call Thursday from the United Nations to remove what it says are "punishing restrictions" on the impoverished country's female population. The rebuke comes a day after a meeting of the U.N. Security Council was told the restrictions block Afghan women and girls from accessing education and work and participating in public life at large. Since regaining control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has banned girls from universities and teenage girls from attending schools beyond the sixth grade. They have also ordered most public sector female employees to stay at home. Women have also been barred from visiting parks and gyms. Responding to the criticism from the U.N., the Taliban-led foreign ministry in Kabul called the remarks an interference in the country's internal affairs. "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan remains committed to international norms and obligations that do not contradict the principles of Islamic law, contravene Afghanistan's cultural norms or undermine our national interests," the statement said, using the official name of the Taliban government. "We, therefore, urge all actors to respect the peremptory norm of non-interference and cease all attempts at meddling in our internal affairs, including the modalities and composition of our governance and laws." The Taliban is not recognized by any foreign government or international organization and their curbs on women and girls are seen as a major obstacle in its efforts to be regarded as Afghanistans legitimate government. While briefing the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, Roza Otunbayeva, head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, slammed Taliban edicts banning her organization and other agencies from employing local women. She urged the Taliban to "rescind" the ban to enable the United Nations to continue its full support to millions of Afghan families in need of urgent assistance. Otunbayeva also rejected Taliban suggestions to replace female national staff with male Afghans. Since the ban went into effect on April 5, the U.N. has instructed its female staff to work from home and for non-essential male staffers to also work remotely. "We have been given no explanations by the de facto authorities for this ban and no assurances that it will be lifted. We will not put our national female staff in danger and therefore we are asking them not to report to the office," she said. The U.N. envoy said she had told the Taliban that as long as restrictions on Afghan women "are in place, it is nearly impossible that their government will be recognized by members of the international community." In a meeting earlier this month, Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada directed government spokespersons to emphasize the enforcement of Islamic law in their statements. "The United Nations and the United States have held the entire world hostage and nothing moves without their dictation," he told the meeting in the southern city of Kandahar, which is known as the birthplace of the Taliban. "The Islamic Emirate [the Taliban] effectively controls all parts of Afghanistan, but non-Muslim and even Islamic countries refuse to recognize it," the reclusive Taliban leader, who rarely leaves Kandahar, was quoted as saying. The Taliban welcomed parts of Otunbayeva's speech on Wednesday, where she acknowledged that the group's ban on opium cultivation in Afghanistan had been "effectively enforced," and decreased the cultivation "significantly." New satellite images examined by geospatial analytics firm Alcis and longtime Afghanistan expert David Mansfield revealed this month that the scale of the reduction in opium production across the country is unprecedented, with cultivation in southern provinces down by at least 80% compared with last year when the Taliban banned the growing of poppies for opium. The U.N. envoy also praised the Taliban's efforts to improve the Afghan economy, reduce corruption and generate "sufficient" revenues to finance government operations, including paying civil-service salaries. A tornado ripped through the northern Texas town of Matador on Wednesday, killing four people and injuring several others while damaging at least a dozen buildings, officials said. Touching down at 8 p.m. local time (0100 GMT), the "unprecedented tornado" brought high gusting and battering winds to the small community of about 600 residents, according to Lubbock Fire Rescue. The agency is one of multiple emergency crews from the region to join in search and rescue efforts. At least ten people were transported to area hospitals, of which one died, law enforcement said at a news briefing on Thursday morning. "A town of this size with such a small population, with the amount of damage that they experienced it's not only physical damage, but the economical and emotional impact that it will have on this town is very well significant," Lubbock Fire Rescue Public Information Officer Derek Delgado said. Video of the aftermath showed a string of homes flattened to a rubble and downed power lines. About two dozen emergency vehicles helped to illuminate the dark road in the video shared by the fire agency in nearby city of Lubbock. Power was knocked out to a majority of customers in Motley County, according to PowerOutage.us. Matador is the county seat. Widespread outages stretched 130 miles (209 km) south of Matador. Crews hope to restore power in Matador by Friday evening after the storm damaged a substation. The National Weather Service issued a warning about 8 p.m. about a tornado heading toward Matador and urged residents to take cover. Last week, Perryton, Texas, was struck by one or more tornadoes, which killed at least three people and injured dozens of others. Hundreds of homes, many of them in a trailer park, were damaged or destroyed. The United Nations' secretary-general has named Russia in a report that lists perpetrators of grave violations against children for Moscow's actions in Ukraine, including the killing and maiming of children. "I am particularly shocked by the high number of attacks on schools and hospitals and protected personnel, and by the high number of children killed and maimed attributed to the Russian forces and affiliated armed groups," U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a report sent Thursday to the U.N. Security Council. The Children and Armed Conflict report, which has not yet been published, names and shames perpetrators who recruit, kill, maim or abduct children, commit sexual violence against them, deny them humanitarian assistance, or attack schools and hospitals. Guterres' special representative, Virginia Gamba, is mandated by the Security Council to work to prevent and end these grave violations. This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing. Click to reveal This image contains sensitive content which some people may find offensive or disturbing - Click to reveal FILE - Emergency workers and volunteers pull a child from an apartment building hit by a Russian military strike during Russia's attack on Ukraine in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, April 14, 2023. In the report, seen by VOA, the U.N. verified the killing of 136 children and the maiming of 518 in Ukraine, attributed to Russian forces and groups affiliated with them. It covers the period of January to December 2022. Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, but denies that it is targeting civilians. The report says most of the casualties were caused by "the use of explosives with a wide-impact area, including shelling from heavy artillery, multiple-launch rocket systems, missiles and air strikes in populated areas." Russia was also cited for 480 attacks on hospitals and schools in Ukraine. In May, Gamba made a two-day visit to Moscow, where she met with senior officials to develop an action plan for preventing grave violations against children, her office said at the time in a press release. In the annual report, Russia is listed in Annex II, Section B, which is designated for parties to conflicts who have put in place measures during the reporting period aimed at improving the protection of children. Annex I of the report is for parties who are doing nothing to stop violations. Gamba also visited Ukraine in May, where she discussed ways to better protect children. While Ukraine is not listed as a grave violator, the U.N. did verify at least 80 deaths and the maiming of 175 children attributed to Ukrainian parties. "I urge Ukrainian armed forces to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law," Guterres wrote in the report. The 2022 report verified at least 27,180 grave violations against nearly 19,000 children in a number of countries experiencing conflict an increase over the number of violations in 2021. There were 2,985 confirmed killings of children. Grave violations were reported in countries including Burkina Faso, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar. A panel of advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday recommended that new vaccines from Pfizer and GSK to prevent severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections be available to older adults in the U.S. but stopped short of saying all of them should get the shots. In two separate votes, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) said that people aged 60 and older may receive the RSV shots after consulting with a health care provider. It was not the strongest recommendation that the ACIP could have made for the shots. Some committee members wanted a broader recommendation, but others had concerns that there was not enough data about how effective the vaccines are in people over age 75 and other high-risk groups. "Those who are at high risk for disease and for high risk for hospitalizations and death were actually not included in the trials," said committee member Dr. Helen Keipp Talbot. "The patient population that participated in the study were younger and healthier and had fewer comorbid conditions, were not immunocompromised and were not living in nursing homes." The CDC's director needs to sign off on the recommendation before the vaccines can be made available. Both drugmakers have said they expected to be able to supply the shots ahead of the RSV season later this year. RSV usually causes mild cold-like symptoms but can also lead to serious illness and hospitalization. It is estimated to be responsible for 14,000 deaths annually in adults aged 65 and older in the United States, according to government data. During the meeting, the companies presented data on whether one inoculation could remain effective over the course of two RSV seasons compared with protection seen with an annual shot. In older adults, the efficacy of Pfizer's vaccine in preventing lower respiratory tract disease with three or more symptoms fell from 88.9% at the end of the first season to 78.6% through the middle of a second RSV season. Efficacy fell to 48.9% from about 65% for less severe forms of the disease in that age group. With the GSK vaccine, efficacy in preventing severe disease defined by three or more symptoms fell to 84.6% through the middle of the second RSV season, from about 94% at the end of first in older adults. Efficacy of the vaccine in preventing lower respiratory tract disease fell to 77.3% from 82.6% at the end of the first season in older adults. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month approved the first RSV vaccine from GSK, branded as Arexvy, and later Pfizer's Abrysvo for people aged 60 and older to protect them from lower respiratory tract disease caused by the virus. Pfizer and GSK have said they expect RSV vaccines to eventually become multibillion-dollar sellers. For this year, GSK has said it expects the U.S. market to be in the range of 10 million to 15 million people, a small fraction of the size of the expected flu or COVID-19 market for 2023. At the meeting, GSK said it expects to price its shot between $200 and $295 a dose. Pfizer provided the CDC with a price range of $180 to $270 per dose but would not guarantee that its final price would fall within that range, saying it was in the middle of competitive price negotiations on the shots. A U.S. Coast Guard ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday in a transit that China described as "public hype," after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken having wrapped up a high-profile, widely watched visit to Beijing a day earlier. The national security cutter Stratton made a "routine" Taiwan Strait transit Tuesday "through waters where high-seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply in accordance with international law," the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said Thursday. The politically sensitive strait, which separates China from the democratically governed island of Taiwan, is a frequent source of tension as Beijing steps up its political and military pressure to try to force Taipei to accept Chinese sovereignty. "Stratton's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States' commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows," the 7th Fleet added in its statement. The mission happened the day after Blinken ended a visit to Beijing, in which the two countries agreed to stabilize their intense rivalry so it does not veer into conflict, but failed to produce any major breakthrough. Taiwan's defense ministry said the ship sailed in a northerly direction, and its forces monitored the situation which it described as "normal." The Chinese coast guard described the ship's transit as "public hype." Chinese vessels tailed the U.S. ship "all the way," a spokesperson at China's coast guard said in a statement, adding that China will "resolutely" safeguard its sovereignty and security and maritime rights and interests. U.S. military vessels, and on occasion those of its allies, have routinely sailed through the strait in recent years, to the anger of China, which views such missions as provocation. This month the U.S. Navy released a video of an "unsafe interaction" in the strait, in which a Chinese warship crossed in front of a U.S. destroyer operating with a Canadian warship. Taiwan's military reports almost daily Chinese incursions in the strait, mostly warplanes that cross the waterway's median line, which once served as an unofficial barrier between the two. On Wednesday, Taiwan said Chinese warships led by the aircraft carrier Shandong sailed through the strait. The US is not backing down on comments made by President Joe Biden likening Chinese President Xi Jinping to a dictator. The remarks, which came a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinkens trip to China to repair bilateral relations, drew sharp criticism from Beijing. White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara has this report. The White House is not backing down on comments made by President Joe Biden likening Chinese President Xi Jinping to a dictator. "It should come as no surprise that the president speaks candidly about China and the differences that we have we are certainly not alone in that," a senior administration official said in a statement sent to VOA on Wednesday. At a California fundraiser for his 2024 presidential campaign Tuesday, Biden said Xi was unaware and embarrassed over a suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over American territory that the U.S. military shot down in February. "Thats whats a great embarrassment for dictators, when they didnt know what happened," Biden said. "When it got shot down, he was very embarrassed. He denied it was even there." Chinas Foreign Ministry hit back, saying Bidens remarks "seriously violated Chinas political dignity and amounted to public political provocation." "The relevant remarks by the U.S. side are extremely ridiculous and irresponsible. They seriously violate basic facts, diplomatic protocol and China's political dignity," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at her Wednesday briefing. "China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this." The press is usually forbidden from recording such fundraising events, but the White House provided a transcript of Bidens remarks. The comments were especially notable as they were made a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing to repair bilateral relations that have hit a historical low. Blinkens visit, originally scheduled for February, was postponed by Washington after the spy balloon was destroyed. While Blinkens visit failed to produce any major breakthrough, he and Xi had agreed to stabilize the U.S.-China rivalry so it does not veer into conflict. Washington rejects the notion that Bidens comments are counterproductive to his top diplomats efforts. "We will continue to responsibly manage this relationship, maintain open lines of communication with the PRC, but that, of course, does not mean we will not be blunt and forthright about our differences," State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said in his briefing Wednesday. "We have been very clear about the areas in which we disagree, including the clear differences we see when it comes to democracies and autocracies," he added. Bidens comments brought renewed focus on the spy balloon incident that administration officials have sought to put behind them since the president signaled a thaw in relations in May, following a meeting between White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and top Communist Party diplomat Wang Yi. Domestic pressure Biden is facing domestic pressure from Republicans in Congress who have sought to portray his administration as weak on China and characterized efforts to mend ties with Beijing as tantamount to appeasement. "The Biden administration is holding back U.S. national security actions to chase fruitless talks with the CCP," Representative Michael McCaul, Republican chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement referring to the Chinese Communist Party. Last week a group of Republican senators sent a letter to Biden urging a public accounting of his administrations assessment of the spy balloon and expressing frustration with its "failure to confront Chinas brazen threats to Americas security and sovereignty." "Republicans won't let it go because it provides them with extra ammunition," said Michael Swaine, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. "You got sniping going on in the party, people in Congress who think they know better about how to manage the relationship, when they don't," he told VOA. Rising tensions The bitter rhetoric shows just how challenging it is to bring down tensions and jump-start communication between the two rivals. "If the engagements we're seeing are then followed by such direct criticisms from very senior officials, I think the Chinese side is going to ask what the point of the engagement is in the first place," said Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. "I do think there's going to be probably some pretty difficult conversations between Beijing and Washington over the next few days and the next few weeks," Cooper told VOA. Moscow also condemned Biden's comments. On Wednesday, the Kremlin said the comments reflected the U.S. administrations "unpredictable" foreign policy. "This is a very contradictory manifestation of U.S. foreign policy, which points to a significant element of unpredictability," spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. As China's first homegrown durian crop heads to consumers later this month, exporters in Vietnam remain confident the initial yield from Hainan Island will not meet the seemingly insatiable Chinese demand for the famously stinky fruit. In March, Chinese officials said they anticipated a 2,450 metric ton Chinese durian crop this year, according to official broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV). But Feng Xuejie, director of the Institute of Tropical Fruit Trees at the Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, told CCTV that Hainan will produce about 50 metric tons of durian this year. That would account for only 0.005% of the 1 million metric tons eaten in China this year, according to the South China Morning Post. "For sure, Hainan cannot produce enough durians to feed the population of 1.4 billion people," Vo Tong Xuan, an agronomy professor at Vietnam's Nam Can Tho University, where he is also president, told VOA Vietnamese by phone. In September 2022, Vietnam exported its first fresh durian to China after four years of negotiations, making it the second country, after Thailand, with official access to the huge Chinese durian market. According to data from the General Department of Vietnam Customs reported by the local Nhan Dan Daily, durian sales are expected to top $1 billion in the Chinese market by the end of 2023. Like all media outlets in Vietnam, Nhan Dan Daily is controlled by the government. Durians are China's most valuable fresh fruit import, valued at $4.21 billion in 2021, mostly from Thailand. But the value of the fresh durian Vietnam exports to China has grown faster than the fruit's stench can permeate a shopping mall, topping more than $190 million in the first four months of 2023 durian's off-season or almost six times more than the same period last year, according to the website, VN Express, citing data from Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade's Import-Export Department. In May, the value of durian exports skyrocketed to $332 million, or a year-on-year increase of 18 times, for a total of $503.4 million for the first five months of 2023, according to ministry figures cited by VN Express. 'Not viable' Vietnamese durian growers appear to be confident they will survive even if China can now grow its own. Although Hainan Island enjoys a climate suitable for durian cultivation, "Hainan soil is not as rich in alluvial sediment, which is good for durian, as the Mekong Delta, thus affecting the taste of durians," Huynh Tan Loc, director of the Ngu Hiep Cooperative Farm, told VOA Vietnamese in a telephone interview. Even if China does increase its durian crop, Vietnamese growers will continue to make a profit on their fruit, according to Xuan of Nam Can Tho University. After peaking at $8.4 per kilo in February when Chinese importers rushed to secure their shares since Thai durians were not in season, in early June durians can be found selling in Ho Chi Minh City street stalls for $2.5 per kilo, as observed by VOA Vietnamese. Xuan said growing durian costs $1.25 per kilo. Doan Nguyen Duc is chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Corporation, which cultivates 1,000 hectares of durian in Vietnam and Laos. At a shareholder meeting earlier this month, he said Vietnam's durian growers "never suffer losses," according to Vietnamese press accounts. Duc said that "demand still outstrips supply" in China. In Cai Be District, Tien Giang Province, the biggest durian growing district in the Mekong Delta, durian grower Loc said he worries about "uncontrolled mass production" as farmers switch from their usual crops to grow durian. In February, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Department of Crop Production warned of oversupply, according to press accounts. According to the department, by the end of 2022, farmers had 110,000 ha durian cultivation, exceeding the government's plan by 35,000 ha, according to press reports. One ha is about 2.5 acres. Officials project the 2023 durian crop will be 1 million metric tons in 2023, an increase from more than 640,000 in 2021, according to Vietnam Agriculture. Other markets Some Vietnamese durian exporters are looking beyond the Chinese market. Loc, who ships two, 18-metric-ton containers of fresh durian to China by land per day, has invested in cold storage facilities and exports 16 metric tons of frozen durian to Japan each month by air. "The Japanese market is steadier, while in China, price can go up dramatically, but then plummet rapidly," Loc remarked. Thai Tran, managing director of London-based TT Meridian, told VOA Vietnamese in a telephone interview that "fresh Vietnamese durians are selling so well" in the U.K. that he cannot meet demand even at $12.75 to $16.60 per kilo. The trading company imports on average 3 to 5 metric tons of fresh durian from Vietnam by air every week and could sell 10-20 tons a week if the U.K. lifted import controls, he said. While the U.K. is not "an alternative to the Chinese market," it helps Vietnamese farmers reduce reliance on it, he said, adding that as more consumers in the U.K. try durian, they're finding it's "an addictive fruit. Once you overcome [an] initial aversion, once you try it, you'll fall for it." Adrianna Zhang of VOA Mandarin contributed to this report. Following the Supreme Court's decision to effectively kill Bidens earlier student debt forgiveness proposal, the White House is trying again to ease the burden on those carrying student loans using a different legal approach. Biden's original plan would have canceled up to $20,000 in federal student loans for 43 million people. Of those, 20 million would have had their remaining student debt erased completely. With repayments set to begin in October, many borrowers are wondering if they still have to pay. Here's what to know about where the new Biden plan stands. What is the new plan and how is it different? Under the proposed approach, the White House is now planning to use the Higher Education Act of 1965 a sweeping federal law that governs the student loan program to bring about relief for student borrowers. Biden said the authority of the act will provide the best path that remains to provide as many borrowers as possible with debt relief. The law includes a provision giving the education secretary authority to compromise, waive or release student loans. In its previous attempt to forgive student loans, Biden's White House appealed to a bipartisan 2003 law dealing with national emergencies, known as the HEROES Act, for the authority to cancel the debt. The court's 6-3 decision, with conservative justices in the majority, said the administration needed Congress endorsement before undertaking so costly a program. Who will be eligible and how much debt will be canceled? So far, it remains unclear which loan holders will qualify and how much of their debt will be forgiven. To figure it out, the Education Department will go through a process known as negotiated rulemaking. Should borrowers still make loan payments? Hours after the Supreme Court decision, President Joe Biden announced a 12-month grace period to help borrowers who struggle after payments restart. Biden said borrowers can and should make payments during the first 12 months after payments resume, but, if they dont, they wont be at risk of default and it wont hurt their credit scores. Interest will resume in September, however, and it will accrue whether borrowers make payments or not. Biden reiterated that it is not the same as the student loan pause, adding that if you can pay your monthly bills, you should. Experts at the Student Borrower Protection Center and Institute of Student Loan Advisors encourage borrowers not to begin to make payments again until the fall, when interest starts up again and the pause lifts, since there is no penalty for not doing so during the freeze. Instead, any savings that would have gone to payments can earn interest in those remaining few months. Finally, after the year-long grace period, if youre in a short-term financial bind, you may qualify for deferment or forbearance allowing you to temporarily suspend payment. To determine whether deferment or forbearance are good options for you, contact your loan servicer. One thing to note: Interest still accrues during deferment or forbearance. Both can also affect future loan forgiveness options. Depending on the conditions of your deferment or forbearance, it may make sense to continue paying the interest during the payment suspension. Following the year-long on-ramp offered by the Biden administration, if you dont make student loan payments, youll risk delinquency and default, which will harm your credit score and potentially lock you out of other aid and benefits down the line. What about declaring bankruptcy? The Biden administration is also working to make a clearer path for borrowers considering bankruptcy. In November, the Justice Department announced a process with new guidelines for students with federal loans who are unable to pay. Under the new guidance, debtors will fill out an attestation form, which the government will use to determine whether or not to recommend a discharge of debt. If borrowers expenses exceed their income and other criteria are met, the government will be more likely to recommend a full or partial discharge of loans. How soon could the new plan happen? Get ready to wait. The overall idea is to create a new federal rule by gathering together lots of people with different views and hashing out the details. The goal is to reach a consensus, but the Education Department doesnt need it to move forward. Its possible the Biden administration will go through the process, fail to reach a consensus but still proceed with whatever it decides is the best cancellation plan. Still, this could take a long time. The absolute minimum for something like this would be about a year, according to Michael Brickman, who was part of multiple rounds of negotiated rulemaking as an education official for the Trump administration. Theres bureaucratic red tape to navigate, and the process is designed to slow things down and force a deliberate negotiation. The process of negotiated rulemaking requires a period for written feedback from the public, a public hearing (a virtual hearing is scheduled for July 18) and negotiating sessions. Given that the administration is just starting the process, Brickman said its possible it could take up to two years. Asked why the Education Department didnt try this route from the start, Secretary Miguel Cardona acknowledged Friday that it does take longer. Is this plan on firmer legal ground? Thats up for debate. In a 2021 memo, the former top education lawyer for the Obama administration cast doubt on the presidents authority to enact mass student loan cancellation. The memo, from Charlie Rose, first reported by The Wall Street Journal and obtained by the AP, warned that the more persuasive analyses tend to support the conclusion that the Executive Branch likely does not have the unilateral authority to engage in mass student debt cancellation. Instead, it found that the education secretarys authority is limited to case-by-case review and, in some cases, only to nonperforming loans." Some advocates had been urging Biden go this route all along, and the White House says its confident the plan will work. But its almost certain to face legal challenges. The Education Department has used the Higher Education Act to cancel student loans before, but never at the scale being discussed now. Backers including Sen. Elizabeth Warren have said the legal authority is clear, but lawyers for the Trump administration concluded in 2021 that mass student loan forgiveness was illegal. It could wind up being a gray area that courts need to sort out. Brickman, who is now an adjunct fellow at AEI, a conservative think tank, predicts a similar fate to Bidens previous plan. The Supreme Court has told them no, and yet theyre undeterred, he said. Im sure theres a population out there that really admires that. But at some point the Constitution is the Constitution, and you have to just kind of accept that. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Thursday that its critical the U.S. and China maintain a relationship so they can work together on global challenges, coming just after President Joe Bidens remarks calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a dictator drew condemnation from Beijing. Speaking at a news conference in Paris, Yellen said that with respect to the comments, I think President Biden and I both believe its critical to maintain communication ... to clear up misperceptions, miscalculations. We need to work together where possible." But we have disagreements, and we are also forthright in recognizing we do have disagreements, she added. Yellen has recently advocated for improving relations between the U.S. and China, arguing cooperation is needed for the sake of maintaining global stability. Bidens remarks at a fundraiser Tuesday, when he also said China had real economic difficulties, opened a new rift just after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing. The trip sought to break the ice in a relationship that has hit a historical low. China delivered a formal protest of Bidens remarks on Thursday, with Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng telling senior White House and State officials that Washington should take earnest actions to undo the negative impact of what Biden said or bear all the consequences, a Chinese embassy spokesperson said in a statement. With the latest irresponsible remarks about Chinas political system and its top leader, people cannot help but question the sincerity of the U.S. side in seeking to stabilize relations, the statement said. The Chinese government and people do not accept any political provocation against Chinas top leader and will resolutely respond. Meanwhile, speaking as a two-day gathering gets underway in Paris on improving the global financial response to climate change and poverty, Yellen said that Im certainly pleased to see China participating in this summit." Chinese Premier Li Qiang was among the dozens of heads of state and government, world finance officials and activists who converged on the French capital Thursday to discuss ways of reforming the global financial system and address debt, climate change and poverty crises, especially for developing nations. "I believe its important, as President Biden does, that the worlds two largest economies are working together in addressing global challenges, Yellen said. She also emphasized that debt restructuring was a U.S. priority. As a growing number of countries struggle with unsustainable debt aggravated by the fallout from climate change, Yellen encouraged all creditors to enter into negotiations to make the burden sustainable. China is the worlds biggest government lender. Citing Zambia, the southern African country she visited in January, Yellen said she was encouraged by progress regarding debt negotiations and was hoping "debt treatment can move forward soon. She did not provide details. "Other urgent pending cases must also move forward quickly, she added, mentioning Ghana and Sri Lanka. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there was fierce fighting along the front lines, but that his forces were advancing in southern Ukraine and holding defensive lines in the eastern part of the country. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said the safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is extremely fragile following the destruction of the nearby Kakhovka dam and he called on all sides in the conflict to act to adhere to principles to prevent a nuclear accident. Russian officials said Thursday that overnight airstrikes by Ukrainian forces damaged a bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula to the Kherson region of southern Ukraine. The Chongar bridge is one of the few routes Russian forces use to move between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine under Russian control. Russia has occupied Crimea since annexing it in 2014 in a move rejected by most of the international community. The Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti reported that investigators said four missiles were fired at the bridge and that the remains of one of them showed markings of being French-made. Vladimir Konstantinov, chairman of Crimea's parliament, said damage to the bridge was not severe and likely could be repaired within several days. As is often the case, Ukraine did not confirm responsibility for the attack, with a defense spokesman saying only, "If the stars are lit, it means it was done for a reason, right? We can only say that there will be a continuation." Russia and Ukraine control different parts of Kherson province, a focus of fighting during Kyivs counteroffensive aimed at recapturing Russia-held territory. Overall, the counteroffensive appears to be slow-moving. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine's army had advanced seven kilometers and had retaken territory that included eight villages during the last two weeks. "As the president of Ukraine [Volodymyr Zelenskyy] said yesterday, the counteroffensive is not a Hollywood movie. It's not easy walk," Shmyhal told reporters at a Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. "The counteroffensive is a number of military operations, he said. Sometimes it's offensive, sometimes it's defensive. Sometimes it could be tactical pauses. Unfortunately, during our preparation for this counteroffensive, Russians were preparing too. So, there is so much minefields, which really make it slower." "We [do] not bring our people into the fire of this war as Russians (are) doing. We will do very smart offensive operations and because of this it will take time," the prime minister said. "We all should have patience and we will see results." EU sanctions The European Union Wednesday imposed new sanctions against Russia for its war against Ukraine, targeting countries where businesses have used loopholes in previous sanctions to continue to trade with Russia, effectively supporting President Vladimir Putins 16-month invasion. The 27-nation EU had previously imposed 10 rounds of sanctions against Russian companies, while freezing assets and imposing travel bans on more than 1,000 officials. The new sanctions are aimed at keeping key war-related materials and goods from reaching Russia via nations that trade with the EU but have also maintained a business-as-usual relationship with Moscow. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, head of the EU's executive arm, said the new sanctions will "deal a further blow to Putin's war machine with tightened export restrictions, targeting entities supporting the Kremlin." "Our anti-circumvention tool will prevent Russia from getting its hands on sanctioned goods," she said. Aside from sanctions against Iranians alleged to be supplying drones to Russia, it is the first time that the EU has targeted trade via other countries. The new package will also target 71 individuals and 33 entities in relation with the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Also included is a prohibition to accessing ports in the EU by vessels engaged in ship-to-ship transfers when there is a suspicion that a boat is not respecting the ban on importing seaborne Russian crude oil and petroleum products into the bloc. In addition, the package extends the suspension of the broadcasting licenses in the EU of five Russian media outlets under state control. NATO expansion U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday encouraged Turkey to support ratifying Swedens accession to NATO. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken expressed support for Sweden to be admitted at this time during talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the sidelines of a Ukraine recovery conference in London. Sweden and Finland applied for membership in response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Finland officially joined in April, but Swedens accession has been held up by Turkeys objections to what it said was a lack of action by Sweden against groups that Turkey considers terrorists. With three weeks until NATO leaders gather for a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Sweden expressed hope that it will be able to join the alliance. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom told Reuters that Turkeys parliament should begin the process of ratifying Swedens NATO bid. Sweden has carried out a number of reforms, including a new anti-terror law, as part of an agreement struck with Turkey last year to address security concerns. "Our judgment is that we have done what was expected of us. Now it is time for the Turkish parliament to start the ratification process," Billstrom told Reuters on the sidelines of a meeting in parliament. Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. More than a half-million refugees in Kenya will not receive assistance from the U.N. refugee agency, due to a lack of funding. Amid the tough conditions, a refugee-led organization in Nairobi Youth Voices Community is helping thousands of refugees through education in business Rannells & Gad. Photo: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic Say Hello! to the stars of Gutenberg! The Musical! on Broadway, Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad. The original Book of Mormon stars are reuniting over a decade after their breakout performances, returning to the Great White Way two by well, just them two. The musical will start previews September 15, open October 12, and close January 28 at the James Earl Jones Theater. The comedy, developed by Scott Brown and Anthony King at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, is a satire of musicals that first ran Off Broadway in 2006. Its set at a backers audition where two musical writers are attempting to launch their show about the inventor of the printing press, whom they dont know too much about, while playing all the roles in the process. The Broadway run will be directed by Moulin Rouge!s Alex Timbers, who directed the show Off Broadway and suggested the musical to Gad a few years ago, the New York Times reported. Gad, who hasnt been on Broadway since Book of Mormon, then brought the idea to Rannells. There is no bigger passion as an actor than being on a stage, Gad told the Times. Its how I got my start, and Ive missed it. Now hes on a his mission with his old partner time to do something incredible. By my calculations, this episode had seven separate story lines running through it. By the end, I had almost forgotten that there was one about Lisa and Herbert dealing with discrimination because the whole thing wrapped up halfway through the episode. That feels like its going to become a problem if the trend continues we dont need to check in with every character, every episode; let some stuff breathe, you know? Somehow, its both too much and not nearly enough. That being said: Where to begin here? My heart wants to start with Carries pigeon clutch, which is equal parts hilarious and impractical and apparently costs $890 (!!), but my head wants to go with Che Diaz is married to Oliver Hudson. Unlike Miranda, I refuse to recklessly follow my heart across the country or to tangents in recaps, so Che Diaz is married it is! Have you heard? In a huge reveal that goes mostly nowhere in this episode, Miranda learns Che Diaz is married. To Oliver Hudson! Okay, so he isnt actually Oliver Hudson, but a bartender at the Malibu Soho House named Lyle and played by Oliver Hudson, but still I assume that casting means well be circling back to this whole situation at a later date. Here, though, we get very few details. In a welcome surprise, Miranda attends an AA meeting its nice to see AJLT did not actually forget Mirandas alcohol problem from last season and makes a friend who invites her to an afternoon of volunteering at a beach cleanup. In true Miranda fashion, things go very wrong. She winds up losing her phone amid all the collected seaweed and after digging through it with no luck, borrows a phone from some kindly surfers to call Carrie, the only number she knows, to get Ches number and get a ride the hell off that beach. Che is a little peeved by the whole situation since they are supposed to be meeting their TV dad, Tony Danza for dinner and Miranda was supposed to come, too. Why Che Diaz cant just call an Uber for Miranda, one will never know. Instead, Che sends Lyle, who lives nearby, to help Miranda out. When Lyle explains that he knows Che because they were married and technically still are Miranda begins to spin out a little. When Che gets home from their dinner, in which Tony Danza tells them that he and the Danzalions (top-notch fandom name right there) dont think it would be appropriate for him to play a Mexican American character and he wants to change the character to Italian American (and make TV Ches mother the Mexican side), in yet another tiny change to Ches dream, Miranda is waiting for them. She has questions. But, like, not enough questions. Mirandas worried she doesnt actually know Che she didnt know Ches number; she didnt know Che was, or is, married and although it is wild to equate those two things, its understandable that Mirandas a little worried about what she blew her life up for. Che explains that they both are lazy and just never got around to getting divorced, so its no big deal; this shouldnt be some major crisis for their relationship. Miranda accepts that? She literally has zero follow-up questions to this information. Isnt Miranda a lawyer?! Ask one follow-up, Im begging you. Meanwhile in New York, Carries dealing with the drama of having to come up with a fun way to talk about vaginal dryness. Look, I dont come up with this stuff, I just report the news, okay? No one wants to talk about vaginal dryness, but it is a thing and it is a thing thats very important to the vaginal-wellness company that has paid for advertising on the Sex and the City podcast. Carrie could just read the copy handed to her and get it over with, or she could protest and wind up having the most boring postcoital pillow-talk session known to man because she and Franklyn need to come up with new copy for the ad. Carrie chooses the latter because Carrie is a menace to society. In the end, it doesnt matter much anyway: As much as Chloe they couldnt have given this character, like, one more note to play? wants us to believe it was Carries hesitation to record the vag ad that tanked the entire podcast-production company, it seems like the company was in a lot of trouble before that. Alas, the Sex and the City podcast is canceled before it really got started, and the same can be said for Carrie and Franklyn. In a very mature move, Franklyn tells Carrie that he thinks he wants a relationship that is more than just Thursdays and if she doesnt want that, they should probably end things. Its so amicable! Carries not too busted up about it, nor is she too upset about the end of Sex and the City; she can admit that she thinks she may have outgrown it anyway. Is that a meta-commentary on the reason for creating And Just Like That instead of simply rebooting Sex and the City? Probably! Anyway, Carrie and Franklyn didnt have much in the way of chemistry, so its not a huge loss, and honestly, Id be happy to take a breather from podcast chatter for a little while. Carrie isnt the only one of our girls learning about being at peace with outgrowing things and letting them go: Charlotte gets a dose of it, too, by way of Lilys new passion emo songwriting! She puts purple streaks in her hair and everything! Lily is nothing if not committed. When she asks her parents for an electric keyboard because shes a serious songwriter now, they tell her shell have to come up with the money herself. Lily does so by selling a bunch of her designer clothes to the RealDeal, which is like the RealReal, but it pays in cash. When Charlotte realizes Lily has sold the cute pink Chanel dress Charlotte bought for one of Lilys first recitals, she loses it. She wants to take the RealDeal down, or at least get it to give her the dress back. After a Charlotte spiral in the middle of one of the RealDeal locations, its Carrie who has to pull her aside lest she become a meme and get to the heart of whats really going on here. It doesnt take long for Charlotte to admit that this breakdown is less about the Chanel and more about Lily rejecting all of the things Charlottes given her. Shes no longer interested in classical piano; she easily gives away a dress that holds so much meaning for Charlotte. Eventually, though, Carrie helps Charlotte see that its not really Lily rejecting her mother, shes just outgrowing some of those things and that is natural. Its a nice moment shared among a group of friends, and by group I mean, Charlotte, Carrie, and that fucking pigeon clutch. That pigeon clutch will haunt me for days. This and That Are we also going to circle back on Lisa and Herberts story line? Herberts mother is appalled when she catches him yelling at a cab driver who clearly did not want to pick him and his daughter up because theyre Black. She tells him that he should never surrender [his] dignity and that Wexleys win by winning, and Lisa agrees with her, telling him that they know the rules. When we go off, they win, she tells him, reminding him that he could pound on the wrong car. It feels like something that calls for a much more nuanced discussion than what two short scenes can offer. Okay, Herberts mother is really savage. When she arrives and finds Lisa at the door in a zebra-print skirt, the first thing she says to her daughter-in-law is I see you just returned from your matinee performance in The Lion King. Yikes! Seema takes Zed back after her hairdresser calls her out on making up red flags in order to run away from relationships, but she winds up being right about having hesitations Zed is more interested in using her for a new investment. She dumps him for a second time. I hope all of this is setting Seema up for a real love interest this season. She deserves one! When Nyas husband tells her that he hasnt cheated yet and that he thinks they could solve their issues by using a surrogate to have a baby, Nya officially pulls the plug on their marriage. Its clear he hasnt been listening to any of her concerns or fears about becoming a parent. Karen Pittman is great in her unhinged moment of trashing all of Andre Rashads belongings. Bonfire of the beanies at 11! Lilys emotional song about the power of privilege? Oh, I laughed so hard. The youths on this show are so ridiculous. Never want to hear a grown man say the phrase itll take you from dry to wet-ass pussy ever again, thank you so, so much. For more, join us for And Just Like That Club, our subscriber-exclusive newsletter dissecting and obsessing over all the minutiae of the new season. Existing subscribers can visit this page to sign up. If youre not a subscriber yet, click here to get started. Has any fictional show made its citys food scene look better than The Bears? Granted, thats not hard with Chicago, which has not just some of the best fine dining in the whole country but also some of the best street staples, counter classics, and everyday fare. Thats made pretty clear in Sundae, which is not just a great episode of TV but also a showcase for some of the citys most down-home and delicious eateries. If you havent been to Chicago on a gluttonous eating adventure in recent years, let this episode be a reminder that you absolutely should pull the trigger on that trip. (But seriously if the citys tourism board isnt lining up a sort of press trip or public passport based on spots and meals featured in The Bear, its blowing it.) The episodes first big meal comes in the form of Carmys opening monologue, which is delivered via his check-in at group therapy. As he explains, after Googling the definition of fun, he has spent some time mulling over what provides amusement or enjoyment in his life not just recently but when he was a kid. Back then, he says, anything that he thought could be fun got kind of fucked thanks to his overzealous and bumbling family, who often made promises they werent able to keep. These days, he still isnt quite sure what he thinks is fun or how he can access that emotion since hes always trying to remind himself to breathe, to be present, and that the sky is not falling and there is no other shoe waiting to drop. To Carmys credit, hes refreshingly aware that if I could provide more amusement or enjoyment for myself, it would be easier to provide for others, which is a lesson we could probably all use a nudge on from time to time. If this season is about Carmy finding his joy, that could happen through the introduction of Claire, who seems to be shaking him out of his comfort zone. First of all, she calls him out on giving her a fake number, telling him that he has clearly forgotten that she knows both his whole family and the Faks. She asked Neil for his number, and Neil who calls himself Carmys best friend provided it. After some gentle ribbing and casual hedging from Carmy, she ends up enlisting his help to move her moms things in a van, an act we dont get to see onscreen but that presumably is both easy and awkward given that were dealing with Carmy here. Later on in the episode, we see him back at the Beef, where Neil, Richie, and Marcus have had to take down one of the key interior walls but more on that later. In order to help Claire, Carmy had to blow off a day of tasting and foodie adventure with Sydney. It seems like it was sort of a spontaneously generated idea, so you cant blame him too much for thinking it was ditchable, but Sydney takes it especially hard in the wake of her conversations with her dad and basically every Chicago chef, restaurant owner, and front-of-house staffer she meets on her trek. After a truly immense and inspiring order at Kasama, the worlds first Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant, Sydney is off to a whole bunch of other Chicago classics, including Avec, Publican Quality Meats, Margies Candies, and Pizza Lobo. She also takes an architectural boat tour for inspiration, using the shapes of buildings in the Loop to inspire a pasta dish she crafts (and hates) later. Sydney seems to be entirely in her head the whole time shes out and about, whether its about how hard the restaurant industry is, how no ones applying for jobs at the entirely unknown restaurant shes trying to launch, or how she and Carmy havent actually formalized their partnership agreement. Its all completely understandable, but instead of vocalizing her concerns, she internalizes them, quietly lashing out when the wall-removal is revealed later. Carmy is apologetic, and he should be he could have at least sent a courtesy text but it also seems as though this insecurity relates to some bigger issue she has about loss and self-reliance. I dont want to assume its about her mom, but given where the show has led us over the past couple of eps, thats probably not the worst bet to make. Id love to not see Sydney blow up both the Bear and her career, but until she gets her shit together, that seems to be the course the show is setting. Small Bites In an effort to up the restaurants dessert game, Sydney and Carmy discuss sending Marcus to Copenhagen to train for a bit. They wonder if hell be able to leave his mom, who is the woman weve seen in the hospital. Also, theyre using credit-card miles to send him, which is a classic restaurant detail that I love. Get those points! Ebraheim has seemingly just walked away from his training at Kendall College. Tinas still hammering away, but I dont really know whats going to happen there, other than her absolutely killing it. Shout-out to Dark Matter coffee, which we see Nat drinking quickly in this episode. Its so good that its on every single birthday, Christmas, and Fathers Day list my husband makes. Other ex-Chicagoans I know still have a subscription to get it in the mail its that good. Richies daughter, Eva, is cute. Love her sass about how even though her mom got a promotion, hell still have to pay child support because fair is fair as well as his subsequent line about how he love[s] Taylor Swift too but just needed a break. Thats some very real parent shit. Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, recently sounded an ominous alarm bell. The Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to significantly reduce poverty around the world and create a better quality of life for all, are off track, he warned. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight And so French President Emmanuel Macron called a global conference in Paris this month to address getting the 2030 SDG targets back on course. As world leaders from Barbados to Kenya to Germany gather, there are seven things they must focus on. This blueprint for prosperity is too important to let slide. The global financial architecture is failing Africa and developing countries. Before the sneak attack of the pandemic, progress in achieving the SDGs was mixed, with a $2.5 trillion annual SDG financing gap for developing countries. Africa alone will need $1.3 trillion annually to achieve its sustainable development needs by 2030. Advertisement Yet, available financing is limited and insufficient to make up the difference and tackle global challenges from food insecurity to rising debt. According to the United Nations, some $3 trillion to $5 trillion per year needs to be mobilized to achieve the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Our global financial architecture must decisively tackle climate change, which is devastating Africas economies. The African Development Bank estimates that Africa loses $7 billion to $15 billion annually due to climate change, which is projected to rise to $45 billion to $50 billion annually by 2040. To reverse effects such as water basins drying up across Africas Sahel, cyclones causing death and destruction to regions, and floods taking over whole city areas, Africa needs an average of $2.7 trillion by 2030. Such funding will be essential to support the continents climate resilience and a just energy transition. The financial architecture must tackle global debt crises. The structure of Africas debt has changed dramatically. While bilateral debt accounts for 25% of debt compared with 52% in 2000, commercial debt accounts for 43% of total debt, compared with 17% in 2000. The expansion and fragmentation of the creditor base complicates debt resolution by the Bretton Woods Institutions. Advertisement Debt resolution in Africa, especially outside of the Paris Club, has often been disorderly and protracted, with costly economic consequences. To avert future debt crises, high debt resolution costs, and legal complications, the international community needs to push for enhanced transparency and global coordination among creditors. Global contingency financing has to start working for Africa. The Special Drawing Rights issued by the International Monetary Fund provided significant resources to help countries deal with an ever-shrinking fiscal space. However, of the $650 billion of SDRs issued by the IMF in 2021, Africa received only $33 billion or 5%. More funding from this source could finance a plethora of development projects across the entire African continent in education, health, agriculture, infrastructure and much more. The African Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank have devised a solution for developed countries to provide long-term SDR loans to multilateral development banks (MDBs) in the form of hybrid capital, combined with a Liquidity Support Agreement. This will allow the MDBs to leverage the SDRs by 3-4 times to meet the greater financing needs. The solution has now met the IMF Reserve Asset Status requirements in terms of creditworthiness and liquidity. This should be speedily implemented. Advertisement Tackling development challenges calls for a change in the business models of multilateral financial institutions. Global pension funds and institutional investors, for example, have more than $145 trillion of assets under management. Allowing Africa to access these massive resources will require significant changes to these businesses, from the deployment of more risk guarantee facilities, to the expanded use of synthetic securitization to leverage balance sheets, to the transfer of some sovereign and non-sovereign assets to the private sector. Enhanced leveraging of private-sector financing for development is critical. Calls for multilateral development banks to do more in this regard are timely. The reality is that MDBs depend largely on callable capital of which only a small share is paid in. This limits effective risk capital that can be used to hedge and leverage private-sector financing at scale, due to strict prudential limits that all MDBs must respect to keep crucial triple A credit ratings. There should therefore be a significant increase in paid-in capital for multilateral development banks. Regional efforts should be promoted to tackle systemic risks in Africa. Africa is the only region of the world that does not have liquidity buffers to protect it against shocks, whether natural disasters, commodity price volatility or health crises. The African Development Bank and the African Union are working together to establish an African Financial Stability Mechanism to allow countries to mutualize our funds and help avoid the spillover effects that come from global pandemics and other external shocks. Other homegrown mechanisms would be welcome. Advertisement Ultimately, what leaders gathered in Paris must recognize is that a re-engineered global financial architecture one that is more responsive, inclusive and accountable is whats needed to support the accelerated development of the world. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Climate Change and Poverty Are Our Eras Existential Battles: Emmanuel Macron et al. How Africa Could Become a Climate Savior, Not a Victim: Lara Williams What Happens When the Lights Go Out?: Timothy L. OBrien This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Akinwumi A. Adesina is president of the African Development Bank Group. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Gift this article Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share If it looks like a deal, and smells like a deal, then Congress has the power to reject it. That is the message lawmakers are sending the White House as administration officials try to strike a new bargain with Iran over its nuclear program. President Joe Biden should pay heed, or risk making the same mistakes as his two predecessors and doom any agreement to failure. After indirect parleys through Oman, the Biden team has agreed to release payments owed to the Islamic Republic that have long been frozen by sanctions. Officials with knowledge of the negotiations have said Tehran has in turn agreed to free three Americans wrongfully detained in Iranian prisons, as it did three Europeans earlier this month. The ransom for the hostages may be in the region of $10 billion, in the form of sanctions waivers that allow Iraq to pay about $2.7 billion it owes Iran for natural-gas shipments, and South Korea to transfer $7 billion for previous oil purchases. More significantly, the US is offering Iran the opportunity to export more oil if it will limit its uranium-enrichment levels and cooperate more fully with United Nations nuclear monitors. But the Biden administration is leery of using the D word to describe such a bargain. Rumors about a nuclear deal, interim or otherwise, are false and misleading, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told journalists last week. Our position on the question has not changed. Advertisement In briefings with journalists, official have used expressions like mini-agreement and interim arrangement. But this is too cute by half and fools nobody. Irans supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, knows a deal when he sees one; he has told his officials that they can go ahead and make an agreement, providing the regime gets to keep its nuclear infrastructure. So does Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, the country with the most to fear from an unshackled Iran. He has told the Biden administration that he opposes mini-agreements. Whats in a word? The answer: Congressional oversight. The Biden folks know that any deal with the Islamic Republic would need to be submitted to the legislative branch, where it would meet substantial bipartisan opposition from lawmakers who want tighter restraints on Iran. Surmounting such resistance would require the investment of political capital by a president who must husband what little he has for a long reelection campaign. The nub is the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act, which was passed in 2015, just as the US and other world powers were putting the finishing touches on the deal with Iran, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Having bypassed Congress in making that deal, President Barack Obama agreed to let lawmakers review the terms after the fact. Obamas egregious misuse of executive power allowed his successor, Donald Trump, to torch the deal three years later. Advertisement Transparent as it is, the administrations ruse reflects poorly on Biden. Presidents ignoring Congress on Iran policy is what brought us to this sorry pass in the first place. Under the nuclear review act, the White House is required to periodically reassure Congress that Iran is keeping its end of the bargain. But the law also obliges the president to present before Congress any new or amended deal pertaining to Irans nuclear program. The lawmakers would then have a 30-day review period, and the opportunity to vote it down. A few weeks ago, the Biden administration reassured Congress that it would abide by the provisions of Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act and submit any new deal with Iran for review and approval. But officials now hope they can avoid this scrutiny if they can plausibly deny that a new deal is being made. Advertisement Nice try. Representative Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, this week wrote to the White House expressing concern about the latest talks and demanding that the administration submit any arrangement or understanding to Congress for review. Not all who disapprove are Republicans like McCaul: Plenty of Democrats in both houses are skeptical about making any kind of deal with Iran. The most prominent of them, Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey, has suggested that the Biden administrations outreach to Iran is a good masquerade game. He would be mighty upset to learn that the White House isnt just playing. If Biden feels a new deal is the right course, he should have the courage to run it through the Congressional gantlet. If he cannot do that, the president, himself a veteran of the legislative branch, should reflect on whether a deal that cant bear the scrutiny of lawmakers is worth pursuing at all. Advertisement More From Bobby Ghosh at Bloomberg Opinion: US Doesnt Need Saudi Arabia to Sign the Abraham Accords Iran Wants to Make a Deal the US Must Refuse Make Russias Wagner Group a Pariah in Africa This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Bobby Ghosh is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering foreign affairs. Previously, he was editor in chief at Hindustan Times, managing editor at Quartz and international editor at Time. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Gift this article Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Its a paradox: The heat wave that has hit Mexico in the past few weeks has been a great boon for the countrys beverage industry, particularly beer producers, as thirsty consumers seek solace from record temperatures. At the same time, the near-drought conditions present a huge challenge to Mexicos beverage industry, as water supplies become increasingly scarce. All 32 Mexican states registered temperatures of at least 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) this week, with nine expected to exceed 45 Celsius (113F), the countrys weather service said. The heat wave is aggravating recurrent water shortages, with Mexico receiving 30% less rain so far this year and almost two-thirds of its reservoirs less than half full, according to the National Water Commission. Lea la nota en espanol. Meanwhile, the beer industry is also setting records. Thanks to brands such as Corona and Dos Equis, Mexico has been consolidating its place as the worlds largest beer exporter, with shipments worth more than $6 billion last year according to central bank figures. Thats 7.3% more than in 2021, almost tripling the value of shipm ents of a decade ago. Advertisement Mexico has been strategic in positioning its crafty-looking, summery beers in the global market. Just last month, Constellation Brands Inc.s Modelo Especial became the USs bestselling beer, dethroning Bud Light amid changes in consumer tastes (and a media backlash against the US brand). The current hot weather triggered an 80% increase in beer sales in Mexico between May and June, according to estimates by an association of small retailers. Yet the water shortage is both a logistical challenge and a public-relations nightmare for the industry. During last years historic drought in Northern Mexico, when water had to be rationed for months in the city of Monterrey, big industrial users received their allotments even as ordinary citizens had to queue for their government-provided rations. Brewers and other companies were forced to give up some of their excess of water to defuse the scandal. The lack of water also explains the cancellation in 2021 of a huge brewery project by Constellation Brands in Mexicali, in the Baja California state bordering the US. After the project was rejected in a local referendum due to concerns about the regions water supply, the company announced the construction of a plant in the state of Veracruz, where water is abundant. Advertisement Its hardly a trend, but the move could be the start of a shift of production to Mexicos South from the North increasing the costs to export to the profitable US market. Mexicos north, center and northeast regions represent 78% of the countrys territory and 77% of its population, but have only a third of the countrys renewable water. The other two-thirds is in Mexicos Southeast, where only 23% of the population resides. That may help explain why, at the peak of the crisis last year, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador threatened to stop beer production in Mexicos North. Thankfully, the weather improved, and the president never enforced his ultimatum. The current weather situation could restart that debate. Water shortages are common beyond Mexico, of course, and the drought affects more than just the beer industry. Earlier this month Diageo Plc, the worlds biggest spirits company, warned that climate change is going to make water scarce and that the company had 43 sites in water-stressed areas last year. Advertisement But if Mexico wants to maintain its position as the worlds leading beer exporter, the industry is going to have to address these issues and soon. Elsewhere in Bloomberg Opinion: In an Age of Premium Beers, Biggest Isnt Always Best: Andrea Felsted Mexicos Nearshoring Bonanza Is Not Yet Near: Eduardo Porter AMLO Can Save Mexico by Embracing Globalization: Shannon ONeil For more Bloomberg Opinion, subscribe to our newsletter. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Juan Pablo Spinetto is a Bloomberg News managing editor for economics and government in Latin America. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Gift this article Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Its been a year since the US Supreme Court decided Dobbs v. Jackson, overturning Roe v. Wade and allowing states to ban abortion. The damaging effect on healthcare is becoming ever clearer: Abortion cant simply be excised from medical treatment without reducing the quality of other forms of care. Physicians are increasingly wary of the ever-shifting rules of engagement and a political climate that is hostile to their expertise. Some are being forced to compromise the care of their patients. Some are daunted by living and working in places where their own bodily autonomy is at risk. This isnt what they signed up for when they went to medical school. The severe abortion restrictions in effect in 14 states allow exceptions to save the life of the pregnant woman. But that means women in medical distress, many with wanted but dangerous pregnancies, have been forced to wait for medical care until the law considers their lives sufficiently at risk. They sit at home or even in the parking lot of a hospital, scared or in pain, vomiting or passing clots of blood, and waiting for things to get even worse. Advertisement It makes their care more dangerous, says Jonas Swartz, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke Health in North Carolina who has seen a number of patients barred from getting timely care in their home states. Its surely only a matter of time before a woman dies. Early data highlight the risk. One small study that looked at maternal and infant outcomes at two Texas hospitals in the wake of the states abortion ban found that morbidity doubled when care was put off until an emergency. The 28 women in the study got infections, hemorrhaged and required blood transfusions. One ended up in the ICU. Only one of the infants survived, and that baby was still hospitalized at the time the data were published. On the other side of those horrifying tales are physicians forced to defy their training. When Dobbs came down, Leilah Zahedi-Spung was working as a high-risk obstetrician in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which initially had a trigger law that threatened physicians with prosecution for providing an abortion. I would be arrested and charged with a Class A felony and then have to prove to a jury that what I did was to save someones life, Zahedi-Spung says. It was really terrifying. Advertisement The law that ultimately went into effect in August 2022 walked back that so-called affirmative defense stance in favor of a physicians reasonable medical judgment, but didnt assuage her fear that a prosecutor and a jury could second-guess her judgment. And things are getting worse, especially in the South. In the past, some of Zahedi-Spungs patients might have been sent to North Carolina, where Swartz could have coordinated care for anyone up to 20 weeks along in pregnancy. (Over the last year, he estimates that at times as many as half of his patients were from out of state.) But last month, the states Republican-dominated legislature pushed through a 12-week ban, complicating Swartzs ability to accept some of those patients. He and other doctors in North Carolina are now trying to figure out how to comply with the law, which takes effect on July 1. Its worse healthcare for my patients, no matter how you cut it, he says. The legal risks are driving some OB-GYNs out of states with bans. When an opportunity came up to work in Colorado, which has become a haven for abortion care, Zahedi-Spung left Tennessee. I was worried I was going to have to make a choice between my well-being and the life of a human being, she says. That is never how I ever wanted to practice medicine. Advertisement Every healthcare provider I spoke with over the last month told me about physicians in their network who, like Zahedi-Spung, had left or were on the cusp of leaving a state with strict abortion laws. In March, a hospital in Idaho closed its labor and delivery unit, blaming in part the political climate that was making it difficult to retain and attract staff. The trend is still nascent, making it hard to put numbers on the magnitude of the effect. But early data suggests anyone who leaves will be hard to replace. In November 2022, AMN Healthcare, the largest physician-staffing service in the US, conducted an internal survey of OB-GYNs to understand how bans might affect its recruitment efforts. In data provided to Bloomberg Opinion, the firm said that 63% of the 584 people surveyed and 77% of female OB-GYNs, and 78% of OB-GYNs aged 44 or younger said they would be unlikely or very unlikely to consider a position in a state banning or severely restricting abortion access. Our conclusion is that the Dobbs vs. Jackson decision is likely to limit the ability of abortion banning or restrictive states to recruit OB-GYNs, particularly their ability to recruit younger and female OG-GYNs, who represent the future of the OB-GYN workforce, AMN Healthcare said in an emailed statement. Advertisement Those preferences are already starting to affect where physicians are choosing to train. The Association of American Medical Colleges analyzed data from this years residency match program, the process by which new doctors are assigned to a hospital for advanced training, and found a 10% dip in the number of OB-GYNs who applied for residency in states with complete abortion bans. Thats terrible news for the state of reproductive health. Especially because the states with the strictest abortion laws also have the most gruesome track record on maternal mortality. But the impact will go far beyond reproductive health. Consider that many doctors are making decisions about where to work during the years when they are likely to be building their own families. They dont want to risk getting pregnant in a state that would limit their access to care. Gabriel Bosslet, an associate professor of clinical medicine at Indiana Universitys School of Medicine, is particularly worried about the fate of specialties that already are having trouble attracting doctors areas like infectious diseases or endocrinology. Advertisement And doctors might simply avoid those states out of concern that lawmakers are making it too difficult to practice medicine without political interference. The consequences can be serious even when they are acting within the confines of the law. The case of Indiana OB-GYN Caitlin Bernard, who was recently reprimanded by the states medical board after she spoke publicly about providing an abortion to a 10-year old rape survivor, is a chilling example. Its hard to imagine that Bernards experience would be the only time a doctor is sanctioned for simply doing her job and the next time, the consequences could be worse. More From Bloomberg Opinion: A Year After Dobbs, Leaving Abortion to States Isnt Working: Francis Wilkinson Abortion Clinics Shouldnt Have to Stand Alone: Sarah Green Carmichael Advertisement Yet Another Bad Week for Abortion Rights: Lisa Jarvis and Sarah Green Carmichael This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Lisa Jarvis is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering biotech, health care and the pharmaceutical industry. Previously, she was executive editor of Chemical & Engineering News. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Gift this article Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis achieved a surprise landslide win in Greeces May 21 election, but it wasnt enough to secure his conservative party another majority in parliament. So the country will vote again on June 25 this time under a new electoral system that makes it easier for the first-place finisher to form a single-party government. Markets were encouraged by expectations that a strong government will help Greek bonds to regain the investment-grade status that they lost during Europes sovereign debt crisis more than a decade ago. Bad blood among the leading candidates remains, however, which doesnt bode well for any attempt to form a coalition if needed. And public anger, including over the deadliest train crash in Greek history, may see some voters continue to drift to smaller parties. 1. What happened with the May 21 vote? Mitsotakis center-right New Democracy party won 40.8%, almost twice the 20.7% of former Prime Minister Alexis Tsiprass leftist Syriza party, and the largest margin of victory of any party since 1974. New Democracy actually increased its share of the overall vote from the 2019 election, which brought Mitsotakis to power. Support for Syriza slumped from its previous score of 31.5%. Yet even though New Democracy came first in all but one of 59 electoral districts, Mitsotakis still fell five seats short of a majority in the 300-seat parliament given the proportional representation system that was introduced by Tsipras when he was premier. A strong advocate of single-party governments, Mitsotakis immediately said the result gave him a strong mandate to rule alone and that he preferred to hold a second ballot permissible under Greek law rather than attempt to craft a coalition. In any case, other party leaders said that they couldnt work with Mitsotakis and the numbers didnt add up for them to even try to pursue a coalition government. Advertisement 2. Whats at stake? Continuation of Greeces economic recovery and a return to investment-grade status. The Greek economy has managed to overcome headwinds including the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Europes energy crunch. Although the decade-long debt crisis lowered the baseline a lot, Greeces economy is now expanding much faster than those of many other European countries and investors see growth potential for years to come. What they mostly care about is for the new government to have strong support in parliament so it can stick to the fiscal path followed before the pandemic and keep taking full advantage of European Union funds that are helping to boost growth. Moodys Investors Service described the May result as credit positive, with the expectation that if the June vote produces a similar result then rating companies will return Greece to investment grade in the coming months. 3. How will the June vote be different? Advertisement Junes election will take place under a new electoral law that gives the first-place finisher a bonus of as many as 50 seats. The so-called semi-proportional representation system is fairly complicated. But the bottom line is that the leading party can form a one-party government if it has around 38% of the vote, and as long as the parties that dont clear the threshold needed to enter parliament (3% of the total vote) get a cumulative 10% of the overall vote. Those parties in Mays ballot gathered a total of 16% of the votes. If Mitsotakis repeats his May performance, then most likely hell be able to form a single-party government. Two of the smaller were on the cusp of entering parliament last time, however, and theres a strong possibility that one or both might succeed in June, which could cut into his margin. Voter apathy is also a concern. Mitsotakis has to keep his supporters motivated to go and vote for him again, instead of assuming theres no need on the expectation that hell win outright. 4. Is a coalition government after Junes vote off of the table? If the numbers are not enough to form a one-party administration, even under the new system, then political party leaders will come under pressure to put differences aside and form some kind of coalition government. Based on the May results, Mitsotakis would most likely need to pursue a partnership with the socialist Pasok party leader Nikos Androulakis, who placed third. Relations between Mitsotakis and Androulakis are not good, especially after it emerged last year that Greeces secret service had tapped the mobile phone of Androulakis. The Pasok leader has said that he wont join a government with Mitsotakis as prime minister. Mitsotakis and his party have said they cant accept that demand. That position would require Mitsotakis to see if theres any room for synergies with smaller parties. Advertisement 5. Can a third election be on the cards? Its a possibility. If the first party cant rule alone and all political leaders dont want to work with each other, then a new third election would be the only available option. This would be a doomsday scenario for the country and all the upbeat buzz in the markets after Mays vote would turn around and put Greece in the spotlight as a country with political instability. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Gift this article Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share The global energy market is defined by chokepoints, those tight squeezes on the map that can cause havoc on the whims of the gods or mere politicians. The Suez Canal is a good example of both, scene of the 1956 geopolitical crisis that shook the world and also the more recent grounding of a container ship that shook social media (and global trade). Another canal is currently not quite choking but beginning to splutter. The Panama Canal is suffering from an unprecedented drought, according to the canal operator. The implications for energy markets, natural gas in particular, could be far-reaching, slowing existing routes while also creating opportunities for new ones. A wonder of the modern world providing a short-cut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the canal has also become a major trade route for liquefied natural gas, or LNG, from the US Gulf Coast to the growth markets of Asia, following a big expansion completed in 2016. Advertisement But heres the rub: Its system of artificial lakes and locks requires plentiful rainfall in order to handle the deep drafts of large ships. As part of efforts to conserve water and maintain passage, the canal operator has reduced the maximum draft allowed on its newest locks that carry the largest vessels. In theory, this shouldnt affect LNG tankers, which enjoy shallower drafts than the current limits. However, Doug Brown, LNG marine manager at Poten & Partners, a consultancy, points out that container cargoes, which are more affected, may need to be split onto multiple ships to comply. Since the canal has only so many slots available per day, higher container traffic can create bottlenecks of its own. Exactly how much LNG passes across the Panama Canal is hard to say. Bloomberg NEF tracks the number of laden (that is, full) tankers transiting the canal. Based on those figures and a slew of assumptions, perhaps 5% of the global LNG trade sails through there. Assuming the vast majority of those cargoes originate in the US, though, the canal may handle somewhere approaching 60% of US LNG exports to the Asia-Pacific region.(1) It takes the average LNG tanker 21 days to sail from the Gulf Coast to Japan via the Panama Canal, compared with 34 days going east via Suez, according to Bloomberg NEF. A shorter sailing time means lower costs, including the burning of less fuel. But those numbers are also subject to change, since ships that havent booked a slot sufficiently ahead of time can be forced to wait for days or even a week or two to gain entry to the canal. Advertisement In the near term, disruption to the US-Asia LNG trade is unlikely. Think of it more as friction if sailing slots are squeezed. If a shipper decides the Panama Canal route is risky, they can likely just ship eastward instead, paying the extra cost. Moreover, the war in Ukraine, with its associated disruption of Russian pipeline gas exports, has pulled a larger number of US LNG cargoes across the Atlantic anyway. The number of LNG tankers transiting the Panama Canal fell by roughly 30% in the operators fiscal year ending September 2022, encompassing the first seven months of the war. The ongoing war, combined with a harsher winter in Europe later this year, could well keep traffic down anyway. The question for the global gas market concerns the climate in Panama over the next several decades. In announcing measures to cope with the drought, the canal operator warned that the expected arrival of the El Nino phenomenon could make things worse. More ominously, it also added that what used to be a five-year cycle between droughts has sped up to once every three years. Whether that pattern holds or not is difficult to say, but it does introduce an extra layer of risk to a vital crossing for trade, LNG included. Therein may lurk an opportunity for LNG projects on North Americas Pacific coastline. Two large export projects are under construction already, one in Baja California, Mexico, and the other in British Columbia, Canada. A long-proposed project to bring Alaskan gas to Asia is also enjoying a revival, at least in terms of subsidies being made available and rhetoric being deployed. The big advantage of all such projects, both real or potential, is their proximity to the largest and fastest-growing LNG market on the planet. Baja to Yokohama takes less than two weeks; a ship sailing from Kitimat in British Columbia can get there in 10 days. And all without having to pay tolls, wait your turn or forecast Panamanian rainfall. Advertisement At a broader level, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has served to reemphasize the long-standing, but sometimes dormant, imperative of not becoming too dependent on this or that country for vital energy supply. The same is true for chokepoints. Stuff happens, be it war or weather, and suppliers offering a way around such hurdles can find themselves suddenly in demand. More from Bloomberg Opinion: A Hotter Planet Is Already Warping Asset Prices: Jonathan Levin Smoky Orange Haze Amplifies Focus on Ventilation: Brooke Sutherland Water Risks Are Coming to Bite Investors: Lara Williams (1) This uses a figure of 261 laden transits in 2021, according to Bloomberg NEF data. Assume each tanker has an average capacity of 174,000 cubic meters, filled to 98.5%, and that equates to about 20 million tonnes of LNG or 27 billion cubic meters of natural gas (these assumptions are courtesy of Potens Doug Brown). That figure equates to 5.3% of global LNG trade or 59.5% of US LNG exports to Asia-Pacific in 2021, using trade statistics published by BP. Advertisement This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities. A former investment banker, he was editor of the Wall Street Journals Heard on the Street column and a reporter for the Financial Timess Lex column. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Gift this article Gift Article Hannah Wilkinsons goal provided not only a 1-0 upset over Norway in the womens World Cup opener, but also secured the first World Cup victory in New Zealand history. MORE COVERAGE Like many young people, Sarah Cupitt is surviving the cost-of-living crisis by skipping meals and delaying medical treatment. The 21-year-old used to live in a share house in Parramatta, but moved to the Lower Blue Mountains to afford her own place. Sarah Cupitt, 21, is making sacrifices to live on her own. Credit: Steven Siewert Living alone is a time bomb, its not sustainable the way the economy is heading, Cupitt said. Everyone is being forced to economise on housing in some way either living with strangers, which has its own risk, especially if youre female, or moving really far away from where you work. Herman Van Malssens last message from his son Josh was full of love heart emojis. The 24-year-old texted his dad to say he had arrived home safely, knowing he always worried about him. That was just after midday on Friday last week. Eight hours later Josh was dead. Hed suffered a suspected heart attack after he was arrested by transport officers at Perth underground train station. He allegedly became agitated after he was questioned over a ticket fee and was placed into handcuffs and tackled to the ground. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Former cabinet minister Stuart Robert met consulting firm Accenture to discuss a federal project worth $111 million after his close friend David Milo had been trying to help the firm win lucrative government contracts. The meeting triggered probity concerns over Roberts decision to discuss the sweeping visa processing deal at a sensitive point before the winning bidder was announced, raising new questions about his links to people who had helped Accenture in the past. A cache of leaked emails reveals Milo and his consulting company, Synergy 360, sought a series of deals with Accenture in the years before the major federal project. The meeting triggered probity concerns over Stuart Roberts decision to discuss the sweeping visa processing deal at a sensitive point before the winning bidder was announced. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen At one point, Synergy 360 asked Accenture for at least $15,000 a month and a success fee of 5 per cent of the total contract value from any federal deals they won. The new details add to a series of revelations about Roberts help for Milo and Synergy 360 over several years when he was a backbencher and a senior minister, including meetings with tech giants Unisys and Infosys while they gained major deals in Canberra. The Australian National Audit Office highlighted the meeting between Robert and Accenture in a highly critical report on June 7 into the governments decision to choose the consulting firm to build a new visa system for the Department of Home Affairs that was ultimately cancelled at a cost to taxpayers. Advertisement Robert met Accenture with Home Affairs secretary Mike Pezzullo and a probity adviser from law firm Maddocks on July 13, 2021, before the final negotiations with leading bidders and before a deal was announced on September 6 that year. The federal auditor found the meeting was contrary to the probity protocols, but the department disputed that conclusion by claiming it was only an administrative oversight that the meeting was not recorded in the register. Robert told this masthead it was ridiculous to ask him about Milos relationship with Accenture and that the July 2021 meeting had been cleared by probity advisers. But he declined to answer a question about whether he had disclosed his relationship with Milo. Loading As it turned out, for this project I did sit with the probity adviser and they presented me a list of everyone ever connected with any of these Home Affairs projects and their investors, directors and advisers. I indicated who I knew and in what capacity, said Robert, who resigned from parliament last month. Asked whether he spoke to Milo about the project and discussed Accenture with his friend, Robert said: I reject all of your insinuations. Milo did not respond to an email asking him about his proposal for a marketing agreement with Accenture and any work he did with the firm, but he has previously denied being a lobbyist. Advertisement Our relationships with government officials or ministers are definitively intermittent. It is always incidental to the work that we do for clients, he told a parliamentary inquiry on April 14 that questioned him about the assistance he sought from Robert. Robert has denied receiving any payment for his help to Milo and others, telling this masthead: I have never assisted any companies to win any contracts. If my advice is sought, I provide it freely. The confidential emails show that Synergy 360 sought the government marketing agreement with Accenture in March 2018 with no expiry date on the deal. It said Synergy 360 would provide political and/or government marketing services to assist Accenture business activities within the Australian federal government and this included finding new tenders or business opportunities. The leaked emails also show Milo was in contact with senior Accenture executives including Mike Kerrigan and Josh Kennedy-White about business opportunities in defence and other sectors. In one email in 2017, Milo contacted Kerrigan and Kennedy-White and said: As I mentioned to Mike, Ive been working with Accenture for the last six months on proposals in defence and have a couple of other opportunities ... in DHS [Department of Human Services] and Home Affairs. Advertisement Accenture said Kerrigan and Kennedy-White left the firm in the middle of 2019. The Department of Home Affairs began the procurement process for the permissions capability in October 2020. Accenture said its records did not show any payment to Milo, Milo Consulting or Synergy 360. We have looked into this matter and found no record of any business relationship between Accenture and Synergy 360 or David Milo, a spokeswoman said. Loading We did not engage the services of Synergy 360 in relation to the request for proposals for the permissions capability or for any work done on that project. We have searched our financial systems including our contracts, procurement system and our payment system, and have not found any evidence that we have ever engaged the services of Synergy 360, nor made any payment to them. Milo and Synergy 360 sought a share of the work on the precursor to the permissions capability system when Home Affairs wanted to overhaul the visa system in 2017 and manage $2 billion in annual revenue from visa fees. Advertisement Bidders for the project included Scott Briggs, a close friend of former prime minister Scott Morrison who set up a new firm, Australian Visa Processing, in the hope of outsourcing the visa system with a consortium that also included PwC Australia, Oracle and Ellerston Capital. Milos consulting firm invested $200,000 in Australian Visa Processing in return for 9946 shares, according to emails obtained by this masthead, but the bid ultimately failed. Morrison recused himself from any decision on the deal given his friendship with Briggs. When Home Affairs attempted a different project with the permissions capability in October 2020, it was meant to start with visa processing and extend to citizenship, customs and personnel security clearances in the hope of creating a system that could be used by other departments. The project began when the home affairs portfolio was led by Peter Dutton as minister, but Robert also had oversight after he was put in charge of the Digital Transformation Agency. Documents released under freedom of information show that Morrison decided in April 2021 to transfer the key digital agency, which has a broad remit over federal tech projects, from then-government services minister Linda Reynolds to Robert. Accenture delivered one element of the major project the digital passenger declaration in March last year, but key elements were delayed. The digital passenger declaration online system was switched off in July and people reverted to the incoming passenger cards that have been used for decades. Advertisement Theres no denying that geopolitical disputes are spilling over to impact economic exchanges with increasing frequency. But the informed question is around how significant these spill-overs are compared with unfolding trends in the fundamental drivers of trade, which are economic, not political. Politicians and bureaucrats dont trade. Business and households do. Burgeoning Australia-China trade since the mid-2000s has never been about a political meeting of the minds. Similarly, shared values was never the driver of Australias trade with Japan after World War II. Loading More prosaic factors have led the way, like what China and Japan need and what Australia can competitively supply. Theres good reason to think that prosaic factors will continue to dominate and China will only become more important as Australias trading partner of choice. Aside from buoyant commodity prices, two factors underpin the strength of the latest bilateral trade numbers. First, the disruptive trade measures that Beijing imposed in 2020 are now being removed. After a long absence, in January this year $A24 million of Australia coal made its way through Chinese ports. By April, this had exploded to $A844 million. Trade Minister Don Farrell has also declared the blockages affecting cotton and copper to be over, while last month Chinas ambassador, Xiao Qian, delivered the news that Australian timber was once again welcome in the Chinese market. Trade Minister Don Farrell and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao in Beijing in May. Credit: DFAT Visiting Beijing in May, Farrell was further assured that the Chinese sides review into tariffs placed on barley was well underway and a decision can be expected in the next few weeks. Second, the complementarities between the Australian and Chinese economies keep expanding, while shrinking vis-a-vis other trading partners. As the world moves away from a reliance on fossil fuels, businesses and households on both sides have quickly recognised the potential for mutual benefit in clean energy supply chains. In 2022-23, the value of Australias raw lithium exports is expected to reach $18.3 billion, up from just $1 billion two years ago. In 2021-22, China bought 96 per cent of the total. China is reliant on Australian lithium. Credit: Bloomberg This is not a one-way dependence vulnerable to political spats. Chinese researchers recently put the countrys reliance on raw lithium imports at 87 per cent of its total demand, and with nearly 90 per cent of this coming from Australia. On the import side of the equation, Australia has long relied on international markets for passenger vehicles and last year this hit a new record high, at $27.7 billion. This was the second-largest category of goods imports, following only petroleum. Historically, Japan has long been the supplier of choice, meeting more than 40 per cent of Australian demand, while China has been a bit player at less than 3 per cent. But now that Australian consumer preferences are shifting to electric vehicles (EVs), the two countries shares are changing rapidly. An EV assembly line at a factory in China. Credit: Getty Thats because when it comes to EVs, the global leader is China. Companies like Tesla evaluate Shanghai to be preferable to Nagoya as a value-for-money production base. And thats not just because of cheaper labour costs. China also leads Japan in many of the technologies that EVs embody, such as those found in batteries. The new Toyota isnt to be found in Korea, Germany or the US either. Rather, the companys name is BYD, and its headquartered in Shenzhen, China. Loading Consumers are giving the ticket of approval not just to BYD. In fact, in the first quarter of 2023, the top 6 EVs sold in Australia were Made in China. This explains why Chinas share of Australias imported passenger vehicle market has shot up to 17 per cent, while Japans slumped to 31 per cent. If we accept that trade goods like lithium and EVs are on the up, while fossil fuels and cars with internal combustion engines are on the way down, the already large gap between China and Japan as Australias largest and second-largest trading partners is about to become a chasm. Under the auspices of the WCO/JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Joint Project and with the kind host of the WCO Asia Pacific Regional Training Center (RTC) located in Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS), the fourth Working Group (WG) of the Master Trainer Programme (MTP) on Customs Valuation (CV) and HS Classification (HS) for the Pacific Islands was held at the WCO Asia Pacific Regional Training Center in Suva, Fiji, from 12 to 16 June 2023. The objective of the MTP is to establish more self-sustainable training capacity in key Customs work areas in the participating regions by developing a pool of well-qualified trainers and training materials/programmes that meet regional needs. To this end, the MTP trains the same nominated participants (WG members) from respective Customs Administrations through 5 WGs and intersessional activities for 2-3 years. Twenty-two WG members for CV and HS from six WCO Members, namely, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Timor-Leste, Tonga and Vanuatu, participated in the working group activity. At the opening ceremony, Mr. Nausad Ali, Chief Customs Officer of FRCS, Ms. Nancy Oraka, Head of Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) Secretariat, and Ms. Mayumi AMAIKE, Resident Representative of JICA Fiji Office, highlighted the importance of having qualified trainers and tailored training materials on CV and HS through the MTP for the Pacific Islands and encouraged WG members to finalize the development of training materials which started at WG3 in November last year. WCO experts and Japan Customs experts greatly assisted WG members in developing training materials. In addition, they conducted lectures on substantive matters on CV/HS and training methods. Besides, the representatives of the Australian Border Force and New Zealand Customs Service explained their capacity building activities for the Pacific Islands, which motivated WG members to be Master Trainers for contributing to regional capacity building activities. At the end of WG4, WG members revised their work plan towards the final working group activity, WG5, expected to hold in early 2024. Their journey continues intersessionally. For more information, please, contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org. From 5 to 9 June 2023, the World Customs Organization (WCO) facilitated a Study Visit to the Customs Administration of Dubai by the Jordan Customs Department (JCD) under the framework of the SECO-WCO Global Trade Facilitation Programme (GTFP). This activity aimed at learning from best practices in the region to reinforce the JCD capacities to enable the movement of goods entering through the air cargo facilities, in alignment with the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) Article 7.8. Dubai Customs exchanged its experiences on the facilitation and simplification of Customs procedures, relevant risk management practices, data management, use of technology and automation initiatives. Through the study tour, the JCD had the opportunity to visit the Air Cargo Center, the Port Customs Service Department, and different departments within the Dubai Customs headquarters (Risk Management, Audit, and Data Section). This allowed the opportunity of reviewing in detail the working principles, use of non-intrusive inspection equipment, targeting of high-risk shipments, and coordination with the audit team. The WCO, through the SECO-WCO GTFP, is currently supporting the JCD in developing a procedure allowing for the expedited release of goods entered through air cargo facilities, thus aligning with the WTO TFA on expedited shipments and the lessons learned from the Study Visit will provide valuable insight for the JCD going forward, specifically in its effort to further enhance and develop its e-commerce environment. The WCO and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) express sincere gratitude to the UAE Federal Authority and Dubai Customs for their support and collaborative approach. For more information on the GTFP, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org The World Customs Organization (WCO) Secretariat has released the Illicit Trade Report (ITR) for 2022. This flagship publication focuses on enforcement matters and provides a comprehensive overview of cross-border illicit trade, shedding light on the threats it poses to citizens, consumers, and economies. Moreover, it showcases the commendable efforts of the Customs community to combat illicit trade and protect societies. The ITR provides a meticulous analysis of illicit trade dynamics by examining seizure data and case studies reported by various Customs administrations. It delves into seven key topics, including drugs, environment, cultural heritage, money laundering and terrorist financing, intellectual property rights, health and safety, and revenue. The analysis primarily relies on data collected from the WCO Customs Enforcement Network (CEN), a global database of Customs seizures and offences. The CEN serves as an invaluable resource, empowering WCO Members to access information on illicit trafficking of various commodities, thereby enhancing their risk targeting capacities. To further enrich the report, the 2022 Report incorporates an expanded range of data and information sources. These sources include reliable media outlets, reports published by Customs administrations and international organizations, as well as a survey conducted by the WCO Secretariat to gather additional data from Customs administrations and WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Offices (RILOs). A dedicated section of the Report titled "Customs Enforcement Scan" presents useful information from open sources and offers comparisons between data from these sources and proprietary data analysis based on the CEN. Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, WCO Secretary General, emphasized the significance of conducting comprehensive data analysis in strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs law enforcement endeavours. He said : "The WCO Illicit Trade Report stands at the forefront of data gathering and analysis. Leveraging our expertise and available technology, we provide comprehensive analysis substantiated by insights derived from publicly available sources and presented through advanced data visualizations". Dr. Mikuriya also highlighted the need to adapt to evolving tactics employed by criminal organizations in the complex global trade environment. "By understanding emerging trends and harnessing the power of information from open sources we can enhance our efforts to combat illicit trade and safeguard the integrity of international commerce" said Dr. Mikuriya. The release of the 2022 ITR demonstrates the WCO's commitment to improving data quality and analysis. Customs administrations have diligently contributed to reporting quality data in the CEN throughout 2022. The production of the Report has been made possible thanks to the participation and support of WCO Members, partners, and stakeholders. Their valuable contributions, including data sharing and case studies as well as survey responses, have once again contributed to the Customs communitys enhanced understanding of illicit trade. The 2022 Illicit Trade Report is currently available in English, with the French version set to be released shortly. Weber State launches Talent Ready Cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure apprenticeship June 22, 2023 OGDEN, Utah Weber State University is launching a new program for students pursuing cybersecurity and information technology degrees. The Talent Ready Cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure Apprenticeship program aims to help students upskill and gain technical training. Students will interact with WSU instructors and business professionals while gaining experience performing real-world cybersecurity and IT responsibilities. The program also allows students to be paid while completing their academic studies. There is a great demand for cybersecurity and IT professionals due to the daily increase in cyberattacks worldwide, said Brian Rague, associate dean for WSUs College of Engineering, Applied Science & Technology. Graduates in this field are going to have a wide range of job opportunities at various companies. Rague said the importance of secure data and smooth operational integrity is rapidly increasing in industries such as healthcare, public utilities, aerospace and defense contracting. Students who apply and are accepted to the program are then interviewed to determine which tech company best fits them. This program is very engaging for our apprentices, Rague said. One of the perks is that students receive guidance from professionals already in the field and get on-the-job training. The program will last for two years and can fund 65 students. Applications for the program are accepted on an ongoing basis. Steps to apply for the apprenticeship opportunity are provided on the Utah Technology Apprenticeship Program website. Allentown, PA (18103) Today A mix of sun and clouds; warm and humid with a t-storm possible late in the day, though much of the day remains dry. . Tonight Becoming mostly cloudy, warm and muggy with a few showers and thunderstorms; a heavy downpour or two. One year ago Saturday, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Twenty-five million women of childbearing age now live in states where the law makes abortions harder to get than they were before the ruling. Decisions about the law are largely in the hands of state lawmakers and courts. Most Republican-led states have restricted abortion. Fourteen ban abortion in most cases at any point in pregnancy. Twenty Democratic-leaning states have protected access to abortion. Heres a look at whats changed since the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization ruling. LAWS HAVE BEEN ENACTED IN 25 STATES TO BAN OR RESTRICT ABORTION ACCESS Last summer, as women and medical providers began to navigate a landscape without legal protection for abortion, Nancy Davis doctors advised her to terminate her pregnancy. The fetus she was carrying had no skull and was expected to die soon after birth. But doctors in Louisiana, where Davis lived, would not provide the abortion due to a new law banning it throughout pregnancy in most cases. Davis became one of the women whose stories, told on news sites and network news, in newspapers and blogs, illustrated the shifting ground doctors and their patients tried to navigate. At the same time, abortion opponents who worked for decades to abolish a practice they see as murder cheered the Supreme Courts Dobbs ruling. Anti-abortion groups said the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide was undemocratic because it prevented states from enacting bans. The Dobbs decision was a democratic victory for life that generations fought for, said E.V. Osment, a spokeswoman for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a major anti-abortion group. While some states scrambled to pass new restrictions, others already had enacted laws that were designed to take effect if the court overturned Roe. More than 25 million women ages 15 to 44, or about 2 in 5 nationally, now live in states where there are more restrictions on abortion access than there were before Dobbs. More than 5.5 million more live in states where restrictions have been adopted but are on hold pending court challenges. Bans on abortion no later than 12 weeks into pregnancy are on the books in nearly every state in the Southeast though some are not in effect. Many laws that make exceptions for medical emergencies do not clearly define those situations. After Davis went public with her challenges last year, Louisiana lawmakers debated whether doctors in the state were right to deny her an abortion under a law that has exceptions for medically futile pregnancies and when theres a substantial risk of death or impairment for the woman. But the Legislature made no changes to clarify the law. Davis is among a number of women who ended up traveling out of state to have a legal surgical abortion. She got help from a fund that raises money for women to travel for such purposes. With her fiance by her side, Davis flew to New York in September, when she was about four months pregnant. The whole experience was heartbreaking, she said. A mothers love starts as soon as she knows shes pregnant. That attachment starts instantly, she said. It was days I couldnt sleep. It was days I couldnt eat. ABORTION ACCESS HAS BEEN PROTECTED IN 20 STATES As some states restricted abortion, others locked in access. Clinics moved across state lines, added staff and lengthened hours to accommodate women leaving their home states to end their pregnancies. In 25 states, abortion remains generally legal up to at least 24 weeks of pregnancy. In 20 of those states, protections have been solidified through constitutional amendments or laws. Officials in many of those states, including California, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico and New York, have explicitly invited women from places where the procedure is banned. Women have flocked to states with legal access. CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health had for decades treated patients in Memphis, Tennessee, some seeking abortions. After Tennessees abortion ban kicked in last year, the clinic opened a second outpost thats about a three-hour drive away, in Carbondale, Illinois, a state that has positioned itself as an oasis for abortion access. I would say 80% or more of our patients continue to come from the communities that CHOICES has always taken care of, said CEO Jennifer Pepper, who said the Illinois clinic sees on average 350 patients a month. Theyre coming from Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and even Texas, but now theyre having to travel much farther. Kansas is one of the closest places to obtain abortions for people in parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. A new clinic opened in Kansas City, Kansas, four days before Dobbs. Within weeks, the clinic was overwhelmed. Even after lengthening hours, hiring staff and flying in physicians, its been able to take only about 10% to 15% of people who have sought an abortion there. Dr. Iman Alsaden, the Planned Parenthood medical director based in Kansas, said most patients in the Kansas clinics are now coming from elsewhere. Youre in a really, really dire public health situation when you are looking at someone who had to jump through endless amounts of hoops just to make this work and saying theyre so lucky theyre able to do this, Alsaden said. In anticipation of out-of-state patients, states such as Hawaii have passed laws to allow more health care workers, such as nurse practitioners, to provide abortions. In New Jersey, officials late last year announced a grant to train more medical professionals to perform the procedures. THE NUMBER OF ABORTIONS IS NOT CLEAR Because of reporting lags and gaps in data, the impact on the number of abortions provided across the U.S. is not completely clear. But the authors of #WeCount, a survey conducted for the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research and supports abortion access, say the monthly average went down after Dobbs. The group's data finds that the number of abortions provided through clinics, hospitals and other providers in states where bans were put in place plummeted to nearly zero. The tracking effort collects monthly data, providing a snapshot of abortion trends after Roe v. Wade was overturned. It does not reflect self-managed abortions, relies on estimates in places where providers do not supply data and does not fully account for seasonal differences in pregnancies or abortions. Still, it's the fullest national picture available for now. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data covering 2022 is not likely to be released until late 2024. Even then, the picture wont be completely clear: Not every state collects abortion data, and what is collected does not include self-managed abortions provided outside clinics, hospitals and doctors offices. In Louisiana, where abortion was legal until 22 weeks' gestational age before Dobbs, the state reported more than 7,400 abortions in 2020, the last year for which full data was available. #WeCount found there were an average of 785 a month in April and May 2022 and fewer than 10 every month since the ban there has been in place. There are similar trends elsewhere. In Idaho, 1,700 abortions were reported in 2020, and #WeCount found fewer than 10 a month recently. In Texas, state data shows only a handful of abortions monthly from August through January. Before restrictions there took effect in 2021, there were often more than 5,000 per month. The #WeCount survey of abortion providers has found that the overall average number of abortions at clinics and hospitals was lower in the months after the Dobbs ruling, from July 2022 through March but that the number of abortions has risen dramatically in states that border those with no access, such as Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico and North Carolina. In Illinois, for instance, the survey tallied about 5,600 abortions in April 2022 and more than 7,900 in March 2023. PILLS ARE AN EVEN MORE DOMINANT ABORTION METHOD Even before the court ruled, most abortions in the U.S. were done through a two-pill regimen, not a surgical procedure. Now groups are using medication to provide access however illegal -- in states where abortion is banned. For example, Aid Access works with doctors overseas and in states with shield laws, which are intended to bar abortion-related investigations by other states. Those doctors prescribe the medications and Aid Access ships them. It saw requests in a sample of 30 states more than double from before a draft of the Dobbs ruling was leaked last year until it became official and bans started taking effect. The groups Netherlands-based founder and director, Rebecca Gomperts, believes most U.S. women who want abortions are still managing to get them. The fact that the abortion pill is available, she said, that makes the tragic of it much less profound. Still, she said, those who struggle the most for access are poor and Black women. The move from surgical to medication abortion has frustrated abortion opponents, who have taken their case to court. Some abortion opponents are calling for the abortion drug mifepristone to lose its 23-year-old approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Supreme Court has preserved access for now. SOME STATES ARE INCREASING SUPPORT FOR MOMS AND CHILDREN One ripple from overturning Roe in conservative states has been a new willingness to adopt measures such as improving foster care and benefits for postpartum women. Mississippi, where the Dobbs case originated, is a key example. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed off on several proposals that he deemed as the next phase of the pro-life agenda. This included expanding a tax credit from $3.5 million a year to $10 million a year for people or businesses who donate to anti-abortion centers, which provide diapers, clothing and other assistance for pregnant women and have been accused of providing misleading information to steer women away from abortion. He also approved creating an income tax credit of up to $10,000 for adopting a child who lives in Mississippi and $5,000 for a adopting a child from outside the state. He also agreed to extend Medicaid health insurance coverage for lower-income women until a year after they give birth, rather than just two months. The state's two Catholic bishops sent a letter to lawmakers and Reeves in February calling for the Medicaid expansion. "This they felt was consistent with the intent of Dobbs, Jackson Bishop Joseph Kopacz said in an interview, "saying that it cant stop at birth. For Shannon Bagley, the executive director of the Center for Pregnancy Choices, an anti-abortion center just outside Jackson that will benefit from the expanded tax credit, said it's offering more parenting classes and focusing on helping eligible women sign up for Medicaid, job search assistance and offering donated car seats, cribs and other baby items. This is a new era and were going to have to be more and were going to have to do more, she said. LAWSUITS ABOUND In conservative Utah, a ban on abortions throughout pregnancy took effect almost immediately after the Dobbs ruling. But the next day, the states Planned Parenthood affiliate challenged the law, saying it violated the state constitution. A judge put the ban on hold while the case works its way through the courts. Its one of more than 50 lawsuits filed on abortion policy since the Dobbs ruling. Lawsuits have been the foundation of the abortion debate for decades, but now the burden is on abortion-rights advocates to prove that restrictions are too harsh, rather than on anti-abortion groups to prove they are justified. Many challenges rely on arguments about the rights to personal autonomy or religious freedom. A Texas lawsuit alleges women were denied abortions even when their lives were at risk. Bans or restrictions are on hold in at least six states while judges sort out their long-term fate. The only states where a top court has permanently rejected restrictions since the Dobbs ruling are Iowa and South Carolina. In the latter, lawmakers later adopted a new ban, but enforcement is on hold due to a court challenge. In Utah, lawmakers this year passed a first-in-the-nation law banning abortion clinics. But a judge put enforcement of that on hold, too, while the court case plays out. CRIMINAL COURTS HAVE NOT BEEN BUSY WITH ABORTION CASES Theres little evidence that doctors, women, or those who help them get abortions are being prosecuted. In Mississippi, the state attorney general's office says no charges have been brought under a new law that calls for up to 10 years in prison for anyone who provides or attempts to provide an abortion in cases where it wasn't to save the woman's life or to end a pregnancy caused by rape or incest. Progressive prosecutors across the country, including in states with bans, have said that they would not pursue abortion-related cases, or that they would make them a low priority. One in Florida was suspended from his job for it by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. James Bopp Jr., general counsel to the National Right to Life committee, finds it troubling that prosecutors would not pursue abortion cases. He said it's a change from the era before Roe v. Wade, when most states restricted abortion. They were going to enforce the laws; there was no question they were going to do that, Bopp said. That was their obligation. Legislative efforts to classify abortion as homicide or murder in South Carolina, Kentucky and Louisiana also have sputtered. The question about punishing the pregnant person is going to become the existential question in the anti-abortion movement, said Greer Donley, an abortion law expert and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. But Bopp said prominent anti-abortion groups like his oppose such measures. He said women who pursue abortions are victims of the abortion culture, victims of men, particularly wealthy men. ABORTION REMAINS A DOMINANT POLITICAL ISSUE The political table has been reset, with Republicans entering a new election season weighing how to balance the interests of a base that wants the strictest bans possible against the desires of the broader electorate. Polling has consistently found that most Americans think abortions should be available in at least some circumstances, including early in a pregnancy, but that most also favor restrictions later in a pregnancy. Polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research has found that the majority opposed banning abortion in the first six weeks of pregnancy, but most also favor barring abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Only six states have no limit, and abortion is rare after 21 weeks. Last year, voters sided with abortion-rights advocates in all six states with abortion-related ballot measures, including in generally conservative Kansas and Kentucky. The issue was also a major factor in why Democrats performed better than expected in 2022 elections. There are pushes for ballot measures to protect abortion access in several states, including Ohio. In Indiana, South Carolina and West Virginia all states that have adopted bans since Dobbs the legislative battles were not between Democrats and Republican over whether to impose restrictions but among Republicans on just how far to go. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America believes the issue could be a boost for conservatives with the right framing. The group announced this year that its working with Kellyanne Conway, a former Trump adviser, to get pro-life candidates on offense in the 2024 election cycle. PROGRESSIVES WORRY ABOUT OTHER RIGHTS Among advocates on the left, a lot of alarm bells rang over Justice Clarence Thomas concurring opinion in Dobbs. We should reconsider all of this Courts substantive due process precedents, including cases that found married people have the right to obtain contraceptives, people can engage in private, consensual sex acts and the right to same-sex marriage, Thomas wrote. So far, measures on those areas have not gained traction. State legislation on contraceptives has aimed only to guarantee or protect access to it, and President Joe Biden last year signed a law to safeguard same-sex marriage. Instead, Republican lawmakers in many states focused in 2023 on restricting gender-affirming care, especially for transgender minors. Mulvihill reported from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Kruesi from Nashville and Savage from Chicago. Emily Wagster Pettus in Jackson, Mississippi, contributed. Reading, PA (19601) Today A mix of sun and clouds; warm and humid with a t-storm possible late in the day, though much of the day remains dry. . Tonight Becoming mostly cloudy, warm and muggy with a few showers and thunderstorms; a heavy downpour or two. BERKS COUNTY, Pa. The ACLU of Pennsylvania is suing the Berks County court system to challenge its medical marijuana policies, they want them gone. The lawsuit is filed on behalf of the Pennsylvania Cannabis Coalition and US Air Force veteran Damon Monyer. It claims that because of his use of medical marijuana, county policy is blocking him from participating in Veteran's Treatment Court. "He can't really stop using his medication when in his case is marijuana so he's between a rock and hard place." Says Stephen Loney, senior supervising attorney at the ACLU of Pennsylvania. Monyer uses medical marijuana to treat PTSD and chronic pain. The ACLU claims that the court system has two policies that force individuals to choose between treating their medical conditions and participating in treatment court programs. "These are people who already had a doctor recommend to them that they use medical marijuana for their symptoms and that's still not good enough for these courts they still have to go to a judge and convince them that its medically necessary." says Loney. The suit alleges the court's policies for Veteran's Treatment Court as well as Mental Health Treatment Court and are in violation of Pennsylvania's 2016 Medical Marijuana Act. Loney says, "we've been interested in this issue in Berk's county for some time, for months if not years." And their request is simple, "The policy has got to go." Loney says. We've reached out to the Berks County Court of Common Pleas for comment. The full lawsuit can be viewed at aclupa.org/Monyer READING, Pa. The Berks County Commissioners on Thursday adopted a financing resolution for the county municipal authority to authorize the issuance of $75 million in tax-exempt bonds on behalf of Albright College. The issuance of tax-exempt bonds allows a government entity to act as a conduit for the issuance of bonds for the benefit of a non-for-profit, without assuming any financial debt or financial risk. Peter T. Edelman, bond counsel to Albright College, told the commissioners the proceeds of the bonds will be used to refinance and restructure existing debt, as well as fund capital improvement projects on the campus which include the renovation and rehabilitation of the library and the construction of a state-of-the-art collegiate esports facility, which will house professional-grade gaming equipment to be available for use by the community. Edelman said state law allows the conduit financing if the projects benefit the health, safety and welfare of the community and that federal law requires obtaining approval of the highest elected officials within the municipality where the projects are located. Commissioner Michael Rivera emphasized that the financing puts no financial requirement or liability on the county to repay the debts. In other business, the commissioners: SPRING TWP., Pa. A recent graduate of Wilson High School is on a mission to ensure World War II veterans know they are appreciated. The teen also wants to make sure their stories are not forgotten. From the second you meet 18-year-old Tyler Boland, you can tell that he is not your typical college student. "All my friends make fun of me because my best friends are 100-year-olds and 95-year-olds," Boland said with a laugh. His friends are World War II veterans, who he said should be honored, thanked, and admired. "My mission in life is to make them happy," explained the Spring Township teen who now attends Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. Tuesday, 69 News rode along with Boland as he surprised several veterans with wrapped gifts. We captured 96-year-old James Connor smiling as he unwrapped his present and put on a new hat. "I hope you like it," Boland said to Connor. "It's just something little." "Thank you very much," Connor responded. Connor still remembers the moment he was injured by shrapnel. He said he continues to carry two pieces inside his body. He received a Purple Heart for sustaining the injuries. "It's been a long time ago, but the memories are still there," explained Connor. "They never leave." Right before we departed, Connor expressed appreciation for all of Boland's efforts. "It's another year coming along, and I noticed all this help that you people are giving to the veterans," Connor said. "It's certainly a great thing, and you should be applauded for it." We also went to 98-year-old Edward Czechowski's house. He is a Navy veteran, who recalled dozens of islands that he visited during his service. "We rode a typhoon. Three ships went 45 degrees right down the deep six. We rolled a few times. We said, 'Uh oh, this is it,'" recalled Czechowski, a Navy vet who spent a lot of time in the Pacific. "We had good captains," Czechowski continued. "We got hit with two kamikazes. They hit us; we were flooding. Thank God we had good people knew what they were doing." We also captured Army veteran Donald Burns opening his present. "I think everybody should know a little history. When I say about the Battle of the Bulge, they said I had a weight problem," laughed Burns. For our last stop, we drove back to Boland's house in Spring Township to meet 95-year-old Lou Cinfici. At just 16, Cinfici enlisted as a merchant marine. He would go on to serve more than 22 years during World War II, Korea and Vietnam. "I loved it. I found a home. It was a great life. I got a good education," responded Cinfici, when asked why he chose to serve the country for more than two decades. When he came back to the states, Cinfici said the welcoming wasn't what he expected. "I kind of isolated myself against everybody, because I was treated so poorly when I came back from the war," explained Cinfici. He said a call from Boland asking him to attend a party with other vets would change everything. "So now, I go out and talk to the kids. When the school asks for a veteran to come over and talk, I go over and talk," he explained. "Otherwise, I'd still be isolated." Cinfici said he can't believe how involved Boland is and believes that young people should learn about past wars. "I think the young kids today should know exactly what happened with their grandparents and brothers and sisters," Cinfici said. "How they defended the county to make it the way it is today." "Some of these guys, before, they have never told their story, and I am one of the first people to hear it in 80 years," Boland said during a sit-down interview. "Especially like concentration camp liberators. It's a lot to take in, but it's nice to know they trust me to tell their stories." Boland said he plans to interview as many World War II veterans as he can. So far, he said he has conducted nearly 100 interviews. "I have hours of footage with vets, lots of pictures," Boland explained. "I take them places. I host events at my house." He documents everything on his Facebook page, Keeping History Alive. "When a vet dies, their story dies, too," he said. "Eventually, I am going to send them [the interviews] to the Library of Congress, so when they're all gone in 5, 10 years, my generation my kids, grandkids, all those future generations they can all have the WWII vets' stories." There is just one story he wishes he could have recorded. "That's my great-grandpa. His name was 'Chuck' Charles Schwambach," said Boland, while showing 69 News a photo of his great-grandfather. "By meeting all these other World War II vets, it kind of allowed me to understand what exactly he would've gone through, and he's like my hero," Boland said. "Seeing all these pictures and his medals kind of really inspired me to meet other vets." Before wrapping up, Boland said he wanted to stress that people should always thank veterans for their service. "It will just make their day," he said. After we left, Boland continued giving out hats. He visited 99-year-old veteran Joseph Julian, who turns 100 years old Wednesday. READING, Pa. - There will soon be a few less eyesores in the city. We as a board want this to be a pilot first step as to how we can work towards the remediation of blight in this city, said John Miller, chairman of the Reading Redevelopment Authority. The Reading Redevelopment Authority says a recent auction involving a couple of blighted properties ended up yielding some unexpected, but positive, results. These four particular parcels we decided would be best suited put up for auction. We started the price at one dollar absolute auction so the market determined the price, Miller said. So the auction was a tremendous success. I suspected we might get something half the price from what it actually brought in," Miller continued. "Final tally is $147,000 dollars for the four parcels, and theres a deed restriction in place so those properties need permits pulled in 90 days." Then RRA says they have a year to be rehabbed and get an occupancy certificate from building and trades. Theyre on their way to getting rehab and put back on the tax rolls again, Miller said. Next up, the Redevelopment Authority is hoping city council will approve half a million dollars of American Rescue Plan money to fix up more dilapidated properties. It will be a great first step with approval, and we can get things kicked off and really start tackling the blighted properties here in the city. The list is 450 properties long and we look forward to going after that list, Miller said. City council is set to vote on the funding Monday night. ALLENTOWN, Pa. - A manufacturing company is relocating to the Lehigh Valley. Schless Bottles, which makes plastic jars and bottles, is moving its facility from northern New Jersey to Allentown, announced Gov. Josh Shapiro in a news release Thursday. The move is expected to create 98 full-time jobs over the next three years. Schless will spend more than $7.5 million in buying and renovating the building, Shapiro said. The facility will be located at 2124 Hanover Avenue in the City of Allentown, Shapiro's office said. The property was sold in April for $6.2 million, according to county property records. The company says it's relocating because it needed more space to expand. Schless Bottles produces more than 250 million PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles every year. Pushing polarization out of politics is the goal of the centrist Forward Party. Lehigh Valley State Senator Lisa Boscola says she's joined the movement. The Forward party was started by former Presidential candidate Democrat Andrew Yang and two Republicans, including a former Trump administration official. They say the party isn't left or right, but forward. "The Forward party was developed to engage Democrats, Republicans and independents," Boscola said. On Wednesday Lehigh Valley Democratic state Senator Lisa Boscola and fellow Democrat state Senator Anothony Williams of Philadelphia joined with two House Republicans, Valerie Gaydos of Allegheny County and Marla Brown of Lawrence County becoming the first state legislators affiliated with the centrist Forward Party. Just like a strong economy needs a strong middle class, right? A strong democracy needs strong moderate voices, and problem solvers. Headed by Andrew Yang, a one time Democratic Presidential candidate, the Forward Party allows members to stay with their current parties while working for bipartisanship, voting reform, non partisan primaries and independent redistricting commissions. With more than 1.2 million registered independents in PA, Democratic strategist and former member of the State House, T.J. Rooney, believes the movement cuts to the core of most voters. "The voices that people want to hear from are those voices or people who want to get things done and want to include more people in the process. How you argue against that?" Rooney said. However in terms of legislative leverage here in Pennsylvania? Republican Strategist Sam Chen points out the Forward party is less than two years old. "It will take time. It will take some building. And so what the impact or how great that impact is, will have to be left to be seen. But it can has the potential of being impactful," Chen stated. Boscola, who has always had a independent streak, says she is ready to campaign for this movement both here in Pennsylvania and nationally if need be. BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. - Two of the biggest housing developments in Bethlehem Township history will be discussed Monday by the township's planning commission. The commission will get its first look at the Chrin V7 development, on the site of a former driving range at the intersection of William Penn Highway and Route 33. Chrin proposes 256 apartments in 12 buildings, plus a clubhouse and pool. The eastern edge of the development is bounded by Hope Road. Also on the agenda is the Fields at Farmersville, a plan for 108 homes on 52 acres on Farmersville Road. News of the Chrin proposal has generated anger on social media, but land use is not set by referendum. Ownership and zoning determine what can be built, and Chrin Cos. owns the 16.9 acres. Residents have a right to complain and ask questions, but township officials are sworn to uphold the law, not to protect the interests of any one set of property owners. At a meeting in March 2022 about a plan to put 220 apartments at the former Bethlehem Drive-In, township attorney Jim Broughal said that just not liking a plan is not a reason to deny it. "You have to state chapter and verse of what provisions of the zoning and subdivision or stormwater ordinance the developer failed to meet," Broughal said. "You can't just say, 'I don't like it.'" On Monday, the planning commission will review a preliminary Chrin V7 layout, known as a "sketch plan." No decisions will be made. Sketch plans are presented by developers to gain input from the township. When news of Kay Builders' Farmersville Road plan came out in April 2022, there was a similar outcry from residents. As in other Lehigh Valley communities, a main concern was a change in lifestyle as more open space becomes covered by buildings. In some cases, people who live in homes built on what was farmland were complaining about more houses being built on what is farmland. Some complained about the potential impact on wildlife, which is an issue beyond the purview of the township. Others objected to losing a view of open space. That prompted Planning Commission Chairman Les Walker to point out a limit to property rights: "When you bought the home, you didn't buy the view." The initial Kay Builders' plan for the Miller farm at 3107 Farmersville Road was for 166 units. That has been cut back to 108, as Kay eliminated apartments from the proposal. The latest plan shows only single-family homes and town homes, along with other changes Kay made in response to discussions with the township. The seven-member township planning commission consists of volunteers who are appointed by the board of commissioners. The planners make recommendations to developers and the elected commissioners. The Bethlehem Township Planning Commission will meet Monday, June 26 at 7 p.m. at the municipal building, 4225 Easton Ave. The meeting will also be available on Zoom. The agenda is available on the township website. Agendas are subject to change. Last week, shocking footage of a bear clinging to a second-story window in the Steamboat Springs area emerged, going viral online. A later report from the Yampa Valley Bugle revealed that this bear has since been captured and euthanized as a result of its behavior. Footage of the bear was highly-watched online, as the animal attempted to leave a home through an upper floor before re-entering the home to leave from the first level. The video of the bear has been viewed over 100,000 times on the YouTube platform alone. Those familiar with Colorado Parks and Wildlife policy are likely unsurprised that the decision was made to kill the bear. In Colorado, human-wildlife interactions are closely monitored and when bears show signs of losing fear of humans, it can often be a death sentence. Per a report from Steamboat Radio, the euthanized bear had been involved in at least three home break-ins and other attempted break-ins. Colorado Parks and Wildlife noted that they had been attempting to capture the bear and that if they were successful, the bear would be killed. A total of 94 bears were euthanized in Colorado last year, with accessible trash being blamed in many cases. Bears tend to be creatures of habit and are highly-intelligent when it comes to finding food. They're known to open doors and windows in search of sustenance, also with a tendency to re-visit areas where they've been successful at finding food in the past. The death of this bear provides another example of why it's so crucial to keep doors and windows locked on homes in areas where wildlife is present. It's also crucial to keep potential food sources or even items that merely smell like food locked away from wildlife. This includes trash, as well as scented items like chapstick and sunblock. Typically this time of year, news organizations unveil their list of the year's top stories. At 69 News, we asked our reporters to do something a little different. We asked them to pick a story that struck a nerve with them as they covered it, and tell you a bit about why the story mattered so much to them. 69 News Reporter Jaccii Farris has more on how an emerging health concern inspired her to take action. In all the years I have been reporting, there have only been a few stories that made me concerned for my safety. One was covering the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Another was a series on microplastics earlier this year. It may seem like a stark contrast, but the reality is I may have been safer covering an earthquake than from the potential health impacts of microplastics, or fragments of plastic that range from the nearly invisible to the size of a sesame seed. That's because plastic is all around us. We microwave our food in it, we drink from it. It's in our clothes and personal hygiene products. It breaks down into tiny particles that float around our homes, or fibers that wash down the drain and into waterways. But before this story, I didn't know any of this. My "awakening," as it were, started after meeting with Faran Savitz, a zero waste advocate with Penn Environment. We got video of him taking water samples from the Little Lehigh, as part of a larger study of Pennsylvania waterways. "After 53 waterways, hundreds of samples taken, we found microplastics everywhere we looked," Savitz said. We took things a step further, and gave Savitz water samples from from three Lehigh Valley homes, one of which came from my kitchen faucet. All three samples came back with micro plastic fibers, films, or fragments. It's unclear if they came from the water, plumbing or the collection process, but it was eye opening. Even more startling was learning that scientists believe the average person ingests about a credit card's worth of plastic each week. I interviewed two of the world's leading researchers on the potential health impacts of ingesting those microplastics. "It's a huge public health crisis that we are facing and we will be facing," said Dr. Karunthachalem, a microplastics researcher at the New York University School of Medicine. Both confirmed that microplastics have been found in human blood, lungs, brains, even in placenta. Chemicals in some plastics have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption, obesity, fertility issues and diabetes. All this information spurred me to purge my kitchen of plastic. You should have seen the look on my husband's face as the pile of plastic got higher and higher. I replaced all of that plastic with glass or silicone items and downloaded a handy app called My Little Plastic Footprint to get a checklist of other ways to reduce my plastic consumption. All this may sound extreme to some, but knowing what I know now, avoiding microplastics is just one of the ways I am trying to keep my family, and the planet, healthy. 69 News asked our reporters to revisit a story they covered this past year that stuck with them, long after the story aired. 69 News Reporter Rose Itzcovitz shares her story. I absolutely love getting to cover fun events that mean something to the community. This one story I covered last July started out for me as one of those events. But as I learned more, it struck a chord deep within me. It was a story about adopting and fostering children. We covered an event called "Tacos with a Side of Kindness" on July 27 at Flavor Nation in Emmaus. What's not to love about tacos? Not to mention, there were yard games, live music and a dunk tank. I even got in there and let some folks knock me down. The event was to raise money for The Kindness Project. It's there for any resources you can think of, for foster families in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. It's 100 percent community-funded and 100 percent free for foster families. "Everything they need, such as clothing, shoes, hygiene items, beds, car seats," Jenae Holtzhafer, founder and executive director of The Kindness Project, told me that day. Adopting and fostering is something that's long been very important to me. Starting in 2008, I lived in Niger, West Africa, for two and a half years. It's one of the poorest countries in the world. There, I could really see just how many kids were without parents, in clear sight, out begging on the streets. People say there are plenty who need help right here in the U.S. That's true. But because over there it's so obvious, it really opened my eyes to the need. Since then, I always said one day I would foster and adopt. Time passed and my husband and I seemed to constantly have hectic and opposite schedules. I unexpectedly got pregnant. There was always some reason we couldn't do it. I met Jenae Holtzhafer at that July event. Like me, she had been looking into fostering. "My husband and I decided to become foster parents," Holtzhafer says in a promotional video from The Kindness Project. "And through that licensing process we learned that there weren't many free resources to families outside of their daily stipend." But unlike me, in the meantime, she was doing something for the cause. In the promotional video, foster parents, like Rebecca Davis, testify about the great need for resources. "We had our first foster placement in the middle of August 2019, and she was an emergency placement and we had nothing for her," Davis says. "So it was really important to us to kind of create something that gave those resources for free immediately when the child was placed," Holtzhafer continues in the video. What really stuck with me that day is the need we have right here. I could always see it in Africa. But it's huge here, too. Jenae told me that day, hundreds of kids are in foster care in Lehigh and surrounding counties alone. She called the need for foster families a crisis. "If there's not enough foster families," she said, "they end up having to stay at the government center with case workers sleeping with them until we can find a place for them to go." That's when I thought, maybe today I won't become a foster parent. But I can use my job to shine more of a light on this in the meantime. We'll have more on what this project is up to in coming months. Since that day, The Kindness Project has expanded outside the Lehigh Valley. It now has a second store full of free resources in Monroe County. Holtzhafer tells me this month they had double the new kids registered with The Kindness Project than this time last year. To learn how you can help and get involved head to the Kindness Project website. BATH, Pa. - A father-daughter duo from Bath is working together to raise funds to create and sell an art-related invention. The daughter, at just 4-years-old, came up with the idea while her dad was stationed in Afghanistan. Anthony Maniscalco finally home and now spends every day taking full advantage of watching his children, especially daughter Izzy, grow. "I was proud. I couldn't believe it," said Anthony. "My 4-year-old daughter comes up with an idea like that." His daughter Izzy, now 9-years-old says she, "just took a hair band and stuck my coloring pencils under it." She created Izzy Pens. It's a coloring book with lovable characters and a wristband. Anthony created the first-ever Izzy Pen bracelet while deployed and says his inspiration came right from his uniform. "I was thinking the name tag is wide enough, it's an inch wide," he continued. A piece of Velcro turns the tag into a bracelet and it holds markers for the art-loving child. The bracelet is patent-pending, and the co-creators are on a mission to get the invention on the wrist of others. There is just one hiccup. "We need a commercial-grade embroidery machine, the raw materials, the Velcro," Anthony continued. You can help make that happen by donating to the effort that hopefully makes this young girl's colorful dream into a life-changing reality. Check out Izzy Pens Crowdfunding at YouTube.com, Patreon.com, GoFundme.com and on Kickstarter.com. UPPER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. - Police in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, are investigating after antisemitic flyers were tossed around a neighborhood earlier this week. The flyers, found in neighbors' yards, have forced some parents to have sensitive talks with their kids and left others feeling like their safe space has been invaded. According to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, members of the white supremacist group Goyim Defense League are behind the antisemitic flyers that were found in part of the township. Police and the Secure Community Network, a safety organization for the Jewish community, say there's no credible threat and that it was part of a nationwide movement of hate. Advocates say it's a reminder to be vigilant. The flyers say the media, COVID-19 and the Biden Administration are Jewish. "Diversity means fewer white people and inclusion means the exclusion of white people and equity means stealing from white people," one read. "It's quite disturbing when it's right at your home, you know, it feels invasive," said Jeri Zimmerman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Lehigh Valley. Zimmerman says she believes the white supremacist group Goyim Defense League is behind the attack. According to their website, they target affluent areas, hoping to have incidents covered by the media and spread their message. On the site, they advise people distributing the flyers -- who have prominent jobs -- to wear masks and sunglasses as they do it. "They espouse vitriolic antisemitism," Zimmerman said. "They're a white supremacist group, so that lets you know, what they believe in, and they troll and harass Jews." "That's just not right, just to spread information like that, and it's just lies that you don't need out there," said Jeff Halbert, a neighbor who received a flyer. Halbert says his family discovered the flyers one night while walking. "It upset us for sure, and my children found them too, so that's an interesting conversation to have, you know, a sensitive subject," he added. There are anywhere between 8,000 and 10,000 Jewish people living in the Lehigh Valley, according to Zimmerman. She says if you come across a flyer, it's always best to report it. "Better to go on record and report it so that we stay updated and, you know, try and maintain security within the Jewish community," added Zimmerman. Incidents can be reported to the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley here: Incident Report Form. E. ROCKHILL TWP., Pa. - For the second night in a row, a heated school board meeting in Bucks County went on for hours. This time though, there were several surprises, but ultimately many in the Pennridge community went home disappointed. The Pennridge School District's school board was scheduled to vote Wednesday night on whether to eliminate the district's current curriculum supervisor positions. Ultimately that vote didn't happen, as a surprise motion was approved to table (or postpone) that decision. There was, however, another surprise vote. More than three-and-a-half hours into the meeting, board member Ron Wurz made the motion to terminate the school's contract with Vermilion, though it was not on the agenda. Vermilion is a third-party contractor hired by the school board to consult on the curriculum. It was founded just this past December by Jordan Adams, who has ties to Hillsdale College, which is a private, conservative Christian college. Many fear the school's contract with the company will result in students learning a whitewashed version of history, and it's been a source of contention in the district. Some have also alleged the contract between the district and Vermilion was done quickly and in secrecy. The motion to end the Vermilion contract was defeated 5-4, meaning the consulting firm stays, bringing huge disappointment to the majority attending the meeting. The motion to postpone the vote on current curriculum supervisors was made with the understanding that they would work with Vermilion and Adams to complete a curriculum that will garner the board's approval. Wednesday's meeting follows Tuesday night's committee meetings, which had numerous parents, teachers and students taking to the podium to address concerns about Vermilion. "As I sat through the hours of meetings last night and early this morning, all I could think was how happy I was to be done here," Pennridge graduate, Robin Reid, said Wednesday night. "To entertain one underexperienced and underqualified man with these four professionals is a joke." "I'm standing up here for my students asking you please don't shut doors on them," Amy Johnson, a teacher at Pennridge School District, said. The school board had been planning on voting to eliminate those four education professional positions who currently write curriculum, but a motion, then a vote, to table that kept them off the chopping block -- for now, at least. According to the school's website, there are no upcoming board meetings for at least the next month, but board members say they'll meet with supervisors in the summer to discuss a plan. Superintendent retiring Also at the meeting, another surprise announcement was made. The district's superintendent, David Bolton, will be retiring October 31, once his extended health leave is up. Back in April, the superintendent wrote a letter to the school board, expressing concerns about the rushed contract with Vermilion. "I'm very sad and mildly jealous that Dr. Bolton is retiring but mostly I'm scared," a community member said, addressing the school board. "It is a full-blown structure of trying to protect our school from you. And they are doing an amazing job, so keep pulling them out." Bolton released a statement after the meeting, saying he appreciates the board allowing him to extend his health leave through October, and that it's his "voluntary and irrevocable decision to retire." "I love the Pennridge Community and am incredibly proud of the work we have accomplished," the statement continues, in part. Bolton has been superintendent since 2018. Bathroom policy Also at the meeting, a number of people spoke out against a previous decision mandating people to use the bathroom of their biological gender. "You will never understand how hard it is to be an LGBTQ-plus student and African American student in a public school," one student said to a standing ovation. "Because if you did, you wouldn't keep creating these policies that make it harder for us to just exist." "Congratulations," another student said. "Because you've made going to the bathroom stressful and in some cases dangerous to trans students." A change.org petition entitled, "Hold Pennridge School Board Accountable!" has garnered more than 1400 signatures. Other business Budget The board also approved the 2023-2024 general fund budget with revenues and expenditures totaling $154.7 million. It establishes a tax millage rate of 135.2555. The budget does not raise taxes from the 2022-2023 rate. Construction The board approved an agreement with SitelogIQ Construction Management to provide preconstruction, bidding and construction management for the 2024 sitework phase three projects. The total amount available for the construction of the project is about $7 million. The deal with SitelogIQ is worth $310,700. In addition, directors authorized bidding for the 2024 sitework phase three projects to include paving, sitework and wayfinding signage at the high school and middle school campus. The board also OK'd a Guaranteed Energy Savings Agreement amendment. The amendment involves various maintenance projects such as the replacement of an underground fuel oil tank at Guth Elementary School, upgrades at Deibler Elementary, kitchen renovations at Grasse Elementary and masonry restoration and roof repairs at South Mountain Middle School. The amendment is valued at more than $3.4 million. E. ROCKHILL TWP., Pa. - On the heels of another heated school board meeting in the Pennridge School District, board members are meeting again on Wednesday: this time for a crucial vote. The board and the community on Tuesday night finally heard from the founder of the consulting group hired to review the district's curriculum. For about the past month, many in the community have been pushing back against Vermilion, saying the school has many experienced educational professionals who have long been writing the school's curriculum. Wednesday night's vote could take all that away. Vermillion's possible influence on the school is coming down to a vote on Wednesday night. Nearly three hours into Tuesday night's school board meeting at Pennridge, parents, teachers and students finally got what they came for: a chance to hear from the man behind Vermilion himself. Jordan Adams founded the consulting firm just this past December. Vermillion was voted in very quickly by the Pennridge school board -- many say too quickly -- which ultimately got Adams hired with intentions to improve the school's curriculum. But Adams said Tuesday night that he himself can't change the curriculum; he can only give recommendations, which the school can use as they see fit. His power-point presentation showcased suggestions to strengthen Pennridge's curriculum for seventh and eighth graders, including one, to: "Ensure that all texts are free of sexualized content that may be best left to the home and to parent discretion." Adams says plenty of classics, like Shakespeare's work, make reference to that type of content without getting too graphic. "But some of the books in the proposal here," he said, "include some things that may raise some questions for parents on why this content's being included, as opposed to other worthwhile works." After Adams spoke, many took to the podium to once again question his credentials and his experience. One current curriculum supervisor even told him some books he planned to replace with others were already on the school's agenda for other reading levels. School board member, Jonathan Russell, who is also a lawyer, said state code mandates that curriculum personnel should have five years of successful teaching and also certification as either a principal or a supervisory certification. "Do you have the five years of public-school teaching and the certification either as a principal or in the supervisory position?" Russell asked Adams. "In those points, I have neither of those things," Adams responded. "So, if I have to look between a recommendation coming from you, I couldn't even appoint you as a curriculum supervisor in Pennsylvania versus our own curriculum supervisors," he said to loud applause. Just before Adams spoke, some board members defended the decision to hire Adams. "While this consulting firm itself is fairly new, Jordan Adams' experience is seasoned," Jordan Blomgren said. Blomgrem went on to say this isn't the first time the school board hired outside firms to consult on curriculum. "We've hired other curriculum consultants as well," she said. "There was no public comment outcry when a new company, intercultural works owned by Laura Lomax was hired to incorporate the principals of diversity, equity and inclusion into the entire Pennridge schools." But others on the board say those were different circumstances. "All those other consultants were vetted and were brought to the board from the school, from the administration, from the experts," Ronald Wurz said. "The other I've learned that was brought by the board was not vetted, was not discussed in public, so those comparisons are blatantly false." Despite many questioning Adams's presentation on Tuesday night, and numerous public comments and rallies against Vermilion over the last month, there's still currently no vote on Wednesday night's agenda to terminate the school's contract with Vermillion. But there is a vote scheduled that could remove all the current curriculum supervisors: that is, the educational professionals who have already been working on the curriculum for years. And that could give Vermilion more influence as early as this upcoming school year. WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden on Thursday pronounced the U.S.-India relationship never stronger and rolled out new business deals with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as human rights activists and American lawmakers questioned the administrations decision to honor the leader with a pomp-filled state visit. In a joint news conference with Modi, Biden called the relationship between the U.S. and India among the most consequential in the world and "more dynamic than at any time in history. He underscored how two of the worlds most powerful democracies were cooperating on issues such as the climate, health care and space, saying that the U.S-India economic relationship was booming. But Modi bristled at a reporter's question about his country's commitment to democratic values as the country has seen an erosion of religious, political and press freedoms under his watch. Democracy is our spirit, Modi, who rarely takes questions from journalists, said through an interpreter. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy and our ancestors have actually put words to this concept. He said India has proved that democracies can deliver and when I say deliver, this is regardless of class, creed, religion, gender." Yet Modi has faced criticism over legislation amending the countrys citizenship law that fast-tracks naturalization for some migrants but excludes Muslims, a rise in violence against Muslims and other religious minorities by Hindu nationalists, and the recent conviction of Indias top opposition leader, Rahul Gandhi, for mocking Modis surname. Nevertheless, later in a 59-minute address before a joint meeting of Congress, Modi insisted that in India diversity is a natural way of life." We are home to all faiths in the world, and we celebrate all of them, added Modi, in a line that brought many cheering lawmakers to their feet. The premier's description runs counter to accusations by rights groups of widespread attacks and discrimination against Indias Muslims and other minorities under Modi. A group of more than 70 lawmakers wrote to Biden this week urging him to raise concerns about the erosion of religious, press and political freedoms during the visit. At least six Democratic lawmakers Democratic Reps. Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Greg Casar of Texas, Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York boycotted Modi's address to Congress, because of concerns about his human rights records. When it comes to standing up for human rights, actions speak louder than words, Bush, Tlaib, Omar and Bowman said in a joint statement. By bestowing Prime Minister Modi with the rare honor of a joint address, Congress undermines its ability to be a credible advocate for the rights of religious minorities and journalists around the world. Standing alongside Modi, Biden emphasized that press, religious and other fundamental freedoms should be at the core of how both democracies operate. During their Oval Office meeting, Biden said, he and Modi had a good discussion about democratic values while Modi said there's absolutely no space for discrimination" when pressed about his own commitment on human rights. The state visit, just the third of the Biden's presidency, was certainly a glitzy affair. Thousands gathered on the White House South Lawn for the welcoming ceremony, listening to performances by violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the a cappella group Penn Masala. As Modi arrived, the crowd including many members of the Indian diaspora broke out in a chant of Modi, Modi, Modi." All eyes are on the two largest democracies in the world, India and America, Modi said. I believe that our strategic partnership is important. Im confident that working together will be successful. Later, Modi told Congress that our partnership augurs well for the future of democracy as the two countries expand partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and other industries. He also cheered the samosa caucusthe five U.S. House members of Indian descentand Vice President Kamala Harris, who is Black and of Indian descent, as examples of the impact of the diaspora. Biden administration officials say honoring Modi, the leader of the conservative Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is Diplomacy 101. The U.S.-India relationship will be vital in coming decades as both sides navigate an ascendant China and the enormity of climate change, artificial intelligence, supply chain resilience and other issues. On the issues that matter most that will define the future, our nations look to one another including on critical regional and global issues, Biden said. Among the announcements made Thursday is an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. The Biden administration also announced plans to bolster India's semiconductor industry. U.S.-based Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending more than $800 million and India financing the rest. U.S.-based Applied Materials will launch a new semiconductor center for commercialization and innovation in India, and Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers. On the space front, India signed on to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA's lunar exploration plans. NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization also agreed to make a joint mission to the International Space Station next year. We made critical and emerging technologies the pillar of our next generation partnership to ensure these technologies promote and protect our values, remain open, accessible, trusted and secure," Biden added. All this matters for America, for India and for the world. At the welcoming ceremony, Modi called the Indian diaspora in America the millions of immigrants and their children from the subcontinent living in the U.S. the real strength of the U.S.-India relationship. He said the honor of a formal state visit the first in the U.S. for India since Barack Obama honored Modis predecessor, Manmohan Singh, in 2009 reflected the positive impact Indians are having worldwide. Modi, the son of a tea seller who rose to be India's premier, also recalled that the first time he visited the White House was three decades ago as a common man. I have come here many times but today for the first time, the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian American community in such large numbers," Modi said to an estimated crowd of 7,000. Despite the major deals, the visit was shadowed by concerns laid out by rights activists and lawmakers who question Modi's commitment to democratic principles. In 2005, the U.S. revoked Modis visa to the U.S., citing concerns that, as chief minister of the state of Gujarat, he did not act to stop communal violence during 2002 anti-Muslim riots that left more than 1,000 people dead. An investigation approved by the Indian Supreme Court later absolved Modi, but the stain of the dark moment has lingered. Biden and Modi have also had differences over Russia's war in Ukraine. India abstained from voting on U.N. resolutions condemning Russia and refused to join the global coalition against Russia. Since the start of the war, the Modi government has also dramatically increased its purchase of Russian oil. White House officials note that there are signs of change in India's relationship with Russia, which has long been New Delhi's biggest defense supplier. India is moving away from Russian military equipment, looking more to the U.S., Israel, Britain and other nations. Modi recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and has spoken out about his worries about the potential use of nuclear weapons by Russia. Modi, before Congress, said the war is causing great pain in Ukraine and having residual effects on Europe and beyond. This is not an era of war, but it is one of dialogue and diplomacy Modi said. And we must all do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering. Without specifically naming China, Modi also addressed heightened tensions in the region, saying dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo Pacific. Later Thursday, Modi attended a lavish White House state dinner in his honor. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Fatima Hussein, Stephen Groves, and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) Defense attorneys argued Thursday that rapper YNW Melly was being denied the right to face his accuser when a masked witness took the stand to testify about alleged gang connections during the performer's double murder trial in South Florida. Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy permitted Broward Sheriffs Office Detective Danny Polo to testify with his face covered because he has received death threats from people unrelated to the case against YNW Melly. Defense attorney Jason Roger Williams said jurors are supposed to consider the demeanor of a witness to determine his credibility, and they cant do that if they cant see his face, the Sun Sentinel reported. The state could have chosen any expert in gangs, Williams said. They elected to choose one who has threats against his life that dont concern this case, and who is undercover. They have precipitated this problem. Polo was eventually allowed to testify, tying YNW Melly, whose legal name is Jamell Demons, to membership in G-Shine, an offshoot of the Bloods. Polo said there are hundreds of photos of Demons with other Bloods. Demons, 24, is facing a possible death sentence for the October 2018 fatal shooting of his childhood friends, Anthony Williams and Christopher Thomas Jr. Williams and Thomas were both part of the YNW collective, known respectively as YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy. Demons, Williams and Thomas were riding in a Jeep driven by Cortland Henry, known as YNW Bortlen, after a recording session in Fort Lauderdale when Demons fatally shot Williams and Thomas, prosecutors said. Henry is charged as an accomplice in the case but will be tried separately. After killing Williams and Thomas, prosecutors said, Demons and Henry drove the bodies to an area near the Everglades, where they shot at the back and passenger sides of Henrys Jeep from the outside to make it look like Williams and Thomas were the victims of a drive-by shooting. Prosecutors say the shooting was part of a gang action, while defense attorneys say the motive lacks credibility because Demons and the victims were close friends. The gun used in the shooting has not been recovered. On Wednesday, prosecutors and defense lawyers argued over whether a cell phone that appeared to be in Demons possession at one point on the day of the killings actually belonged to Demons. Witnesses testified that the phone was in the Jeep where the victims were killed, but defense lawyers say the state hasn't proved Demons held the phone while the crime was being committed. Demons gained attention with his breakout song Murder on My Mind in 2017. He later worked with Kanye West on Mixed Personalities, which was released in January 2019, a month before Demons was arrested on the murder charges. UPDATE: Per a report from 9News, Maldonado's application to be on the presidential ballot in Colorado has been denied due to instructions for submission not being followed. That fact that no date has been announced for the presidential election was also a factor. Read more here. In case you missed it, Joseph Maldonado star of the hit Netflix show "Tiger King" and better known as Joe Exotic is set to run for president from federal prison in the upcoming 2024 election. According to a recent press release from his campaign, he'll officially be on the Colorado primary election ballot. "Yes, I know I am in Federal Prison and you might think this is a joke but it's not. It is my Constitutional right to do this even from here," reads a message from Maldonado on his campaign website. Later in the message, Maldonado addresses some of the controversy that surrounds him, stemming from the popular show and his conviction related to the hiring of hitmen to kill rival Carol Baskin a conviction he continues to dispute: "There is nothing I am ashamed of that I have done in my life and I am damn sure I will do things in the future that some of you may not like. But you need to remember one very thing: I don't give a damn what color you are, where you came from, who you sleep with, if you have done drugs in your past, or if you have made a mistake and ended up in jail or put there because someone lied about you. It is time we all put the past in the past and move this campaign forward and scare the hell out of these people because you and I want some answers." Key focuses of Maldonado's campaign include national decriminalization of marijuana, improving the management of Bureau of Land Management land and fighting political corruption. He's also focused on prison reform and criminal justice reform, with more of his views laid out on his campaign website. Sign up for free: Weekly 7 Catch up with a rundown of the 7 most important and interesting stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Those who donate to Maldonado's campaign are said to get an autographed photo in return. Joe 'Exotic' Maldonado is currently serving a 21-year sentence in federal prison, after getting a year knocked off his original sentence. Maldonado's conviction is related to a December 2017 incident in which he was recorded offering an undercover FBI agent $10,000 to kill Carol Baskin. He would later claim he wasn't serious at the time. He was also convicted of wildlife crimes related to operations of his animal facility, including killing five tigers, falsifying records and selling tiger cubs. Maldonado continues to claim innocence following his conviction. Read more about Joe Exotic's push for presidency here. The Polis administration on Thursday announced $27 million in grants to scores of entities under a program aimed at helping to connect more Coloradans to high-paying jobs. All told, 46 groups received anywhere between $50,000 and $7 million from the Opportunity Now Colorado grant program, which aims to support the creation and expansion of "innovative" workforce and talent development initiatives across the state. The grants promote in-demand, high-skill, and high-wage occupations, the governor's office said. Across the state, employers are looking to hire the top talent that Colorado is known for. The Opportunity Now Colorado grant recipients announced today will help Coloradans develop the skills and experience our growing industry partners need and unlock access to good paying jobs, Gov. Jared Polis said in a news release. The overarching goal is to develop Colorado's workforce by having the recipients build long-term partnerships between educational institutions, industry leaders, and companies, the governor's office said. Innovative partnerships between educational institutions and employers have proven that modern apprenticeship and on-the-job training programs create solid career pathways. These Opportunity Now Colorado grant recipients will foster more of these opportunities at the regional level and contribute to a strong economy that works for everyone, said Eve Lieberman, executive director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Here are the recipients: Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Scale grants, where the money is intended to "scale evidence-based practices in education and workforce development that meet employer needs and increase economic mobility. AdvanceEDU $1,154,000 BuildStrong Academy of Colorado $749,000 Relay Graduate School of Education $2,408,000 St. Vrain Valley Schools $7,000,000 Western States College of Construction $3,363,000 Seed grants, which seek to spur innovation in education to employment and workforce development Arizona State University in partnership with 8 school districts, primarily in rural areas $525,806 CareerWise Colorado $944,000 Colorado River BOCES $1,497,000 Colorado State University Pueblo $1,397,000 Family Health West Foundation $1,560,000 La Plata County Economic Development Alliance $1,246,000 Northeast Colorado Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) $1,497,000 Second Chance Center, Inc. $977,000 Tepeyac Community Health Center $1,097,000 Planning grants, which support planning, community and employer research, and partnership development in initial development phase of a program. The grants are around $50,000. Abner Herrman & Brock LLC lessened its stake in shares of The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Get Rating) by 10.3% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 43,350 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 5,000 shares during the quarter. Abner Herrman & Brock LLCs holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $2,271,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its stake in Charles Schwab by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 20,822 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,847,000 after purchasing an additional 1,452 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc. boosted its stake in Charles Schwab by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 6,263 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $528,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Charles Schwab by 25.4% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,064 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,101,000 after purchasing an additional 2,648 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in Charles Schwab by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,807 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $321,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in Charles Schwab by 16.6% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,239 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.77% of the companys stock. Get Charles Schwab alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Charles Schwab In other news, Director Marianne Catherine Brown purchased 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 28th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $53.47 per share, with a total value of $267,350.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 9,984 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $533,844.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. In related news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 77,640 shares of Charles Schwab stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.76, for a total value of $4,018,646.40. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 59,771,278 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,093,761,349.28. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Marianne Catherine Brown bought 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 28th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $53.47 per share, for a total transaction of $267,350.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 9,984 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $533,844.48. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock. Charles Schwab Trading Down 1.5 % Charles Schwab stock traded down $0.80 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $53.17. 2,246,713 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 19,965,941. The firm has a market capitalization of $94.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.75, a PEG ratio of 3.08 and a beta of 0.88. The Charles Schwab Co. has a fifty-two week low of $45.00 and a fifty-two week high of $86.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $52.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.83. Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $5.12 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 27.83% and a net margin of 34.82%. The firms revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.77 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.29 earnings per share for the current year. Charles Schwab Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 12th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 11th. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio is 27.32%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts have commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Charles Schwab from $98.00 to $75.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Citigroup dropped their target price on Charles Schwab from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Redburn Partners cut Charles Schwab from a neutral rating to a sell rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. UBS Group dropped their target price on Charles Schwab from $70.00 to $65.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised Charles Schwab from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $81.50 to $67.50 in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $67.19. Charles Schwab Company Profile (Get Rating) The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Charles Schwab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles Schwab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Adtalem Global Education (NYSE:ATGE Get Rating) issued an update on its FY 2024 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of $4.15-$4.40 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of $4.48. The company issued revenue guidance of $1.46 billion-$1.52 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $1.47 billion. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Adtalem Global Education in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company. TheStreet upgraded shares of Adtalem Global Education from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Get Adtalem Global Education alerts: Adtalem Global Education Price Performance Shares of NYSE:ATGE opened at $37.01 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.61 billion, a PE ratio of 21.15, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. Adtalem Global Education has a 1-year low of $31.79 and a 1-year high of $44.40. The businesss 50 day moving average is $41.03 and its 200-day moving average is $39.06. Insider Activity at Adtalem Global Education Adtalem Global Education ( NYSE:ATGE Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $1.13 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.92 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $369.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $354.47 million. Adtalem Global Education had a net margin of 5.54% and a return on equity of 13.67%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.87 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 1.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Adtalem Global Education will post 4.12 earnings per share for the current year. In other Adtalem Global Education news, Director Lisa W. Wardell sold 71,400 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.45, for a total transaction of $2,888,130.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 180,034 shares in the company, valued at $7,282,375.30. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, Director Lisa W. Wardell sold 7,940 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.24, for a total value of $327,445.60. Following the sale, the director now owns 275,528 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,362,774.72. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Lisa W. Wardell sold 71,400 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.45, for a total transaction of $2,888,130.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 180,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,282,375.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 3.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Adtalem Global Education A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ATGE. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of Adtalem Global Education by 65.2% in the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 727 shares of the companys stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 287 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE increased its holdings in Adtalem Global Education by 76.7% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 1,786 shares of the companys stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 775 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in Adtalem Global Education by 133.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,823 shares of the companys stock valued at $103,000 after purchasing an additional 1,612 shares during the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its stake in Adtalem Global Education by 210.5% in the first quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,881 shares of the companys stock worth $86,000 after purchasing an additional 1,953 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Adtalem Global Education in the first quarter worth $101,000. 99.85% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Adtalem Global Education Company Profile (Get Rating) Adtalem Global Education Inc provides workforce solutions worldwide. It operates through three segments, Chamberlain, Walden, and Medical and Veterinary. The Chamberlain segment offers degree and non-degree programs in the nursing and health professions postsecondary education industry. This segment operates Chamberlain University. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Adtalem Global Education Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Adtalem Global Education and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NICE (OTCMKTS:NCSYF Get Rating) is one of 217 public companies in the SoftwareApplication industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its competitors? We will compare NICE to similar companies based on the strength of its profitability, dividends, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership and risk. Dividends NICE pays an annual dividend of $0.69 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.3%. NICE pays out 90.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, SoftwareApplication companies pay a dividend yield of 1.8% and pay out 53.1% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. NICE lags its competitors as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio. Get NICE alerts: Profitability This table compares NICE and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets NICE N/A N/A N/A NICE Competitors -34.82% -159.64% -7.11% Earnings & Valuation Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio NICE N/A N/A 297.21 NICE Competitors $682.28 million -$40.22 million 367.42 This table compares NICE and its competitors revenue, earnings per share and valuation. NICEs competitors have higher revenue, but lower earnings than NICE. NICE is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for NICE and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score NICE 0 0 0 0 N/A NICE Competitors 397 1687 3506 55 2.57 As a group, SoftwareApplication companies have a potential upside of 26.44%. Given NICEs competitors higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe NICE has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors. Institutional and Insider Ownership 7.1% of NICE shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.6% of shares of all SoftwareApplication companies are owned by institutional investors. 29.2% of shares of all SoftwareApplication companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Summary NICE competitors beat NICE on 7 of the 10 factors compared. About NICE (Get Rating) NICE Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, provides cloud platforms for AI-driven digital business solutions worldwide. It offers CXone, a cloud native open platform; Enlighten, an AI engine for CX that discovers automation opportunities for self-service; digital-entry points solutions that enable organizations to address consumers' needs; and journey orchestration solutions that empower organizations to connect and route customers to deal with the customer's request, and connects them using real time AI-based routing. The company also provides smart self service solutions that empower organizations to build intelligent automated conversations based on data; and prepared agent solutions and tools enable contact center agents to guide and alert them in real time; complete performance solutions that help organizations to record structured and unstructured customer interaction and transaction data; and NICE Evidencentral, an digital evidence management platform for public safety emergency communications, law enforcement, and criminal justice helps agencies. In addition, it offers X-Sight, is an open and flexible AI-cloud platform for financial crime and compliance; Xceed, a cloud platform for comprehensive AML and fraud prevention for small and mid-sized organizations; data intelligence solutions that enable organizations to turn raw data into comprehensive actionable intelligence to prevent and detect financial crimes; AI and analytics technologies to detect and prevent financial crimes in real-time; money laundering and fraud prevention solutions that help organizations adhere to capital markets compliance and anti-money laundering compliance regulations; intelligent investigations solutions; and self-service solutions that provide organizations with customization and self-development capabilities. The company was formerly known as NICE-Systems Ltd. and changed its name to NICE Ltd. in June 2016. NICE Ltd. was founded in 1986 and is based in Ra'anana, Israel. Receive News & Ratings for NICE Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for NICE and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pacific Financial (OTCMKTS:PFLC Get Rating) is one of 215 public companies in the BanksRegional industry, but how does it contrast to its peers? We will compare Pacific Financial to related companies based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, profitability, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, valuation and risk. Insider and Institutional Ownership 6.8% of Pacific Financial shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.2% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by institutional investors. 18.8% of Pacific Financial shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 16.2% of shares of all BanksRegional companies are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Get Pacific Financial alerts: Dividends Pacific Financial pays an annual dividend of $0.52 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.4%. Pacific Financial pays out 116.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, BanksRegional companies pay a dividend yield of 11.8% and pay out 15.2% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Pacific Financial lags its peers as a dividend stock, given its lower dividend yield and higher payout ratio. Valuation and Earnings Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Pacific Financial N/A N/A 21.38 Pacific Financial Competitors $2.79 billion $680.11 million 365.77 This table compares Pacific Financial and its peers revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Pacific Financials peers have higher revenue and earnings than Pacific Financial. Pacific Financial is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Profitability This table compares Pacific Financial and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Pacific Financial N/A N/A N/A Pacific Financial Competitors 37.83% 8.70% 0.76% Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Pacific Financial and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Pacific Financial 0 0 0 0 N/A Pacific Financial Competitors 986 2756 2731 5 2.27 As a group, BanksRegional companies have a potential upside of 514.68%. Given Pacific Financials peers higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Pacific Financial has less favorable growth aspects than its peers. Summary Pacific Financial peers beat Pacific Financial on 9 of the 10 factors compared. About Pacific Financial (Get Rating) Pacific Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Bank of the Pacific that provides various banking products and services in Washington and Oregon. The company offers personal and business checking, and savings accounts; certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, and other investment options; home loans; and auto and recreation loans, credit cards, and home equity line of credit. It also provides business and commercial loans, commercial real estate loans, and SBA guaranteed loans, as well as inventory, equipment, and working capital loans; Visa business cards; and cash/treasury management, merchant, and online and mobile banking services. The company operates branches in the communities of Grays Harbor, Pacific, Whatcom, Clark, Skagit, and Wahkiakum counties in the state of Washington; and in Clatsop County, Oregon. It also operates loan production offices in the communities of Burlington, Washington and Salem and Eugene, Oregon. Pacific Financial Corporation was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Aberdeen, Washington. Receive News & Ratings for Pacific Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pacific Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG Get Rating) had its target price raised by equities research analysts at Raymond James from $240.00 to $245.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Raymond James price objective would indicate a potential upside of 15.06% from the companys previous close. A number of other research analysts also recently commented on AJG. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $231.00 to $233.00 in a research report on Friday, June 16th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $238.00 to $245.00 in a report on Friday, June 16th. VNET Group reissued a maintains rating on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a report on Tuesday, May 23rd. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $228.00 to $232.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their target price on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $213.00 to $211.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $224.57. Get Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. alerts: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Stock Up 0.6 % Shares of AJG stock opened at $212.93 on Tuesday. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 12 month low of $153.40 and a 12 month high of $219.23. The stock has a market cap of $45.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $209.12 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $197.01. Insider Buying and Selling at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. ( NYSE:AJG Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The financial services provider reported $3.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.00 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $2.67 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.67 billion. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a net margin of 13.22% and a return on equity of 18.86%. On average, research analysts expect that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 8.71 earnings per share for the current year. In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, VP Joel D. Cavaness sold 2,750 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.23, for a total value of $561,632.50. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 2,023 shares of the companys stock, valued at $413,157.29. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, VP Joel D. Cavaness sold 2,750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.23, for a total transaction of $561,632.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 2,023 shares of the companys stock, valued at $413,157.29. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Susan E. Pietrucha sold 57,419 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $211.21, for a total value of $12,127,466.99. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 5 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,056.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 101,503 shares of company stock valued at $21,433,355 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,783,678 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,414,680,000 after buying an additional 266,711 shares during the period. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,431,788,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,609,810 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $880,442,000 after buying an additional 74,974 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. WCM Investment Management LLC now owns 2,688,886 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $506,963,000 after buying an additional 141,783 shares during the period. Finally, Boston Partners bought a new position in Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in the 1st quarter valued at $418,715,000. 85.55% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Get Rating) Arthur J. Gallagher & Co engages in the provision of insurance brokerage, consulting, and third-party claims settlement and administration services. It operates through the following business segments: Brokerage, Risk Management, and Corporate. The Brokerage segment consists of retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Rating) by 19.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 28,230 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,686 shares during the quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $4,493,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in NVO. Roundview Capital LLC increased its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. Roundview Capital LLC now owns 18,803 shares of the companys stock worth $2,088,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 45.4% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,035,879 shares of the companys stock worth $559,235,000 after buying an additional 1,571,747 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 0.9% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 739,585 shares of the companys stock worth $82,131,000 after buying an additional 6,903 shares during the period. Blair William & Co. IL increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 12.7% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 19,466 shares of the companys stock worth $2,136,000 after buying an additional 2,194 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 17.5% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 107,175 shares of the companys stock worth $11,913,000 after buying an additional 15,996 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 6.30% of the companys stock. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts recently commented on NVO shares. Credit Suisse Group raised shares of Novo Nordisk A/S from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $383.33. Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Down 0.7 % Shares of Novo Nordisk A/S stock opened at $160.54 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $164.59 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $149.26. The company has a market cap of $360.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.25, a PEG ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.48. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 12-month low of $95.02 and a 12-month high of $172.97. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $1.27. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 32.53% and a return on equity of 77.39%. The business had revenue of $7.69 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.86 billion. Research analysts anticipate that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 5.03 EPS for the current year. Novo Nordisk A/S Profile (Get Rating) Novo Nordisk A/S, a healthcare company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of pharmaceutical products worldwide. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity care, and Rare Disease. The Diabetes and Obesity care segment provides products in the areas of insulins, GLP-1 and related delivery systems, oral antidiabetic products, obesity, glucagon, needles, and other chronic diseases. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novo Nordisk A/S and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Bank of Ireland Group plc (LON:BIRG Get Rating) were down 0.6% during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 9.43 ($0.12) and last traded at GBX 9.53 ($0.12). Approximately 19,520 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 98% from the average daily volume of 840,942 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 9.59 ($0.12). Bank of Ireland Group Stock Performance The companys 50-day moving average is GBX 9.26 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 9.30. The company has a market capitalization of 100.97 million, a PE ratio of 12.53 and a beta of 1.33. About Bank of Ireland Group (Get Rating) Bank of Ireland Group plc provides various banking and financial products and services. The company operates through Retail Ireland, Wealth and Insurance, Retail UK, and Corporate and Treasury segments. It provides current and savings accounts, and business deposits and accounts; personal, car, home improvement, graduate, and student loans, as well as overdrafts; and business and farming loans, BREXIT loans, invoice finance, hire purchase, and leasing services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bank of Ireland Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bank of Ireland Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. National Bank of Canada FI lessened its position in Barrick Gold Corp (NYSE:GOLD Get Rating) (TSE:ABX) by 15.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 13,586,437 shares of the gold and copper producers stock after selling 2,514,355 shares during the quarter. National Bank of Canada FIs holdings in Barrick Gold were worth $252,157,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in GOLD. Fairfield Bush & CO. purchased a new position in Barrick Gold during the 1st quarter valued at about $42,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Barrick Gold in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $647,000. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its position in Barrick Gold by 288.8% in the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 90,896 shares of the gold and copper producers stock worth $2,230,000 after buying an additional 67,516 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in shares of Barrick Gold by 97.2% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 230,278 shares of the gold and copper producers stock valued at $5,651,000 after buying an additional 113,486 shares during the period. Finally, Allianz Asset Management GmbH grew its holdings in shares of Barrick Gold by 17.7% during the 1st quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 1,007,571 shares of the gold and copper producers stock valued at $24,620,000 after acquiring an additional 151,763 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 56.82% of the companys stock. Get Barrick Gold alerts: Barrick Gold Trading Up 0.4 % Shares of NYSE:GOLD opened at $16.12 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a current ratio of 2.71. The stocks 50-day moving average is $12.69 and its 200-day moving average is $12.46. The company has a market cap of $28.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 268.67, a P/E/G ratio of 9.80 and a beta of 0.34. Barrick Gold Corp has a 52-week low of $13.01 and a 52-week high of $20.75. Barrick Gold Cuts Dividend Barrick Gold ( NYSE:GOLD Get Rating ) (TSE:ABX) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 3rd. The gold and copper producer reported $0.14 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.03. Barrick Gold had a return on equity of 3.46% and a net margin of 1.06%. The company had revenue of $2.64 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.57 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.26 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 7.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Barrick Gold Corp will post 0.98 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 31st were paid a dividend of $0.074 per share. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.84%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 30th. Barrick Golds payout ratio is currently 666.67%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In GOLD has been the subject of a number of research reports. National Bank Financial lifted their price objective on Barrick Gold from C$28.00 to C$32.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Barrick Gold from C$29.00 to C$30.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Barrick Gold in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Barrick Gold from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Barrick Gold from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Barrick Gold has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $22.52. Barrick Gold Company Profile (Get Rating) Barrick Gold Corporation is a sector-leading gold and copper producer. Its shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GOLD and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ABX. In January 2019 Barrick merged with Randgold Resources and in July that year it combined its gold mines in Nevada, USA, with those of Newmont Corporation in a joint venture, Nevada Gold Mines, which is majority-owned and operated by Barrick. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GOLD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Barrick Gold Corp (NYSE:GOLD Get Rating) (TSE:ABX). Receive News & Ratings for Barrick Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Barrick Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Today is the summer solstice and it appears afternoon showers and thunderstorms return to Colorado Springs Wednesday prompting a hazardous weather outlook across the area, according to the National Weather Service in Pueblo. Theres a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 3 p.m. Expect sunny skies and a high reaching 85 degrees. Light and variable winds are forecast to roll through from the southeast, ranging between 10 to 15 mph heading into the afternoon. A hazardous weather outlook has been established in Colorado Springs and across the Pikes Peak Region due to the possibility of isolated afternoon thunderstorms that are expected to increase in strength as the day progresses. The threat from any thunderstorms today will be frequent cloud to ground lightning, brief periods of moderate to heavy rainfall, wind gusts to around 50 mph, and small hail, the weather service said. The strong to severe storms, which have a higher probability of occurring along the Palmer Divide and El Paso County this evening, will be capable of wind gusts to 65 mph, periods of heavy rain that could produce flash flooding, and large hail of 1.5 inches in diameter or greater. Looking ahead to Wednesday night, theres a 70% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 a.m. Expect partly cloudy skies and a low bottoming out at 57 degrees. Winds from the southeast are forecast to range from 10 to 15 mph, becoming north after midnight. Sign Up for Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Chances of wet weather remain for Thursdays forecast before skies clear up heading into the weekend. Heres the full forecast from the National Weather Service. Thursday: Theres a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms in the early afternoon, mainly after 1 p.m. Expect partly sunny skies and a high near 75 degrees. Friday: Expect sunny skies and a high of 84 degrees. Saturday: Sunny skies are in the forecast with a high of 86 degrees. Sunday: Expect sunny skies and a high reaching 81 degrees. Boothe Investment Group Inc. lifted its position in Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Get Rating) by 74.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 132,760 shares of the energy companys stock after purchasing an additional 56,530 shares during the quarter. Devon Energy makes up 3.6% of Boothe Investment Group Inc.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Boothe Investment Group Inc.s holdings in Devon Energy were worth $6,719,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Devon Energy in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $364,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Devon Energy in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $188,000. Blair William & Co. IL increased its position in Devon Energy by 52.1% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 99,120 shares of the energy companys stock worth $5,861,000 after purchasing an additional 33,936 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. raised its stake in shares of Devon Energy by 9.2% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 414,354 shares of the energy companys stock worth $24,500,000 after buying an additional 34,870 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of Devon Energy in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 71.00% of the companys stock. Get Devon Energy alerts: Devon Energy Trading Down 2.6 % Shares of DVN traded down $1.25 on Thursday, hitting $47.69. 1,769,755 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 9,284,668. Devon Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $44.03 and a 1 year high of $78.82. The stocks 50 day moving average is $50.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $55.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.34, a P/E/G ratio of 0.16 and a beta of 2.33. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Devon Energy Cuts Dividend Devon Energy ( NYSE:DVN Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The energy company reported $1.46 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $3.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.82 billion. Devon Energy had a return on equity of 47.42% and a net margin of 31.39%. Devon Energys revenue was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.88 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.14 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. Devon Energys payout ratio is 8.72%. Insider Activity In other news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 8,292 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.97, for a total transaction of $414,351.24. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 218,418 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,914,347.46. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.63% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes DVN has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Evercore ISI cut their price objective on Devon Energy from $80.00 to $52.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Devon Energy in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. They set a neutral rating and a $60.00 price objective on the stock. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Devon Energy from $71.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday, May 19th. Bank of America lowered their price target on Devon Energy from $67.00 to $60.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Devon Energy from $82.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $67.39. Devon Energy Profile (Get Rating) Devon Energy Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It operates in Delaware, Anadarko, Williston, Eagle Ford, and Powder River Basin. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DVN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Devon Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Devon Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Canaccord Genuity Group set a C$21.00 target price on Lundin Gold (TSE:LUG Get Rating) in a report issued on Monday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock. Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Scotiabank boosted their price objective on shares of Lundin Gold from C$15.00 to C$16.50 in a research note on Monday, April 10th. CIBC upped their price target on shares of Lundin Gold from C$20.00 to C$21.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 8th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Lundin Gold from C$20.00 to C$21.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Haywood Securities lowered shares of Lundin Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Finally, National Bankshares decreased their price target on shares of Lundin Gold from C$21.00 to C$20.50 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, May 16th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of C$18.00. Get Lundin Gold alerts: Lundin Gold Stock Up 1.0 % Lundin Gold stock opened at C$15.41 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of C$3.65 billion, a PE ratio of 26.57 and a beta of 1.11. The companys 50-day moving average is C$17.13 and its 200-day moving average is C$15.33. Lundin Gold has a fifty-two week low of C$7.80 and a fifty-two week high of C$19.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 49.02, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.41. Lundin Gold Cuts Dividend Lundin Gold ( TSE:LUG Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 10th. The company reported C$0.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$0.34 by C$0.04. The company had revenue of C$347.17 million for the quarter. Lundin Gold had a net margin of 11.90% and a return on equity of 11.76%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Lundin Gold will post 1.3386555 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 27th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 27th will be issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. This represents a $0.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.60%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 12th. Lundin Golds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 91.38%. About Lundin Gold (Get Rating) Lundin Gold Inc operates as a mining company in Canada. The company holds interests in 27 metallic mineral concessions and three construction material concessions covering an area of approximately 64,270 hectares located in Southeast Ecuador. It primary holds interests in the Fruta del Norte gold project comprising seven concessions covering an area of approximately 5,566 hectares located near the city of Loja in Ecuador. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Lundin Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lundin Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chapin Davis Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Rating) by 34.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 18,305 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after purchasing an additional 4,694 shares during the period. Chapin Davis Inc.s holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $1,269,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 1st quarter valued at about $29,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Live Oak Investment Partners bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, My Personal CFO LLC bought a new stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.57% of the companys stock. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In BMY has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $66.00 to $65.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. 51job reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Friday, April 28th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a strong-buy rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group lowered their target price on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $78.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Friday, April 28th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Monday, March 6th. They issued a hold rating and a $62.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bristol-Myers Squibb currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $78.62. Bristol-Myers Squibb Price Performance NYSE:BMY opened at $65.50 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.42 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market cap of $137.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $66.92 and a 200-day moving average price of $69.95. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 1-year low of $63.07 and a 1-year high of $81.43. Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $11.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.50 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 15.95% and a return on equity of 51.75%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 2.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.96 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.06 EPS for the current year. Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, August 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.48%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, July 6th. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 66.47%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Rupert Vessey sold 50,385 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.06, for a total value of $3,378,818.10. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 47,751 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,202,182.06. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile (Get Rating) Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund (NYSE:ACV Get Rating) is one of 1,154 publicly-traded companies in the Asset Management industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its peers? We will compare Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund to similar companies based on the strength of its institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends, profitability and risk. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund and its peers revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Get Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund alerts: Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund -$36.37 million N/A 11.70 Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund Competitors $434.13 million $2.31 million 17.38 Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Funds peers have higher revenue and earnings than Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund. Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund N/A N/A N/A Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund Competitors 382.06% 7.69% 5.04% Analyst Ratings This table compares Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets. This is a summary of recent ratings for Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund and its peers, as reported by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund 0 0 0 0 N/A Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund Competitors 1025 4333 5659 81 2.43 As a group, Asset Management companies have a potential upside of 89.71%. Given Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Funds peers higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund has less favorable growth aspects than its peers. Insider and Institutional Ownership 32.6% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned by institutional investors. 18.0% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. Dividends Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund pays an annual dividend of $2.16 per share and has a dividend yield of 11.2%. Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund pays out 130.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. As a group, Asset Management companies pay a dividend yield of 7.0% and pay out 637.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund has increased its dividend for 1 consecutive years. Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund is clearly a better dividend stock than its peers, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. Summary Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund peers beat Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund on 8 of the 10 factors compared. Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund Company Profile (Get Rating) Virtus AllianzGI Diversified Income & Convertible Fund is a closed end investment fund, which objective is to provide total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation, while seeking to provide downside protection against capital loss. The company was founded on May 26, 2015 and is headquartered in New York, NY. Receive News & Ratings for Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Virtus Diversified Income & Convertible Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Edison International (NYSE:EIX Get Rating) by 3.0% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 26,740 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 788 shares during the period. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Edison International were worth $1,888,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. OLD Second National Bank of Aurora acquired a new stake in Edison International during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Edison International during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. CI Investments Inc. grew its holdings in Edison International by 980.9% during the 3rd quarter. CI Investments Inc. now owns 508 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 461 shares during the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Edison International during the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Edison International by 975.7% during the 3rd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 796 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 722 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.83% of the companys stock. Get Edison International alerts: Edison International Price Performance Shares of Edison International stock opened at $69.73 on Thursday. Edison International has a twelve month low of $54.45 and a twelve month high of $74.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $26.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.84, a PEG ratio of 3.89 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.89. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $70.25 and its 200 day moving average price is $68.44. Insider Transactions at Edison International Edison International ( NYSE:EIX Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The utilities provider reported $1.09 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.04 by $0.05. Edison International had a return on equity of 12.48% and a net margin of 6.12%. The company had revenue of $3.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.07 earnings per share. The firms revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Edison International will post 4.72 earnings per share for the current year. In other news, SVP J Andrew Murphy sold 22,471 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.03, for a total value of $1,618,586.13. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 12,989 shares of the companys stock, valued at $935,597.67. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 1.03% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have recently issued reports on EIX. StockNews.com began coverage on Edison International in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $82.00 price objective on shares of Edison International in a report on Monday, March 6th. Mizuho raised their price objective on Edison International from $67.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Edison International from $50.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Finally, LADENBURG THALM/SH SH raised their price objective on Edison International from $66.00 to $67.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 17th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $73.08. Edison International Company Profile (Get Rating) Edison International is a renewable energy company, which through its subsidiaries, generates and distributes electric power, and invests in energy services and technologies. The company was founded on July 4, 1886, and is headquartered in Rosemead, CA. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EIX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Edison International (NYSE:EIX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Edison International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edison International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Research analysts at BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on shares of Element Solutions (NYSE:ESI Get Rating) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. The firm set an outperform rating and a $23.00 price target on the stock. BMO Capital Markets target price suggests a potential upside of 23.29% from the companys current price. Several other research firms have also weighed in on ESI. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Element Solutions from $22.00 to $21.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Element Solutions from $24.00 to $23.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 10th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Element Solutions in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Credit Suisse Group lifted their price target on shares of Element Solutions from $15.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $21.07. Get Element Solutions alerts: Element Solutions Stock Down 1.2 % Shares of ESI opened at $18.66 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 3.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market cap of $4.50 billion, a PE ratio of 26.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 1.31. The companys fifty day moving average is $18.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.00. Element Solutions has a fifty-two week low of $15.31 and a fifty-two week high of $21.90. Insider Transactions at Element Solutions Element Solutions ( NYSE:ESI Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $574.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $593.42 million. Element Solutions had a net margin of 7.12% and a return on equity of 13.77%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 15.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.38 EPS. Analysts forecast that Element Solutions will post 1.38 earnings per share for the current year. In other news, EVP Michael Goralski sold 28,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.07, for a total value of $533,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 131,808 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,513,578.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Michael Goralski sold 28,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.07, for a total value of $533,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 131,808 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,513,578.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Carey J. Dorman sold 3,656 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total transaction of $65,808.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 153,222 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,757,996. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 230,362 shares of company stock valued at $4,270,016. Insiders own 7.90% of the companys stock. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Element Solutions A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ESI. Neuberger Berman Group LLC grew its position in shares of Element Solutions by 2,609.2% during the 4th quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 1,635,422 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,748,000 after buying an additional 1,575,056 shares during the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC acquired a new position in Element Solutions during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,075,000. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Element Solutions during the 4th quarter valued at about $23,205,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Element Solutions by 5.0% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 20,627,823 shares of the companys stock valued at $451,749,000 after purchasing an additional 984,222 shares during the period. Finally, FMR LLC boosted its stake in Element Solutions by 5.9% during the 1st quarter. FMR LLC now owns 14,663,724 shares of the companys stock valued at $283,157,000 after purchasing an additional 810,879 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 90.27% of the companys stock. About Element Solutions (Get Rating) Element Solutions Inc operates as a specialty chemicals company in the United States, China, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Electronics, and Industrial & Specialty. The Electronics segment researches, formulates, and sells specialty chemicals and materials for various types of electronics hardware products. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Element Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Element Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Genus (OTCMKTS:GENSF Get Rating) is one of 403 public companies in the Biotechnology industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its competitors? We will compare Genus to related businesses based on the strength of its profitability, risk, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and valuation. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Genus and its competitors gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Get Genus alerts: Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Genus N/A N/A 73.80 Genus Competitors $271.39 million $5.69 million 20.00 Genus competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Genus. Genus is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry. Insider and Institutional Ownership Dividends 29.7% of Genus shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 28.0% of shares of all Biotechnology companies are owned by institutional investors. 23.9% of shares of all Biotechnology companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Genus pays an annual dividend of $0.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.5%. Genus pays out 34.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Biotechnology companies pay a dividend yield of 2.7% and pay out 3,338.5% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent ratings for Genus and its competitors, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Genus 0 0 1 0 3.00 Genus Competitors 809 1910 6016 80 2.61 As a group, Biotechnology companies have a potential upside of 126.37%. Given Genus competitors higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Genus has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors. Profitability This table compares Genus and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Genus N/A N/A N/A Genus Competitors -490.48% -68.90% -25.31% Summary Genus beats its competitors on 8 of the 13 factors compared. About Genus (Get Rating) Genus plc operates as an animal genetics company in North America, Latin America, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, the Middle East, Russia, Africa, and Asia. The company operates through three segments: Genus PIC, Genus ABS, and Genus Research and Development. It sells breeding pigs and semen to breed pigs with various characteristics for pork production under the PIC brand. The company also sells bull semen and embryos to breed calves with various characteristics for milk and beef production under the ABS, Genus, and Bovec brands. In addition, it offers technical services to farmers. The company was incorporated in 1994 and is based in Basingstoke, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Genus Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Genus and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:GPI Get Rating) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $248.15 and last traded at $247.74, with a volume of 143876 shares. The stock had previously closed at $244.29. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Group 1 Automotive in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Get Group 1 Automotive alerts: Group 1 Automotive Stock Performance The company has a market cap of $3.48 billion, a PE ratio of 5.28, a PEG ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.47. The businesss 50-day moving average is $228.02 and its 200 day moving average is $213.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.02. Group 1 Automotive Dividend Announcement Group 1 Automotive ( NYSE:GPI Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported $10.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $9.70 by $1.23. The business had revenue of $4.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.92 billion. Group 1 Automotive had a net margin of 4.20% and a return on equity of 31.16%. The companys revenue was up 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $10.81 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Group 1 Automotive, Inc. will post 40.37 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 1st were issued a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.73%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 31st. Group 1 Automotives dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 3.89%. Insider Activity In related news, VP Edward Mckissic sold 140 shares of Group 1 Automotive stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $30,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 2,837 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $624,140. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, VP Darryl M. Burman sold 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $246.78, for a total transaction of $616,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 13,495 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,330,296.10. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP Edward Mckissic sold 140 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $220.00, for a total transaction of $30,800.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 2,837 shares of the companys stock, valued at $624,140. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 5,140 shares of company stock valued at $1,264,700. Corporate insiders own 3.50% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Group 1 Automotive A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GPI. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Group 1 Automotive by 3,302.8% in the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 493,061 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,752,000 after acquiring an additional 478,571 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Group 1 Automotive by 68.0% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 621,455 shares of the companys stock valued at $104,299,000 after buying an additional 251,565 shares during the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. raised its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 164.2% during the 1st quarter. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. now owns 251,047 shares of the companys stock worth $56,842,000 after acquiring an additional 156,029 shares in the last quarter. Conifer Management L.L.C. bought a new position in shares of Group 1 Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $23,727,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in shares of Group 1 Automotive by 37.2% in the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 333,359 shares of the companys stock valued at $75,479,000 after purchasing an additional 90,426 shares in the last quarter. 99.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. About Group 1 Automotive (Get Rating) Group 1 Automotive, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates in the automotive retail industry in the United States and the United Kingdom. The company sells new and used cars, light trucks, and vehicle parts, as well as service and insurance contracts; arranges related vehicle financing; and offers automotive maintenance and repair services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Group 1 Automotive Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Group 1 Automotive and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP Get Rating) by 17.7% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 20,332 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after buying an additional 3,063 shares during the quarter. MorganRosel Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Helmerich & Payne were worth $727,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in shares of Helmerich & Payne by 2.2% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 328,890 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $14,071,000 after purchasing an additional 7,160 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in shares of Helmerich & Payne by 3.9% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 18,667 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $799,000 after purchasing an additional 709 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Helmerich & Payne in the first quarter valued at about $353,000. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Helmerich & Payne by 4.2% in the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 18,629 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $799,000 after purchasing an additional 743 shares during the period. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Helmerich & Payne in the first quarter valued at about $272,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.88% of the companys stock. Get Helmerich & Payne alerts: Helmerich & Payne Price Performance Helmerich & Payne stock opened at $34.09 on Thursday. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $33.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.20. The company has a market capitalization of $3.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.21 and a beta of 1.66. Helmerich & Payne, Inc. has a 1 year low of $30.41 and a 1 year high of $54.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 2.19 and a current ratio of 2.43. Helmerich & Payne Announces Dividend Helmerich & Payne ( NYSE:HP Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The oil and gas company reported $1.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $769.22 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $741.49 million. Helmerich & Payne had a net margin of 12.15% and a return on equity of 11.93%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Helmerich & Payne, Inc. will post 4.16 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, August 17th will be issued a $0.485 dividend. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, August 16th. Helmerich & Paynes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.89%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. VNET Group reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Helmerich & Payne in a research report on Friday, May 19th. Susquehanna lowered their price target on shares of Helmerich & Payne from $45.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Friday, June 2nd. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Helmerich & Payne from $42.00 to $33.00 in a research report on Friday, May 19th. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on shares of Helmerich & Payne from $65.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Helmerich & Payne from $44.00 to $38.00 and set a sell rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $52.10. About Helmerich & Payne (Get Rating) Founded in 1920, Helmerich & Payne, Inc (H&P) (NYSE: HP) is committed to delivering industry leading levels of drilling productivity and reliability. H&P operates with the highest level of integrity, safety and innovation to deliver superior results for its customers and returns for shareholders. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Helmerich & Payne Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Helmerich & Payne and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Humm Group Limited (ASX:HUM Get Rating) insider Andrew Abercrombie purchased 59,539 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 15th. The shares were purchased at an average price of A$0.42 ($0.28) per share, with a total value of A$24,768.22 ($16,964.54). Andrew Abercrombie also recently made the following trade(s): Get Humm Group alerts: On Wednesday, May 24th, Andrew Abercrombie purchased 475,000 shares of Humm Group stock. The shares were purchased at an average price of A$0.42 ($0.29) per share, with a total value of A$199,975.00 ($136,969.18). On Wednesday, May 17th, Andrew Abercrombie purchased 213,367 shares of Humm Group stock. The shares were purchased at an average price of A$0.43 ($0.29) per share, with a total value of A$91,747.81 ($62,840.97). On Monday, May 15th, Andrew Abercrombie purchased 591,311 shares of Humm Group stock. The shares were purchased at an average price of A$0.44 ($0.30) per share, with a total value of A$262,542.08 ($179,823.35). On Thursday, May 11th, Andrew Abercrombie bought 217,751 shares of Humm Group stock. The stock was bought at an average price of A$0.42 ($0.29) per share, with a total value of A$90,802.17 ($62,193.27). On Tuesday, April 11th, Andrew Abercrombie 2,632,829 shares of Humm Group stock. Humm Group Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 550.54, a current ratio of 65.86 and a quick ratio of 4.11. About Humm Group Humm Group Limited provides various financial services in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The company operates through four segments: BNPL, New Zealand Cards, Australia Cards, and Commercial and Leasing. It offers buy now, pay later solution under the bundll brand name; humm, an interest-free payment platform with repayment options; long term interest free finance and everyday spend solutions under the humm90 brand; humm pro, a buy now pay later solution for small to medium businesses; Q Mastercard, an interest free credit card; FlexiCommercial, a business financing solution, which includes leasing and chattel mortgages for small and medium businesses; and leasing solutions and SME financing services. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Humm Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Humm Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Middle Island Resources Limited (ASX:MDI Get Rating) insider Peter Thomas bought 2,000,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of A$0.02 ($0.01) per share, for a total transaction of A$40,000.00 ($27,397.26). Middle Island Resources Price Performance The company has a current ratio of 60.22, a quick ratio of 35.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. Get Middle Island Resources alerts: About Middle Island Resources (Get Rating) Recommended Stories Middle Island Resources Limited operates as a gold exploration and development company in Australia. It holds a 100% interest in the Barkly copper gold project that comprises 11 exploration license applications covering an area of 4,343.49 square kilometers located within the Barkly region of the Northern Territory. Receive News & Ratings for Middle Island Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Middle Island Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (BATS:USMV Get Rating) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $73.72 and last traded at $73.35, with a volume of 1901413 shares. The stock had previously closed at $73.90. iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Price Performance The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $72.99 and a 200 day simple moving average of $72.53. The company has a market capitalization of $29.11 billion, a PE ratio of 20.17 and a beta of 0.75. Get iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF alerts: Institutional Trading of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 7.8% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 8,253 shares of the companys stock valued at $646,000 after acquiring an additional 594 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 1.7% in the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 95,612 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,417,000 after acquiring an additional 1,612 shares in the last quarter. AJ Wealth Strategies LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 4.4% in the first quarter. AJ Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 1,348,690 shares of the companys stock valued at $104,618,000 after acquiring an additional 57,434 shares in the last quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 27.0% in the first quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 88,779 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,887,000 after acquiring an additional 18,853 shares in the last quarter. Finally, West Michigan Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF by 6.1% in the first quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 12,575 shares of the companys stock valued at $975,000 after acquiring an additional 719 shares in the last quarter. About iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF The iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (USMV) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility (USD) index. The fund tracks an index of US-listed firms selected and weighted to create a low-volatility portfolio subject to various constraints. USMV was launched on Oct 18, 2011 and is managed by BlackRock. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Kinross Gold Co. (TSE:K Get Rating) (NYSE:KGC) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of C$6.14 and traded as high as C$6.34. Kinross Gold shares last traded at C$6.15, with a volume of 2,849,138 shares trading hands. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, National Bankshares boosted their price objective on shares of Kinross Gold from C$9.75 to C$10.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 17th. Get Kinross Gold alerts: Kinross Gold Stock Down 1.3 % The firm has a market capitalization of C$7.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 153.50, a P/E/G ratio of -0.60 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average of C$6.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$6.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 45.89, a current ratio of 1.72 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Kinross Gold Cuts Dividend Kinross Gold ( TSE:K Get Rating ) (NYSE:KGC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported C$0.09 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.07 by C$0.02. The business had revenue of C$1.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$1.16 billion. Kinross Gold had a net margin of 0.24% and a return on equity of 0.64%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Kinross Gold Co. will post 0.4550562 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, June 1st were given a dividend of $0.03 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.98%. Kinross Golds dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 400.00%. About Kinross Gold (Get Rating) Kinross Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties principally in the United States, Brazil, Chile, Canada, and Mauritania. It is also involved in the extraction and processing of gold-containing ores; reclamation of gold mining properties; and production and sale of silver. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Kinross Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kinross Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC Get Rating) by 2.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 34,880 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 1,025 shares during the period. Leavell Investment Management Inc.s holdings in WEC Energy Group were worth $3,306,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in WEC. Glassy Mountain Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Asset Dedication LLC bought a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. Achmea Investment Management B.V. bought a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. First Manhattan Co. boosted its position in shares of WEC Energy Group by 102.0% during the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 303 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Richard W. Paul & Associates LLC bought a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors own 74.68% of the companys stock. Get WEC Energy Group alerts: WEC Energy Group Stock Performance Shares of WEC traded down $1.18 on Thursday, reaching $89.51. 186,613 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,364,805. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. The stock has a market cap of $28.24 billion, a PE ratio of 21.19, a PEG ratio of 3.45 and a beta of 0.41. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $92.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $93.15. WEC Energy Group, Inc. has a 52-week low of $80.82 and a 52-week high of $108.20. WEC Energy Group Dividend Announcement WEC Energy Group ( NYSE:WEC Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.58 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $2.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.90 billion. WEC Energy Group had a return on equity of 11.60% and a net margin of 14.10%. WEC Energy Groups revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.79 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that WEC Energy Group, Inc. will post 4.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 12th were given a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.49%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 11th. WEC Energy Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 72.90%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other WEC Energy Group news, Director Ulice Payne, Jr. sold 1,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.36, for a total value of $141,540.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 21,503 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,029,023.08. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 0.34% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades WEC has been the topic of several recent research reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on WEC Energy Group in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Evercore ISI lowered their price objective on WEC Energy Group from $98.00 to $91.00 in a research note on Friday, June 9th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on WEC Energy Group from $106.00 to $103.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. 888 reissued a maintains rating on shares of WEC Energy Group in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, Mizuho raised WEC Energy Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $98.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, WEC Energy Group has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $99.27. About WEC Energy Group (Get Rating) WEC Energy Group, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the generation and distribution of electricity and natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure and Corporate & Other. The Wisconsin segment refers to the electric and gas utility operations. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding WEC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for WEC Energy Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WEC Energy Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Leavell Investment Management Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO Get Rating) by 6.3% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,657 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 446 shares during the period. Leavell Investment Management Inc.s holdings in Thermo Fisher Scientific were worth $3,839,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Town & Country Bank & Trust CO dba First Bankers Trust CO purchased a new stake in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific during the first quarter worth $280,000. Abner Herrman & Brock LLC lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 1.7% during the first quarter. Abner Herrman & Brock LLC now owns 24,758 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $14,270,000 after acquiring an additional 402 shares in the last quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. lifted its position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 1.6% during the first quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co. now owns 3,509 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $2,022,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Fragasso Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific by 6.8% in the first quarter. Fragasso Group Inc. now owns 14,644 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $8,440,000 after purchasing an additional 935 shares during the period. Finally, Traverso Chambers Private Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific in the first quarter worth $207,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.33% of the companys stock. Get Thermo Fisher Scientific alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at Thermo Fisher Scientific In other Thermo Fisher Scientific news, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $545.22, for a total transaction of $5,452,200.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 141,330 shares in the company, valued at approximately $77,055,942.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $545.22, for a total transaction of $5,452,200.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 141,330 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $77,055,942.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Marc N. Casper sold 1,600 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $534.82, for a total value of $855,712.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 141,330 shares in the company, valued at $75,586,110.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.32% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Thermo Fisher Scientific Stock Down 0.5 % Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. KeyCorp decreased their price target on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $710.00 to $640.00 in a report on Thursday, May 25th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific from $670.00 to $620.00 in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Citigroup reduced their target price on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $700.00 to $650.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Barclays reduced their target price on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $625.00 to $610.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Thermo Fisher Scientific from $615.00 to $610.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $631.31. Shares of NYSE:TMO traded down $2.72 during trading on Thursday, hitting $523.23. The stock had a trading volume of 217,787 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,489,331. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has a 12 month low of $475.77 and a 12 month high of $611.06. The company has a market capitalization of $201.82 billion, a PE ratio of 34.09, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 0.79. The firms fifty day moving average is $537.10 and its 200 day moving average is $553.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 1.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69. Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The medical research company reported $5.03 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $5.03. The company had revenue of $10.71 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.67 billion. Thermo Fisher Scientific had a return on equity of 19.16% and a net margin of 13.75%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 9.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $7.25 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. will post 23.69 EPS for the current fiscal year. Thermo Fisher Scientific Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 14th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.27%. Thermo Fisher Scientifics payout ratio is currently 9.13%. Thermo Fisher Scientific Company Profile (Get Rating) Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc provides life sciences solutions, analytical instruments, specialty diagnostics, and laboratory products and biopharma services in the United States and internationally. The company's Life Sciences Solutions segment offers reagents, instruments, and consumables for biological and medical research, discovery, and production of drugs and vaccines, as well as diagnosis of infections and diseases; and solutions include biosciences, genetic sciences, clinical next-generation sequencing, bio production to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, agricultural, clinical, healthcare, academic, and government markets. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TMO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Thermo Fisher Scientific Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Thermo Fisher Scientific and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lloyds Banking Group plc (LON:LLOY Get Rating) insider William Chalmers acquired 151,274 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 21st. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 44 ($0.56) per share, for a total transaction of 66,560.56 ($85,170.26). Lloyds Banking Group Stock Down 1.7 % Shares of LON:LLOY traded down GBX 0.73 ($0.01) during trading on Thursday, hitting GBX 43.02 ($0.55). The stock had a trading volume of 121,973,836 shares, compared to its average volume of 175,000,297. Lloyds Banking Group plc has a 12-month low of GBX 38.51 ($0.49) and a 12-month high of GBX 54.33 ($0.70). The stock has a market capitalization of 28.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 537.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.23. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 46.43 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 48.16. Get Lloyds Banking Group alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a neutral rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Thursday, June 8th. Shore Capital reissued a buy rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Citigroup reissued a buy rating on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Friday, March 10th. Berenberg Bank reissued a hold rating and issued a GBX 58 ($0.74) price target on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a GBX 70 ($0.90) price target on shares of Lloyds Banking Group in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of GBX 68.88 ($0.88). About Lloyds Banking Group Lloyds Banking Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of banking and financial services in the United Kingdom. It operates through three segments: Retail; Commercial Banking; and Insurance, Pensions, and Investments. The Retail segment offers a range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings, mortgages, motor finance, unsecured loans, leasing solutions, and credit cards to personal and small business customers. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Lloyds Banking Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lloyds Banking Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Madison County Financial, Inc. (OTCMKTS:MCBK Get Rating) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $28.55 and traded as low as $24.75. Madison County Financial shares last traded at $24.75, with a volume of 100 shares. Madison County Financial Stock Performance The business has a 50-day moving average price of $26.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $28.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. Get Madison County Financial alerts: Madison County Financial Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 3rd were issued a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 2nd. This is a positive change from Madison County Financials previous dividend of $0.69. This represents a dividend yield of 2.48%. About Madison County Financial Madison County Financial, Inc operates as the holding company for Madison County Bank that provides banking and financial services to individual and corporate customers in Nebraska, the United States. It offers deposits, such as checking, money market savings, savings, and individual retirement accounts, as well as certificates of deposit; credit and debit cards; home loans; and consumer loans, including home equity lines of credit, second mortgage, home improvement, recreational vehicle, personal, and overdraft protection loans, as well as loans for automobiles, trucks, and vans. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Madison County Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Madison County Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. National Bank of Canada FI cut its stake in shares of TELUS Co. (NYSE:TU Get Rating) (TSE:T) by 0.1% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 18,098,507 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock after selling 19,280 shares during the quarter. TELUS accounts for about 0.9% of National Bank of Canada FIs portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. National Bank of Canada FI owned about 1.27% of TELUS worth $358,822,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Private Trust Co. NA grew its stake in shares of TELUS by 9.7% during the first quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 20,326 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $404,000 after buying an additional 1,800 shares during the last quarter. Addenda Capital Inc. raised its position in TELUS by 3.3% in the first quarter. Addenda Capital Inc. now owns 251,800 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $6,842,000 after purchasing an additional 7,935 shares during the last quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in TELUS by 1.0% in the first quarter. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 339,157 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $6,731,000 after purchasing an additional 3,516 shares during the last quarter. Cardinal Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of TELUS by 0.7% during the first quarter. Cardinal Capital Management Inc. now owns 242,642 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $4,812,000 after purchasing an additional 1,765 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rempart Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of TELUS by 6.0% during the first quarter. Rempart Asset Management Inc. now owns 289,518 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $5,742,000 after purchasing an additional 16,305 shares during the last quarter. 45.03% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get TELUS alerts: TELUS Stock Performance Shares of TU opened at $19.36 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $20.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $20.25. TELUS Co. has a 12 month low of $18.85 and a 12 month high of $23.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $27.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.79 and a beta of 0.75. TELUS Increases Dividend TELUS ( NYSE:TU Get Rating ) (TSE:T) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The Wireless communications provider reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.21 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $3.67 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.58 billion. TELUS had a net margin of 7.65% and a return on equity of 9.14%. As a group, analysts predict that TELUS Co. will post 0.79 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.268 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 8th. This represents a $1.07 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.54%. This is a positive change from TELUSs previous quarterly dividend of $0.26. TELUSs dividend payout ratio is currently 135.44%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of TELUS from C$32.00 to C$33.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Barclays decreased their price objective on TELUS from $23.00 to $21.00 in a report on Monday, May 8th. TD Securities lifted their target price on TELUS from C$31.00 to C$32.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on TELUS in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a sell rating for the company. TELUS Company Profile (Get Rating) TELUS Corp. is a telecommunications company, which engages in the provision of telecommunication services and products primarily for wireless and wireline voice and data. It operates through the following segments: TELUS Technology Solutions (TTech) and Digitally-led Customer ExperiencesTELUS International (DLCX). Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for TELUS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TELUS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pan African Resources PLC (LON:PAF Get Rating)s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as GBX 12 ($0.15) and last traded at GBX 12.24 ($0.16), with a volume of 2003626 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 12.64 ($0.16). Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, Berenberg Bank decreased their target price on Pan African Resources from GBX 33 ($0.42) to GBX 27 ($0.35) and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Get Pan African Resources alerts: Pan African Resources Stock Down 3.2 % The stock has a market capitalization of 234.95 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 629.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.95 and a beta of 0.70. The businesss 50-day moving average is GBX 16.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is GBX 16.26. The company has a quick ratio of 0.74, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 29.73. Insider Buying and Selling Pan African Resources Company Profile In other news, insider Cobus Loots bought 200,000 shares of Pan African Resources stock in a transaction on Friday, May 26th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 13 ($0.17) per share, with a total value of 26,000 ($33,269.35). 17.19% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. (Get Rating) Pan African Resources PLC engages in the mining, extraction, production, and the sale of gold in South Africa. The company's flagship projects include the Barberton gold project that consists of three underground mines, including Fairview, Sheba, and Consort located in the Barberton Greenstone Belt; and Elikhulu tailings retreatment plant in Southern Africa. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Pan African Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pan African Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW Get Rating) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 13,535 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $111,000. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sargent Bickham Lagudis LLC bought a new position in Medical Properties Trust in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Allworth Financial LP increased its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 69.9% in the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,528 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 1,040 shares during the last quarter. Tobam bought a new position in Medical Properties Trust in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Glassy Mountain Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Medical Properties Trust in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 64.0% in the 1st quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 3,289 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,284 shares during the last quarter. 74.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Medical Properties Trust alerts: Medical Properties Trust Trading Down 1.9 % NYSE MPW opened at $8.94 on Thursday. Medical Properties Trust, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $7.10 and a fifty-two week high of $17.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 2.15 and a current ratio of 2.15. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $8.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $10.06. The stock has a market cap of $5.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.58 and a beta of 0.95. Medical Properties Trust Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 13th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a $0.29 dividend. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a yield of 12.98%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. Medical Properties Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 232.00%. A number of brokerages have weighed in on MPW. KeyCorp decreased their target price on Medical Properties Trust from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Medical Properties Trust from $14.00 to $12.00 in a report on Friday, April 28th. StockNews.com began coverage on Medical Properties Trust in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Bank of America cut Medical Properties Trust from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $10.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, Raymond James cut their price objective on Medical Properties Trust from $18.00 to $16.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 2nd. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Medical Properties Trust currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $13.23. About Medical Properties Trust (Get Rating) Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a self-advised real estate investment trust, engages in the investment, acquisition, and development of net-leased healthcare facilities. Its property portfolio includes rehabilitation hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, hospitals for women and children, regional and community hospitals, medical office buildings, and other single-discipline facilities. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MPW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Medical Properties Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Medical Properties Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Guardian Capital Group (OTCMKTS:GCAAF Get Rating) is one of 1,154 publicly-traded companies in the Asset Management industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare Guardian Capital Group to similar companies based on the strength of its risk, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations and profitability. Institutional & Insider Ownership 15.9% of Guardian Capital Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 32.6% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned by institutional investors. 18.0% of shares of all Asset Management companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Get Guardian Capital Group alerts: Dividends Guardian Capital Group pays an annual dividend of $0.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.4%. Guardian Capital Group pays out 9.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Asset Management companies pay a dividend yield of 7.0% and pay out 637.3% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Guardian Capital Group N/A N/A N/A Guardian Capital Group Competitors 382.06% 7.69% 5.04% Valuation & Earnings This table compares Guardian Capital Group and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets. This table compares Guardian Capital Group and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Guardian Capital Group N/A N/A 25.91 Guardian Capital Group Competitors $434.13 million $2.31 million 17.57 Guardian Capital Groups rivals have higher revenue and earnings than Guardian Capital Group. Guardian Capital Group is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Guardian Capital Group and its rivals, as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Guardian Capital Group 0 0 1 0 3.00 Guardian Capital Group Competitors 1025 4333 5659 81 2.43 Guardian Capital Group presently has a consensus price target of $49.00, indicating a potential upside of 50.67%. As a group, Asset Management companies have a potential upside of 89.73%. Given Guardian Capital Groups rivals higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Guardian Capital Group has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals. Summary Guardian Capital Group rivals beat Guardian Capital Group on 9 of the 13 factors compared. About Guardian Capital Group (Get Rating) Guardian Capital Group Limited, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a diversified financial services company in Canada, the Untied States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through Investment Management, Wealth Management, and Corporate Activities and Investment segments. It provides investment management and advisory services. The company also offers wealth management services to high-net-worth families, foundations, and charities. In addition, it manages institutional assets for pension plans, broker-dealer third-party platforms, insurance company segregated funds, exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, endowment funds, and foundations. Further, it provides private banking services. Guardian Capital Group Limited was incorporated in 1962 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Receive News & Ratings for Guardian Capital Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Guardian Capital Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL Get Rating)s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $96.72 and last traded at $96.71, with a volume of 2012858 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $95.30. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on RCL shares. Tigress Financial raised their price objective on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $80.00 to $102.00 in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $82.00 to $95.00 in a research report on Monday, June 12th. Susquehanna lifted their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $80.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Friday, May 5th. VNET Group reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises in a research report on Monday, June 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises from $100.00 to $103.00 in a research report on Monday, June 12th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Royal Caribbean Cruises presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $87.79. Get Royal Caribbean Cruises alerts: Royal Caribbean Cruises Trading Up 0.8 % The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.41. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $77.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $68.06. The company has a market cap of $24.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -23.92 and a beta of 2.43. Insider Activity Royal Caribbean Cruises ( NYSE:RCL Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported ($0.23) earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.71) by $0.48. Royal Caribbean Cruises had a negative net margin of 9.72% and a negative return on equity of 25.86%. The company had revenue of $2.89 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($4.57) earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 172.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts predict that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. will post 4.69 EPS for the current year. In other news, Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 318,325 shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.97, for a total value of $24,819,800.25. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,167,507 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,572,460,520.79. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Royal Caribbean Cruises news, CEO Jason T. Liberty sold 36,536 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $80.00, for a total value of $2,922,880.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 147,078 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $11,766,240. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Arne Alexander Wilhelmsen sold 318,325 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.97, for a total transaction of $24,819,800.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,167,507 shares in the company, valued at $1,572,460,520.79. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 729,861 shares of company stock valued at $58,020,180 in the last ninety days. 8.70% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Royal Caribbean Cruises Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Quantinno Capital Management LP increased its stake in Royal Caribbean Cruises by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 8,977 shares of the companys stock valued at $444,000 after buying an additional 136 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 10.5% during the 4th quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 1,484 shares of the companys stock worth $73,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust boosted its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 5,401 shares of the companys stock worth $353,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund boosted its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund now owns 31,078 shares of the companys stock worth $1,536,000 after purchasing an additional 158 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Czech National Bank boosted its position in shares of Royal Caribbean Cruises by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 25,855 shares of the companys stock worth $1,688,000 after buying an additional 167 shares in the last quarter. 71.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Royal Caribbean Cruises Company Profile (Get Rating) Royal Caribbean Group is a cruise company, which engages in the ownership and operation of the following global cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. The firm also holds interest in TUI Cruises GmbH, which operates the German brands TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Royal Caribbean Cruises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Silverlake Wealth Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX Get Rating) by 5.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,402 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock after selling 198 shares during the quarter. Silverlake Wealth Management LLCs holdings in TJX Companies were worth $267,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS increased its holdings in shares of TJX Companies by 1.6% during the 4th quarter. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS now owns 8,077 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock worth $643,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of TJX Companies by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 10,438 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock worth $831,000 after acquiring an additional 132 shares during the last quarter. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. increased its holdings in shares of TJX Companies by 6.9% during the 4th quarter. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. now owns 2,193 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock worth $175,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Seaport Global Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of TJX Companies by 6.5% during the 4th quarter. Seaport Global Advisors LLC now owns 2,329 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock worth $185,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Lokken Investment Group LLC grew its holdings in TJX Companies by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Lokken Investment Group LLC now owns 8,670 shares of the apparel and home fashions retailers stock valued at $539,000 after buying an additional 147 shares in the last quarter. 92.26% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get TJX Companies alerts: TJX Companies Price Performance Shares of TJX stock opened at $80.87 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45. The TJX Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $54.55 and a twelve month high of $83.13. The company has a market cap of $92.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 0.90. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $78.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $78.63. TJX Companies Dividend Announcement TJX Companies ( NYSE:TJX Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 17th. The apparel and home fashions retailer reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.05. TJX Companies had a return on equity of 62.78% and a net margin of 7.56%. The business had revenue of $11.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.82 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.68 EPS. TJX Companiess revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that The TJX Companies, Inc. will post 3.56 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 10th will be given a $0.3325 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 9th. This represents a $1.33 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.64%. TJX Companiess dividend payout ratio is presently 40.92%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth TJX has been the topic of a number of research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on TJX Companies from $85.00 to $86.00 in a report on Thursday, May 18th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on TJX Companies in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Group upped their price objective on TJX Companies from $85.00 to $89.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Barclays upped their price objective on TJX Companies from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, May 18th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their target price on TJX Companies from $90.00 to $93.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $86.40. Insider Buying and Selling at TJX Companies In other TJX Companies news, EVP Scott Goldenberg sold 26,271 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.91, for a total value of $2,073,044.61. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 72,580 shares in the company, valued at $5,727,287.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.19% of the companys stock. TJX Companies Profile (Get Rating) The TJX Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an off-price apparel and home fashions retailer in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Marmaxx, HomeGoods, TJX Canada, and TJX International. The company sells family apparel, including footwear and accessories; home fashions, such as home basics, furniture, rugs, lighting products, giftware, soft home products, decorative accessories, tabletop, and cookware, as well as expanded pet, kids, and gourmet food departments; jewelry and accessories; and other merchandise. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TJX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The TJX Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TJX Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for TJX Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TJX Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. One Plus One Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Southwestern Energy (NYSE:SWN Get Rating) by 50.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 23,578 shares of the energy companys stock after acquiring an additional 7,937 shares during the period. One Plus One Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Southwestern Energy were worth $118,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SWN. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV increased its position in Southwestern Energy by 609.3% in the 1st quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 5,029 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 4,320 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management acquired a new position in Southwestern Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its position in Southwestern Energy by 61.9% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 5,583 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 2,134 shares during the period. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Southwestern Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Southwestern Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.46% of the companys stock. Get Southwestern Energy alerts: Southwestern Energy Price Performance SWN stock traded down $0.10 on Thursday, reaching $5.39. The company had a trading volume of 3,535,533 shares, compared to its average volume of 23,451,982. Southwestern Energy has a 1 year low of $4.57 and a 1 year high of $8.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.55 and a current ratio of 0.55. The companys fifty day moving average is $5.08 and its 200 day moving average is $5.33. The company has a market cap of $5.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.30. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Southwestern Energy ( NYSE:SWN Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, April 28th. The energy company reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.27 by $0.04. Southwestern Energy had a return on equity of 41.76% and a net margin of 45.59%. The firm had revenue of $2.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.36 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.40 EPS. Southwestern Energys revenue was down 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Southwestern Energy will post 0.81 earnings per share for the current year. Several equities analysts recently issued reports on SWN shares. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Southwestern Energy from $7.00 to $6.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 13th. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Southwestern Energy from $9.00 to $8.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Siebert Williams Shank assumed coverage on Southwestern Energy in a report on Monday, April 10th. They issued a hold rating and a $6.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Southwestern Energy in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Southwestern Energy from $6.00 to $5.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Southwestern Energy presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $7.47. Southwestern Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) Southwestern Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of natural gas, oil, and natural gas liquids (NGLs) in the United States. It operates through two segments, Exploration and Production, and Marketing. The company focuses on the development of unconventional natural gas and oil reservoirs located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Louisiana. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SWN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Southwestern Energy (NYSE:SWN Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Southwestern Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southwestern Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE:MMP Get Rating) in a report released on Monday. The firm issued a hold rating on the pipeline companys stock. Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM reissued a downgrade rating on shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in a report on Wednesday, May 17th. US Capital Advisors cut shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from an overweight rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, May 19th. Citigroup cut shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from a buy rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $57.00 to $63.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 17th. Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $59.00 to $66.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 17th. Finally, Raymond James cut shares of Magellan Midstream Partners from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Magellan Midstream Partners presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $59.75. Get Magellan Midstream Partners alerts: Magellan Midstream Partners Trading Up 1.2 % Magellan Midstream Partners stock opened at $59.84 on Monday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $58.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $54.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.96, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $12.09 billion, a PE ratio of 10.86 and a beta of 0.91. Magellan Midstream Partners has a 12-month low of $44.79 and a 12-month high of $64.42. Magellan Midstream Partners Cuts Dividend Magellan Midstream Partners ( NYSE:MMP Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The pipeline company reported $1.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.11. Magellan Midstream Partners had a net margin of 33.72% and a return on equity of 57.78%. The firm had revenue of $869.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $731.28 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.08 EPS. The companys revenue was up 28.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Magellan Midstream Partners will post 5.05 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 8th were given a dividend of $1.0475 per share. This represents a $4.19 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.00%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 5th. Magellan Midstream Partnerss dividend payout ratio is presently 76.04%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Register Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. CoreCap Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Magellan Midstream Partners in the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Accurate Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Phocas Financial Corp. bought a new stake in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Magellan Midstream Partners by 53.6% in the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 691 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 241 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 52.40% of the companys stock. Magellan Midstream Partners Company Profile (Get Rating) Magellan Midstream Partners, L.P. engages in the transportation, storage, and distribution of refined petroleum products and crude oil in the United States. The company operates refined products pipeline that transports gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, kerosene, and heating oil to refiners, wholesalers, retailers, traders, railroads, airlines, and regional farm cooperatives; and to end markets, including retail gasoline stations, truck stops, farm cooperatives, railroad fueling depots, military bases, and commercial airports. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Magellan Midstream Partners Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Magellan Midstream Partners and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sysco (NYSE:SYY Get Rating) had its price target decreased by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $81.00 to $79.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Morgan Stanleys target price suggests a potential upside of 8.82% from the stocks previous close. Several other brokerages have also commented on SYY. Bank of America assumed coverage on Sysco in a research report on Thursday, March 9th. They set a buy rating and a $90.00 price objective on the stock. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price objective on Sysco from $94.00 to $88.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Sysco from $84.00 to $83.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. 51job restated a maintains rating on shares of Sysco in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Sysco from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 2nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $86.91. Get Sysco alerts: Sysco Stock Performance Shares of SYY opened at $72.60 on Tuesday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $73.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $76.14. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.51, a quick ratio of 0.70 and a current ratio of 1.21. Sysco has a 52-week low of $69.22 and a 52-week high of $88.84. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Sysco ( NYSE:SYY Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $0.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.92 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $18.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $18.56 billion. Sysco had a return on equity of 141.53% and a net margin of 2.05%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 11.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.71 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Sysco will post 4 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vontobel Holding Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Sysco by 166.0% in the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 16,127 shares of the companys stock worth $1,338,000 after purchasing an additional 10,065 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in shares of Sysco by 6.9% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 258,746 shares of the companys stock worth $21,068,000 after buying an additional 16,772 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers lifted its position in shares of Sysco by 12.9% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 22,139 shares of the companys stock worth $1,808,000 after buying an additional 2,522 shares in the last quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Sysco by 1.0% in the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 659,712 shares of the companys stock worth $53,865,000 after buying an additional 6,711 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its stake in Sysco by 54.8% during the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 833 shares of the companys stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 295 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 84.79% of the companys stock. About Sysco (Get Rating) Sysco Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in the marketing and distribution of various food and related products primarily to the foodservice or food-away-from-home industry in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and internationally. It operates through U.S. Foodservice Operations, International Foodservice Operations, SYGMA, and Other segments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Sysco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sysco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tecsys (OTCMKTS:TCYSF Get Rating) and Diebold Nixdorf (NYSE:DBD Get Rating) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends and profitability. Institutional & Insider Ownership 20.9% of Tecsys shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 74.5% of Diebold Nixdorf shares are held by institutional investors. 2.1% of Diebold Nixdorf shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term. Get Tecsys alerts: Profitability This table compares Tecsys and Diebold Nixdorfs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Tecsys N/A N/A N/A Diebold Nixdorf -14.60% -1.43% 0.63% Dividends Analyst Recommendations Tecsys pays an annual dividend of $0.09 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.4%. Diebold Nixdorf pays an annual dividend of $0.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 907.0%. Tecsys pays out 52.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Diebold Nixdorf pays out -6.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Diebold Nixdorf is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio. This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Tecsys and Diebold Nixdorf, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Tecsys 0 0 0 0 N/A Diebold Nixdorf 1 2 0 0 1.67 Tecsys currently has a consensus price target of $48.50, suggesting a potential upside of 156.21%. Diebold Nixdorf has a consensus price target of $4.00, suggesting a potential upside of 8,970.29%. Given Diebold Nixdorfs higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Diebold Nixdorf is more favorable than Tecsys. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Tecsys and Diebold Nixdorfs top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Tecsys N/A N/A N/A $0.16 117.35 Diebold Nixdorf $3.49 billion 0.00 -$581.40 million ($6.47) -0.01 Tecsys has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Diebold Nixdorf. Diebold Nixdorf is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Tecsys, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Summary Diebold Nixdorf beats Tecsys on 7 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks. About Tecsys (Get Rating) Tecsys Inc. engages in the development, marketing, and sale of enterprise-wide supply chain management software and related services in Canada, the United States, Europe, and internationally. The company offers warehouse management, distribution and transportation management, supply management at point-of-use and order management and fulfillment, as well as financial management and analytics solutions. It also provides implementation, system enhancement, cloud, advisory, consulting, education, training, and maintenance and support services, as well as engages in sale of hardware. The company primarily serves the healthcare systems, automotive and services parts, third-party logistics, retail, and general wholesale distribution industries. Tecsys Inc. was incorporated in 1983 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. About Diebold Nixdorf (Get Rating) Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated engages in the automating, digitizing, and transforming the way people bank and shop worldwide. It operates through two segments, Banking and Retail. The company offers cash recyclers and dispensers, intelligent deposit terminals, teller automation tools, and kiosk technologies, as well as physical security solutions; and front-end applications for consumer connection points and back-end platforms that manage channel transactions, operations and integration, and facilitate omnichannel transactions, endpoint monitoring, remote asset management, customer marketing, merchandise management, and analytics. It also provides banking product-related services comprising proactive monitoring and rapid resolution of incidents through remote service capabilities or an on-site visit; first- and second-line maintenance, preventive maintenance, and on-demand services; managed and outsourcing services, such as business processes, solution management, upgrades, and transaction processing; and cash management services. In addition, the company offers DN Vynamic software suite to simplify and enhance the consumer experience; mobile point of sale and self-checkout terminals; printers, scales, and mobile scanners; and banknote and coin processing systems. Additionally, it provides retail customer's product-related services, such as on-demand and professional services; maintenance and availability services; implementation services; managed mobility services; monitoring and advanced analytics; and store life-cycle management services. The company was formerly known as Diebold, Incorporated and changed its name to Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated in December 2016. Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated was founded in 1859 and is headquartered in Hudson, Ohio. On June 1, 2023, Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated, filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Receive News & Ratings for Tecsys Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tecsys and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. National Bank of Canada FI lowered its position in Thomson Reuters Co. (NYSE:TRI Get Rating) (TSE:TRI) by 2.8% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,497,895 shares of the business services providers stock after selling 43,628 shares during the quarter. National Bank of Canada FI owned approximately 0.32% of Thomson Reuters worth $194,659,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TRI. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Thomson Reuters by 19.4% in the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 6,154 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $668,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC raised its stake in Thomson Reuters by 7.0% in the first quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 1,945 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $212,000 after buying an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in shares of Thomson Reuters by 11.4% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 560,049 shares of the business services providers stock worth $60,961,000 after acquiring an additional 57,200 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Thomson Reuters by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,314,854 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $578,521,000 after acquiring an additional 118,225 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. raised its position in shares of Thomson Reuters by 89.7% during the 1st quarter. Candriam Luxembourg S.C.A. now owns 138,600 shares of the business services providers stock worth $15,061,000 after acquiring an additional 65,534 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 17.04% of the companys stock. Get Thomson Reuters alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on TRI shares. Scotiabank downgraded Thomson Reuters from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. BNP Paribas raised shares of Thomson Reuters from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and increased their target price for the company from $100.00 to $115.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. 51job reissued a downgrade rating on shares of Thomson Reuters in a research report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered Thomson Reuters from a buy rating to a hold rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $124.00 to $131.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 3rd. Finally, Credit Suisse Group boosted their target price on Thomson Reuters from $138.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Thomson Reuters presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $137.67. Thomson Reuters Price Performance Thomson Reuters stock opened at $129.47 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.91 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $126.48 and a 200-day simple moving average of $122.42. Thomson Reuters Co. has a 12 month low of $97.59 and a 12 month high of $133.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $60.98 billion, a PE ratio of 53.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.59. Thomson Reuters (NYSE:TRI Get Rating) (TSE:TRI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The business services provider reported $0.82 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.78 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.73 billion. Thomson Reuters had a net margin of 17.20% and a return on equity of 10.55%. Thomson Reuterss quarterly revenue was up 3.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.66 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Thomson Reuters Co. will post 3.31 earnings per share for the current year. Thomson Reuters Cuts Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 18th were issued a $0.362 dividend. This represents a $1.45 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 17th. Thomson Reuterss dividend payout ratio is presently 81.33%. Thomson Reuters Company Profile (Get Rating) Thomson Reuters Corporation engages in the provision of business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TRI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Thomson Reuters Co. (NYSE:TRI Get Rating) (TSE:TRI). Receive News & Ratings for Thomson Reuters Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Thomson Reuters and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp. (OTCMKTS:TCYMF Get Rating)s share price hit a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $1.57 and last traded at $1.57, with a volume of 0 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1.57. Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Price Performance The firms 50 day moving average is $1.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $1.70. About Tingyi (Cayman Islands) (Get Rating) Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp., an investment holding company, manufactures and sells instant noodles, beverages, and instant food products in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through Instant Noodles, Beverages, and Others segments. It offers ready-to-drink teas, juices, bottled water, and carbonated soft drinks, as well as coffee drinks/functional drinks/probiotics. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tingyi (Cayman Islands) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Venture Visionary Partners LLC decreased its holdings in Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Get Rating) by 20.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 82,649 shares of the energy companys stock after selling 21,646 shares during the period. Venture Visionary Partners LLCs holdings in Devon Energy were worth $4,183,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in DVN. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Devon Energy in the first quarter worth about $364,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Devon Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $188,000. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its stake in Devon Energy by 52.1% during the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 99,120 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $5,861,000 after buying an additional 33,936 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Devon Energy by 9.2% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 414,354 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $24,500,000 after buying an additional 34,870 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in Devon Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Institutional investors own 71.00% of the companys stock. Get Devon Energy alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts recently commented on DVN shares. Citigroup dropped their price target on Devon Energy from $77.00 to $66.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Truist Financial dropped their price target on Devon Energy from $87.00 to $81.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 10th. UBS Group started coverage on Devon Energy in a research report on Wednesday, April 19th. They set a neutral rating and a $60.00 price objective on the stock. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Devon Energy from $71.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday, May 19th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Devon Energy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and decreased their price objective for the company from $63.00 to $58.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $67.39. Insiders Place Their Bets Devon Energy Trading Down 2.3 % In other Devon Energy news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 8,292 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.97, for a total transaction of $414,351.24. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 218,418 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,914,347.46. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Shares of NYSE DVN traded down $1.13 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $47.81. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,297,508 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,280,995. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The businesss 50 day moving average is $50.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $55.09. Devon Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $44.03 and a 12-month high of $78.82. The firm has a market cap of $31.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.16 and a beta of 2.33. Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, May 8th. The energy company reported $1.46 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $3.82 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.82 billion. Devon Energy had a return on equity of 47.42% and a net margin of 31.39%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up .3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.88 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.14 EPS for the current year. Devon Energy Cuts Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.02%. Devon Energys payout ratio is currently 8.72%. Devon Energy Company Profile (Get Rating) Devon Energy Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It operates in Delaware, Anadarko, Williston, Eagle Ford, and Powder River Basin. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DVN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Devon Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Devon Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Vodafone Group Public Limited (LON:VOD Get Rating) hit a new 52-week low on Thursday . The stock traded as low as GBX 71.52 ($0.92) and last traded at GBX 71.53 ($0.92), with a volume of 9782050 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at GBX 72.73 ($0.93). Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have weighed in on VOD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Vodafone Group Public from GBX 100 ($1.28) to GBX 95 ($1.22) in a research report on Friday, May 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a GBX 130 ($1.66) price objective on Vodafone Group Public in a research report on Monday, February 27th. Berenberg Bank restated a hold rating and set a GBX 95 ($1.22) target price on shares of Vodafone Group Public in a report on Tuesday, May 30th. Barclays restated an equal weight rating and set a GBX 115 ($1.47) target price on shares of Vodafone Group Public in a report on Thursday, June 8th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a GBX 185 ($2.37) target price on Vodafone Group Public in a report on Monday, March 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Vodafone Group Public currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 114.50 ($1.47). Get Vodafone Group Public alerts: Vodafone Group Public Stock Performance The business has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 84.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 89.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 105.92. The firm has a market cap of 19.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 202.03, a P/E/G ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 0.60. Vodafone Group Public Announces Dividend Vodafone Group Public Company Profile The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 8th will be issued a 0.05 ($0.05) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 8th. This represents a yield of 4.34%. Vodafone Group Publics dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 2,222.22%. (Get Rating) Vodafone Group Public Limited Company engages in telecommunication services in Europe and internationally. The company offers mobile services that enable customers to call, text, and access data; fixed line services, including broadband, television (TV) offerings, and voice; and convergence services under the GigaKombi and Vodafone One names to customers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Vodafone Group Public Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vodafone Group Public and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC lowered its holdings in Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC Get Rating) by 0.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,681 shares of the construction companys stock after selling 86 shares during the period. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Vulcan Materials were worth $2,690,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VMC. Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 75.9% during the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 68,108 shares of the construction companys stock worth $11,685,000 after acquiring an additional 29,393 shares in the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 190.6% during the 1st quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 526 shares of the construction companys stock worth $90,000 after acquiring an additional 345 shares in the last quarter. Appleton Partners Inc. MA grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Appleton Partners Inc. MA now owns 32,574 shares of the construction companys stock worth $5,588,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 36.3% during the 1st quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 845 shares of the construction companys stock worth $145,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversified Trust Co grew its holdings in Vulcan Materials by 26.7% during the 1st quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 19,331 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,316,000 after acquiring an additional 4,077 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.02% of the companys stock. Get Vulcan Materials alerts: Vulcan Materials Stock Up 0.9 % Shares of Vulcan Materials stock opened at $210.57 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $28.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.59, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a current ratio of 2.37. Vulcan Materials has a one year low of $137.54 and a one year high of $212.22. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $191.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $182.06. Vulcan Materials Announces Dividend Vulcan Materials ( NYSE:VMC Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 4th. The construction company reported $0.95 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.31. The company had revenue of $1.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.57 billion. Vulcan Materials had a net margin of 8.14% and a return on equity of 10.36%. Vulcan Materialss quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.73 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that Vulcan Materials will post 6.52 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 26th were given a dividend of $0.43 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 25th. This represents a $1.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.82%. Vulcan Materialss payout ratio is currently 38.05%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Vulcan Materials news, CEO J Thomas Hill sold 4,695 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.79, for a total transaction of $947,404.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 80,039 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,151,069.81. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, CEO J Thomas Hill sold 4,695 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $201.79, for a total transaction of $947,404.05. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 80,039 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $16,151,069.81. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Randy L. Pigg sold 560 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $202.44, for a total transaction of $113,366.40. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 1,707 shares in the company, valued at $345,565.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 7,644 shares of company stock worth $1,529,014. 0.57% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms have commented on VMC. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Vulcan Materials from $212.00 to $225.00 in a report on Wednesday, May 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $200.00 to $215.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Vulcan Materials from $191.00 to $186.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 20th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Vulcan Materials in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Vulcan Materials from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the company from $188.00 to $212.00 in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $208.08. Vulcan Materials Company Profile (Get Rating) Vulcan Materials Co engages in the production of construction aggregates. Its products include crushed stone, sand, and gravel. It operates through the following business segments: Aggregates, Asphalt, Concrete, and Calcium. The Aggregates segment produces and sells asphalt mix and ready-mixed concrete primarily in its mid-Atlantic, Georgia, Southwestern, Tennessee, and Western markets. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VMC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vulcan Materials (NYSE:VMC Get Rating). Receive News & Ratings for Vulcan Materials Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vulcan Materials and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing, capital of China, June 19, 2023. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] BEIJING, June 21 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. The meeting took place at a critical time for China-U.S. relations and was closely watched by the world. What key messages did the meeting convey? A look at Xi's remarks during the meeting will offer some hints. Sense of Responsibility Xi told Blinken that the two countries should act with a sense of responsibility for history, people and the world, and handle China-U.S. relations properly. China-U.S. relationship had hit obstacles when Blinken made the visit. Xi's meeting with him and the emphasis Xi placed on responsibility have demonstrated the Chinese side's broad-mindedness, broad vision, and great sense of responsibility. To be responsible for history, one should understand that "whether the two countries can find the right way to get along bears on the future and destiny of humanity," Xi told Blinken. The most important event in international relations over the past 50 years was the resumption and development of China-U.S. relations, which has benefited the two countries and the whole world, Xi once noted, adding that the most important event in international relations in the coming 50 years will be for China and the United States to find the right way to get along. To be responsible for the people, one should understand that "the Chinese, like the Americans, are dignified, confident and self-reliant people, and they both have the right to pursue a better life," Xi said. The sound and stable growth of bilateral relations serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples. The international community is generally concerned about the current state of China-U.S. relations. It does not want to see conflict or confrontation between China and the United States or choose sides between the two countries. It expects the two countries to coexist in peace and have friendly and cooperative relations. It is imperative to understand this for one to be responsible for the world. The U.S. side should understand that to draw ideological boundaries, divide camps and engage in bloc confrontations is bound to bring disasters to the world. Major-Country Competition Against Trend of Times Xi stressed that major-country competition does not represent the trend of the times, still less can it solve the United States' own problems or the challenges facing the world. The trend of the world, as Xi once pointed out, is unequivocal. It is the trend of peace, development and win-win cooperation. For some time, China-U.S. relations have nosedived to a low point. The root cause is that the U.S. side does not have a clear understanding of the trend of history, but sticks to a misconception about China, which had led to misguided China policies. The old system of colonialism and hegemonism will not operate in today's world. It can only lead to a dead end. The only alternative is peaceful development, a path that China has been unswervingly committed to. As Xi said to Blinken, planet Earth is big enough to accommodate the respective development and common prosperity of the world's two largest economies. "China respects U.S. interests and does not seek to challenge or displace it. In the same vein, the United States needs to respect China and must not hurt China's legitimate rights and interests," Xi said. China always hopes to see a sound and steady China-U.S. relationship and believes that the two major countries can overcome various difficulties and find the right way to get along based on mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, Xi added. Turn Positive Statements into Actions Action speaks louder than words. China is looking forward to the U.S. actions. In his meeting with Blinken, Xi called on the U.S. side to adopt a rational and pragmatic attitude and work with China in the same direction. He noted that the two sides need to remain committed to the common understandings he and President Joe Biden had reached in Bali, Indonesia, last year, and translate the positive statements into actions so as to stabilize and improve China-U.S. relations. In response, Blinken said the United States is committed to returning to the agenda set by the two presidents in Bali. The United States stands by the commitments made by President Biden, namely the United States does not seek a new Cold War, it does not seek to change China's system, its alliances are not directed at China, it does not support "Taiwan independence," and it does not seek conflict with China, said Blinken. While China has a clear-cut answer to the question "whether China and the United States can properly deal with their relations," the ball is now in the U.S. court. The world will wait and see. (Source: Xinhua) Weather Alert ...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CDT TODAY... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. * WHERE...Portions of southern Illinois, western Kentucky and southeast Missouri, including the following areas, in southern Illinois, Alexander, Franklin, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Perry IL, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union and Williamson. In western Kentucky, Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, Todd and Trigg. In southeast Missouri, Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Mississippi, Perry MO and Scott. * WHEN...Until Noon CDT today. * IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Any additional rainfall of significance may lead to renewed flooding in locations that experienced torrential rainfall this week and where the ground is already saturated. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding, and especially those who experienced flooding Tuesday night into Wednesday, should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. && Following protests against the punitive system of school inspections in England which drove head teacher Ruth Perry to take her own life, the school inspectorate Ofsted (Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills) announced minimal reforms. The Conservative government has set up an inquiry into Ofsted. It was forced to respond, fearful that the outcry against the inspectorate would coalesce with the current struggle of teachers over pay, workload and education funding, which the education unions are desperately trying to contain. Department for Education announces Ofsted changes [Photo: gov.uk] Ruth Perry, aged 53, had been head teacher at Caversham Primary School in Reading for 13 years when she committed suicide after Ofsted downgraded her school from outstanding to inadequate. Her sister, Professor Julia Waters, said Ruths death was the direct result of the deeply harmful inspection and the pressure put on her by the process and outcome. Inspectors decide a score after assessing the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes of pupils, personal development and leadership and management. The leadership and management category includes duties in relation to the governments counter-terror Prevent strategy and safeguarding. A score in any category below good means the school will fail its inspection. Ruths tragic death lifted the lid on the pressures educators endure in oversized classrooms in underfunded schools, underpaid and overworked, teaching children increasingly from deprived backgrounds. Teachers took to social media to express their grief and anger; petitions were launched, and protests organised. The governments response, however, in no measure addresses their concerns. On June 12, Ofsted published lukewarm changes to its inspections process, writing, [W]e have been in regular discussion with union leaders, other sector representatives and the DfE [ Department for Education] about a package of measures to improve aspects of our work with schools. These include: Safeguardingif a school is good in other areas but like Ruth Perrys fails its inspection because of safeguarding, Ofsted will return in three months for a further inspection. A handbook will be available to schools to clarify what constitutes effective safeguarding. If the school then scores good, it will not face enforced academisation (academy schools are publicly funded but privately run). Complaints procedureout for consultation until September 15 to supposedly make it easier for schools to challenge Ofsteds judgements. Notice of inspectionschools will still only have 24 hours notice but will know the inspection year. Sharing draft Ofsted reportsthe head teacher can choose with whom to share the Ofsted report apart from parents, until it is finalised. Language in reports will be depersonalisedthe school rather than individuals will be named when locating responsibility for weak areas. Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan made clear the government has no intention of abolishing Ofsted, in opposition to the demands of the teaching profession, saying Ofsted is central to this governments success in raising school standards. She announced the expansion of the DfEs totally inadequate mental health and wellbeing package to support an extra 500 head teachers by March 2024itself an indication of the pressures on schools. The DfE reports 40,000 teachers resigning last year, on top of the 4,000 teachers who retired. Teaching begins as a vocation and ends in burnout. Unfilled teacher vacancies also reached a record high at 2,300. Speaking to the BBC, Ruth Perrys sister Professor Waters said the government had not addressed their main concern: that a school could fail an Ofsted inspection after failing in one area. It was the thing that preyed on Ruths mind for those 54 days, that one-word judgement summing up 32 years of dedication to the education profession, she said. Caversham Primary failed its Ofsted inspection on spurious grounds. Professor Waters told BBC South an altercation in the playground between two boys, plus a boy performing a floss dance, was the scant and sensationalist evidence for inadequate safeguarding. Ofsted considered the playground fight evidence of child-on-child abuse and the dance the sexualisation of children. According to Ofsted, [I]n the last 18 months only 12 state schools have been judged good or better in every area apart from safeguarding. The day after Ofsted published its revisions, parliaments Education Committee of seven Conservative and six Labour Party MPs announced an inquiry to investigate the impact of Ofsted on school standards and staff well-being. UK governments are notorious for diverting public discontent into toothless inquiries that may last for months if not years, leading to reports destined to do nothing but gather dust on the shelves of the House of Commons Library. Ofsted plays an integral role in the marketisation of education, forcing schools to become academies if they fail inspections. Academies were set up by Labour under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown (1997-2010) to end local authority control and run schools as businesses. They set their own pay rates, terms and conditions. Academisation is pursued under the cover of raising standards, closing the attainment gap between deprived and better off areas, and safeguarding children. Such posturing over the welfare of children was well and truly quashed during the pandemic, when the ruling class revealed its total indifference to the lives and health of future generations by insisting, with the aid of the education unions, that schools reopen before COVID-19 was eliminated. There are still no mitigation measures in schools, such as UV lighting that kills the virus or HEPA filters that clean the air, leaving children at risk. Scientists now link COVID infection to neurological damage, one possible reason why childrens ability to concentrate has reportedly deteriorated so drastically. Another possible explanation is the traumatising impact the pandemic has had on a whole generation. To lose a parent, caregiver, grandparent or teacher leaves deep psychological scars. One way or another, the first years of the pandemic have also seriously damaged school attendance. Latest figures from the Department for Education reveal that 125,000 children spent more time out of school than in during the first term of this academic year, double the number before the pandemic. Absences were highest in deprived areas. The DfEs school census revealed one in four (two million) children were eligible for free school meals this year, an increase of 122,000 from 2022. Three times as many children on free school meals are absent than their counterparts. Besides the occasional angry accusation, the government has not given a moments thought to this problem. Successive governments have relentlessly cut public spending, including in education, to claw back hundreds of billions in bank and the pandemic bailouts and aid the enrichment of a super-rich minority, all the while implementing privatisation throughout the school sector. Backed by Labour and the unions, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is preparing deeper cuts to pay for NATOs war against Russia in Ukraine. Ofsted creates the impression of concern for childrens education while doing next to nothing to actually solve failings made inevitable by this woeful underfunding, except to pass the blame onto workers. Its minimal reforms and the inquiry are designed to preserve this important function. They have been responded to positively by the education unions, minus a few pro-forma caveats. Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union Mary Bousted said, The NEU welcomes this inquiry into Ofsted inspections need to change much more substantially than the piecemeal reforms announced by Ofsted this week. Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders union NAHT, said, While these individual measures are sensible and somewhat helpful, they go nowhere near far enough in addressing the professions concerns. But he went on lamely, We hope the Education Select Committee will listen carefully to the experiences and concerns of the profession and help bring about much needed change. The opposition Labour Party reiterated its support for Ofsted, merely committing to end the one-word grading system. The Educators Rank-and-File Committee insists that Ofsted must be abolished and the crisis in the education system solved through massive funding increases for schools, paid for with the funds otherwise handed over the big business and the military. In this January 6, 2021 file photo with the White House in the background, former President Donald Trump speaks at the Save America rally in Washington D.C. Trump urged the right-wing mob, whom he knew to be armed, to march on the Capitol and fight like hell. [AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin] In a devastating report of more than 7,000 words, published online Sunday and in its print edition Monday, the Washington Post recounts the decisions and actions at the Department of Justice through the first two years of the Biden administration that blocked an investigation into the actions of Donald Trump in seeking to overturn the 2020 elections, culminating in the violent coup attempt of January 6, 2021. On that day, thousands of supporters, summoned to Washington by Trump, rallied outside the White House and were told by Trump to march on the Capitol and fight against the congressional certification of his election defeat. They marched on Congress, broke through police linesan action spearheaded by organized fascist groupsand stormed into the Capitol building. They chanted for the death of Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the two leading officials involved in the ceremonial counting of electoral votes that would certify the results of the November presidential contest. After the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump and the Senate voted to acquit him, further action was left to the Department of Justice, since as an ex-president and now private citizen, he could be held fully liable under well-established criminal laws. Instead, the DOJ, under the newly installed Attorney General Merrick Garland, took the most circuitous route possible, focusing on the arrest and prosecution of those identified as actual participants in the assault on Congressthe foot soldiersrather than on those who organized, mobilized and instigated the failed coup, including Trump and his co-conspirators in the Republican Party and sections of the military-intelligence apparatus. According to the Post account, Garland gave this direction to his aides on his very first day in office, in March 2021. There was no mention of Trump or his top aides on the initial presentation of the case to Garland, and this was because, as one official told the newspaper, there was already an effective ban on using the T-word in their internal discussions on how to proceed with the massive investigation, which became the largest in the DOJs history. The result was no pursuit of obvious lines of investigation, with the newspaper reporting: A Washington Post investigation found that more than a year would pass before prosecutors and FBI agents jointly embarked on a formal probe of actions directed from the White House to try to steal the election. Even then, the FBI stopped short of identifying the former president as a focus of that investigation. The Post quotes Garlands initial statement on the coup attempt: In circumstances like those of January 6th, a full accounting does not suddenly materialize. We follow the facts, not an agenda or an assumption. The facts tell us where to go next. But the official investigation deliberately excluded gathering the most critical facts, according to the Post: For many months after the attack, prosecutors did not interview White House aides or other key witnesses, according to authorities and attorneys for some of those who have since been contacted by the special counsel. The Post reporters interviewed more than two dozen current and former prosecutors, investigators, and others with knowledge of the probe. They paint a picture of decision-making that promoted inaction and made a serious pursuit of the coup plotters nearly impossible. The investigation was kept deliberately focused on the lowest-level actors. As one former official told the Post, It had become clear that the odds were very low that bottom-up was ever going to get very high. At some point, there was no ladder from here to there. Among the aspects of the January 6 coup that top Justice Department and FBI officials declined to investigate throughout 2021 were: Connections between Trump crony Roger Stone and various militia groups that participated in the storming of the Capitol, including the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys. Communications between Ali Alexander, Alex Jones and other organizers of Stop the Steal rallies in Washington, militia leaders and White House aides. Communications and documents involving the recruiting and mobilization of fraudulent pro-Trump electors in key battleground states, where Republican congressmen planned to object to the certification of the Biden electors who had actually been chosen by the voters. The headquarters of the coup plotting at the Willard Hotel in Washington, where Rudy Giuliani, Stone, Alexander and the militia leaders met regularly. The FBI assistant director even rejected a proposal to subpoena the hotels registration logs to learn who had been staying there. Both top Justice Department officials and top FBI officials were involved in blocking or slow-walking the investigation. According to the Post, FBI Director Christopher Wray was clearly uninterested: In fact, when it came to the Jan. 6 investigation, agents noticed that Wray did not travel the five blocks from FBI headquarters to the bureaus Washington field office running the investigation for more than 21 months after the attack. In that time, people familiar with the investigation said, he had never received a detailed briefing on the topic directly from the assistant director in charge of the office, Steven DAntuono. One critical element of the delay was the vacancy in the position of US attorney for the District of Columbia, who would be the point man in January 6 prosecutions. The Trump appointee, Michael Sherwin, resigned his post in April, but Biden waited until July to nominate a replacement. He chose Matthew Graves, a lawyer with experience in fraud investigations, who was not confirmed until October and did not take office until November 5, 2021, 10 months after the attack on the Capitol. In most transitions where one capitalist party replaces the other in the White House, all US attorneys submit their resignations on Inauguration Day to give the new president a free hand. But Biden chose to leave this post, one of the most important of its kind, effectively vacant for nearly a year. There has been virtual silence in the rest of the corporate media about the analysis presented by the Post. It raises too many uncomfortable questions about the deliberate sabotage of the investigation into Trump and other central players in the January 6 coup. Here the central obfuscation of the Post account is also revealed. There is virtually no mention of Biden or the role of the politics of the new administration in the failure of the DOJ and FBI to conduct a serious investigation into January 6. It is all put down to the vacillations of Garland and Wray and their desire to avoid being seen as partisan in their approach to the most serious attack on American democracy since the Civil War. Biden and the Democratic Party are committed to protecting the key institutions of the capitalist state, including the Pentagon, the Department of Homeland Security and sections of the FBI and Justice Department themselves that are implicated in assisting the coup or blocking efforts to suppress the attack on the Capitol for many hours on January 6. The Republican Party is itself one of these key institutions. From his first days in office, Biden declared his goal was to maintain a strong Republican Party and develop a bipartisan policy in which the Republicanswho had tried to block his election through unconstitutional and violent methodswould be his partners. It was these political imperatives that drove the actions of Garland, the DOJ and the FBI in slow-walking the investigation into January 6. The emphasis on bipartisanship was not naivete on Bidens part about the drastic shift to the right in the Republican Party. He would acknowledge this on occasion in speeches about the mounting threat to American democracy. But a central focus of the new administration was the preparation for war with Russia, and ultimately with China, and for this Biden required the political support of both corporate parties. It was not until the war with Russia had been successfully provoked, with the reactionary invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, that even baby steps towards a prosecution of Trump were taken by the DOJ. And if Trump had come out forcefully for the war, instead of equivocating and blaming Biden for it, it is doubtful that even the limited actions taken over the past year would have occurred. The drama involving the submersible Titan, missing in the North Atlantic about 435 miles south of St. Johns, Newfoundland since Sunday, is being followed by millions worldwide. The vessels five passengers undertook the voyage to view the wreckage of the Titanic, the ocean liner that sank in April 1912 with some 1,500 victims, which lies 12,500 feet (3,800 meters) beneath the surface. The fate of the fiveStockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate Expeditions (the company that operates the Titanic tours); wealthy British businessman and adventurer Hamish Harding; Pakistani corporate director Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman; and French dive expert Paul-Henri Nargeoletis unknown at this point. They reportedly had a supply of 96 hours of oxygen when the vessel descended Sunday morning. The submersible Titan. [Photo: OceanGate Expeditions] It is inevitable that such an event, in which there is a race against time and the elements, should attract the interest and concern of tens of millions. People deeply and instinctively feel for those trapped in life-threatening conditions and, in the present case, will continue to hope against hope that the Titans passengers can be extracted from their horrible situation. The social standing of the individuals does not affect our attitude. There is no room in the socialist movement for anyone who gloats over the possible death of a handful of billionaires, pathetically imagining that such an occurrence would make the world a better place. The process of social revolution, in reality, is bound up with a generalized growth in compassion and requires, as Leon Trotsky once observed, people with a highly developed psyche. Nevertheless, appropriate alarm and apprehension about this potentially tragic episode do not send all the serious social issues raised by it flying out the window. First of all, certain painful but telling historical ironies come to mind. There are similarities, now played out on a miniature scale, between the sinking of the original RMS Titanic and its present-day shadow, the Titan. There were prominent wealthy victims of the 1912 disaster too, including John Jacob Astor IV, business magnate and the richest individual aboard the doomed ship, and Pennsylvania Railroad executive John Thayer. The 1912 sinking and enormous death toll, as various investigations have shown, were entirely avoidable. They were the combined product of corporate profit hunger, ill-conceived plans, countless errors and simple stupidity. Had it not been for the pride and pomp, the greed and luxury that paraded the upper deck, the Titanic never would have gone to the bottom of the sea, American Socialist Party leader Eugene V. Debs pointed out at the time, during a presidential election campaign in which he received nearly 1 million votes. Likewise, there seems reason to believe that OceanGates activities merit scrutiny. In 2018, the companys director of marine operations, David Lochridge, presented whats described in the media as a scathing quality control report to senior management, including CEO Stockton Rush, and was fired for his efforts. Lochridge prefaced his report by insisting that it was time to properly address items that may pose a safety risk to personnel and that numerous issues posed serious safety concerns. And there are the appalling matters involving the rescue efforts. Famously, the Titanic carried only 20 lifeboats, able in theory to accommodate 1,178 people, a little over half of the 2,200 people on board, and many of those put to sea only half-filled. Even if the submersible Titan is located, efforts to save lives will be hindered by the fact that virtually no rescuing capabilities presently exist, at least in government hands. A Forbes comment points out, astonishingly, that as the global market for extreme tourist adventures has emerged, submarine rescue has now become a largely privatized endeavor and most governments have little to offer the missing mariners if they are trapped underwater. The decline in Americas rescue capabilities has been dramatic. In 1960, the U.S. Navy boasted nine dedicated submarine rescue ships and two fleet tugs fitted out for undersea rescue work. Today, the service lacks a single dedicated undersea rescue vessel. Once again, Americas vast military, security and anti-terror apparatus only proves capable of ending lives, not saving them. The present tragedy does not cast extreme tourism in a positive light. Desiring to see the five individuals alive and well does not signify approving of their foolhardy adventures. All too often, individuals with too much money, too much time on their hands, too little brains in their heads and ugly, overweening hubris put their own and other peoples lives at risk. Bezos, Branson, Musk and their ilk are parasites, of no social use to anyone. The question of class intrudes in both tragedies like a knife-blade. Of the approximately 709 Titanic passengers in third (or steerage) class, an estimated 537 died. Some 80 percent of male third-class passengers perished, while only 3 percent of first-class women suffered that fate. As has been well documented, steerage passengers on board the Titanic were confined to their area in the lower decks by grilled gates, some of which were never unlocked as the ship filled with water. One hundred eleven years later, class divisions have reached an even higher and more malignant stage. It has now become a tale, in fact, of two distinct vessels: the Titan, on the one hand, and the fishing boat that sank on June 13 in the Mediterranean, killing hundreds of desperate refugees, on the other. A handout image provided by Greece's coast guard on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, shows scores of people covering practically every free stretch of deck on a battered fishing boat that later capsized and sank off southern Greece, leaving at least 79 dead and many more missing. [AP Photo/Hellenic Coast Guard via AP] It is no more possible to imagine Rush and the other wealthy individuals on board the same ship as the refugees, even on its upper decks, than it is to conceive of those unfortunate people anywhere near a submersible carrying a group of rich adventurers, paying $250,000 a ticket. These are now two entirely separate realms, hostile, distant and impervious to one another. The nonstop media coverage of the North Atlantic episode is vastly different from the treatment devoted to last weeks terrible tragedy off the Greek coast. There the individuals, Pakistanis, Egyptians, Syrians, Afghans and Palestinians, died for the most part nameless, uncelebrated. It is unlikely that some of them will ever be identified. Another harsh irony lies in the fact that two wealthy Pakistanis are passengers on the Titan, while hundreds of impoverished Pakistani men, women and children succumbed in the Mediterranean, leading to outrage and protests in their native country. Far from facilitating rescue efforts, the various European governments, Greeces centrally, are directly responsible for the conditions that led to the mass drowning. Officials lied about and covered up their role and slandered the dead and injured. The surviving refugees were thrown into a filthy warehouse facility. Media personalities could hardly stay awake recounting the facts. Large-scale death is now business as usual for these people. The clear implication of the reporting was that the suffering refugees had brought their fate on themselves. The reality of fortress Europe, like that of walled-in America, is unspeakable official inhumanity. Saving the hundreds on board the fishing vessel near Greece, once they were clearly in jeopardy, would have been so much easier than rescuing a vessel possibly resting on the bottom of the seafor any government or naval force that desired to do so. Its legitimate to raise the question whether, given the homicidal record of the European governments involved, the refugees deaths may have been deliberately facilitated, as a means of setting an example and intimidating others. Of course, the entire tragedy could have been avoided if the fleeing people had simply been allowed, as they should have been, to move with dignity and without obstruction from one continent or country to another. Their mass flight has largely been precipitated by the imperialist wars and other operations carried out by the Western powers, the very regimes now presiding over their deaths at sea. Social inequality, neo-colonial war, the growth of authoritarianism and anti-immigrant hysteria, the debasement of official politics and the mediathere is a world of meaning in the sad circumstances (Debs) of these two contrasting episodes. Unmistakably, however, the general movement of the mass of the population, in the face of a dysfunctional, criminal social order, is toward the left, toward social revolution. More than one-quarter of Canadians report being impacted directly or indirectly by the record-breaking wildfire season, which has ravaged communities across the country and sent choking smoke across the North American continent. The Leger poll, conducted online last week, also found that 23 percent of US residents also report being affected by the fires. Driven by the effects of capitalist-induced climate change, fires are continuing to burn out of control across the country, from Quebec in the east to British Columbia in the west and the Yukon and Northwest Territories in the north. As of Tuesday, 409 fires were burning, with 202 deemed by the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System to be out of control. An evacuation order was put in place Tuesday night for those residents of Val dOr, Quebec, living in the rural communities of Lac Gueguen, Lac Matchi-Manitou and Lac Villebon. The mining town in western Quebec is home to more than 32,000 people. Another community, Lebel-sur-Quevillon, approximately 160 kilometers north, was on standby for possible evacuation as smoke choked the sky. The citys mayor has advised its 2,000 residents to keep their doors and windows closed and wear N95 masks if they have to go outside. Across the province, the use of fireworks has been banned ahead of June 24 Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day celebrations and Canada Day festivities on July 1. So far this year, 2,700 wildfires have consumed more than 59,000 square kilometers of land, roughly 10 times the size of the province of Prince Edward Island, and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes. Hundreds of structures have been destroyed since fires began erupting in early May, including 100 homes on the Fox Lake 162 reserve in northern Alberta and 150 homes in rural subdivisions of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Donnie Creek fire in northeastern British Columbia has grown to be the largest individual fire in the provinces recorded history, having consumed more than 5,344 square kilometers of boreal spruce forest. The fire has burned through an area more than twice the size of Metro Vancouver and is continuing to burn out of control. More than 1,900 international firefighters have deployed to assist in fighting the blazes, including 100 from Mexico, who arrived Monday, in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Firefighters have also been sent to assist from France, Portugal, Spain, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Chile and the United States. Moreover, 350 members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) were deployed for six weeks to help with the battle against blazes in Alberta and the evacuation of stranded residents. Meteorologists expect that the record-breaking heat and dry conditions which fueled the early eruption of Canadas wildfire season will continue through July and August, meaning that there will be further events like the smoke event which sent the air quality index soaring to extremely toxic levels, and blotted out the sun in New York City and across the northeastern United States. Smoke from Canadas fires has spread as far south as Florida and been carried across the Atlantic Ocean to northern Europe. The inhalation of the fine particulates of wildfire smoke is known to cause immediate negative health impactsincluding asthma attacks and heart attacksand contributes to the development of lung cancer. It can also exacerbate conditions for those who recently suffered pneumonia or myocarditis, common conditions for those infected by COVID-19. At least 6 million people globally die due to the effects of poor air quality every year, making it one of the leading causes of death. It has been well established that climate change is driving both the growth of the size of extreme wildfires and the length of the annual fire season. This years massive fires and their international impact clearly demonstrate that the effects are not a long way off in the future but are being felt now. As Ryan Ness, director of adaptation research at the Canadian Climate Institute, recently explained to CTV, In addition to a warmer overall climate, which creates a greater risk for things to dry out and to ignite in the case of wildfires, were also seeing drier weather and were seeing more weather that creates lightning as a result of more energy in the atmosphere, which drives more wildfires as well. Furthermore, insects which kill trees, including the mountain pine beetle, have been able to move further north and thrive as the climate warms, creating more fuel for fires. Despite the clear connection between climate change and the growth of wildfires, far-right Alberta premier Danielle Smith, who has taken anti-scientific positions on the COVID-19 pandemic and supports Big Oils right to unhindered profits, has dismissed the issue, instead focusing on arson as the cause of the fires. We are bringing in arson investigators from outside the province, Smith announced earlier this month when she was asked about the role of climate change. Smith was also playing to far-right conspiracy theories, which posit that the fires across Canada have been intentionally set. While a significant share of fires are sparked by human activity, it is almost always unintentional. Meanwhile the Liberal Trudeau government has raised the potential for establishing a national force to coordinate firefighting. Currently, each provincial government is responsible for their own wildfire response and coordinating with each other. However, the prime minister has reassured the public that there will be enough resources to fight the fires this year despite very serious projections. While the Trudeau government has pledged billions of dollars to combat climate change, a review by the Toronto Star published last week found that it has not been following through on its announced initiatives. The paper found that out of $15.03 billion budgeted for climate programs between 2016-17 and 2021-22, $7.78 billion went unspent or was used at a slower rate than projected. In one example, the $455 million Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund saw only 23.5 percent of its budget spent by 2022. Meanwhile, amid the raging fires, the Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilievre has continued his calls for the end to Canadas carbon tax, which puts a cost of $50 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, one of Trudeaus main initiatives in relation to climate change that is supposed to curb the emission of greenhouse gasses. However, as climate change is a global problem, there will be no national solution. Consumption taxes like the carbon tax disproportionately impact the working class while big business continues polluting with impunity. The only solution to Canadas wildfire crisis and to combat climate change is through the development of an international movement of the working class fighting for socialism, placing social and economic development and environmental protection on a scientific basis to meet human need, rather than the current destructive drive for profit. The pseudo-left Socialist Alternative organisation is openly supporting the creation of an indigenous Voice to the federal parliament, one of the signature policies of the big-business Labor government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Panel of a meeting held by Socialist Alternative on June 3, 2023 An article in its Red Flag publication last week was the most explicit yet on the need for workers and young people to ensure a yes vote on the referendum that must be held to constitutionally enshrine the new body. It would function as an advisory body to the federal government and parliament, which would also determine its composition and personnel. Socialist Alternatives support for the initiative again underscores the fact that it has nothing to do with socialism. Rather, it is a pseudo-left organisation based on affluent sections of the upper-middle class, mired in identity politics fashionable among this social layer and tied by a thousand threads to the political establishment. The article, Voice to parliament losing ground, warns in worried tones that the Labor governments policy is not winning substantial popular support. It cites recent polling indicating that less than 50 percent of the electorate would support the creation of a Voice if a referendum were held now. Red Flag speaks nervously of the dangers of a humiliating defeat for the Yes campaign. This, it asserts, would be a significant victory for the conservative right and its racist campaign against the Voice. In its clearest enunciation of Socialist Alternatives line on the referendum, the article states: While a small minority of left-wing activists are critical of the Voice, their voices have been drowned out by the right-wing racists who dominate the No campaign and the debates around it in mainstream discussions. A win for the No campaign in this context would strengthen the right and undermine the existing widespread support for Indigenous rights. From this, it concludes that the left has no choice but to support the Labor governments Voice. This assertion is all the more striking, given the characterisations of the new body in the Red Flag article itself. The Voice, it states, is not an organic demand arising out of the struggles of an oppressed people. Instead, it is the construct of a small number of Indigenous and non-indigenous lawyers, academics and NGO leaders. The Voice, Socialist Alternative acknowledges, will do nothing to address the profound social crisis afflicting the vast mass of Aboriginal people. Instead, it will be used by the Albanese government to whitewash institutional racism and to attempt to diffuse anti-racist sentiment. And yet the only conclusion Socialist Alternative offers is that workers and young people must line up behind this reactionary campaign! The peculiar manner in which the article is framed, simultaneously criticising the Voice and insisting that there is no alternative but to support it, is bound up with Socialist Alternatives support for the Labor government whose policy is already substantially discredited. Broad layers of working people, who are horrified at the plight of Aboriginal people, nevertheless recognise that this new institution will resolve nothing. The deep-going skepticism extends to many indigenous people. They have been through innumerable experiences with land councils, government advisory panels and other bodies, which have covered up the failure of governments to address their social crisis while enriching a tiny Aboriginal elite. To obscure the fact that it is promoting an unpopular policy, which it acknowledges is essentially reactionary, Socialist Alternative is compelled to put forward certain limited and mealy-mouthed criticisms. This is the political equivalent of window dressing. Socialist Alternative claims it is necessary to support the Voice to prevent a victory of the far-right, which is similar to the position it and the rest of the pseudo-left put in elections and on all significant political developments. They are cynical peddlers of lesser-evilism, the assertion that workers and youth must support Labor, the Greens and other official parties, to prevent the coming to office of the Liberal-National Coalition. The function of the claim that Labor and the Greens are the lesser evil is to chain workers and youth to these parties of big business and to block an independent political movement of the working class against the entire political establishment and the capitalist system that it defends. The assertion that the far-right can be defeated by aligning with sections of the political establishment is a fraud. It is a crude recapitulation of the Popular Front policy of Stalinism in the 1930s that promoted an alliance with supposedly progressive sections of the bourgeoisie to purportedly block fascism. The results of that policy, which assisted the rise of fascism, are starkly demonstrated by the subsequent horrors that befell the working class. The same is the case, on a very different scale, in relation to the Voice. To the extent that the Coalition and the right-wing populist organisations are able to gain any traction, it is a result of the reactionary, pro-business character of the Voice itself. While Liberal leader Peter Dutton is dog-whistling to a small far-right constituency, he is also denouncing the Voice as a product of the elite Canberra bubble that will resolve nothing for ordinary people. The right-wing elements campaigning against the Voice can point to the fact that it is backed by some of the most powerful layers of the Australian corporate elite, including most of the countrys major companies and business lobbies, the very forces that Socialist Alternative is now in a de facto alliance with over the issue. More generally, while criticising aspects of the Voice, Socialist Alternative backs the entire racialist perspective that underpins it. The Labor government, the Greens and the pseudo-left all present the plight of Aboriginal people in essentially racial terms. The poverty, inequality and hardships afflicting indigenous people, Socialist Alternative asserts, are the product of structural racism. This is a fraud. In reality, the oppression of Aboriginal people is a crime of capitalism. The original dispossession of the Aboriginal people, justified by racism, was a product of the drive to establish capitalist property relations, particularly private ownership of the land, in opposition to the primitive communism that prevailed among indigenous tribes. With the establishment of a modern capitalist nation-state, Aboriginal people became the most oppressed section of the working class. Attacks on their social rights have inevitably served as a prelude to an assault on the wider working class. To say racism, not capitalism, is responsible is an apology for the profit system. It has also served as the mechanism for the enrichment of a narrow and privileged layer of the Aboriginal population, as is again occurring with the proposal for a Voice. Above all, the racialist line serves to drive a wedge between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers, preventing a unified struggle for their common class interests while burying the primacy of class more broadly. Socialist Alternatives position reflects definite material interests. It speaks for a layer of the upper-middle class in academia, the top echelons of the public sector and the trade union bureaucracy. This social milieu uses the politics of race, gender and sexuality to advance its own striving for privileges, within the framework of capitalism, while staving off any threat to the social order posed by a unified movement of the working class. The related aspect of Socialist Alternatives promotion of the Voice is that it says nothing in its commentary on the referendum about the broader agenda of the Labor government. In fact, it is a government of reaction all down the line. Labor is presiding over the worst social crisis in decades facing workers, regardless of race, culture, language, gender or any other identity, while instituting policies, such as the Stage Three tax cuts, that benefit the ultra-wealthy. At the same time, Labor is fully committed to the advanced US-led preparations for war against China. It has allocated vast sums to the military, including $368 billion for nuclear-powered submarines, and is functioning as a diplomatic attack dog of Washington throughout the region. The Voice is a cover for this right-wing pro-business agenda. It also serves longstanding attempts by the ruling elite to cultivate a new, supposedly more inclusive nationalism aimed at suppressing class tensions and promoting a national unity that is essential to the drive for war. The bottom line is the cost of such war measures will be borne by the working class, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal alike, in the form of the immense gutting of social spending, increased exploitation and the attacks on democratic rights that are always a by-product of war. The Socialist Equality Party alone has exposed this essential class character of the Voice and opposed it from the standpoint of a genuine socialist, revolutionary and internationalist perspective. In opposition to the Labor government and its pseudo-left supporters, it is necessary to unite the entire working class in a common struggle for socialism, as the only means of ending the social crisis and averting the threat of a catastrophic war. Last week, Australia recorded 205 deaths from COVID, the highest seven-day total since February 10. This brings the total official death toll to 21,463, with more than 4,400 people dying from the virus so far this year. A drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, January 8, 2022. [AP Photo/Mark Baker] Across the country, 2,340 people were hospitalised with COVID last week, with 66 receiving treatment in intensive care units. Hospitalisation figures for each of the past five weeks, including the June 2 peak of 2,771, have all been higher than at any time in February, March or April. Health officials reported 19,767 new confirmed cases in the week ending June 16, the first time the total has been less than 20,000 since mid-March. With public testing and reporting infrastructure almost completely torn down by state, territory and federal governmentsall Labor with the exception of Tasmaniainfection numbers are, at most, only indicative of general trends. Data scientist Mike Honey, who has closely tracked the pandemic in Australia and elsewhere, estimates that infections are being underreported by as much as 14 times. This would mean that as many as 1.8 million people7 percent of the Australia populationmay have been infected in the past four weeks alone. The hospitalisation and infection figures may indicate that the current wave, Australias seventh, is on the ebb. But the conception of sharp peaks separated by long troughs, appropriate in the early stages of the pandemic, has been rendered almost completely irrelevant. With no public health measures in place, very low levels of vaccine-induced immunity, and a bubbling variant soup, ordinary people now confront an unending cycle of infection and reinfection. Less than 3.3 million Australians have received a booster shot in the past six months, meaning more than 85 percent of the population is unprotected. Vaccination rates are shockingly low even among the most vulnerable layers. Of those aged care residents who have been eligible for a booster dose since the beginning of this year, just 51.8 percent have received one. Since the start of 2023, around 32,000 aged care residents have been infected with COVID and 1,000 have died. Amid the rising weekly death toll, state governments are continuing to tear down the few remaining vestiges of a public health response. In Victoria, the Andrews Labor governments budget, announced last month, will slash funding for nine local public health units across the state by 40 percent over the next two years. These units were established to manage infection control and tracking in October 2020, at the height of the pandemics second wave. According to the Age, around 30 workers at the North Eastern Public Health Unitwhich covers some of Melbournes poorest neighbourhoodswill be let go at the end of the month. The Western Public Health Unit will also make substantial cuts, while other units have not spelled out what the impact on jobs will be. Despite the massive funding cuts, the public health units will be saddled with broader responsibilities. By the end of the year, they will be tasked with managing outbreaks of all notifiable infectious diseases except tuberculosis. A government spokesperson told the Age, The change reflects the reduced impact COVID-19 is now having and that the response to COVID is now more aligned with other communicable diseases. COVID-19 deaths in Australia, to June 16, 2023 This flies in the face of reality. Since the start of this year, more than 1,600 Victorians have died from COVID, almost 10 each day, and more than succumbed in the entirety of 2020 and 2021. In New South Wales (NSW), Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car told the Daily Telegraph last week that an enhanced COVID cleaning program for schools would be discontinued from next term. Car declared of the $30 million per term measures, when budgets are tight this is money that could be better spent elsewhere. While surface cleaning alone does little to prevent the spread of COVID in schools, where crowded, poorly ventilated classrooms are the norm, the ending of the program reflects the Labor governments general disregard for the health of children, teachers and the broader community. The federal Labor government has come under fire in recent weeks over its failure to hold a royal commission or some form of inquiry into the pandemic, as Labor called for ahead of the May 2022 federal election. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said last month, when we are confident that were through those issues, then well examine it. In other words, Albanese, who has presided over the systematic dismantling of virtually all public health measures against COVID, now refuses to order an inquiry on the grounds that the pandemic isnt over. Part of the reasoning behind this was made explicit by former NSW Labor premier Bob Carr yesterday. He wrote on Twitter that a Royal Commission into Covid would be a waste of money. Do a quick cheap review. Politically, [former Liberal prime minister Scott] Morrison cannot be harmed further. Carr makes clear that such an inquiry would have nothing to do with protecting the health and lives of the Australian population from this or future pandemics. Its only purpose would be political, and there are no political gains to be made because Albanese, along with the rest of the Labor Party, agreed with and facilitated every homicidal decision that was made under Morrison. While Morrison and former Liberal NSW premier Dominic Perrottet were the public face of 2021s let it rip policies, these were developed and enacted by the Labor-dominated National Cabinet, and especially Daniel Andrews. This was established beyond any shadow of a doubt by the Albanese governments deepening of these pro-business measures. More than 13,300 deaths have been recorded in the 13 months since the federal Labor government was elected, compared with just over 8,000 in the 26 months preceding. Even if a Royal Commission into the pandemic were to take place, it is unclear what the terms of reference would be. Many of those calling for an inquiry are doing so from the standpoint of ensuring that there can never be a repeat of lockdowns, border closures, mask mandates and other public health measures that interfere even minimally with the profit interests of big business. Daniel Wild, director of the Institute of Public Affairs, a right-wing think tank, declared, Australians need reassurance that bureaucrats will no longer be able to unilaterally regulate basic human activity under threat of criminal sanction. By Australians, Wild means Australian capitalism and by basic human activity, he means the right of big business to demand that workers remain on the job, even at risk of their lives. While he speaks in particularly blunt terms, what Wild is expressing is in fact the position of Labor and the entire political establishment. This underscores both the necessity for a truly independent and scientific analysis of the COVID pandemic and the fact that no capitalist government could, or would want to, carry out such an inquiry. The Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic, initiated by the World Socialist Web Site, is the only international examination exposing the homicidal policies of capitalist governments worldwide. The inquest is not merely an academic review. It is putting forward the means through which workers can oppose the actions of the ruling classes that have resulted in the preventable deaths of millions worldwide and fight for the elimination of the deadly virus. The vultures are circling in London, picking over a Ukrainian economy devastated by the NATO-Russia war and readying the super-exploitation of the working class. Billed the Ukraine Recovery Conference, the two-day meeting this Wednesday-Thursday was an opportunity for the NATO governments and their banks and corporations to further their predatory ambitions in Ukraine. UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, June 21, 2023 [Photo by Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0 There was an air of the surreal to the events, with officials talking about Ukraines significant economic potential in a context where millions of Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes, hundreds of thousands killed and $700 billion of damage doneshuttering businesses, destroying infrastructure and ruining agricultural landby a war predicted to grind on for years. The conference was in part dedicated to escalating that conflict, providing a platform for demands that Russia be made to pay reparations. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced that Ukraines reconstruction would be financed eventually with proceeds from the immobilized Russian assets. The European Union (EU) is making plans to use the 200 billion of frozen Russian reserves held on the continent for that purpose, with the UK, the US and Canada holding similar discussions. However wide the gap between rhetoric and reality, the event did at least showcase the real relationship between Ukraine and the NATO powers. Presenting itself as the saviour of Ukraine, its democracy and sovereignty, the imperialist alliance in fact sees the country only as a vassal state. Already being bled white militarily and demographically to weaken Russia, Ukraine faces the same fate economically at the hands of the US and European powers. Opening the conference, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said, Before this terrible war, Ukraines economy was becoming a huge investment opportunity, adding, the truth is, that opportunity is still there today. In fact, the war has only proved how much Ukraine has to offer. Ukraine was ready for investment, and President Zelenskyys government is determined to drive reforms to become more open, more transparent, and ready for investment, said Sunak, a near billionaire and devotee of Thatcherism. Zelensky addressed the conference on Wednesday via video-link. Sunaks Conservative government issued a statement explaining, The international community attending the conference wants to unlock the potential of the private sector to help Ukraines recovery. Anna Bjerde of the World Bank commented that Ukraine has a lot of potential to turn a lot of its assets into economic opportunity. These are polite ways of declaring open season on Ukraines working class, infrastructure and natural resources. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, representing the oligarchy in Kiev which expects to be well rewarded for facilitating this imperialist plunder, threw his arms wide in a series of opinion pieces in the European media. He wrote in Politico: At the moment, Ukraine has deposits of 21 of the 30 rare elements the EU classifies as critical raw materials; the second largest gas reserves in Europe; 41.3 million hectares of fine agricultural land; and one of the best developed digital ecosystems. It also has the most important thingpeoplequalified, energetic and hard-working. All these factors, plus the recovery program worth hundreds of billions of dollars, open a window of opportunity for foreign investors. The World Socialist Web Site drew attention to the role played by Ukraines vast mineral wealth in the war earlier this month, explaining, A global race for strategic sources of raw materials has long since begun, in the course of which the US and the leading EU powers are attempting to divide among themselves the mineral resources and other resources of the weaker states. European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic salivated to Politico that Ukraine could completely replace Russias supplies of critical raw materials to Europe. He went on, Ukraine has the largest underground storage facilities for gas in Europe33 billion cubic meters, just at the border of Slovakia. The potential there is enormous. It could be a very important strategic asset for the energy security of the European Union. The EU is acting on its ambitions, planning to invest up to 72 billion in Ukraine between 2024 and 2027. The United States has sent $26.4 billion in financial support. Britain used this weeks conference to announce $3 billion in World Bank loan guarantees. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is providing $15 billion over four years. While some of the funds are grants, most are loans, ladening Ukraine with debttotal foreign debt now exceeds $70 billion according to the countrys finance ministry. It will make payments of over $3 billion on that debt this year, despite an agreed two-year freeze on international debts worth $20 billion, and of an expected $10 billion in 2024. The funds also come with the expectation that Ukraine will be opened for US and European businesses. US Under Secretary of State Jose Fernandez commented earlier this year, The need for the bold and original ideas of the private sector will be more important in Ukraine than ever before. Speaking at the Recovery Conference, Sunak announced the Ukraine Business Compact for the private sector to pledge their support for Ukraines recovery and reconstruction, adding that over 400 businesses from 38 countries, with a combined market cap of $4.9 trillion, have now signed up. Asset managers BlackRock, with significant holdings of Ukrainian debt, and bank JPMorgan Chase are working with the Ukrainian government to set up a reconstruction bank that can attract hundreds of billions of dollars in private investment. The Financial Times writes, BlackRock and JPMorgan are donating their services, although the work will give them an early look at possible investments in the country. To encourage these investors, Ukraine has continued with a wave of privatisations and slashing of labour laws and protections begun before the NATO-Russia war, in particular in the aftermath of the 2014 Maidan Coup, as preparation for integrating itself into the EU market. Speaking to the Guardian last October, Zelenskys economic advisor Alexander Rodnyansky explained, in the newspapers words, Ukraine needs to revamp its labour laws and redouble efforts to privatise thousands of companies to repair its economy. Rodnyansky identified ease of hiring, ease of firing, severance pay, flexible hours and contracts and fixed-term contracts, as well as scrapping the minimum wage: We need to make sure its not too high because our economy is collapsing, and we need to make sure it does not push up unemployment. Laws have already been passed stripping back employees rights and introducing zero-hours contracts. At last years Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano, Switzerland, officials announced Ukraines intention to corporatise the countrys biggest 15 state-owned firms, allowing the sale of up to 49 percent of their shares. The government made record profits from the sale of small state assets in the first quarter of this year. Laws are being pushed to help the full sale of larger enterprises, including major chemical-industrial factories and energy companies. Head of the State Property Fund Rustem Umerov told Reuters this May of the legislation, There is opposition, but this will be the last nail in communisms coffin. Ukraines economic situation, just as much as its military one, confirms Leon Trotskys warning on the eve of the Second World War, in the article A Fresh Lesson, that An imperialist war, no matter in what corner it begins, will be waged not for national independence but for a redivision of the world in the interests of separate cliques of finance capital. It is further proof of what the International Committee of the Fourth International said of the consequences for the region of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, as claims were made by the Stalinist apparatchiks responsible that imperialism was a myth created by Lenin: This myth has proven to be true and is exacting a terrible toll on the Ukrainian and Russian working class. On Tuesday, federal prosecutors filed papers in a Wilmington, Delaware court that said Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, had tentatively agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses and accept the facts of a gun charge against him. In an email to the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, U.S. Attorney David Weiss wrote that Robert Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to two counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax and agreed to enter a Pretrial Diversion Agreement on one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. While the deal requires approval by a federal judge, both the prosecutors and defense attorneys have requested a court hearing in which the 53-year-old Biden can enter his plea. The date of the Delaware hearing has been set for July 26. The likely result of the arrangements with the US Justice Department (DoJ) is that Hunter Biden will not serve any jail time. Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, centre, his son Hunter Biden, left, and his sister Valerie Biden Owens, right (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) The diversion agreement on the gun charge means Biden would not technically be pleading guilty to that crime, since courts offer this option to nonviolent offenders with substance abuse problems. In the end, prosecutors will likely recommend two years of probation and the gun charge will be removed from Bidens record after a specified period. At the same time, prosecutor Weiss has stated that the investigation into Hunter Bidenwhich has been ongoing since 2018 and was started by the DoJ during the Trump administrationis ongoing. This suggests that other criminal charges could be pending against him. In the charges against the presidents son, also released on Tuesday by the DoJ, Weiss wrote that Hunter Biden received taxable income in excess of $1,500,000.00 with an income tax in excess of $100,000.00 in both 2017 and 2018. The indictment also says that Biden did willfully fail to pay the income tax that was due. On the gun charge, prosecutor Weiss wrote that Hunter Biden, knowing that he was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance, possessed a .38 Special pocket revolver in October 2018 in violation of multiple US laws. The plea deal between Hunter Biden and the DoJ amounts to a political maneuver by the Biden administration to take the federal investigation of the presidents son off the table in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential elections. That Hunter Biden is now, in the words of his attorney Chris Clark, going to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life after a five-year investigation, shows that the Democratic Party president considered the matter a potential liability during his campaign for reelection in 2024. Advisers to President Biden have presented his son as a recovering addict who may well be guilty of relatively minor offenses that would have been dropped long ago except for his family name. However, details of Hunter Bidens business dealings show that while his father was vice president, consulting firms he controlled were paid millions of dollars in retainer and other fees by Chinese and Ukrainian energy companies. The Washington Post reported in March 2022 that, over the course of 14 months in 2017 and 2018, CEFC China Energy paid $4.8 million in fees as part of a consulting agreement signed by Hunter Biden. The business opportunity being discussed was a $40 million joint venture to produce liquified natural gas in Louisiana, according to the Post. It is significant that the plea agreement makes no mention of these issues, even though the income that Hunter Biden earned and failed to pay taxes on was derived in part from these transactions. From the standpoint of American capitalist politics, profiteering such as that engaged in by Hunter Biden is the norm rather than the exception. By comparison, Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of Donald Trump, secured a $2 billion investment from a fund led by Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, six months after leaving the White House. The Republican Party, Donald Trump and the fascist right have all gone on the offensive in response to the announcement of the plea deal. The Wall Street Journal published an editorial on Tuesday declaring that the lenient treatment of Hunter Biden is firing up Republican claims of two-tiered justice. Trump, who was indicted earlier this month on 37 federal charges of illegally possessing highly sensitive national security information at his home and private resort in Florida, posted on social media that the DoJ had just cleared up hundreds of years of criminal liability by giving Hunter Biden a mere traffic ticket. Our system is BROKEN! The agreement by prosecutor Weiss, who was appointed by Trump and agreed to stay on during the Biden administration to complete his probe of Hunter Biden, was bound to intensify the internal conflict between the different factions of the US political establishment in the run-up to the 2024 elections. On Wednesday, hundreds of Israeli settlers, many armed and emboldened by the far-right government now in power, ran amok in the occupied West Bank, in a repeat of last Februarys pogrom-like rampage in Huwara. They did so with the full support of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), which instead of protecting civilians, as required under international law, turned their guns on the Palestinians. The classmates of 15-year-old Sadeel Naghniyeh carry her body during her funeral in the West Bank Jenin refugee camp Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Naghniyeh died from wounds sustained in an Israeli military raid on Monday. [AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed] Settlers entered the town of Turmus Ayya, near Ramallah, torching scores of cars, houses and fields, firing live bullets as they went. They were followed by the IDF which shot and killed Omar Abu Katan, 27. A further 10 were wounded, some by live shots fired by settlers and others by soldiers. It brings to more than 126 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli police, soldiers and settlers in the West Bank so far this year or who have died as a result of injuries sustained previously, while about 25 Israelis have been killed in Israel and the West Bank as a result of Palestinian attacks. The former figure is more than double the number in the same period the previous year, which was the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since 2005. Wednesdays rampage was one of a series of vigilante attacks by settlers that have come in the wake of mounting violence by the IDF over the last 18 months. With the fascistic forces in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus coalition government stepping up their demands for the IDF to suppress the Palestinians, it presages the launching of a large-scale military operationsimilar to its murderous assaults on the besieged Gaza Stripin the West Bank, which Israel has occupied illegally since the 1967 Arab Israeli war. It would lead to mass killings and devastation. Israels siege of the Jenin refugee camp in April 2002 killed at least 52 Palestinians and left many homeless. Twenty-three Israeli soldiers lost their lives in the battle. These far-right forces have repeatedly demanded the annexation of the West Bankas has Netanyahu himselfin defiance of international law, in pursuit of their aim of establishing a Jewish Supremacist state in both Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. This latest cycle of violence began early on Monday when the IDF mounted yet another of its near-nightly raids on the northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Nablus to arrest two Hamas militants. Far from crushing Palestinian resistance, the raids have only intensified the conflict. Support for Hamas, the militant clerical group affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood, has grown in the West Bank as opposition to the corrupt, Fatah-led Palestinian Authority under the leadership of the aging President Mahmoud Abbas has soared. So unexpectedly fierce was the resistance they encounteredgunfire and explosive devicesthat the IDF deployed Apache helicopter gunships to fire on the Palestinians, help extract soldiers whose armoured vehicle had been hit by explosives and seize the wanted militants. Seven Palestinians were killed and more than 90 injured in the 12-hour-long battle. Three IDF soldiers and five Israel Border Police officers were injured in the fighting. The Palestinians killed included Qasam Faisal Abu Seriya, 29, and Qais Majdi Adel Jabareen, 21 (members of the Jenin Brigade, a Palestinian militant group linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad), and Ahmad Khaled Faysal Draghma, 19 (a member of its Toubas Brigade), as well as Khalid Azam Asaasa, 21, and a 15-year-old boy Ahmed Youssef Saqer, the Palestinian Health Ministry said. A 15-year-old Palestinian girl, Sadeel Naghniyeh, was critically wounded in the raid on Monday, reportedly from a bullet to her head by an Israeli sniper, while stood in the front yard of her home in the refugee camp. She died on Wednesday in a Jenin hospital from her injuries, bringing the total number of fatalities from Mondays assault to seven. In another incident, two soldiers were injured and two Palestinians were shot after the Palestinians allegedly drove their vehicle towards troops at a checkpoint near Jenin. The IDF raid on Jenin coincided with a visit by a high-ranking Hamas delegation to Iran on Monday morning. Their visit follows that of Islamic Jihad leaders who went to Tehran last week and met with Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Also on Monday, Israeli troops shot and killed 20-year-old Zakarya al-Zaoul during clashes in the village of Husan, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem. These attacks led to a shootout on Tuesday when two Palestinian gunmen shot dead four Israelis and injured another four at a petrol station and restaurant near the central West Bank settlement of Eli. The IDF said a civilianmeaning a settlerhad neutralised one of the gunmen while security forces had neutralised another that fled in a stolen car. It said both of them were affiliated with Hamas. Netanyahu has made it clear that Israeli policy is to execute suspects rather than arrest them. This in turn sparked a series of assaults by settlers on nearby towns overnight and on Wednesday. Yesh Din, an Israeli human right organisation that monitors settler violence, said that eight Palestinians were wounded in settler attacks in Luban Sharqiya, Qablan, Huwara, Baytin, Zaatra Junction and Yizhar Junction In a late-night attack on Wednesday, an Israeli drone targeted a car in the northern West Bank, killing three Palestinians. The army justified its summary executions with the claim it had identified a terrorist cell inside a suspicious vehicle responsible for several recent shooting attacks on Israeli settlements. During Mondays raid, Bezalel Smotrich, finance minister and leader of the fascistic Religious Zionist party that demands the annexation of the West Bank, called on the government to launch a broad operation in the territory. He said Israel should replace tweezer activity with a broad operation in the north of the West Bank to restore deterrence. He tweeted, The time has come to use air forces and armoured forces. I will demand an urgent cabinet meeting on the matter. On Tuesday, his co-thinker, Itamar Ben-Gvir, national security minister and leader of Jewish Power, called for a military campaign in the West Bank, saying, We need a return to targeted killings from the air, bringing down buildings, setting up roadblocks, expelling terrorists, and to finish passing the death penalty for terrorists legislation. Netanyahu has heeded their demands in the past, assassinating a number of senior Islamic Jihad figures in Gaza last month, leading to several days of intense cross-border fire and at least 33 Palestinian fatalities. He issued a statement saying that all options are open, adding, We will continue to fight terrorism with full force and we will defeat it. Such is the political crisis engulfing Israel, where protests against his judicial coup have continued, albeit somewhat smaller, that such a military operation in the West Bank would serve to divert attention from his deeply controversial judicial overhaul. Since coming to power at the end of December, the Netanyahu government has approved the legalisation of nine settlement outposts previously deemed illegal under Israeli law. It has also announced plans for 7,000 new settlement housing units, 1,000 new homes in the Eli settlement in response to Tuesdays attack, pledged billions of shekels for settlements and roads in the West Bank and transferred key powers over civilian life in the territory to Smotrich. This is tantamount to annexation. It also granted Smotrich the power to approve plans for settlement construction. Next week, it is expected to announce more than 4,000 new settlement housing units. The government has also allowed settlers to build a religious seminary at Homesh, an illegal outpost overlooking Barqa, where a settlement was dismantled in 2005 as part of an agreement with the US in 2004 to evacuate the settlement and three others, alongside Israels withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005. Restrictions already put in place by the military around Homesh mean that Barqas residents have been unable to access much of their land, prompting fears of further restrictions on movement, even greater difficulties reaching their fields and the destruction of their livelihoods. Yonatan Mizrahi, of the Israeli advocacy group Peace Now, said that Homesh is a game-changer. Rather than just closing their eyes to illegal work, like in the past, this government is supporting it. Its a statement. Smotrich recently told government ministries to prepare for an additional 500,000 settlers in the West Bank, with all the necessary additional infrastructure and services in settlements and outposts set to cost billions of shekels, which he labelled a fundamental task for the government. This can only come at the expense of health, education and social welfare upon which millions of Israelis depend. At the same time, the government is now pressing ahead unilaterally with its judicial overhaul, aimed at giving itself dictatorial powers by curbing the power of the Supreme Court. These plans will politicise the judiciary, give the Knesset power to overrule the courts decisions and help Netanyahu evade prosecution in his corruption trial. While Netanyahu had agreed to pause the legislation and negotiate some compromise agreement with the opposition following the massive protests that followed his dismissal, since rescinded, of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, the talks mediated by the largely ceremonial President Isaac Herzog have now been called off. The governments first step is to advance a bill restricting the Supreme Courts ability to use the reasonableness standard for vetting ministerial appointments. This would enable Netanyahu to reappoint Shas leader Arye Dery as a government minister, whose appointment was previously ruled invalid under the reasonableness criterion due to his multiple convictions for fraud. The Annual Conference will feature a series of sessions and panel discussions focusing on issues relevant to the WTO's work agenda as well as to the challenges currently facing the multilateral trading system. These issues include investment facilitation, digital trade, sustainability, support for LDCs and the reglobalization of trade, among others. Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala underlined to the 34 participating Chairs the important outreach role they can play in providing intellectual support for the WTO's work at a time of polycrisis. She particularly emphasized the role the Chairs can play in highlighting the importance of reglobalization, or of bringing more people and places from the margins of global production and trade networks into the mainstream. As you talk about the conjuncture we're in, the geopolitical tensions, the uncertainty that this creates, there are solutions and we can find opportunities in the challenges, she said. As members work to implement MC12 outcomes and deliver more results at MC13 and beyond, the Chairs Network has a vital role to play in relaying to us the real problems and needs on the ground that should inform our agenda here in Geneva," she said. You are our eyes and ears, bridging the gap between Geneva and the regions and nations where you are based. In his welcoming remarks to the participants, Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang said he looked forward to a successful conference. I encourage you to challenge the status quo and bring in fresh perspectives, charting the way forward for future negotiations, he said. Reflecting on his recent visits to WTO Chairs in Asia and South America, he touted the value the Chairs add for the WTO, saying: Through these interactions, it became clear that our Chairs are enthusiastic about making substantial contributions to the project's success. Their solid understanding of the policy landscape undoubtedly promises fruitful outcomes. Ambassador Jose R. Sanchez-Fung, the Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic and Chair of the Committee on Trade and Development, also attended the opening of the Annual Conference. I see the impact of the Programme's capacity-building efforts extending beyond the individual beneficiary countries contributing to a more inclusive and balanced global trade landscape, he told the participants. By facilitating meaningful participation of developing countries in international trade negotiations, it is likely to foster a stronger voice for these countries in shaping the rules and regulations of the multilateral trading system. Representatives from WCP donors Ambassador Yun Soeng Deok from the Republic of Korea, Deputy Permanent Representative Jeremy Green from Australia and Director General Cynthia Zimmermann of Austria's Federal Ministry for Labour and Economy attended the start of the conference. Also attending was Etienne Oudot de Dainville, the Permanent Representative to the WTO for France, which is the largest donor to the WCP. Mr Oudot de Dainville will be chairing a dedicated session on the climate-trade nexus during the conference. With its focus on research, curriculum development and outreach, the WTO Chairs Programme has a proven capacity to deliver measurable results many years after WTO funding has elapsed. Ms Zimmermann highlighted this aspect of the programme, saying: As a representative of a donor country, I am happy to see that independent external evaluations have reported that the Chairs Programme has had positive impact on developing and least-developed country members. The Programme generates excellent long-term sustainability by capitalizing on academic specialization and increasing capacity in the beneficiary countries at the selected universities. Ambassador Yun spoke on the importance of the WTO Chairs Programme, telling participants: The Korean government agrees with the Programme's vision that the benefits of the multilateral trading system can be distributed more efficiently by strengthening home-grown knowledge of trade in the developing regions. More The WTO Chairs Programme fosters research, training, and outreach activities of relevance to governmental policy makers and other stakeholders at universities in developing and least developed economies. Currently, there are 36 institutions in the Chairs network. 5 questions with Bert Patenaude on saving lives with food and medicine Published: 06/19/2023 Lead photo: Inoculation of children with the tetra vaccine at the ARA kitchen on Gagarin Street in Petrograd, spring 1922. From the ARA Russian operational records, Hoover Institution Library & Archives Interview by Jamie Hansen, Global Health Communications Manager Betrand Patenaude, PhD Global Health Faculty Fellow Bertrand M. Patenaude, PhD, studies the intersection of war, politics, humanitarian aid, and human health. As a lecturer in history, international relations, and human rights, his courses cover topics such as United Nations peacekeeping, genocide, famine in the modern world, and humanitarian aid. Patenaude, also a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, is the award-winning author of numerous books on these topics, including The Big Show in Bololand. This book chronicles the American Relief Administrations efforts, led by future U.S. President Herbert Hoover, to combat the effects of the devastating famine that descended on Soviet Russia and Ukraine in 1921 by delivering daily food and medicine to millions of citizens in Soviet Russia. His new book, Bread + Medicine: American Famine Relief in Soviet Russia, 19211923, expands on that story by recounting the pivotal role that U.S. doctors and local medical teams played in saving lives by combatting and preventing devastating disease outbreaks during that time. They did this in part through widespread vaccination drives and sanitation efforts, all in conjunction with the provisioning of food. Co-authored by Joan Nabseth Stevenson, the book is a companion publication to the Hoover Institution Library & Archives exhibition of the same name and draws extensively from photos and records from the librarys archives. Dr. Patenaude discussed the lessons this story holds for effective humanitarian aid and the crucial role medical relief plays in saving lives during a famine. What made this humanitarian effort so successful, and what lessons can we learn from it? Today, theres a good deal of criticism about the mistakes made by many NGOs in dealing with humanitarian crises. One author referred to this in the title of a book as The Crisis Caravan, where NGOs come upon the scene of a complex emergency, raise money off it, and then, once the worst is over, move on without having addressed the root causes of the crisis. Theres no crisis caravan in the story of how the American Relief Administration (ARA) responded to the 192123 famine in Soviet Russia. When you look at the long-term difference the ARA was able to make, its absolutely amazing. In studying humanitarian intervention over the years, I have come to see how crucial the medical program was to the success of the American relief mission a century ago. Yes, American food saved many lives, but the medical program was critical to the success of the mission. The essential point is that most people caught up in famine dont die of outright starvation; they die of diseases caused by hunger and famine-related displacement. At the same time, the American doctors who arrived in Soviet Russia in 1921 quickly realized that it was pointless to save people with medical treatments only for them to fall victim to starvationso they made sure to deliver American food to every hospital they were supplying with medicine and medical equipment. Beyond that, Herbert Hoover, the chairman of the ARA, understood that ending the famine would require ensuring the success of the Soviet harvest of 1922. And so, in conjunction with the delivery of life-saving food and medicine, the ARA also organized the delivery of wheat seed from the American Midwest for planting in the Soviet heartland. Six million people died in the famine. We dont know how many lives were saved through the gifts of food, medicine, and seed, but I think we can reasonably assume it was many millions. An ARA village kitchen in late winter,1922, in Tsaritsyn on the Volga. From the ARA Russian operational records, Hoover Institution Library & Archives You describe how American doctors were inspired by the fortitude and ingenuity of Russian physicians working under extreme duress, and motivated by a sense of solidarity. How did their approach support and enhance, rather than supplant, Russian physicians efforts? When the Americans with the ARA arrived in Russia, they were struck by the heroism of the local doctors who, like front-line soldiers, refused to abandon their posts despite the catastrophic conditions all around, including the fact that their ranks had been thinned by disease and malnutrition after years of civil war. They were soldiering on, despite having almost nothing in the way of essential medicines and medical supplies, including basic items such as bed linens, blankets, and bandages. One American Red Cross doctor visiting Soviet Russia in the fall of 1922 wrote, When I see what the doctors of this country have done, are doing now, and are going to try to do this winter, I am proud to be a doctor. The relatively small team of 30 American physicians joined the mission not to practice medicine, but to serve as administrators. They were truly doctors without borders in the sense that they collaborated with and empowered their fellow physicians and other healthcare workers on the scene. Given the enormous scale of the crisis, with the huge numbers of people involved across an immense landscape of death and disease, the relief mission could only have succeeded as a result of this remarkable collaboration. Child patients in a hospital dining room, ca 1922. From the ARA Russian operational records, Hoover Institution Library & Archives When displacement and famine combined to create fears of a typhus outbreak, how did modern medicine and famine relief avert a crisis? Typhus was a special source of terror, in large part because there was no vaccine against this louse-borne disease, so absolutely everyone was vulnerable, including the American relief workers. Typhus was usually spread by war, but in this case the vector was a wave of refugees fleeing faminemany hundreds of thousands of ragged and vermin-ridden people desperately looking for food. The Americans of the ARA realized that in order to stop the spread of deadly typhus, as well as other contagious diseases, they would have to reverse the tide of refugees. In this they were greatly helped by the fact that they had leverage in the form of food. They were able to use the promise of food to persuade reluctant refugees to move into special barracks constructed especially for them where they were supplied soap for bathing and had their clothing disinfected. By the late spring of 1922, these displaced people were returning to their homes. Inoculation and wound care station for refugees, sponsored by the ARA, refugee camp hospital, Kozyova, MInsk, 1922. The sign above the man at right reads in Russian, Cholera threatens. Dont Drink the water. Other posted notices encourage people to wash their hands before eating and to visit the bathhouse. FROM THE ARA RUSSIAN OPERATIONAL RECORDS, HOOVER INSTITUTION LIBRARY & ARCHIVES Vaccination, a cutting-edge tool at the time, was used to avert another potential health risk cholera. How did physicians build trust and gain buy-in for this life-saving but novel intervention? Just when the threat from typhus was abating as people shed their lice-infested clothing in the spring of 1922, a new threat emerged in the form of cholera, another epidemic disease that can prove devastating in a time of famine. Vaccination was the state-of-the-art prevention for cholera, but the Americans understood that many of their beneficiaries would likely be skeptical, if not outright fearful, of being inoculated. In fact, as these Americans discovered, there were even Russian physicians who needed to be brought around. In order to minimize the ill-effects of such vaccine skepticism, Dr. Henry Beeuwkes, the head of the American medical program, decided to procure all ARA vaccines from the Pasteur Institute in Paris. He knew that local physicians held the Pasteur Institute in especially high regard and that this would boost the credibility of the vaccines and thus facilitate the vaccination campaign. Crates of vaccine supplies shipped from Paris were clearly labeled Institut Pasteur, seen by the Soviet medical establishment as the gold standard for infectious disease research. Here again, the leverage provided by American food helped make the vaccination drive a success. Children being fed a daily meal by the ARA had to get vaccinated in order to continue eating at ARA kitchens. The same applied to the adults receiving the daily American corn ration. And refugees wishing to board a train had to show proof of vaccination. Delivery of medical supplies, Samara on the Volga,1922. NOTE THAT SEVERAL OF THE CRATES ARE LABELED INSTITUT PASTEUR DE PARIS. Photo Courtesy of Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum Does the story of the ARAs efforts offer lessons for today in terms of providing humanitarian aid in hostile political contexts? Herbert Hoovers ARA intervened in a politically hostile environment in Soviet Russia. Hoover was staunchly anti-Communist and, like Henry Ford, was considered the embodiment of American capitalism. The American relief workers had no love for the Soviet regime and its officials, while Soviet officials were very nervous about allowing an American humanitarian relief agency to enter their country and operate in relative freedom. Hoover insisted that the American aid workers, in collaboration with local citizens, should decide how to distribute the relief. Independence of action, Hoover maintained, was something the American public demanded in exchange for its support. Once the Soviet government agreed to allow the ARA into the country, it could not influence the choice of American beneficiariesalthough at times it certainly tried, especially at the local level. I think this is something youd have to insist onthat the government stand back and allow the aid providers to work with the local citizens to determine where aid is most needed and to identify those truly in need of assistance. That might be a non-starter in many places today. A 17-year-old male from Creston allegedly escaped while being transported to the Central Iowa Detention Center in Eldora early Wednesday morning by faking an illness, assaulting a driver, and stealing the transport vehicle. According to a release from the Cerro Gordo County Sheriffs Office, deputies were called to the 13000 block of Partridge Avenue in Mason City around 1:40 a.m. Upon arrival they learned the boy, who was being transported from the Cerro Gordo County Jail, complained of a medical problem, prompting the driver to pull over. At that point the boy allegedly assaulted and overpowered the driver, left the officer on the side of the rode and drove off in the transport. The officer was treated for injuries at MercyOne North Iowa. A bulletin was broadcast statewide and the boy was spotted driving the vehicle in Polk County. He led Des Moines Police on a chase resulting in the boy crashing the stolen vehicle. He was then taken to the Polk County Jail. Cerro Gordo County deputies have filed several charges against the boy. He was charged by the Iowa State Patrol with operating a motor vehicle without the owners consent during the evening hours of June 20. The Iowa State Patrol and Mason City Fire EMS assisted at the scene. Celebrity Birthdays: June 22 Amy Brenneman Carson Daly Chris Traynor Clyde Drexler Cyndi Lauper Dan Brown Dianne Feinstein Donald Faison Elizabeth Warren Erin Brockovich Graham Greene Jai Rodriguez John Moreland Kris Kristofferson Lindsay Wagner Mary Lynn Rajskub Meryl Streep Michael Trucco Peter Asher Tim Russ The corn breathes on me from the west, and the skyline widens on and on, Until I see the waves of yellow-green break on the hills that face the snow and lilac peaks of Colorado mountains. The sun, half-sunk, burns through the dusty crimson sky. -- Excerpt from "September" by Hamlin Garland It's an early afternoon in June on the Sunday before the summer solstice, and as that high, hot summer sun nears it's zenith, solace to the human eye from the day's brightness is found in the low and quick movement of the wispy white clouds that fill half the sky. The day's hotness is further tempered by a cool breeze, and the wind sings as the leaves and branches of two massive black maple trees dance above. It's under the shade of these trees that a congregation of enthusiastic citizens have met for the last dozen years to honor the legacy and the works of Hamlin Garland, whose formative years in Mitchell County at the turn of the 19th century would inspire him throughout his long and celebrated literary career as an author of short stories, novels, poems, essays and memoirs. The event was held at the site of Garland's boyhood home 1.5 miles northeast of Osage in Burr Oak Township. Garland attended primary school in Osage at the Cedar Valley Seminary, and reading and writing brought a welcome respite from the tedium on the farm. "It gave farmers' boys like myself the opportunity of meeting those who were older, finer, more learned than they, and every day was to me like turning a fresh and delightful page in a story book, not merely because it brought new friends, new experiences, but because it symbolized freedom from the hay fork and the hoe," he later wrote. Upon turning 21, Garland traveled East, settling first in Boston where he honed his skills as a writer and achieved his first success with the publication of his first short story collection in 1891, "Main Travelled Roads." The stories depict the realities of farm life at what he described as "the middle border," the area what we now call the Midwest. Kurt Meyer of rural Otranto describes himself a lifelong Hamlin Garland enthusiast and one of the nation's most preeminent Garland scholars. Meyer serves as president of the Hamlin Garland Society and has given numerous talks on Garland at schools and colleges for more than 20 years, most recently to fifth-grade English students at Charles City High School. "The kids of course had a very fine time ... learning about Garlands' use of similes, metaphors and onomatopoeia," said Meyer, "... but the best time was had by the guy who got to spend 55 minutes teaching them. If I had been charged $250 dollars for the privilege of introducing these students to Garland, I would have paid it." Sunday's program was titled "Garland Poems: New (to us) and Old" due to the inclusion of five poems that had not before been featured at the poetry reading. This is just one more example of how the passion of local historians towards Garland's life and legacy can continue to unearth new details and stories that keep Hamlin Garland's influence alive and resonating 80 years after his death. In 2021, with the help of Meyer and others, the Hamlin Garland Collection at the Mitchell County Historical Society's museum housed at the Cedar River Complex in Osage recently acquired a forgotten portrait of Garland from 1937. Penney Morse is president of the Mitchell County Historic Preservation Association, and arranges the yearly event to honor Garland. "He captured, and really saw himself as capturing a way of life that was disappearing," said Morse, who leads the association's efforts to honor Garland. "The influence Mitchell County had on him stayed with him through his long career." In 2018, Hamlin Garland Week was declared in Mitchell County before the Iowa premiere of the first (and so far, only) stage adaptation of Garland's work: a musical version of "Main Travelled Roads" performed by the Cedar Summerstock Theatre in its second season. Morse says that the Preservation Association plans this summer to visit West Salem, Wisconsin, which also claims Garland as a native son, with Garland's Sept. 15 birthday day celebrated there as 'Hamlin Garland Day'. A home in West Salem that Garland purchased in 1893 for his mother was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1971, with the home becoming the Garland Museum and the street renamed in his honor. Although no structures from Garland's time at the Mitchell County farm remain, the Swann family owns the land the Garlands once homesteaded, and Travis Swann welcomes the yearly poetry gathering on his front lawn. Garland's poems are just a smattering of his work, but Meyer says it provides a unique perspective on Garland's state of mind and his place in literary history. "Garland has his poetic moments. He gets sentimental, he gets emotional, soft, nostalgic, wishing that time wasn't moving as fast as it was," said Meyer. "He was a watershed writer. He was making the transition from the romantics ..." In his introduction to "Prairie Visions," a 2015 collection of Garland's 1899 series "Boy Life on the Prairie," Meyer writes, "Like the changing landscape, literary tastes also move through transitions. Accordingly, Garland must be introduced to and appreciated by new and expanded audiences or risk becoming an irrelevant footnote in American literature." The collection was edited and notated by Keith Newlin, who is a professor of American literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and the author of the biography "Hamlin Garland, A Life," along with edited other collections of Garland works. The book features an introduction from Meyer and pairs Garland's writings with the black and white prairie photography of Jon Morris. In 1894, Garland wrote, "I assert it is the most natural thing in the world for a man to love his native land and his native, intimate surroundings. ... All the associations of that child-hood and the love-life of youth ... the near-at-hand things are the dearest and sweetest after all." Mason City's LGBTQ+ Pride Festival will be held Saturday, July 15, in Central Park and will celebrate LGBTQ+ citizens and allies who live and work in Mason City and the surrounding area. North Iowa Mutual Aid is selling T-shirts to support the Pride Festival. The deadline to buy a T-shirt and have $10 from each T-shirt sold directly support the festival is June 22, the link can be found at northiowamutualaid.org According to the Facebook Group Mason City, IA LGBTQ+ Pride Festival, activities are set to begin at 9 a.m. and include the Second annual Rainbow Fun Run 5K, Pet Pride Parade, Youth Talent Show, Renewal of Vows for LGBTQ+ couples, name/pronoun blessings, free mom/dad hugs, family-friendly drag show, vendor booths, activities, info booths, and open mic. "North Iowa Mutual Aid wants to show our support for our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors," said North Iowa Mutual Aid founder and director Natasha Marquis. "We look forward to celebrating Pride in Mason City on Saturday, July 15 in Central Park." Vendors and those wishing to volunteer are encouraged to sign up through the Facebook group Mason City, IA LGBTQ+ Pride Festival 2023. Best Picture nominees feel good in a place like this. On Wednesday, the academy and its board of governors announced expansions to the theatrical eligibility requirements for Best Picture Oscar contenders that will go into effect starting with the 97th Academy Awards in 2025. More from GoldDerby As detailed in a press release given to some outlets in advance, the new requirements will seek to broaden the public theatrical exhibition criteria for Best Picture hopefuls. The current requirement is an initial one-week awards qualifying run in one of six U.S. cities, including New York and Los Angeles. The new rules, however, will extend the standards to include further theatrical distribution for at least seven additional days (consecutive or non-consecutive) in 10 of the top 50 U.S. markets no later than 45 days after the initial release. For late-in-the-year films with expansions after January 10, 2025, distributors must submit release plans to the Academy for verification, the academy said in a statement. Release plans for late-in-the-year films must include a planned expanded theatrical run, as described above, to be completed no later than January 24, 2025. According to the academy, non-U.S. territory releases can count towards two of the 10 markets. Qualifying non-U.S. markets include the top 15 international theatrical markets plus the home territory for the film. As we do every year, we have been reviewing and assessing our theatrical eligibility requirements for the Oscars, said academy CEO Bill Kramer and academy president Janet Yang. In support of our mission to celebrate and honor the arts and sciences of moviemaking, it is our hope that this expanded theatrical footprint will increase the visibility of films worldwide and encourage audiences to experience our art form in a theatrical setting. Based on many conversations with industry partners, we feel that this evolution benefits film artists and movie lovers alike. Story continues The new rules wont impact the 2023 awards contenders but will likely force major streaming platforms to reconsider release strategies heading into 2024. Many services, like Apple and Amazon, have begun to add a significant theatrical component to the rollout of original films. Apple, for instance, partnered with Paramount for the upcoming release of Martin Scorseses Killers of the Flower Moon and struck a deal with Sony for Ridley Scotts Napoleon. Amazon, meanwhile, released Ben Afflecks Air in theaters around the world back in April before it dropped on the companys streaming platform. Other streamers, chiefly Netflix, have avoided large-scale film releases. But even Netflix, which usually releases its prestige films in limited theatrical runs in New York and Los Angeles, did put Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery in theaters around the country for an exclusive run last year. While the expansion of theatrical requirements for Best Picture could, in theory, keep smaller indie releases from being eligible for the Oscars top prize, the new rules are only applicable to Best Picture. Eligibility for achievements in the various discipline categories will not be impacted by this requirement, the academy said in its release, throwing cold water on a notion promoted by Vanity Fair that suggested the 2023 Oscars underdog To Leslie is a prime example of the sort of film that might not be able to make the new requirement. While the film (which wasnt a Best Picture nominee) may not have been eligible itself, star Andrea Riseborough (who was a surprise nominee for Best Actress) still would have made the cut. PREDICT the 2023 Emmy nominees through July 12 Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Dont miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why? SIGN UP for Gold Derbys free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. asteroid city With Asteroid City, the Wes Anderson club just got bigger. As you may know, the director of films including The Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The French Dispatch loves an ensemble cast. This time around newcomers include Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Maya Hawke, and Hope Davis. Thats in addition to regulars like Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Adrien Brody, Liev Schreiber, and Jake Ryan. Or even those on their second Anderson outing, like Scarlett Johansson, Bryan Cranston, Stephen Park, Jeffrey Wright, and Rupert Friend. Phew To prevent these A-Listers from all sitting alone in their hotel rooms, Anderson encourages his cast to hang out. Which means having dinner together, every night. Wes always sits at the head of the table and when you first arrive, you sit next to him and then you kind of move down the table so the new arrivals can sit next to him, explains Davis (Captain America: Civil War). And suddenly, you're with thirty movie stars at the dinner table. It was kind of intense in the beginning, but you do form a real kind of theatre troupe, a real community. "It's all on the page" Jason Schwartzman and Tom Hanks in Asteroid City In the story, Asteroid City is a fictional 1950s American desert town where several families including Davis frazzled mother Sandy Borden, Schwartzmans grieving father-of-four Augie Steenbeck, Johansson's glam movie star Midge Campbell, and Hanks gun-toting Stanley Zak gather for a Junior Stargazers competition. But framing this are black-and-white segments depicting a playwright Conrad Earp (Norton) staging his latest opus Asteroid City. Wes had mentioned that he had this interest in directing theatre, says Stephen Park (Lt. Nescaffier from The French Dispatch). And so this very much is like that. Co-written with Roman Coppola, if youve ever wondered what an Anderson script looks like, the cast can tell you. It's all on the page. Everything is described, says Davis. Just like his movies, his scripts are precision-tooled. Even the breaths are marked out, says Jeffrey Wright, who like Park broke his Anderson cherry on The French Dispatch. So, does this director welcome improvisation? No! chuckles Wright. Not in the least, not in the slightest! Then again, who could do it as well as Wes? I don't think I could improvise Wes Anderson, says Cranston, who plays the on-screen narrator in the black-and-white segments. Story continues Entering The Twilight Zone asteroid city Aside from the exacting nature of the screenplay, this being an Anderson movie, its also packed with ideas. There's so many things in this it's extraordinary, says Cranston, who previously voiced a role on Andersons animated yarn Isle of Dogs. [It deals with] grief, loss, but also new love. Placement. Where's your community? These young kids, trying to figure out where they belong and trying to understand what's happening to their bodies. Rekindled love, family, responsibility. There's so many themes. In the play-within-the-movie, the families all experience an alien encounter, leading to them to be locked down under military control, led by Wrights General Gibson. So, is this the closest Anderson has come to making a sci-fi movie? So far, I would say, says Ryan. I think of it more as an episode of The Twilight Zone. The young actor, who plays Augies eldest brainiac son Woodrow, first collaborated with Anderson on his 2012 boy scout tale Moonrise Kingdom. He does have a good eye for certain things, he nods, especially locations. Constructing Asteroid City asteroid city Talking of which, the entire film was shot on the outskirts of Chinchon, a medieval town 50 km south-east of Madrid, Spain. With unobstructed views, it was the ideal place to construct Asteroid City, which is meant to be located on the California/Nevada border. They built the entire set on top of a watermelon patch, reveals Ryan. Environmentalists, however, can rest easy. No watermelons were harmed in the making of the movie! adds Schwartzman. They were on harvest. We didn't smush any. Adam Stockhausen, Andersons regular production designer since Moonrise Kingdom, created a fully-functioning mini-town, with a real garage, motel, and diner. No wobbly cardboard-backed sets here. There was actual gasoline in the gas station, says Ryan. No communal showers, though, unfortunately. The set even had properly plumbed toilets, for the cast and crew. Wes had put in real bathrooms, adds Park. Decorated with flowers. Usually you're sent into a little cubby or something. But these bathrooms were like going into a beautiful hotel. If you walk down the road, as you get farther, it's like Willy Wonka in the elevator Stockhausen also used forced perspective techniques to create the idea of the desert stretching towards the mountains and the horizon in the far distance. A classic ruse employed in movies right back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, its a way of tricking the eye. Ive never gotten a chance to actually work on a movie where those types of techniques were employed, says Schwartzman. You see these telephone poles. But if you walk down the road, as you get farther, it's like Willy Wonka in the elevator... I'm taller than the telephone poles at the end of the road! Watermelons werent the only crop involved in Asteroid City. While some of the black-and-white segments were shot in real old-style theatres in Chinchon, the production also commandeered a garlic factory, where a train compartment set was built for one particular scene. Those pungent bulbs were stored in a nearby room. It had a certain smell but it had its charm laughs Ryan. I love garlic so it was fine by me adds Schwartzman. I'm Mr. Garlic! When they said we're shooting in a garlic place... perfect! Getting the band back together asteroid city When they werent shooting, the entire cast were hanging out at the Parador Hotel in Chinchon. It sounds fairly idyllic, especially with the likes of Pulps Jarvis Cocker and Brazilian musician Seu Jorge, who play cowboys in Asteroid City, hanging out. We had music every night, says Friend. I mean, guitars would come out and Jorge would sing. Then we had this beautiful Barcelonian bass player and French banjo player. Friend joined in too, having learnt to play the Lap Steel guitar for his role as Montana, the leader of the cowboys. Cocker was even joined by his fellow Pulp bandmate Richard Hawley, who together produced an original song Dear Alien (Who Art In Heaven) for the movie penned by Cocker and Anderson. So, what with Pulp reforming, did Cocker and Hawley treat the cast and crew to any old classics before their current tour? Sure did, says Schwartzman, before promptly forgetting the title. What is it called? I'm not Jesus though I have the same initials. Thats the opening line from the bands song Dishes. Thats one of my favourites. But everyone got involved musically. Matt Dillon's a really knowledgeable percussionist. So he's down there playing! Tacos anyone? asteroid city Bryan Cranston even asked Anderson if he could host a taco night. The actor shipped in his mezcal, Dos Hombres, which he co-owns with his Breaking Bad co-star Aaron Paul. We had a little station there, says Cranston, and I was shaking up margaritas and palomas. Anderson joined everyone for the feast, but the diligent director slipped away early to prepare for the following days scenes. I was shaking and I looked up, and I saw him open the balcony doors [from his room], adds the actor. He was there for about twelve minutes, just smiling, looking down and seeing what he created. You can just imagine it Anderson surveying his very own Asteroid City. Asteroid City is released in UK cinemas on June 23. To see what other films are coming your way this check, check out our upcoming movie calendar. Getting shovels in the ground probably was the easiest part of Wednesday mornings activity at the coming STIWA US site in Rock Hill. But theres still plenty of work to come. On a soggy stretch of property off Porter Road, business leaders from across the state, country and even Austria gathered in a slight rain to break ground. On a manufacturing site, yes, but also on new ideas and opportunities for how Rock Hill can grow areas that havent always had those opportunities. Mayor John Gettys said the coming building on about 30 acres will create jobs, but also wealth for some of the poorer parts of Rock Hill through a tax increment district. STIWA will bring high-wage manufacturing jobs and a route for people to get their feet in the door for them, through apprenticeships. Our future as a community, along with STIWA, is one that more people can fulfill or at least work toward fulfilling, the promise of the American dream, Gettys said. Companys move from Fort Mill to Rock Hill brings $30M investment, almost 50 new jobs STIWA began in 1972 and remains a family-owned business. Andreas Prokesch, CEO of STIWA US, said the company began investigating in the U.S. market in 2016 and began investment almost two years ago. Prokesch has 43 employees. The new building not far off I-77 in Rock Hill, beside Mount Holly Elementary School, will be 75,000 square feet with a two-story office and a workshop. There will be space for 160 employees and already theres planning for a future addition. STIWA will operate in three shifts and work in machinery automation, parts machining, manufacturing software, after sales and supply chain management. Austrian Ambassador Petra Schneebauer said STIWA is one of Austrias flagship companies for advanced manufacturing that will be a wonderful addition to Rock Hill. Austria is the fastest growing country for foreign direct investment in the U.S. with a more than 50% increase in the last five years, Schneebauer said, creating thousands of jobs in both countries. Story continues The Carolinas have developed to be one of the most popular regions for Austrian companies to establish their U.S. presence, Schneebauer said. Pretty impressive year: Rock Hills economic development has plenty to show the region A main reason is workforce development. Technical college programs and apprenticeships in South Carolina support home-grown and attracted businesses long after groundbreaking. The rest of the United States is learning from South Carolina, said Brent Parton, acting assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Labors Employment and Training Administration. The country also can learn from apprenticeship efforts that date back decades in Austria. The U.S. and Austrian governments signed a partnership agreement to grow commerce in both. Parton said potential apprentice students at the STIWA site in Rock Hill are probably in middle school today. Companies like STIWA, Parton said, can help with a manufacturing renaissance in this country by changing minds of Americans about apprenticeships as solid career path opportunities. As we are rebuilding the American manufacturing workforce, that we arent rebuilding from scratch, Parton said. That were learning from what South Carolina has done through this partnership. Were building on what the Austrians have done for many, many years. Ashely Teasdel, deputy Secretary of Commerce in South Carolina, said the electrical equipment and mobility market work STIWA does are critical needs for industry. The company can make growth and expansion possible for other companies, or make others more likely to consider South Carolina for their own projects. Automation plays such an essential role in attracting manufacturers to the United States, and keeping them here, Teasdel said. Markus Achleitner is minister for economic affairs for Upper Austria. That state and South Carolina are similar, Achleitner said, in how they drive business for their countries. Both have strong industrial and automotive presences. Achleitner attended the groundbreaking as part of an already scheduled business mission to South Carolina to grow economic ties between the regions. There are so many chances all over the world, Achleitner said. And our Upper Austrian companies take these chances. Late last year York County approved an economic incentive agreement with STIWA for the 2657 Meadow Road site. Plans are to have the new North American headquarters site operational by fall of next year. The site will be expandable, the company said then, up to 300,000 square feet. The project involves a roughly $30 million investment in the first five years. Peter Sticht, CEO of STIWA Holding GmbH Austria, said the new Rock Hill site isnt the only commitment the company has to the U.S. but it is a significant one. The new building is not only a physical structure, but a symbol of growth, innovation and our strong presence in the American market, Sticht said. The new manager of the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport has an impressive resume and track record in the field. The City of Gadsden in a news release on Friday announced the appointment of Anthony Tarver to the position, effective Aug. 4. Anthony Tarver will become manager of the Northeast Alabama Regional Airport in Gadsden on Aug. 4. Tarver now is the airport operations supervisor at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, but hes not unfamiliar with Gadsden and Etowah County. A native of the Birmingham region, he and his family (his wife is an early childhood educator, and they have two children) live in Glencoe. He earned a bachelors degree in aviation/airway management and operations from the University of Central Missouri, holds airport security coordinator certification and is also a licensed pilot. Tarver worked at the Greeley-Weld County Airport in Greeley, Colorado; Treasure Coast International Airport in Fort Pierce, Florida; and Martin County Airport (Witham Field) in Stuart, Florida, before joining the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth staff. I am excited about Anthonys ability to help us develop our airport into the gem we know it can be, Mayor Craig Ford said in the release. With his experience and training in airport leadership, we have an in-house expert who can advise the airport authority, develop customer relations and build an aviation-based vision at our airport. Ford after taking office last November asked his staff and the Gadsden Airport Authority to began searching for someone to lead the airport. A search committee made up of three GAA members, two city employees and an outside airport consultant narrowed a list of more than 30 applicants from across the country down to three finalists, and Tarver was Fords pick. The GAA unanimously approved his hiring at a meeting Friday morning. One thing I know is airports, Tarver said in the release. Ive been around them all my life. But to be able to lead this one into the future, with the support of the mayor, council and airport board, is the honor of my life. Story continues I look forward to waking up every day and finding out what the Gadsden airport team and I can do to improve and enhance the experience, operations and reputation of our little slice of heaven right here in Gadsden, he said. Thats why I want to do this. That is the calling. Tarver said he looks forward to getting to know the airports pilots, users, stakeholders and community. This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden hires Tarver as new airport manager The Tennessee firefighters who helped deliver OT Harris in 2005 now "sign my paychecks," the teen said Knoxville Fire Department - TN/Facebook OT Harris with Knoxville firefighters. A new intern with a Knoxville, Tennessee firefighter crew has deep ties to the unit. They helped with OT Harris' delivery 18 years ago! "The firefighters who sign my paychecks delivered me (as a baby)," Harris said according to a report from Today. Last week, the Knoxville Fire Department announced the 18-year-old had joined the crew as part of Knoxville's Summer in the City intern program. "Its a small world! In 2005 this KFD crew assisted in the delivery of Mr. OT Harris. Today this crew is working with Mr. Harris as part of the Summer in the City intern program!" KFD officials wrote on Facebook. The paid intern program runs for eight weeks and places applicants within city departments to assist with administration and support tasks. Harris was born on New Year's Day 2005 when his mother, Lateshia Hall, went into labor at her mother's house two days before a scheduled induction. Her mother called 911, and members of the Knoxville Fire Department responded just as Harris' head was visible. "I told the firemen, 'This is baby number seven ... and we're going to have a baby right now,'" Hall explained to Today. "One big push and OT was here." Related: Firefighter Helps Deliver First Grandchild When Pregnant Daughter Stops at His Station for Bathroom Break Mark Wilbanks, the assistant fire chief and paramedic who helped with Harris' delivery, will now be the teen's summer mentor, but told Today that he did not want to take all the credit for what happened 18 years ago. "I just assisted in the delivery OT's mother did all the work," he said, adding that the teen is part of their family. Harris' delivery stood out among the many emergency births Wilbanks helped because Hall's demeanor was "calm, cool and collected," he recalled. Story continues Related: Firefighter Adopts Baby Girl He Delivered on the Job After Saving Her Life After Wilbanks cut baby Harris' umbilical cord, the crew "cleared the scene and went back to the firehouse," he added. "It's just one of those things." Harris' internship with the KFD will involve helping the department with administration and social media strategies, and Wilbanks told the outlet that the teen whose connection with the KFD was discovered during a casual conversation on Harris' first day of the internship has so far impressed the team with his personality and drive. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Locals were also delighted by the connection between the teen and the fire department he is now interning with, sharing their thoughts on the Knoxville Fire Department post. The Facebook page for the City of Knoxville Government in Tennessee commented, "Amazing!" while a Knoxville resident wrote: "Im so glad you guys were able to meet this young man 18 years later Im overjoyed!!!" Harris will soon begin his freshman year at East Tennessee State University, majoring in English, with a minor in education and is the CEO of his own business, OT's Business Consulting. According to his business' website, his favorite quote is by American songwriter Ralston Bowes: "Don't let your struggle become your identity." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Summer fun demands a constant companion, and a dog is man's (and woman's) best friend. If you've been considering adopting a dog, the Humane Society of North Iowa and the folks at Cabin Coffee have the pups, proficiency and passion to help you find the right pet for you and your lifestyle. The "Perk up with Pups" event will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 24, on the green space at Cabin Coffee, 1304 Fourth St. S.E. Dezerae Fish, performance training analyst at Cabin Coffee, sees it as an ideal way to bring some family fun to a space that has nothing but potential. "We'll have the Humane Society volunteers and the dogs here for people to meet. It's a good opportunity for families or people who like dogs. We're thinking of branching out and having more community agencies or nonprofits use the space," Fish said. Humane Society of North Iowa Executive Director Sybil Soukup is on board. "We see a lot more dog adoptions in the summer. In the winter, it's cold and people want a kitty snuggle-buddy. Now that it's warm they're thinking about adventure," Soukup says. Dogs make excellent companions, but Soukup reminds pet owners that while you may be up for anything, dogs can be sensitive about certain situations. "The dogs love walks, some love the water, they love to just play. They should never be left in a hot car, though. Not even for a short time. It can be fatal." Soukup also cautions pooch parents to be wary of hot pavement. "A good rule of thumb is that if its too hot for you to lay your palm on the pavement for 10 seconds, it is too hot for their paw pads," Soukup said. Summer festivals are going on in towns all across North Iowa. Check with event organizers or city staff before bringing your dog to an event. Not all events are pet friendly. "It really has a lot to do with a dog's personality and training if they do well in public. Know your dog and be aware of what she's comfortable with. No matter what you think, your dog isn't going to have a good time at the fireworks, so just leave them at home for those," says Soukup. Saturday's event is an excellent opportunity to meet a new dog, but Soukup says its best not to bring your pup from home to interact. While dogs available for adoption have lots of love to give, not all are ready for unexpected meetings. "Adoption is about finding the right animal for you. Each pet has some criteria for a new home. When you decide you'd like to adopt, you should make a list of things you like in a dog, and we can help you choose the personality that suits you," she said. "Some people come in and they match up immediately with a pup. Others need to meet a few and find what they like and what fits in their lifestyle. As long as we make a good match, we're happy," Soukup said. Fish is happy to welcome community members. "If you bring in a donation of supplies needed by the Humane Society this Saturday, we'll give you a 25% off drink coupon," she said. "We're hoping to get some other groups here on future weekends. It's a good space we can put to good use." The Humane Society of North Iowa accepts donations. Check its website hsni.com to see the animals available for adoption, make a donation or volunteer. HSNI is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Volunteers are needed for dog walking and cat socializing. Volunteer requirements are posted on the HSNI website. You must be 18 or over to volunteer alone, 16 or older with a guardian's permission or volunteer with an adult if you're younger. (Photo by G. Gershoff/WireImage) Following news that he had been placed on a psychiatric hold, Bam Margera remains in treatment and has been able to speak with his son, according to a recent report from TMZ. According to the report, Margeras estranged wife, Nikki Margera, has allowed Bam to communicate with his son, Phoenix, via FaceTime while Bam is in rehab. The report goes on to mention that Bams sessions with his songs are being observed by his therapist and that things have been going well so far. TMZ notes that Margera is still in treatment at a rehab facility owned by Lamar Odom (who purchased three in California earlier this year). What happened to Bam Margera? The news comes following disputes between Margera and his wife, Nikki. Margera made headlines earlier this month by taking to Instagram and demanding he is allowed to see his son, threatening to take enough drugs until he dies if he doesnt get the opportunity. This came to a head earlier this month when Margeras brother Jess took to social media asking if anyone in the Los Angeles area knew of Margeras location, suggesting that he may be missing. According to Margeras attorney Peter Thompson, however, Margera traveled to Los Angeles in an effort to reunite with his son. According to a report from TMZ, law enforcement officers were able to locate Margera after he had gone missing by tracking his phone. TMZ also reported that Margeras behavior and speech was deemed erratic. Combined with recent suicidal threats the actor has made, the decision was made to place him in an involuntary psychiatric hold, something often called a 5150, which refers to Article 1, Section 5150 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code. The post Bam Margera Update: Rehab Stay Going Well, Talking to Son Again appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. U.S. President Joe Biden, right, stands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit meeting on Nov. 14, 2022, in Bali, Indonesia. On Tuesday, Biden described Jinping as a dictator, prompting a response from Chinas foreign ministry. | Alex Brandon, Associated Press After U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing over the weekend in an effort to improve relations with China, President Joe Biden described the countrys leader Xi Jinping as a dictator, prompting a response from Chinas foreign ministry. The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment is he didnt know it was there, Biden told attendees at a fundraising event in California Tuesday. Thats whats a great embarrassment for dictators, when they didnt know what happened. Biden said the balloon was blown off course and Xi didnt know about it. It was blown off course up through Alaska and then down through the United States and he didnt know about it, Biden said. When it got shot down, he was very embarrassed. He denied it was even there. Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning called Bidens remarks ridiculously absurd and irresponsible, according to a CNBC translation. It is a grave disregard for basic facts, a serious breach of diplomatic protocol, a serious violation of Chinas political dignity and amounted to open political provocation, she said. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition. Bidens comments come after Blinken met with Xi, Foreign Minister Qin Gang, and other Chinese leaders on Sunday and Monday. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said of the visit that there was candid, substantive and constructive discussions on key priorities in the bilateral relationship and on a range of global and regional issues. Miller said Blinken emphasized the importance of maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of miscalculation and that the U.S. and China agreed to further engagement in Beijing and Washington, D.C. During his remarks at the California fundraiser, Biden said Blinken did a good job in China, but he said improving U.S.-China relationship is going to take time. When discussing Japan and U.S. allies in Southeast Asia, Biden said China has real economic difficulties. Story continues Related The world is changing, and we have an opportunity to not take advantage of it at everyone elses expense, but to change the dynamic in the world, Biden said. The Biden administration faces challenges in improving the U.S. relationship with China, including the countries disputes over Taiwan and human rights issues. The State Department said the two countries both believe they can work together on climate change, global macroeconomic stability, food security, public health and counter-narcotics. The U.S.s relationship with China is a political issue, and many American voters say they are concerned about China heading into next years election. Americans favorable opinion of China reached a record low 15% in a March Gallup poll. The poll found 66% of American adults believe Chinas military power is a critical threat and 64% believe its economic power is a critical threat. Republicans had the lowest favorable rating of China at just 6% with Democrats and independents about even at 18% and 17%, respectively. Legislation that would loosen up Pennsylvanias Medical Marijuana Act to allow a patients doctor to certify medical cannabis as a suitable treatment regardless of the patients medical condition is advancing in the state Senate. The Senate Law & Justice Committee on Wednesday voted 10-1 to approve a bill that would make sweeping changes to the states 7-year-old medical marijuana program. Along with eliminating the list of 24 serious conditions so doctors arent limited in being able to suggest medical marijuana for a patient or certify them for it, legislation, sponsored by committee Chairman Mike Regan, R-Cumberland and York counties, would eliminate the expiration date on medical marijuana cards, eliminating that cost barrier for patients. His bill, as well as a separate measure sponsored by Sen. Dan Laughlin, R-Erie County, the committee also approved by a 10-1 vote, would allow the cannabis products to be sold in edible forms. Regans bill also would allow it to be administered through inhalation. Both bills along with one sponsored by Sen. Chris Gebhard, R-Lebanon County, which would provide independent grower processors of medical cannabis with additional dispensary permits the committee approved by a unanimous vote move to the full Senate for consideration. A spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana County, said discussions are taking place about the fate of these bills. Regan said he remains hopeful his bill will see action before the legislatures summer break. The ultimate goal is to reduce restrictions on medical marijuana organizations and to reduce the cost and burden on patients through such efforts as eliminating the expiration of medical ID cards and the list of serious medical conditions, Regan said during the committee meeting. Nowhere do we dictate to doctors what conditions a patient must have for them to prescribe medication. Laughlin indicated his interest in allowing products to be sold in edible form grows out of concern about the cannabis products his Erie County constituents are accessing from unregulated distributors on a nearby Indian reservation in New York. Story continues Constituents drive up there and, quite frankly, I dont know whos manufacturing those products. I dont know if theyre being tested for potency or anything really, Laughlin said. From my standpoint, passing a bill like this is not only convenience for my medical patients who live in my district but also for their safety. Sen. James Brewster, the ranking Democrat on the committee who admitted to being a late-comer to supporting the legalization medical marijuana, said he thinks the proposed changes to the medical marijuana program makes us more attractive in terms of being available to constituents that are in need of this product. Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair County, cast the dissenting vote to Regan and Laughlins bills via proxy. She was unable to be reached for comment by the time this story posted. Also opposed to the legislation is the Pennsylvania Family Institute, a conservative-leaning policy center in Harrisburg. Its spokesman Dan Bartkowiak said, No matter what the proposed changes are to the medical program, we all should be reminded that todays marijuana includes dangerously high potency and were seeing increased harm with its use, especially among minors and young adults. Sadly, there are some lawmakers who believe marijuana use is harmless, which simply is false. Laughlins bill was amended in committee to tighten up wording to ensure that the packaging of the cannabis products are not attractive to those under 21, which Regans bill includes as well. You know like when you get a prescription, plain bottle. Thats how we envision it, Regans chief of staff Bruce McLanahan said. Regan held a series of hearings last year on a proposal that sought to add Pennsylvania to the growing list of states that have legalized adult-use marijuana. The former U.S. marshal sees making cannabis legal in Pennsylvania as a way to take on the drug cartels by reducing some of the demand on the weed they sell on the black market while ensuring the people who choose to use it get a safer, trustworthy product. He indicates he still would like to see the state head in that direction but the idea lacks support from a majority of Republicans. Gov. Josh Shapiro has indicated he would support the legalization of adult-use marijuana. Maybe a softening will come when we get to a point where we have true financial issues and trying to make ends meet on the budget, Regan said. The Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office estimated in 2021 that legalized adult use marijuana could generate $400 million to $1 billion in new tax revenue for the commonwealth. Until then, Regans proposed changes to the medical marijuana law lay the groundwork in the event adult-use cannabis is legalized by allowing dispensaries permitted to sell medical marijuana to automatically be permitted to sell weed products for recreational use. In addition, his bill, among other changes dealing with the growing, testing, transporting and storing of medical marijuana, would require the Senate confirmation of the director of the Office of Medical Marijuana. Boosie Louisiana native Boosie Badazz is calling on his fans to pray and protest on his behalf outside of court in San Diego, California. Last night (June 21), the 40-year-old artist alleged racism, revealing that the prosecution has reportedly refused to let him out of police custody despite a judges decision. According to Billboard, Boosie was granted a pre-trial release on a $50,000 bond at a hearing on Tuesday (June 20). The decision came after police detained the rapper on June 14 in connection to a traffic stop on May 6, where officers allegedly found him with a firearm. Concerning the judges order for Boosies pre-trial release, prosecutors asked that it be placed on hold as they appealed the ruling. On Wednesday, the same magistrate judge denied the district attorneys request. Boosie was set to be released on bond, but according to the Swerve performer, he is battling an injustice. After the judge has granted me a bond, and I paid my full cash amount the prosecution refuse to respect the judges decision to let me go. They showed no evidence of me being a flight risk or a danger to the community. The prosecutor Mr. wheat looked at me singing Wipe Me Down, Boosie BadAzz (@BOOSIEOFFICIAL) June 22, 2023 After the judge had granted me a bond, and I paid my full cash amount, the prosecution refused to respect the judges decision to let me go. They showed no evidence of me being a flight risk or a danger to the community. The prosecutor, Mr. Wheat, looked at me singing Wipe Me Down, wiped his shoulders, and shook his head with a look of evil in his eyes. This is total misconduct from a prosecutor. He is racist and has evil intentions, Boosie wrote on Twitter. Now, they filed an appeal asking another judge to keep me in prison. I need the people of San Diego outside the court tomorrow to protest the injustice that is being done to me. He continued, I need all prayer warriors across the world to pray this Southern District of California [to] remove Mr. Wheat and this prosecution off my case. Even my attorneys have never seen nothing like this in their career. Help me fight this injustice and say a prayer for my freedom tomorrow. Trending Stories A 25-year-old man faces murder charges in the shooting deaths of two brothers killed during a Denver road-rage dispute, Colorado officials said. Stephen Long has been charged with first-degree murder in the June 13 deaths of Blake Lucas, 21, and Damon Lucas, 22, the Denver District Attorneys Office said in a June 21 news release. The brothers were on their way to a job interview when a road-rage dispute erupted on Interstate 25, the Denver Gazette reported. My boys were good boys, mother Amber Rivera told the publication. They were just living their lives. The Lucas brothers and Long stopped on the side of the highway after some kind of dispute while driving, according to a Denver police news release. A confrontation ensued, and Long shot one of the brothers, who was found dead on the side of the highway, police said. The other brother approached Longs vehicle and held onto it as Long tried to drive away, dragging him, before shooting him and causing him to fall, police said. He later died at a hospital. An off-duty police officer who heard the gunshots followed Longs vehicle and notified other officers, who stopped and arrested Long, police said. Rivera told KCNC one of the brothers had a job interview at a tire warehouse, and the other joined him for the drive. They were best friends, she told the station. Did everything together. Driver doing street stunts kills woman in crash before fleeing, California cops say Driver cut off in traffic opens fire at car and shoots man in head, Tennessee cops say Road rage leads to deadly shooting when dad calls adult sons for help, Texas cops say Cardi B, Brian Szasz. Getty/Jeff Kravitz; Instagram/audioguy182 Cardi B has taken another jab at Brian Szasz, the stepson of one of the passengers on the missing Titanic submersible. On Wednesday, she tweeted that he is a "spoiled brat." The two have been feuding online over Szasz's decision to attend a music concert amid the crisis. Cardi B has taken another jab at Brian Szasz, the man who identified himself as the stepson of one of the passengers aboard the missing Titanic submersible, calling him a "spoiled brat." Cardi and Szasz began feuding online on Tuesday after the "Bodak Yellow" rapper called Szasz out in an Instagram video for attending a Blink-182 concert amid the crisis. "You supposed to be at the house sad," she said. Szasz hit back at Cardi by tagging her in a series of tweets, in which he called her "trashy" and accused her of being "desperate for attention." Cardi replied to Szasz's tweets on Wednesday, again criticizing his decision to attend the rock show. "The point was the whole world is praying for these people in the submarine and this man son is online shaking dicks for girls off onlyfans and going to Blink 182 concerts," she tweeted. On Wednesday, an OnlyFans model named Brea tweeted out a photo of herself in a bikini and offered to provide a personal service, to which Szasz replied: "Yes, please!" "You was looking for clout all along," continued Cardi. "Nobody knew who you were until you said that was ya stepdad!!! This is why people hate you spoiled brat billionaires yall soo desensitize." Szasz has since deleted his Twitter account. The Titan submersible, a small vessel operated by OceanGate Expeditions, lost communication with its mothership on Sunday and has been missing since. It has five passengers on board, one of whom is British billionaire Hamish Harding. In a tweet Monday, Szasz identified himself as Harding's stepson. Story continues On Tuesday evening, the US Coast Guard confirmed that a Canadian surveillance plane had detected underwater noises in the area where rescuers are searching for a missing submersible. "Canadian P-3 aircraft detected underwater noises in the search area," the First Coast Guard District tweeted. "As a result, ROV operations were relocated in an attempt to explore the origin of the noises. Those ROV searches have yielded negative results but continue." Read the original article on Insider A Titan inaugural dive coin held by Bill Price, a California man who went on dives in the Titan, the destroyed submersible that was exploring the Titanic wreckage. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) A frantic international search is still underway for the missing Titan submersible, yet there's already a documentary about the tragedy set to air on U.K. broadcaster Channel 5 at 7 p.m. local time Thursday. This would be mere hours after the clock stops on the available oxygen inside the vessel, which vanished Sunday near the wreckage of the Titanic, and the five people inside including a father and his 19-year-old son will have slowly suffocated. It is looking increasingly likely that even if the Titan is located, a rescue might not be technologically feasible. The unimaginable tragedy has attracted the bizarre media feeding frenzy that we have become accustomed to in the 21st century a minute-by-minute accounting of the claustrophobia, freezing limbs, confusion and mood swings that might be taking place inside the Titan a sardine can the size of a minivan, with one small porthole. Read more: 5 aboard Titanic tourist sub are dead after 'catastrophic implosion' The exploitative coverage of the death and terror unfolding in real time has only been compounded by the publics reaction on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram. Gleeful best describes the tenor of many posts which include making fun of the video game controller used to pilot the Titan, laughing at the billionaires inside the submersible, jokes about the effects of lack of oxygen on the human psyche or substituting fart sounds for the knocking sounds that rescuers apparently heard underwater. Let's not forget the unsettling digital trail of missing passenger Hamish Harding's stepson, Brian Szasz, who attended a Blink-182 concert during the search and posted about how the music helps him through hard times. Rapper Cardi B criticized him, he shot back and an extremely unhelpful online beef went viral, with countless strangers piling on for all the wrong reasons. Like a digital Tower of Babel, social media is evolving into an increasingly ugly and chaotic space a real-time repository for our worst impulses, uninspired musings, scatalogical humor and ill-formed thoughts that should be kept to ourselves. It is an online Mall of America: vast, vacuous, relentlessly commercial and soul-sucking. And in a time of immense crisis political, ecological, social it has become a garbage dump of vile commentary publicly aired because thats just what we do now. Story continues Read more: Editorial: Congress is scapegoating TikTok. It's no worse than other social media platforms There is much to unpack about this particular incident with the Titan, including the fact that five days before the submersible vanished in the Atlantic, a boat carrying 750 migrants capsized off the coast of Greece. Only 104 passengers survived. That horrific accident has not received anything close to the round-the-clock obsessive media coverage as the Titan. There is also the unfortunate name of the company that built the Titan submersible: OceanGate, which thanks to its suffix, intrinsically smacks of scandal. The Titan is piloted by that companys CEO and founder, Stockton Rush, who allegedly glazed over potentially hazardous conditions onboard in favor of the bottom line. Tickets for the eight-hour voyage cost $250,000 each. Finally, there's the allure, mystery and legend of the Titanic itself. An ill-fated ship synonymous with hubris and known for exposing the basest impulses of the uber-wealthy who fled the sinking steamliner in life rafts while leaving sequestered third-class passengers to die. That disaster occurred in 1912 the same year that Americas presidential election pivoted on the issue of economic inequality, which peaked in 1929 just before the stock market crash and the Great Depression. Income inequality today is even worse. According to the 2022 World Inequality Report, the worlds nearly 3,000 billionaires have more wealth than half the population. Its little wonder that regular folks on social media are cheering on the orcas attacking luxury yachts. There is real anger at the wealthy and at the ways they squander their money on vanity projects like commercial rockets to the moon while the planet literally burns. Read more: 'Catastrophic' safety concerns raised about sub long before ill-fated Titanic voyage Nonetheless, as one sane commentator posted on Twitter, it is possible to hold space for both the drowned migrants and the missing billionaires. In fact, to maintain a shred of our human decency, it's necessary to honor all levels of human suffering and death. And social media can be harnessed for good, when we try. Some users are tracking marine traffic in the area via satellite and posting their findings. Others are actively trying to combat the rampant misinformation surrounding the Titan's disappearance. Imagine for a moment that there was a camera inside of the Titan and we could watch the mounting desperation in its hull. If we had to actually look at the pain in the dying mens eyes, would we still joke about it? I hope not. But I wonder, as the gap between our brains and our online avatars becomes perilously porous, we seem to have lost contact with the flesh-and-blood-filled vessels that contain our hearts. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Courtney Veale Is Heating Up Mykonos in Teeny Bikinis, Minidresses & Cutout Styles Courtney Veale is on a sexy streak and shes not slowing down anytime soon. We just caught up with the Below Deck Mediterranean lead deckhand as she visited the North Wales glamping destination Tan Y Bryn Glamping in a sultry bikini, of course. Happy Friday! Courtney captioned the June 10 Instagram post, in which she posed in a hot tub with a glass of wine at the glamping locale. For the snapshot, Courtney smoldered in a stylish two-piece that featured a black-and-white zebra-print top and a matching bottom with black strings. More recently, Courtney has continued her jet-setting lifestyle in Mykonos, Greece, giving us plenty of smoldering looks in the process. Courtney Veales Mykonos Style On June 20, the blonde beauty revealed that she was enjoying a getaway on the Grecian island of Mykonos in a series of sexy snaps in a black satin minidress. Mykonos with the bestie. Lots of spam to come, Courtney hilariously teased about the many forthcoming photos from her vacation with a pal. Courtney Veale takes a smiling selfie with black sunglasses in a white dress. Courtney Veale Had a Happy Friday a Zebra-Print Bikini (PHOTOS) The dress, from Rat & Boa, featured an elegant cowl neckline and a low plunging back, and Courtney paired the style with black slides, a gold necklace, and her long, straight tresses. A day later, Courtney prepared to soak up some sun in a smoldering leopard-print bikini by VDM The Label and rectangular sunglasses. Courtney of Below Deck Mediterranean. Courtney Veale Had a Successful Beach Day in a Smoldering Black String Bikini Click through to see more pics from the trip, including full-length mirror selfies of Courtney in multiple string bikinis, plus moments from a night out on the town. Courtney went on to share more of her outfit details in several Instagram Stories, showing how she paired her leopard-print bikini with a straw sunhat and black mini cover-up. Story continues Courtney Veale takes photos of herself in a leopard-print bikini wearing a straw hat. Courtney posts photos of herself in a leopard-print bikini while in Mykonos, Greece, to Instagram Stories. Photo: Courtney Veale/Instagram Later in her Instagram Stories, the U.K. native shared a sunset selfie, in which she wore a black halter-style outfit with multiple cutouts. Vamos, Courtney playfully wrote over the glowing snapshot, putting her shimmery pink eye makeup and toffee-colored lip gloss on display. Courtney Veale takes a selfie in a cutout black bikini. Courtney posts a photo of herself in a cutout bikini while in Mykonos, Greece to Instagram Stories. Photo: Courtney Veale/Instagram But wait weve got more bikini content! Courtney again took to her Instagram Stories on June 21 to share another swimsuit shot, this time wearing a green string bikini along with her straw hat and black cover-up in a mirror selfie. Courtney Veale in a lime green bikini wearing a straw hat. Courtney posts a photo of herself in a lime green bikini while in Mykonos, Greece to Instagram Stories. Photo: Courtney Veale/Instagram More of Courtney Veales Bikini Looks When it comes to a sexy bikini look, Courtney knows how to knock it out of the park every time. Style Living Ig Bdm Courtney Veale Halloween Costume Courtney Veales Sultry Halloween Costume Includes a Thong Bodysuit In May, the deckhand shared some (literally) cheeky shots on Instagram while wearing a sizzling black string bikini. Another successful beach day, Courtney wrote over an Instagram Story mirror selfie. Courtney Veale in a bikini. Courtney posts a photo of herself in a black bikini on Instagram Stories. Photo: Courtney Veale/Instagram In the head-turning snapshot, Courtney posed while showing off a triangle top and high-cut bottom with string ties on her hips. She accessorized the summery style with oval-framed black sunglasses and straight tresses. DJ Khaled DJ Khaled is thriving in his entrepreneur bag as he takes the cover of Variety magazine. On Wednesday (June 21), the Grammy Award-winning producer and the publication revealed Khaled as its Music Mogul of the Year. The honor comes after decades of the Louisiana natives contribution to the industry, specifically hip hop. The accomplished 47-year-old artist and producer has established a one-of-kind resume that includes records with JAY-Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Drake, Lil Wayne, and more. Music Mogul of the Year cover, Khaled captioned his Instagram post. Thank you, Variety, for this amazing cover and honor! Mogul of the Year! Win with us, or watch us win! We The Best all categories. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) When speaking of the Another One businessman, fellow mogul JAY-Z said, Khaled shines a light of positive energy into every room he enters. His exuberance and sheer ambition are infectious. His support of artists, athletes, and philanthropic initiatives inspires all to reach and believe in heights previously thought impossible. Despite his awards and chart-topping hits like Wild Thoughts, Khaled informed the outlet that his success doesnt define him. Instead, his family does. The Miami resident is married to Nicole Tuck, with whom he shares two sons: Asahd and Aalam. During his interview with Variety, the I Got the Keys songwriter shared some advice from JAY-Z about kids and life. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) [He] told me, Wait till you have a kid thats when life really starts. And as soon as my kids were born, my life changed. Not just these blessings, but also my mentality. Money doesnt define success, Khaled noted. Money doesnt define being a mogul. To me, true success is being happy. When asked his definition of a mogul, Khaled responded, A person that broke down every barrier to get to live their dream and accomplished their goal even when the door was closed on them, and people said its not possible. Trending Stories If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission. Donald Trump doesnt really have a lot of support when it comes to his third run for president. Melania Trump is nowhere to be seen and Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have exited the political building. However, the former president may have found support with a controversial figure within the Republican Party, Kari Lake. More from SheKnows Lake, a former news anchor who lost the Arizona race for governor in 2022, has reportedly been spending quite a bit of time at Mar-a-Lago, according to People. Kari Lake is there all the time, an insider shared with the outlet. Theres a suite there that she practically lives in. Now, GOP insiders are indicating that Lake is working hard at convincing Donald Trump to make her his running mate. She is working the deal. She wants something bigger, fast, to compensate for her loss in Arizona, a second source noted. And shes coming out with a book, Unafraid: Just Getting Started, on June 27 that proves how ambitious she is about having a national platform. Republican nominee in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election Kari Lake speaks at the Ronald Reagan Dinner at the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., on Friday, March 3, 2023. Lake and the former president have bonded over their insistence that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and she used that same tactic in her gubernatorial race. An Arizona judge threw out her election lawsuit in May after she tried to challenge the voting results. This strategy should sound familiar to anyone who follows Donald Trumps political playbook. Unafraid: Just Getting Started Click here to read the full article. Price: $29.99 $26.99 Buy On Amazon At this point, Donald Trump could use an ally now that hes mired in legal woes and has quite a few challengers for that Republican Party nomination. Lake has plenty of her own critics, but she may be a good fit for the former presidents abrasive style since she seems to be a true MAGA believer. Story continues Before you go, click here to see every time Ivanka Trump has tried to distance herself from the Trump family: Ivanka Trump Launch Gallery: 10 Times Donald Trump Has Talked About Women's Looks, Because Apparently Mar-a-Lago Has No Mirrors Best of SheKnows Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Localities in other Southeastern states with manufacturers at mega sites saw industrial growth from suppliers as a result of those projects, but not much attraction of spinoff industries such as retail or restaurants, said the vice president of a consulting firm. Also, some of those areas have grown substantially, while others havent, he said. But the Dan River Region, with the Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry Hill, should fare better overall than those other places when it attracts a major industry to the site, said Greg Payne, vice president with Economic Leadership LLC, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Danville and Pittsylvania County is different than the examples because this place is bigger and more has been done, Payne told attendees during an event at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research Wednesday morning. Its a little better equipped to accept more of the growth, but housing is a concern. Payne gave his presentation, Growth Goes Where Its Easiest: Impacts & Lessons Learned from Megasite Success, at an event held by the Partnership for Regional Prosperity that also highlighted the results of Big Sort workshops that were held to evaluate trends in society, technology, economy, environment and politics. The Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce also hosted the event. Payne presented case studies of four small communities in the southeast that have manufacturers at their mega sites. They included Canton, Mississippi, which has had a Nissan plant since 2003; West Point, Georgia, where Kia has had a plant since 2009; Blue Springs, Mississippi, where a Toyota plant began operations in 2011; and Georgetown, Kentucky, where a Toyota plant has been located since 1988. The case studies found that: Manufacturing plants delivered the projected or promised investment and job levels; There have been seasonal and economic cycle fluctuations in jobs, but no major layoffs or closings; Also, strong job creation from suppliers within a radius from the auto plant. Payne also discovered that population growth in those communities have been variable, with one area Canton, Mississippi losing population. There were also instances of the town or city failing to grow, but the surrounding county seeing growth, Payne said, pointing to the area around Canton. While Blue Springs and West Point saw slight growth since the plants opened, Georgetown experienced a surge, with its population skyrocketing from 11,000 to 37,0000. But communities that have prepared for growth can see better results from such projects, Payne said. If youre ready for it, youve done your homework ... you can be in a better position to benefit, he said. Also, growth goes where it was already going where larger cities are nearby, he added. Workers will commute from shockingly long distances, at least in the early years, according to Paynes presentation. Commuting workers create demand for unexpected land uses such as RV parks, the studies found. Even where communities are growing, the reasons why are not always clear, he said. In addition, the expected boom of new housing, retail and office didnt happen around those sites at least not in the first several years after the plant opened, the report found. Payne also found that despite incentive agreements with companies, local government revenues have seen moderate increases. Industrial development has not brought a large need for additional services, he said. The auto companies have been good corporate citizens, he added, with Toyota helping to build a new school in Kentucky and establishing a school fund in Mississippi. Establishing a connection with the employer is important for the local government, Payne found. Relationship-building, regular conversations with the key employer is seen as crucial for local governments, Payne said. Other findings: Having an increased tax base doesnt mean that governments will take advantage of it; Also, some localities are keeping property tax rates low to please existing residents, he said. Big Sort Beth Doughty, manager of the Partnership for Regional Prosperity, presented findings from the Big Sort, which was separate from Paynes report. Participants in the Big Sort found the following trends to have the highest impact and highest certainty for the region: Rising demand for new housing; Rising pressures to address child care; Improving water and sewer; Increasing cyber security needs; Rising broadband demand; Rising telehealth for mental health; Rising minimum wage; Increasing tourism economy; Increasingly sophisticated manufacturing. Following the results, the partnership will focus on three areas where the region is weak in terms of readiness: child care, housing and infrastructure, said Beth Doughty, manager of the Partnership for Regional Prosperity. The next step is to convene community conversations and point a pathway toward solutions, Doughty told the Danville Register & Bee. The partnership was formed to by local elected bodies as a civic think tank that will make Danville and Pittsylvania County models of future-forward thinking and action, according to the group. Burgum, a former Microsoft executive, is one of the lesser-known politicians to seek the GOP nomination for president in the upcoming election cycle Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum launched a 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday, making his case for the Republican nomination in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. Burgum, 66, will face an already-crowded Republican field of candidates that includes former President Donald Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, President Joe Biden announced in April that he will run for reelection in 2024, with Vice President Kamala Harris once again joining him on the ticket. Here's what to know about Gov. Burgum as he enters the national conversation. Related: Who Is Running for President in 2024? Confirmed and Rumored Republican and Democratic Candidates He worked at McKinsey and Microsoft After getting his MBA at Stanford University, Burgum began a stint at consulting firm McKinsey & Co. and later joined accounting software company Great Plains Software. Burgum eventually bought out the company and it merged with Microsoft in 2000, in a $1 billion deal that led to his role as senior vice president of Microsoft Business Solutions Group. He has since helped to found several companies, including venture capital firm Arthur Ventures and real-estate development firm Kilbourne Group. Stephen Yang/Getty Images North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum He was elected governor of North Dakota in 2016 The businessman launched his North Dakota gubernatorial campaign without any political experience, losing the state Republican Party's endorsement in the primary race to former state Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem. Burgum, however, went on to defeat Stenehjem in a landslide in the state's primary election, clinching the nomination and, later, the general election. He was sworn in as North Dakota's 33rd governor in December 2016, and ran again for the seat in 2020, winning the race handily. Story continues Burgum was endorsed by Trump during both his gubernatorial elections, and he endorsed Trump back during his first two presidential runs. This was, of course, before Burgum decided to challenge Trump in the 2024 presidential race. Burgum has three kids Burgum has three children with his first wife, whom he reportedly divorced in 2003 (and who later endorsed his gubernatorial opponent). In 2016, he married Kathryn Helgaas, who currently serves as North Dakota's first lady and who has focused on addiction, recovery and mental well-being in her role. powerofforever / Getty Images North Dakota State Capitol Building Burgum recently signed a strict abortion ban and several anti-trans laws in North Dakota In April 2023, Burgum signed a bill that would ban nearly every abortion in North Dakota, only allowing slim exceptions (such as cases of rape or incest) at up to six weeks gestation. At the time, the Republican issued a statement saying the measure "reaffirms North Dakota as a pro-life state." Burgum also signed into law a number of anti-trans measures, including a bill that criminalizes trans healthcare for minors and another that allows public school teachers to misgender transgender students and colleagues (that bill also prohibits transgender students from using school restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity). Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer. In 2020, however, Burgum criticized the Republican Party's stance on LGBTQ+ issues, calling the rhetoric behind some of the party's policy statements "hurtful and divisive." As Ive long said, all North Dakotans deserve to be treated equally and live free of discrimination, Burgum said at the time, as reported by U.S. News & World Report. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A former CNN producer was sentenced to more than 19 years in prison after he plead guilty to a charge of coercing a 9-year-old minor into sexual acts. John Griffin, who worked at CNN for eight years, including on the morning show New Day, also was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release and he was ordered to pay restitution. The sentence was handed down on Monday at a federal court hearing in Vermont. More from Deadline CNN fired Griffin after he was charged in the case in 2021. According to prosecutors, Griffin allegedly used Kik and Google Hangouts to seek parents who would allow him to train their minor daughters to be sexually subservient. That included offering to host the mothers and their daughters at a ski house in Ludlow, VT for the purposes of sexual training. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to drop two other counts against him, and they were dismissed, according to court records. The indictment claimed that Griffin, in 2020, paid to fly a mother and her 9-year-old daughter from Nevada to Boston. He brought then to the ski house, where the child was directed to engage in and did engage in illegal sexual activity. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Iranian Bahais Sunday mark 40 years since the June 18, 1983 executions of the 10 Bahai women in Shiraz (Ludovic MARIN) One by one, the 10 women, mostly aged under 30, went defiantly to their deaths by hanging in a city square in Shiraz in southern Iran. The youngest was only 17 years old. They had been charged with crimes including espionage but, for supporters around the world, they were simply being hanged because they were Bahais, and refused to renounce their faith even under pain of death. On Sunday, Iranian Bahais marked 40 years since the June 18, 1983 executions of the 10 Bahai women in Shiraz, seen as one of the most egregious abuses committed against the non-Muslim minority that has been persecuted ever since the Islamic revolution of 1979. Their deaths continue to horrify Bahais but also inspire the community as it still struggles against discrimination in daily life in Iran. Bahais hope all Iranian women can draw strength from them after a wave of women-led protests shook the clerical leadership late last year. "The arduous path to gender equality in Iran has been walked by countless women over the decades. That road has been marked by the sacrifices of those who chose to stand for their principles even over their lives," said Simin Fahandej, the Bahai International Community (BIC) representative to the United Nations in Geneva. - 'Asked to recant' - The women had been arrested in October and November 1982, tortured, denied the right to a lawyer and had been offered the opportunity to save their lives by converting to Islam, according to the BIC. They refused to sign the statements that were prepared for them and were taken on June 18, 1983 from their prison to Chowgan Square in Shiraz where they were hanged one by one in front of each other. Two days earlier, six Bahai men were executed in the same square, some of them relatives of the 10 women. In all, more than 200 Bahais were executed in the frenzy of hangings that followed the revolution, according to the BIC. "There is tremendous pride in the faith and selfless courage of the 10 women and their strength in the face of extreme physical and psychological pressure," Anthony Vance, director of the US Bahai Office of Public Affairs, told AFP. Story continues Soosan Sabet, the second cousin of one of the women executed, Akhtar Sabet, who was hanged aged just 25, said she had "good memories" of her relative, a "pure, kind, friendly and sociable person" who worked as a nurse. "Even in prison, she started serving the elderly and sick people. She would prepare their breakfast, provide medical treatment and wash their clothes," Sabet told AFP. "During the interrogation, she was asked repeatedly to recant her faith and convert to Islam in order to be released from prison." Akhtar Sabet refused and was hanged. Ruhi Jahanpour, who was initially held with the women, freed, evaded re-arrest and escaped abroad, described the women as "really ordinary individuals who loved their families, loved continuing their education and loved to live their lives". When she received news of their execution "it was a terrible shock for me. It was devastating. I knew the girls so well." But she was not surprised by their decision not to renounce their faith. "When they were confronted with this choice... they were willing to give up their lives. Their life was their faith and their faith was their life." - 'Severe repression' - Commemorating the anniversary is particularly important for the Bahais at a time when they say those remaining in Iran are facing a new wave of repression. The Bahai faith is not recognised by the Iranian authorities, unlike other minority faiths including Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, even though the community remains the biggest non-Muslim minority in the country. The Bahai faith is a relatively modern monotheistic religion with spiritual roots dating back to the early 19th century in Iran, promoting the unity of all people and equality. Iran brands Bahais "heretics" and often accuses them of being agents of arch-foe Israel, as their world headquarters are in the Israeli port city of Haifa. But the community rubbishes such suggestions, saying Haifa emerged as a centre of the faith well before the state of Israel was established in 1948. Bahais in Iran complain of official discrimination in their daily lives, making it a struggle to open businesses and even bury their dead, and they are also systematically denied access to higher education in Iran. Persecution also intensified last summer with arrests and raids, according to Vance. Mahvash Sabet and Fariba Kamalabadi, former members of a long disbanded, informal leadership group of the Bahais of Iran, who had previously each served 10-year sentences from 2008 to 2018, were re-arrested and sentenced to another 10 years in prison. "The repression today is severe and comprehensive, as it invades almost all aspects of daily life for Bahais," said Vance. sjw/giv/kir/smw A federal judge on Tuesday struck down Arkansas ban on gender-affirming treatment for transgender youth, dealing the strongest blow yet to a state prohibition on such care. In an 80-page ruling, Judge James M. Moody Jr. said that the states Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act violated the US Constitution and that the 2021 law cannot be enforced by state officials. Rather than protecting children or safeguarding medical ethics, the evidence showed that the prohibited medical care improves the mental health and well-being of patients and that, by prohibiting it, the State undermined the interests it claims to be advancing, the judge wrote. Further, the various claims underlying the States arguments that the Act protects children and safeguards medical ethics do not explain why only gender-affirming medical care and all gender-affirming medical care is singled out for prohibition, he continued. The testimony of well-credentialed experts, doctors who provide gender-affirming medical care in Arkansas, and families that rely on that care directly refutes any claim by the State that the Act advances an interest in protecting children. Under the now-blocked law, young people would have not been able to access puberty-blockers, a treatment option for transgender youth that is used to prevent the onset of puberty. The measure also banned so-called cross-hormone therapy, a gender-affirming treatment that allows for trans people to change their physical appearances to be more consistent with their gender identities. The legislation made what it calls an exception for some intersex people with unspecified chromosomal makeup and hormone production, and those with difficulties resulting from previous gender-affirming treatments. Gender-affirming care spans a range of evidence-based treatments and approaches that benefit transgender and nonbinary people. The types of care vary by the age and goals of the recipient, and are considered the standard of care by many mainstream medical associations. Story continues Though the ruling only applies to Arkansas ban, it represents a significant victory for LGBTQ advocates, who have been bringing legal challenges over the last few years to similar laws that have been enacted in GOP-led states. The case marked the first time a federal judge has had the chance to receive extensive evidence and briefing in a challenge to a ban on gender-affirming care. Moody had temporarily blocked the law from going into effect in July 2021, and an eight-day trial took place last year in the case. Similar suits have been brought in Alabama and Tennessee. This victory shows that these laws, when tested by evidence, are indefensible under any standard of constitutional review. We hope that this sends a message to other states about the vulnerability of these laws and the many harms that come from passing them, said Chase Strangio, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union who helped represent the plaintiffs in the case, in a statement. Arkansas plans to appeal the ruling to the US Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. Last August, a three-judge panel on the appeals court allowed Moodys preliminary injunction to stand. I am disappointed in the decision that prevents our state from protecting our children against dangerous medical experimentation under the moniker of gender transition, said Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin in a statement. The lawsuit had been brought two years ago by four transgender adolescents in Arkansas and their families, as well as two doctors who provide gender-affirming care to trans youth in the state. When Arkansas enacted the law in 2021, it became the first state in the nation to prohibit gender-affirming care for trans youth. The states then-Republican governor had initially vetoed the measure, but state lawmakers later overrode his veto. In his ruling, Moody acknowledged that there were some potential risks associated with gender-affirming treatments, an argument that had been advanced by proponents of the law. But, he wrote, For many adolescents the benefits of treatment greatly outweigh the risks. There is nothing unique about the risks of gender-affirming medical care for adolescents that warrants taking this medical decision out of the hands of adolescent patients, their parents, and their doctors, the judge wrote. LGBTQ and medical advocates had strongly opposed the ban, which they feared could have significant negative impacts on trans youth, who have a much greater risk of attempting suicide, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Moodys ruling seemed to recognize those fears. Conclusions cannot be drawn from any single study (in any area of medical research), but the body of medical research as a whole shows that gender-affirming medical treatments are effective at improving mental health outcomes for adolescents with gender dysphoria, he wrote. This story has been updated with additional details Tuesday. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The United States returned a treasure trove of ancient coins to Greece as part of a program to repatriate cultural property, federal officials announced Wednesday. The 51 coins represent the largest such collection repatriated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the division of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that handles cross-border crime. Trafficking in antiquities is a multibillion-dollar criminal enterprise, but when traffickers steal these antiquities from a country, theyre robbing from the cultural heritage of a nation solely for their potential to generate profit, said R. Sean Fitzgerald, HSI Chicago special agent in charge, in a statement. The coins landed in HSIs control after Customs and Border Protection intercepted four shipments entering the United States without the proper paperwork. HSI officials and Greek government officials, including Alexandra Papadopoulou, the Greek ambassador to the U.S., held a ceremony last week to formalize the return. As these coins get back to Greece where they belong, Im sure it will make an exciting, powerful display as part of our culture, as part of our shared identity, and as part of our close relationship with the United States, Papadopoulou said. According to ICE, the agency returned cultural artifacts to more than 15 countries on 20 occasions in 2022 as part of its Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities Program. The materials returned ranged from prehistoric fossils to artwork stolen from Jews during the Holocaust. HSI possesses the unique skills and determination necessary to disrupt this concerning practice. At HSI Chicago, we have a dedicated unit with agents specially trained to track down lost and stolen pieces, ultimately contributing to approximately 20,000 artifacts that HSI has recovered and returned to over 40 countries since 2007, Fitzgerald said. There are no clear estimates of the size of global antiquities trafficking, though repatriations like the one conducted by HSI are valued in the hundreds of millions per year. Story continues Yet the trade can be overestimated as well as underestimated in monetary terms, further complicating strategies to combat antiquities smuggling. There is, for example, the vexatious claim that the illicit trade in cultural objects is valued at billions of dollars annually and ranks with drugs and arms as one of the three most serious illicit trades. The claim has been refuted many times but never seems to go away, wrote researchers in a 2021 Journal of Field Archaeology paper. Still, the monetary value of antiquities often pales in comparison to the cultural value assigned by countries of origin. It is often extremely difficult to put a specific monetary value on an ancient historical coin, Fitzgerald said. That notwithstanding, as tokens of the worlds oldest democracy, Greeces cultural property in HSIs view is considered priceless. And according to a report published by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, 2022 could potentially offer a turning point in tackling crimes against cultural heritage. That report found increased international cooperation, and high-profile cultural property returns exposing major players in the global trade. Many returns have stemmed from multi-national operations that have ensnared prominent art collectors and dealers accused of looting and running trafficking rings in plain sight from luxury addresses in major capitals, wrote the researchers. Investigations into cultural property trafficking, some spurred by large-scale leaks of financial documents including the FinCen files and Pandora Papers, have embroiled some of the art world elite and its foremost cultural institutions. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The CNN Logo. In 2021, former CNN producer John Griffin was fired after being charged with coercing a minor into sexual acts. An accusation stemming from a 2020 encounter where Griffin invited a mother and nine-year-old daughter for the purposes of sexual training, the legal process involving this matter has now concluded. As a result, the former New Day producer has now been handed a prison sentence after accepting a plea deal. Deadline reported the official sentencing, which saw the ex-CNN employee sentenced with jail time exceeding 19 years, along with 15 years of supervised release. Whats more, Griffin is also expected to pay restitution to his victims, as this case thats been ongoing since 2021 has now been closed. The incident at the heart of these proceedings happened in 2020, when John Griffin flew out Heather Carriker and her daughter from Nevada to his Vermont home. There, he coerced Carriker's daughter into performing sexual acts. Ms. Carriker is currently charged with child abuse and sexual assault charges, per additional reporting from The New York Post. That report also elaborated on the ex-news producer's plea deal, which saw him pleading guilty to "interstate commerce for the enticement of a minor," and two other counts against him for "enticement of a minor" being dropped as a result. It was also noted that as his sentencing was handed down, the unnamed victim in this case said that she would "never trust anyone again" after the acts she was coerced into performing. This is just the latest controversy that CNN has found itself connected to. Recently, anchor Don Lemon was fired , due to allegations of workplace misconduct on Lemon's part . This issue, of course, isnt anywhere near as severe as the case of John Griffin, seeing as Lemon's actions were more in the realm of ageist comments towards his co-workers. Though it is another story thats seen the established cable news brand making headlines yet again. That is especially true when whispers of Lemons potential rehiring after CNNs CEO shake up have been growing louder. More along the wavelength of this crime is the report from a 2020 lawsuit that alleged several Fox News hosts of sexual misconduct . In either case, the magnifying glass has been firmly trained on huge media corporations when infractions of all sorts have been brought to light. It's unfortunate that such events continue to be reported, though it would now appear that the victims are now be better suited to seek justice through their side of the story. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, stories of this nature have come from all corners of culture, including the newsrooms of the nation. The cold, hard truth of this story in particular is that justice has been served, and a punishment has now been enforced. As of this writing, no further statements have been provided by any of the camps involved, and time will tell if said updates might be presented. Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California at a press conference on Capitol Hill in January 2023. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Rep. Adam Schiff was censured by the House on Wednesday in a party-line vote. But with Schiff running for Senate as a #Resistance hero, the censure is only likely to help him. His Senate campaign fundraised heavily on it, and he thanked his GOP colleagues in a floor speech. House Republicans passed a resolution to censure Rep. Adam Schiff on a party-line vote on Wednesday, adding the California Democrat's name to a relatively small list of lawmakers who have been formally condemned by the House of Representatives. The most recent lawmaker to make that list before Schiff was Republican Rep. Paul Gosar of Arizona, who was censured in a bipartisan vote in November 2021 for posting an anime video depicting him killing Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. But in this political climate, becoming the 25th House member in American history to face censure may simply boost Schiff in his quest to become California's next senator if his fundraising emails are any indication. As of Wednesday evening, Schiff's Senate campaign had sent nearly 20 fundraising emails mentioning the GOP censure effort since Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna introduced the original version of her resolution on May 24. "Rush an urgent donation to help our campaign respond right now to this concerted effort by MAGA Republicans to silence those who defend our democracy and hold the corrupt to account," reads an email sent early on Wednesday morning. "We have to fight this effort with everything we've got." "Republicans view me as Trump's most effective adversary, and resent the work I did to impeach him and as part of the January 6th Committee," reads another sent after the first censure effort failed last week. "They can bring up a hundred resolutions to censure me I'm not backing down." A spokeswoman for Schiff's Senate campaign declined to share fundraising figures for the past month though they will be made public via Federal Election Commission filings in July. Story continues In a floor speech earlier on Wednesday, Schiff thanked his Republican colleagues for bringing the censure resolution, saying he stood "proudly" before them. The censure resolution alleges that Schiff "misled the American people and brought disrepute upon the House of Representatives" for his handling of the Trump-Russia investigation. It also directs the House Ethics Committee to investigate Schiff. Wednesday's vote was essentially a do-over effort: Luna's first resolution, which included a $16 million fine for Schiff, was tabled in a bipartisan House vote last week. But while "Russiagate" remains a prominent grievance on the right, Democrats are less likely to view the censure of Schiff as legitimate the notion that former President Donald Trump and Russia were in cahoots was a prominent motif of the #Resistance movement during Trump's presidency. And as a member of the January 6th committee, an impeachment manager during Trump's first impeachment, and the one-time chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Schiff has long positioned himself as a prominent foil to the former president and it's an identity he's leaned into as a Senate candidate. Republicans, naturally, are loath to acknowledge the political upside for Schiff even those from his home state of California. "You can't help what people do with fundraising and all of that," said Rep. Doug LaMalfa. "If that makes him a hero to some people, whatever." "I'm not looking at this as politically as you're suggesting," said Rep. John Duarte, arguing Schiff "abused" his position during the Trump presidency. "That's for someone else to worry about," said Rep. Kevin Kiley. "I'm focused on the text of the resolution, and whether it's warranted or not." By contrast, Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia excoriated Schiff and the entire state of California in a floor speech on Wednesday as she accused the California congressman of trying to "raise money off of being a liar." According to recent polling, Schiff is narrowly leading his main Democratic rival, Rep. Katie Porter, while fellow Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee is trailing both. Schiff has also led Porter in recent fundraising, though the congresswoman has amassed a large war chest from her House campaign account. Read the original article on Business Insider After the fifth and final 'Indiana Jones' movie, the actor still has 'Captain America: Brave New World' and more on his list of upcoming projects Mike Coppola/Getty Harrison Ford simply isn't ready to retire from Hollywood. As Ford appeared on Whos Talking to Chris Wallace?, set to air Friday, the 80-year-old Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny actor told host Chris Wallace, "I don't do well when I don't have work," when asked whether he's given retirement any thought. "I love to work. I love to feel useful. It's my jones," Ford, who turns 81 next month, said during the interview. "I want to be helpful." "It is the people that you get to work with," he continued, when Wallace asked what aspects of making movies he loves. "The intensity and the intimacy of collaboration. It's the combined ambition somehow forged from words on a page. I don't plan what I want to do in a scene, and I don't feel obliged to do anything. But I am, I guess, naturally affected by the things that I work on." Elsewhere in the appearance, Wallace asked Ford about what he meant by saying he desired the new movie to be "ambitious" in his final turn as Indiana Jones. The actor said he wanted the film to "confront the question of age straight-on, not to hide my age, but to take advantage of it in the telling of the story." Related: Harrison Ford Hugs Ke Huy Quan at 'Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny' Premiere A Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection "I feel very strongly that it does [pull it off]," he added, before noting: "It's time for me to grow up," as he moves on from the longtime action-adventure franchise. "Six years ago, I thought maybe we ought to take a shot at making another one. And I wanted it to be about age because I think that rounds out the story that we've told and weve brought it to the right place," he said, opining that 2008's Kingdom of the Crystal Skull did not end with "a real strong feeling of the conclusion or the closure that I always hoped for." Story continues Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Speaking to this issue of age, not making jokes about it, but but making it a real thing," Ford added of his desire for the new film. When Ford who has been filming scenes for the next Captain America movie lately spoke with PEOPLE recently, he said he has not lost any of his love for the film industry. I probably enjoy making movies more now than I ever did, he said. I dont want to be young again. I was young, and now I enjoy being old. Related: Harrison Ford Shares the Movie Line He Uses the Most in Real Life: 'Get Off My Plane!' (Exclusive) ALLISON DINNER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Ford, who told PEOPLE he finds "a certain ease" in aging, appears to remain humbled by his own success almost 50 years since he first collaborated with Indiana Jones and Star Wars creator George Lucas on 1973's American Graffiti. No one ever believes this, but I never wanted to be rich and famous, he said recently. I just wanted to be an actor. His recent TV roles include the Yellowstone spinoff 1923 and the Apple TV+ comedy Shrinking. New episodes of Whos Talking to Chris Wallace? are available Friday mornings on Max and air at 10 p.m. ET on CNN. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is in theaters June 30. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The water is safe. That was the message conveyed at the status hearing called by United States District Court Judge Henry Wingate to discuss comments made by Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba at a June 14 press conference about the city's water system. Ted Henifin, the federally-appointed third party water administrator for JXN Water, which is now in charge of operating the city's water system, said he thought the mayor's comments may have misled the public. At the press conference, Lumumba announced the launch of free water filters for pregnant women and women with children under the age of 5. He said the initiative was a way to restore residents' confidence in the drinking water. The mayor said the city is still "several months away" from having full confidence in the drinking water because water officials were still trying to figure out the best solution to use to treat the water: sodium carbonate, known as "soda ash," or liquid lime slurry. Lumumba also said at the June 14 press conference that, "it hasn't been demonstrated that our water is in fact dangerous." City of Jackson, Miss., Communications Director Melissa Faith Payne, left, tells reporters that Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, center, would not be answering any questions following a status hearing called by United States District Court Judge Henry Wingate regarding recent comments the mayor made about the city's water system on Wednesday at the Thad Cochran United States Courthouse in Jackson. Lumumba stands by comments made about city's water system, related federal hearing set One of the issues Henifin had with the press conference was that handing out water filters was sending the wrong message. He said after he watched the press conference, he was left with the impression that water filters were a necessity. Wingate questioned Henifin multiple times about the safety of the water and Henifin reiterated that the "water is safe for everyone," including women who are pregnant and children under the age of 5. JXN Water routinely does tests and have found that the city's water falls within the standards set forth by the Safe Water Drinking Act, Henifin said. In response, Lumumba said he would not apologize and stood by what he said at the press conference that handing out free water filters was an attempt to try to restore the public's confidence. Lumumba said he never said that the water filters were a necessity. He said he personally believes that the water is safe for everyone to drink, but that the public is a little more weary. He also referred to the Mississippi State Department of Health's website which states, "Any child five years of age or younger and any pregnant woman should use filtered water (NSF53 certified filter) or bottled water for drinking and cooking." Story continues Ted Henifin, the interim third-party manager appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice to help fix the long-troubled water system of the Mississippi's capital city, tells reporters that he had "no comment" while exiting the Thad Cochran United States Courthouse in Jackson on Wednesday, following a status hearing called by United States District Court Judge Henry Wingate regarding recent comments Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba made about the city's water system. "We will continue in our efforts of restoring confidence in any way possible," Lumumba said. Henifin also took an issue with the mayor's comments about soda ash and liquid lime slurry two solutions used to treat water. He said he worried that discussing the two solutions was "getting into the weeds" and that the public may think they are contaminants. The mayor responded by saying he has talked about soda ash and liquid lime slurry on numerous other occasions and has explained what they are. Henifin questioned the precautionary water notices that are sent out by the Mississippi State Department of Health, which he views as also sending the wrong message to the public about the safety of the drinking water. Jackson residents have been receiving monthly precautionary water notices from the health department. According to the health department's website, "these precautions remain in place until the City of Jackson makes the necessary changes required to stabilize the pH levels in its water system that contribute to corrosion." Lumumba said he sends out the precautionary notices as required by the health department. A joint statement from the City of Jackson and JXN Water was released after the hearing: More: City of Jackson establishes water telephone line 24/7 More: Study shows how boil-water notices impact education in Jackson "The City of Jackson and JXN Water share the common goal of restoring confidence in drinking water flowing from the tap, however, the Mississippi Department of Health consistently recommends that vulnerable citizens in Jackson drink filtered water. "The City understands that based on current test results, some citizens feel comfortable drinking water directly from the tap, but also understands that many still prefer filtered water. JXN Water conducts extensive testing daily to ensure your water is safe to drink. Most of this testing is done right here in Jackson by highly trained Jacksonians. They care about your water because its their water, too! It is the responsibility of JXN Water to provide high-quality drinking water and protect public health. Whether drinking water directly from the tap or through a filter, the City of Jackson wants to protect the integrity of the City's drinking water. The City supports the progress being made by JXN Water at both the water treatment plants and within the distribution system and will continue to provide accurate information regarding the status of the City's drinking water." This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Hearing over concerns Jackson MS mayor misled public on water safety A historic Black church built nearly 150 years ago has been in the path of some of the most dangerous hurricanes in modern history. But those were nothing like the tornado. The twister tore through a 2.4-mile stretch of Moss Point on Monday night, leaving a path of destruction that has altered the landscape and devastated the majority-Black community on the Mississippi Coast. Among the hardest-hit buildings of this disaster was the First Missionary Baptist Church, a historic institution that holds deep significance for its hard-hit congregation. Established on September 20, 1874, the First Missionary Baptist Church has been a pillar of Moss Points Black community for over a century. The church experienced significant growth in membership throughout the 20th century, leading to the expansion of its facilities, including the construction of the J.H. Williams Learning Center. Destruction inside First Baptist Missionary Church in Moss Point on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, after a tornado tore the roof off the building on Monday. The Rev. Kevin L. Henry Sr., originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, has been in this role for only two years. He is tasked with leading his congregation of about 250 people through this tragedy. As the pastor surveyed the devastation that lay before him on Tuesday, he acknowledged the extent of the churchs physical damages. We have significant damage to the sanctuary, he said. Theres also an administrative building, and our learning center has been damaged as well, particularly the roof and the windows. The destructive force of the tornado collapsed sections of the brick building, threw power lines across the parking lot and scattered debris throughout the area. A large red statue of a bell in front of the church was broken and a car in the rear parking lot was crushed. Many church members live in the adjacent area, a prominent and well-respected neighborhood. The tornado inflicted severe damage upon the residential block, tearing off roofs and uprooting trees. Several houses in the area even collapsed, leaving debris scattered throughout. Many members of the congregation were picking through the remains of their homes to salvage any valuable items. They said the destruction resembles a war zone. Story continues First Baptist Missionary Church in Moss Point on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, after a tornado tore the roof off the building on Monday. Ernest Watson, a 95-year-old deacon and longtime member of the church, lives in a home next door that was severely damaged. Reflecting on his eight decades of service to the church, Watson said, Ive seen hurricanes, Katrina, Camille, but this is the worst. The roof of his home was gone, with only the brick walls remaining unmoved. In the background, a house alarm continuously beeped. It was impossible to approach the home without stepping on debris, much of which had come from inside the house. Were hurricane people, not tornado church member Jackie Theisen said. Guess we are now. Theisen expressed the communitys reliance on Deacon Watsons home and the church as shelters during past storms, such as Hurricane Camille. Fortunately, everyone has found temporary shelter with their families. Lillie Abney, a fellow member of the church for over 50 years, said she was sad while looking at the damage. Our church has been through so many hurricanes, but nothing like this, Abney said. Its devastating. Im heartbroken. Destruction inside First Baptist Missionary Church in Moss Point on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, after a tornado tore the roof off the building on Monday. The impact of the church in the community extends far beyond its physical walls. First Missionary Baptist Church has long served as a pillar of support during times like this, extending its reach into the broader community. There is surprise and shock, but they have grateful hearts, Henry said. This community has gone through many circumstances and setbacks in the past, but we always come back, and we do so by coming together. Meanwhile, a group from down the street rolled a cooler across the church parking lot, ignoring the power lines, debris, and destruction around them. They offered bottled water to everyone picking up after the storm, and checked in on friends and neighbors. Henry said the faith community has come to his congregations aid, with about seven pastors offering their sanctuaries for church moving forward. Henry said First Missionary Baptist will likely move to the Jackson County Fairgrounds until they can figure out next steps. He encouraged the members of his congregation to come together, check on and take care of one another, and keep their eyes on the sky this summer. The entrance to First Baptist Missionary Church in Moss Point on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, after a tornado tore the roof off the building on Monday. Pastor Kevin L. Henry Sr. poses for a portrait outside of First Baptist Missionary Church in Moss Point on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, after a tornado tore the roof off the building on Monday. Destruction inside First Baptist Missionary Church in Moss Point on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, after a tornado tore the roof off the building on Monday. Danville City Council approved its proposed $325.1 million 2023-24 budget during its regular meeting Tuesday night. The vote for the budget that includes about $12.1 million in expected revenues from Caesars Virginia was unanimous, with all nine council members giving the go-ahead. Councilmen said the budget processes in recent years have been smoother than in the past. Its just gotten much easier, much sweeter the last few years, said Vice Mayor Gary Miller. Sherman Saunders praised skills of the city manager and city staff. Our city manager has kept us informed, Saunders said. referring to the budget process. For first time in the citys history, starting pay for municipal employees is at 100% of market, said City Councilman Lee Vogler. This was a great achievement in this budget process, Vogler said. The city also projects increased revenues from real estate, meals, personal property, lodging and sales taxes, for a total of about $3.6 million in anticipated additional tax revenue. Most of the $12.1 million from Caesars revenues to the city will likely go toward a variety of programs and initiatives recommended for investments by a committee, the Investing in Danville Committee, set up to help determine what to do with that money. The anticipated $12.1 million includes $8 million in state-collected gaming-tax revenue from the temporary casino that opened May 15. The city expects about $5 million of that in local supplemental payment form Caesars as part of its agreement with the city. Several targets for spending recommended by the 2020 Investing in Danville Committee include: About $2.8 million for economic development initiatives; About $2.5 million for Danville Public Schools to pay for new positions and maintain low classroom sizes; $845,000 for lease and debt payments associated with the new Danville Police Department headquarters; $800,000 for blight removal; $566,240 for the citys tourism marketing program; $467,250 for gang prevention efforts, which were previously funded mostly with state grant money; $251,850 for the summer internship program; $105,000 to complete the Plan Danville comprehensive plan; and $96,900 to pay for two maintenance code inspectors needed for implementation of two more rental inspection districts in the city. The 2023-24 fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30, 2024. Included in the overall budget is about $139.7 million in the general fund, which covers the citys operations. That amount is about $17.1 million more than the current adopted general fund budget of $122.5 million. Employee-related increases proposed include an average 3% pay-for-performance raise for each city worker, for a total of about $1.5 million; an additional $717,840 to pay for a full year of the cost of the states minimum-wage increase, which was only funded for half of the current fiscal year; $2.8 million to implement recommendations from a pay study; and $1.5 million for increased health care costs. Other items included in the budget are more than $5 million in improvements to Danville Regional Airport, with more than $4 million paid with state and federal grants; and more than $4.4 million for economic development projects and initiatives, such as grant programs, already-approved incentives, and investments in sites and buildings. There is also $2 million for the first phase of a splash pad for Ballou Park Recreation Center; $905,000 for neighborhood revitalization efforts; and $625,000 for Riverwalk Trail improvements. The budget includes about $25.3 million toward Danville Public Schools, a total increase of about $500,000 the previous year. In other matters, council approved several incentives for developers, homebuyers and renters. One item approved changes to the real estate tax abatement program that promotes redevelopment in historic districts. The investment incentive is available for rehabilitation of residential, commercial, industrial, hotel and motel structures. Councils vote added mixed-use, multi-family commercial developments as projects that could be eligible for real-estate tax relief. Another agenda item approved included an ordinance creating a down payment assistance program for up to $5,000 for qualified applicants to move into a new home. Others included a rental deposit assistance program for up to $500 to help applicants move into a new apartment or rental unit, and a first-time homebuyers fix-up fund. The fix-up fund would authorize up to $5,000 for construction costs to pay a contractor to complete needed repairs so the property can pass inspection to meet federal subsidized loan criteria. House Republicans on Wednesday voted to censure Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a rare reprimand of a sitting lawmaker that the GOP conference delivered as a rebuke for his efforts against former President Trump. The vote 213-209-6 is the culmination of a week-long push led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), which was stymied last week when a band of Republicans joined Democrats in blocking a censure resolution from coming to the floor for a vote. It advanced on Wednesday after Luna made changes to the measure. It also marked the apex of Republicans years-long campaign against Schiff, who emerged as a bogeyman on the right for his unrelenting criticism of Trumps alleged ties with Russia, and was cemented as a chief GOP adversary on Capitol Hill when he led the first impeachment inquiry targeting Trump. A stunning scene took place after the vote, as Democrats in the chamber surrounded Schiff on the House floor, chanting Adam, Adam. They interrupted Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who had taken the gavel for the vote, repeatedly as he tried to deliver the results of the vote. Schiff who is currently entrenched in a competitive Senate primary against two House colleagues embraced the extraordinary punishment, declaring on the floor in an impassioned speech that he would repeat his past actions of holding a dangerous and out of control president accountable if called upon to do so in the future. Today, I wear this partisan vote as a badge of honor, Schiff said Wednesday. Knowing that I have lived my oath. Knowing that I have done my duty, to hold a dangerous and out of control president accountable. And knowing that I would do so again in a heartbeat if the circumstances should ever require it. Lunas resolution censures Schiff for misleading the American public and for conduct unbecoming of an elected Member of the House of Representatives, and it directs the Ethics Committee to conduct an investigation into the congressmans falsehoods, misrepresentations, and abuses of sensitive information. Story continues The four-page measure accuses Schiff of spreading false claims that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia, abusing the trust afforded to him as chairman and ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee when airing the Trump-Russia allegations, and behaving dishonestly and dishonorably when discussing events related to Trumps first impeachment. The American people do not trust Congress. The cyclical pattern of lies has worn down the credibility of every institution and every official in the United States government. You see it, I see it, Luna said on the House floor during debate Wednesday. If we run away from the opportunity to hold this man accountable there is only one fault, and that is of ourselves, she continued. We will betray the people who trusted us and sent us here to do the right thing, we will be responsible of any shred of justice in this body, and we will reject the duty that we swore an oath to protect upon taking office. Luna first moved to censure Schiff last week, bringing a censure resolution which she introduced last month to the floor as a privileged measure, which forced the House to act on it. But 20 Republicans joined Democrats in supporting a motion to table the measure, a move that blocked it from coming to the floor for a vote. A number of the GOP defectors took issue with a non-binding whereas clause in the measure that said if the Ethics Committee found that Schiff lied, made misrepresentations, and abused sensitive information, he should be fined $16 million, saying that it was unconstitutional. That dollar figure, the resolution claimed, was half the amount of money that American taxpayers paid to fund the investigation into potential collusion between Trump and Russia. In an effort to allay those concerns, Luna introduced a new, revamped resolution at the end of last week that nixed the fine language the chief difference between the two and made a handful of other revisions. Additionally, the new resolution just calls for censuring Schiff while the original involved censuring and condemning the congressman. The Florida Republican called the revised resolution to the floor as a privileged measure on Tuesday, restarting the process for the second time in a week and forcing another vote. The changes were enough to erase the GOP concerns: all Republicans voted against a Democratic-led motion to table the resolution, sending it to the floor for a vote and setting up what would become just the sixth censure of a lawmaker since 1980, and the twenty-fifth in history, according to the House website. The House last censured a lawmaker in November 2021, when Democrats delivered a rebuke to Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) for posting an anime video depicting him violently attacking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and President Biden. Before that, the most recent censures were in December 2010 and July 1983. It was not, however, the House GOPs first rebuke of Schiff. Earlier this year, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) blocked him and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) from serving on the House Intelligence Committee. Luna has also filed a resolution to expel Schiff, though it has not progressed in the chamber. Throughout the week-long censure saga, Democrats accused Luna a vocal Trump supporter and Republicans of launching an effort against Schiff as a way to distract from the former presidents legal troubles. Trump was indicted by the Justice Department on 37 counts earlier this month as part of the investigation into his mishandling of classified documents. He pleaded not guilty. The party of Lincoln and his Lincolnites has become the party of Luna and her Luna followers. Todays mad-cap antics are an obvious deflection from Trumps deepening legal troubles, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the ranking member of the Oversight Committee, said on the House floor. The GOP simply has no ideas for our economy, no ideas for our country and no idea for our people, but is on an embarrassing revenge tour on behalf of Donald Trump, who treats them like a ventriloquists dummy, he later added. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Republicans transformed the House into a puppet show. Today we are on the floor of the House, where the other side has turned this body, this chamber where slavery was abolished, where Medicare and social security and everything were instituted theyve turned it into a puppet show. A puppet show, she said during debate on the floor Wednesday. Pelosi, who endorsed Schiff in his Senate race, was seated next to her colleague from California during a portion of Wednesdays vote. And you know what? Pelosi added, the puppeteer, Donald Trump, is shining a light on the strings. You look miserable. Luna, for her part, disputed the claim that Republicans were bringing the Schiff resolution because of Trump. If we want to talk about these little, fun games and comments back and forth, were here not about Donald Trump, were not here about Jan. 6, were here about the former chairman of the Intelligence Committee that used a lie that broke apart this country, Luna said during debate. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Karen Huntsman hugs Huntsman Cancer Institute CEO Mary Beckerle as the Huntsman Cancer Institute announces plans to develop a cancer center in Utah County in Vineyard on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Jenni Thompson drove to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City from Lehi almost daily during the last eight months of her first husbands life after he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, often during heavy traffic. Later, she was treated for breast cancer at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. Thompson said she would need to pull off at gas stations multiple times along her drive home to Lehi to change frozen caps on her head every 20 minutes steps she was taking to try to keep her hair during chemotherapy. Having access to that specialized care in Utah County would have made a big difference to her. She was present Wednesday as the Huntsman Cancer Institute announced plans to build its second comprehensive cancer center in Vineyard. Hopefully I never have to use this location, but Im really happy for people that live in Utah County that theyll be able to ... get the best care there is in Utah without having to travel as far, she said. Thompsons husband was diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which means he had an almost 100% chance of being diagnosed with cancer in his life, and a 50% chance of passing that on to his children. They were able to work with genetic counselors to do pre-implantation screenings and ensure their triplets did not have that gene mutation, and their oldest son was tested and does not have the disease. Jenni Thompson smiles as Huntsman Cancer Institute announces plans to develop a cancer center in Utah County in Vineyard on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Thompsons husband died of leukemia and she beat breast cancer. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News She said five of the six children in her husbands family passed away from cancer, and the family has had multiple nieces and nephews pass away as well. Her husband began looking at genetic counseling after a 6-year-old niece was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Mary Beckerle, CEO of Huntsman Cancer Institute, said the facility is committed to providing a cancer-free frontier and this second facility in Utah County is a step in that process. No more driving, she announced, noting that cancer patients in Utah County have collectively made over 35,000 trips in the last year to the Salt Lake facility at the University of Utah to receive care from their cancer specialists. Story continues She spoke about one cancer survivor who reported he traveled over 8,000 miles between Orem and Salt Lake City to obtain care, while working to support a family. Beckerle said patients like him are why they are building the new facility. We are here because of you. And because of all of the other patients who have made the trips to Huntsman Cancer Institute to find healing and to find hope, she said. We are here today because we are committed to serving a cause greater than ourselves and being part of this great growing community in Utah. Beckerle said the plan was called Project Unite for the last few years, because it is a commitment and partnership from everyone to work together to improve health. Huntsman Cancer Institute announces plans to develop a cancer center in Utah County in Vineyard on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News $300 million price tag The Huntsman Cancer Institute estimates it will need $300 million in order to build this new cancer treatment and research facility, and the Huntsman family has already given a large matching donation to start the process. The family gave $75 million dollars as a matching gift, the largest single gift to this point from the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. David Huntsman, president and chief operating officer of the Huntsman Foundation, said his father, Jon Huntsman, would have turned 86 on Wednesday. He said his fathers crusade against cancer was not just a goal to fight cancer for the rest of his life, but to fight cancer until it is eradicated from the face of this world. Although his father passed away five years ago, he said the family is still as committed as ever to fighting cancer and Wednesdays announcement is just the beginning of a call to action and an invitation for others to participate. My dad was an entrepreneur and a risk-taker. Well start this process, but its going to take all of us to get it done. Its going to take all of us working together to do it right, Huntsman said. Beckerle said something Jon Huntsman once told her has stuck with her: Mary, cancer moves fast, and we need to move even faster. She encouraged people to move faster and get the facility funded and built to help Utah communities. Beckerle also said the Utah Legislature provided a $1 million appropriation to begin the design and planning of the hospital. She thanked everyone for their support. Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, said Wednesdays event showed multiple different organizations coming together to lead Utah through growth. He said in addressing growth, the best option is to lead rather than react. As a state leader, its remarkable to me and comforting to me to know that we have leaders that are helping create the future for the state of Utah, he said. He said the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Vineyard will bring comfort and confidence to Utahns nearby. Attendees cheer as Huntsman Cancer Institute announces a new development of a cancer center in Utah County in Vineyard on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Vineyards community Huntsman Cancer Institute is committed to growing in places that provide inspiration and hope, Beckerle said, adding that the beautiful location in Vineyard rivals its location on the mountainside in Salt Lake City. Vineyard was also picked because of its tremendous population growth; 30% of the states growth between now and 2060 is expected to be in Utah County, and Vineyard is expected to be the center of much of that growth, Beckerle said. We are committed to being where the people are in our community who need us, she said. Vineyard Mayor Julie Fullmer said in five years, the city has grown to over 20,000 people, and the city is working to create something phenomenal for the region. She said the new cancer treatment facility will bring people together for healing in the heart of their community and continue Utahs efforts to be a front-runner in cancer research. Creating a community like this takes people lifting from all across the state. And we really can see that as theyve lined the seats here today, she said. She said the research and treatment will help not only those in Utah County, but the southern regions of Utah as well. We believe that the possibilities are endless. The work performed here will save countless lives, connecting services to communities and provide greater access and healing, Fullmer said. The new Huntsman Cancer Institute location will be part of an 800-acre site currently being developed called Utah City. Pete Evans, who is helping develop Utah City with Flagship Companies, said they are hoping to develop an area that will revolutionize how Utah views urbanism, creating a holistic lifestyle. He said physical and mental well-being is a big component of that, and they are excited for Huntsman Cancer Institute to be part of the community. In meetings with the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Evan said he saw their ambitions were identical. We wanted to create the best human experience possible by thoughtfully and intentionally building the best overall environment for the people who will be here. We share Huntsmans ideal of a patient-focused experience, because were committed to developing a people-focused community, Evans said. Jeanette Bennett, a magazine publisher and community leader in Utah County, said she was really excited when she first heard about this project months ago, more excited than she would be about a shopping mall or a Trader Joes. I love this community, this community is home, this community is amazing, this community has so many services and so many things to love about it, but one of the things it has not had is the cancer treatment facilities and expertise thats needed, she said. She was diagnosed with cancer in Utah County and transferred to the Huntsman Cancer Institute for more specialized treatment. Because she was being treated during 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, Bennett said she had to attend treatment alone, and would drive all the way to the institute by herself. She said the time away from family and work needed for the travel, and the time and emotional journey during the drive alone were difficult. With facilities closer, she said it will allow more time for patients to earn money to pay for treatments and spend time with family. She also said the facility will be close to both the freeway and public transportation and in the center of the county. This will be a landmark location that the rest of the community can gather around and build around and its just going to be amazing, Bennett said. Its physically going to be a beacon of hope. She said it will help her have a closer location for scans she will need to do the rest of her life, and be beneficial for multiple others she knows who are dealing with cancer treatment, including the family of a 4-year-old boy in her neighborhood. Its a big day for all of us, she said. David Huntsman hugs Mary Beckerle as Huntsman Cancer Institute announces a new development in Utah County in Vineyard on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Putting a team together The Huntsman Cancer Institute is part of the University of Utah, and the universitys president, Taylor Randall, said although they are rivals with Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University on the fields they are glad to join the same team in the fight against cancer. It is my theory that as educational institutions, in the mission of solving cancer, we are greater if we put a team together, he said. Randall said the University of Utah brings strengths of cancer researchers and a care system to help people in Utah County, Utah Valley University will bring health professionals to staff the hospital and Brigham Young University will bring talents with statistics and research. I believe firmly that our institutions of higher education will mold a completely different model with this single project right here, Randall said. Wayne Vaught, acting president of Utah Valley University for the summer, said Wednesday is a monumental day for the community because community health is foundational to overall well-being. He said the facility will give opportunities for collaboration with their students and faculty, including research projects, clinical rotations and volunteer opportunities. He said UVU has land near the site it plans to develop, and its main campus is just one FrontRunner stop away. Chris Gloninger, chief meteorologist at KCCI-TV in Des Moines, announced he would be leaving the station in part due to the harassment he faced Chris Gloninger Twitter A meteorologist in Iowa is stepping down after receiving threatening emails including a death threat, he says which were prompted by his coverage of climate change. Chris Gloninger, chief meteorologist at CBS affiliate KCCI-TV in Des Moines, announced on Wednesday that he would be leaving the station. After a death threat stemming from my climate coverage last year and resulting PTSD, in addition to family health issues, Ive decided to begin this journey now, Gloninger wrote on Twitter. The longtime weather forecaster, who has 18 years of experience including the last two years at KCCI, began receiving a series of threatening emails last summer, he said. Related: Meteorologist Erick Adame Pens Apology After He's Fired for Appearing on Adult Webcam Website Last summer, he shared a screenshot of a handful of them, including one which reportedly read: Getting sick and tired of your liberal conspiracy on the weather, climate changes every day, always has, always will. Whats your address, read another reported message. We conservative Iowans would like to give you an Iowan welcome you will never forget. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, police identified the man responsible for emailing Gloninger as a 63-year-old man of Lenox, Iowa. He was fined $150 for harassing the weatherman, the newspaper reported. Related: Everything to Know About the Summer Solstice, the Longest Day of the Year Yet the emails took a toll on him, Gloninger shared on-air this week. When we moved to Iowa, my wife and I bought our forever home right in West Des Moines, he said during a broadcast. And we quickly learned how life throws obstacles your way when youre least expecting them. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Gloninger then referenced the emails and added that he was dealing with quite serious family health issues. Story continues We learned familys very important, he added. So stepping away from TV will allow my wife and I to help our families in their time of need. It will also allow me to make a difference full time in the realm of climate change. The outspoken climate-change advocate had a weekly program on the topic while at NBC affiliate WBTS-TV in Boston, and earned a regional Emmy for his coverage, according to The Washington Post. Gloningers last day at the station will be July 7, the station said. A spokesperson did not return PEOPLEs request for further comments about the meteorologists leaving. Now, Gloninger is forecasting a new future. I will devote my full-time efforts to finding sustainable solutions and fostering positive change, he wrote on Twitter. Lets confront this challenge head on and shape a more resilient future for generations to come. Thank you for your support, and lets continue working together. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. RacingOne - Getty Images "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Although Jack Smith grew up in Georgia, he indeed was born in the southern Illinois town of Metropolis. It isnt a stretch to tag Smith as a hero. He was one of NASCARs pioneer drivers, part of the take-no-prisoners wave of daredevils who ranand wonon pockmarked dirt bullrings. It was a comparison Jack Smith enjoyed making. Im from Metropolis. Same place as Superman, right? he would say, smiling. Although Smith grew up in Georgia, he indeed was born in the southern Illinois town of Metropolis. Superman, the comic book hero, was based in a fictional town named Metropolis. It isnt a stretch to tag Smith as a hero. He was one of NASCARs pioneer drivers, part of the take-no-prisoners wave of daredevils who ranand wonon pockmarked dirt bullrings. They advanced, along with the sport, to super-fast superspeedways that challenged the bravery of drivers and the endurance of their fast cars. RacingOne - Getty Images He drove in the first Cup (then Strictly Stock) race in Charlotte in 1949. He ran in the first superspeedway race at Darlington Raceway in 1950. He almost won the first World 600 at Charlotte in 1960. He ran test laps on the then-new Atlanta track in 1960 before guardrails were installed. He flew over the fence at Darlington in a dramatic crash, escaping injury. By the time he retired in 1964, he had won 21 Cup races, the same number as NASCAR Hall of Fame members Benny Parsons and Bobby Labonte. Surprisingly to some, Smith has not been nominated for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, nor was he chosen as one of NASCARs 75 Greatest Drivers as the sport celebrated its 75th anniversary this year. Only a handful of eligible drivers have won more than 20 Cup races and are not in the hall. Smith seems to be in the mushy middle of drivers who almost got there. (He was elected to the National Motorsports Press Associations Hall of Fameits members chosen by news media representativesin 1981). Story continues Smith, a resident of Spartanburg, South Carolina, where he had operated an automatic transmission shop for decades, died in 2001 at the age of 78. RacingOne - Getty Images Smith raced when safety was largely an afterthought and when a rough-handling car could leave a drivers hands bloody after 100 laps on a bumpy dirt track. Theres very few drivers today that would be successful then, Smith said in one of his final interviews before his death. They dont know how tough it was to get out of a car and blood be running out of your hands. You didnt want to do it, but if you wanted to make a living, you had to keep going. I dont believe they could go out there and sleep in the car all night and get in the race car, go racing, get in the truck and tow the car from Charleston (South Carolina) to Jacksonville (Florida) to Savannah (Georgia) to Martinsville (Virginia) and run a long race the next day. I dont think there are many of them who love it enough to stay with it like we did then. Most of them are in it for the money and the glory. Back then you were in it because you loved it. Barrel-chested with broad shoulders, Smith had the physique to be a success in racings early years, when strong-arming and power-sliding a race car through dirt-track turns required a certain skill level. And more than a dash of daring. He started driving in the Atlanta area after attending races at the old Lakewood Speedway with his father. Soon Smith became a reliable winner at Lakewood, a tough one-mile oval, and the Peach Bowl, a quarter-mile track. In the early 1950s, he won so many times at the Peach Bowl that fans would call the track to ask which driver finished second, he said. Smith was a star in Sportsman and Modified racing even as he edged into the Cup Series with one start in 1949, three in 1950 and seven in 1951. He won Cup races at an assortment of tracksfrom the high speeds of Daytona Beach to the ragged dirt of long-gone short tracks. The inaugural 1960 World 600 should have been the star-making race for Smith. Contested on the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway, a new racing surface that was finished hurriedly, the 600 turned into a chaotic event. Pieces of the track came up during the event, and officials allowed teams to put screens in front of their cars to prevent debris from clogging radiators. Shop Now NASCAR 75 Years $35.49 amazon.com It was like driving through a battlefield, Smith said. Everybody was putting all kinds of strange stuff on their cars to get through it. Racing through the madness, Smith led 198 of 400 laps. He had a staggering seven-lap lead late in the race but ran over a piece of debris, puncturing his gas tank. His crew tried desperately to plug the leak with rags, but NASCAR eventually ordered the car off the track because it was spraying fuel into the grandstands. Various problemssome caused by the track surfaceeliminated more than half of the 60-car starting field. Smith finished 12th. Friends consoled him as he cried in the pits afterward. Even for a tough guy like Smith, it was a crushing loss. He would win eight more Cup races before retiring Jeffrey Dean Morgan who came to Norman Reedus defense last year when the actor was unfairly blamed for Melissa McBrides exit from The Walking Dead spinoff just dropped a tantalizing tip about the upcoming AMC drama. In a tweet Thursday, Morgan posted a picture of Reedus and McBride as Daryl and Carol and said well well. Were sorry Norman for talking oodles of shit to you when we thought Melissa wasnt doing show! Gollythis must of been in the works for ages! (Twas from start). Goddamn its great seeing these two together! Cant wait! More from Deadline A spokesperson for the show would not comment. Well well. Were sorry Norman fer talking oodles of shit to you when we thought melissa wasnt doing show! Golly this must of been in the works for ages! (Twas from start) Goddamn its great seeing these two together! Cant wait! Xojd pic.twitter.com/yYwyTq5hAG Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) June 22, 2023 McBride, who starred in The Walking Dead, was set to appear in the so-called Carol-Daryl spinoff planned for this year until she pulled out of the project in 2022 because of problems with the locale. Melissa McBride has given life to one of the most interesting, real, human and popular characters in The Walking Dead Universe, AMC said in a startement last year. Unfortunately, she is no longer able to participate in the previously announced spin-off focused on the Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier characters, which will be set and filmed in Europe this summer and premiere next year. Relocating to Europe became logistically untenable for Melissa at this time. We know fans will be disappointed by this news, but The Walking Dead Universe continues to grow and expand in interesting ways and we very much hope to see Carol again in the near future. Story continues Strangely, some of the shows ardent fans placed on Reedus, who is set to star in the untitled spinoff. The chatter enraged Morgan, who unleashed his fury via Twitter last year. Some of you have gone WAY too far, he wrote. Attacking Norm for crap he has NOTHING to do with? Melissa made a call that was hers alone. She wants/needs a break. Respect that. Factors involved that are nobodys business. Norm, whos given more than anyone to you all. Just SHITTY. On Thursday, Morgan engaged some readers who wondered whether those toxic fans will take credit for McBride returning to the project because they complained so much. Nope. Opposite. Toxic is toxic. Nobody wants to hear it. Read it. Its just the love between Norm and Melissa is stronger than the bs from outside. Nope. Opposite. Toxic is toxic. Nobody wants to hear it. Read it. Its just the love between norm and Melissa is stronger than the bs from outside. Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) June 22, 2023 Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Chad Stahelski John Wick director Chad Stahelski says he's been speaking with the Academy about adding a stunt category to the Oscars and that the outcome is highly likely. "In the last couple of months, we've been meeting with members of the Academy and actually having these conversations, and, to be honest, it's been nothing but incredibly positive, incredibly instructional," Stahelski tod Comic Book Movie. "I think, for the first time, we've made real movement forward to making this happen. I think it's something that can happen as soon as, you know, the next Oscars, or at least the one after that, at the latest, the next three or four years." The franchise is known for its insane stunts, with Reeves recently revealing which were the most difficult. John Wick: Chapter 3 saw Reeves riding a horse down Fifth Avenue in New York City though it was actually shot in Brooklyn. Per Den of Geek, that particular scene took horse training experts, permits, and rigs to hold Reeves in place, and working closely with the Humane Society to adhere to animal laws on set. A stunt category would (rightfully) honor the stunt people who risk their lives to pull off some pretty impressive cinematic feats. Many publications, including Vulture and The Hollywood Reporter have released essays within the last two years about why it's time for the Oscars to recognize stunts as cinematic achievements. John Wick 4 will be available to stream on Starz starting September 26. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2023 and beyond. Woman allegedly was intoxicated at time of crash that killed motorcyclist in Lees Summit A federal grand jury indicted a Kansas City man Tuesday for his role in a murder-for-hire conspiracy, following an indictment last year for illegally possessing firearms. The jury charged Thomas Clegg, 40, with one count of participating in a conspiracy to commit murder and one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. This indictment replaces an Oct. 2022 indictment for possessing firearms as a felon. Authorities said Clegg and his co-conspirators allegedly plotted to kill a victim, identified in the indictment as J.C., and J.C.s family between Aug. 2021 and June 2022. Clegg allegedly planned to pay for the killing with both cash and marijuana. Before the murder-for-hire conspiracy indictment, Clegg also allegedly possessed two firearms a Glock .40-caliber pistol and a Springfield Armory .45-caliber pistol between May and June 2022. As a felon, it was illegal under federal law for Clegg to possess these firearms. Clegg was previously convicted for possession of a controlled substance, unlawful use of a weapon, trafficking in drugs, voluntary manslaughter, discharging a firearm from a motor vehicle, assault, armed criminal action and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas City Police and Independence Police investigated the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a violent crime reduction program that brings police and community members together to stop violent crime and gun violence from occurring in neighborhoods. Hundreds of people came to Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Wednesday night for a Louis Tomlinson concert, only to be hit by a massive hailstorm that injured dozens and postponed the show until further notice. "Devastated about the show tonight, hope everyone's ok, I'll be back!" the former One Direction member, who is currently on his Faith in the Future world tour, posted on Twitter afterward. "Even though we didn't play the show I felt all of your passion! Sending you all love!" Devastated about the show tonight, hope everyones ok, Ill be back! Even though we didnt play the show I felt all of your passion! Sending you all love! Louis Tomlinson (@Louis_Tomlinson) June 22, 2023 The official Twitter account for the Red Rocks Amphitheatre sent out a warning at 8:07 p.m. local time on Wednesday, telling attendees, "We are currently in a weather delay. Please seek shelter in your vehicle and we'll let you know when we've received the all-clear." Louis Tomlinson performs during his Faith In The Future World Tour 2023 at Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre on June 02, 2023 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Scott Legato/Getty Louis Tomlinson performing in Sterling Heights, Mich. The event space posted the all-clear less than 30 minutes later, but it didn't last long. Even more severe weather approached, causing the theater to announce, "Tonight's show has officially been postponed. Please be safe exiting the amphitheatre we'll have more information for ticket holders soon." ATTN @Louis_Tomlinson concertgoers: We are currently in a weather delay Please seek shelter in your vehicle and well let you know when weve received the all clear Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre (@RedRocksCO) June 22, 2023 Tonights show has officially been postponed. Please be safe exiting the amphitheatre - well have more information for ticket holders soon Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre (@RedRocksCO) June 22, 2023 West Metro Fire Rescue, the local fire department, responded to the scene to help those injured by the massive hail. They eventually posted a summary, revealing that 80-90 people were injured, suffering from "cuts and broken bones," but only seven attendees had to be transported to local hospitals for further aid. Story continues UPDATE: Red Rocks hail storm- 7 people transported to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. A total of 80 to 90 people treated on scene. Injuries include cuts and broken bones. Sporadic hail still coming down in Morrison area. @StadiumMedical pic.twitter.com/gM7KKNqocW WestMetroFire (@WestMetroFire) June 22, 2023 "I was fortunate enough to leave the venue with a few bruises," a concert attendee tells EW. "After the second weather delay was announced, I started to make my way to my car when it started to hail. I was able to take shelter under a concession stand where the workers tried to get as many people under the awning and started to pass out plastic container tubs for protection. Recounting last night to my friends and family feels like a scene to a movie I just watched. It was one of the craziest concert experiences I have thus far and hopefully the last!" This week is the summer solstice. That seasonal change combined with ongoing climate change has brought strange weather to the Rocky Mountains in recent weeks. "Between a wind-whipped opening-night wildfire, snow showers, torrential rains, and hail, it's been a crazy six weeks in the foothills," Red Rocks tweeted after the storm. And, were having a little talk with Mother Nature about this weather business at Red Rocks. Between a wind-whipped opening night wildfire, snow showers, torrential rains and hail, its been a crazy six weeks in the foothills. pic.twitter.com/tv7qSZelhY Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre (@RedRocksCO) June 22, 2023 Related content: The controversial Georgia congresswoman accused Boebert of "copying" her articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden, escalating a feud that's seemingly been bubbling up for months Win McNamee/Getty Marjorie Taylor Greene (left), Lauren Boebert Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene lashed out at Rep. Lauren Boebert on Wednesday, accusing the Colorado congresswoman of "copying" her articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden and calling her "a little b----'" in front of their fellow lawmakers. The interaction, which was caught on C-SPAN cameras and confirmed by Greene's spokesperson, took place after both of the controversial Republican representatives put forward resolutions to impeach the president. Ive donated to you, Ive defended you. But youve been nothing but a little b---- to me, Greene told Boebert. And you copied my articles of impeachment after I asked you to cosponsor them. After Boebert responded with, OK, Marjorie, were through, Greene then said, We were never together." Asked to confirm whether Greene called Boebert a "little b----" and accused her of copying her impeachment resolution, Greene's spokesperson told PEOPLE, "Yes." Related: GOP Women's Group Blasts Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert as 'Carnival Barkers' Boebert's spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment, though the Colorado lawmaker told The Daily Beast: Marjorie is not my enemy. I came here to protect our children and their posterity. Joe Biden and the Democrats are destroying our country. My priorities are to correct their bad policies and save America. Greene and Boebert have both frequently courted controversy since coming to Congress in 2021, in large part due to their fierce alliance with former President Donald Trump. JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene shouts 'liar' as President Joe Biden delivers his 2023 State of the Union address Both women made headlines in 2022 when they repeatedly interrupted Biden's State of the Union address to heckle him. Boebert's interruption came while the president was speaking about increasing support for veterans which he said was close to his heart as his older son, former National Guardsman Beau Biden, died of brain cancer in 2015. Story continues Related: 'She Started Screaming': Controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Spars with Liz Cheney on House Floor Greene is no stranger to getting in heated arguments with her House colleagues, and has previously sparred with lawmakers on either side of the aisle, including former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Greene also has a history of incendiary social media activity, including a "liked" Facebook comment that called for "a bullet to the head" of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and musing about whether a California wildfire was started by a space laser. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer. Boebert, meanwhile, is a fervent gun advocate who vowed in a political ad to carry a weapon to work in Congress, and once reportedly got into a standoff with Capitol Police when she refused to allow officers to search her bag after setting off metal detectors just days after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. She, too, has feuded with her colleagues, once calling Muslim Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar a member of "the jihad squad" and accused her of "praising terrorists." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Image via Sven Hoppe/picture alliance / Getty and ALAIN JOCARD/AFP / Getty UPDATED 6/22/23 2:40 p.m. ET: According to UFC president Dana White, both Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are indeed serious about squaring off in a cage match. Speaking with TMZ, White said that he had spoken with both tech figures following the extensive headlines coverage of the initial challenge and its ensuing response. I was talking to both Elon and Mark last night, he told the publication. Both guys are absolutely dead serious about this. Elaborating further, White said they both wanna do it. In fact, hes predicting this could be the biggest fight ever in the history of the world with the potential to raise a substantial amount of money for charity. See original story below. Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, who does jiu-jitsu, has apparently agreed to a cage match against Twitter CEO Elon Musk. Musk proposed the cage match on his platform, to which Zuckerberg responded on Instagram, which is owned by Meta. "Send Me Location," he wrote, tapping into his inner Khabib Nurmagomedov. Image via zuck/Instagram This isn't the first time Musk has issued a challenge to a notable figure via Twitter. In March, he tried to engage in "single combat" with Russian president Vladimir Putin following the country's invasion of Ukraine. "Stakes are [Ukraine], the SpaceX and Tesla CEO added. After receiving a telegram from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov in which he suggested an elaborate training regimen that would make him better suited for combat against Putin, Elon doubled down on his efforts by offering to fight with his non-dominant hand. Zuckerberg, on the other hand, has been participating in jiu-jitsu training for more than a year. Zuck said on The Joe Rogen Experience that he was won over five minutes into his first training session, asking himself, "Where has this been my whole life?" Zuckerberg issued a statement earlier this month, denying veteran jiu-jitsu fighter Jose Lucas Costa da Silva's claim in a New York Times article that the Facebook co-founder lost consciousness during a match in early May. More on this Forty-eight years ago this week, audiences were terrified and delighted by Steven Spielbergs Jaws. If that movie taught us anything, its that theres nothing more frightening in the oceans than a great white shark, but Jaws was wrong. If you thought white sharks were scary, wait until you get a load of this monstrous goblin shark caught off the northeast coast of Taiwan. Goblin sharks are bottom dwellers, patrolling the seafloor for unsuspecting squid and fish to make snacks of. Most sharks have mouths which seamlessly blend into their streamlined bodies, but goblin sharks took another tactic. Their mouths are great gargantuan things which appear almost tacked onto their otherwise sleek bodies almost as an afterthought. In the darkness of the abyss, however, there is no one to make fun of a toothy grin, and their weird jaws come in handy. RELATED: Great White Sharks More Common and More Chill Than We Thought When a goblin shark is ready to attack, its jaw shoots out of its mouth connected to a series of flexible skin flaps, giving it a ranged attack. The jaw, lined with barbed wire teeth, launches forward like a thrown beartrap, capturing whatever is unfortunate enough to be in its path. A dead Goblin Shark on the ground A goblin shark caught off the coast of Taiwan, June 13, 2023. Photo: Taiwan Ocean Artistic Museum Goblin sharks are weird, in part because they are the only living members of the Mitsukurinidae shark family, an ancient group of sharks which emerged 125 million years ago, during the Cretaceous. Despite their long tenure on our planet, we dont know much about them because we dont encounter them very often. Fishermen Catch a Pregnant Goblin Shark The shark was captured accidentally by a group of fishermen bottom trawling in the waters near Taiwan. While bottom trawling is illegal in many places, precisely because it often results in unintentional captures, it isnt forbidden in this part of the world. Bottom trawling involves dragging a weighted net across the seafloor, sweeping up anything and everything in its path. It is indiscriminate in what it captures and is estimated to be responsible for roughly 60% of ocean organisms discarded by fisheries, amounting to 636 million tons every year. Story continues RELATED: Even Sharks Sometimes Have to Hold Their Breath Once the shark was pulled ashore, the fishermen originally planned to sell it to a restaurant, but a second bidder entered the fight and ultimately won. The shark is now housed at the Taiwan Ocean Artistic Museum where it will be preserved and displayed as part of a marine education exhibit. Part of what made the shark so appealing to the museum was its swollen belly, a clear indication that it was pregnant. Because we know so little about the species, an opportunity to investigate a pregnant shark and its offspring is of considerable scientific interest. Its also the largest goblin shark ever caught in the area, weighing in at 800 kilograms (1,760 pounds). 6 Goblin Shark pups lined up Six pups recovered from the abdomen of the goblin shark. Photo: Taiwan Ocean Artistic Museum Prior reports indicate that six pups were removed from the body of the shark, but that number has risen. Like an anti-mogwai, you pull a goblin shark out of the water, and they just keep multiplying. Its a total of 9 pups. [Three more were] discovered later. One of the fish merchants returned three more pups, the Taiwan Ocean Artistic Museum told SYFY WIRE. Based on initial measurements, the pups weighed about 3.5 kilograms, had teeth, and appeared nearly ready to be born, at the time of death. They are being preserved for scientific research and for display, according to comments on the museums Facebook page. Catch Jaws, the original summer blockbuster, now available from Universal. Lexington 1 and the South Carolina Freedom Caucus have settled a lawsuit that claimed the districts curriculum promoted indoctrination of students with critical race theory-derived ideas. The civil case, which was filed against Lexington 1 by the Freedom Caucus in November, was closed Tuesday after a voluntary settlement agreement was reached. The caucus a group of ultra-conservative House Republicans had charged that the district uses curricula promoting the indoctrination of students with critical race theory-derived ideas and mandates that teachers and staff be trained in racist concepts, according to previous reporting by The State. Contesting this lawsuit would have redirected district resources, including employees time and attention, as well as taxpayers dollars, away from our primary focus, Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait said in a news release. We owed it to our entire community to find a solution that did not involve a lengthy and costly legal battle and to affirm that our district is, in fact, in compliance with all state laws. We are proud of the high quality public education Lexington One educators provide, and we want to put this matter behind us so that schools may receive the benefit of our full support. Last fall, members of the Freedom Caucus argued that districts partnership with EL Education, a nonprofit that provides curriculum support and professional development to K-12 schools across the country, violated state law and the state Constitution. Lexington 1 challenged the authority of the Freedom Caucus lawsuit, district spokesperson Libby Roof said in a statement. On the eve of the hearing to dismiss the case, the caucus had to find additional plaintiffs to avoid being kicked out of court, the statement said. At the hearing, a judge recognized the deficiencies of the complaint. According to the settlement, Lexington 1 will end all agreements with EL Education Inc. for curricula and other services following the 2022-2023 academic year. The district will not renew any agreement for 2023-2024. The district can end its agreement with EL Education sooner. Story continues In return, the Freedom Caucus agreed to dismiss the case. If the case had gone the court, the district would have had to answer requests for numerous documents, communications and materials, as well as anything referencing race, inclusion and affirmative action, among other terms, the district said. Before the lawsuit was filed against Lexington 1, the district did an internal review of EL Education curriculum. It did not reveal any state law violations, according to a district news release. Michael Burgess, a Lexington 1 teacher who has been a vocal supporter of EL Education at River Bluff High School where he teaches, said the school was rooted in EL practice since the beginning, and it created a special place for thousands of students over 10 years. Our (district office) flushed 10 years of work at (River Bluff High School) down the toilet by surrendering to the SC House Freedom (Caucus) who did not have a case! Burgess said in a text message. Maya Schuhknecht, A Michigan State graduate, is crowned Miss Michigan last Saturday at the Frauenthal Theatre in downtown Muskegon. A sash, crown and tears of joy. Then, an effervescent smile and a regal wave. That seems like it should be the ending of this pageant story, but for Maya Schuhknecht, who, on Saturday, was named Miss Michigan at the Frauenthal Theater in downtown Muskegon, it is the beginning. The Michigan State University graduate from Buchanan has big ambitions for her yearlong reign. "My feet have yet to touch the ground," the 22-year-old told the Free Press by phone on Tuesday, adding later in the interview: "I'm all about supporting other women, and I think our organization does such a great job shining a spotlight on women, on our passions and mine happens to be art." Among her plans: To urge other young women to chase their dreams while they can, which, at first, sounds like she's talking about fading beauty, but it's clear in context that what she means is that they should all seize moments that can be so easily lost to sudden personal tragedy. Maya Schuhknecht was crowned the new Miss Michigan on June 17, 2023. More on that and the concerns some critics have about pageants in a moment. But for now, Schuhknecht is enjoying her time among the stars, something she has dreamed about for a while. She lived in metro Detroit as a toddler. But before elementary school, her family moved to the other side of the state, and she grew up in Buchanan, a small city that few people have ever heard of. It's so far in the southwest corner of Michigan, Schuhknecht said, it's almost in Indiana. In addition to her crown, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Miss Michigan was awarded a $10,000 scholarship, which she can put toward paying off student debt or earning a graduate degree. She will represent the state at various events, and present crowns and bouquets at local pageants, and compete for the additional title of Miss America. She figures she has at least a one out of 51 chance of winning, given she's up against a contestant from every other state and the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. But for those keeping track, Michiganders have taken the national crown five times: in 1939, '61, '70, '88 and '08. Story continues More: One 'Jeopardy!' clue may give Dexter's returning champion an edge "I'm so excited to represent the state and just live in the moment of it," she said about competing for the Miss America crown. "I'm going to show up, be Maya be goofy, be silly and have fun. I'm someone who wears my heart on my sleeve." Advocate for art By Tuesday, several news outlets, and her alma mater, were touting her win, her resolve and her future plans. In a nod to MSU, Schuhknecht was crowned while wearing a Spartan green evening gown. The color, she said, represented not only her school, but her parents', and 50,000-something other students' who, in February, went through a campus mass shooting. She recalled barricading her apartment door and being terrified as a gunman took the lives of three students and injured five others. "Im proud of her dedication and determination," Chris Corneal, one of her graphic design professors, said in an MSU report. "And Im excited about the platform her recent accomplishment has given her to advocate for the arts." In April, Schuhknecht said, her father, Michael Schuhknecht, suddenly died. The exact cause of death, she said, was unclear. A surgeon, he collapsed and never recovered. He was only 58. And yet, she added, during the competition, she felt like she could see him in mysterious ways. "Oh my goodness, he would have been over the moon," she said, if he were alive. She added that during the Miss Michigan competition, she looked into the stage lights and the way they were shining, it felt like her father was there and she "was overwhelmed with a sense of calm." The next day was Father's Day. Schuhknecht said the fatal shootings and her dad's death are reminders that no one knows what the future holds. For the talent part of the competition, she quickly painted a portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, better known to a younger generation as the Notorious R.B.G. Ginsburg was an advocate for gender equality and women's rights, and from 1993 until her death in 2020, sat on the U.S. Supreme Court. Ginsburg was 87. Schuhknecht said she chose Ginsburg as her subject because her generation and an even younger one recognizes that the late justice flourished in the face of adversity. But more than what she painted, Schuhknecht said, what mattered is that she did it. People told her, she said, she wouldn't win unless she could sing or dance and she proved them wrong. As Miss Michigan, Schuhknecht said she aims to advocate for art, which she studied at Michigan State and earned a degree in. Art, she said, is something that can help people just as it has for her in recent months process deep and painful emotions and "even heal from trauma." Less about looks Still, in an age of #MeToo, #TimesUp, some want to know: Are beauty pageants really relevant? And do they contribute to, rather than help cure, social ills that women have been facing for centuries: sexualization, marginalization and body dysmorphia? Clinical psychologist Elizabeth Jeglic expressed her concerns in a 2019 article in Psychology Today. She wrote that pageant organizations say "that they have evolved as women in society have evolved." Miss America, for example, has removed the bathing suit competition. But Jeglic added "these women are at least in some part being selected" and evaluated based "upon their physical appearance" and that sexualizes women and contributes to negative "views of womens competence, morality and humanity." Schuhknecht, however, is certain the benefits of pageants outweigh the harm. She counters critics that they give women confidence, highlighting their talents and achievements. Through pageants, some of which she's lost and then rebounded from, she said she has disproven naysayers who said she'd never win and overcome stage fright. And for the record, even though Schuhknecht didn't mention it, many Michiganders know U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, who was in Detroit this week, was a beauty pageant winner in California in 1977 before she went to law school and became Michigan's attorney general and then governor. Schuhknecht said Miss Michigan is less about looks and more about poise and personality. And so, for the next year, she'll travel the state, try to dispel what she considers stereotypes about pageants, and urge other young women who want to compete for the Miss Michigan crown, no matter what size community they are from, and what they look like to go for it. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: As new Miss Michigan, Maya Schuhknecht says pageants empower women Image via Getty/Europa Press Dozens of migrants on their way to the Canary Islands are believed to be dead after the inflatable boat they were traveling in sank, authorities say. In an initial statement on Wednesday, Alarm Phonewhich serves as a hotline for refugees in crisisreported that approximately 59 people were aboard the inflatable boat from the city of Agadir in Morocco. The boat was headed to Spains Canary Islands, the group said, when it encountered severe distress. An estimated 24 individuals were rescued by the Royal Moroccan Navy, per the groups initial statement. Shipwreck in the Atlantic! We learned that the ~59 people shipwrecked, only 24 people were intercepted by the Morrocan Navy, at least 35 people are still missing. Why did nobody intervene earlier? Our thoughts are with the families and friends. #BordersKill Alarm Phone (@alarm_phone) June 21, 2023 In a separate statement, Helena Maleno Garzonfounder of the human rights collective Walking Borderssaid that 39 people had died. Among them, she added, were four women and a baby. It is torture to have sixty people, including six women and a baby, waiting for more than twelve hours for rescue in a flimsy inflatable that can sink at any moment, Garzon said when addressing the response to this tragedy. Se confima una nueva masacre en el Atlantico con treinta y nueve personas muertas, entre ellas cuatro mujeres y un bebe. La neumatica llevaba mas de doce horas suplicando un rescate en aguas de responsabilidad espanolas. Helena Maleno Garzon (@HelenaMaleno) June 21, 2023 Es tortura tener a sesenta personas, entre ellas seis mujeres y un bebe, mas de doce horas esperando un rescate en una neumatica endeble que puede hundirse en cualquier momento. pic.twitter.com/8ej03RvFWz Helena Maleno Garzon (@HelenaMaleno) June 21, 2023 Officials in Spain, per a report from Reuters, had formally confirmed the death of two travelers on the boat at the time of this writing. The deaths come amid heightened criticism of borders at large, with human rights advocates continuing to shine a light on how the approaches of numerous governments has led to a slew of fatal incidents in recent years. At the core of this issue, of course, are people who are simply seeking what they believe will be a better way of life, only to be treated as disposable by indifferent governments when at their most vulnerable. Story continues In April of last year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) shared data showing that more than 3,000 migrants had died or gone missing in 2021. Of those, an estimated 1,153 had died or gone missing on the Northwest African maritime route to the Canary Islands region. The latest Canary Islands news, notably, follows the deaths of at least 82 migrants (plus hundreds more missing) off the coast of Greece just last week. Meanwhile, the bulk of mainstream news coverage has instead centered on the churning out of near-constant updates regarding a missing submersible that counts two billionaires among those aboard. More on this A Norfolk Southern engineer expressed concerns to a supervisor about the length of the train that would later derail in East Palestine, Ohio, but the reservations went unaddressed, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB report released Thursday said the engineer from Decatur, Ill., expressed the concerns to the yardmaster but was told, Well, this is what they [Norfolk Southern] want. The engineer reportedly told investigators that if you talk to the manager, they said this train was 100 percent rule compliant, adding, To me, in my opinion, you got 32 percent of the weight on the headend. Twenty percent in the middle and 40 percent weight on the rearend, they continued. So, to me, thats why we reported that to the yardmaster and like I said, this is what they want. The NTSB announced an investigation in March into the companys safety practices, about a month after the East Palestine derailment put national scrutiny on the railway. The agency released a trove of documents Thursday in connection with a two-day field hearing in the Ohio town investigating the accident. The NTSB is concerned that several organizational factors may be involved in the accidents, including safety culture. The NTSB will conduct an in-depth investigation into the safety practices and culture of the company, the agency said in March. At the same time, the company should not wait to improve safety and the NTSB urges it to do so immediately. The East Palestine derailment in February released toxic fumes into the air and was tied to the death of thousands of fish in the area. Although no human deaths or injuries have been linked to the accident, rashes and headaches in the area led to lingering concerns about potential long-term health effects that have yet to fully manifest. The accident also drew increased attention to safety on U.S. freight railways, which are almost entirely privately operated. Unions representing rail workers threatened to strike last year over the lack of sick days and insufficient crews, but a bill passed by Congress and signed by President Biden required them to accept an offer from rail operators. Story continues The NTSB has tied the derailment to an overheated wheel bearing, which did not reach the threshold at which the train is required to brake until it was too late to avert the derailment. The Hill has reached out to Norfolk Southern for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Land Rover with Weapons Mount Installation Kit ("Wimik"), similar to the vehicles used by the Royal Irish patrol, this one in service with the RAF Regiment. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Efren Lopez/Released) In September 2000, a hostage situation unfolded in Sierra Leone during a knee-deep civil war and rampant chaos. Amid this turmoil, a group of British soldiers were under the United Nations' banner. The service members were doing their best to keep the peace. But life had other plans. These men found themselves in the crosshairs of the West Side Boys. WSB was a rebel group that had a knack for making trouble. This was the crucible that birthed Operation Barras, an audacious rescue mission that would test the mettle of the British forces to their core. A real baptism by fire. The hostage situation Now, about these West Side Boys. They weren't your average rebels. Their brutal tactics and use of child soldiers had already put them on the map for all the wrong reasons. They had taken eleven members of the Royal Irish Regiment hostage and barricaded themselves on an island in the Rokel Creek. This hideout was harder to reach than the peak of Everest, a natural fortress perfect for their sinister plans. Despite numerous attempts at negotiation, the talks to free the hostages kept hitting dead ends. It was like a never-ending maze with no escape in sight. It soon became clear that a change of tactics was needed, and that's when Operation Barras was given the go-ahead. A RAF Chinook with underslung Land Rover, a procedure used to retrieve the Royal Irish patrol's vehicles from Magbeni. Operation Barras: Zero hour As the clock struck zero on September 10, 2000, Operation Barras was set into motion. This was no ordinary mission - it was as daring as it was dangerous. The British Army's Parachute Regiment and Special Air Service (SAS) deployed a team consisting of the cream of the crop. Supported by attack helicopters from the skies, their mission was anything but easy. Their objective? Find the hostages, free them and eliminate the West Side Boys. The operation was like trying to wrestle a crocodile in a swamp. The troops stormed the rebel camp, their attack helicopters strafing the West Side Boys' positions and sowing chaos. The ground team used this distraction to sneak into the camp, rescue the hostages, and engage the enemy in a fierce battle. Story continues The aftermath and legacy The mission was a success, but it wasn't without sacrifice. Lance Corporal Brad Tinnion of the SAS laid down his life during the operation, and several others were wounded. But every single hostage was rescued. Operation Barras landed a crushing blow to the West Side Boys, cutting down their numbers and breaking their spirit. Today, Operation Barras stands tall as a symbol of the British forces' professionalism, courage and unwavering commitment. It has become a model for hostage-rescue missions worldwide and is a staple case study in military academies around the globe. In the end, Operation Barras was more than just a daring rescue. It was a story of humanity, courage, and the indomitable will of soldiers refusing to leave their comrades behind, even in the face of overwhelming danger. If the term "Pandora's box" was ever applicable to a scientific breakthrough, the Manhattan Project's detonation of the first atomic bomb in the summer of 1945 would have to be a frontrunner alongside genetic editing, super colliders, and artificial intelligence. With the latter dominating the cultural conversation amidst the ongoing writers' strike in Hollywood, Christopher Nolan (writer, director, and producer of next month's Oppenheimer) gave WIRED his thoughts on the repercussions of A.I., stating that while certain boundaries do need to be put in place to protect creatives, computer learning does have the potential to augment storytelling rather than monopolize it. Oppenheimer's Christopher Nolan Discusses How A.I. Will Change Filmmaking "The whole machine learning as applied to deepfake technology, that's an extraordinary step forward in visual effects and in what you could do with audio," he explained. "There will be wonderful things that will come out, longer term, in terms of environments, in terms of building a doorway or a window, in terms of pooling the massive data of what things look like, and how light reacts to materials. Those things are going to be enormously powerful tools." RELATED: Oppenheimer: Cillian Murphy Calls Atomic Bomb Thriller "A Truly Essential Cinematic Experience" Of course, it is worth mentioning that Nolan remains thoroughly committed to doing as many things in-camera as possible. For him, computer-generated effects represent a last resort option and, as we know, he took that filmmaking ethos to new heights on Oppenheimer (exclusively hitting the big screen July 21) by recreating the Trinity blast via completely practical methods. Christopher Nolan's Filmmaking Approach to Technology "I'm, you know, very much the old analog fusty filmmaker. I shoot on film," Nolan continued. "And I try to give the actors a complete reality around it. My position on technology as far as it relates to my work is that I want to use technology for what it's best for. Like if we do a stunt, a hazardous stunt. You could do it with much more visible wires, and then you just paint out the wires. Things like that." Story continues Based on American Prometheus (the Pulitzer Prize-winning biography written by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin), the World War II thriller stars Nolan regular, Cillian Murphy, as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the "father of the atomic bomb." Tapped by Lieutenant General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) to spearhead the Manhattan Project, Doctor Oppenheimer assembles the country's best minds, corralling them in New Mexico to develop a new kind of weapon, the likes of which the world has never seen. Emily Blunt (Katherine "Kitty" Oppenheimer), Kenneth Branagh (Niels Bohr), Robert Downey Jr. (Lewis Strauss), Florence Pugh (Jean Tatlock), Dylan Arnold (Frank Oppenheimer), Josh Peck (Kenneth Bainbridge), Benny Safdie (Edward Teller), Michael Angarano (Robert Serber), Olivia Thirlby (Lilli Hornig), Josh Hartnett (Ernest Lawrence), Jack Quaid (Richard Feynman), David Krumholtz (Isidor Rabi), Gustaf Skarsgard (Hans Bethe), Matthew Modine (Vannevar Bush), Danny Deferrari (Enrico Fermi), Dane DeHaan, Alden Ehrenreich, Rami Malek, and David Dastmalchian co-star. Oppenheimer arrives exclusively on the big screen Friday, July 21. Click here for tickets! Jonesing for another thriller based on true events? A Friend of the Family is now streaming on Peacock. UPDATED with latest. A building in central Paris housing an arts and design school, catering mainly to international students, was destroyed in a violent blast on Wednesday afternoon. As of Thursday morning, 37 people were known to have been injured, with four of them in critical condition. More from Deadline Paris First Deputy Emmanuel Gregoire told a press briefing early Thursday that one missing person had been accounted for overnight in hospital. One person remains missing and rescue services continue to search the site. The blast rocked Paris famous Latin Quarter in the citys fifth arrondissement at 4.55 pm local time (7.55 am PT), in a classified 17th building housing the Paris American Academy. Footage shot shortly after the explosion showed the collapsed building enveloped in smoke and flames. According to the Paris American Academy website, the private institution is a bilingual design school offering courses in fashion, interior design, arts and creative writing. Most its students are international, with many hailing from the U.S. Ohios Kent State University said on Wednesday that nine of its students who were attending a summer program at the school had been accounted for and were unharmed. University President Todd Diacon said in a statement that the students had left the building for an off-site activity at the time of the explosion. There has been no official explanation for cause of the blast. People in the neighborhood told local media that they had smelt a strong gas odor just prior to the explosion, giving rise to the suggestion that it was caused by a gas leak. This theory has not yet been confirmed by rescue services or Paris city hall officials. Story continues Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau announced shortly after the blast that she had opened an unintentional injury investigation to explore whether non-compliance with regulations or recklessness could have led to the incident. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. What RFK Jr., now a presidential candidate, has said about Ukraine, vaccines, the economy and more Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Tuesday night in what his campaign billed as a major foreign policy address for the long shot Democratic presidential candidate. He told the crowd that he believes the U.S. government bears some responsibility for Russia's invasion of Ukraine -- a view rejected by America and many Western countries -- and said that the "danger of reckless escalation and nuclear brinksmanship" was "real and present." The son of former New York senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and scion of one of the country's most famous political families, the younger Kennedy has garnered widespread attention in recent months because of his bid to beat President Joe Biden in the Democratic Party's 2024 primary. In addition to a string of high-profile media appearances, Kennedy has also registered some support in early polls so far: One survey from Quinnipiac University this month showed him at 17% versus Biden at 70%. Tuesday's speech adds to Kennedy's array of policy positions and beliefs. While his economic and environmental platform broadly align with other Democrats, some of his other views put him at odds with the party and, in the case of his criticism of vaccines, a majority of the scientific and medical community. Foreign policy On Tuesday night, Kennedy took direct aim at U.S. foreign policy while laying out his own global vision, calling the war in Ukraine a "creation of a relentless mentality of foreign domination" on the part of the United States and accusing the West -- without evidence -- of intentionally sabotaging peace talks in the spring of 2022 and, more specifically, claiming the U.S. wants to remove Russia's authoritarian president, Vladimir Putin. "I abhor Russia's brutal and bloody invasion of that nation," Kennedy told the crowd. "But we must understand that our government has also contributed to its circumstances through repeated deliberate provocations of Russia going back to the 1990s." Story continues At times, he leaned heavily on the foreign policy legacy of former President John F. Kennedy, telling attendees that nuclear tensions are on the rise today as in the time of his uncle, but that there is an opportunity "to take a radically different path, a path towards peace." MORE: Some experts fear rise in medical misinformation following RFK Jr.'s presidential announcement Kennedy has been a frequent critic of America's involvement in supporting Ukraine from Russia's invasion, which he has repeatedly referred to as a "proxy war" that he claims, as he wrote on Twitter this week, is being fought "all for the sake of U.S. (imagined) geopolitical interests." "They wanted war as part of their strategic grand plan to destroy any country such as Russia that resists American imperial expansion," Kennedy tweeted in May, launching into a critique of the Biden administration. "They only pretend to think it was unprovoked. They are lying to us, manufacturing consent for war." That view has been broadly rejected by leading politicians on both sides of the aisle as well as America's military leaders. "The United States continues to stand with the people of Ukraine, whose enduring courage and solidarity inspires the world," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement last week, adding, "Russia could end [the war] at any time by withdrawing its forces from Ukraine and stopping its brutal attacks against Ukraine's cities and people." PHOTO: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. officially announces his candidacy for President on April 19, 2023 in Boston. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images, FILE) The economy In a June interview on the "Breaking Points" podcast, Kennedy said that his "primary platform" on the economy would be cutting military spending and reinvesting that money into domestic spending and development. "My primary platform is to cut the costs on the military," Kennedy said on the show. "Again, what we were told was a peace dividend after the collapse of the Soviet Union. We were going to cut our military budget from about $600 billion a year to $200 billion a year." On his website, Kennedy lists rebuilding industrial infrastructure "ruined by forty years of off-shoring" among his top priorities, alongside "government assistance to the nation's most vulnerable." He expressed hesitation, though, when asked if he would support a federal jobs guarantee or a universal basic income. "I need to look at those things, you know, and see, and I need to talk to a lot of economists and talk about the ups and downs of those issues," he said. "You know, I can see a lot of problems with those issues, which I think are obvious to anybody. And it's a real departure from American free market capitalism. I'd like to try to give this system a chance to work." On raising the federal minimum wage, Kennedy said he did not have a specific number in mind but that "people should have a living wage in this country." "Thirty-five percent of Americans are not making enough money to pay for basic human needs, and that means food, transportation and housing," Kennedy said on the podcast. "And that means those Americans are sitting on the precipice of a cliff, that they're inches away from, or on top of, becoming homeless." He has also expressed support for bolstering unions: "We need to build rebuild unions in this country, because it's one of the key ways we can counterbalance the domination of our government by corporate power." The environment An environmental lawyer by trade, Kennedy has positioned environmental policy as a centerpiece of his presidential bid. "In 100% of the situations, good environmental policy is identical to good economic policy," Kennedy told a crowd of supporters when announcing his presidential run in April. "If we want to measure our economy, this is how we ought to be measuring -- based upon how it produces jobs and the dignity of jobs over the generations and how it preserves the value of the assets of our community." Kennedy has also promised, if elected, to protect wild lands by curbing logging, oil drilling and mining and containing suburban sprawl. "We will become a global advocate for rainforest preservation and marine restoration," his campaign website states. "We will rethink development policies that promised economic growth while ignoring ecological sustainability, and ended up delivering neither." PHOTO: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visits 'The Faulkner Focus'at Fox News Channel Studios on June 2, 2023 in New York City. (Jamie Mccarthy/Getty Images, FILE) Vaccines In 2005, in a since-debunked story in Rolling Stone and Salon called "Deadly Immunity," Kennedy falsely asserted a link between childhood vaccines and autism via a mercury-based compound called thimerosal, which the Food and Drug Administration phased out of nearly all vaccines in 2001. The article was amended with five separate corrections before being fully retracted. Research has repeatedly shown that vaccines and their ingredients, including thimerosal, do not cause autism. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nine CDC-funded or conducted studies have "found no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines" since 2003. Six years later, Kennedy founded the Children's Health Defense, a prominent anti-vaccine nonprofit that has campaigned against immunizations and other public health measures like water fluoridation. After the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group held rallies to protest temporary restrictions aimed at stemming the spread of the virus. It was at one of those events where Kennedy, appearing alongside vaccine opponents and others in front of the Lincoln Memorial, compared the restrictions -- like those on travel -- to Nazi Germany: "Even in Hitler's Germany, you could cross the Alps to Switzerland. You could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did." He later apologized for the remark, saying, "My intention was to use examples of past barbarism to show the perils from new technologies of control. To the extent my remarks caused hurt, I am truly and deeply sorry."His anti-vaccine views gained traction with some during the pandemic. Filings with charity regulators show Children's Health Defense saw revenues double to $6.8 million in 2020. Kennedy has also attracted a growing base of support among far-right figures like InfoWars host Alex Jones and former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who have spread falsehoods about the COVID-19 pandemic or the 2020 election. So far, the 69-year-old environmental lawyer has shown no sign of softening his views on the issue, often reposting articles from his nonprofit on Twitter and appearing as a guest on podcasts like "The Joe Rogan Experience," where last week he falsely claimed that ivermectin, a de-worming drug, was suppressed by the FDA so that specialized COVID-19 vaccines could receive emergency use authorization. Last week, he tweeted that as president he would "hold the agencies and individuals responsible, and we will compensate the vaccine injured." Some experts have expressed concern about Kennedy's vaccine skepticism and misleading claims about COVID-19. Dr. Nick Sawyer, an emergency medicine physician in Sacramento who founded No License for Disinformation, a group of doctors who came together during the pandemic to call on state medical boards to take disciplinary measures against doctors spreading misinformation, previously told ABC News that Kennedy represents "a huge threat." "He's lying to people about critical things that have to do with our nation's children's health," Sawyer said. "The health effects are incredibly dangerous and have already shown to be incredibly damaging." Meanwhile, Kennedy has largely shied away from addressing the issue of vaccines on the campaign trail. In his nearly two-hour-long campaign announcement, he made no explicit mention of them and told NBC News in a recent interview that while he's not leading with the issue, "If anybody wants to talk to me about vaccines, I'll talk to them." The border On Twitter, Kennedy has billed himself as both in favor of immigration and "closing the border." Visiting Yuma, Arizona, in early June, Kennedy called the rate of unauthorized migration "not a good thing for our country" and said it was "unsustainable." "This is a humanitarian crisis because of the understanding across the globe that we now have an open border here," he said in a video. "There are people being drawn here. They're being abused. There's all kinds of horrific, terrible, terrible stories." At the same time as Kennedys visit, the Department of Homeland Security reported on June 6 that unlawful entries along the southern border had decreased 70% from their record highs since the end of Title 42 on May 11. "America should be a haven of freedom and prosperity, open to law-abiding migrants who will contribute to our society," Kennedy said in May. "However, immigration must proceed in an orderly, lawful manner." What RFK Jr., now a presidential candidate, has said about Ukraine, vaccines, the economy and more originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Here is a look at the life of Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Personal Birth date: June 25, 1972 Birth place: Tripoli, Libya Birth name: Saif al-Islam Gadhafi Father: Moammar Gadhafi, former leader of Libya for 42 years Mother: Safia (Farkash) Gadhafi Education: El-Fateh University, Libya, Degree in architectural engineering, 1994; Imadec University, Vienna, Austria, M.B.A., 2000; London School of Economics, Ph.D., 2008 Military service: Libyan military, November 1994-November 1995 Other Facts Second son of Moammar Gadhafi and once considered his heir apparent. Wrote his Ph.D. thesis on The Role of Civil Society in the Democratization of Global Governance Institutions. There are allegations that parts of the thesis were plagiarized. Has been described as having close relationships with British politicians and aristocracy. Prior to the 2011 Libyan civil war, he was believed to be a moderate in comparison to his father. A NATO strike in May 2011 killed his younger brother who had a similar name, Saif al-Arab Gadhafi. Was held in the Libyan city of Zintan by a militia group from November 2011 to June 2017. Is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity. Timeline August 2008 - Announces in a speech on state television that he is withdrawing from politics, stating, I have decided not to intervene in state affairs. August 2009 - Gadhafi escorts released Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi on a private plane back to Libya. February 21, 2011 - Addresses the Libyan nation about the countrys unrest in an unscripted, televised speech, and warns of civil war and poverty if citizens side with anti-Libyan government protesters. February 27, 2011 - Tells ABCs Christiane Amanpour that his father has no plans to step down. June 27, 2011 - Arrest warrants are issued by the ICC for Saif al-Islam, his father, and uncle Abdullah Senussi for their roles in the crimes against humanity in suppressing the revolt of the Libyan people. Story continues August 21, 2011 - Along with Saadi Gadhafi, another of Moammar Gadhafis sons, Gadhafi is reportedly detained by opposition forces. August 23, 2011 - Gadhafi shows up at the Rixos Hotel, quashing the rebels claim that he and his two brothers are in their custody. In a brief interview with CNNs Matthew Chance, he says his father and several of his sisters are safe in Tripoli. August 31, 2011 - Gives an interview to Rai TV in Syria. He says of his father, the leader is fine and we will have victory soon and that everyone is Moammar Gadhafi. Wherever you see the enemy, attack them. They are weak, they have suffered lots of losses and they are now licking their wounds. October 20, 2011 - Moammar Gadhafi dies of a gunshot wound to the head after being captured by rebel forces in his hometown of Sirte, Libya. Mutassim, another of Moammar Gadhafis sons, is also killed. October 28, 2011 - Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the International Criminal Courts chief prosecutor, confirms that the ICC is having informal conversations about the surrender of Gadhafi. November 19, 2011 - Gadhafi is captured after a firefight in southern Libya. January 23, 2012 - Libyan authorities have decided that they want his trial to be held in Tripoli. The ICC has not yet decided where the trial will be held. April 5, 2012 - The ICC announces Libya must hand over Gadhafi immediately to be tried at The Hague on an outstanding warrant for crimes against humanity. Libya appeals the ICC order on April 10, saying it should be given more time to make its own case. June 8, 2012 - A delegation of four from the ICC is detained in Libya for attempting to get documents to Gadhafi. The ICC staff members are freed on July 2, 2012. October 9, 2012 - The Libyan government argues that it should not have to hand over Gadhafi to the ICC because the court in The Hague, Netherlands, does not have jurisdiction in the case. May 31, 2013 - The ICC rejects Libyas bid to try Gadhafi and asks the nation to hand him over. April 27, 2014 - Gadhafi appears via video link from a courtroom in the Libyan city of Zintan to his trial in a court in Tripoli. The militiamen who captured Gadhafi in Zintan in 2011 refuse to hand him over to the central government, citing security concerns. Gadhafi and dozens of former senior regime officials face charges in Tripoli of attempting to suppress the 2011 uprising, including the killing of protesters, a crime punishable by death. May 21, 2014 - The ICC Appeals Chamber rejects all four of Libyas appeals and upholds an earlier decision that Libya hand over Gadhafi to The Hague. May 25, 2014 - The fourth session of Gadhafis trial in Tripoli, Libya, takes place despite the ICCs recent ruling that Gadhafi should be tried by the ICC at The Hague in the Netherlands. July 28, 2015 - A court in Tripoli sentences Gadhafi to death in absentia. Gadhafi is not at the trial; he was last known to be held by a militia group in the northwestern city of Zintan. June 10, 2017 - The Abu Bakr al-Sideeq militia says in a statement that Gadhafi, whom they have held since 2011, was released under a General Amnesty Law passed by Libyas House of Representatives. A close associate of Saif tells CNN Gadhafi was released on June 9 but does not reveal Gadhafis current location, citing security concerns. April 5, 2019 - The ICC rules that the case against Gadhafi is admissible. In June 2018, Gadhafis defense filed an admissibility challenge, asserting that Gadhafi had been convicted by the Tripoli Criminal Court in 2015 for similar offenses, and had been released on or around April 12, 2016, under a law granting general amnesty. March 9, 2020 - The Appeals Chamber of the ICC rejects Gadhafis appeal and unanimously confirms that the case against him is admissible. November 14, 2021 - Gadhafi registers as a presidential candidate, appearing for nearly the first time in a decade. A Libyan court later reinstates Gadhafis candidacy after the election commission disqualified him, but the election is postponed indefinitely. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Building a new home in a post-pandemic world is anything but fast and easy. But Danville-based Gods Pit Crew has it down to a science. In fact, volunteers set out June 11 heading to Nunnelly, Tennessee, to construct a home for a family who lost everything in August 2021s disastrous flooding. Come Friday, Gods Pit Crew plans to reveal the move-in ready house. Our hearts were broken for everyone in Tennessee when they were affected by the devastating flooding two summers ago, Randy Johnson, president and founder of Gods Pit Crew, said in a statement. We want the people to know that they have not been forgotten, and that hope and help are still out there for them. The Ellis family will receive a fully furnished home nearly two years after they lost their house, vehicles, tools and lawn equipment in the flooding. Very little was salvaged, Vickie Ellis said in a news release recounting the impact the flood had on her family. We lost everything we have ever worked toward that day. Crews with Gods Pit Crew deploy to areas hard hit by Mother Natures wrath to help survivors. They often take tractor-trailer loads of supplies including their trademark Blessing Buckets, a 5-gallon pail packed with non-perishable food, hygiene items, first-aid, a Bible and a handwritten and encouraging note. After a flood, they help to clean out homes. If a tornado strikes, they are there to help residents clear away debris. The goal is to bring aid and relief amid utter devastation. Sometimes they identify a family with help of local organizations and give the ultimate gift: a new house. The most recent two-week home building blitz is possible because of the months of planning and thousands of volunteers who know how to get the job done. The Ellis familys new home started in Gods Pit Crews warehouse in Danville. Thats where homes are fully framed, taken apart and put on haulers, Carly Brashears, a spokesperson for the organization, explained to the Register & Bee. Each piece is numbered for quick reassembly on-site. Materials are ordered at the earliest possible moment from local organizations near the build site, and then delivered to the build site once GPC teams are on ground, Brashears said when asked if construction delays hinder the groups efforts. When it comes to permits, construction coordinator Warren Johnson oversees that process. As soon as Gods Pit Crew decides to build a home, he springs into action to start getting the needed permits. Sometimes its as easy as walking into an office and coming out minutes later with all of the appropriate paperwork. Other times its not as fast. But it still gets done. Gods Pit Crew team members go to the build site months in advance to meet with inspectors and local officials to make sure that the project can progress as fast as possible, Brashears explained. A small army more than 1,000 of volunteers are skilled craftsmen in things like plumbing, electrical and painting. Thats how the final touches can go together in just a few hours. These volunteers, they just amaze me on every single trip that we do, Warren Johnson said. They just do what it takes to make these projects happen. It also goes without saying that a faith-based organization also relies heavily on the power of prayer to pull off the quick turnaround. On June 11, the local crew pulled out of Danville with all of the needed supplies. In a matter of days, the foundation was laid and walls started going up. A few days ago, the drywall was being applied. This makes the second home the Danville disaster relief organization has built this year. Two more are planned later in Rolling Fork, Mississippi. Thank you to everyone who helps us in providing hope, healing, and restoration to hurting people in their times of need, Johnson said. Projects like this wouldnt be possible if it werent for our wonderful volunteers, donors and supporters. NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Jeb Burton, of nearby Halifax County, and his father, Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton, are scheduled to lend a helping hand this week ahead of weekend racing at Nashville Superspeedway. Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury in Secret Invasion. (Photo: Gareth Gatrell /Marvel Entertainment/Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection) As Nick Fury, the eye-patch-sporting, Avenger-founding former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Samuel L. Jacksons tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe pre-dates the term itself. Since making his debut in 2008s Iron Man, Jackson has outlasted many of the Avengers he assembled (Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson) while appearing in 11 films. Enjoying the moment that I have," Jackson, 74, tells us when asked whats been the secret to his successful 15-plus year relationship with Marvel. Knowing what my job is when I come into a particular story. Knowing that I'm most times the human grounding element for everything that's, you know, extra special or super. And being able to come in and handle the gravity of it and the seriousness of it. And still have the sense of humor that people see me in. Jackson has certainly spiced up the relationship with his reliably spry performances as Fury, but with the new Disney+ series Secret Invasion, Jackson gets to do something hes never done before after all these years as the glue that holds the MCU together: assume the lead. Decades after forging an alliance with the shape-shifting alien race known as the Skrulls at the end of Captain Marvel (2019), Fury returns to Earth hes been working in space since the Blip took a serious toll on him to find a large contingent of Skrulls are, well, secretly invading the planet with plans to take hold of it from humans. Its a human story, not a superhero story, says director Ali Selim, who describes the series as a political thriller with espionage, noir and Western influences, citing The Third Man, Unforgiven and The Searchers as tonal inspirations. Its the Nick Fury story. For Jackson, that meant getting to learn things about Nick Fury even the actor didnt know. He approached writer/producer Brian Tucker early in the process about finding out intel like: Where Nick lives, whos there? Is he alone? How vulnerable is he? Whats he been doing for the last three years hes been missing [in space]? Story continues And what about his future? At a time when many of Jacksons early MCU collaborators have bolted the franchise, its natural to wonder how long the septuagenarian actor will stick around, particularly with the marketing teasing Secret Invasion as one last fight for Fury. Could it be his last hurrah? I dont know, says Jackson, playing it coy (if he does know). I always try to figure [that] out when a Marvel film is over. Am I gonna be in the next one? I'm constantly asking that question. Can I go to Wakanda? (After Secret Invasion, Jackson is still slated to appear in Novembers The Marvels, but its unclear when that Captain Marvel/Ms. Marvel sequel takes place; the fact that Fury still wears his eyepatch in The Marvels, and not Secret Invasion, could hold a clue.) While Jackson has been a key cog in the MCU the past decade and a half, his Secret Invasion co-star Ben Mendelsohn wasn't originally meant to be in more than half a movie. He was dead on page 56 when I signed up for Captain Marvel, the Aussie actor says of Talos, Furys closest Skrull confidant and whom reveals the omnipresence of his species in Secret Invasion. Mendelsohn had worked with Captain Marvel co-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck before, though, on 2015s Mississippi Grind, and the filmmakers conspired to expand Taloss role. Thats how irresistible he is, says co-star Emilia Clarke grinning. Once you keep working with this person you want to keep working with him. Emilia Clarke: Marvel >>> Game of Thrones/Star Wars/Terminator pic.twitter.com/ES0HOJGbBe Kevin Polowy (@djkevlar) June 22, 2023 After becoming a household name as Dragonmother Daenerys Targaryen in HBOs Game of Thrones and subsequently entering the worlds of Star Wars (Solo) and The Terminator (Genisys), Clarke makes her MCU debut in Secret Invasion, playing Giah, Taloss now grown-up daughter. And she loves it. Its just the best [franchise], she says of Marvel. Its the best of all of those things. It's such a pedigree in its own right. It lives in its own level that is separate from everything else. It isn't just a superhero franchise. It's Marvel. Yeah. It's totally different There's an ease and a calm that I think comes with them being the best, and maybe understanding that they're the best and having all the stuff, and then having this cast is just completely mind-blowing. You know, Game of Thrones [was] such a unique experience for me because we didn't know what the hell we were doing for most of the time. And then it just became this big thing, and we were sort of, we just rode that journey all the way. This you're stepping in and everyone's already [on] their A-game. It's lovely. Kingsley Ben-Adir in Secret Invastion. (Photo: Gareth Gatrell /Marvel Entertainment/Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection) Marvel certainly continues to recruit the best of the best when it comes to acting heavyweights, both established and on the rise. Also new to the MCU in Secret Invasion are Olivia Colman (an Oscar nominee in three of the past five years, and winner in 2019 for The Favourite) and Kingsley Ben-Adir (who earned major critical acclaim for playing Malcolm X in 2020s One Night in Miami and will soon headline a Bob Marley biopic). I think One Night in Miami came out and they called a couple weeks later, says Ben-Adir, who plays the series main antagonist Gravik, a rebel Skrull leader and terrorist determined to claim Earth for his own. Ive been begging to be part of it for ages, says Colman, who costars as Sonya Falsworth, a high-ranking MI6 agent whose sadistic side leads to one of the most memorable moments early on in the series. I said, I'd love her to be funny, Colman shares. And that was that, they did it. So it's all them. And they've made this wonderful character and I was thrilled to be able to do it. Secret Invasion is now streaming on Disney+. Watch the trailer: The 'Queer Eye' star purchased the plot of land the home will stand on in 2021 and says the house is "almost" finished Matt Winkelmeyer/WireImage Tan France is welcoming everyone into his dream house! The Queer Eye star, 40, bought a plot of land in Salt Lake City in 2021 to build a home and recently revealed that he has been documenting the building process in a new show for Conde Nast. France told PEOPLE exclusively that he is excited for fans to see his "dream home" in his "dream location" come to life. "I wanted to share the progress every step of the way," France said, adding: "[I am] building my dream home from the ground up, and I design it myself. So you get to see every little decision I make for the house." The show, called Home at Last, is a collaboration with Architectural Digest and Vogue and will follow France who recently welcomed his second son Isaac with husband Rob on his years-long journey to create the perfect home, which he said is a reminder of how far he has come in his life. Tan France/Instagram Related: Tan France Welcomes Baby Son Isaac: He Completes Our Little Family Perfectly Growing up as an immigrant child in England living in "government housing," the Next in Fashion host said he never imagined he would make it to this point. "My family sees what I'm doing now it is mind-blowing. Like, this happens generations upon generations after we emigrate, we emigrate, then they emigrate, but somehow we've managed to bypass it very quickly and create a dream home and that's not lost on me," he said. France added that getting to build his dream house brings him so much gratitude and that going on the journey with his family and sharing it with the world makes it even better. "I still am completely blown over by it. I'm still so grateful thinking, 'I can't believe that after how hard life was as a kid, what it has become.' It makes me even more grateful." Story continues Related: Tan France Dishes on the Style Trends He Wants to See This Summer: 'Celebrating Tailoring' (Exclusive) Tommaso Boddi/Getty France said his interior design style is "bougie grandma," and explained that if he lived in Los Angeles or New York, his "style would be very different" probably modern but in Utah, he wants the new house to have some glamour. "I like something that feels a little maximalists, a lot of floral," he said. "I love something that feels aged, not super brand new." France's fans will have to wait and see the specifics of the house, but the designer teased that he made sure one room in his new home looked "extra beautiful." "For the living room, because it's the shared space, we wanted it to look gorgeous," France said. The designer told PEOPLE he decided on a big velvet sofa for the new family room, noting that a good sofa is the foundation of a home. In his current SLC house, which he and his husband purchased in 2017, France said, "what we designed the house around" was a 10-foot couch that he and his family could all fit on. "The idea of the sofa will dictate the rest of the room," France said. "I really think it sets the tone for what your life will be like in that home." Tan France/Instagram Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The dream house will also feature a playroom for son Ismail, 2, and newborn Isaac with six-inch-high baseboards, an "ornate" closet, and a view of the Utah mountains, France said. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Some 11,455 electric customers throughout Mississippi are still without electricity after the state has been pummeled with a series of storms in the past few weeks, including a Sunday EF-3 tornado that killed one person and injured nearly two dozen people in Jasper County. According to Entergy Mississippi, which is the electric provider for much of the affected area, most of the remaining outages are in Hinds and Warren counties. Officials said they are hopeful that they will have most of the outages restored by Wednesday evening, with a few remaining for Thursday. The restoration time for the remaining customers was not specified for Thursday. "Entergy shareholders donated $20,000 to the American Red Cross to support the cooling center and help customers through this difficult time," Entergy said in a statement. "Some locations are available for overnight stays. Thus far, the Red Cross has provided overnights stays for 22 individuals, served more than 1,684 meals and provided relief supplies to 243 households." Jackson city officials said cooling stations setup throughout the city will remain open until power is fully restored. A telephone pole on Winter Street in Jackson, MIss., snapped, crashing a transformer to the ground when severe weather moved through central Mississippi last year. Storms in recent weeks have caused similar issues throughout Central Mississippi. Those stations are open to residents without power in cooperation with Red Cross Mississippi and Word and Worship Church, which will continue to operate a 24-hour shelter. Below are the cooling stations and places that offer 24-hour shelter services. Jackson cooling stations: What: Cooling/Charging Stations & Ice Pickup When: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Where: Word and Worship Church, Hanging Moss Road & I-220. The church will also offer a 24-hour shelter; Champion Community Center, 1355 Hattiesburg St.; Westside Community Center, 1650 Wiggins Road; Word and Worship Church, Hanging Moss Road and I-220; Champion Community Center, 1355 Hattiesburg St.; Westside Community Center, 1650 Wiggins Road; Ratliff Chapel M.B. Church, 3656 Highway 22, Edwards, Miss. (For residents of Edwards, Bolton.) If you are sick/shut-in and need a hot meal or ice, call the MS Rapid Response Coalition Crisis Hotline at 844-435-7601. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Entergy outage: Thousands of MS customers still without power TikToks chief operating officer, V. Pappas, is stepping down as part of a major leadership shake-up at the social media giant, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told staff Thursday. As part of the changes, longtime Disney executive Zenia Mucha will join TikTok as its chief brand and communications officer, while TikToks chief of staff, Adam Presser, will now lead operations, Chew said. More from The Hollywood Reporter Pappas joined TikTok as a general manager for the U.S. in 2018 before rising in the ranks to lead the company as its interim chief executive and, most recently, its COO. They will serve as a strategic adviser to TikTok but will exit to pursue their other entrepreneurial passions, Pappas said in a separate email to staff. Given all the successes reached at TikTok, I finally feel the time is right to move on and refocus on my entrepreneurial passions, Pappas wrote. I know the company has a very bright and stable future under the strong leadership of Shou Chew and our executive team, I will be here to support him, the leadership team and all of you during this transition by taking on an advisory role for the company. The executive will be leaving as the company continues to face threats of a ban in the U.S., where Montana in May became the first state to ban the app. (TikTok has sued Montana over the legislation, claiming that the law violates the First Amendment by unconstitutionally shutting down the forum for speech for all speakers on the app.) Chew was also grilled by members of Congress in March over alleged national security risks. During that time, Mucha was part of the team helping to advise TikTok and its CEO against the ban efforts, according to The Wall Street Journal. In his note to staff, Chew acknowledged Muchas role as a consultant for TikTok over the last few months, noting that he had greatly benefited from her counsel and perspective. Story continues She has tremendous instincts and has a strong vision for how best to grow and support the business. She and I agree that in the spirit of Always Day 1, it is essential that we widen the aperture of our Marketing and Communications functions to further fortify TikTok as a beloved brand and one of the most trusted entertainment platforms in the world, Chew wrote. With Zenias vast expertise and deep experience, we are well positioned to do so effectively. Best of The Hollywood Reporter Click here to read the full article. Ive often heard it described as happening faster than the brain can process whats happening," says a journalist who has written extensively about deep sea exploration EyePress News/Shutterstock OceanGate submersible Titan The five passengers aboard the Titan likely died instantly when the submersible imploded during a journey to the Titanic, an expert tells PEOPLE. Multiple pieces of the missing sub were located near the Titanic while a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) from the Canadian vessel Horizon Arctic searched the area on Thursday, Coast Guard officials said at a press conference in Boston on Thursday. The Horizon Arctic discovered the Titans tail cone about 1,600 feet from the bow of the Titanic, United States Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger said. Additional debris was found that is consistent with the catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber. Passengers likely did not have time to react to an implosion, according to journalist Josh Dean, who has written extensively about deep sea exploration including OceanGate Expeditions and its CEO Stockton Rush and the husband of PEOPLE contributor Gillian Telling. Its a deeply tragic, terrible thing, Dean tells PEOPLE. Ive often heard it described as happening faster than the brain can process whats happening. Related: Billionaire's Text Emerges After 'Titanic' Sub's Disappearance as Concerns Over Vessel Mount Alamy Stock Photo OceanGate submersible Titan An implosion would have likely been caused by the failure of the Titans pressure housing, Stefan B. Williams, a professor of marine robotics at the University of Sydney in Australia, said in a blog post shared on The Conversation during the search efforts. The location of the Titans wreckage was consistent with the location of last communication for an implosion in the water, Paul Hankins, the US Navy's director of salvage operations and ocean engineering said at Thursdays press conference. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. A catastrophic failure of the pressure system would be like a small bomb going off, Williams previously told The Guardian. Story continues Although the Titans composite hull is built to withstand intense deep-sea pressures, any defect in its shape or build could compromise its integrity in which case theres a risk of implosion, Williams wrote in his blog post. Alamy Stock Photo OceanGate submersible Titan Five different major pieces of debris were found that told experts that the sub experienced a catastrophic event, Hankins said Thursday. The nose cone was found first, followed by a large debris field where crews found the front end bell of the pressure hull. That was the first indication that there was a catastrophic event, Hankins explained. Crews also found a second, smaller debris field in which they found the other end of the pressure hull, he added. Related: 4-Time 'Titanic' Sub Passenger Says Vessel Lost Contact with Host Ship During Previous Expeditions Dean tells PEOPLE that the passengers only chance of survival was if the Titan had dumped its ballast and risen back to the surface. Even if the sub hadnt imploded, Dean says, unfortunately, there is no machine or system on earth capable of saving people at that depth. I think rescue was never honestly an option, he adds. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. UPDATED with latest: The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed at a news conference today that a debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic is, in fact, from the Titan submersible. The five people aboard are feared dead after what one official termed as a debris field consistent with a catastrophic implosion. The Coast Guard briefing was led by Rear Adm. John Mauger, who offered his deepest condolences to the families. Mauger also offered the following details: The first piece of wreckage identified was the tail cone of the Titan. It was discovered 1600 feet from the bow of the titanic. The ROV subsequently found the front end barrel of the pressure hull. More from Deadline The debris is consistent with catastrophic loss of the pressure chamber, he added. Multiple media outlets received a statement from OceanGate, the company which operated the sub, that read in part, We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. Read its statement below: RELATED: NewsNation Criticized For Oxygen Remaining Countdown Clock Featured In Coverage Of Missing Titanic Sub OceanGate: We now believe that our CEO Stockton Rush, Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet, have sadly been lost. @ABC Special Report is moments away. pic.twitter.com/IumSBMpHM2 Gio Benitez (@GioBenitez) June 22, 2023 Titan dived Sunday to take adventurers on a pricey deep-sea exploration of the century-old wreckage of the ship that was the subject of James Camerons Oscar-winning 1997 blockbuster Titanic. Apparently, those analyses are now complete. Story continues The 21-foot Titan submersible has been missing since Sunday, and officials worried its oxygen supply is running dangerously low. RELATED: The Simpsons Writer And Former Showrunner Mike Reiss Talks About His Trips On The Missing Titanic Submarine Mauger was interviewed on Today this morning. Watch that below. Rear Admiral John Mauger, who is spearheading the Coast Guards search for the missing Titanic tourist submersible, speaks if there could be a possibility that the 96-hour supply of oxygen has been extended, the support on the search, and more. pic.twitter.com/l4bncHBWpp TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 22, 2023 An ROV, or remotely operated vehicle, is an unoccupied underwater robot that is connected to a ship by a series of cables. A release put out by the Coast Guard indicated that the ROV in question originated from the Horizon Arctic, a 307-foot anchor-handling vessel registered in Canada that has a hangar for ROVs with a launch and recovery system. It reportedly just arrived on scene today. RELATED: CBS Story On Missing Titanic Sub Goes Viral After Reporter Got Jitters Over Its Jerry-Rigged Design A debris field was discovered within the search area by an ROV near the Titanic. Experts within the unified command are evaluating the information. 1/2 USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) June 22, 2023 U.S. and international media have been covering the search since Titan was reported missing Sunday by the crew of the Canadian vessel Polar Prince, which launched the truck-sized sub and lost contact with them about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its dive. The five people aboard the Titan are Stockton Rush, CEO of Ocean Gate, the company leading the voyage; Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood; British businessman Hamish Harding; and veteran French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet. They reportedly paid for $250,000 apiece for the trip. The search area was 7,000 square miles, which one official noted is an area larger than the state of Connecticut. RELATED: Quickie Titanic Sub Documentary Set On British TV Just Hours After Air Onboard The Craft Is Expected To Run Out On Wednesday, officials said that that a surveillance plane looking for the missing submersible detected underwater noises in the search area, described as banging noises, about 900 miles off Cape Cod. There have been multiple reports of noises and those noises are being analyzed, Frederick said during a news conference Wednesday. The noises were detected by a Canadian P-3 search plane today and yesterday. Frederick said recordings of those noises had been analyzed overnight by U.S. Navy experts, but the results were inconclusive. We need to have hope, he said, but I cant tell you what the noises are. One piece of good news: While at least one previous sojourn with this submersible was made without supplies of food and water, this time there are some limited rations aboard, Frederick said. CBS News David Pogue, whose excellent piece on the Titan sub last summer has gone viral, described the subs multifaceted breathing apparatus to News Nation this week. There are carbon dioxide scrubbers, exactly the same thing you would have in a spacecraft; then there are these emergency scrubbers that look like fly strips they hang from the ceiling and convert C02 to oxygen. And then if those get exhausted there are actual scuba oxygen tanks under the floor panels that they can put on. He also described the multiple ways the sub can resurface if there is an emergency. This thing has seven different ways of returning to the surface. It has different kinds of ballasts that can let go, it has an inflatable air bladder and has propellers. Even if it has returned to the surface, however, the sub has limited communication abilities. The Titan generally communicates with the Polar Prince mothership only by text message. On Pogues trip down in the sub, the craft lost touch with the Polar Prince and never found the wreck. Another issue: opening the hatch. The crew closes the hatch, from the outside, with 17 bolts. Theres no other way out, Pogue said in CBS Sunday Morning piece last year. That means there is no way for those inside the sub to open the hatch from the inside to get more air, should they surface. Pogue reposted video from a CBS Sunday Morning piece he did while on an OceanGate expedition last summer, which he says got lost for a few hours while he was on board and never found the wreck. Watch it here: Along with the ROV, the Coast Guard has deployed two C-130 Hercules aircraft in the search, while Canada has deployed one C-130, one P-8 Poseidon aircraft which can detect craft underwater and multiple sonar buoys. Mauger indicated that the Polar Prince also has sonar capable of reaching the ocean floor at the search site 13,000-feet below. Our entire focus is on the crew members in the submersible and their families, reads a statement from OceanGate provided to The New York Times. We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible. Per the Times, which did a piece on OceanGate last summer: The dives last about eight hours, including the estimated 2.5 hours each way it takes to descend and ascend. Scientists and historians provide context on the trip and some conduct research at the site. The team also documents the wreckage with high-definition cameras to monitor its decay and capture it in detail. Titanic sank on its maiden voyage in April 1912 after hitting an iceberg, killing about 1,500 passengers and crew. The wreckage was found in 1985, and inspired diving enthusiast Cameron to make Titanic. The film went on to win 11 Oscars and gross more than $2.26 billion worldwide. It remains among the Top 10 films of all time both domestically and worldwide, ranking No. 4 on the latter list. I made Titanic because I wanted to dive to the shipwreck, not because I particularly wanted to make the movie, Cameron told Playboy in 2009. The Titanic was the Mount Everest of shipwrecks, and as a diver I wanted to do it right. When I learned some other guys had dived to the Titanic to make an Imax movie, I said, Ill make a Hollywood movie to pay for an expedition and do the same thing. I loved that first taste, and I wanted more. Erik Pedersen contributed to this report. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. In London on Jan. 20, 1914, just shy of two years since the RMS Titanic was lost in the North Atlantic, an international convention produced an agreement to provide uniform rules for the Safety of Life at Sea. Signed by nations from around the world, the SOLAS Convention is regarded as the most important of all agreements concerning the safety of ships at sea. It called for sufficient lifeboat capacity on board ships, lifeboat drills, 24-hour radio monitoring, standards in ship construction, and requirements to aid in lifesaving. Sal Mercogliano Over a century later, in 2021 OceanGates submersible, Titan, began making dives on the wreck of the Titanic, located in international waters south of Newfoundland. On its inaugural dive of the 2023 season, Titan, disappeared. Thursday, debris from the vessel was found near the Titanic wreck site, and the five people on board are presumed dead. The construction and operation of Titan raises concerns over the use of submersibles in the commercial sector, particularly for tourism. We have become accustomed to witnessing the journeys of the rich and famous into space by the likes of Space X, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin. These flights, originating in the United States, are regulated, by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). According to OceanGates website, Titans combination of ground-breaking engineering and off-the-shelf technologyhelped to streamline the construction and make it simple to operate. This philosophy eschewed the vast array of experience and technology that was used in past submarines and submersibles. At the same time, they avoided the use of third-party classification societies to ensure that their submersibles met industry standards. In a blog on the OceanGate website titled Why Isnt Titan Classed?, the company laid out its decision to avoid this process. The major issue stemmed from a multi-year approval cycle due to a lack of pre-existing standards. They even cited the difficulties encountered by the commercial space companies. Story continues In lieu of a major classification society, OceanGate hired a licensed marine surveyor to witness a successful dive to 4000 meters and provide a Statement of Fact. Inspection of Titan resided solely with the crew and employees of OceanGate, even though the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) classed one of OceanGates other submersibles. Today, all ships operating on the high seas are registered in a country, with Panama, Liberia and the Marshall Islands being the most common. Known as open registries, or flags of conveniences, many companies register in these countries because of the low government and crewing costs. However, international regulations, such as SOLAS, are enforced by a series of measures. The flag of registry is required to ensure that ships meet all standards. For the purposes of insurance of the vessel and its cargo, a classification society provides a check on the flag state. Then, all nations have agreements known as Port State Authority that allow the nation a ship sails into to inspect the ship for standards. In the United States, that responsibility lies with the U.S. Coast Guard. Commercial submersibles are used widely in offshore drilling, cable laying and pipeline industry, along with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The American Bureau of Shipping, a classification society, has a 273-page standard for Underwater Vehicles that provides a level of check and balance against companies, such as OceanGate, which decided not to classify Titan. Much as Titanic led to reforms in safety of life at sea, Titan may do the same with regards to submersibles operating in international waters, an area largely unregulated. The United States and Canada will probably examine their laws for ships operating out of their ports with submersibles and the International Maritime Organization of the United Nations may propose amendments to the SOLAS Convention. It appears that Titanic may not yet be finished in the safety of life at sea. Salvatore Mercogliano is an associate professor of History at Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC, an adjunct professor at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and host for the YouTube Channel Whats Going On With Shipping . Esquire When visiting a hospital, you expect a certain level of care, a listening ear, and hopefully, a solution for whatever brought you in. But in some cases, the medical staff falls short. Netflixs new documentary, Take Care of Maya, explores one familys nightmarish experience after admitting their child to a hospital for chronic pain. Take Care of Maya follows the Kowalski family. In 2015, Jack and Beata Kowalski were searching for a way to help their daughter Maya, who lived with CRPSotherwise known as complex regional pain syndrome. Her former doctor, Anthony Kirkpatrick, described it as an abnormal function of the sympathetic nervous system...your senses get ramped up so if a drop of water touches your skin, it can feel like somebodys jabbing you with a knife. Kirkpatrick prescribed Ketamine treatments to Maya to manage the pain. At one point, the Kowalski family took Maya to a hospital in Monterrey, Mexico, where she was put into a ketamine coma. The treatment worked for a while, but its effects eventually wore off, which led Jack and Beata to take their daughter to the Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. They hoped to find another medical treatment that could cure Mayas pain, but instead, they found themselves at the center of a child abuse investigation. Take Care of Maya uses exclusive interviews with the Kowalski family to unpack a medical mystery that led to grave consequences. Its a horrific and tragic tale that investigators are still working to unpack. Keep reading for everything we know about the case. What Happened to Maya? Maya Kowalski began experiencing her symptoms when she was nine years old. Her chronic pain began with asthma attacks and severe headaches. According to PEOPLE, lesions eventually formed on her legs and arms. Meanwhile, her feet cramped and curled into themselves. When she was 10 years old, Maya was rushed to Johns Hopkins for crippling stomach pain. During her stay, her mother, Beata, suggested another round of Ketamine treatments, given that it had worked in the past, but the doctors reportedly found that suspicious. Story continues The medical staff alerted child protective services and accused Beata of having Munchausen by proxy syndromea mental disorder that causes caretakers to intentionally harm their children. A court-ordered psychological exam for Beata was put in place, while Maya was taken into state custody for over three months. One day I was in the ICU, and my mom kissed me on the foreheadand was like, I love you. Ill see you tomorrow, Maya recalled. I never saw her again. I was medically kidnapped. I tried being hopeful, but there was a point where I thought, Im never getting out of this place. The psychological evaluation found that Beata did not have a mental disorder, but she never saw her mom again. What Happened to Mayas Mom? During the period when Beata was separated from her daughter, she reportedly deteriorated from stress. In the documentary, her husband, Jack, said, She would stay up and research and hardly eat. At one point in a custody hearing a judge denied Beatas request to give Maya a hug. It destroyed her, Jack said. Beata committed suicide in 2017, after an 87-day battle with law enforcement. She left her family an email where she wrote, Im sorry, but I no longer can take the pain being away from Maya and being treated like a criminal. I cannot watch my daughter suffer in pain and keep getting worse. Less than a week later, Mayas father gained full custody and she was able to return home. Where is Maya Now? Maya currently lives with her father and brother, in Florida. Though she still has chronic pain, it has improved with the help of experimental therapy. We worked with her slowly: water therapy, things like that, Jack told PEOPLE. But it was horribleafter losing my wife, I thought my daughter was next. After a year of treatments, Maya was able to walk again, and she reportedly has full use of her arms and legs. When asked about mitigating lingering symptoms she said, I do my best to push through. Ive already missed a lot, so I want to make the most of life now. Did the Kowalskis Ever Press Charges? The Kowalski family filed a lawsuit against Johns Hopkins, and it will go to trial in September. While speaking with PEOPLE Maya said, For us as a family to move on, we need to fulfill my mom's wish and fight. I want justice for my mom. Johns Hopkins All Childrens Hospital sent a brief statement to the news outlet, regarding the upcoming trial. Our first responsibility is always to the child brought to us for care, they said. And we are legally obligated to notify the Department of Children and Families (DCF) when we detect signs of possible abuse or neglect. It is DCF that investigates the situation and makes the ultimate decision about what course of action is in the best interest of the child." You Might Also Like Gautier Police responded to a shooting early Wednesday that left a victim and suspect hospitalized, authorities said. Officers were called at 1:34 a.m. to a home on Bayou View Circle, according to a news release. There, they found a male victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Police said the victim exchanged gunfire with suspect identified as Kyle Reese, who was also struck before fleeing. Police said another suspect fired at the victim but did not identify the second suspect or say whether they had also been shot. Reese is expected to be arrested on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon when he is released from a Mobile hospital, where he is currently being treated for a gunshot wound. The victim was treated for his injuries, according to the release, and they are non life-threatening. Police are investigating the incident and ask anyone with information to contact the Criminal Investigations Division at 228-497-2486 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-877-787-5898. After years of research and rigorous testing, cell-cultivated meat will officially become part of the U.S. food system. Emeryville, California-based manufacturer UPSIDE Foods, which gave ABC News a look inside its facilities earlier this year, and Good Meat a cultivated meat division of the plant-based egg substitute food technology company Eat Just, are the first U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved cell-cultivated chicken meat producer and has been fully approved by the U.S. government for commercial sales nationwide. PHOTO: Chef Zach Tyndall prepares Good Meat's cultivated chicken at the Eat Just office in Alameda, Calif., June 14, 2023. (Jeff Chiu/AP) The food and agriculture manufacturing industry has hailed this as a "historic" moment -- after years of investment in UPSIDE Foods from Bill Gates, Richard Branson and Whole Foods founder John Mackey -- as scientists tout the lab-cultivated meat as a possible solution for global warming, inhumane treatment of animals and growing global hunger. Good Meat, which previously won multiple regulatory approvals to sell its chicken in Singapore, will begin production for the American market and launch with restaurateur and chef partner Jose Andres. The Alameda, California-based company called the latest USDA and FDA approvals a "watershed moment for the burgeoning cultivated meat, poultry and seafood sector, and for the global food industry." PHOTO: GOOD Meat cultivated chicken. (GOOD Meat) "We have been the only company selling cultivated meat anywhere in the world since we launched in Singapore in 2020, and now it's approved to sell to consumers in the world's largest economy," Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of GOOD Meat and Eat Just said in a statement. UPSIDE Foods says it will begin cultivation and sales of real chicken meat grown from animal cells in bioreactors. It will first reach consumers on the menu of a San Francisco restaurant, Bar Crenn, helmed by James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur and activist Dominique Crenn, who is hoping to help mainstream the innovative protein. Crenn is also the first and only female chef in the U.S. ever to be awarded three Michelin Stars, and only one of five total to achieve the distinction in the world. Story continues PHOTO: A cooked piece of cultivated chicken breast created at the Upside Foods plant, where lab-grown meat is cultivated, in Emeryville, Calif., Jan. 11, 2023. (Peter DaSilva/Reuters, FILE) In a blog post Wednesday, UPSIDE Foods called the historic milestone "the culmination of years of dedication, ingenuity, and resilience from our team and supporters and marks the beginning of a whole new era in meat production." Neither UPSIDE Foods nor Good Meat have a released date of first availability, but are working with their respective restaurant partners to bring it to market. "Soon, Americans will be able to enjoy delicious meat that doesnt involve the slaughter of billions of animals every year," UPSIDE Foods wrote in the post. The UPSIDE Foods team and Good Meat have now achieved all three key regulatory milestones: A "No Questions" Letter from the FDA, a USDA Label Approval, and the USDA Grant of Inspection. PHOTO: A prepared dish of Good Meat's cultivated chicken is shown at the Eat Just office in Alameda, Calif., June 14, 2023. (Jeff Chiu/AP) Dan Glickman, Good Meat Advisory Board member and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and member of the U.S. House of Representatives, said in a statement Wednesday that his previous experiences gave him "the opportunity to work with countless individuals at the USDA who were committed to accelerating agricultural innovation and economic opportunity as well as promoting initiatives to better nourish Americans and feed people around the globe." "I commend the agencys current leadership for working collaboratively with their FDA colleagues and the GOOD Meat team to reach this significant regulatory milestone," Glickman continued. "Todays approval demonstrates that the United States is a global leader in the promising alternative protein space while also continuing to support family farmers efforts to feed the world through conventional food and agriculture techniques." USDA approves 1st ever 'cell-cultivated meat' for 2 American manufacturers originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Saturday marks one year since the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that guaranteed the right to an abortion. As a result, the landscape of abortion access has shifted dramatically over the past year, with the decision of access left up to each state. Some states had trigger laws banning abortion that went into effect once the decision came down from the Court. Others guaranteed the right to an abortion in their state laws or constitutions. One year post-Roe, here is where abortion laws stand in each state, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that focuses on sexual and reproductive health, and further reporting. PHOTO: A map shows abortion access by state across the U.S. as of June 19, 2023. (ABC News) Alabama Alabama is one of the 15 states that has ceased nearly all abortion services, in this case under a so-called "trigger law" that went into effect immediately after Roe v. Wade was overturned. The state constitution also "explicitly excludes abortion rights," according to the Guttmacher Institute. Alaska The right to an abortion remains protected by state law and constitution. Abortion in Alaska is legal at all stages of pregnancy, as long as it is performed by a licensed physician, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Arizona Abortion is banned at 15 weeks and later following a judge's ruling last September that upheld a century-old ban on abortion. The 1901 law, which has language that can be tracked back to 1864, provides no exceptions for rape, incest or fetal abnormalities and makes performing abortions punishable by two to five years in prison. The only exception is if the mother's life is in danger. Arkansas Abortion is nearly completely banned in Arkansas due to a trigger law that went into effect following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Arkansas Human Life Protection Act, or Act 180, makes performing or attempting to perform an abortion a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Story continues The only exception is if the mother's life is in danger. California The right to abortion is protected by updated state laws. Colorado The right to abortion is protected by updated state laws. Connecticut Abortion is allowed up until a fetus becomes "viable," which is typically around 24 week to 26 weeks. The state, "has a shield law to protect abortion providers from investigations by other states," according to the Guttmacher Institute. Delaware Like in Connecticut, abortion is allowed up to the point of fetal viability in Delaware. The state also has a so-called shield law to protect abortion providers. Florida Abortion is banned after 15 weeks of pregnancy, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a six-week ban into law in April 2023, but it will not go into effect until 30 days after the state's Supreme Court rules on a case that challenges the current 15-week ban. Georgia Abortion is banned at six weeks of pregnancy. Hawaii Abortion is allowed up to the point of fetal viability, and Hawaii also has a so-called shield law to protect abortion providers. Idaho Abortion is nearly completely banned. The state, "requires an 'affirmative defense,' meaning a provider has to prove in court that an abortion met the criteria for a legal exception," according to the Guttmacher Institute. PHOTO: Demonstrators walk to the Idaho Capitol carrying anti-abortion signs for the Boise March for Life rally in 2023. (Idaho Statesman/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) Illinois Abortion is allowed up to the point of fetal viability, and abortions can be performed by "qualified health care physicians," not just solely physicians. In January 2023, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed comprehensive reproductive health care legislation into law that protects out-of-state abortion seekers and allows them to get an abortion. PHOTO: Demonstrators hold a sign during a protest against Walgreens on International Women's Day in Chicago, March 8, 2023. (Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Indiana Abortion is allowed up to 22 weeks of pregnancy, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Last year, state lawmakers passed a near-total ban on abortion, but for now the procedure remains legal while the law is challenged in court. Iowa Abortion is allowed up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. Earlier this month, the Iowa Supreme Court prevented a six-week abortion ban that was signed into law several years ago from going into effect. The court was split in a 3-3 decision on the case, meaning abortion remains legal in the state. Kansas Abortion is allowed up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. Last November, Kansas voters decisively rejected a bid to remove abortion protections from its state constitution. Kentucky Abortion is nearly completely banned. The only exception is if the mother's life is in danger. Louisiana Abortion is banned with very limited exceptions. The state had several trigger laws that went into effect immediately after Roe was overturned. Maine Abortion is currently allowed until a fetus becomes viable. Under a proposal put forward this year by Gov. Janet Mills, the law could change to allow abortion after fetal viability "if it's deemed necessary by a physician," according to The Associated Press. Maryland Abortion is allowed up to the point of fetal viability. Massachusetts Abortion is allowed up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Michigan Abortion is protected in the state constitution and allowed up to the point of fetal viability. In April, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill repealing the state's 1931 law that criminalized abortion. Minnesota Abortion is allowed up to the point of fetal viability. Mississippi Abortion is banned, with very limited exceptions, in Mississippi, the state that was at the center of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. In the case, Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the state asked the justices to overturn longstanding legal precedent that restrictions on abortion access before a fetus is viable outside the womb -- around 24 to 26 weeks of pregnancy -- are categorically unconstitutional. Missouri Abortion is nearly completely banned. The state, "requires an 'affirmative defense,' meaning a provider has to prove in court that an abortion met the criteria for a legal exception," according to the Guttmacher Institute. Montana Abortion is currently legal in Montana until fetal viability. In May 2023, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill banning abortion after 15 weeks. However, it was swiftly blocked by a judge from going into effect just 48 hours later, according to the Montana Free Press. Nebraska In May 2023, Gov. Jim Pillen signed a bill into law banning abortion after 12 weeks. The only exceptions are if the pregnancy is the result of rape and/or incest, to prevent a risk to the mother's physical health or if the life of the mother is in danger. Nevada In Nevada, abortion is legal up until 24 weeks, according to the state's Department of Health and Human Services. Providers may perform abortions after 24 weeks if a physician has reasonable cause to believe the life or health of the mother is in danger. New Hampshire Abortions are legal in New Hampshire up to 24 weeks of pregnancy unless there is a "medical emergency," meaning the life of the mother is in danger due to "a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury" including from the pregnancy itself. The exception also applies if "continuation of the pregnancy will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function." New Jersey Abortions are allowed to be performed at all stage of pregnancy. New Mexico There is no restriction on gestational age for when abortions can be performed. New York New York allows abortions to be performed until fetal viability. North Carolina Republican lawmakers in North Carolina passed a 12-week abortion ban in May 2023, reducing the limit from 20 weeks to the end of the first trimester. Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the bill, but Republicans were able to override the veto due to their supermajority in both the Senate and the House. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed a bill into law in April 2023 banning abortion with very limited exceptions. Abortions can be performed due to rape and/or incest or the health or life of the mother is in danger, but only up until six weeks' gestation. Ohio Currently, abortions are legal in Ohio through 22 weeks, according to the Guttmacher Institute. A "heartbeat bill" was passed last year that bans abortions after cardiac activity can be defected, which occurs as early as six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they're pregnant, but it remains blocked as legal challenges play out. Oklahoma Last month, the state's Supreme Court struck down two abortion bans, declaring them unconstitutional, but the procedure is still legal in nearly all circumstances due to a century-old law, according to the Associated Press. The 1910 law, which was never struck off the books after Roe was passed, makes it a felony to perform or help obtain an abortion, punishable by up to five years in prison, unless it is necessary "to preserve" the life of the pregnant person. Oregon Oregon does not have any limitations regarding when an abortion can be performed. Pennsylvania Under Pennsylvania law, abortions can be perfumed through the 23rd week of pregnancy, according to the state's Department of Health. If continuing the pregnancy poses a serious health risk or threatens the life of the pregnant person, abortions can be obtained beyond 23 weeks. Rhode Island In Rhode Island, abortions are legal up until fetal viability, state law shows. South Carolina Abortions can be performed in South Carolina up to 22 weeks, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Earlier this year, a six-week abortion ban was passed, but it was blocked by a judge in May 2023 until it can be reviewed by the state's Supreme Court. South Dakota Following the Dobbs decision, a trigger law went into effect in South Dakota that bans abortion in all cases except when the life of the mother is endangered. Tennessee A trigger law went into effect in August 2022, banning abortion at all stages of pregnancy after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In April 2023, Gov. Bill Lee signed a new law allowing limited exceptions including for ectopic or molar pregnancies; miscarriages; to save the life of the pregnant patient; and to prevent "substantial and irreversible" harm to the body of the pregnant person. Texas Texas also had a trigger law go into effect in August 2022, banning abortion at nearly all stages -- and making it a felony punishable by up to life in prison -- except to save the life of the pregnant person. PHOTO: Anti-abortion rights demonstrators protest during a Women's March in Austin, Texas, , Oct. 8, 2022. (Montinique Monroe/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Utah Abortion is currently legal up to 18 weeks of pregnancy, after a 2019 law went into effect following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Gov. Spencer Cox then signed a bill into law in March 2023 requiring abortion clinics to close either by the end of the year or when their licensee expires, whichever comes first, but a state court blocked the law from going into effect in May. Vermont In Vermont, there is no limit on abortions based on how far along a person is in their pregnancy. Virginia Under Virginia law, abortions can be performed until the third trimester. Exceptions include saving the life or health of the mother. Washington Abortions are legal, in Washington state, up until fetal viability. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed a bill into law in September 2022 that banned abortion at all stages or pregnancies except for ectopic pregnancies, fetuses that are not viable and medical emergencies. There are also exceptions for pregnancies that are the result of rape and incest, but only up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. Wisconsin In Wisconsin, abortion services have stopped "due to legal uncertainty around the status of the state's pre-Roe ban," according to the Guttmacher Institute. Wyoming Abortions are allowed up until fetal viability. A ban that forbids abortion at all stages of pregnancy except in cases of rape or incest, where the crime is reported to police, or to save the mother's life, went into effect in March 2023. However, it was blocked days later by a judge and is currently facing legal challenges. Where abortion stands in each state a year since the overturning of Roe v. Wade originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The Chilean capital Santiago plays host to one of the worlds biggest Go Skateboarding Day celebrations every year. What started as a protest against the lack of skateparks in the city snowballed until the staggering numbers made the city council understand they had a genuine youth phenomenon on their hands. First one then many skateparks popped up across the city as a response and soon Santiago became not just a national but a regional draw for skateboarders throughout Latin America. After a pandemic hiatus Go Skateboarding Day returned to Chile last year and the skate escapade that unravelled broke all records. Check out this video. From the Military School handrail session all the way downtown to Bustamante DIY, hop onboard with an estimated 12,000 like-minded souls as Red Bull takes us on the biggest Go Skateboarding Day ever recorded. Get some! Check the step by step breakdown. We already knew South America has a huge skate scene, but this is wild. Meanwhile, check out what's cracking in Peru! Related: JOSEO: Must See Video Out of Peru Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skateboarding. We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging skate-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional or just having fun, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on skateboarding.com and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more quality skate content. This article originally appeared on Outside Get your eclipse glasses. An annular solar eclipse will be visible from the United States this fall, crossing North America on October 14, from 9:13 PDT to 12:03 CDT. The moon will pass between the sun and earth when it's at its farthest point from us, so it won't completely cover the sun but create a "ring of fire" in the sky for those in its path for about two to five minutes, depending on location, with about an hour of a partial eclipse on either side. A solar eclipse, on its own, isn't that special an event. It happens twice a year somewhere on earth, when the orbit of the moon lines up to obscure the sun. But being in the right spot to witness that solar eclipse is special. The last total solar eclipse (where the sun is completely obscured by the moon) visible from North America happened in 2017. I got to witness the phenomenon from a beach in South Carolina with my young twins. The surrounding landscape went completely quiet as the sky darkened, as if all the insects and animals decided to take a siesta in the middle of the day. It was eerie and wild and fantastic. Solar eclipses are either total, when the moon completely covers the sun; annular, when the moon as positioned covers the center of the sun but leaves an outer ring still visible; or partial, when the moon only covers part of the sun. Both total and annular eclipses can look like partial eclipses if you're not directly in line with the eclipse's path. The last annular eclipse visible from parts of the U.S. was in 2012. The author's twins, Cooper (left) and Addie, then age nine, observe the 2017 eclipse from a South Carolina seashore. All went still--even children. (Photo: Graham Averill) "Any one spot on earth has to wait, on average, 300 years for an eclipse to pass over them," says Tyler Nordgren, an astronomer who works with the National Park Service to promote dark-skies education. Weather permitting, this year's annular eclipse should be visible from parts of the U.S., Mexico, and South and Central America. To see the show at its most dramatic, you want to be located somewhere along the path of annularity, meaning the swath of land that aligns directly beneath the celestial event. This eclipse will cut a diagonal line across the U.S., running from Oregon through Texas and hitting Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico. There isn't much you can do about the weather or clarity of skies, but you can put yourself in the path of annularity to make the most of the event. Story continues A variety of national parks are ideal viewing locations for this eclipse, from Crater Lake National Park in Oregon to Padre Island National Seashore in Texas. With Nordgren's help, we've outlined five amazing spots to watch the upcoming event. Don't fret if they don't align with your fall travel plans; even the farthest locations from the path of annularity in the U.S. will have a chance to see at least a partial eclipse on October 14. And let this event get you psyched for the total solar eclipse that will happen over the U.S. on April 8, 2024. A total solar eclipse, as seen over the U.S. in 2017 (Photo: Jorge Villalba/Getty) "I'll be in New York for the eclipse, which is about as far as you can get from the path of annularity, but it will still be impressive," Nordgren says. "It will look like someone has taken a big bite out of a flaming cookie." Get yourself to a location along the path of annularity, like one of the spots detailed below, and the eclipse should be a beautiful ring of fire. What You Need to Know Safety first: Never look directly at the eclipse. You'll need solar-safe glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard. Buy ahead in case of a shortage! Nannette Weinhold rocks her official eclipse glasses in western Colorado in 2017. (Photo: Alison Osius) Mind your time zone: The eclipse will peak at 9:30 A.M. West Coast time / Pacific Standard Time and 12:30 P.M. on the East Coast / Eastern Standard Time. If you're in the path of annularity, the peak eclipse will last for two to five minutes, with about an hour of partial eclipse on either end. Expect crowds: If you plan on visiting one of the national parks on this list, don't expect to be alone. Many parks will require shuttles into the park to cut down on congestion. It's all worth it. Nordgren argues that being in a crowd is part of the experience. "You're all witnessing this alignment of the heavens together. There's a feeling of connection that's quite intense," he says. 1. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon The bluish waters of Crater Lake at sunset (Photo: Javaris Johnson/Snipezart) Crater Lake National Park, containing a 2,000-foot-deep natural lake in the center of a volcano, will be the first national park in the lower 48 directly in the eclipse's path of annularity. Because the eclipse will peak in the morning (9 A.M. there), you'll be able to see the phenomenon while the sun is lower on the horizon, with the entirety of Crater Lake in the foreground. There's no word yet from the park regarding specific sky-watching parties, although private guide companies that carry permits with the park are planning tours you can reserve now. If you want to go it on your own, the 33-mile Rim Drive will offer plenty of overlooks and short hikes leading to incredible vantage points. Lodging inside the park could be tricky, as there's no camping there after September, but several gateway communities have ample amenities. Check out Crater Lake Resort for cabins and campsites south of the park. If you can't score a cabin there, look to the town of Klamath Falls, 35 miles south of the park, which has a variety of lodging options. Crater Lake National Park could become even more surreal. (Photo: Steven Coffey/Unsplash) While You're There: Bring your fly rod and try to catch a kokanee salmon; the fish were stocked in the lake in the early 1900s and are still thriving. You can eat what you catch; there are no size restrictions or limits on the salmon. The three-mile out-and-back Cleetwood Cove Trail provides the only angler access to the lake. 2. Great Basin National Park, Nevada Stella Lake and Wheeler Peak at Great Basin National Park, which is known for its clear skies--it is an International Dark Sky Park. (Photo: John Elk III/Getty) Great Basin National Park sits in the middle of the eclipse's path and is known for its clear skies (it's a designated International Dark Sky Park). Rangers are planning a viewing party for October 14 (details to be announced). The park is remote enough that you shouldn't have to contend with massive crowds. You also have a great shot at scoring a campground; Lower Lehman Campground is first come, first served in 2023, and Upper Lehman Campground, which sits at 7,500 feet, is reservable a month in advance. The timing is ideal, too; the eclipse will occur just before the campground closes for winter on October 15. While You're There: Take a ranger-led tour of Lehman Caves, through massive underground cathedrals that are full of classic stalagmites and stalactites, as well as the more rare "parachute shield" or umbrellalike formations. 3. White Sands National Park, New Mexico The white sands of White Sands National Park, New Mexico (Photo: Javaris Johnson/Snipezart) Could there be a better location to watch the moon obscure the sun than from a national park that makes you feel like you're on a lunar landing? White Sands protects the world's largest gypsum dune field, which covers 275 square miles in undulating waves of sugar-white sand. You'll be able to see the eclipse from any spot within the park, but I say go all in on the moon-walk experience and hike a portion of the five-mile Alkali Flat Trail, which traverses through the heart of the dunes, until you find a sandy bump you like. There's no lodging or camping within the park (backcountry campsites are closed for rehabilitation), but nearby Oliver Lee Memorial State Park has sites you can reserve in advance. If that's booked, look to Las Cruces, 30 miles west, for hotels and resorts. What better place to see an eclipse than one where you already seem to be walking on the moon? White Sands National Monument, New Mexico. (Photo: Pete Alexopoulos/Unsplash) While you're there: Bring a sled (or buy one from the visitor center) and ride the snow-like dunes on the loop portion of Dunes Drive. 4. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah Sunset Point will be a premier viewing spot, and its wheelchair and stroller accessible. (Photo: Bryce Canyon Country) Bryce Canyon and its hoodoos are in the direct path of the eclipse, which is scheduled to peak at 10:28 A.M. Mountain Time, and the morning time should make for great photography as the sun is low on the horizon, hovering above the canyon and its hoodoos. Bryce is planning a ranger-led watch party, mostly likely at the visitor center, though details have yet to be released. I think seeing the eclipse from Sunrise Point, overlooking the Amphitheater, which is the largest and most dramatic collection of hoodoos within the park, would be pretty dope. Expect to take a shuttle if you want to view the eclipse from within the park, and keep an eye on this events page as details develop. Lodging within the park is scarce and books up months in advance, but there are plenty of options surrounding the park with open reservations. While You're There: Bring a road bike and pedal a piece of Scenic Byway 12, considered one of the most beautiful highways in the country. The 124-mile blacktop connects two national parks, one national monument, and countless towering red cliffs. The 16-mile section from Panguitch to Bryce Canyon is stacked with roadside hoodoos. 5. Padre Island National Seashore, Texas Padre Island is a narrow, wild barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. Peak eclipse will hit the seashore at 11:56 A.M. Central Time, so the sun will be higher in the sky than in parks to the west, but the 66 miles of empty sand afford endless opportunities for a relatively uncrowded experience--especially if you bring a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle, which will enable you to drive to the more isolated South Beach, which is open to driving and camping. No reservations are necessary; just grab a free camping permit at the park entrance. While You're There: Bring your stand-up paddleboard and enjoy the calm Gulf right in front of your campsite. The super salty Laguna Madre is shallow and protected, making it perfect for beginners. Graham Averill is Outside magazine's national parks columnist. He's not sure if he'll be able to line up his travels with the path of annularity in October, but he's excited to see the partial eclipse from a solitary mountaintop in his home state of North Carolina. His wife is already stocking up on solar-eclipse glasses. The author (Photo: Liz Averill) For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today. Whether its backyard grilling, camping out or beach trips, theres plenty of ways to spend Memorial Day weekend in South Carolina. But why not try something a bit more organized or different this year? In the Columbia area, you could attend a Memorial Day ceremony, participate in an organized run, enjoy water slides or do more than one event if you choose. Below are five Columbia-area events for the Memorial Day weekend. Raise the Colors When: Monday at 7:30 a.m. Where: Savage Craft Ale Works at 430 Center St., West Columbia Cost: $40 Get some good exercise over Memorial Day by joining the Raise the Colors: A Memorial Day Remembrance Murph. According to the organizers website, the event is not just a workout. It gives participants the opportunity to humble themselves through a bit of sweat and pain to honor those that sacrificed everything for our freedom. Join law enforcement in Lexington County along with Sorinex, Savage Craft Ale Works and Shellback Tactical in a murph workout that will consist of a 1-mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 air squats and another mile run, all while wearing a weighted vest. To sign up for the event or find additional information, click here. Memorial Day Service When: Monday at 7 p.m. Where: Mt. Hermon Lutheran Church at 3011 Leaphart Road, West Columbia Cost: Free Come gather to honor those who sacrificed everything. The service will feature a collection of patriotic songs. All veterans and their branches of service will be recognized. A reception will immediately follow in the Fellowship Hall. Fort Jackson Cemetery Ceremony When: Monday at 9 a.m. Where: 4170 Percival Road, Columbia Cost: Free The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is set to host a Memorial Day commemoration ceremony at the Fort Jackson National Cemetery. Visitors are encouraged to contact the national cemetery to confirm information prior to the event. For contact information, click here. Palmetto Falls Water Park When: Saturday-Monday Story continues (11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 12-5 p.m. on Monday) Where: 6511 Strom Thurmond Blvd., Fort Jackson Cost: $13-$17 per ticket The Palmetto Falls Water Park will be open for family fun throughout the Memorial Day weekend. Daily fees for DoD ID cardholders are $13, while costs are $15 for guests of authorized patrons and $17 for unaffiliated civilians. Memorial Park When: All weekend Where: 700 Hampton St., Columbia Cost: Free Heres something easy and free to do at your own time and pace. Remember our fallen soldiers with a visit to Memorial Park. The park is a memorial to 980 South Carolinians who died in Vietnam. It also has monuments honoring the USS Columbia warship and those that served with her during WWII; the China-Burma-India Theater Veterans of WWII; casualties of the Pearl Harbor attack of December 7, 1941; a Holocaust monument; and a Korean War Memorial. The moose strolled through the streets of Teller on June 2 before being euthanized. A rabid bull moose wandered through Teller, Alaska on the morning of June 2. It was acting aggressively toward residents and struggled to maintain its balance. After receiving multiple reports from concerned citizens, agents from the Alaska Department of Game and Fish euthanized the moose that afternoon. https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fjeston.weyanna.501%2Fvideos%2F662175869075394%2F&show_text=false&width=267&t=0 With big bald patches on its hide, eyes sunken into its head, and frothy drool dripping from its jowls, the moose was a textbook example of what an advanced rabies infection can do to an animal. After consulting with ADFG veterinarian Dr. Kimberlee Beckmen and dispatching the animal, ADFG officials from the Nome office collected brain samples for testing, according to a press release from the agency. On June 5, the results came back positive, which marks the first time the state has ever documented rabies in moose before. Other known cases of rabid moose have been recorded in South Dakota, Minnesota, Canada, and Russia, so it's possible that other moose in Alaska have contracted rabies in the past; ADFG only tests for the disease if neurological distress is visible. Wildlife officials coordinated with the City of Teller and burned the moose carcass the following day. Rabies in Alaska Soon after the positive test results came back, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the rabies strain had originated in foxes. The same strain caused an outbreak among Arctic and red foxes in Nome and on the Seward Peninsula last winter, and both species are considered reservoirs for the disease by ADFG. "This past winter, red foxes from the Nome and the surrounding areaincluding Tellerthere were 66 tested total, and 28.8 percent were positive [for rabies]," Beckmen told reporters Thursday. She added that in a normal year, roughly 3 to 5 percent of red foxes test positive for rabies, with up to 15 percent testing positive during a typical outbreak. Story continues In response to the incident, ADFG will increase surveillance of rabies in regions where it is known to occur. Biologists will take brain samples from any wild mammals found dead or euthanized in these areas. As for what the public can do to stay safe, ADFG says to continue be careful when handling moose carcasses and moose meat, and to keep all pets updated on their vaccinations. Hunters who harvest moose with no signs of illness or neurological issues should still feel confident in consuming the meat. The public should also be aware of typical rabies symptoms and report any concerning animal sightings to AGFD. Otherwise, theres no reason to panic, according to ADFG regional wildlife education and outreach coordinator Keane Richards. Richards posted information regarding the moose incident in various community Facebook groups, including one dedicated to neighboring Brevig Mission. Read Next: Alaska Man Rescues Dumpster-Diving Moose That Was Choking on a Garbage Bag The summary is that there is no cause for alarm. While a moose with rabies is new, these cases will continue to be very isolated, Richards wrote in a comment on his post. We always try to remind folks that the most important thing (by far) we can do is to keep our pets current on rabies vaccines. We're all much more likely to contract rabies from a pet than from any other wild animal. Brown bears live in coastal parts of Alaska. A small game hunter recently survived a scary incident in the field. Nicholas Abraham was hunting rabbits near the town of Sterling, Alaska on June 10, when a mature brown bear attacked him. According to an Alaska State Troopers report, the incident occurred north of the Sterling Highway at mile marker 73.5 at 8:24 p.m. The culprit was a brown bear sow with cubs. "Abraham became aware of the sow when he was about 15 feet from her, Alaska State Troopers official Justin Freeman told Alaska Daily News. "She was on him immediately after he became aware of her. Abraham then reportedly shot and killed the bear with a .44 Magnum handgun. Abraham suffered "non-life-threatening" injuries and drove himself to a nearby hospital. Alaska Wildlife Troopers later responded to the scene of the attack but did not find the bear cubs. Read Next: Watch a Rare White Grizzly Bear Graze on the Side of a Canadian Highway Brown bears are a distinct variety of grizzly bears found along the southern coast of the Last Frontier State, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. They can grow up to 1,500 pounds and are "opportunistic feeders," and eat everything from berries and grasses to salmon and moose. Brown bear attacks on people are uncommon, though sows with cubs are known to be particularly aggressive when they feel threatened. On Tuesday in Arkansas, a federal judge struck down the states first-in-the-nation ban on gender-affirming care for minors as unconstitutional. The law struck down is similar to House Bill 1080, which passed in the South Dakota Legislature in February and takes effect July 1. Arkansas ruling marks the first to overturn such a prohibition as a number of states have adopted similar bans, including Utah, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and Arizona. More: Across US, Republican state lawmakers are winning the battle to block transgender youth from getting medical care Arguments against HB 1080 referring to Arkansas lawsuit on the matter were made during this past legislative session by lobbyists and opponents like Samantha Chapman, advocacy manager for the ACLU of South Dakota. Chapman said the local ACLU chapter is carefully reviewing the Arkansas decision to see what implications it could have in South Dakota, but cautioned the ACLU cant offer an in-depth assessment at this time without that review. She said the court found the law violates the constitutional rights of transgender youth, their parents and their medical providers. A protester holds a transgender pride flag in downtown Sioux Falls on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 16, 2022 in support of transgender rights. Its not too late for the same legislators (who proposed HB 1080) to change their positions and use their power to undo the harm that HB 1080 will inevitably cause for their constituents, Chapman said in a statement Tuesday. We are ready and willing to work with any lawmaker to bring legislation to reverse the law in South Dakota. More: Access to gender-affirming care has now been limited under law for South Dakota youth Laws like these harm transgender youth, and the ACLU will continue to do all that it can to fight for rights and well-being in the face of government-sanctioned discrimination," Chapman said. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Overturn of Arkansas ban on trans healthcare could affect South Dakota law The tallest tree in asia pictured from above surrounded by forest A cypress tree in China is the tallest tree ever discovered in Asia. It is also believed to be the second-tallest tree in the world, standing at an astonishing 335 feet (102 meters) tall. At this height, the tree would tower over the Statue of Liberty, which stands at 305 feet (93 m). The gigantic cypress was discovered in May by a Peking University research team at the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon nature reserve in Bome County, Nyingchi City, in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, according to a statement released by the university. The species the cypress belongs to is unclear, although Chinese state media publications suggested it is either a Himalayan cypress (Cupressus torulosa) or a Tibetan cypress (Cupressus gigantea). The tree is 9.6 feet (2.9 m) in diameter, according to the state-run Chinese publication the People's Daily Online . huge image showing the full length of the tallest tree in asia Before this discovery, Asia's tallest tree was a 331-foot-tall (101 m) yellow meranti (Shorea faguetiana) located in the Danum Valley Conservation Area in Sabah, Malaysia. The Tibet Autonomous Region has a unique ecosystem that is increasingly influenced by development and global climate change. However, the area and in particular Nyingchi City has recently been the focus of conservation efforts to protect flora and fauna. The Peking University researchers have documented tall trees in the region to better understand the area's environmental diversity and to help ecological protection efforts, the statement said. In May last year, the team found a 272-foot-tall (83 m) fir tree in southwest China, which they initially believed was the largest tree in China. The team also uncovered a 252-foot (77 m) tree in Medog County a month earlier. Related: The oldest tree in the world (and the 7 runner-ups) Continuing their survey this year, the researchers used drones, lasers and radar equipment to map out the trees in the area and identify their heights from the ground. After days of field surveys, the cypress was found and confirmed as the tallest tree in Asia. Using drones, a 3D laser scanner and lidar technology which uses light beams to provide distance measurements the team created a 3D model of the enormous tree, providing accurate dimensions. Using this, they confirmed it was the tallest tree in Asia. Story continues 3D model showing the tallest tree in Asia on a black background Guo Qinghua, a professor at the Institute of Remote Sensing of Peking University, told state newspaper the Global Times that the tree is interesting because its supporting roots are not completely buried underground. The tree also has a complex branching system that provides "ideal microclimates and habitats for some endangered plants and animals," a university statement said . RELATED STORIES When did Earth's first forests emerge? Listen to the sounds of Pando, the largest living tree in the world Do trees exist (scientifically speaking)? Currently, the tallest tree in the world is an 381-foot (116 m) coastal redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) in the Redwood National Park in California. The tree, estimated to be between 600 and 800 years old and nicknamed Hyperion after one of the Titans in Greek mythology, was discovered in 2006. The black bear dragged the victim 75 feet down an embankment in the woods. A wildlife veterinarian with the Arizona Game and Fish Department determined the adult black bear that killed and consumed a man near Prescott, Arizona, on June 16 didnt have rabies or any other signs of disease, according to an AZGFD press release. Dr. Anne Justice-Allen conducted a necropsy on the 365-pound, 7- to 10-year-old male bear. She reported that the boar's body fat percentage indicated he was in good nutritional condition. Tests on the bears brainstem tested negative for rabies, and he was healthy overall. Contents of the bears stomach included human remains consistent with the injuries found in the victim. Steven Jackson, 66, was sitting at an outdoor table on his property drinking coffee when the attack happened. The Tuscon resident was building his dream home in the woods near Groom Creek in Prescott National Forest. The bear took Jackson by surprise at around 7:50 a.m. and dragged him 75 feet down an embankment, according to the Yavapai County Sheriffs Office. The campsite where the man was attacked did not have attractants like food or water access. At first glance there did not appear to be anything on the site that would have precipitated [an] attack by the bear, such as food, a cooking site or access to water, YCSO wrote in a Facebook post. Neighbors heard Jackson screaming and tried to scare the bear off him with shouts and car horns. But nothing worked until someone woke up neighbor David Montano. He said, A bears got Steven; grab your gun, Montano told 12News. I saw further down the hill the bear was there, and I got his attention, and I shot the bear, said Montano, who used a rifle. The bear rolled off Steven and I shot again. Montanos shots killed the bear. YCSO and AZGFD officers responding to neighbors 911 calls arrived at the scene and pronounced Jackson dead and noted "horrible injuries." Its just such a loss here for all of us, Montano said. He was just the happiest guy. It was like he had no problems in the world. He just only cared about making people happy and living a great life for himself. And he had that full dream unfolding right in front of us. Read Next: Poachers Caught with 71 Fish Stuffed in Their Backpacks Only one other fatal black bear attack has been recorded in Arizona since 1990, when AZGFD started keeping bear attack records. In June 2011, a large adult male black bear killed Lara Hollingsworth while she was walking her dog at night. The attack happened near the Pinetop Country Club in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, immediately adjacent to the Fort Apache Reservation. In total, 15 bear attacks have occurred in Arizona, where only black bears are native. Bethenny Frankel gave a closer look at her engagement ring and it is massive. In a video shared on Instagram, the Real Housewives of New York alum, 52, made a video set to "One Margarita (Margarita Song)," in which she showed how her fiance Paul Bernon kept gifting her bigger engagement rings over time. "What am I going to have to do for this?" she quipped while showing off the latest addition to her collection, which is nearly the size of her thumb. She captioned the reel, "Kind of scared about what this might mean for me" Her fans were shocked. "Holy cow, how many carats is that rock?" wondered a fan. Another remarked, "Wow that's beautiful." >>> Sign up for Parade's Trending News newsletter and we'll keep you in the know on the viral pop culture moments and celebrity news everyone is talking about <<< However, many voiced their concerns over Frankel sharing a photo of such a big diamond on social media, thinking it could make the business mogul an easy target for robbers. "Love Bethenny. Just a little Ick here. It's beautiful. It's very, very large. And I'm happy for her and she can carry it off. But this is just too braggy. And not that safe to post. Look at what happened to Kim [Kardashian]," warned one fan. "I'm happy for you & funny [video] but seriously scary [to] show it. You have security I pray. Look happened Dorit & Kyle too showing their things. Be safe. Delete this," commented another, in reference to the robberies that Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars Dorit Kemsley and Kyle Richards experienced. Frankel didn't respond directly to fans' concerns. However, she did share a screenshot on her Instagram Story of a nasty comment someone left on the video: "Your [sic] a really bad person too bad you didn't want to see the titanic too." The comment appears to have been removed since. The SkinnyGirl founder has been sporting the large emerald-cut rock since her engagement announcement in 2021, posing on social media with it on a regular basis, though this is the first time that she's given fans a close-up look. Next: Bethenny Frankel Makes a Case for 'Colorful Luxury' in Summery New Pics DURHAM Beginning in the fall 2023 semester, Duke University will provide full tuition grants for undergraduate students admitted to Duke from North Carolina and South Carolina whose family incomes are $150,000 or less. For Duke students who are residents of the Carolinas with family incomes of $65,000 or less, Duke will provide full tuition grants, plus financial assistance for housing, meals and some course materials or other campus expenses, without the need for student loans. This additional financial support for undergraduates reflects Dukes commitment to our students from the Carolinas, President Vincent Price said. By providing even more equitable access to a Duke education, and ensuring students have the resources they need to truly thrive while here at Duke, we will also make our campus community stronger. All current undergraduates from the Carolinas who qualify will be eligible for the additional assistance immediately. Qualifying first-year students, sophomores, juniors and seniors from the Carolinas will receive financial aid statements by July 1 that reflect this new commitment. About 340 students are expected to benefit in the next academic year. We want to make it easier for families to choose Duke, said Gary Bennett, dean of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, which admits about 80 percent of Dukes undergraduate students. Attending college can expand a familys opportunities for generations, and we aim to make the Duke experience as widely accessible as we can. Duke students from military families who meet the income requirements and whose legal residence is in the Carolinas will also qualify, even if they are stationed elsewhere. Duke has more undergraduate students from North Carolina than from any other state. In the 2022-23 academic year, 1,131 North Carolina residents from 65 counties were enrolled as undergraduates, representing 16 percent of the undergraduate student body. More than half attended public high schools. A further 160 are from South Carolina. This is our home, and its where we have our most longstanding commitment, Price said. We want families in the Carolinas to know that a Duke education can be affordable, and that we will provide support and resources so all students who are admitted to Duke can have an exceptional college experience. This expansion of financial support will be funded through university resources, and is expected to increase grant assistance to North and South Carolina students by about $2 million for the 2023-24 academic year. We know that students with greater financial constraints are more likely to choose colleges that are closer to their homes, and that many of those students will also choose to stay closer to home after they graduate, Bennett said. Retaining talent is critical to our regions success; Dukes commitment to these students is also a commitment to the North and South Carolina communities they call home. Duke expects to enroll more eligible students from the Carolinas over the next five years and anticipates investing an additional $6 million to $7 million per year to provide the increased assistance. The new program adds to Dukes array of financial and structural support for students, including more than $130 million each year in financial aid grant assistance, and the Duke LIFE program to support first-generation and lower-income students. Duke is committed to providing qualifying students the financial resources that help them get to Duke, as well as additional programming and resources to support them throughout their time at Duke. The hunter shot and killed the charging grizzly with a pistol. A hunter in Montana killed a grizzly bear in self-defense last week, officials with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks report. The hunter was targeting black bears on a remote parcel of private land in the Madison Range backcountry when he was charged by the grizzly. He shot and killed the oncoming grizzly bear with a pistol on June 5 and notified MFWP that same day. The agencys investigation is ongoing, and officials have already identified the grizzly as a 15-year-old female that was captured for research purposes in 2013. They say the bear had no known history of conflict with people, and they did not find any cubs in the area. The bears behavior appeared to be defensive in the surprise, close encounter with the hunter, officials determined. They added that the bear died outside the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear recovery zone, but within the larger demographic monitoring area for Yellowstone grizzlies. The self-defense killing adds to a growing list of incidents involving dead grizzlies in the northern Rockies in recent months. In addition to the grizzly that was shot and killed in self-defense last week, officials with MFWP, Wyoming Game and Fish, and Idaho Fish and Game have investigated three other grizzly bear killings in the region since early May. The most recent incident took place in the Idaho Panhandle Friday, when a nonresident hunter shot and killed a grizzly bear that he mistook for a black bear. The hunter alerted the authorities after realizing his mistake and has cooperated with IDFGs investigation, according to the agency. Read Next: Wyoming Hunter Fined $10,000 for Mistaking a Grizzly for a Black Bear A similar case of mistaken identity took place outside Yellowstone National Park in early May, when a dead grizzly with gunshot wounds was found near Wapiti, Wyoming, just 14 miles east of the park boundary. Patrick M. Gogerty of Cody turned himself into WGFD officials on May 2 after photographs of the gunshot bear made national news. Gogerty was charged with a misdemeanor for killing a grizzly bear without a license. Story continues A few weeks later, on May 24, Montana wildlife officials discovered a collared grizzly bear that had been killed off a Forest Service road north of Noxon. They determined that the bear, which had no history of conflicts, died from gunshot wounds the week prior. The agency is still investigating the illegal killing, and the shooter could face up to a year in prison along with fines of up to $50,000. Read Next: Best Bear Defense Handguns of 2023 Looking beyond the northern Rockies, Alaska Wildlife Troopers reported another self-defense killing, this one involving a brown bear, over the weekend. Saturday's incident involved 34-year-old Nicholas Abraham, who was hunting hares in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge when he was attacked by a brown bear sow with two cubs. Abraham shot and killed the bear with a .44 handgun and then drove himself to a hospital where he was treated for minor injuries. Once more of a novelty for civilians, suppressors are now common on the range and in the field. It used to be rare to see a suppressor at the shooting range, and you almost never saw one while hunting. Times have changed. Not only have suppressors become very common, purchasing a suppressor is now easier. After learning how to buy a suppressor, youll realize the most difficult parts of buying a suppressor are coming up with the money and waiting. In fact, because of the Internet and a smart guy from South Dakota, if you live in a suppressor-legal state, you can purchase a suppressor and never leave your house. How to Buy a Suppressor: Table of Contents Suppressor Facts Individual or Trust? Buying a Suppressor the Old Way Buying a Suppressor the Easy Way Suppressor Facts Some shooters dont fully understand suppressors because they believe everything their buddy tells them, everything they read on the Internet, or because theyve been watching too much television. So here are some suppressor facts that are good to know: A suppressor on a firearm is very similar to a muffler on a car. It is a noise suppression device. You must be 21 years old, legally allowed to own a firearm, and be able to pass a BATFE background check to purchase a suppressor from a dealer. As of this writing, you cannot legally own a suppressor in the following states: California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. Suppressors substantially reducegenerally by about 30 dBthe potential for hearing damage. OSHA suggests that exposure to impulsive or impact noise should not exceed 140 dB. On most firearms, a good suppressor reduces the sound below that level. Suppressors do not completely eliminate the need for hearing protection. Suppressors reduce recoil, partly because of the weight they add to the firearm, and partly because they briefly trap and disperse the gas that propels the bullet. Suppressors do not make firearms silent. In most cases, they reduce the sound to hearing-safe levels. However, with a suppressor and subsonic ammunition, the sound reduction can be substantial. One suppressor can be used on multiple firearms if the caliber of the firearm does not exceed the caliber of the suppressor. You can legally make your own suppressor, but you must still comply with the legal process, and you must still pay the $200 tax. Story continues How to Buy a Suppressor A suppressor combined with subsonic rimfire ammunition can be very quiet. Individual or Trust? Before getting into how to buy a suppressor, you need to understand the difference in types of ownership. You can own a suppressor either as an individual or as a trust. As an individual owner, you can use the suppressor and you can let others use the suppressor, but you must be with anyone else anytime they have the suppressor or are using it. If you dont have any friendsand some of you dont, Ive seen your Facebook profilesindividual ownership is fine. Well, except when you die, because then your estate is left in possession of an unregistered NFA item. Thats a problem for whoever executes your will. If you purchase a suppressor as a trust, any co-trustee can be in procession of and use the suppressor just as you would. Also, if youre smart enough to designate a beneficiary then that person simply assumes the trust when you go to the great shooting range in the sky. You can also purchase a suppressor as a corporation and use of the suppressor can extend to employees. However, if the corporation is dissolved you run into the same situation you have with individual ownership; theres a suppressor without an owner, and the ATF doesnt like that. Buying a Suppressor the Old Way The traditional method of buying a suppressor is to go to a dealer with a Class 3 Federal Firearms License. They can sell you a suppressor, and most of them will help you with the paperwork, photograph, and fingerprints. Youll have to pay the dealer for the suppressor, youll have to pay a $200 tax to the Federal Government, and youll most likely have to pay the dealer a transfer fee of between $25 to $100. Once your paperwork, photo, and fingerprints have been submitted with your $200 tax, youll have to wait until the ATF gets around to approving everything before you can take possession. This generally takes between six and nine months but can happen in as soon as three months or take as long as almost a year. There are some advantages of buying a suppressor this way. Most dealers may have suppressors in stock that you can look at and maybe even try before you buy. You also might be buying a suppressor from an individual and need the dealer to handle everything. Some dealers will even assist in helping you establish a trust. Otherwise, youre going to have to do that on your own with an attorney, and Ive yet to meet a lawyer that will do anything important for free. Buying a Suppressor the Easy Way In 2019 Dakota Silencer became Silencer Central and theyre now licensed to sell suppressors in any of the 42 states where you can legally own one. Silencer Central has revolutionized buying a suppressor. You call them up and talk and an expert who will help you select the best suppressor for your needs. Then theyll help you electronically complete the necessary paperwork, and youll pay for the suppressor and the $200 tax. Silencer Central even gives you the option of making four payments instead of paying all at once. Next, youll receive a fingerprint kit with instructionsit costs $10and youll complete it and return it with a digital photo of your pretty little self. Then, you wait. Once approved, youll electronically fill out a Form 4473this is the same form you complete to purchase a firearmand in seven days Silencer Central will ship the suppressor to your doorstep. Read Next: How Does a Silencer Work? Silencer Central will even set you up with a trust for free. Silencer Central also manages your trust, and once approved you can add the names of the other humansco-trustees or responsible personsyou want to be able to use your suppressor at no cost. You dont have to pay an attorney and the co-trustees do not have to submit a photo or fingerprints. This trust can be used by you to purchase other NFA items and Silencer Central can help you modify the trust as laws might change. I recently extensively tested Silencer Centrals Banish 30 suppressor, and it was the quietest suppressor Ive ever used on a 308 Winchester. Im buying one, and Im also buying a Banish 45 suppressor that I can use on pistols and for rimfire rifles and pistols. Silencer Central is going to set up my trust and as soon as the suppressors are in hand, Ill update you on how the process went and how long it took. P-22 suffered multiple bouts of mange throughout his life, including one case in 2014, pictured here. Results from a post-mortem study of famous Los Angeles mountain lion P-22 show the cat was suffering from a variety of serious injuries and diseases when California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials euthanized him in December, a press release from the National Park Service reads. P-22 lived in Griffith Park in the middle of Los Angeles for most of his life and was heralded by many Californians as the King of Los Angeles. Now, murals, tattoos, merchandise, and a new $85-million wildlife bridge across the Ventura Highwaywhich P-22 likely crossed over a decade ago to get to Griffith Park in the first placecommemorate the urban cats seemingly brutal life. Read Next: Californians Are Losing It After the Death of the King Puma. Thats Not a Good Thing for Mountain Lion Conservation CDFW officials captured P-22 five days prior to his euthanasia. Researchers had noticed behavioral changes in the big cat (he had killed a few pet dogs) and decided to capture him and run some tests. But his health issues became even more severe after a vehicle struck him the night of Dec. 11, just hours before the capture was set to occur. A necropsy that was later conducted at the San Diego Zoo showed a fractured right orbital bone and hemorrhages in his front sinus and right eyeinjuries that were thought to result from the Dec. 11 vehicle collision. However, additional trauma throughout the cat's life had left him with a host of other health issues. These included tears in P-22's diaphragm that had allowed parts of his liver and abdominal tissue to enter his chest cavity. He was also covered in mange-causing mites and ringworm fungus, which had spread to a lymph node. His skin diseases actually made historyP-22 was the first documented mountain lion to suffer from both mange and ringworm at the same time. P-22 dealt with heart valve disease, vascular disease, and kidney disease. He was also underweight and had arthritis, according to the NPS. Many of these issues can be chalked up to old age. He was at least 12 years oldan age that mountain lions rarely reach in the wild. Biologists also found evidence of five different rodenticides in his body, although none seemed to be causing him any major harm. Story continues Read Next: Watch as Whale Nearly Swallows Two Kayakers Exposure to rat poison is a major issue for mountain lions in southern California, killing at least seven cats over the last 19 years. The NPS also pointed to a study that was conducted by the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory and looked at 247 mountain lions in the area. They found that 96 percent of the cats had some level of rodenticide in their systems. Different studies have showed alarmingly high rates of rodenticide exposure in birds, as well. In September 2020, California governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill banning the use of certain rodenticides statewide to address the risks they pose to wildlife. Connecticut has a growing black bear population. Late last month, a husband and wife in West Hartland, Connecticut, filed a lawsuit alleging that the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) outfitted a bear with a camera so that the bruin could gather footage on their 114-acre property. Mark and Carol Brault say the "camera-carrying bear" is violating their constitutional rights to unlawful search and seizure guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment. Their lawsuit includes an injunction to get the photographic evidence removed and destroyed. The lawsuit, filed in a federal district court on May 31, 2023, alleges that DEEP officials put a camera on a bear that's known to frequent the Brault property. "On an unknown date prior to May 20, 2023, but subsequent to January 1, 2023, the defendant (DEEP) affixed a collar to Bear Number 119 which contained a camera," the complaint reads. "The defendant thereupon released the...bear in the vicinity of plaintiffs' property." Mark Brault has run afoul of Hartland's bear-related regulations before. In 2020, the town sued him for allegedly feeding bears in violation of local ordinances. According to Connecticut Insider, Brault is part-owner of a company called Nature Havens, which offers paying customers a chance to view bears and other wildlife species during visits to the Gault property. That lawsuit stemmed from several public hearings held back in 2020 when Heartland residents accused Brault and others of deliberately feeding bears in an attempt to attract them to his large parcel of forested land. Brault publicly denied those accusations. It is unfortunate that this issue is being motivated by a few neighbors of Nature Havens, who dont understand the facts," he told FOX 61 at the time. In a 2020 statement, DEEP officials told FOX 61 they were aware of Gault's "apparent wildlife tourism business" but that they didn't have "direct jurisdiction" over his property. The state agency has not yet responded to Field & Stream's request for comment on the more recent lawsuit. Related: Black Bear Steals 60 Cupcakes and a Bunch of Coconut Cake from Connecticut Bakery By most estimates, the Constitution State is home to more than 1,000 bears. In 2022, bear-human interactions soared to new heightsmore than doubling the number of incidents recorded in 2021. In response to the severe uptick in bear break-ins and other conflicts, legislators proposed the state's first-ever black bear hunting season in March 2023. That measure enjoyed early support and an endorsement from the governor, but it was ultimately tabled by lawmakers who bowed to pressure from anti-hunting groups. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Carrie Ann Inaba is overcoming a tough few months, and she's cluing folks in on the impact it's had on her life. Over the years, the Dancing With the Stars judge has been vocal about ongoing medical issues that span back to 2021. She has also spent less time on social media as of late, which left fans concerned for her well-being. But most recently, in an Instagram Live uploaded on Carrie Ann's account on June 7, she gave her followers an update on how she's been holding up behind the scenes. "So, I know I 'm very random. I haven't been here in a long time," she said in the clip. "I 'm doing actually really good. It's taken me a long time because what I realized is I've been kind of dealing with health situation after health situation. I have not been able to be here and it's been kind of hard for me." Carrie Ann then detailed some of the health crises she endured this year, which included a fractured rib and contracting COVID-19 for a second time. As she discussed how her health affected her, she also thanked fans for sticking by her amid an emergency bout of appendicitis in April. "Thank you for all the well wishes," she continued. "I can't tell you how touched I was when I had the appendicitis. I may have had some problems in my health, but never in my stomach... I was able to go and fix [the appendicitis], thank god, and it's taken me this long to just get normal. I have a little bit of a belly, which is part of the healing process... So, I 'm getting there." When the Dancing With the Stars fandom heard Carrie Ann's important update, they immediately reached out with kind words. "Its so good to see you back and feeling much better. I continue to keep you in my prayers for your complete and full recovery. ," one person wrote in the Instagram comments section." Hope [you 're] feeling better!!" another added. "Good to see you back. Missed you!" a different follower agreed. Story continues Fortunately, appendicitis is a relatively common procedure, and Carrie Ann is not alone in experiencing symptoms post surgery. The University of Rochester Medical Center writes that some patients may feel bloating in their abdomen due to residual carbon dioxide gas left from performing a laparoscopic appendectomy (a minimally invasive surgery which removes the appendix via small incisions instead of a more invasive procedure). Materials shared by URMC further indicates that pain may last a few days, but this will subside as the patient gets further away from the procedure. We're glad to see Carrie Ann is on the mend! What's more, we're counting down the days until she's back at the judges panel when season 32 of Dancing With the Stars premieres later this fall on both Disney+ and ABC. You Might Also Like BROCKTON A Dorchester man has been convicted for his role in the murder of a woman who was found dead and burned in Bridgewater in 2015. Following a 7-day trial, a jury deliberated for 10 hours before finding Fernando Owens, 51, guilty of one count each of first-degree murder and aggravated kidnapping. The charges stem from an incident that occurred in Bridgewater in 2015. On Nov. 3, Bridgewater police received a 911 call just before midnight for a report that a fire was burning alongside the MBTA train tracks. Shannon Squires, left, Julian Squires, center, and Fernando Owens, right, are all charged in the November 2015 murder of Ashley Bortner in Bridgewater. Police determined a human body was on fire and later identified the victim to be Ashley Bortner, 29, of New Jersey. "Bortners body had been burned over 70%, she had been gagged, and her face was wrapped with a towel," the Plymouth County district attorney's office wrote in a statement. "Bortners hands and feet were also bound behind her." Massachusetts State Police investigators determined and jurors heard as evidence at trial that Owens was acquainted with Bortner and believed she somehow played a role in the fatal shooting of Owens' son in Dorchester. "As part of the investigation, Massachusetts State Police seized an electrical cord and a cotton towel from the home of Owens that linked him to the murder," the statement says. After the murder, Owens fled the United Stated to the Dominican Republic and was captured by police there. Co-defendants Julian Squires, 48, and Shannon Squires, 46, were additionally charged for their roles in Bortners murder. Prosecutors say the couple was in Bridgewater around the time of the 911 call to Bridgewater police and assisted Owens in killing and disposing of Bortner's body. Julian Squires is currently serving a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Shannon Squires is awaiting trial and is scheduled to appear in court on July 20. Owens will be sentenced on Friday in Plymouth Superior Court, but faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Cailin Campbell. Enterprise senior reporter Cody Shepard can be reached by email at cshepard@enterprisenews.com. This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Dorchester man convicted in killing, burning of woman in Bridgewater Estonia is the quiet country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe known for its idyllic forests and crystal-clear air. Its also home to Estelon, a manufacturer of loudspeakers whose drop-dead-gorgeous looks and sound have mightily impressed the high-end audio community since Alfred Vassilkov, the companys chief engineer, co-founded the brand in 2010. Estelon offers a range of models with impeccable sonic credentials, and whose appearance is unique among loudspeakers. The collection comprises floor-standing and stand-mount designs, each distinguished by its elegant enclosure and an organic shape that recalls a piece of modern sculpture; think Constantin Brancusi or Marc Newsonwith music. More from Robb Report The Estelon Extreme Mk II loudspeakers presented in Midnight Opera. Estelon is notable for its breadth of products that span mid-level to bleeding-edge. The brand-new AURA is Estelons newest loudspeaker, and at $19,000 per pair, its a game-changer based on manufacturing technology that uses thermoformed composite to create a monolithic enclosure, instead of the costly marble-based composite enclosures of the ateliers more ambitious models. We heard these at T.H.E. Show in Coast Mesa, Calif., powered by the new Aurender AP20 Integrated Amplifier/DAC/Streamer ($22,000), and can say unhesitatingly that, for well under $50,000, itd be tough to build a better sounding, more aesthetically pleasing systemone that sounds like it should cost twice as much. At the other end of Estelons product portfolio, however, is its flagship loudspeaker, the new Extreme Mk II. Introduced to the North American market during the AXPONA Show in April of this year, the Extreme Mk II expresses Estelons state-of-the-art vision, weighing 551 pounds apiece and priced at $269,000 per pair. These speakers certainly arent lightweightsphysically or sonicallyand we look forward to sharing listening impressions when the opportunity to audition a set avails itself. Story continues Compared to the original Extreme, the Mk II incorporates new drivers and an upgraded crossover network that integrates new and improved inductors, capacitors, and resistors. The Extreme is just that: a unique two-module design that flares at either end and narrows at the center, its curvaceous form tapering when viewed from the front, side, and rear. Sculpture, indeed. The two-module design allows precise raising or lowering of the upper module to fine-tune tweeter height for optimum performance, which is based on placement within the room and the seating height. Nine positions, adjustable by a dedicated remote control, vary each loudspeakers height from about 70 inches to 82 inches. While appearing similar to the original Extreme, the Mk II incorporates new drivers and an upgraded crossover network that integrates new and improved inductors, capacitors, and resistors. The lower module of this four-way, bass-reflex design houses two 11-inch, custom-made Accuton aluminum woofers by Thiel & Partner that feature a convex honeycomb membraneinstead of conventional conesand deliver bass response down to 25 Hz. The speaker and control terminals at the back. At the top of the upper module is an 11-inch mid-woofer, beneath which is a new seven-inch, ceramic-membrane Accuton driver. Under that is a new one-inch diamond-membrane Accuton tweeter that takes frequencies all the way up to 60 kHz. Proprietary connectors accept banana, spade, or bare-wire termination. A power rating of 500 watts, 91 dB sensitivity, and an impedance dipping to 2 ohmsat 95 Hzwill require a beefy, high-current amplifier to show off the best these speakers have to offer. Weighing 551 pounds apiece, these speakers certainly arent lightweightsphysically or sonically. With a build quality and finish that expresses the essence of high-luxury audio, the Extreme Mk II is available in a variety of two-tone, ultra-premium high-gloss finishes: Midnight Opera, Bronze Royale, Lunar Eclipse, and Nordic Emerald. Click here for more photos of the new Estelon Extreme Mk II loudspeakers. The Estelon Extreme Mk II loudspeakers. Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Finland has reigned supreme as the "world's happiest country" for six years in a row. It should be no surprise considering the Nordic nation contains countless stunning locales for unforgettable trips, inviting Finns and foreigners alike to soak in the beauty on their vacations. This summer, one Finnish island in particular is so serious about making people enjoy the nature around them that it's been declared a phone-free zone. Ulko-Tammio is located off the towns of Kotka and Hamina in the eastern Gulf of Finland, just a few miles from the country's maritime border with Russia. The picturesque island is an uninhabited national park and is home to several rare birds and plants. Hiking trails and a birdwatching tower provide several ways to see everything. Mats Selin, an expert in island tourism at Visit Kotka-Hamina, spoke about the unique approach to help visitors connect with their surroundings this summer. "The island of Ulko-Tammio, which is located off the coast of Hamina, will be a phone-free area this summer," he said in a statement, per CNN. "We want to urge [vacationers] to switch off their smart devices and to stop and genuinely enjoy the islands." This summer visitors to the remote Ulko-Tammio island, located in the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park, will be asked to voluntarily put their phones away during their stay to encourage holidaymakers to take a break from social media and enjoy nature: https://t.co/iTshdSecwA pic.twitter.com/v0OF4ZK34u Discovering Finland (@DiscoverFinland) June 21, 2023 To make it unplugging even easier, visitors will be given stickers to cover their phone screens and cameras. Given that the island has cell service, it may be tempting to look at your phone even when you're trying to disconnect. Parks & Wildlife Finland, a body that manages public lands and waters all across the country, believes that the campaign will have a far-reaching impact on those who decide to participate beyond just getting to see gorgeous sights. "Switching off your phone, exploring nature, and meeting people face-to-face are bound to boost your mood and well-being, Sari Castren, a psychologist and research manager at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, stated plainly. We spend countless hours scrolling our social media feeds, so taking a short break from them means you have more time for new experiences." Photos and videos may capture a moment, but it's the memories that will last a lifetime. So why not follow the Finns' lead? An ex-Army soldier convicted of murder for the 2019 road rage shooting of a man who came to the United States from Afghanistan as a refugee was sentenced Wednesday to 55 years in prison. Dustin Passarelli was convicted of murder in May, nearly four years after the February 2019 killing of 32-year-old Mustafa Ayoubi. His death grabbed the attention of the FBI and helped lay the foundation for Indiana to pass its version of a bias crimes law. Ayoubi's friends were waiting for him at a townhome on the city's north-west side and planned to go play pool on Feb. 16, 2019, the night of the shooting. When he arrived, witnesses say they saw him and Passarelli shouting inflammatory remarks at each other. More: Ex-Army soldier guilty of murder in shooting that fueled Indiana hate crimes debate Mohammad is a pedophile, Passarelli yelled multiple times from inside his car, a witness said. He also allegedly shouted about Ayoubi, who arrived in the United States in 2001 as a refugee from Afghanistan, and his friends about being foreigners. Ayoubi walked to the drivers side and told Passarelli to get out of the car. Witnesses said Ayoubi made a fist around the same time Passarelli shined the flashlight attached to his pistol at Ayoubi, and fired rapidly. Ayoubi was hit twice by the shoulder and multiple times in the back. Passarelli was never charged with a hate crime. His lawyers said it was self-defense. The Plainfield man told police Ayoubi either threw something at his car or collided with it while they were driving on the 465 freeway. He accused Ayoubi of breaking his window with a punch, and reaching into the vehicle when he started shooting. More: Road rage, hate crime or both: Shooting death of Muslim man could draw FBI scrutiny Someone was entering in his vehicle illegally, same as someone kicking at your (home) door or busting your window, Passarellis attorney, Benjamin Jaffe, said during Passarelli's jury trial in May. Story continues Jaffe pointed out during Wednesday's sentencing hearing that Ayoubi was intoxicated. Passarelli said Ayoubi called him a "dirty Jew," but the insult didn't bother him because he's not Jewish, according to a police report. Prosecutors argued Ayoubis car didn't have collision marks, and his body didnt have wounds from breaking glass. They said Passarelli pursued Ayoubi from the interstate, then followed him through a McDonalds parking lot and into his friend's residential area because Passarelli "was there to instigate and continue the confrontation." This article will update. Contact the reporter at 317-273-3188 This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Ex-soldier gets 55-year sentence for murder after anti-Muslim insults Next time you call down for room service, make sure to ask for the good ice. Eliot VanOtteren After checking into their room at Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico, guests may ring for the propertys specialty coconut ice cubes. Ideally, the ice is served with a couple fingers of Ron Del Barillito Autobiografia, a cask-aged rum made exclusively for the Ritz Carlton Reserve property. From Australia to Japan to Canada, standard buckets of ice are out and fancy ice is in, as hotels around the world serve up this refreshing amenity in cool and unique ways. Its an extension of the mini bar, upgraded and elevated to meet travelers discerning tastes. Paul McGee, minibar consultant for the soon-to-open Lafayette Hotel in San Diego, and a well known mixologist, says, The modern mini bar has evolved a lot over the last decade, placing a greater emphasis on small batch, often local spirits, which are a key focus of the guest rooms minibars at the Lafayette. In addition to the 30-something spirit offerings available in each room, the Lafayette Hotel will deliver ice the size of which is entirely dependent on the type of cocktail on demand. For Moscow mules or tropical drinks, a bucket of pebble ice will be delivered; meanwhile, guests who want to mix up an Old Fashioned or Negroni can call down for a tray of large rock ice. Jeremy Metzroth, the food and beverage director at QT Sydney, says his team has noticed a steady increase in guest demand for in-room cocktails. As such, theyve outfitted the rooms with mini bars containing cocktail kits, but they also make an in-room mixologist complete with fancy ice at no additional charge available for those whod prefer to leave the drink-making to the experts. Related: The Best Ice Cube Trays for Cocktails, Coffee, and More Ice quality is of paramount importance to the sipping experience at QT Sydney. The Australian flagship property works with Bare Bones Ice, a premium ice-making company focused on making handcrafted, crystal clear ice. The ice is monogrammed with the propertys logo, but its not just the monogram that sets this ice apart. Large, perfectly clear ice chills the drink faster without excessive dilution, says resident mixologist at QTs Gowings Bar, James Locatelli. It maintains the integrity of the cocktail for longer, making it an essential element for a refined drinking experience. Story continues Indeed, ice partnerships are becoming increasingly popular as hotel beverage programs consider all that goes into making an elevated proper cocktail. Ice size (and clarity) matters immensely, says Anthony Schmidt, a partner of Lafayette Hotel, and its co-beverage director. The bigger and clearer the ice, the slower it melts. This translates to more precise and arguably elite cocktail production. Lafayettes Super Rocks will be carved by hand in-house, but the hotel will outsource spheres and other ice shapes from a local vendor. Sea Island, a luxury hotel in Georgia, relies on The Gainesville Ice Doctor to provide its guests with several different types of ice on demand, including the hottest new ice form, which features custom Sea Island logoed ice stamps on 2-inch cubes that are designed for cocktails. Nic Wallace, Sea Islands lead bartender, says using crystal clear ice cubes is a feature of a well-made drink, and its also an aesthetic choice. The Drake Oak Brook outside of Chicago recently rolled out a new ice partnership with Fat Ice to make hand-crafted artisanal ice that guests can order via room service. The ice delivery comes with a cocktail shaker, Fat Ice ice cubes ( which are size-dependent based on the cocktail), garnishes, and mixers. Meanwhile, in Upstate New York, Wm. Farmer and Sons just started working with Twin Lakes Ice Company, a local company trained by Hundredweight Big Ice, which has been showing up in various forms high-ball spears, two-inch cubes in New York City bars and restaurants since 2011. At the hotel in Hudson, the clear ice is available on demand to guests in either crushed or cubed form. Related: Why the Shape of the Ice in Your Drink Matters But not all hotels are choosing to rely on premium ice companies, The Ritz-Carlton Nikko in Japan takes advantage of its natural resources, using mountain runoff water that has frozen to provide ice service for guests. Huge slabs of the ice are harvested by natural ice farmers and eventually turned into different shaped cubes to be used in whiskey cocktails as well as other drinks. Even hotel rooms that dont feature minibars, like the JW Marriott Edmonton, are stepping up their ice game. ice game. In each room, guests have the opportunity to order off a special ice menu, choosing from frozen infusions such as spice (cinnamon and ginger), olive (green olive and celery), citrus (lemon and lime), and large cubes for spirit-forward drinks. The made-to-order ice can be enjoyed with mixers and spirits available for purchase through room service. Serious minibars that refuse to be content with the standard bucket of ice are changing the cocktail hour. As the Lafayette team dreamed up the in-room beverage center, Anthony Schmidt, a partner of the hotel and its co-beverage director, says they imagined themselves making drinks in the room, enjoying the environment (maybe while our significant other was getting ready for an evening of fun), letting time slip. For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. GREENSBORO A Greensboro police officer responding to a report about a suspicious vehicle fatally shot a 51-year-old man early Thursday after police said the man displayed a gun. Graham Thomas Roberson was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital after the shooting, Greensboro police said in a news release. The involved officer, who has not been named, was placed on administrative duty per departmental policy. Police were called to the 1000 block of Tuscaloosa Street at about 12:12 a.m. in reference to a suspicious vehicle. An officer saw a man walking in the street and approached in a police vehicle. Thats when police say Roberson displayed a firearm. The officer fired their weapon from inside their police vehicle, striking the subject, police said in the news release. The officer began rendering aid until additional officers and EMS personnel arrived. Roberson did not fire at the officer, police said. It wasnt immediately known if Roberson aimed his gun at the officer, or if there was any conversation between them before the shooting. The Greensboro Police Department plans to petition the Superior Court of Guilford County to release all video recordings of the incident, department spokeswoman Josie Cambareri said in an email. As is standard protocol, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will conduct a criminal investigation into the incident. In addition, the Greensboro Police Departments Professional Standards Division will conduct an internal investigation to determine whether departmental policies were followed. This article originally appeared on Backpacker When Laura Rushfeldt stepped onto the Appalachian Trail near Caratunk, Maine last weekend, she wasn't looking for an epic. Rushfeldt, a 38-year-old Boston-based hiker who goes by the trail name "TypeTwo," was more than a year into her quest to piece together the AT, and she had already experienced just how tempestuous the trail's northernmost state could be. The previous fall she had kicked off the Maine portion of her hike by backpacking the trail's notoriously difficult Mahoosuc Notch section in 35-degree sleet. Since then, she said, the weather hadn't let up; she had backpacked in zero-degree temperatures and trudged through inches of fresh snow. "It seems like every time I go up to Maine its throwing something new at me," Rushfeldt says. Her latest trip, she expected, would be different: Rushfeldt's plan was to hike 34 straightforward, rolling miles through the woods from Caratunk to Monson, covering that distance with her dogs Wylie and Wolfie in a leisurely two and a half days. But from the get-go, her hike took a turn for the worse. Small life update: I'm never going outdoors again. . A brief synopsis of this weekend's hike follows (we're all fine!).#rushtokatahdin pic.twitter.com/Ngd103hzmv -- lrushfeldt (@LRushfeldt) June 19, 2023 Rushfeldt had expected rain, but her first day on the trail, it poured. A storm dropped more than 3 inches of precipitation in 12 hours. Her tent wasn't able to stand up to the downpour, and by the time she gave up and broke camp at 4:30 a.m. the next day, she, her dogs, and her sleeping bag were all soaked. Rushfeldt hoped she could reach the next shelter early enough to dry out her wet bag. For miles, she waded along flooded trails like "shin-deep canals" and carried her gear and both dogs across two branches of waist-high Marble Creek. Finally, just one big obstacle stood between Rushfeldt and the safety of her next campsite: the west branch of the rain-swollen Piscatquis River. "It was roaring as if it were a waterfall," she says. Maine has experienced an unusually wet start to the summer. In a tweet, meteorologist Keith Carson of Portland NBC affiliate News Center Maine noted that early-summer storms had dropped rain across swathes of the state every day but two in June so far. Besides juicing up rivers and sparking flood warnings, that moisture has also thrown hikers' plans into disarray. On June 20, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy announced that the canoe shuttle that usually ferries hikers across the Kennebec River would pause until further notice due to "extremely high-water levels," leaving thru-hikers to hitch or hoof the 30-plus-mile detour. In another post, the ATC warned hikers that high water levels across New Hampshire and Maine could make other crossings difficult or even impassible. "Hikers should exercise extreme caution at crossings," the ATC wrote. "Hikers may need to seek alternative routes to safely cross, wait for water levels to go down, or turn around and hike back to the nearest road. Hikers should pack extra food and supplies in case they are delayed due to the high water. Throw a stick into the water and see how rapidly the water carries it away. If you cannot walk as fast as it is moving, then it is not safe to cross." Northbound hikers on the final stretch of the Appalachian Trail have to negotiate a bevy of river and stream crossings, with the AT's Maine section alone traversing more than 20 that are 30 feet or wider, many of them unbridged. The Kennebec in particular is so hazardous, The Trek writes, that the ATC and Maine Appalachian Trail Club established a seasonal canoe shuttle after a drowning in 1986 and made it free in 1994. While drowning deaths are rare on the AT, they still occur, as in 2018, when military veteran and thru-hiker Michael Camiso died while trying to swim the Kennebec. About 4:30 am, we gave up the fight. The last dry part of the sleeping bag was rapidly taking on water, and we had enough light to pack up. I figured we could get to our next campsite VERY early, and have time to dry out in the shelter cabin before others arrived. pic.twitter.com/t9JRWqRckC -- lrushfeldt (@LRushfeldt) June 19, 2023 While Rushfeldt was skeptical that she and her dogs would be able to cross the Piscataquis River--she was already wading through hip-deep floodwaters by the time she reached where the banks would normally be--she decided to test it. Holding onto a tree, she stepped into the river and immediately sunk up to her chest. When she tried to find her footing, the current swept her under. Rushfeldt was only able to pull herself to safety thanks to her grip on the trunk. It was only later, after she had backtracked and bailed out to safety on a logging road, that Rushfeldt realized just how lucky she had gotten. In a post on her Twitter account, Rushfeldt shared a chart showing the discharge of the Piscataquis River. Where the waterway usually runs at roughly 90 cubic feet per second in mid-June, the river's flow that weekend peaked at nearly 3,000. The ordeal seemed to have made an impression on Rushfeldt: In the same thread, she jokingly posted that she was "never going outdoors again." Reached by phone a few days later, however, she was already walking that back. "I said that the first time I did a winter hike too, and now I do multiday, overnight, winter hikes and Im doing a 350-mile ski race across Alaska in February," she said. "So clearly I'm a liar." For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today. The parties who sued the state of Kentucky last year over a near-total abortion ban have asked a judge to dismiss their lawsuit. Tuesdays motion to dismiss, which a judge has to grant, is the latest in a year-long legal battle between the states only two remaining outpatient abortion providers, Planned Parenthood and EMW Womens Surgical Center, and Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who has long fought to defend laws restricting abortion in the commonwealth. We moved to dismiss this case because earlier this year, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued an extraordinary ruling that took away health care providers ability to defend the rights of their patients, upending decades of precedent, both providers said in a statement. Bringing cases on behalf of patients has been standard practice in Kentucky and across the country for good reason numerous obstacles stand in the way of patients coming forward to participate in litigation. Planned Parenthood and EMW challenged the constitutionality of Kentuckys laws banning abortion last June. The trigger law criminalizes abortion except to save the life of a pregnant person, and the six-week ban outlaws abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. The pair of laws became immediately enforceable after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, ending half a century of federal abortion protections. EMW and Planned Parenthood argued both laws infringe on a pregnant womans right to privacy and bodily autonomy, both of which are protected by the state constitution, and they petitioned a judge to temporarily block both from being enforced. Jefferson Circuit Judge Mitch Perry granted that request last July by way of a temporary injunction, and Cameron promptly challenged his decision. After an initial denial from the Kentucky Court of Appeals and the state Supreme Court, the appeals court granted Camerons second request on August 1. EMW and Planned Parenthood appealed to the Kentucky Supreme Court, which held oral arguments for the case in November. The question before justices was whether there existed reason to reinstate a lower courts injunction and block both laws restricting abortion from being enforced. Story continues In their majority opinion, most justices decided that no, there wasnt adequate reason to block both laws from being enforced, because neither provider had appropriate constitutional standing to challenge the six-week ban, specifically, on behalf of impacted patients. Both plaintiffs did have first-party standing to challenge the trigger law, because their clinics were directly impacted by having to cease providing abortions. As for the six-week ban, to claim it violated their patients constitutional rights to privacy and self-determination is too broad, the court found. The larger question does the Kentucky Constitution protect an individuals right to abortion? still hasnt been answered. The high court highlighted this in their decision: To be clear, this opinion does not in any way determine whether the Kentucky Constitution protects or does not protect the right to receive an abortion, they wrote. Nothing in this opinion shall be construed to prevent an appropriate party from filing a suit at a later date. That opinion kicked the case back down to Judge Perrys court, where it has been for the last four months. Abortion has been illegal and criminalized in Kentucky for a year. Women have been forced to drive to other states not only for elective abortions, but for terminations and early inductions for non-viable pregnancies treatment considered the standard of care for obstetrical and gynecological medicine. While Planned Parenthood has continued providing a continuum of reproductive health care, EMW was forced to close its doors after that February decision. In late May, EMW listed its building for sale. On May 31, Cameron filed a motion asking for the dismissal of the lawsuit. Not only did the high court decide that the constitutional threshold for standing wasnt reached, Cameron wrote in his filing, but the first-party standing the plaintiffs did have to challenge the trigger law no longer applied to EMW, since its no longer open and operating. Even if the trigger law were suspended, it will have no practical legal effect, on EMW, Cameron wrote. Any continued legal claims about harm caused by the laws, he said, are moot. Because their claims are moot, they lack the requisite redressability factor necessary for constitutional standing. And absent constitutional standing, the claims of EMW . . . must be dismissed, Cameron argued. The deadline to produce a plaintiff who is currently pregnant and in need of a pregnancy termination made inaccessible as a result of one or both laws was Tuesday, June 20, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood said. Lacking that plaintiff, EMW and Planned Parenthood filed their motion to dismiss on Tuesday. I am fully optimistic we will find somebody and we will file a (new) case in court, said Tamarra Wieder, state director of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, but unfortunately, we have to file this dismissal because of this deadline. Kentucky Right to Life Executive Director Addia Wuchner celebrated the motion to dismiss on Tuesday, saying, Almost one year to the day after we celebrated the historic Dobbs decision that solved one of our nations most grievous wrongs, Kentucky Right to Life is rejoicing that even pro-abortion activists recognize the validity of our pro-life laws. This lawsuit was one of two challenging the constitutionality of Kentuckys abortion laws. The second, filed by three Jewish mothers in Louisville, argues the laws give preference to Christian beliefs and diminishes the religious freedoms and rights of Jews, who generally dont believe life begins at conception. A vice president at Jacksonville State University in Alabama has been named president of Texas Wesleyan University, the school announced Wednesday. Emily Messer will be the first female president of the school. She had been the vice president for enrollment management at Jacksonville State since 2018. We were very fortunate to have many qualified applicants who expressed an interest in leading our University, said Glenn Lewis, the chair of the Board of Trustees, in a statement. After carefully reviewing all options, we concluded that Dr. Messer stood out as the person we felt was best suited to lead Texas Wesleyan University into the future. Messer starts July 1. She will succeed Frederick G. Slabach, who spent 12 years at Texas Wesleyan before he resigned to become the dean of the University of Mississippi Law School. As Texas Wesleyans next president, I am committed to advancing the mission of the university, said Messer. I would like to thank the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and students for the opportunity to lead this exceptional university into its next chapter. Messer was also the the vice president of enrollment management, assistant dean of students and director of student life at Shorter University in Rome, Georgia. Enrollment at Texas Wesleyan reached 2,653 in 2022, the largest since 2012. Under Slabachs leadership, more than $50 million was invested into the campus. We are excited to welcome Dr. Emily Messer as the next President of the University, said Vickie Stevens, the vice chair of the board of trustees. Dr. Messer has the skills to build upon the success of President Slabach with her talent and vision, and we look forward to the future of Texas Wesleyan University under her leadership. Messer attended the University of Alabama, where she earned a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education Administration. She also holds two degrees from JSU a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Public Administration. Since Game of Thrones ended in 2019 with perhaps the biggest whimper in recent TV history, showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have been conspicuous in their silence. Once tapped to shepherd a big property in the Star Wars franchise, the pair have largely laid low these last four years. Thats poised to change with the arrival of their new series for Netflix, 3 Body Problem, set to debut in January 2024. Netflix released the first official teaser for the series on June 17, and if its any indication, were in for a knotty science fiction tale and some staggering CGI setpieces. The show is adapted from a popular book series of the same name by Chinese author Liu Cixin, which refers to the three-body problem, a complex mathematical conundrum about the relationship between objects all controlled by gravity in relation to one another. (It was first proposed by Isaac Newton and is widely believed to be unsolvable.) The story focuses on Ye Wenji (played by Joy Luck Club actor Rosalind Chao), an astrophysicist in China during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, who winds up making contact with extraterrestrial life. The series will, naturally, feature a handful of Game of Thrones alums, including John Bradley (Samwell Tarly), Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth), and Jonathan Pryce (The High Sparrow). The show features Saamer Usmani, Jovan Adepo, Eiza Gonzalez and Benedict Wong. 3 Body Problem is the first book in a trilogy by Cixinits unclear how much of the first book the first season will encompass, though Benioff and Weiss, who ran out of plot roadmap on Game of Thrones, are surely very grateful that all three books have actually been released. Benioff and Weiss signed a development deal with Netflix in 2019, around the same time that their aforementioned Star Wars plans petered out.An ill-advised series for HBO called Confederacy, which wouldve focused on an alternate history in which the U.S. Civil War ended with the southern states successfully seceding, met a similar fate. Since Confederacy fell through and the duo inked their Netflix deal theyve released minimal material. Weiss wrote the screenplay for the teen music film Metal Lords in 2022, while Benioff co-wrote the much maligned Will Smith sci-fi vehicle Gemini Man. The pair are still the object of much scorn online from fans who were frustrated with their rushed conclusion to *Game of Thrones*well see if audiences are ready to welcome them back to TV with open arms in January. Originally Appeared on GQ Photo Illustration by Zack Angeline for Verywell Health; Getty Images Fact checked by Nick Blackmer Key Takeaways Getting sunburned five times can more than double your risk of developing skin cancer, but any sun damage at all can contribute to the potential for long-term effects. A full-body burn is going to cause more damage than a small-area burn. Skin cancer occurs when skin cells are overwhelmed with damage and lose the ability to repair themselves, and this is caused by the total amount of sun exposure over a lifetime. Theres no better feeling than soaking up some much-needed vitamin D after a long, cold winter. But protecting yourself from the suns harmful ultraviolet rays is imperativeespecially because any sun damage can potentially have long-term effects. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, just getting five sunburns in your lifetime can more than double the risk of developing skin cancer. Elyse Love, MD, a dermatologist who works at New York City-based skin care center GlamDerm, said each sunburn can damage skin cells and potentially heighten the risk of skin cancer. That includes minor burns, too. The severity and the distribution of a sunburn do matter, but all sunburnseven a little pinkare a sign of skin damage and can potentially contribute to the development of skin cancer over time, Love told Verywell. According to Angela Casey, MD, a skin cancer surgeon at the Center for Surgical Dermatology and Dermatology Associates in Westerville, Ohio, the amount of damage from sunburn depends on various factors. But a full-body burn that results from spending hours in the afternoon sun without any sunscreen on is going to cause more damage than a small burn caused by missing a few spots when applying sunscreen, she said. Sunburn is a marker of the amount and severity of sun damage that occurs within a short window of time, Casey told Verywell. At the cellular level, the ultraviolet rays of the sun are penetrating through and into the skin, causing radiation damage to the cells in the skin. The skins response to this UV attack is to release a flood of inflammatory cells to help heal the damage and allow the skin to recover. It is this inflammation that manifests as the warmth and redness of a sunburn. Story continues Related: 5 Research-Backed Foods to Help Heal a Sunburn Does Age Matter? Some studies have shown that the earlier someones exposed to harmful UV rays frequently, the more likely theyre going to develop skin cancer later in life. The more severe and more frequent sunburns obtained in childhood, the more substantial the long-term damage is, but there is no safe age where sunburns no longer become relevant to long-term skin health, Love said. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, people would only have 23% of their lifetime sun damage by the time they reach age 19, meaning adult behaviors still matter significantly. Casey said the total amount of sun exposure over a lifetime is the real culprit regardless of when it occurs. For example, someone who had lots of sun exposure from ages 510 but then stayed very sun-protected throughout their teens and adulthood is going to have relatively lower cumulative sun damage overall. Related: Are You at Risk of Skin Cancer? How to Determine When to See a Dermatologist Most of Caseys patients are age 50 and above, but she said much of their sun damage comes from their younger years. This is because many of these patients grew up in a generation when sunscreen wasnt readily available and wasnt encouraged as it is today, she said. The majority of skin cancer patients that I see really havent had much sun exposure over the last 10 to 20 years, she said. However, they sustained sun damage in their younger years that is persisting in their skin cells. As they age, their immune systems start to weaken. This sets the stage for skin cancer to grow. The good news about experiencing mild sun damage in younger years is that our body is usually at its peak fitness and our immune systems are at its strongest during this time, Casey added. Healthy immune systems and young cells support optimal repair of UV damage within our skin cells. Earlier in life, our skin can recover more easily from sunburns and sun damage, she said. As we age, our immune systems are not as strong as they once were. Therefore, it is more challenging for our skin cells to repair themselves because we dont have that army of strong and healthy immune cells to go in and fix the UV damage that is occurring at the cellular level. The DNA in our skin cells has a remarkable ability to repair and recover from sun damage, Casey explained. But too much cumulative damage can overwhelm the bodys ability to repair the DNA, and this is when skin cancer starts to form. Related: Get Sunburn Relief With Home Remedies for Pain & Inflammation How to Protect Yourself To avoid getting sun damage while spending time outside, Love said you should always wear broad-spectrum SPF 30 (or higher) sunscreen on all sun exposed areas of the body, reapply after two hours of additive sun exposure and after all water encounters, wear hats and glasses, avoid prolonged sun exposure between 10 am and 3 pm on high UV index days, and review additional sun protective behaviors or requirements with your physician if youre on oral or topical medications that make you more sensitive to the sun. Sun protection should be regarded like oral hygiene: just like you brush and floss your teeth daily, you should apply sunscreen every single morning, Casey said. Applying sunscreen is like putting a little money in the bank of your skin health each day. Too often, I hear from my skin cancer patients Dr. Casey, I wish I had known, in relation to sun protection and skincare habits of their youth. What would you have done differently? Related: How to Choose a Non-Toxic Sunscreen That Actually Works, According to Dermatologists What This Means For You To avoid increasing your chances of developing skin cancer, do your best to avoid sun damage by applying and reapplying sunscreen, wearing hats and glasses, and staying out of the sun on the hottest days. While just five lifetime sunburns can more than double the risk of skin cancer, each individual burn contributes to your total cumulative sun damage. SAINTETIENNE FRANCE JULY 15 David Gaudu of France and Team Groupama FDJ reacts after the 109th Tour de France 2022 Stage 13 a 1926km stage from Le Bourg dOisans to SaintEtienne 488m TDF2022 WorldTour on July 15 2022 in SaintEtienne France Photo by Alex BroadwayGetty Images Groupama-FDJ confirmed the final three riders for their lineup for the 2023 Tour de France with Thibaut Pinot, Stefan Kung and David Gaudu headlining their team as expected. For climbing star Pinot, the 2023 edition will be his last-ever Tour de France, while Gaudu is keen to improve his fourth-place overall from the 2022 race. The absence of sprinter Arnaud Demare already created a controversy when it was announced last week, with the Tour roster focussed principally on Gaudu. The final rider announcement today saw Australian climber Michael Storer finally not selected, which has also raised eyebrows in some quarters. Swiss time triallist Stefan Kung, a recent winner of the opening time trial of his home stage race, was also named in the lineup. Kung already said that he was disappointed the only TT on the route this year, a hilly one in the third week, was not suited to specialists against the clock like himself. Read more Tour de France 2023 Analysing the contenders 'He's a bit like the Rolling Stones' - Madiot on Pinot's farewell Tour de France David Gaudu aims for podium in 2023 Tour de France 'for pure climbers' Team management said that Gaudus objective would be to finish on the podium but that the squad would also push for stage wins. I am very pleased to be taking part in this years Tour de France, Gaudu said in a team press release Wednesday. We have a great team again and Im very pleased to be able to ride alongside Thibaut in his last-ever Tour participation, after everything he taught me about this race over the years. Last year we got fourth overall and this year the objective is to progress. Well try and step up a spot, which is perhaps one of the hardest things to do. But were all ready to take on this challenge. Gaudu recently finished a below-expectations 30th overall in the Criterium du Dauphine, but hoped to bounce back in July. Im evidently very happy to take part in my last Tour, added Pinot, who first raced the Tour de France in 2012, winning a memorable solo victory at Porrentruy. He recently claimed the King of the Mountains title in the Giro dItalia. The Giro was an exhausting race, but I feel ready for this challenge. Ive just done a recon of some stages and a training camp at La Clusaz and I hope I have the same legs as I had at the end of the Giro. Im keen to take part in this race at 100% for one last time. At least four of the opossum's offspring have been caught so far this month. Sometime in March, a stowaway opossum arrived by boat in Homer, Alaska, igniting a mixture of excitement and consternation among the locals. Opossums are not native to Alaska and pose potential threats to native species. Officials with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game requested assistance capturing the varmint, while some residents rallied behind the rogue marsupial, nicknaming it Grubby after Grubstake Avenue, where it was spotted in April. Grubby was finally captured in May, but not before she gave birth to a litter of possums. Officials have captured four joeys as of June 6, but are searching for more. Opossums typically have litter sizes of, say, eight to ninetheyve been known to have as many as 13, ADFG biologist Jason Herreman said earlier this month. So, theres probably a few individuals out there that were trying to track down. A Community Divided A local animal shelter managed to capture the opossum in April, but it escaped before ADFG officials could arrive. Over the following weeks, as Grubby ran loose in the coastal community, some Homerites embraced their new hero while others argued for the opossums recapture. This included ADFG officials, who cited the risks the non-native critter posed to fish, birds, and other native species. The issue is that we dont want invasive species in the state because of disease possibilities, because of the effect on native flora and fauna, Herreman told reporters in April. The controversy only helped boost Grubbys celebrity status, and a campaign to save the opossum sprang up in town. The hashtag #FreeGrubby became prominent on social media as locals posted flyers and made t-shirts. The community has become completely divided, the citys animal shelter director Jillian Roberts said later that month. State officials, meanwhile, continued to push for the opossums lethal removal. Herreman had a bigger concern: that the opossum could be a female carrying young. The last thing we want is to establish a population. Story continues In May Herremans fears were realized when Grubby gave birth to a litter of joeys. Afraid of another Aleutian Island varmint infestation, officials asked the local community to help trap Grubby and her offspring. On May 24, the adult possum was finally apprehended by the Homer Police Department. Yesterday morning at approximately 0525 hours, Officer Crowder observed a wanted fugitive and somewhat local celebrity on the lam near Lakeside Drive and Smokey Bay, the local police wrote in a Facebook post. After some very effective de-escalation, the suspect was contained and taken into custody without further incident. It was transported to the Homer Jail via a very comfortable Rubbermaid trash can. Grubby was then turned over to ADFG officials in Homer. And although they had previously announced that the opossum would be euthanized, officials had already begun looking into other options. There were folks who were interested in making sure this animal wasnt necessarily destroyed, but had a chance to be re-homed or sent back where it came from, Herreman told Alaska Public Media last month. And then we have other folks who understand the invasive-species issue and dont have any issues with the animal possibly being put down for the good of the ecosystem. Read Next: Pythons Are Allowing Rats to Take Over the Everglades After communicating with several facilities, Herreman announced on May 25 that the Anchorage Zoo had volunteered to take the animal in. As the zoos first and only opossum, Grubby will live out her remaining days in captivity. Now faced with a passel of unwanted opossums in Homer, ADFG biologists have been searching the town for Grubbys offspring (which locals have jokingly referred to as grublets). They caught one joey on June 2 and trapped three more on June 6. Efforts to trap the remaining opossums are ongoing, and the Homer Police Department has encouraged locals to report the joeys as theyre found. They have placements for the little ones so dont be afraid to give us a ring, the department wrote in a Facebook post. The anglers used a rig made from a 12-volt car battery to stun the catfish. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries recently cited two Evangeline Parish residents for taking fish illegally and fishing without a license on the Red River. The incident occurred in neighboring Rapides Parish on June 9 and involved a homemade electrofishing rig. Authorities caught Brandon Theriot, 37, and Regan Theriot, 32, using a device made from a 12-volt car battery, a mess of wires, and a dip tin. The duo was using the rig to stun and catch catfish, according to an LDFW press release. The agency refers to the duo as two men, but Facebook profiles for Brandon and Regan Theriot from Evangeline Parish indicate that Regan is actually a female and Brandons wife. (LDFW did not immediately respond to a request for clarification.) LDFW sergeant James Bruce and agent Lane Causey were patrolling the Red River when they interacted with the anglers, who were fishing from a small boat. A routine check revealed that the pair had caught two catfish, a popular game fish on the Red River. The officers then found an electrical line that led back to a 12-volt car battery stashed under Brandons seat. Brandon Theriot admitted to wildlife agents that he was using the rig to shock catfish and pull them out of the water. LDFW agents took the setup away and cited Brandon for taking fish illegally, which carries a maximum penalty of 120 days in jail and $950 in fines. They cited Regan for fishing without a license, which carries a $50 fine. Read Next: Italian Angler Catches Pending World-Record Wels Catfish Over 9 Feet Long This is certainly not the first time that a homemade electrofishing rig has been used in an illegal fishing scheme. Game wardens caught a man shocking catfish on Hugo Lake in southeastern Oklahoma last August. He had a device made of parts from an old-fashioned crank phone. Electrofishing does have its place in fisheries management. Biologists routinely use the technique to count fish for research purposes and to collect eggs. The electrical currents temporarily stun the fish and they typically recover within minutes. Travelers have until July 4 to book the sale. Courtesy of Avelo This growing airline is making a big bet in Las Vegas. Low-cost carrier Avelo Airlines, that started service in 2021, is opening a Las Vegas, Nevada base, with an initial plan to provide air travel to five nonstop destinations. With the announcement of the new Las Vegas base, Avelo is celebrating with a fare sale with discounted rates as low as $49. The fares are available on destinations served from Las Vegas including: Bend / Redmond, OR - Fares from $49 Eureka / Arcata, CA - Fares from $49 Sonoma / Santa Rosa, CA - Fares from $49 Brownsville, TX - Fares from $69 Dubuque, IA - Fares from $69 The fares must be booked by July 4, 2023, and are valid on travel through October 31, 2023. The flights from Las Vegas will be operated on a Boeing 737-700 which can accommodate 147 passengers. Avelo points out that the discount rates include government taxes and fees, but carry-on and checked bags will be subject to additional fees. "We are excited about the exclusive nonstop access to Vegas Avelos new base will offer our Customers from these five communities and more in the future," Andrew Levy, Avelo's Chairman and CEO said in a statement. Vegas has something for everyone and Avelos affordability, convenience and reliability will make getting to this popular destination easier than ever. The new flights, destinations and jobs our new base will enable is a winning hand for Las Vegas, Avelo and, most importantly, our Customers. Avelo has bases in Burbank, CA, Orlando, FL, Raleigh/Durham, NC, among other cities. Las Vegas has seen a tourism rebound since the pandemic, with 38 million people visiting the Nevada city in 2022. With events planned during the Fourth of July weekend, and the upcoming Formula 1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas, there are plenty of activities to keep travelers returning. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Fantail carp have an unusual genetic mutation. This is pretty darn cool. Earlier this year, Kc Langdon caught a carp that puts the "fan" in "fantail." He landed the stunning fantail carp while fishing at an undisclosed location in Massachusetts and shared it on Instagram on February 21, 2023. Langdon was fishing with Morgan Holmes when the epic catch took place. Langdon's fantail is actually a common carp with an unusual genetic mutation. The mutation can also occur in other carp species such as mirror carp and koi. "The fantail is a genetic deformation that occurs, and then the fantail carp mate with others, and the population increases," Sean Manning, founder of the American Carp Society tells Field & Stream. "For example, there are a bunch of them in the Connecticut River. It is not, to my knowledge, due to any kind of cross-breeding with koi or domestic goldfish." The mutation is considered rare in the wild. Manning explains that, while it may appear beautiful, it can also be a negative. "The fantails do have an impact on survival in a high-predator environment as the fin structure inhibits the speed that the fish can swim," he says. "You can tell when you catch one: Its a totally different fight. So in a river full of alligator gar, for example, or a lake full of flathead catfish, their ability to escape predation is lower than that of a regular-finned common carp. Other than that, there appears to be no genetic weakening of their immune system overall because of the fantail anomaly." Read Next: Jug Fisherman Catches Massive Record-Breaking Alligator Gar in Texas To our knowledge, there are no record-keeping organizations that keep track of fin length in fantail carp. Regardless, this is one of the most impressive wild fantail carp we've recently come across. "I worked really hard for this fantail and will never forget it," wrote Langodn. "I let her go [and] hope to see her again one day." As Michael High looked to the circle of cameras and faces around him and his family on Wednesday, he remembered brothers and sisters in far-off lands. In the early 2000s, he experienced some of the most intense battles of the Iraq War, fighting as an Army infantryman in Fallujah and Sadr City against Al Qaeda, and winning the Bronze Star for valor after leading his squad of two dozen under heavy mortar fire. He returned to the U.S. as a drill sergeant, working 18-hour shifts. Then he was deployed for a third tour, this time to Afghanistan. But when a roadside bomb struck High's vehicle and dealt him injuries so severe that he medically retired from the Army in 2016, a new journey was about to begin. And his fellow veterans were there to help him. The "Driven to Serve" program, an initiative designed by veterans to help veterans in need, honored High, a U.S. Army staff sergeant and Purple Heart recipient, with the donation of a payment-free 2020 red quartz tincoat Buick Enclave Wednesday morning at the Foreign Cars Italia of Greensboro dealership. After High's retirement from the military, he needed ongoing medical appointments and assistance in finding a job. The Driven to Serve car will give him the freedom to pursue new work opportunities and will relieve a financial burden upon him and his wife, Karen. Before the red veil was removed from the car, High addressed the audience as he stood with his wife and his service dog, Lilibet. "Veterans are afraid of being forgotten," High said. "Our fear is that people forget what it costs when the decisions makers in Washington pull the trigger and decide to send people to war. Everybody standing here remembers. You're doing God's work." For the Highs, who recently moved from Alaska's Fort Wainwright to Greensboro, the car will not only help with his wife's full-time schedule serving other veterans, but it will also give him the ability to chase his ambition to become a business owner. "I'd like to start a woodworking business," High said. "It was my father's dream and I've considered pursuing it since he's passed away." The dealership was full of representatives from Freedom Alliance and U.S. Bank, the two national organizations that partnered in the Driven to Serve initiative. Tom Kilgannon, president of Freedom Alliance, unveiled the car. "This is also a way for us together to honor (the veteran's) service and to let them know that what happened to veterans in previous generations is never going to happen again. That's why Freedom Alliance and U.S. Bank have come together," Kilgannon said. "Since he got out of the Army, (Michael) has also performed another kind of heroism," Kilgannon said. "When you come home, you have to realize that you're carrying emotional scars that combat inflicts. To be able to overcome them and be such a man and leader of your family requires a different kind of courage. And Michael has displayed that kind as well." Wednesday's vehicle donation marked the 57th gift of the Driven To Serve initiative and the 37th vehicle presented by the Freedom Alliance, a national military support organization dedicated to helping veterans overcoming challenges in daily life. The organization has also awarded over $23 million since 9/11 to children with parents who are ill or permanently disabled service veterans. U.S. Bank has partnered with other organizations to serve 56 veterans in everything from home refurbishment to donation of payment-free vehicles. After U.S. Bank helped to bring the car to the dealership, Foreign Cars Italia provided detailing on the vehicle and a service contract. And after the presentation of the Buick, the Highs were taken on a ride in a Ferrari to finish out the day. Meghan Markle's spokesperson made a rare comment to clear up yet another online rumor about the Duchess of Sussex's next move. After The Mail on Sunday reported that Meghan may be on the brink of signing a deal to be a face of French fashion house Christian Dior, the couple's rep clarified what was actually happening to The Telegraph: nothing. TL;DR: The spokesperson told the British outlet that the story was not true. Additionally, a source at Dior told The Telegraph that The Mail on Sunday's report about Meghan being crowned a new Duchess of Dior left Dior's team in Paris, nonplussed as to how the story came about. Samir Hussein - Getty Images Women's Wear Daily also reported that a Dior spokesperson told its camp that the reports of Meghan signing with them are unfounded, and there has been no contract negotiations or recent contact with her. A refresher: Recently, a prominent Beverly Hills socialite (so not exactly inside sourcing) told The Mail on Sunday thatthere have been rumors for weeks that [Meghan 's] about to sign a deal with Dior which has put the gossip mill into overdrive. If she pulls that off, then no one will remember that her silly little podcast got cancelled after one season. The socialite was referring to Meghan's popular Spotify podcast Archetypes, which may actually simply move to another platform and isn't technically cancelled. Though Meghan and Harry's Archewell Audio and Spotify just ended their deal, a source told Variety when the news was released that the couple wanted to find a new home for their projects instead of having them be Spotify-distributed exclusives. You Might Also Like (Photo credit: FamVeld / Getty Images) A Pit Bull mix that suffered horrific maltreatment at the hands of a previous dog parent is now in a loving and caring forever home. Riona, a 2-year-old pup, was set on fire one year ago. She is now settling in with her adoptive family. She joins a couple with four kids and a pair of canine companions. Dog set on fire by parent in Tennessee According to Commercial Appeal, Riona originally made news headlines in June 2022. Thats when neighbors in the Nutbush neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee, saw her running down the street engulfed in flames. According to Ginger Natoli of Tails of Hope, a rescue organization in Memphis, Rionas former dog dad poured diesel fuel on her, and set it on fire. Sixty percent of Rionas body suffered fourth-degree burns. Her left ear basically burned off. Riona received veterinary care at Memphis Animal Services. Then, Tails of Hope Dog Rescue welcomed Riona into their care. Dr. Cory Fisher of Bluff City Veterinary provided ongoing treatment around $92,000 worth including several surgical procedures. A manager there named Mallory Mclemore became Rionas foster mom. Initially, watching over the pit bull was a 24/7 job that required round the clock medical care, Natoli said. Her wounds had to be cleaned and her bandages had to be changed repeatedly. Quishon Brown is Rionas former dog parent. According to Commercial Appeal, he faces three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and one count of setting fire to personal property or land. He was released on bail earlier this month. His next court date is July 18. Tortured dogs story goes viral Tails of Hope shared Rionas harrowing story on Facebook and TikTok. Soon, her story went viral. Tails of Hope received many adoption inquiries for Riona. Finally, the pup, who is completely healed, found the right family for the next chapter of her story. Our goal was to get her a forever home, and thats exactly what we found, Natoli reported. Riona has other dogs to play with, she has children to play with, shes got a big yard to play in, shes got a family that has experience in the medical field and an understanding of what her injuries were. Story continues Tails of Hope is keeping further details about the family private for security reasons. Riona recently made the 10-hour drive from Memphis to her new home, a journey documented for her fans on social media. Upon arrival, the Pit Bull mix received a grand homecoming. The children in her new family made Welcome signs complete with paw prints and hand-drawn hearts. The resident dogs were also happy to meet their canine sister. It was like shed known them forever, Natoli said. Thats what we call a happy tail. The post Memphis Dog Set on Fire 1 Year Ago Finds Forever Home appeared first on DogTime. There are an estimated 2,000 grizzly bears in the Lower 48. On June 5, a grizzly bear charged a man who was hunting black bears on a remote piece of private property in southwestern Montana. In what state officials called a "surprise close encounter," the hunter fired his pistol and stopped the charge, killing the federally-protected bear in the process. He then reported the incident, which is currently under investigation, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) said in a recent press release. The encounter occurred in the Madison Range southeast of the town of Ennis. FWP said its biologists were familiar with the grizzly bear that charged the hunter. "The 15-year-old female grizzly had previously been captured for research purposes in 2013 and had no known history of conflict with people," the release reads. "No cubs were seen with the bear. The bear died outside the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear recovery zone, and inside the demographic monitoring area. The hunter...was not injured." Federal officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest assisted FWP with a field investigation at the scene. The hunter shot the charging bear with a pistol, the release states. According to FWP, there are four distinct ecosystems that harbor grizzly bears in the Big Sky State: the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) , the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE), the Cabinet Yak Ecosystem, and the Bitterroot Ecosystem. But dispersing bears are routinely spotted outside these core ranges. As grizzlies expand both in range and abundance, the agency says, conflicts with people are bound to increase. Read Next: Epic Battle Between Grizzly Bears and Wolves Over a Caribou Carcass Caught on Camera Officials recommend that anyone hunting west of the city of Billings carry bear spray, come prepared to remove game meat from the field as quickly as possible, and hunt in groups. FWP also notes that elk calls and other attractants can have the unintended consequence of bringing grizzly bears into an unsafe range. Jazz trombonist Michael Dease will perform with the Michael Dease Quartet at the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival on June 24 in downtown East Lansing. Watching jazz trombonist Michael Dease improvise solos in front of a wailing big band is like watching a high-flying trapeze artist. He soars to great heights, takes huge risks, depends on the team for support, creates new maneuvers to thrill the audience and loves the entire experience. He stands out not only for his great musical ideas and playing technique, but for his rich, silky trombone tone. Dease, professor of Jazz Trombone at the Michigan State University College of Music, is at the pinnacle of his career both in academia and performance. There is more happening right now than has ever happened," Dease said. "Im making the best collaborations of my life. Dease, 40, has released 17 solo albums, and as a sideman has appeared in 250 discs. He has played with the biggest names in music and was named Trombonist of the Year by Jazz Times (2020) and by Downbeat (2021). He was also named Distinguished Professor of the Year at MSU in 2019. Youll be able to see him with The Michael Dease Quartet at the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival on June 24 in downtown East Lansing. Now considered one of the finest jazz trombonists in the world, Dease began his musical journey at age 11 as a saxophone player in Augusta, Georgia. He didnt touch the trombone until he was at the ripe old age of 17. My dad liked doo-wop and I used to listen to his records," Dease said. "When I began making up my own parts in the marching band, my director told me to save it for the jazz band. I really couldnt get my footing with the saxophone. Dease was a talented sax player who was a star in the middle school and high school bands, but a series of events changed his life. His parents, who had had a rocky marriage for years, finally broke up (an epic separation), leaving him alone and depressed. My dad disappeared for a year and a half and I had to get a job to help pay the bills," Dease said. "I needed to get something to put a lot into and get a lot out of. Story continues At 17, a friend brought him a CD. It was one of the greatest jazz CDs ever produced Blue Train with John Coltrane on saxophone and Curtis Fuller on trombone. That record led me to a religious conversion," Dease said. "I gave up the saxophone completely because I never heard a trombone play with that style before and I wanted to do it. As Dease was still working through sadness and depression, the sliding and emotion expressed by Fullers trombone playing spoke to him in a meaningful way. I gave up the saxophone and switched to the trombone and it took off," he said. "My band director was not happy because he needed me in his band on alto saxophone. I told him, 'I know better than you. I have to play the trombone.' It was a spiritual calling for Dease. He borrowed a trombone from a friend and copied trombone solos from many jazz records. He learned all of Fullers solos by heart. Dease says, I was never inspired so intensely on the saxophone. I just learned trombone by ear. I listened to hundreds of records by all the great jazz trombone players, especially J.J. Johnson. I didnt know chord changes or anything, but I figured that if I tried to sound like a genius, maybe it would happen. It did. Even though he started on the trombone late, Juilliard considered by many the pre-eminent music school in the U.S. saw his talent and offered Dease a full scholarship. Yet while Dease was musically gifted, he was not educated. The country boy from Georgia found himself in Manhattan and he suffered. It was hard," Dease said. "I was behind everyone else. I had so much remedial work to do. My embouchure (lip position on mouthpiece) needed fixing, my posture was bad. I was nervous and anxious. My first reaction to being in Juilliard was being afraid and freezing. New York was completely different from where I came from. I was broke, by myself and in a big city. All I did was try not to get kicked out. After a while, I admitted to myself that I had a lot of work to do." But Dease was focused and he made it happen. During the first year at Juilliard, he buried himself in listening to more and more jazz greats. I began to understand jazz. If you dont know what youre listening for, jazz can be a mess," he said. Slowly, Dease began to get a few gigs in New York. Michael Dease and his Quintet perform on the River Front stage during the Detroit Jazz Festival at Hart Plaza, Sunday, September 4, 2022. The big turnaround came during the summer after his first year at Juilliard when he got a three-month job on the Norwegian Cruise Line cruise ship. Thats where I had all day, every day to practice," Deas said. "I listened to CDs. I played for other musicians on the ship and for myself. When he came back in September, he was noticed. One musician told him, You sound like a different player. Im in the right place, Dease told himself. I was meant to do this. Maybe I can play music for a living. At that point, gigs started coming his way like ocean waves. And he took additional classes in jazz theory and classical music theory. From that point, things were like a dream. He played seven nights a week club dates, wedding bands, rock music, alt rock and jazz. He was playing with Illinois Jacquet, Christian McBride, Lincoln Center big band, Slide Hampton and many others. Dease went on to receive his master's degree from Juilliard and taught at universities throughout the New York area. Im playing with everyone I want to play with, did several musical arrangements, but I also loved teaching, he said. Professional jazz musicians from the faculty at Michigan State University perform Friday at the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival. They are, from left, Michael Dease, Diego Rivera, Rodney Whitaker, Randy Gelispie and Xavier Davis. After several years of recording and playing, Dease decided to look for a full-time university position. He knew and respected Rodney Whittaker (director of the MSU jazz program) and Etienne Charles (at the time, MSU jazz trumpet professor) and made a list of the schools he would consider working at. MSU landed at the top of the list. MSU snapped him up and assigned percussion prof Gwendolyn Burgett to show him around the world of academia. That worked very well in many ways. Gwen changed her name in a couple of years to Dease and they now have a family together. But building a career and family in East Lansing did not stop Dease from playing with the likes of Alicia Keyes, Wycliffe Gordon, Paul Schaffer, Elton John and Neil Diamond, among others. And going full circle, he is also playing baritone saxophone on his newly released albums. IF YOU GO Summer Solstice Jazz Festival Friday, June 23 and Saturday, June 24 Free admission. Several outdoor stages in downtown East Lansing. Check out the entire schedule at eljazzfest.com Jazz trombonist Michael Dease will perform with the Michael Dease Quartet at the Summer Solstice Jazz Festival on June 24 in downtown East Lansing. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: The musical journey of Michael Dease: 'I have to play the trombone' Chuck Hensel holds up the new state-record carp. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission just certified a new state-record common carp. The nearly 40-pound fish was caught in April by fisherman Chuck Hensel. Hensel, who lives in Valentine, caught the carp from the Merritt Reservoir on April 18. Hensel was fishing alone from the bank, using wax worms when he hooked it. After a tough battle, Hensel knew he had a potential state record on his hands, so he took the fish home and froze it, according to NGPC fisheries outreach program manager Daryl Bauer. The next day he drove the frozen fish to our Nebraska state fish hatchery in Valentine, about 25 miles from the lake, Bauer tells Outdoor Life. There, Zach Brashers, a facility fisheries manager, identified it as a common carp, weighed, and measured it. Hensels common carp measured over 40 inches long and weighed 39 pounds, 8 ounces. This replaces the previous Nebraska record for common carp, which was caught in May 2019 and weighed 34 pounds, 13 ounces. Angler Robert Busk caught that fish from a private pond in Washington County, and he was using a nightcrawler as bait, according to the NGPC fishing records book. Read Next: Italian Angler Catches Pending World-Record Wels Catfish Over 9 Feet Long [Hensel told me] it was quite a struggle landing the fish," Bauer said. "He asked a couple guys in a boat nearby to come to shore and help out and shoot a photo." Bauer added that hes unsure if Hensel was specifically targeting carp that afternoon. After Hensels record carp was certified, he offered the fish to the state so it could be mounted and displayed somewhere. Due to the high cost of a replica mount, however, the agency was unable to take Hensel up on his offer. Romanian F-16 Fighting Falcon Romania is emerging as a possible front-runner as a location to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s. While a multinational effort to get Ukrainian Air Force aircrew into the cockpits of the U.S.-made jet has been taking shape for some weeks, until now there had only really been speculation about where such training might take place. Whats more, it appears at least possible that the training program in Romania could also make use of the growing contractor infrastructure related to the F-16. Romania is identified as a potential training site for Ukraines future F-16 pilots in an article in Politico, which is based on insight from three unnamed people with knowledge of the planning for that program: an undisclosed Western official, plus a current and a former U.S. Defense Department official. A Romanian Air Force F-16 waits to be fueled from a KC-135 Stratotanker from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, RAF Mildenhall, England, over Romania, in 2018. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Emerson Nunez Romania is one of the sites that the coalition is looking at for hosting training in, the Western official told Politico. The country, which occupies a strategic position on NATOs Black Sea frontier, had not previously been mentioned as a member of the multinational training effort. This initiative is being led by the Netherlands and Denmark both F-16 operators, like Romania although Belgium and the United Kingdom have also said they will participate. Notably, the United Kingdom is not an F-16 operator but says it will still provide relevant training, while Belgium has said that it can offer training but not actually transfer any F-16s (for now, at least). https://twitter.com/MinPres/status/1664286876881268738?s=20 https://twitter.com/RishiSunak/status/1659599358797443073?s=20 As for Romania, the country is the most recent country within NATO to get its hands on F-16s. The Romanian Air Force has been notably resourceful in growing its F-16 fleet, starting with a batch of 12 second-hand jets from Portuguese stocks, followed by another five from the same source, and finally agreeing to buy 32 from Norway, which has retired all its Vipers. These last 32 jets will be delivered once they have been refurbished in Norway. Story continues A Royal Norwegian Air Force F-16. Thirty-two of the former Norwegian Vipers are headed to the Romanian Air Force. Luftforsvaret With the Romanian MiG-21 LanceR fleet now withdrawn, the F-16 is the sole combat jet operated by the country. The airframes may be old, but they represent new and advanced equipment for Romania, and they play an important role in defending the Black Sea region. Looking further ahead, Romania is also seeking to add F-35 stealth jets to its air force. A Romanian Air Force MiG-21 LanceR, a type retired last month. Chris Lofting/Wikimedia Commons As well as operating a relatively large F-16 fleet, at least with the ex-Norwegian jets added to the total, the fact that the Romanian jets are very much still at the start of their second careers also makes this a more suitable training location, compared to other European NATO operators, most of which are already drawing down their fleets in favor of F-35s. Then there is Romanias location, bordering Ukraine, which would make the movement of pilots, other personnel, and support assets between the two countries much more straightforward. https://twitter.com/MApNRomania/status/1655974583269478400?s=20 When it comes to details of the possible Romanian training effort, the current and former Pentagon officials told Politico that the multinational training coalition is working to negotiate a contract to conduct the aircraft training at a site in Romania, and that the syllabus itself would likely be run by Lockheed Martin, the F-16s manufacturer. For their part, European officials approached by Politico neither confirmed nor denied the Romanian training proposal, although a spokesperson from the Dutch Ministry of Defense did say the coalition partners were seeking to establish a training base in Eastern Europe. Politico did also receive a statement from the Romanian Ministry of Defense, which again neither confirmed nor denied the training plan, but did state that the country welcomes the initiative to establish a coalition of NATO allies to provide training of pilots for F-16s. Its not specified where the F-16s used for training Ukrainian pilots and technicians would come from, but there may well be sufficient jets in Romania already for this, depending on the size of the classes being transitioned to the fighter. Otherwise, there are various other options that we have explored for sourcing F-16s that could potentially join the training set-up in Romania. Intriguingly, there is already an effort to establish a new F-16 training set-up in Romania, according to a notice posted on the careers page of Draken International, the adversary air support contractor that is also an F-16 operator. Coincidentally, Draken also acquired F-16s from Norway for its aggressor work and may yet still acquire more from the Netherlands, although perhaps in significantly reduced numbers. A Dutch F-35A, a Dutch F-16, and a pair of Draken International A-4 Skyhawks fly in support of an operational test exercise for the Royal Netherlands Air Force contingent at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Photo courtesy Frank Crebas The Draken job advertisement is looking for flight instructor pilots, maintenance production supervisors, crew chiefs, maintenance schedulers, and avionics/electrical technicians to work at Fetesti Air Base in Romania. The duration of the work is between three and 19 months and all candidates need to have at least five years of relevant F-16 experience, meet physical requirements, and be suitable for a clearance level of secret. Some of the first Romanian Air Force F-16s after their service entry at Festesti Air Base: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW89BgUKThs The flight instructor pilots, specifically, also require at least 2,000 F-16 hours and at least 500+ F-16 instructor hours, as well as citizenship thats compliant with International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR). Furthermore, the instructor pilots need a current FAA medical rating, commercial, single-engine pilot certification, and a statement of F-16 recency. While the job advertisement doesnt specifically say who the Draken employees will be training, one possibility is Ukrainian pilots perhaps in addition to Romanians. The posting is on the U.S. job section of the Draken website, suggesting the company is looking for Americans rather than Europeans or other nationalities. That could also suggest that Lockheed Martin has sub-contracted Draken to run the Romanian training program, which would be politically expedient for Washington, which has been reluctant, in the past, to approve F-16s or related training for Ukraine. Its possible, too, that the Draken training is being paid for not by the United States, but by European NATO countries within the multinational F-16 training effort, and perhaps other nations too. The idea of private contractors training Ukraine how to use Western fighters is something that The War Zone has explored in the past, in the case of the former Australian F/A-18A/B Hornet fleet. In our previous article, we looked in detail at how such a concept could work and the benefits it might bring. It was only last month that U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he would help secure modern, fourth-generation Western fighters for Ukraine. This was a reversal from his previous stance and Biden also named the F-16 specifically. https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1660362538347896838?s=20 The United States together with our allies and partners are going to begin training Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s, Biden told reporters, to strengthen Ukraines Air Force as part of a long-term commitment to Ukraines ability to defend itself. An Alabama Air National Guard F-16C taxies past Ukrainian Su-27 and MiG-29 fighter jets, on the ramp at Mirgorod Air Base, Ukraine, during an exercise in 2011. U.S. Air Force Now, with the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and the United Kingdom all committed to the Ukrainian F-16 training effort, with Portugal and Norway also expressing their interest in joining, and with a potential location for this initiative possibly found in Romania, the program may be taking shape. This would also bring some significant benefits for Romania, too, with the promise of becoming an F-16 infrastructure magnet, potentially attracting other clients for training, and bringing a boost to its own air arm and its economy. But there is still the issue of where the F-16s that Ukraine will eventually fly operationally will come from. The delivery of F-16s is not at the table now, a Lockheed Martin spokesperson told Politico. We are working very hard to start the F-16 training [with Denmark to train Ukrainian] pilots as soon as possible, the spokesperson added. Delivery requires a separate decision-making process. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin says its ready to train Ukrainian pilots to fly and maintain the F-16s as soon as Western countries agree to provide them. Again, that kind of arrangement could also involve using Draken, and possibly other companies, as a sub-contractor to provide that training, in Romania. Lockheed Martin also said it would potentially be able to build new F-16s to backfill any jets donated to Ukraine, although this would be a longer-term proposition bearing in mind the significant backlog in F-16 orders at its Greenville, South Carolina production facility. A Block 70 F-16 during construction at the Lockheed Martin plant in Greenville, South Carolina. The company has said it could build new F-16s to backfill any jets donated to Ukraine. Lockheed Martin Already, we know that the training coalition aims to start teaching Ukrainians this summer, although its not clear at this point what kind of training that might involve and whether it will include live-flying in the F-16 from the outset. A word of warning was last week provided by Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who told reporters Theres a lot of work to do before F-16s actually arrive on Ukrainian territory. You have to do language training, Milley added. You have to do pilot training. Youve got to get all the systems set in place. So those those wheels are in motion, but were a ways from completion of that project. So, while Ukrainian Air Force pilots taking F-16s into battle might still be some way off, the preliminary work needed to get those pilots and supporting personnel ready looks like it should begin in the very near future. And with a potential schoolhouse base already apparently being eyed in Romania, the training effort also seems to be gathering pace and increasing in scope. Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com Hunters are concerned about the difficulty of telling the difference between a trumpeter swan (front) and a tundra swan (back). The Utah Department of Wildlife Resources has approved a plan to eliminate all legal trumpeter swan harvest for the upcoming waterfowl season. The rule change, which DWR approved at a public meeting on June 8, is intended to give Utah waterfowlers a full tundra swan season. For anyone who has held a Utah swan tag over the last four seasons, the opportunity has probably felt more like a race against the clock than a hunt for a limited-opportunity species. In previous years, the DWR shut down the entire tundra swan season as soon as 20 trumpeter swans had been killed statewide. The trumpeter swan quota, which was intended to avoid criminalizing tundra swan hunters for identification mistakes, has ended the entire season early for four years in a rowmost recently by 24 days in 2022. That's due in part because some hunters intentionally target trumpeters. Related: Some Hunters Target Trumpeter Swans. Utah Wants to Stop It Before All Swan Hunting Gets Shut Down Its fairly contentious, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Utah chapter chair and waterfowler Perry Hall says of hunters' reactions to the new rule. Theres a contingent here that will be upset because theyre interested in targeting trumpeters. Now, some hunters fear criminal penalties for shooting the wrong bird. Other hunters are relieved that this rule change will better insulate the state's tundra swan season from attack by environmental groups. Those hunters gaming the incidental-take quota for tundra swans ultimately prevented hunters who hadn't yet killed their tundra swan from continuing to hunt. The rule change is supposed to give those hunters their full season back, while further protecting the federally-managed trumpeters in the process. (Trumpeter swans were removed from the endangered species list in 1968 and number around 63,000 globally, but the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service still manages harvest quotas.) The DWR has not specified the consequences for a tundra swan hunter who shoots a trumpeter this coming season. Story continues [The rule] has always been Hey try not to shoot these swans, please, Hall says. Now, its You cannot shoot these birds. The Trumpeter Obsession Amid a growing tundra swan population, Utah increased its available swan permits from 2,000 to 2,750 and USFWS raised the trumpeter quota from 10 to 20 in 2019. Trumpeter harvest had never reached its limit beforeuntil that year. Prior to 2019, weve only had 20 harvested trumpeter swans recorded in the state, DWR upland game coordinator Heather Talley said in a presentation about the proposed rule. Since 2019, 85 trumpeter swans have been reported in Utahs harvest data. And then there are the hunters who have no interest in shooting a trumpeter swan, but still fear punishment for false species identification. For those folks, swan hunting might look a little different with these new rules in place, Hall says, using the challenges of identifying ducks for comparison. People are going to shoot too many mallard hens because they thought it was a gadwall coming into the spread. Ive been hunting ducks for years and sometimes I still make that mistake, Hall says. [False identification] is going to happen, people are going to get in trouble for it. This is why antler restrictions dont always work. If someone accidentally shoots a two-pointer and theres a two-point antler restriction, some of them will walk away and shoot a three-pointer instead. Theres always that risk. Hunters can distinguish trumpeters from tundras by their trumpet-like vocalizations and large size. They also lack the telltale yellow markings near their eyes. Utah DWR already requires that all swan hunters take an orientation course on species identification before opening day. But beyond that, hunting within the bounds of the law will be up to the hunters themselves, Hall says. This might mean changing up their strategy. Read Next: What Happens to Duck Hunting When the Great Salt Lake Dries Up? People will probably spend a lot more time trying to get the birds to decoy rather than pass shooting, he says. Having done a lot of both, Id rather get the birds to work into a decoy spread. Its more fun. But a lot of people will have to do a little bit more work. Its not no harm no foul anymore if you shoot the wrong species. These hunters will have to get the birds in close. The House descended into chaos on Wednesday afternoon as the chamber voted along party lines to punish a Democrat over the long-shuttered Trump-Russia investigation. Democrats booed and heckled Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday as the GOP voted to censure California representative Adam Schiff for his efforts to investigate the 2016 Trump campaigns ties to Russia. McCarthy is getting heckled and booed pic.twitter.com/a6MozkshO9 Acyn (@Acyn) June 21, 2023 On cameras of the House floor, Democrats could be seen rallying near the lectern and chanting, Shame! as the Speaker announced the result of the vote, which he said was punishment for misleading the American public. On Wednesday, the House voted 213-to-209 largely on party lines to censure Mr Schiff. Republicans have claimed that Mr Schiff had misled the American public about the Trump-Russia investigation, which ended without proof that the Trump campaign had coordinated with Russia but found that Russias actions had been taken to benefit the former presidents campaign and harm Hillary Clintons bid for the White House. Republicans argue that Mr Schiff lied when he argued that there was evidence to support the idea of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. He was previously removed from the House Intelligence Committee by Speaker Kevin McCarthy for the same reason. A previous version of the censure, which had included a $16m fine, was voted down with some Republican opposition. In a speech from the floor, the California Democrat remained defiant, saying he was being punished for pursuing the truth by a party thats attached itself to conspiratorial thinking about the election. You who are the authors of the big lie about the last election must condemn the truth tellers and I stand proudly before you, Mr Schiff said. Story continues No matter how many false justifications or slanders you level against me, you but indict yourselves, he added. As Liz Cheney said, there will come a day when Donald Trump is gone. But your dishonor will remain. New York Democrat Dan Goldman agreed, calling the censure vote a phony ploy to punish Adam Schiff for speaking truth to power in a floor speech of his own. One of my colleagues says, We will hold members accountable. You are the party of George Santos. Who are you holding accountable? he added. This phony ploy to punish Adam Schiff for speaking truth to power is pathetic and beneath this body. Coming from the party of George Santos, the Republicans should instead focus their attention inward rather than promote more lies about honorable public servants. pic.twitter.com/rBcsQHcq4s Rep. Dan Goldman (@RepDanGoldman) June 21, 2023 Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi laid into them as well: "Today we are on the floor of the House where the other side has turned this chamberwhere slavery was abolished, where Medicare and Social Security and everything were institutedtheyve turned it into a puppet show." Theyve turned it into a puppet show and you know what? The puppeteer, Donald Trump, is shining a light on the strings. You look miserable, she added. You look miserable. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) slams Republicans during the debate over censuring Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA): Theyve turned it into a puppet show and you know what? The puppeteer, Donald Trump, is shining a light on the strings. You look miserable. You look miserable. pic.twitter.com/JW9H1RBjKb The Recount (@therecount) June 21, 2023 Mr Schiffs enemies, meanwhile, accused him of supporting a narrative that supposedly caused a great divide between members of families all across the country. Anna Paulina Luna, the GOP lawmaker leading the resolution, personally accused him of having permanently destroying family relationships. By repeatedly telling these falsehoods, Representative Schiff purposely deceived his Committee, Congress, and the American people, the resolution read. Previously, Schiff had said the censure resolution would accuse me of omnipotence, the leader of some a vast Deep State conspiracy, and of course, it is nonsense. Beyond the Trump-Russia investigation, Mr Schiff also became a target of the Republican caucus due to his prosecution of Mr Trump during his first impeachment trial, when he was accused of improperly pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into launching a criminal investigation into Joe Biden at the time, apparently, with the hopes of politically damaging the Democratic candidate ahead of the 2020 election. That investigation was never launched but Rudy Giuliani, who was a central figure in trying to make it happen, would later go on to become Mr Trumps legal counsel in his bid to overturn the election following his defeat. The toothless censure of Mr Schiff is likely to be little more than a consolation prize for Republicans who had originally wanted an investigation into the origins of the Russia probe to uncover a vast Deep State conspiracy against Mr Trump, which never materialised. The leader of that investigation, John Durham, appeared on Capitol Hill for a hearing of the House Judiciary Committee separately on Wednesday where Mr Schiff grilled him over whether he had been concerned about efforts by a group of Russians to reach out to the Trump campaign and offer damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Republicans, meanwhile, voiced their displeasure over how Mr Durhams investigation had fizzled without any major victories in the effort to prove a long-reaching shadowy conspiracy against Mr Trump. The basics about the spice's origins, as well as how to buy, store, and cook with it. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez Star Anise Description: Dry fruits of the star anise tree (Illicium verum); indigenous to the southeastern part of China and to Vietnam. Flavor profile: Sweet, warm, earthy Related cuisines: Chinese, South Asian, Indonesian Storage: Store in a dark, cool place in an airtight container. Whole star anise will last about one year, while ground star anise lasts about six months before losing its flavor. Whenever Barkha Cardoz is making rice, she can always count on a warm, earthy aroma to envelop her when she opens the lid. Cardoz, the founder of Cardoz Legacy, a culinary organization honoring her late husband, chef Floyd Cardoz, looks forward to that aroma every time. She attributes much of it to the star anise in the pot. The heady, licorice-like spice can be found in many Asian and South Asian cuisines, in everything from garam masala to Sichuan lamb noodle soup. The spices strong and notable aroma is what makes it so enticing as an ingredient in cooking, and it can be used both whole and ground. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez To find out more about star anise, including how to shop for it and how it's used, we spoke to Cardoz for some guidance. What is Star Anise? Star anise is a dry fruit that comes from the Illicium verum plant, an evergreen shrub or small tree native to southern Asia. China is the main producer of the spice, but its also cultivated in Japan, India, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The fruit is a reddish brown color that resembles wood once dried and, as noted by its name, is star-shaped, usually with eight points. Each of these points contain a seed. It is harvested before it reaches ripeness and dried before being sold. Star anise is only distantly related to the anise seed. The former is much stronger, with a bitter, herbaceous taste and barely perceptible sweetness, while the latter has a natural, more identifiable sweetness to it. Both spices are known for their licorice flavor. It's different from cinnamon but it's in that same flavor profile of sweetness, says Cardoz. Star anise is also an ingredient thats traditionally found in Chinese five-spice powder, along with cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. Story continues How to Buy and Store Star Anise When shopping for star anise, Cardoz suggests looking for pods that are whole, with the star shape intact instead of broken into pieces. You want it to be whole because that shows you it's been cared for, it's not leftover pieces that they put in a bag and are selling to you, says Cardoz. When stored in a cool, dry, dark place, whole star anise will last about one year, while ground star anise will last about six months before losing its flavor. Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez Most spice and international markets carry star anise, usually in both whole and ground form. Ground star anise can be found in the spice aisle of most grocery stores. Given that star anise has a very powerful flavor, it can be much easier to control it by buying the whole pods and grinding them yourself. How to Cook With Star Anise In most Asian and South Asian cuisines, star anise is used to flavor vegetables, meats, and soups like Vietnamese Pho Saigon. The spice also has baking applications, and can be found as an ingredient in pumpkin spice blends. Its also often used in mulled wines. For Cardoz, star anise is very much a part of her usual cooking. I don't use it ground as much as I use the whole pods, she says. I'll normally use it if I'm making a pilau, a biryani, or a rich meat curry. I find the sweet, earthy, musky flavors lend themselves more to heavy sauces, gravies, and curries. She notes that in Indian cooking, ground star anise is rarely used on its own but instead incorporated into different garam or house masalas, which often include other spices like cinnamon, cloves, and peppercorns. I'll use it whole, mainly to flavor rice and meats, and then pull it out. She also mentions it can be steeped as a tea with cinnamon, which is especially pleasant to drink when youre feeling under the weather. For me, star anise is one of those royal whole spices, says Cardoz. It's not something you use in everyday cooking; it's elevated and special. Reports of an organized retail crime (ORC) wave may have executives concerned for their bottom lines, but at least one analyst believes we have reached the peak of the shrink cycle. A team from the multinational investment bank UBS, led by equity research analyst Michael Lasser, published a research note Tuesday arguing that recent data suggest shrink will reach a turning point and become a favorable profit driver soon. More from Sourcing Journal This turning point couldnt come soon enough as Tennessee police recently reported three women stealing $1,400 of Old Navy apparel as a separate trio shoplifted $1,000 worth of childrens clothing from a Memphis-area Macys store. As we see it, the impact of shrink will turn from a headwind to a tailwind later this year and into next year, Lasser wrote. This should create a profitability benefit for several hardline, broadline and food retailers. The bottom-line is that, over time, shrink should be a positive driver for the stocks of several retailers including [Target, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, The Home Depot, Ulta Beauty, Walmart and Kroger]. Lasser and his team examined the number of mentions of shrink and shrink-related keywords during retailers conference calls. They found these mentions rose and fell in waves with peaks lasting two to five quarters, including from Q2 2013 to Q3 2014, Q4 2015 to Q3 2016, Q2 2018 to Q4 2018 and Q1 2021 to Q4 2021. With these mentions spiking significantly over the last few quarters, Lasser expects shrink will subside through the rest of 2023 and into 2024 as retailers act against it. According to the National Retail Federation, shrink cost retailers $94.5 billion in 2021, the most recent year for which it has data. This amounted to 1.4 percent of retail sales, in line with past years and even slightly below the 1.6 percent NRF calculated for 2019 and 2020. Story continues At the same time, however, 52.9 percent of retailers surveyed in May and June of last year said they experienced an increase in ORC in the prior 12 months. Another 27.5 percent said it stayed the same, while 19.6 percent said they were not sure. On average, respondents said ORC incidents increased by 26.5 percent. Retailers in the NRF survey attributed the greatest portion of shrink, 37 percent, to external theft, including ORC. Internal theft ranked second, accounting for 29 percent of theft, followed by process or control failures at 26 percent. A clear majority of respondents, 70.7 percent, said ORC had become more of a priority compared with five years ago, including 32.8 percent that said it was much more of a priority. Slightly more, 74.1 percent, said external theft excluding ORC had become a greater priority. Customer-on-associate violence, however, ranked first, with 77.6 percent saying it had grown as a priority. Beyond the apparent rise in ORC, Lasser highlighted several other factors he believes are driving increased shrink, including sizable growth in inventory last year. On average, inventory growth outpaced sales growth by 6 percent, he said. As more inventory moved through the system, it was harder to track, manage and maintain, Lasser wrote. In fact, some of the retailers that experienced the greatest growth in inventory are now contending with the most significant issues with shrink. This includes Target, Walmart and Home Depot. Lasser also pointed to pandemic era supply chain issues as another culprit. Congestion, specifically, forced cargo to sit and be at higher risk of theft, he said. The increase in services like curbside pickup and buy online pick-up in store introduced further room for leakage, he added. Staffing shortages and increased employee attrition likely contributed to shrink too, he said. Increased investment in labor should help reduce shrink, as higher staffing levels lessen opportunities for external shrink, Lasser noted. The analyst also called out increased investment in anti-shrink technology, specifically in artificial intelligence. Our shrink expert explains that the issue isnt a lack of technology or products to use, but that many retailers have previously forgone working with third-party providers at the expense of building out their own tech solutions in-house, Lasser wrote. Shrink will decline as retailers play catch up on these kinds of investments. The UBS analyst also called out the recently passed Integrity, Notification and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act (INFORM Consumers Act), which will take effect Tuesday. The legislation will require online marketplaces collect and verify financial and identifying information from high-volume third-party sellers. Retailers, marketplace commit to ORC agreement in California The same day UBS published Lassers note, California Attorney General Rob Bonta unveiled a first-of-its-kind agreement designed to better combat ORC. The agreement includes commitments from retailers and marketplaces alike, including Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Target, The Home Depot and Walgreens. The agreement commits retailers to filing detailed police reports for all ORC-related incidents, maintaining policies related to retaining video from ORC-related incidents, ensuring loss prevention personnel are properly trained, maintaining records of ORC-related thefts in a case management system and helping provide training to law enforcement on how to partner on ORC investigations. It also requires the retailers to communicate with fellow retailers to establish connections between ORC incidents and threat patterns across the retail ecosystem and stay updated on trends in ORC. On the other side, it commits marketplaces to maintaining staff for addressing reports of ORC on their platforms; maintaining a dedicated webpage or point of contact to ensure timely replies to law enforcement requests; maintaining internal written policies, systems and staff to monitor listings to affirmatively prevent and detect ORC, maintaining external policies defining marketplace rules and the consequences of violations; maintaining internal written policies that guide collaboration and information-sharing with retailers and other marketplaces; and maintaining internal policies related to referring identified ORC to the authorities. The agreement also includes commitments from both retailers and marketplaces to communicate with each other regarding the latest trends in ORC. This information should be shared through the establishment of regular industry meetings facilitated by Regional Organized Retail Crime Associations, prosecutors and law enforcement or independently, the document notes. Organized Retail Crime is a prevalent issue for all retailers, online and physical, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution, Anthony Williams, director of California public policy, Amazon, said in a statement. For us, customer trust is central to everything we do. To that end, we strongly support legislative efforts and collaborative partnerships, like Attorney General Bontas Statement of Principles, to stop bad actors from harming consumers. Click here to read the full article. The mako shark pounces on the tuna right after it's gaffed. Sharks rob anglers of their catches all the time. Theyll often follow a hooked fish all the way to the boat and rip it off the line at the last second, when both the angler and the fish are out of gas. Other times the shark will just take a bite out of the fish. All the angler gets is a bloody head and less meat for the cooler. It happens so frequently that deep-sea anglers have nicknamed this kind of shark the taxman. In a video West Virginian Robbie Smelser posted to Instagram on June 14, a group of offshore fishermen get a close-up view of the taxman doing what the taxman does best. As one of the anglers fights to land a big tuna, a mako shark comes up to take his cut. The incident took place off the coast of Nags Head, North Carolina on a charter trip run by Fin Planner Sportfishing. The short clip shows the nearly-10-foot mako shark sinking its teeth into the tuna right after one of the mates hits it with a gaff. A brief tug-of-war ensues. The mako whips the fish side-to-side while the mate tries to haul it over the gunnel. Not surprisingly, the shark wins the round. It rips the tuna off the gaff and breaks the line as it chomps down on the fish's tail. At the end of the video, whats left of the bloody tuna floats up to the surface. The mate gaffs the head again and hauls it over the gunnel. Still a good tuna, its roughly two-thirds the size of its former self. The mate drops it into the fish box. Read Next: Federal Ban Ends Decades of Mako Shark Fishing Fever in the Northeast Tax man taking his taxes, one commenter says of the video. Another jokes that its shotgun time." But there wasnt much the anglers could do in this scenario because Atlantic shortfin makos are now a protected species. Last year the federal government re-classified the species as overfished, prompting a full ban on mako fishing in the Atlantic. (This ban also makes it illegal to intentionally harass or harm a mako shark.) Under the new rule, which went into effect last July, both commercial and recreational fishermen in the Atlantic are prohibited from landing or retaining mako sharks. Any makos that are hooked or caught by accident must be released immediately. This rule applies regardless of whether the shark is dead or alive. Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava welcomed on Tuesday evening the extension of Temporary Protected Status for approximately 337,000 immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Nepal. Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, allows immigrants from designated countries in distress due to civil war, natural disasters and other extraordinary conditions to legally stay and work in the United States for a limited period. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas announced earlier on Tuesday his decision to rescind the terminations of the TPS designations of El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua, reversing a Trump-era decree that attempted to revoke the humanitarian protections. Mayorkas extended the TPS designations for 18 months each. Levine Cava said in a news release that the announcement is a welcomed relief for thousands of families who have come to Miami-Dade County escaping dictatorships, natural disasters and human rights violations. As home to some of the largest communities of TPS holders in Florida and the nation, our county benefits when immigrants can live free from fear of deportation, fully participate in our community and contribute to our economy, she said. The mayor urged the administration of President Joe Biden to include additional Nicaraguans under the TPS designation. Such is the case for Nicaraguans who came after their initial TPS was designated in 1999, as the political crisis has continued to intensify at the hands of a repressive regime that continues to threaten democracy and safety, she said. Redesignating TPS will help thousands of families find stability as they continue to build new lives here in our community. For thousands of people, going back now would sentence them to live under authoritarian governments or economies crippled due to natural disasters and the pandemic. TPS extension dates Here are the new TPS extensions: El Salvador for 18 months, from Sept. 10, 2023, through March 9, 2025; Story continues Honduras for 18 months, from Jan. 6, 2024, through July 5, 2025; Nepal for 18 months, from Dec. 25, 2023, through June 24, 2025; and Nicaragua for 18 months, from Jan. 6, 2024, through July 5, 2025. Do you need help with your TPS application? Miami-Dade County will continue supporting TPS-eligible families on their application process by partnering with local nonprofits to host information sessions and free legal clinics. For more information, visit miamidade.gov/newamericans. South Carolina, Charleston, Boone Hall Plantation, Basket Weaver. (Photo by Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Ill take my reparation payment in the form of Boone Hall Plantation, please. Boone Hall is a sprawling plantation located in Charleston County, South Carolina. Today, it offers tours so the curious can get a glimpse of what it was like during antebellum days when Black people were enslaved and white people got richer than Midas from their free labor. Read more The place is so scenic Ryan Reynolds and Black Lively got married there. Not sure how they didnt know about the beatings and rapes that likely took place there during slavery, but theyve since said theyre very, very sorry for using a place of horror as a wedding venue. I grew up not far from Boone Hall, and its likely that ancestors on my fathers side of the family were enslaved there. Id like the current owners of the plantation to give it to me. After all, how much would it ever have been worth without the back-breaking labor of my ancestors? I figured Id just throw out my pitch for Boone Hall because there are murmurs in the country about trying to find a way to make reparations for that bad slavery thing. U.S. Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri has legislation that would give $14 trillion to Black Americans to compensate them for the brutal enslavement of their ancestors. Bush and other backers of that legislation want the country to at least discuss reparations - and its a discussion I and many other Black Americans would welcome. But just as awarding Boone Hall to me isnt quite workable, neither are cash payments to Black Americans to pay for the enslavement of their ancestors. Its not that $14 trillion isnt a lot of money. It is. But its only about two-thirds of this countrys annual GDP. Lets see...246 years of slavery helped make the United States the most powerful and one of the wealthiest nations on Earth and me and the roughly 40 million other native-born Black Americans split two-thirds of the economic output from a single year. Story continues That does not compute. Indeed, there is no credible way to compute what would be owed if the country was serious about reparations. (And there is no indication that it is serious.) How much is a life of enslavement worth in todays dollars? The calculations cant simply measure work output based on an eight-hour day. Slaves, we all know, worked ever so slightly longer than that each day. And then there are the rapes. And the beatings. And the selling of a slaves children. How do you calculate centuries of forced illiteracy? There is a real need for some national acknowledgement of the horrors of slavery and the economic impact it has to this day. Since 1865, when the end of the Civil War brought emancipation, the economic head start white Americans had over their Black countrymen hasnt been erased. Research from the Rand Corporation shows that white Americans hold 10 times more total wealth than Black Americans. I dare say not all of that can be attributed to rap music or wearing your pants too low. Something structural is at play here, and any solution would likely need to be far more systemic than a check. Think vastly expanded educational opportunities, expanded land and business ownership opportunities - AND a check. Im not sure what that reparations system needs to look like, but it needs to be broad and long-lasting. Meanwhile, while were coming up with what could work, Ill take Boone Hall. Washington Place has a much better ring to it, dont you think? Wayne Washington is an investigative reporter based in Florida. More from The Root Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. This week, a conservative parent group in Hamilton County faced backlash after using an Adolf Hitler quote in its newsletter. It's not the first time this exact quote has created controversy. After the newsletter received backlash, the local chapter of Moms for Liberty on Wednesday evening altered the image to include a box with "context" for the quote, reading: "The quote from a horrific leader should put parents on alert. If the government has control over our children today, they control our country's future. We the People must be vigilant and protect children from an overreaching government." Earlier: Moms for Liberty's Hamilton County chapter quotes Hitler in first newsletter, apologizes Late Thursday morning, the group posted an apology from its chair: "We condemn Adolf Hitler's actions and his dark place in human history. We should not have quoted him in our newsletter and we express our deepest apology." Hitler Youth attend a rally, July 10, 1935. About the Hitler quote used in the newsletter The statement "He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future," is attributed to Adolf Hitler at a 1935 rally as part of Nazi efforts to indoctrinate youth. Colorado school board member posts Hitler quote on Facebook Earlier this year, the Colorado Gazette reported that a local school district member posted the quote on Facebook. Along with the quote, the board member, Ivy Liu, wrote: "PARENTS!! GET INVOLVED AND FIGHT LIKE YOUR CHILDRENS LIVES DEPEND ON IT, BECAUSE IT DOES! Read the story from The Gazette U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill., delivers her remarks during Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair on the Directors Lawn at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill., Thursday, August 19, 2021. [Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register] U.S. Rep Mary Miller uses Hitler quote in speech Shortly after she was sworn into office, U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, the representative for Illinois' 15th Congressional District, spoke at a rally hosted by the conservative group "Moms for America," according to a Chicago Tribune story from 2021. She paraphrased the same quote, saying that "Hitler was right on one thing. He said, 'Whoever has the youth has the future.'" The clip was circulated on Twitter. Story continues Read the story from Chicago Tribune Quote appears on Alabama billboard According to a 2014 story in the Christian Science Monitor, a billboard in Auburn, Alabama, featured a picture of children beneath the 1935 quote. It was covered up a few days after it was installed due to public outcry. Christian Science Monitor reported that the billboard was rented by Life Savers Ministries. Read the story from Christian Science Monitor This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Adolf Hitler quote: 3 times statement about youth has been used The AAROK drone. At the Paris Air Show this week, French defense contractor Turgis and Gaillard unveiled a new large drone: the AAROK. With over 24 hours of promised flight time, the drone is being heralded as Europes first Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drone. Its a form of uncrewed aircraft that is attempting to fulfill a similar role as drones like the MQ-9 Reaper and other drones of the War on Terror. AAROKs debut in Paris offers a chance to consider what role such a drone may have in the decades to come. The AAROK weighs 5.5 tons, can cruise at speeds of up to 287 mph, and reach altitudes of 30,000 feet. It has a wingspan of 72 feet, longer than the 66 feet of the MQ-9 Reaper. The Reaper, famously used by the United States for surveillance and targeted strikes as part of the War on Terror, is a direct comparison point to the AAROK, and already in service with the French military. The AAROK can carry up to 6,000 pounds of payload, of which half can be weapons. As promised, the AAROK is slightly faster than the Reaper, although with a lower service ceiling at present. We are proud to introduce our first prototype of remotely piloted aircraft, the AAROK unmanned aerial vehicle. Produced in our French factories, this UAV will meet the requirements of French and allies forces at a reduced cost, both in purchase and use," said Fanny Turgis, president of Turgis and Gaillard Group, in a release. What made the Reaper such a good fit for how the Pentagon used it is the way it combined powerful cameras, multiple missiles, and the ability to watch an area for targets for hours, with remote pilots and crews switching control of the vehicle mid-flight. In counter-insurgency warfare, where combat was dictated by looking for and tracking cells of insurgents operating in remote bases or moving in cities, the Reapers abilities shone, giving commanders enough information where they could feel comfortable making a kill order. (These orders did not, always, find the right targets, though the missiles certainly found people on the ground below.) Story continues But the Reaper was built for a specific kind of environment, one where the drone could operate in the sky for long stretches without fear of being shot down by hostile aircraft, and at most only experience a minor risk from human-portable anti-air missiles. As the grinding conventional war in Ukraine has shown, while plane-sized drones can play some role in scouting and targeting, they struggle against dedicated anti-air defenses, and especially against hostile air forces. This makes the AAROK a curious new entry into the familiar Reaper pattern, loaded with sensors and bristling with bombs and missiles. AAROK stands out with its robust design, its ability to take off and land from rough fields and operate on all weathers conditions as well as its flight endurance (more than 24 hours) and maximized payload, Turgis and Gaillard Group said in a release. In addition, the company emphasized the drones powerful camera, radar, and communications detection and transmission tools. Turgis and Gaillard expect the AAROK to be useful for patrolling Exclusive Economic Zones, or swaths of ocean claimed by countries that typically extend beyond territorial waters. France has overseas territories in the Indian and Pacific oceans, where over 1.5 million French citizens live. The French embassy in Malaysia notes that 93 percent of Frances exclusive economic zone is located in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In addition to scouting and surveilling existing French claims to the ocean, Turgis and Gaillard pitch the AAROK as an important asset for operational dominance (intelligence, reconnaissance, and support for high intensity strikes even in contested areas), suggesting that the drones design is useful and durable enough to make it useful in the face of hostile defenses. It can also function as a communications node, with the drone operating as an airborne relay between forces over distance, ensuring commands and information get from headquarters to forces in the field. At present, the AAROK is a promise more than a reality, with Patrick Gaiilard, director general of the company, telling Breaking Defense that the prototype was finished just a few weeks ago and hasnt yet flown. Still, the idea is a compelling pitch for not just the French military but other countries France might sell weapons to, like partner states in Africa or NATO allies. The AAROK can perform much of the missions expected of a legacy drone like the Reaper, but is built on modern tech, with an understanding of modern threats baked in. Part of that understanding comes with cost: the AAROK is pitched as cheaper than other similar vehicles, which makes it both more accessible to smaller militaries, and also somewhat more expendable for militaries with means. As the aircraft is still in the prototype stage, it remains to be seen how much of the promise can actually be delivered. But the promise itself is compelling, a drone capable of both counter-insurgency and anti-submarine operations, built to be used and lost if needed. By Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rights advocates in Washington demanded that President Joe Biden publicly call out what they described as India's deteriorating human rights record, saying the U.S. approach of raising the issue in private with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a failure. In a press briefing on Wednesday, activists and academics also called for hearings in the U.S. Congress about human rights in India under the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Modi, who is on a four-day visit to the United States. "We can't ignore the facts on the ground ... We can't look away, and neither can the U.S. government," said Nadine Maenza, a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center and president of the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Secretariat. Critics of the Modi government's human rights record have cited less press freedom, restrictions on minority religious rights and other forms of discrimination and backsliding on democratic rights. The Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Indian government dismisses the criticism, saying its policies are aimed at the welfare of all communities and that it enforces the law equally. The White House may bring up human rights concerns but it said that Biden will not "lecture" Modi on the issue. "We know this administration and the Congress are well aware of the situation in India," said Zaki Barzinji, who served in the administration of former President Barack Obama as the White House liaison to religious minorities. "The scale of rights abuse in India has now reached a volume that the issue needs to be raised publicly (by Biden)," said Angana Chatterji, a scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. The only two Muslim women members of the U.S. Congress - Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib - separately said they will boycott Modi's address to Congress on Thursday, citing allegations of abuse of Indian dissidents and minorities, especially Muslims. Story continues U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders also said Modi's "aggressive Hindu nationalism" has "left little space for India's religious minorities." Since Modi took office in 2014, India has slid from 140th in the World Press Freedom Index, to 161st this year, its lowest point, while also leading the list for the highest number of internet shutdowns globally for five consecutive years. Critics also point to a 2019 citizenship law that the U.N. human rights office described as "fundamentally discriminatory" by excluding Muslim migrants; anti-conversion legislation that challenged the constitutionally protected right to freedom of belief; and the revoking of Muslim-majority Kashmir's special status in 2019. There has also been demolition of properties owned by Muslims in the name of removing illegal construction; and a ban on wearing the hijab in classrooms in Karnataka when the BJP was in power in that state. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Heather Timmons and Grant McCool) Republican Attorney General Daniel Camerons office has asked the Federal Bureau of Investigations to investigate donations made by London Mayor Randall Weddle in excess of state and federal campaign finance limits. Weddles credit card was linked to $202,000 in donations made to the Kentucky Democratic Party (KDP) and Democratic Gov. Andy Beshears re-election campaign. Individual contributions to state campaigns are currently capped at $2,100 and contributions to parties limited to $15,000. Beshears campaign said this week that the contributions linked to Weddle, as well as those contributions to the KDP, either have already been or will be refunded. Deputy Attorney General Victor Maddox, in a letter sent to the FBIs Louisville field office, stated that the attorney generals office was barred at present from investigating this matter due to controlling ethics opinions. The letter was provided by the attorney generals office to the Herald-Leader Thursday. State ethics opinions released during prior administrations bar attorneys general from investigating a governors conduct if they become their political opponent. In May, Cameron won the GOP gubernatorial nomination and will face Beshear in the general election this November. Please accept this letter as a formal request by the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General for the FBI to investigate the circumstances surrounding contributions in the amount of some $202,000 to the gubernatorial campaign of Andy Beshear, Maddox wrote. These contributions have been the subject of widespread coverage in statewide news outlets. The contributions were ostensibly made by numerous members of the family of London, Kentucky Mayor Randall Weddle and by employees of a company he co-founded, but apparently were charged by Mayor Weddle to his personal credit card. The Kentucky Lantern first reported on the donations linked to Weddles credit card. When asked about Weddles excess donations at a weekly press conference Thursday morning, Beshear emphasized that he always advises his political campaigns to follow the law and to be transparent. Story continues My understanding is that the campaign has met each of those requirements, worked directly with KREF explaining everything they knew about the situation and worked to remedy it directly with the regulator. Thats an open, transparent way of trying to do whats right, Beshear said. Beshear did not directly respond to a question about whether or not he believes Weddle should be prosecuted for the donations. Weddle is also under investigation by the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance for hosting a free gas giveaway during his mayoral campaign, among other things. Weddle has yet to respond to a request for comment. This story may be updated. Community Action of Etowah County is scheduling appointments for the Regular and Crisis Cooling assistance programs. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; the office is closed from noon until 1 p.m. for lunch. Only applicants with pending applications will be served on Fridays. The Regular Cooling Program provides general cooling assistance to eligible households that meet the guidelines set by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. The Crisis Cooling Program provides assistance to households with an energy-related crisis. Any household member with a medical situation either caused or aggravated by extreme heat conditions in the home may qualify for the Crisis Cooling Program. Households must meet all points of eligibility for the Regular/Crisis Programs before assistance can be awarded. The documentation provided by fax or email must be for the month before the date of a clients appointment. Items required: Total household income from all sources; Social Security cards (Medicaid cards arent accepted) for all household members; A photo ID of head of household and/or spouse Food stamp (SNAP) allotment letters for all household members; Child support payment receipts (bank statements or electronic copies accepted); Current signed lease agreement (public housing lease must show utility allowance); Current electric bill. Anyone in a household who is unemployed and currently doesnt have income must complete a Declaration of Household Income form available from Community Action. Employed household members must provide check stubs to verify income. Bank statements wont be accepted as verification for Social Security or SSI benefits. A letter from the Social Security office or a representation letter from an attorney is required if a household member has applied for Social Security or SSI benefits and the status is pending. Legal documentation, such as guardianship declarations, must be provided as verification for custody claims. Story continues Residents who live in assisted living or public housing projects and are responsible for paying utility bills may be eligible for regular or crisis assistance. Along with the other required eligibility documentation, they must submit proof of out-of-pocket utility allowance and reimbursement payments, such as a lease agreement or tenant income certification. The monthly income limits for eligibility: One person, $1,699; Two people, $2,289; Three people, $2,879; Four people, $3,469; Five people, $4,059; Add $590 for each additional person. Contact Community Action at 256-546-9271 or eccsp@comcast.net for more information. This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Community Action assistance programs Michael Shearer, editor of the Akron Beacon Journal. Inevitably a reader will ask why the Akron Beacon Journal continues to cover the Akron police shooting death of Jayland Walker. Well, why wouldn't we? Walker's death changed Akron forever. Our latest effort for the first anniversary involves weeks of work by multiple journalists to review the voluminous investigative file released by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation after a special grand jury cleared eight officers of any criminal charges in April. Reporter Amanda Garrett has compiled our findings and additional reporting into a compelling three-part narrative series that fully examines what was happening in Walker's life before June 27, the events of that tragic night that shook Akron and what happened behind the scenes afterward. Part 1: Never-before-seen texts, photos, more shed new light into life and death of Jayland Walker Part 2: BCI investigation details moments police shot Jayland Walker, delays notifying family Part 3: Jayland Walker's death gives new life to police reform movement in Akron Garrett's articles are by far the most comprehensive effort to tell this important story in a fair and thorough manner. They're filled with nuggets of new information and deeper context on known facts. For example, Akron police seemingly forgot to notify Walker's family of his death for more than 12 hours. This is the local journalism we exist to provide. It's the work threatened by the challenges confronting newspapers across the globe. From the editor: Why local journalists matter in Akron and every community Akron benefits if more residents have a complete and accurate understanding of what happened. If we don't do this important work, who will? And even though some will say Walker was at fault for firing a shot during a police chase that night, the reality is a majority of Akron residents are dissatisfied with what happened. They've demanded police reforms, as clearly shown in a recent poll, and voted overwhelmingly to create a Citizens' Police Oversight Board. They've elected a presumptive 2024 mayor who has promised to fix broken systems. Story continues We're also taking advantage of the welcome transparency provided by the Ohio Attorney General's Office, which is releasing its complete investigation files of shootings involving officers. It would be irresponsible for us to not scrutinize investigators' work and share pertinent information with the community. As I wrote before the grand jury decision, Beacon Journal staffers have been covering this story since the first day. We're not about to stop as the community grapples with next steps. Professional journalism is expensive to produce and unsustainable on local advertising alone. If you are not a subscriber, we urge you to make a small investment in our community. Thanks to everyone who makes our work possible. Michael Shearer is editor of the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached at 330-996-3750 or mshearer@thebeaconjournal.com. From the editor: Why local journalists matter for covering the Jayland Walker case from beginning to end This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: ABJ publishing 3-part narrative series on Jayland Walker's death The explosion occurred at Paris American Academy in the city's Latin Quarter, and American students may be among those injured ABDULMONAM EASSA/AFP Getty At least 24 people were injured including four critically when an explosion rocked the fifth arrondissement in Paris on Wednesday afternoon, multiple news agencies report. The explosion happened at the Paris American Academy, a design and fashion school, located at 277 rue Saint-Jacques in the Latin Quarter. American students are believed to be among the injured, according to Frances national network BFM TV. "We heard a huge explosion around 4:50 p.m., Philippe Delorme, general secretary of Catholic education, told the network. And there, we evacuated and found very quickly that the American Academy building was on fire and collapsed." ABDULMONAM EASSA/AFP Getty Witnesses told the BBC that they had smelled gas before the explosion, which occurred next to the Val de Grace church. Related: Woman, 29, Who Went Missing During Trip to Japan Has Been Found Safe: 'We're Relieved,' Family Says Christopher Gaglione was inside his bar, which is next to the church, at the time. "We heard a huge explosion, like a gas leak, he told BFM TV. The building is completely destroyed, in flames. ABDULMONAM EASSA/AFP Getty The fire was contained shortly after, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told reporters, per the BBC. The Paris American Academy was founded in 1965 and offers courses in fashion design, interior design, fine arts and creative writing, Nunez said. Mohammed Badra/EPA-EFE/ Shutterstock Officials from the fifth arrondissement later confirmed that the source of the explosion was natural gas, according to ABC News. Related: Berlin Aquarium at Radisson Hotel Holding 1,500 Tropical Fish Explodes Authorities are warning residents and others to avoid the area. This is a developing story. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Instead of pen and paper, many students are now carrying a laptop with them, using it for everything from taking notes to doing research. Companies are responding with programs designed for tech-centric learning, including Figma, a cloud-based design tool. The company has announced that Figma is now free for all US students in K-12, in partnership with Google for Education. The initiative started in beta last year, with 50 high schools across the country getting free access to Figma and FigJam, a collaborative whiteboard. While Figma offers a free version, it only allows users to have three files for each program. Instead, schools can access the company's most advanced tier, Figma Enterprise, for free (typically $75 per person monthly). It includes unlimited files, individual and shared project options, dedicated workspaces and more sophisticated design features, among other perks. Schools will need Chromebooks to utilize the program, but they can apply for access if they have non-Google systems. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 94 percent of schools provided devices like laptops and tablets to students who needed them for the 2022 to 2023 school year. Figma's fate is a bit up in the air after Adobe entered into an agreement to buy the competitor in September 2022 for $20 billion in cash and shares. Regulators across the US, UK and EU are investigating whether the deal violates antitrust policies, with the first barrier emerging in February with reports that the US Justice Department was preparing an antitrust lawsuit to block the deal. The UK followed in May with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announcing it was launching an inquiry into the agreement. Most recently came reports that European antitrust regulators plan to initiate an investigation into the merger later this year. As for free Figma access for students, the initiative holds promise, with the company sharing positive reviews from educators involved in the beta program. Educators can now sign up to bring Figma to their schools in the US plus, the company is taking its Chromebook partnership global, starting with Google schools in Japan. This undated image courtesy of OceanGate Expeditions, shows their Titan submersible beginning a descent. Rescue teams expanded their search underwater on June 20, 2023, as they raced against time to find a Titan deep-diving tourist submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic with five people on board and limited oxygen. All communication was lost with the 21-foot Titan craft during a descent June 18 to the Titanic, which sits at a depth of crushing pressure more than two miles below the surface of the North Atlantic. Authorities expanded rescue efforts as they race to find the missing submersible carrying five passengers on a deepwater quest to explore the wreck site of the Titanic as underwater noises were detected. Search vessels were redirected Tuesday after "multiple" aircraft detected underwater noises in the area. Navy acoustic analysts were studying the sounds, which were heard again Wednesday, said Capt. Jamie Frederick, the First Coast Guard District response coordinator, in a news conference Wednesday afternoon. "We don't know what they are," Frederick said. "The good news is, were searching in the area where the noises were detected." Pilot and CEO of OceanGate Stockton Rush and four commercial passengers including British billionaire Hamish Harding, French explorer Paul-Henry Nargeolet, Shahzada Dawood and Suleman Dawood, two members of one of Pakistans most prominent families were on board Titan, the 22-foot submersible when it lost contact with its support ship Sunday. The mission, led by OceanGate, is a privately-owned company that runs commercial projects, scientific research and exploration in deep water. Five vessels, two remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and aircrafts have been searching above and below the oceans surface since the submersible went missing, with additional vessels and ROVs expected to arrive Thursday morning, according to a Coast Guard official. As more information emerges about OceanGate's mission and the inherent dangers, former passengers have begun to share their experiences with Titan. More: Missing Titanic submersible live updates: Search expands 'exponentially'; more sounds heard Simpsons writer Mike Reiss: 'You know going in how very dangerous this is' Crews work on Coast Guard vessels at Coast Guard Base Boston in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 21, 2023. Rescuers searching for the submersible near the wreck of the Titanic have detected "underwater noises" in the search area, the US Coast Guard said June 21, 2023, with the five on board estimated to have less than 24 hours of oxygen left. When did they encounter Titan? Mike Reiss, a writer for "The Simpsons" said he and his wife embarked on their own Titanic expedition with Titan last year, after a friend told them about a guy in Seattle who was building his own sub, Reiss told KIRO 7 Tuesday. Story continues Prior to the trip to the Titanic site, the couple took other dives with the company. When they heard about a chance to visit the Titanic wreck site, they signed up for it. They didnt get a chance to stay long after the submersible reached the site because of unsafe weather conditions What was their experience on Titan? It was a real struggle to get to the Titanic. Our time was very, very short because on top of the danger of being two and a half miles down, there was a hurricane coming down at sea level, said Reiss. We really had this tight window. You sort of land at the bottom of the ocean and then go all right, wheres the Titanic? We know its around here somewhere.' As Reiss recalled his own experience in the same submersible 11 months ago, he remembers that they lost communication on every dive they took, which was just one of the problems, Reiss said. But anyone who boarded the Titan was aware of the risks associated with the voyage. Everyones hoping and praying. I just go I know having been in this situation its very difficult. You know, Im hoping, too. Its not any bad or reflection on Stockton Rush. Its his company and he designed it, but its just we are all part of this ongoing experiment, said Reiss. A look inside the Titan: Missing Titanic submersible: Maps, graphics show last location, depth and design Titan submersible composed of 'less sophisticated parts,' CBS reporter David Pogue says This undated image courtesy of OceanGate Expeditions, shows their Titan submersible during a descent. Rescue teams expanded their search underwater on June 20, 2023, as they raced against time to find a Titan deep-diving tourist submersible that went missing near the wreck of the Titanic with five people on board and limited oxygen. All communication was lost with the 21-foot (6.5-meter) Titan craft during a descent June 18 to the Titanic, which sits at a depth of crushing pressure more than two miles (nearly four kilometers) below the surface of the North Atlantic. (Photo by Handout / OceanGate Expeditions / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / OceanGate Expeditions" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS (Photo by HANDOUT/OceanGate Expeditions/AFP via Getty Images) ORIG FILE ID: AFP_33KD8MC.jpg When did he encounter Titan? CBS reporter David Pogue boarded the submersible alongside OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush in November for a report about Titans underwater expeditions. Described as MacGyvery with as much room as a minivan, the submersible relied on "less sophisticated and jerry-rigged components to help it run, according to the original CBS report. "There were parts of it that seemed to me to be less sophisticated than I was guessing. You drive it with a PlayStation video controller... some of the ballasts are old, rusty construction pipes," Pogue told USA TODAY. "There were certain things that looked like cut corners." What was his experience with the submersible? The Titan did get lost for a few hours on Pogues expedition and was unable to find the site of the Titanic wreck during one of the dives, but unlike the current situation crews were able to send short texts to communicate with the submersible even if they did not know where it was. This submersible does not have any kind of beacon like that. On my expedition last summer, they did indeed get lost for about 5 hours, and adding such a beacon was discussed, Pogue tweeted. They could still send short texts to the sub, but did not know where it was. It was quiet and very tense, and they shut off the ships internet to prevent us from tweeting. "I was anticipating a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and I got it," Pogue told USA TODAY's "5 Things" podcast. The expedition has a "safety-conscious culture as members of the trip went through mandatory daily briefings and were even taught how to put on smoke masks and use fire extinguishers in case of a scenario where there was smoke on the craft, Pogue said. "Nobody ever said, 'here's what you do if we lose communication and are trapped under the sea,' because it just seems impossibly remote," he said. ICYMI: Reporter who rode Titanic submersible tells USA TODAY about 'less sophisticated' parts Friend of British billionaire tells 'Good Morning America' he pulled out of Titanic expedition due to safety concerns When did he encounter the Titan? Digital marketing tycoon and friend of British billionaire Hamish Harding, Chris Brown told "Good Morning America" he was one of the first people to sign up for the Titanic submersible experience. "Being a modern-day adventurer interested in pushing the boundaries of our knowledge of places that people go... the Titanic is obviously an iconic wreck," he said. "It's a chance for an expedition, an exploration and adding a bit of science into the situation, Brown said. What was his experience on the submersible? Even though Brown ultimately decided not to board the Titan for fear of his safety, he was initially excited and drawn to the voyage because he wanted to see the Titanic wreckage in person. When asked about his concerns with the safety of the mission, Brown declined to elaborate, saying "the focus right now has to be on trying to rescue these people." Energy executive says passengers ability to survive may come down to passengers staying calm Chief executive of San Leon Energy and two-time Titan diver Oisin Fanning, said Stockton Rush and Paul-Henri Nargeole would know how to conserve oxygen and make the most of the submersibles blankets and scrubbers since both men knew it would take several days for a rescue vessel to arrive, the NYT reported Wednesday. Fanning said the passengers ability to stay calm and avoid panicked breathing could be critical to any chances of survival. When did he encounter the Titan? Fanning made two deep-sea dives on the Titan last summer, the Times reported. The prospect of seeing the Titanic close up made up for the fact that the submersible had not undergone the proper certification process, Fanning said. What was his experience like? Fanning felt that the thrill he experienced while he toured an area near the wreckage and another that visited the Titanic itself was well worth the cost of the expedition, about $120,000, even if it was not very pleasant. You see a lot, a bathtub in one of the rooms, a lamp outside the Sergeant of Arms rooms. It is not comfortable, youre in a cigar-like tube, and youre just sitting on the floor, taking turns looking out of a small porthole, he said. Titan expedition is not a 'Disney ride,' but felt completely safe, OceanGate investor tells TODAY When did he encounter Titan? OceanGate investor, Aaron Newman, says felt completely safe his entire trip aboard Titan in 2021. "They were a professional crew, they did a lot of training around safety and the backup systems around dropping weights, so I felt very safe. But ... this is not a Disney ride, right? We're going places that very few people have been, and this is inventing things. So there are risks, right? And we know that, but all these people accepted that, Newman told Today on Wednesday. What was his experience like? Newman compared his own time on the Titan akin to going to another planet." "You're getting in this craft you're bolted in. It's a tube that's comfortable, but not spacious," he said. "And at the surface, when you first get in, it gets very hot and stuffy and so you're laying down and you have a little packed lunch with you and a little bit of water, but you're planning for the day to be there. As you descend deeper and deeper into the ocean, the only that light is visible comes from the submersible. "By the time you hit the bottom, the water down there is below what standard freezing temperature is. That's going to conduct right through that metal, so it was cold when we were at the bottom. You had to layer up we had wool hats on and were doing everything to stay warm at that bottom, Newman said. The five passengers onboard the missing submersible are what Newman considers to be a good set of people because they are "people who lived in the edge and loved what they are doing as they calmly do what they can to stay alive." "Our focus is just hoping for this Hollywood ending to happen. We know the Coast Guard and everybody else is working so hard. And the OceanGate crew is working as hard as they can to possibly find this if anything is out there," he said. "It's promising but there's work to be done, and that's what the focus is." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Titanic submarine passengers share deep sea exploration experiences The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted Wednesday to censure Rep. Adam Schiff for his role in investigations of former President Donald Trump, a reprimand that the California Democrat says he will wear as a badge of honor. While censure is second-only to expulsion as the most serious discipline a member of Congress can face, it is likely only to boost Schiffs U.S. Senate campaign in the deep blue state. The vote fell basically on party lines, 213 to 209 with six members voting present. Democrats yelled shame and disgrace. Only two other House members have been censured in the last 40 years. The resolution, introduced twice now by Florida Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, publicly condemns Schiff, D-Burbank, and refers the matter to the House Ethics Committee. It involves various claims he made as a former member of the House Intelligence Committee and leader of the first impeachment inquiry into Trump, including the allegation that the former president colluded with Russia to win to 2016 election. Lunas resolution claims that Schiff misled Americans, citing a recent special counsels report that denounced the Federal Bureau of Investigations probe into alleged 2016 collusion, which is secret or illegal cooperation. The Florida Republican said the censure was about restoring honor, that would bring accountability and trust back to this very sacred institution. Schiff, first elected to the House in 2000, told Fox News early on Wednesday that he would wear this like a badge of honor. House Republicans go after people that they think are effective, he said. I exposed the corruption of the former president. Adam Schiff versus Donald Trump Schiff served on the Republican-led House Intelligence Committee, charged with overseeing intelligence agency actions, that started looking into whether Russia interfered in the 2016 election. After becoming chairman in 2019, he continued to press on Trump and his campaigns ties to Russian and Ukrainian officials. Story continues Schiff made frequent television appearances regarding Trump, and rose to national prominence in leading the first impeachment inquiry over Trumps dealings with Ukraine. Specifically, the censure resolution cites Schiff for discussing allegations about Trump and his campaigns ties to Russia ahead of the 2016 presidential election and a phone call between the former president and the Ukrainian president. It also cites a recent report by Special Counsel John Durham, who concluded that the FBI should not have launched a full investigation into connections between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. On Wednesday, Durham defended his report before the House Judiciary Committee and Schiff. After, Schiff defended the evidence of collusion he presented, writing on social media that some people are working overtime to excuse the facts and evidence of Russias interference in the 2016 election. All to protect Trump. Adam Schiffs leg up in the Senate race The Burbank Democrat is battling two House colleagues in next years primary to succeed retiring Sen. Dianne Feinstein: Reps. Katie Porter, D-Irvine, and Barbara Lee, D-Oakland. Schiff, who is marginally ahead in recent polls, will likely use the censure to appeal to California Democrats disdain for the former president and House Republicans like Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield. He is using this to carve out a spot as someone the Republican House wants to stop, said Christian Grose, academic director of the University of Southern Californias Schwarzenegger Institute. This gives Schiff a chance to break out of the pack from Porter and Lee by saying that he should get elected to the U.S. Senate because he must be the choice of Democrats if the Republican-led House wants to censure him. While Trump is the favorite among California Republicans to be the GOP nominee for president in 2024, his overall approval rating in the state is low. Almost half of California voters are Democrats, according to the California Secretary of State. Fewer than a quarter are Republicans with third-party and no-party preference voters making up the remainder. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, said Wednesday said that California was a poor model for the nation and that if the state sends Schiff to the Senate, they will be sending a proven liar. Thats what hes aiming to do, raise money off of being a liar and running for Senate, she said. Republicans talk accountability and trust House members voted on the measure to censure Schiff for the first time last week. Twenty Republicans joined Democrats in voting to table the matter, primarily over concerns about the constitutionality of fining Schiff $16 million half the cost of the federal investigation into alleged collusion in the 2016 election. As part of Lunas original resolution, Schiff would be fined if the Ethics Committee found that Schiff lied, made misrepresentations, and abused sensitive information. The 8th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution outlaws excessive fines or cruel and unusual punishments. Removing the fine got her more GOP support, including from five California Republicans who originally voted against it. Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Big Bear Lake, posted on social media that the revised resolution is in keeping with both our duty to enforce accountability in Congress and our pledge to defend the Constitution. California Republican Reps. David Valadao, Young Kim, Kevin Kiley and Tom McClintock also switched to support the censure. And Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, voted to condemn after casting a vote that was neither for or against last week. Congressman Schiff was removed from the House Intelligence Committee for abusing his position of trust and access to sensitive information, Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, said. Todays censure resolution is constitutionally sound and narrowly tailored to protect the institution of the House and its capacity to serve the American people. I opposed the original version of this resolution not to defend Mr. Schiffs lies, but to defend the process that exposed those lies, McClintock, R-Elk Grove, said. We must never punish speech in this House, only acts. This new version removes the fine and it focuses instead on specific acts, most particularly the abuse of his position as Intelligence chairman, he said. But the effort could wound Republicans, said Grose of USC. It is not clear to me what advantage Republicans in the House are gaining by focusing on this censure vote instead of more substantive policy, Grose said. I think the House Republicans would be better off focused on policy and not these matters. Lurie Childrens Hospital is again the No. 1 childrens hospital in Illinois, with Advocate Childrens Hospital and University of Chicago Comer Childrens Hospital tying for second place in the state, according to a new U.S. News & World Report ranking. The report ranked Lurie as the seventh best childrens hospital in the Midwest. No Illinois childrens hospital has ranked in the top 10 nationally since Lurie last scored a spot there in 2018. U.S. News does not rank childrens hospitals nationally beyond the top 10. We are proud to once again be recognized as the top pediatric hospital in Illinois by U.S. News & World Report, said Dr. Derek Wheeler, executive vice president and chief clinical officer at Lurie, in a statement. Our specialty rankings far outrank our peers in Chicago. It is important to keep in mind that with the current ranking methodology, year-to-year fluctuations can easily occur, depending in part on the high acuity and complexity of the patients we serve. Nine specialties at Lurie ranked among the top 25 nationwide. U.S. News ranked childrens hospitals across the country based on data and answers they provided to a U.S. News survey, as well as surveys of pediatric specialists. Hospitals were judged on measures including mortality, infection rates, clinical resources and compliance with best practices. This year, U.S. News changed its methodology to put less emphasis on expert opinions and give more weight to hospitals commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion, as well as best practices. Nationally, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center was named the top childrens hospital in the country, followed by Boston Childrens Hospital and Texas Childrens Hospital. In Illinois, Advocate Childrens moved up one spot this year, to tie for second best in the state with Comer. Last year, U.S. News ranked Comer second best in the state and Advocate Childrens third best. This year, Advocate Childrens and Comer also tied for 20th best in the Midwest, along with three other hospitals. Thats up one spot for Advocate Childrens and down several places for Comer, which tied for 14th best childrens hospital in the Midwest last year. Story continues Comer ranked in the top 50 in the country in one specialty, gastroenterology and GI surgery. Advocate Childrens also ranked in the top 50 in one specialty, cardiology and heart surgery. We believe todays ratings dont fully capture the exceptional, compassionate and safe medical care provided to children at our facility, said Dr. John Cunningham, physician-in-chief at Comer, in a statement. We are conducting a comprehensive data review to fully understand our rankings and are committed to advancing all quality improvement efforts. Advocate Childrens Hospital President Mike Farrell sad in a statement that the hospitals doctors, nurses and other employees work together to provide safe, high-quality care and, We are proud that their dedication has led us to be recognized as one of the highest-performing childrens hospitals in Illinois. Each year, a number of organizations rank hospitals, using different methodologies that often produce different results. Hospitals use high marks in their advertising to attract more patients and better compete with other facilities. Proponents of hospital rankings say theyre a valuable tool to help patients choose where to seek care, while critics say they dont paint a full picture or always take important factors into account. In recent years, some medical and law schools have rebelled against U.S. News rankings of their institutions, declining to fill out U.S. News surveys. Leaders at University of Chicagos Pritzker School of Medicine decided in January to no longer participate in U.S. News & World Reports medical school rankings. So far, no Chicago area hospitals have said they plan to withdraw from U.S. News hospital rankings. Pennsylvania hospital system St. Lukes University Health Network said in May it would no longer participate in U.S. News hospital rankings, calling them seriously flawed in a letter to U.S. News. A federal judge sentenced a Millburn man to 30 years in prison for multiple child pornography violations, including taking part in a livestream that showed a woman sexually abusing a boy, whom prosecutors previously alleged was 8 to 10 years old. Antonio Del Prado, 62, had pleaded guilty to multiple counts of producing child pornography, some of which showed Del Prado sexually assaulting children in the Philippines, the Justice Department said while announcing his prison term on Wednesday. Authorities began to investigate the Millburn resident after finding indications he had uploaded some of the illicit images and video recordings to a cloud server, according to the Justice Department. Federal agents seized multiple digital devices belonging to Del Prado during his arrest in November 2020, all of which were found to contain abusive materials, law enforcement claimed. After serving his term, Del Prado will be subject to 10 years of supervised release. This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Millburn NJ man sentenced to prison for child pornography German soldiers in British Channel Islands in the 1940s. Great Britain stood firm, but never quite alone, against the Nazis. The sacrifices of British service members, spies, and even average citizens held the Third Reich at arm's length across the English Channel. The British people, rallied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, promised to fight on the beaches, the landing grounds, the fields and the streets, and more. But five islands did fall to Germany. The Channel Islands stand just 20-45 miles from the coast of France and suffered German attacks and Nazi occupation. Paris fell to the Germans on June 14, and just a few days later, Churchill took the tough decision to demilitarize the Channel Islands. The islands had little strategic value, and it made sense to let them go rather than risk Royal Navy assets. So Britain ordered an evacuation starting June 19. The evacuation is critiqued as being poorly planned and executed. Regardless of why, only half the population of Guernsey and a fifth of Jersey made it out. Smaller islands got most or all of their population off. Life under Nazi occupation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM3fG65XjUc Life got rough for the remaining residents, mostly on the larger islands of Guernsey and Jersey. First, Britain kept the demilitarization of the islands a secret. Germany thought they were still occupied and attacked a line of trucks with a bombing run. The trucks only contained tomatoes, but 44 civilians died in that and other attacks. The abandonment of the islands triggered arguments in Parliament. As Lord Mottistone described it, "We surrendered a place where the flag of Britain has flown for 800 years," without firing a shot. Germany occupied the islands on June 30. The troops instituted German laws and norms on the islands. Traffic was forced to reverse to driving on the right, the currency was changed to the Reichsmark, and clocks shifted to German time. For more than four years, German soldiers stole from residents, abused suspected dissenters, and deported Jewish people and resisters. Despite the risks, some residents did resist. Story continues The most prominent of them, Frank Falla, used an illegal radio to listen to British war news and then published a newsletter. This newsletter served as a lifeline for those resisting German propaganda. But an unknown informant eventually ratted out Falla. The Germans deported him and hundreds of others to concentration camps in France and Germany as political prisoners. The living hell of those deported British islanders deported to the continent faced one of two hells. A few were deported to standard prisons, which was dangerous and miserable, but at least it wasn't industrial-scale slaughter like in the camps. Most islanders traveled between multiple prisons and concentration camps. Many islanders only spoke English, which became a problem in the camps. All prisoners struggled in the camps, but guards typically gave orders in German, and prisoners built relationships in continental languages like French, German, Polish, or Russian. Some islanders could speak French and fell in with French prisoners, but many only spoke English and were completely socially isolated. Some survivors described being the only person in the camp who spoke English, leading to extra beatings from annoyed guards. And, as Britain continued to resist German invasion and then launched its own attacks against German forces, guards took out their frustrations on the captive islanders in camps. In Frank Falla's case, he was forced with other prisoners to dig unexploded bombs from the ground. Imagine being singled out for extra attention in a concentration camp. As British forces liberated concentration camps, they looked for the Channel Island survivors. American troops liberated Naumburg Prison on April 13, 1945, freeing Falla and the last surviving Islanders. At least 21 islanders from Guernsey and eight from Jersey died in prisons and camps. When Churchill announced the surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, he said, "Hostilities will end officially at one minute after midnight tonight. And our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed today." The road closure signs have popped up on various major routes through or near Delafield, Oconomowoc, Wales and Waukesha this summer. Construction will last through July or later. Road-closed signs that stand in the way of major routes in Waukesha County particularly in and around Waukesha and Lake Country will continue to send drivers down alternate paths as the busy summer travel season begins. While seasonal construction isn't new or unexpected, these projects could catch you by surprise if you haven't been using them on your daily routes. They all involve road closures on major routes that provide access to Interstate 94, plus one through the heart of Waukesha that carries city traffic toward the interstate. So for those looking to avoid detours, here are a few to watch out for. Highway 83 north of the city of Delafield A 7-mile state highway project, just north of I-94, that started in late April will continue into mid-July from North Lake to Highway 167, which by extension is one of the east-west access routes to Interstate 41 to the east. The project which primarily involves patching of the base pavement, grinding off the asphalt and resurfacing the road forced the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to close off two segments of the road and detour traffic to Highway 16 to the south and Highway 164 to the east. Highway 18 between Waukesha and Wales The U.S. highway, from Lincolnshire Place (just east of Highway 83) to Turnberry Oak Drive (just west of Meadowbrook Road) will be closed to through-traffic until October, with construction scheduled to begin June 19. What's more, a culvert replacement on the east side of the project will close the road to all traffic at that spot for about a month beginning July 5. It's essentially a road-base patching, asphalt milling and replacement project, with added elements (including rumble strips) and new markings. The detour will take traffic north or south on Highway 318 (Meadowbrook), east and west on I-94, and north or south on Highway 83. If you're one of those who uses Highway 18 as an alternate route to avoid traffic on I-94, be forewarned. Story continues Delafield Street in Waukesha A chunk of Delafield Street, a road that carries traffic from downtown Waukesha to two access points to I-94, will remain under construction into October, but the road, which closed to through-traffic in March, will reopen in part at some point in July, assuming the initial plans hold. The work involves a complete rebuild, including concrete pavement and curb and gutter reconstruction, as part of a utility project that required the street to be torn up. The closed portion of Delafield Street runs from Prospect Avenue to Magnolia Drive, forcing a detour along Summit Avenue. While the road will open mid-summer, the work will continue on Moreland Boulevard and Northview Road into the fall, with some lane closures. Valley Road/Morgan Road intersection in Summit Sometimes, one intersection can stand in the way of a convenient interstate access route. Valley Road (Highway B) at the Morgan Road intersection will halt traffic on both roads, at least through July, in the village of Summit near the city of Oconomowoc. The work, part of Waukesha County's Highway Safety Program, consists of the removal and replacement of asphalt pavement, curbs and gutters in conjunction with safety improvements administered by the state DOT. Overall, the work is expected to continue until September. Contact Jim Riccioli at (262) 446-6635 or james.riccioli@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jariccioli. Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha County projects close roads used for I-94 access A 29-year-old man wanted in a Santa Fe, New Mexico, shooting that killed one person and injured another has been arrested in Wichita, according to the Santa Fe Police Department. Francisco Javier Grado-Flores of Santa Fe was arrested by Wichita police and then booked into the Sedgwick County Jail around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, the police department said. He was wanted on suspicion of murder and tampering with evidence, according to Santa Fe police. In his mugshot, Grado-Flores has a bandage on his head. He told officers he had been injured in a fight, police said. Grado-Flores was being sought in a June 19 early morning shooting. Police were called at 3:51 a.m. by a neighbor who said a woman had asked for help after her mother had been shot; another person was dead. Police found a 56-year-old woman who had been shot. She was taken to the hospital. Police also found 27-year-old Raul Rene Montejano Jr. unconscious after being shot. He died at the scene. The Santa Fe Police Department thanks the Wichita Police Department for their quick response and help in apprehending Mr. Grado-Flores, Santa Fe police said in a news release. Months after the Missouri Board of Education voted to close a Kansas City charter school, a judge on Wednesday reversed the decision, allowing it to stay open this fall. The state school board in April unanimously agreed to shut down Genesis on Kansas Citys East Side, affirming a state commissions decision to revoke the schools charter because of years of low test scores. Its an almost unheard of move in Missouri to nullify a schools charter in the middle of its contract. Genesis sued the state board and its sponsor, the Missouri Charter Public School Commission, arguing that officials violated the law in closing the K-8 school. A judge in Cole County Court in Jefferson City sided with the school and reinstated its charter, saying the decision to revoke it was unlawful and arbitrary. Genesis Executive Director Kevin Foster told The Star that the school plans to now stay open next school year, and that he is excited to start calling families and tell them I intend on serving them in the fall. Ultimately, were just happy for the families that we serve that call me every day and ask, Mr. Foster, have you heard anything from the judge yet? Is the school going to be open? Foster said. Im incredibly thankful to the staff and teachers. They can work anywhere right now, but many of them have done their very best to stick with us knowing that we had an opportunity to win and continue to serve. A state education department spokeswoman said in an email on Thursday that officials are currently reviewing the courts decision. In a Thursday statement, charter commission officials said, Because Genesis School has been a persistently poor performing school, we concluded revoking its charter was best for the children. We were careful and thoughtful about the revocation process. Unfortunately, the Court ruled against the Commission. We respect the judges ruling and will abide by it. Genesis contract with the charter commission runs through June 2025. After that, Foster said, the school would likely need to find a new sponsor to keep operating. Story continues Genesis has served at-risk students since 1975 and is now one of Missouris oldest charter schools. It was first sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The University of Missouri-Columbia later took that over and in 2020 renewed the charter, but put the school on probation due to its low academic performance. But MU later lost the authority to sponsor Genesis and two other charter schools. Last year, the state charter commission took over. A few months after Genesis signed its performance contract with the new sponsor, the commission notified the school it was not meeting standards. In December, the commission notified the school it intended to revoke its charter. Genesis refused to voluntarily relinquish its charter. In January, the commission held a hearing where dozens of families fought for the school to stay open. In Wednesdays ruling, the judge, S. Cotton Walker, said that Genesis was not in breach of its contract, and that the commission violated the contract by failing to provide Genesis with enough notice or calls for corrective action specified in the agreement. The charter school commission in February voted 6-1 to revoke the schools charter on June 30, citing 15 years of low academic performance and broken promises. In the 2021-2022 school year, for example, the commission said only 13 out of 100 students performed at or above grade level in English and math. Typically, a sponsor decides whether to renew or revoke a schools charter at the end of a contract. Genesis appealed the decision in March, with the backing of dozens of families who said the school effectively serves some of Kansas Citys most at-risk students. School leaders said the state commissions decision to close the school was unlawful and was not supported by the data, arguing that Genesis has seen student performance improve since the COVID-19 pandemic. But state school board leaders agreed that the schools educational failings were so severe that it had to close. Still, ahead of the state board vote, Missouri Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven acknowledged, There are concerns about how the charter commission proceeded with the revocation. And she said it is clear the process was deficient. Officials said state statute allows them to revoke the charter mid-contract if there is clear evidence of low scores in the schools annual performance report in three of the last four school years or if theres a violation of the law or the public trust. The charter commission says Genesis under-performed for each of the three years for which the state could use performance data for accountability. But required state assessments were canceled during the pandemic, and test scores have dropped overall since. Genesis argued the commission should have relied on the schools annual performance reports from the last four years. Foster said Genesis has seen student performance improve since the pandemic, as students continued to learn in person. The school says 2021 state assessment data shows growth in both English and math, as well as a 15% reduction in the number of students scoring below basic in English. The judge agreed with the schools interpretation, saying that the most recent years data should have been used. The ruling said the contract also contains other standards that were not followed, and that the statute does not grant the commission authority to nullify the charter. The Commission is required by state statute to adopt a policy related to revocation and it had done so, the judge wrote. That policy does not include a statutory requirement that the Commission revoke a charter if the charter schools academic performance is below that of the resident district (Kansas City Public Schools) for three of the last four years. In fact, nothing in the policy allows the staff to recommend revocation based on any specific number of years of academic performance or for any comparison to the resident school district or otherwise. The contract allowed the commission to revoke Genesis charter if it breached the agreement, failed to meet performance measures or failed to adhere to mandated corrective actions. The judge ruled the state board of education also acted arbitrarily in closing the school, and that board members did not consider any data or evidence before making a decision. There are few puzzles out there as iconic and recognizable as the Rubiks Cube. A twistable block covered on all sides with colored squares meant to serve as a puzzling brain teaser, the Rubiks has delighted some and frustrated many since its creation in 1974. Some of us are even pretty good at solving one, dusting off the skill when in need of a party a trick or a fun fact to share at the office. For Max Park and his family, however, the iconic colorful blocks are a symbol of much more. In fact, Parks parents credit the activity, known as cubing, and the community built around it with saving their son. Basically cubing has saved his life. It has just been an unbelievable teacher for Max, father Schwan Park told USA TODAY. Max, a 21-year-old California native, was declared the new world record holder earlier this month after solving a 3x3x3 Rubiks Cube in a matter of 3.13 seconds, surpassing former champ Yusheng Dus time of 3.47 seconds. A master of what is known as speedcubing, Park has broken 69 records to date, according to his father, and is a standing member of the Guinness World Records Hall of Fame. Currently the holder of multiple active cubing-related titles, Park has been recognized for solving the 4x4x4, 5x5x5, 6x6x6 and 7x7x7 cubes in record time, finishing the latter in a matter of 1 minute and 35 seconds. While cubing has been a passion of Parks, whose motto is dont think, just solve, for more than 10 years now, it all started as a form of therapy. 21-year-old breaking Rubik's Cube record Watch 21-year-old solve Rubiks Cube in astonishing 3.13 seconds, setting new world record Max Park shows off one his cubing trophies Cubing as therapy Max was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, prompting parents Schwan and Miki to seek new ways to help their son develop different skills. Early in life, Max struggled with fine motor movements and began working with an occupational therapist to help strengthen his fingers. It was during the course of this therapy, when Max was about 9 years old, that Miki decided to hand her son a Rubiks Cube that had been laying around the house. After learning the basics on YouTube, she taught Max how to use the puzzle and watched as the student very quickly surpassed the teacher. Story continues Max took the cube and he just gravitated towards it and just went down a rabbit hole, said Schwan. I mean, he really loved it, he needed to solve it, and so right away in about two days he was able to solve it. He learned very, very quickly. It was just something he loved. At the age of 10, Maxs parents brought him to his first cubing competition, believing it would be a good environment for Max not only to share his passion but work on things like socialization, learning non-verbal cues such as pointing, communication and recognizing social cues. Even waiting in line at the event served as valuable learning experience for Max, Schwan said. Quickly, the family realized that the cubing community was much bigger and much more welcoming than they had realized. We took him to a cube competition and all of a sudden, he was pointing at some kids that he knew from YouTube. We just saw him light up and he totally found his tribe of people, Schwan said. He and Miki immediately recognized these events as a potential goldmine of opportunities to help their son expand and grow his life skills. Were sitting there always struggling to look for therapy sessions, to help him get socialized and here was a perfect venue," Schwan said. "The motivation was something that was just so helpful in helping him to develop everything that we had hoped he could achieve. First man diagnosed with autism dies Mississippi man Donald Triplett, first person diagnosed with autism, dead at 89 The Park family pictured from left to right: Schwan, Jason, Max and Miki A master in the making Max took to competitive cubing faster than even his parents could have imagined, winning the 6x6 cube contest at the second competition he attended. They were shocked to watch Max quickly outpace contestants three times his age, Schwan said, beating college-aged kids that towered over him in family photos from the time. The crazy part is we didn't even know he could do the 6x6, so when we found out that he won, we were like, are you kidding? said Schwan. I remember the delegate telling us Oh, the time that he got is top 100 in the United States, and we were just blown away. From those first moments, Max and his family never looked back. Now 21 and a record-breaker many times over, Max has no intentions of slowing down. In fact, besides being a well-recognized member of the World Cube Association, Max is also an official ambassador for the Rubiks brand itself. He also appeared in a 2020 documentary titled The Speed Cubers, which explored the rivalry and friendship between Max and fellow world-renowned speedcuber Feliks Zemdegs. As Maxs star grew, people began to recognize him not only at cubing competitions and gatherings but on the street, as well. Even this development, Schwan said, was an avenue for Max to learn and practice new skills. As he started getting more and more notoriety within the speed cubing community. people were asking for his autograph. And we really had to work on that because, being on the spectrum, he sort of really doesn't get the kind of like the adulation and the fame part, said Schwan. After some therapy work and practice, Max got more comfortable meeting fans and got used to signing autographs and smiling for pictures. Though Max has gotten somewhat accustomed to the limelight, he still hesitates to appear on camera and often communicates with a mixture of verbal and non-verbal cues, meaning he isn't usually available to give his own interviews. But to Max, it isn't about the accolades or fame anyway, but rather facing the next challenge head-one. Cubing as a community Maxs latest landmark achievement with the 3x3 Rubik's Cube happened earlier this month, June 11, at Pride in Long Beach, a competition overseen by the World Cube Association (WCA). The non-profit is tasked with hosting and governing competitions for mechanical puzzles known as twisty puzzles, which are solved by twisting groups of pieces into place. While Rubiks is by and far the most famous example, the WCA selects a group of these puzzles for official events, which have been hosted in multiple countries across the globe. According to their website, the WCA has hosted more than 10,000 competitors from 140 different countries over the past decade, operating entirely with a volunteer-only team. The small but mighty organization offers not only a fair place for the best to compete, but a sense of community that has proven invaluable for families like the Parks. Max Park pictured holding a Rubik's Cube The speed cubing community, the WCA, we can't thank them enough, said Schwan. I mean, we even tear up sometimes just thinking about where our lives would be without this, because this has given back so much that most people don't even see. The little things, the little moments of success we are just so unbelievably grateful for. The community opened up to Max and his family from day one, Schwan said, providing an inclusive environment and a warm welcome. They helped and understood exactly how to help Max without even being told, something the family was especially grateful for 10 years ago, when the general public was less aware and educated on the topic of autism. The Parks have also enjoyed watching the young people around them grow in self-confidence along with their son, noting that kids who may be called nerdy or shy often blossom after finding their tribe in the cubing community. "They find themselves," Schwan said. "And not only do they find themselves, they get to know who they are and they like themselves very much, which I think is just unbelievably amazing. Future competitors As for Max breaking more records, Schwan said its a very really possibility for the future. Though he thinks 3.13 seconds should hold as the world's fasted for a while, cubing has always been about personal challenge as opposed to public adoration for Max, who will continue to cube competitively for as long as he loves doing it. Though meeting Max at the competition table may seem a bit intimidating for speedcubing hopefuls, Schwan encouraged anyone with interest to give it a shot. My one piece of advice is just go," Schwan said. "Its not just the competition and doing well at the competition, you're going to find yourself. It's going to be something thats going to, possibly, define your life, as it did for Max. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How world-record holder Max Park found community with a Rubik's Cube Matthew Smith, 34, from East Dulwich (National Crime Agency) A former deputy head teacher at a school once attended by Prince George and Princess Charlotte is facing many years behind bars after admitting 22 child sex offences. Matthew Smith, 34, from East Dulwich, was raided by the National Crime Agency when investigators discovered he was sharing abuse material on the dark web. At the time of his arrest last November, Smith was caught online speaking to a teenage boy living in India. He had asked him to send sexual images of a younger child in return for money, Southwark Crown Court heard. Smith also had dark web forums dedicated to child sexual abuse open on his computer. Detectives studied those chat logs and financial transactions to establish Smith paid 65,398 to that same teenager, and another also based in India, to abuse children over a five-year period. Smith was living in Nepal and working at a school for the majority of this time. Prior to this, he spent various periods working in orphanages across India between 2007 and 2014. Smith moved back to the UK in July 2022 and two months later began working as deputy head and was in charge of pastoral care at Thomas prep school in Battersea. None of the charges related to his time at the primary the two young royals left when they relocated to Windsor with the Prince and Princess of Wales in August. Officers recovered over 120,000 indecent images of children Smith saved on a laptop, SD card and on his mobile. There is no evidence to suggest he committed offences against children based in Nepal or the UK. Southwark Crown Court (Sean Dempsey/PA) (PA Archive) Smith pleaded guilty to an initial five offences in November 2022. Last month, he was charged with a further 17 counts, including encouraging the rape of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and arranging the sexual abuse of a child. On Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to the additional crimes and will be sentenced at the same court on August 4. A spokesperson for Thomass Battersea said: We have been shocked and appalled beyond measure by this matter and are grateful for the work of the police and courts in bringing this man to account. Story continues Mr Smiths employment at the school, which commenced in September 2022, was terminated with immediate effect when the school first learned of the charges against him in November.While the National Crime Agency has confirmed that none of the matters under investigation related to the school or its pupils, these deplorable actions constitute an unforgivable breach of trust and our thoughts are with those who have been impacted or damaged by them. As always, we remain absolutely committed to the ongoing safety and wellbeing of our pupils and our whole school community. Helen Dore, an NCA senior officer, said: Matthew Smith was a high risk individual and we moved quickly to locate, arrest and remand him so he could no longer pose a threat to children. Ultimately, we were able to prove that he was a prolific offender who manipulated young men to sexually abuse children on his behalf, giving them detailed instructions and financial reward. While conducting his offending, Smith worked at a school in Nepal, then became a deputy head teacher and head of pastoral care in the UK, so his offending is a deep betrayal of the trust placed in him. The NCA is dedicated to operating online and overseas, working with global partners to ensure that children are safeguarded and offenders like Smith are brought to justice. Specialist prosecutor Claire Brinton, of the Crown Prosecution Services organised child sexual abuse unit, added: Matthew Smiths crimes are particularly disturbing given his role as a primary school teacher entrusted with the responsibility of caring for and safeguarding children. This conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside the NCA and international partners, will work to bring to justice to those who sexually abuse and exploit children, wherever that abuse takes place. John Cusack has tweeted about the search for the Titanic submersible. (REUTERS) John Cusack has sparked debate after suggesting that no one cares when refugee boats capsize but that things are very different when it comes to the lost Titanic submersible. The sub went missing in the Atlantic on an underwater journey to the wreck of the Titanic, with five people on board. A large search is under way, with experts predicting that the vessel will soon run out of oxygen. Read more: Channel 5 under fire for 'distasteful' show on missing Titanic submersible Commenting on the search on Twitter, Cusack appeared to reference the migrant boat that recently sank off Greece, leaving 78 dead and hundreds missing. All I can think is refugees capsize no one cares - some billionaires on joy rides go missing - it seems like multiple navys are instantly searching, the 56-year-old posted. All I can think is refugees capsize no one cares - some billionaires on joy rides go missing - it seems like multiple navys are instantly searching - https://t.co/ViOtPMkJsB John Cusack (@johncusack) June 21, 2023 Many people chimed in to agree with the actor, who is known for films such as Sixteen Candles and Being John Malkovich. One person tweeted that it was infuriating and another said: It's really, really sad when it's right in front you. Money people mean more than anyone else. I just got done saying the same thing... said one fan. Five billionaires get lost in a s****** submersible on a $250k per person trip to see the Titanic, and half the US Coast Guard gets mobilised to find them. The tourist submarine went missing in the Atlantic. (Ocean Gate/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Innocent refugees get lost at sea trying to make their way to safety and a better life, and no one can be bothered to give a crap. However, another said: I agree that society is very one-sided but in my mind they're still people. We have to watch the way we refer to people with money, said someone else. Story continues It is not fair to think they are less than just because they are rich. One fan suggested people have been gripped by the story because we can see ourselves in a tourist junket that goes awry. Several people agreed with the actor. (REUTERS) Plausible something like that could happen to us, they said. Read more: John Cusack defends speaking out about politics: 'I havent really been hot for a long time' We dont really see ourselves in a boat full of other refugees. "I think people are by and large only empathetic to those with whom they can identify. Watch: John Cusack to host "High Fidelity" screening Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters If youre one of the many who plan to travel this summer, youre probably looking forward to a trip to a beachside locale, or maybe hiking through a National Park, or even just visiting friends and family in their local cities. This isnt going to be the case if youre a billionaire. Instead, youre more likely to do things like jet set to a private Tahitian island with your closest friends, or spend a week at one of the worlds most exclusive ski resorts, or book a private $300,000 opera concert for you and your wife. Or, if that all strikes you as a little boring, you might want to find something a little more adventurous like cage diving with sharks in South Africa, standing in a traffic jam line to climb Mt. Everest, or even launching yourself into space aboard a rocket built by Jeff Bezos Blue Origin or Elon Musks SpaceX. It might sound far-fetched to us normal wage earners, but extreme and potentially dangerous travel experiences are actually part of a growing trend among the worlds ultra-wealthy. As weve recently seen with the missing Titanic submersible incident, these experiences often come with a high riskone that might result in even more injury and death amongst the worlds richest people for the sake of novelty. Reporter Recalls Terrifying Moment His Sub Was Trapped Near Titanic Propeller Adventure tourism at large is a growing segment, Rich Harrill, the director of the International Tourism Research Institute at the University of South Carolina, told The Daily Beast. There are elements within that like extreme tourism where there is some risk. Though saddened and concerned for the missing crew members of the Titanic sub, Harris said he wasnt surprised to hear about the trip. The subdubbed the Titanis owned and operated by private submersible company OceanGate, which charters the sub for trips to the Titanic wreckage for $250,000 per passenger. Despite the high costs, the company and others like it have a long wait list of wealthy tourists itching to sink more than 2 miles under the North Atlantic surface to peer at the doomed wreck of the ship. Story continues Such experiences are tailored for ultra-wealthy thrillionaires, Harrill explained, borrowing a term from culture consultant Larry Samuel. These are billionaires who love to spend their money on novel, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. These uber-rich have been there and done it allfrom climbing to the summit of Mt. Everest to hunting big game animals in the middle of Africa to circumnavigating the Earth in private sailboats. The Lost Titanic Sub Didnt Even Have a Basic Safety Beacon They're looking for a sense of personal fulfillment, Angela Hughes, the founder of travel consultancy Luxury Travel University and travel agency Trips and Ships Luxury Travel, told The Daily Beast. By indulging in these experiences, there's a release of adrenaline and a rush of excitement that's difficult to find anywhere else. With the high-end luxury market, she added, theres an escape from a mundane routine of everyday life, and provide an outlet for them to experience a sense of accomplishment. But that comes at a cost beyond just a pricey line on a credit card statement. This sense of accomplishment and adventurous travel experiences often come tethered with an undeniable risk factor. Look no further than OceanGates expedition to the Titanic, which required participants to sign a waiver that acknowledged that crew members were about to board an experimental, submersible vessel that has not been approved or certified by any regulatory body and could result in physical injury, disability, emotional trauma, or death. The technologyor rather, the lack thereofbehind the submersible bears this out. It seemed slap-dash and almost cobbled together. CBS reporter David Pogue visited OceanGate as part of a profile on their operations in 2022 and called out the Titans MacGyver-y, jerry-riggedness construction. Its not just billionaires going into experimental, deep-sea submersibles. We see this kind of risk-taking behavior when the ultra-wealthy decide to tackle the worlds tallest mountain. A growing number of wealthy and inexperienced mountaineers have tried to climb Mt. Everest in recent yearswith deadly results. In fact, 11 climbers lost their lives attempting to summit the worlds tallest mountain in 2019 alone. Similarly, the fledgling space tourism industry is already seeing an influx of billionaires trying to play Neil Armstrong and jettison off into orbit via the services of any number of growing private aerospace companies. In doing so, theyll be flying in large and recently-developed rockets that have a history of spectacular explosions. Sure, no one has died yet while traveling into space and back aboard a private rocketbut there havent been that many trips to begin with. As the saying goes, space wants to kill you. It might be only a matter of time before it does. Hughes said that she has recently been working with private aerospace vendors to help coordinate a growing number of clients who have expressed interest in private space travel. Its something that she also anticipates will grow more in the future. More Banging Noises Heard at Titanic Sub Search Site Both Hughes and Harrill agree that its the nature of billionaire spending habits. Its not so much that being ultra-wealthy turns you into an adrenaline junky. Its that it makes you more likely to turn to the extremes of whatever youre already interested in. For example, if you love to collect books, youll be able to find the rarest first editions of the most sought after books out there. Likewise, if youre interested in space, youre not just going to buy a telescope and be done with it. Youre going to want to physically touch the moon. And if youre interested in the Titanic and shipwrecks, youre going to want to see the damn thing yourself. Of course, this comes at the potentially steep price of putting one's life on the line. But, for some people, moneyand their livesare truly no object. Experiential travel comes with not just dollar cost, but a safety cost as well, Hughes said. And as we continue to push for excitement and the adrenaline that comes with it, we've got to remember that the universe loves to push backand it has this week for sure. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Salt Lake Police investigate a scene in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Chadwick Shane Mobley, 42, last seen June 7 in Corrine, Box Elder County, is wanted as a person of interest in a murder investigation in Michigan from 2011. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News A suspect in a Michigan homicide investigation who is believed to have been recently living in Utah was being watched by Utah authorities earlier this year for about two months, according to police. An arrest warrant for 42-year-old Chadwick Shane Mobley has been issued out of Michigan for investigation of murder, police confirmed Wednesday. Last week, the Utah State Bureau of Investigation said it had been asked by Michigan State Police to help locate Mobley in connection with a 2011 murder investigation. Mobley was last seen in Corrine, Box Elder County, on June 7, according to Utah authorities. But agents were keeping surveillance on Mobley in February, according to a newly unsealed search warrant affidavit filed in Utah on behalf of Michigan police. Andrea Eilber, 20, was found shot to death in Lapeer County, Michigan, in an area about 30 minutes outside of Flint, in 2011. Kenneth Grondin, then 19, Eilber's boyfriend, was arrested and charged with murder. Grondin was convicted in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. But in 2018, he "was granted an appeal based on faulty language on the jury verdict instruction form. He was subsequently released from prison and a new trial was ordered," according to court documents. Media reports in Michigan say Eilber is on house arrest and is expected to go to trial again later this year. According to the affidavit in Utah, a cigarette butt was one of the pieces of evidence collected near the Michigan crime scene. DNA collected from the cigarette showed a single male profile. But after comparing it with 36 other DNA samples from people believed to be connected to the case, no match was found, the affidavit states. In 2019, Michigan police requested DNA familial genealogy testing on the cigarette butt and requested funding for it in 2020, but the "attempts and requests were unsuccessful due to incorrect information on property items and budget constraints from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic." Story continues In 2022, a private lab in Texas specializing in genetic genealogy testing took the sample. In January, the lab notified police that the DNA may be linked to a man living in Utah, according to the affidavit. At the time, Mobley was listed as living in Brigham City. Michigan police further learned that Mobley had lived in Auburn Hills in 2011, about 40 miles away from Lapeer, according to the warrant, and was employed in Pontiac. The Utah Department of Public Safety was contacted and investigators held surveillance on Mobley for two months, the affidavit says. During that time, they learned that the long-haul truck driver did not have a permanent residence, but appeared to live out of his semitruck. His personal vehicle was typically parked near the Walmart Distribution Center in Corinne. "Chadwick has never been observed to discard or abandon any object known to have been in his mouth. He has never been observed by Utah Department of Public Safety/State Bureau of Investigation to converse or visit any residence, restaurant, nor any other building location unrelated to work. Chadwick has been observed to be a smoker of cigarettes," according to the affidavit. On Feb. 28, investigators watched Mobley walking a dog and saw him collect dog feces in a plastic bag, tie it in a knot and throw it away. Police collected the knotted portion of the bag to be tested for DNA, the affidavit says, but the test was not successful. It was not immediately known on Wednesday whether an additional DNA sample was found or what piece of evidence may have been collected that prompted an arrest warrant to be issued. Brandy Escamilla and Josilyn Ruiz, left, the engaged Seattle couple who were fatally shot at The Gorge Amphitheatre. Stroke is the second leading cause of death in India. About 1,85,000 strokes happen in India every year, about one stroke every 40 seconds and one stroke death every 4 minutes is being reported. Amid the rising caseload of strokes in Maharashtra, the state health department has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a multinational pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim India with the goal of enhancing stroke care at government hospitals using artificial intelligence. The health ministry report stated, stroke is a major cause of death and disability in India, which ranks second globally with 7.7 lakh fatalities per year.According to the MoU, the pharmaceutical company would use AI technologies to train government hospital staff in person. Additionally, it will give the government hospitals the tools they need to enhance the capacity of multidisciplinary stroke teams so they can get access to resources like training materials, equipment, and consulting help to improve stroke care.There will soon be a trial programme on stroke detection and management in Thane, Aurangabad, Pune, Nanded, and Amravati. This partnership underscores the governments commitment to enhancing healthcare services in the field of stroke treatment, according to Dr Nagnath Mudam, joint director of NCD in Mumbai. Recently, stroke has become a major public health problem, necessitating sustained public-private cooperation to assist residents live better lives.The government hospitals of choice would have a minimum of one CT scan facility operating 24 hours a day with a minimum of one technician for Face-Arms-Speech-Time diagnosis.A stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain breaks or when the blood supply to a portion of the brain is cut off. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. Summitul UE-Celac se incheie cu un rezultat dulce-amarui A spune ca summitul dintre UE si Celac care a avut loc saptamana aceasta la Bruxelles a fost un succes istoric si o piatra de hotar pentru ca doua blocuri care nu statusera la masa de opt ani au promis ca vor intari legaturile, au semnat unele conventii si acorduri bilaterale si 45.000 [citeste mai departe] Stiri pe aceeasi tema - Daniel Vasile, prim-vicepresedinte al Partidei Romilor Pro-Europa, a criticat modul in care au ales sa isi expuna nemultumirile (mai multe aici) primarul Emil Boc de la Cluj-Napoca si primarul Constantin Toma de la Buzau, spunand ca oamenii trebuie sa vada ceea ce se realizeaza, marile proiecte care - At its Thursday meeting, the Supreme Council for National Defense (CSAT) examined Romania's participation in a new transatlantic project - the establishment in Romania of an F-16 pilot training facility, the Presidential Administration informs in a release.Together with other allies and the company - European Union leaders will on Thursday debate the repercussions of the aborted mutiny in Russia as they pledge further support for Ukraine in its war against Moscows invasion, according to Reuters. At a summit in Brussels, the leaders will also talk with NATO boss Jens Stoltenberg and discuss what - PM Ciuca holds new round of negotiations with education trade unions. Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca will have a new round of negotiations with the representatives of the education unions, on strike since May 22, on Friday afternoon, at the Victoria Palace, told Agerpres. CITESTE SI Romanian gov't, - The transformation of the Romanian health system is a slow, discontinuous and fragmented process, placing Romania among the EU states with the highest number of preventable deaths, but by 2027 all the regions of the country will have new hospitals, argues Minister of European Investments and Projects - Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez will come to Bucharest at the beginning of June, announced, on Tuesday, the minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, during the meeting with the representatives of the Romanian community in Valencia."Soon we will have another important meeting in Bucharest: - USR Cluj ii cere lui Emil Boc sa prezinte public raportul privind anularea licitatiei proiectului centurii, pentru a vedea unde s-a gresit. Centura este prioritatea 1 pentru Cluj Napoca si interesul fiecarui cetatean este deblocarea proiectului si inceperea de urgenta a lucrarilor.Din pacate, in - Cluj-Napoca si Sibiu au ajuns in topul negativ al consumului mare de droguri, la un nivel apropiat de Bucuresti si Constanta. Asta sustine europarlamentarul Rares Bogdan, prieten si coleg de partid cu primarul Emil Boc, care vorbeste despre faptul ca ar trebui ca acest lucru sa reprezinte un semnal Stiri pe aceeasi tema - Almost 130,000 people enter Romania on June 22, including 15,426 Ukrainian citizens. As many as 129,651 people, including 15,426 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Thursday, June 22, the General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF) reported on Friday, told Agerpres. CITESTE SI NATO Deputy Secretary - Student League Iasi calls on president Klaus Iohannis to send Education Laws back to Parliament. The Student League (LS) Iasi calls on president Klaus Iohannis to send the Education Laws back to Parliament, given a number of provisions that would violate students' rights and give more power to rectors, - Euro trades at 4.9636 RONThe exchange rate of the national leu currency resulting from the quotations announced on Thursday by the banks authorised to operate on the currency market is as follows, told Agerpres. CITESTE SI EIB announces new financing for Romania, worth 675 million EUR 13:18 1 - EIB announces new financing for Romania, worth 675 million EUR. The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced on Thursday new funding for Romania, worth 675 million EUR for transport, urban development and small businesses, told Agerpres. CITESTE SI OMV Petrom CEO Verchere: Romania will become - Prime Minister-designate Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday that Romania will maintain its position against the "illegal invasion triggered by the criminal regime of Vladimir Putin" and will continue to provide all the necessary resources for Moldova to cope with Russian threats."Regarding the war in - Romania's Iohannis, Zelenski release common statement of the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenski, on Thursday sent a joint statement regarding the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, told Agerpres. - PSD's Ciolacu says he will insist on keeping Sorin Grindeanu in future gov't.Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday that he will insist on keeping Sorin Grindeanu in the government, not necessarily to keep the portfolio of the Ministry of Transport, told Agerpres. - Antonio Andrusceac, liderul grupului parlamentar AUR din Camera Deputatilor, a criticat, miercuri, Legea privind taxa de solidaritate, pe motiv ca forma care a trecut de Senat, dupa reexaminare, nu mai permite taxarea companiei austriece OMV, relateaza agerpres.ro."La reexaminare sunt scoase toate acele Brad Orsted wanted to get better. Facing the unimaginable loss of his infant daughter Marley while in his mothers care, and the extreme guilt of unanswered questions surrounding her death, Orsted spent years meeting with doctors and therapists. They prescribed medications and therapy sessions as he self-medicated with alcohol, haunted by memories of Marley and spiraling downward into suicide scenarios. I wanted help and I wanted to get better, but I was just stuck, Orsted said in a recent interview. I was a guy that didn't take Ibuprofen when I had pulled muscles and stuff to a dude that couldn't go to the grocery store without a bottle of Xanax because I might see a baby in line. But what Orsted could not find in the bottom of a bottle of pills or vodka, he finally found in the wilds of Yellowstone National Park. The wildlife advocate, photographer and filmmaker chronicles his story in the new book Through the Wilderness: My Journey of Redemption and Healing in the American Wild, laying bare in the land of bears his path to recovery. Through the Wilderness "Through the Wilderness: My Journey of Redemption and Healing in the American Wild" is available June 27 at online retailers, books stores and Macmillan Publishers. The book opens two years after Marleys death in the midst of Orsteds self-destruction. He is living in Michigan with his now ex-wife and Marleys mother Stacey and her two daughters. His words move between drunken binges, a stint in rehab the result of a DUI and Marley. He recalls her presence in detail and the countless reminders of her that continue to fuel his intense grief. Orsted had brought Marley happy and healthy to his mother for her first overnight visit. That night Marley died, and his mother has refused to provide any explanation for what happened to him and only vagueness to authorities. The autopsy was inconclusive. The story would generate media attention and tortuous guilt as Orsted felt responsible for taking Marley there. His mother would eventually plead guilty to a misdemeanor, but still, no answers have ever come. As the family tried to move forward, in 2012 Stacey received a job offer with a nonprofit in Yellowstone. Soon the family was moving across the country to their new home. The relief Orsted hoped might come with a new beginning failed to materialize. Therapy sessions would only reopen the wounds and he continued to struggle with thoughts of suicide. I was surrounded by all this beauty in Yellowstone, and my recovery was still a bad country line dance of one step forward and two steps back, he said. I felt like I just had to keep fighting at it and clawing at it. Following a drunken night, Orsted awoke one morning and went into the park. He stopped and began to walk through sagebrush, maybe a one-way ticket to the backcountry, he said. Suddenly, what he thought was an elk raised its head. Only a short distance away was a grizzly bear sizing him up. It really was like, I realized that in all of my drunken suicidal delusions here was the first real opportunity and I was scared sh*tless, he said. And I, I was like, I don't, I don't want to die. The grizzly sauntered off and Orsted returned to his truck and broke down crying. While he had read extensively about grizzlies and saw a few from a distance, the jolt of the close encounter abruptly brought him a new perspective on the value of his life. Orsted continued to struggle with alcohol and reminders of his daughter, but committed himself to nature and the healing he would find there. He credits local filmmaker Casey Anderson, who gave him a job, and Doug Peacock, author and longtime grizzly advocate, as among those who helped him along the way. In 2018 Orsted was able to get sober. I can work through that painful stuff out there, he said. I cried and screamed and broke sticks and threw giant boulders into Bear Creek. You know, I cursed God, I cursed circumstances. I cursed everything, and then I started getting better. Orsted also credits friends who are members of the Crow Tribe who invited him for a sweat and taught him lessons in spirituality and nature. I firmly believe that healing comes directly through the earth, but we connect to it physically with our bodies, you know, flesh against dirt, he said. I owe it so much to being taught some Native ways and having some wild lessons around me, and sobriety and clarity. Grounded in nature, Orsted would delve deep into the world of conservation. He worked with Anderson on projects ranging from bears to mountain lions to wolves. He worked with Peacocks group, Save the Yellowstone Grizzly, and directed the short film The Orphans of Grizzly Valley about two orphaned cubs in Paradise Valley. The cubs were well-known residents of the valley but later euthanized by state wildlife officials after reported conflicts, drawing heavy criticism from local wildlife advocates. Orsted decided to write the book at the encouragement of friends. His first attempt fell flat with publishers, but he spent months in rewrites, going through a divorce and living in a camper. He had to relive the pain of his experience with each word, but also believed his story was worth telling. I wrote this book for three reasons, and that's to honor my daughter, to honor my creator and to hopefully help people, he said. Orsted has also pushed for wilderness therapy to help people dealing with trauma. He has seen the power of nature touch many people as it has touched him. I think that's a very safe place for people to deal with hard issues, things that seem so big inside, usually seem a lot smaller outside, he said. We need to be humbled by wilderness. We need to be a little scared sometimes and a little alert and a little alive. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 or 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You can also text HELLO to 741741 to speak with a trained professional at the Crisis Text Line. Anyone feeling suicidal can also call 911. The fresh newsletter for the International Community in Hungary - described by readers as a "Great read each week" - is now available for your interest and use via the link below. A new therapy successfully used by Semmelweis University aims to simplify insulin treatment for type 2 diabetes patients, the university said on its website. The treatment which is available under public health insurance reduces injection frequency and blood glucose checks, and patients also experience fewer side effects. As part of the treatment regimen, patients were switched from 4 insulin injections a day to a once-daily, fixed-ratio combination, while the monitoring of blood sugar levels was transitioned to twice a month. The university cited Peter Kempler, professor at Semmelweis University and president of the Central European Diabetes Association, who introduced the therapy at the clinic, saying that patients no longer need to prick their fingers multiple times a day for blood sugar level monitoring as checking once or twice a week is enough. The university said that that the method had been first investigated by a group of Hungarian clinicians in Bekescsaba, south-eastern Hungary, and is also among the 2023 recommendations of the American Diabetes Association. Despite its proven effectiveness and the beneficial impact it has on patients quality of life, the method is not widely utilized worldwide, it added. A Norwegian citizen living in Budapest was apprehended last week by members of the TEK counter-terrorism unit, suspected of preparing an act of terrorism, police.hu said. The Hungarian Rapid Response Police National Bureau of Investigation was alerted by TEK that the 45-year-old man had uploaded several videos to a video sharing website indicating that he was planning a killing spree. He generally spoke in Norwegian in the videos, though he also issued threats in English. The Hungarian investigators contacted Norwegian police and were told that the man had been convicted several times in his home country for various violent and sex crimes. He was apprehended in his rented home in Budapest last Wednesday, and police seized computer and related equipment found during a house search. The court ordered his arrest on Saturday and he has been placed in the custody of the Judicial Observation and Psychiatric Institute (IMEI), police.hu said. YORK York County 4-H Summer Workshops are underway, offering hands-on learning for the youth entering their projects in the 150th York County Fair. At the Sew-As-You-Go workshop this week, six youth picked up their sewing needles and made quilted table runners. Workshop volunteer Norma Moseley said, Sewing is a lifelong skill, but because some kids dont have a grandmother or an aunt to teach them, its the gone by the wayside. Moseley has lifelong experience as 4-H member herself growing up. She has also taught quilting classes for the Nebraska Arts Council for several years. Now, she is sharing her love of sewing through helping 4-H youth build new skills. This is the first time 4-Her Annah Perdue has made a table runner for the fair. In previous years she has made quilts, pillows, and pajamas. Perdue said making a table runner is a cakewalk compared to previous projects. Perdue said, Table runners are a good stepping stone if you want to make your own quilt someday. The theme of her table runner is old-time country with various floral designs and plaid. Another 4-Her, Karley Christian said she signed up for the workshop because she loves to sew. Sewing has become her favorite past time activity since inheriting her great grandmothers sewing machine. One of her favorite memories is making a pillow and presenting it to her great grandmother who currently resides in a nursing home. This is Christians first year of making a table runner as well. She said, I love the creativity you can put into it. You really can make it however you want with whatever patterns you want. In a little over a month, both Perdue and Christians sewing talents will be showcased at York the County Fair. 4-H Extension Educator Amanda Hackenkamp said all materials for the camp were donated by generous community members who believe in the future of 4-H and the life-long skills and values it instills in the Youth. For those looking to join in on 4-H summer fun, upcoming workshops are The Picture Perfect Embroidery workshop (June 27), Embroider Your Way (June 28-29), Cupcake Decoration (July 18) and York County Fair 150th Stepping Stone (July 19). New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a state visit to the US, met a cross section of American CEOs in Washington and sought their technological collaboration in India. In a series of back-to-back meetings on Wednesday, Modi first met president and CEO of Applied Materials Gary E. Dickerson and invited his company to contribute towards strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem in India and also to develop process technology and advanced packaging capabilities. Modi and Dickerson discussed potential of Applied Materials' collaboration with academic institutions in India to create skilled workforce. cre Trending Stories The Prime Minister then met CEO of General Electric (GE) Lawrence Culp Jr., during which Modi appreciated the company for its long-term commitment of manufacturing in India. The discussion focused on GE's greater technology collaboration to promote manufacturing in India, while Modi also invited the company to play a greater role in the aviation and renewable energy sectors in India. Later in the day, Modi also met Sanjay Mehrotra, the Indian-American CEO of Micron. The Prime Minister invited Micron Technology to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India and noted that the country can provide competitive advantages in various parts of the semiconductor supply chain. On Thursday, Modi will address the US Congress and also attend a state dinner at the White House hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. New Delhi: The multinational conglomerate, the Godrej Group, is a widely known Indian company that has diversified its operations into sectors ranging from real estate to consumer products to industries. The group is predominantly managed and owned by the Godrej family, an Indian Gujarati Parsi family, with Adi Burjorji Godrej at its helm. Adi Godrej, the chairman of the Godrej Group, has a net worth of $3 billion, according to Forbes. Despite being a billionaire, he is known for his simplicity and humble nature, setting him apart from the stereotype of billionaires indulging in private jets, flamboyant lifestyles, Jacuzzis, and billion-dollar homes. What sets Adi Godrej apart is his accessibility. Unlike many high-profile individuals, one doesn't require an appointment to walk into his office. He maintains an open-door policy, welcoming discussions and interactions with employees and visitors alike. cre Trending Stories He is also the recipient of several awards and recognitions, including the Padma Bhushan 2013 (the third-highest civilian award in India). The Grandson Of Godrej Founder The Godrej group was founded by lawyer Ardeshir Godrej, who gave up his profession to create locks in 1897. Interestingly, he started creating locks after he read in an article about rising crime rates in Mumbai. Ardeshir Godrej died childless, though his partner cum brother had three child Burjor, Sohrab, and Naval eventually succeeded the group. Adi Godrej is managing the group along with his brother Nadir, and cousin Jamshyd. Adi Godrejs Education Adi Godrej completed his education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's degree in Business Administration. After returning to India, he joined his family business, the Godrej Group. Adi Godrejs Contribution to the Family Business Under Adi Godrej's leadership, the Godrej Group has diversified into various industries such as consumer goods, real estate, appliances, furniture, and agriculture. The group has expanded its operations both domestically and internationally, with a presence in more than 80 countries. Adi Godrej's commitment to innovation and sustainability has been instrumental in the group's success. He has emphasized the importance of environmentally friendly practices and introduced sustainable initiatives across the organization. Furthermore, he has actively advocated for responsible business practices and corporate governance in India. Beyond his contributions to the business world, Adi Godrej is also actively involved in philanthropy and social causes. He is a proponent of education, healthcare, and rural development, and has established the Godrej Foundation to support these initiatives. Additionally, he serves as a trustee or board member for several educational institutions, including the Indian School of Business and the Indian School of Government and Public Policy. New Delhi: At least 31 people were killed and seven others injured when a massive cooking gas explosion ripped through a barbecue restaurant in northwestern China, official media reported on Thursday. The blast happened at around 8:40 pm on Wednesday on a busy street in the Xingqing District of Yinchuan, due to a leakage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the operating area of a barbecue restaurant, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday. The explosion resulted in 38 casualties, with 31 people confirmed dead, while seven individuals, including one in critical condition, are currently receiving medical treatment, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regional Committee of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) said. The explosion took place on the eve of the two-day holiday of China's Dragon Boat festival beginning on Thursday. The restaurant was reportedly packed with a holiday crowd. The blast caused heavy damage to the surrounding buildings. Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for an all-out rescue and treatment of the injured and a safety overhaul after a barbecue restaurant in Yinchuan. Also Read: India Plays Audio Clip Of 26/11 Plotter After China Blocks UN Blacklisting Of Sajid Mir cre Trending Stories A joint work team, including members from China's Ministry of Emergency Management, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the State Administration for Market Regulation, was dispatched to the scene to guide the rescue work. Four medical experts went to the scene with the joint work team to carry out emergency medical assistance. Also Read: Antony Blinken Arrives In Beijing, Becoming First US State Secretary To Visit China In 5 Years The local rescue team dispatched 102 people and 20 vehicles to the scene and rescue operations ended in the early hours on Thursday, the Xinhua report said. Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is the home of China's Hui Muslims. China has about 20 million Muslims who are mostly Uyghurs, an ethnic group of Turkic origin and Hui Muslims who are of Chinese ethnic origin. And if you have had the misfortune of dealing with roach infestations before then you know exactly what is being referred to over here. In short, cockroaches are very hard to get rid of. You need to keep at it for weeks and even months to eliminate these annoying bugs from your home. But to deal with your enemies, you must know about their game plan first and that is why it is important to learn about how and why cockroaches multiply at the alarming speed in which they do. How Does a Roach Infestation Start? cre Trending Stories You will notice that roach infestations mostly occur around kitchens and washrooms. These are two prime spots because roaches can derive all their necessary nutrition from here. If you are not careful enough and let food waste lie around then it may easily lead to a host of cockroaches building their nest in your home. However, mother roaches do not need to lay eggs inside your home for the place to be infested with these bugs. Cockroaches can enter your house from the outside as well. Cockroaches can enter grocery bags, old furniture, suitcases, clothing, drainage system, cracks and holes in the foundation etc, to gain entry into your home. One of the most common ways in which cockroach eggs can enter your home is through your bags or shoes. If you come in contact with a cockroach bearing eggs when you are outside, the eggs will come out and stick to the subject which will then be carried to your home. After this point, the cockroaches spread pretty fast by either laying eggs or by dropping their feces in spots of food and water supply which serves as a signal for the other roaches in the home to congregate there and make a nest. Besides, cockroaches are amazing climbers and also can compress their bodies to squeeze in through the tiniest of holes. So they can also enter from outlet holes, sewer pipes, and drainage holes too. Other than these methods, there is also the chance of cockroaches entering with their wings as there are a few species of roaches that can also fly. How Do Roaches Spread So Fast? The speed at which cockroaches multiply is truly astonishing. An adult cockroach can be responsible for the birth of hundreds of descendants. And this should make you realize that only a handful of cockroaches are enough to cause a scary infestation. But how exactly do cockroaches spread so fast? Here is how: Cockroach Mating There are several ways in which cockroaches mate but the baseline is that the usually sexual mating takes place between a male and female cockroach where the male fertilizes the female by passing on its sperm. Now, some female cockroaches are capable of storing sperm in an area called spermathecae. They do not have to remate to lay more eggs. Therefore, even if you are killing cockroaches in large numbers, if you do not manage to kill the female one, it still lays eggs as usual and new nymphs are born and they carry on the infestation. Cockroach Reproduction Some species of this insect like the Female American cockroaches are capable of laying between six to fourteen egg capsules in their entire lifetime. Each capsule can hold about 16 eggs. Now, not all the eggs successfully hatch but even if a few capsules are destroyed, the number remains huge. These cockroaches lay about two egg capsules a week. Now you do the math. And unless you are taking drastic measures to control the infestation, the problem will be very difficult to deal with. Lack of Human Intervention The only right course of action, when you see a cockroach scampering away, is to find its hiding place and eliminate it immediately. However, at times we may not attach much importance to the appearance of one solitary cockroach. That is a mistake because you never know how many more cockroaches are hidden in the corners of your home. Once you have an idea about the location of the nest, you should promptly take action and use available methods to get a cockroach out of hiding to discard it or eliminate it for good. A lack of immediate measures will only accelerate the infestation as you have already been informed about the rate at which these insects multiply. How Fast Do Roaches Multiply? Cockroaches go through three developmental stages in their lifetimes. They are the egg stage, the nymph stage, and the adult stage. Female cockroaches can lay as many as 60 eggs at a time and they do this multiple times a year. Most of the species of cockroaches are oviparous which means that their eggs develop outside the body of the mother. The eggs are stored in a pouch called ootheca which is usually hidden in a hidden spot that the cockroach has decided to be safe. This is a problem as in this case, even if you get rid of the mother cockroach, the eggs will still hatch creating an infestation. The baby cockroaches stay in the nymph stage for ten months to a year after which they start molting and getting the brown exoskeleton that we usually see on cockroaches. An adult cockroach is capable of mating and birthing more cockroaches. The average lifespan of female cockroaches is much more than male cockroaches which means that a handful of male cockroaches dying will not make a difference if they have already fertilized a handful of female cockroaches. If left unchecked, a light infestation of 5-10 cockroaches can become a severe infestation of hundreds of cockroaches in a year or so. The only way out of this is to make sure that steps are taken to eliminate these insects. The primary requirement to keep cockroaches out is to keep a clean home with no waste lying around. But if you are still seeing cockroaches in your kitchen and the washroom, other methods such as insecticides, gel baits, and cockroach traps can be tried. There are also many smells roaches hate such as peppermint, bay leaves, cinnamon, lavender, etc. Introducing these odors to the spots where the cockroaches seem to frequent is a good way to keep them away. Since these odors are nice and fresh by themselves, they will also lend a lingering freshness to your home. How Many Babies Do Roaches Have at a Time? There are numerous species of cockroaches and most of them lay as many as 16 to 40 eggs at a time. These eggs hatch into nymphs which then grow into adults and carry the cycle over. The female American Cockroach Produces an ootheca each month for 10 months. Each of these ootheca carries around 16 eggs. These eggs are then deposited in a safe and warm place until they hatch. The Brown-banded cockroach and Oriental Cockroach too lay about 16 eggs in each ootheca. The incubation period for all the eggs to hatch differs between species but then too the difference is not that much. It takes about 50-60 days for the eggs to hatch in each of the three species. The German Cockroaches, however, are a bit excessive as they can have around almost 40 eggs in each sack or ootheca. They keep the sack attached to their abdomen until it is time for the eggs to hatch before which the female roach hides herself to ensure the safety of the eggs. The eggs take around 28 days to hatch from the day of conception. This makes the German cockroach the fastest-spreading roach species. Final Verdict If you can identify and differentiate the two most commonly seen Cockroach species - the American and German, then you can also take steps to kill them accordingly. For instance, killing the female American Cockroach makes no difference because it has already laid eggs somewhere so unless you're destroying that as well, the infestation will continue. While the female German cockroach carries around the egg sack and killing both together is easier. However, in all cases, it is always wise to figure out where the cockroaches are hiding or are coming from and then attack their base. Gel baits are also efficient in this regard as they take some time to take effect and the cockroach carries the poisoned food back to its colony where several other roaches are affected and killed. (This article is part of IndiaDotCom Pvt Lts Consumer Connect Initiative, a paid publication programme. IDPL claims no editorial involvement and assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of the article.) Missing Titanic Submarine: The story of the missing Titanic submarine and its rescue operation's combat against time has captivated audiences worldwide. The US Coast Guard received a communication from the submersible's command ship on Sunday, stating that it had lost touch with the vessel approximately 900 miles (1,450 kilometers) east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The US Navy has since begun extensive operations for the submersible. Social media becoming viral 'Mr Titanic' is Paul-Henri Nargeolet, a 77-year-old French explorer. He is one of the missing crew members from the Titanic Tourist Submersible, which went out on Sunday. The French submarine lost contact while transporting affluent tourists to the Titanic debris in the Atlantic Ocean. Who is Paul-Henri Nargeolet aka Mr Titanic? cre Trending Stories Paul-Henri Nargeolet was born in Chamonix, France, but spent his childhood in Africa with his parents. He served in the French Navy for over 20 years, rising to the rank of Commander. He then specialised in deep submersibles and conducted the first Titanic recovery project in 1987. Nargeolet oversaw the RMS Titanic's underwater investigation. On the ship, he has also appeared in a number of films and documentaries. In one of his documentaries, he stated that freezing temperatures would be one of the most dangerous hazards if explorers remained stranded at the crash site. He completed over 35 dives into the Titanic wreck site, including the most recent one, and is regarded as a ship study expert. Missing Titanic Submarine: Who are the people missing? The Titanic submarine, which was bringing five people to the Titanic debris off the Canadian coast, went missing in the North Atlantic Ocean on Sunday. British millionaire Hamish Harding, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood, and his son Suleman were also on board. Stockton Rush, the founder, and CEO of the operating business OceanGate, was also said to be on the missing submarine. As the US Coast Guard and Canadian Coast Guard continue their search for the vessel which, if intact, could have approximately 40 hours of oxygen left, officials said on Tuesday loved ones are worried for Nargeolet and the four other passengers. What happened to the submersible operated by OceanGate? The Titan, a 22-foot (6.7-meter) submersible operated by OceanGate Expeditions of the United States, began its descent on Sunday. Near the end of what should have been a two-hour dive to the Titanic, it lost contact with its surface support ship. On Sunday morning, the submersible began its voyage. The submersible lost touch with its mother ship, the Polar Prince, around one hour and 45 minutes into its descent. Although search and rescue operations are still ongoing, the Titan has passed the vital 96-hour oxygen mark. It is unknown whether the five people survived or took precautions to preserve the air supply. Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and new owner of Twitter, recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his official state visit to the United States. After meeting PM Modi, Elon Musk said that India is a key market for investments and he will be entering the country next year with the Tesla electric cars. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Tesla chief Elon Musk and invited him to explore opportunities in India for investments in electric mobility and the rapidly expanding commercial space sector. However, Musk further said that he will not make any formal announcements anytime soon, though India remains an important market for the brand. Elon Musk said, "We don't want to jump the gun with an announcement but it's quite likely that there will be a significant investment for India in the future." Tesla was supposed to enter the Indian market last year itself, when the brand established its first ever office in Bengaluru. Few cars were also imported in India for homologation purposes. However, high import duty on cars forced the brand the pull out of the market, after failed negotiations with the government of India. The brand wanted lower import duties on EVs for entering India, while Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways said that Tesla deserves "no special treatment." As reported by ANI, in a quick counter question by reporters asking what changed his mind about Tesla's investments in India, he smilingly said, "I have never changed my mind". cre Trending Stories Speaking to reporters after meeting with PM Modi, Musk, who is also CEO of SpaceX and owner, CTO and chairman of Twitter, said he was incredibly excited about the future of India. He said that India has more promise than any large country in the world. "In a nutshell, it was a fantastic meeting with the Prime Minister. I like him quite a lot and he visited our factory a few years ago. So we have known each other for a while," Musk said. "I am tentatively planning to visit India again next year. I am looking forward to it," he added. Musk, responding to questions from reporters, said he was confident that his car company Tesla will be in India "as soon as humanly possible". "I would like to thank PM Modi for his support and hopefully, we will be able to announce something in the not-too-distant future," Musk said. "PM Modi really cares about India. He is pushing us to make significant investments in India which is something we intend to do and we are figuring out the right timing," Musk said on Wednesday. When a wildfire barreled across Don Harlands Sheep Creek Ranch in the summer of 2021, he saw more than trees and buildings burn. He saw his lifes dream go up in smoke. On Friday, July 23, 2021, a lightning strike sparked the Harris Mountain fire about 10 miles southwest of Cascade and just over a ridge from Harlands west-central Montana ranch. During what was already a very dry and fire-prone summer, the blaze was first reported at 550 acres. By that Monday the fire had ballooned to almost 12,000 acres. At the time, fire officials said a combination of intense fire weather, topography and fuels caused the fire to burn intensely, scorching fire-tolerant trees into their crowns and leaving blackened earth in its wake. Once the smoke had cleared, the fire had burned almost 32,000 acres and took with it 12 structures including a family lodge from Harlands property. After the fire, this area that we're looking at right now was just black and everything was washing down into the creeks, Harland said during a recent tour of the ranch. It was a disaster, and you know, that dream, my dream burned up. But we just keep moving forward and do the best we can. And that's finding options. Harland saw the devastation the fire wrought and went looking for solutions in an attempt to reclaim the forest for his grandkids and future generations enjoyment. So he teamed up with founder of Montana Forest Consultants Zach Bashoor, a forester he worked with in the past. I've had a couple year relationship working on the Sheep Creek Ranch with Don Harland," Bashoor said. "And seeing this fire happen, having been invested in the management of this forest and this landscape, it's heartbreaking knowing how intimately connected Don is with his property." Bashoor's company stepped in to offer the best solution, and together they sought assistance from Mast Reforestation and embarked on the first-of-its-kind private land reforestation project in Montana Mast Reforestation Based in Seattle, Mast Reforestation is a tech company that seeks to provide faster and more resilient forest reforestation at no cost to the landowner. We're a technology company first, but our work is grounded in traditional tried and tested reforestation methods that deliver on those outcomes, hopefully on time and on budget, said Arnoud De Villegas, vice-president of business development for Mast. It's grounded in four decades of learnings and reforestation practices across the western United States. We're pioneering this work here in Montana, and we're excited to showcase it. The way it works is Mast teams up with government partners to collect fire and drought tolerant seed stock from existing forests. They then cultivate the seed stock into seedlings through a network of nurseries across the West. When a wildfire affected landowner signs on, a prescription is custom designed to prepare the site and replicate the preexisting forest. To make a project of this cost and magnitude feasible to private landowners, Mast has taken an innovative approach to funding by capitalizing on global carbon markets. Nearly five decades of producing quality reforestation stock and sourcing the very best seed we send across the world, we're able to capture new innovative financing solutions through natural capital markets, which is to say, carbon markets, voluntary, carbon markets, said De Villegas. It's a new funding source that allows us to raise capital against which we provide in partnership with grant money to deliver on these outcomes as quickly and successfully as possible. The funding for Sheep Creek has come from a combination of public grants and private funding. That includes Masts recently announced $15 million project financing with the promise of future revenue from the sale of carbon removal credits the Sheep Creek project generates as replanted trees grow and capture carbon dioxide. Planting Restoring the roughly 3,000 acres of forest on the Sheep Creek Ranch will take three years and in the end will result in more than a million new trees planted. The hand planting is done by groups of laborers toting seed bags, stuffed with Masts fire plug seedlings, up and down the areas rugged terrain. The species being replanted are lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, and Douglas fir. In one fluid motion the planters swing their hoedad, a specialized tree planting tool on a wooden handle, drop the seedling in the hole and tamp the soil around it. They repeat this thousands of times a day until their seed bags are empty. The planting of seedlings must follow exact specifications set out by Mast to ensure the trees will live. If they are planted too deep, they will die. If they are planted too shallowly, they will die. If they are planted crooked, they will die, De Villegas said. In order to ensure proper planting of the seedlings, the planting crews are followed by foresters with Bashoors team from Montana Forest Consultants who conduct quality assurance checks on the seedlings planted. The future On a rainy day in late May, Harland, Bashoor and De Villegas pondered the future of the landscape For De Villegas, he sees the work done by Mast as a sustainable response to a world that will continue to burn from wildfires. My colleagues and I spend every day of the year on devastated landscapes and communities that have been incinerated by catastrophic wildfires, De Villegas said. And we come to a site like this one and see our seedlings in the ground, and thats a real validation of our timeless efforts, ensuring that we have healthy resilient forests for generations to come. Bashoor sees an exciting new solution for foresters who traditionally focus on the management and harvest of existing forests, not the re-imagining of new forests. The payoff for us is going to be getting to see this place reforested and hopefully being able to bring my grandkids out here one day and seeing trees in a forest that we've played an integral part in restoring, Bashoor said. This is where I feel that we're able to provide a lot of value is that we've got a very deep and intimate connection with Montana's ecosystem. So we can provide input on what trees are supposed to be where and also knowing the landowners' objectives and taking that into account with our prescriptions. So that way we know what's going out here is going to stand the best chance of surviving." Harland sees himself as a temporary caretaker of his land, the one responsible for picking up the pieces and ensuring its future vitality. I guess when you own land like this you find that youre in love with it, he said on a recent tour. Youre the steward of this land. You want to take care of it just like you would your children or your family, and you want to leave it better than when you found it or at least as good. New Delhi: Girijamma, a 90-year-old woman living in a tiny shed at Bhagyanagar in Koppal city, got the shock of her life when she got an electricity bill Rs 1 lakh. The aged woman used to pay Rs 70 to Rs 80 every month as power tariff. Girijamma, struggling to earn her livelihood, was in tears and made an appeal to the media to bail her out of the situation. After the media raised the question to the Minister for Power, K.J. George on Thursday, he said, "She got the bill that mentioned the wrong amount due to a glitch in the metre. She need not pay the bill." Following the statement of the minister, the staff of Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (Gescom) rushed to her shed. The executive engineer, Rajesh inspected the power meter and maintained that it was a technical glitch. The inflated bill was generated because of the error of the staff and bill collector. He informed the woman that she need not pay the bill. The relieved old woman joined both her hands and thanked the officer and media. cre Trending Stories The incident resulted in public outrage as the people across the state are unhappy about the hiked tariff rates and inflated bills. The Congress government, which promised 200 units of free power for all households under the Griha Laxmi scheme, has been making all efforts to subdue the bitter feelings. The industrial bodies have also given a bandh call to protest against the increase in power tariff. Amul Girl Creator Story: The "utterly butterly" Amul girl inventor, Sylvester daCunha, passed away late on Tuesday in Mumbai. With valuable suggestions from India's milkman, Dr. Verghese Kurian, the head of DaCunha Associates, turned the Amul girl into a household name. However, very few people are aware of DaCunha's personality. The Amul 'Utterly Butterly' Girl was created by daCunha and his art director, Eustace Fernandes. In 2016, the campaign turned 50. The 'boring image' that had previously been employed for the butter brand was changed by DaCunha. A girl who would walk her way into the Indian kitchen and the homemaker's heart was the goal. Sylvester daCunha: Background DaCunha began his career as a writer at an ASP agency that employed some of the biggest stars in the advertising industry, including Pralhad Kakkar, Shyam Benegal, and Usha Katrak. He was hailed as one of the first and last brave advertising men. Amul Butter was one of the select accounts that DaCunha carried with him when he left ASP. While he never wavered about the caliber of the work his team members produced, he also made sure that they were treated with respect. cre Trending Stories Sylvester daCunha Controversies Since Da Cunha possessed both creativity and bravery, he frequently faced controversies as a result of his advertising campaigns. Amul ran an advertising campaign in 2001 during the strike at Indian Airlines. However, the campaign was unsuccessful because Indian Airlines threatened to stop serving Amul butter to its passengers. Ganesh Chaturthi always featured inventive advertisements. When Amul ran a commercial that read, "Ganpati Bappa More Ghya (take more Ganpati Bappa)," the Shiv Sena party reacted angrily and compelled the company to delete the advertisement. Both Amul and DaCunha frequently got into difficulties with their advertisements, which included things like mocking Suresh Kalmadi and making fun of Mamata Banerjee. Amul And Its Ironic Ads For many years, Amul has been known for its clever and ironic marketing advertisements. The first of these advertisements spoofing the Hare Krishna movement appeared in 1969, with the caption "Hurry Amul, Hurry Hurry" originating from the Amul design team. In a social media post, Pavan Singh, General Manager-Marketing at Amul India, paid respect to the adman. With Da Cunha's humorous one-liners on current concerns, both political and otherwise, the Amul mascot has become a rage across the nation. Amul's mascot is loved by millions of people all around the country because of his signature polka-dot outfit, blue hair pulled back in a ponytail, and lovely pink cheeks. Bengaluru: Traders and small industry owners are observing a day-long bandh in Karnataka opposing the recent hike in power tariff. The call for a day-long bandh' was given by the Hubballi-based Karnatak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). Small traders, business houses, and industrialists are taking out protests across the Congress-ruled Karnataka demanding a rollback of the power tariff hike. Their protests are happening at a time when the state government started the registration process earlier this week for the 'Gruha Jyoti' scheme offering up to 200 units of free electricity for residential connections. Protests Across Karnataka cre Trending Stories Holding banners, posters and placards, the traders and industrialists marched in the district headquarters in Hubballi-Dharwad, Shivamogga, Belagavi, Ballari, Vijayanagar, Davangere and Koppal, among others. They shouted slogans demanding that the government roll back the hike. In Belagavi, a large number of traders and small and micro industry owners marched up to the office of the Deputy Commissioner with banners and placards. KCCI acting President Sandeep Bidasaria claimed that the hike in power tariff has gone up between 50 and 70 per cent, which has deeply impacted small businesses. A protester in Belagavi, a city bordering Maharashtra, alleged many industries were planning to move out to the neighbouring state due to the drastic increase in tariff. Many shops were shut and production was stopped in small industries in several parts of the state in response to the bandh call. In the district headquarters town of Bidar, many shops were shut and the main market wore a deserted look following the Bandh. WHATS OPEN AND WHATS CLOSED Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), along with other district chambers of commerce and trade associations, has backed the bandh call to protest the unjust hike of power tariff. In Belgaum, the Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI) has requested all trades and industries, except emergency services, to keep their establishments closed in support of the agitation. WHO WILL BE AFFECTED? The CPM has also extended support to the strike. However, the bandh is unlikely to affect normal life as KCCI president Vinay Javali said that the bandh call is a voluntary one". Javali was quoted as saying that the strike is only for business establishments, and the essential services and movement of vehicles will not be affected. However, several trade bodies, including FKCCI, KASSIA and Peenya Industries Association, have distanced themselves from today's bandh. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, meanwhile, condemned the shutdown and assured that the electricity bills will come down from next month onwards. (With Agency Inputs) Washington: To maintain the momentum of growth, a "pipeline of talent" is needed for India and the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at an event here to highlight the two nations' shared priorities around education and workforce. He was participating in the 'Skilling For Future Event' organised by the National Science Foundation (NSF) on Wednesday and his visit to the organisation was hosted by First Lady Jill Biden. The Prime Minister also highlighted the initiatives undertaken by India to promote education, research and entrepreneurship. "I am really happy to have got an opportunity to interact with young and creative minds here. India is working on several projects in collaboration with the NSF. I thank First Lady Jill Biden for planning and organising this event," PM Modi said. Explaining the skilling mission of his government, PM Modi said for the bright future of youngsters, it is important to have education, skill and innovation, and India has worked in this direction. cre Trending Stories The National Education Policy (NEP), education and skilling have been integrated. Under the Skilling Mission, more than 50 million people have been trained, and another 15 million are being given training on the latest and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchains, Modi said while addressing a gathering. Techdecade To maintain the momentum of growth, "for India and the US, it is important to ensure a pipeline of talent", he said and added that his goal is to have this decade as "techdecade". The US has the world's top educational institutions and advanced technologies, while India is the world's biggest "yuva (youth) factory", the Prime Minister said and added that he believes, the India-US partnership will prove to be the sustainable and inclusive engine for global growth. Later in a tweet, PM Modi said, "Honoured that @FLOTUS @DrBiden joined us in a special event relating to skill development. Skilling is a top priority for India and we are dedicated to creating a proficient workforce that can boost enterprise and value creation." Welcoming the prime minister to the US, the First Lady said, "With this official visit, we are bringing together the world's oldest and world's largest democracies. But our relationship isn't just about governments. We're celebrating the families and friendships that span the globe, those who feel the bonds of both of our countries." She said after years of strengthening ties, the US-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges. "Mr Prime Minister, I know that education is an issue close to your heart as it is to mine. You work to ensure that all Indians, especially girls, which I love, have the opportunity to pursue an education and gain the skills they need for our modern workforce. It is so important, it is exciting to be able to show you some of the innovative programs our schools and businesses are creating for students here," Jill Biden said. The NSF is headed by Indian American Dr Sethuraman Panchanathan. In the last year or so, several Indian Cabinet Ministers have visited its headquarters in Virginia. Prominent among them are Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "PM @narendramodi and @FLOTUS @DrBiden participated in a unique event focused on promoting vocational education and skill development among youth. PM and @FLOTUS discussed collaborative efforts aimed at creating a workforce for the future. The PM highlighted various initiatives undertaken by India to promote education, research and entrepreneurship," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted along with pictures of the programme. The NSF is an independent agency of the US government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health. The First Lady thanked the NSF for hosting them. "There are students in this room who are discovering the inner workings of semiconductors starting in middle and high school or training for other cutting edge jobs...," she said addressing the gathering. "If we want our economies to be strong, we need to invest in young people who are our future. We need to ensure that they have the opportunities that they deserve," Jill Biden said. Education is a cornerstone of the bond between India and the US, "one we hope to keep building and strengthening with this visit", she said. "Our universities are partnering together, leading research, and creating apprenticeships and internships that span the ocean. And, as we have seen here, students from both our countries are learning and growing alongside each other, discovering the people they want to become and building a better world, together. Working side by side, our nations can create a safer, healthier, more prosperous future for everyone," Jill Biden said. NSF director Panchanathan said that India, as of this year, is the world's most populous country. "Promoting education opportunities and expanding India's technology sector have been key pillars of Prime Minister Modi's vision for the country," he said. PM Modi arrived here from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady. In his departure statement, PM Modi said this "special invitation" from President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for a State Visit is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between the democracies. Paytm has been the first to launch many technology-led innovations, driving convenience for users across the country. For its outstanding work, the company has already won seven awards in just the first five months this year across different categories for innovation in UPI, operational excellence, business technology solutions and even ESG solutions. Many Firsts Since its inception, Paytm has been building disruptive solutions, capitalising on its growth potential. The journey started with mobile recharges and ticketing services. With the launch of Paytm Wallet in 2014 and subsequently the QR Code, the company forever changed the payments landscape in India. From tea stalls to the neighbourhood kirana store, QR codes have become ubiquitous, emerging as the merchant favourite. In 2020, the All-in-One QR Code was introduced, empowering users to pay through any third party source. cre Trending Stories Paytm Soundbox With the launch of the iconic Paytm Soundbox in 2020, the company further revolutionised merchant payments. This IoT device provides instant audio alerts, ensuring that the merchants dont have to constantly look at their phones to check if payments have been received. This industry-first solution has given a boost to Paytms leadership in merchant payments. PoS machine Another transformative product by the company is the Paytm PoS machine. Providing customisable billing and payment solutions, the All-in-One PoS machine has gained wide acceptance across businesses. Built for smart retail, it also provides invoicing and tracking solutions. With Smart PoS and Linux PoS, Paytm has taken its product offerings to another level, providing many benefits. The company continues to strengthen its leadership in merchant payments with over 75 Lakh devices, both Soundbox and PoS, deployed across the country. Popularity on Rise The growing popularity of the payment solutions app has led to expansion of its consumer base with average monthly transacting users (MTU) at 9.2 crore for April & May 2023, growth of 24% YoY, as per the latest earnings release. Paytm Super App is the first choice for millions of Indians for all their payment needs be it paying utility bills, booking tickets, or money transfer. Paytm is the only payments platform to have both a payment gateway and a PSP (payment service provider) under the same banner supported by the groundbreaking superior technology stack of Paytm Payments Bank. Building on their pioneership in UPI, their associate Paytm Payments Bank Limited is also at the forefront of fintech innovations. Powered by the latest infrastructure in banking, Paytm Bank ensures superfast, secure and seamless transactions with one of the lowest transaction decline rates. The Bank has always been the first on the block to take NPCIs UPI inventions to the masses. Paytm Bank was the first to launch UPI Lite for lightning fast payments that never fail. Within three months of its launch, Paytm UPI Lite crossed 9 million users, resulting in 10 million transactions. After UPI Lite for consumers, the company brought Paytm UPI SDK for its merchants, a game-changing product that enables quick, one step UPI payments that never fail. The Bank was one of the first to enable UPI payments through RuPay credit cards. As the market leader in UPI, Paytm Bank is one of the most preferred destinations for most of Indias UPI transactions, especially for UPI person-to-merchant payments. Merchants on the Paytm ecosystem, where Paytm Bank is the Payee PSP, accounts for almost 40% of all UPI person-to-merchant (P2M) transactions. Paytm Payments Bank is also responsible for products like Paytm Food Wallet, automating recurring payments such as EMIs, insurance payments, SIP deductions through NACH or National Automated Clearing House and providing FASTags for ease of travel. At present, Paytm Bank is the largest issuer of FASTags in India. Technology is at the core of Paytms business and it has leveraged it to create a comprehensive range of simplified products and services that can be accessed by everyone. The homegrown brand is driving financial inclusion in the country, taking mobile payments to Indias farthest corner. Innovation and security are in the DNA of this OG of fintech that is taking Digital India to new heights. Consumer Connect Initiative WASHINGTON: In a rare press conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will take questions from journalists on Thursday, a senior White House official confirmed. The White House official even called it a "big deal" It is unusual for PM Modi to take questions from the media, beyond occasional interviews. He has not addressed a single press conference in India since becoming prime minister about nine years ago. In May 2019 he attended a press conference but never took questions. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the White House understands the press conference is a "big deal." "We are just grateful that Prime Minister Modi is participating in a press event at the end of the visit," Kirby said. "We think that's important and we're glad he thinks that's important too." The format of the press conference will include one question from the U.S. press and one from an Indian journalist, Kirby said. cre Trending Stories White House press conferences with other world leaders have been tightly controlled, with US officials designating reporters beforehand from the American and foreign media for Biden and his guest to call upon, and a very limited number of questions. Biden is under pressure from his fellow Democrats to raise human rights issue with PM Modi amid concerns about democratic backsliding in India under PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Human rights could be one topic of the press conference. PM Modi has been to the United States five times since becoming prime minister in 2014, but the trip will be his first with the full diplomatic status of a state visit. New Delhi: Popular Tamil rapper Dev Anand, who was returning home, was kidnapped on the Chennai-Bengaluru highway, near here, police said. CCTV visuals are being seen, the police added. According to police, the family had lodged a missing person complaint, and on investigation, it was found that the rapper was kidnapped by a ten-member gang on Wednesday night. cre Trending Stories According to a senior police officer from Police headquarters, in Chennai, Dev Anand's brother had taken a loan of Rs 2.5 crore from a person and had not given the money back. There were some disputes regarding the same and police are probing whether this has anything to do with the kidnapping of Dev Anand. Targeting Cookies These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. New Delhi: Discord, a popular chatting platform among teens, is being used in hidden communities and chat rooms by some adults to groom children before abducting them, trading child sexual exploitation material (CSAM) and extorting minors whom they trick into sending nude images, the media reported. According to NBC News, over the past six years, around 35 cases of adults being prosecuted on charges of "kidnapping, grooming or sexual harassment" have been identified that allegedly involved Discord communications. Among those, at least 15 have resulted in guilty pleas or verdicts, with "many more" awaiting trial. Those figures only include cases that were reported, investigated, and prosecuted, all of which present significant challenges for victims and their advocates. "What we see is only the tip of the iceberg," Stephen Sauer, the director of the tipline at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection (C3P), was quoted as saying. Moreover, the report said that a teen was taken across state lines, raped and found locked in a backyard shed in March, according to police, after she was groomed on Discord for months. According to prosecutors, in another case, a 22-year-old man kidnapped a 12-year-old girl after meeting her in a video game and grooming her on Discord. The report identified an additional 165 cases, including four crime rings, in which adults were prosecuted for transmitting or receiving CSAM via Discord or for allegedly using the platform to extort children into sending sexually graphic images of themselves, also known as sextortion. Further, the report said that Discord isn't the only tech platform dealing with the persistent problem of online child exploitation, as per the numerous reports over the last year. According to an analysis of reports made to the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), the reports of CSAM on Discord increased by 474 per cent from 2021 to 2022. According to John Shehan, senior vice president of the NCMEC, child exploitation and abuse material has grown rapidly on Discord. "There is a child exploitation issue on the platform. That's undeniable," Shehan was quoted as saying. Launched in 2015, Discord quickly emerged as a hub for online gamers, and teens, and now it is used by over 150 million people globally. Last month, Discord notified users about a data breach following the compromise of a third-party support agent's account. According to BleepingComputer, the agent's support ticket queue was compromised in the security breach, exposing user email addresses, messages exchanged with Discord support, and any attachments sent as part of the tickets. In April, cyber-security researchers discovered a new malware that is distributed over Discord which has more than 300 million active users. cre Trending Stories New Delhi: U.S. memory chip firm Micron Technology, Inc said on Thursday it would invest up to $825 million in a new chip assembly and test facility in Gujarat, India, its first factory in the country. Micron said that with support from the Indian central government and from the state of Gujarat, the total investment in the facility will be $2.75 billion. Of that total, 50% will come from the Indian central government and 20% from the state of Gujarat. (Also Read: 7 Startups Funded By MS Dhoni) Reuters reported earlier this week that India's Cabinet approved the project ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to the U.S., which kicked off on Wednesday. (Also Read: 9 Fiction Books Based On Ramayana You Must Read Once In Life) cre Trending Stories Micron said construction of the new facility in Gujarat is expected to begin in 2023 and the first phase of the project will be operational in late 2024. A second phase of the project is expected to start toward the second half of the decade, it said. The two phases together will create up to 5,000 new direct Micron jobs. DECATUR A bizarre dispute centering on a cup resulted in Decatur man David F. Ford losing his temper and shooting a male neighbor in the stomach, police report. A sworn affidavit said the defendant, 79, now jailed on a preliminary charge of attempted murder, got into an argument Tuesday evening with the 30-year-old neighbor in the 2400 block of North Maple Avenue. Decatur police interviewed the victims brother, also aged 30, who told them: (His brother) and David were involved in an argument because (the brothers) child had left a cup sitting on the curb in front of Davids house, said the affidavit, signed by Officer Briar Weddle. During the argument, he described David as pulling a pistol out of his back pocket and shooting (his brother) in the stomach Decatur police detectives would subsequently locate a spent .22 cartridge casing in the driveway where (the brother) described the shooting as occurring. Weddle said Ford was sitting on his front porch when officers arrived later the same evening and had a disassembled semi-automatic pistol sitting next to him. Ford was arrested and taken to police headquarters for questioning. He is quoted as telling Weddle he had disabilities and then claimed the victim had repeatedly insulted him with foul language during their dispute. Ford remained held Wednesday night in the Macon County Jail with bail set at $500,000, requiring him to post a bond of $50,000 to be freed. The victim was being treated at Decatur Memorial Hospital and is quoted as telling police he had been shot by the man who lives across the street from him before he was taken back for surgery. Weddle said doctors described the victims injuries as life-threatening. All preliminary charges are subject to review by the states attorney. The US surpasses 160 mass shootings in 2023. Here's every event mapped The US surpasses 100 mass shootings in 2023here's every event mapped Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space A captivating tale that epitomises the extraordinary bond between humans and dogs has emerged from the United States. An American billionaire family has captured the attention of pet enthusiasts worldwide. Their profound adoration for their pets has made them set off on an unprecedented quest to find the perfect attentive dog nanny who will provide unparalleled care for their pooches. According to a report in Daily Mail, the billionaire family is offering $127,000 per year for the nanny who gets selected to take care of their pooches. The applicants must have knowledge of dog nutrition and must leave their private lives to take care of the dogs. George Ralph-Dunn, of Fairfax and Kensington recruitment agency, who is talking on the familys behalf, said that the amount the family is offering is not something that has been heard before. It seems, the family has already received more than 300 applications for the role. cre Trending Stories "Everyone is suddenly a dog nanny. The perfect person would be not too big of a character, and be good at blending into the background, then popping out when required, he said. "The clients are billionaires looking for best-in-class service, so when it comes to their dogs, they're happy to pay. This is the first role we've offered of its kind, he added. George hopes to finalise a person for the role by the end of this month. Kolkata: Suchetana Bhattacharya, the daughter of former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, has declared herself as a "transman", adding that she would shortly undergo sex reassignment surgery (SRS). The matter first surfaced on social media in a post by LGBTQ activist Suprava Roy, who uploaded a picture of Suchetana addressing a symposium on the livelihood of the people of the community. According to Roy, at the symposium, Suchetana declared herself as a "transman" and also said that after the sex-change surgery, `he` would be known as `Suchetan`. cre Trending Stories Later, Suchetana confirmed the genuineness of the post to a section of the media and said that it was her own decision as an adult individual having attained the age of 41. She also appealed to the people not to mix up her family identity with her personal identity. Suchetana also confirmed about taking the necessary legal steps required before going for the surgery. Actress and rights activist Ushashie Chakrabiorty, who was also a speaker at the symposium, told IANS that it is not easy for someone like Suchetana, whose father is a former Chief Minister of the state, to come out so boldly and announce such a decision. "I feel that the bold step taken by Suchetana will encourage many others to come out of the closet and express their feelings. Many people are scared to open up. The more people come forward, the more the social movement on this issue will be strengthened. Steps taken by persons like Suchetana will surely have a big impact on the society," Chakrabiorty said. Senior counsel of the Calcutta High Court and a prominent face of the LGBTQ movement in Kolkata, Kaushik Gupta, also agreed with Chakraborty on this point. "The idea is to establish freedom of choice and freedom of expression. There have been cases of people undergoing sex reassignment surgeries before. Their initiatives are equally commendable for encouraging others to come out of the closet. But when a person coming from a background of repute opens up on such an issue, it has a bigger impact on the society," Gupta said. A submarine on an expedition to take five passengers to see the Titanic wreckage site went missing on June 18. The incident occurred in the Atlantic Ocean when the submersible lost contact with the mothership within an hour and forty-five minutes of beginning its journey. Two of the missing passengers are Shahzada Dawood and his nineteen-year-old Suleiman. Shahzada is a Pakistani business tycoon and one of the four billionaires on the machine. Who is Shahzada Dawood? Shahzada Dawood's wealth is well-known in Pakistan, and one of the richest men in the country. He is also the vice chairman of Engro Corporation. The company, based in Karachi, Pakistan, works in multiple sectors and is involved in the production of fertilizers, food, and energy. As per New York Times, Dawood is also an heir to one of the wealthiest families in Pakistan. Dawood is also a board member of The Prince's Trust and a Trustee of The Dawood Foundation. cre Trending Stories Also read: Missing Titanic Submarine: Who Is Stockton Rush? OceanGate Ceo And Pilot Of Lost Submarine- Know All About Him Shahzada Dawood's Education The 48-year-old from Pakistan attended Buckingham University, where he pursued LLB. He also received an education from Philadelphia University in global textile marketing. The knowledge received by him was later used to take over the business and increase his wealth. As per reports, Shahzada Dawood's net worth presently stands at USD 136.73 million. Who is Suleman Dawood? Shahzada's son, Suleman Dawood, who is presently 19 years old, was also onboard the submarine, as per Daily Mail's report. The businessman's son is known for being a science fiction fan and a volleyball, per various reports. Also read: Missing Titanic Submarine: Who Is Paul-Henri Nargeolet? Know All About Stranded French Diver Shahzada Dawood's Family Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son boarded the submersible on June 18 to view the wreckage of the Titanic ship. However, there has been no contact with the duo since the submarine went missing. Meanwhile, the millionaire's wife, Christina, and daughter, Alina, have been waiting for the news about their family. As per a statement, Engro said, "On Sunday, June 18, Mr Shahzada Dawood, Vice Chairman of Engro Corporation Limited, along with his son, Suleman, embarked on a journey to visit the remnants of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean." What happened with the Oceangate Submarine? Around four in the morning on Sunday, OceanGate Expeditions' submarine began the journey to the ocean's depths. It was diving 12,500 feet in the ocean with five individuals onboard. However, after an hour and forty-five minutes of descent, the submersible was unable to contact the mothership, MV Polar Prince. Some submarine experts think deploying a remotely operated vehicle with a maximum depth of 20,000 feet is the only viable option for rescuing the survivors. DECATUR Dennis Lab School's seventh and eighth grade students will move to Stephen Decatur Middle School for the 2023-24 school year if the school board accepts a proposal by district administration. The proposal, presented at a special board meeting on Wednesday held at MacArthur High School, calls for the remaining Dennis students to move to Garfield Learning Academy's building at 300 Meadow Terrace Place. The building is inadequate to house all 500 of Dennis' prek-8 students. Even with assigning seventh and eighth grades to Stephen Decatur, the district sought and obtained the board's approval to rent modular units that would provide six more classrooms and a restroom at a cost of $439,000 $175,000 for delivery and installation, plus $22,000 per month for a year's rent. The district expects to need the modular units for longer than a year, as well. The units will be placed on the grounds of the Garfield building. Students in Garfield Learning Academy, which serves students K-12 in an alternative learning setting, will be moved to a self-contained wing at Stephen Decatur and will not be mixed with Stephen Decatur students. Garfield teacher Krista Hudson expressed concern about having the students at Stephen Decatur, where the students often have fights, she said. One of the behavior issues students at Garfield display is a tendency to fight and she is worried about their being in that atmosphere. She's also concerned about the lack of secure entries and exits. "Our kids can run out, and we do have runners," she said. "Now you're putting them in situation where they may run out and help somebody fight, or (Stephen Decatur students) may run into our area to fight. I have so many concerns and I just want you to keep them in mind." According to documents released by the district, staff will follow grade levels, pending discussions with the Decatur Education Association. A final proposal will be presented at the board's June 27 meeting at 6:30 p.m. in the Keil Administration Building, 101 W. Cerro Gordo St., though the board does not have to approve the plan unless further expenditures are necessary, which is possible. Several Dennis staff and parents pleaded for the seventh and eighth graders to remain with the elementary in one location, and Superintendent Rochelle Clark said that could be possible if enough modular classrooms can be obtained to house them. It would take a total of 16 extra classrooms. The meeting follows the district's announcement last week that both Dennis Lab School buildings the Mosaic campus, 1499 W. Main St., and the Kaleidoscope campus, 520 W. Wood St. will be closed for the 2023-2024 school year due to structural concerns. The Mosaic campus the original footprint for Dennis needs its original staircase fully repaired or replaced, consultants found. At the Kaleidoscope campus, engineers have recommended partial demolition and replacement of the original 1913 three-story building. Decatur Public Schools announced on May 31, the day after school ended for the summer, that a structural engineer had found significant issues at both the Mosaic and Kaleidoscope campuses and the buildings would be closed while a second engineer, as suggested by the first, examined them. That second report was provided to the district on June 8. With few options available for housing Dennis and school scheduled to begin on Aug. 14, decisions on a short-term solution had to be made quickly. It is unknown as yet whether the buildings can be repaired or will have to be razed and replaced. The future of those buildings had already been a topic of discussion even before the recent engineering firm findings. The board considered a new building for the Dennis program as recently as last year, but no suitable building site was available in the school's boundary in the west end. The board proposed buying Lincoln Park and building there, but the community objected, and the Decatur Park District board ultimately decided against selling the park to the school district. Photos: Special school board meeting on Dennis Lab School plans DECATUR Knocked down at an online auction for the second time in as many weeks, Decaturs prestigious Powers-Jarvis mansion was bought Wednesday afternoon for a winning bid of $149,500. That's less than half of what it sold for at auction June 7, when the winning bid had been $301,750. But that sale hadn't lasted long: the church group that bought it ran into a financing problem and backed out of the deal. The identity of the new buyer wasnt immediately known after the auction wrapped up at 1:40 p.m. The winning bid will be bumped up by a buyers premium fee of 5% and, to seal the transaction, an earnest money payment equivalent to 5% of the winning bid must be handed over within 24 hours. The new, proud owner will then have about a month to complete the transaction in the normal way of closing real estate deals. Renee Sommer, the managing broker and owner of County Line Realty, the local listing broker, said it should take about a week before initial paperwork is completed and we'll know whether the sale is final this time. "I just hope whoever has bought it is going to appreciate it and take care of it like it deserves to be taken care of," she told the Herald & Review. "Hopefully the buyer has the knowledge, the skills, the money and the patience and it's going to get its little facelift and be able to stand for another 100 years." Bidding for the massive 7,700-square-foot, 100-year-old home complete with its own ballroom had only reached $141,000 by 1:20 p.m. In the next 14 minutes the bidding had jumped to $148,500 with a repeated wrinkle you dont see on eBay auctions: as the clock on the ServiceLink Auction services site counted down to what was supposed to be the final 30 or so seconds, it would suddenly reset itself when a new bid came in. This kept adding additional minutes to the auction deadline until the bidding finally stalled out at the $149,500 price by 1:36 p.m. and stayed there for what proved to be the final four minutes. Buying the historic home, however, is just the start of what promises to prove an interesting journey for the new owners, whoever or whatever they are. Several members of the family who bought it at a regular auction for $400,000 in 2005 are still living there, even though the property was foreclosed on and is now owned by a bank. Family members have launched a GoFundMe appeal to try and buy them a new home but, they say, until that happens they have nowhere to go and remain inside the mansion. Buyers in Wednesdays auction had been warned there would be no access to the interior for inspections and taking possession of the place, which has been caught up in several lawsuits and legal actions, would remain their problem. Historic preservation activists welcomed news of the latest sale, and hoped that it marked a turning point in the fortunes of the mansion, which has visibly deteriorated over the years. That home has the history of being one of the most glamorous in Decatur, said Ayn Owens, founder of the History of the Heartland, a group dedicated to preserving Decaturs past. I often think when people drive by it was like seeing a touch of Hollywood. Restoring it is going to be a long and expensive journey for someone, but we would absolutely love to see it brought back. Bret Robertson, chairman of History of the Heartland, said the revival and restoration of the prestigious address would be a sign of hope and renewal for the historic neighborhood the home occupies on West Decatur Street. And he also hoped it might open the eyes of the wider world to the reality of the Decatur real estate market. This (the Powers-Jarvis sale) could be an indicator that puts Decatur more on the map as a place where somebody can come and buy extraordinary properties at really attractive market values, he added. DECATUR As his anguished family erupted in wailing tears and cries of its not fair, Jackie G. Deberry was sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday for firing a warning shot that ended up killing a Decatur man. The 47-year-old defendant had originally faced a charge of first degree murder in the July 24 death of Tiebryis R. May, 22, who was shot in a Decatur pool hall being used for illegal dice games. That charge was reduced to involuntary manslaughter a Class 3 felony in a plea deal negotiated by Deberrys defense attorney, Chris Amero. Sworn affidavits filed by Decatur police said Deberry had come to the aid of his 29-year-old cousin, injured and on crutches after a motorcycle accident, who had got into a dispute with May. The cousin and the victim had both been armed with handguns and May ended up holding both weapons as the two men grappled with each other. But then May dropped his own gun and witnesses described him then using the other weapon to try and shoot the cousin, but the gun malfunctioned and didnt fire. May then retreated to the door while Deberry grabbed the other fallen weapon and was pointing it at May. He told Decatur police detectives, and insisted again in Macon County Circuit Court, that he didnt want to shoot May but was terrified May was going to shoot him or his cousin. He said May kept messing with the handgun he was holding, trying to get it to work. So I asked him to leave, Please, just go, dont shoot the gun, but he wouldnt go, said Deberry, breaking down in sobs. He tried to raise it (the gun) up and that is when I shot the warning shot and I looked and saw him turn around and run out the door. The bullet had plowed into the door frame (Deberry said he was aiming wide) but a fragment sheared off on impact and inflicted the fatal wound. May would die later in Decatur Memorial Hospital. I didnt know what else to do; I just tried to shoot a warning shot to scare him away. I didnt want to shoot him, Deberry told Presiding Judge Thomas Griffith. Amero, pleading for a non-custodial sentence, said his client was on parole for a drug dealing conviction at the time of the offense but had no real history of violent crime. He said Deberry had been placed in an impossible situation with no easy way out. Amero said the prosecution had talked of wanting to send a message with Deberrys punishment, but asked the judge: What message are we sending? You have to take a bullet to the face otherwise you are going to prison? Assistant States Attorney Brian Shaw had recommended the eight year sentence, insisting Deberry was old enough to know better than to walk into an illegal dice game while on parole. He doesnt say Hey, you know what, Ive got some things to lose here and maybe I should walk the straight and narrow for a little bit of time,' Shaw added. He put himself in a bad situation. The judge said he had to agree. I think probation would clearly deprecate the seriousness of you putting yourself in this position, as well as the gravity of the charges and the fact that somebody is dead in this situation, he told Deberry. 2023 mugshots from the Herald & Review Lourash Hirstein Phillip Gehrken Joseph A. Williams Jetrevius O. Jarrett Edwards King-Woods Wilson Derrickson Colby J. Park Decatur YMCA, thanks for rolling out the welcome wagon. As anyone who has ever moved can attest to, the process of setting up a new residence can be hectic and stressful. With that in mind, my wife and I moved from California to Decatur two years ago and joined the Decatur YMCA. I just wanted to publicly thank the YMCA and their staff for the professionalism they have shown my wife and me over the past two years (front desk, on the floor, pool area and office). And thanks for your efficient and effective communications through emails. There are other members who have told me about the great job the YMCA does with youth development, healthy living and social responsibility programs also here in Decatur. In summary: Rolling out the welcome wagon not only extends a friendly reception to me, anew comer, but it also helped me and my wife to become involved with other people from the get-go. David L. Cooks, Decatur New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. Near record high temperatures. High 104F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 75F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. The owners of a new business in Maiden went from the germination of an idea to doors open in three weeks. Located on Main Street in Maiden, Unfurled Plant Co. is home to a variety of different indoor and outdoor plants as well as a unique greenroom. The owners are Brooke and Austin Engle. Brooke Engle said she wanted to create a space for the plant community and to be accessible for everyone, not just high-end collectors. We have beginner house plants that are easier to take care of, and a little more forgiving, if you dont really know what youre doing yet, Engle said. These plants include pothos, snake plants, spider plants, cacti and succulents. The prices for these beginner plants range from $5 to $10. The shop also has rare plants that may be harder to come by, Engle said. These plants include variegated billietiae philodendrons, variegated monsteras and rare anthurium hybrids. These plants range from $300 to $5,000. The plants come from various hobby sellers across North Carolina. Engle said it gives sellers a place to call home and sell plants they grow to, in return, fund their hobbies. Engle said her shops location is special because her husband grew up in Maiden, and thats where they are raising their two daughters. Its a warm and welcoming community, theres so many unique things about Maiden, Engle said. She said the town is a center point for plant communities located in Mooresville, Charlotte and Hickory, which Engle said she feels adds to the appeal of her shop. The shop features a greenhouse with a sliding glass door. The greenhouse sits in what was once a boutiques dressing room. The plant-filled room also has ladybugs, which are at work keeping the plants healthy. Engle said the insects are healthier to use than pesticides. Unfurled also offers diagnostic and repotting services. The diagnostic services are provided by the shops plant hospital, where Engle said people can drop off their plant similar to the way that people drop their dogs off at the dog groomer. Engle said she has developed an eye for recognizing what a plant may need, drawing upon her experience as a plant owner and her interest in herbal medicine. Engle said she also knows many collector sellers who have a lot of expertise who can help give advice for specific plants. The repotting service is an important part of Engles business because some people get plants during life events. Some examples, she said, are a birth or a funeral. Engle said that even though some people arent plant people, these plants may still have sentimental value to those who may not have the time or knowledge to do more complex maintenance for the plant. Ive heard of people having these really emotional connections with plants, given to them from a long-lost family member and stuff like that, Engle said. So, I just want to be as helpful as I can. Unfurled Plant Co. also carries many handmade, local-to-North Carolina products such as trellises, neem oil (a natural pesticide), and hats. The store also features lines of propagating tubes along the left wall that hold clippings for sale. Engle said the goal is to eventually grow the wall into a take-one, leave-one system for the plant community to swap clippings. Engle said her favorite plant is an Anthurium hybrid, which she has tattooed on the inside of her left wrist. I had to be kind of obsessed with it to get it tattooed, Engle said. Four people were arrested for drug trafficking and other charges at a Days Inn hotel in Hickory on Monday. Jonathan David Shamblin, 33, Jada Kylelynn Jackson, 34, Dallas Loyd Gragg, 33, and Robert Lee Oxentine, 33, were arrested on Monday at the Days Inn hotel on Fairgrove Church Road, the Catawba County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. Investigators with the sheriffs office and the Hickory Police Department executed a search warrant at the Days Inn on Monday. During a search of a room, investigators located and seized 61.27 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 6 grams of fentanyl, 9.5 pills of carisoprodol, 2 grams of marijuana and a .380 caliber handgun, the sheriffs office said. Shamblin, of Mount Holly, is charged with two counts of trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of Schedule II controlled substance (fentanyl), possession of Schedule IV controlled substance (carisoprodol), possession of drug paraphernalia and providing fictitious information to law enforcement, the sheriffs office said. Jackson, of Hickory, is charged with two counts of trafficking in methamphetamine, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver methamphetamine, possession of Schedule II controlled substance (fentanyl), possession of Schedule IV controlled substance (carisoprodol), possession of marijuana, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of drug paraphernalia, the sheriffs office said. Gragg, of Hickory, is charged with possession with intent to manufacture sell or deliver methamphetamine, possession with intent to manufacture sell or deliver Schedule II controlled substance (fentanyl), possession of drug paraphernalia and parole violation, the sheriffs office said. Oxentine, of Conover, was served with outstanding warrants for breaking or entering, larceny and possession of stolen goods and an order for arrest for failure to appear on a charge of possession of methamphetamine, the sheriffs office said. The sheriffs office was assisted by Hickory police, the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement officers and members of the N.C. Office of Probation and Parole. HICKORY In the Matchbox, a short horror film written by Hickorys Jermi Little, is nominated for awards at several upcoming film festivals. Little also acts in the film. He and Beverly Brock, owner of Hickorys The Brock Agency, will be flying to Los Angeles on July 14 for a screening of the film and an awards ceremony. Little is represented by The Brock Agency. Little grew up in Washington, D.C., and North Carolina. At an early age, he became enthralled with the medium of cinema and would often sneak into the movies to enjoy great storytelling, characters, settings and plot. Little joined the Army after 9/11, in part to escape life in the streets. He suffered an injury while in the Army and is now a disabled veteran. Littles passion and tenacity for acting and cinema and producing took hold when he produced his first feature, his original story called The Mutt, starring Erik Estrada. Little is producing the action drama Rubber Bullets, and stays dedicated to creating gritty storytelling that is captivating and memorable. He does what he loves and is passionate about unifying his productions and putting out the best product possible. In The Matchbox is nominated for Best Short, Best Leading Actor, Best Short Narrative and Best Director in three film festivals so far and is submitted for more around the world. Rubber Bullets was an award winner for Best Short in a film festival as well. A Charlotte screening of In the Matchbox is scheduled July 8 during the 13th annual Charlotte Black Film Festival. It is an official selection of the festival. I was up in Delaware a couple of weeks ago. Somehow, Id missed the news about the bad air over the Middle Atlantic states. I arrived at my friend Marys house and thought I smelled agricultural chemicals. Nope, it was the smoke, she said. Forest fires in Canada. My eyes were irritated, I coughed a bit. On one day, the thick haze cut visibility to a mile. I remembered the California wildfires a couple of years ago. If memory serves me correctly, we could actually smell wood smoke from 2,000 miles away. Mary and I mused about what earlier generations might have made of something like this. Without the benefit of radar and satellite images to explain it all, what would people have thought? Turns out my cell phone was listening. Sure enough, last week, algorithms steered me to a Lance Geiger, a You Tuber known as The History Guy. He had the perfect video for me: New Englands Dark Day May 19, 1780. The year 1780, I knew, was on the waning side of the American Revolution. Indeed, American victory was still very much in doubt when May produced some worrying signs: both the sun and moon appeared blood red. On that Friday in 1780, the sun was all but blotted out due to the mysterious haze that had been creeping into the skies for days. By noon, it was dark as night. Gen. George Washington wrote of the peculiar day in his diary while in New Jersey hundreds of miles from the darkest locations in New England. Flowers folded their petals, cocks crowed, night birds sang, frightened cattle returned to their stalls. Midday meals were taken by candlelight. Colonials, in freak-out mode, threw up their hands as they expected to hear the sound of trumpets announcing Judgement Day. The faithful rushed to meeting houses to pray and lament the terrifying darkness. Others sought solace in taverns. Meanwhile, observers calm enough to take note, recorded that winds prevailed from easterly to westerly on May 19. Around midnight a light breeze spring up, blowing away the clouds and vapors. Amazingly, the next day the sun came out as usual. Some proposed that the Dark Day was caused by meteor showers, a solar eclipse or perhaps volcanic eruptions. The strange occurrence wasnt quickly dismissed. American poet John Greenleaf Whittier, a New Englander born nearly 30 years after the Darkest Day, wrote a poem about it in the 1870s. A horror of great darkness, he described it. The Twilight of the Gods. Sidney Perley, a 19th-century historian, was onto something when he reported that rainwater gave off a strong sooty smell. Indeed, a black scum floated on rivers. Boston smelled like a coal kin. He and others proposed that some massive wildfire was the culprit, but it wasnt confirmed for another century and a half. In 2008, forestry researchers from the University of Missouri confirmed the theory of a massive forest fire by studying tree rings of the Algonquin Highlands, Ontario. Sure enough, charcoal and resin fire scars in the growth rings proved that an inferno had occurred in the year 1780. Canadian forests perhaps the very ones that sparked the smoky days we saw earlier this month were responsible for all the panic and pandemonium. The American Revolution, by the way, ended more than a year after the Darkest Day. Exactly 17 months later, Oct. 19, 1781, British troops surrendered to the Americans at Yorktown. A crowd of around a dozen assembled outside the Cabarrus County Governmental Center on Monday evening, holding signs reading Vote to Prevent Evictions and Keep Cabarrus Residents Housed. It was a diverse group, comprised of people of all ages and backgrounds. Members have been advocating for several months about the need to reduce evictions, which have skyrocketed in recent years, having regularly attended and made their voices heard during Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners meetings. When people get evicted, they dont just disappear, said Kannapolis resident Mark Ortiz during a work session earlier in June. Ortiz is one of many members who have sounded the alarm about the problem. They still have to be cared for, theyre still around. Due to the groups persistence and dedication, key changes will be enacted in the fiscal 2024 budget to a program that provides financial assistance to individuals who have recently suffered a documented crisis, such as being evicted. These members are part of the Cabarrus chapter of Down Home North Carolina, a statewide nonprofit working to uplift and empower poor and working-class citizens in rural counties. The Cabarrus chapter, which began in 2019 and has around 35 regular members, has endorsed and helped elect several local candidates, including Keshia Sandidge for Cabarrus County School Board and Diamond Staton-Williams last year for N.C. House District 73. Though Down Home likely leans to the left, Jasmine Lewter, regional director of the Cabarrus chapter, said the most important aspect is advocating for working-class citizens, regardless of political affiliation. Even if youre a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or whatever, if you are working-class, than were already fighting the same fight, she said, noting Republicans canvassed with the group last year. Because there are people above you who will try and keep you down. Once you realize that, then you know youre in the right place with us. Sabrina Berry, an original member of the chapter who twice ran for county commissioner in recent years, said the county needs everyday working people (in office) with real-life experience. Identifying a key community issue The groups Evict Less, House More campaign originated last year, when members spent several months knocking on doors, speaking with residents at length across the county about the issues that mattered most to them. It was absolutely nerve-wracking, Lewter said about her first time deep canvassing a technique that employs longer conversations to move opinions on hot-button issues. Though the work can be difficult, with many people not willing to speak, Lewter enjoyed the moments she was able to connect with residents. You can knock on 100 doors that day and maybe you only spoke with two people, but those two conversations mean a lot, she said. Its really satisfying work. Lewter, a Kannapolis native, planned on becoming a nurse after graduating from N.C. A&T last spring before she began work with Down Home as a canvasser in the summer. She spent several months canvassing before Down Homes statewide organizing director asked if she was interested in becoming the Cabarrus chapters regional director at the end of 2022. I was like, Sure, she said. Lewter began serving as director in January. Lewter grew up in a politically active family and had been passionate about social justice issues, but she never thought of herself as an organizer. At first I was a joiner, I never saw myself as the one who would organize around these kind of things, she said. She quickly found her footing and enjoyed speaking with and advocating for people in the community. Following months of canvassing, the group earlier this year decided to pursue an issue campaign, with the goal of receiving funding in the upcoming county budget. After debating many topics, the group voted to focus on housing. When we were out knocking on doors, rent increases, housing costs, cost of living, that was the number one issue we heard, Lewter said. Close to 3,300 Cabarrus residents have already faced eviction filings as of April of this fiscal year, according to data from the N.C. Housing Coalition, which Lewter shared with the Independent Tribune. That is already more than all the evictions filed in 2022 (2,570), 2021 (1,482) and 2020 (2,794). Cabarrus also ranks sixth out of the states 100 counties for evictions among rental households, per N.C. Housing Coalition data, which was higher than every county in the Charlotte Metropolitan area. Mecklenburg, with 900,000 more people, was ranked seventh. Wanting to understand how the housing affordability crisis impacted people on a personal level, Down Home members heard from people facing eviction in court, often speaking with them afterwards, Berry said. They also talked with homeless individuals around downtown Concord to understand their perspective. Working to make a tangible impact Since agreeing on the issue of housing, Down Home Cabarrus has focused on improving the Emergency Assistance program, which is part of the Department of Human Services. The group originally wanted the county to reopen and bolster its Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which was a lifeline for many families facing financial hardship due to COVID-19. It asked for $8 million to help restart the program, Berry said. The commissioners declined. That was a program that was much easier to qualify for, Berry said. Speaking to the commissioners during the June 5 work session, Lewter said 2,158 families benefited from ERAP, and since its closing, there have been a spike in evictions. This is a very real issue that directly affects Cabarrus County residents, she said, noting that while federal funding for ERAP has ended, the emergency has not. Under the Emergency Assistance program, families with a minor child who have experienced a crisis beyond their control can apply for assistance. If approved, they can receive up to $500 once every 12 months. This can go toward many things, including help with rent. Of the $85,000 allocated to the program for the current fiscal year, only about $9,000 has been used. The remaining funds are removed before the end of each fiscal year, with a new $85,000 being allocated. The problem, Lewter said, is the majority of the funds have not been utilized since so few people know the program exists. The group found no information online and learned details about the program only from a document Commissioner Kenny Wortman gave them. People have to either call to request an application or physically go to the Department of Human Services; there is no way to apply online. When looking through an application, Lewter discovered it could take up to 30-45 days to receive a response from the county, which presented another problem. So it felt like you had to know something bad was going to happen to you before you could even use the program, Lewter said. During the same work session earlier this month, Lewter and other Down Home members explained in detail to the commissioners what was wrong with the program, including its lack of publicity and how it could improve. My motto is that you can reduce and redirect in that budget, Berry said, in order to help reduce evictions. The group also regularly canvassed neighborhoods across the county, receiving more than 550 signatures for a petition to stop needless evictions and asking the county commissioners to FULLY fund the Emergency Assistance Program to help renters stay in their homes. Emergency Assistance changes After consistent advocacy at board meetings, with numerous members, often clad in their blue-and-red Down Home T-shirts, speaking during public comment, the commissioners agreed to several changes for the Emergency Assistance program. These include: Increasing the maximum amount families can receive from $500 to $1,000; Letting unused funds roll into the next fiscal year while still allocating $85,000. This would allow for around $161,000 in funding for the program, beginning July 1. Creating an online application, which should be active in the coming weeks. Removing restrictions that landlords have to be registered with the county as local vendors; Quarterly evaluations of the programs effectiveness. The commissioners were receptive to the groups efforts to alleviate evictions and thanked them for bringing issues to their attention, such as the flaws of the assistance program. Weve made these changes and so were going to see how this impacts the fund and then well reevaluate it at another time, Board of Commissioners Chairman Steve Morris said at Monday nights meeting. It is not going unnoticed and it is a big issue, Morris added about the need for more affordable housing. It is not one you can snap your fingers and correct, but were trying to do what we can. Lewter said she was very grateful after the meeting, noting she felt the commissioners did see us and they did hear us and were willing to make changes around what they could control. I think it is a testament to who we have on our county commission, she added. Sabrina Berry, who is also involved with both the Black Political Caucus of Cabarrus County and the Cabarrus branch of the NAACP, highlighted the sheer scale of what Down Home Cabarrus had accomplished. Every organization that has tried to impact policy changes in the county for years has never been able to do what Down Home has done in these last six weeks, she said, noting she was grateful for the changes but insisted they are not enough. Looking back on the past few months, Lewter has enjoyed seeing several members of the group become more comfortable speaking in public about issues they are passionate about. The people that work with us, we want to build them up into leaders and we want to give them the opportunity to grow as individuals, Lewter said. Down Homes work advocating for improved housing assistance is far from over: The group is already working to publicize the improved emergency assistance program. Were thinking of a lot of different ways we can spread the word, Lewter said, including knocking on doors and phone banking. North Carolina's liquor sales system, which employs managers for each of the state's 171 governmental alcohol control boards, has been described as unwieldy and redundant by critics and beneficial to taxpayers by supporters. An analysis of the salaries of the general manager running about 140 of the states 171 boards shows the average salary is about $70,000, the highest being $217,000 in Mecklenburg County. These managers handle liquor sales to the general public and to bars and restaurants in their coverage area. Most managers about 100 of 171 boards run a single store. North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association President and CEO Lynn Minges says the vast number of boards and government employees running the system are redundant and the system is difficult to maneuver for businesses. Brantley Uzzell, vice president of the North Carolina Association of ABC Boards, said the system is self-funded and costs nothing to citizens who do not drink liquor. Clunky and cumbersome North Carolina is one of 17 states where liquor sales are controlled by the government. It is the only state where liquor sales are controlled by local boards, rather than the state. In North Carolina, after the lifting of Prohibition in 1933, counties, cities and towns could vote to approve liquor sales in their area. If approved, those local governments appoint an Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, which hires a manager to run liquor stores and sell liquor and spirits to local businesses like bars and restaurants. Because cities in counties without liquor sales could choose to create their own ABC boards, there are now 171 boards, nearly double the states 100 counties. The boards report in some ways to the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission and profits are distributed to the local municipalities and counties in their area, but by law, each board is an independent political subdivision of the state, operating under their own policies and authority, said Hugh Stevens, a lawyer with Stevens, Martin, Vaughn & Tadych who specializes in public records and First Amendment law. Minges, who advocates for the thousands of restaurants and lodges in North Carolina, said that separation between the ABC boards makes the system difficult to navigate and redundant. There are 100 counties, and somehow we do good with 100 units of county government, but we have 171 local (ABC) boards, Minges said. So that system is clunky and cumbersome and expensive and we bump up against those challenges with the local boards on a daily basis. One of the biggest difficulties bars and restaurants face is in buying liquor. In North Carolina, a state warehouse buys liquor from distributors, and ABC boards must order liquor from the state warehouse. Bars and restaurants must then purchase their liquor from their local ABC board. If a bars ABC store or board is out of a product, or unable to get a product the bar ordered, the bar is not allowed to buy the product from a different board, even if the products are well in stock at another store nearby. A past investigation by Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism Team revealed some small ABC boards sometimes have difficulty getting the liquor customers want. Because there are such a large number of small ABC boards, bars and restaurants also have to pick up liquor from stores, rather than get it delivered, as they might be able to do in a different system. This is not rocket science. And it's time for government to try to figure out how to be more efficient in delivering products, Minges said. These are things the private sector does every day. Uzzell, who manages two ABC boards, Lenoir County and Jones County, said the reasoning behind so many different boards is so that local purchases benefit local cities and counties. The profits from liquor sales go directly to the local cities and counties in the ABC boards coverage area. Those government leaders can decide how to use the majority of that money. I cant speak for what's good for another county but I know what our county needs, he said. I think its better in the hands of the local leaders. Maggie Barchine, director of communications for the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association, said the revenue from the alcohol control model often leads to investment in infrastructure, education and substance abuse prevention and help. I think, for states that do have the control model, the citizens in those states receive a lot of benefits, you know, the fact that the revenue that is made, goes back for the citizens of the state. Each of the boards in North Carolina requires board members, many of whom are paid per meeting, and general managers and employees, all of whom are paid by the revenue made on liquor sales. Managers salaries General managers salaries range from $20,000 annually to $217,000, according to the salary information provided by about 140 ABC boards. Minges believes having so many highly paid government employees selling liquor is wasteful. They (the boards) each have infrastructure. They have staff. They have overhead costs. And they are all government employees. They're all on the government till, she said. The salaries of ABC general managers are dictated by state law that says the general managers may not make more annually than the clerk of superior court in that county. There can be exceptions made by the leaders that appoint the ABC board, and there are several instances. In at least six instances, the ABC general manager makes more money than the clerk of court in that county. Those include Mecklenburg's manager, Wake County, Greensboro, Sanford, Chatham County and Boone. There are also rules that apply to those who are appointed to the ABC boards. These members are appointed by the city or county leaders who create the ABC board. Some board members are not paid at all, while others receive the state maximum of $150 per meeting. In some cases, the appointing authorities voted to make an exception and pay their ABC board members more than $150 per meeting. There are no laws guiding when exemptions to the state limits on general manager salaries and board pay can be made, only that the appointing authority county or city leaders must approve the exemptions. In Mecklenburg County, the board chair is paid $600 per month, and the remaining four members are paid $500 per month, with typically 11 meetings held each year, according to information provided by the Mecklenburg County ABC board. Wake County pays its chairman $500 per meeting, and other members $400 per meeting, according to the ABC board. Some members of boards that operate one store earn more than the $150 per meeting rate set by the state. West Jefferson ABC board members receive $500 per meeting, with 12 to 14 meetings per year, according to General Manager Tony Lyall. Mount Holly board members get $200 per month and the chairman gets $250 per month, according to the Mount Holly ABC Board. Waynesville ABC board members get $250 per meeting, with one meeting a month, according to the board. The independence and lack of consistency between boards leads each board to have a monopoly in its area, Minges said. Minges believes because of the way the system is set up, not allowing private liquor sales or wholesale purchases from other ABC boards, there isnt incentive for quality service either, she said. I mean, if that local board realized that they were going to lose a sale to another neighboring board, they might be more inclined to procure their product and their customers demand, Minges said. Now, there's not a lot of incentive to provide good customer service. Behind the data About 30 ABC boards of North Carolinas 171 did not respond to public information requests for the compensation of their board members and general manager. Some refused the request outright. The information is of public record, according to North Carolina law, Stevens, a specialist in public record law, said. In response to the request from Lee Enterprises, the Highlands ABC Board manager Kevin Vinson said, I will not provide manager or any other employee salaries of the store as that is private information since we are employees of the store, not the state. The board operates one store. The Mount Pleasant ABC Board asked their general manager, Amy Underwood, not to release the information, she said. Stevens said as independent subdivisions of the state, ABC employee salaries are of public record. There is no question that ABC boards are all public bodies and anyone who says otherwise or tries to stonewall a request is wrong, thats just not the case, Stevens said. The Kings Mountain ABC Board said they needed more information to respond to the information request. Despite more information on the request being provided, the ABC board did not respond to further emails. By law, public bodies are not entitled to any information about who is requesting public information, Stevens said. The Maxton County ABC Board would not release the information without state permission but as independent subdivisions, that permission is not required, according to NC Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission Public Affairs Director Jeff Strickland. ABC boards were given nearly two months to respond to the request and several reminder emails and phone calls. Database vendor MongoDB's Australian-developed MongoDB Relational Migrator is now generally available. The company made several other announcements at its developer conference, so please keep reading. MongoDB Relational Migrator simplifies the task of application modernisation by automating migrations from legacy databases such as Oracle Database, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL and PostgreSQL to MongoDB Atlas. According to the company, all that's needed is to point MongoDB Relational Migrator to an old database, and then it automatically generates the required data schema and code, and then migrates the data to MongoDB Atlas with no downtime required. Customers can then run the modernised application in a test environment before putting it into production. Relational Migrator includes the ability to continuously sync the old and new databases. Customers often tell us its crucial that they modernise their legacy applications so they can quickly build new end-user experiences that take advantage of game-changing technologies and ship new features at high velocity. But they also say that its too risky, expensive, and time consuming, or that they just dont know how to get started, said MongoDB chief product officer Sahir Azam. With MongoDB Relational Migrator, customers can now realise the full potential of software, data, and new technologies like generative AI by migrating and modernising their legacy applications with a seamless, zero-downtime migration experience and without the heavy lifting. Its now easier than ever to modernise applications and create innovative end-user experiences at the speed and scale that modern applications require with MongoDB Atlas. Perth-based Powerledger was among the early users of Relational Migrator. CTO Dr Vivek Bhandar said "We needed to demonstrate our platforms ability to ingest a much higher volume of data and cater to the one billion users we aim to serve in the future, which required a level of scalability and flexibility that our previous relational database couldnt offer. Migrating an entire database is a pretty bold and risky endeavour. Our main priorities and challenges were to do a complete data platform migration, as well as add in scalability and flexibility without disrupting the platform or hindering data security. Amazingly, using MongoDB Relational Migrator, we didnt experience any disruption or downtime. MongoDB CTO Mark Porter said We are incredibly proud of our talented Australian engineering team which have made Relational Migrator a reality. Australia is a core innovation hub for MongoDB, with our local engineering team playing a huge role in delivering the long term product vision for the company, which then ends up in the hands of thousands of organisations all around the world. Relational Migrator is a perfect example of engineering-led innovation, and I am excited to see it being rolled out globally after being successfully trialled by local Australian customers such as renewable energy provider Powerledger. More than a simple feature, Relational Migrator is a game changer: it will help so many organisations previously stuck with traditional SQL databases to move to a modern data platform, he added. I am looking forward to seeing more great innovations come out of our local Australian engineering team, especially around artificial intelligence (AI), data visualisation, analytics and our all important storage engine, the team are working on many exciting projects in these fields. In related news, MongoDB made four announcements aimed at making it easier and quicker to build modern applications. Organisations using MongoDB on AWS can now use C#, Go, Java and Python (in addition to existing support for Javascript and Typescript) in conjunction with the AWS Cloud Development Kit to create, manage and update MongoDB Atlas resources via infrastructure as code mongodb.com/atlas/aws-cloudformation. . The Kotlin Driver for MongoDB provides official support for building server-side applications on MongoDB using Kotlin. The MongoDB Atlas Kubernetes Operator simplifies the use of Atlas within Kubernetes environments. The open-source (but MongoDB-maintained) PyMongoArrow library helps with analytics by allowing developers to efficiently convert data stored on MongoDB using popular frameworks such as Apache Arrow Tables, Pandas DataFrames, or Numpy Arrays. Our long-term vision is to create a developer data platform that removes as much builder friction as possible and makes it easier for developers to do what they do best build, said MongoDB senior vice president of product Andrew Davidson. Developers choose MongoDB Atlas because its the best place to quickly build applications that can make the most out of their data. We continually hear from developers that they want to be able to use even more tools seamlessly on MongoDB Atlas, so with these additional integrations and expanded features, we are taking another step in fulfilling our mission to meet developers where they are and to provide the best possible building experience with the least amount of friction. Given that AI is one of 2023's hottest topics. it's not surprising that MongoDB made several announcement relevant to that space. MongoDB Atlas Vector Search allows large language models to access data stored in Atlas databases. It is integrated with the open source LangChain and LlamaIndex frameworks, helping to access LLMs from MongoDB partners (including, AWS, Databricks, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and MindsDB) and model providers (including Anthropic, Hugging Face, and OpenAI) to generate vector embeddings and build AI-powered applications on MongoDB Atlas. MongoDB Atlas Search Nodes provide dedicated infrastructure for customers to scale search workloads independent of their database, enabling workload isolation, resource optimisation, and better performance at scale. This allows the use of dedicated infrastructure to seamlessly scale MongoDB Atlas Vector Search and MongoDB Atlas Search workloads with greater flexibility. MongoDB Atlas Stream Processing provides a single interface to easily extract insights from high-velocity and high-volume streaming data (such as that from IoT devices or browsing behaviour). It helps the development of applications that can analyse data in real time to adjust behaviour and inform business operations (such as highly personalised promotional offers or fraud detection and prevention). MongoDB Time Series collections provide scaling enhancements and the ability to modify time series data, giving customers more control over their data at scale. This can result in better storage efficiency, improved query speeds, and improved data governance. MongoDB Atlas Online Archive and Atlas Data Federation now support Microsoft Azure in addition to AWS, providing more opportunities to automatically tier Atlas databases to the most cost-effective cloud object storage option while retaining the ability to query. The new MongoDB Atlas capabilities announced today are an answer to the feedback we get from customers every day they love that their teams are able to quickly build and innovate with MongoDB Atlas and want to be able to do even more with it across the enterprise, said MongoDB president and CEO Dev Ittycheria. With the new features were launching today, were further supporting customers running the largest, most demanding, mission-critical workloads that require continually increasing scalability and flexibility, so they can unleash the power of software and data with next-generation applications that will drive the future of their businesses using a single developer data platform with MongoDB Atlas. The MongoDB AI Innovators Program provides organisations building AI technology access to credits for MongoDB Atlas, partnership opportunities in the MongoDB partner ecosystem, and go-to-market activities with MongoDB to accelerate innovation and time to market. These credits are also available via AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. Separately, a new initiative in conjunction with Google Cloud aims to promote the development of new classes of applications using generative AI. Google Cloud's Vertex AI foundational models can be used seamlessly with MongoDB Atlas Vector Search, the MongoDB and Google Cloud professional services teams can help with rapid prototyping of such applications, and subsequently optimise the nearly-finished applications for production use. With the shift in technology powered by generative AI taking place today, the future of software and data is now, and were making it more evenly distributed for developers with MongoDB Atlas, said MongoDB executive vice president of worldwide partnerships Alan Chhabra. This shift begins with developers, and we want to democratise access to game-changing technology so all developers can build the next big thing. With MongoDB Atlas and our strategic partnership with Google Cloud, its now easier for organisations of all shapes and sizes to incorporate AI into their applications and embrace the future. Google Cloud corporate vice president of global ecosystem and channels Kevin Ichhpurani said Generative AI represents a significant opportunity for developers to create new applications and experiences and to add real business value for customers. This new initiative from Google Cloud and MongoDB will bring more capabilities, support, and resources to developers building the next generation of generative AI applications. Finally, there is MongoDB Atlas for Industries, an accelerator program for specific industries, starting with financial services, to be followed this year by manufacturing and automotive, insurance, healthcare, retail and other currently unspecified industries. MongoDB has achieved the AWS Financial Services Competency, and MongoDB is part of the Temenos Banking Cloud. The program includes innovation workshops, access to industry-specific partner integrations and toolchains, 'jumpstart' assessments by MongoDB professional services and industry experts, and tailored MongoDB University courses and learning materials. Bendigo and Adelaide Bank cloud platforms service owner Matt Vermeer said "The expertise that MongoDB delivered from working with other large customers in financial services combined with the MongoDB Atlas developer data platform, was vital in helping us transform our organisation for the future. We believe our partnership with MongoDB will help us accelerate this continued transformation of our business, deliver our technology strategy, and ultimately grow our organisation to achieve our vision of becoming Australias bank of choice by feeding into the prosperity of customers and their communities. MongoDB ANZ country manager Anoop Dhankhar said "At MongoDB we work with many financial services institutions across Australia, covering large banks to fintech start-ups, and what we are seeing across the board is the need for technology solutions and data strategies that meet specific industry needs. This is why I am excited about the launch of Atlas for Financial Services as it supports our local FSI customers in building multi-cloud and data strategies that solve for resilience, availability and compliance, and accompany them in their very unique data-driven journeys. "The financial services sector is increasingly data-dependent, which creates a lot of complexity and raises concerns: on one hand financial services institutions want to reap the benefits of data to drive growth and respond to customer needs, but on the other they need to respond to growing data security and compliance challenges. "Just recently, the Australian financial services industry shared its concerns about the challenges surrounding increased regulatory requirements, which led to the APRA delaying the implementation of the new CPS 230 framework. This is a great example of the complex regulatory challenges Australian FSI organisations are faced with and the extra support and guidance they need to rethink their cloud and data strategies so they are fit for purpose." Telco alliance body Commpete has welcomed the Australian Competition Tribunals decision to uphold the ACCCs rejection of a proposed network sharing deal between Telstra and TPG Telecom in Australias regional and rural areas. TPG and Telstra took the matter to The Tribunal, claiming the ACCC incorrectly concluded the deal should not be granted on the basis of competition and consumer outcomes. Today, the Tribunal rejected these submissions, upholding the ACCCs original verdict. Commpete chair Michelle Lim said The Tribunals decision was a decisive move for competition in the sector. This deal would have handed a dominant provider control over mobile pricing, service availability and service standards in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, she said. Now, more than ever, Australians deserve the benefits of choice and a competitive mobile sector. Likewise, smaller providers, many of whom have been championing greater competition, should be entitled to a fair go. Commpete commends this decision by The Tribunal. Lim said the court appeal highlights the importance of embedding future market structure, and brings into focus improvements needed in the merger review process. Just over a year ago, former ACCC Chairman Rod Sims proposed major reforms in Australias merger review regime, saying it was no longer fit for purpose, and skewed towards clearance, she said. More recently, current ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb called for changes to merger laws to protect competition. While mergers are likely to lessen competition are prohibited, we need to better define likely in the legislation, making it clear the substantial lessening of competition includes entrenching, materially increasing or materially extending a position of substantial market power. Commpete believes this would make it much easier for regulatory bodies to uphold decisions made in the interests of competition and fairness. Lim suggested the next regulatory step should be the declaration of mobile access under Part XIC of the Competition and Consumer Act (CCA) allowing the provision of fair and non-discriminatory terms to level the playing field for a wider range of industry players. So far, the ACCC has only declared mobile termination, which prevents a dominant operator from refusing to terminate a call from another operator. No other form of access to dominant networks has been mandated, and there is currently no incentive for mobile network operators to provide roaming or mandate wholesale access, she said. This light touch approach to regulating mobile networks is perplexing. Given the continuing development of mobile technology and the increasing part it plays in all aspects of business and life, it is simply unacceptable that the owners of mobile infrastructure are completely immunised from competition. This process brought out 11,000 pages in public submissions showing a clear monopoly position in certain regional areas. In other markets, such as fixed line and energy, this would never be allowed without mandating the right of access to compete to other industry participants, and in turn providing consumers with the right to choose. Unless steps are taken to ensure appropriate wholesale access to mobile infrastructure is available, Australians will be deprived of the full benefit of technological advances in this space. Last year, the deal generated buzz in February 2022 when it proposed TPG Telecom decommission 700 mobile sites and direct its services to Telstras network under certain commercial terms. Telstra would then gain ownership of TPGs regional spectrum. The ACCC ruled against the move in December 2022, warning that the deal would reduce competition in the market and would be detrimental to consumers in terms of price and regional coverage. Julie Inman Grant: "A third of all complaints about online hate reported to us are now happening on Twitter." Australia's eSafety commissioner has issued a legal notice to Twitter asking the company to provide information about how it is tackling the problem of online hate. In a statement issued on Thursday, Julie Inman Grant said the agency she heads had received more complaints about online hate on Twitter in the last 12 months than any other platform after Tesla owner Elon Musk took over in October 2022. The statement said this rise in online hate coincided with Twitter cutting its employee count from 8000 to about 1500, with its trust and safety teams being among those suffering cuts. This reduction of workers coincided with Musk reinstating 62,000 banned or suspended users, including 75 accounts with more than a million followers each. We are seeing a worrying surge in hate online, Inman Grant said. eSafety research shows that nearly 1 in 5 Australians have experienced some form of online hate. "This level of online abuse is already inexcusably high, but if youre a First Nations Australian, you are disabled or identify as LGBTIQ+ you experience online hate at double the rate of the rest of the population. Twitter appears to have dropped the ball on tackling hate. A third of all complaints about online hate reported to us are now happening on Twitter. We are also aware of reports that the reinstatement of some of these previously banned accounts has emboldened extreme polarisers, peddlers of outrage and hate, including neo-Nazis both in Australia and overseas. The statement said If Twitter failed to respond to the legal notice within 28 days, the company could face maximum financial penalties of nearly A$700,000 a day for continuing breaches. Australian researchers Thomas Oxley and Nicholas Opie are among three finalists for the European Inventor Award for their invention of a brain-computer interface known as the Synchron Switch. The award will be presented on 4 July. Oxley is a vascular and interventional neurologist and an expert in brain-computer interfaces while Opie is a biomedical engineer and an expert in neural interfaces. They will be competing against the joint American/Indian team of Kripa Varanasi, David Smith and their team who invented a customisable non-stick packaging solution to reduce waste and China's Kai Wu and team who have invented li-ion batteries that lower fire and explosion risks. The Synchron Switch was manufactured at a company set up by the two Australians in Brooklyn in 2016 named Synchron. The company raised US$110 million in a C series round. "The brain-computer interface system transmits data from the brain wirelessly to control external digital devices hands-free, to enable patients with severe paralysis to communicate using their thoughts," according to the statement. "The device is implanted through the blood vessels to allow people with no or very limited physical mobility to operate technology." The Synchron Switch is about the size of a paperclip and is "an endovascular brain implant designed to record or stimulate the brain or nerves from within the blood vessels, the natural highways of the brain". It is inserted into a blood vessel within the motor cortex, an area of the brain that controls sensory and motor activity. "The device is designed to become incorporated into the wall of the blood vessel like a tattoo. Opie explained that for the process to work and to achieve control of sophisticated technologies, a device needs to be able to record brain signals from different parts of the motor cortex, interpret the signals and convert them into digital outputs that can be used to control assistive technology such as a robotic limb, computer, wheelchair or exoskeleton. "As the Stentrode is inserted via the jugular vein, surgeons can reach the brain region via an endovascular approach, without the need to open a patient's skull and perform invasive brain surgery. The average hospital stay for patients receiving the implant is just 48 hours." The US Food and Drug Administration gave Synchron the go-ahead in 2021 to conduct human clinical trials for "a permanently implantable brain-computer interface, which are underway". "The first patients have already received implants, four people in Australia and three in the US. In December 2021, an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient used the device to send a tweet using only their thoughts," the statement said. SIGN UP FOR THE DAILY JWR UPDATE. IT'S FREE. Just click here. include_once "/home/jwreview/public_html/$theme/includes/sidebar.php"; ?> The Supreme Court will soon decide a pair of cases dealing with racial preferences at Harvard, the nation's oldest private college, and the University of North Carolina, the oldest public university. How the court will rule is still unknown. But about two things we can be certain. First, Justice Clarence Thomas will maintain, as he has in all his years on the court, that racial affirmative action is incompatible with the 14th Amendment and therefore unlawful. Second, Thomas will be smeared as an ungrateful hypocrite for opposing race-conscious admissions when he himself was the beneficiary of such policies. If there is any point on which Thomas has been rock-solid, it is his conviction that admitting students to college on the basis of color is illegitimate as a matter of law and insidious as public policy. "The Constitution abhors classifications based on race," Thomas wrote in the 2003 case of Grutter v. Bollinger. "Every time the government places citizens on racial registers and makes race relevant to the provision of burdens or benefits, it demeans us all." Thomas's antipathy toward any form of discrimination by race is rooted in his own life story. The future Supreme Court justice was born in the segregated Deep South and knew the stinging bigotry of Jim Crow at first hand. He attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, which recruited him as part of a program to attract black men as undergraduates. In 1971, when Thomas entered Yale to study law, the school's stated goal was for 10 percent of incoming students to be nonwhite. Though Thomas initially reveled in his admission to Yale, he soon felt the stigma of being there because of his race. "I learned the hard way that a law degree from Yale meant one thing for white graduates and another for blacks," he later wrote in his poignant autobiography, "My Grandfather's Son." He had done well at Yale, but the law firms he subsequently interviewed with made it plain that they applied an affirmative action discount to his Ivy League credentials and assumed he wasn't really as smart as his grades indicated. "The worst forms of racial discrimination in this nation have always been accompanied by straight-faced representations that discrimination helped minorities," Thomas declared in a fiery 2013 opinion in Fisher v University of Texas. Just as the champions of affirmative action claim to be acting in the best interests of society at large and Black people in particular, so did the champions of segregation, leading Thomas to observe that "the lesson of history is clear enough: Racial discrimination is never benign.... The University's professed good intentions cannot excuse its outright racial discrimination any more than such intentions justified the now denounced arguments of slaveholders and segregationists." No fair-minded person can doubt that Thomas's legal and moral rejection of racial preferences is deeply rooted. Even ardent defenders of affirmative action, such as Justice Sonia Sotomayor, acknowledge the sincerity and humanity of his views. But many critics are not fair-minded. Again and again, Thomas has been blasted for hypocrisy and ingratitude by critics who loathe him for opposing affirmative action despite the race-conscious policies that enabled him to rise in the world. The attacks can be venomous. "It's impossible not to be disgusted at someone who could benefit so much from affirmative action and then pull up the ladder after himself," Maureen Dowd wrote in The New York Times. When Thomas casts his "inevitable" vote against racial preferences, Earl Ofari Hutchinson fumed in a HuffPost column, he should be asked "how and why someone who has been the biggest beneficiary of affirmative action could be the biggest hypocrite in opposing it." The argument is absurd. At the most basic level, judges are never supposed to be swayed in judgment by personal considerations or loyalties. They take an oath to administer justice and uphold the Constitution "faithfully and impartially," without regard to their personal history. If Thomas concludes that affirmative action is unlawful, his job is to vote against it period. Would Thomas's foes raise the charge of hypocrisy in any other context? Imagine a case involving the legality of legacy preferences in college admissions. If some justices got into law school on the strength of family ties, should that oblige them to support legacy admissions as a matter of law? When a case involving a president comes before the court, are justices who were appointed by that president ungrateful hypocrites if they don't automatically rule in his favor? Affirmative action may have played a role in launching Thomas's career, but that fact does not bind him to support racial preferences. Those who attack his "hypocrisy" are really attacking him because he is a black man who doesn't share their view. However they dress it up, that is what they find intolerable. Jeff Jacoby is a columnist for The Boston Globe, from which this is reprinted with permission." Winston-Salem has not had the best of luck with Cajun/Creole restaurants. The few weve had never seemed to stick around very long, and we havent had one for years. But well soon have one again. Razzoos Cajun Cafe, a chain based in Dallas, Texas, will open June 29 at 206 Harvey St. in the former Hickory Tavern location in Hanestowne Village off South Stratford Road. Razzoos is a moderately priced, full-service restaurant that features Cajun and other hearty Southern fare. This is the chains 23rd location, and only its second in North Carolina the other being in Concord Mills. Area director Andrew Tyler said that the company also is actively pursuing a location in Fayetteville and hopes to add more restaurants in the Carolinas and mid-South in the near future. The first Razzoos opened in 1991 in Dallas when there was a lack of appreciation and knowledge around Louisiana cookin in that area, according to the companys website. The company is still led by a co-founder, Jeff Powell, its board chairman. In the spirit of the Cajun culture of laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll), Razzoos doesnt take it itself too seriously, according to its website. This is a high-energy concept, where we try to keep everything fun, said general manager Chris Asher. The restaurant seats 226 people, including about a third of that on the large patio that can be enclosed or opened up depending on the weather. Its smaller than the Razzoos in Concord Mills but about average for the company as a whole, Tyler said. The chain had $82 million in total sales in 2021, or about $3.6 million per unit. Checks average about $42 (or $49 for dine-in customers), with about 16% percent coming from alcohol sales. The restaurants menu features a lot of seafood but generally has moderate prices in the teens for entrees. The menu tops out at $22.99 with the blackened redfish the one fish it gets fresh, Asher said. He said that the etouffee and Creole sauces are not made in-house, but that others, including the roux for gumbo, are. Razzoos red beans, he said, start with dried beans. They are soaked for 24 hours, the Louisiana way, then cooked for three and a half hours. Razzoos also makes its own bread pudding and cheesecake in-house, he said. The menu is broad, with something for everyone. Tyler, who has been with the company 20 years, said that it started out with a pretty much all Cajun menu. But when we started to cross borders, we realized we needed dishes with a broader appeal. So, now we have Cajun classics, some that are a little Cajun, and some that arent Cajun at all like the salads, Tyler said. Appetizers include two kinds of gumbo seafood or chicken and sausage available by the cup ($7.99) or bowl ($9.99). There are also fried pickle chips, wings, popcorn shrimp, crab cakes and boudin balls (traditional Cajun pork sausage and rice balls). Two of the restaurants most popular items are the fried gator tails ($12.49, with fries) and rat toes ($8.99). The latter are jalapeno poppers, with seafood stuffing and a breaded coating, that are deep-fried and served with Cajun buttermilk Razzoos version of ranch dressing. Oysters are sold grilled or on the half shell. There also is peel-and-eat shrimp. The Cajun Classics section of the menu ($15.49 to $22.99) includes blackened redfish, salmon, chicken, tilapia or catfish, as well as etouffee, grilled alligator, and andouille sausage with red beans and rice. A combo entree ($16.99) served in a cast-iron skillet includes andouille sausage, red beans, garlic toast, shrimp Creole and crawfish etouffee. Menu symbols denote the spicier items as well as the most popular items ranked by the krewe members of its customer-loyalty program. Other Cajun-inspired dishes appear under Bubbas Favorites, including jambalaya pasta with chicken, shrimp and sausage ($16.99), Cajun fried steak ($15.49) and Creole pork chops ($15.99). The restaurant also sells several poboys, fried chicken or shrimp baskets, a cheeseburger and stuffed grilled tilapia. There are no vegetarian entrees, but on request most of the dishes can be made without the protein, Asher said. The restaurant also offers a gluten-free menu on request. Green beans come with several entrees, and ones that dont come with rice tend to have mashed potatoes instead. There also is corn on the cob, slaw, dirty rice, fries and hush puppies. Razzoos has a handful of regular $9.99 lunch specials and $5 happy-hour specials. It also occasionally runs other specials such as $10 burgers (regularly $13.99) or 2 eat for $23, where customers can choose one appetizer plus two entrees. Razzoos has full ABC permits. It offers about 10 beers on tap available in 16 or 22 ounces as well as bottled beer, cider, seltzer and hard iced tea. There is a small wine list but an extensive liquor menu with Cajun or Louisiana touches throughout. That includes Razzoos version of the Hurricane ($10) with rum and passionfruit, and a Gator trashcan punch ($10) with two kinds of vodka, two kinds of rum, Southern Comfort and more. Theres also the Worm Burner ($13) with Southern Comfort, Titos Vodka, grenadine, Don Q 151 Rum and gummy worms. That carries an extra strong warning and servers are trained to limit customers to a two-drink maximum. The two-drink maximum also applies to Razzoos 92-ounce fish-bowl cocktails ($20) that are designed for (and limited to) at least two people. Asher said that the restaurant does not plan to offer live music or regular events. But come Mardi Gras time, it will celebrate. We give out beads, employees get dressed up like you see in New Orleans, Asher said. The music will be pumping, and the drinks will be flowing. PHOTOS: Winston-Salem gets a Cajun restaurant HEY BATTER, BATTER!: Hop on down to First National Bank Field to watch the Greensboro Grasshoppers defend their turf from the visiting Winston-Salem Dash. The two squads wrap up their six-game series this weekend with 6:30 p.m. games today, Friday and Saturday and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday. The first 1,000 fans to Saturday night's game will receive a complimentary bobblehead. Tickets start at $9. Raytheon Technologies Inc.s business transformation plans have included changing its corporate name and brand to its stock symbol RTX. The aerospace manufacturer disclosed the shift this week at the Paris Air Show, which tends to be the site of major aviation industry announcements. The name change came five months after RTX said it would consolidate its two defense-industry business units Intelligence & Space and Missiles & Defense into one unit branded Raytheon. The manufacturer said it remains on track to complete the consolidation in July. The other business units are Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney. While we honor our legacy, we are always looking to the future and that future is RTX, RTX chairman and chief executive Gregory Hayes said in a statement. Over the past few years, we have solidified our industry-leading positions with a $180 billion backlog across the highest growth commercial aerospace platforms and franchises serving the most critical defense priorities. RTX is leveraging its breadth, scale and operational discipline to serve our customers and deliver value to our shareowners, with a clear path to achieve our 2025 financial commitments. Collins has at last count about 1,700 employees in its Winston-Salem hub. However, in February, it disclosed it is eliminating up to 195 local jobs by June 30 as part of closing two facilities in West Point Business Park. RTX disclosed this week it has an estimated 80,000 employees worldwide, of which 32,000 are outside the U.S. Besides the name change, Hayes and other business unit executives shared updates on the companys long-term growth strategy, business realignment and financial outlook. Those included: * Adjusted annual sales growth commitment of 6% to 7% from fiscal 2020 to 2025. * Raising its gross cost synergy target from $1.5 billion to $2 billion. * Increase annual cash flow to $9 billion by fiscal 2025. * Pledging to return between $33 billion and $35 billion through dividends and share repurchases from the close of the Raytheon-United Technologies Corp. merger in April 2020 through the end of 2025. RTX reaffirmed plans for $3 billion in share repurchases in fiscal 2023. RTXs realignment update since 2020 included a 16% reduction in facilities, data centers from 30 to 11 and internal networks from 10 to one. The manufacturer shifted to Collins its command and control, and air traffic management divisions from the former Raytheon Intelligence & Space, while moving intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance from Collins to the combined Raytheon division. Collins operational balance was touted during the presentation, such as commercial representing 63% of its revenue while defense is 37%, and original equipment manufacturing being 58% of revenue and aftermarket 42%. You can read the full text of this article if you: Select an option Log In Buy Article Content & Permissions Access through Ovid Five inmates housed within Nebraska's Department of Correctional Services were charged with felonies earlier this month for their alleged role in an attack on a sixth inmate at the Reception and Treatment Center in February, according to prosecutors. Three of the inmates 34-year-old Juan Gonzales, 28-year-old Anthony Lavallie and 29-year-old Tyler Simmonds were charged with second-degree assault in the Feb. 15 attack on Sebastian M. Draper, a 32-year-old Lincoln man who has been incarcerated since November 2021. Two other inmates Michael Sherlock, 28, and Jacob Cullen, 27 were charged with attempted second-degree assault in the same instance, according to complaints filed in Lancaster County court on June 8. Cullen, who has been in state custody since August 2020 after he was convicted of gun and assault charges in Douglas and Lancaster counties, is also charged with assaulting Anthony R. Asaro, a lieutenant at the Reception and Treatment Center, as a part of the same altercation, according to court filings. Though all five men have been charged with felonies for the assault of Draper, who was sent to prison in 2021 for an assault that sent his former boss to a Lincoln hospital with a collapsed lung, few details in the case have been made public. Prosecutors did not file a probable cause affidavit the public document that outlines what gives authorities cause to arrest a defendant accused of a crime when they charged the inmates because they were already in state custody, meaning they did not have to be arrested. Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Chris Turner declined to detail what led to the charges, but said that Nebraska Department of Correctional Services Criminal Investigator Ross Bartlett referred the five inmates to prosecutors for felony assault charges in late March following a monthlong investigation into the alleged attack. Dayne Urbanovsky, the Corrections Department's communications director, also declined to provide details on the incident, citing state statute that prevents the department from sharing information related to inmate conduct. Doug Koebernick, the inspector general of the Corrections Department, said his office was aware of the incident and had reviewed it but declined to comment further. In the months since the alleged assault, all five inmates allegedly involved have been moved from the Reception and Treatment Center, the newly reimagined south Lincoln prison that includes a 384-bed maximum-security wing, which opened last summer. The maximum-security unit was the subject of scrutiny from Koebernick's office before it took in inmates last year. In an October report, the inspector general's office raised safety and security concerns about the potentially agitating restrictions that would be placed on inmates' movement within the housing unit, which opened as the department continued to face staffing challenges. Koebernick's office made five recommendations ahead of the unit's opening four of which were rejected by the correctional services department, according to the report. Inmates in one of the Reception and Treatment Center's maximum security housing units stabbed five staff members and injured two others in an attack there last month, authorities said then. It's unclear which Reception and Treatment Center housing unit the inmates involved in February's attack lived in. Gonzales, Lavallie, Sherlock and Cullen are now incarcerated at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, according to public inmate records. Simmonds has since been moved to the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln while Draper, the assault victim, is still incarcerated at the Reception and Treatment Center. Photos: 2015 Tecumseh State Prison riot If you saw a few dozen vintage cars cruising down the highway on Thursday, dont worry, you didnt jump back into the 1900s. On Thursday morning, dozens of classic cars and hot rods left the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln at 8:30 a.m. for a 180-mile ride through Southeast Nebraska. The road tour is part of the International Speedsters Trials and Reunion weekend hosted by Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed. The events continue Friday with a Hill Climb from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 6200 West Fletcher Ave. On Saturday, the reunion ends with a family friendly Cars & Coffee gathering from 8 a.m. to noon at Speedway Motors, 340 Victory Lane. Tim Matthews, curator of the museum, said there are more than 120 registrants for the weekend events with participants coming from around the world. Several have traveled from New Zealand and Canada to partake in the festivities. This is our 10th running of the speedster reunion and it just keeps growing, Matthews said. Mike Vaughn, a volunteer at the Museum and a local Model T expert, took the lead for the road tour with an early 1900s Model T. A few other notable car enthusiasts have made the trek to Nebraska for the weekend including car builder Chip Foose from California and 101-year-old Ed Iskenderian. The diverse participants have brought a large variety of cars that have passed through generations of hands. Its an opportunity to take really old equipment, basically cars that come from the dawn of automotive activity in America, and then souping them up with old period parts, Matthews said. The cars are usually using speed equipment to make them faster and go further. Chadwick Azevedo traveled from Tennessee with a Model T that his dad and grandfather built in the late '70s with all original parts. My grandfather, moms dad, had built this to be the fastest speedster at the time, Azevedo said. This sucker would do well over 100 easily. Azevedo attended the Lincoln reunion for the first time with his son, Alex. The two were decked out in racing goggles, vintage clothing and said they were excited to reunite with friends. The car is a family treasure as it was passed down to Azevedos mom, Shirley, in 1985 after his dads death. The slick white speedster is on its second paint job with Shirley scribed in a bright blue on the side. Just as a parent cant choose a favorite child, David Coleman from West Virginia cant choose a favorite car. This weekend, Coleman decided to bring his 1920 Ford Model T Hot Rod. Its one of the many cars he owns that he rebuilt and has been driving for 20 years. Coleman often travels to events around the country with this weekend marking his sixth time in Lincoln. Theres a lot of people that you meet here that have similar interests with cars, Coleman said. Dean Robertson from South Dakota is another longtime attendee who has been participating for the majority of the events history. He drove a 1932 Model A Roadster, a hot rod in the '50s. Everybody has a good time, Robertson said. Top Journal Star photos for June 2023 Former President Donald Trumps campaign says he raised more than $35 million for his White House run during the second fundraising quarter, nearly double what he raised during the first three months of the year. The total is the latest indication that Trump is the Republican primary races dominant frontrunner and that being indicted twice has only bolstered his standing among his strongest supporters. WASHINGTON Eager to impeach President Joe Biden, hard-right House Republicans forced a vote Thursday that sent the matter to congressional committees in a clear demonstration of the challenge that Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces in controlling the majority party. Rep. Lauren Boebert's unscripted move for the impeachment resolution caught Republicans off guard this week. Many viewed it as a political distraction from other priorities. The measure charges Biden with "high crimes and misdemeanors" over his handling of the U.S. border with Mexico. Boebert, backed by allies, showed how a lone lawmaker in the 435-member House could use the chamber's rules to force a snap vote on such a grave constitutional matter. The 219-208 party-line vote sent the impeachment resolution to the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees for consideration, like any other bill. "The House is taking historic action," Boebert said during debate, though committees are under no obligation to act. The dayslong episode underscores the hold that the House conservative flank exerts over McCarthy, forcing him to accommodate hard-right priorities if he wants to stay in power. It also reinforces, if not rewards, a small band of Republicans' use of rare tactics to exert power over his majority. The process Boebert used to force the issue is the same method another hard-right conservative, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., dispatched Wednesday to force a separate vote to censure Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff over his investigations into Donald Trump's ties to Russia. "There's going to be no end to this," Schiff told The Associated Press and others amid the censure vote Wednesday at the Capitol. "Kevin McCarthy has no control over his conference," Schiff said. "The race to the extreme is now running the House of Representatives and of course it's doing terrible damage to the institution." During Thursday's debate, Republicans were admonished multiple times to tone down their remarks. Democrats argued that the case against Biden made a mockery of the seriousness of impeachment and was merely an attempt to distract from the twice-impeached Donald Trump, the former GOP president now indicted for hording classified documents under the Espionage Act. "Today they're dishonoring this House and dishonoring themselves by bringing to the floor this ridiculous impeachment referral resolution," said Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, suggesting Trump put his allies up to it. "This body has become a place where extreme, outlandish and nutty issues get debated passionately, and important ones not at all," McGovern said. "In short, the Republican Party is a joke." The vote capped days of maneuvering by McCarthy to quell the uprising within his party. A sudden vote to impeach Biden would have been politically difficult for GOP lawmakers and a potentially embarrassing spectacle for McCarthy, splitting his party. In a private meeting Wednesday, McCarthy urged lawmakers to consider the traditional process for bringing such consequential legislation forward. Boebert had used what is called a privileged resolution to force the vote. In the end, McCarthy negotiated a deal with Boebert to send the Biden impeachment resolution for review to the committees, fending off a vote for some time. "I think it's best for everybody," McCarthy told reporters Wednesday. Conservatives are lining up other such votes to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, to censure Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, who was the chairman of the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, for example. It's part of their effort to steer control of the House from the traditional centers of power, including the speaker's office. "This is what we were talking about," said Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a leader in the conservative efforts to block McCarthy's rise to speaker when they brokered greater say in the House process. Boebert said that if the committees slow-roll action, she would bring her resolution back to the floor "every day for the rest of my time here in Congress," forcing a House vote on Biden's impeachment. Rank-and-file Republicans were angry at being forced into the position of having to vote on a resolution to impeach Biden even though they had not gone through the traditional process of an impeachment inquiry. They resented a single lawmaker jumping the queue of priorities. In one fiery exchange overheard on the House floor, hard-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene laid into Boebert for taking the Biden impeachment on her own. Greene has her own articles of impeachment against the president. Greene later confirmed the exchange and said Boebert "has a great skill and talent for making most people here not like her." Boebert declined to comment about the conversation, only saying it's "not middle school." "I wish the anger that's been directed towards Ms. Boebert was directed towards the president and his policies," said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., a member of the Freedom Caucus. Gaetz noted that when Democrats had control of the House they went through failed Trump impeachment efforts by renegade lawmakers before the majority backed the effort and the former president ultimately was impeached. "That did help the Democrats build momentum, so maybe this is our version of that," said Gaetz. Trump was impeached twice on corruption and obstruction charges over withholding military aid to Ukraine while seeking political dirt on Biden, and later on charges of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol trying to overturn Biden's election. Both times, the Senate acquitted Trump. Photos: Scenes from historic speaker vote of 118th Congress WASHINGTON One year ago, Democrats suffered one of the most stinging political defeats in recent history as the Supreme Court, which had been methodically stocked with conservative appointees, eliminated the nationwide right to abortion. Unbowed on Saturday's anniversary, however, it's the White House, not Republicans, who are calling the most attention to the issue with a cascade of events designed to tap into simmering rage from the overturning of Roe v. Wade. "I don't think people are tired," Jennifer Klein, the White House point person on gender policy, said in an interview. "I think people might be mad. I think there's a lot of fear out there. But I feel like that turns into power." First lady Jill Biden met this week with women who were denied abortions even though their health was at risk. Vice President Kamala Harris appeared in an hourlong televised special in Dallas and will travel to North Carolina on Saturday for a speech. The capstone of the effort comes on Friday, when President Joe Biden will appear at a rally with abortion rights groups in Washington. The first lady, the vice president and her husband, Doug Emhoff, will also be there, a rare joint appearance by all four. It's an inauspicious anniversary for the White House to highlight. The high court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization opened the door for a wave of abortion restrictions across the country, and the limits are also affecting how women get medical care for miscarriages and pregnancies. More constraints could be on the horizon as conservatives seek to limit access to mifepristone, a commonly used abortion pill, in a separate legal case. But while Republicans have struggled to find their political footing on the issue, Democrats recognize that the loss of abortion rights helped them forestall greater defeats in last year's midterm elections and that the issue could prove just as potent as Biden runs for reelection next year. "People keep thinking and hypothesizing that the issue is going to diminish in its power. Well, not really," said Celinda Lake, a pollster who has worked with the president. "Twenty years from now, we may point to this as a realigning moment," she said. "It's moved a lot of suburban women out of the Republican Party and into independents." She also said younger voters could end up "more Democratic for the rest of their lives." Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List, draws the opposite conclusion from the midterms. "We had a poor showing, in my opinion, because Republican leadership took on the ostrich strategy," Dannenfelser said. Their mistake, she said, was not celebrating the victory and campaigning on what she described as a compromise of restricting abortions after 15 weeks. Dannenfelser said liberals want "unlimited abortion, paid for by taxpayers," and "that aggression on the part of the abortion lobby is going to come back and bite their candidates." "You get consensus, and contrast that with an extreme, and you win," she said. A survey conducted by Gallup last month showed that support for abortion drops the longer a pregnancy continues, from 69% of U.S. adults saying it should generally be legal for the first trimester to 37% for the second trimester. However, in general the issue appears to be more motivating for supporters than opponents, according to VoteCast, a survey of more than 94,000 voters nationwide conducted for for The Associated Press by NORC at the University of Chicago. During the midterms, 37% of those voting for Democrats said the overturning of Roe v. Wade was the single most important issue for them, as opposed to 13% of those voting for Republicans. Klein said there's no reason to think that Republicans are interested in a compromise, especially after implementing strict laws in various states over the last year. "They want to pass a national abortion ban," she said, while the White House wants to turn Roe v. Wade into law. Accomplishing that White House goal, however, seems as far out of reach as an outright ban. Republicans control the House, and Democrats don't have enough support in the Senate to advance legislation on their own. Biden has taken some limited steps with executive orders, but none that can override state restrictions. "It's hard," Klein said. "I mean, there is only so much an administration can do. And we are using all the tools in our toolbox." Mini Timmaraju, leader of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said advocates have made some political progress, such as winning several fights over ballot measures last year, but she warned that the path ahead will be arduous. "Let's just be clear, there's no getting better right away," she said. Biden, who is Catholic, was ambivalent about abortion early in his political career as a U.S. senator from Delaware. Soon after getting elected in 1974, he said the Supreme Court "went too far" with Roe v. Wade. However, he's often described abortion rights as a matter of personal liberty. One of the first images in Biden's video announcing his reelection campaign was a woman holding a sign saying "abortion is healthcare" outside the Supreme Court. The president's first word is "freedom." "The question we're facing is whether in the years ahead, we'll have more freedom or less freedom," he said. "More rights or fewer." Harris has played a leading role on abortion since the Dobbs decision, which was released while she was on a flight to Illinois for an event on maternal mortality. Her first step was to call her husband, Emhoff, to vent. "He was the only one that I could really just let it out with," Harris recalled this week during an appearance with Joy Reid on MSNBC. She spent the rest of the trip rewriting the draft of her remarks and reviewing the text of the decision. "Millions of women in America will go to bed tonight without access to the healthcare and reproductive care that they had this morning," Harris said in her speech back then. "Without access to the same healthcare or reproductive healthcare that their mothers and grandmothers had for 50 years." Abortion in America: How access and attitudes have changed through the centuries The evolution of abortion in America Pre-1850: Abortions in early America are commonplace Mid-1800s: Birth of the American Medical Association shifts abortion oversight from midwives to doctors; abortion is criminalized 1960s: 'Back-alley butchers,' birth control, and protests 1970s: Roe v. Wade protects women's right to abortion; politics shift 1980s-2000s: Legal challenges to Roe v. Wade introduce restrictions 2020s: Roe v. Wade is overturned; Postal Service allowed to mail abortion medication WASHINGTON People are hungry for accurate and reliable information online and may just need help to find it, according to a new media literacy project launched by Microsoft. The tech company worked with the Trust Project, a nonprofit consortium of news organizations, to create advertisements directing internet users to a list of eight "trust indicators" that can be used to assess a website's credibility. The indicators include things like the clear labeling of opinion pieces, a code of practices and the attribution of sources. Most people who saw the list expressed greater confidence in their own ability to find reliable news while ferreting out misinformation a promising finding that suggests media literacy can be a cheap and scalable solution to the daunting problem of online misinformation. "This was a bit of an experiment for us," said Ginny Badanes, senior director of Microsoft's Democracy Forward Initiative, a unit at the company that focuses on efforts to strengthen democracy and online journalism. "The world is changing very quickly and people need tools to equip themselves." The stakes are high. Misinformation on sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube has been blamed for encouraging political polarization, undermining trust in democratic institutions and promoting vaccine opposition, election denialism and violent extremism. The speed and power of the internet can make online misinformation seem like an unresolvable problem. Journalistic fact checks are effective, but they're labor intensive, aren't read by everyone, and won't convince those already distrustful of traditional journalism. Content moderation by tech companies is often inconsistent and only drives misinformation elsewhere, while prompting cries of censorship and bias. Efforts to regulate the internet are legally and politically challenging. Measures to promote critical thinking and media literacy, however, showed remarkable success in helping people learn how to detect misinformation themselves. Google launched a series of videos on YouTube in Eastern Europe last year designed to teach people how misinformation works; the campaign was recently expanded to Germany. Often, claims masquerading as reliable news don't cite their sources, mix opinion and fact and use slanted stories or headlines designed to exploit emotions like fear, anger or disgust. Legitimate news organizations, by contrast, will identify their sources, invite feedback, include diverse voices and hold their journalists to a code of conduct, said Sally Lehrman, a journalist and chief executive at the Trust Project. The ads were seen by users of Microsoft products and systems, including email. Over the course of six months, the ads prompted twice as many people to visit the project's site; 62% of those who visited the site said it helped them feel more confident about assessing online information. "I'm very encouraged by our results," Lehrman said, noting that short internet ads are a relatively cheap, easy solution compared to complicated and controversial government regulations or hit-or-miss efforts by tech companies. The need for media literacy has become more obvious as deepfakes and artificial intelligence makes misinformation easier than ever to spread, Lehrman said. But will people actually watch advertisements designed to help them become smarter consumers of news and information? Lehrman said the research shows that they will especially when the ads are effective at grabbing people's attention. "Are we asking people to eat their broccoli? I always reject that because I think broccoli is delicious," she said. "But we have to make it delicious." A 35-year-old Grand Island man was sentenced in federal court Wednesday for purchasing fake COVID-19 vaccination cards, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the State of Nebraska. Jason C. Olderbak was sentenced to 50 hours of community service, two years of probation and a $3,000 fine for unlawful possession of official U.S. insignia, according to a news release from the Attorney's Office. Around July 30, 2021, Olderbak purchased 21 fake COVID-19 vaccination cards online, according to the release. On Aug. 3, 2021, Customs and Border Protection received the package as it was entering the United States from overseas. Customs decided to search the package because it was similar to other fraudulent packages and found the fake vaccination cards inside the package. A search warrant was obtained to perform a controlled delivery of the package, which was carried out on Aug. 18, 2021, according to the release. Olderbak's cellphone and other electronic devices were also seized, and examination of the devices revealed online history consistent with the purchase of the fake vaccination cards. The fake cards ordered by Olderbak were nearly identical to legitimate COVID-19 vaccination cards and included the seal and insignia of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the release said. Top Journal Star photos for June 2023 An Omaha man is facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly broke into a Bellevue home early Monday morning. Austin Hall, 23, is charged with attempted second-degree murder, burglary, terroristic threats and assault by strangulation. On Wednesday, a Sarpy County judge set Hall's bail at 10% of $2 million, meaning he would have to pay $200,000 to be released. According to an arrest affidavit: Bellevue Police were dispatched to the home near 27th Street and Schneekloth Road for a robbery at about 3:15 a.m. Monday. Officers were told the suspect was still inside of the residence. Upon arrival, a woman was outside of the home and told police that Hall was still inside with her children. He was found sitting on the floor in the bedroom of a 17-year-old boy, and complied with directions from officers as they ordered him to leave the bedroom and placed him in emergency protective custody. Hall allegedly told officers that he had been drinking at his parents' house and left after an argument. During the argument, he apparently made "demonic statements" and "told his mother if they didn't take him seriously, his little brothers may die." Hall allegedly told officers about "visions" that brought him to the Bellevue home, which once belonged to one of Hall's childhood friends. He allegedly told police that he planned to kill his old friend, though he said the friend had never wronged him. Hall allegedly broke in through the back door and sneaked into a downstairs bedroom, staying in the house for about 30 minutes until he saw the lights turn off. Once in the bedroom of the 17-year-old, Hall allegedly woke the boy, who proceeded to punch him. Hall allegedly then choked the boy for three to four seconds, leaving marks on his neck. Police arrived shortly after and took Hall into custody. He was transported to the hospital and discharged to the Sarpy County Jail later that morning. Hall's prior criminal record in Nebraska is minimal. He was convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2017, but has no felony record. He will appear for a preliminary hearing in late July. Photos: New Douglas County Justice Center opens in Omaha HONG KONG (AP) China's president ordered a national safety campaign on Thursday after a massive cooking gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the northwest killed 31 people and injured seven others on the eve of a long holiday weekend. The blast tore through the restaurant at around 8:40 p.m. Wednesday on a busy street in Yinchuan, the capital of the traditionally Muslim Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, as people gathered ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The explosion left many people unconscious and they needed to be carried out of the shop, according to the online news site The Paper, which quoted a member of the search and rescue team. Victims included elderly people and high school students, it said. An hour before the explosion, employees noticed the smell of cooking gas and discovered that a gas tank valve was broken, according to Xinhua. The blast occurred while an employee was replacing the valve. Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded urgent medical care for the injured and a safety overhaul after the explosion, Xinhua said. He urged efforts to quickly determine the cause of the accident and hold people accountable under the law. Xi also said all regions and related departments should address "all types of risks and hidden dangers" and launch campaigns to promote workplace safety. At a news conference Thursday, the deputy party chief of Yinchuan apologized to all people in the city, according to the news site Huanqiu.com. Before the news conference began, participants bowed their heads in silence. Nine people have been detained by authorities, including the owner of the restaurant, shareholders and employees. Their assets have also been frozen, according to Xinhua. The blast happened at an outlet of Fuyang Barbecue, a chain restaurant in Yinchuan popular for its grilled skewers and stir-fried dishes, The Paper said. The two-floor restaurant could seat 20 people on the ground floor and offered private dining rooms on the second floor where customers could also sing karaoke. A video on social media platform Douyin showed rescuers on ladders trying to reach victims on the second floor. People who appeared to have minor injuries waited for help at the side of the road. Other videos showed at least six fire trucks at the scene and some onlookers weeping. A staff member at the emergency clinic at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University confirmed that some victims were being treated there but declined to give further information. The Paper cited a woman identified only by her surname, Chen, as saying she had been about 50 meters (160 feet) from the restaurant when she heard the explosion. She described seeing two waiters emerge from the restaurant, one of whom collapsed immediately, while thick smoke billowed and a strong smell of cooking gas permeated the area. The central government's Ministry of Emergency Management said on social media that search and rescue work at the restaurant was completed early Thursday morning and investigators were working to determine the cause of the blast. The Dragon Boat Festival is a holiday devoted to eating rice dumplings and racing boats propelled by teams of paddlers. While the majority of Yinchuans population is Han Chinese, a third are Hui people, or Chinese Muslims. Industrial accidents of this type are a regular occurrence in China, usually attributed to poor government supervision, corruption, cost-cutting measures by employers and little safety training for employees. At least nine people were killed in an explosion at a Chinese petrochemical plant, and three others died in a helicopter crash during the countrys May Day holiday. In February, 53 miners were killed in the collapse of a massive open-pit coal mine in the northern region of Inner Mongolia, leading to numerous arrests, and four people were detained over a fire at an industrial trading company in central China in November that killed 38 people. The central government has pledged stronger safety measures since an explosion in 2015 at a chemical warehouse in the northern port city of Tianjin killed 173 people, most of them firefighters and police officers. In that case, a number of local officials were accused of having taken bribes to ignore safety violations. Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy RACINE Starting next week, Racine Unified School District Superintendent Eric Gallien will be superintendent of a South Carolina school district. The Charleston County School District Board announced Wednesday that Gallien will be the districts new leader starting July 1. The CCSD Board offered Gallien the superintendent job three weeks ago, pending contract negotiations. The board approved Galliens contract by 6-3 vote, according to a news release. We are excited to welcome Dr. Gallien, CCSD Board Chair Pam McKinney said in the news release. His decades of successful leadership in public education and record of service in the United States Marine Corps will serve him well as he leads our district into the future. RUSD Board President Jane Barbian said Gallien emailed her Tuesday informing her of his resignation plans, an email she expected. Barbian anticipated Galliens resignation last week but said there was some delay in South Carolina, Im not sure what was going on. Gallien, who is on medical leave, has served as RUSD superintendent since 2018. Barbian said Gallien led numerous initiatives, including the career-focused high school academies. She also appreciated Galliens oversight of the RUSD strategic plan, the school districts long-range facilities plan and its 30-year, $1 billion referendum. I thought there were a lot of initiatives that we can credit him for, Barbian said. Theres quite a few things that hes put into place. In a statement, RUSD thanked Gallien for his years of service and work on the academies, referendum and strategic plan. We wish him well in his new role and look forward to supporting our Board of Education as they begin the search for our new leader, the statement reads. The RUSD Board has a special meeting scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m. Two of the meetings agenda items are superintendent resignation and interim superintendent contract. Barbian expects the board on Monday to approve Galliens resignation and approve Soren Gajewski as interim superintendent. Gajewski, RUSD chief academic officer, has served as acting superintendent since May 1, when Gallien began his medical leave. Barbian said the board also will discuss the next steps for the search to find Galliens replacement. She said most members have not been on the board for a superintendent search before, herself included. Barbian isnt sure what the timeline is for hiring a new superintendent. Gajewski could be interim superintendent for two months, he could be there for a year, Barbian said. I dont know. It depends on how quickly the board finds someone they like and want to hire. Barbian doesnt yet know what the superintendent search will entail but said community members will be involved. We want to get their feedback on what theyre looking for in the next superintendent, Barbian said. Seven photos of Horlick High School's graduation Belicia Barajas Chamblis, Hall and Sutton Teacher and student Getting ready Corey Prince and Kameron West Velasquez and Howard Friendly handshake BURLINGTON More than a year after developers unveiled plans for building homes and apartments on the St. Francis Friary property in Burlington, another religious group says it is buying the site for a retreat. The Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest said the property at 2457 Browns Lake Drive will be used for youth camps, spiritual retreats and other activities. The Roman Catholic organization, which is based in Chicago, plans to renovate the nearly 100-year-old residential complex for friars and reopen it as the Sacred Heart Retreat Center. The institute will prepare this property to be used year-round for a number of activities central to our mission, the group said. The groups purchase announcement follows Bear Real Estate Groups proposal to redevelop the property with single-family and multi-family housing. Kenosha-based Bear Real Estate disclosed its interest in the friary in early 2022 and completed the purchase last month. Bear Real Estate representative Daniel Szczap declined to comment about the sale, referring questions to other company officials who could not be reached. No change in ownership has been recorded yet in Racine County real estate records a process that sometimes takes several weeks. The friary property covers 146 acres; the institute from Chicago said it was purchasing more than 100 acres. Brian Bangart, spokesman for the Franciscan Friars, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Province, said the friars will keep about 15 acres, and Bear Real Estate will retain a small parcel. Matthew Talarico, spokesman for the Institute of Christ the King, said his organization approached Bear Real Estate about the friary several months ago. The real estate firm reported having the friary under a contract to purchase, Talarico said, so it made no sense to deal with the Franciscan Friars directly. He said the institute finalized its deal with Bear Real Estate near the end of May, paying $3.5 million for the property. After the institutes purchase was announced, the Franciscan Friars province issued a statement saying that the group wanted to sell the property to Bear Real Estate because the firms plans to build affordable housing were consistent with the friars mission of helping the poor and marginalized. However, the statement also recognized that the province has no voice or control over what the buyer ultimately does with the property after the sale is closed. As a Catholic organization, the Institute of Christ the King requested and received permission for the purchase from Archbishop Jerome Listecki of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The diocese covers a geographic region that includes Racine County. The institute, which began in 1990, also maintains a presence at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Milwaukee. The group said its purchase of land in Burlington followed three years of fervent prayer and diligent research. In its announcement, posted on Facebook last Thursday, the institute referred to the idyllic fields and woods of the friary property, as well as its proximity to both Chicago and Milwaukee. The site will serve members throughout the central United States, including a laymans group called the Society of the Sacred Heart. It is our hope, with a generous response from our faithful, Sacred Heart Retreat Center will open its doors after several months of renovations, the institute said. HISTORY The friary opened in 1931 after a Polish Catholic order near Green Bay migrated south and purchased land. A friary is similar to a monastery, except that monks generally live a reclusive lifestyle, while friars tend to be more outwardly engaged in community service. The sprawling compound north of Browns Lake became a popular place for festive community gatherings. The site also grew in popularity as a pilgrimage destination for Catholics, and many pilgrims donated statues that were displayed on the grounds. The campus also features terraces, waterfalls, monuments, grottos and other amenities. When Bear Real Estate announced its redevelopment plans last year, the proposal included 102 single-family homes, 80 multi-family units, 80 apartments for senior citizens and a commercial building overlooking Browns Lake Drive. The firm pledged to preserve historic artifacts and to maintain space for friars who still wanted to live there. In February, Bear Real Estate presented city officials with a plan for dividing the property into four sections, which would allow the friars to maintain ownership of one section. At the time, Szczap said his firms planned purchase had been downsized to 125 acres. Plans for the property, he wrote to the city, are still being developed. Photos: Biden's Vatican meeting with Pope Francis runs into overtime 1. Yes. Voters across the city filled the seat in the first place. Voters should decide again. 2. Yes. An election is much preferable to back-room decisions among council members. 3. No. The charter calls for the council to fill the vacancy by appointment. Follow the rules. 4. No. An election would be expensive, both for the city and for the potential candidates. 5. Unsure. An election seems more transparent, but its not the perfect answer. Vote View Results Photo: Contributed Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas In a column earlier this year, I referred to a recent order paper question I received regarding cancelled contracts by federal agencies and departments. An order paper question is a written question from an MP tabled in the House of Commons. After 48 hours' notice, the question is posted on the order paper with the intent that the minister responsible will provide a substantive answer within 45 House of Commons sitting days. Each MP is allowed a maximum of four questions on the order paper at any time. It is important to note the answers to these questions must convey only factual information. As elected MPs, answers to order paper questions provide a sound base of factual information from which to debate our various positions. In the absence of such facts, such as how much taxpayer money was spent or how many full-time employees or consultants were hired as the public service implemented the policies of the government of the day, it becomes difficult to have a constructive discussion or debate. As I mentioned earlier this year, I received a reply to one of my order paper questions asking the federal government how many cancelled contracts there were between Jan. 1st, 2019, and Dec. 12th, 2022. I also inquired about the possibility of cancellation fees and the associated penalties. The departments that provided a full accounting of cancelled contracts indicated more than $500,000 in penalties were paid out for more than 300 cancelled contracts. Based on that information, I stated: "What we have learned from these order paper questions is that it is far more economical for the Government of Canada to cancel contracts where they are not needed." I also pointed out that those records revealed the government does not cancel contracts often, meaning taxpayers will continue to pay more for services that are no longer-needed Recently, my Conservative colleague from Calgary-Nose Hill, Michelle Rempel-Garner, made a troubling discovery through an access-to-information and privacy request (ATIP). These ATIP documents she received showed political ministerial staff deliberately manipulated responses to some order paper questions to avoid fully answering the questions as required. For instance, the Department of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), at the direction of political staff, recommended to hide specific cancelled contracts. They even acknowledged that approach carried the inherent risk of other departments disclosing their cancelled contracts so that NRCan would stand out by not doing so, but accepted this inherent risk over disclosure. That risk-based approach, which NRCan referred to as "language limitation" an Orwellian term if I've ever seen onecreates a formula for deciding when not to disclose information, despite the obligation to do so. It also affected other opposition MPs, including Rempel-Garner. As a result, we appealed to House of Commons Speaker, Anthony Rota. When an MP is prevented from properly discharging their duties as an elected official, they can claim a point of privilege and state why they believe their ability to perform their duties as an MP has been improperly limited or restricted. The Speaker can investigate the claim, rule on whether it has merit, and determine if it constitutes a violation. Sadly, even the chief of staff to the natural resources minister made a statement that said, he expected the speaker to tut-tut and then say it is not for him to judge the quality of a response, but we will see." For opposition MPs, that means being able to hold the government accountable. To not disclose facts runs against Canadian democratic principles and the very notion of responsible government. Although the speaker appeared to grasp the seriousness of the situation, he merely issued a rebuke to the department bureaucrats for their alarming actions. I fear this "language limitation" approach will soon spread to other departments. My question this week is: Are you worried about this obstruction of factual information from the Government of Canada? I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll-free at 1-800-665-8711. Dan Albas is the Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. KEARNEY A quest to find poetry of Nebraska settlers turned up something quite different. We were doing some research at the Nebraska Historical Society, said poet and writer Lucy Adkins in an interview from her home in Lincoln. Because were both poets, Marge Saiser and I started out by looking for poetry by early Nebraska settlers. We didnt find as much poetry as we thought. What we found was their diaries and letters something even more fascinating. Adkins noted that a lot of the nonfiction writing contained a poetic voice. There certainly was a lot that was poetic about what they wrote, she said. Based on our research at the Nebraska Historical Society, we have a program to share. We thought this material was representative of the lives of several different women in early Nebraska history. Adkins and Saiser will travel to Kearney to present Diaries and Letters of Early Nebraska Settlers at 2 p.m. Sunday at The Archway. The free event is part of the Soda Fountain Sundae Series. Adkins believes that the letters and diaries help document the daily lives of early Nebraska settlers and explain them to residents today. I think the life challenges that were evident then are similar to what we have today, she said. They had more challenges in physical ways with the labor that had to be done. These writings talk about families and keeping families going. I think that relates to us today. Adkins understands that some of the stories could easily parallel the stories that have been handed down over the generations by Nebraskans. They might hear stories of what their grandparents did or what the lives of their great grandparents were like, she said. I do believe that we are where we are, in the present, because of the past. I think there is great value in learning about those people of the past. While the details of the lives of settlers from 150 years ago differ, Adkins and Saiser can recognize some core values. We all have our challenges today, Adkins said. I think the everyday courage, the courage to keep on doing what needs to be done day in and day out, thats still there. The details,of course, are different, but I think many of these same values are the ones you will see in what people do today in their daily lives in Nebraska. The writer noted that most of the entries are by women. I think that Nebraskans are a pretty special sort of people. I do believe that, of course Im a Nebraskan so I have a prejudices toward that, she laughed. We have developed some of the qualities such as working hard with a tenacious spirit. We like to see things through. We see those same qualities in the past as we see nowadays, too. The letters and diary entries show an additional side of life. There was a lot of fun and silliness, Adkins said. That was one of the charming aspects we found. On the serious side, staying healthy took a toll on the settlers. They were going through some hard times different that our hard times today in ways that we dont necessarily face now, Adkins said. There was so much sickness. Raising a child to puberty, that didnt succumb to a terrible disease, wasnt a given like it is now. Both writers found that the writing of the early settlers showed resourcefulness. We can remind ourselves that we do have that ability to be resourceful today and seek it out whenever we can, Adkins said. With current technology, Adkins doubts that researchers will have access to a rich historical record like they found in the archives of the Nebraska Historical Society. The written word was powerful back then, she said. We dont have that written word now. We dont send letters very often. We may send very detailed, intense text messages or emails, but we dont save them very often. I think future generations are going to have it harder to find out what our everyday lives were like. As an illustration, Adkins considers the published letters of Nebraska writer Willa Cather. We wont have those kinds of resources for scholars of the future, Adkins said. I used to write a lot of letters. I wish I had kept copies of them. Adkins and Saiser plan to read some of their own poetry as part of the program. One of my collections is a series of persona poems, written from the point of view of a Nebraska farm wife living during the 1950s and 60s, Adkins said. To my grandchildren, that probably sounds like a long, long time ago. Marge has some poems she has written from the point of view of her relatives. Shell be talking about life from the point of view of her ancestors. We are trying to record the past, or at least what we think of our past. We dont know the exact facts but we put our interpretations on them. A program to support seniors and keep them in their homes will come to Kenosha County. The "Independent Living Supports" pilot program is projected to begin sometime in July after earning approval from the Kenosha County Board June 20. "The purpose of this grant is to be able to support people (seniors) to live independently in their home," Rebecca Dutter, director of the Division of Aging, Disability and Behavioral Health Sciences, said. "People who are eligible would be (those) at 300% or less of the federal poverty level." Dutter said the individual could not qualify if they reside in a long-term facility or be in a long-term care program. Zach Stock, District 11 supervisor, said as many as 500 seniors or those with a disability will be able to qualify for the program. Kenosha is one of 14 counties to receive the grant. "With this, they (individuals part of the pilot) will have up to $7,200 in a 12-month period to spend on expenses that would keep them safe in their home," Dutter said. She gave an example of someone who needs to modify their bathroom to be able to independently take a shower. Dutter said anybody over the age of 60 under Wisconsin law is considered a senior. She said those individuals would need a qualifying diagnosis that would consider them "disabled" to meet the qualifications of the grant. "This is an opportunity for us to be able to serve a group of folks that we have not been able to in many years," Dutter said. Photo: The Canadian Press Chef Zach Tyndall prepares Good Meat's cultivated chicken at the Eat Just office in Alameda, Calif., Wednesday, June 14, 2023. The Agriculture Department issued final approvals Wednesday, June 21 to California firms Upside Foods and Good Meat to sell the products, known as lab grown or cultivated meat. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) When I told friends and family I was reporting on the first chicken meat grown from animal cells, their first comment was Eww." Their second comment was: How does it taste?" The short answer (you've probably heard this sentence before in other contexts): Tastes like chicken. The longer answer, which folds in the Eww response, is more nuanced. Yes, it's strange to think of eating a totally new kind of meat chicken that doesn't come from a chicken, meat that will be sold as cell-cultivated chicken after the U.S. Agriculture Department on Wednesday gave the green light to two California firms, Upside Foods and Good Meat. But it's also interesting (and exciting!) to taste test the first offerings of a new era in meat production, which aims to eliminate harm to billions of animals slaughtered for food and to dramatically reduce the environmental effects of grazing, growing feed for those animals and dealing with their animal waste. FACING UP TO THE MEAT PARADOX I'm a lifelong meat eater. I'm also a victim of the meat paradox, a term scientists use to describe the psychological conflict that occurs in people who like to eat meat but don't like to contemplate the animals that died providing it. As someone who has reported on food-borne illness outbreaks and slaughterhouse safety, I'm keenly aware that the chicken on my dinner plate probably suffered to get there. And that fact makes me uneasy if I dwell on it too much. So I was open to trying a different kind of meat and also curious to see if it would taste like the real thing. I've tried plant-based options like the Beyond Meat sausage and the Impossible Burger and liked them, even though I didn't think they were perfect substitutes. To be honest, the Beyond Meat sausage tasted good, but a little mealy. And the Impossible Burger was dry, although I may have cooked it too long. In both cases, I enjoyed the taste of the products but was still aware that I wasnt actually eating pork or beef. What about the artificiality of it all? It didn't bother me that this new cultivated meat is made from cells that grow to epic proportions in big steel vats, only to be shaped and formed extruded is the somewhat unfortunate verb that came to mind into familiar cutlets, filets and nuggets that would look right at home on the dinner table. But as with all food, in the end it would come down to taste. And in this case, to the larger question behind it: Is this new material in fact chicken, or is it an impostor? TIME FOR THE ALL-IMPORTANT MOUTH TEST In January, I traveled to the Upside Foods manufacturing plant in Emeryville, California. There, chef Jess Weaver sauteed a cultivated chicken breast in a white wine butter sauce with tomatoes, capers and green onions. The aroma was enticing, just like any filet cooked in butter would be. And the taste was light and delicate with a tender texture, just like any chicken breast Id make at home if, that is, I were a chef trained at the Culinary Institute of America. Last week, I visited the Alameda, California, plant where Good Meat is poised to begin production of its chicken products. Chef Zach Tyndall was ready with a smoked chicken salad with mayonnaise, golden raisins and walnuts. He followed it with a chicken thigh dish darker meat served on a bed of potato puree with a mushroom-vegetable demi-glace, golden beets and tiny purple cauliflower florets. The taste was richer than a chicken breast, more like the dark meat of a thigh. And the texture was both tender and chewy, like a well-cooked chicken thigh should be. That, says Tyndall, is the whole point. It needs to be as lifelike as possible for it to catch on, he said. While lifelike is an interesting word, from my side of the fork I think this will catch on. There are still huge hurdles how to scale up manufacturing and pare back costs, experts say, and the lingering question of whether chicken without the bird is, in fact, chicken but if you're basing it on authentic taste, I'll leave you with this: Please pass the chicken. Park Geun-hye Saenuri Party candidate Moon Jae-in DUP candidate Kim Jong-un North Korean leader By Kang Hyun-kyung The camps of the two main presidential candidates slammed North Korea, Wednesday, for the launch of a long-range Unha-3 rocket that allegedly put a satellite into orbit. Experts say that it's hard to know which of the two will benefit more from the launch, although it was agreed no major impact is expected. The campaigners for ruling Saenuri Party candidate Park Geun-hye said the North had violated United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions 1718 and 1874, and called on the government to team up with the international community to impose fresh sanctions on the Stalinist state. Officials for the Democratic United Party's (DUP) contender Moon Jae-in also criticized the launch, which South Korea and other governments interpreted as an attempt to test ballistic missile technology. They also blamed the government for inaccurate information, questioning Seoul's intelligence capabilities. The government said a day earlier that it saw few possibilities for the North launching the rocket anytime soon because of technical flaws. Recent polls have found the two candidates locked in a tight race, making it difficult to predict a winner. Neither has attempted to play the North Korea card as they fear that trying to take advantage of the North's provocative action could backfire on them. Kim Haing, vice chairwoman of the online news provider Wikitree, speculated that the rocket launch would have no significant impact on the presidential election. "The North Korea card turned out to be effective in consolidating conservative voters in the 1990s. But no such effect has ever been found in elections since then," Kim said. Bae Jong-chan, managing director of the polling agency Research and Research, also remained skeptical that the last-minute North Korea factor may rattle the presidential race. "Speaking frankly, I don't see the possibility that the North's missile factor would have any impact on the presidential election. Few voters would be affected by it," he told The Korea Times. "The campaign landscape features a conservative-liberal voter divide. Voters on any side are unlikely to change their mind because of the North Korea card." Voters approached by The Korea Times said they didn't feel threatened by the launch. Choi Young-il, 43, who lives in the greater Seoul area, said he had no intention to change candidate because of North Korea. "I don't know how undecided voters would feel about the rocket launch. But to me, it didn't sound like a threat because I understand the rocket didn't target South Korea or our territories," he said. Yim Mi-seon, another 40-something voter, also said the North Korea factor would have a negligible impact on the presidential election, if any, because this is not the first time this has happened. "North Korea did that quite often in the past. We are kind of accustomed to the North's behavior." A video advertisement is displayed on top of the Korean Culture Center in downtown Hanoi to commemorate President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to Vietnam, Thursday. Courtesy of presidential office By Kim Hyun-bin Korean businesses are exploring new investment opportunities in Vietnam, seeing huge potential in the rapidly growing Southeast Asian country which last year emerged as Korea's third-largest trade partner following China and the U.S. The pivot is aimed at reducing Korea's economic reliance on China, where Korean businesses face uncertainties due to the rivalry between China and the U.S. over supply chains and other issues. The increasing interest in Vietnam has been reflected in visits to the country by more than 200 Korean business leaders, including the chiefs of Korea's top four conglomerates, who are accompanying President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the Southeast Asian country as an economic delegation. Industry officials expect the heads of the conglomerates Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo to inspect facilities there and announce new investment opportunities. For Lee Jae-yong, Vietnam has become a regular business destination due to Samsung Electronics producing nearly half of its Galaxy smartphones in factories there. Korea's significance there is further emphasized as the Galaxy smartphone contributes to about one-fifth of Vietnam's total exports. I am the owner and administrator of Spots & Stripes Early Learning Center in Bloomer, and our industry is in crisis. On Friday at 2:30 a.m. when most of the state was sleeping, the Joint Committee on Finance answered a resounding no to adding desperately needed funds for Child Care Counts to the budget, a Stabilization Payment Program created to support Wisconsins early care and education community. Without these funds, we will see childcare closures, increased tuition rates of $50-plus a week, parents forced to leave jobs because they cannot afford or find child care, business productivity will decline and employee turnover will skyrocket. If our legislators continue to deny funding for our programs, organized child care has less than two years left. In two years, these programs will be obsolete. Contact your representatives, demand better for your children. No child care, no work force. No work force, no economy. Caitlin Mitchell Bloomer Sheriff Roy Torgerson reports the following ongoing activities for the year and narrative excerpts from the week ending June 17. 6/11 A landowner reported fishermen were trespassing on his property on Spring Coulee Road, town of Coon. A deputy spoke with the landowner and the fishermen. The fishermen were warned to remain in the water unless absolutely necessary to exit in order to get around an obstruction. 6/12 Staff from the De Soto High School reported someone stole plants from the school greenhouse over the weekend. There was video of the incident. The investigation is ongoing. 6/12 Two horses were reported out on County Road D, town of Clinton. Upon arrival, a deputy spoke with the owner, who had help on the way. 6/13 Robert Quick, Bagley, was driving eastbound on State Hwy. 82, town of Viroqua at the intersection with Ames Hill Road. Quick reportedly looked down, and when he looked up, he saw Ames Hill Road, causing him to think he needed to turn quickly to stay on State Hwy. 82. Quick left the roadway and struck a utility pole. Neither Quick nor his passenger reported any injuries. The vehicle was towed due to disabling damage. 6/14 A citizen reported a dog is always laying in the roadway in front of a residence on County Road SS, town of Liberty. A deputy responded to the scene and located the dog in the yard. They were unable to make contact with anyone at the residence. 6/14 Gerhardt Durst, Hillpoint, struck a deer while traveling eastbound on US Hwy. 14, town of Kickapoo. Durst had a suspected minor injury but refused medical transport. The vehicle was towed due to disabling damage. 6/14 An emu was reported running loose on Asbury Road, town of Viroqua. The owner was notified. The sheriffs office received another report of it running loose on County Road S, town of Webster, on June 17, 2023. 6/15 Two cows were on County Road V, town of Forest. Dispatch was able to locate the owner, who reported they got all of the cattle back onto their property. 6/15 A very young, German shepherd puppy was found on King Road, town of Sterling. The owner was eventually located. 6/16 Abagail Diehl, Viroqua, was driving westbound on State Hwy. 82, town of Sterling, when she left the right side of the roadway on a left curve in the road. The vehicle entered the ditch, struck a mound of dirt, and came to rest on its wheels. Diehl did not report any injuries. The vehicle was towed due to disabling damage. 6/16 An employee at the Zzip Stop in Genoa found a bag of needles and possibly drugs in the bathroom. A deputy responded and took possession of the items, which included needles and naloxone. 6/17 Christian Ault, Forestville, was traveling eastbound on State Hwy. 33, town of Hillsboro, and struck a deer. Ault had no apparent injury. The vehicle was towed but not due to disabling damage. LA CRESCENT, MNRay Roger Jewell, 92, of La Crescent, Minnesota, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, June 15, 2023 at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, WI. For a complete obituary and to leave online condolences please visit www.schumacher-kish.com. The 10th-place winner in the Westby post competition was Aurora Gricius, a freshman and the daughter of Patrick Gricius. Veterans are one of the symbols of patriotism for our country. One of many fail to acknowledge the true value of our countrys fighters who have freed us from monarchy and other national powers and rules. Without Veterans, this country would not be as free as it is now. They have aided us in the hardships of America, and have endured tremendous actions where most have regretted, where it has led them depression, and suicide as a result. Eventually, all Veterans who have fought, served and aided us, will pass away, and there would only be stories left to tell. Millions of people have died as a result of the numerous wars that have been waged throughout history. In contrast to the 2 million people who volunteered, 24 million were drafted in World War I. Not many people managed to escape the wars and battles unscathed. Some Veterans suffered from imprisonment, torture, starvation, and exposure to extreme weather. Many have suffered injuries from explosions and gunfire, and some continue to feel pain at the possibility of losing their loved ones to war. Many War Veterans have passed away due to old age, diseases, depression, and suicide, and many have developed PTSD from the wars. Some still struggle with the guilt over the murders they had to carry out and of the fear of being drafted. Most were forced to kill their enemy and innocent civilians of other countries or they were labeled traitors, impressioned, or put to death. Although some may be proud to fight for their country, few people are able to cope with the loss of a loved one without becoming depressed, traumatized and would most likely consider self-harm. Instead of supporting and assisting them, Americans place Veterans in nursing homes, in hopes that it will be helpful. To prevent suicides, there is a movement called 22Aday to show awareness of military suicides. Year after year, Veterans have passed away. There are less than 240,000 World War II Veterans alive while all the World War 1 have died. They will write about their experiences in books and on websites, but nobody will be curious to read or learn about them. The Veterans who have held the line for the nation to have the rights and freedom from monarchy will be forgotten, just as the wars, battles, and massacres will be forgotten as well. Imagine the United States being ruled by a king. This country could have implemented communism or socialism without our Veterans fighting for the freedom we have. Regular people formed militias and fought in the revolutionary war to be freed from the British monarch and have their own religion. Some of our presidents fought in these wars. George Washington led the Revolutionary War and Abraham Lincoln helped unify the country again in the Civil War. Millions have perished and were severely injured in order to keep our country free from monarchy and other types of government powers. Due to some wars however, it has caused PTSD in some Veterans and led them to suicide. In the future, no one will remember the ones who gave their lives for the U.S. because the younger generation will be no longer interested. More than anyone else, Veterans deserve better. After everything they have done for us, we cannot allow them to suffer. That is why many should join the 22Aday movement and the Military veteran project (MVP) to help prevent Veteran suicide. Our nation is getting ready to party as we celebrate our 246th on July 4. Even though summer has just begun, I always viewed the Fourth of July as the midpoint of summer. Perhaps its because my perspective of summer as a kid was influenced by the school year. In those days we were out of school by the end of May and starting at the end of August. Most Independence Days involved a little break from farming as we would go to the nearby village of Melrose for its holiday doings including a parade and fireworks. July 4, 1776, was the birth of American independence when the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence put into words the concepts of democracy and became the foundation of our freedom. Surprisingly, the word freedom is not even mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, but could certainly capture the essence of this famous sentence in the preamble: We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Powerful words indeed. But nearly 250 years later the concept of equality seems to be just a dream. We argue about what we think are inalienable rights and fight over life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and are unhappy if we think someone elses concept of liberty infringes upon our own beliefs. A few years ago I would have said that our partisan bickering couldnt get much worse. How wrong I was, as evidenced by a column I wrote in 2012 after the fall election. It was titled We can work together, and I wrote about the weariness of the battling. Were tired. Were tired of the partisan bickering. Were tired of politicians and party machines whose only goal is self-preservation and fighting with the other side. Were tired of bloviated speeches and promises with the substance and staying power of yesterdays autumn snow. Its time to stop the focus on what divides us and talk about what unites us. We are Americans, a melting pot of individual beliefs, colors and creeds; to be sure, but united in our worship of freedom and the pursuit of happiness. We want and demand that our leaders work for the betterment of all; not just the few. The men and women who have died fighting for our freedom didnt serve because of their political persuasion. They fought because they believed in a bigger cause that transcends the labels like liberal or conservative. Just as we want our leaders to work together, so should we. Lets all find some common ground. We can model in our own lives what we expect from those we elect. Its called compromise and it can work if we want it to. So its more than 10 years later and the divide is even greater. Perhaps we need to send some kindergarten teachers to remind our elected officials that no one can get their way all the time, bullying is not acceptable and sometimes you need to share. No party is right all the time; no party is wrong all of the time. The founding fathers who signed the Declaration of Independence didnt achieve that document by being angry or unreasonable toward each other. Clearly they had their differences, but they set them aside for the pursuit of the larger goal of freedom. Its discouraging, but that doesnt mean that we should give up. Political pledges and party kowtowing be damned. Lets use our day of patriotic celebration and begin the goal of proudly working together as Americans for the greater good of our nation and all its people from every walk of life. There is a better path forward that guides us toward common ground. It begins with us. IN PHOTOS: Schoolhouses of a time past highland 1940s.jpg Highland School Highland School basement Highland School closeup Rose Hill school Highland School in 1914 in Franklin, Wisconsin School near Disco West Franklin school Avon School in early 1900s Avon School Brookside School in 1914 From Tribune files: Wines of the week Tribcast: Chris and Sherry Hardie share their top wine tips Chris and Sherry Hardie, owners of Brambleberry Winery, Weddings and Country Inn and authors of the Tribune's weekly wine column, share a glass of the wine of the week with the Tribune's Rusty Cunningham and Scott Rada. Tribcast episode 27: Chris and Sherry Hardie share their top wine tips Your browser does not support the audio element. To subscribe to Tribcast on Apple Podcasts, click here. To subscribe to Tribcast on Google Play, click here. Wine of the week: Seaside Cellars Pinot Noir 2016 The typical pinot noir is known for its cherry and strawberry flavors with a silky texture. This offering from New Zealand is not that. Yes, there are red fruit flavors, but silky and smooth would not describe this much more rugged and dry wine. Sourced from coastal vineyards, this wine is rustic and earthy and worthwhile of your exploration if youre brave enough to stretch your pinot palate. Sherry: Dry and tart with flavors of cherry and red currant. (3 stars out of 5) Chris: A leathery bouquet with flavors of cranberry and a little cherry. (3 stars out of 5) Available from $11 to $14. Wine of the week: Plungerhead Petite Sirah 201 The days grow shorter and colder as we head into winter, the perfect time to cozy up to a big and fruity dark red wine. Its also time to think about a wine with enough heft to accompany your holiday dinner if it includes prime rib. This will fit the bill. This California red is primarily petite sirah (84%) but is blended with five other reds to help soften the finish and bring forth more fruit flavors. Its inky dark, jammy and spicy. Sherry: Smooth and medium-bodied with flavors of cherry, black currant, mulberry and blueberry. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: A red licorice bouquet with juicy and fruit-forward flavors of cherry and blueberry with currants and spice on the finish. (3.75 stars out of 5) Available from $13 to $16. Coming next week: Seaside Cellars Pinot Noir Wine of the week: Santa Cristina Pinot Grigio 2017 A basic review of wine tells us that many grapes have different names, which is the case with pinot grigio and pinot gris. A mutation of pinot noir, the Italians call their version pinot grigio and the French call their grapes pinot gris.Both names are used in the United States, reflecting either the more pronounced citrus flavors of pinot grigio compared to the orchard fruit influences of pinot gris. This version from the Delle Venezie region of northeast Italy is a delicious balance of both styles, with crisp and refreshing tropical fruit flavors and a soft finish. Sherry: Flavors of lemon and lime with a hint of pineapple on the finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: A grapefruit bouquet with flavors of lemon, lime, pineapple and tangerine. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $ to $12. Coming next week: Plungerhead Petite Sirah Wine of the week: Villa Pozzi Nero dAvola 2017 Grapes and wine styles are somewhat subject to fads but winemaking on the island of Sicily dates back some 4,000 years. Today the fifth generation of the Pozzi family is making wine there, including this vintage of the indigenous nero davola. For many years wines from Sicily were used for blending especially this grape but thanks to quality improvements the varietal now stands on its own. This vintage is made without oak to showcase berry and red fruit flavors but the grape can be suitable for aging. Its full-bodied, intense and rustic. Sherry: Tart and vibrant raspberry flavor with notes of blackberry and cherry. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A fig bouquet with flavors of raspberry and vanilla and a dry finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $10 to $13. Coming next week: Santa Cristina Pinot Grigio Wine of the week: Seven Falls Cellars Rapids Red 2014 This red blend sources its grapes from the Wahluke Slope, an 81,000 acre sub-appellation of the Columbia Valley in Washington. The region is warm and dry with deep alluvial soils. Seven Falls takes its name from the number of waterfalls that used to flow through the 10 miles of Columbia River near the slope. This is a blend of syrah (68%), merlot (23%) and cinsault (9%) that was put through malolactic fermentation and aged in a combination of new and used French and American oak. Its a dark fruit bonanza with an elegant finish. Sherry: Smooth, medium-bodied and fruity with flavors of black cherry, black currant and blackberry. (3.75 stars out of 5) Chris: A red licorice bouquet with flavors of blueberry, blackberry and a hint of vanilla on the finish. (4 stars out of 5) Available from $14 to $17. Coming next week: Fleurs de Prairie Rose Wine of the week: Joel Gott Chardonnay 2017 Joel Gott began making wine in 1996 by purchasing the best fruit from specific growing regions in California, Oregon and Washington, a nod to the French belief that soil and climate make a difference in grape growing. This California chardonnay is sourced from Monterey, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo vineyards. A small amount of the batch is aged in oak to fall into the middle of the unoaked v. heavily oaked chardonnay spectrum. Flavors of tropical and orchard fruit. Sherry: Medium-bodied and fruity with citrus flavors of pineapple, lemon and peach with light butter on the finish. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A pineapple and pear bouquet with flavors of pear, peach and tangerine. (3.25 stars out of 5) Available from $12.50 to $15. Coming next week: Seven Falls Cellars Rapids Red Wine of the week: Skyfall Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Skyfall was the name of the 2012 James Bond film and for his ancestral home in Scotland. Skyfall Vineyard is named for the massive boulders scattered among the vines in the Columbia Valley in Washington that looked like they fell from the sky. Grapes are sourced from the Columbia Valleys top growing region for this wine, which is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah and tempranillo. The wine is aged in separate lots and then reassembled before bottling, resulting in a complex and enjoyable pour. Sherry: Dry and full-bodied with flavors of black currant, mulberry and blackberry with a touch of rose floral on the finish. (3.75 stars out of 5) Chris: An herbal and cigar box bouquet with blackberry and plum flavors with a hint of vanilla and long, extended tannins. (3.75 stars out of 5) Available from $13 to $16. Coming next week: Joel Gott Chardonnay Wine of the week: Las Rocas Vinas Viejas Garnacha 2013 The northern part of Spain called Aragon is the traditional home of garnacha, also known as grenache in France where it is used in the Rhone blends. Los Rocas Vinas Viejas translates to The Rocks Old Vines, a direct reference to the source of this wine, the rocky hills of the Calatayud region where the vineyards are very old. The wine is aged in a combination of French and American oak for a year. Its well-structured with spice notes and dark fruit flavors layered in firm, but balanced tannins. Sherry: Dry and full-bodied flavors of black cherry and blueberry with an oaky finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: A spice and cinnamon bouquet with flavors of black cherry and plum. (3.75 stars out of 5) Available from $16 to $19. Coming next week: Skyfall Cabernet Sauvignon Wine of the week: Robert Mondavi Heritage Red 2017 One of the fathers of Californias modern wine industry, Robert Mondavi was born in Virginia, Minnesota to Italian immigrants. The family moved west and in 1943 he joined his father and brother Peter when they purchased the Charles Krug winery. He split from the family business and in 1966 built one of the first major wineries in the Napa Valley after Prohibition. Mondavi died at the age of 94 in 2008. This blend of syrah and merlot comes from Central Coast vineyards. Its very jammy with juicy berry flavors and soft tannins. Sherry: Medium-bodied, smooth and semi-sweet with flavors of blueberry, cherry and raspberry. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A jammy bouquet with flavors of raspberry and cherry with a red licorice and vanilla finish. (3.25 stars out of 5) Available from $9 to 11. Coming next week: Los Rocas Vinas Viejas Wine of the week: Mud House Sauvignon Blanc 2017 We can usually distinguish the signature grape of New Zealand by its unique bouquet. Descriptions of New Zealand sauvignon blanc range from nettles, dried tomato leaf, dried herbs, snow peas, guava and other attributes. Perhaps the strangest is cat urine, the funky smell that cat owners know all too well. The scientific explanation is a high concentration of pyrazines, which are more distinctive in the cooler climates like New Zealand. But it does nothing to diminish the crisp and mouth-watering melon and citrus flavors of this delicious wine. Sherry: Vibrant and refreshing flavors of grapefruit and lime with a light grassiness on the finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: A zesty blend of grapefruit, lime and tangerine with crisp acidity. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $9 to $12. Coming next week: Robert Mondavi Heritage Red Blend Wine of the week: Cupcake Butterkissed Chardonnay 2017 The Cupcake wine label has made a big splash in the industry since its introduction in 2008, selling many different varietals in the $8 to $12 range sourced from vineyards around the world. This chardonnay joins its Monterey County Chardonnay to offer a different take on the popular varietal. As the name suggests, Butterkissed aims for the full smooth and creamy mouthfeel by putting the chardonnay through a secondary malolactic fermentation. The butter and cream are noticeable in this wine, but could have gone further to satisfy the malo-fans like us. Sherry: Medium-bodied with citrus flavors of lemon and lime and a hint of oak and butter. (3 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of pineapple and lemon with flavors of apricot, pineapple and a bit of butterscotch. (3 stars out of 5) Available from $8 to $11. Coming next week: Mud House Sauvignon Blanc Wine of the week: Silk and Spice Red Blend 2017 This wine pays homage to the 15th Century Portuguese sailors that explored the world from Europe to the Indian Ocean on the Silk and Spice Route. This blend is sourced from different regions and fermented in separate lots. The wine undergoes a secondary fermentation for additional softness, is aged in oak for six months and then blended. This is a soft red with dark fruit and spice notes and enough sweetness to put it up the upper end of the dry category. A good choice for beginning red wine drinkers. Sherry: Sweeter with a strong clove and floral taste with blackberry on the finish. (3 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of raisins and brown sugar with flavors of cherry and blackberry and red licorice on the finish. (3 stars out of 5) Available from $8 to $11. Coming next week: Cupcake Butterkissed Chardonnay Wine of the week: Pinot Gris A to Z 2017 A basic review of wine grapes tells us that pinot gris and pinot grigio are the same grape but made in different styles. This white wine from Oregon covers the alphabet and more, coming from from 30 different vineyards. It is fermented in separate lots to preserve individual complexity and flavor and then blended. The difference between gris and grigio is the former is softer with emphasis on stone fruits like peach, apricot and plum while grigio has more citrus flavor. Our taste buds split on this one Sherry finds it more grigio-like and Chris finds it more gris-like. Sherry: Smooth on the front and flavorful with lemon, lime and grapefruit and tart on the finish. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A tangerine nose with flavors of pear, peach and a little grapefruit. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $15 to $17. Coming next week: Silk and Spice Wine of the week: Terra dOro Zinfandel 2016 The foothills of the Sierra Mountains in Amador County, Calif., is where gold miners sought the mother lode and brought more than 300,000 people in 1849. Today the areas shallow soils, hot days and cool nights are perfect for growing zinfandel. And no wine is more perfect for a late-summer barbecue. These grapes are handpicked and cold-soaked and go through an intensive fermentation process before being aged in a combination of oak for 16 months. The result is a big and savory wine with fruit-forward flavors and balanced tannins. Sherry: Medium-bodied with fruity flavors of blackberry, strawberry and blueberry. Soft clove spice on the finish. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A blackberry and spice bouquet with flavors of blueberry, raspberry and a vanilla finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $12.50 to $14. Coming next week: Intrinsic Red Blend Wine of the week: Crios Torrontes 2016 Finding a wine to pair with spicy foods can be a challenge but torrontes is an excellent choice. We sampled this signature white grape of Argentina with a caprese salad of fresh picked basil, kalamata olives, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella drizzled with Italian dressing and baguettes on the side. Torrontes thrives in the high altitude vineyards of the Andes Mountains. This vintage was sourced from the Salta and Mendoza regions and was aged over the lees for three months. Citrus fruits abound in this dry and crisp wine that has plenty of structure to stand up to the spice. Sherry: Refreshing, crisp and dry with citrus lime flavor on the front and peach on the finish. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of lime and grapefruit with lime and lemon flavors and a hint of apricot. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $12.50 to $15. Coming next week: Terra dOro Zinfandel Wine of the week: Roscato Dark This nonvintage red blend comes from a large winery cooperative in Trentino from northern Italy. It lives up to its description with an inky-dark pour that will stain your tongue purple. The dark color comes from long contact with the grape skins during fermentation. Its a blend of mainly indigenous northern Italian grape varieties teroldego and lagrein with a little merlot. Soft tannins and fruit forward, there is enough residual sugar to put this into the off-dry (which we would call semi-sweet) category and good selection for beginning red wine drinkers. Sherry: Flavors of cherry and blueberry with a touch of clove on the finish. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of blackberry with flavors of raspberry, cherry and a hint of vanilla. (3.25 stars out of 5) Available from $12.50 to $14. Coming next week: Crios Torrontes Tussock Jumper Riesling 2017 One can travel the world through different wines. Heres a label that brings you the world of wine from 11 different countries. Tussock Jumper markets 11 different varietals sourced from their respective countries. Each features an animal from that country that is wearing a red jumper. A tussock is a grassy knob that grows all around the world. This wine comes from the Rheinhessen region of Germany, the countrys largest wine region. Its a classic riesling with crisp acidity and light sweetness that highlights the orchard fruit and citrus flavors. Sherry: A bouquet of pear with tart citrus flavors of lime and lemon. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A light apple bouquet with flavors of lime and peach and a hint of pear. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $8.50 to $10. Coming next week: Roscato Dark Komodo Dragon 2014 There are no Komodo dragons in Washington, but this red blend pays tribute to the giant Indonesian lizard that is part of the Pacific Rim. Marketed by Bronco Wine Co., this blend of merlot (49%), cabernet sauvignon (30%) and syrah is sourced from Columbia Valley. About 85% of its fruit comes from the Wahluke Slope, one of the warmer spots in the state that also has cooling breezes to help with fruit development. This is a full-bodied, dry red with plenty of dark fruit flavors. The winery suggests serving with smoked ham. Sherry: Fruity flavors of raspberry, cherry, blueberry and black currant. (3 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of plum and dusty earth with flavors of plum, raspberry and toasted oak. (3 stars out of 5) Available from $12.50 to $15. Coming next week: Tussock Jumper Riesling Arrogant Frog Lily Pad Red 2016 French Winemaker Jean-Claude Mas came up with the idea of an arrogant frog mascot in 2005 to make his wines more approachable and less snobbish to an American audience. It worked, because he has sold more than 5 million bottles with different varietals from his Languedoc vineyards in southern France. This is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot which are fermented separately and aged in vats and oak before being blended. It shows dark fruit flavors layered with spice and a rustic tannic structure. A perfect barbecue wine. Sherry: Dry and full-bodied with flavors of cherry, blueberry and floral notes on the finish. (3 stars out of 5) Chris: A cinnamon bouquet with flavors of cherry, blueberry, vanilla and prominent but balanced tannins. (3 stars out of 5) Available from $8 to $12. Coming next week: Komodo Dragon Red Wine of the Week: Aime Roquesante Rose 2018 This French Cotes de Provence wine comes from ground zero in the world of rose. Provence located in southeast France has been home to winemaking since the Greeks planted vines there 2,600 years ago. Exports of Provence rose have increased 500 percent in the past 15 years, with more than 40 million bottles shipped in 2016. A blend of grenache (45%), cinsault (26%), syrah (15%), carignan (10%) and mourvedre (4%), this pale salmon-colored wine is the quintessential French rose with red fruit flavors in a dry and crisp citrus body. Sherry: Clean citrus scent with dry and tart flavors of strawberry with almond on the finish. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of lime and pear with dry flavors of strawberry, peach and grapefruit. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $10.50 to $14. Coming next week: Arrogant Frog Lily Pad Red Wine of the Week: Risata Sparkling Rose Many wines experience seasonal sales and as expected, rose consumption goes up in the summer as more consumers think pink. But sales of rose continue to grow year-round, making the fastest growing wine category, according to Wine Business Monthly. This new wine from northeastern Italy just launched earlier this year is a blend of 70% chardonnay and 30% pinot noir with a bit of carbonation. The flavors are as light as the color, with very delicate berry fruit. Serve well-chilled and pair with a summer salad, chicken or fish. Sherry: Dry with subtle strawberry, raspberry and lime flavors. (2.75 stars out of 5) Chris: Light flavors of strawberry and apricot with a zesty, semi-dry finish. (3 stars out of 5) Available from $12 to $15. Coming next week: Aime Roquesante Cotes de Provence Wine of the Week: Gallo Family Sweet Pineapple Its summertime and its hot. Sometimes your palate wants an uncomplicated wine that is an adult version of the fruit drinks you remember as a kid. This fruit wine blend (9% alcohol) from E&J Gallo falls into that category. Theres hardly a category not covered by Gallo. Beginnings with brothers Ernest and Julio in 1933, today Gallo has more than 100 brands of beverages across many different product lines from more than 110 countries. This California wine is a taste of the tropics, with very sweet tropical fruit flavors and slightly fizzy. Serve well-chilled or even use as a summertime wine spritzer. Sherry: Something different and fun. Frizzante with flavors of sweet pineapple and honey. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: Flavors of pineapple, honey and candied apple. (3 stars out of 5) Available from $4 to $6. Coming next week: Risata Sparkling Rose Wine of the Week: Ego Bodegas Marionette 2017 Ego Bodegas is a winery located in the Jumilla region of southeastern Spain, an area best known for its monastrell also known as mourvedre red grapes with an average age of 50 years. This big, thick-skinned grape with prominent tannins is often used in blends, like this wine which also features syrah. The wine is fermented and macerated with the skins for 15 to 25 days and then aged in American oak for two months. The result is a big, structured wine with red fruit flavors that would pair nicely with roasted meat or steaks off the grill. Sherry: A medium-bodied fruity blend with flavors rose, clove and cherry. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A raisin and earth bouquet with flavors of bright cherry, raspberry and a hint of vanilla with dry tannins. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $9.50 to $13. Coming next week: Gallo Family Sweet Pineapple Wine of the Week: Capriccio Sangria Its summertime and its hot. Take some red wine, add some fruit juice, throw in some pieces or orange or other fruits and perhaps add a bit of carbonation. Youve just made yourself a sangria. A year ago this Florida-made sangria flew off the shelves as sales skyrocketed thanks to social media hype and a strange demand for its 13.9% alcohol. Capriccio is made by Florida Carbibbean Distillers which says its a bubbly red made with 100% natural fruit juices and pineapple, grape, lemon, pomegranate, orange, pear, apple, cherry and lime juice. Its an uncomplicated, cloudy pour of fresh fruit that says summertime. Sherry: A citrus bouquet with tart flavors of grapefruit and tangerine. (3 stars out of 5) Chris: A tangerine bouquet with grapefruit and pear flavors. (3 stars out of 5) Available for $7 to $9. Coming next week: Ego Bodegas Marionette Wine of the Week: Decoy Chardonnay 2017 An extension of the Duckhorn brand, Decoy has expanded from just one red wine to a variety of Sonoma County grapes, including this chardonnay. This vintage went through a 24-day fermentation on the lees at cool temperatures before 90% was aged in stainless steel and 10% in French oak. The result is a fresh, vibrant wine with flavors of orchard and citrus fruit and a bit of creamy texture. Sherry: Medium-bodied that is fruity and semi-dry with flavors of butter, lime and lemon. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A cantelope bouquet with flavors of pineapple and lemon with a hint of cream. (3.25 stars out of 5) Available from $12.50 to $16. Coming next week: Capriccio Sangria Wine of the Week: OZV Red Blend 2016 Oak Ridge Winery is the oldest operating winery in Lodi, Calif., built in 1934. It is owned by the Maggio and Reynolds families and produces estate wines under several different labels. The wines for this blend are sourced from 7,500 acres with a Mediterranean climate and vines like zinfandel that are more than 100 years old. It creates a unique terroir for these red grape varieties. A blend of zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, petite sirah and merlot, this wine features fresh berry and fruit flavors and toasted finish from nine months of oak aging. Sherry: Medium-bodied cherry and raspberry with rose and geranium on the finish. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: An earthy bouquet with fruit-forward flavors of cherry and raspberry with red licorice. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $12 to $15. Coming next week: Decoy Chardonnay Wine of the Week: Farmhouse White 2017 One of the enjoyable parts in our lifelong wine journey is when we sample new grapes. We surely didnt expect that a Spanish sherry grape would end up in a bottle of California white. This blend from Cline is 41% palomino, a grape variety from Andalucia in southwestern Spain. The wine also features muscat canelli, roussanne, viognier and riesling. Its fermented in stainless steel for a crisp, fresh pour that orchard fruit and citrus influences. A delicious wine for the summer season. Sherry: Tart and refreshing green apple and pear flavors with a citrus lemon and lime finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of pear with flavors of pear, apricot and light lime. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $9 to $12. Coming next week: OZV Old Vine Red Blend Wine of the Week: Consentino Cigar Zinfandel 2017 Memorial Day weekend is often the first big cookout of the summer and if steaks are on your menu, then so should zinfandel. The spiciness and boldness of zinfandel makes it a perfect match with grilled red meats. This Lodi, Calif., zinfandel is blended with smaller amounts of petite sirah, cabernet sauvignon and petit verdot. It comes in at a hefty 15.5 percent alcohol but still has plenty of ripe dark fruit flavors. Its a masculine wine from the packaging to the pour. Sherry: A leather bouquet, fruity cherry flavor and dry, strong tannins with floral rose on the finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: A bit of cigar box bouquet with flavors of blackberry, cherry, vanilla and spice. (3.75 stars out of 5) Available from $13 to $16. Coming next week: Farmhouse White Wine of the Week: Jacobs Creek Double Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon Barrels used for spirits are becoming more popular in beer and wine production. Only time will tell if its just a fad. This cabernet sauvignon from the Australian Coonawarra region comes from one of South Australias premier wineries. Jacobs Creek dates to 1847 when a Bavarian immigrant planted vines on William Jacobs creek bank. The wine is aged in traditional oak barrels and further aged in Irish whiskey barrels. The result is a complex and dry pour with lots of spice and fruit to tantalize your palate. Sherry: Dry red cherry with elements of rose and geranium floral flavors with a long finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of cigar box and spice with flavors of cassis and blackberry with long, dry tannins. (3.75 stars out of 5) Available from $14 to $16. Coming next week: Consentino Cigar Old Vine Zinfandel Wine of the Week: Borne of Fire The Burn 2016 This new cabernet sauvignon from Washington cabernet sauvignon is also from a new wine growing region. The Burn is a region in south central Washington which takes its name from the regions early settlers who burned their fields every autumn. Cabernet sauvignon vines were first planted there in 2002. This wine from Chateau St. Michelle has a small amount (10%) malbec. Its inky dark in color and displays flavors of dark fruit and berries. We look forward to more wines from this region. Sherry: Flavors of blueberry and cherry with elements of rose and clove and strong tannins on a long, lingering finish. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of leather and dust with flavors of plum, blackberry and vanilla on the finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $18 to $21. Coming next week: Jacobs Creek Double Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon Wine of the Week: Dona Paula Smoked Red Blend 2017 The art of fine winemaking is not just the fermentation of the fruit but also the selection and application of oak. This selection from the Mendoza region of Argentina uses French oak that is smoked through a process found in the traditional Argentinian barbecue. The wine is aged in the barrels for a year. This inky-dark blend of cabernet sauvignon (60%), malbec (30%) and bonarda (10%) reveals dark fruit and berry flavors, a little spice and a whiff of smoke just enough to make it unique. Sherry: A bouquet of cherry and leather with fruity cherry and currant flavors, vanilla and a hint of smokiness. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: An herbal and leather bouquet with flavors of cherry, raspberry and smoky vanilla. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $12 to $16. Coming next week: Borne of Fire Cabernet Sauvignon Wine of the Week: Hay Maker Sauvignon Blanc 2017 They say that you need to make hay when the sun shines, a farming adage that is certainly true. This New Zealand winery made lots of sauvignon blanc some 34,000 cases of this vintage sourced from the Wairau and Ure valleys in the Marlborough region. This signature wine from New Zealand does not disappoint, with clean and crisp citrus flavors that says sunshine in your glass. Also a great value coming in under $10. Sherry: A citrus bouquet of lime with tart and refreshing lime and grapefruit flavor with mineral and herbal elements on the finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: A nettle-like bouquet with flavors of lime, kiwi and gooseberry with a crisp finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $8 to $10. Coming next week: Dona Paula Smoked Red Blen Wine of the Week: Edna Valley Rose 2016 The weather has finally turned and warmer temperatures often brings more desire for lighter wines like rose. This offering from Edna Valley Vineyard comes from Californias Central Coast located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. This is not a weak, washed-out pale pink pour but is a blend of hearty red grapes tempranillo, syrah, grenache and mourvedre. Flavors of soft red fruit and with vibrant acidity with a clean and crisp finish. Would make an excellent companion to grilled chicken. Sherry: Subtle fruit flavors of red currant and almond. (3 stars out of 5) Chris: A surprise leather bouquet with flavors of pear and rhubarb. (3 stars out of 5) Available for $9.50 to $12. Coming next week: Haymaker New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Wine of the Week: Game of Thrones Pinot Noir 2016 Thats what I do. I drink and know things. This quote from the wine-loving character Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones supports the theory that the more you drink, the smarter you become. If only wisdom followed. The eighth and final season of the popular HBO series debuts this weekend. Sourced from the Willamette Valley in northern Oregon, this wine is aged on a combination of French and American oak. The polished combination of dark fruit and smooth tannins would certainly have Tyrion reaching for another glass or several. Sherry: An herbal bouquet with medium-bodied flavors of cherry, currant and blueberry. More full bodied than most pinots. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: A cigar box bouquet with flavors of fruity cherry and current and lingering, dry finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $12.50 to $15. Coming next week: Edna Valley Rose Wine of the Week: Banshee Mordecai Red Blend 2015 Banshee is an example of a wine company that doesnt own a winery. Started with a idea birthed in a San Francisco bar in 2009, Banshee has formed a partnership with another winery to help produce its wines. A clue on the label for this red blend says it was vinted and bottled by which means that Banshee didnt make the wine. That doesnt mean its not good. This kitchen sink blend of cabernet sauvignon (24%), carignan (18%), syrah (17%), zinfandel (14%), grenache (12%), petit sirah (11%) and merlot (4%) is an enticing pour of dark fruit and spice. Sherry: Flavors of cherry and plum with an herbal finish of geranium and rose. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: An herbal and floral bouquet with flavors of raspberry, cherry and vanilla. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $16 to $19. Coming next week: Game of Thrones Pinot Noir Wine of the Week: Christian Brothers Ruby Port Spring is here but the nights are still chilly and perfect for drinking port. Port is wine to which additional alcohol is added normally the grape product brandy. The Christian Brothers is a Catholic teaching order that started a California community in 1882 that included a vineyard. The Brothers made and sold wine to raise funds and were one of the early Napa Valley wineries in the 1930s. The brandy and wine company was sold in 1989 but the label continues. This is a classic port that is full-bodied with rich berry flavors. Pairs nicely with chocolate desserts. Sherry: A sweet cherry bouquet with smooth and sweet cherry flavor. (3 stars out of 5) Chris: A licorice bouquet with flavors of cherry and blackberry. (3 stars out of 5) Available for $7 to $10. Coming next week: Banshee Mordecai Red Blend Wine of the Week: Mouton Cadet White Bordeaux 2016 Its a common mistake to associate bordeaux with fine French red wine. While its true the region is home to wonderful red blends, it also produces some elegant whites. This offering comes from the Rothschild family, which began Mouton Cadet in 1922 with then 20-year-old Baron Philippe de Rothschild and is now operated by his grandchildren. Its a crisp and citrus blend of sauvignon blanc (70 percent), semillon (28 percent) and muscadelle (2 percent) grown in clay and limestone soils that display the famous French terroir. Its a delicious balance between fruit and refinement. Sherry: A subtle bouquet of pear with tart flavors of pear, lime and grapefruit. (3 stars out of 5) Chris: A lime bouquet with crisp flavors of grapefruit, lime and peach. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $12 to $15. Coming next week: Christian Brothers Ruby Port Wine of the Week: Hahn GSM 2016 The three-letter abbreviation GSM stands for grenache, syrah and mourvedre. The three grape varieties are traditional in the blends from the Rhone Valley in southern France. This offering comes from Californias Central Coast, where the blend is 71 percent grenache, 22 percent syrah and 7 percent mourvedre. Each grape is fermented in separate lots and aged nine months in French oak before the final blending. Theres a lot to take in with both your nose and your mouth in this wine, which has earthy and herbal notes with dark fruit and berry flavors and prominent tannins. Sherry: Smooth and medium-bodied with cherry, black currant, clove and herbal flavors. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A nose of leather and spice with fruity blackberry and cherry with a hint of cocoa on the finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $13 to $17. Coming next week: Mouton Cadet White Bordeaux Wine of the Week: Gazela Vinho Verde St. Patricks Day is always a reason to think green and spring has to be just around the corner so its the perfect time to drink a green wine. The name means green wine, with green referring to its youth, (the color is pale gold) is fresh and light. Instead of a vintage there is a bottling date so you can check the freshness. The wine region is Costa Verde, Portugals Green Coast. This wine comes in at 9 percent alcohol and has a little bit of effervescence to make it a refreshing pour of citrus flavors. After all, one can only drink so much green beer. Sherry: Tart and medium bodied with flavors of lemon, lime and citrus. (3 stars out of 5) Chris: Flavors of grapefruit, lime, apricot and kiwi. (3.25 stars out of 5) Available from $6 to $9. Coming next week: Hahn Central Coast GSM Wine of the Week: Casillero del Diablo Red Blend 2017 One of the advantages to blending wine is that the winemaker looking for particular flavor profile can evaluate and assess each vintage and pick and choose the grapes. That allows the winemaker to change the blend of each vintage if they choose. Surprisingly this vintage from Chile does not include any of that countrys signature grape carmenere. It is 70 percent syrah and 30 percent cabernet sauvignon. The nose and the flavors ooze with tones of dark fruit and it borders on semi-sweet with nearly 12 grams/per liter of residual sugar. Sherry: A pleasant, medium-bodied blend of cherry, rose and geranium. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of blackberry and cocoa with flavors of cherry and blackberry and very smooth tannins. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $11 to $14. Coming next week: Gazela Vinho Verde Wine of the Week: Stave & Steel Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 The trend of using bourbon barrels to age red wine began in 2014 and more wineries are getting on board. The barrels are required to be made from new American oak that is heavily charred, creating unique flavors. Winemakers must use care to not let the char influences overtake the fruit flavors. This offering from California features Paso Robles cabernet sauvignon that is aged for four months. The bourbon barrel influence is not prominent and the body is rather light for a cabernet. Sherry: Plum and blueberry flavors with medium tannins and a hint of caramel on a long finish. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of leather and spice with light raspberry, plum and cranberry flavors. (3.25 stars out of 5) Available from $15 to $18. Coming next week: Casillero del Diablo Red Blend Wine of the Week: E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rose 2016 Theres nothing wrong with going pink for Valentines Day, especially if it involves a traditional rose that is very food friendly. E. Guigal is a notable wine producer in the Rhone Valley of France and sources grenache (70 percent), cinsault (20 percent) and syrah (10 percent) from the southern region to make this delicious Cotes du Rhone (pronounced coat deh rone) blend. The color may be light pink but the wine is full-bodied with berry and orchard flavors not to be confused with the paler and sweeter versions of pink wines that are not true roses. Sherry: Dry with soft fruit flavors of cherry and strawberry. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: Dry with flavors of light pear, peach and strawberry. (3.75 stars out of 5) Available from $14 to $17. Coming next week: Stave and Steel Cabernet Sauvignon Wine of the Week: Grooner 2016 The name for this wine comes from the phonetic pronunciation of gruner veltliner. Its the national grape of Austria, where 75 percent of the worlds 50,000 acres are grown. The grape is a cross between traminer and an obscure grape called St. Georgener-Rebe, a 500-year-old vine found in an Austrian pasture. This white wine could easily pass for sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio with its predominant citrus fruit flavors. It also has very high acidity which gives it aging potential and a great food pairing with spicy Asian dishes. Sherry: Dry with fruity citrus lime, lemon and tart green apple. (3.25 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of lime and pineapple with flavors of lime, grapefruit and light apple. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $10 to $13. Coming next week: E. Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rose Wine of the Week: J. Lohr South Ridge Syrah 2015. Jerry Lohr was one of the pioneers in Californias Central Coast region 50 years ago, focusing on Monterey County. The Paso Robles region where this wine is sourced is the perfect climate for growing many French varietals, including this syrah. Primarily syrah with a 7 percent blend of other grapes, about 25 percent of this vintage undergoes a secondary fermentation. It is aged for a year in French and American oak and was just released in November. Enjoy the dark fruit and berry flavors and set another bottle aside, as this wine will show for at least five years. Sherry: Medium-bodied, smooth and silky with flavors of blackberry and blueberry. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: A bouquet of leather and pepper with flavors of plum, raspberry and spice. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $11 to $15. Coming next week: Grooner Wine of the Week: Rich & Creamy Chardonnay 2015 Sometimes its difficult to tell from the label if the chardonnay inside is going to be light and crisp, big and oaky or somewhere in between. The name of this California wine makes it pretty clear what its taste profile wants to be. While the use of oak has a significant impact on imparting vanilla flavor, the creamy, buttery and rich flavors favored by many chardonnay drinkers comes from malolactic fermentation. Its a secondary stage that turns tart malic acid into smooth lactic acid. We prefer the bigger chardonnay style and this offering certainly leans in that direction. Sherry: Medium-bodied with citrus lime flavors and subtle pear and honeydew. (3 stars out of 5) Chris: A pineapple bouquet with flavors of peach, pineapple and a hint of butterscotch. (3.5 stars out of 5) Available from $8 to $12. Coming next week: J. Lohr Syrah Wine of the Week: Valley of the Moon Blend '41 2012 The Valley of the Moon Winery blends Sonoma Valley winemaking heritage of more than 150 years with a modern winery and sustainable viticulture. The Stewart family purchased the winery in 2012 and has brought back the historic Madrone Vineyards the name it first had when grapes were planted in 1863. This red blend is labeled as a Tuscan, homage to the Italian immigrants who settled in the valley. Its a bit of nearly every grape they grow: zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot, sangiovese, souzao, barbera, petite sirah and pinot noir. The diverse blend has dark fruit flavors, soft tannins and a rich finish. Sherry: Fruity raspberry and plum with a touch of leather on the finish. (3.5 stars out of 5) Chris: An herbal and leathery bouquet with flavors of cherry, blueberry and plum. (3.75 stars out of 5) Available from $13.50 to $17 Coming next week: Rich & Creamy Chardonnay Wine of the Week: Dark Horse Pinot Grigio 2017 Wine in a can was a hot trend in 2018 and will likely continue throughout the upcoming year. Nielsen reported that canned wine sales were a $45 million business last year and surged 43 percent. Dark Horse, an EJ Gallo subsidiary, saw its canned wine sales grow 38 percent. Cans are portable, convenient and allowed in beaches and parks were glass bottles arent. At 375 milliliters, a can represents one-half of a typical bottle. Whats inside is what matters and this offering is almost as clear as water and very light-bodied, with orchard and citrus flavors. Sherry: A faint bouquet of pear with apple and pear flavors. (2.75 stars out of 5) Chris: Apricot bouquet with light pineapple, peach and a hint of grapefruit. (3 stars out of 5) Available from $4.50 to $6. Coming next week: Valley of the Moon Blend 41 Photo: The Canadian Press German developed Lilium's electric jet prototype is exhibited at the Paris Air Show. Just a dot on the horizon at first, the bug-like and surprisingly quiet electrically-powered craft buzzes over Paris and its traffic snarls, treating its doubtless awestruck passenger to privileged vistas of the Eiffel Tower and the city's signature zinc-grey rooftops before landing him or her with a gentle downward hover. And thus, if all goes to plan, could a new page in aviation history be written. After years of dreamy and not always credible talk of skies filled with flying, non-polluting electric taxis, the aviation industry is preparing to deliver a future that it says is now just around the corner. Capitalizing on its moment in the global spotlight, the Paris region is planning for a small fleet of electric flying taxis to operate on multiple routes when it hosts the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games next summer. Unless aviation regulators in China beat Paris to the punch by green-lighting a pilotless taxi for two passengers under development there, the French capital's prospective operator Volocopter of Germany could be the first to fly taxis commercially if European regulators give their OK. Volocopter CEO Dirk Hoke, a former top executive at aerospace giant Airbus, has a VVIP in mind as his hoped-for first Parisian passenger none other than French President Emmanuel Macron. That would be super amazing, Hoke said, speaking this week at the Paris Air Show, where he and other developers of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft or eVTOLs for short competed with industry heavyweights for attention. He believes in the innovation of urban air mobility," Hoke said of Macron. "That would be a strong sign for Europe to see the president flying. But with Macron aboard or not, those pioneering first flights would still be just small steps for the nascent industry that has giant leaps to make before flying taxis are muscling out competitors on the ground. The limited power of battery technology restricts the range and number of paying passengers they can carry, so eVTOL hops are likely to be short and not cheap at the outset. And while the vision of simply beating city traffic by zooming over it is enticing, it also is dependent on advances in airspace management. Manufacturers of eVTOLs aim in the coming decade to unfurl fleets in cities and on more niche routes for luxury passengers, including the French Riveria. But they need technological leaps so flying taxis dont crash into each other and all the other things already congesting the skies or expected to take to them in very large numbers including millions of drones. Starting first on existing helicopter routes, well continue to scale up using AI, using machine-learning to make sure that our airspace can handle it, said Billy Nolen of Archer Aviation Inc. It aims to start flying between downtown Manhattan and Newark's Liberty Airport in 2025. That's normally a 1-hour train or old-fashioned taxi ride that Archer says its sleek, electric 4-passenger prototype could cover in under 10 minutes. Nolen was formerly acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. regulator that during his time at the agency was already working with NASA on technology to safely separate flying taxis. Just as Paris is using its Olympic Games to test flying taxis, Nolen said the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics offer another target for the industry to aim for and show that it can fly passengers in growing numbers safely, cleanly and affordably. Well have hundreds, if not thousands, of eVTOLs by the time you get to 2028, he said in an interview with The Associated Press at the Paris show. The very small hoped-for experiment with Volocopter for the Paris Games is great stuff. We take our hats off to them," he added. But by the time we get to 2028 and beyond ... you will see full-scale deployment across major cities throughout the world. Yet even on the cusp of what the industry portrays as a revolutionary new era kicking off in the city that spawned the French Revolution of 1789, some aviation analysts aren't buying into visions of eVTOLs becoming readily affordable, ubiquitous and convenient alternatives to ride-hailing in the not-too-distant future. And even among eVTOL developers who bullishly talked up their industry's prospects at the Paris show, some predicted that rivals will run dry of funding before they bring prototypes to market. Morgan Stanley analysts estimate the industry could be worth $1 trillion by 2040 and $9 trillion by 2050 with advances in battery and propulsion technology. Almost all of that will come after 2035, analysts say, because of the difficulty of getting new aircraft certified by U.S. and European regulators. The idea of mass urban transit remains a charming fantasy of the 1950s, said Richard Aboulafia of AeroDynamic Advisory, an aerospace consultancy. "The real problem is still that mere mortals like you and I dont get routine or exclusive access to $4 million vehicles. You and I can take air taxis right now. Its called a helicopter. Still, electric taxis taking to Paris' skies as Olympians are going faster, higher and stronger could have the power to surprise pleasantly so, Volocopter hopes. One of the five planned Olympic routes would land in the heart of the city on a floating platform on the spruced-up River Seine. Developers point out that ride-hailing apps and E-scooters also used to strike many customers as outlandish. And as with those technologies, some are betting that early adopters of flying taxis will prompt others to try them, too. It will be a total new experience for the people, said Hoke, Volocopter's CEO. But twenty years later someone looks back at what changed based on that and then they call it a revolution. And I think we are at the edge of the next revolution." The regulation of Wisconsin's alcohol industry would be overhauled under a bipartisan proposal supported by the state's largest producers and wholesalers that overwhelmingly passed the Assembly on Wednesday. Now headed to the state Senate, AB 304 would transfer all alcohol beverage regulations to a newly-created Division of Alcohol Beverages within the state Department of Revenue. The new division would enforce state laws that pertain to breweries, wineries and distilleries, as well as retailers and distributors of alcoholic beverages. Gov. Tony Evers would likely sign the bill into law given its vast bipartisan support. "I am proud that we were able, after almost a decade of negotiations between all the individuals who are involved in the alcohol industry, to generate a consensus that it seems like the vast majority of those involved support," Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said before the bill's passage. The bill passed the Assembly 90-4, with three Democrats and one Republican voting against it. Those against the bill were Democratic Reps. Clinton Anderson of Beloit, Marisabel Cabrera of Milwaukee, Jenna Jacobson of Oregon, and Rep. Rick Gundrum, R-Slinger. Currently, alcohol in Wisconsin is distributed and sold through a roughly 90-year-old, three-tier system in which producers of beer, wine and spirits sell to wholesalers, who then sell the products to retailers to sell to consumers. The three-tiered system was created in the 1930s to prevent monopolies by barring any one company from producing and selling alcohol at the wholesale level. The framework has been a point of criticism over the years for failing to keep up with the changing industry and growing businesses in craft beers or wedding barns. Under the bill, the new division would be able to appoint "special agents" and other employees to carry out permitting, as well as audits, enforcement, education and legal functions. The bill stipulates that any agents employed by the division cannot have any financial interest in the alcoholic beverage industry. The bill would allow brewers to operate retail locations without tap rooms to sell beer and expand hours of operations for wineries, allowing those establishments to stay open as late as bars. Another component in the bill would require wedding barns, or venues that sell or provide alcohol for special events, to secure a permit or alcohol license to operate. People operating wedding barns said the bill would effectively eliminate their businesses. "I love the wedding barn industry. I think it's great that we have entrepreneurs who do it, but they have to follow the law," Vos said. "If you are serving in a public venue alcohol, you should have licensed bartenders, you should go through the same liquor license process that a tavern or a restaurant goes through." The middle of May to the end of June is turnover time for Olson Apartments, a time when many student-renters move out after the end of the school year. The turnover time is also when David and Jessica Olson find maintenance to take care of before the next tenants move in. Jessica said the majority of the repairs done during this time are general wear and tear such as updating electrical outlets or cleaning dry ducts and furnaces not issues caused by purposeful tenant damage. In fact, Jessica said every penny of all security deposits were returned to the renters who just moved out, about 50% of their total tenants. Its an amazing thing when you walk in and (the apartment) is in good condition, Jessica said. Its like a thank you from the tenants. The father and daughter team own and manage nine properties in La Crosse, a business David has been in since 1971. Currently, they have 35 different units and over 150 tenants many of whom are college students. Move-in and move-out checklists for tenants, early communication about expectations and no charge maintenance are some tactics the Olsons use to encourage positive tenant behavior and good upkeep of properties. In the city of La Crosse, 54% of residents rent their dwelling from a landlord, property management company or public housing. Owning and renting properties, and even rooms, is a significant business in the city. Landlords in the city Of the rentals in the city, 47% or 5,370 of those households, have at least one of the four housing problems as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: incomplete kitchen facilities, incomplete plumbing facilities, more than one person per room or cost burden greater than 30% of income, based on data from 2015 to 2019. Further data from the 2020 U.S. Census reveals that of the over 22,000 dwellings in the city (owner-occupied and rentals), 24 lack complete plumbing facilities and 249 lack kitchen facilities. Theres a severe shortage of something necessary for survival, said Coulee Tenants United in an email. The market has broken down and sellers have a tremendous amount of coercive power over their customers. Uninhabitable residences: Tenants have few options when landlords forego critical maintenance Years ago when Courtney Silas was renting a home on Sixth Street in La Crosse, the kitchen ceiling fell in and water from the upstairs plumbin It is unknown how many landlords operate in La Crosse. The inspection department for the city of La Crosse does not keep a list of landlords, nor does the Apartment Association of the La Crosse Area. Property upkeep and maintenance is a regular conversation at the apartment associations monthly meetings where information and resources are shared, said president Tami Nururdin. There are two types of landlords, individual investor landlords or people who own one or two rental units, and business entity landlords who are likely to own an average of more than 20 units with some managing hundreds of units. A review of eviction filings in the Wisconsin court system over the past year and a half revealed 293 unique landlord or property management companies have filed an eviction in La Crosse County; a vast majority of those agencies operate in the city, said representatives from Coulee Tenants United. Regular repairs When it comes to maintaining their rental properties, the Olsons follow a few guidelines: be proactive about repairs, use quality products and have good communication with tenants. The Olsons attribute their successes in the business properties returned in good condition, tenants resigning leases year after year and ample business from good reviews and word-of-mouth to the time and care spent maintaining good rental units. Jessica said there is not a lot of purposeful or malicious tenant damage in their properties. If you show tenants you care about them, then they will care for the properties, Jessica said. To accomplish this, the Olsons dont charge for repairs unless maliciously caused encourage tenants to communicate when there are maintenance problems and prepare tenants with a list of things not to do in a rental property. Our philosophy is you do it right the first time so you dont have to send somebody back to do it again, and always use high quality products, said David. Purchasing cheap but poorly made products will deteriorate quicker, David said, therefore requiring repair or replacement sooner and the cost of labor again for the property owner. Over the past three years, the Olsons invested about $80,000 in upgrades at their apartment building on 11th Street. Early communication with tenants about expectations is how the Olsons maintain good relationships with the renters and get properties returned in good shape. Before collecting a security deposit, Wisconsin state statute says a landlord must provide a written notice typically found in the lease informing the tenant that they have seven days to inspect the premises for existing damages. Jessica designed her own move-in inspection checklist for tenants with a stamped due date, and requests that they dictate any maintenance requests they might need. Nururdin said the Apartment Associations of the La Crosse Area supplies forms for their members. However, providing a check-list for tenants is not mandated in the state statute. Coulee Tenants United said they encourage renters to take photos and videos upon move-in, in order to protect the tenant from damage claims during move out. If renters want a television mounted, curtains put up or the closet doors removed, Jessica asks the tenants to let the Olsons do it, at no cost. We want the tenants to ask us for help so that they dont break things or lose parts, she said. And we dont charge a fee because we dont want them to do it themselves. In addition to providing no cost maintenance, the Olsons dont charge for lock-out fees. Jessica acknowledged that not all property owners in La Crosse operate their business with the same care and attention, which encourages her to keep doing what she does. It costs a lot of money and time to upkeep, but its worth it, Jessica said. These are homes for these students and we want to make (renting) a good experience for them while in college. Updated standards for short-term rental permits considered in La Crosse County Short-term rentals, such as Airbnb or Vrbo, continue to grow in popularity. In La Crosse County, proposed changes to zoning and health ordinan La Crosse leaders pledge to work with community groups and end homelessness Officials from the city and county of La Crosse will become a unifying and coordinating leader in the communitys effort to end homelessness. La Crosse city, county launch legal support program for people who face eviction A two-year pilot program providing legal assistance and representation for tenants facing eviction in La Crosse County is expected to launch in June. Police in Milwaukee arrested a second person in a shooting in which six people, including the two alleged shooters, were wounded right after a Juneteenth celebration wrapped up. The two defendants, males ages 17 and 19, were arrested after Monday's shooting outside the Greater Philadelphia Church of God in Christ, police said in a news release. The other four people who were wounded are girls or women ranging in age from 14-18 years old, police said. All six of the people who were shot are expected to survive. Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a fight between several young women outside of the church, police said. A Facebook Live video of the aftermath showed paramedics treating people with gunshot wounds on the pavement of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, where thousands of people had filled the street for the city's Juneteenth festival just 20 minutes earlier. It was one of many shootings that took place across the country over a bloody holiday weekend. Its just freaking heartbreaking. We have to do better as parents. We have to do better as adults in the community, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said Tuesday. The Williams Bay Village Board approved the passage of several resolutions at its June 19 meeting, including one making a switch in assessor services for the 2,953-resident village. Making a break from incumbent assessor Associated Appraisal Consultants of Appleton, trustees on June 19 approved the passage of Resolution R-23-23, authorizing a 3-year maintenance contract with Menasha-based Accurate Appraisal LLC for assessment years 2024, 2025 and 2026 at the rate of $18,000 annually, starting Jan. 1, 2024. Founded 23 years ago, Accurate Appraisal serves 105 Wisconsin municipalities and 22 of the states 72 counties, with a 99% client retention rate. Area municipal clients include the City of Burlington, Town of Darien, Town of Delavan, City of Elkhorn, Village of Fontana, Town of Geneva, Town of Richmond, Town of Spring Prairie, Town of Walworth, Village of Walworth and City of Whitewater. The Williams Bay Village Board also passed Resolution R-27-23, approving an engagement letter for continued auditing services from the Milwaukee office of Baker Tilly U.S., LLP, which has served as the villages financial auditor since 2018. The letter of engagement contracts for Baker Tilly to audit the basic financial statements of the Village of Williams Bay for the five years ending Dec. 31, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 at the cost of $42,000, $44,110, $46,200, $48,300 and $50,400 respectively. Hazard Mitigation Plan Trustees approved passage of Resolution R-37-23, adopting Walworth Countys 2022-2026 All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan, as successor to the countys original 2009 and updated 2014 Walworth County All Natural Hazards Mitigation Plans. The scope of the plan, which outlines mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery activities, is limited to natural hazards that pose a threat to people and property in Walworth County. The plan does not address threats of terrorism or man-made hazards such as hazardous materials (HAZMAT) incidents. Involved in the review and comment process of the plan update were the cities of Delavan, Elkhorn, Lake Geneva and Whitewater; the villages of Bloomfield, Darien, East Troy, Fontana, Genoa City, Sharon, Walworth and Williams Bay; Emergency Management directors of adjoining counties; the local American Red Cross chapter; and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission. The City of Burlington, primarily located in Racine County, and the Village of Mukwonago, primarily located in Waukesha County, participated in the hazard mitigation planning process in their respective counties. The 254-page plan consists of six chapters and a map series. The first chapter offers an overview of the plan and the second chapter presents background information about Walworth County, including its setting, demographic and economic characteristics, climate, natural resources, architectural and historic resources, land use and development trends. The third chapter addresses special needs populations and groups in Walworth County, while the fourth chapter details a complete inventory of critical facilities in the county. Natural hazards are reviewed in the fifth chapter, along with estimated losses to buildings, infrastructure and critical facilities. The final chapter of the plan presents a recommended natural hazards mitigation strategy for Walworth County and its individual municipalities, identifying goals, objectives and policies that will help craft appropriate solutions to the identified problems, as well as various potential options for funding identified projects. Preparation and adoption of a community mitigation plan is a requirement of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in order for Walworth County and Walworth County municipalities to be eligible for federal mitigation funds under Section 104 of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2002 and 44 Code of Federal Reguations Part 201. The multi-jurisdictional plan has been approved by FEMA and the Wisconsin Emergency Management Agency. Partial funding for the preparation of the initial plan and plan updates was provided by Wisconsin Emergency Management through a grant from the federal Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program. Civi Tek Consulting prepared the initial plan and plan updates. As part of the passage of Resolution R-37-23, Williams Bay Police Chief Justin P. Timm was appointed as the village representative on the Walworth County Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee. IN 16 PHOTOS: Geneva Lake Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2373 - 2023 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay. - VFW Post 2373 Honor Guard 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - Williams Bay Police Department 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - American Legion Riders 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - Walworth County Sheriff's Department 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - Barrett Memorial Library 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - Williams Bay Lions Club 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - Troop 237 Boy and Cub Scouts 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - Troop 8105 Daisy, Brownie and Girl Scouts 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - Como Critters VFW Discover Williams Bay.JPG 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - Faith Christian School 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, WIlliams Bay - Kishwauketoe Nature Conservancy 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - Williams Bay High School Bullodogs Marching Band 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - WIlliams Bay Historical Society 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - Williams Bay High School History Club 2023 Geneva Lake VFW Post 2373 Memorial Day Parade, Williams Bay - Williams Bay Fire Department Gov. Tony Evers on June 20 signed Assembly Bill 245, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 12, relating to shared revenue, one of the most significant sources of funding provided by the state to local governments. Evers was joined in Wausau by Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) Secretary Peter Barca, State Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-6, Milwaukee), and Wausau Mayor Katie Rosenberg, as well as other legislators, local elected officials, and stakeholders as he signed the bill, which provides a historic increase in support to local communities statewide and ensures the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County do not face an imminent fiscal cliff. To me, the issue of shared revenue has always been about doing the right thing for Wisconsin, Evers said. I began working on this when I took office four years ago, and that effort began for me with this simple truth: that for far too long, our local communities have been expected to do more with less. Local partners for years have had to make impossible decisions, forced to choose between paying for first responders, addressing PFAS, fixing the roads and other critical priorities that affect the health, safety, and well-being of folks across our state. I believe the state should be doing its part to support our local partners and ensure our communities have the resources they need to meet basic and unique needs alike, period, and Ive always believed that supporting our local communities is an area where we could work to find common ground and bipartisan support, and thats exactly what we did. Earlier this month, Evers announced that he, Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-9, Oostburg), and Speaker Robin Vos (R-63, Rochester) reached a tentative compromise regarding shared revenue, contingent upon several provisions detailed below, including a historic investment in K-12 schools and education. Evers and Republican leaders negotiated to reach a compromise on shared revenue that includes at least a 20% increase in support to most municipalities statewide. Ive always said much of the hard work that happens in our state happens at the local level, Evers said. Whether its providing essential services like EMS, police, and fire, repairing streets, expanding affordable housing, ensuring kids and families have safe, clean parks, addressing water quality issues like PFAS, or supporting local libraries and public health, today. To leave our state with a legacy of prosperity, we must fulfill our obligation to fund our communities the future of our state, our economy, and our workforce depend upon it. Walworth County increases In Walworth County, estimated supplemental shared revenue amounts are as follows: Town of Bloomfield: $60,062, + 475.9% ($72,681 total aid). Town of Darien: $57,713, +350.8% ($74,166 total aid). Town of Delavan: $145,269, + 235.6% ($206,926 total aid). Town of East Troy: $97,418, +194.2% ($147,575 total aid). Town of Geneva: $150,041, +284.7% ($202,741 total aid). Town of Lafayette: $64,942, +324.0% ($84,989 total aid). Town of La Grange: $71,883, +352.5% ($92,237 total aid). Town of Linn: $75,603, +283.1% ($102,306 total aid). Town of Lyons: $91,512, +234.3% (130,576 total aid). Town of Richmond: $62,225, +319.4% ($81,709 total aid). Town of Sharon: $44,435, +310.3% ($58,752 total aid). Town of Spring Prairie: $65,764, +261.9% ($90,875 total aid). Town of Sugar Creek: $95,762, +251.2% ($133,883 total aid). Town of Troy: $69,670, +233.3% ($99,534 total aid). Town of Walworth: $56,454, +336.6% ($73,228 total aid). Town of Whitewater: $54,139, +271.4% ($74,086 total aid). Village of Bloomfield: $110,811, +266.4% ($152,402 total aid). Village of Darien: $56,471, +27.4% ($262,474 total aid). Village of East Troy: $113,618, +36.5% ($424,573 total aid). Village of Fontana: $61,705, +286.5% ($83,241 total aid). Village of Genoa City: $79,792, +113.1% ($150,367 total aid). Village of Sharon: $56,555, +24.0% ($291,959 total aid). Village of Walworth: $76,458, +173.8% ($120,457 total aid). Village of Williams Bay: $80,227, +267.6% ($110,206 total aid). City of Delavan: $218,887, +63.5%, ($563,818 total aid). City of Elkhorn: $259,135, +78.5% ($589,087 total aid). City of Lake Geneva: $219,225, +228.8% ($315,030 total aid). City of Whitewater: $698,244, +24.6% ($3,535,090 total aid). Generational increase Importantly, the compromise reached by Evers, LeMahieu and Vos contains provisions ensuring the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County are enabled with the tools, flexibility and resources to avoid insolvency, including requiring a two-thirds vote by the City of Milwaukee Common Council and the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors to implement a local sales tax of 2% for the City of Milwaukee and 0.4% for Milwaukee County. The ultimate agreement reached by Evers, LeMahieu and Vos represents a generational increase in the states commitment to local communities, and it ties local government funding to the state sales tax going forward, allowing for growth in the future. I will never stop fighting to do the right thing for our kids because I believe, as Ive often said, that whats best for our kids is whats best for our state, Evers said. Today, were one step closer to making a historic investment in this budget for K-12 schools and education, and that includes providing more than $1 billion that can be used for our kids in the classroom, increasing the low revenue ceiling by $1,000 per student, while continuing to support school-based mental health services and setting aside funding aimed at improving literacy and reading outcomes across our state. School funding In addition to enacting legislation making historic investments in local communities across Wisconsin, Evers also signed Senate Bill 330, now 2023 Wisconsin Act 11, which contains key portions of the governors negotiations to reach a bipartisan shared revenue compromise with Republican leaders, with historic budget investments in K-12 education statewide by: Providing more than $1 billion in spendable revenue for K-12 education while maintaining two-thirds funding, including a $325 per pupil increase in each fiscal year on revenue limits. Setting aside $50 million to improve reading and literacy outcomes for K-12 students (details for exact implementation of the funding have not yet been determined). Providing a per pupil aid increase for choice and independent charter schools. Investing $30 million over the biennium to continue the governors initiative to support school-based mental health services statewide. Reaching 33.3% reimbursement for special education. Increasing the low revenue ceiling from $10,000 to $11,000 per student. Despite its small town Wisconsin aura, the 2,759-resident Village of Walworth is commanding the attention of the nation and the world this week as Mecum Auctions, Inc. hosts The Worlds Largest Road Art Auction from June 20-25 at its Walworth headquarters, 455 S. Main St. The worlds largest collector car auction company, Mecum Auction hosts auctions throughout the United States. This week, family-owned Mecum Auctions is holding its newest auction spectacular, The Worlds Largest Road Art Auction, at its company headquarters in Walworth, where it is auctioning 3,800 lots of neon signage, tin and wooden signs, classic gas pumps and globes, pedal cars, vintage advertisements, posters and more a remarkable and extensive array of automotive memorabilia and vintage signs that capture the essence of motoring history and provide a nostalgic journey through the evolution of American road culture. A lot of it is nostalgia, a lot of it is memories, said Mecum Auctions Chief Operating Officer Sam Murtaugh of the array of rare auction lots, which range from the 1910s to the present day. These things become a treasure. You cant replace them. Its just cool stuff. Pictures dont do it justice. The Worlds Largest Road Art Auction invites collectors from across the U.S. and around the world, including petroliana and automobelia enthusiasts, to make the trip out to the beautiful Wisconsin lake country and enjoy the camaraderie that this beloved hobby creates. Gates open daily at 8 a.m., with road art auctions starting at 9 a.m. daily. Mecum has reinvented its bidder registration process, making it easier than ever for collectors and enthusiasts to bid, both from home and at the auction. Options for in-person, telephone and internet bidding start at $100, and standard, in-person bidding includes admission for two persons to all auction days. The Worlds Largest Road Art Auction is open to registered bidders only. Members of the public are invited to attend the auction as spectators, with admission granted in exchange for a $20 donation made to the Curing Kids Cancer organization (https://curingkidscancer.org). Food and beverages will be available on-site during the auction, with cash and credit or debit cards accepted. A history of g rowth Founded 1988 by Dana Mecum in 7,568-resident Marengo, Ill., a small McHenry County community located 60 miles northwest of Chicago, Mecum Auctions moved to the Village of Walworth in 2010. Two years prior, in 2008, the company acquired a former Piggly Wiggly supermarket at 445 S. Main St. with an eye toward relocating its corporate headquarters to Wisconsin. Various members of the Mecum family had moved up to the Fontana-Lake Geneva area, said Murtaugh of the impetus behind the relocation. The building here in Walworth that were in now, briefly a supermarket, is a relatively large building thats hard to come by in this neck of the woods. The opportunity came up to purchase this building, and with everyone living up this way, it made sense to move operations up closer to home. Today, Mecum Auctions has around 150 employees based out of its Walworth home office. Its been great, Murtaugh said of the corporate relocation across the border to Walworth. The area is great. Weve always been a small town type of organization. Marengo, Ill. is a small town, so going from one small town to another small town, it (Walworth) is a comfortable place to be. It provides a great place for employees to work. Being a larger business in a small area allows us to help provide employment for quite a few people in the area. And its not too far from the border. We have quite a few employees that live in Illinois, so its not too far of a drive to jump over the border into Wisconsin. Its worked out great. The facilitys worked out good for us. Its relatively close in proximity to Chicago OHare Airport and the Milwaukee airport, so were not too far from city life but were far enough out so that those that enjoy the country lifestyle, weve got that, too, so its the best of all worlds here in one spot. Trailblazing auction The hometown June 20-25 Worlds Largest Road Art Auction at Mecums headquarters in Walworth is a trailblazing event for the firm. All of our auctions are typically elsewhere throughout the country, Murtaugh said. The majority of our auctions are collector car auctions, thats who we are, so well take up to a million square feet for some of our car auctions. Were doing those at large fairgrounds and big convention centers throughout the country. We typically dont hold any auctions here at home. This is just the home office that we basically work out of. But with quite a bit of room to do things at its Walworth headquarters, Murtaugh said it made sense for Mecum to host The Worlds Largest Road Art Auction at home in Walworth. The Lake Geneva area is a great resort-type atmosphere, he noted. Doing it here in June, its a great time of year from a weather standpoint, so we made the decision to do the auction here at the home base to allow customers and collectors and enthusiats from around the country to come and see what this area has to offer. Its a summer, lake town type atmosphere that we thought would be a good place for folks to get away for a couple days in the summer ... Its a good central location and we thought it would be a good idea to bring everyone to our neck of the woods to celebrate and get together and have an auction here. A total of 3,800 lots of road art items will be offered across the span of six days at Mecums Walworth headquarters. Its The Worlds Largest Road Art Auction, Murtaugh said. We have the Worlds Largest Car Auction that happens in January in Florida thats got 4,000 cars, and the Worlds Largest Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas every January after the Florida sale. We dont have the space here to house 4,000 cars, but to have 4,000 signs and gas pumps and gas globes and oil cans and posters and all that, we can fit all that inventory here in the building ... Given the size of the items, it gave us the opportunity to do it here at home. While Mecum has had other road art sales in the past, including a small 2016 road art collection sale in Walworth in a satellite building on its Walworth County campus, the ongoing 3,800-item Worlds Largest Road Art Auction is the first road art auction of this magnitude staged by Mecum according to Murtaugh, who noted that the company has typically sold road art throughout the year in conjunction with its car auctions, as well as smaller stand-alone road art auctions. Weve never had anything of the size or magnitude this thing is, he noted. This is the biggest one that weve had ... Its exciting. Weve proud of our home office here and its exciting to have some of our best customers coming to our place and give them a chance to see where we work and how we operate on a regular basis. Its be great to see everyone come to our place, be at home and have a home game so to speak. The Worlds Largest Road Art Auction is also a chance for Mecum to shine a spotlight on Walworth, Walworth County, and the Lake Geneva area, as well as its local home office operations. When we tell people where our home base is and obviously, unless youre from around here, not a lot of people have necessarily heard of Walworth, Wisc. per se you hear a lot of people surprised that we operate out of such a small town in rural Wisconsin, said Murtaugh, a 15-year Mecum Auctions veteran. Were here in plain sight, but theres not a whole lot of people that realize that such a big national brand is right here in their back yard. Tourism boost Murtaugh said The Worlds Largest Road Art Auction will draw from far and wide. Well get a fair amount that will come from within driving distance Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and that and weve got folks coming in from as far as California, as far south as Florida, he noted. Theyre really coming in from everywhere. And well have internet bidding as well, so well have people bidding internationally from everywhere all over the world. Its estimated that there will be well over a thousand active auction participants according to Murtaugh, in addition to a few thousand more spectators visiting Mecum Auctions Walworth facility to walk the displays and see the live auction action. The economic impact on Walworth, surrounding communities like Fontana, Williams Bay and Lake Geneva, and Walworth County overall, will be significant, whether its day-trippers or those making multi-day overnight stays. I dont have estimates on what the economic impact will be, but I know that people will be staying at the hotels, theyll be eating..., he said. No doubt there will be some great, positive impacts from people coming in. It should be a good little boom for a week here in little Walworth. Open to the public With The Worlds Largest Road Art Auction running now through Sunday, June 25 at Mecum, time still remains to participate in the auction or self-tour the auction lots on display. I would encourage anyone to attend that has even just a little gas and oil in their veins, whether car enthusiasts or motorcyble enthusiasts or history buffs for that matter, Murtaugh said. All the things that we have here is really a step back in time to the old days. There are a lot of cool pieces to see here. To have this much stuff under one roof, and all beautifully displayed, is really something to see. Its pretty spectacular. Rather than a one-time event, its hoped that The Worlds Largest Road Art Auction will become a yearly tradition in Walworth. Our intention is to make this an annual event, Murtaugh said. In todays age, when so much commerce is done on the internet ... everyone really enjoys the community factor of getting together, so the intent of having this on an annual basis will allow like-minded individuals and collectors to have a once-a-year meeting place to get together and see old friends and, hopefully, get their hands on something theyve been looking for and do it in a live, in-person environment. Mecum is known for its live auctions, which are very entertaining and almost like sporting events. Creating this event for these types of collectors that are after the old signs and gas pumps and gas globes and oil cans and things like that, there arent as many opportunities for them to gather as there used to be back in the day. We thought it would be a great idea to make it an annual event for these folks. Were excited about that. Thats one of the reasons that Dana [Mecum], the owner of the company, decided to do it give everybody a reason to get out and get together. Among those touring Mecums headquarters on June 17 to view the June 20-25 auction offerings during the June 17-19 preview was Jim Jackson of Shorewood in north suburban Milwaukee. Its sensory overload, Jackson said of the 3,800 auction items on display. Theres a lot to look at. Theres a lot of really neat stuff. Theres so much here, so much to look at that I wasnt expecting to be here. Its pretty cool. Jackson and his wife, Tammy, traveled to Walworth specifically to look at the vintage pedal cars on display for auction. They found a lot more to look at, with two hours just scratching the surface of auction items on display. My dad has collected cars his entire life, so my entire life, Tammy Jackson said. Hes gotten away from life-size cars and now is into pedal cars and antique tin toys and trucks and memorabelia like that. And that has really driven my passion and why I think its cool to look at stuff like this. Honestly, I wish I had a bigger space and more money because theres phenomenal things here. Its very neat. Im very excited for the actual auction. Learn more Mecum Auctions, 455 S. Main St. (U.S. Hwy. 14) in Walworth, is regarded as the nations preeminent collector car auction house, having become popular through its nationally-televised automobile auction shows. For more information, call 262-236-7705 or visit https:www.mecum.com or https://www.facebook.com/mecumauction/. For more information about The Worlds Largest Road Art Auction and all other Mecum auctions, visit Mecum.com or https://www.mecum.com/videos/worlds-largest-road-art-auction-walworth-wisconsin/. Mecums website is updated daily with the latest consignments and includes detailed descriptions and photographs of the items to be offered. For schedule information or to register as a bidder for this and all Mecum events, visit Mecum.com. IN 188 PHOTOS - Mecum Auctions' 2023 World Largest Road Art Auction Mecum - Agricultural collectibles.JPG Mecum - Allis-Chalmers Farm Equipment neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - AMC Rambler porcelain neon sign.JPG Mecum - Approved Willys Service porcelain neon sign.JPG Mecum - Auction displays 2.JPG Mecum - Auction displays 3.JPG Mecum - Auction displays 4.JPG Mecum - Auction displays 5.JPG Mecum - Auction displays with Harleyu-Davidson signs.JPG Mecum - Auction displays.JPG Mecum - Blue Sunoco gas pump detail.JPG Mecum - Blue Sunoco gas pump globe.JPG Mecum - Buick Authorized Service neon porcelain sign.JPG Mecum - Buick neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Buick Sales Service neon sign.JPG Mecum - Buster Brown Shoes neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Chevrolet Corvette neon sign.JPG Mecum - Chevrolet neon bowtie sign.JPG Mecum - Chevrolet OK Used Cars rotating neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Chevrolet vertical neon porcelain sign.JPG Mecum - Chevy, Exide Batteries and Cities Service (CITGO) signs.JPG Mecum - Chicago Police Game Well call box.JPG Mecum - Chrysler neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Coca-Cola Bottling Co. neon porcelain sign.JPG Mecum - Coca-Cola porcelain advertising sign.JPG Mecum - Coca-Cola vending machines.JPG Mecum - Dabney's Sign.JPG Mecum - Dairy Queen porcelain neon.JPG Mecum - Dairy Queen sign with lobby view.JPG Mecum - Dekalb Corn neon porcelain sign.JPG Mecum - DeSoto Plymouth neon 1.JPG Mecum - DeSoto Plymouth neon 2.JPG Mecum - Diamond DX and Green Star gas pump globes.JPG Mecum - Diamond DX gas pump globe.JPG Mecum - Dodge First Choice Used Cars & Trucks.JPG Mecum - Dodge neon porcelain steel sign with oil cans.JPG Mecum - Dodge neon.JPG Mecum - Dodge Plymouth neon 2.JPG Mecum - Dodge Plymouth neon 3.JPG Mecum - Dodge Plymouth neon.JPG Mecum - Dodge-Plymouth Dependable Service neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Dog 'n Suds neon.JPG Mecum - Dog 'n Suds porcelain neon sign.JPG Mecum - Donald Duck neon.JPG Mecum - Dough Boy porcelain neon sign.JPG Mecum - Drink Friendly Grain Belt Beer neon porcelain sign.JPG Mecum - Drive In neon.JPG Mecum - Drive In Restaurant neon.JPG Mecum - DX Boron gas pump globe.JPG Mecum - DX Ethyl gas pump awaiting restoration.JPG Mecum - DX Gas porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Fire chief pedal car.JPG Mecum - Firestone Tires neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Flying A neon porcelain sign.JPG Mecum - Ford V8 Geniune Parts porcelain neon.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 1.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 2.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 3.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 4.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 5.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 6.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 7.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 8.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 9.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 10.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 11.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 12.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 13.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 14.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 15.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 16.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 17.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 18.JPG Mecum - Gas pump globes 19.JPG Mecum - GE Appliances neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Genuine Chevrolet Parts neon sign.JPG Mecum - Gibbons Beer neon porcelain steel arrow sign.JPG Mecum - GM Parts neon porcelain enamel sign.JPG Mecum - Goodyear Tires neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Hallway view of auction lot items.JPG Mecum - Horsepower neon sign.JPG Mecum - Hunter Wheel Balancing neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Indian Motorcycles sign.JPG Mecum - J.I. Case Racine collectibles 2.JPG Mecum - J.I. Case Racine collectibles.JPG Mecum - J.I. Case Racine neon porcelain steel neon sign 2.JPG Mecum - J.I. Case Racine neon porcelain steel neon sign.JPG Mecum - Kaiser-Frazer neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - KFC Colonel Harland Sanders statue and KFC bucket chandelier.JPG Mecum - Lobby auction displays 2.JPG Mecum - Lobby auction displays 3.JPG Mecum - Lobby auction displays 4.JPG Mecum - Lobby auction displays.JPG Mecum - Lobby view.JPG Mecum - Marigold Ice Cream cafe neon sign.JPG Mecum - Mecum neon sign.JPG Mecum - Multi layered neon animated Greyhound Bus Lines sign.JPG Mecum - Neon auction signs on display.JPG Mecum - Neon GAS porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - OK Used Cars neon porcelain sign.JPG Mecum - OK Used Cars porcelain neon signs.JPG Mecum - Oldsmobile Service porcelain neon sign.JPG Mecum - Oscar Mayer Wienermobile pedal car.JPG Mecum - OshKosh Work Clothes advertising clock.JPG Mecum - Pabst Blue Ribbon neon sign.JPG Mecum - Packard neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Packard Service porcelain sign.JPG Mecum - Packard.JPG Mecum - Pennzoil neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Phillips 66 porcelain neon 2.JPG Mecum - Phillips 66 porcelain neon.JPG Mecum - Piggly Wiggly Supermarket procelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Polly Gas neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Pontiac and Coca-Cola neon.JPG Mecum - Pontiac Goodwill Used Cars neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Pontiac Goodwill Used Cars ribbon neon sign.JPG Mecum - Pontiac neon 2.JPG Mecum - Pontiac neon 3.JPG Mecum - Pontiac neon sign 4.JPG Mecum - Pontiac neon sign.JPG Mecum - Pontiac Service porcelain neon sign.JPG Mecum - Pontian neon 4.JPG Mecum - Porcelain steel neon signs grouping.JPG Mecum - Porcelain steel signs.JPG Mecum - Pure Gasoline neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Red Owl Supermarkets porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Richfield Gas rotating neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Royal Crown (RC) Cola advertising scale.JPG Mecum - Sam's Auto Parts neon sign.JPG Mecum - Servel Electrolux neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Shell and Phillips 66 neon signs 2.JPG Mecum - Shell and Studebaker neon.JPG Mecum - Shell Gasoline neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Shell, Phillips 66 gas pump globes.JPG Mecum - Shoes & Dry Goods neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Showroom 1.JPG Mecum - Showroom 2.JPG Mecum - Showroom 3.JPG Mecum - Showroom 4.JPG Mecum - Showroom 5.JPG Mecum - Showroom 6.JPG Mecum - Showroom 7.JPG Mecum - Showroom view.JPG Mecum - Signs 1.JPG Mecum - Signs 2.JPG Mecum - Signs 3.JPG Mecum - Signs 4.JPG Mecum - Signs 5.JPG Mecum - Signs 6.JPG Mecum - Sinclair advertising 2.JPG Mecum - Sinclair advertising.JPG Mecum - SITE and Zephyr gas pump globes.JPG Mecum - Small Associated, Chevron, DX and Shell porcelain steel signs.JPG Mecum - Small items.JPG Mecum - Small signs.JPG Mecum - Soda fountain collectibles with Big Boy statue.JPG Mecum - Soda fountain items.JPG Mecum - Speed Shop neon.JPG Mecum - Speedway neon porcelain sign.JPG Mecum - Spur gas pump globe.JPG Mecum - Standard and Harley Signs.JPG Mecum - Standard Oil Dealer neon porcelain sign.JPG Mecum - Standard Oil of New Jersey (SO) ESSO gas pump globe.JPG Mecum - Standard torch and oval neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Star Lanes neon sign.JPG Mecum - Studebaker Cars & Trucks neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Studebaker vertical neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Sunoco and Sinclair station signage.JPG Mecum - Sunoco Blue gasoline pump with globe.JPG Mecum - Sunoco Custom Blending pump with Blue Sunoco globe.JPG Mecum - Sunoco porcelain neon sign.JPG Mecum - Sunoco Sign.JPG Mecum - Tall Big Boy sign.JPG Mecum - Texaco Fire Chief and Sky Chief gas pump globes.JPG Mecum - Texaco Fire Chief Gas helmet-shaped gas pump globe.JPG Mecum - Texaco Fire Chief gas pump globe (standard issue).JPG Mecum - Texaco Sign .JPG Mecum - Texaco star neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Tires and Batteries porcelain neon.JPG Mecum - Used Cars generic neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Value Rated Used Cars porcelain neon sign.JPG Mecum - Van de Kamp's Bakery rotating windmill neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Vendo Coca-Cola vending machine.JPG Mecum - Vico Motor Oil Pep 88 neon porcelain steel sign.JPG Mecum - Wadham's Gas & Oil (Milwaukee) sign.JPG Mecum - World's largest Chevrolet bowtie sign from Wolf Chevrolet, Belvidere, Ill 2.JPG Mecum - World's largest Chevrolet bowtie sign from Wolf Chevrolet, Belvidere, Ill..JPG Mecum - Zephyr (Muskegon, Mich.) gas pump globe.JPG On this set of episodes, we sift through many details of the 2012 disappearance and death of 6-year-old Isabel Celis and 2014 kidnapping and murder of 13-year-old Maribel Gonzalez. Youll be hearing from Arizona Daily Star reporter Caitlin Schmidt. But first, we travel back to April 25, 2012, shortly after Isabel first went missing. In this episode, host Schmidt discusses how police made the connection between the two cases. Past episodes from this season More on the case Isabel was last seen by her parents at 11 p.m. on April 21 when she was put to bed. Her father discovered she was missing the next morning, police said. Police completed a search of the Celis home in the 5600 block of East 12th Street, near East Broadway and South Craycroft Road, at about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday but would not comment on what was found. Thousands of fliers were passed out. Landfills were searched as well as lakes and basins. Isabels parents Sergio and Becky Celis had come under some criticism for not speaking to the media or the public in the effort to find their daughter. More money poured into the search effort, but no more leads for years. Then on June 3, 2014 two years after Isabel Celis first went missing another young girl, Maribel Gonzalez, 13, told her mother she was going to a friends house. Three days later her body was found near West Avra Valley Road by a Pima County sheriffs deputy responding to a call about suspicious activity. A few days after her body was discovered, a Pima County medical examiner ruled the death a homicide by unspecified means. In March 2017, Isabels body was in a rural area of Pima County nearly five years after she disappeared. Police Chief Chris Magnus said it wasnt happenstance. An autopsy later that year confirmed it was a homicide. The bones that were recovered were redacted from the report, but an included chart of a human skeleton show part of a pelvis and several skull bones that are a darker color than the rest of the body. Next time on Late Edition Crime Beat Chronicles, we go deeper into the connection between these two young girls cases and the man on trial for their murders. If you like what we do here at Late Edition: Crime Beat Chronicles, please be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Photo: The Canadian Press Manitoba RCMP have released the names of 16 seniors who died after their minibus was struck last week by a semi-truck west of Winnipeg. RCMP have released the names of 16 seniors who died after a minibus was struck by a semi-truck west of Winnipeg. One by one, officers and family members placed large photos of the victims, who ranged in age from 68 to 88, at the front of a news conference Thursday in Dauphin, Man. The bus had been taking the group from Dauphin and the surrounding area on a trip to a casino on June 15, when it crashed with the truck near the town of Carberry. "The word tragedy has been used a lot over the last week but never has that word had as much meaning as it does when we look at the photographs that line this room," said Supt. Jeff Asmundson, commander of the Manitoba RCMP's west district. "There's been a cloud over this community since the collision occurred. We lost 16 people who were mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, whose decades of contributions helped make this community what it is. "They were gone in an instant." Police have said dashcam footage shows the bus was crossing the Trans-Canada Highway when it went into the path of the truck. Fifteen people on the bus died that day and a woman who was injured died in hospital Tuesday. Health officials said nine others remained in hospital, with four still in critical condition. Some of the families released brief statements about their loved ones through the RCMP. "We are heartbroken and numb by this tragedy and the loss of our vibrant mother, Baba and Great Baba," said the family of Helen Kufley, 88. "She was and always will be the cornerstone of our family, the one we always went to for advice and wisdom, and we will miss her terribly." Former school teacher Nettie Nakonechny, 87, was remembered for being proud of her Ukrainian heritage and a "Baba," not only to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, but to many who knew her." "She will be missed by all of us who loved her." Community members in Dauphin were to hold a vigil Thursday night to mourn the victims. Here's a list of those who died: Louis Bretecher, 81 A family statement says Bretecher was a beloved husband, father and "pepere," or grandfather. Margaret Furkalo, 82 A statement says she will be forever in people's hearts. Vangie Gilchrist, 83 Ann Hill, 81 A statement from family says she was a mother, grandma, great-grandmother and sister. Helen Kufley, 88 A family statement says Kufley was a vibrant mom, baba and great-baba. She was a cornerstone of the family and will be missed terribly. Arlene Lindquist, 68 A statement says she was a loving mother, grandmother and friend. Dianne Medwid, 70 Nettie Nakonechny, 87 A statement says she was a longtime resident of Dauphin, a former school teacher and baba to grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was very proud of her Ukrainian culture and will be missed. Shirley Novalkowski, 76 She was a loving mother, grandmother and sister. Frank Perzylo, 82 Rose Perzylo, 80 Jean Rosenkranz, 82 Donna Showdra, 79 A statement says she will be deeply missed by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Lillian Stobbe, 73 A statement says she was a loving mother, nana and friend. Patsy Zamrykut, 88 Claudia Zurba, 87 A statement says Zurba's life was a blessing. She was loved beyond words and will be missed beyond measure. She was a mom, nana, great-nana and great-great nana. This article appears in the June 23, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. Dialogue Between Pakistans Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Helga Zepp-LaRouche A New World Order of Development for All Nations [Print version of this article] View full size CC/Chatham House June 16A 15-minute dialogue for public distribution took place June 9 between H.E. Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan (since April 2022), and Helga Zepp-LaRouche, founder and international leader of the Schiller Institute, on the occasion of the visit of Minister Khar to Denmark. The Embassy of Pakistan in Denmark invited the Schiller Institute to have a discussion with her, with Helga Zepp-LaRouche participating via Zoom. Also present were Tom Gillesberg, President, and Michelle Rasmussen, Vice President of the Schiller Institute in Denmark. A YouTube video of the dialogue is available here. Following the interview, Pakistans Foreign Ministry issued a press release, stating in part: The MOS (Minister of State) engaged with the Danish chapter of the Schiller Institute on Pakistans approach to key regional and international issues. The talk was joined in via Zoom by the president of the international Schiller Institute, Helga Zepp-LaRouche. The press release about Minister Khars trip to Denmark and Finland, including her meeting with Helga Zepp-LaRouche and the Schiller Institute in Denmark, was published by a number of Pakistani media, including The International News, The Nation, Dispatch News Desk, Pakistani Observer, and Pakistan Today. Radio Pakistan, The Business Reporter and Urdu Point mentioned the Schiller Institute in Denmark. It was also included in the Ministrys RSS feed, appearing on Pakistans Embassy in Denmark homepage, and probably similarly at other Pakistani embassies. H.E. Hina Rabbani Khar is a leading politician in Pakistan, having served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (20112013); Minister of State for Finance (20082011) and Minister of State for Economic Affairs (20032007); as well as a Member of Parliament. She represents the Pakistan Peoples Party. Minister Khar is the second minister in the Foreign Ministry after the Foreign Minister. The Foreign Ministrys website reports this about her: Her term as Foreign Minister is best remembered for the Regional Pivot to Pakistans foreign policy, where she concentrated on building ties with Pakistans immediate neighbors. This included the normalization of trade relations with India, a policy of reaching out to all political parties and ethnicities in Afghanistan. Her tenure in Finance & Economic Affairs led Pakistans bilateral and multilateral economic diplomacy. Hina Rabbani Khar graduated from the prestigious Lahore University of Management and Sciences with a BSc in Economics and later went on to do her Masters in Management from University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Helga Zepp-LaRouches background was summarized briefly by Michelle Rasmussen, when introducing Zepp-LaRouche to Minister Khar. At the end of the meeting, Michelle Rasmussen presented Minister Khar with the three volumes of the World Land-Bridge books to date by Executive Intelligence Review and the Schiller Institute: The New Silk Road Becomes the World Land-Bridge, Vol. 1, in 2014; and Vol. 2, in 2018, A Shared Future for Humanity; and the 2017 book, Extending the New Silk Road to West Asia and Africa: A Vision of Economic Renaissance. Helga Zepp-LaRouche and Pakistan Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar in Dialogue Her Excellency Hina Rabbani Khar: [Reading aloud the title of EIR and Schiller Institute Special Reports,] The New Silk Road Becomes the World Land-Bridge. Michelle Rasmussen: Yes. Im going to give this to you. I would like to say that on behalf of the Schiller Institute, Im so honored that [Charge dAffaires of the Embassy of Pakistan in Denmark] Dr. Shomaila Usman invited us to have a dialogue with Your Excellency Minister Khar, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and I want to just give a short introduction of Helga Zepp-LaRouche. She founded the Schiller Institute in 1984, and she has been its international chairwoman. She was married to the late American economist and statesman Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr., who died at the age of 96 in 2019. Since the 1970s, they have led an international campaign for creating a new, just world economic order. Then, with the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, they proposed to build a Eurasian Land-Bridge across Eurasia, which they also called the New Silk Road. And the principle is Peace Through Economic Development. This principle is embedded in Mrs. Zepp-LaRouches Ten Principles for a New International Security and Development Architecture, which was her response to the crisis that were facing, the world crisis, with escalating war and the consequences. So, I give the word to you, Minister Khar. Minister Khar: Thank you. Well, because we have the time that we have, I really want to be here to be able to exchange and let this be an interactive discussion. And anything youd particularly like me to touch upon, whether its the regional situation; whether its how we, what is called the restwhich is not the Westlook at whats happening in the West, because we do have a view on whats happening. [laughs] I was just at the European Council on Foreign Relations. I was asked this question about, Oh, what will Pakistan choose? How will you see it? But, I said, How did we end up with a world in which sovereign countries are asked, Which side are you on? Were on our own side! We dont have to pick a side, weve already picked a side: Our side is the Pakistan side. And sometimes, our interests, our value system is going to be aligned with what one country is trying to project in the world or do in the world, and sometimes it will be with another country. And sometimes it will be with one set of countries, and sometimes another. View full size Schiller Institute of Denmark But the whole thing, which in some way threatens us right now, is that in the last many decades, post-1945, I think we were all told in the developing world that we are part of a global village and whether your companies are ready for it or not, free trade is the way to go, open up your markets, free flow of people, information, investment, and all of that. And suddenly, were told, No, no, no. Now, we need to build fences, and some of them are good investments, and some are bad; in some trade is good, and in some, is bad. So, it seems quite dichotomous, and a little bitI wont use the word that comes to my mindso thats where we are. And the other thing that I think we have to respect, is that each one of us, each countryand this is what is supposed to enrich the multilateral forahas its own lessons that weve learned from how some decisions have been taken in the world. Now, the two interventionsespecially the two interventions, one in Afghanistan, which was in our backyard, and it has been 40 years of one intervention or the other, of one player or the otherthose have been very costly. The worlds attention moves away, the cameras move away, but the chaos from those interventions remains! And the impact and the repercussions, and currently the push factors, which have been celebrated, because I was at the Doha Forum on Afghanistan, that the Security Council, and the Secretary General organized; and many countries were celebrating over there. No, we have not failed! We have held on to sanctions, and we have made sure that the banking channels are not working, and we have made sure that they dont have access to their reserves. So, I said, Well, thats quite like strangulation of an economy, and if weve come to a point that were celebrating that girls who cannot go to school, can also not be fed, is that our answer to a regime that we dont agree with? And many of us dont. So thats where we are. When it comes to a country like Pakistan, at best a middle-power country, we have many challenges: such as to feed our children, such as to educate them, such as to develop them, such as to make sure that our GDP per capita increases. And in the midst of these challenges, we have the overhanging, not challenge, but catastrophic events led by climate change. You have also, COVID, which exposed to all of us, that we cant secure ourselves within our borders. Borders dont hold, when you have pandemics and when you have climate change. And what we do cannot have an impact on how the impact of those catastrophic events are going to be honored! No matter, even if you go completely green, today, we will still be at the receiving end! So, it feels rather sadand a little bit immatureto think that at this time, when the world should be getting together and saying, OK, what do we do, at an international level, in terms of regulation for artificial intelligence; regulation and encouragement for climate change; and for any next big event that we might be facing?, we are very, very busy right now, trying to divide the world further and further into pieces. Thats my two minutes. Zepp-LaRouche: Well, first, let me express my happiness to be able to speak with you. I have heard a lot about you, and I think that its a very good occasion. Im extremely worried about the danger of world war, which is very immediate and the danger that the combination of the escalation of the Ukraine crisis and the effort to establish Global NATO is really increasing the tension in the world to a point that world war is quite possible. Thats one big subject. But I dont want to only focus on that, because, at the same time, I think we have an incredible potential, because the Non-Aligned Movement, which was more or less out of action after theyou should know that my late husband, Lyndon LaRouche, developed the idea of an International Development Bank, in 1975, and we discussed this with all the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement, which adopted practically that proposal at their Colombo, Sri Lanka summit in 1976. And at that time, it did not function, despite the fact that the vast majority of the world wanted to have a new world economic order, because the powers that be destabilized all the countries participating: Indira Gandhi [India] was destabilized; Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike [Sri Lanka] was gotten out of office. I know that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto [Pakistan] was also having a very tragic history. And so, for a long time, this Non-Aligned Movement was not really a factor in the world. But I think in the recent years, mainly because of the Belt and Road Initiative, the fact is that now there is a potential for real development. For example, in Pakistan, theres the CPEC, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is one expression of that, just one example. But there is right now, a complete revival of the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Spirit of Bandung [initiated at a meeting of Asian and African nations, mostly newly independent, on April 1824, 1955 in Bandung, Indonesia]. The idea that it is possible to end colonialism once and for all, is back. And I think that there is a tremendous potential in that, because if you only look at the world from the standpoint of the Global North, and its conflict with Russia and China, it almost looks very hopeless. Because if the world falls into totally separate blocs, I agree with Dr. Mahathir of Malaysia, that that embodies the danger of World War III as well. So, I think that the Global South, the countries of the Global South, that represent the vast majority of the human species, and who are right now in an upbeat mood, as you can see by the fact that 30 members have applied to become members of the BRICS, for example; I think the Global South has to have a much stronger voice, because as President Sukarno [Indonesia] and Prime Minister Nehru [India] said in Bandung, if it comes to a world war, it will affect the Global South as much as the Global North, and people may die a little bit later, but they will die as well. So, I think that gives the Global South the absolute right to speak out and make their voice heard. And thats why I have proposed this new, global security and development architecture, with a very concrete proposal of ten principles, whichand I know that the time now is too shortbut I would like to bring it to your attention, because I think that that is something which urgently needs to be put in the discussion. Because, at the verge of World War III, and at the verge of the danger of a collapse of the financial system of the Trans-Atlantic world, it is really the question: Are we, as the only creative species existingor that we know ofare we capable of giving ourselves an order which allows the survival of all nations and the development of all nations? So this is what I think. Minister Khar: Absolutely, I could not agree with you more. And I think this gets reflected everywhere. I was at the European Council on Foreign Relations just yesterday: And it was quite funny, because I spoke about what I thought was just common logic, basic logic. And everybody came to me and said, It was so refreshing to hear your perspective. I thought it was very unrefreshing. It should have been the most common of. So, as you were speaking, I was writing. Im going to write an article on the South is the new North. So, in some ways we are reminding the world of the lessons that we were taught, which we cannot unlearn, now. And in some ways, we cannot run into, or waltz happily into conflicts. So I look at it as competition, changing it to confrontation, then, perhaps, converting into conflict. And the others see what we are seeingthat what is missing is cooperation; its just completely out! Its almost like you cannot cooperate as a world, that you divide into two separate parts. So, I think what I will do, I will read your Ten Principles, and I think it will be really worth our while to try and absorb it, and also put it in our thinking, and in our formulation and introduce it to our Foreign Office, and then, of course, there is The New Silk Road Becomes the World Land-Bridge. Photo: The Canadian Press The Google logo is photographed at the Vivatech show in Paris, Thursday, June 15, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Michel Euler A federal bill that will require Google and Meta to pay media outlets for news content that they share or otherwise repurpose on their platforms is set to become law. The Senate has passed the bill in a final vote and it is now awaiting royal assent amid a standoff between the Liberal government and Silicon Valley tech giants. Ottawa has said the law creates a level playing field between online advertising giants and the shrinking news industry. And Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez has promised to push back on what he describes as "threats" from Facebook and Google to remove journalism from their platforms. Meta confirmed Thursday that it plans to comply with the bill by ending news availability on Facebook and Instagram for its Canadian users, as it had previously suggested. Meta would not offer details about the timeline for that move, but said it will pull local news from its site before the online news act takes effect. The bill will come into force six months after it receives royal assent. "We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18, which was passed today in Parliament, content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada," said Meta spokesman Scott Reid. Rodriguez had meetings with both Facebook and Google this week, but his department didn't disclose details. Spokesperson Laura Scaffidi said the minister was set to have another meeting Thursday afternoon with Google, which has hinted that removing news links from its popular search engine is a possibility. The company didn't provide comment on the matter. Meta is already undergoing a test that blocks news for up to five per cent of its Canadian users, and Google ran a similar test earlier this year. The Online News Act requires both companies to enter into agreements with news publishers to pay them for news content that appears on their sites if it helps the tech giants generate money. "Following royal assent of Bill C-18, the government will engage in a regulatory and implementation process," said Scaffidi. "The tech giants do not have obligations under the act immediately after Bill C-18 passes. As part of this process, all details will be made public before any tech giant is designated under the act." This editorial appears in the June 23, 2023 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. EDITORIAL Wall Streets Nightmare Is Coming to Life [Print version of this editorial] June 17Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was the venue for the 10th Arab-China Business Conference last Tuesday, June 13, where the President of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), Dilma Rousseff, asserted that there is a process underway in the so-called Global South toward reshaping the global economy and reducing dependency on a single currency. She noted that this initiative requires cooperation among countries, financial institutions and collaborative policies and organizations such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the New Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, to give a few examples. Three days earlier, on June 10, Rousseff had been even more explicit in a discussion with the visiting President of Honduras, Xiomara Castro: NDBs strategic goal is to become the leading bank for emerging markets and developing countries, and with the expansion of its membership, NDB aims to bolster its role as a platform for wider collaboration between developing countries. There is, in fact, a new international development architecture taking shape, for which the upcoming August 22-24 summit of the BRICS nations in Johannesburg, South Africa could well be a decisive inflection point. It is the emerging paradigm of a new system that is putting the City of London and Wall Street out of business. And it is the demise of that system which is the cause of the continuing grave escalation in the Ukraine theater, with an attendant very real danger of thermonuclear war. The NATO defense ministers met in Brussels on June 15-16, putting the finishing touches on their plans for the NATO summit on July 11-12 in Vilnius, Lithuania. At that meeting, Kiev will be inducted as a de facto member of NATOalthough not yet a full, de jure one. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin variously announced Ukraines growing interoperability with all NATO systems; the fact that 300,000 NATO troops are in high readiness; and the establishment of a NATO-Ukraine Council which will make Kiev co-equal in all NATOs decisions, and which will hold its first meeting right then and there in Vilnius. With the UK in the lead, NATO continues to pump increasingly sophisticated arms into Kiev, the latest being American F-16 fighter jets. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that if those F-16s are stationed at air bases in neighboring countries, we will need to look at how and where we can hit those assets used in combat operations against us. This is a serious danger of further dragging NATO into this armed conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that those F-16s are nuclear-capable, and announced that if they are deployed, a military-technical response will follow. But do not make the mistake of evaluating these developments, or the war in general, based on the hardware each side is deploying in the Ukrainian theater. The hardware is only the vehicle for the broader, far more dangerous stated strategic objective of London and Washington policymakers to deliberately force Russia to choose between engaging in a nuclear conflict with the West, or capitulation under that threat. That is the context for the shocking, open discussion of the supposed pros and cons of Russia launching a first nuclear strike against one or various nations of Europe which has now broken out in a major way in the Russian media. Professor Sergey Karaganov, a former presidential adviser to both Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, who is now head of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, a noted Moscow think tank, published an article headlined By Using Its Nuclear Weapons, Russia Could Save Humanity from a Global Catastrophe, which was reprinted June 14 in full by English-language RT. In it, Karaganov argues that the crisis has reached the point where a preemptive Russian nuclear strike against one, or a number of European nations is called for. Karaganov was answered by fellow Council on Foreign and Defense Policy member Ilya Fabrichnikov, who published a rejoinder in RT June 16 headlined Why I Disagree with the Call for Russia To Use Its Nuclear Weapons against the West. Fabrichnikov argued bluntly: Sergey Karaganovs call for a preemptive strike has unleashed a major debate, but I dont agree that we should take NATOs bait. President Putin himself weighed in on the matter June 16 in the open discussion at the plenary session yesterday of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum: Everyone is just waiting for us to start pressing buttons. There is no such need, this is the first consideration. There is no such need. Because the enemy on the front line is not successful, thats the whole point. When asked about the likelihood of using such weapons, Putin stated: Why should we threaten the whole world? I have already said that the use of extreme measures is possible in case there is a danger to Russian statehood. Whether the Karaganov/Fabrichnikov exchange reflects an actual policy debate underway in Russia, or is rather intended as a warning to the West that it is playing with fire, either way the danger is extreme, and the possibility of the outbreak of nuclear war at any moment is real. The first step to finding and implementing a solution to this species self-extermination threat, is to recognize how close we are to actual nuclear war. Do not delude yourself with the self-consoling: But they will never let it happen! Armed with that understanding, the solution then lies in organizing sufficient forces internationally to construct an entirely new global architecture which ensures the right to security and economic development of each and every nation on the planetan order which is in the interest of the United States and Russia and China, of Europe and the impoverished nations of the Global South. This requires the kind of approach outlined by John F. Kennedy in his June 10, 1963 American University speech, which is why that presentation deserves the widest possible viewing in all nations. And above all, it is the kind of new world economic order which Lyndon LaRouche designed and promoted throughout his lifewhich is why you would be wise to quickly join in the organizing activities of Helga Zepp-LaRouches Schiller Institute. Nuclear War Debate Grows in Russia and the West June 21, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)The June 13 article by Russian professor Sergey Karaganov which calls for Russia to launch a tactical nuclear strike against one or various European countries, and which was run in Russia in Global Affairs and reprinted on June 17 by RT and Asia Times, has unleashed a series of responses both within Russia and in the West. For example, Russia Matters, the publication of The Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, has published their latest Russia Analytical Report, June 12-20, 2023, noting in their 4 Ideas to Explore item that a debate has reemerged among some of Russias best-known foreign and defense policy pundits on whether Moscow should initiate use of nuclear weapons to dissuade the West from providing further support to Ukraine. President Joe Biden weighed in on the matter, telling a group of donors in California on June 19 that I worry about Putin using tactical nuclear weapons. Its real. Dmitri Trenin, a research professor at the Higher School of Economics and a lead research fellow at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, as well as a member of the Russian International Affairs Council, wrote in RT yesterday that domestically, a public debate has started over the possibility of a first use of nuclear weapons against NATO in the context of the ongoing proxy war in Ukraine. Trenin accurately reported that Putins answer brought no surprises. In summary: nuclear weapons remain in the toolbox of Moscows strategy, and there is a doctrine that stipulates conditions for their use. Should the existence of the Russian state be threatened, they will be used. However, there is no need to resort to such instruments currently. Trenin added that the U.S. strategy vis-a-vis Russia in Ukraine has been that of pushing the envelope farther and farther, by upgrading step by step its military support for Ukraine and probing Russian reaction to each stage of escalation. So far, it seems for Washington, so good. Beyond a certain point, however, such practice may turn this calculated strategy into Russian roulette. The proposed arrival of the F16s and the potential delivery of longer-range missiles would bring the situation closer to that point. Hence, Putins confirmation that the nuclear option, while unnecessary at this stage, is not off the table. Indeed, no nuclear power would likely agree to be defeated by another without exercising the ultimate option. As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently explained, the F16s that the West plans to ship to Ukraine are capable of carrying B61 gravity nuclear bombs, and if they are deployed a military-technical response will follow. President Vladimir Putin said at the SPIEF plenary that if those F16s are flown in battle against Russia in Ukraine, and are based outside the country (for example in Poland or Romania), we will have to think about how and where we can hit the resources that are used against us in the hostilities. There is a serious danger of NATOs further involvement in this armed conflict. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR THURSDAY JUNE 22, 2023 Zepp-LaRouche on Building an International Peace Coalition June 21, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)In her June 21 weekly online Live Dialogue, Schiller Institute founder Helga Zepp-LaRouche made the following opening remarks: Its a quickly developing world, indeed. First of all, the visit of Secretary of State Blinken in China seemed to go well. At least he met with the Chinese Foreign Minister, then he met with President Xi Jinping for half an hour, who afterwards said the meeting was productive. Now, unfortunately, I think even before Blinken left China, President Biden, in a private fundraising dinner, called Xi Jinping a dictator. And that has caused a very angry reaction by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, and their spokeswoman Mao Ning called it an absolutely unacceptable provocation. The Chinese have said repeatedly that what Western leaders say doesnt mean much. And then when Blinken says one thing, but then President Biden says something like that, it puts the whole thing into question again. I think this is really a problem! You have at the same time, the Chinese delegation with Prime Minister Li Qiang, in both Germany, and then tomorrow going to France, for an inter-government dialogue, which according to the preliminary reports we have here from Germany was not bad, and that was mainly due to the composition of the delegation, where on the German side, Foreign Minister Baerbock and Defense Minister Pistorius did not participate. So, lets say, there is a stronger impulse and a statement by German industry right now that it is totally against their interest to de-risk with China, which in any case is just some other word for decoupling. The reports coming from Ukraine are that the so-called Ukrainian offensive did not really go well, which poses the question very seriously of bringing this horrible war to an end, which is just costing more human lives. And in that context, I must say that the statement which was put out, even before his speech in New Hampshire by presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., where he again quoted the statement of the former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who said that the (Ukraine- Russia) peace talks were actually on the verge of succeeding in March 2022, and that it was then the intervention of especially the British Boris Johnson who ruined that, because Johnson gave the message to Zelenskyy that NATO insists that the war go on. And then Kennedy said that he demands that Biden makes two apologies: one to the American people because he has led the U.S. army de facto into a terrible war which is totally against the interests of the American people; and secondly, more importantly to the Ukrainian people, because it is destroying their country. I think this is very important. I did not have time to read the Kennedy speech which he gave yesterdayI just saw some notes about it: He is calling for the U.S. to return to the peace policy of John Kennedy. I mean, this is essentially what we had put out in an appeal to the next President of the United States to do exactly that. We have started to collect many signatures from around the world on that statement, because lots of people in the whole world want the United States to become a power of peace, again. So, I think this is very encouraging. Because you have Trump, who absolutely found some harsh words on the war policy, who will be a candidate no matter what the legal prosecution of Trump will be. So you will have in all likelihood, Trump on the Republican side, and in all likelihood Kennedy on the Democratic side, which means that there will be, for the first time in a very long time, a real election campaign in the United States. Now, I have been warning Americans against falling into an election mania, because, as George Washington said when he left office, people should not fall into the trap of political parties, because parties tend to be interest representatives, and therefore not the national interest. And especially because the main decisions about where the world will go, war or peace, financial collapse or a new paradigm of a new economic system, these decisions in all likelihood will be made long before November 5, 2024, and therefore, it is important to keep an international focus on where the world is moving. So, I think this is a very interesting environment, where options do exist. The danger of war remains extremely high. Not only did Russia now put tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, but there are reports that the U.S. is talking about putting tactical nuclear weapons into Romania and Poland. The Russians have answered very strongly against that, because thats the places where the American missile defense systems have been installed, and its very clear that they can be transformed from defensive into offensive systems in an extremely short period of time. I can only say, the war danger is not less, its growing, and this is why our International Peace Coalition efforts are so extremely important. We had the second, very successful discussionmore people, more forces are joining. And I think that that is definitely an answer we have to have against this growing war danger. American President Joe Biden welcomed Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday with a state visit at the White House. The visit was meant to establish stronger defense and economic ties between the two countries. The visit was also seen as an effort to counter Chinas worldwide influence. Biden welcomed Modi with a colorful White House South Lawn arrival ceremony in the morning. He said, Ive long believed the relationship between the United States and India...will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century. With Modi by his side, Biden added, Since Ive become president, weve continued to build a relationship built on mutual trust, candor and respect. Modi is the son of a tea seller who rose to become Indias prime minister. He recalled that the first time he visited the White House was 30 years ago as a common man. I have come here many times but today for the first time, the doors of the White House have been opened for the Indian American community in such large numbers, Modi said to an estimated crowd of 7,000 people. Speaking in both English and Hindi, Modi thanked Biden, saying, "This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honor and pride for the 1.4 billion people of India. Modi added, "This is also an honor for more than 4 million people of Indian origin living in the U.S." The gathering listened to violinist Vibha Janakiraman and the singing group Penn Masala. The two leaders then met in the Oval Office for talks, followed by a state dinner in the evening. Major agreements Biden and Modi plan to announce that the U.S. will permit General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian military aircraft. India also plans to buy American-made MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones for its armed forces. In addition, U.S. Navy ships will soon be able to stop in Indian seaports for repairs under an agreement that the two governments reached. Several American companies also announced plans aimed at helping Indias semiconductor industry. Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75-billion semiconductor plant in India. Micron will spend $800 million and India will provide the rest. Applied Materials also says it will launch a new semiconductor center in India. And Lam Research, another semiconductor manufacturing equipment company, will start a training program for 60,000 Indian engineers. India has also agreed to join the U.S.-led Artemis Accords on space exploration. It will also work with the American space agency NASA on a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024. Biden said, All this matters for America, for India and for the world. Some members of Congress boycott Despite the warm welcome from the White House, some U.S. lawmakers raised concerns about the state of democracy in India. Three Democrats -- U.S. Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib -- have said they would boycott Modi's speech to Congress on Thursday. And 70 lawmakers wrote to Biden asking him to raise concerns with Modi about the decrease in religious, press and political freedoms in India. Representative Pramila Jayapal is a Democrat from Washington state who was born in India. She helped organize the lawmakers letter. She said, If India continues to backslide, I think it will affect our ability to have a really strong relationship with the country. Modi has been to the United States five times since becoming prime minister in 2014. But this is his first trip with the full diplomatic status of a state visit. Modi is the third leader that Biden has honored with a state visit. Since becoming president, Biden has also welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for state visits. Im Jill Robbins. Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on reporting from The Associated Press and Reuters. ____________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story mutual - adj. shared between two or more people or groups candor - n. open and sincere origin - n. a place where a person comes from backslide - v. to start doing something bad again after you have stopped it status - n. official position GOTHENBURG Gothenburg Improvement Company invites the public to join the celebration as they announce a $750 million business investment in their community on Wednesday, June 28. This electrolyzer based liquid fertilizer facility is the largest single private investment west of Lincoln in recent memory. The project will have a significant impact in the Corn Belt region. A free lunch will be provided from 1:00 2:00 p.m. The ceremony will begin at 2:00 p.m. with remarks from Governor Jim Pillen and other dignitaries. The celebration will take place in the Wearparts building in Gothenburgs industrial park, east of Landmark Implement. Road signs will help direct traffic to the location. The business was successfully recruited through several local partnerships. The Gothenburg Improvement Company and the City of Gothenburg spearheaded the project. A carbon-free energy resource will be provided by The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District and Dawson Public Power District, who are currently in the process of merging to become Platte River Public Power and Irrigation District. Nebraska Public Power District, the wholesale power supplier for Dawson Public Power District and the City of Gothenburg, is working with Dawson PPD and the city to provide the power supply and electrical service needs of the business. Central Platte Natural Resources District coordinated the usage of groundwater for the plant. Directions to the event location: 1. From Interstate 80, take Exit 211 2. Drive north on Hwy 47/Lake Avenue to Fourth Street 3. Turn right onto Fourth Street and travel east to Cottonwood Drive 4. Turn right onto Cottonwood Drive and travel south to event signage at 105 S. Cottonwood Drive LEXINGTON United by Culture Media announced today that they were awarded a $6,950 grant from Humanities Nebraska to work in partnership with the Lexington Public Schools Afterschool and Summer School programs at the Lexington Middle School for the 2022-2023 school year. The Courageous Voices program under United by Culture Media teaches youth self-confidence while learning about multimedia and storytelling. As we finish the school year and finalize the Summer School program at the Lexington Middle School, United by Culture Media is finalizing its classes and is ready to show the community our young storytellers and their talents. United by Culture Media is excited to share that we will host an online screening on Friday, Jun 30, 2023 at 7 p.m., on the United by Culture Media YouTube page. United by Culture Medias co-director Gladys Godinez shares, We are grateful to Humanities Nebraska for their help making these classes accessible to our students. It is important to share stories of our youth as they continue to learn about the various platforms that help their voices be heard. This is one of many grants funded by Humanities Nebraska (HN), which annually awards nearly $300,000 in grants. Any organization with non-profit status, according to the State of Nebraska and the IRS is eligible to apply for a grant from HN. Grant guidelines are available at humanitiesnebraska.org/grants/, and staff is available for consultation about a potential project and will read proposal drafts. Contact HN at 402-474-2131 or info@humanitiesnebraska.org Humanities Nebraska is a private nonprofit with a mission to help Nebraskans explore what connects us and makes us human. HN is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, an appropriation from the Nebraska Legislature, private donations, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, a public-private partnership with state dollars matching private dollars to benefit the arts and humanities in Nebraska. United by Culture Medias mission is to create a safe and authentic space in which the diverse story exists. You can follow their work on their website, www.unitedbyculturemedia.org, or your favorite social media platform. Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng expressed his anticipation of further cooperation with Hong Kong on security, the government noted in a statement. On Tuesday, the head of the government received Hong Kongs Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and a delegation at the government headquarters. Ho first commended Hong Kongs achievements in several areas, saying that they were reference points for Macau, and that he looked forward to continuing the two sides cooperation and liaison on policing work, combating of cross-boundary criminal activity, intelligence exchange, immigration control and facilitation of cross-boundary movement. Tang said that the two cities are similar in relation to politics, economics, society, and peoples livelihoods, and have been enjoying expanding cooperation in those fields. He added that he hoped his visit would help strengthen ties in emergency response operations, cooperation in combating crime, and in relation to cross-boundary traffic. Local Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak was due to meet with Tang to discuss steps to strengthen policing cooperation between Macau and Hong Kong, how to optimize immigration control, and to facilitate cross-boundary movement. Several officials from security branches in Macau and Hong Kong also attended the meeting, the government added. After years of breakneck growth, Chinas security and surveillance industry is now focused on shoring up its vulnerabilities to the United States and other outside actors, worried about risks posed by hackers, advances in artificial intelligence and pressure from rival governments. The renewed emphasis on self-reliance, combating fraud and hardening systems against hacking was on display at the recent Security China exhibition in Beijing. Looming over the four-day meet: Chinas biggest geopolitical rival, the United States. American-developed AI chatbot ChatGPT was a frequent topic of conversation, as were U.S. efforts to prevent Chinas access to cutting-edge technology. This new technology contains a great potential danger, said Fan Weicheng, Director of Tsinghua Universitys Center for Public Safety Research. He clicked through a presentation featuring an AI-generated figure of Barack Obama speaking, illustrating the risks of deceptive images and video that can now be digitally created. The United States has a 21st century national security strategy. Russia has a national security strategy. Germany has a strategy. So does Japan, Fan said. We in China are also working on this. Chinese academics, Fan says, are working on an early warning system to identify and manage potentially disruptive technology, creating indexes and formulas to measure the impact emerging technology could have on Chinas national security. In the past decade, Chinas AI technology has made rapid advances, fueled in part through cooperation with American research institutes and tech firms. As in the U.S., Chinese leaders are worried about advances in artificial intelligence. But theres an additional challenge. As geopolitical tensions have reached a fever pitch in recent years, Washington has moved to cut Chinas access to American technology pushing Chinese tech firms towards self-reliance. Remarks from a meeting chaired by Chinese leader Xi Jinping last month urged a renewed focus on potential risks from new technologies. The complexity and severity of national security problems faced by our country have increased dramatically, said a readout of the meeting by the official Xinhua news agency. We must be prepared for worst-case and extreme scenarios. Its the AI era. The future has arrived, said Liu Caixia, a director at a Chinese policing research institute. Those in the academic community are feeling fear. Weve seen in some sci-fi blockbusters, theres only intelligent machines left in the world, and human beings are kept like pets, said Liu. What kind of attitude should we adopt to deal with it? Lius answer was clear and in line with Chinas determination to lead in cutting edge technologies: Push forward, and deploy AI in new fields. DAKE KANG, BEIJING, MDT/AP Foreign companies are shifting investments and their Asian headquarters out of China as confidence plunges following the expansion of an anti-spying law and other challenges, a business group said yesterday. The report by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China adds is one of many signs of growing pessimism despite its efforts to revive interest in the worlds No. 2 economy following the end of anti-virus controls. Companies are uneasy about security controls, government protection of their Chinese rivals and a lack of action on reform promises, according to the European Chamber. They also are being squeezed by slowing Chinese economic growth and rising costs. Business confidence in China is pretty much the lowest we have on record, the European Chamber president, Jens Eskelund, told reporters ahead of the reports release. Theres no expectation that the regulatory environment is really going to improve over the next five years, Eskelund said. President Xi Jinpings government, trying to shore up economic growth that sank to 3% last year, is trying to encourage foreign companies to invest and bring in technology. But they are uneasy about security rules and plans to create competitors to global suppliers of computer chips, commercial jetliners and other technology. That often involves subsidies and market barriers that Washington and the European Union say violate Beijings free-trade commitments. Two-thirds of the 570 companies that responded to the European Chambers survey said doing business in China has become more difficult, up from less than half before the pandemic. Three out of five said the business environment is more political, up from half the previous year. Companies are on edge after police raided offices of two consultancies, Bain & Co. and Capvision, and a due diligence firm, Mintz Group, without public explanation. Authorities say companies are obliged to obey the law but have given no indication of possible violations. Companies also are uneasy about the promotion of national self-reliance. Xis government is pressing manufacturers, hospitals and others to use Chinese suppliers even if that raises their costs. Foreign companies worry they might be shut out of their markets. Last month, the government banned using products from the biggest U.S. maker of memory chips, Micron Technology Inc., in computers that handle sensitive information. It said Micron had unspecified security flaws but gave no explanation. One in 10 companies in the European Chamber survey said they have shifted investments out of China. Another 1 in 5 are delaying or considering shifting investments. In aviation and aerospace, 1 in 5 companies plan no future investment in China. China has long been a top investment destination due to its huge and growing consumer market, but companies complain about market access restrictions, pressure to hand over technology and other irritants. The European Chamber noted it wasnt just foreign companies that are moving: 2 out of 5 in its survey reported Chinese customers or suppliers are shifting investments out of the country. A separate group, the British Chamber of Commerce in China, said last month its members were waiting for greater clarity about anti-spying, data security and other rules before making new investments. The biggest concern is the ruling partys expansion of its definition of national security to include the economy, food, energy and politics, Eskelund said. In the European Chamber survey, the top destination for companies moving their Asian headquarters out of China was Singapore, with 43% of companies that moved, followed by Malaysia. Only 9% went or plan to go to Hong Kong. Leaders including Premier Li Qiang, Chinas top economic official, have promised to improve operating conditions, but businesses say they see few concrete changes. Our members are not really convinced that we are going to see tangible results, Eskelund said. JOE McDONALD, BEIJING , MDT/AP The Public Security Police Force (PSP) has announced the apprehension of four non-resident workers on allegations of fraud. The Judiciary Police (PJ) referred the case to the PSP. A local eatery in the ZAPE district is suspected of fraudulently hiring people from mainland China, according to local media outlet Macao Daily News. An employee of the eatery from mainland China, surnamed Wang and aged around 40 years old, has been accused of employment fraud. She works as an administrative officer at the eatery. In mid-April this year, the PJ detected a woman conducting illegal currency exchange. It was discovered that the woman was registered as a worker with the eatery, but her clock-in and clock-out times were in conflict with the times that she was recorded crossing the border. The case was referred to the PSP, which commenced irregular site inspections at the eatery and discovered bizarre clock-in and clock-out times related to three other registered non-resident workers, who were later summoned for investigation. The police discovered that the eaterys owner had taken RMB75,000 to RMB105,000 from each person to help arrange non-resident worker registrations, with fake employment spanning April to November last year. The false registrations were conducted so they could conduct illegal currency exchange in Macau. The Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM) announced the opening of its new Postgraduate Space earlier this week. The dedicated area in the East Asia Hall Annex Building is designed to provide a quality environment for postgraduate students to work on their academic research and theses, according to the institute. Since 2019, IFTM has been offering postgraduate programs, including the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Master of Science (MSc) and Postgraduate Diploma (PgD) to meet the needs of students seeking to advance their knowledge and skills in the tourism and hospitality industry. In the upcoming 2023/2024 academic year, IFTM will be launching three new programs. Related Its Thursday, Chicago. With the solstice on Wednesday, summer has officially begun. If youre out enjoying the warm weather and looking for delicious restaurants to try, weve got a list of Black-owned bars and restaurants in honor of Juneteenth and a list of notable vegan spots from the recent Vegandale fest. Advertisement But if youd rather stay indoors, theres still plenty to enjoy, from art shows and drag brunches in person, to the latest seasons of The Bear and Swagger from the comfort of your couch. As a Wes Anderson fan, Im most excited for his latest, Asteroid City, hitting theaters tomorrow. Have a great weekend, well see you next week. Advertisement Kayla Samoy, deputy senior editor "Magical Life" by Larry Hass is now at the Rhapsody Theatre in Rogers Park. (Larry Hass photo/HANDOUT) If sitting at a table in a beautiful venue, watching accomplished sleight of hand and pondering lifes deeper questions sounds appealing, this magic show may be for you. Larry Hass bills himself as the philosopher magician and themes his show around ideas and beliefs. Its a nerd-magic niche, perhaps, but its a very stimulating one, Tribune critic Chris Jones writes. Read his full review here. Peggy Blackburn, daughter Helen McKean, left, and granddaughter Phoebe Pitcock have dinner at Demera Ethiopian Restaurant in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood on Oct. 28, 2021. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, was Monday, and to mark that federal holiday, writer Samantha Nelson has a list of Black-owned bars and restaurants around Chicago. From casual counter-service joints to fine-dining establishments, youre sure to find new favorites among these spots that you can keep visiting all year long. Read her full list here. The exhibition "Art for the Future" at the DePaul Art Museum is being held through August. (Chiara Conner/HANDOUT) If you find yourself sunburned and sweating this summer, head indoors to an air-conditioned gallery to cool down. Contributing critic Lori Waxman has selected 10 promising art exhibits to visit. Read her full list here. Attendees pose on a giant sign at Vegandale in Grant Park, on June 10, 2023. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Chicago Tribune) If you missed Vegandale in Grant Park a couple of weekends ago, Tribune editor Lauryn Azu is ready to catch you up. Shes picked six places she sampled at the fest that you can now try at your leisure around the city, with offerings from ice cream to tacos to canned cocktails. Read her full list here. Bryan Cranston appears as a Rod Serlingesque TV host in the black-and-white scenes of "Asteroid City," director Wes Anderson's elaborate tapestry of mythmaking set in 1955. (Focus Features/AP) What I like about Asteroid City is its sheer visual beauty, spiced with sweetness, and occasional dashes of real feeling, writes Tribune critic Michael Phillips. Advertisement The film has a lighter and literally sunnier spirit than usual for Wes Anderson, he writes, and the quick-time banter keeps the movie moving. Read his full review here. Veronica Fabre, owner of the newly opened Tijuana-style taqueria Taco Sur, helps make orders on June 16, 2023, in the Little Village neighborhood. (Shanna Madison/Chicago Tribune) TacoSur, the new Tijuana-style taqueria in Little Village has long wait times but for a good reason. The taco-eating public swamped the restaurant from the same owner as Tacos El Rey after a video went viral on TikTok and Instagram. Id prefer not to add more fuel to the fire, writes Tribune critic Nick Kindelsperger. But if any new taqueria deserves to be slammed, its TacoSur. Read the full story here. Jeremy Allen White, from left, as Carmen Carmy Berzatto and Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu, watching as the sign for the Original Beef of Chicagoland comes down in "The Bear." (Chuck Hodes/FX) The Bear is back. For Season 2, its priorities are mostly outside the kitchen and the story isnt always perfectly balanced. Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > However, the show remains as absorbing as ever, with a visual language that is in love with food, and in love with the city itself, writes Tribune critic Nina Metz. Read her full review here. Dida Ritz performs during the Totally '90s Pride Drag Brunch in The Walnut Room at Macy's on June 10, 2023, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) Every other weekend or so, if you head up seven floors at Macys to The Walnut Room, youll feel the music before you see the spotlights beaming from the drag brunch show. Advertisement Tribune critic Louisa Chu spoke with Ty Huey, a Black nonbinary bearded drag queen who performs as Lucy Stoole, about what the show means to them. Read her full column here. This image released by Sony Pictures shows Jennifer Lawrence, left, and Andrew Barth Feldman in a scene from "No Hard Feelings." (Macall Polay/AP) This relaxed, agreeable comedy, Tribune critic Michael Phillips writes, works because the stars make it work, and the premise a little hoary doesnt sweat the logic part. He praises Jennifer Lawrence for her fantastic timing and take-it-or-leave-it confidence in this reasonably humane R-rated comedy. Read his full review here. People walk past the "End of the Trail" for Route 66 sign at Santa Monica pier in Santa Monica, California, on May 21, 2017. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP/TNS) The eight states traversed by Route 66 are getting it ready for its 100th anniversary in 2026. In Illinois, where the iconic highway starts and stretches for 300 miles, the state this spring awarded $6.6 million in grants to help communities upgrade and market their Route 66 attractions in advance of the anniversary festivities. Read the full story here. Electric vehicle maker Rivian says it will follow General Motors and Ford and join Teslas charging network next year. The startup truck, SUV and delivery van maker says Tuesday that like GM and Ford, it also will adopt Teslas charging connector, another step toward making it the industry standard. Existing Rivian vehicles will need an adapter to link to a Tesla charger. But Rivian says vehicles manufactured in 2025 and beyond will come standard with a Tesla charging port. It is another domino to fall as the auto industry considers switching to Teslas connector, which it calls the North American Charging Standard. At present, nearly all automakers other than Tesla use what is called a CCS connector developed with the Society of Automotive Engineers. Teslas Superchargers are coveted by other automakers because it has more direct current fast-charging plugs in the U.S. than any other network, and its stations are in prime locations along freeway travel corridors. Other automakers also are looking into the switch. On Monday, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said his companys U.S. teams are studying the change and will make a decision in a few weeks. We right now are evaluating that possibility, Tavares said in a brief interview with The Associated Press. It can have good things and bad things. He said the good things are being evaluated, and the bad things include dependence on Tesla. Currently Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, has no fully electric vehicles on sale in the U.S., but it does sell three plug-in gas-electric hybrids that can go short distances on battery power. The company plans to sell an electric commercial van this year, followed by an electric Ram pickup and other vehicles. Rivian is a relatively small player in the U.S. automotive market, selling just under 30,000 vehicles from 2021 through the first quarter of this year. But the Irvine, California, company is viewed as a key Tesla competitor. Like GM and Ford, Rivian owners will get access to more than 12,000 Tesla Supercharger plugs. In the U.S., Tesla has 1,797 Supercharger stations and more than 19,000 plugs, according to the Department of Energy. Since the stations are direct current fast-chargers, they can charge EVs relatively quickly as people travel. ChargePoint has the biggest charging network in the U.S. with more than 32,000 stations and 55,000 plugs, but most of them are Level 2 chargers that can take up to eight hours to get a battery up to a full charge. The Energy Department says there are about 54,000 public charging stations nationwide with more than 136,000 plugs. While most are slower Level 2 chargers, the network of DC fast chargers is growing. Still, industry analysts say there is growing momentum to switch to Teslas connector to become the standard in the U.S., although vehicles likely will need to be able to use both connectors for a while. GM and Ford say theyre not paying Tesla anything for access to the network, but owners will pay Tesla to charge just like any other charging system. Rivian said in a statement that in addition to joining Teslas network, it will continue to expand its own charging system, where it will incorporate Teslas connector. Shares of Tesla closed Tuesday up 5.3%. Theyre up about 40% since Ford first announced it would join the charging network on May 25. TOM KRISHER, DETROIT MDT/AP * Vulnerable sector Lawmaker Ma Io Fong calls for harsher penalties for those who engage in child abuse amid record-high number of cases * Takeaway delivery platforms fined over data privacy * MICE | Tourism expo to showcase mainland, GBA offerings * Police cracked a case related to the illegal exploitation of mahjong, detaining five people * CE anticipates further security ties with Hong Kong * Ride-hailing firm Grab slashes 1,000 jobs in biggest layoff since pandemic DOWNLOAD PDF Thursday, June 22, 2023 edition no. 4272 An independent expert working with the United Nations on the issue of human rights in Myanmar urged the international community yesterday to find a different approach to resolve the crisis in the Southeast Asian country, saying the current course of action is not working. Tom Andrews, a special rapporteur working with the U.N. human rights office, told a news conference in Jakarta the world is looking to Indonesia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for leadership on the situation in Myanmar. I came to Indonesia because the human rights situation in Myanmar is dire and getting worse, and because I believe that Indonesia is positioned to play a critical role in the resolution of this crisis, Andrews said after meeting with Indonesian and ASEAN officials. Myanmars crisis began after its military in February 2021 seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover prompted widespread public protests, whose violent suppression by security forces triggered an armed resistance that now spans much of the country. Andrews, a former U.S. congressman, said the situation in Myanmar is also losing visibility outside of the country. He said the Myanmar military has killed more than 3,600 civilians since the crisis began, while more than 19,000 people have been jailed as political prisoners. ASEAN, of which Myanmar is a member, two years ago agreed on a five-point plan that includes a call for an immediate stop to killings and other violence and the start of a national dialogue. The military rulers in Myanmar initially accepting the plan, but have made little effort to implement it. Andrews said the 10-member regional bloc should not invite the junta to any of its meetings and should not allow Myanmar military personnel to participate in defense meetings. I cannot help but have the impression that there are two different time zones when it comes to ASEAN and the crisis in Myanmar: one being the reality of the people of Myanmar who face daily attacks by junta forces and rapidly deteriorating conditions. The other is the world of ASEAN officials who caution that progress could take years, even decades, he said. The people of Myanmar do not have decades. They need a strong international response to the crisis that is carried out in the same time zone as the brutal attacks that they are suffering, he said. Special rapporteurs work with the U.N. human rights office in Geneva based on mandates handed out by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council. EDNA TARIGAN, JAKARTA, MDT/AP The Post restaurant in The Park Hotel, the only hotel on the Capitol Square, seemed like good brunch option on a Saturday morning during the Dane County Farmers Market. After all, the hotel offers valet parking for $4 an hour, which is handy when thousands of people and their vehicles descend on Downtown Madison. Plus, The Posts self-serve coffee bar is inviting, provided you can flag down a server to get a mug. That was a challenge for me on one recent visit. On offer during the weekends are five types of Colectivo coffee ($4 for a bottomless mug), including decaf, with tags identifying each roast. Two or three coffee varieties are available on weekdays when its quieter, said manager Shane Quesinberry. I just wish the coffee had been brewed a bit stronger. The bar stocks four kinds of milk: coconut milk, oat milk, almond milk, 2%, plus half and half, and 15 syrups. I tried the salted caramel, but it couldnt overcome the weak brew. My brother, visiting from Chicago, was happy to find a brunch place that wasnt crowded and where we could get seated right away. He also liked that the breakfast menu fit on one page and that all 10 selections were appealing. He was pleasantly surprised to see his favored Chobani yogurt on the a la carte menu, but it was a plain vanilla Greek yogurt that came as part of the breakfast power bowl ($13) he ordered, Quesinberry said. The bowl also had buckwheat, pecans, cinnamon, berries, maple syrup and mint. The power bowl didnt go over as well as he had hoped. Ive never enjoyed something less. Turns out I dont like buckwheat, he said. I like granola. I like quinoa. I like anything, but not this. I took it over and he joked that he caught me stirring it into oblivion. It wasnt my thing, either. The avocado toast ($12), meanwhile, had ample mashed avocado, and came on delicious brioche bread with a perfect poached egg on top. The hash browns on the side had a nice, light touch. Greens are the other side option. The huevos rancheros ($14) was a huge plate of food with a lot going on. Three grilled corn tortillas were layered with refried beans, chorizo, queso fresco, stewed tomatoes, grilled onions, cilantro and two sunny-side-up eggs. Sliced avocado was a highlight. Im not sure what detracted. Maybe it was what the menu described as ranchero sauce. Whatever the case, it made me long for the spectacular version at the nearby Good News Cafe on King Street. My daughter had no complaints with her classic two eggs any style ($12) plate with scrambled eggs, toast, sausage and hash browns. Quesinberry said its the most popular breakfast order. On Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., The Post offers bottomless mimosas and bloody marys for $15 per person. The Post, named for George Post, the architect who designed the Wisconsin state Capitol, is itself well designed with art deco tile and comfortable striped banquettes. Architect and designer Melissa Destree is behind the look and feel of The Post, and many of Madisons most distinctive and high-profile restaurants, including the former Graft on the Square, and The Coopers Tavern, also on the Square. Even more impressive, she was responsible for the redesign of The Park Hotel as a whole. The hotel, officially called the Best Western Premier Park Hotel, was The Inn on the Park before a $12 million renovation was completed in 2017. The Park Hotel name goes back to the original, elegant hotel on the site that was built in 1871 and demolished in 1961 for the Park Motor Inn. Quesinberry said The Post gets an equal amount of business from the public and hotel guests for its daily breakfasts. Saturday is its busiest brunch day. So, if shopping at the Farmers Market starts making you hungry, or if youre having trouble finding a place to park, The Post may just be your ticket. Diner's scorecard Restaurant: The Post, inside The Park Hotel Location: 22 S. Carroll St. Phone: 608-327-1101 Website: thepostmadison.com and parkhotelmadison.com Brunch: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily Breakfast prices: $9 to $14, coffee $4, a la carte items $3 to $5, kids menu $8 Noise level: Low Credit cards: Accepted Accessibility: Yes Outdoor dining: Yes, four tables in front Delivery: No Online ordering: No Drinks: Full bar Gluten-free: Can accommodate Vegetarian offerings: Many Kids menu: Yes Reservations: Yes Parking: Valet, and street parking Service: Mixed Bottom line: The Post does some things well, but brunch can be a mixed experience. Republicans approved a plan Thursday to cut the University of Wisconsin Systems budget by $32 million in an attempt to force the school officials to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programming. The plan, which passed 12-4 along party lines, would require the UW System to eliminate 188.8 positions related to those offices and programs. Republicans proposal heightens the political battle between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers who said he would veto any budget that cuts the Systems diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programming and legislative Republicans, who have repeatedly stated their intent to cut those programs. Republicans plan proposes to redirect the $32 million in DEI money toward UW System initiatives to develop the states workforce. But that money could only be made available if the System requests it and the budget committee signs off on it. Before the Joint Finance Committee took action on the measure, committee member Rep. Alex Dallman, R-Green Lake, said DEI offers no practical purposes and equated it to wasteful spending. Instead, were going to focus these dollars towards enhancing Wisconsins work future workforce, he said. UW System loves to talk about the war for talent. And that is exactly what our actions are here. Our actions today will help to address critical positions such as nurses, engineers and data scientists (that) are needed across our state today. UW System President Jay Rothman criticized Republicans proposal soon after it was announced. Continued erosion of state investment will diminish student access and affordability at our public universities, he said. This is a missed opportunity and a significant setback to Wisconsins efforts to win the war for talent. UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said in a statement that she was puzzled Republicans cited the need for the System to focus on workforce development, considering the same group of legislators declined to fund a new engineering building earlier this month. A new facility would allow the College of Engineering to boost its enrollment by 1,000 students and alleviate current pressures caused by a lack of lab space. This means that UW Systems funding remains flat at best, Mnookin said. While we understand that UW System can seek release of the funding for use in high-demand programs such as engineering, nursing, business, computer science and education, its disappointing that in a time of historic budget surpluses the committee did not take the opportunity to invest in the states most important economic driver. Austere times At UW-Madison, the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement oversees areas of campus such as employee disability resources, academic coaching and precollege programs designed to give students of color a foot in the door. Last week, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, announced his desire to cut the Systems budget by $32 million, the amount he estimates the System spends on DEI programming, continuing the yearslong rift over conservative perceptions that universities are liberally biased and lack intellectual diversity. The move also follows months of warnings by Rothman that the majority of the Systems four-year universities are expected to run multimillion-dollar deficits by summer 2024 under current spending levels; Rothman also has tasked chancellors who oversee two-year branch campuses with auditing their fiscal viability after years or even decades of decreasing enrollment. Cuts such as the one Vos proposed could result in the System closing campuses or ending educational programs, Rothman told Senate lawmakers Monday. The System had requested a $435.9 million boost in the upcoming two-year state budget, including $28 million that would come from the states general fund in the first year and $77 million in the second year. Evers had proposed giving the System $305.9 million, leaving the door open to tuition increases. Over the last two decades, the Systems budget has been cut more often than its been increased, with cuts going deeper than what any increases made up. A report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum earlier this year showed the System is ranked in the bottom fifth nationally in funding per full-time pupil. A sharp focus Republicans have been scrutinizing the System for years over what they perceive is a lack of intellectual diversity at universities, calling out UW-Madison class topics they considered offensive and proposing that the Systems funding should be tied to performance metrics on inviting speakers and hiring faculty who are conservative. Vos called on the System to eliminate DEI programming in early May, the same week a racist video featuring a UW-Madison student surfaced, prompting protests and a sit-in outside Mnookins office. Rothman has since announced he was eliminating the use of diversity questions in written job applications, likening them to a political litmus test that undermines the Systems goals of being inclusive to all. Recent clashes over DEI largely stem from the Systems free speech survey, which some Republicans lobbied for in spring 2022 after the school officials axed it over chancellor outcry. Conducted last fall, the survey found that while the majority of students feel instructors do a good job encouraging difference of opinion in the classrooms, conservatives were more likely to self-censor their opinions. The Joint Finance Committee delayed its vote on the Systems budget, scheduled for June 15, after hours of closed-door negotiations following Vos announcement. Evers had said he would veto any budget that included cuts to the System. Possible options If Evers does veto the document, the Legislature wouldnt pass a new budget until around October and Evers would have to explain to voters why new money wasnt being spent, Vos said. If Evers vetoes the budget in its entirety, it would be up to the Legislature to send the governor another budget for him to sign. Republicans are just short of a supermajority in the Assembly, meaning the Legislature cannot override Evers vetoes. If Evers doesnt sign a budget by July 1, the state would continue operating using spending levels set in the previous two-year budget. Democrats on the Joint Finance Committee decried the cuts to the System, saying it would only worsen the states workforce and demographic crises. Republicans have openly talked about the fact that they want campus closures. They are not willing to invest in UW System, said Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison. There has long been a real antipathy towards ... public higher education from the Republican Party. It was true under Scott Walker; its been true since hes been gone. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) California Gov. Gavin Newsom says there's no chance on God's green earth he's running for president in 2024, but he wants to make clear that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running, is weak and undisciplined and will be crushed by Donald Trump." DeSantis, meanwhile, likes to mock Newsom's apparent fixation on Florida while insisting that the Democratic governor's leftist government" is destroying California. Welcome to one of the fiercest rivalries in U.S. politics, featuring dueling term-limited governors who represent opposite ends of the ideological spectrum and lead two of the nation's largest and most influential states. Newsom and DeSantis almost certainly won't face each other on any ballot in 2024, but in many ways, they are defining the debate from their corners of America as the presidential primary season gets underway. Newsom addressed both his contempt for DeSantis and loyalty to President Joe Biden even after Tuesday's revelations that the president's son, Hunter, reached a deal with federal prosecutors on federal tax offenses and a gun charge in an interview just as the Florida governor launched a two-day fundraising trek spanning at least five stops across California. The Golden State has become one of DeSantis' favorite punching bags as he tries to avoid a direct confrontation with his chief Republican presidential rival, Trump, and the former president's escalating legal challenges. He's taking his eye off the ball," Newsom said of DeSantis' escalating attacks against him. And that's not inconsistent with my own assessment of him, which is he is a weak candidate, and he is undisciplined and will be crushed by Donald Trump, and will soon be in third or fourth in national polls. Representatives for DeSantis did not make the governor available for an interview. Beneath the war of words, however, strategists in both parties suggest there may be a mutually beneficial dynamic at play. As they jab at each other's policies and personalities through comments in the press and on social media, the governors are scoring points with their respective political bases, raising money and expanding their national brands. Both men issued fundraising appeals Monday going after the other by name. But it's not all helpful. Newsom, in particular, is facing nagging questions about his presidential ambitions less than a week after DeSantis dared him to stop pussyfooting around and launch a primary challenge against Biden. The California governor, whose second and final term concludes at the end of 2026, has seen his national profile grow since he easily beat back a recall attempt in 2021 and cruised to reelection last fall. He finished the midterm campaign with roughly $16 million in the bank. And in March, he channeled $10 million to a new political action committee he's calling the Campaign for Democracy. All the while, Newsom's team has been moving deliberately to avoid the perception that he's running a shadow presidential campaign just as Biden ramps up his political activities. For example, Newsom's new PAC is initially focusing on challenging Republican leaders in deep-red states that are largely irrelevant in the 2024 presidential race. He campaigned in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi in April on his first trip associated with the PAC. Newsom is expected to avoid battleground states or key presidential primary states for the foreseeable future, his allies say. At the same time, the California governor and his team have been in regular contact with Biden and his top aides, including Jen O'Malley Dillon, who managed the president's 2020 campaign and serves as deputy White House chief of staff. A Biden campaign official said the president's team coordinates closely with Newsom. Newsom is not going to run against Joe Biden and never would. But life is long, and Newsom is one of the prominent national Democrats. Its part of that role to have these big national battles, longtime Newsom adviser and friend Nathan Ballard said of the feud with DeSantis. There is the 2024 election, and then there is a 2028 election, Ballard added. Indeed, veteran Democratic consultant Roy Behr, whose clients included former California Sen. Barbara Boxer, said the two governors are engaged in what could become an early preview of the 2028 presidential contest. Its not inconceivable that four years from now, these two guys could be their respective parties nominees, he said. In tangling with DeSantis, who is 44, the 55-year-old Newsom is building his national brand and visibility and is certainly trying to create opportunities for himself. Sacramento-based Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta said he expected the ongoing rivalry to continue given that its beneficial for both politicians with their core supporters. He described Newsom and DeSantis as frenemies." "They both get points off it, Acosta said. There is a hard core of voters on both sides who think this is great. While polling shows that many Democrats dont want the 80-year-old Biden to seek a second term, Newsom said there are no circumstances in which he would challenge the sitting president of his own party. Not on Gods green earth, as the phrase goes, Newsom said in the weekend interview, adding that he would be with Biden on Monday and hosting a fundraiser for him Tuesday. "I have been pretty consistently including recently on Fox News making the case for his candidacy. On Tuesday, Newsom reaffirmed his support for Biden shortly after news surfaced that the president's son, Hunter, reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors on charges he failed to pay federal income tax and illegally possessed a weapon. Hunter changes nothing, Newsom told the AP, noting that he was spending the day with Biden. DeSantis did not plan to make any public appearances during his California fundraising tour, which included stops in Sacramento and the Bay Area on Monday and continues Tuesday with events planned for San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles. Over the weekend in Nevada, DeSantis noted that he's seen a surge of disgruntled Californians moving to Florida. Why would you leave like a San Diego to come to say, Jacksonville, Florida? I see people doing that, DeSantis told thousands of conservative activists at a weekend gathering close to the California border. Its because leftist government is destroying that state. Leftist government is destroying cities all over our country. Its destroying other states. Former Nevada attorney general Adam Laxalt, who hosted the weekend event and leads the pro-DeSantis super PAC, said the policy contrast between the leaders of Florida and California is a debate that our whole country needs to have. California has been the model for many leftist policies. I would take the contrast between Floridas policies and its results led by Gov. DeSantis and the California policies, any day of the week," Laxalt said in an interview. We can already see what leftist policies do. Both DeSantis and Newsom took office in 2019 and won reelection for their second and final terms in 2022. While in office, both have been buoyed by multiple billion-dollar budget surpluses and the help of statehouses controlled by their own party that supercharged their agendas. In California, Newsom expanded the states Medicaid program to cover all eligible adults, regardless of their immigration status. He signed a raft of legislation to make it easier to get an abortion, including authorizing $20 million in state spending to help people from other states travel to California. When the U.S. Supreme Court declined to strike down an abortion law in Texas that was enforced by private lawsuits, Newsom signed a similar law in California only he made it about guns. And earlier this month, he proposed amending the U.S. Constitution to institute what he called a reasonable waiting period for all gun purchases, a ban on so-called assault rifles, universal background checks and raising the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21. I think Gavin Newsom is a very useful foil for Ron DeSantis, quite frankly, said Lanhee Chen, a California Republican who attended one of DeSantis five California fundraisers this week. The more kinds of crazy things that Newsom does at least, crazy in the eyes of Republican voters the more I think Ron DeSantis frankly benefits as somebody who's seen as a counterweight to that. In Florida, DeSantis has leaned into cultural conservative issues in what he calls his war on woke. Earlier this month, his administration flew groups of migrants from Texas to Sacramento to draw attention to the influx of Latin American immigrants trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. He did the same last fall, sending dozens of immigrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyard, which he often highlights during his stump speeches. DeSantis also signed and then expanded the Parental Rights in Education bill known by critics as the Dont Say Gay law, which bans instruction or classroom discussion of LGBTQ+ issues in Florida public schools for all grades. He seized control of Disney Worlds governing body after the company publicly opposed the law. The Florida governor this year also signed a law banning abortions at six weeks, which is before most women realize theyre pregnant. And he took control of a liberal arts college that he believed was indoctrinating students with leftist ideology. While DeSantis does not have the legal entanglements that Trump faces, Newsom said Democrats may be wrong to assume the former president would be an easier candidate to defeat in the 2024 general election. I see deep weakness I refer to it often weakness with DeSantis masquerading as strength," Newsom said. "I think hed be a more favored candidate. But Ill leave that judgment to more objective minds. Associated Press writers Adam Beam in Sacramento and Michelle Price in New York contributed. This story has been corrected to delete a reference to Hunter Biden pleading guilty to a gun charge. He has reached a deal with prosecutors on the gun charge but is not pleading guilty. WASHINGTON (AP) The special counsel who investigated the FBIs probe of ties between Russia and Donald Trumps 2016 campaign found himself at the center of a heated political fight as he appeared before a congressional committee Wednesday, with Democrats denouncing his inquiry and Republicans arguing that its findings helped prove an anti-Trump bias within law enforcement. John Durham, the Justice Department special counsel who recently completed his report, testified before the House Judiciary Committee in a hearing that unfolded against the backdrop of a 37-count indictment of Trump on charges he illegally retained classified documents. Despite roughly six hours of testimony, the hearing broke little new ground. Under questioning from Republicans, he repeated many of the strongest findings of condemnation in his 306-page report and also faced criticism from Democrats over a four-year investigation that produced just one conviction and fell short of Trump's claims that it would expose the crime of the century. The hearing spotlighted well-established law enforcement errors during the years-old Trump-Russia investigation, but Durhams appearance took on more contemporary political resonance in light of the criminal case against Trump and efforts by the former president and some Republican allies to undermine public confidence in the FBI. They're never going to stop. Seven years of attacking Trump is scary enough, but what's more frightening, any one of us could be next, said the committee chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, said Americans believe there's a two-tiered system of justice that, he said, was terrifying." Here we are seven years later, still talking about President Trump and this Democrat-invented scandal, Hunt said. Democrats, for their part, went after Durham and his investigation in personal terms Rep. Ted Lieu of California derided him for behaving like a partisan hack. They accused Republicans of using Durham's appearance as a pretext to criticize the FBI for its continued scrutiny of Trump and to distract from the former president's current legal troubles. Thats why youre here today, not because of anything that happened in 2016, New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the top Democrat on the committee, told Durham. Durham, who was appointed by then-Attorney General William Barr to review the origins of Trump-Russia investigation, tried to keep the focus of the hearing on his findings. He noted that his review found that FBI investigators examining potential collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia ignored exculpatory evidence, used a largely discredited dossier of opposition research to obtain a surveillance warrant on a former Trump campaign aide, withheld key information from judges and lacked an adequate basis to open a full investigation in the first place. He said the errors in the investigation were notable because the inquiry was not a run-of-the-mill investigation but instead concerned a presidential campaign." He said current and former FBI agents had personally apologized to him for the way the Russia investigation was conducted. Its so highly sensitive, it could affect the outcome of a presidential election and the future of the nation, Durham said. "You would expect that the discipline that would have been followed would have been higher than ever. And that didnt happen here. There's a sort of analytical rigor, the discipline in how we investigate criminal matters, that was just absent here in large measure. Democrats repeatedly steered the hearing back to Durham's track record, the abrupt and publicly unexplained departure of his top deputy, and the fact that many of his more damning findings were already revealed years earlier in a Justice Department inspector general report. His investigation yielded just one guilty plea from a little-known FBI lawyer, a case referred to his office by the inspector general. And the two cases that Durham's team took to trial ended in swift jury acquittals. In a tense exchange, Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., tried to portray Durham as a prosecutor lacking legal standing and integrity who was attempting to protect Trump and his campaign for president. You had a good reputation, thats why the two Democrats supported you, Cohen said, referring to the Democratic senators from Connecticut who had backed Durham's nomination for U.S. attorney. But the longer you hold on to Mr. Barr and this report that Mr. Barr gave you as special counsel, your reputation will be damaged as everybody's reputation who gets involved with Donald Trump will get damaged. Durham responded: My concern about my reputation is with the people who I respect and my family and my Lord and Im perfectly comfortable with my reputation with them, sir. GOP animosity toward the Justice Department was further fueled by Tuesdays announcement that President Joe Bidens son Hunter will likely avoid jail time in a plea deal on tax and gun allegations. Jordan tweeted that it was a DOUBLE STANDARD OF JUSTICE." The bureau also is facing bipartisan criticism of how it handles intelligence collected electronically under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows spy agencies to collect foreign phone calls and e-mails for their investigations. A newly declassified surveillance court opinion found that the FBI had run thousands of unsupported searches of Americans, including queries tied to the Jan. 6 insurrection and the 2020 protests following the killing of George Floyd. Previewing Durham's private meeting Tuesday with the Intelligence Committee, Ohio Rep. Mike Turner, the panel's chairman, alleged last week that the FBI went off the rails and hurt the justice system's credibility. Rules and laws need to be changed so that these mechanisms cannot be used again in this way to really harm the American public, he said. Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the panel's top Democrat, said after the committee's meeting that Durham didn't recommend any changes to existing law but broadly discussed the issues in the report and the handling of politically sensitive investigations. Our hearing was not political. Nobody was looking to score points, Himes said. People asked questions that indicated their political affiliation, but thats because they were doing due diligence around things that concern them. FBI Director Chris Wray has acknowledged errors in the Trump-Russia probe. In a statement Tuesday, the bureau said it had already implemented dozens of corrective actions, which have now been in place for some time." The Durham report "reinforces the importance of ensuring the FBI continues to do its work with the rigor, objectivity, and professionalism the American people deserve and rightly expect, the statement said. Dwain P. Williams, a retired Chicago Fire Department lieutenant, was fatally shot in an exchange of gunfire with carjackers on Dec. 3, 2020, on West 118th Street. (Family photo) Two separate juries late Wednesday found two men guilty of murder in the shooting death of a retired Chicago Fire Department lieutenant following a botched carjacking. Lt. Dwain Williams, 65, was killed on Dec. 3, 2020, as he was leaving a Southwest Side popcorn shop, having just purchased the gourmet snack for the holidays. Advertisement In what began as a rare triple jury trial, prosecutors alleged that Dwain Johnson, Devin Barron and Jaylen Saulsberry spotted Williams driving a Jeep decked out in Christmas decorations and chose him as a mark to hijack the vehicle. But the plan went wrong, prosecutors said, when Williams fired back after the three defendants and a fourth person, a 15-year-old boy, approached him with a gun. Advertisement The crew shot and killed Williams before fleeing, prosecutors said. People line up outside the Lets Get Poppin popcorn shop on South Western Avenue in Chicago on Dec. 10, 2020. The store was to donate a portion of proceeds from sales to the family of retired Chicago Fire Lt. Dwain Williams, who was shot and killed outside the store. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune) Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > What should have been an unremarkable day turned into one of violence and death, said Assistant States Attorney Sara Grgurovic last week during opening statements. The three men began standing trial last week on murder charges in front of three separate juries called for one case the most in recent memory, according to court staff. The setup allowed the men charged to present different defenses, particularly when their interests might not align, while ensuring that witnesses didnt need to be called for three separate trials that would gobble up additional time on the courts calendar. The case took a surprise turn, though, on Tuesday when Johnson struck a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony against his co-defendants. Johnson pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aggravated battery with a firearm with prosecutors recommending a 30-year sentence. His jury was dismissed. Dwain Williams family lined the gallery during the trial. He spent more than two decades with the Chicago Fire Department after joining in 1992. His last assignment was at the citys Office of Emergency Management and Communications. He put his whole heart into the city, his wife, Karen Armstrong-Williams, told the Tribune in 2020 shortly after his death. mabuckley@chicagotribune.com The College of Southern Idaho has been awarded a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to educate the next generation of agriculture professionals in the Magic Valley. The five-year NextGen grant will allow CSI to appoint staff in a dozen rural high schools across the region and encourage students to major in agriculture, food and natural resource programs. New scholarship opportunities for agriculture students will also be made possible by the grant, according to a news release. One objective of the NextGen grant is to diversify the professional agriculture workforce. A critical component of CSIs grant application was its status as a Hispanic Serving Institution, with more than 25% of the colleges student population of Hispanic descent, the release said. OUR VIEW: CSI has grown into its mission to serve Hispanic students. Buen trabajo! OUR VIEW: The College of Southern Idaho became the state's first Hispanic Serving Institution in 2021, and we applaud the ongoing efforts to serve all in the Magic Valley. CSI is the only HSI in Idaho but this is a nationwide thing so it was a surprise that we got it since a ton of schools applied for it, Courtney Salmon, CSIs public information manager, told the Times-News. CSI was one of 33 colleges awarded a NextGen grant. The college plans to serve more than 400 students beginning in the fall, and President Dean Fisher said in the release that the grant will provide additional resources to help more Magic Valley students achieve their goal of a career in the ag industry while staying close to home. Agriculture is such a huge part of our Magic Valley economy, but many of those in professional roles in our area are nearing retirement age, Barry Pete, CSIs dean of career and technical education, said in the release. This grant will help CSI play a key role in training the next generation of ag professionals in Idaho. The relaxed charm of fourth-generation farmer 35-year-old Raymund Aaron does not show the hard work he puts into successfully running his small family business of manufacturing food products. The company Villa Socorro Farm and its factory are situated in Pagsanjan, Laguna province. Raymund, the self-styled Banana Chief of this social enterprise, oversees the production and marketing of the companys famous banana chips. He inherited his passion for agriculture and farming from his father, incorporating a streak of his own. Right after obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Management from Ateneo de Manila University in 2009, Raymund joined the budding family business. I wanted to be an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. We used to grow bananas on our land in Pagsanjan, and so, after graduating, doing business using bananas seemed the perfect fit, Raymund said. Indirect start The idea of exporting came through his fathers work in marketing for a multinational company which inspired him to engage in international business. Starting in 2008, with an initial capitalization of P5 million, the company produced banana chips, with the first export in 2014 to the United States. The Health Safety Certification from the Food and Drug Administration, a requirement of the Philippine authorities, was obtained in 2012, which added credibility to the business as an exporter. We began exporting indirectly through a local company that expressed interest in distributing our products to buyers there. Raymund, a regular at the Philippine governments DTI business matching events, recently returned from a similar event held in Dubai coinciding with Gulfood 2023. Regular participation in business networking events and seminars since 2015 provided valuable knowledge and insights on export market access, including the European Union. Be it DTI or the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions handling International Food Exhibition, the biggest international food trade show in the Philippines, he always found participation in trade fairs beneficial. You never knew who you would meet. I always carried samples of my products along. At one such event, arranged by the Export Marketing Bureau of the DTI, Raymund established a connection with the Philippines diplomatic mission in Switzerland. Soon, samples from Villa Socorro reached a few Swiss companies with the help of this link. The products were a hit with one distribution company. By the end of 2019, a 20-foot container with 1,000 boxes that cost $14,000 was shipped to Switzerland. It was support from the EMB that helped us pursue direct exports to Europe. We made our first link through them. Recognizing the support he received, Raymund is always willing to share his skills and knowledge with other entrepreneurs and contributes to local DTI capacity-building initiatives. Why the EU? The EU appears to be a lucrative market for the company as Raymund gradually expands the product range by including sweet potato chips and corn snacks. About 80 percent of the total current revenue comes from exports, while 20 percent comes from sales at hotels, restaurants, canteens, airports, kiosks and selected supermarkets in the Philippines. Villa Socorros exports to the Europe represent 5 percent, with buyers in Switzerland, Norway and other EU member states. Raymund wants to increase business with Europe specifically with EU member states, which he regards as the best market for healthy organic food products made from tropical fruits. It is a market that is willing to pay a premium for natural products. Buyers requirements Raymunds drive to grow specifically in the EU market is evident in his readiness to comply with the necessary requirements. The REX number to avail of the EU Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) scheme to export tariff-free to the EU was obtained on the recommendation of the buyers to strengthen the business. The Registered Exporter System (REX) is a self-certification wherein the origin of goods is declared by economic operators themselves by means of so-called statements on origin. To be entitled to make out a statement of origin, an economic operator must be registered in a database by the competent authorities. The economic operator then becomes a registered exporter. Product and packaging development were also adjusted. There is a shift to use a more natural brown Muscovado sugar to suit customer preferences in the EU. The company also created a sub-brand, Farmony, to market its products in the EU. Farmony creates harmony between farmers, manufacturers, and consumers. Our existing brand, Villa Socorro Farm Sabanana Banana Chips, really targets Filipino or people looking for Filipino products. We created Farmony to have a product that can easily blend in the shelves of the EU market, Raymund said. Social entrepreneur Being on a farm allowed Raymund to become a social entrepreneur. He understands well the needs of the farmers. To support the banana farmers around his family plantation, Raymund buys 98 percent of the fruit from the community that he fondly refers to as partner-farmers. We buy bananas from more than 200 farmers in a radius of 5 km around our farm. We only plant 2% of the bananas that we use for banana chips. By processing 600,000 tons of bananas every year, he provides the local farmers with a market for their produce. He considers himself lucky that things fell into place, enabling him to give back to the community that helped him get to where he is today. Gearing up for the future I am still here. I look forward to expanding our business. Sticking with the snacks theme, were looking at making use of the abundant farm produce in our region and the rest of the Philippines to create fun and healthy snacks, he said. Raymund is determined to transform the business into a reliable food company by creating an entire line of banana products and draw drawing in loyal customers at home and abroad. The ARISE Plus Philippines project is enabling Philippine exporters to take advantage of European Union (EU) market access and the trade privileges granted under the Generalized System of Preference (GSP+). It supports the overall EU-Philippines trade relationship and trade-related policies. ARISE Plus Philippines is a project of the government, with the Department of Trade and Industry as the lead partner together with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, Bureau of Customs, the Department of Science and Technology and the private sector. It is funded by the EU, with the International Trade Centre as the technical agency for the project. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday led the vaccination of healthcare workers against COVID-19 using bivalent vaccines to protect the vulnerable sector and as a way of honoring the frontliners who have worked hard so that the world could return to a state of normalcy. In his speech during the launch of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccination at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City, the Chief Executive underscored the importance of the governments inoculation program to protect those with comorbidities and the elderly. He acknowledged all the countrys partners and stakeholders who played a significant part in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic when he joined the Department of Health (DOH) officers at the program. VAX ROLLOUT. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urges Filipinos to continue getting vaccinated against COVID-19 as the government launched bivalent vaccines on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Mr. Marcos conveyed the countrys appreciation to the government of the Republic of Lithuania for donating 390,000 doses of the bivalent vaccines, which protect against the original strain of the virus and its omicron subvariants. He also expressed heartfelt gratitude to the World Health Organization (WHO) and COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) for their continued assistance to the country during and after the pandemic. Above all, the President honored the vaccine manufacturers, scientists, healthcare workers, and all those whose sacrifices led the world to a state of normalcy. Mr. Marcos said that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is not only good for the one who received it, but is also good for the protection of ones family and the general public. So, we must not let our guard down. Although the rest of society the other sectors of our society have tried to move on and say the emergency is over, and certainly in a way we can say that is the case. However, it is not over completely, the President said. And that is why we should not be complacent and that is why we institute programs like this, which continue to seek to protect our vulnerable populace, (the) vulnerable sectors of our populace, and that particular demographic in this case is that of the elderly, he added. President Marcos also urged the citizens to honor the scientists, manufacturers, and healthcare workers who have dedicated their lives to coming up with vaccines against COVID-19 and taking care of those who caught the virus. Let this occasion serve as a call to every Filipino to continue doing your part [and] get updated on your COVID-19 vaccination to prevent a resurgence, (and) as a means of honoring those who sacrificed their lives during the pandemic, he added. Mr. Marcos also assured the Filipinos that the government is using science-based strategies and a whole-of-society approach in administering the COVID-19 vaccines to the public. He also urged newly appointed DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa to fortify the Departments efforts to protect the Filipino people against all health risks. I urge all of us to remain relentless in our fight against COVID-19 and all other infectious diseases that threaten the country, Mr. Marcos said. As long as we exhibit discipline, observe cleanliness and practice cooperation, we will overcome the residual challenges that are still posed by COVID-19 and emerge stronger than ever as members of a healthy, resilient, and productive Philippine society, he added. Records from the DOH showed that the Philippines has fully vaccinated 100.44 percent of the target population and inoculated 30.49 percent of the target population with the first booster doses. With this, the DOH was prompted to continue securing supplies of the bivalent vaccines in coordination with the COVAX and with other countries to protect the Filipino people from the virus and prevent its possible resurgence and transmission. The DOH has so far received 391,860 doses of Comirnaty Pfizer-BioNtech-adapted bivalent vaccines from Lithuania on June 3, which was allocated to all DOH-Centers for Health Development and the Ministry of Health-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The bivalent vaccines will be given as 3rd booster dose to the priority groups, such as healthcare workers and the elderly, and shall be administered in designated health facilities. According to DOH guidelines, healthcare workers and senior citizens who received their second booster shots at least 4 to 6 months ago are eligible for the first phase of the bivalent vaccine rollout. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. MoscowA strike has damaged a bridge linking the annexed Crimean peninsula to a region of southern Ukraine partially occupied by Russia, a Russian official said on Thursday. During the night a strike hit the Chongar bridge. There are no victims, Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-installed governor of Crimea, said on Telegram. The bridge connects Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, to the Ukrainian region of Kherson. The Russia-installed governor of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, said that Ukrainian strikes had hit bridges near Chongar, next to photos of what appeared to be gaping holes on a bridge. The strike came as Ukraine wages a counter-offensive to recapture territory occupied by Russian forces. Crimea has been regularly targeted by strikes, mostly using drones, over recent months. Meanwhile, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan will attend a Ukraine-organized meeting this weekend in Denmark, alongside representatives of multiple countries, including some that have remained neutral on Russias invasion, a Western official told AFP on Wednesday. The meeting in Copenhagen aims to discuss ways of achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, the source said. The invitees include top security officials of the United States, the European Union, and other countries that have backed Ukraine since Russia invaded last year, as well as those that have not condemned the invasion, the source added, without specifying which states. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Global mobility and urban services platform inDrive will soon offer its ride-sharing services in the Philippines, helping to solve mobility challenges in the country. The people-driven company is set to change the local ride-hailing market with its unique peer-to-peer model and service offerings that provide users with greater transparency and choice. We are looking forward to serving Filipinos and strengthening the local mobility sector, said Arsen Tomsky, inDrive founder and CEO. Ride-hailing services are not just a matter of convenience, but a necessity. As the world returns to its busy state, moving around can be a challenge, particularly for people who do not own vehicles. We hope to ease this burden, while providing opportunities for drivers to earn more. How the app works: benefits for drivers and passengers inDrives app allows passengers to propose a fare for their ride. Drivers can accept, decline or make a counter-offer, without the risk of being penalized. Unlike other mobility apps, inDrives fares are not dictated by an algorithm; the app thus provides greater transparency to both parties, giving passengers greater freedom of choice, and drivers greater control over their income. The app also provides passengers with a broad range of options when selecting their ride, including fare, expected arrival time, car model and driver rating. Similarly, drivers can choose to accept ride requests that they deem cost-efficient, profitable and convenient. Safety is paramount inDrive prioritizes passenger and driver safety. Applicant drivers go through comprehensive background checks, including verification of necessary documents, licenses, and permits. Passengers can rate their rides and provide feedback on driver behavior and service quality. In addition, the app has built-in safety features: passengers can share trip details with trusted contacts, with real-time GPS tracking during rides. The app features an emergency button to contact authorities, and has a dedicated support team on hand 24/7. The importance of Asia The Philippines is an important focus for inDrives expansion in Southeast Asia, where the company is looking to offer its services in Manila, Cebu, Davao, Bacolod and Baguio. Once it has established its presence in key cities in the country, it will seek to build partnerships with local companies, to deliver close and valuable service to its customers. Asia had the largest ride-hailing and taxi market in 2022, with a 60 percent share of the global market[1], which is forecast by Statista to hit US$330.80 billion this year[2]. In Southeast Asia alone, the ride-hailing sector is expected to be worth US$20 billion by 2025[3]. Market growth can be attributed to strong demand for more TNVS providers, amid rising mobility requirements. inDrives rapid global expansion Currently one of the worlds fastest-growing ride-hailing service platforms, inDrive was recognized by data.ai (formerly App Annie), as the second most downloaded mobility application in 2022, with around 175 million downloads worldwide. inDrive currently operates in 614 cities in 47 countries, with regional hubs in the Americas, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and countries in the CIS. Its largest markets are Mexico, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Columbia and Egypt. inDrive continues to expand globally, emphasizing emerging countries where it can help to increase social mobility in underserved communities. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Shown here are (from left) Palawan Pawnshop Palawan Express Pera Padala Executives : Catherine Caporas, Account Specialist for Banks; Missy Baldemor, B2B Department Head; Lisa Lou Castro-Sabado, Vice President for New Products and Services; Bank of the Philippine Islands Executives (BPI): John-C Syquia, Head of Institutional Banking; Reggie Cariaso, Head of Strategy, Products & Support Institutional Banking; and Roderick Lucido, Head of Domestic, Manning, and SWIFT. Palawan Express Pera Padala (PEPP), the Philippines leading remittance and money transfer brand, is proud to announce its official partnership with the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) as one of its esteemed Remit-to-Bank Account (RTA) partners. This collaboration aims to provide customers with greater convenience and efficiency in money transfer and remittance services. Through PEPPs BPI Remit-to-Account service, customers can now conveniently visit any of the 3,300 authorized branches of PEPP nationwide and transfer money to their BPI Account. The remitted money will be credited to their accounts on the same day, ensuring swift and seamless transactions. Furthermore, this service allows customers to have additional channels for their remittance needs. PEPPs branches are available even on weekends and holidays, allowing customers and sukis (loyal patrons) to access them whenever they need them. The partnership with BPI, one of the countrys largest and most trusted banking institutions, marks a significant milestone for both PEPP and BPI. This collaboration holds the promise of improved and more convenient remittance services for Filipinos nationwide. Lisa Lou Castro-Sabado, Palawan Pawnshop Groups Vice President for New Products and Services We firmly believe that this partnership will empower more Filipinos to achieve their financial goals and strengthen their connections with their loved ones by combining PEPPs expansive reach and user-friendly platforms with BPIs customer-centric approach. Together, we will realize our shared vision of making financial transactions more accessible, efficient, and secure for every Filipino, regardless of their location or circumstances, stated Lisa Lou Castro-Sabado, Palawan Pawnshop Groups Vice President for New Products and Services. We are very glad to share with Palawan Express Pera Padala the very important goal of financial inclusion. This new arrangement, along with our prior collaboration ventures, truly makes the lives of our fellow Filipinos better by facilitating the delivery of funds from Palawans network via BPIs network. This can be done even after banking hours, on holidays, and on weekends. As we pursue BPIs thrust of building a better Philippines one family, one community at a time, we are committed to providing more convenient solutions to address the financial needs of the communities and businesses that we serve. said John-C L. Syquia, BPIs Head of Institutional Banking. In addition to BPI, PEPP customers can also remit money to over 60 banks and e-wallets. This diverse range of options further enhances the flexibility and accessibility of the remittance services provided. Palawan Pawnshop Palawan Express Pera Padala is not only dedicated to innovation and improving its services but also to promoting financial inclusion in the Philippines. The company continuously seeks ways to better serve its customers and expand access to financial services for all. By leveraging technology, embracing innovation, and nurturing partnerships and synergies, Palawan Pawnshop Palawan Express Pera Padala aims to set new industry standards, making financial transactions more accessible, efficient, and secure for every Filipino. With a strong commitment to its sukis and the goal of empowering individuals to achieve their financial aspirations, Palawan Pawnshop Palawan Express Pera Padala is at the forefront of driving positive change in the remittance industry. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Heres what happened locally on June 22 over the past century, as reported in this newspaper, which went from being called the Henry Bulletin to the Daily Bulletin to the Martinsville Bulletin: 100 years ago: Mr. Samuel Morgan, of Edgewood, who is well known here having been Mayor of Martinsville at one time, was brought to Shackleford Hospital on Sunday for an appendicitis operation. Also 1923: FOR SALE: Fine pair young black match horses, work anywhere, Also wagon and harness. J.R. Wray, Martinsville, Va. 75 years ago: The new post office at Collinsville is down to business in earnest. The picture above shows Mrs. Elizabeth P. Morris, the postmistress, at the office when it opened on June 16. The first letter was to Mrs. Bettie Copeland, Martinsville Route 3, and was mailed by Mrs. W.C. Perry, of Collinsville. The first money order purchased at the office was by Midway Furniture. 50 years ago: City Manager Thomas B. Noland is expected to ask city council Tuesday to take over operation of the City Transit Co. on July 1, bringing an end to 31 years of private management of Martinsvilles only mass transit system. They city has owned the bus system since 1967, but it has been operated by a private firm 25 years ago: Dr. Chevis Horne of Kings Way Road, Martinsville, died Monday, June 22, 1998, at Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Henry County, where he had been hospitalized for several days. He was 84. The pastor emeritus of First Baptist Church of Martinsville, Dr. Horne was named associate pastor at the church in 1939 and went on to serve for 40 years before retiring in 1979. An accomplished Biblical scholar and author of nine books, including Crisis in the Pulpit, Preaching the Great Themes of the Bible and Forty Years in the Same Pulpit, Horne was often named among deans of ministers worldwide. Horne grew up in Roseboro, N.C. New College Institute (NCI) has committed $250,000 to support legal action against the foundation that began as a fundraising arm of the school. After a board meeting that lasted over four hours on Wednesday held at NCI on Fayette Street, its members came out of a closed session and voted to take legal action against MHC Academic Foundation (MHCAF), formerly New College Foundation (NCF), which was founded in 2006 to be the financial organization supporting NCI. On Feb. 7, the unexplained strained relationship between the foundation and NCI took a turn when the foundation announced it was changing its mission and reorganizing to support organizations other than NCI. In a press release on prnewswire.com the foundation stated that its new mission is to provide financial and other support for the dissemination of education in Martinsville and Henry County, Virginia, including but not limited to, support for the New College Institute. As a result, the Virginia Attorney Generals Office sent a warning letter to MHCAF Executive Director Kevin DeKoninck on Feb. 15. The letter advised DeKoninck and the MHCAF that NCF was established for the specific purpose of providing financial support and other support to New College Institute and reorganizing in such a way as to allow itself to distribute money elsewhere requires discussion, as well as clarification regarding the funds raised, endowed, or held for NCIs benefit prior to Feb. 7, to the benefit of any organization or entity other than NCI. According to the most recent Form 990, the public document that nonprofit organizations are required to file with the Internal Revenue Service, the foundation has nearly $12.2 million in assets and NCI is beginning the process to recover the funds that were originally intended solely for NCI. A press release from NCI on March 4 stated that the foundation has received significant financial support from donors who intended their charitable giving to fully support NCI, has received yearly grant monies earmarked for New College, and has received taxpayer monies utilized by the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purchase of the main campus building that the now non-functioning and defunct NCF previously owned by grants. For the past five years, despite continued efforts by NCI to engage with its own foundation, the New College Foundation has completely abandoned and abrogated its sole responsibility to provide support for NCI. At the April NCI board meeting, the board appointed members Richard Hall and Dr. Hubert Harris as its two legal liaisons. The two will consult with outside council and the Office of the Attorney General in litigation matters against the MHCAF. At the board meeting on Wednesday, the board put its vote and money behind the litigation pathway as well. I move that we authorize the transfer of $250,000 from existing funding in fiscal year 2023 to support litigation to recover taxpayer funds from the foundation and its current board, NCI Board Member state Sen. Emmett Hanger (R-Augusta County) said at the meeting. The motion has passed unanimously and now the fiscal office is directed to take such action as the motion details, NCI Board Chair state Sen. Bill Stanley (R-Moneta) said. The McDowell County Board of Commissioners held its regular third Monday meeting but didnt take action on the proposed budget for fiscal year 2023-24. Last month, County Manager Ashley Wooten gave the McDowell County Board of Commissioners a proposed $61 million budget for fiscal year 2023-24 with a 1-cent reduction on the property tax rate. The recommended budget calls for a county property tax rate of 56.75 cents per $100 valuation. Last year, the adopted budget had a tax rate of 57.75 cents per $100 valuation. The proposed county budget for next fiscal year is $61,668,108, which is $7,117,779 more than the 2022-23 budget of $54,550,329 or 13.05% greater. On Monday, June 12, the commissioners held the public hearing about the proposed budget as required by state law. Only one person spoke to the commissioners about the plan Board of Education Chairman Terry English. On Monday, June 19, the commissioners held their regular third Monday meeting. Wooten told the commissioners present that county staff is prepared to have the budget adopted that day. However, two of the board members, Chairman Tony Brown and Commissioner Patrick Ellis, were not able to attend that meeting. Vice Chairman David Walker presided over the meeting with Commissioners Chris Allison and Lynn Greene and they agreed by consensus to hold off on adopting the budget until the entire board can attend. In addition, county officials are waiting to hear from the state about funding for capital projects. One of those capital projects is the planned renovation of the McDowell County Recreation Center complex on West Court Street. In January, the McDowell County Commissioners heard an ambitious plan for the Rec Center complex on West Court Street. But the prices that came in from the bidders were far higher than expected. County officials opened the bids for this work from prospective contractors on Thursday, June 1. The lowest bid came in at $10,448,000, which is about $6,448,000 over the remaining state grant funding, said Wooten. On Monday, the commissioners talked again about this project. Wooten told them that the low bidder has agreed to hold that price for an indeterminate amount of time. County officials decided to defer action on this matter until the end of the month when they know more about state funding. In other business, the commissioners heard the regular report about the Department of Social Services from Director Bobbie Sigmon. They also approved a series of budget amendments and agreed to donate some surplus election equipment to Caldwell County. The next meeting of the McDowell County Commission will happen at 11:30 a.m. Friday, June 30. Local governments in North Carolina have to adopt a budget for next fiscal year by Friday, June 30. Even though its summer break for kids across McDowell County, they still have the opportunity to receive up to two nutritious meals a day through McDowell County Schools as the Summer Meals program is up and running for children ages 18 and younger. Meals will be provided for free for a local students with no ID or registration required. Hunger affects childrens ability to learn and it puts them at higher risk for illness and other health issues. One hungry child is one too many, according to Jon Haynes, Child Nutrition director for McDowell County Schools. Many students depend on school meals throughout the school year, but what happens when school is out? Summer nutrition programs in McDowell and other counties throughout North Carolina can help make sure that children can get the nutritious meals during the summer months and educational enrichment they need to return to school ready to learn. While cafeteria teams will be transporting meals to throughout the county schools this summer, the main prep and pickup sites will be at East McDowell Middle School and at West Marion Elementary School on weekdays all summer long, with the exception of the week of July 3-7. Breakfast will be served at both sites from 7:30-8 a.m. on weekdays, with lunch being available from 11:30 a.m. until noon at West Marion and until 12:30 p.m. at East Middle. Any student who comes in to receive a summer meal is required to consume on site as take-outs are no longer available, Haynes said. The summer meals program is very beneficial to all kids across McDowell County, but similarly to during the school year, as the nutrition is key for a significant amount of the population including those who uses the free and reduced-meals plan. For more information on summer meals sites, text FOODNC to 304-304 or call 1-866-3HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or in Spanish 1-877-8HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273). Additional information on summer meals can be found at https://summermeals4nckids.org. James Robert Elliott, of Aurora, is seen holding an American flag and yelling a war cry outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Joseph Prezioso/Getty/AFP) An Aurora man who was an admitted member of the far-right Proud Boys group was sentenced Thursday to more than three years in federal prison for using a flagpole to assault officers trying to hold back the violent mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and later bragging in a text message that hed bonked 2 cops. The 37-month sentence handed to James Robert Elliott in U.S. District Court in Washington marked the stiffest term for any of the more than three dozen Illinoisans charged so far in the Capitol breach. Advertisement Elliott, 25, who also goes by Jim Bob, was charged in 2021 with six counts, including civil disorder, assault of a federal officer, entering a restricted building with a dangerous weapon and carrying out an act of violence on Capitol grounds. He pleaded guilty in November to a single count of assault, admitting in a plea agreement that hed met up in Washington for a speech by then-President Donald Trump and later marched with fellow Proud Boys on the Capitol. Advertisement In asking for a sentence of up to 3 years behind bars, federal prosecutors revealed in a recent court filing that Elliotts actions on Jan. 6 caught his fellow Proud Boys attention and he found himself quickly nominated for the highest degree of membership in the neo-fascist organization. PB is calling me lord Jimbob and (expletive), and Im getting nominated for a 4th degree, Elliott texted to a friend in 2021, according to the prosecution filing. In asking for leniency, Elliott wrote a letter to U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth saying, I have since left the Proud Boys and Im doing my best to continue to move my life in a positive direction after being arrested. It was NEVER my intention to hurt anyone and the fact that I may have done just that in the heat of the moment brings no end of shame and regret to me, his letter stated. His attorney, James Welsh, said Elliott was a naive young man who was frustrated and fed up with what was happening in America and went to Washington to see his President speak, not to harm anyone or try to overthrow the government. His backpack was full of medical supplies, not weapons, to assist the injured, Welsh wrote. According to his plea, Elliott traveled from Aurora to Washington on the day before the attack with the intention to protest the certification of the Electoral College results from the 2020 presidential election. On the morning of Jan. 6, Elliott marched with other Proud Boys members from the Washington Monument to the Capitol grounds while wearing a ballistic vest, hard-knuckle gloves and a radio, and carrying an American flag with a wooden pole, according to the plea. Advertisement Elliott passed barriers and crossed into the restricted area on the west side of the Capitol, then donned a helmet, faced the crowd and thrust the flag in the air, yelling, Patriots, what is your occupation? Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh! a phrase inspired by a battle cry from the movie 300, according to the plea. A few minutes later, as officers sought to replace bicycle-rack barriers holding back the mob, Elliott swung his flagpole at officers and then thrust the flagpole forward into the police line, making contact with one officer, the plea stated. Elliott then ran to the base of some inauguration scaffolding, where he repeated the war cry. He was repelled by gas before he was able to proceed through the scaffolding and did not advance further toward the Capitol Building, the plea stated. Later, Elliott sent text messages bragging about how his rally cry energized the crowd, according to the plea. Oh dude wana know one more two thing? I bonked 2 cops, Elliott wrote in one text, according to the plea. Never thought Id say that lol. Elliott was arrested in west suburban Batavia on Dec. 20, 2021. At a detention hearing in Chicagos federal court, prosecutors said agents found bear spray in Elliotts backpack when executing a search warrant on his home. Advertisement Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > Video footage from the Capitol riot showed Elliott carrying the American flag on a pole emblazoned with a Greek phrase that translates to Come and take them, a phrase commonly used by individuals and groups as an anti-government rallying cry, Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Bond said at the time. As the crowd surges toward police chanting Four more years! and attempting to break through some metal barriers, Elliott allegedly can be seen swinging the flagpole in a downward motion at police causing at least one glancing blow on an officers head. Elliott then turns the flagpole and thrusts it horizontally toward an officers face, Bond said. The cops are getting sprayed, theres a (expletive) fight right here! the person shooting the video yells. Elliott was among at least 38 Illinoisans charged so far in the Capitol breach. The ongoing investigation has been described by prosecutors as the largest criminal investigation in the countrys history. To date, more than 1,000 people from across the country have been arrested, including nearly 350 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the most recent figures from the U.S. Department of Justice. Unlike Elliott, most of those arrested in Illinois have faced only misdemeanor charges alleging they illegally entered the Capitol, but were not violent or destructive, and so far only a handful have faced any jail time. Advertisement jmeisner@chicagotribune.com Are you tired of the mean-spirited sniping that passes for political discourse these days? If you are, there is good news. Talking About Politics, after a break of a couple of years, is back. Two experienced commentators, one Democrat and the other a Republican, have resurrected their popular blog in which they exchange views on current politics. These two first met head-on back in 1984 when Gary Pearce was working for Democrat Jim Hunt in his campaign to defeat Jesse Helms, who was running for re-election to the Senate. Carter Wrenn was working for Helms. Back then, Wrenn and Pearce fought each other head-to-head. Today, their blog Talking About Politics is a joint effort and an opportunity for them to broadcast their respective political ideas and, from time to time, to correct each other. Their respective views are aired politely and respectfully. I talked to them the other day about their ideas of what issues will be important in the 2024 elections. According to Pearce, abortion will be a dominating issue. He noted that traditionally in North Carolina, Democrats have been reluctant and wary of jumping on that issue. In the Bible Belt, people are uncomfortable talking about things like abortion. But with the Supreme Court last year knocking down Roe v Wade, and with the legislature passing, not just a 12-week ban, but [there are also] 47 pages of provisions that go farther than that. He noted that State Sen. Rachel Hunt, daughter of former Gov. Jim Hunt and candidate for lieutenant governor, has already staked out the issue. Im running for lieutenant governor because the Republican plan isnt this years 12-week abortion ban; its next years total abortion ban, she said. This campaign will be loud and unapologetic in our opposition to GOP extremism. Wrenn acknowledged that abortion creates problems for some Republican candidates running in competitive districts. Last year, a friend of mine, a Republican consultant, brought a candidate running for state senate to see me. He said, were being told by the state senate committee just to ignore abortion. It doesnt matter. And its the economy that matters. Wrenn told the candidate and the consultant, I dont think thats going to work out, because I think youre going to have to go out there and defend your stand on abortion. Wrenn continued, What Republicans want to do to limit abortions is not popular. Theyre going to have to fight a fight to convince people what theyre doing is reasonable. And they [the candidate and consultant] didnt do anything. They ignored it and they got beat. It is a challenge to Republicans because what they say they believe is not popular with swing voters. And what they have to do is go out there and convince voters. Wrenn explained, What they have to do is show people why what they want to do makes some sense. If they dont do that, then they lose. In other words, if public opinions going in one direction and youre going in another, your choice is to try to change public opinion or to act like a politician and change your position. And I think the mistake Republicans are making on abortion is theyre not trying to change public opinion. They may not be able to; they may lose that fight, but I dont think they can dodge it. Wrenn and Pearce also talked about Donald Trump and Joe Biden and the strengths and weaknesses of Republican candidates for governor, Dale Folwell and Mark Robinson. Wrenn also announced that he has been working on a memoir. There is no schedule for its release, but those interested in North Carolina politics will be waiting for it to hit the shelves. In the meantime, we can keep up with the views of Wrenn and Pearce at their website, talkingaboutpolitics.com. Radical Islamist al-Shebab attacked a military base 450 kilometers west of the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday, police and witnesses said, as the African Union force in Somalia (Atmis) began withdrawing from the country. Al-Shebab, who claimed responsibility for the assault in a statement, launched several suicide attacks against the Bardhere base where Ethiopian and Somali soldiers are stationed. There are several casualties, but we dont have the details so far, said Abdi Bare, a policeman from Bardhere, adding that the situation had returned to normal. Bardhere resident Bare Hassan confirmed the attack, referring to heavy gunfire. Somalia, one of the worlds poorest countries, has been facing an insurgency for over 15 years by radical Islamists affiliated to al-Qaeda, the Shebab, who wish to establish Islamic law. To counter this insurgency, in 2007 the African Union deployed a force of 20,000 military, police and civilian personnel from Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya, known as Amisom. Atmis took over from Amisom in April 2022, with the aim of handing over full responsibility for the countrys security to Somali forces by the end of 2024. This latest attack, claimed by al-Shebab, comes as Atmis began to withdraw from Somalia, in line with a UN resolution endorsing the withdrawal of 2,000 soldiers by the end of June 2023, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the African Union force. Somali soldiers have taken over from Atmis forces at a base in Hirshabelle state, in the center of the country, the statement continued. Somalias President Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud has declared total war on al-Shebab, and in September launched a military offensive, supported in particular by US airstrikes. But the al-Shebab continue to carry out bloody attacks in retaliation, underlining their ability to strike at the heart of Somali towns and military installations. The Angolan Union of Higher Education Teachers (Sinpes) may resume the strike, deliberated in the general assembly of workers for the 27th of this month, due to the lack of news from the Government in the resolution of the demands. We are just now finishing the meeting, basically what occurred in fact is that we were invited to say that there is no news, in short we can say that, said the spokesman for Sinpes. Antonio Augusto stressed that the date of June 27, for the strike to resume in case there is no consensus, is contained in a deliberation that had decided to interpolate the strike by one month. According to the Sinpes spokesman, there are still five days left until the deadline, and concern was left with the Government that they will still prevent a return to strike action. But for that to happen, we need something tangible to present to the members and maybe then they will change their minds, because we are at the end of the year, he stressed. The union member said that the teachers are aware that the two points that oppose the Government transcend the level of the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation, noting that this matter had already been sent to the holder of the executive power. At issue is the salary readjustment, the health subsidy, whose values are out of line with the current reality. We are asking for decent salaries, we cant talk about increases, because it is readjustment. If we go back in time we will see that auxiliary teachers already earned a salary, at the exchange rate at the time of one dollar for 10 kwanzas, equivalent to 3,000 dollars, which today is equivalent to less than 500 dollars, he said. Kenyas Minister of Commerce was in turmoil on Wednesday June 21, after publicly denigrating a media group, accusing it of rolling for the opposition and calling its journalists prostitutes. The opposition and journalists Associations called for a boycott of the minister, Moses Koria, saying that after these statements, he was not worthy of working for the State. At a public event on Sunday, Mr. Koria had attacked the Nation Media Group (NMG), one of the largest media groups in East Africa, owned by the Aga Khan. In particular, he threatened to sack any government official who did business with NMG, questioning whether the latter was a media group or an opposition party. In a tweet published in Swahili, he also referred to the prostitutes of the Aga Khan, in reference to the groups journalists, claiming that they had admitted to being forced by their superiors and management to write anti-Government articles as part of a scheme funded by a former President. NMG reacted by pointing out that the ministers diatribe came after one of its channels, NTV, broadcast an investigative report on Sunday about a possible import scandal within Mr. Korias ministry. Mr. Korias gratuitous verbal attack is not only unworthy of a public servant of his level, it is also an attack on press freedom, the cornerstone of democracy, reacted the Daily Nation, one of the countrys leading dailies and owned by NMG, in an editorial on Tuesday. An opposition Senator, Edwin Sifuna, tabled a motion of censure against Mr. Koria this week, pointing out that attacks on one media outlet often lead to attacks on press freedom in general. On Wednesday, members of opposition leader Raila Odingas party walked out of a Senate session to protest against Mr. Korias arrival on the scene, and the fact that they were forbidden to ask him questions. I will not apologize, Mr. Koria, who has been in the spotlight this week after signing a major trade agreement with the European Union on behalf of his country, told reporters on Wednesday. The Kenya Union of Journalists (KUJ) said the minister had become a symbol of national shame, while the countrys Media Owners Association said his remarks disqualified him from holding any public office. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Flyers created for the study (A) Front of flyer, (B) Back of flyer. Credit: Frontiers in Oncology (2022). DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.841951 Prajakta Adsul, MBBS, Ph.D., MPH, saw the void in 2018 when she worked at the National Cancer Institute and helped the United States Preventive Services Task Force develop guidelines for cervical cancer screening. "When reviewing the evidence," she says. "There was no data about cancer screening in LGBTQIA+ individuals. At that moment, I realized it was a gap in our cervical cancer prevention research. We have to do better." After joining The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center in 2019, Adsul learned about LGBTQIA+ communities in New Mexico through her interactions with fellow cancer scientist, Miria Kano, Ph.D. That learning inspired her to start filling the LGBTQIA+ void in cancer research. But she faced a daunting challenge: how to reach these seemingly hard to reach people during a pandemic? "I am a recently naturalized citizen of [the United States of] America, and I am a cis-gender, heterosexual person," Adsul says. "For me to learn about the LGBTQIA+ community and to understand barriers to health care faced by the community was a steep learning curve. I was committed to learning in a sensitive and appropriate manner while being respectful of the community's strengths." Guided and supported by her research team, Adsul discovered that LGBTQIA+ peoplejust like any other group of peopleare not so hard to reach if you learn how to reach them, at least in New Mexico. Crafting the survey questions for LGBTQIA+ communities was the most important task, because the LGBTQIA+ spectrum comprises many subgroups. The survey questions had to be posed appropriately and in a way that heeded nuances in terminology and understanding. The questions were adapted from the Stanford PRIDE study questionnaires, and the researchers also sought input from several resources such as the National Academies' Measuring Sex, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation and the UNM Health Sciences Library's LGBTQIA+ Health Resources online guide. Adsul's research team, including Kano, Molly McClain, MD, and Emily Wu, MD, then partnered with a marketing team affiliated with the United States Postal Services, and used a combination of mailed flyers and social media to reach LGBTQIA+ people. Their strategy included direct mail, social media posts and digital advertising, and it focused on reaching rural areas of New Mexico, not just metro areas. "We sent out 27,000 flyers and made around 430,000 impressions online," Adsul says. And, she says, McClain and Wu personally handed out flyers and talked to their patients about the research. The carefully and sensitively worded survey questions yielded an overwhelmingly positive response from the New Mexico LGBTQIA+ community: the team confirmed responses from more than 2,500 people. The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Oncology. "All of these were real people," Adsul proudly says, adding that the task of verifying each response was led by Katie Myers, who was a UNM medical student at the time, with help from Talya Jaffe, a current UNM medical student. The survey participants represented LGBTQIA+ subgroups. Adsul also points out that that approximately 30% of the survey respondents were cancer survivors. The team is working to understand the needs of the cancer survivors better, with the help of residents in the UNM Department of Internal Medicine who are now involved in the project. "We are so grateful for the participation of New Mexico's LGBTQIA+ community," says Adsul. "Approximately 70% of the participants in our survey wanted to hear about our results." But, not being trained in communications, Adsul and her scientific team turned to a community engagement studio held through the UNM Clinical Translational Science Center. There, they shared the results of this study and asked the LGBTQIA+ community members how best to communicate study findings and reach out to others. Adsul and her team are preparing further studies and additional publications. "'Reaching the Hard-to-Reach' is such a misnomer," Adsul says. "If you ask in a sensitive and appropriate way and are methodological and systematic in your approach, you can reach LGBTQIA+ populations and they will give you important answers about their health." More information: Katie J. Myers et al, Reaching the "Hard-to-Reach" Sexual and Gender Diverse Communities for Population-Based Research in Cancer Prevention and Control: Methods for Online Survey Data Collection and Management, Frontiers in Oncology (2022). DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.841951 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Researchers used a series of four simple icons to test how well adults and children paid attention. Credit: Jung, Finn, et al. A team of researchers has shown that children's apparent inability to pay attention allows them to outperform adults when it comes to retaining information they were instructed to disregard. The researchers' study shows that, as expected, adults do a great job of focusing their attention on an assigned task and do not pay attention to information they are told to ignore. Children, on the other hand, take in the secondary information they are instructed to ignore when given the same task. The information is then encoded in their brains. "What we found is that children's brains can hold information in a way that adults' brains do not," says Yaelan Jung, who worked on the study as a graduate student at the University of Toronto and in her current position as a postdoctoral researcher at Emory University. "Although it's not a foreign idea that children have poorer attention abilities than adults, we did not know how this poor attention would impact the way their brains receive and hold other information," she says. "Our study fills this knowledge gap and shows that children's poor attention leads them to hold more information from the world than adults." The team described their study in a paper published in The Journal of Neuroscience. In addition to Jung, the authors include: Tess Forest, who also contributed to the study as a graduate student at U of T and in her current position as a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University; and Dirk Bernhardt-Walther and Amy Finnboth associate professors in the Faculty of Arts & Science's department of psychology. "It's not simply that children's ability to pay attention is bad and they're unable to disregard distractors," says Finn. "Our study suggests that their brains are built to be sensitive to all information, regardless of whether it's relevant or notthat kids are more sensitive to more information. "Depending on your definition of childhood, humans are children for eight or nine years," she says. "Compared to other species, that's a long time and one explanation for such a lengthy childhood is that we humans have so much learning to do. Another is that it's important for our IQ to take in as much information as we do. Still another is that we need to take in all this information as children in order to wire our brains properly, to develop the circuits and pathways for processing information." The study involved 24 adults with a mean age of 23 years and 26 children with a mean age of 8 years. The team asked the participants to observe a series of four static illustrations: a bumble bee, a car, a chair and a tree. Each image was accompanied by a background of gray dots moving in one of four directions: up, down, left and right. In one phase of the study, subjects were instructed to ignore the moving dots and press a button when an objectsay, the bumblebeeappeared more than once. In another phase, they were asked to ignore the objects and press a button when the direction of motion of the dots was repeated. Subjects carried out their task while in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine at the Toronto Neuroimaging Facility at the University of Toronto. As they performed the task, the MRI measured the subjects' brain activity which revealed how attention shapes what is represented in subjects' brains. "What we found in this study provides a novel way to think about what brain development means," says Jung. "Often, we assume that as the brain develops it will do more and do things better. Thus, we often think that adults are better and smarter than kids. However, our work shows this is not always the case. Rather, children's brains may just do things differently than adultsand consequently, they can sometimes do more than adults." Added Finn, "The study suggests that this approach of being more sensitive to the broader environment, at the cost of paying attention to specific things, is better for understanding complex systems. It may help form a higher level of understanding of our full environment. "So, I look at kids as these little information-processing creatures better able to represent more of the world, with brains that more accurately reflect the world than ours." More information: Yaelan Jung et al, Neither Enhanced Nor Lost: The Unique Role of Attention in Children's Neural Representations, The Journal of Neuroscience (2023). DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0159-23.2023 Journal information: Journal of Neuroscience This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: (A) Cellular origin and concepts on tumoral heterogeneity in SCLC concerning morphology, key characteristics, and genomic alterations (B) in 1985 and (C) today. ASCL1 indicates achaete-scute homolog 1; ATOH1, atonal bHLH transcription factor 1; NE, neuroendocrine; NEUROD1, neurogenic differentiation factor 1; PNEC, pulmonary neuroendocrine cells; POU2F3, POU class 2 homeobox 3; Rb1, retinoblastoma 1; SCLC, small cell lung cancer. Credit: CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (2023). DOI: 10.3322/caac.21785 Small-cell lung cancer is a particularly aggressive type of tumor with a consistently high mortality rate. In recent years, the research of scientists at MedUni Vienna's Department of Thoracic Surgery has significantly contributed to a better understanding and new therapeutic approaches in this malignant disease. Their comprehensive overview of new insights and advances in small-cell lung cancer has just been published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. The key findings of Balazs Dome's team from the Department of Thoracic Surgery at MedUni Vienna primarily consist of new insights into the biology and heterogeneity of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). In collaboration with colleagues from Sweden, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and the United States, the researchers previously demonstrated that SCLC can be categorized into different subgroups which are associated with varying clinical behaviors and potentially new therapeutic strategies. They also demonstrated that certain combinations of multiple drugs represent a particularly promising therapeutic approach in patients with characteristic molecular SCLC profiles. Approximately 15% of lung cancer patients are affected by small-cell lung cancer. This particularly aggressive tumor, which usually occurs in smokers, grows rapidly, has an increased tendency to metastasize, and a high mortality rate. According to Balazs Dome, conventional therapies have reached their plateau of effectiveness in SCLC. "With our research work, we have already created the basis for the development of targeted, personalized therapeutic approaches, which we now want to advance further," Dome states, announcing further research. More information: Zsolt Megyesfalvi et al, Clinical insights into small cell lung cancer: Tumor heterogeneity, diagnosis, therapy, and future directions, CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (2023). DOI: 10.3322/caac.21785 This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: More than 7,500 people were killed last year after being struck by vehicles while walking along or across U.S. roadwaysthe most pedestrian deaths in more than four decades, according to a new report. This sobering trend was not surprising to experts who track the numbers. But they were dismayed by the consistent increaseup 77% since 2010. "This is unacceptable. It's really mind-boggling. It hard to wrap your head around, at least it's hard for me to wrap my head, 20 deaths every single day," said Adam Snider, a spokesman for the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), which reported state-by-state numbers this week. "And then when you think about how many people each single death affects: family members, neighbors, friends, mentors, pastors, how many other people we touch in our daily lives," Snider said. "To think of all those ripple effects, I'm sometimes at a loss for words, just with how unfortunate and awful the situation is." While pedestrian deaths have been rising sharply over the past dozen years, other traffic-related deaths also increased but at a lower 25%. GHSA used data from state highway safety offices in 49 states and Washington, D.C., for its report. Oklahoma did not provide state data, but has averaged 92 deaths annually in recent years. The projected 7,508 pedestrian deaths nationwide last year was up 1% from 2021. In 2021, about 77% of pedestrian fatalities happened after dark. Nighttime crash deaths have increased by 86% since 2010, compared to a 31% increase in daytime pedestrian deaths, according to the report. Passenger cars accounted for most crashes, but deaths involving SUVs increased at a faster rate. These bigger and heavier vehicles, along with light trucks, can cause more harm to a pedestrian in a crash. "Some of these larger vehicles, the driver's sight lines are not nearly as good. It's harder to see people close to the vehicle, so it can be harder to prevent a collision," Snider said. "Larger and heavy vehicles are definitely one of the factors behind the awful surge in deaths." One recent positive is a rule proposed by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding pedestrian automatic emergency braking, Snider said. This would mandate systemsalready available in some vehiclesthat would detect pedestrians and automatically apply the brakes if the driver fails to do so in time. About 69% of pedestrian fatalities happened in places with no sidewalks in 2021, up from 59% in 2017. Sidewalks can protect people by separating them from vehicle traffic, but other infrastructure designs such as raised crosswalks and traffic calming devices that slow vehicles down, can provide even more protection, GHSA said. Speeding was involved in 8% of pedestrian deaths in 2021. About 60% happened on non-freeway arterial roads, which have more traffic and higher speeds. About 18% of pedestrian deaths happened on freeways, including those involving stranded motorists and first responders. Racial and ethnic minorities bear a growing burden in traffic deaths. While data from 2021 or 2022 were not yet available, data from 2018 to 2020 showed that deaths for white pedestrians dropped from 47% to 41%, but grew from 19% to 20% for Black individuals and from 20% to 21% for Hispanic people. "One of the big things is there has been a historic and systemic underinvestment in infrastructure in these communities of color, things like sidewalks, lighting, crosswalks, slow speeds, road designs that slow down drivers and force vehicles to go at speeds that are safer for pedestrians," Snider said. Nick Ferenchak, center director for the USDOT Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and an assistant professor at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, was not surprised by its results. "It's a big complex issue. We don't really fully understand why these numbers keep on rising," said Ferenchak, who was not involved in the research. Pedestrian and bicycle fatalities in the United States had been trending downward between about 1980 and 2010, he said. Then they sharply reversed and have continued to do so over a dozen years. Data don't prove why, but one hypothesis is the increased use of smartphones. "All that progress that was made over 30 years, we've just about lost that," Ferenchak said. Among the other changes he noted was a shift in pedestrian deaths from downtown areas to suburbs in the past decade, though arterial roadways still are more common sites. "More pedestrians are being killed and seriously injured out further into the suburbs," Ferenchak said. "We don't know if something changed about those suburbs that they got less safe or are there just more pedestrians all of a sudden walking out in our suburbs, but that's something we've been identifying and we're hoping to dig a bit further into, to figure out why exactly that's happening." While researchers would like to better understand what's happening, they do know what might work for reduction, including getting speeds under control, and providing better and more crossing infrastructure, Ferenchak said. "Not only is it terrible that all these people are being killed, but also think about these safety issues as a main barrier to people being out there walking and biking," he said. "Lots of people are being killed on these streets, but there's a lot of people that are saying, 'Those streets are so unsafe, I'm not even going to try to walk or bike out there.' And then that's holding us back from environmental emissions goals, and it's holding us back from public health goals and air pollution and equity concerns." The GHSA recommends designing and building safer roadways, engaging with homeless individuals, educating new drivers, and focusing on enforcement for dangerous traffic behaviors. Drivers can themselves make a big difference, using 100% of their attention whenever they're behind the wheel, Snider said. "We have to tackle this from every angle that we can to try to make a dent in these figures and reverse this crisis," he said. The preliminary numbers were posted on the GHSA website June 22. More information: The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has more safe driving tips. Copyright 2023 HealthDay. All rights reserved. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A new research perspective titled "Targeting GITR in cancer immunotherapythere is no perfect knowledge" has been published in Oncotarget. In this new perspective, researchers Diwakar Davar and Roberta Zappasodi from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), University of Pittsburgh, Weill Cornell Medical College, and Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences discuss the glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related protein (GITR), belonging to the TNFR superfamily (TNFRSF) and stimulating both the acquired and innate immunity. GITR is broadly expressed on immune cells, particularly regulatory T cells (Tregs) and natural killer (NK) cells. "Given its potential to promote T effector function and impede Treg immune suppression, GITR is an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy," the authors state. Preclinically, GITR agonists have demonstrated potent anti-tumor efficacy singly and in combination with a variety of agents, including PD-1 blockade. Multiple GITR agonists have been advanced into the clinic, although the experience with these agents has been disappointing. Recent mechanistic insights into the roles of antibody structure, valency, and Fc functionality in mediating anti-tumor efficacy may explain some of the apparent inconsistency or discordance between preclinical data and observed clinical efficacy. Overall, the clinical results obtained so far with GITR agonist agents have demonstrated specific immune effects in the expected immune cell populations based on preclinical studies. However, these effects have not produced substantial therapeutic activity in human cancer patients. A maturing understanding of the immune responses to GITR agonism in human cancer has clarified novel issues specific to drug development in this space including Ab structure (monospecific and bispecific mAbs and co-stimulatory GITR ligands), Ab valency, and Fc functionality. "This improved understanding of the immune responses to GITR agonism in patients should be kept in consideration for the design of novel rational combinations or treatment regimens in earlier disease settings where immunotherapy is gradually becoming the treatment of choice," say the researchers. More information: Diwakar Davar et al, Targeting GITR in cancer immunotherapythere is no perfect knowledge, Oncotarget (2023). DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28461 Journal information: Oncotarget Provided by Impact Journals LLC This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A new study led by researchers from the Mass General Brigham healthcare system suggests that taking a "food is medicine" approach could increase nutrition security for families and lead to reductions in body mass index (BMI) in children. Working together with the MGH Food Pantry, researchers from the Massachusetts General for Children and Boston Children's Hospital examined whether providing weekly plant-based foods to families seeking food assistance during the pandemic led to weight changes among children. The team found an association between increasing receipt of food packages and decreased BMI. The findings, published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, add to a growing body of evidence that providing plant-based foods could be a useful strategy to prevent childhood obesity in children from food-insecure families. "It's important to encourage healthy eating habits during childhood to help prevent co-morbidities associated with obesity later in life, but many families to do not have access to expensive healthy foods, such as produce," said senior author Lauren Fiechtner, MD, MPH, Director of the Pediatric Nutrition Center at Mass General for Children and Health and Research Advisor at The Greater Boston Food Bank. "Food pantries like MGH Revere that can provide families with healthy foods are a huge help in making sure that kids have a long, healthy future and have the best cardiovascular and metabolic health possible from a young age." Food insecurity increased by 55% percent in the United States in 2020, affecting 42% of households with children. This increase was driven by a variety of factors, such as the economic impacts of the pandemic, the closure of schools, and disruption of food supply chains. As food insecurity increased, so did the prevalence of childhood obesity, rising from 19.3% to 22.4% between August 2019 and August 2020. For families dealing with food insecurity, the challenge is usually one of food quality as much as food quantity. "Children in families with food insecurity are frequently skipping meals or skipping food for a whole day because their family does not have enough money for food," said Fiechtner. "One way for parents to stretch a tight food budget and make sure their children are at least eating something is to buy the cheapest foods available, which are often not nutritious and contribute to obesity and other health problems." To help mitigate the impacts of pandemic-related food insecurity on childhood obesity, the MGH Revere Food Pantry provided weekly plant-based food packages to families seeking food assistance. The packages contained fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains, and were adjusted to family size to provide enough for three meals per day for each member of the household. Between January 1, 2021, and February 1, 2022, 107 children from 93 families, received weekly food packages, averaging about 27 packages per family for the whole study period. The food packages were provided by the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Revere Food Pantry, a partnership between MGH and The Greater Boston Food Bank. The MGH Revere Food Pantry has provided healthy food and nutritional education to families in the greater Boston area since it opened its doors in 2020. "For dozens of families, the MGH Revere Food Pantry was a literal lifeline during the pandemic by providing free weekly packages of healthy food for the entire household," said study co-author Jacob Mirsky, MD, MA, DipABLM, Medical Director of the MGH Revere Food Pantry. The researchers examined BMI during a baseline period prior to receiving food packages and then during a follow-up period using the Mass General Brigham electronic health record. At the start of the study, 57% of children in the study aged 2-18 years had a BMI at or above the 85th percentile. At follow-up, this number was reduced to 49%. The researchers also saw a decrease in BMI with each additional food family package received and estimated that children in households who received 27 weeks or more of packages may have had a BMI decrease of 1.08 kg/m2 or more. While the study focused specifically on the pandemic, the research suggests that these findings could carry over into strategies to address broader issues of food insecurity in the future. "There was an immediate value to providing these food packages to support families during the pandemic, but we also enabled families and children to make healthier food choices, which we know is important to introduce when children are young," said first author Allison Wu, MD MPH, Attending Physician in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition at Boston Children's Hospital. Wu is a research collaborator and former research fellow in the Harvard-Wide Pediatric Health Services Research Program. "This kind of support is not only important for their BMI in childhood, but also in informing how they choose foods and influencing what foods their families are preparing for them to promote overall health." More information: Allison J. Wu et al, Plant-Based Family Food Packages and Weight Change in Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Preventing Chronic Disease (2023). DOI: 10.5888/pcd20.220336 Advertisement For 25 years, Grace Barry led the Economic Club of Chicagos day-to-day leadership as the president and executive director of the influential, invite-only private business and public policy club. Barry oversaw the staff of the club, which long has brought a variety of speakers including eight U.S. presidents to Chicago. During her tenure, Barry increased the reach and influence of the club, colleagues said. Advertisement She did a spectacular job, said Madison Dearborn Partners founder and chairman emeritus John Canning Jr., a former chairman of the Economic Club of Chicago. She did such a fabulous job of really establishing it as the business club in the city the place where, (for) people who wanted to address the city whether they were political people or corporate heads the first place to call was the Economic Club. And she did it almost single-handedly, because she had a small office, with just three or four or five people. Barry, 82, died of natural causes on May 6 at her Lakeview home, said her daughter, Catherine Barry Binney. She had been battling Alzheimers disease for the past 12 years. Grace Barry. (Family photo) Born Grace Ann Carroll in the South Side Beverly neighborhood, Barry grew up in Beverly and was the daughter of a precinct captain. She graduated from Mother McAuley High School and earned a bachelors degree in English from Barat College in 1963. After college, Barry helped form the Chicago Area Lay Movement, which was a nonprofit, nonsectarian educational assistance program formed by high school and college students desiring to volunteer their time to help underprivileged children. Barry also helped handle the media for the delegation from Chicago to Rome for the Second Vatican Council. Barry worked on Robert F. Kennedys presidential campaign until his assassination in 1968, and shortly afterward moved with her then-husband to Buffalo, where she remained active in politics and worked on George McGoverns 1972 presidential campaign. While in Buffalo, Barry began working for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and after a divorce, she returned to her native Chicago in 1980 and continued working for HUD. Barry then shifted gears and began working in Chicago as the project director for the cable TV company Cablevision Systems as it submitted a bid to provide cable TV service in Chicago. Cablevision initially was awarded the lakefront franchise, but ultimately could not finalize terms with the city. In 1985, Barry joined City Hall as Chicagos assistant cable commissioner. In 1986, Barry shifted gears again, signing on as the Economic Club of Chicagos executive director. She was promoted to be the groups president in 1998. She liked bringing people together for the better good of the city, her daughter said. The Economic Club was like a mission for my mother. It wasnt about rubbing elbows with people or about her promoting herself, but it was about keeping the standards of the Economic Club while also growing it. She would bring together people who she felt needed to know each other to make the city a better place. She was so good at getting speakers. Advertisement During Barrys time running the Economic Club of Chicago, it hosted a large number of speakers whose remarks often would make the news. A sampling of the speakers included former Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Jimmy Carter, then-President George W. Bush, then-U.S. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, then-Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, General Motors Corp. Chairman Roger Smith, World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn, former FCC Chairman Newton Minow, Ted Turner, then-NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, then-Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan and then-Mexican President Vicente Fox. Barry was close friends with Mayor Richard M. Daley and his wife, Maggie. However, her reach extended far beyond Chicagos City Hall. She had a vast network of connections, so she was able to bring prominent world leaders and influential CEOs to speak at the club, said retired Jenner & Block partner Joan Hall. Grace served as president of the Economic Club at a time when not many Chicago institutions were led by women. Canning called Barry a very gentle woman not what youd expect from someone in such a high-powered position. She was very understated and just had a nice way about her that people wanted to be involved with her and wanted to please her, and she did it without being overbearing, he said. She was just the person youd like to be around. She built a great, great club. Advertisement Michael Krauss, co-founder of Market Strategy Group, recalled Barrys great concern for Chicago and Chicagoans. Afternoon Briefing Weekdays Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy > She cared about individuals and she gave me a chance to participate as a young member of the Economic Club, Krauss said. I admired Grace for her strength of character, her commitment to Chicago, her caring nature and her willingness to get behind a cause. Barry retired from the Economic Club of Chicago in 2011. Outside of work, Barry owned a coffee shop for two years inside a Waterstones bookstore at 840 N. Michigan Ave. She then teamed up with public relations executive Barbara Burrell to form a partnership, Grabur International, which from 1996 until 2003 owned 30% of a company operating 31 newsstands and gift shops at OHare International Airport while Waterstones parent, W.H. Smith, owned the other 70%. Barry sold her stake in their partnership to Burrell in 2003. Barry also served on Chicagos cable TV Commission in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She was a life director of the Joffrey Ballet, and she was involved in the successful effort to persuade the dance company to move from New York to Chicago in 1995. A marriage ended in divorce. In addition to her daughter, Barry is survived by three grandchildren and a sister, Eileen Dolehide. Advertisement A service was held. Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: CC0 Public Domain Evidence is mounting that astronauts are more susceptible to infections while in space. For example, astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS) commonly suffer from skin rashes, as well as respiratory and non-respiratory diseases. Astronauts are also known to shed more live virus particles; for example, the Epstein-Barr virus, varicella-zoster responsible for shingles, herpes-simplex-1 responsible for sores, and cytomegalovirus. These observations suggest that our immune system might be weakened by space travel. But what could cause such an immune deficit? "Here we show that the expression of many genes related to immune functions rapidly decreases when astronauts reach space, while the opposite happens when they return to Earth after six months aboard the ISS," said Dr. Odette Laneuville, an associate professor at the Department of Biology of the University of Ottawa, leading author of a new study in Frontiers in Immunology. The researchers studied gene expression in leukocytes (white blood cells) in a cohort of 14 astronauts, including three women and 11 men, who had resided on board the ISS for between 4.5 and 6.5 months between 2015 and 2019. Leukocytes were isolated from 4 milliliters blood drawn from each astronaut at 10 time points: once pre-flight, four times in flight, and five times back on Earth. There and back again In total, 15,410 genes were found to be differentially expressed in leukocytes. Among these genes, the researchers identified two clusters, with 247 and 29 genes respectively, which changed their expression in tandem along the studied timeline. Genes in the first cluster were dialed down when reaching space and back up when returning to Earth, while genes in the second followed the opposite pattern. Both clusters mostly consisted of genes that code for proteins, but with a difference: Their predominant function was related to immunity for the genes in the first cluster, and to cellular structures and functions for the second. These results suggest that when someone travels to space, these changes in gene expression cause a rapid decrease in the strength of their immune system. "A weaker immunity increases the risk of infectious diseases, limiting astronauts' ability to perform their demanding missions in space. If an infection or an immune-related condition was to evolve to a severe state requiring medical care, astronauts while in space would have limited access to care, medication, or evacuation," said Dr. Guy Trudel, a rehabilitation physician and researcher at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine of the University of Ottawa. Return to usual levels back on Earth But there is a silver lining to this cloud: The data showed that most genes in either cluster returned to their pre-flight level of expression within one year after return on Earth, and typically much sooneron average, after a few weeks. These results suggest that returning astronauts run an elevated risk of infection for at least one month after landing back on Earth. In contrast, the authors don't yet know how long it takes before immune resistance is fully back to its pre-flight strength. Tthe length of this period is likely to depend on age, sex, genetic differences, and childhood exposure to pathogens. The authors hypothesized that the change in gene expression of leukocytes under microgravity is triggered by "fluid shift," where blood plasma is redistributed from the lower to the upper part of the body, including the lymphatic system. This causes a reduction in plasma volume by between 10% and 15% within the first few days in space. Fluid shift is known to be accompanied by large-scale physiological adaptations, apparently including altered gene expression. Prophylaxis against immune deficits in space "The next question is how to apply our findings to guide the design of countermeasures that will prevent immune suppression while in space in particular for long-duration flight," said Laneuville. "The health of astronauts while in space, especially during long missions, would benefit from detecting both immune dysfunction and sub-clinical inflammation. Early detection provides opportunities for intervention, with the aim to prevent a progression towards severe symptoms." This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain As North America recovers from some of the worst air quality in decades due to wildfires, one of the largest and most comprehensive studies into the long-term health impact of smoke exposure raises significant concerns about the long-term health impact of the Canadian wildfires. The study found that a 10 g/m3 increase of wildfire-related PM 2.5 exposure was associated with a 0.4% higher risk of all-cause and nonaccidental mortality, and a 0.5% increase in risk of dying from neoplasms. On June 8, at the peak of the wildfire pollution, levels of PM 2.5 reached 460 g/m3 The research, led by researchers at Monash University in Australia and published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, is the first to look at the relationship between long-term exposure, with a 11 years follow-up, to wildfire-related fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) and mortality. Importantly the study found no significant associations of wildfire-related PM 2.5 exposure with mortality from cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental diseases. To date, studies into the health impacts of wildfire-related PM 2.5 exposure have shown an increased risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and respiratory mortality, however, according to lead researcher Associate Professor Shanshan Li, from the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, most of the evidence focused on short-term impacts. "We aimed to estimate the long-term impacts of wildfire-related PM 2.5 exposure on mortality in adults using a large-scale national cohort database from the UK Biobank," she said. "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first population-based prospective cohort study to quantify the associations between long-term exposure to wildfire-related PM 2.5 and mortality." The data came from a subset of the UK Biobank, involving 492,394 participants enrolled from 2004 to 2010, that are followed up regularly in the UK, collecting biological samples, surveys regarding lifestyleall of which was then linked to their health-related records. The researchers then extracted mortality data, including underlying (primary) cause of death and date of death, which was mapped to wildfire-related PM 2.5 exposure one to five years before death. According to Associate Professor Li, the study's findings "show that wildfire-related PM 2.5 exposure has long-lasting adverse impacts on all-cause, nonaccidental, and neoplasm mortality." "Given the recent pollution levels in North America caused by the Canadian wildfires, our study linking long-term exposure to wildfire-related PM 2.5 and mortality suggest that further research is urgently needed to provide more scientific evidence on this topic." More information: Yuan Gao et al, Association between long-term exposure to wildfire-related PM2.5 and mortality: A longitudinal analysis of the UK Biobank, Journal of Hazardous Materials (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131779 Journal information: Journal of Hazardous Materials This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Emma Rousseau of Oakland, N.J., her mouth bound with a red, white and blue netting, attends a rally on the Fourth of July to protest for abortion rights, at Lafayette Park in front of the White House in Washington, Monday, July 4, 2022. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File One year ago Saturday, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Twenty-five million women of childbearing age now live in states where the law makes abortions harder to get than they were before the ruling. Decisions about the law are largely in the hands of state lawmakers and courts. Most Republican-led states have restricted abortion. Fourteen ban abortion in most cases at any point in pregnancy. Twenty Democratic-leaning states have protected access to abortion. Here's a look at what's changed since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling. LAWS HAVE BEEN ENACTED IN 25 STATES TO BAN OR RESTRICT ABORTION ACCESS Last summer, as women and medical providers began to navigate a landscape without legal protection for abortion, Nancy Davis' doctors advised her to terminate her pregnancy. The fetus she was carrying had no skull and was expected to die soon after birth. But doctors in Louisiana, where Davis lived, would not provide the abortion due to a new law banning it throughout pregnancy in most cases. Davis became one of the women whose stories, told on news sites and network news, in newspapers and blogs, illustrated the shifting ground doctors and their patients tried to navigate. Stephen Parlato of Boulder, Colo., holds a sign that reads "Hands Off Roe!!!" as abortion rights advocates and anti-abortion protesters demonstrate in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, in Washington. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File At the same time, abortion opponents who worked for decades to abolish a practice they see as murder cheered the Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling. Anti-abortion groups said the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion nationwide was undemocratic because it prevented states from enacting bans. "The Dobbs decision was a democratic victory for life that generations fought for," said E.V. Osment, a spokeswoman for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a major anti-abortion group. While some states scrambled to pass new restrictions, others already had enacted laws that were designed to take effect if the court overturned Roe. More than 25 million women ages 15 to 44, or about 2 in 5 nationally, now live in states where there are more restrictions on abortion access than there were before Dobbs. More than 5.5 million more live in states where restrictions have been adopted but are on hold pending court challenges. Bans on abortion no later than 12 weeks into pregnancy are on the books in nearly every state in the Southeastthough some are not in effect. Many laws that make exceptions for medical emergencies do not clearly define those situations. After Davis went public with her challenges last year, Louisiana lawmakers debated whether doctors in the state were right to deny her an abortion under a law that has exceptions for "medically futile" pregnancies and when there's a substantial risk of death or impairment for the woman. But the Legislature made no changes to clarify the law. A doctor uses a hand-held Doppler probe on a pregnant woman to measure the heartbeat of the fetus on Dec. 17, 2021, in Jackson, Miss. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File Davis is among a number of women who ended up traveling out of state to have a legal surgical abortion. She got help from a fund that raises money for women to travel for such purposes. With her fiance by her side, Davis flew to New York in September, when she was about four months pregnant. The whole experience was heartbreaking, she said. "A mother's love starts as soon as she knows she's pregnant. That attachment starts instantly," she said. "It was days I couldn't sleep. It was days I couldn't eat." ABORTION ACCESS HAS BEEN PROTECTED IN 20 STATES As some states restricted abortion, others locked in access. Clinics moved across state lines, added staff and lengthened hours to accommodate women leaving their home states to end their pregnancies. In 25 states, abortion remains generally legal up to at least 24 weeks of pregnancy. In 20 of those states, protections have been solidified through constitutional amendments or laws. Officials in many of those states, including California, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico and New York, have explicitly invited women from places where the procedure is banned. A patient prepares to take the first of two combination pills, mifepristone, for a medication abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City, Kan., on Oct. 12, 2022. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File Women have flocked to states with legal access. CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health had for decades treated patients in Memphis, Tennessee, some seeking abortions. After Tennessee's abortion ban kicked in last year, the clinic opened a second outpost that's about a three-hour drive away, in Carbondale, Illinois, a state that has positioned itself as an oasis for abortion access. "I would say 80% or more of our patients continue to come from the communities that CHOICES has always taken care of," said CEO Jennifer Pepper, who said the Illinois clinic sees on average 350 patients a month. "They're coming from Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and even Texas, but now they're having to travel much farther." Kansas is one of the closest places to obtain abortions for people in parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. A new clinic opened in Kansas City, Kansas, four days before Dobbs. Within weeks, the clinic was overwhelmed. Even after lengthening hours, hiring staff and flying in physicians, it's been able to take only about 10% to 15% of people who have sought an abortion there. Dr. Iman Alsaden, the Planned Parenthood medical director based in Kansas, said most patients in the Kansas clinics are now coming from elsewhere. Supporters cheer up as Vice President Kamala Harris gives remarks at the Women's March in Los Angeles Saturday, April 15, 2023. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File "You're in a really, really dire public health situation when you are looking at someone who had to jump through endless amounts of hoops just to make this work and saying they're so lucky they're able to do this," Alsaden said. In anticipation of out-of-state patients, states such as Hawaii have passed laws to allow more health care workers, such as nurse practitioners, to provide abortions. In New Jersey, officials late last year announced a grant to train more medical professionals to perform the procedures. THE NUMBER OF ABORTIONS IS NOT CLEAR Because of reporting lags and gaps in data, the impact on the number of abortions provided across the U.S. is not completely clear. But the authors of #WeCount, a survey conducted for the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research and supports abortion access, say the monthly average went down after Dobbs. The group's data finds that the number of abortions provided through clinics, hospitals and other providers in states where bans were put in place plummeted to nearly zero. The tracking effort collects monthly data, providing a snapshot of abortion trends after Roe v. Wade was overturned. It does not reflect self-managed abortions, relies on estimates in places where providers do not supply data and does not fully account for seasonal differences in pregnancies or abortions. Bottles of the drug misoprostol sit on a table at the West Alabama Women's Center, March 15, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Allen G. Breed, File Still, it's the fullest national picture available for now. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data covering 2022 is not likely to be released until late 2024. Even then, the picture won't be completely clear: Not every state collects abortion data, and what is collected does not include self-managed abortions provided outside clinics, hospitals and doctor's offices. In Louisiana, where abortion was legal until 22 weeks' gestational age before Dobbs, the state reported more than 7,400 abortions in 2020, the last year for which full data was available. #WeCount found there were an average of 785 a month in April and May 2022and fewer than 10 every month since the ban there has been in place. There are similar trends elsewhere. In Idaho, 1,700 abortions were reported in 2020, and #WeCount found fewer than 10 a month recently. In Texas, state data shows only a handful of abortions monthly from August through January. Before restrictions there took effect in 2021, there were often more than 5,000 per month. The #WeCount survey of abortion providers has found that the overall average number of abortions at clinics and hospitals was lower in the months after the Dobbs ruling, from July 2022 through March but that the number of abortions has risen dramatically in states that border those with no access, such as Illinois, Kansas, New Mexico and North Carolina. In Illinois, for instance, the survey tallied about 5,600 abortions in April 2022 and more than 7,900 in March 2023. Lilo Blank, 23, of Philadelphia, left, who supports abortion rights, and Lisa Verdonik, of Arlington, Va., who is anti-abortion, talk about their opposing views on abortion rights, Friday, May 13, 2022, outside the Supreme Court in Washington, ahead of expected abortion rights rallies across the country on Saturday. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File PILLS ARE AN EVEN MORE DOMINANT ABORTION METHOD Even before the court ruled, most abortions in the U.S. were done through a two-pill regimen, not a surgical procedure. Now groups are using medication to provide accesshowever illegalin states where abortion is banned. For example, Aid Access works with doctors overseas and in states with shield laws, which are intended to bar abortion-related investigations by other states. Those doctors prescribe the medications and Aid Access ships them. It saw requests in a sample of 30 states more than double from before a draft of the Dobbs ruling was leaked last year until it became official and bans started taking effect. The group's Netherlands-based founder and director, Rebecca Gomperts, believes most U.S. women who want abortions are still managing to get them. "The fact that the abortion pill is available," she said, "that makes the tragic of it much less profound." An unoccupied recovery area, left, and an abortion procedure room are seen at a Planned Parenthood Arizona facility in Tempe, Ariz., on June 30, 2022. On Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, the Arizona Court of Appeals concluded that abortion doctors can't be prosecuted under a pre-statehood law that criminalizes nearly all abortions. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Matt York, File Still, she said, those who struggle the most for access are poor and Black women. The move from surgical to medication abortion has frustrated abortion opponents, who have taken their case to court. Some abortion opponents are calling for the abortion drug mifepristone to lose its 23-year-old approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The Supreme Court has preserved access for now. SOME STATES ARE INCREASING SUPPORT FOR MOMS AND CHILDREN One ripple from overturning Roe in conservative states has been a new willingness to adopt measures such as improving foster care and benefits for postpartum women. Mississippi, where the Dobbs case originated, is a key example. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves signed off on several proposals that he deemed as the "next phase" of the "pro-life agenda." This included expanding a tax credit from $3.5 million a year to $10 million a year for people or businesses who donate to anti-abortion centers, which provide diapers, clothing and other assistance for pregnant women and have been accused of providing misleading information to steer women away from abortion. He also approved creating an income tax credit of up to $10,000 for adopting a child who lives in Mississippi and $5,000 for a adopting a child from outside the state. An abortion-rights supporter, who declined to give her name, chants while marching through San Francisco's Mission District on Saturday, May 14, 2022. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Noah Berger, File He also agreed to extend Medicaid health insurance coverage for lower-income women until a year after they give birth, rather than just two months. The state's two Catholic bishops sent a letter to lawmakers and Reeves in February calling for the Medicaid expansion. "This they felt was consistent with the intent of Dobbs," Jackson Bishop Joseph Kopacz said in an interview, "saying that it can't stop at birth." For Shannon Bagley, the executive director of the Center for Pregnancy Choices, an anti-abortion center just outside Jackson that will benefit from the expanded tax credit, said it's offering more parenting classes and focusing on helping eligible women sign up for Medicaid, job search assistance and offering donated car seats, cribs and other baby items. "This is a new era and we're going to have to be more and we're going to have to do more," she said. Kinga Gebauer holds a sign in front of the Walgreens corporate headquarters during a protest over plan to sell abortion pills Walgreens Deerfield Headquarters in Deerfield, Ill., Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File LAWSUITS ABOUND In conservative Utah, a ban on abortions throughout pregnancy took effect almost immediately after the Dobbs ruling. But the next day, the state's Planned Parenthood affiliate challenged the law, saying it violated the state constitution. A judge put the ban on hold while the case works its way through the courts. It's one of more than 50 lawsuits filed on abortion policy since the Dobbs ruling. Lawsuits have been the foundation of the abortion debate for decades, but now the burden is on abortion-rights advocates to prove that restrictions are too harsh, rather than on anti-abortion groups to prove they are justified. Many challenges rely on arguments about the rights to personal autonomy or religious freedom. A Texas lawsuit alleges women were denied abortions even when their lives were at risk. Anti-abortion activists holding rosaries, rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court during the March for Life in Washington, Friday, Jan. 20, 2023. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File Bans or restrictions are on hold in at least six states while judges sort out their long-term fate. The only states where a top court has permanently rejected restrictions since the Dobbs ruling are Iowa and South Carolina. In the latter, lawmakers later adopted a new ban, but enforcement is on hold due to a court challenge. In Utah, lawmakers this year passed a first-in-the-nation law banning abortion clinics. But a judge put enforcement of that on hold, too, while the court case plays out. CRIMINAL COURTS HAVE NOT BEEN BUSY WITH ABORTION CASES There's little evidence that doctors, women, or those who help them get abortions are being prosecuted. In Mississippi, the state attorney general's office says no charges have been brought under a new law that calls for up to 10 years in prison for anyone who provides or attempts to provide an abortion in cases where it wasn't to save the woman's life or to end a pregnancy caused by rape or incest. An abortion-rights protester displays a placard during a demonstration outside the Supreme Court in Washington, Saturday, June 25, 2022. The Supreme Court has ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years, a decision by its conservative majority to overturn the court's landmark abortion cases. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe, File Progressive prosecutors across the country, including in states with bans, have said that they would not pursue abortion-related cases, or that they would make them a low priority. One in Florida was suspended from his job for it by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. James Bopp Jr., general counsel to the National Right to Life committee, finds it troubling that prosecutors would not pursue abortion cases. He said it's a change from the era before Roe v. Wade, when most states restricted abortion. "They were going to enforce the laws; there was no question they were going to do that," Bopp said. "That was their obligation." Legislative efforts to classify abortion as homicide or murder in South Carolina, Kentucky and Louisiana also have sputtered. "The question about punishing the pregnant person is going to become the existential question in the anti-abortion movement," said Greer Donley, an abortion law expert and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. But Bopp said prominent anti-abortion groups like his oppose such measures. He said women who pursue abortions are "victims of the abortion culture, victims of men, particularly wealthy men." An anti-abortion supporter sits behind a sign that advises the Jackson Women's Health Organization clinic is still open in Jackson, Miss., Wednesday, July 6, 2022. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File ABORTION REMAINS A DOMINANT POLITICAL ISSUE The political table has been reset, with Republicans entering a new election season weighing how to balance the interests of a base that wants the strictest bans possible against the desires of the broader electorate. Polling has consistently found that most Americans think abortions should be available in at least some circumstances, including early in a pregnancy, but that most also favor restrictions later in a pregnancy. Polling from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research has found that the majority opposed banning abortion in the first six weeks of pregnancy, but most also favor barring abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Only six states have no limit, and abortion is rare after 21 weeks. Last year, voters sided with abortion-rights advocates in all six states with abortion-related ballot measures, including in generally conservative Kansas and Kentucky. The issue was also a major factor in why Democrats performed better than expected in 2022 elections. There are pushes for ballot measures to protect abortion access in several states, including Ohio. Planned Parenthood advocacy programs manager, Allison Terracio, is reflected in a table as signs sit in the clinic's office in Columbia, S.C., Friday, May 27, 2022. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/David Goldman, File Choices Center for Reproductive Health President and CEO Jennifer Pepper poses for a photo at the clinic Thursday, June 15, 2023, in Carbondale, Ill. A year after the U.S. Supreme Court ended a nationwide right to abortion, lawmakers, courts and voters are still determining exactly how the legal landscape could settle. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson People attend an abortion-rights rally at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, June 24, 2022. One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court rescinded a five-decade-old right to abortion, prompting a seismic shift in debates about politics, values, freedom and fairness. Credit: AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File In Indiana, South Carolina and West Virginiaall states that have adopted bans since Dobbsthe legislative battles were not between Democrats and Republican over whether to impose restrictions but among Republicans on just how far to go. Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America believes the issue could be a boost for conservatives with the right framing. The group announced this year that it's working with Kellyanne Conway, a former Trump adviser, to "get pro-life candidates on offense in the 2024 election cycle." PROGRESSIVES WORRY ABOUT OTHER RIGHTS Among advocates on the left, a lot of alarm bells rang over Justice Clarence Thomas' concurring opinion in Dobbs. "We should reconsider all of this Court's substantive due process precedents," including cases that found married people have the right to obtain contraceptives, people can engage in private, consensual sex acts and the right to same-sex marriage, Thomas wrote. So far, measures on those areas have not gained traction. State legislation on contraceptives has aimed only to guarantee or protect access to it, and President Joe Biden last year signed a law to safeguard same-sex marriage. Instead, Republican lawmakers in many states focused in 2023 on restricting gender-affirming care, especially for transgender minors. 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. With almost 30 years of Montana law enforcement experience under his belt, Missoulas new Chief of Police Mike Colyer hit the ground running on June 12. Colyer fielded questions in an interview with the Missoulian this week about his visions for the department, along with pressing issues in Missoula such as homelessness and police shootings. A Missoula native, Colyer joined the city's police force in 1996. In his 27-year tenure with the department, Colyer quickly rose through the ranks from sergeant, to captain to detective. In 2011 he was promoted to captain and assigned to the detective division. During that time, he guided the Missoula Police Departments work with the U.S. Department of Justice to reform MPD's response to sexual assault. In 2020, Colyer filled in as the departments interim leader before Jaeson White, who retired in February, took the post. I just kind of tried to do my best throughout the years and took opportunities where they came Colyer said. "And it came kind of real to me after the first time I was this interim chief." Since joining MPD Colyer said hes seen the department shift as it adapts to an ever-changing social and criminal justice landscape. Back in the day, law violators went to jail for just about everything, he said. As the criminal justice system has adapted and the communitys expectations have adapted, we take different enforcement approaches. What oftentimes took somebody to jail doesnt any more. When someone is arrested, Colyer said officers look at problem-solving approaches that have to balance public safety with jail overcrowding. Colyer is focused on both short-term and long-term goals for MPD. Right now, ripple effects from staffing changes and promotions are being ironed out. Colyer said retention and recruiting officers is also a constant issue. Looking further into the future, Colyer brought up the departments need for a new building. The department is currently split between two locations, one building on Catlin Street and the main station in City Hall. We need to be under the same roof, Colyer said. The Catlin Street division helped with safely storing evidence, but Colyer noted the separation is causing inefficiencies within the department. The new chief wants a building thats big enough to house the entire force while also being accessible to the general public. On the topic police shootings, Colyer said taking a human life is nothing to take lightly. Its a tragedy for everybody, he said. A young Native American man died by suicide in 2021 during a chase with Missoula police. The incident prompted an inquest into the death which cleared the officer involved of any criminal liability. In August 2022, Missoula police was one of many agencies involved in the fatal shooting of Vance Ledeau, a robbery suspect who was killed at the Missoula Smokejumper Center. An inquest has yet to be scheduled in Ledeaus case. Colyer wasn't chief when either incident happened. My approach at the beginning is to be supportive of everybody, Colyer explained. To make sure theres an honest, professional outside investigation to identify the truth of what occurred and then ultimately be transparent to our community members who want to know what occurred. Colyer said the cleanest way to get information to the public on police shootings is through the states coroner inquest process (which is required by state law whenever someone dies in custody), but the chief acknowledged the lengthy amount of time that takes to get scheduled. He also explained the departments role in enforcing a new emergency city ordinance that gives officials the authority to move people out of parks who are overnight camping. So our role in that, its a safety role, Colyer said. Were not jonesing to write a bunch of tickets for camping in the park. He added the vast majority of people comply when asked to leave parks and dont push back against city officials. Missoula Mayor Jordan Hess said at Colyer's June 7 confirmation the city got broad feedback stating Colyer was well-suited to be the next chief law enforcement officer for the city. Colyer received praise across the board from city councilors when they unanimously confirmed him to the post. An official swearing-in ceremony has yet to be scheduled. Four groups have jointly sued the U.S. Forest Service over allegations the agency is illegally maintaining and allowing public aviators to use four unofficial landing strips deep within the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. The groups Wilderness Watch, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, Friends of the Bitterroot and Friends of the Clearwater claim that Forest Service records dating back decades, including through the establishment of the wilderness area, confirm that the four dirt-and-grass landing strips were abandoned and that it is expressly illegal for aviators to use them. But the Forest Service has for years engaged in an informal policy of not enforcing the prohibition on the strips' use, the lawsuit states. And in 2018, the agency implemented what the groups describe as an illegal policy of opening the landing strips to airplane traffic and planning formal maintenance on them, the lawsuit claims, all without environmental review or public notice. In 2022 and at the request of the state of Idaho, the Forest Service illegally cut down tall trees to improve the approach to one landing strip, the groups allege. Boise-based Advocates for the West filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho on Tuesday. Wilderness Watch has applied to add a Missoula-based attorney to the the plaintiffs' case as well. Wilderness Watch is headquartered in Missoula. Friends of the Bitterroot is based in Hamilton. Friends of the Clearwater is based in north-central Idaho. Great Old Broads for Wilderness is a nationwide organization with hundreds of members across the Idaho-Montana interface. Linda Jackson, supervisor of the Payette National Forest, and Mary Farnsworth, regional forester for the Intermountain Region, are also named as defendants in the lawsuit, alongside the Forest Service itself. The four backcountry landing strips Simonds, Vines, Mile Hi and Dewey Moore are all along or near Big Creek in central Idaho, south of the Bitterroot Mountains. Big Creek starts in the mountains northeast of McCall, Idaho, just north of Yellow Pine. It flows generally eastward and into the wilderness area near Edwardsburg. From there, it runs through the wilderness and into the legendary Middle Fork Salmon River, about 15.6 miles southwest of where the Middle Fork flows into the main Salmon River. When the 2.3-million-acre Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness was created in 1980 as the Lower 48's largest wilderness area, Congress grandfathered-in seven public and 10 private landing strips within the wilderness boundary. Those landing strips were ones that the Forest Service recommended for inclusion because of maintained conditions and established use before the wilderness designation. The four landing strips in question referred to in the lawsuit as the Big Creek Four were not among the strips grandfathered in for use in the wilderness. Each of the four challenged landing strips sits within a couple miles of a variety of legal landing strips along Big Creek. "The areas wilderness quality continues to suffer from the ongoing and increasing noise and intrusion," the groups wrote in a statement Tuesday, "with the illicit landing areas being used for multi-airplane rendezvouses, practice 'touch and go' landings, airstrip 'bagging' in which recreational pilots see how many landings at different locations they can rack up, and even overnight airplane camping. The Forest Service has documented that a person in the Big Creek area and the wildlife there can often encounter up to 30 low-flying airplanes in a single day." The lawsuit charges that the high airplane traffic in the area, due in part to use of the four illegal landing strips, is illegally "impairing wilderness character, disturbing wildlife, increasing human impact, and interrupting the statutorily-protected solitude and undeveloped nature" of the wilderness area, in violation of the Wilderness Act and the law that created the that wilderness area. A 2018 directive from Farnsworth, the regional forester, to allow public use of the airstrips violated the Wilderness Act by failing to preserve wilderness character, the lawsuit stated, and by allowing motorized use and landing of aircraft. It violated the law that created the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness by allowing airstrips beyond those grandfathered in when the area was created, the lawsuit stated. It violated the National Forest Management Act, the suit stated, because allowing use of the airstrips is in conflict with the Payette National Forest's land and resource management plan, often called a forest plan. And, the suit stated, the directive violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) because the directive was issued without legally required environmental impact analysis or public notice and involvement. The lawsuit said that a 2022 plan to maintain the airstrips and maintenance work performed in 2022 were similarly illegal. The groups asked the court to void and declare as illegal the Forest Service's 2018 directive to allow public access, 2022 maintenance plan and 2022 maintenance action. The groups also asked the court to order the Forest Service not to conduct or authorize any further maintenance work on the four landing strips, and to "communicate to the public and other governmental entities that all public use of the Big Creek Four airstrips is prohibited except for emergency landings and violators will cited." George Nickas, executive director of Wilderness Watch, wrote in the statement, "The Wilderness Act makes clear that the Forest Service must protect the wilderness character of the River of No Return, and it makes particularly clear that aircraft landings and other motorized activity are allowed only under narrowly defined conditions. The Big Creek Four airstrips were not in regular use at the time of wilderness designation in 1980, and they have never been lawful airstrips open to any public use. Establishing four more landing strips in the Big Creek drainage just chokes this spectacular area with incessant airplane traffic." The Forest Service does not comment on pending litigation. But publicly and internally, the agency has for more than 40 years recognized that the four landing strips are illegal and shouldn't be used by the public. In 1982, a district ranger for the area wrote that "The Forest Service has never recognized these airstrips as public and there is no history of established public use." Later that year, the ranger informed the Idaho Division of Aeronautics, within the Department of Transportation, that landings on the strips were "regarded as trespass and a law-enforcement matter." At that time, the state division agreed. Also in 1982, then-Forest Supervisor Kenneth Weyers signed a record of decision for an environmental analysis that decided the agency would allow the landing strips to deteriorate into a natural state and their use would be prohibited except with prior agency authorization or due to "extreme emergency." An aviation group appealed that decision, according to the lawsuit, and Weyers repealed the decision a month after he signed it. But upon adoption of the area's wilderness management plan two years later, the plan reaffirmed that the strips "will not be maintained for public use as landing strips. Their use will be discouraged, except in emergencies. Do not include on wilderness maps. Advise Idaho Division of Aeronautics not to include on aeronautical charts or directories. Notify air taxi and fixed base operators that the strips are to be used for emergency landings only." The wilderness management plan was incorporated into the Payette's forest plan. The Federal Aviation Administration has never recognized the four landing strips. But, the lawsuit alleges, illegal use of the strips increased through the decades that followed, with no enforcement action from the Forest Service. When revising the wilderness management plan in 2003, the lawsuit states, "the Forest Service did not engage at this time with its own historical record" of the strips' longstanding illegal status. The agency instead said the strips' status was "unresolved" and noted that recreational and commercial use was increasing. Nonetheless, the final plan ultimately maintained that the four strips were not open for public use and shouldn't be maintained beyond their 1980 condition. But the plan did direct the Forest Service to coordinate with Idaho to "identify and schedule maintenance activities and to discourage their use as recreation access to the wilderness." Aviation groups once again appealed, the lawsuit stated, which led to a private, informal agreement in 2006 between a Intermountain Region Forest Service staffer and the director of the state Division of Aeronautics. The Forest Service staffer "apparently unilaterally and informally assured the aviators of further changed management status for the Big Creek Four, with no public process or engagement." "'Our agreement,' he wrote in a later message," according to the lawsuit, "was that '[t]he Big Creek 4 airstrips would not be available for public use, but that the public could land without fear of receiving a citation' and that '[t]he State agreed we would not have these four airstrips listed in the State airstrip directory, nor would they be placed on the aeronautical charts made by the State.'" The Forest Service has never documented an emergency landing at any of the four strips since the wilderness area was created in 1980, the lawsuit stated, but agency staff did express concern over the usage and safety of the strips. A district ranger wrote in 2013 that "Over the past several summers, we have documented many plane crashes, and thankfully have avoided any fatalities, but I fear its just a matter of time[.]" The landing strips grew in popularity among aviators, the lawsuit stated, and the state of Idaho eventually placed them on its maps. In 2017, the state called for the strips to be open to the public. Internal emails cited in the lawsuit show that Forest Service staff in 2017 believed the strips should not be in use. Nonetheless, in 2018, Farnsworth ordered that the agency would not block public use of the strips and would plan and enact maintenance of them. At the state's behest, Forest Service staff cut down trees across Big Creek from the end of the Dewey Moore strip to improve its approach. The agency did not analyze the environmental impacts of the directive, the plan or the work, the lawsuit stated, nor did it provide public notice or take public input through NEPA. That same year, the regional wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers manager in Farnsworth's office disagreed with the work. "For maintenance we are in a difficult spot to maintain these for emergency use, but not beyond what was done before designation," the manager wrote. "We dont need to do exactly what the state asks, and shouldnt. We need to balance wilderness values with maintaining these for emergency use not an easy task. If we are looking at maintenance that was beyond what was generally done before designation then we really should consider some NEPA analysis and public involvement. Our predecessors kicked the can by not addressing this with a clear open or closed status at some point somebody will need to (do) that Is it time?" More accusations emerged in an alleged sex trafficking scheme as local officials work to untangle what apparently is a larger, international trafficking web with ties to Missoula. Last week, a felony attempted sex trafficking charge was filed against a third suspect, identified in court documents as Hui Wang, 55. In May, Yanbin Bao, 52, and Richard R. Bushey, 64, were each charged with a slate of felony human trafficking charges after Missoula sheriff deputies raided their massage parlor business near Blue Mountain Road. Nearly a month later, Bao and Bushey have not entered pleas to the charges their arraignment dates have been postponed several times because of court delays. Both are out of custody, having posted bond. On May 29, a witness called 911 and deputies met her at Soul Massage, located on Highway 93 South near Blue Mountain Road. At Soul Massage deputies found a dirty parlor that looked like someone was living in it, according to charging documents. A witness told investigators there were two other women working there, and roughly seven to 11 male customers stopped by the business on a daily basis. Soul Massages business listing on Google says its temporarily closed, and a phone call to its number online shortly after charges were filed was met with a full voicemail inbox message. Affidavits for Bao and Bushey allege employees at the massage business were forced to perform sexual acts at the parlor. Investigators believe its likely the case is part of a larger, international trafficking operation with connections to other U.S. states. On May 30, the day after Bushey and Bao were arrested, the affidavit in Wangs case alleges the property owner was cleaning up the building when he was approached by a woman driving a maroon Mazda with a New York license plate. She asked the owner about taking over the lease on the parlor business for more money, according to charging documents. The driver was identified by authorities as Wang. A detective learned Wang had a felony full extradition warrant for impersonation of a licensed professional and advertisement online offering sexual services along with illegal massages and conducting outcalls to different locations, the affidavit stated. Wang was arrested on the warrant. Authorities contacted the owner of the land at 5000 Highway 93 South. (The property manager) indicated that he has rented the property to many tenants of Asian origin and they often cycle through tenants every few years, the affidavit in Wangs case stated. The original witness at Soul Massage confirmed Wang worked alongside her at the parlor. Wangs affidavit noted law enforcement thinks there are multiple unknown co-conspirators at large. Wang is at the Missoula jail on a $150,000 bond. Wang briefly appeared in court Wednesday afternoon, and will appear again on Thursday with a Mandarin interpreter. It is an excellent time to be a business owner in Montana. Americans from all corners of our nation are beginning to get back out and adventure, and many of them are coming to our great state. This increased traffic, combined with our burgeoning technology sector here in Bozeman, has made for a stronger and healthier economy. A key factor in the economic growth of the Gallatin Valley is access to air travel. This year Congress can help facilitate additional growth in air travel options for Western communities like ours by supporting the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization. Included with this reauthorization is a proposal, known as the DCA Act, to add more flights to Reagan National Airport (DCA) from the western United States. More direct flights to the western part of the country from DCA, even if not to and from Montana specifically, would increase the ability of those in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to come to our state. This would provide increased access for remote workers evaluating Montana as a place to settle and further strengthen our tourism industry. For Montana, these additional flights make sense and would provide tremendous value. Currently, access to and from DCA is limited by the perimeter rule, which was established in the 1960s. The rule restricts the number of flights that can take off and land beyond a 1,250-mile perimeter of DCA, making access to the nations capital unnecessarily difficult for those of us out west, while making the western part of the country less accessible for those in the national capital region. A recent study confirms that the perimeter rule is no longer necessary to meet its 1960s-era objectives. By moving the perimeter rule into the modern era, our lawmakers can reverse some of the unintended consequences were seeing. For instance, the study found that adding in- and beyond-perimeter flights to and from DCA would lower ticket prices for passengers. Airfare for those traveling to DCA is currently the highest among airports in the top 10 metropolitan areas nationwide. Additionally, passengers flying to DCA typically have to make at least one connecting flight. The economic benefits and added convenience are undeniable. As Montana continues to grow in the coming years, it will be key to ensure access to and from Washington, D.C. keeps pace. The number of people seeking to visit us and work remotely in our state is only going to keep rising. Growing tech hubs like Bozeman will have a leg up when recruiting candidates to a remote, yet accessible destination. Demonstrable success in doing so could very well incentivize additional companies to call Montana home in the coming years. Additionally, business leaders in our state and their employees will continue to depend on access to policymakers and regulators in our nations capitalespecially for Montanas tech companies. The same goes for leaders in Montanas agriculture and energy sectors, as well as those on the front lines of environmental and conservation efforts. Much of the policy that impacts them is shaped at the federal level. By increasing affordable and convenient access to states beyond DCAs 1,250-mile perimeter, senators Tester and Daines can help Montana capitalize on the desire of so many to visit or make the state their permanent home, as well as help Montanans who are counting on enhanced access to the national capital region. I encourage them to support adding additional flights to and from DCA through the DCA Act to help our great state continue to grow. A recent federal court ruling in Wyoming has once again sparked discussions about the legality of corner crossing. To better understand these issues, one should visualize a simple black and white checkerboard. Then, imagine applying that layout on a map, where black squares represent public land and white squares represent private land. This land ownership layout is common in the West, a relic from when the government was divvying out land to railroads pushing lines farther into the region. Corner crossing refers to the act of traveling from one piece of that public checkerboard to another, by crossing where they meet in the corners in an effort to dodge private lands. In the recent Wyoming case, a judge found that four Missouri men did not trespass onto adjoining private land as they stepped from one checker of public land to another via a corner designated by a survey marker and by using a ladder. Brett French, Outdoors editor at the Billings Gazette, is here to untangle the issue and provide context for what this may mean for Montana. This podcast is created in partnership across five newsrooms the Billings Gazette, Helena Independent Record, Missoulian, Montana Standard and Ravalli Republic. You can support this podcast, and our efforts, by becoming a subscriber. PANAMA CITY BEACH A Florida man who refused to stop swimming and boogie boarding in the Gulf of Mexico during hazardous conditions on Tuesday, then tried to run away from deputies, has been arrested. Garrison Creamer, a 38-year-old man from Bay County, Florida, where Panama City Beach is located, was arrested after he refused multiple times to get out of the Gulf during double red flag conditions, which indicate a very high hazard and that the water is closed to the public. The Bay County Sheriff's Office said the incident happened near Beach Access 85 in the Panama City Beach area. Creamer was in the water with a boogie board when deputies arrived. Garrison Creamer, a 38-year-old Bay County resident, was arrested Tuesday afternoon after he refused multiple times to get out of the Gulf during double red flag conditions. "As double red flags were posted, swimming conditions in the water were too dangerous for anyone, even with a boogie board," the release reads. "Only those tethered to a surfboard can enter the water during double red flags." The sheriff's office said Creamer refused to get out of the water after deputies told him to do so, and while a helicopter hovered above him. "After about 25 minutes, (Creamer) returned to shore, boogie board in hand, and tried to avoid deputies by running through the large crowd that had gathered to watch," the release reads. "Deputies quickly caught up, and though (Creamer) fought, he was taken into custody on the sand dunes." He was charged with violation of double red flag ordinance, obstruction of justice and resisting and battery on a law enforcement officer. According to Panama City Beach, violations of double red flag rules can result in a $500 fine for a first offense. Second offenses come with a $1,000 fine. The arrest comes after two drownings in the last week in the Gulf in Panama City Beach. A retired firefighter from Georgia drowned last Thursday after he tried to save two swimmers who were caught in a rip current, and an Alabama man died Sunday when he also was caught in a rip current while trying to rescue his daughter, authorities have said. The people they were rescuing all survived, authorities said. There were either single or double red flag warnings in effect at the time of both drownings. Rip currents are fast-moving currents created by deeper channels in surrounding sandbars. These channels often run perpendicular to the shoreline and cause water to funnel faster out into deeper waters of the Gulf. SAFETY TIPS FOR BEACHGOERS How to get out of a rip current and more. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Florida man arrested for swimming in dangerous water after warnings The Simon Wiesenthal Center's Mobile Museum of Tolerance will be at the Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin June 29 and 30. (Simon Wiesenthal Center/HANDOUT) Mobile Museum of Tolerance coming to Gail Borden library The Mobile Museum of Tolerance, an educational initiative of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, will be open to visitors from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, June 29-30, at Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin. Hour-long workshops will be presented at 11 a.m., 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. on both days. No registration is needed to tour the mobile museum, and registration is optional for the workshops. Advertisement One workshop, The Anne Frank Story, will present a film about Franks life, followed by a discussion on the Holocaust, antisemitism, stereotypes and prejudice. The other, The Power of Ordinary People, will feature short films about bystanders to antisemitic violence in Nazi Germany and those who saved people from becoming Holocaust victims. For more information, go to gailborden.info/events and mmot.com. Advertisement Rep. Dan Ugaste hosting Outside Kids Fair in Geneva State Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, is hosting his annual Outside Kids Fair from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at Chapelstreet Church, 3435 Keslinger Road, Geneva. Among those in attendance will be local public safety departments, DancEncounter School of Dance, Traveling World of Reptiles and World Martial Arts Academy. Public safety and other demonstrations will begin at 9:30 a.m., and there will also be information, refreshments, a touch-a-truck area and a drawing for a bicycle. A LifeNet medical helicopter will be at the event from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. For more information, call Ugastes office at 630-797-5530. Discounted tickets being sold for Nightmare on Chicago Discounted early bird tickets to Nightmare on Chicago Street, the city of Elgins annual Halloween zombie apocalypse party, can be purchased through Friday, June 30. Early bird tickets are $25 and VIP parking passes, which do not include admission to the event, cost $50 per vehicle, a news release said. Tickets purchased after June 30 will be $40. VIP parking passes will remain $50. Nightmare on Chicago Street is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 21, and held in downtown Elgin. It includes live music, vendors, street and performances, and actors dressed as zombies who wander the streets of the zombie zone. For more information, go to www.nightmareonchicagostreet.com or email nightmareonchicagostreet@gmail.com. Advertisement hed The NorthEast Neighborhood Association of Elgin is holding its annual community garage sale Friday through Sunday, June 23-25, in the area of Lincoln Avenue and Spring Street. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Among the types of items being sold are clothes, shoes, fashion accessories, sports equipment, housewares, linens, home decor, toys, small kitchen appliances, books, tools, stationery, artwork, lamps, small furniture, games and school/office supplies. The organization has encouraged neighbors in the area to hold their own garage sales as well. Anyone who provide the details of their sale to NENA will have their sale included on a map available at the NENA sale. In the case of the United States and China, loose lips and secret military facilities might sink relationships no matter how much the Biden administration doesnt want that to happen. After a Chinese spy balloon frayed ties between Washington and Beijing, Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited China this past weekend to mend them. But that diplomatic advance was quickly overshadowed by the public revelation that China was in talks with Cuba to create a joint military training base on the island nation 100 miles from Floridas coast. President Joe Biden followed that hours later by saying his order to shoot down the balloon was a great embarrassment for dictators like Xi Jinping, enraging China with his characterization of its leader. Now, the relationship between the worlds two foremost powers is teetering again after it showed brief signs of stability, complicating Bidens search for amicable ways to coexist with China as both compete ferociously across the globe. There appeared to be a path to getting back on track after Blinken met with Xi in Beijing. Almost the moment Blinken set foot on the departing plane, U.S. officials began to float next steps, which would include a Biden-Xi call and, eventually, a meeting to follow their encounter last fall in Bali, Indonesia. Among the options under early consideration, according to officials: an in-person discussion on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in New Delhi in September or at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering in San Francisco two months later. Such plans are no longer assured. On Tuesday, news broke indicating the China-Cuba military base could host Beijings forces near the American homeland. While joint training isnt wholly provocative the U.S. often conducts drills with partners near an adversarys territory, including putting American forces in Taiwan having Chinese troops in Cuba is something different, said Beth Sanner, formerly the deputy director of national intelligence for mission integration. We have planes that are conducting surveillance right along the Chinese coast, so of course they want to have the same capability near the United States, Sanner continued. They can't fly equivalent EC-135s, so the only choice they really have is something like Cuba and so they're going to pursue that. That's part of the world of espionage. Then Biden committed the cardinal sin of politics: speaking too truthfully. The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment is he didnt know it was there, Biden told a crowd at a fundraiser Tuesday in California. Thats a great embarrassment for dictators, he added, when they didnt know what happened. Not only did Biden use the d-word, but he also seemingly revealed sensitive and embarrassing intelligence the U.S. obtained about Xis lack of awareness of the balloons flight. The response from Beijing was fierce. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Biden's comments were "extremely absurd and irresponsible, seriously contradicting the basic facts." Mao went on to accuse Biden of "seriously violating diplomatic protocol and seriously infringing on Chinas political dignity, which is an open political provocation." He added that the government he represents was "strongly dissatisfied." White House aides did not immediately have a public response to Bidens remarks, though some privately and warily noted that many politicians tend to speak too comfortably in front of a friendly crowd of donors. It should come as no surprise that the president speaks candidly about China and the differences that we have, said a senior administration official. There wasnt immediate clarity as to whether Biden spoke more frankly than planned or whether it is a line he plans to repeat further down the campaign trail. When he ran in 2020, Biden called Xi a thug. And then two months into his presidency, Biden added that Chinas leader doesn't have a democratic bone in his body. Still, the latest broadside comes at an inopportune time in efforts to ease tensions with Beijing, as the Blinken visit was billed as a way to keep lines of communication open during a tumultuous period. For months, Beijing didnt seem interested. And even after the slight thaw in recent weeks, the two nations militaries have not reestablished lines of communication, worrying American officials who point to two recent close calls and fear escalation. But U.S. officials note Chinas sluggish economy has forced Beijing to roll out the red carpet to American businesses Bill Gates was recently in for a visit and Xis government has been eager to host officials like Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Yellen in particular has been among the most vocal proponents for strengthening bonds between the U.S. and China. I think we gain and China gains from trade and investment that is as open as possible, and it would be disastrous for us to attempt to decouple from China, she said this month. A senior administration official insisted dialogue remains the preferred method of keeping the relationship from spiraling out of control. Any intense competition and this one certainly is intense is best managed through equally intense diplomacy. How utterly irresponsible it would be for us to shut down and give China the stiff arm when tensions are this high. That's just diplomatic malpractice, given the stakes, said the official, who like others, was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive internal thinking. Confident countries face the problem set. They solve it. They don't run away from it, the official said. Mark Hannah, senior fellow at the Eurasia Group Foundation think tank, suggested that Xi defies easy characterization and the breezy terminology of politics today and that Bidens framing of global politics as democracy versus autocracies was not helpful to easing tensions between Washington and Beijing. Both countries need to punch up the language of cooperation, Hannah said. If the Biden administration amplifies that message, youll start to see Beijing follow suit. But Chinas latest consideration to put troops in Cuba, mixed with the strong response to Bidens remarks, has critics worried the administration is going to end up talking just for the sake of talking. China is the only party seeking to upend the peaceful status quo, and prioritizing endless dialogue over competitive policies invites aggression, said Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chair of the House China Committee. Bidens animating foreign policy theory is that this decade will define whether democracies or autocracies come out on top in a geopolitical bout. His officials admit that there will always be stumbling blocks in terms of how they compete and how they cooperate. The goal, though, is to maintain guardrails so the Washington-Beijing relationship, however fraught, doesnt veer off track. The question now is if those guardrails are strong enough to withstand the pressures from these latest setbacks. U.S. diplomatic efforts toward China are predicated on intense strategic competition. Thats the framing were pushing, said Jacob Stokes, a senior fellow for Indo-Pacific issues at the Center for a New American Security. Each new revelation thats consistent with that assessment shouldnt derail diplomacy. If Missouri Gov. Mike Parson grants clemency to the ex-Kansas City police officer convicted of manslaughter for killing Cameron Lamb, Kansas City could potentially see a wave of protests that would test new guidelines KCPD created in response to 2020s mass protests. Eric DeValkenaere, a white officer, was sentenced to six years in prison in 2022 after shooting and killing Lamb, a Black man, outside his home in 2019. DeValkenaere has remained free on bond since then as he appeals the verdict. Even though the appeal process is not over, Jackson County prosecutor Jean Peters Baker wrote a letter last week referencing reports that Parson may reduce or further delay DeValkenaeres sentence. On Wednesday, Parson said it is within his power to pardon DeValkenaere. DeValkenaere was the first Kansas City police officer to be convicted for an officer-involved shooting. Supporters of Lamb protested on the courthouse steps throughout DeValkenaeres trial at the time, and more protests could follow if the governor grants clemency. Kansas Citians widely criticized KCPD for how it responded to protesters in 2020 following George Floyds murder. At one point, six officers approached and grabbed one protester from 47th Street, pulling him into the roadway as his daughter was doused with chemicals. Another protester was standing 10 feet away from officers when a tear gas canister slammed into his leg breaking his tibia bone through his skin. Following the 2020 protests, the police department created a set of policies for how officers should engage protesters in the future. The new rules approved by the Police Board of Commissioners in 2021 prohibit officers from using less-than-lethal weapons when dispersing an unlawful assemblies and require officers to make a reasonable effort to allow protesters to continue exercising their First Amendment rights. KCPD told The Star it has no plans of preparing for a large demonstration related to DeValkenaere, but KCPD Spokesperson Corey Carlisle said the department hosts regular refresher trainings for all of its officers on the protest policies. Heres a look at what KCPDs policies say about protests. What is an unlawful assembly? A protest becomes an unlawful assembly if seven or more people violate a state or federal law. This can include fighting or looting, but does not include violation of municipal laws like jay-walking. Even if there are thousands of people protesting, if police find at least seven people breaking state or federal laws, the entire protest can technically be considered unlawful. KCPDs new policy requires that police use a gradual approach and make efforts to allow law-abiding citizens to keep protesting. Police are supposed to first try to remove or detain anyone who is violating the law before escalating the scene by using things like tear gas or pepper spray to force the crowd to disperse. The goal is for everyone to continue to have the right to exercise their 1st Amendment rights in peace and with the protections afforded to them by law, Carlisle said. When there is a major protest, KCPD will appoint a commanding officer who gets to decide if a demonstration is unlawful. That officer will assess whether there are seven or more people violating state or federal law, if there is a danger of a riot or immediate violence, the likelihood that people will voluntarily comply with police, or if the city, state or federal government declares a state of emergency. When making that decision, the policy says actual danger or violence has to be at play for a demonstration to be deemed unlawful or for someone to be arrested. Officers cannot declare an event unlawful or make arrests if someone is just making verbal threats of future harm. What is a gradual approach? According to KCPDs guidelines, officers are required to get in contact with protest organizers to let them know that the gathering is or could become unlawful. Once that communication is established, the police officer in charge is supposed to work with organizers to issue warnings if anything goes wrong. Local activist Lora McDonald said police in the past have often escalated a scene with pepper spray or arrests within a moments notice, leaving little time to disperse. This leaves many law-abiding protesters wondering how they will be treated if they decide to participate in a protest, said McDonald, who is the executive director of MORE2, a faith-based organization dedicated to racial and economic justice. McDonald said people who want to protest should beware that some officers might still see them as a threat. The department actively protects their interests, including Eric DeValkenaere, she said. We should not presume that they will be protected or that our rights will be protected. We should assume that KCPD will protect their own at all costs. When do you know that the protest needs to disperse? If officers cannot calm the crowd down, they might demand that everyone leave and disperse. To make sure that people hear the order to disperse, officers are now required to use an amplification device at multiple locations so the entire crowd can hear. The warnings should be loud enough for individuals in the rear of the assembly to hear the orders, if possible, said Carlisle, adding that officers should also give that dispersal order in multiple languages depending on the community that is protesting. Officers are required to give people enough time to hear and follow those orders before taking any next steps to disperse the crowd by force. What are the allowable uses of tear gas or other methods of force? Using weapons on a crowd in any way should be a last resort, according to KCPDs policy. The new rules state that less-than-lethal weapons should not be used to make a crowd disperse. They should only be used for officers to protect themselves or other people from violence. The commanding officer is responsible for determining whether to use any weapons or chemical agents. Those decisions are made on a case-by-case basis as a last resort when there is a genuine threat of violence. If there is a threat that police feel they cant control, they can still use a chemical agent, arrests or a police strategy called kettling, where police form a blockade to neutralize threats. What counts as a threat is largely up to the discretion of the officer in charge at the time. McDonald suggested those attending protests wear an extra layer of clothing just in case you have to cover your mouth or skin if a chemical agent is sprayed into the crowd. She said people can also pack bandanas or face masks so they dont inhale any chemicals. If someone gets sprayed in close range, she suggested using milk to help with the burning. Once you know they are gasing, cover up your mouth, your nose, because you can have an emergency and not be able to get out of there, she said. If you want to learn more about protesters rights and safety, check out The Stars guide on what to know before going to a protest. Ohio State Highway Patrol PERRY TWP. A Canton motorcyclist was killed Saturday afternoon in a two-vehicle accident on Whipple Avenue at 4th Street NW, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said. Robert L. Dennis, 64, was operating a 2009 Suzuki Boulevard motorcycle southbound on Whipple Avenue at 3:36 p.m. when he collided with a northbound 2008 Acura T4 sedan driven by Amanda Wright, 36, of Canton who failed to yield while making a left turn and turned in front of the motorcycle, the patrol said. Dennis, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected from the motorcycle, the patrol said. He was transported by Canton Township EMS to Aultman Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. Wright was wearing a seat belt and was not injured. Perry Township Fire Department, Canton Township Fire Department and Canton Towing assisted at the scene. The crash, which remains under investigation, was the eighth fatal crash in Stark County this year, the patrol said. This article originally appeared on The Repository: Motorcyclist Robert Dennis killed in crash in Perry Township The Alpha Nu Chapter of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International (DKG) met recently to celebrate its 65th anniversary. Chartered in 1958, Alpha Nu is one of 96 chapters of the NC DKG State Organization. Often mistaken for being a sorority, the society of DKG was established in 1929 to recognize outstanding women educators and to support professional growth. Currently Alpha Nu Chapter has 59 members in Burke and Caldwell counties. Membership is by invitation. The Awards committee, chaired by Kelli Weathers, presented a program recognizing members for their accomplishments. Those reaching membership milestones included Maxine McCall for 50 years of membership, Joyce Kendall for 40 years of membership, Mary Lindsay for 30 years of membership, Michelle Barrier and Leslie Barger for 20 years of membership and Elaine Poole and Donna Wells for 10 years of membership. Alpha Nu chapter proudly supports beginning teachers. A beginning teacher from Burke County and one from Caldwell County were each presented a grant from the chapter during the meeting. Alpha Nu Chapter was recognized at the recent state convention, receiving the highest level of achievement award for its work during the past year. It also received the Communication Excellence award. Former president Glenda Foster was named the Region X recipient of the Golden Key Award. Learn more about the chapter and its projects at www.alphanunc.weebly.com Assault reported Jonathan R. Koontz, 41, of Butte, is accused of assaulting a woman early Wednesday morning at the Silver Bow Homes. The woman told police that she was kicked by Koontz, who was jailed for partner or family member assault (second offense). Criminal warrant On Tuesday, Krystal M. Alger, 42, of Butte, was booked into the jail on a warrant for criminal distribution of dangerous drugs. Several offenses Jeremy Wade, 43, of Shawano, Wisconsin, was jailed Tuesday for failure to carry proof of insurance, operating a vehicle with expired registration, seat belt violation, outside agency warrant and driving without a valid drivers license. Sisters fighting It was reported Tuesday that a juvenile was assaulted by her juvenile sister in the 2300 block of Massachusetts. WAPELLO The Louisa County Board of Supervisors was presented Tuesday with a draft essential emergency medical services (EMS) tax referendum question for the November election. Supervisor Shawn Maine distributed the draft question, explaining it had been selected by the Louisa County EMS Advisory Council at its meeting the day before. The proposed question asks electors to vote on whether the supervisors shall impose a 59-cent per $1,000 assessed valuation on all taxable property in the county for a 15-year period to fund essential community EMS services. A 60% majority must approve the question for it to pass. Maine said in addition to the draft question, which he said had been copied from an earlier referendum in Pocahontas County, the council had also reviewed a question used in Johnson County. He said the Johnson County form had been rejected by the council because of its length and complicated detail, while the version used in the Pocahontas County election was much briefer and less likely to be confusing to voters. Maine also said the words ad valorem, which he explained meant a tax based on the assessed value of an item, such as real estate or personal property, should be deleted. Other wording in the actual question seemed to explain that and most voters would likely not be familiar with the term and be confused with its meaning. Supervisors Brad Quigley and Chris Ball agreed, although Ball suggested county attorney Adam Parsons be contacted before any final decision. Maine agreed and said he would also contact a representative with Dorsey-Whitney, the countys tax referendum consultant. The council is also close to finalizing an education flyer to provide voters with additional information on the ballot question and the need for the tax, Maine said. The flyer should be ready for distribution at local parades and other events in the county this summer, he said. In other action during Tuesdays supervisors meeting, the board met with mental health and disabilities director Bobbie Wulf to review a proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU is between the county and the newly consolidated Mental Health Agency of Southeast Iowa (MHASEI). The MHASEI was formed when the Southeast Iowa LINK mental health consortium combined with five other counties. The supervisors approved the MOU, which will establish the guidelines used for employee and other reimbursements the county will receive through the new consortium. The board also met with conservation board executive director Katie Hammond and general assistance director Cyndi Mears for their monthly department updates. The board also met with county engineer Adam Shutt for his weekly secondary roads department report. In final action, the board: Informally agreed to allow the Memory Lane Cruisers Car Club to use the courthouse lawn on July 15 as part of the Chief Wapello Days celebration. Approved a fireworks permit for Brian and Tammy Hayes. Signed a letter of understanding with Eide Bailly Accounting for the FY 2023 audit. Approved $359,315 in claims. Photos: Stop the Bleed Training Stop the Bleed training for people to learn what to do in the event of a mass shooting or severe injuries. Stop the Bleed training for people to learn what to do in the event of a mass shooting or severe injuries. Stop the Bleed training for people to learn what to do in the event of a mass shooting or severe injuries. Stop the Bleed training for people to learn what to do in the event of a mass shooting or severe injuries. Stop the Bleed training for people to learn what to do in the event of a mass shooting or severe injuries. Stop the Bleed training for people to learn what to do in the event of a mass shooting or severe injuries. Stop the Bleed training for people to learn what to do in the event of a mass shooting or severe injuries. Its not every day you can say you found something new at a fossil park. James Hanna and Jonathan Hoag should know. Theyve been picking up rocks at Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve in Hamburg since they were kids. And now, in their 20s, they have found two rare fossils of an animal that had never been found there. It was believed to have gone extinct more than 25 million years before the rocks at Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve were deposited. This is an animal Ill be completely honest I did not know it existed until we had these discoveries, Penn Dixie Executive Director Philip J. Stokes said. The animal is a carpoid, a primitive type of echinoderm, a distant ancestor to starfish, sea urchins and sand dollars. It wasnt until the fossils were sent off to be prepared professionally that the experts recognized this was something new and different, Stokes said. Its so new that it is a novel genus and species, and the species will be named after Hoag. Its a dream come true for a biologist, Hoag said. Hanna will be one of the authors on the scientific paper describing it a dream come true for a paleontologist. Hanna, 20, a junior geology major at the University at Buffalo, found the first fossil in April when he and Hoag were digging for trilobites, which are extinct marine arthropods. They were splitting the rocks that were left over after separating the trilobite from the rock. I could tell there was something there, Hanna said, but he did not know what it was. If I hadnt looked closely enough, I very easily could have tossed it. He sent photographs of it to some friends in paleontology, and experts identified it. And then about a week later, they were in the same area about 20 yards away, and Hoag, 26, who graduated from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, found a similar fossil. Sure enough it was another one sitting in the block. It was unexpected, Hoag said. I knew exactly what it was the minute I flipped the rock. The second fossil, while not as well preserved as the first, is complementary, and demonstrates that there were multiple carpoid living in the environment for a period of time. It extends the fossil record by over 25 million years for this animal, which tells us it did in fact survive through several extinction events, Stokes said. The 54-acre Penn Dixie Fossil Park in Hamburg is the site of a former quarry filled with fossils from the Devonian Period, nearly 400 million years ago. Carpoids had been thought to be extinct 25 million years before the Devonian Period, and have been found in only a handful of locations around the world, Stokes said. The Penn Dixie fossils are roughly 382 million years old, according to Stokes. The carpoids are considered a Lazarus taxon, an animal that disappears from the fossil record and reappears much later, Stokes said. Its just amazing when something like this shows up, said Carlton E. Brett, distinguished research professor at the University of Cincinnati. We know then that group had to be around all that time in between, but its not seen anywhere else in world. Brett and Ronald L. Parsley, professor emeritus at Tulane University and a world renown expert in the field, will be the authors of the paper. Once it was known what was found, word traveled fast throughout the paleontological community, Stokes said. It was pretty shocking. Ive been a scientist for 20 years, usually things happen very slowly. Like every visitor to Penn Dixie who picks up a fossil, the find belongs to the visitor. That doesnt change, even if its something very rare and valuable, Stokes said. Hanna and Hoag are donating their fossils to the Paleontological Research Institutions Museum of the Earth in Ithaca. There they can be examined and compared by researchers. It could have just been ridiculous luck, Hanna said. We found two of them in two different layers, they probably are hundreds of thousands of years apart. Hanna began going to Penn Dixie when he was about 5 years old, and started volunteering at the site when he was a teenager. This is his sixth season working for the fossil park. He wants to go to graduate school, and having his name on a research paper wont hurt his prospects. Hannas fossil is considered a holotype, the single specimen of the new species. Hoag started collecting fossils when he was 11, and got his love of the outdoors at the fossil park, where he is the site manager. The carpoids were found where they have walked hundreds of times. We found it right at the end of our walkway. God knows how many people walked by that walkway, Hoag said. States with the most dinosaur fossils States with the most dinosaur fossils #46. Kentucky (tie) #46. New Hampshire (tie) #46. Rhode Island (tie) #46. Vermont (tie) #46. Wisconsin (tie) #45. West Virginia #44. Minnesota #43. Indiana #42. New York #41. Iowa #40. Missouri #39. Louisiana #38. Michigan #37. Delaware #36. Arkansas #35. Mississippi #34. Maine #33. Nevada #32. Washington #31. Illinois #30. South Carolina #29. Tennessee #28. Pennsylvania #27. Ohio #26. Georgia #25. Kansas #24. Nebraska #23. Oklahoma #22. Alabama #21. Idaho #20. Maryland #19. Hawaii #18. Connecticut #17. Alaska #16. New Jersey #15. North Carolina #14. Oregon #13. South Dakota #12. Arizona #11. North Dakota #10. Virginia #9. Massachusetts #8. Texas #7. Colorado #6. Utah #5. Florida #4. New Mexico #3. Montana #2. Wyoming #1. California A new Biden administration policy has dramatically lowered the percentage of migrants at the southern border who enter the United States and are allowed to apply for asylum, according to numbers revealed in court documents. Without these new limits to asylum, border crossings could overwhelm local towns and resources, a Department of Homeland Security official warned a federal court in a filing this month. The new asylum policy is the centerpiece of the Biden administrations border efforts. Under the new rules, people who cross through a third country on the way to the U.S. and fail to seek protections there are presumed ineligible for asylum in the U.S. The Biden administration said the number of single-adult migrants who are able to pass initial screenings at the border has dropped from 83% to 46% under the new policy. The 83% rate refers to initial asylum screenings between 2014 and 2019; the new data cover the period from May 12, the first full day the new policy was in place, through June 13. Since the expiration of Title 42 rules that allowed border agents to quickly turn back migrants at the border without offering them access to asylum, the administration has pointed to a drop in border crossings as proof that its policies are working. But immigrant advocates and legal groups have blasted Bidens new asylum policy, arguing that it is a repurposed version of a Trump-era effort that made people in similar circumstances ineligible for asylum. Under Bidens policy, certain migrants can overcome the presumption that they are ineligible for asylum. The ACLU and other groups have sought to block the rule in federal court in San Francisco, in front of the same judge who stopped the Trump policy years ago. The new filing provides the first look at how the Biden administrations asylum policy is impacting migrants who have ignored the governments warnings not to cross the border. This newly released data confirms that the new asylum restrictions are as harsh as advocates warned, said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council. The data contradicts conservative attacks on the rule for being too lenient. Less than one in 10 people subject to the rule have been able to rebut its presumption against asylum eligibility. The numbers show that, thus far, 8,195 asylum seekers who crossed the border have had the new rules applied to them and 88% had the policy limit their chance at asylum. These migrants were forced to pass a higher standard of screening reserved for different forms of protection under U.S. law. Some 46% of migrants who were forced to go through the new approach either cleared the higher standard or established an exception to the rule, like a medical emergency. These individuals will now have the chance to seek asylum, and other protections, in immigration court. As intended, the rule has significantly reduced screen-in rates for noncitizens encountered along the SWB, Blas Nunez-Neto, a senor DHS official, wrote in the filing. The decline in encounters at the U.S. border, and entries into the Darien Gap, show that the application of consequences as a result of the rules implementation is disincentivizing noncitizens from pursuing irregular migration and incentivizing them to use safe and orderly pathways. Rechlin-Melnick said that few who did get past the new rule would likely succeed in getting asylum in immigration court due to the policy but could still gain the other, lesser forms of protections offered under U.S. law. Nunez-Neto said that without the policy, DHS expects to see an increase in border crossings that would hurt local border communities and overstretch government resources. He explained that DHS intelligence indicates that there are an estimated 104,000 migrants in northern Mexico and that many of these migrants appear to be waiting to see whether the strengthened consequences associated with the rules implementation are real. Nunez-Neto said the population in northern Mexico is within eight hours of the U.S. border. He cited the increase in arrests at the border in the run-up to the end of Title 42 earlier in May, when border agents were seeing upwards of 10,000 migrants cross in a single day. The Trump administration barred asylum for migrants who crossed the U.S. border and did not seek protections in another country on their journey. Federal Court Judge Jon Tigar later blocked the policy. The Supreme Court stayed the order. Julia Gelatt, a senior policy analyst at the Migration Policy Institute, said the data revealed the policy changes at the border were making a difference in who was able to access asylum, though she noted that families were not included in the statistics presented by Nunez-Neto. These data show that a much smaller share of single adult migrants are able to get into the United States to seek protections than before Title 42, she said. This represents a significant narrowing of the possibility of asylum for single adults coming to the border. Photos: Chicago, other cities say shelters full, budgets hit by immigration uptick OMAHA, Neb. (AP) The U.S. government may have to pay tens of millions of dollars or more to landowners along the Missouri River after a court ruled it worsened flooding there since 2007 that killed crops and wrecked homes and businesses. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a lower court's 2020 ruling that the federal government must pay for the landowners' loss of value to the land. But the appeals court went even further in its decision last Friday, saying that the government must also pay them for crops, farm equipment and buildings lost to the flooding and finding the government contributed to the devastating flood of 2011. Courts have found the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers responsible for recurrent flooding since 2007, three years after it changed how it manages the Missouri Rivers flow to better protect the habitat of endangered fish and birds. It did so by notching dikes to increase water flow, keeping more water in reservoirs and reopening historic chutes, allowing the river to meander and erode banks. Farmers, businesses and other landowners say that unconstitutionally deprived them of their land. The courts have largely agreed, finding that the government violated constitutional protections against taking property without just compensation. That Fifth Amendment protection is often seen in cases of eminent domain, which allows a government to seize private property, with compensation, for a public purpose. Federal officials argue that the changes the Corps made were necessary to comply with the federal Endangered Species Act and a separate requirement from Congress passed in 1986 to protect fish and wildlife. The ruling comes as federal and state officials wrestle with the rising costs of floods made more severe by climate change, and droughts that will require tough water management choices. It's the sort of conflict that will only worsen -- and become more expensive, said James Elliott, a sociology professor at Rice University whose focus is on the confluence of human society and the environment. We tend to think of these as environmental issues, but really, theyre financial issues, right?" he said. "Weve got a lot of development in a lot of places where its just not sustainable. The Corps manages floodplains, levees, and other water infrastructure across the U.S., making critical decisions on emergency management. Any resulting court decision, and even a settlement, could have long-lasting consequences on how floodplains and ecosystems are managed in the future, although the government has indicated in court documents that the Corps is dedicated to its plan that protects endangered wildlife. In total, the government now faces liability for floods in six of the eight years spanning from the beginning of 2007 through 2014, including particularly devastating losses in 2011. Land value loss alone for which the government was found liable was estimated to be around $10 million by lower courts. Attorneys for the landowners had estimated that total damages could exceed $300 million. Total damages across the Missouri River basin in 2011 were estimated at around $2 billion, according to the National Climatic Data Center. So, if you consider how much those crop losses and the 2011 flood damage would be, you can extrapolate from there that it will be significant, said Seth Wright, of Posinelli Law Firm in Kansas City, Missouri, who is the lead trial attorney for the landowners. Wright said that if the history of the nearly 10-year-old legal case is an indicator, the government is likely to appeal the latest ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. Its certainly frustrating to our clients, Wright said. Were a decade into this lawsuit and a decade-and-a-half from the first flood. Its time for the government to step up and pay. Federal officials argue that the courts have overlooked key factors in the case, noting that the plaintiffs land still occasionally flooded even before the Corps made changes to the rivers management in 2004. They say a publically available document warns of possible changes to Corps flood protections. In court documents, officials argue the landowners should have recognized long ago that the System was built to serve multiple, congressionally authorized purposes, not flood control alone, and that theyve never had a property right to any particular level of federal flood-control protection. More than 370 landowners in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and the Dakotas are currently represented in the lawsuit, and a merger with another class-action lawsuit of an additional 60 landowners could happen later. Lawmakers from affected states have said the Justice Department should settle. In 2020, seven Republican U.S. senators from Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri urged the Army to negotiate with landowners. A spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday referred questions to the U.S. Department of Justice, which said Thursday that it is considering its next steps following Friday's ruling. George Floyd was far from the first or only one. Men shot during foot chases or no-knock raids. A 14-year-old boy held by the throat, beaten with a flashlight and pinned by a knee at his neck and back. Protesters pushed to the ground. A journalist who lost her eye to a rubber bullet. These are only a few of the incidents the U.S. Justice Department underscores in a report after its multiyear investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department. The new report is 89 pages of disturbing but hardly surprising details regarding an institution that the DOJ describes as having systemically used excessive force as well as discriminated against racial minorities. These issues predated the murder in summer 2020 that set off protests across the country. Minneapolis police officers shot at people who presented no immediate danger to them: Firing into a car containing six people after its driver was instructed to reverse down a one-way street. Discharging four rounds at a man stabbing himself with a knife but threatening no one else. Killing an unarmed white woman who spooked an officer by approaching his squad car after she called 911 to report a possible sexual assault in a nearby alley. Officers relied on neck restraints with abandon, and in some cases without warning, as when an officer sneaked up behind an unarmed Latino man and choked him until he blacked out. They stunned people with Tasers because they didnt comply immediately with occasionally contradictory demands: Dont kill me! Dont kill me! a woman pulled over for an illegal U-turn yelled as an officer sent electricity into her neck. They pepper-sprayed citizens as punishment for criticizing or even just observing their activity. They responded to a diabetic womans plea for help by telling her theyd add a charge for obstruction and putting her in a full-body restraint. These arent examples of police making difficult split-second decisions to protect their safety or the safety of others. They are examples of officers hurting people for little reason at all. The burden of this misconduct hasnt been evenly borne among demographics. Black and Native American residents have been stopped disproportionately. Their neighborhoods have been patrolled disproportionately. Theyve been the subjects of a disproportionate amount of force. The Minneapolis police have been on notice about these disparities, but despite some recent reforms, no one has done anything to sufficiently address them. To the contrary, after Floyds murder brought national attention to the city, many officers have simply stopped documenting race in the course of their duties. These pattern and practice reviews fell out of favor during Donald Trumps presidency, but their return is welcome. The imprimatur of the Justice Department, plus the push of a consent decree, might be whats necessary to reverse long-standing and deplorable trends in Minneapolis and elsewhere. Better still, police departments should take it on themselves to remove the same rot in their own cities. Former Hobart Mayor Linda Buzinec hugs well-wishers during a ceremony naming the Hobart Clock Tower in her honor on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune) When Linda Buzinec walked to the Lake George clocktower from Graingers across the street, it was as if she were still in charge. City dignitaries, friends and residents alike gathered there waiting for the Common Council to finish its business and get on with the main event of Wednesday evening renaming the clocktower in her honor and the former mayor didnt miss a beat, working the crowd with hugs and smiles. But when it came time for her to speak, she paused for a moment. Advertisement If youve never seen me at a loss for words, enjoy it, she joked. The newly-renamed Mayor Linda Buzinec Clock Tower stands in Hobart on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune) Several dignitaries grabbed the mic to share their stories about Buzinec, whose vision first as First District councilwoman and then as mayor guided the end of Phase one and all of Phase two of the Lake George beautification project. Hobart Clerk-Treasurer Deb Longer recalled the Halloween of 2001, when the country was still in shock and terror over 9/11. Advertisement This lady was in office, and we were trying to decide what we were going to do for Halloween, Longer said. She said, You know what? Were going to have Trick-or-Treating by the lake. We had no idea if were going to have anyone, but turns out, we had 2,000 kids along the lakefront. It was the best coming-together, and Linda, that might be a small story, but its huge in the hearts of Hobart. Former Hobart Mayor Linda Buzinec reacts during a ceremony to rename the Hobart Clock Tower in her honor on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune) Mayor Brian Snedecor said Buzinec has never lost her excitement for this city and pointed out that she is the only Hobart resident to have so far won the Sagamore of the Wabash, Indianas highest civilian honor. The lakefronts current beauty, he said, is her legacy. The time she served, well, look behind us: She made it happen, he said. Buzinec did it by being right in the thick of it, pursuing grants and coordinating construction, Snedecor said. She also secured the land for Phase three, which extended the effort toward City Hall. A plaque naming the Hobart clock tower in honor of former mayor Linda Buzinec is unveiled during a ceremony on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune) Perhaps the most instrumental thing Buzinec did for the project, said Council President Matt Claussen, D-At-Large, was turn the Park Board into the Park Commission. Without that, the city wouldnt have been able to bond out for the project, which cost at least $2.5 million for the east side of the lake alone, according to the Preserve Indiana web site. As for Buzinec, she said she was overwhelmed by the honor, which includes a plaque affixed to the clocktower proclaiming it the Linda Buzinec Clocktower at Lake George. She insisted she wasnt the only person responsible for it. It was the community what we had, what we knew, what we loved, she said. Advertisement Hobart mayor Brian Snedecor presents a bouqet to former Mayor Linda Buzinec during a ceremony to rename the Hobart clock tower in honor of Buzinec on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (Kyle Telechan for the Post-Tribune) (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune) Her son, Michael Buzinec, said his mom never did anything for the recognition, but its still pretty sweet. She has two great-grandchildren now, and its going to be really cool for them to come past here and see and know their grandma did this, he said. Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. The Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered and returned to the public a government house that had been grabbed from the Kenya Reinsurance Corporation (KRC). This follows a ruling delivered by the Environment and Land Court last week which found that the transfer of the house situated at Villa Franca Estate, Nairobi to one Irene Muthoni Mwaura was illegal, fraudulent, null, and void. EACC has recovered and returned to the public property known as L.R. No. 209/10611/173 I.R.No. 77586 situated at Villa Franca Estate, House No. 304, Nairobi which had been grabbed from the Kenya Reinsurance Corporation by one Irene Muthoni Mwaura, EACC said in a statement. The court also directed Muthoni to vacate and hand over the property within 60 days or face forceful eviction. Irene Muthoni was also instructed to pay mesne profits totaling Ksh5 million, which represents the amount for the duration she occupied the property. The court also issued the following orders: A declaration that the transfer of the property from Kenya Reinsurance Corporation to Irene Muthoni Mwaura was illegal, fraudulent, null, and void. An order for cancellation of the transfer registered in favour of Irene Muthoni Mwaura in respect of the grabbed property. A permanent injunction restraining Irene Muthoni Mwaura, her servants and/or agents from alienating, encumbering, disposing off, wasting, and trespassing upon or in any other way interfering with the property except by way of surrender back to the Government. The recovery of the property comes a few weeks after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) successfully retrieved a Ksh52 million bungalow in Nyali, Mombasa County. The bungalow was found to belong to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA). President William Ruto steered clear of picking sides while addressing the ongoing onslaught against the media by Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria. The President played it safe, assuring that his government will defend the media from the Minister while also faulting the media for putting him(Ruto) through hell. We must defend the free media. We must defend their right to criticize, to say whatever it is that they want to say. Even to write propaganda and say the wrong things. We must defend that right, Ruto said. Adding: But we must also defend the right of those who hold the media to account or who call out the media when the media goes rogue. We must also defend the rights of people like Moses Kuria to speak their mind the same way we are defending the media to say all the things they want including the wrong ones, Ruto said Wednesday after flagging off this years Safari Rally in Naivasha. I saw one journalist saying that the President should defend us from Moses Kuria, thats fine; I will do my bit, but I want to ask them who is going to defend me from rogue media because I go through hell all the time, Ruto wondered. The President added: So I think we need a fair balance; and I think if they are feeling pain about what others say about them, it should tell them there are people who feel pain when they write falsehoods about others. And I hope this will enable us calibrate what we say either way- against other people or for other people- I think it will bring us together. A detainee who was being held alongside Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie has passed away while in custody. A prosecutor in the Shakahola Cult deaths case, Jamii Yamina, informed the Mombasa court on Wednesday that the deceased identified as Joseph Juma Buyuka was among the Mackenzie followers who had staged a 10-day hunger strike while in custody. Jamii informed the court that Juma Buyuka, who was an aide to Mackenzie, passed away on Monday while receiving medical treatment at Malindi Hospital after being rushed there from Malindi GK Prison where he was being held. The [Mackenzie] aide had declined to eat and drink while being held at Watamu Police StationHe died two days ago. Complications were from hunger strike and starvation, but we will await a postmortem report, Jamii said. The prosecutor said the autopsy report would be presented to the court once the postmortem examination is completed. Jamii further informed the court that two other suspects, Evans Sirya and Fredrick Karimi, who were also admitted on the same day, were still critically ill in the same hospital. We [the state] shall file a medical report on their progress with the court within a week. After the postmortem on Buyuka is concluded, we shall also produce the report, he told the court. The State requested 60 more days to complete investigations but Defense lawyer Wycliffe Makasembo raised objections to the application, alleging that the State had subjected the suspects to psychological torture. Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna tore into Moses Kuria on Wednesday, suggesting that the Trade Cabinet Secretary seeks professional help. According to Sifuna, Kurias outbursts against the media are not isolated incidents but part of a larger systemic pattern. He said these attacks should not be attributed to alcohol as it would misdiagnose Kurias condition. In the case of Moses Kuria, blaming alcohol is a misdiagnosis. His problem is far more systemic and he needs to seek help given the sort of outbursts we are seeing directed at the media. We will not allow people like Kuria to use the hallowed halls of Parliament to sanitise their misconduct, Sifuna said. The Nairobi Senator spoke after Azimio la Umoja Senators staged a walkout from the Senate on Wednesday morning after Speaker Amason Kingi dismissed a motion seeking to censure CS Kuria over his attacks on the media. Meanwhile, Moses Kuria has maintained his stance and refused to apologize. I am not apologising. I have been a media owner before. I have been a writer in your newspapers. There is nobody who is pro-media more than me. But I know the difference between media and what Thomas (Stanley) Baldwin called the prerogative of the harlot, the exercise of power without responsibility, Kuria said. The Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, delivered a stern warning to public officers, emphasizing that they would be held responsible for any corruption within their respective areas of work. Koskei stated that there will be no special privileges or immunity for anyone involved, stating that there will be no orders from above and no sacred cows in the governments fight against corruption. It is important to note that the excuse of orders from above will not be accepted as justification, he warned. Koskei regretted the pervasive nature of corruption, noting that it has become deeply ingrained to the extent that it is even factored into the budgets of various institutions, both within and outside the government. Clean up your act and it shall be well with you. You have a civic and professional duty to say no to unlawful instructions. The law protects you, he said. Koskei delivered the warning during a meeting held at the Kenya School of Government, Lower Kabete. The meeting was attended by administration secretaries, finance officers, heads of accounts, internal auditors, and heads of supply chain management. If all was going well in public service, the accountability systems in place, we would not be having this meeting. You all would be in your offices carrying out your daily duties and providing services to the citizens of this great nation. Koskei also reminded public servants that they are required to declare their wealth every two years. He noted that there is a distinction between merely making a declaration of wealth and actually leading a lifestyle that surpasses the declared wealth. A lifestyle that cannot be supported by the wealth declared will attract intervention by the agencies that are responsible for corruption prevention and law enforcement. Do not be deceived. Once you become a person of interest, there will be no place to hide, Koskei said. Detectives in Nairobi and Bomet Counties are investigating two separate incidents where men killed their spouses and then surrendered themselves to police officers. The first case was reported in Dandora Phase 3 of Nairobi, where a man stabbed his wife to death early Wednesday morning. Tobias Nzola reportedly took police officers to his residence after reporting that he had murdered his wife, Agnes Kanini. Upon arrival, the officers found the deceaseds body strewn across the floor, with injuries to the neck and hands that appeared to have been inflicted by a sharp object. Detectives also recovered a note written by the murder suspect and addressed to their eldest child instructing them to use the money in the phone to educate their siblings. According to neighbors who spoke to Citizen.Digital, the couple was known to have frequent fights, particularly after the suspect lost his job last year. Police moved the body of the deceased to the city mortuary as investigations continue. Elsewhere, authorities in Bomet County have detained a 21-year-old man who hacked his wife to death. Ismael Kingeno Langat is said to have attacked his 25-year-old spouse after suspecting that she was flirting with male friends on her Facebook account. The man reportedly attacked the victim with a machete after she arrived home from college. The suspect claimed that he had sold a piece of land to raise money for her education Confirming the incident, Makimeny Location Chief Francis Mwei said the suspect also attempted to kill his father. The father had rushed to the scene to find out what was happening but managed to escape the wrath of the suspect. After committing the heinous act, the suspect voluntarily turned himself in to Makimeny Police Station. He was carrying a blood-stained panga at the time of surrender. Chepalungu Police boss Panton Analo said the body of the deceased was moved to Longisa Referral Hospital Mortuary. Dennis and Aubrey McIninch were unsung service workers in the Napa Valley tourism industry until COVID came along and triggered a dramatic life change. Three years later, they have opened a Yountville retail outlet, Madeleines Macarons, selling uniquely flavored French cookies so beautiful and delicate that they resemble gifts from the culinary gods. Dennis professes astonishment at their change in life direction from working in restaurants to selling their own gourmet baked goods on Washington Street, the Rodeo Drive of wine country. The speed of that transition was just ridiculous, he says with a laugh. Dennis had waited tables for a quarter century in some of the best restaurants, while Aubrey worked as a hostess, barista and bakery manager at places up and down the valley. Download Napa Valley Register news app today! Your story lives in the Napa Valley. Get in-depth stories from the Napa region and beyond including news, sports, features and politics. When COVID struck in early 2020, both were sent home from their jobs. To pass time during the shutdown, Dennis labored to bake perfect macarons for his wife. Although Aubrey and Dennis are not French indeed, neither has ever visited France those quintessentially French cookies spoke to them, first in the language of love, then as a possible business proposition. By watching YouTube videos and reading books, Dennis macarons got better and better. In the summer of 2020, he went back to waiting at Bistro Jeanty, but began selling macarons on the side to the Oakville Grocery. At a certain point I realized this was a way out, Dennis said. If he and Aubrey had their own business, they could give up working evenings and weekends and be home more with their young daughter Madeleine (Maddie), whose picture now adorns their packaging. They quit their jobs and began selling these dainty French sandwich cookies to select local stores, at the Friday farmers market in St. Helena and the Saturday farmers market in Napa, nationally through their website, and to hotels as part of guest turn-down service. The logical next step, a retail store, opened this year on Valentines Day. Madeleines Macarons is on the north side of town, snuggled into a cute space formerly occupied by Southside Cafe in the Stewart Cellars complex. Restoration Hardware is across the street. The bakery distinguishes itself from traditional bakers of macarons by offering more than 30 highly creative buttercream flavors such as raspberry coconut, Mexican hot chocolate, watermelon-tajin, blood orange mimosa and lemon drop. More than two dozen varieties are always available, including seasonal favorites in autumn, buttered rum and pumpkin spice. The bakery sells several savory macarons, including thyme with feta and beet with goat cheese, which are popular with wineries as tasting room fare, the McIniches said. Because macarons only contain egg whites, the couple hit upon making frozen custards to make use of all those yolks. Macarons are labor intensive, said Dennis, which is reflected in the price $3 apiece. A lavender box of 12 sells for $34. There is a mystique about macarons that few cookies can match, said Aubrey. They have to be done perfectly. Theres an eggshell crunch on the outside and a chewy center. For bargain hunters, Madeleines Macarons sells Maddies Misses in a bag at farmers markets. These less-than-perfectly-formed cookies are $16.50 for 12. The Yountville site sells a full spectrum of coffee drinks with beans from Linea Caffe of San Francisco. The word is out, Aubrey said. We have the best coffee in town. Aubrey said shes happy with the way the retail site, with its airy, friendly vibe and seating inside and out, turned out. We decided if were going to do it, do it perfectly, she said. Their family-owned enterprise now has 14 employees, and rents a baking facility near the Napa County Airport. Dennis oversees production, while Aubrey handles the retail operation, bookkeeping and promotion. Business has tripled every year since 2020, Aubrey said, and sales at the Yountville store are growing, with each weeks revenue exceeding the previous week. The size of the McIninch family has also grown. Maddie will be 6 in July. Her sister Ruby will turn 2 the same month. The preferred pronunciation for macaron is mack-a-ron, but if a customer says mack-a-roon no ones about to offer a correction, Aubrey said. Madeleines Macarons is located at 6752 Washington St., Yountville. Open daily. Info: madeleinesmacarons.com. Photos: Take a look inside Madeleines Macarons, now open in Yountville A man who broke into a Napa house Wednesday evening fired a gun at sheriffs deputies who were called to the scene, the Napa County Sheriffs Office reported. Download Napa Valley Register news app today! Your story lives in the Napa Valley. Get in-depth stories from the Napa region and beyond including news, sports, features and politics. Jonathan David McCurdy, 35, was detained by deputies after the shooting in the 2200 block of the Silverado Trail, according to sheriffs spokesperson Henry Wofford. He was booked into the Napa County jail for investigation of attempted murder, assaulting a law enforcement officer, burglary and firearm-related felonies, and was being held without bail Thursday. Neighbors saw McCurdy inside the home, which did not belong to him, and contacted law enforcement at about 5:30 p.m., Wofford said. When sheriffs deputies arrived, McCurdy disobeyed their orders, and then two shots were fired from inside the house in the deputies direction, according to Wofford. The deputies later detained McCurdy and found a gun inside the home, Wofford said. No one was struck by either bullet and no injuries were reported, according to Wofford. In addition to the attempted murder and assault counts, McCurdy, who has no listed address, faces allegations of illegal gun and ammunition possession by a felon, as well as grand theft of a firearm and resisting arrest. Wofford said the gun and ammunition counts are related to a previous conviction in New York state. A Hammond man was sentenced to 32 years Thursday for gunning down a man outside a Hammond smoke shop. Marcus A. Ross, 29, of Hammond, was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in the April 1, 2022 shooting death of Zackery Smith, 27, of Chicago. Advertisement He got 22 years on voluntary manslaughter and another 10 years on a firearms enhancement. Ross lawyers contend Smith pulled two guns on him first and he came back and gunned Smith down in self-defense. Advertisement Prosecutors countered minutes passed between the first confrontation. Ross briefly left, then returned to the parking lot shutting down his self-defense argument, they said at trial. Ross then-girlfriend Mychael Thomas, 28, of East Chicago, was also charged in connection with the case. Her next hearing is July 5. Smiths parents spoke Thursday of their loss. He made National Honor Society in high school and was into video games and electronics, his mom Latoya Smith-Brooks said. I wish there was some way you all could have separated, she said. All I really got is memories, bro, his dad Ronald Smith told Ross. Being in court brought back a lot of bad emotions, he said. Its just not natural for a parent to have to bury a kid, Smith said. Ross had six children who depend on him, his mother told the court. Advertisement Im suffering, too, she said. Its not our fault this happened. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Cole Galloway said when Ross left the smoke shop, he shouldnt have come back. He shot at Smith multiple times in a cool, calm, collected manner. Forensic evidence showed Ross fired nine times, hitting Smith five times, including two shots in the back. Prosecutors asked for a maximum 50-year sentence. Ross apologized to Smiths family, saying the men were strangers and he didnt know what led to the confrontation. He had a fight or flight reaction, according to court documents. I wish I had answers for you, Ross said. I was threatened. I was told if I were seen again, I was going to be killed. Advertisement Ross defense lawyer Lakeisha Murdaugh said he had a direct threat to his life. There was no audio on the tape that captured the shooting. Only Smith and Ross really know what happened, she said. He was working to grow past a criminal record that included domestic battery. This man changed, Murdaugh said. He was nothing but apologetic about the shooting, she said. Murdaugh asked for a lower-end sentence, but left the specifics up to the judge. Judge Gina Jones noted he had three juvenile adjudications, one misdemeanor and two felony convictions. You were a convicted felon, she said. You know you werent supposed to have a gun. Advertisement The biggest thing was Smiths death. Without Ross gun, he wouldnt have died. Smith should have done things differently, too, Jones said. You could have called the police, she told Ross. Police responded at 1:47 p.m. April 1, 2022 to a shots fired call at the Oasis Smoke Shop, 5535 State Line Ave., where they found several bullet casings. Smith fled from the parking lot and later flipped his car in the middle of State Line Road, charges allege. He was taken to Advocate Christ Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 2:36 p.m. He was shot in the right leg, left knee and right upper chest, charges state. Police found two guns, one in Smiths car and another near Advocate. A witness told police Smith was selling her marijuana in the smoke shop parking lot when another man in a green fluorescent jacket later identified as Ross walked up and fired shots at him. Another woman identified as Thomas later drove up asking if the witness saw a man in a green jacket. Advertisement A security camera showed Smith was in the smoke shop parking lot when Thomas, driving, and Ross pulled up in an Acura. Smith went into the smoke shop, then returned to his car. As he did, he walked near the Acura, pulled two guns out and appeared to trade words with Ross. After Smith got back into his car, the other Acura left. Later, as Smith was still in the parking lot selling marijuana to the witness, Ross walked up and shot him from behind, charges allege. Ross then ran toward the School City of Hammond administration building, documents state. Ross threw paperwork and two company credit cards from his truck driving job into a nearby trash can, records state. Those documents, which had his name, helped lead police to him, charges allege. Police also found the green jacket and sneakers seen on camera at his apartment, the affidavit states. Two live bullets found in his garbage can outside matched bullets at the scene, documents state. Advertisement Galloway co-tried the case with Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Maureen Koonce. Co-counsel Jennie Bell assisted Murdaugh. We should specify the cartographic basis of demarcation activities in the near future. Pashinyan Brussels meeting brought no concrete results in opening Lachin Corridor, resolving humanitarian crisis in NK.Pashinyan Artsakh residents hold a protest near the UN office in Yerevan EU foreign ministers to discuss Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement in Brussels Armenian-French cooperation will continue to strengthen. Nikol Pashinyan received French Ambassador The process of the program of formation of Digital Society and Economy discussed at Government State minister: We may have situation when we cant wait for the 7 days noted by Karabakh President The Prime Minister hosts Aram Arzumanyan, disabled as a result of the 44-day war Nikol Pashinyan, Mikhail Mishustin hold phone talk Nersisyan. The more Armenia lowers bar on Karabakh issue, the harder it will be for people of Artsakh to raise it Karabakh official: Armenia has only one thing to do in discussions with Azerbaijan Artsakh state minister: Many illogical things are happening on European platform; is it serious conversation? Karabakh minister of state: We managed to make our voice heard by all to which nationwide movement was directed Lachin corridor has no alternative: Several Armenia NGOs issue joint statement on Charles Michel statement Karabakh state minister: We are in disaster but we will never surrender Karabakh ex-official Vitaly Balasanyan is charged on 4 counts Analyst: Armenia has not recognized Azerbaijan territorial integrity with Karabakhs inclusion Armenia PM is briefed on plan to establish EHL Hospitality Business School branch in Gyumri Our link should be with Armenia only: Karabakh residents comment on their blocking of Askeran-Aghdam road Missing servicemens parents reopen Yerevan major intersection, but on condition Armenia army General Staff chief meets with US Air Force chief of staff (PHOTOS) Parents of missing soldiers close off major avenue in Yerevan Edmon Marukyan: Azerbaijan has no plan to integrate Christian Armenians Azerbaijan MFA responds to Armenia FM with series of absurd accusations Livestock sector is in much worse situation in besieged Karabakh, agriculture minister says Agriculture minister: Scheduled power outages, lack of diesel fuel also cause problems in Karabakh irrigation system Karabakh MoD: Defense Army did not carry out fortification work in Askeran Region Newspaper: What 'tougher actions' Karabakh will take? MoD: Armenia army did not fire at Azerbaijan positions Worlds most expensive iPhone is sold in US US returns 105 antiquities illegally exported from India to latter David Babayan: Karabakh grandpa who fought at Stalingrad, took Berlin never imagined he could die of hunger Russia, Iran FMs interested in consultations with participation of Armenia, Azerbaijan Austria FM: Lachin corridor blockade must be stopped immediately Deputy PM Grigoryan's office: Armenia, Azerbaijan have not made decision on any map Armenia FM briefs OSCE Secretary General on situation in Karabakh Armenian Foreign Minister expresses Yerevan's readiness to hold talks with Turkey in Vienna Armenia is not going to become a space where sanctions could be bypassed: Ararat Mirzoyan Dollar, euro increase in Armenia Armenia FM: Regrettable that instead of engaging in dialogue, Azerbaijan pursues policy of ethnic cleansing in Karabakh FMs sign protocol on implementation of Armenia-EU readmission agreement between Armenia, Austria (PHOTOS) Karabakh residents block Askeran-Aghdam motorway, with concrete barriers (PHOTOS) Armenias Pashinyan receives ex-MP Francois Rochebloine of France Yerevan municipal election events schedule announced Karabakh NGOs: Support being provided to Artsakh people cannot be at cost of trampling on their dignity American University of Armenia has new president Hyundai releases first photos of new generation Santa Fe crossover Public Television to present dire situation in Karabakh every day live from capital Stepanakert's Renaissance Square Teen found dead in Armenia river European Parliament committee calls on Turkey to recognize Armenian Genocide Armenia FM visit to Vienna kicks of with private talk with Austria colleague Karabakh operational headquarters chief: Presidents sit-in could be beneficial European Parliament accuses Azerbaijan of bribing PACE lawmakers, some other offenses Karabakh presidential advisor warns of taking extreme measures Iraqi Kurdistan leader visits Azerbaijan In support of Karabakh demonstration participants march to US Embassy in Yerevan US embassy: Passengers are denied entry to Armenia for possession of drugs Azerbaijan continues to settle occupied Berdzor-Lachin town of Karabakh Armenia army chief attends US National Guard State Partnership Program 30th Anniversary conference (PHOTOS) Public transport to not operate in Karabakh capital Stepanakert as of today Karabakh interior ministry: No vehicle passed through Askeran police checkpoint to Akna-Aghdam Azerbaijan FM repeats proposal to use Aghdam road to Karabakh Protests in support of Karabakh continue in Yerevan Grigory Karasin responds to accusations against Russia from Azerbaijan Armenia PM: It will be very good if we do European track and field tournament in Artashat Newspaper: More Armenia military commanders to be arrested soon Karabakh minister of state: Today nationwide movement will continue awareness actions started in Yerevan Karabakh parliament speaker joins Presidents sit-in Armenia MoD: Azerbaijan again disseminated disinformation MFA spox: Armenia demands lifting of illegal blockade of Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan Karabakh President: People of Artsakh are facing real threat of physical destruction Russia MFA confirms readiness to hold Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs meeting in Moscow Karabakh presidential adviser on Azerbaijan proposal to transport humanitarian goods to Artsakh: This is greatest danger Armen Grigoryan presents humanitarian crisis in Karabakh to Matthias Luttenberg Karabakh capital Stepanakert public transport to operate in very limited capacity Armenia ex-ruling party official Armen Ashotyan to remain in custody Armenias Matenadaran museum and institute of ancient manuscripts has new director Armenia PM follows road construction work in Ararat Province MFA spox: Armenia calls on other international players to follow ICJ, ECtHR Son dies on the spot, father hospitalized after car overturns in Armenias Gegharkunik Province Armenia parliament vice-speaker briefs Germany MFA official on South Caucasus security situation Zangi company launches 'ArtsakhX' project in Karabakh, which will operate even when internet is cut off Armenia ambassador-at-large: Azerbaijans non-compliance is violation of conventional obligations Armenia PM pays tribute to heroes who sacrificed their lives for Motherland Karabakh minister of state on Armenia protests in support of Artsakh: Put aside all differences, try to unite Protester in support of Karabakh to Russia's Putin: Keep your word, we believed in you MFA spox: Armenia did not receive trilateral meeting proposal from Russia Protesters in support of Karabakh march from UN office to Russia embassy in Armenia UAE new envoy to Armenia conveys Dubai Aviation Exhibition invitation to defense minister (PHOTOS) Karabakh President to deliver address Karabakh children sing Artsakh national anthem in front of UN office in Armenia Russia antiterrorism committee: Crimea bridge was attacked by 2 Ukraine UAVs at night Karabakh applicants unable to take Armenia universities entrance exams First ombudsperson to PM: What do you have to do with territories on which Armenia sovereignty doesnt extend? Azerbaijan must reopen Lachin corridor: ECtHR reaffirms necessity of implementing its previous decision Pickets in support of Karabakh being staged outside UN office and Russia embassy in Armenia Motion to arrest Karabakh ex-official Vitaly Balasanyan submitted to court Karabakh state minister: Nationwide movement that started in Artsakh will also take place in Armenia as of today Armenia opposition MP: International players try to exonerate themselves in advance from Karabakh tragedy Emergency situation on Crimea bridge, there are casualties and injured The blocking of the Lachin corridor is illegal and must be stopped. Nathalie Loiseau (France), Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defense of the European Parliament, stated this at a press conference in Armenia Wednesday. "As much as Armenia is dedicated to peace, Azerbaijan also is obligated to prove that it is also dedicated to peace. The European Union is making its best efforts to facilitate contacts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The last contact [between them] took place in Chisinau. Dates of additional meetings are planned. We are putting in our best efforts to reduce the tension; the European [civil monitoring] mission in Armenia should contribute to this. Only one country is enough to start a war, but the will of two countries is enough to stop it. The time has come for peace to be established. The position of the European Union is that the blocking of the Lachin corridor [by Azerbaijan] is illegal and should be stopped. The rights of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh must be protected, and the determination of the Armenian authorities deserves respect. Since the blockade of Lachin is illegal, I call on the ambassadors accredited in Baku, if Azerbaijan invites them to visit the illegally located checkpoint, to refrain from accepting the invitation, adhering to the judgment of the Hague court," said Loiseau. The member of the European Parliament told that during her current visit to Armenia she had meetings with the prime minister and high-ranking officials. Also, she was in Syunik Province, met with the provincial governor and the mayor of Goris city. "We approached the entrance to the Lachin corridor to see with our own eyes the illegal blockade of the corridor by the Azerbaijani authorities. We heard about an increasing number of armed incidents in which the sovereign territory of Armenia is being invaded [by Azerbaijan]. We learned about the Yeraskh [village] incident when civilians were targeted. We got familiarized with the incident when Azerbaijanis had tried to place an Azerbaijani flag in the Lachin corridor. I will take this message with me to Brussels and tell about what I saw and heard," Nathalie Loiseau said. The humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh continues to worsen; the illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan continues despite a February 22 interim ruling by the International Court of Justice. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced this at Thursdays Cabinet meeting of the Armenian government. "Let me remind that with a legally binding decision, the [aforesaid] court obligated Azerbaijan to take all possible measures to guarantee the uninterrupted movement of peoples, vehicles, and cargo in both directions through the Lachin corridor. The court emphasized that its decision creates binding legal force for Azerbaijan," Pashinyan said. "This decision of the court is not implemented. No people, no vehicles, no goods move through the Lachin corridor. Moreover, traveling of the Red Cross vehicles was also prohibited. These are important facts, which by themselves contradict Azerbaijan's arguments that the forces, countries speaking about the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin corridor are allegedly interfering in Azerbaijan's internal affairs," the Armenian PM noted. "Failure to implement the decision of the International Court of Justice and ensuring the implementation of the court's decision is an issue of the international agenda, and the problem should be approached with this logic. It is important to record that the non-fulfillment and disregard of that decision has led to a humanitarian crisis [in Nagorno-Karabakh]," Pashinyan stated. He added that everything is being done by Azerbaijan to make the life of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh impossible, and this is exactly the policy of ethnic cleansing about which Armenia has been warning for years. "Our idea for resolving this situation is as follows: The legally binding February 22 decision of the International Court of Justice must be implemented. And this is a matter of the international agenda, including the matter of the UN Security Council because it is this body that is authorized to ensure the implementation of the decisions of the International Court of Justice," emphasized the Armenian premier. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with Singapore's Temasek Chairman Lim Boon Heng on Tuesday in Beijing. He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said since the beginning of the year, China has adhered to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability and faithfully implemented the new development philosophy, and the economy has recovered and turned for the better. He said a bumper summer harvest of grains is likely. China's manufacturing industry has been growing steadily, and the service industry is picking up relatively fast. He said investment, consumption, and export played their role in a coordinated way, employment and commodity prices are kept generally stable, and solid headway is being made in high-quality development. "China's economic development is showing sound momentum in the first half of the year," said He. Hailing China's sound economic growth despite the COVID-19, Lim said Temasek will continue to devote itself to the Chinese market. Unlike the nine Emory colleges and schools that admit students, Emeritus College doesnt require faculty to teach, research and serve on committees but they can if they want to. Emeritus College, Emorys official organization for retired faculty, serves precisely those needs by keeping its members engaged in the social and intellectual life of the university. On June 2, Emeritus College hosted its first university-wide celebration of faculty reaching retirement over the previous year. Honoring decades worth of commitment, achievement and collegiality, the event brought together new and existing retirees, their spouses and partners, and university leadership to welcome faculty to this new community and familiarize the recently retired with a new set of colleagues and all that Emeritus College has to offer. It was an honor to celebrate the retirement of 73 faculty members who have contributed so much to Emory through their scholarship, teaching, leadership and service. Its amazing that we have an Emeritus College that provides opportunities for engagement and community for our retired faculty, says Pearl Dowe, vice provost for faculty affairs, who spoke at the hybrid event. The celebration was organized by Ann E. Rogers, who took on the role of Emeritus College director in June 2021. She drew inspiration from her experiences of the rich relationships and learning opportunities within Emeritus College as well as a similar event held by an emeritus faculty organization at the University of Pennsylvania. Emeritus College offers retired faculty the chance to get to know colleagues from across the university, says Rogers, who also serves as a professor in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing. Similarly, Cross-disciplinary learning opportunities allow scientists like me to learn more about the humanities. Emeritus College was established in 2001 to advance the intellectual and creative interests of active faculty members approaching retirement and those already retired. The college was the brainchild of Eugene Bianchi and John Bugge, former professors in the Department of Religion and the Department of English, respectively, as well as Emorys chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Informed by the work of organizations for retired faculty at institutions across the country, the Emory team sought to burnish the relationship between the university and its retired faculty. Many faculty first encounter Emeritus College through the retirement planning resources it offers. Popular seminars, to which all Emory faculty age 55 and over are invited, focus on developing financial and health care plans for retirement. Already retired faculty are available to serve as retirement mentors and guide faculty through the process. From these introductions to retirement, faculty begin their engagement with Emeritus College, which takes much of its shape if not its intensity from the world of academia. Emeritus College offers lectures for and by members, colloquiums and discussion groups. Research fellowships are available to those who wish to continue their professional scholarship or embark on new intellectual journeys. For Goodrich C. White Professor Emeritus Ron Gould, a recipient of Emeritus College funding, the organization serves both social and intellectual functions. Emeritus College has allowed me to remain in contact with several retired friends and to make a number of new friends, he says. Gould also appreciates the opportunities to stretch his intellectual curiosity through the lunch colloquium series and seminars. Those interested in service opportunities may follow Emeritus College suggestions like mentoring through the Center for Faculty Development and Excellence and teaching at the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning. Service opportunities also exist through International MedShare and the Atlanta Food Bank. The organization is also planning social activities such as group visits to the Michael C. Carlos Museum and other local cultural institutions. Today, Emeritus College remains devoted to its founders mission while responding to evolving needs and interests. In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Emeritus College moved its programming online and increased its offerings from once every other week to once a week. After Emorys return to campus, Emeritus Colleges home in the Luce Center was fitted with the technology necessary to host year-round hybrid events. Events are open to all Emory retired faculty and faculty nearing retirement. Emeritus College membership is available to these groups as well as their spouses and partners, who become associate members. Faculty from institutions without emeritus organizations, including Agnes Scott College and Georgia Tech, are eligible for affiliate membership. To join, send your name, contact information and school to emeriti@emory.edu. Staff members monitor data at a smart control center of a private enterprise in Zhangzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, June 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Yongzhen) The city of Zhangzhou in east China's Fujian Province has been a model of balancing development for now and the future. It is a top-50 city in China in terms of economic output. The city's GDP increased 6.9 percent year on year to 570.66 billion yuan (about 79.5 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022, and was up 5.5 percent in the first quarter of this year. Zhangzhou's competitive industries cover traditional sectors like petrochemical engineering, food processing and equipment manufacturing, as well as emerging ones such as electronic information, new energy and digital services. Meanwhile, Zhangzhou has been exerting efforts to safeguard sustainable development. The forest coverage rate is nearly 65 percent in the city, much higher than the national level, and enterprises there are seeking a greener development path with future generations in mind. FOR FUTURE ENVIRONMENT Founded in 1999, Sanbao Group has upgraded its steel-making business with innovative and environmentally friendly steps. It integrated the world's most advanced technologies and equipment into a production line with the aim of providing high-quality and lightweight steel for new energy vehicles and batteries. The group also invests massively in energy conservation and emission cuts for a better environment. It has shortened the steel-making process and hence reduced carbon emissions and power consumption to the world's leading level. Moreover, Sanbao has lowered its emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides to match the country's strictest standard, deployed new energy vehicles to transport bulk materials and goods, and started a solar power project with an investment of over 1 billion yuan, which is expected to cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 70,000 tonnes. "All these measures aim to ensure Sanbao's high-quality sustainable development and contribute to environmental protection," said Lin Jun, Party chief of Sanbao. Zhangzhou's government has been strengthening ecological protection and pushing forward the conservation and restoration of key areas like the Jiulong River basin to sustain blue skies, clean soil and lucid water. According to its five-year plan for 2021-2025, the city will boost the transformation of the steel and petrochemical industries, improve the efficiency of energy use, and start the construction of low-carbon pilot zones. It also plans to build a major clean energy base with an output value of 50 billion yuan by 2025. FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS In a smart classroom, the lamplight is very close to natural light and the sound from small speakers dotted above the lighting equipment can reach every inch of the room. This is displayed at LEEDARSON, a high-tech corporation that specializes in the Internet of Things (IoT) and which has topped the export of LED lighting products for six consecutive years in China. Chen Wei, LEEDARSON's product manager, said that the company started with smart illumination and then entered IoT, and is dedicated to bringing IoT products into homes and schools. LEEDARSON has been investing in smart education facilities since 2014, and a series of products have gained popularity, said Xu Jianxing, deputy manager of LEEDARSON's smart education department. Loud sounds from traditional speakers could impair children's hearing, he said, adding that the company's smart solutions can help protect the health of students. Frog Prince Group is another enterprise concentrating on child care. The group is a research base for daily child care products in China. The company has collaborated with famous domestic and foreign brands to upgrade its products for children's healthy and fun daily lives, said Li Liang, the group's deputy manager of child care products. Last year, Zhangzhou government's spending on improving people's well-being accounted for nearly 80 percent of its general public budget expenditure. The city renovated and expanded a batch of public kindergartens and primary and middle schools. The number of hospital beds per 1,000 people surged to 6.1 in 2022 from 2.95 in 2012. 22:11 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday asked the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress to sort out their differences on the Delhi ordinance issue over tea and biscuits at a later date, reminding them that the Patna opposition meeting was not the ideal forum for such discussion, sources said. They said Banerjee, herself on a day-long fast, was keen that the bickering over the ordinance does not derail the discussions and intervened in the matter when AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal insisted that the Congress make an announcement at the end of the meeting that it will support AAP on the issue. During the meeting, Congress chairperson Mallikarjun Kharge in his speech gave an in-principle support to the AAP on the issue saying the party will not back anything that is unconstitutional, the sources said. He said his party has a set mechanism for taking up issues and the announcement on it will be done at a later date, according to the sources. At no point did Kejriwal threaten to walk out of the meeting, they added. The sources also said that all the opposition party members in attendance sided with the Congress and stated that the party's line on the issue was a "reasonable" one. Rahul Gandhi during his speech did not raise the ordinance issue, they said, adding he asserted he was attending the meeting with a clean slate "without any memory of past likes or dislikes with any of the parties in attendance". He also said he and his party would do anything to keep the opposition together. Gandhi suggested that the Opposition would have to break the financial, institutional and constitutional monopoly of the BJP to defeat them. "Incidentally, the West Bengal chief minister was sitting almost equidistant from Kejriwal and Gandhi. When the issue became heated, she intervened and asked them to have tea and biscuits. She said a lot of things can be resolved over a good cup of tea and biscuits," said the source. During her address at the meeting, Banerjee said it was important for all parties to ensure support for the Congress wherever the party was the strongest. She said the BJP will be fighting not the opposition but the people of India. RJD chief Lalu Prasad was given a rousing welcome by the opposition party leaders as he started his speech as the second speaker. He suggested that for the 2024 general elections, the opposition fight should be led by the biggest party in each state. Requesting the Congress to be large-hearted, he appreciated the party's gesture to speak last after hearing everyone else. Host and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was the first to speak, said while 15 opposition parties were in attendance, at least 10 more will be joining the ranks soon. Kejriwal said for the 2024 elections, the motto should be "nation first, party second." He said when parties give up seats for their opposition partners, their victory should be victory for the united front. He also said this was no time for expansion for parties and the focus should not just be the election, but agreement of issues. -- PTI This move may mark the first intergovernmental transaction under a law enacted last year to raise emergency funds, The Express Tribune reported. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar chaired the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Inter-Governmental Commercial Transactions. The cabinet committee decided to set up a committee to negotiate a commercial agreement between the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and the UAE government, according to the decision. The negotiation committee has also been permitted to finalise a draft operation, maintenance, investment, and development agreement under the government-to-government arrangements with a nominated agency of the UAE for handing over the Karachi port terminals. The negotiation committee set up to finalise a framework agreement will be headed by the Minister for Maritime Affairs, Faisal Sabzwari. The committee members include the additional secretaries of Finance and Foreign Affairs, the special assistant to PM Jehanzeb Khan, the Chairman of the Karachi Port Terminal (KPT), and the general managers of the KPT. Pakistan aims to reach a deal to hand over the terminals to Abu Dhabi Ports (ADP), a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Ports Group. The UAE government had shown interest in acquiring the Karachi port terminals that were under the administrative control of the Pakistan International Containers Terminals (PICT) last year, The Express Tribune reported. Abu Dhabi Ports, part of AD Ports Group, owns or operates 10 ports and terminals in the UAE. Last year, the coalition government enacted the Intergovernmental Commercial Transactions Act, aimed at selling state assets on a fast-track basis to raise funds. The country is in dire need of additional money after its deal with the International Monetary Fund has lapsed. --IANS san/ksk/ ( 308 Words) 2023-06-20-12:28:02 (IANS) The majority of vehicles involved in these accidents were buses, motorcycles, and three-wheelers, Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying. A collaborative action plan has been initiated to reduce the number of accidents. The Minister said a pilot program was launched on May 18 in the Western Province to identify drivers operating vehicles while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Last week, a total of 1,781 drivers suspected of driving under the influence of drugs were tested in the Western Province, the state minister said. Some 19,740 road accidents were reported in Sri Lanka in 2022, killing 2,485 people, according to the police. --IANS ksk/ ( 147 Words) 2023-06-20-12:42:02 (IANS) Pakistans civil-military leadership has presented an "Economic Revival Plan", stated to be bigger than the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the media reported. The plan is focused on harnessing the country's untapped potential in key sectors through local development and foreign investments mainly from "Gulf countries" and expediting project implementation, The Express Tribune reported. "This economic recovery project (SIFC) will prove to be a bigger economic project than CPEC," a key cabinet minister told The Express Tribune. "The project is a "game-changer" for the development of Pakistan," the Minister added. He stated that "investment will come from the Gulf countries" and the "army will play a key role" in the coordination of the projects. "If this project is completed, by 2035, Pakistan could become a trillion-dollar economy," The Express Tribune reported citing a source as saying. The new plan is announced just days before the 10th anniversary of the signing of CPEC deal, which was also dubbed as a "game changer" project. The project was signed on July 5, 2013 during the then Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government. However, so far, less than $25 billion of Chinese investment has been made out of the planned amount of $62 billion due to Islamabad's failure to honour its various commitments. Now, the source said, under the SIFC, direct jobs opportunities would be provided to 15 to 20 million people and indirect job opportunities to another 75 to 100 million people in the next four to five years. Along with this, the SIFC project will generate exports of $70 billion and "import substitution" of equal amount in the next four to five years, The Express Tribune reported. "The (SIFC) plan will also increase Pakistan's foreign direct investment by $100 billion." In his speech, Gen Asim Munir assured the army's all-out support to complement the government's efforts for the revival plan, considered to be fundamental to socio-economic prosperity of the Pakistanis and reclaiming Pakistan's rightful stature in the comity of the nations. --IANS san/ksk/ ( 344 Words) 2023-06-21-12:06:05 (IANS) A notification in this regard has been issued by the Prime Minister's Office. "Pursuant to the meeting held on Friday with regard to attracting investment from GCC countries in the fields of defence, agriculture, minerals, IT and energy, the Prime Minister is pleased to constitute a Special Investment Facilitation Council," the notification read. The announcement came a day after the government unveiled an elaborate 'Economic Revival Plan' with a view to capitalise on Pakistan's untapped potentials in key sectors, fast-track the development projects and facilitate investment. The plan was unveiled during a high-level meeting chaired by Sharif in Islamabad, which was attended by Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, Chief Ministers, federal and provincial ministers, and other high-ranking government officials. At the meeting, General Munir had assured all-out support to complement the government's plan for the revival of the economy. --IANS san/arm ( 194 Words) 2023-06-21-17:50:03 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu on Wednesday said the government has embarked on a journey to increase economic resources despite inheriting a significant loan of about Rs 75,000 crore from the previous BJP regime. With a strong emphasis on tourism and hydropower, the state aims to bolster its economy and create employment opportunities for the youth. Various steps have been taken by the government in the past six months in this regard. The Chief Minister has actively been advocating for the state's rights in hydropower projects at various platforms, consistently visiting Delhi to demand an increase in royalty and the state's share in various Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSU)-owned power projects, an official spokesperson said. Also due to the efforts of Sukhu the completion of the Shongtong hydropower project has been expedited, expected to be finished by July 2025. The timely commissioning will result in savings of Rs 250 crore and generate a revenue interest of about Rs 156 crore. To attract investments and revive stalled various Investment projects, the Chief Minister recently held a two-day meet with investors in Shimla. This initiative not only promises to increase the state's sources of income but also provides employment opportunities for the youth. He also discussed various tourism-related projects, highlighting the state government's commitment to promoting green investments. In another effort to improve the economy, the state government decided to auction the liquor vends of the state for 2023-24, resulting in a profit of Rs 520 crore. Additionally, the total excise policy implemented this year is expected to contribute about Rs 3,000 crore to the state exchequer, said the Chief Minister. "In a significant move, Himachal Pradesh has decided to impose water cess on hydropower projects, estimating a revenue influx of Rs 4,000 crore. Over 130 hydropower projects have already registered under this act," said Sukhu. Moreover, the government is actively focusing on harnessing solar energy, with a target set to produce 500 MW of solar power in this fiscal. This initiative aims to reduce reliance on expensive purchased electricity on a banking basis, he added. To cut down on expenditure and promote sustainability, the government plans to gradually replace 1,500 diesel buses of the Himachal Road Transport Corp (HRTC) with e-buses. The operational cost of e-buses is significantly lower than diesel buses, potentially aiding in the revival of HRTC. Additionally, the government aims to replace vehicles in all government departments with e-vehicles, with the transport department leading the way. Also, the Chief Minister has secured permission for the felling of khair trees on forest land in favour of the state government. The Supreme Court upheld the government's stance, enabling the forest department to fell khair trees in 10 forest divisions. Furthermore, the department is finalizing the standard operating procedure (SOP) of timely extracting and selling timber from salvage trees found in the forest land, projecting an additional income of Rs 1,000 crore per year for the government. While creating new economic resources, the government is also focused on reducing its expenditure. The Chief Minister has increased the rent of Himachal Sadan and Bhavan in Delhi and Chandigarh for all from Rs 200 to Rs 1,200. Additionally, the state government has discontinued helicopter services from June 1, resulting in further savings. --IANS vg/ksk/ ( 554 Words) 2023-06-21-15:20:02 (IANS) The central government has allocated Rs 145 crore to Nagaland for the proposed 'Unity Mall' by the state government in Dimapur. The Union Budget for 2023-24 has allocated Rs 5,000 crore for the construction of Unity Malls across the country. These malls will function as a one-stop marketplace for One District One Products across the country. The ODOP initiative is a program aligned with the goal of inclusive development across all districts of India. The objective is to identify and promote a distinct product from each district, thereby creating a niche identity for them. Over 1000 products have been selected from all 761 districts of the country. The products are selected by the State Government in consultation with district administration. "The ODOP initiative covers a wide range of products spanning textiles, agricultural produce, processed goods, pharmaceuticals, and industrial items. The aim is to promote and harness the diverse expertise present in different sectors and communities across the country," an official release said Wednesday. A workshop-like event was organized Wednesday to create awareness regarding the efforts of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry through its two flagship initiative called One District One Product (ODOP) and PM Gati Shakti (Logistics). Also, a review meeting on PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP) with Nagaland government officials is being organized in the capital city of Kohima. The release stated the objective of the meeting is to promote wider adoption of PM GatiShakti for holistic planning, bring more vigor and build synergy with all the stakeholders of the PM GatiShakti NMP. Considering infrastructure as a growth engine and the need for a 'whole of government' approach to infrastructure development, the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (NMP) was launched in October 2021. It aimed to break departmental silos in project implementation. (ANI) NewsVoir New Delhi [India], June 22: More than 65,000 children and SOS Mothers from SOS Children's Villages India, the largest self-implementing child-care NGO of the country celebrated International Day of Yoga across all 31 Children's Villages and communities in 22 States and Union Territories. The yoga instructor emphasized the importance of yoga for mental well-being and its role in fostering holistic development. Through various poses, breathing exercises, and meditation techniques, the participants experienced the benefits of yoga firsthand. "We firmly believe in the unifying and uplifting power of yoga, capable of bringing together individuals, communities, and nations. On this auspicious occasion of the International Day of Yoga, let us join hands to embrace the essence of this ancient practice, fostering physical and mental well-being for everyone. At SOS Children's Villages India, we acknowledge the profound transformative effects of yoga on the lives of vulnerable children and youth. Through our programs, we equip them with the necessary tools to navigate life's challenges, cultivating resilience and inner strength. Today, as we celebrate the harmonious union of body, mind, and spirit, let us extend our compassion towards those in need, nurturing a world where every child can flourish. Together, we have the power to shape a future filled with hope, healing, and happiness for all," Said Sumanta Kar, CEO, SOS Children's Villages India. SOS Children's Villages India has been actively promoting the inclusion of yoga in the daily lives of all children and caregivers associated with the organization, recognizing the positive impact of yoga on overall physical and mental health, in line with the National vision. Yoga has proven to be a valuable tool in addressing a range of conditions, including insomnia, hypertension, gastrointestinal problems, diabetes, anxiety, depression, psychosis, and sleep disturbances. SOS Children's Villages India remains committed to nurturing the well-being of the children under its care, ensuring their physical, mental, and emotional development. Through initiatives like the World Yoga Day celebration, the organization continues to empower children to adopt healthy lifestyles and embrace the numerous benefits of yoga. Established in 1964, SOS Children's Villages India provides children without parental care or at the risk of losing it, a value chain of quality care services that goes beyond childcare alone, ensuring comprehensive child development. Our customised care interventions such as Family Like Care, Family Strengthening, Kinship Care, Short Stay Homes, Foster Care, Youth Skilling, Emergency Childcare and Special Needs Childcare are aimed at transforming lives and developing children under our care into self-reliant and contributing members of society. We empower vulnerable families in communities to become financially independent, thereby enabling them to create safe and nurturing spaces for children under their care. Today, we work with 65,000+ beneficiaries under various programmes of our Basket of Care Solutions. For more information, please visit www.soschildrensvillages.in. (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Mumbai (Maharashtra)/ New Delhi [India], June 22: Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas advised Alfanar Global Development, a part of Alfanar Projects, on engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contracts for five 5 (large) projects awarded by NEOM to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the residential communities, for NEOM, KSA (Residential Communities). Alfanar Projects is the biggest main contractor for this project. The Project & Project Finance Practice of Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas acted as the legal counsel for Alfanar Global Development and assisted with: a. reviewing, revising, analyzing, advising risk mitigation measures, and negotiating with NEOM all 5 (five) DBFOM contracts; b. reviewing, revising, negotiating, and finalizing the EPC contracts, facilities management agreements and the interface agreements for all the 5 (five) Residential Communities; c. negotiating the project agreements with the lenders; d. structuring of all sub-contract packages for EPC works and facilities management services for all the 5 (five) Residential Communities; e. preparing a step-down chart vis-a-vis the DBFOM Contracts, the EPC contracts/facilities management agreements and the sub-contracts; and f. drafting, reviewing, revising, negotiating, and finalizing all the sub-contracts executed between Alfanar Global Development and various other contractors for EPC and carrying out facilities management operations for all the 5 (five) Residential Communities. The Transaction team was led by Ajay Sawhney, Partner; with support from Bhupendra Verma, Partner; and Kanhai Srivastava, Senior Associate. Other Parties and Advisors to the transaction included Linklaters LLP (acted as the legal advisor for NEOM), Gowling WLG (acted as the legal advisor for the DBFOM Contractor), Pinsent Masons LLP (acted as the legal advisor for the lender), and Jacobs Solutions Inc. (acted as the technical advisor for the lender). The financial closure was achieved in June 2023. (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PNN New Delhi [India], June 22: Direct selling is a business model where companies sell their products or services directly to consumers without the involvement of traditional retail outlets. The direct selling industry in India has gained significant popularity in recent years. However, like any other industry, it faces its fair share of challenges. Among the most impacted are the industry distributors, who face many challenges as they strive to make a living in the space. Deepak Sood, founder and director at Vestige Marketing, recently discussed these issues. Below are some struggles that he highlighted: Lack of Regulatory Clarity: One of the primary challenges distributors face in India's direct-selling industry is the lack of clear regulations. While direct-selling is a legitimate business model, there have been instances of fraudulent practices tarnishing the industry's reputation. This has led to confusion and scepticism amongst distributors and consumers alike. The absence of clear guidelines makes it difficult for distributors to navigate the legal and regulatory landscape, leaving them vulnerable to potential legal issues. There is a pressing need for organizations that support them and instil a sense of confidence in consumers to keep the supply chain functional. Negative Perception and Misconceptions: The direct selling industry in India often faces negative perceptions and misconceptions, primarily due to the actions of a few unethical companies. Many people still associate direct selling with get-rich-quick schemes. This misconception affects the trust and credibility of distributors and makes it challenging for them to build a customer base. Educating the public about the legitimate nature of direct selling is an ongoing challenge for distributors, and this is where organizations can step in and bust the misconceptions. Recruitment and Training: Recruiting and training a robust sales force is crucial for distributors in the direct selling industry. However, finding motivated individuals willing to invest time and effort into building their own businesses can be challenging. Moreover, providing effective training and support to recruits can be time-consuming and requires dedicated efforts from distributors. Distributors may struggle to succeed without proper training and mentorship, impacting their earnings and overall business growth. Inventory Management and Product Quality: Distributors in direct selling often face challenges related to inventory management. They must balance maintaining an adequate stock of products while avoiding excess inventory that can tie up their capital. Additionally, ensuring consistent product quality is essential for customer satisfaction and repeat business. Distributors must be vigilant about the quality of products they sell and rely on the reputation of the company they represent. It is essential to choose manufacturers who have the right ethics. Competition and Market Saturation: With the rise in popularity of direct selling in India, the industry has become increasingly competitive. Distributors face the challenge of differentiating themselves from other distributors and companies in the market. As more individuals join the industry, the market can become saturated, making it harder for distributors to find new customers and expand their networks. It requires continuous efforts, innovation, and effective marketing strategies to stay ahead of the competition. According to Sood, Vestige offers its distributors a comprehensive toolkit to navigate these issues. With consistent support and visionary guidance, distributors can help advance their careers in the field. We hope more people find sustainable careers in direct-selling by banking on incessant support offered by similar companies. You may follow Deepak Sood on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/DsoodVestige?mibextid=LQQJ4d and on Instagram via https://instagram.com/deepaks2205?igshid=ZWQyN2ExYTkwZQ== (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)